Chapter 152: People Looking for Jin Seo-un
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152: People Looking for Jin Seo-un
“Oh, thank God!”
A gaunt, middle-aged woman, having just emerged from the underground shelter, collapsed to her knees and cried out toward the heavens.
Behind her, a crowd poured out of the darkness. Their eyes squinted against the long-unseen, dazzling sunlight, tears flowing freely down faces etched with relief. For over forty days, they had been tormented by the constant shadow of death within those walls. Now, they basked in the overwhelming realization that they had survived.
Seo-un watched the survivors exiting the shelter with a heavy expression. A man in a black suit approached his side.
“I am sorry. Your aunt’s family has not been identified at this shelter.”
The sight of a blonde foreigner speaking Korean so fluently it was indistinguishable from a native speaker felt surreal, but Seo-un didn’t have the mental energy to care.
Just then, the agent noticed Seo-un’s darkening expression and hurried to answer his ringing phone. As he listened to the caller, his face gradually brightened.
“Jin Seo-un! They’ve identified your aunt’s family. It’s been confirmed—they just exited Shelter 9!”
At the man’s words, Seo-un and his group moved instantly.
Given the gridlocked and chaotic state of the roads, traveling on foot was faster. They began leaping across the exterior walls of buildings, inevitably drawing the attention of the civilians who were emerging all over downtown LA.
After running for a while, they saw a crowd gathered where roads were being cleared to allow ambulances and fire trucks through. The moment Seo-un saw the smoke rising nearby and the bloodied people lying on the ground, his heart sank.
The agent guiding him must have sensed his distress; he panted heavily as he tried to reassure Seo-un.
“Haah… Please, rest assured. Whew… The safety of your aunt’s family has been confirmed. Huff.”
The man, whose internal power was nearly depleted, was forced to chug Artificial Internal Energy Concentrate just to keep up. He was appalled by Seo-un’s group, who followed behind him without breaking a single drop of sweat. From Seo-un’s perspective, the man was frustratingly slow, but since he was clearly pushing himself to the limit, Seo-un remained silent.
A few agents in suits recognized the lead agent and waved them over.
When they arrived, Seo-un saw two teenage girls and a middle-aged woman who bore a striking resemblance to his mother sitting on the ground. It was his aunt. The moment Seo-un saw the dark, dried blood staining her grimy top—clothes she had clearly been wearing for weeks—his eyes widened, and he rushed toward her.
“Are you okay?!”
His aunt looked up, confusion filling her face as a young man suddenly approached her, clutching a paper scroll and asking after her well-being.
“Who… Are you Seo-un?”
She looked so different from the aunt he remembered. The aunt he had seen only once as a boy was a successful, stylish woman living in America. She was a far cry from the woman who had visited years ago with her husband, wearing elegant clothes and carrying hands full of gifts.
“Yes. It’s me, Seo-un. Are you badly hurt?”
“H-how are you here…?”
Looking at the agents standing behind his confused aunt, their flustered expressions suggested they hadn’t yet informed her about him. As he carefully examined her sleeves, which were particularly bloodstained, she grabbed his hand tightly.
“I’m fine. I must have startled you, looking like this.”
Upon closer inspection, the blood didn't seem to be hers. Only then did Seo-un turn his gaze to the two sisters sitting beside her. Aside from some bruises and scrapes on their elbows and knees, they didn’t appear to have any major injuries.
“You’re Jeong-eun and Go-eun, right?”
The two girls nodded, stunned to meet the cousin they had only ever heard stories about.
“But… where is Uncle…?”
Seo-un couldn’t finish his sentence. The moment he mentioned their father, the expressions of all three darkened drastically. Rather than questioning them further, he cast his gaze toward the agents. The man who had guided Seo-un spoke up quickly.
“He is currently being treated at a nearby emergency center… It seems there was an error in the initial report. He was pinned under rubble during the evacuation…”
“Where is it?” Seo-un cut him off.
The agent tried to run ahead to lead the way, but Seo-un grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and held out the tablet strapped to his wrist.
“Just input the address.”
The man, looking dazed, typed in the location.
“Please take care of my aunt and cousins. Since the roads are blocked… please escort them to the emergency center.”
Having finished speaking, Seo-un and his group instantly vanished into the crowded city. The mother and daughters watched their retreating backs with wide eyes, stunned as they disappeared as if flying across the building walls.
