A hand went up.
---
The Minister looked at the reporter for a brief moment.
Then nodded.
Small.", "Slow.", "Just enough.",
---
The reporter stood immediately.
---
"We understand that due to South Korea's declining birth rate the available pool for both military personnel and hunters has become increasingly difficult to sustain."
His voice professional.", "Measured.", "The kind of voice that had learned to deliver difficult things as plainly as possible.",
"With the information available to us so far — nine years after the rifts began appearing.", "Nine years after people were pulled into dungeons.", "Nine years after ordinary civilians began developing supernatural abilities and chaos consumed the streets —"
He paused.", "Not for effect.", "Just to breathe.",
"It was largely thanks to the joint effort between the UN, the twelve guilds, and the South Korean government that any semblance of order was restored."
---
He looked directly at the Minister.
---
"The public has one question."
A breath.
"How do you plan to recruit new hunters."
---
He didn't stop there.
---
"The process as we currently understand it involves humans making contact with the unknown energy source.", "Code name: Mana.", "The survival rate of that initial contact is approximately one in fifty-two.", "Those who survive become Sleepers.", "They can then enter dungeons.", "Kill a monster with their bare hands.", "Trigger the system.", "Become fully awakened.",
"We have confirmed that assisted kills do not register.", "The system observes.", "It distinguishes.", "As if we are subjects in some experiment none of us agreed to.",
Another pause.
"Those who do not survive the initial contact develop Mana Rot.", "We are aware that vaccines have been produced and a significant shipment has arrived in South Korea.", "However the vaccine is only effective in early stages.", "Once the disease reaches its later progression it becomes useless.",
---
He looked at the Minister directly.
---
"With all of this in mind.", "Are you planning to open larger cultivation facilities for prospective hunters.", "Or are you working with outside powers to increase available manpower.",
---
The room waited.
---
The Minister looked at Gun-woo.
Brief.", "Barely visible.", "Just a glance.",
Then back at the reporter.
---
"I understand your concerns."
His voice small but steady.
"Our current focus has been neutralizing dungeons that pose immediate and large-scale threats to human safety.", "That remains the priority.",
He straightened slightly.
"Beyond that we have an initial agreement in place with the UN.", "Code name: the Olympus Program.", "Under this framework we will be opening a significant number of Green Cities.", "Purpose-built environments focused on population growth.", "Weapons development.", "Human safety infrastructure.",
A pause.
"It is clear that Eastern nations have been disproportionately affected by dungeon activity compared to the West.", "As a result information about dungeons and how to survive them has become an extremely valuable resource.", "Other countries are watching.", "Other countries are worried about their own futures.",
He looked at the camera.
Not at the reporter.", "At the camera.",
"Do not be afraid.", "South Korea will be great again.",
---
He smiled.
---
And walked.
---
The cameras erupted.
Flashes like a field of small explosions.
Reporters rising.", "Voices overlapping.", "Hands reaching.", "Questions finding air that was already too full of questions.",
---
He moved through it.
---
The smile holding as long as it needed to hold.
---
Then the crowd swallowed the space where he'd been.
---
And he was gone.