Chapter 20 : Goodbye ! (2)

After finishing my meal, I stood at the front gate, gulping in anticipation.

I could actually leave this place.

I could finally roam the floors as I pleased.

What an exciting and momentous occasion!

Now, I could even conduct surprise inspections whenever I wanted.

With a mix of nervousness and excitement, I stepped out into the yard.

[BREAK!!]

“…Huh?”

The moment my foot crossed the threshold, large red letters flashed before my eyes.

At the same time, the translucent barrier that had been covering the area shattered with a resounding crack, breaking apart in a spectacular display of light.

“I… I did it! I successfully broke free!”

Beaming with joy, I turned around.

The subordinates who had paused their work to watch burst into cheers, clapping and congratulating me.

Even Sword Ghost was jumping up and down in excitement.

“Haha…”

Had there ever been a time in my adult life when people celebrated something I did like this?

Probably not.

All I ever received were pitying gazes and endless pleas to quit being a hunter.

Even though Hunter Wrecker was still technically a hunter, people never saw it that way.

Since I never stopped entering Towers, there was no one who truly celebrated my efforts.

“…And now, there are people who are happy for me because of something related to a Tower.”

Though technically, they weren’t people—they were monsters.

As I smiled at the scene before me, Hunter Choi Hanseong, who had been clapping beside Sword Ghost, slowly approached me.

“Let’s go. I’ll escort you!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Hunter Hanseong couldn’t stop smiling—he was genuinely thrilled about finally being able to leave the Tower.

“Are you happy?”

“…Yes, I am.”

“Of course you are. After being trapped in the Tower for so long, going home must feel amazing.”

I smiled knowingly, and Hanseong responded with a somewhat awkward chuckle.

“…Please speak kindly about us to the people out there.”

“Of course. I owe you all a lot.”

Hanseong lifted his sword.

The weapon he had been using before was strapped to his back, while the one I had given him was carefully fastened to his waist.

“You really like it, huh?”

“Of course! My friend spent their entire fortune to buy this for me.”

“Doesn’t that feel like a burden?”

“Well, I’ll be working to pay it off from now on, so it’s not that bad.”

Hanseong smiled playfully.

“I’ll do my best to convince people.”

“Though, given my position, I can’t be too aggressive about it.”

Right.

As the #1 Hunter, Hanseong held an enormous amount of influence.

If someone in his position suddenly started advocating for monsters, it would raise too many questions.

“…I plan to report this to the higher-ups first and then release an official statement to the media.”

“That’s the best approach.”

“Sorry I can’t help you more directly.”

Hanseong smiled apologetically.

I reassured him with a grin.

The fact that he wanted to help was already more than enough.

All I had to do was take things slowly and show people who I really was.

We continued walking, chatting about various things as we descended the Tower in reverse.

Since there weren’t many staff members yet, many floors remained empty white spaces.

“…We’ll have to fill all of these someday.”

“…I suppose so?”

“Yeah. It feels a little empty right now.”

Hanseong, who had been filming the Tower with my permission, looked startled.

“Well, I’ll make sure to educate my subordinates properly. We’ll enforce discipline so people have nothing to worry about.”

“…Please do.”

“That’s just common sense.”

Hanseong had been thoroughly documenting everything about our Tower.

How he had spent the past three days with me,What kind of individuals made up the main executives,Whether the monsters were hostile or not.

He wanted to ensure that no further investigation teams would be needed, so I allowed it.

Some might call me naive, but in reality, our Tower was still a shell—beautiful on the outside, but incomplete within.

To fill that shell, we would eventually need to broadcast and earn coins, which would expose everything anyway.

If this documentary could help build trust, then I was more than willing to participate.

Hanseong had insisted that I appear in the footage as well, saying it was important to show that I wasn’t an enemy.

So, despite my embarrassment, I stood before the camera, speaking casually about our Tower as the backdrop.

Time passed quickly as we walked and talked.

At last, we reached the lowest floor.

“Master.”

“Death Knight.”

Death Knight knelt before me, waiting patiently.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Death Knight began leading the way.

“Did you decorate this area yourself?”

“Yes, Master.”

“It looks great.”

Hearing that, Death Knight proudly puffed up his shoulders.

“I designed it based on my homeland’s appearance.”

