Chapter 159: Blue Mist (3)
“What were you thinking, coming all the way here? Isn’t it about time you accepted that all you do is get in the way?”
Yuhyun spoke with an open display of annoyance. If I didn’t know better, his tone and expression were cutting enough to hurt deeply. He was deliberately trying to push me away—just as he had for three years, and then for another five.
I wanted to ask him. What exactly had he been thinking and feeling during all that time alone? For such a long, excruciating period, how had he endured it?
I wanted to know what was in his heart. Yet, at the same time, I didn’t want to know. Facing it directly might paralyze me with its weight, rendering me unable to move forward. I might find myself giving in to whatever he wanted, fulfilling his every wish, no matter what happened next.
“I’m sorry.”
With just that single phrase, Yuhyun’s expression faltered noticeably. On the way here, I’d thought about how to approach him, how to persuade him. But now my mind was completely blank. Instead, the words I had been carrying deep inside spilled out.
“I’m sorry, Yuhyun. I’m sorry for being so weak.”
If only I had been stronger. If there had been a greater age gap, and I had been more like a real parent to him. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have felt abandoned—maybe he could have understood it was simply time to let go. If only I had accepted reality instead of struggling pointlessly, instead of lashing out in bitterness and pain, using blame and resentment as shields.
I didn’t know. Even now, I was still clinging to him, refusing to let go. I could never let go of my brother.
Shaking off my thoughts, I began to walk forward slowly. Yuhyun frowned as he scanned the situation, looking at Song Taewon, the Belare I had entrusted to him, and Noah in turn. He seemed to sense that something was off.
“Yuhyun, I’ll explain everything.”
“…What are you plotting? That man seems to be an S-Rank Hunter.”
Yuhyun’s gaze sharpened, settling on Song Taewon with suspicion.
“Dragging you into this won’t change anything. Stop wasting your time.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it? Why did you bring him here… and this place…”
“This is MKC’s Choi Seokwon’s villa. You wouldn’t remember, but you—”
Before I could finish, Yuhyun moved. In an instant, before I could even react, he was right in front of me. His hand grabbed my arm, pulling me toward him with a vice-like grip. His cold, blazing eyes were so close they felt as though they were searing into me.
“What is this magic power?”
“…Huh?”
“And this earring.”
The hand that had grabbed my arm moved upward, touching my ear. His fingers brushed against the earring, as though examining it.
“It looks like a high-grade item.”
“Oh, uh, that. The Sesung Guild Leader gave it to me.”
I blurted out the truth without thinking. At the mention of Sesung, Yuhyun’s expression twisted into a deep scowl.
“Damn it, are you out of your mind?! How many times have I told you to stay away from guilds and Hunters? Sesung? Are you insane?”
The hand that had been examining the earring shifted, grabbing me by the collar. My body was easily pulled forward as his expression turned even harsher.
“…You’ve awakened, haven’t you? What’s your stat grade?”
“F-Rank. But my skill grade is high, so you don’t need to worry. I’ve got a very useful special skill that keeps me well-protected.”
I added quickly, but it didn’t seem like my words even registered with him. Unable to meet his fierce, murderous glare, I averted my eyes.
“Look, you already know this. You’ve just forgotten because of the fog poison. If you’d just check—ow!”
My arm was roughly twisted behind me, and I let out a pained groan. Noah, who had been anxiously watching from the side, rushed forward in alarm.
“Han Yujin!”
“And why is he acting so chummy with you?”
“It’s not an act; it’s real—argh, that hurts!”
If he bent my arm hard enough to break it, Grace would heal me instantly, but instead, he applied just enough force to keep it painfully strained. My shoulder throbbed as Noah hurriedly explained himself.
“I’m Noah Luhir, a Hunter affiliated with Han Yujin!”
“…Affiliated with him? What nonsense are you spouting?”
“It’s temporary, but it’s true! You just don’t remember because some of your memories are missing. Check your inventory—you’ll find weapons you don’t recognize. And the black slate contract will be gone too.”
At the mention of his contract with Diarma, Yuhyun’s expression hardened noticeably. He fell silent, likely checking his inventory. After a moment, he spoke again.
“The contract… Damn it, what the hell happened?”
“There’s been a lot going on, but everything’s fine now. You know all of this already, and we’ve been working together—gah, let go of my arm!”
“I just stood by and let it happen? I must’ve been out of my mind.”
