The press conference hall of the US Hunter Bureau. The United States spoke up for the first time.
"We are gathering Hunters in one place."
Was the US finally stepping in to save Japan? Reporters who had swarmed in upon hearing that the Hunter Bureau would be making a statement cheered as though it were their own cause. No one wanted to watch tens of millions—no, hundreds of millions—of people die screaming. That was why the reporters were so enthusiastic. Just as the atmosphere in the press conference hall was reaching a fever pitch, the spokesperson quietly shook his head.
"But this is not for the sake of Japan."
What did he just say? The reporters murmured, glancing at one another. No one had been given advance information, so everyone was simply sizing up the room. The spokesperson gestured toward the screen behind him.
"Huh!" "No way..."
The footage that appeared on the screen left the reporters speechless. The uproar died down all at once, replaced by dead silence. In the heavy quiet, groans seeped out here and there. The prepared footage was that shocking.
"This is the Gate that was discovered today in the state of Maryland, on the east coast."
The Gate's size was far from normal. Smaller than the one that had appeared in Japan, yes, but still an exceedingly rare magnitude. The size of a Gate does not directly determine its rank. However, massive Gates connecting to low-level Dungeons were unheard of as well. The spokesperson continued the explanation.
"According to measurements taken by our investigation team, this Gate has been confirmed as an S-rank, identical to the one in Japan. Our nation's top Hunters will do everything in their power to deal with it."
The reporters covered their faces with their hands, shook their heads in disbelief, or let out deep sighs, each expressing their own despair. An unprecedented event had occurred: multiple S-rank Gates appearing simultaneously in roughly the same time frame. Of course, the United States was not worried. The dozens of S-rank Hunters it had gathered from around the world over the years would handle the Gate without difficulty. The problem was Japan.
'The United States does not have the resources to help Japan.'
Once this terrible news reached the Japanese people, who had been desperately awaiting nothing but American aid, their screams followed. Japan was finished. Giant-type monsters were destroying everything in their path as they pushed southward, and the people driven northward were being cornered ever more tightly. In the midst of this situation, South Korea, which had also been maintaining its silence, finally made its position known. Go Geon-Hui, standing before the reporters, spoke.
"We will not involve ourselves in Japan's affairs in any capacity."
* * *
One day earlier. As usual, only two people were in the vast office of Ahjin Guild: Jin-Woo and Yoo Jin-Ho. Yoo Jin-Ho's eyes lit up.
"Hyung-nim. A B-rank Gate has popped up—should we reserve it?" "Isn't that in the Hunters Guild's territory?" "Huh? Oh, so it is, Hyung-nim." "Then never mind." "Ah... understood, Hyung-nim."
Hunters Guild, which had just lost many of its elite Hunters, was surely going through an incredibly hectic time right now. Seizing their Gate while they were distracted would look bad in more ways than one. Yoo Jin-Ho scratched the side of his head, then turned to Jin-Woo.
"Hyung-nim. You've been staring at something so intently for a while now—what is it?"
Jin-Woo took his eyes off the monitor and leaned back in his chair.
"Jin-Ho." "Yes, Hyung-nim." "Should I maybe head over to Japan?" "Excuse me?"
Yoo Jin-Ho's expression hardened. It wasn't as though he didn't know who was saying those words. He had watched Hyung-nim's exploits more closely than anyone. But. An S-rank Gate was a place where common sense held no sway. Unmeasurable. Jin-Woo was already a man beyond all specifications. And just as there was a gap even among S-rankers that one could not cross, no one knew how dangerous the monsters that poured out of an unmeasurable Gate would be. That was why Yoo Jin-Ho could not laugh at Jin-Woo's remark about going to Japan. Suddenly, Yoo Jin-Ho's gaze drifted back to the monitor.
'Ah...'
The screen was filled with breaking news about Japan. So Hyung-nim has been worried about it after all. Unlike himself, Hyung-nim possessed tremendous power. And with that power came anguish that was inevitable.
"Hyung-nim, just a moment." "Huh?"
It was a casual remark, but Yoo Jin-Ho's reaction was surprisingly earnest. After briefly stepping away, Yoo Jin-Ho returned from a cabinet carrying something that looked like an album. When he opened the thick book, it was packed with newspaper clippings.
'These are...?'
Every one of them was an article featuring Jin-Woo. From the Red Gate incident, where Jin-Woo's involvement had not been disclosed to the media, to the Jeju Island raid, the traffic congestion he had resolved, and most recently, his battle alongside Hunters Guild against the unidentified stone statues. Jin-Woo asked in disbelief.
"You were collecting things like this?" "Yes, Hyung-nim."
Yoo Jin-Ho's face was slightly flushed.
"But why bring this up all of a sudden?" "Do you know what all these articles have in common, Hyung-nim?" "Well..."
He probably isn't talking about the fact that they all involve me. A moment later, Yoo Jin-Ho spoke in a voice so small a mosquito could have rivaled it.
"I'm not in any of them, Hyung-nim."
Had it not been for the heightened hearing granted by his high Sensory stats, Jin-Woo might have missed those words entirely.
"What?"
