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135. While Miriel was suffering and worrying about her love, Albert was crossing through the Demon Realm. And at the end of it, there was a cabin standing on a fairly large grass field. It was the place where the sage of the Demon Realm, Roslin, stayed. "Hey!" Albert opened the cabin door and went inside. The interior, due to a space expansion spell, was wider than it looked on the outside. Inside, a human-shaped demon with multiple arms was diligently writing something down. “Alberg-nim? It’s been a while. What’s going on here?” Roslin asked without stopping what she was doing. “I have something to ask.” "What is?" “I want to go to Middle Earth, is there a way?” “Ah, you mean Middle Earth. Middle-earth, middle-earth. That middle earth?" Roslin raised her head with a surprised expression. “You can’t go there, can you?” “Ainas succeeded in opening the door.” “I haven’t seen you in a while. Were you back there?” "Okay." “Oh, my God. By the way, Ainas succeeded in opening the door? Is she that crazy?” “To be exact, with a demon named Libby. Do you know?” “Libby, let me see. I remember. They were demons who pursued something very unusual. I didn’t want to get involved in the ranking battle, and I studied a lot of unique things.” "Good. Then can you do that too?” "Me?" Roslin looked distressed at Alberg's question. “I can do it. If they can do it, I can do it too! Who am I? Aren’t I the sage of the Demon Realm?” “Then I’ll provide you with the materials, so you can research them.” “Research isn’t difficult, but isn’t it something you shouldn’t do?” “Where in the world does that happen? If you do it, you do it. You are actually curious too. How can I get to Middle-earth?” “That’s right. Alright, then let’s study that now.” Roslin smiled and answered. Alberg would do anything. Because if she didn't listen to him, he was going to beat her up. 'I knew I would give up like this.' Hyeon-woo was the only person he fell in love with. Just because he returned to the Demon Realm didn't mean he gave up. He was thinking of going back and bringing it back somehow. For that, Alberg could do anything. “Just wait, Hyeon-woo.” Albert called the name of Hyeon-woo, who is not here now. “My ears are itching for some reason.” Hyeon-woo grumbled and said, "Where? Here?" Do-jin reached out and touched Hyeoun-woo’s ear. The hand he touched felt quite sticky. So much has changed in just a few days. After entering and exiting the portal, Seon-woo became calmer, albeit a little. It seemed like he lost to Do-jin. But that didn't stop Seon-woo from meddling in everything that happened. Because of that, a proper date was impossible, so the two were now facing a monster. “Kyuuuung!” After beating the monster to the point of death, he spread a mat in front of it and placed a basket on top of it. The basket contained light meals like sandwiches and juice that you might eat at a picnic. “There were a lot of things I wanted to watch with my brother.” "So do I." “Why does Seon-woo hate Hyung(DJ) so much?” Hyeon-woo sighed softly and laid down with Do-jin’s legs on his back. “I guess Hyung(DJ) is too good to him.” “I like Seon-woo too.” “If Seon-woo knows that, he will tolerate that much too.” Was that what you mean by holding back? His brother-in-law harassed him to the point where he thought there was no such thing as a brother-in-law. Their fight could be broadcasted as a TV drama. Because of that, Hyeon-woo felt sorry for Do-jin. “Are you sorry?” "A little." “Then, as much as you’re sorry, how about a kiss?” “Are you satisfied with just kissing?” “No, actually, kissing is better.” The two giggled and showered each other's faces with kisses. The monster's eyes looking at him began to rot. But even so, there was nothing the monster could do. Now he was dying. Even if he got better, he had no intention of attacking him again. Because the two of them were that strong. Hyeon-woo and Do-jin, who did not know the monster's thoughts, spent a sweet time together after finishing their meal. Then, only after the time was over did the monster become comfortable. “Okay then, shall we go out?” “By the way, you don’t have any plans for dinner, right? I made a reservation at a nice restaurant.” "Sure! By the way, is Seon-woo coming along too?” "No. This time, just the two of us.” “I think Seon-woo will be upset.” Hyeon-woo let out a regretful voice, but could not give in this time. Do-jin persuaded Hyeon-woo with a soft voice. “This time we’ll eat together, and next time, Seon-woo can come too.” “Is that so?” “Yes, it’s time for Seon-woo to become independent from his Hyung.” “This is the first time I’ve seen Hyung say something like that!” I t has to be that way. In the meantime, I didn't completely exclude Seon-woo in order to impress Hyeon-woo. Even when the two of us were walking around together, Seon-woo would often join us. 'But it will never happen this time.' If I did something wrong, everything I had prepared could be ruined. I deliberately chose an evening when Seon-woo had work to do.  Do-jin hid his emotions and smiled at Hyeon-woo. That evening, Do-jin went into a nice restaurant with Hyeon-woo. The seat was a window seat with the best night view. Do-jin escorted Hyeon-woo to his seat and then sat down himself. They savored the food that came one after another. “The food here is delicious.” "Yes?" Hyeon-woo seemed a little excited, perhaps because of the delicious food. And at the end of the meal, the staff came out with a small cake. On top of the red heart-shaped cake, Hyeon-woo's name was written in stylish letters. “What day is today? It’s not my birthday yet.” Do-jin said to Hyeon-woo, who tilted his head. “Let’s slice the cake first.” At those words, Hyeon-woo picked up his knife and carefully cut the cake. A meal at a nice restaurant, with a small cake at the end. At this point, it was strange that Hyeon-woo didn't know anything. 'There's something.' And maybe that something was romantic? Hyeon-woo cut the cake in half with anticipation. The sight of the heart being cut off was a bit odd, but his eyes widened when he saw the object that came out of it. "A ring?" It was also a ring with a fairly large diamond. As he carefully took out the ring and looked at it, Do-jin got up from the chair and knelt on the floor. A song tickled his heart from somewhere, and he held out a flower. This is definitely it! Hyeon-woo called Do-jin in a trembling voice. "Hyung?" “Hyeon-woo, will you stay with me for the rest of your life?” It was a marriage proposal. 'Oh my goodness! Hyeon-woo was embarrassed and tried to help Do-jin up. But he didn't seem to want to get up before getting his consent. 'I'm embarrassed!' But his mood wasn't bad. “I’ll accept it, the proposal. I also want to spend the rest of my life with my hyung.” Only then did Do-jin stand up and place a bouquet of flowers in Hyeon-woo's arms. He cleaned the ring he had prepared in advance and put it on his finger, and it fit perfectly. “What about Hyung’s?” “I’ve one too.” Do-jin raised his hand. The same ring was shining on his finger. Seeing that somehow made him burst into laughter. Anyway, it was a marriage proposal between men, but he thought the restaurant somehow approved it. “Money is everything.” Do-jin answered Hyeon-woo’s curiosity. So the two of them swore to be together for the rest of their lives. "Hyung!" Seon-woo came in late, but the whole situation had already ended. "Nonsense!" Seon-woo insisted that he should pass on all of this, but it was no use. Because Hyeon-woo had already fallen for Do-jin. It was a happy ending. *** “Hehehe!” Roslin danced, fluttering her many arms. “It’s finally a success! Success! Now you can go to Middle-earth!" “For now, only small monsters are possible.” “Start small and grow bigger. Once you succeed, you can move on quickly!” Albert smiled with satisfaction at the confident voice. “As expected of a sage of the Demon Realm.” “Praise makes even demons dance. Please give more, more!” “As much as you want.” Now I can go see Hyeon-woo again. If it can be done with just a few words, what can't he do? Alberg gave Roslin a few more words of praise. 'It's not over yet.' No, now it all starts again. Alberg smiled meaningfully. 『My Younger Brother is a Hero』is finished. Davine: All I can say is that by the time Alberg sees HW again, he might as well be dead. HM: true, very true. HW and everyone is gonna be dead by then lol. Sorry but u gotta check the side stories. But still Alberg should have seduced him before he left the demon realm. What a waste… ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag We made a discord server! please join us!

My Younger Brother is a Hero Side Stories Robo Index 1. Kamasutra 2. Epilogue 3. Miriel  1. Kamasutra (The Kama Sutra (/ ˈkɑːməˈsuːtrə /; Sanskrit: कामसूत्र, pronunciation ⓘ, Kāma-sūtra; lit. 'Principles of Love') is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life.) -Yes, it all started out of curiosity. The world had changed. The fact that the portals open and the Awakened have to kill monsters had not changed. However, once the great evil was defeated and a system was established, there was peace overall. Thanks to that, Hyeon-woo was also relaxed except for the occasional times he went to help his younger brother. The flow of time made Hyeon-woo turn his attention elsewhere. He watched dramas and laughed at entertainment shows. And sometimes he indulged in things he had never encountered before. 「Women’s Era」 One of them was a women's magazine. “Why a women’s magazine?” Chanyoung, the deputy guild leader who bought the magazine, asked. “Because it’s fun?” “Which part?” “This part.” Hyeon-woo pointed to a cover of a women’s magazine. “An Awakened Love Special. We can make love too.”  Chan-young narrowed his eyes and read the text. Below the hot pink letters, a red circle was drawn, within which the male and female gender symbols intersected. There was also a heart drawn next to it. As he moved his gaze a little further, he saw the letter 19 in a small circle. He roughly understood what the special is about. “Does someone who has a lover need something like this?” “In the first place, the target audience for this magazine was married women.” Chan-young said he had a lot he wanted to say, but he decided to leave it at this point. It seemed like if he dug deeper, he would find out things he didn't want to know. “Yes, I see.” Chanyoung lifted her upper body and walked out the door. Beep. When the door closed, Hyeon-woo started reading the magazine again. Beside him, Kero and Spotty, both with fluffy fur, were rolling around in the warm sunlight. "Um." The special page was located in the middle of the magazine. The first thing that caught his eye when he turned the cover was an interview with an Awakened woman with a pseudonym. 「Reporter: Hello. Today, I got to meet Mr. A for the Awakened Special.」 「A: Hello, this is A. Please ask me anything.」 「Reporter: Then, what I wanted to ask you most!」 「A: What is it?」 「Reporter: It's the night of the Awakened ones. So S.E.X.」 (Smiling A) 「Reporter: Are there any advantages to having a lover who is an Awakened?”」 It started out as a somewhat childish interview, so he often laughed at first. However, the further he went, the more Hyeon-woo began to become immersed in it. A woman named A said that if her lover is an Awakened, she can feel pleasure that ordinary people cannot experience. 「Reporter: How?」 「A: Awakened have extraordinary strength and strong bodies. They are also capable of positions that you might not even think of. Especially if both are Awakened.」 Several pictures were included below the interview. These were all postures that an ordinary person would never dare to pose. “You like this so much?” What is this bizarre posture? Hyeon-woo and Do-jin already spent the night together. Do-jin, like his usual personality, had warm and gentle sex. He was considerate of Hyeon-woo and always made sure that he felt pleasure. It wasn't a bad thing, but at this moment, he felt intense curiosity. He wondered how much pleasure one can feel as an Awakened. ‘Hyung and I both have strong bodies.’ I didn't think my body would be damaged to this extent. “Let me see.” Hyeon-woo’s fingers pointed at various tools that followed the picture. These were all items made exclusively for each saint. The price was a bit expensive, but not so much that he couldn't afford it. Even if a high-ranking Awakened runs through the dungeon, even a little one, there is still enough left over to buy these things in a box. In addition, the friendly magazine revealed several site addresses where you can buy it. It was probably an advertising sponsorship, but Hyeon-woo, whose eyes had already rolled back, couldn't even think about it. He just picked up the phone and went to the address written in the magazine. “The world is nice.” They said it could be done quickly. Hyeon-woo grinned and laid down on the sofa. “Whoa.” Do-jin exhaled softly and ran his hand through his hair. Then his hair fell back along with the sweat. “Are you okay?” Hyeon-hee, the deputy guild leader who entered the dungeon next to him, asked. After the period of confusion ended, Dojin began to grow his guild in earnest. At the same time, Hyeon-hee also did the same. Because he did not want to abandon the deputy guild leader who helped him through difficult times, he tried to improve his skills accordingly. However, because Do-jin was born with his talent, he had no talent for teaching others. That's why he asked A-yun for help, and she said she was willing to help. “Work hard.” That was what A-yun said a few days later after she had put everything in order. “Work hard.” “Yes, if you work like crazy, your skills will improve. If you can’t teach according to the rules, that’s the best.” Thanks to that, Hyeon-hee acted like crazy in real life after that. It was so difficult that at one point he even thought about running away. However, it only lasted for a moment, and as his skills really began to improve, he started working of his own accord. So even though she says it like that, Hyeon-hee's appearance was more miserable. Do-jin was the one to ask if it was okay. "It's okay. Is the car ready?” “Yes, I have prepared it.” “Then let’s go first.” Do-jin entered the temporary building, changed his clothes and quickly got into the car. During the few days I was in the dungeon, I missed my lover so much. He's cute and lovely. He wanted to see Hyeon-woo quickly. “I’d like to suggest that we slowly become independent.” Hyeon-woo is still staying in the building of Seon-hyeon Guild. After he proposed, he talked about combining their lives, but Hyeon-woo hesitated. “I’m worried about Sunwoo.” Although Seon-woo has already grown up and become a great Awakened, he is still his younger brother to Hyeon-woo. He seemed worried about this. Do-jin, who was worried about that, eventually decided to take a step back. “Then let’s live together with your younger brother.” Of course, Seon-woo got angry and opposed it. “Why do I live with you!” “Then do you want to live separately?” “I don’t want to. Then, won’t the two of us live together?” There is no such thing as an obnoxious sister-in-law. Hyeon-woo persuaded Seon-woo. Seon-woo continued to object, but eventually went over to his Hyung. Because of that, a house was being built just for them halfway between the Seon-hyeon Guild and the Peace Guild. ‘I hope it’s completed quickly.’ Then he will be able to see Hyeon-woo every day. Do-jin smiled slightly and walked up through the lobby of Seon-hyeon Guild. Since he can come and go so often, there is no one to stop me anymore. Even outsiders know that the Seon-hyeon Guild and the Peace Guild have joined hands. Every time he hears that, Seon-woo distorts his expression and denies it, but he doesn't believe anyone. Do-jin cleared his throat and rang the bell next to the tightly closed door. Then there was a running sound from inside and the door opened. "Hyung!" Hyeon-woo hugged Do-jin in return. “Hyeon-woo.” Do-jin naturally hugged Hyeon-woo and kissed him. Kero and Spotty were watching from behind with dumbfounded expressions, but they didn't catch the lover's eyes. They kissed each other's faces lightly for a while and then smiled. “How long has it been since this?” “I missed you, Hyeon-woo.” "Me too." Hyeon-woo got down from Do-jin's arms and held his hand with a smile. “But Hyung, do you have time now?” "Time?" “Unn, there is a place I want to go.” “Where?” “That’s a secret!” Hyeon-woo says he wants to go, but can’t tell where? “I’m off for three days.” When Do-jin said that, Hyeon-woo looked happy. “Well, just wait a moment.” Then he lifts a large box placed in one corner of the living room. Even though it is quite large, it looks familiar as you lift it with one hand and place it on your shoulder. “Okay, now let’s go!” “I will carry it.” “Isn’t it heavy?” "Still." Do-jin received the box from Hyeon-woo. It's quite heavy. What on earth is inside this? He got curious. After going down to the parking lot and loading the boxes into the car, Hyeon-woo sat in the passenger seat. Then he starts to mark the location on the navigation system. He took a quick look and it was the first name he saw. “Let’s go now!” "okay." Dojin started the car smoothly. So he arrived outside the city center. The place was a building in a remote area. It consisted of a total of 5 floors. It looked big and sturdy. Just looking at it, it looks like it was built using standard building methods. It didn't seem like it. “Here, here!” As he was dragged by Hyeon-woo’s hand holding the box, I saw the lobby. There was only one full-time employee, but there were several rooms with sturdy doors on the left and right. "hello. I made a reservation here.” "hello. Please give us your reservation number and we will guide you through it.” “Number 324.” “Yes, you can go into room 1.” When they entered room 1, they saw a table and chairs placed in the center. "welcome. Here, we guide you through options for your enjoyment.” “Hyung, here!” Hyeon-woo, who was already sitting in his chair, tapped the chair next to him. As he sat there, the employee sitting across from me opened a booklet. There were pictures of various places in the booklet, and the staff member started explaining by showing them. “Our country of dreams and hope is basically made with everything based on the Awakened standard. Therefore, there is a low probability of items being damaged, and the building will not collapse no matter what you enjoy. Still, it is dangerous if a high-ranking Awakened fights in earnest, so please refrain from doing so. Then, let me show you the room you chose first.” A few pages went by and he saw an ordinary hotel room. “There are rooms with unique concepts, but we also have standard rooms. There are additional options available here.” Chains, shackles, bars, muzzles, whips. All kinds of ugly things were dragged out. Hyeon-woo looked at it seriously and nodded his head, and even asked some questions. “How about Hyung?” “Umm.” What on earth is this room for? As soon as he thought that, the staff quickly opened his mouth. “This is a room for those who have an Awakened as their lover. Options are things that can make your night life more enjoyable.” Oh my, they say the world has changed. Is there such a building? Do-jin was a little surprised. “Please include all options first.” HM: I’m so excited… lol wwwwwww ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag We made a discord server! please join us!

