Chapter 60: The First Knight Commander
The President of the United States fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.
The moment the international community recognizes the Tower's guarantee, the entire world will begin reorganizing itself under the Tower's order... This goes beyond the relationship between Korea and Japan. American hegemony itself could be shaken.
As he thought about it, the President's eyes suddenly flashed.
Then he reached a conclusion.
"If Japan claims sovereignty over the Mana Stone Mine, the United States will ignore it."
"What do you mean, Mr. President?"
"Turn a blind eye to Korea's Mana Stone mining operations. If Japan asks us for a response, prepare nothing more than a generic statement saying, 'We hope both nations reach an amicable agreement.'"
"Yes, Mr. President."
The aide found it strange.
Both Japan and Korea were American allies.
But if the United States had to choose one side, Japan was the larger economy and had long been included within America's strategic defense line in East Asia.
More importantly, this issue might even affect the American-led global order and its position as the world's hegemonic power.
So why was the President drawing such a firm line?
There was another reason.
Before reaching his conclusion, the President had seen something.
A Tower message that was still floating before his eyes.
[Prepare for a Resource War against Mexico.]
[The Resource War will take place on Floor 52, "Goblin Rare Earth Mine."]
That was right.
The President of the United States was also a Hunter.
Only a tiny number of his closest aides knew this top-secret fact.
Of course, given his position and age, he didn't personally climb the Tower.
Still, he at least possessed the right to receive messages from it.
Rare earths.
The inevitable environmental pollution created by mining and refining them.
The decades during which the United States had been vulnerable to China's strategy of weaponizing rare earth resources.
The years when entire advanced industries had effectively been held by the throat because of them.
Now, a method had appeared before him that could bypass all those troublesome problems and directly supply the valuable resources to the American mainland.
The United States had no intention of letting that opportunity slip away.
So just as Korea fought Japan over resources, we'll be fighting Mexico...
More importantly, from America's perspective, Mexico was an overwhelmingly easier opponent.
A subtle light appeared in the President's eyes.
Is the Tower trying to favor the United States... or does it have some other motive?
He couldn't know the answer.
But one thing was certain.
Whatever the case, we can't refuse.
If this was something they had no choice but to do, then there was only one answer.
Win.
No matter what.
By now, American Hunters would have received the same message.
Hunter Inventory would already be exploding.
Within minutes, internet news sites would be filled with articles about it.
"Advisor."
"Yes, Mr. President."
"Prepare the list of high-rank Hunters currently under government control as our highest priority. We must be thorough. I don't want us humiliating ourselves like Japan did."
The aide immediately understood what the President meant.
The phones and tablets of the officials in the room were already going wild with reports about the Resource War against Mexico.
"...Sir, are you perhaps considering participating personally...?"
The President raised a hand and cut him off.
"Of course not. I'm the President of the United States."
"Phew."
The aide couldn't hide his relief.
After all, on several occasions, the President had secretly disappeared for a while and later returned carrying the unmistakable presence of someone who had been in combat.
That Korean General is the same way.
Whether they were national leaders, businessmen, or ordinary citizens...
This had become an era where anyone might be hiding tremendous strength inside the Tower.
Authority in the outside world.
Strength inside the Tower.
Those two things were gradually beginning to converge.
The Hunter Association's underground bunker.
"Ahhh. As expected, blue crab is the king of crustaceans. No, the king of seafood. No!"
I raised my voice dramatically.
"The king of every ingredient in the world! No, that's not enough either. The emperor of all food ingredients! A god! Or perhaps something even greater!"
The enormous table in front of me was covered with every kind of blue crab dish imaginable.
Steamed blue crab.
Spicy marinated crab.
Soy-marinated crab.
Steam rose from the bright red crab legs.
I picked up one plump crab body and smiled in satisfaction.
It was a top-grade female blue crab, absolutely packed with bright red roe.
We won the Resource War. I deserve at least this much luxury.
I took a huge bite from the crab body.
Just then, my smartphone rang.
It was CEO Park.
He'd been calling me much more frequently lately, probably because there was so much work going on.
"Hello?"
"CEO Choi, the negotiations will most likely go through under the terms I proposed."
"That's good."
"Very good."
CEO Park paused for a moment before continuing.
"But... be careful from now on. Prepare yourself."
"Why all of a sudden?"
"This is just my prediction, but..."
Inhale... exhale.
I heard him puffing cigar smoke through the phone.
"We're entering an age where the logic of power will become much more blatant."
"I see."
I answered briefly.
But in truth, I'd already been thinking something similar.
Countries were now fighting Resource Wars over resources inside foreign Towers.
And the Tower itself guaranteed ownership to whoever won.
It was the purest form of survival of the fittest.
And this was only the beginning.
Resource Wars like these might soon happen all over the world.
Perhaps other countries were already making the same calculations.
"America and Mexico are already going crazy over their own Resource War."
"What resource are they fighting over?"
I'd been too busy eating crab to hear the news.
"Rare earths."
