Chapter 21

I've always thought about it.

1997.

If there had been a Hunter back then,

If I had awakened back then,

Would my mother not have died?

Would I have been able to show her my college acceptance letter?

──Would she have been happy?

It felt as if I had fallen into an endless swamp. When I came to my senses, Eunha was absentmindedly touching her left wrist.

“You must have been very scared alone.”

Eunha, who had been stroking her wish bracelet, stopped. Slowly lifting her head, she saw the back of Möbius, who was comforting the child.

“Do you like candy?”

He took a strawberry-flavored candy from his pocket and handed it to the child. The child, sniffling, tightly clutched the candy.

“We will definitely find your mother, so don’t worry.”

“R-Really…?”

“Of course.”

Möbius, smiling kindly, wiped the child’s wet eyes. He brushed off the dirt on her cheeks and tied up her messy hair.

“What’s your name?”

“Yeri… An Yeri.”

“What a cute name. What kind of clothes is Yeri’s mother wearing?”

“A red dress.”

“Is that so? You and your mother are wearing matching outfits.”

“Yes.”

As if he had dealt with such situations many times, he handled the child very naturally and skillfully.

As the child’s face, which had been filled with anxiety, gradually turned to one of reassurance, Möbius handed her over to the Hunter nearby.

“Take the child back to the base. Send a search team this way. Two… no, three would be better.”

“Yes, Leader.”

The child, now nestled in the Hunter’s arms, waved her hand.

“Thank you, sir!”

Möbius waved back until the child disappeared down the corridor.

“……”

Eunha, leaning against the wall, silently watched the scene.

The child’s smile, which seemed to be filled with relief, stuck to her eyelids and wouldn’t come off for a long time.

＊＊＊

February 1998.

It had been about a month since I was conscripted and entered the training camp.

The Hunter system was not yet fully established. Monsters often escaped from gates that had been delayed in extermination, and it was common to capture weaker ones and use them as training monsters.

“Wow… That’s amazing.”

Someone let out a dazed exclamation.

“How many did you kill…?”

Galaxy walked out of the fierce flames, step by step. In her hand was the severed head of a monster.

Trainees with weak stomachs vomited the moment they saw this.

The monster’s blood emitted a distinctive, foul smell. Galaxy, drenched in the vile blood, stood motionless in the center of the training ground.

“She’s crazy.”

“She’s definitely not in her right mind.”

The moment admiration turned to condemnation was faster than the changing of the seasons.

Galaxy kicked the monster’s head like a ball. Watching the head roll, she slowly lifted her foot.

Thud!

Thud! Thud!

She mercilessly stomped and crushed the already severed head. Eyes popped out, and an unknown liquid gushed from the broken head like a fountain.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

But Galaxy did not stop. The trainees, unable to bear the grotesque sight, gradually moved away from her.

In the end, only Galaxy and

“Stop.”

the training camp commander remained.

He grabbed the monster’s head that Galaxy was stepping on with his bare hands.

“Give it to me.”

With a voice as empty as her vacant pupils, Galaxy spoke. The commander, holding the monster’s head, threw it far away and said,

“That’s enough.”

“No, it’s not.”

As if possessed, Galaxy took a step toward the head that had flown far away.

“Hunter’s Code of Conduct.”

The commander spoke heavily. Galaxy stopped and slowly turned around.

“First, recognize that your unique abilities are a double-edged sword and adhere to the law. Second, uphold honor and integrity while protecting the citizens.”

His dry voice mechanically recited the Hunter’s Code. The commander, inspecting the blood crust on Galaxy’s lips, sighed heavily.

“Do you know why the Hunter’s Code doesn’t include the extermination of monsters?”

“……”

Galaxy quietly shook her head. Her pitch-black gaze remained fixed on the monster’s head.

“Because the two matters I mentioned are far more important than killing monsters.”

“……”

“Chae Galaxy. Everyone here has lost a family member. I, too, lost a daughter.”

Galaxy’s gaze slowly shifted from the monster to him. In her vacant pupils, his face, which resembled hers, was reflected.

Saying this won’t bring your mother back. He hoped not to say it. She had already heard it to the point of exhaustion and felt it to the bone.

He firmly grabbed Galaxy’s shoulders with both hands. Their eyes, which somewhat resembled each other, met in the air.

“There will be many more people you can save in the future than those you couldn’t save.”

In the fierce sandstorm that made her eyes water, he patted her shoulder.

“I hope this brings you some comfort.”

Galaxy slowly blinked her eyes.

＊＊＊

“Did you call us, Leader?”

Three sturdy Hunters appeared. They seemed to be the support team for the search, having meticulously prepared flashlights, weapons, ropes, and other necessary equipment.

“Oh, you came faster than I expected. Did you hear the story?”

“Yes, the child’s mother is missing.”

“That’s right. Let’s head back.”

“Yes, Leader. ……What?”