9.   03. Happy ending   The first-place match against Lycheeyum was scheduled for 9pm the very next day.   It wasn’t a bad schedule for someone like me who wanted to beat Lyheeyum and finish the ranking match as soon as possible.   “So, you don’t have to do any more ranking matches tomorrow?”   “That’s right.”   I answered by putting a piece of apple on a fork and putting it into the mouth of Chae Yoo-jeong, who was hugging my waist.   “There is no point loss for first place, and all you have to do is wait for a new second place user, but that won’t be easy.”   There wasn’t much time left in the ranking competition, and the second-place user ‘dodory1’ I met yesterday did quite well, so I wasn’t too worried. Now that I’m in second place, that user has been pushed down to third place.   Lycheeyum’s skills aren’t that bad considering he’s also made it to the top anyway. If there’s Lycheeyum and dodory1 below me, even if a new person joins the rankings, they will most likely not reach first place.   Chae Yoo-jeong, who was lying on the sofa next to me and quietly accepting the apple, shyly opened his mouth.   “I can watch the first-place match, so I’ll go watch it too.”   “Okay.”   After happily sharing the apple with Chae Yoo-jeong, I woke up and realized that it was already past 7 o’clock at night.   I have to go to work tomorrow and also play a ranking match at night, so I’ll call it a day.   I have to go back too. It was a pity that I had come to have dinner with Chae Yoo-jeong in the first place, but I had no choice.   “I’ll go and see.”   I took off my tie, which was loosely tied around my neck, and stuffed it into the pocket of my suit. As I went to the entrance, Chae Yoo-jeong followed behind me.   “Shall I take you there?”   “It’s okay. You must be tired, so don’t come out.”   “Why should I be tired?”   When Chae Yoo-jeong refused, putting on his shoes, he immediately became sullen. I thought it looked pretty too, so I smiled and gently touched his cheek.   “I will stay longer after the ranking match is over. Just wait one day.”   “I can go to Hyung’s house……….”   “What are you doing in that narrow place?”   “It’s not narrow.”   “It’s narrow. and……….”   I placed his hand on Chae Yoo-jeong’s shoulder and narrowed the distance between me and him.   “The soundproofing there is not very good.”   “……!”   When I secretly whispered in Chae Yoo-jeong’s ear, his body trembled and his cheeks and ears instantly turned bright red.   It’s amazing every time I see it. How can it turn red so quickly?   “Isn’t it better if I come here instead?”   “………Yes.”   Chae Yoo-jeong nodded his head, covering his red face with his hand. It’s so cute I want to chew him and eat him, really.   “I’m really going now.”   As I spoke and tapped his cheek, Chae Yoo-jeong kissed me in a familiar way.   I didn’t forget to kiss him back, and when I opened the front door, I gently waved at Chae Yoo-jeong.   “I’m going to take a taxi today and I’ll be back home soon. I’ll contact you later, so take a break.”   “Yes.”   ***   The next day, after taking a shower after work, I went straight to Zenoris.   There were about 10 minutes left until 9 o’clock, so I checked the equipment one last time, and Chae Yoo-jeong followed me and logged into Zenoris.   [Yoo Chae: Hyung >_<]   [I’m sleepy: >_<]   When I responded by copying Chae Yoo-jeong’s emoticon, he started chattering with excitement.   [Yoo Chae: it’s starting soon]   [Yoo Chae: I’ll be there to cheer you on!!]   [Yoo Chae: o(≧∇≦o)]   [Yoo Chae: (o≧∇≦)o]   [I’m sleepy: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]]   [I’m sleepy: I’ll finish it in 5 minutes, baby^^]   Two minutes before 9 o’clock, the character was automatically moved to the waiting room.   Unlike before, there was a window on the top right with the username listed. It seemed to be a list of users watching this game.   There must be about 50 people. As I scrolled down, there was Chae Yoo-jeong’s nickname somewhere in the middle.   Apparently, because it was the ranking match with the first rank for a new job, there were a lot of people who came to watch. Well, I’m glad to hear that. The more people who see Lycheeyum losing first place, the better.   While I was stretching my hands, I was moved to the duel area at 9 o’clock. I made an emotional expression greeting Lycheeyum across from me. Since I can’t chat here, I have to provoke him like this.   Lycheeyum, who saw my expression of emotion, was not to be outdone and expressed his emotion as well. It’s ridiculous, really.   The ranking match will begin soon. Get ready for battle!   3, 2, 1   Battle begins!   After the countdown ended, the ranking match began in earnest, but both Lycheeyum and I kept our distance without attacking. It was always either the other person was going to attack me, or I was going to attack them. This was my first time seeing something like this.   It looks like he really wants to win. To some extent, I understood Lycheeyum’s feelings. Of course, I have no intention of losing just because I understand.   After about 30 seconds, I was getting frustrated with Lycheeyum who was just moving around and not thinking of getting closer, so I closed the distance first.   Let’s start by looking at Lycheeyum’s fighting style. First of all, just in case, I saved the rush and moved just enough to be within the skill range. Then, as if I had been waiting, the skill flew out and passed in front of my feet.   ‘Um…………?’   The moment I saw Lycheeyum’s skill shot, I felt a strange sensation and narrowed my eyes.   ‘Something… No, let’s take a closer look.’   They might have done it to deceive me, so it’s too early to be sure. To find out more, I deliberately made a stupid move to make it look like I could guess the skill right away.   Then, every time I moved, the skill flew by. I quickly dodged it and figured out Lycheeyum’s skills.   “You can’t be a dog.”   I sighed and muttered. No, of course, he’s better than the other kids I’ve met before, but... It was clear that he was worse than the second-place user I met yesterday.   In the end, he put the guild member who was better than him in second place, and the Guild Master himself was in first place. The reason is probably because of the promotion of that famous guild.   It was shameful that he placed his guild member in second place in a ranking match based purely on skill, but he was even worse than his guild member? I was so shocked that I burst out laughing.   I mouse-clicked right behind the character with the mouse to dodge the skill again and then ran straight towards Lycheeyum. Since I had figured out the other person, there was no reason to take any more time.   As expected, when I closed the distance, Lycheeyum quickly ran away from me. He had no more skill or spirit than second place.   Lycheeyum is probably the type of person who throws a skill at an opponent and gauges his or her skill by watching how he or she avoids it. If the opponent is able to easily dodge a skill, he or she is probably more skilled than you, so you will delay as much time as possible, and if he or she is unable to dodge, you will fight aggressively.   Of course, it’s not a bad method. So you must have come all the way up here with your guild members. However, it was very easy to destroy it if you knew the relative law. The law of destruction is simple. You just have to hit them.   ‘Because I’m better at that.’   I will bite you like a dog. I smiled darkly and doggedly chased after Lycheeyum, who was trying to get away.   However, since we both ran at the same speed, a little trick was needed to catch Lycheeyum. So, as if I was impatient, I used my lunge towards Lycheeyum.   Slash!   As expected, as soon as I used the lunge, Lycheeyum stopped and stuttered as if it had lagged. I frown because I know why he does that.   I did it.   ‘How can someone who doesn’t even know the range of restraint skills want to come in first place?’   The dash was the only evasion technique that could avoid the restraint skill. Since I used such a valuable skill, I guess he was going to immediately tie me up and attack me.   And I guessed that Lycheeyum would react like that, so I used the dash skill but was careful not to get within the range of the restraint skill.   As a result of adjusting it so that it didn’t touch it, Lycheeyum was completely fooled by my fake skill, and while he was struggling, I walked just one step forward and used the restraint skill first.   Lycheeyum, who was so embarrassed that he could not avoid the binding skill, was tied up in front of me.   It was a shame that Lycheeyum was only this good, but I still had to finish it. I smiled and tapped the keyboard without hesitation.   Lycheeyum’s character, who had been hitting the skill hard while screaming, “Ugh, Ugh, Ugh,” ran away with about 10% of his remaining health as soon as the restraint skill was over. I watched this for a while and then threw my weakest R skill at Lycheeyum. The skill hit Lycheeyum squarely in the back of the head.   Wow! In the end, Lycheeyum, who lost all of his remaining stamina, died in a fierce battle without even being able to use a single skill against me.   I shook my head as I looked at Lycheeyum’s character lying on the floor with his back facing me. If I had just tackled it with a game-changing mentality, I would have been able to get the skill right even once. I don’t know what that looks like.   Anyway, a win’s a win, so I walked in front of Lycheeyum’s character and made the same greeting emoticon as before. There are some emotional expressions that could make him angrier, but using them would result in excessive teabagging, so this was the most appropriate level. Well, even when we say goodbye, we say hello. In the sense that we should never see each other again.   Ding diding!   annotation   1) Teabagging: Unmannered behavior intended to provoke the other person.   HM: he must have been that bad if even MC is like this is way too easy   TGITG fans, hello, we were planning to write the fanfic of TGITG series as the continuation for the novel, but our editor got too busy to join us. I want a *co-writer* to join us. The plot line and storyboard for each chapter is already finished. It’s around 10-20 chapters. In return, you will get to read the rest of the chapters around 13 chapters left as of now. Please contact me directly to discuss about this. Please join the discord server on the below link. We made a Discord Server ! please join us! --- Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Meimei, Ghostx We made a Discord Server ! please join us!

“I can’t hold the field for more than a few minutes!” “I know!” Before he could finish his words, Gong Tae-seong quickly ran through the back alley, burning the corpses wandering in the white flames. The ports of ‘A Day Without Abnormality’ that were aiming at him stopped with a rattling noise. The waterfall of corpses pouring down with a rotting voice stopped all at once like a still image. Hyeon Gyu-ha frowned as he stretched one hand forward and used his ability. “Finish it quickly.” “It’s not helping and it’s noisy!” Gong Tae-seong jumped over the pile of falling corpses and the roof and raised the sword he was holding with both hands high. Some of the bound artifacts were released, and the blade was filled with the vengeful spirits and murderous intent of tens of thousands of people who fell in a single fight, and the ghost sounded creepy. The blade of resentment, frozen as if spitting blood, instantly cut 'A Day Without Abnormality' in two. It cut, tore, tore, cut, and slaughtered. By the time the pieces of flesh smaller than the palm of one's hand were piled up on the floor. [The dungeon boss 'A Day Without Abnormality' has died.] [The dungeon has been cleared.] A new message was printed, and Choi Jin-hyeok, who had been holding on by squeezing out his mana, lost consciousness and fell. In the blink of an eye, the field was released and the dungeon regained its original scenery of a winter forest. And In Yoo-shin, who had been floating in the air, looked at the new message that appeared before his eyes in bewilderment. [Awakener Gong Tae-seong releases some of the artifacts belonging to him, 'The Flower Blooming in the East'.] ………………Why is this happening to me? The whale blinked its large eyes. A strange young man next to the king's son. Contrary to the contractor's wishes, he did not smell like the king's son or anything related to Iad. It was clear that the young man was a creature from the Iron Age, a world independent from the gods. But it had a more essential and longing scent. A world where Urshitoare sings of the fate of the child born, and where the king who became the cornerstone of the world looks down on the earth, and where the blessings of the gods and sacred miracles manifest. 'The third Urshitoare's presence remains faintly.' This is a world where the gods have left. A world where the king does not protect. A whale, having crash-landed in the desolate Divine(神虛界) Void, brought tears to the eyes of Som Noross, one of the four great fish that supported the earth. It was the scent of home, finally encountered at the end of a sorrowful time. 8 -se 's uselessness was revealed in the battle, but since no one except Hyeon Gyu-ha had expectations, there was no change in 8- se ’s life. "Squeak!" 8- se  became bold after being caught wandering around the house without permission when his master was away. Today, 8-se carefully walked to clean up the bathtub while 6-se was stuck in the tunnel and sleeping, so that the bedding that had been dug into the tunnel wouldn't collapse. I was worried because 6-se was old, but fortunately 8-se was there to take care of him. When I saw the two of them exchanging sounds like "Squeak! Squeak!", it seemed like they were communicating somehow. In Yoo-shin, who was looking at the cage with happy eyes, realized that he was escaping from reality and returned to his original worries. '………………Why on earth did I get a message that the guild leader was using an artifact?' In Yoo-shin has seen two notifications from the system related to the bound artifact so far.  The first was Hyeon Gyu-ha. The second was Gong Tae-seong. The first assumption that came to mind was that the status of all the Awakener who use the bound artifact is displayed in the system, but that was not the case. When Choi Jin-hyeok liberated the bound artifact, it was quiet. Since he saw the Pope using poison in the era when the cardinals were corrupted, he thought that he obtained it in a dungeon related to the Borjaga family (a prestigious Italian family that produced two popes. There is an unofficial story that they assassinated their political enemies with poison). 'Not the taming skill again, surely.................?' The second assumption was extremely thrilling, but it wasn't true.  There was no message from the relevant system, and he didn't see any welcomes like when Hyeon Gyu-ha released some of the bound artifacts. The taming list in his status window still only had 6- se , 7- se , and 8- se . What complicated his mind the most was the fact that this was the second time he had seen Gong Tae-seong using bound artifacts. There were no signs when he had seen it at the erosion gate, but the second time, a similar message appeared as when Hyeon Gyu-ha had tamed it. In Yoo-shin thought back on the differences between the two situations. The erosion gate and the continuation gate, and the presence of 8-se that wasn't there at first. "Are you the cause?" "Kyuu?" 8- se  tilted his fluffy little face as if he didn't know what he was talking about.  It was a cuteness that never got old no matter how many times I looked at it. "Ah, I don't know." I've been thinking about it since the weekend, but nothing is clear. To confirm whether it was really because of 8-se, I would have to leave 8-se at home and ask him to release the bound artifact. However, it didn’t seem like Gong Tae-seong would accept that request. If it wasn’t because of taming, and if it was just a notification for bound artifacts, it wouldn’t be harmful. Besides…………… . ‘I don’t want to go that far to check.’ If it weren’t for Hyeon Gyu-ha’s shallow string, there would be no more entanglement with Gong Tae-seong. Even though he's just an ordinary person living day by day, compared to the world-renowned S-class hunters, not just in Korea, but globally. Human lives have their own levels or tiers, and those tiers directly reflect one's quality of life. In Yoo-shin's ordinary life is incomparable to the extraordinary lives of those S-class hunters. The fact that their separate lives, which were no different from parallel lines that could not intersect, were intertwined was nothing more than a brief miracle. Now it was time to put them back where they belonged. 8- se , who had tidied up the cage, opened the door and crawled out. “Want to come here?” He lay down on the bed, holding the 8-se who was running towards him with his palm, and for the first time in a long time, he had a dream of when he was Kim Yoo-shin, not In Yoo-shin. That time when he realized that there was a difference in life. Kim Yoo-shin. The name of the child he had just taken care of was Yoo-jin, so he thought of the name without thinking much, Yoo-shin. And the director’s last name was Kim. That’s how the newborn baby who was abandoned in the winter was named. It was assumed that the child was secretly born in a nearby park bathroom. The police tracked the parents but never found them, and the temporary name Kim Yoo-shin soon became the child’s name. The orphanage where the child grew up was a place disguised as a place for money laundering by some organization. It had seemingly good sponsorship and facilities, but the director had no interest in the children at the orphanage. However, the volunteers and teachers said that it was a much better environment than other orphanages. The director, who had only seen the child a few times and whose face would have been vague if it weren’t for the photo hanging in the orphanage, called out softly. It was the year the child turned 5. Speaking to a middle-aged couple who had set the adoption condition as 'a child who doesn't need help', the director pretended to be kind and patted the child's head. The child squirmed because the director's knee was very uncomfortable when he was held for the first time. The couple visited the orphanage several more times to observe the child closely, and when they were sure that the child really did need help, they immediately filled out the adoption papers. Until then, those two words were all the child had said to the couple. Even so, after the adoption was decided, the child couldn't sleep at night. His small heart pounded with anticipation and excitement. Who could they be? Will they like me? I have to work hard so that they don't hate me. 'Dad. Mom.' The names he called out silently were engraved in the air with just his lips moving. The child covered his blushing face by pulling the blanket up to her head. The child now had a father and a mother. On the day he finally became a Chu Yoo-shin, the child shyly said the words he had practiced countless times. He quickly said them and closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment. He didn't think he would get scolded for calling them dad and mom already, did he? He was worried but also very excited. When his dad and mom called him 'Yoo-shin', he heard a loud noise. And the voice called him affectionately. Time passed and there was no other word, so the child cautiously opened his eyes. In front of him was a middle-aged couple looking down blankly, just like before. It was an answer that came out like a sigh. The shy anticipation collapsed helplessly. The child bit his lips. <……………Yes, uncle.> The kids on TV walked while holding each parent’s hand with both hands, but the child followed the couple one step behind. Even after getting into the car and driving for two hours, he didn’t let out a single whine. When they arrived at the house, there were three children who looked like middle and high school students. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl Support on KOFI: Chapter 62, 63, 64, 65 If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

