"We're back!"
Kuzon and I appeared in the Hunter Association Headquarters, meeting the Chairman and Director about to leave for somewhere on an aircraft after gathering their men and preparing all their gear.
Since I sensed them on the roof of the massive building, I transported Kuzon and I there.
It was quite strange to meet a couple of stern-faced strangers, as well as seeing the Chairman and Director in suits of armor.
'Guess they also act as Hunters occasionally...' I mused.
"Where are you guys headed?" Kuzon blurted out, his nonchalance once again adding a layer of disregard to the tone he used.
"To... Busan...?"
"There's no need, though." I said, looking at the Chairman point-blank.
'Didn't he already tell us to help him out? Why is he... ah, I see. I understand, then.'
It had to do with the whole Hunter Image, and the politics of this world.
In the end, it would be weird if they, the Hunter Association HQ didn't make a single move when one of their largest cities was attacked.
"Y-you're already done...?"
"Yes. Can't you confirm or something?" The Chairman and Director stared at themselves as soon as I said this.
Nodding, they used a watch they equipped on their wrist to project a holographic map that showed Busan.
Sure enough...
"I-I see... it is indeed true." Chairman Sung seemed to be shaking slightly, though I could tell he was trying to hide it.
"Haha... guess there was no need for gathering South Korea's available best Hunters..." Director Baek muttered, straining a chuckle.
Hold on, were they really making an effort to come and assist Kuzon and me? That was a good gesture, but completely unnecessary.
"Thank you, the both of you." Chairman Sung and Director Baek had already come out of the aircraft, and we're now bowing before us.
I didn't know where they got the Hunters behind me from, but they also bowed as well.
"It's fine. We were just doing the right thing." A smile coursed through my face.
It was met with cheers and beams from the audience—though I could see Kuzon rolling his eyes from my peripheral vision.
Still, I didn't care.
'We saved everyone. The people are safe. All's well that ends well. It was a perfect mission.'
I couldn't have been more wrong by this.
*
*
*
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" Chairman Sung cried out loud in his office.
At this point, he no longer cared about keeping his composure in front of us. His howl, like an old man, was filled with both pangs of pain and shock.
To be honest, he wasn't the only one who was surprised by the unexpected news. Kuzon and I had also been caught off-guard by it.
Director Beak had some sweat running down his face, and from how he fidgeted, the situation was quite bad.
What situation, one might ask?
Well...
"There are so many videos and footages of you guys leaking all throughout WeTube. Not just that, but in practically every Social Media. It's become viral in South Korea, and it's only a matter of time before the whole world catches wind of this!"
The pain and frustration in the Chairman's voice echoed in my heart, and I truly felt his pain.
This was something I didn't want as well.
'I guess relying too much on [The Hermit] in a strange world isn't advisable—at least, when considering the consequences my acts will have on the future.'
The difference between seeing the future of this reality and that of my own reality was the dimensional dissonance I had with this one.
I had solved the synchronization problem, which allowed me to tap into the laws of this world, but that didn't mean I was personally an integral part of it.
'This world sees Kuzon and I as a foreign element, so the future and paths of this world that I'm allowed to see do not include the changes that we will make to the timeline until it occurs.'
That meant I wouldn't have seen the consequences of my actions ripple into the future until I had actually committed the action and affected this world one way or the other.
'If this was my original world, and I was a natural contingent, it would have taken account of my existence and action.'
As a result, it seemed I had been blindsided by that mere fact and made such a reckless move.
There was also one thing that had caught me by surprise—or rather, that I underestimated.
"Curse those new-gen Smartphones..." I muttered.
I couldn't believe that while I was rescuing those people, they would be capturing Kuzon and I with their phones.
'Worst part is I could sense people around, but how could I have sensed that I was being recorded by the camera of a phone?'
In the end, we messed up more than we thought.
'Oof...'
"Honestly, we would have preferred the news not to be widespread, considering the fact that we are trying to keep you two hidden from the Zenith—for your sake and ours." Chairman Sung sighed, interlocking his fingers whole placing his hands on his desk as he regained his composure.
"Unfortunately, it's too late now. It's only a matter of time before it reaches their ears now, if it hasn't already."
"But what of Aloe? You said she was very helpful to you, right? How did you handle her situation and keep her hidden from the Zenith?" Kuzon asked.
And so, with yet another troubling sigh, the Chairman explained it to us.
Apparently, even though Aloe helped in dungeon Breaks, if was often smaller scale ones, or those in deserted areas. She also didn't display as much power as the both of us did.
"This puts our Hunter Association in the limelight, and it seems we'll be under the Zenith's radar for some time."
"Haha... is that so?" Kuzon chuckled a little, "Sorry about that, then."
There was no real need to apologize or feel bad, though. While this was indeed an unforeseen situation, it wasn't all bad.
'We just need to use the opportunity wisely.'
