-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: S-Rank Certification
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yeongdeungpo Police Station was in an uproar.
It was because of the two patrol officers who had been dispatched at the request of the Hunter Association.
"Officer Nam, Officer Kim... You expect me to believe that?"
Sergeant Park Nam-kyung, who had called the pair to his desk, pressed his temples firmly after hearing their story.
"But it's true. Didn't you see the wrecked police car? Just from that alone..."
"Officer Nam."
Officer Nam clamped his mouth shut at Sergeant Park's words, looking aggrieved as he trailed off.
"I told you to keep Officer Kim in line. Who said you could cause an accident? Huh?!"
"I-It wasn't an accident. In a way, it turned out for the best..."
"Quiet! If the Hunter Association hadn't confirmed that a Gate really appeared, you could've been facing disciplinary action. You know that, right?"
"But..."
"Fine, we'll let that slide. But what's this guy then?"
Sergeant Park pointed at Yong-un, who was sitting on the sofa, with the edge of the document folder in his hand.
Officer Nam bit his lip at the sight of Yong-un quietly looking around like a dog waiting patiently to be called.
"I told you about him too. He cleared the Gate."
"Him? And he's the one who magically left that perfect handprint on the police car?"
"Yes..."
"And he fell out of the sky? And the Gate? Cleared it in 10 seconds? All by himself?"
"...Yes."
Officer Nam's head gradually drooped as he listened to Sergeant Park's questions.
Everything was undeniably true.
But hearing it from someone else's mouth, if you hadn't experienced it yourself, it sounded like nothing but bragging.
"Even you don't believe it, do you?"
"But it is true!"
"Fine, say it is. Then why doesn't his fingerprint check come up with anything?"
"He said that at age 13..."
Officer Nam started to speak but shut his mouth.
If the actual events sounded like exaggeration, how could he possibly explain something even more outlandish?
"Age 13?"
"He went missing..."
Sergeant Park would never believe it.
That he'd gone missing at 13 and returned after 40 years.
Officer Nam glanced sideways at Yong-un.
'Damn, anyone can see he's in his mid-to-late twenties. What do you mean he's almost 50...'
He bit his lip and shook his head.
"Missing? What are you talking about?"
"Well..."
As he struggled for the right words, rookie Officer Kim, sitting nearby, spoke up.
"Actually, as you instructed, Officer Nam, I checked from the missing persons list 40 years ago up to now."
"40 years ago? Ha!"
Damn.
Officer Nam twisted his head and grimaced.
Sergeant Park's sigh-laden gesture made Officer Nam's head drop straight to the floor.
But Officer Kim's next words made Officer Nam's previously narrowed eyes snap wide open.
"And I found him!"
"...?!"
Officer Kim placed the paper he'd been holding since sitting down in front of Sergeant Park.
There was a child's personal information and address written on it.
"Seoul, Jongno-gu, Changsin-dong, Changsin Apartment Building 103, Unit 1201... Lee Yong-un...?!"
Officer Nam snatched the paper from Sergeant Park.
He stared intently at the child's face on it.
"What are you doing?!"
"It's a match! The address is exactly the same!"
"What? Give it here."
Officer Nam confidently handed the paper to Sergeant Park.
Unless it was the missing person themselves, no one would know their home address.
Missing persons posters usually listed the location where they disappeared, not their actual residence.
"Jongno-gu... Changsin Apartment... Lee Yong-un..."
Sergeant Park gently set the paper down.
He'd confirmed with his own eyes that the address matched exactly what Officer Nam had said.
He pondered as he stared at the document Officer Nam had handed him.
"You said he went missing 40 years ago, but this is from the missing list 12 years ago?"
"Does that matter? Just because it's 12 years instead of 40, do we not help find a missing person? We know the address— we have to check it out!"
"Alright, alright. Pipe down!"
Sergeant Park yelled at the fired-up Officer Nam, then ordered Officer Kim.
"Officer Kim."
"Yes!"
"Check if this person's been reported dead."
"Yes? Death report!?"
