The Hero Returns

Vrroom—

A red sports car exited the highway. The smell of the sea tickled Su-hyeun’s nose.

“I think we will arrive soon,” Su-hyeun said.

“Oh, good,” Lee Ju-ho said.

As Su-hyeun pointed to Gwangalli beach, Lee Ju-ho looked at the odometer and checked the distance.

“Hey. Drive your car more often. Don’t waste it,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“If we came here by a bullet train, we would have arrived an hour ago,” Su-hyeun said.

“Well. We still have plenty of time. And it’s more fun to drive straight, isn’t it? You didn’t have time to drive your car because you were too busy climbing the Towel of Trials almost every day.”

“Well, yeah…”

This car was a gift from Lee Ju-ho. Su-hyeun felt sorry to not use it often, but he didn’t want to drive a car that much. People said the car was the best toy that a man could have, but to Su-hyeun, it was nothing more than a vehicle.

“You don’t like driving?” Lee Ju-ho asked.

“It is best when somebody else drives for me.”

At his decisive answer, Lee Ju-ho exclaimed as if he heard an absurd thing.

“But it’s a Ferrari 488 Spider!”

“I don’t like this car that much,” Su-hyeun said.

<>

People who didn’t like cars usually knew expensive cars, at least. The excitement of driving such cars was different from the fun of regular driving, but Su-hyeun did not seem to be so interested in it. He was in the middle of his twenties. He was not the child of a rich family from the beginning.

“People usually want to show off when they suddenly make a lot of money or get the ability to. You’re a little odd,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“Is that so?”

“Well, I am one of those people. And there are worse ones than me. It amazes me the more I think about it. You don’t enjoy alcohol, cigarettes, cars, or women. You do nothing. What do you like, seriously?” Lee Ju-ho asked in a very curious tone.

What he exemplified was what awakeners usually did when they started to earn money. They searched for good drinks, cigarettes, nice houses, cars, and pretty or handsome lovers. Those were the things that could show the symbol of success. But Su-hyeun seemed to stay away from all that.

“I like a lot of things,” Su-hyeun answered.

“A lot? Like what?”

It was an unexpected answer. Lee Ju-ho perked up his ears and waited for Su-hyeun’s answer.

“Well, not things like you said. But, I like to empty my head while looking at a pretty lake or to go to an amusement park with people I like or to sit in a cafe and read a book…” Su-hyeun thought for a moment and continued. “I like to just binge-watch shows or movies all day in my home. I also like to go on trips and take pictures.”

“Sounds pretty simple.”

“They are luxury things,” Su-hyeun said in a quiet voice.

“What? Luxury?”

Su-hyeun did not think Lee Ju-ho could understand his words. But he meant it.

<>

Clear skies, pretty lakes, amusement parks, cafes, small daily lives… All those things would become luxury things in the future. Expensive sports cars would remain, but people wouldn’t see the clear skies of the world. That was why Su-hyeun considered such trivial things to be luxuries.

“I will change the future.” Su-hyeun stopped the car and looked up to the sky. “So these simple things will not be luxuries.”

Su-hyeun took his car key and got out of the car with Lee Ju-ho. People paid attention to the appearance of a luxury sports car. The area around Gwangalli Beach was blocked by policemen everywhere.

“Thank you for your work,” Su-hyeun said as he passed by the cops.

“Wait. You can’t…”

“I am Kim Su-hyeun. I am the leader of the dungeon raid team today. Here.”

At the restraint of a policeman, Su-hyeun took out and showed his awakener registration card. It was a golden colored card with S-Rank signed on it. The policeman stiffened quickly.

“Please excuse me, sir! Enter this way, sir.”

“Thank you.”

The crowd of policemen opened the way for Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. Gwangalli Beach was shining in green light. Many people were waiting in front of the beach. Half of the one hundred were awakeners and the other half were ordinary people. Perhaps they were involved with various media platforms.

“Wow. There are many people. We still have some time left, though,” Lee Ju-ho said.

“It’s nice to see everyone working early,” Su-hyeun said.

“People over there will be critical of you. I am sure they won’t say anything in front of your face but…”

“I know.”

Lee Ju-ho did not expect that answer. “Do you know?”

“I just got the S-Rank title. I don’t have much official dungeon attack experience. I am sure they won’t welcome me,” Su-hyeun said.

“…Yes, you know well. You should have done many dungeon attacks before.”

“It’s a waste of time just going around similar dungeons,” Su-hyeun said.

It was the same story as before. For Su-hyeun, attacking low-level dungeons was just a time-consuming task. Usually, C-Rank awakeners or people who wanted to get Ether stones attacked small dungeons.

