Haeyeon Guild

※ PC view recommended for formatting + GDoc bookmarks when reading chapters.

- yoojin-ah i was a gps in my past life!!! - anyone managed to get screencaps? - yoojin-ah watch out there’s a lizard w three horns on the left side, i seen it caught in 4k trust!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - right path has a gang of black birds! w hellared eyes😱😱 middle path might be best? - yoojin-ah the left path leads to my house!!!!!! come live w me ok!!!!!!!!

“Thank you, everyone~ I should hope your house isn’t here, this is a Dungeon, after all. Additionally, my residence is in Seocho-dong, Seoul, South Korea~”

Several people had managed to get a good look, just as I’d thought. I politely asked them to describe the scene in closer detail. Then, I proceeded to take out my phone.

“I see–it seems the center path is the only one that doesn’t have any monsters.”

But because the road was so treacherous, it meant that I’d have to travel the whole way on foot. That would be hard going with my stamina. Using my phone’s stylus, I began to draw.(1)

“Usually, these sorts of supplementary resources should be displayed on the screen via an overlay–are you watching, Chatterbox-ssi? Is real-time screencasting not an option? If not, I suppose that’s fine.”

Red-eyed crows, huh. Hmm…….

- damn hyj’s art skills sucks ass - remember the training facility runner-up names list…….

Someone pasted a screenshot of the post with the contenders for the Rearing Facility’s name into the chat. Ack, that post should’ve been quickly deleted by Haeyeon already–someone managed to save it in that short time frame! Still, it wasn’t like it was unreadable by any means, though. I hadn’t thought they were so bad, at least.

- lmaoooooo burn - add english subs pls

So there were foreigners in the chat, after all. Apparently, the auto-translation function didn’t extend to the images uploaded to the chat window. I drew a red-eyed crow on my phone and held it up so it would be clearly visible. Yeah, sure, laugh it up.

“To preface, I’ve indeed been approached to do a cellphone CF! This isn’t a PPL, however. This phone was bought with my own money, and I’ve been using it for a while now. To elaborate a bit, Hunters typically tend to favor certain phone models for specific reasons! Reason number one, it’s sturdy! Reason number two, it’s sturdy! Reason number three, it’s really sturdy! Even for high-rank Hunters who make over 100,000,000 won a month, changing phones is still a huge chore. This phone’s also the one Yoohyunie and Yerimie use, too. It’s not uncommon for my phone to get flung around like a toy when I’m looking after the kids. A flimsier device wouldn’t survive even a week!”

That was the truth, even if it was an endorsement. Switching phones was a giant pain in the ass, even with data transfers being available. And if the SIM card had happened to get damaged, it turned into an even bigger production.

“The HunterEdition2, a smartphone with advanced SIM protection, is projected to be out in the first or second quarter of next year~ The SIM card slot on this model will be reinforced by Dungeon materials!”

That ought to do it, I reckoned. Clearing my throat with an ahem in an attempt to ward off my residual feelings of embarrassment, I circled back to my primary objective.

“The crimson-eyed crows in the forest environment. There is a high possibility that they’re the B-rank monster known as the Black Garde. Did you happen to notice a vivid green coloration here, at the center of its rectrices, and its claws, perhaps?”

- 👌👌👌👌👌 - yeah, that’s what i saw

“It’s an exceptionally clever monster that travels in flocks that number ten at minimum, and over a hundred at max. They’re known for their excellent eyesight, high agility, and perfect teamwork! A wily monster to deal with, but their night vision is lackluster, and their sense of smell is weak as well. If you happen to come across a red-eyed crow in the case of a Dungeon Break, look for cover somewhere dark! Unfortunately, it happens to be broad daylight at the moment.”

If I attempted to delay until nightfall though, I'd hemorrhage most of my viewers. Even without a time limit, I was wary of dragging my feet for too long. 

“The blue three-horned lizard on the left.”

I began drawing once more. And put a decent amount of effort into the coloring, too. Was it truly that hilarious, ladies and gents. Well, as long as you’re happy, I’m happy too, I suppose. 

“An A-rank monster, ‘Desert Punti.’ Generally solitary in nature, this monster will only appear in twos at max. It’s fairly difficult to contend with in a sandy desert environment, but.”

I tapped my foot against the ground.

“The ground here appears to be very firm. Is it like that farther in as well? Ah, I see. Thank you very much! In other words, that means it won’t be able to launch a surprise attack after lying in wait, essentially.”

Putting my phone away, I brought out my bike.

“No, I’m not really partial to pink–this was given to me as a gift. A jeep? It would make too much noise, I’m afraid. I’d get clocked before I got within a hundred meters of it then.”

Monsters were capable of easily picking up on anything with an engine attached, even from far away. On the other hand, a bicycle was fairly quiet. Plus, the sounds it produced would be far less unnatural than the noise manufactured by a motor, at that.

“I’ll be zooming out, then!”

The field of view shown wouldn’t be as wide as the opening shot used when changing scenes, but it should still be pretty expansive, at least based on what I remembered from prior shot testing.

“Do let me know when you spot the lizard, everyone~”

I made another heart with my hands upon request. But I’m a grown-up man, and not someone like, say, Yerimie, you know… Wasn’t this kind of thing embarrassing to watch. And what was a ‘nom-heart’(2), for that matter.

Climbing onto the seat of the bike, I began pedalling. The left path was fairly flat, unlike the middle one.  Sweat began beading along the back of my neck in short order, from riding a bike beneath the full strength of a noonday sun. Even so, I couldn’t afford to take off the Leopard Cat jacket. I might be planning on concealing my camouflaging Skill for as long as I could, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep it at the ready.

- lizard!! - in front in front!!

The chat began blowing up with comments saying that they ‘could see the Desert Punti up ahead.’ Thank-you, thank-you. Coming to a stop, I put the bicycle back into my inventory.

- damn inventories are hella legit - be careful han yoojinㅜㅠ!! - crush ‘em all director han-nim!!!!

“Though my body may be lacking, my heart is that of an S-rank.”

- SF111111111

…that was supposed to be a U.S.-only thing, I’d thought. It might spread to Korea too, at this rate. I clipped a detachable holder with five compartments onto the Leopard Cat belt. Each of the slots were neatly packed full with assorted Items.

“This may seem loosely attached, but everything inside will stay secure unless the wearer intentionally wills it, even if you were to do a summersault. Its maker, Yoo Myungwoo-nim!”

- based golden blacksmith - hella cracked 😱😱😱

I agreed wholeheartedly. Were you watching, Myungwoo-yah! I’m still in one piece. Next, I took out the modified crossbow(4). It was a weapon designed to launch projectiles such as stones instead of arrows, made possible by the shallow sling positioned at its center. Loading it up with ammunition, I braced my foot against the side of the gorge. 

“I may not possess a flight Skill, but I’m capable of doing this instead, see. Item-enabled, of course. And for now–I’ll be going silent.”

We’ll be hitting mute for a short period. But don’t go anywhere, dear viewers!(5)

I began scaling the steep walls. After walking along vertically for a short while, the blue scales of the lizard came into sight. It had a colossal form that was unmistakable, even from a distance. Razor-sharp claws scratched against the ground, spines lining the end of its long tail. As I made an apprehensive expression, the chat speed began to slow as well.

- omg how’s that lizard so big….. kinda scary - looks to be the size of a car - nah it’s def bus-tier

Twitch, the giant lizard turned its body. Sprawled out at the very edge of the shadow cast by the cliff, it occasionally flickered its tongue in the air. 

- could prob sneak past it quietly, it can’t possibly fly w that size - go go go go - cutie lizard

Slowly, making as little noise as possible, I stretched a hand out towards the ledge of the cliff. Just then.

Bump.

I ran into an invisible barrier. It would be nice if I could provide some exposition, but unfortunately I needed to remain silent.

- dungeons have these kinds of boundaries, where there’s a clear wall put up even if it looks open world - u a hunter? - mid-rank

Someone elaborated on my behalf. So there were Hunters among the viewers too, after all. That made sense, I supposed. But that was why there’d been that no-fly notice earlier, huh. It seemed that trying to slip by the lizard unnoticed was a bust. When I set the frame to zoom out as far as it could go again, the chat began providing me with intel once more, even unprompted. And among those messages.

- further up ahead! - there’s another one present

There were mentions of another lizard. A pair, huh. Nice. Switching the camera mode back to ‘auto,’ I gave a slight wave into empty air. I’ll be off, then.

Keeping my eyes on the lizard, I advanced forward. Smack, the long tail slapped against the ground. I was almost directly above it by this point, but it didn’t seem to have noticed me yet. But if it was around A-rank stat-wise, then.

Scrape.

Scraping its claws into the ground.

- spotted11111 - run!!

The lizard swiveled its head upwards in my direction. As soon as our eyes met, I broke into a sprint across the cliff face. Immediately, the lizard’s slack body jolted out of its prone position.

- Krrrrng.

“In the case of the Desert Punti, its tongue–!”

- don’t talk! - yoojin-ah!!!!!

Whoosh! A long whip-like tongue snapped out from between the two shorter tongues. Crack! The lizard’s tongue smashed into the spot I’d just pushed away from with the force of a lance. A cloud of dust billowed out as clumps of dirt crumbled down below. 

“–is extremely long!”

- we get it, we get it!run! - damn he’s ballsy fr(6) - someone help me find my balls, think they just shriveled up and fell off(6) - that’s why bro ain’t even flinch at sranks deadass 

The lizard chased after me with lightning quick movements. It was a monster with a physiology that was characterized as being on the slower side for an organism of its original biome. But that was more where high-ranked Hunters were concerned. Anything with A-rank stats was still undoubtedly faster than myself, after all.

Managing to outpace me in a flash, the monster raised a leg to grip onto the edge of the cliff. Sharp claws dug into the stone outcropping as it began to pull itself over the ledge. Without faltering in my running, I loaded up the crossbow I’d already prepped with an Item from the holder at my waist, and took aim.

Pow!

- Krrriii!

It wasn’t a bomb. It was a flash grenade.

“Because they’re, creatures that stay burrowed in sand, they’re weak to bright lights!”

- someone block director han’s mouth please

“It shouldn’t be able to give chase for a bit!”

I ran as though my life depended on it as Lizard1 briefly staggered. Not soon after, another lizard came into sight.

- Kraaaar!

Having heard the explosion from earlier go off, it was already on high alert. Maintaining my speed, I brought out a bundle of pre-packaged meat from my inventory.

“Monster meat. For the kids.”

I always kept a reserve of food on me for them, just in case. Tearing into the packaging, I loaded a lump of fresh meat onto the crossbow. 

“And this is A-ranked paralysis powder!”

With that announcement, I applied a liberal coating of paralysis powder onto the meat.

- yooooo how much $$ is that even - at least >1,000,000₩ if that’s arank - just how much does peace’s food $ pull from director han-nim’s bank acct monthly - incoming from behind too!! - you can do it han yoojin!!!!! - get them yoojin-ah~~~ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

And for the finishing touch, a smattering of blood from a scratch I made on my arm.

Fwoosh!

I fired the meat at Lizard2 ahead of me. The slab of meat slapped onto Lizard2’s body with a splattering sound.

“Because its defensive capabilities are extremely high, it doesn’t bother to avoid attacks it doesn’t deem to be a true threat!”

- there’sanotherlizardbehindyoutoo!!!notajoke - behindbehindbehind,, please stfu han yoojin

Yes, yes–I’m aware it’s coming. Both from in front and behind me, the giant lizards began to close in. As I threw myself flat on the ground near the edge of the cliff, whoosh, Lizard2’s tongue snapped through the empty space my head had just been. Even though I’d anticipated the attack and managed to dodge it, it had only just barely missed. Immediately on the heels of that, Lizard1 arrived and,

- Krrrrgk!

- huh? - tf

Rushed at Lizard2, bypassing me completely. Its massive jaw splitting wide open to display sharp serrated teeth, it tore into thick cobalt scales. Without shirking back, Lizard2 drove its claws into Lizard1’s neck.

- why’re they fighting each other? - the meat!

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Lowering my voice, I quickly moved away from the fighting lizards. Krrrgk, krrik– agitated roars sounded from behind me. The ground trembled.

“The Punti possess very little sense of social bonding. That’s why they’re typically solitary creatures. When they’re already indifferent to each other under normal circumstances, if you have a situation where the scent of blood can be detected on one? When it seems like food? Then species solidarity be damned, it’ll attempt to cannibalize the other one.”

Once I’d managed to gain a fair amount of distance, I released my adhesion Skill and dropped down from the cliff face. Landing neatly on my feet thanks to my ‘limber and pliable’ ability, I swiftly retrieved my bicycle. 

“Editing team, please show an additional feed of the monsters fighting in a smaller window at the bottom if you would~ Or you can have my feed displayed in the smaller window instead, even.”

When else would people be able to view a live broadcast of monsters fighting each other, after all. All of the high-ranked Hunters would likely just wipe everything out. And because monsters were viewed in a similar light as animals, I’d be less likely to catch censorship strikes for violence à la nature documentaries, compared to encounters that involved humans.

- is yoojinie rly older than yoohyunie?

“Crying ou–I’m really the hyung, alright? It’s just that Yoohyunie filled out really well!”

I kept steadily moving while responding to the chat, and soon managed to escape from the gorge. As I did so, a message window blinked into view. 

[ Gorge Pass Results ]

[ You are a <Thief> ]

…huh? This was definitely slander–but while I felt wronged, I also felt a tiny prick of guilt at my conscience. Even so, it wasn’t as though I’d ever robbed anyone who hadn’t provoked me first! It was always a case of them reaping what they’d sown! But even before I could protest, my body was abruptly teleported elsewhere.

***

- Kiiiiriik!

The lumbering form of a monster went up in fire, blackening to a crisp. As the corpse collapsed with a resounding thud, Han Yoohyun brushed past impassively.

- hyh rly doesn’t smile at all unless he's in front of his hyung eh……….

- why are peace and han yoohyun solo queuing instead of stacking lololol

Confronted with a diverging path, Han Yoohyun and Peace had each gone their separate ways. Without a pressing need, there was no reason for the two of them to take the same path together. Seok Shimyoung had requested that they remain united as much as possible for the sake of the broadcast, but such an approach appeared inefficient in the current situation.

- yoohyunie hyung, i’m watching hyung’s broadcast even tho it’s my enlistment day today  - yoohyunie rly resembles yoojinie rn huh (lol)(7)

Was Hyung alright. Han Yoohyun glanced down at the chat window as he moved forward. Mentions of Han Yoojin were sprinkled here and there between comments.

- being good looking automatically makes u an oppa ok. yoohyun oppa!!!! - yoohyun-ah u wanna be w/ ur hyung right?should i let u know where he is?make a heart for us

Han Yoohyun thought back to the instructional materials Seok Shimyoung had sent him. He’d been subject to image training before in the past, too. However, in the early days of Haeyeon Guild’s inception, there had been little need to really ascribe to performative expressions. An underaged orphan, who had Awakened under duress when his life had been threatened by a Dungeon Break. Forcibly conscripted despite his tender age into a desperate fight against the danger posed by the Dungeons. A painfully tender-faced elite–the youngest S-rank Hunter and Guild Leader.

On a grim stage set with that sort of bleary backdrop, a cold and stoic demeanor hadn’t garnered any ire. He was a deeply wounded soul, excuses drafted for him preemptively.

But now–he’d reconciled with Hyung, and there was Peace and Bak Yerim to consider as well. His image had skewed brighter overall as of late. An ‘S-rank Hunter who had recovered his ability to smile through the embrace of family,’ it was claimed.

Remembering Seok Shimyoung’s urging to please try and appear a bit warmer, as though Director Han Yoojin-nim was standing in front of you!, Han Yoohyun gazed into thin air. Then, just as Bak Yerim had done, he made a heart. 

“Hunter Han Yoojin–is hyung doing alright?”

- - - - -

(1) yoojin officially outed as a galaxy phone user

(2) 깨물하트

(3) ‘ㄷㄷㄷ’ → '😱' mostly, sometimes i can sub in ‘(shook)’, but it gets used for a variety of reasons; ‘ㄷㄷㄷ’ = ‘덜덜덜’, ‘ㅎㄷㄷ’ = ‘후덜덜‘, both are onomatopoeias for describing body shaking/trembling/shivering when someone is frightened or afraid of something (‘brrr’), or out of awe (‘holy shit’)

(4) 석궁 → bullet-shooting crossbow

(5) 채널 고정! → yj is kinda showing his age here bc it’s more TV than internet broadcast; it’s a ‘catchphrase’ telling the viewers not to change the channel, typically said before a show goes on commercial break (‘don’t go anywhere!(we’ll be right back after this!)-type saying)

(6) ‘ㄹㅇ간이없네’ ‘제 간 찾아요 방금 떨어진듯’ → wordplay w/ 간(liver): ‘he ain’t got no liver(fear) fr’ ‘looking for my [own] liver, think it just dropped(=scared shitless)’

‘The Hare’s Liver’

(7) ‘zzz’ = ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’ = ‘kekeke’/(lol) bc of key placement going from en→kr, like how ‘www’ = laughing in japanese internet slang

lol i blacked out and binged like >1000chs in webnovels the last two weeks… rip my bank account 💀 this is what happens when i procrastinate.. (currently reading: 잡아먹히는 건 양 아닌 늑대)

anyway, i inadvertently ended up looking thru some official eng tls of webcomic adaptations while reccing some titles to my friend bc he reads in eng, and was pleasantly surprised to see that nowadays a lot of it is more quality work than i’d been used to seeing ^^ on the other end of the spectrum, i did also see a bunch done w MTL that just leaves errors in (e.g. 조카 being left as ‘niece’ when referring to male lead) lol... but the ones w actual quality control are p good, it’s just that much of the content is like… 90% there, but that missing 10% of nuance makes the characterization in int fandom off.. but it’s not rly apparent unless you know both languages and have critical reading skills…. i get it tho, it’s 50-50 because they’re prioritizing ease of readability(localization) over accuracy(translation/transliteration) + nigh-insurmountable language barriers (=english not distinguishing between different levels of formality in speech in a formulaic way that is encoded into the language), bc 1) otherwise it would look as messy as my footnotes do, and 2) they’re prob not getting paid enough to care as much as my autistic ass does lol

to expand on this a bit, one of the novels i finished in both formats is 꿀발린 S급 가이드(The S-Class Guide as Sweet as Honey), which i picked up bc i wanted to read smth with hjtw dynamics (and bc i got jebaited by the 떡대수 tag). this is one that has an official eng tl that i would rate as being on the higher end–but while the ‘content’ is all ostensibly there, the reason i enjoyed the main couple’s dynamics is mostly absent in the eng ver bc it’s so heavily dependent on tone/nuance/delivery in speech, and the eng tl not taking that distinction in register into account ends up ‘flattening’ the existing dynamic and character personalities:

a big part of the reason i enjoy andante/hyoseob + hyunjae/taewon’s dynamics is because of the ‘politely(?) lecherous top’ vs ‘proper(formal-polite)&stoic bottom’ back-and-forth + adult playful teasing–which hinges a lot on andante&shj’s provocative use of 반존대(formal-informal) and hyoseob&stw’s studiously ‘proper(demure)’ responses 

for comparison, here’s the official eng tl:

vs the same passage from the KR novel:

so the core ‘content’ is there, but the degree of degradation/nuance in delivery isn’t quite the same.. it’s the kind of thing that can turn playful teasing into childish whinging, if the affect falls flat. and the above is an example with a ‘decent’ translation. the egregiousness is further pronounced when the translation falls short re:core content, since the lack of ability to read between the lines turns into impact on characterization by ignoring effects on interpersonal dynamics via implied social relations. this is why tls that don’t take speech levels/honorifics into account can appear to have individuals act ‘out of character’ for non-kr readers–because the correct tone/social relationship was never conveyed properly.

to give an example: in 유령의 창(Codename:GHOST), there’s a scene where the younger top (politely) asks the older bottom to ‘please go back to speaking in banmal(반말)’ to him again, because it felt distancing when he switched to jondaemal(존댓말):

but since the eng tl doesn’t allude to the difference in formality at all, that part would just seem jarring/out-of-the-blue to eng ver. readers who lack the context……. (also it pissed me off bc the top is a polite Good Boy and he can be read as bratty and entitled without the softness/gentleness his formal-polite speech affords him) still, despite the ss at the top that talks about how you can still get around a lack of encoded politeness/formality in speech in eng, there are limitations to it when you reach certain points.

tbh i struggle a lot with writing stw→shj dialogue because of this, since he speaks to him ‘properly,’ but in a deferential/submissive way that’s also intimate, and not the distancing way yoojin uses formality to address sung hyunjae.. i touch on this a bit in the footnotes for the business trip extra ch and the one hjtw sexfight ch i’ve gotten around to doing so far since i suck at action scenes and having to work in innuendos simultaneously (note: ‘대주기’ is basically another way to say ‘깔려주기’, most of the fight is euphemisms around penetrating, thrusting, swallowing(taking in), etc. in a way that only happens in fight scenes that involve yh-yj or hj-tw, which i’m not sure if i got across in-text). idk if there’s really a way around it than altering word choices and using certain phrasing, but that’s difficult when sometimes dialogue is as short as ‘예’..... so i might just need to resort to including speech level charts in footnotes for chs again where necessary to help fill the gaps in my ability..

as a related note, part of the aversion to ‘messiness’ i mentioned earlier means that more social context gets left out when ‘hyung(형)’ or other 호칭(terms of address) get swapped out for specific character names instead in the name of convenience (= not having to explain cultural context). i saw a lot of works just sub in specific character names for hyung(형)/oppa(오빠)/noona(누나)/unnie(언니)/etc (or really anything that doesn’t have a direct equivalence in title, incl. ‘ahjussi(아저씨)’) because then they can just avoid having to explain platonic vs romantic use of ‘family-oriented’ terms, which is a huge L for any subtext use. here’s another excerpt from 꿀발린 S급 가이드(The S-Class Guide as Sweet as Honey):

(for ref: hyung(형) / oppa(오빠) / noona(누나) / unnie(언니))

additional example of why 호칭&decorum in name use (or lack thereof) is important plot-related subtext/social context:

+(Q&A)

Q) i was curious as to the types of CF(commercial film) offers each of the s-ranks might have received (e.g. cosmetics, alcohol, vehicles, etc!) A) corporate guilds such as breaker, hanshin, and mkc are typically under contract to do CFs for their respective sponsors. you can’t force s-rank hunters to film CFs they don’t want to, of course–but they’ll typically relent and choose at least one or two CFs to do each year^^ and while they’re strictly prohibited from appearing in commercials that promote rival companies’ products, the s-rank hunters are free to participate in advertisements that are either a) related to their work or b) promotion for the guild. because the opportunities to net an s-rank hunter for a CF are far and few in between, rather than being matched to their particular image, the offers that come in are typically for mainstream products that are expected to generate a large amount of profit. CFs for electronics and automobiles make up the majority of offers. there is a wide range in variety for the CF offers made to s-rank hunters who are not beholden to corporations. since s-rank hunters are largely unconcerned about commercial costs and prone to accept offers that appeal to them on a whim, many small and mid-size companies will adopt a try-and-see approach in trying to bait their interest. in the case of han yoohyun, he is disinterested in participating in CFs. in deference to its guild leader’s will + having judged that too frequent appearances in advertisements would be detrimental to its image, haeyeon (with seok shimyoung at the helm) typically rejects any offers that come in. as a result, bak yerim holds an immense interest in CF participation. she was too busy to indulge in such things during the course of the novel, but with far more leisure time available to her in the epilogue of the story, she intends to dabble in each and every CFs her heart might desire.  sung hyunjae has appeared in exceptionally few CFs. he’s received many offers, but is incredibly picky about the ones he’ll accept. song taewon has only featured in official government productions; liette accepted a CF offer once out of curiosity, but after completely demolishing the filming set, has not received any additional offers since. noah refrained from making public appearances while he was avoiding liette, and so he turned down any CF offers. after his dragon form became revealed, most of the offers he’s received has been from the luxury goods sector.

+(Q&A)

방송 시작 (2)

- i would die for you han yoojin ily!!!!

“Thank you, erm–thank you.”

The back of my neck felt hot. Maybe because of the environment, there were a lot of people in the chat throwing around words like ‘love’ and the like, ha-ha. It was just that, when I was outwardly twenty-five and inwardly thirty, being labeled ‘cute’ was kind of……. Though that could have been a comment made by an older gentleman or lady, I supposed.

- why does han yoojin always wear the same tee??

Huh? What did they mean by ‘the same shirt,’ I even had a coordinator consul…….

- cuz he’s pre-‘tee’……….

I was gobsmacked for a moment. E-erm, that’s. Uhh, did I need to respond to these sorts of jokes in kind? Not to mention, why did they even choose to use ‘pretty’… That kind of description was far better suited for Yerimie, or even Noah-ssi……. But while I felt flustered and embarrassed to have such a comment directed at me, in all honesty–to be completely truthful, it felt somewhat gratifying. Who wouldn’t feel pleased at being given a compliment, after all. Though, to say that I was even better-looking than the Seseung Guild Leader–ah, I supposed it was a matter of personal preference after all, so… Was it really likely, though?

Of course, there were still malicious comments directed at me too. But just as soon as they appeared, they immediately encountered pushback along the lines of ‘tf kind of bs is that’ and ‘flagged for anti-patriotic rhetoric.’ Um, there were definitely foreigners present in the chat too, though. It wasn’t as noticeable because of the auto-translation function, but the differences in emoticons used gave them away.

“Wow, sixty years old. For real?”

“It’s just typical internet hyperbole(1) used for gags, mister. See, I have a ‘seventy-two year old’ in my chat, sir!”

Yerimie chimed in, upon hearing my incredulous tone.

“I’ve got a seventy-eight year old! And I’m their ‘first love,’ to boot!”

Moon Hyuna chortled, casually announcing her own stats. When I snuck a glance at Yoohyunie to gauge if he was also getting those sorts of messages, he supplied,

“A centenarian.”

“So the record-breaking number goes to his highness, huh!”

Though like Yerimie had said, it was all probably hogwash. Yet, while I was still feeling bashful and awkward, my mood had been buoyed. Everything seemed to be going pretty well, contrary to my fears. Things seemed more manageable than I’d expected.

“My heartfelt thanks to the person who complimented the taste of our beer~ But to be honest–hmm.”

Ah, I’d have to be careful not to accidentally make a breach of contract. Right after the comment complimenting the taste, a whole slew of comments disparaging it followed soon after. Ha ha, my apologies. Wow, someone had left an entire wall of text. I scrolled back up to read the comment that had been pushed out of frame, and felt my embarrassment begin to climb again. T-thank you very much for the kind words.

“Yoohyun-ah, you should respond a bit to your chat too. What’re the people there saying?”

“‘Guild leader-chan Yoohyun-ah, oppa you’re so handsome.’”

…Yoohyunie replied, as though he were reciting from a textbook. Yerimie reacted with horror. Ignoring her, Yoohyunie continued reading from his chat window.

“‘Peace and Han Yoohyun seem like real blood-related siblings, only checking on each other to make sure they’re alive still.’”

“That’s not true everyone, they’re super close! See!”

Picking up Peace, I held him out towards Yoohyunie; Peace’s ears immediately snapped back to lay flat against his head. His snout crinkled. Um, erm. Those are signs of affection, you see.

“‘Han Yoohyun’s super cute.’”

“Uuugh!”

Yerimie plugged her ears with both hands. Yerimie and Yoohyunie both were cute though, if you asked me. Along with Peace too, of course. Even though he wasn’t able to read, Peace had a chat window of his own as well. Let’s see.

- pls show beans at least once!!! - peace-yah let’s go to college together!

Every time Peace gave so much as a faint wag of his tail, the chat speed increased exponentially. I understood completely. Our Peace was incredibly cute and lovely, after all.

“Mister Section Chief Song, they’re asking you to smile! Here, put your hands together like this. And just like that, a heart! You need to make one, sir!”

“...miss, I.”

“Look over there, the Seseung ahjussi is making a K-heart(2) for them too, sir. Ah, you’re ‘gonna smash something because we’re so cute’? Well, you see, our Section Chief Song-nim’s capable of actually smashing just about anything!(3) Please look forward to it!”

“Only in a situation that absolutely necessitates such, would I…….”

“Requests are now open! The one and only S-rank public servant Hunter in the world! He’ll do anything you ask for~ Just say the word, and he’ll be happy to service you!”

“Hunter Bak Yerim, please–”

“Ah, we have someone who says they’re a colleague of our Section Chief Song-nim! Thank you for your support! Section Chief Song-nim, please make a heart for them!”

Poor Section Chief Song-nim’s soul seemed to be slipping away little by little. Was Chatterbox really targeting Section Chief Song-nim, rather than myself. The psychological impact seemed to be far too super effective on him. And while he still looked indifferent, Yoohyunie appeared to be parsing through the messages appearing on his chat window as well. Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on his lips, and.

“They’re saying that hyung and I look really close.”

He murmured. A reflexive smile formed on my lips as well. That’s true. Especially as of late; our relationship must seem even closer.

“My Yoohyunie is an absolutely darling dongsaeng, after all. Please treat him well~ Ah, as well as Peace, and our Yerimie too, of course.”

Though in Yerimie’s case, the issue was that she seemed to have already adapted to things too well. It seemed to come so naturally to her, that it occurred to me that if the Dungeons hadn’t appeared, she might’ve taken up being a streamer with her friends. I’d heard that it was a popular gig among young people, recently.

“Plus Noah-ssi! I presume a lot of French viewers are already tuned into his stream, certainly.”

After all, he still retained his French nationality despite being active in Korea, just like Kang Soyoung. Noah smiled noncommittally at my words.

“I imagine you’re correct, sir.”

“As expected, there are a lot of ‘angel’ comments being left, hmm. They’re saying that you’re as brilliant as the sun when you smile, Noah-ssi.”

It was likely a result of the Korean translation feature–if the auto-translate function was turned off, it was probably ‘angel,’ ‘angel’ all the way down. A large portion of the window was taken up by ‘pretty,’ ‘adorable,’ ‘handsome,’ etc. as well.

“I’m used to hearing as much from a young age, sir.”

“Hm?”

“My looks were the one aspect of myself that even noonim saw fit to praise, after all.”

Noah replied casually, as though being called an ‘angel’ and the like was a completely commonplace occurrence for him. Come to think of it, he’d reacted pretty calmly to Yoon-Yoon’s tittering that he had to be an angel, too. Had it been me, I wouldn’t have known what to do with myself. A natural-born beauty was certainly built different, huh.

On Hyuna-ssi’s screen, proclamations of her being the viewers’ ‘first love’ filled the frame to bursting. I completely understood. I really did.

“I love you too.”

Hyuna-ssi responded, flashing an easy smile. Seeing it felt hazardous to my health.

“Huuh, how’d you know that my pyjamas are dinosaur pjs? Do I need to file a report? Yep, I’ll definitely win against Guild Leader-nim on my birthday next year!”

Kang Soyoung exclaimed cheerfully–and,

“Oho, they’re telling me I should ‘tear everything up’?”

Liette’s face morphed into a vicious smile. Just who was it that thought it was a good idea to poke away at that already ticking time bomb. Surprisingly, Evelyn–who seemed to be the kind of person who would simply ignore this sort of thing–was conversing pleasantly with her audience, replying ‘thank you very much’ with a kindly smile on her face. After peering over this person and that person’s shoulders, I eventually gave into curiosity and wandered over to where Sung Hyunjae was as well. Sung Hyunjae, too, was pretending to be a normal, decent person capable of respectable social interactions. 

“A very happy birthday to you, miss Minji.”

Ugh– both my and Moon Hyuna’s faces twisted into twin expressions of disgust as he sweetly voiced a happy birthday message to a viewer. Just look at that asshole playing coy. Gyeolie, his front paws pressed against his chat window from his perch on Sung Hyunjae’s shoulder, kept anxiously flicking his tail as though he wanted to say something; upon catching sight of me, his mouth broke open in a wide smile. Gyeolie’s chat window must be blowing up with messages about how cute he was, right about now.

“I admit I’m surprised to see you being so amenable to your audience, sir.”

“Seseung Guide has always been a thoughtful and kindly neighbor to the populace, my boy.”

Ah… Of course, sir……. I’d nearly forgotten that Sung Hyunjae was popular in his own right. Petting Gyeolie, who had happily come clinging to me instead, I snuck a glance at Sung Hyunjae’s chat window.

- sung hyunjae’s face score must be a ten, bc it’s the only ten-i-see(4)

The fuck. Then our Yoohyunie was a ten too, in that case. ‘Sung Hyunjae seems a bit dead today–that is, drop-dead gorgeous’(5)....... Ugh, really. 

“Are you really a Changnyeong county ‘Sung’ family descendent, sir?”(6)

“Hmm, I wonder. Ah–the rumored discord between Director Han Yoojin-nim and myself is baseless as seen, dear viewers.”

“It’s just because of the broadcast, everyone, the broadcast. We need to appear cordial while we’re on air, after all. But our Han family is actually close-knit, on the contrary. Isn’t that right, Yoohyun-ah! Yerim-ah! Peace-yah!”

“Mhn, hyung. I love you.”

“I ‘heart’ you too, mister!”

- Kiyang!

I mimicked back the heart Yerimie had made with her hands.

“Seseung’s Guild Leader-nim is handsome, certainly. I’ll acknowledge that.”

I held myself back from adding ‘but his looks are all he’s good for,’ to avoid being flamed. I supposed he had a lot of money, too. And, well, competence.

“The very best of luck to you on your exams.”

Sung Hyunjae continued to respond politely. He’s just acting like this because of the broadcast, everyone! Please don’t be fooled!

“Why don’t you try making your stream a bit more engaging, sir?”

“I’d assumed my face should already suffice, no.”

…narcissistic asshole. It was all the more infuriating because it was true. Raising a middle finger at him in my head, I outwardly put on a friendly smile. This was all for the sake of business, remember–business. Do it for the broadcast.

“Of course, a happy birthday to your friend~ Happy birthday, dear viewer! Yeji-nim, happy birthday as well~”

I distributed more ‘happy birthday’s to the others in the chat who chimed in that ‘it was their birthday too’ as well. There were some Hunters who seemed to be used to this sort of streaming environment, but a majority of them seemed to be new to it. Even so, there were plenty of happy faces abound, so the overall reception seemed to be largely positive.

“Dammit!”

Of course, there were a few Hunters who had turned off their chat windows in a fit of rage, too. In some cases, they’d already had a negative public reputation to begin with, while for others,

‘That’s one of the Hunters I’d fought.’

They seemed to be getting trolled for ‘getting humiliated by someone with F-rank stats.’ On that topic, was it possible to block people for using insults that were too vulgar? Would just reporting them work. Regardless of what might be said to myself, I’d prefer to take legal action for anyone who spoke crassly towards the others in my group.

The buzz of excitement that had accompanied the launch of the broadcast slowly began to settle down. Yerimie finally relented, letting a thoroughly exhausted Song Taewon go free. There were several people who appeared to have left the broadcast feed running, but had turned their chat window off because ‘it was too hectic to keep on.’ I’d left mine up, for the time being.

“While the Party is underway, information that could potentially confer an advantage to another team will be automatically censored.”

Chatterbox began to speak as the clamouring of the crowd died down.

“For example–if the cards a player holds in a game of poker were to be divulged via chat from seeing it on the broadcast, the participants of the game will be unable to view the contents of that message.”

You could certainly gain an edge through screenwatching with a live broadcast feed, otherwise. Would that be sufficient enough though, I wondered.

“Stream donations have been disabled. In exchange, a small amount of gold coins will be distributed every day based on viewer count and broadcast uptime.”

The Hunters who had opted to close their livestream hurriedly turned them back on. So while there wasn’t a penalty per se, they were still going to use an underhanded tactic designed to nevertheless force our hands, huh. Who’d keep their broadcast off after hearing that kind of condition on the line, after all.

“Our broadcast is rated for viewers up to the age of fifteen, and will be subject to real-time censorship in compliance with deliberation. As a result, the broadcast may be paused at certain points depending on the situation.”

Chatterbox relayed, sounding very much like a broadcasting station representative. Well, he technically was a rep at the moment, I supposed. A handful of comments in the chat window asked for a separate 19+ or R-rated channel to be created. Hey, let’s keep things clean, alright–there are minors here, you know.

“Governor’s Island’s A-rank Dungeon, the ‘Barren Island.’ We at Channel Chatterbox have prepared this Dungeon as a special backdrop for the proceedings during this Party.”

In unison, the network cameras zoomed in on the open entrance to the Dungeon.

- as expected of the phantom! - isn’t this kinda dangerous tho? wut if a dungeon break happens from poking around in it - do u see all the sranks there, it’d be insta-delete - that’s why it’s on an island duh

There were some who seemed to be feeling a bit of trepidation at a Dungeon being involved, but more people appeared to be titillated by the prospect than not. The Dungeon researchers were probably all losing their minds, I’m sure. I’d already received a call from Seok Hayan’s team following the events of the marathon. After witnessing a sudden teleportation into what seemed to be a Dungeon, and then the ensuing live broadcast. They’d pleaded with me to try and ‘find out more details on the fundamental mechanics’ from Chatterbox, since ‘we seemed so friendly’–not that I was able to provide a satisfactory response, in any case.

I couldn’t just come out and say ‘it’s because that guy is a Transcendent,’ after all. Instead, I’d just told them that he’d refused to disclose the information on account of it being a ‘trade secret.’ 

“We couldn’t possibly leave out ‘Dungeons’ when it comes to a ‘Hunters’ Party,’ wouldn’t you agree. Then, ladies and gentlemen!”

Chatterbox raised an arm to gesture towards the Dungeon.

“We offer you a spot of light entertainment.”

He made no mention of what to expect inside. The audience would probably be delighted even if it was just a simple Dungeon raid, though. Since this would mark the first time the inside of a Dungeon was shown on broadcast, after all. And a live broadcast was a feat that had been impossible even pre-Regression, at that.

‘...if it actually is a raid, then I’d be the one worst off.’

Even if I got a low-rank Dungeon that was scaled to my own capabilities, then it meant my potential entertainment value would take a massive hit compared to the more fraught higher ELO stages. Yoohyunie and Yerimie looked at me worriedly.

“Sir–is this a solo raid? Or team-based?”

Yerimie called out, raising her hand. 

“It is a team-based enterprise, of course.”

- bruh hyj gonna be cooked if it’s a-rank - director-nim’s the coolest…!hang in there!!i’m cheering for u!

Thank you, I’ll certainly endeavor to hang in there for as long as I can. And there was a chance that it might turn out to be different from a ‘normal’ Dungeon, too. I was highkey hoping that it might be a situation where everyone turned into non-Awakened, like during the invitation free-for-all.

“Please–my dear Hunter Han Yoojin-nim, if you would.”

Affecting a convivial air, Chatterbox gestured for me to enter. Don’t listen to him everyone, he and I aren’t close at all. Please don’t get the wrong idea. I walked into the building housing the Dungeon Gate amidst worried looks. The Dungeon entrance came into view; it was giving off a white light, unlike the other Gates. The staff member standing beside the Gate gave me a genial smile. 

“Please rest assured that the order in which contestants enter will not affect the proceedings in any way. Would you like to store your cellphone or other belongings with us before you enter, sir?”

“Will my phone not function inside, then?”

“While your machines will still work, communication will not be possible.”

What good would it be if it couldn’t be used for communications. For the calculator function? As a memo pad? I guessed that meant I wouldn’t be able to watch my own stream, much less those of other people. Had the communication features been blocked in order to prevent people from watching other contestants’ broadcasts, then. But since you never knew–I took out the SIM chip to leave with the attendant, but opted to keep the rest. 

“I won’t be attacked by monsters as soon as I set foot inside, will I.”

“No, sir.”

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the Gate.

*

CH. CHATTERBOX - HAN YOOJIN

A clear blue sky. The view slowly pans down, until a dry gorge appears. The gorge is split into three branching valleys. A close-up of the left–a path that is very nearly straight–is suddenly interrupted by an obtrusion of a giant reptilian head. Rich blue scales, black eyes, three horns, and twin flickering tongues. Then: the middle path, fraught with rough obstacles, and the right, with a small forest in the middle of the road, receive their close-ups in turn. A vast flock of birds dot the woods of the forest. Black-feathered birds, similar in shape to crows. Their eyes gleam crimson.

[ Flight has been disabled in this area. ]

After the subtitles flash on screen, the camera moves towards Han Yoojin.

*

“Ugh, it’s hot.”

A dense, humid atmosphere suddenly roiled over me. Did this Chatterbox bastard have the hots for barren wastelands or what. I supposed it could be an attempt at providing vicarious enjoyment for the viewers who were currently in the dead center of winter. Figuring that my clothes would dry in no time now, I peeled off my wet coat and shucked it away. It was a pity to have to part with it, but there was no sense in carrying around a coat in this sort of heat.

[ You have reached the starting point. ]

Another message window appeared in short order. A ‘no-fly zone’ notice, or something.

[ Your goal is to reach the other side of the gorge. ]

I looked at the three branching pathways before me. Oh, whatever should I do, without a suitable way to choose.

“Well, ladies and gents.”

I smiled at thin air. It felt as awkward as I’d expected. I tried to remember how the pre-recording take had looked like, back at the hotel. It had opened with a shot of the sky, then panned out to show the full length of the course. So, in that case.

“Please detail the paths for me~♡”

I requested, making a heart with my hands. Eugh, definitely still not used to it. Soon after, messages began to appear in the chatbox.

- - - - -

(1) 주접글 i.e. ‘internet hyperbole gag’

(2) k-heart aka ‘finger heart’ 🫰

(3) lol i’m having to modify the 주접 appearing to 1) make sense in english and 2) make sense in context. here it’s ‘저희 때문에 벽을 부수셨다고요? 우리 송 실장님은 실제로 벽을 부숩니다!’ → ‘ah, you ‘broke a wall bc [we’re(you’re)] so cute’(i.e. cute-aggression)? well, our section chief song-nim is capable of breaking actual walls!’

(4) used the ‘ten-i-see/tennessee’ pickup line here bc it’s a number joke in korean too: ‘성현제 얼굴 4.9점이다 성현제 얼굴에 오점이란 없으니까’ → ‘shj’s face is a 4.9/5.0, bc there’s no 오점(homophone for ‘5.0’ & ’flaw’) to be found in it’

(5) ‘성현제 오늘 좀 허전한데 명불허전미모’ → ‘shj seems a bit 허전(lacking) today, 명불허전(名不虛傳(‘lives up to their name’=’outstanding’)+미모(attractive features)’

(6) Sŏng Sammun | Family names in Korea / Understanding Korean surnames

yerimie: *inadvertently adds ‘public use’ tag to song taewon’s search terms*

currently reading: 마법사와 춤을

+the creator of 우주 최악의 그녀석 drew a 유유예 illust!!!!!!!!!! o<-< blessed

+(Q&A)

Q) how many languages does yoohyunie know? i seem to recall english making an appearance at some point in the novel, but as it was mentioned that he brought out a translation Item when he met noah, i wondered if that meant he didn’t know french! was yoohyunie unable to understand what noah was saying back then? A) he’s fairly fluent in english and, owing to their geographic proximity/the occasional business transactions, has picked up on a bit of japanese and chinese as well. during the span of time the main story takes place, as there hadn’t been a pressing reason for him to travel outside of those regions, he hadn’t bothered to properly learn french yet; however, pre-Regression, because of haeyeon’s position as a mainstay guild that represented korea, even if he hadn’t seen fit to venture out overseas, the need to conduct business meant that he’d acquired a fairly wide range of languages, accordingly. at the conclusion of the novel–while haeyeon’s overseas networking venues has indeed seen a proportionate increase, han yoohyun plans to push the responsibility for foreign affairs matters onto bak yerim by using his child rearing duties as an excuse. even so, he anticipates having to learn enough to be able to deal with paperwork as it arises, nevertheless. bak yerim maintains that eventually either a ‘perfect’ translation Item will be manufactured, or that korean will become a lingua franca, and thus eliminate the need for her to learn any others ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) in the novel, on the topic of confession stories, song taewon answered that he’d had sufficient experience with them; has song taewon had a lot of relationship experience? A) he was popular both before awakening and after, but as indicated in an earlier answer, he firmly drew a boundary. even when he was overseas because of sung hyunjae, he received not only confessions, but bouquets and similar gifts as well every so often ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) in order to clasp a leash on song taewon, who is a high-ranking government official, i imagine that plenty of marriage interview requests would’ve come in from political and commercial circles; was song taewon the type to just show his face a sufficient amount at those kinds of events, or was he the type to straightforwardly refuse? if he did happen to participate in such an event, i’m curious if he’s a wallflower, or if he’s the type to engage in casual conversation ㅎㅎ A) as he had no intentions of establishing a family in any way, they were generally resolutely refused. however, rather than for political relations, for a lead to a case, he has attended a matchmaking meeting before. pre-regression, while overseas, with undercover infiltration as their objective, he and Sung Hyunjae attended a high-rank Hunter award ceremony-esque event together as well^^ for sung hyunjae, it was an immensely enjoyable time. he’s not quite to the extent of being a wallflower, but he is the taciturn and terse type.

