Since the sun hadn’t set yet, I had Cot fly high. There was no point in bringing Seong Hyunjae out myself if soone witnessed it. The place Seong Hyunjae had told about was a penthouse.
“It’s close to the Breeding Facility. He didn’t tell this place just so I’d have to nurse him too, did he?”
“Just make sure... I’m still alive.”
“I’ll at least check for that.”
Leaving an unconscious person alone is safer in a high-rise apartnt with security than in a private house. It wasn’t far from Sesung Guild, so I arrived quickly. Since I couldn’t have Cot descend, I sent her back to the Breeding Facility, activated my stealth skill, and jumped down.
The wind whipped harshly past my ears. Thanks to Grace, I’d survive the fall, but the ground wouldn’t. I could accidentally crash into a passerby. When the details of the apartnt complex below ca into focus, I used a lightweight feather item I’d bought in advance. Just as the na suggests, it made my body as light as a feather—one-ti use.
“This one’s going on my tab too.”
It cost a whopping 2,660 points. And I only have 80 million points left!
As soon as I activated the feather, my fall slowed dramatically. Because of montum, I didn’t imdiately float down like a feather, but I still landed gently at a decent speed.
A place like this definitely has caras in the elevators. I hoped they’d chalk it up to ghostly activity, but just in case, I climbed up the outer wall of the building. With the Golden Lynx Shoes, it felt like walking on flat ground, but since it was so tall, it still took a while. Seong Hyunjae, flopped in my hat, started to feel extra annoying.
‘...I’m starting to get tired.’
I’d used the power of S-ranks quite a few tis. Skills alone—two teleports, one lightning strike, Sigh, Shadowless Day, and Pale Rain. Except for Sigh, all of them were S to SS-rank. The backlash might hit hard. Last ti my vision got blurry, so I should be prepared for sothing similar. As long as it’s temporary, though, I’ll manage.
I stepped onto the penthouse terrace. Naturally, the terrace door was locked.
“Is there a security system here?”
“For the terrace door, probably.”
“Annoying. There aren’t any windows, right?”
I moved to the wall and climbed in through a window. It wasn’t locked. Who would break into a place like this, anyway? A mid-level or higher Hunter could, but unless they had a kleptomaniac streak, it’s more profitable to raid a dungeon than rob an empty house. Plenty of legit jobs too.
Felt a bit bad entering with my shoes on—not for Seong Hyunjae, but for whoever had to clean up. I asked if anyone managed the place. Apparently, soone cos on the 5th and 20th of every month.
“Can you stand up? Where’s the bedroom? Are there any spare clothes here?”
The house was needlessly large. I found the bedroom and pulled Seong Hyunjae out of the hat. That tiny body still felt bizarre. He staggered a bit but managed to stand on his own. Then I canceled the cookie effect, and he returned to his original size. He was about to crawl straight into bed, so I quickly grabbed him.
“You’re really gonna sleep like that? Go shower. I’ll find you sothing to wear.”
“...No.”
“You’re covered in dirt and bloodstains—you’re a ss. Unless you’re about to die from sleepiness, go wash up. The bathroom’s right there.”
“...Just let sleep.”
“You’re not sleeping for five minutes here. Just hang on a bit longer.”
I pushed the mumbling Seong Hyunjae into the bathroom. He wasn’t going to drown face-first while washing his face, right? After rummaging around, I found so clothes. I placed them and a towel outside the bathroom and headed for the kitchen. My insides were burning. My vision swam a bit. I grabbed a bottle of water, drank it, and leaned against the table.
‘I don’t know if I can make it ho safely.’
It’s a good thing it’s close. If I collapse on the way, it’ll be a disaster. I drank a potion, treated my wounds, and even pulled out a stamina fruit to eat. After sitting for a bit, I returned to the bedroom. Thankfully, Seong Hyunjae hadn’t passed out in the bathroom and had changed his clothes properly.
“Well then, sleep tight.”
Never thought I’d be taking care of the Sesung Guild Leader like this. Normally, he’d just be soone I saw on TV, at most. Lying in bed, Seong Hyunjae looked at through drowsy eyes.
“At first... you were just a usable item.”
“I thought of your skill as sothing I really wanted, too.”
He was an outstanding guild leader with no real connection to . Felt like soone from a completely different world. Which was basically true.
Objectively speaking, the Seong Hyunjae I know now is far less human than the one I didn’t. He’s been through multiple worlds, holds unimaginable power, and caught the attention of Crescent Moon—a transcendental being of an even higher class.
