Suji was lost in thought while Yeonju was on the phone.

Not just Priya alone, but can the members of also create waves?

If that’s possible, through what means did they obtain such power?

Just as she could communicate with one of the ‘Great Beings’, could Priya also talk with The Lord?

Was that the reason for establishing the organization?

When she first met Priya, nothing made sense, but after receiving the ‘s reward, she felt like she understood a little bit of her intentions.

At that moment, Yeonju sat down next to Suji, leaning against her with a tired face while fastening her jacket.

“I’ve relayed the message for now. I’ll let you know as soon as the report comes in.”

Suji nodded.

Yeonju’s profile, as she brushed her long gray hair to one side and glanced at her device, was full of fatigue.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh. Of course. Why?”

“No, you just look a bit tired.”

Yeonju took her eyes off the device and smiled brightly.

“I am tired. Do you know how many calls I’ve received since ? It’s been an insane amount. Politicians contacting me saying their wish is to take a picture with you, other countries asking about the rewards since they cooperated by not sending hunters to …”

Suji smiled bitterly.

Just because a dedicated manager wasn’t on the field didn’t mean it was easy.

Rather, Suji only had to deal with monsters, while Yeonju was busy managing Hunter Daphne’s image, rejecting requests… coordinating complex and delicate matters.

“But there are more good points. Thanks to you claiming , the national prestige you’ve been raising has gone up even more. Naturally, there’s been a significant decrease in people spouting nonsense.”

“You mean like malicious comments?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t care about those. They’re just people who don’t even have the courage to say anything to my face.”

Yeonju stared at Suji as she spoke calmly with a gentle smile.

‘Your daughter has grown a lot.’

Feeling like she might tear up again sentimentally, she took a light breath when there was a knock, and the owner of this room entered.

It was Seunghwan, Hunter name Night.

He came in and stopped Suji from standing up, then shook her hand lightly.

“You’ve worked hard. There’s so much to praise, I don’t know where to start.”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not nothing. If you need anything, or want to eat something… anyway, just say the word. Yeonju will take care of everything.”

Suji smiled softly and composed her expression.

Not just Yeonju, but Seunghwan also looked quite unwell, but now she had to say something truly difficult to hear.

It was a hurdle that needed to be overcome anyway.

“I came because I have something to tell both of you.”

Seunghwan, who was holding a water bottle and opening the cap, looked at Suji with a serious expression.

Suji pointed to the window outside.

“I plan to conquer the within the next three months. I’ll need your help.”

Yeonju blinked.

“That’s an odd thing to hear.”

“Why?”

“You’re talking as if you haven’t been climbing the until now. When you’ve been living there like it’s practically your home.”

Suji looked at the midsection of the with a faint smile.

The familiar light coming from the 50th floor was intensely familiar.

That’s right.

That’s how she had lived.

Suddenly stopping was the strange thing.

She slowly got to the main point.

“I saw a prophecy as a reward for .”

“A prophecy?”

“I don’t know what to believe anymore, or to what extent. But since it was given as a reward for claiming , I’ll speak believing it’s a benefit given to me.”

Yeonju stared at Suji.

Suji’s actions these past few days were really strange.

It had been that way since she appeared at .

She suddenly shut herself away and couldn’t be contacted, then suddenly said she was fine. Then she went and lectured government officials after the wave ended.

None of it connected to her previous behavior.

Moreover, the Suji she knew wasn’t one to hesitate when speaking. But to be this roundabout, it was unsettling no matter how she thought about it.

Yeonju unconsciously put down her glass and hugged one arm with the other as she nodded.

“Okay, what is it.”

“I saw the death of humanity. A certain death. I saw a being that even the current me and all the other hunters combined wouldn’t be a match for. It must be a monster.”

As Suji articulated her words as clearly as possible to convey her thoughts, Yeonju took a breath, seemingly unable to understand.

Suji understood Yeonju’s reaction.

