Chapter 3

< My Little Brother is Strange (1) >

I was sitting astride the bed, not a dragon corpse. The pungent smell of blood had completely disappeared. The clothes I was wearing had also changed.

"Did I really come back to the past?"

First, the status window doesn’t open. No inventory either. Five years ago, I hadn’t awakened yet.

"That brat Yoo-hyun was already a successful guild leader."

Guild Hae-yeon. It grew rapidly with a focus on a select few, eventually becoming the undisputed top guild in Korea five years later.

Of course, I couldn’t join. ...Many guild members didn’t like me either.

"I heard ‘get lost and stop loitering around the guild leader’ a hundred times or so."

Sigh, such despicable people. Well, this time, I’ll live properly.

As I rummaged through my pocket, my phone came out. The date... Oh, it really is five years ago. The most recent message—

"Wait, this is from an awakening broker?"

The message from the awakening broker this morning was still there. Seeing it, memories of the past flooded back.

"I’ve come back to that time."

It had been three years since dungeons appeared and hunters began to awaken. The world, which had changed drastically, was gradually stabilizing.

I was feeling inferior, only able to look up to my successful younger brother. I had contacted an awakening broker, harboring the false hope that I could become like him if I just awakened.

Awakening broker. To put it simply, a fraudster.

They claimed that non-awakened people could awaken just by clearing a dungeon, taking large sums of money and illegally sending people into dungeons. However, most of them would disappear with the money or, if they did take you to a dungeon, wouldn’t provide any protection.

"Awakening by clearing a dungeon isn’t even a thing."

While the dangerous environment of a dungeon could increase the likelihood of awakening, it had nothing to do with clearing it. This fact was only revealed to the public six months later when the Korean Hunter Association created safe awakening facilities, and the brokers disappeared.

Anyway, I went to meet that broker with money.

"I was caught by my brother’s subordinate and dragged back."

Yeah, I remember clearly. This was one of the guest rooms in the Hae-yeon guild building.

My brother would soon come to scold me with a very displeased look. As I thought this, the door burst open. Han Yoo-hyun stepped inside.

He’s not exactly a gentleman either.

"Brother."

My living brother called me. The face looking at me was very young. He wasn’t much older even five years later, but now he really was young.

He was twenty, now.

Just barely an adult, in a peaceful world, he would still be a student. Or maybe just entering the military. Of course, the military still existed.

"That S-grade awakener is exempt."

I went and came back. Many people awaken in the military and get early discharge, but I didn’t even awaken. I would have been an F-grade and served my full term. Exemption starts from E-grade.

Anyway, he’s so successful that he doesn’t even go to the military... Ah, my inferiority complex is flaring up again.

Let go of greed. Let go of烦恼. Namu Amitabha.

I stood up and approached Yoo-hyun, who was standing there with a blank expression. Looking at him closely, the passage of five years felt even more pronounced.

I didn’t think much of it before the regression, but now, reflecting on it, I realize the young brat must have gone through a lot. Even if he was S-grade, building and growing his own guild wasn’t easy.

And all the while, his only older brother was causing trouble.

...I was wrong.

"The dungeon brokers—"

"Sorry."

I apologized first. My brother, who was about to start lecturing, closed his mouth.

He looked at me as if I were a completely new creature.

"I won’t do it again."

All of it. I’ll just live properly, fitting my role. Yoo-hyun’s expression turned confused, and he cautiously spoke.

"Did you, by any chance, cause a big accident...?"

"It’s not that."

This guy doesn’t trust his brother. He has his reasons.

I smiled and patted his arm.

"Just, after sitting and thinking, I realized I was immature."

The dragon’s scales were cool, perfect for clearing my head.

My brother was flustered by my slightly embarrassed words.

"No, immature is... not the word."

"Isn’t it? Hey, can I hug you?"

"Uh, sure?"

"It’s been a while."

It’s been a while for him, but not for me. The cold sensation of his body, gradually warming, was vivid under my palms.

"...Sure."

Yoo-hyun hesitated but nodded. Damn, why are you being shy when your brother wants to hug you?

I’m a bit embarrassed too.

I extended my arms and pulled my now taller brother into a hug. He used to be shorter before awakening.

"My little brother, Han Yoo-hyun."

The body in my arms was warm. I could hear his slightly faster heartbeat and breathing.

With a deep sense of relief, something welled up inside me, and I said something I would never normally say.

"I love you."

His body trembled. Hey, I’m embarrassed too, so don’t say anything. Just—

[Awakener ‘Han Yoo-jin’ registered.]

...Huh?

[Legendary title ‘Perfect Caretaker’ granted!]

What?

[The effects of the title ‘Perfect Caretaker’ are activated.

Perfect Caretaker additional skill: My Baby is the Best

Awakener ‘Han Yoo-hyun’s growth rate doubles.

Duration: 3 days]

What the...?!

Crazy, what is this cheat skill?

The caretaker title was common. Parents or siblings who raised an awakener could easily get it. It was possible even if they weren’t blood-related.

If the cared-for awakener was C-grade or higher and the relationship was good, the title would almost certainly appear. For C to B-grade, it was ‘Clumsy Caretaker’. For A-grade, it was ‘Competent Caretaker’. For S-grade, it was just ‘Caretaker’.

I thought ‘Caretaker’ was the highest grade since there were no S-grade or higher awakeners.

‘Perfect Caretaker? What is this?’

Moreover, the growth rate buff is a whopping double.

My old title ‘Caretaker’ gave a maximum 10% additional growth buff and lasted only one day. But double? That means he could level up in half the time it would normally take?

‘No, it’s not about levels, it’s about skills. The higher the skill grade, the slower the growth rate!’

Wow, this is completely a cheat. If I give him the buff before entering a dungeon, he’ll grow at lightning speed.

"...Brother?"

"Uh, yeah. No."

I was so surprised that I kept hugging him.

When I finally let go and stepped back, Yoo-hyun cleared his throat with a slightly red face.

"...I’ve been forceful too, so thank you for saying that, Brother."

"Thank you? Yeah, sure."

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence fell. Hmm. Hmm, hmm.

Just as I was about to break the awkwardness by jumping out the window, Yoo-hyun spoke first.

"...Do you want to have dinner together? It’s been a while."

"Uh, sure, I’d like that."

"Okay. I have to go now."

"Okay, good luck."

My brother left and the door closed. I grabbed my head.

‘Man, this is so awkward.’

Will it be like this at dinner too? Maybe I shouldn’t have said yes. Should I stop now—

Burst

"I forgot."

Yoo-hyun, who I thought had left, opened the door again. I was startled.

"Delete the awakening broker’s contact."

He looked at the phone on the bed.

"Even if you call, they won’t answer."

"...What?"

It sounded like he was going to catch and beat up the broker, but that must be my imagination.

Yoo-hyun didn’t leave even after finishing his sentence, just staring at me intently. ...Does he want me to delete it right now? I picked up the phone and showed him that I had deleted the broker’s contact. He left with a satisfied look.

His attitude felt a bit creepy, but more importantly—

‘My status window!’

I quickly opened my status window.

[Awakener Han Yoo-jin

Title: Dragon Slayer (L), Perfect Caretaker (L)]

Wait, hold on. Dragon Slayer?

‘Why are you here?’

< My Little Brother is Strange (1) > End

ⓒ Geunseo

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