Now it was Officer Nam yelling back at Sergeant Park's words.
Annoyed, Sergeant Park slammed his desk and stood up.
"You idiot! Don't you know that after 5 years missing, the case automatically expires? How are we supposed to access personal info on someone not officially listed as missing?"
"Ah..."
"Yes, sir!"
Officer Kim saluted and hurried back to his spot, while Officer Nam scratched the back of his head.
It had been 12 years since the disappearance, after all.
"Sergeant Park, he's been processed as deceased. What now?"
"What do you mean what? There's no way."
"Pardon?"
"The dead stay dead. Government agencies aren't so idle that they tidy up every deceased person's records. Especially now, with Gates causing so many missing and dead."
"Then..."
"Once Officer Kim gets the info, we'll cross-check. If it doesn't match, he's out."
Sergeant Park plopped back into his chair.
Then he pointed at Yong-un waiting in the distance with the edge of his document.
"No other options, so direct him to the local community center."
Officer Nam's shoulders slumped in defeat.
As Officer Nam walked toward Yong-un, Sergeant Park, who had been scrutinizing the documents, tilted his head.
"Why's Officer Nam trying so hard anyway? He's usually so half-assed... Did he borrow money or something?"
Sergeant Park shook his head at Officer Nam's retreating back and set the papers on his desk.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
'But that's weird... Why am I treating this guy so well?'
Oh, right!
He'd gotten so caught up in Yong-un's info teetering between missing and deceased that he'd forgotten the most important part.
'Solo Gate clear!'
Officer Nam dragged a chair over with a screech and sat roughly in front of Yong-un as he approached.
He leaned in close to Yong-un's face and asked.
"What happened during those 12 years?"
"Is that important for finding my family?"
"No, not that, but..."
Yong-un glanced around the police station and stood up.
"Whoa? You can't go yet."
As Officer Nam reached out in panic, Yong-un turned to look at Sergeant Park in the distance.
'He might have been processed as dead...'
It was too far for a normal person to hear.
But who was Yong-un?
A master who had ascended to the Hyeon-kyung realm, the dream of all martial artists beyond Hwa-kyung.
If he focused, he could count the bugs in the station.
Such trivial conversation between Sergeant Park and Officer Nam flowed effortlessly into his ears without effort.
Boom! Boom!
Even the distant explosions.
Sensing the same demonic energy as when the Gate appeared earlier, Yong-un's head turned toward the window outside the station.
"This place is just as peculiar."
"Pardon?"
"A world coexisting with demonic beasts through these Gate formations... Looks like there are martial artists here too."
"Martial artists, you say...?"
Those who revered and pursued the martial way, striving to become stronger than anyone.
Yong-un was about to explain when Officer Kim came rushing back, so he closed his mouth.
"Officer Nam! Found it. Luckily, no death processing was done!"
"For real!?"
Officer Nam shot to his feet.
He grabbed Yong-un's arms and nodded excitedly.
"Mr. Yong-un, we might actually find your family."
At Officer Nam's words, Yong-un gave a small smile and withdrew the demonic energy he'd spread out.
The explosive sounds ringing in his ears faded, and the inner energy of those he took for martial artists vanished from his senses.
He nodded as he gazed at the sunset sky outside the window.
"Family..."
Grip.
'Thank you for not forgetting me. Now... I'll never lose my family again.'
Recalling the family he couldn't protect in his nightmare, he clenched his fist lightly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Officer Nam informed Yong-un of the contact with his real family, overjoyed as if it were his own matter.
Perhaps feeling that sincerity, Yong-un took Officer Nam's hands in both of his.
"Thank you for finding my family."
"No, no. It's our job."
"Still, a favor is a favor. I'll repay this kindness someday."
As Officer Nam opened his mouth to respond, crimson-black demonic energy rose from Yong-un's hands—then vanished.
Staring at it, Officer Nam couldn't tear his eyes from Yong-un's hands.
"So you are a Hunter after all."
"What's a Hunter?"
