Han Yuhyun is alive. He isn’t dead. I muttered it as if carving it into my mind. It’s all right. I forced myself to forget the emptiness in my arms. I shoved the image of my brother, sleeping in our team’s room—in our old house steeped in mories—out of my thoughts.
So it’s okay. He’s safe. I sohow stilled my racing mind. Above all, right now.
‘Five SS-Ranks.’
I must face a pack of wolves. I could ask Seol for help, but dragons are far too much for a re pack of dogs. Besides, who knows what might happen next? Yuhyun’s “death”... wasn’t real, so my Boon-Repaynt skill wouldn’t trigger like it did in the Chatterbox Party invitation battle—
[Final Repaynt Conditions, partial processing—
Updating......
Incomplete▒▒▒▒ processing...]
The system window flickered into view. Unrecognizable characters flashed and vanished before my known letters reappeared.
[▒▒▒▒▒▒ confirmation completeness 76%
Administrator: The King Trapped in the Tower]
‘...A newcor?’
What on earth was happening? Why this—?
“What is with that fla?” one Hunter muttered. They still dared not approach after Yuhyun’s disappearance. The blue flas even devoured the system. They felt its nace instinctively—or perhaps, as beasts, they simply feared fire.
[Partial application confird
Calculating skill-effect reduction......]
The system window blinked. Was the newcor trying to help? Even if not perfect, matching Yuhyun’s stats instead of the usual double would suffice. The Final Repaynt window remained open as a new system prompt appeared.
[Stat Adjustnt Condition
The team that Han Yujin belongs to may choose the thod for determining victory.
Requires the opponent team’s consent.]
They intended to补 my F-Rank stats. They had promised, after all. The first two tis yielded no news—though the first was a protected position and the second a dice roll, at least.
‘If consent is needed, it’s hard to guarantee advantage for —’
Thunk. A blow to my back sent sprawling face-first. They stomped on to keep down. The earthen floor, stained with spilled blood, blurred before my eyes. I wasn’t as angry as I’d expected—more stunned than anything, slightly hazy as if drugged.
“A pity.”
Chorawoon’s voice spoke. I braced against the foot on my back; it pressed only enough to suffocate my breath.
“Stay still.”
I whispered. Chorawoon chuckled low.
“You still speak.”
His foot withdrew, but a hand seized my neck again. Staring into that dog’s face made my blood run cold. I love dogs, but not this mutt.
“Speak.”
I offered my palm, but he only glared. Unschooled, as expected—biting passersby with no leash, what did I think?
“Search.”
Chorawoon signaled a fellow Hunter, who began rifling through my clothes.
“This bracelet?”
My Boon vanished. Simultaneously, crushing force closed around my throat.
“Ugh...!”
“You got cocky relying on this, didn’t you?”
Chorawoon’s face darkened. How had he learned of my special defense item? People were gradually noticing, but still. I could breathe again as he flung to the ground.
“It’s not in my inventory. Worn, it seems to have no effect.”
...Hadn’t Seong Hyunjae loaded it into my inventory? Or perhaps Grace simply didn’t reject removal. As I staggered upright, he booted again. I rolled across the earth. Before I could gather myself, a thud struck my chest. I couldn’t breathe. Maybe a rib cracked.
“It’s been a while since I’ve beaten soone like this—cough—dogs swarming in a pack, poking around for sothing to tear apart.”
I tilted my head up at Chorawoon and smiled—earning another kick. I slid down against a tree trunk.
“I always wondered why you weren’t afraid. Even if your brother is S-Rank, you’re only F-Rank.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
A Hunter who looked like a quiet college student stepped forward.
“Han Yujin is the sacrificial vessel chosen by the gods.”
Just the zealots now. Hey, your team leader too—though the crescent moon isn’t a god.
“I only need the chance. Thanks to you, I’m SS-Rank now, so thanks, I guess.”
“Handling monsters belongs to the divine realm, yet you act so presumptuously. London’s ruin is your arrogance’s fault.”
“An F-Rank who doesn’t know his place.”
Whirl—Chorawoon tossed and caught a dagger. Its glint whirled before my eyes.
“Innate nature remains unchanged.”
Crack—the dagger sliced past my ear and buried itself in the tree. Warm blood dripped onto my neck.
“You were born to crawl in the dirt.”
