《My Daughter Is the Final Boss》 Chapter 0 - Prologue Prologue His daughter destroyed the world. A throne stood alone on the blood-stained snow field. Seol-ah sat with her chin on her knuckles and looked at him quietly. ¡°¡­¡­Why did you do this? Seol-ah.¡± At his question, Seol-ah laughed. There was a hint of contempt in the sunken eyes. ¡°It¡¯s the same, Seo-jun Lee. Are you trying to act like a father now?¡± ¡°I¡­¡­¡± The cold voice cut off his words as if it were done dealing with others. ¡°Or did you come to hunt me as a hunter in the wild?¡± He closed his mouth. The reason he came here was for an ultimatum. It was to stop Seol-ah. However, willingness to negotiate was not felt. ¡°Stop it, Seo-jun.¡± A voice came from behind. The owner of the voice was an old man, a swordsman („¦ÐÇ). [PR note: „¦ÐÇ means star sword in chinese] Behind the old man were numerous hunters who had followed him. It was the last deathbed of mankind, gathered to kill Seol-ah. ¡°That is no longer your daughter. She is a monster.¡± ¡°No. Seol-ah is not a monster, she is still my daughter.¡± ¡°I will not force you to join the battle. Back off.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± He lifted a spear. Turning around, he aimed at Suseong. One of the swordsman¡¯s eyebrows rose upward. ¡°What is this going to do now?¡± ¡°I believe you should understand.¡± He bent his knees slightly, and lowered his posture. After correcting his breathing, he twisted the spear tightly. Suseong warned as if he was unwilling. ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to have to kill me.¡± He knew he didn¡¯t play the role of a father. This doesn¡¯t help Seol-ah or Suseong either. The difference between his sword and his skills are clear. It was a meaningless struggle. However, even if he had to die, he couldn¡¯t just watch his daughter be hunted. He loves her. At some point, a swordsman appeared in front of him. Speed that went by unnoticed. When he sensed him, it was after the sword had penetrated his heart. Feeling the coldness of the blade, he looked at the sword. thud. The spear rolled on the floor, and he fell. Suseong looked down at him for a moment, then turned his head to Seol-ah. His vision began to get blurry and he couldn¡¯t see Seol-ah¡¯s face. A dull woman¡¯s voice penetrated his ear. [The witch, Seol-ah Lee is angry.] [The last quest on earth begins.] [Final Boss: Defeat the Witch, Seol-ah Lee.] It had to start eventually. There was no turning back. He spit out the blood in his throat and muttered with the last of his strength. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Seol-ah.¡± Hot tears covered his face. He regretted it. He wanted everything to go back to the beginning. His consciousness faded away. A faint voice was heard. [Seo-jun Lee¡¯s unique quest begins] [Returning.] Chapter 1 Chapter 1 [Regression completed.] He woke up to the voice of the system. The sunlight filtering through the curtains revealed the dizzying living room. Clothes sprawled everywhere on chairs, unorganized desks. It was a nostalgic landscape that was vaguely left in a very old memory of his. When he woke up with a dazed mind, his head was pounding as if he drank alcohol yesterday. ¡°Ugh.¡± He habitually picked up the phone next to his pillow to understand the situation. What¡¯s caught was an old smartphone he had used a long time ago. Feeling uncomfortable, he checked the date. ¡°Ah?¡± At first, he thought it was an error. The date on the phone was pointing to 15 years ago. He grabbed hold of his stinging temple and frowned. He must have died when the final quest started. The feeling of being pierced by the swordsman was still vivid. ¡®I returned?¡¯ A notification sound popped up. He hurriedly ran to the bathroom. He turned on the light and checked his face in the mirror. ¡°Crazy¡­¡­ What is this?¡± In the mirror, there he was, but with a younger face. Judging from the date, he should be at the age of 26. He turned on the cold water of the sink and washed his face. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. When he pinched his thigh, he felt a definite pain. ¡®This isn¡¯t a dream? Really?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it. But this was very obviously reality. He was back in the past. He needed to calmly organize his thoughts. ¡®How?¡¯ The first question he had to ask was, how did he return to the past? It¡¯s something you occasionally see in movies. It¡¯s time travel. Why did this happen to him? He calmly recalled his memories. ¡®Okay. They said it was a unique quest.¡¯ Just before he died, he remembered the voice of the system. Apparently, the hunter Seo-Jun Lee¡¯s unique quest was about to begin. But at this time, he probably wouldn¡¯t have been a hunter yet. After a little hesitation, he opened the quest window. Stop Seol-ah Lee¡¯s five misfortunes. (0/5) He stared blankly at the translucent window. Quests were kinds of missions the system gave to hunters. Since it gives useful rewards when completed, they¡¯re like tasks that Hunters are obligated to do. He too did countless quests as a hunter for over 10 years. However, it was unheard of that a modification called ¡°unique¡± was attached to the front of a quest. ¡®Five misfortunes?¡¯ Much to his regret, he had no idea what these five misfortunes were. As Seol-ah said, he may have been nothing to her. There was only one guess. ¡®Eun-hye.¡¯ It was the death of Seol-ah¡¯s mother, Yoo Eun-hye. He checked the date once again. He still remembered the date of her death. It¡¯s exactly the same date as the disaster. ¡®This time, I can stop it.¡¯ Seol-ah¡¯s misbehavior and her mother¡¯s death. He could change everything he regretted. The past went by like a flash. Eun-hye died, and he raised Seol-ah by himself. ¡®No, honestly, I couldn¡¯t even say that I raised her.¡¯ If he had been a decent hunter, he would have had income and leeway, but he wasn¡¯t. Entering the hunter¡¯s path quite late, he rarely even got home properly. That¡¯s because he owed a lot of money after signing a wrong contract with a guild that he had readily reached out to. He thought he had tried his best not to damage Seol-ah. But now that he looked back, maybe it was just all indifference. He was the one who neglected Seol-ah with one excuse or another. ¡®It¡¯s just as Seol-ah said, I was nothing.¡¯ He regretted it. A hellish life lived while paying off debts. But in the end, there was no one left with him. ¡®You don¡¯t even know what kind of misfortune Seol-ah went through. Seo-jun Lee, you bastard.¡¯ It was all his fault. He didn¡¯t want to miss the second opportunity that came to him. This time, everything will be right. Ding Dong. Then, the doorbell rang. ¡®Ah. Today is the day.¡¯ He remembered the first time Eun-hye came holding Seol-ah¡¯s hand. He broke up with Eun-hye 6 years ago, that is, when he was 20. Eun-hye, who came to him without contact, introduced Seol-ah as his daughter. At that time, he couldn¡¯t hide his confusion. The sudden visit of his ex-girlfriend was also embarrassing. And a daughter. ¡®I went on a rampage asking for a paternity test.¡¯ Looking back, it seemed that he had done something impossible in front of the child. He asked for paternity confirmation, and he told her that it was someone else¡¯s child. However, as a result of paternity verification, it was concluded that it was in fact, his child. Having a child all of a sudden, he didn¡¯t take it easily. ¡®I was a real piece of garbage.¡¯ A disappointed laugh came out. No matter how perplexed he was, Eun-hye and Seol-ah were terrified. Eun-hye, who gave up all her pride and asked for help, had to go through all sorts of humiliation. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how much damage Seol-ah must have suffered as a child. It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be undone anyway, so he should have just accepted it. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± Eun-hye¡¯s voice came behind the door. He was instantly moved by the voice he had not heard in a long time. He asked again in a calm voice, trying to control his emotions. He quickly straightened his messy hair. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me. Yoo Eun-hye.¡± After hesitating for a while, he decided and grabbed the doorknob. He paused for a moment, and opened the door. Yoo Eun-hye was there. ¡°Hello. Seo-jun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Eun-hye.¡± He couldn¡¯t keep up. It felt like something hot was stuck in his throat. A dead woman was in front of him. Again, it felt as if he had truly returned. His mouth was barely pouting like a goldfish, and Eun-hye looked down. There was a little child holding her hand. ¡°Seol-ah, say hello to your dad.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Hello, Dad?¡± Seol-ah bowed to him. Eyes filled with pure curiosity looked up at him. Up until then, he was still muttering stupidly. Eun-hye looked at him while he was like that, and cautiously spoke out. ¡°I know. It¡¯s embarrassing, and it¡¯s hard to accept.¡± ¡°Oh, uh.¡± ¡°This child, our Seol-ah, really is your daughter, Seo-jun.¡± He couldn¡¯t answer, so he squatted in front of Seol-ah. At eye level, he could see his daughter, the prettiest girl in the world. White skin that resembled her mother, clear eyes, and tiny cherry-like lips. Even the white cheeks that looked soft like rice cake makes you want to squeeze them. So why didn¡¯t they face each other? ¡°Daughter?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± Seol-ah gave a curious glance, but it seemed like he was a stranger. She stood back and held Eun-hye¡¯s hand tightly. He spoke to Seol-ah with a serious face. ¡°I¡¯m your father.¡± Seol-ah¡¯s eyes turned round. An awkward silence descended. He just scratched the back of his head. ¡°Ah, kids these days don¡¯t know this.¡± ¡°Seo-jun, you¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Just come in. How long are you going to stand and talk? My legs hurt.¡± Perhaps it was an unexpected reaction, Eun-hye looked at him with flustered eyes. He knelt down on one knee and held out his hand politely like a knight. ¡°I¡¯d like to serve you. Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes!¡± Seol-ah smiled brightly and put her small hand on top of his. * * * ¡°You¡¯ve¡­.. changed.¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± Yoo Eun-hye looked at Seo-joon Lee with a confused face. As soon as they entered the room, he cleaned up the messy house. He became close to Seol-ah by naturally playing jokes, and they¡¯re now watching children¡¯s cartoons together. When Seol-ah concentrated on the children¡¯s cartoon played on her smartphone, Seo-jun Lee cautiously went to the kitchen. After rummaging through the drawer a little, he skillfully pulled out the tea that looked like a gift and gave it out. It is a sight she could not have imagined. ¡°It seems like only yesterday you were a child.¡± ¡°After six years, everyone changes.¡± Sitting across from Yoo Eun-hye, Seo-jun took a sip of tea. When did Seo-jun Lee, who used to drink only sweet lattes for coffee, change like that? Yoo Eun-hye, who thought it was really unfamiliar, shook her head. ¡°So, Seol-ah is my daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°No. I believe it.¡± Eun-hye, who had put her hand in her bag, stopped moving. She thought he¡¯d ask her to get a paternity check. She was honestly embarrassed to see him so obediently accepting it. Seo-jun Lee gazed at Yoo Eun-hye. ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡°¡­¡­We didn¡¯t end well.¡± As with most separated lovers, Seo-Jun Lee and You Eun-Hye¡¯s ending was not very good. Seo-jun enlisted as if he were running away, and it was only after that Yoo Eun-hye found out she was pregnant. ¡°At first, I wanted to raise her on my own. But, things turned out to be unfavorable.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There was an accident. The house collapsed¡­¡­ I have nowhere to go right now.¡± Seo-jun nodded his head. Yoo Eun-hye brought out the words she had prepared for him painstakingly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you to take responsibility. Because she was born with my choice.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Let us stay for a while. You can¡¯t put a child to sleep in a motel.¡± Yoo Eun-hye had no parents to depend on. She had no close relatives. It was Seo-jun Lee she found after a lot of research. Still, as a child¡¯s father, she thought he wouldn¡¯t be harsh. However, as she expected friction, Yoo Eun-hye exhaled a long breath. No matter what Seo-jun Lee said, she was just going to listen and put it aside for Seol-ah. ¡°Yes. You can do that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The house isn¡¯t very spacious, but if I organize things I don¡¯t need, I¡¯ll have some space.