Epilogue (12)
Since I had come this far, I decided to look around the Awakening Center and the market. I even went toward the Association building, wondering if there might be someone I knew there—especially Chief Song—but an F–rank who had only just registered as a hunter couldn’t even set foot through the entrance. I understood that it was an area requiring security, but it still left me feeling a little slighted.
The Hunter Market building was much larger than it used to be. Unlike before the regression, it even had a monster goods shop. At the entrance of the store, a huge sign had been put up with Peace’s photo, reading: The World’s First Monster Goods Specialty Shopping Mall, in Partnership with Dodam Breeding Facility. So they’d even done something like this while I was gone. Kyunghoon hyung had been working hard. Reliable as ever.
“They sell toys for baby monsters too?”
Should I buy something for Chirp? Most of the products seemed to be for monsters whose growth information was already known and who were useful as Monster Mounts, like Griffins and Unicorns. You could also buy monster meat for feed, dungeon–grown hay, fruit, and other things. Dragon snacks recommended by Hunter Kang Soyeong? Now that sounded trustworthy. One side of the store was also taken up by a section for dungeon–grown plants and fish that had been approved for cultivation and breeding.
‘They really did proper safety inspections on these, right?’
We didn’t need another Snowflake Butterfly incident. Since dungeon fruits rich in mana were something not only Chirp but also Bin ate as baby food, I bought a few. Cheap ones. This wave apple could be found easily along rivers inside dungeons, and yet it cost fifty thousand won each. Sure, transportation costs would be high, but still. Back inside a dungeon, even I, as an ordinary F–rank before the regression, had picked them up and eaten them as snacks.
‘Maybe I really do need to go into dungeons after all.’
There were quite a few customers on the lower floor, where they sold low–rank equipment and items. Fresh recruits who had just registered as hunters, like me, were poking around here and there, looking fascinated by everything. Then an announcement played.
[Practice equipment produced by apprentices of the Golden Forge has arrived. These are D–rank to F–rank pieces of equipment. Raffle tickets will be distributed in one hour at the center of the second floor.]
“Holy crap!”
Someone shouted. People who had been browsing the products began rushing up to the second floor in a herd. The new recruits followed after them too, half swept along by the momentum. I followed as well, wondering what was going on.
“What’s happening?”
One of the new recruits asked a hunter waiting on the second floor.
“You know the Golden Forge, right? Equipment made by the blacksmiths there for practice shows up at the market once in a while. Most of it is low–rank, but the stats are good for the rank, and most importantly, it’s cheap.”
The hunter spoke excitedly, saying that since the sale happened without prior notice, you had to be lucky just to get a chance to buy anything. So they were selling equipment made by Myungwoo’s apprentices. It would probably be a huge help to low–rank hunters. A department store employee announced that only E–rank and lower hunters could participate in the raffle. I was F–rank, but I stepped back.
‘By now, Myungwoo can probably send simple messages to his apprentices easily too.’
Before that, the system connection hadn’t worked properly, so he had barely managed to send a weapon to Hyunah. He had called it compensation, and maybe a bribe, for making her clean up after me. He had promised to make one for her too.
After looking around here and there, I headed toward a detached building.
‘Awakening Welfare Center?’
I wondered if it was a place for Awakener welfare, but it was far too quiet for that. There were barely any signs of people. Maybe it wasn’t officially operating yet. In any case, welfare? Since when did the Hunter Association make places like this? Cleaning house had been worth it after all.
Thinking I might at least meet an employee here, I went inside. I had not walked far down the hallway when I ran into a familiar face.
‘Min Jinsoo?’
She was a hunter I had met through Seong Hyunjae. A visually impaired person who could read the memories of dead living things. She still held a black cane that detected her surroundings. Min Jinsoo noticed me and turned her head.
“Hello. I’m Han Yujin, an F–rank hunter who registered as an Awakener today.”
I bowed politely, making sure to radiate harmlessness.