“…Homeland?”

“I meant the Demon Realm.”

I had been curious about that for a while now.

What exactly was the Demon Realm?

Noticing my interest, Death Knight turned slightly and whispered.

“…You were born in a Tower, weren’t you? I’ll explain it to you later. It’s not a topic a human should hear.”

“Uh, okay.”

Was he being cautious because Hanseong was with us?

Either way, I simply nodded.

With Death Knight guiding us, we finally arrived at a grand garden.

At its center stood a shining gate.

“There it is.”

The Tower’s entrance—the Gate.

The only passage that connected the Tower’s interior to the outside world.

I had passed through gates countless times in my previous life.

I had entered S-Class Towers, E-Class Towers.

And the worst experience of all had been a murder case inside an F-Class Tower.

Even thinking about it made my skin crawl.

“…There should have been a law banning high-ranking Hunters from entering low-level Towers.”

But my opinion had never been taken seriously.

I wasn’t sure if things had changed now, but it felt awkward to ask Hanseong about it, so I pushed the thought aside.

“Hunter, it’s time for you to leave.”

“Yeah… It’s time to go home.”

Hanseong let out a satisfied smile.

“Now that I’ve confirmed everything is safe, I can rest easy.”

“All that’s left is to inform the public.”

Hopefully, I wouldn’t get ostracized for trying to prove that I wasn’t a threat.

As someone who used to be a Hunter Wrecker, I knew all too well how terrifying public opinion could be.

No matter how powerful or accomplished a person was, they could not resist the force of public sentiment.

After all, it was the people who granted power, influence, and social status.

And public opinion was frighteningly easy to manipulate.

Individuals might think differently, but once people formed a mob, they blindly accepted false information.

And the easiest targets for manipulated public opinion were the innocent.

There were always people waiting for an excuse to tear down someone too good to be true.

Once labeled a fraud, the truly good-hearted would be the first to suffer.

As that thought crossed my mind, an image of a woman who had once helped me flickered in my memory.

“…….”

I was a little scared that my friend might end up like that.

“I’m heading out now.”

But when I saw Hunter Hanseong extend his fist toward me as he said those words, all my worries vanished.

“Yeah, this is Choi Hanseong we’re talking about.”

The hero of South Korea, the idol of all Korean hunters.

If it were someone like him, he would surely handle everything just fine.

“We’ll meet again, right?”

“Of course.”

Hearing his answer, I grinned and brought my fist forward to meet his.

“See you next time.”

“Yeah, until then….”

Wishing for my friend’s health until the day we meet again, I smiled brightly and said my farewell.

“Goodbye!”

“I hope, until the day we meet again, you will be well.”

That phrase—the one that once left me crying through the night—kept echoing in my head today.

I hoped that there would never be another night like that.

I prayed for it, over and over again.

“Stay healthy!!”

As I shouted, Hanseong—who had already moved some distance away—waved his hand widely.

“I’ll definitely come back! Once the misunderstandings are cleared!”

“Until then, make sure to keep up with your broadcasts! I’ll be checking to see if you’re doing okay!!”

From afar, he raised his thumb in encouragement as he waved.

I gave him a wide grin in return.

Seeing that, Hanseong disappeared beyond the gate of light.

He had returned—to where he truly belonged.

“…Alright, time to start streaming again.”

And now, it was time for me to do what I was meant to do.

I felt a little scared.

How would people look at me this time?

What kind of malice would they throw at me?

Unlike my past life, where I was already broken, I seemed to be holding onto a much purer mindset this time around.

“…But I also know now that not all people are bad.”

The world isn’t just full of evil.

That’s why, even in the face of hardship, I had wanted to be a hero.

That’s why I had admired those who walked that path and became a Hunter myself.

Of course, in the end, I had only become a Hunter Wrecker, nothing but trash.

“…Death Knight! I’m going to do my best!”

“…What?”

“I’m going to build the best, most livable Tower ever!”

“…Then I’ll do my best to assist you.”

Death Knight raised his thumb in approval.

It was time—time to start earning money and strengthening the Tower for real.

“Next time I see Hunter Hanseong, I’ll make sure he’s shocked by how much this place has changed.”

Feeling motivated, I cheerfully made my way back to the top floor.