[Conversation]
“What the—!”
Suddenly, I was pulled into a strong hug from behind. The firm arms squeezed me so tightly that it actually hurt. No, seriously, it hurts!
“Stop! Loosen up a bit!”
I know you’re shocked, but this is too much—
“Ow, hey!”
My body was effortlessly lifted, and Yuhyun threw me over his shoulder. I tried to resist, but it was useless. Obviously.
“Yuhyun! Peace!”
Well, it makes sense that my brother wouldn’t listen, but even Peace is just watching me. He’s following behind us with a grim expression. And wow, he’s so handsome. He’s still not fully grown, but his legs are already long and sleek, his mane and tail are full and luxurious, and he looks incredibly majestic. His horn is shinier, and his fangs are longer and sharper too.
It’s really a heartwarming sight.
“Come on, put me down! I get that you’re worried, but let’s talk about this, okay?”
“What’s left to talk about?”
Yuhyun’s voice was tense, as if he was trying hard to suppress his anger.
-Grrrr!
And now Peace is growling in agreement? I’m glad you two have gotten closer while I was gone, but Peace, your dad is being forcibly dragged away right now. Even if it’s by your uncle, this is still kidnapping. But where are we even going? It looks like we’re headed to the beach.
“Yuhyun, I’ll explain everything. Just calm down and let’s talk.”
“Shut up before I gag you!”
Right after his hysterical shout, I could hear the sound of him grinding his teeth.
I’m taken aback.
I get that he must’ve been really shocked by my sudden disappearance. I would have freaked out too. But he’s not even willing to listen to me.
…He’s not really going to gag me, right?
“Just listen to me this once. The truth is—”
“Do you want to see me lose it completely?”
It seems like he’s already close to that point.
“That’s enough!”
“No, what are you—?”
“I could overlook the things outside the dungeon, but this… This can’t be just a coincidence, not twice! Why does something weird happen every time you enter a dungeon?!”
I guess it must look that way to Yuhyun. He doesn’t know I snuck into the dungeon. From his perspective, I’ve only been in two dungeons, and both times something crazy happened—first an out-of-rank monster showed up, and then I suddenly vanished.
It makes sense for him to be freaking out.
“I’ll explain—”
“No need.”
Come on, let me talk.
“I—”
“This is your last warning. Keep your mouth shut.”
If I say anything more, he really might gag me. I guess I’ll just follow along quietly for now and try talking to him again once he calms down.
The sound of waves gets louder, and Yuhyun finally stops walking.
— Grooowl
A low growl, like a suppressed groan, came from somewhere. A monster?
“I thought maybe I could just endure it. You were finding your place and settling in well. But this… This is beyond what I can handle. I thought it was better to hold back.”
His words were commendable, but his actions didn’t match at all.
“You’re right, but I can’t do it.”
Yuhyun finally put me down. Peace came over and rubbed his thick neck against my waist.
— Grrrr
Why did he suddenly get so big? As I petted Peace and looked around, I saw a monster with four of its legs severed. It was the boss monster of this dungeon. It had a head similar to an eagle’s, and occasionally, it opened its beak slightly, letting out weak cries.
Why did they leave it alive?
“I’m going to make it look like you died here.”
“…What?”
“Since I can’t control a living you, I’ll just pretend you died. There’s too much at stake for me to handle on my own. Saying that I couldn’t protect a single companion in a D-rank dungeon will hurt my reputation, but…”
“…It’s not just about reputation; you’ll also be under suspicion.”
No one would believe that a veteran S-rank combat hunter with three years of experience lost a companion in a D-rank dungeon. Even as a joke, this isn’t funny.
“And what about the aftermath? Like you said, you’ve got a lot on the line.”
“I don’t care.”
The guild leader replied irresponsibly. He really is like a fool willing to throw away his life over a perfectly set table. Did I raise him wrong?
Now that he seems a bit calmer, I’ll try to gently persuade him.
“‘I don’t care’? If you’re not careful, Haeyeon could collapse instead of MKC. That’s a bigger problem than kidnapping.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Besides, I’ve prepared something to reduce suspicion.”
That? You mean… the monster?
“To be thorough, I should probably cut off one of your limbs, but I can’t bring myself to do that. But I’ll need at least some blood and flesh. Sea Rutooms aren’t big enough to swallow someone whole, so they tear their prey apart with their beaks.”
Yuhyun explained calmly. I really didn’t want to agree with those who say my brother is crazy, but… since he can’t bring himself to cut off my limbs, maybe he’s not completely mad.