¡± However, Seo-jun neither doubted nor refused. As if it was a very natural matter, he accepted it and took in Yoo Eun-hye and Seol-ah. When Seo-joon Lee appeared to be like this, it was Yoo Eun-hye who was bewildered. ¡°What about the load?¡± ¡°Load? Uh, it¡¯s outside.¡± ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll bring it in.¡± Seo-jun put down the cup and got up. As he went to the front door, he saw Seol-ah glued to the TV show. ¡°Seol-ah, are you having fun?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°If you watch too much, your eyes will get bad. Do you have to watch only that?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I want to see more.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s play with Mom and Dad later instead.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Seo-jun Lee, who patted Seol-ah¡¯s head as if she was cute, went outside. Then he dragged in the carrier that had been standing by the door. Sitting opposite Yoo Eun-hye again, Seo-jun looked at Seol-ah for a moment. The eyes were somehow full of affection. ¡°Pretty. Is it because she¡¯s just like you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s pretty because she looks like you.¡± Seo-jun Lee fixed his gaze on Seol-ah and continued speaking calmly. Finally, Yoo Eun-hye¡¯s confusion reached its peak. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ The Seo-jun Lee she knew was not a man who expressed affection in this way. He was a troublemaker, and the word immature was befitting of him. But somehow, Seo-jun Lee looked gentle. Even in the words that seemed to have been spit out without thought, she could feel the sincerity. Yoo Eun-hye took a sip of tea to calm her heart. ¡°Eun-hye.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± Cough. The tea in Yoo Eun-hye¡¯s mouth returned to the teacup. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The reaction was more dramatic than expected. He didn¡¯t mean to surprise her this much. Yoo Eun-hye asked as if she had heard it wrong. ¡°Wh, what?¡± ¡°Huh? Let¡¯s get married.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­.. Are you drunk?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m perfectly sober.¡± Eun-hye felt unsettled that he was so gracious. Seol-ah had been neglected by him, who had become the only person she could rely on. He figured that he must take responsibility. But on the other hand, Eun-hye was too much of a precious person for someone like him. To be honest, he didn¡¯t even have the heart to say this, but he thought he would regret it if he didn¡¯t say it now. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to me in the first place?¡± ¡°When we broke up¡­.. I promised not to contact you.¡± ¡°But, you came back?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Now, Seol-ah takes precedence over my pride.¡± Eun-hye is 26 years old, just like him. However, she was beyond thoughtful in comparison with him at that time. After much consideration, she probably decided to give birth to Seol-ah and raise her alone. After hesitating, Eun-hye spit out. ¡°I came to you because things were not going well. I have no feelings for you left.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I was immature back then. It would be weird if you still had feelings about me. ¡°But, to be honest, it¡¯s embarrassing to be getting married all of the sudden.¡± ¡°¡­¡­That¡¯s right. Yeah.¡± He couldn¡¯t stand the words coming from the bottom of her heart. He proposed to her suddenly, but from Eun hye¡¯s perspective, she was embarrassed. Of course, they broke up in the first place, so Eun-hye wouldn¡¯t feel much for him. It was different for him, who later felt the void of Yoo Eun-hye and regretted it for years. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Still, Seol-ah, she¡¯s our child.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I think a child needs a father.¡± He began to persuade Eun-hye with his theory. She nodded her head as if she agreed. Seol-ah is now five years old. It was a time when a child needed their parents¡¯ attention and love. All the more so, knowing the terrible future. ¡°That¡¯s true, though.¡± ¡°She¡¯s your child, but also my child. I think it is right to take responsibility.¡± ¡°Seo-jun. First of all, thank you for letting me stay. We can talk about that later.¡± ¡°Great. Let¡¯s do that.¡± He readily agreed. If he opposed words like that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to reach Eun-hye. A happy family has a good effect on a child. In order for Seol-ah to grow up properly, the relationship between him and Eun-hye must improve first. At least he had to get away from the immature ex-boyfriend image. Time was just approaching noon. They had to take care of lunch. ¡°Eun-hye, did you eat?¡± ¡°Huh? No?¡± ¡°Then do you want to go eat something delicious?¡± ¡°Something delicious?¡± Seol-ah, who was concentrating on her smartphone, responded quietly. He met Seol-ah¡¯s sparkling eyes. How could such a pretty girl be his daughter? It had to be inherited from Eun-hye¡¯s genes. ¡°Seol-ah. Shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± * * * ¡°What does Seol-ah like?¡± ¡°Anything is fine!¡± ¡°Really? There must be something you like the most.¡± ¡°Ice cream!¡± He was wondering what to eat, so he asked, and the ice cream was the answer. No matter how hard it was to say no, they couldn¡¯t have ice cream for lunch. He promised to buy it for her later and headed to a nearby restaurant. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know what Seol-ah liked¡­¡­¡¯ He was blaming himself inwardly, and noticed Seol-ah hesitating from below. She was contemplating whether or not to hold his hand with her tiny hand, but she compromised and grabbed the hem of his trousers. ¡°Cough.¡± ¡°Are you bored?¡± ¡°No.¡± A perfectly straight answer. There are no words able to describe how cute she is. She held his pant leg almost barely visible, and looked at him. Still, it seems that she has a very friendly personality and wants to get to know him better. The kid didn¡¯t have any boundaries. ¡°Seol-ah, it¡¯s dangerous. Shall we hold hands?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes!¡± Seol-ah took his hand without hesitation. One hand was holding Eun-hye¡¯s hand and the other was holding his hand, while she had a very excited expression. Her gaze alternated between him and Eun-hye, she smiled, thinking this feels good. Did she really try to destroy the world? He honestly couldn¡¯t believe it. Even if everything before the return was a dream, it seemed too real. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± He stopped in front of the food court. Eun-hye blinked and looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t like street food.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°Then why did you bring us here?¡± ¡°Because you like it.¡± Eun-hye especially liked tteokbokki. On the other hand, he hated snacking, so there were times when they had small fights while dating because of it. Though, it was something he remembered with regret after she died. He questioned himself why he didn¡¯t eat tteokbokki with her. Eun-hye looked at him with suspicious eyes. ¡°Are you really Lee Seo-Jun?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Can Seol-ah eat tteokbokki?¡± ¡°I can eat it!¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°But mom always washes it in water¡­¡­.¡± They went inside the store. It wasn¡¯t a high-end tteokbokki restaurant with a high price. It was a tteokbokki restaurant located in front of an old school. But as far as he knows, years later, this tteokbokki restaurant will be a widely famous gourmet restaurant and hit a jackpot. Even though the owner of the restaurant was kicked out because the rent was raised. When he ordered, an old woman brought them tteokbokki not long after. ¡°Wow, it looks delicious!¡± ¡°Oh. It really is.¡± ¡°I¡¯m drooling. Ha.¡± Seol-ah seemed to like tteokbokki just as much as her mother. Eun-hye, of course, was salivating too. He honestly didn¡¯t like it. As Eun-hye said, it wasn¡¯t his favorite food. But that wasn¡¯t the point. Because he was just content with seeing the two of them sitting in front of him. ¡°Where do I put the plate?¡± After setting the plate and tableware, they started eating. First, Eun-hye and he dipped tteokbokki with a fork and put it in their mouths at the same time. And he realized it too late. ¡°Spicy!¡± This is a restaurant famous for its spicy taste. He couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth at the spiciness of Korea, which made his tongue tingle. On the other hand, Eun-hye¡¯s mouth was smiling softly. ¡°This place is really good!¡± ¡°Y, yeah.¡± It really was delicious. But it¡¯s spicy. ¡°Mom, give some to Seol-ah, too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s water it down for Seol-ah.¡± ¡°Hnng. No, I don¡¯t want that. Just give it to me.¡± ¡°It would be too spicy for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± At Seol-ah¡¯s bold insistence, Eun-hye gently wiped the sauce off the tteokbokki on the edge of the plate. It would still be more spicy than washing it in water, but it will still be edible since the sauce is considerably reduced. Seol-ah, who took the tteokbokki on the plate in front of her with a fork, opened her tiny mouth as wide as possible. She cut a third of the tteokbokki and ate it, chewing like a hamster. Seol-ah, who was chewing tteokbokki wildly, opened her mouth. ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± ¡°Seol-ah inherited my spicy gene.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the worst at spicy food? Ah, it¡¯s too spicy.¡± * * * In the end, the rest of the tteokbokki was washed in water for Seol-ah to eat. In the meantime, he had a conversation with Eun-hye. She calmly explained her plan. ¡°I¡¯m going to join a guild.¡± ¡°A guild?¡± ¡°Yeah. I became an adaptor.¡± [P/N: They was saying that human that adapted to mana become an adaptor n they¡¯ll naturally be a hunter later on.] 25 years ago. Hence, 10 years ago from now. Natural disasters of unprecedented scale had occurred. There have been simultaneous cracks all over the world. All kinds of monsters that came out from it caused great casualties. This was all the more so due to the fact that the existing firearms and weapons did not work well. ¡®At that time, I really thought humanity was coming to an end.¡¯ But mankind did not perish. That was thanks to the people who adapted to the mana leaking from the rift, and gained special powers. They easily slashed down monsters that could not be stopped even if the army was mobilized. They called themselves ¡®hunters¡¯. ¡®Eun-hye was a hunter like me.¡¯ Although they were both hunters, Eun-hye¡¯s talent was not comparable to his. He was a student who failed the license exam one after another. On the other hand, Eun-hye became a hunter as a super rookie who joined the front line soon after. It was no exaggeration to say that the level of talent was greatly different. At the same time, an interview with a hunter was currently airing on TV. -Hello. This is Seong Soo-hyun. Along with the interview from a handsome man, the image of cutting down a monster was also broadcasted. Seong Soo-hyun was a hunter who gained a lot of popularity for his handsome face and outstanding skills. His recognition now would be higher than any singer or actor of this era. As a front-line hunter, he belonged to the same guild as Eun-hye before Seo-jun returned. ¡°Hunters. They make a lot of money.¡± The salary was astronomical. It¡¯s because they risk their lives to fight monsters. Killing a monster makes more money than you would think. A core, the heart of a monster, was called an innovation in alternative energy and was traded at a high price. In the case of strong monsters, by-products and materials from them are also sold at ridiculous prices. The materials from a monster are also processed into hunter¡¯s equipment. ¡°But it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m going to ask for Seol-ah.¡± [T/N: Maybe it means that she¡¯s asking for him to look after Seol-ah?] ¡°Uh?¡± This was an unprecedented development. Did something change in that brief moment? It was unknown. ¡°I got a contract from the guild.¡± ¡°Wait. Have you signed it?¡± ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m thinking of doing so.¡± ¡°Did you read it carefully?¡± ¡°Yes. They said they¡¯d help me get a license and take care of the deposit more than average.¡± He knew the guild who had a contract with her. And he was well aware of the techniques the guild used often. Part of the down payment is paying first, then you¡¯ll be bound to them. It may not be a big sum for people who were already hunters, but it was for those who still lack financial power like Eun-hye. After that, they used their Hunters almost like consumables and cleared their debt. ¡®By selling the equipment, and arranging the router at an unreasonable price to collect the commission.