It was the height of the Lunar New Year holiday.

The red-letter days continued for some time after that, and Jung-woo kept attending Jun-ho’s lessons.

Part of the reason was that Soon-ae was available to watch Se-gi while the daycare was closed, and another part was that this information couldn’t be pushed aside.

It was enough to give anyone plenty to think about.

Above all, the potential of the concept harbored within the Perfect Caregiver aptitude.

That aspect in particular demanded deeper contemplation.

‘A decidedly hostile concept. And the magical beasts already know that power. Even if not in this exact form, they cannot deny that it has been their enemy for a very long time.’

That was the extent of what could be known.

However, fortunately, certain aspects had become all the more clear.

While traveling through Hamgyong Province, Jung-woo spoke up.

“Ultimately, the Hunter Interface is the key.”

“That’s right. An external magical force they cannot manipulate themselves. The ultimate form of evolution that grants the concept itself.”

“Is someone bestowing it?”

“Could be. Could also be a natural phenomenon.”

He had just realized that his ability possessed the property of suppressing evolution.

Given how curious he had always been about it, he had spent no small amount of time pondering.

That was precisely why he could deny it.

“…I don’t think it’s a natural phenomenon.”

“Reason?”

“Whether it’s quests or skills, there’s clear intent behind them. I get the sense there’s someone behind it all.”

It was difficult to explain in depth.

To do so, he would have to account for everything related to his regression for the pieces to fit together.

Even so, despite the surface-level explanation, Jun-ho understood.

Most hunters probably harbored similar suspicions to some degree.

Jun-ho gave a subtle nod.

“Fair enough. In the past, many interpreted this power as divine blessing, Authority, things of that nature. It even spawned religions. Given how it imposes trials and grants corresponding miracles, that was somewhat inevitable.”

“Wouldn’t it be the same now? Especially after this information goes public.”

The growth of the Hunter Interface ultimately culminates in the power to subjugate and wield concepts themselves.

The compiled intelligence pointed to exactly that, and wasn’t it equally clear that the parasites were targeting those very concepts?

A three-way war.

Or perhaps even more than that.

Taking everything into account, this war didn’t appear to be simply a matter of the otherworld versus Earth.

‘Edmond’s aptitude.’

Considering what kind of ability Dimension Lord was, wasn’t the answer self-evident?

It was a power that enslaved the use of otherworldly dimensional mana.

That power proved the existence of otherworldly dimensions, and that they were connected to something encompassing the Hunter Interface.

It was a problem that made one’s head spin.

But he decided to keep things light.

“We’ll figure it out as we investigate. Whatever the case, this information has more than enough room to expand.”

“Right. And it’s a field where we must never stop investigating.”

They had been walking for quite some time when—

Kugugugung—!

Jung-woo stood before a gate in Hamgyong Province alongside Jun-ho.

A deep blue First gate. Its grade was on the higher end of A-Rank.

No more magical beasts were emerging from beyond the gate, which meant that every beast that would cross through had already done so.

“We can’t go through, can we?”

“Indeed. This gate is one-way. Even Third gates are merely supply lines carved out from a fragment of space. No connection to the main stronghold has ever been found.”

Closing it was the only viable option for now.

But someday, the moment to cross into the otherworld would come.

If they were to see the end of this catastrophe, that is.

New information had emerged that allowed for speculation on that front as well.

Jung-woo stared at the gate and parted his lips.

“Parasites are highly intelligent entities. They never stop evolving. They’re capable of analytical thinking when preparing for their next stage of evolution. And every single one of them is targeting the Hunter Interface.”

“There’s only one reason for that.”

“It means that beyond the gates, there are examples of entities that have successfully evolved through that method.”

It was almost impossible to imagine.

The masters of the Zero Gates were already a horrifying despair beyond humanity’s current capacity to handle, and this implied something even worse lay beyond them.

Yet no matter how optimistically he framed it, the conclusion remained unchanged.

…If anything, the more he thought about it, only the opposite scenario took concrete shape.

“The masters of the Zero Gates currently on Earth might eventually reach that level.”

“Sooner or later, without a doubt.”

It probably wouldn’t happen within the next ten years.

Actual history had proven as much, and it also meant that subjugating concepts alone wasn’t the only element required for their evolution.

“What do the magical beasts want to become?”

“Gods, perhaps. Think about it.”

“That’s abstract.”

“Even so, I couldn’t come up with any other word for it.”

Jung-woo let out a wry chuckle.

It was less from amusement and closer to a helpless laugh.

“I suppose so. Still, it’s useful information.”

“You mentioned needing a reason to persuade the Council?”

Jung-woo nodded.

He had shared information about the Council with Jun-ho during these lessons.

