The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 2

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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 2
It took me several days to accept that I’d truly returned to the past.
At first, I didn’t believe it.
I thought it was all a dream, that the damned lizard bastard was toying with me.
But everything I saw, heard, and felt confirmed that I had indeed returned to the past.
Even now, it was the same.
The scene unfolding before my eyes was identical to a day from ten years ago.
– This is breaking news. A raid party of nine hunters is scheduled to be deployed to clear the gate that has appeared at Dangsan Station in Seoul. The names of the hunters participating in this raid are….
“They should all come back safely.”
Father murmured to himself while watching the news.
The broadcast showed a group of hunters heading toward the newly formed gate in real-time.
Swish, swish.
Father meticulously cleaned his carbine rifle and shotgun while watching the news.
It had been ten years since humanity faced the invasion of monsters.
The legalization of firearms possession in countries around the world was no longer a subject of debate.
Father was a former Navy Special Forces member and currently served as a commander in the Regional Defense Force.
“Dear, you’ll wear it out doing that.”
Mother, now a housewife, was peeling a mango beside him, and her gaze toward Father was absolutely adoring.
“Our oppa is really handsome.”
Sister was watching some idol’s performance on her smartphone.
But why is he your oppa?
Your oppa is right here, you know?
I shook my head at my sister’s thoughtless behavior.
Sitting at the kitchen table and gazing at my family, I couldn’t help but smile.
‘Even if it’s a dream, does it matter?’
It didn’t matter at all.
Father, Mother, and my sister.
Just having my family—people I thought I’d never see again—gathered together like this was enough.
‘It’s peaceful.’
The world had gone mad.
People died almost daily from monster invasions, and news of entire cities being reduced to ruins would come every time you woke up.
Yet despite all this, people tried their best to maintain ordinary daily lives.
Just like our family now.
* * *
In the afternoon, I went to the Shooting Range with Father.
Given his background, Father was very fond of shooting.
He often took me to the Shooting Range with him.
After the firearms legalization bill passed, he even gave me gifts including not just handguns but rifles, shotguns, and all manner of equipment including body armor and ballistic helmets.
Bang bang! Bang bang bang!
The shooting session ended.
I set down the pistol and examined the target.
“Hmm.”
Twenty-six bullets had struck dead center on the target.
The remaining four shots were only slightly off from the bullseye.
Two hundred ninety-six out of three hundred points.
Not bad for shooting again after nearly eight years.
“Son.”
Father approached and asked.
“Yes?”
“Wasn’t your last shooting session two weeks ago?”
“That’s… right?”
“You’ve improved this much in just two weeks?”
“Mm.”
I was at a loss for words.
Father’s skepticism was reasonable.
If marksmanship improved so easily, everyone would become a shooting athlete or special forces operative.
Especially with pistol shooting—it’s harder than most people think, so improvement doesn’t come quickly under normal circumstances.
Besides, my shooting skills at this point in time were nothing special, so Father had every right to be puzzled.
‘I got excited because it’s been so long.’
It wasn’t about the shooting itself.
I’d simply been too delighted spending time with Father to hold back my enthusiasm.
“Have you been training separately?”
“Yes, I have been.”
“I see.”
“I’ll be enlisting soon anyway. I should train hard beforehand.”
At this point in time, I was scheduled to enlist as a commissioned officer through the Officer Candidate Program in a few months.
Just as my late Grandfather had, and just as my Father had.
After my commission, I planned to apply for the Navy Special Forces.
One might question why special forces matter in an era where humanity fights monsters, but non-Awakened individuals still have a role to play.
Against 4-star monsters and below, humanity’s conventional weapons remained sufficiently effective, making both special forces and the military itself critically important.
But I would never become a special forces operative like my Grandfather or Father.
Because I would Awaken next week and become a Hunter, and Father would be gone.
“Son.”
“Yes.”
“Is something troubling you lately?”
“No, nothing?”
I tried to put on an innocent expression in response to Father’s question.
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing.”
Father shook his head.
“Still, if anything happens or you’re troubled by something, don’t suffer in silence. Come talk to me, understand?”
“Yes.”
A trickle of cold sweat ran down my back.
I’d been caught.
My Father had sensed my transformation—I’d bet my arm on it.
My Father wasn’t just a former and current Navy Special Forces officer; he also had a career with the National Intelligence Service.
There was no way someone like that could have missed my changes.
No, anyone who knew me at all would have noticed.
Back then, I was just an upright young man, but now I was a weathered veteran hunter who’d endured ten years of every conceivable trial and tribulation.
