Read Novel Full Chapter 520
Chapter 520: Channel (1)
I rubbed my eyes, but it wasn’t a mistake or hallucination. Yuhyun and Yerim also looked surprised. Gyeol shouted “Dad!” Without any sound coming out, I smiled at my brother on screen. A gunshot rang out and the scene changed.
Yuhyun kneeling and me standing before him. The scene changed rapidly again as Yuhyun bit my shoulder. The sight of me counterattacking and stabbing a dagger into my brother’s arm was fully shown. A gasp escaped unconsciously. Crazy, what the hell is this really…
And then Yuhyun brought my gun to his own chest and smiled. Still no sound could be heard. Even the mouth movements were cleverly edited out of view. After another gunshot, this time—
“…Whoa.”
Seong Hyunjae and Song Taewon appeared. As soon as Song Taewon stuck his head out the second-floor window, bullets flew at him. Song Taewon then jumped through the collapsed wall with debris, and having blocked the bullet Seong Hyunjae shot with his wire-wrapped forearm, he charged fiercely. At the same time, Seong Hyunjae turning the rifle while smiling was shown in close-up.
No wait, what is happening? I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. Exhaling roughly, Song Taewon recklessly charged at Seong Hyunjae. The two tangled and rolled on the ground. My god! Unfortunately, it cut off in the middle again, then showed Seong Hyunjae with his arm wrapped around Song Taewon’s neck, raising a dagger. I’d seen this part myself. I hadn’t properly seen the earlier parts since I was preparing to face Chief Song.
And then me again—aaah!
‘Wait, wait! Just wait!’
I was pointing a gun at Seong Hyunjae. Holding it under his chin, then raising it to press firmly against his mouth. Ah, I really can’t watch this, and yet my eyes remained fixed on the TV. Seong Hyunjae bit the gun, the screen went dark, and only a gunshot echoed.
What comes next—no! Snapping to attention in alarm, Yuhyun caught me as I looked for the remote. Yerim was already recording the video on her phone.
“Hyung, just a moment.”
Yuhyun said while staring at the TV. I could see myself covered in mud in the rain.
“Is this, is this only showing in our house? It’s only here, right?!”
“I don’t think so. The texts and messages are insane. Han Yuhyun’s phone is flashing too.”
I’d set it to silent for my day off. With trembling hands, I took out my phone. Sure enough, it was full of texts and missed calls. Meanwhile, the me on TV swung a dagger before getting kicked. After literally fighting like dogs, I sat on top of Song Taewon and giggled with my face a mess.
That, that looks completely insane… Was I really like that… Then staggering over with a pistol, the final gunshot.
The screen that had turned pitch black brightened slightly. Someone stood in the center. Black tailcoat, white mask, veil decorated with flowers. Chatterbox. He bowed politely to the viewers beyond the screen.
[CH. CHATTERBOX]
A white logo appeared in the very center before spinning and disappearing. What is… this. The original broadcast resumed.
“Channel Chatterbox, right? Did Chatterbox start a broadcasting station or something?”
“Park Yerim, send me the video.”
“You should ask politely.”
“If it aired elsewhere too, there’ll be clearer footage.”
“Tch. Here, sent it.”
— Aunt, Gyeol too!
Meanwhile, the broadcast was interrupted and breaking news appeared. It was news about the broadcast that just aired.
[…The Awakened Management Office, Sesung Guild, Haeyeon Guild, and Dodam Breeding Facility have all reported they are currently assessing the situation.]
“No, first— Hyung, what should we do?”
Yuhyun, who’d answered Seok Gimyeong’s call, stopped mid-sentence and asked me. On my phone, Kyunghoon kept calling. My head was a mess, but I answered the call first.
“The gathering, the gathering. Like a mock battle at the Japan gathering, for now…”
“Mister! Someone claiming they broadcasted it appeared! Don’t know if it’s real though.”
Yerim, who’d been surfing the internet, shouted. Seok Gimyeong and Seo Kyunghoon seemed to have received information too. This wasn’t something that could be resolved over the phone. Still holding my phone, I quickly went to my room and changed out of my pajamas.
“Kyunghoon, just a moment. Let me take Sesung’s call.”
