Chapter Text

Han Yoojin’s existence was more worthless than gum scraped off of the bottom of a shoe.

He was a let down. A failure of an older brother. A leech. A pariah. A waste of space. Han Yoojin was every terrible possibility wrapped into an ugly, useless gift. His only purpose was to be tossed aside and forgotten lest his mere existence cause more problems for those around him. He was the very reason his younger brother, one of the strongest S-ranks on the planet, was dead.

Han Yoojin was weak. He was the lowest of the Hunter ranks; a mere F-rank. Even his own awakening had been something forced in the midst of a scam he’d foolishly fallen for. His desperation to be useful and wanted by his brother once again had led to him making terribly idiotic choices that had left him with nothing but an overwhelming sense of shame. The path of a hunter was anything but safe or simple. Yoohyun had known that. Yoojin hadn’t accepted it.

He understood, now. Why his younger brother had pushed him aside. Why he’d said all of those nasty, horrible (true true true true) things to Yoojin for all of these years just to keep him at an arm’s distance. Why Yoohyun had made the difficult decision to leave his older brother disabled and in pain for years in the hopes it would keep him away from the lifestyle of a hunter. Yoojin understood that, in the throes of misunderstanding and anger and betrayal, he had only ever made things more difficult for Yoohyun. Yoojin understood.

Yoojin understood that Yoohyun would have been better off without him from the very beginning.

(Yoojin should have never been in this dungeon in the first place. He should’ve listened. He should’ve lived quietly and stayed out of trouble like his brother wanted. But Yoojin couldn’t even do that right. How could he, when Han Yoohyun had always been the only reason for Han Yoojin to live? How could he, when Han Yoojin had lost himself the same day his younger brother walked out? How could he, when Han Yoojin’s world had come to an end when the only person who mattered to him decided Yoojin no longer mattered in return?)

And what were these memories about contracts and dragons? Yoohyun had made deals with legendary creatures just to be able to protect his older brother? To protect Yoojin? He’d put life and limb on the line to protect someone so utterly useless?

Rage boils within Yoojin as he grasps tightly onto these memories. He needs to know everything Yoohyun had risked losing for him. He needs to know just how much he’d failed his little brother. He needs to know everything for the sheer possibility of being able to seek revenge for his brother’s sake. Yoojin knows he won’t survive this encounter either, won’t even have his brother’s power much longer, but that won’t stop him from raking over the details with a fine-tooth comb because maybe in another life he could have been useful and he could have saved him-

The poisonous gas that Lauchitas had released into the air stung Yoojin’s throat and made his skin begin to blister.

Yoohyun’s blood had grown dry and flaky on his hands. Yoojin’s fingers trembled as he brushed his thumb along his brother’s cheek. The soft skin had long since cooled, and it was so utterly still and unmoving beneath his hand that it had Yoojin’s heart shrieking at how unfair it all was. It should be Yoojin who’d lost his life to the dragon. His life was worth nothing, while Yoohyun’s had been worth everything. 

He does still have to move, though, because he has to close Yoohyun’s eyes. Yoojin can’t stand the empty, glazed look and his inhale breaks as he reaches out to carefully brush his fingers over his brother’s eyelids. His exhale breaks too as he makes up his mind about what to do next. Carefully, conscious of his now SS (maybe- maybe even near SSS) level strength, Yoojin maneuvers Yoohyun’s body with a sort of gentle care that he hadn’t used since the younger boy was a baby. The strength is still beyond anything he’d ever felt before, but he would never forgive himself for injuring Yoohyun’s body. 

Yoojin shifts around until he has his baby brother’s head resting on his lap. He hasn’t held Yoohyun like this in… had it really been more than eight years now? It had been something so natural for the two of them in the past. Yoojin had always been content with physical contact and Yoohyun had grown to reciprocate Yoojin’s doting touches and holds when he realized how much it seemed to comfort and reassure his hyung. His heart breaks even more as he realizes that Yoohyun can’t shift closer in his hold now like he had as a child and a teenager. His long limbs remain stiff and still. The reminder of this no longer being Yoohyun, of it simply being a shell of what had once been, is jarring.

Yoojin does his best now to furiously wipe the dried blood on his hands onto his pants, only to realize they’re as bloodstained and dirty as the rest of him. He grits his teeth in an effort to keep his tears at bay. His hands are forever tainted with his failures; Yoojin couldn’t even run his fingers through Yoohyun’s curls to detangle the knots like he’d been doing for the entirety of the younger’s childhood without dirtying his hair. Everything Yoojin ever touched would fall to ruin, and this only cemented the fact in his mind.

He still combs his fingers through his brother’s curls. Tears slip silently down his chin and onto his brother’s forehead as Yoojin curls over Yoohyun’s body almost protectively. Yoojin had always been a silent crier, and even now, he couldn’t bring himself to make any sounds. Before, it had been because he hadn’t wanted Yoohyun to worry about him. Now, it was because Yoojin didn’t think he deserved to make his pain known when his little brother’s years of wanting nothing more than to keep him safe had left Yoohyun dead and Yoojin without a single reason that he could think of to keep living. 

How selfish of you, Yoohyun-ie. He thinks, feeling a sharp stab of anger slice through the numbness before fading away again. To leave your hyung to the wolves like this. What did you think would happen to me if the world found out the two of us had been in a dungeon together? That it was the F-ranker who came out alive and the S-ranker who fell in battle? Let alone an F-ranker with a reputation already shoved into the dirt, carrying out the body of the young Guild Master of Haeyeon. They will burn me at the stake.

Yoojin knew he deserved death for letting his younger brother sacrifice his life for his useless self. He wouldn’t even protest the mob that would surround him and pelt him with stones. He deserved anything the public was planning to dish out to him for failing Yoohyun. However….

He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Yoohyun cold and alone. Even now, he was so cold-

Yoojin chokes on a sob as his mind finally breaks and he finally, truly registers that he’sdeadhe’sdeadhe’sdead. “You’re so cold, Yoohyun. Let… You need to let hyung wrap you up and get you warm.” Yoojin stutters through his words, his breath catching. He hurries to pull Yoohyun’s coat around him more, the image of him tucking in a six year old Yoohyun overlapping with the present. 

His skill is still replaying Yoohyun’s memories in his mind, shoving into his face how much of his brother’s life he’d missed. It doesn’t give him any time to breathe, and Yoojin’s hands start to shake again as he squeezes his eyes closed and rests his forehead on Yoohyun’s. Tears leak out and drip onto his brother’s peaceful face. Yoojin can’t bring himself to open his eyes and see how close the timer is to running out. He doesn’t want to know when Yoohyun’s gifts would fade and Lauchitas’ poison would take Yoojin’s life too.

He hopes that Haeyeon will retrieve Yoohyun’s body, at least. As long as he got a proper burial, Yoojin would be okay with his own body being left behind. They might even be so disgusted that they would kick or spit on him. That would be okay, too. It was Yoojin’s fault their boss was dead at such a young age, after all, despite having had a very promising future ahead of him. Yoojin truly deserved any ill will they would treat his body with.

Ding!

A cheery sound grates on Han Yoojin’s sensitive ears, enough that he opens his eyes and pulls his brother’s body closer to his chest. His expression turns to one of shock as he takes in the multiple screens in front of his face. Each one shares a different message. Right. The reward windows.

Impossible achievement! You have hunted a dragon alone!

That couldn’t possibly be right. Yoohyun had attacked and fought the dragon before he… before-

Was it because of the timing in between our separate attacks? 

Legendary title “Dragon Slayer” has been granted!

Yoojin didn’t blink as he stared at his new title. His face had fallen into an expression of apathy as his brain was further overloaded with information. He had a hard time focusing on registering the fact that his level had risen and reward items were being listed in front of his eyes.

Gatestone x10

Grade 1 Grant Amount x5

Red Dragon’s Sword

Wish Stone

The last one caught Yoojin’s attention almost forcefully. It was as if there was no way he could pass over it. I’ve never heard of a wish stone. But if it can truly grant wishes…

Yoojin patted down his brother’s bangs with tender care before sitting up. With a thought he opened his inventory, hope and dread building in his chest. It was there. A red bead just barely smaller than his fist. His eyes widened in shock as he read the description. Grants one wish… Myth grade?! Then, Yoohyun, my brother-

Resurrection of the deceased is invalid.

Yoojin clenched his jaw, careful to keep his hands away from Yoohyun’s body as anger rose within him at the injustice. This stupid stone was myth grade and it couldn’t even save people? What was the purpose of being a god if you couldn’t bend the rules?

“What the fuck?” Yoojin hisses through his teeth, the timer counting down from 30 seconds in the corner of his vision. He didn’t have much time left, and he relaxed his tense fists and gently curled himself back around his brother. Yoojin grabs one of Yoohyun’s stiff hands and carefully entwines their fingers together so that they were both holding the wish stone together.

“What’s the point if I can’t get my baby brother back?” He whispers.

That is all Yoojin could wish for. It did not matter to him that this small red stone could grant him anything in the world, and yet he couldn’t have the one thing that truly mattered to him. Fame, fortune, power… he just wants his little brother back. He wants his little brother to be safe and alive. He wants Yoohyun to look to him for care and protection like he had when he was young. 

Yoojin had raised Yoohyun as his own. Yoohyun had been Yoojin’s baby more than he had been their parents’ youngest. Yoohyun shouldn’t have had to look after his older brother; it should always remain the opposite case! Yoojin was the parent, the older brother, the caretaker, the guardian-

The wish stone couldn’t bring back the dead. But maybe, just maybe…

I want to go back. Before I became a hunter would be far enough, right? Far enough back that I’ll only be doing you a favor by staying far away and protecting you the same way that you had given everything to protect me. Tears rolled down Yoojin’s face once again, this time landing on entwined fingers and a softly glowing crimson stone. 

I wish to protect you, Yoohyun-ie. I wish to be strong enough to protect the people I love, to protect you, even if it means I have to leave you on my terms this time. I wish to not be a burden on those who care for me. Never again. I will never drag you down ever again, so please, just once more-

“Are you willing to trust me?” Yoojin asks his brother’s still body, eyes locked on Yoohyun’s familiar face. He looked so much older. He should have never shouldered responsibility for Yoojin on top of all of his other duties. It had clearly caused him great stress. 

It had also cost Yoohyun his life.

Yoojin was finally out of time. The timer hit zero. Poison clogged his throat and burned his eyes as if acid had been dumped over his face. It’s with his last, excruciating breath that Yoojin makes a final, pleading wish as he cradles his baby brother to his chest: to be strong enough to protect those he loved and never be a burden again, even if it meant working from the shadows. 

The universe, hearing his wish, gently nudges the wish stone in their hands.

The universe, hearing his wish, inhales as the gifted stone begins to glow brighter.

The universe, hearing his wish, exhales as it rewrites time itself.

The dungeon falls quiet. The three bodies that had occupied the space fade away as if they had never existed there in the first place. Three feathers floated down gently from the top of the cavern, settling in the very same spot the two brothers and one dragon had succumbed to their ends. 

The bodies would not be found by any living souls, after all. What a shame. The System tsk’d. It is for the better that it is this way.

With the clickety-clack of a keyboard, Han Yoojin’s old worldline implodes and crumples in on itself like an empty soda can.

Best of luck to you, Han Yoojin. You’ve passed the initial test.

Chapter Text

Han Yoojin blinks rapidly as he stumbles, feeling completely off balance.

He brings a hand to his head in hopes of relieving the agonizing throb that he is met with as he struggles to regain his center of gravity. Yoojin’s vision is blurry and he keeps blinking in the hopes that it might clear. His ears are ringing; tinnitus shrieking in a constant drone. Yoojin tries next to shake his head, a hand reaching for his crutches, or a wall, or just something, anything to lean against-

Oh.

Yoojin had already fallen onto his hands and knees. He’s covered in blood; there’s so much of it that all he can smell is iron and copper. He swallows down his nausea as he attempts to make sense of what exactly is happening. Ever so slowly, the tinnitus in his ears is dying down into a dull whine rather than a shriek. It makes it easier to realize how utterly silent it is in this strange place. Where-?

Yoojin’s breathing picks up as his memories begin to come back to him with a near aggressive urgency. 

Lauchitas, Yoohyun, his little brother’s memories slamming into his skull, the beings out to kill Yoojin just to get to Yoohyun, the contract his brother signed, his baby brother dying to protect him, the pain of the poison gas, the wish stone-

The wish stone.

Where the fuck am I? Yoojin swallows roughly, moving unsteadily back onto his feet. His bad leg holds his weight easily and he finds himself unsettled by the realization. Yoojin slowly increases the pressure on his leg until he’d evenly distributed his weight on both legs, and yet he doesn’t feel any pain. What-?

He’s distracted from his thoughts as his vision begins to clear. Yoojin’s eyes widen in shock as he finally focuses upon the appearance of the space he’s located within. Mana stones light up the darkness with a dim, bluish colored glow, yet his surroundings seem clearer than they should be. Had Yoojin’s vision always been this great, even in the dark? Well, no matter. It makes it easy to see the large amount of blood splatters along the floor and the walls of what seems to be a large, cave-like dungeon. 

Next, his attention is quickly drawn to the numerous bloodied and unmoving bodies spread throughout the cavern, as the smell is overwhelming. Viscera and torn limbs litter the immediate vicinity like the toys a domesticated pet would leave strewn about the floor of a home. There seems to be no distinction between the bodies having belonged to hunters, or the bodies of what had clearly been lower ranked monsters that had lived within this dungeon. It’s an utter massacre, without any sign of discrimination between the two species. 

In the very middle of the cave, unmoving and clearly dead, lies the corpse of what had once been a B-rank boss monster.

Yoojin’s breathing catches and he flinches backwards. His eyes stay locked on the insect-like beast, senses straining for any potential signs of life, and he only relaxes when he finds none. Yoojin is the only living creature currently in the dungeon, and his senses seem to stretch out and confirm this fact. The feeling is accompanied with an odd sensation of chills down his spine. He glances back at his hands, taking a moment to curl and uncurl his fingers, wondering why he felt so strange. Exhaustion and panic lingered in the background, as he was more determined to figure out what exactly was going on first. 

This wasn’t the dungeon he had been in with Lauchitas and Yoohyun. There were many unfamiliar bodies here, and while there hadn’t been anyone else left with them before.... Well, considering the fact that Yoojin can’t feel any pain in the leg he’d injured years ago, his current situation leaves him visibly unsettled. Quickly, Yoojin rolls up his ratty jacket sleeves to look for scars he had grown overly familiar with in the last few years. His hands shake when he fails to find them, and he runs his fingers along now unblemished skin. He pulls up his shirt.

There’s a single scar on the right side of his abdomen. 

I don’t have scars from hunting. I can’t find any of the marks that I remember. But this one was from my military service. My leg isn’t in any pain. This means that- this means- 

Yoojin has to pause and drag in a deep breath. He steadies his nerves; his face blank as he once again sets his gaze upon the B-rank boss’ corpse. Slowly, almost agonizingly slowly, he pulls out his phone. The lock screen illuminates with a smiling picture of him and his brother, and the sight has Yoojin jolting like he’d taken a bullet straight to the heart. He takes a deep breath and refocuses. 

This would be a long shot, but he had to know. So while one couldn’t send any messages or access any data or service while within dungeons, and while most hunters didn’t bring phones on excursions simply because of the sheer frequency of the devices being ruined while within dungeons, if this was when Yoojin thought it might be-

The date on the lock screen is from five years ago. Only days after he and Yoohyun had their huge fight and falling out because Yoojin had contacted the Awakening brokers. 

  This means that- 

Yoojin’s eyes darted over to the bodies of the hunters thrown carelessly around the cave. These were the corpses of the Awakening brokers that had taken him into a D-rank dungeon to get his awakening. The group consisted of two C-ranks and five D-ranks. They should have been more than capable of clearing this dungeon with the range of their ranks, even if they were toting around an Unawakened like himself. Yoojin could clearly remember them killing the boss monster with ease and letting Yoojin get himself in just enough trouble that he awakened as an F-rank, although they only stepped in at the very last second to save his life. They’d had to first laugh at how pathetic and weak he was compared to them. 

This giant insect-like creature hadn’t been the boss monster that had been in this dungeon in the past.

The entire party hadn’t been slaughtered like this in the past, either.

What the fuck happened here?

A cheery Ding! That sounded far too familiar and too misplaced for the macabre atmosphere startles Yoojin out of his musings. Multiple alerts begin to sound off and jump in front of his face. It was as if they’d been waiting for things to calm down and for Yoojin to gather his bearings before they appeared. 

Despite the throngs of messages and alerts congregating right in his line of sight, there is one in particular that draws his gaze. 

…Wait, wait, hold on just a goddamn minute-

[Congratulations on your reawakening, Han Yoojin! Rank: SS (F) Primary title: Elite Guardian.]

…What? The fuck?

Yoojin falls back flat on his ass. He drags his gaze back up to the message declaring his reawakening. He doesn’t realize that he isn’t breathing as his mind kicks into overdrive. 

I’ve never heard of a reawakening. Is it because this isn’t, well, this is a different time? Than what I’m from? So technically I’ve been Awakened, just not in this timeline? Is that why it shows my old rank beside my new one? This can’t be fucking real. I can’t be- I’ve never even heard of an official SS-rank hunter before. This can’t really be true, maybe it’s just Yoohyun-ie’s stats left over from Final Thanks, the timer will run out soon-

Yoojin frantically scans over the skill alerts, dismissing the reward alerts for the time being. Various skills and titles jump out in front of his face; as if screaming for his attention. 

Legendary Title: Elite Guardian (L) granted!

You are the first Caregiver to be able to raise an S-rank from Infancy! Congratulations!

What?

Title: Elite Guardian is in effect. 

Elite Guardian Additional Skills: Pack Bond. Doubles the growth of the affected. Duration: 3 days. 

What? Does that work on anyone in my custody? What does it mean by pack? That’s not what my old Caregiver title used to say, but still, I need to find Yoohyun! With this, I can help-

Reality slammed into Yoojin as he remembered to breathe. I’ve only just awoken. And I promised I’d stay away so that I don’t drag him down with me. If I’m around, I’m only putting Yoohyun in danger. And, well, this doesn’t make any sense? “Caregiver” at the highest only reaches S-class. Elite Guardian isn’t something I’ve heard about before. And this one is ranked Legendary… my old Caregiver skill only gave an additional growth buff of 10% and lasted for just a single day. This is… double that. It could raise the level of the affected in only half a year.

It seemed like a scam. A sick joke. Like some higher power was laughing at him from above for wanting to go along with it.

The rate of growth buffs are also doubled with this. Higher grade skills typically grow painfully slow. This is practically a cheat compared to everything the world has learned about “Caregivers.” It’s almost ridiculously overpowered. 

If Yoojin gave someone a buff before a dungeon, at his new level, they would grow at light speed. It almost sounded dangerous. He bites his lip, jolting a bit as he feels a sharp pain and tastes blood on his tongue. Yoojin licks his lips in an attempt to stop the bleeding, confused. He can’t remember if his canines had always felt as sharp as they did now…. Yoojin shook his head, trying to steady his breathing, before bringing up his status window. He could ponder over a minor physical change like that another time.

Awakened Han Yoojin

Rank: SS (F)

Titles: Elite Guardian (L) Dragon Slayer (L)

Dragon Slayer? But that happened in the past? Why would I have this title? 

It made him sick to think about how he’d earned the title exactly, so he skips over it for the time being and moves onto the next line.

Level 1

That makes sense. Every Awakened starts at level one. His eyes glance over his physical stats, widening as he looks at the numbers. His stamina and strength were now within normal range for S-ranks, but his agility was much higher and more along the lines of his new level of SS. What truly had his mind fuzzing out was the quadruple digit number behind his mana power. There wasn’t a single S-rank he knew with such a large mana pool. Was it simply an attribute designed for Yoojin’s abilities specifically? This much mana seemed wildly excessive, so there must be a reason for it?

The only way to find out is to keep looking. As Yoojin’s eyes moved down the list, he had to close them for a moment and take deep breaths. There was… so much to look at. He’d never seen so many skills, let alone for someone who had only just Awakened. 

Again, maybe it was because this was labeled a Reawakening? And his rank alone was unheard of for a human being who’d awakened, even eight years in the future? There just seemed to be something strange and excessive about his entire status window. This was unprecedented territory. The fact that each skill listed was only an umbrella for the skills below it was entirely new to Yoojin as well.

He peers closely at his new title and the skills listed below.

Elite Guardian (L-Rank):

• Pack Bond: Uses a key phrase to invite people and beasts into the user’s "pack," boosting their growth and allowing the user to monitor their health and safety. Skills can be used without keywords on targets that have already been attuned. Cannot be duplicated to the same target. Cooldown 30 days for the same target. (Unlocked. Key phrase unregistered. Unavailable until the key phrase has been registered. Attuned: None.)

Identification: Promising Sprout (S-rank)

• Stats Insight: Views the stats and growth potential of others, allowing the user to assess strengths and weaknesses effectively. (Unlocked.)
• Empowerment: User can awaken the latent potential in those under the user’s influence, granting them new abilities or enhancing existing ones. (Unlocked.)

Physical Attributes (Enhanced)

1. Animalistic Traits:
• Enhanced Senses: User gains heightened senses, including improved hearing, sight, and smell, allowing the detection of threats and the ability to navigate environments more effectively. (Passive skill. Active.)
• Night Vision: User can see clearly in low-light conditions, giving an edge in dark environments. (Passive Skill. Active.)
2. Instinctive Reflexes:
• Quick Reactions: User possesses animal-like reflexes, allowing them to react rapidly to danger or changes in the environment. (Passive skill. Active.)
3. Camouflage:
• Stealth: User can blend into his surroundings, using their instincts to remain unseen and undetected by enemies. (Locked.)

Mana Manipulation (SS-rank):

• Extensive Mana Pools: User is granted vast mana reserves, allowing them to boost and assist with high effectiveness. (Passive skill. Active.)
• Pure Mana Mastery: User has the potential to master the use of pure mana without elemental skills, becoming an expert in:
• Mana Combat: Utilizing mana to fight, creating mana-based weapons and shields. (Unlocked. Requires mastery.)
• Mana Constructs: Form constructs and small platforms for mobility using mana. (Unlocked. Requires mastery.)
• Mana Shielding: User generates mana shields to protect from physical attacks. (Unlocked. Requires mastery.)

• Aura Sensing: Detects and analyzes auras to determine rank and strength levels of hunters and monsters. (Unlocked. Requires mastery.)

This was really… too much. It hurt Yoojin’s already pounding head to decipher the various skills and remember which ones he currently had access to, as well as the ones it seemed that he had the potential to unlock. 

What about this “physical attributes” section? Yoojin had never heard of Awakened having a separate listing of what seemed to be his own enhanced physical attributes. 

There were simply too many things to wrap his head around, and Yoojin hadn’t even looked at the skills granted to him by his Dragon Slayer title yet. A lot of these skills he already knew he would have to really sit down and think about. Just from the time he’d spent browsing his skills, however, it seemed obvious that he was still a support type hunter at his core. A lot of his skills seemed to be biased towards him being able to aid allies. The only combat-type skill Yoojin had was the “Pure Mana Mastery,” which seemed to allow him to utilize mana both offensively and defensively. 

Yoojin hadn’t known that was possible. All of the other high-ranking hunters, even Yoohyun, had individualized, element-based mana skills. Yet Yoojin on the other hand didn’t seem to have any inclination towards the elements. Rather, he’d been gifted the ability to manipulate pure mana in its raw state. If Yoojin could learn how to master this skill and grow to be able to manipulate raw mana to both fight beasts and protect others from attacks, he would be of great help in dungeons. That didn’t even include his other support-based skills, like the abilities listed beneath Promising Sprouts. 

And then again, he looks at all of his new passive-type skills. They seemed almost… animalistic? Enhanced senses, night vision, enhanced reflexes… Yoojin tried to picture himself utilizing his passive skills and somehow only managed to envision a panther stalking through the forest in the middle of the night. They were awfully cat-like skills, weren’t they? The night vision in particular. He could even imagine the enhanced reflexes giving him a more cat-like grace in his movements, especially without a bum leg slowing him down…

His eyes are dragged back up to the top of the list where “Pack Bond” sits loud and proud. Pack Bond seemed to be similar to his old custody skill. It was initiated through a predetermined key phrase just like before, however it seemed much more involved. 

Pack Bond didn’t just give a simple buff while initiated, however. It seemed to be able to use the predetermined key phrase to invite people and beasts into Yoojin’s "pack," boosting their growth and allowing him to monitor their health and safety. It seemed much more personal, and was quite obviously entwined with these animalistic traits and skills he had been gifted. The idea that Yoojin could not only boost the growth of those in his “pack,” but also monitor their health and safety was highly appealing to him. Knowing whether Yoohyun was safe or not, even at a distance, would lift a massive weight off of Yoojin’s shoulders. 

He just wants his baby brother.

Still… SS-rank? Yoojin’s new status was overwhelming and hard to believe. There was no timer on the side of his status window, mocking him about his skills dissipating when his time ran out. It was permanent. 

Also.

None of his skills were related explicitly to Yoohyun in any way, at least, not in the way they had been during Yoojin’s fight with Lauchitas’. He couldn’t be more grateful for that. The title Elite Guardian seems to have been granted to him for having raised Yoohyun since he was a baby, but at least Yoojin didn’t have to panic over having stolen any of Yoohyun’s own skills in this fucky order of events. He wouldn’t have been able to stomach using any of Yoohyun’s skills ever again, he doesn’t think, especially having used them to kill the very beast that had killed his little brother in front of his eyes. He’d surely panic. He couldn’t even imagine having to explain having similar abilities to his brother, either.

Speaking of having had access to Yoohyun’s skills, though. Final Thanks. It wasn’t on the list at all. Yoojin had to squeeze his eyes shut so that the tears of relief that formed in his eyes didn’t escape. That skill had been more of a curse than it had ever been considered a blessing. Yes, it may have kept Yoojin alive for as long as it had despite him being only a weak F-ranker. It still had left him with the final memories of the deceased who had been under his custody, and the phantom sensations of using their strengthened skills to save his own sorry life when Yoojin wouldn’t have ever have survived without the help of others in the first place. 

More proof of how much of a leech Yoojin was. 

Final Thanks may have kept Yoojin alive, but it had also helped push him into alcoholism and suicidal ideation. It hadn’t ever really given Yoojin anything worth fighting for. It had both kept him alive and brought him closer to death the more he familiarized himself with it. It was a cursed skill, for sure. 

I’ll never have to use it again. Never. Yoojin tells himself, ignoring the sting behind his eyes. Instead, I have another skill in its place.

Legacy (S-rank)

Yoojin doesn’t linger on it too long, despite knowing it could very well be his ultimate trump card. Now that he was in the past, and had the opportunity and the strength to help his brother rather than remain a burden to Yoohyun, he hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. The sight of it made him feel anxious as he wondered why he’d need a skill like this, or if he’d ever really have to use it.

To think there was a skill that granted the user’s skills to those under their custody after death at double the strength... It was the total opposite of Final Thanks. Legacy was the ultimate support-type boost, in a sort of last-ditch effort type of way. Would there really be a time where Yoojin would be forced to give his life to protect someone in his, what is it called now, “pack?” Was this just a way to tell him that even now he might fail to protect someone he considers “his,” and hope that this skill would help them to escape a deadly situation that even Yoojin’s new status couldn’t protect them from?

As this thought is turned around in his head over and over again, the nausea comes back full force. Yoojin quickly leans forward and throws himself onto his hands and knees. His mouth filling with saliva is his final warning before he’s coughing and heaving onto the dirty stone floors. The scent of vomit and gore stings his now overly-sensitive nose, and his new night vision enhances the visual of the aftermath of the fierce battle that had been fought in the dungeon. He spits once onto the ground after it feels like there’s nothing left in his stomach, now turning his thoughts to wondering about what had occurred in this dungeon.

Clearly, it had been a D-rank dungeon initially like Yoojin could remember it being. None of these hunters would have entered a B-rank dungeon to Awaken someone, no matter how illegal the venture already was. A misranked dungeon hadn’t happened in the past, though. Not that Yoojin could remember, at least. These events had only just begun occurring in his old timeline… The only outlier was-

“Me. The only outlier is me. So why can’t I remember what happened?” Yoojin mumbles aloud after having sat down in a cleaner spot, with his back against a cold stone wall. The mana crystals gave his skin tone an eerie blue appearance. They seemed to flicker for a moment, before his vision flashed white. Blinking the spots away, Yoojin was left staring at a new message that looked more like a PM than the usual system alerts.

[Sorry about that, honey! We’ll fix that memory problem! Hold on tight!]

Eyebrows furrowing, Yoojin only had a moment to begin speaking. “What-” He gets cut off by a piercing headache, as if someone had taken a pickaxe and buried it into his skull through his right eye. Black spots crawl into his vision and exploded like stars before completely taking his sight away from him. Yoojin chokes on a gasp as the pain spikes once, twice, thrice, and then images and sensory information dump into his memory all at once.

We’ll be going into a D-rank dungeon for your Awakening, Han Yoojin. We expect half upfront, and half before we leave the dungeon, no matter what rank you get. Or if you Awaken at all. 

The contract is signed. No turning back! Go on in, man!

The Brokers were taking him into the dungeon.

With a couple of C-rankers and D-rankers, this has been a breeze! Remember, when we see the boss, that’s when we’ll begin our end of the deal. Just remember that any rewards and mana stones go to us, yeah? 

We’re almost there. Can you feel that aura, now? Even an Unawakened should be able to feel something when we’re this close. It must be a C-rank boss, that’s pretty normal for dungeons. The boss is always a rank higher than the dungeon. It’s why there’s such a variety in the team rankings. 

O-Oh, thank you for teaching me!

The Broker’s false kindness, using Yoojin’s desperation to manipulate him into giving them what they want.

An odd sense of dread filters in through the memory. The vision of an alert screen with the same PM-style chat Yoojin had noticed right before being sucked into this flashback blinks in his face.

[Uh oh, sorry, honey! They noticed you’re here!]

The ground rumbled and shook.

Boss, did you hear that?

Boss!

Boss, do you feel that-

I don’t think this is a C-rank boss-

A bloodbath. A monster that shouldn’t have been in the dungeon in the first place surging into existence.

My family, oh lord, I have kids at home-

[We’ll be giving you your gift, now, honey! Use it well!]

That’s a B-rank monster, boss! What do we do? Two C-ranks and a few D-ranks aren’t anywhere near enough to take on a beast that powerful!

Did they rank the dungeon wrong? I swear it didn’t feel that strong five minutes ago!

It knows we’re here!

[This is your second trial, Honey! We’ll be cheering for you! Prove you have what it takes!]

An Awakening.

Power surged into memory-Yoojin, leaving him gaping. He’d been in the process of tugging one of the D-rankers out of harm’s way while the man blubbered. Yoojin was terrified out of his mind, not quite able to regret his decision, and despite his fear, unable to leave the man to die when he was right beside him. The sudden boost in stats means Yoojin accidentally crushes the man’s shoulder in his grip, though, and he drops the appendage quickly at the pained shriek the broker lets out.

I’m so sorry-

Did you awaken?

Did he awaken?

Holy fuck-

That aura-

S-rank!

You’re an S-rank?!

Save us!

Please! Save us!

There’s no longer a sense of dread, but rather anticipation; something almost predatory awakening from deep inside of Yoojin. Memory-Yoojin is shoved towards the B-rank beast by the brokers who hadn’t yet been slaughtered by the monster. There’s only two of them left. One is C-rank, and one is D. Both of them feel weaker than Han Yoojin. They feel fragile.

They’re choking on Yoojin’s aura. Not the beast’s. Yoojin’s.

He’s strong enough that lower-ranks are affected by his aura. 

Is this how Yoohyun felt when he awakened? Like he could do anything? Like he could squash those weaker than him like bugs? Is that how he saw me, too? As nothing more than a bug? Is that why he said all those terrible things? Is that why he left me?

Yoojin grimaced, seeing how the two brokers had turned and ran and essentially left him for dead. The insect-like boss monster sets its sights on Yoojin, possibly sensing the uncontrolled aura of a newly awakened, and Yoojin sucks in a deep breath as he tries to calm his thudding heart. He expects to feel anxiety, but is shocked as a thrill of excitement makes Yoojin’s fingertips tingle. He wants to fight this beast and measure up to it; he wants to see just what this power can do.

The creature was certainly not as powerful as him, but Yoojin wasn’t familiar with any of his newly awakened skills, nor was he acclimated to his new strength. It could mean a difficult battle, or an easy win. It all depended on his luck, his unhoned skills, and the newly awakened natural battle prowess of an S-rank. Yoojin shifts slightly on one foot and accidentally crushes the floor beneath his sneaker, turning it into a small crater. 

Oops-

Fwoom!

Yoojin’s eyes widened as the beast began to fly at him faster than he’d ever seen anything move. His eyes track the creature easily, though, and he manages to move quickly enough to avoid a direct hit. The beast breezes by and Yoojin pivots as it tries to turn back around so it can attack again. He does this for a while, simply for the sheer thrill of the chase as well as using this as an opportunity to familiarize himself with his new speed and agility. 

It takes a while of toying with the bug before Yoojin succeeds in talking himself into finishing the little game he’d turned this into. He even has to force down an adrenaline-fueled grin while shifting into a crouch. Yoojin locks eyes with the boss, his whole body tingling as he maps out his plan of attack. The floor cracks as he leaps into the air and lands on the creature’s back, ignoring the force with which the wings are hitting his newly-durable body. 

Reality slaps him in the face quite suddenly.

I don’t have a weapon, I didn’t grab one before jumping, fuck, how do I kill this thing, I won’t fucking die here, I need to prove to Yoohyun that I’m worth keeping around, wait, I refuse to fucking die here-

Static fills Yoojin’s veins as his mana surges to life. It feels almost like his mana is subconsciously reacting to his desperation. The energy settles into something cool and thick, but the sensation it gives him is laced with the innate knowledge that it will be malleable and easy for him to manipulate. A silver aura shimmers into existence around him and envelopes Yoojin’s body before it thickens and congregates at his hands. There, it solidifies into the shape of a passable-looking dagger. Yoojin doesn’t know if mana can cut things, but the mana-blade looks sharp and the boss is beginning to thrash. It nearly dislodges him, so he figures it’s worth a shot. 

Yoojin stabs the pointy end of the blade straight down onto the insect's back, right where he hopes the heart is located. His animal… er, insect biology knowledge might be iffy, but seriously. He needs to try something, anything, to kill this thing before it kills him. He refuses to have just Awoken only to lose to a beast ranked lower than him. Yoohyun would never lose in a fight like this, and Yoojin refuses to disappoint his little brother any more than he already has. The whole fucking point to this trip was to prove to his little brother that Yoojin was worth enough to stay at Yoohyun’s side, even if Yoohyun didn’t think so.

Thankfully, it seems to be a successful hit on a vital point. The mana-blade also glows brighter before extending all the way through the insect monster’s body. The smell of something burning hits Yoojin like a smack to the face as he and the beast drop hard onto the ground. The wings twitch off and on before finally falling still, and that is when he finally relaxes his tense muscles and releases the mana surrounding his body. 

Yoojin feels sweat drip off of his nose onto the corpse of the monster he’d killed, and he takes a steadying breath as he tries to slow his heart rate. A moment later, another mana-blade forms in his hand, and Yoojin uses it to hack away at the insect’s exoskeleton and withdraw the mana stone. The color of the mana stone draws his attention, and he admires it as he stumbles off of the monster corpse.

Yoojin feels like a newborn fawn as the stone disappears in a sudden flash of light, but hopes it had naturally gone into his inventory- because he’s a hunter now. And has an inventory. 

I killed a monster. A B-rank monster. By myself. I’m a hunter. I just… did that.

I can make Yoohyun proud, right? Will this make him love me again? Can he love me again?

He’s interrupted by a sudden, cheery Ding! that makes Memory-Yoojin and Current-Yoojin shiver.

[You passed the second test, Honey! Great job! Now there’s only one thing left to do!]

Memory-Yoojin and Current-Yoojin appear identical in their shared moment of shock and confusion as a second message pops up inches from their face. 

[You may want to sit down for this! Your full list of rewards for passing both of our trials will arrive in 3, 2, 1-]

Yoojin snapped back into the present- past- present? His heartbeat is thudding against his ribcage, and the pain behind his right eye is sending shockwaves down his spine. Still, he’s glad to know what happened in this dungeon. This definitely had not happened the same way it had in the past… future… whatever. This was confusing, and his head hurt, and Yoojin was really tired. He just wants to see his baby brother.

He just wanted to make sure Yoohyun was safe. And alive. 

Above his head, the Dragon Slayer title floated mockingly. He may as well check it out. The silence of the dungeon was getting to him, surrounded by bodies as he was, especially after having relived the brokers’ deaths. Yoojin wasn’t quite ready to leave until he had even a modicum of control over his new memories, his emotions, and his new skills. No matter how badly he wanted to check on Yoohyun before fading into the background like he’d promised, so he could help from afar, that was a bad idea. Yoojin was aware he wasn’t in the best of states right now. Mental fatigue clung to him like a second skin and weighed down his body. He might as well finish analyzing the skills his other new title had given him, so he does.

Title: Dragon Slayer (L)

Proof of a warrior who had hunted a grade 1 dragon (Lauchitas) on their own.

Titles Additional Skills:

Poison Resistance (L)- Completely immune to poisons of legendary level and below.

Curse Resistance (L)- Completely immune to curses of legendary level and below.

Lauchitas’ Natural Enemy (SS)- Double the effectiveness of all skills against Lauchitas and any similar species.

Wow. Not only was the title itself legendary, but three of its skills were too. The fourth wasn’t much weaker in comparison, being SS. They were all extremely high level passive skills. Yoojin had gotten all of these just for killing one curse-venom dragon? Usually there were only 2-3 additional skills for S-classes, and less for even A-classes. Of course, more could be unlocked… But Yoojin had clearly seen multiple skills under Elite Guardian, and Dragon Slayer had more than three as well. 

In addition, titles of B-class and above could unlock more skills beyond having only the initial three, meaning the number of additional skills could increase over time. However, in Yoojin’s case he could see all of his potential skills right off the bat. All that was left was for him to figure out how to unlock and use the skills labeled as “locked.” Yoojin’s new rank really did seem to be entirely unique to him.

If Yoojin had been an F-rank like he had in the past, this would have been even more of a fluke. For an F-ranker to have passive Legendary and S-class skills like that… When would he have had a chance to use them? Thankfully, he was an SS-rank now. He could put these skills to good use to be able to protect Yoohyun. The knowledge that Yoojin was now immune to curses below Legendary level boded well with helping Yoohyun break the contract he’d signed just to protect his older brother. Yoojin could pay him back well by breaking it. 

It was the least he could do. 

Yoojin lets his head fall backwards and thump into the stone wall. I’m exhausted. I need to get out of this dungeon, too. I need to check on Yoohyun-ie… His eyelids fluttered as he struggled to keep himself awake. I’m… so tired. 

Too much had happened in such a short amount of time. It seemed to finally be catching up to him. Yoojin slumps further down, eyes closing. He’d only rest for a minute, and then he’d go searching for his little brother. 

“Hyung!”

Yoojin could feel rocks pressing into his cheek. He groaned; a mix of exhaustion and confusion. Had he actually fallen asleep in a dungeon, surrounded by bodies? Was he really hearing Yoohyun’s voice? Or was that something he’d dreamt up?

“Hyung!”

Eyes snapping open as his senses flared to life, Yoojin pushed himself up. He shook the lingering sleepiness off as the hair on his arms stood on end. Wide eyes scanned the cavern, staring off into the darkness towards the entrance of the tunnel that led to his location. I could swear that I heard him. I can feel an S-rank presence approaching quickly…

“Hyung!!”

“Yoohyun!” Yoojin swallows anxiously after he shouts back. It takes a little extra effort from his fatigued limbs to haul himself onto his feet, but Yoojin makes do. He clears his throat, cupping his hands over his mouth, and shouts once again. “Yoohyun!”

There’s a sensation of warmth brushing along his arms. It’s the aura manifestation of Yoohyun flaring his mana as he increased his speed in the direction he’d heard the shout. Yoojin finds himself baffled by the new experience, in awe at how easily he can track his brother’s presence now that he’d entered the dungeon-

Wait. Why is Yoohyun in a dungeon?

It was too soon for Yoojin to be seeing his brother in a space similar to the cave he’d died in.

I need to get him out of here. I need to get Yoohyun out of here right now.

His heartbeat begins to pound in his ears, and Yoojin takes off running like he’s hearing war drums. Panic makes him clumsy, and he trips and stumbles over the bodies in his way. 

“Hyung!” Yoohyun shouts, and this time Yoojin can see him enter the cavern. He spots the very moment Yoohyun sets his gaze upon his older brother. Yoojin is utterly shocked to see the panic on his younger brother’s face, and he freezes, staring at Yoohyun. 

Th-thump th-thump th-thump th-thump.

Yoojin can’t breathe. He reaches forward, wanting more than anything to reassure himself of his brother’s safety. Yoohyun’s eyes track the movement, widening as they read something on Yoojin’s face. Between one choked off breath and the next, Yoojin finds himself wrapped tightly in the arms of his baby brother. Yoojin wraps his arms just as securely around Yoohyun, his fingers tangling in the fabric of the coat he was wearing, burying his face in the crook of his brother’s neck. 

Yoohyun had grown up taller and broader than Yoojin, and it had never felt as obvious a difference as now. Apparently Awakening hadn’t given Yoojin a sudden growth spurt, and he’d remained slimmer and shorter than his little brother. Yoojin is content where he’s wrapped protectively in his brother’s hold, enveloped by his scent and warmed by his body heat. He hadn’t realized how cold he was. Yoojin takes a deep inhale of his brother’s scent, committing it to memory, nearly tasting it on his tongue. This is new, too, but not the proper time to ponder over it.

He’s alive he’s alive he’s alive he’s alive he’s okay he’s okay he’s okay he’s okay-

Yoohyun seems to be uncertain on how to help, concerned about Yoojin’s reaction to seeing him. He drags his fingers through his older brother’s dirty, messy hair, seeing as how Yoojin’s face was still buried in the dip between his neck and shoulder. Yoohyun shifts so that Yoojin is pressed even closer to him before speaking in a whisper that Yoojin’s newly sensitive hearing picks up with incredible ease. “Hyung, you Awakened?”

You’re an S-rank like me. Goes unspoken.

Yoojin knows that is what Yoohyun wants to comment on, but his clinginess seems to be worrying his younger brother. He merely squeezes his fingers tighter into the coat, wrinkling the fabric. He knows what needs to be said. Yoojin would have to break the cycle they’d been stuck in. He would have to force open the line of communication. And so he does.

“I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you.” Yoojin apologizes, gritting his teeth in self-deprecation as he loosens the hold the two of them had been caught in. He has to look up to meet Yoohyun’s eyes and convey the depth of his sincerity. 

Guilt and shame eat away at him, but Yoojin refuses to look away or hold his tongue. These words need to be said. “I’m sorry for going into a dungeon after you told me not to. And for getting scammed by those shitty brokers, and for making you come after me. I can’t thank you enough for wanting to watch out for a useless hyung like me and for everything you’ve done for someone as pathetic and weak as I am-”

“Hyung.” Yoohyun cuts in, sounding horrified. Yoojin finally pulls his gaze away, unable to look at his brother’s expression while the younger Han grips his shoulders tightly. “Where is this coming from? You aren’t- you aren’t useless, or pathetic. You’re my hyung.” He says fiercely, like the title carries the utmost importance to Yoohyun. 

Yoojin frowns, head hanging in shame. His voice is again a whisper. “If I had only listened to you, if only I had lived quietly…” Here, Yoojin pauses, gathering himself. “None of this would have happened.”

To Yoohyun, it sounds like he’s talking about the massacre contained within the dungeon and his abrupt Awakening. To Yoojin, it means the years of fighting and miscommunication, the survivor’s guilt, and the memory of his baby brother growing cold in his arms as he breathed his last. Yoohyun had died saving Yoojin, and he’d used his final breath to tell him how to potentially survive Lauchitas. Yoohyun had also used the last of his strength to shove a gate stone into Yoojin’s hands that Yoojin never would have used. Surviving without Yoohyun wouldn’t have been living, because there was no Han Yoojin without Han Yoohyun. 

“Hyung, what exactly… happened here?” Yoohyun asks, probing. There’s a distressed fire burning in his eyes. He looks like he wants to break something. 

Yoojin grimaces; both from his still-present headache and the overpowering scent of blood in the air. He doesn’t exactly want to look his brother in the eyes as he speaks anymore. “I, uh. The boss monster was much stronger than anticipated- it changed ranks suddenly. I… Awakened my powers as it slaughtered the brokers, and the ones who were smart enough to run used me as a distraction to escape since they felt my aura. And I, uh, killed the boss?” He finishes uncertainly, eyes growing distant as he replays the memory in his head.

Yoohyun takes this hard, though. There’s fury in his voice that snaps Yoojin’s attention right back to him. “They left you for dead after taking all of your money?”

“Well, I guess.” Yoojin shrugged, because while he would have been pissed in the past, they’d simply been doing what they could to survive. Yoojin had gotten himself into the situation in the first place. He looks intently at Yoohyun’s peeved expression. “I guess I did technically get my money’s worth,” Yoojin laughs, half in bitterness and half in disbelief. That had been all of his savings; everything he’d put his blood, sweat, and tears into for years.  

That money was supposed to have gone towards Yoohyun’s college fund. Not that he’d need that “chump change” now, as Yoohyun shouted that at Yoojin during their official falling out five years- no, a few days ago…

“You’ll get your money back, hyung.” Yoohyun swears, gripping onto his brother’s shoulders tightly as he stares seriously into his eyes. “And they won’t be able to bother you anymore.”

Oh, Yoohyun. Yoojin wants to pretend he doesn’t know what that means. That he doesn’t understand that Yoojin was the reason that those two were dead, the same as the others in this dungeon. Even if the deed had been done by two different means. If he hadn’t changed things, they all would have survived the raid. Once again, Yoojin’s sole-survivor curse lived on. 

(Even Yoohyun hadn’t been an exception to the rule-)

Stop. Breathe. Yoohyun is here. He’s alive. He’s safe. Those men mean nothing to you. He did it to protect you, idiot. Yoohyun is here. He’s alive. He’s safe.

Yoojin exhales, and he looks back up at his little brother’s face. Yoohyun still looks excessively angry, his fists clenched at his sides, his gaze smoldering. Smoke drifts upwards from his hands. Yoojin has to disguise his relieved, almost hysterical laugh with a cough. Seeing Yoohyun this worked up over his safety, without covering up his worry with false disgust or apathy, felt unrealistic after having been treated so differently for eight long years. Yoojin blinks away the beginnings of exhausted, happy tears. 

“I just want us to stay together again, Yoohyun. None of those guys matter. I just want my baby brother back, however I can have him.”

Yoojin knows better. He should stay far away from Yoohyun. He could act from afar, keep him safe, take out his enemies from the shadows… But at his very core, Han Yoojin is selfish. He’d turned back time for Han Yoohyun. He didn’t want to let him go. Not ever again.

Yoohyun’s eyes widened before softening. He visibly calms, relaxing back into Yoojin’s warm hold. “I’m sorry too, hyung. About everything I’ve put you through. You didn’t deserve any of that… I’m sorry for yelling at you, and for saying all of those nasty things. I really am.” He pauses, seeming to work up the courage to continue, and Yoojin’s heart pounds in anticipation. Yoohyun doesn’t let him down, even if his following statement is a raw, vulnerable-sounding whisper. “I’d like my hyung back, too. Life is terrible without hyung right by my side.”

“I love you, Yoohyun-ie.” Yoojin can’t hide the tears this time, or the wobbly, beaming grin that overtakes his face and scrunches up his eyes. “Are you willing to put your trust in me, my dongsaeng?” He asks lightheartedly, hiding just how seriously he’s taking this exchange.

“Of course I trust you, hyung.” Yoohyun responds without hesitating, staring seriously at his older brother. “I’ll always trust you. I love you, too.”

Key phrase is now registered! Han Yoohyun is now attuned to Han Yoojin! Han Yoohyun can now receive the benefits of “pack bond!” Han Yoohyun’s growth rate has doubled! Time remaining: thirty two hours. 

In the future, Pack Bond will be initiated by using the key phrase, “Are you willing to put your trust in me?” This is effective immediately. Congratulations, Han Yoojin, on your first pack member! 

“Really?” Yoojin breathes out in disbelief, talking about the alerts he’d gotten.

