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The aftermath of a war is not what you'd imagine it to be.
Sung Jin-woo, upon defeating the Monarch of Destruction, could do nothing more than collapse on the ground. The relief at winning was far outweighed by the sheer exhaustion and pain he felt. He could hardly catch his breath before making a request to the Rulers, however.
"You want to use the Cup of Reincarnation?"
Jin-woo nodded, seeing no need to verbally repeat his request.
"I'm afraid that's not possible," the Ruler said, sounding truly regretful. "The Cup exhausted its function after the last use."
"Perhaps it was because the Absolute Being died," another Ruler added, "so the Cup can no longer function effectively."
This was a possibility Jin-woo had considered when devising his plan. Of course, it would have been ideal if he could rewind time and erase the trauma Earth had been through, but in the event that he couldn't, he had decided to go ahead with his plan regardless. There was no other strategy he could think of that would result in a clear win.
The future Norma Selner had seen...perhaps that was a possibility. Perhaps it was a future that was made true somewhere else, in a different timeline. But it wasn't true for this timeline.
Accepting that end, Jin-woo nodded and pushed himself to his feet. In that case, there was work to do.
He glanced at the devastated landscape around him, at the ashes of the King of Dragons still scattering in the sky. It was shocking, the stillness that followed war: It seemed to amplify the sounds of destruction that had preceded this silence not even ten minutes ago. Jin-woo's ears still seemed to ring from the intense shock waves of clashing mana, the sheer power of destructive energy the King of Dragons had unleashed. And yet – stillness, all around. There was not a sound to be heard for miles around them, barring the light clank of armour as the Rulers shifted.
"What will you do now?" the Ruler asked, almost warily.
Jin-woo thought of the path that lay before him – before the world. Countless lives had been lost, and he too had not been spared from losing loved ones. The faces of those he had lost flickered through his mind – his father, for the second time; Adam White, who'd just been following orders; Go Gun-hee, who Jin-woo had never expected to grow so fond of. And more than that – there was the trauma of those who had survived. His mother, who'd lost a husband and years of her life to Eternal Sleep; Jin-ah, who'd suffered at the hands of High Orcs, lost her father to a Gate, and her mother for years after that.
Destruction on a scale the world had never before seen had encompassed entire cities. Rebuilding and recuperating would take time, and grieving and overcoming trauma would take even longer. And it wasn't only that – Gates would continue to open on Earth, and Hunters would continue to risk their lives to fight magical beasts. At the very least, the more powerful enemies, the ones ordinary humans couldn't handle, were taken care of. And if any more ever appeared...Jin-woo would be there to meet them before they could wreak havoc on Earth.
But immediately? What did Jin-woo have to do? The answer was very simple. Thinking of the loved ones he'd left behind in South Korea, Jin-woo smiled.
"I'm going home."
He wasn't a politician. He wasn't a public speaker. He was a brother and a son, so his duty was first to his family. The Hunter Association, the Presidents of each country, and whoever else whose duty it was – they could handle the immediate aftermath. Jin-woo would see to his family first, but he had no doubt that sooner rather than later, officials would come knocking on his door, demanding to know what had happened to the Monarch of Destruction.
Jin-woo went home first. It was as much to see his mother and sister as it was to delay the inevitable. He embraced them both, and they stood there in the middle of the lounge for a long time, each trying to suppress their tears but failing and soaking each other's clothes instead. Jin-woo looked at a hanging shelf over Jin-ah's shoulder, where a picture of the four of them was framed.
I'm sorry, Father, he thought. I tried to bring you back.
It was laughable, really. He was the Monarch of Shadows who reigns over death, yet he was unable to do anything to prevent his father's death.
Eventually, Jin-woo extracted himself from the hug with a squeeze to each of their shoulders. "...I really need a shower."
Jin-ah wrinkled her nose. "Can't argue with that. You could use some clothes too."
That got a laugh out of him. His t-shirt had been completely annihilated in the battle against Antares. He was lucky he still had on pants.
"Yeah," he agreed, starting towards the bathroom.
His mother, composing herself, said, "I'll get some food started while you're in the shower. I'm sure you're famished."
She wasn't looking for an answer, already heading towards the kitchen, so Jin-woo didn't give a reply, instead focusing on the warmth of having his family safe and together. He looked at the picture of his father again, feeling a new grief wash through him, and disappeared into the bathroom.
They had just finished eating when the doorbell rang. Jin-woo, unsurprised, went to open the door. Standing there was none other than the Chairman of the Hunter Association, Woo Jin-chul. He was accompanied by two other Hunters, who he left outside when Jin-woo invited him inside.
