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Nix Hemera. If I were to write it the Korean way, it would be Hemera Nix. That was the name I decided on.

To be honest, using that damn goddess's name as my surname felt like a waste... but since the being who could be considered the mother of this body was indeed that goddess, I decided to go along with it.

Over the next two weeks, I spent my time adjusting to life on Earth and taking care of various matters. I received a new identity, opened a bank account, got a cell phone... I did a lot with the government's support. Slowly but surely, I adapted to my new life.

If there was one thing I realized during that process... it was that I had already Awakened.

When I was alone, I tried opening what they called a Status Window on a whim, and to my surprise, it actually popped up.

The status window I saw back then displayed my name along with various skills. But many of them were incomprehensible, like [Saintess], [Divinity], or [Demigod].

Anyway, since I showed no signs of Awakening over those two weeks, their surveillance finally came to an end. It was great to be free of their watchful eyes, but... now I had to worry about the basics: food, clothing, and shelter.

I had some support funds in my bank account, but if I squandered them, I'd be in real trouble. I had to save as much as possible.

"Wow, things have really changed."

Looking around South Korea for the first time in ten years, I realized how incredibly developed it had become. It felt as though the entire world had transformed.

They said the world's energy crisis had been largely resolved thanks to technology that used mana stones—cores harvested from monsters and demons inside Gates—as fuel.

A mana stone is an organ that controls the magical power of a monster or demon, essentially acting as a second heart... Whoever came up with the idea of using that as fuel was a genius.

For the record, they used mana stones in a similar way in the other world. They stabilized magic circles with the mana contained inside them, or extracted the pure mana to use elsewhere. I never expected to see a similar application here on Earth...

Anyway, I was currently wandering the streets aimlessly. But the constant, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠piercing stares from passersby were making me uncomfortable.

In the other world, I drew attention because I was the Saintess. But why here? I wondered... until a man bumped into my shoulder, blushed furiously, apologized, and practically ran away. That was when it clicked.

"Ah..."

It's because I'm too pretty, isn't it? Well, if you're a man, you can't help but stare at a face like this.

My appearance, modeled exactly after the goddess herself, was nothing short of a masterpiece. Of course they were going to stare. I suppose a beauty like me just has to be understanding.

After wandering around for a bit, I decided to grab a quick bite for lunch. Just then, a fast-food joint caught my eye. Unfortunately, this body was much better suited to Western food than Korean food, so I had to give up on my cravings for home-cooked Korean meals.

So, I decided on a hamburger for lunch. It was a meal I'd had a few times before; the portion size wasn't bad, and the price was quite reasonable.

After finishing off the fries and soda, I cleaned up my tray and left the restaurant.

"Where should I stay tonight?"

Staying at a motel or some other lodging would cost too much... but I couldn't exactly sleep on the streets either. I had some money, but I couldn't afford to waste it. I needed to find a way to earn a living, but how on earth was I supposed to do that?

And then there was the issue of my future goals. Could I really go see my family in this body? Would they ever believe that I was their son? Even I found it hard to believe; how could they?

So, going back to my family... was incredibly difficult. And terrifying. Honestly, confessing the truth to my family was far more frightening than fighting the Demon King. But I had to go eventually...

As I wandered aimlessly, the sun began to set, and I found myself in an unfamiliar neighborhood.

"Where am I...?"

Ten years had passed, and the country had changed so completely that even searching my old memories didn't help me identify my surroundings. There was a strange sense of déjà vu, but I couldn't quite place it.

"This feels familiar..."

It was different from what I remembered, but the uncanny familiarity lingered. To find out why, I looked around for a street sign to check the neighborhood's name...

"Huh?"

The name of the neighborhood was intimately familiar. This is the neighborhood where I was born and raised... It was where my family's house was located.

Although I had moved out to live on my own after graduating college and getting a job at a factory... there was a reason it felt so familiar. Why did I end up here, of all places...?

It seemed my instincts had guided me back to my family.

Letting out a deep sigh, I carefully scanned my surroundings. New buildings had cropped up, and the playground that used to be here was gone, making it hard to pin down the exact layout... but I had a general idea of where I was.

Following that sense of direction, I walked toward the house where I used to live...

"The lights are on..."

Perhaps because of the deep darkness of the night, the light shining from the living room window was exceptionally bright. Were my parents in there...? Was my sister there too?

Could I really go in and tell them that I was back? That their son, Kim Seo-yul, had finally returned?

My hesitation didn't last long. I couldn't possibly say that. Right now, I was a woman... and I looked like an entirely different person. I'd be lucky if they didn't throw me out for being a crazy imposter...

Once again, a surge of anger toward the goddess washed over me.

"Ah, fuck."

If that damn goddess had done her job properly... I could have embraced my parents for the first time in ten years.