Yoohyun takes it differently, as he cannot see any of the alerts. “Of course I trust you, hyung! I was just worried about you, but now you’re Awakened, and you’re strong too-”

Ding!

The brothers are both interrupted by separate alerts. Yoojin can’t see his brother’s screen, but his own message makes Yoojin’s eyes widen in panic.

Yoohyun grinds down on his molars, eyes darting around in search of danger, pulling his older brother in closer. “What is the meaning of this?!”

Yoojin allows his brother to keep a tight hold on him, unwilling to let go. He can’t possibly face losing his little brother so soon after he’d gotten him back-

The alert is mocking him.

{Sorry, honey. It is not yet time for you to go with your brother. You have one final trial to complete, to prove to us that we did not make the wrong choice when we chose you.}

Yoojin doesn’t know who “we” is, but it’s clear that this group had power beyond his wildest dreams. They’d not only helped him get his brother back, but they’d given him the power to keep him safe. Yoojin doesn’t want to leave… but it seems that this may be the only way he could learn how to better protect him. Could he risk angering this system group or whatever they happened to be by declining his participation in whatever this third trial may be? He’d survived the first two, right? What was one more.

Yoojin had to let them do what they wanted with him. For Yoohyun’s sake.

Yoohyun frowns, glaring when Yoojin wriggles himself out of his hold. His eyes are scared, and accusing. “Hyung, what are you doing-”

“You need to trust me again, Yoohyun.” Yoojin interrupts, pinning his little brother in place with an intense look. “Please. One last time. You need to trust me.” Yoojin can almost hear Yoohyun’s teeth creaking as he clenches his jaw. 

Yoohyun snarls, eyes alight with something protective and primal. “I trust you, hyung, always, but you can’t go-”

“Sorry.” Yoojin whispers, as he feels foreign mana buzz along his skin from behind. It doesn’t feel dangerous, and he lets it slide over his skin and pull him in. Yoohyun darts forward, flames wreathing his body and highlighting the sheer panic in his eyes. Yoojin swallows hard before throwing up a hand and flicking his wrist, guilt clawing at his stomach. 

Yoohyun is suddenly surrounded by a shimmering silver box, unable to break through with even his S-rank strength as he slams into it. His fire does nothing to the mana construct. Yoohyun’s eyes are huge and pleading, his fists pounding on the barrier. “Hyung! What are you doing?! I trust you! I trust you, so please-”

“I’m sorry.” Yoojin says a final time, as the foreign mana completely envelopes him and tugs him through a portal that will take him far away from his brother. 

The last thing he sees is the barrier fading away, and Han Yoohyun’s grief-stricken expression as he reaches for his brother’s hand. For the first time in Han Yoojin’s memory, he doesn’t reach back out to take Han Yoohyun’s hand.

It’s quite possibly the most difficult decision Han Yoojin has ever made.

Chapter Text

“Hyung! What are you doing?! You can’t leave! Hyung-!”

Han Yoohyun’s voice fades away, like the vestiges of a nightmare. Han Yoojin's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying on a bed of soft moss, surrounded by towering trees that swayed gently in the breeze. The air was fresh and crisp, filled with the scent of pine and earth. He sat up slowly, taking in the vibrant colors of the forest around him. He doesn’t think he’s ever seen a place as gorgeous as this.

His head doesn’t hurt anymore, so Yoojin takes a moment and shakes out his stiff limbs. He has a feeling that he’d been asleep on the forest floor of this strange new location for quite a long stretch of time. Yoojin exhales sharply through his nose, shaking his head as he tries to forget the way he’d held his tongue and left his little brother behind. It felt like Yoojin had willingly scooped out his heart and left his insides feeling empty and hollow. The raw disbelief and desperation on Yoohyun’s face as Yoojin was pulled away had left him feeling numb. 

Wherever Yoojin was now, and whoever these people were, they wouldn’t hurt Yoohyun without Yoojin there, right? After all, they’d allowed Yoojin to turn back time itself just to save him. Yoojin has no choice but to talk himself into believing that Yoohyun was fine and safer without Yoojin around for the time being.

It was time for Yoojin to fulfill his end of the bargain he’d made when deciding to use the wish stone for selfish reasons.

First things first; scope out the rest of his surroundings. A lake glistened in the distance, catching Yoojin’s eye, its surface reflecting the clear blue sky. Birds chirped overhead, and small animals scurried through the underbrush. This was a place of peace and beauty, a stark contrast to the chaos and danger Yoojin had left behind. It’s unsettlingly peaceful and tranquil, and Yoojin carefully brushes the pads of his fingers along the bark of an oak tree. His mouth opened slightly as he inhaled the scent of nature, surprised at how intense and visceral everything felt.

"Welcome to Safe Haven," a sudden monotone voice chimed in his mind, breaking the serene silence. Yoojin is startled, eyes widening in surprise as he glances around warily. He’s still just as alone as he had been when he’d woken up.  

"Glad to see you’ve gotten enough beauty sleep. Now that you’re up and at ‘em, you've got one final trial to complete, Han Yoojin. Prove that you're the right person to save the world, and you'll get to keep this lovely vacation spot as a treat."

Yoojin stood up, brushing the moss from his clothes. This seemed to be an auditory version of the message screens that he’d been getting since regressing. Despite their demeanor, the system group seems to have officially become an unexpected ally. Despite these trials Yoojin has been doing his best to survive, he has a feeling of certainty that this group only has his best interest in mind. So Yoojin doesn’t express his thanks verbally, as there’s an innate sense he has of the system already understanding the depth of his gratitude.

"What's the catch?" Yoojin asked in response, glancing around the forest. He knew better than to assume that anything involving the system and its helpfulness thus far would be straightforward. Everything came with a price, after all. And so he would do what the system told him to, in repayment to them letting him have his brother back. Even if they were keeping them separate for now, he couldn’t risk them using Yoohyun to keep Yoojin compliant.

(How odd this is. Yoojin seems to have found himself in the very same position his little brother had been in at the vulnerable age of seventeen.)

“This is the third trial you were talking about?”

"You need to get cozy with those shiny new skills of yours," the system replied. "We've got dungeons to clear, monsters to slay, and a world to save. No pressure."

“No pressure.” Yoojin repeats under his breath. He frowns, haunted by the image of his brother reaching out for him, and pushes through. “So I just need to prove to you that I’m capable of using my skills properly? And I’ll be clearing dungeons and slaying monsters in doing so… As soon as I prove myself, I’ll be allowed to be with Yoohyun again?”

“I knew you had a big brain in there.” The system almost sounds pleased. 

Yoojin nodded, determination setting in. He had been given a second chance, a chance to protect his brother and, it seemed, the world from the horrors he had witnessed. He couldn't afford to waste it. 

“What do you mean by saving the world, though?” He has to ask, fixating on the statement with a sense of dread. In his old timeline, yeah, things may have been getting worse with the dungeons. But had they really been on the brink of destruction? 

“You received Han Yoohyun’s memories with Final Thanks, did you not?” Is how the system responds.

Yoojin had wanted to forget, naturally, the parts of the memories that showed how much Yoohyun had given up to protect him. He did know better, however. Yoojin could never willingly forget his brother’s memories; especially those of a version of Yoohyun who no longer existed as he once was. Yoojin and Yoohyun may have been distant in the other timeline, but that Yoohyun was his baby brother just as much as this younger, living version of Yoohyun was.

Frowning, feeling an ache in that hollow-feeling space where his heart is, Yoojin nods as he responds. “I did. Those transcendents wanted something from the S-rankers in the past. They wanted something with Yoohyun, too… but he wouldn’t let them, because he wanted to protect me.”

“You’re correct, Honey!” The system voice seems to come from a different person, now sounding cheery and empathetic with Yoojin’s plight. “S-rankers are the only ones powerful enough to survive the eating of worlds, including both your old one, and your current one. S-rankers are the only ones who stand a chance at saving a world line. Individually, they’re easier to sway, which is why our family likes to put them at odds with one another. Which leads us back to you, our Chosen One!”

Yoojin whispers, “Chosen One?” under his breath, because he doesn’t see what’s so important about him in particular. He isn’t willing to say as much to these beings who were putting their faith in him, though, so he holds his tongue. Chewing his lip in deep thought, ignoring the sting from a sharp canine, Yoojin ponders over this. “Is there a game plan involved, or am I supposed to figure out how to save the world on my own?”

No pressure, they’d said. Yoojin grimaces. Yeah right. 

He’ll think about the easy admittance of a world-ending catastrophe predetermined for his world by the family of this group that he’s currently speaking with later. If he does so now, he might really have a mental breakdown.

“We will aid you where we can. By providing you this Safe Haven, and all of the effort we’ll soon be putting into keeping things constrained whilst you adjust to your new status, we are already stretching our limited resources. That wish stone and time being rewound, as well, has nearly bled us dry for the time being. There is no plan of action, so to say. We have done our part, Han Yoojin. It is up to you to figure out the rest.”

While Yoojin’s expression turns sour and resigned, the cheerier system voice comes back into the conversation.

“Pay attention to your title as Elite Guardian, Honey! We put a lot of work into our gifts for you. Use them well, and I think you’ll be the first to really make things work. We’ve never actually had a guardian quite like you! You’re unique! Do what you can to rally your fellow S-ranks. Pack Bonding will be good for you!”

Yoojin doesn’t know what the voice means by pack bonding, per se. But he does understand the gist of what was expected of him now, at least. The system had given him a future and the power necessary to protect it. They had given him Yoohyun. And they seemed to think that Yoojin can find others willing to put up with his useless self, and get them to unite for his cause. 

His fucking key phrase just so happened to be one of the most difficult things for Yoojin to say lightly, seeing as how his trust issues had trust issues. Simple. No pressure, they said.

Fuck no. None of this was simple. There was so much pressure.

“We will be able to interfere occasionally whilst you’re in dungeons, as that is where other transcendents are most likely to attempt to harm you. You must beware that there are very powerful beings aware of what we have done for you. They may not know your face or your name yet, but they will learn soon. You will be in great danger. You must master your skills with utmost urgency.”

“And about your ranking, as well. Your body is not naturally that of an SS-ranker, or even an S-ranker. You may have noticed how drained you felt from a single battle. You have been placed in Haven to allow yourself time to work through the side effects and the physical changes your awakening has wreaked upon your body. Haven was created specifically for you, and should you prove yourself capable of utilizing your new rank and skills, it will be gifted to you for you to use as you see fit.”

“We will be able to speak with you and answer questions while you’re in Haven. In dungeons, we can message you. Anywhere else, you will be on your own. I’m sorry though, Honey, we have to go for now. It will take a lot of work to keep you hidden while you train and prove yourself worthy of our choice. Fighting!”

Yoojin’s eyes widen, and he shouts before the voices can fade away entirely. “Wait! What do I call you guys? Who are you?!”

“We’re the system administrators, of course. We’re the only reason your world stands a chance! It was a great pleasure to give the humans in your world the skills needed to protect themselves. We do not agree with the eating of worlds, so we decided to leave the family and begin implementing our mission, and work on accomplishing our main goal: to assist dying worlds. You best believe it was not a simple task to perform. You can call us the system, or the admins, or whatever other term you feel fits us. If that is all, goodbye, and we’ll talk later!”

Yoojin isn’t given a chance to ask any other questions, not that he knew what to say.

In other words, these “system admins'' were akin to a family of gods. They had referenced their family quite a bit, as well as how dangerous this family seemed to be. Unfortunately, Yoojin’s meager knowledge of transcendents had grown infinitesimally throughout this helpful conversation. Really, he’d only retained the knowledge of there being two groups of a broken transcendent family- one of which Yoojin’s goal was to oppose and defeat somehow, and another who had decided his world was worth saving. 

And Yoojin was supposed to be the one to figure out how to fix things? 

Yoojin closes his eyes, sighing, as his head finally grows quiet. There’s a sense of clarity as he realizes he is now completely alone in this pocket dimension aside from the wildlife that roamed the forest. The system admins must really be resting, as there is no lingering feeling of being watched. For the first time in… well, a really, really, long time Yoojin finds himself fully relaxing. His muscles loosen, his shoulders drop, and the tension he was carrying around lessens in the slightest. Yoojin has never liked being entirely alone, even hates it most of the time, but after the experiences he had just had?

Who knows the next time he’ll be allowed a moment of reprieve?

Yoojin must make the most of it. He slaps his cheeks, exhaling sharply. His mind keeps replaying the memory of Yoohyun reaching for him, replaying the memory of Yoohyun’s body growing cold in his arms, replaying the memory of Yoohyun begging Yoojin to stay. Replaying the memory of Yoohyun telling him that he trusted Yoojin, and that he loved him. 

All of this was for Yoohyun’s sake, the same way everything that Yoohyun had done was for Yoojin. 

He needs to get to work. 

…Yoojin doesn’t know exactly what that entails. He had been told he was supposed to be getting used to his new SS-rank status, as well as his skills. Did that mean his new enhanced senses and abilities, too? It would make sense to familiarize himself with everything. Was he supposed to do that before he toyed with his new mana manipulation skill, or could he train these things consecutively? They said Yoojin’s body hadn’t initially been meant for an SS-rank status and his skills would drain him, does that mean he must work on his stamina, too? 

Well. Yoojin had his work cut out for him. It was better for him to keep busy than to dwell on the potentially world-ending failure he could turn into in the future if he failed to prove himself to the System.

Well, it turns out that total isolation isn’t the healthiest of situations for someone who’d just experienced everything that Yoojin had lived through.

Yoojin’s first few days in Safe Haven were a blur of discomfort and confusion. His enhanced physical abilities—superhuman strength, feline agility, and heightened senses—were both a blessing and a curse. Simple tasks became challenging as he struggled to adjust to his newfound prowess. 

It started like this:

Adjusting to physical enhancements

One morning, as he attempted to catch his breakfast, Yoojin found himself scaling a tree with effortless grace. His fingers dug into the bark, mana appearing and condensing into silver claws and extending instinctively, allowing him to ascend swiftly. The sensation was exhilarating, but also unsettling. He was unused to moving with such ease and speed, and the adrenaline left him slightly dizzy.

On the ground again, Yoojin practiced his balance, leaping from rock to rock across a stream, his movements fluid yet cautious. Every jump felt like a gamble, a test of his body’s new limits. He was aware of the unnatural heat coursing through his veins, a side effect of his body acclimatizing to its enhanced state. Fevers came and went, leaving him weak and trembling, and bouts of dizziness and nausea often forced him to pause and rest.

He was fine, though. He would have to be.

Discovering Mana Control

Understanding his mana manipulation abilities was another hurdle. Vague ideas referenced from pop culture movies echoed in his mind: Utilize your mana mastery. Focus on the flow. Yoojin closed his eyes, concentrating on the energy coursing through him. It felt like a river, powerful and untamed.

He began experimenting with mana, shaping it into a thin blade of energy to cut branches and skin game. The process was painstaking, requiring patience and precision. But with each success, he felt a growing confidence, his control improving steadily.

During quiet afternoons, Yoojin sat by the lake, practicing his mana control. He focused on carving intricate designs into pieces of wood he had gathered, his fingers deftly shaping the material with the aid of mana. The activity was soothing, a momentary escape from the chaos of his thoughts and the pressure of his new responsibilities. He may have found a new hobby; or just another way to keep himself occupied from his darker thoughts.

Either way, Yoojin knew how to hunt and feed himself in the wild, now. His mana manipulation being refined through casual use wasn’t exactly a bad thing, either.

Night

Despite his progress in other areas, nights were difficult. As Yoojin lay beneath the canopy of stars, his mind was plagued by nightmares of Yoohyun’s death; the memory seared into his consciousness. In his dreams, he relived the anguish and helplessness of that moment, the aching desperation to save his brother at any cost. He could feel Yoohyun’s blood on his hands, and taste the copper on his tongue.

He could feel the desperation like it was happening at that very moment.

The nightmares left him waking in a cold sweat, heart pounding, as the haunting image of Yoohyun lingered in his mind. Yoojin would sit by the fire, wrapped in his dirtied jacket, trying to steady his breathing and remind himself of his purpose: to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Never again.

Survival

Survival in Safe Haven demanded resourcefulness. Yoojin honed his hunting skills, tracking animals through the forest; relying on his newly enhanced senses to guide him. He learned to move silently, his feline-like instincts aiding him as he closed in on his prey.

Each successful hunt was a triumph, and another step toward self-sufficiency. He used every part of the animals he caught, fashioning crude tools and cruder weapons from bones and sinew; even planning on using hides for warmth once they’d dried out enough. His abilities grew sharper with each passing day, and he began to feel a sense of belonging in this wild, untamed world.

It was unfair that he’d never felt a sense of belonging quite like this when he lived in Seoul, surrounded by millions of people on a regular basis and yet having no one to belong with.

Pack Bond

The pack bond was another aspect of his power that Yoojin was determined to understand. Though Yoohyun was not physically present, the connection between them remained strong. It was a constant comforting presence that reassured him of his brother’s safety.

Yoojin would often pause in his activities, closing his eyes to focus on the bond, sensing Yoohyun’s well-being. He could feel his emotions to a lesser extent than his health, but it was enough to guilt Yoojin for having left Yoohyun behind. The pack bond was a small comfort, a reminder of the purpose driving him forward, and the reason he endured the trials of Safe Haven.

As days turned into a week, Yoojin adapted to his new life. The initial struggle gave way to mastery, his confidence growing with each challenge he overcame. Safe Haven became a place of learning and growth, a sanctuary where he honed his skills in preparation for the trials that lay ahead. The system hadn’t resurfaced for quite some time, and a strange sense of anticipation began building within Yoojin when he felt he no longer had anything left to learn here. 

They mentioned me having to clear dungeons, right? I haven’t had an opportunity to do that yet. That must be the next step towards proving myself. Yoojin clenches his fist, determined. He’s seated on the rocks beside the river, watching the water rush downstream.

With each passing day, Yoojin’s resolve had strengthened. He would return to his world, ready to protect those he loved, to ensure that the future he envisioned became a reality. Yoojin was determined to wield his newfound power and skills wisely; to use them to protect. Yoohyun would come first, but Yoojin didn’t think saving the world would be a bad byproduct of that goal. He’d have to save the world to keep his brother safe, after all.

The days passed like this, and when Yoojin had been in Haven for a whole week (counted by the scratches he made on a distinct and large stone by the lake) the system finally made their next move.

Yoojin had been standing at the base of a sheer rock face, head craned back, determining the best way to scale the construct, when it happened.

The hair on his neck suddenly stood on end as a powerful surge of mana crackled into life at his side, a portal forming from nothing and appearing in front of the large oak tree Yoojin often used as a landmark. He stepped backwards and pivoted, eyes narrowing in confusion as he peered at the unassuming portal. Nothing else happened, and its color remained stable, so Yoojin stepped closer in curiosity. The mana felt familiar as it brushed his senses, and Yoojin couldn’t detect any malicious intent directed at him from within the portal. 

Is it finally time I clear a dungeon? This doesn’t look like a normal gate, though. Maybe it’s kind of like a back door?

“We’re back, honey! But we can’t stay long.” 

Yoojin jumps as one of the admin’s voices begins to echo in his head. Calming his frazzled nerves, as he’d been left alone with nothing but his own thoughts for the last seven days, Yoojin sighs in exasperation. “Welcome back?” He offers, instead of swearing at the system for having scared the shit out of him like he sort of wanted to.

The monotone admin speaks next. “This is the first dungeon we’ve chosen for you to clear on your own. It’s a D-rank, and the boss is C-rank.”

Only C-rank? Yoojin’s brows wrinkle in confusion. But I’ve been working on training for the last week, and they know I’m already capable of killing a B-rank boss monster. Is there some kind of hidden test?

“We’re aware that you’ve killed a stronger monster with your newly awakened abilities, however there are certain standards that must be met in order for us to pick a dungeon for you to raid. The primary objective is that it must be a dungeon that is yet to be registered or recognized by our parents, for now, at least.” The monotone admin explains, as if having read Yoojin’s thoughts. “The difficulty of the dungeons we choose are likely to increase exponentially within a matter of days. We have limited time for your training, and each dungeon will be more powerful and less protected from our family’s detection than the last.”

“Sorry, hon.” The cheery admin intones next. “They’re moving faster than we’d expected. Our power is still significantly weakened, but we must move quickly. We won’t be able to help as much as we’d wanted to. From today onwards, if you see a portal, enter it as soon as possible. The sooner you clear a dungeon, the less likely it is that your presence will be noticed. Time is of the essence.”

Well, that wasn’t stress-inducing in any way. 

“Well, alright.” Yoojin agrees after only a moment, canting his head to the side. “Guess it’s time to hop to it, eh?” Cracking his knuckles, Yoojin feels a grin pull at his lips. The sharp canine teeth he’d noticed on his reflection whenever he went to the lake to fish became visible as he gave a feral smirk. Maybe it was those S-rank instincts that Yoojin had awakened with, but the idea of putting his skills to the test sent a thrill of adrenaline through his body.

It was time to kick some monster ass.

Yoojin quickly steps through the portal, with his senses on high alert. He can feel his mana stretch out in a thin layer as he uses his sensory skill to detect the locations of the monsters within the dungeon. Magic brushes along his skin and sends tingles down his spine as the portal closes behind him. The dungeon no longer feels oppressive after entry, and the air no longer feels heavy and suffocating like it had to Han Yoojin the F-ranker. It was quite a welcome change. Instead, the air felt ripe with the promise of a good fight, and Yoojin’s fingers curled in anticipation, as if he had invisible claws. His mana pooled just beneath his skin, ready to manifest into something physical as soon as Yoojin deemed it necessary.

He was itching for a fight.

Yoojin moves quickly and quietly down the labyrinthine hallways of the dungeon. He is so focused on the thrill of the hunt that he momentarily forgets his discomfort with residing in dungeons so similar to the one Lauchitas had appeared within. Yoojin prowls along the stone floors the way a panther would blend into the shadows as it stalks its prey. He scents the air as he draws closer to the location of multiple presences that his Aura-sensing had detected, planning to use his skill to determine the skill levels of the beasts. Yoojin moves silently enough that he can peer directly at the group of monsters, activating his Stats Insight skill to fully assess their threat levels.

D-ranks. All of them. Yoojin determines with a nod, biting his lower lip in thought. He’d learned how to be gentle enough not to break skin when doing this. They look like giant warthogs. Smell like them, too. He had recently had plenty of warthog encounters in Safe Haven.

Dispatching the weaker D-rank creatures was straightforward, and surprisingly simple. It reinforces his confidence in his capabilities. Yoojin moved with fluid grace, his enhanced strength and agility making quick work of the threats. He’d fasten knives out of his mana to launch at the creatures and their vital spots, his aim precise. But as he continued deeper into the dungeon, Yoojin's aura-sensing picked up something unusual. 

This mana signature is far weaker than any of the monsters. Yoojin ponders, curious. The mana signature was faint, almost imperceptible, but undeniably present— maybe even that of a civilian, as the mana levels were even lower than those of an F-rank. His curiosity piqued and his instincts on high alert, Yoojin approached the source of the signature with caution.

The path led him to a small, dimly lit chamber where he found a young girl, who looked like they were barely more than a child, huddled in the corner. She looked terrified, her clothes torn and dirty, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn't have been more than fifteen, and he peered closer in curiosity. Yoojin’s eyes widened in recognition as she shifted just enough that he could suddenly see her face, half-hidden as it was through a tangle of messy dark hair. 

The girl looked torn between relief and terror as she spotted him, half flinching back, but also seeming to want to ask for help. Something guarded shadowed her expression, as if adults weren’t something to be trusted, even if the alternative was being entirely alone and scared in a dungeon as a civilian child. It was both disheartening and sad to see such an expression on a teenager.

That’s Bak Yerim. Yoojin realizes in shock, his night vision helping him to see Yerim’s features despite the darkness of the corridor. Before, she was a really powerful A-ranker who was attuned to the ice element. What is she doing in a D-rank dungeon? She isn’t supposed to Awaken for a few more years, yet! A child shouldn’t be alone in a dungeon!

Anger for Yerim’s sake begins to filter in, and he has to exhale sharply as he shoves the emotion away to not scare the teenager. She had begun to tremble a little bit as some of Yoojin’s thick SS-rank aura leaked out, and Yoojin is quick to slam the lid on his aura and suppress it. He glances again over her dirty appearance; at her ratty clothing and at her sneakers that were falling apart whilst on her feet. Call him crazy for jumping to conclusions, but it didn’t sit right with Yoojin. Her appearance was far less put-together than that of someone simply caught in a dungeon raid gone wrong. Desperation may have called for this teenager to go looking for an Awakening, the same way Yoojin had gone looking for his own. 

I hope she didn’t end up in a dungeon for the first time the same way I did. Yoojin hopes, and it’s futile, because he feels like Yerim’s situation was the result of a scam when she’d only hoped to achieve a brighter future for herself. Aish, this world is far too cruel. She’s only a child. She needs help. I know I’m supposed to do this solo, however…

"Hey," Decision made, Yoojin called out softly to the girl, trying not to startle her. "It's okay. I'm here to help."

The girl flinched at first but then peered up at him through wary eyes. "Who are you?" she asked warily, her voice trembling. She was hugging her knees to her chest, as if shielding herself.

"My name is Yoojin," he replied, crouching down to her level to seem less intimidating. He leaves plenty of space in between them to keep her feeling comfortable and hopefully prevent her from feeling trapped. Suddenly, an idea comes to mind. If mana was malleable to him, then maybe… 

Yoojin focuses hard as he closes his eyes. He tries to imbue feelings of safety and comfort in his mana, and then blankets his aura over the girl. He opens his eyes, pleased to see that as it settles over Yerim, she begins to relax and look at Yoojin with more curiosity than fear. 

"I was clearing this dungeon and sensed your presence. What happened?" Yoojin finishes his introduction, shifting into a seated position and crossing his legs. 

He hadn’t expected to be able to manipulate his SS-rank aura as a byproduct of mana manipulation, but the results he’d just witnessed during his first attempt were exciting to see. He has to fight down an ecstatic smile, keeping his expression empathetic and concerned, as he is genuinely worried about the circumstances leading up to Yerim being left alone in this dungeon. The celebration of his discovery would have to wait until he figured out what was happening here. The system hadn’t seemed to think this place would be occupied by other humans, but maybe because Yerim was alone and currently a civilian, they hadn’t noticed her presence?

The girl hesitated, clutching her knees closer to her chest. "I... I was tricked. Some brokers said they could help me make some money if I went with them, but then they left me here. I think they wanted me to die."

Yoojin felt another sharp pang of anger at the thought of anyone doing this to a child. He bats it away before it can settle, keeping his emotions calm and relaxed so as to keep Yerim from panicking. "Don't worry. I'll get you out of here safe," he promised, offering her a reassuring smile.

Yerim studied him for a moment, searching for any sign of deceit, but seems to have found none. Slowly, she nodded, some of the tension easing from her posture. "Okay... thank you, ahjussi."

Yoojin isn’t comfortable with Yerim believing him so easily, as he is a stranger, even if his only intention really is to help her. It was obvious that she really was a child who only wanted to be able to rely on someone, but seeing as that is how she ended up in this dungeon in the first place… Yoojin worried for her safety.

Also, Yoojin mouths ahjussi to himself with a scandalized expression. He was thirty- ah, twenty five now! He had definitely looked younger when he’d taken the time to check his appearance in the reflection of the water in Haven. Yerim looks to have relaxed even more, a hint of amusement playing in the twitch of her lips, so Yoojin decides to let the title slide if it helped Yerim feel more comfortable around him.

"What's your name?" Yoojin asked gently, since he figures he should pretend he doesn’t already know who she is.

"Yerim," the girl replied, with hopeful eyes. She’s uncurling a bit more from her guarded posture.

Yoojin runs an assessing gaze over Yerim, mindful of the memory of how strong she’d been in another life. Right now, she may only be a child, but her potential was undeniable. Oh, wait. Yoojin pauses, remembering something. That’s one of my skills, right? “Promising Sprout?” I should be able to read her stats beyond simple insight… She is only a civilian right now, though. Will it work?

He ponders for another moment before deciding that it was worth a shot. Mentally, Yoojin scrolls through his skill list after opening his stat window with a well-intentioned thought. To Yoojin’s satisfaction, when he next looks at Yerim he can see a status window floating beside her. He quickly scans over the basic information, landing on the “rank potential” section. His eyes widen in shock and surprise at what he sees.

Bak Yerim

Rank: Unawakened. Civilian.

Potential ranking: A-S

No way! Does she have the potential to awaken as an S-rank? Yoojin can’t believe his eyes. He looks at Yerim’s guarded position once again, and a feeling of protectiveness surges to life. Someone so young, with the potential for such a bright future ahead of her, shouldn’t be alone in a place like this. She was even younger than Yoohyun had been when he’d Awakened and decided to push Yoojin away in an attempt to protect his older brother. Yerim was even more alone than Yoohyun had been initially. 

Yoojin would do anything he could to help her. Yoohyun hadn’t allowed him to help, but maybe… Yerim could be Yoojin’s chance to prove to himself that he was still capable of protecting others, too. 

Had she had anyone to help her in the past? Had that been why she’d been deemed the “Ice Queen?” Her family’s mistreatment of her was well known in the future. Her uncle, especially, had treated her terribly. If Yoojin had the opportunity to keep that fire in her eyes from fading, a fire that seemed so precious and lively despite everything Yerim had already lived through, he would do anything he could to protect her spark while he had the chance.

"Well, Yerim, I can sense that you have a lot of potential," Yoojin said, his voice encouraging, after he takes a moment to figure out how to go about this. "In fact, I think you could become a high rank hunter if you wanted to."

Yerim's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Yoojin confirmed, sensing the latent power within her, looking at the rank potential floating over her head. "And I can help you awaken that potential. I know I’m a stranger, but I want to help you. So please, take a moment to think about this before answering me, okay?” 

Yoojin paused, feeling her expectant, hopeful eyes on him. Fuck. Why is this so hard for me to say? Is that why it’s my key phrase? Because I just can’t wrap my head around people being willing to trust me? Well, Yoohyun said he would always trust me, even after failing him for all this time. Maybe it’ll be okay to see what happens… The worst Yerim can tell me is no, right? Although if she isn’t receptive, I won’t be able to keep an eye on her health with Pack Bond like I can Yoohyun. 

Nerves had Yoojin’s hands shaking, but he hid them in his lap as he pinned Yerim in place with a serious gaze. Ah, fuck. I’ll never be able to say it if I don’t just bite the bullet. Here goes.

“Yerim, would you be willing to put your trust in me?" Yoojin asks, his heart in his throat.

Yerim hesitated only for a moment before nodding. “Yes. I trust you, ahjussi.”

Yoojin has no way of knowing what exactly made this teenager so willing to trust him. She’d been scammed into this dungeon. Her own family had pushed her to the point of signing contracts with shady hunters. Were Yoojin’s kind words and offer to help still enough to earn her trust? It was concerning.

Congratulations, Han Yoojin! Bak Yerim is now attuned to Han Yoojin! Bak Yerim can now receive the benefits of “pack bond!” Bak Yerim’s growth rate has doubled! Time remaining: thirty two hours. Congratulations, Han Yoojin, on your second pack member! 

Yoojin was kind of expecting it this time, but he was still surprised to read the alerts that had popped up. Yerim really was willing to put her complete trust in someone like Han Yoojin. Yoojin had to swallow down his nausea at the thought of how she’d look at him if he let her down. He would have to put his all into proving to Yerim that he was worth the trust she’d placed in him. 

"Alright then, Bak Yerim. Thank you for trusting me." Yoojin said, standing up and offering her his hand once he’d managed to calm down from his moment of panic. "Let's get out of here together, why don’t we?" Yerim blinks in momentary surprise before reaching back out to grab Yoojin’s hand firmly in her own, allowing him to gently pull her to her feet. 

Guilt claws at Yoojin’s stomach as he realizes that due to his deliberate choice to ignore his little brother’s outstretched hand, Yoojin had been given the opportunity to grab Yerim’s instead. The realization didn’t alleviate his guilt in the slightest. The look of raw panic on Yoohyun’s face as well as the devastation would live with Yoojin for the rest of his life, he thinks. 

Yoojin is pulled from his thoughts by an insistent tug from Yerim, who had kept her fingers entangled with his own. She had even drawn closer, as if seeking security from Yoojin’s presence in general, and had found it while pressed against his side. Yerim still seems nervous, but the blinding grin that splits her face as Yoojin zones back into the present has him feeling momentarily stunned. 

Bak Yerim, the Ice Queen, is not someone I’ve ever seen smile. Yoojin realizes, baffled.

But this wasn’t A-class Bak Yerim from the future. This was unawakened, teenaged Bak Yerim. And it was Yoojin’s responsibility to protect her. He prods at the newly formed Pack Bond, feeling a sense of contentment and a hint of nerves coming from Yerim’s end. It makes Yoojin pleased, a sort of primal sense of pride purring from within at knowing that his new pack member felt safe and was confident about putting their faith in his abilities. 

And then Yoojin steadfastly tugs on Yoohyun’s pack bond, just because he’d been thinking of him. The feelings slam into him immediately, although they remain muted. Anger, desperation and a world-shaking sense of loss loops back to Yoojin, and he has to shove aside his guilty conscience once again. He has to remind himself that this distance in between them was for Yoohyun’s sake. This would not last forever. Yoojin simply had to earn the full trust of the system admins, and then he’d be allowed to see his baby brother again.

But first, Yoojin will make sure that Bak Yerim returns home safely. He might even teach her how to take care of herself as an Awakened, if Yoojin’s budding plan to awaken Yerim to her full potential succeeded. There were still lower-ranked monsters scattered throughout the dungeon, and a boss waiting for them, too. Yoojin had some time to put his plan into action.  Baby steps.

Yerim squeezed Yoojin’s hand, beaming up at him with a curious tilt to her head, obviously doing her best to look brave. Yoojin’s presence did seem to help. 

“Yoojin-ahjussi, you’re a hunter, then? What rank are you?! Back then, your aura…” She shuddered, before brushing off the memory of the oppressive aura that had leaked through for a moment when Yoojin first stumbled across her. “It felt really strong, but then…” Yerim seems to struggle to find the right words. “It changed, and then I felt really safe. Like when I was little and my dad wrapped me in a warm blanket and let me watch movies with him and mom…”

“Ah, yes.” Yoojin blinks, wondering about how best to explain things to Yerim. He couldn’t give away too much, even if she was part of his “pack,” now. “I Awakened recently, about a week ago… I’m S-rank. I’m testing my strength and working on my skills by clearing dungeons solo.” He gives her a warning look though. “When you awaken, don’t follow my lead on that and go about looking for solo raids right off the bat, by the way. I’m a, uh, special case.”

“What?!” Yerim practically screeches in his ear. “S-rank?! I haven’t heard about any new S-ranks!” Her eyes are sparkling. “Ahjussi, you’re so cool! What’s it like?!”

Yoojin cringes away from her, almost stumbling. His enhanced senses were not happy about her pitch, and he tugs his hand out of her grasp, careful not to use so much force that it hurts her. He shakes his head, a little disoriented, catching Yerim’s guilty expression in the corner of his eye. “Please, don’t shout. We’re in a dungeon.” Yoojin chides once he’d reoriented himself. 

“Sorry, ahjussi.” Yerim says quickly. “I forgot hunters have really good senses… especially S-ranks.”

“Apology accepted. I know you just got excited.” Yoojin responds evenly, patting the teenager on her shoulder. “Let’s get moving while we talk, okay? Ahjussi can explain things to you while working.”

“Ohmygod.” Yerim whispers under her breath, ecstatic. When she talks next, her tone is a reasonable volume for the situation they’d found themselves in. “I can’t wait to see your skills, ahjussi! I don’t know any hunters personally…” 

Yoojin has to hide his amused grin behind his hand so as to not embarrass her. Yerim presses close once again at Yoojin’s beckoning gesture, signaling that it’s time for them to continue moving. He allows her the comfort of physical contact, seeing as how he figures she must not get a lot of it from her family. Something in him also settles at knowing his charge is close enough that he can easily protect her from harm.

“Like I said, I’ve only been a hunter for a week,” Lie, he’s been a hunter for five years now, “-so I’m still getting the hang of things.”

“Well, what about your aura?” Yerim presses, giving Yoojin her full attention. She seems to fully trust Yoojin to keep an eye on things, as she doesn’t seem concerned about looking out for monsters herself.

Aish, what a peculiar kid. Yoojin thinks, suddenly feeling unbearably fond and overprotective of Bak Yerim. 

“Oh, and that safe feeling! Is that one of your skills?” Yerim pushes for more.

Yoojin spreads out his mana even further as they advance, determined not to let anything hurt Yerim. He now knows where all of the monsters are within a mile radius of their location. As a bonus, his mana tentatively maps out the dungeon and leaves its trace on everything it touches, so he feels more confident about which direction they should be moving in. All of this takes only a few moments, happening consecutively with Yoojin answering Yerim’s question. 

“I am sorry about that. I was just surprised to see a teenager alone here, and then I wondered about how you could have ended up in this situation, and I. Uh. I got a little angry that someone would jeopardize the safety of a kid like that.” Yoojin says first, referencing his S-rank aura having terrified her, but Yerim frantically waves it off with a look of “go on.” Yoojin actually chuckles at that, and finds himself surprised at how much lighter he feels with Yerim around. He hadn’t realized just how badly he’d been struggling with his dark thoughts while alone in Haven. She is a fantastic distraction. 

“Ahjussi!” Yerim frowns at him, scandalized. “I’m fifteen! I’m not a kid!”

“And I’m twenty-five, not an ahjussi.” Yoojin banters back, and doesn’t realize that Yerim’s grin only gets bigger because he starts to smile at her too. “You’re still a kid when you’re fifteen.”

Yoojin had been fifteen when he lost his parents. He had been fifteen when he was emancipated. He had been fifteen when he dropped out of school to work full time to support his ten year old little brother on his own, without any financial help. Yerim was fifteen, which means she’s still a kid. Yoojin had never had a chance to continue to be a kid, and he would do his best to make this a possibility for Yerim. She deserved a childhood.

Yerim giggles, and Yoojin blinks in surprise at her good humor. “Fine, fine. I am going to keep calling you ahjussi, so that’s the only reason I won’t fight you about this anymore, got it?”

“Sure, sure.” Yoojin rolls his eyes, wrinkling his nose as he again thinks, do I really seem like an ahjussi to this kid?

“Back to your skills, ahjussi!” Yerim breaks in, playfully impatient. 

“Alright.” Yoojin acquiesced. “So, that safe feeling as you called it, is part of one of my skills. I can manipulate mana, which I thought at first meant only physically. Like, making things out of it, stuff like that. But you seemed pretty overwhelmed, so I thought, why not see if I can manipulate how mana makes someone feel?”

“No way.” Yerim breathes out, in awe. “You figured out how to do that, just now? So, what, you thought “instead of my S-rank mana being scary, what if I make it feel safe?” and just… did it? And it worked?”

Yoojin doesn’t really know how to react to Yerim’s genuine awe, so he doesn’t dwell on it. “I wanted to make sure you felt safe. That was all.”

“Wow.” Yerim still seems awestruck. “Ahjussi, what else can you do with your mana? You said you can make things, right? Can I see?”

Not seeing an issue with it, Yoojin shrugs. He holds out his free hand and his mana manifests above his palm, appearing as a shimmering silver color, and condenses it into a long spear that would suit a teenager of Yerim’s height. Ignoring Yerim’s jaw dropping in shock, he offers it to the girl. “Here, you can use it while we’re in the dungeon. The constructs don’t last if I’m not within a certain range of them, but just in case something happens, you can use it to protect yourself if anything gets past me.” 

Yerim reaches for the spear, her eyes sparkling. “Wow. It’s so pretty.” She says, admiring the color of it. She seems to get a feel for the weight of it, as well as the sturdiness, clumsy in her movements. She’d clearly never handled a weapon like it before. “It feels so light, ahjussi.”

“It won’t break.” Yoojin assures her. He’d actually done his damnedest to see if he could break a mana-weapon while learning how to use them in Haven. He had failed spectacularly every single attempt. The shields he could make had even held up when under fire from Yoohyun. The density and defensive ability of Yoojin’s mana was truly impressive. “Try to break it, actually. You’ll be surprised.”

“Hmm, alright.” Yerim debates his suggestion for a moment before deciding to follow through. She steps away from Yoojin’s side, but still stays pretty close, before swinging the mana-spear around. She bangs it into the cave walls and then the floor, her eyes growing wider. “It’s really strong, ahjussi! Thank you for letting me use it!”

Yerim whips around to face Yoojin, grinning, and would have hit him with the end of the weapon if he hadn’t thrown up a mana shield in time. Yoojin knew that his mana-weapons were strong enough to damage S-rank bodies from time spent experimenting in Haven, so he had been watchful of Yerim’s clumsy reach.

Yerim flinched. “I’m so sorry!”

“I’m okay! Just watch where you’re swinging your weapon, next time.” Yoojin brushes it off, dropping the barrier. He steps closer to Yerim again, beaming at her, and the teenager quickly relaxes when she realizes he isn’t mad at her. Yoojin has to swallow down what feels like a growl at the thought of her family shouting at her for making simple mistakes in moments of excitement. 

Yerim nods rapidly, now holding the spear more carefully. Her excitement is resurfacing. “You can make barriers with your mana too, ahjussi?”

Yoojin smiles at Yerim, and she falls back into place at his side as they continue walking once again. Yoojin knows there are five monsters just down the passage to the right, so he leads the way. “Good catch.” Yerim flushes at the praise. “Yes, I can use my mana defensively as well. It’s very useful when fighting monsters, and it makes it easy to protect others from attacks too, if I can’t move fast enough to block a hit myself. Nothing is going to hurt you while I’m here, Yerim.” Yoojin promises the girl.

Yerim looks touched, and clutches her spear tightly. “I won’t let anything hurt you either, ahjussi! Your mana-spear is strong enough to hurt a monster, and it won’t break! I’ll watch your back while you fight!” She declares.

Yoojin feels so exasperatingly fond. “So long as you don’t put yourself in any danger, okay? I trust you to have my back, but you shouldn’t have to.”

“Right. Because you’re an S-rank, and this is only a D-rank dungeon. You said you were even going to be clearing it alone, so I know you are strong enough not to need the help of a civilian girl.” Yerim nods sagely. “So you can manipulate mana, and make weapons and barriers with it. I’ve really never heard of an S-rank like you.”

“I think it’s probably because I’m a support-type hunter. My title is essentially a souped up version of “caregiver.” Yoojin says offhandedly as they draw nearer to the group of warthog-looking monsters. “A lot of my skills are just super powerful support-based skills. You know, like buffs, the shields I can make, stuff like that. I can use my skills to protect the people that I care about, so I’m very happy with my title.”

Yerim looks mind-blown. “Wow, an S-rank support hunter! Your buffs must be insane!”

Yoojin agrees. “Yerim, I’m going to go kill those monsters. Hang back here for a second, I’ll be right back.” He says, and only acts once he’d gotten a nod of agreement. Yerim is watching with wide eyes, obviously excited to watch Yoojin fight. Well, he couldn’t let her down, could he?

Yoojin sends out slivers of mana, commanding the thin mana-strings stretching from his fingertips to carefully and unnoticeably loop into a net. He then flicks his wrist, and the deceivingly light-looking net pins three of the monsters to the floor as if they’d been weighed down by thousands of pounds. The net itself is pinned down by mana-constructed pins. Yoojin had taught himself how to do this so that hunting would be easier for him while in Haven. He didn’t have supplies for traps, so he’d figured out how to make his own.

Yoojin moves quickly to eliminate the two monsters who hadn’t been close enough to the net, dispatching them in a blur as he appeared from above or behind with a mana-dagger in hand. Forming a spear to finish off the three that had been caught in the net, Yoojin strikes them with an efficient jab intended to end their lives as quickly and painlessly as possible. He didn’t want to be causing any gory, drawn out deaths with a teenage girl’s impressionable eyes on him after all.

After using his sensory skill to determine that all of the monsters were one hundred percent dead, Yoojin beckons Yerim over. The girl responds with due haste, practically skipping over to his side with twinkling eyes. “Ahjussi, that was great! I’ve never seen anyone move so fast!”

Yoojin, not feeling comfortable with being praised so often, conjures up a mana dagger and holds it handle-out towards Yerim. “Would you like to try extracting the mana stones? These might only be D-rank, but you should be able to fetch a good price on them,” he offers.

Yerim’s eyes grow huge, and Yoojin takes the spear in trade for Yerim grabbing the dagger. “Yes, please!” She says. Yerim proves herself a good listener as Yoojin then instructs her on where and how to use the blade to extract mana stones from these particular monsters. The look of triumph on her face as she succeeds and sticks the stones in her pocket has Yoojin’s chest growing warm with pride. 

“Good job.” He praises once they’d successfully retrieved all five mana stones. Yerim beams at Yoojin in a way that sort of hurts, because he can almost imagine Yoohyun in her place. Yoohyun, in his childhood, would positively light up if Yoojin praised him for his achievements, no matter how small. Yoojin shakes off the thoughts, dragging his gaze back to Yerim’s expectant look. “Let’s keep moving. I sense another group a little ways ahead.”

“Okay!” Yerim agrees. 

The two of them work quickly through the dungeon after that. Yoojin easily dispatches any monsters that they come across, and Yerim gets plenty of chances to collect more mana stones. As they continue their two-man dungeon raid, Yerim gets even more comfortable being in Yoojin’s presence. Soon enough he’s being tugged around by the girl, and is graced with plenty of conversation. Some of the things she says has his blood absolutely boiling, and Yoojin actively has to breathe through his protective fury. He has to remind himself to stay focused on describing to Yerim what to expect when she awakens, as he had already explained to her just how soon that may happen. The teenager was absolutely ecstatic at the news, asking him all sorts of questions.

“What rank do you think I’ll be, ahjussi? Can your skill see that?”

“I think you’ll be at the very least a B-rank. That means you’ll have plenty of guild offers and make a pretty good amount of money too.”

“What kind of skills do you think I’ll have?”

“That’ll come after your awakening. But B and A-ranks typically have two skills. S-ranks usually start with three.”

“Do you think I might be an S-rank, ahjussi?”

“I think that anything is possible, and you’re a really promising kid, Yerim. You’re going to be happy with whatever rank you get, I believe.”

“Aww, ahjussi, you’re really sweet.” Yerim teases, and Yoojin rolls his eyes with a twitch of the lips. Yerim grows more serious, then, and avoids his gaze somewhat. “Um, I wanted to say thank you. For you deciding to save me. And for everything you’ve taught me so far about what to do after I awaken. And for telling me about contracts and stuff like that. And for telling me what to do about the shitty brokers who made me sign a contract with them.”

Yoojin had reacted quickly upon learning they’d trapped the teenager in an unfair, illegal contract. Yerim was still unawakened so she did not have an inventory, but as soon as she did, Yoojin would tell her how to summon the contract. From that point on, all Yoojin would have to do is break the contract for her, then allow his curse-breaking skill to nullify the curses, and then she’d be free. 

In the meantime he had described to Yerim a person who she could potentially trust to help her with her genuine best interest in mind. It was a hunter who Han Yoojin had never had a chance to meet, but who he was confident would act with due diligence in helping a civilian girl who’d been duped by hunters. Someone with plenty of influence and power, who would also possibly be willing to watch over a newly awakened S-rank teenager as she adjusted to her new strength and status and would be able to help her navigate the beginning of her new life without the negative influence of her toxic family.

Yoojin doesn’t need her thanks.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re taken care of, Yerim.” Yoojin says honestly, because he had never had that growing up. “You’re a kid, and you deserve to be taken care of properly.”

Yerim’s eyes start to glisten, and she drops her head so that her bangs hide her face. “...thank you, ahjussi.”

Yoojin squeezes her shoulder, giving the girl a soft smile when she looks up at him through tangled locks. “You’re welcome, Yerim.” He tells her, before gesturing towards the boss room with his chin. “Are you ready for this, then? Are you still willing to trust me?”

“I trust you, ahjussi.” Yerim says without any hesitation. Yoojin’s heartbeat speeds up at the gesture, but he can’t dwell on the mix of emotions for long as Yerim’s eyes pop open wide. “Ahjussi, wow, oh my god, I think I just awakened!”

That had been exactly what Yoojin had been hoping for. The time he’d spent bonding with the teenage girl whilst they were in the dungeon had been deliberate on his part. Yoojin had done anything and everything to prove to Yerim he really was truly worthy of her trust, and in asking her once more if she was willing to trust him, his already active key phrase had finally sparked her full awakening.

