Chapter 437 – Part 2 – The Last Supper

The only way to return to the underworld was suicide.

Even knowing this fact, Choi Seong-min couldn’t bring himself to act readily.

It wasn’t that he was scared or afraid of suicide.

‘Do I have… lingering attachments?’

The fact that he had to let go of everything and leave this world made his hand hesitate.

‘I know. That I must return.’

He couldn’t live here until he died of old age.

His family was waiting in the underworld.

However.

‘…There’s also family here.’

His mother and younger sister.

A brief connection of less than a year.

Though they were fake family with no blood relations…

‘The time we spent together was real.’

Through them, Choi Seong-min had felt it.

What family warmth was.

[Min Do-jun? What are you thinking about so deeply…]

[It’s nothing.]

[Hurry up and commit suicide. There’s no time to…]

[Please give me a little more time. I need time to organize my thoughts.]

[How much longer…]

[One day will do.]

[Fine. Really just one day.]

[Yes.]

After hearing a definitive answer, Dayna left the system.

“……”

Choi Seong-min stood still for a while, having time for contemplation.

‘Now that it’s time to leave, I have many thoughts.’

There was nothing to worry about.

Parting from his family was a foregone conclusion.

It was a predetermined result from the beginning.

Chuckle-

Choi Seong-min gave a self-mocking smile.

‘I guess I’ve grown attached during this time. Seeing how my feet won’t easily move away.’

Thinking he should at least see his family’s faces one last time, Choi Seong-min disappeared from his position.

* * *

“Ah-yeon. Call your brother. Let’s have dinner together after a long time.”

“Got it. Wait a moment, Mom.”

Choi Ah-yeon made a call and put her phone to her ear.

But no matter how long she called, only the ringtone could be heard with no answer.

“Brother’s not answering again.”

“Did he go hunting again?”

“No. Brother said he doesn’t hunt anymore. That he’s become strong enough not to need to.”

Jung Hee-seon already knew that her son was ranked 1st.

But the worry didn’t leave her face.

“What’s he doing that he doesn’t come home like this?”

“He must be busy with other things. He’s a global star.”

“What good is that? The days we eat together can be counted on one hand.”

Jung Hee-seon sighed with regret.

“The world has become so good, but I can’t even have a proper meal with my son…”

She spent a lot of time with her daughter, but it was hard to even see her son’s face once.

This was why Jung Hee-seon had no choice but to complain.

‘I’ll have to eat dinner just the two of us again today.’

Jung Hee-seon was about to return to the kitchen with another sigh.

“Mother.”

She stopped walking at the voice heard from behind.

Turning around, she could see the face of the son she had so wanted to see.

“Seong-min!”

“I’m here.”

Jung Hee-seon, who had brightened up, grabbed her son’s hand tightly.

“What were you doing that you’re only coming now? Why didn’t you answer your calls?”

“The association president and I know each other. I was busy helping with various things.”

For the past 6 months, Choi Seong-min hadn’t gone home.

He thought it would be harder to part if he saw his family’s faces.

‘Of course, I did call sometimes to reassure them…’

This was the first time seeing them directly in 6 months.

It was natural for his mother to welcome him.

But that was only brief.

Jung Hee-seon quickly erased her smile and became worried.

“Oh my, my child. Do you have any worries? Why is your expression like that?”

“What? What’s wrong with my expression?”

“You look like you’re carrying all the world’s worries.”

“No, I’m not.”

Though Choi Seong-min forced a smile, Jung Hee-seon couldn’t shake off her worry.

His eyes weren’t smiling.

“Is something wrong?”

“What could be wrong? There’s nothing like that.”

“Then you’re not going anywhere tonight, right? Let’s have a meal together after a long time. I even marinated ribs to give you when you came.”

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I won’t go anywhere today and will stay home.”

It was a lie.

It was just words to reassure his mother; Choi Seong-min planned to leave after just finishing the meal.

That’s why even when eating with his family at dinner time, Choi Seong-min’s heart was complicated.

