Beru told Suho about Sung Il-Hwan's past while they were on the move. Sung Il-Hwan. Suho's grandfather and the father of the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo. He was once a top-rank hunter who had accepted the power of the Rulers. His exact rank was unknown because it was before a clear hunter ranking system was established. However, Beru said he was definitely S-rank. After all, he was capable of accepting the power of the Rulers into his body.
[And it's highly likely that your grandfather has awakened as a hunter once again, just like before!]
There was no age limit for hunter awakening. A suitable constitution for mana was innate; it was a matter of talent. That's why all the 'former hunters' they had met so far had awakened with the same powers in this era. So Sung Il-Hwan would probably be no exception. However, there was one thing. Regardless of talent, the timing of awakening varied from person to person. Some had a trigger, while others awakened suddenly without any specific reason.
[It's possible he hasn't awakened yet!]
"That's even more worrying."
[Indeed!]
Suho had never heard any major news about his grandfather. 'If Grandpa became a hunter, he would have wanted to be a firefighter again. Or maybe he'd start a guild with a similar purpose.'
Considering Sung Il-Hwan's personality, it was highly likely that he hadn't awakened yet. And that made Suho even more anxious. A perfect target for the Apostles of Itarim, a suitable vessel that didn't have any power to defend himself. He gritted his teeth and sped down the highway, his silver hair fluttering in the strong wind, going even faster than Baek Miho, who had carried him on her back during the Lee Minsung incident. Suho had already summoned Gray, and his Strength stat had increased tremendously compared to back then.
– Wh-what's that?!
– Dangerous!
– Someone call the Association!
Countless drivers were shocked and terrified at the sight of Suho. Some even took out their phones to report him to the police or the hunter Association. But he ignored them all and ran as fast as he could. As a result he arrived in Yangpyeong in the blink of an eye…
Trickle. The sound of flowing river water and a thick fog gently obscured his vision. The Namhan River divided Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, in two. And in the areas near the streams that merged with it, fog like this often formed. Paldang Dam, in particular, currently held a large amount of water and was nearly overflowing, so the fog was even thicker.
'Huh…?'
Suho, running through the thick haze, suddenly felt a strange sensation he couldn't describe. It seemed like his Sense stat, which had increased significantly due to his level-ups, was activated, but it felt a little different than usual.
'What is it?'
Suho narrowed his eyes and expanded his senses, observing the surroundings. But it was strange. He couldn't sense any hostility or presence of magical beasts nearby.
'What could it be?' From the moment he set foot in Yangpyeong, an inexplicable unease kept nagging at his senses.
"Beru."
[Understood.]
They didn't need any more words. Beru immediately twitched his antennae and began to scan the surroundings. Meanwhile, Suho took out his phone and called his grandfather again. He had already tried calling him as well as his grandmother before leaving, but no one answered. However, this wasn't unusual. They were living a leisurely life in the countryside, so they didn't always carry their phones with them.
"...They're still not answering." Suho frowned as he listened to the endless ringing.
[Don't you know their address?]
"Well..." Suho shook his head slightly embarrassed at Beru's question.
"For the past five years, I haven't been in my right mind."
To be honest... anyone would have been the same. Both of his parents suddenly disappeared overnight. How many people could stay sane in that situation?
"...It was overwhelming." Suho smiled bitterly, recalling how he felt back then. Now he knew the whole story, but at the time, he truly felt like the sky was falling. And he realized how weak and insignificant he truly was.
"My parents disappeared, and there was absolutely nothing I, a mere high school student, could do."
What did I do back then? Right, first I reported them missing to the police. I contacted my relatives to let them know the situation. And then I watched from the side as the adults who rushed over had serious discussions with the officials… I sat blankly at home, waiting and waiting for my parents to contact me. I never let go of my phone, even for a second, just in case they suddenly called...
...That was the best he could do.
"Then my uncle came to me and said this."
– Suho, leave this to the adults and focus on your studies as usual. That's what your parents would truly want.
And Suho had no choice but to follow his words. His uncle, Yoo Jinho, was a well-known conglomerate leader in Korea. If someone like him was doing everything in his power to find his missing parents, there was nothing more a high school student like him could do. So he went back to school.
"...But you know what?" Suho, recalling those unpleasant memories, asked Beru with a somewhat complicated expression.
"What do you think my grandfather was doing despite that tense situation?" He continued without waiting for Beru's response.
