Chapter 251: Total Crisis (3)
Clank clank!
Just watering the grass felt like I was causing a water bill explosion in this spacious yard.
The guest who got out of the back seat of the black sedan walked towards the detached house, guided by the driver.
But despite its impressive exterior, the inside was rather bleak.
The corridor was filled with chilling shadows.
Even in broad daylight, this vast house felt dark without turning on the lights. How was I supposed to walk around here without tripping over something?
Most of the furniture was expensive hardwood, yet even in the dim scenery, it was obvious that dust had settled everywhere.
It felt weird.
The guest scanned the inside of the single-story building, which felt desolate for some reason.
But just as they were taking in this rare sight, the driver/guide, walking beside them, suddenly stopped without a word…
“Ah, you’re here.”
They had arrived at the kitchen.
A simple-looking man with a marble-topped black island table greeted the guest warmly upon noticing them.
Then came a somewhat peculiar term of address.
“Thank you for coming, Mother.”
“Oh my, it was nothing.”
“Please, have a seat over there.”
The identity of the guest was none other than someone’s parent.
“Originally, I should have taken you to a nicer restaurant, but as you can see, I’m in this state, so going out is difficult.”
“What happened to that young man’s arm? Was he hurt at work or something?”
“Of course.”
The man, with burn scars on his forearms and part of his trapezius muscle, pointed across the table.
Then, the guide pulled out a chair for the visitor, escorting them to sit down.
The elderly guide quietly exited the room as if having finished their task.
‘What’s up with that? It’s not like he has his mouth sewn shut. How can he work for someone without even saying a word when coming and going?’
Just as that discontented thought surfaced.
“So, I don’t have much prepared, but let’s calm down and eat while talking…”
“Ah, yes!”
At the landlord’s invitation, the guest nodded eagerly.
Just as he said, he had come here to vent his troubles.
Hwa-young.
How this 49-year-old Earthling ended up in this position might seem like a plain reason.
Involved with a monstrosity of S-Class awakening…
It was a money problem.
-Listen well. If you show your face in front of me again, I might actually kill you.
Hwa-young had been following the memo given to her until a few days ago.
The blond man’s threatening demeanor was quite serious.
Though magic power isn’t something you can feel right away, everyone in the media kept saying that her son was an Awakened.
-I promise, it would be better for you to die.
Her father, frustrated with his daughter’s academic performance and beating her with a shoehorn, ended up in the emergency room due to being the parent of a mutant one day.
…that kind of plot still topped the news every day.
So, Hwa-young followed the warning just in case.
[[Web Notification] Dear Lee Hwa-young, your mobile phone bill is currently unpaid. If the total unpaid amount of 243,110 won is not paid, phone services may be suspended, please take note.]
[Missed Calls ☏ Sunhwa Bank 2]
[[Cheonnyeong Lending] Miss Lee Hwa-young, you are overdue. Please pay the interest of 101,800 won within the deadline.]
But the situation had changed a bit. The situation.
Even though society had transformed after Dungeon Shock, she still hadn’t acquired any unique abilities.
It was nearly impossible for a severely ill spine patient, missing the opportunity for surgery and suffering from nerve pain, to do manual labor regularly.
Soon, the guest found herself in a situation similar to her son’s past.
Sick and unemployed.
But to survive, basic living expenses were needed.
These days, her nerves were frayed by constant debt collection from morning till night.
Yet in such a situation, who would even think about a child’s lack of gratitude in the face of an insolvent future?
Hwa-young felt a gut-wrenching pain every time the media reported the average annual salary hunters earned, oddly twisted as if she had lost billions in her hands, compounded with today’s poverty; it forced her to make the ultimate gamble.
To put it more precisely, it was an attempt at intimidation.
{A ‘Crisis Child’ from an orphanage → Transformation into an S-Class Hunter}
When the world was in turmoil due to the Association President’s rampage.
In fact, she received calls from people claiming to be YTV PDs and SBC reporters on her phone.
Hwa-young initially intended to refuse all media requests.
She had been silently living without responding for the past few months.
However, these days, out of nowhere, she felt wronged.
[Jeongseong Daily]
[Comments (44)]
[[BEST] How can you abandon your child like that and live with ease? Do you not know? Tsk tsk. Just a vile monster left behind. Your son is supposedly doing well now, while you regret it deeply?]
The problematic article by Jeongseong Daily aimed to criticize Kim Gi-ryeo (of course, the backlash was fierce), revealing that his mother was still alive, which led to online users cursing a nameless person’s mother with expressions of demon this and that.
But honestly, would a mother who raised a child for over a hundred days just abandon them without a second thought?
If she could, she would have liked to raise him herself.
Yet the so-called father, a real piece of work, couldn’t even quit smoking while her mother was pregnant, puffing away next to her.
After the divorce, he hadn’t paid child support even once.
Hwa-young concluded that her past spouse played a significant role in her current predicament. And he really did. But since he was already deceased, he wasn’t much of a hot topic, which irked her.
‘It seems only those who have lived long suffer.’
Plus, having received threats amounting to almost murder from her grown child, it was a tricky situation to demand money face-to-face.
‘I have to clarify things someday.’
South Korea is a country that places an unusual emphasis on the bonds of lineage.
However, in this sentiment, if an S-Class Hunter harms their parents—just look at it.
Kim Gi-ryeo would definitely feel the pressure not to touch his birth mother carelessly.
So.
“Hah.”
…It became a long explanation.
To summarize, Hwa-young had started making calls to reporters a while ago.
She aimed to lessen the insults directed at her while also seeking some hush money from Kim Gi-ryeo.
-About Kim Gi-ryeo? Ah, uhm… That follow-up report? That’s… uh, due to some… ethical guidelines… we’ve received a suggestion from above…
-You’ve dialed the wrong number. This is Lee Ji-young’s number.
