The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 11

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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 11
The ride to the Defense Strategy Department on Si-hyun’s motorcycle.
The road was congested as if it had developed arterial sclerosis.
Ever since the monsters invaded humanity, Seoul’s traffic had never once been good.
Whenever people thought it might improve, the subway would be destroyed, tracks severed, or elevated highways collapsed—incidents that perpetually worsened congestion never ceased.
Honk, honk!
“Hey, you bastard! Drive properly! If I’m late, are you gonna take responsibility? Huh?”
“You son of a bitch! What did you just say?”
The congestion was so severe that drivers were picking fights with each other.
Good, everyone’s passionate this early in the morning.
I weaved through the gaps in traffic and escaped this hellish road.
Yes, thank you for your hard work.
I’ll be going ahead.
There was a reason I borrowed Si-hyun’s motorcycle.
Yet paradoxically, this brutal rush hour was proof that South Korea still stood strong.
Congested roads.
An abnormally high number of buses and motorcycles.
It meant people were still commuting or heading to school early in the morning.
Which meant the economy and society were still functioning.
In the midst of a war for humanity’s survival, why commute at a time like this?
So what?
The monster invasion is one thing, but making a living is another.
Only fools spout nonsense about total war concepts that mobilize the entire nation.
Even as fierce battles rage on the front lines during war, people must be able to enjoy ordinary life in the rear.
Otherwise, how would the economy function? How would weapons be manufactured?
War itself is ultimately about survival.
‘Now I can really ride.’
Past the congested section, an open road welcomed me with refreshing clarity.
Vroom!
I twisted the throttle and accelerated.
But reckless speeding was forbidden.
Cracked asphalt and potholes lurked like traps throughout the road—one mistake and it was curtains.
And the dashcam footage would probably end up as a cautionary example of motorcycle accidents on some YouTube channel like Hwang Moon-chul TV.
As I rode down the open road, the surrounding landscape came into view.
Ruins.
From this point onward, a massive apartment complex that had received treatment comparable to Gangnam and boasted high property values until ten years ago now stood abandoned as an eyesore.
If I recall correctly, it was a gate phenomenon that occurred during the early days when there were few hunters, and the casualties were staggering.
Ninety-five percent of the residents died?
The number of hunters has increased significantly, and their average level has risen considerably; the military’s response time has improved—such a 95% casualty rate rarely occurs in this era.
In a few years, there will come a time when people say that even that 95% figure represents a high survival rate.
‘Almost there.’
In the distance, I spotted a building that was square in shape—low in height but possessing an area so vast it was almost incomprehensible.
Thump-thump-thump-thump!
Black Hawks and Little Bird helicopters began flying overhead.
As I drew closer, I could see armored vehicles and tanks positioned throughout the area.
Military tactical vehicles passed by, and occasionally, imported luxury vehicles worth hundreds of millions of won would drive past as well.
Most likely, they belonged to Hunters or high-ranking officials from the Defense Strategy Department.
With roads in such terrible condition, would anyone actually want to drive a car?
Especially someone like Choi Yu-ra driving a supercar like a Lamborghini—I simply couldn’t comprehend it.
“Stop, stop.”
At the guard’s signal, I brought my motorcycle to a halt in front of the guardhouse.
“Sir, food delivery isn’t permitted here. Are you new to this?”
“….”
He’d mistaken me for a delivery rider.
“I came to register as an Awakener.”
“Pardon?”
The guard looked at me with suspicion, as if wondering what kind of person shows up like this.
What, seriously?
Does it matter what I rode here on to register as an Awakener?
I showed up—that’s what matters.
“Understood. Please wait a moment.”
“Yes, thank you for your trouble.”
The guards verified my personal information, conducted a body search, and even checked inside my delivery box before finally allowing me through the guardhouse.
They must have thought I’d hidden a homemade bomb in the delivery box.
* * *
The moment I parked my motorcycle in the parking lot, an officer in uniform came to greet me.
“Are you Cha Eun-sung?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
The officer’s gaze swept across the delivery motorcycle.
“What, is there a problem with arriving on a delivery motorcycle?”
“Not at all. Ha ha.”
The officer smiled warmly and waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s just unusual, so I took notice. Nothing more. Most people typically arrive by public transportation like taxis or buses, or in their own vehicles.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Shall we go? I’ll show you the way.”
Following the officer’s guidance, I headed toward the Awakener registration department.
“I’m Captain Lim Mu-sung of the Defense Strategy Department.”
“I’m Cha Eun-sung.”
“I’ll guide you well, so there’s no need to be nervous.”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Ah, yes. Well, that’s a relief. Haha.”
Captain Lim, accustomed to dealing with prospective Hunters, possessed quite an easygoing demeanor.
“This way, please.”
After passing through several complex security procedures, we arrived at what was commonly known as the V-Zone.
Nothing particularly special about it.
It was a place where Awakeners registered and underwent various tests—essentially functioning as a recruitment center for Hunters.
“Please wait here.”
“Ah, yes.”
“But why didn’t you come with a lawyer?”
Captain Lim tilted his head with a puzzled expression.
For an Awakener aspiring to become a prospective Hunter, a lawyer was practically indispensable.