"Someone who uses skills like what you just showed. They breathe fire from their hands, are way stronger than normal people, and save folks from monsters coming out of Gates, like you did. That's what we call a Hunter."
Ah...
Here, they call martial artists Hunters.
Yong-un nodded in understanding, but paused at the last part.
'A hero who saves people...'
His nodding chin shook side to side instead.
The Sword Demon from his nightmare wasn't a hero.
Rather, the words he heard more than "hero" were others.
Sword Ghost. Demon.
And monster.
As a demon of the Heavenly Demon Cult and the Sword Ghost honing his blade for revenge, Yong-un had lived obsessed with the sword.
If it made him stronger, he cut down even the righteous heroes praised as such without hesitation.
Hundreds had fallen by his hand—true heroes.
Even returned to his original reality with a new life, how could he claim the title of hero?
Yong-un opened his mouth to reject Officer Nam's words.
But right then, Officer Kim raised his hand and cut in.
"Senior? But... since he was processed as missing at 13, we need to issue a resident registration first and do the Hunter evaluation."
Resident registration? Hunter evaluation?
Yong-un's gaze shifted to Officer Nam.
"Oh, right. Request it right away from the community center and Hunter management office. Say it's urgent—might be an S-Rank Awakener."
Officer Kim's face lit up at "S-Rank."
He saluted Officer Nam crisply and shouted.
"Yes, sir!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
While waiting for his real family to arrive after contact, Yong-un asked Officer Nam many questions.
This world differed so much from the martial world; he had endless unknowns.
"Right now, there's only one S-Rank Hunter in Korea. That's why we're treated like a weakling nation. But if another S-Rank appears, we can shake off that stigma. Thanks to you, Mr. Yong-un, Korea's status will rise. Hahaha!"
That's how it was.
This world hadn't escaped the law of Supremacy of the Strong, just like the martial world.
Forces without masters couldn't raise their voices, while those with them held sway over others.
His returned reality was the same.
The number of high-rank Hunters—masters—equated to the rights over the land Yong-un stood on.
Without masters, Korea's prestige was at rock bottom, suffering unreasonable oppression from stronger Hunter nations.
Thus, a master's emergence thrilled Officer Nam, a member of that force, like his own victory.
"You don't know how many Hunters have died. Requests from strong nations are orders we weaklings can't refuse. Reject one, and if a high-rank Gate opens here, no help comes. So they go, knowing they'll die."
In the law of Supremacy of the Strong, the weak just die.
But Yong-un remained expressionless through Officer Nam's excitement, merely nodding along.
"I see."
Then he turned his head, tuning out Officer Nam's words.
Sorry, but Yong-un wouldn't lend an ear to such things anymore.
The Sword Demon of the martial world might have drawn his sword at the forefront if his faction suffered for weakness.
But now was different.
'No more Sword Demon. Now I live for the family that waited 12 years.'
The Sword Ghost and monster Sword Demon, striving for strength, had vanished with the Demon-Slaying Sword.
Now, only one thing could move Yong-un.
His family, who hadn't forgotten him for 12 years.
Nothing else would stir the Sword Demon.
"Ah, your little brother will be happy too."
But right then.
A phrase slipped out that moved the indifferent Yong-un.
Yong-un's eyebrow twitched.
"If you get S-Rank, the guild your brother Myung-un is in will be exempt from this dispatch order."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, I didn't mention. Your brother Myung-un—his guild's on the list for the support request from America. Weak guilds get drafted first, so S-Rank for you pulls him off."
His twitching eyebrow furrowed, creasing his brow.
"Dispatch means Myung-un became a Hunter?"
"Yes, Myung-un's a Hunter. And on the dispatch list."
At Officer Nam's words, crimson-black light exploded in Yong-un's disinterested eyes.
"When?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked when the Hunter evaluation is."
"Today, within..."
Officer Nam couldn't continue.
The air around the previously calm Yong-un rippled wildly with crimson-black demonic energy, like a scream.
Yong-un uncoiled his crossed legs and stood.
He looked straight down at Officer Nam and said.
"I'll claim that S-Rank."