Returnee's S-Rank Management Guide

Chapter 262 : Dark Star (2)

Dark Star (2)

As gates and dungeons opened, monsters poured out into the cities.

If people had not evacuated in advance to shelters, the situation would have led to horrific casualties.

In fact, in countries where shelters either did not exist or were insufficient, it was said that significant damage had already begun.

"It's a sad thing."

Jin Su-hyuk, looking out the window, spoke.

No matter what channel was turned on, all the shows covered nothing but the current appalling disaster.

"But it's inevitable."

Jin Su-hyuk spoke in a sorrowful tone as he turned his body away.

Awakener beings and demons were watching him.

After briefly glancing at Sebin, who stood at the very front, Jin Su-hyuk spoke.

"Now, the era will change."

Once the event had erupted, there was no turning back.

The Dark Star had drawn near and was currently descending on the surface.

"I will head to that star and, together with the Demon God, reshape this world anew."

He had already spoken these words to them several times.

Until now, it had merely been a prediction, but now it was right before their eyes.

"You are lucky."

There were several inflection points in human history.

Giant footsteps that had changed the times and allowed humanity to advance into a new world.

"You will witness it right before your eyes."

At his words, the awakener nodded, each in their own way.

Some among them were still hesitating, but many tried to convince themselves that this was the right decision as they looked at the Dark Star.

However, most had already been entranced by Jin Su-hyuk's words.

Those who had been dyed by his ideology and shared agreement with his thoughts.

'The world will change regardless.'

The number of awakeners would only increase, and conflict with non-awakened was inevitable.

They thought that what Jin Su-hyuk was doing now was actually the more peaceful path.

If a war between humans broke out, just how horrific would it be?

All the civilization they had achieved would be destroyed.

Missiles would fall, armies would move to kill the awakeners.

The outcome would be singular.

Either all awakeners would die, or all non-awakened would die.

In that case, wasn't it only natural to choose the side where the awakeners could survive?

'President Jin Su-hyuk......'

Sword King Shin Yu-baek sensed the mood around him and gripped his sword.

It was true that he had remained here because he agreed with the ideology.

Jin Su-hyuk had not stopped S-rank awakeners from leaving this place.

He merely took no responsibility for whatever happened to them after they left.

'If you think about what happened to Hunter Hong Ji-hak......'

Hong Ji-hak, who was called a master of throwing, an S-rank Hunter.

He was an important figure to Grand Nova, but he had disagreed with Jin Su-hyuk's ideology.

He had also refused to accept the power of the demons and had left Grand Nova on his own.

Jin Su-hyuk had readily let him go as well, but since then Shin Yu-baek had not heard a word of news about Hong Ji-hak.

He had vanished so completely, it was impossible to tell if he had sunk into the ground or soared into the sky.

"Make as big a spectacle as you can."

Turning away from Shin Yu-baek, who watched him with troubled eyes, Jin Su-hyuk fixed his gaze on the TV broadcast.

"So that every wish in the world can gather here."

He could see it.

The golden threads connected to the world.

The heart inside the Dark Star.

There, the god who would be waiting for him.

'Alongside Park Jung-woo.'

The final difference Park Jung-woo had, which he himself did not have, had finally been resolved.

Death.

The final barrier that life itself could never overcome.

***

"Monsters that have emerged worldwide are attacking cities."

"All citizens, please remain indoors or evacuate to the nearest shelter until the situation stabilizes."

Everyone said it.

Disasters arrive without warning.

As if their peaceful daily life had been a lie, the world was standing at the crossroads of destruction overnight.

People who had taken refuge in shelters simply could not believe it.

However, every single news outlet and broadcast from which they obtained their information was 'broadcasting' exactly that.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm okay."

A woman soothed her young daughter, but her anxious gaze could not leave the small smartphone screen.

She was not the only one.

The others were not much different.

It was the only link they had to what was happening outside.

'Alencia Walker.'

In circumstances where it wouldn't have been surprising if the power had been cut, they were still able to use electricity because Alencia was relaying this situation to the world.

The news was being delivered through broadcasts, and in real time people were finding out what was happening outside the shelters.

"I told you, that Jin Su-hyuk guy was suspicious from the start!"

"You think anyone could have guessed it would come to this?!"

The one being pointed to as the mastermind of the incident was Jin Su-hyuk of Grand Nova.

In fact, among those attacking people, some were humans who had undergone the 'awakener' procedure at Grand Nova.

However, whether they were acting of their own volition or being manipulated by Jin Su-hyuk had yet to be clarified.

"Jin Su-hyuk......."

At first, some thought it was a misunderstanding.

But in reality, there had been numerous sightings of Grand Nova's awakeners controlling monsters.

They, along with demons, were thoroughly blocking anyone coming near the Dark Star.

Thanks to that, hunters gathered near the Dark Star had no choice but to retreat continuously as they struggled against them.

Not only were there awakened who received demonic power among them, but there were also many high-rank demons positioned in their ranks.

"Huh? Who's that?"

People in shelters, watching the broadcast, spotted a person who stood out on the screen.

The first to catch their eye was a woman in a glamorous mage's outfit.

She was Shin Ah-yeon, known as Korea's representative great mage.

And the man standing next to her was Park Jung-woo, famous as her manager.

'Are those two trying to break through that alone?'

The footage kept showing Hunters doing their best to reach the Dark Star.

But each time, they were helplessly pushed back.

First, since ordinary people had been turned into awakeners, the numbers themselves were different from the start, and awakeners who had been strengthened by demons were simply out of the league of regular Hunters.

