Chapter 478: Twilight and Dawn (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 478: Twilight and Dawn (4)
The ceaseless flow of time is made of chunks, both large and small.
Segments of a certain duration, bound together by their characteristics.
We call these eras.
And in every such era, one thing is certain to exist.
A figure.
Not just an ordinary person.
A figure who naturally comes to mind when you think of a certain era.
In other words, a symbol that represents an age.
“Everyone, is Cerberus scary? I am. It’s an EX-rank dungeon boss, isn’t it? Of course it’s scary. It’s the boss of a dungeon the World Association has officially deemed unconquerable. So, does that mean we’re all dead? Well, that’s not quite right either.”
Only such symbols were gathered here in this conference room.
To be precise, those who once were symbols and those who currently are.
The Hunter society, which began with the appearance of the rifts, is divided into two eras.
The era of the 1st Generation Hunters, who were active in the early days when criminals ran rampant and monsters pouring from failed dungeons were a daily occurrence.
And the 2nd Generation, which began after the 1st Generation Hunters had all died or retired due to old age.
“Now, to conquer the Hellgate in Greece, we have to take down the boss, Cerberus, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But since there’s no way to beat it, the ever-so-strict World Association must have labeled the dungeon EX-rank and told everyone to stay out, correct?”
“Mm… I suppose so.”
“Then let’s see. Why did the party that entered the dungeon before us fail to conquer Cerberus?”
“Well… isn’t it because Cerberus is strong?”
“Ah, sir. If that was going to be your answer, I would’ve just asked some kid on the street.”
“Ahem…”
Hahahaha!
A round of laughter erupted, ventilating the heavy atmosphere that had filled the conference room.
The Prime Minister didn’t join in, instead taking a step back to watch Kim Do-jin.
And one other person.
He turned his head to look at Son Si-woo, who was sitting in the nearest seat, observing the situation.
“……”
That was him.
The figure who symbolized the second era of this Hunter society.
Of course, Han Ju-hee and Namgung Hyeok, also seated here, were more than worthy of being called symbols.
But if one had to choose just a single person, the answer was Son Si-woo.
This wasn’t just his own opinion, but a matter anyone in the Republic of Korea would agree on.
It was only natural.
How many dungeons had been conquered by his hand? How many criminals had he brought to justice?
He had even put his own life on the line to protect the nation and its people in times of crisis.
If such a man did not become the symbol of Korea’s Hunter society, that in itself would be strange.
“Cerberus of the Hellgate is a truly insane monster. Its hide can’t even be scratched without Sword Aura, and the fire spewed from its three heads can melt most metals in an instant. A human gets hit by that? They’d just vanish from this world.”
Son Si-woo was, in name and reality, the symbol representing the current Hunter society, and by extension, the Republic of Korea.
The 3040 generation that leads this country.
And the 1020 generation that will lead it in the future.
All of them believed in and relied on him.
If you were to compare him to the president, the votes would likely overwhelmingly favor Son Si-woo.
He was grateful and relieved that Son Si-woo was a citizen of this country, yet at the same time, he always felt a sense of unease.
Just as no human can live forever, there is no eternal symbol.
When one era ends, its symbol is merely recorded in history.
“And its claws and teeth are so—incredibly sharp, you know? If you get bitten anywhere, that part just isn’t yours anymore. Its claws? If you get swiped, you’ll be torn into three pieces: Kim, Do, and Jin.”
That’s why he was anxious.
Son Si-woo was ultimately human, and humans age with the passage of time. When they age, they grow weak.
Son Si-woo was a symbol so overwhelming that he was difficult to compare to any other era.
When he eventually stepped down, who could possibly follow in his footsteps?
No, could such a being even appear in the first place?
Wasn’t it too greedy to hope that such a person would be born twice in a row in this small country?
“But, did you know?”
“……?”
“Boss monsters like that are not uncommon in S-rank dungeons.”
It was certainly greedy.
And yet, it seemed his greedy wish might have come true.
“Tough hide, sharp teeth, powerful fire breath? You’ll find plenty of those in high-tier S-rank dungeons. But those get conquered, right? So why is only Cerberus rated EX-rank and left as unconquerable?”
He posed a crucial question.
The people pondered.
In the silence, Kim Do-jin calmly continued.
“Because the boss monster isn’t the only problem there.”
They were being drawn in.
“You know that saying, right? Even a stray dog fights better in its own backyard.”
The gazes of those who were symbols of the old era and those who were symbols of the current one were all focused on one man: Kim Do-jin.
As if bewitched.
They were desperate to hear what he would say next.
“The Hellgate dungeon is a dungeon made exclusively for Cerberus. What does that mean?”
He controlled the pace with a single breath, heightening their focus.
Only when their concentration reached its peak did he continue.
“It means the entire surrounding environment is structured to Cerberus’s advantage.”
“Ah…!”
“Does that mean…?”
One by one, they began to understand.
Before they could break the tension, he spoke again, his tone urgent yet maintaining an air of leisure.