“I’m human and you’re a dog, so the one crawling is the—”
My forearm burned as if scalded. The dagger ripped my flesh deeply again—an obvious prelude to torturous play. If I died here, how would the ga’s outco be decided? I was curious.
“A re tool to be obediently handled beneath .”
Chorawoon’s voice was oddly clinical, as if it was unthinkable that a tool would resist and trip him. He still viewed as a wild cur to be tad.
Pampered since birth, perhaps, unable to even flinch if a limb were severed.
“We should comnce the ga—didn’t the system prompt appear?”
I glanced at the Boon-Repaynt window. It took a while when applied by loophole.
“Would you prefer a peaceful dice roll? Five rolls; lower total wins.”
I could even roll all ones. Chorawoon advanced slowly, his shadow falling across my face. He pressed his foot lightly on my ankle. Bone-twisting pain shot through ; I ground my teeth.
“Kneel and beg politely. Then I might indulge you.”
“I’m sorry for shooting you in the head. If I’m arrested for animal abuse, I’ll have no defense—agh!”
[Please decide the wager thod!]
The system window popped up urgently. I exhaled and faced them. They gained a special skill when they tead up, so I must fight them one by one. If the Boon repays double, no problem—but that was unlikely.
“...They can’t kill anyway.”
I didn’t know the rmaid Queen’s plan, but it was clear she intended to spare to use . The Transcendent granting their power must be wolves. A wolf interfered in the first ga, too. And now they followed her orders.
“So that’s why you tried to capture Yuhyun alive. Harder to tornt directly.”
“Losing a limb is no issue. Shall I flay your skin from the fingertips?”
“If I’m not intact enough to fight, you’ll try to boil alive, right? Didn’t you learn Tsao-ku-peng? Isn’t that Chinese?”
Chorawoon still looked ready to boil alive, but the other Hunters hesitated—zealots and power-hungry folk unwilling to cross a wolf’s favor.
“So here’s my proposal. Chase one at a ti.”
I reeled up against a tree. My stomped ankle throbbed, but I could walk.
“Ti limit: thirty minutes each. You know I have concealnt skills, right? I’ll flee first and hide; after ten minutes, you give chase. If you catch , you may do as you please.”
Chorawoon curled a lip.
“What’s your sche?”
“If I surrender within thirty minutes, you get one point; if ti expires, I get one. First to three points wins. No downside, right? You can vent however you wish—it’s my ga. And if you can’t hold out, I’ll surrender as a safety.”
“Do you have another bracelet-like item? Or a teleport or vehicle?”
“No. Teleportation items or vehicles are forbidden; if I take painkillers, I lose. You wouldn’t accept a fair ga anyway. I just need to endure, so it suits . I’m rather patient.”
Chorawoon looked to the other Hunters.
“Don’t touch the head. Keep sight and hearing intact for best effect.”
That mad dog shifted his gaze back to . His wolfish eyes glittered disdainfully.
“Only the body for torture—make it audible, expressive.”
His gaze crawling over like insects.
“I’m not fond of torture.”
“All is for the gods.”
Perhaps that zealot would be even more cruel than Chorawoon. I didn’t care.
“Let recap. Total ti: thirty minutes. I flee first for ten minutes. After thirty minutes or a decisive result, a signal fires and the next person goes. The rest wait here.”
As I finished, the system window appeared.
[Starting Hide-and-Seek!
5 minutes to departure]
The system randomly assigned order. Chorawoon was fourth. He glowered in displeasure.
“If I surrender easily, shut up. Until the fifth.”
I sprayed potion on my ankle. I checked my equipnt and watched the tir: 10...5...1...0. I burst into a run, keeping as much distance as possible. Fortunately, the dense forest blocked SS-Rank vision; I could not be spotted by sight alone.
‘Drop them one by one—success. They’ll be fully off guard.’
Co on, newcor! I could hold out once or twice, but best to catch the first pursuer. Five minutes passed. My breath grew ragged, but I kept running.
‘No vehicles allowed—but maybe...’
I checked, and yes, I could still use it. Three minutes left. I rounded a large tree. The system window updated.
[Calculation Results
Final Repaynt: Keyword applies to half of opponent’s... duration: two days]
“Wait!”
Halved? That’s too much! Could I change it? Reduce ti and raise stats? I dashed on, tweaking the system—co on, system...
