….
Jin-Ho stepped through the portal.
The sensation was as disorienting as ever, like being pulled through thick water, and then suddenly - solid ground beneath his feet.
He blinked, adjusting to the sudden shift.
He was standing in a familiar alley, the same place where the portal had originally opened all those months ago when he had first jumped to the MHA world.
Japan.
He was back in Japan.
Jin-Ho looked around, taking in the familiar yet somehow foreign surroundings of his own world.
The buildings were similar but different.
The energy in the air felt... emptier somehow, without the constant hum of quirks.
Just normal people with their everyday problems.
Gates and monsters instead of villains and heroes.
Then reality hit him.
"Now how do I get back to the US?" he muttered to himself.
Yeah.
Jin-Ho had completely forgotten to prepare a return route.
He could use Blacky, make the shadow wolf take a flight somehow and use Reverse Summoning to pull himself across the Pacific.
But that would take too long to set up...
Sigh.
Jin-Ho looked up at the sky, hands on his hips, feeling remarkably stupid for someone who had just successfully navigated interdimensional travel.
"What to do?"
….
[Three months time skip]
….
Jin-Ho sat in the airport terminal, currently in the US, finally returning to his home country.
The overhead announcements echoed in Korean and English, and he watched people hurry past with their luggage.
His reflection in the window showed someone who looked tired.
Not physically, his body was fine.
But there was something in his eyes, a weight that hadn't been there before.
Three months of bureaucratic hell did that to a person.
For the explanation part, how did Jin-Ho even get back to the US?
It was simple, really.
Stupidly simple.
He went to a police station and surrendered himself.
The officers had been confused at first, a well-dressed young man walking in, speaking perfect Japanese, calmly explaining that he had gotten lost in a dungeon and ended up in the wrong country.
It sounded absurd, but in a world where gates randomly opened and spat out monsters, interdimensional displacement wasn't completely unheard of.
Rare, extremely rare, but documented.
He had explained that he had entered a gate recently, one that had appeared suddenly near his school in the US, and after clearing it alone which raised eyebrows but wasn't illegal, he had found himself in Japan.
Completely disoriented, with no identification, or a way to contact anyone.
The fact that he could speak fluent Japanese helped tremendously.
The officers had been impressed, asking if he had studied abroad.
Jin-Ho had simply smiled and said he picked up languages quickly.
He explained he was Yoo Jin-Ho from South Korea, currently a student in his final year at a US high school.
After that, they contacted the appropriate authorities, ran background checks, and things got interesting.
Yoo Jin-Ho.
From the Yoo Construction family.
One of the most influential families in South Korea, with connections to major guilds and government officials.
And yes, he had been reported missing over a year ago, last seen entering a high-rank gate that had subsequently collapsed.
Presumed dead.
The news had caused quite a stir.
The 'missing' son of Yoo Myung-Han, alive and well in Japan, casually asking for help getting home.
After several rounds of paperwork, interviews with Hunter Association representatives, diplomatic coordination, and bureaucratic back-and-forth that made Jin-Ho want to tear his hair out, he was able to return.
But not directly to the US, protocol demanded he return to South Korea first for medical evaluation and debriefing.
Yeah.
The month he had stayed in South Korea had been... complicated.
His father had been waiting at the airport.
Yoo Myung-Han, usually so composed and businesslike, had actually hugged him.
Briefly, awkwardly, but still.
His mother had cried, which made Jin-Ho feel like the worst son in the world.
This time, he didn't push them away or make excuses.
Instead, he actually sat down with them, explained what had happened, a carefully edited version, of course, and reassured them that he was fine.
His father had been more practical.
After the emotional reunion came the restrictions - constant check-ins, bodyguards, limited freedom, mandatory medical examinations.
Yoo Myung-Han had put his foot down hard, determined not to lose his son again.
But his father wasn't stupid.
After a week of Jin-Ho cooperating without complaint, proving he was stable and responsible, the old man had gradually loosened the reins.
He knew that ultimately, they couldn't actually stop Jin-Ho if he really wanted to leave.
His son had survived a year alone in a collapsed gate and came back stronger.
Caging him would only push him away.
So they had reached an understanding.
Ground rules, regular contact, honesty about his activities. In exchange, freedom.
It was his mother, Yoo Eunae, that Jin-Ho felt the most guilt toward.
She had aged in the year he had been gone - not physically, but in her eyes. The worry had taken its toll.
And then there was Yoo Jin-Hee, his older sister, who was still in the US and couldn't just drop everything to fly back.
She had video-called him the moment she heard he was alive, and the conversation had been... intense.
"Do you have any idea what you put us through?!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "A whole year, Jin-Ho!! Mom couldn't stop crying for months!"
"I know. I am sorry. I am so sorry."
"Sorry doesn't—" Her voice had cracked. "You can't do that to us again.."
"I won't. I promise."
She had been grumpy with him for weeks after that, sending short, clipped messages.
But gradually, she had warmed back up, the relief that he was alive eventually outweighing the anger.
