Chapter 4
S-Rank Hunter (ïŒ)
This modern era could rightly be called the Age of Hunters.
Setting aside the fact that engineering utilizing magic stones and magical beast materials had developed to become the backbone of modern industry, it had only been thirty years since the gates first erupted and the world teetered on the brink of collapse.
Humanity had witnessed firsthand who stood against the invaders from other worlds to defend Earth, and the sublime sacrifices they made to preserve this civilization. It was only natural that they would revere these protectors as heroes.
As such, topics concerning hunters and gates always dominated the public discourse.
News outlets were so desperate for content that they would broadcast footage of a hunter eating a hamburger alone while scrolling through their phone and call it a headline.
In an era like this, even the slightest leak of information regarding todayâs incident was bound to unleash a torrent of related news, like a dam bursting its walls.
The original source of the leak was a video from a channel with roughly 150,000 subscribers.
The channel primarily produced hunter-related content, usually posting videos of the owner approaching hunters in bustling downtown areas for interviews.
But this time, he uploaded a video with a title designed purely to bait clicks.
[The Birth of a New S-Rank Hunter!!! First Leak!?!?!?]
The video showed Jung-woo holding Se-gi in his arms, facing off against an A-Rank Champion.
The moment the magical beast opened its jaws, which resembled a mountain goatâs skull, Jung-woo spun around, shielding Se-gi against his chest. Immediately after, accompanied by a burst of fluffy clouds, his skill activated.
A video of a newly awakened hunter instantly slaughtering an A-Rank Champion.
It was the kind of story that would set all of South Korea ablaze.
Of course, when the video first went up, the dominant response was accusations of fabrication.
[Turning a magical beast into a plush monster? You kidding me? lmaooo]
â Seriously fake, whereâs the effort? lmaooo
[Hey, my friend was there, says itâs real.]
â Oh look, another âI witnessed itâ guy lmaooo
[Doesnât look like a fake. I work in the industry and donât see any signs of tampering.]
â Here we go again, the armchair analyst has arrived~
â Iâm a legit pro~ Big brain web industry insider here, itâs a scam~
It was a predictable reaction.
After all, this was a claim involving a Born S-Rank Awakener.
Even across all of South Korea, there were only five S-Ranks in total.
Furthermore, the reality was that Korea didnât possess a single Born S-Rank.
How could anyone easily believe that such a being had suddenly appeared out of nowhere?
However, the tide turned in an instant.
A flurry of follow-up news reports began flooding in.
[Our DBS news crew is currently on-site at the Nowon-gu Hunter Management BureauâŠ!]
[The atmosphere here is electric! We can see executives from Koreaâs representative guilds, Red Moon and Cheon-hwa! And right behind them, the Guild Master of Athens has personally arrivedâŠ!]
Through media outlets that couldnât simply be dismissed as fake, numerous famous hunters were showing up in front of the Management Bureau building, adding undeniable credibility to the rumors.
That was when the online public opinion began to flip.
[Heâs really S-Rank? And a Born S at that?]
â Whoa, crazy. Isnât that a first for Korea?
â I looked it up. The last Born S-Rank was 7 years ago in the US.
â The Savior? Whoa, damn, has it really been 7 years?
[Wait, what even is this? How is that real? He actually turns magical beasts into dinosaur dolls?]
â And on top of that, he summons a teddy bear to one-shot them lmaooo Against an A-Rank Champion lmaooo
â 1. Firing a super strong energy beam > Boring, easily forgotten, seems easy to counter. 2. Turning a magical beast into a plush monster and beating it to death > Memorable, hilarious, probably OP as hell. Option 2 wins by a landslide lmaooooo
Despite the late hour, the reactions spread nationwide in an instant.
In the midst of it all, an inevitable human tendency reared its head.
There were those who instinctively tried to deny or tear down the news, but they failed to gain any traction.
[Isnât this overhyped? He hasnât even been officially judged as S-Rank yet lol]
â And that was a statement from a shut-in whoâs been waiting to awaken for n years while leeching off their parents~
â Yeah~ Keep telling yourself that forever~ lmaoooo
â You think a one-turn kill on an A-Rank Champion is a joke? lmaoooo Even if he isnât a Born S, taking down an A-Rank right after awakening basically guarantees heâs S-Rank lmaoooo
The atmosphere was practically festive.