He might no longer be considered human at all.
And yet, ironically, the current Seong Hyunjae felt more like a regular person to than the one from the beginning. He’s still disgustingly talented, exceptional, and impossible to catch up to, inside or out, but now I get to say, “Wow, you really are sothing,” face to face. Maybe that’s the difference.
‘I wonder what Seong Hyunjae thinks about it all.’
Judging from the way he talks, I must’ve changed a lot in his eyes too. More than anything, I was soone who posed a threat to his existence. Even for Seong Hyunjae, it wouldn’t be easy to treat the sa as before after feeling sothing like that.
“Oh, there’s sothing I should tell you. You probably can’t really listen right now, huh?”
“...Probably not. Even if I hear it, I might not rember.”
“Still, at least rember who stabbed you in the chest. You’ve been through a lot.”
It’d be a damn sha if he forgot. Should I really just leave him sleeping like this and go? Maybe I should get one of those surveillance caras and hook it up to my phone. Would that be a security risk? He’s not going to randomly stop breathing in his sleep, right?
I was about to head to the Breeding Facility, but I opened my inventory instead. Dreamcatcher. If he’s going to sleep for days, might as well make it comfortable. Help him process everything properly. I hung the round decoration, made of pale pink yarn and feathers, near the headboard of the bed. Chirp had chewed on it a bit, so the feathers were a little crumpled.
“Did I give you this yarn too, by any chance? The color’s a bit paler, but...”
Was this sothing I made myself? Since it was in the inventory, it wasn’t a mass-produced product. No answer ca. The eyes barely focused on were already dazed. Yeah, sleep, sleep.
“Good night.”
He closed his eyes.
She opened hers.
In a space filled with flowing light, her silver lashes parted slowly, and her eyes began to focus. Her closed lips parted, and a soft sigh slipped out.
“My beloved little moon.”
The moon that had gradually been filling over a long, long ti—almost perfect—waned once more just before becoming full. Soone had interfered with her again.
For the second ti.
A cold fury swelled in her chest, but Crescent Moon could not move. She had awoken early after sensing the anomaly, but her recovery was not yet complete.
Was it that human again? The black shadow that violently rejected foreign beings.
But the ti of the little moon’s world had been turned back. That should have been impossible at this point in the tiline. It should have failed.
If so.
Crescent Moon summoned one of her fragnts. With a soft rustle, snowflakes began to fall. The fourteenth fragnt landed before her.
— Yes, my cradle.
The snow that had gathered smiled. A vivid chill shimred like heat haze.
“Tell what happened while I slept.”
In the world where the little moon resided. The snow that had fallen answered.
— A peculiar being appeared in the world that was rewound. The Unfilial Children responsible for that world have kept their mouths shut, but it seems to be a human with abilities worth paying attention to.
Had that human interfered with her moon again this ti? The snow continued.
— Also, the master of the Venom and Curse Dragon King and the King of Harmless have disappeared from that world.
“The King of Harmless?”
Crescent Moon asked, puzzled. The Dragon King’s master was still rather young. But the King of Harmless was different. Not quite at her level, but still one of the older transcendents. Though they spent more ti feeding their curiosity than honing their abilities, they were not soone who should vanish so easily.
— Yes. Right after the King of Harmless died, the system started to experience abnormalities. According to Chatterbox, the Young Chaos has begun to stir.
Snow whispered on as it continued to fall. And then—
— The silent white bird has disappeared.
So of the other transcendents had tried to track her down, but none had succeeded. Crescent Moon quietly lowered her gaze. The white bird who loved the snow-covered tree.
— Chatterbox wants revenge. Even willing to cooperate with the Unfilial Children. It’s said they’re making so kind of proposal.
The snow, which had been chattering away, faded softly with Crescent Moon’s wave. She lay down once more. Not even her fragnts knew the true extent of the little moon’s power. They simply believed that he kept being moved because he refused to let the worlds be consud. So even wondered why Crescent Moon could not give up on him.
But the white bird—one of the future-seeing races who loved the Source—might have sensed it, if only faintly. That sothing capable of consuming and erasing the tree under the snowfall was nearing completion.
Was the interference just before the moon could beco full really a coincidence?
“...Even so.”
Even if it was briefly marred, the moon would have no choice but to fill again. In the end, it would be reborn as a perfect and beautiful full moon, and stand once more by her side.
