Chapter 88

< Calm Down (1) >

“I will go with you.”

[Yes, I will go to fetch him.]

After ending the call with Kim Sung-han, I immediately prepared to go out. My mind was in a whirl the whole time I was leaving the house.

‘It hasn’t even been a week yet.’

Could it be that they didn’t complete the dungeon normally and escaped midway? If they had to use the gate stone, it would be hard to think they came out unscathed.

“Damn, that kid!”

After all that, you nag me about danger. You should take care of yourself first!

I got into the car waiting outside. Even if the road wasn’t blocked, it would take over 30 minutes to reach the S-rank dungeon where Yuhyeon went in.

“Is there any other news?”

At my words, Kim Sung-han looked up from his phone.

“The security cameras in the gate room cannot be immediately checked for security reasons. Additionally, if the team’s strength is similar to or below the minimum required for the dungeon’s rank, they are not allowed to approach the gate area. Especially for high-level hunters, it’s common for them to attack without properly distinguishing friend from foe right after a successful run or escape, so approaching rashly is strictly prohibited.”

I know that. After a fierce battle where lives are on the line, people are extremely sensitive. If strangers, especially hunters who could be a threat, approach, they might attack first.

Moreover, since this is an S-rank hunter who came out faster than expected, no one would dare approach rashly.

“Still, we should check on his condition, right?”

Despite knowing the rules, I couldn’t help but complain. If Yoon-yoon were here, I could have asked her to check first.

“There shouldn’t be any major issues if the gate has been confirmed to be activated, whether it’s a successful run or an escape. We also have high-level potions prepared in the gate room just in case. Personally, I think the run was successful. The team is small, but that means there’s less to worry about, and you have a key item, right?”

...That’s true. He said before that having a key item can halve the dungeon run time. If the original estimate was over ten days, then if it was really halved, there’s a good chance they finished and came out.

That would be fortunate, but... is it really fortunate? If they killed the boss monster, the probability of serious injuries might be higher than if they escaped midway.

What a reckless kid. Damn it, whether it’s five years later or now, you’re still the same. You don’t take care of yourself at all.

We arrived at the dungeon building without any further news. The S-rank dungeon building is larger than the A-rank one from last time. The surroundings were desolate. There were almost no signs of life on the streets, and I could see some closed stores.

Unlike lower-rank dungeons, where problems can be quickly resolved, the area around higher-rank, especially S-rank dungeons, sees a sharp drop in property values. With no customers, stores close, and the remaining residences are used only for sleeping due to their low cost.

In contrast to the empty streets, there were many people in front of the gate building. In addition to the hunters from Hae-yeon who were waiting in shifts, I could see people from the Hunter Association.

As soon as I got out of the car and headed for the entrance, some people tried to stop me.

“It’s dangerous!”

“Wait until they contact us from inside.”

What more are we waiting for? Are we going to sit here all night? I’ve already been up half the night.

But I understand why they’re blocking me.

“Mr. Kim Sung-han, can you lead the way?”

“Yes, absolutely do not come out in front of me.”

When he said an S-rank defensive hunter would accompany me, no one tried to stop me anymore. Or maybe they couldn’t stop me.

The door, which was closed, opened, and we went inside. The hallway was longer due to the size of the building. There were no additional facilities compared to lower-rank dungeons, just layers of walls.

Because of this, the air was already stuffy, and walking made it even more oppressive. My lips moved involuntarily, thinking, "Isn’t this too cautious?"

Finally, the last door opened, and the smell of blood hit me. Yuhyeon was standing in front of the stabilized blue gate, which indicated the run was over. His face was hard to see due to the backlight, but he seemed to be standing on his own, so he probably wasn’t seriously injured.

Next to him, Pies was visible. It was about the size of a cub, and when our eyes met, it wagged its tail.

Damn, you guys.

“Yuhyeon!”

“Hey, bro. Did you come to meet me?”

“Meet you? You didn’t even think of crawling out yourself—!”

Thinking about it, why didn’t this guy come out? For a moment, I focused on his face. A long wound ran from the corner of his right eye to his ear. It was a close call; if it had been a bit more inward, it could have damaged his eye.