I hugged Peace’s neck and took a step back. Even Peace seemed to sense that the situation was tense and looked a bit nervous.
“Don’t even think about laying a finger on me.”
“Sorry. But it won’t hurt; I have painkillers. And you can heal right away with a high-level potion.”
“If you’re sorry, then don’t do it! I told you, I’ll explain everything! Do you really care more about keeping my body intact than what I actually want? Do you think I’ll be grateful for this forced protection? We were finally starting to get along, and now you want us to go back to barely speaking to each other?”
“It’s not like you were planning to accept me anyway.”
“…What?”
What is he talking about now?
“I was an idiot to even hope. Or maybe I was just shameless. All you wanted was to establish a stable foundation quickly and safely.”
“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. You’ve been hiding everything from the beginning. That Beast Tamer skill—did you really get it at level 10? It was weird from the moment you decided to raise that Flame Horned Lion cub without hesitation. It’s not like you to take on such a burden without even thinking about it, even if the cost isn’t much to me.”
Well… that’s true. No matter how cute and lovable, there’s no way I would’ve just decided to raise a pet that costs a million won per meal. Especially when I was just a newly awakened F-rank hunter living as a normal civilian. As soon as I found out about the cost, I should have been waving my hands and saying, ‘No way, I can’t raise this.’
Yuhyun’s gaze grew colder as I failed to say anything.
“What exactly have you ever been honest with me about? Even when you disappeared today, you weren’t even surprised. I was willing to overlook the skill thing. It’s normal for hunters to keep some of their skills secret, and just because we’re family doesn’t mean we have to be exceptions.
But something like what happened today, where I can’t even lift a finger or understand a single thing….”
Yuhyun looked to the side. Reflexively, I looked in the same direction.
The forest had been devastated beyond recognition.
“…How could anyone bear this?”
I could only roll the excuses I had on the tip of my tongue. I needed to say something, but—
“Is there anything else you’re hiding? …I don’t know. From the moment you said you loved me, I’ve had doubts. It was nice at first, but then it got weird. You suddenly apologized to me—since when have you ever done that? But still, I thought it was okay. Everything seemed to be going well, so I tried to ignore it. It felt like we’d gone back to how things were before.”
“Yuhyun.”
“It’s like you’re the same person you were before our relationship went sour, but also like you’re someone completely different. I don’t know anymore.”
I guess family is still family, no matter how distant you’ve been. I didn’t think Yuhyun would feel such a stark sense of unease. I thought that if I apologized first and helped out in various ways, that would be enough.
I was wrong.
“It’s true that I’ve been hiding a lot. Just like you suspected, I planned on raising Peace from the moment I saw him. And the skill I have that awakens others—it’s not just a regular awakening, it’s an optimized one. Yerim’s original estimated awakening stat rank was between A and S. She had a higher chance of becoming an A-rank, but I made her S-rank.”
I swallowed a sigh and continued.
“I also secretly entered a dungeon. I brought Chirp back from that dungeon. I have an A-rank stealth skill and can share some of my skills with others. I also have resistance to poison, curses, and fear.”
“I knew about the poison.”
“You knew?”
“Hunter Park Yerim read the memory of that D-rank Hunter. Even though they searched everywhere, there was no antidote, and the Warden’s Fruit item didn’t work, so it was strange.”
“To add, it’s L-rank.”
“Painkillers won’t work then.”
“I can turn the skill off.”
“A resistance skill?”
“Yeah. If I try to turn it off twice in a row, it’ll deactivate. Though there’s rarely a reason to do that.”
“You tested it when you were drunk, didn’t you?”
What a perceptive little punk. I was wrong to think I could hide anything from him.
“I also have a skill that doubles the rewards from dungeons and another that doubles the effects of attack skills. Though it’s not very useful to me. My stats are still F, and I don’t have any attack skills.”
“…Your status window is really something else.”
“Right? Even if I’d told you the truth from the start, it would’ve been hard to believe.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Yuhyun also lifted the corners of his mouth, albeit slightly.
“The skill-sharing only works while I’m in contact with the person. The cooldown is 15 days.”
I left out the parts about the effects of “My Kid Is The Best” and “Look How Talented My Kid Is.” Also, I didn’t mention the tricky-to-explain “Final Recompense” and “Lautitars’ Natural Enemy.” I wanted to reveal the fact that I’ve regressed, but—
[˙⌒˙ ]]∞[[ ˙=˙ ☞ ˙≠˙]
A message popped up, telling me to keep quiet. Don’t mention the infinity symbol. That must refer to the regression. Well, if I mentioned that, I’d be revealing too much about the system.