I hung up while pulling on clothes, then realized—oh no. I called him hyung… Before I could panic, I answered Seong Hyunjae’s call.
“Seong Hyunjae, you saw it, right?!”
[Of course. I’m almost resentful you didn’t include me.]
“Don’t joke—did you find out who?”
[First, broadcasting video simultaneously worldwide without authorization is hard to see as human capability.]
“…World, worldwide? Really, the entire world…”
Not just Korea, but broadcast to every country… I was speechless.
[It’s not technically impossible, but since they boldly put their name on it, we should consider it Chatterbox’s doing.]
“Anyway, for now, uh, can you come to the breeding facility?”
[I’ll go with Chief Song Taewon.]
When I went to the living room, Yuhyun and Yerim had also come out changed.
“It’s total chaos, Mister!”
“Chaos… makes sense. Not just that it suddenly broadcast worldwide, but the content…”
…I didn’t want to leave the house. Unless you saw the full video, between the slow motion and choppy editing, it was hard to even notice the de-awakened state, and yet an F-rank with three S-ranks…
“…I’m dying of embarrassment.”
“Why? You were really cool, hyung.”
“Right, Mister. You seemed like the protagonist. You caught everyone!”
— Right, Dad’s the best!
“I want to hole up at home forever…”
“I like that idea.”
At least it was fortunate this was before the S-rank ranking matches existed. Not just Yuhyun and Chief Song, but even Seong Hyunjae didn’t have much influence overseas yet. Compared to before the regression, that is. Though the hunter world would be turned upside down in any country.
My desire to curl up under blankets in a corner was mountain-high, but reluctantly swallowing tears, I left the house with Yuhyun and Yerim. The hunter guarding the mini-portal looked at us with an expression full of things to say. Even while heading to the soundproof, secure reception room in the breeding facility, our three phones kept ringing.
“Director!”
Kyunghoon, who’d arrived first in front of the reception room, shouted when he saw me. He also seemed quite flustered.
“Sesung Guild Leader and Chief Song Taewon will be here soon. Please don’t let anyone approach. If inquiries come in, say we’re in a meeting.”
“Yes, understood.”
As I entered the reception room, I answered Noah’s call.
“It’s nothing serious, so no need to worry.”
[Yujin, that—]
[My Lord! That was seriously awe—]
[Sit down, Hamin hyung. Minui hyung too.]
At Noah’s cold words, Do Hamin and Kim Minui answered “yes” and quieted down.
[It happened there, right?]
Noah seemed to have caught on immediately thanks to participating in the invitation bet.
“Yes. Please keep it secret for now. I guess Myungwoo didn’t see it?”
[He must have gone into the forge. I haven’t heard from him either. Should I clear out the outsiders in the building first?]
“I’d appreciate that. Please.”
Noah usually seemed young and cute, but when things happened, he was reliable. As expected, guild leader experience doesn’t go anywhere. I then called Moon Hyunah, who’d sent several texts.
[Hyung-nim! That was hot!]
“…I’m dying of embarrassment.”
[Why? It was sexy.]
What, what, what… No, why me when there were S-ranks… Moon Hyunah lowered her voice significantly and continued.
[At the breeding facility? Should I come too?]
“Yes, I’m in the reception room.”
[I don’t know what the intent is, but the released video itself doesn’t seem like it’ll do much harm, so don’t worry too much. In some ways, it could even be beneficial.]
That was true, but it was never a welcome thing. Without Fear Resistance, I might have just been floundering without getting a grip.
After finishing urgent contacts, I sat on the sofa. Yuhyun also finished his call with Seok Gimyeong and sat beside me. Yerim kept checking various things on her phone.
“The kids are asking so much… Even overseas, it’s chaos. Wow, look at the view count on filmed videos. It keeps going down but keeps going up. Even in just a moment, the views…”
Unable to hold back, I turned my phone back on and entered a portal site. I clicked on an eye-catching article. “F-rank who knocked down S-ranks?”—these damn article titles never change. At least the article content itself was written only with briefly released information since it was breaking news.
