#SS rank Han Yoojin

[caleism-1]

Summary:

Han Yoojin travels back in time using the wish stone.

"I want to go back to before Yoohyun awakened”

But the fate is rather cruel with its little tricks.

And they were already caught up in the workings, because there is no such thing as wish with no strings attached.

[deirl]

Okay, now that I've written 3(1) chapters to my fic, it got me thinking. What if Han Yoojin had gotten S-rank(or SS) before the regression? ((Already after awakening as an F-rank, at 28 or 29 years old) What would he do? How would he react? How would the public and most of all the Haeyeon guild, Han Yoohyun and all those who contributed to the separation of Han Yoojin's name from the guild leader's name react?

It's eating my brain

[lalune9x]

SCTIR Translation - Chapter 400: Sunset (4)

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?" "What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

Chapter translation under the cut.

Story context: Yoojin met the dungeon version of Sung Hyunje in the preceding chapters and received a prophecy from the Star-Counting Bird about Sung Hyunje's fate.

---

[1:04:55 until sunset]

Three more attacks occurred within about twenty minutes. Almost all the nearby hunters had gathered, but there was still no sign of Noah or Song Taewon. I was starting to get worried. Both of them were experienced S-rank hunters, but there were also SS-rank hunters and monsters here. Although they couldn’t leave their designated areas, making escape easier, there was still a chance that something could have gone wrong.

However, with so little time left before sunset, I couldn’t afford to go searching for them.

"Leave it to us," Yerim insisted.

"Yeah, yeah! We’re really good at running away!" Yoon Yoon chimed in. The Newbie had mentioned in a message that those with teleportation or spatial movement abilities should be fine after sunset, but still...

"Make sure you’re back before sunset. If you’re not, I’ll come looking for you."

"You, Ajussi? That’s too dangerous!" Yerim protested.

"That’s why you need to come back on time. Promise me. Don’t go too far, and stick together. Don’t hesitate to use long-range teleportation if necessary."

The only reason I could send them off was because they had the benefit of long-range teleportation. I’m counting on you, Yoon Yoon.

"I promise. You should go back to the hotel and rest, Ajussi. Make sure you eat something for dinner too," Yerim urged.

"We’ll be back, Captain Kim! Little Kim, let’s check if there are any hamburgers left."

"They’re probably cold by now," Yerim commented as she and Yoon Yoon disappeared into thin air. The two of them seemed to get along quite well. Surely the "great person" Yerim mentioned earlier wasn’t Yoon Yoon from the future, right? Although Yoon Yoon did save countless people, I couldn’t picture him advising Yerim to study hard.

In case Noah or Song Taewon showed up late, I decided to leave a note at the Gangnam Station Exit 1. Of course, it wasn’t going to be in Korean.

"Do you know how to write in French, Sung Hyunje-ssi? I think we should leave a note for Noah in French."

How many hunters out there even knew French? Just writing down the hotel name and some directions should be enough.

"As for Song Taewon, well..."

"There’s a code we use," Sung Hyunje said.

"You have a code?"

Did that mean Sung Hyunje had dragged Director Song through enough trouble that they needed one? Anyway, we left notes in places both of them could find.

"Alright, let’s head to the hotel..." I said.

But the roads were in terrible condition. The motorcycle wasn’t an option.

"Yoohyun, you carry that guy," I said.

"I have two arms," Yoohyun argued.

"I know, but it’d be inconvenient for you. There might still be some hunters lurking around."

Reluctantly, Yoohyun picked up my pre-regression self. My other self, not used to being carried, awkwardly lowered his head in embarrassment. Seeing that made me feel a twinge of self-consciousness. I had gotten way too comfortable with being carried around. Maybe I should start feeling a little embarrassed too.

Although my other self had higher stats, he didn’t have any damage-nullifying items, so Yoohyun took the lead in front of us. Even an S-rank hunter was more vulnerable to attacks from behind. It also helped that Sung Hyunje had combat foresight.

But I wondered, would Grace recognize my other self as a contractor too? It seemed to recognize Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje as the same people.

"Unfortunately, I don’t have many answers," Sung Hyunje, who was holding me, spoke as he picked up on my thoughts.

"It’s been a while since we entered the dungeon. What have you been doing in that time? Where did you end up?"

"As I assumed," Sung Hyunje said with a hint of displeasure. "It seems I was unconscious for quite a while."

"What? But why...?" I began, then stopped as a thought struck me. The dungeon version of Sung Hyunje... That version of him was likely linked to this Sung Hyunje, just like how me and my other self were strongly connected. However, unlike me, the pre-regression Sung Hyunje wasn’t in a normal state.

Bound by the chains of the Crescent Moon, possessing a power so overwhelming that even Young Chaos had been taken aback. Could the current Sung Hyunje have lost consciousness under the weight of that other self? If two identical people existed, and one was vastly stronger... could one end up absorbing or merging with the other?

"Does my partner know something?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"Well, uh… kind of."

"I saw Song Taewon’s grave.”

So, he was there. Sung Hyunje leaped gracefully over a collapsed building. Moving as if gravity didn’t apply to him, he weaved us effortlessly through the rubble.

"The guild building was a wreck, too," he remarked.

"...Did you go inside?" I asked.

"The area was sealed off, wasn’t it?" he replied, his golden eyes looking down at me. The way he looked at me made it clear he already had a pretty good idea of what had happened.

"You must’ve met me there," he said.

"You were pretty insufferable."

Sung Hyunje laughed. "Should I apologize?"

"Your hospitality was terrible, but I’ll let it slide this time."

"To make up for it, I’ll extend you an invitation. You’ll be my first guest, Han Yoojin-gun."

"At your new house? Did the move go well? Not that you had much to bring over."

Since everything had been destroyed… poor fish.

"You probably already figured it out, but this is what I wanted to tell you. All of this," I said.

"I don’t know what you mean," Sung Hyunje replied shamelessly. "As I’m still waiting."

As if he didn’t already know. But maybe this was his way of being considerate. 

I called out to Yoohyun, who was up ahead. "We’ll stop by the supermarket! You go ahead and make sure it’s safe at the hotel!"

"But, hyung..."

"Anything else you need besides ingredients for the seaweed soup?"

My other self in Yoohyun’s arms shook his head, still looking embarrassed. He kept acting like that, so now I was starting to feel embarrassed too. This situation would probably look hilarious to anyone watching.

With Yoohyun and my past self heading to the hotel first, I entered the nearest supermarket with Sung Hyunje. We smashed the locked glass door and stepped into the empty store.

"You’ve never pushed a shopping cart before, have you? Careful, you might get information overload again."

"You think I’ve never bought groceries before?"

Sung Hyunje took the shopping cart I pulled out and pushed it forward. He looked out of place yet somehow also like he was filming a commercial.

"If you’ve ever done groceries, it was probably at a department store, with a VVIP attendant pushing the cart. I can imagine that."

"This might be my first time," he admitted.

"In any world," I added.

He didn’t even have friends or a lover... I should probably be a bit nicer to him. Honestly, who wouldn’t develop a bad personality after being dragged around like that? Even a saint would have their limits.

"Seaweed soup is best with beef. I also like the kind with rice cakes. There was a lady who ran a side dish shop that made amazing beef and rice cake seaweed soup. Do you think she might be the same one who works at the Breaker Guild?"

I grabbed an umbrella to use as a walking stick and headed for the butcher section first. The lights were out, so I was worried the meat might’ve spoiled, but the chill was still seeping out from the coolers. After all, this dungeon hadn’t formed that long ago. Even without power, the fridge would stay cold for a while as long as the door hadn’t been opened.

I picked out the best Korean beef for soup, since it was all free. Maybe I should grab some for grilling too.

"Since it’s all free, even Director Song will eat it, right? Though raw beef might be pushing it."

With so many mouths to feed, all with big appetites, I loaded up the cart with top-grade beef cuts. I wondered if the gas and electricity were still working at the hotel. With Yoohyun and Sung Hyunje there, cooking it shouldn’t be a problem. I also grabbed some lettuce for wraps, garlic since Yerim likes it, mushrooms, and… is there no kimchi here? Also cola—actually no, every hotel room has drinks. While they’re usually not free, right now they would be.

I also grabbed a small bag of rice. Red bean rice would be nice, but it takes too long to soak the beans. At least seaweed soaks quickly. I picked the most expensive one and grabbed some seasonings, just in case the hotel didn’t have any.

"The seafood tank’s still working. Putting abalone in beef soup might be overkill, though. Should I grill it instead? How about a lobster? Director Song likes sashimi, right? But slicing fish for sashimi might be too hard."

"I can easily handle the sashimi."

"Seriously, is there anything you can’t do? Anyway, it’s all free!"

When else would I have the chance to feed Director Song such expensive food? I took out a fresh lobster, then another one. Yerim liked things like this too, though she preferred meat. Noah also liked sashimi, surprisingly. I grabbed some abalone, shrimp, and fish—wait, never mind the fish. I took some vinegar, soy sauce, and wasabi too.

The hotel probably had plenty of fruit for dessert. They likely had meat too, but you never knew the quality. Might as well feed them the best Korean beef while I had the chance. Do they label it properly here?

There was a sudden shout. 

"Thieves in the supermarket! Wait, Han Yoojin? Have you resorted to theft now—"

Bang! A bullet whizzed by, narrowly missing the head of a babbling hunter. Not because I missed, but because he dodged well. Guess he’s of a higher rank.

"You little—"

The hunter who had been cursing stopped in his tracks when he saw the man pushing the shopping cart. The guild leader of Sesung casually pulled a pair of kitchen scissors from a display rack and tossed it at the hunter. Thunk. Thud. Correction, must be a low-rank hunter. Even if an S-Rank throws it, those are still just kitchen scissors.

"My reputation was pretty bad," I said, rifling through the snack aisle. "As you probably guessed, I regressed to the past. I used to be thirty years old!"

"So it’s true," he mused.

"What do you mean, ‘so it’s true’? And you, Sung Hyunje-ssi, you disappeared before the regression. Claimed you were raising sheep in the Alps."

"And Song Taewon-ssi died."

"Yes. You said you saw his grave? It was something you forced into place."

"Was it because of me?" he asked.

"No idea. There must be a connection, but your other self wouldn’t tell me the details. And as for you, you were apparently just waiting for the day the Crescent Moon would take you."

"I see," he said, as if we were talking about someone else entirely. I tossed a snack bag into the cart and looked at him.

"Your other self said the world would be better off if Sung Hyunje disappeared. What do you think about that?"

"What do you think, Han Yoojin-gun?"

"Well..."

No matter who asked, my answer would always be the same. Whether it was Sung Hyunje or anyone else.

"I’m tired of losing people, and I’m not the type to give up easily. ‘Oh, I guess I can’t help it. Let’s part ways here. See you in the afterlife~?’ I don’t think I can say that."

"Even if I say I’m giving up?"

"Then I’d curse at you. What about your S-Rank dignity? Even an F-Rank is fighting hard, so who do you think you are, giving up? If you’re going to do that, hand over your rank to me. Now that I think about it, I’m getting angry. If I collapse first, then you can give up!"

If you’re living well, bragging about being high-rank, then live up to it. I can't stand to see you giving up before I do, if only because it pisses me off.

"Besides, you made me a promise. That you would stay as you are. Your pre-regression self didn’t promise me that, so whatever. But you did. Since we’ve already gotten to this point, you have to see it through with me to the end."

"I wouldn’t dare throw the first stone, out of fear of Han Yoojin-gun."

What stones—oh, does he mean Baduk? The more I looked at his relaxed smile, the more I was reminded of the Sung Hyunje in the collapsed building. I really didn’t want to see him like that again. Tangled up like he’d been caught in a spiderweb… It didn’t suit him at all.

But how could we stop the Crescent Moon? It made sense why the pre-regression Seong Hyunje had lost hope after losing Song Taewon. Was there any escape other than death?

"Was my situation really that pitiful?" Sung Hyunje asked.

"The only person who can kill Sung Hyunje is Director Song Taewon," I replied. I didn’t bring up what had been said about me. It was too vague a prophecy, and I honestly couldn’t see how I could play a part in it. "That’s why you once said you would treat him well. An older version of you from some other world."

"I am treating him well," he said.

Sure you are. We pushed the cart through the checkout without bothering to bag anything. There was too much stuff, so we just wheeled the cart out of the market. The sound of the wheels rolling was oddly cheerful.

"Stop trying to mess around with me. I’ve already been hurt enough," I said.

I gave Sung Hyunje a filtered version of what had happened before the regression.

"I was sincere, you know," he said.

"And I said I don’t need it."

"Even so, it’s not good for the two of you to stay close."

Chains clinked as they lashed out, skewering a hunter who had been sneaking up on us. I thought we’d wiped out most of them, but there were still a few trickling in. I guess it would take a while for mid-rank hunters to reach us on foot.

"Aren’t you already pushing your pre-regression self away, insisting that he’s different from you?" he continued.

"What? No, I’m not."

"It’s instinctual. If you’re the same person, you feel like your place is being threatened. There’s only room for one Han Yoojin."

Two can’t fit in the same spot. If they try, they’ll have to split that spot—either evenly or unevenly. That’s what Sung Hyunje meant.

"To protect Han Yoojin, you need to create a completely new place for one of you. Even if you can live on your own, it’s better to keep your places separate."

"…You’re not just making excuses to take me away, are you? Actually, earlier, you seemed awfully eager to take the other me with you. Are you saying one is enough for you, no matter which it is? You might end up with another business partner."

"I only have one partner," he said.

You sure talk smoothly.

"But I’ll admit, I do want to nurture him. It’s no longer possible with my current partner, so I confess I’m a little excited."

He really does have a hobby of raising people, doesn’t he? Considering Sung Hyunje’s personality, my pre-regression self would definitely spark his curiosity. It’s not every day you get the chance to nurture the same person in a completely different way. Especially someone who already rejected him. Though my other self had turned him down too.

"Oh, the lights are on at the hotel," I observed.

In the increasingly dark street, I could see the lights shining through the lobby’s glass doors. Maybe the Newbie had managed to get the power on. If the others returned safely, it looked like we could spend the night comfortably.

[glitchedtravel]

TRAVERSE - Chapter ¹

(manhwas x reader)

"Remind me what I have to do again?" You asked the system while changing your clothes to something more simple and ragged.

"You will pretend to be an E slash F rank with a 'hidden' SS skill that has yet to be unlocked to catch the attention of the main character, Han Yoojin. To add the extra effort, you'll be dressed up like one!" The screen repeated. You raise an eyebrow, "And what is this so called hidden skill?"

"Morph. Or preferably said, shapeshift."

You finish your dress up by changing the appearance of your bag into a duffel bag. "Shapeshift? What does the main character would see in an shapeshifting skill?" You questioned, pondering over the decision of the chosen skill. "Think of it as being the bait. And also if you manage to get very close with the main character, you will hear his secrets by the man himself!" The screen exploded a holographic party popper with extra sound effects. You roll your eyes, "What good does that come out of?" The system managed to shrug, "You get extra points—" "I'm in."

As you now walk through the busy street, looking around while waiting to get stopped by Han Yoojin, the main character of the story you're in. "Are you sure this is the right place?" You whispered. "Are you doubting me?" The system childishly question back. You sigh in exasperation, "No.." Before the system had a chance to confirm, you were suddenly stopped by someone tapping your shoulder. 'Must be him,' You thought, turning around to see who it actually was. Turns out, you were wrong! It was instead - a creepy man.

"Hey there pretty~ Would you like to come with me and my buddies? It doesn't seem like you have a job~" The creepy man disgustingly flirted while licking his lips, obviously not really looking at your face but instead glancing down at your chest/thighs. Your nose scrunched up in disgust and backed away from him. The man saw your action and grab you by the arm, "Come on~ don't be shy~ we're friendly~" You sneered, "Get away from me, you-"

"Stop right there!" Someone yelled. 'FINALLY!' You felt relieved that the actual man that you were searching and waiting for, finally came to save you. The creepy man throws you down the ground when the protagonist runs towards the both of you. "Get your hands off of them." Han yoojin, stand in between the both of you and tries to shield you away from the creepy man. Said man simply sneered at the shorter, about to hit him until someone else stopped him.

The someone else in question turns out to be a big buff man that looks to be someone's bodyguard. That man is Kim Sunghan, currently at this point of the story, is an A rank. Just by his sheer size and terrifying facial expression, he managed to scare the creepy man off. "Tch! Whatever, bitch!" The creepy man spit and scurry away with his tail between his legs. You glared at his back for a moment before quickly putting up a weak facade when Han Yoojin turn towards you asking, "Are you okay?" He offers his hand towards you who is still on the ground. Kim Sunghan behind him, 'I can feel his judging eyes.' You sweat dropped.

