Chapter 18

Hunter Seong Chan-yang (2)

"Healer, please, just one more time...."

"Mr. Kim, it probably won't do any good. We've already poured two whole mid-high-grade potions on her and they haven't had any effect. That means this is...."

"Please, I'm begging you. I'll pay for however many additional potions we use, so please...."

"You know this already. Hunter Seong Chan-yang has collapsed like this more than three times this month alone. She's been examined by some of the best Healers around, but no one could determine the cause. And this time, we can't even find a pulse, so you should prepare yourself...."

"No. No, Chan-yang."

Kim Dong-seok, who had been so confident and professional only moments ago, had forgotten all appearances and was sobbing in the middle of the lobby.

He seemed to have completely forgotten that Lee Shin was even there.

"Wake up, okay? Please."

Unlike the desperate Kim Dong-seok, most of the Healers stationed at Dawn Management wore grim expressions, as though they had already concluded there was no hope.

Unlike the small world or Jude's world, I'm not the master of Earth. Is it really okay for me to accept a believer from this world?

A ding sounded in response to Lee Shin's question.

「TIP: It's fine.」

「TIP: You already vaguely know that yourself, don't you?」

As Lee Shin read the cryptic messages, he saw the grim-faced Healers.

He saw the unconscious Hunter Seong Chan-yang.

And he saw Kim Dong-seok clutching her hand as he sobbed.

—Just once.

Standing in a corner of the dazzling lobby, Lee Shin heard a prayer filled with countless emotions.

It was Kim Dong-seok's prayer, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched tight.

—If there really is a god, please. Just this once.

As Lee Shin heard that heartfelt prayer, the path Kim Dong-seok had walked through life unfolded before his eyes.

Lee Shin, who had been standing there blankly, slowly began to move.

***

—Hunter Seong Chan-yang, who became a national hero at the tender age of seventeen, has once again defended the capital, Seoul, from a monster wave.

—Despite encountering some minor difficulties, Hunter Seong Chan-yang and her team achieved a flawless victory. Amid an outpouring of enthusiastic support, Hunter Seong Chan-yang is currently enjoying a small celebration with her teammates to commemorate their victory....

On the television screen, as the anchor's voice continued, there was a photograph of a glamorously styled Seong Chan-yang winking at the camera as she struck a pose.

Seong Chan-yang sat curled up on the sofa.

She muttered,

"...A flawless victory?"

"...."

"....."

Four members of Seong Chan-yang's team had been paralyzed from the waist down.

Two had fallen into vegetative states.

Another had barely survived after more than twenty hours of major surgery.

Not a single one of those true heroes had been named.

And all of that had been reduced to some minor difficulties.

Perhaps it was because she was so young.

Perhaps it was because of her exceptional beauty.

Or perhaps it was because she possessed both.

Whatever the reason, the world focused solely on the name Seong Chan-yang.

People saw Seong Chan-yang as the real-life protagonist of a shonen manga, and adolescent boys and girls began dreaming of becoming Hunters themselves.

Seong Chan-yang hated all of it.

"Don't let it bother you too much, Chan-yang."

Kim Dong-seok spoke to her.

"The news only tells people what they want to hear. People don't want to know how many died in the monster wave that erupted from the Paju Rift, what sacrifices we had to make just to buy one more minute, or how those who fought so valiantly met their end."

"Instead of a depressing story like that, they'd rather hear about a pretty seventeen-year-old genius who won yet again like the heroine of some story and now gets to enjoy a special life ordinary people could never have."

Kim Dong-seok's words made sense.

But a girl who had only just turned seventeen was far too young to bear such a cold reality.

Far, far too young.

"Mister, I...."

I think I want to quit.

Seong Chan-yang had been about to say those words when she saw Kim Dong-seok's warm smile.

The responsibility on her shoulders was crushingly heavy.

But if she put it down, someone else would have to pick it up.

Yes.

Someone had to.

"What is it?"

