“Mom….?”
Silence…
“It’s me, it’s me…”
“……..”
“It’s Isia. Shia… Mom’s son…”
The woman who was called “Mom” by Shia trembled slightly at her chin. Her face seemed twisted with sadness, as if she was longing to hug her beloved child, the blood relative she had reunited with…
“Ah, ah……”
“Mom…?”
“Ah, ah…………….. What the hell are you talking about, you crazy kid?! I’m not even old enough to drink yet! Mom? What kind of ridiculous mom are you talking about?!”
“….Uh…”
…It seems that the reason for her distorted expression was not sadness, but rather anger.
“Uh, no, Mom, I…”
“You little punk! What do you mean, I’m a mom?!”
That wasn’t incorrect. The woman looked to be only about the age of a high school student, so being suddenly called “Mom” must have been an unfathomably overwhelming feeling.
“I’ve never met such an utterly crazy woman in my whole life! You suddenly show up and call me Mom?! If you want a mom, go back home and look for your own parents…!”
“…I don’t have a mom…”
“Ah…”
Sniff…
Shia hung his head. He suddenly felt sad. He was sad once at the denial that the woman wasn’t his mom. And then he became sad again as he thought of his own mother, whom he could no longer meet.
But still, while it was true that he called a high school girl “Mom,” that was a bit much…
“Sniff, sniff…”
“Ah, I’m… I’m sorry…”
“Wahh…”
So sad, just too sad…
○○○○
Suddenly, they both needed a moment to regain their composure after the unintended misunderstanding.
“Um, sorry about that. I think I overreacted because I was flustered. My name is Park Yoonjeong. I’m 19 this year, so feel free to speak to me.”
“No, it’s fine… sniff my name is Isia. sniff…”
Trying to compose their feelings and returning to greetings, both Shia and Yoonjeong couldn’t hide their awkwardness.
“Ahem. Anyway, since you sound a bit older than me, can I call you Shia unnie?”
“…That’s fine. By the way, you seemed to use quite a heavy dialect earlier….”
“Oh, that’s just because I’ve picked some up from watching dramas. I’m a native of Seoul.”
The dialect was pretty thick for something learned from dramas, though.
In fact, using standard speech now seemed forced.
Sure, a high school girl might be engulfed in a drama, but as Shia squinted his eyes and closely watched Yoonjeong, he soon realized her words were a lie.
“It’s really okay. It might be better for both of us if we ease up instead of forcing ourselves to speak formally…”
“…..How did you know? Can I speak more comfortably then? If you can’t understand, just tell me, unnie?”
“Yeah, you can speak comfortably.”
“Pfft, it’s funny how many natives you find in Seoul. When I speak in dialect, they say they can’t understand me. Forcing myself to talk like this is really silly…”
At first, he thought she had a Gyeongsang-do dialect, but now he noticed other regional dialects sprinkled in.
“Is my way of speaking really that strange? I’ve moved around a lot, which is why it’s like this. Because of that, I had to transfer to a different school every time my grade changed. It was really annoying.”
“Oh dear, that must have been tough.”
“Anyway, unnie. I have to apologize, but do you happen to know how long you’ve been a Hunter?”
“I think it’s been about four months.”
“Wow, you’re just a newbie compared to me!”
“But I’m confident in my abilities, so I’m okay.”
“Anyway, I heard the guys I came with earlier. This is our spot. You probably haven’t joined a guild or done a solo dungeon run?”
“Solo dungeon?”
“I’m talking about a solo party. Even if my accent sounds strange, I hope you understand.”
“That’s alright. I knew the term solo party, I just didn’t know how to use it yet.”
As he said that, Shia casually sat down in a suitable spot.
Yoonjeong took another sip of her half-finished chocolate milk and continued talking.
“Gulp, gulp. Mmm… So, I don’t know your Hunter rank, but the guys, including me, are all low-ranked. We’re all C-rank or below.”
“Low-ranked, huh….”
“Hehe, it’s just what it is. Low-ranked Hunter, low-ranked life. Can’t argue with that.”
With a self-deprecating smile, Yoonjeong shook a few drops of chocolate milk into her mouth.
“Being a Hunter for over ten years and still being C-rank is pretty low. There’s nothing special about it.”
“And you?”
“I’m just a loser who has no potential for advancement or hope for the future. But hey, are you a Hunter? What’s there you don’t know?”
“I am a Hunter, but I’m a Returnee.”
“…..Oh, really…?”
If one is a Returnee, it’s understandable not to know. Yoonjeong nodded.
“Alright, then I’ll tell you everything. Just listen casually as the bottom-tier losers ramble on.”
“Okay, I’m good at listening.”
What followed in Yoonjeong’s explanation was something both obvious and, on the other hand, it was the first time Shia was hearing about these things.