When Jin-Woo turned to look, Yoo Jin-Ho raised his lowered head and met Jin-Woo's gaze.
"Hyung-nim, if you're going to Japan, please take me with you." "...?"
Jin-Woo was taken aback. If anything, he had expected Yoo Jin-Ho to either try to dissuade him or cheer him on—never in a million years did he imagine the man would ask to come along. But Yoo Jin-Ho was dead serious.
"It's embarrassing to say it myself, but Hyung-nim is the one thing I'm proud of. It's the only thing I can hold my head up about in front of others." "You..."
Jin-Woo fell silent. To all appearances, Yoo Jin-Ho seemed to have more than anyone else. But based on everything Jin-Ho had told him over the years, those things had been nothing but chains weighing on him all this while. They were nothing to be proud of. Still, meeting Jin-Woo and growing Ahjin Guild—all of that had been Yoo Jin-Ho's own choice. He could understand the sentiment behind Jin-Ho calling it his sole source of pride.
"That's why I want to be wherever Hyung-nim is. Please take me, Hyung-nim." "You do remember where I said I'm going, right?"
No matter how naive he might be, Jin-Ho had surely heard the news about Japan. It was hell itself that had descended upon the mortal world. A hell where demons called "Giants" were savagely judging every human in sight. Yet Yoo Jin-Ho nodded with a face full of resolve.
"If Hyung-nim is safe, then I'll be safe too. If Hyung-nim gets hurt... Ugh, I don't even want to think about that."
Yoo Jin-Ho sent him a gaze brimming with unwavering trust. Being the recipient of someone's deep trust was, to put it mildly, not a bad feeling at all. At the strange, ticklish sensation in his chest, Jin-Woo ruffled Yoo Jin-Ho's hair. Yoo Jin-Ho was flustered but did not pull his head away.
"Hy-hyung-nim?" "Of course I'm joking. Why would I go to Japan at a time like this?"
Jin-Woo rose from his seat.
"Let's call it a day. Good work." "Huh? You're leaving already, Hyung-nim?"
Jin-Woo waved a hand as he walked out the office door, and Yoo Jin-Ho bowed at the waist behind him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Hyung-nim!"
* * *
Thud. Jin-Woo stepped into his home. A mouth-watering, savory scent of stew drifted into his nostrils. He stood still for a moment, taking in the smell of dinner.
'Wonderful.'
The single best thing about his mother being discharged from the hospital was having someone waiting for him at home. The dark, silent house of the past was gone for good.
"Are you home, sweetie?"
His mother's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Yes."
He took off his shoes neatly and made his way to the kitchen. He smiled at his mother, who turned to look back at him.
"I'm home." "You'll eat dinner, right?" "Yes. How about Jin-Ah?" "She says she has no appetite."
He froze. Jin-Woo's hand, which had been about to pull out a chair, stopped midair.
"Still?" "She didn't sleep a wink last night and just now finally fell asleep." "..."
Jin-Woo quieted his steps and carefully opened his younger sister's bedroom door.
"Mmm... mmm..."
Jin-Ah kept tossing and turning, unable to find deep sleep. She always put on a bright face in public, but the mental anguish she was suffering was apparently still severe.
'Well, after all... what happened to her.'
Every time he watched his younger sister struggle, his hostility toward the monsters surged. Why did they torment humans so relentlessly? Just then, a vision came to mind—silver soldiers pouring out of a Gate, sweeping away the monsters. An army of countless soldiers locked in fierce mutual enmity with the monsters. If they truly existed...
'Are they our allies?'
After all, there was a saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Jin-Woo gazed quietly at his sleeping sister, then gently closed the door.
"Thanks for the meal."
After dinner, Jin-Woo headed to the Association's gymnasium for some exercise. There was a shadow soldier stationed in the gym, which was convenient. When his thoughts piled up, sweating it out was the best remedy. He wanted to really pour out some sweat for the first time in a while. Jin-Woo summoned Beru. The former ant king knelt respectfully and bowed his head before Jin-Woo, who was lightly warming up.
"Your Majesty..."
Beru was the only soldier in the Shadow Army who could withstand even a fraction of Jin-Woo's attacks. But even Beru, upon sensing the changes in Jin-Woo, shuddered visibly.
"I am humbled, Your Majesty. I can feel that your power has grown even greater still."
The terrifying mana of the 'Black Heart' sent a shiver down Beru's spine. His head, bowed toward the ground, trembled. But Jin-Woo had not summoned Beru to show off his growth. He gestured for Beru to stand up.
"...?"
Since joining the Shadow Army, Beru had never seen such a worried look on Jin-Woo's face, and he tilted his head. Jin-Woo spoke in a low voice.
"From now on, come at me with everything you've got." "Your Majesty. How could I possibly..." "It's fine. I just want to sweat a little. You know you're the only one who can do this." "This is... most humbling..."
As the emotional Beru was about to drop to his knees, Jin-Woo shot him a sharp look.
"Since when did your vocabulary keep growing like this? You haven't been eating people again, have you?"
Beru flinched and dropped his shoulders, but Jin-Woo did not press further. He clenched his fist and issued the order once more.