"I'm surprised you came personally," Jin-woo said, closing the door behind him. He wasn't actually surprised; he knew that, despite the mountain of things the Chairman had to do, he'd come in person. His statement was actually asking about the state of the world outside, which Jin-chul understood instantly.
The Chairman sighed, taking off his sunglasses. He acknowledged Jin-woo's mother and sister, who had taken to quietly clearing the dishes (read: eavesdropping), and they settled in the lounge.
"I could afford to," Jin-chul said. "As far as the rest of the world is concerned, the fight with the Monarch of Destruction is still ongoing."
That was understandable. No one but Jin-chul – and Norma Selner, by extension of Jin-woo asking her to read his future – had been privy to Jin-woo's plans. As such, when he and Antares disappeared through the Gate, the world didn't know where they disappeared to.
"The Association did find the island you waged the final battle on, but they just assumed the battle started there and continued somewhere else. As it stands, until you reveal yourself to the world...no one will know you're here."
Jin-woo understood what the Chairman was saying. It was part of the reason he'd come to Jin-woo's house without making a fuss, and why he'd asked to come in rather than taking the more respectful approach and not intruding on his family's privacy.
"So, Hunter Sung," Jin-chul said, taking a breath, "until you're ready, the Association will do whatever it can to assist you."
Jin-woo nodded, his mind already sifting through everything that would follow. "What's the immediate situation?"
"The Hunters fighting the remaining forces were successful, so as we speak, clean-up teams are taking care of the monster remains. Taking note of the dead and contacting their family members will take a significant amount of time after that. There are a number of political and economic issues, all of which are being discussed in urgent meetings worldwide, but that isn't an issue for you to concern yourself with immediately."
Jin-woo smiled at that. "Delaying the inevitable, huh?"
Jin-chul returned a wry smile. "Indeed. Unfortunately, such is human nature. No matter what you did to protect the human race, they will still ask questions."
Jin-woo had expected that. He had given the bare minimum amount of information – just enough to mobilise the Hunters worldwide. There was no doubt that, now that the immediate danger had been dealt with, leaders and Presidents from around the world would want to know just how Jin-woo had access to such information.
And that wasn't the only thing. Thus far, Jin-woo had been able to maintain the benefit of doubt with how much of power he possessed. It was easy for humans to convince themselves that no human could be that powerful. Lately, the stronger Hunters had been able to gauge his level, because it was only natural for the strong to understand that massive gap in power. But the rest of the world? They would have remained ignorant. Jin-woo would have remained a National-level Hunter and nothing more. But now, the entire world had witnessed destruction on a level they'd never seen. They'd witnessed National-level Hunters be utterly useless before the power of the Monarchs. And they'd witnessed Jin-woo fight the strongest of those foes one-on-one.
You'd have to be an astronomical level of deluded to convince yourself Jin-woo was a normal Hunter.
"Let them ask," Jin-woo replied, a cool resolve in his gaze.
Jin-chul looked surprised. "You'll really explain everything?"
Jin-woo huffed a laugh. "No. They should focus on restoring the world to what it was, not matters beyond their control."
Likewise, he would focus on protecting Earth and leave the rebuilding to the people living in it.
Jin-chul nodded as if understanding what Jin-woo was implying. "Leave it to me, Hunter Sung," he said, pushing himself to his feet. "I'll do everything I can to help you."
He glanced in the direction of Jin-woo's family, both of whom were still pretending not to be listening, then slipped his sunglasses back on.
"That includes protecting your privacy and information, which of course includes your loved ones as well. We've already been doing that, but we'll increase our efforts from now on."
"Thank you, Chairman Woo," Jin-woo said, following the man to the door.
Jin-chul merely smiled. "Thank you, Hunter Sung."
Jin-woo took the next few days as a reprieve. It was the only one he'd get until the world discovered he was back, so for once in his life, he simply sat at home. He used his shadows to monitor the situation outside, of course, but his immediate concern was inside his home. Since his mother had returned, Jin-woo had hardly been at home. It had been one strong enemy after the next, and his family had worried about him every time he left the house.
It was time to change that. For once, he had the opportunity to be at home and see to his mother. He could help with chores, be in the kitchen with her, and once again nag Jin-ah to clean up after herself. And he intended to keep that up. He had a life to live now, after all; he couldn't spend this life he'd fought so hard for fighting enemies and neglecting his family.
So that's what he did for the next few days. He washed dishes, prepared food alongside his mother, and let Jin-ah off easy with chores since he was here to do them himself. And then, finally, Jin-woo decided to step outside.
