Chapter 703: Third Bet (2)
“You know perfectly well why I went, so why say something like that.”
“It ended quite quickly. Congratulations.”
“Just like that, with nothing else? I just got back from saving your guild member’s hometown, you’re really stingy.”
Well, except for London. Seong Hyunjae’s brows relaxed, his expression softening.
“Soyeong– is probably living happily.”
“She’s got the Thornwing Rock Dragon with her. And as you know, Noah and Liette are there too.”
The words, “Go see her yourself,” hovered on the tip of my tongue but slid back down my throat. For a moment, the image of Seong Hyunjae in the China nightmare dungeon came to mind.
“But as I’m only borrowing this body, all I can offer is the bead on my tongue. Will you accept a few nice–sounding words at least.”
“That’s enough.”
I spoke while looking at the system administrator window. If Seong Hyunjae really intended to help us – if that was true – then his team would put everything into this game, and no matter what the Mermaid Queen tried, I’d be able to win. Absolutely, at the end.
I turned my head and fixed my gaze on Seong Hyunjae.
“Can I trust you.”
A brief silence fell. Seong Hyunjae quietly raised his index finger and pressed it to his lips.
“The outcome in the previous world was decided using only automatically calculated records.”
…In other words, during the bet game, even the Transcendents couldn’t eavesdrop on our conversation. But here, who knew where their ears might be. It was his way of saying that if it was important, we should talk after the bet started, and I gave a small nod.
“However, that won’t be the case this time.”
“Huh?”
“Watch out for the dog.”
What the hell did that mean all of a sudden. Had another Transcendent pulled something again? It wasn’t exactly unexpected. Not that being prepared meant we could actually do anything about it.
Without any further explanation, Seong Hyunjae closed his mouth, and before long, Myungwoo appeared. His frown was directed right at the back of my neck. Of course he’d have noticed that I’d used the Mana Inscription. But it’s not like I could just sit back and let an entire country get wiped off the map. When I gave him an awkward grin, he let out a sigh.
“Did you actually get any rest?”
“I slept well and ate well, I’ll have you know. Hamin and Minui asked how you were doing. So did the people at the forge.”
To the folks in the building, Myungwoo was currently in closed–door training at the Golden Forge. Since I’d told them I could still contact him, everyone had been asking me after him.
“Most of your skills are probably on cooldown, and I’m sure you burned through a lot of items.”
“I restocked. And the sub teams will have stopped by their guilds, so I’m sure they handled their own stuff.”
High–rank consumable items were hard to get even for S–class Hunters though.
“…What you did was the right thing, Yujin, but…”
Myungwoo trailed off and sighed again. Our team had definitely put ourselves at a disadvantage in various ways. But if it hadn’t ended with London, there would absolutely have been casualties. And being an island, it was hard for people to evacuate to other countries, and even with Goblin Gate, you couldn’t move that many people in such a short time. Losing the whole country and losing just the capital were two very different things.
“It’s fine.”
Because I still had a way. Even so, despite my attempt to tell him not to worry too much, Myungwoo’s face didn’t clear easily.
“I also think it’s regrettable that the rest time is so short.”
Looking between the two of us, Myungwoo spoke.
“Next time, I’m planning to request a slightly longer break. In addition, if you wish, you can have your equipment inspected.”
“Can you do our whole team, main and sub?!”
I quickly raised my hand as I spoke. Myungwoo nodded and then looked to Seong Hyunjae.
“We’ll only have the main team inspected. The sub won’t need it.”
His sub team was practically just there to make up the numbers anyway, but still, wasn’t that a bit too neglectful? Watch that contract doesn’t get voided, buddy.
“As I always say, be careful.”
Myungwoo’s figure disappeared. And immediately after–
“It was a long–awaited feast.”
The King of Predation and the Mermaid Queen appeared. In the snake’s hand was a bottle of liquor made of blue glass.
“Watching small things gather and join their strength is worth seeing. It’s a rare spectacle since I left my world as well, and though the blood was lacking, it was quite decent.”
A glass was held out to me. The liquor poured into it was clear and transparent. Drinking now felt a little…
“It is a poison your body can withstand.”
Poison, huh. I took a small sip. It was faintly sweet and pretty tasty.
“It was curious to see you follow one so weak. A king is decided by strength, is he not – and yet once strength passes a certain threshold, no one wants anyone above them.”
He must have meant the S–classes, the ones born S–class. That was true enough. That was also why it was hard to get S–classes to band together. I could say, I have a useful skill for that, though.
“It’s the answer to the path I’ve walked.”
