Chapter 85

< Sister, Please... (2) >

To go to the rooftop garden, I had to go down to the first floor and then take the elevator up. It was a bit disappointing, but I couldn't go out directly from the house.

Additionally, when taking a walk in the garden, I had to contact the security room in advance. This was so that the building could monitor the rooftop garden more closely.

My private life... I should be satisfied that there are no surveillance cameras in my house. ...Right? There aren't any, right?

'The sunlight hurts...'

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, the bright summer sun stabbed my tired eyes. I had heard that the garden was well-maintained, but I couldn't really appreciate it.

'Stamina potion... ingredients dungeon, hurry...'

Originally, it would have been a while before I could go out, but the dungeon spawning speed has increased. Please come out before I die from overwork. Should I beg the system to let me out immediately?

After Comet woke up in the middle of the night, I played with him for about an hour, fed him, and he went back to sleep.

An hour later, he woke up again. He played for an hour, went back to sleep, and then woke up again after thirty minutes, crying and whining for about ten minutes before falling back asleep. This cycle of waking up, sleeping, and waking up again continued until 8:00 AM.

I buried my head in the pillow and, exactly one hour later, at 9:00 AM, Blue started to crow loudly. I really felt like I was going to die.

'Peace was really an angel...'

Even a noisy bird like Blue is considerate. He lets you sleep deeply. Waking up and going to bed at 9:00 PM every day is so regular. No tantrums, he's really a good bird.

- Squawk!

Blue let out a joyful cry and soared into the sky. The sight of the cream-colored griffin flying across the blue sky was dazzling. It's touching how he checks my position and doesn't stray too far, even when he's flying around excitedly.

The Chirp in my arms was flapping its wings, excited by the garden. It's smart not to jump out immediately.

"Go on, you can play too."

- Chirp!

When I put it down in the flower bed, it started digging through the green grass with its feet and pulling at it with its beak.

"Don't eat it."

I told the kids not to eat anything, even though I had already given them medicine.

As I walked, following Chirp, I saw a bench and sat down. Is this bench expensive too? It's surprisingly comfortable. Maybe I should take a nap.

'Blue needs to be trained too.'

I couldn't use my 'My Baby' skill before entering the A-rank dungeon because the keyword hadn't been applied yet. I need to train him quickly so that he doesn't require as much attention... Will he still be this way when he grows up?

- Squawk! Squawk!

Seeing Blue strip the beautiful garden trees bare made my head spin. He'll calm down when he grows up... right?

'I need to start bringing in the special skill awakeners soon. I need to establish a system and delegate tasks to others; I'm really overloaded with work.'

In the meantime, my phone rang. The number of random people contacting me has increased so much that I ended up getting a second phone. Not many people know this number.

'It's Riet's younger brother.'

The number I had saved from Riet. I heard he was coming today, but it's earlier than expected. Is he trying to sneak in like his sister? He can't pass through the mini portal, though.

When I answered the call, a polite but young-sounding voice came through.

[This is Noah Ruhir, the guild leader of Arc. Is this Hunter Han Yujin?]

...Guild leader? Noah Ruhir? Not Pebble?

"Yes, but isn't this Riet's younger brother's number?"

[Yes, I'm her younger brother.]

Younger brother? That's a bit strange. I thought they weren't part of any guild since they explored illegal dungeons together. But he's a guild leader, and not even a name I heard from Riet. Riet probably uses a different name publicly.

'Noah Ruhir of Arc. Who is he?'

I don't remember everyone from overseas guilds and hunters. He definitely wasn't in the top 30 hunters before the regression. Things might have changed now that he and his sister have the Dio Balshesis title.

"What I heard is a bit different. Your name too."

[Yes, my sister... calls me Pebble.]

So he is her younger brother.

"I didn't know you were a guild leader. Riet didn't mention that."

[My sister doesn't like guilds much. She has a bad relationship with many of them. So she travels around the world, exploring illegal dungeons without settling in one place. When she feels overwhelmed, she contacts me. She often drags me around without considering my schedule, which can be quite troublesome.]

His voice sounded bitter. He must have suffered a lot because of his sister.

