Chapter 278. Side Story   - Change Pt. 3

The cold, iced chocolate went down his throat while leaving a subtle sweetness in his mouth. Lee Jun-Kyeong put the straw in his mouth again and gulped it down, continuing to drink his beverage. As he did so, his eyes were focused outside his window.

Gulp.

He took another sip of iced chocolate. Lee Jun-Kyeong was in the middle of Gangnam. Maybe it was because it was where the association's headquarters was located.

“Hungteodeuri a lot,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said in a muffled voice as his mouth filled with the iced chocolate again.

People passed by outside of the window. They all seemed slightly off in some way, different from that of ordinary humans. They were Hunters, armed with weapons to hunt monsters, each one’s appearance unique from the next.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

They casually walked down the street, their armor clanking with every step. This was something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had seen before.

‘But it doesn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.’

The people truly accepted these Hunters, which was different from in the past. Before he had regressed, the Hunters were either praised or despised. They were thought of as either Heroes sacrificing themselves to save humanity or perceived as enemies who threatened ordinary humans with their incredible strength.

Things were different now.

“They’re the same as the humans.”

People saw the Hunters as just the same as they were. Thus, even with their unusual behavior or appearances, the regular humans didn’t pay any attention to them. Instead, while Lee Jun-Kyeong saw some looks of admiration, he couldn’t see any looks of disdain.

The same was true for the Hunters. In the past, the Hunters had a tendency to look down on ordinary humans. With their superior strength, they tended to think of themselves as a new form of humanity.

They ignored the ordinary humans who didn’t have the power of Hunters or the support of a Sponsor, assuming them to be the unchosen, the root of all internal conflicts within humanity.

However, it was different now because the Sponsors had disappeared.

Ungnyeo had already finished her iced chocolate. She spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong while resting her chin in her hand.

“You no longer need to be sponsored to become a Hunter.”

The Sponsors had all disappeared, as Lee Jun-Kyeong had regressed while preserving a point in time after the Demon King had already killed all of the Sponsors. The Sponsors no longer existed, but there were still Hunters.

“Now, you can become a Hunter through effort.”

No one needed to risk their lives and gamble anymore by entering a gate to try to prove oneself. There was no need to bank on being chosen by a Sponsor and do something that would result in death unless one was chosen.

In this world, being a Hunter was something anyone could do if they wanted to. A sprout of mana had sprouted within every human being, and it could be developed through one’s own efforts. Once their mana exceeded a certain level, one would gain strong power.

‘In other words, level up.’

It was exactly like it sounded. In a world where the Sponsors had disappeared, the Hunters still existed. All of them had become Players.

Each one was now able to level up and become stronger with effort. The world had become a place where anyone could develop themselves with effort.

“This is the world you created. Jun-Kyeong,” Ungnyeo said, sweeping her long, black hair to the side.

“...”

However, for some reason, all Lee Jun-Kyeong could focus on was Ungnyeo’s thin neck.

***

The Sponsors had disappeared, but the Hunters had not. Hunters, who were born and would have become stronger thanks to the support of the Sponsors, had somehow appeared in a world without Sponsors.

Even more surprisingly, they all had obtained the Player ability that Lee Jun-Kyeong had. It was the power to pioneer oneself through one’s own strength and become stronger through effort. The power to not be fooled by the tricks of a Sponsor.

Everyone had that kind of power, and the same was true for Zeus or even Jeong In-Chang. They were no longer tied to Sponsors.

‘Hunters still exist, and so do ‘the Gates.’

If only Hunters still existed, then the situation could still have been dangerous. Strength without direction created chaos. However, just as before he had regressed, both Hunters and Gates still existed in this world. The Gates and monsters were things that Sponsors had used to train and shape their vessels.

Now it was different. “Could they be considered scraps?”

It was true that the Sponsors were dead. It was a fact that the Demon King had disappeared. He had regressed after those two things had been decided and preserved. However, the problems that the Sponsors had created after millennia of existence were still not resolved.

The extinction of countless dimensions and the remnants that were created as a result were still present. The monsters appeared in the world just as they had originally. The others were still investigating the Gates, but they still had a general understanding.

The numerous dimensions and monsters left behind by the Sponsors appeared without stopping.

“It’ll probably continue endlessly.”

Lee Jun-Kyeong didn’t know how many dimensions of monsters existed, nor did he know how much longer humanity would have to face them in the future.

‘If I got involved, I might be able to handle it, but...’

If he were to become a more perfect God than he was now, then he most likely would have been able to destroy the root of the Gates. However, he had no intention of doing that.

‘After all, gates don’t pose a major threat to humanity.’

There was only one reason why the Gates had been feared in the previous timeline: no one knew when a Gate might collapse and unleash a monster tide. Monster tides were things that even the ordinary humans who had no interaction with the lives of Hunters could get caught up in. Hence, the people were forced to live in fear of monster tides at any time.

However, things were different now.

‘Gates don’t collapse anymore.’

Gate breaks never happened, as Gates wouldn’t collapse unless they were cleared.

No matter how powerful a Gate was, no matter how powerful the monsters contained within could be, they could never be enemies of ordinary humans. The Gates had just developed into a form that served as driving forces for the growth of Hunters while not threatening humanity in any way.

Lee Jun-Kyeong had his suspicions as to why.

‘It might be because the very existence of the Sponsors, the greatest threat to humanity, had disappeared.’

“This really is a peaceful world.”