How heartbreaking was it that the conditions of Bak Yerim’s awakening were as simple as being able to place her trust in another human being? That it wouldn’t take her being in danger, or feeling threatened by her family to trigger an awakening? That it took her placing her trust in someone like Yoojin to meet her full potential and blossom after finally being treated with kindness and patience? 

Yoojin’s heart hurts for her.

Throwing a smile on his face isn’t so hard in the face of Yerim muffling her squeals into her hands. “I’m so happy for you, Yerim!” Yoojin says, honest.

“How do I open my status window, ahjussi? How do I find out what rank I am?!” Yerim asks, bouncing up and down. The stones beneath her ratty shoes are pulverized with each landing.

Yoojin answers while staring at her status window, currently only visible to him. “You can think of it, just focus on picturing something like a video game status window. Or, you can say it out loud.” His eyes catch on the window as Yerim gives a triumphant fist pump.

Awakened Bak Yerim

Rank: S

“Ahjussi! I’m an S-rank like you! Ahjussi, I can’t believe this!”

Yoojin’s smile is tight in worry, thinking about how much danger the rank had put his little brother in, and Yoohyun had been two years older than Yerim when he awakened. “Congratulations, Yerim.” He says regardless, genuine, understanding just how excited she must be. “I told you that you had potential.”

“Ahjussi, can I help you fight the boss monster now that I’m a hunter?!” Yerim begs, zooming over to his side, tugging on his jacket. The clothing rips like tissue paper, and both Yoojin and Yerim stare at it with deadpan expressions for a moment. 

Yoojin internally saluted his jacket for lasting as long as it had. He sighs, relenting to Yerim’s request. He was confident in being able to keep her safe while they fought the C-rank boss, and was also curious to see S-rank Bak Yerim in action. “Yes, you can help. You’ve got to keep focused and be careful, though, okay?”

“I will!” Yerim agrees, dropping the torn fabric to the ground with a sheepish expression. “Sorry about your jacket.”

“This monster will be a good opportunity for you to figure out how to manage your new strength.” Yoojin says in response, no sign of upset in his tone. His voice is thoughtful. “You should have access to one skill, now, and can probably unlock another one while you fight… I’ll act as backup, and make sure it doesn’t land any hits on you. How does that sound?”

Yerim’s blue eyes sparkle. “Yes, please!”

The two of them enter the boss room side by side after talking through a tentative plan of attack. Yoojin stayed back, while Yerim advanced. She took to the challenge with determination and newfound strength. Together, they fought the boss. Yerim used the mana-spear Yoojin had made for her for physical attacks, striking after she’d frozen the legs of the giant warthog-looking beast to the floor with her new skill Frosty Sigh. She had to continuously use her ice powers, as the monster was powerful enough to keep breaking through after each hit, and Yoojin’s barriers deflected any attack the beast threw at her that happened to get too close for his comfort.

Yerim would call out a quick thank you before giggling and darting back into the fray. Her power was evident in the broken boulders around the room as she launched herself into the air from different points to try and get closer to the beast’s neck or head. During one of these occurrences, Yerim shrieked in shock and excitement as she began running through the air without dropping back down. 

“Ahjussi! I unlocked a new skill! It’s called Hermes’ Sandals!”

Yoojin’s eyes tracked Yerim’s movements carefully as he responded. “Use it to get high enough that you can repeatedly strike the beast’s vital spot!” He advises.

“Copy!” Yerim shouts in excitement, sprinting through the air in the direction of the beast with a look of determination. Ice shot out below her and encased the feet of the monster for a final time as she launched her attack. The beast let out a deep, earth-shaking roar of pain as her attacks began to create lasting damage. It didn’t take long after that. When the creature finally fell, Yerim let out a triumphant cheer, her face alight with joy and disbelief. 

"I did it!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing with excitement. "I really did it!"

"You did," Yoojin said with a proud smile. "And you were amazing."

As the adrenaline faded, however, Yerim's expression turned anxious. "What about my uncle? He took all the money my parents left me when they died. He... he might try to take advantage of this too.”

Yoojin's expression turned serious. "You're an S-rank hunter now, Yerim. You have rights and protections that come with that status. Even as a minor, you can be emancipated if you're fifteen or older and Awaken as a hunter who is at least E-rank." He then carefully explained the process to her, reiterating the importance of reading contracts carefully and finding a guardian who would look out for her best interests.

Yerim listened intently, absorbing his advice. "Could you be my guardian?" she asked hopefully. "I trust you."

Yoojin's heart ached at her request. "I wish I could, Yerim. But I have something important to finish first, something that will help protect people like you. I promise you'll find someone who can help you, though. Remember that hunter I was telling you about, the S-rank who works for the Association? Go to him for help."

“I don’t want Song Taewon to help me, though.” Yerim pouted, distressed. “I want you to be my guardian. Why can’t I stay and help you with what you need to do, then? And we can go back together when you finish whatever you need to do first?”

“I’m sorry, Yerim. I have to do this alone. I appreciate the offer, though.” Yoojin apologizes, heart being torn in two. It felt like leaving Yoohyun behind all over again, especially when Yerim frowned and her eyes grew wet.

“I feel safe with you, ahjussi! I trust you! I won’t be happy until I see you again.” She threatens him childishly. Yerim's face fell as he shook his head, and it was clear she was disappointed. 

Yoojin offered her a gentle smile, trying to ease her sadness. "You'll be okay," he assured her. "You're strong, and you're going to do great things. Here, let’s get you this mana stone, and then we’re going to take a moment to sit down and talk. There’s one last thing I’d like to help you with." 

After they're finished with extracting the mana stone, and after Yoojin explains to Yerim how to view her rewards for having killed a boss monster, Yoojin and Yerim find themselves sitting criss-cross while facing each other. Yoojin taps his fingers on his thigh for a moment as he gathers his thoughts. “You signed a contract with those brokers who left you alone in this dungeon. What if I told you that I can help you break it without any repercussions?” 

Yerim gaped for a moment, taken aback, before leaning forward a bit. “Really? Ahjussi, you can really do that? Is it one of your support skills?”

“Not really.” Yoojin responds. “It’s more like a passive skill. I have a high-ranking curse resistance, so as long as I’m the one to break your contract, nothing will happen and it will still be voided.”

Yerim narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not lying? Nothing will happen to you, right?” She asks, and her concern had Yoojin feeling off-center for a moment, because she was worried about him.

“Yes.” He says finally, after clearing his throat. “I’ll be totally fine.” He hadn’t had a chance to see this skill in action yet, either. This would be a learning experience for them both. “It’s only a D-rank contract. My curse resistance is much higher than that.”

“Awesome.” Yerim breathes, before furrowing her brows. “How do you break the contract? I don’t have it with me. Do I have to find those brokers?”

“It’s bound to you after you sign. Even though you were a civilian, your mana signature was imprinted on it through a binding contract. Now that you’ve awakened, you should be able to pull it from your inventory. Like this,” Yoojin explains, pulling out an item from his own inventory before placing it back in.

Yerim’s face creases in concentration, eyes skimming over her screen. Yoojin waits patiently as she figures out how to find and remove the contract from her inventory, praising her when she succeeds. “Great job, Yerim!”

“Please break it, ahjussi.” Yerim asks, pushing it at him. Looking at it seems to upset her. 

Yoojin reaches out and grabs the parchment with one hand. He then reaches up with the other and tears the contract in half, letting it dissipate in the air as it is broken. His eyes scan the curses the brokers had settled upon should Yerim break the contract, fists clenching in anger. Yoojin only relaxes after his legendary curse resistance nullifies the afflictions as if they’d never happened in the first place. “It worked. The contract is now void.”

Yoojin is pulled to his feet, and then wrapped into a grateful hug as Yerim bounces up and down. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” 

“You’re welcome, Yerim.” He smiles, returning the hug and wrapping Yerim securely in his arms. She melts into the hold, beaming up at him. Yoojin’s heart aches as he realizes that he has to send her home now, and he has to go back to Haven alone. 

“We need to get to the exit portal before the dungeon resets. If you follow me, I’ll make sure you get out of here safe. You’ve never exited a cleared dungeon before, so I’ll explain on the way.”

“Okay, ahjussi.” Yerim wriggles out of the hug, sounding disappointed, but she doesn’t let go of Yoojin’s hand. She continues to chatter to him about what they can do when Yoojin finally completes the mission he won’t tell her much about. She complains a bit at first about not being able to tell anyone about having met Yoojin, repeating to Yoojin the story he’d come up with enough times that she finally protested and made apparent her annoyance with the request. She did promise she wouldn’t talk about him though, saying she’d rather keep “her Yoojin-ahjussi" to herself, anyways. 

“This way when you come back, no one will know you, and they’ll have to let you be my guardian!” She had said.

Yoojin knows it isn’t that simple, and he is feeling mixed emotions about the prospect of being her guardian. He holds his tongue, though, because his self-doubts were his problem and shouldn’t rest upon the shoulders of a teenager. As they reached the exit portal, Yoojin paused, a finger to his lips as a reminder. "Remember, don't tell anyone about me," he said softly. "At least not yet."

Yerim nodded, though she still looked sad to part ways. "Thank you, Yoojin-ahjussi," she said, stepping into the portal. “I’ll be waiting for you!”

As she disappeared, Yoojin stood there for a moment, reflecting on the encounter. He hoped that Yerim would find happiness and freedom in this timeline, unlike the struggles she had faced before. It was moments like these that reminded him of the importance of his mission and the difference he could make in people's lives.

With renewed determination, Yoojin turned back into the dungeon. He was sad to watch her leave, and he warily checked on the Pack Bond. Yerim was unharmed. Yoohyun was safe as well. That is all he can really ask for. Magic sizzled to life around him and Yoojin let the system admins pull him through the portal that would take him back to Haven without resistance. A small smile played upon his lips.

It was nice to know that there were now two people waiting for him to come home.

Yoojin can't remember the last time that he had someone to go home to.

Chapter Text

Yoojin sat alone in Safe Haven, the pocket dimension eerily silent except for the occasional rustle of leaves in the vast forest. The twilight sky cast a serene yet lonely glow over the landscape. It had been nearly a week since he met Yerim in the dungeon, a week filled with relentless training, hunting, and increasingly difficult dungeons. Yoojin couldn’t afford to slow down; the fate of the future rested on his shoulders and his desire to see his brother again soon kept him pushing through.

He leaned against a tree, the rough bark pressing into his back, grounding him in the present. His thoughts drifted back to Yerim. The way her eyes had widened in fear and then in awe as he helped her awaken her potential. She had reminded him of Yoohyun, of the little brother he had sworn to protect. The memory tugged at his heart, filling him with a bittersweet mixture of hope and sorrow.

The System had not been lying about the dungeons quickly getting more difficult. He had cleared three more in the last seven days. Each dungeon seemed to test his limits more than the last. The monsters were stronger, the environments harsher, and the pressure unrelenting. He had to be at his best, constantly adapting and pushing himself. 

Yoojin had cleared many dungeons in his life before his regression, but all of them had been with a team, and much lower ranked. All except for one. To add to things, the isolation of Safe Haven, while providing a perfect training ground, was starting to take its toll. There were no friendly faces, no comforting voices to break the monotony of solitude.

Yoojin’s mind wandered to the times he had fought alongside others, and the camaraderie that often came with shared danger. Here, there was none of that. Just him, alone with his thoughts and the ever-present threat of failure. He tried to focus on the positives: he was getting stronger, honing his skills, preparing for what lay ahead. But the loneliness was a constant, gnawing at the edges of his resolve. He hadn’t even heard from the admins since he’d entered the dungeon where he’d met Yerim.

He had spent every free moment training, refining his techniques, and ensuring he was ready for whatever came next. But there were moments, late at night when the exhaustion set in, that Yoojin felt the weight of it all. The isolation, the responsibility, the fear of failing those he cared about. He missed human connection, the simple comfort of another person’s presence. He may not have had Yoohyun before his regression, but at least he’d had dungeon raids. He’d had other human beings around him, even if they did happen to hate his guts because of his reputation. 

Yoojin had had something, at least. Here, he really had nothing.

As Yoojin stood up and began another round of drills, his movements precise and controlled, he reminded himself why he was doing this. For Yoohyun, for the future, for everyone who depended on him. He couldn’t afford to falter, couldn’t let the isolation break him. He had to be strong, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

The days all seemed to blend together, a blur of training and dungeons. Each victory was a testament to his determination, each setback a reminder of the stakes. He was becoming more adept, more resilient, but the loneliness remained. It was a battle of its own, one that required just as much strength and resolve as any dungeon.

Yoojin wiped the sweat from his brow, his breathing steady as he completed his drills. He looked around Safe Haven, this place that was both a sanctuary and a prison. He would endure. He had to. For Yoohyun, for Yerim, for everyone who counted on him. He would continue to push himself, to grow stronger, and to face the isolation head-on.

Because in the end, he wasn’t truly alone. He carried the memories and hopes of those he loved with him, a constant source of strength and motivation. And that, he reminded himself, was more powerful than any dungeon or monster he would ever face.

He would keep moving forward.

It’s on the eighth evening after meeting Yerim that Yoojin finds himself encountering his next challenge. He had climbed up to a high branch of one of the largest and oldest trees in Haven, his back pressed against the trunk as he kept his eyes locked on the mana constructs he was forming and then dissipating. The task was performed in a continuous loop of boredom and intense focus, with barely-noticeable flicks of the fingers on one hand controlling the distribution of his mana. With his free hand, Yoojin was holding a mana stone to his mouth, absentmindedly gnawing on the rock. His sturdy SS-rank teeth withstood the crunch of the stone as if it were simply a piece of hard candy.

This had been an unexpected discovery, actually. Yoojin found that, despite his vast mana reserves, his levels were consistently being drained. His Pack Bond with Yerim and Yoohyun meant that his own mana was always replenishing their pools through some unexplainable metaphysical Caregiver-type connection, as well as being used to make their mana denser and more powerful. Pack Bond being a passive skill of Yoojin’s meant it was continuously active, so the skill was always pulling from Yoojin’s mana pool to feed the connection in between him and his “pack members.” 

When one considers that Yoojin’s own training, in which he intended to fully master his mana manipulation, meant that he was also contributing to the severe, constant depletion of his mana, well… it was cause for concern. Yoojin’s SS-rank body did not handle mana depletion well, so it was in fact a good thing his reserves were so insanely high in the first place. It just didn’t seem to be enough to keep up with his daily usage, even if his pools had continued to grow because of his training. It was a delicate balance that he was walking, one that his body didn’t seem to be able to remedy on its own. 

Natural replenishment of Yoojin’s mana just wasn’t enough to keep up with such a constant drain of energy.

This is what had triggered his discovery of the helpfulness of snacking on mana stones. Much like an anemic would crave ice when their iron was low, Yoojin found himself eyeing up the mana stones he’d been collecting from within dungeons and stocking in his inventory. He knew that monsters would oftentimes eat mana stones from their deceased kin, and there’d been a curious feeling in his gut as he held one to his face, considering the pros and cons. Pro, he would satiate his uncommon craving for something he’d never tasted and wasn’t even sure his body could digest. Con, he would get sick or make himself feel even more sick than he already did.

Mana depletion was putting a serious hampering on Yoojin’s training. If his levels were low enough, he’d get shaky and nauseous. He would also start to burn up with a bit of a fever, and if his levels dropped even lower than that he could almost count on some dizzy spells occurring. Things hadn’t evolved to the point of him passing out… yet. And so Yoojin had shrugged, decided to cut his losses, and give the potential stomach ache a try. To Yoojin’s surprise, the mana stone had broken easily when he’d bitten into it, and it even had a similar consistency to hard candy. The flavor of the stone was also a surprise, and the taste varied from creature to creature, as well as its rank.

The moment that Yoojin realized that he could aid the replenishment of his constantly-draining mana by consuming the stones, he’d decided to add them permanently to his snack rotation and hadn’t looked back since. Yoojin would even crush them in his hand just to sprinkle the remains on his food like a seasoning. He was going to struggle with keeping this habit lowkey when he was back in Seoul, he already knew, but for now he didn’t have to worry about any judgment or concern. He could just train himself to near-depletion and keep eating his mana stones in peace. No one could tell him not to.

Another loud crunch split the air as he twirled his finger in a circle, spinning a mana weapon around as he admired it. He didn’t have much skill in terms of craftsmanship, Yoojin was no blacksmith after all, but his crude-looking weapons were strong enough and durable enough to withstand even S-rank level strength. He had wondered about his mana having grown more dense over time, as Yoojin had noticed increased durability in his constructs. He had been proven correct in the theory when he read further into his stat list. As much as Yoojin’s mana supplemented Yerim and Yoohyun through the Pack Bond, his own mana was evolving because of his constant use. 

Mana was almost like a muscle; if Yoojin kept training it, it would only grow stronger. If he overworked it, however, it would not take long to feel the negative effects. The symptoms of mana depletion would always strike him quick and hard. Yoojin wasn’t the best at managing his levels, as he was truly terrible at judging his own limits and knowing when to rest. He’d always tell himself it was simply mind over matter, but it wasn’t. His body, never having been intended for SS-rank skills and strength in the first place, liked to prove him wrong by falling ill. It was like it knew it had to punish him before he really hurt himself. 

Still, Yoojin was not very good at taking care of himself, and he knew it.

Frowning in frustration, Yoojin crunched down hard on the last piece of the mana stone. He wipes his hand on his pants, sighing at the poor state of his clothing. The System hadn’t given him any clothes when they pulled him into Haven, aside from the dirty ones he’d already been wearing. Dungeon drops had proven unhelpful in this matter as well. Yoojin had done his best to clean his clothes in the river, having to ignore his embarrassment about streaking around Safe Haven while he waited for the clothes to dry, and used the time to clean himself in the water as well. The situation was getting old very quickly, however. He just wanted some damn clean clothes, ones that weren’t torn from newly Awakened S-ranks, training sessions, strolls through the forest, and dungeon fights. 

There’s a subtle change to the air, and Yoojin’s head had already swiveled to lock onto an empty location near the forest floor before the portal had even swirled into existence. He had grown familiar with the sensation, and his own aura-sensing skill meant Yoojin was already hyper-sensitive to foreign mana. Taking in a steadying breath, Yoojin leapt down to the Earth in a smooth motion. He landed lightly on his feet, cat-like in his movements. He then moves from his easy crouch into a standing position and approaches the portal, stretching out his senses to get a reading on the ranks of the monsters located within.

Ah. B-rank. That’s not terrible. Yoojin determines with a subtle nod to himself. He does a quick pat down, scrolls through his inventory for the gazillionth time, withdraws an item, and snaps off a small piece of a B-rank mana stone. The last item he quickly shoves in his mouth, chewing quickly, and finishes his preparations with that. 

“Well,” Yoojin says to himself, trying to feel something other than a sense of obligation, “I guess that’s my cue.”

He steps through the portal, ready to face whatever potential dangers awaited him from within.

Yoojin had actually found himself quite enjoying this dungeon.

The monsters were strong enough to put up just enough of a challenge, urging Yoojin to give some of his new ideas a try while he was in the field. Success tasted sweet, and he pushed through most of the dungeon in this manner. Despite the relative ease, however, he had to remain cautious. Yoojin knew simple mistakes could lead to him being seriously injured. Without a team or backup to speak of, Yoojin had grown even more competent at solo raiding simply because he had no other choice. His critical thinking skills had been getting quite a workout over the last week or so, and the increasing difficulty of the dungeons had left plenty of room for creativity. Yoojin would have never known that there were so many ways to utilize raw mana to subjugate monsters if he hadn’t been continuously forced to find increasingly unique ways to manipulate it.

As Yoojin ventured his way deeper into the dungeon, dispatching monsters with a now well practiced efficiency, he couldn't quite shake the creeping feeling that something was off. His aura sensing ability had begun to pick up faint mana signatures ahead, but they felt different than that of a monster. In fact, they felt more like the mana signatures of multiple hunters. They weren’t very strong, but they were at least on par with the dungeon’s ranking so they didn’t feel that out of place. As they brushed against his S-rank aura, they felt nearly insignificant. Well, all except for one that seemed completely out of place in a B-rank dungeon. It caught his attention and gave Yoojin a new goal.

Yoojin slowed his pace, continuing to move silently as he began to approach the source of the signatures. He could hear voices- angry, desperate, fearful, and loud. He edged closer, hiding behind a crumbling stone wall, and peeked around the corner. What he saw made his blood boil.

A small group of scruffy-looking hunters had cornered a young man, who was cowering against the wall. The young man was trembling, his eyes wide with terror. Yoojin's skill told him that the man was an F-rank, barely registering on the mana scale, but there was something else there. Yoojin activated Promising Sprout with a thought, his eyes widening in surprise. 

His potential is off the charts. 

Yoojin could see in the hunter’s status window that yes, while he was definitely an F-rank, he had a skill that Yoojin had never before heard of. A skill that could change the efficiency of hunting as the world knew it.

A freaking latent SS-rank blacksmithing skill?!  

Yoojin's heart raced. He had never heard of this man, Yoo Myeongwoo, before his regression. It didn't make sense.  

If he had such potential, why hadn't he appeared in the previous timeline? Why wouldn’t a guild have snatched him up?

A scoff pulled Yoojin back to the situation at hand. One of the hunters, a burly man with a cruel sneer, was holding a contract. "You signed this, Myeongwoo-ssi. You know the deal. We get the loot, and you get a small cut. But seeing as you're pretty much useless, we might just leave you here to rot."

Myeongwoo's voice was shaky and filled with despair. "I needed the money... I thought I could help... But this isn't what I signed up for."

Yoojin felt a surge of anger. It was clear that Myeongwoo had been tricked and was now being used and discarded by these hunters. This reminded him too much of situations he had been in in the past. It reminded him of the blood on his hands because he hadn’t had anyone willing to help save him. Yoojin had always been someone who had to save himself. So, Yoojin couldn’t allow this man, Yoo Myeongwoo, to die here alone and betrayed. He had to intervene, but he needed to do it carefully. He couldn't afford to put Myeongwoo in more danger.

Yoojin took a deep breath, steadying himself, and then stepped out from behind the wall. "Hey," he called out, his voice cold and commanding. "What's going on here?"

The hunters turned, startled by his sudden appearance. The burly man sneered as they caught sight of Yoojin. "Who the hell are you?" He didn’t seem to register him as a threat, seeing as they were all much broader and more muscular than Yoojin was. 

Eyes glinting with a dangerous amusement, Yoojin thought to himself, go ahead. Underestimate me. Even when I was only a weak F-ranker I was resourceful enough to manage taking care of trash like you.

Yoojin didn't answer immediately. He took a moment to assess the situation, his eyes scanning the room and noting the positions of the hunters. There were four of them, all armed, but they were clearly not expecting any interference.

"I'm someone who doesn't appreciate scum like you taking advantage of others," Yoojin said, breaking the building tension. His voice is low and dangerous. "Now, let him go."

The burly man laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "And why should we listen to you? This isn't any of your business, so run along now, shorty."

Yoojin's expression hardened. "You’re going to regret this. But then again, you’d have to live to regret it, so." He shrugged, seemingly uncaring. 

He ran a heavy, assessing gaze over the gathered men once more. Now that Yoojin was even closer, he could recognize them. It just so happened to be a group of hunters that had met their end in a dungeon with F-rank Yoojin in the future, after having attempted to leave him as bait. It hadn’t worked out as they had intended when the boss monster began to wreak havoc before they could escape. As Yoojin had put the leader under his custody, the man’s skills had been bestowed upon him and doubled after his death due to Final Thanks activating. With the memories that had been shared as a result, Yoojin would feel no shame in making sure these hunters wouldn’t be leaving here today. 

They were despicable beings who’d done despicable things. Yoojin wouldn’t pretend that his hands were clean simply because he’d regressed. He would not falter when it came to the protection of those he intended to care for, and Yoo Myeongwoo’s circumstances seeming to echo his own past life had pulled on his heart strings. The young hunter was now unconsciously claimed as being part of “Yoojin’s people” now.

The hunters exchanged glances, clearly uncertain. Yoojin's confidence and calm demeanor seemed to be unsettling them. The burly man seemed to be the leader, and he took a step forward, brandishing a knife. It was A-rank; a relatively powerful artifact that enhanced physical damage. He must have stolen it from the corpse of a different lower-ranked hunter the group had led to their death. It made Yoojin’s mana twist in disgust, roiling beneath his skin, but he kept it capped for now.

"You think you can take all of us on?" the man sneered. "You're outnumbered."

Yoojin's eyes narrowed. "I don't need to take all of you on. I just need to make sure you understand that you're not leaving this dungeon alive if you don't let him go."

“Over my dead body, fucker.” The man curled his lip at Yoojin, who cocked his head, eyes going dark. It seemed to startle the hunters as Yoojin’s expression blanked in response.

You won’t be leaving alive regardless of you letting Yoo Myeongwoo go. I’ve made my decision.

Before the burly man, the leader, could react, Yoojin moved. His movements were a blur, the mana blade he’d formed flashing as he disarmed the obvious second in command and incapacitated the rest of the other hunters in a matter of moments. The leader gaped and tried to flee, but Yoojin was faster, his hand catching the man's shoulder and slamming him into the wall.

"Now," Yoojin said, his voice cold and unforgiving, "tell me. Just how many low ranked hunters have you walked to their deaths? How many families were left mourning the loss of their loved ones, whose only hope had been to put food on the table? Tell me, do you remember the faces of all of those hard working people you’d killed?"

The hunter paled, eyes widening in terror and shock. He was choking beneath the violent surge of Yoojin’s aura, who had directed its full weight onto the man. “S-S-S-S-S-rank? You-you-you-”

Yoojin interrupted him, lips curling back from his teeth, putting pressure on the man’s throat with an elbow. “You’re not answering what I’m asking.”

The hunter was choking and trembling like a leaf in the wind. He was trying to pull Yoojin’s arm from his throat, but failed. Yoojin let off the pressure but kept the man pinned to the wall, his gaze icy. “Answer me.”

“N-no.” The leader drooled as he rubbed his throat and tried to recover, fearful as he stared at Yoojin. “I-I-”

“How awful.” Yoojin murmured, eyes narrowing. “It’s the least you can do.” He strikes out, and he must have overestimated the amount of force he’d used, because rather than crushing the man’s windpipe as he’d intended he breaks his neck. The leader’s body slumps to the ground as Yoojin releases his hold and steps back.

Yoojin stared blankly at the bodies for a moment, his heart pounding with adrenaline. And then he visibly reigns his anger back in, blinking a few times. Yoojin relaxed his tense muscles and dropped his aura, and then was struck with inspiration. Like he’d done with Yerim, he imbued feelings of reassurance and safety into his aura and then redirected it so that it would blanket Yoo Myeongwoo. Finally, he turned to face the F-ranker. Yoo Myeongwoo was still trembling against the wall in a fetal position. He had his hands held defensively over his head, his face turned away, and his eyes squeezed shut.

"It's okay," Yoojin said softly, crouching down to Myeongwoo's level. "You're safe now. Ah, sorry about my aura, by the way. I was a little pissed off at those guys." He says, a touch sheepish. He still isn’t used to having an aura powerful enough to make others cower in his presence, and also isn’t around other humans enough to have to consciously reign it in… It was something he’d have to work on.

Myeongwoo looked up, his eyes filled with tears of relief. "Thank you... I don't know how to repay you..."

Yoojin shook his head. "You don't need to. Just tell me your name." Realistically, he knows it both from eavesdropping and from the F-ranker’s status screen. Myeongwoo deserved to retain some dignity, though, as well as a proper introduction.

"Myeongwoo... Yoo Myeongwoo," he replied, his voice shaking. He began to slowly uncurl, watching his savior with wide, grateful eyes.

Yoojin smiled, a warm and reassuring smile. "Nice to meet you, Myeongwoo-ssi. I'm Yoojin. And I think you have a lot more potential than you realize." 

“What do you… mean by that, exactly, Yoojin-ssi?” Myeongwoo asked, confused. His long hair is a rats’ nest and falls in front of his face as he shakes off some of his tension.

Yoojin drops down to sit on the cool stone floor, mirroring what he’d done with Yerim. He keeps up his friendly smile and approachable demeanor. Despite having just watched Yoojin kill a group of hunters of higher rank than him with ease, Myeongwoo seems to be growing increasingly more comfortable in Yoojin’s presence. It could be the fact that he’d saved him, but Yoojin still thought it was weird. He shrugs it off.

“What those hunters were saying to you. You’re not useless. You have potential.” Yoojin responds, pondering over the best way to have this conversation. 

It could come off as him wanting to use Myeongwoo for this skill he had, but Yoojin genuinely just wanted to help him achieve his true potential, the same way he had helped Yerim. It’s not like he’d meet him outside of the dungeon, right? Myeongwoo, once he’d achieved unlocking his SS-rank skill, would be able to sign on anywhere and with anyone he wanted. Yoojin hoped to watch him make it big, and maybe Myeongwoo would say yes if he asked him to make Yoohyun something in the future. That would be just enough for him. Yoojin then thinks of Yerim’s sparkling eyes and the staff he’d made her and wonders if he could shelf that request for later, too. He wouldn’t want to push his luck. Myeongwoo hadn’t even unlocked this skill yet.

“Is that one of your skills, Yoojin-ssi? As an S-rank?” Myeongwoo asks, blinking slowly. He looks like he doesn’t really believe Yoojin, but not because he thinks he’s lying. It’s more like he doesn’t think highly enough of himself to realize his potential. 

“We can speak casually, if you’d like.” Yoojin cuts in, wrinkling his nose. “How old are you?” he asks. Myeongwoo stutters his age, and Yoojin grins. “Great! We’re the same age. Relax a little, Myeongwoo!”

“Okay…” Myeongwoo agrees tentatively. “Thanks, Yoojin.”

Satisfied, Yoojin nods before answering Myeongwoo’s previous question. “I can read the current and potential rankings of hunters and their skills. You have one I’ve never seen before, and if you wish, I can tell you how to unlock it.” He eyes the requirements with a bit of a side-eye. “Are you good with your hands, Myeongwoo?”

Myeongwoo blinks, and then his face slowly turns red. “W-W-What?” he stutters, looking bashful, “We just met, Yoojin! I-I can’t do something like that with someone I don’t know very well! I’m very fl-flattered, because you are very p-p-p-pretty, but-”

“STOP!” Yoojin shouts, his face flushing as he realizes Myeongwoo’s train of thought. His ears grow warm at the unexpected compliment and unprecedented conversation topic. “Wait, just… Oh my god… that’s not what I meant. Um… uh, not at all what I meant.” Yoojin’s words are scrambled, and he hides his face in his hands in shame. He wants to crawl in a hole. And maybe die.

Myeongwoo is doing the same across from him. “Oh. S-sorry. It just sounded like-”

“No!” Yoojin blushes. “It’s okay. Just… I meant, are you good at building things? Like… yeah. That’s what I meant. Ha. Haha.” This is really embarrassing.

“Oh.” Myeongwoo blushes. He looks absolutely mortified. “Oh. Okay. Um, yes. I used to… be really good at workshops in school, and I got complimented a lot on things I’d built…”

“Great. Awesome.” Yoojin scrubs his hands over his face, trying to find his sense of dignity. “Cool. You have a latent blacksmith skill. It’s really high ranked. I’ve never heard of it before. And I just thought, the hunting world really needs someone like you! Because there are no blacksmiths. And I think you could become a very important person in the hunter community, since weapons are currently only repurposed from dungeons. Yeah. It’s a very intriguing skill. That’s all.”

“Yes.” Myeongwoo agrees, still blushing. “But… Are you sure? How… How high ranked? I’m not anyone special… What if I can’t even unlock it because I’m just… me?”

“The sheer fact that it’s there to unlock in the first place tells me that there’s a good reason for it.” Yoojin says seriously, resting his chin on his hand where he’d propped it on his legs. It hurt him to hear such self-doubt and misery in the young hunter’s voice. 

“Still, that skill isn’t why I saved you. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, Myeongwoo. You’re worthy and deserving of good things, you know? You, uh. Also remind me of myself, not too long ago. And you seem like a pretty genuine guy. It was worth saving you from those assholes.”

Wow, Yoojin. He thinks to himself. You are such a hypocrite.

Myeongwoo avoids looking at Yoojin, but the regressor can see the way he’s fighting back a hopeful smile. “You really think so? I mean… you killed people for me. I’ve never had anyone go so far for me before. You don’t even know me…”

Yoojin would probably have killed them even if Myeongwoo didn’t remind him of himself. They weren’t good people. But, he definitely wouldn’t have felt quite as vindicated by the act if it wasn’t Myeongwoo he’d been saving, though. Speaking of, they were sitting across from each other in a room filled with the bodies of the men Yoojin had killed and having a heart to heart. It was pretty morbid. 

“They would have killed you.” Yoojin said, matter of fact. “I wasn’t going to let that happen, to you or anyone else. I know their kind too well.”

Okay, maybe he was being too blasé about having murdered these guys, he’ll admit that much. Yoojin might have become a bit too desensitized to getting his hands dirty. He had lost count on how many times he’d had to resort to striking first when it came to people like this in the past. His reputation had been dragged through the dirt, so Yoojin had accepted raids with shady guilds even knowing it may come to this in the end. He didn’t really have a choice though, did he? Reputation was everything in Korea. No normal employer would have hired the disowned older brother of the leader of Haeyeon Guild. Not with all of the negative press. 

Han Yoojin had merely become a product of his environment. A resourceful F-ranker with a mind set on survival, and a scar on his heart. A disgraced older brother who’d thought the only person in the world that mattered to him truly hated his guts. A boy who had grown up too fast and a man who was still too scared to die. What a piece of work, right?

“Oh. I didn’t know that could happen to S-rankers too.” Myeongwoo said, voice thick with empathy. He is still just as unbothered by the bodies as Yoojin is. It’s minorly concerning.

Yoojin cringes. “Well, maybe not in the same way. But, well. I’m guessing this wasn’t an official raid team, right? Probably some shady shit going on for them to sign you into a contract and then milk you for all you were worth and then leave you to the dogs. It’s not exactly uncommon for low rankers to get caught up when they’re desperate or newly awakened. Wait,” Yoojin peers closer at Myeongwoo, “when did you awaken?”

“A week ago…” Myeongwoo says quietly, ashamed. 

Yoojin has to tip his head back and breathe through his anger. He is very careful to keep his fury from leaking into his aura as he quietly breathes out a dangerous sounding, “Motherfuckers.”

Myeongwoo’s head shoots up and he waves his hands in an attempt to disarm Yoojin. “I really appreciate you saving me, Yoojin! If you hadn’t shown up… Just, thank you. Truly. For caring about an F-ranker like me, even though you’re so much stronger…”

“Listen, Myeongwoo.” Yoojin exhales, again feeling like a hypocrite. His frustration won out. “You are not worth any less just because you are an F-ranker. You would not be worth any less if you didn’t have such a unique skill. It should be the duty of the strong to defend those less powerful than them. Not everyone can be so fortunate.” 

Yoojin trails off at the end, not realizing the haunted look that enters his eyes. Myeongwoo does though, and he approaches Yoojin with worry written all over his face. 

“You’re really an amazing person, Yoojin.” Myeongwoo says, hesitating with his hand in the air. 

Blinking out of his daze, Yoojin stares at Myeongwoo’s hand. Seeing this, Myeongwoo decides to risk it. He slowly reaches out and places his hand on Yoojin’s knee, squeezing it as a gesture that works to comfort both of them. Myeongwoo looks both uncertain and determined as he gives Yoojin a shaky smile. 

“Thank you for caring for someone like me.” Myeongwoo says, this time keeping his voice strong and steady and earnest, “I’m sorry if people hurt you before you had the strength to protect yourself.”

And that. Well. Yoojin hadn’t been expecting Myeongwoo to be quite so adept at reading him. Or maybe Yoojin just wasn’t used to having someone care enough to notice. It feels… cathartic. To be seen, like that, by someone who reminded Yoojin so much of himself not so long ago. 

“You’re a really great person too, Myeongwoo.” Yoojin says, with a weak lop-sided smile. “I’m glad to have met you. I think you’re going to go on to do great things, but you’ll have to learn to believe in yourself, first.”

He doesn’t like the open, vulnerable conversation the two of them were having after having only known one another for maybe an hour. It was weird to feel so comfortable with a stranger, but the same thing had happened with Yerim, had it not? He used to pride himself in being a great actor who could hide their true feelings behind whatever act suited the need. Yoojin wasn’t used to forging honest connections with others. This was unfamiliar waters, and it left him feeling unsure about how to proceed.

So, he’d get back to business. 

“I want to help you unlock your skill, Myeongwoo. You deserve to be acknowledged for the great things you’re capable of. I can help with that, and I want to.” Yoojin says quickly, his heart pounding in his chest. 

He has a hard time looking directly at Myeongwoo, his hand on his knee feeling like a brand. Yoojin wasn’t used to physical touch, let alone comfort from someone else. But he has to say this. Myeongwoo was one of his now. This would work. If it didn’t… Yoojin would have to pretend that it wouldn’t hurt him like he knew it would if Myeongwoo rejected him.

Finally gazing into Myeongwoo’s brown eyes and being met with surprise and expectation, Yoojin says his key phrase, his heart beating furiously against his chest with anxiety. “Are you willing to put your trust in me, Yoo Myeongwoo?”

Myeongwoo blinks, taken aback. “Is that really all I have to do? Just trust you?” He asks, as if in disbelief.

Yoojin feels his cheeks flush in shame, disappointment hitting hard. “Ah, um. I understand why you wouldn’t want to trust me… shit. Sorry-”

“Of course I trust you, Yoojin!” Myeongwoo practically shouts, his eyes huge and honest. His interruption catches Yoojin with his jaw dropped, stunned, as he goes on. “You saved my life in so many different ways today! Really! If you say I have a bigger purpose, if I can help hunters like you by unlocking my skill and becoming a blacksmith, I will try my hardest to do anything I can to help you with that skill! No matter what it takes!”

Congratulations, Han Yoojin! Yoo Myeongwoo is now attuned to Han Yoojin! Yoo Myeongwoo can now receive the benefits of “pack bond!” Yoo Myeongwoo’s growth rate has doubled! Time remaining: thirty two hours. Congratulations, Han Yoojin, on your third pack member!

It worked. Myeongwoo really does trust me. No way-

“I will work my hardest to repay you for all that you’ve done for me.” Myeongwoo continues, dragging Yoojin’s attention away from the unexpected alerts. “I will become the very best blacksmith and support you. I owe you my life.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold on.” Yoojin interrupts, feeling overwhelmed. He feels guilty as he stares into Myeongwoo’s big, determined eyes. “I am not doing any of this just to ask for you to repay me! You don’t have to do anything but what makes you happy! I have a way to help you, so why wouldn’t I? You don’t owe me anything!”

That’s what this was, wasn’t it? Another chance for Yoojin to help someone in need? Someone who reminded him of the times when he had no one willing to save him? To help him? To pick him up when he was at his lowest and tell him that he was actually worth something? First Bak Yerim, and now Yoo Myeongwoo. He really was a god damn bleeding heart, wasn’t he? Fuck.

“If it’s for you, Yoojin, I wouldn’t mind helping you, too.” Myeongwoo says after he finally shoves away his surprise from Yoojin’s impassioned retort. The F-ranker then looks down, shoulders hunching in. “Right now, I don’t know of anything I’m good enough at that can help you. Except for making you a promise. I promise to stand by your side, and to work very hard so that I can be there for you like you were here for me today.”

“Myeongwoo…” Yoojin says, eyes wide, feeling touched. He puts his hand over Myeongwoo’s where it rests on his knee, quirking his lips up in a smile that lets his sharp canines peek out a little bit. Myeongwoo blushes as he sees Yoojin’s smile, but the SS-ranker doesn’t notice. “Thanks. But you really don’t have to. You have no obligation to me.”

“Then I’ll do this out of goodwill, like you.” Myeongwoo argues, stubborn. He furrows his brows at Yoojin, frowning. “If you say I’m worth something, so are you. What if I said I’ll be your friend and stay by your side, then? You can’t begrudge a friend for wanting to help.”

Yoojin stares at this F-ranker, feeling a bit miffed. “You are more stubborn than I thought you would be.”

“That’s because we’re only just getting to know one another.” Myeongwoo shoots back, resolute. “As new friends, there is still a lot we have to learn. There is plenty of time for us to get used to each other.”

“We have to clear this dungeon, and I still have to tell you how to unlock your skill.” Yoojin counters. Myeongwoo deflates a bit at the reminder, because he’s a mere F-ranker and this is a B-rank dungeon. He’d be putting his life completely in Yoojin’s hands once again to survive this long enough to go home. 

“Right…” Myeongwoo agrees, eyes now darting around warily. 

Yoojin laughs a bit, and Myeongwoo’s head whips back around, surprised to hear it. He blushes again when he sees Yoojin smiling at him, eyes squinted in amusement. His words are reassuring. 

“I won’t let anything happen to you. You said that you would trust me. I take trust very seriously.”

“O-Okay…” Myeongwoo stutters, and Yoojin rolls himself onto his feet, gesturing for Myeongwoo to stay close.

“Let’s walk and talk.” Yoojin says, ignoring how Myeongwoo practically glues himself to his side. It’s reminiscent of Yerim's behavior before she’d awakened. He then thinks about the way she’d smiled as she began to open up to him, and his heart hurts. With a quick mental tug he opens the links to all three of his pack bonds, just enough to brush his senses with the emotions of his pack members. Yoojin relaxes when everyone is accounted for. 

New to the bond, Myeongwoo’s emotions are currently a mix of anticipatory and anxious. Yoojin envisions tucking his aura in tighter around the F-ranker, like an invisible blanket, in hopes of reassuring him. It seems to work, as Myeongwoo begins to feel more content and relaxed. 

“You really will have to trust me, because the requirement is kind of… hard to believe.” Yoojin warns, again side-eyeing Myeongwoo’s status window and the words scrawled below his blacksmith skill.

“I trust you.” Myeongwoo doesn’t hesitate in his response, and Yoojin sighs, tipping his head skyward.

Before his regression, if someone had told Yoojin that there were people out there who would be willing to trust in him completely and without fail, he would have laughed in their face. Yet, in the short amount of time since Yoojin had been in the past, he’d had three people verbally acknowledge how much they were willing to trust him just because he’d asked. Was it because he was an S-rank now? Had F-rank Yoojin really been worth so little? 

It kind of stung. After all, even his own little brother hadn’t been willing to trust him back then. Yoojin hadn’t even had the trust of the baby he’d raised and given everything up in doing so. He’d given up his parents. He’d given up his education. He’d given up his childhood. He’d given up his future, and his present. Hmm. Well, this wasn’t really a healthy train of thought to hop on, was it? Maybe he should go back to his conversation with Myeongwoo right about now before he really got all twisted up inside.

“I mean it. It’s an insane requirement.” Yoojin warns one more time, but Myeongwoo only nods, urging him to go on. 

Yoojin suddenly flicks his wrist, startling Myeongwoo into a shriek. Yoojin pins a lunging monster to the wall of the cave with a mana net and then holds up a hand towards the beast, palm out. The monster roars, and Myeongwoo ducks behind Yoojin, trembling. Yoojin squeezes his hand into a fist, and a bomb constructed with sheer mana detonates the monster at point blank range. The dungeon shakes and some rocks begin to fall from the ceiling, but Yoojin and Myeongwoo are safe beneath a barrier. Once things had settled, the mana dissipates, looking almost like silver glitter before it completely disappears. 

Myeongwoo had a tight grip on Yoojin’s poor damaged clothing. His eyes were wide in awe and shock. “S-ranks are on a whole different level,” he says, “are you a support type? Or offensive? You… you can use barriers, and the way you use mana! Wow! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Support type, so don’t be fooled.” Yoojin says, wanting to downplay his abilities. 

He’s rolling with the assumption of everyone believing him to be an S-rank. If he admitted his true strength, and it got leaked, Yoojin’s life would get so much more difficult and it would happen way too quickly. He did not trust the association as far as his old F-rank strength could throw them. 

“But I can utilize my mana offensively if needed.”

Yoojin walks over and begins to extract the beast’s mana stone, snickering internally as Myeongwoo remains pressed against him and watches the process with big eyes.

“Wow…” Myeongwoo finally exhales after a long silence, with admiration written all over his expression. 

It makes Yoojin uncomfortable, to be looked at like this. It makes him feel like a pretender. But the fact that Myeongwoo is still hiding behind Yoojin, clutching his shirt like a child would hold onto their mom’s clothing, has him snorting in amusement. Myeongwoo was so much taller than Yoojin. As a result, their position was quite comical. 

He clears his throat. “Okay! We got side tracked. Myeongwoo, the requirement is that you must reach level ten and sharpen ten thousand bladed tools.” Yoojin explains carefully. “After you have achieved that much, you can unlock an SS-rank blacksmithing skill.”

Myeongwoo’s face pales, and he seems to sway in place. Yoojin panics and grips onto the young hunter’s arms. “You… what? S…S? Two S’s? That’s what you just said? SS-rank?!” Myeongwoo’s voice gets progressively louder, and ends on a shriek. 

Yoojin flinches back, ears ringing, and drops Myeongwoo’s arms. Myeongwoo shrieks again as three monsters come tearing at them from out of nowhere, except Yoojin had noticed them approaching with his sensory skill. Myeongwoo’s volume had simply resulted in their approach being sooner than he’d initially planned upon. Moving quickly and efficiently, Yoojin leaps into the air and intercepts the first beast. Each step keeps him airbound as he pushes off of a small silver barrier. He’d taught himself this skill by basing it off of Yoohyun’s blue willow leaves and Yerim’s Sandals of Hermes. It came in handy when every beast seemed to be at least double Yoojin’s size, and the high ground gave him more of an advantage in a fight. Coupled with Yoojin’s speed, he found his lips parting in a feral grin as he landed on the back of a monster.

Yoojin creates a mana dagger while his empty hand is still bearing down on the monster, who is attempting to wriggle around and dislodge Yoojin from his perch. The blade manifests just in time to plunge into the thick hide of the beast. As the blade makes contact with the beast, it begins to glow and then suddenly extends and implodes on itself, severing the monster’s head clean off of its body. Yoojin backflips off of the falling corpse and lands on the next monster, repeating the killing blow twice more before landing lightly on the ground. He’s panting but satisfied, impressed to note the increase in his stats. He makes quick work of the mana stones, letting the barrier he’d thrown up around Myeongwoo dissipate.

“Yoojin!” Myeongwoo whisper-shouts, apparently now more mindful of his volume. 

He sprints over to Yoojin, pulling his arms this way and that and patting him down. Yoojin huffs in annoyance and shoots the F-ranker a glare for interrupting his extraction. Myeongwoo stops, looking like a guilty, downtrodden puppy and gives Yoojin just enough space to finish. As soon as Yoojin is done he goes right back to what he was doing.

“Myeongwoo,” Yoojin says, only a little irritated but mostly confused, “I’m fine. I’m an S-ranker. This is a B-rank dungeon. Chill.”

Myeongwoo freezes like a deer caught in headlights, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry. This is… it’s my first dungeon, and you’re the first friend I can really remember making, and I was worried…”

Yoojin sighs through his nose and then slaps Myeongwoo on the shoulder playfully, careful with his strength. He gives the man a reassuring grin. “I get it. Don’t worry about me, though. I won’t let you get hurt, and I don’t plan on getting injured, either. I’ll get you out of here soon enough, and we’ll both be just fine.”

“Aren’t you coming with me?” Myeongwoo blurts immediately, somehow reading in between the lines.

“I have some things that I need to do before I can go back home.” Yoojin says after a long pause, feeling pressured by Myeongwoo’s hangdog look. “Listen, I promise I’ll be okay. But I really don’t have a choice in this, and it’s for good reason. I just can’t… tell you why, exactly.”

“That’s okay.” Myeongwoo says, but seems a bit disappointed Yoojin won’t tell him why. He looks like he does understand, however. “I’m sure whatever you’re doing is important. It must be why I haven’t heard about a new S-ranker in Korea, yet. You seem to have a good enough handle on your skills, so you must have awakened a while ago.”

Technically I awakened either about… two weeks or five years ago, take your pick. Yoojin thinks to himself, bemused. Either way sounds unrealistic. 

In response, Yoojin says nothing. Myeongwoo seems to take this as confirmation of his theory, and nods to himself. “I will keep quiet about you, Yoojin. And I won’t tell anyone about those hunters who tried to trick me. Your secrets are safe with me.” He says solemnly.