+(Q&A)

Q) did yerimie want to be a Hunter even before awakening, or did she have a different future occupation in mind? A) most teenagers long to turn out to be an A-rank or higher Awakened^^ when bak yerim discussed Hunter-related matters with her peers, she would make mention of wanting to Awaken so I can become emancipated~. only, as becoming said A-rank or higher Hunter held odds equivalent to winning the lottery, it wasn’t ever a serious ‘future dream job’ in her mind. in bak yerim’s case, she was less concerned with a ‘dream job’, than she was preoccupied with her desire to escape from her living situation at home.

+(Q&A)

Q) i would like to know the ideal type(s) of the sclass cast A) (liette) liette considers herself to be the pinnacle, but believes noah to be the cutest/prettiest. (noah) noah always has his eyes on his noona. though his field of vision would’ve expanded a bit by the series conclusion, probably.

+(Q&A)

Q) is august 30th the day the current world’s sung hyunjae was ‘planted’ there, or is it the original sung hyunjae’s actual birth date?? i’m also curious about why sung hyunjae places so much importance on birthday (parties), and if there are any other details you paid special attention to re:the characters’ birthdays! A) the birthday that appears in the novel is the date he was ‘planted’. because the original world had a different planetary size, rotation, and orbital speed, the method used to calculate days was also different. however, crescent moon endeavors to plant sung hyunjae at a similar window of time to his original birthday. this is because fulfilling the ‘conditions’ as closely as possible also helps facilitate the planting process. proportionate to how strong sung hyunjae’s amour propre(self-love) runs, he thinks that the day of his birth must absolutely be celebrated. as a result, even when he feels as apathetic as could be, he endeavors not to miss the occasion. for a similar reason, he’s fairly good about remembering the birthdays of those around him and doing something for them too, if only compulsorily^^ because of this, he feels sorry about kang soyoung’s birthday situation. as kang soyoung is aware of this, she’ll push her luck with things that she wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get away with on the day after her birthday.

+(Q&A)

Q) as you’d replied before that sung hyunjae and his parents would occasionally do check-ins via phone calls, which party tends to be the one who calls first? when they call… what sort of things do they talk about?? and when was the last time sung hyunjae met with his parents face-to-face? does hyunjae go out of his way to make sure to do something for his parents’ birthdays as well? i also wondered if they’d ever been kidnapped or threatened for being sung hyunjae’s parents! A) typically three times a year, usually on the new year and on birthdays, he’ll give them a call. sung hyunjae’s parents are almost never the ones to initiate contact. the three only communicate at the bare minimum necessary to maintain a pretense of civility ^^ the amount of times they’ve met up in person can be counted on one hand, in accordance with the parents’ wishes. on his parents’ birthdays, sung hyunjae will only make the obligatory phone call, and vantis is the one who prepares the gifts. the sole person whose birthday sung hyunjae makes sure to personally attend to year after year, is song taewon’s. pre-regression, he’d sent a present to han yoojin as a birthday obligation as well, but it never reached him. aside from that, due to feeling sympathetic about her birthday being overshadowed by his own birthday celebration, he saw to a gift for kang soyoung once, before letting vantis or the secretarial office take over thereafter. as they’d been securely sequestered away, there was no danger posed to them. because sung hyunjae had already maintained a distance from them pre-Awakening, and the parents had ended up thoroughly hidden somewhere far overseas, they are nearly impossible to track down.

+(Q&A)

Broadcast Launching (1)

How did he realize it was me–goodness, our Peace is truly amazing! –as soon as the thought had formed in my mind.

- Krrrrng.

Peace bared his fangs at me. P-Peace-yah. It’s appa, appa! The tip of Peace’s nose prodded at my neck. Specifically, where Eunhae was. A low warning growl escaped from his throat once more. 

‘Could it be… He thinks I stole it?’

My scent had probably changed as well, thanks to the ‘flawless transformation.’ Meanwhile, Eunhae likely still had my ‘human’ scent on it. In other words, to Peace, I probably seemed like a cat burglar that had stolen his appa’s belonging right now…….

- Mrow!

Biting down on the necklace, Peace attempted to rip Eunhae away. H-hold on, Peace-yah! Using my paws to try and shove Peace’s head away, I scanned our surroundings. We were inside an alleyway, but we were too close to the main road. It would be easy for someone passing by to notice us. I wouldn’t be able to shift forms where we were, as I’d thought. It would be a waste to have my cover blown already.

- Krrrr!

- Mraw!

I kicked out at Peace with my hind legs as well, but he didn’t budge an inch. My only saving grace was that it was that it was difficult for Peace to unclasp Eunhae using just his teeth. Had he come on his own without Yoohyunie and Yerimie, I wondered. He’d probably followed me after having his suspicion roused by witnessing a cat making off with my belongings, right after I’d disappeared. Our Peace was a certifiable genius.

- Mroww.

Appa! It’s appa! But despite my best efforts, I couldn’t imitate human speech with a cat’s voice box. And because of my low rank, I couldn’t ‘generate’ a voice the way Noah or Liette could. You really shouldn’t pick on weaker animals, Peace-yah.

Giving up on trying to push Peace away, I stuck my tongue out instead. Squeezing my eyes shut, I fought against an instinctual sense of resistance and licked at the paw Peace was using to hold me down. Eugh, fur.

Snort.

Peace flinched. That’s right, Peace. I want to get along with you, okay. I like you a whooole lot, I attempted to convey desperately with my eyes. Trying my best to appear as meek and harmless as possible, I blinked slowly at him. Release me for just a moment, won’t you. Appa will go right over there and revert back to his normal form. Peace stared down intently at me for a beat, then. 

- Nyak!

He licked a long stripe along my face, apparently having reached some sort of decision. Then, he promptly snatched me up by the scruff of my neck with his teeth. Peace-yah, you weren’t possibly–! But just like that, Peace–

- Mrawk!

Unceremoniously sent me flying. As my body hurtled through the air, a hallucinatory image of Blue and Comet wavered before me. I see, Peace-yah. You decided appa merited your acknowledgement, huh. How considerate…….

A building wall approached at alarming speed. My body lithely twisted in the air, and, springing off of the wall, landed lightly on all fours. Woah, this Item effect was really top-notch, huh. But as I was busy marveling at the perfectly smooth way I’d been able to land on my feet, Peace started to surge forward. Shit, wait, wait!

‘Wasn’t that supposed to be the end of the hazing?’

I hurriedly scrambled deeper into the alleyway. Now that I thought about it, Blue had probably been mistaken in her assessment back then, too. Regardless–Peace-yah, Peace-yah!

“I-it’s appa!”

The moment I managed to reach a corner that shouldn’t be visible from either the main road or the sky, I immediately dispelled the Skill. Peace, who had been in hot pursuit, skidded to an abrupt halt.

Whine.

“That’s right–it’s appa, your appa.”

Cocking his head quizzically, Peace rubbed his face against my leg. Since Peace couldn’t talk, it should be alright even if he knew, I thought. Telling him to ‘watch carefully, Peace-yah,’ I turned back into a cat–er, the young Delrouge. Peace tilted his head questioningly. See, this is appa using a transformation, okay.

- Meow.

A strange meow came from my mouth. If I was going to successfully pull off pretending to be a cat, it seemed I’d be better off keeping silent. Peace, tipping his head again, began to gently wag his tail.

- Kiyang!

Hopping lightly into the air, he rolled across the ground to come to a low crouch beside me. He seemed to be feeling excited. That’s right, Peace-yah. Your appa–oof.

- Kyuuu.

Wait, stop! Using his weight to push me down, Peace began to lick me enthusiastically. Ack, Peace-yah! You’re getting my fur all wet, I’m getting moist! But when I twisted my body away and slipped out from under him, he only playfully bounded after me, as though he thought we were engaged in a game of tag. 

- Kiyaong!

- Nyah!

Stop! I yelped at the top of my lungs, but Peace only butted his head into me, unable to understand my words. While it didn’t hurt, it sent me tumbling away tail over teakettle. The way he was displaying his fangs to me in apparent mirth, golden eyes twinkling, seemed to indicate he wanted us to play together–but Peace-yah!

- Krrg! Kiyang!

Peace began lapping at me once more. Ack, eugh, Peace–I need to get to the island first, the island! It was only after I pushed insistently against Peace’s muzzle with my paws at length, that I was eventually able to get him to relent. But as though he’d read my mind, he then grew in size to take on his juvenile form.

- Grng.

You were offering me a ride? They wouldn’t qualify receiving a lift as ‘getting caught,’ I figured. I’d contest the verdict, if that was the case. Climbing up onto Peace’s body, I burrowed deep into the lush locks of his mane. I shouldn’t be visible unless someone combed through it closely. As soon as I got settled, Peace spread his wings open and took off into the sky. Did he know where we were heading, though? For a moment, I worried that he was bringing me to Yoohyunie; but thankfully, he pointed himself in the correct direction and began setting out in earnest.

How were they sending messages to Peace, I wondered. It was quite a mystery.

“Hey, Peace! Peace!”

Someone called out in English. The voice sounded fairly close by; I surmised that it was a Hunter with a flight Skill. In any case, Peace kept moving without giving any indication he’d even heard. Just then.

Boom–!

An explosion sounded, accompanied by the roaring of what seemed like a torrential rush of water. For a moment, Peace paused in his flight. I instinctively ended up poking my head out a little to take a look as well. 

‘Woah…’

Far away in the distance, a gigantic ice pillar was jutting up from Central Park. Sunlight glittering off of its surface, the ice structure could rival most of the nearby buildings in size. Yerim-ah… You’re absolutely amazing. 

‘She must be trying to help me.’

Such an ostentatious display was sure to draw everyone’s attention there, since they’d assume that kind of eye-catching move would’ve been a gambit intended to protect me. And because it was contained within a park, with a lake no less, she’d be able to minimize the amount of damage that might happen. Was Yoohyunie and Section Chief Song-nim there too, I wondered. If they could manage to hold back Sung Hyunjae as well, that would be even better.

‘He might be capable of ‘recognizing’ me, after all.’

The canny bastard might put two and two together if he saw me and realized that this cat form was, in fact, the ‘Delrouge’ he’d occupied before. I’d have to make sure to avoid him at all costs.

- Mraaw.

Peace-yah, I prompted. Peace resumed flying towards the island once more. I carefully watched the scenery passing by below, just in case; and right before we were about to arrive at the island, tapped Peace. Peace stopped short mid-air and glided in circles for a moment, as though he was contemplating what I might be wanting, and then descended to approach the surface of the water. Perfect, well-done.

“Peace!”

Someone shouted again in English. Our Peace was really popular, huh. Using the <Adroit Adhesion> Skill, I laid myself flat on my Peace’s body and slithered downwards. Taking care to conceal myself as much as possible, I stealthily slipped below the surface of the water.

‘Euugh.’

Quickly reverting back to my human shape before my small body could get washed away by the current, I brought out my diving equipment Items. The hoops I was having to jump through because of that Chatterbox bastard, honestly. Half-swimming, half-walking across the river floor, I eventually arrived at the island.

“I…made it!”

Before it hit ten, even! I’d arrived with plenty of time to spare, thanks to Peace. Peace, who had been making laps in the airspace above the island, glided down to reconvene with me, and.

“Hyung-nim!”

Moon Hyuna came charging over to me. I caught a glimpse of Noah following behind her as well.

“So you arrived safely after all, eh?”

“Yes ma’am. Though I did get drenched on the way.”

“We were the first ones to make it here!”

Moon Hyuna grinned, slinging an arm around Noah’s neck. Startling slightly, Noah put on a flustered smile.

“We’d left as soon as we saw the message, sir.”

And there weren’t any Hunters who would’ve been capable of overtaking Noah. As I wrung out the excess moisture from my waterlogged clothes, I glanced around at my surroundings; there were a fair few Hunters already around, it seemed. Approximately ten or so in total.

“There’s quite a number of people here. I assumed most would be arriving late, on account of the hunt for myself.”

A Hunter shrugged, apparently having overheard my remark.

“I ain’t inclined to stoop to terrorizing a kid just for the sake of a prize.”

“...excuse me?”

“An SS-rank weapon’s quite a tempting offer, certainly, but one must have some sense of shame.”

Another Hunter agreed. Uh, what. A ‘sense of shame’? I didn’t think they’d still see me as that much of a pushover, though. Sure, it was probably difficult to completely erase their first impression of me in such a short span of time, but.

“It’s just, aside from the matter of your stats being F-rank–you’re a tad on the smaller side, hyung-nim.”

Moon Hyuna whispered, catching my expression beginning to unconsciously darken.

“In comparison to what counts as the average male height around here, I mean. So they feel as though they’re harassing a little kid when dealing with you, is the gist of it. They seem to be under the impression that hyung-nim is the young master’s younger sibling, in fact.”

Huh? Why the hell would I be Yoohyunie’s dongsaeng.

“But I’m the older one, ma’am. And in terms of age, I’m already…….”

“Emma, you mentioned you had a picture of your nephew, right? Lemme see!”

Moon Hyuna showed me a photo on the phone that was handed to her. A hulking figure of man smiled broadly back at me. 

“He’s sixteen, apparently.”

“.......”

“The young master is tall, and has a great physique to boot, right. Same with Noah. And just like how we have difficulty cataloging westerners by their facial features, they encounter the same issues with us too–so they generally tend to pass judgement on us using height, see.”

W-was that so. But it didn’t change the fact that I was, technically speaking, thirty years old……. Silently seething, I took out my Dodam Rearing Facility anniversary towel and began to dry off. Noticing a camera pointed in our direction, I deliberately waved the towel in a way so that the embroidery promoting the Rearing Facility would be clearly visible. 

‘The people here should at least be moderates in the grand scale of things, even then.’

As I began walking further into the island, I committed the assembled Hunters’ faces to memory. The initial arrivals held a greater chance of posing a threat to me than the others, after all. They were the ones capable of responding with a cool head, unlike the ones I could taunt into a blind rage with just words.

‘And you can only get to this island by passing through the downtown area and riding a boat here, right.’ 

It would be a time-consuming process for anyone who didn’t have access to either a flight Skill, or a mount of some kind. The ferry service would have been suspended as a precautionary public safety measure, too. That meant they had been able to quickly devise some method of transportation, and manage to arrive early regardless. It spoke volumes about their potential competence. 

“I imagine you must be feeling chilly, sir–there’s a store located over there, I recall. I’ll go fetch a warm drink for you, at least.”

Noah offered, handing me his own towel as well. Just as he’d mentioned, the breeze coming off the river was frigid. I’d have to demand reimbursement from Chatterbox, if I ended up catching a cold.

“Noah-ssiiiii!!”

Splashhh– A black dragon cleaved her way through the waves, Kang Soyoung shouting from the top of her head. Heralded by thunderous footfalls, Liette waded ashore on the island. Rivulets of water cascaded down black scales like miniature waterfalls. Beyond her, the faint shape of a boat could be made out. Perhaps news of my appearance on the island had started making the rounds on broadcast–one by one, the other Hunters had begun to arrive as well.

“Mister! Did you see what I did?”

Yerimie flew in while bursting at the seams with excitement, carrying a resigned, long-suffering Song Taewon; Yoohyunie crossed the river on his viridian willow leaves.

“If I’d had a stream live, it would’ve broken the internet!”

But first, please set Section Chief Song-nim down on the ground.

“You’ll catch a cold, hyung.”

“Don’t tell me that you swam across the river, mister?”

“I definitely lack the stamina for that. I did see you, though. You were spectacular.”

Yoohyunie, Yerimie, and Song Taewon each took out their own Rearing Facility towels, in that order. All of you have been taking good care of it, I see. I supposed Sung Hyunjae would be arriving by boat, then.

As I dried myself off with the additional towels, we resumed our walk inland. Having borne the brunt of several monster attacks, the island was a desolate wasteland. Barring the building housing the Dungeon Gate, a store, and the half-destroyed wharf, there was nothing else dotting the landscape. Supposedly, it had been a big tourist attraction at one point. 

“With the recent decrease in Dungeon Break activities, Governor’s Island has finally seen a measure of calm.”

A reporter from a broadcasting agency explained in front of a camera.

“The Dungeon on Governor’s Island has been given an A-rank designation and–ah, here come the South Korean Hunters now.”

An interview request was extended to us, but summarily turned down. I’m hardly in a state to participate in that sort of thing at the moment, you see. I also needed to dry off my clothes somehow before the ten o’clock broadcast started. The store seemed to still be open, even with all the going-ons. They probably didn’t sell any clothes though, I figured.

“It’s said that that place regularly deals in illegal trade as well, sir.”

Noah murmured to me in a low voice.

“The New York Hunter black market being quite substantial in scale.”

The illegal trade scene in Korea was far smaller but still robust as well, too. Reflexively, I glanced at Song Taewon. Had he overhead, perhaps?

Before long, the rest of the Hunters finished arriving on the island. It seemed that Sung Hyunjae and Gyeolie, plus Evelyn’s team, had traveled here together via boat after all. I surreptitiously avoided making contact with the golden eyes looking my way. There weren’t any cat hairs left on me, were there. That pain in the ass was someone who’d instantly go ‘aha, I see,’ if he overheard so much as a ‘meow.’

타다다다다–

A helicopter appeared in the sky, shattering the brief spell of silence that had fallen over the area after all the Hunters had arrived. Chatterbox, wearing the guise of a normal human being, disembarked with his coattail fluttering as it landed with a flurry of gales kicked up by the propellers. Simultaneously, the door to the building housing the Dungeon Gate swung wide open.

“Hunter Han Yoojin.”

Chatterbox called out jovially to me. His cheerful act was truly impeccable.

“My congratulations for making it to the island safely. You never fail to disappoint, certainly.”

“...thank you, sir.”

Smile, Han Yoojin, smile. A Hunter who had disembarked alongside Chatterbox came over and handed me three gold coins, as well as a small box. 

“Now, then.”

With a glance at his wristwatch, Chatterbox went on.

“The time is now ten o’clock.”

With a click.

- stream’s up - it’s live - omg - peace! - han yoojin on broadcast as expected

A small screen blinked into existence, and a sudden spam of messages in a chatbox began appearing in a rush. W-what. Nothing like this hadn’t been mentioned at all. Shocked, I examined the chat window. Thankfully, it seemed to come with an on-off button, as well as a blocking function. So, then.

“H…ello.”

I pushed out an awkward greeting. Where was I supposed to be looking at, exactly. And how come I couldn’t view my own feed. 

- hiii! - :) - hello! - peace’s only looking at his appa lol

Um. What was I supposed to do. Off to the side, I heard Yerimie’s enthusiastic nice to meet you everyone, I’m Bak Yerim! ring out. Even Section Chief Song-nim offered a stiff pleased to make your acquaintance in greeting. Yoohyunie simply ignored the proceedings; Hyuna-ssi said hi, giving a wave of a hand. As Noah-ssi greeted his audience with a hello everyone, Sung Hyunjae simply looked at the chat window with a faint smile playing on his lips.

“Erm, I’m sure you’re already all aware, but I’m Han Yoojin, the director of the Dodam Mount Rearing Facility. At least give a greeting too, Yoohyun-ah.”

“Hello.”

- iloveyouhanyoohyun!111111111 - falls right in line for hyung huh - hi hi hi hi hi

…maybe I should turn the chat off. My eyes kept fixating on the wall of text scrolling up, but it was difficult to get a word out edgewise. Broadcasting certainly was tough, huh.

- - - - -

rec of the day: Melt Bless You

+(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 frame 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 surmise 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… (petite..) since the puppeteer was able to surpass 180 too, would yoojinie be able to grow to be over 180 as well? is it impossible? how many years would it take for him to reach that height..? A) if he takes good care of his health while honing his abilities, he could very well grow taller once he levels 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 180cm 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 height even after 10 or 20 years. at the very least, han yoohyun or bak yerim will intervene to 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 in a supervisory capacity

+(Q&A)

“...d’you think Mister took off? How did Mister manage to disappear this time? Ah, d’you think he’s hiding out in the Drawer, maybe?”

Bak Yerim hissed in a low voice, so as to prevent anyone from overhearing. Han Yoohyun gave a curt shake of his head.

“Hyung is more likely to have headed for the island alone, rather than hide. There’s a high possibility of a reward, if he manages to make it there safely.”

“But we could’ve helped him! You don’t think it’s ‘cause he doesn’t think he can trust us, do you?”

Han Yoohyun didn’t bother giving a response to such a pointless question. There was no reality in which Han Yoojin ever lack trust in Han Yoohyun. Rather, it was likely because of the opposite that he had opted to slip away on his own, so as to avoid receiving any assistance. Bak Yerim hastily lowered her voice again.

“Even with his camouflaging Skill buffed, he shouldn’t have been able to get past the both of us completely unnoticed. How’d he manage to pull it off, I wonder.”

Though Han Yoojin’s camouflaging Skill was an A-rank ability, with the <Leopard Cat’s Jacket>’s buff, he was able to evade detection by even S-ranks. However, both Han Yoohyun’s keen mana sensing ability and Bak Yerim’s overall mana manipulation ability were prodigious even among S-ranks; even Han Yoojin had difficulty sneaking past the two of them undetected. Han Yoohyun in particular seemed to possess a sixth sense where he was concerned, at that.

The other Hunters had begun to shoot glances their way by now, having received the message as well. Bak Yerim’s voice dropped even further–to the point that even Han Yoohyun, who was right in front of her, could barely pick up on the sound. 

“Peace seems to’ve managed to tail him, though–could you use your Owner’s Proof to call him?”

“No. As you should know.”

While the <Owner’s Proof> effect was capable of moving the beast to follow him as its ‘leader,’ it was incapable of exerting compulsions of that extent.

“Besides–Peace already knows what I want.”

Han Yoojin’s protection. For Peace, too, Han Yoojin came first. It was because they shared that common understanding, that Peace was given reign to act as freely as he did.

Slam!

Just then, the door leading to the stairs burst open with violent force, nearly cracking it off its hinges. Taking stock of the environment, Song Taewon approached the two of them in quick strides.

“Please disclose Han Yoojin-ssi’s whereabouts.”

“He’s disappeared, sir.”

Bak Yerim replied quietly. Song Taewon’s face grew dark.

“Don’t worry, sir. It’s Mister, after all. Though, I do think it would’ve been better if he’d left with us…….”

“All of the Hunters attending the Party would have likely gone on the offensive, had we moved as a single unit. It is my presumption that this is the reason he chose to disappear on his own. No benefit would come of a display of high-ranked Hunters demolishing a city for their own personal gain, particularly in a situation where the proceedings are being broadcasted live.”

Heedless of the event organizer’s promise to take responsibility for the repercussions, what the public’s attention would be caught by was the S-rank Hunters’ violent actions. And as a pivotal player in the event, Han Yoojin’s reputation might take a hit as well, if things were to go awry.

“Then Mister, he–ah, Hyuna unnie and Noah oppa successfully arrived at the island. They said that they headed over as soon as the message arrived, and that you can’t leave once you’re there. For being the first ones there, both of them received a gold coin each.” 

Bak Yerim reported, checking her phone.

“Soyoung unnie said she left right away with Liette unnie on a motorcycle. She’s asking if there’s anything she can be of help with.”

“Hunter Liette’s presence on the island will likely prove advantageous. Then, Hunter Sung Hyunjae–”

Abruptly cutting himself off mid-sentence, Song Taewon turned his head. Sung Hyunjae was making his way over from the direction of the elevators. Silver fairy dragon perched on his shoulder, his gaze coolly lingered over the assembled crowd, before he turned to move towards the entrance of the hotel. At that very moment.

카가각!

The Sovereign’s Sword lashed out. A long line was gouged into the floor; embers and debris flew at the very tip of Sung Hyunjae’s dress shoes. Sparing a brief glance at the shattered ground, Sung Hyunjae carelessly stepped over the rubble. But as he did so.

A chilling mist began spreading through the air as–c-c-crack–the revolving door leading outside froze completely solid.

“And just where’re you off to in such a hurry, sir?”

“While flattered by both of your impassioned bids to pursue me, I’m afraid my preferences lie elsewhere. I do endeavor to keep to reasonable moral boundaries, after all.”

Hearing him drawl that ‘he wasn’t keen on children,’ Bak Yerim’s brows rose sharply. 

“You’re hardly my type either, sir. When it comes to looks, I'd prefer even Han Yoohy–I mean! Noah oppa is right there! In any case–we should talk this out, I think.”

“I believe I have a date with young Han Yoojin which takes precedence at the moment, and so, if you’ll excuse me.”

“The gap between your and Mister's current age makes that just as depraved, y’know! Do you even have a standing appointment with him, sir?”

“New York has an aquarium as well.”

This time, it was Song Taewon who pressed forward when Sung Hyunjae made to leave once more.

“Please, wait.”

“You should try seducing me more demurely, my dear(1). I could be coaxed into relenting, if it's for you.”

As he spoke, sparks began to crackle at Sung Hyunjae’s fingertips. Lightning snaked along the frozen floor and, 콰장창!, crashed into the glass revolving door, shattering it into pieces. When Sung Hyunjae began to head towards the opening, Han Gyeol reached out and yanked back on his ear.

- Don’t you go after appa!

The fairy dragon had practically shoved its entire head in his ear to ‘whisper,’ but Sung Hyunjae still showed no signs of stopping. A shower of camera flashes came from the reporters that had been prowling around outside.

“Hunter Han Yoojin!”

“SF!”

Questions regarding Han Yoojin’s whereabouts began pouring out, the message to hunt down the one in first place apparently having made the rounds already. Suddenly, a startled shout came from somewhere in the crowd.

“Get down!”

“Out of the way!”

“Shields up!”

From within the swarm of reporters, the three to four Hunters who had been on active standby activated their shielding Skills. As people automatically dove for cover behind the Hunters and shields with practiced movements, vroooom– A motorcycle smashed through the entrance of the hotel with a thunderous rumble.

“You, Korean Hunters! Where did you hide the F-rank!”

Leaping down from the speeding motorcycle, its rider sent it shooting forward even faster with a hard kick that added to its kinetic force. The hulking piece of machinery flew towards Sung Hyunjae at terrifying speed. But Sung Hyunjae didn’t move a single muscle. Instead, it was Song Taewon who moved to place himself in front of him.

Lifting his leg high, Song Taewon swiftly brought his heel down on the bike with brutal accuracy. The motorcycle tore in half, as though a high-pressure cutter had ripped through its body; both halves went tumbling to the ground. Immediately, Bak Yerim froze the remnants of the bike, so as to avoid having it burst into flames.

“Wow, what a surprising team we make, eh, sir! Isn’t that right!"

“.......”

“C’mon, sir, I thought we’d agreed to keep up appearances with him. Did you perhaps forget about all of those reporters!”

Song Taewon ignored Bak Yerim, who was muttering under her breath about how this is the American way of doing things and she’d put in so many hours for this. Meanwhile, Han Yoohyun had closed the gap between himself and the Hunter who’d initiated the attack; steps accelerated by willow leaves, he surged forward, sword swinging. And though the Hunter quickly pulled himself backwards, trying to dodge, a long cut scraped over the expanse of his chest. Coming to a full stop, Han Yoohyun gave a sharp flick of his wrist.

Skkkk– forming into a whip-like shape(3), the obsidian blade twisted around to slam violently into the ground right in front of the Hunter’s foot.  There was the clear implication that it could have easily severed its opponent in half, had he wished to do so, carried in its movements. Recalling the whip-blade, Han Yoohyun coldly turned away without a further word.

“I will offer my cooperation, since hyung wishes to keep the incident contained as much as possible.”

“Same goes for me, sir. Should we start by flash freezing the Seseung ahjussi, then?”

“And here I was under the assumption you’d be on my side, little miss.”

“Thank you, Hunter Han Yoohyun, Hunter Bak Yerim. Hunter Sung Hyunjae–I please implore you to cooperate with us as well. For the time being.”

Song Taewon lowered his voice.

“It would be best to act as though Han Yoojin-ssi still remains within the hotel.”

“Then I’ll sneak out the back once they take the bait, sir. A fake Doll accompanying me should do the trick. I’ll lure them over to the lake inside the park right in front of the hotel, and after I freeze all of them, we can leave for the island.”

Song Taewon nodded in response to Bak Yerim’s evaluation that even if the fight gets a bit out of hand, it should be fine if it’s over there. Bak Yerim glanced at the reporters who were busily shoving their cameras forward from behind the barriers, then turned to walk further into the hotel.

“Then, I’ll be blocking off the entrance now!”

Han Yoohyun’s sword sped towards the spot Bak Yerim had indicated with a finger. Water burst outwards in a geyser, transforming into a giant wall of ice around the hotel.

- - -

The <Leopard Cat> equipment set. As completing the whole gear set had been rather cost-prohibitive Point wise, the remaining two pieces of the set had been gathering dust in my inventory all this time. A large part of the reason I’d dragged my feet on parting with the Points for them was because of the limited use case stipulation that restricted the Items to myself only; but once my participation in Chatterbox’s Party had been confirmed, I’d gone to the Rookie and made an inquiry. Of whether or not those Items would come in handy.

Telling me that he’d investigate, the Rookie had taken the gun, jacket, and shoes, and returned with an answer.

[ These Items are connected to a Transcendent! ]

The <White-Tailed Delrouge>. An ordinary cat that had ascended after successfully devouring a dragon, becoming a Transcendent. The <Leopard Cat> equipment set was the same one I’d picked up in Japan–Items created from a Transcendent that Sung Hyunjae had inhibited. …so it was called ‘Leopard Cat,’ but it was actually a ‘cat’ in the end, huh. The name of the Skill attached to the jacket had already made me suspicious, but, well. No wonder the rest of the Leopard Cat gear set had appeared in my inventory out of the blue; it seemed that it had been the loot drop given for successfully defeating Sung Hyunjae, i.e. the Delrouge.

[ I couldn’t figure out the gloves’ and belt’s exact abilities, however. Erm, to be honest, it doesn’t seem to have existed prior to Honey entering the World connected to the Delrouge, while holding the Items I gave you…that is, it seems to have been created as a result of a transmutation that happened when it came into contact with that realm, which is why the end product seems to be an Item that holds a symbolic representation of what would have been the equivalent of ‘Transcendents’ in that place……. ]

The Rookie had launched into a lengthy explanation at that point; but to make a long story short, the conclusion was that ‘because it wasn’t properly registered in the System yet, he was unable to run the verification process.’ But they were a Transcendent’s Items, nevertheless, and so I’d assumed it’d be worth the Points. The price tag attached to them was pretty reasonable anyway, when you considered the rank, because of the personal-use condition, maybe.

[ Mottled Leopard Cat’s Gloves - S-rank

Half-gloves with the white fingertips cut off. Imbued with the power of an animal feigning ferocity.

Prickly Claws(A) - Fingernails sharpen; attack speed increases.

※ Can only be used by Han Yoojin ]

The black half-gloves had the faintest traces of white at the edge of the cut-off fingers, and came with an attack Skill attached. However, since it was only A-rank, and because of the attack speed passive buff, even with the 2x effect active, the Claws’ damage output was still fairly low. Rather than use my nails, it would probably prove more effective to use an A-rank short sword instead–ergo, it was functionally an attack speed increasing Support Skill.

I’d almost written it off as something with the potential to be formidable in the hands of a high-rank Hunter, but was a loss in my hands, when I realized that the attack speed buff actually applied to the weapons I wielded as well. In other words, it meant my mana gun reload rate was eligible for the boost. And not only that. If the passive applied to any weapon I was holding, then.

‘That means the effect should kick in even when I’m just ‘holding’ someone’s weapon alongside them.’

[ Spotted Cat’s Belt - S-rank

A soft, slim belt. Imbued with the power of a lithe, graceful animal.

Limber&Pliable(A) - The user’s body grows more flexible; both jumping and landing abilities are heightened.(4)

※ Can only be used by Han Yoojin ]

The belt–black with a white buckle–came with a Skill that improved physical prowess. These types of passive Skills typically scaled with the user’s stats, so it wasn’t as though it would be something like ‘your ability has increased to the equivalent of an A-rank’s~’ to begin with; and even if it was fairly useless for an S-rank, it was still a boon for someone of my level. 

In all, I was pleased with the buffs provided by each individual Item. Lastly, there was the gear set effect that appeared when you equipped all five pieces of equipment together.

[ All pieces of the <Young White-Tailed Delrouge>’s gear set have been equipped. ]

[ <The Cat Who Swallowed A Dragon> is reacting with <Dragon Slayer>! ]

[ Set Skill - White-Tailed Delrouge(A), Dragon Expert(F) ]

[ <Dragon Expert> has detected dragons belonging to the user’s clan! ]

[ The Skill <Dragon Expert> has increased to C-rank! ]

Perhaps because of the relationship in ‘dragon hunting,’ a new gear set Skill was synthesized from the influence of the Dragon Slayer Title. And on top of that, the <Dragon Expert> Skill’s rank saw an increase as well. The ‘detected dragons belonging to the user’s clan’ was probably a reference to Noah, Comet, and Mer, who had all been registered with the Keyword. It was possible that Irin and Han Gyeol had been included as well.

[ Dragon Expert( C ) - Whether they were caught, eaten, or raised, et cetera! Able to gain intel regarding dragons, or the things relating to them. ]

[ White-Tailed Delrouge( A ) - From the young Delrouge, to the Transcendent Delrouge. Able to flawlessly transform into the Delrouge. Stats will remain unaltered, however. Contingent on the Skill’s rank, utilization of the Delrouge’s Skills is possible. ]

Both were fairly ambivalent. The ‘Dragon Expert’ could come in handy if I was up against a dragon-type monster, but I rarely had reason to tag along on Dungeon raids. And in the case of the Delrouge transformation Skill.

‘...what’s the point, if it doesn’t change my stats.’

Even if I was able to perfectly replicate a Transcendent’s appearance, it didn’t change the fact that I’d only amount to a paper tiger if I was still an F-rank. Not to mention the fact, in the case of the young Delrouge.

‘It was just an ordinary cat.’

Thinking back to the events that had transpired before we’d left for the U.S., I tipped my head back to gaze up towards the tall buildings. Patches of blue sky shone through the space between them. When I lowered my head and looked down, two small paws greeted my eyes. The feet were white, befitting the ‘dappled’ designation attached to the gloves. The rest of my body was black, just like the jacket, and the tip of my tail was white, like the gun; and as for the shoes.

I examined the underside of my paw. The paw pads seemed to be an ordinary pink(6), but when I activated the <Adroit Adhesion> Skill.

‘.......’

They gleamed gold. The opposite effect of the boots. The <Spotted Leopard Cat belt> wasn’t really visible, perhaps because of the black ‘background’ it was on, but the white belt buckle appeared as a small patch of fur on my belly. I hadn’t been able to get a good look at this appearance before, as when I’d tried out the transformation at home prior, I’d freaked out and immediately reverted back, but.

‘Considering Sung Hyunjae’s tail was completely white, if I use the ‘Transcendent’ form, does that mean I’ll become a giant white cat.’

In any case, I was able to safely slip out of the hotel undetected thanks to that ability. When Yerimie had spotted me, I’d almost thought I’d been caught–but true to its boast of a ‘flawless transformation,’ even the S-ranks were unable to recognize me. 

‘Besides, this is something I hadn’t told those two about, after all.’

It was just… The idea of disclosing the gear set effect was mortifying. In particular, I was afraid of Yerimie finding out about the ability. She might beg and plead for me to permanently remain in my cat form at home, after all. I had a lurking suspicion that I’d end up with ribbons tied around my neck, and assorted outfits; before long, the amount of cat clothes I had might far outstrip my collection of human clothes. In a variety of colors. With a hundred percent chance of laces and frills.

So I needed to keep it a secret for as long as possible. Being found out spelled disaster.

Summoning up the mental map I’d made earlier of Manhattan, I slunk into an alleyway. When I transformed into the Delrouge, I was unable to access any of my active Skills. It was a side effect of the ‘flawless transformation’ also disrupting the mana flow in my body. Thankfully, things like my passive poison and fear resistance Skill, and my equipped Item Skills seemed to be unaffected, but.

‘It’s too bad that I can’t use my camouflaging ability.’

Not that it should matter too much, since I was just a cat. Besides, Eunhae was still active. The <Leopard Cat> gear set ‘transformed’ into parts of my body, and the rest, like my clothes or phone…I wasn’t exactly clear about, but it seemed like they were similarly ‘stored away' safely. I’d been wearing the same clothes as prior to the transformation when I reverted back during my trial run at home, after all. Eunhae had taken on the form of a necklace. The other Items had been relegated to my inventory, as they were unable to be equipped.

In short.

‘...just don’t think about it.’

It was normal for animals to go without clothes. Fur was the equivalent of clothes. Yeah, that’s right–don’t think about it too deeply.

Once I was able to get some distance away from the hotel, I could cover up my face and hail a taxi. Then, once I got near the island, I could sneak aboard a ship and… Huh, would I be able to arrive within the time limit. Well, it wasn’t as though it’d been specified that I couldn’t be late, so.

In any case, as long as I didn’t get caught–.

- Mrrrw, mrng.

Just then, I heard a low growling that sounded like it belonged to a cat. Of course–New York probably had its own share of alley cats. But why did it seem to be upset, I wondered. Was there a scuffle happening between cats, perhaps.

- Mrrrng, hiss!

Suddenly, something large jumped out in my path. It was a tortoiseshell cat of sizable proportions. But for me to assume it was saying ‘hello,’ its ears were laid back too flat, and the tail puffed up……. Uh, hold on.

‘Is this… a territory dispute?’

Now that I thought about it, presently, I would be an ‘unfamiliar’ cat. The tortoiseshell cat pinned me with a hostile look, apparently pissed off. Right–I was a ‘strange invader that had suddenly popped up, and openly stared back without making any response to its warning’ from its point of view. What were my ears and tail doing, again? Erm, pardon me, but I’m not exactly fluent in cat, so…….

- Nya, myak…….

The tortoiseshell cat’s ears flicked in response to my awkward, stilted attempt at speech. Then, its mouth parted, and.

- Hisss!

It snarled at me. I-I hadn’t prepared for something like this. Another cat poked its head out from behind a crack between buildings, apparently lured over by the sound. Hey, hold on. I don’t want this to turn into a fight, alright. Mentally telling myself that I just need to get past, I unthinkingly raised a hand–which happened to be a paw.

- Hiss! Mrow!

Its head immediately jerking back, the tortoiseshell cat brandished its own paw in retaliation. Oops–time out, time out! I’ll surrender, okay. I hurriedly flipped over onto my back to display my belly. All while studiously avoiding making eye contact, too. See, I don’t want to fight. I’m offering up my soft, vulnerable stomach to you. Take pity on me.

The tortoiseshell cat drew closer, still growling aggressively. Was I really going to have to fight a cat. The prospect of that was kind of……. But just as I was debating trying to make a break for it.

……!

The tortoiseshell cat, as well as all of the cats that had been spectating, suddenly grew frightened and turned tail. But before I could attempt to jump back up on my feet to see what the hubbub was about, a crimson-furred paw shoved down on my stomach.

- Mrw!

Huh–it’s Peace?

- - - - -

(1) shj is suggesting that stw try ‘seducing [him] more politely(humbly/submissively),’ in line with hjtw’s D/s relationship dynamic 

(2) reminder that ‘살쾡이(삵)’ isn’t lynx/bobcat like MTL insists, but rather ‘leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)’

> resource (2)

(3) 연검 = a whip-like sword that can be manipulated freely, similar to a urumi

(4) 흐물흐뭏 is one of those ‘non-sound onomotopoeias’ + double ‘흐물’ emphasizing the effect to be 2x ‘potent,’ which is why i combined two words to get the point across; the other contender was ‘quick&slippery,’ for the ‘evasive’ nature being emphasized. the ‘feeling’ of it in this context is basically the cat in this img:

but in general context, usually indicates ‘melting/wobbly/relaxed/boneless’:

(5) just a note for funsies, ‘toe beans’ in korean = ‘jellies’ instead (e.g. 냥젤리‘nyang(cat) jelly’)

delaus, delrouge... 🥲 since 델로우즈 is a made-up name, i'm still trying to figure out the best way to transliterate it while canceling out the kr accent, bear w me

lol so i lost 2+2 days binging a different series, the additional days being bc it has a great webtoon adaptation that’s actually faithful to the source novel…oopsie♡ ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა idk how the official eng ver dealt w it bc i only bought the kr chs, but shin heejae’s 반존대+’noona’+yandere triple combo is /chefs kiss

related: annual griping abt how MTL is terribly inadequate for actually nuanced, tone-accurate kr→en tls in particular, and how mindless consumption of AI-generated slop is contributing to the death of media literacy (which is already at an all-time low):

and of incredible importance to me: the lack of distinction MTLs make in speech levels/formality is why it gets lost in translation how song taewon insisting on using 격식체 ‘(하시)싶시오’체 (hyper formal/self-humbling/elevates the other party to a far higher status) contributes to his gap moe & makes him come off so cute/submissive/MILF-y to the others:

also contributes to informing his character, e.g. intentional formality inherent in his speech lending to the ‘social distancing’/’drawing a line’ referenced in his Q&A mentions + his ‘self-repressing’ persona

see: “떡대감자수” for more examples of stw’s physical character type

+(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) due to his experiences as a child, he prefers a dependable older partner. his preference for ‘tall height + robust size’ stems from that as well. he feels a desire to be protected, but because of 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. thankfully, because his expectations(criteria) for an older partner, a ‘model adult,’ is extremely stringent, unless it’s an exceptionally outstanding person, he’s at least not likely to be easily swayed. at the conclusion of the novel, marissa probably poses the biggest threat ^^ on the flip side, because he tries to become a protector as the ‘model adult’ with a younger partner, although it may run contrary to his ideal type, being with a younger partner will probably prove safest for him. of course, during the novel, the circumstances make it difficult to date.

+(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,’ in every sense of the word, is han yoojin. in terms of presently wanting to emulate them; bak yerim’s is han yoohyun, moon hyuna, or sung hyunjae. sung hyunjae’s is sung hyunjae. for people who aren’t quite at the level of ‘ideal type,’ but have still managed to catch his eye, at least, it’s han yoojin and song taewon. moon hyuna also tries to focus more on herself than others, but likes the cute type that seems to be the complete opposite of herself. for convoluted reasons, song taewon’s is sung hyunjae. from a post-series standpoint, for convoluted and hard-to-explain reasons, han yoojin can be included as well. yoo myungwoo isn’t interested in really involving himself with anyone. for him, it’s enough to simply have them involved in his life. liette considers herself to be the ideal pinnacle, but believes noah to be the cutest/prettiest. noah always has his eyes on his noona. though his field of vision would’ve expanded a bit by the series conclusion, probably. A) moon hyuna’s preference is for someone younger, who has a cute(adorable) side. to be honest, han yoojin scored fairly high in terms of personality and looks, but because he’s physically smaller and she views him more as a younger brother than not, he ended up being disqualified ^^ out of the other characters that are around, han yoohyun is younger but isn’t cute; sung hyunjae isn’t younger, nor is he cute; song taewon isn’t younger but is still pretty cute, so if she really had to choose one, wouldn’t it be song taewon–thinks moon hyuna. out of everyone that’s appeared in sclass, sigma is probably the closest to her ideal type. + there was an incident where, after finding out about moon hyuna’s preferences, kang soyoung went unnie, it’s a no from me unless it’s a dragon, so don’t fall for me! and received a smack on her back for her trouble

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m a big fan of the willow leaves Skill, and because i don’t think i recall an instance where the willow leaves alone were used to attack: is it that, typically, its form lacks substance, like a hologram--or is it that it does have a physical presence, but incapable of significant force? A) its base form is similar to a hologram. drawing upon a minimal amount of mana, the energy is merely shaped into a ‘projection’ that resembles willow leaves. as a result, even when numerous willow leaves are created, the amount of mana consumed is on the lower end. it’s typically only employed to obscure the opponent's sight, but as the mana belongs to han yoohyun, han yoohyun is capable of traversing on them. this is achieved by reinforcing the willow leaves han yoohyun steps on with an increased amount of mana the very moment he comes into contact with them; an extremely high caliber of mana control is required to channel the delicate flow, lest it be interrupted. it can be deployed in a variety of different ways, but as the willow leaves are numerous, it’s rare to find a suitable opportunity in the first place^^ lifting another person or an object with them is possible as well, but doing so would require an even greater amount of mana and magical energy; and should an interruption occur (e.g. interference from their own magical energy), they may end up being dropped as a consequence.