3. Riegrow That day, a palpable tension filled the air in the morning. From the moment he woke up and took a single step outside his room, that prickling feeling was distinctly conveyed through his skin. With half of the members having left for the South American branch, the already sparsely populated headquarters felt empty. However, the steadily intensifying deadly tension left little room for a feeling of mere emptiness. Tae-ui grew slightly weary of the stiff expressions on the faces he encountered on his way to the bathroom. It's not like a group of their mortal enemies is coming; why are they all so deathly pale? Scratching his head, he entered the bathroom. Tou, who had apparently already finished breakfast, was brushing his teeth and greeted him with a muffled "Mornin', Tay. Slept in, huh? Got your bags packed?" while his toothbrush was still in his mouth. "You're getting toothpaste on me……. Maybe spit that out before you talk?" Tae-ui muttered, taking a half-step back. Tou laughed out loud and resumed brushing his teeth. Still, this guy is better. Seeing even one face that isn't grim like the others makes me feel better. Tae-ui approached the sink next to Tou and, turning on the hot water, first wet his neck before speaking. "There's nothing to call luggage, so what would I pack? I'll just do it later." "Hmm―…. Still, you'll be staying for, like, two weeks. Are you sure you'll be okay?" Tou rinsed his mouth and spoke intermittently. Tae-ui had to vacate his room by tonight. He wasn't the only member in this situation; several others were in the same boat. When members from the European branch arrived, those in rooms with fewer occupants would temporarily move to other rooms to accommodate them. The members who were leaving for the South American branch early Saturday morning had departed for the airport, leaving only those who were staying behind. And then Sunday arrived. Usually, they would be leisurely enjoying their day off, but the atmosphere was far from that. In just a few hours, those who were no different from mortal enemies would be swarming in. Tae-ui ended up staying in Tou's room. One of the members who shared a room with Tou had gone to South America, so he decided to move there. While grumbling, "Damn it, why do I have to give up my room to those damn bastards?" the members who had to move rooms packed their simple belongings and relocated one by one. Some of them, not wanting "those damn bastards" to touch even a single one of their things, were practically packing up their entire lives. Wiping his damp eyes that had welled up a few times with the back of his hand, Tae-ui shrugged, looking at Tou in the mirror. "If I think of anything I need later, I can just drop by my room and get it." "Don't even think about it. You might run into the European branch guy who's using that room and that wouln’t be pretty" "Why do you say that? It was originally my room." "Like they would care. It'll cause a commotion practically equivalent to a territorial invasion." "……Sheesh." Tae-ui muttered the umpteenth "Sheesh." It was short for, "Sheesh, I really can't understand how the relationship could be so hostile." The digital clock on the bathroom wall indicated a time that was late for morning and early for lunch. Tae-ui took a stack of fresh towels piled high on the shelf and wiped his face. My complexion in the mirror didn't look good. I had forgotten as soon as I woke up, but I seemed to have had a restless dream. The fact that―according to his colleagues―vicious and disgustingly terrible guys were coming from the European branch might have been bothering me subconsciously, even though I wasn't aware of it. I thought of myself as someone who didn't get nervous about such things, but I seemed to be surprisingly sensitive. What briefly flashed through my mind in the dream was a glove that was so red it was almost black. The spot where that pitch-black glove touched was stained dark red. The hand fell away from the neck of a man who collapsed with my eyes rolled back. A clear, bright red mark remained on my neck. "……." Perhaps it was because the warm water remaining on my nape cooled and dried, taking away the heat, but a chill ran down my spine. "What's wrong? Suddenly standing there blankly." Tou, standing next to him, asked strangely and lightly patted Tae-ui's back. Tae-ui, who had half his face covered with a dry towel, glanced at Tou. "He'll be coming here soon." "? What?" "Rick." Tou closed his mouth. He too, as if instantly infected by the uneasy atmosphere, stared at Tae-ui silently. Then, clicking his tongue, he shrugged. "Well, you never know. Sometimes, though rarely, the person coming changes after the final confirmation. But if that bastard comes…… the next two weeks will be really grim. You’ll probably see a lot of shit that you’d never want to see." Tou muttered with a disgusted look, as if recalling something. Well, he was there during the joint training with the European branch last time, so he would have experienced the whole situation firsthand. Even if he didn't directly experience it, he would have felt the bloody incidents and rumors from that time. "There were quite a few guys saying they would definitely cut that bastard's throat this time if he comes." Tae-ui muttered, recalling the sounds of several men from other teams huddled together talking when he was sometimes in the lounge or eating in the cafeteria. Tou's expression grew even harsher. "Of course, if I could, I'd want to cut it off too. There isn't a single one of us who wouldn't want to cut off that lunatic's head and hang it on the end of a pole. But……." Tou didn't finish his sentence, but Tae-ui could easily guess. It would be difficult, or even if possible, it would require a considerable sacrifice beyond what they expected. I could tell the moment I saw the video. I shouldn't try to fight that man; I should avoid him. "Besides, that guy is bad news in ways other than just fighting. If you mess with him, you'll really get screwed over." Tou clicked his tongue and said bitterly. Tae-ui, wiping his chin with the towel again where a water droplet that had formed in his hair had rolled down, looked at Tou questioningly. Tou stared at his reflection in the mirror with a reluctant expression, as if he didn't even want to talk about it, before blurting out. "That bastard, even if it's a guy, if he's even a little bit good-looking and seems worth it, he just beats them up until they can't move and then have sex with them. After any joint training with the European branch, there wasn't a single young and pretty boy that he didn’t get his claws on, no matter which branch it was." "What……?" Tae-ui momentarily doubted his ears at the unexpected words. After confirming that he had heard correctly, he doubted his understanding. The word "sex" probably didn't just mean what he thought it meant. However, considering the context of what Tou was saying, it seemed like Tae-ui's understanding was correct. "It's been a few years, but there was a guy who tried to kill that bastard to get revenge after his close colleague ended up in the hospital for life because of him. But unfortunately, that guy was quite good-looking. Well…… so in the end, as reality often goes, it didn't turn out like good triumphing over evil. He couldn't get his revenge and just ended up getting raped himself……. There was even a guy who tried to hurt himself because he couldn't contain his anger." "That's really……. ……unfortunate." "Yeah……. anyway, that's how it is. That guy is bad news in every way. Anyway, if you carelessly mess with him, only we'll end up looking bad." Having finished speaking, Tou suddenly scanned Tae-ui up and down in the mirror. Then he grinned slyly. "Well, but you’ll be fine. You don't need to worry about anything unnecessary; you just need to worry about your life." "Oh, thank you," Tae-ui muttered, raising his hand and hitting Tou on the back of the head. Young and pretty-looking, a handsome guy. Does he mean someone like Xinlu? Thinking of someone who perfectly fit that description, Tae-ui suddenly frowned.  If that's the case, I shouldn't be nodding so nonchalantly. "Hey, doesn't that mean Xinlu needs to be careful?” As Jeong Tae-ui grabbed Tou's wrist, Tou turned around, blinking. "Oh……, oh. Come to think of it, you're right. But there’s no reason for a team member running into an Administrative Officer? Besides, if it's someone from another branch, there's even less reason. And even if it's that guy, surely he wouldn't bother Administrative Officers and cause trouble for himself later." "I guess so, ……you're probably right, huh?" "......" Tou's white gaze returned to Jeong Tae-ui, who asked back urgently. It was a look that said, 'You foolish lovesick idiot……' Only then did Jeong Tae-ui flinch and shut his mouth. Did I make it too obvious? "The instructors will take care of the Administrative officers, so don't worry about him. If Rick comes here, just focus on saving your own life. It’s every man for himself." His words were correct. I didn't even have the firm confidence to save my own life before worrying about others. "Hmm……. I hope there's some kind of issue with the selection process and that Rick guy doesn't come." Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a hint of sacrifice, even though he knew there was little chance of that happening. "Well, that's kind of how it is, but anyway, those guys will be here tonight, so we'll be able to confirm then." "He'd probably be in Hong Kong by now." "Aah. I hope he comes in all groggy from jet lag." Then, seeing Tou playfully make a slicing motion across his neck with his hand, Jeong Tae-ui chuckled. That bit of playfulness momentarily erased the dark afterimage that had clouded his mind. Not many hours left. In just half a day, I would see them, the ones I had only heard rumors about. It was nothing like anticipation, but my heart was slightly fluttery and restless nonetheless. "Come to think of it, they said everyone who's moving rooms should come to the office after they're done. They need to check things." Tou said casually, wiping his mouth with a towel. Jeong Tae-ui flinched for no reason. "You'll see Xinlu if you go to the office. No, wait. He's in charge of internal affairs, so you'd have to go talk to Xinlu anyway. Lucky you, Tay." Tou grinned mischievously and nudged Jeong Tae-ui's side with his elbow. Jeong Tae-ui swayed and mumbled, "Hmm." This isn't good. No, it wasn't that I didn't want to see him. I wanted to meet him and hear his voice. I even liked his fragrant soap smell. But I still didn't feel confident enough to stand before him. Somehow, if I ran into Xinlu now, I felt like I'd turn into a boiled octopus and freeze up again. Besides…… if we met again, what kind of face would that guy make at me? Jeong Tae-ui wiped the already dry nape of his neck with the towel. His heart immediately sank. I hadn't met Xinlu even once since that day. There wasn't much reason for an administrative officer and a team member to meet unless there was something specific, but I avoided places where I might run into Xinlu as much as possible. Even when I went to the basement to visit my uncle's room, I would cautiously look around like a thief. To think I got a boner to someone who kindly applied medicine to my injury, what on earth was I thinking? Next to the agonizing Jeong Tae-ui, Tou, who had thrown his towel into the collection bin, habitually patted his pocket to check his cigarette case before walking out of the bathroom. Jeong Tae-ui gloomily grabbed him. "Are you going out for a smoke?" "Huh? Yeah. You wanna come too?" "Yeah, give me one." "……You know there's nowhere to get cigarettes here, right? Fine. I'll lend you one, but you owe me a whole pack later." "You know you just made a really annoyed face, right? I wish I could show you a mirror." Tou, a chain smoker to the bone, excused his stinginess by saying, "Damn it, I still have two more weeks locked up here, and I'm almost out of my stash of cigarettes." Jeong Tae-ui said he understood, patted Tou reassuringly, and they left the bathroom together. After navigating the cluttered hallway and going up to the ground floor, Jeong Tae-ui got off the elevator first and quickly followed behind Tou, who was walking straight out of the building, glancing around nervously.  I felt a bit pathetic doing this, but still, I didn't know what kind of face I should make if I happened to run into Xinlu. As soon as they stepped outside, the sunlight poured down so brightly that it was hard to open their eyes properly. Although they lived underground, the air conditioning system worked perfectly, and the interior lighting was designed to be no different from natural light, so they didn't feel any discomfort from being underground. Nevertheless, the sunlight, the color of the sky, and the breeze they occasionally encountered clearly soothed their hearts. Jeong Tae-ui also often came out for walks during his free time. It seemed other colleagues did the same, as I would usually run into one or two people while strolling outside. The dense forest path became dangerous and was rarely used late in the evening, but it was still manageable during the day. And if you followed the small, secluded path behind the building—it was quite a distance—you could reach the beach. Piles of house-sized rocks were stacked up, far from a dazzling sandy beach, but the color of the sea was absolutely magnificent. Jeong Tae-ui forcibly stole two more cigarettes from Tou, who claimed he was too lazy to go far, and walked down that secluded path alone. As he pushed through the knee-high weeds, his calves were bitten by bugs and cut by the blades of grass. I should have worn shorts. Should I go back and change? While pondering this, he continued walking, and soon the smell of the sea began to waft in. Tch, originally, I should have come for a walk here with Xinlu. Yeah, if that had happened, everything might have gone smoothly. I wouldn't have gotten unnecessarily excited and flushed……. ……Well, then again, you never know. Jeong Tae-ui grumbled and put a cigarette in his mouth. He lit it with the lighter he had also stolen, saying he'd only borrow it for a moment, and inhaled the smoke deeply. "Sorry, trees. Please bear with the slight suffocation." As he walked through the natural forest, muttering an apology to the trees for exhaling cigarette smoke, the forest eventually ended and the sea appeared before Jeong Tae-ui. However, unfortunately, it wasn't just the sea that appeared. There was someone walking back this way, likely after enjoying the sea breeze and the smell of the ocean. It was someone he absolutely didn't want to run into right now. The person approaching alone was Xinlu. Startled, as soon as Jeong Tae-ui saw Xinlu, he instinctively looked around for a place to hide, but before he could find a suitable spot, Xinlu looked his way. After their eyes met, Xinlu, who was surprised to see Jeong Tae-ui standing there awkwardly without hiding, stopped walking for a moment but then slowly approached. There was only this one path to take anyway. "……. Uh……Are you here on a walk?" Jeong Tae-ui mumbled, feeling like it would be even stranger not to say a short greeting as Xinlu came within about fifteen steps. Xinlu, who was looking steadily at Jeong Tae-ui without showing any particular discomfort, nodded. "Yes. You too, Tae-ui hyung?" " Unn , just for a bit……, It's been a while." Jeong Tae-ui said briefly, trying to sound nonchalant. But it was a disaster. His face was starting to heat up again. He should have just said he had rosacea. Xinlu stopped about three or four steps away. There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. Jeong Tae-ui, with a cigarette in his mouth and trying to look composed, pondered. Should I apologize? Probably. But no words came out of my mouth. "Come to think of it, hyung, you moved rooms too, right? Which room did you move to?" Xinlu spoke, as if he had finally found something to say. Jeong Tae-ui also opened his mouth, saying, "Oh, yeah." "I moved to Tou's room. Right, I was supposed to go tell you. I completely forgot. Tou. Tou Ching-in, he's on the same team as me, and I'm staying in his room." "Ah, Tou hyung's room. I see." Xinlu nodded. And then another awkward silence fell between them. At least I had been spared the trouble of having to go find Xinlu later to talk, so that was the only good thing about this. It was fortunate, but this uncomfortable situation was extremely difficult to endure. Jeong Tae-ui quietly looked down at Xinlu, who was standing a few steps away with his head lowered. His long eyelashes fluttered a few times. He could see the top of Xinlu's small head, slightly below the parting. He was a lovely young man. A cute girl, small and doll-like with a sweet, cotton-candy smile, would suit him best. The person he was dreaming of was undoubtedly such a girl. But suddenly, how surprised would I have been when a man who had been calling me 'hyung' and getting along well with me, who got a boner in front of him? Beyond surprise, it might even lead to displeasure or a sense of betrayal. 