My hand moved involuntarily toward the wound.

“You’ll get blood on your clothes.”

“Where did you sell the potion to end up like this?”

“It’s not a big wound, and I have Pies, so I saved it. I only have one inventory, you know.”

“Why did you do something so reckless! Wait, where’s the potion—.”

I took out the potion and healed the wound. Only then did I remember that a healer was waiting outside. Well, we can’t afford to save potions anymore.

-Grunt, meow

Then Pies made a small sound. Looking down, I saw that Pies had shrunk to cub size and was lifting one of its front paws. A long wound was visible on the small paw.

Damn it.

“Pies! I’m sorry my brother is a lunatic. You’ve suffered because of him.”

I quickly picked up Pies and healed the wound on its paw. Look at its messy fur. Blood was clotted in some places. Even when it buried its head in my chest, it seemed unusually listless.

“Why are you like this, Pies?”

-Grunt

“Are you tired?”

“More like sleepy, I guess.”

“You didn’t get enough sleep, did you? Of course not, with just the two of you.”

Since you couldn’t communicate, you probably couldn’t take turns sleeping. I clicked my tongue, and Yuhyeon spoke with a slightly whiny tone.

“I’m sleepy too.”

“Why—no, let’s go out first. You look like a mess, and it’s better to clean up and rest. Are there any other injuries?”

“No, none.”

As I turned to comfort Pies, I noticed Kim Sung-han with an ambiguous expression. He must have come in from the inside but went out at some point.

“Guild Master, you’re safe!”

“Did you complete the run? Or—.”

As soon as we stepped out of the building, people didn’t swarm us but stayed at a distance, asking questions. They thought we had brought out a wild animal. "Our pet won’t bite." Gradually, they started to approach.

The Hae-yeon guild members were relieved and congratulated us, but the Association people were different. They eagerly approached when Kim Sung-han confirmed the run was successful. Shortening the expected run time of an S-rank dungeon by half was enough to make them flip.

“Can you go to the Hunter Association immediately? They want to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and make an announcement.”

“If it’s known that S-rank dungeons can be managed more stably, the public will feel more at ease. Please bring the key item as well.”

Yeah, it’s a good suggestion, but what more do you want from someone who hasn’t slept for days and has been through so much? Even Pies, who is half-asleep, you want to drag along? Are you crazy? What if we delay it by a day, will S-rank dungeons start exploding one after another?

“I can’t go now. Contact me again tomorrow.”

My voice naturally carried a hint of irritation. The Association man was taken aback.

“Excuse me? I was speaking to Guild Master Hae-yeon. If you could give an answer—.”

“Don’t you think your suggestion is rude? Don’t you understand the current situation? Or are you a Hunter, a Hunter Association person, who has never been in a dungeon and just sits at a desk, looking at papers? Oh, maybe you’ve been through the beginner’s dungeon. I hope your Hunter Association badge wasn’t won in a gambling den.”

Do you really not understand what it means for two people to clear an S-rank dungeon quickly? Are you brainless? The more I thought about it, the angrier I got, and my voice rose. Pies, who was in my arms, opened its eyes.

-Meow

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not like it will take too much time—.”

-Growl

As the man got closer, Pies bared its teeth. The man jumped back in surprise.

You must be very sleepy. You’re sensitive. I comforted Pies and glanced at Yuhyeon, just in case.

“Do you want to go?”

“No, not at all.”

Of course, he wouldn’t want to go. When Yuhyeon shook his head, the Association people couldn’t push any further. Still, to avoid any more trouble, I quickly got into the car and left.

[Therefore, the shortened run time of this S-rank dungeon by Hae-yeon Guild is expected to have a positive effect on the avoidance phenomenon around higher-rank dungeons.]

At 9 PM, the news anchor’s calm voice and the Association’s material on the TV screen announced the news. Despite the run’s success, they made the announcement based on their own investigation since the participants refused to cooperate.