It seemed like after the world of Hunters arrived, human society became more developed and prosperous, but on the contrary, there were also severe disparities and side effects.
The flashy and powerful S-grade Hunters like Yeonseo prevented the extinction of humanity, living like the wealthy tycoons due to their contributions, but it was only possible because they accomplished feats that could avert the crisis of humanity’s extinction using their power.
In the early days of the Great Rift, no matter how weak an Awakened One was, humanity was on the brink of extinction. But by 2088, it was a time of peace.
Of course, the Great Rift, dungeons, and monsters still remain as unknown territories, where new incidents or disasters could arise at any moment, but since the civilization that nearly perished has been rebuilt again, and a social safety net established thanks to the Hunters, it could be said that now is indeed a peaceful era.
However, while Hunters benefitted the most from this age of peace, they also bear the brunt of it.
‘That’s strange…’
Shia thought that, for Hunters, the Earth that faced the Great Rift should be an easier place to live.
After all, he hadn’t even been broadcasting for half a year yet, and had already become the Gallery Master of the Hunter Gallery, living a fun and easy life as both a hobby and a broadcast.
Even if he spent hundreds of thousands in meal expenses a day, just one broadcast would earn him several times more. If he wasn’t broadcasting, he could hunt monsters in a suitable dungeon and sell the byproducts in the Hunter Market, or if not, he could quickly make money just by bringing back a few eggs from the Wyvern farm in the Kurtala Mountains…
“That’s possible because you’re so strong.”
“…Huh…”
Hearing that, Shia realized how arrogant and disconnected his thoughts had been.
Of course, as Shia mentioned, in 2088, Hunters were unarguably at the forefront of public attention through countless media and reports, politics, and various social scenes.
In this era, if you had strength, you could endlessly accumulate wealth and fame.
“If the income comes in properly, it wouldn’t be hard to buy pieces of trash equipment and if that doesn’t work, you could hire party members to join you. If you can gather a party, you could catch monsters even stronger than your rank.”
However, that was only achievable if you were at least a B-rank Hunter. Only a B-rank Hunter could expect stable income by thoroughly clearing out dungeons scattered here and there on their own.
In the first place, less than 10% of the entire Hunter population in Korea was B-rank or higher.
“And I’m part of that lower 90 percent. They call us Awakened Ones… But, honestly, we’re no different from regular office workers.”
“Sorry…”
“It’s not your fault. You’re a Returnee, right? It’s understandable.”
Well, since they’ve gotten used to it, that’s fine.
Saying that, Yoonjeong smiled at Shia, who seemed restless and unsure of what to do.
“Every day, the stupid little CEO of a tiny company and the guild leader look just like my boss, living under quota pressures. Not to mention hunting grounds where I’ve had to tussle with other guild Hunters—”
“*Hey! Just thinking about it makes me so mad! They even brought tents the night before just to occupy our spot! After all that, we barely end up hunting properly!”
“And then after a hard day’s hunting, the party quibbles over who gets what share. And when we finally gather to celebrate, they always exclude me for being young. Ugh, thinking about it is the worst.”
“…..?”
As Yoonjeong suddenly exploded, Shia tilted his head, sensing that there might be some unresolved resentment.
It seems like she wasn’t completely on friendly terms with those men she arrived with earlier.
“Ugh, I also want to drink soju mixed with beer while grilling pork belly, but the older men just get drunk and tell me to call a cab at the end. It’s so frustrating being a minor Hunter.”
“Uh, uh… That sounds tough….”
“Right? Don’t you think so too, unnie?”
While Yoonjeong was venting, she pulled out a banana milk from her pocket.
“Slurp…”
“…What are you talking about?”
Tasty…
By the way, didn’t the corn bug fritters completely ruin?
The only thing Shia had consumed while inside this jungle dungeon was the almost evaporated batter.
“Um, unnie. Do you want one? I can share.”
“No, no, it’s fine… Slurp… No, it’s okay…”
I may be a Saint, but…
A Saint shouldn’t be drinking a high school girl’s milk…
“You do realize you’re drooling all over, right? Oh my goodness… Is it strawberry or chocolate?”
“…If I had to choose, chocolate.”
“Here you go!”
Even though Shia had received the tossed chocolate milk, she was still thinking about whether it was alright for her to drink it.
“Okay, that’s enough. It’s a celebration of our meeting, and they say even just brushing shoulders counts as an encounter—so think of it as a gift, unnie. Drink it and try to forget about those annoying guys from earlier.”
“Gulp.”
As the sweetness of the chocolate milk filled her mouth, Shia nodded without realizing it.
“Just like I said before, our so-called Hunter party is made up of total losers. We’re worse than temp workers, barely scraping by to meet our quota, hunting suitable dungeons in the Gyeonggi region, and if we get lucky, we meet our requirements. If we don’t, we get chewed out by the guild leader. That’s how it is.”