“I was looking around the Awakening Center. This isn’t somewhere I’m not supposed to enter, is it? If it is, I’ll leave right away, so could you turn a blind—”
Ah, damn it. Had I just put my foot in my mouth? I froze, but Min Jinsoo let out a small laugh.
“No, it’s all right. This is a place anyone can visit.”
“I see! If you don’t mind, could you tell me what kind of work this place does?”
Min Jinsoo didn’t seem to have noticed who I really was at all. She nodded and came closer to me.
“As the name suggests, this place handles welfare related to Awakeners. It was established with support from Sesung Guild.”
“Sesung Guild?”
“Yes. In truth, I was the one who took the lead in pushing it forward. Acting Guild Master Kang Soyeong helped me very actively, saying the guild master would certainly have approved it.”
Seong Hyunjae absolutely would have. If it was something one of his own people sincerely wanted to do, he was the type to support it as much as needed.
“We plan to broaden our scope going forward, but for now, we primarily work with disabled people.”
“Ah… You help them with skills or items?”
There were many kinds of assistance they could receive, just as Min Jinsoo did.
“You could say that. But it goes a little further than that. Mr. Han Yujin, since you’ve only just awakened, you may not know yet, but the hunter world has discrimination based on rank.”
I can say with confidence that I know better than anyone. I went through it until I was sick of it for five years.
“With the appearance of Awakeners, a new class system was essentially created. At the same time, however, Awakeners also played a role in breaking down the old class systems. Even if society didn’t openly assign people numbers or letters, I would have been F–rank in it. Hmm, perhaps not even F–rank. Maybe unranked.”
“No, that’s…”
“People say everyone is equal, but honestly, reality is different, isn’t it? Just as an F–rank and an S–rank cannot receive the same treatment.”
“…That’s…”
“There is nothing wrong with me. I am simply different. But I am not part of the mainstream. If humans were creatures that lived underground without light, I would have been the mainstream instead. What a shame.”
Min Jinsoo spoke lightly, almost like she was joking.
“But awakening is a possibility that allows someone to break free from all existing ranks. If you awaken as a high–rank hunter, every position you used to hold is shattered. Race, nationality, gender, age, academic background, wealth—most of the things people use to measure other people.”
Her voice continued, carrying certainty.
“The old ranks will gradually weaken. Awakening as a high–rank hunter is extremely rare, of course. But it is an equal opportunity given to anyone. A poor person who was ignored could suddenly become S–rank one day. So could an immigrant pushed around from every side, a child suffering from domestic violence, or an ordinary citizen exploited by corrupt power. Even if it isn’t the person themselves, a family member or acquaintance could awaken.”
“…That uncertain possibility will act as a brake.”
Of course, it was rare. But as cases appeared and increased, people would become a little more careful. The world would no longer have eternal weaklings. Even if someone had already awakened as a low–ranker, no one knew what might happen to their family, or to their future children. Once the system application was complete, even F–ranks would be able to grow. And even before that, special skills could be acquired at any time.
The world had become one where no one knew who might suddenly leap to the top.
“In exchange, a new rank called awakening rank will still remain, but Director Han Yujin—”
“…Yes?”
That startled me. Of course, she wasn’t talking about me. Not the current me, anyway.
“Since there is now a good example showing that no one knows what might become of an F–rank, discrimination based on awakening rank should ease at least a little. Having ranks disappear entirely would be impossible unless every person in the world attained enlightenment.”
“That’s true.”
That would only be possible if everyone abandoned greed and stopped judging other people. Min Jinsoo bowed her head slightly toward me.
“Thank you for listening seriously to my strange rambling. Perhaps it’s because you have the same name as Director Han Yujin. I ended up saying all kinds of things without meaning to.”
“No, not at all. It was interesting.”
So it wasn’t that people couldn’t register the fact that my name was the same. Then, in other people’s eyes, I was someone with the same name as Han Yujin who also happened to dress similarly to him… hmm. Should I change my style?