Regardless of the reason, it was peaceful. It was just a world that developed simply by goals and purposes. No longer were there any enemies.

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked up at the sky for a moment. He had nothing to do every single day. Like Zeus, Ungnyeo also left the cafe.

“I have an appointment with the President...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong burst out laughing at Ungnyeo’s changed appearance. His companions were busy. They continued to change the world and maintain peace, always growing in order to do so. There was no longer anything like Andlangr for them to experience, and thus, they had to build up their strength again.

They grew, hunted, and made every effort without stopping. To be frank, Lee Jun-Kyeong knew that the fact that they had even come to see him, even if it was only once a month, was something he should be thankful for.

“Horus said he would be late...and Liu Bei said the same, right?”

Although Lee Jun-Kyeong missed the companions he hadn’t seen yet, it was understandable because they were so busy.

Beep, beep.

Lee Jun-Kyeong entered the door lock code and opened the door. There was one thing that he liked the most about such a peaceful world; it was that he had a home to return to at any time.

“I’m home.”

***

“What is it?” Jeong In-Chang asked Lee Jun-Kyeong as he stood with a blank expression on his face. Jeong In-Chang was lounging around Lee Jun-Kyeong’s house with nothing but a pair of athletic boxer briefs on.

“Didn’t you say my house was too small?”

It was as if the Hunter had thought Lee Jun-Kyeong’s home was his own.

“It only felt small because there were so many people. But looking at it now, it’s quite comfortable, isn’t it?” Jeong In-Chang responded.

He then looked over at Lee Jun-Kyeong and continued, “Moreover, that’s beside the point. Has your date already ended??!”

Lee Jun-Kyeong looked a little flustered. “A date?”

Jeong In-Chang sat, scratching at his crotch as he said, “I mean I even left early because Ungnyeo came back after such a long time so you two could spend some time together.”

“...” “You two don’t get to meet often because you’re so busy, right? How did you mess up such an opportunity...”

“Whatever...” Lee Jun-Kyeong said, cupping his face in his hands and shaking his head as if he was tired.

‘Why did he change into this...’

If he had to go back and pick his companion with the largest amount of growth, it would be Jeong In-Chang. The Hunter had used to be such a loyal and hardworking person. However, the Jeong In-Chang he saw before him...

“When did you become such an uncle??!”

Although he wasn’t that old, those lazy little eyes, the hand scratching at his crotch, even the bed head... What on Earth had happened to him?”

“I’m hurt,” Jeong In-Chang replied. “This is my real appearance!”

“...”

“Aren’t we in peaceful times?! It’s good to relax and have a little fun.”

–Whoa!!!

As he said so, Jeong In-Chang turned on a music broadcast show featuring female idols dancing.

“He’s right. You should learn a thing or two from him.” At that time, Heimdall also opened the door and entered. “It’s necessary to enjoy peace.”

Heimdall was dressed neatly.

“A way to enjoy peace...” Lee Jun-Kyeong pondered what Heimdall said. It had been one month since his regression, and no battles had broken out. He hadn’t entered any Gates, encountered any monsters, or gotten into any trouble with any Hunters.

It was peaceful. He, too, should be enjoying it, but...

“Am I not enjoying it properly...”

“Yes. You still have your walls up,” Heimdall said. “You still have nightmares, don’t you? You still live with barriers up everywhere, and you haven’t stopped watching your surroundings everywhere you go.”

“But...”

He had to. No matter how peaceful a time may be, at least that much was...

“Nothing can threaten you anymore,” said Heimdall firmly. He had read Lee Jun-Kyeong’s expression accurately. “Just rest. There are no more enemies. Go watch music shows and go date someone like other kids your age do, even if it’s not going to be Ungnyeo.”

“...”

Lee Jun-Kyeong scratched his head. Heimdall might be right. He may not actually be enjoying the peace.

‘Was it because of a lifetime of struggle?’

Even then, during the era of Eden, before he got the name Lee Jun-Kyeong, it had always been a struggle there, too. In order to survive, he had to hold his breath while watching the Hunters’ every move. He had to hide as much as possible as he didn’t know when he would die.

Immediately following that, he had returned to the past and lived as Lee Jun-Kyeong, a life of even further struggle. He had to struggle in order to live, save the world, and change the world. He had lived without rest.

‘I...’

Lee Jun-Kyeong realized he may not know how to rest. It was time for him to change that.

"Where are you going?" Jeong In-Chang asked Heimdall. The Hunter was dressed smartly, and Lee Jun-Kyeong realized that Heimdall was wearing a suit for the first time in a long time.

“To the Association. Do you want to go, too? Also, didn’t you say you had something to do, In-Chang?”

“Ah... I’ll go later.”

For some reason, Jeong In-Chang looked a little uncomfortable as Heimdall’s gaze focused on Lee Jun-Kyeong.

“The Association...”

In the past, it was Odin and Baldur’s home and the headquarters of the secret organization Asgard. He had roughly heard the story of what was going on there, but he hadn’t yet set foot in its halls yet.

“You haven’t even registered as a Hunter yet, right? Let’s go do that right now. You never know when you’re going to need a Hunter Registration. You don’t think you can laze around at home forever, do you?”

“Are you making fun of me because I’m unemployed?”

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Heimdall said, smiling slightly.

Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded cautiously. “All right.”

For the first time since he had regressed back to the past, he would head to the Association today—the place where he still held domain as President in this timeline.

‘Odin...’