Brooklyn was baffled.
How could anyone look at such a magnificent object—one that would make most people itch with greed—with such indifference?
"Impressive."
This was the first time anyone had rejected her proposal so decisively.
Precisely because his response was so unusual, Brooklyn found herself growing even more interested in him. He remained perfectly composed even in the presence of an S-rank Hunter. The longer she observed him, the more convinced she became that this man truly possessed formidable strength.
"I gave it considerable thought and brought what I believed you would need most. Did we misjudge something?"
"Well."
"What exactly is it that you want, Hunter? Even a rough answer is fine. Power? Fame? Hmm...?"
Brooklyn stared straight ahead, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
Standing there was a man in a suit that, strangely enough, carried the faint scent of something burning.
"Whatever it is, though, I imagine it would be difficult to obtain in a small country like this."
Kim Giryeo turned his head toward her voice.
"I'm not saying this to disparage Korea, but that's simply the reality. This is a country where every citizen's status is forcibly registered in the system, and even if you die while working for it, the government won't properly take responsibility for your family."
"..."
"But my homeland is different. The United States will guarantee your freedom, and..."
"..."
"If you protect us, you could become a hero known throughout the world. Kim, that's the kind of position that suits you."
There was nothing inherently wrong with what she was saying.
Just as Brooklyn had pointed out, no matter how talented someone might be, there were very few countries capable of offering better conditions than the United States.
When a nation like that personally extended an offer, what Awakened individual could possibly refuse?
Wasn't it the obvious choice?
Why protect people who, after using you like a dog in service of the country, would at best reward you with a respectable grave?
Why devote yourself to fattening the bellies of those who raised taxes day after day, desperately trying to replenish coffers slowly drained by the country's thieves?
"I'll ask you one more time. Hunter, please become a Hunter for the United States."
Brooklyn and the members of the Management Bureau bowed deeply before the blond man.
Their desire to recruit the Korean Hunter was entirely sincere.
And at that very moment, a single thought surfaced clearly in Giryeo's mind.
'What should I eat when I get home after this?'
...
As that thought made painfully obvious, he had stopped paying attention halfway through the conversation.
Standing before the number one Hunter in the United States, no less.
Had he lost his mind?
But there was nothing he could do about it.
No matter how sincerely they pleaded with him, he had no intention of changing his answer.
'And they said this kind of magic tool was so valuable that you couldn't buy one even if you sold an entire city...'
[Dragon's Heart].
After seeing the item for himself, Giryeo's interest had vanished after roughly fifty seconds of observation.
He had initially held high expectations for it because it was said to increase the amount of magical power within the body.
But in reality, by the standards of a great magician, the increase wasn't particularly impressive.
More importantly, his current body was practically falling apart—sickly, decaying, and rotting from within.
Even if he consumed the item, it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to make full use of even its modest benefits.
'In my current state, no matter how recklessly I increase my magic power... the actual output would barely improve.'
About a twenty-percent increase.
To some people, that might sound substantial.
The problem was Kim Giryeo's starting point.
When the original value was already close to zero, multiplying it hardly changed anything.
'Wow.'
Special enhancements like the [Dragon's Heart] were something he should consider only in the distant future.
For now, it simply wasn't efficient.
Giryeo had no desire to covet a magical artifact he couldn't even make proper use of.
More importantly, this entire conversation was based on a fundamental misunderstanding.
The person they wanted to recruit was supposedly a powerful Korean Hunter with a spectacular record.
But the person actually standing before them was nothing more than a fragile shell that might break from the slightest impact.
'Hmm. I did say I'd only listen to the offer. But can I really reject them this easily? They're not going to lock me in here and keep trying to persuade me like some kind of pyramid scheme, are they...?'
As someone firmly situated at the bottom of the food chain, Giryeo cautiously gauged the mood, his mind occupied by rather timid concerns.
"Hunter."
At that moment, Brooklyn casually sat down on the nearby leather sofa and spoke in a gentle voice.
"By the way, did you know?"
She blinked her blue eyes—eyes that reminded Giryeo of the seas of someone's homeland—and studied him intently.