Yuhyeon leaned back on a one-person sofa, half-listening to the news. It was nothing new or important. Then he suddenly took out one of the items from his inventory, a reward from the run.

A red, oval-shaped egg, about the length of three fingers, faintly glowed in the dimly lit living room.

[Red Egg ? SSS Rank]

It had only a name and a rank, no description. It must be something special given its high rank, but he had no idea how to use it.

After looking at the egg for a moment, he put it back in his inventory and turned his gaze to the long sofa.

On the sofa, his brother was sleeping. The fur of the Flame Horned Lion in Han Yujin’s arms was glossy. After washing Pies, Yujin had sat on the sofa with a tired face, complaining about not getting enough sleep due to the new baby dragon. He had said he would just rest his eyes for a moment and then fell asleep.

Before Blue went to sleep, he had asked to be woken up at 8 PM to go back, but it was already 9 PM. He hadn’t forgotten; he just didn’t plan to wake him up.

‘It’s fine to let him rest.’

He had taken care of the baby dragon with such dedication, even after it grew up, and now he was hugging it. Given the difference in strength, it was like a cat licking a grown tiger. To Yuhyeon, it was both incomprehensible and understandable.

That’s just how his brother was.

“My brother is strange.”

He muttered quietly in a low voice. He had been like that since he was young.

Their parents quickly noticed that their second child was different from them. It wasn’t a clear feeling, but a sense of unease, foreboding, or fear. It was as if their child wasn’t really theirs, a kind of obsessive feeling.

If he were a stranger, it would have been just a bit uncomfortable. But since he was their blood, and the guilt of feeling such emotions towards their child, it became a terrifying nightmare for the parents.

If nothing had happened, the second child might have been abandoned. Or at least, they would have pretended he didn’t exist and ignored him.

But the first child treated his brother normally. Instead of the confused parents, he took care of his brother. Seeing this, the parents turned their backs on the first child. They couldn’t bear the reality that there was something wrong with them, but it was easier to consider both children strange.

Once they decided, the parents felt relieved. They shared the same feelings and the same guilt, becoming even closer and living happily like newlyweds.

Yuhyeon had keenly noticed all of this. In contrast, Yujin thought their family was a bit unusual compared to others but didn’t pay much attention. He was satisfied with his loving parents and a good, obedient brother.

If Yujin had normally rejected his brother, they would have been a happy family of three, not just a happy couple. They might not have lost their parents in an accident. They wouldn’t have gone on frequent trips, leaving their beloved only child to focus on his studies.

He would have grown up normally, gone to a normal university, and stayed a normal student, unaffected by the dungeon shock. He would have heard about Yuhyeon’s awakening and been surprised but treated it as someone else’s business.

Yet, he held on to it.

Yuhyeon felt a slight twinge of guilt and bitterly smiled. No one, not even him, could resist the pure affection and care given. Especially if it was the only one, he would cling to it even more.

“...So, I have to endure it.”

He grumbled with a sigh.

Sharing what’s his with others is naturally unpleasant. It’s like when parents suddenly say they have another child and introduce a stranger, and they keep coming one after another.

It’s frustrating. But he knew he was the priority, and these people helped ensure Yujin’s safety, so he could tolerate it to some extent.

It was better than being helpless.

‘Nothing seems to have happened while I was away.’

Pies was necessary for the quick run, but he left Kim Sung-han behind on purpose. He also left the other high-level hunters from Hae-yeon and the somewhat inexperienced Park Yerim. And Seonghyunje. Given his character, he would have protected Yujin, who he deemed useful, even if he had other motives. He would ensure his immediate safety.

At that moment, his phone on the table buzzed. Yuhyeon picked it up and checked the message. It was three photos with no text. The first photo was of a hospital room.

“...This is...”

The VIP room with cracks in the wall and a broken door. His smooth eyebrows immediately furrowed. The next photo was of Yujin. The hand marks on his neck were clear. The last photo was also of his brother. His shirt was torn and soaked in blood, as if he had been attacked.

Crack!

The phone in his hand was instantly crushed.

< Calm Down (1) > End

ⓒ Geunseo