Hero
In the end, it's the finish that matters.
Just as boxer Muhammad Ali became a legend after defeating George Foreman, a striking finale is what truly captivates the public.
And in that sense… the final chapter of Hunter Jin caused a tremendous stir across the world.
"The hero who vanished while fighting a colossal dragon."
It sounded like something out of an old fairy tale. Yet it had truly happened.
High-ranking knights and archpriests, Roland, Saint Cecilia—figures of great influence had witnessed the scene. They reported it to the Order Alliance, announcing Woojin's supposed demise.
But rumors possess a strange power.
At some point, Woojin's story began circulating among the citizens. His past deeds surfaced one by one, and in an instant he became overwhelmingly famous.
Disciple of Hunter Hector.
Skull Crusher.
The first to tame a wolf-type demonic beast.
Recipient of the Silver Shield Medal.
Friend of the gnolls.
Adversary of the Fallen Dragon…
"…They compiled all of that into a book," Rogar explained cautiously. "And while they were at it, they erected several statues as well."
With his top hat pulled low, Woojin let out a long sigh.
'This has gotten strangely tangled.'
At this rate, Claire, Cindy, and everyone else around him would believe he was dead.
How was he supposed to fix this?
No solution came to mind. So he decided to finish what he had come here to do first.
"Take me to Krnartash."
"Understood."
Rogar guided him.
Before long, a rough-looking structure came into view. A manor roofed with the skull of a massive drake. No need to guess whose taste that reflected.
"That's the place?"
"Yes."
Krnartash's residence.
They stepped inside. Soon enough, they found the gnoll queen sprawled lazily across a large bed.
She yawned.
"Rogar, what is it this time—"
Mid-sentence, her eyes fell on the man entering alongside Rogar. She froze, words dying in her throat.
Woojin waved at her blank expression.
Krnartash's face broke into a wide grin as she leapt up.
"Guardian!! Damn it, I knew you were alive! I just knew it!"
"Really? You built a memorial statue for me."
"It's a commemorative statue now!"
She rushed forward, and they exchanged a firm embrace before heading to the reception room and sitting across from each other.
Woojin asked what he had been curious about all along.
"What did you do to make the city develop like this?"
"Don't overestimate it. It only looks impressive on the outside. The inside's still hollow."
She shrugged.
The large buildings were mostly just frameworks. In many ways, the city was still half-finished.
Even so, the change had been astonishingly rapid.
"Explain it properly. I want to know what happened while I was gone."
At his urging, Krnartash folded her arms and began recalling the past.
"Let's see… I suppose I should start from right after you vanished."
After the dragon abomination and Woojin disappeared into the sky, those left behind were stunned—but quickly reorganized.
The war wasn't over.
The dragon had fled, but the army it brought remained. The abominations' forces. Gnolls, nagas, and holy knights cooperated to drive back the enemy.
The process went smoothly. The most dangerous foe—the dragon—was gone.
"In the end, the abominations began to flee. We chased and slaughtered them… but there were too many to wipe out entirely."
A half victory. Encouraging, but ambiguous.
Mutant abominations multiply rapidly.
With the dragon still alive, it was risky to continue marching north. As they deliberated, the Order Alliance's Third Expeditionary Force finally arrived in gnoll territory.
"There were an enormous number of troops. I thought we could resume the northern campaign—but their leadership was extremely cautious."
The dragon abomination was a troublesome enemy.
It could fly, launch bone projectiles, wield potent poison, and even produce more abominations. After assessing the situation, the Order Alliance carefully calculated the risks.
Their conclusion:
Attempting to hunt the dragon prematurely was too dangerous.
"It can fly. Even if we mass forces and strike it, if the situation turns unfavorable, it'll just take to the skies and escape."
Unless they could prevent its flight, it would devolve into a meaningless war of attrition.
Mutant abominations multiply quickly. If the dragon simply harassed them with hit-and-run tactics, allied forces would gradually be worn down.
The losses would be devastating.
"So they turned to those… what were they called? Mages. Strange powers. They said they'd research a way to seal the dragon's flight."
Faced with the dilemma, the Order Alliance requested cooperation from the Mage Tower. In response, the tower began researching new spells and artifacts.
The problem was—
The Third Expeditionary Force was already here in the Demon Realm. They had gathered immense forces and marched all this way… only to find themselves with nothing immediate to do.
So what now?
Leaving manpower idle would be wasteful.
Thus, the Order Alliance chose to consolidate and strengthen their foothold.
They patrolled the region, clearing demonic beast habitats. They purified rift cores to push back the demonic territory.
The gnoll tribe, with little else to occupy them, assisted in the hunts. In return, humanity helped them with urban development.
Mutual benefit.
"If we're going to continue the northern campaign, humans will need to come and go through this region regularly."
So they established a frontier city within gnoll territory.
The process went smoothly.
Gnoll warriors possessed tremendous strength, easily transporting heavy bricks and stone. Humans handled the delicate craftsmanship.
And so—
In just half a year, the gnoll city developed at an astonishing pace.
"Is that explanation sufficient?"
