Korean Hospital (1)
Pahur had given him a fairly detailed rundown of the challengers' levels on Earth. But he might not know everything—there could be hidden powerhouses lurking in the shadows. Growing stronger before returning would probably be the smarter play.
But Yun-seok came back anyway. He had no choice.
Return Ticket (Rank F) used.
Returning to Earth.
On the rooftop of a building near Sinchon Station, Yun-seok opened his eyes on a bench shrouded in the moon's shadow. It was the same spot where he'd killed time meditating during his last return.
"……."
He checked his outfit and felt not just emptiness, but outright discomfort. No Sun Sword, no Moonlight Sword, no full-body suit with its strange texture. Just a shirt, sweater, jeans, and a thick winter coat. It was impeccable modern casual wear without a single flaw, but it felt utterly alien now.
For starters, Yun-seok pulled his smartphone from his pocket and turned it on. He'd kept it powered off for storage, but the battery was nearly dead—it shut down again soon after booting. Still, he caught the date and time.
[2019.02.22. AM 00:26]
The rooftop door was locked tight—probably because all the office workers had clocked out. Yun-seok leaned over the railing, taking in Seoul's sprawling nightscape at a glance. Then he activated Stealth and leaped right over the edge.
Thud!
It made a decent thud, but at this late hour, no one noticed. Even if they had, they couldn't have spotted Yun-seok under Stealth.
First things first—home.
Before heading back to Earth, Yun-seok had asked Pahur about the locations of Korea's challenger organizations. But Pahur didn't know the local geography and always got driven around, so he'd been no help. Sure, if he'd shifted his hunt to America afterward, he could've found out—but it hadn't piqued his interest that much…….
Yun-seok briefly considered hitting a payphone to call his parents first. But he decided against it.
Not yet. It's not certain…….
Pahur might've gotten bad intel, and his parents could be fine as ever. Even if not, it wouldn't change a thing. If they were being held, the second Yun-seok called, they'd be on high alert.
Descending the building in one go, Yun-seok vaulted the fence and dashed along the empty Gyeongui Line tracks—the last train long gone. He covered the distance from Sinchon to Sangam-dong in under ten minutes.
He entered his family's apartment complex. And…….
Beep beep beep beep beep!
Punching in the code, he stepped inside and froze. The air was stale and cold—no sign of life. Furniture was scattered and toppled, like there'd been a struggle.
"……."
Suddenly, Yun-seok's breath caught. Without even circulating Blood Demon Divine Art, an unbearable rage surged from deep in his chest.
He headed to the living room, searching for any trace his parents might've left behind. But then—
"……?"
He felt eyes on him from somewhere. Yun-seok whipped toward the sensation and flung open the balcony door. It was dark, but he spotted a figure in a hat on the rooftop of the opposite building, peering through binoculars.
The figure flinched when their eyes met—or seemed to. That confirmed it for Yun-seok: this person was involved. Otherwise, locking eyes with him under Stealth would've been impossible.
No need for tests. Yun-seok leaped straight from the sixth-floor balcony.
And…….
Boom!
Pouring nearly all his Blood Demon Qi into his legs, he sprang again. His body rocketed upward like a compressed spring finally released. He landed on the opposite rooftop, where the binocular-wielding figure was bolting for the door.
"Gack, hack!"
Yun-seok grabbed the retreating figure's throat. The hat fell, revealing her face. He was slightly taken aback—not just because she was a woman, but because she looked familiar.
He loosened his grip a fraction and asked, "Who are you?"
"Y-Yoo Hye-ri! I'm a r-reporter!"
Now he remembered. This was the woman from the hotel back then.
"You need to explain fast. Why you're here. Why you were watching my house."
Yoo Hye-ri paled at Yun-seok's question. But she stammered out the full story from the past few days, desperately clinging to every word.
* * *
"I'm a reporter. I don't discriminate—big corp execs, top brass, anyone. For safety, I hop hotels constantly……."
As Yoo Hye-ri started, Yun-seok's brow furrowed soon enough. He couldn't care less about her pride in her job.
"Short version."