Yoojin pauses to stare at Myeongwoo wide-eyed. “You don’t have to go that far. It must seem pretty strange to meet an unregistered S-ranker in a B-rank dungeon. Especially after being swindled into an illegal dungeon raid by those guys, and watching me kill them. I wouldn’t begrudge you reporting me.”

It would really complicate things though. Yoojin muses, conflicted. If I hadn’t taken Myeongwoo into my pack, I would have just killed him too so that there was no one who knew I’d killed other hunters. In the past, I would have. But I can’t do that, and I never would… Myeongwoo is one of mine now.

S-rank instincts were really quite possessive, weren’t they? Yoojin hadn’t noticed it so much before this. But the distance from Yerim, and more importantly, Yoohyun had him feeling heartsick and sad. Knowing he’d have to send Myeongwoo away after this dungeon opened up a pit in his stomach the closer they got to the boss room. Yoojin wasn’t looking forward to returning to the isolation of Safe Haven. 

“I will wait for you, Yoojin.” Myeongwoo declares with large, watery eyes. “I’ll work very hard to reach level ten and to sharpen ten thousand bladed tools! All thanks to your faith in me, I feel more determined than ever before! I’ll unlock my skill by the time I see you again, I swear it!”

Yoojin stares blankly at Myeongwoo, taken aback by the fire burning in the tall, skinny F-ranker’s eyes. There’s a will there that hadn’t existed when Yoojin first laid eyes on the newly awakened hunter. It’s almost inspiring to see. It’s also a little bit… much. But Yoojin believes in Myeongwoo. If he says that he can do it, he’ll do it. 

“I believe in you, buddy.” Yoojin says supportively, slapping him on the shoulder with a smile. “I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you can do!”

“Yoojin…” Myeongwoo’s voice trembles, touched. His eyes fill with tears. “I won’t let you down!”

Yoojin shakes his head, smiling fondly to himself. His aura brushes against the boss monster finally, and he takes a moment to examine it. He wouldn’t have much of a problem with it, although the fight might take a little while. He was confident in his skills and his ability to protect Myeongwoo. The appearance of the boss chamber as they continued to walk had Yoojin’s heart dropping to his feet with every step.

He’d have to say goodbye to Myeongwoo soon.

Yoojin is proven right sooner than he would have liked. The boss, an A-rank lycanthrope type, inevitably falls at his feet after a decently challenging fight. Myeongwoo emerges from his hidey-hole as Yoojin drops the protective barrier he’d thrown up around him. The two of them talk a little more as Yoojin extracts the stone and checks his dungeon drops, pleased by the loot, and then separates it so that he can give some to Myeongwoo. The man had been down on luck and money before entering the dungeon, so it was worth giving up some B-rank mana stones. Myeongwoo would need them to make his rent and to buy enough tools as well as a sharpener for his difficult task.

As they approach the exit portal, Yoojin is in the midst of lecturing Myeongwoo. “Do not go looking for jobs with any old guild. Do your research. Start triaging guilds you can work with after you awaken your blacksmithing skill and what they have to offer. You’ll be the first and only hunter with a skill like that, so think carefully about what your terms will be. Consult the association while looking for raids that’ll get you by in the meantime so you can work on leveling up, but be cautious. Don’t give the association too much information. Keep some cards close to your chest.”

Myeongwoo nods, taking Yoojin’s advice very seriously. “You are very knowledgeable about these things, Yoojin. I am very grateful for the advice.”

Yoojin blushes at the praise, forgetting what he’d wanted to say next. “It’s nothing. I’m just giving you some final advice before we part ways, is all.” He tries to play it off. He fails spectacularly, because really, he does want Myeongwoo to be successful and hopes that he’ll take his advice seriously because it really would help.

“You’re too kind, Yoojin.” Myeongwoo says as they stop beside the portal. The magic brushes along their skin, nearly sentient. Myeongwoo looks very sad. “I hope you’re not gone for too long. I don’t want to wait very long before seeing you again.”

Yoojin rubs the back of his head, finding it hard to meet Myeongwoo’s eyes. “I hope it won’t take very long. That would be inconvenient, wouldn’t it?” He responds, seemingly uncaring. 

Myeongwoo, once again, proves he can see right through him. He pulls Yoojin into a hug, and it’s so unexpected that it has him stiffening in shock. Myeongwoo doesn’t let go, and Yoojin slowly relaxes into the hold, bringing his arms up. Myeongwoo really is a tall man, with long arms, too. Yoojin is the one to break the hug after a few moments, stepping back, ears red. 

“I’m really glad I met you, Yoo Myeongwoo.” He admits, feeling embarrassed about his honesty. “If I’m being honest… you’re my first friend, too.”

It was the honest truth. And wasn’t that sad? Yoojin’s whole life had been dedicated to Yoohyun. When he’d lost him, he’d had no one. Thirty years old, no family, no friends, no partners to speak of. And then the public turned their backs on him too. Social outcast, Han Yoojin, reporting for duty. Yoojin had no idea how to navigate having an actual friend, especially someone as genuine as Myeongwoo. He looks at the F-ranker’s bright smile and watery eyes and is hit by another wave of fond exasperation. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“I’ll see you soon, I hope. Bye, Yoojin.” Myeongwoo says, wiping his tears away unabashedly. 

“Sooner than you think.” Yoojin promises, hoping it isn’t a lie. “Bye, Myeongwoo.” 

He would like to see Myeongwoo again. And Yoohyun. And Yerim. The realization has a small, shy smile growing on his face as he waves back at Myeongwoo, who blows his runny nose from all the crying he’d done into his shirt as he finally steps into the portal. Yoojin giggles softly under his breath as loneliness begins to settle over his shoulders like a heavy blanket. 

Myeongwoo will be okay. Yoojin muses with a wry twist to his lips, thinking back to the F-ranker’s status window and what he’d seen there. It had caught him even more off guard than the blacksmith skill, considering his current rank. 

That guy… S or SS-rank, huh? He must have really not had an optimal awakening… I hope Promising Sprout gives him enough of a boost that he can reach his potential sooner than later.

SS-rank Han Yoojin had found himself with quite an unexpected collection of powerful hunters, hadn’t he? If things continued in this direction, Yoojin might begin to think the isolation really was worth it. But he hoped it wouldn’t be too much longer until he could finally go home.

After all, to Han Yoojin, home always had been and would always be a person, and never a place.

Chapter Text

Really, he hadn’t expected his first solo S-rank dungeon raid to occur only a handful of days after meeting Myeongwoo.

Yoojin’s heart pounded against his ribs as he tripped out of an exit portal and onto the lush green grass of Safe Haven. He stumbled as he stepped, falling harshly onto his knees, clutching the precious bundle in his arms securely against his chest to avoid accidentally dropping it. The little creature in his hold, a C-rank baby fire manticore, let out a little kreeeow of concern. A sudden blast of hot air had their hair whipping around as the portal sealed itself shut behind them. The clean, cool air of Haven was such a stark contrast to the inferno of the S-rank dungeon that Yoojin curled in on himself, feeling as if he was about to cough up a lung.

His throat was dry, and it hurt to swallow. There hadn’t been much water to find in a dungeon that could be considered a furnace, filled with rivers of lava and air flow created by tornadoes of fire that would frequently blow past you. As Yoojin hacked and coughed, the baby manticore hopped out of his arms to crouch down at the river’s edge. It began to lap at the fresh water, tail flicking anxiously. Yoojin gagged as he pulled a few low ranked potions out of his inventory, as well as bandages. His ribs ached like a motherfucker and his shoulder hurt so bad he knew he must have dislocated it. Thankfully there were no open wounds to stitch shut, because Yoojin didn’t have the most steady hands at the moment, and any work with a needle and thread would not have looked pretty when he was through.

Yoojin half paid attention to the baby fire manticore as it began to assess their environment. It sniffed around, ears pressed back against its head, never straying too far from Yoojin. It had gotten attached pretty quickly, and Yoojin had barely even needed to ask it if it wanted to leave the dungeon it had been born in to come with him. The fire manticore had refused to unhook its claws from the fabric of Yoojin’s clothes, burying itself deeper into his hold in response, and that had told Yoojin everything he needed to know. 

Heaving for air, Yoojin’s eyes grew distant as he remembered.

The little creature had nearly been killed by its own kin as its fellow fire manticores, fully grown and fully matured, brawled one another to the death in a territorial dispute. There wasn’t much known about fire manticores at this point in time, at least, as far as Yoojin could remember. The future hadn’t gathered much more information about their behavior either. But, Yoojin did remember that the species had been determined to be pretty solitary.

This S-rank dungeon had proven as much. It had been a little jarring to watch nature play out, even for him. Yoojin guessed that he could relate to feeling territorial though, as his new S-rank instincts were very much so. Seeing as fire manticores tended to only exist in S-rank dungeons, unlocking the same status when they reached full maturity, it was no surprise that their behavior was downright feral when it came to defending their territory. Yoojin had paused to look for openings and formulate a plan before jumping into any fights with the fire manticores, and this had been a wonderful working strategy, it turned out.

The creatures were very intelligent, very powerful, and very possessive.

One of the reasons that S-rank dungeons were so difficult, aside from having such high ranking beasts, was because they operated differently from other dungeons. Lower ranking beasts tended to stick together in groups, using the weaker ones as bait, and that was how lower ranked dungeons were expected to play out. However, beasts like the fire manticores regarded any other creature that approached them on their territory as a threat. At their lowest level, fire manticores were ranked at a C when young, and then jumped to S-rank when fully matured. A dungeon filled with a population of highly powerful, flammable, and possessive beasts like these creatures meant that every last one of the fire manticores had been born fighting. Subsequently, they would proceed to treat every consecutive day as a challenge until they inevitably lost a fight to a creature ranked higher than them.

This is the fate that had nearly befallen Peace, the baby fire manticore that Yoojin had saved.

He had stumbled across a den in his search for the boss monster, frustrated by his lack of success. Every creature he came across was so similar in strength and rank that Yoojin had decided that every beast in this dungeon was a boss monster on its own. He was getting sick and tired of the high level of difficulty, even being an SS-rank himself. The sheer amount of high level fights Yoojin had already faced in the hours he’d been inside the dungeon were exhausting to even think about. His only consolation thus far had been achieving unlocking a fire resistance skill, one that strengthened after every successful battle, and which would come in handy when he fought alongside Yoohyun in the future. 

Yoojin had hoped to take a break inside the den, as he’d felt the mana signatures of two high ranked beasts slowly fade away at almost the same time from within. He figured a couple of the beasts had perished while fighting one another. He could use the scents inside to cover his own before venturing back out, and take a breather in the meantime.

At least, that had been the plan. 

Things changed when Yoojin advanced deeper, curious to see the aftermath of the dispute. His beaten sneakers were silent as he moved with the shifting of the shadows, his night vision allowing him to see perfectly in the darkness. The scent of blood was thick in the air, as well as the smell of smoke. The oxygen also felt pretty thin, so the beasts must have been launching fire-based attacks, as well. Yoojin ran a hand along a stone wall, then withdrew it to rub his fingers together. They were black with soot, and he nodded at the confirmation of his theory. He could feel a weak mana signature up ahead, becoming more noticeable the closer he got to the center.

I don’t know what to expect, so I’ll need to be careful. 

He thought to himself, eyes narrowing as he mentally replayed his unexpected meetings with Yerim and Myeongwoo. 

This doesn’t feel like the mana of another hunter, though, or even a civilian…

Yoojin continued to venture forward, determined to bear witness to the truth. The tunnel began to open up, and then widened into a space large enough for two S-rank beasts to have had enough room to fight with little difficulty. Yoojin carefully picked his way over to where he could see the bodies of two massive monsters spread across the floor. Once Yoojin had determined he was close enough to where he could touch the corpses if he just reached out, he paused to analyze the scene. He had been correct in believing it was a territorial dispute, but not in the way he’d first pictured. The fight had been between a female fire manticore and a male of the same rank. 

The female fire manticore had been a mother protecting its cubs, and she had died doing so.

The auras of the two high ranking beasts must have drowned out the weaker signatures. Yoojin was still working on improving his sensory skill enough to be able to pick out individual, lower ranking auras when they were in such close proximity with high ranking ones. This dungeon was his first encounter with a situation like it. 

Aside from the corpses of the larger beasts, Yoojin’s keen sight easily picked out the sight of a litter of tiny maimed bodies behind their mother’s still form. They were unmoving, and Yoojin didn’t think even a monster could survive having lost that much blood. It was as if the male fire manticore had torn the babies to shreds with its teeth alone, and as evidenced by the deep gouges and marks on his own body, the mother had been both savage and unforgiving in her retaliation and in her desperation to save the last of her litter.

The only survivor watched Yoojin with huge yellow eyes, its ears pinned against its head, its little body trembling where it had pressed itself to its mother’s cooling flank.

“Oh, fuck.” Yoojin sighed, his heart hurting for the tiny monster. 

It was actually pretty cute, with a feline-like appearance and fluffy-looking orange and yellow fur. It glared at him, a little growl rumbling in its chest. It must still be only C-rank, with how young and small it appeared. Maybe it was only a few months old at the most. And it had just watched its littermates and its mother die in a bloody battle to the death. 

Maybe fire manticores are even more cat-like than was currently documented? Maybe the males kill the young just like male lions kill the cubs of other males, wanting to have the female in question carry their own cubs?

The baby stared at Yoojin, fear evident in its gaze, but unwilling to leave its mother’s side.

“You poor thing.” Yoojin whispered, feeling sad for the tiny beast. It stopped growling as it heard the empathy in Yoojin’s tone, almost confused by the lack of aggression. Yoojin crouched down, keeping his aura masked, making himself appear as non-threatening as possible. 

“I’m so sorry about your mom and your siblings, little one. You’re so, so brave. Aish, you must be so scared…”

The creature reacted to Yoojin’s words, mewling pathetically. Yoojin frowned, the sound tugging on his heartstrings. He couldn’t just leave the baby on its own like this, surrounded by blood and gore and the bodies of its deceased family members. For the third time since regressing, he blanketed his aura around a living creature, careful to leave only the impressions of comfort and safety. The little thing’s shaking lessened a bit, and it seemed far less afraid of Yoojin as his aura successfully did the trick. He took the opportunity to carefully approach, stopping when he was only a couple feet away. It would be best to let the tiny creature make the next move.

It watches Yoojin with twitching whiskers, its fluffy, fiery tail flicking nervously from side to side. Yoojin simply waits, patience personified. The little creature seems conflicted, and Yoojin thickens the feelings of reassurance in his aura. This seems to do the trick, as it slowly and cautiously steps forward. Its nose twitches as it sniffs the air and then it pauses, peering at Yoojin. It seems more curious than anything, now. 

It takes a final step forward, pressing its little wet nose against Yoojin’s outstretched hand. Heart soaring, Yoojin holds his breath as it rubs its cheek along his tattered jeans, sniffing his clothing. The baby scents him, and Yoojin discretely does the same as he rubs a gentle hand over the creature’s head and back. It melts into the touch, a weak, tentative purr building in its throat. The sound breaks and then starts up stronger when Yoojin scratches behind its ears and then under its chin, every touch feather light.

“Would you want to come with me, little one?” He asks, feeling intelligent yellow eyes peering into his soul. “I promise to keep you safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The tiny fire manticore lets out a kreeeow in response, pressing closer against Yoojin’s legs, practically climbing into his arms. Yoojin figures he’s gotten his answer as little claws poke at his skin, the baby burrowing itself into his hold. He gently and securely adjusts his grip, and the monster purrs louder, looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes. 

Ah, my heart can’t take this. Yoojin thinks, a sad little smile curling his lips. He rubs a thumb atop the fluff on the monster’s head, and it melts into the comforting touch. Yoojin stands up and begins the trek out of the cave, not wanting the creature to stay there any longer than it already had. The SS-ranker knew from personal experience how traumatizing it was to feel the life drain out from the body of someone you’d loved, and how lonely and terrifying it was to feel so alone with their corpse pressed against you. He didn’t want that for this little one.

As he walks, Yoojin is deep in thought. 

“You need a name, don’t you? I can’t just call you “little one” forever.” He muses aloud, and the small monster rumbles its agreement, licking Yoojin’s fingers with a raspy tongue. 

Yoojin’s eyes go distant as he thinks. Peace continues to purr, perfectly content in his arms. His aura had done a great job of stripping its fear away, layer by layer. It wasn’t right to leave a baby so frightened and alone after surviving something so horrific. It had been born and raised in a bloody inferno, a dungeon full of danger and fire. It deserved a little comfort and to have a fair shot at a peaceful life, too. It didn’t have to grow up fighting for its life every single day like the other monsters in this S-rank dungeon. It was still only a baby, still young enough to be able to adjust to a different environment than the one it had been born into.

If it really was willing to stay with Yoojin, to live with him in the tranquility of Safe Haven, the creature would get a taste of a more domesticated lifestyle. He wouldn’t just leave the fire manticore in Safe Haven after he’d passed the final trial either, unwilling to isolate him while knowing how bad it messed with one’s mind. So, that meant it would be coming back to Korea with him too when the time came for him to go home. Yoojin doesn’t think there had been hunters to achieve domesticating monsters in the past, but there was a first for everything, wasn’t there? He was certainly willing to try.

“Hmm, how about Peace? How would you like that name, little one?” Yoojin muses, turning thoughtful eyes on the baby manticore. It rumbles louder, stretching its neck to roughly lick Yoojin’s chin and rub their cheeks together, and he takes it as a yes.

“Then I’ll call you Peace from now on. We all need a little world peace, right?” Yoojin nods, decision made. He smiles down at Peace, and it mewls at him, satisfied by the choice. 

For the rest of the dungeon, Peace sticks close to Yoojin at all times. Yoojin is careful to keep an eye on the baby fire manticore, hiding it behind barriers when his fights get too dangerous. He’d allow the monster to drape itself like a scarf over his neck while they travel, or clutched him securely in his arms when he got tired. Yoojin doesn’t let a single attack slip through his guard, leaving the baby unharmed, and Peace’s loyalty to Yoojin increases with every fatal encounter they experience together. Peace had learned quickly that Yoojin was willing to put his all into protecting him, be it with his own body or with barriers, and as a result it grew quite attached. 

Yoojin kept fighting his way through the dungeon, uncertain how long he’d been inside. Exhaustion began weighing him down and had him growing sloppy during fights as time passed. He must have been at it for days now. The sky always remained a bloody crimson, so the passage of time was difficult to keep track of. He had run out of potions and pre-prepped food. Yoojin had resorted to cooking the flesh of the beasts he’d killed, and Peace seemed desensitized to that much, so he figured that was normal for fire manticores. They were carnivorous, after all. Yoojin also found himself splitting mana stones with Peace, who seemed pleased to partake in the treat with Yoojin. He figured it reminded the little one of eating with its family, as their current diet must have been pretty similar to what he was used to. Yoojin did cook the meat he ate though, teaching Peace how to light fires for him. 

The fire manticore, he had found out, loved being helpful to Yoojin. It was also very, very receptive to praise. Sometimes Peace would even show off with little tricks, unprompted, and help Yoojin finish off some of their weaker ranked opponents. It would preen when Yoojin cooed over how strong he was or praised his skills and intelligence. Yoojin thought the behavior was both simultaneously hilarious and adorable. It was also very indicative of its potential as a future S-rank monster.

Promising Sprout was helpful in determining this to be the case.

Yoojin was glad to have Peace by his side. The creature helped to distract him from his darker thoughts and kept some of the debilitating loneliness at bay. Yoojin had never been so exhausted or drained in his life. Fighting through hoards of high ranked beasts day in and day out had certainly taken a toll. His mana had never dropped as low as this before, even when he was an F-ranker with mana in the single digits. He felt nauseous and dizzy and downright sick to his stomach, and Yoojin struggled to even eat towards the end of the raid. The sight and smell of food turned his stomach. He did his best to keep Peace fed and taken care of, but even the little creature seemed increasingly concerned about his lack of energy.

This is what brought them back to the present, with Yoojin and Peace safe at last in Haven.

Yoojin finished off the last of his potions from the final dungeon drop, but the liquid sat heavy in his stomach, making him feel sick. He assessed his injuries, wincing as he prodded at his broken ribs, feeling the potions beginning to mend them. They wouldn’t heal all the way, but at least it would jumpstart the healing process by a few weeks. His next concern is his shoulder, which is something he is not looking forward to. He would have to set it without any help. 

He eyed up a thick tree, eyes narrowed in consideration and dread. Peace rubs itself along his legs, nearly tripping Yoojin as he hauls himself to his feet. He pants, out of breath from the seemingly simple action, his ribs aching and shoulder screaming at him. Yoojin decides to just get it over with. He approaches the tree, lines himself up, and jams his shoulder back into the socket. He bites his tongue, letting off a choked, cut off gasp as tears bead in his eyes. Blood runs down his chin, his canines having cut his tongue, and Yoojin spits before wiping his chin off with his forearm. Peace paws at his leg, staring up at Yoojin with wide, concerned eyes.

Yoojin is still gasping for air as he sinks to the ground, letting Peace climb onto his lap. His hands shake as he runs them along the manticore’s soft fur, seeking comfort from its presence. It helps Yoojin to ground himself. Despite being safe in Haven, Yoojin feels utterly spent from the days of nonstop fighting and the massive expenditure of mana he’d had to endure. He’d had his sensory skill active the entire time, too, mapping out the dangers around them. Yoojin’s mana had been in constant use, both as a consistent stream while scanning for mana signatures and in large quantities while fighting. His temples throb angrily as a result, and his vision swims in and out of focus. He can’t seem to focus very well, and he’s just so tired.

“Peace, ‘m just gonna… rest for a while, ‘kay? We’re safe here… just don’t… don’t go too far… if you wanna’... wander.” Yoojin tells Peace, but even to his ears, his voice is slurring. He half falls, half slumps completely onto his side, curling in on himself. Peace mewls in distress and refuses to leave, nestling itself into Yoojin’s hold. He weakly pets the monster, spots creeping into his vision. “‘M gonna… rest now… jus’ a little…”

Unable to stay awake any longer, Yoojin slips into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

When Yoojin awakens, dim light is filtering in through the branches of the forest. The air is thick with moisture, and the grass is wet and dewy. Distantly, he realizes that it’s early morning. The sun is just beginning to creep over the horizon, covered by a haze of fog. Peace is purring contentedly on his chest, still asleep, one of his ears flicking. Realizing the fire manticore must have stayed with him all night, a weak smile tugs at Yoojin’s lips.

Yoojin feels anything but well rested, despite how long he must have been sleeping.

His body feels sore and achy all over, his limbs heavy and unwilling to cooperate. When Yoojin tries to shift and throw aside a stick that had been poking into his injured side whilst he slept, his movements are clumsy and uncoordinated. He presses his lips together to combat a wave of nausea as he sits up, struck by a sudden dizzy spell that has him swaying in place, overwhelmed by vertigo.

“W-what the…” Yoojin slurs, voice weak. 

Something is very wrong.

Peace had woken up as Yoojin moved, mewling loudly at him. Yoojin pets him with shaking hands, murmuring barely audible words of reassurance, distantly alarmed by how slow and thick his thoughts feel as they come and go. It’s like his brain is wading through mud, and it’s even harder for Yoojin to focus now than it had been before he’d passed out. He blinked, and the sun had risen higher in the sky. Peace is now on a branch above Yoojin’s head, sharpening its claws on the bark, watching him intently. 

Yoojin found himself really struggling to keep track of time after that. 

He does remember opening his inventory to pull out a few S-rank mana stones. He crushes one up for Peace to chew on and attempts to bite into one himself. Yoojin had never experienced such an odd sense of displacement and… wrongness before. His thoughts slipped away like sand through his fingers. Distantly, he knew this was caused by the severe mana depletion he was suffering. Mana sickness was very serious, and it seemed that Yoojin was more susceptible to it as an SS-rank whose body had never been intended to withstand such power in the first place.

Yoojin blinked again, and the sun was high in the sky. It was maybe around mid-afternoon, now. Half the day had passed by, and Yoojin barely remembered any of it. He still hadn’t moved from his spot. Yoojin feels his heart race as he doesn’t immediately spot Peace, and he heaves a sigh of relief when he notices the fire manticore crouched nearby, delicately nibbling on a fish it had caught from the river. Noticing Yoojin’s eyes on him, Peace’s tail flicks in excitement. It picks a second fish up in its mouth and trots over to his side, dropping it on the ground, and pushes it closer to him with its nose. Finished, Peace sits down on its rump, waiting patiently.

“Good job, Peace.” Yoojin mumbles, stomach flipping at the mere sight and scent of the fish. He has to swallow down his nausea. “You can eat it. I’m not hungry.”

Peace lets out a stubborn krreeoooww, curling its tail over its forepaws, refusing to budge. 

Yoojin is struck by another wave of dizziness and decides it would be best to lay back down. Peace rumbles in concern as he does so, pushing the fish a little closer with a paw. Yoojin imagines his face turning green at the action with how sick he feels, the fishy scent hitting him hard. Shivers wrack his frame, but he feels gross. His entire body was drenched in sweat, his tattered clothes sticking to him. It’s clear that he’s very sick. The illness had progressed throughout the day, and probably will only continue to get worse.

“I’m really not hungry.” Yoojin tells Peace, apologetic, as he closes his eyes. He feels cold, and begins to shiver harder. “I’m sorry, Peace. I’ll try… try some… when I feel better.” 

It’s getting hard to talk again, and Yoojin begins to feel decidedly even worse. He had never, ever experienced anything like this. His energy reserves are so dangerously low that he wonders how he’s even conscious. Alarmed, Yoojin tries to focus long enough to meditate and naturally replenish some of his reserves, but it’s like scooping water with a sieve. His willpower isn’t enough to get him through this one. It feels as if his very essence is draining away.

Anything he manages to replenish dissipates just as quickly, his mana continuing to feed into the pack bond with Yerim, Myeongwoo, and Yoohyun. Yoojin imagines it would be worse if he’d used his key phrase on Peace, but he hadn’t attempted that yet. It’s a good thing he hadn’t, because he doesn’t know if his body would have been able to handle the draw of a fourth pack member in its current state. His reserves couldn’t even keep up enough for Yoojin to begin replenishing his own pool, currently. It’s like he’s operating on an empty tank, one with holes on the sides for each person he’d bonded to, the new mana spilling into the tank and then being sucked out too quickly for it to collect at the bottom.

His thoughts grow increasingly disjointed, and they don’t make much sense when he is coherent enough to focus on them.

Peace kneads its claws on Yoojin’s stomach, having listened to his earlier unspoken request. Instead of eating more, Peace had moved the fish carcass away when Yoojin’s eyes were closed. The fire manticore is acting strange, sniffing the air around Yoojin, nose twitching. The creature looked confused, cocking its head to the side. Peace flicks its tail, brushing the fluffy appendage along Yoojin’s arm, as if to comfort him. Its yellow eyes refuse to leave his face, staring intently at Yoojin as the world begins to spin around him.

“Thanks, Peace…” Yoojin says, and alarmingly, the slurring of his speech is growing thicker. His head is absolutely pounding, and he’s struck by a sudden, intense feeling of impending doom. His thoughts begin to spin and fly away, like leaves caught in a storm. Consciousness is coming and going like a flickering flame. He has just enough clarity remaining to reach for Peace, who had shot to his feet, yowling in alarm and placing his front paws on Yoojin’s chest. 

“Peace… stay… stay close…” Yoojin slurs, and then his awareness slips away, sending him into a freefall. 

The seizure strikes suddenly and without mercy. Yoojin’s body began to convulse, his muscles squeezing and contracting with a violent frequency. His mind spun with chaos and pain, his body seizing and spasming, far beyond his control. He vaguely registers Peace’s cries of distress, and can barely feel its fur pressing against his convulsing body. This touch is the only thing keeping Yoojin from drifting away completely.

It feels as if the seizure lasts for hours, but is realistically only a few minutes. Yoojin rides it out, gasping for breath as it subsides, left lying motionless on the ground. Everything hurts. His brain is all scrambled, tears running down his cheeks as his awareness slowly returns. Peace is purring in a desperate attempt to soothe him, and Yoojin can’t help but laugh weakly at the gesture. It turns into a sob as he realizes he had never felt so alone.

That had been absolutely terrifying.

There’s no strength left in Yoojin’s body, and he feels like a ragdoll. He weakly curls in on himself and hugs his arms over his chest, desperate for comfort, and Peace practically lays on his face as it tries to reassure him. Tears of vulnerability pricked at Yoojin’s eyes as he buried his face in Peace’s strangely warm fur, its naturally hot body temperature helping to soothe the chill that seemed to seep all the way down to his bones. He’d never felt such a loss of control over his own body before. He would never like to experience that ever again.

Something deep inside Yoojin, something he refused to acknowledge, whispers that it was inevitable. It would happen again. No matter how hard he tried to prevent it. For all that Yoojin knew he’d have to be even more careful about managing the levels of his mana reserves in the future, after finding out what would happen when he didn’t, it simply wasn’t feasible. He would encounter situations in the future that took more than he’d have in him to give. He would have encounters that would take everything he had left in him to survive, and he would be left vulnerable and terrified by the resulting extent of his mana sickness. 

He doesn’t want to acknowledge that he’d be having seizures caused by severe mana depletion, and it was simply a consequence Yoojin would have to come to accept. It was the price he had to pay in return for a second chance with Yoohyun. Yoojin knew that no matter how scared he was, he had no choice but to go into the more intense dungeons and future fights with the knowledge that his own body would fail him if he pushed himself too hard.

Han Yoojin was the only SS-rank hunter. That power had come with a price. There was always a balance to things; there was always a bad to go with the good. The world must maintain equilibrium. And Han Yoojin was never meant to carry such power within him. He was always intended to guide the more powerful hunters. It’s why he’d initially been a “caregiver” and not a “guardian.” The wish he’d been granted, to be able to protect everyone he cared for, came at the cost of his own health.

Yoojin could admit that, to him, it was still worth it. It was still a decision he would make if he was given a chance to make the same choice. He knew he had the power to protect Yoohyun and stand against other S-rankers with a sense of confidence and certainty. Yoojin just had to be more careful than the other S-rankers needed to be when it came to mana expenditure. Especially with an ability like Pack Bond, and with learning how to both fight and defend, using his mana mastery to do both while also buffing his comrades during battle. 

Yoojin is struck with a realization, then. This was why the System had sent him to Safe Haven. This was why they wanted him training, discovering his limits, growing without outside interference. Yoojin had a handicap that could prove fatal. A handicap he couldn’t allow anyone else to discover, lest they figure out how to turn his weakness against him. He couldn’t worry Yoohyun with a problem like this. Yoojin still had to prove to his little brother that he was every bit as capable as Yoohyun was, and that he could be useful to him. He could not let this affect any of his progress. He would have to learn how to work around it and avoid it in any way possible. 

Yoojin would have to learn how to manage this on his own.

Peace mewls in Yoojin’s face, tail lashing. Yoojin pats him on the head, hands still shaking, body still shivering. His face feels flushed and warm to the touch, and sweat beads on his skin. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Peace,” he apologizes.

Peace rumbles in response, licking the salty tears on Yoojin’s cheeks, obviously shaken by the seizure. Yoojin feels terrible for putting the baby manticore through that.

“You must have been so scared, little one,” he whispers, guilty. “...I was really scared, too.” 

It’s painful to admit out loud. It makes Yoojin feel exposed, and raw, like pouring salt into an open wound.

“I’ll do my best to make sure that it doesn’t happen often, if at all. I don’t think I’ll be able to completely avoid it though…” he trails off. He pats Peace in reassurance, and then laughs, voice bitter and resigned. “Thank you for staying by my side. You really helped me a lot. I owe you one, Peace. I bet you aren’t willing to trust me to protect you anymore after that, huh? God, I’m pathetic…”

Peace kreeows at him, tail lashing, sounding angry. Yoojin blinks, thrown by the response. “What?” he asks, confused. Peace growls, ears flattening against his head. “I really don’t understand. You couldn’t possibly trust me after witnessing that.” 

Everything about Yoojin screams “self deprivation.” Peace does not like this. The little creature swats his cheek, claws carefully sheathed, and Yoojin huffs. 

“Okay. Fine. Fine. You are as stubborn as the rest of them.” Yoojin retorts, frustration thick in his tone, thinking of Yerim and Yoohyun and Myeongwoo. Peace’s whiskers twitch as it sits back down, staring at him. Yoojin sighs, bracing himself for rejection, suddenly feeling frightened. He really loves Peace already. Would Peace still reject him? He wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

“Are you really willing to put your trust in me, Peace? Even after what just happened?”

Peace mewls, only the end of its tail flicking back and forth. It begins to clean one of its paws, content. It had given Yoojin its answer.

Congratulations, Han Yoojin! “Peace” is now attuned to Han Yoojin! Peace can now receive the benefits of “pack bond!” Peace’s growth rate has doubled! Time remaining: thirty two hours. Congratulations, Han Yoojin, on your fourth pack member!

Oh, fuck. God dammit. Yoojin really should not have done this right this moment, considering his current state of health. A wave of sickening vertigo sweeps over Yoojin, and black spots begin to appear in his vision, quickly bleeding away his sense of sight. 

The darkness wraps its hands around his throat, deceivingly gentle, and then it yanks him right back under.

Chapter Text

The days seem to pass slowly as Yoojin recovers from his mana sickness.

Peace doesn’t seem to mind the downtime, or the fact that Yoojin doesn’t appear to be feeling up to moving around too much quite yet. After the two seizures he’d had and the lingering disorientation and exhaustion that resulted from them, Yoojin had simply been resting. He really didn’t have any other choice. His body remained sluggish and uncooperative, and he had a high grade fever that he just couldn’t seem to shake. Yoojin still couldn’t find it in him to have much of an appetite either, which frustrated Peace to no end.

The little fire manticore had become Yoojin’s guardian and steadfast companion while he recuperated. Peace would scare off any curious animals that got too close and had seemed to designate itself as Yoojin’s… caretaker of sorts? For example, Peace was more than willing to fetch Yoojin anything that he asked for, be it fruits or plants. He’d go hunting for both of them too. Yoojin felt terrible making Peace take care of him when he’d promised the baby manticore it would be the other way around. Peace was stubborn though and would go out of his way to make things easier for Yoojin, even without being asked as much. 

Yoojin isn’t sure what he would have done if he didn’t have Peace around.

The little creature would return to Yoojin’s side frequently, as if to check on him. It would spend the nights tucked into Yoojin’s hold, thawing the chill he felt from the ever-present fever and easing his shivers. Peace radiated an unnatural heat that was just perfect for Yoojin to cuddle up to, fingers buried in the monster’s fur, seeking comfort in his physical presence. Yoojin didn’t feel embarrassed to be so visibly vulnerable around the little monster anymore, as Peace had already seen him at his worst and still deemed him worthy of his loyalty.

In return, Yoojin knew he would do anything for Peace. The fire manticore was one of his now, one of his pack members, and that meant everything to Yoojin. His possessive S-rank instincts flared whenever he thought about someone trying to take the little monster away from him. And so help him god, if the Association tried anything…

Well, Yoojin had already proven that he wasn’t afraid of getting his hands dirty back when he stepped in to save Myeongwoo. Not that anyone aside from Myeongwoo was aware.

Still, recovery was slow going. Most of the days passed in a haze, and Yoojin had to make it a point to increase his mana stone intake to hopefully replenish his depleted reserves. He was very lucky seeing that he now had plenty of S-rank stones, because he doesn’t think that anything B-rank or lower would have helped him much. Peace kept Yoojin company and shared every meal with him; a constant presence that also helped to stabilize his spiraling thoughts. 

Being sick and unable to do anything but sit tight and ride it out left Yoojin feeling more worthless and useless than ever.

He thinks of Yoohyun refusing to help him with medical expenses or healers when he broke his leg, and Yoojin feels sick to his stomach. This was an obvious trust issue that carried over from the past. He doesn’t think he could admit to Yoohyun any time soon that if he overdid it with mana expenditure, Yoojin could become a liability. Maybe he might not ever be able to gather up enough courage to admit to it unless there was realistically no other option. Yoojin didn’t want to be a burden. 

Never again would he be a burden to his brother.

Yoojin doesn’t know if he could tell Yerim or Myeongwoo, either. Even though they were under his custody now, having accepted Yoojin’s Pack Bond, Yerim was still young. And Myeungwoo obviously had plenty of his own difficulties going on. Yoojin would hate to be a bother. 

So as the days go by without anything to do but recover and think, Yoojin takes the time to decide what to do about all of his health issues. The topic would remain secret; known to only Peace and Yoojin, for as long as possible. Peace was content with this decision when Yoojin told him, tail flicking smugly, because the manticore had yet to meet the others who Yoojin spoke about frequently. It was quite pleased to have Yoojin’s trust in the matter, and proud to be elected the only one he’d be okay with knowing at all.

Yoojin had only bathed once in the last handful of days, as the activity was alarmingly draining in his current state. The water was always a nice temperature seeing as it was warmed by the sun, but to Yoojin’s feverish body, it felt like he was taking an ice bath. He had shivered so dramatically as he waited for his clothes to dry out that Peace had practically smothered him. The little monster had proven its intelligence as it ran around and frantically gathered kindling into a pile and then lit a fire, pawing wildly at Yoojin until he huddled around the source of heat with a grateful, disbelieving smile.

Yoojin still couldn’t wrap his head around why Peace was so attached to him. He really wasn’t anything special. Yet the creature stuck around, was willing to listen to Yoojin talk expressively about anything and everything as he did whatever he could to keep his mind occupied, and remained a constant presence. Yoojin thinks he really would have lost his mind if he hadn’t decided to rescue Peace from the S-rank dungeon. Maybe Peace would have died there. 

Maybe Yoojin would have died here, unable to fend for himself during the worst of his illness. 

Yoojin doesn’t know how many days passed before he finally began to venture throughout Haven again, this time with Peace trotting alongside him. His fever broke, and his mana reserves grew enough that Yoojin wasn’t wary about expending enough mana to at least check on his other Pack Bonds. Yoohyun’s emotions always left Yoojin feeling guilt-ridden and worried. Yerim left him feeling exasperated and happy about her excitement. Myeongwoo was a little hard to read, but there was so much determination and exhaustion there that he figured the F-rank was working hard to unlock his SS-rank skill. 

Yoojin still wasn’t willing to do anything more than check his pack bonds using his mana, for fear of dipping below the line he’d mentally drawn in the tank containing his mana pool. He had plenty more time to waste as he focused on completely replenishing his mana. Yoojin spent this time snacking on mana stones and easing back into his physical training. It felt great to be moving around again, even if he did get tired faster than he had before.

Physical training involved running, climbing, and also the rehashing and polishing of Yoojin’s yongmudo knowledge. His parents had enrolled both Yoojin and Yoohyun in the martial art when they were children, but Yoojin’s career in sports had ended abruptly after their parents’ deaths. He’d made sure to work hard enough to ensure Yoohyun could continue, though. This meant Yoojin had been fifteen when he quit, with ten years of experience under his belt. When the gates first appeared and Yoojin had been drafted, he’d also been given the chance to continue yongmudo training while in the army. Yoojin had accepted, so he was confident in his movements whilst he practiced. Peace would sit on the sidelines and observe, perched in the trees, ever watchful and curious.

As Yoojin regained his physical strength, his mana reserves continued to slowly replenish. The day that Yoojin finally determined he was stable enough to begin training his mana again was a really big deal to both him and Peace. Yoojin was extra cautious about his output, and Peace watched him like a hawk. The little monster only began to relax when Yoojin got bored and brainstormed games for them to play together. He used his mana manipulation as a focal point to keep them both entertained while also doubling as training for Yoojin.

Yoojin would make obstacle courses for Peace out of sheer mana, and the fire manticore was quick to show off its agility. After praising Peace with cheers and forehead kisses that had the monster purring and wriggling in happiness, Yoojin switched it up a bit. He would take to the air using his barriers as footholds, while also doing the same for Peace simultaneously. The two of them worked for hours at a time to maneuver around and with one another while airbound. 

Yoojin had been elated to discover his ability to unconsciously make these footholds for more than just himself. All he had to do was lock onto Peace’s mana signature, familiarize himself with how it naturally ebbed and flowed, and his mana would do the rest. It didn’t even take any extra effort on Yoojin’s part, aside from providing a steady stream of mana through the Pack Bond to Peace.

This hadn’t been a flawless technique in the very beginning, but Yoojin was very proud of their progress and how far they’d come in such a short time.

As Yoojin continued to recover, still remaining cautious of how much training he did and how much mana he used on a daily basis, he and Peace threw themselves even harder into their training. Yoojin made it a point to focus on their individual strengths, but he and Peace found themselves putting the most effort into their teamwork. They learned how to read one another through simple body language. Yoojin began to attempt joint attacks with the fire manticore, and also began to work out different tactics they could use when fighting together. Peace was a receptive listener, at least when it came to Yoojin’s requests, and so they very quickly became a powerful team.

Yoojin had even learned another new skill with his mana. He’d based it off of the ranged fire-based attacks Peace was practicing. Yoojin taught himself how to superheat his mana into what was almost a plasma, sending it at his target with a wave, and incinerating the intended recipient as a result. Yoojin had given Peace extra scratches and a higher ranked mana stone with his dinner that night as a reward for helping him come up with the idea. 

It felt really amazing to have a partner to fight alongside as well as one you could trust to watch your back. Every single day, Yoojin found himself becoming more and more grateful for the little fire manticore’s entrance into his life. Peace’s stats and skills were also increasing at a rapid rate, and Yoojin began to suspect that the C-rank monster may find itself maturing sooner rather than later. Peace was thriving from the training it did with Yoojin. Yoojin was proud to be able to have played a role in Peace’s growth.

Yoojin’s own skills and stats grew at a pretty average rate. He figured that with his handicap and his own rank already being more powerful than the current top ranks, otherwise known as the S-ranks of the world, it was yet another restriction he would have to accept. That didn’t mean Yoojin was disheartened though, seeing as he had plenty of things going for him already.

His legendary buffs were still hard to wrap his head around, even in practice, when he used them on Peace. The wide-eyed look the two had shared when Yoojin buffed Peace before an attack skill, and consequently the monster had destroyed some of the cliffside with ease, had been nearly comical. Yoojin was glad to be so helpful to his comrades, boosting their own strengths in battle. Because this meant that even if he couldn’t do much else, he could at least call himself a good “support” hunter. 

If it meant he was useful in some way, Yoojin was content.

They had come to a point where they couldn’t progress any further while remaining stuck in Haven. The System had been silent since the day Yoojin had met Yerim, even throughout his illness and his recovery. They had warned Yoojin that they were spread pretty thin, but this seemed a bit excessive. It had been quite a long time, after all. 

Even Peace was going stir crazy. It had grown up in such a chaotic environment that Yoojin wasn’t too surprised by this reaction, however. The two of them had begun to patrol Haven in their downtime with a sort of restless, nearly primal energy. Their predator instincts were unsettled by the lack of challenges to be found in Haven, and they could only spar against one another so many times before they got tired of predicting one another’s movements. This wasn’t difficult when you took into account that Peace and Yoojin spent every waking moment with one another, and nighttime wasn’t any different. They knew one another damn near inside and out.

Yoojin could admit, both to Peace and himself, that he needed some action. There was an itch beneath his skin. A restlessness in his thoughts and actions. It was, almost, a sort of trapped-animal feeling. SS-rank instincts were really quite difficult to ignore.

And then, finally, the System decided that it was time to contact Yoojin.

He and Peace had been sprawled on their backs in a meadow, watching the tall grass sway in the gentle breeze. Lazy clouds rolled overhead, and birdsong resounded from all around. It was all so insanely peaceful that Yoojin simultaneously found himself both loving the natural beauty while also wanting to claw his skin off. Yoojin had been in Haven for quite a long time now, but he was still unused to existing alongside such peace and tranquility. It felt unnatural, and the more time he spent away from dungeon raids, the more manic his thoughts became. 

The chaos and danger of dungeons was something that Yoojin was familiar with. He knew what to expect in a dungeon; he knew that he had to have his guard up at all times, and be prepared for anything. He was used to the challenges and struggles and even thrived in that environment. The feeling of safety that Haven had granted Yoojin felt artificial and fake. It made his skin crawl and he couldn’t bring himself to relax completely. He was always worried that the moment he finally did drop his guard would be the moment he failed to react in time to a threat. Maybe that was the trauma talking, though, because Yoojin was nearly one hundred percent certain there was never going to be a creature in Haven that could hurt him. Not with Peace by his side and the System’s promise of giving him Haven as a sanctuary.

Yoojin wanted to get the fuck out of here. Even if he couldn’t go home. He’d take a freaking F-rank dungeon right now if it meant getting away from the tranquil atmosphere of Haven. 

His eyes widen in surprise, as just when he thinks this, he hears a message notification chime in his ears and a chat box appears in front of his face.

{Sorry about our extended absence, Honey! We have been very busy making sure you were safe in Haven while you recovered. Oh, hold on-}

The chat box disappeared, and then Yoojin was listening to the disembodied voice of the cheery admin.

“Sorry about that! Like I said, we’ve been busy. I take it you’re feeling better, now? I apologize that we didn’t warn you about the specific side effects your ranking would have on your body, but we really had been short on time when you first arrived here. Are you feeling okay?”

Yoojin sits up and supports himself with his arms, shrugging his shoulders. “I feel great, now. I’m ready to get back to dungeon raids, too. I probably also wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me it would be that bad, back then. Finding out accidently wasn’t exactly fun, though…” He trailed off, frowning. 

He is reminded of the feelings of helplessness and terror before and after his seizures. Even if he had known about what could happen before he’d experienced it, nothing would have truly prepared Yoojin for that. Hearing about it and living through it were two wildly different situations. Reality was so much worse.

“That is understandable.” Says the monotone admin. “We have seen your progress. The fire manticore seems to be a great companion to you. We haven’t even explained all of the goals set for you, and yet you have already been making steady progress. It is quite impressive.”

Yoojin scratches his head, staring at Peace. The fire manticore is staring back with half-lidded eyes, paws tucked under its body. It doesn’t seem to hear the admins and had written off Yoojin’s dialogue with the air as unimportant, seeing as it wasn’t directed at Peace. 

“Yeah, Peace is a great teammate. They’ve gotten very strong in a short amount of time. I’m very proud of them.” Yoojin says, and Peace preens at the praise, uncaring still that Yoojin wasn’t speaking directly to it. Yoojin did talk to himself a lot, didn’t he? Maybe that was why Peace was unbothered. Yoojin really was losing it here.

Yoojin is curious about what the System had inferred, though. 

“What goals did you have in mind? Obviously, I have to help you guys fight your, uh, family. And you’d said I had to figure the rest out on my own, so I guess that’s just kind of what I’ve been doing…”

“And that’s exactly what we’d hoped for!” The cheery admin reaffirms, sounding excited. “You know of our advice to pay attention to your title of Elite Guardian. You are really a key player in alllllll of this. You alone are able to make the other S-ranks even stronger. You’re also the only one capable of picking out potential S-ranks, and be able to buff them adequately as well! You’ve shown us that you can find a diamond in the rough, as so far, you’ve already found three without much direction on our part. You need to collect as many S-ranks as possible, earn their loyalty, and work cohesively with them to be able to defeat our family, honey. So we’ve been very happy with your progress!”

Collect S-ranks? Like… pokemon? Gotta catch ‘em all? Yoojin wonders, amused, and a bit overwhelmed. 

He knew that S-ranks were publicly touted as being pretty narcissistic and possessive. He knew that they had a high amount of self interest and self importance driving their motivations. Yoojin himself was an exception, likely because he was never intended to be an SS-rank. Yerim had been a sweetheart to him though, and Yoohyun had always been a sweet kid… Of course, Yoojin had seen a different side of him, had been pushed away by that side for eight years and left feeling worse than the dirt on his boots, but he knew that Yoohyun cared enough to fight for him, at least. Myeongwoo was also a unique case, and Peace was still so young…

Yoojin doesn’t think it would continue to be as easy as it had been.

“You will need to be careful with managing your energy in the future, especially as the number of people under your custody increases. Although, you must already be aware of this,” the cheery admin cuts into his deliberation.  “Honey, you need to collect as many S-ranks as possible, and be able to get every one of them to work together during a fight. It’s going to be very difficult, but you’ve shown us how promising you are as an individual. You have a strong willpower that we’ve never seen in a potential Guardian before. You’ve gotten further than anyone else has managed thus far. I think you’ll be able to succeed.”

“You haven’t completed the final trial yet, though.” The monotone admin butts in, and Yoojin’s brief hope is stamped out. “We have decided that we will be observing how well you can command and work with the fire manticore you call “Peace.” Now that you’ve recovered, you are to commence dungeon raids once again. This will continue until you reach a point that satisfies or exceeds our expectations of you. Does this sound agreeable to you, Han Yoojin?”