"Give it everything." "If that is truly my lord's wish..."
Beru raised his head and extended his claws to their full length.
"Kieeeeeeek—!"
Since he already knew that even his claws could not so much as scratch the King, there was no hesitation. Jin-Woo looked at the sight and grinned, nodding. This was exactly what he wanted.
"Kieek!"
With a mighty roar that shook the entire interior of the gymnasium, Beru lunged forward.
BOOM! Beru was slammed into the floor, sprawled out flat.
"Kiek..."
127 matches, 127 losses. As expected, even a full-power attack could not so much as touch a hair on the King's head. In the few days they had been apart, His Majesty had grown even stronger still. Today, his reverence for that power and his loyalty to the King deepened by another measure. Jin-Woo sat down next to Beru, who was still sprawled and unable to get up easily. A few beads of sweat dotted his forehead. This was the best he could manage. Any more vigorous movement and the gymnasium would be torn apart. Jin-Woo sat there, staring straight ahead. Beru quietly rose to his knees and asked.
"Your Majesty... might something be troubling you?" "Troubling me?" "Our minds are partially connected with yours, my lord. Any distress you feel is conveyed to us as pain." "..."
Being comforted by a shadow soldier. And one that was originally an insect at that. A small laugh escaped Jin-Woo's lips. Under normal circumstances he would have simply laughed it off and left it at that, but this time was different.
'I know what I want to do, but I don't know what to do about it.'
What was happening in Japan was, strictly speaking, someone else's problem. He had no idea what kind of danger lurked there, and it wasn't as though one person could handle every crisis in the entire world. Besides, between the Korean Hunter's Association and the Japanese Hunter's Association, there were still unresolved bitterness and hard feelings. All of these tangled thoughts were making his mind complicated. At that moment, Beru raised his head.
"Your Majesty!"
Jin-Woo turned to look at Beru in surprise. Since becoming a shadow soldier, Beru had never expressed his will with such force.
"There must be nothing in all the world that stands in Your Majesty's way."
That conviction-laden voice made Beru feel less like a shadow soldier born from a monster and more like a loyal retainer who had stood at his side for ages.
"He who acts upon what he wishes—that is what makes a King." "I keep telling you, I'm not a King."
His class had been assigned at random by the System—Shadow Monarch, that was all. But Beru flatly denied Jin-Woo's words.
"That is not so. Your Majesty possesses the power to act upon whatever your heart desires."
Jin-Woo's eyes wavered. Thump. For some reason, his heart lurched violently.
"You are undeniably a King."
That insufferable King talk. But. But for reasons he could not explain, his racing heart would not settle down easily.
'What I want to do...'
Jin-Woo turned his gaze forward once more, and his eyes began to gleam with cold light.
* * *
The next day. The United States issued its statement, and Association Chairman Go Geon-Hui also cemented the Hunter's Association's position.
"We will not involve ourselves in Japan's affairs in any capacity."
Flash-flash-flash-flash-flash-flash! The flashes erupted without pause. Before the reporters, Chairman Go Geon-Hui laid bare the atrocity that the Japanese Hunters had been planning to commit. The evidence he presented supported facts that could not be denied. The CCTV footage showing Matsumoto, the chairman of the Japanese Hunter's Association, shamelessly boasting while having plotted such a terrible scheme sent a massive shock through the press corps. The Japanese reporters, who had been hoping for Korea's aid, could only stare at the footage in devastation. Before long, the cameras in their hands had dropped to the floor. The United States had just said it could not help Japan. In this situation, the Korean Hunter's Association's exposé was tantamount to a death sentence for Japan. Hot tears streamed from the eyes of the Japanese reporters.
"...That is all."
Chairman Go Geon-Hui had said everything he needed to say. The moment that should have been flooded with questions instead saw everyone frozen in shock and horror, unable to open their mouths. The atmosphere of the press conference was broadcast nationwide via television cameras. Only then did people learn the truth of why Korea had been silent during Japan's crisis. But then.
"However."
Just as it seemed he was about to turn and leave after concluding the press conference, Chairman Go Geon-Hui spoke once more.
"This is solely the decision of our Hunter's Association. We have no intention of standing in the way of any individual Hunter's personal will."
What was this now? Murmur, murmur. The reporters, frozen in shock, began to exchange glances like animals slowly awakening from winter hibernation.
"There is one Hunter who wants to go to Japan and slay the giant-type monsters."
Who? Who would head to Japan alone at a time like this? The somber atmosphere of the press conference hall began to heat up. Even the Japanese reporter who had been crying clutched his trembling camera.
'Please... please...'
His heart hammered with a sliver of desperate hope. One Korean reporter raised his hand high. The chairman pointed to him. The reporter asked quickly, as if afraid his turn would be stolen.
"Who is this Hunter?"
Every gaze inside the hall converged on Go Geon-Hui's mouth. After a brief pause, the chairman leaned close to the microphone and spoke.
"It is Hunter Sung Jin-Woo."
Flash-flash-flash-flash-flash-flash-flash! At those words alone, hundreds of cameras fired their flashes simultaneously.
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