Brother's Fury
“...Oppa?”
“Sujin-ah.”
“Oh, oppa, how did you...?”
“Heard a weird noise.”
Sujin, who had collapsed, let out a small sigh.
“Ugh! What are you doing here? They say once you enter this place, you can never get out!”
“...For real?”
Trapped in another weird spot? No way. I'd just touched a dark wall-like thing and it pulled me in.
I pointed at the monster approaching from afar.
“Can't we just kill that thing and get out? Feels like it.”
The ugly monster hesitated, startled by my sudden appearance.
“Yeah, but... how are you gonna kill that...?”
Sujin spoke in a half-sobbing voice.
“Sniff. I thought we could finally live peacefully as a family.”
Seeing real tears in her eyes made me scratch my head apologetically.
“Sorry. Should've told you sooner. This wouldn't have happened.”
“...What the hell are you talking about? We're all gonna die!”
“Eh, I don't think so.”
“Sniff... Oppa, step back for a sec. I'll finish it somehow, so at least you...”
“Sujin-ah.”
“...Yeah?”
“Just rest here.”
Leaving the fallen Sujin behind, I slowly stepped toward the monster.
“O-Oppa! No!”
She screamed desperately to stop me, but I couldn't listen.
“Time to play big brother.”
[Kee-eek!]
The thing let out a disgusting screech. It looked familiar somehow. Branches or whatever sticking out of its head like horns reminded me of demons.
Kududuk!
While lost in thought, tree roots that the monster had conjured shot up from my feet.
Dodging was easy, but Sujin was behind me.
“In that case.”
Kwang!
I kicked the root mercilessly, channeling Shatter along its grain at the impact point.
Kagagak!
The strike propagated straight to the monster.
[Kee, kee-eek?]
The root began crumbling to powder underground and raced toward the monster's body.
[Kee-eek!]
Sensing the anomaly, it severed its own legs with its arms, avoiding total pulverization.
“Self-harm helps, huh.”
[Kee-eeek!]
The smirk vanished from its face. Our eyes met in its twisted, vortex-like mug.
I read it clearly there: fear.
Kududuk! Kududuk!
I advanced slowly. Tentacles poured from all directions, but I smashed each one with force.
The more it attacked, the more its body disintegrated.
Soon, I was close enough to touch it.
I whispered to it softly.
“Hey, you fucking bastard.”
[Kee, kee-eek...?]
“Who told you to touch my little sister?”
[Kee-eeek!]
Instantly, its arms swelled into massive clubs, woven from countless roots, swinging at me from both sides.
Aiming to crush me flat.
Kwaaang!
My fist met its clubs, bursting them into powder like popped balloons.
It had been severing its arms to survive attacks, but no time for that now.
Pagagak!
The shockwave from its shattered arms surged into its body.
Pang!
It exploded into powder, done.
Hwaaak!
The darkened sky brightened at once. It was evening, dyed red, but far better than before.
“Phew.”
Almost thought I'd gotten trapped again.
“Hm?”
A small bead sparkled where the monster had crumbled. Jet-black yet gleaming, I picked it up out of curiosity.
Pocketing it, I returned to Sujin.
As expected, she stared up at me blankly.
“O-Oppa? You're really oppa?”
“Yeah. Sujin-ah.”
“But you said you don't have a mana core! What happened?”
“I don't. But the strength's still there.”
“What? That doesn't make sense! Even the strongest hunter becomes a normal person without their mana core!”
“Dunno about that. Never had one to begin with.”
“Ha...”
Sujin still looked incredulous.
“Anyway.”
I offered my hand to the fallen girl. She took it, rising, her shoulder still trembling from injuries.
“That's how it is, little sis.”
“Oppa...”
She hesitated, then burst into tears and hugged me tight.
“Sniff! Thought I was gonna die...”
“Yeah. Lucky we're alive. Thanks.”
“Sniff... I thought I could finally repay you...”
Now I got why she'd been so chipper about me freeloading.
“Heh. That's what you were worried about?”
“Yeah...”
“Family doesn't sweat that stuff.”
“Sniff...”
I patted her sobbing back until she calmed.
Then, one thing bugged me.
“Oh. Sujin-ah. What's this?”
“Huh?”
I pulled out the bead from the monster.
“This...?”
“Know what it is? Dropped by that... monster.”
“...Druid. It's a druid's mana core.”
“Hm. Druid, huh.”
The druids I knew loved nature like spirits, but here they called that monster one.
“A mana core this big...”
“Mana core?”
“Only high-grade monsters have them. Druids are A-rank, so most do, but this size is near S-rank.”
“Ah. Got it.”
Didn't fully grasp, but nodded like it was serious.
Mana core.
The other world had something similar: Erna, mana-infused ore like these cores.
And where Erna came from?
From killing demons.
Mana belonged to demons there. They used spirit or holy arts for light, usually.