'Hyung, were you looking at me like that all along?' If he were to say that, should I lie and say, 'No, I was just out of my mind for a moment back then'? Or would it be better to honestly say, 'Yes'? Either way, it would be awkward. "R-right, hyung, you sometimes go to Instructor Jeong's room, don't you? You shouldn't go for a while. There's a rule that during joint training periods, team members and instructors aren’t allowed to interact unless strictly necessary." "Ah…… Unn , thanks." Jeong Tae-ui had already been told by his uncle not to come for a while, but he hesitated for a moment before simply saying thank you. I was actually grateful. Xinlu was trying to take care of me in his own way. Yes, still, Xinlu was trying his best to treat me well. Whatever displeasure or embarrassment he had felt back then, he wasn't showing a sour face now. For every one exchange of words, several times that amount of silence returned. Hesitating again, unable to find anything to say, Jeong Tae-ui noticed Xinlu's troubled gaze flicking towards him and sighed, stepping slightly aside. He realized he had been blocking Xinlu's path. "Then, I'll head back first." Xinlu bowed his head slightly and hurried past him. Jeong Tae-ui watched his retreating figure with a bitter feeling and muttered, "Sorry." He had said it aloud, but his voice was so small that he wasn't sure if Xinlu had heard him. Huffing out a sigh along with the cigarette smoke, Jeong Tae-ui slowly started walking when he suddenly thought he heard the receding footsteps behind him pause for a moment. "Um…… Tay hyung." A hesitant voice called out to him. Jeong Tae-ui stopped and turned around. Xinlu was looking up at him with a strange expression. Strangely enough, his face was as flushed as Jeong Tae-ui's felt. "Hyung, um, I……." "……?" "I." Xinlu's face grew increasingly red, like the color of the setting sun. His voice grew softer and softer. His face was so flushed and his head was lowered in such a pitiful way that Jeong Tae-ui felt inexplicably restless. It's okay to get angry. It's okay to yell. Preparing himself to hear harsh words from Xinlu, Jeong Tae-ui clenched his fist in his pocket. However, the words Xinlu finally shouted, after hesitating and fidgeting for a long time as if he didn't know what to do, were completely different from what Jeong Tae-ui had expected. "Um, I've, um, slept with a man before." "......" The cigarette in Jeong Tae-ui's mouth fell out with a soft thud. He stared blankly at Xinlu, not even noticing the cigarette had fallen between his feet. He clearly saw Xinlu's stammering figure, unable to meet his eyes and only looking down at his feet. "It was the winter two years after I graduated high school—oh, I skipped a grade, so I wasn't even an adult yet then—but I went to a place with a friend where those people, um, only men gathered. And that's when, the first time I did it……." Xinlu’s face was completely flushed by the time he finished speaking, or rather, stopped speaking. Jeong Tae-ui could only stare blankly at Xinlu, unable to even blink. He looked as if his soul had left his body. His mind went blank, and no thoughts came to him. After a long silence, Xinlu, who had been slowly raising his gaze with hesitation, exclaimed with a surprised look, "Hyung! Your cigarette! Your cigarette!" pointing his finger. Only then did Jeong Tae-ui look down and saw that the lit cigarette that had fallen at his feet had caught the dry grass on fire, and smoke was quietly rising. He was startled and frantically stomped on the grass. His hands were agitated as he put out the embers, picked up the cigarette butt, and put it in his pocket. He took out the remaining cigarette and tried to light it, but the lighter wouldn't work properly. His fingers kept fumbling. Wait a minute, what did I just hear? I feel like I heard something strange, but it's like a part of my memory is blank, and I can't recall it. So, a little while ago, Xinlu called out to me, 'Tay hyung.' And then, after hesitating for a long time, what he said was……. Ugh, why won't this damn lighter light? Unable to bear watching Jeong Tae-ui struggle to light his cigarette even after flicking the lighter several times, Xinlu, still red-faced and looking guilty, hesitantly approached. He gently took the lighter from Jeong Tae-ui's hand and lit the cigarette for him. "Ah, thank you," Jeong Tae-ui said as he lit his cigarette, wordlessly taking the lighter back from Xinlu and putting it back in his pocket. "......" "......" A delicate silence flowed between them. Xinlu stood in front of Jeong Tae-ui, close enough to touch if he reached out. Jeong Tae-ui, who had been blankly staring at Xinlu and exhaling smoke, flinched in surprise when Xinlu coughed softly a couple of times. "Sorry," he said, quickly turning his head to puff out the smoke. Then, he put out the cigarette he had barely even taken a few puffs from. Tou would probably have glared and jumped up and down if he had seen it, but Jeong Tae-ui didn't care about such things. "......, um, was it……. good?" As soon as he spoke, after agonizing over it for a long time, Jeong Tae-ui wanted to chop off his own head. What on earth had he just asked? 'Was it good?' What was he even referring to in this context? Indeed, Xinlu looked at Jeong Tae-ui with wide, surprised eyes. "No, that's not what I meant," Jeong Tae-ui stammered, waving his hand dismissively. He was sweating profusely. "No, sorry. That's not what I meant. I just... um…… I meant, was it a bad experience for you?" Xinlu quietly looked at Jeong Tae-ui's face, who was desperately trying to explain himself with a flustered expression. Then, he slowly shook his head. "It didn't feel bad. ……It's just that I've been too busy since then to go to such places……, and after that, I haven't been attracted to women……." Xinlu lowered his head shyly as he spoke, and his neck flushed a delicate red. Watching him, Jeong Tae-ui's already flushed face grew even hotter. How funny would this look to anyone who saw them? Two grown men standing face to face with red faces, only looking down at their feet. But I didn't think I  would care even if someone was laughing hysterically beside them. The thought of 'maybe, just maybe' warmed his heart and made me feel giddy. Jeong Tae-ui aimlessly nudged a long cigarette butt lying at his feet back and forth with his toe. Then, Xinlu, who had been silent for a while, whispered softly. "Tay hyung. When we were drinking tea a few days ago……." Jeong Tae-ui flinched, his toe stepping on the cigarette. His foot, dragging the cigarette, moved hesitantly. "Because you touched me like that, and you smelled like soap, and you were so close to me, that's why……." "Uh-huh, I see..." Jeong Tae-ui nodded his head and mumbled. That was all. Xinlu was still looking down with his face red up to his ears, and Jeong Tae-ui was no different. Then, at some point, Xinlu very slowly raised his head. His dark eyes glanced up at Jeong Tae-ui. His heart fluttered at the sight of his moist, sparkling eyes. Jeong Tae-ui was just about to look away when Xinlu smiled slightly. He smiled shyly, only slightly raising the corners of his lips as if he was embarrassed. Jeong Tae-ui couldn't take his eyes off his smiling lips. "......Hyung. Let's go back together. I'll wait here…… no, I want to see the sea one more time too." Xinlu said that and walked past Jeong Tae-ui back towards the sea. Jeong Tae-ui stood rooted to the spot, blankly watching Xinlu's retreating figure. Only when Xinlu, who had walked quite a distance, turned back and tilted his head in question did Jeong Tae-ui finally hurry after him. His heart pounded wildly. It raced as if he had grasped an unbelievable stroke of luck. He closed his eyes and opened them again, still not believing it, but Xinlu was still there, smiling. Ah, so it's not true that only misfortune comes my way. I felt like I could endure even if hundreds of men like Rick came from the European branch tonight. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

They arrived after dinner, exactly when the clock struck eight. Jeong Tae-ui pondered when in his life he had ever felt such a menacing atmosphere so viscerally. Never. Not even when he and Kim, the junior officer, had fought so fiercely that their quarrel escalated into a brawl between platoons, and the very next day they had to go on a full-gear march together. It wasn't this bad then either. When they came down to the sixth basement level after a brief orientation in the second basement's large lecture hall, the atmosphere in the hallway was truly terrifying. A dozen or so men, particularly those with a grudge against the European branch, stood guard in the hallway, glaring at them fiercely and silently. The newcomers, who had rushed down the stairs, also stared back with grim faces. Jeong Tae-ui, who had no desire whatsoever to get involved in that standoff, had already anticipated such a situation and decided to stay quietly in his room when they arrived. Unfortunately, he ran into them just as he was coming out of the bathroom after finishing his shower. Seeing a group of unfamiliar men rushing down the stairs, Jeong Tae-ui thought, "Ah, they've finally arrived." When he saw his colleagues standing their ground in front of them, he quickly slipped through the gap and headed for his room. He instinctively started to go to his own room but then changed direction, turning towards Tou's room where he would be staying for a while. Only Maurer, Tou's roommate, was in the room. They were from different teams but had seen each other and talked a few times, so it wasn't awkward. "Looks like you’re here?" Maurer mumbled, engrossed in his puzzle magazine and chewing on his pencil. Jeong Tae-ui replied, "Oh, you’re here," and sat down on the bed, shaking his still-damp hair with his hand. At least this man, Maurer, didn't seem to harbor much resentment towards the European branch. Tou had said it was because he had only been there for a few months and hadn't had the chance to experience the European branch's tyranny. However, Jeong Tae-ui, who had only been there for a few days, found it easier to empathize with Maurer, who only showed a normal level of competitive spirit, rather than with Tou, who vehemently hated the European branch. "Where's Tou?" "Bathroom. He took a comic book, so he probably won't be out for a while." Jeong Tae-ui nodded, listening to Maurer's reply as he mumbled without taking his eyes off the puzzle. The guy who had been so hyped up about those bastards coming, was actually in the bathroom when they arrived. But even if he was in the bathroom, he might rush out immediately if he sensed their presence. Even inside the room, I could clearly feel the ominous atmosphere outside. Even if there wasn't a direct fight, I could occasionally hear jeers, curses, and shouts, as if daring them to fight. "Man, at this rate, it wouldn't be strange at all if a full-blown brawl broke out. The atmosphere is killer." "A brawl……. I don't like that." "Yeah. I'd rather pass too. ……If Tou heard us say this, he'd probably jump up and down and grab us to give us a long lecture." Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Maurer and grinned. Maurer smiled back. "That Tou, he's a good guy, but he's a bit hot-headed." Instead of answering, Maurer shrugged in agreement and turned his attention back to the puzzle. Jeong Tae-ui began to unpack his belongings. There wasn't much to unpack anyway. I had hardly any luggage when he first came to this branch, so there was no reason why I would need a lot of luggage just to move rooms temporarily for a few days. It was enough to carry it in my two hands without even needing a bag. "Is it okay if I use an empty toothbrush holder?" "Yeah, go ahead. Just don't make it confusing. Before, Toh bought a new toothbrush that was the same color as Thích Nhất's, so for a while, they fought every day about whose was whose." Jeong Tae-ui nodded, listening to Maurer's consistently diligent replies even though he was engrossed in his puzzle. He subtly checked the color of his own toothbrush and placed it in the bathroom. And when he put his underwear in the dresser, he heard a similar anecdote and checked his own underwear again. I regret bringing plain white underwear that could easily be mistaken for someone else's. As I tried to close the dresser drawer, it wouldn't close properly, as if something was caught inside. After repeatedly opening and closing it a few times, Jeong Tae-ui frowned and pulled the drawer all the way out. "Why wouldn’t it come out……. Huh." Jeong Tae-ui pulled out a piece of metal that was sticking out from among the underwear. It was a Beretta. Feeling the cold sensation of the gun fitting snugly in his hand, Jeong Tae-ui glanced at Maurer. Maurer, who had his back slightly turned towards him, was still absorbed in his puzzle. Personal weapons were prohibited within the branch. Even if they turned a blind eye, it would only be to knives or non-lethal guns. Sometimes, a guy who was a gun fanatic would secretly carry a gun and get caught, only to futilely insist it was a toy gun when it was confiscated. But the feel of this in my hand was real. Jeong Tae-ui held the Beretta and lightly tapped the grip twice against his other palm. The magazine was full. I could shoot it right away if I just unlocked the safety. Just then, Maurer, who had been twirling his pen, turned his head without any particular intention. And then he saw it. The Beretta in Jeong Tae-ui's hand. His expression instantly changed. He jumped up in surprise and rushed over to try and snatch the Beretta from Jeong Tae-ui. Jeong Tae-ui instinctively stepped back. Slowly, Maurer's face changed as if stung by a bee. Jeong Tae-ui muttered "Aha" to himself and smirked. "Is this yours? This is a violation of the firearms control law." "Give it back, you jerk! I went through a lot to get that model!" Maurer shouted with a sulky face, holding out his hand. Come to think of it, I vaguely remember hearing about this from Tou before. He said that the guy sharing his room was a gun enthusiast and kept model guns all over the place. Since someone like Tou wouldn't mistake a real gun for a model gun, he probably does keep model guns all over his room. So this gun maniac I'd only heard rumors about was this guy. He's always buried in puzzles, what an unexpected hobby. "You have to remove the magazine at least." Jeong Tae-ui readily handed the gun back to him. That's how it is. This place was full of surprisingly dangerous guys everywhere. Trying to survive in a place like this, I couldn't help but worry about the future. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly grabbed Maurer, who was grumbling as he received the gun, and pulled him close. Then he reached inside his vest and fumbled around. Maurer let out a strange sound and flinched. "Hey! Watch where you are touching me!" "What's the big deal, we're both guys anyway, just stay still. ……Aha." "Hey, hey! Speaking of which, I heard you have feelings for Xinlu! Hey, don't touch me, I'm pure! I'm not into guys!" "I have zero desire to do that with you either……. More importantly, what's this?" Jeong Tae-ui grinned and pulled out a small metal object that Maurer had kept in a specially made pocket inside his vest. "Oh ho, a Colt .22……. It's so cute. What do you plan to do with something like this?" "Give me back my baby! Why do you keep messing with my babies!" Maurer snatched the Colt from Jeong Tae-ui's hand, looking agitated. Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue as he readily let go of the gun. It seems there's always one of these guys wherever you go. Back in the day, one of my classmates was obsessed with guns and decorated his entire house with model guns. When I asked him with admiration, "Won't you get caught like this?", he glared at me and threatened, "You won't get caught unless you go around blabbing about it," so I obediently shut my mouth. Regardless of whether they actually use them, Jeong Tae-ui had seen about two people in the past who were completely obsessed with the allure of firearms themselves. And now I've seen yet another one here. "You said you're Instructor Jeong's nephew, right?" Maurer glared at Jeong Tae-ui with fierce eyes. Jeong Tae-ui hummed and then laughed. "If I were to say that the guy in the same room is crazy about guns, you'd probably shoot me before your uncle even stormed into this room, right?" "Of course! I'll kill you if you go around telling people!" Maurer, making a threat that was clearly just bravado, tucked the Colt back into his vest. "Do you always carry that around every day……. You'll get caught." "Just keep your mouth shut!" Maurer snapped and went back to his desk. He glared at Jeong Tae-ui once more, and the way he roughly unfolded his puzzle magazine again showed his irritation. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled and resumed organizing his belongings. However, calling it "organizing" was an exaggeration, as it was finished almost instantly. Jeong Tae-ui sat on the bed and looked around the room. Unlike himself, who had a room to himself, this room was filled to its capacity of three people. Moreover, Jeong Tae-ui, who naturally disliked having many things, had very few belongings, making his room almost empty. In contrast, this room was so full of miscellaneous items that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was completely packed. Jeong Tae-ui suddenly chuckled. It didn't feel unfamiliar, but rather nostalgic. When I was at the military academy, and even when I stayed at the BOQ—Bachelor Officer Quarters—in the army, I always shared a room with his classmates or colleagues. Back then, there was always someone among my roommates who couldn't throw anything away and lived surrounded by their belongings, filling the entire room. Eventually, another roommate couldn't stand it anymore and yelled at him to throw some things away, which led to some friction before it was resolved. This room has a lot of stuff, but it's much better compared to that time. You could even say it has just the right amount of clutter to feel like someone lives here. Even as Jeong Tae-ui was slightly immersed in nostalgia in the unfamiliar room, the noisy and violent sounds from outside continued without ceasing. Occasionally, the sound of cans clanging or something metal being kicked could also be heard.  