“People all turned to look at Choshio.” Even in those burning gazes, Choshio stood proudly. Today he’d ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) come without his beard attached. He pulled out his phone and pressed the call button.

[“I’ve arrived safely. What’s the location? Oh, I see.”]

Peace sat up as if to ask what that was. A few Hunters muttered something about Amaterasu. So he wasn’t unknown. I’d remembered him even before regression—pretty high-ranking, then.

Choshio ended the call and announced, “I am Choshio, Guild Master of Japan’s Amaterasu Guild, having received command authority from Director Han Yujin.” No one handed him that role because they wanted to... Choshio’s cape fluttered as he thrust an arm forward. Does that cape have an automatic-flutter enchantment? It rippled indoors with no breeze.

[“Hunters, let us guard the world together with this Choshio!”]

“...Your tastes really are—”

“No, it’s not!” “Don’t fan the flames of a burning house,” Hyunjae hissed. The Hunters all looked bewildered, thinking, What nonsense is he spouting? Not that he was wrong, but did he have to pose so theatrically?

[“What absurdity is this, bursting in out of nowhere?”]

One Hunter voiced the doubt. It truly was a midnight raid of words. Choshio crossed his arms and swept his gaze sternly around. I didn’t want to think it, but that attitude suited him. If he’d been born in Europe five hundred years ago, he’d have held some high position.

[“There are far too many civilians here.”]

Not many—just a few staff.

[“This matter requires security clearance. All below A-rank, please vacate.”]

Technically Choshio was the outsider, so he should step aside, but he was an S-rank Hunter. Everyone below A-rank obeyed. Only the A-rank and above Hunters I’d summoned remained. Choshio spoke again.

[“High-tier Hunters—especially S-ranks—must have sensed an external presence. The being who created dungeons, items, and status windows.”]

[“I don’t believe in gods, but something godlike must exist.”]

[“Status windows and rewards are wholly artificial.”]

Seeing your stats as numbers and letters, conquering dungeons for perfect items—these weren’t natural phenomena. Yet no one knew how to investigate it, and ordinary people felt powerless against such divine power, so most looked away. Some shrieked about gods or aliens, and a few attempted scientific approaches, but no grand outcry of “This is suspicious!” arose. Fear of the unknown, or perhaps influence from the Parricides’ system, kept people silent. Or both.

‘Beings with unfathomable power.’

Sudden catastrophes, inexplicable world changes, and Transcendent interference—what felt more unsettling? Being wrecked onto a deserted island by a wave, or being kidnapped and dumped there?

[“My memory of the party is fuzzy, but... Chatterbox! That person was weird.”]

[...“He treated the dungeon as he pleased.”]

No one could doubt that Chatterbox was suspicious. Even if he had every skill and item, people wondered why he could use every power.

[“Suppose someone created the dungeons. What’s the reason?”]

[“World conquest?”]

[“Could be environmental protection.”]

[“Think of waste and energy—if mana stones fully replaced fuel, the air would clear.”]

[“Logging’s down. Dungeon timber is expensive but high quality.”]

[“Poachers say dungeon monsters are more popular.”]

Suddenly people praised dungeons. They did have many uses.

[“Population dropped. Elderly and infirm are at most risk when a dungeon spawns. Even awakened, elders have low stats.”]

[“Is this the Illuminati?”]

[“Then dungeon gates would be triangular.”]

[“Some say dungeons extended humanity’s lifespan. S-ranks get flamed for saying that.”]

[“It’s true. A new eco-friendly industry. If monster damage wasn’t severe, people would celebrate it as a blessing.”]

[“My neighborhood landfill closed, and land prices soared. They’re shoving trash into dungeons and redeveloping.”]

[“The construction boom from dungeons is real. Insurance is thriving too.”]

[“No precedent for monster-damage claims, so they refuse and launch new policies. Devilish.”]

[“Look at novice Hunter insurance rates—my friend pays more than top-tiers.”]

Novice Hunters have higher injury and mortality rates. Top-tiers rarely die and have guild healers, so insurers aren’t worried—only for personal and property damage, and few will cover it for S-ranks.

[“Few industries aren’t booming. Medicine wavered briefly, but healers and potions are Hunter-focused. Pharma publicly opposes commoditizing potions but privately invests in potion-based drugs with dungeon materials.”]

[“Defense contractors profit too—initial dungeon breaks cost conventional forces much. They still rely on modern firearms.”]

[“They said S-ranks would change warfare, but there are too few of them.”]

[“I saw an advertisement for bombs using dungeon materials.”]

[“Could work as support weapons.”]

Myungwoo said some tech firms offered to sponsor us, of course he refused.

[“The only sector tanked was pro sports.”]

[“Ah...”]

[“Ten players from Chelsea were severely awakened at once?”]

A Hunter covered his face and groaned.

[“That day Man U got halved too.”]

Crash—tables splintered. Sighs rose. So many sports fans here. It’d become a funeral parlor. Recreational sports boomed instead.

Thunk! A loud stomp sounded—it was Choshio. He pounded the floor to command attention and spoke.

[“The dungeon creators have contacted Director Han Yujin.”]

