TRDCS 02

Chapter 02 …

It took me several days to accept that I had returned to the past.

At first, I didn’t believe it.

I thought it was all a dream—some sick prank by that damn lizard bastard.

But everything I saw, heard, and felt was telling me the same thing: I had returned to the past.

Even now.

The scene unfolding before my eyes was exactly the same as a day ten years ago.

• Breaking news. A raid party consisting of nine members will be deployed to clear the Gate that has appeared at Dangsan Station in Seoul. The names of the hunters participating in this raid are…

“My hope is that they all come back safely.”

My father muttered while watching the news.

On the screen, a group of hunters were being broadcast live as they headed toward a newly formed Gate.

Screech… swish.

While watching the news, my father carefully cleaned a carbine rifle and a shotgun.

Ten years had passed since humanity began facing the invasion of monsters.

In countries all over the world, gun ownership legalization was no longer a topic of debate.

And my father, a former Navy special forces soldier, was now serving as a regional defense commander.

“Dear, you’re going to wear it out like that.”

My mother, now a homemaker, was peeling mangoes beside him, looking at my father with dripping affection.

“My brother is seriously so handsome.”

My younger sister was watching an idol performance on her smartphone.

Hey… since when was he your brother?

He’s right here, you know?

I shook my head at her careless behavior.

Sitting at the kitchen table, watching my family, I couldn’t help but smile.

‘So what if it’s a dream.’

I didn’t care.

My father, my mother, and that brat of a sister.

Just being able to sit together with the family I thought I would never see again was enough.

‘Peaceful.’

What a crazy world this was.

A world where people died almost daily due to monster invasions, where news of entire cities being reduced to ruins was routine.

And yet, people still tried to maintain their ordinary daily lives.

Just like my family now.

* * *

In the afternoon, I went to the shooting range with my father.

Given his background, my father loved shooting.

He also often took me to the range.

After the gun legalization law passed, he even gifted me pistols, rifles, shotguns—and even full gear like body armor and a ballistic helmet.

Bang! Bang! Bang bang bang!

The shooting ended.

I lowered the pistol and checked the target.

“Hm.”

26 bullets had hit the exact center of the target.

The remaining 4 were only slightly off from the center.

296 out of 300 points.

Not bad at all for the first time shooting in nearly eight years.

“Son.”

My father walked over and asked.

“Yes?”

“Wasn’t your last shooting session two weeks ago?”

“It was… I think?”

“Improving this much in just two weeks?”

“Hmm.”

I was at a loss for words.

My father’s suspicion was reasonable.

If shooting skills improved that easily, everyone would become marksmen or special forces soldiers.

Especially pistol shooting—it was difficult to improve quickly.

And my current skill level wasn’t anything special, so his doubt made sense.

‘I got too excited after a long time.’

It wasn’t the shooting.

I had simply been too happy spending time with my father.

“You been training separately?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Hm.”

“I’ll be enlisting soon anyway. I figured I should train hard.”

At this time, I was scheduled to enlist in a few months as a reserve officer candidate.

Just like my late grandfather had, and like my father had.

After commissioning, I planned to apply for the Navy special forces.

People might wonder why special forces were needed in a world fighting monsters, but non-awakened humans weren’t useless.

Up to 4-star monsters, conventional human weapons still had enough power.

So the military—including special forces—still played a crucial role.

But I couldn’t become a special forces soldier like my father or grandfather.

Because next week, I would awaken as a hunter—and my father would die.

“Son.”

“Yes.”

“Anything going on lately?”

“No?”

I tried to look innocent, as if I didn’t understand the question.

“Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.”

My father shook his head.

“But if anything happens, or if you have worries, don’t keep it to yourself. Talk to your dad. Got it?”

“Yes.”

A cold sweat ran down my back.

I’ve been caught.

I could bet my hand on it—my father had noticed my change.

Not surprising.

He was a former special forces officer and had even worked for the National Intelligence Service.

There was no way he wouldn’t notice.