It wouldn't be surprising at all if a fight broke out at any moment. Soon after, it seemed the ominous sounds in the hallway subsided for a while, perhaps because the European branch members had entered their assigned rooms. Although the men's rooms on the same floor were shared, the branch's guards, not wanting to create unnecessary sparks of conflict, had appropriately divided the area, assigning the side closer to the east stairs to their own branch members and the side closer to the west stairs to the European branch members. So, Jeong Tae-ui had thought that since the bathrooms and toilets were separate, there would be fewer chances for them to run into each other, but it seemed his thought was naive. This was a situation where even if they just met at the far end of the hallway, they would point fingers and shout, and then, unable to contain their anger, they would rush over and tear each other apart. There should be someone to stop them, but their relationship was so bad that there didn't seem to be anyone willing to even pretend to mediate. The guards or officers would formally try to stop them, but if a real fight broke out, it seemed like it would be impossible to control. "I just need to be careful not to get caught in the middle of this whale fight……." Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and muttered to himself. Maurer glanced back at Jeong Tae-ui, perhaps having heard him. He nodded his head emphatically, as if agreeing, and then went back to engross himself in his puzzle. Jeong Tae-ui chuckled. I’m tired of seeing the simple-minded habit of men who would burn with the desire to cooperate and defeat a common enemy, and while I didn't dislike that kind of atmosphere, I rarely actually participated in it. The only times I could think of were lighthearted events like sports days. So, it was only natural that I wouldn't feel like joining this fiery atmosphere where people actually got hurt. Joint training starts in earnest tomorrow, and it's already like this from the first time we've met face-to-face, so I'm not really looking forward to it. Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head roughly, recalling his uncle's words, which were less of a blessing and more of a prediction: "You probably won't die." Well, the highest number of deaths in any past joint training was six. So, if you calculate six out of a total of ninety people, that's about 1/15, or 6.7%. Rounded up, it's 7%. You never know, but still, what are the odds that I'd be among those unlucky six or seven people? Besides, that was the worst case in history, so it'll probably be less than that this time. Jeong Tae-ui patted his slightly heavy stomach. Then, he turned his gaze to the bookshelf that filled one corner of the room. Thích Nhất, who shared a room with Tou—and who was now in the South American branch—was rumored to be a bookworm, and indeed, there were quite a few books. On the side designated for Thích Nhất, the shelves were packed tightly with books, some stacked two or three layers deep. I wouldn't be bored for lack of reading material while staying in this room. "……Ah." Just then, Jeong Tae-ui frowned slightly and muttered abruptly. Why did I forget about it until now? Some things you just can't forget, and seeing the books reminded me. I left the book I borrowed from my uncle in my room. That 3500 dollars—my uncle had said I wouldn't pay up to 3500 dollars for that book, but in my mind, all the books on my uncle's shelf were worth 3500 dollars— I had been reading it last night and had just left it on the desk. Since it was mixed in with other books, it probably wouldn't get particularly damaged, but still, it was the most valuable item among my belongings, and since it wasn't even mine, the weight of responsibility felt heavy. "Damn it……. I have to go get it." Jeong Tae-ui scratched his head and clicked his tongue. I doubted there was anyone so idle as to harm a book, but still, the thought of something that wasn't mine being left unattended for two weeks made me uneasy. Especially since it was a 3500 dollar book that I couldn't afford to replace even if I were to pay for it. I didn't know who might be occupying my room, but surely they wouldn't start a fight just because I briefly returned to my room. No matter how terrible the relationship between the branches was, surely they wouldn't go that far. Besides, when you think about it, it was originally my room. Jeong Tae-ui felt a bit uneasy as he recalled Tou's words about trespassing and the ominous atmosphere that permeated even through the walls, but he decided to relax and stood up. If things went south, I would just grab the book and run. Surely they wouldn't follow me all the way to this room and cause trouble. That would inevitably lead to a gang fight, and he could only hope that they weren't stupid enough to cross such a dangerous bridge. It couldn't be. They were—though I often forgot this fact, or rather, almost always forgot it—after all, these men who had joined UNHRDO were, first and foremost, kind and highly skilled individuals. Jeong Tae-ui patted his chest a couple of times to reassure himself and was about to get up to return to his room when he heard the sound of the door opening. Tou was entering. Immediately after, the door slammed shut with a loud bang. "……What's wrong? Did you fall in the bathroom and land in the toilet or something?" Tou didn't answer Jeong Tae-ui's question, only glaring at him with fierce eyes. The way he stormed in, full of murderous intent, made him look like someone who had just been beaten badly somewhere and had returned, seething with anger, unable to vent his frustration. "Why are you glaring at me like that? It's scary. ……Did you have a run-in with the European branch?" When Jeong Tae-ui asked casually, Tou's face contorted with anger, becoming even fiercer.  It seemed I had hit a nerve. It hadn't even been half an hour since the instructor had told them not to cause any trouble after the European branch members arrived, but as expected, it seemed to have been in vain. Or maybe this guy, who had been holed up in the bathroom, would argue that he hadn't heard any such warning. "Those bastards deliberately bumped into people as they passed by. So I grabbed one of them to punch him, but wouldn't you know it, the instructor showed up right then. ……Ugh, should I have just punched him first and asked questions later, instructor or no instructor?" "It's okay, you handled it well. What good would it do to cause a commotion on the first day? You'll have plenty of chances to sneak in a punch later, away from the instructor's eyes, right?" Jeong Tae-ui patted Tou's shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Tou still looked displeased, but he seemed to have calmed down a bit. It seems having a bad relationship with Lieutenant Kim's platoon is helpful in times like this. I should have tried to soothe my subordinates once or twice. Although, in the end, I was the one who caused a big incident and got discharged. Jeong Tae-ui sighed and moved his feet. Tou, who had taken out a beer from the refrigerator and was gulping it down, looked at Jeong Tae-ui and asked, "Where are you going?" "Um……. ……To the bathroom too." If I said I was going to his room to get something, Tou would definitely insist on going with me or try to stop me through gritted teeth. Neither of those were what I wanted, so after hesitating for a moment, I gave the most innocuous answer he could think of. Tou then finished his beer and gave him a piece of advice. "If some bastard bumps into you, you immediately smash his face in before the instructor shows up." "Oh…… I'll keep that in mind." Jwong Tae-ui didn't even turn around as he waved his hand and left the room. Indeed, the moment he stepped into the hallway, he could feel the tense atmosphere on his skin. He saw groups of two or three men standing menacingly in various spots along the hallway. Some were from their branch, and some were from the other branch. They were glaring at each other and whispering, and it felt like a fight could break out at any second. "They get along even worse than I imagined…… Looks pretty cozy." Jeong Tae-ui muttered with a sigh under his breath as he walked. The distance from Tou's room to Jeong Tae-ui's room was quite considerable. A distance that he didn't normally think of as particularly short felt even longer in this atmosphere. "Hey, Tay. Where are you headed?" One of the guys in the group standing in the hallway greeted him. It was someone from a different team who usually didn't even acknowledge him, let alone say hello. But it seemed that the presence of an external enemy naturally fostered internal unity, as he greeted Jeong Tae-ui very warmly in this situation where enemies were lurking throughout the hallway. While being aware of the fierce gazes of unfamiliar faces standing a little further away, Jeong Tae-ui also casually raised his hand. "Bathroom," "But the bathroom is right there." The guy who had spoken first asked back, sounding puzzled as Jeong Tae-ui walked past the bathroom right in front of them. Jeong Tae-ui shrugged. "I can't do my business unless it's a familiar toilet near my room. I'm a bit sensitive, you know." "Ahahaha, what a weird guy." He laughed as if he couldn't believe it, but didn't say anything more. Jeong Tae-ui lightly put his hand in his pocket and continued walking. He passed by the group of European branch members. Just as Jeong Tae-ui walked right in front of them, one of them made a move to step forward, but then two or three guys from their branch who had been watching from a short distance showed signs of approaching immediately. They looked ready to fight if anyone even laid a finger on their guy. The European guy who had tried to approach Jeong Tae-ui hesitated for a moment, but after exchanging glances with his colleagues, he crossed his arms again and stepped back. Then, the colleagues who had been ready to help Jeong Tae-ui also retreated. This is just great……. It's one thing if I'm in danger myself, but being a potential trigger for a fight makes it hard to walk around comfortably. Jeong Tae-ui inwardly clicked his tongue. The camaraderie of colleagues he wasn't even close to felt awkward and made him force a smile, as if they were wearing ridiculous clothes. After experiencing such things a couple more times, Jeong Tae-ui was finally able to reach his room. Perhaps because it was located deeper inside the hallway, the area became deserted as he approached his room. Neither his own colleagues nor the men from the other side were visible. He noticed a European subordinate looking at him from a short distance, but that person didn't seem to have any intention of approaching and picking a fight. Rather, he was staring intently at Jeong Tae-ui with a very strange expression. Jeong Tae-ui returned his curious gaze and opened the door. "Good grief……, even a thorny path would be better than this." Jeong Tae-ui, letting out a sigh and clicking his tongue, muttered to himself and braced himself as he opened the door. Their relationship was so strained that even just passing by in the hallway could become a cause for a fight. What would happen if they met in the same room? Tou's talk about territorial infringement might not be a joke. Seriously, if things got bad, I might just have to grab a book and run. With a mix of anticipation and apprehension about what kind of rough-looking hulk would be using his room, Jeong Tae-ui stepped inside, only to stop in his tracks upon seeing the person inside. There was one person in the room. The man was lying sprawled out on Jeong Tae-ui's bed, flipping through the pages of a book as if he had lived there for ages. He only glanced up at Jeong Tae-ui when he heard the door open. That book you're reading right now costs $3500. You shouldn't handle it so carelessly. However, those words caught in his throat and didn't come out. It was because he recognized the man at a glance. Jeong Tae-ui's gaze was fixed on the man's face. His face, so pale it seemed translucent, was almost sickly. His delicate features were clearly visible even behind thick-rimmed glasses. He could have been mistaken for a diligent and gentle researcher quietly dedicated to his work in some laboratory, but when Jeong Tae-ui met his narrow eyes that looked straight through him, a chill went down his spine. Jeong Tae-ui knew this man. A vivid, crimson mark was etched in his memory. It’s Riegrow…… Rick. The image of that innocent face, smiling as he drenched another man in blood, surfaced into my mind. Lost in thought as he stared at him, Jeong Tae-ui closed the door behind him, only to regret it after hearing the click. Why did I close the door? It wouldn't mean much, but still, leaving it open would have made me feel slightly more at ease, connected to the outside. Or perhaps it would have been better for making a quick escape . Now I understand the meaning of the strange look the European guy had given me when I entered this room. That guy already knew who would be staying in this room. You damn bastard. Even if we Asians from the Asia branch are your sworn enemies, shouldn't you at least care a little if a fellow human being's life is hanging by a thread? Jeong Tae-ui, who had always ignored Tou and other colleagues' countless complaints about the European branch members, felt a fierce resentment towards them for the first time. "The owner of this book?" Just as Jeong Tae-ui was mentally cursing, Riegrow's quiet voice spoke. Jeong Tae-ui halted. It was a low, quiet voice. The strange sound, which seeped into his ears like water, was something I had never expected or imagined. Moreover, I had never even considered such a feeling when thinking about the voice of this man, Riegrow. Holding up the book and asking quietly, he showed no signs of suddenly lunging forward to slit Jeong Tae-ui's throat or cause bloodshed. On the contrary, the faint smile on his lips almost made him look pleasant. "No…… I borrowed it. It's a rare book, so I need to treat it with care and return it. I came to get it." "Are you going to take it back now?" Riegrow asked back, sounding regretful. He looked disappointed, as if he had been reading a very interesting part. "I think I can finish it in about two or three hours. Could you wait a little?" "……It's okay." Jeong Tae-ui replied with a strange feeling. Somehow, it was different from what I had imagined. Just exchanging a few words like this made it feel like I was dealing with an ordinary person. Could it be that I misremembered the face of that madman? The video quality wasn't very good, so maybe it wasn't even that face. ……No way. Watching Riegrow smile broadly and say, "Thank you," Jeong Tae-ui briefly doubted his memory, but his eyes had never been wrong about people before. Especially not about someone with such a striking appearance. "Well, he's not a complete lunatic. Even a crazy person can't be in full abnormal mode 24 hours a day." " Unn ? What did you say?" Jeong Tae-ui, who had been muttering to himself with lips barely moving in a voice too quiet for even himself to hear, almost jumped at the sound of Riegrow's question. " Unn ? What?" Jeong Tae-ui feigned ignorance and shrugged. Riegrow looked at him intently for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Come to think of it, waiting for two or three hours would be boring. Here, I'll give it back." Riegrow closed the book and held it out to Jeong Tae-ui, shaking it lightly as if to tell him to take it. "No, it's okay. I can just come back later, so you can keep reading. It's annoying to stop in the middle." "I read it a long time ago, so I know the story. I just missed it when I saw it again. It's okay, take it." He said, shaking the book slightly again. His voice was languid and pleasant to listen to, but there was an undercurrent of something precarious. Jeong Tae-ui felt a hazy disorientation, as if he were being pulled down into deep water. Jeong Tae-ui felt it was silly to keep refusing, so he shrugged and approached him. With each step he took, a subtle tension settled at the tips of his toes.  It feels as if you are approaching a hungry beast. "This author's books are hard to find, aren't they? Have you read any others?" The moment Jeong Tae-ui took the book, Riegrow asked casually. Jeong Tae-ui paused and looked at him. Riegrow's languid gaze softened as it met Jeong Tae-ui's eyes. "I know a very capable rare book dealer. The one he wrote after this one is even more interesting, but it's hard to find. However, if it's that person, he'll probably be able to get it for you, even if it takes some time. I can introduce you if you want." "……The price would be considerable, wouldn't it?" "Well, I think it'd be around two or three hundred dollars. Ah, or you could go to Berlin and check the English section of the foreign books at the German National Library. I saw it there about five or six years ago." While the price of one book is by no means small, it feels incredibly light compared to $3500, Jeong Tae-ui thought, while also looking at the man with a rather peculiar feeling. Something was different from what I had imagined. It wasn't that I had pictured a bloodthirsty killer who would grab and kill anyone he saw, but I certainly hadn't expected him to be the kind of person who could talk about books so normally—or perhaps a little maniacally. Moreover, the eerie and chilling feeling he had gotten from the video was nowhere to be found. Instead, he seemed like a cheerful and neat young man. His social skills, easily striking up a conversation with a stranger, were also remarkable. Looking at him now, he seemed very ordinary, and if he hadn't had any preconceived notions, he could even be seen as a quite likable and charming young man. "You’re Riegrow……, right?" Jeong Tae-ui asked hesitantly. Riegrow looked slightly surprised, then chuckled and nodded. "That's right. I'm the only one in our branch with that name. Looks like you've heard something about me somewhere?" " Unn , a little." "Haha, I'm curious what kind of rumors they are." "I think you probably have an idea already." Riegrow fell silent at Jeong Tae-ui's words. Then he stared intently at Jeong Tae-ui. His eyes were pitch black. Those unfathomable eyes gazed steadily at Jeong Tae-ui before he suddenly burst into a cheerful laugh. "Roughly. But sometimes rumors can be exaggerated, don't you agree?" Shaking his head and clicking his tongue with a bitter expression, Riegrow said, "Honestly, it's quite troubling." He really seemed like a kind young man suffering from baseless rumors. He had a fair and neat, attractive appearance. His voice was soothing, and his speaking skills were smooth. He had it all. "…….I guess, but the video I saw wasn’t exaggerated, but I'll admit that rumors tend to be exaggerated."  