363 – HGL 363

363

Epilogue

One Year Later, Chuseok Holiday.

Incheon Airport was bustling with people leaving the country for the Chuseok holiday. The sound of rolling suitcases echoed. A leather jacket and half-up, light sky-blue hair. Thanks to his towering height, the young man, a head taller than others, strolled leisurely out of the arrival gate.

At that moment, screams erupted. Camera flashes burst. Fans holding light sky-blue fan signs cried out.

“I love you, Gyu-Gyu!”

“You’re so handsome, Gyu-Gyu!”

“Oh~ Thank you~ Mind your language~”

“Come to Korea more often, oppa!”

“What are you going to eat this time? Rice Cake?”

“Yeah~ I came to make Rice Cake~”

Gyu-Gyu blew a hand kiss, holding his phone between his ear and shoulder. The cheers grew louder. His tousled light sky-blue hair scattered.

“Yeah, I’m here. I’ll be right there. Ah~ A taxi? No way. Someone special promised to pick me up.”

He glanced past his sunglasses at the man standing with his hands behind his back. Soft-looking brown hair and a neat suit. It’s been a year, but nothing’s changed. Gyu-Gyu approached the man, who must have sensed his presence but didn’t turn around.

“Hey~ If you came to pick me up, shouldn’t you greet me like the fans?”

“Ah, you’ve arrived. Gyu-Gyu. It’s been a while.”

Jung-bin turned around as if he had just noticed and greeted him lightly. He winked at the fans with a gentle smile.

“Well, there are many people here to greet you besides me… I don’t think you need my greeting.”

“That’s too much~ No warmth at all, when we’re about to make Rice Cake together.”

Instead of answering, Jung-bin gestured to the path cleared by the Hunters from the Bureau of Rift Management.

“Let’s go.”

“It’s my first time getting caught as soon as I arrive.”

“Oh, please refrain from saying things that might be misunderstood. It’s a pick-up.”

Outside the gate, a dented compact car was parked. Gyu-Gyu chuckled.

“There are still cars like that in this day and age.”

But something was strange. Besides that compact car, there were no other cars on the road. A chill ran down his spine. No way. Gyu-Gyu pointed to the compact car with a reluctant expression.

“…Don’t tell me that’s the official vehicle?”

“That’s exactly what it is. Please get in.”

Jung-bin opened the passenger door with a gentle smile. A Bureau of Rift Management Hunter standing next to him snatched the suitcase and put it in the back seat. Gyu-Gyu sighed deeply and squeezed into the passenger seat. He fastened his seatbelt and asked.

“Did the Bureau of Rift Management become poor? Did you guys go bankrupt or something?”

“Haha, we’re not that poor. The scale and budget have decreased, so we have to save where we can.”

“There’s a limit to saving. This is like something you picked up from a junkyard~?”

Gyu-Gyu grumbled and turned on the radio. He was worried that the radio wouldn’t work because it was such an old model, but it managed to turn on. A debate show was playing.

―…We are conducting a special feature on Awakened. Since the System disappeared, there have been significant changes in our society. It is natural that there are no new Awakened, and even those who have already Awakened are gradually losing their ability.

“Wow…. You listen to really boring channels. You’re hardcore.”

“It’s for information gathering. It’s quite informative.”

―According to the Wave Guild research team, the later a person Awakens, the earlier they lose their ability. If there is an Awakened who Awakened one year ago and an Awakened who Awakened five years ago, the Awakened who Awakened one year ago will lose their ability faster.

―Is it because the body remembers how long it has been using the ability?

―That’s right. And the higher the rank and the stronger the ability, the slower the ability disappears.

―In other words, according to this announcement, J will be the person who retains his ability the longest in this world….

“Is that credible?”

“Yes, it is the conclusion reached by the Wave Guild after researching people who have lost their abilities. It is considered the orthodox theory.”

“Hmm….”

Gyu-Gyu leaned his head against the passenger window and sneered.

“Your ability has weakened, right? Yours too.”

Jung-bin responded with a gentle smile.

“Yes. I can feel it weakening day by day. Both my physical and Awakening ability.”

It was a canned answer. How boring. Gyu-Gyu looked at Jung-bin’s profile as he focused on driving, then closed his eyes.

One year ago.

The day the Whitehole that had been occupying the sky since the Day of the Rift disappeared.

The moment the Whitehole disappeared, the Monsters that had been attacking people vanished. Not only the Monsters but also countless Dungeons, Rifts, and Gates. Everything. The Hunters who had been fighting against the Monsters desperately called out to the status window and the System, but there was no response.

Machines and tools that operated with Mana Stones stopped working, and equipment made from Monster byproducts became empty shells. Buildings that had their power structures converted to Mana Stones had to turn on emergency generators for the first time in a long time. Everyone was bewildered.

The day after the Whitehole disappeared, Ham Seok-jeong of the Awakened Management Bureau called for an emergency press conference. It was a conference broadcast not only to South Korea but to the entire world. Lee Sa-young sat next to her with a sulky expression.

Ham Seok-jeong grabbed the microphone.

