If an issue arises and word of mouth begins to spread at night, its true impact starts to show the following morning.

[“South Korea’s first born S-Rank Hunter has emerged! The Management Bureau…”]

[“The leaders of the Three Great Guilds have yet to conclude their meeting, which began last night!”]

[“Hunter Shin Jung-woo, who became the sixth S-Rank Hunter, previously…”]

[“Breaking news: a director of the Universe Guild has just arrived at Incheon Airport!”]

The issue ignited just as the day began, reaching a fever pitch as people arrived at work, school, and their respective social groups.

“Did you see the video?”

“Of course I saw it!”

No matter where you went, the world was talking about nothing but Jung-woo.

Not only was his awakening captured in high-definition video, but the events at the Management Bureau that night had already exposed his face and voice to the public.

Beyond just discussing his abilities, stories about the man himself had become a major topic of conversation.

[I thought he looked young, but he’s only twenty-three! LMAO]

[The kid sleeps so well. Must be really comfortable in her dad’s arms lol]

[Wow, he really hit the jackpot in life… From an orphan and single dad to an S-Rank Hunter, damn]

└ And he’s handsome too… makes me sick…

└ Upvote… upvote again…

[Ah, so it’s his daughter, not a younger sister…]

└ LMAO what are you so disappointed for? What did you think you’d be to her if she was his sister?

└ Why are you so aggressive?

└ lol

While there was much talk about Jung-woo’s personal profile, outside of a few fringe communities, no one really viewed him as particularly strange.

Take his orphan status, for instance. He was born only about a decade after the gates first erupted.

At a time when gate induction and detection technologies were not yet fully established, gate disasters created a staggering number of orphans.

For that reason, being an orphan in this day and age was not considered a flaw.

Even setting that aside, it was true.

A twenty-three-year-old unmarried father.

It was a detail that could invite various interpretations depending on one’s perspective, but humans were ultimately creatures heavily influenced by visible information.

Jung-woo’s demeanor during his interview played a significant role in casting his image in a positive light.

[Still, he speaks very cleanly and gently.]

└ Seems extremely polite too… He must’ve been shocked by everything that happened in a single day, but he handled it so smoothly lol

└ I like him, seems like a cautious person lol

└ If it were me, I wouldn’t have been able to do that LMAO I’d have just told those bug muggles to kneel

└ Peace in Korea is protected another day… O God of the gate…

None of it had been intentional, but Jung-woo had lived a life that forced him to be sensitive to society’s gaze.

The attitude he wore as naturally as a habit earned him the public’s goodwill.

Regardless, the emergence of a superhuman who could be called the pinnacle of South Korea.

His humble and gentle demeanor invited goodwill.

Now, the concern shifted to his future.

[Where’s he gonna go? Still, it’s gotta be Cheon-hwa, right?]

└ Thinking about their history, Cheon-hwa is the obvious choice, but doesn’t Red Moon have better infrastructure?

└ Athens has been catching up lately lol I really doubted my eyes when the two-guild structure shifted to a three-way power struggle

[Won’t he just make his own guild? Honestly, considering his born S-Rank potential, that’s worth considering too.]

└ Hmm, but founding a guild takes more than just raw power, so I don’t know about that

└ If it’s a one-man guild, I agree, but he probably won’t? Corporate competition is tough these days

[He probably won’t take a public office. It’s an open secret that they’re rotten inside lol]

└ Here comes another Management Bureau conspiracy theorist lol

[Whatever he does, as long as he doesn’t go overseas. Just stay and get caught anywhere in Korea, please…]

└ For real…

Just as important as the birth of a Korean-born S-Rank was the fact that his stage would remain in Korea.

The weight of a born S-Rank was just that heavy.

One only had to look at the last born S-Rank, the Savior, who awakened in the United States seven years ago, and the sheer number of achievements he had accumulated to this day.

Thus, the news did not remain a fleeting story of a single day.

Beyond that, the media and social media alike were obsessed with carrying his information, waiting day after day for the next update.

However, unfortunately—

[Is he really in seclusion?]

└ LMAO went straight into hiding~

└ It’s been three days, right? There’s absolutely no news now, is there?

└ Yeah, he only comes out to drop his kid off at daycare, and he doesn’t even do interviews then

[I’m going crazy I’m going crazy I’m going crazy I’m going crazy I’m going crazy!!!]

└ Why is this guy getting corrupted?

Since that day, Jung-woo had lived a life completely cut off from the outside world, providing no information whatsoever.

If there was any change at all, well…

[“That Teddy Bear is Hunter Shin Jung-woo’s summon! It’s been maintained for 60 hours already! The theory that it might have no summon time limit is gaining more credibility!”]

[“At this very moment, corporate scouts who arrived at the villa in Nowon-gu are all turning back, blocked by the summon!”]

There was a scene the news had been showing repeatedly for the past few days.

A life-sized teddy bear.

A red cape, a toy sword at its waist.

A signboard hanging from its neck, and a mailbox in its hand.

