Chapter 228
Woo Jinchul was considered a national hero in South Korea.
So when the S-rank hunters learned of his secret, their shock was beyond words. The Hunters Association, which was supposed to remain neutral, had been receiving support from a private company behind the scenes!
And the reason for that investment became clear to Suho the moment the doors opened and Jinho walked in.
Jinchul had been Jinwoo’s trusted friend and companion, a man who carried the memories of their past lives even as everyone else forgot. Suho considered what would have crossed his mind first when the Great Cataclysm recurred on Earth, just like it did in that past life.
There’s the fact that my father isn’t here this time.
Indeed, the first thing Jinchul felt back then was a bottomless anxiety.
Jinwoo, who had once protected Earth with astonishing power and selfless sacrifice, had vanished in this timeline. There was likely nothing more unsettling or ominous than a world without him.
This was a deeply existential fear that only someone like Jinchul, who had personally witnessed all the horrors of the past era, could feel. With Sung Jinwoo gone, who would protect the world in his place?
No one.
Jinchul had known this as fact. No one could fill his place. It was simply impossible. Still, that didn’t stop him from hoping that Jinwoo would one day return.
He’ll come back. I know he will. He has to. And until then I will do what I can.
With that promise, Jinchul threw himself into action, doing what he did best, and he created the Hunters Association. It was an uphill battle from the start.
Gunhee isn’t here either.
In the previous timeline, Go Gunhee was the original founder of South Korea’s Hunters Association. Unfortunately, in this life, he had already passed away from old age.
Gunhee was the chairman of a major corporation, and he had poured his vast fortune into the creation of the Hunters Association. With his vast personal wealth, he hadn’t needed help from the government or investors. Because he was self-funded, he faced no pressure to cave to investors’ demands, and with no political party backing him, he could stay neutral.
Gunhee was set for success from the start. The Korean Hunters Association had been formed without anyone’s help, existing solely through his efforts and resources.
Despite his position, Go Gunhee never abused his power or lorded it over the hunters. Why would he? Greed for money and fame were things that only rich upstarts experienced.
As the head of a large conglomerate, Gunhee was already at the pinnacle of wealth and fame. He lacked only one thing—the ability to stand alongside the younger generation in protecting the world. It was with that noble, righteous sense of duty that he had established the association.
But I am not Gunhee.
Jinchul knew that in his bones. He was no chairman of a multinational company. He wasn’t a man with infinite resources or boundless influence. Even being the chief of police was hardly enough. His hands were tied when it came to the government’s whims, and his authority had limits.
Jinchul thought long and hard about how to make up for his shortcomings. As usual, the solution was within arm’s reach.
Jinho.
Yoo Jinho was the only man to be both Jinwoo’s colleague and subordinate in their past life. In this new timeline, he had even become family by marrying Jinwoo’s sister. On top of that, Jinchul already knew Jinho well enough, having shared drinks with him and Jinwoo on more than one occasion.
And above all, he was the CEO of Ahjinsoft, the most famous gaming company in South Korea and the creator of the world’s first VR game. As such, he possessed an incredible amount of wealth.
Yes. I’ll get Jinho to invest. With that, there will be no issue when Mr. Sung returns later.
His decision made, Jinchul reached out to Jinho privately.
Jinho, of course, lacked past-life memories at the time, but the “project” Jinchul offered was highly appealing to the meticulous businessman he’d become. In fact, his eyes lit up with interest and amusement upon hearing Jinchul’s pitch.
“This is perfect timing. I’ll invest ten times the amount you’re asking for. I have more money than I know what to do with, anyway.”
Jinchul was stunned. At that point, he began to wonder why the man was being so generous. Jinho had no memories of his past life, and he didn’t know about Jinwoo’s real identity.
“It isn’t about trusting you. It’s about protecting my company,” Jinho had explained. “Even now, hunters are growing stronger. Some of them are already ruling smaller nations as kings. How long do you think the laws will keep them in check? How long will the governments hold power?”
His tone was grave.
“I was already thinking about gathering trustworthy hunters to create an organization. But before that, it makes sense to have an association that unites all hunters in Korea.”
Jinho then smiled slyly, flipping through the documents detailing Jinchul’s project.
“In that sense, this ‘Hunter Virtual Reality Training Project’ you’re suggesting will be highly beneficial for my company as well. But let’s increase the scale a bit.”
Jinchul did not understand. What was he saying?
“Instead of just hunters, let’s make it available to the public as a game.”
“You mean to non-awakened people?”
“Yes. I want to give our users the experience of becoming a hunter, battling beasts and exploring dungeons, at least in the game. After all, we’re a gaming company at heart.”
Jinchul hesitated, not expecting this.
“But that would mean sharing the association’s data on hunters and dungeons with the public. It could damage the association’s reputation.”
“I’ll handle that,” Jinho said coolly. “That’s what money is for. The risk is factored into the investment.”
Jinchul was deeply impressed as he watched Jinho smile and raise the stakes.
He had been greatly mistaken. The man sitting in front of him was no longer the naive rich kid who had once followed Jinwoo around.
In his past life, Jinho had been an heir to a fortune, too coddled to understand how the world worked. But in this life, he had grown into a powerful businessman—a giant in the truest sense.