¡¯ There were still many loopholes in the laws related to hunters. Aiming for that, there were many cases of trapping up-and-coming hunters who were in a swamp of debt. It happened to him, and it happened to Eun-hye as well. But she proved herself by showing her skills quickly, unlike him, and she quickly got out of debt. She died in an accident right after that. ¡®The death of Eun-hye could be one of Seol-ah¡¯s misfortunes.¡¯ The five misfortunes Seol-ah had experienced. Perhaps that included the death of Eun-hye, the only mother she could rely on. Even if it wasn¡¯t for that, he couldn¡¯t just wait and see such a future repeat itself. She was a hunter with considerable talent. However, due to the suppression of the guild, she died without being able to properly spread her wings. ¡°Eun-hye, I¡­¡± Who even is he? He¡¯s the hunter who failed the license test seven times. The license exam has ended. Not only that, but he knows what will happen in the future. If he uses this well, he will definitely be able to provide a better environment than the guild. ¡°I will raise her.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Yoo Eun-hye, who got on the bus, looked down at the contract. The more she thought about it, the more she questioned it. It was because of Seo-jun Lee, the father to Seol-ah and her own ex-boyfriend. ¡°Haa.¡± She sighed in confusion and looked out the window. As she watched the scenery pass, she recalled Seo-jun¡¯s voice. -Don¡¯t trust the agents. Seo-jun Lee was strongly opposed to Eun-hye joining the guild. It was the perfect opportunity for Yoo Eun-hye. Just by looking at the down payment, she could settle all her debts right away. Perhaps because it¡¯s a reputable guild, the salary is not at a level that a new hunter would receive. If you sign a contract right away, all of the money will come in, but Seo-jun Lee dismissed it, saying that it was a loss. It wasn¡¯t just reckless behavior, he showed quite a bit of professional knowledge and even presented examples. -How did I know¡­..? Uh, oh, one of my closest friends also had an offer like that. It was a little suspicious, but she remembered every word for now. None of Eun-hye¡¯s acquaintances worked with hunters after all. Of course, she was lacking information, but Seo-jun Lee filled it up to some extent. It was pretty negative in general, but she decided that there was nothing wrong with being aware of it. ¡®He¡¯s changed.¡¯ Eun-hye Yoo thought that Seo-jun was like a different person. Six years. It was a short, yet long time depending on how you view it. Even so, she didn¡¯t know people could change that much. ¡®He was a total child back then.¡¯ A smirk leaked out. Yoo Eun-hye felt good inside. Such a reaction was not expected from him. She thought he would rush to get a paternity test or exclaim that it wasn¡¯t his child. Yet, he accepted Seol-ah whole heartedly, and she could even feel affection in his eyes. ¡®So, is he really accepting that he¡¯s a dad?¡¯ Yoo Eun-hye rarely leaves Seol-ah with others. This is because she doesn¡¯t trust people enough to willingly give up her precious daughter to them. However, Yoo Eun-hye was on her way after leaving Seol-ah to Seo-jun Lee. When she saw Seo-jun¡¯s attitude toward Seol-ah, she kind of believed it. ¡®I¡¯m still gonna have to confirm his parenting skills, but¡­¡­ it¡¯s almost there.¡¯ As she walked off the bus, she saw a tall building. It was in the middle of Gangnam. Hunters here seemed to be making good money. Upon entering the lobby, a neatly dressed receptionist caught Yoo Eun-hye. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I came to see Agent Heo Man-deok.¡± ¡°Are you Yoo Eun-hye?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will take you to him, this way.¡± They had already talked over the phone and made an appointment to meet each other beforehand. Yoo Eun-hye followed the receptionist and entered the building. People were roaming around with swords out of proportion to the modern era. They¡¯re most likely hunters belonging to the guild. ¡°Ah. Welcome. Agent Heo Man-deok.¡± ¡°This is Yoo Eun-hye.¡± One eyebrow of Eun-hye, who received Heo Man-deok¡¯s business card, went up. She remembered the conversation she had with Seo-jun. -Heo Man-deok? There¡¯s something terribly weird about the contract. Look at this. -What¡¯s weird? -First of all, the little things. Look here¡­¡­ Heo Man-deok, a handsome middle-aged man, had a light smile on his face. He didn¡¯t look like a bad person at all. Heo Man-deok brought coffee and sat across from Eun-hye. ¡°Have you read the contract?¡± ¡°Yes. I have read it.¡± ¡°There are few guilds that offer as good of conditions as our ¡®Knights¡¯.¡± The Knights. It was a guild composed mainly of hunters using swords, led by star hunter Suseong. It is a guild that has grown in recognition just recently, and it was a place that Eun-hye had heard of. However, Yoo Eun-hye did not hurriedly sign the contract. ¡°What about the Luther contract?¡± ¡°Once you become active, we will assign you a Luther belonging to the Knights.¡± ¡°I looked at the contract and there was no such writing. How do you divide the looted material?¡± ¡°It is a format shared by hunters, guilds, and Luthers in a fixed proportion.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯m asking about that fixed percentage.¡± Heo Man-deok was perplexed. Just accepting mana doesn¡¯t make you a real hunter. Because they have only met the minimum conditions, they are bound to shrink until they are licensed. He couldn¡¯t believe she was so confident that she pointed out a blind spot that was hard to find. ¡®Did she receive an offer from another guild?¡¯ It was rare for guilds to work hard for candidates who did not even get a license. That¡¯s because they need to take a license test to confirm if they¡¯re a jewel or a stone. They didn¡¯t know if she could be a potential dropout, Yoo Eun-hye hasn¡¯t even taken the exam yet. But there were definitely advantages. ¡®Sigh. Well, I can¡¯t even covet it.¡¯ She could just be commercial. Yoo Eun-hye was quite a beauty. Guild hunters were also known to broadcast to raise awareness. There were often hunters who were active in famous entertainment shows or talk shows. Seongsu-hyun was a typical example. ¡®It¡¯s okay to give up on the hunting aspect.¡¯ Anyway, Yoo Eun-hye can be raised more like a celebrity than a hunter. Heo Man-deok smiled pretensely and modified the contract. ¡°I¡¯ll add it if you want.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll start by asking all the questions I¡¯ve been wondering about.¡± Eun-hye, who did not miss the opportunity, began to follow the contract piece by piece. From the vaguely written parts to the subtly omitted provisions. She continued asking questions for almost ten minutes without a break. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll fix that part. What you said earlier¡­¡­¡± ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve ever received a contract with so many loopholes.¡± ¡°Uhh. That¡¯s right. Sorry. It¡¯s old fashioned.¡± Eun-hye continued with Seo-jun Lee¡¯s advice. She mentioned it was her first time, but in fact, Knights was the only guild she had ever been contracted by. Eun-hye was deliberately bluffing as if she had other options. The initiative was completely handed over to her. ¡®Seo-jun was right.¡¯ When she asked all the questions, she could see the truth. Seo-jun Lee was perfectly aware of the Knights¡¯ intentions. Fraudulent contracts that take advantage of the fact that hunter laws have loopholes that are yet to be perfected. She almost signed a contract with these ridiculous terms. Yoo Eun-hye got up from her seat while Heo Man-deok sweated and tried to alter the contract. ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you.¡± * * * ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome.¡± ¡°You¡¯re handsome!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Good job.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°Ah, go ahead.¡± When he opened a small egg candy, Seol-ah opened her mouth as if she were a baby bird whining for food. She swiped the candy between her little lips and smiled. The candy rolled inside her soft cheeks. A very good example was taking place. ¡°Where did Mom go?¡± ¡°Mom went to work. She¡¯s going to come back soon.¡± Eun-hye went to talk with the guild agent. Ordinary people tend to get caught up in the words of a guild agent. However, Eun-hye has a straightforward personality and she got his advice. Maybe if he hadn¡¯t let his words slip, she¡¯d be back with the contract postponed. In the meantime, he was able to spend time with Seol-ah. ¡®How did we get close?¡¯ They were finally joking around and being friendly. However, he had no experience with Seol-ah. This was the first time he¡¯s realized that she can¡¯t eat spicy food and that she liked ice cream. ¡®Right. Ice cream.¡¯ Since ancient times, there has been no better way to get someone to like you other than food. Since he¡¯s loosened the boundaries already with tteok-bokki, he should finish it off with ice cream. It was the perfect plan. ¡°Seol-ah. Shall we go eat ice cream?¡± ¡°Ice cream?¡± ¡°Yes, ice cream.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Eun-hye returned, he figured she would say something about feeding her too much sweets. Even so, getting to know Seol-ah better was the top priority. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat too many desserts, but ice cream right now is fine.¡± ¡°Huh? Dad is weird.¡± He took Seol-ah and walked out of the house. After a short walk, they entered a large ice cream shop near the station. ¡°Welcome.¡± To be honest, it¡¯s better to buy ice cream at a discount store. Ice cream shops are delicious, but it was a waste to burn the price of a bowl of soup on ice cream. But for the sake of his daughter, he could afford to sacrifice this much. ¡°Since my return,, my wallet feels like it has become a little lighter, or is it because of the pocketbook?¡± He wasn¡¯t broke, but a lot of money was burning away. It is right to save money, but he also had a plan in mind. It was a matter to discuss with Eun-hye when she returned. ¡°Uwa. Uwa.¡± Seol-ah stood on her tiptoes and looked at the ice cream. Her eyes sparkled. Seeing Seol-ah like that, the part-time worker smiled happily. Their kid was pretty. It wasn¡¯t just him saying that, it was objectively true. Seol-ah was exceptionally beautiful among children her age. ¡°May I take your order?¡± ¡°Seol-ah. What flavor would you like?¡± ¡°Chocolate!¡± ¡°Please put a single scoop of mother alien in a regular cone.¡± As he was handing his card, he felt a gaze from below. Seol-ah, with her eyes wide open, opened her mouth as if in shock. ¡°Seol-ah, why?¡± ¡°My mother is an alien¡­..?¡± With tears in her eyes, she carefully asked. The part-timer managed to hold back laughter. To be honest, he wanted to laugh too. It makes him smile when he sees someone so cute. He held Seol-ah and showed her the name of the ice cream. ¡°No. The name of this chocolate ice cream is called mother alien.¡± ¡°Then, my mom isn¡¯t an alien?¡± ¡°Yes. Your mother is not an alien.¡± He wiped the tears from Seol-ah¡¯s eyes. The part-timer looked at him and Seol-ah with a warm smile. She scooped up ice cream from the deep container. But the amount was quite large. ¡°Is that your sister?¡± ¡°Ah. No. She is my daughter.¡± ¡°I see. Your daughter is so cute, so I gave her a little bit more.¡± ¡°Thank you. Seol-ah. You should say thank you, too.¡± ¡°Thank you! Pretty sister!¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± The part-timer¡¯s expression melted down. Since the part-timer gave her more of the things she liked, it seems like a special tip has been added. It occured to Seo-jun in that moment, that if Seol-ah hadn¡¯t been corrupted, she could have had a good social life. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± Even while immersed in ice cream, Seol-ah did not forget to bid farewell. Considering her personality, it seems that Eun-hye has taught her very well. In the end, it was entirely his responsibility that she went sideways afterwards. ¡°Is it tasty?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s really good! But.¡± Seol-ah¡¯s eyes and looked at him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t daddy want to eat some?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s okay.¡± Due to the emotions he felt from being called Daddy, he couldn¡¯t answer properly. Before he returned to the past, she called him by his last name as if she were dealing with a stranger, much less a father. It¡¯s only been a day, but it seemed to have paid off. Seol-ah, who was in conflict for a moment, stopped him. And, she brought out the ice cream she had been saving. ¡°Oh, have this.