Hero Hunter is on Parental Leave C1

Chapter 1

A legendary Hunter who had once saved the world from destruction and met a noble death.

“Shit. That’s pretty damn cool. Someone should at least write a biography about me…”

Even as he spoke, Yeongung let out a hoarse laugh, his body twisted and mangled like a broken rag.

An S-rank Hunter, Yeongung had fought through countless Gates and even earned the title of Absolute—he was, in every sense, the nation’s hero. Yet now, that very hero stood on the brink of death. His gaze, fixed on the collapsing ceiling of the Gate, was hollow. All the years he had lived suddenly felt meaningless.

“If I was going to die anyway, I should’ve at least confessed…”

His long-time unrequited love—Won Iheun, the guild master known as the strongest living Hunter. Today, the two of them had destroyed the mutant Gate known as “The Axis of Apocalypse,” leading humanity to victory in the final battle.

But perhaps it was too early to celebrate. The two, momentarily off guard, had fallen victim to a hidden bug embedded within the system.

Yeongung spat out a curse, his voice thick with rage.

“This goddamn final-final-ultimate-extra-final piece of shit system—!”

He had already exhausted all his mana defeating the final boss. Gathering every last fragment of his remaining energy, Yeongung forced it into a temporary subspace to seal Won Iheun inside—protecting him. Then, alone, he endured the torrent of corrupted attacks raining down upon him, using his own body as a shield.

The damage to his spinal nerves had already rendered his lower body useless. The only small mercy was that his dying nerves dulled the pain to half.

With the last of his strength, he turned his head toward the sealed subspace that contained Iheun.

At least I get to see that beautiful face one last time before I die, he thought. But even as the thought passed, Iheun was desperately trying to break through the subspace barrier Yeongung had created.

“That lunatic—!”

A subspace couldn’t be broken by anyone except its creator. Once Yeongung died, it would naturally dissolve. But Iheun couldn’t wait—he was tearing at it like a madman. His face, reflected through the cracks, looked desperate for some reason.

No way. What could the great Won Iheun possibly be desperate for when it came to me?

No matter how much of a bastard he could be, everyone wanted their last memory of their unrequited love to be beautiful. Yeongung turned away from the sight of that stunning face yelling something at him and closed his eyes.

“Live well,” he whispered.

His vision dimmed, and soon the pain vanished completely. Yeongung thought his soul had finally crossed over to the afterlife.

“…?”

The afterlife, my ass.

When he opened his eyes, the same ceiling of the Axis of Apocalypse greeted him. The only difference was…

Sensing something strange, Yeongung quickly felt along his body. Somehow, the twisted spine and half-destroyed abdomen were perfectly intact. His once-numb legs moved with ease, his body light again.

Won Iheun… Where’s Iheun?

Scanning his surroundings with trembling eyes, Yeongung spotted him lying a short distance away.

“Won Iheun—!”

Iheun, whose body had been unharmed before, now lay sprawled on the ground, barely breathing. Rage surged through Yeongung as he shouted, unable to suppress it.

“You—!”

Iheun had used his ability to absorb all of Yeongung’s damage. Yeongung lived because of it—but the cost was Iheun’s life. It shouldn’t have been possible for anyone other than the creator to collapse the subspace barrier while also using a skill. So how—?

Questions could wait. Seeing Iheun’s deathly pale face, Yeongung frantically poured healing spells into him. But no matter how much mana he channeled, it slipped away like water through a cracked glass. His hands trembled as he stared at the gaping wound beneath Iheun’s heart.

It was impossible to believe that this perfect, godlike man—someone he had thought untouchable—could look so broken.

“Don’t look at me like that. This isn’t free, you know.”

And then, the bastard had the nerve to talk.

“I’m going to fuck you all night long, just the way I like it.”

Yeongung stared at him in disbelief. Even near death, the man spoke shamelessly.

“Won Iheun—fine, fine! I’ll do anything, just—don’t you dare die. You die here, and I swear I’ll kill you myself.”

“Are you telling me to live or die?”

“Obviously—!”

Iheun frowned faintly, as if even the thought of dying was unpleasant.

“Who would that help, huh? Hunter Yeongung. Did you already sleep with someone else while I was gone?”

“You crazy bastard—! Is this really the time—”

“Ah, so your ass feels empty if you’re not getting stuffed by something?”

