A Cradle to Avert Apocalypse C5

Chapter 5

Should I stop Kwon Haeju now and talk a bit more?

After a brief hesitation, Nam Shinhoo shook his head. Not yet. They had spent years trading barbed words and living like sworn enemies—changing overnight would only make Haeju more guarded. Ending it here today was the right choice.

“No. You must’ve had a rough day—head back in. Once the EHN is implemented, we’ll be seeing each other often anyway.”

“…”

The glare fixed on him at the doorway sharpened. Having concluded his fruitless analysis, Kwon Haeju clicked his tongue softly and left the conference room as he was.

Bare, unmistakable hostility lingered thickly in the air. Even while sharing the same opinion and sitting through the meeting, Kwon Haeju’s wariness and distrust toward Nam Shinhoo never softened.

“Honestly… I’ve got a long road ahead.”

Left alone, Nam Shinhoo rested his forehead against the cold desk. It felt as though all the strength had drained from his body.

It was like trying to soothe a feral alley cat—step too close, and it would bare its claws. Fighting it out, even to the point of mutual destruction, almost sounded easier.

But giving up was not an option.

If I want Kwon Haeju to survive until the very end, I need to get closer to him.

In his previous life, Kwon Haeju had died overseas. He had left Korea, living in seclusion in a sparsely populated area, and died there. To prevent that death, Nam Shinhoo needed to be close enough to stay by his side while he was abroad—or at least close enough to persuade him not to leave.

This won’t be easy.

The chill of the desk against his skin calmed his tired thoughts.

“This is the material you asked for.”

Nam Shinhoo accepted the documents Choi Kanghyun handed him. On the first page was a familiar name—information on Han Wooyeon, the Divine Younger Brother, an S-rank Hunter who had not yet emerged into the world.

He was the man who had delivered the prophecy about the savior in Nam Shinhoo’s previous life. The fact that his prophecy aligned with the quest given by the system meant that, in this situation, he was the only person from whom Nam Shinhoo could glean a real hint.

The moment Nam Shinhoo confirmed his regression, he had instructed Choi Kanghyun to locate Han Wooyeon’s current whereabouts.

After all, Kwon Haeju being the savior is still just my assumption.

Every clue pointed toward Kwon Haeju, but nothing was certain. That uncertainty gnawed at Nam Shinhoo, making him impatient. He wanted to meet Han Wooyeon as soon as possible—to confirm whether the Hunter spoken of in the prophecy truly was Kwon Haeju, and whether saving him alone would be enough to save humanity.

Choi Kanghyun rubbed his chin. He didn’t look particularly satisfied with the material he’d brought.

“I managed to find him, but I’m not sure he’s the person you’re looking for. Honestly, I’m not even certain he’s a Hunter. Either way… he’s a strange one. That’s the consensus around him—there are even rumors that he’s crazy.”

“Then you found the right guy.”

Smiling faintly as he skimmed the documents, Nam Shinhoo checked Han Wooyeon’s place of residence.

Gyeongju, huh…

Though he’d been acquainted with Han Wooyeon in his previous life, they’d never spoken much on a personal level—this was the first time he’d learned where the man lived. All he’d known was that it wasn’t in the capital region.

I’ll have to go down there myself.

Nam Shinhoo slowly stroked his chin.

He could head to Gyeongju immediately to meet Han Wooyeon, but one concern held him back. As the leader of a major guild, Nam Shinhoo was always under public scrutiny. His movements would inevitably draw attention—and that attention would turn toward Han Wooyeon as well.

People would grow curious: what kind of abilities did the man visited by the Saint Guild’s guild master possess? What kind of person was he? That was not the outcome Nam Shinhoo wanted.

In his previous life, Han Wooyeon had suffered greatly because of his abilities and notoriety. When the events of the prophecy unfolded, people blamed him for not preventing them despite knowing in advance. He was condemned for foreseeing disaster yet failing to stop it, and vilified for not seeing more clearly.

Eventually, despair over an unchangeable future drove him to take his own life. This time, Nam Shinhoo wanted Han Wooyeon to live quietly, his identity hidden from the world.

Sneaking in won’t be easy either—the distance is awkward.

If someone recognized Nam Shinhoo during the trip, it would cause trouble. Moving discreetly at dawn was an option, but that would only make Han Wooyeon wary. To him, Nam Shinhoo was a complete stranger.

While Nam Shinhoo pondered, Choi Kanghyun spoke up.

“Are you interested in a dungeon?”

“A dungeon? Why would you suddenly bring that up?”