[Some Korean guilds have also caused trouble, so I would appreciate it if you treated me as the guild leader of Arc, separate from my sister.]

"Of course, I will."

I thought there must be many guilds that dislike Riet, given her reckless actions, like breaking into a large guild dormitory. Even if she's an S-rank hunter, can she really live like that?

Noah asked me to officially invite him. He had received approval from the Hunter Association and MKC, but hadn't heard back from the other three guilds, so he needed my invitation to visit the breeding facility. Hae-yeon and Breaker's guild leaders were away, but why hasn't Seong's responded?

I promised to pass the message to the association and set the meeting time for the afternoon. I need to get some sleep while Blue is at the breeding facility.

Yerim was looking at me with a half-asleep expression.

"Uncle, really..."

She stared at my neck and sighed deeply. This is it.

'Jang So-young, you talk too much.'

She must have said something. How far has it spread?

"I'll be there today too. I attended a morning class."

"A morning class isn't enough."

"Well, I can have extra lessons in the evening. Anyway, don't meet anyone alone from now on."

"…Don't file a complaint. I really didn't have any bad intentions."

Yerim's gaze was painful. Director Song, are you okay? Sung Hyun-je's ears must have heard it too. I hope he doesn't use this as an excuse to cause trouble. The car was already damaged, after all.

Noah Ruhir arrived a little earlier than the scheduled time. Unlike Riet, he was a young man with bright blonde hair and metallic gray eyes.

A message about the nemesis skill of Rauktas appeared and then disappeared. His eyes must be affected by the Dio Balshesis title. The completely different hair color suggests that he might be influenced by the color combination of the twin dragons.

"Thank you for allowing me to visit. It's an honor to meet you."

Noah greeted me very politely. It's surprising that an S-rank hunter can be so normal and courteous. Song Tae-won was also polite.

"Thank you for coming all this way. The weather is nice, so would you like to go up to the roof?"

This was a request from the security room. It's easier to monitor outdoors, and they can respond quickly in case of an emergency. It's perfect for confidential requests.

"Hunter Park Yerim will be joining us. Is that okay?"

Noah nodded in response to my question.

"I can take off my translation item. Hunter Park Yerim, are you fluent in English or French?"

"Just a little English."

Yerim showed a small gap between her thumb and index finger. It should be fine. Still, it's better not to mention Riet's name.

"First, I apologize for my sister's rudeness. I didn't hear the details, but she must have been quite pushy."

As soon as we sat at a table in the garden, Noah bowed slightly. He knows well. How can such a well-behaved younger brother come from such a sister? Maybe it's because of her?

"It wasn't a bad meeting. Thanks to her, I got to meet you, Noah."

An S-rank hunter with an SSS title can easily apply keywords due to the doubled skill effects. It's a bit disappointing that he's a guild leader, but adding one more S-rank hunter is still a good thing. Maybe Riet should have applied the keyword back then.

'He's a well-behaved and obedient younger brother, which is even better.'

I checked their relationship just in case. As Riet promised, he seems polite and has a good personality. This is like laying out a red carpet for the keyword.

"Mr. Noah, you must have had a hard time. You came here at your sister's request, didn't you?"

"Not exactly. I have other reasons, but I plan to stay in Korea for a while."

Does he have other business here? I want to check Noah's status window, but I don't know if Riet told him about my skills. I didn't hear everything clearly, but he seems to have kept it a secret even from his younger brother. If so, he's more trustworthy than his attitude suggests.

"I heard that your sister wants to entrust a monster to me."

"Yes, but she couldn't come. They plan to allow monsters to be transported by air, not just by ship. For now, the condition is that an S-rank hunter must accompany the monster on a private or chartered plane, and they will gradually relax the rules."

So, for a while, S-rank hunters will have to personally deliver overseas monsters. I can sit and watch famous faces. Maybe some hunters I personally admire will come.

"Of course, if I can get one, I would like to entrust it to you for breeding."

Noah smiled gently. He's so kind. I hope other S-rank hunters who come in the future are like him.