Jeong Tae-ui muttered unconvincingly as he sat down on the empty bed across from him. He didn't seem like a completely insane person, and it seemed like they could have a conversation. Moreover, his ability to lead the conversation pleasantly was something not everyone possessed. Although I was still wary, I kept my guard internalized and sat down. A smile flickered across Riegrow's fair and neat face. "Video? Ah, come to think of it, there was a camera I ripped off back then. Yeah, the recording would still be there. Goodness, why would they film something like that and make someone look like a weirdo?" Watching him mutter to himself as if he understood, Jeong Tae-ui reaffirmed, "Yeah, this guy is definitely him." Looking at him like this, he seemed perfectly normal and easy to talk to. Did his personality change only when he was on the battlefield? Or perhaps he had a dual personality? Or maybe he was just temporarily out of his mind and went on a rampage when that video was taken? Jeong Tae-ui rested his chin on his hand and stared at him intently for a moment before letting out a sigh. Either way was fine, as long as it didn't threaten my comfortable life for the next six months. Besides, maybe he wasn't such a strange person after all. "Ah. And there's another book with a completely different perspective on that. Charles Campbell wrote that book criticizing the other one just six months later, and it caused a huge debate at the academic society back then." Just as Jeong Tae-ui was about to stand up, Riegrow pointed at the book and said casually. Jeong Tae-ui paused and sat back down. "Are you by any chance talking about '1337, The Beginning of Flanders'?" "Oh, have you already read it? It must have been hard to find." "No, I haven't read it. I've heard of the title before. What's that book like?" "It's interesting. The content itself isn't very fresh if you read it now, but it's kind of funny to see him constantly nitpicking at Joey Moyers in various parts. Still, it's worth reading. If you want, I can probably get that one for you too, although it might take some time." Watching Riegrow, who told him to just say the word if he wanted to see it, Jeong Tae-ui couldn't help but be impressed. Wow, this guy was quite the maniacal literature enthusiast. While I myself had been stuck with Jeong Jae-ui since childhood and had no choice but to get used to flipping through books—though I was still less so than Jeong Jae-ui—it wasn't easy to do that while being in this kind of industry. However, remembering his uncle, Jeong Tae-ui changed his mind, thinking, ‘No, there might be surprisingly many people like him.’ Jeong Tae-ui suddenly felt pleased. It wasn't easy to find someone in a place like this to have this kind of conversation with. Maybe he could even become a pleasant friend. Jeong Tae-ui smiled and opened his mouth to say something. However, just before he could speak, a tremendous noise erupted from the hallway. It was a loud sound, as if a door was being torn off its hinges or a wall was being deliberately smashed. ‘These bastards are so weak, I was just feeling sorry for you guys and letting it slide, you see!’ ‘You've got to be kidding me! Look at you barging into our branch as if you own this place and causing trouble!’ ‘Hey, everyone out here! Looks like these guys need a good beating to shut them up!’ ‘Yeah, let's fill up the infirmary this time, with you guys!’ Behind Jeong Tae-ui, separated by a single wall, loud shouts and violent thuds followed one another. Jeong Tae-ui closed his mouth, which he had just opened, and simply blinked as he looked at Riegrow. Riegrow also just looked back at Jeong Tae-ui with a calm smile. I forgot for a second. In fact, this man and I were practically enemies. Even if we started fighting right here, no one would find it strange, not even I. "Um……. ……Are you planning to be involved in that?" The object, "that fight," was omitted. I just wanted to wait quietly in this room for that rough time to pass. However, after a moment of silence, Riegrow betrayed Jeong Tae-ui's expectations. "They’re very noisy." The gentle light disappeared from his face as he spoke with slight annoyance. The moment he wiped away his smile and spoke coldly, his expression changed surprisingly. Cruel and ferocious. Leaving the momentarily stunned Jeong Tae-ui behind, Riegrow abruptly stood up and strode towards the door. Just as Riegrow's hand reached for the doorknob, Jeong Tae-ui clicked his tongue and stood up. The moment that door opens, it's a battlefield. If I was unlucky, I might have to grapple with the man closest to me, which was not something he desired. What should I do? Letting out a sigh and clicking his tongue, Jeong Tae-ui still shook his wrists and prepared to move. Anyway, even if I was going to get hit, I should at least loosen up my body so I wouldn't get injured ridiculously. Thinking that, Jeong Tae-ui followed him out the door, but unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—there was no place for me to step in. Riegrow, standing his ground as if blocking Jeong Tae-ui's path, silently watched the hallway for a moment. The hallway was already a mess. Members who had poured out of every room were punching and kicking each other indiscriminately, and there were more than a few guys rolling on the floor in a wild brawl. He wondered if the instructor would come down again, but looking at this scene, it wasn't a situation where they would obediently put down their fists even if the instructor shouted. Riegrow glanced at a metal pipe that had flown from somewhere and rolled to his feet, then kicked it up with his toe and caught it in his hand. The metal pipe, only slightly thinner than a baseball bat, fit perfectly in his hand, as if it had been made for him. It was hard to imagine that same hand had just been holding a book. Suddenly, Jeong Tae-ui's gaze stopped on his hand. Out of habit, he was still wearing gloves. But they were different from the ones in the video. The thin, dark blue fabric gloves had a neat and composed look. The moment he thought, That metal pipe in his hand looks so out of place— Riegrow moved. And his gaze settled on two men in the middle of the brawl, who were unfortunately in a relatively close position to him, grabbing each other by the collar and slamming against the wall, making the most noise and commotion. "Shut up……." His muttering voice, as if speaking to himself, was drowned out by the commotion and barely audible. In the indistinguishable chaos, he lifted the pipe with a bored yet irritated look. And at the same time. —Crack. Even in the pandemonium, that sound stood out exceptionally. It seemed it wasn't just Jeong Tae-ui who heard it. That chilling silence, perhaps louder than any scream, continued as the metal pipe mercilessly struck down several nearby men, making horrific sounds over and over again. The sounds of flesh tearing and bones breaking followed in succession. "Coming all the way out here was annoying enough, so why are you people causing such a scene?" It was Riegrow's languid and quiet voice that broke the silence. The end of the pipe, which he had swung indiscriminately at friend and foe alike, was soaked with glistening blood, dripping down. It seeped into his dark blue gloves, creating black spots. As the spots spread, the gloves gradually became completely black. "Th-that bastard……." Someone blurted out. The end of their sentence trailed off with a faint tremor. But that voice became the starting point. As if wanting to shake off the fear that had spread through the air in an instant, shouts and screams erupted, engulfing the hallway. “Kill him! Kill that demon!" However, despite the shouts that erupted like screams from all directions, no one dared to approach him first. Even the members of the European branch stepped back several paces from him, their faces filled with unease. Twirl. Riegrow swung the large, heavy pipe around as if it were a pen. Then he chuckled and leaped forward. What followed was hell. At the end of the hallway, where corpse-like bodies lay piled up, Jeong Tae-ui could only stare blankly at Riegrow's back. I wondered where such a madman had suddenly sprung from, only to realize a moment later. That man was the same person who had been smiling gently and talking about books with me just moments ago. *** ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Tâmago We made a discord server! please join us!

On the way back to the tent, Choi Jin-hyeok saw him off. It was a forward base with nothing dangerous.  It seemed like the purpose was to see me off and to keep 8-se on his palm a little longer. “Thank you for bringing me here.” Choi Jin-hyeok put his hand down in front of the pouch and watched 8- se  crawl away, then straightened his back with regret. “Considering 8- se  is essentially your familiar, bring him to the company frequently. Ideally, when our work schedules align.” “I think it would be good if you let him get some fresh air.” “Squeak!” “By the way………………. Are you worried about something?” “Oh, me?” “Your expression is exactly like my younger sibling who was worrying about where to apply colleges.” “That’s right. You said you have a younger sibling.” “He’s a guy who’s about the same age as you.” Choi Jin-hyeok seemed to be in his mid-30s, so they must be quite a bit apart in age.  As he continued speaking, he stroked the head of 8- se , who was peeking out of his pouch with one hand. The rare smile on his face was one of pride in his younger sibling. "I raised him alone because of circumstances, but he grew up well without being crooked. He became a public servant hunter because he was given a relatively safe mission compared to the guild, even though he worked shifts and had a low salary. I couldn't die before my younger brother." In Yoo-shin nodded his head in agreement.  It was truly a scary and tragic thing to have a family member die first. "Actually, I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm not sure if it's always a good thing to rely on someone to forget all your boredom and tedium." "So it was love advice after all." "T-t-that's not it." I thought it was a bit too obvious, but Choi Jin-hyeok also immediately concluded it was a problem with Hyeon Gyu-ha. Although, it seems like our relationship is the opposite of what he thinks. "What are you worried about?" In Yoo-shin hesitated and moved his lips, slightly avoiding eye contact. "It’s just………………. You never know how relationships between people can change." “It’s not easy to find a place to rely on, so if it’s a relationship that you’re confident you can last a lifetime, then it’s okay to lean on it. But if you’re already feeling anxious, doesn’t that mean you’re not confident it can last a lifetime?” “……” “Then you should prepare to become independent and stand on your own.” “…………………I guess so.” Hearing his voice lower, Choi Jin-hyeok brushed his hair back and answered lightly. “I'd like to tell you that you don't need to worry about Hyeon Gyu-ha. Unlike other hunters, he's been a standout since his teens, so he's unintentionally seen and heard a lot. But you're the only person he treats specially. Hyeon Gyu-ha really doesn't trust people.” The more he heard that he was the only one, the more his shoulders slumped. It was the same even after he said goodbye to Choi Jin-hyeok and returned to the tent. The inside was warm because Hyeon Gyu-ha had brought a mattress and a fan heater, but the chill in his heart didn’t go away at all. Time passed even under the still-same evening glow. “Ah, did I wake you up?” In Yoo-shin opened his eyes at the sound of Hyeon Gyu-ha returning to the tent after shifting guarding duty onto someone else. "I couldn't sleep, so I just kept my eyes closed." "Since we agreed to wake up early tomorrow morning, let's go to sleep now. Are you cold?" "It's rather hot." "It’s better to be hotter." Hyun Gyu-ha playfully replied and lay down next to him. It was bare floor on the mattress. "Gyu-ha- ssi , did you bring a sleeping bag?" "I've never used a sleeping bag since I just slept out in the dungeon. I can sleep on the roof, so don't worry." I heard that some dungeons enter cities or towns depending on the setting. But it would be better to sleep inside a building instead of on the roof. Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was lying on his side with one arm supporting his face, whispered softly. "This is my first time setting up a tent. It's a hassle to carry around things, so I usually eat energy bars, but today is the first time I've roasted meat or marshmallows. I've had all kinds of new experiences while traveling with you, Master- nim ." "………………Is that annoying?" "It would have been really annoying in the past, but……………….” The dim sunlight of the approaching dusk did not penetrate the tent, so the interior was noticeably less saturated. The light flaxen hair was like dyed blond, and the reddish amber eyes were like brown. Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled with the face of an ordinary person, not a mixed-blood father who was a king. "It's not so bad to go through this with you, even this." In Yoo-shin was able to say that. "Gyu-ha- ssi , next Wednesday is our shift. Would you like to go somewhere with me?" "Okay." Hyeon Gyu-ha agreed first and then asked where he was going. "Where?" "The shrine where my adoptive parents are buried. They saved me………………… They both passed away on the same day." Seeing his pupils dilate, In Yoo-shin pulled down his blindfold and pretended to sleep. He heard his breathing irregularly rising and falling in his ear, and then swallowed as if giving up. Today would be the last night he would sleep while listening to his breathing up close like this. Early in the morning, the hunters came back to sweep the dungeon where the monsters had respawned once more, and the boss decided to hunt after lunch. The cleared dungeon would be collected and collected by the contracted service company before the reset time. Originally, it was normal for them to come in with the hunters, but Hyeon Gyu-ha said something to the manager. The manager was certain that since the founding of the Department of Supernatural Affairs and Public Safety, and even in the distant future, there would be no boss like Hyeon Gyu-ha. The hunt after lunch also went smoothly. The Awakeners, who had been making expressions of disgust at the sight of the demons’ corpses and the smell of blood yesterday, somehow adapted. [Only one monster survived in the dungeon.] [All monsters in the dungeon were annihilated.] [The dungeon boss, 'A Day Without Abnormality' appears.] Those who were awakened felt nauseous or really sick at the appearance of the dungeon boss. The hunters who were used to the gruesome sight also frowned, and In Yoo-shin quickly covered his mouth. The only one who didn't react was Hyeon Gyu-ha. "I thought there would be a corpse, but it really is a corpse." "………………This isn't an ordinary corpse, is it?" Choi Jin-hyeok made a face of nausea. To be precise, it was not a corpse, but a group of zombies. It was a gruesome corpse that clearly showed the horrors of a battlefield. The axes were made up of cannons, bombers, machine guns, and other weapons of the time. On top of that, countless corpses formed a group and continuously crawled up, poured down, and scattered. The corpses of young soldiers who had lost limbs, had their heads burst open and their brains were leaking out, their eyeballs and internal organs were hanging out, and they had lost their upper or lower bodies. "It's not enough that they were forcibly dragged into a dungeon, but they're making a zombie movie. What a bunch of crap." Gong Tae-seong, who had been relatively calm, swung his sword in annoyance. As the flames spread, the dozen or so corpses that had been rushing in front of them were burned. The gruesome appearance and the large number of them were not a big problem, the corpses rushing in like rain were not a big problem. The real problem came afterward. "Be careful! It seems to be some kind of poison!" Song Chan-young, who had been waiting while observing the situation from the rear, shouted. A disgusting stench began to emanate from the corpse fragments scattered on the ground, cut, stabbed, and pierced by the Hunters. The ground, which had deteriorated to a color similar to rust, boiled and spread murky smoke. At the same time, the muzzles and barrels of the cannons that formed the axis of the colony began to spark. Koo-ung! Bang! What they fired wasn't bullets, but rather the corrupted corpse poison(屍毒) that flowed from the dead. “Uagh!” The Hunter exposed to the venom screamed. The red blisters that quickly boiled over his skin burst, oozing pus and the terrible pain of his flesh being torn apart struck him. A disgusting smell quickly emanated from the rotten flesh. The moment Hyeon Gyu-ha urgently evacuated In Yoo-shin high into the air, the surrounding scenery of the dungeon began to change in the blink of an eye as if a ray of light was spreading around Choi Jin-hyeok and erasing the background. The ground where the snow had melted and become sticky became a relatively hard and even alley, the thick birch forest became buildings that tightly filled the alley, and the sun that was setting in the west became a night sky without even a moon. A unique field that unfolded by releasing all the bound artifacts. The laws of the world change. Priests in their crimson robes, who are supposed to be pure and pious, willingly defile their souls with the seeds of the seven deadly sins. The splendid starlight shatters on the spires of the great cathedral that towers high in the sky. In contrast, corpses disappear into the shabby and damp nights of the back alleys, and gold loses its master. Those deeply steeped in sin, yet incredibly competent in worldly matters, wear rings poisoned with the venom of their kind. This was no longer a dungeon where the perfect days of the frontlines repeated. It was a world ruled by secret poisons that were willingly used for the glory of the family and oneself. The poison that the 'A Day Without Abnormality' sprayed did not break the laws of the field. The corrupted poison that collided with the secret and absolute poison lost its function. Choi Jin-hyeok shouted, gasping for breath as his mana was rapidly depleted. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M, eteryl Support on KOFI: Chapter 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 If you wanna become a translator, editor or proofreader, please use the discord link given below and follow the instructions in the recruit channel. We made a discord server! please join us!

