Chapter 1 - Chapter 1

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 1

Chapter Title: All Things Return to Righteousness

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'Ji-yu, I don't think your sister will live to 300.'

I couldn't even twitch a finger. Barely forcing open my eyes that refused to lift, I stared at the endless devastation spread out before me. Crimson streams trickled along the warped asphalt, corpses lay scattered everywhere, and right in the middle of it all was me, sprawled out.

In the heart of downtown Seoul, the Hell Path gate had opened, and fragments of that thing kept pouring out endlessly.

This is the end of the world, huh.

Even if every S-Rank Hunter in the country, including me, threw themselves at it, it wouldn't be enough. The situation overseas was the same, so no help was coming from there either.

Where did it all go wrong?

From the moment I became an Apostle of that thing and blindly did everything it ordered? Or was it when I suddenly awakened as an S-Rank Hunter at twenty-one?

Too late to worry about that now. We've come way too far.

Truth be told, it wasn't completely hopeless. If we could just clear three S-Rank gates, we could at least get the domestic crisis under control.

Clack.

If only that traitor bastard hadn't…

My former comrade had betrayed us in an instant and dragged out even more gates.

He must have borrowed power from ■■■, that bastard.

A hollow rage made my heart pound unpleasantly. My body shook violently, my stomach churning.

Ji-yu, I'll see you soon…

My eyes slowly drifted shut like sinking into sleep, and I caught a glimpse of my beloved little sister Ji-yu's back.

Flash.

Savior…? What?

Ji-yu's silhouette vanished in an instant, replaced by golden text floating before my eyes.

You've got the wrong person. I'm about to die here.

What kind of insane act is it to pick someone whose body's already in pieces as a Savior? This is why the world can't dodge the apocalypse flying its way—it's too damn stupid.

For real?

Forcing my drooping eyelids open, I stared desperately at the final explanation.

Power of Words—the clichéd hope that if you keep saying it, it'll come true someday.

If this damn authority actually makes my words reality…

I parted my lips and spoke each word with all the strength I had left.

"Give me… one more… chance..."

I don't care. If it gives me a shot at stopping the end of the world.

My vision began to blacken from the edges.

What happens to me now? Will I get a real chance? Can I fix this insane world's end?

Damn it, what am I supposed to do without my memories?

The penalty hit harder than expected, leaving me dumbfounded.

Without these memories, I'd just repeat the same mistakes later.

"Hey, don't screw up this time. Stop the world's end. And the traitor…!"

Thud.

―Ji-ui, Shin Ji-ui…!

"Shin Ji-ui!"

"Guhk…!"

"Wha—huh?"

Sudden air flooding my lungs made me retch. I rolled on the bed, coughing dryly and gasping, until a familiar voice called out and someone grabbed me.

"Ji-ui! What's wrong? Does Dad's voice come through? Hey?"

"Dad…?"

I repeated the word like someone learning to talk for the first time. The moldy ceiling and peeling wallpaper felt strangely familiar. Glancing left, I saw Dad's pale face peering down, his hand on my forehead.

"No fever… But just in case, let's go to the hospital."

"Huh? No! I'm fine! What hospital?"

"Really? You're really not hurting anywhere?"

"I'm not. Probably just choked in my sleep."

To prove I was okay, I shot up from bed. Still, Dad clutched his phone like he was about to call the hospital any second.

"What's going on?"

"Honey, she just had a seizure…"

"What seizure? I just choked!"

"A seizure?"

Mom appeared, pale as a ghost at the commotion. My room turned into chaos in seconds. Only after yelling to calm my overprotective parents did they finally look at me.

"See? I'm totally fine. It was just choking, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just got scared…"

Dad mumbled, quietly crumpling my blanket in his hands. There was a reason they were so overprotective.

They lost Ji-yu to illness. They're terrified of losing their firstborn too.

The thought of my little sister's face brought a sudden heaviness to my chest.

"Oh my, look at the time. Honey, let's go."

"Ji-ui, if you feel even a little off, go straight to the hospital, okay?"

"Yeah~"

Mom and Dad grabbed their bags in a flurry and headed out the door. The house fell silent as if nothing had happened.

What the heck was that?

It felt like an incredibly vivid dream, but I couldn't recall the details. My body ached like I'd been beaten, and my mind was foggy.

Shaking it off as nothing, I grabbed my phone from where it lay on the bed.

Plip.

"Huh…?"

Tears suddenly splashed onto my reflection on the screen. I rubbed my eyes furiously, but they wouldn't stop. Finally, I dashed to the sink, splashed water on my face for ages, and only then did the tears subside.

Did I at least see Ji-yu in the dream?

My little sister Ji-yu, four years younger. That sweet, foolish girl had suffered from a rare disease for years before suddenly passing away. The gaping void in my chest came with massive debts, and without anyone telling me to, I started working right after high school graduation.

―Next up, the news.

Drying my face with a towel, I stepped into the living room where the TV news droned on.

Mom must've left it on.

As I reached for the remote, a familiar face appeared on screen.

―The Korean Hunters dispatched to an S-Rank general dungeon in Nevada, USA last week returned via Incheon at 2 a.m. yesterday. Led by Kang Se-bin Hunter, the team set a new record of 5 days, 1 hour, and 28 minutes, astonishing the world. Kim Jang-mi reporting.

She's back!

There was my childhood friend Se-bin on screen.

No sign of fatigue at all.

Se-bin's face was as strikingly handsome as ever. Sleek features framed by brown hair tied in a half-ponytail, double eyelids giving her eyes a sharp upward tilt for a cool vibe, softened by gentle brows.

―The dungeon's difficulty wasn't too high. But themed around the Old West, it had frequent sandstorms and temps up to 104°F, making the clear challenging.

Se-bin spoke calmly, unfazed by the barrage of flashes.

Since middle school, Se-bin had been a celebrity everywhere. When we first met, she was just a kid, but she shot up in height entering middle school and hit peak beauty by high school.

'Class 3's super handsome noona,' 'Full-name Se-bin unnie'—that's what they called Kang Se-bin. Not content with that, she awakened half a year into high school. As an S-Rank, no less.

Thus, she became 'the one and only S-Rank in the world with three unique skills, and super handsome noona.'

"…Glad she made it back safe."

I muttered at the screen, where Se-bin smiled to end the interview before cutting back to the anchor.

Click.

Switching channels, an educational broadcast on 'The History of Dungeons' played.

―21XX: Thirty years since gates first appeared. They reshaped lives—and threatened them. Mysterious dungeons sprouted worldwide like weeds, filled with monsters and traps, claiming countless lives.

They'd play this in class; I would've watched.

A white beam streaked down the dark screen, a human figure emerging from it.

―But as they say, even if the sky falls, there's a way up. With gates came 'Awakeners,' people with special powers. They slew monsters impervious to any gunfire, restoring order bit by bit. Today's world rose from sacrifices and monster wars.

With the narrator's voice, footage of the Gapyeong Gate explosion appeared.

Throb.

"…Huh?"

It happened before I was born, yet watching made my chest ache for some reason.

Why? It had nothing to do with me.

Bzzz.

My phone buzzed, snapping me out of it.

Oh, right. Today's the start of selling that Hunter collab merch.

I shoved a piece of bread in my mouth and fired off a quick reply.

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