Chapter 10 …

My father’s answer was surprising.

For someone who had devoted his entire life to the nation, it was an unexpected response.

My father had followed my late grandfather into the Naval Academy, graduated, and was commissioned as a naval officer.

Later, he pursued special warfare, joined the Navy Special Warfare Flotilla, and even studied abroad with the U.S. Navy Special Forces—an elite among elites.

Even now, in this era where monsters were invading humanity, he had re-enlisted in the defense force and was still serving as both an operational agent and commander.

I never imagined someone like him would tell me not to register as an Awakened and instead live as a non-Awakened.

“Why do you say that?”

“Being a Hunter… it’s not something you can do with a sane mind.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Hey.”

My father gave me a stern look.

“That’s not something you just casually agree with.”

“Hmm.”

“You don’t know. What Hunters actually do… how they slowly become sick.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say that I probably understood better than anyone, and quietly listened.

“I’m not a Hunter, so I don’t know in detail. But from what I’ve seen, heard, and felt… Hunters are not just beings who fight monsters.”

“How so?”

“Their world is far more dirty, political, complex, and dangerous than you can imagine.”

“Really?”

“Hunters are not simply those who devote themselves to the nation and humanity. They are double-edged swords. They may be saviors of humanity… but they can also become its enemies.”

“…!”

A chill ran down my spine.

His words perfectly described everything I had seen and experienced over the past ten years.

Was this what they called insight?

Even though he wasn’t a Hunter, my father’s perception was astonishing.

He was right.

Becoming a Hunter did NOT automatically mean becoming a savior of humanity.

I myself was proof of that.

Hadn’t I destroyed an entire military academy out of personal revenge?

At that time, I didn’t care about the nation, Korea, or humanity at all.

Even knowing that my revenge would eventually lead the Dragon Lord to devastate Korea and possibly the entire world, I still went through with it.

To think my father indirectly pointed that out…

“I may have lived my whole life on government pay, but I can’t tell my son to become a Hunter. If you want to serve your country and people, becoming a special warfare officer and fighting monsters is meaningful enough. Strength or weakness isn’t what matters.”

My father paused to drink a glass of water and continued.

“And like I said earlier, I’m against you becoming a Hunter just because you need housing. If you become one just to live comfortably, you’ll regret it deeply.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hm.”

My father narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down.

“Are you going to register tomorrow?”

“…H-How did you know?!”

“It’s written all over your face. I already knew from the start.”

“Then why did you still lecture me?”

“So you could make up your mind properly.”

He smirked.

My mother, sitting beside him, also quietly smiled. It seemed the two of them had already talked about this beforehand.

“Haha…”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

Even after regressing… I was still in the palm of my parents’ hands.

“Think carefully. Why you want to become a Hunter. How you will live as one. Never lose yourself. Before protecting others, protect yourself. If you live as a Hunter, you might become a monster. And I can’t bear to see my son become one.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Let’s eat.”

My father picked up his spoon again.

* * *

Among all human emotions, “late-night emotions” were probably one of the most dangerous.

But humans are foolish creatures—they repeat the same mistakes.

I was doing exactly that.

2 AM.

Unable to sleep, I quietly left the tent and stepped into the night air.

“Maybe I’ll go look at the night view.”

The refugee camp was located at the foot of a mountain, so if I climbed a bit, I could overlook Seoul.

I started climbing.

At this point in time, I was a young man in his early twenties preparing for enlistment, so my physical condition was excellent.

And now that I had awakened and gained enhanced physical abilities, climbing a mountain was nothing.

Even after reaching the summit, I didn’t sweat a single drop.

I sat on a rock and looked down at the capital of South Korea.

“It’s still… intact.”

The night view was beautiful.

But areas where spatial distortions or battles had occurred were swallowed by darkness.

Like sinkholes scattered across the city.

And the closest one was where my family and I had once lived.

I thought about the future.

As time passed, those sinkholes would only increase.

In my memory, ten years later, lit areas would be far rarer than dark ones.

Because of the “incident” seven years from now, Seoul would be devastated, and Korea would begin to collapse rapidly.

A question arose.

Could those dark places be lit again?

Could those sinkholes be filled?

Honestly… I didn’t know.

I didn’t know any way to stop the coming apocalypse.

Still, since I had returned to the past, I should at least try to delay it.

“First of all…”

I began thinking seriously about my future plans.

I had regressed, and I had awakened into a completely different role. I needed a new strategy.

This was an age of ruin.

Surviving alone would be difficult enough—let alone stopping the future catastrophe.

I kept thinking until dawn approached.

By the time the sun began to rise and the night emotions faded…

A sentence from my father suddenly came back to me.

“I can’t bear to see my son become a monster.”

“…I am already a monster.”

I had committed countless terrible acts.

Before revenge, even during preparation—I had shed endless blood.

The “old me”?

The one who once served the nation, fought for humanity, and supported comrades—that person had already died three years ago.

“And I will… willingly live as a monster. In this insane world, being a monster is better.”

I was already beyond saving.

I would not pretend to be noble or righteous now.

I would become a monster more terrifying than anyone else.

But I would hide it from my family.

A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

That was me.

* * *

At dawn, I went to Doo-hyun’s tent.

I had something to apologize for—and something to ask.

“Kyaaaha!”
“Wooooo!”

From the open field of the refugee camp, I could hear children laughing.

It was strange.

Even in this era, children were still being born, growing up, and running around like that.

“Grrrrr…”

Doo-hyun was lying spread-eagle, fast asleep.

“Looks like he’s exhausted.”

Beside him were delivery containers and crushed beer cans.

“Poor guy, Doo-hyun…”

My nose tingled.

I gently covered him with the blanket he had kicked off.

“Sleep well.”

I placed the side dishes my mother had prepared along with some cash on the table.

Then I picked up his motorcycle key.

I needed a vehicle, and I didn’t have one available—so I had no choice but to borrow his bike.

Of course, I intended to repay him properly.

Money?

In this era, nothing paid better than being a Hunter.

Becoming rich was easy for Hunters.

“I’ll see you later.”

I took Doo-hyun’s motorcycle and left the refugee camp.

My destination was Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.

The headquarters of the Defense Strategy Department—the most powerful organization in Korea.

And one of its key roles was registering and managing Awakened individuals.