"Y-yes.. I'm fine.. thank you, mister..!" 'I want to die.' You mentally cringed at your acting but work's work you guessed. You grab his hand and weakly tries to stand up, keeping up the pathetic wet cat act to convince them both. You noticed how Han Yoojin's eyes seemed to widen a bit and you immediately know he had use his skill and saw the locked hidden skill the system gave you. The protagonist regain his posture and rubbed his nape bashfully , "I know this might seem weird but... would you like to work under me?"

"I'm sorry I don't do that stuff," even if what you say is technically scripted, you, with common sense, will say that exact same thing when someone asks you that. Kim Sunghan raise an eyebrow as Han Yoojin animated move his hands in panicked motion and tried to clear things up, "N-no! That's not what I mean!! I mean as in like a helper!" Han Yoojin stopped his movements and calmly tried to explain more, "I-I promise it's nothing bad! You just have to clean and cook if you can do that!—" 'I feel offended.' "—And I'll offer you a home, food and training!"

"Training...?" You murmured loud enough for him to hear as part of the act. You know he's going to spit some bullshit that is technically true but still, "Yes! Training! I sense great potential in you and I can help you unlocked that potential!" Han Yoojin beamed at you confidently, as if he doesn't sound crazy if it weren't for the fact that you knew his intentions. However, you continued on with your facade and smiled hopefully at him, "You really think so...?" He nods at your question. "Oh thank you so much mister! I am at your care! I owe you my life!" Okay maybe that's a little far, you thought. "No need, I'm just glad you're okay and accepted my offer! Oh, before I forget, I'm Han Yoojin! This guy right here," he points to the buff guy, "is Kim Sunghan, my bodyguard! So don't be too intimidated..." he laughs nervously when he saw your 'scared' expression at the buff man. "What's your name?"

You smile softly, "I'm [Name]. It's a pleasure to meet you, Han Yoojin."

[dbgdbw]

509.The Weapon Of Choice Has To Be

무기는 역시

In a large, empty room, two people appeared. Han Yoohyun and Song Taewon calmly proceeded to survey their surroundings. On one wall, there was a line of text–’Please stand by’–that pulsed with a faint light. It appeared to be a waiting room, of sorts. 

Briskly donning his Coat, Han Yoohyun began taking stock of his equipment. His demeanor was as though he were about to face off against a high-level Dungeon or monster, with painstaking attention being applied. 

“...Hunter Han Yoohyun.”

“It will not be an easy feat.”

Han Yoohyun replied, taking out an Item with poison-resistance properties. 

“Since there’s no way Hyung would have proposed such a disadvantageous bet, without a contingency.”

“I will concede that as well. However, considering the parameters at present, it will be close to impossible for Han Yoojin-ssi to pull off a victory.”

Song Taewon began looking over his own equipment as well. The most useful objects seemed to be a wire, and a pair of handcuffs–both of which had been very nearly forced on him by Han Yoojin. Would it be fine to take these two with him, for this. Wouldn’t he have to return them to him before he departed. 

“At present, Han Yoojin-ssi possesses F-rank Stats, while Hunter Sung Hyunjae has dropped to a B-rank. Even if he were to make use of the DPS Skill doubling ability, they would be hard-pressed to rebuff just myself in an altercation.”

On top of that, Han Yoojin presently lacked the Changeling that could buff him to the level of an S-rank. Eunhae, as well as other Items, and his poison-curse resistance would still be accessible, but it would be effectively impossible to snatch victory away from two S-ranks with only those in his repertoire. 

“Only, there is the possibility that the environment here will prove to be advantageous to Han Yoojin-ssi.”

Song Taewon gazed towards one of the room’s walls, as though searching for an entryway that didn’t exist. 

“If it should turn out that this area is one that has been overrun with poisons and curses at S-rank or higher, then simply waiting us out while remaining hidden would prove to be sufficient.”

“Poison can be incinerated.”

Had it been a venom that infiltrated the body proper through a wound, the outcome may have been uncertain; however, simple poisons would hardly be capable of harming Han Yoohyun. Wielding his fire, he could simply incinerate all of its traces. As poison tended to be weak to fire besides, with Han Yoohyun’s current power level, he would be capable of calling forth an SS-rank or higher flame to burn everything away.

Giving a small nod, Song Taewon took out a flame-resistance Item and equipped it. If Sung Hyunjae’s Skill level had also been dropped to B-rank, then it would be possible to withstand his attacks even without an Item with resistance properties equipped. Therefore, with Han Yoohyun–and not to mention, Han Yoojin’s bombs–taken into account, it would be advisable to favor the flame-resistance at this juncture. 

“When Hyung’s jacket and shoes combine with his camouflaging Skill, it becomes increasingly difficult to triangulate his position. If he were to utilize the Cookie as well, even an S-rank would struggle to notice his approach.”

As Han Yoohyun recounted how he had utilized the Cookie and the Doppelganger Doll prior to pull off a feint, Song Taewon watched him silently for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Would you, Hunter Han Yoohyun, not be better off simply providing support in this situation.”

When met with an incredulous look, Song Taewon elaborated.

“Though it may hardly be my place to be saying such, it is my desire that Han Yoojin-ssi experience the least amount of harm possible. Therefore, I would opine also that Hunter Han Yoohyun, as the one who will remain by his side, should be refraining from taking a proactive stance during this engagement.”

“First, Hyung is formidable. Please discard any notion that this will be a certain victory.”

Han Yoohyun replied bluntly. 

“At the same time, Hyung holds a tendency towards self-deprecation. Were I to limit my participation in this endeavor, there is a likelihood that it will, in fact, increase the difficulty involved.”

If he sensed that he wasn’t being taken seriously, if he lost in that kind of situation; the self-reproach he experienced would only worsen. As a result, Han Yoohyun had judged that the two S-ranks putting forth their full effort, would be the better alternative. 

“Even when up against an opponent vastly stronger than oneself, so long as the fight is a fair match, even a loss will conclude in one’s heart feeling less burdened–is what I had been told. Is that not the case?”

Eyes like glass, devoid of any emotion, regarded Song Taewon. A completely different set of eyes, than when he was beside Han Yoojin. In Han Yoojin’s presence, Han Yoohyun was capable of passing as a ‘normal’ person; but at the same time, it was that very juxtaposition which also made him feel far less human. 

“That… is feasible, certainly. Particularly so where Han Yoojin-ssi is concerned, perhaps.”

“And as Hyung has accepted me, this much should be permissible. Because even if I behave in a way contrary to human standards, he’ll still try to understand me. Of course, I’m putting in my fair share of work as well.”

Without having to perpetually repress himself as he had done in the past, fulfilling Han Yoojin’s wants as well simultaneously. Bak Yerim in particular was proving to be an ideal surveillance subject. 

As Bak Yerim had been picking up Han Yoohyun’s combat style and workplace conduct, Han Yoohyun had also been observing with keen eyes the robustly sentimental lifestyle Bak Yerim led, so unlike his own. More than anything, that she was another blood-tied Nurtured at the same level, who also lived with Han Yoojin, was proving helpful in a number of ways. 

Han Yoohyun’s lips pulled into a soft smile. The lifeless, doll-like visage bloomed with vitality. Contained within his gently curved eyes was Hyung, out of view from this place. 

“...Hunter Han Yoohyun, you.”

Song Taewon bit back words. In a different way than Sung Hyunjae, Han Yoohyun too felt alien, and difficult to comprehend. Without Han Yoojin, all he became was an emotionless S-rank Hunter. However, by virtue of Han Yoojin’s existence, he became suffused with a brilliant light. 

And then–with ‘Sung Hyunjae’ and ‘Han Yoojin’ brought to mind, Song Taewon’s teeth clenched unconsciously once more. Deliberately, he forced himself to turn away from the emotion curled in on itself, within the deep recess of his heart. 

“Like Han Yoojin-ssi very much, I see.”

Ultimately, he glossed it over with banal words. A smile still gracing his face, Han Yoohyun nodded.

“Yes. I’m in love with him.”(1)

Song Taewon turned his head away, as though burdened. The urge to flee from this situation came over him.

[ 10:00 ]

Just then, the letters indicating that they should prepare themselves shifted into numbers. As it had changed to include markers for seconds, it appeared that it was indicating the waiting period would be over in ten minutes’ time. 

“It will be advisable to attempt to conclude this quickly.”

Han Yoohyun said, sucking in a short breath.

“Hyung may have been the one to make the bet, but it is still an aberration that lies outside of our established plans. The longer this is drawn out, the more likely it is to prove to be disadvantageous further on.”

“...Yes.”

Resolutely attempting to cast off those thoughts, Song Taewon began winding the wire around his arm. It would all be over soon enough, at any rate. He would be departing, and Han Yoojin would live on. And after a brief memorial, those around Song Taewon would also move on as well.

The familiar faces they had encountered in the Christmas Nightmare Dungeon came to his mind. Now, there should be a solitary black sheep counted among them as well. And Han Yoojin would be the one to conscientiously care for the ones he'd left behind.

That would have to be enough. He couldn't afford to be any greedier than that.

“Songie, he–... No, it’s nothing.”

Was it because the weather had turned cold recently. Lately, he had been trying to climb up onto the bed to sleep. He liked to trot along the top of the back of the sofa, too. Maybe because his wool was black, it seemed like he felt more secure when snugly cloistered by other black-colored objects. He didn’t mind taking baths, but disliked getting his wool wet in the rain. He’d either make a big loop around a muddy puddle, or come begging to be picked up instead.

“Concerning the young lamb, please pass along to Han Yoojin-ssi that he should exercise caution if it attempts to nibble at his fingers. It is accustomed to my own.”

Because he couldn’t allow him to come to harm, or let him cause harm, he mustered the words. 5 minutes, then 3 minutes, then 1 minute. The two exchanged words in a low conversation. Barring the topic of the little lamb, it was solely focused on combat strategy, and their plan of action.

[ 00:00 ]

The blinking timer vanished. And then, a message window appeared in front of the two. 

[ All Awakened will hereby be turned into non-Awakened. ] 

Han Yoohyun and Song Taewon’s eyes grew wide.

* * *

“This wasn’t what I’d had in mind!”

The environment before us shifted, and a room enclosed by walls on all sides took shape. It was a waiting room. Letting out a deep sigh, I turned back to look at Sung Hyunjae. 

“Don’t laugh.”

“How cruel. And besides, a smiling face is more pleasing to look upon, no.”

Yeah, you’re good-looking, whatever.

“If your rank’s dropped, shouldn’t your visuals(2) have plummeted correspondingly as well, sir?”

“There was little that changed post-Awakening, you see. Aside from a slight growth spurt.”

…though Yoohyunie had been handsome to begin with too, so. Even if there were slight differences that could be attributed to the age difference. 

“180s?”

“Over 190 at least, naturally.”

“Good-for-fucking-you!”

Of course, other S-ranks didn’t tend to grow more than 10 centimeters or so either, so long as they’d Awakened past their mid-twenties, but the younger kids in their teens or early twenties tended to shoot up in stature still. Yoohyunie and Yerimie were both steadily growing, too. Would Noah-ssi grow a bit more as well, maybe?

“I would so dearly love to crack open that preeminent skull of yours, sir, to see what kind of mental calculations might be in there. Look at you, having a grand ol’ time! Even though you’re in that kind of shabby state!”

“Do calm yourself.”

“You really think I’m gonna calm down right now! My poor future. You’re straining my neck, so sit down, sir! The hell are you brainlessly standing around for!”

Sung Hyunjae docilely took a seat on the ground. Watching him sit while hugging his knees, I felt my frustration boiling over. The fuck did he need to sit like that for. 

“Are you attempting to appear pitiful right now, sir?”

“The floor is so very cold. With these B-rank Stats, the chill creeps steadily in.”

“So F-ranks should just freeze to death then, I guess! Hell, if your Stats are in that kind of shape, then you could’ve called Evelyn-ssi and asked her to protect you or something. Why on earth were you stupidly sitting there by yourself, sir? Even if you can’t be killed, do you have any idea what might’ve befallen on you still? When there are so many S-ranks on this island!”

“Hunter Miller’s bedside manners are frankly nonexistent, you see.”

“Then Soyoung-ssi at least, sir!”

“Soyoungie possesses less foresight than one might expect, and would likely opt to engage in combat.”

“What a series of gre~at life decisions you’ve made till now, huh, Sung Hyunjae!”

Don’t fucking laugh! Why were you laughing! How could you even laugh in this sort of situation! Yeah, alright, so proceeding himself had probably been the safest option available after all. Since unless they knew about Sung Hyunjae’s condition, they were unlikely to be able to muster the courage to approach him in the first place anyway. When working up the nerve to approach him in a cafeteria even resulted in bread crusts being dropped into your hands, how many people would be capable of going up to his office to knock on the door.

I let out a series of heartfelt sighs. How had things ended up in this state, honestly.

“Initially, I’d hoped to gain some advantage from the esteemed Seseung guild leader. Well, I suppose I did reap my fair share of perks, with that being said, sir, but. …maybe I should just throw you away here. You’re only a B-rank, right.”

“Yoojin-ah…….”

“Oh, don’t bother pretending to be pathetic. I can clearly see you grinning. This is fun for you, huh? Huh? When other people are going through a crisis!”

“That, I shall extend an apology for.”

“Fuck, even though you know I can’t just let go!”

I gave Sung Hyunjae’s leg a hard kick. Of course, it only ended up hurting my foot more, but he should at least feel some kind of sensation too, right. As I kicked him again, Sung Hyunjae took out a handkerchief. Taking the offered object, I roughly scrubbed my eyes. The area around my eyes stung, and my chest felt tight, too. 

“I can’t give up on this, sir. Even if I’m labeled as idiotic, and get subject to abuse. That we’ll all be doomed like this, and some things are just impossible, no matter how much I might regret it to death.”

“Of course.”

“Don’t ‘of course’ me! Is this the behavior of someone who’s self-aware? While Section Chief Song-nim might’ve gone too far too, you’re not any better than him, either!”

But Yoohyunie… When compared to pre-regression, he was doing loads better. In any case, when I was already flipping out because of my dongsaeng, these assholes just had to go and… Were they hoping to make me flip out again so I’d end up right-side-back-up, I wondered.

“If you’re going to push anything off to me, it should be an inheritance! I don’t need anything other than that! This damn bastard, when you already know very well……!”

Massaging my aching temples, I took deliberate, measured breaths. Let’s calm down. Since even a year’s worth of yelling still wouldn’t be enough, let’s calm down for now.

“I do have more to say to Section Chief Song-nim, too, but since he’s not here at the moment.”

“Then, my turn–”

“Isn’t over yet, sir. Throw out any thoughts you have of turning tail, as we’ll be going up against Yoohyunie and Section Chief Song-nim.”

As I was reminded of this myself, I felt overcome with bleak helplessness yet again. Why did it have to be those two, of all people. Rising from his seat, Sung Hyunjae looked towards me.

“It should hardly draw out any longer than a minute, I imagine.”

“If it’s a straight fight, probably under 30 seconds. No, 10 seconds. It’ll take 10 seconds to approach us.”

If there was a significant enough distance between us, we might be able to flee for 5 seconds more. I took a look at our surroundings, but the only things that came into view were the walls and the ceiling. I didn’t know how the outside of the room might look, either. Just.

“Go ahead and thoroughly empty  out your inventory, sir.”

That there was still a fighting chance. I began to take out everything in my inventory, for starters. Sung Hyunjae, too, began to take this and that out.

“You’re still holding onto that spatula, sir? Is that goddamn ball of yarn multiplying in your inventory, or what. The hell’s with this commemorative towel, when did you even grab this.”

“There’s a Peace doll that’s capable of entering inventories, as well.”

“Is this a rent-a-locker? Huh? A warehouse?”

“The bike I’d gifted, I see. And what might that basket be.”

“It’s a laundry basket, sir–very handy.”

I said, dropping down an armful of firearms. Aside from the Leopard Cat Gun, the assembled firearms were all low-rank equipment. 

“Do you have experience operating a firearm, sir? Have you served?”

“Though I might look like this, I was in the marine corps, mind.”

“...for real, sir?”

“I wonder.”

I couldn’t believe it. Considering that he was laughing, it seemed like it’d been in jest–so did you finish your military service, or not.(3) As assorted items came to be littered across the floor, a 10-minute countdown had appeared on the wall. Unconsciously, I swallowed, my throat dry. 

