"Ho ho ho ho ho! To think there would be such a joyous occasion."
In the chairman's office at the headquarters of Cheonghwa Group, one of the nation's foremost conglomerates, Chairman Baek Seungjae burst into a hearty guffaw.
"Congratulations, Chairman."
"You have an outstanding granddaughter."
"Ho ho, I knew this girl of mine was exceptional, but I never imagined she'd reach this level. Ho ho ho! This puts me in a fine mood."
Upon receiving word from the Management Bureau, Chairman Baek Seungjae immediately shared the news with the executives in the middle of a meeting, and his key aides did not spare their praise.
"For a direct descendant of the Group to be an S-grade Admity, the prestige of Cheonghwa Group shall pierce the heavens."
To the Head of Strategic Planning's words, the Chief Secretary added:
"Your granddaughter will garner attention even from the World Admity Union; taking this as an opportunity, the Group's overseas expansion will gain tremendous momentum as well."
"Ho ho, you people are exaggerating... Stop buttering me up. My granddaughter becoming S-grade and the Group's growth are separate matters."
Though he feigned modesty, Chairman Baek Seungjae's face was full of smiles, and pride spread through his eyes.
"Our Baek Yuri has done it. The girl has been talented in everything since she was young, but this truly makes me proud."
"It is only possible because she inherited the Chairman's blood!"
"Chairman, how about preparing a celebratory banquet in your granddaughter's honor this time?"
To the Head of Public Relations' words, the Head of Strategic Planning chimed in.
"And I believe it is worth considering forming an Admity support team at the Group level so that your granddaughter can carry out her activities as an Admity more stably. By deploying top-tier equipment and personnel who guarantee safety, we can assist in tower raiding activities and uphold your granddaughter's standing. In doing so, we could also promote the fact that the entire Cheonghwa Group is actively devoting its strength to raiding towers that threaten humanity's survival and undermine social stability."
At those words, Chairman Baek's eyes sparkled.
"Hmm, that's good, yes... Do not spare any support so that our Yuri can devote herself to her Admity activities. I shall allocate the necessary resources within the Group."
"Chairman, it is a wise decision!"
Thanks to the unexpected news, the usually heavy chairman's office meeting was filled with festival-like energy.
Baek Yuri, a diamond spoon born as the third generation of Cheonghwa Group, one of the nation's top three conglomerates.
The only granddaughter among many third-generation children, Baek Yuri grew up monopolizing Chairman Baek's love.
Already, she had enjoyed and grown up with more than ordinary people could imagine, and to top it off, she was pretty and smart.
Truly an SSR golden spoon who had everything.
But her good fortune did not end there; after graduating from the nation's finest high school and university, while attending the world's finest university, her Admity Awakening occurred.
According to Yuri herself, her awakening grade was A+, and her class was Paladin, boasting powerful defense and healing.
It was a class ill-suited to her pretty, slender appearance, but since an Admity's strength did not originate from outward physique anyway, it didn't particularly matter.
At the time, Yuri's parents expressed concern about tower climbing, but Chairman Baek was proud and delighted to have the first Admity Awakener appear in the family.
She immediately submitted a leave of absence to her school and began her activities as an Admity.
The proud Chairman spent billions fitting her out with equipment and weapons,
and with her outstanding skill and excellent gear, she proudly joined Thunder Lions, the nation's number one clan.
Thereafter, she served as a sub-tank in Thunder Lions and earned a considerable income.
However, upon undergoing detailed ether measurements this time, she received a concrete result of S-grade.
Truthfully, she had barely crossed the S-grade ether threshold—a borderline S-grade—but an S-grade was still an S-grade. It was clearly different from an A+ or an A++.
So elated was Chairman Baek that he suspended the meeting to boast of this, and it would not have been strange had he taken turns calling up fellow chairmen to brag.
Since an S-grade had emerged from his household, Chairman Baek harbored the ambition of creating the Cheonghwa Clan, installing Baek Yuri as clan leader, and building an outstanding clan with full-scale support from the Group.
So he called for Yuri.
"Yuri, what do you think of this old man's idea?"