"Putting aside status and compensation, there's actually another major reason we wanted to recruit you."
"Yes?"
"I wanted you."
Brooklyn smiled.
"Personally, I think the two of us could accomplish some truly incredible things if we worked together."
"Really?"
"What do you think?"
Since Giryeo still wasn't reacting, she decided to offer him another kind of bait.
And just who was Brooklyn Morgan?
Even disregarding superficial traits such as her model-like appearance, she possessed an almost destructive degree of personal appeal.
She was the only S-rank healer in the entire world.
Her ability to cast powerful, rapid regeneration magic was so extraordinary that it bordered on resurrection.
And rather than remaining safely behind the front lines, she used that rare ability to its fullest by throwing herself into brutal, high-risk battles.
She was capable in both combat and support.
Naturally, the world was full of people desperate to become Brooklyn's allies.
Enough of them, perhaps, to form a line around the entire planet.
"Kim, I genuinely like you. I have ever since that party."
For an ordinary Hunter, receiving Brooklyn Morgan's personal interest would have been a stroke of fortune beyond imagination.
Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong person.
The man standing before her was a magician whose own regenerative abilities were advanced enough that he could easily have been called a master of restoration magic.
And worse still, he had more fundamental problems of his own.
'I've been thinking about this for a while now...'
There was a peculiar sense of estrangement that came from possessing a soul twisted out of place.
And so Giryeo reacted in a way no one could possibly have anticipated.
He looked Brooklyn over with a strange, unfamiliar gaze.
'As expected, Earthlings are so ambiguous that it's almost unsettling. It's been quite a while since I reincarnated here, but when am I finally going to get used to this...?'
Giryeo's thoughts soon wandered elsewhere.
But that brief exchange of glances delivered an unexpected shock to the American Hunter.
"Oh my."
Good heavens.
To look at an S-rank Hunter—one of the rarest beings in existence—as though she were nothing more than a slab of meat hanging in a butcher shop.
There had to be some limit to how cold-blooded a person could be.
Brooklyn quickly realized that the man before her did not seem particularly receptive to her advances, so she immediately backed off.
"All right, all right. In any case, you're not interested in the Dragon's Heart, correct?"
If they had offered something like the lungs instead, Giryeo might at least have pretended to consider it.
But really, regardless of what reward they brought him, the fundamental problem remained the same.
He was worthless.
He had no ability to repay whatever price came attached to their offer.
At that point, he couldn't help wondering what purpose there was in considering any of it.
Soon, Kim Giryeo gave his answer.
"Like you said, I'm not interested in this item, and I have no intention of immigrating to the United States. Since neither of us intends to change our position, I don't see much point in continuing this discussion."
Then he added,
"If you've said everything you wanted to say, may I leave now?"
Kim Giryeo's words were translated into English through Pray's translator.
After hearing his answer, one of the Spectrum agents nodded and respectfully escorted Giryeo all the way into the hallway.
"I really messed this one up."
"Miss Morgan, please don't worry about it. If he rejected the Dragon's Heart, the outcome would've been the same regardless of what else we offered."
"It's strange. I was certain that Hunter would need it..."
A few seconds later, while Brooklyn was speaking with the remaining agent, she noticed something leaning against the bed in the suite.
A box wrapped in elegant paper.
"Hmm?"
It was a welcome gift prepared for the foreign S-rank Hunter.
Giryeo had been so concerned that they might refuse to let him leave easily that he had fled in a hurry, leaving before he had the chance to receive it.
"Ah, [Droplet of God]! We forgot to offer him a token of appreciation for the time we took from our guest."
One of the American agents identified the contents of the box and reached toward it.
But a voice stopped them.
"Don't touch it."
Brooklyn Morgan still had business to take care of in this country.
"I'll take it to him myself."
She rose from the sofa and picked up the box.
***
Tak, tak, tak, tak.
Even in seven-centimeter heels, Brooklyn Morgan walked with effortless speed.
She crossed the hotel lobby, softly illuminated by daylight, and stepped outside.