— It’s staged
└ For real, how does that make sense
└ The breeding facility director is funny, why’s he like that
└ Don’t say stupid things, what are S-ranks lacking to stage it
— Han Yujin definitely broadcast it on purpose, he’s an F-rank stuck between S-ranks, obviously he was full of inferiority complex, that’s why he pulled this shit lololol
└ He’s still F-rank though lololololol
└ Acting like that won’t make an F-rank become S-rank, know your place
└ So dumb
— Fucking annoying, leave the S-ranks alone
— Who does Han Yujin think he is treating S-ranks like that
— Lots of idiots here having a meltdown over the breeding facility director
└ All these keyboard warriors hanging around lol
└ Are you a breeding facility employee
└ Yup, breeding facility benefits are amazing
— National embarrassment
└ Self-introduction
— Even with special skills, honestly F-rank and S-rank are different classes. Can’t stand seeing Han Yujin hanging around S-ranks. Why does he keep showing off
└ Eyesore
I’d expected comments like this. Still, it deflated me. I’d changed so much, but these people were the same.
“Don’t let it bother you, hyung.”
Yuhyun said, taking my phone away.
“Right, Mister. Everyone gets cursed out in places like that. Not just me and Han Yuhyun, but Sesung Guild Leader too. Even the civil servant mister gets cursed at by lots of people.”
“…Going after Chief Song is too much. It’d be hard for him to sue too.”
He probably wouldn’t even think of doing it.
“And way more people like it! Comments change with the atmosphere, here the cursing people are getting beaten up.”
Yerim said, showing me her phone.
“My friends said they see Mister in a new light too.”
“Thanks. Don’t worry, I know. Even in that article earlier, there were people taking my side.”
There are plenty of people who suddenly curse even though I’ve never harmed them. Even though I don’t even know those people.
“Haeyeon will work with the breeding facility to clean things up.”
“Yeah. I really don’t get why they’re like that.”
If you have complaints, come find me instead. Or don’t let me know at all. If you’re going to show it, charge in boldly. Then I’ll bury you in a dungeon.
Just then, Seok Gimyeong entered. He also seemed quite flustered.
“So, you’re saying it’s video filmed in Japan?”
“Yes. Everyone was in a de-awakened state. Of course, it was a consensual situation.”
“…For now, since there are more people involved, Haeyeon can’t handle it alone. You said Sesung Guild Leader and the Awakened Management Office Chief are on their way now?”
“Breaker Guild Leader too. Since it’s a matter between guild leaders, could you excuse us briefly?”
Seok Gimyeong let out a short sigh.
“I’ll step back, but things that don’t make sense seem to keep increasing.”
Since he still didn’t know much, confusion was natural. Now that it’s come to this, I’d have to explain to some degree.
Not long after, contact came that Sesung Guild Leader and Chief Song Taewon had arrived. Sesung was relatively close, and had Chief Song been at the Hunter Association? Soon the door opened and the two appeared.
“There was too much editing.”
Seong Hyunjae expressed regret as soon as he entered.
“How about a re-enactment?”
“Don’t say ridiculous things and sit down. Breaker Guild Leader will be here soon too.”
Seong Hyunjae had an expression of having enjoyed a good show, but shadows were heavy on Song Taewon’s face. The Hunter Association and higher-ups must have been in chaos. What the hell is that Chatterbox bastard’s intention?
I turned on the laptop Seok Gimyeong brought. Groups claiming they did the broadcast were now exceeding ten. Seong Hyunjae showed us data that came to his phone.
“The broadcast hijacking itself indeed wasn’t done with modern technology.”
“Since the only one who could have obtained the video in the first place is Chatterbox. It’d be faster to go to the newcomer and confirm, but before that, how do we handle this?”
We had to respond first, then go to the dungeon. If left like this, all kinds of false rumors would spread.
“Rather than hastily announcing a position, it’s better to wait for a reaction from whoever holds the video. Since they’ve sufficiently focused attention, they’ll likely move soon.”
“…It won’t just end as a mischievous happening.”
Could they really be planning to start a broadcasting station? Isn’t openly interfering like this not allowed? Soon Moon Hyunah also arrived at the breeding facility.
“The streets were empty—guess everyone’s sitting in front of their TVs. Though it’s video that doesn’t satisfy viewing on a phone.”
About twenty minutes passed as we gathered information coming from various sources. And then—
[Hello, this is Channel Chatterbox.]
A new video appeared on a video site. It was a live broadcast.