“Once 10 minutes have passed, sir, we’ll become non-Awakened.”

Sung Hyunjae showed a faintly startled expression.

“To be precise, we’ll be swapped into bodies that match the parameters. Reminiscent of the Dungeon in Japan, it’s a kind of artificial avatar-body system. That’s why it’s safe, too, sir. I wheedled Chatterbox into it by selling it as a no-Skill, no-Stat, pure combat-ability matchup. Initially, I’d planned on using it to suppress the S-ranks that had been invited here by Chatterbox.”

Without Skills or Stats, just simple man versus man. 

“Of course, S-ranks tend to have been in outstanding physical condition even prior to Awakening. However–having something you’d taken for granted suddenly taken away has a bigger impact than you’d expect, as it turns out, sir. And they all tend to be juiced up with buffing Skills, too. They should have a more difficult time adjusting to becoming non-Awakened than an unremarkable F-rank, for example.”

Stats were one thing, yes; but they’d no longer be able to use their Skills, either. It meant that the battle parameters they’d been acclimated to up till this point would undergo a complete transformation. 

“Just like how it’s difficult to restrain one’s strength immediately after Awakening, they should struggle to adjust to the change, sir. If things work out normally, I mean. On top of that, equipment will turn into ordinary items, and the inventory will be blocked off too. Compared to us, who were able to prepare beforehand, sir, they’ll be at a definite disadvantage.”

The issue was.

“But Yoohyunie and Section Chief Song-nim… are kind of outliers, huh, sir. Particularly Section Chief Song-nim.”

“As Song Taewon is hardly predisposed to rely on equipment or Skills from the onset, indeed.”

“He’ll probably acclimate quickly, too, sir. Yoohyunie as well, of course.”

In the end, it was difficult to say that we would hold an advantage still. And during that span, the time had trickled away even more. I tossed a gun towards Sung Hyunjae. 

“At any rate, when it comes to a fight between non-Awakened.”

“Guns are the answer, of course.”

Yoohyun-ah, hyung is sorry. Section Chief Song-nim–this time, I’m not sorry.

- - - - -

(1) “예. 사랑하고 있습니다.”

this particular phrasing (‘사랑하고 있습니다’) also gets used when you’re disclosing to someone that you’re pining after x/involved with x (depending on context)

(2) konglish ‘visuals’

(3) kr’s mandatory military service, another hot-button social issue that requires more extensive bg knowledge to understand its significance in the brief context it’s being mentioned in.. as a reductive explanation, military service for kr men basically acts as the ‘divide’ from boy/man, and draft dodgers/men who skip out on military service are viewed as scum of society/not treated as equals/people (in business, personal matters, etc) (also see: steve yoo). as an anecdote, someone i know who’s a kr-american moved to kr to take over his father’s business after getting hitched to a native korean, and one of the main roadblocks he’s been encountering is how other kr men won’t do dealings with him because he’s not a ‘real’ man to them, as he never enlisted after forfeiting his kr citizenship prior. that’s also why the checkbox of ‘served in military’ is directly linked to ‘upstanding adult male citizen’ in the shj military q&a below, and why it’s clarified that yj’s already done his service at the beginning of the novel too; shj wants to keep yj from finding out that he’s a non-군필 because it’ll make yj’s low view of his character plummet even further. (and before you ask: yoohyunie wouldn’t be under the same scrutiny, despite the exemptions s-class get as well for ‘serving the country’, because the standards would be different for him vs men who were past enlistment age prior to the appearance of the Dungeons (which is why sigma wanted to be be younger, ‘bc moon hyuna said it’s a bad look’). this attitude re:exemptions for persons who have ‘served the country’ via achievements is reflective of real life sentiments btw, as seen in this thread discussing Faker’s potential exemption, which skews largely positive) of course, times are changing, and following the brutal killing of Private Yoon, the 2014 shooting, and other such incidents making the news, it’s been said that conditions in the military have improved a significant bit–but the issue of mandatory conscription has also seen a recent flare-up in regards to gender/feminist issues in korea (which isn’t to say it wasn’t already relevant even back in, say, 2009), which is a whole ‘nother animal to tackle in footnotes for a different ch…

hyj&shj try-not-to-brag-abt-or-mention-yh&stw-even-while-separated challenge level: impossible

happy chuseok~ ( ˇ͈ᵕˇ͈ ) ¨̮♡⃛

relevant language notes for the ch (+ old doc):

+ (Q&A)

Q) has sung hyunjae completed his military service? i’d been curious about whether he was someone who’d finished his mandatory service, but since i didn’t have a place to ask, i’d only wondered about it on my own till now A) as the time period where sung hyunjae started to gain a foothold and become active was past his mid-twenties, he never went to the military. however, as crescent moon’s parameters were set up in such a way that he would be perceived as a ‘model male adult citizen’ of whichever nation he was dropped in, not only sung hyunjae himself, but also those around him, perceive him as someone who had already completed his military service in his early twenties. in the present timeline, sung hyunjae is aware that he never enlisted, though as he’d held tenure in various armies over the course of his long life, he considers himself to be an ex-serviceman regardless. in particular, he has no intention of letting han yoojin discover this fact. the place sigma had been installed was akin to a military environment, as well. additionally: sigma petitioned to the puppeteer that he be registered as a juvenile, as moon hyuna had mentioned that an adult non-serviceman gives a derogatory impression, but was rejected. as, if he were to be put on record as sung hyunjae’s relative, he would’ve needed to be under 20 y.o. by the time the Dungeons had appeared in korea, there’s a good chance that he was registered as being in his late twenties^^

steve yoo:

+ (Q&A)

Q) i’m curious about han yoojin’s ideal type. is it only ‘almost 2m height’ for han yoojin’s ideal type, and not particularly anything else besides? A) as han yoojin lacked that kind of support when he was young, he prefers a dependable older partner. his liking for ‘tall height + strapping size’ stems from that as well. he feels a desire to be protected, but because he has his dongsaeng and the kids, he thinks that he needs to be a protector, and so tends to repress and distance himself from that desire. if you get involved with the wrong older partner, the likelihood you might end up divested of everything from your liver to your gallbladder as you get swept up and used, is fairly high. because his expectations(criteria) for an older partner, a model adult, is excessively high, unless it’s an exceptionally outstanding person, he’s at least not likely to be easily swayed. at the conclusion of the novel, marissa is probably the most dangerous ^^ on the flip side, because he tries to become a protector as the model adult with a younger partner, it may run contrary to his ideal type, but being with a younger partner will probably be safer for him. of course, during the novel, the circumstances make it difficult to date.

+ (Q&A)

A) when han yoohyun returned to a human body from his state as a ‘flame,’ he became 198cm. it was han yoojin’s usual view that, while 2 meters was too tall, 198cm would be just right, that influenced the outcome. his body growing even bigger was because of to han yoojin’s influence, as expected ^^ the s-ranks who were there picked up on the difference, and was able to estimate that ‘ah, han yoojin made him like that’ and ‘ah, han yoohyun lined himself up with his hyung’s tastes’ was roughly what had happened. due to overexertion, han yoojin did not grow as much as from his level-up. if he takes good care of his body, he might still grow a bit more. bak yerim is speeding towards mid-170 or so. since her growth rate is more accelerated than han yoojin had initially predicted, if it keeps up, she might be able to hit 180cm before entering high school.

+ (Q&A)

Q) then, would it be possible now for han yoojin to surpass 180cm in height? with everyone around him being 180~190cm, he’s the only smol one… (dainty..) since the puppeteer was able to surpass 180 too, would yoojinie be able to do grow over 180 as well? is it impossible? how many years would it take for him to finish growing all the way..? A) if he takes good care of his health while honing his abilities, it would be possible to see physical growth once he leveled up in rank. if, for example, the young chaos sticks to his side to personally oversee his training, he would probably be able to clear 180 easily within a year. if han yoojin is left to his own devices, and nothing out of the ordinary happens, saying that he’s busy enough raising the kids, he'd probably remain at the same point even after 10 or 20 years. at the very least, han yoohyun or bak yerim will force him to take care of his body. irin, who wishes to increase han yoojin’s lifespan for han yoohyun’s sake, will likely come to stick close to him so as to chaperone his condition

+ (Q&A)

Q) i would like to know the ideal type(s) of the sclass cast A) han yoojin’s has been answered in a comment further up. because han yoohyun is completely disinterested in interpersonal relations with anyone other than han yoojin, his ideal type as well, in every sense, is han yoojin

[wovenstarlight]

The Wish Stone is an extra-rare, extra-special, one-of-a-kind special item that has the power to break multiple laws of the universe just to satisfy the wish of a single being. It is unique in the sense of what it does; what else could hope to achieve a speck of its ability to twist fundamental constants of reality?

But in the sense of being unique, it is not so. There are so many words for extra-rare, extra-special things that break the normal laws of a field, things that need to be handled carefully, things that need special care to address the problems of colossal proportions they might cause left unaddressed. Outliers. Anomalies. Edge cases.

In the words of someone who might use that last term, here's what happens: The edge case is passed. The world's data gets overwritten. It starts seemingly from scratch.

Except no one made sure to clear the cache.

---

When people Awaken, their stats as an Unawakened person are given a slight boost as a reward for Awakening, then presented to the Awakener in question.

When Han Yoojin (re)Awakens, the world reaches for his stats. The world finds stats that are double-S in rank. The world does not shrug or blink in surprise, because it is a world and therefore barely conscious. All it does is buff them to a shine and place them in Han Yoojin's hands.

Han Yoojin re-Awakens. Han Yoojin gets a notification of the titles he's earned, but distracting as they are, his focus is on the strength that floods his limbs, the sharpening of his senses, the unnatural sense of the ebb and flow of mana around him. Han Yoojin stares blankly ahead as his younger brother freezes in his arms, as Kim Sunghan snaps to petrified attention just outside the door, as the entire building is overcome with animal terror. Han Yoojin thinks, what? and then opens his Status Window, scans the names of his skills, and thinks once again, What?

Han Yoojin is the world's first SS-rank. This is only the first of the glitches he will be at the center of.

[joy-hq]

Han Yoojin: *getting a S-rank skill*

Also Han Yoojin: "That's really disappointing system people, I had hoped to get a SS-rank skill"

The System people:

[sunghyunjae]

excerpt from an AU im currently writing ^_^ this is set after 196

"But now you seem to have a finger in every pie." Sung Hyunjae's steps halt, and Han Yoojin feels a spike of dread work its way up his spine as he stops with him.

"You've amassed a fortune out of taming monsters, talked over budding, S-rank talented individuals into joining your side, and now I have just witnessed you swindle an SS-ranked item out of experienced businessmen, along with their chance to profit off what could be the most groundbreaking invention for the Hunter world after the synthesization of the health potion.

Sung Hyunjae had been stepping closer as he talked until he’s fully invading Han Yoojin’s space, and there’s no one else in the hallway except for them but he feels crowded in from every side, still, the air he breathes saturated with his overwhelming presence.

"What I would like to know, Han Yoojin-gun, is when exactly did you get such a clever mouth?"

The memory of his hands scorching a trail along Han Yoojin's back, drifting up from his shoulders to grip his jaw rises unbidden in his mind. The dread morphs, colors with the memory of heat, clears with the suggestion of an idea. His face aches and burns. Worth a try.

He raises his hand.

“It’s clever in more ways than one,” he says, resting his hand in the same place Sung Hyunjae’s had on him earlier, as he guides him down. “Would you like to be reminded of how?”

It's a poor attempt at misdirection and they both recognize it as such. Sung Hyunjae stares at him with one of his intense unmoving gaze as he decides whether to let it go this time too or not.

Come on, he thinks, and makes sure to not look away even once as he deliberately relaxes his shoulders, and tilts his head to subtly bare the side of his neck. I promise to make it worth your while.

It’s still not quite enough. Sung Hyunjae’s eyebrow ticks up, but he himself doesn’t budge, so Han Yoojin lets himself reach up, and subtly feel along the shell of his ear, knuckles softly brushing the space behind it.

Then he wets his lips, and leans forward to whisper, low and husky, “Wouldn’t you?”

"...you are," Sung Hyunjae's finally voice sounds out from the side, just under a conversational volume, but he's never heard him raise his voice above that the whole time Han Yoojin's known him. "much more difficult to deal with than I first thought, Han Yoojin-gun."

His tone is more indulgent than anything else. He could even say it sounds a little cheerful.

The next thing he knows, Han Yoojin’s back is against the wall and for a moment all he can see is gold.

[wovenstarlight]

intrigued by that s-classes au idea. it's really good!! I'd love to hear more

I think u mean cached au bc that's the one I posted most recently! i don't have any real... Thoughts on it that aren't already in that twt thread i posted before, so here u go, a ficlet thing

-

There's a hand at his elbow. "Hyung," Yoohyun says softly.

"Yeah?" Yoojin has his head tipped back, watching the mana currents looping and curling through the air, swirling around the two of them when they aren't flowing into the brilliant, glowing circle of mana right in front of them. They're weirdly pretty. Kind of soothing to watch.

"There's a portal."

Yes, he can see that, Yoohyun, he doesn't say. "Mm."

Yoohyun grasps his elbow more firmly, tucking his hand into his arm, and pulls him through. Magic presses down around his shoulders like a physical thing, strangely reminiscent of the jets of air that hit you when entering a storefront with a fan over the door. But this time around, it feels... ticklish. Light. Nothing like the weight that used to press down on his chest and pull the breath out of his lungs.

He exhales unsteadily. Yoohyun's grip tightens, and he remembers to draw in a breath, draw in his aura—

It feels like holding a breath. Except he won't die if he keeps it held. It feels like drawing in his shoulders, tucking his head down, minding his business. Making himself unremarkable.

Which is to say, it feels like an old habit. He adjusted pretty damn quick.

Yoohyun, on the other hand...

Yoojin watches, detached, as Yoohyun pulls him through his house and into his living room. "Hyung," he says, and then stalls there, staring at the couch with a strange, scrunched-up expression.

Yoojin shifts his arm, tugging slightly on Yoohyun's hand. "Yeah?" he prompts, and Yoohyun pulls away like he's been burned.

(It's fine.)

"Um," Yoohyun starts again. (...When was the last time Yoohyun ever said 'um'?) "You... You can stay here for now."

"I do have a house, you know."

"Yes, but—" Yoohyun finally (finally) looks at him, searching his face with... is that anxiety? It's been a long time. "With your... rank... It isn't safe."

Yoojin sets his jaw and shoves his hands in his pockets. "I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"What? No, of course not, that's... No, I meant�� People might come after you."

...What? "Why?"

"They..." Yoohyun looks away, searching for the words, rocking slightly on his heels. "You're my hyung. And I'm... I've made enemies," he finishes lamely.

"Yoohyun-ah," Yoojin sighs, about to tell him to make his point instead of dropping all these fragmented sentences, when his mind moves ahead of him and completes the implication. He frowns. "—You're worried... about me?"

Yoohyun nods mutely. Yoojin considers telling him it's not like anything could hurt him now, but there's a strange feeling unfurling in his chest, something simultaneously warm and sharp. "Alright," he says, in the end, glancing around himself. "I'll stay here. ...You got yourself a nice place, huh?" He can't quite hide the note of bitterness that sneaks into that last part.

Yoohyun must hear it, but for some reason, instead of getting annoyed like always, his face scrunches up again. "Hyung," he mumbles, kind of wobbly, and Yoojin's moving before he knows it.

"Hey," he says, cradling his little brother's face in his hands. "Yoohyun-ah, what's wrong?"

Yoohyun stares at him with this distraught light in his eyes, mouth opening, but Yoojin can't— He can't look at him looking like—

Yoojin puts a hand on the back of his neck and yanks him down until Yoohyun's face is buried in his neck, wrapping his arms securely around his baby brother. "Hey," he murmurs. "It's okay. Whatever it is. It's alright. 'M sorry, okay?"

"Hyung," Yoohyun chokes out, muffled against his neck, and hugs him back. His arms are tight enough to crush, just like the hugs he used to give when he was very, very little, but Yoojin barely feels the pressure. He squeezes him back, careful not to hurt him. "You don't have to— All this time, I've been so— I have so much to explain—"

"Yoohyun-ah," Yoojin breathes, ignoring that feeling in his chest, sharp, sharp, sharp— "It's okay. It's fine."

"It's not," Yoohyun wails. "I hurt you."

Ah.

One part of Yoojin, a wound eight years old and still bleeding and raw, wants to hiss and snap, sharp sharp sharp, yes you did, wants it to hurt.