[Keyword equal to opponent, duration: one hour]
One hour—tight, but doable. The Final Repaynt applied to . At once, mories of Yuhyun flooded in. Efficiency being under half, I received scant recollection.
‘When I do laundry alone, I use only the dryer. Too heavy.’
I saw Yuhyun hanging blankets in the rooftop garden. “Still—put them in the sun,” I said. He and Peace must have been there, but I only saw him and the blanket.
‘Do you like that doll?’
I saw myself on the long sofa—all pink... maybe when we returned from China. “It’s not that I like it, it’s just soft,” I’d replied. Yerim, Peace, Noah, Seong Hyunjae all there, yet I felt alone. Occasionally Peace’s tail flickered at the edge of sight.
That brat Yuhyun—
‘For looking at anything other than .’
I heard Yuhyun’s voice. He stood before . My legs froze even as I ran through the mory.
‘...No.’
Han Yuhyun said it—desperately. The mory ended there. A chill drained the blood from my body, freezing my heart.
What was that just now?
Han Yuhyun was staring at Han Yuhyun. Darkness surrounded us—I couldn’t discern the place. He wasn’t twenty or twenty-one, yet sohow...
‘...Chinese Dungeon?’
Had he glimpsed my pre-return mories in the Nightmare Dungeon? But the Yuhyun there... that Yuhyun...
Thunk! Soone kicked . I collapsed to the ground. Yuhyun had never spoken of his pre-return self. He’d shown no particular interest.
“Managed to ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ run this far, huh.”
In the Nightmare Dungeon, they had no chance to speak, surely.
“Han Yujin.”
A collar seized my throat. It shouldn’t be impossible—I’d faced my pre-return mories countless tis. Yet...
Slam—the hunter’s slap burned my cheek. I opened my eyes and glared at him. He scowled and spoke.
“Chorawoon expected to take my turn lightly. Let’s see how long you can ignore .”
...Why do S-Ranks mostly behave like this? They’re arrogant because they can be. My head spun, but I shoved thoughts aside. I must return safely—that way I might ask him.
“Why isn’t your cheek even red?”
I grabbed the Hunter’s arm in puzzlent.
“Answer.”
Hiss—the bracelet on my wrist transford into a serpent, fangs bared. As the Hunter recoiled to snatch it, I used the Drawer of the Lord of Harmlessness. The landscape warped, and a warning sprang up.
[Ga ti has frozen!
Remaining over ten minutes in pocket dinsion = automatic loss!]
A penalty applied. I couldn’t survive the full thirty minutes by loophole, but this was enough.
“Ugh, what?”
The Hunter plunged into sudden water and thrashed. Even SS-Rank need air. I seized the mont, tore at his garnt, used Willow Leaves to spring to the surface. He glared as I surfaced—no flight skill, apparently. I dashed ashore, donned a necklace from my inventory, and channeled mana into its round bead.
“A swift reunion. The youngest was startled to tears, but recovered quickly.”
Little Seong Hyunjae popped out. Gyeol had slipped away from , yet still anchored . Seol, his fellow dragonkin, remained, and Byul by their side was linked as a twin.
I had tested dividing Seong Hyunjae’s bead between Gyeol and ; it allowed him to appear beside briefly, though he needed mana refreshed from Gyeol.
“Then, please.”
“Am I the item this ti?”
“Not so dramatic. Think of it as karmic debt.”
Sploosh! Water sprayed. An SS-Rank burst through the surface in a terrifying charge. I narrowly evaded incoming barbed spears with Combat Foresight, then landed on firm sand. Swords and daggers—SS-Rank weapons—were planted along the shore, unremovable from the drawer.
They began to lt. Predator-forged blades: SSS-Rank weaponization. Plus double offensive skills. And one more: the Primordial Shard of Fire. Yuhyun used it only a day ago, so normally it would be unusable—but now it was mine. In other words, no cooldown.
Which doubled again.
“I don’t know what you did—”
An SS-Rank Hunter lunged at with ferocious force. The stat gap was stark. Yet Combat Foresight let track his movent. His blow brushed my cheek just as a molten blade slashed toward him. My defense skill and weapon sprang up—but swish—all were cut and lted away, along with their wielders.
Thud. The Hunter’s body collapsed lifeless onto the sand.
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