*
As soon as they arrived at the emergency center, agents waiting at the entrance recognized Seo-un and approached.
“We will guide you.”
Patients were flooding in; they were lined up from the hospital corridors all the way to the parking lot. The man led Seo-un through the chaos and into a small hospital room packed with four patients. In the corner, a small Asian man lay unconscious with bandages wrapped around his head.
Though he had only seen him once in his life, Seo-un knew the moment he saw him that this was his uncle. As Seo-un approached, his brow furrowed. Blood was slowly seeping through the bandages. Seeing this, the agent finally shouted for a doctor and ran outside.
Only after the man left did Seo-un notice the ribbons tied to his uncle’s arm. A red ribbon was tied there, and beneath it, a black ribbon.
Seo-un hurriedly pulled a Recovery Scroll from his subspace, placed it in his uncle’s hand, and forced it to tear. Only after he had used all five of the scrolls he possessed did his uncle’s breathing stabilize.
As his uncle slowly opened his eyes, Seo-un spoke quickly. “Are you conscious—”
Before he could finish, a young doctor pushed past Seo-un and shone a medical penlight into the uncle’s eyes. The doctor and the agent exchanged rapid words in English. After finishing a brief examination, the doctor tilted his head in confusion, untied the black ribbon from the uncle’s arm, and left the room.
The agent looked flustered and tried to stop him, but Seo-un grabbed his shoulder. He shook his head at the agent.
“There are so many patients. We shouldn’t get in the way.”
At Seo-un’s words, the man blushed and bowed his head.
“Uncle. Can you hear me? It’s me, Seo-un.”
“Seo-un… Seo-un?! That Seo-un?”
“Yes. How are you feeling?”
“I… I think I’m okay. But how are you here… More importantly, where is your aunt?! And Jeong-eun and Go-eun? Are they okay?”
As his agitated uncle tried to sit up, Seo-un gently held him down.
“Just stay lying down for now. Everyone is safe. They’re on their way here.”
Seo-un watched as his aunt and cousins arrived at the emergency center and tearfully reunited with his uncle. He then quietly stepped out of the hospital. For now, he could breathe a sigh of relief.
Juriel quickly called Seo-un’s mother to inform her of the news. Seo-un took out an earphone, placed it in his ear, and spoke.
“Are you still listening?”
—Yes! Please, go ahead.
“Is the officer in charge of command still there?”
—Yes, he is right here.
“What do you think about releasing all the Recovery Scrolls we have? Looking at the situation at the emergency center, critical patients are being treated the same as the deceased. I can see why—the number of surgeons is limited, and the influx of patients is overwhelming. We should save those who can be saved.”
—…I will do so.
After a brief silence, the answer came. Seo-un nodded, took out the earphone, and handed it to the agent.
When he stepped back inside, his aunt and her family had calmed down and began asking questions.
“So, you came all this way for us?”
“Yes. I’m so glad you’re all safe.”
At those words, his aunt gripped Seo-un’s hand tightly. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“No, it’s nothing…”
After their reunion, they received permission from the doctor to be discharged. They boarded a car prepared by the agents. Throughout the drive to the residential area in Koreatown, the family’s expressions remained grim. Seeing damaged houses every few blocks, they were clearly worried about their own home.
“Our family is safe, and that’s enough,” his uncle said, squeezing his aunt’s hand. She nodded in response.
The house they arrived at was a modest, cozy two-story home. It was a stroke of incredible luck that it had survived the players’ battlefield intact.
“You’ve grown up so well, Seo-un.”
Seo-un didn’t know what to say as his aunt pulled him into the house. “Everyone, please come in.”
Seo-un’s group entered with awkward smiles. His aunt, wanting to host them, looked troubled as she rummaged through the empty fridge. Seeing this, Seo-un began taking out food he had stored in his subspace.
When hot Chinese food and fresh Japanese cuisine began appearing from his bare hands, the family stared with wide, shocked eyes.
“H-how amazing.” Even his uncle’s eyes were wide with surprise.
Growl.
The sound of rumbling stomachs echoed from the family members, who hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a month.
“Please, eat. There’s plenty of food.”
Since Seo-un never knew how long he would be inside a game, he had packed away vast quantities of supplies. As they ate, time passed quickly as he answered his cousins' curious questions about players.
“So, are those unnies your friends? Which one is your girlfriend?”