His first stop was Cha Hae-in. After all, he had a promise to keep. After that...he'd go to the Association and deal with the matters at hand. But that was for later. Right now...
Thanks to his shadows, he knew she was at home, and he knew she was alone. He shadow-stepped right outside her door, feeling a smile tug at his lips at the thought of how she'd react, and knocked on the door.
There was a spike of mana from inside. No doubt she was on guard at the unexpected visitor, but Jin-woo figured she realised who was outside her door soon enough, because it opened just a few seconds later. Her large, clear eyes ran over his figure before a frown marred her brow.
"You did not just come back from a battlefield," she said.
Jin-woo smiled. "No."
Her frown deepened. "Does that mean...?"
"I'll tell you whatever you want to know, but can I come inside first?"
She blinked, then seemed immediately flustered. She opened the door further, stepping aside to let him through. "Yes, of course."
Her apartment was spacious and modern, and Jin-woo took a moment to take in the neat space around him. Hae-in led the way into her kitchen, asking what he preferred to drink, and they sat on adjacent sides of the table.
It didn't take too long to summarise the events of a few days ago, and the last few days had been so ordinary there was nothing of note to speak of. Hae-in smiled at that, surprisingly.
"I'm glad. You've been giving your all to protect everyone, and as soon as they know you're back, you're going to be busy again. It was good of Chairman Woo to grant you that grace."
Jin-woo chuckled. "He's a good man."
A silence filled the space between them, and Hae-in lifted her cup to take a sip before placing it back on the table. Her gaze had drifted past his shoulder as she spoke, and by now, Jin-woo recognised that for what it was. She was nervous.
The last time they had spoken, Jin-woo had promised to find her afterwards. It was a promise based on an understanding that they were both busy, that the world was actively facing its end, and that they'd meet again once that was all resolved. That was what Hae-in understood, anyway.
To Jin-woo, 'afterwards', at that time, had meant in the new timeline, once he reset everything. He had promised to find her again and rekindle what they had – not that she knew that was what he had meant, of course. But things were different now; using the Cup of Reincarnation hadn't been possible, and so the world hadn't been reset. As a result, Jin-woo wouldn't have to find Hae-in in a new life and naturally form a new relationship with her. He could continue this one without having to wait years until he could have her again.
So this wasn't just a casual meeting. This wasn't just a check-in to say he was back, he was alive, and he beat Monarch of Destruction. Jin-woo was here to keep his promise, and that promise was to not let Hae-in go.
Having always been better with actions rather than words, Jin-woo placed a hand over Hae-in's on the table to draw her gaze back to him. He offered her a teasing smile.
"I thought we'd be past the awkward stage after that night," he said. He felt like a little boy getting a kick out of troubling the girl he liked, but he couldn't help it – she just looked so cute with her cheeks puffed in indignation.
Knowing better than to say that, he bridged the gap between them, lifting his other hand to cup her cheek. Hae-in's annoyance at him faded, and she searched his gaze as if looking for an answer. Having come to a conclusion, a small smile lifted her lips. Her gaze fell to their hands on the table, and she twisted hers so it interlocked with his fingers. Her free hand settled on his shoulder to pull him closer.
"You know what I think?"
"What?" he mumbled, unable to focus on anything but the laughter and affection in her eyes.
"I think you like making me feel awkward."
Jin-woo smiled, his hand on her cheek moving to her jaw, drawing her face closer to his.
"Is that so?"
"Mhm-mhm," she said, finally closing the distance between them. But she didn't give Jin-woo what he wanted; her lips landed on his cheek, curved in a teasing smile. Jin-woo read her intention from that – You enjoy teasing me? Fine. I can tease you too.
His heart skipped a beat when her lips trailed down to kiss his jaw, and by her third teasing kiss, Jin-woo decided that 'ladies first' did not apply to kissing. He used his hold on her jaw to angle her mouth towards his, and the laugh she helplessly released made him wonder if that was what she'd been aiming for all along. He didn't wonder much longer, though, because then they were absorbed in each other, his thoughts filled with nothing but her.
At some point the table must have been moved, because he was wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer, and there was nowhere for her to go but on his lap. Her arms were around his shoulders, her body pressed against his, and Jin-woo had the idle, fleeting thought that love was just like battle: totally and utterly consuming. His every sense was focused entirely on Hae-in. He couldn't tell you what the shadows right below him were doing, or if there was someone right outside the door.
All he knew was that he had Hae-in right where he wanted her, and he was never letting her go.