After all, this was an era where powerful hunters equated to national strength and prestige.
Since an S-Rank hunter was essentially a walking strategic weapon, expectations were naturally sky-high.
The only potential risk was if the Awakenerâs personality caused issues, but the video at least put any such worries to rest.
[Did he awaken trying to protect his little sister? Thatâs so romantic lmaoooo]
â BroâŠ
â Gay detected
Humanity is captivated by heroes.
More precisely, they are obsessed with the heroic spirit that uses power for noble purposes.
And wasnât this an era where that value was highlighted more than ever?
An awakening born from the act of saving someone provided the kind of dramatic emotion and euphoria that the video itself radiated.
Given the circumstances, every major broadcasting station halted their scheduled programs to focus on live on-site coverage.
The ratings for these news broadcasts even shattered the records of top-rated dramas.
[The Director of the Nowon-gu Hunter Management Bureau has just entered the building, and it appears the Awakening rank evaluation is currently underway! Core personnel from major guilds are still gatheringâŠ]
[Ah! The Guild Master of Cheon-hwa has just arrived on the sceâŠ!]
[Breaking news! Reports indicate that an executive from the American dinosaur guild, Universe, has just boarded a private jetâŠ!]
The news had transcended South Korea, with foreign powers beginning to scramble upon hearing the reports.
Online reactions escalated to the extreme.
[Whoa, with this scale, isnât a Born S-Rank confirmed? Those guys donât just move around for no reason]
â If they let him get snatched by overseas guilds, Korean guilds should be ashamed lmaooo
â An S-Rank leaking overseas is a national security issue. The government will step in, right? Please, seriously;;;
The movement of major overseas guilds served as a stamp of authenticity in itself.
The very fact that they were mobilizing practically confirmed the Born S-Rank label for this new hero.
Public interest had now moved beyond the mere appearance of a Born S-Rank, expanding to where he would ultimately choose to go.
Every single pair of eyes that had been drawn to the spectacle was now locked onto the Nowon-gu Management Bureau.
At that very moment, Jung-woo, the man at the center of the storm, wasâŠ
âSe-gi. You canât sleepâŠ?â
âYeah!â
âŠsuffering through the ordeal thanks to Se-gi, who had entered a state of extreme excitement, her eyes sparkling brightly.
He had no idea how things had escalated to this point; by the time he came to his senses, he was already inside the Hunter Management Bureau.
His heart was still pounding, and Jung-woo was desperately trying to grasp the situation.
âJust whatâŠâ
His gaze drifted to the interface floating in the air.
ăăShin Jung-woo â Perfect Caregiver (L)ă
ăActive Skillsă
â¶ăAll-Ages Filter (L)ă
â¶ăChildren Need Heroes! (L)ă
âSlot 1: Bear Hero (S)
ăQuestă
â¶ă[Great Caregiver] Always putting the child first is what makes a true caregiver, right!? Parenting never ends! Keep collecting those Praise Stickers! (0/10)ăă
His peak might have been C-Rank, but Jung-woo had lived as a hunter for ten years.
Interpreting this status window wasnât a difficult task for him.
The moment he encountered that magical beast, the stickers required for the quest had clearly all been collected, unlocking the skills.
Two abilities, each bearing an (L) grade with unknown details.
One appeared to be a reality-manipulation skill that mutated enemies, while the other seemed to create summons.
Jung-woo focused on the summonâs rank.
âThe summon is S-RankâŠâ
He couldnât bring himself to believe this was reality.
Normally, the rank of an unlocked skill was directly proportional to the difficulty of the quest. By Jung-wooâs standards, the reward here was disproportionately massive compared to the requirement.
It wasnât even a spontaneous quest.
Seeing the exact same content refresh immediately after completion meant it was a permanent quest.
In other words, this was his primary growth quest as a hunter.
âL-Grade? Is that the issue?â
He couldnât know.
His understanding of this aptitude was far too low, and the data needed to interpret it simply didnât exist in his memories.
Regardless, that alone was enough to give him a headache, yet the external situation was unfolding at a breakneck pace.
The hunters who arrived to handle the situation immediately called the Management Bureau.
