#12
South Korea, counted as one of the hunter powerhouses alongside the United States and Japan. As time passed, more capable awakeners emerged, and due to Korea’s freer guild system compared to other countries, Korea quickly joined the ranks of hunter powerhouses.
However, 10 years ago, South Korea, which had been on a terrifyingly upward trajectory, once faced an existential crisis. Gates with terrifyingly powerful energy opened simultaneously in Seoul, Incheon, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon. In that unprecedented situation, hunters fell one after another. There was even a time when they were so pressed that talk of national destruction due to dungeon breaks circulated throughout the country, but they miraculously managed to overcome the crisis after the hunters’ tenacious struggle.
However, countless people were injured or killed in that incident, leaving deep wounds for those who remained. It was an event that left a great scar on history. Every year when that day came around, large-scale memorial services were held domestically.
Regarding the incident that had such tremendous influence that it carved a mark in history, hunters and the Management Bureau immediately began an investigation. It was an unprecedented situation for dungeons to burst simultaneously like this, targeting only nationally important regions.
After starting the investigation, the Management Bureau discovered one shocking fact: traces were found indicating that each gate had been artificially induced to occur. And another noteworthy point was a post that had been uploaded to the internet a week before the incident occurred.
“This false world will soon disappear into the whirlpool of fate. This world is wrong.”
– What do you mean by that?
⌙ Exactly what I said. This world will disappear.
⌙ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Another chuunibyou patient here? How is it going to disappear?
⌙ I told you. It will disappear into the whirlpool. Everything will disappear into the dungeons.
⌙ Sure. Keep fantasizing by yourself~
The comments on the post with low view count were nothing but mocking words, but the Management Bureau judged this post to be connected to the incident and immediately attempted IP tracking to catch them, but couldn’t produce meaningful results and the investigation ended.
Since evidence was found that someone had artificially manipulated gates, such dangers could continue to occur in the future, so the nation began implementing special measures. They developed and advanced systems to predict when, where, and how gates would open, and spared no investment in training hunters.
However, contrary to their concerns, no similar incidents occurred afterward, and the author who wrote the suspicious post also deleted their account and never showed themselves again. With no other choice, the Management Bureau classified all investigations regarding that incident and declared the case closed.
“Is it really that bastard from back then?”
“Is there anything posted on the internet?”
“I’ve been searching day and night, but no particularly suspicious posts have been uploaded.”
“Keep monitoring.”
“If it’s a different bastard from back then…”
“Yoon Woo-bin.”
When Woo-bin started lamenting with worried sighs, Do-hyeok called his name reproachfully.
“What’s important now isn’t whether that bastard from back then and this bastard are the same person.”
“…”
“The fact that there’s a risk of the disaster from 10 years ago being repeated. That’s what’s important.”
Woo-bin agreed with that as well. Although Do-hyeok and Woo-bin were relatively young during that disaster, they remembered it clearly. The desperate screams and the faces of people filled with pain from that time. It was such a major incident that it would be strange not to remember it.
Moreover, while Woo-bin was Woo-bin, Cha Do-hyeok had experienced even more dangerous things back then, so the scene of that disaster would still be vivid in his mind.
“Well, that’s true.”
Woo-bin nodded as if agreeing with Do-hyeok’s words. While it was important to uncover the truth of this incident to find out who was behind it, the immediate priority was to be careful to prevent the incident from 10 years ago from happening again.
“For now, this case is top security level. Even within the Management Bureau, only a few people including me know about it. If this fact spreads outside, there will definitely be great chaos.”
If you went out on the street right now and asked citizens what the most memorable incident in South Korean history was, nine out of ten would probably mention the disaster from 10 years ago. The afterimage and wounds left by that incident were so clear that if this matter became known to the outside, it was obvious that the entire country would be turned upside down.
“Are you telling me to watch my mouth right now?”
Where would you find someone as tight-lipped as me? Do-hyeok grumbled. Well, he was the type who wouldn’t even say things that needed to be said on time, so he had troubled guild members, especially Kang Won-hyeok, more than once or twice.
“No. I’m saying the people who can investigate this matter are limited. Both you and I have our respective positions, so there will be constraints on moving directly. If there really is someone behind this incident, they would know our faces, so we can’t go around poking around carelessly.”
Well, there would be almost no hunters who knew about this matter. If the security level was set to maximum even within the Management Bureau, the people who might know would be at most some of the higher-ups.
“You move too for now. But don’t make it noisy.”
Woo-bin spoke firmly, but Do-hyeok was planning to do that even without being told. By the way, a suitable person to investigate this matter. Do-hyeok fell deep into thought.
“I’ll look for someone suitable as an investigator, so for now…”
“There is one.”
Do-hyeok, who had been staring into space lost in thought, suddenly opened his eyes with a flash like a predator discovering prey.
“What?”
“A suitable person.”
“Who? I’m telling you in advance, Kang Won-hyeok won’t work. He’s also a ranker.”