“The uneven terrain with massive, protruding rocks; a temperature so hot that even Hunters immune to normal heat and cold find it unbearable; the thick darkness that restricts vision. Every single one of these factors is a disadvantage for us and an advantage for Cerberus, making the beast stronger. A lot stronger, to an absurd degree.”
After continuing his explanation with a serious demeanor, he spread his arms slightly and spoke in a cute tone.
“But ta-da! Where is Cerberus right now?”
He emphasized that while it was an EX-rank boss monster, it was not an unconquerable opponent.
And that became a source of hope.
A small expectation began to form—that perhaps this task wouldn’t be as difficult as they thought.
This expectation, in turn, boosted their morale.
It made those who had been cowering in fear, intimidated by the EX-rank title, straighten their shoulders.
“This world is not a very favorable environment for Cerberus. Which means.”
A single young man had the veterans wrapped around his finger.
“The beast is no longer an unconquerable being.”
The familiar sight made his gaze shift to Son Si-woo.
He’s the spitting image.
He resembled him.
The Son Si-woo of his youth.
He had been just like that back then—less refined than he was now, a little more free-spirited.
He would boost his allies’ morale with just the right amount of confidence, pulling the impossible into the realm of possibility.
“So all you have to do is follow my lead. Okay?”
Even the way his confidence sometimes bordered on arrogance.
The resemblance was so uncanny that for a moment, he entertained an absurd suspicion.
An illegitimate child he had in secret… no, that can’t be it.
It was Son Si-woo, of all people.
A man known as the icon of upright living, a devoted husband.
For him to cheat on his wife, let alone have a child from the affair?
That was harder to believe than being told the world would end tomorrow.
Shaking off the pointless thought, he looked at Kim Do-jin again and thought.
…So it wasn’t just about his abilities.
The world was full of capable people.
But not all of them became symbols representing an era.
Something more was needed.
Things seen and unseen.
Only one who possessed a wide range of qualities and could stand above others to lead them could establish themselves as a symbol.
And that young man had it.
He even wielded it with a skill that was unbelievable for his astonishingly young age.
Watching this, the Prime Minister finally realized.
It was a moment he had only vaguely imagined, a moment that had always been blurry and filled him with anxiety.
A new era.
He could see that the dawn, heralding its beginning, was gradually breaking.
I’m curious.
What would the new era he ushered in look like?
What name would people call him by, and how would he be remembered?
He decided to watch, slowly and patiently.
From a distance, after his own time has set with the opening of the new era.
A faint smile bloomed on his face, which had remained stern throughout the meeting, before quickly vanishing.
* * *
It wasn’t difficult.
Handling the people gathered in the conference room was easy.
I already knew them well, after all.
What they liked, what tone of voice to use to persuade them without any pushback, and so on.
I soothed and cajoled them in a way they’d appreciate, confidently and with a bit of humor, to get the situation under control.
“Very well. We will follow Hunter Kim Do-jin’s plan for the attack squad’s composition.”
“Thank you for your trust.”
“Don’t mention it.”
A senior in the industry, once famous as an S-rank Hunter.
A man whose patriotism was so strong that he was once the first Hunter that came to mind when people thought of a Korean hero.
And a political heavyweight who, unable to shake off an injury sustained in a battle with a villain, retired from the front lines and entered politics, where he enjoyed a string of successes.
Prime Minister Im Seung-wook.
Even that notoriously strict man gave his approval.
He must have quite liked the way I led the meeting.
With his support, I revealed the attack squad composition I had planned.
Murmurs spread through the room with each name I announced.
“That is the full composition.”
As I finished, Im Seung-wook immediately shot me a sharp look and asked.
“Is that lineup… truly possible?”
“Yes. I already spoke with them on my way here.”
“…It couldn’t have been easy to persuade them.”
Nope.
It was easy.
Contrary to my inner thoughts, I put on the most troubled expression I could and shook my head with difficulty.
“But what could I do? The Republic of Korea is in crisis.”
“Hmm…!”
Getting on that man’s good side is simple.
You just have to act like a patriot.
Look at him now.
The moment I said I persuaded them with great difficulty for the sake of the nation, he looked deeply moved.
“Excellent. Then we will form the attack squad as planned…”
We were about to conclude the meeting after finalizing the composition of the attack squad and their support teams.
Clack!
A man threw the door open without permission and appeared.
Judging by the sweat drenching his forehead, he must have run a fair distance to get here.
“Pant… I-I’m sorry! I apologize for the intrusion, but I have an urgent report…!”
Im Seung-wook, who had been looking displeased for a moment, suppressed his irritation and said.
“It’s fine. Catch your breath and then speak.”
“W-Well…!”
But as if there was no time for that, the man blurted out without taking a proper breath.
“A change has been observed at Gwanghwamun…!”
The people gasped in shock.
“A change… Has Cerberus started to move?”
“Then we must deploy immediately…!”
As people began to panic, the man’s voice cut through their chatter.
“N-No, that’s not it. Cerberus still hasn’t moved a single step.”
The people sighed in relief.
But his report wasn’t over.
“The investigator on site says that the massive gate Cerberus is guarding is opening… ever so slightly, but it’s opening!”
“……!”
A danger far greater than Cerberus on the move began to tighten its grip around their necks.