But she desperately needed her help to climb the tower. She needed to properly convey her position.

Perhaps knowing it was cruel, Suji relayed everything she had seen to Yeonju and Seunghwan in detail.

Even receiving the ring, and talking with the ‘Great Beings’ who were the owners of .

Seunghwan, who had already had contact with the ‘Great Beings’, didn’t look too surprised, but Yeonju couldn’t close her gaping mouth the entire time she listened to the story.

Yeonju mulled over Suji’s words several times to understand them.

She couldn’t easily accept anything, from the story about the reward to the talk about the ring.

Above all, the fact that the very foundation of everything she was working on now, the ‘Hunter System’ itself, was merely a system created by non-human entities to use humanity as bait.

That part was the most shocking.

Back when Yeonju had the hunter name Creusa. Those years of struggling to survive in the post-First Wave world, pioneering from the bottom of the tower.

If what Suji said was true, then all of that was nothing more than being played by beings from another dimension.

The people who lost their lives to the waves, they all just died for nothing.

“…Then what happens?”

Suji responded to Yeonju’s barely uttered question with a long sigh, getting up from her seat to hug her.

As the warm body temperature transferred, she finally felt like she could breathe a little easier.

“Aunt.”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m not happy with any of this either, from start to finish.”

“…I see.”

“But since they’ve gone to such lengths to create a development system for humans, I’m going to try. Since they’ve apparently set it up so well that if I climb that damned tower to the end, I’ll be able to face an impossible monster, I’m going to try climbing it.”

Yeonju looked at Suji.

Nineteen years old. An age when she should still be throwing tantrums by her parents’ side, dreaming impossible dreams.

But how could she be so much more mature than herself?

How could she be so composed in the face of this incomprehensible and unacceptable reality?

Though she still couldn’t process or accept any single piece of information, looking at Suji made her feel both admiration and shame.

And she also felt the weight of responsibility pressing down on her shoulders.

“…Your determination is good. But it’s a tower we haven’t been able to climb even though we’ve tried our best until now. Will you be okay?”

Suji smiled and shook her head.

“I’m not okay at all, but I’m going to push through. If I can’t do it, I’m thinking of just lying down and watching movies I haven’t seen until I die. Want to watch with me?”

Even right after having this conversation, there was no hint of forced effort in that smile.

While watching Suji become an SSS-rank hunter, Yeonju already knew that Suji was an extraordinary child. She knew how to constantly put in effort and devote herself to practice, and how to run towards her goals.

But she was also worried that that persistence was too blind.

But now… she felt that Suji had surpassed that.

Beyond being a hunter, she had advanced a step further as a human being, and matured.

“…Was your request to prepare broadcasting equipment related to this as well?”

Suji nodded.

“Tell me everything I can do. I’ll support you to the maximum.”

Yeonju tried to say what she needed to say while suppressing her heart that seemed to be beating twice as fast as usual, then looked to the side.

Seunghwan had a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Are you okay?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you’re okay.”

“…Yeonju.”

Yeonju stared at him as he called her name with unprecedented seriousness.

“What?”

Seunghwan stared at the tower for a long while before turning towards Daphne.

“I heard about what you said to the government officials. You don’t need to worry about training personnel. If you want to broadcast, that’s fine, but it’s enough if you just do your part.”

“Uncle?”

“Let’s return, Creusa. We’re not in a situation where we can stay retired any longer.”

Yeonju couldn’t hide her surprise as she looked at Seunghwan.

She hadn’t told Suji, but ever since Penaeus died, Seunghwan wasn’t really a living person even though he was alive. Moreover, he suffered from severe trauma where his hands would shake uncontrollably just from holding a sword.

Seunghwan took out a bronze locket from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Then, without making eye contact with anyone, he muttered quietly to himself.

“The day I saw the log of the ‘Great Beings’ was the day I sent Penaeus off.”

This was a story Seunghwan had never told even to Yeonju before.