‘Citizens, you have seen the Whitehole in the sky disappear. Thanks to the shining efforts of the Hunters, the Doomsday that almost destroyed the world has vanished. In addition, the System that helped humans fight against Monsters has also been extinguished. We no longer have to tremble in fear of Rifts, Dungeons, and Monsters.’

The reporters buzzed, but Ham Seok-jeong continued.

‘Because the System has been extinguished, the abilities of the Awakened will also gradually disappear. Over time, the profession of Hunter itself will become extinct. Because there will be no Monsters for Hunters to catch, and no new Awakened will appear.’

‘We will return to the life before the Day of the Rift….’

Gyu-Gyu asked with his eyes closed.

“Director Ham… No, she’s a civilian now. She resigned from the Director position. How is she doing?”

Ham Seok-jeong stepped down from her position as Director of the Awakened Management Bureau as soon as the interview ended. Jung-bin was unanimously elected as the next Director. Although he didn’t want to. Inside the bumpy car, Jung-bin’s civil servant ID card swayed.

Director of the Awakened Management Bureau

Jung-bin

Jung-bin shrugged with an embarrassed smile.

“Well, I haven’t been in contact with her since she stepped down from the Director position. J probably knows.”

“Huh. Maybe she went to a temple or something.”

Gyu-Gyu let out a hollow laugh. The radio still played a boring voice.

―Recently, there is a social problem that is emerging. It is Awakened crime. Awakened who have lost their means of earning money become gangsters, gangs, or mafia….

“Are there still a lot of those guys?”

“You bet. The trend is constantly increasing. It’s our main job these days. Guilds that haven’t disbanded are also cooperating with the arrests.”

Jung-bin gently increased his speed and asked.

“How is it overseas?”

“Don’t even mention it~ There are so many street thugs. Everyone and their mother is a gang or mafia. Korea is the best.”

“It will probably continue like that for the next 10 years, according to the Wave Guild’s research.”

Hunters suddenly lost their means of earning money. They couldn’t earn Monster extermination fees, collect supplies from Dungeons, or even sell Monster byproducts or Mana Stones. People who had jobs before Awakening went back to their old paths, but those who didn’t….

Beep. The walkie-talkie on Jung-bin’s chest rang.

―Report of an Awakened assault at Gwangmok Intersection. A D-grade Awakened who Awakened three years ago, stole money from a civilian and ran away….

They began to live by wielding power stronger than civilians. Gyu-Gyu sneered with his eyes closed.

“If you’re going to disappear, disappear all at once. Why are you lingering for so long? It’s a headache.”

“If you think about it, ability is also part of physical ability. Memories engraved in the body don’t disappear easily.”

“I didn’t say that to hear such a boring story.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know, for your comfort?”

“Haha, you’ve become more humorous since I last saw you.”

―Honeybee Hunter of HB Guild is going to catch him. I’ll mark the situation as resolved in advance.

“Honeybee is still working hard~ Isn’t she going back to being a fencer?”

“She still has to wait a few years for her ability to disappear. She can’t go back right away.”

“That’s unfortunate in its own way. Wait a minute…. A text message.”

“What are you going to say?”

“What do you mean~ I have to tell them not to be late for making Rice Cake.”

Gyu-Gyu took out his phone and moved his fingers.

Vroom, a black motorcycle sped down the road. Honeybee, skillfully maneuvering the motorcycle and chasing the thief, felt a vibration and took out her phone. It was an action that Jung-bin would immediately fine her for if he saw it, but she didn’t care. A text message had arrived on her phone.

You’re not going to arrive later than me, are you? ^^~

The sender was… Gyu-Gyu.

“Ugh, you crazy brat….”

Honeybee gritted her teeth and increased the speed of the motorcycle. She shouted over her helmet.

“Hey! You thief! Stop right there! Before I grind your head with my motorcycle!”

The square shopping bag hanging from her wrist shook wildly. The smell of motorcycle oil and the fragrant scent of pine needles wafted behind her.

Jung-bin’s walkie-talkie rang again.

―Honeybee Hunter is speeding a bit too much. Should we stop her and give her a ticket?

“Puhahahaha! Euhahahah!”

Gyu-Gyu grabbed his stomach and rolled around. Jung-bin sighed softly and answered the walkie-talkie with a gentle face.

“Give her a ticket after she catches the thief.”

“Hahahahaha!”

“Stop laughing and please check the text message that arrived on my phone for me?”

“Ah, okay. Just a minute~”

Gyu-Gyu skillfully unlocked Jung-bin’s phone password, wiping away the tears that had welled up.

“Ah~ The password is still the same.”

He crossed his legs and read the text message, then grinned.

“It’s from Shield Guy. Honeybee went out to get pine needles and hasn’t come back. Puh! He’s asking where you and Honeybee are?”

“……”

“Hahaha! What should I reply~?”

“…Please reply that we will arrive in about 40 minutes. Not in Gyu-Gyu’s tone, in my tone.”

“Okay~”

Gyu-Gyu quickly moved his fingers. A sign passed by outside the window. The rattling compact car was heading towards Seoul.