IDSTD 06

Chapter 6

S-Class Hunter (3)

If an issue starts spreading by word of mouth at night, its influence begins to show in earnest the next morning.

[South Korea’s first naturally awakened S-Class Hunter has appeared! The Management Bureau…]

[We have received news that the heads of the three major guilds have still not ended their meeting, which began last night!]

[Hunter Shin Jeongwoo, who has become the sixth S-Class Hunter, was in the past…]

[We have just received news that a director of the Universe Guild has arrived at Incheon Airport!]

The issue caught fire at the start of the day, and reached its peak once people who were beginning their day—going to work, school, or elsewhere—arrived at their respective social groups.

“Did you see the video?”

“Of course I did!”

Everywhere in the world, people were talking only about Jeongwoo.

Not only had his awakening been recorded clearly in high-definition video, but because of what had happened at the Management Bureau in the middle of the night, his face and voice had already been revealed to the public.

Beyond simply discussing his abilities, stories about him personally had also become major topics of conversation.

[No wonder I thought he looked young. He’s twenty-three lol.]

[That kid really sleeps well. His dad’s arms must have been really comfortable lol.]

[Wow, his life really turned around in one shot… From an orphaned single father to an S-Class Hunter ㄷㄷ]

└ He’s even handsome… That’s annoying…

└ Upvote… another upvote…

[Ah, not his younger sister, but his daughter…]

└ LOL, what are you disappointed about? What do you think you could become if she were his younger sister?

└ Why are you being so aggressive?

└ LOL

There were many comments about Jeongwoo’s private profile, but except for a very small number of shady communities, people did not consider him particularly strange.

Even the fact that he was an orphan was not a flaw. After all, he had been born only about ten years after the Gates first appeared.

At that time, Gate guidance and detection technology had not yet been fully established, and there had been an enormous number of orphans due to Gate disasters.

For that reason, being an orphan was not considered a blemish in the present era.

And even apart from that, it was the same.

A twenty-three-year-old single father.

Depending on how one looked at it, it could make people think many different things, but humans were creatures who were heavily influenced by the information they could see.

Jeongwoo’s attitude during the interview played a major role in leading that image in a positive direction.

[But he speaks really clearly and calmly.]

└ He seems incredibly polite too… He must have been extremely shocked after everything that happened in one day, but he handled it really well lol.

└ I like him because he seems careful and thoughtful lol.

└ Agreed. If it were me, I couldn’t act like that lol. I’d immediately tell those useless Muggles to kneel.

└ Korea’s peace is protected again today… O God of the Gates….

Although none of it had been intentional, Jeongwoo had lived a life where he had to be sensitive to society’s gaze.

The attitude that had become almost a habit in his body had earned the public’s favor.

Whatever the case, the appearance of a superhuman who would be called one of South Korea’s strongest.

And since his humble and calm attitude was followed by public favor,

the next concern was what he would do in the future.

[Where is he going to go? Still Cheonhwa, I guess?]

└ Considering history, Cheonhwa is the obvious choice, but isn’t Jeokwol better in terms of infrastructure?

└ Athena has been catching up lately too lol. I really couldn’t believe my eyes when it changed from a two-way race to three-way competition.

[Won’t he create his own guild? Honestly, considering the potential of a naturally awakened S-Class, that’s definitely worth considering.]

└ Hmm, but creating a guild isn’t something you can do with strength alone, so I don’t know about this one.

└ A one-man guild, maybe. But I don’t think he’d do it otherwise. Competing with corporations isn’t easy these days.

[He probably won’t go into public service. It’s already somewhat known that the inside is rotten lol.]

└ Another Management Bureau conspiracy theorist has appeared lol.

[Whatever happens, just don’t let him go overseas. I don’t care where in Korea he stays, just hold onto him somehow…]

└ For real….

Just as important as the fact that a naturally awakened Korean S-Class had appeared was the fact that his stage remained in Korea.

The weight of a naturally awakened S-Class was that heavy.

Just look at how many achievements Savior, the last naturally awakened S-Class who awakened in America seven years ago, had accomplished to this day.

Because of that, the news did not remain a one-day story.

The media, social media, and everyone else became obsessed with waiting for the next piece of news day after day and spreading information about him.

However, unfortunately—

[Is it true he’s staying shut in?]

└ LOL, he immediately disappeared~

└ Is it the third day? There’s really no news about him right now, right?

└ Yeah. He only comes out to take his kid to and from daycare, but he won’t even give interviews.

[I’M GOING CRAZY I’M GOING CRAZY I’M GOING CRAZY I’M GOING CRAZY I’M GOING CRAZY!!!]

└ Why is this bastard getting corrupted?

Since that day, Jeongwoo had lived a life cut off from the outside world, giving out no information.

If there was any change, well…

[That teddy bear is Hunter Shin Jeongwoo’s summon! It has already maintained its summon for 60 hours! The possibility that this summon may have no time limit is becoming more convincing!]

[At this moment, all the corporate scouts who have come to the villa in Nowon District are being blocked by the summon and are returning!]