+(Q&A)

Q) would it be possible to hear a bit more in-depth about the circumstances that allowed han yoojin be able to use diarma’s Skills, such as the magical mount synthesis, mind dimension Skill etc.? A) diarma’s ability is akin to a subtype of the ‘perfect nurturer’. it possessed the ability to rear new dragonoid beings via synthesis. because the dragonfolk-synthesis Skill was something diarma possessed prior to becoming a Transcendent, it was in fact a case of the Skill having evolved alongside its owner; its original Skill grade ranked below that of the ‘perfect nurturer’. additionally, the title that han yoojin gained from defeating the lauchitas–which allows him to suppress curse-poison type dragons–worked in tandem with the ‘perfect nurturer’ title, which is how he was able to acquire diarma’s ability. regarding the possible combinations: with the buff provided by the ‘perfect nurturer’ title, it came to transcend the limits of race as well. it would have been impossible under normal circumstances, but you could say that the circumstances were serendipitous ^^

+(Q&A)

A) han yoojin’s ‘optimization’ and ‘level-up’ Skill could only be obtained by leveling up the ‘nurturer’ class designation while fulfilling special conditions. the Teacher Skill was one of the aforementioned ‘level-up Skills that acted as a trigger condition’. it was also because the nurturer-class Skills’ rank was so high overall, that han yoojin’s rank-based loot drops numbered fewer as well.

+(Q&A)

미국 갑니다 (1)

In the hand of the man who had lived longer than anyone else, a scimitar with a golden blade appeared. Arcing through the air in a semi-circle, the tip of the blade pierced the hand of its owner. As he steadily ripped it backwards through his flesh, blood spilled from the wound and dribbled down onto the floor below. Absorbing the blood, the carvings engraved onto the golden blade began to emit a faint light. Watching all this transpire, the Rookie cautiously spoke up.

“...it’s not dangerous, is it, sir?”

“It was a somewhat near thing, this time.”

The Young Chaos replied. His tone was exceedingly calm, in contrast to the grim contents of his words. 

“They’re entangled in too many things, the lot of them. Despite all being whelps, save for one. With the worst offender being he who’s lived the longest, make no mistake(1).”

Burying the tip of the Purifying Sword–now saturated by his blood–into the earth that had been soaked a dark red, the Young Chaos continued.

“It seems to me that eliminating just that one brat from the equation ought to solve half the issue.”

“Couldn’t you simply remove him by force then, sir?”

“He insists upon staying here. In this World.”

Despite missing his memories, the weight of the lives he’d led was something he was still affected by. And thus, the oldest living ‘Sword’ was able to understand, and empathize. ‘Whether or not he knew’–Sung Hyunjae had also asked him directly. Whilst dismissive of his own hapless condition, he cunningly attempted to coax out the compassion of others. The Young Chaos’s brows furrowed peevishly into a scowl. 

“The state of that Firstborn brat’s fortune be damned. Heaven forbid he at least be born with a sturdy body, if fate dictates he be put through such trials and tribulations. His cup overfloweth already with merely that Secondborn of his–and yet, he bullheadedly insists on collecting more and more strays with nary a consideration.”

“To be fair, Honey is a <Nurturer>, sir.”

“A rabbit that was raised in a warren then going on to fostering wolves has clearly gone mad. As the Secondborn was one he raised himself from a cub, he may be excused–but the others are clearly indicative of something awry. That Firstborn is surely the fundamental source of the issue.”

The Rookie’s ears perked straight up. It was a gesture that was the equivalent of a shrug. Having been exposed to Chaos’s grumblings for as long as he had, at present, he was able to blithely let it flow in one ear and out the other with a ‘yes, of course sir.’ By now, the sword’s blade had turned pitch black. Drawing it out from the ground, the Young Chaos put it aside.

Through the millennia he had been alive, he had been bound by all manners of restrictions, snaring him in a thick, knotted mass. The minor curses were far too numerous to be accounted for, with several particularly heavy ones of significance as well. In particular, the ones that bore the resentment of a powerful Transcendent as they lay dying, tended to endure for the course of several tens of thousands of years before they would relent.

Consequently, when he came into contact with individuals who were involved with several Transcendents as he had done today, the tangled web of curses reared its ugly head in anticipation, like a viper waiting to strike. 

“I have observed that those Transcendents who manifest their dying grudge into a curse typically default to ‘solitude’ as the crux of the affliction. Perhaps they resent the long solitary years as well.”

Certainly, there were some Transcendents who kept company with others of their kind. Yet a considerable number of them still found themselves unable to forget the World or past they’d left behind. Parents, siblings, friends, children. Though their emotions might eventually grow numb through the unrelenting passage of time, they remained ‘human’ at their core, after all.

A faint smile spread on the Young Chaos’s lips.

“It appears that I, too, prefer those who continue to endeavor to live.”

Persevering even after having reached their lowest point; or, perhaps, all the more for having gone through such an experience.

“But sir, I’ve been told that ‘becoming open to individualistic associations will only ever lead to troubles.’”

“As jung(정) is a formidable emotion(2). Short of severing one’s ability to feel altogether, it is only all too easy for one to become swept up by one’s emotions, even for Transcendents. Yet that should hardly be denounced. It is simply what ‘living’ entails.”

“But we’re not supposed to engage in that sort of–owie!”

Chaos gave the Newbie’s head a light flick with his index finger.

“You and your kin are ‘people’ as well. Though you might be longer-lived and more powerful than the others. While greater power comes accompanied by a proportionate measure of duty, you should not mistake yourselves for gods, when all is said and done. At the end of the day, people are people, whether wicked or good. There is no mandate which entreats the more powerful among you to assume a responsibility to correct a perceived lack in those who are weaker, nor do you possess that type of authority in the first place. What began as ‘good intentions’ can become ‘impositions,’ veering into ‘tyranny.’” 

“Even so… Without our intervention, many Worlds would be lost, sir.”

“Ho, the gall of these youngsters.”

“Besides, Chaos-nim has also–”

“As my ability dictates it is within my prerogative to do so.”

The Rookie muttered darkly under his breath.

“Rabbit-ah. People still existed, prior to the advent of the System and the Transcendents. It is true that many more became capable of surviving thanks to the System. But life will still go on, even in the absence of the System, and you lot both.”

The System and the Transcendents who had been born from it only acted as supports, reinforcements in the capacity of an assistant. That was the undeniable truth of their beginnings. The Rookie’s scleraless eyes roved back and forth. Just then–a small orb materialized in a twinkle of light. 

“Ah, pardon me for just a moment, sir. My sunbae is calling.”

Excusing himself from Chaos, the Rookie retreated to a remote location; lowering his voice to a whisper as well, he spoke directly into the orb. 

“What’s up, Tree sunbae?”

[ Rookie-yah, are you still finishing up modifying <Honey>’s Title Skill? ]

“Erm, I’m afraid so, sir. It’s not exactly an easy task, y’know!”

The Rookie answered, a distressed expression forming on his face despite the lack of a video feed.

“It might show up as an L-rank, but as you know, anything related to that Title is notoriously difficult to analyze with the System in an empirical way, sir. It’ll naturally take some time, as a result. That’s why the initial task completion deadline was estimated to be about five years from the get-go.”

[ Wasn’t that period supposed to be the maximum length of time it would take? I thought you’d mentioned it should only be half a year at the earliest. ]

“These types of assignments always end up going all the way up to the deadline, sunbae.”

[ Right now is the ideal timing, however. With Chatterbox making such an aggressive push, the likelihood of Honey opting to refuse is significantly lowered. Why don’t you go ahead and at least float the idea to Honey? ]

“We can’t!”

The Rookie yelped, going so far as to shake his head furiously.

“We haven’t even completed our preparations, sir. And he already seems to suspect something’s up–if we play our cards too soon, then he might become wary and even refuse to seek me out any further.”

[ Surely it would become a bigger cause for concern if Honey were to fall into Chatterbox’s hands in the meanwhile though, no? ]

“Preventing that is our job, sir. So, please–wait a little bit longer.”

Tree let out a small sigh from beyond the orb. The tips of the Rookie’s ears twitched anxiously.

[ Conversely, Chatterbox’s failure would prove similarly difficult to navigate. If the Filiality Addicts end up retreating from the World, that would also spell disaster. Honey’s World and the humans in Honey’s company have grown quite powerful, and are continuing to evolve exponentially as we speak. Based on current figures, with the Filiality Addicts out of the picture, they would be able to protect their World with their present performance rating. ]

By pushing back the encroaching power of the spent Source through Dungeon raids, little by little, through a forthright method of preserving a World.

[ This would leave Honey assured. He would have no incentive to aid us, then. ]

“But–that’s. Surely there’s no downside to saving the World, even in a different way, sir? It would still be a success.”

[ Rookie–the Worlds are as numerous as the stars. We cannot allow a method of saving countless other Worlds to simply slip us by. ]

“...yes, I’m aware, sir.”

‘In order to save far more Worlds.’ The Rookie had been taught this. It was the philosophy by which the <Tower-Bound King> had come to be(3). For the good of countless others, he had been locked away; and in order to preserve many other Worlds, his own had been swallowed down.

“Even so, the preparations will need to be completed first, sir……. It’s more likely to result in a stable outcome that way, after all…….”

[ Aye. Don't sound so glum, kid–chin up. If the Filiality Addicts back off and leave us without a workable excuse, we’ll still step in and figure something out. Once the preparations are finished in a few years, we can just fool him with the introduction of a ‘new’ Filiality Addict, after all. ]

“Yessir…….”

With a parting remark to ‘keep up the good work,’ Tree’s voice vanished along with the orb. The Rookie let out a long sigh.

“In exchange for Honey, for the price of a single person…….”

For the good of countless Worlds. It should have hardly been a dilemma in the first place. But the Rookie’s expression was troubled. Suddenly, the Young Chaos’s words echoed in his head.

Simply because I wished to.

“...I, used to enjoy saving the World before, but…….”

Presently, he was loath to do so. What might the Young Chaos say, if he came to learn of this. He would probably answer that he should follow his heart, most likely. The Rookie fidgeted with the tips of his drooping ears. He didn’t bear any ill feelings towards his sunbaes either, that being said. They’d been collaborating together for a long time, after all.

And yet… He couldn’t deny the enjoyment he’d found in his day-to-day routine now. He’d found himself eagerly anticipating the visits the other made to the Dungeon. The various interactions he had with them had brought color into his life. It was as though he’d been able to go back in time to those days of old; the murky, distant past of his younger years, before he’d been imprisoned.

“Honey would definitely hate me. And I’d never be able to see the others again. Blacksmith-ssi would come to resent me as well.”

A complicated web of mana lines laid around the Rookie. Unlike what he’d reported to <Tree>, the modification of Han Yoojin’s Title Skill was nearing completion already. To be precise–it was only yet unfinished because he’d kept delaying its completion. It was only too easy to imagine the answer Han Yoojin would give, if he were to finish the final touches and present him with the proposal.

The Rookie squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn’t a decision he could make; not yet.

- - -

“Chirpie, make sure to stay put and behave, alright.”

- Chirp!

“Velaire–don’t try to follow Chirpie around either, ‘kay. You can’t teleport the same way.”

- Hiss.

“Horang-ah(4), there’s no helping it, since it’s just too dangerous this time. You can’t come with. Be good–Peace will be back soon.”

Its head firmly shoved between the cushions, the fox kit smacked its tail against the ground in succession in displeasure. I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest at having to leave the kids at home by themselves, as always. I hoped that this trip wouldn’t take very long.

“Please transfer Sorokie to Dodam if he happens to grow any bigger than now. To be kept with Songie.”

Sorokie had been maturing at a consistent pace even outside of my care, perhaps because he’d been repressing his growth all this while. It was at a slower rate than when under the influence of my Skill, but still–I made sure to mention a contingency plan, just in case.

“We’ve packed everything we need, right? And emptied the fridge, on top of unplugging everything that won’t be in use.”

After handing the kids off to the Rearing Facility, we made one last round of checks on the house. Chatterbox’s ‘Party’ was supposed to last the course of a week. But there was also an addendum that mentioned, depending on circumstances, that that period of time may very well end up being extended. And it seemed likely that it would be the case already, just from looking at the number of people expected to participate. The Ranking Finals had taken up a fair amount of time, too. I supposed a time frame of a week was possible if you did something like ‘rock-paper-scissors’ to eliminate a huge swath of people in the preliminaries, but, well. 

“Here, hyung. Take these too, just in case.”

Yoohyunie handed me the inventory-compatible ready-made meals he’d been steadily making. Yerimie snuck a few from the pile as well. There was no way Yoohyunie wouldn’t have caught on, of course, so he apparently chose to turn a blind eye to it.

“You remembered to pack plenty of food for Peace too, right?”

“Yeah. Though fresh meat does take up a lot of space.”

“If Chatterbox’s lot creates a situation where Peace has to go hungry, you make sure to appeal to the audience. Using Peace’s baby form, okay. That should be enough to kick off a big enough protest, yeah? The Americans seem to feel especially strongly about animal rights, in particular.”

When I announced my intention to bring Peace along, the Haeyeon Guild PR team had stepped in to provide pointers on several fronts. One of them had been about the positive regard a ‘young’ animal would draw. Yoohyunie, Yerimie, and of course myself had been subject to additional individual broadcast-related PR lessons as well. I had full faith in both Yerimie and myself being capable of pulling off a tearful plea about ‘our poor Peace,’ but held some reservations when it came to Yoohyunie being able to do the same. Maybe I needed to teach Peace how to act like he was hungry instead.

“Take good care of the house, Walnut-ah.”

Bidding Walnut farewell, I set out from the house with my luggage. Of course, Yoohyunie and Yerimie refused to let me carry anything heavier than a small bag. Guys–I’ve already said this before, but I’m only in my twenties. And even if I were thirty, that was hardly decrepit, either. 

“Will we only be going to the Party, sir? Could we go by somewhere else too, like Las Vegas?”

“We can sightsee if time permits, but no gambling allowed.(5)”

“It’s just ‘cause that place is famous, sir, is all.”

It was a favorite tourist destination when the topic of ‘America’ was brought up, I supposed. Another place was… Hollywood? In any case, gambling was a vice best avoided.

“What about famous foreigners? You’re an S-rank after all, Yerim-ah. You could probably meet with some of them, if you wanted.”

“Eh, it’s S-rank Hunters who’re considered the height of fame nowadays, sir. Besides–I’m not really interested in celebrities.”

“That’s true, I was more interested in Hunters than celebrities too.”

…not so long ago, I might’ve been ecstatic at the chance to go to the U.S. and potentially meet Chloe-ssi. Opening the car door for me, Yoohyunie asked.

“Who?”

“I already met with the one, right. Aside from her, well…….”

“Mister probably liked mister government official-ssi the best out of the Korean ones, probably. Or Hyuna unnie.”

“That’s… Well, I like them far better as they are now, at present.”

“What about the Seseung ahjussi, sir?”

“I didn’t hold any interest in him.”

“Huh, that seems farfetched, sir.”

“He had a rancid personality(6). Still does, a bit.”

He had alluded to us having known each other before, but I had no memory of such a thing. I’d just…been unable to accomplish anything. Whether it concerned Sung Hyunjae, Section Chief Song-nim, or my dongsaeng. But it was only because things had turned out the way they did, that the present existed.

“...and me?”

Yoohyunie asked me quietly as he settled into the driver’s seat. 

“Of course I was always watching you.”

If I had truly hated him, I wouldn't have bothered to keep vigil as I had. I would have simply asked for a payout as payment for raising him, then retired to live out a quiet life in the countryside, both heart and body at peace. I stroked Peace, who had settled down on my lap. Had that been the case–then the home we shared now would never have come to exist.

As soon as we left the garage, we were swarmed by reporters. Simultaneously, Yoohyunie and Yerimie’s faces dropped into irritated scowls. The expressions they wore looked uncannily similar.

“This every time, honestly.”

“Don’t pay them any mind, hyung.”

“It’s alright. Things’re a lot different now, right. And since it involves foreign affairs, they’ll still cheer on their fellow Koreans at the end of the day.”

Since national pride took precedence over rank, after all. So, as long as I didn’t fuck up too royally, public perception within Korea would still be on my side. Even though the other nations probably preferred that South Korea send an S-rank instead of an F-rank, obviously. Apparently, there had even been a discreet inquiry made on a government level regarding the possibility of an invitation reallocation. The Korean government had staunchly refused, of course. 

As we arrived at the airport, my heart began to flutter a bit. Not simply because of the Party, but, well–we were traveling to the U.S., after all. Japan was the only place we’d visited in an official capacity; and even when I’d been kidnapped, we hadn’t left the East Asia region. It was a frivolous thought, but it did make me feel slightly excited. We might not have the leisure to sightsee, but I should still pick up some souvenirs for our employees. What sort of things were the U.S. known for, I mused.

- - - - -

(1) this part is a bit confusing in eng because on top of being ‘the man who had lived longer than anyone else(그 누구보다도 오래됀 남자)’ himself, chaos talks about both ‘he who has lived the longest (제일 나이 든 놈)’ and the ‘eldest/oldest(첫째)’ here; but the former is in reference to shj (a being who is hundreds of years old) and the latter is ‘firstborn,’ referring to yoojin as the oldest of the 유유예(yoojin-yoohyun-yerim) trio. the distinction is a lot clearer in kr bc the terms are categorically different, but it gets muddied in eng because of how i need to translate ‘첫째’ in context (hence the heavy reliance on caps to get the point across)

(2) jung / chŏng (정):

(3) ‘탑에 갇힌 왕’: Tower-Bound King / ‘King Bound Within A Tower’ being Newcomer/Rookie’s 5-word title/moniker (ch 220,221)

(4) 호랑아 → baby fox’s name is lit. ‘tiger’(-ah)

(5) gambling

(6) 재수도 없었지:

+(Q&A)

Q) how did sung hyunjae end up falling for crescent moon’s scam contract? was it that he was gullible? A) the first contract wasn’t as frightful as the one in place during the course of the novel. it was a standard contract, and it didn’t contain any terms sung hyunjae felt was too excessive. however, every time he was planted over, addendums were made to the contract and it grew more binding. as one of the earlier incarnations of sung hyunjae, sigma wasn’t tied down as strongly, which was why he was able to escape crescent moon’s contract, while sung hyunjae couldn’t do the same. the original sung hyunjae may not have been gullible, but his downfall was that he inevitably lacked outer-world knowledge ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) i was curious as to whether there were any special ‘episodes’ that occurred over the course of sung hyunjae’s many lives? though sung hyunjae may not be able to remember them, but if there had been a life that he was particularly fond of, or something like that.. i’m curious about the different lives he may have led~ A) aside from his life pre-capture and the ‘freed’ life he leads at present, there weren’t really any lives that he saw as being particularly ‘special.’ he wouldn’t consider any particular lives he led while captured to be more ‘special’ than the others, as each of them were simply ‘a time where sung hyunjae was alive’ ^^ notably, as someone whose core concerns has always only revolved around ‘him[self],’ for him to consider any event to be truly special, it would have had to have been something that was ‘an occurrence that was novel to myself’; but those lives were merely a time when the entity known as ‘sung hyunjae’ was manipulated to enact another’s will. ergo, he may have traveled across many diverse worlds, but as far as sung hyunjae’s personal situation was concerned, it was no different than if things had remained static all the while. this is why the life he leads at present–i.e. over the course of the novel–where han yoojin and song taewon exists (as the ones who ‘returned control over his life to him(yj)’ and ‘can bring about its end/allow him to die(stw)’) is the one he considers to be the most special to him. [...]

+(Q&A)

Q) hello author-nim! pre-regression, why did sung hyunjae end up leaving for switzerland, specifically? it seemed as though he’d traversed through various countries before deciding on switzerland; i was curious why, out of countless countries, he ended up choosing switzerland! additionally, would it be alright to ask approximately how many times sung hyunjae had been re-planted…?? A) song taewon’s influence played a significant role. having been left song taewon’s miscarried Plundering(掠奪), he(shj) sought a place that would suit song taewon and be a place he(stw) could live peacefully+was far away from korea. it was also the background of the postcard he would send han yoojin, too. however, he wasn’t set on switzerland from the beginning, and so long as it was an idyllic location somewhere in the Alps, he wouldn’t have cared where they ended up residing. other than that it’s in the triple digits, i’ll leave the exact number your imagination ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) i was wondering if there are any small habits or mannerisms you’ve assigned to the cast members A) (song taewon) as an s-rank’s reaction speed+sight are exceptional, during rock-paper-scissors, they are able to confirm what their opponent will play in advance. because of that, when he has to engage in rock-paper-scissors with someone of a lower rank/stats than himself, he will play with his eyes closed. (sung hyunjae) re: epilogue!shj, when chaos has left him somewhere alone and he needs to stay quietly in one place, he’ll mindlessly twine and untwine yarn around his finger.

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m curious about the % of sung hyunjae’s inventory space that the hot pink yarn takes up A) when it was being transported over, the amount of yarn was such that both han yoojin and noah’s inventories were filled to the brim. inventory size hinges upon rank + (cap)ability + physical mass. as a result, among the current s-ranks, the awakened with the biggest inventory size is liette, who is capable of transforming into a colossal dragon form, with noah’s inventory size being bigger than the average s-rank’s as well. that meant that the amount was enough to fill sung hyunjae’s inventory approximately twice over, even tamped down, so most of it is stored separately at sung hyunjae’s home. even when his mansion collapsed, the yarn was unharmed, so it was moved to the new residence. sung hyunjae carries around a fixed amount in his inventory, and re-fills it once over half is gone ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) i was curious as to the types of CF(commercial film) offers each of the s-ranks might have received (e.g. cosmetics, alcohol, vehicles, etc!) A) corporate guilds such as breaker, hanshin, and mkc are typically under contract to do CFs for their respective sponsors. you can’t force s-rank hunters to film CFs they don’t want to, of course–but they’ll typically relent and choose at least one or two CFs to do each year^^ and while they’re strictly prohibited from appearing in commercials that promote rival companies’ products, the s-rank hunters are free to participate in advertisements that are either a) related to their work or b) promotion for the guild. because the opportunities to net an s-rank hunter for a CF are far and few in between, rather than being matched to their particular image, the offers that come in are typically for mainstream products that are expected to generate a large amount of profit. CFs for electronics and automobiles make up the majority of offers. there is a wide range in variety for the CF offers made to s-rank hunters who are not beholden to corporations. since s-rank hunters are largely unconcerned about commercial costs and prone to accept offers that appeal to them on a whim, many small and mid-size companies will adopt a try-and-see approach in trying to bait their interest. in the case of han yoohyun, he is disinterested in participating in CFs. in deference to its guild leader’s will + having judged that too frequent appearances in advertisements would be detrimental to its image, haeyeon (with seok shimyoung at the helm) typically rejects any offers that come in. as a result, bak yerim holds an immense interest in CF participation. she was too busy to indulge in such things during the course of the novel, but with far more leisure time available to her in the epilogue of the story, she intends to dabble in each and every CFs her heart might desire.  sung hyunjae has appeared in exceptionally few CFs. he’s received many offers, but is incredibly picky about the ones he’ll accept. song taewon has only featured in official government productions; liette accepted a CF offer once out of curiosity, but after completely demolishing the filming set, has not received any additional offers since. noah refrained from making public appearances while he was avoiding liette, and so he turned down any CF offers. after his dragon form became revealed, most of the offers he’s received has been from the luxury goods sector.

+(Q&A)

Q) since the hunters in sctir-kr are said to enjoy a fair amount of popularity through tailored PR, which hunter(s) are the most popular among children? are there kids who memorize details about them, e.g. their mounts, like the way they do with dinosaurs and cars etc? A) the hunters who have flashy & powerful skills were inevitably the most popular among them, of course^^ domestically, han yoohyun–who was far younger than the rest, and wielded dazzling, eye-catching flames–used to be the most popular, until bak yerim entered the ring and shot up in the rankings. it then became ‘fire’ versus ‘water’ for the kids, and sometimes ended up in scuffles amongst themselves to declare which one reigns supreme. pre-regression, there were a number of illustrated books on dungeons and monsters available for retail in both children’s and young adult categories.

+(Q&A)

Q) did yerimie want to be a Hunter even before awakening, or did she have a different future occupation in mind? A) most teenagers long to turn out to be an A-rank or higher Awakened^^ when bak yerim discussed Hunter-related matters with her peers, she would make mention of wanting to Awaken so I can become emancipated~. only, as becoming said A-rank or higher Hunter held odds equivalent to winning the lottery, it wasn’t ever a serious ‘future dream job’ in her mind. in bak yerim’s case, she was less concerned with a ‘dream job’, than she was preoccupied with her desire to escape from her living situation at home.

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m sooo so curious about section chief song-nim’s info, section chief song-nimㅜㅜ he was probably super popular before Awakening, as well as after, right? whether he’s dated before!! if, at least when he was younger, he was able to have a heart-pounding youthful romance, i hope! A) owing to song taewon’s nature(특성), he did not maintain close relations with people outside of work relations. pre-regression, the only person he kept close was sung hyunjae, the one he is meant to swallow, owing to an unconscious, instinctual draw. with everyone else–particularly the lower their rank–he established a clear line(boundary). post-regression, and especially so by the epilogue, that line has become much fainter^^

+(Q&A)

Q) in the novel, on the topic of confession stories, song taewon answered that he’d had reasonable experience with them; has song taewon had a lot of relationship experience? A) he was popular both before awakening and after, but as indicated in an earlier answer, he firmly drew a boundary. even when he was overseas because of sung hyunjae, he received not only confessions, but bouquets and similar gifts as well every so often ^^

+(Q&A)

꿈의 도시 (2)

A breeze sailed by. Grazing gently against my face, circling my person. My sight–obscured by bright glimmering light until then, as though viewing sunlight filtered through water–slowly began to focus. But it was as though there was a gossamer veil still draped over my eyes, even then.

I was sitting horizontally on a long couch. Before me was a glass door that spanned the length of the room, thrown wide open. A garden in the height of summertime lay framed beyond outside. Greenery stretched out as far as my eyes could see. Strewn in sunlight, each ray of light accompanied by its own fragment of shadow. Time droned on, sluggish in its passage. Though summer occupied this place, it was simultaneously taking its leave as well. A sense of contentment thrummed through the air of the present season.

I didn’t feel as though I would ever tire of existing there, just mindlessly watching the scenery; until the once-verdant leaves eventually became dipped in color, and fluttered down to form great dry, crackling heaps. Flurries of white snow would replace the vacant space left on bare branches, as frost began to crawl over the ground until it froze solid.. And then, from between mounds of snowflakes, precocious flower buds would emerge, their heads peeking through. Abruptly, a wistful longing for snow-white flower overtook me.

Clink. A faint, faraway sound of a bell sounded from somewhere. Feeling a sudden itch in my toes, I looked down, and saw a strip of bare feet draped in white sunlight. The slippers covering them were worn, and familiar. As I wriggled my toes slightly, a hand was suddenly thrust before me. There was a popsicle. I accepted the milky blue ice bar that was being proffered(1). My dongsaeng sat down next to me.

So it was a dream, huh.

“Yeah. It’s a dream.”

My twenty-five year old dongsaeng answered. Dressed in casual, comfortable clothes, Yoohyunie looked like the very picture of a university student enjoying his summer break. A sky-blue popsicle identical to my own dangled from his hand. There was so much I wanted to say to him; and so, I found that nothing was capable of leaving my mouth.

I bit down on the tip of the slightly stiff popsicle. Despite it being a dream, a cold sweetness bloomed on my tongue. From beside me, I heard a soft crunch of the other bar being consumed as well. A moment that could have existed in potentia. 

Yoohyunie looked relaxed. He was watching me, a faint smile playing on his lips. Both the arm peeking out from under his t-shirt sleeve and the hand holding the popsicle were clean, free of any blemish. I was suddenly struck by a memory–of the words spoken by a person who’d had their family pass before them. A claim that ‘the deceased had appeared to them in a dream.’

‘He hardly spoke. He merely appeared as he had been in life, before departing. Nor were there any reassurances made of ‘being alright’; he simply looked to be at peace.’

Just watering the plants they had cared for while alive, then sitting back on the sofa to gaze far outside the window into the sky beyond. Completely at ease.

‘It was almost as though he was telling me that ‘it’s time to let go, now.’’

Was what had been said. All things came to an end; I knew this to be true. I still had my own life to live, too. And it had been a long time since Yoohyunie’s passing.

Time circled around to the sunset of spring, the dawn of summer; the sun rose and fell. Summer soon passed, and the march of time pressed through fall, until the shadow of winter loomed large. Not quite yet a year; perhaps nine months had elapsed. A sufficient length of time, at least, for a shallow layer of dirt to have accumulated in the deep, hollowed-out crevice in my chest. 

“I know I seem desperate, too.”

As far as the others were concerned, he was already long dead; nothing but a corpse. The living should focus on living. I needed to focus on living, but–.

“I still can’t seem to let you go, no matter what. Life does take all sorts, I suppose.”

It’s just the way I was born, I’m afraid. I polished off the rest of my popsicle. Holding the leftover stick in my hand, I turned to look at Yoohyunie. As he met my gaze, he smiled silently. Eyes brimming with endless affection, radiating from his countenance.

“Being able to see you like this, only deepens my resolve even further.”

Because I was acutely aware of what he’d had to suffer through till now.

“You deserve to come home, no matter what. Yoohyun-ah–all you wanted was to be with me, right.”

I should’ve done everything in my power to ensure he’d never be parted from me, public condemnation be damned. I should’ve threatened to kill myself if he ever left me, at least. No matter how far the situation might have deteriorated–to be able to meet the end with our bodies linked, inseparable, would have been far preferable.

And so, I needed to bring him back. When ‘I’ was the resting place Yoohyunie desired, I couldn’t imagine living while being parted from him, whether he was a corpse or something else. I needed to use everything at my disposal to find him, unless I was resigned to clawing at my chest in grief for the rest of my life.

“That’s why, even if you were to say that ‘it’s fine,’ it doesn’t matter. By this point, it’s something I need to do for myself as well. I need to–I, with my own two hands–.......”

“Yeah.”

The voice sounded impossibly far, and close at the same time.

“I’ll be waiting for you, hyung.”

The devoted gaze that had always been mine and mine alone, began to fade. Water closed in overhead. Air escaped in a scatter of bubbles. My eyes snapped open.

[ Honey! ]

A message window flashed urgently before me. Coughing, I pushed myself upright. My surroundings were dark, making it difficult to make anything out. It was partly due to my unfocused sight as well.

“Wha–cough–happened to the others–.”

[ They landed somewhere else! I can’t quite pinpoint their locations, but they seem to be somewhere further away. Ah–Bak Yerim, Noah, Liette, and Huanglim. Those four seem to have landed in the same area. ]

That Yerimie hadn’t ended up alone was a relief. Huanglim’s inclusion was a bit concerning, but with Noah and Liette present there too, it seemed like it should be fine.

[ Han Yoohyun and Peace. Those two are grouped together in a different location. ]

It seemed that they’d been paired up based on their elimination time. Since Yoohyunie and Peace had ended up together, they’d probably set out to look for me first. I didn’t feel too worried about those two, but then that meant.

[ Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon. Those two are partnered up elsewhere as well. There appears to be a significant amount of distance separating all three teams, so a quick reunion with everyone seems difficult. ]

…my sincere apologies, Section Chief Song-nim. I hadn’t realized things would shake out this way, sir. You better not be bullying poor Section Chief Song-nim, Sung Hyunjae.

“Are comms available?”

[ Nossir! As a matter of fact, just getting these messages to Honey is pretty taxing. It’s only ‘cause of Honey's link to the System Admin that I’m barely able to get through to you still, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to maintain this connection. That World is pre-System installation, y’know! ]

The <Dream> world created by Marie. But…….

“Ah, Crescent Moon said that this place isn’t Marie’s dream, though.”

[ Yes, Tree Sloth sunbae-nim mentioned that too! That ‘the destination seemed to have shifted at the last second.’ Erm, or was it that the ‘dreamer’ was the one that’d been replaced? But because of that, the dream manifestation capacity appears to have increased exponentially……. ]

“...they’re a Transcendent <Seed> planted by Crescent Moon, most likely.”

I couldn’t figure out how she might have managed to pull off swapping Marie out with the <Seed>, but thinking back on Crescent Moon’s words, that seemed to be what had transpired. Then, what had happened to Marie-ssi and Samīr-ssi……. Hopefully, they’d been able to make it back safely to the real world.

[ A Transcendent! It does sound plausible, if she’d used a Transcendent as the pillar. In any case, Honey–because that place doesn’t have a System in place yet, even the mana there is pretty unstable. ]

“...shit.”

Hold on.

“Then, my inventory–!”

[ Correct. You won’t be able to access your inventory. ]

“I can’t even open a status window?!”

[ Skills will become a lot harder to channel, too. ]

“What about Items? Eunhae-yah!”

There was no answer. The jewel’s glow seemed to have dimmed. Eunhae should be fine otherwise though, right?

[ Items will have greatly reduced efficacy as well. Plus, your stats have probably decreased to about non-Awakened levels. ]

“What? But then, Yerimie and Yoohyunie–!”

I’d always been an F-rank. I’d still been able to level up a bit, of course, so there had been a marginal improvement from when I’d been an un-Awakened; but I’d relied more heavily on the advantages provided by Items, rather than stats. The others, however, were S-ranks. They’d still be stronger than myself even in their depowered states, sure, but they’d be impacted by the immense discrepancy in strength! Wait, did this mean that Peace was currently the strongest among us too. Since a Lion would still have plenty of firepower at its disposal without Awakening, after all. 

Ah, now that I thought about it–did this also mean that Section Chief Song-nim finally had a shot at topping Sung Hyunjae, in an unprecedented reversal? Sure, Sung Hyunjae was slightly taller than him, but Section Chief Song-nim seemed stronger, physically-speaking. Or were they fairly evenly matched still, actually? In any case—I assumed he’d have an easier time of handling him like this, compared to his Awakened state, so that was at least a plus.

[ Once the System comes online, you should regain access to your inventory! It’ll take a bit longer for mana accessibility to stabilize–but if you’re able to adapt to the irregularities in the flow itself, then that may no longer be a deterrent. ]

“Got it, Rookie. But more importantly–what about the Transcendents? And Crescent Moon? She’s completely left my body now, at least.”

My shoulder still throbbed where it’d been run through, even after having a potion used on it. The Seseung Guild Leader was as relentless as ever, huh. Though that in itself was reassuring.

[ …be careful, Honey. I don’t understand why the connection between Honey and Crescent Moon has only grown stronger, but. Any more than this could be really dangerous! ]

“Uh, yeah. I’ll be careful.”

Inadvertently learning about Crescent Moon’s past had probably been the catalyst. So there was a reason the Transcendents went around hiding their names, huh. Knowing their ‘true essence’ could have this profound of an effect on an established connection…….

[ The dream World Honey’s occupying is far more susceptible to infiltration by the Transcendents. It possesses its own repellent forcefield as a World, certainly, but when it comes down to it, it’s still only a ‘dream’ World that’s a copy of a real one, after all. So it’s likely that, as soon as the System turns on, they’ll be able to start interfering with Honey directly! ]

“Could we retreat back to our World before then?”

[ …no, I’m afraid not. The travel method itself is something that’s reliant on the System. If Honey was a Transcendent, it might’ve been possible–but with just yourself, it’s not feasible. Finding your party members before the System goes live should be priority number one because of that, Honey. ]

“So that, once we’ve grouped up, we’ll be able to leave as soon as the System turns active?”

[ It won’t be easy. Interference is a given, and the transfer will only be possible once the mana has stabilized to a certain level……. ]

The message window glitched noticeably.

[ Be careful, Honey. The manifestation level is high enough that, effectively, it’s no different than if you’d been dropped into a real World instead. Any injuries or deaths sustained there would be–well, final. ]

But since the Transcendents wouldn’t be able to interface with this World quite yet, nothing too dangerous should… Well. I carefully scanned my surroundings. I was inside an unfamiliar residential unit. 

“...would there happen to be any monsters around, perchance.”

[ It’s a <Dream> conjured up by the people of Honey’s World, right. ]

It was a <Dream>.

“So, uh–if they happened to dream about monsters.”

[ Then, they’d probably show up……? ]

Ah, hell. Plunging through the darkness, I made a beeline for the kitchen area. Picking up a chef’s knife, as well as a regular knife and fork, I rummaged around for some rations as well.

[ But since the mana flow is unstable, any monsters that show up will likely be low-ranked, at least! ]

“And ‘ordinary’ tigers are still capable of tearing a person from limb to limb(2).”

Ramen, cans of tuna, and kim… So I was in Korea, then. Hopefully, the others were here in Korea as well. Because the dream World was a one-to-one scale replica of our World, if they were located somewhere that was the equivalent of the other side of the Earth, it might be impossible for us to meet back up before the System installation concluded.

[ Other people may start turning up, once they begin dreaming. ]

“‘Other people’? And if they get hurt or killed here, what’ll happen to those other people?”

I entered the bedroom to search for a bag. There was a backpacking pack, in the corner of a closet. I went ahead and changed out of my ripped-up shirt as well.

[ Well, getting injured in a dream is a commonplace occurrence. They’ll probably startle awake, in such a case. Whether or not they’ll retain the memory of what even transpired is debatable. As long as they end up in this dream through ‘ordinary’ means, they should be perfectly fine. ]

“That’s a relief, at least. I suppose they’ll just think I appeared in their dream, if we happen to run into each other.”

[ Yes. They’ll consider Honey to be a ‘dream’ encounter, most likely? ]

Though, in actuality, it’s the real deal that’s in front of you. I adjusted my belt bag to strap the chef’s knife to my waist. The rations were tucked away into the pack. My apologies for the unannounced imposition, whoever's house it may be. Taking a drink of the water I’d found in the fridge, I bit into an apple. It tasted just like a real one. Juicy and sweet.

“I wonder if there’s a car key laying around.”

One that belonged to a truck, hopefully. If they were only low-rank monsters, mowing a big truck into them would be a viable strategy. Slinging the pack onto my shoulders, I slowly made my way towards the entryway. 

“The Transcendents’ primary focus is on me, right?”

[ They’re under the assumption that Honey has something up his sleeve. Some are saying that Honey is the one that broke the System, while some are speculating that you have a Transcendent aiding you instead, since the former is an impossibility, as far as they’re concerned. How in the world did you pull it off, Honey? ]

Well, since it wasn’t something that really needed to be kept hush-hush.

“Achievement payout. I ended up as part of Sung Hyunjae’s faction in the final round, y’see.”

[ Ah……! Honey’s compensation for… I see. It was excluded from our calculations, but since the System is a machine, it would have systematically accounted for all of…… But the automatic restrictions should’ve still kicked in, though. That’s to say, I believe Honey’s influence extended beyond what an interim moderator’s purview should’ve been capable of. ] 

It was all thanks to Wildflower(3) having granted me beta System Administrator access permissions. But because I was leery about disclosing that extra tidbit of information, I simply agreed with the Rookie’s assessment out loud. Quietly, I opened the front door. Walked out into the apartment corridor. The sudden activation of an automatic light switching on made me flinch; I cast my eyes around my surroundings. It was quiet. I wondered if it was still daytime in Korea. There didn’t seem to be very many people asleep yet. Or maybe it was just too early in the night, perhaps. A majority of people seemed to sleep later, nowadays.

I debated taking the stairs down, but upon catching sight of the number ‘27,’ meekly went over to the elevators instead. I needed to conserve as much energy as possible, particularly when I couldn’t even use stamina potions. I pressed the button to go down. The elevator seemed to be in good working order.

“They’re not concerned with Sung Hyunjae, then?”

[ Chain is a powerful Awakened, but he’s not quite that remarkable. A candidate for extradition later on, perhaps? ]

The Rookie wasn’t privy to the finer details regarding Sung Hyunjae, after all. Luckily, it seemed that the other Transcendents hadn’t caught on yet, either. Then their primary target should be myself. If it was possible, I wanted to try getting the others out safely by using myself as bait, but… That probably wouldn’t be possible, huh. Yoohyunie would absolutely refuse to leave, for one, and then Yerimie would throw all her energy into clawing her way back here to boot.

With a small ding, the elevator door opened. I pressed the button for the first floor; the door slid back closed. Maybe I should procure a big truck first. I wondered if there might be any car dealerships nearby. And then, if possible, I should scavenge around for some firearms…….

Ding!

The elevator let out a sound. It hadn’t made it to the first floor yet. The elevator had come to a stop at the nineteenth floor. My hand darting to the handle of the kitchen knife secured at my waist, I retreated, angling my back to press against a corner. The door opened, and.

“...huh?”

A faintly hazy apparition of a student appeared. He seemed to be around high school age or so. The student stared at me for a moment with wide eyes, then.

“Director Han Yoojin-nim!”

“...um, good day.”

“It’s actually you, sir! What brings you all the way out here? Wow!”

“I, ah, had a brief appointment, and so.”

“Is Peace around, sir? Or did Peace not tag along? Oh, man–uh, but why’re you here alone, sir? You’re not supposed to go around unattended, are you? How come the Haeyeon Guild Leader isn’t here with you? Or any other sort of bodyguard? What if you end up getting kidnapped again! Our Ma, she gets ‘sides herself whenever she sees you, saying ‘aigo, why’s he always getting caught up in such hardships, when F-ranks are basically just regular civilians’! My bro, he’s an F-rank, sir. He's as delicate as a sparrow! But arguing that Director Han-nim is an F-rank, and that F-ranks are capable of stomping S-ranks, he mouthed off about becoming a Hunter and earned his smart-ass a sound whoopin' from our Pops–.”

How, erm, unfortunate. After peering over to check that the first floor button had been pressed, the student scurried over to stand beside me. The unabashedly starstruck gaze sent my way felt slightly overwhelming. 

“Would it be alright to get a photo of us together, sir?”

“Of course.”

“Let me just get my cellph… Huh? Wow, I left without even grabbing my backpack. My brain must be cooked.”

The student sighed, mumbling that he’d have to head back up. The forgetfulness was probably due to his ‘dreaming’ state.

“I’ll be happy to take a picture with you if you ever come by the Rearing Facility, in any case. What might your name be?”

Even if the student wrote off this encounter as a dream, or ended up not being able to remember it altogether, I’d still be able to recognize him, after all. But his sense of disappointment only seemed to grow at my offer.

“That means I’d have to travel all the way out to Seoul though, sir.”

“...erm, and where might we be, currently.”

“Busan, sir(4).”

…fuck. I’d though his regional accent sounded a bit thick(5)–it was because I was in Busan, huh. Had I ended up by the sea, then. A plane ride…was probably too risky, so maybe a KTX ticket instead, if it was running. Would I end up having to drive the whole way to Seoul. When we arrived at the first floor, the student bid me farewell and headed back up, still gloomy. Focusing my slackened attention once more to be on alert, I left the apartment complex. The sky looked dark. It seemed to be around 9, 10PM or so? Early enough that, aside from early sleepers and those who’d opted for a quick nap, most people should still be awake. 

‘Since I need to procure a car as soon as possible, I should shake down a cellphone store first thing.’

I assumed the internet should still be up, since the elevator had been working too. Just when I was about to head towards where the shops were.

- Krrrrng.

I spied a pack of blue-pelted wolves prowling along the road. A type of low-rank monster that had appeared during the initial Dungeon Breaks in Busan. Someone’s Nightmare.

- - - - -

(1) 캔디바(아이스크림): “hard ice cream” ‘candy bar (popsicle)’ (1985) – “advertised as <the ‘pure’ ice bar reserved for schoolgirls~> upon release” (출시 당시 "여학생만 먹는 깨끗한 아이스바~"라고 광고했다)

(2) How do Koreans feel about the extinction of wild Siberian Tigers and Amur Leopards in the Korean Peninsula?

(3) 들꽃: a wild[field] flower

(4) distance from Busan to Seoul:

(5) to a seoulite like yoojin, the student speaks with a faint ‘(busan) country accent’

(6) KTX

alt translation for the song linked in ch title, for additional context

> Significance of Spring(봄)?

