The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 10
Father’s response was astonishing.
It was quite unexpected coming from someone who had devoted his entire life to the nation.
Father had followed Grandfather into the Naval Academy, and after graduation, he was commissioned as a Navy officer.
Afterward, he set his sights on special operations, applied to the Navy Special Warfare Unit, and after becoming a special operations officer, he even studied abroad with the US Navy Special Forces—an elite among elites in the military.
Moreover, now that monsters have invaded humanity, he has re-enlisted in the Defense Force and continues to serve as both a field operative and commander, does he not?
I never dreamed he would tell me not to register as an Awakened One, but to live as an unawakened person.
“May I ask your reason for saying so?”
“Being a Hunter is not something you do with a sound mind.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true.”
“Hmm.”
Father’s expression grew stern.
“That’s not an answer befitting the gravity of this matter.”
“I see.”
“You don’t understand. You don’t know what Hunters do, or how they deteriorate.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say that I knew better than anyone, so I simply listened in silence.
“I’m not a Hunter myself, so I don’t know all the details. But what I’ve observed, heard, and felt is that Hunters are not merely beings who fight monsters.”
“How so?”
“Their world is far dirtier, more political, more complex, and more dangerous than you think.”
“Is that so?”
“Hunters are not beings who exist solely to serve the nation or humanity. They are a double-edged sword. Hunters can be humanity’s saviors, but they can just as easily become humanity’s enemies.”
“…!”
A chill ran down my spine.
Father’s words—precious as gems—contained the very essence of what I had witnessed, heard, and felt about Hunters over the past decade.
Was this what they called keen insight?
As Father said, though he was not a Hunter himself, his perception astounded even me.
He was right.
Becoming a Hunter does not mean being humanity’s savior—absolutely not.
I was proof of that myself.
Had I not destroyed a Raid Party out of personal vengeance?
In that decision, the nation, South Korea, humanity—none of it mattered to me.
I had committed that act knowing full well that if my revenge succeeded, the Dragon Lord would lay waste not only to South Korea but to the entire world.
I never expected Father to indirectly point out my own actions in this way.
“I’ve lived my whole life on the nation’s dime, but I cannot in good conscience tell my son to become a Hunter. If you wish to serve the nation and its people, fighting monsters as a special operations officer is meaningful work in itself. Strength or weakness—that’s not what matters.”
Father paused, his throat apparently dry, and took a sip of water before continuing.
“And as I said before, I oppose you becoming a Hunter simply because the house needs money right now. If you become a Hunter just to live comfortably, you’ll pay a terrible price.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
Father narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down before speaking.
“Are you going to register tomorrow?”
“H-how did you know?!”
“It’s written all over your face. I actually knew from the beginning.”
“Then why did you say you were opposed if you knew everything?”
“A little scolding like this will steel your resolve.”
Father broke into a grin.
Seeing Mother smile softly beside him, it was clear the two of them had already discussed this between themselves.
“Ha ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Even after regressing, I was still in the palm of my parents’ hands.
“Think hard, and think again. Ask yourself why you want to become a Hunter, and how you’ll live once you do. Never lose yourself. Protect yourself before you protect anyone else. As you live as a Hunter, you might become a monster. I won’t stand to see my son become one.”
“Yes, I’ll remember that.”
“Good, let’s eat.”
Father picked up his spoon again.
* * *
Among all the emotions humans possess, none are quite as destructive as the melancholy of dawn.
Yet humans are foolish creatures, prone to repeating the same mistakes.
I was no exception tonight.
Two in the morning.
Unable to sleep, I quietly slipped out of the tent and breathed in the night air.
‘Maybe I’ll watch the night view.’
The Refugee Camp happened to be nestled at the foot of a mountain, so climbing a bit higher should give me a view of Seoul’s downtown.
I climbed the mountain.
At this point in my life, I was a young man in my early twenties preparing for military service, so my stamina was exceptional.
With my Awakening enhancing my physical abilities, climbing was effortless.
I reached the summit without breaking a single bead of sweat.
I sat down on a boulder and gazed out at South Korea’s capital, Seoul.
“Still intact.”
The night view was beautiful.
However, the areas where dimensional rifts had occurred or monster battles had taken place were shrouded in darkness.
Like sinkholes scattered throughout the landscape.
And the nearest sinkhole was once the home of my family and me.
I thought of the future.
As time passed, the number of those sinkholes would only increase.
From my memories, ten years from now, the lit areas would actually be far more scarce.
After ‘that incident’ occurs seven years from now, Seoul will be reduced to ashes, and South Korea will begin its rapid collapse.
A question suddenly occurred to me.
Could I rekindle the darkened places?
Could I fill those sinkholes?
Honestly, I had no idea.
I knew no way to prevent the approaching catastrophe.
Still, since I’ve returned to the past, I should at least try to delay the inevitable as much as possible.
‘First of all….’
I pondered carefully about my plans going forward.
I had returned to the past and awakened with an entirely different role class, so I needed to formulate plans accordingly.
This is truly an age of annihilation.
In such a world, preventing the great catastrophe of the future—let alone merely surviving—would be no simple task.
My thoughts continued until the eastern sky began to break open.
By the time the sun gradually rose and the dawn sentimentality that had captivated me began to fade, the morning had fully arrived.
– I cannot bear to watch my son become a monster.
Father’s words suddenly pierced my mind.
“I am already a monster.”
I am a sinner who has committed countless atrocities.
Even before my revenge, my hands were stained with blood countless times during the planning itself.
The original me?
That version of me—loyal to the nation and its people, burning myself away for humanity, quietly supporting my comrades—died three years ago.
“And I will gladly live as a monster. Because to survive in this insane world, being a monster is preferable.”
Already corrupted beyond repair, I lack neither the conscience nor the audacity to suddenly act as a virtuous sage.
I will become a monster more terrible and cruel than anyone else.
But I have no intention of letting my family discover this.
A monster in sheep’s clothing.
That is who I am.
* * *
As soon as dawn broke, I headed toward Doo-hyun’s tent.
I needed to apologize and also had a favor to ask.
“Kyahahaha!”
“Kiyahoooo!”
In the distance, I could hear the voices of seeds of hope playing in the open grounds of the Refugee Camp.
It’s truly remarkable.
Even in an age like this, children are born, grow, and play like that.
“Kuuuuuuu!”
Doo-hyun lay sprawled out, sleeping soundly.
“He must have been exhausted.”
Seeing the scattered delivery containers and crumpled beer cans beside him, I could roughly gauge the situation.
“Our Doo-hyun was so tired. Haha.”
I felt my nose sting as I pulled the blanket that Doo-hyun had kicked aside back over him.
“Sleep well.”
I placed the side dishes Mother had prepared and some cash on the makeshift table, then picked up the motorcycle keys instead.
I had somewhere to go, and since I didn’t have a vehicle available at the moment, I had no choice but to borrow his motorcycle.
Of course, beyond the side dishes and the cash I left as rental payment, I intended to repay him properly.
Money?
In this era, where else could one find a more reliable high-income earner than a Hunter?
For a Hunter, becoming wealthy was as effortless as eating soft rice.
“See you later.”
I borrowed Duhyeon’s motorcycle and departed the Refugee Camp.
My destination: Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
The headquarters of the Defense Strategy Department—the most powerful institution in South Korea.
And one of the Defense Strategy Department’s roles was to register and manage Awakened Ones.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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