There was one scene that had been shown repeatedly on the news over the past few days.

A human-sized teddy bear.

A red cape, with a toy sword hanging from its waist.

A sign around its neck and a mailbox in its hand.

『Please leave your business in the mailbox and return, as you are disturbing the neighbors.』

Around the one-room villa complex where Jeongwoo lived, scouts who had gathered to recruit him kept getting blocked by the teddy bear holding the sign and were forced to turn back.

[This isn’t good, the summon really looks so pathetic lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

└ Is that really an S-Class? ㅈㅉㅇㅇ?

└ Surprisingly, that’s a fact……

└ It looks like that, but foreign media are going crazy right now lol. A summon with no time limit lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ They’re even calling it a show of force.

└ Watch what you say. You might end up getting ‘dinosaur-doll-ed’ too.

Whatever the case, there was no denying that its appearance was shocking.

---

It had been three days since the regression and re-awakening.

During that time, Jeongwoo had stayed inside his one-room apartment, only going outside once or twice when necessary.

It was time for him to accept his situation and decide what direction to take.

First, the regression.

Jeongwoo organized everything he could remember about events that might happen.

Although the future was a variable concept, he believed that the major outline would not change. And even if it did change, he would be able to analyze the cause of the change.

‘I can’t stupidly get caught up in things I could have avoided by being careful.’

After drawing out the timeline, he studied his ability.

Talent, Perfect Caregiver.

When he first realized that this was an ability in which reality alteration and summoning combat were combined, he had been puzzled.

He could accept the S-Class rank, but he had difficulty understanding why this talent had been given the name Caregiver.

‘Because of its appearance, like a special effect from a children’s animation?’

If that were the case, wouldn’t something like Hero of Children have been a more fitting name?

His conclusion so far was that there had been a mistake in naming it, or that the ability itself had another gimmick he had not yet discovered.

‘Even when I look at it in detail, there isn’t any meaningful additional information.’

At least, regarding [All-Ages Filter], he had discovered that this ability only applied to monsters.

He had tested whether it applied to other objects or elements as well, but he had found nothing else.

There was one more thing.

【[All-Ages Filter] is currently active!】

He had learned something from the interface that was still floating before his eyes.

To put it simply, this was a prerequisite skill for activating the skill he had obtained earlier, [Children Need Heroes!].

In other words, it seemed to serve the role of an environmental passive.

‘I need to research whether it has any other effects…’

For now, that seemed to be all.

He scratched his cheek.

That was when—

Click!

Ppok!

Ppok!

The teddy bear warrior returned home after making a round of patrol around the area.

Segi, who had been doodling in her sketchbook, jumped to her feet.

“Teddy bear!”

Ppok!

“Good job on your walk, Teddy bear!”

Segi ran over and threw herself into the teddy bear’s arms.

Perhaps liking its soft, fluffy texture, she rubbed her face against it. The teddy bear supported her bottom so she could be held comfortably and leaned its body to the side.

Jeongwoo smiled at the sight.

‘It takes really good care of Segi.’

It was different from ordinary summons in many ways.

Normally, summons continuously consumed the summoner’s mana, but once the teddy bear warrior was summoned, it did not require any additional mana supply.

And unlike other summons that were loyal to their master and only carried out commands given to them when it came to anything outside of combat, the teddy bear warrior possessed a certain degree of self-awareness.

In particular, perhaps because the ability itself was connected to Segi, it behaved unusually gently whenever it was dealing with her.

Maybe that was because it was an S-Class summon.

That was the only reason he could think of at first glance.

Whatever the reason, it was a good thing.

There were already so many things to worry about, and having something that could help with childcare, even in this small way, was a relief.

In fact, the real problem began now.

‘I have to decide what to do from here.’

This was not a dream that would last for one day. It was a timeline continuing again after returning to the past.

He had suddenly gained the position of an S-Class, something he had never once imagined in his entire life, and he could see the possibility of a future where he would not have to leave Segi alone.

But he could not simply live carelessly, thinking that everything would work out from now on.

Jeongwoo remembered clearly.

He remembered the moment when all of this had begun.

―I actually didn’t want to be alone.

Jeongwoo’s heart sank heavily.

‘The Zero Gate. It will appear ten years from now.’

South Korea’s capital, Seoul, would lose its function.

Half of its population would die, and Segi would become the host of the Gate that caused such a disaster.

The fact that the girl possessed the greatest potential in Seoul was not something Jeongwoo welcomed in the slightest.

Because he knew that it would become the seed of disaster.

Jeongwoo’s expression hardened.

‘I absolutely won’t let that happen.’

Escaping overseas, awakening her talent early.

He had considered various possibilities, but he eventually realized that all of them were ultimately meaningless attempts.

If his only goal were to save Segi, it might be different. But think about it—unless he could somehow deal with the Zero Gate itself, what would it matter?

‘I don’t want to show Segi a future where the entire land where she was born and raised becomes a demon realm.’

He wanted everything to be perfect, not only to protect Segi’s life, but to protect her smile.

It might be greed, but fortunately, hadn’t he been given a power that might make such a thing possible?