His brother, Yoo Jin-Sung, was a different story.
He had never liked Jin-Ho, the useless younger brother who had always been overshadowed, who had never lived up to the family name.
And now Jin-Ho had made their parents worry, had disrupted everything, had somehow come back as an awakened hunter when he had left as a nobody.
The resentment was palpable.
"Must be nice." Jin-Sung had said coldly during a family dinner. "Disappearing for a year and coming back as the prodigal son. Very convenient awakening, too."
For once, Jin-Ho didn't give a return reply.
He just let him be, dropping a few sarcastic jokes every now and then to diffuse tension but otherwise staying out of his way.
There was no point in fighting. His brother's issues were his own to deal with.
Like this, he had stayed in South Korea for a month, reintegrating into the family, dealing with Hunter Association paperwork, quietly testing his abilities in local dungeons to maintain his cover story.
Then he returned to the US.
He still needed to complete his education, after all.
The school had been surprisingly accommodating once they had received official documentation about his 'dungeon accident'.
Apparently, missing a year due to gate-related incidents was common enough that they had policies in place.
But this time, when he arrived in the US, he had to make a lot of promises, to his family, to the Korean Hunter Association, to his academic advisor who looked incredibly relieved that he wouldn't have to process posthumous degree paperwork.
He got another earful from his sister as soon as he landed, too.
Jin-Hee had been waiting at the airport with her arms crossed and a very unimpressed expression. The lecture had lasted the entire car ride back to his apartment and continued over dinner.
Anyway, it wasn't that long until graduation - only two more months.
This time, he attended classes, completed assignments, and acted like a normal student.
It was almost strange how easy it felt after everything he had been through.
Compared to dealing with Stain's philosophy lectures, Toya's emotional issues, and Bakugo's explosive personality, college coursework felt trivial.
Well, except for a few sneaking expeditions into dungeons with the help of Blacky's abilities.
Shadow Travel made it remarkably easy to slip in and out undetected.
He had carefully selected low-to-mid rank gates, nothing that would draw attention, and made absolutely sure not to get caught.
And he didn't.
So two more months passed in this quiet, almost mundane routine.
He graduated silently, without fanfare.
Just another name called during the ceremony, another student receiving their diploma and moving on with their life.
His sister had attended, cheering embarrassingly loud when his name was called. It had made him smile despite himself.
Now, in the present, he was back at the airport, returning to South Korea.
He stood near the security checkpoint, saying his goodbyes and 'see you laters' to his sister, who would be staying in the US for a few more years to finish her own career.
"You better not disappear again." Jin-Hee said firmly, pointing a finger at his chest. "Mom and Dad can't take another scare like that. I can't take another scare like that."
"For the hundredth time I won't." Jin-Ho promised, and he meant it. "I will keep in touch this time. Regular calls, messages, everything."
"Twice a week."
"Twice a week." he confirmed.
"You better." She pulled him into a tight hug, which surprised him. Jin-Hee wasn't usually the hugging type. "Take care of yourself, okay? And if you're going to do something stupid, at least tell someone first."
Jin-Ho hugged her back, thinking about the cafe in another dimension, the people he had left there, the promises he had made. "I will try."
She pulled back, giving him a look that was half exasperation, half affection. "Go. Before I change my mind and tie you down here."
Jin-Ho grinned, grabbing his carry-on. "See you, sis."
"See you, little brother. And Jin-Ho?" She caught his arm. "Whatever you're planning... be careful."
She finally let him go.
He walked through security, glancing back once to see her still standing there, watching him go.
He waved. She waved back, then made an exaggerated 'call me' gesture with her hand.
He laughed and nodded.
Then he turned forward, heading toward his gate.
Back to South Korea.
And after that... well, he had a cafe to check on.
….
The intercom announced boarding for his flight. Jin-Ho adjusted his bag and joined the line, just another passenger heading home.
He also collected his reward.
◤-----------------------◥
Ⓘ [Ding–! New Skill - "[Dog ]" Talisman Acquired!]
-> Talisman Powers: Power of immortality
•---------•
Ⓘ [Ding–! New Skill - "[Tiger ]" Talisman Acquired!]
-> Talisman Powers: To create clones.
◣-----------------------◢
This time he didn't get any mask, and the two skills he gained are also not exactly related to combat type.
As of now his skill level is progressing quite well.
◤-----------------------◥
「Skills:」
[Talisman Arts] Lv. 7 (Proficiency 20 %)
[Telekinesis] Lv. 7 (Proficiency 27 %)
[Jackie Chan Martial Arts] Lv. 7 (Proficiency 19%)
[Super Human Strength] Lv. 6 (Proficiency 98 %)
[Immortality] Lv. 0 → 1 (Proficiency 01 %)
[Cloning] Lv. 0 → 1 (Proficiency 11 %)
◣-----------------------◢
As he boarded the plane and found his seat, Jin-Ho allowed himself a small smile.
"Let's see what happens next."
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★