Chapter 169 - Chapter 169 (1/2)

In the venue for the press conference held by the American Hunter Bureau.

The United States of America had opened her mouth to make her statement.

"We're currently gathering Hunters to one location."

Was America finally revealing her hand in order to save Japan?

Reporters had all rushed to attend this press conference after the Hunter Bureau announced that they would clarify their position. They all cried out in elation from this announcement as if this matter concerned them personally.

No one alive would wish for tens of millions, no, hundreds of millions of people to die a gruesome death. That was why these reporters were so enthusiastic about this announcement.

As the atmosphere within the press conference venue heated up to an astounding degree, the spokesperson ruefully shook his head.

"However, it's not for Japan's sake."

What was that?

The gathered reporters began exchanging glances as hushed murmurs grew louder. It seemed that no one present here had received any prior warning about this as they were all cautiously looking at each other's reactions right now.

The spokesperson pointed to the giant screen behind him.

"....Heok!!"

"What the hell..."

The mouths of the reporters were clamped shut by the image now shown on that screen.

The chaotic atmosphere cooled down in an instant and it was replaced by deathly silence instead. And then, as this weighty silence persisted, shocked gasps could occasionally be heard in between.

The prepared footage indeed carried that much of an impact.

"This is the image of the Gate discovered earlier today in eastern Maryland."

The size of the Gate was not normal. It was smaller than the one in Japan, but still, its sheer scale was uncommonly massive.

The rank of a Gate didn't always match up to its size. But then again, a Gate with an enormous size never led to a low-ranked dungeon, either.

The spokesperson continued on with his explanation.

"According to the measurement taken by our investigative team, this Gate is also a rank S, exactly like the one that has appeared in Japan. This nation's top Hunters will focus all their efforts in closing this Gate, instead."

Some reporters covered their faces, some shook their heads in helplessness, some spat out pained sighs to display the despair each of them felt in that moment.

An unprecedented event of two rank S Gates being generated close to one another had taken place.

Of course, the United States of America wasn't worried in the slightest. It was now time for the dozens of rank S Hunters she had reeled in from all over the world to step forward and easily take care of this Gate.

The problem was with Japan.

'America doesn't have the spare manpower to aid Japan.'

When this horrifying piece of news finally made its way over to Japan, the Japanese people desperately praying for the Americans' aid all cried out in despair.

Japan was finished.

The Giant-type monsters were advancing south as it destroyed everything in their path. People escaping up north were slowly but surely being forced onto a cliff, as well.

In this situation, Korea finally broke her silence over the matter and clarified her position as well.

Goh Gun-Hui stood in front of the reporters and spoke up.

"We will not get involved in Japan's matters."

***

A day before the press conference.

Just like any other day, the wide-open office space of the Ah-Jin Guild was occupied by only two people – Jin-Woo and Yu Jin-Ho.

The latter's eyes sparkled brightly.

"Hyung-nim? A rank B Gate just became available. Should I book it?"

"Is it within the Hunters Guild's jurisdiction?"

"Pardon? Oh, yes it is, hyung-nim."

"In that case, don't."

"Oh.... okay. I got it, hyung-nim."

Having sacrificed a lot of her elite Hunters, the Hunters Guild would be going through a seriously hectic time now. It'd not look good if Jin-Woo's Guild swooped in to take advantage of the situation and stole a Gate from under their noses.

Yu Jin-Ho scratched the side of his head before shifting his head over to Jin-Woo.

"Hyung-nim? What have you been you looking at so intently like that?"

Jin-Woo tore his eyes away from the computer screen and leaned his back against the chair.

"Hey, Jin-Ho?"

"Yes, hyung-nim?"

"Should I go over to Japan for a while?"

"Excuse me?"

Yu Jin-Ho's expression hardened.

Of course, he hadn't forgotten just who was saying those words. He had seen hyung-nim's amazing feats closer than anyone else out there.

However, common sense simply didn't apply to rank S Gates. It was impossible to measure, to begin with. Didn't that imply such a Gate was beyond the scope of what's considered normal?

Just like how there was an unscalable wall even among the rank S Hunters, no one could tell just what kind of dangerous monsters would pop out from a Gate that was impossible to measure.

And that was why Yu Jin-Ho simply couldn't think of Jin-Woo's words of going to Japan as him simply kidding around.

Abruptly, his head shifted over to the computer screen Jin-Woo was looking at.

'Ah....'

It was filled with the breaking news regarding Japan.

'Hyung-nim was worried about them.'