The Bureau agents, seemingly called back after their shifts had ended, rushed over with disheveled clothes and transferred Jung-woo to this location.
Following that, they conducted various hunter rank examinations.
The place he was waiting for the results in was a temporary lodging.
It was a private room used by the Management Bureau to invite individuals during emergencies, essentially a fully furnished hotel room transported wholesale.
The ironic part was that even this room was astonishingly better than the studio apartment he currently lived in.
He offered a self-deprecating smile before his gaze landed on Se-gi.
Sparkle, sparkle!
Even though it was past 11 PM, Se-giâs eyes showed no trace of drowsiness.
The child who had been nodding off when they left after dinner was now brimming with excitement after the series of events.
âDaddy.â
âMhmâŠâ
âDaddy is a hero, right~? Daddy saved Se-gi, right~?â
It was a question she had already asked over ten times.
Jung-woo replied with an awkward smile.
âYeah, I think so.â
Now came the real reason Se-gi had been repeating the question.
âThen Se-gi is a princess, right~!?â
âYeah, our Se-gi is a princess.â
âHeheâŠ!â
A princess rescued by a hero.
Se-gi was completely fixated on that idea.
Jung-woo felt a warm fondness watching her stomp her feet in excitement, but simultaneously, a pang of guilt struck him.
Before his regression, Jung-woo hadnât even known this simple factâthat his daughter admired princesses.
Just seeing her like that might have made this repetitive Q&A worthwhile.
Or rather, it wouldnât end just there.
Ttiring!
ăâChildren need dreams!â The child is having a wonderful dream! [Great Caregiver (1/10)]Â Collect stickers to unlock skills!ă
Perhaps it took asking over ten times for the fact to truly sink in.
The moment Se-gi truly believed she had become a princess, the quest completion count went up.
Jung-woo stared at the notification, still in a state of confusion.
âWhat happens now?â
What would the awakening results show?
What kind of events would unfold afterward?
The more he thought about it, the stronger the emotion grewânot anticipation, but worry.
Of course, it was only natural.
S-Rank, L-Grade aptitudeâmore importantly, Jung-woo was a man who had rewound time and returned to the past less than a day ago.
Above all else, his thoughts were consumed only by Se-giâs safety, Se-giâs smile, and Se-giâs life.
He couldnât stop agonizing over whether this would positively impact those things.
It was then.
Knock, knockâ!
A knock on the door echoed through the room.
Jung-woo rose from his seat.
âAh, yes. Please come in.â
The door clicked open, revealing a well-dressed middle-aged man, followed by four suited individuals flanking him like an escort.
The middle-aged man offered a genial smile and extended his hand for a handshake.
âA pleasure to meet you, Hunter Shin Jung-woo. I am Kim Shin-wook, Director of the Nowon-gu Hunter Management Bureau.â
Just as Jung-woo, still bewildered, reached out his handâ
âIt is an honor to be the first to meet South Koreaâs proud sixth S-Rank hunter. Congratulations.â
Words he could scarcely believe echoed in his ears once more.
But in that very momentâ
âMay we have a word?â
It hit him before he even realized it.
ââŠAh.â
The title of S-Rank.
Contact from the local Management Bureau.
Access to a VIP lodging opened only during special circumstances.
And the fact that he had been confined to this room until now.
All the puzzle pieces clicked together.
An incident buried somewhere in his memories began to surface.
âThis isnât just a simple congratulatory visit.â
This was a stage for a scouting pitch.
And not a legitimate one, but the âManagement Bureau Scoutingâ that would balloon into a massive scandal in a few years.
Jung-wooâs mind went cold.
Reason dragged him back to reality.
Se-gi was right beside him.
She was stomping her feet in excitement, watching this important-looking man treat her father so kindly.
The moment he realized that factâ
âThis is no time to be starstruck.â
If he didnât keep his wits about him, he wouldnât be able to protect Se-gi.
Etching that truth into his mind, Jung-woo flashed a bright smile and clasped the manâs hand.
âThank you. Iâm Shin Jung-woo. I guess⊠yes, Iâve become an S-Rank hunter.â
It was the same smile he used to wear back when he was obsessed with the hunter life, grinding himself to the bone for guilds just to climb to a better position.