"Grandfather... I think the Cheonghwa Clan would be wonderful. A clan receiving full-scale support from Cheonghwa Group... I feel like it would instantly shoot up the clan rankings in the RFAA (Raid Force Assessment Agency)."
"Ho ho ho, you rascal, your foresight truly takes after this old man."
"It truly sounds wonderful... but I have something else I want to do now that I've become S-grade, rather than becoming a clan leader."
"Oho, what is it? Say whatever it is."
"To apply to join the Ultimate Line clan."
"Wh-what...? You want to join another clan instead of being a clan leader?"
Displeasure etched deep into Chairman Baek's face, and anger settled upon it.
But Baek Yuri was not intimidated in the slightest and spoke her piece calmly.
"Truthfully, there are already many outstanding clans domestically and abroad. Of course, building a wonderful clan according to Grandfather's plan sounds good as well. But [Ultimate Line] is different. It is... unlike any clan that has existed until now... different. Anyway, it's different."
"Hmm... Yuri, this old man has always held higher ideals throughout his life. I have never known how to be satisfied and complacent with what I've achieved. Had I been so even for a moment, Cheonghwa Group would not exist in this world today. Especially if you are merely satisfied with doing well the tasks given under someone else and being recognized for it... if you are only content with just that, you will inevitably hit a limit someday."
In Chairman Baek Seungjae's deep eyes, brimming with self-confidence, there was no hesitation.
"In the end, you must become an owner in your own right. Only then can you break through the ceiling and do what you want."
Yuri, who knew well her grandfather's stubborn style, could not think of the right words to persuade him.
Seeing Yuri hesitate, Chairman Baek let out a light sigh.
"Yes, it is already well known that Jeong Suho is an outstanding Admity. That he rose to become the world's richest person in one fell swoop with that ability, and that key government figures fumble before him—I know all of this well. He is certainly an incredible man. But Yuri. No matter how outstanding a man is, being under him becomes your limit. Remember my words well."
"Yes... Grandfather."
"I plan to make the Cheonghwa Clan the world's greatest clan. I will pour out the Group's resources without sparing them. When that time comes, you will consider it a blessing that you did not join that Ultimate whatever. If you understand, take your leave now."
"Yes... rest well."
Watching Yuri's back as she exited listlessly, Chairman Baek clicked his tongue.
He buried himself in the large chair, lost in thought for a while, then picked up the phone.
"Director Park."
— Yes, Chairman!
"Arrange a meeting for me with that Jeong Suho, that friend."
— Ye...? D-do you mean the Admity Jeong Suho?
"Why so surprised? Yes, that friend. Arrange the meeting as soon as possible."
— Haah... ah, understood!
Click.
Chairman Baek, having hung up the receiver, furrowed his brow.
Going under someone else was unimaginable.
But his only granddaughter, the admirable Yuri who had received S-grade, was so heartbroken... Chairman Baek was thinking he would have to pull Suho over to their side.
A massive corporation where the combined total sales of all twenty Cheonghwa Group affiliates exceeded 500 trillion won in annual revenue.
He was well aware through various economic media reports that Suho's annual income surpassed the entire sales revenue of his Group... but Suho was an individual, and infrastructure built by an individual inevitably revealed holes and limitations everywhere.
He firmly believed that the power of Cheonghwa Group, which he had built with tears, sweat, and blood, and to which tens of thousands belonged, was by no means something to be overlooked.
* * *
What Suho had recently immersed himself in was android production.
Existing combat androids and security androids had clear limits in output and functionality.
Against humans, they showed overwhelming superiority, but against demonic beasts and Admities, they were largely powerless.
As an EX-grade Crafter, he had acquired tremendous, transcendent knowledge, but fundamentally, androids were things created with Earth's science and technology.
Thus, while simple upgrades were possible, there were limits to fundamentally transforming and improving them.
So when meeting high-ranking government and KEPCO officials for nuclear power generation, or the officials in charge of new city construction, or at various other gatherings, he had asked if anyone knew such an authority, but had not received any satisfactory answers.
Unexpectedly, he obtained a clue from the S-grade Healer, Park Seoyeon.
"If you're talking about a special android authority... there is one peculiar person."
