Chapter 133 : Dad, Stay Strong!
Dad, Stay Strong!
A B-rank gate appeared in Shanghai, China.
With the sudden emergence of the gate, monsters swarmed the city center.
The aftereffects of the gate opening caused countless buildings to collapse.
Many people found themselves trapped beneath the debris and unable to escape.
"Mom, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"M-My leg..."
At the scene was a family.
Although they desperately needed to escape, the mother's leg was pinned under debris.
Moreover, with the ground split and buildings collapsing, it was impossible to get out.
"Damn it! I can't budge it at all!"
"Even with dad's strength, it's just not possible...!"
The huge debris pinning down the mother's leg.
There wasn't a single person in the family strong enough to lift it.
Not one of them was an awakened.
"What do we do? The monsters are about to reach us any moment now!"
Even if, by some luck, they managed to lift the debris, they couldn't relax.
To evacuate far from the gate, they would need to cross a nearby bridge.
However, the earthquake triggered by the gate had collapsed the bridge as well.
Even an awakened would have to be of the highest rank to leap over that broken span.
How could ordinary people ever cross it?
Kieeeek-!
At that moment, an animalistic cry echoed out.
No, it was an odd sound, even for a beast.
As the wall broke, gigantic insects appeared.
Huge spiders, ants, and beetles demolished the walls of what had once been someone's home.
"M-Monsters...!"
The enormous monsters eyed the family like prey.
The monsters watched each other, tongues flicking out, as if competing to see who would eat first.
Then, all at once, they bared their teeth as if they were racing to devour their meal.
"Cough! Cough! What is this...?!"
Purple mist began to seep from the monsters' mouths.
These monsters carried powerful toxins inside their bodies.
An ordinary person would die within ten hours of breathing in that mist.
The family was backed into a wall—there was simply no way to survive.
Slice-!
At that moment, the monsters were suddenly split in two.
The very beings that had inspired dread cleaved in a single strike.
"That person...!"
Someone holding a whip appeared before the family.
The woman who had appeared in an instant and saved them was unmistakably a hunter.
And as soon as the family's son saw her face, he was stunned.
"Do you know who that is?"
"She's A-rank, part of the Sura guild... she's a model and even a singer!"
The son stammered in disbelief.
The woman who felled the monsters approached the family and spoke.
"My name is Ai Hoon. Is anyone hurt?"
"No...! Thank you so much!"
Ai Hoon. Her popularity in China was explosive.
As an A-rank, her skills were beyond question, and with her looks, she was making waves even in the entertainment industry.
And because she was also in the Sura guild, her fame was even greater.
"By the way, did you all inhale that poisonous mist just now?"
"Huh...?"
"That mist was poisonous?"
They had to receive healing before ten hours passed.
But it would take some time for healers to arrive.
Then Ai Hoon turned to the family's son and asked:
"Excuse me, what's the t-shirt you're wearing?"
"This? It's merch from the Korean girl group Eight Diva."
"..."
When Ai Hoon saw the shirt, her mouth clamped shut.
She looked as if she'd spaced out for a moment, until the husband pointed at his wife.
"Anyway, could you lift the rock off my wife's leg?"
She wasn't just any hunter—she was an A-rank.
This kind of debris should be easy for her.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think that's possible."
"What?"
"And by the way, you all breathed in the poison, didn't you?"
Ai Hoon's previously kind manner abruptly shifted.
Startled by her cold response, the family flinched.
But just a moment ago, she had saved their lives.
Staying with her felt like the safest option possible.
Kieeeek-!
Again, more monsters began to swarm in.
This time, they were not ground insects, but giant wasps and mosquitoes.
There were so many that the family tensed up severely.
Ai Hoon glanced at them and smiled.
"I don't think I'll have the energy to fight those things and save you at the same time."
"What...?"
What did she mean?
Hoping it was a joke, the family prayed silently.
But with a bright smile, Ai Hoon looked at them and said:
"You've been killed by monsters. Got it?"
"What do you mean...?"
"Then, bye-bye~"
The wasps and mosquitoes spotted them and charged forward.
As the horrifying sight unfolded, the family trembled in fear... but Ai Hoon simply left.
Kieeeek-!
The flying insects began to attack the family.
"W-Where are you going?! P-Please help...!!"
"Aaahhh!!"
"Screeeaam!!"
The family screamed as they were killed by the attacking insects.
Blood splattered across the debris of what had once been their home.
The building that was once a warm household was now soaked in red.
After escaping the scene, Ai Hoon found her colleagues.
"Ai! No survivors around here?"
Among them was a healer.
With tears in her eyes, Ai Hoon spoke.
"I saw survivors just now... but I was too late...!"
Ai Hoon explained the situation.
She met a family trapped under debris—the wife's leg was pinned under a massive stone.
She managed to lift the debris, but they moved too slowly.
She wanted to help them further, but monsters swarmed in.
"I tried my best to save them... but there were just too many monsters...!"
Especially with the wife's injured leg, the family couldn't run fast and fell victim to the monsters.
Ai Hoon explained that it was simply more than she could handle alone.
"I'm truly sorry...! I just wasn't strong enough...!"
"No need to blame yourself so much."
"Yeah! It's not over yet. Let's get into that gate and take down the boss."
Reassured by her fellow hunters, Ai Hoon wiped away her tears.
"Thank you... so much, everyone."
