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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 14
Even though Dojun had utterly broken Hwang Chang-seop’s will, his plans hadn’t changed.
If anything, having Hwang completely obedient made it easier to use him—especially to look after Eunyeong and his Grandmother.
But the moment he saw them—thin, hollow-eyed, clearly worn down from nights of sleepless worry and skipped meals—it felt like getting his head bashed in with a sledgehammer. Like a spear had pierced him straight through the heart.
Sure, Hwang Chang-seop had taken decent care of them, knowing there was a chance Dojun might come back alive.
He’d made sure they had a good place to live. But even in that safe environment, the two of them had endured each day in tears, thinking only of Dojun.
Even for someone as cold as Dojun, turning away from that was impossible.
What would happen if he just disappeared again?
He didn’t even need to imagine it—he knew exactly how their lives would unravel. And if that happened, the emotional weight of it would only drag him down later.
So he gave up on his original plan.
“Hey, mind letting go now?”
“No.”
Eunyeong clung tightly to his hand, shaking her head with stubborn resolve. She wasn’t letting go—not now, not ever.
With a soft sigh, Dojun just kept walking, her hand still in his.
“You want a hamburger?”
They were passing a burger joint, and Dojun knew—like most kids—Eunyeong loved burgers.
“Hamburger?”
She stared at the poster on the shop window, licking her lips.
Dojun smiled and took her inside.
He ordered two combo meals, and the two of them sat down side by side, munching quietly.
“Oppa… are we moving?”
Eunyeong looked up from her food and asked.
Dojun nodded.
Officially, he had vanished in the Rift—declared dead.
If word got out that he was alive, it would create way too many complications. So instead, he decided to use Hwang Chang-seop to handle the move quietly.
Sure, people would eventually find out he was still breathing. But for now, there was no need—and no obligation—to tell anyone.
Especially since the Hero Association and the government had already written him off as dead.
And now? Would they admit they were wrong and go public?
Not likely. That would mean admitting their own incompetence—so once they found out the truth, they'd probably do everything in their power to cover it up.
Even if they didn’t, things were moving in a way that wouldn’t put Dojun at any real disadvantage.
“Eunyeong, you're going to start going to kindergarten like the other kids now. And next year, it'll be elementary school.”
“Kindergarten?”
At the word ‘Kindergarten,’ Eunyeong’s face fell. She quietly put down the burger she’d been enjoying.
“You don’t want to go?”
“…No.”
“Then don’t go. It’s only a few months anyway. You’ll start school next year.”
“Okay!”
The moment she heard she didn’t have to go to kindergarten, Eunyeong went right back to eating her hamburger.
Raised by her grandma and older brother with no parents around, Eunyeong had never been treated well at kindergarten.
It wasn’t outright abuse, but some teachers had blatantly looked down on her, treating her differently from the other kids.
A few of the parents had even acted like petty children themselves, making sure their kids didn’t play with her.
Before he died, Seo Dojun had gone to the kindergarten several times to demand they correct their behavior, but in the end, Eunyeong had no choice but to drop out.
The scars from that experience still lingered deeply in her.
‘Should I just send her to a prestigious private elementary school from the start?’
Dojun considered enrolling her in a school so elite that average families wouldn’t even dream of applying—a place where no one could look down on her.
But then he shook his head.
It felt unnecessary. And besides, he wasn’t Seo Dojun anymore. Even if something similar happened again, he was more than capable of dealing with it himself.
More importantly, Eunyeong needed to learn how to stand on her own one day.
He couldn't do ‘everything’ for her from start to finish.
“Oppa, are you a hero too?”
At Eunyeong’s question, Dojun asked back.
“Do you want me to be?”
In a world like this, “hero” was the dream job—the most admired profession by kids everywhere.
So Dojun expected her to nod and say yes without hesitation.
But instead—
“No. I hope you’re ‘not’ a hero.”
“Why not?”
“They say heroes fight scary monsters. I know they’re amazing and protect us… but me and Grandma… we just want you to live with us for a long, long time.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll be together for a very, very long time.”