".....It's nothing!"

It's nothing.

I'm fine.

She concealed her true feelings behind those polished words and kept running without rest, carrying a burden she could never bring herself to put down.

Five years had passed since then.

Had she become so exhausted that even she herself hadn't realized it?

Lying collapsed on the cold marble floor, Seong Chan-yang could feel the gazes of the people around her.

For once, they weren't looking at her with admiration or envy.

They were looking at her with concern and pity.

And for some reason, an overwhelming drowsiness washed over her.

She knew that if she surrendered herself to this sleep, she would never wake again.

But she also knew that if she fell asleep now, she would no longer have to keep running.

She could finally rest.

She could put everything down.

"Wake... up...."

"Chan-yang... please...."

As the voices faded into the distance, Seong Chan-yang slowly sank into sleep.

The familiar faces disappeared.

The familiar scenery vanished.

Everything was swallowed by pitch-black darkness.

And then—

『How beautiful is the back of one who knows precisely when it is time to leave.』

A single ray of light descended.

『You are weary from wandering, and there is no shame in resting for a while. But, lost child—has the time truly come for you to leave?』

Seong Chan-yang's closing eyes slowly opened.

As the darkness receded, countless people shimmered into view before her amid a dazzling light.

『Of course, one day you will leave this world.』

Grandma Sun-ja, who had personally knitted her a pair of gloves because the weather was getting colder.

Eight-year-old Min-cheol, who had said he wanted to become a Hunter like Seong Chan-yang.

Mr. Gwang-ryeol, a former firefighter who had remained at the scene until the very end, telling her to take care of the survivors first.

They were people Seong Chan-yang had failed to save.

And they weren't the only ones.

Behind those who had left this world before her, images of the people Seong Chan-yang had saved flashed past.

Those who had once been afraid to keep living had long since put the tragedy of that day behind them and were steadfastly living lives of their own.

And among them stood one man.

As Seong Chan-yang stared at the man enveloped in light, she heard a great voice that could not be defied.

『But not today.』

Her body suddenly felt utterly weightless.

Seong Chan-yang sucked in a sharp breath and snapped her eyes open.

When she abruptly sat up, the Healer muttered in disbelief,

"What in the...."

"Chan-yang!"

Even Seong Chan-yang herself had yet to understand what was happening when Kim Dong-seok wrapped her in a crushing embrace and began sobbing.

As though he were looking at someone who had returned from the dead.

"Come on, what's wrong? This happens to me sometimes...."

"Hngh... I really thought...."

Seeing Kim Dong-seok's shoulders trembling, Seong Chan-yang replied,

"I'm sorry, Mister. Stop crying, okay?"

With countless gazes focused on her, Seong Chan-yang looked around until her eyes met those of a man.

At that instant, her heart began pounding uncontrollably, and a strange emotion surged through her chest.

...Huh?

There was nothing particularly unusual about the man at first glance.

But soon, Seong Chan-yang saw something within his eyes.

Something hidden beneath the flesh of a human being.

Only then did she realize who the being that had pulled her out of the darkness was.

And—

"H-Hunter Seong Chan-yang?"

"Yes?"

"Y-your eyes...."

She also realized that her life was about to change forever.

"Your pupils... they've turned into stars."

Ding!

「A connection has been established between you.」

「Seong Chan-yang has become an official believer.」

「Name: Seong Chan-yang」

「Class: Cleric」

「Believer Rank: Lower Rank」

「Soul Grade: Common」

「Overall Assessment: "Did she put her contacts in backward?"」

"These pieces of equipment... none of them are from our world. From the craftsmanship to the engraving techniques applied to them, I've prided myself on having seen countless items as an appraiser, but I've genuinely never seen anything like these before."

"A-all ten of them are otherworld items?"

"Amazingly enough, that appears to be the case. We're well beyond two million dollars. Even with the most conservative estimate, each one would start at a minimum of three million dollars...."