Yuhyun muttered coldly. In truth, he hadn’t just stood by—he’d even tried to confine me at one point. Not to mention, I was currently evading him after slipping out from that very confinement.
“I’ve taken sufficient measures to ensure my safety. So, you’re fine too—”
“Don’t spout nonsense.”
His low growl was fierce, like a wild beast ready to attack. But underneath that savage intensity, I sensed a faint desperation, as though he was cornered.
“What do you think I felt when I let you go? I… I’d rather…”
His voice trailed off, the last words barely audible. Instead, I heard the sound of his teeth grinding together. Yuhyun’s sword, which had been stored in his inventory, reappeared in his hand as he held me firmly.
“I don’t care about memories. I don’t need to know anything about so-called affiliated Hunters. And those mouths that might start blabbering? It’s better to shut them permanently.”
A wave of thick, oppressive killing intent poured out of Yuhyun. The ferocity of it made Noah’s face stiffen as he instinctively stepped back. Song Taewon, who had been quietly observing, also shifted his stance.
“Yuhyun! Stop!”
I shouted, pulling against the grip he had on my arm. What was he planning to do?
“Everything will be fine once your memories come back. So let me use my skill—”
“What, did you get attached in the meantime? Did they treat you better than I did? But Hyung, those people are S-Rank Hunters. They don’t belong anywhere near you.”
With a tone that bordered on a threat, he let go of my arm, shoving me away slightly. As he took a step back, I chased after him, grabbing him in a tight hug. He frowned but didn’t push me away or resist.
“Don’t say something so stupid! Who do you think cares about me more than you do?”
“What…”
“I know everything. I know why you did it. You’re such a fool. Trying to take everything on by yourself, huh, Han Yuhyun?”
I tightened my grip around his shoulders. His face filled with disbelief, which I found satisfying to see. Hopefully, the antidote effect of my poison resistance skill would start kicking in soon.
“Stop doing this. You’ve done enough. It must’ve been so hard. I know I’m weak, but I’m still your older brother. At least trust me a little.”
“…But—”
“Yuhyun.”
“…Okay.”
The sharp edge in his voice softened noticeably. For the first time in what felt like forever, he seemed his age—young, just a twenty-year-old. I felt a pang of guilt, knowing that I, as his older brother, had forced him to keep that edge for so long.
“My little brother, Han Yuhyun. I love you.”
I said it deliberately, using the same words I had spoken right after my regression. Only this time, the emotions behind them were different. The shoulders I was holding twitched slightly. Yuhyun’s expression went blank for a moment, and then his arms, which had been hanging at his sides, came up to embrace me.
“That time, too…”
“Do you remember?”
“…A little. That’s right, we made up back then.”
It seemed the detoxification was finally working. It had taken much longer than it did for Noah—maybe Yuhyun hadn’t been carrying any antidote items. I really wished Yuhyun had a poison resistance skill. If only I could find an item that granted skill imbuement.
“I’m going to use one of my skills now, so don’t resist it. Just accept it.”
I was about to activate my teacher skill to restore Yuhyun’s memories fully when—
Saaaa—
The fog suddenly began to move. Like a herd of sheep being driven, it surged toward the ruins of the destroyed villa. At the same time, blue mist started seeping out of Yuhyun’s body.
“Yuhyun!”
Before I could do anything, the mist pouring from Yuhyun was sucked into the villa. Not just from him—small amounts of fog were also emanating from Song Taewon and Noah, similarly being drawn toward the villa. Noah instinctively reached out, but, of course, the fog slipped through his fingers like smoke.
Could it be that this fog—or rather, this poison—had been lying dormant inside their bodies, consuming their memories, only to be released now? And if the fog was gone, then what about the memories?
“Yuhyun, does anything else come to mind?”
Yuhyun shook his head briefly. Damn it. Did it really just steal his memories?
“There’s something in there!”
Noah shouted, pointing toward the villa. Immediately after, Yuhyun grabbed me and leapt back to where Noah and Song Taewon were standing.
Within the darkened ruins of the villa, a massive, shadowy mass had formed. The fog converged toward it, feeding into it. As more and more fog was absorbed, the mass grew larger and larger.
Out of curiosity and dread, I aimed my “Promising Talent” skill at the mass. A system window popped up.