"…I understand. Impressive."
It wasn't empty praise. Leaning back in his chair, Woojin let out an impressed breath.
Before arriving, he had been deeply worried. He had often wondered whether conflict might have arisen between the gnoll tribe and the Order Alliance during his absence.
But reality was the opposite.
'It runs just fine without me.'
That was a relief.
As he sipped his tea, Krnartash leaned forward with curiosity.
"Now it's your turn. How did you come back alive? And what happened to the dragon?"
"I killed it. The bastard had a tough life to cling to, so it took some effort."
Now it was Woojin's turn to speak.
He recounted everything in order.
From being hurled deep into the north alongside the dragon abomination… to hunting a pride of lions… to slaying a hydra…
"…And that's how I made it back."
The long story came to an end.
Krnartash stared blankly at him.
At some point, the gnoll queen had stopped interjecting altogether, simply listening in stunned silence.
Leaving her in that daze, Woojin walked over to the luggage he had set aside and brought it forward.
"I'll share some of the hydra's blood. Use it wisely. I reapplied preservation magic today, so it should last about a month."
As he explained, he took out nine bottles of hydra's blood and placed them on the table. Krnartash's gaze swept over the bottles once.
Her expression was half disbelief.
"This… is truly the core of an Ancient Being?"
"If you don't believe me, drink one."
Woojin gestured encouragingly.
Krnartash immediately uncorked a bottle and swallowed it.
The change was dramatic.
Crack—! Crunch—!
The sound of bones shifting echoed through the room. The gnoll queen's muscles bulged violently, veins rising thick and pronounced. A savage light flared in her eyes.
Woojin let out a low whistle.
"That's potent."
Krnartash was an exceptional warrior. She could fully absorb the power and essence contained in the hydra's core.
She muttered in awe.
"…It truly is the core of an Ancient Being."
"See? I wouldn't lie about something like that."
"I know. It's just hard to believe you hunted an Ancient Being alone."
That reaction was understandable. The Ancient Beings of the deep regions were monsters few dared oppose.
In any case—
"Where are my wolves? I'd like to feed them some as well."
Rex, Misha, Sean, and Yan.
He had intended to give the hydra's blood to the four wolves.
Krnartash hesitated.
"…I don't know."
An unexpected answer.
"You don't know? Why?"
"After you were dragged off by the dragon, the wolves disappeared one day."
Rex, Misha, Sean, and Yan.
The four wolves often went out roaming. They would sweep through mountains and plains hunting demonic beasts, then return to the Order of Harmony when the time was right.
So when they vanished, it didn't seem unusual at first. It was assumed they would return as usual.
"But no matter how long we waited, they didn't. We searched nearby regions, but found no trace."
The wolves had left for distant lands.
Roland and Cecilia had done the same. When the Third Expeditionary Force arrived in gnoll territory, the two handed over their duties and set off on their own journey.
Woojin fell into deep thought.
'My entire party has scattered…'
In a way, it was only natural.
The people around him were not the sort to remain idle. Each of them must now be pursuing their own goals somewhere in the world.
What now?
After pondering for a long while, Woojin finally spoke.
"…For now, let's keep my survival a secret."
"Is that necessary?"
"The system's running just fine without me. If I suddenly reappear, it might cause more confusion."
Since things had turned out this way, perhaps it wasn't bad to step back and observe the overall situation from a distance.
Think of it as a vacation.
…Though before that, he would need to find his companions and explain things to them.
"Lend me a mount. Without my wolves, I'll have to ride a rhinoceros or something."
"Understood. But are you leaving immediately?"
"I'm not sure…"
He considered briefly.
"Tomorrow morning would be better. I need to buy some supplies first."
He was thoroughly sick of eating demonic beast meat.
He planned to purchase preserved food and survival gear. Eat proper cuisine in the city. Sleep in a comfortable bed.
But he needed one more thing.
"Give me some money. I'm completely broke."
"…Fine."
At Woojin's gesture, Krnartash rummaged through her pouch and handed over a coin purse.
He had successfully extorted her.
"I'll return around dinner."
Woojin made ready to leave. Arwen and Coco rose from their seats as well.
"Where are we heading now?"
"Let's take a stroll around the city. We'll stay here for the night."
"That sounds nice."
As they walked—
They suddenly heard children shouting nearby.
"It's true! I saw someone who looks exactly like the hero from the statue! Malta saw him too!"
A young boy was yelling at the top of his lungs, wandering the plaza with his friends.
The intent was obvious.
"They're looking for me."
After seeing Woojin's face earlier, the boy must have run off to gather his friends.
The reactions of the others weren't enthusiastic.
"Noah's a liar."
"I'm not! I really saw him!"
Noah stomped his feet in frustration.
Woojin smiled faintly as he watched.
But perhaps the laugh was too loud.
By coincidence—or not—Noah turned his head this way. His eyes widened dramatically.
"T-there!"
Uh-oh.
Woojin quickly pulled his top hat lower.
"Let's go before the kids come running."
"Agreed."
Woojin and Arwen slipped into the crowd and disappeared.
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