The other part of Yoojin held his little brother's cooling body in his arms less than two hours ago. That other part of Yoojin is holding his brother in his arms right now, alive and breathing. Breathing shakily, like he's about to cry. That other part of Yoojin is still Yoohyun's hyung.

He pulls Yoohyun impossibly closer and hushes him gently. "We'll figure it out," he promises, after a long moment. "It'll be alright." He inhales, pulls his aura closer, and pulls himself together. "We'll be alright."

They stand there for a very long time.

[dbgdbw]

235-237

235

slipping out of mindiva’s quarters, yoojin hunts down 2/5 of the linked handlers (1 D-rank, 1 C-rank) black widow style, staging their deaths so that it looks like a spider-type monster had managed to break into the facilities; returns to mindiva’s room to use ‘we were drinking together all night’ as his alibi. v sexy ruthless/competent yj action sequence.

236

(enter SIGMA)

(they lock eyes, and the SEEKER’S CHAINS smash into the wall above YOOJIN’s head in a pseudo kabedon)

yj: (lies) i can explain

sigma: first, i have someone i’d like you to meet

(YOOJIN comes face-to-face with the dummy that has his appearance, still perfectly preserved past its one-day expiration date, now dressed in different clothes)

yj: (internally) wtf wtf this psycho kept it??? …as evidence…right…? right…??

yj: (externally) so what do you want

sigma: you (leers)

yj: you must be out of your goddamn mind

yj: anyway. if you’ll stay out of my way until i’ve freed alpha, i’ll let you in on some Very Important Information

sigma: hmmm

yj: it’ll be fun

sigma: yeah alright

[reward(s): (1) contract ]

sigma: so what’s your name anyway

yj: han yoojin

sigma: i see, han yoojin

yj: …you’re looking at the doll right now

sigma: i’m aware, c-rank

237

- prompted by a tip from ‘newcomer’, yj goes to rendezvous with some AVALANCHE-style resistance fighters, who are hoping to pull off a coup d'état against the oppressive city defense force

+ vitera (S), younger sister of white-haired S-rank

+ gnosi (?), ex-DA personnel who left after shifts in power structure

- list of grievances include veritably state-sanctioned kidnappings from age 5 to bolster combat force

- reveals lanchaea’s lambda is secretly assisting the resistance in the bg

- yj and co hatch a plan to bait the linked s-ranks plus others out of the DA (hence why the arc is named ‘fishing 1-3’), using pre-existing animosity between vitera & iriko(이리코)+couvils(쿠빌스) 

- proceeds to bait & switch w/ 3(!! jackpot) SS-rank monsters 

- ‘but really, how was this possible?’ ‘through the power of love and friendship and hope’ ‘...pardon?’ ‘just some bullshit’

- [ ★ 사랑과 우정과 희망으로 S급 다수 퇴치 성공!＾▽＾ ☆ ]

- surprise!! it turns out the real treasure (giver) was the sung hyunjae who’s supposedly ‘infiltrated the System’, all along

-

w/ my turnaround time effectively bumping back up to 5-10 days/ch ish, in the ‘spirit of self-care’, i told myself i’d only work on chs when i’d had at least one sclass interaction with another person that day, someone leaving their reactions to a ch, etc.. and that’s the story of how i went a week w/o doing any translating :) bc i have zero ppl who talk abt sclass w me

instead of serializing, i’m contemplating switching to just doing the chs i think are interesting as i go, with occasional requests maybe; atm, i haven’t been reading ahead because i lose interest in doing filler chs when i already know what happens, but tbh reading the reviews on hosting sites has been more fulfilling ‘fandom interaction’ than i get otherwise, despite most of my free time going to tls.. like what am i even doing here anymore 🥲 

[dbgdbw]

234화

Hyung’s Here (3)

“Docile as a lamb, huh? Though the slightest thing was setting him off, before.”

“Just in case, please remain on standby.”

“To think that it’d work so easily on an SS-rank, it’s indeed remarkable.”

The surveilling gazes, the voices passing judgment–all of it grated. Just as the bastards had remarked, Yoohyunie had meekly submitted himself to my embrace. Moving pliantly as he was bidden, naturally, wholly entrusting his body to my lead–he even progressed to burrow deeper into my hold.

Rubbing his face against my shoulder and chest, frame curled as small as it could go, to press his body as close to mine as possible; seeing my dongsaeng cling to me with the plaintive insistence of a young pup, I bit down on the tip of my tongue. The pain it generated allowed me to scrape together a semblance of indifference, to speak nonchalantly. 

“In cases where the Skill is particularly effective, a transmission of emotions may also take place. Even if I happen to act somewhat aberrantly, please do not be alarmed.”

“An emotional transfer, isn’t that quite dangerous?”

“Even then, my stats only amount to C-rank. Had I been a high-rank Guard, I would’ve been unable to wield such a Skill freely. Additionally, it is only capable of affecting one target at a time.”

I went on to mention that, though the Skill’s rank was indeed on the higher side, it typically wasn’t this effective on an SS-rank. I’m safe, so there’s nothing to be concerned about, the tone implied.

“His cognitive disorientation being amplified by the drugs appears to have magnified the effectiveness. Would it be alright to unbind at least his arms? The Skill will take firmer hold after I’ve imparted some kind of aid.”

Following a brief conference, they finally answered that I shouldn’t touch the bindings around his hands that prevented him from accessing his inventory. An S-rank Guard, carrying the key for the arm restraints, began to approach. Simultaneously, Yoohyunie’s body stiffened in apprehension. 

“Wait! Please toss the key over, instead of coming closer.”

찰그랑, with a clatter, the key was thrown. I quickly loosened the bindings around my dongsaeng’s arms, which had been lashed behind his back, tight enough to be painful. The moment his arms were freed, Yoohyunie threw his arms around me to clutch me close. Hyung, the sound of his voice calling me, muffled by the gag, was reduced to a soft mumble. 

“Yeah–it’s alright, so. You’ve gotta behave……”

My insides felt like they were on fire. I wanted nothing more than to buy a Universal Key at that moment, to immediately undo all the bindings covering my dongsaeng’s body. But there was an S-rank Guard before us, as well as behind. Forget pulling something rash, I couldn’t even relay a message to him without being cautious. It was difficult enough to whisper at a volume where they wouldn’t be able to hear, and they could still pick up on it by just lip-reading as well.

“Allowing him to recover too much mana may cause the situation to become dangerous, so please begin making your way out. Alpha has been remarkably quick to adapt to the draining array, so we’re understandably cautious.”

We would be able to suppress him immediately by forcibly draining his mana, but in that case, Han Yoojin-ssi’s life may become endangered, said Mindiva. I ran my hands in soothing circles against my dongsaeng’s back, gently patting him as he clung to me as if refusing to be parted. I didn’t want to let go.

Maybe I should just detonate the bombs now instead. 

Even if I died, I would respawn, and my dongsaeng… I hadn’t managed to catch in detail, exactly, what would happen. Since it wasn’t his real body, did it just mean that he would be placed in stasis until the raid could be concluded. It would be a relief, if it meant that his consciousness would also lie dormant for that duration; but if he was processed as being ‘deceased’ with his consciousness preserved in its current state, he would doubtlessly be distressed the whole while. 

When he was already reduced to such a terrible state.

‘Though it’s the fastest and most efficient method.’

I couldn’t do it, after all. More than anything else, even if it wasn’t his real body. How could I, with my own hands. I grit my teeth together, and then released my breath.

“...I’ll be back soon, so sleep just a little bit longer.”

Gently, I unwound my dongsaeng’s arms from where they encircled me. Crimson eyes grew wide, as though in shock. 

“It won’t take long, I’ll be quick. Be a good boy.”

Our Yoohyunie. I soothed him, like the way I’d done when he was younger, when he’d tried to follow after me. My dongsaeng’s face was fraught with trepidation. His expression had crumpled, as though on the verge of tears once more, but he didn’t obstinately cling to me any longer. Despite being so much stronger than me still, without protest, he obediently remained in the spot I’d left him.

“...be good and wait for me.”

Even wearing a face that said he wanted nothing more than to approach again right away, Yoohyunie stayed put, hunching in on himself. As I straightened up from my spot, the anxious longing in his gaze grew even more desperate. His huddled form shuddered, trembling visibly. As for myself–I had to bite my tongue several times. The copper taste of blood flooded my mouth. 

…dammit, how the hell was I supposed to turn my back on my dongsaeng, when he was like that. Was there really no way for me to just take him with me right now. Two S-ranks. Yoohyunie was unable to regenerate his mana properly, and because of the drugs, it would be difficult for him to respond as he normally would. And on top of that, the moment they sensed danger, he’d end up being drained of his mana through the mark.

No matter how I tried, I couldn’t come up with a viable solution. It wasn’t feasible right now. So, I needed to retreat for the time being–but.

“Han Yoojin-ssi?”

The moment I began to turn my body in response to the suspicion-laden voice, I could hear my dongsaeng’s breathing grow even more erratic. I felt like I was going insane. I should just.

Just then–as though in interception, a message window popped up in front of me.

[ Patience Is Bitter, But Its Fruit Is Sweet ]

It was a subquest. Did ‘bitter’ even begin to cover this. But, thanks to that, my reason had returned in a flash of clarity. I quickly turned around, without having made any untowards moves. As I practically fled outside, the moment I crossed the threshold of the draining array’s area of effect, the draining array was activated once more, and 풀석, the thud of a body collapsing to the ground could be heard. When I turned my head, the unconscious form of my dongsaeng came into view. 

“Though, his arms really should’ve been re-bound before you made your way out. Well, that much should probably be adequate, still.”

He wouldn’t be able to use his inventory right away, and the moment he tried to undo the bindings on his hands, he could be suppressed with the removal of his mana, said Mindiva. I let out a long exhale. Both my head and my heart, they might still throb in pain as though I’d been beaten all over my body instead, but this was still preferable to having Yoohyunie remain awake. 

At least, if he was unconscious, it would at least ensure he wouldn’t be anxious.

…but still, was there a reason that he needed to be left on the cold ground like that.

“...wouldn’t it be fine to make him more comfortable while sleeping? It makes me feel uncomfortable, just looking at him.”

“Well, when he’s an SS-rank.”

Listen, you shitheads, did you think that just because someone had a sturdier body, that sleeping any which way on bare ground would turn out just fine. And come to think of it, had they even bothered to feed him properly. It seemed like he’d been kept under all this time, so it was probably a long shot to assume they’d bothered to feed him properly. How many days had they starved him, these fucking bastards.

Grinding my teeth on the inside, I closely examined my surroundings. The draining array was wide enough that it took up close to half the room. The moment an Awakened came into contact with the array, they would have their mana drained away, and it also meant that Items that operated on mana couldn’t be used. 

My dongsaeng’s arms had been freed, but the shackles around his ankles were still there; and as the line was connected to the floor, it would be impossible to pull him out with any normal tool.

Simply put–until the mana draining array was turned off, no Awakened would be able to approach.

‘Though I suppose I could enlist a non-Awakened for help.’

Bringing a non-Awakened all the way here, how would I go about it. A camouflaging Item that worked on even an S-rank would be too expensive. Teleportation Items ran into the same issue. On top of only being single-use, the long-distance teleportation Item cost more than 3,000,000 points. 

Currently, I held around 1,500,000 points. The amount had increased a tad, thanks to the hidden quests, but it still wasn’t to the point where I’d be able to buy up a bunch of high-rank Items. Since I still needed to account for what would happen after I managed to rescue Yoohyunie, too.

“That should’ve been a sufficient demonstration of its effectiveness, I trust?”

I spoke to Mindiva with a smile, while trying to keep Yoohyunie out of my frame of vision as best I could. Responding with an of course, he nodded. 

“First, let us step outside.”

“Is it not possible for me to gain custody of Alpha, effectively immediately? I believe he should become obedient fairly quickly, if I could spend two or three days living with him as a caregiver.”

If they believed Yoohyunie was no longer a threat, then the Achates Defense Association would likely release him sooner, of their own volition. Even if only to deal with the SS-rank monsters. At my words, Mindiva began walking towards the exit door with a short jerk of his head ‘no’. 

“I understand that you feel very enthusiastic, but be that as it may, Han Yoojin-ssi has not even transferred agencies as of yet. We will first need to modify your seal to correspond with Achates’ Mana Hole, and then draw up a proper contract, foremost.”

“But to leave Alpha–an SS-rank–incapacitated for such a long period of time, wouldn’t you say that it’s fairly disadvantageous. And you never know when an SS-rank monster might appear, as well.”

“The latter will not be an issue. Fortunately, Solemnis’ Sigma-nim is projected to arrive in short order.”

…Sigma was? The hell, why was that prick showing up again. My brows reflexively knitted in a faint scowl. If an SS-rank Guard was added to the mix, then it naturally followed that saving Yoohyunie would become even more difficult. 

“Originally, he’d declined our request for aid in subduing Alpha–but, for whatever reason, we suddenly received a message saying that he’d decided to comply. Once Sigma-nim arrives, subjugating Alpha should become a far easier task.”

“...around when did the missive arrive?”

“Two days prior. We received the notice quite early in the morning. As visiting a different city does necessitate prior arrangements be made, we anticipate he should be arriving in the next day or two.”

Two days ago. It was the day right after I’d made my escape. The bombs would’ve gone off as soon as it was light, and then the message had arrived at Achates immediately after–was that how it had gone. 

…dammit. So he’d realized that I was heading to Achates. Was it because I’d gone asking around after Alpha and Achates. He just had to be disgustingly perceptive. No, rather, was this really even something that warranted an SS-rank Guard giving chase himself? Maybe he’d just deigned to make the trip because he’d already had the invitation on hand. 

In any case, he was certainly unwelcome. 

As I stepped into the hallway, while pretending to check my Skill window, I brought up the subquest window with the [ Complete ] indicator.

[ Patience Is Bitter, But Its Fruit Is Sweet

For you, who was able to display commendable restraint, a small gift! Sweet things are good for treating stress. 

Reward(s): Caffè latte, 15 year old Medsang Blue Hole wine ]

What kinds of rewards were those. They really were just ‘small gifts’. 

“Would you like to see more of the facility? If not, I will lead you to the dormitories located within the Defense Administration building. I presume using your Skill should've used up a significant amount of mana; should I see that you’re provided access to a fuel tank, first?”

“No, that’s quite alright. That aside, I happen to have in my possession a fifteen-year-old wine from Medsang.”

“If it’s a Medsang wine–a ‘Blue Hole’, perhaps?”

Mindiva said, his face lighting up in excitement. In fact, even the Guard that posted at the entryway was looking at me with rounded eyes. Was it a famous wine, or something. 

“Yes, it’s a bottle of Blue Hole.”

“And on top of that, it’s one that’s been aged fifteen years! Just as they’d mentioned, you do possess a significan… Ah, that was just part of our standard investigation procedures. It was something that had been mentioned by the Guard that escorted Han Yoojin-ssi into the city.”

“My pockets do run quite deep, as it happens.”

“We will not ask to press further on the matter, so please do not worry.”

The sly glance he subtly shot at me afterwards seemed to imply I’ve already gotten an impression of your shady history. Was he under the impression that I had fled all the way here after committing some kind of embezzlement fraud, or something. Though, I had happened to liberate a few things from someone else’s armory. 

“As I was able to sleep for quite a while during the day, I don’t seem to be tired quite yet, so shall we sample a glass together? There are many more things I’d be interested in hearing about, in regards to the future.”

“A most welcome opportunity, of course!”

All smiles, Mindiva led the way. The place he’d brought us to was a officetel-esque living quarter. It was tidy, and fairly spacious as well. 

As we went through the security check area, I collected only the ‘Blue Hole wine’ from my rewards, and slipped it into the bag that had been taken from me as it was returned. 

“This dormitory space is reserved for the personnel who have already completed their shift. Since, even if their night-shift tasks are concluded, they can’t simply return home afterwards.”

Mentioning the excellent condition of employee accommodations, Mindiva said that he would bring out the glasses and anju, and stepped into the kitchen area. Using that opportunity, I quickly went into the Point Shop. Speedily flipping through the categories, I rummaged through everything tagged with a ‘drugs’ designation in the system, filtered through ‘single-use Items’.

[ Pervasive Whisper - S

Colorless, odorless. An elixir that compels one to answer questions truthfully. Does not work on targets with stats or poison resistance B-rank or above.

Single use. ]

Despite being S-rank, it was only effective up to C-rank individuals. As was to be expected, the efficacy of cognition-altering drugs were a lot weaker than their ranks might suggest. 