But mana power tempted non-demons, so after ages of research...
“Sujin-ah. Any special use for this mana core?”
“Huh? Lots. Artifacts, too.”
Same uses.
Come to think of it, Sujin wore unfamiliar gear. Gray armor like knights from the other world.
Noticing my gaze, she added,
“This is the artifact. Issued to section-chief level... but it's busted, so I'll get chewed out.”
Such quality was pricey even there. Big corps had perks.
“Chewed out's nothing. You're alive.”
“...True.”
Sujin pressed her armor's shoulder. It glowed, turning into a plain gray longcoat.
“Oh.”
“C'mon, oppa. Let's go.”
Following her swaying coat, I pondered.
Mana cores and Erna. Their connection intrigued me.
Plus, Sujin hadn't expected a monster like that. As a pro hunter, she'd scouted properly.
...Gotta look into this later.
* * *
“How's Ji-hyang?”
“Lucky the dungeonization lifted quick. Saved her. Poured healing packs, bleeding stopped.”
Following Sujin, a shiny-headed man was hooking an IV to a young-looking girl.
“Ugh... hurts...”
Do kids talk like that these days?
Even near death, her sassy tone irked.
“Phew! She's okay.”
“...Yeah. Lucky.”
The man looked bitter despite his words.
Sujin-ah.
Yeah?
What happened exactly?
Well...
I'd arrived mid-crisis, clueless. Her whisper filled me in.
TL;DR: Her hired guild for Back Mountain Field cleanup met the monster. Disaster.
“Damn...”
Three already dead before I came. Strangers, but monster kills aren't pleasant.
Hope this doesn't blow back on Sujin.
Three private hunters dead. She could catch flak.
“...Who's this?”
“Oh. Me?”
Before the tilting-headed man, I whispered to Sujin.
Claim you killed it.
Huh? Hiding your power?
No. Your armor's wrecked. If someone else killed it too? You'll get heat.
So what?
C'mon, gotta save face. Pricey artifact, right?
Yeah, but...
So let's do that.
“Sujin's big brother. Heard noise, came to Back Mountain, saw Sujin take down the thing.”
“...Thought Park Sujin's brother passed away.”
“Second bro. First one died. So... my brother.”
“Ah. I see.”
He bought it, luckily. Even if I killed off a brother I'd never met.
Whatever. Good is good.
“Pardon, but who are you...?”
“Oh, yes. Her old colleague. Started a guild after leaving.”
“Aha.”
Sujin's senior awakener, then. Bald but young face.
Even awakeners go bald?
Sad new fact.
“Civilians should head out. Haven't... finished with our comrades yet.”
“...Right.”
Even hunters grieve lost teammates.
“Dae-hee sunbae...”
“Sunbae? The punk who called me 'old man' after I quit. You go too. Client leaves post-job.”
“Sorry... Thought it was A-rank field...”
“No need. Our guild's scouting fail.”
“...”
“Anyway.”
Dae-hee cut it short; Sujin left without another word.
Back home, she was still down.
“Sujin! Back?”
“Yeah. Yelena.”
“Something wrong? You look off.”
“No. Nothing. Just... bad mood today.”
“Sujin...”
“Make dinner yourselves. Not hungry.”
She shut herself in the study.
“Suhyuk. Did you hit Sujin?”
Yelena glared daggers.
“As if.”
“Then why's she mad?”
“At herself, probably.”
I eyed the firmly shut door, bitter.
She's probably angriest at herself now.
The monster was a druid, Sujin said. A-rank, strong one. Huge mana core meant top-tier.
It hid its presence, messing field scan. Guild's scouting fault, as Dae-hee said.
But if Sujin had spotted it? Hired accordingly?
Dunno if possible, but she's beating herself up over it.
“What happened? Tell me. Park Soo-hyeok.”
“Hm.”
I recapped for Yelena. Knew little, but shared what I did.
“...I see.”
“Yeah.”
She looked complicated now.
“Hunter life. Tough.”
“Hunters. Die a lot on job.”
“Probably.”
“Always hard. Losing coworkers.”
“You talk like you know.”
“...Yeah.”
“Oh.”
Right, she's an awakener too. Felt bad snarking; I just rolled my eyes.
“...Dinner?”
“Sure.”
Thought to call Sujin, but nah.
Pre-otherworld fights with parents, she'd hole up like this. Poking made it worse sometimes.
“This bean soup. Good. Sujin's skill.”
“Bean soup? Miso stew? I made it?”
“...Mixed up Korean. Too salty.”
“Ha. Don't eat then.”
“Eating for your effort.”
“You salty jerk...”
She swung playfully; I held back lest she die.
Meal done, I prepped a tray and headed to the study.
Knock knock.
“Sujin-ah. Food's ready. Eat when hungry.”
No reply.
She'll eat. Like back then.