No—anyone who knew me even slightly would notice.

I was a proper young man at this time in the past.

But now?

I was a worn-out veteran hunter who had survived ten years of hell.

Everything about me—thoughts, behavior, speech, eyes, expressions—was different.

Even my mother and sister had been occasionally looking at me suspiciously these past few days.

“Father.”

“What?”

“Let’s go camping next week, all of us.”

“Camping?”

“I feel like it’s been more than five years since we last went camping as a family.”

“Camping…”

“I’ll be enlisting in a few months anyway. I just want a family trip.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

My father nodded without hesitation.

“If our son wants it, we go.”

“Haha.”

“Let’s shoot once more. This time, not pistol—rifle tactical shooting.”

“Yes, sir.”

I picked up the rifle.

I should go easy this time.

* * *

One week passed.

“Just in case, pack your gear. Double-check everything before departure.”

“Yes.”

In an era where no one knew where or when a Gate might appear, it was normal for civilians to carry weapons.

Our family loaded camping gear and weapons into my father’s pickup truck and headed to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province.

We set up tents, caught some freshwater fish in a stream, and cooked spicy stew.

We lit firewood and grilled lamb over charcoal.

“Here.”

“I’m fine, Father.”

“Why aren’t you drinking? We came all this way.”

When I refused alcohol, my father tilted his head.

“I don’t think alcohol agrees with me lately.”

“Oh? Alright, I won’t force you.”

He looked slightly disappointed but didn’t insist.

That night, before dawn.

I pretended to go to the bathroom, left the tent, stole my father’s car, and headed toward Seoul.

‘No matter how insane this world is… drunk driving is still not it.’

VROOOOM!

As I pressed the accelerator, the V8 engine roared like a beast.

I checked the time.

3 AM.

‘Seven hours left.’

10 AM.

A 3-kilometer radius around our apartment complex would be consumed by a [Transition] phenomenon.

The reason I suggested this trip was to evacuate my family from that event.

Unfortunately, I was the exception.

I had to be at the scene to awaken as a hunter.

As I drove home, my father’s last moments in my previous life came to mind.

• I’ll hold them here! Take Mom and Eunha and run!

• But…!

• Go now!

His noble and brave back.

But this time, I refused to lose him.

I didn’t want to see his body torn apart again.

A corpse so mutilated that even the mortician performing the burial had shaken his head in disbelief.

‘Dragon Lord. I don’t know what you’re planning, but I will not repeat the past. Never.’

If I ever met the Dragon Lord again, I would ask him.

Why did you send me back to the past?

‘I hate being a support. Why would a special forces candidate become a support?’

The memory of being treated like a tool, dragged around and overworked in my previous life, made my teeth grind.

If I could, I would rather awaken as a dealer instead of a support who just supports others.

Though it wasn’t something I could choose.

‘First, preparation.’

As soon as I arrived home, I geared up.

I put on a ballistic helmet, wore a plate carrier, and packed ammo and grenades.

I grabbed a rifle, shotgun, and pistol.

In the past, it would’ve looked like I was going to war—but in this era, it was normal.

Humanity had been at war with monsters for 10 years.

‘One hour left.’

I checked the time and launched a drone.

Bzzzz…

Civilians needed permission to operate drones, but it wouldn’t matter soon anyway.

I stormed straight into the management office.

Even though it was the weekend, a young armed security guard was on duty.

“What is this? There’s no monster attack and you’re walking around armed li—”

He didn’t finish.

I shoved him aside, smashed the glass window on the wall, and slammed the emergency alarm.

WEEEOOO WEEEOOO!

• Emergency, emergency! Residents, please evacuate immediately. A transition phenomenon has been detected…

Sirens echoed throughout the complex.

Good.

This should be enough.

An hour was more than enough time for evacuation.

“You insane bastard!”

The guard shouted and reached into his desk.

But I was faster.

Bang bang bang!

“Argh!”

With a short scream, the guard collapsed.