"Strangely enough... Grandpa was putting out fires as usual. Even though his own son was missing, he was saving other people."
[Kiek?] Beru's eyes momentarily widened in surprise.
"They're still not answering. This won't do. I need to ask my uncle."
Unable to reach his grandparents, Suho immediately called his uncle. But Yoo Jinho was unavailable due to work. So as a second option, he tried contacting his aunt.
"Oh my, Suho?" Thankfully, she answered her phone.
"Aunt! Could you tell me Grandpa's address?"
"Huh? Why all of a sudden?" Surprise was evident in the voice of Suho's aunt. Sung Jinah coming from the other end of the line. Well, this reaction was natural. As he had just told Beru, his relationship with his grandfather had become a bit distant since that time. Suho forced a bitter smile and chose his words carefully.
"I Just… wanted to see him again, after such a long time..."
"Oh, that's great! I'll send you the address right away! Oh, wait! Why don't you come with me?"
"Huh? No, there's no need to..."
"No, I was planning to visit anyway."
Suho declined immediately, worried that his aunt might get involved in something dangerous, but she was quite persistent. Her determination to mend the relationship between him and his grandfather was clear.
"How about this? I'll be off work soon, so come straight to Ahjin Hospital."
At those words, Suho paused and his expression hardened. "...Ahjin Hospital?"
His reaction surprised his aunt even more. "Oh my, didn't you call knowing that? I opened a hospital in Yangpyeong."
"...What?"
"You really didn't know?"
"..."
He realized once again how carefree he had been living his life.
* * *
Suho rushed to Ahjin Hospital located in Yangpyeong.
"Suho!" Sung Jinah, wearing a white doctor's coat, greeted him warmly.
"How did you get here so fast after hanging up? Were you nearby?"
His aunt and the younger sister of the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jinwoo, was a doctor. And of all places, she had opened a hospital in Yangpyeong.
'Ahjin Hospital' wasn't a massive facility, but it was famous for its impressive capabilities despite its size.
Looking at the name, Suho asked Sung Jinah,
"Aunt, is this place perhaps...?"
"Yes, you're right. This hospital was built by a foundation sponsored by Ahjin Soft." In other words, it was practically a hospital established by Sung Jinah's husband, Yoo Jinho's, company. Saying this, she gave a bitter smile.
"So there's been a bit of gossip about it."
"What kind of gossip?"
"As you might have seen on your way here, there are many wealthy people living in Yangpyeong. To be precise, it's mostly retired wealthy people."
"Ah." Suho understood. He had seen many on his way here, but there were indeed many luxurious-looking villas scattered around the area. From this perspective, it was easy to see why people would gossip about a large corporation like Ahjin Soft building a medical facility for the rich.
But in reality, the order was reversed. Sung Jinah said, sounding a bit wronged, "I don't know if you're aware, but this area is moderately far and moderately close to Gangnam, making it the perfect location to retire and build a villa. That's why I recommended this place when your grandparents said they wanted to move to the countryside."
As Sung Jinah said, Yangpyeong was generally considered a good place for the capital's residents to retire and enjoy a leisurely life surrounded by wilderness. It offered healing and relaxation in nature, yet it wasn't too far from Seoul, making it convenient for their children to visit.
"There's a saying. Sleep in Yangpyeong, but live in Seoul… But after I helped them settle here, I started to worry. There were hardly any big hospitals around!"
Even when enjoying life in a countryside villa surrounded by nature, the most important thing for the elderly was whether there were medical facilities nearby. Realizing this, Sung Jinah made up her mind. She would build a hospital near her parents.
"So only when I opened a hospital here, people started flocking to this area."
"...So, have you made up with Grandpa?"
"We never fought in the first place."
"That's good. You made the right decision. But our dad, I mean your grandpa, has always been cool-headed. You know, when your dad suddenly ran away from home for two years in middle school?"
"...I heard about it from Grandpa." Sung Jinah's words brought back memories of her grandfather talking about it.
– Your dad has always been good at disappearing suddenly. He'll come back this time too, just like before, so don't worry too much.
– That's not comforting at all...!
That was the start of Suho's strained relationship with his grandfather.
"We're here. It's really close to the hospital, right?"
Before they knew it, the rice paddies cultivated by his grandparents stretched out before them. Suho immediately expanded his senses.