They say we're living in the age of Hunters nowadays.
Never mind the fact that magic stones and monster materials have revolutionized engineering, becoming the cornerstone of modern industry. It's only been thirty years since the Gates first appeared and nearly brought the world to its knees in chaos.
Humanity has witnessed firsthand who stood against the invaders from other worlds to protect Earth, and the profound sacrifices they've made to safeguard our civilization. It's no wonder we idolize them like heroes.
Hunter and Gate stories are always the hottest topics. News outlets will even snap a photo of some Hunter eating a burger while scrolling on their phone and turn it into a headline.
In such an era, today's incident was bound to unleash a flood of coverage the moment even a sliver of info leaked—like a dam bursting.
The first leak came from a channel with about 150,000 subscribers. They specialized in Hunter content, with the creator usually uploading street interviews of Hunters in busy districts. This time, he dropped a video with an outrageously clickbait title.
[Breaking Video: New S-Rank Hunter Born!!! First Leak!!!???!?!]
[Comments]
— USER123: Turning monsters into plushie freaks? Lmao what a joke
— REPLYGUY: Fr, where'd the editing effort go? Lololol
— EYEWITNESS: Yo my buddy was there, swears it's real
— SKEPTIC: Another "I was there" guy lol
— INSIDER: Doesn't look edited? I'm in the biz, no tampering traces.
— ARMCHAIREXPERT: Here comes the basement detective again~
— TROLL: I did the forensics myself~ Trust me I'm webtoon editor bro~
The reactions were predictable enough.
After all, this was about a natural-born S-Rank Awakener.
Korea had barely five S-Ranks in total. And not a single natural-born one. Who'd believe one just popped up out of nowhere?
But the mood flipped in an instant.
Follow-up news reports started pouring in like crazy.
[Our DBS crew is live at the Nowon-gu Hunter Management Bureau...!]
[The scene is electric! Reps from Korea's top guilds—Red Moon and Heavenly Fire—are here! And behind them, Athena Guild's Master himself...!]
Major outlets that no one could dismiss as fake were showing famous Hunters gathering in front of the Bureau, lending massive credibility.
Online sentiment started shifting.
[Online Buzz]
— BELIEVER: Real S-Rank? And a natural-born one?
— HYPETRAIN: Insane, Korea's first ever?
— FACTCHECKER: Last natural-born S was 7 years ago in the US.
— NOSTALGIA: Savior? Holy shit, that was 7 years ago already?
— CONFUSED: What even is this? Real monster-to-dino plush power?
— ANALYST: Plus summoning a teddy bear for a one-shot on an A-Rank Champion lololol
— POWERSCALER: 1. OP energy blast > basic, forgettable, easy matchup. 2. Monster to plush smash > iconic, fun, seems stupid strong. 2 wins hands down lololol
Even late at night, the hype spread nationwide in seconds. Human nature kicked in, of course—some knee-jerk deniers tried to downplay it, but they got drowned out.
[Haters Gonna Hate]
— CYNIC: Overhype much? Hasn't even been officially rated S-Rank lol
— CLAPBACK: Spoken like a NEET sucking mom and dad's wallet dry waiting to Awaken~
— SAVAGE: Yeah~ Keep thinking that forever~ lololol
— FACTSLAPPER: One-turn kill on A-Rank Champ looks fake to you? lol Even if not natural-born, Awakening at A-Rank headspace seals S-Rank lololol
It was basically a festival atmosphere.
And rightly so—in this era, a strong Hunter is national power and prestige. At S-Rank, they're walking strategic weapons. Expectations were sky-high. The one risk? An Awakener's personality could stir drama. But the footage eased those fears.
[Wholesome Vibes - Top Comment]
— ROMANTIC: Awakened protecting his little sis? Peak romance lol
— BroCon: Big bro...
— ModSquad: Gay alert
Humanity loves its heroes. Or more precisely, heroes who wield their power for noble causes. And in this era, that value shines brighter than ever. An Awakening sparked by saving someone? The footage delivered pure dramatic catharsis.
Every major network scrapped their schedules for live coverage. Ratings crushed even the top dramas.
[Nowon-gu Bureau Director has entered the building—Awakening evaluation underway! Key guild personnel still arriving...]
[Heavenly Fire Guild Master just arrived...!]
[Breaking: Universe Guild exec from the US just boarded their private jet...!]
The buzz crossed borders, drawing foreign attention. Online reactions hit fever pitch.
[Global Hype]
— PATRIOT: This turnout screams natural-born S. These aren't casual movers.