+ (Q&A) plum blossoms(매화) + the character of han yoohyun (full entry):

Q) i’m curious about the thought process behind your decision link a narrative theme of plum blossoms(매화) to the character of han yoohyun A) from the beginning, han yoojin and han yoohyun were assigned the characteristics belonging to ‘early spring’ and ‘winter’, respectively. han yoohyun’s birthday falls at the end of december, and is located in winter, but han yoohyun’s World is han yoojin, who is ‘the blossoming of springtime’. because of that, instead of a winter flower, i chose an early spring flower, which also represents han yoojin. among those candidates, i thought that the plum blossom was the most suitable ^^ there is the 설중매화(雪中梅花)*, and the 매일생한 불매향(梅一生寒 不賣香)** appealed to me as well. *눈 속에서 피는 꽃 '설중매(雪中梅)'라 불리는 '매화(梅花)' → ’the plum blossom which blooms in the midst of snow’ **‘매화는 일생을 춥게 살아도 그 향기를 팔지 않는다’ → ‘though it must live its life in the cold, the plum blossom does not peddle its perfume’; second line of four of a sijo poem, there it’s the line indicating ‘the nobility of not losing dignity, even in the face of hardships lived’

https://books.google.com/books?id=16WJCj00QvkC&pg=PT141&lpg=PT141&dq=plum+blossom+Shin+Heum&source=bl&ots=T00ASMNHQb&sig=ACfU3U148XXgxXaWKDib4eyGP8QsugFiig&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnxdOT8p_7AhWumWoFHYERAVUQ6AF6BAgsEAM

사계절꽃무늬

+bonus: yh&yj’s birthdays overlap in lunar/solar calendar:

‘yoojinie’s birthday usually lands between dec 20th~jan 10th when you plug it into a lunar calendar calculator… typically dec 24th or dec 26th, with dec 25th coming up for 2/7/1983. thinking about how yhyj will eventually have overlapping birthdays once again via solar-lunar calendar makes me feel gratified– ^^’

[명사] 하늘과 땅의 가장자리. 매우 먼 곳을 비유적으로 이르는 말 

→ 'haeyeon: (the border) where heaven and earth converge. a metaphorical way of referring to a location that is very far away.'

‘haeyeon’ was a name decided upon by han yoohyun. originally, the founding haeyeon guild members were brainstorming together, while han yoohyun, attending as the guild leader, simply looked on with disinterest. as a result, all of the potential guild names were ones pertaining to fire at first; but han yoohyun, while thumbing through a dictionary from the stack of references and books that had been piled high, chanced across an entry that indicated ‘a very far place’–and thinking of hyung, who he had become estranged from, made the executive decision. ‘haeyeon’ exists between pre-regression han yoojin and han yoohyun, but also represents the ‘distance(position)’ of the twenty-five year old han yoohyun who has been lain at the Source.

+(Q&A)

Q) lastly, in the game that you released before, there were lines of dialogue from sung hyunjae and moon hyuna that mentioned han yoojin’s comfortably smiling face being a rare sight, and therefore seeing him smile/laugh so easily was a pleasant sight to see; in the main story, is yoojinie’s comfortably smiling face being a scarcely-seen occurrence something that’s an established detail..?? A) right when he had regressed, he was still able to smile and laugh easily, but after finding about the twenty-five y.o. han yoohyun, a shadow couldn’t help but fall over him. at first, sung hyunjae and moon hyuna assumed it was because of the kidnapping, transcendents, and everything else that had been going on, but later realized there was something additional going on behind the scenes.

+(Q&A)

Q) in the webtoon, the scenario is portrayed that, in that D-rank Dungeon at the beginning, following a fairly harsh verbal altercation, han yoojin decides he would rather be the one to die to the lauchitas; in the original text, the scene that the first chapter opens on, han yoohyun’s death pov–would it be alright to ask after what you thought that meeting between han yoohyun and han yoojin would’ve been like, in the Dungeon? is it similar to what happened in the webtoon?  A) it’s similar ^^ in the novel, he never attempted to die, but if han yoojin at that time thought that han yoohyun might be safe so long as he wasn’t there, he probably wouldn’t have hesitated to kill himself. the han yoojin pre-regression is a character that tried to stay alive no matter what, but because the biggest reason for that was han yoohyun, so long as his dongsaeng’s life was at stake, he probably would’ve given up all that more easily.

+(Q&A)

런던, 24시간 (4)

콰지직, metal clanged as a crimson double-decker bus was crunched flat beneath the body of the giant serpent. Scales smoother than even the asphalt road below coiling fluidly, it raised its head to lash a long forked tongue through the air.

An SS-rank <Lava-Drinking Snake>. With every pulse of heat along the length of its black-red scales, everything around it melted. After a cursory tongue flick towards the now-molten ground, the snake lifted its head once more. Viridian willow leaves sped towards its yellow eyes. In a flash, 화악, the leaves burst into blossoms of flame.

The snake remained stationary. ‘Hot’ things were incapable of causing it harm; all they amounted to was ‘food.’ The crimson flames deepened in color. Grazing the eye of the snake, they turned black, then a blackened blue.

- Kiiiik!

They seared the snake’s eyes. Blinded in an instant by a heat that surpassed even its incredible fire resistance, the gargantuan body recoiled and began thrashing about like a fish hooked out of the water. Thump, crack! Fissures appeared over the surface of the old buildings that had still been left standing, causing them to begin caving in.

[ It’s capable of melting through most weapons that come into contact with its scales. But ‘cause of that, the scales themselves are pretty fragile, for being SS-rank. ]

Han Yoojin’s voice encircled Han Yoohyun through the System. A <Lava Snake>, capable of burning through both Skills and weapons. Because of the difficulty curve involved in even landing an attack on the creature, it was a challenging monster to put down, even with the combined strength of several S-ranks. 

And yet.

Alighting on viridian willow leaves, Han Yoohyun’s body moved gracefully through the air. The convulsing body of the snake blocked his way, jutting high into the air. Easily slipping beneath the writhing arc of scales, Han Yoohyun drew his sword, and flipped it around to grip it with both hands. 

The Corrosive Sovereign's Sword(1). The pitch-black blade–forged from the flesh of a dragon who had melted and consumed a world–penetrated the serpent’s scales without any resistance.

- Kiiiiiirr!

Drawing on the last of its strength, the snake summoned as much heat as it could muster. The black-red scales began to burn a bright cherry-red. The ground, as well as the walls of buildings several meters away, began to warp from just the residual heat given off by its body. 

But the Black Dragon’s blade simply swallowed it all. Han Yoohyun’s arms tensed, and then, crunch, brought the sword down without resistance. A long, horizontal incision appeared on the serpent’s neck. The spurts of blood that sprayed out caught fire before it could touch Han Yoohyun’s body, and evaporated away.

Thud! With a resounding crash, the monster’s body fell slack down onto the pavement that had previously begun to melt, and was now in the process of re-hardening. By this time, borne aloft on viridian willow leaves, Han Yoohyun had already taken to London’s sky once again.

[ Don’t overexert yourself. ]

Han Yoojin’s voice went silent after the missive. Han Yoohyun’s feet touched down on top of a streetlamp. A neighborhood that had been reduced to a disaster zone from the opening of a Dungeon Break came into view. S-rank and A-rank monsters teemed in the sky overhead. With a short intake of breath, Han Yoohyun pushed off from the streetlamp, flying into the sky. Jumping from a cluster of willow leaves once, twice, and then once more–!

He materialized in the midst of the flying monsters in a blink. Before razor-sharp beaks or claws could move to turn on Han Yoohyun, the blade of the Sovereign’s Sword stretched out, sweeping around him in a long arc.

Screech! Crunch!

Blood and feathers rained down in the wake of the blade as it sliced its way through the horde like a whip. The flying monsters crashed down towards the ground, wings and heads severed. Han Yoohyun didn’t resist the pull of gravity, and left his body to its care instead. Strong winds clawed at short locks of hair, and whipped the cobalt ropes of the decorative belt tied around his waist into a frenzy.

‘Han Yoohyun’ could only exist next to Han Yoojin’s side.

In the same vein–it meant that, were Han Yoojin cease to exist, Han Yoohyun would finally be set free from all things as well. From every emotion, and all the corresponding tribulations such emotions invoked. To say nothing of ‘Love’–he would no longer be beholden to even the most tracest amount of affection. 

Step.

In the split second before Han Yoohyun’s body came into contact with the ground, willow leaves materialized beneath his feet to cushion his fall. On the ground surrounding him, the misshapen bodies of monsters that had crashed down to earth wheezed out rasping breaths. Slitting the throats of the monsters that were still clinging to life, Han Yoohyun resumed advancing onwards.

Fear, suffering, and sorrow would dissipate. Everything that had come to be as a result of his feelings towards Han Yoojin. In the absence of that <Love> the Fire held for another, he would no longer be held back by the shackles conjured from that emotion, either. 

And so, the ‘Han Yoohyun’ that existed at present was helpless but to only have eyes for Han Yoojin. When his existence itself was contingent on ‘Han Yoojin,’ to have that ‘premise’ taken away would entail simply regressing back into ‘Fire.’ To ‘Han Yoohyun,’ ‘Han Yoojin’ was the very air that enabled his breath after venturing out of the water(2). 

‘Hyung.’

To consume Han Yoojin, freeing himself from all the trappings of entanglements, to then burn up out of existence as a <perfect Flame>(3). That hungry desire Han Yoohyun felt was, in a sense, a core part of his very being, its roots buried deep in the innermost part of his essence. An instinctual, insatiable craving that could never be completely eliminated, but which he had always had to repress(4). 

- Kaaaa!

Thump, launching itself off from the ground, a beast with two heads threw itself at him. A gaping maw filled with serrated teeth stretched wide to tear into Han Yoohyun’s flesh. Thud! As it vainly snapped closed on empty space, Han Yoohyun easily stepped on top of the bridge of its snout, moving to stand on top of its head. The other head lunged forward, only to miss as well. Then.

Thud, thump!

Two heads, neatly severed, rolled across the ground. Han Yoohyun continued on without a single glance backwards.

‘I–.’

Han Yoohyun, he. Incapable of living on without his ‘World,’ he’d had to remain ever vigilant. It was because Han Yoojin had affirmed for him time and again that they would never be parted, that he had finally come to be reassured. At the core of the ‘World’ Han Yoohyun so ardently loved, ‘Han Yoohyun’ likewise occupied the same space. And nothing would ever change this fact.

But if there was more than one ‘Han Yoohyun.’

‘Han Yoojin’ versus ‘those things that were not Han Yoojin.’ Then, an aberration had been injected into a world that had formerly been divided into two clear black-and-white sides. ‘Han Yoohyun.’ The person who Han Yoojin loved most in the world.

It had left him shaken. He’d felt at a loss on how to proceed. Had he been the same ‘Han Yoohyun’ of the past, he would have simply filed the other away as ‘an additional entity capable of protecting Han Yoojin.’ Without an emotional response invoked whatsoever. Yet, as he was now–cognizant and capable of expressing his own wants and desires as he was.

For the first time in his life, Han Yoohyun was experiencing the turmoil of ‘jealousy.’ 

It was different from the biting restlessness he’d been acquainted with in the past, when he’d thought Han Yoojin might be taken away from him. What he felt now was pure, simple ‘jealousy.’ Han Yoojin’s conduct wouldn’t change. But it still rankled him.

‘Choosing the pre-Regression achievements would be the proper course of action.’

But he still hesitated, even when the correct choice was so starkly highlighted. He detested the thought of growing to resemble ‘that Han Yoohyun.’ It was his current ‘self’ who Han Yoohyun wished to be the only one capable of monopolizing(5) Han Yoojin’s love. 

Even when he recognized that it was the wrong choice–even then.

And Han Yoojin had professed his love for even that obstinate ‘Han Yoohyun.’ 

Han Yoohyun came to a halt. His heart skipped in his chest. But it wasn’t owing to the repercussions of battle. The only one who was capable of making his heart race had always been Han Yoojin. 

[ Yoohyun-ah! ]

Han Yoojin’s ecstatic voice sounded into his ear(6). 

“I love you, hyung.”

[ ...eh? Yeah, of course. Love you too. About the achievement reward–d’you wanna receive them together, or separately? So the options that showed up are–. ]

“Together.”

[ You don’t even wanna hear what they are first? Though I’m of the mind that the combined option is the best too, that being said. Then, if you say so! ] 

Han Yoojin confirmed the option to receive the combined achievement reward. Then, shortly afterwards.

[ Achievement Reward(L)

A random reward based on the Awakened’s achievements & abilities.

※Loot drops generated may be up to two ranks lower ]

A ‘random drop box’ appeared. Han Yoohyun opened the loot box.

- - -

[ Its eyes are its weak spot! Hit it with a flash grenade, then ambush it by hacking at the second gap under its leg bone from the back! ]

[ Unable to eliminate the target on land, luring it to the river instead. Heading east! ]

[ Yerim-ah, the SS-rank’s being lured towards the river. The side with the yellow dokkaebi fire! It can’t breathe underwater and lacks buoyancy on account of its weight, so if we push it in and immobilize its limbs, it’ll be game set! ]

[ Everyone near the red goblin fire, evacuate! We can’t hold them off there with just Hunters! ]

[ SS-rank flying-type airborne! It should be disoriented, being nocturnal–employ loud sounds to corral its path! ]

Radio messages flew back and forth at a rapid-fire pace. C-c-crash! As Liette charged into the giant monster in the vicinity of the red dokkaebi fire, the ground trembled in the aftermath.

“Full steam ahead, unnie!”

Kang Soyoung, leaping off of Comet’s back and onto Liette’s head, instantly activated a Skill. Liette, who had appeared to be losing the contest of strength, suddenly began gaining ground.

- Kraaaagh!

“Super dragon-like, unnie! Soooo cool!”

Poison mist billowing, Liette rammed her head into the head of the monster. Crack! As one of Liette’s spines broke off from her head, the monster staggered back, growling. The black dragon’s maw stretched back to display her sharp fangs in a vicious smile. 

“These messages are insane!”

A London Hunter shouted as he pulled back on the string of his bow. Just then, another telecommunication arrived.

[ Towards the same objective as the Hunter next to you, in tandem! ]

Five Hunters fired simultaneously on cue. Among them, two moved in perfect unison, mirrors of each other in both execution and target destination.

“Just what kind of magic is this?”

Another London Hunter asked, panting for breath. Those Hunters that had suddenly appeared via teleportation. Their abilities were awe-inspiring. But it wasn’t that they were simply outstanding as Hunters. Their attacks were in absolute sync, as though those high-ranked Hunters had a single nervous system shared between them. Coordinated attacks between S-rank Hunters, previously thought to be an impossibility, was unfolding before them as naturally as anything.

“It’s the SF’s magic!”

“What? Is he ‘the East’s Merlin,’ then.”

“Can’t forget about all of those close calls, either!”

A handful of the Hunters from Team Han Yoojin’s faction snickered. One of the perks tied to their rest area had been an immunity to death. In the wake of the first defensive round, their eyes now opened to the delights of co-op tactics, those Hunters had enthusiastically begun matchmaking amongst themselves without any further encouragement needed. With the possibility of dying removed from the table, fights between S-ranks, as well as between S-ranks and A-ranks, had commenced–something none would have had the gall to engage in prior.

They’d only had a small amount of time; but it was still plenty enough for the sub team to evolve.

One by one, S-rank and SS-rank monsters fell. Their weak spots had been broadcasted, and their assailants were unified. This was more than enough to cover the gap brought on by a single difference in rank.

Only.

“Three hours have elapsed.”

Han Yoojin let out a long, weary sigh. His hands and eyes remained in constant motion, all the while. Briskly checking different areas of the System window, he sent off more messages. 

“It’s only a matter of time until he will tire.”

The monster horde was endless, while the number of Hunters remained static. A few of the neighboring countries had sent aid, but they were scant. That many European Hunters had comprised a majority of Han Yoojin’s team to begin with, was also a contributing factor. Sung Hyunjae regarded his pale, strained visage. Yoon-Yoon, lurking a little ways away, likewise seemed to be feeling uneasy.

“He looks tired already.”

“I’m doing alright so far, sir. It’s not as though I’m having to move around, after all.”

“This appearance had been fairly enjoyable thus far, but is proving quite vexing at present. I’m afraid there is little I can do to even offer you any support, as I am now.”

“Well, at least it’s a cute-looking form, sir. It might not be too bad as a permanent thing, even.”

Han Yoojin started to laugh, before breaking into a cough. The entire stock of completed stamina potions, as well as the incomplete prototypes and raw ingredients, had been brought over through the dokkaebi gate. But it was uncertain how long he’d be able to hold up, still. 

“...at this rate, we probably have at least three more hours left to go, sir. So we’re barely at the halfway point, I reckon.”

In reality, the three hours in question was only when counting from when the evacuation had first begun; and the raid had only picked up in earnest an hour hence. Even on Dungeon expeditions that spanned over several days, the individual battles themselves only tended to last an hour at most, allowing for a period of respite afterwards. But no such relief was forthcoming at present.

Splash! A column of water burst upwards from the direction of the river. Far above, Blue and Comet cut across the sky. Rather than being ridden by Kang Soyoung, Comet was ferrying a different Hunter on her back.

“What you’ve managed to accomplish already is remarkable enough, lad.”

Sung Hyunjae said, gazing down at London below from his perch on Han Yoojin’s shoulder.

“You’ve been able to unite those Hunters who would have originally been scattered by the SS-rank monsters by a lack of coordination, after all.”

“You’re not wrong, sir–but even more decisive than that was their personal resolve. They could’ve opted to forgo helping each other, in order to prioritize saving their own skins instead. But these same individuals are the ones who’d originally volunteered to eliminate the terrorists too, sir. The promise of bounty compensation notwithstanding, of course.” 

“Nor does it seem that they are the only ones who share that sort of stalwart resolve.”

Sung Hyunjae raised his face skyward. Tearing his eyes away from the System window, Han Yoojin looked upwards as well. There was a plane. A singular aircraft was approaching London at high velocity. What had been a tiny dot in the horizon soon loomed large, slowing in speed. And then–thunk–the door panel slid open.

“Are you quite certain, miss!”

A Hunter shouted above the din in the aircraft as winds pushed inside. Looking back at the person who had thrown the question her way, Emily Spencer showed a bright smile.

“I did say I’d never step foot into a Dungeon, of course.”

After a long and grueling standoff with the caretakers that endeavored to keep her safe, to be specific.

“But this is London! Long live Her Majesty the Queen!”

Huanglim easily hefted the giggling Emily up in his arms.

“Hold on tight, m’lady!”

Activating a flight Skill he had duplicated from another Hunter, Huanglim jumped out of the plane. As soon as they achieved stable positioning within the London sky, Emily began channeling her Skill. 

SS-rank wide-range recovery Skill, [A Thousand Lashes](7).

“I finally get to put this Skill to full use~.”

Emily’s mana expanded, spreading over all of London. It was a Skill that was capable of healing a thousand people, within a range as far as her eyes could see. But in return for the breadth of its scope, it was unable to heal injuries of severe gravity. However, any light wounds would be quickly restored, and the targets would experience a boost in stamina and mana recovery rate over a long duration of effect. In addition, it would immediately mark any severely injured persons within the casting area, which enabled her to follow up by sending a targeted healing Skill to their location as well.

“The ink on the contract probably hasn’t even had time to dry yet, I reckon.”

“Did they really manage to evacuate everyone? ‘Dokkaebi,’ huh–I’ll be damned.”

“I couldn’t sit this out, if only because of what the repercussions might be.”

Having each secured their own equipment, the rest of the American Hunters began to jump down as well. Isabella could be seen among their number. All of the Hunters who had been able to make the time window had been assembled. Not to mention.

“Hunters who need a restock on consumable Items, gather in front of Buckingham!” 

“Anyone in need of some grub!”

They had arrived with as much supplies and provisions as they could carry. New Hunters swarmed the battlefield. Everyone’s strength and mana had been completely restored. Finally given the opportunity to take a breather, the Hunters adjusted their grips on their weapons.

“Delighted to finally make your acquaintance, Director Han Yoojin-nim.”

“Hiya, sweetheart~. I missed you lots, y’know♡”

Still holding Emily in a bridal carry, Huanglim sauntered up to where Han Yoojin was standing. Peace let out a low growl. Apparently fascinated, Yoon-Yoon enthusiastically waved a hand in greeting. 

“Miss Saintess-nim, hello!”

“How d’you do, dokkaebi-nim!”

“Pleased to meet you as well, Saintess-nim.”

“Please, do just call me Emily.”

Emily peered at Han Yoojin with sparkling eyes. A slightly awkward smile on his face, Han Yoojin opened his mouth.

“I’m afraid that I’ve been advised to avoid being subject to any healing Skills, owing to a bit of circumstance, miss.”

“Oh my–is that so? You seem to be quite worse for wear, at present.”

“I’m suffering from a case of ‘excessive mana exposure,’ shall we say.”

“I do seem to be sensing something quite odd. Almost as though there’s a ‘wellspring’ of mana that…….”

Tipping her head quizzically, Emily contemplatively trailed off. It was a faux pas to delve too deeply into a Hunter’s personal affairs without permission, after all. She sent a soft smile in Han Yoojin’s direction instead.

“It is my opinion that Han Yoojin-ssi is a good person.”

“Pardon? Me, miss?”

“You can tell a lot about a parent from the behavior of their child, after all! He’s an exceedingly well-mannered and adorable kid, to your credit. The only thing he has in common with the Seseung Guild Leader is his appearance.”

“Erm, thank you, miss.”

“I would have loved it if we could’ve chatted at leisure, but alas, the situation hardly seems to lend itself to such a thing at the moment. Being in possession of an array of support Skills, it appears I must be off to lend aid for the time being.”

“Certainly, miss–please, take Comet, if you would. Comet!”

At Han Yoojin’s beckoning, the black winged dragon approached. Marveling at the dragon, Emily climbed astride Comet, Huanglim accompanying her. Han Yoojin watched as the two grew further away, and silently regarded the Hunters that had arrived in the new wave of reinforcements as well.

“It’s just as Emily-ssi said.”

A broad grin spread over his lips.

“Gyeolie truly is amazing. Gyeol-ah–all of this was only made possible through you.”

As monsters streamed out endlessly, more and more Hunters had appeared, too. 

Now, all the preparations were in place.

- - - - -

(1) 침식하는 군림자의 검: alt. read is ‘corroding(degen[erative]) dom[inator]’s blade’

(2) ch 422 / ch 615

(3) han yoohyun excerpts: the formation of a 'Perfect Flame'

[...]

(4) han yoohyun excerpts: repression of instinct/regression into 'Fire'

(5) 하나뿐인 독자(獨自)로서 한유진의 사랑을 받고 싶었다: i.e. one-and-only/sole recipient of

(6) 흥분 어린 한유진의 목소리가 들려왔다: more double entendre time, this time it’s ‘han yoojin’s aroused/’excitement’-laden voice was heard’

(7) 천 번의 채찍질: ‘one thousand [whip]lashes(flogging)’

taking a break from touching grass bc i need some escapism  ᵕ̩̩ㅅᵕ̩̩ i do need to make a career shift by end of year-ish though, so we'll see what happens.....

i'm completely off of social media nowadays, so i'm late(st) to the party once again, but 괴담출근 (which has been popular since like... 5-6 months ago....) got rec'd to me through various suggested vids and now i'm going down that rabbit hole a bit.. someone talk abt kr webnovels w me pls 🫠

yh’s ‘sea of trees’/수해 [樹海] association:

> Ys Piano Collection 2 - The Great Forest of Celceta (Ys IV) > Celceta, the Sea of Trees

+(Q&A)

Q) irinie mentioned that fire shouldn’t be stifled, because it transforms when it’s suppressed; since the 24y.o. yoohyunie in the dungeon had not only changed from a <black flame> (흑염) to a <blackened blood flame> (흑혈염), but also became instilled with poison, even after reconciling with yoojinie, would he be able to recover his <blue fire> (청염) still? A) as drawing forth one’s own natural affinity is a difficult task in itself, no matter which han yoohyun, so long as a han yoojin with a <Caretaker> title is not by his side, even after rising to the rank of a Transcendent, he would only be able to earn his blue fire after a very long period of development. however, as the flame would have died out before long without han yoojin becoming his <World>, consequently, that outcome is effectively an impossibility ^^ the reason the primordial fire was incapable of finding a Fire to succeed it for that long period of time, was for a similar reason. the closer it is to being a <Pure Flame>, the more likely it is to be snuffed out before properly maturing. as the han yoohyun(24) inside the dungeon has han yoojin(29) by his side, he is capable of fostering blue flames. however, as the han yoojin within the dungeon has the lesser <caretaker> title, the effect will be far diminished than that of han yoojin(25)’s, so it won’t be an easy task. because of that, rather than erasing the blackened blood fire to revert to a blue fire, there’s a higher likelihood that they(2429) will choose to mature the blackened blood fire further instead.

+(Q&A)

Q) what in the world happened during the incident where yoojinie made yoohyunie cry when they were younger? A) at that time, what han yoohyun shed were crocodile tears. this was around the period he was giving his heart over to han yoojin, and by observing his surroundings (tv etc.), he had come to the conclusion that he could probably move hyung with his tears. only, he’d overlooked the possibility that, were he to start crying, his still-young hyung would also burst into tears from the shock ^^ it took a bit longer before he became capable of shedding genuine tears, and it’s only possible when han yoojin is involved. he does not even show involuntary tears, much less ones infused with emotion, if it’s not related to matters concerning han yoojin. as <Fire>, he is an entity who should have been fundamentally incapable of shedding tears to begin with.

+(Q&A)

A) what han yoohyun did when he was younger was akin to ‘copying’ han yoojin. as his status as a being of fire at his core remained unchanged, rather than produce his own emotions, what occurred would be by ‘receiving’ the emotion from his <World>, han yoojin, he would then mimic it similarly himself. for han yoohyun, han yoojin is a difficult existence to understand from beginning to end, and the same applies to the emotions given to him by hyung. even so, han yoohyun accepted han yoojin, and began wanting to be with him. for a being of fire, that very moment can be defined as ‘the moment he fell in love’. it’s the moment that something originally impossible was accomplished, for the sake of another, after all^^ however, the general concept of ‘love’ is something that han yoohyun, even at the conclusion of the series, still finds difficult to comprehend.

+(Q&A)

파티 전 (4)

촤아아악!

Kicking up a huge wave of sand, Song Taewon skid across the ground as he was forced backwards a great distance. Barred from using any Skills aside from his Reaving(1), or from altering his physical composition through magic. Song Taewon dutifully obeys the instruction given to him, to rebuff the attacks falling upon him by only using his Reaving–but it was far from being an easy task.

Massaging the forearm that had borne the full brunt of the Young Chaos’s kick, due to his inability to channel his Skill in time, Song Taewon immediately corrected his disheveled posture.

“Another chance, please, Elder.”

“You’re wounded, brat. Treat his injury, Beauty(2).”

Noah, who had been watching from the sidelines, applied a healing Skill to Song Taewon. Noah-ssi was beautiful, true, but to brazenly refer to him by a name like that was kinda……. It was apparent the Elder’s sensibilities were clearly lacking, if you asked me. Between the Elder and that guy Hamin, I felt as though I was at least the best of the bunch, by my estimation. 

Lightly inclining his head towards Noah as a token of thanks, Song Taewon settled back into an expectant stance, presumably in anticipation of another attack from Chaos. 

Before leaving for the States to participate in Chatterbox’s Party, we’d congregated together for one last trip to see the Young Chaos. We’d sought him out regularly up to this point too, of course; but this instance marked the first time all of us had come together to visit him at the same time. The Young Chaos had scowled and made some noise about a ‘descending mob,’ but hadn’t seemed to feel too bothered by our presence. With that being said, he had then proceeded to conduct assessments for Yoohyunie and Yerimie, myself, and finally Song Taewon in turn.

“It is undoubtedly strange.”

Chaos mused, effortlessly kicking off from Song Taewon’s shoulder with a flying spin and lightly landing back on his feet.

“That he should prove so ungainly with an ability he’s possessed from birth to such an extent, no matter how fundamentally overwhelming it may be.”

“It’s, ngh, because Section Chief Song-nim loathed having it, sir. That’s wh–Yoohyun-a, ah, hold on a sec. So it might be that he’s subconsciously rejecting its use, sir.” 

According to the Elder, Section Chief Song-nim was apparently really, truly abysmal at channeling his Reaving Skill properly, in terms of drawing out the full potential of the ability. His mastery of the Skill itself was outstanding. But the potency of his Reaving was far too lacking. For someone of Section Chief Song-nim’s physical capabilities–for a DPS class S-rank–he should at least be capable of drawing out enough power to encompass  one arm, he’d said.

“I expect he is repressing it on some level, certainly.”

As Chaos’s gaze fixed on him, Song Taewon lowered his eyes.

“...I couldn’t say, sir.”

“Likely it is a long standing habit of yours, such that it has become undetectable by this point. For it to have become second nature as it has, it would have originated from your formative years. Can you recall an event in your childhood that may have contributed to such a thing, perhaps.”

“Not to my knowledge, sir.”

“Sir, Section Chief Song-nim can’t be trus–ack!”

Yoohyun-ah, be more gentle when hyung is speaking, won’t you. The Rookie, who had been watching as Yoohyunie massaged my body, took the opportunity to sidle on over.

[ I could do it even better, Honey. Tentacles are the best, after all. They’re much smoother, and less painful. Not to mention, they come with heating, vibrating, and self-moisturizing features as well! Plus a low-frequency setting! ]

“I’m not interested.”

“Hyung, turn over onto your side.”

[ If you’d give it just one chance, you’d change your mind! ] 

Each time we’d met, the Rookie had been attempting to extol the virtue of tentacles to me lately. Possibly because Myungwoo had turned down having tentacles due to my distaste for them, it seemed. Why was he so set on installing tentacles on a perfectly decent body, honestly. 

“You can’t trust anything Section Chief Song-nim says in regards to himself, sir. It’s always ‘no’ and ‘I am fine’ and ‘please do not worry’ with him.”

“So he is similar to yourself, then, Eldest.”

“How could you say that, sir–Section Chief Song-nim is clearly a far more severe case than myself.”

Song Taewon’s eyes glanced my way. What, it was true. I was better than Section Chief Song-nim at least, obviously.

“Or perhaps, it is yourself that you are afraid of.”

The slender wooden switch held in Chaos’s hand suddenly moved with explosive force. 팡– The sonic boom of an object punching through the sound barrier rang in my ears. It felt more than sufficient to rip through even an S-rank’s flesh, short of a Skill or some sort of magical force protecting his bare body. A dark shadow jumped out to wrap around Song Taewon’s forearm, blocking the wooden switch’s advancement. For a moment, the stick seemed to have been deflected successfully; but then, on the turn of a dime, it veered around and it shot towards Song Taewon’s waist.

“Divide your strength!”

As the Elder snapped out the command, Song Taewon’s side was pierced ruthlessly. It looked vicious enough to summon a wince from myself, but Section Chief Song-nim merely retreated to pull out the wooden switch embedded in his body without even batting an eye. 

“If you recognize you cannot match the speed of the attack, divide and conquer instead! It is truly astounding, that one who is capable of wielding his own body and magical energy as well as yourself cannot properly manage splitting that strength. That is an aspect of your abilities as well.”

Clicking his tongue, the Elder turned to look in my direction.

“You mentioned that your field of awareness appeared to expand with the Eldest’s Skill applied to you, did you not. A phenomenon such as that would have merely been a type of placebo effect.”

“Really, sir?”

“Aye. A power capable of swallowing all things, Skill or otherwise–it would be far stranger to have it be capable of being influenced by your own Skill, wouldn’t you say, Eldest.”

Wow, now that he mentioned it, that made a whole lot of sense. Did that mean even buffing Skills wouldn’t be able to affect the Reaving, then.

[ It’s not completely out of the realm of possibility though, Honey. After all, ‘doubling the attack Skill’ in terms of effectiveness doesn’t just grant an increase to the Skill’s offensive power, when it comes down to it. It allows the target to immediately adapt to the scaling applied to the Skill as well. When your abilities experience an exponential jump, it becomes difficult to properly control your body(3), correct? That’s a kind of ‘support’ effect applied by the Skill as well–and it might be that Shadows-ssi becomes able to better manipulate his shadows as a result of it. ]

Such an effect was intrinsic to most other support-type Skills as well. Section Chief Song-nim listened to us silently. 

“Be that as it may–regardless of whether he is set upon reining his own power, it would have only been natural for it to burst out on its own accord, when his body senses a threat to its survival. …though I suppose his survival to this point may be attributed to how he has managed to suppress himself to the point of preventing even that basic instinct.”

…even at the cost of his own life. Just like how he’d resolutely refused to swallow Sung Hyunjae, to the bitter end. Song Taewon gazed down at the far smaller figure of Chaos with intensely sedate eyes. 

“Is it your opinion that remaining in my current condition would prove to be the less risky option then, sir.”

“If you are content to remain a mediocre S-rank Hunter, certainly.”

The problem was, even if Section Chief Song-nim might be okay with that outcome, no one else around him would be inclined to leave well enough alone. Similar to how he’d ended up becoming an Awakened in the first place. Not that he was the type to simply step back and shut his eyes to the present reality, anyway.

“Perhaps it is a psychological block, or an obstruction of a different nature–but in any case, attempt to make use of it from the perspective of overcoming the current limitations of your strength. Whether or not it pleases you, the shadow is yours.”

He was right. But to come to that acceptance of oneself… was more difficult than you’d think, too. Even though it might not be the case for people like a certain Sung Mo-ssi(4), who was kneeling on the ground yet again today. The Elder appeared to have disapproved of him quite highly, as Sung Hyunjae was still relegated to the floor this visit as well. He was leisurely sipping on a cup of tea despite his sorry position, though. 

“I still dunno about the young master taking after him, though.”

Moon Hyuna whispered in a low voice to Yerimie, who was sitting at the same table as her.

“The vibe he exudes is completely different, yeah.”

“But they do look fairly similar, appearance-wise.”

“Yes, that’s true–but their eye colors are totally off. He’s clearly a real upstanding guy though, just based on how he can command Sung Hyunjae around.”

Hyuna-ssi had given an enthusiastic standing ovation at the sight of Sung Hyunjae submissively kneeling down in front of him in a show of obedience(5). And following her proclamation that she found herself inclined to ‘become the Elder’s fan,’ the Young Chaos seemed to have taken a shine to her as well. 

쿵, with a heavy thud, Song Taewon’s body was thrown into the sandy arena floor once more. ‘Even though Section Chief Song-nim’s taijutsu skills are no joke, he’s still no match for the Elder, huh.’ Moon Hyuna marveled quietly, and Yerimie made an envious noise.

“I can’t even track Graddad’s movements yet, still.”

Everyone was watching the two of them intently. Except for Myungwoo and the Rookie, that was. The Rookie was still loitering around my vicinity, whereas Myungwoo was preoccupied with adding the finishing touches to the translating Item. With a bit of assistance from the Rookie, he had succeeded in creating the translating Item in question, but apparently there were still a few issues that needed fixing. 

I was certainly glad for the translating Item, and the other Items lent to me by Myungwoo seemed like they were going to be extremely useful in their own rights, too. 

“Shall we get started with drawing of lots, then.”

At my prompting, the Rookie created a spherical container. 

“Pick a color, everyone. And Yoohyunie–you’ve gotta go with whoever gets picked without a peep otherwise, okay.”

“...I think Peace’s opinion should be taken under consideration, too.”

“You think Peace will wanna go with you?”

“If he’s aware that hyung intends to go by yourself, yeah.”

Hmm, that did seem pretty likely.

“We’ll proceed with drawing lots first, in any case. I’ll add a ballot for Peace too. Evelyn-ssi indicated that she would be fine with anyone who’s leftover. And Liette will be going with Soyoung-ssi. As for Sung Hyunjae-ssi…….”

“I believe I have a prior reservation.”

…would Gyeolie really be fine. I was worried, but for the time being, I had only the remaining pool of people choose a color.

“I’ll be handling drawing lots for everyone.”

Since S-ranks had their heightened senses, after all.(6) The Rookie has told me that each ballot was identical, but just in case. Reaching a hand into the container, I pulled out a orb. Yellow; it was Yerimie. 

“If Yoohyunie appears next, I’ll be re-drawing due to the incompatibility in affinities.”

We were assigning the teams based on blind drawings, sure, but we still needed to take basic type matchups into account. The second ballot I drew was black in color.

“It’s mister government official(7)! I’ll be in your care then, sir.”

“Please take good care of me as well, miss.”

They made for a decent combination. And with Section Chief Song-nim being so dependable, I could ease up a bit on worrying about Yerimie, too. The third ballot I drew was blue, for Moon Hyuna. The fourth one was red, for Noah.

“Looks like I’ll be on the same team as our Beauty, then.”

“I’ll be in your care, Breaker Guild Leader, ma’am.”

“Like I said, you can just call me ‘noona.’ Or ‘Hyuna-ssi,’ like hyung-nim does.”

Moon Hyuna remarked breezily, showing a warm smile. And so, that left Yoohyunie, Evelyn, and Peace. 

“Yoohyun-ah, what if you just went with Evelyn-ssi? It seems like a fairly sound option.”

“I’d rather team up with Peace.”

He responded, bullheaded.

“I’ve worked together with him the longest, after all. And no matter how skilled at long-distance support she might be, I’m opposed to the idea of being paired together with someone I’ve never fought with before.”

“Don’t listen to him, mister–it’s all a bluff. Han Yoohyun always runs off on his own anyway, so I doubt he’s actually concerned about something like that. It’s just ‘cause he’d be able to progress more quickly if he’s paired with Peace, that he’s being so adamant about it. That way, he can be reunited with mister sooner than later.”

Yoohyunie’s words held merit, but Yerimie’s words also rang true to me. Not to mention the fact that Evelyn-ssi would still need a teammate. Apparently having read my thoughts, Sung Hyunjae interjected.

“Do not concern yourself regarding Hunter Miller–so long as she has an Invitation, she will be able to select a partner of her choosing.”

“You do have a point, sir. Is Evelyn-ssi on close terms with any Hunters abroad, then?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

Saying so, Sung Hyunjae turned to look at Moon Hyuna. Moon Hyuna, who had been resting her chin in her hand, asked ‘what’ and jutted her lip out in a pout.

“I suppose you could be her partner if it came down to it, Sung Hyunjae-ssi, sir. Assuming I succeed in convincing Gyeolie to withdraw, that is.”

“Only, one of the terms of Hunter Miller’s contract with Seseung is a ban on accompanying the Guild Leader on any Dungeon raids, except when deemed absolutely necessary and indeed unavoidable.”

So by ‘whoever is left,’ she’d actually meant ‘anyone aside from Sung Hyunjae, whose teammate has already been decided anyway,’ huh.

“Maybe I should go too, then?”

Myungwoo, who had simply been listening in, suddenly spoke up.

“It’s too dangerous!”

[ That’s right! Hoobae-nim should prioritize his safety above all else! ]

Aghast, the Rookie and I both rushed to dissuade Myungwoo. With a smile, Myungwoo twirled the golden rod he’d been holding between his fingers.

“You mentioned that our safety would be guaranteed though, right. Besides, no S-rank Hunter would dare to lay their hands on me.”

“That’s… certainly true, but.”

The fact that Myungwoo had managed to upgrade a SS-rank weapon wouldn’t have escaped the notice of the S-ranks who were due to be assembled at the gathering. To keep the number of competitors low, the news seemed to be kept fairly hush-hush still; but by now, all the S-ranks who were in the know would’ve come into the information already. And so, rather than risk losing out on the possibility of gaining an SS-rank weapon, it was likely that they would err on the side of staying on Myungwoo’s good graces rather than treat him as an opponent, in the hopes of participating in the long game. 

[ You may still be targeted by the Filiality Addicts, though! Since Blacksmith-ssi is an immensely vital ‘Key’ to protecting the world, after all! ]

Bounding up to Myungwoo, the volleyball began to circle him anxiously. The colors on its body had begun turning red, blue, then yellow, even. I remembered that he’d mentioned before, that he’d save at least Myungwoo if this world was to fall, huh. 

[ Why don’t we have a fun and productive time together manufacturing things instead! I could show you one of my workshops, perhaps? I’m not really supposed to, but maybe just a little peek wouldn’t hurt. There’s all sorts of rare and unusual ingredients in there, you know. And even though taking any outside is not allowed, letting you handle them should be fine, I should think. ]

The Rookie was really pulling out all the stops, eh. Offering this and that, he industriously applied himself into coaxing Myungwoo into staying. He may have presented it as Myungwoo being ‘someone essential to the task of keeping the World safe,’ but it was obvious that he was more motivated by a deep personal investment. It was almost like watching a puppy trying its best to prevent its owner from leaving the house for work, honestly.

In any case, it was decided that we’d consult Evelyn-ssi for her opinion first. Evelyn-ssi might have a different Hunter she wanted to team up with, rather than be paired with Yoohyunie, after all.

[ I’ll arrange matters so that Honey can visit the Dungeon even while you’re in the U.S.! ]

“Sure, thanks.”

“Eldest.”

The Young Chaos called out to me, moving closer.

“Do not allow yourself to become too hurt by the words and actions of others.”

“Well… I figure I’ve already been scarred as much as can be anyway, sir.”

The time for something like that was long past, by my reckoning. Hearing my words, the Elder formed a disgruntled expression.

“Even a hero who has saved the world many times over will find he still has enemies. There are some who would bear deep hostility against others, simply for committing the sin of having crossed their path.”

“Are you… speaking from personal experience perhaps, sir?”

“Not myself, as such. But I’ve heard stories of one being accused of grandstanding apropos of nothing, yet being persecuted as a result.”

That really did seem unfair.

“Regardless of what anyone might say–you are not to blame. Even if you were to choose the safety of those you hold dear, over that of the world.”

“...I feel like I’d definitely be vilified to no end, sir. If I pulled something like that.”

“Then direct those who would denounce you, to save the world in your stead! There will always be those who seek to disparage you, even if you successfully deliver them from harm. They may merely be reduced in number, perhaps.”

His words held water; particularly in light of how, despite embarking on Dungeon raids to save the world… or, well, myself to be specific–Yoohyunie had still been met with hostility regardless.

“Didn’t you usually end up as the world-saving type though, Elder, sir?”

“Through happenstance, as I merely did as I pleased. That is not to say that your conduct should be unbecoming, however. To be human, one must act in a manner befitting of one’s station. But it should not require undue sacrifice on your part.”

Lightly patting my arm, Chaos turned to look at Sung Hyunjae.

“On the contrary–you should live only according to your whims.”

I was fairly certain that was already the case, though. The Elder walked over to stand in front of Sung Hyunjae.

“Always put yourself first. As you are now, to make concessions for others is a luxury you cannot afford.”

Tilting his head slightly, Sung Hyunjae smiled faintly.

“A somewhat lonely mandate, sir.”

“Such twaddle.”

But a faint, almost imperceptible expression of sympathy flashed across the Elder’s face. Bidding the Young Chaos and the Rookie farewell, we departed the realm.

- - - - -

(1) 약탈 [掠奪]: plunder; pillage; loot; spoilage; spoliation; despoliation; despoilment

(2) chaos using 1:1 naming convention yj also utilizes calls noah '예쁜이,' which is closer to 'darling' or 'sweetheart' in colloquial use as a 'nickname,' but needed to be 'beauty(-ie)' here to make sense w the 'his simplistic naming sense is worse than mine' line of reasoning yj walks us through

(3) putting this as footnote as placeholder bc i don’t remember the ch number off the top of my head, but it’s an example of that phenomenon where newly Awakened need to be sequestered away in a padded training room to prevent accidental destruction of property while they adjust to their new baseline strength etc., bc they ‘don’t know their own strength’ yet

(4) see footnote in 195 re: using of ‘(Last Name) Mo-ssi’ as a way of ‘redacting’ a name so it’s like ‘John(Mo) Smith,’ so it’s read kind of like ‘a certain Mr. Sung’ in context

(5)

(6) see: stw only doing rock-paper-scissors with his eyes closed (so as to refrain from gaining an unfair advantage against his opponent) / yoohyunie always beating yerimie at rock-paper-scissors bc his senses and reflexes are keener than hers

(7) yerimie calls song taewon ‘공무원 아저씨’ aka ‘civil servant ahjussi,’ so i chose what i thought was the least jarring version of ‘mister civil servant’... but i do keep flip-flopping back and forth, like w ‘rookie/newcomer’ and ‘innocuous/innoxious king’...

공무원 [公務員] <집합적> the civil service; public service personnel; government employees; (개인) a public employee; an official; a civil servant; a servant of the state; a public service worker; a government official; <美> an officeholder.

mha → all: casual informal

yerimie → all: casual polite

stw → all: polite formal

noah → mha: polite formal

hyh ↔ hyj: informal intimate 

hyj → others: polite formal

shj → chaos: polite formal

rookie/newcomer → all: semi-casual polite

+(Q&A)

Q) i was wondering if there are any small habits or mannerisms you’ve assigned to the cast members A) (song taewon) as an s-rank’s reaction speed+sight are exceptional, during rock-paper-scissors, they are able to confirm what their opponent will play in advance. because of that, when he has to engage in rock-paper-scissors with someone of a lower rank/stats than himself, he will play with his eyes closed.