‘They’re fake family anyway… I was just acting all this time…’

Choi Seong-min looked up at his mother putting ribs on his rice.

‘Why do I hate parting like this?’

He could quickly realize the reason through Insight.

‘Is it because I’m longing for mother’s warmth?’

Min Do-jun’s parents had passed away in an accident when he was 15.

After living alone since then, he married Cha Ye-rin, had children, and lived a happy life.

But that couldn’t fill the lack of parental warmth.

‘I was filling that warmth here, from Choi Seong-min’s mother.’

Though not his real mother, Jung Hee-seon treated him as her real son.

Enough to feel like a real mother.

‘It’s not just Mother.’

Choi Seong-min turned his gaze to look at his younger sister happily eating ribs.

‘Ah-yeon also treated me like her real older brother. To the degree that I wondered if this is what it would feel like if I had a younger sister.’

Of course, to them he was undoubtedly their son and brother.

So they might naturally treat him as family, but for Choi Seong-min who had lost parents and siblings, it was a precious experience and time.

‘I am not your real family. I’m sorry for hiding it all this time.’

Choi Seong-min apologized to them in his heart.

‘And thank you. For letting me feel the warmth of the family I lost.’

He had no intention of telling them the truth.

If they learned the truth, they would only feel confusion.

‘I can’t bring back the real Choi Seong-min’s soul anyway.’

The real Choi Seong-min’s soul, which had fallen into a coma, was already fallen into the abyss.

Though not annihilated, it was as good as annihilated.

That’s why he had to protect them instead.

The happiness of the family he found late.

“Thank you for the meal, Mother.”

“Thank you for the meal!”

As the children put down their spoons with satisfied faces, Jung Hee-seon smiled.

“Thank you for eating it deliciously.”

“It was really delicious, Mom! Hehe!”

“What about Seong-min?”

At Jung Hee-seon’s question, Choi Seong-min answered with a smile.

“It was the most delicious home-cooked meal I’ve ever had, Mother.”

“Hoho, that’s good. So, you’re sleeping over tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Then I should prepare breakfast tomorrow too. You’re not leaving early, right?”

“Not really.”

“That’s good. Tomorrow I’ll make soybean paste stew that you like, so look forward to it. I’ll make lots of delicious side dishes, so come home often.”

“Yes……”

Choi Seong-min trailed off.

Tomorrow would not come.

Because this was the last supper.

“Mother.”

“What is it?”

“Ah-yeon.”

“Huh? Brother, why?”

“Let me touch your head for a moment.”

“Why the head?”

“I learned a skill that lets me check if someone is healthy by touching their head.”

At the natural lie, his family didn’t notice anything.

“You can use such abilities? Being a hunter is really amazing.”

“Mom, brother is ranked 1st. This level of ability is nothing to him, right?”

They just found it fascinating and offered their heads.

Not knowing their memories would be erased shortly after.

‘I erase all memories related to Choi Seong-min. As if he never existed.’

Choi Seong-min decided to erase himself from his family.

For him who had to leave for the underworld, it was unavoidable.

‘When I commit suicide, my name will disappear from the rankings. Even if I want to hide my death, I can’t.’

Even civilians wouldn’t be unable to hear news of his death.

That’s why he was erasing their memories.

His family would surely be sad hearing news of his suicide.

‘They’re people who would be more than that.’

Erasing their memories was consideration.

He was trying to exclude himself from their memory altogether so his family wouldn’t suffer.

‘This way, even if I die, my family won’t suffer. Because they won’t even remember me.’

Choi Seong-min, with his hand on their heads, browsed their past and erased their memories.

He erased his existence from Jung Hee-seon and Choi Ah-yeon’s memories.

‘Thank you. Please stay healthy.’

Having finished his work, Choi Seong-min disappeared, leaving them in a dazed state.

From space and from memory.

* * *

Choi Seong-min didn’t erase memories only from his family.

‘She’s sleeping soundly.’

Past midnight.

Choi Seong-min, who had found Do Eun-jeong using Shadow Movement, placed his hand on her head.

‘I need to erase all memories from people who had contact with my family.’