Crazy bastard. Still the same shameless tongue. Yeongung found it strange—the raw jealousy in Iheun’s voice. In all their years together, he had never seen him jealous before.

When Yeongung didn’t answer, Iheun’s gaze sharpened, demanding.

“Answer me.”

“….”

Yeongung was dumbstruck. Even as Iheun hovered between life and death, he acted like a possessive husband catching his cheating spouse.

“Answer me—fuck—!”

Iheun coughed up a dark clot of blood mid-sentence.

“Fuck, no! I didn’t—okay? I didn’t sleep with anyone! So just—stop talking, please—”

“Hmm. Even so, one night’s not enough to even the scales. Let’s extend the contract.”

Having experienced firsthand the agony of the damage Iheun had taken for him, Yeongung knew that his casual tone was an act. Could he even survive until the Association medics arrived? The skin under Yeongung’s hands felt ice-cold, corpse-like. The Golden Hour was fading fast.

“…Are you crying?”

“….”

“The great Hunter Yeongung… crying? Because of me?”

Me… crying?

The tears rolling down his cheeks startled even Yeongung himself. He hadn’t cried even the first time Iheun took him without warning, but now, tears flowed like a broken faucet. The thought that this man might disappear from the world shattered him inside.

“You bastard… why… why would you do that? You should’ve just let me die. What the hell am I even worth…?”

“Because it’s you.”

Iheun’s answer carried no trace of falsehood. Because it was Yeongung, he had chosen to sacrifice himself.

Yeongung’s eyes trembled, confusion clouding his mind.

That tone… he’s changed.

But even as warmth flickered in his chest, the weight of countless rejections made it hard to believe.

Iheun had grown up under parents who despised fidelity, a man who loathed the very word love. Every time they’d been together, it was purely physical—never emotional. Whenever Yeongung’s feelings threatened to spill over, Iheun would pull away, and Yeongung would be left to pick up the pieces of his own heart.

It had always been that way. Loving him meant losing.

Yet now, this man—this same man—wiped his tears away and said softly,

“When we return, there’s something I need to tell you.”

The commotion outside shattered their fragile silence.

“Master Won Iheun! Hunter Yeongung! Are you both alright?!”

Medics and Association agents rushed in. Iheun, placed on a stretcher, was quickly sedated, and within seconds, lost consciousness. Only then did Yeongung release a long, shaky breath. The Association wouldn’t let their strongest Hunter die—not after saving the world. Every top healer on the planet would be called to treat him.

As the medics worked around him, Yeongung clenched his fist.

“…When you wake up, we’re going to have a real talk.”

While the comatose Won Iheun showed no sign of awakening, Yeongung spent his days eliminating every last remnant of the destroyed Gate.

Crackle—

Watching the final shard burn to ash in the Absolute’s flames, one of the field agents spoke awkwardly.

“You must be exhausted, Hunter-nim. The Association’s really shameless to keep relying on you like this. I’m truly sorry.”

“The Association being shameless is nothing new. Don’t worry about it.”

Yeongung smiled faintly, the corner of his lips curling up. The agent, flustered by that disarmingly handsome smile, blushed and hurriedly handed over a neatly wrapped lunchbox.

“Ahem. You hadn’t eaten yet, so I brought this for you.”

“Oh, thank you! What’s the menu?”

“Grilled eel rice bowl. I thought it’d help you regain your strength.”

“Ugh—”

As soon as Yeongung caught the rising scent of eel, nausea twisted his stomach, and he turned away sharply.

“I think… the food’s spoiled. Probably went bad in this heat.”

“Pardon? That can’t be—”

The agent tilted his head, watching as Yeongung covered his mouth, gagging.

“Hunter-nim, did you get a post-battle medical checkup after the Apocalypse Gate?”

“…No.”

Yeongung had thrown himself into work to avoid facing the hospital where Iheun lay unconscious. The guilt was too heavy.

“Well, that won’t do. I’ll make an appointment for you. We’re going to the hospital now. You can’t keep ignoring your health just because you’re young.”

Reluctantly dragged into a full medical examination, Yeongung sat blankly across from the doctor, unable to process what he had just heard.

What… what did he just say?

“Could you… say that again? You’re saying that I… what?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“….”

“It’s an extremely rare case for a hyperactive Omega to conceive, but—congratulations!”

Even as the doctor smiled warmly, offering his heartfelt congratulations, Yeongung could only sit there—speechless, his face pale.