Hero Hunt (3)

Ten years ago, I wore black mourning clothes for the first time in both my past and present lives. Beside me, Sea—who was about to start elementary school—was sobbing.

Her little face flushed bright red, she sniffled up at me and asked, “B-Bro…… If they're dead…… does that mean…… we can't see Mom and Dad…… anymore……?”

If Sea had been just a bit younger, I might have sugarcoated it. Told her they hadn't gone away forever, just off to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠some faraway place for a while, and they'd be back soon. But my unusually perceptive little sister already understood the concept of death. The atmosphere in the funeral hall made it all too real.

So all I could do was give the same answer I'd heard asked a dozen times already.

“Yeah, we can't live with Mom and Dad anymore…… So it'll just be you and me from now on. I'll raise you right, take care of you like they would.”

It was an answer, a vow, and a promise all in one. We were all each other had left in this world.

Fortunately, I had a real talent for being a hunter, and I was confident I could fend for myself. Even with taking care of a young kid on top of that, I'd make it work somehow. It's okay. Don't worry. I can raise her without her wanting for anything. I sent those words to my parents in my heart, at least……

Then Sea's shrill cry shattered me.

“No! I don't wanna just live with you! I wanna live with Mom and Dad—all four of us together—!”

The people at the funeral all looked at us with sad eyes. I hugged my bawling sister tight and repeated it to myself over and over. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Honestly, I couldn't believe it either. Why did they have to go? It didn't make sense. They were the protagonist and heroine of the novel. Weren't they supposed to live happily ever after, even post-ending? Who could've imagined an epilogue like this? I never wanted even a speck of it.

My chaotic thoughts spiraled into blame, searching for a target. Intended or not, the most likely suspect behind this mess because of his existence.

The culprit was me—the author.

Is it my fault? Because I reincarnated as their son in the novel? Did that mess everything up and get them killed?

For a fleeting moment, a vain hope stirred. If it really was my fault…… then…… what if I just disappeared from this world? Would things untangle? Could they come back to life?

Guilt and self-loathing burned through me like wildfire. In that instant, I seriously considered suicide—but a sudden hologram blocked my resolve.

I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn't ignore it. What I wanted was our parents brought back to life. The hologram flickered in response.

As I stroked the back of Sea, who was sobbing her heart out, I pieced together what the hologram said. There was a sequel side story to the novel I wrote, and I was its protagonist. After it ends, the official sequel begins, and if I become the ultimate victor there, I get a clear reward. I chose my parents' resurrection, which set the side story title as Birth of the Demon God. And my role in the sequel? Not protagonist—final boss.

Simple enough. Nothing else mattered. Titles, final boss—none of it registered. As long as winning brings my parents back, that's all I needed.

Then the hologram appeared again.

I squeezed my arms around Sea and stood up. As the warmth left her, she looked up at me with anxious eyes.

“Bro, why……? Where you going……?”

“Sea, just wait a sec? Bro's gotta run out for a bit. I'll be right back.”

She shook ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her head furiously at my urgent words. “No, I wanna go too. I'll follow you. Me too—”

“No.”

My firm tone made her clamp her mouth shut in surprise. It tore at my heart, but I barely held back and turned away. Rewards based on time and trust? No time to hesitate. She'd said she'd come back tomorrow, and I'd just seen her leaving the hall. Who knew if we'd get another chance alone tomorrow or the day after? It had to be now.

“I'm just gonna step out for some air…… Could you watch Sea for a bit?”

The people nearby readily agreed.

“Bro, come back! Bro!”

Terrified even of me being out of sight for a moment, Sea whined through her tears. Gritting my teeth, I stepped out of the funeral hall—and soon spotted a woman puffing cigarette smoke in a secluded corner near the parking lot.

She looked like a mature woman in her late twenties, quite tall at around 175cm. Her features gave off an icy chill, her expression perfectly matching—utterly blank. As I approached, she sensed me and asked in a flat tone,

“Hm? Got something to say?”

I stared straight at the woman before me.

Mist Witch Seo Yeon-hee. Member of the 36 Heroes and the youngest ever to earn 1st-grade mage certification—a magical genius. Cold and curt personality, thirty-seven years old—three years younger than my parents. Like a young aunt to me. She'd visit our house a couple times a year when I was little, spending time with us. She didn't dote on kid-me that much, but she'd play with me out of curiosity now and then. Not for long—just five or ten minutes at a time.

And that was her 'surface' profile.

No one but me knew her true identity—not even protagonist Lee Si-hyeok or Jeong Se-bin. The last long-lived species remaining in this world. A monster who'd surpassed a thousand years of life to reach true immortality, one of the closest beings to the world's strongest.

I spoke her true name, one no one remembered anymore.

Or tried to.

“Ile—”

Kuuung!

Before I could even get two syllables out, agony exploded in my heart. I couldn't breathe. The air was gone. Crushing pressure like a boulder slammed my whole body.

Ttak.

Seo Yeon-hee flicked her half-smoked cigarette, sending embers flying, and stepped toward me one pace at a time. Her eyes glowed electric blue as she scanned me and asked,

“What…… are you? Not asking if you're Dojin—you obviously are. But how do you know that?”

Her mutter—'Something even Si-hyeok and Se-bin don't know……'—revealed something. She called them 'sunbae' and 'unnie' to their faces, but deep down, she still ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠used casual speech. Made sense, given her actual age. Her POV chapters were like that too, occasionally.

She waved her hand lightly, and I finally broke free of the invisible bind. Cautiously, I continued,

“I can know things others don't.”

“……And?”

“Help me.”

“Why should I? What's in it for me to help some kid like you?”

Her tone dripped with disbelief, so I made the offer I'd prepared. A condition Seo Yeon-hee couldn't refuse, no matter what.

Shock flashed in her eyes for an instant, then she asked in a low voice,

“If that's really possible…… Fine. What do you want?”

That's when the hologram popped up again.

I chose information. Any hidden truths about my parents' deaths that I didn't know.

The hologram gave me one line.

I swallowed hard. If I didn't hold it back, something would overflow. After a while, as I calmed, Seo Yeon-hee waited silently. Finally meeting her eyes, I declared firmly what I wanted.

“Revenge.”

Ten years passed since then, and I turned twenty-five. I'd gained some things, lost others. The praise as the greatest talent since Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin meant nothing now, just scrap paper. My beloved sister Sea treats me like I'm not even there. My fiancée despises me, pushing our engagement to the brink of cancellation.

But in exchange…… I'd gained power and information. I'd uncovered some names of the traitors involved in my parents' deaths. I'd poured every effort into building the strength to crush them, achieving some results.

Like right now. Enough to corner Yeom Ui-jun, a member of the 36 Heroes, even if he was at the bottom rung.

Swaaaa—

The black mist coiling around me thickened. The mana condensed in my body couldn't hold its extreme density anymore and spilled out. The leaked mana solidified into form—like black wings sprouting from both my shoulder blades.

Yeom Ui-jun, drenched in blood, watched me with tense eyes. His pathetic state drew an involuntary sneer from me. A has-been who'd slacked on training, no real combat in over twenty years. That's why you can't escape death.

And why you must die……

You dared harbor filthy feelings toward my parents and contributed to their deaths. That's why I'm killing you.

I, who wrote their story—and was born as their son.

Kwaaaang—!

The mana shaped like black wings exploded. Using the propulsion, I closed in on Yeom Ui-jun in the blink of an eye. He couldn't react in time, his response just a hair too slow.

And the next moment—

Seogeok!

The mana blade I extended sliced off his left arm with ease.