Mindiva was right at C-rank. The likelihood of him holding a poison resistance Skill or Item that exceeded B-rank was low, I presumed. Since he wasn’t a combat-type. He had proudly introduced himself as someone who might lack a useful Skill, but nevertheless held a position of prestige as a researcher in the field of Mana Hole and Awakened development. 

It was researchers like him that were the real important, essential personnel, rather than the high-ranked combat-type Awakened that could easily be created through the Baptism, he’d said. 

Before Mindiva could return, I quickly popped off the cork and poured the drug inside. If this didn’t work, I’d just have to go with the usual method. Thankfully, in order to preserve personal privacy, this location didn’t have any surveillance cameras–and since it was allegedly well-soundproofed too, well.

“In light of having demonstrated verified effectiveness on Alpha, an SS-rank Guard, Han Yoojin-ssi will likely be placed in one of the highest employee positions available.”

Congratulating me, Mindiva set the glasses upon the table. The anju selection included something that resembled cheese, and cured meat. Picking up the wine bottle, I poured out two glasses in succession. The light pink-colored liquid lapped against the sides as it filled higher. Mindiva didn’t appear to be suspicious in the least.

After all, who would ever suspect that a person who had a verifiable background, who was in Achates City for the first time, would be planning on rescuing Alpha, a supposed total stranger. Even if it’d been something coming from a fortune teller with 100:100 accuracy, it would be enough to make them doubt the veracity of their own fortune-telling. 

Moreover, since I was pouring the wine from the same bottle, right before his eyes, there would be no reason for him to suspect that I had tampered with it. My rank just barely amounted to being only C-rank, too. 

Smoothly, I took a sip of my glass and savored it for a moment before swallowing. 

“This is the first time I’ve had a fifteen-year-old Blue Hole too, but wow… It’s incredible.”

The unadulterated praise slipped out without prompting. It was enough to make me feel regretful about having to drink it with the dog bastard in front of me. Newcomer-ah, couldn’t you provide me with one more bottle. After I rescued my dongsaeng, I wanted to drink it together with him. 

Accompanied by a crisp and lightly refreshing fruity scent, a sweet taste–clean and pure, without being saccharine–washed over my tongue. Because I hadn’t attended to the bite wounds, it stung a bit, but the taste of the wine was enough to make even that pain feel sweet. Since it was alcohol, it would probably help with disinfection, or something. 

Mindiva, too, wore an immensely moved expression. He launched into a long, winding speech, praising the wine.

“Truly, it lives up to its reputation. Simply extraordinary!”

“Of course. Ah, I wanted to ask–about Alpha’s seal. Could you tell me about the people who were linked to him, to be able to drain his mana?”

In order to protect those linked individuals, it was undoubtedly a question that pried into top-secret information. But Mindiva opened his mouth without any hesitation. 

“They number a total of five, comprising  two S-ranks, and three of Alpha’s handlers. But, though they number among the team handling Alpha, as it’s a role that may result in endangerment, naturally they’re not any of the higher-ups. That includes myself, of course.”

So there were five of them.

‘Since fixing Yoohyunie’s mark right now will likely be too difficult, taking out those linked goons should be the faster option.’

As Alpha’s handlers ranged from D~C-rank, dealing with them should prove fairly easy, but the problem lay with the two S-ranks. When I probed a bit further regarding Alpha’s mark, I was told that, so long as he wasn’t up against an opponent that possessed an S-rank or higher mana-absorbing Skill, he should be safe against anyone outside of those five linked people. And, incidentally, it so happened that the S-rank Guard with the mana-absorbing Skill was currently out of commission, having sustained grievous injury.

“A healer has been overseeing the treatment process, but it was said that it would still take three or four days before they would be able to return to active duty. Honestly, what a fiasco, all because of Alpha.”

As the bastard clicked his tongue, I diligently refilled his glass for him(2). Though I wanted to splash it across his face, in truth. 

“How is the mana absorbing rune operated? Would it be something I could turn off and on as well.”

“As it must be done while attuned to the flow of mana, it’s a fickle process. As it requires quite delicate work, one’s magic stat must be at B-rank at minimum.”

Damn–then, even if I knew how, I still wouldn’t be able to do it myself.

That aside, I probed for detailed information regarding both Achates City, and the Defense Association. Mindiva glugged down the alcohol glass by glass as it was poured. Then, eventually, he slumped over the top of the table, drunk. 드르렁, the sound of snoring could be heard.

I looked down at the sleeping bastard in silence for a moment, before getting up from my seat. 

‘For now, I’ll keep you alive.’

Since I’d need an alibi, for it to go over smoothly. I collected the other subquest reward. A caffè latte, topped with an abundance of whipped cream, appeared in my hand. So this place’s caffè latte tasted similar to ours, huh. It was sweet. 

Activating my camouflaging Skill, I slipped outside.

-----

(1) anju (안주) 

(2) korean drinking etiquette

this is more for the older generations of koreans, rather than, say, the young ‘uns (MZ세대), but yoojin does fall into that former category as a fellow millennial, which is also why he’s an ahjussi lol.. so, 유교보이yj would be the type to pay mind to these kinds of little details, particularly as social cues/unspoken subtext. in this context, it’s to juxtapose how ‘servile’/deferential yj is seeming (to play up to mindiva’s ego), with his actual plan/intentions

a helpful commenter on the ch points out that what yj is drinking is, in fact, a caffè mocha, and not a caffè latte (as he thinks). tbh, i’m assuming the ‘mix-up’ is also a joke/reference to ‘라떼는 말이야/나 때는 말이야’ trend that would’ve been around the time this ch was written, which is a meme-pun that plays on ‘latte’/’나 때(는)’ sounding v similar, where the phrase is (usu. ironically) the kr equivalent of ‘back in my day…’ → used to imply the person in question is being boomer-esque → reinforcing the subtextual running joke abt yj’s ahjussi status (also compounded by the fact he doesn’t know ‘modern’ coffee enough to distinguish in the first place)

actually finished the draft for this on thurs, but i’m still recovering from an impromptu procedure so i’ve been proofing at a snail’s pace. anyway i can’t make myself read through this another time bc i need to go lie down again :) so just lmk if u see errors or smth

[dbgdbw]

232화

Hyung’s Here (1)

A doll that was the spitting image of Han Yoojin sat propped in a chair. Completely lax with its eyes closed, it seemed as though he were just fast asleep. Looking only at how the chest rose and fell in small motions, it really did seem like a real human. But neither the sound of breathing, nor of a heart pumping, could be heard. 

Sigma gazed down at the doll before extending a hand. The unresisting manner in which it swayed to and fro was supremely dull. But that a decoy doll had been the only thing left there, wasn’t boring in the least. 

“It appears I vastly underestimated him.”

A smile spread across his lips.

He hadn’t expected the C-rank to obediently stay in one place. But neither had he anticipated that, against all odds, he’d manage to pull off an escape this cleanly. 

They’d made certain to verify that he didn’t possess any Skills that would disable the inventory locking collar. But even so, through some means, he’d managed to unlock the collar and substitute himself with a dummy while being surveilled by an A-rank Guard, before fleeing. 

As his body had been thoroughly searched and his inventory sealed away, it wouldn’t have been an Item. But that being said, it wouldn’t have been a Skill, either. Nor would he have had outside help.

‘A dead end.’

With the knowledge he possessed, he was unable to locate an answer. At the very least, escaping wouldn’t have been possible with only the abilities the beings in this world possessed. His heart beat slightly faster from that fact. 

A lowly C-rank, at most. How had he. 

“These items are assumed to have been left behind by the C-rank.”

The belongings an S-rank Guard brought over were laid out on a table in order. A few sub A-rank Items, and a bed roll. Seeing that, Sigma’s eyes narrowed. 

“Goodness, it would hardly do for him to catch cold from forced exposure to the elements.”

“...Sir?”

At Sigma’s words, which seemed to sound as though he were concerned for the runaway C-rank, the S-rank Guard floundered momentarily. 

“Erm, the Items that disappeared from the S-rank use armory number seven in total. They were confirmed as being five S-ranks, and two SS-ranks.”

It was only when one of the S-rank Guards returning from patrol had gone into the armory for weapons maintenance, that it was revealed that something had happened to the Items within. Receiving a report log of the Items the C-rank had stolen, the corners of Sigma’s lips curled upwards. 

In only the span of a few days, he’d industriously gnawed his way through a commendable share before successfully scurrying away.  

“We’ll send out the arrest order once more. This time, since we have a photo as well–”

“No. He won’t be found, in any case.”

The first time hadn’t been any different from him walking in on his own two feet, too. An arrest order would be pointless. Moreover, there was a high probability that he had already left Solemnis City.

Sigma cast another glance over the report logging the C-rank’s prior movements.

The call-in that had happened immediately after the arrest orders had fallen had mentioned the C-rank had shown an interest in a Guard with pyromantic Skills, Achates City’s Alpha. And he’d asked after Achates City when he’d visited the barrier wall observation outpost, too. A two days’ worth journey by car, from Solemnis City to Achates City. 

‘A scooter with a camouflaging Skill, and sustenance lasting two days.’

It had been part of the C-rank’s shopping agenda. When all of those things were viewed together, it wasn’t difficult to guess where the C-rank’s destination might be. 

“He’d be outside the city, then.”

“Come again? But, isn’t he only in possession of C-rank stats, without an attack Skill no less. Even with the camouflaging Skill, a reserve tank of a C-rank that lacks a mana seal shouldn’t be able to go even a day.”

On top of that, it was apparently a camouflaging Skill that was estimated to be S-rank at minimum. As the higher the Skill level, the higher the amount of mana required, it was dubious whether an ordinary C-rank would be able to even make it a half-day, as an optimistic estimation. As the S-rank Guard mentioned that it would be tantamount to suicide, Sigma’s smile deepened. 

“If he were ordinary, yes.”

“...you suspect that he had an accomplice?”

“No.”

“Then, why…….”

The S-rank Guard wore an expression that said they didn’t understand. If the C-rank Awakened had hopped the barrier wall on his lonesome, then there was no reason to go looking for him. Since, he would have perished before the time the night was over. But Sigma seemed to think differently. Right as he was about to open his mouth.

콰앙! 쾅! 

From not far off, the sound of explosions was heard. It was followed by the groaning of a building caving in, with vibrations that reached all the way to where they were. Immediately afterwards, the door to the room opened to admit a Guard wearing an in-ear piece, who darted inside with a report.

“A bomb is said to have gone off in building B-2! There appears to have been around ten or so successive blasts… As they were all concentrated on one floor, at present, the building is……”

In the midst of collapsing. The Guard, who had been about to report as much, slacked their jaws in shock. Sigma was laughing audibly. A low, subdued laugh diffused into the air, threading between the rumble of concrete chunks raining down. 

“Not bothering to hold back on his punches, I see. Quite the stinging blow.” 

If it had been an S-rank, or even an A-rank, he probably wouldn’t have felt so entertained. But it was a C-rank, who hadn’t even been established as a Guard, who had managed to merrily frolic his way through and even make a clean escape.

“Contact Achates City. Tell them I’ve agreed to take on their request for aid in subduing Alpha.”

“Sir? Then, you’ll be traveling to Achates City in person?”

“Correct. See to the preparations.”

To tell the truth, he wanted to depart immediately, but leaving one’s home city was far from an easy endeavor. Most importantly, one could only recharge their mana via seal at their affiliate Mana Hole. As the mana itself remained one and the same, no matter which Mana Hole it originated from, it was possible to utilize outsourced fuel tanks–but the problem lay in the potential of being refused access to those reserves. 

For this reason, they’d need to arrange for a retinue of fuel tanks in advance, as well as plan to go equipped with sufficient firepower. Especially for a place like Achates City, where Guards were met with an unfavorable reception, an even higher level of precaution became necessary. 

“This will be the first time in a while that you’ll have left your post, sir. So long as an anomalous situation, like the one in Goldburg Park, does not emerge, there should be a respite of about a week or so.”

“Submit a backup request to Lanchaea’s Lambda. Inform them I’ll be personally visiting Achates.”

“...though, to tell the truth, I’m uncertain why you’re going to these lengths.”

Even while bemused, the S-rank Guard made to comply with their orders. Both Guards left the room. The other building seemed to have finished collapsing, in the meanwhile, as silence had returned to the area. Within the quietness of the moment, Sigma’s gaze drifted back towards the doll that sat in the chair. In faded eyes that had sunken into dullness, a light was beginning to glint once more. 

***

- 삐이익!

I heard the sound of birds. From above where the breaking daylight dappled through the canopy of trees, the flurry of feathers as a flock of birds took off carried over through the air. 

‘Would it have gone off, nowabouts.’

10 IEDs, at 20.000 points per unit. I’d made sure to hide each one well when I installed them in their respective locations. I’d set them to go off around sunrise or so, so they should’ve done a good job, right? Though the detonation power contained in each unit didn’t amount to a whole lot, since I’d gathered them all on one floor, with a bit of strategic positioning, they might’ve even managed to cave the building in altogether.

If having to deal with the situation bought me a bit more time, that would be nice.

Taking out a few cans of food from my pack, I popped them open. Using the fork that had come attached to the one that contained what looked similar to meatballs, I chewed on the food. The meat they ate here really did taste pretty alright, as far as I was concerned. Even without being reheated, it was still palatable. 

‘Traveling during the day should definitely be safer than at night.’

Though I’d already resolved to stake a few lives if necessary, the world outside of the barrier wall had been surprisingly safe thus far. With my camouflaging Skill bumped up to S-rank through an Item buff, monsters hadn’t been able to find me, and the high-rank monsters were preoccupied with hunting down the mid- to low-ranked monsters as well. 

The camouflaging Skill applied to the scooter had been B-rank, and so only came up to about A-rank even when supplemented with my own Skill, which had made me feel slightly concerned–but barely any of the monsters paid any attention to the scooter. Though I’d been on the receiving end of a few S-rank monsters’ gazes, they’d left to give chase to other lower-ranked monsters instead.

Thankfully, I hadn’t run into any SS-rank monsters.

‘During the daytime, the low-ranked monsters disappear, while the high-ranked monsters probably nod off after filling their stomachs. I wonder if a type of ecosystem’s taken hold.’

Finishing off the simple meal, I tossed the empty can and drink container along the road. Littering was bad, of course, but since this world wasn’t real. 

Just then, a message window popped up. 

[ ☆★ Hidden Quest Complete!! ☆★]

What, again. And after I’d already gotten a hidden quest achievement notification from successfully escaping from the Solemnis Defense Association stronghold and shaking down the armory, too. Was it a hidden quest related to the explosives I’d set off, this time. 

‘...that Newcomer, is he observing my actions and adding these quests as I go, or something..’

It was suspicious. They’d mentioned that both the Skill names and descriptions were written up after the fact, too, right. At any rate, it seemed highly likely that the same would go for the hidden quests. Case in point, there were those Leopard Cat’s shoes that had dropped as part of the same set. 

Well, though it was still better than getting nothing. With a heart of gratitude for the Newcomer’s hard work, I opened the quest complete window.

[ Brazen Bomber!

You’ve managed to topple one of the Solemnis Defense Administration’s buildings, teeming with high-ranked Guards. Truly a display of boldness that speaks of your clear disregard towards living to see tomorrow!!(1)

Reward: 100,000P, Dragon’s Breath Bomb(SS) x 3 ] 

Dragon’s Breath bombs? And they were SS-rank Items, at that. Since they were bombs, they should be single-use only, but to hand over three of them to me, did they want me to blow something else up again or what. Even if this place might not be real, I’d been going about things maybe a bit too gung-ho–but weren’t they just fanning the flames like this. 

[ Dragon’s Breath Bomb - SS-grade

An explosive containing the might of the highest grade Dragon’s Breath. Timer and remote control options available.

Single use ]

It felt too precious to use. So long as nothing came up, I should pack it to bring with me when I left. If they told me I couldn’t bring it with me because it was a game Item, I was going to cry.

Safely tucking away the bombs in my inventory, I revved up the scooter again. As I’d ended up staying up the night, a small yawn slipped out. Whether night or day, as resting peacefully was out of the question, running the next forty-eight hours nonstop was my only choice. It was fortunate that my stats were C-rank. 

If I had remained an F-rank as before, I probably would’ve been forced to take breaks however I could, out of fear of falling asleep at the wheel. Because the road conditions were so rough, just driving the scooter took up a significant amount of stamina. I wished that, as soon as I arrived in Achates City, Yoohyunie would sweep me up in a welcome while telling me rest as much as you want, hyung.

‘I wish I could see the kids. I really, really miss them.’