— NATIONALIST: If we let him get poached overseas, Korean guilds look like trash lol
— WORRIED: S-Rank brain drain is a national security issue. Gov gotta block it, pls ;;;
Top foreign guilds mobilizing was certification enough. Their involvement stamped "natural-born S-Rank" on this new hero. Public focus shifted from the emergence to where he'd land next.
All eyes locked on Nowon-gu Hunter Management Bureau.
At the eye of the storm... Jeong-woo was...
"Segi-ya. Not sleepy...?"
"Yeah!"
...suffering under his daughter's sparkling-eyed hyper fixation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He'd come to in the Hunter Management Bureau without knowing how he'd gotten there. Heart still racing, Jeong-woo scrambled to piece it together.
What the...?
His gaze drifted to the interface floating in mid-air.
[Status]
Jeong-woo Shin - Perfect Parent (L)
[Active Skills]
- All-Ages Filter (L)
- Kids Need Heroes! (L) (Slot 1: Teddy Warrior (S))
[Quests]
- Great Parent: Always putting the child first—that's a true parent! Parenting never ends! Keep collecting Praise Stickers! (0/10)
His peak was C-Rank, but with ten years as a Hunter, reading a status window was child's play.
Meeting that monster must've filled the quest's sticker requirement, unlocking skills. Two mystery (L)-Rank abilities: one reality-warping enemy mutation, the other summoning.
Jeong-woo zeroed in on the summon's rank.
S-Rank summon...?
Hard to believe. Skill ranks usually scaled with quest difficulty—this reward felt absurdly generous.
Not even a sudden quest. It refreshed immediately upon completion—an ongoing one. His main growth path.
L-Rank aptitude? That's the key?
No clue. His aptitude knowledge was zilch; no data in memory.
Head already pounding, but outside events accelerated wildly.
On-site Hunters called the Bureau. Staff—rumpled from being dragged back post-shift—handed him over and ran rank tests.
This waiting room was a temp suite: hotel room transplanted for VIP emergencies. Laughable that it outshone his actual one-room dump.
A wry smile faded as his eyes met Segi's.
Sparkle sparkle!
After 11 PM, yet her eyes held no sleep. She'd been nodding off at dinner, but post-incident adrenaline had her buzzing.
"Daddy."
"Yeah...?"
"Daddy's a warrior, right? You saved Segi, right~?"
Question eleven-plus. Jeong-woo mustered a troubled smile.
"Yeah, looks like it."
And here's why she kept asking.
"Then Segi's a princessss~!?"
"Yeah, our Segi's a princess."
"Eeee~!"
Princess saved by a warrior. She was hooked. Her excited stomps warmed his heart—and stabbed his guilt. Pre-regression him never knew his daughter dreamed of princesses.
Maybe the repetition was worth it. But it didn't end there.
[Quest Update: "Kids Need Dreams!"]
Your child is dreaming big!
[Great Parent (1/10)]
Collect stickers to unlock skills!
Only after ten-plus asks did she truly accept it. Quest ticked up. Jeong-woo stared at the alert, still dazed.
What's next?
Awakening results? Aftermath?
His mounting emotion wasn't excitement—it was worry.
Of course. S-Rank, L-aptitude aside—he'd only returned to the past yesterday. All he cared about was Segi's safety, smiles, life. Would this help or hurt?
That's when—
Knock knock—!
Jeong-woo stood.
"Ah, yes. Come in."
The door clicked open. A sharply dressed middle-aged man entered, trailed by four suited escorts. The man beamed warmly, offering a handshake.
"Pleased to meet you, Hunter Jeong-woo Shin. I'm Kim Sin-uk, Director of Nowon-gu Hunter Management Bureau."
As Jeong-woo reached out dazedly—
"It's an honor to be the first to greet Korea's proud sixth S-Rank Hunter. Congratulations."
Unbelievable words rang again.
But then—
"Might we have a chat?"
It clicked.
...Ah.
S-Rank status. Bureau Director contact. VIP suite access. Isolation here.
Pieces fit. A buried memory surfaced.
Not just congratulations.
This was a recruitment stage. The shady "Bureau scout" that'd blow up years later.
His mind cooled. Reason snapped back.
Segi was right there, thrilled by the nice bigwig's kindness, fidgeting happily.
Realizing that—
No time to space out.
Stay sharp or he couldn't protect her. Etching that in, Jeong-woo smiled brightly and clasped hands.
"Thank you. Shin Jeong-woo here. Guess... yeah, I'm an S-Rank Hunter now."
The smile of a Hunter who'd once slaved for guilds, hungry for a better spot.
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