'Manager Park Jung-woo was said to be an S-rank awakener, wasn't he?'

He had become a very familiar person to the public now.

Initially receiving attention as the 'God's Hand' who somehow brought together S-rank awakener.

He then drew more attention as he got swept up in various incidents.

The pinnacle was Odyssey.

He became the national representative coach at a young age.

The following incidents, and controversy over whether Park Jung-woo was an S-rank awakener, were more than enough to attract the public eye.

'And a returnee.'

Revealing himself as a returnee, he became an S-rank awakener and even won the 'Korea Guardian Award'.

At first, he was called the post-Jin Su-hyuk, but now he had become one of Korea's greatest awakeners.

So people couldn't help but have vague expectations.

For Park Jung-woo, who was heading for the Dark Star with great mage Shin Ah-yeon.

And public interest in the two began to rise in real-time.

'Good!'

Alencia breathed a sigh of relief at the rapidly increasing number of viewers.

At first, the numbers had been oddly low, but as the focus shifted to Jung-woo and Ah-yeon, the numbers had begun to skyrocket.

'I need to broadcast even more variety of scenes.'

But for now, interest was still limited to Korea.

The number of overseas viewers was gradually increasing, but it still wasn't enough.

Had it not been for the influence of the 'demonic zone strategy broadcast,' interest in this incident would have been at least half as slow as it was now.

"Hunter Alencia!"

At that moment, someone called out to her.

Alencia was currently at Unique's building.

Not only did it house affiliated Hunters, but there were also many civilians gathered there.

They were the people involved in running the 'broadcast' at that moment.

"They're coming."

"Who?"

Although Alencia's strength was downright absolute, she was still human, not a god.

Naturally, as an individual, there were limits to what she could do or keep track of.

And to make up for those limitations, there were people gathered at Unique now.

Video experts from Korea, no, from the entire world.

And agents to monitor the situation in real time.

"It's—Hunter Kang Min-gi."

"......!"

It wasn't anyone else but PD Jung Jun-su, speaking in haste.

He was someone with ties to Jung-woo and Alencia, so he had come to help with this incident as well.

More than anything, he knew Alencia's abilities better than anyone else—as a normal human.

"...... Is he alone?"

"No. There are quite a few others."

Alencia quickly checked the footage that PD Jung Jun-su showed her.

Gathered near the HSN were masses of demons and awakened.

At the center was Kang Min-gi.

The man known as the Battle God.

'It would've been nice if Soo-ah unni were here too. Well, it's pretty much as expected, I guess.'

Lee Soo-ah had already moved to stop Lion Knox.

It was deeply disappointing, but there was nothing to be done.

"Kang Min-gi isn't the only opponent. There are two top-rank demons, and even Sebin is included."

"... That means there are three top-rank demons?"

"That's right."

At Ardan's words, Hwang Yeon-ji let out a faint sigh.

It was dangerous even with a single top-rank demon, but there were three.

Sebin was also a familiar name to Yeon-ji.

Ardan had spoken of him many times.

'Damian's right hand.'

Thanks to that, the objective was clear.

They sensed a powerful intention to rescue Damian at all costs.

***

The Dark Star crashed to the ground.

Smashing buildings around it, it settled on the earth as if waiting for something.

Even if you tried to approach to find out why, you couldn't dare come close because of the armies of demons and awakeners.

"Damn it, there are too many!"

"What are these supposed to be, awakeners or something else?!"

"It's impossible even for an S-rank Hunter..."

The Hunters' gazes turned to Hugo and Dmitri, the S-rank Hunters dispatched to help Korea.

Dmitri, who had fled home earlier, had been dragged halfway back to Korea the moment things went sour, along with the other Hunters.

He wanted to run away, but he couldn't, for fear his contract with the demons would be discovered.

【You idiot! What the hell are you doing?】

'If I get caught now, I'll be killed!'

【With my power, I could kill everyone. Are you going to betray us in the war that decides the future of the demons?】

'Whether the demon future or whatever—for now, I might not have any future left!'

【You bastard!!】

The voice poured bitter criticism, but Dmitri resisted fiercely.

His heart nearly seized and he felt intense pain, but he somehow endured.

'I'm lucky it wasn't a truly strong demon.'

When he first received the demon's power, he had been dissatisfied it wasn't a top-rank demon.

Now, he was grateful.

If he'd merged with a top-rank demon, he wouldn't even have been able to resist like this.

"H-he's here!"

"What?"

"That guy, that guy!!"

Hugo was a talkative man, but there was only one person that could get him this worked up.

The man he had praised countless times today at this place.

The guy he heard about so much his ears hurt—the man who destroyed the 'Grand Canyon rift'.

'Park Jung-woo!'

As Dmitri's eyes turned, something brushed past them.

An ordinary person probably wouldn't even be able to notice it.

That's how fast it was.

And then.

KWAANG!!!

With a deafening roar, the crowd of demons that had blocked them until now were blown away.

A single blow.

With just one strike, intermediate-rank demons were utterly obliterated, not even dust left behind, while high-rank demons flew up into the sky and were sent flying like in a comic.

At the unbelievable sight, the Hunters who had been in conversation all closed their mouths at once.

【Ahem......】

The demon possessing Dmitri, who had been cursing him only moments before, was no different.

It was a truly overwhelming sight.

'Looks like you don't want to die pointlessly either.......'

He had felt it before when he had tried to quietly escape; the demon attached to him strangely resembled himself.

Maybe that was why they could fuse.

That's what Dmitri thought, and so he decided to obediently join their side.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

20 chapters left.

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