It had been a long time since I’d been left alone like this. Since, after I’d regressed, there had always been someone left by my side. My only consolation was that, as everyone other than myself weren’t occupying their real bodies, they weren’t in any danger of actually dying. Otherwise, with my fear resistance rank having dropped as well, I would’ve been distressed by such a prospect.

…if only our world had been able to utilize the virtual reality system too, after all. As that kind of thought occurred to me, I unconsciously grit my teeth. Even if VR had its own set of risks, even then, so many things would’ve been different. Though it might just be a case of the grass appearing greener on the other side too.

‘...let’s concentrate on how to get as much as I can from here instead.’

I’d meet up with Yoohyunie, track down the others as well, then rack up a mountain of points. So that both Yoohyunie and Yerimie could obtain a new weapon each, before leaving. Skills would be nice, too.

Ah, I wanted to see the kids. Hyuna-ssi too, for certain, and it even felt like I might miss Sung Hyunjae. The loneliness felt bitter.

—

Much like Solemnis’ own, a towering boundary wall emerged in my field of vision. Not only the height of the wall, but the watchtowers placed at even intervals took on a similar format as well. Had the cities all been set up around the same time, I wondered. Without releasing the camouflaging Skill, I gazed at the barrier wall under the early morning sunlight.

The distance from Solemnis to Achates was said to be two days by car; so, though the scooter was fairly high-performance, it was unsurprisingly slower than a four-wheeled vehicle. It had taken an additional half day on top of the baseline two, but having left during the night meant that I’d ended up staying up a consecutive three days. My eyelids felt weighted down, and sighs continually climbed up my throat. 

‘Should I hop the wall, or go in through the door.’

During the day, the guard rotation for Solemnis’s barrier wall comprised primarily B-rank Guards. That was swapped for A-rank Guards at night, when the new batch of monsters would spawn. Since the monster spawning patterns seemed to be consistent across the board, wouldn’t Achates operate the same way.

‘And if it’s a B-rank, getting away won’t be a problem.’

Taking out the ID I’d kept safe up to this point, I ducked behind a tree before releasing my camoflauging Skill. In order to hide the fact that I didn’t have a seal, I took out a bandana from my pack and tied it around my neck. 

It could be that Yoohyunie had already sent word to the Guards in charge of the city entrance in advance. That, if someone called Han Yoojin were to come looking, to welcome me in and bring me to him. He might’ve even ordered them to just notify him once it happened, so that he could come out to meet me himself. 

Yoohyun-ah, hyung’s here. With a fluttering heart, I headed towards the comparatively smaller-looking entrance embedded within the larger barrier wall. The door was just big enough to allow passage for a vehicle to pass through.

“Pardon me, please open the door!”

I shouted towards the observation tower while waving an arm, and shortly afterwards, the door opened. An armed B-rank Guard approached me, without ever lowering their guard.

“I’m Han Yoojin, of Medsang City. Here–my ID, and transportation papers.”

“Ah, so you’ve arrived from Medsang.”

At my words, the B-rank Guard’s expression relaxed noticeably. Medsang seemed to produce mostly healers and support-type Guards, so perhaps the reception given by the other cities was easier. It seemed that the Newcomer had intentionally prepared the ID to facilitate the process. 

Having verified both the ID and transportation pass with a machine, the Guard expressed a welcome and moved back to allow me through. Yoohyunie… didn’t seem to have sent word ahead. Then again, he might’ve refrained from mentioning anything with my safety in mind, too. Since if it was someone that was precious to an SS-rank Guard, they might end up being kidnapped as a hostage.

“The journey here was long and difficult, so being welcomed like this has been immensely heartening and gratifying. Thank you for the hard work you’re doing, defending the city.” 

Wearing a personable smile, I offered them a drink taken from my pack. Expressing their thanks, the Guard took the proffered drink.

“Though you’re registered as a C-rank support, I’ll escort you to the city center nevertheless. The ghettos on the outskirts of the city are inevitably dangerous, you see. Riding a scooter instead of a car, there’s a high chance you may end up being ambushed.”

“Thank you. Then, apologies for the inconvenience, but I’ll be in your care.”

“As it so happens to be the time for a shift change, it’s no problem at all.”

How thoughtful of them. The Guard brought over a military-edition jeep that had a luggage compartment in the back. Putting the scooter away in the luggage compartment, I slid into the passenger seat.

“Seeing how you managed to make it here without incident, the scooter seems to have a fairly high level camouflaging Skill applied to it.”

“Yes, it did cost a pretty penny. Making it here without a camouflaging Skill, would’ve been nigh impossible.”

The amiability seemed to be because they'd caught the scent of money on me. So long as they served as a useful guide, then leaving a generous tip would be no problem at all. I might not’ve had currency, but I had plenty of items. The amount I could get from selling even one A-rank item was far from a pittance. And my dongsaeng was likely leaps and bounds better off than I was. If you managed a good performance, then I had no qualms about leaving a good word with him for you. 

“About Achates’s Alpha-nim.”

After talking about frivolous matters for a while, I brought up the topic I was most interested in. Alpha. Almost immediately in response to the word being mentioned, the Guard’s expression stiffened. 

“So it appears you’ve already heard the news, in that case.”

News? I hadn’t heard anything, but figured I should play along.

“Ah, yes. Of course I’ve heard. Though, as an outsider, I’m not clear on the details of the matter.”

“Since it was such a big incident, it’s unsurprising that some of the news might have leaked to the outside. But the compromised Alpha was safely subdued, and is being securely monitored by the Defense Association, so please do not worry too much.”

…’compromised’ and then ‘subdued’, what kind of dogshit was this.

-----

(1) 간을 배박에 내어놓은 듯한 

[dbgdbw]

205화

205화

시선 (3)

Gaze (3)

파—앙!

Gusts of wind were pushed away by the smooth flapping of wings. The golden griffin’s body pierced through the clouds in an instant, splitting the sky like a metaphorical golden arrow. 

“You’re the best, Blue!”

- 꺄아우!

An exhilarating pace coupled with erratic movements, far greater than anything offered by amusement park rides. A normal person wouldn’t have been able to hold on, but caught up in her excitement, Bak Yerim even had both her arms spread overhead. The rough winds whipping around her arms felt good. It felt refreshing.

“Blue, if only you had cold resistance, then it would’ve been perfect!”

She was more than capable of hunting monsters while using only non-frozen water, but it was dissatisfying to not be able to use her Sigh. And of course, she couldn’t use Pale Rain either. With one slip, Blue’s feathers might freeze together and they’d end up crashing down. 

“Even if we were to put a cold resistance Item on you, they said that mounts are too close in proximity, so the Item would need to be at least S-rank if you don’t have the innate resistance.”

- 꺄우.

“When people-use ones are already so rare, there definitely won’t be ones for mount-use. Should I try sweetening up Myungwoo oppa?”

But if it was a weapon with S-rank resistance properties, then it would need to be at least SS-rank. On top of it being difficult to craft, she didn’t have the means to fund the venture yet either. It hadn’t been that long since she’d finished paying off the debt for her S-rank weapon, too. 

Disappointed, Bak Yerim flopped forward to cling onto Blue’s neck. 

“They told me that high-rank Hunters don’t have to worry about money.”

Weapons were ludicrously expensive. Though it was partly attributable to not being able to lower her standards. Even for S-rank Hunters, it wasn’t a given that they’d be able to go around wielding an S-rank weapon from the get-go. Many used weapons that were A-rank or below until they gained a stable position, and even then, it was still difficult to obtain an S-rank unless you’d been particularly fortunate or had amassed some measure of influence. 

But for Bak Yerim, who had managed to obtain an S-rank weapon and shawl, bracelet, and SS-rank earrings in the span of three months after Awakening, anything lower than S-rank fell short in her eyes.

“If I’m gonna be victorious against Han Yoohyun, I need to hurry and get all my equips in order. Blue-yah, that Guild Leader-nom(1) has an SS-rank coat!”

The Viridian Thunderbird’s Attire that Han Yoohyun had quietly taken out to show her, when she’d gone over to brag about the S-rank bracelet Han Yoojin had taken from the Japanese Guild. Re-committing the frustration from that experience to memory, Bak Yerim sprang back upright. 

“My bracelet’s good as well, but Han Yoohyuuun!”

Wrought in silver with a red jewel embedded in the frame, Roditi’s Bracelet jangled at her wrist. On top of a mid-range magic Stat option, it had a buffing Skill that increased one’s control over magic. For Bak Yerim, who primarily used her wide-ranged Skills to attack, it was an incredibly useful piece of equipment. 

On the other hand, the Thunderbird’s Attire was incongruent with what she needed, as someone who possessed a teleportation Skill and favored long-range attacks. She knew all of this, but it still made her fume. 

“Blue-yah, let’s finish the raid earlier than that Guild Leader-nom and go out!”

- 꺅!

“Then we can plaster ourselves to ahjussi when he goes out to meet him. If ahjussi and I eat out together just the two of us once more, then I’m the one who wins!”

Incidentally, a pack of monsters happened to be crossing below them. A long, slender white spear that emitted a frozen, bluish chill appeared in Bak Yerim’s hand. The jewel fitted onto the ornamental portion under the spear blade gave off a faint glow. Seeing the way the magic stone that had held the Mermaid Queen’s Skill had been forcefully shoved in, Yoo Myungwoo had tidied it up a bit. 

The Skill contained within the stone might have disappeared, but a strong residue of the water’s power remained, helping exert greater control over water-type abilities. 

Water gathered at the tip of the spear as it was lifted into the air. Then, Bak Yerim leapt up from Blue’s back. 

“You stay here!”

- 꺄아.

Making a light half-turn in the air, Bak Yerim’s body dropped down below Blue’s. The mass of water that had grown even larger in the meantime stretched out wide, then began pouring towards the ground like a waterfall. At the sudden shower from above, the herd of monsters momentarily stopped moving. Then,

사아아—

A freezing mist swirled. Originally, it would have only amounted to a chill that hindered the enemy’s movements, but the effect it had was greatly increased against an opponent that was already soaked. In addition, the water that had been used had been drawn forth by Bak Yerim herself, which meant that it had been steeped in her magical energy. 

With a 쩌저적 sound, the monsters were instantly frozen. Some of the weaker individuals broke apart on the spot, crumbling to pieces. After checking that no more monsters were left, Bak Yerim returned to her spot on Blue’s back. 

“Did we come out too far, I don’t see any of the unnies.”

She’d gotten carried away with excitement, after completing Blue’s flight test. Bak Yerim took out an Item used for signals. She tossed the small glittering item onto the group of frozen monsters.

In S-rank teams, magic stones and other byproducts were collected by the S-rank Hunter’s other teammates. If the team managed to establish itself and grew large enough in scale, then there were cases where a dedicated person would be assigned. Even when it came to a magic stone collector role, there was a rule that stipulated the Dungeon’s rank couldn’t be higher than two levels, but it was frequently overlooked.

“...huh?”

Bak Yerim, who had been comfortably lounging on Blue’s back as they waited for their teammates, cocked her head. An odd feeling was creeping in. The air seemed to tremble slightly, too. 

Blue stopped circling as well, and flapped her wings in place.

“This, there was something similar before too……”

When the boss had changed, in the first Dungeon they’d gone into. And when the giant toad had appeared. It was similar to the distortion from then. Bak Yerim bellowed out.

“Move!”

Golden wings veered sharply. As she used the flight buff Skill, Golden Arrow, the S-rank Skill Master of Wind activated as well. Blue’s vicinity became wrapped in wind, lowering air resistance. With a powerful flap of wings coiled tight, Blue and Bak Yerim who was riding on top of her simultaneously disappeared. 

It was a terrifying speed that was almost on the level of teleportation. A beat after the two had vanished from the spot, the empty air twisted as if being distorted.

[Not here this time, either.]

She could hear something that sounded faintly like a voice. Bak Yerim’s eyes opened wide. She’d heard about this kind of Dungeon horror story before. 

While she was struggling to compute, she felt the distortion again. This time, from both above and below, scattered all about.

- 크르륵.

- 키이이익!

Monsters began to appear. Even at a glance, they didn’t seem to be the type that would be found in a mid-grade A-rank Dungeon. In particular, the pterosaur-esque monsters that had appeared in the sky were close to an S-rank Dungeon boss monster, in both size and threat level. 

“...wo-ow.”

Bak Yerim, who had been looking around at her surroundings while stunned, suddenly spotted her teammates approaching. She thumped on Blue’s back with her hand. 

“Blue-yah, think you can handle that guy? Without trading blows, just enough to draw its attention.”

As she spoke while pointing towards the pterosaur, Blue moved her beak confidently.

- 꺄아!

“Don’t fight. Just buy me a bit of time.”

Who knows if she actually understood. But Blue was also the class of an S-rank Dungeon boss monster. And since she had a flight-focused Skill, she wouldn’t be taken down so easily.

After clapping Blue’s back one more time, Bak Yerim moved towards her teammates. As soon as she left, Blue let out a resounding cry and flew towards the pterosaur. 

“Stop!”

Bak Yerim shouted, using the teleportation Skill in quick succession to arrive in front of her teammates.

“Monsters that are S-rank Dungeon level have appeared up ahead!”

“Please describe them.”

Ha Eunha, who had the most Dungeon raiding experience out of everyone on the team, stepped forward with the request. Bak Yerim quickly began to explain the characteristics of the monsters she had seen. 

“Other than the pterosaur, the rest seem to be ordinary monsters from a lower-grade S-rank Dungeon, thankfully.”

As she was acquainted with their special characteristics and had even fought some of them before, Ha Eunha went over the points that they needed to be wary of. But the pterosaur was a monster that she’d never even heard of.

“I think I need to go check on Blue, will you be alright?”

“Please do not worry. Even if we can’t be of much assistance, holding out will be relatively easy. This raiding team was put together with S-rank Dungeons in mind to begin with, after all. ”

“Yes, when it comes to ordinary monsters, there’s no need to worry.”

At her teammates’ dependable replies, Bak Yerim smiled sunnily. 

“Then I should be back quickly, once I take care of things. No, I’m going to clean things up!(2) But still, be careful, unnies!”

Bak Yerim’s form disappeared in an instant, and the remaining team members moved to set up their defenses.

“Blue-yah, unnie is here!”

- 꺅꺅!

Circling the vicinity of the pterosaur, Blue wagged her tail enthusiastically. It was several times larger than Blue and possessed thick-looking scales, but the pterosaur’s flying ability was far behind Blue’s. The enormous beak had struck nothing but empty space several times already. 

That seemed to have aggravated it a fair amount, as the bump that protruded from the back of its crown seemed to have developed into a red color, which wasn’t what it had looked like at first. As Bak Yerim also arrived on the scene, it took in a deep breath before splitting its mouth open wide.

- 키이이이.

Heated air picked up alongside the cacophonous shriek. The hot currents of wind, harsh enough to burn, burst towards the two like hundreds of arrows. As Bak Yerim quickly aimed a sweeping blast of her Sigh forwards, Blue flapped her wings to speedily retreat. 

“Since the unnies might get caught up in this, let’s finish this quickly! D’you remember the li’l lake that we went past? There, towards that side!”

At being given directions, Blue let out a short cry as if in answer, then began flying away. Without the acceleration Skill, it was a pace that the pterosaur would be able to keep up with. Its attack having failed, the pterosaur chased behind the two. The massive shadow snapped at their heels, and the sound of a hard beak clacking together could be heard every now and then. 

Soon, they’d approached the lake. At Bak Yerim’s urging, Blue increased her speed. Once the griffin had descended low enough for her claws to skim against the surface of the water, Bak Yerim twisted off and let her body dive into the water. It was a quiet submergence that barely made any sound. Simultaneously, silently, Shadowless Day spread out, applying both magical energy and the ice-type buff. 

The moment the pterosaur, having followed cluelessly, dove down to swoop at Blue,

촤아악!!

Tens of streams of water shot upwards. It was a staggering quantity of water, enough to almost empty the lake. They slammed into the pterosaur’s body and wings, and wrapped around its neck and legs. Having had its entire body barraged with blows, the pterosaur was unable to right itself and flailed about. But when it seemed like it just wouldn’t be enough finish it off,

A chill swept up. All of the streams of water that were wrapped around the pterosaur froze, and thorns of ice that were as strong as steel began to protrude. Smashing through the frozen scales, the thorns burrowed down to allow the chill to thoroughly permeate inside. 

In the end, the pterosaur was completely frozen in place, wrapped up in dozens of tendrils of ice. It was as though a bizarre, monumental ice sculpture had been erected over an empty crater. 

“Blue-yah, didja dodge alright?”

- 꺄아우!

Blue answered back from a distance away. Taking out a mana potion, Bak Yerim approached Blue’s location.