Seeing Ai Hoon genuinely mourn, nobody blamed her.
Unable to save people despite wanting to, her face was full of remorse.
As an actress to boot... she was expertly skilled at pretending.
****
[Next up: Breaking news. A B-rank gate has opened in a quiet neighborhood in Shanghai, China.]
[The gate situation is being swiftly resolved thanks to the outstanding efforts of Chinese hunters. At the center of it all is Ai Hoon.]
[Due to the sudden B-rank gate, there have been casualties.]
[Hunter Ai Hoon expressed her deepest condolences to those who lost their lives.]
News bulletins played from the car's built-in radio.
Lately, my father seemed to play the news a lot while driving.
[And Ai Hoon is expected to visit Korea soon.]
[Korean fans are already going wild at the news of her upcoming visit.]
Next to me, Yunhee frowned as if thoroughly bored.
Ai Hoon or whoever—she had zero interest.
"Dad, can we stop listening to the news? Play some music, please."
"Kiddo, you have to watch the news to know what's going on in the world."
"But I get all the news I can handle at home."
"And you can listen to music as much as you want at home."
My father, who was driving, began a squabble with my younger sister, Yunhee.
We had played until we were exhausted at the waterpark and were on our way home.
Since it would take a while to get back, Yunhee was restless.
For adults, the news was a perfect way to pass the time,
but for Yunhee, it was nothing but boredom.
"What about you guys? Do you want to just listen to the news the whole way?"
Yunhee pulled out her secret weapon.
She dragged in Sang-ah and Ah-rin, who sat next to her.
Since these two were my friends, my father would feel doubly awkward.
He could lecture his own kids, but never his son's friends.
They were honored guests after all.
Yell at them, and what would that make me as a son?
"I don't mind whatever we listen to."
Sang-ah, who spoke the least, replied timidly.
But Ah-rin spoke up brightly.
"I want to listen to music too!"
"See? Even the girls want to listen."
"..."
With the consensus of the passengers, my father couldn't say a word.
His expression was visible in the rearview mirror.
He looked truly troubled as if not wanting to give in.
And as if that weren't enough, my mother joined in.
"The kids said they want music. Just play it."
"But, that's..."
"Don't act like that. You listen to idol songs, too."
It wasn't a lie.
No doubt, my father had filled the radio with music files.
"Seongjin, you want to listen too, right?"
"Well... sure."
Since everyone wanted music, I just agreed.
"You heard them. Come on, play it."
"Wait. I just need to prepare something first..."
"What preparation? Just use the radio."
"Ah...no...!"
My mother started pressing random radio buttons.
Just as the light turned green, my father couldn't take his hands off the wheel.
Music began to play from the radio.
― Roar~ I'll give my heart to you.
Huh?
― Srrrrp... Haha... Haha... Fantastic.
Somehow... a voice drama not meant for children started playing on the radio.
Even from the first line, it sounded extremely suggestive.
As time passed, it only grew more and more risqué.
Ah-rin, Eunseol, and Yunhee's eyes immediately went wide in shock.
I, too, was dumbfounded.
Once the car finally stopped for a red light, my father could reach for the radio—
but it was too late.
"Honey."
"..."
"What is this? Hm?"
"...."
It was already too late.
My father had switched to the news because he didn't want anyone to catch him listening to voice dramas.
"We'll talk at home."
"Yes..."
In front of my mother, who had turned into a witch, dad couldn't say a word.
After some time in awkward silence, the car stopped again—
but it wasn't at our house.
"We'll get out here."
"Alright, just don't be too late."
Sang-ah, Ah-rin, and I got out of the car together.
We were still far from home, but stopped here to meet someone.
"I'll see you at home in a bit."
"Try to come home soon...!"
Watching my father drive away, I felt a little sorry for him.
I could already guess what would happen at home.
As soon as the car left, Ah-rin said,
"Seongjin, do you remember the news we just heard?"
"The news?"
It was about the B-rank gate in Shanghai.
The one who defeated the boss and calmed the gate was Ai Hoon.
We'd heard she was about to visit Korea, too.
"You mean that hunter, Ai Hoon?"
"You know who she is, right?"
"..."
I'd heard about her at least once.
The most popular hunter in the Sura guild.
"Do you know her personally?"
"Of course. The world doesn't know, but she's the Sura guildmaster's daughter."
"Daughter?"
I hadn't even imagined the Sura guildmaster had a daughter.
Of course, it's not unusual for a guildmaster to have family.
But it was odd that it wasn't public knowledge.
"If she comes to Korea, you need to be careful."
"What kind of person is she?"
Ah-rin's face grew serious.
"She has a split personality. It's really severe."
Just being the Sura guildmaster's daughter made it clear she was dangerous.
And although her destinations in Korea weren't announced yet,
From what Ah-rin said, she was someone you were better off never meeting.
"Excuse me, are you Ma Seongjin by any chance?"
Just then, a man in a white suit appeared and spoke to me.
Sang-ah and Ah-rin looked on in surprise, but I replied as if I'd been waiting for him.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"No, you arrived right on time."
The reason I didn't go home was to meet this man.
"Shall we go? Guildmaster Baek Suhyuk is waiting."
"Does he have a lot to say to me?"
"Yes. You can tell by just looking at the guildmaster's face."
And, though I felt bad for my father, it looked like I'd be late coming home.
So in my heart, I cheered him on:
Dad, stay strong! You have mom by your side!