The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 26

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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 26
No matter how successful a clan master might be, they have no choice but to bow before the Defense Strategy Department’s minister and a first-generation hunter.
“Tell me, are you still running hobby club activities with hunters these days?”
“H-hobby club? That’s too much, sir. We’re a legitimate clan, a clan.”
“Is that so? I heard the Boramae Clan holds more gatherings than actual hunter activities?”
“That’s a misunderstanding, sir. We’re not that kind of clan.”
Who was he kidding?
Listening to Kim Young-nam’s excuses, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
“Well then, let’s hear the whole story from the beginning.”
“I’ll report it to you.”
Lim Captain seized the moment and tattled to Ahn Guk-seon about everything that had happened.
“Cha Eun-sung not only claimed ownership of the rune that came from catching the Count, but also died because he didn’t put ballistic plates inside his plate carrier?”
“Yes, Minister.”
“He deserved to die then.”
Ahn Guk-seon stated it flatly.
“If some so-called hunter walks around without even putting ballistic plates in his plate carrier and dies, we might as well call it natural causes. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Ah, yes.”
Kim Young-nam answered in a reluctant voice.
After hearing the whole story, he had nothing to say.
Regardless of whether it’s specifically for defending against bullets, a plate carrier is essential equipment for hunters.
Even high-ranking hunters immune to gunfire wear plate carriers and insert ballistic plates of various materials to protect their hearts—what could some small-time nobody possibly say?
“Then, Eun-sung’s shooting of your clan member would constitute self-defense.”
“You’re absolutely right, sir.”
“Moreover, it seems Eun-sung was only trying to subdue your clan members.”
“Pardon?”
“I heard his marksmanship is exceptional. If he’d intended to kill, there would be no need to aim for the chest. A headshot would have sufficed.”
The minister glanced at me and spoke.
“The way you’re saying that… it seems he’s a friend you hold in special regard, Minister.”
“He’s the friend I’m most hopeful about.”
“Excuse me?!”
A startled Kim Young-nam removed his sunglasses and turned to look at me.
‘Ugh.’
Thanks to that, I was the one in an awkward position.
If the minister uses such an explicit expression, won’t other people besides this man start paying attention to me?
And my prediction soon became reality.
“A promising new hunter that Minister Ahn Guk-seon is hopeful about?”
“What are you doing? Start shooting!”
Click click click!
Several journalists quickly snapped their shutters.
In thirty minutes, an article with my face plastered across the front page would go up, and SNS users would rush to share it.
By evening, my personal information would spread quite extensively.
‘He’s a cunning old fox, that one.’
The minister’s intentions were transparent.
He intended to nail me down as a Defense Strategy Department operative, completely blocking other clans from approaching me.
It was possible because the Defense Strategy Department still wielded considerable power in this era, but I had no intention of joining a clan in the first place….
‘It’s inevitable anyway.’
Unless one operated as an unregistered awakener from the start, it was hardly an exaggeration to say that government contractors like me couldn’t hide their identities.
Once you cleared Gates and distinguished yourself during dimensional phenomena, your identity naturally became exposed.
“Just to be sure, about this incident and Cha Eun-sung….”
“Goodness, Minister. Why worry about such things? I’m not that kind of person.”
Kim Young-nam frantically waved his hands in denial.
“Can you promise that?”
“Of course. I have no intention whatsoever of interfering with the promising new hunter you’re expecting. Rather, I’d prefer to keep my distance. Ha ha ha.”
Kim Young-nam offered a good-natured smile.
“So your name is Cha Eun-sung. I’m Kim Young-nam. I apologize for what happened earlier. He was someone I considered quite close….”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what? If I fired with the intention of subduing Cha Eun-sung, then I was being considerate in my own way. It must have been his fate to die.”
“Still, you must feel uncomfortable. Please accept my condolences.”
“I appreciate you saying that. Let’s just forget about this incident. I mention it just in case you worry, but our clan won’t cause trouble over this matter in the future.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you for what? We were in the wrong.”
“Ha ha….”
“Then, let’s see each other with smiles next time.”
“Yes.”
Thanks to the minister’s mediation, I reached an amicable conclusion with Kim Young-nam.
“You’ve worked hard. Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Good. That must have been quite a difficult battle.”
“It was enjoyable.”
“Enjoyable, you said? Just now? Even though you nearly died?”
Well, of course.
In my previous life, I only supported others as a backer.
“Isn’t it trivial for a hunter to nearly die?”
“Trivial to nearly die, is it? You’ll become a monster before long at this rate.”
The minister mulled over my words before speaking.
….
I didn’t answer, understanding what he meant.
The monster the minister spoke of was a human who had lost their humanity.
And….
‘I’m already a monster, after all.’
Perhaps even more than you, Minister.
* * *
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Thanks to the Defense Strategy Department arranging a helicopter for us, Choi Yu-ra and I made it home in record time.
Ding, ding, ding, ding… ding!
Sitting in the helicopter and taking in the Seoul skyline, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with notifications.