“More S-rank monsters wouldn’t have happened to pop out in locations other than this one too, right. I was trying to leave quickly, but it looks like it’s gonna take a while.”

I can’t leave later than Han Yoohyun. Having administered a mana potion to Blue as well even while grumbling, Bak Yerim moved back towards the direction of her teammates.

---

“It wasn’t there this time, either.”

Chatterbox muttered. In their hands, what resembled a marble had shattered into tiny pieces.

“I even made a mistake. As expected, even within Dungeons, covert surveillance is difficult.”

With this much, had they been found out. Chatterbox looked back at Luga Peya. 

“Is it important enough to go to this extent?”

“It appears to be so~”

Peya smiled cheerfully while shaking a drooping tentacle. 

“We couldn’t find it after all. If the White Bird went to such lengths to thoroughly conceal it, then it wouldn’t have been without reason. Besides, that White Bird.”

It was an existence that only had eyes for and revolved around the fifth Origin. Luga Peya’s three eyes sparkled with avid curiosity. 

“It must have a value worth sacrificing for. That’s certain.”

Seeing the way she was waxing on, saying she was anticipating it very, very much, Chatterbox took out another marble as if putting their hands up. 

“The Newcomer will undoubtedly show up to interfere, so be aware of that. There’s even been talk of that kid potentially becoming the System Master’s successor.”

“That’s a first, since Thunderbird gave up.”

Fighting. At Peya’s blasé word of encouragement, Chatterbox let out a sigh.

---

“If a café does open up, they’ve been asking to have it running twenty-four hours.”

Myungwoo said. The petition was Seok Hayan’s team’s. Well, that lot would need the coffee late at night.

We were sitting in the small terraced garden located near the middle floor of the building. It was cramped, but the flowerbeds were neatly decorated, and the table and chairs had been staged appropriately. Since staying at home felt somewhat lonely, aside from when I went to Haeyeon to take care of business or when I was looking after the baby monsters, I usually spent my time over at the building.

“Minnie hyung said he wanted to try part-timing at the café, since he’s bored.”

Noah said. So Minnie was ‘hyung’ too. So why was I.

“After saying that it was nice to get to play around. Right, Noah-ssi, did something happen with Breaker’s Guild Leader? If it’s a troubling wager, I can assist you.”

“No, it’s due to my rank as it stands in Korea.”

Noah answered, shaking his head slightly. 

“As you know, foreign Hunters must lead a Dungeon raid of corresponding rank before they can receive acknowledgement of rank. But I was a bit hesitant to go into a S-rank Dungeon. I would need to recruit temporary party members, and it would also take a significant amount of time.”

So he’d found a different method, instead.

“As I need to receive three or more vouchers of capability from Korean S-rank Hunters, including a guild leader, I made a request of Breaker’s Guild Leader-nim.”

“But then, wouldn’t Haeyeon be enough for something like that? Yoohyunie is a guild leader, and with Yerimie and Sunghan-ssi, that would be exactly three.”

“Apparently, repeats within a guild are not allowed. And……”

Noah made an expression that seemed a bit sulky.

“I didn’t particularly, want to receive assistance from Hunter Han Yoohyun.”

“Eh? Why is that?”

“...just. There’s no particular reason.”

Mmm, what could it be. Was it perhaps, a type of rivalry stemming from being similar in age, while being the same rank? Since it was amongst boys, it was possible. How cute. Usually, you got closer by fighting like that too. Either way, it seemed that he felt particularly mindful about Yoohyunie because of a number of things.

“Then you’ll have received the acknowledgement of rank?”

“Yes. I passed the evaluation, and they’ve contacted me to let me know that the Hunter certification will be sent over soon.”

At being told congratulations, Noah smiled as though slightly embarrassed. Was he serious about putting roots down in Korea, then. That would be a thank-you-very-much from me. 

“Will you be sleeping over at our place again today?”

Myungwoo asked, watching Velare chase Chirpie around in circles on the tabletop. He seemed to have been intrigued by the mention of a monster that was capable of transforming into a weapon. He asked me to bring him the leftover skin if she ended up shedding, as well. 

“What should I do. It’s just a bit lonely without the kids there. Or, do you want to come to our house today? Noah-ssi too.”

“Me as well?”

“You can come in, even without a miniaturization Skill.”

At my words, Noah shook his head resolutely. 

“I will definitely find a solution, and enter with my head held high after being granted permission.”

He imparted that he had been busily contacting every lead he could. I’d have to keep observing, and step in to help if I judged it to be a lost cause. The Newcomer had said that I could be granted the Skills or Items that I wanted, so maybe Noah might be able to gain a miniaturization Skill if I brought him along too. 

It was when we’d almost finished our drinks, that I received contact from Haeyeon. What could it be, this time.

-----

(1)

yerimie can also be a rude child like yoohyun, except most of the insolence is directed @ hyh rivalry-style instead of at other ppl. she interchanges a lot b/w 길드장 님 (-nim) and 길드장 놈 (-nom, sometimes just ends up as ‘(that) x (guy)’ in tl) while referring to him depending on audience (formal/informal setting), and there’s significance/social connotations in her being able to get away w/ using the speech level she does @ him + others, esp when she’s way younger than the rest of the cast. using ‘놈’ (-nom) can usually be thought of as ‘[that] guy (disparaging)’. e.g., this particular section would read as ‘blue-yah, that guild leader bastard has an SS-rank coat!’

some takeaways: reinforces the dynamic she has with yh (to show how she’s considered ‘an equal/peer’ despite age difference), her integration into the Han household (informal/familiarity in speech)

(2) yerimie switching from polite/deferential to assertive/declarative speech again here, which is supposed to reinforce her position as ‘leader’ over a whole team of people older than her

ymw ↔ hyj: speaks = | 해체 (hae-che, casually impolite/intimate) 

noah ↔ hyj: speaks = | 해요체 (haeyo-che, casually polite)

fun fact, yoo myungwoo is the only recurring cast member (so far?) who isn’t han yoohyun, who uses reciprocal casually impolite/intimate language with yoojin. probably attributable to both 1) he’s supposed to fill the archetype of ‘same-age friend’ (ppl born in the same year are ‘친구’ aka ‘friend’ too, along with colloquial ‘friend’ usage) for yj to confide in and 2) ymw & hyj come from ‘similar backgrounds’ (started from the bottom → now we at the top), so they have a special bond with that + the ‘friend’ dynamic = yj is comfortable/close enough with him to speak informally/intimately during interactions

[wovenstarlight]

Thinking about your cached AU and I cannot /imagine/ the dissonance SHJ must feel everytime he sees Yoojin. Like going from the instinctive "Haha little F rank" to "oh shit what the /fuck/" in 0.5 seconds. *NOVEL SPOILERS* And that scene where SHJ's memories completely regress of a few chapters? Like, he sends down his chains to drag Yoojin to him and Yoojin is just like. No. And yanks the chains, unceremoniously dragging Sung Hyunjae down the stairs instead.

Oh! And that's not even mentioning the hilarity of the dungeon glitches!

"Oh No!!! A SS rank monster just appeared in this low rank dungeon what are we going to d-

Oh. Oh okay nevermind Yoojin swatted it like a bug and now it's dead. False alarm."

Everything you've written for it is so angsty but I can't stop laughing there's so much potential for comedy

LMFAO YEAH. I think early on I said hyj claims to be F-rank but realistically that's way too obvious a lie so in the yerim chapter I marked him down as claiming A-rank. S-rank would be even easier to pull off but ssm and hyh said "okay so as an s-rank here's the bare minimum amount of public appearances you'd have to make—" and he was like I'd Rather Die Than Face The Media (Again). and they were like oh. um. okay. well. A-ranks aren't nearly as popular even though they still are. would that work. and he was like ugh whatever. and they were all like [EXTREMELY RELIEVED SIGH]

so he has to keep up appearances as an A-rank... that combined with the subconscious awareness that he IS stronger than them, ALONG with the fact that he doesn't even pretend to be scared, honestly makes his relationship with the canon S-ranks. well. okay for those who are under his care it's like You're my dad! boogie woogie woogie just as in canon. but for, like, shj and mha and stw and the rest. he's very. I don't wanna say uncanny valley but they're all on edge around him a bit. of course shj is still like this guy is so fucked up (positive) (intrigued). but because hyj is """A""" rank instead of F-rank... you know how in canon they're all like hehe little F-rank we can push around for jokes and comedy. shj knows better than to try any jokes and comedy on hyj here.

it probably makes it worse than hyjs trying so half-heartedly to be like oh woe I'm a A rank who can't help but be weaker than you guys.... because during shj amnesia pool incident he tries to chain up and drag hyj over and hyj is like. [completely deadpan] oh noooo whatever will I do. these chaaaains have appeaaareeed to drag me awayyyyyy. noooo. he follows them and finds shj and immediately gives him an earful and gets a dunking anyway but he's about twice as pissy about it. prereg shj is having an absolute moment up there on the surface because he's all WHAT THE FUCK? WASNT THIS GUY F-RANK? WHAT? [←not scared per se but unused to this new status quo]

the thing is. even if hyj knows he's SS-rank and everyone knows he's SS-rank and he knows everyone knows etc etc etc. he just stonewalls them when they try to ask (Too Much Trouble). and he still puts up the bare minimum facade of being lower-ranked. so if an ss-rank monster shows up, then like... like okay, with the Babar he contributes about as much as in canon because solo he can't actually do anything, it IS a pretty formidable monster. maybe he takes over for yoohyun and orders him to stay back from the fight, or something, idk. with that dragon humanoid diarma sent, which he fought with shj and riette and noah, though. that he just lays into singlehandedly and then when the others are like ?????? he's like Ohhhh I uhhh forgot to say but Myeongwoo was testing out.... some sorta... extra special buffing equipment. yeah that's definitely it. [glowering] Do Not Tell Anyone Else. and like obviously no one believes him but like. lol. what are they gonna do, fight him? so SS rank han yoojin is just.... the sclass world's most badly kept secret

[dbgdbw]

385화

385화

신규 던전 (4)

New Dungeon (4)

*

Silence fell. My conscience returned. No… Don’t come here right now…… Even though the situation was pressing, embarrassment took precedence. W, well, it wasn’t like he was someone I would see again. Let’s consider it a relief, that it allowed the atmosphere to segue into one conducive to dialoguing. 

I forced my lips into a smile, though it shook slightly out of mortification. 

“Hello, Sung Hyunjae-ssi. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”

That Sung Hyunjae and I had never met. It probably only amounted to knowing of each other’s existence from a distance, if that. Pretending like nothing was wrong, I scanned his current state.

His hair color was even fainter, making it difficult to discern the actual color. Only one golden eye was open. Other than appearing some years older, there didn’t seem to be any other difference. He was the same as he was now. No, there was one more thing. The gray overcoat he had on, I remembered it being a SS-rank item. It had appeared around five years after the Dungeons were introduced, I was pretty sure. 

In other words, this Sung Hyunjae was at least one year ahead of the present timeline. Since it would’ve been after he broke the contract with Diarma, he’d lost one eye, but his arm was still there. Though, since he was wearing a glove, there was a chance that it was a prosthetic. Or, it might be that he’d lost his eye from something other than the contract. It might simply have been an injury sustained during a Dungeon raid, or a wound that was still recovering. 

As I quickly went through those calculations, Sung Hyunjae opened his mouth.

“I’ll be disappointed if you feign ignorance after coming this far.”

“That we don’t know each other is the truth.”

“And what about the ‘thoughtful, kind, and amicable Sung Hyunjae.’”

Holy shit, he was saying that kind of hair-raising line without flinching. Sung Hyunjae’s gaze slowly scanned over me.

“Has the past changed.”

…really disgustingly sharp. I made a face that asked what the fuck he was on about.

“Pardon?”

“You’re younger than the Han Yoojin I know. Twenty…five, maybe twenty six.”

“...five. Though I’ll be turning twenty six soon enough.”

“But you still know the me of now. You seem to be somewhat cognizant of my condition, so perhaps you’ve been returned to the past. With your memories intact.”

“Haven’t you considered the possibility that I might be lying? It should’ve all sounded like nonsense. Even crap like you being a g, ood person?”

“I can discern that much. Whether it’s a lie, or not.”

Sung Hyunjae said, as if it was a given. Ah, yes. Of course. Just roll out a red carpet, why don’t you.

“Yes. I’ve regressed. From when I was thirty. I went back five years, and went through a lot of changes.”

“Han Yoohyun must have died.”

My heart dropped. Sung Hyunjae went on apathetically.

“That he wasn’t even able to endure for ten years, is less than what I’d anticipated.”

It was a flat voice devoid of any emotion. He said that the outcome hadn’t lived up to his expectations, but those were just words, and there was no trace of regret at all. Couldn’t you feel at least a bit sorry. That, to Sung Hyunjae, Yoohyunie only amounted to one of the candidates he could leave Korea to. That he wasn’t anything more or less than that, I was suddenly struck by that strong realization.

Though he’d suffered so much.

“Fucking—all that from earlier was about your namesake, and I don’t know you at all. ‘Good,’ like hell.”

“Goodness. Should I have expressed some condolence. But, I’m afraid that Haeyeon’s Guild Leader and I weren’t quite close enough for that.”

“But you still knew each other! And you would’ve met with each other a few times too! You’re colleagues from the same industry, but saying it as if anticipating his death? You rotten son of a bitch! Even if you didn’t know each other at all, you should at least pretend to be sorry about hearing such misfortune befalling on someone so young!”

And he was way older too. If he’d had a son, he could’ve been Yoohyunie’s age! Yoohyunie was young enough to fall in that range. When a kid, had ended up like that! A single cold evaluation, was that it. Not that Yoohyunie would’ve reacted to or cared about what that guy had to say, but I was upset on his behalf. 

“Saying it’s ‘below expectations’ when you yourself suddenly died too—”

“If it concerns the amount of meetings, Han Yoojin’s count is higher than Han Yoohyun’s.”

“...what?”

I was gobsmacked. Wait, hold on. I’d never met with that guy. And on top of that, he was saying that he’d met with me more often than he’d met with Yoohyunie? Even if they hadn’t had many reasons to meet, him saying that we’d met more frequently seemed to indicate that it hadn’t been a single digit number. Was there a chance that Returning had caused some problems with my memory?

“No, I don’t. I really don’t know you.”

“Since I needed to confirm some things. I went to investigate.”

“W-when……”

The young Chaos, who had been simply listening in, raised an eyebrow and asked. 

“Where you’re from, do ‘good’ people typically go around stalking others like that.”

“...that guy does go around doing all sorts of things, but that kind of thing, um, well.”

That, well. He’d followed around and tormented Section Chief Song too, or, actually. He’d forced Section Chief Song into coming to find him with his own two feet. …if you asked me which was worse, I couldn’t really say. 

투둑, a piece of concrete at Sung Hyunjae’s feet rolled down. After having stopped for a moment, he took another step downwards. As he came closer, the smell of blood seemed to thicken. Under the effused glow of the setting sun, the crimson stains on the hem of his coat became visible. As his movements disturbed the fabric of the coat, the details that had previously been overlooked came into view. 

What looked like a person’s, finger marks. …let’s not think deeply about that right now.

“Of course, it wasn’t with this appearance. I find the label of stalker quite unfair, seeing as I’d gone to the lengths to soothe you as you wept drunkenly over how you wanted to see your dongsaeng.”

“W-who were you? When, where?!”

Who had it been! T, that meant, it had been after he’d found out about me. Since the ‘present’ Sung Hyunjae claimed ignorance, it probably would’ve been after I’d Awakened. After finding out Yoohyunie had pushed me away in order to protect me, to confirm that… So you’d even sought me out personally.

A thin smile on his face, Sung Hyunjae stepped onto the ground. 지익, fading bloodstains smeared under the soles of his shoes. 

“Though this state is the result of that.”

“...what?”

“Specifically, in regards to Song Taewon, as well as Han Yoojin.”

The dim smile lit up brightly, like a waxing crescent. Song Taewon. My thoughts went into overdrive at the name. What he just said, could it be, about that time Section Chief Song perished—

탓!

With a faint sound, Sung Hyunjae moved. Instead of his chains, an unidentifiable blade was held in his hand. The young Chaos guarded my front with the greatsword, as if he’d been anticipating it. 카강! Their strengths clashed, and the silvery greatsword was pushed back marginally.

Damnit, Sung Hyunjae was different from the other SS-ranks, after all. I’d already changed Eunhae’s rank to SS-grade, but I might need to bump it up one more level. But even with the Fountain of Mana, a SSS-rank would only be sustainable for twenty four hours. It wasn’t a short period of time, but it wasn’t long either. Since we didn’t know how long we’d need to stick it out in this Dungeon.