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Have it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­Ah.¡± Seol-ah, who stood on her tiptoe, struggled to put the ice cream in his mouth. He bent down, allowing her to bring the ice cream to his mouth. He only took a bite and tasted it because he thought she would be upset if he ate too much. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°Right!¡± She somehow looked elated. Rather than the sweetness of chocolate, Seol-ah¡¯s favor melted him away. He corrected the expression on his face that was unraveling unknowingly. It was then. Rinnngggg. Suddenly, a siren sounded. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°A crack? Now?¡± A siren signals that a crack is opening nearby. Cracks are predicted by a radar before they actually appear. The predicted rift point is notified to nearby guilds or individual hunters. Originally, hunters would wait before the crack would open. But this siren also meant it was an emergency. ¡°No way. An unprecedented crack?¡± Sometimes, there are ones that appear without foreshadowing. A type of crack that cannot be detected by any radar. The probability of its occurrence is extremely low. But, here an unpredictable crack appeared all of the sudden. Confused, he looked around. Not a single person could be seen on the sparsely populated street. ¡°Daddy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± He felt Seol-ah hugging his legs. He put a hand on Seol-ah¡¯s head and reassured her. First, he had to find something that could be used as a weapon. All he could see was a broom slanted on a wall. That was close enough. He broke the tip of the broom. He was thinking of using the sharp part as a tip of a spear. He held Seol-ah in one arm and the temporary spear in the other. ¡°Seol-ah. You have to hold on tight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She was afraid of the siren, so she wrapped her arms around his neck. He immediately started running towards their home. His mind was confused. ¡®Are there unforeseen cracks now? Why?¡¯ Such a thing didn¡¯t happen in the past. Undetectable cracks are very unlikely to occur in the first place. There are only a handful of cases that have been observed in Korea. If it had appeared near his house, there would have been a ruckus, and he would remember something like that. ¡®No way.¡¯ There is a saying called the butterfly effect. A butterfly¡¯s flap causes a storm. If there was one thing that changed now, it was him. In other words, because he changed the future, something was twisted. However, ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything that would cause an unforeseen crack!¡¯ He kept running without even thinking about it. His current body was just like a normal person who had no training. If he encountered a monster, there is a high probability that it would not end well. Moreover, he was concerned about Seol-ah in his arms. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight while protecting his child. Crrrr. A sound similar to ice cracking was heard in the sky. He urgently came to a stop and looked up. There was a huge crack, as if someone had smashed the air. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He was extremely unlucky. He turned right away. The crack widened rapidly. Something squeezed through and came out. thud! It fell right in front of him. It was heavy enough to crush the asphalt floor. The monster looked directly at him. ¡®A Cretan Bull.¡¯ With an appearance like a black cow with large, downward-facing horns. It was a monster named ¡®Cretan Bull¡¯, because its appearance resembled a bull. Its body size is almost the same as that of a compact car, and in fact, if it collides with one, it would be no different than a car accident. The Cretan Bull let out a hot snort and looked around, then fixed its gaze on him. ¡®Keuk.¡¯ This was not a problem that could be solved by running away. The instantaneous maximum speed of Cretan Bull is 90 km/h. It was a monster as fast as a car on the highway. His number one priority was Seol-ah¡¯s safety. ¡®A place to hide¡­¡­.¡¯ He found a small gap in between the walls of two buildings. A gap that only a small child could barely fit in. While watching the Cretan Bull, he slowly lowered Seol-ah. ¡°Seol-ah. Listen to your dad.¡± She seemed to have seen the monster. Her eyes were wet as if she were about to burst into tears. Seol-ah¡¯s small body was shivering with fear. Unfortunately, there was no time to comfort her. He explained calmly, covering the Cretan bull with his body so that Seol-ah could not see it. ¡°Go inside that road. You can¡¯t come out until Dad tells you to do so. Understand?¡± Seol-ah couldn¡¯t answer and barely nodded her head. When he pushed her back a little, she went right through the cracks of the building as he requested. She kept looking back at him to check if he was okay. ¡°Huu.¡± He breathed in. The siren sound indicates that the crack management headquarters detected it. Nearby guilds or solo hunters would have been contacted immediately. The time it takes them to arrive will be 5 minutes at earliest, no matter how short it is. ¡®If I make a mistake, will I die?¡¯ The Cretan Bull kept its gaze fixed on Seo-jun and scratched the ground with his front paws. With its head slightly down and horns in front, it seemed like it was going to rush forward without hesitation. He has to capture its attention, and stall until support arrives at the same time. In the meantime, Seol-ah could be harmed. He held the whimsy wooden spear in front of him. Purneung! The bull snorted and slammed the ground. A monster weighing nearly 1,500 kg rushed at him with high speed. The pressure he felt was indescribably strong. But, he had to persevere. ¡°Dad¡­¡­.¡± He heard Seol-ah calling him with a low voice. He couldn¡¯t let his child experience another misfortune. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The Cretan bull ran with enough force to smash the ground. Instinct struck within him and told him to run away. However, he ran the opposite way, right towards the bull. Kwaaang! The Cretan bull just slammed into him. All the air in his lungs escaped, and in an instant, his vision turned white. ¡°Ugh¡­..!¡± It was enough of a shock that he would have died instantly if he had been a normal person, but he was a hunter anyway. With as much mana as he used to protect his body, he was able to survive a hit like that at least once. Yet, it was difficult to come to terms with the great pain that followed. ¡®This isn¡¯t enough!¡¯ He was able to survive with his mental strength. He forcefully inhaled and held it in. The Cretan bull ran straight at him yet again. They had a habit of crushing their horn-fixed prey against walls. Boom! Boom! His body was pushed back quickly. He turned the temporary spear he was holding upside down as the bull slammed into him. Monsters emerging from rifts, like hunters, have their skins covered with mana. Existing firearms wouldn¡¯t work, but a spear made by breaking a broom like this could. But there was no way he could pierce through the tough hide of a Cretan bull. ¡°Ugh!¡± His body heaved up and down helplessly. If he delays too much, he¡¯ll hit the wall as it is and get crushed. He had to get his act together. He held the spear and concentrated all his nerves. ¡®I am not prey¡­¡­.¡¯ This is the weak point of all animals. His target is the Cretan bull¡¯s eye. In the midst of trembling, he had to insert the spear exactly into that little point. For a moment, he felt as if time was passing slowly. ¡®I¡¯m a hunter!¡¯ He threw the spear down into its eye. Kwag! Clear resistance was felt in his hands. But it went through properly. In the sudden blow, the Cretan bull raised his head. Bang! His body went straight to the back of the Cretan bull. Falling on the asphalt road, he was able to stop after a few laps. Scrappeee! The bull, with a spear in its left eye, jumped around. It exhaled in excruciating pain and was barely able to get up. Kwang! He felt like he was hit by a car, and then he flew off and hit the floor. His body wasn¡¯t normal, but neither was the Cretan bulls¡¯. It seemed like the Cretan bull was banging its head against the wall, apparently in pain. Crash! The bull banged his head against one wall after another. The spear stuck in his eye was broken. The monster who shook its head from side to side, turned towards him and roared. Its sole remaining eye showed hostility and anger. ¡®Are you coming again?¡¯ It took a few moments, but it seemed to recover sooner than expected. This time, he had no weapon, and it was difficult to control his mana properly. ¡®Can I avoid it?¡¯ No matter how much damage he does, it will immediately change direction and charge. It didn¡¯t matter what he thought, it seemed like there was no way. He didn¡¯t know if he had trained to some extent in this time period. But now he¡¯s not much different from the general public. ¡®Think¡­¡­!¡¯ The bull kicked off the ground again and rushed forward. His thoughts accelerated. He had injured its left eye. In other words, he had to run to the left side, its blind spot. But at that moment, ¡°Ah?¡± The strength in his legs loosened, and he collapsed. The problem was that he tried to land awkwardly as he fell on the road earlier. He didn¡¯t have strength because he sprained his ankle. Boom! Boom! Boom! He saw the cretan bull rushing angrily. He could feel it in his gut, this time was really going to kill him. Crack! At that moment, something unexpected happened. He didn¡¯t know if he saw wrong. In an instant, the cretan bulls¡¯ forelegs were bent sideways. Crashh! The beast that lost its balance turned sideways. The cretan bull, which hit the ground made of asphalt, stopped completely. Even a moment later, and he¡¯d definitely be dead from it. ¡®This¡­¡­¡¯ If he had been an ordinary person, he might not have known. But he had been a hunter on the front lines for over 10 years. So he knew. ¡®Magic?¡¯ It was a magic that was used very naturally. There was no time to think about the answer to that question. He could feel a lot of movement behind him. ¡°A Cretan bull! There are civilians!¡± ¡°Protection first!¡± The hunters in uniform came in front of him in unison. Hunters with the Korean swords on one side and the other were hunters from the Goryeo swords. They would easily be able to hunt a cretan bull. Tension subdued, and his vision blurred. Power drained from his shattered body. A hunter from the Goryeo sword looked at him. ¡°You. Are you okay?¡± ¡°My kid¡­¡­¡± The first thing he¡¯s worried about was Seol-ah, who was alone in the middle of two buildings. In his blurring vision, he saw someone running towards him. ¡°Daddy!¡± Seol-ah looked like she was about to cry. She sat down in front of him and buried her face in his chest. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t scary, but she shivered. He barely raised his hand and patted Seol-ah¡¯s back. Then, he lost consciousness. * * * Yoo Eun-hye, who answered the phone, felt her heart sink for the first time. She got in a taxi and rushed to the hospital. Seol-ah, who was in the lobby, hugged Eun-hye. Eun-hye hugged her in return, and rubbed her back as if to reassure her. ¡°Seol-ah, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡­¡­¡± ¡°Where is Seo-jun?¡± Seol-ah did not answer and took Eun-hye¡¯s hand with a somber expression. Then, after leading her through the hallway, they entered a hospital room. Eun-hye saw Seo-jun Lee lying on the bed. ¡°S-Seo-jun.¡± Yoo Eun-hye could not continue her words. He had casts on his arms and legs, and bandages on his head and stomach. The IV on the side of the bed was flowing. Yoo Eun-hye¡¯s lips trembled in front of Seo-jun, who¡¯s sleeping as if he were a corpse. ¡°Dad was trying to protect Seol-ah.¡­¡­¡± Seol-ah murmured in a low voice. Eun-hye had been informed of the approximate situation after hearing from the Goryeo Hunters Office. An unforeseen crack occurred, and Seo-jun Lee was said to have fought alone to protect Seol-ah. Eun-hye, who sat down on the chair next to the bed, gloomily looked at Seo-jun. At that moment, Seo-jun Lee opened his eyes. ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Kyaaa!¡± Eun-hye¡¯s scream resounded in the hospital room. Seo-jun, who raised his upper body, grinned. Eun-hye was startled and stuttered. ¡°You, you, you!¡± ¡°Surprise. Daughter, High five.¡± ¡°High five!¡± Yoo Eun-hye was emotional at Seo-jun Lee¡¯s natural response. She was really worried. Seo-jun was playing with Seol-ah, calling it a successful operation. Tears welled up in the corners of Eun-hye¡¯s eyes. Then, it was Seo-jun Lee who got flustered. ¡°Hey, are you crying?