Seeing the confusion on Nam Shinhoo’s face, Choi Kanghyun scratched his forehead.

“A new dungeon appeared near Gyeongju not long ago. You asked me to look for someone staying in Gyeongju at about the same time, so I thought you might be interested in the dungeon. Guess I was mistaken.”

“Ah.”

Come to think of it, this was around the time new dungeons began appearing more frequently. What had once been one or two a year had become a monthly occurrence. Back then, it had seemed like nothing out of the ordinary.

Only later did the world realize the truth—that it was a precursor to the coming great monster wave.

First, dungeon appearances increased. Then, cracks multiplied. When it became impossible to fully contain the monsters escaping through those cracks, dungeons erupted simultaneously—and the final form, Nukelabi, was summoned.

A new dungeon in Gyeongju.

It was the perfect pretext to go there openly.

“This works out well. We can inspect the dungeon while we’re there. Which guild is scheduled to clear it? Contact them and tell them we’ll take over. Offer reasonable compensation and acquire the rights.”

“That won’t be easy. It’s a fairly high-grade new dungeon.”

New dungeons were always popular. They were dangerous, but no one knew what kind of rewards they might yield. If a rare material dropped, it could be a windfall—no guild would give that up easily, even if Saint Guild asked.

“Offer them an amount they can’t refuse. I have to go there.”

“Well… hmm.”

Hesitating uncharacteristically, Choi Kanghyun let out a sigh.

“The guild scheduled for the Gyeongju dungeon is Epic.”

“Ah.”

Now Nam Shinhoo understood the hesitation. Should he consider this fortunate or unfortunate? The place he needed to go—and the two people he needed to get closer to—were converging in the same spot.

Nam Shinhoo brushed his lips with a bitter smile. Of all guilds, it had to be Epic—Kwon Haeju’s guild.

“No matter how high the offer, Epic Guild won’t yield. Especially not if they hear Saint wants it.”

“Exactly.”

The moment they heard Saint Guild wanted the dungeon, they’d pour all their effort into clearing it—suspecting ulterior motives and blocking any approach from Saint. No—certainly blocking it.

Choi Kanghyun asked,

“Do you have some kind of classified information about Gyeongju?”

“No. I’m more interested in the person there than the dungeon. Hmm…”

Running a hand roughly through his hair, Nam Shinhoo smoothed it back into place and steadied himself.

Things seemed to be falling into place—yet becoming more tangled at the same time. Still, giving up wasn’t an option. He needed another way to participate in the Gyeongju dungeon and make contact with Han Wooyeon without drawing attention.

Another way…

“When is Epic Guild’s scheduled entry?”

“In two weeks.”

“I see.”

As Nam Shinhoo stroked his chin in thought, the corner of his lips curved gently upward.

There was always tension before entering a dungeon. No matter how seasoned one was, stepping into a place that could become a grave never felt light.

That went for Mr. Kang as well—a three-year veteran herbal gatherer. He had lived as a full-time mountain herb forager before awakening as a Hunter in his fifties. Perhaps because of his former profession, he awakened as a D-rank Hunter with gathering-specialized skills. At the time, he’d thought his life was finally set—but reality had proven otherwise.

“Oof, my back… Hope we make it out alive again this time.”

“There you go again, worrying over nothing. You say that every time, and you always come back with the fullest haul.”

“What good does that do? No matter how hard I gather, all the expensive items go to the combat Hunters.”

Life was unfair. Not all Hunters were equal. Even after squatting all day to gather materials and hauling heavy loads around, they didn’t earn even a fifth of what combat Hunters made. And against strong monsters, they could barely defend themselves.

“If I was going to awaken, I should’ve become a strong Hunter. I spent my whole life picking herbs—what’s the point of awakening with more gathering skills?”

“Listen to yourself. Becoming a Hunter at all is something to be grateful for. With how good dungeon materials are these days, unawakened herbalists are getting pushed right out onto the streets.”

Mr. Kim, a fellow gatherer with even more experience than Mr. Kang, laughed heartily.

“And this time, the clearing guild is Epic Guild. They’ve got the highest survival rate for gathering Hunters. Stop worrying and focus on making a profit. You know how competitive new dungeons are—don’t exaggerate.”

“That’s true. Hahaha.”

As Mr. Kim said, it was a lucky day. The dungeon they were entering was a B-rank dungeon—and a new one at that. If they discovered a new herb, their lives could change overnight. Of course, fees would be taken, but even what remained would be enough to live comfortably.