“Yes!” Yoojin blurts, before flushing in embarrassment.

Peace jumps, startled, tail standing straight up. Yoojin whispers a quick apology before responding to the admins. He’s practically vibrating in excitement as well as nerves, reminded of the weight of what he must achieve.

“I’m agreeable to this. One hundred percent.”

I can’t wait to raid dungeons with Peace. I’m so excited to see how we actually fight together as a team against other monsters. I can’t wait to see how much growth Peace gets from the dungeons. I can’t wait to try out my new skills!

Yoojin feels like it’s Christmas morning. This is simultaneously some of the most terrifying and yet promising news he’d gotten in ages. Or maybe he was just easy to please. Most hunters would be scared at the prospect of having to clear dungeons almost on your own, while being both watched and hunted by transcendent beings. Yoojin had really been losing it the more time he spent in Haven, though, so he thinks his desperation for a change of scenery must be dulling the distant fear of failure. 

“Your enthusiasm is duly noted.” The monotone admin intones. “If you have no questions, we will be going. Our time is short today as well.”

Yoojin shook his head, indicating he had no questions. 

“Best of luck to you, dear!” The cheery admin responds. “We will try to ease you back into the unregistered dungeons. Your recent illness and the age of your fire manticore must be taken into consideration. We cannot completely promise a slow reintroduction as much as we’d like to, but we’ll do our best. Take care, honey!”

The voices faded away after their goodbyes, and within moments a portal had opened up in the clearing. Yoojin’s heart begins to race in anticipation as he smoothly rolls himself onto his feet. Peace’s tail is fluffed out in alarm, gazing between Yoojin and the portal. Yoojin smothers a laugh into his hand before taking pity on the young monster.

“I have a mission I’m currently working on. It’s how I first met you, remember? I need to clear the dungeons alone.”

Peace interrupts him with a yowl, placing its body in between Yoojin and the portal. Yoojin feels a little touched. He runs a reassuring hand down Peace’s back, and the little monster arches into the touch.

“I wasn’t planning to go without you. I actually just got permission to clear dungeons with your help, Peace. That’s only if you want to help, though! You can say no. I’ll be fine on my own, and if you don’t want to, that’s okay!” Yoojin’s words are rushed towards the end, his nerves evident. He still doesn’t handle the thought of rejection very well, but he’d never force Peace into doing something it didn’t want to do.

Peace mewls in response, suddenly docile, and Yoojin gives the creature a big smile. Peace preens under the look, proud for having caused Yoojin’s smile and the softening of his expression. The monster clearly wants to go with.

“You’re the best, Peace.” Yoojin says, laughing, and Peace jumps into his outstretched arms. Yoojin scratches its head before Peace clambers up onto his shoulders so that Yoojin’s hands would be free. Yoojin cracks his knuckles, smirking a bit, his eyes flashing with a glimmer of nervous excitement. 

“I can’t wait to see how much stronger we’ve gotten.”

Yoojin and Peace enter the portal, ready to reap the fruits of their labor.

It turns out, Peace and Han Yoojin were a truly formidable team.

They blew through the lower ranked dungeons with ease. They even picked them clean afterwards, scavenging for any and all possible drops and mana stones to add to their growing collection. The harder dungeons did offer a bit more of a challenge, but they also hadn’t been sent to any dungeons over A-rank since they’d teamed up. The System seemed to be doing their best to limit the difficulty, probably trying to avoid pushing Yoojin quite so hard after having seen the results of him bleeding his mana just about dry.

Yoojin and Peace fell into a routine. The days were a constant blur of training and raiding and any free time that they had was spent hunting or bathing. Yoojin’s clothes were going to be a lost cause by the time he’d returned home. Actually, they were a lost cause a long time ago. He probably looked like an absolute bum. His hair had begun to grow out a little messier, and Yoojin had felt homesick when he’d stared at his reflection and realized it looked more like Yoohyun’s hairstyle now. His skin had gained a nice golden tan from all the time spent in Haven, with its clear skies and sunshine, rather than the almost sickly white pallor Yoojin had grown used to seeing on himself. 

Before Yoojin knew it, he’d spent three and a half months in Haven.

He was confident in the use of his skills now, and had learned the extent of his limits and how to navigate around his weaknesses. Peace was so very close to full maturity, having gained experience in leaps and bounds. Yoojin was proud to say that he and Peace were great partners, and he had a lot more fun when he solo’d dungeons with Peace at his back. It was nice to have the little monster around to talk to and partner up with. He was more confident in his abilities as an SS-rank than he ever imagined he could be.

Yoojin still missed his brother with every breath and every day that bled into the next. His nightmares refused to leave him be. He woke up with the feeling of Yoohyun’s blood on his hands, and Peace’s tongue on his cheeks as the fire manticore lapped away his tears. Days were spent in a constant state of activity simply to keep his mind from spiraling into dark places, while nights were spent in a horrific loop of feeling Yoohyun’s body slowly grow cold in his arms. 

The same baby that Yoohyun had raised, rocking him to sleep, had closed his eyes for the final time in Yoojin’s arms. He would never be able to block the experience from his mind no matter how hard he tried. Yoojin hoped that he’d have proven himself by now, so that he could finally go home and lock himself and his little brother away and not leave for days. Yoojin just wanted his brother back.

So of course, this is when things went really, really wrong.

The dungeon started off just like any other A-ranked dungeon. 

Yoojin and Peace decided to switch between who played bait for the monsters and who led the attack. Again, Yoojin had even found himself enjoying the little game the two of them regularly played in the dungeons. This dungeon was a labyrinth of tunnels that seemed to only go one direction: straight down, and took them deeper into the catacombs with every step. Yoojin could feel only a slight tingle of unease, which he brushed off as his overactive imagination. He still wasn’t great with dungeons that reminded him of the one he had killed Lauchitas in, so he figured that must be why he felt so uncertain and on edge about their surroundings. After all, these beasts weren’t the strongest ones he and Peace had fought together. Yoojin knew his limits, and he was certain they’d clear this dungeon with relative ease.

The dungeon was filled with large, fuzzy monsters that were triple Yoojin’s size and bore a resemblance to a bat. They appeared similar to mammal-like creatures with wings. They operated much like a bat would as well; using echolocation to track Yoojin and Peace before they’d attack them. 

Yoojin and Peace had taken the opportunity to hone their stealth skills, and had so far surpassed their own expectations of just how silent they could be as they navigated through the dark. Considering both of them also had an added benefit of night vision, they capitalized on this advantage as they snuck up on the A-rank monsters and subjugated them with increasingly different techniques. They tended to get a little competitive on raids, one could say. 

Blame it on Yoojin’s SS-rank instincts and Peace’s dormant S-rank instincts.

The raid had been pretty smooth sailing from the beginning, even if it did take a decent amount of effort to continuously subjugate large amounts of A-ranked beasts. Even S-ranks tended to clear A-rank dungeons with a raid team of the same strength, which evidenced just how large of a gap there was in between them and Yoojin’s rank being double a typical S-rank. Not to say that Peace wasn’t a great asset, because the little monster was the best partner Yoojin could ask for. He could not wait for Peace to reach S-rank as well. Raids would be downright exhilarating with the two of them wreaking havoc at full strength.

However, things had been moving along far too smoothly. Not only during this particular raid. No, things had been moving along too well for months now. Since the very day that Peace had been introduced to Safe Haven, in fact.

It begs to stand that this is when Yoojin’s life was once again turned upside down in the wide chambers of a dungeon’s boss room.

Peace and Yoojin now stood outside the large, ornate doors of this particular boss chamber. There are two torches lighting its surface; one on either side. Strange runes that Yoojin had never seen before are etched into the wooden structures. They glow from within the engravings; a sparkling gold color that seems to shimmer and move as you shift to peer from different angles. The air is heavy with something unnamed, and Peace is tense, fur standing up along the manticore’s spine. Yoojin feels something tickling him on the back of his neck.

It’s almost as if they’re being watched.

Something doesn’t feel right. The air is only growing thicker and more oppressive the longer that Peace and Yoojin hesitate outside the doors. Yoojin strains his ears and doesn’t hear anything from within, which further puts him on edge. The boss monster should appear in a manner similar to the other creatures they’d encountered in the dungeon. It should also be more powerful than the other monsters, but Yoojin has yet to detect an aura despite the odd tension in the air. His guard had gone up in response, mana simmering just below his skin. 

They cannot leave until the dungeon has been cleared. Yoojin knows this. It’s something he’d determined the System played a hand in. Yoojin could not leave a dungeon until it was completely cleared, and while Peace most likely could, he knew that the fire manticore would not leave him behind. Even if Yoojin begged him to go, Peace had shown time and again that he was loyal to a fault. This restriction had pushed the both of them past what they’d thought to be their limits countless times, only for them to survive and come out stronger than ever. It is a learned skill that would serve them well in the future. Much like the forty percent rule held in high regard by navy seals.

When your mind tells you that you’re done, you’re actually only forty percent done. There’s still sixty percent left in you.

Yoojin had been forced to accept this motto as the bottom line. Nine times out of ten, it truly was mind over matter. And Yoojin was someone whose mental willpower could awe even some of the strongest hunters. After all that he’d been through, and all that he’d experienced, well. Yoojin wasn’t one to give up so easily. His mental health may have suffered as a result of his trauma, but his willpower had yet to cave. 

He would survive. He would become stronger. He would never be a burden to those he cared about. Han Yoojin would survive this just like everything else that hadn’t succeeded in ending him in the past. This was just another test; another trial in which he had to prove to himself and to the System that they’d made the right choice when they picked Han Yoojin as their Elite Guardian.

Han Yoojin would not fail.

This is what gives him the strength to place his hands on the doors, exhaling long and slow. He eases into it before adding pressure, pushing the wooden structures open carefully. The doors creak and groan, but they open without issue. Peace stalks alongside Yoojin’s purposeful steps, and they enter into a large chamber. More torches line the walls at varying intervals, the flames a deep cobalt blue. It casts shadows along the walls that dance and flicker despite the lack of airflow in the chamber. There is nothing in the room, and Yoojin’s mana fails to pick up any signatures. They are entirely alone. 

And then the room suddenly brightens from below.

There’s a strange tug in Yoojin’s gut, and some obscure instinct begs him to look down at his feet. He’s met with the sight of a large drawing spanning nearly the entirety of the chamber. It’s beautifully depicted, with golden veins tracing the characteristics of the art. There’s outlines of massive, feathered wings stretching from wall to wall, eight in total. Many humanistic eyes line the edges of the wings, with one singular eye that appears to be much larger than the others located right in the center of the drawing. The hair on Yoojin’s arms and neck stand up as he locks gazes with the drawing on the floor, the feeling of being watched increasing along with the heaviness in the air. 

This is when Yoojin realizes that he’s choking, gasping for a breath. Peace is crouched on the floor, eyes wide and sightless as it stares at the drawing, its body trembling with a vicious intensity. Yoojin, too, discovers that he is shaking. The feeling of being watched had intensified rapidly and then completely overwhelmed them both within a single moment. This feeling had Yoojin and Peace both frozen in place, motionless, and unquestionably terrified. 

The comparison is similar to that of a helpless wood mouse staring up at the coiled form and bared fangs of a snake. 

The predator and the prey.

The torches flicker once more and then die out, leaving the chambers in near complete darkness, if it weren’t for the golden veins of the hyper-realistic drawing. Yoojin can’t seem to catch his breath. Peace is near catatonic at his feet, far more affected than Yoojin is by the presence that had suddenly surrounded them, likely due to the difference in ranking. Yoojin has to force himself into dragging in a quick, sharp breath to get some oxygen in his lungs. At the same time, he reaches down to scoop up Peace, clutching the monster protectively to his chest. Yoojin had to figure out just what was causing this sensation of terror; he couldn’t leave Peace unconscious and vulnerable on the ground, unable to defend itself. 

If Yoojin were being honest, this heavy, penetrating sensation was even more terrifying than the aura of Lauchitas he’d experienced back when Yoojin was only a weak F-rank. 

[WE FOUND YOU, GUARDIAN. YOU CAN RUN FROM US NO LONGER.]

The voice is so unexpected, and so, so loud that Yoojin stumbles and nearly falls. It rings from within his mind, beating against his skull. It carries a power and an authority to it that Yoojin had never experienced in his life, and had never imagined witnessing. 

It was the voice of a transcendent being.

And it was not a part of the System.

“W-who, wait, wh-what-” Yoojin stutters out. 

He’s unable to form a coherent thought as the drawing had suddenly begun to exude such a bright light that he can no longer see at all. Yoojin covers his eyes with an arm, burying Peace’s face in his chest to protect its eyes despite them already being closed. The entire chamber is lit from within, as if the sun itself had decided to manifest in this very spot. The light dies down, and Yoojin carefully squints his eyes open, his vision spotty. His aura begins to present itself in alarm, a sparkling silver haze appearing to wisp around his form. His mana was ready to attack or defend, whichever came first.

And then Yoojin looks up, and his heart drops to his feet.

The drawing itself had come to life. What had once been a terrifying, yet gorgeous piece of art was now embodied in flesh and blood. The wings of the creature created gusts of wind as it hovered above Yoojin’s head. The eyes seemed to all blink at different times, no two opening or closing when another did. The massive eye in the center of the monster was the only one to remain unblinking, and Yoojin finds himself unable to tear his gaze away. His surroundings disappear almost entirely, his thoughts narrowing down to a single focus point. 

This was a transcendent being. This was just one of the creatures, no, one of the gods that the System hoped for Yoojin to defeat. This was a being that tore apart worlds and world lines with the same enjoyment as a wolf sinking its teeth into the flesh of its prey. This was a creature that looked at Yoojin’s world, decided it had outlasted its existence, and then made the executive decision to begin its slow descent into becoming yet another one of countless eaten world-lines. This was a creature that could look at Yoojin, the only SS-rank hunter in existence on Earth, and regard him as if he was little more than a vaguely irritating mosquito. This was only one of the beings that Yoojin would have to subjugate with the help of the S-ranks that the System wanted him to gather.

Yoojin is struck, then, by a realization. This was why the System had told him to gather as many S-ranks as possible. This was why they had even had to seek out and choose an Elite Guardian in the very first place. This was why they’d concluded that the price they’d paid to grant Yoojin’s request for enough power and the ability to be able to protect those he called his to be a worthy expenditure. This was a being that would take an entire team of S-rank hunters, equipped with top-level gear and buffed with Yoojin’s Legendary level buffs, to take down. This was the reason that Han Yoojin had been chosen to be the System’s lynch pin; the reason why he had been chosen to be the driving force behind their opposition.

And yet Yoojin was caught, alone, motionless, and so terrified that he could not breathe as he failed to look away from the sight of such a… such a… petrifying and yet so breathtakingly, strangely beautiful existence. The wings shimmered with a golden aura, and each beat of the wings created dust of the same color that fluttered to the floor. The being had no mouth, no ears, and no limbs. It spoke directly into one’s mind, short-circuiting the neurons within the brain. It had a voice not meant to be heard by something as primitive as a human being. 

[WE WISHED TO SEE THE GUARDIAN OUR SIBLINGS HAD CHOSEN FOR OURSELVES.]

The being’s voice rattled Yoojin’s brain so badly that even his teeth ached. He stumbled again, his mind and body struggling to withstand the inhuman tone. Peace was drooling, lifeless in Yoojin’s arms, and his heart began to pound against his chest as he grit his teeth in furious determination. He could not falter here. Peace was counting on Yoojin to get them both out of this dungeon, safe and alive. He wants to go home to Yoohyun.

Han Yoojin will go home to his brother.

“Like… Like what you s-see?” Yoojin manages a weak smirk, despite the gasps of air he’s desperately trying to take. It feels like he’s breathing through a straw. 

Yoojin will not falter, and he will not give in. No matter what his odds were, he would be going home to his brother.

[YOU ARE BRAVE, FOR A HUMAN. OR MAYBE IT IS SIMPLE FOOLISHNESS.]

Yoojin feels himself drop to his knees, but he pays no mind to this. He tightens his grip on Peace, smirk still firmly placed on his lips, and continues to hold the many gazes of the transcendent. He’s still trembling from the sheer weight of the being’s aura, but does not allow it to deter him. He had to prove to himself, to the System, to this transcendent before his eyes that he could handle this. He could carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Han Yoojin would succeed. 

{Honey! We r so sor y, the y sli p ped past us!}

Yoojin’s gaze is only able to read the sudden message screen from his peripherals, as he was still unable to look away from the transcendent. He does take note of the typos, and confusion crosses his face. His hopes begin to rise, weak and flickering, but there. The System wouldn’t leave him to escape this being on his own, right? Not after all their talk about Yoojin making a team to be able to take them on, right?

The System doesn’t let him down.

{You need to ho ld on, H o n e y! We wi ll hel p, bu t you ne e d to b u y us some t i m e!}

Yoojin’s hopes flicker out, but he refuses to give up now. He gently maneuvers the unconscious form of Peace in his arms, so that Yoojin would be the one to be injured should they get hit. If the System wanted him to buy them some time, just so Yoojin and Peace could escape, Yoojin would make it work. He would do whatever it took.

Han Yoojin will be making it home to his little brother.

“I don’t think I’ve been called brave before.” Yoojin gasped out, still trembling on his knees. He’s fighting the pressure that’s pushing down on him. His mana is surging, visible to the naked eye, pressing back against the being’s aura. Yoojin’s smirk grew, though, his eyes flashing with something manic. “But I have been called stupid.”

[BRAVE MAY BE APT. YOU HAVE WITHSTOOD OUR PRESENCE AND REMAINED CONSCIOUS DESPITE CLEARLY BEING AFFECTED BY OUR AURA. YOU ARE QUITE AN ANOMALY, GUARDIAN. WE CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO LEAVE THIS PLACE, KNOWING THIS.]

Oh, shit. Yoojin’s smirk dropped, his eyes widening in recognition. Now they see me as a potential threat. Ah, fuck- 

Without warning, the transcendent attacked. Yoojin threw up a barrier, panic blurring his thoughts together before he managed to lock in. His barrier withstood the attack of sheer energy for only a few moments. It cracked first, in the next moment the damage spiderwebbed across the structure, and then the barrier was shattering like glass. 

Yoojin barely managed to dodge the next strike, the force of the blow reverberating in the air. He was still choking on the already potent thickness in the air and the energy surging throughout the room. The being’s massive amounts of mana beat against the mental shields Yoojin had erected moments before the transcendent appeared physically, and just in time too. 

He may have been as incapacitated as Peace was if it weren’t for his own ranking. That, and his past experience from being an F-rank; one who had faced all sorts of hunters and creatures during their career whose simple presence and aura could make him fumble and falter. Yoojin was a hunter who knew what it felt like to be the bug pinned beneath the microscope, and this was a feeling not many S-ranks were familiar with. It is what made Yoojin so unique and threatening to this being.

Yoojin’s mind raced as he tried to come up with a way to stall the transcendent long enough for him to be able to escape. This wasn’t a fight he could win through brute force alone. His barriers would only give him just enough of an edge to avoid the following strike. Yoojin doubted any of his attacks would do much damage to the being, and he knew better than to waste his mana trying. He did not need to leave himself weakened and in a vulnerable state to try and win a losing battle. If his barriers could barely hold out against a direct hit, the transcendent would probably shrug off any attacks Yoojin landed with minor injuries that would be treated as nothing more than an annoyance.

He would need to somehow outthink a being akin to a god. Yoojin channeled mana to his feet, taking to the air to be on level ground with the transcendent, and began a game of cat and mouse. The being countered his every move with ease, as if it seemed to know which direction Yoojin would jump in next, always a step ahead. Its attacks grew more intense with each passing movement, and Yoojin felt sweat run down his back. If a single blow managed to hit him, he would be down for the count. Yoojin used his mana to gain himself enough time to scramble out of the way, just barely slipping past a wave of pure mana, keeping a permanent barrier over Peace’s body still curled in his arms.

Just when Yoojin felt his muscles begin to ache and his head begin to pound, just when all hope seemed to be lost, a message screen appeared before his eyes.

{System interference is now active. Directive: Stall the transcendent and reach the exit portal.}

The words reawakened Yoojin’s dimming glimmer of hope. The System would not abandon him here. It had found a way to interfere and offered Yoojin a lifeline.

“We just need to hold on a little longer. A little longer.” Yoojin mumbled to himself under his breath, his voice strained. 

He narrowly avoided another strike, but the resulting debris rained down on him. Yoojin curled his body over Peace, still heaving for air, before rolling to the side to avoid another strike. Yoojin fought with renewed determination, knowing that soon enough, the System would open up a portal and hopefully help him stall the transcendent long enough to escape the boss chamber. He poured everything he had in to avoiding a direct hit, his lungs screaming for air, his head going dizzy from the lack of oxygen caused by the presence of the being.

Yoojin doesn’t escape unscathed from the next round of attacks, but not for lack of trying. One of the blows glances by him, not hitting him directly, but grazing Yoojin just enough to send him spinning through the air. He loses control of his mana, scrambling to orient himself past the explosion of pain from his right arm. His barrier had slowed the hit down, but it still shattered like the others before it, and Yoojin’s arm is most definitely broken.

This is the very moment that the transcendent’s movements began to slow down, as if someone had pressed a button on a remote. A portal opened up where the doors to the chamber stood, the familiar zing of magic cutting through the being’s presence enough to brush against Yoojin’s sensory skill. Swallowing down a grunt, Yoojin shifted Peace to his good arm and forced himself back onto his feet from where he’d hit the ground and rolled. He channeled mana into his feet again, the ground cracking from the pressure as Yoojin darted full speed at the portal, seizing the opportunity in full. 

The transcendent being shrieked in fury, a low, piercing sound reverberating throughout Yoojin’s skull. He didn’t look back, afraid to be caught in the penetrating gaze of its many eyes. Yoojin makes it to the edge of the portal, and he’s halfway inside when the creature’s final, slowed attack lands another lucky hit on him. It’s not a direct blow, just glancing past him like the last one had, but it’s enough to disorient Yoojin from the sheer amount of power packed into it. The edge of the energy wave picks Yoojin up off of his feet and ragdolls him through the air, sending him flying right through the open portal as it begins to rapidly decrease in size.

Yoojin’s mind goes fuzzy, his ears filling with a sound similar to TV static, and then the portal seals itself closed and sends him far, far away from the transcendent being. As Yoojin is sent crashing to the ground of this new location, a message screen forces itself directly into his line of sight. His vision is blurred from physical exhaustion, thankfully not mana exhaustion, but Yoojin finds himself struggling to stay awake nonetheless. Peace is still unconscious, but safe, in his arms. 

{You have passed the third and final trial, Honey! You’ve proven yourself worthy! So just hold tight, dear, you’ll be home with your brother before you know it!}

A sense of accomplishment washes over Yoojin despite the pain from his broken arm and the aching of his body. Finally. Finally, after three and a half months, he had succeeded. Han Yoojin had proven to a System made of insurgent gods that he was a worthy investment. That he was worthy of the title Elite Guardian. He had done it. He could finally go home.

Han Yoojin just wants to go home.

Chapter Text

The dungeon Yoojin had been teleported to was not active.

It seemed to be a large meadow, filled with lush aquamarine grasses and monsters that used the natural environment to prey upon the unaware. The sky was a strange muted purple color, with dark violet clouds. The trees looked as if they’d been sparse, and not very tall or thick. They almost resemble indigo cacti with their thorny appearance. It was overall a very strange setting, with colors that were quite unnatural. Yoojin thought the dungeon may have even looked beautiful, once. 

Before it had been upended by a raid party, it must have been gorgeous.

Now, it was a wasteland. The plains had been charred black by flames that burned as hot as a supernova. There were puddles dotting the landscape, though. Something had created large swamps of ashy mud that Yoojin had unfortunately been sent splashing into from the transcendent’s blow. He lay in one of these puddles, soaked to the bone, wondering why exactly things like this always happened to him. 

Peace was making small noises, its ears twitching occasionally. Yoojin hoped that meant the fire manticore was okay and would be waking up soon. The horrific aura of the transcendent had even had Yoojin struggling, so he was worried about the C-rank monster. He ran a muddy hand along Peace’s back in reassurance, uncaring about the mess. They were already thoroughly covered in the gritty substance as is. 

“We made it, Peace.” Yoojin whispers to the little manticore, still in disbelief. “I can’t believe we survived that thing…”

This is when Yoojin realized that he had yet to turn on his mana sensing. He had switched it off so that he wouldn’t be completely incapacitated by the transcendent, but now he was in a new location. In a dungeon filled with unknowns. A dungeon that had clearly been recently raided, if you considered the smoldering appearance of the environment. 

The purple sky hanging above his head was darkening with smoke. And yet, the air still felt damp. As if two opposing elements had both played a part in the destruction of Yoojin’s surroundings.

Before Yoojin can flip the mental switch in his head, there’s a sudden tug on two of his Pack Bonds. Curious, and a little alarmed, Yoojin tunes into his bonds. He’s met with feelings of shock, elation, urgency, and desperation from both of the two overactive bonds. These emotions are felt with such a visceral intensity that Yoojin almost physically recoils. One of the bonds carries a near feral edge to it, and Yoojin realizes with a jolt that it’s Yoohyun that he’s feeling. The other bond doesn’t carry quite the same edge as Yoohyun’s, but there’s a surge of stupefaction from it that has Yoojin pondering what has Yerim nearly as riled up as Yoohyun. 

Yoojin had also never felt the Pack Bond quite as intuitively as this. Actually, maybe he had. But that had been when his pack members were existing physically in the… same place… as Yoojin was… His eyes widen as he realizes what this could mean, stumbling to his feet, his mana sensing snapping into place as he activates the skill. 

Two S-rank auras slam into his mental barriers, and Yoojin feels his eyes begin to burn as he blinks back tears of disbelief. 

“Hyung?!”

“Ahjussi!?”

Twin cries meet his ears, and Peace stirs from within Yoojin’s hold. The fire manticore looked up, blinking slowly as it shook off the lingering dredges of its traumatic experience, before its eyes widened as it saw Yoojin’s expression. Yoojin didn’t know exactly what Peace could see on his face, seeing as he felt a little disconnected from reality at the moment. The edges of his vision were blurry with pain and exhaustion, but he almost couldn’t blink as he gazed at the horizon. Peace begins to growl deep in its chest as it registers the shouts, jumping out of Yoojin’s arms and into the mud, hackles raised and teeth bared at the quickly approaching strangers.

“No way, ahjussi, is that you-”

“Hyung?! Is that you-”

Just over the hill, Yerim and Yoohyun approached, moving at record speeds. Their faces are dual masks of distress and shock. Yerim gapes as she recognizes him, and in the next moment she’s quickly sliding down the hill on a ramp made of ice, her short hair blowing around her face. Yoohyun looks downright bestial in comparison, something wild and untamed lingering in the air around him, even from where Yoojin was standing. Concern began to tug at Yoojin’s mind as he noticed the unkempt look of his brother’s appearance; the disarray of his hair, the dark bags beneath his eyes. Yoohyun’s skin was pale and almost sickly, and he visibly seemed to have lost some weight.

Yerim, on the other hand, looked fantastic. She was dressed in a proper raiding outfit, outfitted with gear befitting an S-rank. She appeared to have gained some muscle, and her skin was glowing, as if she was now being well taken care of. These things evidenced how horribly her family had treated her in the past. Her eyes held a shine and a life to them that seemed to have lingered long after the day that Yoojin had watched that fire ignite from within her. She was moving with confidence and excitement, a toothy smile on her young face as she rapidly approached Yoojin and Peace. Yoohyun was running a few steps ahead of her despite Yerim’s use of her element, the raw desperation on his face growing more visible with every long stride that he took.

Yoojin noticed the very moment that the two of them caught sight of Peace.

Yerim grit her teeth, something protective flashing over her face. She raised an arm, clearly ready to launch an attack at the little fire manticore. Yoohyun, on the other hand, reacted in a much more dangerous manner. His eyes darkened, his expression grew into something terrible, and his hand raised in unison with Yerim’s. Frost began to form in the air around Yerim’s hand, and a few sparks quickly manifested into a blaze in Yoohyun’s palm. 

Peace stood their ground despite clearly recognizing that the two strangers were stronger than its current rank, but refused to budge. Instead the little monster stood straighter and growled even louder. It clearly seemed to have concluded that the two quickly approaching humans were their enemies, and figured that they were planning to aim their attacks at Yoojin. 

There’s a subtle flicker of disbelief deep within Yoojin as he realizes that the only reason Peace was unafraid to stand up to two S-rank hunters was because it had Yoojin at its back. Peace both refused to leave Yoojin to fight alone, and knew that Yoojin would do everything in his power to help Peace win said fight, without question. Its faith and trust in Yoojin was infallible.

It was a striking realization to come to at a moment like this.

Snapping back to the present, Yoojin felt a flicker of terror. He couldn’t allow his brother and Yerim to harm Peace, and he couldn’t let Peace attack them and make things worse. He could see how it would look from their perspective, but all parties had come to the wrong conclusion. Yoojin’s mana pool was still at a relatively decent level, yet he knew he’d have to act fast and block two simultaneous S-rank attacks after having been fending off countless blows from a transcendent being less than fifteen minutes ago. If you took into consideration his physical and mental exhaustion, he already knew he’d be feeling the effects of this action almost immediately. This meant that he’d have to make this a big enough statement that all three of his pack members stood down. 

Jaw clenching, Yoojin cursed under his breath, watching the elemental attacks close in on Peace, who refused to back down.

“Hyung, step back from that thing-”

“Ahjussi, move away-”

“Shit-”

With a deafening Bang! The attacks headed towards Peace impacted the barrier that Yoojin had put up just in time. The ground itself shook from the impact, the air vibrating with the recoil. The results are near instantaneous. 

Yoojin sways as his stomach roils with nausea, his ears ringing and vision spotting for a moment. He had put everything he had into that barrier, his statement loud and clear, even to two high ranking hunters like Yerim and Yoohyun. They both scramble to a stop a few feet away, Peace’s ears flattening against its head as Yoojin inserts his body in between the manticore and the two hunters. All three of them are watching him with wide-eyed looks of shock and confusion.

“D-don’t-” Yoojin swallows harshly, trying not to throw up, dragging his eyes across three familiar faces, “Yerim, Yoohyunie, you will not lay a finger on Peace, he’s my companion. Understood? Peace, Yoohyun is my little brother, and I’ve told you about Yerim-ah. Remember?”

Yoojin’s voice is thick with his expectations, and all three nod, thoroughly cowed.

Yoojin stumbles a bit, nodding to himself with a sense of satisfaction. He’d achieved what he’d intended to with that last bit. Peace yowls in alarm as it notices how unsteady Yoojin is. Yerim’s face tightens, and Yoohyun darts forward, panicked. 

“G-great, awesome, f-fuck-” Yoojin stammers, feeling sick. He loses balance after a sudden dizzy spell and drops to his hands and knees. He lands right in the middle of the mud puddle he’d been standing in, and then he’s throwing up onto the ground, unintentional tears stinging his eyes. 

Ah, he’d maybe overdone it a little bit.

This was nowhere near the level of mana sickness he’d experienced a few months ago, but Yoojin was almost certain that the nausea and dizziness would linger for a day or two. He spit onto the ground and dragged his arm over his mouth, annoyed at his weakness. Of course there would be no way to hide how exhausted he was, after having narrowly escaped a fatal encounter with a literal transcendent and living to not tell the tale. Of course he’d have to get sick right in front of two of the only people he could think of who might actually care. Of course Yoojin wouldn’t be able to play this off like he’d pictured he could in the past. Of course he’d be burdening both Yoohyun and Yerim the moment he’s reunited with them after months of being so far away. Of course.

“Hyung!” Yoohyun sounds so deeply worried about him that Yoojin’s heart aches. The younger Han drops to his knees beside Yoojin, uncaring of the mud, grabbing his face in his hands. “Hyung, what happened to you? Are you okay?!” 

Peace seems miffed, but had taken Yoojin’s words to heart. He jumps up onto Yoojin’s shoulders, eyes narrowed at Yoohyun. He’s no longer growling but his hackles are raised, distaste evident in his every action. Yoohyun is no better, baring his teeth back at the small fire manticore. Yoohyun is calmed quickly when Yoojin covers his brother’s hands with his own, though, his expression softening. 

“Yoohyunie.” Yoojin breathes, awe and relief thick in his voice. “Fuck, my baby brother, I really, really missed you.” 

His voice breaks at the end, but Yoojin pays no heed. He doesn’t even notice Yerim lingering hesitantly off to the side, her face painted with distress and uncertainty. Her gaze is pulled to Peace, who haughtily flicks its tail at her. The action earns the creature a half-hearted glare from the teenager. 

“I missed you too, hyung. So much.” Yoohyun responds without hesitation, his voice breaking at the end, also. 

And then Yoohyun’s expression tightens, and his gaze is heavy as he begins to ramble. Which, judging by Yerim’s stunned expression, isn't typical of what she’d seen from Yoohyun. It’s normal to Yoojin, though, who’d sat through all of Yoohyun’s rambling tangents and questions since he had first learned to talk. 

He’d missed this, too.

“Hyung, where have you been? How did you end up here in this dungeon? What happened to you? What have you been doing all this time? Don’t ever, ever do that to me ever again-”

Yoojin quickly finds himself growing overwhelmed, the world spinning around him. He shifts his grip lower, now holding tightly to Yoohyun’s wrists rather than his hands. His eyes squeeze shut as he prays for an end to the vertigo. It doesn’t stop, though, and Yoojin feels even more pathetic for it. He finds himself snickering quietly before responding, almost hysterical. 

“You should have- should have seen the other guy…” It’s funny, because Yoojin hadn’t done any damage to the transcendent. He couldn’t have done any damage to the transcendent, not on his own, if he’s being honest.

Yoojin swallows his laughter, his voice coming out quiet and nearly pleading now, begging for his brother to understand. 

Just this once, Yoohyun, please listen to me.  

“I couldn’t… I couldn’t leave until now. There were certain requirements set… it’s a really long, really complicated story… Just… I want to go home, Yoohyunie, please. Can we just go home? I’ll tell you eventually, I swear, but please- just, please, let’s go home?”

Yoojin is so tired and so, so drained. He hears the plea in his voice, he feels tears of exhaustion burning at the edges of his eyes. Peace begins to purr, attempting to soothe him, and Yoojin swallows down what could have been a sob. He feels raw and exposed; like his skin had been turned inside out, his emotions a total wreck. But his brother is here, and Yoojin can feel the warmth of his skin with his own hands. Yerim is watching worriedly from the sidelines, waiting for her own opportunity to speak with Yoojin.

Yoojin is only missing Myeongwoo, and then he’d have his whole pack with him.

“Please, I just want to go home.” Yoojin practically begs, opening his eyes to impress the vulnerability of his request onto his brother, and his expression must have sold his true desperation. 

Yoohyun’s eyes soften entirely, and he nods, his voice growing gentle and understanding. “Of course, hyung. I’ll take you home, okay?”

Yoojin nods rapidly, slumping a bit, hesitantly letting go of Yoohyun’s wrists. Yoohyun reacts quickly, pulling Yoojin’s exhausted form into a hug that has the older Han brother finally relaxing. He goes completely boneless in Yoohyun’s arms, letting his little brother catch him, his forehead falling into his chest. 

Peace jumps down from Yoojin’s shoulders and cautiously approaches Yerim, recognizing that he was in the way. The small monster stops at Yerim’s feet, sniffing her for a bit, then sitting down, seeming satisfied enough. Yoojin laughs weakly, and his broken arm lets out a shriek at the abuse he’d been doling out onto it. Yoojin simply bites his tongue, not saying anything. He doesn’t think he can walk out of this dungeon under his own power.

He’s so fucking tired. 

Yoohyun and Yerim seem to recognize this as well. Both of them raise their voices, offering to carry him. The quiet air is disturbed by a discourse of concern and irritation, their distaste for one another evident in the way they spoke. Yoojin wonders if Yerim had joined Haeyeon since she was here with his brother, and then he wonders why she had if she didn’t like Yoohyun much. That would be something to think about after he’d rested and ended this argument, though.

Yoojin raises his head with a little effort, his eyes narrowed at the two S-ranks. He’s frowning and upset. “That’s enough, you two.”

Both Yerim and Yoohyun pause, contrite. Frost was forming on the ground beneath Yerim’s feet, her eyes icy as she glared at Yoohyun. In return, smoke had begun to wisp around Yoohyun. Yoojin was not in the mood to be in the middle of this right now.

Yerim has her arms crossed defiantly. “Ahjussi, I can carry you if you’re tired!”

Yoohyun isn’t having it though. He snaps back at her, voice firm, shooting Yerim a smoldering glare. “You will not. I will carry hyung. How do you even know my hyung?!” His voice turns dangerous, laced with a threat.

Yerim isn’t cowed. “Ahjussi doesn’t need to tell you everything about his life just because you’re his brother, does he? I heard that you guys were estranged, anyways! How we know one another is none of your business-”

Yoojin wants to scream at the heavens and shake his fists in the air, because he really isn’t up for this argument right now. Instead he takes a deep breath, exhales long and slow, and then speaks. The sheer amount of authority in his voice has the two falling silent almost immediately. Yoojin’s glare freezes Yerim and Yoohyun in place. 

“Both of you, stop. Yoohyun… you will carry me. I’ll get on your back.” He says, making an executive decision. 

Yoojin is miserable and tired and feeling extra pathetic for needing help right now. He’s also not willing to have Yoohyun far from his reach, either. Yerim’s sad face does pull at his heartstrings, but Yoojin could make it up to her later. Right now, he just needs Yoohyun’s presence close enough to him that Yoojin is able to ground himself with it.

Yoohyun’s eyes are alight with victory, but he holds his tongue, nodding in agreement with Yoojin’s declaration. He takes off his long coat and then puts it over Yoojin’s shoulders, wrapping it securely around him. Yoojin is grateful for the action, as he feels pretty chilled and the rags he called his clothes were something he wouldn’t want on display as they left this dungeon. Anxiety crawls up his throat as he wonders if Yerim and Yoohyun had been on a publicized raid. He really doesn’t want to face the media in this state, or ever, really…

The younger Han then shifted so that Yoojin could get on his back. Considering Yoojin was shorter and probably a whole lot lighter than Yoohyun, it’s then laughably easy for the S-rank to climb to his feet with his older brother on his back. Yoojin kept his arms wrapped tightly around Yoohyun, his head falling forward to rest on his little brother’s shoulder, his eyes slipping halfway closed in exhaustion. He can feel Yoohyun’s pulse thrumming beneath his skin, strong and healthy as it pumps blood and oxygen through his body, and this comforts Yoojin. He lingers on the hum of Yoohyun’s mana, too, a blazing inferno that tickles his senses with a comforting warmth.

Yoohyun began the trek out of the dungeon shortly after that, not looking back to see if Yerim was following. The teenager huffs in displeasure, glaring at the back of the guild leader’s head. Peace, still wary, allowed Yerim to carefully pick him up and carry him. Yerim’s gaze softened as Peace licked at her hands. She was unbothered by how dirty the monster was, now content to be holding the little creature that her ahjussi had claimed to be his companion. She wouldn’t leave Peace behind if Yoojin was willing to protect the baby fire manticore to the same extent he had protected Yerim in the past. She figured she had to trust Yoojin’s instincts; he’d picked her up as a stray as well, hadn’t he?

Yoojin’s consciousness wavered as the four of them made their way to the exit portal. Each step his brother took was a battle against the overwhelming fatigue that threatened to drag him under. Yoojin knew he wasn’t injured too badly, and his mana levels were stable enough, and yet he was still fighting a losing battle with his exhaustion. It could simply be that his body and mind had recognized that he was surrounded by people he could trust completely should he fall asleep. 

It wasn’t just that. It must be because while Yoojin did trust Peace unquestionably, he also knew the other two were currently ranked high enough to handle things without Yoojin’s immediate help. Peace was only C-rank, and Yoojin was used to helping the fire manticore take on stronger opponents to raise his stats. The last few months of doing this had taken a toll on Yoojin, physically and mentally, and he was only now in a position where his guard could be lowered. 

He already knew Yoohyun would die for him, and Yerim was trustworthy-

His eyelids were growing heavy, and Yoojin finally allowed them to slip closed. He wasn’t quite asleep, but he certainly wasn’t very aware of his surroundings. He could vaguely pick up the sounds of Yerim and Yoohyun arguing in fierce whispers, but wasn’t bothered enough to bring himself to focus on it. They kept a steady pace through the dungeon, and there were no sudden surges in mana, so Yoojin was content to let himself exist in a state between sleep and wakefulness. 

He isn’t sure how much time passed until he felt the nostalgic hum of gate magic brush along his senses. Yoojin blinks lethargically as they travel through the exit portal, eyes half closed, and is greeted by the familiar skyline of Seoul. It was like a breath of fresh air, and a welcome sight. There were some differences that he could pick out, some buildings missing that were built in the next few years and some that would be taken down, but it was still the same Seoul that Yoojin had always known. Their group pauses for a beat just outside of the portal, and as they usually did when Yoojin was involved, things quickly went wrong.

“Guild leader-nim, is that a fire manticore cub?!”

“Guild leader-nim, who is this that you have with you?!”

“Park Yerim-yang, did you capture that fire manticore?”

“Guild leader-nim, how did your dual raid with Park Yerim-yang go?”

“-who is this person-”

“Do you have any comments about-”

“How did you come across someone unexpected in a registered B-rank dungeon-”

“Would you be willing to share your thoughts-”

Yoojin feels himself full body flinching as the four of them are greeted by a wall of reporters and flashing cameras. Vivid memories of past media frenzies flooded his mind, his heart beginning to race. The clamor and the overall chaos was immediately overwhelming to Yoojin, and he unconsciously clings tighter to Yoohyun, making himself a smaller target. He squeezes his eyes closed and hides his face in the dip between his little brother’s neck and shoulder, trying to block out the cacophony of camera shutters clicking and voices shouting over one another. Yoojin’s breathing hitches and picks up.

Peace begins to growl at the reporters, quick to pick up on the source of Yoojin’s distress. The chaos increases at the sound, and Yoojin begins to feel a little light headed with anxiety. There’s a surge of mana, then; two powerful auras flaring as a protective, violent warning. The reporters fall silent and step away near instantly, taken aback by the fact that not only was the young guild leader of Haeyeon Guild lashing out, but so was his much more amiable protégé. Many of the reporters were stunned into falling mute, trembling as the full weight of the auras of two S-ranks pressed down on them, some tripping over their feet in their haste to move away.

Yoohyun’s voice is loud and angry, filled with authority as he rakes a venomous gaze over the assembled crowd. “Back. Off. We are not giving statements today. Simyeong-ssi!” 

“Yes, guild leader!” Seok Simyeong seems to appear from thin air. 

Yoojin’s breath catches in his throat as he picks up on the sound of the familiar voice. Seok Simyeong had always given a voice to Yoojin’s own negative thoughts. He was a reminder of all of the ways Yoojin had failed his younger brother and of all of the ways he continued to burden Yoohyun. His mind begins to spiral, his fingers tightly gripping the front of Yoohyun’s shirt in distress, his broken arm aching with a dull pain. 

Peace picks up on this new source of discomfort and begins to direct its growl at Seok Simyeong. Yerim keeps a tight grip on the monster though, so Peace fails to escape from her arms. It glares briefly at her before deciding to settle for baring its teeth at the head of Haeyeon’s HR department.

Simyeong, to his credit, remains professional. His expression does darken as he recognizes Yoojin and the state he’s in. Yoojin is doing his best to avoid opening his eyes at all, quietly panicking, but Simyeong blessedly doesn’t say anything. Yoojin still can’t seem to catch his breath. Simyeong is thankfully the only other person close enough to their group to see Yoojin’s face, as well as familiar enough with it to discern who it is beneath all the dirt and the ashes. Yoojin really felt like a total mess, right now, but he was also not aware enough to care. 

“I will handle this, guild leader. You may take your leave.” Simyeong says dutifully, adjusting his glasses. And then he turns his back on the group of S-ranks and Peace, using his body as a shield as he begins to field the slow resurgence of questions from the reporters.

“Let’s get him out of here.” Yerim says, voice low, expression set in concern and determination. 

She begins to push her way through those who were bold enough to linger, her aura making them stumble. Peace’s growl rumbles deep in its chest, scaring the civilians, doing his part to assist her with her task. Yoohyun is hot on their heels, taking long strides towards a Haeyeon vehicle with tinted windows. Kim Sunghan stands outside of the car, eyes watchful and fierce as he glares at anyone daring to follow them too closely. He is holding the back door open for them. Yoojin kind of wants to cry when he opens his eyes enough to peek at his surroundings, still struggling to catch his breath, his mind swimming with anxiety and exhaustion. 

He hadn’t had the best experiences with Kim Sunghan, either. And now he’ll be in a small, confined space with him. But Yoojin doesn’t protest, because more than anything he wants to be far, far away from the public eye. And he wants to be home. 

Yoohyun is aware of Yoojin’s distress and quickens his steps. Yerim, with Peace in her arms, steps aside with Kim Sunghan to keep watch as Yoohyun carefully gets Yoojin inside. Only when the Han brothers are both safely in the vehicle do the others clamber in. Yerim gets in the front seat, letting the two brothers have their space, Peace looking disgruntled on her lap. Sunghan gets in the driver's seat and buckles himself in, turning around for a moment as the doors lock so that he can look questioningly at his guild leader.

“Where would you like to go?”

Yoohyun shifts as he goes to answer, pulling away from Yoojin’s hold, unsuspecting of the alarm this would cause his brother. Yoojin’s eyes shoot open, his hand darting out to grasp Yoohyun’s, panic visible on his face.

“Yoohyun-”

“Hyung, I’m not leaving. I’m staying with you, and we’re going to go home. I promise. We’re going home.” Yoohyun reassures, his voice turning gentle and reassuring. 

It’s a stark contrast to how he’d spoken to Simyeong and the reporters. Yerim and Sunghan trade befuddled glances. Recognition dawns on Sunghan’s features, and he peers closely at Yoojin, jaw tightening. Yoohyun doesn’t notice, as he’d been attending to his brother. He had reached back to take Yoojin’s outstretched hand, tangling their fingers together, letting Yoojin press close. By this point, Yoojin is obviously struggling to stay awake, but is also too high-strung to pass out.

Worry is etched all over Yoohyun’s expression, and he pulls Yoojin even closer as he notices that he’s trembling nearly unnoticeably. The older Han was now sitting with his back pressed against Yoohyun’s chest, taking in deep, quiet breaths as he tried to calm down. Yoohyun takes care in adjusting the coat he’d thrown over Yoojin’s shoulders, using it as a blanket of sorts, covering up the both of them. Satisfied, Yoohyun drops his chin onto his older brother’s matted hair, flicking his eyes over at Sunghan.

The A-rank tank had already put the car in drive and begun to speed away from the scene. Yoojin relaxed minutely as they departed from the crowd, the tension draining slowly from his exhausted body. His breathing began to slow down, his eyes drooping with fatigue as he slumped his full body weight onto Yoohyun. It was reassuring to feel him pressed so close, and to have him squeezing Yoojin’s hands in reassurance.

“We’re headed to Haeyeon, Guild leader.” Sunghan announces quietly, gaze locked on the road as he smoothly navigates around cars and through gaps to get them there sooner. “We will arrive shortly.”

“Great, Sunghan. When we arrive I want you to make sure we are not bothered, and when Simyeong returns, tell him to clear my schedule for the foreseeable future.” Yoohyun says, decidedly informal. 

His attention redirects fully to his older brother who is still fighting sleep, Yoojin’s knees pulled to his chest almost as a form of self-soothing. Yoohyun frowns, running his fingers through Yoojin’s ratty hair. 

“You can rest now, hyung. We’ll be home before you know it.”

“Haeyeon? You can just… drop me off. Don’t wanna… intrude on your home.” Yoojin mumbles, half-awake and yet still wary. There’s a lingering cadence of disbelief in his voice, as well as confusion, and Yoohyun looks absolutely shattered as he realizes why that might be.

From the front, Yerim is glaring at Yoohyun. She is none too pleased with her guild leader. Peace is watching all of the goings-on with wide, attentive eyes. Its tail lashes back and forth occasionally, as the fire manticore is uncomfortable around all of these strangers. But it’s clearly paying attention to everything being said and done, ready to act should Yoojin need any help. Until then, Peace would play nice.

