Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Brother's Resolve
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“Ow.”
I stretched out my stiff body, sore from bumping into things left and right.
‘At least this hasn’t changed. Thank goodness.’
The reason I’d formed a partnership with the Hwajin Guild wasn’t just for camaraderie. For starters, the black-and-white dungeon wasn’t A-Rank—it was S-Rank, and it was the drop location for an item I always carried with me. So yeah, I’d entered the partnership partly to get my hands on that. And since we hadn’t even signed a contract, I could slip away if things got messy.
“…Phew.”
I carefully pushed off the floor and stood up. Everything around me was pitch black; I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t even tell if my eyes were open or closed.
This place was bizarre—you couldn’t memorize it no matter how hard you tried, and you couldn’t sense where the walls were.
I swung my hand around, and thud—something solid, a dull wall, met my palm.
“…….”
The reason I’d held back my strength when taking down the fake boss earlier? It was all for this.
Flash. One by one, white stars formed in my palm. Power drained out of me in a rush. The stars spread out, covering about half the wall and separating the floor from the walls.
“Ugh.”
I’d barely done anything, but it felt like half my strength was gone. It wasn’t exactly half, but since my power hadn’t fully settled in yet, it leaked out everywhere, leaving me with that much less. The amazing part? This was an improvement.
‘Time to move.’
Black floor, white walls. Now I could at least tell them apart. I walked along the wall blanketed in stars, pure white, step after step. And as I did, I thought.
‘I hope it’s still there.’
Of all things to change... If this changed, I’d be in serious, serious trouble. It was the key to clearing the dungeon soon, so if it was gone, I’d be really, really screwed.
‘I hope it’s smart enough to still be there.’
But first, I had my own job to do.
Whoosh. I reformed the scythe I’d let slip earlier in my grip. Then I kept walking down the path.
‘The path’s this long, so of course my energy’s draining.’
Who the hell designed this crap? If someone without my abilities—or someone who couldn’t control them precisely—came in here, they’d bash into walls nonstop and end up a cold corpse no one would ever find.
‘That’s why it’s lucky Kim Seo-young sunbae’s on my team.’
Her ability produced light, so she could illuminate the room easily without wasting energy.
I walked endlessly down the path until a faint sound reached my ears.
‘Almost there.’
I quickened my pace and hurried forward. The faint noise grew closer, and after rounding the final corner...
“…Huh?”
There it was—what I’d been looking for. Except it was a little... no, very different.
“Hyung?”
What I was searching for was my brother. In other words, the key to killing the dungeon boss.
Why was my brother the key? Simple. Clearing an S-Rank dungeon required an S-Rank hunter. And my brother was the strongest S-Rank hunter out there, making him the absolute best key to clearing this place easily.
‘But...’
I rolled my eyes slightly toward the person collapsed on the floor.
‘This is way too different from what I remember.’
Normally, the moment I turned the corner, my brother should’ve nearly been assassinated by the hidden spy. Sure, he’d notice and subdue them right away, but still.
“…Ji-eon-ah?”
The sounds in my ears—the sounds of beating up the spy—stopped, and the source turned to look at me.
“Uh...”
What I saw was a scene utterly, completely unlike what I knew.
Cracks ran across the dungeon walls, which weren’t supposed to crack easily, and scorch marks scarred spots here and there. And the spy, who should’ve been caught only at the timing I arrived, had already been discovered by my brother and beaten to a pulp.
“Why are you here...? No, before that, why are you beating the crap out of someone like that!”
“…No memory of getting dosed with hallucinogens. Sneaky bastards. They must’ve used it while I wasn’t looking.”
“What?”
My brother clicked his tongue, then whoosh—in an instant, he thrust his sword at me.
“Hold up. It’s me, you know?”
I lightly gripped his black sword—careful not to cut my hand—and held it next to his neck. His body flinched, then he withdrew the sword and glanced at the watch on his wrist.
“Ah. Already that time...”
“You knew I was coming, huh.”
“…….”
Dodging the question, he opened the watch face and pulled out a rope. It unraveled and clattered to the floor. He quickly picked it up and effortlessly bound the spy’s body.
“…….”
Guess this was in the novel too.
‘Now I’m curious again.’
How detailed was the novel about stuff like this? How did the story flow? What was my personality like?
‘Hiding your cards is smart, but baiting them and then running? What’s the play?’
Zzzip. My brother finished tying up the unconscious spy, grabbed the leftover rope in one hand, stood with the intent to drag him, turned his head, and said.
“Let’s go.”
“Go? Where?”
“Where your group is.”
“How do you know that? Do you even know who you’re talking about?”
“Kim Seo-young, right?”
“Huh? How’d you... Oh. Yeah, you could know that.”
“…….”
He never once uttered the word ‘novel,’ not even at the end. If he was gonna act like that, why say anything in the first place? At least he wasn’t keeping his distance like before, but that was it—still frustrating.
