After Kyle, the Sword Saint of the Back Alleys, turned his back and left without a second thought.
Brian, the Fourth Cardinal of the Invidia Cult, acted according to Kim Do-jin's will without a word of complaint.
"Did you come to America on December 31st, or not?"
"I did not go."
"So you didn't come, but others did?"
"...A request for troop support came in, and I simply granted it, that's all."
It was only natural.
Even the Sword Saint of the Back Alleys, whom he trusted most, had been defeated in a single blow and fled with his tail between his legs.
It would be useless to request support from the cult now.
By the time they arrived, he would already be a cold corpse.
In the end, there was only one way for him to survive.
To willingly hand over the information Kim Do-jin wanted.
"A request for troop support, you say. Who made it?"
"It was the Apostle who requested it. They said they needed to hunt, and asked for as many people as possible, so I followed their words and dispatched the maximum number of cult forces."
Such a choice was possible because that was truly all he had done.
A request for troop support came from the Apostle, and he complied.
The power an Apostle wielded within the Invidia Cult was absolute.
"I merely followed the orders of my superior. I only learned what they did with the troops afterward."
Brian passionately argued his innocence.
"Alright. I understand your innocence, so calm down."
Kim Do-jin waved a hand dismissively to calm him, then asked.
"So, where is this 'Apostle' who requested troop support from you?"
"That..."
Brian hesitated for a moment.
He had been able to answer the questions so readily until now because they weren't that important.
But this question was different.
The Apostle of Invidia was the most influential figure within the cult.
If any problem arose for the Apostle because of his answer, it would truly be the end for him.
Kim Do-jin, quickly reading his thoughts, added.
"You don't have to worry about dying at the cult's hands."
"...Really?"
"Yes. All I have to do is not tell anyone I got this information from you, right? Isn't that so?"
He was right.
If he didn't blab about getting the information from him, who would know?
Of course, there were many mouths to silence for this, but they were all beneath him.
'I can silence the Paladins' mouths anytime.'
Moreover, only he and Kim Do-jin knew what conversations had taken place here.
"Can I truly trust you?"
Kim Do-jin chuckled derisively at Brian's question and retorted.
"If you don't trust me, do you have any other options?"
"..."
He didn't.
If he had, he would have used it long ago to escape this situation.
Admitting it was a foolish question, he then provided the answer to the previous inquiry.
"The Apostle is currently by the side of a certain individual."
"Who is it?"
"He is..."
He took a breath, held it, then exhaled, pausing before continuing.
"It's the National Hunter, Son Si-woo."
"..."
His face hardened.
The face of one individual surfaced in Kim Do-jin's confused mind.
Son Si-woo was gradually discovering joys he had never known before.
First, he realized the beauty of the world.
"Hunter Son Si-woo, I'm a fan!"
"Could you please take a picture with me?!"
"Thanks to you, Hunter, South Korea is safe!"
"Thank you so much!"
The world, now that he had escaped his cramped room, was so beautiful.
The blue sky, the dazzling sun, the perfectly aligned buildings rising beneath them, and the people bustling between them.
Everyone was friendly towards him.
No, beyond friendly, they sometimes showed fanatical devotion.
Every time he saw such displays, a thrill ran through his entire body.
Especially because he had never once in his life been enveloped in such affection.
The next joy he felt was the pleasure that came from moving his body.
Whoosh!
"997...!"
Swish!
"998...!"
Swoosh!
"999!"
After his body recovered, he swung his sword over a thousand times every morning.
He had begun to follow the exact morning routine that the original Son Si-woo had performed.
At first, it was merely curiosity.
'It's hard enough to wake up in the morning, why bother with this kind of training?'
For him, who had lived as a shut-in, it was a routine he simply couldn't comprehend.
That's why.
With his body recovered, he decided to live a day according to the routine he remembered, just to see.
Waking before dawn, swinging his sword, showering, eating breakfast, and going to work.
After that, whenever he had free time, it was training, training, training.
His impression of a day spent like that wasn't much different from what he expected.
'It's truly terribly dull and boring.'
Even his trained body screamed in protest, finding it difficult and painful.
He was already strong enough, so why repeat this training?
The question lingered only for a moment.
'...I feel proud.'
A sense of accomplishment he had never felt once in his life filled his chest.
The time he spent holed up in his room had always been a waste, emptying him from within.
But that day was different.
He didn't feel like he had wasted even an hour; instead, he felt a fullness, as if he had completely filled himself.
Satisfaction gained not by emptying, but by filling.
Curious about that world, Son Si-woo began to stick to the routine more and more, and finally realized.
'This was the difference between him and me.'
He had always wondered.
Both the original Son Si-woo and he were orphans abandoned by their parents.
But why was his life so brilliant, and his own so unfortunate?