"Hm? Could you tell me in detail?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure if they're an authority; I only heard about them by chance. Previously, our clan was looking into clan security androids and was connected to them by chance, but the model didn't match what we wanted, so we didn't end up contracting. Anyway, they were unique."
"Hmm... how were they peculiar?"
"They had quite a story. They lost their family to the demonic beasts that poured out when a Tower Break occurred in the Yangpyeong area. Since then, they lived harboring hatred for demonic beasts. So they scrapped all existing android production and set out to make only anti-demonic beast androids."
"Oho..."
"But there's no way something like that would work out. Androids can't stand up to demonic beasts. There are so many demonic beasts that don't even flinch at tank shells or attack helicopter missiles... Plus, androids can't enter towers, so they were essentially useless outside of Tower Breaks. With terrible versatility compared to the high production costs, they were ultimately treated as an unpopular delusion and went bankrupt. No one invested in the research, and I heard all the researchers left. Afterward, they became a wreck, or so it's said..."
"Hmm... they're still alive, right?"
"Wouldn't... they be? I heard part of the research institute is in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi-do. They're probably there. Shall I look into it in detail for you?"
"Yes, please get me the detailed address."
He was intrigued.
It was exactly the kind of person with the direction Suho wanted.
* * *
Suho, having received the address from Seoyeon, dashed out to the rooftop, and after merely waving to team members he met in the hall, disappeared.
"What, where is Captain Suho rushing off to in such a hurry?"
Thomas asked, entering with Joshua, eyes wide.
"He said he's going to meet someone."
Afterward, when the promised time came, members began gathering one by one at the lounge cafe, and once all were assembled, they began exchanging opinions for the clan's founding.
Now that the important parts were mostly settled, the detailed items regarding the clan's founding had been delegated to the members. There were many parts that Suho wasn't interested in and didn't want to bother with anyway.
"Hiya... there are so many amazing people that picking just twenty-three isn't easy."
Seo Yunjae clicked his tongue, looking at the roughly three hundred candidates selected in the first round.
"Aren't each and every one of them more amazing than us?"
"That's why Captain Suho was adamant. Choose based on personality that can mesh with teamwork rather than ability alone. Of course, this body excels at both."
When Thomas crossed his arms and spoke, everyone made fed-up expressions.
"Ability is still important. Even within the same S-grade, ether holding capacity and operational ability vary wildly."
When Healer Emilia Rossi spoke, Assassin Katerina Ivanov, who had received S+ grade, rarely opened her mouth.
"...I learned this from my father in the past. When selecting successors in any group, the thing most to be wary of... is jealousy and suppression out of fear that the successor might surpass you, resulting in the selection of someone inferior."
"Hm..."
"Then as you go lower, increasingly shoddy members end up being selected, and the organization deteriorates in overall quality."
"A painful truth, but exactly right."
"So you must pick people with good personality and outstanding skill. Ignoring ability is dereliction of duty born of nothing but self-interest."
Not a single person disagreed; everyone nodded at Ivanov's words.
As an awkward silence briefly flowed, Ragnar Bjornson tapped the table lightly and spoke.
"By the way, what in the world is our clan leader's grade?"
"Right?"
"Really curious."
"Maybe the measuring device malfunctioned."
Concerning the matter of the measuring device error, Shield Warrior Kang Hojin immediately refuted:
"That's not it. I have people I know at the Management Bureau and checked through them several times; there's nothing wrong with the measuring device. They said his condition was perfectly normal."
As the conversation shifted to a topic everyone was curious about, it heated up.
"Could it be..."
"I thought that too!"
Danbi pointed at Seoyeon with her index finger and said with sparkling eyes.
"The measuring device handles S++ grade without issue, so it must be above that."
"If it's above that, does that mean SS grade or even SSS grade?"
Diego Hernandez, who had been crossing his arms, furrowed his brow.
"Well, it's incomprehensible by common sense... but there's no other possibility."
As Thomas chimed in, the furrows between Diego's brows deepened.
"So cool... thrilling. Sexy. Our clan leader, our president..."
Park Seoyeon had a hazy look in her eyes, as if imagining something.