Huh...so maybe his cold attitude to everyone was a survival mechanism because everyone he ...

Let’s not explain away bad behavior and the whole essence of the story which is redemption. He wasn’t just “extremely harsh”, he was outright abusive and made every effort to make their lives harder. Does his past have some play in that? yes. So does the influence of the culture that denigrated the cleaning team’s role and so on. But His trauma and the cultural norm are no justification for perpetuating violence on innocent people and outright ignoring the harm he caused in the name of ideology or past wounds. He was wrong. Period. And now he’s getting better

Still feel that way? The Regen Dungeon nearly wiped out Seoul and the Korean Association.

It wasn't just his protégé and friends who died in front of him, but nearly every Korean hunter.

And only the cleaning team was safe. Misplaced anger, yeah.

But now things make sense. He has a lot of trauma, guilt, fear, and rage in him. Most of it justified.

And I guess he always feared that another Omega Dungeon would come and he was so cruel because he didn't think anyone else was good enough to survive it. So he thought to train them up and push others out who couldn't help and would only drag the others down.

We gotta remember this is technically a war story and he is a General trying to make sure everyone survives.

So he pushed others who didn't make the cut out and pushed others to the breaking point to try to get them ready.

But from the point of a walking wound he made things worse.

I think the person we see him as is one who is finally able to address the trauma that broke him emotionally as a person and made him lose his humanity in pursuit of winning the war.

Distance and fixing the Association that caused the disaster is what has changed him. He sees that the path he was on was right but the methodology he used was wrong. Which is why he is building up everyone who has talent and training them up as teacher would vs an abusive drill Sargent.

I think when he gets past the Regen Dungeon is when he will finally let go of his trauma.

Although now I wonder if the International Association has anything to do with the Regen Dungeon.

And whether they might intentionally or unintentionally be driving humanity to the brink in their pursuit of power and control.

I completely agree with everything you said!!

I had to read this a couple of times to understand what you were saying but after hearing your more detailed argument I can agree. And I do think the association was 100% involved in the appearance of the dungeon.