[Awakener ? Choi Seokwon (Clan of the Harmless)
Current Stat Grade: SS
Awakening Potential Stat Grade: A~S
Optimized Initial Skills:
— Half-Moon Sword (S) Acquired
— Path on the Road (S) Acquired
— Sound Snatch (A) Acquired]
“Choi Seokwon?”
“That thing is Choi Seokwon?”
Noah and Song Taewon’s expressions mirrored the disbelief I felt. Even to me, it didn’t look anything like Choi Seokwon—or even remotely human. And what was this “Clan of the Harmless”? On top of that, its stat grade had risen to SS. Originally, Choi Seokwon was S-Rank. Did he grow stronger by absorbing the memory-laden fog? Damn it, does this mean Yuhyun’s memories are gone for good? Would killing that thing bring them back? Please, let that be the case.
The dark blue mass identified as Choi Seokwon continued to grow until it surpassed the size of the villa itself.
Rumble.
The villa, already half-destroyed, was crushed beyond recognition. On top of the ruins, a gigantic humanoid figure slowly straightened its back. It was literally a giant, standing tens of meters tall, its body encased in what looked like deep blue armor.
Where its eyes should have been, glowing mist flickered ominously. Its crude, roughly hewn hands clenched into massive fists. As the giant fully extended its towering body—
Thoom!
With a ground-shaking crash, something equally massive and pitch black lunged out of the darkness.
— Grrrr!
BOOM!!
A jet-black dragon collided head-on with the giant, sending it staggering backward with a deafening crash like a mountain crumbling. The dragon, massive in its own right, leapt back gracefully, its long tail whipping through the air. Every building the tail struck crumbled into dust with a series of loud crashes.
The dragon’s maw, lined with rows of jagged teeth, opened wide. Despite its terrifying appearance, I was almost certain it was smiling.
— Hello, darling!
“Hello there!”
Liette and Kang Soyeong, perched on top of her head, cheerfully shouted their greetings. Talk about perfect timing for their arrival.
A car pulled up in front of the barricade, where thick, swirling fog lay just beyond. The Hunters from the Association guarding the barricade stiffened when the man inside stepped out. The car’s owner was none other than Seong Hyunjae, the Sesung Guild Leader.
Even though his face was as good as an ID, protocol dictated they confirm his identity. Yet, no one stepped forward to take the lead. Instead, the Hunters exchanged nervous glances, each waiting for someone else to make the first move. It was no wonder—they had just heard that the Sesung Guild Leader had emerged from clearing an S-Rank dungeon.
“They said this isn’t a dungeon break, but this fog looks an awful lot like a dungeon collapse.”
A woman exited the car after him. Evelyn, the S-Rank Hunter from Sesung, whistled long and low as she gazed at the blue-tinged fog. Seong Hyunjae, too, fixed his gaze on the mist.
“Our dear Han Yujin’s invitations do tend to be rather special. Things never wrap up normally when he’s involved.”
Seong Hyunjae spoke with a trace of amusement, stepping closer to the barricade. Under the car’s headlights, the fog wriggled and writhed like a living creature. Its murky blue hue glowed faintly, emanating an eerie presence.
“You must be tired after finishing the dungeon. Are you sure you’re okay to go straight into this?”
“How considerate of you. But I wouldn’t miss the chance to see the Guild Leader’s famed candy box in action. It’s been too long since I’ve had the opportunity.”
Evelyn signed the consent form presented by the Association staff with a smile, substituting for the Guild Leader. Shortly afterward, part of the barricade was removed. Just as she was about to return to the car—
Saaa.
The once-gentle, writhing fog suddenly surged forward, spilling over the barricade and enveloping the surroundings in an instant. The abrupt loss of visibility made Seong Hyunjae’s brow twitch upward slightly.
“What’s this, now?”
The fog wasn’t just obscuring sight—it was deadening all senses. He couldn’t sense the Association’s Hunters or even Evelyn, who had been standing just two steps away. For an S-Rank Hunter to have their perception blocked entirely, mere fog alone couldn’t be the cause. There had to be something else at work.
Should he wait and see, or should he act? As he deliberated, the fog in front of him parted, and a figure emerged. The face was familiar to him, wearing a friendly smile.
“Hello, Seong Hyunjae.”
“Han Yujin.”
Imitations aren’t really my thing. Muttering this under his breath, Seong Hyunjae examined the young man who had appeared from the fog, wearing Han Yujin’s face. It opened its mouth again, speaking in a voice eerily identical to Yujin’s.
“Do you remember your childhood?”
–TL Notes–
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