The Hero Returns

* * *

『Kim Su-hyeun, rampaging out of control in a freight train, completes the raids of all dungeons in Seoul!』

『The trampled raid rights… Will this be fine?』

『Association chairman Lee Ju-ho has been announced as a Paragon guild master, not the chairman. All the loot recovered in the dungeons which Kim Su-hyeun raided will be surrendered.』

『Kim Su-hyeun’s actions: What’s his goal? Professor Jo Min-hyeong from Dongguk University’s Department of Psychology…』

『Dungeon drought in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. How strong are Kim Su-hyeun’s actual abilities?』

『The association’s dungeon omission and alleged plot: Is Kim Su-hyeun sending a message?』

Numerous articles appeared online. Every single one came with a provocative headline.

The people began to suspect of the connection between this event and the association’s strange omission of the dungeon. But that was rather obvious considering the timing of the events.

Public opinions were divided.

└ Wow! That’s seriously insane! Calling him a one-man army is an understatement. Less than half a day and he’s almost finished getting rid of dungeons in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

└ At this rate, all dungeons in Korea will be gone in two days’ time, don’t you think?

└ This can’t be real… A large guild needs to form a proper raid party for a single green dungeon, and the raid itself takes over a day. How is this possible?

└ By the way, will this be fine? He doesn’t have raid rights. Is it okay to attack nonstop like this?

└ Apparently, he didn’t touch any dungeons being raided by someone else. Also, raid rights only mean something when ether stones and monster by-products are involved, don’t they?

└ Even then, this may cause problems. With how things are, the raid order will go out of whack, you know?

└ I think Kim Su-hyeun did this to let everyone know that things like raid orders have no meaning to him. He’s making a point by wiping out every dungeon in Korea by himself.

└ Oh, the post above mine has a good point. Crazy, I tell ya, this Kim Su-hyeun guy.

Thousands of people left comments on each article.

The comments were reflections of public sentiments. Despite people’s differing views, everyone agreed of one thing…

…that Kim Su-hyeun’s abilities were the real deal.

They thought that his level was way beyond anybody else.

He did an impossible task alone—a task that even if all awakeners in South Korea worked together would find it difficult to deliver good results.

And naturally, Korea was enthusiastic about it. The citizens were full of pride by the fact that the awakener Kim Su-hyeun was one of their own.

However, there was this one man who…

“Uwahk!”

…wasn’t happy with this news. He was actually freaking out at the moment.

* * *

Two days… It only took two days for every single dungeon in South Korea to be raided.

When the uproar ended, some people from the Awakener Authority paid Su-hyeun a visit.

“Mister Kim Su-hyeun…”

They were awakeners affiliated with the Authority. They belonged to the tactical response team of the Awakener Management Bureau, which was meant to apprehend awakener criminals.

Every one of them were B-rank awakeners or higher, and 10 of such people had shown up at Su-hyeun’s doorstep.

“Sir…I’m afraid you have to come with us,” one awakener said politely.

Gulp.

They were careful with their words and actions, considering who they were dealing with this time.

After all, Su-hyeun was not someone these agents could arrest by force.

The leader of the tactical response team and an A-rank awakener himself, Bak Han-sol, looked fine. However, looks could be deceiving. In his mind, he could not help but ask, ‘What the hell am I doing here? This is Kim Su-hyeun…THE Kim Su-hyeun.’

Back when Su-hyeun was an ally and when he was the hero who willingly stepped forward to raid dungeons for the safety of the public, Bak Han-sol wasn’t aware of it.

However, things took a different turn—an ugly turn. As a consequence, Su-hyeun must be arrested as per the regulation.

The overall vibe Bak Han-sol felt was completely different. It was terrifying.

What if Su-hyeun didn’t want to cooperate?

What if he was planning to put an armed resistance or something?

‘No one can stop him…absolutely no one.’

Never mind the tactical response team, for not even the combined might of the association and the Authority would be enough to stop Su-hyeun.

A chill ran down on Bak Han-sol’s spine just thinking about that.

No matter how strong someone was, if they broke the law, they must be tried and judged. After all, a single person couldn’t win against many, and one couldn’t possibly win against organizations or even the world.