The three Hunters stood awkwardly in place. Möbius, who had been leading the way, turned to look at them.

“What’s wrong?”

“Th-That… What about the search operation…?”

“Ah, the search operation.”

Möbius tapped his cheek thoughtfully and then smiled gently.

“We entered the gate’s core but were forced to stop due to an unexpected swarm of monsters. There were no survivors or clothing that matched the missing person’s description.”

Möbius slightly lifted his head. His lips formed a faint smile.

“Is that right?”

The Hunters, facing his smile, exchanged uneasy glances.

Drip.

The sound of a water drop falling from the ceiling quietly echoed in the silent interior.

‘Whether we save 10 people or 1, our pay is the same. Why risk it and disrupt the formation?’

Yes, when you think about it, it’s a very practical consideration. When civilians are found inside the gate, the leader calls for support via the terminal.

In other words, by just calming the civilians, the leader can easily complete the gate extermination and claim their share.

Even if the truth comes out later, it doesn’t matter. They only followed the leader’s orders.

Eventually, the largest of the three Hunters stepped forward in front of Möbius.

“I understand.”

Silently following his orders would be the most comfortable thing to do, now and in the future.

“Let’s head back.”

“Yes, Leader.”

As Möbius moved toward the corridor and the other three Hunters turned to follow him, one of them shouted,

“Whoa, damn. You scared me!”

A Hunter, jumping and clutching his chest, opened his eyes wide.

A woman in black, hidden in the shadows, was glaring at them with piercing eyes.

How long has she been here? I didn’t notice at all.

Her hair was as black as the darkness that enveloped the gate. She wore a black dress and held a pointed umbrella like a kitchen knife.

Her striking appearance was unmistakable. She was the F-class concept Hunter, the Princess of Black Flames.

“What, what? I almost had a heart attack!”

Her deep, black eyes, which sent shivers down their spines just by looking at them, stared intently at them.

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you coming?”

He gestured toward the outside of the corridor. But Eunha, looking up at him, quickly averted her gaze.

Click, click.

And she started walking in the opposite direction.

“That’s not the right direction. Where are you going?”

A Hunter grabbed her wrist. Or rather, tried to. Eunha easily evaded his grasp and turned around.

“We need to conduct the search.”

“What? Didn’t you hear what the Leader said?”

“I heard. He said the search was conducted up to the gate’s core. If that’s the case, I’ll go a bit deeper and report back.”

At that moment, the four Hunters, including Möbius, realized she was determined to go alone.

‘She’s completely crazy.’

It turned out she wasn’t a beginner or an inexperienced Hunter. She was just a crazy woman.

“While it’s true that the death rate of Hunters is high, that’s mostly an old story…”

Möbius, sighing heavily, tousled his bangs.

“To let you know, there are only two main reasons why Hunters die or suffer serious injuries inside the gate. First, if an unexpected accident occurs. Second, if they enter a gate that is beyond their level without fear.”

There were many Hunters who wanted to play the hero. Möbius had seen the end results of many of them.

“So what?”

Eunha turned her head and glanced at him. Her body was still facing the opposite direction.

Her calm attitude almost made him laugh. Möbius decided to point out the issues to the rookie Hunter, who seemed to have lost her fear.

“You seem to be confident that the child’s mother is inside the gate, but if she’s not, you will be held responsible.”

“……”

“The consequences of disobeying a leader’s order are significant. The damage to the guild cannot be ignored. Can you handle it?”

“……”

Eunha, without turning back, took one step after another forward.

At that moment, one of the Hunters, who had been watching the scene, finally couldn’t hold back and blocked Eunha’s path.

“Let’s see, are you ignoring the Leader’s words? Not only do you lack gate experience, but you also seem ignorant of the Hunter hierarchy.”

He stood with one leg slightly bent, looking down at Eunha with disapproval.

This is the problem. In the modern era, where the number of Awakened has noticeably increased, anyone and everyone wanted to become a Hunter based on what they saw in the media. He found it disgusting and couldn’t bear it.

Especially, a concept Hunter wearing a flowing dress and entering the gate was even more offensive to him.

“What batch are you?”

He asked aggressively. He was from the 123rd batch, having graduated from the training camp in October 2028. That was three years ago.

Eunha’s pitch-black pupils slowly moved and fixed on him.

He knew that the conscription system had disappeared and that Hunters were no longer forced on Awakened. The modern Hunter training camp was just a shell. For modern Hunters, the training camp was merely a place to go for better employment, like entering a four-year university.

Yet, it was surprising that there were still Hunters who talked about hierarchy.

“Can’t you hear? What batch are you?”

Eunha’s lips curved slightly at his question.

The moment their eyes met, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Her blood-red lips, as if sealed with blood, moved slightly, almost imperceptibly.

“Me?”

Her voice, blending into the darkness, didn’t travel far. It only reached his ear.

“1st batch.”