Chapter 180
Beru spoke to Suho about what he knew of Sung Ilhwan’s past as they traveled.
Sung Ilhwan.
Suho’s grandfather and the father of the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo.
He had once accepted the power of the Rulers and was a top-tier Hunter.
His exact rank was unknown.
The reason being that when he awakened, the Hunter ranking system had not yet been clearly defined.
However, Beru said it was certain he would be considered S-rank.
After all, he had a body capable of withstanding the Rulers’ power.
[And perhaps, Young Lord, there is a very high chance your grandfather has awakened again as a Hunter just like before!]
There is no age limit for a Hunter’s awakening.
A body compatible with mana is something one is born with.
It all boils down to natural talent.
That’s why all those Suho had met who were Hunters in the past had reawakened with the same powers in this era.
Sung Ilhwan would likely be no exception.
But there was one thing.
The timing of one’s mana awakening varied regardless of talent.
Sometimes it required a trigger. Sometimes it just happened out of the blue.
[Perhaps he has yet to awaken!]
“That’s what worries me more.”
[Indeed, Young Lord!]
Suho had yet to hear any news about his grandfather awakening.
‘Knowing Grandpa, if he had become a Hunter, he would’ve said he’d go back to being a firefighter. Or maybe started a guild with a similar purpose.’
Thinking about Sung Ilhwan’s usual personality, there was a high chance he had not yet awakened.
That made Suho even more anxious.
The perfect vessel for the Apostles of Itarim to target was still unaware of his powers!
SHWEEEEEK—!
Gritting his teeth, Suho sped down the highway, his silver hair whipping fiercely in the wind.
His speed far surpassed even Baek Miho, who had carried him on her back during the Lee Minseong incident.
He had already merged with Gray and, compared to that time, his strength stat had increased astronomically.
“W-Who is that?!”
“So dangerous!”
“Someone call the Association!”
Drivers on the road screamed in shock at the sight of Suho.
Some even pulled out their phones to report him to the police or Hunter Association.
But Suho paid no mind and pushed himself to the limit.
As a result—
He reached Yangpyeong at literal lightning speed.
SWOOOOOSH—
Paldang Dam.
The sound of the flowing river filled the air, and thick mist clouded the view ahead.
Yangpyeong in Gyeonggi-do is divided by the Namhangang River.
And the streams that converge with the Namhangang often produce thick fog like this.
Among them, Paldang Dam, which holds a large volume of water, was especially prone to heavy mist.
SHHHHHH—!
‘Hmm?’
As Suho ran through the thick fog, a strange, indescribable sensation struck him.
It felt like his elevated sense stat from leveling up had triggered—but something was different.
‘What is this?’
Suho narrowed his eyes and expanded his senses to scan the surroundings.
But strangely, he couldn’t detect any hostility or presence of magical beasts.
What was it then?
Since stepping into Yangpyeong, an inexplicable discomfort had been nagging at his senses.
“Beru.”
[Understood, Young Lord.]
No more words were needed.
Beru twitched his antennae and began thoroughly inspecting the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Suho pulled out his phone to call his grandfather.
He had already tried calling his grandparents before leaving, but no one answered.
Still, that was nothing unusual.
They had retired to a peaceful countryside life and rarely carried their phones around.
“……Still no answer.”
Hearing the endless dial tone, Suho furrowed his brow.
[……Perhaps you don’t know the exact address?]
“Yeah.”
Suho scratched his head sheepishly in response to Beru’s question.
“I wasn’t really in my right mind for the past five years.”
Honestly… anyone would have reacted the same.
Both his parents had gone missing overnight—how could anyone stay sane?
“……It was overwhelming.”
Suho smiled bitterly as he recalled how he’d felt back then.
Now, he understood everything that had happened, but at the time, it had felt like the sky was falling.
And he realized—
Just how weak and powerless he truly was.
“When your parents go missing, there’s really nothing a mere high schooler can do.”
What did I do?
Right, first I reported it to the police.
Then I contacted relatives to explain the situation.
While the adults frantically discussed things with the police…
All I could do was sit at home, staring blankly, waiting and waiting for a call from Mom or Dad.
Just in case they reached out at any moment, I never let go of my phone—not even once.
……That was the most I could do.
“Then Uncle came to see me and said this.”
—Suho, leave this to the adults and focus on your studies like usual. That’s what your parents would really want.
And Suho had no choice but to obey.
His uncle Yoo Jinho was a well-known chaebol even in Korea.
When someone like that vowed to pour everything into searching for his missing parents, what more could a high schooler possibly do?
So Suho returned to school.
“……But you know what?”
Suho, lost in painful memories, asked Beru with a conflicted expression.
“What do you think Grandpa was doing at that time?”
Without waiting for an answer, Suho continued.
“It was the strangest thing… Grandpa was putting out fires like always. Even though his son had gone missing, he was still out there saving others.”
[Kiieek?]
At those words, a strange glimmer briefly flickered in Beru’s eyes.
“They still aren’t answering… This won’t do. I’ll have to ask Uncle.”
With his grandparents refusing to pick up the phone, Suho immediately called his uncle, Yoo Jinho.
Unfortunately, Yoo Jinho was working and couldn’t answer. As a backup plan, Suho tried calling his aunt instead.
—Oh my, Suho?
Thankfully, this time someone picked up.
“Auntie! Could you tell me Grandpa’s home address?”
—Hm? Why all of a sudden?
Suho’s aunt, Sung Jinah, sounded clearly surprised on the other end of the line.
Well, it made sense.
Just as Suho had mentioned to Beru earlier, his relationship with his grandfather had grown a bit distant over the years.
Suho gave a wry smile and chose his words carefully.
“I just… wanted to visit him. It’s been a while.”
—Oh, that’s wonderful, Suho! I’ll text you the address right now! Oh wait, better yet—why don’t we go together?
“Huh? No, you don’t need to…”
—No, it’s fine. I was planning to drop by anyway.
Suho tried to decline, worried his aunt might get dragged into something dangerous. But her determination was unwavering.
She clearly wanted to use this opportunity to mend the relationship between Suho and his grandfather.
—Alright, Suho. How about this? I’ll be off work soon, so come meet me at Ajin Hospital.
At those words, Suho froze.
“…Sorry? Ajin Hospital?”
His aunt, surprised by his reaction, sounded even more confused.
—What? You didn’t know? I opened a hospital in Yangpyeong.
“…What?”
—You really didn’t know?
“……”
Once again, Suho realized just how disconnected he’d been all this time.
* * *
Suho arrived at Ajin Hospital in Yangpyeong in no time.
“Suho!”
Wearing a white doctor’s coat, Sung Jinah greeted Suho warmly.
“You got here so fast! Were you nearby?”
“How have you been?”
Sung Jinah, Suho’s aunt and the younger sister of the Shadow Monarch Sung Jinwoo, was a doctor. And not just anywhere—she had opened a hospital right here in Yangpyeong.
‘Ajin Hospital’ wasn’t a massive facility, but it was famous for its top-tier equipment despite its size.
Looking at the hospital’s name, Suho asked her,
“Auntie, this place…?”
“Yes, that’s right. This hospital was built by a foundation sponsored by ‘Ajin Soft.’”
In other words, it was essentially established by her husband, Yoo Jinho’s company.
As she said this, Sung Jinah gave a rueful smile.
“There were some rumors, of course.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“As you probably noticed on your way in, a lot of rich people live in Yangpyeong. Specifically, wealthy retirees.”
“Ah.”
Suho nodded, understanding immediately.
He had already passed several luxurious countryside homes on his way here—houses that clearly weren’t cheap.
In that context, it was easy to see why people might gossip that a conglomerate like Ajin Soft built a hospital just for the rich.
But in truth, it had been the other way around.
Sung Jinah sounded a bit indignant as she explained.
“You might not know this, but this area is the perfect distance from Gangnam—not too close, not too far. It’s ideal for retirees who want a peaceful countryside life. That’s actually why I recommended this place when your grandparents said they wanted to retire to a rural area.”
Just as she said, Yangpyeong was a location that Seoulites often dreamed of for retirement—a place to enjoy peace and nature without being too far from the city and their children.
“There’s a saying—‘Sleep in Yangpyeong, live in Seoul.’ But after getting them settled here, I realized something. There weren’t any large hospitals nearby!”
Even if you enjoyed rural life, for the elderly, proximity to medical facilities was crucial.
After realizing this, Sung Jinah made up her mind.
She would build a hospital near her parents.
“So after I opened the hospital, people started moving to the area after hearing about it.”
The real reason she was talking so much was something else entirely.
“…So are you planning to make up with Grandpa?”
“It’s not like we fought or anything.”
“Right. Good thinking. You know, your grandpa’s always been kind of cool like that. Did you know your dad ran away from home for two years in middle school?”
“…Yeah, he told me.”
As Sung Jinah spoke, Suho recalled the image of his grandfather telling him the same thing.
—Your dad’s always been the type to disappear on a whim. Don’t worry too much. He’ll come back just like he always does.
—That’s supposed to be comforting…?
That was when the rift between Suho and his grandfather had begun.
“Suho, we’re here. It’s really close to the hospital, right?”
Soon, a wide field cultivated by his grandparents came into view.
Suho immediately expanded his sensory field.