At Jeong-eun’s bold question, his aunt slapped her arm. “Hey! You shouldn’t ask about people’s private lives!” Despite her words, she looked between the two women with great curiosity.
“Both of us are in a position to marry Seo-un,” Juriel answered smoothly.
The expressions of the four family members went blank.
“Is polygamy legal in Korea?!”
“Wow, Oppa, you’re amazing!”
Blushing at his cousins’ remarks, Seo-un quickly changed the subject. “More importantly, isn’t it a bit noisy outside?”
“Huh? I don’t hear anything.”
As the family looked at each other in confusion, Gi-chan spoke up. “It’s definitely been noisy for a while. It feels like a crowd is gathering.”
There was no way the sensitive hearing of a player would miss the commotion.
“Oh?! It’s true! There are tons of cameras and news people! Even RNA Broadcasting is here!”
At Jeong-eun’s words as she rushed to the window, Seo-un’s expression hardened. There was no reason for them to have sought out his aunt’s family specifically. If they were here, they were looking for him.
“We should be able to slip away eventually,” Gi-chan suggested.
As Seo-un nodded, the commotion outside grew louder.
“Don’t push! We have the right to report!”
When a dozen agents in black suits suddenly appeared and began pushing back the reporters, a female journalist screamed shrilly.
“You have stepped onto private property without permission,” an agent stated firmly.
“Stop pushing! This is a public sidewalk!”
One of the men stepped forward. “I don’t know how you found out, but this house contains a family of victims from this disaster. They need peace. Please, everyone, go back.”
“We are interested in the player who came from Korea! We heard he stopped the meteor falling on Beverly Hills. Is that true?”
“There are rumors that the meteor was actually magic. Is that true?”
To the barrage of questions, the man remained consistent: “I have nothing to say at this time.”
“There are many witnesses who saw the government fire interceptor missiles. Videos are constantly being uploaded online. Please give us a statement regarding the fact that the government knew the meteor was falling but failed to inform the citizens!”
“I have nothing to say.”
As the man continued to field questions, the door behind him opened and Seo-un appeared. Reporters lunged toward him, the air filling with the sound of rapid shutters. However, the agents blocking them didn’t budge a single millimeter.
“If you have questions, ask them quickly and leave. There are people here who need rest.”
Seo-un appeared wearing the Killing Mask of Jindok Valley that Li Lingwei had given him. As the agent translated his words, questions poured in from all sides.
“They are asking why you are covering your face.”
“Because I don’t want my face to be known.”
“They are asking if you are the hero who saved Beverly Hills.”
“Tell them I provided help, but I didn’t handle everything alone. Translate that.”
He faithfully answered questions for about five minutes, but the reporters were relentless.
“Tell them to leave now. It’s a disturbance to the residents.”
Even though his words were translated, the reporters didn’t budge. Anger began to flare behind Seo-un’s mask.
“You all seem desperate to find a hero, but if I am the hero you think I am, shouldn’t you treat me better than this?”
When those words were translated, silence fell.
“It’s true that I risked my life to come here and prevent casualties. But is the reward for that an interview that forces harm upon my family?”
“But we have a duty to inform the public of the truth…”
“If there’s something to inform them of, then do it. Don’t cause harm to others just to create a profitable article. You want to find a hero? Go out into the city right now. Countless firefighters are shedding blood and sweat to save lives. Those who went out into dangerous battlefields and put their lives on the line out of a sense of duty—they are the heroes you’re looking for. Why? Because they’re common, you think reporting on them won’t be a hot topic? Do you think the title ‘Brilliant Player from Abroad, the Hero Who Saved America’ will sell better? The death toll hasn’t even been fully tallied yet. Do you really think making a hero is the information the public needs right now?”
The reporters couldn’t offer a rebuttal.
“Enough. Get lost. For your information, the person in front of you is not the kind of hero you want. I have legal immunity, and I am more than capable of using enough force to put annoying people in the hospital.”
At that moment, an intense, chilling murderous intent radiated from Seo-un’s body. The reporters and cameramen instantly recoiled. Faced with an instinctive fear that went beyond mere intimidation, no one dared to approach him.
After driving them away and going back inside, a few reporters scowled and spat out curses. Hearing this, one of the agents stepped forward.
“Just as you predicted, that man is the one who saved Beverly Hills. If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have been able to prevent hundreds of thousands of additional casualties. Whether he suits your tastes or not, he is indeed America’s hero. At least show a man like that some basic courtesy. If you’re an American, that is.”