...Could he really say that? I glanced at the Mermaid Queen; she nodded slightly.

“They need at least a rough idea. I’ve informed that Awakened one accordingly.”

Choshio’s mouth was surprisingly tight-lipped—will it hold?

[“Chatterbox is among them too; the final victor of the party, Director Han Yujin, is now the representative of Earth’s Hunters.”]

Hearing it that way sounded like a grand office—I felt suddenly burdened. My face heated. Representative? I wanted to resign immediately.

[“I’ve seen that in manga.”]

[“Monsters came from comics too.”]

They weren’t credulous, but neither did they treat it as utter lies. Dungeons, monsters, Hunters—these existed now.

[“The enemy is an anti-Hunter organization and group of terrorists trying to destroy Earth!”]

Oh dear. I looked at Hyunjae. “Terrorist boss, please release Director Song. What did he ever do?”

“It’s exemplary behavior for a villain.”

“Dragging a righteous official into darkness deserves a nine out of ten. If they stab him in the back soon, I’ll add the tenth.”

Isn’t that a cliché? But how did he persuade them? Maybe he promised I’d be by his side at the end?

[“Choshio Hunter, even if your words are true, how can we believe them? Director Han Yujin didn’t come in person.”]

[“Why hand command to Amaterasu’s Guild Master? There are many Korean Hunters. His sister’s an S-rank too.”]

...It wasn’t my choice. And Yuhyun’s well behaved in public; he’s fire, so people naturally keep their distance. It’s natural he’d have poor social skills.

[“I understand your distrust.”]

Choshio’s face turned serious, shadows crossing his sharp features.

[“But Director Han Yujin!”]

His eyes shone with resolve—wait.

“Hey! What are you planning!”

No way... No way! My hand swiped at the air to grab the screen.

[“I, Choshio—!”]

“Wait, stop! How will you teleport my body? Choshio!”

No! Send me back! I have to gag that mouth! Hyunjae watched me with interest as Choshio proclaimed solemnly.

[“I am the reincarnation of his mother!”]

...What?

“Were you?”

“Of course not! I mean, this is....”

A healthy man in his twenties calling him “Mother!” would be insane—but “reincarnation” sounded a bit less crazy. Yet how did that come up?

[...“Reincarnation?”]

[“Like the Dalai Lama.”]

[“Claiming your mother reincarnated as SF Hunter? Ridiculous.”]

[“Regression’s more amazing—time reversal, so why not reincarnation?”]

...True. If time rewinds, why not rebirth? Even so. Murmuring Hunters watched as Choshio pulled from his inventory a long white rod—actually a rolled-up screen.

He tossed it toward the wall; the mounting pin sank in, and the screen unfurled. A portable projector powered on.

[“February 7th!”]

My birthday and another date flashed on the screen.

[“Forty-nine days after his mother’s death, Director Han Yujin was born.”]

...What? Really? At questions of “Why 49 days?” a Hunter explained Buddhist belief that rebirth occurs after 49 days. So his mother died sooner than I thought—but he’d always considered her his guardian. Must have been a good mother. Or her early passing left a deeper mark.

[“Same blood type, favorite color pink!”]

“No! I don’t like pink!”

[“Likes animals and is popular with them!”]

Photos of Peace and me appeared. I’d even worked part-time at a vet clinic. When did he investigate that...?

[“Based on photos of his mother, we scientifically estimated what he’d look like if gender-swapped!”]

A face remarkably similar to mine was displayed. Quite the resemblance.

[“Many habits and preferences match. His mother disliked bitter coffee.”]

...Who dislikes bitterness? With each piece of “evidence,” the crowd’s mood shifted to belief. Choshio continued with poetic eyes.

[“At first, I sensed nothing. But the moment Director Han Yujin worried for me, a bolt of insight struck.”]

...Was that from the keywords? He’d never really worried.

[“Feeling a foreign boy as one’s mother—an uncanny intuition. I began investigating, and this was the result.”]

Suddenly his continued friendly demeanor made sense—he’d suspected the keyword effect and investigated. The result was reincarnation? Who conducted that research?

“So I learned something new about Director Han Yujin.”

“That’s not true! Considering gestation, it’s impossible! Fetuses remember being in the womb!”

He should have done 49 days plus ten months! And I was a full-term baby!

[“Of course, having been reborn, he must be considered a different person.”]

Right! A different person, indeed.

[“But I, Choshio—!”]

He drew the sword at his hip high, spun it, and slammed it into the floor with a clank!

[“Though I have become someone entirely else, I swear to devote this life to protect and care for Director Han Yujin!”]

Silence fell. Then applause—someone clapped. A whistle sounded. Don’t applaud! What protection? Because I told them not to kill Yuhyun? The one who cheered “That’s so cool”—are you blind?!

“She raised a fine son—”

“Stop that!”

I wanted to grab him by the collar again.

“Is that man really your son?”

Even the serpents muttered nonsense... I have no memory of reincarnation! My neck throbbed as I felt faint, but the crowd’s reaction on the screen was surprisingly good. Better than I’d expected. Choshio’s ridiculous claim had indeed been effective.