Even though I knew I couldn't meet them, my lingering attachments kept me lingering around the house. And then, a thought I shouldn't have entertained crossed my mind.

Could I use divine magic just to check if my parents and sister are doing well...?

Clairvoyance...

I told myself I shouldn't do it... but my hands and body were already moving on their own.

The holy power radiating from my body spread outward, enveloping the house in front of me, and a small mirror materialized in the air. The mirror reflected the interior of the house.

I knew I shouldn't be doing this... it was basically voyeurism... but I couldn't stop myself. And since I had already cast the spell, I might as well look, right...?

Recalling my hazy memories of Earth, I guided my holy power into the house to find the rooms I wanted to see. The scenes in the mirror flickered rapidly. However, the interior was vastly different from the home I remembered.

"Did they move...?"

I carefully, meticulously controlled my holy power to avoid detection, and finally, I found it.

A family photo... The portrait we had taken together when I entered college was hanging on the living room wall. And then, I saw my parents.

"Ah..."

Perhaps because ten years had passed, my parents' faces were lined with more wrinkles, and gray hairs peppered their heads. Realizing that my family was right there, just beyond my reach, a profound sense of despair washed over me.

They were close enough to touch if I just reached out, yet I couldn't meet them. Even if I tried to explain that I was Kim Seo-yul, there was no way they would believe me.

Still, seeing my parents alive and well brought an immense sense of relief. When I first heard that Earth had been thrown into chaos by Gates and monsters, I had been terrified for their safety. To see them safe and sound... was a true blessing.

At the same time, a wave of sorrow crashed over me. Why did that wretched goddess send me back in this body instead of my original one?! If only I had returned in my own body, I could have reunited with my family without a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠single worry!

Frustrated and heartbroken, a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Whew..."

After swallowing my anger, I deactivated the divine art. I had to go... I had only ended up here by chance. But thanks to that, I got to see that my parents were doing well. So, it was time to leave.

I... in this body, I could never return to the embrace of my family.

As I withdrew my power, the mirror vanished.

"Let's go back..."

Now that I knew my parents were safe... A wave of loneliness washed over me. Time to head back... Just as I made up my mind and turned around, I realized someone was staring at me.

The investigator stared at the report with a look of disappointment.

"What a shame."

A Gate missing person, discovered entirely by chance. She was one of the few missing persons found in South Korea, and the investigation showed she possessed immense talent. With the right trigger, she would have undoubtedly Awakened. According to the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠test results, she would have been at least an A-Class Hunter...

"Are you absolutely sure nothing happened?"

"Yes, sir. We monitored her closely, but there was absolutely no reaction indicating an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Awakening."

There was no way their state-of-the-art testing methods were wrong. Ever since that technology was developed, countries all over the world had successfully identified countless talents. But had it failed this time...?

"Perhaps due to her amnesia, she even forgot the trigger for her Awakening."

At the researcher's suggestion, the investigator nodded.

"That is a possibility."

But in the end, that woman would become a Hunter. A person with an incomplete memory had been sent out into society with only a small amount of support funds. Once she ran out of money, she would struggle to make a living, and her eyes would naturally turn toward the highly lucrative profession of being a Hunter. Once she realized that, she would Awaken. That was all they needed.

They had already laid the groundwork. The agent assigned to her protective surveillance had subtly planted seeds in her mind, talking up how much money Hunters made and how promising the career was. Once she found herself in need of cash, she would look to the Hunters.

Only...

"The problem is, with her looks and figure, she could easily make money in other ways."

"After living with her for two weeks, her sense of chastity seems quite firm. The likelihood of her turning to those kinds of industries is very low."

He nodded at the other investigator's assessment. Indeed, the woman's memory loss only affected her personal identity; her common sense and general knowledge remained perfectly intact.

"We need more Hunters to protect our nation from the threat of North Korea..."

North Korea, which originally should have collapsed under its inability to handle the Gate crisis... had actually been revitalized by it. To be precise, as the methods of utilizing mana stones and exploiting Gates became globally known, they managed to become self-sufficient. It was truly a pity.

If not for that, South Korea could have intervened under the pretext of saving the citizens, stepping in to replace the collapsing North Korean regime as they floundered in the face of the Gate crisis...

Regrettably, Awakeners had emerged in North Korea as well. Brainwashed from a young age through state propaganda, these North Korean Awakeners chose obedience over rebellion even after gaining immense power.

"Anyway, where is she now?"

"She appears to be wandering somewhere in Seoul."

They hadn't attached a physical tracker to her, but by monitoring the data from her newly activated cell phone, they were able to track her location. While technically illegal... this was strictly for the protection of a Gate missing person suffering from amnesia. Yes, of course it was.

"Lately, I've been getting a headache from all these young kids and corporations treating Hunters like some kind of game... I hope we get some decent talent soon."

Unfortunately for him, his wish would not be granted.