[UNITED STATES – INTERNATIONAL HUNTERS ASSOCIATION HQ]
The clock on his desk read "9:00 pm", the hum of taxis, voices, and trains could be heard faintly from a distance.
Adam White dropped an Alka-Seltzer into a cup of water…he silently watched it bubble for a bit. Then proceeded to massage his temples in a slow and deep rhythmic pattern.
"What a mess…why does our job have to be so hard." Adam said half chuckling.
"Indeed, the world was much simpler before…when I was a police officer." Jinchul Woo said with a half-smile in agreement.
Both men sighed simultaneously…they had spent the entire day, 12 hours in endless meetings with politicians, world leaders, and even high-ranking hunters.
"So, it seems we are divided," Adam White said as he reflected on the countless meetings and discussions taking place.
"It seems so…according to our latest intelligence, the opinions are evenly divided." Jinchul Woo said solemnly.
"We need a tie-breaker…something big…something definitive…something that will move the needle in the right direction." Adam said in deep contemplation.
He added, "there is not much we can do for now…let's put a pin in that issue for now…what have we learned about the refugees."
"As you know, they are being kept in North Korea FOB," replied Jinchul.
FOB is a Forward Operating Base. After the massive field-dungeon break in North Korea that took place right before the Second Cataclysm, the land became a lawless zone. An abandoned military base was refitted to serve as a FOB for the hunters operating in the area.
After the Second Cataclysm, the IHA assumed "custodial" control of the territory until a government could be set. However, North Korea currently had the highest concentration of gate appearances. As such, reestablishing a functioning government had been a very slow process.
Jinchul continued, "we interviewed all 107 refugees, compared and cross reference their answers. There stories check out…no inconsistency."
"The blue haired woman goes by the name of Gaia…Apparently, she is a Cherubim."
"What is that?" Adam asked.
"In our universe, the Itarim God created two separate kinds of beings the Rulers and the Monarchs…it appears other Itarim did something similar. In the refugee universe, their Itarim created Cherubim and Seraphim beings." Jinchul Woo explained.
He continued, "at some point Gaia met and fell in love with a Seraphim being…and they started a family together."
Adam leaned back in his chair and lifted his head upward. He said, "so two mortal enemies fell in love…odd, very odd."
"Indeed," replied Jinchul.
He added, "at some point the two found an orphan baby and adopted her. They named her Thalia…she is the young pink haired girl. The two raised her as their own daughter. Some years later, their universe was invaded causing the family to get separated. The woman and the girl spent the next 4-5 years roaming the universe. During that time, they helped many of the children with them now."
"Have we assessed her power level?" Adam asked.
"Unfortunately, no…she seems to be constantly suppressing her mana in order to not hurt the children…otherwise she could inadvertently crush them to death with the immense pressure of her mana. However, we have the written opinions from both Hunter Hae-in Ch and Il-Hwan Sung. They both agree that Gaia's power is equal to that of a high-ranking Apostle."
"So, she is the real deal then…lucky for us she is friendly…we could use more allies." Adam chuckled at their seemingly good fortune.
"The pink haired girl, Thalia, is a very interesting case." Jinchul Woo added, "based on the interview from the other refugees, she appears to be the de-facto leader of the group. In fact, she is the one that does all the fighting for the group. Furthermore, she successfully managed to navigate the group through the enormous Void Labyrinth."
"So, she's a fighter…it's good to see young ones with grit. What's her power level? Adam asked.
Jinchul replied, "she is currently A-rank…but get this…it appears her power is increasing."
Adam's face turned somber…he paused for a moment and asked, "you mean…like Ragnarök?"
"No," Jinchul replied flatly, "it seems Thalia is cable of leveling up similar to Hunters Jinwoo and Suho Sung."
The Ragnarök system was a true blessing to mankind…it gave humans hope and the ability to power up. Millions of hunters around the world had grown stronger thanks to this system. However, compared to the Leveling System used by Jinwoo and Suho, Ragnarök was a cheap parlor trick.
Adam growing more serious ask, "have we been able to confirm it's the same or similar Leveling System?"
Jinchul let out a long sigh and said, "unfortunately no…honestly, we know little about the Leveling System. Hunters Jinwoo and Suho Sung are the only ones who have experienced it. However, they rarely speak of it…so we know little."
"Then it seems to me that our priority should be to confirm if Thalia's growth is similar to Hunter Sung…if so, this could be huge." Adam asserted.
"Yes…that is precisely why I requested a meeting with you… a unique opportunity has presented itself. Thalia has requested permission to join dungeon raids." Jinchul said calmly.
Adam was somewhat surprised by this turn of events, "why would she do that?"
"Good question. We asked her the same thing. She said that she wants to look for her father…gates and dungeons may hold a clue…but I suspect she wishes to level up as well." Jinchul Woo always alert had yet again deduced accurately.
"Oh…oh," Adam reflected, "this is a good opportunity indeed. Let's approve her request, this will earn us goodwill and also give us the opportunity to evaluate her ourselves."
Jinchul rose from his chair and prepared to take his leave. While standing he said, "I will make the necessary arrangements myself. One final thought. Enemies can happen by accident, but allies are made."
Adam smiled, burst into laughter and said, "Yes! I agree whole-heartedly… I'm glad we think the same on this matter."