[DM] Did you awaken??? No way;;;
[DM] Did you see the news? Your face is all over SNS??
[DM] It’s been forever. How have you been? I heard you became a Hunter?
My dormant SNS account was suddenly flooded with messages from all directions.
Between texts and calls coming in relentlessly, my phone had become completely unusable.
“Looks like the article went live.”
Choi Yu-ra, sitting right beside me, spoke as if she’d expected this.
“Enjoy it.”
“What.”
“The fame.”
“Soak it up now. Later, it’ll just be stress.”
Choi Yu-ra made an odd expression.
“Heh.”
I let out a snort and hurled my phone out of the helicopter.
It crashed onto some building’s rooftop and shattered into pieces.
“What are you doing?”
“Too annoying.”
“Like that changes anything?”
“At least I won’t have to deal with unnecessary calls.”
“Unbelievable.”
Choi Yu-ra shook her head and continued speaking.
“That’s unexpected, though.”
“What is.”
“Usually people panic and glue themselves to their phones, obsessing over every comment that pops up.”
“You used to be like that?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“So you were.”
“Want to die?”
Choi Yu-ra lifted her spirit blade menacingly with a growl.
Not wanting to risk a hit, I decided to stop pressing the matter.
‘Right, everyone goes through phases like that.’
I too had once been swayed by attention.
When you become a Hunter, life transforms.
Wherever you go, you receive preferential treatment, touch sums of money ordinary people could never fathom, and bask in the admiring gazes of those around you.
My every move was documented, and I had hundreds of thousands to millions of fans following my every action—how did I maintain my sanity?
But that too would be temporary.
Once this world collapsed in a few years, once society crumbled, those who had supported me would vanish as well.
“Arrival in 30 seconds!”
“30 seconds!”
Befitting a luxury Penthouse, the rooftop of our family’s new home had a helicopter landing pad.
“You don’t need to land. Just lower the rope.”
“You’re not seriously just going to jump?”
“Why bother landing? I just need to get down.”
“You know how to do this?”
Instead of answering, I grabbed the rope skillfully and slid down with practiced ease.
“I’m going.”
I waved at Choi Yu-ra, whose expression was one of shock, then headed toward the house.
* * *
It seemed our house wasn’t exempt from the chaos either.
“I’m home—”
“Big brother!”
“What, what is it?”
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Phew.”
My Sister let out a deep sigh of relief.
“I thought you’d gotten hurt again.”
“Suddenly?”
“Your face was plastered all over the news—how could I not worry? I’ve seen your face on the news more times than I can count.”
She rolled her eyes at me.
Yet her concern was evident, and warmth bloomed in a corner of my heart.
“Cha Eun-sung! Are you alright? You’re not injured anywhere?”
Mother examined every inch of my body, worried even the smallest scratch might have appeared.
She didn’t seem concerned about Father at all.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone!”
“It broke during the operation.”
I couldn’t bring myself to admit that I’d destroyed it with my own hands, so I gave a vague excuse.
“Then you should have borrowed someone else’s phone and called! Do you know how worried I was!”
“I’m sorry.”
“Next time, you call first. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Use this. I’ll give you the number.”
Mother handed me a spare phone and a prepaid SIM card she had at home.
Father had a habit of destroying his phone during operations, so our house always had several phones and SIM cards stocked away.
It’s not just my phone that gets destroyed, after all.
“Call Father right away. Do you have any idea how worried he’s been?”
“Yes, I will.”
Following Mother’s words, I called Father immediately.
“Hello?”
– Cha Eun-sung?
“Yes.”
– Are you hurt?
“I’m fine.”
– Good then. I’m on my way home now, so I’ll see you there later.
Unlike Mother’s words, Father’s voice remained as composed as always.
He probably didn’t want to show his son how anxious he was…
“Yes, drive safely.”
– Right, I’m hanging up.
Being father and son, our conversation ended concisely.
“I’ll go shower first.”
“What about dinner?”
“Let’s eat together when Father arrives. He said he’s on his way.”
“Alright.”
My body felt stiff, so I decided to take a quick shower and then relax in the sauna.
As befitted a luxury Penthouse, there was a sauna made of cypress wood next to the second-floor bathroom I used.
About an hour must have passed.
“Good, as long as you’re not hurt. Try not to do anything dangerous.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Don’t get swept up just because people are paying attention to you. Hunters aren’t like celebrities.”
“Of course.”
After drying my hair roughly, I headed to the living room, and there I was—talking with Father… Wait, what?
Flinch!
I startled violently and summoned the Maniac Butcher.
“Father!”
“Why are you shouting in the house… huh?”
Father spotted me and furrowed his brow.
Then, looking at the other me he’d been talking to just moments ago, he moved with lightning speed.
Click!
Father urgently drew his pistol and took a firing stance, his eyes darting between me and the other me.
“What in the…!”
I completely agreed with Father’s words.
I too couldn’t understand the current situation at all, not even a little.

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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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