“Why are you scared? What is it? I told you I would definitely get you out of the dungeon.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha, whose indifference from just a moment ago had disappeared like an illusion, fidgeted, and grabbed In Yoo-shin’s shoulder.   “Yes, I do believe that you’ll send me off safely.”   “Then it’s fine.”   “Gyu-ha -ssi  will be left alone in the dungeon. I’m no help in the fight……”   “I’m sure there’s a way.”   “What way?”   “……”   Hyeon Gyu-ha did not answer. From his expression, I realized that even if he died like this, he wouldn’t care at all. Even death was meaningless in the face of his boredom.   “I don’t want to go out alone. If I apply a buff to you, wouldn’t your mana consumption be a little less? Let’s figure out a way together. There are a lot of things I picked up while working at the Department of Supernatural Affairs and Public Safety.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha groaned heavily and pressed his forehead.   “…… Don’t look at me like that.”   “What, look…?”   “I keep thinking about that kid from 19 years ago.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha muttered something meaningless in response, rubbed his face and turned his head.   “There’s only one way. I didn’t want to use it because it was a cruel method, but…… It’s better for you than being anxious.”   With that, he touched In Yoo-shin’s neck again. Thump, thump, thump.   “So please, don’t be anxious.”   “I won’t.”   “Please hold my hand just once.”   In Yoo-shin silently held Hyeon Gyu-ha’s hand. His fingers, slightly soaked in cold sweat, became entangled with his. It seemed like Hyeon Gyu-ha was more anxious than me. If it weren’t for that taming skill, Hyeon Gyu-ha would still have an indifferent gaze instead of feeling uneasy.   “…… I’m really sorry about the taming skill.”   “It’s okay. After all, the performance of the free buff is quite excellent.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled quietly and squeezed In Yoo-shin’s hand once before releasing it. He then took off the half-glove on his left hand and handed it to In Yoo-shin. The first thing Yoo-shin saw was a broken cross tattooed on the back of Gyu-ha’s left hand.   “I’m going to use some attribution artifacts later, but since I’m not expanding the field, I think you’ll probably feel a little dizzy—because we have a strong connection through our souls.”   Normally, I would have been a little embarrassed by his jokes, but this time, I was actually happy about them.  Hyeon Gyu-ha’s gaze was now directed downward. On the ground, Atabeyra was still aggrieved.   “The dungeon is a world of taxidermized illusions, and the god who appears here is not the body of the original, but a mere fragment of the shadow cast. It doesn’t mean humans can’t touch it at all.”   “But weapons didn’t work against her.”   “To defeat a god, you need a suitable weapon or divine power. Moreover, Atabeyra is a god who has already been defeated.”   With his words, Hyeon Gyu-ha stretched both arms forward. At the same time, Atabeyra’s body, which had been running wild on the ground, suddenly stopped.   【———!】   The woman’s face was distorted, and her frog body was twisted. Intangible pressures were squeezing Atabeyra from all directions. Even the wind stopped, and the concentrated air grabbed and entangled her limbs.   The beetle slithered in and out of Atabeyra’s body as she struggled to escape the enormous pressure that rivalled her force.   Atabeyra’s body seemed to be making a screeching and twisting sound as she struggled to escape from the enormous gravity-like pressure. Her twisted flesh was torn apart, and blood flowed forth. The earth was stained by the blood dripping from the maddened god.   Blocking a massive entity that obscures the sun would certainly not be an easy task. Cold sweat formed on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s temples as he slowly moved his fingers as if he were lumping invisible clay into a ball.   “Shit. It’d be easier to split the 63 Building.” (a landmark in Seoul)   Hyeon Gyu-ha muttered a low curse and raised his arms.   【———!】   As Atabeyra’s massive body floated in the air, it felt as if the entire mountain was moving. Atabeyra’s struggles became more intense. Her flesh was torn deeply, and her fresh blood flowed out.   As Hyeon Gyu-ha spoke, Atabeyra was thrown into the sea.   Kuaaang!   The water level rose by tens of meters. In Yoo-shin was startled and stooped down in surprise. The stream of water rising backward hit the force field and scattered beneath his feet. It was as if he were looking down from directly above a fountain. The droplets of water, reflecting and scattering sunlight in countless ways like prisms, were paradoxically beautiful.   A huge cavity was dug in the sea surface for a short while, and the seawater pushed out by the impact rushed into the deep cavity like a violent whirlpool. Atabeyra, buried into the sea floor below, must be receiving enormous water pressure.   Hyeon Gyu-ha sighed and rubbed his temples.   “It’s buried so deep that it’ll take time for it to come up.”   “Uh, are you just trying to buy time?”   “Just for the time being. I hope Yoo-shin -ssi  will feel safe and not be anxious.”   While Hyeon Gyu-ha was still talking, he jumped out of the force field. In Yoo-shin quickly followed him with his eyes.   【———!】   Emitting boiling, gurgling sounds, the sea was turbulent due to Atabeyra’s struggling to crawl up from below the surface. The tattoo on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s left hand shone.   [The artifact ‘Broken Cross of the Last Emperor’ belonging to Henry Raymond Charles Francois VII has been partially liberated.]   After partially liberating the attribution artifact, a vision in his head flowed through the bridge of the soul-link to In Yoo-shin.   It was of a cathedral, with majestic rays of light coming in through a high, round skylight, illuminating the symbol of the cross.   The final Eucharist that would last until the end of the empire was being held under the Son of God, who was crucified to atone for the sins of mankind. People wearing old, shabby clothes desperately prayed and sang hymns in despair.   「May the Lord God remember us all in his kingdom, now and always and forever.」   「Amen, to the King of all creation, surrounded by angelic hosts, receiving unseen protection. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.」   Thick tears flowed down the rough, wrinkled cheeks of the emperor who held the most ancient position.   When he woke up at the end of the dizzying fantasy, a brilliant light appeared on Hyeon Gyu-ha’s left arm. Atabeyra, bathed in the soaring, holy light, convulsed and screamed.   ‘Ah…… That’s why Gyu-ha -ssi  said he didn’t want to use it—because it was cruel.’   As he said, it was a truly cruel method. Weren’t parents and children killed by the same means?   At the same time, I thought it was ironic. Unlike those who massacred the children of Atabeyra with distorted beliefs, the memories of the artifacts released by Hyeon Gyu-ha were of faithful believers who sacredly upheld their faith until the end of their destruction.   The brilliant light that came from a decision of pure faith fell upon Supreme Deity Atabeyra.   ***   [The hidden boss of the dungeon, ‘Supreme Deity Atabeyra,’ has died.]   [The dungeon has been completely cleared.]   Supreme Deity Atabeyra did not leave her body behind like other demon beasts. The only trace of her existence was the crystal stone left behind her as she disappeared into thin air.   “Gyu-ha- ssi !”   As soon as Hyeon Gyu-ha stepped down from the air, In Yoo-shin ran to him.   “Are you hurt anywhere?”   “I’m fine. Please hold out your hand for me quickly.”   “You’ve suddenly become more energetic.”   “Ah, shi—! Stop ignoring what I say!”   In the end, when a harsh sound came out of In Yoo-shin’s mouth, Hyeon Gyu-ha flinched and obediently held out his left arm. The damage to his left arm was terrible. If his arm got run over by a 5-ton truck, got oil poured on it, and threw it into the fire, this was what it would look like.   ‘What if my healing doesn’t work?’   Wasn’t this a horrific injury that couldn’t even be compared to a stab wound? Despite only sweating a little, Hyeon Gyu-ha remained calm, not even uttering a single groan, while the one whose face had turned pale was rather In Yoo-shin.   He desperately gathered up mana and poured effort into healing. Milky healing power enveloped Hyeon Gyu-ha’s arms. And for a tamed entity, the Master’s skills were more effective than anything else in the world.   “Oh.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha briefly admired his cleanly healed left arm.   “The way it was supposed to go was, I had to go to a church, sprinkle some holy water, and get a blessing for it to be cured. I got better quickly that way too.”   “I’m really glad my healing worked……”   For some reason, In Yoo-shin was more exhausted than when he was watching the fight in full swing. After pouring in most of his available mana, he felt severely depleted. He was lucky he didn’t faint. Hyeon Gyu-ha gently supported In Yoo-shin’s waist using psychokinesis as he tried to sit down on the floor.   “I borrowed divine power without a holy relic, but it worked very easily with just one arm. Thanks to you, I also obtained the hidden boss crystal stone.”   The crystal stone that was floating on the sea flew through the air and landed in Hyeon Gyu-ha’s palm. Unlike the opaque crystal stones of ordinary monsters, it had a mysterious light that seemed to radiate five colors brilliantly from within.   Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was about to store the crystal stone into his inventory, pondered for a moment and held out his hand.   “Would you like me to show you something fun?”   “What is it?”   “Do you want to touch it?”   “May I?”   The brilliance of the five colors was amazing.  In Yoo-shin gently placed his hand on the hidden boss crystal stone. It even felt warm, as if it had been soaked in hot water for a long time and then taken out.   ‘When it’s cold, it would be nice to hug to keep warm.’   What an extravagant delusion it was to use hidden boss crystals, whose monetary value was difficult to pinpoint, as a substitute for a hot pack. While he was thinking nonsense, Hyeon Gyu-ha infused mana into the crystal stone.   It was that moment—   『Help me.』   The world changed completely.   P.A : I’ve been thinking… that maybe~~ both of them are connected 19 years ago. No! I’m convinced, I’ve been feeling this since Gyu-ha cut himself to test Yoo-shin’s healing abilities. Editor M: Ah, I don’t like writing styles that don’t put dialogue in the same paragraph as the respective speaker, but what can we do? … Okay, complaining aside, where did the guy who tossed IYS off a cliff go. ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: Editor M We made a discord server! please join us!

The dungeon, which had been constantly bright like midday because of the unmoving sun, suddenly darkened, and seven stars appeared from all directions. Just as In Yoo-shin was about to cry out in shock at the abrupt transformation, one of the two stars in the western sky started to glow brilliantly by itself.     An old woman stood under the starlight.   Her old and tired shadow reflected the images of people suffering from the plague. In Yoo-shin had a hunch. This was a sign of destruction.   『Help me.』   A little girl’s whisper rang in Yoo-shin’s mind.   He looked around in shock, but he couldn’t see the person he thought was the owner of the voice. There was only the old woman, quietly shedding sad tears.   “ Am înțeles. ”   Hyeon Gyu-ha spoke while slightly shaking the hidden boss crystal he was holding, and the old woman placed one hand on her chest as if responding and bowed her waist to greet him politely.   As a consequence, the world of the dungeon returned to its original state. The moment In Yoo-shin blinked once and opened his eyes, bright sunlight shone down on him.   It seemed like a few minutes had passed, but when I saw the message indicating the reset time, it turned out that less than a second had passed.   “……”   It was not surprising that the crystal stone, which had been fine until just now, had not only become smaller but had also become a blob of lumpy flesh. I was so shocked that I didn’t have any nerves left to react further.   Hyeon Gyu-ha casually threw the wriggling piece of flesh, vibrant with blood as if it had just been slaughtered, into his inventory.   “It feels more realistic than watching a movie in 4D, right?”   “…… If you imbue mana into the crystal stone of the original hidden boss, is that what you will see?”   “No way. It’s a sight that only Yoo-shin and I can see.”   “Is it related to Gyu-ha’s hidden attributes? It’s like the glitched letters.”   “I don’t think it’s a completely useless attribute.”   “And the trait of being the king’s illegitimate child?”   Hyeon Gyu-ha shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.   “It’s simple. It literally means that my father is the king. My mother wasn’t officially married to him. The system’s judgment was sorta tricky.”   “……”   I didn’t know how much of this was serious or a joke.   My mind was in a confused state. A dungeon break was caused by my breaking the rules. A hidden boss crystal stone. A voice calling for help. Hyeon Gyu-ha seemed to know why all these phenomena occurred. Everything, even the abnormality that In Yoo-shin was not aware of.   His lips trembled. There were so many things I wanted to ask that my tongue felt heavy from all the crowded words.   However, there was only one question that In Yoo-shin could barely ask.   “Is that what you said you were looking for?”   “To be specific, this is a phenomenon that appears with an extremely low probability, when you infuse your mana into the crystal stone of a hidden boss that drops in a specific dungeon. Would you call it some kind of unique item? I consumed it right away because I had good synergy with Yoo-shin- ssi .”   “…… If I ask you what it is, will you tell me?”   “I won’t.”   Maybe it’s because he confidently refused, but I wasn’t not angry.  In Yoo-shin just sighed deeply. My head was so full that I had no energy to refute him.   Hyeon Gyu-ha looked down at him for a moment and then moved his lips.   “It’s a name that can only be pronounced here, so I’ll tell you this. The old woman we saw earlier is Sfânta Marţi, the Saint of Tuesday.”   “I see……”   I also met Supreme Deity Atabeyra, so I wasn’t surprised to meet a saint.  In the end, the first trip to the dungeon was somehow caught up in Hyeon Gyu-ha’s circumstances.   He just told me nothing and brought me here without proper explanation. It seemed I had a slight glare in my eyes without even realizing it. Hyeon Gyu-ha gently rubbed the area around In Yoo-shin’s eyes with his thumb.   “It hurts my heart to see my Master glare. It’s not good for you to be deeply involved.”   “…… Gyu-ha- ssi  seems like a really shameless person.”   “Thank you for the compliment.”   He grinned and held out his hand.   “Well then, I’ll take you home safely. How should I do it?”   “By flying in the sky.”   “I’ll definitely take you on a ride, starting with a roller coaster and ending with a gyro drop.”   A short while after.   “ Hiiyak! ”   “Do you like it that much? You’re an honest person.”   “It’s too fast!”   “It’s not okay to talk informally to a Hyung  who is 6 years older than you.”   “It’s too high!”   In Yoo-shin screamed with glee as he was thrown and flown around in the sky of the deserted dungeon. His stress was definitely relieved by the adrenaline, more thrilling and realistic than what you can feel at an amusement park.   There were a lot of disturbing things, but in the end, it was a happy ending.   3.   Hyeon Gyu-ha silently looked down at the lumps of flesh placed on both of his palms. The only difference between the two lumps of flesh, with similar shapes and similar complexions, was their size. The one on the left was small, and the one on the right was large.   When he brought his hands closer, the flesh moved of its own accord. The writhing lumps of flesh, like living creatures, melded together and formed a smooth shape, as if they had been one from the beginning.   ‘Now there are three pieces left.’   I can’t believe I have only been able to gather four after 20 years of hunting.   Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was looking down with a complicated gaze, placed the lumps of flesh in his inventory, lay down in the air, and closed his eyes.  His coordinates were still twinkling in the corner of my vision.   No matter how many times you check the coordinates, it’s always better to be physically close for the most security.   Hyeon Gyu-ha, who was enjoying a satisfying sense of stability, woke up again when he heard the front door click open.  I looked out from the roof and saw In Yoo-shin going out. It seemed like he’s going out somewhere, seeing as he’s even changed out of the comfy sweatpants he was previously wearing at home.   ‘I was tired today, so I thought I’d rest.’   Outside was dangerous no matter what. I could never leave the Master alone.   Hyeon Gyu-ha lay down with an invisibility skill applied and slowly flew away, following In Yoo-shin.   “6 -seya , I’ll be back. Take good care of the house, okay?”   “ Squeak. ”   In Yoo-shin, unaware that Hyeon Gyu-ha was following him above his head, ran down the stairs of his rooftop home. The old house was at the top of a slope. Since I always rode Hyeon Gyu-ha’s bike, walking became unfamiliar to me.   ‘It would be nice if the subway station was a little closer.’   Even after leaving the alley, he had to walk a long way to reach the subway station. He was walking for exercise, but it was disappointing. In fact, if his home had been near a subway station, he would not have been able to afford monthly rent with his meager bank account and annual salary.   Perhaps because it was the last day of the three-day holiday, there were many people even in the middle of the day.  A man wearing a cap with the brim pulled down deeply was walking from the opposite direction and bumped into In Yoo-shin…… The moment he almost made contact, he suddenly screamed and fell over.   “ Aaaah! ”   The man’s arm twisted at a bizarre angle.   “Are you okay?”   Even if you break your arm, it’s better to call 119. While he was panicking, a few people gathered, and a passing patrol car stopped.   “What’s going on?”   “He suddenly collapsed!”   The police rushed in and helped the man who had fallen. Suddenly, a police officer tilted his head and checked the wanted flyer on his cell phone.   “Isn’t this Park Geun-cheol?”   “What?”   “Look here.”   The other policemen’s horrified eyes darted back and forth between the man’s face and the wanted poster. The man screamed and was caught trying to run away.   “Ah, fuck! It hurts!”   “Quiet, you punk. My grandmother hasn’t been discharged yet because of you.”   While pushing the wanted man who was sick into a patrol car, a police officer questioned the person who called.   “Did you catch the criminal? Are you awakened?”   “No. I don’t know why I fell too.”   “Ah yeah? Are you okay? It’s a guy who’s a troublemaker, but he’s quite vicious. Last month’s victim was even hospitalized.”   Hearing that, In Yoo-shin hurried to check for his cell phone, but it was fine.  That was the only item that could be stolen from me. Anyway, I was glad that there was no damage, and he was caught right away. I wondered why his arms broke suddenly; he probably got cursed by the victim.   The incident ended quickly. As the patrolmen left, the few people who had gathered soon dispersed. In Yoo-shin also stepped away.   “Why is that car like that?”   “Avoid it!”   Just as he arrived at the entrance to the subway station, he heard a loud scream. There was a truck that crossed the center line and was speeding diagonally. Kiik! Kik!  Cars kept making sudden stops and the road quickly became congested.   Right before the speeding truck hit the sidewalk where In Yoo-shin was standing—   “……!”   The truck stopped abruptly as if it had hit an invisible wall. In an instant, the engine stopped and even the wheels that had been idling became quiet.   Only then did the people who were frozen with bewilderment breathe a sigh of relief. In Yoo-shin also patted his pounding heart. That truck almost caused a really big accident.   “Wow, I thought something really big was going to happen.”   “But how did it suddenly stop right before hitting the pavement?”   “Didn’t an awakener stop it?”   People looked around, taking videos with their cell phones, but there was no visible awakener, who was supposed to be showing off and boastfully taking credit.   The driver, who had fallen unconscious, was rescued from the truck by police and paramedics who arrived late.   ‘Today, even a spectacle has happened in broad daylight.’   My startled heart could hardly calm down.  In Yoo-shin was watching his surroundings, then sneaked into the alley behind the store and took a few deep breaths. Hee, hee, hoo.   It calmed down.   “Lamaze- ssi , I’m so sorry for using your breathing method.”   It might not have been the breathing technique itself, but rather Hyeon Gyu-ha’s brazen face as he taught it, that helped me calm down.  Anyway, out of an unknown guilt, In Yoo-shin timidly apologized, then went down the stairs at the subway entrance.   He arrived at Korea University after transferring subway stations once. Even on holidays, In Yoo-shin bought coffee and salt bread to give to the poor, overworked slaves, and knocked on the door of the lab. It was not difficult to find it because I had been here before.   “Are there any slaves here?”   Of course, I was saying this because I heard that Park Seung-gi was the only one in the lab room today. Park Seung-gi opened the door, looking like a swarthy zombie, and gestured.   “Rest area.”   He barely uttered a single word and followed him languidly. It was only after refilling his coffee in a quiet lounge that Park Seung-gi returned to his somewhat human appearance.   “What about other people? Are you the only one in the lab?”   “I went with the professor to the conference. I went to work because I had to check the experiment.”   “Did you stay up all night?”   “I took a nap.”   He took out a gift from his bag to cheer up his friend, who was muttering while taking a sip of coffee.   “I went to a dungeon with Gyu-ha on Saturday.”   “Wow, fuck. Hey! How did you get something so precious? No way!” PA : It’s too funny when you know all the accident was resolved safely and easily because of Gyu. HEHEHE  Editor M: That Sfânta Marţi person turned out to be a huge headache while we were editing the translation, but in the end, we figured out that she was a figure from Romanian mythology! ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: PsycheAsylum, Editor M We made a discord server! please join us!

