The Regressed SSS-Rank Supporter Who Turned Dark - Chapter 33

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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 33
“What do you think?”
“I… beg your pardon?”
“I’m asking for your thoughts on the post Supernova wrote.”
“Hmm.”
Lim Captain paused to consider before responding.
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure.”
“Why is that?”
“First and foremost, I question whether a 10-star Hunter could even exist without being discovered. As you well know, if a Hunter had grown to 10-star rank, someone should have identified them by now.”
“That does seem likely. Higher-tier Gates demand diverse skill sets, after all. But if their HunterLink rating is genuinely 10-star, the odds of them being a fraud are virtually nonexistent, wouldn’t you say?”
“There’s also the possibility that the HunterLink system itself is malfunctioning.”
“A bug, you mean?”
“Yes.”
“Of course, we can’t rule that out entirely.”
“Given that we can’t even verify their authenticity at this point, blindly trusting their posts could lead to unforeseen consequences. That said, the tips they’ve provided have proven useful.”
Lim Captain swiped the Hunter Link Forum aside with a subtle gesture as he spoke.
“To be frank, the notion that they’re predicting a massive Gate phenomenon is simply… difficult to accept.”
“I share that sentiment. But if it turns out to be true, we’ll be in quite a predicament.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“For now, we need to keep all possibilities open and investigate thoroughly. There’s always that one-in-a-million chance.”
Minister An placed a cigarette between his lips.
“When will I ever manage to quit this wretched habit? Sigh.”
A deep sigh escaped beneath the veil of cigarette smoke.
This was proving troublesome indeed.
Since the massive Gate phenomenon that Supernova had warned about was specifically occurring on Jebu Island—South Korean territory—Minister An found himself unable to avoid serious deliberation on the matter.
Ignoring it felt wrong, yet responding to a single post from an unidentified individual meant allowing an entire nation to be swayed by it.
Given the complexity of the situation from every angle, it was only natural that Minister An’s mind grew increasingly turbulent.
“Supernova… what exactly is your intention?”
A murmur laden with conflicted emotion escaped from Minister An as he gazed out the window.
Supernova.
A 10-star Hunter who prophesies the future.
Their post was now confounding even a first-generation Hunter and the Minister of the Defense Strategy Department.
* * *
I hurried toward the restroom.
“Trainee Cha Eun-sung.”
Of all places, I ran directly into Instructor Kim Sang-eung in the corridor.
“Yes, Instructor.”
“Instructor? What’s with the formality?”
Instructor Kim Sang-eung let out a soft chuckle and offered a gentle smile.
“How have you been getting along?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking how you’ve been, you brat. What, are you feeling awkward seeing your uncle after so long?”
“Ahaha….”
“You’re a funny one.”
“Have you been well, Uncle?”
“Yes, I’ve been fine. And you?”
“You already know….”
“Right, I was just asking. How is Father doing?”
“Yes, he’s doing well.”
“I keep saying I’ll visit him, but I’ve lost track of how many years it’s been. I think it’s been about three years.”
“Once this training cycle ends, please come visit us at home. Father would be delighted.”
“Is that alright?”
“Of course it is. You’re my uncle, after all.”
Kim Sang-eung was vivid enough in my childhood memories that I felt no hesitation in extending the invitation.
“Alright then, I’ll contact your father.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“And another thing….”
“Yes…?”
“Please stop falling asleep. What are you, a reserve soldier? Dozing off on the first day of training?”
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
“You don’t owe me an apology. This education is all for your benefit—you should apologize to yourself.”
There was no excuse for this; it was entirely my fault.
But against my will, I kept growing listless and drowsy.
“Well, as long as you do well on the evaluation, your attitude during training doesn’t really matter.”
“Still, I should show respect. It’s respect for the instructors teaching us.”
“Kid. Yes, you were always such an upright child.”
Kim Sang-eung smiled warmly.
“Alright, I’m counting on you. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Yes, Uncle. Enjoy your meal as well.”
Kim Sang-eung gave my shoulder an encouraging pat as he passed.
His hands were rough and calloused, but his touch carried such warmth that my heart felt comforted.
‘When the massive gate phenomenon occurs, Uncle Sang-eung will pass away too.’
I remembered Mother attending Uncle Sang-eung’s funeral.
How much heartache must she have endured.
Not long after losing Father, she had to attend the funerals of his seniors, juniors, and colleagues.
‘The Minister needs to listen to Supernova’s warning.’
But the likelihood wasn’t high.
It wouldn’t be easy to mobilize the military and hunters based on unconfirmed information.
Moreover, this wasn’t a decision the Minister could make unilaterally, so there would be many obstacles regardless.
‘I’ll observe for a day or two, and if it seems necessary, I’ll apply more pressure.’
Lost in thought, I found myself standing before the restroom entrance.
The interior was empty except for the last stall, which appeared occupied.
Knock, knock.
“Someone’s in here.”
My voice echoed from beyond the door.
“It’s me.”
“Ah, Master.”
Helkiyan opened the door for me.
“Did you receive the training well?”
“Of course.”
“No one suspected anything?”
“That Ra Si-hyun kept staring at me, which was somewhat uncomfortable, but she shouldn’t have noticed anything.”
“Just ignore her. Don’t give her any attention. She’s just doing that on her own.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Good work. I’ll need your help again later.”
“Just call whenever you need me.”
Helkiyan grinned and transformed into a card, disappearing into the Infinite Deck.
Soon after, memories of what Helkiyan experienced while impersonating me seeped into my mind.
‘Nothing major happened… this bastard really.’
Learning exactly how Helkiyan had behaved gave me a headache.
‘Hey, you just slept the whole time?’
– I merely acted as you do, Master.
‘So you slept through the entire thing?’
– You ordered me to act exactly like you, Master.
‘Even so, you should show some minimum effort. Is it okay to just sleep openly?’
– I was simply following your orders.
‘Ugh.’
So that’s why Kim Sang-eung had been nagging me—Helkiyan had mimicked my behavior too perfectly.
‘Next time, tone it down a bit. It’s problematic if someone is too consistent.’
– Understood, Master.
‘Right, anyway, good work. Rest now.’
The moment my conversation with Helkiyan ended, Jung Ho-bin poked his head through the restroom door.
“Cha Eun-sung?”
“Yes?”
“It’s time for the meal assembly. Let’s go eat.”
“Ah, yes.”
I quickly washed my hands and headed to the cafeteria with Jung Ho-bin.

