Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Anything Is Possible

"We received news that a spy dispatched by China was arrested at the Munitions Factory in Pyongyang last night."

"A Chinese spy?"

"Yes. He's still being interrogated, so we don't have all the details yet, but apparently, one of his assignments involved targeting you, Hunter Choi Hyunwoo."

"Me?"

"Yes. The Association will do everything in its power to protect you, but please be especially careful."

The Chairman's secretary hesitated for a moment before cautiously continuing.

"If you'd like, the Association can arrange a top-class secure residence for you."

Then he hurriedly added,

"Oh, of course, we're not trying to force you! I'm only suggesting it because I wouldn't want you to think we're trying to monitor you. We'll respect your wishes."

I suddenly found myself feeling rather moved.

It was the consideration and caution in the secretary's words that struck me.

The Chairman's secretary is a fairly influential person in his own right.

Yet someone like that was being so careful not to offend me.

I never could've imagined something like this happening in the past.

Until recently, I'd been nothing more than an unemployed loser who made a living farming gold in online games.

Now I'd become a national hero whom even the Hunter Association treated with the utmost caution.

And I'm a man worth four billion won an hour.

How times had changed.

Hunter Association.

Chairman's Office.

Chairman Han Sangho sat solemnly on the sofa opposite his secretary, watching the phone conversation with his eyes wide open.

Although Choi Hyunwoo wasn't even in the room, the secretary had sprung to his feet and was holding the phone respectfully with both hands.

What kind of extraordinary demands will he make...?

The secretary swallowed nervously, as though he were about to receive classified information of the highest importance.

However...

"Um, would I be allowed to order food deliveries to the secure residence?"

The secretary froze for a moment.

"Pardon? F-food deliveries?"

"Are they not allowed?"

"No! Of course they're allowed! Absolutely! You can certainly order food! Yes, without question!"

The secretary hurriedly waved his free hand as he answered.

Internally, however, he was a little flustered.

Allowing delivery drivers into a secure facility would significantly undermine the entire purpose of its security arrangements.

But now wasn't the time to argue over such principles.

I'll have to find a way to make it work.

The secretary quickly began writing on his notepad.

1.

Establish a dedicated entrance and route for food deliveries.

2.

3.

Introduce advance identity verification for delivery drivers.

4.

5.

Strengthen inspections of all food brought into the facility.

6.

His demands are much more reasonable than I expected.

The secretary felt relieved.

To be honest, he'd prepared himself for all sorts of requests.

A private aircraft on permanent standby.

A personal security team available around the clock.

Perhaps even treatment normally reserved for visiting heads of state.

But all the man wanted to know was whether he could order delivery food.

The Chairman was absolutely right when he predicted that Hunter Choi Hyunwoo would prioritize convenience.

That was something the Chairman had repeatedly emphasized while preparing for this arrangement.

Hunter Choi Hyunwoo absolutely hates troublesome things. Make his life as comfortable as possible.

Sure enough, the Chairman, who was listening to the conversation from right in front of him, was nodding with a grandfatherly smile.

See? What did I tell you?

He even silently mouthed those words.

"Is there anything else you'd like?"

The secretary asked cautiously, and Choi Hyunwoo answered immediately.

"Will someone take care of the cleaning, too?"

"Pardon? Cleaning? Oh, of course! Naturally, we'll take care of the cleaning!"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, absolutely! In fact, nobody at the Association does their own cleaning. We have dedicated cleaning staff for all of that."

Naturally, it was a public institution.

Of course, the situation was a little different when it came to secure facilities, but that wasn't an important concern right now.

"Then, while we're at it, I'd like someone to do the dishes as well. And the laundry, and take out the trash. Please handle the recycling, too. Actually, just arrange things so I can live without having to lift a finger, while eating whatever I want."

"Ah...!"

The secretary's fingers suddenly stopped moving across the notepad.

He stared blankly into space for a moment.

Then, gradually, admiration spread across his face.

This is...

It wasn't simply that Choi Hyunwoo wanted a comfortable life.

His entire daily routine revolves around the Tower.

Meals, cleaning, laundry...