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m curious how the character ‘song taewon’ was born A) as mentioned in the novel, song taewon ‘originated’ from the Eclipse(월식), in order to impede(block) sung hyunjae. the Shadow whose purpose is to swallow the Moon was born as a human, and by growing in accordance with the environment around him, ‘song taewon’ came into being. if that environment had been different–if the events with his dongsaeng hadn’t transpired–then song taewon’s personality probably would’ve been somewhat different. it might’ve been the case that, even before the novel could begin, he’d awaken as the Eclipse, preventing the story from coming to pass altogether. because of that, song taewon’s disposition(성향) of repressing himself coming to be born was an indispensable element.

+(Q&A)

미국 갑니다 (3)

“I’ll go to sleep once I’m done watching this, sir. Having the TV on is supposed to help you fall asleep too, they say.”

Yerimie said, popping an earbud in one ear. Evelyn-ssi had immediately disappeared into a single-occupancy seat upon her arrival on the plane, saying that she’d be entrusting her Guild Leader-nim to Section Chief Song-nim and myself. Before making her exit though, she’d advised us to plan to get some shut-eye prior to arriving, particularly in light of the time zone difference between here and the States.

Since it’d probably be afternoonish when we arrived Stateside, just as Evelyn-ssi had said, I proceeded to usher the others to their designated seats as well about two or so hours into the flight, telling them to try and sleep a bit. And while they may have been labeled as ‘seats,’ they were effectively just single-person rooms. They each contained a bed of generous proportions, and were equipped with a separate seat in them as well.

“I don’t actually need to sleep, though.”

After tending to Yerimie, I pushed my dongsaeng into a bed as well, despite his proposal to ‘sleep together in hyung’s bed.’ Whereas Yerimie’s room had been a super-single that was closer to being a double, Yoohyunie’s was a plain single. It still looked spacious enough for even Section Chief Song-nim to be able to rest comfortably in, though.

“It’s just that we don’t know when the next time we’ll be able to rest properly might be. I have my Drawer to fall back on, but that’s not the case for you guys, right.”

So he needed to rest as much as he could, while he still could. ‘Be good and go to sleep, ‘kay,’ I said, and even pulled the blankets over his body for him. A big advantage to a pocket dimension like Myungwoo’s Forge or the Innoxious King’s Drawer was that they could be used as a rest point to take a leisurely break anytime, anywhere. Of course, because I was still struggling with the recharging feature for mine, I was limited in how often I could make use of it, but I was thankful for the Innoxious King’s contribution all the same. I just wished she’d given Yermie and Yoohyunie one each too, while she was at it. At least when judging from the model number that had been attached to it, it seemed like she’d had plenty more to go around.

Closing the door to Yoohyunie’s room, I went over to my own seat. 

“Gyeol-ah, did you finish brushing your teeth?”

- Ye-es appa. 

“Peace, your paw.”

- Kkiyang.

After wiping down Peace’s paws with some puppy wipes, I set him down on the bed. A separate cushion had been set up next to my pillow to function as Geyolie’s bed, in light of his diminutive size. 

“Gyeol-ah, are you really set on accompanying Sung Hyunjae-ssi to participate in the Party? Things might become dangerous. Even now, if you want to return home instead, you can. Yoon-Yoon can escort you back. And auntie Yerimie said she’d be willing to switch party slots with you, too.”

If Gyeolie decided he wanted to go home, Yerimie had agreed to take his place on a team with Sung Hyunjae. Since Evelyn-ssi had rejected the prospect of being on the same team as her Guild Leader, and she’d feel awful making Section Chief Song-nim be responsible for Sung Hyunjae, she’d said. But Gyeolie determinedly shook his head in response to my words.

- I already talked it over with Chirpie.

“...huh? With Chirpie? You two are capable of communicating with each other?”

- Just through vibes. Chirpie’s gonna watch the broadcast, and come to our rescue if it sees appa or Gyeolie in danger. Since Gyeolis is small, he can teleport alongside Chirpie, y’see.

It’d be helpful if Chirpie was willing to chip in and help, but what exactly did he mean by ‘just through vibes,’ I wondered. In any case–if Gyeolie were to be kidnapped or something, then perhaps I’d be able to ask Chirpie to find him…maybe? But wait, wasn’t the U.S. too far away for something like that, to begin with. Just making it to Hong Kong had seemed to’ve drained all of its strength, back then.

“Gyeol-ah, you really won’t get hurt or anything, right?”

- Mhn! Since that’s my characteristic trait. I might not be incapable of inflicting harm on others, but that also means that others aren’t capable of harming me, either. …though that means I’m incapable of protecting others, too.

I used a finger to gently stroke the dejected fairy dragon’s drooping head. 

“Even if you can’t, it’s alright. Your safety is what's most important.”

- Then, appa needs to prioritize his too!

“Appa is an adult, though.”

Gyeolie’s face filled with indignation. After calming Gyeolie down and giving Peace a parting pat as well, I slipped out of the room. There was a wine bar at the corner of the small lounge area. The plane we were currently using was configured differently than the pink-colored aircraft we’d flown in before. How many different planes did he have on standby, exactly. Haeyeon had its own private aircraft as well, of course, but if we were going to have to move together as a team anyway, using another’s resources was certainly preferable. There was no guarantee the plane wouldn’t end up in pieces this time either, after all.

Because how safe could an airport bustling with S-ranks be, when it came down to it. It was smarter to refrain from putting Haeyeon Guild’s assets at unnecessary risk. But we were each planning to return using our own separate aircrafts, on the way back. Since Dodam didn’t have a plane of its own yet, I’d be boarding Haeyeon's. Section Chief Song-nim… would probably feel more comfortable with Haeyeon than Seseung too, right? What should we do if he insisted on riding back in economy on a normal aircraft, though. Maybe a spot of kidnapping was in order.

“Please get some sleep too, Section Chief Song-nim, sir. You’ve probably been on a tightly packed schedule for a while, I imagine.”

I said, approaching Song Taewon, who was sitting with an untouched glass of alcohol planted in front of him. It was easy enough to guess that it had likely been forced on him by Sung Hyunjae, despite any protests he may have put up. Since he had a good sense of taste, it was probably something that was perfectly tailored to Section Chief Song-nim’s preferences in any case, at least. And he really did tend to be too strict with himself. Reaching out a hand, I nudged the glass a bit closer to Section Chief Song-nim.

“Since it’ll be quite a while before we land Stateside, sir. This seems to be one of Breaker’s wines, if I’m not mistaken.”

“A balanced portion of it, certainly.”

Sung Hyunjae commented, inspecting a wine bottle he’d picked up from behind the bar. 

“It appears our Business Partner-nim is intent on reaping a bountiful harvest this time around as well.”

It was the reason why Moon Hyuna had headed out before the rest of us. For the Party, the broadcast, and the U.S. They were opportunities for her to conduct a wide-scale promotion of the wine that had been unveiled in Japan. 

“I confess I’m quite curious as to how Breaker’s sponsors are taking the news, sir.”

“Quite–as it provides an opportunity for Moon Hyuna to become a significant player in the wine industry, outside of her capacity as Breaker’s Guild Leader. It would change her position considerably, from a ‘former pro athlete turned Hunter’ to a fellow entrepreneur.”

I was a bit out of the loop on the details, but it seemed that the U.S. side was aiming for an exclusive contract that would allow for a temporary monopoly, with the caveat that manufacturing details would be released after the agreed upon time had passed. Similar enough wines would eventually appear on the market, after all; and as such, it was deemed more profitable to expedite the production window to capitalize on the demand that existed now, in return for something that would ultimately become common knowledge anyway.

Besides, what Hyuna-ssi was after wasn’t to become a wine conglomerate, but to achieve independence for her guild. Even now, she’d occasionally drop by to complain to me about how ‘it really didn’t suit her at all.’ 

“Now, then, Section Chief Song-nim. Did you make sure to bring your sleeping clothes, sir?”

I asked, tapping on the rim of his wine glass with the tip of my finger.

“As well as your toothpaste and toothbrush?”

“...I did bring the latter, yes.”

“Then, please go ahead and retire after polishing this off, sir.”

“Or perhaps we could enjoy a pleasurable time together, you and I, while the children are asleep.”(1)

Section Chief Song-nim moved to pick up his drink.

“Will the two of you be retiring as well, if I may enquire.”

“Yes, I’ll be heading off to bed too, sir. I imagine Sung Hyunjae-ssi will go rest as well, once he gets bored of being left to his own devices. Like I said, sir–you can rest easy until we touch down in the States, at the very least. What could we possibly get up to, while we’re all stuck on this plane.”

We needed to be well-behaved, lest we get kicked off the plane. Being forced to swim across the entire Pacific ocean on your lonesome was a fate that even S-ranks would balk at. Draining the entire wine glass in one go, Song Taewon stood from his seat. A mix of weariness and concern were already casting shadows across his face.

“My household recently started using a new toothpaste brand that appears quite nice. Do you need me to lend you a tube, sir?”

“I appreciate the offer, but it will be unnecessary.”

Once Section Chief Song-nim had left the lounge, Sung Hyunjae nonchalantly informed me ‘that Chief Song Taewon only uses bamboo salt toothpaste.’ And how did he know something like that, exactly.

“Have you perchance committed breaking and entering into Section Chief Song-nim’s residence, sir?”

“We’ve traveled overseas together quite frequently, for business and the like.”

You mean he was forced to accompany you each time you left the country, you prick. Where did you get off phrasing it to make it seem as though you were work buddies, huh.

“But the toothpaste stocked at your residence was on the sweeter side, sir, as I recall–you two seem to have opposite preferences, in that regard.”

“As it was something procured for young Han Yoojin.”

Kiddy treatment for me, huh. Well, I had been passed over to him as a ward, after all. Sung Hyunjae slid a glass of alcohol my way as well. Slouching into a chair, I looked up at Sung Hyunjae with my chin propped up on a hand. 

“What did he mean by those words, the Elder.”

Deep moon-like eyes lidded faintly. (2) 

“Elderly individuals do tend to possess a long-winded way of issuing warnings, no. A reflection of the protracted years they’ve spent alive, perhaps.”

“Why don’t we do this quid pro quo then, sir. I’ll divulge something about myself as well, if you’ll see fit to answer.”

“I should already be privy to all of the mundane details, I imagine.”

“Section Chief Song-nim, there’s a stalker over here.”

Then again, Section Chief Song-nim was a victim of his too.

“Is there anyone else aside from Section Chief Song-nim and myself who should be reporting you to the authorities, sir? I’m thinking about creating a stalking victims support group, you see.”

“Heavens, no.”

That was a silver lining, at least. And in a sense, I supposed Sung Hyunjae could be considered a stalking victim of Crescent Moon’s, too, when it came down to it. Not to mention, that side was far more malevolent in comparison. After watching me silently for a moment, Sung Hyunjae began to speak.

“It is far more taxing than it may seem, lad, this business of retaining my ‘self.’”

“...I’d expect so, sir. It was touch-and-go for a bit there already, after all.”

“Consequently, it is paramount that ‘Sung Hyunjae’ always place ‘Sung Hyunjae’ above all else. If I were to ever permit a lapse in that prioritization of myself, ‘I’ would then undoubtedly become usurped.”

Was he saying that, if he was unable to maintain his place at the top, those ‘long-accumulated’ things stockpiled beneath him would rise up to swallow him.

“So that’s–the ‘lonely’ thing, sir?”(3)

“To prioritize oneself is not innately negative, in itself. As a matter of fact, it holds the potential of a worthwhile pursuit. However, it is also true that humans are occasionally given to become wholly absorbed in an endeavor, despite the detriment it causes to the self. Most commonly in the pursuit of love, or friendship. Or in their devotion to work or hobbies, perhaps.”

“...well, there are many people who simply lead quiet, ordinary lives as well, sir.”

But even as I said those words, a melancholy feeling washed over me as I imagined being subjected to such a fate. After all–regardless of what it might be, just being able to observe the deep passion someone held for anything could still transmit a similar sense of vicarious enjoyment to the viewer, so powerful was the emotion. Choosing to opt out of those sorts of experiences, versus being prohibited from such things, must feel completely different.

“And even within the mundane realm of everyday life.”

Sung Hyunjae tipped a bottle of wine towards the glass set before himself.

“It is not uncommon to see one prioritizes others in minute social transactions. Such as reserving another bite of food for one’s child instead, for one. The quaintness of human relations comprise those sorts of things.”

“...you’re pretty diligent about looking after others in your own way too, though, Sung Hyunjae-ssi. Like how you always make sure to prepare a gift on Section Chief Song-nim on his birthday, sir.”

“As, fortuitously, such things are but a grain of sand in a beach to myself.”

Ah yes, of course, sir. Any trace of the pity I’d started to feel for him evaporated in a flash, souring in the face of that attitude. So your lordship was so exceptional that hardly anything could amount to being a sacrifice on your part, huh. A mouse throwing itself at a fox to protect its comrade would be making a monumental sacrifice; but for a lion, to accomplish the same would hardly call for any further effort than a yawn.

“And the reason for the dressing-down you got before, sir?”

“I believe it was to be one for one, no.”

Tch. But I doubted he would’ve been willing to divulge the reason anyway, even if the condition had been for two or three instead of one. Prompted by his expectant look, I took a sip of alcohol before opening my mouth to speak. 

“Well, I suppose, sir, I.”

I.

“I’m not quite certain what I should do, to ‘like’ myself.”

Because everyone was worried about me, and tried to take care of me. I was grateful, and wanted to be able to return the favor, but.

“I just find myself incapable of it, sir. I’m well-aware of my ‘personal worth,’ of course–but beyond an objective understanding of that concept, I find myself at a loss.”

I knew of Han Yoojin’s achievements. I was cognizant of the hard work I’d put in, too. And there were the things I’d accomplished that I thought I deserved to be praised for, and recognized for as well.

“That you are able to voice such a thing out loud, lad.”

Sung Hyunjae went on, in a needlessly kindly voice.

“Perhaps it indicates that you are finally resolved to see a shift occur.”

“...I hope you’re right, sir. If only because I feel a bit guilty towards the people who care for me, anyway.”

“It will be a long flight yet to our destination, so if you are inclined to drown your sorrows, it should not pose an issue.”

“No–I really should be getting to bed, sir.”

Draining the rest of my glass, I rose from my seat. When I returned to my assigned seat after washing up, Peace, who had still been awake, wagged his tail at me. Petting Peace, I laid down in my bed and turned the lights out.

After tossing and turning a little for a while, I opened my eyes once more, on account of the memories that kept replaying behind my closed lids. Many things had changed, and were still undergoing shifts. But there were some things that remained the same, too. Even though time had been rewound, my past remained unchanged. …it was why it was impossible for me yet, that task of ‘liking’ myself. How could I, when.

I still couldn’t forgive myself.

- - -

The closer it came time for us to land, the more rigid Yoohyunie’s expression grew. Dissatisfied with simply sitting close together, he’d nearly pulled me halfway onto his lap, and was making no effort to conceal his displeasure about the situation. After witnessing this go on for long enough, Yerimie aimed a hard kick at Yoohyunie’s leg, scowling.

“Don’t think you’re the only one that’s concerned about mister, alright!”

Yoohyunie ignored Yerimie completely without even batting an eye. Good grief; and here was Gyeolie too, wearing a face like death as well. Despite being a little kid that hadn’t even been alive for a year yet, he was letting out a series of sighs with the world-weary expression of someone far older. His worry for me, compounded by his loathing to be paired up with Sung Hyunjae, was manifesting in the occasional full-body shudder.

- Sigh, siiigh, life really is a constant struggle.

“You can always turn back for home, you know.”

- Appa, in life, sometimes you have to do the things that you don’t want to do.

…Gyeol-ah, how old did you think you were, exactly, to be spouting off with something like that. Section Chief Song-nim seemed to be filled with a sort of restless anxiety, and even Sung Hyunjae appeared to be somewhat tense. Evelyn had gone so far as to take her meals alone, showing little desire to leave her seat unless necessary.

Honestly, why was the atmosphere like this. It felt as though we were heading towards a wake, rather than a party. Then again, I supposed that wasn’t too far off the mark, actually.

“Chatterbox promised that he’d take responsibility for my safety, Yoohyun-ah.”

I said consolingly, patting the arm wrapped around me.

“He definitely won’t try and kill me, okay? I’m more worried about you guys, as a matter of fact.”

“Hyung…….”

[ Hyung, Yoohyunie reaaaally wants to swallow up Hyung right now! ] 

Irinie chirped, climbing onto my hand. I see–with the descent approaching, he was feeling the urge to finalize things himself. My dongsaeng was being such a good boy, holding himself back this well.

“If we weren’t on a plane, I’d have jumped off already.”

Yerimie groused, flopping down onto a sofa. However, in spite of her words, it was clear that she was feeling worried about me too. Most likely, she just was trying to keep from adding onto the grim atmosphere herself. Not that she was obligated to behave in such a way; but it might have been a coping mechanism that persisted in her still. Whenever the atmosphere turned tense, it was usually the child that was considered an ‘imposition’ on the family that bore the brunt of the fallout, after all. As a result, they might either attempt to change the mood, or simply retreat completely into themselves, so as to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. A trauma response, based on an instinctive desire to survive. Even though our household had a biological set of parents, in my case.

“Here, Yerim-ah.”

Taking a pendant out of my inventory, I presented it to Yerimie. It was the Egg containing the Water elemental. Irinie’s hackles went up at the sight, his tail going up ramrod-stiff. 

“Apparently, you should be holding onto it from now on.”

Since it would be waking up soon with no more assistance needed from me, it would be better to have it stay with its soon-to-be contract holder instead, Ismoire had said. Exclaiming ‘really, sir?’ Yerimie collected the pendant. 

“Myungwoo went ahead and put it on a chain for you. The necklace itself is fairly sturdy, and the elemental Egg shouldn’t break on you, it should be fine for you to wear it on your person.”

“Yessir! It’s so pretty.”

Hanging the pendant around her neck, Yerimie grinned happily as she admired the softly sparkling egg, smoothing her fingers over its surface. Irinie, who had been glowering at the sight, whipped around and retreated back into Yoohyunie. After it was born, would he and the Water elemental end up fighting like cats and dogs whenever there was a lull, I wondered. 

Not long after, an announcement came on over the intercoms to inform us we were landing. 

- - - - -

(1) 아니면 아이들이 잠든 사이 나와 즐기는 것도 괜찮겠지 → shj’s propositioning stw w the line parents use to invite their spouse for sexy time

(2) it’s hard to smoothly translate lines w wordplay like this sentence, where it’s meant to emphasize the imagery associated w a character.. e.g. the association sung hyunjae has with light(lumen)/gold(metal)/moon + song taewon with shadow/gravity/void(black hole) +   lit. it’s closer to ‘deep/rich orbs like the moon ‘waned’ slightly’, to pair with stw’s own sentence earlier with ‘casting shadows across his face’

(3) yj asking abt what chaos said to him / ref to 'lonely' is from ch 531

yj: stop trying to get frisky with mom when he’s already tired you shitty stepdad, you’re the reason he’s so stressed all the time

stw: …………. (looking at problem sources #1 & #2)

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m curious about how long han yoohyun sleeps for, or his sleeping habits A) when han yoohyun is apart from han yoojin, he sleeps no more than two hours per day. when living with han yoojin, he syncs up his sleeping time with han yoojin. he can only sleep normally when next to hyung, and even becomes capable of dreaming then. when han yoojin’s body reaches a point where it needs rest, han yoohyun will also mimic feeling fatigued.

+(Q&A)

Q) in order to clasp a leash on song taewon, who is a high-ranking government official, i imagine that plenty of marriage interview requests would’ve come in from political and commercial circles; was song taewon the type to just show his face an adequate amount at those kinds of events, or was he the type to straightforwardly refuse? if he did happen to participate in such an event, i’m curious if he’s a wallflower, or if he’s the type to engage in conversation casually ㅎㅎ A) as he had no intentions of establishing a family in any form, they were generally resolutely refused. however, rather than for political relations, for a lead to a case, he has attended a matchmaking meeting before. pre-regression, while overseas, with undercover infiltration as their objective, he and Sung Hyunjae attended a high-rank Hunter award ceremony-esque event together as well^^ for sung hyunjae, it was an immensely enjoyable time. he’s not quite to the extent of being a wallflower, but he is the taciturn and terse type.

+(Q&A)

Q) when section chief song-nim is overseas and a foreign Hunter asks him <are you mister song?>, then will he really answer like "yea."??? A) if he’s in the middle of carrying out official government duties, he will clearly state both his title and name. however, if he’s there in secret because of sung hyunjae, he will not answer^^

+(Q&A) 

Q) in the novel, on the topic of confession stories, song taewon answered that he’d had sufficient experience with them; has song taewon had a lot of relationship experience? A) he was popular both before awakening and after, but as indicated in an earlier answer, he established a firm boundary. even when he was overseas because of sung hyunjae, he received not only confessions, but bouquets and similar gifts as well every so often ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) have any of the respective heads of organizations acted as chief mourner in a funeral for a subordinate who lost their family to a Dungeon break? A) song taewon and moon hyuna have done so in the past. han yoohyun has not, but even if the occasion had come up, he wouldn’t want to participate in the capacity of chief mourner, which is typically filled by family. pre-regression, han yoohyun’s family comprised only one person, han yoojin–and even as a temporary arrangement, he has no intention of letting another step into a position that’s reserved for family only. in the case of sung hyunjae, the sole person he’d considered to hold a relationship with himself that would merit his involvement as such pre-regression, was song taewon. at present, with song taewon of course being a given, he’s also considering taking up the position of chief mourner for han yoojin’s funeral, as han yoohyun would have already perished alongside him, if it turns out that bak yerim struggles to do so.

+(Q&A)

Q) how did sung hyunjae end up falling for crescent moon’s scam contract? was it that he was gullible? A) the first contract wasn’t as frightful as the one during the course of the novel. it was a standard contract, and it didn’t contain anything sung hyunjae felt much opposed to. however, every time he was planted over, addendums were made to the contract and it grew stronger. as one of the earlier incarnations of sung hyunjae, sigma wasn’t tied down as strongly, which was why he was able to escape crescent moon’s contract while sung hyunjae couldn’t. the original sung hyunjae may not have been gullible, but the pitfall was that he inevitably lacked outer-world knowledge ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) this is really just… something i’m personally interested in, but… at some point… once enough time has passed… will… peace be able to speak, just like chirpie? A) as he’s become an inhabitant of the world after coming outside of the Dungeons, as he continues to mature, it’ll eventually be possible^^

+(Q&A)

Q) do peace and the other magical beasts get frito paws like dogs and cats do? A) as he will clean himself by lightly burning away the grime when the bottom of his paws get dirty or some foreign object gets stuck, peace’s paws have a faint scorched+burning smell ^^ the other magical beasts vary depending on their unique characteristics.

+(Q&A)

Q) you’d mentioned before that his dongsaeng + the kids were why he’d suppressed his own desires; then, not only during that situation, but for various other issues as well, does yoojinie repress himself in a lot of aspects because of the kids??? ㅠㅠㅠ A) even when it’s not necessarily owing to the children, and even for people who are not han yoojin–in order to live in harmony with others, one must be prepared to concede and put up with some aspects. as everyone's a little bit different, for the parts that don’t fit together, you need to work to match it together somewhat. only, for han yoojin, that trait was overpowering to the point it became troubling; but by the time the series concludes, he’s gotten much better. instead of blindly sacrificing himself for the kids, he’s learned how to hold onto his own desires as well, somewhat. of course, he’s still quite devoted to putting the needs of the kids first, but that’s han yoojin’s inclination(nature/personality). if he has something delicious to eat, rather than eat it all by himself, he feels a greater satisfaction and happiness when sharing it with the kids. a simplistic view of it would be that it results in han yoojin’s share decreasing and him ostensibly having to ‘repress’ his own wants–but han yoojin’s level of contentment is greater with the latter. if han yoojin’s self-esteem and self-love were at rock-bottom, there’s a risk that he might end up divesting himself of everything, then even go so far as to incur debts in his desperation to hold on, saying i still prefer it be this way–but at present, he’s at an okay place. with han yoojin’s character, he’ll continue to need to make efforts to take care of his share as well, but he should be able to do well^^

+(Q&A)

Q) is august 30th the day the current world’s sung hyunjae was ‘planted’ there, or is it the original sung hyunjae’s actual birth date?? i’m also curious about why sung hyunjae places so much importance on birthday (parties), and if there are any other details you paid special attention to re:the characters’ birthdays! A) the birthday that appears in the novel is the date he was ‘planted’. because the original world had a different planetary size, rotation, and orbital speed, the method used to calculate days was also different. however, crescent moon endeavors to plant sung hyunjae at a similar window of time to his original birthday. this is because fulfilling the ‘conditions’ as closely as possible also helps facilitate the planting process. proportionate to how strong sung hyunjae’s amour propre runs, he thinks that the day of his birth must absolutely be celebrated. as a result, even when he feels as apathetic as could be, he endeavors not to miss the occasion. for a similar reason, he’s pretty good about remembering the birthdays of those around him and doing something for them too, if only compulsorily^^ because of this, he feels sorry about kang soyoung’s birthday situation. as kang soyoung is aware of this, she’ll push her luck with things that she wouldn’t ordinarily be able to get away with on the day after her birthday.

+(Q&A)

Q) as you’d replied before that sung hyunjae and his parents would occasionally do check-ins via phone calls, which party tends to be the one who calls first? when they call… what sort of things do they talk about?? and when was the last time sung hyunjae met with his parents face-to-face? does hyunjae go out of his way to make sure to do something for his parents’ birthdays as well? i also wondered if they’d ever been kidnapped or threatened for being sung hyunjae’s parents! A) typically three times a year, usually on the new year and on birthdays, he’ll give them a call. sung hyunjae’s parents are almost never the ones to initiate contact. the three only communicate at the bare minimum necessary to maintain basic politeness^^ the amount of times they’ve met up in person can be counted on one hand, in accordance with the parents’ wishes. on his parents’ birthdays, sung hyunjae will only make the wellness check call, and vantis is the one who prepares the gifts. the sole person whose birthday sung hyunjae would make sure to personally attend to year after year, was song taewon’s. pre-regression, he’d sent a present to han yoojin as a birthday obligation as well, but it never reached him. aside from that, due to feeling sympathetic about her birthday being overshadowed by his own birthday celebration, he’s seen to a gift for kang soyoung once, before letting vantis or the secretarial office take over thereafter. as they’d been securely sequestered away, there was no danger posed to them. because sung hyunjae had already maintained a distance from them pre-Awakening, and the parents had ended up thoroughly hidden somewhere far overseas, they are nearly impossible to track down.

+(Q&A)

미국 갑니다 (2)

While waiting for our departure at the airport, I perused the news articles that had come out on Chatterbox. After the initial appearance he’d made for the first broadcast, Chatterbox had been conspicuously absent, only sending out the Prophets who acted as his delegates. It had succeeded in drawing immense curiosity from the public regarding the mastermind himself, as a matter of course. Among several circulating theories, the one that had proved to be most popular centered around a certain influential French figure.

‘They’re calling him the ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ huh.’

Though he’d never showcased any singing, of course. But the Ghost in the novel I’d looked up did seem to share a fair amount of similarities with Chatterbox, when it came down to it. After all–little did the people who had come up with the comparison know, but that Chatterbox bastard was also embarking on this insane crusade of his due to an one-sided obsession, too.

‘‘The Youngest, Incomplete Maze(1),’ was it.’

It was an insidious-sounding Title that conjured a penchant for constructing underground labyrinths. To help put things into perspective, I supposed that I would likely be Raoul in this scenario–with the mad Phantom bent on forcing Raoul into becoming a proxy for his dead Christine, it seemed. A bit abhorrent, no. Had it been someone else’s problem, I might have been able to marvel ‘woah, how melodramatic,’ as I chowed down on some popcorn but–well, the cross was mine to bear, unfortunately.

In any case, there was a lot of speculation about how ‘Chatterbox was filthy rich, and dangling all of the SS-rank weapons and Items he’d amassed over time as bait, to gather all of the S-rank Hunters from the world over.’ It was common enough practice for wealthy individuals to buy up high-rank Items, despite being un-Awakened themselves, after all. The purpose varied; sometimes it was viewed as an investment, or the acquisition of a showcase piece, or–since Items would still work for un-Awakened as well–a means of 'self-defense.' 

This was especially true in the U.S., where enough high-profile celebrities had gone down that route for it to have even spawned official government sanctions. Not that those measures had been particularly effective, anyway. I wasn’t too informed on the details, but the involvement of weapons dealers in Item trades had apparently rendered it a more volatile situation than they could reasonably handle. And then the mafia, terrorist groups, et cetera, as well as other armed factions had made an entrance……. Ah, plus, Big Oil. Since it was ludicrous to think that they’d simply sit still, when magic stones started to emerge as an alternative energy source to oil, naturally.

In short, it was a clusterfuck.

“Are there really a lot of groups that hate S-rank Hunters in the United States, sir?”

Yermie asked, bringing over a plate laden with food.

“There are very few people like that in Korea, after all, sir. And particularly not to the point of mass organization.”

“It’s not just the U.S., but that general region. All the way to the Middle East, basically. There’s even a joke about how ‘when a Hunter dies, you know that it’s the OPEC that killed him.’”

One fine day, A-rank Hunter Thomas-ssi was discovered dead. The police identified Thomas-ssi’s teammates, his lover, his neighbor, and his favorite Item as being the most likely suspects. Who, then, was the culprit? The answer: the OPEC, from overseas.

“‘The OPEC,’ sir?”

“The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The entity that despises Hunters and Dungeons the most in the world, you could say.”

“Ah, oil!”

Yerimie nodded knowingly, apparently enlightened. On the flip side, Gyeolie quizzically tilted his head from his perch on my shoulder. He may have been well-learned for having been born not too long ago, but he was still behind when it came to basic knowledge like this, after all.

“Not to mention their disdain for the American shale industry, too. If Hunters and Dungeons disappeared overnight, causing the supply of magic stones to dry up, that lot would probably throw a party that would stretch on for a hundred days.”

Of course, many things still utilized petroleum. Just because a new energy source had popped up in the form of magic stones, didn’t mean that all of the cars and assorted machinery in the world could be switched over to run on them instead in short order. And it had various uses aside from simply being used as fuel, too. But if things continued on in the same trajectory, once magic stones became a commonplace alternative, the collapse of the oil industry seemed to be a foregone conclusion. The petroleum might remain as a ubiquitous presence, but the biggest motivator for its export was for its function as fuel, after all. 

“Because Korea doesn’t have a native source of fossil fuels, things were relatively peaceful for us. Making the switch over to magic stones as a primary energy source has been going fairly smoothly, too. But the Hunters in other regions have had to wage battles with conglomerates. And while Awakened might be a formidable force, the ones they’re running going up against are well-established entities that have already amassed a hoard of wealth and power.”

No matter how powerful a Hunter might be, in the end, they were all ultimately members of a society. Unless they were prepared to live out the rest of their lives in complete isolation, it was inevitable that they would be beholden to the machinations of society. Moreover, organizations such as ‘Guilds’ or other unifying groups hadn’t even existed at the beginning.

“They have a finger in everything–from politics and the press, they’ve also poured a staggering amount of money into infiltrating religious, medical, and environmental organizations as well, just to name a few. And once the Dungeons appeared, even before everything with magic stones came to light, they’d invested a fair bit into establishing a foothold into the Hunter world as well, due to the calamitous situations that were unfolding–and that influence still remains to this day.”

“How peculiar, sir. After all, it isn’t as though all the money in the world would matter, if the situation with Dungeons really blew up.”

“With the Dungeons being an intractable factor, rather than endeavor to get rid of Hunters altogether, they likely intended to bring them to heel while they could, and possibly monopolize the distribution of magic stones too, while they were at it. Though being rid of Dungeons and Hunters both would’ve been the most appealing outcome for them, when all's said and done.”

“But aren’t magic stones supposed to be more environmentally friendly too, sir. Did all of those environmental protection agencies still bend the knee to them, even then?”

“There was a whole slew of misleading reports released back then about how the energy byproducts generated by magic stones had harmful effects, I’m pretty sure? Though I’m admittedly murky on the details.”

“It even swayed Korea for a bit too, earlier on. But we moved past it quickly enough.”

Yoohyunie interjected, setting down a plateful of fruits on the table in front of me.

“Meanwhile, overseas, there were various testimonials coming from individuals claiming they’d been afflicted by an illness due to the use of magic stones. And Hunter Guilds were inundated by assorted lawsuits as well. In Korea, Hunters weren’t assigned responsibility for the collateral damage incurred while hunting monsters spawned from a Dungeon break, but that wasn’t the case for the U.S.”

Yoohyunie explained that there had been early Hunter Guilds that were forced to close down over that sort of litigation. What in the world. They would even entice ordinary, well-intentioned citizens into ‘taking advantage of their rights’ with the promise of legal aid, allowing them to simultaneously boost their own public image. ‘Two birds with one stone,’ huh. 

“Maybe I’ll just stay put, sir, and give up on sightseeing or whatever.”

Yerimie mumbled, a faintly dejected look coming over her face.

 “If I happen to break a building or suchlike on accident, it’d probably result in a ten billion won plus lawsuit, huh, sir?”

“It’d probably be closer to a hundred billion won, if it’s something in New York. There are buildings valued at approximately the same amount in Seoul too, right. Then, if you consider the associated compensation costs for damages suits… It might even come out to be in the ballpark of a trillion won or so. But you shouldn’t go around breaking buildings to begin with, no matter the country.”

“Apparently this kind of thing is a far trickier matter overseas, sir. Team Leader Kim-nim kept pleading with me to please make sure that I avoid being caught at all costs, if I do happen to cause a spot of trouble while I’m in the U.S.”

Since in Korea, S-rank Hunters typically tended to get a pass on most things, but that wasn’t the case in other countries. And they’d be far more opposed to letting a foreign Hunter off the hook, no less. If anything, it’d probably be closer to dropping a lump of fresh meat in front of a pack of starving wolves. From that standpoint, Sung Hyunjae sure had been incredibly cocky, going around causing incident after incident the way he had.

“Though we engaged in subterfuge in the case of China, since we’re going to the U.S. on official invitation, we’ll have to be particularly mindful.”

Regardless of Dungeons and Awakened becoming new players, the world remained driven by capitalism, first and foremost. The reason high-ranked Hunters had gained such prominence was because magic stones and Items could be turned into money and profit, after all.

“Well, I suppose I’m the one that needs to be exercising the most amount of caution, though.”

For a number of reasons. It would’ve been nice to have things be a bit more simplified, where all I had to worry about was Chatterbox and those Filiality Addicts, and that was that. But in reality, things like ‘my side’ and ‘your side’ weren’t so cleanly defined. 

- Don’t worry too much, appa.

Gyeolie piped up, having slipped down to the table to fidget with a tangerine.

- Gyeolie has a great idea for how to take care of things if people try to blame appa, and say that appa did something bad, for some reason.

“Appa’s okay, y’know.”

There wasn’t much a young kid like him could do, in any case. But the fairy dragon’s eyes gleamed with a determined light.

- It’s an absolutely fool-proof plan.

“Gyeol-ah, kids shouldn’t–”

“Hear him out, at least.”

Yoohyunie said, cutting in. Yerimie was wearing an intrigued expression as well. 탁, assertively slapping a forepaw down on the tangerine, Gyeolie continued with his speech.

- Scandals are best covered up by an even bigger scandal!

…should I have given him a cellphone without internet surfing capabilities, after all.

- All Gyeolie would need to do is give an interview, as a little human kid. He’ll tell them that the Seseung Guild Leader heartlessly abandoned his imaginary mommy, and pretended that his bastard kid didn’t exist. That’s sure to kick up a huge hubbub, and then they’ll completely forget about appa’s stuff!”

…had this kid been watching soap operas.

“Gyeol-ah, you–if you keep watching inappropriate content, I’m going to have to confiscate your cellphone.”

- Hnnnnghh.

Gyeolie shook his head furiously. His ears flip-flapped with the motion.

“Besides, they’d find out you were lying about being related to him once they ran a genetics test on you. And the results would probably show up that you’re not human, too.”

- We can forge the results!

“That’s it–no more cellphone, young man.”

- Appaaa!

“A parent choosing to shun their biological offspring should hardly merit such significant outrage regardless, I’d assume.”

Yoohyunie responded coolly.

“That sort of thing is commonplace, isn’t it.”

“No, it isn’t. Of course, it tends to get glossed over quickly enough when the people involved aren’t very well-known, but…….”

I turned to look at my dongsaeng, a pang shooting through my heart. The expression on Yoohyunie’s face was one of complete indifference.

“...it’s only proper that parents should look after their children. They were in the wrong, our parents. Yoohyun-ah, I. I just needed to pretend as though everything was fine, back then.”

I may have been young, but I’d been dimly aware, still. That if the state of our family wasn’t ‘acceptable,’ then–that both I, and particularly my dongsaeng, would end up being abandoned.

“I had to act as if everything was normal. Because being an ‘ordinary, well-adjusted family’ was the only way to have things stay the same. If mom and dad hadn’t been able to endure it any more and gave up, and separated–it would’ve meant that we’d end up being separated, too.”

That had been my biggest fear. After all–such an outcome might have resulted in Yoohyunie becoming abandoned outright. Because neither side would’ve been willing to take him on. And it was likely that I would have been rejected by my mother and father too, as a consequence. Since my existence would’ve been a constant reminder of how they’d chosen to desert their secondborn.

Therefore, it had been paramount that I maintain the pretense of everything being alright, of things being peaceful. I’d attempted to convince myself it was true, too. And everyone else had thought us to be a ‘normal’ family as well. It wasn’t as though we’d argued or been physically abused, and we’d had our basic needs met, when it came down to it.

“Hyung. I really was okay, back then.”

Gazing at me, Yoohyunie spoke calmly.

“Even if those circumstances had been ‘strange’ or ‘unnatural,’ I wasn’t affected by such things. So, what I’m trying to say is… At minimum, hyung created as ideal a family setting for me as possible. For hyung, it may have amounted to an inescapable situation, but as far as I was concerned, I really did feel fine, and even happy.”

“...yeah.”

Stretching out a hand, I stroked my dongsaeng’s head. Belatedly, Yoohyunie murmured that ‘I know it was difficult for hyung, though,’ apparently to placate me.

“Mhn. But more than that, it makes me glad to hear that you were fine.”

Truly, from the bottom of my heart. It had been impossible to avoid the gossip around our home situation, pre-Regression. That it was because I’d done such a terrible job of looking after my dongsaeng, that he had chosen to shun me as he had; I’d heard enough of those kinds of words to make my ears sore. Of course I’d been lacking, since I’d been young back then too. Even if I’d tried my best–that kind of guilt still remained embedded in my heart. 

And so, my dongsaeng’s words acted as a soothing balm.

“...I know it’s rude to speak badly about another person’s family, sir–but your parents were most definitely in the wrong, mister. Even if Han Yoohyun doesn't resemble a human at all, he was still a kid back then.”

“They were just ordinary people, after all. So I can understand why, at least.”

“Just because you can understand their reasoning, sir, doesn’t make their doings any less wrong.”

That… was true. At the very least, it wasn’t something I should have had to shoulder the burden for. And Yoohyunie hadn’t asked to be born the way he’d been, either.

“In any case–we’re doing well enough now, aren’t we, sir. Not that we’re a ‘normal’ family still, but… no. As long as we’re getting by well together, that’s ‘ordinary’ enough anyway, isn’t that right, sir. It’s no-one’s business but ours.”

“You’re right–what we have is plenty enough.”

Who was to say that a family had to comprise a parent-offspring configuration in order to be considered a ‘proper’ family, after all. As long as the ones living together were pleased with the arrangement, wasn’t that what mattered. Even if other onlookers were to view it as being strange, so what–on what basis were they deeming it to be ‘strange,’ anyway. If you weren’t causing others any harm and were happy together, that should be sufficient grounds to consider it ‘acceptable,’ no.

“We’re still family, whether or not some of us are completely different species altogether.”

- Mhn, appa!

And from my lap, Peace purred loudly, as though he’d understood what I’d said, too. A smile on my face, I held a hand out towards Gyeolie.

“Cellphone.”

- Hnnnhng.

“But hyung–I don’t think what he’s proposed is such a bad plan. We’ll say that he abandoned his child, and covered up the fact that he’d murdered his wife by arranging it to look like an accident. The genetic testing results showing that he’s not a human might actually work out in our favor, too. It can be explained as a result of the experimentation Seseung’s done on him.”

“...hey, are you planning on sending the Seseung Guild Leader to prison.”

It would ensure that any of my own grievances would be buried, true, but Sung Hyunjae would be buried alongside them as well. Of course, I expected that the bastard would manage to dig his way out of it well enough in the end, but it’d definitely weigh too heavily on my conscience for it to be a feasible option.

“Besides, even before the Seseung Guild Leader, it’d end up harming Gyeolie first and foremost. That’s absolutely not allowed. And the same goes for you two, too. Mark my words–if any of you put yourself at risk to try and protect me, I’ll go out on an even bigger limb in response. Just you watch.”

“That’s a bit scary, sir.”

“...I won’t, hyung.”

- …Gyeolie will be good, too.

All three of them shook their heads furiously in unison. No matter the sort of problem they might stir up, I was confident that I could still manage to outdo all them. 

“It has been relayed that Breaker Guild’s private aircraft should be landing in New York in three hours’ time.”

As we conducted a last round of surveyance on American Hunters while polishing off some tea snacks, Song Taewon entered the room.

“It’s really quite a flight, huh, sir. Considering that Noah-ssi left last night.”

Noah was affiliated with Dodam Rearing Facility, but had left to travel with his teammate Moon Hyuna in this instance. The Hunters who had embarked on Breaker Guild’s private plane the day prior included Moon Hyuna and Noah, Liette, and Kang Soyoung. Soyoung-ssi was one of Seseung’s Hunters, too, but had joined that party because of Liette’s S-rank status. And in order to establish a long-distance Gate, Yoon-Yoon had accompanied them as well. 

“Apparently, it takes over ten hours to reach America by plane, sir.”

It was no joke, huh. But at least an aircraft would get you there within a day; had we been going by boat, we probably would’ve ended up having to celebrate Yoohyunie’s birthday while still at sea. I wondered how long it would take a ship. A month, maybe?

“Mister Government Official, sir–you’re good at English, right?”

Yerimie prodded, staring expectantly at Song Taewon with sparkling eyes. Shishio may have given her a translation Item, but it wouldn’t work for transcriptions, after all. 

“...my reading speed is still lacking, miss.”

“But you can still read it just fine, sir! And since you’re a government official, you’re well-versed on laws and stuff, right, sir? I could definitely count on you, right, sir?”

“.......”

A panic-stricken expression crossed Section Chief Song-nim’s face. He seemed to be at a loss for how to respond. Yerimie was a completely different breed from Sung Hyunjae, after all. And even though she was an S-rank, she was still young, too. Do your best, Section Chief Song-nim.

“...as it may end up being a matter of national concern, please take care to conduct yourself in a cautious, orderly manner, miss.”

“Yessir! But would it be alright for me to pop by Hollywood, maybe? Just for a teensy bit, if I flew.”

“It takes upwards of five hours to reach Los Angeles from New York by aircraft, miss.”

“...wow.”

Yerimie’s jaw dropped. I was a bit surprised to hear the number, too. I’d known that the U.S. was incredibly vast, but it was still a single nation when it came down to it, right. But that sort of distance was equivalent to several-fold the distance between Korea and Japan, wasn’t it.

As the time for takeoff drew close, Sung Hyunjae and Evelyn arrived with minutes to spare, and we all boarded the plane that would that would be taking us to the U.S.

- - - - -

(1) 끊어진 미로의 막내 → ‘broken/fragmented/incomplete/marooned’ + ‘maze/labyrinth’ + 의 + ‘maknae’

when yoojin says 'our parents,' there's no 'our' in kr, it's just '(the) parents'

+(Q&A)

Q) if han yoojin’s kids who were born from magic stones underwent genetic testing enabled by modern science&technology, would the results show yoojinie as a biological relative? A) as the species are different, straightforward genetic testing results would be difficult to obtain ^^ as han yoojin’s blood is mixed in, if you were able to separate only the human portion out and test that, then they would in fact appear as his children. for han seol’s case, the results would indicate that he takes after han yoohyun as well. yet, as the human portion is a mere fraction of the whole, at present, it would take very careful and thorough testing to show a distant relation between [han yoojin and the children].