She stopped at his curt command. Where had her manners gone? It was ridiculous, but…… those piercing eyes, like a beast from his childhood zoo visits, stole her nerve.
"When you burst into my hotel room, I knew someone was there. Checked the hallway CCTV and saw you for the first time."
She rattled off facts quick and clean—no mention of her tussle with hotel staff over the footage. Sticking strictly to Yun-seok's demand.
"Found out you were the previous guest. Dug into your trail."
It led her home. There, she heard weird stories from downstairs neighbors.
"Ugh! Looked normal enough, but the guy's a total psycho. Kept ranting about some bitch he wanted to kill, told me to ignore any noise from upstairs today…… Good thing nothing happened……."
The guy was Lee Chang-hoon, Yun-seok's old middle school classmate. Her reporter instincts fired—couldn't track Yun-seok, so she pivoted to him.
"Then I saw department store CCTV. He pointed right at you on-screen, but staff swore he was jabbing at thin air. Sounded crazy, but I figured you had powers. Seeing you tonight confirmed it."
Realizing the stakes, Yoo Hye-ri dug deep into both men. But her dogged pursuit ended absurdly.
"K Daily's Yoo Hye-ri?"
Men in black suits showed up at her hotel. No explanations—they just took all her files. Threats of police fell on deaf ears; filing a report did nothing.
Something massive was involved. They warned her to drop it if she wanted to live long. But she didn't.
She modded binoculars with a camera and staked out Yun-seok's place nonstop.
"Then those hotel guys hit your house. Looked like they were after you too. For some reason, they dragged your parents off by force."
"……And you just watched?"
"What was I supposed to do? Reports vanish after a few hours!"
"……."
Yun-seok clamped his mouth shut. He was seething inside, but reason told him she wasn't to blame.
First things first: "Is all this true?"
"Yes."
No hesitation. Yun-seok didn't need to ask twice—Executioner's Eye had already confirmed it.
Despair hit hard. He cursed his own complacency. If a lone reporter could track him from scratch, how easy had he made it for those backed by the state?
Rage flared anew, but he reined it in—not at her.
"At least I know you're not involved. Stay out of it. Like they said—no more interest."
He turned to leave. If she heeded the warning, great. If not, her fallout was on her—and ultimately, his responsibility.
"W-wait! Don't you want to know where your parents were taken?"
Her desperate cry halted him. He turned back; she trembled but pressed on.
"I-I can tell you where! But once it's sorted, give me an interview!"
Stunned by her boldness despite the fear, Yun-seok could only ask, "……An interview?"
"Yes! The government's hiding superhumans. This violates the people's right to know……."
Words poured out—practiced spiel or sudden flood, who knew. Pure reporter mode.
Yun-seok half-tuned out, nodding. "Fine. Deal."
People's right to know? Tower intel spreading chaos for governments? Whatever. Not his priority.
She hesitated—could she trust his easy yes?—then spilled the location. Interview bait or not, family deserved to know.
"……They're admitted to Korean Hospital."
Admitted? Yun-seok's mind blanked, lips pressing thin.
Yoo Hye-ri eyed him cautiously. "There was a scuffle when the government guys came. Your dad got hurt bad; your mom collapsed from shock."
"……."
His gaze turned ice-cold. She explained Korean Hospital's ties to high officials, but it washed over him. He just murmured thanks.
"Appreciate it. Saved me time."
She froze. His calm thanks sent chills—ominous, like something huge was brewing tonight.
"Wait! You're heading there now? They'll have guards on the room……."
"Doesn't matter how many."
He cut her off and vaulted the railing before she could react. Rushing over, she peered through binoculars—saw him sprint off unscathed.
Snapping out of it, realization dawned.
"The interview…… you promised……!"
Yoo Hye-ri wasn't scatterbrained. She'd prioritized his emergency, interview later. No intent to stop him.
But if he planned to honor it eventually, shouldn't he at least give his number?
"Hey, you jerk!"
She yelled into the empty dark where he'd vanished. Then bolted to the road, hailing a cab. Destination: Korean Hospital.