Even the time and mental energy required for such minor everyday tasks were too precious for him to waste.

Of course, housework was difficult.

But what Choi Hyunwoo was undertaking was a great endeavor.

That must be why he wanted to devote every part of himself to the Tower.

Is this the kind of determination it takes to become the world's first General...?

The secretary's eyes grew slightly red.

Suddenly, all the years he'd spent working at the Association flashed before his eyes.

The years of being overwhelmed by work.

The years of being pushed around by his superiors.

The years when he'd neglected his own life and happiness.

And yet this hero on the other end of the phone had cast aside even those insignificant everyday concerns to focus entirely on the Tower!

I must learn from him. I need that same level of determination and perseverance.

Suppressing the emotion welling up inside him, the secretary composed himself and spoke again.

"Yes! Everything is possible. Anything you want! We can arrange absolutely everything! If anyone tells you something can't be done, I'll deal with them personally!"

"Thank you. In that case, I'll move into the secure residence you've prepared."

"Yes! We'll be waiting for you. There's absolutely nothing you need to prepare. Just come as you are!"

When the call ended, the secretary raised his head with a solemn expression.

"We succeeded, Chairman."

Han Sangho immediately burst into hearty laughter and gave the secretary a firm pat on the back.

"Excellent work! Truly excellent! You can look forward to a performance bonus this month!"

"Th-thank you, Chairman!"

The secretary was so overwhelmed that tears welled up in his eyes.

It was the first time he'd received such tremendous praise since joining the Association.

"Now, we need to get everything ready. Let's get moving!"

"Yes! I'll inspect the secure residence immediately!"

The secretary marched energetically out of the Chairman's office.

Outside the Hunter Association's main entrance.

I was just about to enter the building when I suddenly stopped.

"...Hmm?"

[Low-Rank NCO]

Why was a rank tag floating in the air all by itself?

I meant that literally.

There was nobody beneath it, yet a rank tag was clearly floating in an otherwise empty space.

Right beside the Association's main entrance.

What the heck is that?

I looked around, but nothing else seemed unusual.

Several security guards were standing watch at the entrance.

Visitors and employees were coming and going.

Everything looked perfectly ordinary.

Except for one thing.

That rank tag floating in midair simply couldn't be explained.

It couldn't be a ghost.

Don't tell me there's an invisible person standing there.

The thought had occurred to me as a joke, but it sent a sudden chill down my spine.

...That might actually be possible.

Just then, the Chairman's secretary came out to welcome me with a delighted expression.

"Hunter Choi Hyunwoo! Thank you so much for coming in person..."

"Excuse me."

I interrupted him and discreetly pointed toward the empty space.

"There's something strange over there."

"Pardon?"

The secretary followed my finger and tilted his head.

There was nothing there.

"It says Low-Rank NCO."

"Low-Rank... NCO? Isn't that one of the PvP ranks inside the Tower?"

A moment later, Chairman Han Sangho emerged behind the secretary.

After hearing what I'd said, his eyes shifted as though he were considering something.

Then his expression suddenly hardened.

He hurriedly grabbed his radio.

"Special Task Force! Concealed individual detected in front of the Association's main entrance! Apprehend the intruder immediately!"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Special Task Force agents rushed over in an instant.

"Urgh...! H-how did you find me?!"

"Unidentified individual apprehended! The suspect appears to be using an invisibility ability!"

The concealed intruder was immediately captured.

At that moment, his concealment gradually faded, revealing an unfamiliar man.

"...!"

The secretary's face turned deathly pale.

"H-how is this possible? He infiltrated all the way to the Association's front entrance...!"

The Special Task Force agents were equally astonished.

The Association's headquarters boasted some of the most sophisticated security of any Hunter-related facility in the country.

Yet this man had managed to infiltrate its grounds without being challenged even once.

If I hadn't noticed him...

The Korean Hunter Association might have ended up dancing in the palm of a foreign spy's hand.

The secretary immediately bowed ninety degrees.

"I sincerely apologize, Hunter Choi Hyunwoo. I'm afraid we'll have to change our plans. Instead of the Association's secure residence, we'll escort you to a separate security facility."