Though Jinho himself did not seem aware of it, he reminded Jinchul of Chairman Yoo Myunghan, once the most influential figure in the financial sector.
Jinho was unconsciously walking the path of his father, Myunghan. He had inherited the same capabilities, but he relinquished all the authority and perks he could’ve had as his father’s heir and built Ahjinsoft from scratch, turning it into a global powerhouse.
The current Jinho was a very capable businessman. He reiterated what Jinchul had mentioned at the start.
“And don’t forget the promise you made. Once the association stabilizes, you’ll use all your resources to find my brother-in-law and his wife.”
“Of course,” Jinchul replied without hesitation. “That is my highest priority.”
They sealed their agreement with a firm handshake, their eyes locked.
With that, Jinchul’s Korean Hunters Association gained the same financial strength it had once possessed under Go Gunhee.
More than that, it became truly untouchable. No one could control it, not the government nor any investors.
Well, there was one interest they bowed to. The truth was, the association wasn’t entirely neutral. From its very foundation, it had been crafted for one purpose alone.
World peace, the safety of the citizens, keeping villains in check—these were all secondary goals. Jinchul had only one objective in mind.
It’s for Mr. Sung.
The Hunters Association of South Korea was meant to belong to Jinwoo, and Jinchul was merely laying the groundwork to make that happen. It would be ready when Jinwoo returned from his sudden absence while defending the world. Korea’s hunters—and eventually everyone worldwide—would be united under one banner.
That way, the entire world can follow Mr. Sung’s lead.
That hadn’t been the case in the past era. There had been many nations and hunters who couldn’t trust or acknowledge Jinwoo’s power, each for a different reason.
When he had issued his urgent warning to flee immediately, many nations scoffed, dismissing his words as overblown nonsense. Those countries were the first to be annihilated by Antares’ army.
Jinchul remembered that horror all too clearly. This time will be different. This time, he would be ready.
He didn’t delude himself into thinking he could stand beside Jinwoo on the battlefield. He wasn’t strong enough for that. All he could do was make sure he never became a burden.
The least they can do is listen... Just listen and run when he tells them to.
It was with that thought that Jinchul had reached out to Jinho. The money flowed in from Ahjinsoft, and in return, the association provided access to hunter profiles and countless detailed dungeon maps.
The information was then used to create something revolutionary: Solo Leveling. It was both a virtual training program for hunters and a VR game for civilians—a perfect virtual replica of the dungeons found in the real world.
“The game is finally done,” Jinho announced.
With the project complete and his memories of their past life restored, he no longer needed to hide his ties to the association. Nor did he have to wait endlessly for Jinwoo’s return. His friend’s son was steadily growing the power he inherited from his father, though he still needed some time.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
Yes. We have Suho, Jinho thought. If he is going to clear a path, then it’s up to us adults to remove the obstacles in his way.
“I am now recruiting hunters to participate in the beta,” he told the S-rank hunters in the gymnasium with a calm, confident smile. “Only those who agree to let Suho go will be accepted.”
He grinned, winking at Suho.
Suho was struck with a sudden wave of recognition. The look on Jinho’s face was that of a man who was rough and no-nonsense in his work but filled with a deep, quiet love for his family—Myunghan.
Jinho’s words hit the S-rank hunters like a bomb.
“M-Mr. Yoo! The game is finally done?”
Every one of them was the leader of a major guild, and they had all been tracking Ahjinsoft’s game development for months.
This was the very same project the Black Tortoise Guild had tried to strong-arm their way into, only to be shut out after angering both Suho and Jinho. Ironically, because of that fallout, the Black Tortoise Guild had even less information on Solo Leveling than the other guilds.
Suho thought back to what one of Jinho’s employees had once told him.
“Well, if the game does well, the hunter guilds that provided assistance will certainly enjoy a substantial promotional effect. Anything beyond this is classified, so you can ask the CEO directly when you meet him.”
The benefits were clear. The promotion would be widespread, and money would soon follow.
For hunter guilds, it was an opportunity to raise their brand value, and for Ahjinsoft, it was a way to create a thrilling sense of realism for the players. That was why the company was willing to pay large sums to hunters in exchange for their cooperation.
So that’s what the classified information was about... Virtual hunter training.
Suho nodded to himself in understanding.
At the time, he’d been too preoccupied with restoring his uncle’s memories to ask about the game. Still, even if he’d known all the details back then, he doubted he would have cared. After all, he could only level up through real battles.
For ordinary hunters, however, this project was priceless. Hunters who couldn’t level up on their own could now train safely.
“I-is it really possible to hold training sessions in VR now?” one of the S-rank hunters blurted out. “How realistic is it?”
“My god,” said another. “We can gain practical experience without risking our lives?”
“If it’s virtual reality, then our weapons will never be damaged no matter how much we train. We could try multiple strategies against the same boss!”
The moment the S-rank hunters heard that the game was complete, their faces lit up with excitement and anticipation.
Unlike the Black Tortoise Guild, those who had a close partnership with Ahjinsoft were already privy to some classified information. However, none of them had expected the project to be completed so soon.
As questions poured in from all sides, Jinho remained as confident as ever. “Whatever you’re imagining, I promise we’ve made something even better.”
“Sir, please, let us participate...”
Meanwhile, Hyun Mukang was suddenly more than eager to let Suho go to North Korea.