“Do you really know why I went and say such things?”
“It ended surprisingly quickly. Congratulations.”
“With nothing but bare hands? I just returned from saving your guild mbers’ hotown, yet you’re stingy with your praise.”
Excluding London. Seong Hyunjae relaxed his brows into a gentle expression.
“Soyeong would be—living happily, I suppose.”
“She’s with the Thorned Winged Abyssal Dragon. And, as you know, there’s also Noah and Riette.”
I held back the suggestion to et them in person. Instead, my thoughts drifted back to Seong Hyunjae in the Chinese Nightmare Dungeon.
“But I, this borrowed body, can only offer the pearls upon my tongue. Will you accept a few smooth words to make it sound pleasant?”
“That will suffice.”
I stared at the system administrator window. If Seong Hyunjae truly intended to help us, then with his team’s full effort in the ga, no matter what the rmaid Queen plotted, I would win—no matter what.
I turned to look at Seong Hyunjae.
“May I trust you?”
A brief silence followed. Seong Hyunjae raised his index finger to his lips.
“The outcos in the last world were determined automatically by record alone.”
...In other words, during the wager ga, even the Transcendents cannot eavesdrop on us. But here, no one knows where their ears might be. Important matters, then, should wait until after the wager begins. I nodded slightly.
“But not this ti.”
“Pardon?”
“Beware the dog.”
What sudden warning was that? Had another Transcendent laid so trap? I had not expected it, but neither could one prepare for every possibility.
Seong Hyunjae fell silent without further explanation. Soon, Myung-woo appeared. His frown targeted the nape of my neck. Of course he must have noticed my use of Mana Engraving. But I couldn’t destroy an entire nation. I gave him an embarrassed smile, and he sighed.
“Did you rest properly?”
“I slept and ate well. Hamin and Mini asked after you. And the smithy people, too.”
Myung-woo had told the building’s staff I was in secluded training at the Golden Forge. They all asked after , saying I could be reached if needed.
“Your skills probably have long cooldowns by now, and you must have consud many items.”
“I replenished them. The subteams should have dropped by their guilds and restocked.”
High-grade consumables are hard to obtain even for S-Rank Hunters.
“...What you did, Yujin, was the right choice, but still—”
Myung-woo trailed off with another sigh. Our team was certainly at a disadvantage in many ways. But if it hadn’t ended in London, there’d have been civilian casualties. On an island nation, evacuation is far harder, and the Goblin Gate couldn’t transport that many people so quickly. Losing a country versus losing a capital city is a vast difference.
“It’s all right.”
There was still a way. But Myung-woo’s face did not ease.
“I regret the insufficient rest ti.”
He looked at the two of us and spoke.
“Next ti, I will propose a longer respite. And, if you wish, we can also inspect your equipnt.”
“Teacher, can you service both our main and subteams?”
I raised my hand eagerly. Myung-woo nodded and looked to Seong Hyunjae.
“We’ll serve only the main team. The subteam need not.”
Seong Hyunjae’s subteam was barely recruited to fill numbers, but to neglect them entirely would breach the contract.
“As always, be cautious.”
Myung-woo vanished. Then—
“It was a festival long overdue.”
The King of Devournt and the rmaid Queen appeared. In the snake’s hand was a bottle of blue glass liquor.
“Watching small ones gather and combine their strength is quite a spectacle. Rare since I left my world—in spite of the blood shortage, it was not bad.”
A cup was offered to . The poured liquor was clear as glass. Perhaps too much for now...
“It’s a poison you can handle.”
Poison? I sipped it. Its slight sweetness made it quite palatable.
“It was curious to see the weak follow. A king is not decided by strength alone, but once one’s power crosses a threshold, none wish to stand above.”
He spoke of S-Ranks, innate S-Ranks. That explained why S-Ranks seldom unite. But I could say I have a useful skill...
“My path’s answer.”
It was more than just a skill. My talents had not changed much since imdiately after my return. I gained teacher skills and veteran F-Rank titles early on. Yet back then I could not have accomplished what I had now. The S-Ranks would not have trusted , nor extended help.
Even Yuhyun would not have followed so readily—he might have tried to pull away for safety. And had I given in, Gyeol would never have been born. Thanks to my brother’s title and skills, I set out, and the result... I could call mine. Though it still hurt to say so.
“It’s still fun, after all.”
A golden snake slithered down the King of Devournt’s arm. Please, not that again. The snake coiled around my head as ornantation. Another wrapped his forearm. This is not my taste. I was grateful at least that it left my clothes alone.
“This is the third ti.”
The rmaid Queen spoke without emotion.
“Form two teams by mixing main and sub. I will not disclose the wager’s details.”
We were to split into teams without knowing the ga. I did not ponder long.
‘Yuhyun and —and everyone else.’
Our team consud heavy skills and items. Better to concentrate strength on one side.
‘With the boon, a smaller team suits best.’
Yuhyun had flight skills, area lee capability, and no mana needs thanks to fire shards—ideal for solo action. I would handle support and defense. I glanced at Seong Hyunjae, also choosing his team via the system window.
‘He won’t split main and sub evenly, surely.’
Since the main team had Manager Song and Hyunah, Seong Hyunjae must go to the subteam. Either matchup would be worthwhile. The subteam’s cohesion had improved, and with Yerim, Noah, and Riette, they would be hard to beat. The ga might not be combat-focused, but still.
“It’s decided.”
Seong Hyunjae said. I raised my hand in agreent.
“May I ask one question about team mbers? You said we could add to the main team fixedly, right? Since replacents aren’t allowed midga, it ans we can add.”
The rmaid Queen nodded at my question.