It definitely wasn’t just the skills. My skills themselves weren’t all that different from right after the regression. I’d gotten the teacher skills and the Veteran F–Rank title early on too. But back then, there was no way I could have pulled off what I was doing now. The S–classes wouldn’t have trusted me, and there would have been no helping hands.
Even Yuhyun probably wouldn’t have followed me so easily. He might have tried to drag me away by force, saying it was dangerous and we should avoid it. As for Seong Hyunjae, that went without saying. And if I’d given up and chosen to stay somewhere safe, Gyeol would never even have been born.
I’d started with the titles and skills my little brother gave me, but the results… were something I could call mine. It still hurt to say they were completely mine, but even so.
“You really are entertaining.”
A golden snake slithered down the King of Predation’s arm. Ah, come on, don’t. The snake coiled in a circle around my head and turned into an accessory. Another one wrapped around my forearm. This is not my aesthetic. I guess I should at least be grateful they were leaving my clothes alone this time.
“This makes three times now.”
With a blank expression, the Mermaid Queen opened her mouth.
“Mix your sub and main teams and form two teams. I will not tell you the content of the bet.”
So we had to divide our teams without knowing what kind of game it would be. I didn’t spend too long agonizing over it.
‘Me and Yuhyun. And everyone else.’
Our team had burned through a lot of skills and items. So it seemed better to concentrate our full strength on one side.
‘Since I’ve got Grace, the team I’m on will work better with fewer people.’
Yuhyun was a flight–skill holder, capable of both wide–range and close combat, and thanks to the Fragment of the First Flame, he didn’t need mana replenishment. He was well–suited to moving on his own. If I handled support and defense, that would be enough. I snuck a glance at Seong Hyunjae, who was, like me, setting his teams through the system window.
‘He won’t split them into main team and sub team as is, surely.’
His main team had Chief Song and Ms. Hyunah, so he’d most likely go over alone to the sub team. In that case, whichever side we ended up facing, it should be doable. Even without me, the sub team’s teamwork had gotten pretty good. On top of that, if Park Yerim, Noah, and Liette were added, they wouldn’t lose easily to most things. Even if the game wasn’t focused mainly on combat.
“I’m done.”
Seong Hyunjae spoke. I’d finished too, but instead I raised my hand.
“Can I ask one thing? About team members – you said we could add more to the main team, right? You also said we couldn’t do any swaps for now, so that means we can add, yeah?”
At my question, the Mermaid Queen nodded.
“Yes. You can add or swap one person each. However, it’s not allowed during a bet. Only before it starts or after it ends. For additions, since you have to keep the headcount even, you’ll need the other team’s agreement. Do you want to add or swap someone now?”
“I don’t have anyone to bring in right this second. But it’s true that our side is burning more resources. Are there any restrictions on team members?”
“As long as they’re residents of the Honey World and your opponent agrees, anyone is fine.”
That was enough. I said I’d finished dividing my teams as well. With a gesture from the Mermaid Queen, the space around us warped, and a forest appeared.
“Hyung.”
A welcome voice reached me. We’d been apart for less than thirty minutes, but still. There was no message about the game content yet. Looking around, I spoke to my little brother.
“We don’t know what the game will be, but odds are we’ll go up against either the sub team with Seong Hyunjae, or the main team without him.”
Yuhyun immediately drew the Ruler’s Sword. No double–attack skill, and My Kid Is The Best was off–limits too.
“If it’s the main team, they don’t have anyone with a flight skill, so we can use that. First target is Ms. Hyunah, same as before.”
Because it was easy to use the teacher skill on her. Right now, I only had Yuhyun, so even if I used the teacher skill on people who didn’t have keyword application, it wouldn’t strain me too much. So we just had to take them one at a time.
“It might not come down to a fight, but I think the chances of that are low.”
With Grace activated at S–class, I started walking slowly. Yuhyun, also alert to our surroundings, fell into step beside me.
“It hasn’t even been a full day since the London fight. Don’t push yourself, Hyung.”
“I’m better than I thought I’d be. Maybe because I got to sleep at home.”
I wasn’t completely fine, but the aftereffects were lighter than I’d expected. I’d been bracing myself to spend the remaining time flat on my back, wondering how I’d shake off the kids and go sleep on my own, but I hadn’t needed to.
“Somehow we ended up with three kids, you know. I’ve gotta be careful.”
Even a fairy wouldn’t make it back home with three kids. Not that you should be stealing someone else’s transportation and tying their ankle down in the first place. Anyway, someone has to take responsibility for the little ones. I’d asked a lot of people for help, but still.