* * *
As I entered the restaurant, the eyes of the prospective hunters already eating lunch immediately fixed on our team.
“Huh? Isn’t that Jung Ho-bin?”
“Is that Bravo Team? The ones who say only the top aces from each cohort get assigned?”
“Isn’t that Cha Eun-sung next to him? You know, the one who made a name for himself during the Technomart incident last week.”
I could hear whispers spreading through the crowd.
Since it was our first day at the institute, it was only natural that people would gossip about the notable trainees in our cohort, so I didn’t pay it much mind.
Bravo Team was bound to be the center of attention with every new cohort anyway.
Jung Ho-bin didn’t seem particularly bothered either, likely because being a former idol had made him accustomed to this kind of attention.
Though I did wonder why he was wearing a mask while eating.
‘I’ll just eat quickly and think about how to handle this situation.’
I picked up a tray and got in line, when some guy approached me and spoke.
“Are you Cha Eun-sung?”
“Yeah, who’s asking?”
“I’m Park Ki-baek, Alpha Team leader. Let’s talk for a second.”
“About what?”
“Just come talk. Why are you asking so many questions? What, are you scared?”
“Sigh.”
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
No matter how excited everyone was, did it really have to happen during mealtime?
“What, you looking for a fight?”
“Are we doing this?”
Whispers erupted from all directions, and I felt the weight of anticipatory gazes settling on us.
“Eun-sung, I’ll handle this, so please enjoy your meal in peace.”
Oh Tae-kwon stepped forward, sensing his moment.
“Handle what? Never mind. During mealtime, we eat. Go get yourself some food.”
“But….”
“I said forget it. You’re not even my subordinate. I handle my own affairs.”
With that, I swung the tray I’d been holding with all my might.
Clang!
From above, the edge of the tray struck Park Ki-baek’s crown.
“Gack!”
Park Ki-baek coughed up blood and collapsed.
I pulled a long ladle from the pot of mushroom soup and swung it.
Thwack, crack, crack, thwack-thwack, crack!
“Ugh! P-please stop! I was wrong… Aaaahhh!”
Instead of answering, I brought the ladle down on Park Ki-baek again and again.
The ladle bent and warped from the repeated impacts, but I didn’t care.
“Wh-what?”
“Is, is he trying to kill him?”
The reserve hunters watching the scene grew restless, shifting their weight from foot to foot as if something had gone terribly wrong.
“Ugh!”
“Wow, he’s completely insane, isn’t he?”
The members of Alpha Team, experiencing violence on this scale for the first time, seemed to lose their nerve entirely—even as their team leader was being beaten, none of them dared to intervene.
The instructors simply folded their arms and watched, making no move to stop it.
The instructors at the Special Armed Forces Training Institute never interfered in fights between reserve hunters.
Clatter.
A ladle I’d carelessly thrown skittered across the restaurant floor.
“Gaaahhhhh….”
Park Ki-baek’s eyes rolled back as his body convulsed violently.
White foam flecked his lips—it looked like he’d gone into some kind of seizure from the beating.
“Not much of a constitution. Is he a ranged attacker?”
I offered a brief assessment before picking up a fresh tray and loading it with various dishes.
King crab, LA ribs, egg salad, and more.
The restaurant had fallen eerily silent, which was somewhat inconvenient, but I wasn’t about to let it disturb me.
Good.
Having made an example of myself in public, most of them wouldn’t dare bother me again.
Of course, some stubborn ones might still try, but then I’d just have to keep them hospitalized for a few months.
“You lot—your team leader just got beaten, and instead of avenging him, you just stand there watching? Is that what you learned this morning? What are you doing! Move, quickly!”
Instructor Kim Sang-eung appeared and took charge of the situation.
“At minimum, you should check his condition and take him to the Medical Office! What were you taught this morning anyway? Get moving, all of you! Hurry up!”
“Y-yes, we’re sorry!”
The reserve hunters from Alpha Team hoisted the unconscious Park Ki-baek and rushed toward the Medical Office.
Several people being carried out today….
‘The food here is actually worth acknowledging.’
Tap.
Recalling the taste of the Special Armed Forces Training Institute’s meals from my past, I picked up my fork—when someone set a tray down in front of me.
It was Ra Si-hyun.

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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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