“And the reason I disappeared earlier was because it was related to the system’s creator.”
“System’s creator?”
Yuhyun’s expression showed shock. Finally, his face relaxed a bit.
“I ended up helping the system creator. I’d like to tell you more, but I can’t. I’m not allowed to. But I wanted to let you know, so I asked them to send you a message. It’s the system’s consonants. Please send it now.”
Yuhyun’s gaze shifted to the empty space in front of him. He must be looking at a message window. His expression was one of great surprise.
“So… there really is someone who made the system?”
“Yeah, there is. It would’ve been stranger if it had just appeared out of nowhere.”
“That’s true, but…”
“This is something I’m only allowed to tell you. It’s a secret from everyone else. You absolutely can’t tell anyone.”
There was a moment of silence. But Yuhyun’s expression brightened a little.
“Are your skills also related to the system?”
“Not all of them. Like I said, I can’t give you the details. But it’s true that my skills aren’t normal.”
“…Right. But why you, of all people? It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“It’s not dangerous. It’s basically what I’ve already been doing.”
Just gathering S-ranks, that’s all. Right now, you’re the one in the most danger, brother.
Suddenly, I remembered Droplet’s advice to be wary of high-level Awakeners. A well-meaning gesture can turn into violence—how fitting.
“If there’s anything else you’re curious about, just ask. Don’t keep it bottled up inside.”
After a short pause, Yuhyun replied in a dejected tone.
“…I’m sorry. I used to complain that you didn’t trust me, but it turns out I was the one who didn’t trust you.”
“No, even I wouldn’t have been in my right mind after what happened today. It’s true that I’ve been keeping things from you. And Peace, I’m sorry to you too. You must’ve been really scared, huh? I didn’t expect to be taken away so suddenly.”
-Grrrr
Peace purred and looked back and forth between me and Yuhyun. Suddenly, he shrank in size. No, he didn’t just shrink—he turned back into a younger version of himself.
[Level 2 Unicorn Subspecies? Flame Horned Lion (Infant) Peace
Current Stat Rank: C]
Even the status window showed him as an infant again, with his rank back to C.
“Peace, you…”
-Kyuu!
He scratched my leg with his front paw, asking to be picked up. You little rascal, don’t tell me—
“You were actually fully grown, but you were pretending to stay as a cub?”
-Gyaarr!
He made an innocent face as if he didn’t know anything. When I picked him up like he wanted, he wagged his tail.
“When did he grow up?”
“Right after you disappeared.”
So he didn’t even need to fight a monster to grow. He really was holding back on purpose. Since when, though?
I opened Peace’s “My Kid Is The Best” skill window, just in case.
[Time Remaining Until Adult Form (71:22)]
71 hours?! It was over a hundred hours last time I checked! Even after staring at it for over a minute, the time didn’t decrease. So it must’ve stayed that way normally. Could it be thanks to the training? I did play with Peace a lot even after the skill’s effect was over.
I’ll have to check when we get home.
“Is something wrong?”
“No. But I wonder why Peace didn’t grow up until now. Did he gain a related skill?”
“I don’t know about a skill, but if he grows up, he won’t be able to be carried by you. He likes being carried, right?”
Just for that?
“Still, Peace, when you become an adult, you should at least let me know.”
-Kyuu
If this is because of the training, he might grow up before the cooldown for “My Kid Is The Best” ends. I’m already feeling a bit sad.
As I petted Peace, I looked at my brother. When our eyes met, he looked a bit awkward. Sigh, well, it’s my fault in the end. Thinking about how he must’ve been anxious all this time makes me feel guilty.
“Just so you know, Yuhyun, you’re the person I trust most in this world. Even if you put my life in danger, I’d still think there must be a good reason. And that’s not going to change.”
Unless someone dies for me and comes back to life or regresses, it’s not going to change.
“So don’t worry too much. You can interfere if you want. You’re my brother, after all. But don’t overdo it. If you do, I’ll get mad. That goes for confinement too. It’s a no-go.”
“…Hyung.”
Yuhyun came over and hugged me. Peace, who was caught between us, let out a small whine.
“If you ever need help, just say the word. But don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t overdo it.”
As long as I stick to what the system tells me to do, that is. I shouldn’t take on any more work.
–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt