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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“…But you didn’t object?”
“Actually, I thought about it a lot while talking with Mom and Dad.”
It was only natural to be worried about her only son, who had been missing for years, doing dangerous work that involved fighting monsters.
She wanted to advise him to do something other than being a hunter.
“But it’s the path you chose, Oppa. We decided to accept and respect whatever choice you make.”
A smile appeared on Lee Seong-joon’s face as he looked at Lee Seo-yoon, who was smiling awkwardly.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“If you’re grateful, then be good to me. It was really hard to persuade Mom and Dad. They’re pretending to be calm in front of you, but I’m sure they’re still very worried deep down.”
Lee Seong-joon turned his head and his gaze fell on Lee Soo-hyeok and Kim Ji-young.
In fact, although Lee Soo-hyeok and Kim Ji-young were trying their best to maintain a calm expression, they couldn’t completely hide the worry in their eyes.
“There’s just one thing Mom and Dad want to ask.”
“You’re not forcing yourself to be a hunter because of us, are you? I hope you’re not doing it because you’re worried about money or anything like that…”
At Kim Ji-young’s worried words, Lee Seong-joon answered in a calm voice.
“It’s true that I decided to become a hunter after seeing our family’s financial situation.”
“Ah…”
“Hmm…”
Lee Soo-hyeok and Kim Ji-young both let out a sigh of regret at the same time.
But they couldn’t say anything more.
They just lowered their heads with reddened faces.
It was because they knew that they, as parents, were unable to change the current situation that Lee Seong-joon was worried about.
That’s why they were sorry and grateful.
It might have been a somewhat painful scene, but seeing that, Lee Seong-joon felt a sense of reassurance in his heart.
In the world he had lived in for decades, everyone was just trying to somehow exploit Lee Seong-joon’s abilities.
‘Even the damn deities were the same.’
But his family was the only one who felt sorry for using Lee Seong-joon’s abilities, and they were grateful for it.
‘This is enough.’
Lee Seong-joon was a man who had already reached the pinnacle of a world and had everything.
He believed it would be no different on Earth.
Money, fame, and if he wanted, he could get anything more than that.
But a person’s heart was different.
Especially the heart of a family that was always on his side, it might not be something that could be bought with anything.
That was why he could say it.
“But I’m not doing this job by force. It’s something I want to do.”
“Seong-joon…”
Lee Soo-hyeok’s eyes reddened as he looked at Lee Seong-joon.
No, it wasn’t just him.
Even Lee Seo-yoon, who usually treated her older brother like a friend, was looking at him with a bewildered expression.
Lee Seong-joon felt grateful for their gaze, but also a little embarrassed, so he continued to speak in a calm, even tone.
“You know I’m a returnee, right? But in the world I was in, I was called a martial artist.”
The following story was about Lee Seong-joon’s admiration for the martial way and his heart.
It was true.
Even if there was no such job as a hunter on Earth, Lee Seong-joon would have learned martial arts and trained himself.
He loved the thrill of seeing his martial prowess grow step by step.
And today, through the system, he saw a new path that would allow him to surpass his past self and reach an even higher realm.
As a martial artist, he couldn’t possibly not want to reach that new path, that higher realm.
After telling them everything he had in his heart, Lee Seong-joon slowly nodded and said.
“So… being a hunter is the most ideal job for me, and it’s also a way for me to find my happiness. Don’t worry too much.”
After hearing the whole story, Lee Soo-hyeok and Kim Ji-young slowly nodded, their eyes showing no sign of wavering.
Their eyes were filled with pride for their son, who had become so dependable that they could only guess how he had lived in another world during all this time.
“…You’ve really become an adult while I wasn’t looking.”
“I know. I actually thought we didn’t have the right to stop you, but I didn’t know you were this determined. Are you really our son?”
“Yes, I’m your son, Dad, Mom.”
When Lee Seong-joon said this with a smile, only then did the family smile brightly as well.
“I’ll always support you, my son.”
“Mom and Dad will also think about what we can do to help you even a little.”
“…Thank you for just the thought.”
It wasn’t just empty words.
They truly respected his thoughts without any ulterior motives or schemes.
This was what he had wanted so much, what he had longed for when he wanted to return to this world.
A warmth filled with sincerity.
His heart swelled at every word his family spoke.
And that feeling gave Lee Seong-joon conviction.
‘I’m glad I came back.’
No matter how much money or fame he had, nothing was more valuable than this.
A bright smile naturally appeared on Lee Seong-joon’s face.
“Thank you, and I really love you.”
“Mom loves you too, son.”
“…Dad loves you too.”
As Lee Seong-joon, Lee Soo-hyeok, and Kim Ji-young were all smiling, Lee Seo-yoon hurriedly interjected.
“I love our family very, very much too, but this is not the time to be doing this in front of food. Let’s talk more after we eat.”
“Right, our son hasn’t even had a bite yet. Let’s eat.”
Lee Seo-yoon immediately picked up her chopsticks, and Kim Ji-young picked up a piece of cooked meat and put it in Lee Seong-joon’s mouth.
Tasting the flavor of the beef in his mouth, Lee Seong-joon nodded with a satisfied expression.
And so, Lee Seong-joon started a happy dinner, taking the time to appreciate his own choice to give up everything and return to Earth.
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Last night, he had officially obtained his family’s permission to work as a hunter.
This meant that there were no more obstacles.
Therefore, after waking up early in the morning and finishing a light workout, Lee Seong-joon was immediately heading to a nearby gate.
‘Hunt as many monsters as possible to get stronger and earn a lot of money.’
Just as Lee Seong-joon was taking a step while reminding himself of today’s simple but difficult goal.
A man in his late 30s, wearing a black suit, approached him with a smile and handed him a business card.
“Hello, Returnee Lee Seong-joon. I’m Jo Kang-hyun, the team leader of the Returnee Management Team at the Association’s headquarters.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Lee Seong-joon.”
It was a sudden visit, but there was no sign of panic on Lee Seong-joon’s face.
Rather, a faint smile was playing on Lee Seong-joon’s lips.
‘As expected.’
The reason he hadn’t refused Kim Seong-hoon’s accompaniment was to quickly demonstrate his abilities and attract attention.
And as he had successfully demonstrated his abilities by hunting the boss monster that had appeared, he had expected the Association’s headquarters to take some kind of action.
Of course, he hadn’t anticipated every situation.
‘They moved sooner than I thought.’
They had made direct contact in just one day.
Moreover, the person who had moved, Jo Kang-hyun, was not an ordinary person.
Of course, he wasn’t highly regarded simply because of his title as team leader.
‘…At this level, he would be among the top of the first-rate experts.’
While Lee Seong-joon was sizing up Jo Kang-hyun, Jo Kang-hyun was also quickly sizing up Lee Seong-joon.
‘He looks ordinary on the surface.’
He had an excellent aura, and the energy he subtly exuded seemed quite sharp, but that was it.
There was no reason for Kim Seong-hoon, an ace of the management team who had dealt with many returnees, to give him such an unusually high evaluation.
In the end, unable to find an answer, Jo Kang-hyun shifted his gaze and stared into Lee Seong-joon’s eyes.
Jo Kang-hyun’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight of his unwavering eyes.
‘I can’t tell at all.’
Jo Kang-hyun was confident that he could grasp a person’s psychological state to some extent just from their actions and expressions, as he had dealt with countless returnees.
However, he couldn’t figure out the intentions of this returnee, Lee Seong-joon, who had returned less than a week ago.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter what he’s thinking.’
Kim Seong-hoon might have been fooled, but he wouldn’t be fooled by someone who had experienced all kinds of hardships while dealing with returnees for decades.
Jo Kang-hyun’s expression, which had been narrowed as he observed Lee Seong-joon, changed into a bright smile as if nothing had happened.
“The reason I came to see you in person, Returnee Lee Seong-joon, is to make a request.”
“A request?”
“I’ll get straight to the point. I would like Returnee Lee Seong-joon to clear an E-rank gate located nearby. I’ll give you a generous deadline of one week.”
At Jo Kang-hyun’s words, Lee Seong-joon hardened his expression and said.
“I refuse.”
Then, without hesitation, he walked past Jo Kang-hyun, who was standing blankly.
To be honest, since he had expected a visit, he had also thought that the Association might test him with such a proposal.
But Lee Seong-joon knew how to raise his own value.
He couldn’t just go along with it here.
There were many reasons, but the biggest one was clear.
‘His attitude is quite impure.’
Lee Seong-joon was not yet affiliated with the Association.
Nevertheless, Jo Kang-hyun, without any further explanation, was ordering him around like a subordinate and even setting a deadline.
There were two possibilities.
Either he really thought he was a pushover, or this was also a test.
Either way, he couldn’t just go along with it.
‘…Damn it, I completely misjudged him. That innocence wasn’t just from being naive! There’s something to him!’
Jo Kang-hyun quickly acknowledged his mistake.
Contrary to his ordinary first impression, he was definitely a man who was hiding a lot.
To find out what he was hiding, he had to catch up to him right now.
With a hurried heart, Jo Kang-hyun quickly ran and stood in front of Lee Seong-joon, bowing his head deeply.
“I apologize. I still lack the ability to judge people correctly, and I have been disrespectful. Can you give me one more chance? If you listen to what I have to say, I’m sure Returnee Lee Seong-joon will also be pleased.”
After standing still for a moment and looking at Jo Kang-hyun, Lee Seong-joon slowly opened his mouth.
“…There won’t be a second chance.”
If he had continued to show an impolite attitude, that would have been it, but since he had acknowledged his mistake and sincerely apologized, there was no need to continue being so harsh.
‘The important thing now is…’
What kind of compensation would Lee Seong-joon receive?
While Lee Seong-joon was contemplating, Jo Kang-hyun carefully opened his mouth.
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