However, one man was an exception…

A person possessing enough strength to surpass the law had finally come. Such a thing had been deemed impossible in the past, yet it happened now.

No, wait…

‘It’s not that he has come, but he was just announcing it.’

Announcing that he had this much power in him…that he had finally decided to reveal it now…

Gulp.

After listening to Bak Han-sol, Su-hyeun just stood at the doorway for a while without saying anything. The whole tactical response team tensed up visibly as they stared back at him. It was a rather awkward situation.

Eventually, he replied, “Alright. Let me change my clothes first. Can you wait for me?”

“Ah…yes…of course.”

“Why don’t you all come inside?” Su-hyeun invited. “Instead of standing outside the door like that. However, I don’t have anything much to treat you with. I can only offer you some water. I hope that’s enough.” He stared at the sweaty Bak Han-sol, gulping nervously. “I mean, you guys look thirsty.”

Su-hyeun then widely opened the front door to his home and let the members of the tactical response team enter.

His home wasn’t all that spacious considering his wealth. The living room became completely filled up when the team members came in.

Su-hyeun handed out 500-milliliter bottles of water to each member then went to his bedroom to get changed. Once he was done putting on a clean white shirt and a pair of pants, he offered his wrists to Bak Han-sol. “Okay, let’s get going now.”

“…”

Clack.

Bak Han-sol cuffed Su-hyeun’s wrist according to the procedure.

This pair of handcuffs was capable of sealing the flow of magical energy and restricting the awakener’s physical strength.

‘It’s pointless, though.’

However, Bak Han-sol was certain that Su-hyeun could easily break off this type of handcuffs as if they were made out of paper.

Also, even if he was imprisoned, he would still be able to escape easily unless he was maimed or his legs were mutilated.

On top of it all…

‘It’s not going to get that far, anyway.’

It wasn’t as if Su-hyeun had committed a terrible crime.

Sure, attacking a dungeon while ignoring the raid rights was a crime, but, normally, such a case would be treated as ‘closed’ when the guilty party paid a small fine and handed over all the ether stones, as well as other stuff, recovered from the dungeon.

Su-hyeun had already yielded all the ether stones and the loot to the guilds and parties who held the raid rights. It was the right thing since those loot belonged to them to begin with.

‘I have no idea why I’m supposed to apprehend him in the first place…’

Bak Han-sol could only shake his aching head. He had to do his duty…what was expected of him. What he thought of the matter had no bearing. He was there to make sure that orders were carried out.

Eleven of them got on the elevator and headed to the first floor. However, for some reason, there seemed to be a bit of a commotion outside the building.

‘Reporters?’

The hubbub of voices definitely belonged to the reporters eagerly waiting outside. They lived for this kind of scoop. They could smell news even miles away. That was why the Authority chose to carry out Su-hyeun’s arrest in secret.

Even then, the reporters still managed to catch the whiff…

Sure, these people were skilled at finding scoops, but someone might have leaked information for them to show up here.

That could only mean…

‘It wasn’t the Authority, but the association…,’ Bak Han-sol surmised. His hands felt cold.

Since the Authority dispatched the arrest warrant ahead of time, the association should have been aware that the tactical response team would come to apprehend Su-hyeun today.

Since that was the case, the association possibly leaked information to the reporters.

‘But why would they do that?’ he wondered.

The more Bak Han-sol thought about it, the more anxious he got.

It was around then that Su-hyeun decided to say something. “Aren’t we going outside?”

He sounded relaxed. Not even a hint of agitation could be seen in his expression even though there was a throng of reporters outside.

Then it became crystal clear. There was no doubt that the association had brought all these reporters here.

They must have had something to say that they wanted publicized through the reporters since they called them.

“Y-yes, let’s get going,” Bak Han-sol replied with a trembling voice. He then started walking while grabbing Su-hyeun’s arm.

As soon as the reporters saw them, they came rushing towards them. The sounds of clicks and people shouting to be noticed and flashes swarmed them all at once.

Click, click. Flash.

“Mister Kim Su-hyeun, why are they arresting you? On what charges?”

“What kind of discussion did you have with the association?”