Unlike Yu Jin-Ho, hyung-nim possessed incredible powers. It was quite obvious that he'd also suffer from the distress that the responsibility of his power level brought along.

"Hyung-nim, hold up."

"Mm?"

Jin-Woo only lightly threw that suggestion out but Yu Jin-Ho's reactions were rather serious.

Yu Jin-Ho vacated his spot and hurriedly extracted a photo album from the file cabinet before bringing it over. When he flipped that thick book open, all sorts of newspaper articles were clipped onto its pages.

'What's this....?'

All of them were articles related to Jin-Woo.

From the incident of the Red Gate – which the media still didn't know that Jin-Woo was a part of – to the raid of Jeju Island; when he solved the issue of the traffic jam; and even when he took care of the strange, unidentifiable stone statues alongside the Hunters Guild recently, too.

Jin-Woo was dumbfounded by this spectacle and asked Yu Jin-Ho.

"You were collecting all of these?"

"Yes, hyung-nim."

Yu Jin-Ho's face was slightly flushed red.

"Okay, fine. But, why are you showing me this all of a sudden?"

"You know what the common theme among these articles is, hyung-nim?"

"I wonder....?"

'….Surely, he's not trying to say that I'm involved in all these incidents.'

A short while later, Yu Jin-Ho spoke with a voice softer than the buzzing of a mosquito.

"It's that I'm nowhere to be found in all of them, hyung-nim."

If it weren't for Jin-Woo's high Perception reinforcing his hearing, he'd have missed that voice.

"What?!"

Jin-Woo looked back, and Yu Jin-Ho raised his drooped head and stared straight into the former's eyes.

"Hyung-nim. If you're planning to go to Japan, please take me along with you."

"....??"

Jin-Woo was baffled here.

He expected Yu Jin-Ho to either stop him or cheer him on when he said he'd be heading over to Japan, but never did he imagine the kid would say 'Take me with you!'

However, Yu Jin-Ho was being dead serious.

"Although it is embarrassing to say this out loud, hyung-nim, you're my pride. You're the only thing that I can proudly boast about to other people, you know."

"But, you...."

Jin-Woo quickly shut his mouth up.

Yu Jin-Ho looked outwardly as if he had possessed more than anyone else in the world. According to his own words, however, all of those were shackles that only managed to torment him, and to him, they were nothing to be proud about.

But then, it was Yu Jin-Ho's own decision to stick around Jin-Woo, and then to continue developing the Ah-Jin Guild. All his, and no one else's.

Jin-Woo could more or less understand where Yu Jin-Ho was coming from when he said this was his sole source of pride.

"That is why I'd like to be there where you are, hyung-nim. Please, please take me with you, hyung-nim."

"You, you haven't forgotten where I want to go, right?"

Even if Yu Jin-Ho was a naïve, immature kid, he surely would have heard about what was happening in Japan.

That place was currently a true hell on earth. Demons called 'Giants' were judging mankind in the most gruesome manner imaginable.

Even then, Yu Jin-Ho nodded his head with a determined expression on his face.

"As long as you're unhurt, hyung-nim, I'll be alright as well. If you get hurt somehow... eiii, I don't wanna even think about that."

Yu Jin-Ho looked back with a strong light of trust burning in his eyes.

The feeling you'd get from someone trusting you to such an extent certainly couldn't be described as bad in any shape or form.

Jin-Woo felt this strange warmth tickling him in his chest and he happily ruffled Yu Jin-Ho's hair. The latter was flustered but he didn't withdraw his head.

"H-hyung-nim?!"

"I was only joking, you know? Why would ever I go to Japan when times are like this?"

Jin-Woo stood up from his spot.

"Hey, that's enough for today. Let's just go home. You worked hard anyway."

"Uh? You're going home already, hyung-nim?"

Jin-Woo stepped outside the office door while waving his hands. Yu Jin-Ho bowed his waist deeply to send him off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, hyung-nim!"

***

Clunk.

Jin-Woo stepped into his house.

A truly mouth-watering savoury scent of stew tickled his nostrils. He stood on the spot and soaked in the evening's smell.

'This is so good.'

One of the great things about mom being discharged from the hospital was that now, he had someone to welcome him back home every day. The dark and quiet home of the past no longer existed in his life. Not anymore.

"Son, you're home?"

He heard his mother's voice coming from the kitchen.

"Yes, Mom."

He took off his shoes and neatly arranged them before walking into the kitchen himself. His mother was looking behind her and he sent her a smile as a greeting.

"I'm home."

"Will you eat dinner?"

"Yes. What about Jin-Ah, though?"