I nodded without giving it much thought.

"Sure. Let's do that."

The secretary immediately called someone and began issuing urgent orders.

I caught phrases such as "Activate the top-secret security facility immediately" and "Redesign the VIP transfer route."

This is turning into a much bigger deal than I expected.

Even I found it fascinating that I'd exposed a spy using the General's Authority.

I couldn't help feeling a little proud, too.

Hunter Association.

Top-Secret Underground Bunker.

The elevator descended for quite some time.

Even after getting off, we had to pass through several long corridors that branched in different directions before finally reaching our destination.

Each of the many steel doors we passed required another strict security procedure.

Iris recognition.

Fingerprint recognition.

And finally, even voice verification by the person in charge.

"I'm terribly sorry that we have to accommodate you so deep underground, where not even a ray of sunlight can reach."

The secretary guided me along with an apologetic expression.

"In exchange, we'll provide every possible convenience throughout your stay. We've also prepared our most luxurious VIP suite for you."

"The electricity works properly, right?"

"Of course! Absolutely. We have backup generators, and enough refined diesel in reserve to last several hundred years."

"That's good. And there's no sunlight."

"...Pardon?"

"Sunlight is so glaring. It makes computer screens difficult to see, too."

There had been quite a few mornings when I'd messed up a raid because sunlight had made my monitor too difficult to see.

The secretary hesitated for a moment before breaking into a bright smile.

"Ah...! Of course! Sunlight just hurts your eyes for no reason. Artificial fluorescent lighting is a hundred times better. Hahahaha!"

"You said I could eat anything I wanted, right?"

I was starting to get hungry.

"Yes! Just tell me what you'd like."

"First, get me some blue crabs. Shrimp would be nice, and some webfoot octopus, too. Can you prepare clams? Preferably surf clams. Oh, and please make sure the octopus and crabs are carrying roe."

"Ah, yes. Anything else?"

The secretary wrote down my requests at the speed of light.

"Ramen."

"Ramen...?"

"Yes. Use those ingredients to make me some ramen. I want the broth rich, spicy, and refreshing. Chop up some green onions and plenty of Cheongyang chili peppers. And cook the noodles one minute longer than the instructions say, so they're nice and soft. I want them to go down easily."

"Ah...! Understood! I'll inform the head chef immediately."

The secretary hurried off somewhere.

Before long, I could sense a flurry of activity coming from the bunker's kitchen.

It seemed the entire culinary team that usually prepared banquets for visiting dignitaries had been mobilized.

A short while later, an extravagant seafood ramen feast appeared before me.

Spicy ramen overflowing with roe-filled blue crabs, webfoot octopus, shrimp, and surf clams.

Crab shells and legs rose majestically above the red broth, creating a magnificent sight.

This is Emperor Ramen.

Naturally, I started by scooping up a spoonful of broth.

"Slurp. Ooooh!"

A shiver ran through my entire body.

"W-what's wrong?!"

"Eating this will kill you."

"K-kill you?!"

"With how delicious it is."

"...Ah!"

As expected, seafood broth was the greatest.

The slightly overcooked noodles had softened beautifully and practically melted the moment they entered my mouth.

"With a secure facility this good, I wouldn't mind living here permanently."

"As long as you wish! In fact, we'd be delighted if you stayed with us."

"Really? That's perfect, then."

I nodded and went back to slurping my noodles.

Good ingredients never lie.

The rich, spicy yet refreshing broth filled my mouth.

"I'm glad the food suits your tastes. Please let me know whenever you need anything. I'll be available twenty-four hours a day."

"Twenty-four hours? You need to rest too, Chief Secretary."

"It's perfectly fine! There's no duty more important than attending to you, Hunter Choi Hyunwoo."

The secretary answered with a determined expression.

I chuckled and picked the meat from a crab.

This is why people need power. It's the only way to receive treatment like this.

With my stomach full, I suddenly remembered what had happened earlier.

I decided to bring it up.

"By the way, about that spy we caught at the Association's entrance..."

The secretary's expression immediately stiffened.

"...Yes. What would you like to know?"