¡± ¡°Yes! You bastard!¡± A shriek echoed through the hospital room. It was a very snappy sound. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 ¨C A father of a child is becoming a Hot topic by single-handedly blocking a monster that has arisen from the unprecedented Rift to protect his daughter. The familiar story was heard on the TV installed in his hospital room. He thought that the unprecedented crack would be reported because it is unusual. It never occurred to him that it would focus on him. -A citizen running away with a child from the sound of the siren encountered a monster. Along with the broadcast, a video with poor quality followed. It was likely filmed by CCTV. On the screen, he was dropping off Seol-ah, who he was holding. The picture quality was blurry, so he couldn¡¯t see his face properly. -He hid the child in the cracks in the wall, while attracting the attention of the monster. With his crude broom spear, he fought the Cretan Bull. It lasted less than a few minutes, and it was a resistance that could hardly even be called a battle. The bull slammed into him and briefly went out of sight from the CCTV. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The spear stabbing scene was not shown whether it was edited or not. In the process, he fell off the screen and fell onto the asphalt road, rolling a few times. Eun-hye and Seol-ah concentrated on it, then swallowed a gasp. -Afterwards, hunters from the Goryeo sword guild arrived and killed the monster¡­¡­. As the screen switches, a scene of an interview with a hunter from the Goryeo sword appeared. In fact, it was an interview that said they had barely done anything. He felt good inside because it was content that praised him, and Seol-ah¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Daddy is on TV!¡± Seol-ah¡¯s words caught the attention of the people in the hospital room. An old man who seemed to have injured his leg looked at him quietly. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re the one on there¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s my daddy!¡± Seol-ah patted her own chest as if she was quite proud. The people in the hospital room looked at him with a small gasp. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s cool. I was wondering how you got hurt so badly.¡± ¡°Well done, young man.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡­.¡± He replied with an awkward smile and scratched the back of his head. He wasn¡¯t used to receiving attention at all. Several people gave him a small applause or a thumbs up. The old woman sitting next to him smiled and looked at Eun-hye. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten yourself a good husband dont you think? ¡°Huh? Oh no.¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you her mother?¡± ¡°She¡¯s too young.¡± An uncle stepped in and meddled. The old woman had suspicious eyes and looked at him and Eun-hye alternately. Bewildered, Eun-hye rolled her eyes and finally agreed. ¡°No, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s my husband.¡± ¡°As expected. That¡¯s right. You two seem about the same age.¡± ¡°T, that? Ahem. I was just pretending.¡± Eun-hye covered her face with both hands. Although she had to admit it, she must have hated it. Seol-ah was smiling as if she was very content. ¡°Mom is embarrassed!¡± * * * ¡°What about Seol-ah?¡± ¡°She fell asleep. It¡¯ll be fine because the old woman said she would look after her. Sit here.¡± ¡°Ah. Thanks.¡± They were at the hospital¡¯s entrance. Eun-hye handed him coffee from the vending machine. He took a sip of the hot drink. The coffee he drank while sitting in his wheelchair tasted peculiar. ¡°You must have been caught off guard. You seem to have calmed down a little now. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you really Lee Seo-jun?¡± ¡°Who else do you think I am?¡± ¡°No, I¡­.. That¡¯s not.¡± Eun-hye seemed to have a lot to say, but she swallowed it. He didn¡¯t appear convincing because he¡¯s been mischievous a few times. In any case, it was a good feeling. Eun-hye sat on the bench right next to him. Eun-hye, who had been hesitating without being able to touch her coffee, murmured. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°For protecting Seol-ah.¡± ¡°She is my daughter.¡± He shrugged. His actions didn¡¯t deserve to be thanked. Eun-hye still had a confused expression on her face. She probably remembered the person she knew when they were twenty. She hesitated once again and said in a quiet voice. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The idea that it might not be your child¡­¡­ Haven¡¯t you thought about it at all?¡± Eun-hye cautiously spoke out. Maybe she was just telling him a fake story. The ex-girlfriend who suddenly came to him showed him a kid, saying it was his child. It should be hard to believe, but he took it too kindly. She chose her words carefully. ¡°Even if that were the case, I wouldn¡¯t be able to say that in front of a child.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°How would that feel? Hearing such a thing from a man who¡¯s claimed to be your dad.¡± He made that mistake before he returned to the past. The least he could do for atonement was to be really nice to both of them. That way, they would feel at least a little comfortable. Eun-hye shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s apply for a paternity test.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be sure.¡± He¡¯s already sure, Seol-ah was undoubtedly his daughter. The genetic testing was confirmed before his regression. Eun-hye looked at him with eyes that seemed to be grateful. ¡°What happened with the guild?¡± ¡°It was as you said. There were too many loopholes in the contract.¡± ¡°I thought so.¡± ¡°How the hell did you know so much?¡± ¡°Because one of my close friends was trapped in the same way.¡± That close friend was him before the return. He couldn¡¯t get anything other than something that was almost like a slave contract. ¡°Then, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s what I said, but I didn¡¯t hear from any other guild.¡± ¡°I will take care of her. Trust me.¡± ¡°How the hell are you going to raise her?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re suspicious. We should get some food. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°Are you going to write a contract?¡± ¡°About us?¡± ¡°What even is there between us?¡± At the words of Eun-hye, he was speechless. His relationship with her was very ambiguous. Seo-jun didn¡¯t seem to remain in Eun-hye¡¯s heart. Because before the return, he treated people like he didn¡¯t want to see them. ¡°¡­..Seol-ah¡¯s mom and dad?¡± ¡°Right.¡± The sun went down, and dusk fell. Eun-hye looked at the sunset and smiled. It was a smile he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. ¡®Ah?¡¯ He was surprised. Suddenly, his heart was pounding. At that moment, Eun-hye looked beautiful. ¡®Lee Seo-jun, are you crazy?¡¯ He was over forty years old before his return. Eun-hye was now twenty-six. He was twice her age internally. ¡®Wake up.¡¯ Either he¡¯s crazy, or his mental age also got younger as he went back. It may be both, but he felt ethically guilty. He closed his eyes. ¡®You don¡¯t deserve it.¡¯ His head cooled at the words that replayed in his heart. When he opened his eyes, Eun-hye was looking at him with a worried gaze. ¡°Are you in pain?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m okay. Moreover.¡± He wanted to change the subject. What suddenly passed through his head was the fight with the Cretan Bull. ¡°The Cretan Bull¡­¡­ When I ran into that monster.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There was something odd that happened then.¡± ¡°Odd? What was it?¡± He explained the situation as he recalled. The monster was rushing towards him, as if it had been hit by something, it turned sideways. Eun-hye, who listened to him quietly, responded as if she didn¡¯t know what he was saying. But she couldn¡¯t avoid his eyes. He clearly saw her eyes trembling slightly. ¡°I have a guess on what it was.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I think it was magic.¡± ¡°M, magic?¡± Eun-hye looked perplexed. It hasn¡¯t been long since the word magic started being used. Some hunters have the ability to use mana in a specific way. They can do all sorts of things with Mana, beyond simply strengthening weapons and themselves. It is called magic to say that collectively. ¡°If there was a hunter with that ability, they would have stepped out right away.¡± ¡°I suppose so. Yeah.¡± ¡°And there was no one there except me and Seol-ah.¡± ¡°¡­¡­There could have been someone else.¡± ¡°A siren was signaled, ordinary people would not have come closer.¡± No one would walk into the jaws of a monster unless they were crazy. So, he was able to draw a reasonable conclusion. ¡°Maybe that magic was done by Seol-ah?¡± ¡°Ah. You have to say something that makes sense.¡± Eun-hye dismissed my words as if she had waited. It was even more suspicious since she avoided eye contact. There is one reason why he could say this above all else. It¡¯s because he knew that Seol-ah will become a witch in the future. ¡°Eun-hye. Look over here.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Eun-hye, who made eye contact with him, closed her eyes gently. Her lips twitched a few times, but an answer did not come easily. She sighed and looked around to see if there was anyone near. She stuck close to him. He was a little nervous. ¡°Can you keep it a secret?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my daughter. I would never do anything to harm her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± Eun-hye took his word for it. He thought it would take a little longer to gain her trust, but this was quite unexpected. She smiled softly. ¡°You trust me, too.¡± ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­.. I think it might be Seol-ah¡¯s doing.¡± He was astonished. No matter how genius a person is, magic is not that simple to use. Mana requires having a natural innate handling. Above all, it needs a difficult calculation. No matter how small the power was, it was not an ability that could be used at only the age of five. ¡°How?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a little smart.¡± ¡°It seems like you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking about something serious. Listen.¡± ¡°Yep.¡± With a stinging look in her eyes, he shut up. He meant it though. Eun-hye looked at him like she would to a child and continued. ¡°Remember why I came to your place?¡± ¡°You mentioned your house was destroyed.¡± ¡°Right. Seol-ah did that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­She destroyed the house?¡± His mouth opened on its own. It¡¯s amazing to use any magic at the age of five, but she was powerful enough to destroy a house. It was the first time he found out. The final boss was different from right from the start of her life. ¡°It happened because she couldn¡¯t control her emotions.¡± ¡°Is that normal?¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong. She¡¯s just an ordinary kid, you know.¡± ¡°She¡¯s unusual.¡± ¡°Unusual? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the cutest thing in the world.¡± Eun-hye¡¯s palm hit him on the back. Slap! Surprised, he straightened his back and frowned. ¡°Ooof. Your palms are very spicy, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Shut up. You don¡¯t know how people feel.¡± Eun-hye sighed. She had a complicated face. She felt a little relief after telling him the problem she was thinking about alone. There was concern and anxiety about Seol-ah. ¡°When this is known¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a mess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be taken to a strange lab or something.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯ll be okay.¡± He had no choice but just to look at Eun-hye with a worried face. Hugging or holding hands, it wasn¡¯t something he could do. He couldn¡¯t even stand up, because his whole body was a mess in the first place. ¡°I¡¯ll try something.¡± Eun-hye raised her head and looked at him with questionable eyes. However, he didn¡¯t speak without a grain of faith. He had future information and knowledge of a 15-year veteran hunter. ¡°You trust your oppa, right?¡± ¡°Who is my oppa? Hmph.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 He had forgotten that his body was in a serious condition. Being hit by a Cretan Bull was almost equivalent to being hit by a car. He flew several meters and even rolled around a few laps, so there was no way his body would be in good shape. However, as a hunter, his recovery rate was fast. Despite that, he had to be hospitalized for several days to be completely recovered. ¡®All right, what happened after this.¡¯ There were also good things about being in the hospital. He was able to calmly organize his future events and plans while resting in the hospital bed. He didn¡¯t remember everything that happened in the next 15 years. However, he was able to remember many important and major events. He wasn¡¯t bored because he spent his time recording them. ¡°When you first ran into the Cretan Bull, what did you think?¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t recall what I was thinking, but I believe my first thought was to protect her.¡± He had an interview with a TV station. At that time, he could feel the changes in the eyes of the people in the hospital room. Even doctors and nurses would recognize and greet him at times. It was burdensome, but it made him feel embarrassed inside. Time flew by quickly, and the day of his discharge arrived. ¡°Daddy! Seol-ah is here!¡± Seol-ah and Eun-hye visited him almost every day. They showed up on the day he was going to be discharged, and Seol-ah was holding a box containing a cake with one hand. However, the people in the hospital room seemed to welcome Seol-ah more than him. ¡°Oh, my. Seol-ah is here.¡± ¡°Grandma! Doesn¡¯t your back hurt?¡± ¡°No. Thanks to Seol-ah¡¯s concern, I¡¯m all better.¡± ¡°I hope it doesn¡¯t hurt from now on.¡± ¡°Yes, of course, of course.¡± The old woman who was in the room with him often looked after Seol-ah. Often because Eun-hye and him had things to discuss. So the old woman had been the one to offer it. ¡°Seol-ah. Are you visiting today?¡± ¡°Hello, mister!¡± ¡°What a pleasant greeting! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hello, grandpa and sister!¡± ¡°Oh. Hello.¡± She greeted the man on the other side, the grandfather at the window, and even the nurse. Sometime later, Seol-ah had gained the love of everyone in the hospital room. She was often seen receiving snacks such as candy. Seol-ah is friendly, and tends to get along with others quickly. Besides, she¡¯s pretty and cute, so she¡¯s become a vital force in the hospital room. ¡°Seo-jun, are you going to be discharged today?¡± ¡°Oh. Yes.¡± ¡°Then we won¡¯t be able to see Seol-ah anymore, will we?¡± The people around them were buzzing. The man on the other side of the room looked at him with slightly dangerous eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in the hospital a little longer?¡± ¡°I-I have work I need to do¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did I tell you I used to be a boxer?¡± It looked like he was taking a slightly extreme approach. However, when Seol-ah entered the hospital room, the atmosphere changed to a calm atmosphere, as if it had never been serious. That man wasn¡¯t a bad person, given that he¡¯s kind to children, but to be honest, he was a little scared. [T/N: I would be scared too¡­ (?_?;;)] Fortunately, Eun-hye intervened. ¡°I bought this.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°An ice cream cake!¡± Seol-ah¡¯s eyes twinkled. It wasn¡¯t just a cake, it was an ice cream cake. Eun-hye smiled while looking at Seol-ah, and whispered to him. ¡°This is to congratulate you for your discharge, Seol-ah seems to have wanted it.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± The uncle on the other side, who looked closely at him and Eun-hye, whistled as if he were teasing Seo-jun. ¡°Whiiiiiist. The ice cream is melting. It¡¯s getting hot in here.¡± ¡°Good times. of course.¡± [PR/N: Good times refer to the good old days where grandma was lovey-dovey with her SO.] The grandma laughed and defended them, while Eun-hye immediately retreated from him. There was an ethical problem, so they were pretending to be a young couple at the hospital. As he was trying to figure out how to change the topic, something beside him shone brightly. ¡°Ice cream¡­¡­.¡± Seol-ah was so concentrated that she could almost put a hole in the ice cream cake. Eun-hye cut the cake with the enclosed bread knife and put it on a platter. Seol-ah swallowed her saliva after receiving the first slice of ice cream cake that she had been anticipating so intensely. Then, she held out her plate of ice cream cake to Seo-jun. ¡°Eat daddy!¡± ¡°Huh? Seol-ah should eat first.¡± Seol-ah shrugged. He was a little stunned when the plate was offered to him. Eun-hye seemed to have planned to give the cake to Seol-ah in the first place, seeing that there were many chocolate decorations on it. Yet she was willing to give him the cake that she couldn¡¯t stop looking at because she wanted to eat it so badly. He was quite touched, so he couldn¡¯t dismiss it as a joke like usual. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The old woman looked at them with a joyful gaze. Eun-hye cut Seol-ah another slice again. And Seol-ah got up from her seat and turned to the grandmother sitting next to her. ¡°Grandma should eat too.¡± ¡°Oh, my. Are you giving it to me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can accept this.¡± ¡°Come on.¡± Eun-hye nodded at the old woman¡¯s question. The grandma smiled very happily and ate the ice cream cake. Seol-ah¡¯s actions did not stop there. The ice cream cake was handed out to everyone in the 6-person room, including the uncle on the other side. It was only natural that the affection, in the eyes of the people in the hospital room, deepened. Eun-hye sensibly cut the cake into eight pieces, so everyone had a proper share. ¡°Let¡¯s eat now.¡± ¡°I will enjoy this food!¡± Seol-ah finally got her share of the ice cream cake. She sliced a chunk off with her fork and shoved it in her small mouth. A happy smile appeared on her face as her eyes closed. It was so delicious that her little body swayed from side to side as if doing a dance. Seeing that, the people in the hospital melted like ice cream. Eun-hye asked as if she was curious about how Seol-ah felt. ¡°Seol-ah, what do you think?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very very delicious!¡± * * * Seo-jun was discharged. The people in the hospital congratulated him, but secretly advised him to stay a little longer. Because of the ice cream cake incident, the old woman started treating Seol-ah like she was her own granddaughter. The man on the other side came out particularly aggressive, but Seo-jun survived on the pretext that he had work to do. At first, it didn¡¯t seem to fool him, but it was only then that the man understood. Some even gave money to Seol-ah and fed her delicious food. ¡®It¡¯s because she¡¯s so lovely.¡¯ Now he was the problem. His limbs which had been immobile for a long time were jittery. The hospital recommended physical therapy, but he declined. A hunter¡¯s body takes little time to return to its original state. Before the regression, it was quick to heal after an injury, so this much was fine. ¡®Whatever I do, I must have a weapon to protect myself.¡¯ In the battle of Cretan Bull, he deeply acknowledged that fact. Fortunately, a license isn¡¯t required to purchase a hunter¡¯s weapon. When he was in the hospital, he explained his plans to Eun-hye in detail. Although Eun-hye was a little surprised to hear that he was an adapter who accepted mana. Since he had a history of blocking the Cretan Bull, she seemed to understand it to some extent. So, Eun-hye went with him to buy a weapon. ¡°Daddy, where are we going?¡± Of course, Seol-ah came along as well. When he was in the hospital, the old lady was present to look after Seol-ah, but now that he¡¯s been discharged, there was no one to do so. However, he could not leave his child alone at home. It was all the more so as she had a history of destroying a house. ¡°We¡¯re going to the market today.¡± ¡°The market? Mommy would like that.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s a lot of tteokbokki that mommy likes!¡± He looked at Eun-hye. How much did they eat to the point where she immediately thinks of tteokbokki when she hears the word ¡®market¡¯? Eun-hye slowly avoided his gaze as if she didn¡¯t know. Then she asked awkwardly, as if intending to change the subject. ¡°By the way, is there really a workshop in the market?¡± ¡°I told you so. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡± ¡°No. Normally, workshops are in department stores or guild buildings.¡± ¡°The things in department stores are usually made by masters, so they are expensive. It¡¯s a luxury for beggars.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in a guild building?¡± ¡°There is a limit to what a blacksmith in a guild can sell, and that only changes for those in that guild.¡± ¡°Really? I see.¡± Eun-hye tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t know that. It was a very cute look. The same thing had happened to him once. ¡°Then, what¡¯s sold in the workshops in the market?¡± There are mostly unnamed blacksmiths.¡± ¡°So isn¡¯t that a bad thing?¡± ¡°Not all singers without a name can¡¯t sing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very persuasive. That¡¯s true.¡± They traveled for a long time by bus and subways. After going all the way to the outskirts of Seoul, they finally arrived at Sangbong-dong, Jungnang-gu. After crossing several roads, they stopped at a place called Woorim Market. Whether she expected a street lined with workshops or something, the response that he got was a puzzled look by Eun-hye ¡°Is it just an ordinary market?¡± It was literally just an ordinary looking market. Shops, including old restaurants and pharmacies, were lined up. ¡°Follow me.¡± He passed through a busy alley and entered a dark street where the sun did not shine. Seol-ah seemed a little nervous, so she grabbed his hand and looked around. They reached a dark corner of the street. He halted in front of an old store where the sign had run out of power. Eun-hye¡¯s eyes were filled with a bit of absurdity. ¡°Are we here?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯re here.¡± He immediately entered the store. As if it had not been lubricated for a long time, the door creaked as they entered. To be honest, it looks like an abandoned building from the outside, but according to his memory, this place was a workshop. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a workshop.¡± ¡°Pretty!¡± Various weapons were displayed inside the building. Weapons that were so gorgeous, it¡¯s hard to believe they were stored in this shabby building. At first glance, it was no ordinary workshop. Seol-ah put her face close to the exhibition hall and examined the weapons. Eun-hye was also looking around, wondering if it was the first time something like this had happened. ¡°Who are you?¡± Then, a voice came from inside. An old man walked out a door, which probably led to his workshop. His face was drenched in sweat, and he was a little younger than Seo-jun remembered. ¡®Bingo.¡¯ Finally, he could be sure that he had come to the right place. In anything, a first impression was important. So he bowed his head. ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Seo-jun Lee, an aspiring hunter.¡± Then, he poked Eun-hye¡¯s side hip and gave her a glance. Eun-hye politely bowed her head and greeted him. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Yoo Eun-hye, also an aspiring hunter.¡± Seol-ah wasn¡¯t given a hint, but followed their lead and greeted him. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m my mom and dad¡¯s daughter, Seol-ah!¡± The old man stared and blinked at them, grinning profusely. ¡°Haha! Such bright greetings! Are you guys a family?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Without a moment to say anything, Seol-ah took Eun-hye¡¯s hand. The old man looked down at Seol-ah carefully. His eyebrows were tilted, which could be mistaken for an angry face. A child might be afraid, but Seol-ah had no sign of that at all. Rather, when they made eye contact, she smiled softly. ¡°People who raise children in such a polite way mustn¡¯t be bad people!¡± The old man held out his hand in front of Seol-ah. Seol-ah held the old man¡¯s hand without knowing what was going on. The old man moved his hand up and down to shake her hand. Only after shaking hands with Seo-jun and Eun-hye did the old man introduce himself. ¡°Nice to meet you! My name is Kang! And my last name is Chul! People call me Steel!¡± The old man¡¯s name is Kang Chul. Later on, he was a blacksmith who would make a name as the best master in the world. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°Now, how did you find out about this place?¡± ¡°I heard a rumor that there was a master hiding down this street.¡± ¡°Master? I don¡¯t know who said it, but they are right. What¡¯s your business here?¡± ¡°Eun-hye and I, as I said before, are aspiring hunters. So¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, the both of you need a weapon. Alright. Come in.