Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: 16. Fragments of Memory (4)
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That day was truly overcast.
Dark clouds had rolled in before anyone knew it, dyeing the bright midday sky pitch black, while the throng of people with no room to step added an atmosphere as heavy as the weather itself. A comrade had died. It was something unavoidable for anyone living as a Ranger, but Yoon Ji-tae just couldn't come to terms with the situation.
"........."
"Sniff, sniff."
His sister-in-law, who always greeted him with a beaming smile and fresh fruit whenever he visited home, was lost in a daze. Her middle-school son, dressed in a suit as a pallbearer, had his face flushed red from holding back tears.
It felt alien.
Rangers typically had nothing to lose.
He was the same, and so was Team Leader Kim Myung-min.
Given the nature of their job, which demanded sacrifice, it was rare for them to have such a proper family.
That's why he'd once asked.
When he questioned why live as a Ranger, his comrade had gazed into the empty air without much hesitation and replied.
"......My mother was attacked by monsters. It was an ordinary day, and that morning she had greeted me with a bright smile, but then a sudden outbreak happened, and she vanished without a trace. A month later, we found her body, and the investigator told me she'd been alive just days before. Trapped alone in the collapsed underground, she endured until the end... and passed away. So all I want is for no one else to go through that kind of grief."
He gritted his teeth.
It was infuriating.
His comrade or himself—what the hell were they doing with their lives?
If they'd wanted ordinary wealth and glory like everyone else, living as a regular hunter would have been safer and more rewarding. They could choose their risks and negotiate their worth.
Rangers were different.
They couldn't choose the risks.
The Hunter Management Bureau tried to treat them well with all sorts of benefits, but it never fully compensated for the dangers.
Look at it now.
For the death of a single Ranger, there was an unwritten rule that everyone from the Bureau had to attend, even if they weren't close. That's why the funeral hall was packed. Some said a grand send-off honored the deceased, but would it feel like a benefit to the dead or their loved ones?
No.
Being alive was the greatest happiness.
Yoon Ji-tae stepped outside.
He lit a cigarette, one he'd quit due to stamina issues.
"......Fuck."
Cruelly enough.
Today was the anniversary of his little brother's death—the very event that had led Yoon Ji-tae to become a Ranger.
Kang San's face was covered in traces of battle.
Yoon Ji-tae had hesitated on the way to the hospital room, but now that they faced each other, he didn't shy away from reality.
"......I must have caused you a lot of discomfort all this time. Picking fights at every turn, always showing distrust that you were one of us. It might sound ridiculous coming from me now, but honestly, I really liked you, Kang San. The way you judged what was right for the rescue targets and stepped forward without hesitation. And your skills, unbelievable for a low-rank hunter—Team Leader even said we might have gained a good comrade. That's why... that's why I was annoyed."
He clenched his fist tight.
The comrade who'd died in that freak accident was the same—someone who'd throw himself into danger for his teammates.
"What we do is riskier the better a person you are. Things ordinary people never face in a lifetime happen daily, so no matter how careful, the moment of choice eventually comes. A situation where you have to sacrifice yourself to save someone. In that one raid, you were willing to be the sacrifice, and paradoxically, that made me wish you wouldn't do Ranger work. Good people always leave first, don't they?"
This rescue.
It had gone exactly as expected.
This fool of a D-rank had thrown himself in to save people, creating the very situation Yoon Ji-tae dreaded most. But then the unbelievable happened. Kang San had held off an A-rank Werewolf Lord. It defied all common sense, yet he'd somehow bought them time through sheer grit.
A chill ran through him.
His fallen comrade came to mind.
What if—what if Kang San had been there then? Maybe he wouldn't have died.
"I'm sorry. And thank you. In a situation where even I despaired, you saved me, my comrades, and the rescue targets. I had to say this to you."
He handed something over.
Kang San's eyes asked what it was.
"These are family photos from the people we rescued. Thanks to you, they didn't lose their loved ones. Thank you. Truly, thank you for joining us."
Yoon Ji-tae bowed his head.
It was the best apology he could offer, the utmost respect he could show to Kang San, who'd shouldered the sacrifice.
The hospital room emptied.
Kang San stared at the photos for a long while.
Husband and wife, son and daughter.
The husband was a familiar face from the rescue—he'd probably been raiding to support the family. It was common. In a world where steady income wasn't guaranteed without being a hunter, parents had to take risks they knew were dangerous to raise their kids properly.