『Please leave your business in the mailbox and return, so as not to disturb the neighbors.』

Around the studio villa complex where Jung-woo lived, the same scene repeated itself: scouts who flocked to recruit him were blocked by the signboard-wielding Teddy Bear and forced to turn back.

[This isn’t right, the summon looks so pathetic LMAO]

└ That’s an S-Rank? Are you serious?

└ Surprisingly, that’s a fact…

└ That’s exactly why the foreign press is going crazy right now lol A summon with no time limit lol

└ Some are even calling it a non-violent protest

└ Watch your mouth. Or you might get hit by the ‘dinosaur doll’ too.

Regardless, there was no denying that the visual was shocking.

It had been three days since his regression and re-awakening.

During that time, Jung-woo had holed up in his studio apartment, only stepping outside once or twice when absolutely necessary.

It was a period to accept his situation and determine his future course.

First, the regression.

Jung-woo organized every event he could remember that might happen.

While the future was a mutable concept, he believed the major events would largely remain unchanged; and even if they did change, analyzing the causes would still be possible.

‘Because I can’t get swept up in things that a fool could carefully avoid.’

After mapping out the timeline, he researched his abilities.

Aptitude: Perfect Caregiver.

When he first realized that this was an ability where reality alteration and summon combat were complexly intertwined, he felt a sense of puzzlement.

Setting the grade aside, it was hard to match why this aptitude was named “Caregiver.”

‘Because of the visuals that look like special effects from a children’s cartoon?’

Then wouldn’t a name like “Children’s Hero” have been more fitting?

Either there was a miss in the naming, or there was an additional gimmick to the ability itself that he hadn’t grasped yet. That was his conclusion so far.

‘Even looking at the details, there’s no meaningful additional info, so what a pain.’

At the very least, regarding the [All-Ages Filter], he realized it was an ability that only applied to magical beasts.

He tested whether it applied to other objects or elements, but found nothing else.

And one more thing,

【[All-Ages Filter] is active!】

Through the interface, which still hovered before his eyes, he discovered something.

To start with the conclusion, this was a prerequisite skill to activate [Children Need Heroes!], a skill he had acquired earlier.

In other words, it seemed to function as an environmental passive.

‘I’ll have to research if there are other effects, but…’

For now, that was the end of it.

He scratched his cheek.

It was then.

Dalkak!

Ppok!

Ppok!

Bear Hero, having returned from a patrol of the surroundings, entered the house.

Se-gi, who had been doodling in her sketchbook, jumped up.

“Teddy!”

Ppok!

“Good job on your walk, Teddy!”

Se-gi ran over, dododo, and buried her face in Teddy’s embrace.

She rubbed her face against it, seemingly pleased by the soft texture, and Teddy tilted its body, supporting her bottom so she could snuggle in comfortably.

Seeing that, Jung-woo smiled.

‘He takes really good care of Se-gi.’

It was different from ordinary summons in many ways.

A typical summon would continuously drain the summoner’s mana, but Bear Hero required no additional mana supply once summoned.

And unlike other summons that were loyal to their masters and only executed inputted commands outside of combat, Bear Hero possessed a degree of self-awareness.

Perhaps because the ability itself was linked to Se-gi, it had a tendency to act especially docile around her.

Maybe it was because it was an S-Rank summon.

That was the superficial reason that came to mind.

Regardless, it was a good thing.

With so many things to worry about, having an element that could help with childcare like this was a relief.

In truth, the problem started now.

‘I need to decide what to do from here on out.’

This was not a fleeting dream, but a timeline that had returned to the past and reconnected.

He had been saddled with the S-Rank status he had never even dreamed of, and a future where he didn’t have to leave Se-gi alone had presented itself.

However, he couldn’t just live frivolously, assuming everything would work out fine.

Jung-woo remembered clearly.

The moment that served as the starting point for all of this.

—Actually, I didn’t want to be alone.

Jung-woo’s heart sank heavily.

‘The Zero Gate. It will appear in 10 years.’

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, would lose its functions.

Half the population would die, and the one to cause such a disaster would be Se-gi, who would become the host of the gate.

The fact that his daughter held the greatest potential in Seoul was not a welcome one.

Because he knew it would become the seed of catastrophe.

Jung-woo set his expression hard.

‘I will absolutely never let that happen.’

Fleeing overseas, pre-awakening her talent.

He racked his brain from various angles, but soon realized that all of it would be a meaningless endeavor.

If the goal was simply to save Se-gi, it might be one thing, but think beyond that—what if he couldn’t do anything about the Zero Gate itself?

‘I don’t want to show Se-gi the sight of the land she grew up in turning into a demonic realm. I don’t want to show her such a future.’

To protect not just Se-gi’s life, but her smile, he wanted everything to be perfect.

It might be greedy, but fortunately, hadn’t he been given a power that might make such a thing possible?

Even if that wasn’t the case, he had also considered the possibility that the Zero Gate might appear in Seoul chasing after Se-gi in the first place.