“It is still closer to a wish than reality,” Min Jinsoo said. “Guild Master Breaker still has to listen to all kinds of nonsense, after all.”
“I also think things will gradually change. As long as dungeons and Awakeners exist, someday.”
It wasn’t as if I had never been looked down on because my parents died early and I hadn’t graduated high school. Still, it hadn’t been unbearably difficult. I had even thought that if awakenings and dungeons hadn’t existed, I might have lived better.
But for Min Jinsoo, the changed world must have felt completely different. A new path and a hope that allowed her to cross a line that had once been like a cliff.
“As I mentioned earlier, we provide customized awakenings and items. Especially with awakenings and skill acquisition, if the match is good, daily life can become much more convenient. Even a low–rank levitation skill allows someone to go anywhere without a wheelchair.”
She said that even if it wasn’t complete flight, simply lifting the body slightly made it much easier to move with only a prosthetic leg or cane.
“Not only that, we also help the guardians of disabled people awaken.”
“Guardians?”
“In the case of intellectual disabilities, the person themselves cannot be awakened. It would actually be more dangerous if they were.”
Min Jinsoo spoke with regret in her voice.
“Parents often struggle when a child awakens, don’t they? It is similar. If someone inevitably awakens because of a dungeon break, we provide items or contracts that allow their stats to be weakened.”
Ah… there were cases like that too. Min Jinsoo added that it was fortunate an educational facility for underage Awakeners had been established. She said that once the related bill passed, receiving approval for the Awakening Welfare Center had become much easier.
“Even F–rankers gain a little in stats once they awaken. On top of that, we created a raid support team to help them level up to around level ten or twenty. That makes things much easier for guardians.”
Their strength would increase, and their stamina would improve too. If they gained supplementary skills as well, it would become even more convenient. Since it was often difficult for guardians to awaken and raise their levels on their own, the center provided assistance.
“Director!”
Just then, an angry voice rang out. A young man ran over, gave me a quick bow, and then glared at Min Jinsoo.
“You disappeared by yourself all of a sudden! I was worried! You didn’t even answer your phone!”
“Ah, I left my phone behind. I only meant to bring some documents.”
“If it’s inconvenient for you, something like that should be left to—”
Tap. The end of Min Jinsoo’s cane struck the top of the man’s foot.
“But it is something I am capable of doing, Mr. Ha Siwoon.”
Min Jinsoo’s voice was firm, and Ha Siwoon immediately apologized. His expression, however, still held dissatisfaction. Did he work here? The fact that she wasn’t addressing him by a job title made me wonder if he didn’t.
“Mr. Han Yujin, would you like me to give you a more detailed tour of the Awakening Welfare Center?”
“No, it’s all right.”
The person standing next to her was growling like a guard dog. If I asked her to show me around, he looked like he might bite me. I thanked her for the explanation and turned away. After leaving the Welfare Center, I sat down on the bench in front of it.
‘A lot has changed.’
This, that, and many other things. Fortunately, most of them seemed to have changed in a good direction. There were probably negative effects too, but even if you subtracted the minuses from the pluses, wouldn’t it still come out positive? That was enough.
‘I should decide what I’m going to do soon.’
Did I really have to do a personal stream? I did have experience from Chatterbox’s party, but back then, the broadcasting setup had all been handled for me. Did I need to buy a camera first? Couldn’t I just film with my phone? How was filming supposed to work anyway? Chatterbox had captured my image automatically… Did I need to hire someone separately to carry a camera around? And the recorded video… where and how did I upload it?
‘…I don’t know a single thing.’
What should I do? Take Park Hayul’s help, or just find some other job… Nothing was easy. It might actually be faster to blow up my own statue and get on the news. While I was worrying over what to do, a car slid onto the road below the stairs. It was a black van.
‘Are they here to recruit new hunters?’
Low–rank guilds regularly visited the Awakening Center to see if there were any decent kids around. The car stopped, and the door opened. A large man got out. Let’s see, E–rank combat type. The man looked around, then gestured at me to come down. I was technically a new recruit, I guess.