“You’re never a bother, hyung. I want you to go home with me. You will be going home with me. You don’t really want to go to your apartment, do you?” Yoohyun rapid fires his response, looking gutted as he waits for Yoojin’s answer. 

“No.” Yoojin says quickly, blinking his eyes tiredly, head falling backwards to rest on Yoohyun’s arm. “No, no, no… I want to go with you. Home is… home is where Yoohyunie is.” 

The admittance is laced with fatigue, brutally honest, and probably not something Yoojin would have said aloud if he was completely with it.

Yoojin is officially losing the battle with sleep, his eyes falling closed again. He finally, finally relaxes enough to let his exhaustion pull him under. His breathing evens out, his face losing its tension and making him look younger and more vulnerable. He curls into his brother’s hold, his presence quiet and as unobtrusive as possible even when unconscious. 

Yerim and Sunghan are silent, watching the guild leader’s expression turn to one of raw grief. They don’t comment on the remorse displayed with his expression, or the way he wraps his arms even more securely around Yoojin as he sleeps. They don’t say anything about how differently he acted around his brother, how gently he handled him, how desperately he searched his face like he was memorizing every little difference and looking for even the smallest of injuries with plans of retribution sure to follow. They don’t have to say anything, because Yoohyun’s actions say more than words ever could. 

In his little brother’s hold, Yoojin slept on.

For the first time in eight years, three months, and two weeks… Han Yoojin finally gets to go home with Han Yoohyun, and not home to an empty apartment. Home. Because, to Han Yoojin, home would always be a person, and never a place.  

To Han Yoojin, being with Han Yoohyun was what he called “coming home.”

And Han Yoojin had, at long last, been welcomed home.

Chapter Text

They had made it to the Haeyeon guild headquarters without any issues.

Yoohyun carried his brother through the building and all the way up to his loft, making certain each step was slow and measured to avoid jostling Yoojin. The older Han was fast asleep on Yoohyun’s back, and the younger brother refused to let anyone else get close to him. This meant that Yerim, Peace, and Sunghan were all following at a short distance. 

Sunghan was taking his guard duties very seriously, making sure everyone cleared out of the way of their tightly wound guild leader. Yerim was sulking and glaring at the back of Yoohyun’s head, her aura hanging thick in the air and also unintentionally helping to keep everyone at a distance. Peace was eyeing the guild members warily, looking tense and irritable, clearly affected by Yerim’s aura. As soon as she noticed she whispered an apology to the little manticore, looking guilty, and Peace sneezed in response.

The guild leader had entered Haeyeon with purpose. The moment he arrived on the same floor as his loft, he barked orders at the guards stationed outside to prevent anyone from entering. Sunghan nodded, taking up a post as well.

“I will give Simyeong-ssi your earlier instructions once he’s arrived.” The A-rank hunter responds dutifully. He briefly glances at Yoojin, who has shockingly stayed asleep through all of the chaos. “Would you like me to send for a healer, Guild leader-nim?”

Yoohyun pauses at the threshold to his living quarters. Indecision flickers across his features. He nods after thinking about it for a moment, inelegantly toeing off his shoes while keeping Yoojin balanced on his back. 

“Yes. Send for Harin-ssi. I will permit entry only for her, and no one else. Tell her to come to my quarters in an hour and a half.”

“Peace comes with me.” Yoojin mumbles into his brother’s shoulder, barely awake enough to speak, eyes still closed. Yoohyun’s jacket around his body is big enough to nearly hide him entirely from view, and it slips a little bit as Yoohyun balances to take off his shoes.

Sighing, Yoohyun nods along with his older brother’s demand. He inclines his head with an invitation to the fire manticore. “Alright, hyung.”

Peace chirrups in excitement, wriggling out of Yerim’s hold. The teenager looks blatantly upset as the monster slips in through the doorway, only moments before the door is slammed shut in her face. Yoohyun had shot Yerim a warning glare telling her to stay back, and after glancing at Yoojin, she had frowned but remained in place. Yoojin had already fallen back asleep, so he couldn’t even speak up for Yerim. 

Would he have even wanted her there, though? He had looked pretty anxious and seemed content with staying only with his younger brother at the moment.

Maybe ahjussi just needed some time… 

“I’m gonna go train.” She mumbles to Sunghan, kicking at the floor in annoyance and concern for her ahjussi. “Will you… let me know if ahjussi asks for me?”

Yerim might as well work on improving herself during her free time. She could focus on becoming strong enough to prove to ahjussi she could also protect him if need be. Maybe she could prove to him that one day he would be able to trust Yerim enough to let her see him vulnerable, too. If ahjussi just wanted to be alone with his brother and his new monster-pet right now, though, she guessed that was fine. 

She had no idea what he’d been through in the last few months. Judging by his appearance and his state of exhaustion, though, he must have had a difficult time. She’d seen how strong ahjussi was, too. He’d cleared the dungeon she had been stuck in with a noticeable ease. It didn’t sit well with her that he’d been found in such a state after having been gone for months. 

Sunghan nods in acquiescence to her request. He’s pocketing his cellphone, having just called and briefly spoken with the healer that Yoohyun had requested. “I will certainly let you know, Yerim hubae-nim.” 

“Thank you, Sunghan sunbae-nim!” Yerim brightens a bit at the promise, taking off to the gym, determination dogging her steps. Sunghan watches her go, his face stoic, ignoring the looks the other guards shot at him. He was well aware of his soft spot for Haeyeon’s youngest S-rank.

Behind the doors to Yoohyun’s home, the Han brothers were getting situated. 

Yoohyun stood in the entrance for a little while, silently trying to figure out his next steps. Peace was sniffing the immediate surroundings, never straying too far from Yoojin, and Yoohyun shot the monster a dirty look that it didn't see. On his back, Yoojin stirred, puffing out an exhale that ticked the back of Yoohyun’s neck. He was still very groggy and tired, but he blinked his eyes open, yawning.

“Are we at your place?” Yoojin mumbled into Yoohyun’s back.

“We’re home now, hyung.” Yoohyun responds, still debating what to do next. “Would you like me to start a bath before you relax?”

Yoojin yawned again, but nodded against Yoohyun’s shoulder, seeming to wake up a little bit. “Mmm. But let’s wash Peace first. He’s going to make a mess… don’t want him to get your place all dirty. Sorry.”

Yoohyun really wished he could take care of his brother before the monster he’d brought with. Yoojin was stubborn though, and Yoohyun could see his point, so he sighs and agrees. 

“Okay. You’ll both take a bath.”

“Great.” Yoojin says.

Yoojin begins wriggling around a bit, pulling off his ruined shoes and dropping them to the side of the entryway. He then puts his hands on his brother’s shoulders, wordlessly announcing that he was going to get off and stand on his own. Yoohyun doesn’t let go of his thighs, though, and Yoojin pauses. 

His voice is a little confused. “You can put me down, Yoohyun. I’ll walk over to the bathroom. You carried me pretty far already… and, um, thanks for that. But I’ll walk now.”

Yoohyun is stubborn, however. He begins to trek through the loft with Yoojin on his back and Peace hot on his heels. “No, I’ll bring you there. Are you still feeling dizzy, hyung?”

Yoojin stops moving around, dropping his chin on Yoohyun’s shoulder in defeat. He is silent for a beat, and then when he does speak, he sounds embarrassed. “...yes.” 

Yoohyun’s aura flares for a moment before he calms down, exhaling sharply as he gets his emotions under wraps. 

Yoojin’s eyes widened a little bit in surprise. “It, uh, should go away… in a day or two? I just used a lot of mana in a short amount of time.” His voice lilts a bit at the end, going higher, sounding sheepish. “Sorry for burdening you, Yoohyun. If I go slow and take deep breaths I should be able to-”

“Hyung, no.” Yoohyun cut in, sounding tense and very firm. “You are not a burden. Let me help you.”

His grip on Yoojin’s thighs tightens, and Yoojin’s mouth snaps shut in response. They enter Yoohyun’s large, modern-style bathroom and Yoohyun kicks the door shut behind them. He then turns and angles himself so that his older brother could finally get down from his back, and Yoojin does so, a slight blush of embarrassment dusting his cheeks. 

His eyes stay locked on the ground when he’s standing. Yoohyun keeps a hold of one of his arms, as if determined to help Yoojin maintain his balance. This is when Yoohyun speaks again, his voice monotone. 

“You can sit down on the toilet. I’ll start filling up the tub and grabbing whatever you might need. I have an extra toothbrush and toothpaste you can use, too. I’m guessing your… fire manticore should be okay with regular soaps?”

Yoojin nods slowly, fighting back a wave of dizziness and nausea now that he’s fully upright. He’s silently grateful that Yoohyun had been stubborn about carrying him into the bathroom. It would have been difficult to move around with intense vertigo like this.

“Those should work fine. Thanks, Yoohyun.” His voice is quiet. 

He can’t really wrap his head around this situation. It feels surreal. He’s in Yoohyun’s home. He’s in his little brother’s house. He’s with Yoohyun. Yoohyun is here, and safe, and alive, and he isn't kicking Yoojin out. He isn’t verbally tearing him down. He had said he wasn’t being a burden to him, and that he wanted to take care of Yoojin.

It's just… Yoojin isn’t used to this. It makes his heart hurt. Is this really what he could have had? Had Yoojin had to Awaken at a high rank and then go missing for months just for his little brother to show he wanted him around? Is that what it would have taken back then, too? 

…Well, it doesn’t matter. Yoojin could be selfish. He could enjoy this while it lasted, right? 

“Okay, hyung, sit down.” Yoohyun interrupts his thoughts after leading him over to the toilet, gently pushing him down after putting his hands on his shoulders.

Yoojin sinks down onto the seat without complaint, mouth pressed tightly closed. He’s watching his little brother’s expression carefully, making sure he really wasn’t annoying him. He would hate to take advantage of his little brother’s hospitality. The moment he noticed he was a bother to Yoohyun, he’d be quick to apologize and take care of things himself. 

Even if it would be hard, seeing how dizzy he was.

The room begins to fill up with steam as warm water fills the tub. Peace had pawed at some of the bubbles and then looked over at Yoohyun, hissing as the younger S-rank bared his teeth back at the creature, and then ran back to Yoojin’s side. The fire manticore had then curled up on the mat beneath Yoojin’s feet, eyes squinted in distrust as it watched Yoohyun prepare the bath. 

Yoojin, on the other hand, was now visibly struggling with his dizziness. Without realizing it he’d hunched forward, his fingers locked together and hands pressed to the back of his head. He was breathing through the nausea, unaware of anything else besides how tired and sick he felt. He jumps and straightens up, though, when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Yoohyun’s worried expression swims into view. 

Yoojin takes another deep breath and swallows, pushing down the nausea. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Is the bath ready for Peace?” He peers past Yoohyun’s worried countenance to the now full bathtub. 

“Yes. I can-” 

“No, no way. Peace doesn’t know you yet. I’ll wash him.” Yoojin interrupts, reaching down for Peace. 

The manticore allows itself to be picked up, licking at Yoojin’s chin, drawing a small grin from the SS-rank. Yoojin pauses with Peace in his arms, debating how best to go about this. He probably shouldn’t go right into a standing position…

Yoohyun gives him the answer to his problem; by gripping Yoojin’s elbows firmly, and then gently pulling him into a standing position. Yoojin sways for a moment, but Yoohyun doesn’t let go, waiting patiently for it to pass. They then shuffle over to the side of the tub, and Yoohyun refuses to move away. Both brothers end up on their knees on the side of the pretty looking, freestanding soaking tub. Yoojin deposits Peace into the water with a splash, before shrugging off Yoohyun’s coat and his own tattered jacket to avoid his sleeves getting wet. Yoohyun grabs the dirty clothes from him and then tosses them into a corner of the room.

“Aww, Peace, you’re so cute.” Yoojin coos and laughs quietly. He’s unaware of the soft look in Yoohyun’s eyes, or the way he can’t seem to look away from his older brother. He can feel their shoulders pressed together, however, and it’s comforting to know Yoohyun is so close.

Peace was completely soaked, presenting with the appearance of a drowned rat. The fire manticore wasn’t a huge fan of bathtime, and looked so much smaller and thinner with its fluff tamed by the water. Peace stares up at Yoojin with wide, sad eyes, meowing pathetically at its predicament but remaining in the tub nonetheless. 

“Okay, okay. We’ll do this fast.” Yoojin reassures the little monster, amused, and gets to washing Peace. 

He lathers him up with soap, completely covering the manticore in suds, and then grabs the sprayer to wash it all off. He does this two more times, in cycles, to really make sure that Peace was clean. In between each wash, they have to drain the water after seeing how murky it had become. Yoojin then uses a deep conditioner for the last cycle and rinses Peace off. As the water drained for a fourth time, Yoohyun hands Yoojin a huge, fluffy towel. This was the first time Yoojin had gotten to give Peace a full bath and get all of the dirt and tangles out of his fur, and it felt great. 

“Thanks, Yoohyun!” Yoojin beams at his brother, reaching out to wrap Peace in the fabric. He places the monster on the floor and begins to scrub him dry with the towel, murmuring praises to Peace to try and cheer him up from the “ordeal.” 

While he does that, Yoohyun sprays the lingering dirt from the sides of the tub so that it’ll be clean for Yoojin to climb into. He watches his brother and Peace from his peripherals, keeping a poker face even when Peace shakes off and gets both of the brothers damp. Yoojin chuckles at the monster, his tired eyes lighting up a bit, and it’s enough for Yoohyun to put up with having a monster in his home.

Curiosity niggles at Yoohyun, however. “How did you find this fire manticore?”

Yoojin’s movements pause for a moment, caught off guard, before he resumes drying Peace. He has his eyes trained on the cat-like creature as he responds. “I found Peace in a dungeon. I saved its life because I saw what happened to its mother and the rest of the litter. I couldn’t just leave a baby alone, even if it was a monster, knowing what would happen to it.” 

“Another dungeon…” Yoohyun trails off, suspicious. Fire manticores were rare, and had thus far only been known to be found in high ranking, high tier dungeons. “You found it in an S-rank dungeon?! Were you there alone?!”

Yoohyun grabs Yoojin’s shoulder, turning his brother so that he’s facing him. Yoojin’s eyes widen in surprise, and Peace growls at Yoohyun, tail lashing. 

“Ah, yeah… haha. I was clearing it, and just kind of… stumbled across him?”

“Hyung, what were you really doing all this time?” Yoohyun demands, gripping Yoojin’s shoulders.

Yoojin pulled his brother’s hands down, having had enough. He answers patiently, despite this action. “Clearing dungeons. That was all. Like I said, there were certain requirements that had to be met before I could come back.”

“You’re still just an S-rank, hyung! Even I wouldn’t risk clearing an S-rank dungeon without a full raid team!” Yoohyun grits out, concern written all over his face. 

Yoojin looks uncomfortable now. “Ah. I mean, that’s for good reason. I wouldn’t have done it alone if I didn’t have to. It wasn’t exactly… easy. But I didn’t really have a choice-”

“Hyung, did you sign a contract with something? Something powerful?” Yoohyun interrupts him, staring intently at his face. He’s searching for something in his expression. Yoojin’s eyes flicker, and Yoohyun frowns. 

“You did, didn’t you? Why would you do that!?”

“I didn’t sign a contract!” Yoojin retorts, frustrated about how to put his experience into words. 

He has to remind himself that Yoohyun doesn’t know that Yoojin could break contracts without being affected. Even if he had signed one, as long as it was weaker than Legendary level, he’d be fine. Also, Yoohyun is being pretty hypocritical, isn’t he? Considering what Yoojin knew about his brother’s contract with that powerful dragon-being, that was an unfair accusation. And that was also another problem Yoojin was planning to take care of, once he’d had enough time to lay out a successful plan of action with the least amount of blowback on Yoohyun. 

Yoojin frowns at his brother. “I swear, I didn’t sign any contracts. It was more like… making a deal? I need to fulfill my end of the bargain, and to do that, I had to clear dungeons.”

“Why didn’t you come back then, hyung? Couldn’t I have helped you? I would have gone anywhere you needed to go! We could have cleared whatever dungeons that you needed to clear together!” Yoohyun looks hurt, gutted to the core. “Don’t you trust me?”

And, ouch. Isn’t that the million dollar question. Did Yoojin trust his brother? 

With his life, absolutely. But when it came to this, when it came to Yoojin’s responsibilities and his deal with the System… Yoojin wasn’t ready to trust anyone with that, yet. The same way he wasn’t willing to trust anyone with the full extent of his experiences, and his weaknesses. Yoojin was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and he planned to keep it that way for as long as possible. Nothing good would come from involving others before they were ready. It was not worth the risk of making things any worse. 

Yoojin swallowed his guilt, giving Yoohyun an honest smile. “I trust you with my life, Yoohyunie. But I had to make it so far on my own before I could even get away from the inside of the dungeons. Believe me, I tried. I really couldn’t leave until today. If I were able to, I would have come home much, much sooner. I really missed you, little brother, and I wanted to apologize for what I said when we, uh, had that big fi-”

“No, hyung, I’m sorry.” Yoohyun cut in, brows furrowed, lips tilted downwards in a frown. “I want to apologize, too. I said a lot of terrible things-”

“Then let’s put it behind us, and move forward.” Yoojin interrupts this time, placing his hands on Yoohyun’s shoulders. He squeezed them in reassurance, giving his brother a sanguine smile. “I said a lot of things I shouldn’t have said, either. I love you so much, Yoohyunie. Nothing will ever change that. And… Thank you for trusting me. I hope I didn’t make things difficult for you… and I am really sorry about leaving so suddenly.”

“I love you too, hyung.” Yoohyun responds, genuine. His expression remains set in a frown though, his eyes honest and vulnerable. “And of course I’d trust you. But like I said earlier, don’t ever leave me like that ever again. No matter how hard I looked for you, I couldn’t find any signs of you anywhere. It’s as if you disappeared off the face of the Earth! I searched everywhere that I could, I looked in all of the dungeons that I could, but you were nowhere to be found. Nowhere. I was… really scared that I wouldn’t find you again, hyung.”

“Aww, Yoohyun…” Yoojin whispers, feeling terrible. 

He’d known it must have been hard on Yoohyun, but he hadn’t really realized just how hard until now. His brother had watched him disappear from a misranked dungeon and had been left behind to clean up the mess. He had watched Yoojin step through a portal like there was no other option, had fought with everything he had to reach him, and had still fallen short. For all his strength, and despite his rank, Yoohyun had been unable to pull his older brother back from crossing a dimensional gate to face the unknown. 

Yoohyun had been left, alone, in the dungeon he’d known had forced his older brother into an S-rank Awakening. A dungeon filled with the corpses of hunters and monsters alike. He had been left to pull himself together after losing his brother with no idea if or when he’d ever see him again. All of this, right after he’d dedicated the last three years of his life to keeping his older brother safe and far away from dungeons.

To Yoohyun, it must have felt like his whole world had stopped spinning. 

Yoojin knew exactly how this felt.

Without putting much thought into it he pulls his little brother into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing. Yoohyun melts into the hold, wrapping his arms back around Yoojin, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Yoojin begins to pet his brother’s head, just like he had when Yoohyun was little and had reached out to Yoojin for comfort. Yoohyun’s breaths are hot on Yoojin’s neck, his hands tightly gripping onto his older brother’s ratty shirt.

Yoojin huffs a sad laugh, playing with his brother’s hair. “If it helps any, I’m not really planning on disappearing like that again. I’ll stick around as long as you’ll have me. I can’t promise you won’t get sick of me, though…”

“Hyung, no. I’ll never get sick of you. You can stay as long as you want.” Yoohyun argued back, straightening to frown down at his brother. “I… moved all of your stuff here while you were gone. I want you to stay here. With me.”

Yoojin blinks, taken aback. “Uh, all of my stuff? Why? I paid for my lease right before, though, I should have more than half a year left there-”

“I want you to stay here.” Yoojin interrupts, blank-faced. “I planned on moving you to my place as soon as I got you back. And now we made up, so you won’t turn me down, right? Please stay here with me, hyung!”

“I mean, that’s fine.” Yoojin stammered, surprised by the desperation and the insistence in Yoohyun’s revelation. He couldn’t understand Yoohyun really wanting to have him around that badly… 

Yoohyun had walked out on his own, after all. Yoojin would never forget how that had made him feel. How badly it had hurt him.

“I don’t mind staying with you, Yoohyunie, if you want me to.” He responds, chewing his lip nervously. “I promise I won’t just leech off of you! I can help clean, and I can cook-”

“You don’t have to do any of that.” Yoohyun interjects, upset. “Is it so hard to believe I just want you close to me? You don’t have to do anything else. Just… be. I can take care of things for you, hyung. You gave up so much of your life for me, so let me return the favor.”

Yoojin’s heart sank. Oh. He’s just repaying me for taking care of him. I guess that’s only fair. I shouldn’t expect so much…

Is it so bad to wish you were wanted?

Yoohyun can’t read Yoojin’s spiraling thoughts. Without a doubt, he would be very upset if he knew just how off the mark his older brother was. But he doesn’t know just how dark Yoojin’s thoughts were getting, so he keeps going.

“I have the means to provide for you, hyung, and I want to.” Yoohyun finishes, intent.

Yoojin scratches at the back of his neck, uncomfortable. “You really don’t have to pay me back for anything. I don’t regret any of it, and I’m just grateful to have watched you grow up. You’re my little brother. Yoohyun, I would have never made a different choice. I would do anything to make you happy.”

“Then you’ll let me take care of you, because that would make me very happy.” Yoohyun says seriously, not missing a beat. “Hyung, I mean it. I want to do this for you.”

Yoojin isn’t so certain, though his heart warms at the honesty in Yoohyun’s voice. Yoojin had been the one to provide for Yoohyun since they were both still children, even when their parents were around. He isn’t used to depending on others. 

Because when he’d asked Yoohyun for help before, when Yoojin was at his absolute lowest point both physically and mentally, when he’d swallowed his pride enough to ask his little brother to help him pay for his hospital bills, Yoojin had been flat out rejected and berated. He knew now that it was because Yoohyun had wanted him to stay away from dungeons, but Yoojin had still lived for years believing his brother saw him as nothing more than an annoyance. 

Yoojin couldn’t exactly shake such deeply ingrained feelings of worthlessness so easily.

He wants Yoohyun close, though. Yoojin wants to stay close to his brother, too. Here Yoohyun was, offering up the opportunity so freely, so how could Yoojin possibly say no?

“...okay. I won’t fight you on it anymore. I’m an S-rank now too, so once I start going on raids that I’m actually getting paid for, I can pitch in.” Yoojin gives in completely.

Yoohyun’s face hardens in response, though. “You don’t have to register if you don’t want to. Hyung, you don’t have to keep raiding dungeons-”

“No, Yoohyun, I won’t compromise on this. Since I’m Awakened now, I have a responsibility to help clear high ranked dungeons. S-ranks are a limited resource, even worldwide. Hell, I love that I will be able to make money doing raids now! I didn’t these last few months…” Yoojin trails off in thought, a little bitter about this fact. 

He figured the abundance of mana stones, the high ranking drops, and the high-tier titles he’d earned as rewards for solo clearing various dungeons did make up for a lot of it. Maybe. The System had tried to make things up to Yoojin in return for keeping him away from his brother after everything he’d gone through just to get him back. 

Right now, though, Yoojin was flat-out broke. All of the money he’d saved for Yoohyun’s college fund had been left behind in the dungeon he’d reawakened in with the brokers. It had probably been placed in their inventory before they’d died. 

Yoojin would have to register as a hunter and start raiding dungeons legally, sell off his items, or start working in general to build his funds again. He couldn’t lay back without giving himself some source of income; he refused to live entirely off of his baby brother’s generosity. Yoojin had worked too hard and come too far to let off the gas now. In fact, things had only just begun. He’d passed the third and final trial, meaning he was going to have to hit the ground running. The race to save the world line had only just begun.

Yoojin looked skyward and sighed, ruffling his hair with a hand. He then cringes as he remembers how dirty he is and how badly he also needs a bath. Peace is rolling around in the towel, happy to be finished, looking totally adorable. Yoohyun is sitting beside Yoojin and giving off a very heavy, very upset aura. Yoojin looks over and is met with his brother’s visibly gloomy expression.

“Ah. I see this is something we’ll have to talk about in detail.” Yoojin says in realization, bemused. He sighs again, ignoring the sulky look now on his younger brother’s face. “Later. We can talk about it after I’m clean, rested, and have also had something to eat. And you too.” He pokes his finger into Yoohyun’s chest, squinting at him.

Yoohyun grimaces, opening his mouth to retort, clearly unhappy. “But-”

“No. You just got done with a dungeon raid too, Yoohyun. We both need to sleep and eat and then talk when it doesn’t feel like I have to pinch myself every two seconds just to stay awake.” Yoojin isn’t lying about that last part. It feels like he has to push through a fog just to keep talking to his brother, and he still hasn’t bathed yet. 

Yoojin couldn’t wait to sleep in an actual bed. Or on the couch. He really isn’t going to be picky. Sleeping on dungeon floors, or in the meadow, or in the trees gets old after a few days, let alone months. Oh, man, Yoojin can’t wait to cocoon himself in blankets…

“Mreow!!”

“Peace, what-” 

Yoojin jolts a bit, cursing in surprise, as he feels the fire manticore headbutt him in the side hard. His eyes snap open, realizing he’d literally been falling asleep sitting up. Peace had stopped him from passing out completely. Yoojin blinked lethargically, his eyelids feeling as if they weighed thousands of pounds. Yoohyun was holding him up by the shoulders, his eyes wide and concerned. 

“Alright hyung, I agree with you. We can talk later. When you’ve had time to rest.” Yoohyun decides, resolute. He’s watching Yoojin carefully, who simply blinks back at him slowly.

“Woah. Yeah.” Yoojin mumbles, trying to shake the cobwebs from his mind. It doesn’t really work, and instead brings back a resurgence of vertigo. “That sounds good to me.”

Still mostly holding his older brother up, Yoohyun’s face is tight with stress as he determines what to do next. “If I go grab you some clothes to change into, are you okay to get in the tub?” 

Eyeing up the now nearly full tub, steam drifting upwards from the hot water and filled with bubbles that were looking very inviting, Yoojin nods slowly. He thinks he should be okay, and he doesn’t really want his little brother helping him undress. 

“I’ll manage. You can leave the door open a little bit though…”

Peace could go get Yoohyun if the vertigo won.

Yoohyun seems to like this compromise, as he nods. Yoojin braces himself with one hand on the side of the tub, shooing his brother away. He pulls himself into a standing position, and it takes just a few seconds for him to orient himself. 

Man, I’m exhausted. My mana levels are slowly getting better, not that they were that low earlier… Am I really just that tired? Yoojin wonders, grimacing in annoyance.

Only when Yoojin is standing on his own does Yoohyun remove his hands and lean back a bit, still looking hesitant.

“Yoohyunie. I’ll be fine. Go do what you need to do.” Yoojin says, already facing away from his brother, beginning to pull off his shirt. 

“Alright. Shout if you need me, hyung. I’ll be right back.” Yoohyun complies, getting to his feet. He shoots one last wary look at his older brother before leaving the bathroom to search for clean clothes. 

Finally alone, Yoojin’s exhale stutters. He covers his face with his hands, taking a moment to just breathe. He’s really overwhelmed. It’s so nice to be back with Yoohyun, don’t get him wrong. Yoojin has dreamed about this for nearly a decade. There’d even been that dark stretch of time where he’d thought he would never get another chance to see his brother like this ever again.

It’s just so… draining.

Yoojin knew he would have to keep secrets. He’d known that there were things he couldn’t tell anyone, even his little brother. He had so much to do, his mind was spinning just thinking about all of these things tangentially. As soon as Yoohyun was sure he was okay again, Yoojin didn’t doubt that he’d press for answers to questions that he could not give. 

Even thinking about it was stressing him out. But Yoojin was also not in the headspace to do a runthrough of all the explanations he’d thought up during the last few months. It would just have to wait, and he could worry about it later.

This is becoming a trend, isn’t it? Yoojin considers, smirking bitterly. He really couldn’t make it a habit to push things off, because one day it would blow up in his face. He could already see it happening. 

Peace nudges his leg with a paw and Yoojin grins reassuringly down at the little monster. The fire manticore is looking up at him, worried. Yoojin waves off the concern. 

“I’m okay, Peace. I was just thinking. I’ll get in the tub now.”

A full bath, with soap and everything…  

Yoojin has been waiting for this moment for months. This was a luxury after everything he’d been through. He shucks off the rest of his clothes, deeming them lost causes and shoving them straight into the nearby waste bin. Peace hops up on the sink and then climbs into it, tucking its paws beneath its belly and watching Yoojin from there. Yoojin pauses to give the creature a bemused look at the action and then returns his focus to the bath.

He’s a little unsteady as he climbs in, swept up by a wave of vertigo, but it passes quickly. Yoojin then sinks deep into the tub, submerging himself completely beneath the surface of the water. He scrubs furiously at his hair to thoroughly soak and untangle it, deciding that would be the first thing he’d focus on. He pushes himself back up to the surface when he’s satisfied enough and reaches for the soap. After he’d squeezed some onto his hands and begun scrubbing his hair clean, there’s a knock at the door.

Yoojin blinks soap from his eyes as he responds. “You can come in, Yoohyun.”

It’s a little amusing how quickly Yoohyun enters after being given permission. The door flies open and Peace stiffens in surprise. Yoojin stares at his brother incredulously. 

“I brought you clean clothes.” Yoohyun announces, instead of explaining his abrupt entrance. He peers closely at his brother, as if looking for any scrapes or bruises now that a bit more of the grime has been wiped away. “Ah, hyung, do you have any injuries? I called for a healer, and they should be arriving soon.”

Frankly, Yoojin is exhausted at the thought of having to deal with another person. He pushes his soap laden hair back and shoots a pointed look at Yoohyun. “I’ll be okay with a potion or two. I don’t need a healer.”

Yoohyun’s eyes only sharpen at the admission, latching onto it. “So you are injured? Where?!”

“It’s just some bruises and a broken arm, that’s all. Like I said, an easy fix with potions.” Yoojin says, oblivious to how Yoohyun is spiraling this time. 

He really doesn’t see why it would be a big deal. Yoojin had dealt with much worse injuries during his career as a hunter, and that was before he became an SS-rank. His body heals faster than it used to. Yoohyun should be familiar with this fact as well.

“A broken arm?!” 

Or not.

“Hyung, you’re an S-rank! For something to have-”

“Yoohyun, I’ll be fine.” Yoojin interrupted, leisurely spraying the soap out of his hair. 

He then proceeds to rub some conditioner in. He was silently grateful Yoohyun couldn’t see anything from his ribs down, due to the deep tub and the sheer amount of bubbles he’d added. Although, Yoohyun had hated leaving Yoojin’s side when he was younger. He had often come into the bathroom to do his homework on the floor while his older brother washed away the day’s grime after a long shift. This wasn’t too unusual for them; boundaries were blurred when you were only five years apart and also seen as a parental unit.

“I just got unlucky is all. And I can still use my arm, but a potion would be really nice as soon as I’m done…” He trails off, staring pointedly at his brother. Yoohyun is gritting his teeth, and Yoojin sighs, realizing he’d need to really hammer in his point. “I don’t feel comfortable seeing a healer, Yoohyun, and I’m not hurt badly enough to need one either.”

Yoohyun’s eyes are wide and concerned. “But hyung, you were missing for so long-”

“Yoohyun, I am fine.” Yoojin interrupts, his patience meeting its end. His aura flares for just a brief moment, reacting to his stress, and Yoohyun’s mouth snaps shut in shock. “I took potions while I was raiding dungeons. I got plenty from drops. I do not want a healer checking me over.”

“A healer has to sign off saying that they did check you over, though.” Yoohyun relents, looking sorry about the fact now that Yoojin had gotten through to him. “Like I said, you were missing, hyung. If one of Haeyeon’s healers don’t look you over or at least sign off saying that they did, the Association will send one of their own since your disappearance was related to a dungeon.”

Wow, Yoohyun had even gone to the Association to report my disappearance. He must have been really worried… knowing how little he trusts them, that says a lot. He must have been desperate to find a lead, no matter where it came from…

And, yeah. Yoojin did not want to deal with a healer from the Hunter’s Association. The whole reason he didn’t want a healer looking him over was because his stats were pretty insane, even for an S-rank, and would immediately out him as being at least twice as powerful as one. Yoojin was not ready to reveal his new rank. Not until he was well rested and his thoughts weren’t so insanely foggy. Though, Yoohyun seemed to be willing to let Yoojin get away without a full check up so long as he used one of his own guild’s healers. The choice was clear.

Yoojin begins to scrub his body clean now that his hair is finished, relishing in the warmth of the water and the pleasant scent of the soaps. Yoohyun deposits the clean clothes on the sink next to Peace. The fire manticore bristles at the close proximity before blatantly ignoring Yoohyun and sniffing at the neatly folded pile of fabric.

“Okay, fine. But they won’t be checking me over. Let them sign off on what the Association needs and they can toss me a few potions so we can call it good.” Yoojin concedes, eyes sharp as he stares at Yoohyun. 

Yoohyun looks like he wants to argue, but the steel in Yoojin’s voice has him backing off. “Alright, hyung. I’ll make sure Harin-ssi does that. Do you… need my help, or should I go prepare something to eat?”

Yoojin pauses just to stare at his brother, lips curling in amusement. “I appreciate the consideration, Yoohyunie, but I’ll be okay alone for a little bit. I’ll come out there when I’m finished.”

Yoohyun stares at him, unconvinced, and Yoojin blushes as he remembers how unsteady he still is.

“Actually, I’ll just call for you when I’m done…”

Finally satisfied, Yoohyun murmurs his assent as he slips out through the door and leaves the bathroom. He even remembers to leave the door cracked open, too. Content to finish cleaning up in peace, Yoojin does so quickly. He has to refill the tub and wash off again just to truly feel clean and like he wasn’t rinsing himself with his own dirty water, but it really doesn’t take long. Yoojin has to fight back his exhaustion while he does so. The hot water made him a bit more lethargic and dizzy than he already was when he’d first climbed into the tub.

Once finished, Yoojin steps out and happily wraps himself in the gigantic, terribly fluffy towel Yoohyun had left on a nearby rack. He uses said rack to balance himself while he dries off and then hangs the towel up before reaching for the clothes. The fabric is soft to the touch, and Yoojin recognizes his own sweatpants and underwear in the stack. Yoohyun had also left one of his own shirts out, so it dwarfs Yoojin’s upper body and hangs halfway down his thighs when he pulls it on, but it smells like Yoohyun so Yoojin is more than happy with the choice. 

Yoojin then spends an inordinately long time brushing his teeth and flossing. Once finished, he runs his tongue over his teeth in satisfaction. All of the annoying, gross fuzz and plaque was finally gone. One of the worst parts about Haven had been the lack of personal hygiene and care that Yoojin could treat himself to. He also spends some time combing his hair and gives himself a super quick, half assed trim in the mirror. His hair is shaggy and messy enough that he can still pull it off without shaving it all. It’s almost an intentional style, only Yoojin doesn’t have to put in any more effort than simply teasing it with his fingers to get it to shape itself. He also shaves the slight beard that had grown in, grateful his genes didn’t allow for much facial hair… at all, really.

His next move is to stick his hand back into the tub so that he can start draining the water. He kneels down beside it as he waits for it to empty out, watching the water spin in a circle above the drain. Yoojin quickly gets bored doing this, and it’s getting harder for him to keep his eyes open. Figuring he can close them for a minute while the water drains, he props his elbow on the side of the tub and uses his good arm as a makeshift pillow. Peace chirrups and hops down off of the sink, curling up beside Yoojin where he’s kneeling on the bathroom floor. The fire manticore proceeds to turn its attention to grooming its tail.

The sound of the water being sucked into the pipes is almost hypnotic. Yoojin’s eyelashes flutter as he tries to keep his eyes open, but it’s a losing battle. He exhales deeply as he allows them to slip closed, officially giving into the urge to take a brief nap. He tunes out the dull ache from his arm as he surrenders his consciousness and his thoughts begin to blur. 

Yoojin falls asleep like this.

He awoke some time later to the feeling of hands gently shaking him.

“Wha…” Yoojin mumbles, groggy and confused.

Yoohyun’s face swims into view as Yoojin squints in the direction of his blurry figure. He looks more concerned than amused, but there’s definitely some humor there. It looks like he had also changed into different clothes and cleaned himself up as well. Maybe he had another bathroom that he’d used, because Yoojin figures he would’ve woken up if Yoohyun had used this one. His place was certainly big enough to have more than one bathroom.

“You shouldn’t sleep here, hyung.” Yoohyun scolds once he notices Yoojin’s eyes had focused on him. “I’ll carry you to the living room so you can eat before you go back to sleep.”

“Nooooo. Can’t I just sleep?” Yoojin would admit his voice is whiny and breaks with exhaustion. He’s not very hungry, either, despite what he’d told Yoohyun earlier.

Yoohyun remembers that conversation though. “If you’re making me eat, then I’m making sure you eat too. I made kimchi fried rice. You can eat while you talk to Harin-ssi. She’s waiting in the living room.”

Yoojin almost wants to cry again because he’s too goddamn tired for this right now. 

“Fine.” He mutters into his arm, not wanting to expend any energy by getting into an argument. 

Without missing a beat, Yoohyun bends down and then scoops his older brother up by placing one hand under his legs and one behind his back. Yoojin immediately blushes up to his ears and whacks his brother hard on the shoulder. Yoohyun stumbles in surprise at the strength behind the hit, but quickly rebalances himself and exits the bathroom. Peace follows behind, tail sticking straight up in the air as they all head over to the living room.

“Ow.” Yoohyun responds to the hit, completely deadpan.

Yoojin completely ignores his brother’s exclamation. “Why the hell did you need to carry me like this?” 

He is not done with smacking his brother’s shoulder as he complains. Yoohyun’s face is slowly morphing into a grimace, because for all that his older brother appears smaller and slimmer than him, Yoojin packs one hell of a punch. He thinks that there is a bruise forming and darkening with every hit. Peace is making little mrrr noises that almost sound like laughter, and Yoohyun shoots a glare at the amused looking fire manticore. This is the very sight that Kim Harin, the A-rank healer contracted with Haeyeon, is greeted with as the three enter the living area.

Yoohyun drops Yoojin onto the couch, lacking the grace he’d used to pick him up. Yoojin moves his arms to catch himself, squeezing his eyes shut as he’d forgotten about his broken arm and had landed heavily on it when he was dropped. He swallows down an exclamation of pain, glaring up at his little brother, who had already turned and was now headed back to the kitchen. Yoojin then turns his attention to Kim Harin, looking displeased with her presence for a moment. He covers it up so quickly that she second guesses herself, because the friendly smile he shoots her feels genuine and welcoming.

“You must be Harin-ssi, one of Haeyeon Guild’s healers?” Yoojin asks her.

As he speaks, he’s carefully sliding himself backwards so that he’s comfortable on the couch. He then reaches for one of the blankets that Yoohyun had left out and wraps it around himself. As a finishing touch, he pulls his legs in so that his knees are pressed against his chest. It’s a decidedly defensive posture, softened only by Peace jumping onto the couch and curling into Yoojin’s side. Both Yoojin and Peace then yawn in unison, their sharp canine teeth on full display.

Kim Harin is sweating at the display, taken aback by the appearance of her guild leader’s brother. She’d heard a lot about Han Yoojin in the past, both from rumors and with dangerous undertones as Han Yoohyun used his guild members to ensure his older brother’s safety. This Han Yoojin, sitting in front of her, had been missing for months and had only now been found in a dungeon. Despite his clear exhaustion and how this seemed to dull his sharp edges, Harin wasn’t sure what to think about him. 

The Han Yoojin who had gone missing had been a civilian almost up to the point he disappeared. This Han Yoojin was someone entirely different. His presence exudes an aura akin to a predator. His eyes were sharp and watchful, even dimmed with fatigue. He was every bit as S-rank as Han Yoohyun himself, and anyone could see that. Harin did not doubt that Han Yoojin was very, very, very dangerous even if he willingly presented himself as not being a threat.

This was one of the few things that S-ranks failed at. There was simply no way to hide the extent of their power. They invoked a primal reaction in those who ranked lower, and established an hierarchy without even needing to try. They were Apex predators, down to their bones.

Harin doesn’t even realize that she was working herself up, having been unprepared to face someone as powerful as her guild leader today. Even being an A-rank, she was trembling minutely. Her voice shakes when she returns Han Yoojin’s greeting.

“H-hello, Han Y-Yoojin-ssi,” Harin stammers, squeezing her hands into fists over her knees. “It’s a p-pleasure to m-meet you…”

Yoojin’s eyes flicker with realization, and then suddenly Harin can breathe again. The invisible pressure on her chest eases up, and she begins to relax. Yoojin-ssi smiles at her, gentle and reassuring, and Harin finds herself smiling back. 

Why had she been so scared of him? How ridiculous was her overactive mind! The aura of strength that lingered in the air around him wasn’t primal or threatening; it felt like warmth, and safety. 

She should stop listening to the whispers around the guild about how scary S-ranks were. Yerim-hubae was a sweet and bubbly teenager. Guild leader-nim could be very scary, yes, but he always lashed out with good reason. It hadn’t been easy for a teenager to form his own guild. He’d had no choice but to bare his fangs! And he had been so stressed these last few months after his presumed civilian brother had disappeared into a dungeon after having gone on an illegal raid. Seeing this man, looking young and cocooning himself in a blanket and smiling at her, Harin could see why Guild leader-nim had gone off the walls while he was missing.

Han Yoojin-ssi was like a cup of hot coffee on a cool morning, or like a snug robe after a steaming shower. He was comfort, and safety. Harin also would have lost it if she had a big brother like him and he’d been stolen away from her so abruptly. No wonder why Guild leader-nim had gone totally feral; only able to be tamed by Simyeong-ssi and Sunghan-ssi, and met blow for blow by Yerim-hubae. It was clear even from the brief interaction she’d witnessed how much Yoohyun cherished his big brother. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Harin apologizes to Yoojin, realizing she’d been zoning out. She just felt so comfortable and relaxed. “Guild leader-nim said you aren’t injured badly enough to need a check up. Are you sure? I don’t mind checking you over-”

“I’m okay, Harin-ssi. But thank you for the offer.” Yoojin interrupts, voice slightly amused. 

Harin finds herself blushing a bit as he locks eyes with her. His irises are a really pretty silver color, and they enhance his delicate features. Han Yoojin-ssi is really an attractive man, akin to the “pretty boy” title her own guild leader was often called by Moon Hyuna-ssi. Harin could see the resemblance clearly in their good looks. Yoojin-ssi also seemed to smile a lot more, and it softened his expression, only working to make him appear even more attractive.

“O-okay… I did bring along some high tier potions for you to use, if you don’t want me using my skill on you.” Harin relents, wanting to please Yoojin-ssi. She pulls a few bottles from her inventory and sets them on the coffee table. “They should help your mana replenish faster and fix you right up if there’s anything that needs healing… I can sign off for the Association as long as I know you’ve taken them.” 

“He will take them. Right now, actually. With food.” Han Yoohyun interrupts, strolling back into the living area. He has two bowls full of steaming kimchi fried rice in each hand. He sits down on the couch next to Han Yoojin, opposite the fire manticore cub, and hands his older brother one of the two bowls with a pointed look. 

Han Yoojin rolls his eyes, which shocks Kim Harin. Everyone always treats Guild leader-nim with respect and a small hint of fear, not wanting to offend him. Yoojin-ssi is blatantly disrespectful, but also clearly affectionate in his actions towards Han Yoohyun. It’s as endearing as it is baffling. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure. Take this back,” Yoojin-ssi shoves the bowl into Guild leader-nim’s chest, “so I can use my hands to finish these potions off before I eat.” 

Harin watches, wide eyed, as Han Yoohyun takes the bowl back without complaint despite being told what to do by someone else. The Guild leader she knew gave dirty, nasty looks even to Simyeong-ssi and Sunghan-ssi when they asked him to do anything. With Yoojin-ssi, he simply complies without saying a word. Yoojin-ssi takes this moment to throw back the three potions in quick succession. Finished, he sets all three bottles back on the table and wipes his mouth with the back of his wrist. He holds out a hand to wordlessly request his food back after this, and Guild leader-nim deposits the bowl right back in his hands.

“Thank you, Harin-ssi. I feel much better now.” Yoojin beams at her, his pretty silver eyes twinkling. “I’m also very glad that you don’t have those gross citrus flavored potions. I’m rather partial to the plain ones.”

This is an unusual preference, but both Kim Harin and Han Yoohyun make a mental note of it for later. 

“If you ever need a healer, Yoojin-ssi, feel free to reach out. Guild leader-nim can give you my number.” Harin responds, blushing a bit and fidgeting with her fingers. 

She pales a little bit as Guild leader-nim turns a piercing gaze on her, but it doesn’t last long before he looks away again. He seemed to have been satisfied with the intent behind her offer. Which is fine, because Harin really wouldn’t mind seeing Yoojin-ssi again. He was nice to her and it didn’t hurt that he was as pretty as her guild leader, but felt a hundred times more approachable. 

“The papers will be with Simyeong-ssi. Visit him to sign off on what the Association wants to have on file. He can also make you a copy of the NDA you signed, if you would like one.” Yoohyon orders her without glancing in Harin’s direction.

Harin is a little miffed, but nods without hesitation. “Yes, Guild leader-nim. I’ll take my leave. It was nice to meet you, Yoojin-ssi.” 

Harin stands and bows respectfully to the brothers, before practically fleeing the room. The front door closes loudly behind her and then whirs with the sound of an electric lock settling back into place. Yoojin turns an incredulous but pleased look on Yoohyun.

“An NDA, just for doing a house visit with me? Is that really necessary?” He asks.

“You seemed uncomfortable with anyone seeing you. I took extra precautions to ensure anything witnessed here remained private. Harin-ssi is trustworthy.” Yoohyun responds evenly. 

He glares at Yoojin reproachfully until his older brother wrinkles his nose at him and shoves another bite of the kimchi fried rice he’d made into his mouth. Only then is Yoohyun satisfied. He swallows another mouthful from his own bowl.

“Well, thanks.” Yoojin mumbles, ears red. He’s staring hard at his food. “I appreciate you keeping my comfort in mind.”

“You come first, hyung. Always.” Yoohyun says immediately, watchful as Yoojin continues to eat slowly. “I already told you that I want you here and that you could never burden me. I want you to learn to trust me when I say that your wants and needs are very important to me.”

“Hmm.” Yoojin hums, finding it difficult to really believe. He lets himself slump to the side, resting his full weight on his little brother. His head falls on his shoulder. “You’re the best little brother I could ask for.”

I’d rewrite the timeline however many times it took to get it right, if it meant seeing you safe and happy like this. Yoojin thinks.

The fog is slowly creeping back over his mind. Yoojin’s face slowly goes lax as he falls asleep, feeling content to have his brother pressed against one side and Peace on the other. He would have dropped his nearly empty bowl on the floor if Yoohyun hadn’t caught it in time. Yoohyun placed both of their dishes on the table before grabbing a different blanket for himself. He arranges the large quilt so that it’s wrapped over the two of them, slowly shifting into a more comfortable position to avoid waking Yoojin. Peace is purring, fast asleep already.  

Yoohyun wraps his arms around his brother, a strange mixture of relief and pain in his eyes. “I really thought I’d lost you, hyung.” He whispers, voicing his worries, but unable to give voice to the last little bit. 

He tucks the words deep in his heart as he exhales deeply, closing his eyes, feeling like a little kid again. After months of searching, of running himself ragged, of fighting with other S-ranks and riling up other guilds and storming the Association just to see if someone, anyone, would let something slip proving that they had had something to do with his brother’s sudden disappearance, while Yoohyun had stood by, unable to do anything but watch and beg-

Han Yoohyun has his big brother back.

And he wasn’t planning on letting him go ever again.

Chapter Text

When Yoojin finally succeeds at clawing himself back to a state of awareness, he discovers that he has been sleeping for twenty hours straight. 

At least, if the time that was on his phone was to be believed. Yoohyun must have managed to salvage the device from the dungeon Yoojin had been in with the Awakening brokers. Yoojin had realized, after waking up in Haven for the first time, that it had fallen out of his pocket during his mad scramble to check on Yoohyun’s safety for himself. He’s grateful it had been found, because he’d had this phone for a long time. It had a lot of pictures of both himself and Yoohyun growing up together that Yoojin would have been really upset about losing.