“……Okay.”
The more Shia listened to Yoonjeong, the more she realized how foolish she had been.
She had come here thinking it would just be fun, frying corn bugs and broadcasting like it was a picnic, only to realize that what she had done had ruined the day’s livelihood for that Hunter party.
This situation felt like a frog dying from a stone thrown carelessly.
“Sigh, you don’t have to make that face, unnie.”
Seeing Shia’s guilty expression, Yoonjeong gently patted Shia’s shoulder.
“Honestly, all this talk about spots is fruitless. We didn’t even own this spot. We also didn’t stake our claim here. Even if we had, we wouldn’t be allowed to. The older guys were just blowing off steam.”
“But… it’s true that I took your group’s daily wages…”
“Then, unnie, do you think every time we meet other Hunters or go to different dungeons, we’ll keep saying this? Are you going to become the ATM delivering money every time someone asks for it? You trust humanity too much, don’t you, unnie?”
“………”
“Unnie, I said before, the nature of being a Hunter and characteristic of life is this: if you’re fast and strong, you gain something. If you can’t, then due to lack of ability or luck, you’ll get nothing. Let me ask you: did you ever pick up corn bugs we hunted that fell to the ground?”
“Not really.”
“Exactly? That’s all. There’s no need to have a lifelong debt of gratitude. Don’t feel bad. It just makes things uncomfortable. Sure, we might be a bit of losers, but you wouldn’t want pity like some beggar on the street, right?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“You keep apologizing. It’s alright.”
With that, Yoonjeong stood up.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“…Be careful.”
As Yoonjeong disappeared into the jungle, Shia, dangling the chocolate milk she had been given, closed her eyes, thinking deeply about something.
Ding ding
Soon, Shia manipulated her smartwatch to initiate a video call to someone.
[Your call has been answered. This is Yeonju from the Yeon Family’s administrative office. How may I assist you?]
The person Shia had called was Yeonju from the Yeon Family.
When she first registered as a Returnee and received a smartwatch from Yeonseo, she was told that if she ever needed help, she could contact either herself or Yeonju from the Yeon Family at any time.
Of course, although she could request assistance from Yeonhwa or Yeonseo, it wouldn’t seem right to ask either of them for an issue so personal.
“It’s nice to meet you. Is this Yeonju on the line?”
[Yes, that’s correct. Are you Isia?]
“Yes.”
[Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you from Yeonseo and Yeonhwa. It’s the first time we’re talking like this.]
With her polite voice, Yeonju represented the typical office lady.
“The reason I’m calling is that I was wondering if you could help me with a background check… on a person.”
[About a person? What kind of person?]
“I’ll send you my location information and photos taken today from my drone camera and smartwatch. Her name is Park Yoonjeong, 19 years old. She appears to be a low-ranked Hunter, and her main source of income seems to be hunting corn bugs in the jungle dungeon around the Capital Region with her party members.”
[Please hold on a moment… Yes, I’ve confirmed that information. Are there any specific categories of information you need? Criminal records, or family relations?]
“…The more, the better. I need as much information as possible.”
[That shouldn’t be hard. If it’s not inconvenient for you, I can come by this evening and gather the information.]
“Oh, and…”
[Yes, go ahead.]
“…The name Shin Soohye… That is…”
[Isn’t that the name of Isia’s biological mother?]
In 2024, Isia was caught up in the Great Rift, her body died, and her spirit became the Mangja Seongnyeo of another world. And in that Great Rift, not just Shia but his entire family had been swept away. Shin Soohye was, in 2024, Isia’s biological mother.
“You know quite a lot…”
[The Yeon Family has a keen interest in Isia.]
“…Is it possible for you to find information? Especially regarding my previous self and my blood relatives or relatives…”
[Understood. Then I will collect the data on Park Yoonjeong, as well as investigate if you have any blood relations or relatives.]
“I hope I’m not imposing, I’m concerned that I might be burdening you with this.”
[Not at all. Yeonseo and Yeonhwa both asked me to treat you as I would them. Even outside of this matter, feel free to reach out whenever you need assistance.]
“Is that really okay?”
[Yes, it’s perfectly fine. Depending on how Isia-san addresses me and this matter, I could get a bonus in my next report to Yeonseo.]
“Ah, uh….”
Indeed, the loyalty of a subordinate does seem to correlate with the money and salary given. The power of capital is astonishing…
[Please make frequent use of our services.]
Having said that, Shia ended the call with Yeonju and sank back into her seat.
‘….Lies….’
Shia hated lies.
“Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. It’s all lies.”
But at this moment, Shia found comfort in those lies.
The words uttered by Park Yoonjeong, that young Hunter, filled her with gratitude and sweetness.
“Lies… sniff… ugh… sniff…”
And it filled her with profound sadness.