Even if that were not the case, he had considered the possibility that the Zero Gate might have appeared in Seoul because it was pursuing Segi in the first place.

Even if it was only the slightest possibility, there was no harm in preparing for it.

And so, Jeongwoo organized what he needed to do.

‘Spend a lot of time with Segi. At the same time, prepare for the Zero Gate on a national level. …No, before that, I need to investigate the Zero Gate in greater detail.’

Humanity still knew nothing about the Zero Gate.

There was only one fact that had been revealed.

The Zero Gates that had appeared nine times so far were such desperate disasters that not a single one had ever been defeated.

The Ground Zeros were proof of that.

They were the nine demon realms created when Zero Gates that had not been defeated settled permanently in their respective areas.

‘The most shocking one was the Zero Gate in Paris, France.’

Twenty-eight years ago, approximately fifteen million French citizens had been sacrificed because of the Zero Gate that appeared in Paris.

The country’s entire governmental function had collapsed, and even now, after it had recovered, Paris remained a demon realm that humans could not enter, creating terrifying ghost stories.

Thinking about it, wouldn’t it be best to investigate those places directly and gather data about the Zero Gates?

But that was not something he could do simply by becoming famous as an S-Class.

‘They won’t even grant me entry permission. Especially for high-ranking Hunters, since their existence is directly connected to national power, there are major restrictions on their freedom of movement.’

He had to become free from such restrictions.

‘I have to change the future. I’m going to rewrite everything from the beginning.’

What he needed for that was influence and a foundation.

Creating his own company was not even something he considered.

It would require too much manpower, and if he became buried in work while focusing on growing the company, wouldn’t that mean neglecting Segi again?

‘It would be easier to join a force that can help me achieve my goals. The important thing is finding somewhere with enough infrastructure and power, while also not placing too many restrictions on my actions…’

Jeongwoo took out all the letters the teddy bear had collected.

He sorted through the pile that had accumulated on the floor, one by one.

“Love letters for the warrior!”

Segi, who had approached without him noticing, said with sparkling eyes.

She seemed to have confused fan letters with love letters.

As they had been spending more time together over the past few days, the cautious expression Jeongwoo remembered had almost disappeared, and her curious side was showing like this.

A satisfied smile appeared around Jeongwoo’s lips.

“No, they’re letters asking me to work with them.”

Segi flinched.

“Work…”

Segi’s lips moved hesitantly.

Apparently, she had become gloomy at the thought that she would be left alone for long periods of time again, just like before.

Jeongwoo calmed his aching heart and picked Segi up.

“But Dad is only going to work a little.”

“Just a little?”

“Yeah. Because I have to play with Segi a lot. I’ll only work a little.”

The gloomy look on Segi’s face slowly began to brighten.

She was an honest child, and her emotions were expressed so openly.

“Really…?”

“Really, really.”

“Really, really, really?”

“Really, really, really, really.”

The fact that she kept asking again and again meant that she had experienced disappointment that many times.

Jeongwoo wanted to give her certainty.

“Dad wants to go to an amusement park with Segi.”

“An amusement park!”

“And I want to go to the zoo too.”

“Me too! Me too! Pandas and foxes! Teddy bears! Do you know what a polar bear looks like!?”

“Really? Then Dad will have to learn from Segi.”

Ding!

【“Children Need Confidence!” You stimulated the child’s desire to improve her knowledge! One praise sticker has been distributed! [Wonderful Caregiver (3/10)] Collect stickers to unlock the skill!】

How thoughtful.

“When are we going!? One night!? Two nights!?”

“Hmm~ Can Dad check the date first and choose?”

“Yeah!”

Jeongwoo patted Segi’s back as she bounced around excitedly.

A precious, truly precious weight.

‘So…’

I have to do better.

Jeongwoo’s gaze turned toward the four letters he had sorted from the pile.

Those were the candidates that could become Jeongwoo’s nest.

---

Six days had passed since Jeongwoo’s awakening.

The reporters, who were slowly running out of material, and the scouts, who were growing tired, were wandering around the villa neighborhood with exhausted faces.

Then, suddenly, a change came.

“Huh, huh!? The sign changed!?”

“What!?”

The contents of the sign hanging around the teddy bear’s neck, which always walked around and sent people away, had changed.

『Recruitment has closed. Thank you for your interest and goodwill. I will contact the companies I wish to speak with separately. I am sorry that I cannot respond to every request. Please return safely, and have a good day.』

It sounded almost like a message informing someone that they had passed a job interview.

At the corners of the sign were cute drawings of an elephant, giraffe, panda, and dolphin drawn by a child.

The teddy bear’s appearance immediately spread in real time.

[No way lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Did his daughter draw the animals? lolㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

[Is it even funnier because the side giving the interview is the one sending the acceptance notice? lolㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

└ If he’s Korea’s first naturally awakened S-Class, I guess he can do that. Still, he said it very politely lol.

[So where is Shin Jeongwoo going? No candidates???]

The internet began boiling over again.

At last, the moment of choice that had drawn the attention of the entire country was approaching.