But strangely enough.
The broadcasting stations that until spring pleaded for her to reach out suggested something else when the topic came up about a certain hunter.
-Urgh! I-I’m sorry! That text I sent back then was a mistake. A mistake!
Just as Yang Hyung-gu’s loud refusal marked the end of her half-hearted attempt to gather information…
One day, Hwa-young received a call from an unknown number.
A man with a heavy voice expressed interest in her story, suggesting that if all went well, they could provide a major report.
Yet even on the phone, the identity of the caller was astonishing.
‘He looks just like a European. What a hulking figure…’
The third S-Class Hunter of Korea.
Kang Chang-ho sat across from her.
The guest found her stomach tightening under the magical pressure generated by a top-tier Awakened, but she didn’t want to offend her opponent by refusing the lavish food on the table.
After all, the man in front of her was built like a tank, his whole body a mass of muscle.
Moreover, he was a hunter.
“Hmm? You haven’t touched the food. Is it not to your liking?”
“Oh no! Not at all…”
In front of such a hunter, anyone would have to tread carefully with their words and actions.
That was common sense.
Clink.
As Hwa-young forced herself to eat, Kang Chang-ho shot her a peculiar glance.
“Well then.”
The proper conversation began afterward.
“I’ve heard a general overview from Reporter Yang. You seem to have a lot to say about Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo.”
“Oh? Uh, so you know Yang Hyung-gu…?”
“Of course. I know that guy very well.”
Kang Chang-ho lazily stirred the shark fin soup before he set down his spoon.
“But I actually know nothing about Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo, who has eaten from the same pot as me at work.”
“Hmm.”
“Since you’ve been awfully silent about things.”
“Really?”
“I was quite curious about that guy. But, surprisingly, I heard that Kim Gi-ryeo’s mother is going through some hardship.”
So, let’s hear what kind of article you want to write, he seemed to think as he leaned back in his chair.
What followed was a desperate lament.
“Actually, a long time ago, I had to leave my child at an orphanage because my situation wasn’t great…”
The landlord’s claims were met mostly with indifferent reactions from the guest.
Except for one particular part that sparked a sudden change in atmosphere.
“Anyways, he seems to have changed completely. Insulting me like that.”
Tap!
The S-Class Hunter put down the glass he was holding, demanding further explanation.
At that, Hwa-young stammered her words.
-Are you not going to shut your mouth? What’s with the sob story?
The man who once never cursed had completely transformed to spout various harsh words.
“…”
Kang Chang-ho listened to her testimony with a strange smile.
Of course, someone who got scammed out of about 27 million won might exhibit such changes.
But could Kim Gi-ryeo have changed his attitude for such a dull reason?
Could there be a fresh cause worthy of an evolved individual in the Dungeon Shock era?
“…Hmm.”
“Uh, what? Why do you look like that? Did I say something wrong?”
The landlord lightly refreshed her mouth with the lemon water.
“No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Now that she had acquired the information she was aiming for, it was time to slowly wrap up the conversation.
“Ah, so everything I said will be printed as is…?”
“Oh, my dear mother. But suddenly, I’m curious about something.”
Seated in what once was a chair used by Kang Chang-ho’s parents.
The owner of the Dragon’s Eye interrupted the speaker across from her. Then, with a light tone, asked a question.
“Setting aside the way of speaking, was Kim Gi-ryeo truly a good person in the past?”
“Pardon?”
“No, looking at you, I had a feeling that your son might never have been that bright to begin with.”
Ding dong. Ding dong.
-Indeed, is it too much to suddenly drop by and open the door?
Somewhere, a doorbell rang.
The situation returned to the familiar studio.
I currently found myself facing an unexpected visit from a person named Seonwoo-yeon.
-If I can’t come in, I can just talk for a bit from here…
Moreover, the Earthling at the door was asserting since earlier that she knew I was inside.
‘Looks like she used the [Seocher] skill.’
I sensed a sense of discomfort from her actions.
But despite that feeling, I accepted the guest.
Click.
“Ah.”
“I’m sorry for the delay. I was caught up with something else. Come in.”
If she had some strange purpose for the visit, it would be easier to deal with her inside rather than outside.
“Thank you.”
Creek… slam.
Thus, the long-haired staff awkwardly stepped into the mage’s realm.
Since she had been here before, she didn’t seem particularly surprised.
She simply sat down when told to, and when the green tea was brewed, she offered peculiar tools stating she doubted the Hunter’s place would have them.
A teapot and a tea timer!
“Oh.”
If it’s a free gift, there’s no reason to refuse.
I gladly accepted the items brought by the association employee. However, the conversation that ensued was shocking.
“I’m sorry for intruding on a holiday like this. I must apologize first.”
“It’s fine. Honestly, every day feels like a day off for me, so there’s no need for such formalities…”
“It’s because of a ludicrous complaint. I had no choice but to visit because of it.”
“A complaint?”
“Actually, I met Hunter Kang Chang-ho on my way home yesterday.”
Immediately upon hearing the name in question, I temporarily froze.
“To be precise, it wasn’t a meeting per se… he came looking for me, but anyway, he handed me these and started saying some really strange things.”
Yet she continued on without regard to what she was discussing.
Inside her jeans pocket, she held a small white box.
Before long, an unexpected magic tool emerged from the item box.
“There’s a reason behind this. If you don’t mind, could I ask you a question before we get to the main topic?”
[Justitia.]
Seonwoo-yeon held up a clean silver set of scales.
Simultaneously, she began to mumble some kind of incantation.
“-Have you ever impersonated the identity of one Kim Gi-ryeo? Wow, saying it out loud makes it sound like a prank. Still, let’s hear your response…”