"You're always welcome. While you're here, please check out the facilities. Oh, do you know where you'll be staying?"

If I can't apply the keyword today, I'll have to visit him.

"I came alone, so I haven't decided yet. There are many options. Thank you for your concern."

"You're welcome. You're one of my beloved customers, after all."

Will it work? And which name should I use? Noah reacted strangely, and Yerim poked my arm.

"Uncle, don't say 'love' so lightly. You said it to the Seong guild leader too."

"It's just business."

"Still, it bothers me."

Oh, I should be careful about using the keyword in front of Yerim. I have been saying it a lot in front of her lately.

"Alright. But in the West, isn't it common to say it casually? I've seen it used as a greeting or exclamation. So saying 'I love you, Mr. Noah' might not feel strange."

"…Is that so?"

I don't know. Anyway, I shouldn't say the keyword again, and I should meet him separately when Yerim isn't around.

While thinking this, I noticed something was off. Noah, who had been smiling at me, was now staring at the table with a stiff expression.

"…Mr. Noah?"

It doesn't seem like the keyword was applied. Maybe he was bothered by the love talk. As I tried to speak again,

Crack!

The corner of the table where Noah's hand was resting shattered.

Yerim stood up first, and I followed. His silver-gray eyes were still fixed on the table. A faint, mumbling voice reached my ears.

"…Weaker than me."

What nonsense—

"Uncle!"

Yerim grabbed my arm and pulled me back. Almost simultaneously,

Crash!

The table broke, and my chest felt a burning sensation.

"Oof!"

My body was thrown back and rolled a few times before stopping. Before I could think about what was happening, I tried to get up but fell back down due to the intense pain in my chest. I saw blood on the ground. I used a potion, but—no, I used the teacher skill on Yerim.

"You bastard!"

Clang!

An ice tree branch blocked the attack. It clashed with Noah's elongated, sharp claws. Yerim, unable to withstand the force, teleported away.

Crash!

The spot where she was was torn apart by the powerful claws. Dirt and grass flew up, and even fragments of the building's ceiling were scattered.

The Shadowless Noon was already active, and the Fog of Sighs was swirling above it. Through the mist, Noah's form was visible.

His eyes had changed to resemble those of a reptile, his hand had grown into a beast's claw with golden scales, and his face was contorted like a madman. What's going on?

"Yerim!"

I quickly sprayed a potion on my wound and stood up.

"Stay there, Uncle!"

A cold chill spread from where he stood,

Whoosh!

A rain of ice fell toward Noah. However, Noah casually swung his arm and shattered the attack. The Shadowless Noon's debuff effect only briefly restrained his feet.

In contrast, Yerim was already covered in blood. Fortunately, it was just an injury. The dark blood flowing from her deeply scratched left arm was poison.

Damn, the difference in level is huge. Moreover, my lack of cold resistance is hindering Yerim's full power.

"Stop, Noah!"

I shouted and pulled out equipment focused on mental stats from my inventory. I shouldn't really use this, but I have no choice...

"…Huh?"

"Uh?"

Yerim and I both let out surprised sounds. Noah really stopped?

He took a step back, his eyes fixed on the ground, and his body was trembling. A faint, mumbling voice reached Yerim's ears.

"…It's okay, he's weak. Weaker than me, it's okay, I can kill him..."

I don't know why he's saying this, but I used the Seedling Skill to check his initial skills during the pause.

[Awakened ? Noah

Current Stat Level: S

Awakenable Stat Level: A

Optimized Initial Skills

Silent Scream (S) acquired

Stat Lending (A) acquired

Healing Hands (B) acquired]

...I almost doubted my eyes. His awakenable stat level is A, not A~S. Even if he had an optimized awakening, it should be A, but his current stat level is S.

He grew to S-rank in just three years at most. That's not a normal growth rate.

I quickly checked my 'My Baby' skill window.

(Noah - S)

The keyword had indeed been applied. Noah's reaction, his growth to S-rank, Riet's statement that she raised him, and the fact that he now perceives me as his sister...

...Damn, what did Riet do?

< Sister, Please... (2) > End

ⓒ Geunseo