“Who said Kang Won-hyeok? He’s too stupid to be given investigation work.”
If Won-hyeok had heard this beside them, he would have definitely blown his top, Woo-bin vaguely thought.
“Then?”
“I’ll tell you when it becomes more certain.”
Do-hyeok stood up from his seat with that ambiguous statement. Woo-bin was about to say “You just say what you want and leave?” but just sighed instead. Well, if he said that, he must have some idea.
Do-hyeok slowly took out his ID card to leave the meeting room, then paused for a moment.
“Oh, Yoon Woo-bin, if the mastermind behind this incident is really that bastard from 10 years ago. You know, right?”
“…”
Woo-bin just stared at Do-hyeok with a silent, coldly sunken expression. He hadn’t heard what would come out of that mouth, but he felt like he knew.
“I will kill that bastard with my own hands.”
Do-hyeok left those words and departed from the meeting room. Woo-bin, left alone, tried to fall into contemplation for a moment, but soon a call came in and interrupted his thoughts, so he couldn’t even do that.
* * *
The Law of Total Luck.
The luck a person can use is limited. It’s the law that if only lucky things happen for a while and you use up all that luck, immediately only unlucky things will happen. Where did this come from? It’s a law that Ha-seong came up with himself.
One thing Ha-seong resolved after surviving several life-threatening crises in his previous world was ‘never let your guard down.’ When only good things happen, it’s human nature to naturally let your guard down, so by thinking that even when things were going well, one bad thing would always happen, he could fight against complacency and win.
He had forgotten about the Law of Total Luck that he had resolved back then after coming to this place and dreaming of being a rich unemployed person.
“This is really strange.”
[What is?]
“Work has been decreasing lately.”
Ha-seong muttered while flipping through notifications on his phone. Recently, many good items had been coming out of dungeons and the number of requests was gradually increasing, so it seemed like he could become a rich unemployed person in a short time, but strangely, from a certain point, work decreased noticeably.
To be precise, from the day after he got involved with Cha Do-hyeok.
‘What the hell. This is unsettling.’
Ha-seong bit his lips. There should be no remaining business with Cha Do-hyeok. They had met face to face refreshingly, and he would have known that he was a good purifier, not a suspicious person, and whoever he had mistaken him for, he would have confirmed that they were strangers who had never met. There shouldn’t even be a speck of dust left between Do-hyeok and Ha-seong, but strangely, whenever something bad happened, that bastard kept coming to mind first.
“Hey, pig.”
[Yes?]
“I’m going out, so watch the house well.”
Ha-seong hurriedly put on clothes and checked his inventory. He was planning to finish disposing of the items he hadn’t sold yet. He would overcome this anxious feeling with cash filling his bank account.
[Okay.]
“And you, stop eating so much cabbage.”
If requests continued to decrease like this, he would have to save on expenses. That pig bastard had only gotten smaller in size, but the amount he ate was enormous, so he was planning to cut expenses going into that guy’s mouth first.
[Okay…]
The pig opened his eyes wide as if disappointed and tried his best to look pitiful, but it was no use against Ha-seong who had already made up his mind.
“Then I’m going.”
Ha-seong familiarly took the bus and headed to the Jongno 3-ga item street. A few days ago, a large gate had opened here and there wasn’t even an ant, but now the streets were filled with people who appeared to be hunters everywhere as if nothing had happened.
Ha-seong entered the ‘We’ll Sell Anything’ shop at the very back of the street without hesitation.
“Boss, I’m here.”
Usually, the boss would come out in his socks to welcome Ha-seong. Because Ha-seong’s appearance also meant the appearance of good items. Come to think of it, what the boss was actually welcoming wasn’t himself but the item friends in his inventory.
“…”
But today was different from usual. The boss was nowhere to be seen. Seeing that the shop door was open, he seemed to be inside, but maybe he went to the bathroom. When Ha-seong called for the boss once more, footsteps could be heard from inside.
“Oh? Ha-seong!”
“Hello.”
“You came at just the right time. I was actually about to call you.”
“Yes? Me?”
Was he going to ask when I would come since I hadn’t been coming lately?
“An incredible hunter came to our shop. He showed tremendous interest in the items I purchase.”
An incredible hunter? Did some ranker come? Well, among the things he brought, there were really extraordinary items, so it was natural. Ha-seong felt proud for no reason.
“But that hunter was also very interested in the person who brings the items, not just the items. So I was going to call you.”
“Ah…”
This was unexpected. Ha-seong was currently posing as a middleman who received and delivered items, so unnecessary encounters would be troublesome.
“Who is that hunter?”
“Well… don’t be surprised. It’s the ranking 1st place…”
“We meet again. Do Ha-seong-ssi.”
At that moment, cutting off the boss’s words, Ha-seong’s face contorted when he discovered someone walking out leisurely from inside.
“…Are you a stalker?”
Ha-seong shot at Do-hyeok as if he was completely fed up, not even surprised anymore.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