“What was the message you wanted to tell us through your actions? Was it simply you venting out your anger?”

“Mister Kim Su-hyeun!”

“Please tell us…”

The lobby was in chaos.

The awakeners of the tactical response team prevented the reporters from getting too close. They made a path to the waiting vehicle, and Bak Han-sol led Su-hyeun past the reporters and their cameras.

‘Please, please…,’ Bak Han-sol thought, ‘let us get through without any problem.’

And so, as they continued to walk forward…

Stop.

Su-hyeun suddenly stopped walking.

“I’m well aware that my actions have caused problems,” he finally spoke.

The reporters all turned quiet. They put their microphones forward and waited for his next words.

Bak Han-sol forcibly pulled Su-hyeun’s arm and tried to drag him away, but the latter didn’t even budge. Other awakeners of the tactical response team couldn’t make him move either. It was as if they were trying to push a heavy statue.

“Someone asked me just now what my message was,” Su-hyeun stated, looking at the reporter who asked that. He then continued, “There were two reasons for my actions: One, to show off. There hadn’t been an opportunity to show off my skills since I’ve been too focused on climbing the tower until now.”

His eyes narrowed.

“And I guess that’s what made them think I’m an easy mark—someone they can easily provoke but will not retaliate.”

“…”

“As for WHO tried to provoke the association, well, I have my suspicions, but unfortunately, at present, I don’t have the evidence to back it up. However, the guilty party knows who they are better than anyone, so I won’t waste my time mentioning their names.”

“What about the second reason?” one reporter reminded Su-hyeun.

“It’s my way of presenting you with a gift.”

“A gift, you say?”

“Yes.”

The reporters were confused at what Su-hyeun said.

How could sweeping away every dungeon in South Korea constitute a gift?

The answer to that question soon came out from Su-hyeun’s lips. “Although I haven’t made up my mind yet, I’m considering leaving the country for good.”

“…!”

“Leave for good? Why? What do you mean?”

“Yes. If I do leave, then I won’t be raiding Korean dungeons in the future. Who knows, an indigo dungeon might suddenly appear tomorrow. To prepare for an event like that, I thought I should just wipe out everything at least once before leaving.”

“But what’s your reason for leaving?”

“I have grown sick and tired of this country.” Su-hyeun’s expression hardened. The reporters held their breaths as they waited for Su-hyeun to continue. “I always thought that I was doing my part to serve the public, that I have been dedicating myself to our society. I have never asked for anything in return or even a special treatment. I truly believed that people can be safe as long as someone like me with enough power keep using that strength.”

The reporters cringed at what he said.

Even Bak Han-sol and the other awakeners from the tactical response team found Su-hyeun’s statement out of place.

Su-hyeun was not only Korea’s hero—he was the world’s hero.

It was true that he didn’t ask for anything in return. More than half of his earnings had been donated to society. The money was used in areas affected by the dungeons and in various community projects.

To top it off, it wasn’t as if he was living in luxury with the remainder of his wealth.

His home was a small studio apartment in Yeoui Island. He almost never drove his car, and he always focused on either raiding the dungeons or climbing the tower.

He was the perfect—without exaggeration—example of the ideal awakener.

“But then, this is the treatment I get,” Su-hyeun remarked as he looked at his cuffed hands.

For all of his devotion and selfless service, he was rewarded with an underhanded plot.

Of course, he would get sick and tired. How could they not understand where he’s coming from?

“H-have you already thought about which country you would like to migrate?”

“At the moment, no…not yet. However, I can assure you that I won’t be making any rash decisions. Well, then.”

After speaking, Su-hyeun walked past the throng of reporters.

Even though he looked and sounded calm in front of the reporters, he was actually working quite hard to stop himself from exploding in anger.

‘I knew it! Acting isn’t really my thing.’

His announcement surprised everyone. People would certainly be talking about it. They weren’t expecting this from Su-hyeun.

Moreover, Su-hyeun knew how to play and provoke his adversaries.

‘The dice has been rolled now, so…’

While walking away, Su-hyeun glanced at Bak Han-sol’s trembling hand.

‘I guess the next thing to do is wait…’