In Yoo-shin glanced at Park Seung-gi, who was making a fuss.   “I haven’t even shown it to you yet.”   “You could say it was a business showmanship reaction to really please our client. Anyway, how was your date?”   “‘Date…… I don’t know if it was a date, but it went well.”   What he took from the dungeon before it was cleared and closed completely was sand, seawater, and a few broken tree branches. To be honest, in my eyes as an outsider, I wondered if there was any difference between sand from inside and sand from outside the dungeon, but Park Seung-gi was happy upon receiving it.   “What dungeon was it?”   “It was one like the time Columbus arrived in the Americas.”   In Yoo-shin explained what he experienced in the dungeon. I tried to speak objectively at first, but the more I talked, the more excited I became. Park Seung-gi was the only friend whom I felt comfortable talking about this with.   Listening closely, Park Seung-gi asked in surprise.   “Wait for a sec. What did Hyeon Gyu-ha say?”   “I heard from him that it was normal in the era in which the dungeon was set. At the time, religion was the most important thing in Europe, and Columbus was a devout believer who had no hesitation in citing religious reasons for the massacre.”   “No, how does Hyeon Gyu-ha know that?”   “Doesn’t everyone who does gate studies knows?”   “ I  didn’t know!”   In Yoo-shin, who was talking excitedly, only then realized that Park Seung-gi’s face was filled with astonishment. Park Seung-gi wailed in embarrassment, gulping down the rest of his coffee while his legs shook.   “The illusion inside the gate is something you can only see for a very brief moment, before the dungeon recognizes people! Even then, the reality is that we can’t properly study it unless it’s a newly opened dungeon, since hunters are holed up inside all day hunting and gathering. Those damn hunters don’t even care about the dungeon once they use the illusion to predict the boss monster! But how does Hyeon Gyu-ha even know the background of Columbus? The Columbus we know was just a guy crazy for gold, not someone of faith!” Was that right? That’s probably what experts said.   In Yoo-shin chewed the salt bread until Park Seung-gi, who was tilting his head and talking gibberish, calmed down. The taste of salty butter was delicious. Should I buy more on the way home?   “You do  realize that gates are not the same as the Earth we live on, right?”   “Uh.”   “Because dungeons are where all sorts of past things happened, the accepted opinion was that they are nothing more than twisted distortions or illusions, and that was taught in schools as well, but these days, the accepted view in academia is that dungeons are a parallel world.”   In Yoo-shin blinked. The idea of a parallel world sounded better than just being an unexplainable distortion.   “Although it’s being hushed up because of Russia, they say there was a time when a dungeon opened and inside it had a city called Trotskygrad as the background setting.”   “It was named after Trotsky (A/N: a Russian revolutionary eliminated by Stalin) rather than Stalingrad (A/N: the city that Stalin named after himself; current Volgograd)? So, in that parallel world, Trotsky did the opposite and made Stalin go away?”   “Well, I guess?”   “I heard that Trotsky was extremely averse to naming cities, so was the Trotsky of that world different? That’s interesting.”   I pondered about how world history would have changed if Trotsky had become the leader of the country, instead of Stalin.   “Doesn’t our country have anything?”   “What is there…… Ah, that’s right. I heard that portraits of Kim Il-sung, presumed to be in his old age, are often found in dungeons set in old North Korean territory, like Pyongyang.”   “Kim Il-sung fled to Manchuria during the Korean War and disappeared.”   “So, in that parallel world, there is a possibility that June 25th did not occur and the 38th parallel was solidified, or North Korea won the war and unified Korea.”   “I’m so glad I wasn’t born in that parallel world.”   Had luck not been on our side, Gaeseong would’ve been under North Korean control. Long live the Republic of Korea.  The patriotism that Yoo-shin didn’t usually have suddenly filled him up.   “Anyway, it may be the environment inside the gate, but it’s best to infer the culture and historical trends in a piecemeal way. For someone like Hyeon Gyu-ha, it’s not possible to know in detail how people lived at the time or what Columbus’ beliefs were. Doesn’t he lie to make himself look good to you?”   In Yoo-shin shook his head. I didn't know about the other things, but Hyeon Gyu-ha would never do anything to make himself look good.   “Gyu-ha- ssi said he saw several dungeons featuring Columbus, besides the ones that he owns. Could it be that he researched them in his own way?”   “That could be possible…… Hyeon Gyu-ha also majored in gate studies at our school.”   “Gyu-ha -ssi  attended Korea University as well?”   “You didn’t know?”   Being met with a look that said, ‘How could you not know your boyfriend’s academic background?’ I could only scratch my head, at a loss for words. I didn’t know the university he dropped out of was Korea University.   In Yoo-shin looked around again. That didn’t mean I could find traces of someone who dropped out seven years ago, though.   “But Yoo-shin- nim —”   “No.”   “Hey, it’s nothing major. I just wanted to ask your boyfriend if he could take a friend like me along if he had more dungeons.”   “I can’t.”   “He’s even lying to impress you, so won’t you do me a favor that isn’t too difficult?”   “I don’t know how long we’ll be together, but whatever.”   It was after my true feelings inadvertently came out that I realized my mistake. Park Seung-gi’s eyes widened.   “You’re already thinking about breaking up when it hasn’t even been a while since you two got together?”   “It’s just that…… he lives in a different world from me.”   “Hey, In Yoo-shin. What do you have that’s better than Hyeon Gyu-ha? Your face…… Hyeon Gyu-ha’s is better. Money…… He has a lot too, and his job…… Hyeon Gyu-ha wins by a landslide victory. About his personality…… It’s easier to get by in this world if you’re a little rude. But instead, you have a friend like me. Cheer up, man.”   I didn’t know if Seung-gi was a friend or a foe.   On the way back after returning Park Seung-gi to the lab room, In Yoo-shin became absorbed in his thoughts.   ‘Seung-gi said that for no reason……’   It’s not just me who wanted this relationship to end quickly, but Hyeon Gyu-ha as well. Since Hyeon Gyu-ha seemed to know the reason why he was tamed, would it be possible to end the taming by following him, obtaining the hidden boss crystal stones, and meeting the saintly old woman?   He was so lost in thought in front of the crosswalk that he inadvertently ended up following someone who was jaywalking. When he realised he had made a mistake, he was already on the crosswalk with the red stop light flashing.   “ Gasp. ”   I tried to quickly turn around, but my body lifted into the air. It was a familiar feeling. The moment Yoo-shin blinked, a handsome man who seemed to turn even the scenery of an ordinary big city into a wonderful photo album appeared in the air. At the same time, screams were heard everywhere around them.   “…… Gyu-ha- ssi ?”   “Sudden quest: praise the pet rodent that saved Master from danger.”   “T-Thank you.”   “Just with words?”   Hyeon Gyu-ha, lying face down in the air, raised his head, and In Yoo-shin’s face turned red. As the distance between the two people got closer, gasps and muffled reactions arose rapidly here and there. I was grateful that he saved me, but I could clearly hear the whispers of those around us.   “Crazy. It’s Hyeon Gyu-ha.”   “Is the person next to him his boyfriend?”   “No way.”   “No, I think that is  his boyfriend……”   Trying not to look at the passersby who were taking out their cell phones, In Yoo-shin slightly stretched out his hand and gently stroked Gyu-ha’s hair. It’s not even my first time stroking it, but my fingers were stiff and creaky, probably because there were so many eyes watching. I couldn’t even feel the texture of his fine, soft hair.   “Can’t you be a little sweeter?”   Hyeon Gyu-ha held onto In Yoo-shin’s hand, stroking it and kissing the fingertips. When the kiss made a loud noise, Yoo-shin’s cheeks burned brightly, and blood rushed up to his face.  Why did a pounding sound echo through my heart?   In Yoo-shin unconsciously straightened his curled fingers in amazement and extended his palm to Gyu-ha’s head once more. He pulled back his fingertips a little as he stroked and felt the softness and length of his hair. It smelled good. So, this was Hyeon Gyu-ha’s scent.   Smiling with satisfaction, Hyeon Gyu-ha flew into the sky, holding In Yoo-shin with both arms around his waist and below his knees. The passersby who had been watching, and unable to breathe, finally opened their mouths.   “Hyeon Gyu-ha! You’re handsome!”   “Oh my god. I guess you really have gotten a lover!”   For some reason, that was the last thing Yoo-shin heard as he covered his mouth and struggled. He usually carried me by his side like a piece of luggage, but why did he carry me like a princess at times like this……?   But I didn’t dare to ask questions because I was afraid of what the answer would be. Instead, he calmed his pounding heart and asked a question that could easily be answered.   “How did Gyu-ha -ssi happen to be here? Where were you going?”   “Stalking you.”   “……”   “I’m just kidding. I was on my way home from school because I had to run some errands.”   “Ah, by the way. You went to Korea University, right? My friend is attending graduate school at Korea University, and I heard about it today.”   “ Now  you know I went to Korea University? I hope my Master will pay attention to me.”   “Ye-yes.”   In Yoo-shin decided to memorize Hyeon Gyu-ha’s official profile and wiki when he got home.   “……”   “……”   They were about as high as a ten-storey building. Hyeon Gyu-ha just looked down while holding him.   “Is there anything else you want to say to me?”   “Doesn’t my sister, Henry Raymond Charles Francois VI, need to go for a walk?”   In Yoo-shin answered him, timidly hoping that Gyu-ha would just call her 6 -seya  and not by her full name.   “Hamsters don’t go for walks. There’s no need to do that. They get exercise just by running on a hamster wheel, and since they’re already small, they’re harder to find outside of their cage. They can die accidentally if you do something wrong. 6 -seya  sometimes escapes her cage and hides in some corner, but she can communicate with me, so she comes out when I call for her.”   “That truly is a pity.”   Why was it a pity that hamsters don’t go for walks……?  In Yoo-shin examined his expression and asked carefully.   “Would you like to take a walk with me?”   “I also brought a walking leash.”   Hyeon Gyu-ha answered instantly, as if he had been anticipating that question, and what he took out of his inventory was a genuine leather leash.   “Human leashes are only sold for SM use, so it’s unavoidable……”   “Uaaaghh! I don’t wanna hear that!”   In Yoo-shin screamed and covered his ears. Hyeon Gyu-ha took out a few more leashes.   “Would you like to try something with a good grip?”   “Even if I tell you to put a real leash on, you won’t do it!”   “I’m going to do it. I’m an honest person with no shame.”   “In the end, am I the only one who feels embarrassed……?”   “Master, please live your life proudly.”   Only after gleefully teasing the horrified In Yoo-shin did Hyeon Gyu-ha, with a face like a contented cat, put away the leashes. In Yoo-shin felt a little wronged since a glossy sheen seemed to appear on Gyu-ha’s face every time he teased him.   ‘Even if he’s not a blood-sucking vampire, I think he’s an energy-sucking vampire.’ What sort of everloving pet would cheer itself up by teasing its owner? … No, wait. Maybe a cat would do that. Anyway, the embarrassing conversation made me think of something. It was an essential issue for taking a walk with Hyeon Gyu-ha.     HM: I have to say that Author has a great sense of humor, and the world-building is really good that I expected… PA : I can’t with the leash, then he pulled out many different leather leashes…. Hehehehe. Editor M: Hyeon Gyu-ha is a certified Freak™ and I’m dying from the way he springs his nonsense on In Yoo-shin without any warning. 😭   ------ Credits: Translator: Hoshi Miya Editor/Proofreader: PsycheAsylum, Editor M We made a discord server! please join us!