The agent stepped toward the male reporter who had been cursing and pulled off his sunglasses. The reporter nodded dumbly and slumped to the ground.
*
Two days after the game ended, Seo-un decided to leave LA. His aunt and her family were sad to see him go, but it was time to return.
“I’ll invite you to Korea soon.”
“Alright. Stay healthy, Seo-un. I’ll visit sometime soon.”
“Oppa! Bye! We’ll go to Korea during vacation!”
“Make sure to invite us if you get married before then!”
Seo-un responded to his cousins’ teasing with a smile and left for the airport. As they boarded the chartered flight to Korea, Karina greeted them.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes. There were many dangerous moments.”
As Seo-un lay down on the sofa, Karina sat beside him.
“Because of this incident, the United States has granted honorary citizenship to you, your group, and your families, allowing you to enter and exit the country freely at any time.”
“Well, it’s not like I’ll be going to America that often.”
“In addition, they purchased the three items the Helper retrieved with his coins at an incredibly high price. A hundred times the market rate. You can consider this a gesture of sincerity from the U.S. government.”
“How much is it?”
“It’s about 90 million dollars.”
“90 million… 90 billion won?” Gi-chan gasped.
“Yes. The money has been deposited into the accounts of all four of you.”
After she finished speaking, she waited for the plane to take off before holding out a tablet to Seo-un. A look of relief appeared on Seo-un’s face as he watched the video playing on it.
“These people are safe!”
Gi-chan, Li Lingwei, and Juriel crowded around to see the man on the screen.
—So, it’s true that you received help from that Asian player?
—Yes. While he was dealing with the bad players, he made sure to keep the attention away from us until the very end. Not only that, he gave us these items to help with our rescue efforts. I found out later that these items are quite valuable.
—Oh, what kind of effects did those items have?
—Mostly, they make you stronger. They allow you to easily surpass human strength, and thanks to them, we were able to carry out many difficult rescues smoothly.
—Was it your professional ethics that made you the first to jump into this disaster site with your bare hands?
—I didn’t really think about things like that. We received a report that children were trapped. I believe all my fellow firefighters felt the same way.
—I see. There are rumors that the Asian player who helped is the Korean player, Jin Seo-un. This is a photo from his school days. Is this the person?
The firefighter looked at the photo for a moment, then furrowed his brow.
—I cannot answer that. There must be a reason why he didn’t reveal his identity. If this person provided such great help in this crisis, we must protect his privacy.
—I-I see. Any last words?
—I’m looking for a way to return these items. If there are any government officials connected to him, I hope you can help me return these things to him.
Watching the video end, Seo-un spoke with a look of annoyance. “Has my identity been leaked already?”
“Yes. We believe the leak originated from the U.S. government, and we are pressing them hard on the matter. For your information, this video was uploaded to YouTube and surpassed 20 million views in just 12 hours.”
“How annoying.”
Karina smiled. “Well, those in the industry across the globe already knew of your existence, Seo-un.”
“There’s a difference between insiders knowing and being exposed to the general public.”
“But your image is quite good. The comments, especially from the U.S. and Europe, are incredibly favorable. Koreans are also feeling a great sense of pride.”
“Whatever. I can change my appearance whenever I want. Just make sure the team members’ personal information doesn't leak.”
“Yes! I’ve already given them strict warnings.”
This was the moment Seo-un’s influence began to skyrocket.
In the United States, he was hailed as a hero who saved hundreds of thousands of lives. The footage of him soaring into the sky with the Great Sage, Equal of Heaven to detonate the meteor reached billions of views within days.
Occasionally, videos of Seo-un and his party moving through Beverly Hills were uploaded, but they were often taken down almost as soon as they appeared. The comments on such videos were mostly filled with criticism:
As the firefighter’s interview spread, a negative perception of exposing Jin Seo-un’s face without permission took hold. This trend intensified when footage of Seo-un—wearing a mask and speaking coldly to the press—was later leaked.
Furthermore, the area where Seo-un had stopped the meteor was renamed Seoun Park. The children he first helped began sending video messages of gratitude, sparking a viral trend known as the "Thanks Seo-un" challenge. Even famous Hollywood actors joined in, and the movement spread beyond America to Europe and Asia.
It had been one week since Seo-un returned to Korea. The entire world was burning with fever for the player known as Jin Seo-un.