“Hold up, I’m coming too!”
My brother dragged the rope binding the spy and walked into the increasingly bright black space. With nowhere else to go, I followed behind him.
After walking a bit, the brighter area let me distinguish walls from floor. The problem was how endlessly it stretched.
“Hyung, this is the dungeon you were raiding, right?”
A colorless, achromatic dungeon. Before I entered, my brother had gone in ahead to scout it separately.
“Hyung, where are we headed?”
“Where you were.”
“You know everything? Wild.”
“…We’re here.”
After some more walking, a massive white-and-black door barred by chains came into view.
“Here?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s chained shut?”
No sooner had I spoken than my brother grabbed the chains and yanked hard. Crackle, clank—and then...
Clatter—
The chains, firmly embedded to block the door, couldn’t withstand his strength and all fell away.
‘Hold on, if you do that...’
I rushed to him and grabbed his right arm. As expected, it was soaked in blood from some unknown source.
“You knew something might happen and still ripped those off? Is that what a hunter’s supposed to do?”
“I’ve got potions, so it’s fine.”
This wasn’t a healing potion issue. I knew better than most from experience. This was...
“No wound, and blood’s pouring out? Isn’t that a curse?”
“Probably.”
“You madman! No wonder Mom clutches her neck and faints!”
He knew something, that much was clear. But his reckless actions made no sense. If he knew the future, he should take the easy, safe path. Why?
“It’s fine. I just need to finish quick.”
“Finish wha...”
Finish. That meant the boss.
“What’s got you charging like that? Even with whatev— you still need to hold back—”
Unfortunately, before I could finish, his hand was already pushing the door open. Creak. It swung wide on its own, and a fierce wind blew through the gap. I reflexively shut my eyes, then opened them.
“You lunatic.”
Killing that thing takes a good ten minutes. Sure, a curse antidote potion drops from the boss even if you’re cursed, but the curse spreads through your whole body in ten minutes and kills you. No way he didn’t know.
‘He’s seriously reckless.’
He’d already experienced how memories and reality differed over the past four years, so he knew. Was he that confident?
I kept watching his every move, my face full of anxiety.
My brother strode into the room, crossing the exact line where the boss would appear.
‘What’s he planning?’
He was so confident; hard to stop him now. I’d just watch.
Rumble. The floor shook wildly, and up ahead, something embedded in the wall—flash—opened its eyes. It looked at my brother, pulled its body free from the wall, and thud—stepped forward.
A massive golem made of white and black. Sure, the curse premise wasn’t set in stone, but it was the boss we’d take down through him anyway.
‘Looks like he doesn’t know the result of fighting it cursed.’
If my brother fought the golem while cursed, it was game over from the start. Too much time wasted, and he’d lose an arm or nearly die.
‘...Yeah, better help.’
I sighed inwardly, took a step into the room, and my brother whipped his head around, opening his mouth.
“Ji-eon-ah.”
“Yeah?”
Thud. The golem’s other foot hit the ground, fully revealing its form.
“If it’s not too much trouble, can you play decoy?”
“Huh? Sure.”
“Good. Thanks.”
Click. He slipped on a silver bangle bracelet—unclear when he’d pulled it out—onto his wrist, then charged the golem at a speed I couldn’t match right now.
“…Holy.”
So he had something to rely on. That’s what made him so bold.
That bangle he’d just put on amplified strength massively once a week, temporarily. Its original owner was overseas, so it shouldn’t have been available until auction...
‘Alright, not as dumb as I thought.’
Relief washed over me; I nearly sighed.
‘Guess I should trust him then.’
He was still alive, so his plan must be working. Better to trust him.
‘Can’t waste time either.’
Boom! A massive vibration shook the room through my body. My brother had already leaped in and was clashing with the golem.
‘Decoy means...’
Drawing its attention—that’s my specialty. But would just that be enough?
‘At least it’s not boring.’
Thud. I vaulted up in one leap and swung my scythe straight at the golem’s head. Twang—like ricocheting off plastic—the head whipped around. Just before dropping to the floor, I extended my hand and fired stars.
Boom! Bang bang!
‘Still only this much, huh.’
I’d tried it hoping the change might’ve boosted me too, but no dice—my power still leaked more than it hit. Swinging the scythe was more efficient.
Thud. I landed on the golem’s shoulder, then sprang up again, slamming down hard on the center of its head. The head split open.
“Ah.”
The golem’s leg rushed at me fast; nearly got crushed. Hop. I jumped up, landed on its leg, and struck it again.
Thoom—its leg rang out, and the golem went berserk, swinging its arms wildly.
‘This should be goo—oh.’
My prediction held true.
‘Gotta dodge.’
The moment it entered my sight, chills ran through me. In a massive black mist, faint blue light flickered.
‘Bangle’s effect is still going strong.’
The black smoke formed a huge orb in an instant, then followed my brother’s hand straight at the golem.