If some issue starts making waves at night, its true impact really hits the next morning.
[Korea's First Native-Born S-Rank Hunter Has Appeared! The Hunter Management Bureau States...]
[Reports Say the Heads of the Three Major Guilds Are Still in a Meeting That Started Last Night!]
[Hunter Sin Jeong-woo, the Sixth S-Rank Hunter, Was in the Past...]
[Word Just Came In: A Director from Universe Guild Has Arrived at Incheon Airport!]
By the time people headed to work, school, or wherever their daily routines took them, the buzz had exploded across every social circle.
"Did you see the video?"
"Of course!"
The whole world was talking about Jeong-woo.
The awakening scene had been captured in crystal-clear high-definition video, and thanks to the late-night events at the bureau, his face and voice were already public knowledge.
The conversation had shifted beyond just his abilities to personal details about him as a person.
[Breaking News: Korea's first native S-Rank!]
[Comments]
— ANON123: No wonder he looked young lololol 23 years old ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— PARENTFAN: That kid is so well-behaved. Must feel super comfy in daddy's arms ㅋㅋㅋ
— LIFEREVERSAL: Damn, total life reversal in one shot... From orphan single dad to S-Rank Hunter ㄷㄷ
— JEALOUSONE: And he's handsome too... Kinda pisses me off...
— FANBOY: Upvoting hard... Keep it coming...
— SIBLINGMIXUP: Oh, not a little sister, a daughter...
— TROLLKING: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why you bummed? Think you'd have a shot if she was your sister?
There was plenty of chatter about Jeong-woo's personal profile, but outside of a tiny fringe of dark web communities, no one saw him as too weird.
Being an orphan wasn't even a big deal—gates had only been around for about 10 years when he was born. Back then, gate detection and induction tech wasn't fully developed, so orphan numbers from gate disasters were sky-high. In today's world, being an orphan wasn't a flaw.
Beyond that, though. A 23-year-old single dad. It could spark all sorts of opinions depending on your view, but humans are suckers for visible info. Jeong-woo's interview demeanor played a huge role in painting him positively.
— POLITEGUY: Speaks so cleanly and calmly. Well-spoken guy.
— MANNERSCHECK: Manners on point... Handled everything so smoothly despite the chaos ㅋㅋㅋ
— CAUTIOUSTYPE: Seems cautious, which I like ㅋㅋ
It wasn't all intentional, but Jeong-woo had lived a life hyper-aware of public scrutiny. His ingrained poise had won over the masses. Whatever the case, the emergence of a superpower who could claim the title of Korea's top dog, with his humble, soft-spoken vibe drawing goodwill.
Now came the worries about his future path.
— GUILDGUESS: Wonder where he'll go. Heavenly Fire Guild, right?
— HISTORYBUFF: History points to Heavenly Fire, but infrastructure-wise, it's Black Moon, no?
— ATHENARISING (Top Comment): Athena's been climbing lately ㅋㅋㅋ Went from two-horse race to three-way in a blink. Blew my mind.
— SOLOGUILD?: What if he starts his own guild? Native S-Rank potential makes it viable.
— REALIST: Hmm, guilds take more than raw power. Not sure. One-man guild? Possible, but corporate wars are brutal ini these days.
— CONSPIRACYNUT: No public office for him. Everyone knows it's rotten inside ㅋㅋㅋ
— MEMELORD: Bureau conspiracy theorist alert ㅋㅋㅋ
— Patriot: Anywhere but overseas. Stay in Korea, please...
As big a deal as Korea producing its first native S-Rank was the hope that his stage would stay in Korea. Native S-Ranks carried that much weight. Just look at Savior, the last one who awakened in the US seven years ago and all her achievements since.
So the story didn't fade after a day. Media and SNS alike went mad chasing updates, devouring every scrap of info on him. Unfortunately—
— GHOSTED?: He's really gone radio silent? For real?
— SUBMARINED: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Three days? No news at all now.
— DESPERATE: He only shows up for daycare drop-off/pick-up and skips interviews.
— Meltdown: I'm going insane!!!
Since that day, Jeong-woo had cut off all outside contact, giving zero info. The one change? Well...
[That teddy bear is Hunter Jeong-woo's summon! It's been maintained for over 60 hours straight! Mounting evidence suggests no time limit!]
[Corporate scouts at the Nowon-gu villa are being turned away by the summon!]
The news had been looping this scene for days. A life-sized teddy bear plush. Red cape, toy sword at its hip. Sign around its neck, mailbox in hand.
『To avoid disturbing the neighbors, please leave your business in the mailbox and go.』
Near Jeong-woo's one-room villa complex, scouts swarming to recruit him kept getting blocked by the sign-wearing teddy and sent packing.
— CUTEOVERLOAD: That summon looks so lame ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— RANKDOUBTER: That's S-Rank? For real??
— FACTCHECKER (Top Comment): Believe it or not, it's legit... Foreign media's losing it ㅋㅋㅋ No duration limit on the summon ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— PowerMove: Even calling it a show of force now.
— DINOWARN: Watch your mouth or you'll get the 'dino plush' treatment too.
Whatever else, no denying the summon's shocking visuals.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Three days after his regression and re-awakening.
Jeong-woo had holed up in his one-room, only venturing out once or twice for necessities. Time to process his situation and plan his next moves.
First, the regression. He jotted down everything he remembered that might happen. Futures could shift, but the main threads wouldn't change much, and analysis would reveal causes anyway.
'Can't get dragged into avoidable crap like an idiot.'
After mapping the timeline, he dove into his abilities. Aptitude: Perfect Parent (L). Realizing it blended reality-warping summons with combat had been weird at first. The rank made sense, but why "Parent" for this aptitude? Hard to match.
