Chapter 3: Reunion (2)

Apparently, I was the only one who got caught in the gas station's explosion, because my uncle was already taken by military to evacuate. But my family was persistent, they didn't give until they find me dead or alive.

It feels so nostalgic, seeing my family after such a long time, probably like when I went to college. But I can't compare it to that now, because I'm seeing them again after they thought I was dead.

I was glad to here that they were OK, Colonel Lee seems to have a closer relationship with them than he's telling me. I think he was about to shed a tear when I told him my name, but he probably thought it was best to take me to where they are first.

I'm shivering,... What should I feel? What should I say? How should I smile?

"Gahh~... This is so frustrating."

"Calm down, kid. It's gonna be fine, just do it naturally."

Hah! As if returning home after 5 years of seclusion and thought to be dead would be natural. I would've felt better if you said that all I need to do is cry and embrace them then explain later.

*SCREECH*

"Hey, kid... We're here."

Ahh, my heart's beating so fast, I think I'm hyperventilating.

*CLICK*

"Hey, Sung-ah! Jin-woo's here!"

Eh? That straight?

"What are you talking abou-..."

*glance*

"J-J-J-JIN-WOO!! JIN-WOO! MY SON!"

"Hey mom. I'm home"

*HUG*

"We... *sob* thought you were... *sob* deeaaad!"

*UWAAHHH*

"Stop crying mom, I'm here now... *sniffle*"

Ahh, so this kind of natural...

*SOB*

"Ahh! I'll call Jin-sung, stay there."

*RIIINNGGG*

"Hello? Dong-tae? No, I'm not busy. Why?"

*DROPS*

"I guess he'll be here in a jiffy."

"Thank you, Colonel Lee."

"Oh don't thank me, I just ran into him a while ago."

"Really? Where were you?"

"Uhm... I was at, Sector B, City E?"

"Hmm... Isn't that city's sector full of monsters? Why were you there?"

"Exactly because of that, we were told to report any monster activity in that area, but then we ran into a pack of Helldogs..."

"What?! How did you fight them?! Was there a hunter?!"

"Yeah, there was one."

"Ahh, that's grea-"

"It was Jin-woo."

"Eh?"

*SCREECH*

"That damn Dong-tae, he just calls me, tells me my son's here, and yells at me to come home. Why I'm gonna-"

*glance*

"J-JIN-WOO? SON?"

"Hey Dad, I'm home."

*SOB*

*HUG*

"C'mon now Jin-ho, you can't be crying here now should you?"

"Damn you. Let's see you lose your son for 5 years."

"Hehe~"

"Anyway, how'd you find him?"

"Ahh, I'll explain that. Colonel Lee ran into a few Helldogs at City E, so I helped them a bit, then they took me back here."

I guess it's like that...

"Wait, how exactly did you help them? Aren't Helldogs..."

"Y-yeah, Colonel told me that you're a hunter. Is that true?"

Ahh, I should tell them where I've been...

"Yup, I was at the void for five years. That's why you didn't find me any where..."

"So you were a First Gen? But why did it take you so long?"

"I was matched with a boss monster called , so it took me a long time."

*silence*

Eh? Was it something I said?

"YOU KILLED A BOSS MONSTER BY YOURSELF?!"

"Were you hurt?! How did you do it?!"

"HAHAHA~, THAT'S MY SON!!"

"HYUNG-NIM?! YOU'RE ALIVE?!"

"Eh?"

Mom and Dad explained everything to Jin-ah, who just cane home from school. Yet another crying and screaming montage took place.

And so, with all that screaming, we ended our reunion happily... Or so we thought...

*WARNING SOUNDS*

"This signal, a dungeon break?!"

"Let's go Dong-tae! I'll get the reinforcements."

"Mom, Jin-ah, stay here, I'll go help."

"Be careful son!"

There was an attack at a nearby sector of City G, there was a dungeon break from one of the A Rank dungeons. The military already contacted the Hunter Association, it'll take a while before they get there. The only hunter nearby would be me, so I'll take this opportunity to level up.

Apparently, after the void had stopped training hunters, the First Gens formed their own guilds, because there had to be a division of hunters so that dungeon raids and management would be relatively exclusive.

5 years ago, there were 7 First Gens, excluding me. Go Seol-bok formed the Hunter Association, Park Min-soo formed the Serpent Guild, Son Jae-yon formed the Ice Pillar Guild, Lee Sung-jun formed the Slayers Guild, Choi Yon-pil formed the Titan Guild, Han Sun-bin formed the Oracle Guild, and Chae Eun-ju formed the Tigers Guild.

Other hunters can register themselves to their chosen guild to take a test of confirmation, while the Hunter Association is responsible for assessing the hunters' level, abilities, skills, titles and stats, probably with some measuring device X gave them.

*PING*

"Notice: The Player may use [Authority] to hide his titles and abilities. Would you like to proceed?"

Oh? That's useful. But should I hide them?

*PING*

"It is advisable that the Player would hide his titles of being the Chosen One, exposing your capabilities early on could backfire later on. Furthermore, if the Player was to be exposed as the Chosen One, it would be a significantly hinder you in your goal of levelling up. I also suggest that you hide your official rank after you take the Hunter Association's examination test. "

Ahh, I can see your point... Proceed. But why should I hide my rank? I haven't taken the test yet.

*PING*

"Once the examiners see your stats, you will be categorized as an SS Rank Hunter. You will be the first."

What?! SS?! Isn't that too much?!

*PING*

"Absolutely not. I set your stats to an average SSS Rank mons-, I mean, hunter."

Were you about to call me a monster?! I'll kill you...

*PING*

"(• ▽ •;)"

Hmph...

Lately, X has been persistent in suppressing my capabilities. Apparently, being other than humans might stop by here through the dungeons, and those beings are very powerful. Since, I've been away for so long, we can't be sure that there hasn't been any of those beings here, they might also be hiding amongst the hunters.

Sure enough, I need to level up, to find out more how Project Level Up works, and why I was chosen. Then perhaps I could bring our lives back to normal.

*SCREECH*

"We're here... Let's check the situation first."

"Jin-woo, can you go check what the monsters are?"

"Yeah. I'll get to it."

"Be careful, don't catch their attention."

"Got it."

.

.

.

"Hmm... There's quite a lot of them, 4 Lvl. 10 Orcs, 1 Lvl. 12 Imperial Ogre, about 12 Lvl. 9 Helldogs, and a Lvl. 15 Colossus. It's not easy, but not impossible."

*SLASH*

*ROOAAARRR*

"Hmm? Is there someone fighting there?"

"Tch, damn monsters.Just where do they come from?!"

*GROWL*

*SPLAT*

"ACK!! Hey! No biting!"

"Ahh! He's injured! I'll go help..."

*SWOOSH*

"What the?! Who're you?!"

"I'm Jin-woo, I'm a hunter. Stay there and recover."

"HA!! As if a single hunter can kill all those bea-..."

Game time! Give me your experience points!

*SWISH*

To weak...

*SMASH*

Still too weak...

*BOOM*

Way too weak...

*SPLAT*

Is there anything worth to fight here?! Well, at least they give me XP...

*WHIMPER*

"Get out of my sight."

*SWING*

"Sigh... Not a single one. Anyway, it's safe now!"

"What did you-... *glance* Eh?!"