He, who had always blamed the world and his surroundings to avoid finding fault in himself, eventually had to admit.
Unlike himself, who had been preoccupied with wasting time, the other had dedicated his time to filling it.
That those small, precious days accumulated to determine a life.
Upon realizing this, he felt a momentary regret.
'If I had realized this when I was Kim Do-jin...'
At the thought that the brilliant future Kim Do-jin was now forging might have been his own.
But that thought lasted only a moment.
'It's okay. I'll get better too.'
He repeated it in a confident tone, patting his chest.
It wasn't a lie or an empty boast.
He had recovered a broken body, something its original owner couldn't even do.
Yet, he had accomplished it.
And that wasn't all?
He had also found a way to further develop a body that had already reached its limits.
Some people said.
That the title of National Hunter should now find a new owner.
Of course, it was still a minority opinion, but he couldn't help but be bothered by it.
Therefore, he vowed.
'I will never hand over the National Hunter title.'
He would protect that, no matter what it took.
Every drop of sweat he shed today was a hardship for that very purpose.
As he, having filled another day, finished his shower, changed his clothes, and exited the shower room.
"G-Guild Master!"
His secretary, whom he remembered, rushed over, panting, and blurted out.
"T-Terrible news!"
"Terrible news? Did a Rift suddenly open in the guild building?"
"N-No. It's not that, but..."
"Calm down and tell me. What exactly is going on?"
"A-A guest has arrived."
"A guest?"
He tried to recall for a moment.
Was there anyone he was scheduled to meet today?
"I don't recall having any meetings scheduled for today."
"Y-Yes, that's right. But this person insisted on meeting the Guild Master, so..."
He grew curious.
This was the number one Dawn Guild in South Korea.
Even the President wouldn't barge in so forcefully, so who could it be?
"Who is this person?"
When he asked, the secretary delivered a shocking answer.
"I-It's... Hunter Kim Do-jin."
"..."
His face instantly hardened.
"...Hunter Kim Do-jin came here?"
"Yes... I told him that even Hunter Kim Do-jin couldn't meet the Guild Master without an appointment, but he said if I conveyed this message to you, you would allow it..."
"What was that message?"
The secretary, barely managing to steady her ragged breathing, continued.
"He said, 'Isn't it about time?'... and that if I just conveyed that, you would understand."
"..."
Time, he said.
He had expected a day like this would come, eventually.
The restriction that had prevented their meeting had long since vanished after the final year passed.
He was even rather puzzled.
'I thought he'd rush over as soon as the restriction ended, but he didn't.'
It had been a one-sided deal, and Kim Do-jin was the victim.
So he expected Kim Do-jin to rush in and grab him by the collar at any moment, but he hadn't.
He had been quiet.
As if he no longer wanted to be involved with him.
So Son Si-woo had also been relieved that his worries hadn't materialized.
'To think he'd come at such an utterly unexpected time.'
He didn't know.
Why he was seeking him out now.
Had a reason emerged that made it impossible to ignore him now, whereas before he could?
Or did he have some purpose that absolutely required them to meet?
Pondering alone was useless.
"Lead him to the Guild Master's office."
"Y-Yes...? Ah, yes...!"
He watched the secretary rush off, then lowered his gaze to his own drooping hand.
His hand was trembling slightly.
'I'm afraid.'
Especially because he couldn't predict what Kim Do-jin would say or do.
But he had no intention of running away.
As he had not the slightest desire to lose or ruin this life.
After taking a moment to compose himself, he immediately took the elevator to the Guild Master's office.
In front of it, several secretaries stood with anxious expressions.
First, he had to get rid of them.
"I'll give you all a break, so go out and grab a coffee or something."
"...Yes, thank you."
Understanding his meaning, they quickly left.
Standing alone before the door, Son Si-woo quietly pushed it open.
Click!
As he stepped in with tense strides, he saw Kim Do-jin leaning back on a wide sofa.
A comfortable posture, as if he were in his own home.
'Perhaps that's not wrong.'
After all, this place had been his just a few years ago.
Finally, their gazes met in the air.
"Oh, you've finally arrived."
Kim Do-jin rose from the sofa with a lighthearted tone and demeanor.
"I've been thinking all the way here."
He approached.
"What should I say when we finally meet?"
Son Si-woo was also curious.
What words and actions Kim Do-jin would show first, now that they finally faced each other.
"But only one thing came to mind."
Kim Do-jin, his face hardened, said that and stopped.
The remaining distance was about ten steps.
What on earth was he planning to do from that distance?
While he pondered.
Kim Do-jin performed a shocking action.
"First, accept my bow!"
Kim Do-jin suddenly prostrated himself and gave him a deep bow!
"Thank you so much for swapping bodies with me!"
"Uh, um."
He had no idea how to react to this utterly unexpected action.