Chapter 264
It was just another Monday. Ji-Hye, the Changshin Daycare teacher, was on her way to work.
It took forty minutes by subway to reach her workplace in Bangbae-dong. Her face was full of energy, quite different from other commuters on the subway, who wore grim expressions as they braced themselves for the so-called “Monday Blues.”
Being a daycare teacher was widely considered a difficult profession, but Ji-Hye genuinely loved her job. From a young age, she had enjoyed caring for children, which led her to choose this career early on. Every day felt rewarding to her. No matter how tiring or challenging it was, the children’s pure, innocent smiles were enough to erase her fatigue.
As usual, the screens in the subway car displayed the latest news.[1]
⌜Now, for our next news story. Last night at 9:30 PM, an orc appeared in a busy area of Paju, Gyeonggi-do, leaving three civilians seriously injured. Luckily, a nearby B-rank Hunter was able to prevent the situation from escalating into a major disaster. Let’s now connect with reporter Kim Myung-Hoon, who is on the scene.⌟
Another monster attack... Ji-Hye thought nervously.
For the past ten years, since the Fissures began appearing, monsters had occasionally emerged out of nowhere, resulting in injuries and even fatalities among civilians. While the presence of Hunters had gradually reduced the frequency of such incidents, Ji-Hye still felt a pang of anxiety whenever she heard such news. After all, there was no guarantee that the children she cared for wouldn’t one day face such accidents themselves.
⌜According to the information released by the Hunter’s Bureau, there are reportedly monsters in the Deep Realm’s Core that even current S-rank Hunters cannot handle.⌟
⌜Yes, that’s correct. Last week, Chief Jung Young-Chul of the Hunter’s Bureau mentioned the Deep Realm, stating that the rankers there—known as Transcendents, demons, and kings—far surpass the power of Behemoth. However, it’s not all pessimistic news. Behemoth is growing stronger with each passing day in the Core...⌟
⌜I see. There have been many questions from people online about whether there’s a way to stop the rankers from the Deep Realm if they ever come to Earth, and how likely it is for such a scenario to occur. Could you shed some light on that...?⌟
***
The taiyaki from Hakase’s food stall was popular among the children at Changshin Daycare for its delicious taste. Sometimes, Ji-Hye would pay for the snacks out of her own pocket and order them for the children.