“You okay, Yuhyun? Family suddenly got bigger.”
My brother stayed silent. So he wasn’t thrilled after all.
“…You like kids, Hyung. And monster beasts grow fast and don’t need as much looking after, so it’s fine.”
“Seol is independent, and Gyeol’s trying to act all grown–up. I mean, I’d be happy if both of them took it as slow as Byeol, but.”
“I’ll help too.”
Leaving the kids with Yuhyun made me more worried than anything, but he might actually be good at taking care of them. Watching kids is mostly about stamina anyway. More importantly, when’s that game message window going to pop up. It’s about time–
Crack!
A chilling sound rang out with no warning. To my ears, it sounded like a single noise. But it wasn’t.
“Yuhyun–”
It only sounded like one strike that pierced through all at once – five thorn spears tore through my brother’s four limbs and chest and drove deep into the ground. Blood gushed out. Flames flared up and then died. It was an ability I recognized. One that disrupted the opponent’s mana and shut down their skills.
I knew I had to get out of here, but my feet wouldn’t move. I couldn’t leave Yuhyun behind. Mini–Mini Cookie. I hurriedly reached back to take out a cookie and then, from behind me–
“Han Yujin.”
A hand grabbed me. In one motion, a grip closed around my throat and yanked me up, and Yuhyun twisted his blood–smeared lips.
“…Hyung!”
It was Cho Hwawoon. The bastard lifting me by the neck wore a languid smile. His smooth but unpleasant face looked slightly unfamiliar.
“…You.”
His eyes were different. The whites were almost gone, and his once–dark eyes had taken on a light brown tint, the pupils shrunk small. They were a beast’s eyes, not a human’s. I swallowed and used Promising Talent.
[Awakened ? Cho Hwawoon (Devotee of Wolf)
Current stat grade SS]
“Urk!”
Before I could even finish reading the status window, Cho Hwawoon shook me like a toy. Yuhyun’s body, bound by the thorn spears, jolted. The smell of blood grew thicker.
‘Devotee of… Wolf?’
His stats had risen to SS. What the hell happened.
“I didn’t think it’d be this easy to catch you.”
Another voice rang out. I managed to crane my neck and look – another Hunter with a beast’s eyes, a wolf–type, baring his lengthened fangs. Counting Cho Hwawoon, there were five of them like that.
“How the hell…”
“The weak ones were devoured.”
Cho Hwawoon’s voice held a note of amusement.
“Five of us remained.”
…So that meant the rest were all dead? How many sub team members had there been again. High–rank Awakened, Hunters with several S–classes mixed in… as the price. My throat slowly tightened. Gasping for breath, I scanned them again. I felt the same level of mana pressure from all of them. SS–class. That still shouldn’t have been enough to pin down Yuhyun in an instant.
Did they get some special skill? Five thorn spears striking at once. Wolves living in a pack. If they combined their skills, maybe they could use the spears as if they were teleporting them.
“…Let go of my Hyung!”
A voice strained with pain reached me. Cho Hwawoon, as if showing off, swung me toward Yuhyun as he laughed.
“As promised, I’ll cut off both legs. Right in front of your little brother.”
Yuhyun’s jaw clenched hard. But he couldn’t break free of the thorn spears. Cho Hwawoon and the other dog bastards greedily watched their captured prey. I ground my teeth. If it was Wolf–type, that damn mutt – it had gotten in our way last time, and now again.
The Transcendent hadn’t intervened directly, but to come at us like this. Anger and urgency pressed down on my chest. I at least had to get Yuhyun out somehow. Somehow–
“Han Yuhyun! Don’t!”
Whoosh– flames surged again. Despite my panicked shout, the bastards stayed relaxed. They thought the fire would go out again this time too. But–
“The spears!”
A startled shout. Blue flames. A clear, almost transparent blue fire swallowed the thorn spears. Bleeding heavily from his wounds, Yuhyun pushed himself up. The dog bastards stumbled back. Even Cho Hwawoon flinched at the force. He hurriedly retreated and hurled me at Yuhyun. At the same time, the flames died away.
“Hyung!”
He was afraid the flames would push past Grace and hurt me as well. If that happened–
Crack.
That couldn’t happen – but Yuhyun wrapped himself around me. The spear tip that burst through my brother’s heart stopped just short of my body. I held him close. Gently closed his trembling eyes.
“Don’t worry.”
[Han Yuhyun has died
One life has been consumed.
The deceased will sleep in Han Yujin’s main team room until this bet ends.]
In a way, it was a relief. My brother’s figure vanished. The blood–soaked spear clattered to the ground.
–TL Notes–
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