+(Q&A)

Q) what were some of the things that you thought were important, when writing an entity that’s far from being human? A) (about han yoohyun) only, as han yoohyun isn’t ‘a lifeform concerned about continued survival(self-preservation),’ he’s an outlier even among the non-human entities ^^ in polar opposite to the ones mentioned above, his natural disposition is to completely disregard the surrounding environment. the sole exception for that flame was han yoojin, and accordingly, han yoohyun only experiences change through han yoojin. no other environmental factors or beings are capable of influencing him.

+(Q&A)

선생님이십니다

For a moment, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But then, my heart began to race. That’s, what he was proposing was. The esteemed Chaos-nim was offering to instruct Yoohyunie. And since he wouldn’t have been referencing something out of left field like cooking, art, mathematics, or science(1), it could only mean in combat technique.

“Aigo, Elder, sir! Sunsaeng-nim(2)! Your discerning eyes are as true as ever!”

Goodness gracious–to think, that the number one in not just the nation, or the world, but in the entire universe would be offering to tutor him one-on-one. Of course, as his title as ‘the strongest of the Transcendents’ was self-professed, I admittedly couldn’t verify that it was one hundred percent true; but it was clear that he was a person of incredible ability, regardless.

What could I do to curry his favor, I wondered. The longer he could instruct him, in as much as possible, the better off we would be. I’d have to do everything in my power to get him to stay on and…….

“I will have to decline.”

“Yoo-hyun-ahhhhhh!”

My dongsaeng had responded with something entirely unconscionable. Hey! You just, did you even know what you were turning down!

“Please don’t listen to him, sunsaeng-nim! My dongsaeng seems to have misspoken–”

“Hyung.”

…his voice sounded terse, for some reason. I really couldn’t figure out the reason behind it, this time. Was it that, even though he’d appeared to be conducting himself politely enough, he actually disliked the Young Chaos quite a bit?

“Did you already forget? That having a powerful being such as himself enter this spiritual realm apparently puts an immense strain on hyung. I don’t have any interest in pursuing such a method of growing stronger, if it means that hyung will have to suffer as a consequence. The situation with the Sovereign’s Sword is already…frustrating enough. It feels aggravating.”

Ah… Right, I’d forgotten about that. 

“That’s, I just hadn’t managed to think that far ahead yet. But now that you’ve brought it up, I suppose I’d have to use the mind dimension Skill for us to meet up with the Elder, huh.”

Hearing me say that I simply hadn’t realized when I’d suggested it, Yoohyunie’s expression relaxed. But it really was a difficult opportunity to pass up, though. Truly. Wasn’t there a way around it, perhaps. As I mulled it over, Yoohyunie shot the Young Chaos a glare. 

“So, it’s unnecessary.”

“Yoohyun-ah! Hold on!”

“And were I intent on instructing you by force, if necessary–what shall you do then, I wonder.”

Chaos smiled thinly. Abruptly, the atmosphere around him completely shifted. It felt as though dozens of needles were suddenly boring into my body. Nor did it seem like my Fear Resistance was able to dampen the effect at all; gritting my teeth, I pulled Yoohyunie into my arms. Was he angry that his magnanimous offer had been rejected, perhaps. No–that didn’t seem likely. Then.

“I’ll, never let hyung come to…….”

Yoohyunie snarled, even as he struggled under the immense pressure Chaos was giving off as well.

“Brat.”

Crimson eyes grew dark, intent.

“For all your fervor in trying to protect him, what is it that you are actually capable of.”

“.......”

“I daresay that small World of yours likely held very few entities capable of opposing you. Unaware that you were but a fox kit in a rabbit warren, you foolishly assumed yourself a tiger.(3)”

A hand reached out and grabbed hold of me. Not the small hand of a child, but an adult’s hand, without any warning. I was hefted up easily, unable to put up any sort of resistance. Yoohyunie, left behind as I was taken away, watched with eyes widened in shock. Still incapacitated, he stared desperately up at me, both hands braced against the ground. 

“A Transcendent has set its sights on your Hyung.”

Chaos informed him bluntly. Even though I desperately wanted to intervene, my mouth refused to move.

“How does a feckless whelp such as yourself propose to deflect their advances in such a scenario, pray tell.”

“Hyung, he…….”

“Would it play out any differently than now, I wonder–your precious hyung snatched away, before you could so much as stretch out your hand.”

Yoohyunie’s fingers curled, scraping into the dirt. He wasn’t wrong, to be fair; he was simply stating the painful, bone-aching truth, but…wasn’t it a step too far over the line, still.

“Yet–I am different.”

Still holding me aloft, Chaos took a step backwards. Yoohyunie flinched. And then, once more, another step back.

“If you are truly bent on protecting your Hyung–then, I extend to you this offer. That as I depart, I take him away with me.”

Unlike a moment before, his voice had grown far lighter, gentler. But my dongsaeng’s body shook, overcome by tremors, as though he’d been stuck by a blade. 

“At the World of the First Source, even the restriction that forbids me from attacking but in response to another’s provocation is lifted. Protecting this child would be an effortless task. I could ensure that he is settled in a peaceful World, where he can comfortably live out the full length of his natural life, and then more.”

He went on in a softer tone, soothingly. Yoohyunie took a shallow breath. 

“Then– I’ll…….”

“But you will not be able to follow. It is not a simple switching of Worlds that I speak of, but of departing the Source itself altogether. Even with my qualifications, I am only capable of bringing one other alongside myself. Should you manage to achieve transcendence, the ability to traverse between Sources would be granted to you as well–but it is uncertain whether this one will still be alive, by the time you become capable of doing so. Additionally.”

In no uncertain terms.

“No Transcendents aside from myself are capable of setting foot on the World of the First Source.”

What Chaos proposed was an eternal farewell. That the two of us would never be capable of meeting one another again. Yoohyunie blinked slowly. A fine tremor overtook him.

He’d voluntarily chosen to distance himself from me, in order to keep me safe, this dongsaeng. The one who had smiled as he lay dying; had it been him, he would have answered without lengthy deliberation, perhaps. That ‘I will surrender hyung to you.’

But the dongsaeng before me; he was unable to formulate the words. His face, sheet-white as the color drained from him, slowly began to become streaked with tears.

“...on’t.”

A tearful voice reached out desperately.

“Hyung, I don’t want… Please, I’m sorry, don’t go…….”

My body, which had felt as though it’d been tightly bound up until that point, finally responded. Rushing over to Yoohyunie, I pulled him into my arms.

“Hey, what would you even need to say ‘sorry’ about, anyway…….”

“Because, to guarantee hyung’s safety, I should… But I…….”

It was true; from an objective point of view, following the Young Chaos’s directive was the correct course of action. It was a fool’s missive to throw away a guaranteed chance at safety, in order to gamble with an uncertain future instead. Particularly when hostile Transcendents were a part of the equation. But even then.

“It’s alright, ‘kay. I wouldn’t want to go if it meant having to leave you behind, either.”

I consoled him–this dongsaeng who was apologizing for being unable to put aside his own desires to ensure my own safety. To intentionally forsake the flower path for the one strewn by thorns, would have felt like a senseless decision, after all. But it couldn’t be helped–because.

“D’you really think I‘d be happy, left all by myself, even if it meant that I’d have survived. The reason I’m doing everything I can to prevent things from coming to pass, is ‘cause I want us to be able to live happily together with everyone.”

My dongsaeng was shedding tears, but a faint smile had formed on my lips. I no longer had to worry about him obstinately denying himself all for the sake of my well-being, it seemed. Wiping away his tears, Yoohyunie lifted his head to look at the Young Chaos. Chaos has reverted back to his child’s appearance, by then. I wondered what circumstances might have led him to be that way.

“How much strain will it put on hyung, then, sir.”

“None.”

…come again? I beg your pardon–that certainly didn’t line up with what you’d said earlier.

“The other realm the rabbit has crafted is an option, is it not. As it should be feasible to further extend its window of availability with myself involved, my intention was to suggest that I oversee his progress once a week there, for a few hours or so.”

So it really was a tutoring session, essentially. Yoohyunie looked dazedly at Chao for a moment, before relief broke through in his expression. Good grief, why did hearing such a thing seem to be comforting first and foremost for him. Didn’t you feel angry at all, huh. I took the prerogative to show a bit of belligerence in his stead, at least.

“You mean to say that you were bullying him for no good reason then, sir?”

“When he intends to continually throw himself before you as a shield, regardless of his own ability–what should it serve to accomplish, aside from the hastening of your untimely ends, I ask you. One must know their own limitations. An ideal outcome that requires no sacrifice is only possible for one as capable as myself.”

“You do have a point there, sir. Yoohyunie really does push himself too far when it comes to m–ack!”

There he went, twisting my ear again!

“Quite the spiel from a bull-headed brat that persists in standing his ground too, irrespective of danger. It is because you do not look after yourself that the Second has been driven to behave in such a manner, is it not. It would serve you well to remain aware of your own limitations as well, boy.”

“That’s, it’s just that every time, there’s been… My apologies, sir.  I now see the error of my ways.”

I responded, hurriedly covering my ear with my hand. But instead of reprimanding me further as I’d half-expected, he only withdrew the hand he’d stretched out, a bitter expression appearing on his face.

“Although it is those outside interlopers who are truly at fault, for crossing the line first. Second–come hither.”

The Young Chaos strode away. Pushing himself up to his feet, Yoohyunie obediently followed behind him. Coming to a halt, Chaos turned and gave Yoohyunie a slow once-over. Then, he struck out with his sword, still sheathed in its scabbard. Yoohyunie quickly pivoted around in response to the attack aimed at his abdomen, dodging to the side. But almost immediately.

탁!

The scabbard shot upwards, flying towards Yoohyunie’s chin. Sucking in a small breath at the unexpected follow-up, Yoohyunie jerked his torso backwards into a steep angle. The scabbard flew through empty air, just barely grazing the tip of his chin. Dropping to his knee in the same motion, Yoohyunie used a hand to brace his body almost parallel with the ground, and struck out with his leg in a low kick. It was a laudable attempt at a reprisal; but without even shifting from his place, Chaos met the leg speeding towards him evenly with a kick of his own.

With a loud thump, Yoohyunie’s body was pushed over a meter away. Meanwhile, Chaos leisurely returned his leg to its original position, with nary a fluctuation in his stance.

“Is there one who is skilled at close-quarters combat, among his circles.”

“Yes, sir–an S-ranked Awakened individual, by the name of Song Taewon. He and Yoohyunie have clashed a fair amount of times before, to my knowledge.”

Hearing my words, Chaos gave a faint nod. Then, kicking the fallen scabbard with the tip of his foot, he tossed it over towards Yoohyunie. Snatching the scabbard out of the air, Yoohyunie vaulted himself up back onto his feet in a single motion.

“Dismiss any thoughts of blocking it with your body. Such will prove impossible.”

A pure white blade sliced through the air. Yoohyunie parried the attack, using the scabbard. Chaos seemed to be controlling the strength of his blows, this time; sword and scabbard clashed with comparable force, relentlessly bouncing off of each other in quick succession.

“But none who wields a blade, it appears.”

“There used to be one, among the S-rank Awakened.”

Though he was dead now.

“With no delegable influence having been impressed upon him, such a distinction makes little difference.”

스윽, the Young Chaos materialized before Yoohyunie in the blink of an eye. Click, the sword held in his hand slid smoothly back into its scabbard. And even when the sheath was plucked from him, sword and all, there was no real retaliation from Yoohyunie. He’d made it seem as effortless as plucking away a piece of candy from a child.

Several more onslaughts came from Chaos, each of them varying in method. Switching between close-range as well as long-range, he deftly wove his belt strap into a mid-range assault, too.

“Pristine even outside of that regard as well, I see. Despite the brat being a Prime essence of Fire, he appears to have merely limited himself to hunting monsters.”

“He mentioned not really having battled anyone aside from Section Chief Song Taewon-nim, who I mentioned earlier, sir.”

“I can detect no other influences, certainly. A few habitual tics in his hand-to-hand combat is all there is. Around a hundred and ninety-three centimeters? Fairly robust in build, in a weight class that appears to be–one that can be adjusted at will, perhaps. An attacker, but with a strong defensive inclination that suggests a tightly-leashed, repressed demeanor in general.”

…wow, was he a psychic or what. How had he managed to nail him down so accurately.

“Although the influence he’s received from you comprises approximately seventy percent overall, by large.”

“Come again, sir? Me? But today marks the first time I’ve ever engaged in combat with Yoohyunie.”

“Do not discount the impact his day-to-day life would bear on his conduct. When he has lived his whole life with his eyes solely fixed upon you, it is only natural that you would have become intimately engraved into his very body as well. The natural-born habits would have been ingrained within him since birth constitute roughly twenty percent, and the remainder is a mixture of monster hunting and that one called Song Taewon.”

Beyond being unexpected, it was a complete shock. I’d assumed that I would’ve had little to no influence on Yoohyunie as a Hunter–but to think, I actually made up around seventy percent.

“So far as his combat capabilities go, there appears to be little that requires preliminary correction. Yet it begs the question of why the two of you were parted for such a long period, when both seem so incapable of living without the other.”

“Really, sir? You can even perceive something like that?”

“His impulse to protect another far weaker than himself is far more diminished than it would otherwise be. I presume the two of you were separated shortly after he Awakened, if so.”

“Wouldn’t it be unlikely that he’d pick up on such habits unless I went into Dungeons with him as well though, sir, even if we’ve been living together.”

“Again, it is what has been ingrained in him. His habitual conduct is readily apparent in his every movement–and it is unquestionable that this brat only cares for you, Eldest, in all he does. I am unable to dig up even a trace of another’s influence on him, despite close inspection. The attention he paid to the reserved one is merely constrained to his combat style. It is convenient, however, in that it renders him a desirably empty slate for instruction.”

Chaos said, commenting that preexisting influences typically called for more frequent corrections, and resulted in a slower learning pace. So there were instances where Yoohyunie’s disinterest in others actually ended up becoming a boon, huh. I was happy that it seemed to have worked out for the best, in this case.

“Pardon me, Elder. Could I possibly trouble you to examine another person as well, sir? Even if it’s not possible for you to tutor her one-on-one too, given the time constraints. If you could at least provide an assessment of her current condition, sir, I’d be very grateful.”

With how sharp his insight seemed to be, I assumed even a consultation ought to prove extremely useful.

“Is there another brat who utilizes a blade, then.”

“Nossir. Yerimie, the third member of our household–she wields the Mermaid Queen’s power, sir. A Water-type affinity. She might not be a born S-rank–an Alpha–but she’s an S-rank Awakened, still.”

“The Mermaid Queen’s power, you say–I suppose this child is the one the rabbit made mention of, then. Asking the Mermaid instead should prove more fruitful, I should think. I do not dabble in miscellanea.”

‘Miscellanea,’ huh. He asserted that he would be willing to conduct an assessment if I so desired, however. Since I shouldn’t have any restrictions on who I could bring along to the Newcomer’s realm, I resolved to ask him to take a look at a few other people, too. Although, in the case of Sung Hyunjae… Would he be able to immediately piece together his condition too, I wondered. After all, the situation could turn dangerous, if the other Transcendents were to catch wind of Sung Hyunjae’s existence.

‘Would it be okay to let the Elder meet him.’

I wanted to trust in him. Of course, I’d have to see about obtaining Sung Hyunjae’s agreement in the first place. I’d have to ask him if he’d be willing to meet with him once, letting him know that there was this older Transcendent gentleman I’d gotten to know recently, who seemed to be remarkably skilled. I’d just have to hope that the System came back online soon, before he was due to leave overseas.

Warning us that my condition would deteriorate further if we continued to prolong our stay, the Young Chaos briefly taught Yoohyunie how to infuse a weapon with his magical energy for the time being. Infusing a weapon with one’s magical energy was a basic battle skill that most Hunters already utilized, but the method he taught him was one that was more suited for blade-type weapons, he mentioned.

“I’ll be–in your care going forward then, sir.”

Yoohyunie said, offering his respects to the Young Chaos in a slightly stilted manner.

“Make sure to give Yerimie a proper run-down of my condition so she doesn’t get too alarmed, Yoohyun-ah.”

“Mhn.”

“Elder–how long should I abstain from using potions then, sir?”

“From henceforth.”

“Sir?”

That was slightly problematic. How was I supposed to go the rest of my life without using any potions, exactly.

“Were you capable of vowing to never overspend yourself while using a Skill, it might have been possible for you to recover in the span of two or three days–but as it appears to be an impossibility, you must resign yourself to regularly monitoring your physical condition instead. As potions and healing Skills take effect through direct assimilation into one’s body, it can cause a body already prone to magical exhaustion to become further weakened. Consider it analogous to a ‘compromising of one’s immune system,’ of sorts. A potion being administered to a body in healthy condition would bear no ill effects–but that does not apply to yourself, no, Eldest.”

…I could hear my dreams of a stamina potion regimen shattering as he spoke. But my physical health did come first, I supposed. I was further cautioned to stay away from other Skills that would directly influence my body as well. 

Bidding Chaos a final parting word of thanks, I dismissed my Skill. My vision went dark, and all of my senses faded away for a moment, before returning to me in a rush. Through a hot flash of pain.

“...ngk.”

“Mister?”

I heard Yerimie’s voice. When I managed to crack my eyes open at last, the room spun around me. My body felt like it was burning up. My fever seems to be quite high, was my last thought before consciousness left me once more.

- - - - -

(1) it’s because of chaos being ‘joseon korea’-coded that yoojin uses those particular topics as a point of comparison (though mostly it’s 그림(arts) that stands out), because it’s what korean noblemen would have been instructed in 

(2) 선생님 

(3) decided to put the lit. ver. in this time bc i feel like it’s pretty self-explanatory: ‘토끼 굴에 여우 새낀 줄도 모르고 호랑이처럼 굴었겠지’

<3 young chaos-nim <3

♡ | ♡ | ♡ | ♡ | ♡

+(Q&A)

흑룡의 심장 (4)

“Having thus come to an accord–see to it hence.”

The Young Chaos waved a hand in our direction, showing an extremely put upon expression. ‘See to it hence,’ he said.

“What…exactly should we be doing, sir?”

“Had you not been paying attention, all this while.”

“Uh… I suppose I should end my Skill first then, sir?”

Since we were currently in a ‘dream’ dimension, we would probably have to continue this once we were back outside in reality, I figured. But Chaos shook his head.

“The lizard will simply lapse back into slumber, once you depart. This may be a ‘spiritual realm,’ but as it still retains a connection with the ‘real’ World, you must first see to transferring its consciousness.”

- Bring out my Heart Shard.

The Black Dragon spoke up after Chaos. I pulled out the Black Dragon’s Heart Shard from my inventory, as it had commanded. It looked like a shard of shattered obsidian, slightly smaller than the size of my palm. A crimson aura gently pulsed across the pitch black surface.

‘...isn’t this similar to what happened that time, with the Changeling.’

After entering Sung Hyunjae’s spiritual realm, I’d obtained a shard from him back then, too. The Newcomer had reassured me that ‘an ordinary human wouldn’t be able to exert any influence on it~’, except that Sung Hyunjae hadn’t been just an ordinary human, as we’d assumed; and so the Changeling had been created, as a result.

“Seeing as it was originally intended to be a mount synthesis Skill–then, rather than simply upgrading his blade, does that mean ‘nurturing’ the heart will result in the creation of a Black Dragon, sir?”

“Consider it the acquisition of a pet. A shard of that size should only result in a meager F-rank, in any case.”

- A ‘pet,’ you say.

“Even if an S-rank or higher magic gem were to be synthesized alongside it, sir?”

“That would raise the final rank, certainly, but muddy the state of its consciousness as well.”

Be that as it may, the end product being an F-rank would prove inconvenient for me. It was already hard enough for me to safeguard my own body, much less play valet to an elderly dragon. Owing to its link to Yoohyunie’s blade, I wouldn’t be able to just wash my hands of it, after all.

“Black Dragon-ssi, it would prove disadvantageous if you end up becoming an F-rank, for a number of reasons. To avoid putting yourself at risk, it may be more prudent to aim for a higher rank by adding a magic gem to the equation, sir. I would be willing to provide you with an S-rank magic gem, free of charge, as a complimentary service. Of a suitable attribute as well, of course.”

The Black Dragon mulled this over for a moment, then replied.

- A measly S-rank magic gem should not be capable of holding much sway over my consciousness, I presume.

“It was such arrogance which previously cost that fool its life, mind.”

- It would have been far more preposterous for one such as I to exhibit wariness towards a hatchling of a human! When you weren’t even an ‘Alpha,’ no less!

The Black Dragon roared angrily at Chaos’s provocation, apparently aggrieved. 

“You didn’t start off as an ‘Alpha,’ sir?”

“I mentioned there were fewer ‘Alphas’ seen among the Transcendents prior, did I not. Ah, though Crescent Moon was indeed said to be an ‘Alpha.’”

“Crescent Moon? Of what affinity, would you happen to know, sir.”

“I do not. Our paths have hardly crossed, as it were.”

So they weren’t close buddies, huh. Such a thing did bode better for us, but well. To think, the Young Chaos hadn’t used to be an ‘Alpha.’ He seemed to have been an outstanding individual from the get-go, in any case. Even if he hadn’t been a born S-rank, he’d probably been the equivalent of an S-rank Awakened, at least. Letting out hot puffs of air, the Black Dragon groused.

- They may have called me ‘the Scourge of the Central Continent,’ but it’s that blasted meddler that was the real ‘Scourge,’ as far as I’m concerned. To have someone like him show up out of the blue and derail everything, after the great lengths I’d gone to protect my World…!

“‘Protect your World’–from the Origin, do you mean, sir?”

- Naturally, as all of the monsters sent by the Origin were weaker than I, of course.

The Black Dragon replied haughtily. It made sense; with a fiend like that standing guard, even if the Origin had beset the place with monsters, its World could have managed to avoid being swallowed. Most importantly, it implied that so long as an L-rank Awakened was available to champion a World, it could avoid annihilation. So long as the Transcendents kept their nose out of things, that was.

“‘Protect,’ you say. If one were to disregard the collateral damage inflicted, perhaps. Due to that lizard taking up residence in the Central Continent, not only were scores of mountains dissolved and the rivers filled with molten metal, but the all-pervasive heat resulted in a permanent drought afflicting the land.”

“Sounds like it was an absolute disaster, sir.”

So even after managing to escape from the grasp of the Origin, that sort of side effect was still possible, huh. A new apocalypse, brought about by the hero-nim who had saved the World in the first place. A team scenario might prove more advantageous, then. Since they might turn on each other afterwards, at least.

In any case–since the Black Dragon had claimed to have saved its World, I put on an appropriately reverent expression and began subtly interrogating him. 

“Dealing with the monsters sent by the Origin must’ve been quite the arduous task, sir. Were you at L-rank when that took place, by chance? I’d be interested in hearing what rank those monsters might’ve been at, as well. And did you take care of all of them on your lonesome, sir?”

- I single-handedly dealt with the strongest ones, of course.

As the Black Dragon preened once more, Chaos interrupted its swaggering with a cold splash of reality.

“Questioning it will yield no useful answers. This one merely hunted as it pleased, without ever intending to deliberately embark on a quest to ‘save the World.’”

Since he’d mentioned that the Black Dragon was a Fire-affinity entity too, it had just been the byproduct of going around burning everything down on its own without any regard for others, I supposed. The Young Chaos continued speaking in a stage whisper, at a volume that was still pitched loud enough for the Black Dragon to hear.

“For an ‘Alpha,’ it is fairly dim-witted. Such a thing is said to occur every so often, among the dragon-type ‘Alphas’ that possess more monstrous strength from the onset. Because their ‘existential presence’ is so excessive, they sometimes degrade into a mere ‘beast’ that has lost its ego altogether.”

Now that he mentioned it, Diarma had seemed to be on the slower side too, compared to the other Transcendents. The Black Dragon, having obviously ‘overheard’ everything Chaos had said, let out a savage growl. It seemed unable to refute his assessment, though, as it didn’t provide a rebuttal; and soon after, its eye drifted closed. Simultaneously, the heart shard placed on top of my palm grew hot to the touch. The red aura flashed brightly for a brief moment, before seemingly being sucked into the shard, leaving the surface a pure black.

“...did the transfer work, sir?” 

Almost as soon as I’d asked, the Black Dragon’s head slowly began to sag. The same went for its body, limbs, and tail, scattered hither and yon. Like snow melting under the rays of a summer sun, they started to wilt away. An empty expanse of earth became visible beyond the massive body, showing where the land met the sea.

“When you insert the Heart into your back, make certain to include a measure of that brat’s essence as well. His blood should suffice in that regard, I imagine.”

Hearing Chaos’s words, Yoohyunie’s expression, which had been stiff enough to begin with, only grew harder.

“Why does it have to be hyung again.”

“Yoohyun-ah.”

“Is it not something I can do in his stead, sir.”

“Certainly not. If you are so dissatisfied, then resolve to give up the blade.”

Give up the blade! I hurried to placate Yoohyunie before he said something regrettable.

“It’s just the nature of my Skill, yeah. Sure, it leaves a bit of a scar–but I’m a Hunter too. Compared to the risk a Dungeon raid poses, where your life hangs in the balance, it’s basically a cakewalk. And if you take my long work history into account on top of that, then, rather than you–”

“‘Work history’?”

Yoohyunie’s voice dropped, turning cold.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘work history,’ hyung. Don’t tell me, you used to go into Dungeons before you Regressed? Hadn’t you mentioned that, unlike now, you’d only had a handful of Skills in your arsenal back then.”

“Yeah–of course I went into Dungeons.”

I felt a prickle of dread, but continued on calmly, answering him as though nothing was wrong.

“Hey, d’you really think I’d have just stayed put, with my disposition being what it is. You know how I’m like even now, right. I’m afraid I ended up causing you a lot of heartache back then, too.”

“.......”

“But I managed to survive, still.”

At my words, Yoohyunie’s expression finally relaxed, and I breathed a sigh of relief in turn. I’d really have to be more careful about what I let slip.

“Let me do it, okay. You heard the Black Dragon earlier, right. If an L-rank was able to rebuff the monsters, it seems likely that it’d take multiple SSS-ranks at minimum to pull off the same–when it’s like that, we absolutely can’t afford to give up on a weapon that can reach L-rank.”

“...I know. It wouldn’t be worth it, otherwise.”

My dongsaeng responded glumly. But he didn’t seem to be as resistant to it as I might’ve expected him to be, at least; perhaps because we’d gone at it a few rounds together, earlier. Even if it hadn’t been in the real world, he’d already gotten to bury his sword into my body, after all. 

“Elder–thank you very much for all of the assistance you’ve provided us, sir.”

When I bid him thanks, intending to slowly begin making our way out, Chaos looked at Yoohyunie and I with a dour expression, and took a step forward. Then, suddenly.

“Yoohyun-ah?!”

Losing consciousness, my dongsaeng slumped forward. Chaos, who had suddenly materialized at Yoohyunie’s side, casually reached out with a hand to snatch Yoohyunie up by the scruff, preventing him from crashing into the ground. He then passed my dongsaeng onto me. Catching Yoohyunie as he was very nearly tossed in my direction, I staggered under his weight for a moment before falling flat on my backside. It felt like all my strength had left me, as though I’d reverted back to F-rank stats.

“He has only been rendered temporarily unconscious.”

 “What’s up with you all of a sudden, sir!”

“You indicated that you did not want your dongsaeng to be privy to these conversations, no.”

The Young Chaos replied bluntly.

“This damnable brat. Do you sincerely hope to live a long life, then.”

“Yes, sir.”

I answered, looking up at him. Chaos gave me a deep scowl.

“Yet your actions hardly align with your words.”

“I really do plan on living quietly, sir, once the world’s no longer in danger. And I’ll actually apply myself towards living a long and healthy life, too. My goal is to live to be a hundred, at least–though I don’t know how many years I might have left.”

In lieu of a response, a small hand stroked the top of my head with a fair amount of force behind it. It felt a bit painful, but at the same time, the gesture felt warm.

“What a callow young colt.”

“First a bull, and now a colt. What’s next, sir–a dog, perhaps.”

“Dogs know to be obedient, at least. The vexing matter is that, where the elder colt goes, the younger one seeks to follow.”

“That’s what worries me most, sir.”

I looked down at Yoohyunie, held in my arms. My concerns only increased with each passing day, all because of this dongsaeng.

“There are a few other people he’s willing to at least tolerate, though, sir. Our household has a third member too, you see.”

“Hah? You mean to say that there is yet another one like yourselves? Truly, the end times have come.”

“She’s a good kid, sir!”

“That is also what you said about the Second, is it not.”

That’s, Yoohyunie was a well-mannered young man too, but… I suddenly felt a bit apologetic towards Yerimie.

“Regardless–he gets along with Peace as well, sir. And he should continue to change bit by bit, so. You said as much yourself, right, Elder–that it shouldn’t be out of the question.”

“Yet, no matter the change he undergoes, there is still his fundamental nature to contend with. I doubt he will ever allow himself to hold anyone in his heart but yourself. Such is his innate disposition. Even if you were to abandon this dongsaeng of yours, his devotion to you is an ever-fixed mark, that looks on tempests and is never shaken–it alters not with brief hours and weeks, but bears it out even to the edge of doom(1).”

“Abandon–I would never…….”

I unconsciously ground my teeth together; then, looking changing the subject, I grumbled.

“Your speech only seems to be becoming more and more dated, Elder. You’re going so far as to incorporate hanja(2) now, I see, sir. That being said, you seem to have quite a mastery of Korean, sir–do you possess a language-related Skill, perhaps?”

“It is not the work of a Skill, but rather a localization feature enacted by the System–but it is ‘dated,’ you say? A result of that rabbit’s tinkering, perhaps.”

“If it’s the Newcomer you’re referring to, sir, isn’t he more ‘puppy-faced’ than anything else, though. Just because his ears are long, doesn’t mean that he’s automatically a ‘rabbit.’ Although lop-eared rabbits certainly do exist–if you take his incisors into account, for example, he seems to be either a carnivorous or omnivorous species, sir.”

“And what would a brat such as you, who has never even encountered a meat-eating rabbit, know of such matters.”

“Ah, c’mon–I’m telling you, sir, he’s obviously a puppy, how could you think otherwise?”

“A rabbit.”

We went back and forth in a pointless debate for a moment. It didn’t seem as though we would come to a consensus, in any case. Deciding to put aside what amounted to a trivial matter, I proceeded to probe him about Yoohyunie again. Since I wasn’t sure when I’d ever be able to see him again, I was determined to find out as much as I could.

“I assume you’ve encountered several ‘Alphas’ that are like Yoohyunie, then, Elder–could I ask you to elaborate a bit more on the subject, if so. What happened with them, sir? Someone-ssi mentioned they tended to lead brief lives, but there should be individuals who managed to live for a long time too, right, sir?”

“Eighty percent die during infancy.”

“...that many, sir?”

“When even ‘Alphas’ are already so repulsive to others, those who are tantamount to the incarnation of the ‘Origin’ itself are typically abandoned as infants, far more often than not. The rare scenarios in which they tend to survive, are if the ethics held by the society they are born into, and the social systems put in place, endeavors for the protection of their young.”

…no matter how exceptional a born S-rank might be, if they were to be abandoned before they could even walk, they wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving. It was a blessing that in modern times, at least in Korea, it was fairly difficult to just throw away children. That he hadn’t simply been sent away to an orphanage, too, was an immense relief.(3)

“Have there been any situations where the guardian was also an ‘Alpha,’ sir? It seems to me that ‘Alphas,’ being the same sort, might be able to get on well enough with one another.”

“It is an ‘Alpha’s’ tendency to live only as their whims lead them. Would such creatures be inclined to devote themselves to the rearing of a dull, unresponsive child, I ask you. Perhaps they would experience intrigue for a short while–but soon grow weary of the endeavor, and abandon the child thereafter.”

Which reminded me, Sung Hyunjae had made overtures towards Yoohyunie for a brief interval, too, after realizing he was ‘special,’ only to lose his interest before long. …it made my blood boil, just thinking of it. He better not even dream of laying a finger on him again. Nor anyone else, for that matter. He wouldn’t have developed an interest in grooming Yerimie too, would he. Yerimie wasn’t a ‘regular’ S-rank Hunter either, after all. Should I ban him from coming near the Rearing Facility and Haeyeon Guild outright, perhaps.

“Occasionally, there are situations where an ordinary individual who has taken notice of their potential schemes to use them for their own ends, under the guise of taking them under their wing–in the majority of those cases, they end up being killed by the ‘Alpha Primes.’ They are not beings suited to being tamed, after all. As far as I am aware, your dongsaeng is the first to be so.”

And all of them had died by fifty years of age, far before any hopes of reaching a hundred, said the Young Chaos. 

“Being spurred only by the instinctive nature of their affinity and lacking any sort of ‘desire,’ it is inevitable that they perish sooner than later. Your dongsaeng is different from them, however, so do take heart. So long as you endure, he shall do the same as well.”

“...yes, sir.”

Hearing such bleak feedback, I couldn’t help the way my face had automatically crumpled in anguish. Seeing this, Chaos regarded me with a peeved expression. 

“Always going on about that dongsaeng, each time you open your mouth.”

“I can go on for three days and three nights straight if necessary, sir.”

“And what of yourself, pray tell.”

“Me, sir?”

As far as ‘my story’ was concerned, well.

“I’m just trying to do the best I can, sir.”

I’d wanted to live diligently while raising my dongsaeng, sir, only to end up royally fucking things up. So now I was just trying to keep from screwing things up a second time. That was all.

“I’m just doing my best.”

“Aye.”

“Elder, sir.”

After gazing down at Yoohyunie for a moment, I raised my head. A face that bore an uncanny resemblance to Yoohyunie entered my field of vision. He wore an aloof expression; but he was looking at me, all the same. It was only the third time I’d ever met with him. But still. 

“Can I trust you, sir.”

“That is something for you to decide.”

“Why are you going out of your way to help us like this, sir. Because you are going out of your way, sir.”

“I simply find myself flabbergasted to see such a weak, feckless young thing crawling haplessly along, with nary a thought given to how its flesh is being stripped along the way–that is all.”

“Then, you’re helping us because you find us pitiful, sir?”

Being pitied was fine. As far as a blow to your pride from being pitied was concerned, you needed to be alive in the first place to feel something like that, after all. Even if he was extending his offer of help because he viewed us as poor, unfortunate souls, I would gladly welcome any such assistance. 

“Do you think yourselves the only wretched existences in the universe, perhaps. Nay–I offer my aid simply because you have caught my eye, brat, and because I wish to do so.”

Chaos patted my head lightly, once more.

“That is all.”

The hand that had been resting on my head slipped down, and briefly brushed against Yoohyunie’s cheek. As he did so, my dongsaeng’s eyes, which had been closed, slid open.

“...hyung?”

“As soon as you return, see that you admit your hyung to a hospital.”

Hearing the Young Chaos’s words, Yoohyunie suddenly straightened from where he’d been resting his body against me, as though he’d been splashed with cold water.

“A hospital, sir?”

“Aye. Potions and healing Skills will only serve to act as poison to him, so refrain from the administering of such things, and have him recover through means that do not utilize mana.”

“Is there anything else to remain aware of, sir.”

Yoohyunie inquired seriously. He’d just been knocked unconscious by him just moments prior; yet, it didn’t seem as though he held even a trace of animosity towards him.

“Prevent him from depending on those things on a normal basis as well, and merely see to it that he eats and rests plenty. The Eldest may be out of the question, but you, Second.”

Contemplatively rubbing a clean, hairless chin with one hand, Chaos regarded Yoohyunie with narrowed eyes.

“What say you to coming under my tutelage.”

- - - - -

(1) 매일생한 불매향 - 

supplemented with sonnet 116 to drive home the tone/nuance behind the original traditional poem referenced in-text; the emphasis is placed on the ‘true’ and ‘unchanging’ nature of yoohyunie’s love/unending devotion for yoojin, even in the face of hardship/yoojin potentially abandoning him

(2) hanja

(3) 1, 2, 3

more subtext/plausible deniability notes i’ve been putting off…

so yoojin refers to chaos as ‘어르신,’ which is a respectful way of addressing older individuals:

어르신 → ‘elder’ 할아버지(grandfather), 할머니grandmother) 영감님 → dated way of referring to older gentlemen

it plays into the way geunseo-nim highlights certain character relationships with specific title choices, e.g. the way yerimie chooses to refer to yoojin as ‘아저씨(ahjussi→’mister’)’:

because as i’ve noted before in a footnote, it informs how yerimie views herself as an ‘outsider’ in the han family, and also reinforces how ‘yoojin+yoohyun’ are still considered a ‘set/family(=/=kin)’ within the Han household throughout the entire series, even with ‘yoohyunie+yoojin+yerimie found family’ being a Thing:

+ch614 footnotes on the significance of spending christmas together with someone

because although yermie’s becomes part of the Han household, what’s stressed with her is ‘her eventual independence’, juxtaposed against yoohyunie’s role to ‘always be by yoojin’s side’:

ch342

the ‘highlighting certain character relationships with specific title choices/manner of address’ also manifests in other ways, like how sung hyunjae and song taewon interact. but as for why ‘how yoojin speaks with chaos’ matters in this context, it’s because the way he addresses chaos is a half-step away from being read this way:

by the way, did i mention that a large part of yoohyunie’s gap-moe is how he’s very ‘maidenly/pure/chaste’ (à la luò bīnghé)? (yes)

https://books.google.com/books?id=16WJCj00QvkC&pg=PT141&lpg=PT141&dq=plum+blossom+Shin+Heum&source=bl&ots=T00ASMNHQb&sig=ACfU3U148XXgxXaWKDib4eyGP8QsugFiig&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnxdOT8p_7AhWumWoFHYERAVUQ6AF6BAgsEAM

anyway–veeery interesting, considering chaos’s particular connection to yoohyunie.

Q) i’m aware that he takes after the young chaos due to the primordial fire’s influence, but does that mean han yoohyun doesn’t outwardly resemble his ‘parents’ or other relatives? A) because the ones who made the physical vessel for him do exert some influence, it can be thought of as ‘young chaos + han brothers’ parents,’ approximately. when han yoohyun had just been born, he resembled the parents a bit more, but as he grew and his fire attribute became stronger, he began to resemble the primordial fire and the young chaos more. however, the parents’ influence does remain, so that’s why he still hears things like how he’s ‘different from han yoojin, but still bears some similarities, as befitting of brothers’ ^^ part of it is that, as the young chaos’s race is close to east asians, he ended up growing to resembling him even more. if the species or race had been completely different, then he probably wouldn’t have resembled the young chaos as much as he does at present.

+ another interaction of note that happens this chapter is chaos ‘reassuring’ yoojin the same way sung hyunjae had done previously as a 'parental' figure, which also echoes the interaction when yoojin asked yerimie if she would permit him to be her guardian when they first met, way back when:

no wonder sung hyunjae and chaos get along, huh:

+(Q&A)

Q) irinie mentioned that fire shouldn’t be stifled, because it transforms when it’s suppressed; since the 24y.o. yoohyunie in the dungeon had not only changed from a black flame (흑염) to a black blood flame (흑혈염), but also became instilled with poison, even after reconciling with yoojinie, would he be able to recover his blue fire (청염) still? A) as drawing forth one’s own natural affinity is a difficult task in itself, no matter which han yoohyun, so long as a han yoojin with a caretaker title is not by his side, even after rising to the rank of a transcendent, he would only be able to earn his blue fire after a very long period of development. however, as the flame would have died out before long without han yoojin becoming his world, consequently, that outcome is effectively an impossibility ^^ the reason the primordial fire was incapable of finding a fire to succeed it for that long period of time, was for a similar reason. the closer it is to being a ‘pure’ flame, the more likely it is to be snuffed out before properly maturing. as the han yoohyun(24) within the dungeon has han yoojin(29) by his side, he is capable of fostering blue flames. however, as the han yoojin within the dungeon has the lesser ‘caretaker’ title, the effect will be far diminished than that of han yoojin(25)’s, so it won’t be an easy task. because of that, rather than erasing the black blood fire to revert to a blue fire, there’s a higher likelihood that they(2429) will choose to mature the black blood fire further instead. 

+(Q&A)

Q) then, did the parents take care of yoohyunie too, instead of ostracizing him? or did they only provide yoojinie with food to eat and clothes to wear, and it was yoojinie who made sure that yoohyunie got to eat and was properly dressed? A) they didn’t go out of their way to prepare meals for him or the like, but made sure there was plenty of food available^^ because han yoojin was too young back then to take care of himself, much less his dongsaeng, if the parents had completely forsaken them, it would have been difficult for either of them to survive. the brothers’ parents didn’t harbor ill intent towards their children. to be precise, they simply wished to divorce themselves from any meaningful connection with the two. as their desire to avoid reality was so great, rather than attempt to either abandon or kill han yoohyun, they opted to maintain the status quo instead. with rice left in the rice cooker and side dishes stockpiled high in the refrigerator, the parents would either stay out of the house or go about their life as though the brothers didn’t exist. because it would draw scrutiny if they wore misfitting clothes, han yoojin was bought clothes of an appropriate size and han yoohyun would typically wear his hand-me-downs. starting from the time han yoojin was in middle school, rather than having his things bought for him, he was instead given a generous allowance that would allow him to acquire necessities such as clothes, shoes, school supplies, etc.; han yoojin used that money to buy his dongsaeng clothes as well. as the parents had been unsparing with money spent on clothes when han yoojin was younger, until about seven or so, there was no issue with han yoohyun only receiving his hand-me-downs. if only to assuage their feelings of guilt, they made sure to take good care of their basic necessities, and han yoojin would console himself through rationales such as ‘mom and dad love each other too much, and that’s why there’s no room left for me and yoohyunie’

+(Q&A)

Q) what were some of the things that you thought were important, when writing an entity that’s far from being human?  A) (about han yoohyun) only, as han yoohyun isn’t ‘a lifeform concerned about continued survival(self-preservation),’ he’s an outlier even among the non-human entities ^^ in polar opposite to the ones mentioned above, his natural disposition is to completely disregard the surrounding environment. the sole exception for that flame was han yoojin, and accordingly, han yoohyun only experiences change through han yoojin. no other environmental factors or beings are capable of influencing him.

+(Q&A)

Q) with gyeol-byeol-seol, have there been any routines or habits the children or yoohyunie have fallen into over time, from yoohyunie frequently looking after them by himself? since, when there’s a parent etc who gets specially designated as the primary caretaker, they automatically end up developing habits/routines with each other; i’m curious if something of the sort might have formed between the babies (gyeol-byeol-seol) and yoohyunie A) as han yoohyun is simply carrying out rote actions in accordance with han yoojin’s instructions when it comes to engaging in childrearing, he doesn’t end up forming any ‘habits’, as a consequence. since, for han yoohyun, the concept of ‘forming a habit’ is contingent on han yoojin’s immediate presence, in a scenario where han yoojin has stepped out of frame, there are no new ‘biological’ or ‘humanistic’ directives being generated for him in that state. in the first place, he’s not one who is given to conforming to any sort of set ‘pattern’, per se. at present, it’s closer to being a situation where he’s ‘diligently repeating the mannerisms he’s learned from han yoojin’ ^^ on their side, the children are currently being indoctrinated into accepting a structured, stable lifestyle pattern as a byproduct of han yoohyun’s exacting approach. as, in addition to the distinct lack of an emotional base(foundation), han yoohyun is given to displaying little to no reaction by default, han gyeol finds this aspect of him difficult to contend with. though he’s perfectly aware that ‘uncle(samchon) is just like that,’ as the most emotionally sensitive of the three children, he still gets dejected about it from time to time. even so, thanks to bak yerim and han byeol’s combined influences, he’s doing well enough–still, he’s the one who’s waiting the most anxiously for han yoojin’s homecoming. periodically, he’ll unload/confide to peace about ‘my difficult life’ and ‘when will appa be coming back’ and ‘the hell is sung hyunjae even doing’, and other such sundry matters. han seol doesn’t hold any particular interest towards han yoohyun, and han byeol is unfazed by how taciturn samchon can be. rather, his inclination to simply stoically corral and calm her down in an unperturbed manner after she’s gone zooming around and caused accidents, actually seems to make him quite well-suited to looking after her in a parenting capacity.

+(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 in a supervisory capacity

+(Q&A)

Q) how did soyoungie and sung hyunjae’s first meeting go? A) kang soyoung ambushed (barged towards) sung hyunjae and asked him if he was a dragon, and sung hyunjae felt entertained by her. the interest was short-lived, but as dragon riders are a rarity to begin with, and the way the a-rank didn’t shrink back in front of a born s-rank gained his approval, sung hyunjae ends up extending a scouting offer to her first.

+(Q&A)

Q) i was curious as to whether there were any special ‘episodes’ that occurred over the course of sung hyunjae’s many lives? though sung hyunjae may not be able to remember them, but if there had been a life that he was particularly fond of, or something like that.. i’m curious about the different lives he may have led~ A) aside from his life pre-capture and the ‘freed’ life he leads at present, there weren’t really any lives that he saw as being particularly ‘special.’ he wouldn’t consider any particular lives he led while captured to be more ‘special’ than the others, as each of them were simply ‘a time where sung hyunjae was alive’ ^^ notably, as someone whose core values has always revolved around ‘himself,’ for him to consider any event to be truly special, it would have had to have been something that was ‘an occurrence that was novel to me’; but those lives were merely a time when the entity known as ‘sung hyunjae’ was manipulated to enact another’s will. ergo, he may have travelled across many diverse worlds, but as far as sung hyunjae’s personal situation was concerned, things had remained static all the while. this is why the life he leads at present–i.e. over the course of the novel–where han yoojin and song taewon exists (as the ones who ‘returned his life to him(yj)’ and ‘can see to its end/allow him to die(stw)’) is the one he considers to be the most special to him. when it comes to ‘the kinds of things(episodes) that happened previously,’ there are various stories. from the very beginning, in the post-war period following his time as sigma, crescent moon would usually arrange for him to take up station above others. similar to how sigma had quickly established himself as the leader of solemnis, for example. then, in order to have him go through a wide range of experiences, she would occasionally slot him into ‘ordinary’ stations as well. but as he’d always naturally rise to the top in short order, he never really encountered any hardships, per se. the time where he first learned how to cook was when he was ‘planted’ as a regular family restaurant-owning couple’s offspring. in that life, the father was so repulsed by sung hyunjae that he attempted to kill him, then fled after failing, once he was overpowered; the mother, too, was unable to view him as ‘her child’ either, but pressured by the absence of her husband, nevertheless ended up relying on sung hyunjae to fill the void left in their workplace–and upon seeing the effortless way he quickly picked up on and flawlessly executed every task given to him, at least manages to accept him as an ‘outstanding chef’ instead. because ‘cooking’ was a novel venture for sung hyunjae at the time, he was quite proactive in his studies. afterwards, the mother comes to consider that perhaps ‘he might be an angel sent by the god of cooking, and that is why he exudes such a disconcerting feeling,’ and so comes to reconcile sung hyunjae’s existence in such a way. still, there have been occasions where he has had to serve someone of a higher position; but as the ones stationed above him would either come to find his conduct displeasing and endeavor to force him to fall in line, or find him threatening or otherwise unnerving, such arrangements usually didn’t last very long. in order for the relationship to manage to endure, it was necessary that a distance be maintained between him and them, e.g. that he be sent far away, to a remote location.

re: ‘this is why the life he leads at present–i.e. over the course of the novel–where han yoojin and song taewon exists (as the ones who ‘returned his life to him(yj)’ and ‘can see to its end/allow him to die(stw)’) is the one he considers to be the most special to him.’

volume 13 extra: business trip

+(Q&A)

Q) i wanted to ask if my understanding of what happens when sung hyunjae gets planted(?) is correct! sung hyunjae mentioned that the method crescent moon seemed to utilize was to extract an individual with a similar ‘(existential) value’ from the world, and then to swap him, as ‘an existence outside of the world’, with them; just like yoojinie had wondered, i’m curious who that person who was found worthy of ‘exchange’ with sung hyunjae might have been, and what had happened to that individual! additionally: if the ‘swap’ is made via the method of ‘granting a wish’–then, for sung hyunjae’s parents, who had wished for a child, when sung hyunjae was suddenly ‘planted’ on earth in a fully-grown state, were they forcibly reprogrammed to register him as a child they had raised from the beginning? A) by erasing sung hyunjae’s memories and concealing his accumulated power, crescent moon was able to disguise sung hyunjae’s existential value(존재 가치) as being low-ranked. ordinarily, this wouldn’t be possible, and it’s extremely delicate work besides; but as an artificial Source who had amassed a considerable amount of strength, since there were no existences who could serve as an ‘equivalent’ to sung hyunjae, this was her only recourse. because his existential value was in a lowered state, sung hyunjae was able to be ‘planted’ through exchange via the wishes made to crescent moon. the wishes differed from world to world, and aside from wishes for a child, there were wishes for a hero in a time of war, someone with particular talents, an exquisite beauty, a leader of the herd, etc. as well. their wishes did come true, but they usually didn’t play out in the way they’d hoped for ^^ re:sung hyunjae’s parents, it was a case of a child who previously hadn’t existed suddenly appearing, where they were nevertheless compelled to believe that they had raised him to begin with. but because of the repugnance they experience due to his ‘other-ness,’ in addition to the natural repulsion caused by a born s-rank, the resulting cognitive dissonance caused them to spiral mentally.

+(Q&A)

Q) was sung hyunjae’s household well-off to begin with? if so, how wealthy are they? A) they were well-off enough that they could afford to send their son overseas to study, in addition to hiring a highly competent butler^^ as, around the time that sung hyunjae began to gain a proper foothold and become more active, they had already relinquished to him his designated inheritance, seeing him live well, they were able to relieve themselves of the guilt associated with abandoning a child. though they still want to maintain a personal distance from him, as they are able to think of him somewhat as ‘their son’ with the physical distance in place, they have a relationship where they will occasionally call one another to exchange pleasantries. they currently live overseas, and hope that sung hyunjae will continue to fare well, without occasion to turn his attention towards them.

+(Q&A)

Q) it appears that vantus took on the responsibility of raising sung hyunjae when he was young; since he still seemed to present as a born s-rank even back then, how was vantus able to keep from being afraid of him and treat him as a ‘young master’ instead? is it because vantus is an awakened of a relatively high rank as well? additionally, when sung hyunjae is ‘planted,’ do the people close to him still experience a sense of repulsion? A) vantus recognized sung hyunjae as an entity that he needed to serve, as a being of a ‘higher’ order than himself. a large part of the reason the parents experience a sense of rejection towards their born s-rank child is because of the cognitive dissonance brought on by the conflict between the feeling of ‘something that should be their child, and ergo a being dependent on them’ simultaneously feeling like ‘something of equal or even higher rank than themselves.’ because vantus approached it as him being of a different ‘race’ altogether, his sense of repulsion was lessened, and he in fact comes to serve him in the same zealous manner a religious fanatic might ^^ sung hyunjae makes an excellent leader, after all, and the stronger the leader, the greater the sense of security instilled in their followers also. in the same vein, there are many people in seseung guild who pledge absolute loyalty to sung hyunjae for the same reasons. however, while sung hyunjae will certainly take care of those who display such obedience to him, he would never consider them to be equals.  aside from his parents, everyone else registered him as ‘someone who had always existed.’ the sense of repulsion exuded by a born s-rank would have affected them as usual.

+(Q&A)

흑룡의 심장 (3)

“That’s, because my body wasn’t in great condition, so.”

“You’d certainly contrived to put yourself on death’s doorstep, back then.”

“...hyung?”

“He’s talking about the time I lost my sight, my sight. The Elder’s just exaggerating things a bit, for effect. In any case, my eyesight’s almost returned to normal by now, right.”

Chaos-nim, esteemed Elder, please! Thankfully, Chaos didn’t say anything more on the subject, and simply crossed his arms across his chest instead. But Yoohyunie fixed me with a doubtful look, nevertheless. 

“The thing the Seseung Guild Leader had to help out with, was it something really strenuous?”

“Nah. Not to say that it wasn’t anything difficult, but it was just a bit of extra work. Like having to clock overtime hours, y’know.”

Black eyes narrowed at me. A pair of crimson eyes followed suit. Because Chaos resembled Yoohyunie so closely, it felt as though I had two copies of my dongsaeng looking at me disapprovingly. 

“B-because a person’s life hung in the balance…….”

“And what is this ‘Seseung Guild Leader’ he mentions.”

“Ah, that’s…….”

“A human who harasses hyung, sir.”

“Seeing as you’ve stayed your hand, I assume that one is also an ‘Alpha.’”

“Yes, sir. But he will be departing overseas shortly.”

Yoohyunie replied, in a tone one might use to describe finally being rid of a long-overdue thorn in their side. It felt as though I should say something, but, well–did I really need to speak up for Sung Hyunjae, honestly. Regardless, I mustered a few words.

“He’s someone who’s provided us with assistance, sir, all things considered. We hold a relationship as business associates, or collaborators of a sort. He has a fairly problematic personality, but his face–I mean, his abilities, help make up for it, at least. And…he’s talented at breadmaking, I suppose.”

Barring his looks, the only positive trait I could come up with for him was regarding his culinary aptitude. Was this why they said things like ‘the most important thing is food.’ I recalled he seemed to be needlessly proficient at knitting, as well.

“...at any rate, he’s a decent…well, alright person. He’s not a bad individual, as far as things go.”

As I made a contrived effort to speak positively of Sung Hyunjae, it felt as though I could see a phantasm of Section Chief Song-nim’s face shimmering in the air before me. My deepest apologies, Section Chief Song-nim. The Young Chaos shot a skeptical glance in my direction.

“And how long has it been, exactly, since you’ve been acquainted with that brat.”

“Erm? Roughly four months or so, I suppose, sir. The time we spent in the false realm included.”

“Four months? Yet, the attitude with which you speak… I find it difficult to ascertain whether it is you who are too loose with your affections, or if it’s that brat who behaves unlike an ‘Alpha’ ought.”

“Hyung has been taken in by his act.”

Yoohyunie answered him reproachfully in my stead, then added.

“Though he does latch on easily to almost anyone, in any case.”

“What d’you mean, ‘almost anyone’–that’s most certainly not true. It’s not as though I’m close to more than a handful of people, you know.”

“Hyung’s always been like that, so there’s no helping it–but you should still take care to exercise caution, regardless. Not to mention the fact that the number of people around you keep going up, whenever I take my eyes off of you. And on that note–when did you end up getting close to this…individual?”

It felt a bit unfair. It was the opposite, really. It had been five years or so of putting suspicion forward first, whenever I got approached by an unknown person. …though my dongsaeng hadn’t completely missed the mark, I supposed, seeing as how I’d still been scammed several times in that interim. But how was it my fault, when they approached me while posing as good people, who seemed to be empathetic to what I was going through. The blame should fall on them, for pretending to be something they weren’t, to take advantage of someone else’s weak point.

“I’ve only met master Chao-nim(1) twice before, okay. I wouldn’t say we’re well-acquainted. And to clarify, Elder–the Seseung Guild Leader, that Sung Hyunjae, he and I aren’t really close. He said as much himself, that there isn’t a single person he would consider to be a ‘friend.’ And it seems likely that’s how it’ll stay for the rest of his life, as far as I’m concerned. There was a brief window where we agreed to be ‘friends,’ sir, but the active period of that agreement has already long since passed.”

“Ah, certainly. Doubtlessly you’ve no fondness for him, despite uttering such incredulous foolishness as calling an Alpha you’ve known for all of four months a 'decent sort.' Is this your natural disposition, pray tell, or is it perhaps a byproduct of having raised that brat?”

Walking up to the edge of the cliff, the Young Chaos continued.

“Considering that your basic nature seems to be that of an ordinary human, it is all the more perplexing to behold. Particularly when you are naught but a brat of thirty years.”

“How did you know that I was thirty years old, sir? Did the Newcomer tell you?”

“It’s plain to see.”

Did I have some sort of tell, I wondered. Although, he’d shown himself capable of sizing up the condition of my body with just a glance before, too. Though the jellyfish had given me a prognosis as well, that being said. But I felt curious about the Young Chaos, all of a sudden. Even among Transcendents, there seemed to be a lot of variety to be found.

“Pardon me, sir–judging by the way you address the Newcomer, it appears that you seem to rank fairly high?-er above him in the hierarchy, shall we say. And you’ve referred to the other Transcendents as ‘those brats nowadays’ as well, sir–so, would it be correct to say that you’ve lived far longer than them, Elder, sir?”

“I’ve been alive a fair bit, certainly.”

Chao’s body sailed lightly through the air. The tip of his foot touched down on the surface of the water, at the bottom of the cliff. Splash, a ripple spread out from the point of contact; and then, in a flash, the sea was pushed back. It was almost like watching a video of low tide being scrubbed through at exponential speed. With a roar, the seawater retreated, revealing both a damp seafloor and the mutilated body of the dragon.

Even though I had witnessed it up close, I was unable to determine what manner of ability he might’ve used to achieve such a feat, particularly when he wasn’t capable of wielding Water the way Yerimie could. They might have both been Transcendents, but had I gone up against the Young Chaos instead of the Benign King, I didn’t think I would have been able to emerge victorious. Despite my stats being higher, even.

I started to follow him down as well, when Yoohyunie caught me around my waist. Willow leaves drifting around us, I was gently carried step-by-step until we had descended all the way down to the still-wet ground. 

“Right now, I could've gotten down on my own too, y’know.”

“It doesn’t mean that you need to, though. But more importantly… I want you to answer me honestly, hyung. The mind realm Skill you’re casting right now–is it taxing for you to sustain, hyung?”

Yoohyunie asked, concern and wariness mingling in his eyes.

“To be frank–before, it probably would’ve been too much for me. Keeping a Skill up requires a steady supply of mana, after all, and my mana reserves were pretty paltry, even when augmented by Items. And when you’re unconscious, you can’t even drink any mana potions. But right now, thanks to Eunhae, I’m doing alright.”

Unlike the time before with Sung Hyunjae, it didn’t feel as though I was about to run out of mana at all. To emphasize my point, I turned to Chaos and prompted.

“Right? Elder, sir.”

“Had it not been for myself and that lizard, perhaps.”

“Sir?”

“You will require bed rest for approximately a day, I presume.”

He may have said that I’d be knocked out of commission for a day, but the grave crimson eyes fixed on me implied otherwise. He’d deliberately understated the impact it would have because Yoohyunie was listening in, it seemed. But even that much was plenty enough to alarm my dongsaeng.

“Hyung……!”

“What can we do, when it’s already happened. We’ll just need to heed the Elder and exercise more caution, going forward.”

While I’d been busy placating Yoohyunie, Chaos had begun moving towards the Black Dragon’s severed head. As the dragon’s maw parted, rows of razor-sharp teeth came into view. From between fangs the size of pillars, a rumbling growl issued forth.

“What a racket.”

Chaos kicked a stone. The speeding stone struck the dragon’s snout, and the parted maw snapped back together as though it had been smashed closed by a hammer.

“...Elder, sir–you’re stronger than the Benign King, correct?”

“I am the strongest there is.”

“...excuse me, sir?”

So, that was to say.

“That’s, amongst the Transcendents, sir? The strongest among them? Stronger than even Crescent Moon, sir?”

“Certainly.”

He answered mildly, as unflappable as though relaying an immutable fact. I was torn on whether I should believe him, though. It was true that he didn’t seem to be ordinary by any measure–but to say that he was the strongest, well. Shooting glances towards the Black Dragon, I approached Chaos.

“Pardon me, Elder. If that’s the case–would you consider lending us your assistance. Please, sir. We’re confident that we could manage to survive on our own, so long as the Transcendents don’t interfere unnecessarily. It may be outside of our scope of ability to provide you with satisfactory compensation, but I’m willing to do whatever it is that you may ask for instead. If you could consider it an act of charity for us pitiful, wretched children–”

“Hyung! What do you mean, whatever he asks for! I’ll do it instead!”

“Hah? As though I’d let you ‘do it instead’!”

“...silence, both of you.”

The Young Chaos spoke, scowling. He hadn’t so much as raised his voice, but both Yoohyunie and I found ourselves snapping our mouths closed. I didn’t possess the guts to dare defy him.

“I am incapable of attacking an opponent who does not first strike against me. Furthermore, the situation will only become more vexing if I were to become involved.”

I hadn’t been preparing to place all of my bets on him, but it had been a dead end regardless, it seemed. It was probably too optimistic to think that he could take on all of the Transcendents by himself, no matter how strong he was, at any rate.

“You need not worry at present.”

Chaos said, clicking his tongue. 

“Heedless of which side emerges victorious from negotiations, they should be unable to interfere with this World directly. Though it may not dissuade them from attempting to intervene indirectly, hmph.”

Folding his arms with the aura of a much older soul that belayed the twelve year-old appearance he wore, the Young Chaos gave the Black Dragon’s head a slow look-over.

“In any case, the first order of business shall be deciding what to do with this thing.”

The Black Dragon let out a growl, as though aggrieved. How should I talk it around, I contemplated. I supposed I should introduce myself, to start.

“How do you do, Black Dragon-ssi. My name is Han Yoojin, sir. And beside me is my dongsaeng, Han Yoohyun.”

The crimson pupil darted over in my direction, the slit needle-thin. It resembled boiling lava, seeping through the black rock walls of the iris.

“I recognize you’ve already lived a long life–but wouldn’t living still be preferable, sir, rather than meeting your end here. My dongsaeng maintains good care of his weapons as well. We can assure you of our ability to be good stewards, and we’ll endeavor to see to your comfort as well, within constraints. Since it probably feels quite stifling for you to stay stored away in his inventory, shall I ask him to keep you outside instead, sir? Playing music or audiobooks for you via bluetooth headphones would be an option, too.”

They said that wireless headphones nowadays had come quite a long way, after all.

- ‘Wouldn’t living still be preferable,’ you say?

A hoarse, gravelly voice rumbled forth. 훅, a blast of hot air washed over us. 

- Trapped in a blade constructed of my own flesh, with my consciousness left intact only by a single strand–do you truly consider this to be a state of ‘living,’ pray tell.

“Ah… I suppose I can’t really refute that point, sir. Still–I’d like to submit that, rather than meeting an untimely end here and now, having a few more years to prepare your heart and then leisurely departing this plane might still be the preferable course of action. We’ll do our best to make your final years as enjoyable as possible, sir.”

- ‘A few more years’? And why should I be expected to believe your words, exactly. It is tantamount to pledging to permanently rid yourselves of an invaluable, one-of-a-kind weapon, is it not.

The Black Dragon sneered. And he wasn’t wrong; what kind of lunatic would agree to voluntarily give up a weapon capable of reaching L-rank status, after all. I would hardly believe such a claim myself. Just then, Yoohyunie spoke up.

“You have my guarantee.”

- Words are cheap.

“I have a Skill that allows me to melt down any blade I’ve retrieved from my inventory. However, because the Sovereign’s Sword possesses a trait that renders it invulnerable to anything below L-rank flames, my Skill was unable to affect it.”

The Blade’s Predator Skill’s description specified that it was able to melt any blade, regardless of rank; but it appeared that the Sovereign’s Sword’s special properties took precedence, in terms of effectiveness. It made sense, though, seeing as how the Sovereign’s Sword had originally been L-rank in status, while the Blade’s Predator’s Skill was ranked lower. 

“Once either the Blade’s Predator Skill or my flames improve, I should be capable of consuming the Sovereign’s Sword.”

- And so, you propose to melt me down when that occurs?

“I’m willing to part with anything, no matter how precious a weapon, if it means being able to keep hyung safe.”

Yoohyunie replied evenly, saying that he was willing to melt it down without hesitation if a situation called for it. Internally, I was screaming ‘still, it’s an L-rank sword!’; but outwardly, I managed to keep my mouth shut.

“Even if you perish here, the blade made with your corpse will yet exist. Wouldn’t you prefer to be melted down cleanly, to disappear completely? That’s what I’d choose, if it were me.”

“Hey! What do you mean, ‘if it were me’!”

“If hyung no longer existed, and I didn’t have a reason to live anymore, I mean. Irin should be able to see to it, I presume.”

My chest constricted, hearing him say such a thing in a matter-of-fact way. It seemed as though I’d have to figure out a way to live past a hundred, after all. 

The Black Dragon fell silent. Its maw twitched minutely, as though it was preparing to speak, before closing once more. Observing its reaction, the Young Chaos stepped forward.

“Faced with the actual possibility of death, you shy away from the prospect, I see.”

- I…….

“You’re right, Elder, sir. Now that I think about it, if he really longed for death, then he could’ve just committed suicide before you arrived, sir. So you do want to live, after all, Black Dragon-ssi.”

When I jumped in to agree with Chaos’s assessment, entreating it to ‘become more honest,’ the Black Dragon let out an irate growl in response.

- It is being forced to ‘live’ while caged to a blade, where my grievance lies–if there was another way, then of course I would…!

“Then, if there was a way for you to acquire a new body–what shall you choose.”

The Black Dragon fell silent once more after hearing Chaos’s words. Suspicion glinted in its dark eye.

- What would an old codger, who only knows how to forge swords and demolishes all else, know of such a thing.

“You’ve five thousand years on me, mind.”

What a meaningless bickering over age. Stretching out a hand, Chaos jerked me over by the arm.

“In any case–this brat will make that body for you.”

“I beg your pardon, sir?”

- What?

“Don’t you pull hyung into it–..sir. It concerns my blade, and therefore it should be my responsibility.”

Yoohyunie scowled, gripping onto my other arm. The Black Dragon fixed me with a faintly skeptical, appraising look. 

- He looks to be an ordinary human, unlike the Alpha standing beside him.

“This brat is a Nurturer. When it comes to ‘raising,’ his capabilities ought to far surpass even that of the Gardener. Though as only a shard of your heart remains, it should fall quite short of your original body, but it will allow you to roam freely regardless–so, what say you, pray tell.”

Just who was this ‘Gardener’ he mentioned, anyway. He didn’t seem to be using the term in just an occupational sense, as far as I could tell. After a moment of hesitation following the Young Chaos’s words, the Black Dragon finally opened its mouth.

- Is it truly possible? With a mere shard of my heart?

“With the other brat as well, certainly. The ‘Alpha’ who shares your attribute.”

“A shared attribute, sir? The Black Dragon and Yoohyunie?”

At my query, Chaos gave a nod of his head.

“Just so. It is clear, is it not, how it is an ‘Alpha’ with a fire attribute as well. Though, unlike your dongsaeng, the Origin’s power dwelling within it is only slightly over half.”

I looked at the Black Dragon with renewed interest. An ‘Alpha’ with the same fire attribute, huh.

“It’s a sort of ‘kindred entity’ to Yoohyunie, then, sir?”

“Hyung is far more ‘kin’ to me than that thing.”

“What nonsense is this brat spouting now. Despite your blood tie, the two of you can hardly be considered akin to one another.”

He had a point. Tilting my head questioningly, I looked at Yoohyunie. 

“Hyung is like me, right now. We wield the exact same power.”

‘The exact same power’–so it was because of that? I briefly filled Chaos in on my Teacher Skill. Hearing my explanation, the Young Chaos adopted a strange expression of incredulity.

“Regardless–as your dongsaeng is an ‘Alpha’ who possesses a concentrated amount of the Origin’s essence as well, his flesh can be used as an ingredient without further preparations being made.”

“W-what do you mean by ‘ingredient,’ sir! How could you apply such a word to a person! Wait a minute–the Transcendents wouldn’t happen to target Yoohyunie if they discovered that, would they, sir?”

The jellyfish had seemed pretty interested in him, after all. When I clutched Yoohyunie close in horror, Chaos indicated that I should ‘quit making a ruckus’ and continued with his explanation.

“It is merely a matter of it being less fuss, and not the status of being compatible itself which is rare, so cease your fretting. The Origin’s power can be found in even ordinary humans. Given the choice, a Transcendent would likely choose to refine ten thousand beings than go after your dongsaeng. As they must wander far and wide in search of rare Origin energy, it would be the more convenient option for them regardless. A common ‘Alpha’ is roughly the equivalent of around a hundred or so beings, after all.”

“...there’s really such a large discrepancy, sir?”

“It is due to the Origin’s power simultaneously becoming whittled away, in the distilling process of removing ‘impurities.’ If they were ineligible for ‘refinement,’ then they may have been regarded as precious–but those sorts are unable to captivate ‘Alphas.’ And even if they were to capture one, they would be incapable of bringing them to heel.”

But even so, there were still some who endeavored to create an elixir of life by hunting ‘Alphas,’ he added. It made me greatly relieved that we were in modern times when it came to that front, at least. …actually, there were a lot of people even now, who would probably stop at nothing for a way to stop aging, and live an extended life. And there were quite a few horrifying superstitions as it pertained to Awakened, I recalled.(2)

“The Black Dragon’s consciousness fully rousing should also be a consequence of becoming imbued with the energy of an ‘Alpha’ who possesses a similar attribute, and level of purity. Therefore, if its heart shard were to be similarly imbued with a portion of Fire Origin energy as well, it should result in the production a serviceable body.”

So, what do you say, the Young Chaos asked; the Black Dragon’s eye moved in a slow blink. And then, it answered.

- Very well. I shall accept.

- - - - -

(1) 선생님

(2) reference to immortality myths

yj → black dragon: polite formal

yh → black dragon: casual informal

black dragon → yj/yh: casual informal

yj/yh → chaos: polite formal

chaos → yj/yh/black dragon: casual informal/imperative(high→low language)

Q) 혹시 주인공인 한유진의 캐릭터성은 이렇게 만드신 계기나 생각, 중요하게 여기신 게 있는지 말씀해주실 수 있나요?

흑룡의 심장 (2)

“What…do you mean, sir.”

I forced myself to respond politely. He was one of the few Transcendents that could be considered to be on ‘our side.’ I might not be able to trust him completely just yet, but he’d provided us with the sword, and had deigned to check on the condition of my body as well. He didn’t appear to be too fond of the way the other Transcendents took advantage of the System, either.

Therefore, I needed to at least try and make a good impression on him. Even if I had cussed him out just a moment prior.

“A proper explanation would take a while.”

“No hardship for us, sir. I would be willing to compensate you with Points for your trouble, as well.”

We only had a meager amount of intel, compared to the bastards from the outside. It put us in a position where we needed to scrape for any little crumb of information available to us, whenever the opportunity arose. 

The Young Chaos’s brows drew together; then, 툭, he gently kicked at the ground with a foot. A section of the earth rose, jutting upwards, in response. It resembled a great boulder; settling himself atop of the mound that had appeared, Chaos slowly began to speak. 

“Have I discussed the Alphas with you, boy.”

“You mentioned that they were powerful beings who possessed extended lifespans, but experienced more difficulties in breaking past their ability thresholds than regular individuals, sir.”

“And you are aware of the role the Origin plays?”

“Yes, sir.”

“There is some contention regarding certain aspects of its existence, but that it is the source which created the Worlds wherein we exist is indisputable. In reductive terms–within every entity that exists in the world, there resides some measure of the Origin’s strength. It is merely such that most ordinary beings possess only a small, miniscule amount.”

The Young Chaos tapped the mound of dirt he was perched on with the tip of a finger.

“About the size of a grain of soil mixed into this, perhaps.”

“A nearly negligible amount, then, sir.”

“It is widely believed that, ‘the Origin scatters and distributes its energy in small amounts the size of a speck of dirt, and it is only when it has collected into a mass the size of a boulder, that the time of harvest arrives.’ Alongside a few other theories, of course.” 

A kind of ‘free-range farming’ method, huh. Unbidden, Sung Hyunjae came to mind. Though ultimately, he appeared to be far more interested in the ‘husbandry’ side of things, than in the ‘product’ it would produce. On the other hand, the Origin could be likened to an ‘absent’ parent. The two could be described as being ‘polar opposites,’ in that sense.

“On an extremely rare basis–occasionally, there are individuals born possessing a far greater amount of the Origin’s strength, compared to their peers. The ‘ones who are nighest to the Origin’s energy’–the ‘Alphas.’”(1)

Reflexively, I turned to look at Yoohyunie. My dongsaeng met my gaze steadily from where he’d posted himself beside me, as though in anticipation of any danger that might come my way. 

“Would ‘a lot’ be considered an amount roughly equivalent to half of that mound, then, sir?”

“Approximately three or four grains of dirt.”

“...come again, sir? That’s what’s considered ‘a lot’?”

“It is thrice or more times the baseline of a regular being. Therefore it is ‘bountiful,’ certainly.”

How could that possibly be considered a ‘significant’ amount, when the mound of dirt in question was large enough that two adults would struggle to wrap their arms around. Seeing the skepticism clearly written on my face, the Young Chaos looked at me with an increasingly irritated expression. 

“Bear in mind that these matters hardly fall underneath my field of expertise. It is a ‘building block’ that precedes the formation of ‘sentience.’ To use an analogy localized to your realm… A ‘beginning cell,’ roughly speaking. Or perhaps a ‘fertilized egg.’ It is a more fundamental tenet than such, but a rough equivalence to what you need bear in mind.”

So it functioned like a ‘seed’ of sorts, it seemed. A born S-rank was like a ‘tree seed,’ while an F-rank would be closer to a ‘grass seed.’ But unlike in a real-life scenario, the ‘grass seed’ could still exceed its set limits and grow to the same size as a giant tree, in theory. 

“Furthermore–the comparison to a ‘grain of dirt’ is only applicable where ordinary beings are concerned. ‘Alphas’ are different.”

Chaos shifted one dangling leg to give the mound of earth a light tap. With a rumbling sound, the mound cracked apart to split through the middle, forming two halves.

“While the actual quantity may merely amount to three or four grains, the percentage is as you’ve said.”

“...fifty percent, sir?”

“An amount greater than half, at minimum. As their existential presence is already many times that of others, there is little room for excess impurities, shall we say. That is why ‘Alphas’ are more heavily shaped by the attributes of the affinity they possess. Then, there is an additional modifier through which the affinity is channeled, which they freely wield.”

For Yoohyunie, it was ‘Fire,’ and in the case of Sung Hyunjae, ‘Electricity.’ I wasn’t quite sure what Liette might be, though. ‘Amputating force,’ perhaps. The Mermaid Queen was said to be an ‘Alpha’ as well; for her, it was probably ‘Water.’ What might the Newcomer’s affinity be, then.

“To put it in terms of Skills–whereas an ordinary person might be constrained by designations such as a ‘lance of fire,’ ‘sword of fire,’ ‘arrows,’ or ‘shield,’ your dongsaeng would simply have access to ‘Fire’ itself.”

A ‘Black Fire,’ to be specific, but it was just as Chaos said; what he wielded was the element of ‘Fire’ itself. In contrast, before she had managed to obtain the Mermaid Queen’s Strength, Yerimie’s attribute capabilities had been limited to certain forms–namely the ice arrows formed by her ‘Pale Rain,’ and the frozen mist generated by her ‘Cold Sigh’–and that had been that.

“But even then, ‘Alphas’ are still human beings, in the end. They might frequently display flashes of ‘inhumanity’ compared to their peers, due to the concentrated influence of their prevailing attributes–but they are ultimately ‘human,’ even though ‘Alphas’ may be categorized as a separate ‘race,’ if such a distinction was to be made.”

“Then, what about my dongsaeng, sir?”

“Over ninety percent.”

Leaping down from the mound of dirt, the Young Chaos leisurely waved his right hand. As the sleeve of his garment fluttered, a burst of wind smashed into the mound that had been split in half, scattering soil everywhere, until only a small lump barely bigger than a fist remained.

“The ‘human’ aspect of your dongsaeng is approximately this size. It may very well be a smaller portion, in fact.”

“Come again, sir? What exactly are you…….”

“It happens, on occasion. A being so deeply imbued with the Origin’s strength, that they surpass the state of merely being an ‘Alpha,’ to be a physical embodiment of the energy in question. In the case of your dongsaeng, he is ‘Fire’ itself. He may be wearing the ‘appearance’ of a human, but he is far from being such. Seeing as he is intelligent, he may have mimicked ‘human’ qualities in order to survive–but innate emotions are things he lacks.”

“...they say that there are people who are naturally predisposed to blunted emotions, though, sir. Like in the case of psychopaths. Ah, and there’s the elemental spirits to consider too, sir. They’re supposed to be ‘embodiments’ of their affinities as well, are they not.”

“Cease such hogwash. To wit–the elemental spirits are simply one of many races, and are not representative of ‘Fire’ itself. Those rascals tend to possess an overabundance of emotion, rather.”

That seemed to be true, when I thought about Irin. The Water spirits had been plenty rowdy, too.

“Yet, your dongsaeng would feel no interest in anything aside from acting as the base nature of his affinity dictates.’Fire’ simply consumes all it sees. I imagine he quite enjoys the pleasure of battling, consequently.”

I wanted to provide a rebuttal–but that Yoohyunie didn’t really seem to be interested in other people around him, was something I’d also felt. He’d seemed to be a ‘normal’ dongsaeng when he was with me, though. So long as we were together, he’d shown himself capable of enjoyment and easy smiles no matter what it was we were doing; had shed tears, and grown angry; and even sulked, on occasion.

As a result, up until the point he had Awakened, I had just pushed it aside as Yoohyunnie being ‘extremely shy,’ if anything. It had been a source of anxiety, that he seemed to have such difficulties making friends–but how could I consider a dongsaeng who smiled and told me ‘I like being with hyung better,’ to be someone who lacked emotions. It had felt like the opposite, if anything.

“...he was so good and well-behaved growing up, that I worried constantly. After he Awakened, I really thought I might go insane. So far as I was concerned, he really.”

“That is what I find to be immensely curious.”

Chaos strode forward. Reflexively, I positioned myself in front of Yoohyunie. Was he going to lay his hands on him again!

“Let’s use words and not action, sir, please!”

“Even if I were to sever his arm this very instant, I doubt the brat would harbor any emotions towards me, including even resentment. He may objectively apply himself to figuring out a way to disengage from the situation, but there would be no emotions involved in his response. And yet.”

A small hand shot out to snatch up my wrist. I felt my dongsaeng flinch, tensing at the gesture.

“Look at the way he glowers at me. That brat is capable of responding solely ‘through’ you.”

Yoohyunie squeezed me tightly from behind. I could hear his teeth grinding together. Despite being well aware that he wouldn’t be able to beat him as he was now, he seemed to be readying himself to lunge forward at the slightest provocation. Crimson eyes narrowed faintly, seemingly entertained.

“Can you recall a single instance where he has shown an emotional response to someone, barring your involvement. Aside from brawling.”

“That’s…….”

Hm…. I snuck a glance at Yoohyunie. Feeling my gaze on him, my dongsaeng met my eyes, breaking out of the hard mask he’d been wearing. Concern radiated from the look. He was displaying so stark an emotion, and yet.

“...it’s never happened, then?”

“Yeah.”

My dongsaeng replied calmly, as though it were a foregone conclusion. 

“In summary, all of his emotions are contingent on your presence as a conduit. Though I’ve no inkling of how such a thing might have come to pass.”

Pinned by an inquiring look, I shook my head to indicate that I was none the wiser, either. All I’d done was diligently apply myself to looking after him. My memory was a bit hazy when I thought back to the time Yoohyunie had been a newborn; but by the time he was five or six years old, he’d already been pretty responsive. He’d been exceedingly calm and composed for a young child, certainly, but he’d shown more and more varied reactions as time went on. 

“...in light of the change he’s shown under my care, sir, wouldn’t it be possible for him to experience emotions through other people as well, once he’s spent some time getting along with others, perhaps.”

“Such a thing remains to be seen–the possibility may exist, but seeing as the brat has already gone through twenty or so years thus. It would take a minimum of ten years, by my estimation.”

“Hyung is the only one I need.”

“A minimum of a hundred years.”

The Young Chaos amended his words.

“Hold on a minute–why did the number just increase tenfold, sir, instead of even jumping to double?”

“Because the person in question displays no willingness to change, to begin with.”

Ten years seemed like it might be a workable timetable, but a hundred years was really pushing it. And that was the minimum projected timeline, to boot. The Young Chaos looked up at me for a moment, then turned on his heel.

“Regardless–this kind of scenario is an unprecedented event, in any case. It is the first occurrence of its kind, as far as I am aware. It is beyond a simple matter of ‘change’ being applied to the natural order of things, but the ‘creation’ of a new entity altogether.”

I hurriedly followed after the youth as he began to walk away. Yoohyunie trailed closely behind me, glued to my side.

“Is there a possibility that he might experience complications as a result of that, sir? From inhabiting a form that’s contrary to his ‘true nature.’”

“How should I know, when it’s the first I’ve witnessed of it as well.”

“But you possess a deep wealth of life experience, sir. If, because of my actions, my dongsaeng was negatively affected, then– ngk!”

My shin received a sharp kick. Steadying me as I stumbled in my steps, Yoohyunie glared at Chaos. 

“Don’t lay your hands on hyung–...sir.”

“Such useless concerns will hardly serve you well. Do you bemoan the fact that your dongsaeng was given human form, then.”

“No, that’s–not how I feel, but.”

“Then what is the issue, exactly.”

The Young Chaos resumed walking. His blows really packed a punch, that elder.

“I can’t just not worry about it, though, sir! Even if Yoohyunie says it’s okay, I still. Since, we don’t know much about things.”

“I’ve no inkling myself, either. But if I were to answer your query, based on that ‘life experience’ you make mention of–there is no ‘wrong’ way for a human to live.”

As though freed of the constraints of gravity, his small form sailed into the air, the hems of his robe fluttering as he lightly jumped up to the top of sheer cliff face. 

“Pardon? But, sir–there are plenty of people who go about living their lives wrong.”

Following Chaos, I scaled the cliff face as well. When I caught sight of the scene spread out below, I was momentarily struck speechless. There was an ocean. The lake that had been there before, had been replaced by the once-distant ocean.

A dark mass was visible above the gently lapping waves. It was the black dragon; its head, wings, and tail had all been cut off, leaving only its central body intact.

“There is nothing to ‘living.’ On what basis is it that you judge them as leading ‘wrong’ lives, I ask, boy. Whether it proves to be smooth sailing, trepidacious, filled with twists and turns, or a straight shot–regardless of what form it takes, the path you walk becomes ‘your path.’ For yourself, as well as your dongsaeng.”

“In other words, you simply mean that ‘there is no wrong or right way to live life,’ then, sir.”

“So you intend to live, do you?”

…well, you didn’t have to come at me like that, sir. Not that I was entertaining the thought of dying in particular, but. He wouldn’t be planning on mentioning the condition of my body to Yoohyunie, would he.

“From a moralistic standpoint, so long as one has not deliberately contrived to bring about the ruin of another’s path, it could yet be considered ‘a life well lived.’ Such a faction would comprise barely one percent of the whole. In no small part due to the prevalence of certain disputatious races, mind.”

“How generous of you, sir.”

“A more pressing concern is how you intend to deal with that.”

The Young Chaos pointed at the dragon’s head, which was half-submerged within the waves. Well, even if you asked me… Just then, the dragon’s eyes snapped open. Pulsing with a red aura, the great black eye darted over to look straight at us. As my heart squeezed in my chest even with my Fear Resistance, I clutched at Yoohyunie’s arm.

“T-that things’ still alive, sir?!”

“If it is killed, the Sovereign’s Sword will die alongside it. It would be unable to ascend beyond its current rank, in such a case.”

It was already a powerful weapon at SS-rank, but such a prospect was haunting, after all. Particularly when I’d already had a method prepared to unlock its potential; it made me even more reluctant to forgo the ascension, as a result.

“But would that guy agree to just leave quietly, sir? I’m unable to cancel my Skill unless everyone gathered here is in consensus, after all.”

“Such is why I posed that query to you. Do you seek its death, or do you intend to negotiate.”

“...would negotiation even be possible, sir.”

“Not for myself.”

Chao raised a hand, showing his palm. Seeing as he was the one who’d beat the black dragon into the ground, then went the extra mile to make it into a sword, it followed that it would be disinclined to hear him out, I supposed. What should I do, then. Making our way out after slaying it did seem to be the easiest course of action, as things currently stood. My wandering gaze fell on the sword sheathed at the Young Chaos’s waist.

“Pardon me, sir–would you be willing to allow an exchange, perhaps.”

“Hm?”

“Of the Sovereign’s Sword, for that one.”

The Young Chaos looked at me incredulously. My conscience pricked at me somewhat, but considering that it was my dongsaeng’s blade that hung in the balance, I braced myself and forged onward. 

“Given that it’s been less than a month since it was purchased, it should still be eligible for an exchange, wouldn’t you say, sir. It’s not as though it’s been dinged up at all either, right. So if it’s unable to be repaired, then would you allow us to exchange it at least, please? Don’t you have something like a quality guarantee, sir? In light of how ludicrously expensive it was, it should come with a warranty period of at least two years, with after-sales services included.”

“...truly, it’s been quite some time since I’ve been left at such a loss for words.”

“They say that ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do,’ sir–and around our parts, the A/S periods are quite lengthy. Especially where high-end goods are concerned. I’m willing to fork over more compensation for it if necessary as well, so–just this once. Please, sir? I beseech you, Elder.”

“This impertinent brat. Do you imagine that you would be able to purchase a blade I forged with such a measly amount of Points. Moreover–this sword is incapable of subjugating that thing.”

…tch. So it wouldn’t be possible, huh. Having run out of alternatives, I turned my gaze back to the head, its eye still fixated on us with a relentless stare.

“Then, I suppose we should at least make an attempt to talk to it first. You’ll assist us with that, correct, sir?”

“You mentioned a need for A/S, after all.”

The Young Chaos gave a somewhat curt nod in response. Then, he asked.

“And the Black Dragon’s Heart?”

“Come again, sir? Ah–I do still have it securely tucked away in my possession, in fact.”

“Seeing as you’ve yet to put it in, you may be able to convince it by utilizing that, I suppose. Though, that being said, I had expected you to have inserted it already.”

Crimson eyes looked back and forth between me and Yoohyunie. Yoohyunie tilted his head questioningly, as though asking what he meant. That’s, I’d meant to mention it earlier, but.

- - - - -

(1) 원맥자; still deciding on the term i want to settle on, but using ‘alpha’ (‘beginning’/prototype/progenitor) as placeholder

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m curious about the world as han yoohyun sees it. yoohyunie is a flame that’s taken on the appearance of a human, right, so i was wondering if the environment he sees when looking at the world with that gaze, is the same as what we would see as ordinary people. A) as his eyesight in itself is the same as a human’s, the environment he sees is the same. the difference lies, however, in how, whether looking at a person or a rock, his ‘feelings’ remain unchanged^^ he lacks aesthetic sense, nor does color, texture, etc. evoke any emotion(feelings) in him; but he is capable of distinguishing between those traits via the information he’s already learned(processed). only, he does have that knowledge gained through experience, but immediately applying it in a natural way is challenging. for example, when faced with a doll that has been crafted to be a completely identical replica of a real dog, he finds it difficult to distinguish whether it’s real or not. for living creatures, things like ‘breath’ or ‘temperature’ can be used to form the realization right away, but in the case of a recorded clip, even if the dog pointedly hasn’t moved in a very long time, he doesn’t think it strange. it can also be attributed in part to how, whether the dog is strange or not, he considered it no different from a worthless pebble. ‘even if he sees it, there’s no additional reaction to it’, is how you could see it. as a result, when he was younger, he would observe han yoojin’s behaviors and then imitate hyung, and it’s a practice that’s extended to this day. as he’d wanted to maintain the ‘self’ that he’d learned from han yoojin, after he became estranged from hyung, while the simple acquisition of knowledge happened, there wasn’t an instance where he’d emulate the behaviors of another. the only influence his close-combat fighting style received came from song taewon, though it was also that there wasn’t anything he had to learn from any of the other Hunters. after getting to cohabit with han yoojin, in pursuit of the family atmosphere hyung wants, bak yerim has been added as an observation subject.

+(Q&A)

(han yoohyun) sung hyunjae feels no emotions or interest towards han yoohyun. this is because he has gleaned the truth of han yoohyun’s special constitution(특성)–that the human charade he puts on is realized solely through han yoojin. as han yoohyun without han yoojin is simply an ‘organism’, the need to pay him any mind disappeared entirely. that is why, after the first half, he doesn’t even bother to antagonize(provoke) han yoohyun. as he doesn’t view han yoohyun as an independent entity, and considers han yoojin to be his master, when sung hyunjae initiates a conversation, etc., with han yoohyun, his conduct is no different from if he were interacting with han yoojin himself. in the beginning, he supposed that han yoojin ought to let go of han yoohyun so that he could return to being a ‘flame’; but at present, he’s now of the mind that han yoohyun is necessary for han yoojin’s mental stability. however, the kind of change of heart he might still show is uncertain.

+(Q&A)

Q) what in the world happened during the incident where yoojinie made yoohyunie cry when they were younger? A) at that time, what han yoohyun shed were crocodile tears. this was around the period he was giving his heart over to han yoojin, and by observing his surroundings (tv etc.), he had come to the conclusion that he could probably move hyung with his tears. only, he’d overlooked the possibility that, were he to start crying, his still-young hyung would also burst into tears from the shock ^^ it took a bit longer before he became capable of shedding genuine tears, and it’s only possible when han yoojin is involved. he does not even show involuntary tears, much less ones infused with emotion, if it’s not related to matters concerning han yoojin. as ‘fire,’ he is an entity who should have been fundamentally incapable of shedding tears to begin with.

+(Q&A)

A) what han yoohyun did when he was younger was akin to ‘copying’ han yoojin. as his status as a being of fire at his core remained unchanged, rather than produce his own emotions, what occurred would be by ‘receiving’ the emotion from his World, han yoojin, he would then mimic it himself. for han yoohyun, han yoojin is a difficult existence to understand from beginning to end, and the same applies to the emotions given to him by hyung. even so, han yoohyun accepted han yoojin, and began wanting to be with him. for a being of fire, that very moment can be defined as ‘the moment he fell in love’. it’s the moment that something originally impossible was accomplished, for the sake of another, after all^^ however, the general concept of ‘love’ is something that han yoohyun, even at the conclusion of the series, still finds difficult to comprehend.

+(Q&A)

Q) does water have a ‘fate’ that follows with its attribute too? i became curious after reading in the afterword that yerimie had the potential to grow to become akin to ‘pure’ water A) as fire is not a ‘characteristic’ compatible with living beings, initially, there were no corresponding ‘races’(species) that ‘embodied’ it; and even when they had emerged, they were considered exceedingly rare. however, though they don’t present nearly to the extent that it does in ‘fire’, the other attributes have ‘traits’ characteristic of themselves as well. ‘water’, while capable of being ‘vast(open)’(넓게 퍼지며) and ‘enveloping(enfolding)’ many within its embrace (감싸 안지만), simultaneously ‘crushes(pressurizes)’(내리누르기) as well. and the more powerful the water attribute, the greater the instinct to dominate(subjugate)(지배적인 성향) becomes. in addition, as they accumulate more strength, there are cases where they become agitated when confined to more enclosed spaces. there’s a high likelihood that a more grown bak yerim will look to move towards wider pastures^^

+(Q&A)

Q) irinie mentioned that fire shouldn’t be stifled, because it transforms when it’s suppressed; since the 24y.o. yoohyunie in the dungeon had not only changed from a black flame (흑염) to a black blood flame (흑혈염), but also became instilled with poison, even after reconciling with yoojinie, would he be able to recover his blue fire (청염) still? A) as drawing forth one’s own natural affinity is a difficult task in itself, no matter which han yoohyun, so long as a han yoojin with a caretaker title is not by his side, even after rising to the rank of a transcendent, he would only be able to earn his blue fire after a very long period of development. however, as the flame would have died out before long without han yoojin becoming his world, consequently, that outcome is effectively an impossibility ^^ the reason the primordial fire was incapable of finding a fire to succeed it for that long period of time, was for a similar reason. the closer it is to being a ‘pure’ flame, the more likely it is to be snuffed out before properly maturing. as the han yoohyun(24) within the dungeon has han yoojin(29) by his side, he is capable of fostering blue flames. however, as the han yoojin within the dungeon has the lesser ‘caretaker’ title, the effect will be far diminished than that of han yoojin(25)’s, so it won’t be an easy task. because of that, rather than erasing the black blood fire to revert to a blue fire, there’s a higher likelihood that they(2429) will choose to mature the black blood fire further instead.

+(Q&A)

흑룡의 심장 (1)

The Young Chaos. Although the moniker may have been unbefitting of his current appearance; a pure white blade was held in his grip. I could hazily make out the black dragon’s body crouching down. Despite being impressively tall, with broad shoulders and a strong back, Chaos still appeared diminutive compared to the dragon that towered over him. Beyond being seen as slight, to the point of almost seeming fragile. But even then, it didn’t feel as though he felt hard-pressed by his opponent at all.

Rather, the reverse appeared to be the case. The black dragon staggered backwards, seemingly repelled by an invisible force that overpowered even its own oppressive aura. Meanwhile, Chaos stood relaxed, as leisurely as though he had simply stepped outside for a walk, with no trace of nervousness to be found in his stance.

“...Yoohyun-ah.”

I turned my body slightly, shifting out of the protective embrace I’d caged my dongsaeng in. So that Yoohyunie would be able to witness the sight unfolding before us.

“Make sure you get a good look.”

“...hyung.”

“If it’s difficult for your eyes to focus, then concentrate your mind instead, and engrave it into your memory through your body. The power of a being beyond this world, unshackled from any restraints.”

A threshold that Yoohyunie should one day be able to cross, unlike me. Simply being able to experience that power should prove useful to him, though he might be far away from achieving it yet. Whether it was because it could serve as a blueprint, or that it worked to spark his aspirations. Of course, there was the possibility that it might simply cause him to feel cowed instead; but my dongsaeng wasn’t that weak. And even in the case that it did make him flinch back, I just had to help him up again. Over and over, as many times as he required.

Supported by my body, Yoohyunie managed to prop himself up from where he’d been leaning against me. The color in his face has almost returned back to normal as well. All this, when he didn’t even have Fear Resistance the way I did; he really was truly commendable.

“Hyung, are you alright?”

“What d’you think.”

Even if my condition had improved slightly, it still felt as though I had a noose pulling tight around my throat. Because of the knowledge that, with a single slip, I might lose my dongsaeng once again, above all. The only thing driving me to grit my teeth and hold fast was the understanding that, if I were to let my fear consume me at this juncture and give up, it actually would be the end.

- Krrrrrrr.

A threatening growl reverberated out as the dragon’s maw opened. Unconsciously, I tightened my grip on Yoohyunie again. Beyond a row of teeth and tongue, the endless black pit of its throat became exposed. 

Gales of wind rushed together, and coalesced into a dense ball within the canal; then, in a single breath–was expelled in a single breath. 

콰과과과–!!

The waters of the lake, once filled to the brim, evaporated in a flash. An instantaneous vaporization, that didn’t even permit steam to form. Despite not having been touched by that power, my entire being trembled. It was an attack that neither of us would have been able to withstand for even a moment, without the shadow of a doubt.

But it had no effect on the man standing before it at all.

스르륵, in the face of a dragon’s breath that obliterated everything in its path, a hand wielding a snow-white sword shifted. Gravity drew the draped sleeve back. In the same manner one might use a rod to playfully toy with a kitten–gently, lightly, the flourish of a blade rose to meet a blast of heat bearing dreadful, tremendous force.

구구궁–

A thunderous sound filled the air, like the heavy percussion of thousands of drums. My chest squeezed, stifling my ability to breathe. Fighting against the intense urge to block both my ears and eyes, I forced myself to look straight ahead.

How could it possibly be described as a simple ‘wielding of magical energy,’ what had just transpired. The pure white blade, which had initially appeared to be a simple ‘shield’ brought up against the torrential wave of pitch black energy rushing forward, had somehow transformed into a towering mountain that came crashing down. With a single sweep of the blade, the ruined landscape surrounding us had been petrified completely, the molten carnage now frozen in place.

Following the movement of his arm, the sleeve of his garment slipped back down past his wrist as the snow-white blade completed its circuit. A faint light traversed across the length of the naked edge.

“I recall you gave me quite some trouble, back then.”

Chaos spoke as he walked forward, footsteps as light as though engaged in a dance.

“Mind, it’s worth noting I’d been a callow youth yet. And ‘twas a sweltering land, where both ground and sky boiled over with heat.”

But at present, well. Although I was unable to see his face to verify it myself, he continued on in a voice that clearly conveyed a smile. 

“You certainly resemble a common lizard.”

Chaos’s form vanished. But it didn’t seem to be the work of a Skill. My eyes were simply incapable of keeping up with the speed at which he’d moved. Then, suddenly–a black shape reappeared in my disoriented field of view. The enormous head, which had loomed so high above that it seemed it might graze the sun, 쿵!,  abruptly crashed down to the ground. A shattered horn was flung away, broken off in the commotion of movement, and was buried deep in the earth.

Without any ado, the dragon had summarily been beheaded.

Yet, the dragon’s body still showed signs of movement. As though engaging in a last-ditch struggle, vast wings unfurled, kicking up buffeting winds that extended to even where we were.

“Ugk!”

I hastily wrapped myself around Yoohyunie and threw up a shield, but it was about as effective as holding up a leaf. As my shield was shattered into tiny pieces, Yoohyunie swiftly enveloped us in his Coat to protect me in turn. But even the Coat, which was reinforced with multiple overlapping defensive properties, was unable to withstand even the gusts that had been generated as a byproduct. As though we’d been dealt a powerful blow, the two of us slid across the ground, our limbs entangling together; I urgently cast a healing Skill on my dongsaeng. 

“Ugh… Yoohyun-ah, are you alri–”

콰르르릉!

Before we could even pick our bodies back up, the ground shook once again. The sky lit up with the flash of ten thousand lightning strikes, then began to dim. Just a moment before, the sun had been high up in the sky; yet now, the heavens had turned pitch black. The acrid scent of smoke saturated the air, as did the metallic tang of blood. It felt as though we were weaponless civilians that had been dropped in the middle of a battlefield, while bombs went off all around us.

Engulfed in a veritable tempest that we could barely hope to withstand, my dongsaeng hauled us upright, propping me up with his own body. The hem of his Coat fluttered violently as the storm continued to rage around us. Blood and dirt covered us from head to toe, and our hair was as disarrayed as could be. It wouldn’t have been a stretch to say that we resembled refugees; but already, Yoohyunie had recovered the same level of composure he normally displayed.

Steady eyes gazed out at the landscape that had been gorged open and savaged by molten flames. After a pause to bite down on his lip, he spoke.

“It’s terrifying to behold, after all.”

“Yoohyun-ah.”

“It’s impossible for me to keep hyung safe, in the face of an adversary like that.”

But even as he made such an objective assessment, there was no hint of resignation to be found in his voice. He was acutely aware of how powerless he was at present; but even then, I instinctively sensed that my dongsaeng wouldn’t hesitate to step forward to protect me from harm, to the bitter end. 

“...I’m saying this just in case, don’t ever think that it’s because you’re lacking. It’s the result of a gap created by time, and the experience it brings. You’re absolutely strong in your own right, and you’ll even become powerful enough to stand on level ground with those beings. One day.”

Yoohyunie gave a small nod. But though I had reassured him out loud, a sense of hopelessness did pervade me. Not regarding Yoohyunie, but around my own affairs. Chatterbox might not have been able to barge in unchecked with his original strength, but goddammit. He was really playing dirty, setting up this sort of extreme ‘lightweight versus heavyweight’ scenario in a bid at revenge.

The ground trembled once more, and the sky thrashed wildly, as though it meant to collapse. And the ‘earthquake’ was far from being an ordinary one; it shook the very fabric of the dimension we were in, causing us to lose our footing and pitching us back to the ground. A thick murderous intent washed over us, cloying enough to cause my skin to prickle in pain, and then–.

It became quiet.

Light dawned in the sky, like the heavens had been washed anew; and from somewhere far off, the clear, sweet sound of running water could be heard. The wicked pressure that had been pressing on us from all sides, as well as the magical power that had tossed both sky and earth into turmoil, had suddenly disappeared. 

Did it mean that the encounter was over, then. As I finally let out a ragged breath, having struggled to breathe all the while, I sensed a presence approaching. Making an easy leap over a jutting section of earth, someone strode over to where we were. Naturally, I expected to be greeted by the Young Chaos, but.

“Huh?”

It was a young child. His previous appearance nowhere to be seen; and instead, this form was swimming in the sleeves of a loose robe clutched tight, just like the first time I’d met him. And in the same way as before, his features bore an uncanny similarity to Yoohyunie’s face from when he had been younger. 

“...that person.”

Having caught sight of the Young Chaos’s appearance, Yoohyunie gaze swung back towards me.

“Hyung’s still really attached to how I looked as a child, huh.”

Yoohyunie observed, his tone clearly implying that ‘he must appear that way as a result of my influence, of course.’ 

“That’s not, I mean.”

I was pretty attached to it, yes, but… Objectively speaking, he really was adorable, though, in truth. Shouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t feel that way, right. While I was preoccupied, the Young Chaos had almost reached us with rapid steps. When I opened my mouth to convey my thanks, before anything else–

“Ack!”

A tiny hand snatched up my ear in a vice grip. And then, it gave my ear a sharp twist.

“Hyung!”

“Hurts! It hurts! Please, sir, let g–, ack!”

All he had done was give my ear a little tweak, but it still smarted enough to cause tears well up in my eyes. Instinctively, I tugged at Chaos’s arm to try and pry him away, but I couldn’t get him to budge even an inch. It was like trying to tear apart a lump of iron. Flustered, Yoohyunie reached out a hand to try and rescue me. But even before he could get close, 툭, the white sword, still inside its scabbard, smacked Yoohyunie’s hand away. 

Eyes narrowed in a glare, the Young Chaos looked at me and snapped.

“Eager to throw your life away, are you.”

“That’s, ack!”

“Hyung! Ugk!”

This time, as Yoohyunie attempted to intervene again, the white scabbard jabbed sharply into my dongsaeng’s side. On the surface, it seemed as though the ‘attack’ would have barely left a bruise; yet, it caused Yoohyunie to double over immediately, his body dropping to the floor.

“How dare you, ugh, lay your hands on someone else’s dongsaeng! Ack, I said that it hurts!”

“Here you are, throwing around Skills you hardly even grasp how to use, for someone who’s supposedly protecting his dongsaeng.”

“That’s not, ugh, hold on……!”

It hurt, it really hurt! Real tears spilled down my face. And even when I went to try and use my Skills, for whatever reason, my magical energy refused to respond. All I could do was struggle ineffectually while stooped over, forced to hunker down by an adversary much shorter than myself.

“...hyuh-, hyung!”

As though he had been struck with a paralyzing agent, Yoohyunie watched helplessly with distress clear in his face, barely managing to hold his head upright. My dongsaeng shouted at him to let me go, but the Young Chaos didn’t even pretend to have heard him.

“That thing would not have been allowed in here, had you not drawn my blade.”

“Ngk, it was my fau–, guh, I was the, ack! Ah, ah!”

“As it appears you cannot be trusted to refrain from using such artifacts, discard any objects of similarly dubious origin.”

“U-understood, sir!”

My ear was finally released after several more heartfelt entreaties of repentance. When I fell to the ground, a hand wrapped around my poor throbbing ear, Yoohyunie rushed over to pull me into his arms and glared at the Young Chaos.

“Are you alright? Does it hurt a lot?”

“I’m oka..y. Ugh… Just what exactly did you do, sir, to make it so that having an ear twisted feels even more painful than being stuck with a knife?”

I liked to think I had a fairly high pain tolerance, but it really had been no joke. And it was a different sort of pain than the kind that made you feel as though your life was at risk. It almost felt like the idea that ‘you’re in pain’ was being forcefully crammed into your head. Like I’d been put under a kind of hypnosis that had put me in a state where ‘all that’s happening is that your ear is being twisted, but it’ll feel like you’re experiencing an excruciating amount of pain.’

“...in any case, thank you, sir. For your assistance.”

I eventually said, roughly wiping away my tears. Additionally, I endeavored to pacify Yoohyunie, who was still incredibly upset, as well.

“This is the gentleman who provided me with your sword, okay. You can’t fight him. And he just saved us too, besides.”

And even if you tried, you probably wouldn’t be able to lift a finger against him right now, anyway. My ear, which had been aching fit to fall right off, presently returned to normal. Climbing back to my feet, I looked at the youth who resembled Yoohyunie.

“You were an adult just a little while ago, sir, so I’m curious as to why you seem to have reverted back to this form.”

“It is a curse, of a sort.”

“Even so–there’s little reason for you to take on my dongsaeng’s appearance, I should think, sir. Particularly when we’re not even in the real world.”

Hearing my words, the Young Chaos hiked up his brows.

“This is my own appearance.”

“...come again, sir?”

“It is your own prejudice coloring your perception, biased as you are as a result of the mind dimension Skill. Look closely once more.”

Inwardly repeating ‘the Young Chaos doesn’t look like my dongsaeng’ like a mantra, I closed my eyes then opened them again. Hmm… He still looked awfully similar to him, though. His eyes had always been crimson, but the locks of his hair were a smidge less curlier. A slight difference in the overall structure of their faces; and was he maybe a little bit shorter? Though in his adult form, he had appeared to be taller than Yoohyunie.

“I don’t seem to see a huge difference, though, sir. Do you happen to take after my dongsaeng, perhaps?”

“It is your dongsaeng who takes after me.”

Saying so, he looked at Yoohyunie.

“Though I’m more handsome, of course.”

The hell. After observing Yoohyunie for a moment, Chaos tilted his head. Because he resembled Yoohyunie all the same, the gesture looked adorable, despite myself.

“How curious.”

“What–”

Chaos’s form disappeared. Nearly simultaneously, I heard Yoohyunie let out a low cry. When I frantically whipped my head around, I witnessed the youth brusquely grab Yoohyunie by the neck and then slam him down to the ground.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

This fake-young old geezer! Blinded by urgency, I lunged at him with just my bare hands. But before I could even properly move, 찰싹, the belt of his robe whipped out to strike my hand. Just like before, the pain was intense enough to wring out a cry from me. Fighting against the way my body instinctively moved to curl in on itself, I reached out to grab hold of the belt. Chaos, who had been gazing down at Yoohyunie where he was pinned prone, turned to glance back at me.

“Ho, this young punk.”

He smiled, for some inscrutable reason; then, in a flash, he had wrapped his belt around my wrists. Making two or so loops before I could even think about struggling, I suddenly found that my hands had been tightly bound together. I couldn’t even begin to process what had just happened.

“I’ve no intention of harming your hyung.”

Releasing Yoohyunie from his grip, the Young Chaos rose up and casually nudged me. As I sat down heavily on the ground, unable to keep my balance, he instructed me to ‘stay put’ and turned his gaze back towards Yoohyunie. Pushing himself up, Yoohyunie met his eyes. I could see the clear imprints of a hand left on my dongsaeng’s throat.

“Just as I’d thought.”

With that brief remark, the youth lunged. Moving at a speed that was still impossible to follow, he swung his longsword, still sheathed in its scabbard. Yoohyunie’s arm shot out just in time to narrowly block the blade aimed at his heart, but.

Slam!

“Yoohyun-ah!”

Despite the guard he’d put up, Yoohyunie’s body was thrown directly airborne; he was flung a good ten or so meters away before he crashed down into the ground, hitting the floor heavily.

“Hey! Cut that shit out!”

What did this senile old fart think he was doing to someone else’s kid! Clumsily, I used a teleportation Skill while still sitting on the ground. The moment I appeared at Yoohyunie’s side, though, Chaos was already aiming a kick my way. In terms of force, it was more of a love tap, rather than a full-on attack; but with that being said, how the hell had he managed to maneuver even faster than teleportation.

As I was sent rolling across the ground, suddenly–스르릉, the hair-raising sound of a sword scraping against its scabbard reached my ears. He’d unsheathed his blade. S-shit, this crazy fucker, just what was he planning on doing!

“You deranged bastard! If anything happens to my dongsaeng, just know you’ll be killing me too!”

“Watch your tongue.”

Tsk, with the sound of a tongue clicking, the rope belt binding my wrists together was cleanly sliced away. When I hurriedly pushed myself upright, I could see Yoohyunie sitting on the ground. He didn’t seem to have sustained any major injuries, but there was a bright crimson line drawn against his neck. The traces of a blade wound. Rushing over to my dongsaeng, I planted myself in front of him.

“Let’s talk this out instead, sir, alright! What exactly is the issue here!”

“Rather than there being an issue.”

Returning his sword to his waist, the Young Chaos glanced up at me.

“I’m quite curious as to how you’ve managed to compel something that isn’t human to play at being so.”

“...sir?”

“I mean that dongsaeng of yours, of course.”

…reflexively, my face twisted into a deep sneer. So you weren’t even going to pretend to consider another person’s precious dongsaeng as being human now, huh.

- - - - -

+(Q&A)

Q) in the webtoon, the scenario is portrayed that, in that D-rank Dungeon at the beginning, following a fairly harsh verbal altercation, han yoojin decides he would rather be the one to die to the lauchitas; in the original text, the scene that the first chapter opens on, han yoohyun’s death pov–would it be alright to ask after what you thought that meeting between the brothers would’ve been like, in the Dungeon? is it similar to what happened in the webtoon? A) it’s similar ^^ in the novel, he never attempted to die, but if han yoojin at that time thought that han yoohyun might be safe so long as he wasn’t there, he probably wouldn’t have hesitated to kill himself. the han yoojin pre-regression is a character that tried to stay alive no matter what, but because the biggest reason for that was han yoohyun, so long as his dongsaeng’s life was at stake, he probably would’ve given up all that more easily.

+(Q&A)

Q) how did the elder come to be called not simply <chaos>, but specifically <‘young’ chaos>? A) chaos was unbridled from the first, when he became a transcendent, and ran unchecked. he was a terrifying newcomer, in a number of ways^^ it is both a reference to how he was the youngest of the transcendents at the time, as well as commentary on his ‘youthful impudence,’ re:how, even after rising to the rank of a transcendent, he never hesitated to raise his blade to meet any who challenged him, regardless of their position relative to him in the hierarchy. yet–in the end, the young chaos ultimately became one of the few Transcendents who models what a proper adult should be like, and displays an insightful capacity for true wisdom.

+(Q&A)

Q) when yoohyunie was young–perhaps, because of his lovely appearance, was he ever stopped on the streets by a modeling/talent scout (street casting)? A) they noticed him from afar and began to approach him, but upon observing him from a closer distance, experienced an uneasy feeling that caused them to turn back around. even then, he did receive several offers, but han yoojin turned all of them down. if han yoohyun wanted to go into the entertainment industry, then it would be better to do so after he graduated high school, he said. of course, han yoohyun had zero interest ^^

+(Q&A)

Q) i’m aware that he takes after the young chaos due to the primordial fire’s influence, but does that mean han yoohyun doesn’t outwardly resemble his parents or other relatives? A) because the ones who made the physical vessel for him do exert some influence, it can be thought of as ‘young chaos + han brothers’ parents,’ roughly speaking. when han yoohyun had just been born, he resembled the parents a bit more; but as he grew and his fire attribute became stronger, he began to resemble the primordial fire and the young chaos further. however, the parents’ influence does remain, so that’s why he still hears things like how he’s ‘different from han yoojin, but still bears some similarities, as befitting of brothers’ ^^ part of it can be attributed to the fact that, as the young chaos’s race bears close similarities to east asians, he ended up growing to resembling him even more. if the species or race had been completely different, then he probably wouldn’t have resembled the young chaos as much as he does at present.

+(Q&A)

Q) irinie mentioned that fire shouldn’t be stifled, because it transforms when it’s suppressed; since the 24y.o. yoohyunie in the dungeon had not only changed from a black flame (흑염) to a black blood flame (흑혈염), but also became instilled with poison, even after reconciling with yoojinie, would he be able to recover his blue fire (청염) still? A) as drawing forth one’s own natural affinity is a difficult task in itself, no matter which han yoohyun, so long as a han yoojin with a caretaker title is not by his side, even after rising to the rank of a transcendent, he would only be able to earn his blue fire after a very long period of development. however, as the flame would have died out before long without han yoojin becoming his world, consequently, that outcome is effectively an impossibility ^^ the reason the primordial fire was incapable of finding a fire to succeed it for that long period of time, was for a similar reason. the closer it is to being a ‘pure’ flame, the more likely it is to be snuffed out before properly maturing. as the han yoohyun(24) within the dungeon has han yoojin(29) by his side, he is capable of fostering blue flames. however, as the han yoojin within the dungeon has the lesser ‘caretaker’ title, the effect is far more diminished than that of han yoojin(25)’s, so it won’t be an easy task. because of that, rather than forfeiting the black blood fire to revert to a blue fire, there’s a higher likelihood that they(2429) will choose to develop the black blood fire further instead.

+(Q&A)

Q) what were some of the things that you thought were important, when writing an entity that’s far from being human? A) (about han yoohyun) only, as han yoohyun isn’t ‘a lifeform concerned about continued survival(self-preservation),’ he’s an outlier even among the non-human entities ^^ in polar opposite to the ones mentioned above, his natural disposition is to completely disregard the surrounding environment. the sole exception for that flame was han yoojin, and accordingly, han yoohyun only experiences change through han yoojin. no other environmental factors or beings are capable of influencing him.

+(Q&A)

Q) considering that, aside from han yoojin, seok shimyoung was at han yoohyun’s side for a very long time–then, does he have an understanding re:han yoohyun’s original nature, to an extent? A) seok shimyoung considers han yoohyun to be an entity beyond comprehension. from when they had first met, he’d quickly picked up on the fact that han yoohyun’s social sensibilities were less ‘human’, and closer to being a different ‘sort’ altogether; and having judged that, rather than attempting to teach and change han yoohyun, it would be more efficient to leverage that point instead, he structured haeyeon guild to follow after its guild leader. though he does not understand han yoohyun’s true nature, he registers him as a being with the prerogative to move differently from ordinary humans. of course, had han yoohyun attempted to incinerate everything the way his original nature had dictated, then seok shimyoung, too, would have rejected him, and viewed him as a threat; but, as han yoohyun was able to at least mimic basic social conventions through han yoojin’s influence, seok shimyoung thought that that much would suffice. as he’s the kind of person who puts little stock in the true nature of humans, even–rather than a human who would make a blunder of things, it’s his opinion that the intelligent monster who knows how to pretend to be human is the better alternative ^^ only, due to this, he misjudged the weight of the value that han yoojin’s existence holds to han yoohyun. if seok shimyoung had been able to understand han yoohyun a little better, then things would probably have been considerably different, whether for good or ill.

+(Q&A)

잠깐 나왔다 올게 (1)

A dark blade sliced through the smoke that had filled the entirety of the parking garage with ruthless force. As the black sword curved down with an unpredictable trajectory, an illuminating golden chain jumped out to meet its edge. 카강, sparks scattered as metal screeched shrilly against metal.

“Yoohyun-ah!”

Activating my Teacher Skill on Peace, I called out to my dongsaeng. Yah, you shouldn’t be doing something like that inside here! But Yoohyunie didn’t seem to be harboring any thoughts of backing down. The Sovereign’s Sword scraped against the Seeker’s Chains, writhing like a living being. The Seeker’s Chains was an SS-rank Item, but so was the Sovereign’s Sword. And though they might have been Items of the same rank, their weapon classes were different. Thus, when the honed edge of a blade clashed with the flat links of a chain. 

Crack!

It was only natural that the chain would inevitably bear the brunt of the encounter. As it was violently struck by the dark blade, a faint break appeared in the golden chains. Then, with the tinkling noise of shattering glass, one of the interconnected links crumbled into pieces.

Golden debris scattered into the air, and the Sovereign’s Sword zeroed in on the owner of the chain with vicious intent. But as soon as the link had shattered, Sung Hyunjae had swiftly retreated. The black blade smashed down on the spot where he’d been standing a moment before instead, causing the ground beneath to cave in as though a bomb had gone off.

“Do calm yourself, young master.”

The chains, now split into two sections, attempted to close in on Yohyunie. Immediately dropping down to one knee, Yoohyunie raised the obsidian sword above his head, brandishing it like a whip. The chains that had been diving down at him became entangled against the Sovereign’s Sword. Simultaneously, a dark blue fire blossomed into being at Yoohyunie’s other hand. A lance made of flames hurtled towards Sung Hyunjae.

“Shut up.”

The Sillekia’s Wings–a coat with fire-resistance properties–twirled, brandished like a matador’s cape. The fabric of the coat billowed up as though it might tear as it wrapped around to receive the lance; but at the very last minute, the flames were the first to subside.

“First at Seseung Guild, then at the hospital, and now, even in front of our very home. Why should I be expected to turn a blind eye as you continue to threaten hyung.”

Yoohyunie’s voice was frigid. Had something happened back at the hospital? Regardless–as though demonstrating his unwillingness to let the matter slide this time around, scorching flames began to dance into being around Yoohyunie. Hey, wait!

“Yoohyun-ah! We’re at hyung’s place! Hyung’s building!”

And we were in the underground parking garage, no less. With a single stray move, the entire building might be brought down on us in a truly unfortunate accident. At my desperate shout, Yoohyunie flinched, killing intent faltering. 

“...we could buy a new one.”

“Nuh-uh. Besides, there’s a ton of un-Awakened people working in the lab!”

To be honest, as long as they were all immediately evacuated, it would be fine; but there was no sense in wasting money, in any case. With an air of resignation, Yoohyunie recalled the blade that had been intertwined with the chains. Clinking back together into a single entity, the Seeker’s Chains returned to its owner as well. Placing both the Seeker’s Chains and the Sillekia’s Wings away into his inventory, Sung Hyunjae turned to regard the pile of wreckage his car had been reduced to.

“My, what a pity–particularly considering I’d had ‘those’ things onboard.”

He tutted, his tone wistful. By ‘those’ things, did he perhaps mean…….

“...and what might ‘those’ things you’re referring to be, sir.”

“Vanilla mille-feuille, coconut panna cotta, sachertorte, macarons and chocolate truffles, lemon mousse–”

“Don’t come near hyung.”

Yoohyunie responded icily, pressing himself against my side. Was he planning on setting up a dessert shop in his car, or what. At the mention of ‘lemon,’ saliva had begun to gather in my mouth. My nose twitched as I unconsciously sniffed the air, but there was only the acrid stench of smoke, and no trace of sweetness to be found in the parking garage.

I might have felt just a teeny bit regretful.

“A suspicious individual appears to have surfaced near our young Han Yoojin.”

Hearing Sung Hyunjae’s words, Yoohyunie’s fierce scowl smoothed out somewhat. He still seemed to be agitated, but that didn’t mean he would simply dismiss a potentially pertinent remark when he heard it.

“That has not happened, to my knowledge–and so, I would like to ask your reasoning for such a deduction.”(1)

“His behavior is off.”

Yoohyunie turned to look at me. Why, what about me.

“I’m perfectly alright.”

“He appears wary of me. And has actively avoided myself, in addition.”

“What, so you expect me to always be overjoyed by your presence, sir? Are you under the impression that I like you, perhaps? Is that why you presume I should answer ‘yes sir, I’d be glad to~ I’ve been waiting all this time for you, sir’ when you suddenly appear without warning, and order me to have lunch with you–because of that conceited sense of self-importance.”

Even though your looks might warrant such overinflated confidence. His lips pressed tightly together, Yoohyunie looked back and forth between me and Sung Hyunjae, a deeply contemplative look on his face.

“...hyung.”

“Hm?”

“Not that I ever wanted to say something to this effect, but–it’s true that hyung does think fondly of that bastard, even if it’s only by the tiniest of margins.”

“Our association only extends to business relations.”

“I’m glad to see you shun the Seseung Guild Leader, of course, but the sudden difference in attitude is odd, nevertheless. How do you feel about other people? About me?”

“You’re my darling dongsaeng, whom I love, of course.”

Yoohyunie appeared to give this new piece of information profound consideration. His current condition certainly seems preferable, he murmured faintly under his breath. But Yoohyunie’s expression soon grew stiff, hearing what Sung Hyunjae said next.

“When he ventured out to the parking garage, he was unescorted by neither Peace nor Noah.”

“Hyung, what on earth happened.”

“...nothing happened.”

“It appears he’s been made to feel subconsciously mistrustful of those around him, particularly the S-rank Awakened. The most likely intention for such an act being to render him easier to abduct, in all likelihood.”

Yoohyunie’s expression turned grim. 

“Is it your opinion that a mind-conditioning Skill was used?”

“The chances are high. Though I confess I’m unable to guess how it might have been applied. But as young Han Yoojin’s stats are at a mere F-rank, I’d venture to guess he may have proved easy enough prey.”

“Hyung, are you absolutely certain that nothing strange has happened recently? Really think about it.”

But even when I rummaged through my memories in accordance with my dongsaeng’s urging, there was nothing that stood out to me. A mind-conditioning Skill, huh. It didn’t feel that way at all to me, but when even Yoohyunie appeared to be corroborating what Sung Hyunjae had said, it seemed like it might truly be the case.

“...if I really did get caught up in something, then they probably arranged it so I’d be incapable of attaining awareness of it. But even if my stats are low, cognition-altering Skills don’t just take root that easily. The casting conditions tend to be stringent, and being face-to-face during the application process is an almost guaranteed requirement. Maybe it happened when I was at the broadcasting station?”

It would have been easiest for an unfamiliar person to approach me in an environment like the broadcasting station, after all. Although that had been quite a while ago. Or perhaps it had been at the airport, when I’d gone out to meet Yerimie. But that place had been pretty tightly locked down personnel-wise, in light of existing security protocols. 

“As his condition appeared to be sound at the time of his request for ‘the goods,’ this development should have been fairly recent.”

“Since hyung’s phone call with the Seseung Guild Leader took place on the day Bak Yerim flew back into Korea…….”

“It would have been at the Rearing Facility, or perhaps this very building.”

Sung Hyunjae concluded. Following the Dungeon visit with Yerimie, we’d gone to the aquarium with Yoohyunie, but no one had approached me then. We’d spent an extra amount of time watching the beavers and manatees, sure, but it was way too ludicrous to think that any of them could’ve used a mind-conditioning Skill on me. And other than that, I hadn’t ventured outside the Rearing Facility or the company building at all.

“...hyung, I’ll take a look through the visitor logs.”

“We shall need to verify young Han Yoojin’s call records as well.”

“And I’m honestly reluctant to suggest this myself, but I’d like to submit that I may be better off being confined for the time being, too.”

I said, furtively raising a hand.

“Since it extends so far that I appear to be incapable of disclosing the events that had transpired, or who I might have met with, I imagine there’s a possibility that I may attempt to walk outside ‘of my own volition.’ I should be locked up at home and prevented from leaving, and in the event that I need to go outside, I should always be accompanied by someone else.”

“You make a good point, hyung. That sounds prudent.”

As Yoohyunie nodded his head in agreement, Sung Hyunjae stepped closer.

“Might I propose that you consider residing elsewhere for a while as well, lad.”

“What–are you possibly suggesting that I consider staying at your place, sir?”

I backed up a step. Why was he getting so close, unnervingly. I heard a brief crinkling sound, and then something was pushed into my mouth. Yoohyunie swiftly jerked me away into a protective embrace. 

“Why did you take that?”

“I… that’s, it was reflexive.”

There was something contained inside the piece of chocolate. A lemon cream, perhaps. But more importantly, I found myself at a loss regarding my own behavior. Why had I voluntarily eaten something Sung Hyunjae had given me, with what confidence. My face contorted in a scowl, I glowered up at Sung Hyunjae. A light smile rested on his lips.

“You seem to have forgotten, Han Yoojin, my dear boy. But we held at least this degree of faith between us, you and I.”

“‘Faith’ that you wouldn’t resort to poisoning the chocolate, do you mean, sir? You already know of my poison resistance, regardless.”

“And yet, it would be but a small matter for myself to acquire drugs that could bypass your poison resistance, as you’re also aware.”

Well… Yeah, that was true. Even so, there probably weren’t very many alternative options capable of inflicting the same level of harm, in any case. Sung Hyunjae took a step backwards. And then, he affected an exaggeratedly mournful expression.

“Unfortunately, it seems I’ve no choice but to postpone my housewarming party until the pest has been addressed.”

…what would be the point of postponing it. You were going to leave Korea in short order, regardless. And once he’d properly left the country, it was uncertain when he would return, if ever. He’d hardly ever shown his face again after leaving Korea to Kang Soyoung pre-Regression, after all.

This really would be the last few times we ever interacted, I supposed. Not that he was someone I’d been planning on becoming acquainted with him in the first place, mind.

“I shall leave young Han Yoojin in your care then, young master.”

“I should hardly think I need to hear that from you.”

Sung Hyunjae gave me one last look, then turned away. Was he planning on catching a taxi back, since his car was no longer operable. Since his phone was still in pristine condition, he could just place a call and have himself be picked up, I supposed. Well, he’d probably figure it out on his own. It wasn’t anything I needed to concern myself with–but perhaps because a hint of lemon still lingered in my mouth, my gaze couldn’t help but fixate on the bastard’s retreating back.

- - -

“I did consider the possibility of a day like this arriving, but.”

Myungwoo regarded me with a complicated expression.

“I never thought the request would come in from you, Yoojin-ah.”

“...who did you think would place the request, then?”

“Your dongsaeng or Section Chief Song-nim, or the Seseung Guild Leader.”

A long length of rope draped down from Myungwoo’s hand as he answered. A locking mechanism was attached to either end of the rope. It really brought back memories of my time at Solemnis. How might Sigma be doing, I wondered.

“Or a nation teetering on the brink of war, maybe.”

“You didn’t already have it made in advance, right?”

It was a tiny bit suspicious, how he’d arrived almost instantly with what I’d requested, as soon as I’d placed the call. Of course not, Myungwoo replied, a smile on his face.

“Its durability isn’t very high. Considering that you have an S-rank gun, it should be fairly easy for you to sever it, if called for.”

“I gave the gun to Yoohyunie.”

As it had been configured to be usable only by me, he wouldn’t be able to operate it himself, but it didn’t mean it couldn’t be taken away. We’d decided that it should be confiscated for the duration of time I was at home, just in case.

“That so? It’s not so fragile that you’d be able to rip it apart with your bare hands, unless your stats are at least B-rank level. It’ll expand up to a length of thirty meters in accordance with your movements, and it’s set to immediately trigger an alarm if it somehow comes undone without the use of a designated key, or if it’s severed in any way. The wearer’s location is also transmitted on a ten-minute timer.”

At some point, it had been suggested that I temporarily relocate elsewhere from my home at the Rearing Facility–but the Rearing Facility was fairly secure, all things considered. It was designed to keep anyone from easily breaking in, after all, even if they were an S-rank Hunter. So, as long as I didn’t try to walk outside on my own, I would be safely protected at home.

“But I don’t want to leave hyung’s side…….”

“I can afford to skip a few days of school too, sir.”

Said Yoohyunie and Yerimie. I understand how you guys feel, but.

“You’re a guild leader, Yoohyun-ah. You can’t miss out on work indefinitely, when we don’t know how long it’ll last. And you shouldn’t be playing hooky, Yerim-ah.”

“Yoojin-ssi, I’m neither a guild leader nor a student, sir.”

“I’m afraid we can’t leave the research lab unattended either, as it stands. It may turn out that they’re actually after that department instead of myself, after all.”

There was a real possibility that the culprits were targeting either the research lab or the smithy instead, by using the uproar over my situation as a red herring to redirect our attention. 

“And as we’re unable to determine the identity of the interloper, it’s a matter of vital importance to monitor the outside of the home, rather than the inside. We’ll be counting on you, Noah-ssi.”

“Yes, sir.”

Though he seemed faintly disappointed, Noah nodded in acquiesce. We’d reviewed the CCTV footage of both the Rearing Facility and company building and interrogated the security personnel as well, but no leads had turned up. An unknown number had been discovered in my call logs, but it had belonged to an untraceable burner phone. And the visitor logs had been wiped clean as well.

Therefore, the only option available to us was to increase surveillance on those who went in and out of the Rearing Facility and company building, and profile them one by one.

“Whoever it is seems to be capable of bypassing even A-rank guards. Therefore, it may be the case that the person in question is an S-rank Hunter.”

“I’ll make sure to keep my eyes firmly peeled, sir.”

Noah replied fiercely, burning with resolve. Just who in the world could have managed to slip into the Rearing Facility undetected, to approach me so. It was probably a high-ranked Hunter, in all likelihood–but seeing as they’d refrained from simply taking off with me, perhaps an abduction wasn’t their ultimate goal.

“Around the ankle should be fine, right?”

Myungwoo asked, unclasping the locking mechanism attached to the cord. It had been decided that the key-cum-alarm devices that worked with the Item would be given to three people: Yoohyunie, Yerimie, and Noah. Thinking about how I’d have to live for the next however long with a shackle attached to my ankle was a bit saddening. At least it felt light and comfortable, as expected of an Item made by Myungwoo.

“Here–your cell phone.”

Yoohyunie held out a new cell phone. In addition to possessing a location tracking feature, the phone line was wiretapped as well. I could only pray that the ‘pest’ would be caught posthaste, if only for the sake of my personal life.

“Contact me immediately if anything seems off.”

- 크흥.

Peace snorted in answer to Yoohyunie’s admonition. Times like this, it almost felt like he could understand what we were saying.

“Seems like I’ll be cooped up for a while.”

“The Awakened Management Division will be providing assistance, and both Seseung and Breaker have agreed to help with the investigation as well, so it shouldn’t drag on too long. Hang in there for just a bit longer, hyung.”

“I’ll come straight home after I finish with school for the time being too, sir!”

It was alright if you wanted to stay out and play too, though.

And so, I ended up being semi-confined; but my prospects didn’t seem to be as dire as I’d feared, at least. With the security level of the Rearing Facility being further heighted, even if it was someone I personally knew, they’d have to go through the security office, as well as receive clearance from Haeyeon Guild, before they could be admitted entry. 

Ultimately, the most complicated issue to navigate was figuring out how to go about looking after the baby monsters. As Yoohyunie, Yerimie, or Noah-ssi would have to accompany me no matter what if I wanted to go over to the Rearing Facility, I’d simply elected to bring some of them home with me.

“Milky, Blanc. I told you guys not to tear at the sofa!”

The wolf cubs, after a momentary pause to look over in my direction, immediately resumed gnawing on the sofa as though they hadn’t heard me. Yerimie might be delighted by their presence, but they really were far too much of a handful to keep at home for very long, it seemed. They’d be bigger before you knew it, and shed an appalling amount besides.

- Krrrrrr!

- Yelp!

- Whimper!

Growing to his adolescent form, Peace snatched up the wolf cubs by their scruffs and forcibly tore them away from the sofa. Whining plaintively, the wolf pups proceeded to put on a show of being hurt, kicking and struggling around on the ground. Their theatrics ran into an obstacle in the form of Sorokie, who had become one with the floor; it let out a bleat of alarm as it was trodden on by one of the wolves. This alerted the baby lamb, who, as soon as it witnessed it happen, immediately retaliated to the slight inflicted on its friend with a full-force headbutt to the wolf cub.

Aigo, what a mess. Had the decision to bring them over been overkill, after all. I should’ve just brought one or two of them at a time, instead of biting off more than I could chew.

Just then–a call came in from Haeyeon Guild. From my employee, Seo Kyunghoon, to be exact.

- - - - -

(1) this part is funny because yoohyunie speaks in a rude/informal register to talk down to shj up to this point (i.e. when he tells him to ‘shut the hell up’ and ‘why tf should i keep giving you a pass’), then immediately switches back to ‘business polite’/formal speech form (‘-yo’) the moment he realizes shj has info regarding yj’s safety that he needs, thus requiring him to be civil

han yoojin the chapter previous: no one should be going around destroying buildings, destroying buildings is Bad

han ‘double standards when it comes to yoohyunie’ yoojin this chapter: well maybe once would be fine, just as a treat,

+(Q&A)

Q) have you ever given thought to which side hand the cast members might prefer using? A) most high-rank hunters make use of both hands. even if they initially preferred one side, they typically teach themselves to be ambidextrous. being capable of utilizing both hands proficiently grants one an edge in combat, after all ^^ the high-ranks’ bodies typically learn to adapt quickly, but because mid-rank and lower tend to experience more difficulties, there’s a higher prevalence of one-handedness among them. even so, usually they will attempt to make use of both hands, if somewhat awkwardly. han yoojin was originally right-handed as well, but by virtue of persistent training (post-awakening), learns to use his left hand fairly deftly too.

+(Q&A)

Q) when yoohyunie was in school, was he ever class or student council president? A) han yoohyun disliked the thought of wasting time on something useless. if only for hyung, he had to concentrate on studies then quickly return home, so that he could help with the housework.

+(Q&A)

Q) hello author-nim! pre-regression, why did sung hyunjae end up leaving for switzerland, specifically? it seemed as though he’d traversed through various countries before deciding on switzerland; i was curious why, out of countless countries, he ended up choosing switzerland! additionally, would it be alright to ask approximately how many times sung hyunjae had been re-planted…?? A) song taewon’s influence played a significant role. having taken on custody of song taewon’s ‘miscarried’ Plundering(掠奪), he(shj) sought a place that would suit song taewon and be a place he(stw) could live peacefully+was far away from korea. it was also the background of the postcard he would send han yoojin, too. however, he wasn’t set on switzerland from the beginning, and so long as it was an idyllic location somewhere in the Alps, he wouldn’t have cared where it ended up being. other than that it’s in the triple digits, i’ll leave the exact number your imagination ^^

+(Q&A)