Just in case they might tell his family about his death.

‘Even if they did, there’s no way my family would remember me as an existence, but it’s better to be sure.’

That was why he was erasing himself from the memories of people around him.

‘Do Eun-jeong is done, next is…’

Following Do Eun-jeong, Ryu Jong-ik, Gang Min-chan.

He erased memories one by one from people who knew Choi Seong-min’s family.

‘Now neither I nor my family will be remembered.’

Choi Seong-min finally thought of Han Sae-bom and used Shadow Movement.

Soon he could see her lying in bed sleeping.

He could have approached her bedside and erased her memory like the others, but he didn’t.

Instead, he cancelled stealth and called her in a quiet voice.

“Han Sae-bom.”

“Mmm……”

Han Sae-bom, who had been tossing and turning, blinked sleepily then was startled.

The Black Mask was looking down at her.

“Bl-Black Mask?”

Han Sae-bom, who had raised her upper body, blushed after a moment.

Though she was wearing pajamas, it wasn’t suitable attire to show to the man she admired.

“H-how did you get in… No, what brings you here at this late hour?”

“Sorry for visiting suddenly, but I have a favor to ask.”

At the word favor, Han Sae-bom came to her senses.

“Tell me. I’ll do anything you ask.”

“You remember my acquaintance’s family you saw before?”

“Ah, Hunter Choi Seong-min’s family?”

The Black Mask nodded.

“I want you to protect them.”

“Are there trackers after them again?”

“Not that, but I can’t leave them and go with peace of mind.”

At those words, Han Sae-bom opened her eyes in surprise.

“Are you going somewhere?”

“I’m thinking of traveling. To a very far place.”

“If you’re going, let me go with you…”

“That won’t do. It’s dangerous even for me.”

Since even the Black Mask said it was dangerous, Han Sae-bom couldn’t insist anymore.

“You protect Choi Seong-min’s family until I return. Not sticking close like a bodyguard, just checking on them occasionally. That would put me at ease.”

“But if it’s something like that, Hunter Choi Seong-min could protect them, so why…”

“Choi Seong-min is also planning to travel far with me. So understand that you’re the only person I can trust and entrust them to.”

“Someone you can trust and entrust them to…”

Han Sae-bom, who had been muttering, smiled brightly.

She seemed moved by the last words.

“Can you do it?”

“Of course! Just entrust them to me!”

“Good. I’m counting on you.”

Choi Seong-min smiled as if relieved.

A smile hidden behind the mask.

* * *

Exactly 24 hours later, Dayna appeared in the system.

[Are you ready, Min Do-jun?]

[Yes.]

[You have no lingering attachments to the living world, right?]

After a moment of silence, Choi Seong-min spoke in a firm tone.

[Yes. None.]

[Then commit suicide now and come up to the underworld.]

[What about after I go up? What’s the plan?]

[When Min Do-jun dies and comes to the underworld, Derkius will probably notice and send a guide. At that time, subdue the guide and come to the prison where I am to open the door.]

It was a surprisingly simple plan.

[I’ll tell you the specific method to open the door when you get here. I’ll maintain connection like now.]

[Understood. Then I’ll go up right now.]

Before committing suicide, Choi Seong-min took out an item from his inventory.

It was the Potion of Fortitude he had been saving all this time.

Though it was a fraudulent item that reduced damage received by 95% for 1 hour, he had no occasion to use it since becoming too strong.

‘I thought I’d never have occasion to use it, but to use it for something like this…’

The Potion of Fortitude also had an option to ignore pain.

That was why Choi Seong-min had taken out the potion before suicide.

As he brought the flask to his mouth, the contents flowed in by themselves.

[You have consumed the Potion of Fortitude.]

[Damage received is reduced by 95% during duration.]

[You cannot feel any pain during duration.]

[Time remaining: 59 minutes 59 seconds]

Preparations were complete.

Finally, it was time for the showdown.

‘Now let’s go up to the underworld.’

Choi Seong-min’s dagger headed toward his heart without hesitation.