Everything would be different—my thoughts, my actions, my tone, my gaze, my expressions.
Just these past few days, Mother and my Sister had looked at me with suspicion more than once.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“Let’s all go camping next week.”
“Camping?”
“It’s been over five years since we went camping as a family, hasn’t it?”
“Camping, huh.”
“I’m enlisting in just a few months, so I wanted to take a family trip.”
“All right, let’s go.”
Father nodded readily.
“If my son wants to go, we should go.”
“Ha ha.”
“Let’s shoot one more time. This time, rifle marksmanship instead of pistol.”
“Yes.”
I picked up the rifle.
This time, I’d have to take it easy.
* * *
A week passed.
“Pack your gear just in case. Check everything once more before we leave.”
“Yes.”
Since gates could appear anywhere at any time, it was natural for even civilians to carry weapons with them.
My family loaded camping equipment and weapons into Father’s pickup truck and headed toward Yeongwol, Gangwon Province.
We arrived, set up the tent, and caught a few freshwater fish from the Valley to make a spicy fish stew.
We built a fire with firewood and grilled lamb over charcoal.
“Here, take this.”
“I’m fine, Father.”
“Why won’t you drink? We came all this way.”
When I refused the alcohol, Father tilted his head in confusion.
“Alcohol doesn’t sit well with me lately.”
“Is that so? All right, I won’t push you.”
Father seemed reluctant about my refusal, but he said nothing more.
That dawn.
I pretended to head to the bathroom, stole Father’s car from the tent, and drove toward Seoul.
‘No matter how insane the world has become, drunk driving is still a bit much.’
Vroom!
The eight-cylinder engine roared like a beast as I pressed the accelerator.
I checked the time.
3 AM.
‘Seven hours left.’
10 AM.
A three-kilometer radius centered on our Apartment Complex will be consumed by the [Transition] phenomenon.
The reason I suddenly proposed the trip was to evacuate my family from the [Transition].
Unfortunately, I’m an exception.
If I’m going to awaken again and become a Hunter, I need to be at the scene of the incident.
As I drove back home, Father’s final moments came to mind.
– I’ll hold the line here! Take Mother and Eunha and go quickly!
– But…!
– Go now!
I recalled Father’s noble and courageous silhouette.
But in this life, I was determined not to lose Father.
I didn’t want to see Father’s corpse torn to shreds again.
A body so mutilated that even the mortician performing the funeral rites had shaken their head.
‘Dragon Lord. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I will never repeat the past. Never.’
When I meet the Dragon Lord again later, I want to ask him something.
Why did you send me back to the past?
‘I hate being a Supporter, even if it kills me. Is it right for a Navy Special Forces officer candidate to become a Supporter?’
Memories of being a tool in my past life, dragged around and overworked, made my teeth grind and my body tremble.
Since I’ve returned to the past anyway, I’d have no regrets if I awakened as a Dealer instead of a Supporter who just supports others.
But that’s hardly something I can control.
‘First, preparation.’
As soon as I arrived home, I armed myself.
I put on a ballistic helmet, donned a plate carrier, and gathered ammunition and grenades.
I also grabbed a rifle, shotgun, and pistol.
In the old days, one might think I was heading to war, but times have changed.
Humanity has been at war with monsters for the past ten years.
‘One hour left.’
I checked the time and launched the drone.
Buzz!
Civilians need prior approval to operate a drone, but since chaos will break out soon anyway, there won’t be any problems.
I stormed directly into the management office.
It was the weekend, but given the times, an armed young Security Guard was on duty.
“What’s this? There’s no monster attack, so why are you walking around armed like that? Do you know what could happen….”
Of course, he’d face punishment.
One wrong move and the military and police units that arrived could gun him down.
“Move aside.”
Crash, shatter!
The moment I shoved the Security Guard aside, I smashed the glass panel mounted on the wall and frantically hit the emergency alarm.
Weeeeeeee!
– Emergency, emergency! Attention residents. Attention residents. A dimensional rift has been detected. All residents are urged to evacuate immediately. I repeat. A dimensional rift has been….
The emergency evacuation announcement blared across the entire Apartment Complex in tandem with the siren.
Yes, that should do it.
An hour would be more than enough time for anyone who needed to evacuate to get out safely.
“You crazy psychotic bastard!”
The Security Guard bellowed and thrust his hand into the desk drawer.
But I was faster.
Bang bang bang!
“Ugh!”
The Security Guard collapsed with a single cry of pain.

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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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