‘Since I’ll have to go into dungeons eventually anyway, maybe I should at least hear him out.’
I didn’t have the money to monopolize auctioned dungeon access permits like before. I stood up from the bench and went down the stairs. When I came closer, the man smiled.
“That’s right. Good boy.”
Huh? That way of speaking was kind of—
“…?!”
In an instant, my mouth was covered, and hands reached out from inside the van and yanked me in. With practiced skill that made it clear they had grabbed people plenty of times before, they pinned my body down. The car door closed, and the van started moving.
What the hell was this? Broad daylight, and this was what they were doing?
‘Don’t tell me these bastards recognized me.’
I had no reason to be kidnapped right now, though. I was an ordinary F–rank, wasn’t I? Were they the type who snatched beginners, forced them into contracts, and worked them to the bone? Even then, people didn’t usually just grab someone off the street like this. What was going on? I was weaker than them and didn’t understand the situation, so I froze. One of the men lightly patted my head.
“If you make noise, it’ll hurt. Stay quiet, and nothing bad will happen. Got it? Shh.”
…Why had they been talking like that since earlier? Another man looked at me and muttered.
“This one looks normal.”
Normal… wait. The place where I had been sitting was the Awakening Welfare Center. Right now, it mainly handled work related to disabled people. If the people visiting the place had no visible disability, there was a high chance it was intellectual disability. Of course, they could be employees or guardians, but my clothes didn’t make me look like an employee, and I hadn’t acted like a guardian. I had even obediently come down when they gestured.
‘No, still. These insane bastards.’
People already kidnapped and exploited perfectly able–bodied people, so of course it would be worse for disabled people. Similar things had happened even before dungeons appeared. But still.
A curse almost burst from my mouth, but for now, I stayed quiet. We had already been near the outskirts, and the van headed to an even more deserted area. It entered a large warehouse and stopped.
“No suckers today, but we picked up something else instead.”
The E–rank hunter said as he opened the car door and got out. Apparently, they also scammed new hunters. For the time being, I got out of the van as they guided me. Maybe because the warehouse door was closed, no one bothered to tie me up or hold onto me.
“He had some strength for an F–rank, but he’s still a little short of E–rank.”
“Works out fine. We were running short on miners anyway. Innocent kids listen well and work hard, you know.”
“All we have to do is feed them.”
I thought I understood why Ha Siwoon had been so wary. These sons of bitches were very practiced at this.
“…Why the hell do you live like this?”
“Huh?”
The hunter next to me flinched. The other bastards all turned to look at me too.
“What the hell? Isn’t that guy normal?”
“No, then why didn’t he say anything and just let himself get dragged here?”
They looked baffled. Even so, they didn’t seem particularly shaken. If anything, they acted like it wasn’t a big deal.
“You’re F–rank, right? Just sign one contract, and we’ll send you back quietly, so don’t worry.”
“I’m planning to report this to the police.”
At my words, they laughed.
“What are you going to report? We just made a mistake and put you in the car.”
“Yeah, thought you were a friend. We were joking around and pretended to kidnap you a little rough, but we’re sending you back fine.”
“If anything’s broken, we can just use a potion.”
“Potions are expensive, so let’s keep this nice and easy, huh?”
Right. Even if I reported them now, these bastards would erase the evidence and play dumb. Which meant I had no choice.
“I really did mean to live quietly, since I have a baby.”
Thunk. The white–and–black spear that appeared at my fingertips stabbed into the cement floor. The D–rank among them reacted first to the weapon that had suddenly appeared. But before he could move—
Whoosh!
Dark red flames surged around me as if protecting me. Inside the fire where no one else could step, I adjusted my grip on the spear’s handle. With a metallic slide, the spear changed form like a flexible sword. Except without a blade.
“But what am I supposed to do when trash is rolling around in the neighborhood where my kids will grow up?”