He blinks slowly to clear his vision. A yawn splits his jaw open as he stretches, cat-like, gathering that he’s in a dark bedroom rather than on the couch in the living room where he’d originally fallen asleep. He’s buried beneath a mound of blankets, and he shoves all of them aside except for one as he realizes how warm he was. Yoojin wraps himself in the last blanket, sitting up on the bed, bemused by how large it was. It had to at least be an Alaskan King; it was giant.  

Peace begins to let loose a volley of little chirrups as Yoojin gets up, placing its paws on his chest to rub their cheeks together. Its whiskers twitch with joy as it sees Yoojin is awake. Yoojin chuckles at the little monster, cupping its cheeks in his hands and pressing a loud kiss to Peace’s forehead, right below its horn.

“Good morning, Peace.” Yoojin greets cheerily, pulling back to grin at the creature.

Peace meows back at Yoojin, rubbing their cheeks together once more. Yoojin allows Peace to crawl into his lap and pets him absentmindedly as he wonders where Yoohyun had gone. He definitely hadn’t been anywhere near as tired as Yoojin, so he doesn’t blame him for getting out of bed to do other things. Especially if he’d carried Yoojin into the bedroom at some point without waking him. He must have been fast asleep to not have noticed himself being picked up and moved around. 

Yoohyun wouldn’t have gone far, though, so Yoojin is content to take his time waking up completely.

He first sends out a thin, nigh unnoticeable layer of his mana to map out his immediate surroundings. The feedback given tells Yoojin that Yoohyun is still in the loft, moving around the kitchen. He can pick up the scent of food being cooked and hear soft speech due to his enhanced senses, but he feels a surge of anxiety when he hears Yoohyun mention his name to a person on the phone, so he tunes out the call. He refocuses elsewhere and mentally bookmarks the locations of the guards that Yoohyun has posted around the place, too. As well as the mini portals used to access the floor.

After this, Yoojin turns his attention to his Pack bonds. He gives three of them a quick tug, requesting a feedback loop of their emotions by using his mana. He leaves out Peace’s bond, seeing as he could see Peace’s state of being for himself. 

The first emotional response he gets is from Myeongwoo’s bond. Like always, it’s laced with a distinct determination and wish to prove oneself. Unlike usual, however, there’s an overwhelming sense of tension and anticipation that seems to stand out above everything else. It’s almost as if Myeongwoo was on the verge of discovering something huge and could barely contain himself. Yoojin wondered what exactly he’d found to elicit such a reaction from him.

The next bond to respond is Yerim’s. It offers up a whole host of mixed emotions, so Yoojin frowns as he begins to parse through them. The first emotion he untangles is a thick well of jealousy that turns his stomach, making his frown deepen. It seems to be fueling a strict sense of resolution, however, so it couldn’t be all bad. She seemed to have her mind set on something, and was working hard as a result.

The final bond to offer feedback is Yoohyun’s. Yoojin takes his time with this one, as he’s most concerned with his brother’s response to him being here. 

The first emotion to hit Yoojin eclipses all of the rest. It’s an overwhelming sense of contentment; one that even seems to bleed into the other powerful sentiments that Yoohyun was experiencing. Following close behind were the two equally fierce emotions of protectiveness and agitation. Something had upset his little brother, but he was still so focused on Yoojin being safe and present that his other concerns were placed on the backburner, when compared to his sense of satisfaction at having Yoojin in his home. 

Yoojin felt selfish for feeling this way, but it had him hiding a shy, pleased smile behind his hands. 

He knows that if it weren’t for the Pack bonds, he’d be further doubting his younger brother’s genuine pleasure at having Yoojin in his home. Yoojin is, after all, good at painting himself in a horrible light within his own mind. The negativity of the media in the past timeline, as well as Yoohyun, Sunghan, and Simyeong’s verbal bashings had really messed with his already massive inferiority complex. Unless Yoojin was told things aloud, directly to his face, or felt them for himself through his Pack bond… well, his thoughts on the opinions others had about him were really quite terrible and not to be dwelled upon at the moment.

Yoojin shakes his head to rid himself of these ideas, because he should be happy! He was home with Yoohyun! He was well rested! He was an SS-rank hunter who could soon use that status to help his little brother’s guild grow stronger! He was-

Really freaking hungry, actually.

His stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting his contemplations. Yoojin glanced at Peace, who had gone stock still, gazing into Yoojin’s soul. The monster knew what was coming next when Yoojin actually acknowledged his own hunger, since he had a bad habit of forgetting to feed himself, and Peace usually had to remind him to eat. And Yoojin does not let the little manticore down.

He pulls out a couple of mana stones from his inventory. He breaks one up into smaller pieces and throws the chunks into the air for Peace to fetch, making it into a game. Yoojin finishes his own quickly, not wanting Yoohyun to notice that he was now awake and then walk in on him casually eating what was classified as “monster food.” It would be pretty hard for Yoojin to explain that one.

Once they’d both finished, Yoojin decides to stumble out of the bed, his blanket hanging firmly over his shoulders. He is happy to discover a pair of house slippers at the side of the bed and slides his feet in, deciding to hurry to the bathroom next. His blanket is very long and large, so it drags behind him like a cape as he enters the attached bathroom. 

Peace seems to think this is the best thing ever, because the fire manticore begins to attack the bottom of the blanket as Yoojin continues to walk. Said hunter stumbles as Peace frantically grabs onto the fabric, gripping it tightly with its front paws and bunny kicking it with the back paws. Yoojin snorts as he glances down and then bursts into laughter as he sees what Peace had been doing.

Then he giggles sheepishly as he realizes that the blanket was being shredded beneath Peace’s fierce claws.

“Oops. Maybe Yoohyun won’t mind… what if we make you a blanket from dungeon materials?” Yoojin mutters under his breath as he continues into the bathroom. Peace is still gripping the blanket, growling viciously as he continues his assault, and gets dragged along as a result. Yoojin is too amused to care about the destruction happening right before his eyes.

He proceeds to go about his business while Peace takes its battle with the blanket very seriously. Yoojin next washes his face with the fancy skincare products Yoohyun had left out and then takes extra care while flossing and brushing his teeth with the same intensity as the last time. He had hated how gross they’d become while clearing dungeons and staying in Haven, and he would never take toothpaste for granted again. Yoojin finishes up by taming his hair with some water and a comb, leaving it a little messy, and then finds himself frozen as he really looks at his reflection.

He looks… nothing like he remembers.

Of course, he still looks like Han Yoojin. Just… not like the Han Yoojin he’d been used to looking at in the mirror for thirty years in the last timeline. His facial structure is visibly more delicate than he remembers, for one, but that could just be from his change in diet making him look healthier. Secondly, his eyes are silver instead of dark brown. Yoojin had noticed the color was a bit off in the lake located in Haven, but he’d dismissed it as his eyes quite literally playing tricks on him. It seems that was not the case, as there was no speck of brown to be seen in his irises. Thirdly, he doesn’t think he’s ever been so tan in his entire life. The sunshine in Haven had been no joke, especially when Yoojin spent his entire time in Haven out in the sun. 

He smooshes his cheeks together before stopping, just so he can pinch the skin. The sting he feels tells him this is definitely him; the Han Yoojin of the present. He was five years younger, seven classes higher, and a whole lot more messed up in the head he’s sure, but he was still Han Yoojin. His reflection still mirrored his movements the same way it always had. 

He just… couldn’t really get used to seeing himself like this.

It was unsettling to realize this, and he was getting really uncomfortable the more he stared at his face. So Yoojin turns away from the mirror and stalks out of the bathroom, deciding he’d spent enough time waking up and getting ready. He would go find out what his little brother had decided to make for their meal and stare at Yoohyun’s face in disbelief instead of his own. After all, this was a Yoohyun who looked five years younger than what Yoojin was used to as well. 

That would also take some time to adjust to.

Yoojin doesn’t have to wait long to see what Yoohyun had been cooking. The moment he walks out of the bedroom and goes down the hallway he can spot the massive spread of food at the dining table. Peace finally gives up on attacking the blanket, rolling onto its feet and sniffing at the air, looking like he is about to begin drooling. Yoojin pauses in shock at the sheer volume of food laid out in front of him, unable to believe his eyes. It had been so long since Yoojin had eaten home-cooked food with seasonings and spices, aside from the simple kimchi and rice meal Yoohyun had fed him, and he was in awe. His stomach growled again, officially announcing his presence in the room.

“Hyung! You’re awake!” Yoohyun whips around as Yoojin enters the room, beaming at his older brother. His eyes are huge with delight and glimmer with an eagerness to please. Yoojin does not miss the way Yoohyun gives him a quick once over, checking for any discomfort in his body language, and relaxes completely when he deems Yoojin to be comfortable in his space.

“Come eat, hyung! I made this for you.” Yoohyun urges, and Yoojin complies, mouth still hanging open in shock. 

Yoohyun is quick to join him after he sits down, placing another two side dishes on the table as he does so. Peace hops up on an extra chair beside Yoojin, ignoring Yoohyun’s brief dirty look in lieu of Yoojin’s gesture saying that it would be okay. Yoojin picks up a pair of chopsticks and then freezes, uncertain where to start. Everything looked so good. 

When had Yoohyun learned to cook?

“You made all of this?” Yoojin finally speaks, staring at his brother with wide, uncertain eyes. “You didn’t have to cook for me. You could’ve just ordered something and I’d be happy. You’ve gotta be rich by now. I bet you probably eat out all the time, right?” 

Yoohyun’s face kind of twitches before settling into a frown. He ignores Yoojin’s question for the moment. He picks up his own chopsticks and begins to load up Yoojin’s plate. 

“Let me serve you, hyung. Is this enough rice? I just kind of threw together whatever I had in the fridge…”

Yoojin stares incredulously at Yoohyun. He had felt the discomfort and the flash of remembered rage triggered by his inquiry. At the same time, he’s also baffled that Yoohyun wouldn’t think this was enough to eat. Was he trying to fatten him up with all of this food?

“This is more than enough, Yoohyunie. It all looks so delicious. Ah, thank you for the meal…” Yoojin watches as Yoohyun deposits two eggs onto his plate. They were cooked sunny side up, just the way Yoojin preferred. 

Yoohyun smiles at him, all boyish and anticipatory. He looks even younger like this, and Yoojin feels a distinct pang in his heart. His expression must have darkened though, because Yoohyun speaks, breaking him out of his memories of an older and more distant Han Yoohyun. 

“Are you feeling okay, hyung? Did you get enough sleep?” He asks him, a little worried.

“I’m fine.” Yoojin responds, still staring at Yoohyun’s face. He can’t shake the feeling that his brother was deliberately avoiding answering his earlier questions. “I feel great. Actually, I feel fantastic even. I haven’t slept that well in a very long time.” 

“I’m glad.” Yoohyun seems satisfied to hear this. He puts more food on Yoojin’s plate, holding his tongue when Yoojin then picks some up to give to Peace. The manticore’s tail is wrapped primly over its paws as it crouches down, gnawing on a piece of bacon. 

“I fed your fire manticore some monster meat and mana stones not too long before you got up.” Yoohyun throws it out there, feeling petty. 

It’s not a lie either. He may not like the creature, but his older brother seemed attached to it. Yoohyun wasn’t below feeding a monster just to get some extra brownie points.

Yoojin pauses and stares wide-eyed at Peace, feeling betrayed by the news. “You little swindler, you! Peace, how could you lie to your own guardian like that! You should be ashamed of yourself!”

Yoohyun looks overly smug as he watches his older brother scold the little fire manticore. Peace’s ears are plastered against its head, looking truly ashamed. Yoojin softens immediately at the appearance of its sad, sad eyes and sorrowful meow of apology.

“Aww, Peace, you know I can’t stay mad at you for long! Plus, I bet you’re curious to know what our food tastes like too-” Yoojin gushes, petting the monster, looking utterly smitten. 

Yoohyun clenches his jaw, his fingers curling tightly and squeezing until his chopsticks snapped. 

All three of them pause, Yoojin and Peace staring at Yoohyun in surprise. Yoohyun takes a deep breath, exaggeratedly putting the remnants of his chopsticks down with care, and takes a long drink of water. He pointedly avoids looking at anyone’s eyes, and then ruins his false composure by accidentally placing the glass down with too much force. The glass cracks but does not shatter, and yet everyone’s gazes all immediately snap over to the sight that it makes.

“Uh, Yoohyun…” Yoojin hedges, concern tightening the skin around his eyes as he catches Yoohyun’s gaze. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine.” Yoohyun responds through gritted teeth.

Yoojin stares at him in disbelief. “You don’t seem like you’re okay.” 

Yoohyun gets up and quickly strides into the kitchen, feeling his older brother’s gaze heavy on his back. His chair makes a high pitched, irritating noise as it scrapes along the floor. He returns with a trash can, in which he throws the remains of his cup and his chopsticks into. He goes back to the kitchen once more, and then returns with replacements for both. Yoohyun sits down, the chair making that same loud screeching sound as he pushes it back in, and begins to eat with his new chopsticks as if nothing had happened.

“Do you like your manduguk, hyung?” Yoohyun asks, completely monotone. 

“It tastes great.” Yoojin says slowly, eyeing his brother strangely. “Yoohyun, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Yoohyun says shortly, and then holds out his chopsticks towards his older brother. “Try some of this spicy pork.”

Still looking at his younger brother questioningly, Yoojin takes the offered meat with his own chopsticks and places it in his mouth, chewing carefully. His eyes widened in delight. “That’s delicious!”

Yoohyun’s face brightens at the praise. “I tried to season it like how hyung used to. You really like it?”

Yoojin feels a tug on his heart, his gaze softening and smile growing as he looks at Yoohyun. “I can’t believe you paid that much attention to what I was doing when you were younger.”

“I loved watching how you liked to do things.” Yoohyun says, unabashedly honest, making Yoojin blush. “I learned a lot from hyung.”

“You’re just flattering me on purpose, now.” Yoojin accused his brother, but he’s still blushing. He adds some steel to his voice, unwilling to back down this time. “You ignored my question earlier. What’s so wrong with eating out? You always seemed to enjoy it when I brought home takeout for dinner.”

Yoohyun’s lips flatten back into a frown. His cheek twitches almost unnoticeably, if not for Yoojin’s sharp eyes and his existing knowledge of the tell. Yoohyun was planning to lie to him.

“I just prefer home cooked foods.” He says, lying to his face.

“Yoohyun.” Yoojin bites out, voice sharp, gaze heavy. “I know that you’re lying. You dodged the question on purpose when I brought it up. So what’s the real reason?”

Yoohyun kind of slumps in his seat, looking at Yoojin the same way he would as a teenager being chastised for his abrasive behavior. Yoojin isn’t cowed by the hangdog look and crosses his arms, frowning at his brother. Yoohyun sighs, giving in.

“Well, you’re also an S-rank now… so I guess it’s something you might need to watch out for too.” Yoohyun decides, his expression tightening into something serious. He straightens his posture, eyes flickering with a vicious remembrance. 

“To watch out for?” Yoojin echoes, eyes narrowing. The air begins to grow heavy around the brothers, charged with a dangerous intent. 

Yoojin has a disturbing inkling about what his brother is insinuating, and he sucks in a deep, steadying breath. He places his chopsticks on the table, deceptively calm. His hands clenched into fists the moment they were free. Peace quickly finishes eating, licking its lips in satisfaction, and straightens up to hop onto Yoojin’s lap with a soft meow. Yoohyun is watching Yoojin closely, eyes sharp and curious about the reaction.

“What exactly do you have to watch out for, Yoohyun?” Yoojin asks his brother, smiling genially. It’s a direct opposition to the murder in his eyes, which has immediately grasped Yoohyun’s interest.

“It’s safer to make your own food.” Yoohyun says, and the temperature in the room drops so starkly that it even makes him shiver. His eyes stay locked on his older brother’s expression; noting the way Yoojin’s smile had dimmed and his eyes had gone cold. 

Yoohyun continues on, watchful, fascinated by the change in temperature. 

“We have plenty of antidotes and curse breaking items on the market these days, but it was different in the beginning.” He says next, leaving the statement open ended.

Yoojin is looking at his half eaten plate of food, the smile dropping completely from his face. The air around them is growing even thicker. “You’re telling me… that people have tried to poison your food and curse you…?”

“It could have been jealousy. Maybe they just didn’t like getting shown up by a high schooler.” Yoohyun supplies, his eyes lifting to stare at a spot in the corner, finding it hard to look directly at Yoojin’s expression. He couldn’t figure out what he was seeing in it, anyways, but watching his big brother’s reaction to this was harder than dealing with the situation himself only a few years ago. 

“The other guilds partnered up with large corporations to build their size quickly.” The younger Han explains, trying to get his point across to Yoojin. He wants to drive it home, why making your own food would be safer. Especially now that Yoojin was a highly ranked hunter himself. Depending on what path Yoojin decided to take in the future, things would now become a lot more openly dangerous to him.

“I was stubborn and refused to do things the way that everyone else was. I insisted on creating my own guild, rather than selling myself out to a corporation. I mean, I guess it would have been better if I had stayed quiet and joined an existing guild-”

Yoohyun finds himself stopping mid-explanation as a shimmering silver aura manifests around his older brother, the mana blazing as if it were on fire. Yoojin’s teeth were bared, his eyes narrowed to pinpricks, his hands trembling with the sheer force of his ire. Peace meowed, seeming unaffected by the mana despite its close proximity, and only looked up at Yoojin with a concerned gaze. 

This is what makes Yoohyun realize that the temperature had stabilized. A second realization is that the weight in the air had lifted completely. A third tells him that somehow, some way, his older brother was masking both his mana and his aura so completely despite its visible, physical presence that the two other beings in the room with him couldn’t feel it at all. Yoohyun’s breath catches in awe, staring at the beautiful manifestation of his older brother’s energy that was flickering like a flame right before his eyes. 

He’d never heard of anyone having complete control over either their aura or their mana, and especially not like this. Oftentimes, control over one or the other went hand in hand with the next. This demonstration, right here, was simply an undeniable proof of Han Yoojin having both perfect mastery and control over his mana. It also displayed the finesse with which he used it to hide his S-rank aura. 

Yoohyun has a fourth realization, then.

He had felt the barest, most miniscule of slips in his brother’s aura only a handful of times since he’d been found, as well. Yoojin’s aura had been concealed the entire rest of the time. And although they were ephemeral, the slips that Yoohyun had felt had stunned him each and every time. There was something heart-stopping about the sheer amount of presence that Yoojin had in his aura. One that flickered out like a snuffed flame as Yoojin’s mana easily shoved his energy back below the surface.

Yoohyun can’t wrap his mind around this.

Even while unconscious, Yoojin had been suppressing his aura the entire time he’d been with Yoohyun. As if it were effortless to keep it under wraps, even when exhausted beyond belief and half-conscious. It was a shocking discovery to realize that his big brother, who’d only been Awakened for a little over three months, had managed to achieve what no other S-ranker could.

Even the more experienced S-ranks and A-ranks that Yoohyun knew couldn’t mask their auras so completely, or for such a long time, either. The high ranks could do it for set amounts of time, when they could be bothered to do it at all. It was just that they often preferred to simply keep to themselves or interact with only fellow high ranks that wouldn’t require aura suppression, just to avoid the tedious process of doing so. 

This brought up the fifth realization: that in which the only reason that Yoohyun knew his brother was an S-rank, aside from his brief verbal admissions in the bathroom, had been from encountering Yoojin in the misranked dungeon before he disappeared. Yoojin had been freshly Awakened then, which is likely the only reason why Yoohyun had been able to feel his true aura for himself in the first place. His older brother wouldn’t have known how to conceal his aura then, especially not in its entirety, the way he was suppressing it right now. 

This brings up the fact that Yoojin is and had been the source of an aura Yoohyun would have never thought could be hidden due to its massive volume and pressure, either. The sheer force of Han Yoojin’s untamed energy had knocked the air from even Yoohyun’s lungs the moment he first entered the dungeon with the intent to save his unawakened civilian brother. He’d stumbled as he first set foot in the dungeon, gasping for air that felt too thick to drag into his lungs. His instincts had immediately screamed at Yoohyun that something more threatening, more dangerous, and more powerful than him was what awaited him inside the dungeon, but he’d ignored this in favor of finding Yoojin. 

And despite the initial shock he’d felt, Yoohyun hadn’t ever felt scared, because something deep within him had whispered that the powerful presence would never dare to harm him.

Imagine his surprise when the very entity that had left his S-rank instincts feeling meek and submissive was his older brother, Han Yoojin. Who was found bathed in blood, his voice and mind shaken from an encounter that had Yoohyun’s protective instincts screeching for vengeance, surrounded by a macabre spread of bodies belonging to hunters and beasts alike.

Yoojin’s hands had been shaking when he embraced Yoohyun. Yoohyun had bit his tongue so hard that it split, and then swallowed the blood so that Yoojin wouldn’t notice how affected Yoohyun was by the confusing mess of instincts Yoojin had caused and that Yoohyun had no idea how to deal with. Yoohyun hadn’t been able to focus entirely on the overpowering aura of his brother at that time, all because of his worry for Yoojin. He’d shoved his observations into a box that he could open up and dwell on later, when the air didn’t reek with the scent of his big brother’s desperation and grief. 

And then Yoojin had been gone, ripped away from Yoohyun, torn from his arms. The sudden system message Yoohyun had read had explained nothing, but had been the beginning of everything. 

And then things got fuzzy and turned to tunnel vision while Yoojin was missing. The months were remembered in a blur of fury, ferality, and filled with an overwhelming sense of fear that he had lost his big brother for good. Yoohyun hadn’t had time until now to dwell on the realization that, during his time away, Yoojin had learned to suppress one of the most powerful and massive auras that Yoohyun had ever experienced, into total nothingness with little to no effort.

This was total control. And it shocked Yoohyun into silence.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” Yoojin asks, his hair shadowing his eyes. His mana flickers, like a flame being fed with oxygen before expanding. Yoohyun still cannot feel his aura. 

“I would have taken care of them for you even then, Yoohyunie. All you had to do was say something.” Yoojin says, his voice rasping against his throat, as if the words were coming out as a half-growl. He’s being blatantly honest.

Yoohyun’s mouth gapes a bit as he realizes what his brother was inferring. “I took care of them myself, hyung.” He admits, something that felt like a brag entering his tone. 

It strikes him then that there’s something deep within him that is begging for his brother to acknowledge what he’d done, without him asking him to do so outright. Something that Yoohyun hadn’t thought about in ages. It was what had driven him to get such good grades in school, what had made him work so hard to become a model student, what had urged him to pave the way for a successful future for himself in which he’d be able to take care of Yoojin so that he could pay his hyung back for loving someone like Yoohyun despite what it had cost him. 

It was the desire to seek out his big brother’s praise and acknowledgement. The desire to make Yoojin proud.  

More than that, though, this was a carnal urge. As if Yoohyun was an adolescent lion who had made his first live kill, and dragged the carcass before the pride. As if Yoojin was the more powerful predator, and Yoohyun wanted to present him with proof that he was powerful, too. As if he wanted to show Yoojin that he could count on his strength, and trust that Yoohyun could hunt on his own. 

It’s such a primal instinct that Yoohyun finds himself completely swept up in it. It was almost as if his mind had recognized and decided that Yoojin was the stronger predator of the two of them, and as a byproduct, Yoohyun’s S-rank instincts wanted nothing more than to prove his place in this new power dynamic. But rather than Yoohyun feeling threatened by a stronger “predator,” instead he only felt an incessant need to impress his brother. He wanted to stand as an equal with Yoojin, while still deferring to him, and what a weird thought was that? Yoohyun had been an S-rank for three years, while Yoojin had only been an S-rank for three months. 

Why was it that Yoohyun’s instincts, which had initially been uncertain about his brother’s aura, had settled into something so entirely different?

This need to make his brother proud of him, to prove to Yoojin that Yoohyun was just as much of a threat to their enemies as he was but would not pose a threat to his older brother, overtook what he would have said originally. That Yoojin shouldn’t look at him like this. That this was the path he chose for himself. That his one regret in taking this path was that it had caused the two of them to fall out. Yoohyun does not say any of this, because his brother was not a civilian. His brother was not a low ranking hunter. 

Han Yoojin was an S-rank, just like Han Yoohyun. And this meant that Yoohyun wouldn’t have to be cautious about mincing his words, or censoring his actions. Han Yoojin was an S-rank. He would understand the primal, animalistic instincts that S-ranks lived with every moment of every day. He would understand the sheer relief and ecstasy that came with unleashing your aura at full strength. He would understand the giddiness an S-rank felt as they trampled all over those who dared to think that they could tear someone like Yoohyun apart simply because he had been younger and less experienced than them. Yoojin would understand that one of the only times that an S-rank felt true happiness was when they tore into the throats of their enemies, and then gleefully licked their blood from their lips as they watched them bleed out.

Han Yoojin was an S-rank. He would understand. And Han Yoohyun had never been more excited about the fact that the two of them could truly meet one another on the same level now, in a way they would never have been able to in the past.

Yoohyun’s eyes darken, a proud grin pulling at his lips, a hint of teeth showing. “You wouldn’t have to do anything, because I killed them all, hyung.”

It’s Yoojin’s response that sets all of Yoohyun’s nerves alight. A sense of pure, carnal pleasure overwhelms him. Because this was no lie, and Han Yoojin truly was every bit of an S-class as Han Yoohyun himself.

“What a shame.” Yoojin says faux-mournfully, his head canting to the side. 

His eyes glint with a vicious fury that rekindles Yoohyun’s old rage at the long dead men and women who’d attempted to poison him. He’d made sure their deaths had been messy, just to prove his point. Han Yoohyun would never bow down to anyone, unless that “anyone” happened to be his own brother. 

“I would have loved to kill them myself for daring to attempt to harm my little brother.” Yoojin says, regretful. 

His brother’s mana flickers, untraceable. Yoohyun waits.

“You were only seventeen then, I’d assume. If you were still in the process of forming your guild when this happened, you were still a minor.” Yoojin continues in a low, casual drawl. “What kind of people go after kids with the intent to harm? It’s such a shame that I was unaware of the difficulties you endured all alone, Yoohyun. If I had known…” 

Yoojin’s eyes flicker this time. Yoohyun continues to wait. Yoojin isn’t finished. 

“I hope you ripped them to pieces, my dongsaeng.” Yoojin throws it out there, lips curled in anger, a hint of self-reproach in his eyes. He’s beating himself up for having not been there to help, but that was not Yoojin’s fault. Rather, it was Yoohyun’s, for walking out and distancing himself from his brother in the first place. 

Yoojin’s lips now turn into a dangerous, vicious grin. He reaches over the table and grabs Yoohyun’s hand, squeezing it, his eyes glittering with pride and satisfaction. “I’m proud of you, Yoohyun. You must have had a hard time. I’m so proud of you and everything that you’ve accomplished. You’re a well-established Guild leader at such a young age, and you did it all on your own! But what I’m really proud of…”

Yoojin’s eyes fog over, going distant. Yoohyun feels a pang of concern, and he squeezes Yoojin’s hand back, just to get him to refocus. It works, and Yoojin’s gaze clears as he looks at his younger brother with a smile that looks more like a bloodthirsty baring of his teeth than anything.

“What I’m really proud of,” Yoojin continues, as if he hadn’t trailed off earlier, “is that you don’t ever let anyone walk all over you. You’ve proven yourself time and again. You didn’t let your age stop you from achieving your goals, despite everyone trying to tear you down. I’m so very proud of you for refusing to ever give up. And I’m proud of you for doing away with those who thought they could hurt you… for good. Anyone who tries to harm my little brother is better off dead, anyways. ”  

Yoohyun’s mind probably fritzed out for a moment, overloaded by the vision of Yoojin’s eyes softening despite his delight over Yoohyun’s admissions of murder. He feels like he’s overflowing with giddiness at his older brother’s praise. Yoohyun’s cheeks flush a bit and he looks off to the side, failing to fight down a bashful smile that would make his elation obvious.

Yoohyun had changed and grown over the last three years. He’d come into his own, shaped by the changing world around him. He was not the seventeen year old civilian boy who’d pushed his brother away just to protect him, now he was a twenty year old S-rank hunter. He was no longer a school kid who worked hard to ace his classes; now he was the leader of a prominent guild that he’d built himself from the ground up. Yoohyun had changed a lot in the three years he’d been purposefully separating himself from Yoojin, having had no choice but to adapt to new challenges and the evolving world of hunters and dungeons. 

But the one thing that would always remain a constant was this: Han Yoohyun would always be Han Yoojin’s little brother.

“Aww, Yoohyunie, you’re blushing.” Yoojin teased, pulling his hands back to pick up his chopsticks and continue eating. 

Yoohyun is pleased by this. While Yoojin now looked well-rested and refreshed after getting plenty of sleep, with a healthy glow about him, he was still way smaller and much slimmer than any other S-rank or even B-rank that Yoohyun had encountered. Which was even more strange, considering that Yoohyun’s instincts had been shrieking at him from the get-go about how his brother’s power seemed leagues above any other S-ranks or monsters that he’d encountered before. 

It teeters somewhere near the level of the dragon being he’d contracted with; the main reason Yoohyun had even pushed Yoojin away in the first place. It made him uneasy to compare his own brother with a being like that, but it felt apt. Yoojin was hiding things from him. And Yoohyun was still hiding secrets of his own.

“You seem… different, hyung.” Yoohyun tells his brother, the serious tone softened by the still present but fading blush Yoojin’s praise had resulted in.

Yoojin paused, food halfway to his mouth. He frowns a bit, his eyes getting that distant look again. “Do I really? How so?”

“You’re a very high level Awakened. It is… evident, just in being around you.” Yoohyun responds, his blush fading completely. This is a serious topic, so he leans forward, lacing his fingers together. 

“Yes? I’m an S-rank… support type, however.” Yoojin does not flinch under the piercing gaze his younger brother levels on him. “I mean, I’ve been fighting in dungeons constantly for the last few… months, though? I guess, all of that would lead to change.”

“Support type? Really?” Yoohyun asks, caught off guard. 

The barriers Yoojin could form both acted and appeared totally different from Sunghan’s, and that had been all Yoohyun had seen of his brother’s skills thus far. It was just… that really couldn’t be all there was to it. The aura he kept tucked away so neatly had made it clear that Yoojin’s capabilities were like nothing Yoohyun had ever seen before.

“Wait, is it because I got a little trigger happy there about what you did to those losers who tried to hurt you?” Yoojin blurts out, ignoring Yoohyun’s incredulous echo. He crosses his arms over his chest, one side of his mouth curling into a snarl. “Well, whatever. They certainly brought it upon themselves. If someone dares to lay their hands on you while I’m arou-”

Yoohyun has to interrupt, here, a little bemused about how his older brother was winding himself up so fast about Yoohyun’s wellbeing. “Hold on. Hyung, calm down. I’m strong enough to take care of these things. As a guild leader and an S-rank, it’s only natural. So you don’t need to worry, okay?”

Yoojin pins Yoohyun with an unnamed look that is so vicious and so pertinacious that he closes his mouth, properly cowed. He feels like he’s about to be lectured the same way he had when he was younger, and Yoojin had found out that he was taking on side jobs to earn them some extra money. His older brother had been so very upset about Yoohyun possibly overworking himself, and had told him to quit doing any work while he was still in school. It had been a big fight, but Yoojin had come out victorious simply because Yoohyun couldn’t bear to be the cause of additional stress and worry for his brother.

“No matter how old you get, or how strong, you’re my little brother. I will always, always worry about you, Yoohyunie. That’s my job as your hyung, and as the one who raised you.” Yoojin says, breathtakingly blunt. “No matter what happens, I will always want to protect you. That will never change.”

“You need to let me protect you too, then, hyung.” Yoohyun snaps back, getting fired up as the admission gets everything he’d been bottling up to finally boil over like it had during their conversation in the bathroom. Except Yoojin had been too exhausted to push the subject at that time, so Yoohyun had let it drop and shelved it for later.

Now, Yoojin had been given time to properly rest and recover, and Yoohyun seizes this chance to confront his brother. 

His emotions suddenly blaze white hot, slamming into him with the force of a hurricane. All of the stress, the worry, and the fear from when Yoojin had been missing rose up and threatened to pull him under. He feels like he’s drowning with it all.

Yoojin seems affected by this storm as well, his face paling a bit, his eyes dilating. Yoohyun does not notice this, intent on getting his point across. He stands up, his chair getting knocked out from under him and banging to the floor. Yoohyun’s eyes burn with the force of his emotions, and then he’s shouting, his eyes going wild.

“Do you still not understand how worried I was? Hyung, I watched you disappear through a portal right in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it from happening! I stirred up trouble everywhere I could, hoping to find a trace of you! You’ve done enough! You raised me, and you loved me, and you never really stopped, even when I pushed you away! How can you disregard what happened to you? What I did to you? How can you write off your new rank as unimportant, just because you say you’re a support class? How can you still think I see you as a burden? Why can’t you just stop worrying about me, and give a damn about yourself for once!”

Yoohyun stops, chest heaving, running his hands over his face. He feels worn thin, and mentally exhausted. He really hadn’t expected this to be how the morning after his brother’s return would go. How could he have avoided this, though? It simply wasn’t possible.

It was evident in every interaction that Yoohyun had with his brother just how not-okay Yoojin was. He did a great job at smiling and seeming optimistic, clearly well-versed in acting as if everything was fine, but that had only set off more alarms in Yoohyun’s mind. How had he missed any of this before Yoojin went missing? How had he missed how badly he was struggling with Yoohyun’s absence in his life, enough that he sought out an illegal contract with Awakening brokers? 

How had he missed Yoojin thinking it was okay to endanger his own life in such a way, just to ease the perceived burden he was to his little brother?

How had he missed the darkness lingering in Yoojin’s eyes? How had he missed the total absence of self-worth and self-importance? How could he have ever let things get so bad that it took Yoojin experiencing a traumatizing Awakening and a disappearance that lasted months for Yoohyun to finally take action? 

Yoohyun had really messed up his relationship with his brother. He’d triggered a rapid descent in Yoojin’s mental health, as well, in doing so. This was all Yoohyun’s fault. How could he just continue to stand by and let Yoojin continue to think so lowly of himself and what he’d been through? 

Yoohyun doesn’t even know how badly affected Yoojin had been by the months of continuous raids he said he’d been on while he was gone. He doesn’t know anything about what Yoojin had experienced in these dungeons, or why he’d been stolen away from him in the first place. He barely knows anything about his brother’s skills or how he’d ended up in the dungeon with him and Yerim, injured and exhausted. 

What Yoohyun does know is that Yoojin is not okay. He does know that Yoojin has cleared at least one S-rank dungeon entirely solo, and had come out of it alive and with a tamed monster as a pet. He does know that Yoojin had likely been fighting and doing everything he could to survive for the entirety of the time he’d been missing. He does know that Yoojin is hiding things from him, in the same way that Yoohyun couldn’t speak of his contract with the dragon being, and yet had denied signing any contracts.

Had Yoojin also encountered a being like that while spending months stuck inside of dungeons? It hadn’t taken long after his Awakening for Yoohyun to be approached. It’s suspicious that Yoojin wouldn’t have met a being like that after spending so much time in their domain. Yoohyun is aware that these dangerous, terrifying beings targeted S-ranks specifically. He’d seen the looks other S-ranks had traded, had heard the hints in spoken conversations, subtle and probing. He knew the promises of inside knowledge on dungeons and items would have been impossible for such self-serving, powerful individuals to pass on, even if they would have had to accept dangerous stakes when signing Legendary-level contracts with these beings.

Had Yoojin really turned down a contract like that? And if so, why would he have refused?

Yoohyun had never fully accepted the terms of his own contract, simply because of Yoojin. He could never imagine willingly leaving his older brother behind to perish in a dying world. He could never imagine walking away from the only thing in said world that actually mattered to him, knowing he would be sealing his brother’s fate by doing so. Even if it meant Yoohyun had to push his brother away, distancing them both emotionally and physically, to protect him. Even if it meant leaving his brother alone, so long as he was alive.

But it was so clear to Yoohyun now, how much of a waste that had been. Was it worth it to have allowed his brother’s mental health to disintegrate, just to keep him alive? Was it worth it to have Yoojin verbally apologizing for needing help after everything he’d recently been through? Was it worth it to have Yoojin unsure about his place with Yoohyun? Was it worth it to have Yoojin see himself as nothing more than a burden?

The answer was simple: no. It hadn’t been worth it. Yoohyun had put them both through difficult times with his decision. Yoojin had ended up going into a dungeon anyways, and Awakening. Yoojin had still ended up in danger, and Yoohyun had almost lost him for good. 

Yoohyun knew that his plan had failed catastrophically, and it was Yoojin who had suffered the most because of it. He had been so foolish to think that pushing Yoojin away was going to be for the best. He had been the one to push his brother into doing the very thing he wished to protect him from. Yoohyun had failed Yoojin in every single way that his older brother had never let him down. He’d practically thrown everything Yoojin had given up for him, in order to provide Yoohyun with the best life he could, right back in his face without so much as a, “thanks.” 

Yoohyun had a lot to make up for when it came to his brother. This was his second chance, one he’d never believed he’d get, and he’d use it well to prove to Yoojin that he mattered and that Yoohyun was so, so grateful for everything he’d done for him. This was an opportunity to apologize for the years spent shoving Yoojin aside and calling it “protection,” now that it was clear how badly it had affected his older brother. Yoohyun would never ever do anything to make Yoojin think he was a burden ever again. 

The very first thing Yoojin had said to Yoohyun after he’d found him in that misranked dungeon, covered in blood, had been an apology. An apology for having not listened to Yoohyun’s demands to stay away from dungeons. An apology for how useless, pathetic, and weak he was. 

The next worrying topic had been Yoojin’s sheer disregard for the brokers using himself as bait to escape a boss monster that should have never appeared in that dungeon. And the final nail in the coffin, the most painful part about the whole experience even after everything Yoohyun had done to his brother, had been Yoojin’s heartfelt, vulnerable admission of having wanted nothing more than to have Yoohyun at his side. However he’d have him.

And Yoojin had not hesitated to tell Yoohyun how much he loved him, even after everything.

So Yoohyun continues to speak, fists clenched, feeling impassioned. “Hyung, you don’t ever need to apologize for needing help. I care about you. I want to protect you, too. I want to take care of you. It makes me happy to do those things. You’ve been looking out for me and taking care of me my whole life, so please, let me do the same. I thought I was protecting you by keeping away all this time, but I was so wrong. I can’t give any excuses for that. So I want to show you that you’re worth it. I want you to believe that you’re worth it. I can help carry the weight of what burdens you, too.” 

It wasn’t right, that so many of their interactions since the misranked dungeon and since Yoojin’s return were rife with Yoojin making it so blatantly obvious how lowly he thought of himself. It was upsetting to see. And Yoohyun would do whatever it took to show Yoojin how much he mattered.

The silence that followed his outburst was suffocating. Yoohyun’s chest heaved as he caught his breath, the anger and fear he’d been bottling up for months spilling out in a flood of raw emotion. For a moment, he felt a bitter sense of satisfaction in finally saying it all. But then he took a closer look at Yoojin.

Yoohyun had been staring hard at the table, trying to calm himself, when he heard something. His head lifts, heart thudding in distress, so he can look at Yoojin’s face. Yoojin hadn’t moved since he’d started yelling. His brother’s head was bowed, his bangs shadowing his expression, his fingers tightly clenching his chopsticks. It’s not until Yoohyun hears the same sound, a sniffle, and sees for himself as a tear lands on the table that he realizes that Yoojin was crying.

His older brother, who had always been so careful to never break down in front of Yoohyun, even at their own parent’s funeral, was crying.

This wasn’t the barely noticeable wetness in his eyes that Yoohyun had observed from the misranked dungeon and also later in the dungeon Yoohyun and Yerim had found him in. This wasn’t a glimmer of tears and an attempted smile to attempt to cover up the depth of his emotions. This was something that tore Yoohyun into pieces and made him rethink everything.

Han Yoojin was a silent crier. His eyes welled with tears that would roll down his cheeks to quietly land on his clenched fists. His cheeks flushed with heat as he bowed his head and squeezed his eyes closed, as if embarrassed to show the extent of his vulnerability. His sniffles were quiet, as quiet as the subtle hitches in his breath, as if he was afraid to let anyone hear. In fact, if Yoohyun didn’t have enhanced hearing, he likely wouldn’t have heard anything at all. Han Yoojin’s shoulders hunched in, but did not tremble. There was no dramatic sobbing, no gasping. He simply… cried.

It was almost surreal. Yoohyun had never really seen his brother cry before. There was something almost heartbreakingly graceful about it. His tears slipped down his face in perfect, crystalline trails, his expression composed even as his lips trembled. Before all of this, before this distance, Yoojin had always been so very strong. So optimistic. So put together. The one person who never seemed to crack. 

And now here he was, breaking down without saying a single word.

“Hyung…” Yoohyun’s voice softened, his tension ebbing away. Guilt took the place of his hurricane of emotions. He hadn’t meant to push his brother this far, he’d just wanted to get his point across.

Yoojin slowly wiped at his eyes, but the tears kept coming. His hand trembled slightly as he did. He bit his lip as if trying to hold it in, as if trying to hide it. “I’m sorry,” Yoojin whispered, barely audible. “I’m sorry you were worried… I really didn’t mean to make things worse for you.”

“That’s not… Hyung, that’s not what this is about!” Yoohyun took a step closer, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to figure out what to do, what to say. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. You—you could have died out there. You were gone for months, and I couldn’t—” His voice cracked, the weight of everything catching up to him. “I couldn’t bear losing you. And then you come back suddenly, and you’re injured, and exhausted, and talking like you being here would ever be a problem to me-”

Yoojin looked up then, his tear-filled eyes locking onto Yoohyun’s. “But I’m here now,” he said softly, as if that made everything better. As if his being back was enough to erase everything Yoohyun had gone through in his absence; all of the guilt he felt for having chased his older brother away in the first place. “I’m sorry I made you go through that. I never wanted to hurt you.”

The way Yoojin’s tears fell so quietly, so beautifully, only made it worse for Yoohyun. It felt wrong to see his brother like this, so composed even while breaking down. Yoojin had always been his pillar, the one who carried everything on his shoulders without complaint. Seeing him like this, finally letting those walls crack, made Yoohyun realize just how much his brother had been holding back—how much he still carried, even now.

“Hyung, please… you don’t have to do this alone anymore,” Yoohyun said, his voice shaking. “I’m not a kid who needs you to bear everything for me. I want you to care about yourself, to lean on me too. I don’t want you to keep hurting like this.”

Yoojin nodded faintly, but the tears didn’t stop. He was still trying to stay composed, still trying to be the strong, unbreakable older brother, even now. It made Yoohyun’s heart ache, seeing how deep that instinct ran in Yoojin—to be the one who carried the burden, even at his own expense.

“Come here,” Yoohyun said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

He maneuvered around the table and gently pulled Yoojin into a hug, wrapping his arms around his brother’s trembling frame. Peace is squished in between them as a result, but Yoohyun does not care at the moment, and neither does the monster. It is their shared goal to comfort the older Han. Yoojin stiffened for a moment, then slowly relaxed into the embrace, his head resting against Yoohyun’s shoulder. The silent tears continued, dampening Yoohyun’s shirt, but neither of them said anything more.

For a long time, they just stayed like that—Yoohyun holding onto Yoojin, as if by doing so, he could somehow protect him from everything that had happened, from everything that might still happen. Yoojin’s silent crying gradually slowed, the tension in his body easing as he let himself be comforted for once. When he finally pulls back, embarrassment turns his ears red. Yoojin scrubs his eyes, laughing self-deprecatingly. 

“I’m sorry for breaking down like that-”

“Hyung. Stop.” Yoohyun interrupts. It seems that no matter what, Yoojin’s first instinct for anything is to apologize for bothering others. “Thank you for leaning on me. Do you feel… better, now?”

He’d felt vulnerable asking this, pleased by Yoojin feeling comfortable enough to cry in front of him for the first time. Yoohyun feels like he’d finally passed some milestone, the first one, where Yoojin was finally accepting his help. Where Yoojin was finally showing he could trust Yoohyun enough to let his walls down in front of him.

“I, ah, I do feel… lighter, now. Thanks, Yoohyunie. For staying.” Yoojin admits, bashful, his cheeks flushing prettily. 

Yoohyun is already worrying about having to chase off paparazzi and media when his brother registers as an S-rank. He knew they’d have a field day taking shots of a newly Awakened high-ranking hunter with an appearance like Yoojin’s. His brother had seemed pretty set on registering, if Yoohyun remembered that brief conversation correctly, so it was inevitably something they’d be having to deal with. And considering how Yoojin thought so terribly of himself, he wouldn’t be anywhere near prepared enough to handle something like that on his own.

Yoohyun sits at the chair next to his brother now, pulling it out with that same god awful screech, and Yoojin’s lips twitch in amusement. His eyes had brightened, and it was nice to see, even if they were a different color than Yoohyun had been used to. Since Yoojin’s Awakening, it seemed they were now permanently silver rather than brown like before. It must be related to his shimmery silver mana in some way. Peace meows, feeling left out, and Yoojin presses a kiss to the fire manticore’s forehead. Peace preens at the gentle touch, and Yoohyun observes, curious about how the two of them interacted.

“Hyung, do you have some kind of skill related to beast taming?” Yoohyun broaches the topic, unable to stifle his curiosity. He knew next to nothing about Yoojin’s skills, and the want to know had been eating him alive.

Yoojin wrinkles his nose thoughtfully, stroking a hand down Peace’s back. “Hmm. Not explicitly… well, actually, it could probably be classified as an adjacent skill…” he trails off, thinking hard, “Come to think of it, it might work as a beast taming skill without issue. Except the only monster I’ve tried it on was Peace, who’s a juvenile monster, so I don’t know if it works on matured creatures… and it was kind of unintentional when I did it.”

“Do you have a Mark of the Master for your fire manticore?” Yoohyun asks next, watching Yoojin gaze thoughtfully at the beast.

“Now that you mention it, no.” Yoojin blinks in surprise, letting Peace rub its cheek along his palm, purring. “Peace and I just got on really well from the very beginning.”

“Would you want to invest some time into testing this possible taming skill of yours?” Yoohyun throws it out there, eyes narrowed in thought. He can figure something out; he could buy some dungeon beasts for Haeyeon and allow Yoojin to try his potential skill on them. If that was something Yoojin was interested in, of course.

Yoojin’s eyes flicker over to Yoohyun, and he scratches his head. “I wouldn’t mind furthering my knowledge on the skill… If it really does help me tame baby monsters, I could raise Haeyeon some mounts!” Yoojin’s eyes begin to sparkle with delight and the thought of being useful. 

Of course, Yoohyun doesn’t know what Yoojin does about this skill of his. Or that his title as Elite Guardian makes it easier for Yoojin to bond with and tame juvenile monsters, but he simply hadn’t come across another one since he’d found Peace. Yoojin doesn’t even know if he needs a Mark of the Master to tame the creatures; but it could perhaps make the bonding even more effective. It would be worth a shot.

Yoojin had to gather as many S-ranks as possible, after all. If he could collect an abundance of creatures to nurture and raise, that would eventually mature into S-ranks, that would make things much simpler for him. People were far more complicated to have under his custody than creatures, after all. This would be a fantastic field to dive into, seeing as how beast taming was currently so rare it was practically nonexistent. It would be a great way to use this skill.

“Hyung, do you mind if I ask about your other skills?” Yoohyun blurts, and Yoojin shrugs. Yoohyun’s eyes light up with interest at the assent.

“Sure. Well, you’ve seen the barriers I can create with my mana, right? I can also create weapons and build constructs out of my mana. It’s probably my most used skill. See?” Yoojin stretches out his arm, hand facing palm up, and a silver mana-knife surges into existence. “The weapons are powerful enough to harm S-rank skin, so be careful when you handle this.” He says, offering it to Yoohyun.

Yoohyun reaches out to grab the handle, and then does not hesitate to nick the finger of his free hand. He ignores Yoojin’s exasperated admonishment and sticks the digit in his mouth, eyes admiring the mana blade. “Wow. You can make S-rank weapons just out of mana?”

“The skill is called Mana Manipulation.” Yoojin says, scowling at Yoohyun’s slowly healing injury that he is entirely unphased by. “And it’s SS-rank.”

“SS-rank?!” Yoohyun’s eyes snap over to his brother’s face, wide in shock. “Mana manipulation? Is that why I can’t feel your aura?”

“Um…” Yoojin fumbles over his words. “Probably? I still haven’t completely mastered the skill yet, though. But I could tell my aura is pretty intense, and I, uh, don’t really feel comfortable with scaring lower ranks or civilians, so I’ve been training myself to conceal it… It was kind of difficult when I haven’t exactly been around other hunters or civilians since I Awakened, but I should have mastered it soon, now that I will be.”