He had also explained the concept of the Ex grade.

Jun-ho was someone who could readily grasp such information and offer valuable assistance.

“Edmond said he understood why the Council wouldn’t budge. But the moment this information reaches them, their thinking will change.”

“Sitting still means ruin. The Zero Gates must be eliminated.”

“Yes. The possibility is coming into view.”

It was hopeful.

With this level of evidence, persuading the Council’s dissenting votes might actually become feasible.

A simple majority and a unanimous vote carried entirely different nuances, after all.

It was only right to rally as much support as possible.

But Jun-ho expressed concern on that front.

“People aren’t always that wise, Mr. Shin.”

It was a remark born of considerable experience.

“The greater good versus greed. A speculative apocalypse that hasn’t arrived yet versus immediate self-preservation. Faced with those choices, humans pick the latter far more easily than one might expect. How irrational that is has always been a secondary concern.”

He was talking about the Management Bureau.

It wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

However, Jung-woo was not unaware of that history either.

“It’s not like I don’t have a plan in mind.”

“Oh?”

“I’d just rather not have to use it.”

Jung-woo’s smile was somewhat devoid of emotion.

Jun-ho laughed heartily at that smile.

“I see! So you are a cunning one!”

“That’s the Association Chairman talking, isn’t it? I take his words with a grain of salt.”

The holiday was drawing to a close.

This Lunar New Year holiday lasted six days.

During that time, they stayed at a house in the Pyongyang mountains, attending lessons in a training camp-like setting, and from sunset onward, Jung-woo spent time with Se-gi.

But even those moments had to end.

“Se-gi, say goodbye to Grandma.”

“Gwandma, I’ll come again!”

[Yes, my little puppy. You must come again. Grandma will be waiting.]

Given how much time they had spent together, the two had grown closer than before.

However hard she had been playing, Se-gi had spent the past six days getting caked in dirt every day while giggling away, and Soon-ae had been delighted to take her around like that.

Se-gi was one thing, but the sight of Soon-ae looking so pleased was truly wonderful.

The loneliness that had always emanated from her seemed to have largely faded.

“I’ll come visit every holiday from now on. Though we’ll probably see each other before then too.”

[They said Pyongan will be accessible soon, right?]

“Yes, even your hometown will be within reach soon.”

Soon-ae’s hometown was in South Pyongan Province.

His original promise had been to let her set foot on that land again, and though she now met many people and brought up the topic less frequently than before, he knew she still longed for that place.

Whenever Soon-ae imagined that moment, she was always filled with sentiment.

Even now, she wore a faint smile, betraying a glimmer of anticipation.

After parting with Soon-ae, he gave Jun-ho a ride and headed down to Seoul.

Se-gi was fast asleep. He had a final round of conversation with Jun-ho.

“Have you decided what you’ll do from here?”

Jun-ho looked out the window as he answered.

“Roughly.”

“That was quick.”

“Haha, a man who deliberates too long loses his edge. You’ve got to charge forward with conviction.”

After a brief pause to choose his words, he continued.

“For a while, I’m thinking of traveling across the country.”

“Is that so.”

“I’ve been wanting to see them. People just living their lives, without worrying about disasters and whatnot.”

That was what he had always said.

He had said the same even when he was half-infected by a parasite and out of his mind.

“Mr. Shin.”

“Yes.”

“People call me a hero, but truth be told, I don’t think I’m all that remarkable.”

“Aren’t you being too modest?”

“I mean it. I’ve just always been someone who likes it when everyone’s having a good time. No grand convictions—just couldn’t stand seeing people scared, and figured smiles were better when given the choice.”

Jun-ho continued as if singing.

“Call it a hero complex and it sounds strange. It’s a feeling anyone can hold. It shouldn’t be anything special.”

He became a hero precisely because he could say such things.

But Jung-woo didn’t bother saying that aloud.

Jun-ho wouldn’t have wanted to hear it, and Jung-woo himself preferred Jun-ho’s version anyway.

“Besides, with juniors this reliable, an old man like me should step aside.”

“We still need plenty of help from you, Mr. Chun.”

“I’ll do whatever I can after a trip around the country. Well, I won’t work too hard—probably just laze around with Ho-jong.”

He said it with a chuckle, but he wouldn’t do things half-heartedly.

Over the past few days, Jung-woo had become all too certain that Jun-ho was not the type to be lazy.

“I’ll root for you. And I’ll be counting on your help too.”

“You could have left out that last part.”

“It needed to be said.”

And so, the lessons with Jun-ho came to an end.

It must have been less than a week after that.

Jun-ho finally informed those around him of his plan to travel the country and set off.

On the day he departed, he straddled a sleek motorcycle, wearing a custom helmet shaped like a sentai hero’s mask.