¡± Kang Chul led them to the arsenal located inside the workshop. Instead of the flashy weapons in the exhibition hall outside, there were slightly sturdier weapons. Those were the weapons for real hunters. The display outside was more of a decoration for collectors. Because people like those only paid attention to the appearance, they practically fell apart, and the materials were designed to only look pretty. ¡°Now, two weapons¡­¡­ What kind of things do you have in mind? ¡°A spear. I¡¯d like to entrust production to you, not purchase.¡± ¡°A spear. That¡¯s a good choice. What about the lady?¡± ¡°Um. Would it be okay if I looked around a little more?¡± Eun-hye frowned slightly and looked at the weapons. When she seemed uncertain, Kang Chul turned his head casually. ¡°Let¡¯s do yours first.¡± ¡°Alright. I think 2 meters in length would be appropriate.¡± ¡°Just for the handle?¡± ¡°No. The length including the blade. Oh, can the spear hilt be made from iron instead of wood, please?¡± ¡°An iron spear¡­¡­ It would be heavy and difficult to handle. Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°It will be fine.¡± Kang Chul smiled and wrote down his requirements on a piece of paper. It seems like he was drawing the blueprint on the spot. ¡°Which materials?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what materials you possess.¡± ¡°We have everything, except the ones that we don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then please use adamantium for the spear blade and mithril for the hilt.¡± ¡°What? Hahaha! That¡¯s too bad! I don¡¯t have those!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Then I¡¯ll leave it up to you to choose the material.¡± He added some requirements. The shape of the tip of the spear, the weight of the product, and the thickness of the handle were explained. Kang Chul stroked his beard and looked at him with interest. ¡°Hey, did you say your name was Lee Seo-Jun?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you really an aspiring hunter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°However, your skill of ordering weapons is that of a veteran.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve heard a lot about it.¡± He casually brushed it off. Taking care of the substance he needed, he secretly gave the blacksmith a choice. Not an unpleasant amount of pressure, but it¡¯s a good one for trusting his skills. It seemed that Kang Chul knew his intentions, but rather, it seemed that he liked them. ¡°Great. I got your order.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Your weapons will take a few days. Leave your contact information and I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s complete.¡± ¡°Yes. All right.¡± He couldn¡¯t hide the corners of his lips rising in an arc. No matter how obscure Kang Chul is at the moment, his skills are definitely still at the level of a master craftsman. It was a simple task to build a weapon in a few hours. However, the fact that it would take several days was a declaration of considerable effort. ¡°Have you decided?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure. Can you recommend something for me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for beginners to try different weapons. Generally speaking, you should try a sword first.¡± ¡°A sword¡­..¡± Kang Chul spoke as if it was a passing remark, but it was extremely useful advice. Beginners should not make hasty decisions until they find the right weapon. Each person had their own style of fighting or weapons that suited their hands. It was foolish to decide their type of weapon in haste. ¡°Seo-jun. What do you think?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eun-hye asked for his opinion. It was a question not worth pondering. ¡°Mr. Kang Chul, by any chance, can you make a bow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not just a metal-tapping idiot. Of course I can.¡± ¡°Okay, how about a bow?¡± ¡°A bow?¡± There was no bow on display, so she never had a thought about it. Eun-hye and Kang Chul both looked puzzled at the unexpected choice. The reason for his choice was very simple. ¡®Because Eun-hye is a natural archer.¡¯ Before returning, Eun-hye, who entered the Knights Templar, used a sword according to the guild policy. Eun-hye, when holding a sword, did not stand out. Out of 3 teams, she was team 2 at best. But one day while carrying out the quest, Eun-hye lost her weapon. ¡®When I saw her later in an interview, she said it was broken.¡¯ Perhaps the guild¡¯s blacksmith skills were bad. She had no choice but to grab the bow lying on the ground without an owner. That alone gave Eun-hye wings. Eun-hye, with the bow, showed her talent, and rose to the point of going to the forefront in an instant. ¡°Eun-hye, you¡¯re focused, quick-witted, and you¡¯re good at judging situations.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Because you have a lot of flexibility and strength, I wonder if a bow would be good.¡± ¡°Uhm. That seems plausible.¡± She slowly fell into his words. Kang Chul also listened to his explanation and nodded. ¡°Or there¡¯s also a way to try and decide with a practice weapon.¡± ¡°¡­¡­No. As Seo-jun said, I¡¯ll use a bow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mind that?¡± ¡°Yes. His secret knowledge is vast.¡± Eun-hye accepted it surprisingly easily. Whether a sword or a spear, it was ambiguous, so she certainly preferred the idea of a bow the most. On the other hand, Kang Chul expressed some negative opinions. ¡°It will take some time to get used to a bow. It is not a weapon I would recommend for beginners.¡± ¡°Eun-hye is a fast learner.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it that way, but you, you¡¯re a fool aren¡¯t you? Then let¡¯s do it.¡± He started discussing the structure of the bow with Kang Chul. The first suggestion came from his side. ¡°Can you make compound bows too?¡± ¡°Who do you think I am? Of course.¡± ¡°The riser should be the universal standard, but the grip should be fitted.¡± ¡°What about the string?¡± ¡°I think three would be enough for now.¡± ¡°Because she is a beginner, I recommend that you have an adjustable cam rather than a replacement cam.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d also like a guide.¡± Eun-hye and Seol-ah made eye contact while listening to them talk. Seol-ah tilted her head and asked a question. ¡°Mommy, what are they talking about?¡± ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t know either.¡± * * * ¡°When you combine the two, this will be the price.¡± Eun-hye¡¯s eyes widened when she saw it. Considering their circumstances, it was an unbelievable price. Eun-hye couldn¡¯t answer and mumbled, while gripping him. She whispered so that Seol-ah and Kang Chul could not hear her. ¡°That price is crazy, right?¡± ¡°Right. Honestly, it¡¯s cheap.¡± ¡°Do you have money to buy that?¡± ¡°Yeah, I broke it out of my savings.¡± At this time, fortunately, he had some money. He even had a steady installment savings account, so when he woke up that morning, he took out the money for the price of the weapons. Eun-hye shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t buy that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have enough money. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d even have enough for a downpayment.¡± ¡°But I got it out of my savings?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Eun-hye didn¡¯t seem to understand what he meant. A confused gaze looked at him. ¡°I have enough money to buy those two.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re going to buy mine? Why?¡± ¡°I said I would take care of you two.¡± ¡°l thought you meant Seol-ah when you said that.¡± To be honest, if he becomes a hunter, he could recover that amount of money. The weapon he is purchasing now meets the minimum conditions of his standards. If everything goes according to his plan, he was thinking of refitting the weapon with a better material later on. Eun-hye looked at him with confusion, then nodded her head after contemplating. ¡°Okay. I will pay you back.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay it back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay it off, no matter how expensive it is.¡± In the end, he decided to buy it. After he and Eun-hye had finished discussing, they looked back. And met Seol-ah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mommy.¡± ¡°Yes, Seol-ah.¡± ¡°Is it very expensive¡­¡­?¡± He was a little perplexed. It seems that the last words of Eun-hye had been heard. Seol-ah was a little down. ¡°Seol-ah, it¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Seol-ah can only eat a small amount of ice cream¡­¡­?¡± Eun-hye bit her lower lip. It reminded him of a story Eun-hye told him at the hospital. A story about Eun-hye, who couldn¡¯t buy her favorite ice cream when she was raising Seol-ah alone. Most of the time, Seol-ah was told that it was too expensive, but it seems that it was still in her memory. Seol-ah looked resigned, but nodded her head as if it was okay. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Seol-ah ate a lot of ice cream at the hospital.¡± ¡°Seol-ah. You can eat a lot of ice cream.¡± ¡°But, you said that you had to pay it back.¡± Eun-hye was greatly embarrassed. Paying back means personal debt. Somehow, there was a lot of room for misunderstanding. As proof of that, Kang Chul was looking at Eun-hye with a very sad expression. ¡°Look.¡± ¡°Ye-yes?¡± ¡°I heard the situation, and it¡¯s quite pitiful.¡± Kang Chul, who came next to Seol-ah, stroked her hair as if to soothe Seol-ah. And he wrote down what he said on the calculated price, and showed it to them again. Both Eun-hye and Seo-jun were surprised to see it. ¡°Mister.¡± ¡°This is it.¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t this a price that can barely meet the cost of materials?¡± Seo-jun roughly knows the materials that will be used for him and Eun-hye¡¯s weapon. Usually materials with good cost performance were selected, but only fairly high-quality materials were selected. So the price of the materials were high. Not to mention the labor costs of crafting them. In addition, the touch of Kang Chul, who will become the world¡¯s greatest blacksmith in the future, would be included. This price was a total loss to him. ¡°You liked the weapons, and more than anything, the kid is cute. It¡¯s a special discount.¡± ¡°Are you really okay with this?¡± ¡°You talk a lot. Are you going to buy it or not? Just choose.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it. I¡¯ll buy it. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°If you understand, use it more often.¡± ¡°Of course. I will only come here in the future.¡± Kang Chul smiled in satisfaction. He was the world¡¯s best master, and had a lot of pride, but was also famous for being loyal. Long-time trading regulars he was particularly fond of, and somehow Seo-jun felt like he had joined the ranks. ¡°Hey, can you see the weapons in the corner?¡± ¡°Yes. I see it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a test-made rubbish. You can take one.¡± In addition, he even gave a test weapon so that they could practice while he was making the weapon. Kang Chul had said it was rubbish, but the materials were common, and they were quite good weapons. He said it as if it was nothing, but Seo-jun could feel the abundance of his goodwill. ¡®I thought he was just a scary person.¡¯ When he first met Kang Chul, he was already the number one blacksmith. He thought he was a difficult person because of his stubborn face and quiet atmosphere. But now that he has witnessed him, he was just a kind old man who wanted to take care of anything. ¡®Hey, he wasn¡¯t a bad person in the first place.¡¯ Seo-jun thought he said he was nice to people he liked. Kang Chul seemed to like them quite a bit. Seo-jun heard that he liked polite people, so it could have been valid. Or maybe Seol-ah¡¯s cuteness was the cause. Either way, it felt like a good relationship had begun. ¡°Kang Chul. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Him and Eun-hye sincerely thanked Kang Chul. Seol-ah also thanked Kang Chul, and bowed her head. He chuckled, stroked Seol-ah¡¯s head once again, and gave a congratulatory order. ¡°I have to work now, so get out.¡± ¡°See you next time.¡± Kang Chul rolled up his sleeves and had a serious expression on his face. Seo-jun left the workshop with a warm heart. ¡°Seol-ah.¡± ¡°Yes. Daddy!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go get some ice cream.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 After eating ice cream and returning home, they headed to the mountain range near their house. While the weapon was being manufactured, Seo-jun was thinking of using the test weapon he received from Kang Chul. It¡¯s been a while since he held a proper spear, so his hands were itching. Since there was no other person to entrust Seol-ah to, she had also joined them. ¡°There was a place like this. