Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Difference (1)
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Big events had erupted one after another.
— The emergence of a labyrinth-type multi-gate.
— The discovery of the Homunculus lab.
Yet the place that ended up the busiest wasn't the government, the association, any guild, or corporation.
It was the media.
No sooner had the news broken than broadcasters, newspapers, and online communities sprang into frenzied, feverish action faster than any other organization.
"Breaking news. A Hunter who single-handedly rescued children from the Homunculus lab..."
"He's one of the Hunters who supported the multi-gate, and despite his exhausted body..."
"It's hard to believe he's a rookie who only got his Hunter license recently. The gates he's cleared over the past fortnight..."
On broadcasts, it was breaking news.
— Disposable Hunters, begone! The birth of a true Energizer Hunter!
— Seven hunts in a row weren't enough! A devoted Hunter who even supported the multi-gate!
— The identity of the Hunter who infiltrated the Homunculus lab alone and saved a child: a rookie?!
— Hero Guild's Kim Gunja. Who is he?
— From D-rank to B-rank, and on to Hero. His journey over that fortnight!
Online news outlets went with sensational headlines.
As Kim Gunja's name began buzzing everywhere, the spark fanned by communities and SNS quickly ignited public opinion across the nation.
The news spread at an eerily rapid pace.
Fast enough to make you suspect someone was pouring oil on the fire.
Whenever it seemed to die down even a little, fresh bait popped up: re-awakening details, character-specific unique traits, evaluations from fellow Hunters on joint hunts, Dual Stream, and more.
As if it were all coordinated.
Naturally, the flames showed no sign of dying out—they just kept swelling bigger.
Of course, at the center of it all was the Hero Guild.
Turning a butterfly's wingbeat into a typhoon wasn't hard for them.
The Hero Guild had reacted swiftly the moment they heard about Kim Gunja.
The guild master ordered the PR team to compile the necessary materials and distribute them to the media, then started leaking heartwarming stories about Kim Gunja online in timed drips.
And as expected, the response was explosive.
There were precious few in the public who could ignore a dramatic tale and the emergence of a new hero.
Whether that attention was good or bad.
Hero Guild headquarters.
Baek Jincheon gazed down at the night view with a deeply satisfied expression.
He swirled his glass of white wine, savoring the aroma, then spoke.
"He's doing just fine on his own. Unlike some people."
The former referred to Kim Gunja; the latter, Kang Inhyeok.
Unlike the painstaking efforts to build Kang Inhyeok's image for the Hero Guild, Kim Gunja had made his name known to the public without anyone instructing or supporting him.
And in a very positive light, at that.
The guild master smiled faintly in response.
"Yes. He was like that even during the initiation ceremony—his actions are on another level. But we never predicted he'd make a name for himself this quickly."
"Exactly. Buzz isn't something you get just by trying hard."
Buzz.
It was one of the most crucial elements in creating a guild's star Hunter.
You could force it, sure, but it was highly volatile and didn't last.
It was obvious, and backlash was all too easy.
If buzz were that simple to manufacture, entertainment agencies wouldn't struggle so much to produce a single star.
No need for noise marketing or anything like that.
The image of a hero was the same.
Flashy achievements and exploits helped, but they alone didn't make a hero.
You needed that innate charm to capture the public's heart, plus the right timing.
And this guy Kim Gunja had pulled it off effortlessly.
In just one night.
'Is heaven really on his side? Or...'
The guild master felt a twinge of suspicion.
Everything lined up too perfectly.
The story of a D-rank Hunter re-awakening.
His trail of rapid growth and diligent hunting.
His devoted attitude on full display during the multi-gate.
And capping it off with heroically charging into the Homunculus lab alone to save the kids.
Missing even one piece, and he wouldn't have generated this level of buzz.
Everything meshed together like gears in a clockwork mechanism.
As if all of it had been...
'Planned from the start by someone to create today's buzz...'
Even as the thought crossed his mind, the guild master dismissed it as absurd.
It was just coincidence piled on coincidence, layered with more coincidences...
...But wasn't that just as implausible?
"Coincidence?"
Baek Jincheon's question snapped the guild master from his reverie.
Just like him, the guild master seemed to harbor similar suspicions.
"Hard to say for sure."
Baek Jincheon sipped his wine and smiled faintly.
He felt the ambiguity himself.
"The lab."
Only then did the guild master catch his drift.
Everything else could be coincidence.
Some people just had uncanny timing and luck.
But starting a mountain hike right after the multi-gate ended.
And stumbling on the Homunculus lab.
Was that really just 'coincidence'?
"It does differ a bit from his movements so far."
"Did he see something? Or hear something?"
Baek Jincheon swirled his wine glass, pondering briefly.
Then he reached a conclusion.
"He brought us a golden goose. Can't punish him for that. How's the lab cleanup?"
"We've finalized it with the association—all handled on our end."
"Thoroughly."
"No oversights."
Baek Jincheon gazed out at the night view through the glass at the guild master's reply.
"Heroes are sent by heaven; tyrants are made by the times."
He downed his wine lightly, his expression intrigued.
"I wonder which he is."
Just random coincidence guiding his actions?
Or cleverly riding the waves of the era?
"Either way, better than a wild colt."
Baek Jincheon let out a pleased chuckle.