If I saw it, I had to clean it up. The blunt flexible sword bent wide in accordance with my will. The bastards quickly pulled out their weapons. Ting! An arrow flew toward me. Good try, but.
Hiss!
The low–rank arrow melted without piercing through the flames. This Black Blood Flame was much weaker than Yuhyun’s. Even so, there was no way it couldn’t swallow up a mere low–rank weapon.
“Combustible trash, too. Not even recyclable.”
“Ghk!”
The flame that climbed along the sword melted the horizontally held spear in an instant, and the bladed metal mass slammed into the hunter’s chest. He tumbled across the floor with a series of crashes and did not get back up. Still, he wasn’t dead.
“I really did decide to wash my hands of all this and live quietly.”
Whish—the heavy flexible sword cut through the air and struck the head of the bastard charging at me from behind. I spun around and kicked the staggering man hard. All of you, please survive safely.
“Aaaagh!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Clink—the weapon shrank and returned to its original spear form. I struck the floor hard with it. Then I tilted the shaft like a lever, and a chunk of cement that sprang up struck the back of the fleeing bastard’s head precisely. With a heavy thud, he pitched forward and collapsed. The escape route for the remaining two was blocked by a long stretch of Black Blood Flame. Inside the blazing fire, the bastards screamed.
“Too loud. Look closely. Isn’t it a pretty fire? Good and handsome too.”
The black flame swayed beneath my hand. Those sons of bitches stared at me like I was a lunatic. There were reasons for this, okay. Reasons. But since I had no reason to explain, I knocked the men trapped in the flames unconscious with the spear shaft. At my will, the Black Blood Flame obediently died down.
I searched the unconscious men and found their phones. Of course, I didn’t forget to put on gloves first.
“Fingerprint recognition really is convenient at times like this.”
If it had been a passcode, it would have been annoying. I opened one of the phones locked by fingerprint recognition with its owner’s finger and called… hmm.
‘A normal police station probably can’t handle this properly.’
The operation seemed fairly large, and there might be mid–rank or higher hunters mixed in as well. First, I took out my own phone. I checked the recording file I had turned on when I got out of the van. The part about potions being expensive had been recorded faintly but clearly. The contents were a little vague, but it should be enough to start an investigation. I transferred the file to the bastards’ phone and dialed a number that remained in my memory. After I sent the file, a call came in not long after. A familiar voice sounded from the other side of the phone.
[This is Song Taewon, head of Awakener Management.]
Chief Song, hello, almost came out automatically, but I barely swallowed it back.
“These are kidnappers targeting Awakeners. It appears they mainly go after disabled people, and there’s likely a larger organization backing them, so please come as quietly as possible. The address here is… You can track the location, right?”
[We will dispatch immediately. Please wait in a safe location.]
“Ah, I’m sorry. I have to leave first. It’s time to feed the baby.”
[…Pardon?]
Technically, it was a magic stone, not baby food. I had to get home before evening. Still, it was nice to hear his voice after so long. I thought about calling Yuhyun too, but he wouldn’t answer an unknown number. Yerim would be the same, and even if the call connected, the secretarial office would block it.
“There’s nothing for me to take, either.”
Still, I thought I should at least get transportation fare, so I emptied their wallets. Since everyone used cards these days, there wasn’t much cash. In case I ran into Chief Song, I quickly left the factory.
“The subway station is…”
Over thirty minutes away on foot. I should get a license quickly and buy a car… right, I had no money for that. I didn’t even know when they might find out about the apartment and kick me out. And since the magic stones I had were also food for Bin and Chirp, I couldn’t just sell them recklessly.
‘Still, kids, Dad will make a lot of money somehow.’
I’ll even buy you expensive fruit without holding back. Even if I have to join hands with Park Hayul to do it. Come to think of it, didn’t that bastard Hayul have some hidden emergency funds stashed away somewhere? Searching dungeon information sites on my phone, I trudged along. I missed my kids, and I missed my assets too.
–TL Notes–
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