Dojun—a man who knew better than anyone what it meant to survive too long.
Back in the world that had collapsed, he was the last human standing.
He had clawed through that hell until the bitter end, while everything and everyone else fell.
Compared to that, Earth was so peaceful, it was almost boring.
“Really? Then promise!”
Beaming, Eunyeong held out her tiny pinky finger.
Dojun, thinking it was kind of silly, still couldn’t ignore the sincerity in her face—and so he hooked his finger around hers and made the promise.
“Heehee! I’m gonna tell Grandma too!”
Swinging her feet happily from the chair, Eunyeong looked like the happiest kid in the world—and Dojun couldn’t help but smile.
After the burgers, Dojun took Eunyeong out on a little “date.”
They hit the department store, where he bought her a pile of cute and pretty clothes. He picked up a gift for Grandma too. And Eunyeong's hands were never empty—always holding a new snack or treat.
Then they visited a kids’ cafe—a place she’d never been to before—and she played there to her heart’s content.
And finally, at the end of it all—
“Oppa… you’re not going anywhere, right?”
Sleepy now, Eunyeong mumbled the words like a dream, clinging to Dojun’s neck as he carried her on his back.
“…Yeah.”
Family.
He had once thought of his Grandmother and Eunyeong as people he’d only be with for a short while. But now, slowly and silently, they had stopped living in his head… and started living in his heart.
＊ ＊ ＊
The recent new Rift incident that broke out in Mapo was slowly fading from people’s memories.
There had been a real possibility of a catastrophic monster wave erupting in the heart of Seoul—but by some stroke of luck, the new Rift had spontaneously vanished.
There could have been no better outcome.
However, for the Hero Association—which still had no clue why the Rift had disappeared on its own—it was just another unsolved mystery added to the pile. Laughing it off was not an option.
“Are you telling me we really have no idea what happened?”
The man asking the question was Na Taehwang, the head of the Hero Association—and one of the most powerful, influential figures in all of South Korea.
A first-generation hero.
Founder of the Hero Association of Korea.
A board director of the World Hero Federation.
One of the "Top 100 Most Respected Heroes in the World."
You couldn’t describe Na Taehwang in simple terms.
Even the President or the CEOs of major conglomerates wouldn’t dare speak freely in front of him.
People often said that if Na Taehwang ran for president, he’d win with the highest approval rating in history—and that, if he chose to, he could single-handedly bring down Korea’s biggest corporations.
But Na Taehwang had zero interest in politics, and not a shred of cruelty in him to go around wrecking companies just because he could.
His only concerns were Rifts—and the safety of the people.
“We couldn’t find a single lead. I’m sorry, sir.”
“I see… Damn it. It’s Frustrating. If a Rift can just disappear on a whim like this… doesn’t that mean it could reappear just as suddenly?”
Na Taehwang didn’t welcome the sudden disappearance of the new Rift at all.
In fact, to put it bluntly—he would’ve preferred a monster wave to break out, just as predicted.
The damage from a wave could be managed and contained by the Hero Association.
But a Rift that vanished without warning introduced a whole new unknown—a variable they couldn’t control—and that was far worse.
Sure, the public could breathe a sigh of relief since there hadn’t been any damage.
But for Na Taehwang and the Hero Association, this was no time to relax.
“Even if it takes time, start the investigation over from scratch. By the way, how’s the housing purchase coming along?”
“Ah, yes. The homeowner agreed to sell.”
“Good. Make sure we offer well above the market rate—enough that they don’t feel shortchanged. They’ve lost a family member. If money can offer even a sliver of comfort, we should give it.”
“We’ll set a price that’s more than fair.”
“What’s the status on the other regions?”
At his question, his aide immediately responded.
“The U.S., China, and the U.K. are all planning to dispatch Rift exploration teams within the week. Turkey and Switzerland still have some time to spare.”
“No worries with the U.S. or China… but the U.K.—that one’s concerning.”
America and China had assembled their Rift exploration teams with their very best heroes, so even with tight deadlines, there wasn’t much reason to worry.
But the U.K. was a different story.