“What will you do, Oldest(1).”

The young Chaos asked me. 까드드득, the weapons screeched as they scraped against each other. To avoid getting in the way, I retreated. If the young Chaos was unable to handle the situation, then falling back would be the correct option. We’d need to rejoin with the others before trying again, together. If we applied both the domain and attack doubling Skills to the assistance Skill, we would have a good shot at winning. 

But.

“What happened back then! Sung Hyunjae-ssi!”

캉! Their swords crossed once more. Sung Hyunjae had the upper hand when it came to strength, but his weapon was the first to break. The gap in weapon performance was too great. 

Broken in half, the blade spun in the air. He snatched it out of the air with the hand that was wearing the glove, and a black shadow seeped over the fragment he held. Pervading Loot(2). 

Song Taewon, was already dead.

The blade fragment flew towards the young Chaos. The young Chaos kicked out with the tip of his foot to lift one of the scattered stones around him. 콰앙, it met the blade head-on with pinpoint accuracy and exploded on impact. Both stone and blade disintegrated into a fog of infinitesimal pieces, and scattered away. In that span of time, another blade had appeared in Sung Hyunjae’s hand.

What had happened to the Seeker’s Chains.

“Hey! Sung Hyunjae!”

His face devoid of any emotion, he manipulated his sword without even sparing a glance in my direction. It felt unfamiliar. On top of the missing Chains, he wasn’t using any electrical attacks either. Though his battle foresight might still have been operational, as he didn’t seem to be suffering any drawbacks from missing an eye. 

The two clashed again. Would we just have to retreat. Was there a way I could catch his attention. Something like, divulging some shocking news from after Returning…… Seseung Guild’s headquarters collapsed, except it was already in pieces here. I can raise S-rank mounts, wasn’t really something shocking enough. But if I tried using a complete fabrication, he would realize it immediately. 

Something that had really happened, but would still surprise Sung Hyunjae—something like that……

Ugh, this was really gonna sound crazy. It was actually nuts, but whatever. After taking in a deep breath, I shouted.

“Sung Hyunjae! You and I have a kid between us!”

Sung Hyunjae faltered. Without skipping a beat, the young Chaos aimed for the break that had appeared in his guard. Even with the battle foresight being used, his fist landed a heavy blow against Sung Hyunjae’s solar plexus, undeterred. Sung Hyunjae was pushed away, sliding backwards, and the young Chaos turned to look back at me.

“Eldest?”

It wasn’t a lie. To be specific, it was an entity that had been formed between Sung Hyunjae, Diarma, the dragon-type hybrid, and myself. This ‘information’ was still more ‘accurate’ than something that was completely made up. It was the truth, wasn’t it. Since it was already out of my hands, I went on shamelessly.

“And with Yoohyunie, my dongsaeng and I are expecting a child together too!”

I’m sorry, Yoohyun-ah. Hyung said something crazy that could affect your future independence. But these two people won’t be able to leave this Dungeon anyway, so forgive me this once!

As if he’d guessed what I was trying to do with my continued bullshit, the young Chaos’s eyebrows drew together. 

“...it’s not inaccurate.”

“And I have a kid from Section Chief Song as well! Though he declined custody, so I’m raising it right now. It’s really cute!”

To Section Chief Song too, I apologize. But I didn’t lie. Nowadays, domesticated animals like cats and dogs get called ‘our kid’ a lot. Since it’s a mount that’ll become your partner, it’s basically the same as a child.

“And finally, Section Chief Song took a vacation!”

“They, don’t seem to be lies.”

Sung Hyunjae looked at me with a face filled with astonishment. Even from my perspective, it sounded like really bull bullshit that was bull-shitty-shit-shit. Actually, they were all baby monsters. It was the same as saying my daughter, my son! while raising a puppy. Of course, the part about Section Chief Song’s vacation time was one hundred percent true. 

“And he’s actually here, too.”

“...I see.”

Clatter, he haphazardly tossed away the sword that had sustained extensive damage. Sung Hyunjae’s fingers lightly straightened the disarrayed collar of his coat. Had he calmed down a bit. In case he’d start up again, I hurried to ask.

“What happened, to Section Chief Song?”

“Is the ‘thoughtful, kind, and amicable Sung Hyunjae’ here as well.”

I closed my mouth before I actually answered. I had an ominous feeling about it. But it seemed that Sung Hyunjae didn’t actually need me to answer. He was only confirming his conjecture. 

“Please disclose the events that happened. We won’t be able to prepare, unless we know.”

“That will be unnecessary.”

His fingers, which had climbed up from along his collar, pressed against the eye that was closed.

“Since all it requires is the cause being eliminated.”

Sung Hyunjae’s form disappeared. Teleportation. Was it an item? The young Chaos quickly came to my side and picked me up. The ‘cause’...damnit. It couldn’t be—!

“We need to go after him!”

The situation became urgent. But as soon as we emerged from the building, moving quickly became unnecessary. 

Sung Hyunjae stood in the middle of an empty street. His hand was in the air, touching something that wasn’t visible. His palm pressed against an invisible barrier. The moment clarity struck me, my stomach turned.

He was the boss monster of this area. 

Without displaying any surprise or anger, Sung Hyunjae simply touched the wall that was keeping him trapped. He’d probably guessed at his own state already. And that was likely why he’d cut down Seseung Guild’s people, as well as every other Hunter around. 

I didn’t know what he’d been thinking, exactly. But he probably found himself unable to leave his guild, or his Hunters as-is in this state. 

I climbed down from the young Chaos’s arms. I felt saddened while looking at Sung Hyunjae’s back, but I also felt angry. 

“...Sung Hyunjae-ssi.”

“He decided to take his first holiday very early this time, it seems. And to end up in a Dungeon like this again, how hapless.”

“This Dungeon, it’s.”

“Back then, it was his first time off as well.”

Turning his body, Sung Hyunjae looked up towards where I stood at the top of the stairs before continuing. 

“You may already know, but he perished. The gravesite is not too far from here, though he should’ve been sent off with a state ceremony instead. Considering my state, it seems I’ll be unable to escort you regardless. Have you gone there before, perhaps. Before Returning.”

“...if I’d gone somewhere like that, I would have been immensely vilified.”

“My condolences.”

I hadn’t thought I’d hear contrition from him over something like that.

“No need. It wasn’t like Sung Hyunjae-ssi had been the one condemning me.”

“I meant it with my future actions in mind as well.”

“Huh?”

Clang. A metallic sound rang out. But the golden chains weren’t visible anywhere. The young Chaos furrowed his brows. Lifting the corner of his lips, Sung Hyunjae answered.

“Since I’m unable to leave. If you’re on such good terms, then he’ll likely come to rescue you. That ‘kind Sung Hyunjae-ssi.’” 

From the sky, precipitant moonlight rained down.

* * *

(1) 쳣째 = firstborn, young chaos refers to yj / yh / yerim as first / second / third respectively

(2)  약탈 (掠奪) → stw’s skill

brief 2-for-1 special before returning to regularly scheduled programming bc i got double haran in a 10-pull and ascended

+dungeon hyunjae: brb gotta kill other me to keep song taewon safe (ft. omg did stw give shj his arm when he died to replace the one he lost???)

+yoojin’s family registry status

shj: mitosis(gyeol)

hyh: planned pregnancy(seol)

stw: part-time nanny(song)

[wovenstarlight]

YWBK update: chapter 25 + liner notes

yesterday will be kinder has updated! you can read chapter 25 here, or start from the beginning here

okay, on to notes and commentary! first time i’m doing these, let’s hope this works out. commentary under the cut to save people’s dashes

Hamin laughs. “Given how bad you are at not being suspicious, that’s understandable.” “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad.” Hamin screws up his whole face in a squint. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little bad.”

this part was really funny to me when i wrote it because i was like “hmm reasons for DHM to understand why HHJ wouldn’t work in the guild” and then i was like Wait. Their Whole First Meeting, Dude. DHM was lowkey convinced for the longest time that HHJ was like, on the run from the KR version of the mafia, and got plastic surgery to look like his little brothers, and is possibly in some sort of witness protection program??? or something??? how else does he not have cops on his ass this man is so suspicious all the time

“I don’t think… They said the dungeons were, like, different worlds? Did they find people there?”

mafia theory second place. dungeon theory first place

“Like, humans? Um. No, no humans.” “So then you can’t be from there. Okay.”

dungeon theory shot down. mafia theory back in the running

“Hey,” he says cautiously. “I’m— I’m gonna go get us some water, okay? Why don’t you… take a minute.” “Okay.” “The bathroom is over there, if you need it.” “Okay. Thank you.”

after four years working alongside a guy you start to notice when he’s feeling a little out of it and needs a bit of a break... but as JHW mentions later you also learn to be a little subtle about giving him one

jung heewon What’s with your typing? It reads like Jihye’s [HYJ]’s fine. Very energetic Too energetic? He’s going to burn out. How do I make him calm down

Epic Burnout Man makes a reappearance! when translating sclass one of the things that makes me want to shake HYJ most is his habit of constantly adding things to his to-do list while he already has 1 billion things on his plate. and all the time he’s whining about “UGH there’s SO MUCH WORK to do” No One Asked You To Do It

Anyway. the point is. HYJ isn’t about to be beat by HHJ at Developing Issues 😔

jung heewon I haven’t spoken to him directly about this because if he’s anything like you he’ll take it as an insult You wtf whts tht supposed 2 mean quit typing jung heewon Better not say shit, mr “No, I can’t take days off and cater to my interests or go out with friends or on a date, I’m too busy taking care of the kids and making sure their needs are met, no I don’t care that there are thousands of people out there balancing personal enjoyment and romance and work AND kids at the same time, are you suggesting I be a BAD GUARDIAN to MY KIDS?”

see above re: not being too direct with pointing out when HHJ’s having Issues because he doesn’t react well

You wht but our eyes r fine jung heewon Even if having glasses doesn’t run in the family, you should still get him checked, just in case

top 10 funny time travel moments: referring to you and your past self as “us” (our = my eyes are fine), but other people think you mean “our family” (our eyes are fine = no family history of long/shortsightedness)

Also. Sooyoung-ie says hi [Attachment: 20XX1213_144516.jpg] 

ok no lie this was one of the parts that pissed me off the most, even though it’s Literally One Line, because. i love chat exchanges. i really do. when done right they’re a lot of fun to read. But Do You Know How Long It Took Me To Figure Out A Calendar For The Events In This Fic. now everything’s TIMED i have to count HOW MANY DAYS IT’S BEEN since XY event so i can CORRECTLY NUMBER the FILE ATTACHMENTS!!! this sucks!!! it took me fucking forever to pin down a timeline just so i could write this chapter plus the few before and after it!!!!

anyway i gave up when i reached year. i just put 20XX. fuck it. we are running on fairy tail time now. (actually i think that’s XXnumber number? XX76? or was it X796. something like that. Who cares i stopped watching fairy tail forever ago)

Fuck it! Hamin will understand!! “If you Awaken you should come work with me,” Han Hyunjae says all in a rush. 

“HAMIN WILL UNDERSTAND” => he literally was cool with me giving zero context for half a dozen absolute balls to the wall nonsense bullshit things i’ve done before. he’ll be fine with this too. dog_in_burning_house_this_is_fine.png

“You already know about the guilds, those are going to be for dungeon Hunters, but I was thinking of forming something like an independent group of contractors. Awakened people with skills that aren’t useful for combat, but that might… that will be generally useful. It’d be you and me, and maybe one other guy I met recently. Probably more in the future.”

given that HHJ has no idea currently that peace exists (i’m so sorry baby i’ll find a way to shoehorn you in soon i miss you so much) he’s got no intentions to start a kiseungsu business yet! he mostly wants to live quietly while just acting as a manager for other Awakening-related services, like YMW’s forge and DHM’s tracking service, along with the information exchange/lowkey spy ring that he’s planning on setting up with JHW and the bar. since HYH is fine associating with him in this timeline, HHJ’s thinking he can get a foot in the door that way, then eventually spread out into dealings with most major guild leaders

RIP to this plan. you were well-made but you will not last long.

“Please, I can’t tell you how I know that, I really can’t, it’d put me and my brothers in danger if it got out. But—” “No need.” Hamin looks slightly alarmed, and Han Hyunjae feels himself settle at the obvious concern in his eyes.

MAFIA THEORY RAPIDLY RISING TO PROMINENCE??? THIS IS NOT HOW DO HAMIN WANTED HIS GUESS CONFIRMED

“I spoke to the Task Force Head and she said that there’s been discussion about hosting a meeting for the nearby high-rankers, where they’ll announce the guild proposal and see who else is interested in trying it out.”

“they’ll announce” i’m sorry king 💔 you deserved a nap

(OH ALSO FUN FACT choi eunyoung is a canon character, not an OC of mine! she appears in uhhh i think late 140s? 150s? something like that)

“I think there’s… probably only one other S-rank who’s Awakened right now?”

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehhehe

Hamin beams. “No, they’re doing great! Spookie’s taken really well to the new housing situation, but I think Spots might miss the store…”

shoutout to @daemonic-dawn​ for letting me borrow a pet name, love u king. i had a much longer ramble about pet names here but i finished typing and realized it was all entirely off topic so i removed it for convenience

Hyunjae makes an annoyed noise in the back of his throat. “Don’t— I mean.” He huffs, visibly taking a deep breath, and Yoojin frowns reflexively. [...] “Is everything alright?” Yoojin kind of wants to be annoyed at his tone on principle, but he forces his shoulders to relax, matching Hyunjae’s posture. Though he can’t stop himself from being a little short when he answers.

things the brothers have learned in four years living together: getting confrontational often leads to arguments that just fizzle out anyway, so it’s way fucking easier to consciously tone down their combativeness in advance when talking to each other about things they have problems with, instead of screaming their heads off and then having to calm yoohyun down afterwards to boot

“I guess. Whatever.” Yoojin slumps. “Can I…” “Hm?” Hyunjae blinks at Yoojin as he gestures to the spot on the bed beside him, then jolts. “Oh! Yeah, sure, c’mere.” He opens his arms, and Yoojin goes over and flumps on the bed, head in Hyunjae’s lap. Almost immediately, Hyunjae starts stroking fingers through his hair, and Yoojin relaxes into the touch, listening as Hyunjae continues speaking.

cuddles 🥺🥺🥺 sorry i don’t have any other commentary here just. cuddles. extremely and overwhelmingly comforting for a man who spent the better part of 8 years(?) with no major positive relationships, and a kid who spent 12 years of early life basically abandoned by his parents. you had best bet they gave up on not hugging each other 1 year into this whole mess

Yoojin hums in acknowledgement. It’s not like he’d ever let himself get hurt; he has too many responsibilities to his family and friends. If he wants to be good enough to keep up, he can’t afford to fuck up like that. But… hyung will worry if he keeps working so hard. He can slow down a little for him. 

Problems disorder man when will you stop. the way he sees “getting hurt” as an inconvenience and an obstacle to his duties rather than a danger to himself. the way he doesn’t really care if he himself gets hurt, but if it’ll worry his family, then it’s a no-no. it’s just. wow. i know i wrote this but i hate him

“Not really. I talk to Myeongwoo about it sometimes.” “Ah, right, Myeongwoo.”

haha gays

“Don’t be weird about him,” Yoojin warns[...]. “I won’t, promise.”

if the “i won’t” line had a dialogue tag it’d be “Han Hyunjae lied”

“Is Eunwoo still in his relationship?” “Mhm, happy as ever. Apparently they’re trying long-distance, now that Eunwoo’s gone off to university abroad.”

three guesses for who eunwoo’s dating and you won’t need the first two

Hyunjae raises his hands like he’s going to deny the accusations levelled against him, so Yoojin seizes him by the collar and shakes him until he cries for mercy

oh my o/rv ass struggled so bad with not writing “shakes him like a man betrayed” here. it killed me not to. but in the end i prevailed (against, uh, myself. don’t think about it too hard.)

“Jeez, okay, he’s an F-rank!” “Eh?! Then why—” “He’s also got an SS-rank potential skill,” Hyunjae admits[...].

play-by-play of this scene because god if i draw any scene in this fic it would be this one just for the sheer hysterical nature of HYJ’s reaction:

YOOJIN: I HATE YOU WHAT THE FUCK WHY. TELL ME HIS RANK

HYUNJAE: HE’S AN F

YOOJIN: WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK?

HYUNJAE: he’s also got an SS-rank skill,

YOOJIN: