Chapter 49: The Hero Returned, The World Explodes

[<Recommended Post> All you bastards who wrote wills and cried your eyes out — get out here]

First of all, I’ll show myself ^^

Yoo Hee-ro, you bastard
I’ll be grateful to you for the rest of my life

• f**k lmaooo I’m deleting all the shameful posts and comments I wrote

• Wow human emotions really flip like crazy
  └ More like human destiny flips

• I survived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Thank you. Thank you so much.

• But wait—weren’t we like this close to Yoo Hee-ro becoming Earth’s worst villain? It was totally all or nothing
  └ lmaooo but in the end he became Earth’s greatest hero

• Yoo Hee-ro-nim… I’m starting a religion today. Hero-ism
  └ My mom is literally praying out loud chanting “Yoo Hee-ro”

• Did you see that? The moment the X-Gate was cleared everyone charged into the streets like crazy people lmaooo I was home and nearly died of shock
  └ At first I thought it was a false report so I was nervous as hell, then suddenly the earthquake stopped like a lie and I hugged a stranger and screamed
  └ I was trapped in the subway for 3 hours, people fainting and hyperventilating everywhere, then the second the announcement came on, people ripped open the subway doors and ran
  └ I’m going home now

• I live near Gwanghwamun and there’s a massive crowd cheering. Humanity restored
  └ A ton of foreign reporters came too. Didn’t they risk their lives coming here?
  └ If the X-Gate exploded their countries would’ve been one-shot anyway so they just came

• Yoo Hee-ro or whatever… how is a person born like that? I would never have walked into floor 120
  └ The craziest part is he went in ALONE lmao
  └ It took him what, a week? From 120 floors? What the hell is even up there
  └ Rumor says there’s an abyssal monster
  └ Are you a weeaboo? “Abyssal monster” my ass

• Will Yoo Hee-ro keep hunting? If I were him I’d quit. He’ll get reward money + pension enough to chill for life
  └ Won’t he join a guild as an honorary hunter? Every guild will throw money at him like crazy. Just having him raises the guild’s prestige

• I still can’t believe it, I’m crying

• I hope all those terrorist bastards die. They wanted to die anyway, might as well
  └ My friend got swept into the terror attack and is in the ER

• Anyway Yoo Hee-ro can finally meet that Seong Ji-woo or whatever now
  └ 2222 why am I more curious about that than anything

• Is Yoo Hee-ro opening a fan club? I’ve never stan’d anyone but can a 30-year-old dude join?
  └ Yoo Hee-ro would kill you

• When’s his official return? I need to go bow
  └ Rumor says about a week from now but they haven’t reached him yet
  └ Just now! They reached him! He’s returning TOMORROW WTF
  └ His stamina and mental state are insane
  └ I’m getting ready to go see his holy face in Jeju
  └ Too late bro all flights sold out
  └ Wrong~ not sold out~ flights just reopened because they were paused from the earthquake + tsunami. Announcement posted a minute ago~
  └ What the f**k? Booking NOW
  └ Uh it sold out again in 10 minutes

• Land around X-Gate that used to be dirt cheap must be gold now
  └ 222 why did I think of that too I should’ve bought some
  └ 33333 humans are so fickle
  └ Omg my grandpa’s old house is near there
  └ Government agencies + Hunter Association facilities are mostly there so not many people can profit. Construction was restricted anyway. But maybe that restriction will be lifted
  └ So X-Gate view luxury apartments incoming? lmaooo insane

• I’m gonna live diligently

“Are you really not going? He’s probably waiting for you.”

“Him? No way he is.”

Seong Ji-woo waved his hand, denying it like it was absurd. Lee Hye-rin looked at him like she couldn’t understand.

“It’s been 3 years.”

“Yeah, because it’s been 3 years I’m not going.”

Three years was plenty of time to forget someone. He’d sent supplies a few more times after that, but they were never that close to begin with.

“We’re basically pen pals at this point.”

One-sided pen pals. Yoo Hee-ro never replied, so Ji-woo had no clue what Yoo Hee-ro thought of him.

‘Well… he probably didn’t throw away what I sent.’

That was the extent of it. Just a relationship sustained by old kindness and supply packs.

He never once planned to brag that he knew Yoo Hee-ro or that he “raised” him. Besides—he knew Yoo Hee-ro was destined to be great.

‘I didn’t do anything. He was a monster from the start.’

Lee Hye-rin frowned at Ji-woo’s stubbornness.

“Pen pals my ass. Don’t regret it later. If he ends up resenting you, not my problem.”

She clicked her tongue, checked the time, and left the shop. Yoo Hee-ro’s return ceremony would start soon.

As expected, Lee Hye-rin and Shin Yun-jae entered Helios Guild and were ordered by their guild master to recruit Yoo Hee-ro today. Goo Min-a had already been dragged to the ceremony by Park Soo-jin and Gam Joo-an. Word was that every top-10 guild—including The System—would be attending.

Even major guilds from the US, UK, and Japan requested to participate. This was a nationwide event.

Only Ji-woo stayed behind at the shop. Korea’s top 3 broadcasting stations were airing the ceremony live, so he planned to watch it there.

For the next few months, praise for HERO—the first hunter ever to conquer the X-Gate—would overflow.

“…He looks cool.”

Ji-woo murmured while staring at Yoo Hee-ro’s high school graduation photo on screen. He’d never seen that picture.

It must’ve been taken a year after they last said goodbye, yet Yoo Hee-ro already felt like a completely different person.

Three more years since then… Ji-woo wasn’t even sure he remembered the face: the light brown fluffy hair, the gentle eyes, the bright smile.

“He was really cute back then…”

Woof!

Sool-rye, who had been chewing dog treats in the distance, barked in response. Ji-woo beckoned, and the large dog clattered over.

“Yeah, yeah. He was just like you.”

Ji-woo ruffled Sool-rye’s fur aggressively. The dog’s wagging tail made him smile softly.

“Come here. Let’s watch together.”

He patted the sofa and Sool-rye sat beside him, big round eyes gleaming.

[National Hero Hunter HERO – Return Ceremony LIVE]

Huge letters flashed on the screen. Ji-woo sipped his Americano.

For months, the entire world had been buzzing about Yoo Hee-ro. Ji-woo didn’t act surprised.

The day Yoo Hee-ro was presumed to have reached the final floor, thunder roared, typhoons swept, tsunamis crashed, and the south experienced earthquakes.

His shop shook too. Tools fell, shelves toppled. Ji-woo had to hug Sool-rye and take cover.

He trusted Yoo Hee-ro would solve it somehow… but no one knew when that “somehow” would be.

Some wanted him stopped. Some said the Gate God was angered. Some prayed desperately for the X-Gate to be cleared.

Ji-woo had expected that Yoo Hee-ro would succeed—but not this soon. And certainly not by staying inside voluntarily for three extra years beyond mandatory service.

Maybe he was far more of a hero than Ji-woo had thought.

Ji-woo checked the news every day. He’d be lying if he said he never worried.

‘What if he fails? What if I never changed his mind at all? But the system clearly told me… Should I have gone into the gate myself?’

Countless thoughts came and went. He lost sleep.

He wondered stupidly—if the world was destroyed again, would he go back to being 19?

Eventually he realized: if Earth fell again, the system would choose someone else next time.

No more chances for failures. He wouldn’t meet Hye-rin, Yun-jae, Min-a, or the Noker Guild. And Yoo Hee-ro…

[-We’re here at the X-Gate, where the return ceremony for HERO will begin shortly.]

Ji-woo’s dull eyes lit up. The reporter proudly explained Yoo Hee-ro’s achievements.

Behind him was a massive crowd, far bigger than the previous ceremonies for the other three hunters.

“Wow…”

Ji-woo again thought—he was right not to go.

Being crushed in that crowd just to glimpse Yoo Hee-ro the size of a thumbnail… no thank you.

[…HERO, who succeeded in clearing the X-Gate, has announced his return today, just one day after the conquest. As you can see, the atmosphere is electric. Let’s interview some attendees.]

The reporter began interviewing random people.

It was shortly after noon.

“…How long do we wait?”

By 2 PM, Ji-woo stood up. Sool-rye, dozing off, lifted its sleepy head.

“Go back to sleep. He won’t show up for at least another hour.”

Ji-woo headed to his makeshift kitchen. Sool-rye followed, tail swishing.

“Hey, listen to the broadcast for me. Tell me when he appears.”

Woof woof!

About 5 minutes later—

WOOF!! WOOF WOOF!!

Ji-woo quickly turned off the stove, grabbed the pot of boiling ramen, and rushed back.

“What the—?”

The broadcast was shaking violently and drowned in screams. The reporter staggered as the crowd surged.

“Someone’s gonna die… I hope the kids are okay.”

He pictured all the people he knew who were there.

All awakened attendees were required to wear suppression cuffs today. Normally it was illegal to enforce that, but exceptions were clearly made.

Ji-woo sighed and focused on eating.

[-HERO is emerging now! He looks exhausted after returning straight from the Gate. We’ll zoom in!]

The reporter pulled back and zoomed in sharply.

A tiny speck grew into a human figure.

Ji-woo froze mid-bite.

‘That pitch-black thing is… Yoo Hee-ro?’

He expected changes, but not this. He looked like a shadow.

Ji-woo quickly switched channels for a better angle.

[-HERO-nim! You succeeded in clearing the X-Gate after 3 years! How do you feel?]
[-You reportedly set a new record—1,000 kills at the final moment, making you MVP! Did you hear the news?]

Yoo Hee-ro looked utterly exhausted. Of course. Three years in that hell…

Then—

Suddenly—

Yoo Hee-ro’s face filled the entire screen.

His features were sharper now, but still recognizably him.

“Still handsome, damn kid.”

Dust-covered or not.

Ji-woo took a sip of water.

On-screen, Yoo Hee-ro accepted a microphone. His voice was slightly hoarse.

[-I kept my promise. So… marry me.]

PFFFFT!!!

Ji-woo spit water everywhere.

“W–what—what the hell—? A public proposal?! On live broadcast?!”

He wiped his mouth frantically.

Even if he was young and reckless—this was insane. And he was only twenty-two!

Whoever the target was would be just as shocked as he was.

“But with a proposal like that…”

How do you refuse?

If they rejected him now, rumors would explode across Korea—and the world.

Their life would be hell.

Ji-woo clicked his tongue. Poor soul. If someone from their side sent wedding invitations later, he’d give a generous cash gift.

“…Is that it? Is the press conference over? He just said that and left?”

Yoo Hee-ro had vanished. Not a word about the Gate, the guilds, or his plans. Just a proposal—and gone.

Ji-woo stared blankly.

Hah.

Unbelievable.