“Oh, well.”

Lee Ju-ho shook his head as if he knew it. But unlike what he said, he trusted Su-hyeun a lot.

<> Lee Ju-ho thought.

As far as Lee Ju-ho knew, Su-hyeun joined dungeon attacks no more than 10 times, and most of those attacks were with him. Although they didn’t do them together that many times, Lee Ju-ho could tell Su-hyeun was not a beginner.

<> he thought.

The leader of the raid group was obliged to reveal the rank and raid history to other participants. Perhaps the other guild awakeners would question Su-hyeun’s experience. No matter how strong he was, it was inevitable to doubt him, who did not have much experience.

As Su-hyeun appeared, three people from each guild walked towards him. They were the guild master from three guilds that joined in on attacking this green colored dungeon. They were Gambler, Papillon, and Red Devil Guilds. Su-hyeun shook hands with them one by one, with an indulgent smile.

<> Lee Ju-ho thought.

He had known Su-hyeun for about a year. He was sure he knew a lot about him. Su-hyeun was kind to the point that it made Lee Ju-ho wonder how such a good person could exist. He was strong but did not show off or brag to anyone. He was a nice man and had no patience for injustice. He realized more about Su-hyeun while they had come here together.

However, this did not mean that Su-hyeun was kind to everyone. The Dump Guild was a good example. Also, he became sharp as a razor when people bared their teeth at him or when things were illogical or unjust.

<> Lee Ju-ho continued his thought.

He knew about the many dark things happening in the dungeons. The most dangerous thing in the dungeon was not monsters — it was your fellow human beings. Of course, he could not imagine that Su-hyeun was in any danger.

“What are you doing? Come over here, please!”

At Su-hyeun’s calling, Lee Ju-ho went to close to the crowds. Soon, he exchanged words with many people that he did not want to.

Act 5

Nothing special happened after that. It was already known to the press that the Authority found attacking members for the green-colored dungeon, so the reporters were busy covering the new S-rank Su-hyeun and took photos with the guild masters and Su-hyeun side by side.

Lee Ju-ho also suffered from reporters. He had appeared several times in the broadcast, but it was the first time that he had been covering for a long time with so many people. It was the same for Su-hyeun. He felt that he should have come later. He felt appreciative of Lee Ju-ho’s suggestion to take a car in order to kill time.

“You look tired.”

The guild master of the Papillon Guild approached Su-hyeun. His name was Lee Kang-hee. It was time to prepare personally for a while before entering the dungeon. Su-hyeun was wearing Falcon’s Holy Armor and tidying his sword tightly.

“I’d rather fight the monsters,” Su-hyeun said.

“What can you do? You are already a celebrity. I am sure you will have a lot of these moments,” Lee Kang-hee said.

He wore a smile on his face and laughed in a high tone. His lips were smiling but eyes were not. Su-hyeun looked at his eyes for a moment and replied, “If it is something I can’t help, I guess I have to get used to it.”

“That is a good attitude. I am sorry for being late to greet you. It was because of all the damn many journalists. I look forward to your cooperation.”

“Same here.”

Su-hyeun shook hands with Lee Kang-hee. It was the first official greeting, not a greeting to show to the media.

“But you are so young, and you don’t have much experience…,” Lee Kang-hee spoke in a subtle voice.

Su-hyeun, who knew why he had come to him, nodded his head.

“Yes, you are right.”

“If you need my help, feel free to tell me. Of course, I can’t be compared to you, but I am quite a veteran compared to anyone else about dungeons. Haha.”

Lee Kang-hee’s words meant to give him the role of leader of this attack. That way, Papillon Guild could take more Ether stone after they completed it. Su-hyeun had known that someone would say this to him.

“Thank you for your suggestion,” Su-hyeun said while he got up. “I don’t know if that is going to happen.”

“…What?”

“I want you to take care of the people under you more than anything else. I will not take any responsibility for the accidents caused by personal actions.”

It was an unexpected intimidation. Lee Kang-hee could not close his mouth with embarrassment.

Su-hyeun raised his voice and said, “It’s time! Let’s go!”

<>

At that time, the only person who survived from that dungeon was the guild master, Lee Kang-hee.

<>

Su-hyeun turned his head and looked at the green light in front of Gwangalli Beach. It was the entrance to the green-colored dungeon. Just a month ago, two green dungeons occurred at the same time. And again, a month later, another green dungeon appeared. He came here to check in person. It was not in his memory.

“Did I just not remember this? Or…”

But he knew that was not going to happen. It was the first time that three green dungeons appeared in a row. There was no way he could not remember such a big event.