His face alight with anticipation for what was to come.
#
Two days had passed since his hospitalization.
As the nation buzzed, Kim Gunja had been plenty busy during his rest.
He steadily circulated the Heaven-Shattering Divine Art for recovery while turning away Park Chunduk, Sin Yeji, and his friends who wanted to visit.
Showing up now would've gotten them mobbed by reporters before even entering the hospital.
He'd also contacted Pentagram's Monjiro.
Monjiro expressed relief.
— Glad you're safe. Confirmation was enough, but you wrapped it up completely... Things turned out well this time, but please don't dive so deep next time. Homunculus groups are unpredictable. We'll send the artifact to the address you gave. Good work.
Recalling what the puppet had said, they were clearly targeting Pentagram.
Kim Gunja considered mentioning it but held back.
No real excuse handy.
'I'll fill them in if the chance comes later.'
Now fully recovered, he was handling discharge procedures.
"Your recovery is extraordinary, really."
"Gotta shake it off quick when the top doc's overseeing me."
The doctor shook his head at Kim Gunja's cheeky grin.
After farewells, he stepped out to chaos at the hospital entrance.
"Kim Gunja! A quick interview...!"
"Is there a personal reason for such devotion? Or some backstory...?"
"Any Hunter you admire? Name one...!"
"Kim Gunja! Just a smile this way!"
Kim Gunja dodged the clamoring reporters and hopped into the car driven by Choi Jinseung.
His body itched to check something ASAP.
"To Hero Guild."
"Got it."
There were a few reasons for heading to Hero Guild.
One, going to Chunduk hyung's academy would've meant getting swamped by visitors and accomplishing nothing.
Two, it was the perfect spot for testing.
He arrived at Hero Guild.
Thankfully, his rising fame kept reporters from swarming even here.
Entering the building, he felt eyes pouring in.
'That's the guy?'
'Famous overnight.'
'Makes sense, given what he's done.'
'Yeah, no way I'd pull that off even in death.'
Amid the murmurs, Kim Gunja headed to the underground training room to meet those he'd arranged.
En route, a sign reading [Archives] and a hefty steel door caught his eye.
"......"
He passed by smoothly, showing zero interest.
Not the right time yet.
He reached the basement.
There waited Team 8, with no hunts scheduled, at his request.
"Team leader. Thanks for coming through."
Team 8's leader, Gil Jiho, nodded at Kim Gunja's greeting.
"Yeah. Happy to help a junior improve. But you sure? Heard you were discharged today."
The other Team 8 Hunters looked concerned too.
Reminded them of the initiation ceremony fiasco.
"I'm good."
Kim Gunja dismissed it with a bright smile.
Descent.
One-on-one sparring wouldn't recapture that sensation.
He needed conditions as close as possible—multiple powerhouses.
That's why he'd asked his seniors.
To retrain one-against-many, like that day.
Gil Jiho nodded.
"Alright. We'll push hard like last time, but stop if it feels excessive."
"Yes. Please."
Team 8 Hunters formed groups and surrounded him.
Kim Gunja recalled it.
The 'domain' sensation when Ma Ilcheon moved amid his puppets.
"......"
He focused his mind.
Deeper, even deeper.
Like being alone in the world, recalling Ma Ilcheon's descent.
Slowly, all traces around him faded.
And then,
Thud—
A small droplet fell onto the mental canvas Kim Gunja had erased.
Ripples spread, restoring what had vanished.
No outward change.
But Kim Gunja clearly felt it.
His own 'domain' had formed.
Not comparable to Ma Ilcheon's, but unmistakably similar.
Every movement within was crystal-clear, graspable.
As Kim Gunja's eyelids slowly rose—maintaining a mirror-like clarity—Team 8 Hunters gasped.
The air suddenly felt stifling.
Like invisible eyes watched their every twitch from all directions.
The slightest move, and Kim Gunja's sword would pierce their throats.
Unlike the Hunters, though, Kim Gunja's face was serene.
'Not perfect, but...'
He'd reached the toehold of Ma Ilcheon's footprint.
A sense of fullness brought a natural smile.
"Come at me."
Kim Gunja said.
His voice brimming with victory.
#
Before an S-rank gate in Shanghai, China.
A plump man watching a video on his phone went wide-eyed.
Then he urgently called out.
"J-Jinwei! Jinwei!"
"......"
The middle-aged man in meditation, his long hair tied back like a ponytail, narrowed his eyes.
Six different swords—artifacts—hung from his waist, three per side, each radiating extraordinary energy.
"Bao. I told you not to shout before gate entry."
"Oops. Sorry. Just that shocking."
Jinwei knew Bao wasn't easily startled, so he didn't snap.
"What is it?"
"Check this. Reminded me of what you mentioned."
The phone Bao pulled out showed edited footage of a man wielding a sword.
Safety personnel suggested it was from a Hunter exam.
As Jinwei watched intently, Bao rattled off what he knew.
"This guy suddenly blew up in Korea. Re-awakener, they say. Unique traits all character-based. One's swordsman-related, so maybe the swordsmanship you—"
At 'character-based' and 'swordsman,' Jinwei's eyes sharpened.
Listening, he stroked one of the swords on his left side.
A faded scabbard holding crimson energy bore tiny script on one side.
Sword Demon.