Their most trusted heroes were currently deployed in other Rifts, so their available manpower was questionable.
And that unease was becoming obvious to the world—their Rift exploration team still hadn’t emerged, and international attention was rapidly focusing on them.
Just as Na Taehwang’s aide tried to reassure him not to worry too much, the aide’s phone rang.
She picked up immediately.
“…What?”
Na Taehwang instantly sensed something was wrong from his aide’s voice.
“The Rift in the U.K.… it just triggered a wave.”
Na Taehwang’s expression hardened..
The very thing they feared most.
The one scenario no one had anticipated.
That unpredictable variable—had just become reality.
＊ ＊ ＊
Dojun headed to the Gasan Hero Complex to deal with the mana stones he had obtained from the new Rift.
Naturally, his destination was the office of Stone Man, a place known for always doing smooth, hassle-free trades.
He opened the office door and stepped in, but no one greeted him.
Inside, two men sat staring blankly at their phones.
“You guys closed today or what?”
When Dojun broke the silence, one of the men finally noticed his presence and looked up.
“Can we help y—Wait, Manager! Th-That guy… It’s HIM!”
Assistant Manager Lee Sang-cheol jumped up from his seat the moment he recognized Dojun’s face, shouting.
At first, Manager Park Cheolun was confused—until he saw Lee’s face go pale. Then, with a sharp glare, he looked Dojun up and down, as if he finally understood what was going on.
“So it’s him?”
The moment he saw the man who had caused the company major losses, Park Cheolun’s expression soured.
“You’re the one? The guy who bullied my assistant into buying overpriced mana stones while I was out?”
Dojun ignored the accusation and calmly said what he came to say.
“Good timing. I’ve got a ton of mana stones to sell today, so I was hoping someone higher up would be around. Here—check these and process them.”
As usual, Dojun dropped a load of mana stones onto the desk, straight from the backpack slung over his shoulder.
There had been so many stones from hunting Vulcanas that he’d only packed a portion of them.
The backpack looked heavy—really heavy.
Normally, Park Cheolun would’ve put on his best customer service smile, but this time, he didn’t even try. He scowled instead, his tone cold.
“We’re not doing business with you anymore. Get out.”
“You’re refusing to trade?”
“Do you even realize how much we’ve lost dealing with you? We’re done. Take your stuff and leave. And don’t come back.”
“You’ll regret this.”
“Regret? Us?”
Park Cheolun snorted like he’d just heard the world’s worst joke.
“You think we make money off a 1% commission? Every time we try to resell your stuff, we lose more! There’s a reason even the Gate Control Center takes 5% commission, you know. If you knew anything about the mana stone distribution structure, you’d know—forget it! Just go! We’re never dealing with you again, so don’t even call!”
He picked up the backpack himself, shoved it into Dojun’s hands, and tried to push him out the door.
And then—
Clunk.
A single mana stone tumbled out of the backpack and rolled across the office floor.
Knowing it was his own push that had caused it, Park Cheolun frowned, picked up the stone, and moved to hand it back to Dojun.
“…Huh?”
As he held it up, Park Cheolun blinked in confusion.
Mana stones from the gates were always red.
The size and intensity of the red glow determined how much mana was condensed within—and thus, how valuable it was. From lowest grade to top-tier, prices varied wildly.
But there was one exception—a mana stone that didn’t emit red light.
Extremely rare and found only inside Rifts, these stones had mana density similar to mid-grade stones, but their rarity made them more valuable than even high-grade ones.
Hero Mana Stones.
Park Cheolun rubbed his eyes and looked again.
Blue light.
This stone wasn’t red—it glowed with a vivid, unmistakable blue.
“Th-This is…!”
Before he could say another word, Dojun snatched the stone from his hand and casually stuffed it back into his backpack.
But Park Cheolun had seen it.
He had clearly seen the inside of the backpack—crammed with blue-glowing mana stones.
As Dojun turned to leave, clearly done with the conversation, Park Cheolun lost it.
He lunged forward like a madman and grabbed hold of Dojun’s leg.
“C-Customer! Please! Just a moment, sir!”
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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