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little different from what I remembered.¡± If you enter the small road inside the mountain, you will see a hidden vacant lot. Before his return, it was a place he had used because there was no other space for him to train properly. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had came here with someone else. ¡°Seol-ah, please sit here quietly.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Oh, good.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Fortunately, Seol-ah listened well. But just in case she got bored, he gave her a smartphone with children cartoons stored in it. Seol-ah, who sat on a mat in the corner of the vacant lot, focused on the screen with bright eyes. He looked at Seol-ah and then approached Eun-hye, who was relaxing in the middle of the vacant lot. ¡°Have you been working out?¡± ¡°No. I think my body is stiff.¡± Eun-hye, dressed in sportswear, was stretching her sides. She gathered all her hair together and tied it up, it looked better than she expected. With her hands crossed, Eun-hye also bent down enough to touch the floor. She said she was stiff, but she seemed quite flexible. ¡®I wish I had exercised a little more when I was younger.¡¯ He was not like that now. Not to mention, his physical strength was incredibly weak at the moment. It was to the point where he would gasp for breath while climbing the mountain as he was once able to come up without being exhausted. It was a natural result because he lived by building a wall with exercise after serving in the military. ¡®It¡¯s enough to start all over again.¡¯ This time, compared to before the return, it started a few years earlier. Maybe he can reach higher than before. Thinking positively made him feel a bit refreshed. He relaxed and grabbed the spear. ¡®About two meters and twenty centimeters. A little long?¡¯ The spear was a bit longer than what he was used to. The weight and balance, however, was just right. To be honest, it was surprisingly well-made for something that Kang chul was willing to give away as a test weapon. It was made of ordinary wood and iron, but it seemed to cost quite a bit. ¡®Great. Let¡¯s use it.¡¯ Although his physical abilities, including strength and stamina, were greatly reduced. The knowledge of wielding a spear that was in his head remained the same. Twist your body diagonally, with your left leg forward. Similarly, hold the front of the handle with your left hand. Put your right hand close to your waist whilst holding the end of the handle. ¡®The spear¡¯s blade is shaking.¡¯ His posture stayed the same, but he could see the spear¡¯s blade wavering. It must have been due to his lack of power. Instead of finishing the basic posture, he changed his posture by moving his feet. Eun-hye was looking at him as she stretched. ¡°Seo-jun, you seem to have good form?¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Where did you learn it?¡± ¡°On the Internet.¡± He didn¡¯t really have the talent to merely look at the Internet and hone his skills. [PR: he isn¡¯t able to immediately perfect his spear skills by only listening to the internet.] To put it bluntly, it was closer to the fact that he was dull-witted, and it took him years to stabilize his spear technique like this. Even then, his body couldn¡¯t keep up, so it became unstable again. However, in the eyes of Eun-hye, an aspiring hunter, it seemed rather plausible. ¡°I¡¯ll try it, too. Watch me from the side.¡± ¡°Okay. I got it.¡± Eun-hye grabbed the bow. It was a slightly different type of bow from the custom-made compound bow being built. A recurve bow with the tip of the bow pointing in the opposite direction of the shooter. ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°Go sideways.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay.¡± Unsure of what to do, Eun-hye turned her body sideways in accordance with his words. The way she drew the arrows on the protest was also awkward. He thought that Eun-hye could do just about anything, but her posture came out differently than he had expected. Her posture of pulling the bow string was unusual. ¡®Was it also like this in the first life?¡¯ She stretched her hand whilst holding the bow forward. She brought the bow to her exact shoulder height and pulled the string at the same time. It was even seen that the pulled hand was fixed to her chin so that it would not shake. Her target seemed to be a tree about 50 metres away. With her gaze fixed on the target, Hye-hye carefully aimed and released the demonstration. Pak! The arrow that shot out was stuck in the base of the tree. It was incredibly good skill, so much so that it was hard to believe it was her first time. ¡°How did you know about the pose?¡± ¡°I watched people do archery when I was young.¡± ¡°Watching people doesn¡¯t explain anything about archery.¡­¡­¡± ¡°Internet.¡± [PR: she¡¯s repeating Seo-jun¡¯s word which was he said that he learned spear postures through the internet] He closed his mouth. In his case, it was a lie to say that he listened to the Internet. It was a stable posture that presented itself as a result of years of training. However, she is probably the result of truly browsing the internet. ¡®She¡¯s an actual genius.¡¯ It finally hit him that Eun-hye was truly a genius. And so was Seol-ah, Seo-jun didn¡¯t know why there were so many geniuses around him. [PR: I feel u Seo-jun TT] Eun-hye held the bow that had no arrow with a serious face. She bounced back a few times like that, then nodded and drew an arrow. ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± With her head tilted slightly, Eun-hye stood in the same position. Once she shot it, it became a lot faster than before. The bow went up slightly and slowly came down. And at some point, it was fixed, and the string was released. Pak! She aimed it slightly upwards this time. An arrow was pierced in the center of the tree. He stared at the scene mesmerized. ¡°Aren¡¯t you shooting too well?¡± ¡°The distance is short.¡± Eun-hye accepted it without consideration. But compliments make even whales dance. The corners of Eun-hye¡¯s lips were lifted up in a pleasant state. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need my guidance.¡± ¡°You have previously corrected my posture though. Any more tips?¡± ¡°Well. After shooting, keep tugging the arm you were holding the string with.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that similar to swinging the ball while playing golf? Got it.¡± There wasn¡¯t much advice he could give. He was a hunter who had never held a bow. He¡¯s heard stories from hunters who used bows, though. He didn¡¯t know how effective it would be for Eun-hye, who has the talent to chew on such advice. ¡°Change your posture. It will probably be difficult to maintain a straight posture in practice.¡± ¡°Alright. Will do.¡± Eun-hye kindly accepted his words. She immediately put it into action. Bend down and shoot, change hands and shoot, hold the bow horizontally and shoot. The problem was that the arrow was hitting the tree. Even if there was a slight difference in accuracy, she unconditionally hit the goal. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ He felt like he was facing a level of talent that he couldn¡¯t encounter. Even Eun-hye was enjoying it with a smile that was quite interesting. Somehow he felt excited by the sight of it. He grabbed the spear once again. ¡®Let¡¯s come back to your senses too.¡¯ * * * Eun-hye felt pain in her fingers and stopped practicing for a while. The more she practiced, the higher her hit rate will get, and she will be able to hit a target at a further range. She thought it was going to be hard because it was training, but it felt like a fun workout. Meanwhile, Seol-ah stopped watching something on her smartphone. She followed Seol-ah¡¯s gaze and saw Lee Seo-jun. Fwoosh. The spear cut through the air and he turned elegantly. With the tip of the hilt, he pushed the invisible opponent away to widen the distance. Fixing the back of the hilt with the hand that was holding the middle of the spear. Using the difference in range, he pierced the enemy deeply and pulled out the spear. ¡°Fuuh.¡± Lee Seo-jun let out a rough breath. His hair was clinging to his forehead with sweat. It must have been difficult, but he showed no sign of stopping. He fought against his imaginary opponent by constantly moving his legs and spear. ¡°Mommy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± As she stared blankly at Seo-jun, Seol-ah had come to Eun-hye¡¯s side. Seol-ah looked at Eun-hye intently, then turned her head to Seo-jun. ¡°Dad, he¡¯s great. Right?¡± Eun-hye didn¡¯t answer. Seo-jun seemed to be absorbed in using the spear. Originally, Lee Seo-Jun was a person who was far from a hard worker. Eun-hye thought he was going to whine to go home after trying this. ¡®The difference after years is really scary.¡¯ Eun-hye believed that although he was Seol-ah¡¯s father, he wasn¡¯t a responsible person. But that perception has been completely reversed in the past few days. She now wondered if there was anyone as responsible as Lee Seo-jun. He risked his life for Seol-ah, as it was a matter of course, he was confident in himself. Eun-hye was not good at expressing herself, but she was very grateful. ¡°Mom, you nodded!¡± ¡°Huh? I did?¡± ¡°Yes. You did!¡± Eun-hye genuinely nodded her head involuntarily. But as if that was not possible, she shook her head in denial. ¡°I never did.¡± ¡°Hey. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Suddenly, Seo-jun came forward. Eun-hye, startled, struggled to hide her expression and answered. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say anything?¡± ¡°What? Is there a secret I don¡¯t know? Seol-ah, tell daddy secretly.¡± ¡°Huh. What¡­¡­.¡± Seol-ah naively brought her mouth closer to Seo-jun¡¯s ear. Eun-hye, who sensed the crisis, hurriedly stopped Seol-ah. ¡°Seo-Seol-ah. One ice cream.¡± ¡°Ice cream? Yay!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you bribed a kid, Eun-hye.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Seo-jun grumbled, ¡°Ice cream made Seol-ah turn over.¡± Eun-hye let out a sigh as she swept her chest. Come to think of it, it wasn¡¯t such a big deal. Oddly enough, her heart was pounding. ¡°How¡¯s the bow?¡± ¡°I think it suits me.¡± Seo-jun nodded as if he already knew that. In fact, after shooting the bow a few times, Eun-hye got the feeling, ¡®this is it¡¯. The bow seemed to suit her well enough that the expression ¡®her hands are perfectly suited to hold it¡¯ would be appropriate. ¡°Then, let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mana-sensitized training.¡± * * * During the rift, the mana that flowed from the crack got mixed with the atmosphere. Hunter was a term referring to people who could accept, adapt, and use that mana. If you¡¯re a hunter, you should at least be able to transfer mana to your weapon. Otherwise, it would be impossible to penetrate the monster¡¯s skin that¡¯s surrounded by mana. ¡°Hunters are stronger than ordinary people, and it is thanks to mana that they recover quickly even if they are injured.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He gave Eun-hye a private lecture about mana. Even though he hadn¡¯t felt mana for a long time, he was still knowledgeable in its theory. His knowledge was of the future, so it was more accurate than the current clumsy theory. He didn¡¯t know if she understood, but Seol-ah, sitting on the lap of Eun-hye, was also listening to his talk. ¡°You have to feel the mana to deal with it, yes or no?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes.¡± ¡°So what you need is sensitivity training. Close your eyes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eun-eun sat cross-legged and closed her eyes. For some reason, Seol-ah followed Eun-hye and closed her eyes. ¡°Relax your body and focus.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Mana is everywhere. You need a difference in consciousness to acknowledge it¡­¡­¡± He told her exactly how she should feel mana. Surprisingly, she rarely got a sense of it. Eun-hye frowned as if she didn¡¯t know. ¡°Can¡¯t you feel it?¡± ¡°Uh. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It usually takes a while.¡± Being able to sense mana wouldn¡¯t happen overnight. It was usually as short as a few weeks or as long as several months. In Seo-jun¡¯s case, he didn¡¯t feel mana for almost half a year. However, Seol-ah, who had her eyes closed quietly, opened her eyes. ¡°Daddy. Seol-ah can feel it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­What?¡± ¡°Mana!¡±