Well, that was certainly true.
“Ah, I didn’t have time to arrange it.”
“Shall I call one for you?”
“That’s not necessary.”
“It would be advantageous for you to retain legal representation.”
“It’s fine, so please don’t worry about it.”
“Understood. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Yes.”
The reason legal representation was necessary was because of ‘negotiations.’
Awakeners were not entities belonging to the state.
The relationship between Awakeners and the state was closer to a contractual business arrangement.
Why?
Because it was impossible to control and manage Awakeners through state authority.
The state provided various benefits to Awakeners, while Awakeners became Hunters and provided military force to the state—that was the concept.
Therefore, from Awakener registration through contract negotiations, both parties had no choice but to treat each other from a strictly business perspective.
Captain Lim led me to a waiting room furnished like a luxury lounge.
It had been quite a while since I’d been here.
“Please wait for a moment, and the assigned officer will call your name, Cha Eun-sung.”
“Yes.”
“If you need coffee, tea, or any beverage, just let me know.”
“I’ll have coffee.”
“Park, could you bring a cup of coffee, please?”
At Captain Lim’s request, a young, handsome warrant officer who had been waiting brought me coffee from a top-of-the-line espresso machine.
“We have quite a few Awakeners hoping to register today. That’s wonderful. It’s heartening to see so many prospective Hunters willing to serve the nation.”
“Hmm?”
At Captain Lim’s words, I glanced around the waiting room.
I hadn’t paid attention before, but I could see about five or six Awakeners scattered about.
As the saying goes, each person is unique, and the Awakeners gathered in the waiting room were all distinctly different.
“You’d better do well, understand?”
“Don’t worry, Mom.”
“Please take good care of our son, Attorney.”
“I’ll do my best. Haha.”
A young kid accompanied by his parents and a lawyer comes into view.
Wow, already tensing up his eyes and shoulders like that—his prospects are rotten to the core, not just withered.
“Are you a Hunter too, ma’am?”
“I’m a soldier. Haha.”
“Ah, I see. Well, it makes sense. An Awakener wouldn’t do something as weak as military service.”
A foolish kid in a school uniform appears as well.
“….”
Good grief, this one has dead eyes.
It’s a common sight.
Hunters are like flowers that bloom on the battlefield.
Spontaneous Awakening is exceedingly rare.
In other words, there are almost no cases of someone casually sipping coffee at a café and suddenly Awakening.
Most Awakenings occur during moments of absolute crisis, like dimensional phenomena, so many Awakeners have lost parents, siblings, or friends in the process.
These young kids must have experienced their own dangerous situations.
Still mentally immature, they’re probably more preoccupied with the fame and money that [becoming a Hunter] will bring them.
‘I don’t recognize any of these faces. Are most of them going to die?’
Unless they’re someone who stands out like Choi Yu-ra, there’s no way I wouldn’t know their face….
“Ra Si-hyun.”
Ra what?
I whipped my head around.
A high school girl with long black hair, tall stature, and a slender frame.
I examined her face carefully.
Her slightly raised chin, her sharp nose ridge, eyes brimming with strange ambition, and the faint smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.
‘That’s her.’
This high school girl is definitely the Ra Si-hyun I know.
After becoming a Hunter, she’d always maintained blonde hair through bleaching, so I didn’t recognize her immediately in her current black-haired appearance.
A strange feeling washed over me.
To think I’d see the high school days of someone I killed with my own hands just two weeks ago.
* * *
It’s not surprising.
Having returned to the past, it’s inevitable that I’d meet the people I killed again.
But I never expected to encounter Ra Si-hyun during her high school years.
As far as I know, we became Hunters around the same time.
In my case, my Father passed away, so I suffered emotionally for about two months, which delayed my registration somewhat.
But now, just three days after Awakening, I’m here to register, so meeting Ra Si-hyun is entirely possible.
‘Is it just my imagination that I can already see her true nature?’
Because of our past enmity, Ra Si-hyun didn’t seem particularly welcoming.
Moreover, when it comes to Ra Si-hyun, she’s practically the embodiment of pure evil.
That filthy nature of hers, and when I recall the atrocities she committed later… sigh.
Let’s not go there. Best not to dwell on it.
“Cha Eun-sung.”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Please come this way.”
Following the guide, I entered what looked like a conference room, and well, well.
A familiar face greeted me.
“Welcome, Cha Eun-sung, prospective Hunter. I’m Major Oh Yu-hwa from the Defense Strategy Department.”
“Yes, hello.”
“Your legal representative didn’t come with you?”
“No.”
“Are you sure about that? You might need assistance…”
“I’ll call if I need help. No big deal.”
“Then let’s proceed that way. Hehe.”
Oh Yu-hwa flashed a bright smile.
‘She’s that pleased?’
Why does it feel like she’s just encountered an easy mark?
She’s already delighted at the prospect of fleecing me.
This isn’t an exaggeration.
This woman is genuinely terrifying.
Oh Yu-hwa.
An Army Major and Hunter with the callsign [Shylock].
And Hunters called her by every vile epithet imaginable—the demon of V-Zone, madam, pimp, loan shark, slave trader, and more.

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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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