Even if it was a slim possibility, there was no harm in being prepared.

Thus, Jung-woo organized what he needed to do.

‘I should spend a lot of time with Se-gi. At the same time, I need to prepare for the Zero Gate on a national level. …No, before that, I need to investigate the Zero Gate more thoroughly.’

Humanity still knew nothing about the Zero Gate.

The only fact that had been revealed was one.

That the Zero Gate, which had appeared nine times so far, was such a despairing disaster that it had never once been conquered.

Ground Zero proved that.

They were the nine demonic realms created when undefeated Zero Gates settled into the terrain.

‘The most shocking one was the Zero Gate in Paris, France.’

Twenty-eight years ago, approximately 15 million French citizens were sacrificed due to the Zero Gate that erupted in Paris.

The nation’s functions were completely paralyzed, and even now that they had recovered, Paris remained a demonic realm uninhabitable by humans, spawning terrifying urban legends.

Thinking about it, wouldn’t it be a priority to investigate such places firsthand and build data on the Zero Gate?

But that wasn’t something he could do just by becoming a famous S-Rank.

‘They won’t even grant entry permission. Especially for high-rank hunters, since their existence is directly tied to national power, there are huge restrictions on their movements.’

He needed to be free from such things.

‘I have to change the future. I’m going to rewrite everything from the beginning.’

What he needed for that was a faction, and a foundation.

He hadn’t even considered creating his own corporation.

It would require too much manpower, and if he became buried in work, obsessed with corporate growth, wouldn’t he end up neglecting Se-gi again?

‘It would be easier to align myself with a faction that can assist my goals. The important thing is, where is a place that has sufficient infrastructure and power, yet won’t impose major restrictions on my movements…’

Jung-woo pulled out all the letters Teddy had collected.

He organized them one by one, forming a neat pile on the floor.

“Love letters for the Hero!”

Se-gi, who had approached at some point, said with sparkling eyes.

She seemed to be confusing fan letters with love letters.

As the time they spent together increased over the past few days, the wary, anxious behavior Jung-woo remembered had almost disappeared, revealing such a curious side of her.

A pleased smile graced Jung-woo’s lips.

“No, they’re letters asking me to work with them.”

At that, Se-gi flinched.

“Work…”

Se-gi’s lips mumbled.

It seemed she was downcast, thinking that she would be left alone for long periods of time again like before.

Jung-woo soothed his aching heart and picked Se-gi up.

“But, Dad is only going to work a little bit.”

“Just a little?”

“Yeah, because I have to play with Se-gi a lot. I’m only going to work a little.”

Se-gi’s sullen spirits slowly began to revive.

An honest child, a child with such rich emotional expression.

“Really…?”

“Really, really.”

“Really, really, really?”

“Really, really, really, really.”

The fact that she asked again so many times meant she had been disappointed just as often.

Jung-woo wanted to give her certainty.

“Dad wants to go to the amusement park with Se-gi.”

“Amusement park!”

“I want to go to the zoo too.”

“Me too! Me too! Pandas and foxes! Teddy! I even know what a polar bear looks like!?”

“Really? Then Dad will have to learn from Se-gi.”

Ttiring!

【”Children need confidence!” You have stimulated the child’s intellectual curiosity! One Praise Sticker is being distributed! [Great Caregiver (3/10)] *Collect stickers to unlock skills!*】

How helpful.

“When are we going!? One night!? Two nights!?”

“Hmm~ Can Dad check the dates and pick?”

“Yeah!”

Jung-woo patted the back of Se-gi, who was bouncing with excitement.

It was a precious, and ever so precious weight.

‘So…’

I have to do better.

Jung-woo’s gaze turned to the four letters he had sorted from the pile.

Those were the candidates for Jung-woo’s nest.

Six days since Jung-woo’s awakening.

It was a time when reporters, whose sources were finally starting to dry up, and scouts were hovering around the villa complex with exhausted faces.

The change came suddenly.

“H-Huh!? The signboard changed!?”

“What!?”

The content of the signboard hanging around Teddy’s neck, who had been patrolling and turning people away as always, had changed.

『Recruitment has closed. Thank you for your interest and goodwill. I will contact the companies I wish to speak with separately. I apologize for not being able to respond to all requests. Please go home safely, and have a good day.』

It read somewhat like an interview acceptance text message.

The corners of the signboard were decorated with cute drawings of an elephant, a giraffe, a panda, and a dolphin, seemingly drawn by a child.

The Teddy Bear’s new appearance spread in real time.

[No way LMAO]

[Did his daughter draw the animals? lol]

[It’s even funnier because the interviewer is the one sending the acceptance notice lol]

└ If you’re Korea’s first born S-Rank, you can get away with that. Still, he spoke incredibly politely lol

[So where is Shin Jung-woo going? Are there no candidates???]

The internet began to boil over once again.

The moment of choice, which had finally captured the attention of the entire nation, was approaching.