...I barely managed to make it to the Breeding Facility. My stomach churned like I had motion sickness, and my head spun. As I stepped into the house, Peace ran up to .
— Kkiang!
“...Yeah, Peace.”
— Kkuwoong.
Sensing that I wasn’t doing well, instead of asking to be held, Peace hovered around anxiously, then grew to the size of a juvenile beast and leaned in like he was telling to rest on him. Chirp and Belare also seed to pick up on the mood and didn’t cling to .
Good kids, really.
“I’m just a little tired.”
Honestly, I was really tired. My whole body felt like it was sinking, not just into the floor, but through it. I stumbled out of my shoes and made my way inside. I needed to shower too.
‘...I’m gonna die.’
I’ll rest a little first, then clean up. Leaning on Peace, I headed to the living room. The mont my butt hit the couch, I just wanted to lie down. No, I already was lying down. As soon as my head hit the cushion, my eyes shut on their own. Maybe I had a fever—because the couch felt cool to the touch.
— Kkiyaang.
“Just a little nap, okay?”
— Ppiyak!
— Shiiiik!
“Yeah, you two behaved yourselves while I was gone.”
“Peace, just keep an eye on the kids a little longer.”
My insides were burning, but the mana mark on my back was icy cold. My throat felt swollen, and even breathing was a bit tough. After coughing a few tis, Peace, now in a spirit form, paced nervously—jumping up and down from the table.
— Kkeung, kyauwung...
“...I’m really okay. This is how it always... goes. I’ll be fine after I catch a bit of sleep. Sorry for making you worry, Peace.”
I took a deep breath. Peace whimpered softly. Even that sound began to fade fast. My consciousness grew fuzzy, and soon I completely fell asleep—
“You goddamn lump of soggy hay.”
My scruff was suddenly yanked up. Huh?
“You’re a ss again.”
The hand holding my neck dropped back down onto the floor. My blurry vision sharpened, and the sight of a forest ca into focus. Then a familiar face appeared—red-eyed, young Han Yuhyun.
“...Young Chaos?”
“I’m here too!”
Beside him, sothing that looked like a Cocker Spaniel bead brightly. The newbie. Their dog-like ears perked as they waved a hand at .
“You, newbie!”
I shot up, only to collapse again. Even though this wasn’t reality, I had no strength. I managed to raise a hand and point accusingly at the newbie.
“Hey, because of you... I even searched dungeons and couldn’t find you!”
“I-I’m sorry, Honey!”
“Don’t be too harsh. The bunny tried, too.”
Young Chaos shielded the newbie. Bunny? Looks more like a dog to . Do they think it’s a rabbit just because of the long ears?
“Tried, huh. Then what happened. And what even is this place?”
“You’re not fully connected to your world’s system yet, Honey. Especially your country—it’s going to take even longer. So eting in dungeons won’t be easy for a while.”
So that’s why? Changeling used a lot of power in Korea, maybe that’s why.
“The system itself runs automatically, but we can’t manage it directly. Information already registered in the system gets displayed randomly. That’s why rare or new skills might not co with proper descriptions!”
“It’s always been like that—your system’s full of bugs.”
The newbie’s face crumpled into a pout.
“Dungeon rewards °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° are automatic, too, so getting special rewards is hard.”
“What the hell, hurry up and connect it then! Is that why my brother only got magic stones after taking down a bunch of SS-ranks?!”
“No, that was outside the dungeon, so...”
“Still, give us the rewards! The rewards! He soloed five SS-ranks—five of them!”
“Y-you’ll get them when the system’s connected and you enter a dungeon again...”
I yelled without thinking and instantly regretted it. Jellyfish told to charm the newbie, not scare them. I cleared my throat and forced a softer expression.
“Right, I’m counting on you.”
“...Huh?”
“I know you’ve been working hard. But, well, I’ve been through a lot lately too, you know?”
“I’m sorry, Honey.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. You did your best, right? I’ll count on you moving forward.”
“Yes!”
The newbie’s face brightened imdiately. Their smile was pretty adorable.
“You’re dreaming right now, Honey.”
“A dream?”
“Yes. Just a simple dream that doesn’t affect you at all. Even connecting like this wasn’t easy. But since you’re so weakened and we have a deep connection, I was able to enter.”
We t a lot, didn’t we? They added with another big, silly grin.
“If it was so hard, then why’d you co see ? Sothing happen?”
“Well, uh... Chatterbox made a proposal to our side!”
Chatterbox?
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