'The kid-show special effects aesthetic?'
Something like "Kids' Hero" would've fit better. Either a naming flub or hidden mechanics he hadn't grasped yet—that was his take so far. 'No extra details even on close inspection. Whatever.'
He did figure out [All-Ages Filter] only worked on magic beasts. Tested on other stuff—no dice. And one more thing.
[All-Ages Filter is active!]
This interface told him it was a prerequisite for his first skill, [Kids Need Heroes!]. Basically an environmental passive.
'Might have more effects—needs testing...'
For now, that was it. He scratched his cheek. That's when it happened.
Click! Pop! Pop!
The Teddy Warrior (S) returned from patrol. Segi, doodling on her sketchbook, jumped up.
"Teddy!" Pop! "Good job on the walk, Teddy!"
Segi toddled over and hugged the teddy tight. Loving the squishy feel, she rubbed her face on it. The teddy tilted to support her, butt-first for comfort. Jeong-woo smiled at the sight.
'Takes great care of Segi.'
Unlike typical summons. Normal ones drained mana constantly post-summon, but Teddy Warrior didn't need more after initial call. While others obeyed commands blindly outside combat, this one had some ego. Especially gentle with Segi, tied to his ability. S-Rank perks, probably.
That was the surface-level guess. Either way, good news. With so much on his plate, a childcare helper was gold.
Real issue started now. 'Gotta decide the path forward.'
This wasn't a dream—it was his timeline, resumed. S-Rank status out of nowhere, a future where he wouldn't leave Segi alone in sight. But he couldn't just wing it assuming everything would work out.
He remembered clearly. The moment that started it all.
—I... I don't like being alone, actually.
Jeong-woo's chest tightened. 'Zero Gate. Ten years from now.' Seoul, Korea's capital, would lose function. Half the population dead, hosted by Segi herself.
Her being Seoul's top potential? Not thrilling. Knowing it'd seed catastrophe? Hell no. Jeong-woo's face hardened.
'Never letting that happen.'
Exile abroad, early talent bloom. Every angle led to dead ends. Saving Segi alone? Maybe. But without stopping the Zero Gate itself... 'Won't let her see our home turn demonic wasteland.'
To guard her smile, not just life, everything had to be perfect. Greedy? Maybe. But he'd been handed power that might make it possible. Even if not, Zero Gate chasing Segi to Seoul was a slim chance worth prepping.
So he listed priorities. 'Spend tons of time with Segi. Prep for Zero Gate at national level. ...No, first investigate it deeper.'
Humanity knew zilch about Zero Gates. One known fact: Nine appearances, zero clears. Utter despair. Proof? Ground Zeroes. Nine demonic realms from uncleared Zero Gates embedding.
'France's Paris one shocked everyone.'
28 years ago, Paris Zero Gate killed 15 million French. Nation crippled; even now, Paris a no-go demonic zone birthing horror tales. Priority: Scout those sites, gather Zero Gate data.
But fame alone wouldn't cut it. 'Entry permits? No way. High-rankers tie to national power—major restrictions.' Needed freedom from that. 'Rewrite the future. From scratch.' For that: Faction, base.
Starting a corp? Nah. Too labor-heavy; drowning in growth would neglect Segi again. 'Better join a faction that aids my goals. Needs solid infra/power without hamstringing me...'
Jeong-woo pulled out the letters Teddy had collected. Sorted the pile on the floor.
"Love letters for the hero!"
Segi, sneaking up, eyes sparkling. Mixing fan mail with love letters, it seemed. More time together lately, her wary glances fading for this curious side. Jeong-woo smiled warmly.
"Nah, these are job offers."
Segi flinched. "J-Job..." Her lips pouted. Dreading long alone times again, probably. Jeong-woo soothed his own pang, scooping her up.
"But Daddy's only working a little."
"A little?"
"Yeah. Gotta play with Segi lots. Just a bit of work."
Her sulk perked up. Honest kid, emotions so vivid.
"Really...?"
"Super really."
"Super-duper really?"
"Super-duper-ultra really."
Lots of double-checks meant lots of past letdowns. He gave firm assurance.
"Daddy wants to hit the amusement park with Segi."
"Amusement park!"
"Zoo too."
"Me too! Me too! Pandas and foxes! Teddy! I know what polar bears look like!"
"For real? Teach Daddy then."
["Kids Need Confidence!" Stimulated the child's thirst for knowledge! One Praise Sticker awarded! Great Parent (3/10). Collect stickers to unlock skills!]
Thanks.
"When!? One night!? Two!?"
"Hmm~ Can Daddy check the calendar and pick?"
"Yup!"
Jeong-woo patted her bouncing back. Precious, so precious weight. 'So...' Gotta do better. His gaze hit the four sorted letters. His potential nests.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Six days post-awakening.
Reporters and scouts, sources drying up, wandered the villa hood with tired faces. Change hit sudden.
"H-Hey!? The sign changed!"
"What!?"
The teddy's neck sign, ever shooing folks, now read different.
『Recruitment closed. Thanks for the interest and kindness. We'll contact companies we want to talk to. Sorry we can't reply to all. Drive safe, have a great day.』
Like a job interview acceptance text. Corners doodled with kid-drawn elephant, giraffe, panda, dolphin—cute as hell. The teddy's update spread live.
[Comments]
— LMAO: No way ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— KIDART: The animals are daughter-drawn? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— HILARIOUS (Top Comment): Interviewee notifying acceptance—peak comedy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
— PoliteS: First native S-Rank in Korea, so it's fine. Super polite too ㅋㅋ
— WHERETO: So where's Sin Jeong-woo going? Any frontrunners???
The net exploded anew. The moment of choice, captivating the nation, was finally here.
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