If a single item was worth three million dollars, then selling all ten would net Lee Shin at least thirty million dollars.

Converted into Korean won, that was an astronomical sum exceeding forty billion won.

Yet Lee Shin didn't even blink.

Did he already know?

From what the appraiser had heard, this man had originally intended to sell these items to Academy trainees.

Had he known their true value and still intended to give such treasures to mere rookies?

Did he already know that he'd come into contact with Dawn through Mr. Kim? No... maybe he genuinely intended to sell them out of goodwill. If so, that means these incredible items are worth only that much to this man....

Gulp.

The appraiser swallowed unconsciously.

Lee Shin calmly asked,

"How much if I sell all of them?"

"At minimum, 41.2 million dollars. Depending on the final valuation, they could go as high as fifty million. If you feel that's insufficient—"

"I don't need that much money."

Fifty million dollars.

The amount was so enormous that it had lost all sense of reality for Lee Shin.

He didn't need that much money for the modest but happy life he dreamed of.

Just a reasonable amount is enough.

After listening to the voices of countless people over the years, Lee Shin understood that money was a resource that could save people just as easily as it could destroy them.

That was why he didn't want an excessive amount of it.

Besides, this was equipment needed by people who risked their lives fighting to save others.

Lee Shin had no desire to squeeze every last penny out of people like that.

"Can I receive something else in exchange for lowering the price?"

"What... would you like?"

"According to the manager here, this company is the management agency every Hunter dreams of joining. Whether it's the revenue split, welfare, or support benefits, you're the best in the industry."

"Well... that's true."

Lee Shin knew that Kim Dong-seok had cared for Seong Chan-yang, the Hunter under his management, almost like family and had sincerely done everything he could for her.

And Lee Shin hoped that one day, when his most precious friend became a Hunter, she too would receive that same care and support.

"The friend I cherish most is currently training at the Academy. I want her to finish her training without facing any difficulties, and even after she becomes a Hunter, I want her to receive the best possible support in the best possible place. Can you do that?"

"...O-of course we can."

That was exactly what both the appraiser and Kim Dong-seok had hoped for.

They couldn't even begin to fathom just how extraordinary someone had to be to casually gift equipment of this caliber to a mere trainee.

Perhaps he was an immensely powerful Hunter who had been secretly operating while concealing his identity.

It wasn't even a question of money or services.

The mere fact that they could establish and maintain a connection with someone of this caliber was an enormous benefit in itself.

As everyone swallowed nervously, a cheerful voice cut into the conversation.

"Then Mister can just take care of it."

It belonged to Hunter Seong Chan-yang.

Dawn's star Hunter and an S-rank Hunter representing South Korea, who had collapsed in the lobby earlier—and who, ever since waking up, seemed to have absolutely no intention of leaving Lee Shin's side.

"Mister's the best, after all. You raised me."

"...Chan-yang, you're still here?"

"You were so worried about me earlier."

"No, it's just... we're discussing business."

"I'm a major shareholder here, you know."

"...."

"If God has made a request, then obviously you should grant it. Refusing would be incredibly irreverent. Just receiving a request from Him should be an immense honor, shouldn't it? Hurry up and prostrate yourself before Him and express your gratitude."

"Chan-yang, you can't make jokes like that using a client's name. Hurry up and apologize...."

Kim Dong-seok looked troubled as he stared at Seong Chan-yang, who was acting especially strange today.

He assumed she was making a pun based on Lee Shin's unusual name.

But Seong Chan-yang answered with complete seriousness.

"I'm not joking. He really is God...."

Her star-shaped pupils sparkled brilliantly.

As Lee Shin stared at Seong Chan-yang, he thought,

「TIP: What an exemplary believer!」

「TIP: Seeing that you are now safe even on Earth fills me with such relief that tears obscure my vision!」

「TIP: Tears of emotion, drip, drip, drip.」

「TIP: (705)」

He had somehow acquired a strange new friend.