“I’ll be back!”

He was that consistent a person.

As for news,

[Receiving the,, pure energy of the clear mountains,,,, today,, I’m having a big bowl of neungi baeksuk^^,,,]

└ You’re such an old man…

└ hahahahaha

His SNS, where he had become something of an influencer uncle, updated daily, so there was no need to worry.

It was the tail end of winter.

So much had happened, and so much had changed.

If asked to name one more significant change of a more everyday nature, there was one that came to mind immediately.

“It’s biiiiig!!!”

“Do you like your new house, Se-gi?”

“Yeah! It’s big! It’s so biiig!!!”

They had moved.

The neighbors were all people they knew, and Jun-ho had recently moved into the same Hunter Complex.

Units there didn’t come up for sale often, but a few young high-ranking hunters had started relocating to Pyongyang to advance their careers, making it possible to find available listings.

From a parent’s perspective, the most satisfying aspect was one thing above all.

The child could play to her heart’s content inside the house.

“Let’s play hide-and-seek! Rabbit King’s ‘it’ this time!”

Ppok!

Se-gi, who had been rolling across the living room floor with squeals of delight, bounced away and disappeared.

The rabbit, which had been pressing its face against the wall, moved after exactly one hundred seconds.

Ppokppokppokppok!!!

It was wonderful to let her run free without worrying about noise complaints from the floor below.

There was a small yard attached, and thanks to the nature of his abilities, he had summons to share the household chores, so privacy was guaranteed.

The only downside was that the convenience store was a bit far, but that was—

Ppok!

“Ah, you’re back? Good work.”

Teddy Bear had just returned from grocery shopping.

It was wearing a sign around its neck.

[On an errand.]

Whenever it went outside, it tended to get swept up by crowds, so such a means of communication was essential.

Jung-woo, half-reclined on the sofa, watched Teddy Bear organize the groceries in the refrigerator.

After that, he watched Shark stand in the kitchen, prep ingredients with swift chwajwajwak sounds, and start boiling soup before he turned on his tablet.

‘Convenient.’

It was perhaps the ability most optimized for child-rearing.

With the advantages of intelligent summoned bodies on full display, working from home was pleasantly manageable.

A house where Se-gi played to her heart’s content, and dolls prepared meals.

To protect this everyday life, there was work to be done.

‘The big matters are settled. Now for the next step.’

He had asked Edmond about convening the Council.

But it didn’t seem feasible just yet.

‘He said he was preparing to secure the last remaining holdout vote, didn’t he?’

The answer had been that there was a method, and a reliable one at that, but it would take time.

Still, given that he said they were almost there and just needed a little more patience, results seemed likely by spring.

On a personal front, he had been cross-referencing Jun-ho’s data with existing records.

Beyond that, he contemplated long-term matters.

‘aptitude, and magical beasts.’

These were the topics that had consumed Jung-woo’s thoughts of late.

‘Where do I stand right now?’

Magical beasts evolved ceaselessly.

To catch up with them, hunters had to evolve as well.

Enhancement of abilities, strengthening of skills.

There was much to consider, and one more thing besides.

‘Do I even have the capability to challenge a Zero Gate?’

Previously, he had been confident.

He had thought that with an ability that made light of Erosion Zones, it wouldn’t be difficult.

But looking beneath the surface, that had been a miscalculation.

‘Not enough. Not at this level.’

It might work.

But it couldn’t end at mere possibility.

That was simply Jung-woo’s nature.

He was the type who was extremely reluctant to act on uncertain grounds.

So Jung-woo conducted a self-assessment.

Was he sufficient to undertake the monumental challenge of a Zero Gate?

As he sought an answer, a benchmark emerged.

‘Can I subjugate an S-Rank Champion solo?’

At the very least, he needed to be at that level.

Even assuming the subjugation of parasites would be a collaborative effort, his judgment was that each participant’s individual capability had to reach that threshold to accomplish anything meaningful.

‘Three skills, buffs, debuff firepower, and other factors. My growth rate.’

Taking those into account, he reviewed the roster of enemies he had dealt with so far.

If he had to fight the Three-legged Crow again without a team, how would he fight?

Could he have subjugated the Pyongyang parasite solo?

Could he take down Haetae without Edmond?

Even setting Jormungandr aside as an exception, could he resolve S-Rank Champions purely within his own abilities, without support?

Probabilities slowly calculated in his mind.

Uncertain.

But not entirely out of reach, either.

‘Jormungandr’s magic stone will be in my hands within this week. I’ve secured all the means to bolster my combat power.’

And so he reached a conclusion.

‘I’ll take down the Qilin of Pyongan alone.’

It was nearly one year since his regression. Time to put the results to the test.