A sense of disconnect rose within him.
Kang San had saved people this time.
But in the vivid memories of his past life, as real as if he'd lived it himself, the Blood Demon had slaughtered indiscriminately.
No regard for men, women, young, or old.
Someone's husband.
Someone's wife.
Someone's child, someone's parent.
They died horribly.
Each flash of his sword under the moonlight snuffed out a life, proving—even with the justification of vengeance—that the Blood Demon's killings held no legitimacy. It was a repeating cycle. He'd steel his mind thinking he was different now, but reliving the past life always churned his emotions uncontrollably.
Suddenly, his parents came to mind.
The two who'd risked everything to protect him.
Regrettably, he didn't remember the details of that moment, but he made sure never to forget that he'd survived because of their sacrifice. Back in school, he'd even thought dying alongside them wouldn't be so bad. Without parents, his life had plummeted, and for a young Kang San, a life without even the basic protection others took for granted was overwhelmingly tough.
This incident.
He'd saved a person.
That person was someone's husband and father, and thanks to it, no one else faced a tragedy like his own.
He stared at the photo.
Emotion welled up fiercely.
If it were him.
How would he feel about the Rangers who'd saved his family?
Incredibly grateful.
Truly thankful from the heart.
If someone had saved his parents, Kang San was sure he'd feel that way. It was absurdly ironic. Before gaining his past-life memories, he hadn't been one to take goodwill for granted, yet receiving these emotions back filled him with profound satisfaction.
Different from his past life.
Even from the same roots.
Some spread malice, some goodwill.
Kang San found satisfaction in goodwill.
The start had been a push from the god Azmun, but now he was proving for himself why he'd lived this way.
"I don't know what drives you to slaughter like that, but because of you alone, countless people will live unhappy lives. Someone loses a husband, someone a wife, someone a child—they'll curse you, and no justification will excuse it. So I..."
The repeating trials.
He accepted them.
Forced goodwill was possible only because that's who Kang San was deep down.
"At least I don't want to live like you."
That was enough.
No matter what misfortunes life threw at him.
Even without anyone forcing goodwill on him.
Kang San was certain he wasn't the kind of being who'd live like the Blood Demon.
With his thoughts sorted.
Kang San finally checked his rewards.
The tenth trial.
All stats had risen by 10 as a reward.
An incredible gain.
Even base stats like Strength and Agility could spike depending on circumstances, but generated stats rarely budged much—yet they were improving rapidly now. The trial rewards were truly exceptional. This time he'd faced a problem truly beyond him, but surviving earned him rewards on the level of a heavenly opportunity.
'It's unreal.'
Just recently, Kang San had been F-rank.
No generated stats at all, and after years of countless raids, his stats hovered in the mid-20s.
Yet in mere months, they'd more than doubled.
But it still wasn't enough.
Facing the Werewolf Lord had taught him he couldn't be optimistic about the trials.
'The trials' difficulties are erratic. Early on, there was a safety net of trials I could handle, but this tenth one shattered that security. An A-rank Werewolf Lord is a monster I could never face alone. If Chun-sik hadn't helped, or if the rescue team arrived late... without aid, it would've ended badly.'
In the end.
He needed to grow.
He had a rough plan in mind.
Priority was recovering his stamina, so he'd move right after discharge.
A few days later.
His body fully recovered.
As he prepared to leave, Kim Myung-min visited once more.
"Mind a quick talk?"
"Sure. But........."
Beside Kim Myung-min.
A unfamiliar face.
As Kang San trailed off, Kim Myung-min caught on and added.
"The Hunter Management Bureau's Command Headquarters wants to meet you, so I'm escorting. This is Team Leader Baek Sung-hyun from Command Team 2."
"Pleased to meet you. Baek Sung-hyun."
He extended a hand.
Kang San shook it calmly.
"Kang San."
"Truth be told, I wanted to come sooner, but didn't want to disturb your treatment, so I waited until discharge. To the point: Our Command Headquarters highly evaluates your potential. If you're interested........."
The past few days.
Details on Kang San's evaluation were skipped.
Restoration of the on-site action cam footage had led to a direct order from above: Recruit him at all costs.
And now.
"How about joining Guardian?"
The future of the Hunter Management Bureau.
Baek Sung-hyun valued Kang San that highly.