Fortunately, the person she was looking for had not gone far.
An Awakened individual completely devoid of any trace of magic.
Colorless.
Odorless.
"...All right. Since you came all the way here, I suppose I should at least see your face..."
Perhaps sensing the presence of the S-rank Hunter approaching from behind, the man abruptly stopped speaking and turned his gaze.
"Wait a minute. I'll hang up for now."
The Asian man held an old smartphone in one hand.
Apparently, he had been talking to someone.
"Giryeo! You forgot your gift!"
Brooklyn, who had secretly practiced pronouncing his name, cheerfully extended the package in her hand.
Kim Giryeo let out a small exclamation, as though only now remembering it.
Come to think of it, hadn't they said they would compensate him merely for giving them some of his time?
"Oh, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble..."
The alien archmage approached her while desperately suppressing the trembling corners of his mouth.
Whether one was a child or an adult, receiving a gift was always exciting.
Unfortunately, what he was doing now was no different from walking directly into a tiger's jaws.
"It's nothing. Please, take it—"
There was a second reason Brooklyn had come to Korea.
She intended to verify Kim Giryeo's abilities with her own eyes.
'Sophia's ridiculous stories alone aren't enough. I might get in trouble later for doing something like this, but that's fine. I need to confirm it myself or I won't be satisfied.'
How could she tear away the veil concealing this man's true abilities?
It was a question she had pondered repeatedly, even during the flight to Korea.
But after the Soul Strike operation had failed, Brooklyn had decided that this time, the simplest approach would probably be best.
"I really hope you like the gift."
There were certain abilities almost inevitably acquired upon awakening as an S-rank.
Visual acuity sharp enough to perceive even the fluttering of a bee's wings.
Rapid detection of magical energy.
In other words, enhanced perception.
Come to think of it, those fundamental physical abilities were extremely difficult to imitate with items.
'Just a little more.'
Brooklyn intended to tear off the cold-looking Asian man's right arm the moment he came within reach.
'Just a little closer.'
There wouldn't be any scars.
With the talent bestowed upon her by the gods and her Awakened skill, even a violently torn body could quickly be restored to its original condition.
Watching Giryeo approach, Brooklyn began gathering mana.
The process was as fast as a thought traveling through the nerves.
And just as silent.
'That's enough.'
The distance between them had finally closed.
Everything would be over in the blink of an eye.
Brooklyn was confident that she could tear off his arm and heal it again in less than a second.
Tak.
Giryeo took his final step forward.
Brooklyn raised her fingers, ready to tear away the veil concealing her opponent's abilities.
But the next sound she heard was not the wet tearing of muscle.
Boom!
A heavy explosion thundered through the air.
Immediately afterward, coarse dust erupted from the front courtyard of the five-star hotel, an area that had been closed to ordinary pedestrians.
To everyone's surprise, the S-rank Hunter from the United States had been intercepted by someone who suddenly appeared from the right.
"Hmm, Brooklyn Morgan?"
The instant he appeared, the newcomer displayed the unmistakable traits of a top-tier Awakened.
With exceptional dynamic vision backed by transcendent senses, he had predicted Brooklyn's movement before she could carry it out.
The Awakened man, his reptilian eyes glinting strangely, spoke after kicking Brooklyn straight into a flowerbed.
"What is someone who came here to eat bibimbap doing this far out?"
It was Kang Changho.
Another S-rank Hunter from Korea.
And judging by his expression, he was not in a particularly pleasant mood.
His eyebrows were sharply arched as he voiced his suspicion.
This was the minimal precaution Giryeo had prepared beforehand.
He had casually sent a text mentioning that he had received an offer from the United States and was heading to meet them.
Naturally, that habitual stalker would keep an eye on the condition of his contractor.
Glance.
Giryeo watched Brooklyn struggle to rise with her broken arm and thought,
'Hmm.'
It was certainly good that he had taken out some insurance...
But somehow, judging by the behavior of his so-called insurance agent, Giryeo had the uncomfortable feeling that their side might end up being more at fault.