“Yes. One addition or substitution allowed each. But not during the wager—only before or after. Adding requires matching numbers, so the opposing team’s consent is needed. Would you like to add or substitute now?”
“None to bring imdiately. But our consumption is heavy. Is there any restriction on mbers?”
“If they are people of the Honey World and the other side consents, anyone is fine.”
That sufficed. I said I’d finished team selection. At her gesture, the surrounding space warped and a forest appeared.
“Brother.”
A familiar voice greeted . Though less than thirty minutes away, any ssage of the ga’s start had yet to appear. I surveyed my surroundings and spoke to my brother.
“We don’t know the ga’s nature, but it’s likely we’ll face the subteam including Seong Hyunjae, or the main team without him.”
Yuhyun imdiately drew the Dominator’s Blade. He doubled offensive skills but could not use my own.
“If it’s the main team, no one has flight. Use that. Our initial target remains Hyunah—since teacher skills work easily on her. With only Yuhyun now, using teacher skills on those without keywords is no great strain. We can handle them one by one.”
“They may choose not to fight, but that seems unlikely.”
I activated the Boon S-Rank and moved forward slowly. Yuhyun stood alert beside .
“It’s been less than a day since the London battle. Don’t overdo it.”
“It feels better than I thought. Maybe because I slept soundly at ho?”
I wasn’t completely fine, but the aftereffects were milder than expected. I’d prepared to be bedridden, wondering if I should sleep alone away from the kids—but that proved unnecessary.
“Sohow we ended up with three children. Take care of yourself.”
With three kids, even a fairy can’t leave ho. Stealing others’ transport and getting shackled at the ankle is wrong, but still—these children are my responsibility. [N O V E L I G H T] Though I entrusted many, still—
“Yuhyun, are you okay? The family suddenly increased.”
He remained silent. Clearly he disliked the change.
“...You like children, brother. The beasts grow fast and need less care, so it’ll be fine.”
“Seol is independent, Gyeol wants to mature. I think both could grow more slowly like Byul, though.”
“I’ll help too.”
I worried entrusting the kids to Yuhyun, but perhaps he would care for them well. Childcare is a stamina battle. anwhile, when would the ga’s ssage pop up? Soon—
Crack!
A dreadful sound without warning. To my ears it was one crack. But it was not.
“Yuhyun—!”
Though it seed a single strike, five barbed spears punctured my brother’s limbs and chest, burying themselves deeply in the ground. Blood gushed. Flas flickered and died. It was an ability I rembered—one that disrupted an opponent’s mana and blocked their skills.
I felt I had to escape, but my feet would not move. I couldn’t leave Yuhyun behind. Mini Mini Cookie. I reached urgently for a cookie, when behind —
“Han Yujin.”
A hand snatched my throat. My neck was lifted, and Yuhyun’s blood-stained lips contorted.
“...Brother!”
It was Chorawoon. The one lifting wore a slow smile. His smooth but unsettling brow felt oddly unfamiliar.
“...You.”
His eyes were different. The whites were nearly gone; the once-dark eyes turned pale brown and the pupils shrank. They were the eyes of a beast, not a human. Swallowing, I used the Seedling skill.
[Awakened ? Chorawoon (Worshipper of the Wolf)
Current Stat Grade: SS]
“Ugh!”
Before I could read the full status display, Chorawoon shook my body like a toy. Yuhyun’s body, trapped by the barbs, jerked. The sll of blood grew stronger.
‘Worshipper of the Wolf?’
His stat had risen to SS. What on earth had happened?
“I never expected you to be this easy to catch.”
Another voice spoke. I barely turned to look and saw another Hunter with wolfkin eyes, fangs bared. Including Chorawoon, they were five in total.
“How...did this happen?”
“The weak are devoured.”
Chorawoon said with a mocking tone.
“Five remain.”
...So they all died? How many subteam mbers were there? Upper-tier Awakened, several S-Rank Hunters... as the cost. My throat tightened. Gasping, I studied them again. I sensed a similar surge of mana from each—all SS-Rank. That alone would not suffice to instantly overpower Yuhyun. Had they gained special skills? The five flew barbed spears simultaneously. Wolves operate in packs. Perhaps they could teleport their spears by combining skills.
“...Let go, brother!”
A strained voice called. Chorawoon shook toward Yuhyun with evident relish.
“As promised, I’ll cut off both your legs. Before your brother’s very eyes.”
Yuhyun clenched his jaw. Yet he could not escape the barbs. Chorawoon and the other Hunters leisurely gazed at their captured prey. My teeth ground. A wolfkin, eh? That mutt had interfered last ti, and again now.
Though no Transcendent had intervened directly, this outco was surprising. Anger and panic pressed upon . I had to sohow free Yuhyun—sohow...
“Han Yuhyun! No!”
Blaze—flas erupted again. Contrary to my desperate cry, the beasts remained complacent, certain the fire would die out again. But—
“The spears!”
A startled voice rang out. Blue flas—clear as glass—engulfed the barbed spears. Though blood welled from his wounds, Yuhyun rose to his feet. The beasts recoiled. Even Chorawoon faltered under the onslaught. He hurried backward and threw toward Yuhyun. At the sa mont, the flas vanished.
“Brother!”
Fearing they might even harm the Boon grace, I—
Crack
No! Yuhyun had caught . The spear piercing his heart pressed against my body and halted. I hugged him tightly and closed his trembling eyes.
“Don’t worry.”
[Han Yuhyun has died
One life has been consud.
The deceased will remain asleep in Han Yujin’s main team room until this wager ends.]
It was a rcy. My brother’s form vanished. The blood-stained spear clattered to the floor.
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