“Hyung, that’s amazing.” Yoohyun breathes, in awe. “You’re already so great at it. What else can you do?!” 

Yoojin seems a little overwhelmed by the excitement, but he responds nonetheless. “I have a lot of passive skills. Reflexes, senses, some resistances, etc. But most of my other skills that aren’t passive are all related to buffs of some sort. Double attack damage, enhancing existing skills, doubling existing stats overall, boosting someone’s growth…” He tilts his head to the side, oblivious to Yoohyun’s jaw dropping and his eyes flashing with new worries as his younger brother considers every angle. “My only offensive skill is what I can do with Mana Manipulation. I’m really just a more powerful support type than anything else.”

“Wait. Hyung. You’re not just- You can’t say you’re “just” a support type. Do you not understand how rare your skills are? Hunters spend billions on items that can increase their stats and skills, even temporarily.” Yoohyun says, incredulous.

Yoojin gives him a squinty-eyed look. “I’m not unaware of how rare it is to have high ranked buffs like that. But I don’t want to make it a big deal.”

Yoohyun is already stressed, however. “You’re going to get totally hounded by recruiters for other guilds! How much of your skills are you planning on disclosing?! Hyung, if you join Haeyeon, my guild can offer you support so that you aren’t overwhelmed by others. You can state your terms, and I’ll have Seok Simyeong prepare a contract-”

Yoojin interrupts, looking uncomfortable, but his voice leaves no room for doubt. “Ah, I’m not planning on joining any guild in particular… I will also only disclose as much as I need to. I know not to reveal my whole hand, and to leave some tricks up my sleeve.” 

Yoohyun blinks, looking betrayed, his lips pursing like he’d tasted something sour. “What? Hyung-”

“I’m going to become a freelance hunter, and offer up my skills where I’m needed most.” Yoojin finishes, ignoring his brother’s exclamation. “I will still favor partnerships with Haeyeon, since it’s my baby brother’s guild, but I will not restrict my services to any one place in particular. I can be more helpful if I keep my options open, and I won’t have to jump through hoops with guild politics just because I decide I want to assist elsewhere, outside of a guild I’d signed exclusively with.”

“But Hyung, that’s really dangerous!” Yoohyun tries to change his mind, not knowing that Yoojin had spent the last three and a half months deciding on this. He couldn’t be swayed now. “You won’t have the protection of a guild as a freelance hunter! And if you accept jobs overseas, they will-”

“I know the risks, Yoohyun.” Yoojin cuts in firmly. Yoohyun’s aura had darkened, and Yoojin could feel it thickening the air, making it grow warmer. 

He was fully aware of how he’d be painting a target on his back. Yoojin knew the risks that came with freelance hunting. There were plenty of gray areas, as dungeons had still only been around for three years in this timeline. Even the Association couldn’t monitor things so extensively, which is why freelance hunters were such a hot commodity. Guilds would clamor for prevalent, high ranking freelancers. They would go to extreme lengths to get them to sign contracts if they are satisfied with their performance, and would even disregard the line between “illegal” and “legal” if it meant they could keep a hunter with a unique set of skills to themselves. 

A hunter just like Han Yoojin: an overpowered support class S-rank (secretly SS-rank) who also had the potential ability to tame beast mounts.

Yoohyun’s hair was already graying at the thought of it. He was not happy in the least about this declaration. His mana blazed around him, his chair smoldering beneath the black flames.  “Hyung, you’ve only just returned home! How are you already thinking about things like this? Why can’t you take things more slowly? Give it some more time before you jump into hunting and raiding dungeons again!”

Yoojin is properly unimpressed by the display and Yoohyun’s impassioned words. He and Peace are completely unaffected by the flames thanks to their heat resistance. Yoohyun could rage all he wanted when they were around, staring at him with matching nonchalant gazes. It was a humbling moment for the leader of Haeyeon Guild.

During his time spent in Haven, Yoojin had put a lot of thought into what he’d do after succeeding in passing the final trial. It had been weeks of mulling over the pros and cons of joining Haeyeon, with the intention of helping Yoohyun and his guild to climb to the top. However, no matter what angle Yoojin tried to look at it from, joining a guild would only slow him down. It would restrict him from accessing dungeons outside of the jurisdiction of whatever guild he had contracted with. It would limit who he worked with due to existing tensions between the guilds, too. 

No matter how he thought about it, freelancing was the best option, even knowing the risks. 

Yoojin needed the freedom of a freelancer to be able to attend to dungeons overseas. He needed the freedom to access dungeons in all locations, and of all difficulties. Offering his services for a named price, especially with skills as attractive as his, would simplify things. If Yoojin built up enough of a reputation, he’d be getting offers more than he’d be spending time convincing guilds to allow him to join a raid or two. This would certainly require effort and time on Yoojin's behalf, but it was a challenge he was willing to undertake.

The System had made it very clear to Yoojin that when they told him to enter a specific dungeon, he must enter it post haste. Freelancing would make this possible. It was the best option he had. 

Yoojin simply couldn’t afford to take things slow at this point in time. He sighs regretfully. “Yoohyun, I really wish I could. I would love nothing more than to live quietly and be still, like you asked me to do in the past. But if I’ve learned anything from the dungeons I’ve cleared in the last few months, it’s that things aren’t going to get any easier. The dungeons are growing more numerous and much more difficult. There will be more risks of dungeon breaks. This is no time for a vacation.”

Yoohyun opens his mouth to argue, and then slowly closes it. He looks extremely angry about this, but he can’t refute Yoojin’s words. He knew he was speaking the truth.

“Fine.” He says through grit teeth. “I get where you’re coming from, hyung. But my wish still stands: don’t jump into things so fast. You’re still new to the world of the Awakened.” No, Yoojin is not, but Yoohyun doesn’t know that. “There’s a lot you’ll have to learn before you go back to raiding. There are rules and laws you’ll have to abide by, and an etiquette to follow, thanks to the Association. Whether or not you join a guild for sure, this isn’t something you can bypass. Speaking of the Association, I got a call earlier. Since I’d filed a missing persons report with the Association, they are going to need to question you. Seok Simyeong can help you and I handle the legal matters of your return.”

Yoojin grimaces, patting Peace to settle his nerves. He was not excited to interact with the Association in any way, shape, or form. “Well, alright. When do they want to speak with me? And do you know who they are planning to send?”

“Well.” Yoohyun kind of avoids Yoojin’s eyes, here, peaking his curiosity. “They said that since I’m a prominent figure related to the case, they’re sending their highest ranked hunter to question you. I managed to convince them to take your statement here at Haeyeon, and not at the Association, but they would only agree to that compromise if I agreed to allow Song Taewon to be the one to come…”

Yoojin’s face goes totally blank, and he pauses in petting Peace, who meows in displeasure, nosing at Yoojin’s hand. “Song Taewon, you say? Isn’t he also an S-rank?”

“Yes.” Yoohyun responds, deadpan.

“Oh boy. Three S-ranks in a room together…” Yoojin muses, something devious lighting up his eyes. Yoohyun isn’t sure what Yoojin could be planning. “Not that they know I’m Awakened yet, or also an S-rank. Ha. We’ll need to work on a story, then.”

Yoohyun nods, still wondering where Yoojin is going with this. “When you’re ready, we can meet with Simyeong and begin our discussion. I could only defer the meeting until later this evening, after dinner.”

“That’s plenty of time.” Yoojin grins, and Yoohyun is swept up in the scheming look that he sees there. Yoojin begins to pet Peace once again. “Well, I’ll tell you a little bit more about my time away, then. So we can piece it all together for the Association.”

“Speak freely, hyung.” Yoohyun nods ever quicker this time, interest peaked. 

Yoojin does not let him down. “I know I mentioned that I wanted to come home earlier, but I couldn’t. There’s a simple explanation for that. The moment I got that first pop-up in the misranked dungeon, telling me to enter the portal, it was made clear to me. Unless I satisfied the requirements that the System set, I could not leave a dungeon. I would be sent right back to where I started, every single time, without fail. No matter what I tried, if I hadn’t cleared a dungeon, I bounced right out of the portal and back into the dungeon. If I cleared a dungeon, the portal would always just dump me in the next one. It was a continuous loop of increasingly difficult dungeons, and I was caught right in the middle, with no set direction to move in.”

“So how did you finally satisfy the requirements?” Yoohyun asks, his mind spinning. He couldn’t imagine what that was like. Even if Yoohyun had a tough time with a dungeon, he knew there was always a way out. There was always an exit. And if there wasn’t, he had gate stones he could use to escape. Yoojin hadn’t had any of those options, it seemed. 

“Ah, that’s kind of where it got complicated.” Yoojin bites his lip, his eyes getting that distant look in them that worries Yoohyun. “I was in an A-rank dungeon, when suddenly the difficulty changed and a very powerful boss appeared. I faced the boss on my own since Peace was incapacitated by it, and in doing so, I guess I met the requirements I needed to go back home.”

Yoojin can’t exactly tell his brother about the Admins helping him, or being the ones to  send him away in the first place. He can’t tell Yoohyun that he’s working with them. He can’t admit to Yoohyun that the being he’d faced was Myth-grade, and far beyond what Yoojin could defeat on his own. He would phrase things as if he escaped after managing to defeat this boss, just to ease Yoohyun’s worries.

“How powerful was this boss? Do you know the rank?” Yoohyun is beyond concerned about what Yoojin had been through, now. The thought of his brother fighting powerful creatures with only a juvenile fire manticore to help him was driving him mad with worry.

“S-rank.” Yoojin fibs, feeling a little pang of guilt. Yoohyun nods, like that makes sense. “It was Tier ll, so it was one of the more difficult creatures I’ve faced.”

It had been even stronger and more terrifying than Lauchitas, Yoojin doesn’t say. He hoped Yoohyun never had to face anything like that on his own. Nothing except the dragon being he’d signed a contract with; a being Yoojin was planning to kill for manipulating his brother, and a contract Yoojin was going to break. 

“Tier ll S-ranks are difficult for hunters like myself and even Sung Hyunjae to face without a team.” Yoohyun admits aloud, musing over Yoojin’s words. He pins a concerned gaze on his brother. “You’re sure you are okay with just the potions Harin-ssi gave you? You really don’t want to be checked over?”

Yoojin shakes his head, rolling his eyes fondly, lips quirked up. Peace licks at his hands. “I’m fine, Yoohyunie. The potions fixed me up, I’ve gotten plenty of sleep, and you’ve provided me with so much delicious food. I feel great. So take a deep breath, and let’s clean up our breakfast so we can start preparing for our meeting with Song Taewon.”

Yoohyun gives Yoojin a deadpan look but finally agrees to take a deep breath and calm himself down. The tension in his shoulders uncoils, and his fists unclench. Now that he’s not so worked up, he agrees with Yoojin that it’s time to get to work. “Alright, hyung.”

It takes little to no time for the food to be put away. Yoojin insists on helping with the dishes, so things move even quicker when it comes to cleaning and drying everything. Peace investigates the countertops while they converse about the meeting, Yoojin washing the dishes and Yoohyun taking extra care with drying them and putting them away since Yoojin has yet to learn their proper placements in the cupboards. It feels really domestic, and almost as if nothing had changed in the last few years. As if they were just cleaning up dinner together after a long day of work and school, using the opportunity to catch up. 

Despite the time creeping closer to a meeting with Song Taewon, the only S-rank working for the Association, Yoojin does not dwell on his anxiety.

He does wonder when he’ll get to see Myeongwoo and Yerim next, however. Yoojin would love to have everyone he cared about together in one place. That would probably only come with time, though. He doesn’t think Yoohyun would be pleased to have others in his space right now. 

Yoohyun would have to learn to share, Yoojin muses with a wry smile. Although, he never was very good about sharing when he was younger…

After his meeting with Song Taewon, Yoojin would have to see about meeting with Yerim and tracking Myeongwoo down. That would give him something to look forward to. Something unrelated to how the taking of his statement would certainly turn into an interrogation when Song Taewon learned about Han Yoojin’s rank and what he’d been up to the last few months.

Man, Yoojin thinks to himself, wiping a dish dry while listening to Yoohyun lay out a plan of action. I hope talking to Song Taewon and revealing my rank really doesn’t turn into any kind of big deal…

He would come to learn, soon, that he might as well have jinxed it when he thought this.

Chapter Text

After breakfast, Han Yoojin and Han Yoohyun spend hours talking with Seok Simyeong, Haeyeon’s HR department head, and Kim Hayeon, Haeyeon’s legal team director. 

Quietly, Yoojin is grateful to have Kim Hayeon present as well. Not only was she well-versed in legal matters, as her job indicated, but Yoojin appreciated any distractions from Seok Simyeong. Although the man had been very civil and professional, especially while Yoohyun was present, Yoojin could not shake his own discomfort when facing the man. Seok Simyeong had simply been too deeply involved with Yoojin’s troubles in the past for him to relax around the head of HR. 

He felt as if he had indigestion conversing with Seok Simyeong casually, over matters Yoohyun had insisted his guild would help Yoojin with. Which meant that Yoojin had to give his abridged and watered down version of events to the two Haeyeon employees, so that all four of them could discuss the best way to handle things depending on the approach the Association planned on taking with Yoojin. This had subsequently involved the reveal of Peace acting as Yoojin’s tamed beast, and had given Yoojin plenty of amusement in seeing their reactions. 

Peace was currently curled up on Yoojin’s lap, perfectly content, ignoring the semi-frequent befuddled looks from Simyeong and Hayeon. Yoohyun was unbothered by the glances his employees sent the monster, but would glare back in warning if either of the two looked at Yoojin with even a hint of judgment. Thankfully, the two of them remained calm and professional with Yoojin from beginning to end. It made Yoojin’s task of mediating so much easier to bear. 

Yoohyunie sure was tense, wasn’t he?

Yoojin was glad when the two of them finally left, parting with lingering directives for him to follow while speaking with Song Taewon. This meant that, once again, it was only Peace, Yoojin, and Yoohyun in the loft. Yoojin yawned, more out of boredom than anything else, slowly finishing the last of the snacks that Yoohyun had shoved onto his lap during the long-winded discussion of legal matters. His brother sure seemed intent on keeping Yoojin well fed. Peace had also eaten a snack of minced monster meat and crushed mana stones. His dongsaeng was taking great care of the two of them.

“Hyung, Song Taewon will be arriving soon. Do you want to go down to the conference room now? Or would you like to wait?” Yoohyun asks, strolling back into the dining room. 

There is a barely visible tension in his face. Yoohyun is clearly upset about Yoojin having to leave his loft, a space that Yoohyun’s instincts had designated as being the safest place for his brother, to meet someone as powerful as Chief Song. It’s why he’d relented and even decided to allow Simyeong and Hayeon to meet with the two of them in his home in the first place, having a modicum of trust for his subordinates and also wanting to keep Yoojin sequestered away for a little longer. 

Which, quite frankly, Yoojin had been fine with. 

And while Yoohyun was semi-aware of the battles Yoojin had fought these last few months, as well as his new status as an S-rank, he wasn’t pleased with how everything was moving so quickly. Yoojin had been home for less than forty eight hours by this point. This wasn’t nearly long enough for either of them to feel comfortable with any distance or distractions.

Yoojin scratched Peace behind the ears, deliberating on what to do next. “We can go down there now. It would look better to greet Song Taewon first than to keep him waiting.”

Yoohyun doesn’t look pleased, but nods nonetheless. “Alright. Did you want to change first?”

Looking down at his clothes, Yoojin frowns. He had been shown the locations of his things earlier that day. Thankfully, Yoojin still fit all of his clothes, as he tended to buy things that offered an ease of movement, which meant his clothing items were on the baggier side. Unfortunately, though, he didn't have a lot of money. This meant his small wardrobe offered very limited options, and many of his clothes had been in rotation since he was in his later teens. Yoojin remembered wearing a lot of his existing clothing items even five years later, despite the many dungeon raids he’d attended as an F-rank leading to their already poor quality declining even faster.

Right now, he was wearing a simple combination of a dark t-shirt, a jacket that had seen better days, and pants he’d gotten from a cheap clothing store in Hongdae. 

“Um, I don’t think I’ll change. All of my things are pretty similar to this, so it wouldn’t make much of a difference…” 

Song Taewon wouldn’t mind him not dressing up, right? Yoojin squinted over at his brother’s outfit, and his stomach sank in sudden embarrassment and shame. Even Yoohyun’s casual clothes appeared to be designer brands and quite expensive if you only took a closer look. His low v-neck shirt had a subtle elegance to it, his pants suited him well, and they looked quite nice with his top. In comparison, Yoojin likely appeared drabby and cheap.

“Is that so?” Yoohyun murmurs with a thoughtful look, which turns into something determined. “I’ll have my stylist come by at some point this week to take your measurements. I remember that you never really buy anything for yourself… they can pick out outfits and tailor them to fit you and I can have them delivered by next week…” He trails off, already emailing said stylist, without waiting for Yoojin’s response.

Yoojin is taken aback, and he would admit that his pride does sting a little bit. He’d worked hard to afford what he owned in the past. He’d worked multiple jobs to keep himself and Yoohyun afloat since Yoojin was only fifteen years old, after all. While many times his purchases were secondhand or very cheap, he had been proud of being able to provide for Yoohyun all on his own. Although Yoojin did always prefer to spend more on Yoohyun’s clothing and necessities than he would have ever saved or used for his own needs… 

Maybe he’d been too obvious about that. Of course Yoohyun would notice, too, especially with the clear difference in wealth now that he was an affluent guild leader. And probably a billionaire, too. While Yoojin on the other hand was currently unemployed, and had lost all of his life savings in the dungeon with the brokers… 

Ah, how shameful. Yoojin pinched the bridge of his nose. I can’t even provide for my own dongsaeng anymore. And with the tax bracket he’s in now, a single item of clothing that he wants to give me may be worth everything I had provided him with when he was younger. How horrible is that?

He felt like an utter failure. He hadn’t been able to do anything for Yoohyun after he’d pushed Yoojin away from him, due to the distance and his own bitterness. And then he’d lost him entirely when Yoohyun decided to give up something as precious as his very own life for Yoojin, despite his failures in protecting and providing for his little brother all those years. Yoohyun had proved he didn’t need Yoojin’s help, and then had gone and given him the one thing Yoojin could not ever pay him back for.

Yoojin would spend the rest of this life doing his best to repay Yoohyun’s sacrifice, even if it hadn’t ever happened in this timeline.

Yoojin couldn’t stomach asking his brother for things, or taking advantage of him or his money like this. He could build up his funds in due time. Yoojin opens his mouth to say as much, and his gaze catches on the determined and soft look in Yoohyun’s eyes. Yoohyun had said that he wanted to do these things for Yoojin. Had said that Yoojin deserved these things too, and that it made him happy to provide them for him.

…would it be so bad to accept things like this from his younger brother? It made Yoohyun happy, right? That meant he wasn’t taking advantage of him, right? 

Hmm. It seemed spending hours with Seok Simyeong may have gotten to his head, because these are thoughts the man would have spat at him with painful accuracy in the past. That simply wouldn’t do.

So instead of shutting down Yoohyun’s ideas, Yoojin bites his tongue. He still feels guilty about accepting gifts or having Yoohyun pay for him, though. That might take a long time for Yoojin to get used to. Especially since Yoohyun had done the complete opposite the last time. 

Something deep down inside of Yoojin preens at the idea of being taken care of, even if he’d never admit it.

Yoojin is uncomfortable with how seriously Yoohyun is taking this decision to buy him clothes, so he coughs pointedly to redirect his attention. “Let’s go down there right now.”

Pocketing his phone, seemingly finished, Yoohyun agrees. “Okay. We should leave your fire manticore here, though, since it isn’t registered yet. I have a room we can leave it in, here in the loft.” 

Yoojin hadn’t been separated from Peace since they’d met. It’s a startling realization to come to as he looks down at the little monster, whose tail tip is flicking side to side in minor agitation. Peace seems to understand the gist of what Yoohyun had said, and wasn’t happy about it.

“Ah, Peace-yah. Will you be able to behave yourself for a little while?” Yoojin croons, cradling the manticore in his arms as he stands up. Peace growls under its breath and plasters its ears against its head in unhappy agreement. 

The three of them move as a unit towards the room Yoohyun had spoken about, with Yoohyun leading. Peace does not look pleased in the least. Yoojin feels his heart racing with sudden anxiety at the thought of leaving Peace behind, regardless of the necessity. Like Yoohyun had mentioned, Peace was not yet registered as a tamed beast, nor was Yoojin registered as either an Awakened or a tamer. It was also illegal to take a dungeon creature around in public, and while it would be okay to take Peace around Haeyeon with Yoohyun present and most of the staff being hunters, Yoojin didn’t want to surprise Song Taewon with a fire manticore right off the bat. 

They approach the location Yoohyun had in mind, and Yoojin comes to a stop, peering incredulously at the enclosure. It’s a room made of glass that’s no doubt impenetrable to a C-rank beast like Peace, as Yoojin is sure his brother wouldn’t trust the creature with anything less. The enclosure itself seems to be filled with dungeon flora, looking more like a greenhouse than a garden, and was densely packed with flowers and plants. Peace seems a little bit more interested in it now, so while Yoohyun opens the door, Yoojin lets Peace jump down onto the floor. He walks in behind the curious creature, figuring it would be better to let Peace explore naturally before locking him inside. He felt bad enough about this already; there was no need to make it any harder on either of them.

Looking around in curiosity while Peace sniffs around, Yoojin glances at his brother. “Isn’t it illegal to have flora and fauna from a dungeon ecosystem?” He asks, genuinely curious.

“There’s no law related to that yet.” Yoohyun responds without preamble, watching Peace begin to climb one of the trees. “Domestic dungeons are handled through domestic territories, so nothing was smuggled either. I was told only to be careful so that nothing spreads into the wild, as there’s a danger of disturbing the ecosystem. And there’s only one monster-class in here.”

“A monster class?” Yoojin repeats, fanning his mana out to search for it while also looking around. He finds the closest monster-class plant pretty quickly, now that he knows what to search for. “Fifth rank magic tree type, huh? Guillotine…” He trails off thoughtfully, approaching the tree. He knew the fruit was quite useful, so no wonder why Yoohyun thought it would be beneficial to have the tree for himself. 

Yoojin belatedly thinks this really must be a bit before laws were established preventing the ownership of dungeon fauna. What was the event that had triggered the creation of such a law, actually? If he remembers correctly, it was the Shinho group’s snow flower butterfly incident, wasn’t it? Well, it didn't matter, if it hadn’t yet occurred. 

Yoohyun looks surprised by his knowledge and the keen eye Yoojin observes the tree with.

“Yes, exactly. Even as a fifth rank, its fruit is useful, so I planted some.” Yoohyun confirms Yoojin’s thoughts, as he notices Peace approaching and some tension lacing Yoojin’s posture, so he quickly reassures his older brother. “They’re already pruned, so don’t worry. As long as you cut them periodically, it’s safe.”

While Yoojin would have struggled against a tree like this as an F-ranker, it posed no threat to him currently. It could maybe endanger a D-rank, but even Peace was a higher rank, so the manticore should be fine as well. It helps him to relax. 

“You can run around for a bit here, Peace.” Yoojin says, trying to convince Peace as much as himself that this would be fine. “You’ll have fun, and won’t be stuck in a stuffy room with a government official like us. How does that sound?”

Peace meows despairingly and stretches so that its hindquarters are in the air. It then sits and begins to knead at the ground almost anxiously. Yoojin’s heart pangs, and he crouches down to pat the beast. 

“You should be fine. We aren’t planning on being gone for too long, I promise. And when I get back we can play together if you want, hm?” Yoojin murmurs in reassurance.

Yoohyun seems to pick up on Yoojin’s own discomfort, and gives him the last bit of encouragement he needs to be able to stand back up. “I can find some durable equipment for your manticore to use when you get back.” He says, texting someone his request even as he says it.

Knowing that Peace will be rewarded for his behavior, and that Yoohyun would provide Peace with his first real toys, Yoojin is sated enough to leave. He gives Peace a last rub and a few more words of encouragement and then straightens up. He follows Yoohyun out of the enclosure and waves goodbye to Peace before they leave the larger room for good. Yoojin trails behind his brother, senses on high alert and mana mapping out everything around them as they maneuver through Yoohyun’s large loft and head directly towards the mini portal that would take them to the Haeyeon corporate offices. He makes sure his aura is carefully and consciously tucked away, coiled tighter than he’s used to, hoping he was doing it well enough that Song Taewon wouldn’t immediately be alerted to his new status. 

Yoojin hoped to ease the man into the complexities of his disappearance, seeing how complicated it all was.

Yoohyun sticks close as the two of them slip through the portal, Yoojin shivering at the brush of foreign mana over his skin due to his already high sensitivity. The guards that meet them outside bow their heads respectfully to Yoohyun, and Yoojin feels awkward beneath their cool gazes. His mana feels them out, prodding at their auras, and Yoojin unconsciously activates his Promising Sprout skill to check their stat windows. He quickly files away their names and ranks, inclining his head respectfully to them as Yoohyun gently tugs him away. 

“Where is this conference room we’re meeting in?” Yoojin asks, allowing Yoohyun to keep his hand on his arm as he guides Yoojin. 

He’s half paying attention as is, his mana scoping out the next handful of floors below them as well as the one that they’re on. The highest ranking signatures aside from his own and Yoohyun’s are all high A-ranks. It’s enough for Yoojin to dial back his senses a bit, knowing they’re still going to arrive in the room before Song Taewon, as his presence doesn’t seem to have yet reached the building. 

The guild members they pass all pause to bow for Yoohyun and shoot curious gazes at Yoojin, who gives them awkward grins and nervous waves in return. He sort of wishes he’d put a facemask on so that he didn’t feel so exposed. Though Yoohyun doesn’t stop for anyone, which is a relief. 

They arrived in a large conference room; one that provided a dazzling view of Seoul, with the sun just beginning to dip lower in the sky. Yoojin’s eyes sparkle as he moves through the room and stops just before the glass, his breath catching in his throat. It isn’t that Yoohyun’s loft hadn’t had a lovely view of Seoul, but Yoojin simply hadn’t had time to really focus on it yet. This truly feels like coming home.

Yoohyun closes the door to the conference room and follows Yoojin inside. “What caught your eye, hyung?” He asks quietly. 

“Isn’t it crazy how far we’ve come since the first Dungeon Shock?” Yoojin asks, his eyes unfocusing a bit as he reminisces. He can still imagine the taste of the smoke in the air as buildings burned, and feel the shock of watching his boss who’d suddenly gained super strength use it to stop a flying beast from harming him. “Seoul recovered well. It’s only been a few years, but the world has come so far already…”

And things would continue to rapidly change in the following five years. Yoojin already had the foreknowledge of many things that would come to occur, and he planned to put this knowledge to good use. He’d use it to bolster the strength of Yoohyun’s guild and also to build up his own reputation as a future freelancer. Yoojin would have to go about this carefully, but he was confident that he’d had more than enough time to plan things out already. The last three and a half months had left him with plenty of time to think, after all.

“It’s only thanks to the guilds and hunters, however.” Yoohyun says, stopping at Yoojin’s side to also gaze out at Seoul’s skyline. “If there weren’t Awakened taking care of the dungeons, things would appear much more grim.”

Yoojin ponders over this. “You’re right. The state of countries that are against high ranking hunters and the Awakened is not very desirable.” 

“South Korea has coped well with the changes because of the continued cooperation between the association and the guilds so far.” Yoohyun grimaces, seeming unhappy about this fact. “But I don't really trust the Association, hyung. So just remember to be careful about what you disclose to Song Taewon. He might be an Awakened too, but he is someone who has always put business first.” 

Yoojin squeezed his brother’s shoulder reassuringly, although it didn't seem to help much. “Don’t worry so much about me, dongsaeng. We spent enough time talking this over today that I think I could run through this meeting in my sleep.”

Yoohyun is unimpressed, but he doesn’t argue. “Sit down, hyung, and I’ll grab us something to drink.” 

Yoojin does so, beginning to feel butterflies in his stomach. He doesn’t ever remember meeting Song Taewon before, so this was an entirely new experience. He knew the man had been dead for a little while in the last timeline, thought to have been killed by Sesung’s guild leader. It would be quite a big deal to meet the only government-employed S-rank on Yoojin’s little brother’s turf. 

He wondered if Song Taewon was as strict and professional as the rumors said. Would he dig too deep into things? Even with the cover story, Yoojin’s circumstances were quite extraordinary. Song Taewon might come to distrust Yoojin completely due to the holes in his story, especially after he discloses his awakened status. Song Taewon might even decide to keep an eye on him personally. Although, this would put Yoojin in a position to possibly put another S-rank under his custody…

I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Yoojin shakes his head, scowling. Maybe Song Taewon will be disinterested and back off. But if he doesn’t…

Well, Yoojin might be spending plenty of time getting personally acquainted with Song Taewon in the foreseeable future. 

He’s jolted out of his thoughts when Yoohyun presses a cold bottle of water into his hands, and his dongsaeng shoots him a stern look. “Drink some water and collect your thoughts, hyung. He should be arriving within the next few minutes.”

“Okay.” Yoojin agrees and twists the lid off. He breaks the seal and then brings the lip of the water bottle to his mouth. Yoojin had felt a powerful mana signature approaching while they were talking, and he figured it must be the man they were waiting for.

It just so happens that this is the moment that there’s a knock on the door. It opens when Yoohyun responds with an invitation to enter. Seok Simyeong himself is the one who opens the door, having escorted their guest to the conference room, and Yoojin’s eyes snap over as the man walks far enough inside for Simyeong to close the door behind him. 

Yoojin’s eyes widen as, for the very first time, he takes in the sight of Song Taewon in the flesh. He appears even larger in person than he did on TV, that was for sure. He was tall and broad and handsome. His muscles could not even be hidden beneath the simple business attire he was wearing. At least, not with the way his biceps flexed beneath the fabric. His face is very attractive, with a strong jawline that draws Yoojin’s attention immediately. He is holding a notebook that would be of average size to a normal person, but looks smaller than it should in his hands. The pencil, too, appears smaller than it should be. 

“Oh, wow-” Yoojin flushes at Song Taewon’s good looks, choking on his water. He coughs hard, trying to clear his windpipe, and Yoohyun panics and hovers worriedly. Yoojin waves him off, eyes watering, making ugly gasping sounds as he draws in air. “‘M fine, ‘m fine.”

“Are you sure, hyung?” Yoohyun worries, disregarding Song Taewon’s presence entirely. 

Yoojin shakes his head, finally dragging in a full breath. His eyes are locked on Song Taewon, who appears minorly concerned but also deeply unimpressed. “I’m fine, it just went down the wrong pipe.” Yoojin says.

He hopes his blush isn’t that obvious, because wow. Song Taewon was a very good looking man. And he was huge. Even the serious look on his face didn’t take away from how handsome he was. The way his eyes drag over Yoojin’s own appearance, watchful and cautious, makes the heat die away almost instantly though. Song Taewon had come here to do his job, and Yoojin’s instincts prickled under Taewon’s gaze.

“Ah, Chief Song. I’m so sorry about that.” Yoojin scrambles to his feet and bows, forcing Yoohyun to do the same when he notices his brother is standing straight and glaring at Song Taewon. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Han Yoojin.”

Yoohyun straightens up the moment that Yoojin takes his hand off his back, resuming his heated glaring at Song Taewon. Thankfully, the Awakening Management Office’s chief does not seem to feel threatened or provoked by Yoohyun’s silence or nasty looks. Instead, the man keeps his full attention on Yoojin.

“Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Han Yoojin-ssi. Han Yoohyun-ssi.” Song Taewon responds curtly, still analyzing the older Han. His eyes are piercing, seemingly picking apart Yoojin’s appearance. He only acknowledges Yoohyun in passing.

Yoohyun seems just as unwilling to speak with the government official, glaring daggers at Song Taewon, upset about his presence.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Yoojin coughs, cutting into the awkward silence. He stares pointedly at his little brother. “Grab Chief Song a water, Yoohyunie.” 

“No need, I’m fine.” Taewon cuts in, choosing a spot at the conference table directly across from the brothers. Yoohyun sits down right next to Yoojin as he sees this, his aura spiking with mistrust and a deliberate warning. Yoojin smacks Yoohyun’s thigh beneath the table in reprimand. 

I thought we weren’t supposed to draw his ire at all? Yoojin thinks to himself, frowning harshly at Yoohyun. 

His brother merely ignores his gaze. Yoojin looks between the two men, feeling like the odd one out. While Yoohyun refuses to stop glaring at Song Taewon, Song Taewon seems unwilling to look away from Yoojin. Well. This is more tense than Yoojin had imagined it would be.

“Ah,” Yoojin breaks the tension again, still looking between the two S-ranks, “I’m happy to answer any questions that you have, Chief Song. I understand how strange the circumstances of my case may appear.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

Song Taewon’s gaze darts briefly over to Yoohyun, whose aura spikes once more. A flicker of surprise glitters in his eyes as he notices Yoohyun’s hovering and the nonverbal threat displayed in his hostile body language. Taewon does not comment on this. Instead, he readies his notebook and pen, directing his gaze back to Yoojin. Who, in turn, does his best to hide the tension thrumming throughout his mana, thrown off by the hint of hostility Taewon was masking with professionalism and suspicion whilst staring at him. Although, Yoojin would much rather be facing Song Taewon’s dislike than have to see him look at his little brother that way, so it’s fine.

“We’ll keep this brief.” Taewon says without preamble. “The Association needs a report of your disappearance and your current status.”

“I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us at my brother’s guild.” Yoojin spoke, his voice now soft and calm. 

He purposefully relaxes his shoulders a bit more, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. He isn’t sure what was setting Taewon off, but Yoojin would like to find out. It was making him nervous to be under this particular S-rank’s microscope. 

Yoojin decides to go the apologetic route, widening his eyes with a distressed puppy dog look. “I know my sudden disappearance caused a lot of trouble, especially for my brother. I’m really sorry for that.”

Yoohyun tenses, eyes sharp as he watches Taewon. To his credit, Taewon merely nods. He barely acknowledges the apology.

“Han Yoojin-ssi. I need to understand exactly what happened.” The chief says, the tip of his pencil pressed to the notepad. His tone is all business. “You were reported missing after having illegally entered a dungeon. Your case remained open for three months, with no leads resurfacing about your location after the fact. As far as the Association was concerned, you were a civilian, yet you disappeared in a situation typically reserved for awakened hunters. Your brother, the Haeyeon guild leader, was the only living witness. And now you’re back, found in an entirely different dungeon, by Han Yoohyun-ssi nonetheless. I need you to explain everything.”

Yoojin hesitated briefly before sighing, as if making up his mind on what to say. Of course, everything was already scripted in advance, and he was simply playing his part. “It’s a bit complicated. I wasn’t awakened when I first went missing, but something happened. I... awakened inside the dungeon, right after the boss appeared as a B-rank rather than a C-rank, and I got a strange notification that said I couldn’t leave until I had satisfied certain requirements, right after I’d already defeated the boss. The system forced me into dungeon raids over and over again, after that. I didn’t have much choice but to keep clearing them until I met the conditions.”

Most of this was true. The best lies were based on truth, after all. The System was as of yet an unknown entity in this world. Yoojin knew more than most, and even what he had learned was bare-bones.

“What were these requirements?” Song Taewon asks. He had leaned back, lips pursed.

Yoojin grimaces. “Well, that’s the thing. I never really found that out.” His eyes unfocus slightly as he thinks back. “But every time I tried to leave a dungeon, I was forced back inside. The only way to get a break was to clear the dungeon, but even then, I was only given brief respites before I had to enter another one."

Yoohyun shifted in his seat, his hand clenching slightly at the memory of his brother's absence. Taewon noticed but continued to focus on Yoojin.

Taewon’s eyes narrowed, and Yoojin knew the man wouldn’t believe him so easily. “You expect me to believe that?” Taewon asks. He hadn’t even written anything down yet.

Yoojin’s polite smile faltered slightly, but he held his ground. “It’s the truth. The system locked me in, and I was forced to get stronger to survive. The last dungeon I cleared met the criteria, I guess, and the next portal I went through dropped me in the dungeon Yoohyun found me in.”

"You were stuck in a cycle of dungeon raids for three and a half months?" Taewon’s tone remained calm, but the implication was heavy.

Yoojin nodded. "Yes. It was... difficult. But I managed."

“What is your class?” Taewon asks, frowning at him. He seems more concerned about Yoojin admitting to having Awakened, but his face is tense, as if he’s unhappy about this discovery. He seems almost perturbed. “Your rank?”

“I’m an S-rank. But I’m a support class hunter.” Yoojin says, like that would soften the blow any. 

The room seemed to grow colder at the announcement. Taewon’s eyes widened slightly, his composure slipping for just a fraction of a second before he regained it. Two S-ranks showing up in short succession of one another, first Yerim, and now Yoojin, must be even more upsetting to Taewon. Yoojin hoped he hadn’t complicated his life too much with his unintended deeds.

Taewon’s gaze sharpens, and he seems to be looking at Yoojin in a new light. Yoojin doesn’t let up on the suppression of his aura, not wanting to give Taewon more of a reason to dislike him. He gazes evenly back at the chief, lips curled awkwardly at the admission, squeezing Yoohyun’s knee beneath the table to keep him from standing up and posturing. His brother’s emotions are a literal wildfire through the Pack Bond.

“I see. Another S-rank in the Han family.” Taewon looks between the two brothers, as if sizing them up. Yoohyun glowers back at him, teeth nearly bared in a feral snarl. Yoojin was wary, seeing how much this news had deepened Taewon’s suspicions of him. 

Taewon crosses his arms, eyes narrowed, gazing harshly at Yoojin. He seems to be thinking hard about something, although he does not speak up for a while. Yoojin lets him ponder, pinching Yoohyun to convince him to do the same. Yoohyun doesn’t back off, but he doesn’t start anything either, so Yoojin counts that as a win.

"This changes things," Taewon finally said, his tone more guarded. "Your disappearance, as a civilian, was already a significant concern. But as an S-rank... the association will take a much closer interest in you."

Yoojin nodded, understanding the implications. "I expected as much."

"The fact that your initial entry into the dungeons was illegal complicates matters further," Taewon continued, his voice carrying a note of disapproval. "The association will likely use this as leverage."

Yoohyun's eyes narrowed at this, and he leaned forward slightly, ready to interject, but Taewon continued.

"The association will likely require you to assist them with certain tasks—dungeon raids, reconnaissance missions, that sort of thing. It will be positioned as a way to wipe your slate clean."

Yoojin didn’t react outwardly, but there was a subtle tension in his shoulders that Taewon didn’t miss. "I understand," Yoojin said quietly. "If that’s what needs to happen, then I’ll comply."

Yoohyun’s expression darkened at his brother’s words, but he remained silent, clearly not happy with the idea of Yoojin being used by the association.

Taewon watched the two brothers, noting the protective energy that radiated from Yoohyun. He could see how much Yoojin’s presence affected the usually cold and controlled guild leader, and it only added to the complexity of the situation.

Finally, Taewon breaks the tension-filled silence. “I’m going to attempt something. I mean no harm by it.” He said, his voice growing colder. 

Without warning, Taewon briefly unleashed the weight of his own aura. He is a powerful hunter, enough that other S-ranks like Bak Yerim or Moon Hyuna would twitch in surprise under the weight of his aura. He releases enough to press against Yoojin, to maybe make him flinch or react. Yoojin had said that he was a support class, which typically meant that even as an S-rank he’d be susceptible to noticeable reactions to strong auras. But Yoojin remained entirely unfazed, simply raising an eyebrow as if mildly amused. The pressure washed over him like water off a duck’s back. 

On the other hand, Yoohyun bristles and intervenes. He snarls as he leaps to his feet, fire flaring over his fists, only for the flames to be put out by his older brother pushing both him and his hands back down with little difficulty. Yoohyun glances at his brother, as if surprised by the impressive display of strength. Yoojin frowns at him, shaking his head in warning, before looking back at Song Taewon. 

“Is that all?” Yoojin asked, his tone light, as if Taewon had simply made a polite request.

“Watch yourself, Chief Song.” Yoohyun’s eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke up, dismissing his own surprise. His voice is tense and angry, filled with a warning that said he was barely holding back from stepping between Yoojin and Taewon. 

Taewon also fails to hide his surprise at how Yoojin had reacted to his test with an utter dismissal of his show of power. The older Han notices the shock in his expression before Taewon schools it, going back to a blank slate. It irks Yoojin a bit to see the man fight so blatantly against his own instincts. His control over his emotions was truly impressive, especially when compared side by side with Yoohyun’s reactions. 

“Your new rank makes you a significant risk, regardless of your intentions,” Taewon finally spoke once again, his suspicion still evident. “I’ll be personally escorting you to the Association for registration tomorrow morning, as it is too late in the evening to do so now. I will be speaking with the Chairman tonight about your case. Together with the board, we will determine fair punishment for your violation of Association and civilian laws due to your illegal participation in the initial dungeon raid you were involved in. Further questions will be discussed at that time. If you wish, you can hire a lawyer.”

Yoohyun cannot seem to restrain himself for a moment longer. He gets back onto his feet, slamming his hands down on the table, looming over Taewon’s seated form. “A lawyer?! My brother was missing for three months, after nearly being killed by those brokers who tricked him into going into a misranked dungeon, and now you want to make him out to be a criminal?! Song Taewon, you-”

“Of course. I’ll cooperate fully. I understand, so if that is what needs to happen, then I will comply.” Yoojin cut in smoothly, his posture relaxed. 

Yoohyun glares down at Yoojin, now, who stares back resolutely. “Hyung, you can’t just agree to this-”

“I can, and I will.” Yoojin retorts, remaining calm. “I’m aware of how suspicious the circumstances of my disappearance seem to someone who hadn’t experienced it themselves. Hell, I can hardly believe it myself, and I lived it. Chief Song is well within his rights, and is simply remaining cautious while handling such a case.”

Yoohyun growls under his breath, his eyes flashing dangerously. His aura had manifested, and flickering black flames surrounded his body. The heat warps the air around him. Taewon observes Yoojin sitting beside his brother, clearly unaffected by such a dangerous skill, not even reacting as the flames brush along his skin.

“But, hyung-”

“Chief Song. I do have a request.” Yoojin ignores his brother, meeting Taewon’s gaze again. The man inclines his head, as if saying he’ll hear him out. Yoohyun seethes. Yoojin continues his questioning. “One of my skills allows me to tame beasts. I tamed a fire manticore cub during my time lost in the dungeons, and I’d like to register them at the same time as myself. Would that be okay?”

“I will only allow it as I will be escorting you to the Association personally. Dungeon creatures are typically not allowed in public. Does this creature pose a threat to anyone?” Taewon acquiesces after a moment of silent deliberation. 

Yoojin fights back a grin, as he’d seen the smallest flash of interest in Song Taewon’s eyes when he mentioned a tamed beast. It seemed even Chief Song couldn’t suppress his interest in such a unique skill category. Or maybe he just liked animals. It was also likely that he’d agreed because seeing the result of Yoojin’s taming skills for himself would make it easier to determine his skill level. 

“Peace is no threat to anyone, unless they pose a threat to me.” Yoojin says lightly. “However, I can handle him properly and settle him if he does get provoked. There should be no issues at all with him accompanying us.”

“I will be going as well.” Yoohyun adds sharply, his eyes glacial. He says this to Song Taewon as if it is an order. 

Yoohyun then switches his angry gaze to Yoojin, clearly displeased with the progression of the conversation. It’s really too bad, because this is the worst case scenario Yoojin had already tried to mentally prepare himself for. Registering as an S-rank at a public building like the Association, accompanied by prevalent hunters such as Haeyeon’s guild leader and Chief Song, meant he would be drawing all sorts of unpleasant attention to himself. His stomach is already churning with nerves, his mind spiraling into all sorts of panicky thoughts about being hounded by the media. 

However unavoidable, Yoojin knows that he will be having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day tomorrow. 

“Hyung, I will ask Kim Hayeon to work with you again. So don’t worry about finding or paying for a lawyer.” Yoohyun says, instead of tearing into Yoojin like he sort of looked like he would.

“Ah, thank you.” Yoojin says quietly, feeling a little touched and very suddenly extremely overwhelmed. He feels as if ants are crawling under his skin now, and he looks back at Song Taewon, wanting nothing more than to hide away somewhere in Yoohyun’s loft so that he doesn't have to think about what he’d be subjected to soon. “Is there anything else we can do for you tonight, Chief Song?”

It’s a clear request to leave. Song Taewon analyzes Yoojin one final time, as if picking him apart and trying to figure him out. His eyes are dark with mistrust. Still, he agrees.

Finished with writing in his notepad, Taewon tucks the pencil and notebook away into his suit. He also tucks away the notes signed by Kim Harin declaring Yoojin’s physical health to be satisfactory. “Thank you again for your cooperation, Haeyeon guild leader-nim, and Han Yoojin-ssi. I will be booking a private room for your assessment tomorrow morning, and plan to arrive here at Haeyeon by 0800 sharp. Please be ready with whatever and whoever you need. I bid you a good evening.” He bows his head and makes his way to the door.

Yoojin is too distracted by his sudden anxieties to notice the last lingering, searching look that Song Taewon levels onto him before opening the door.

Seok Simyeong is still standing outside, now accompanied by Kim Sunghan. The two of them bow their heads at Yoohyun, glancing around Taewon’s broad form. They then proceed to escort the man away, and likely all of the way off of the guild premises. Song Taewon does not complain about the blatant babysitting, knowing that it would be foolish for them to let him wander a guild’s headquarters unattended. 

When he’s certain that Song Taewon is in the elevator headed downwards to the ground level, Yoojin slumps forward onto the table. He buries his head in his hands, sighing loudly. “Aghhhhh. He is far too diligent in his duties. I can’t believe Chief Song wants to assess me personally. That is too much pressure!”

“That is what you’re upset about, and not the fact that the Association likely plans to use you because of your new rank, and they’ll do it by saying it’s community service for having illegally entered a dungeon?!” Yoohyun says loudly and angrily. He’s pacing, his hands curled into fists. Black flames lick at his knuckles.

Yoojin peeks over at him, glancing through his arms. “We planned for this, too. It’s not like it’s something we weren’t prepared for.” Although, it was still the worst case scenario. You can’t really play the victim card if you’re an S-rank. If Yoojin had still been an F-rank, things would be very different.

“You are way too relaxed about this. Do you not care about the Association using you, hyung? They aren’t beneath blackmailing and bribery. I’m sure Kim Hayeon and Seok Simyeong can figure something out…” Yoohyun trails off, pausing, appearing deep in thought. 

“I’ll allow Kim Hayeon to help me with my case, but I am also okay with clearing some dungeons and assisting the Association for a little while. I can use this as an opportunity for myself, too. And when I’m finished, I’ll have both a clean record and a base to work off of.” Yoojin says decisively, blowing his bangs out of his eyes.

Yoohyun frowns at his older brother in dismay. “I don’t want you to go into a dungeon anytime soon. You won’t be entering any dungeons anytime soon.”

Yoojin blinks slowly up at him. “If the Association wants me to clear dungeons for community service, I can’t exactly say no.”

"You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, hyung." Yoohyun says, voice firm.

Yoojin smiled softly, his face falling into a weary but sincere expression. "I know, Yoohyun. But sometimes, we don’t have a choice."

Yoohyun’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. He took in the sight of his hyung’s shuttered expression and dropped the conversation there. There was no doubt the two of them would revisit the topic at a later time.

Han Yoojin had in fact played with Peace upon returning to the flame horned lion’s side. 

It seemed the shock of Yoojin leaving him behind for even as long as the meeting with Song Taewon had made the manticore panic after a while. Yoojin’s eyes widened as they approached the room they’d left Peace in. Most of the greenhouse appeared charred and some remnants even flickered with weak flames. It seemed that sprinklers had put out most of the fires, but Yoojin had no doubt as to the cause. Yoohyun seemed largely unamused, but didn’t look too upset when Yoojin chanced a guilty look at his brother.

“Um, I’m sorry about your plants…?” Yoojin said sheepishly, ignoring Yoohyun’s deadpan glance in between him and the smoking flora. “I can get some more for you! Since Peace is my responsibility, after all.”

“You’re not going into a dungeon just to pay me back. I can assign a raid team to obtain what we’ve lost.” Yoohyun sighed, as if resigned to the chaos his brother’s return had already brought to him thus far. It had barely even been two full days, and Yoojin had gotten tangled up with the Association, and his dungeon creature had wholly destroyed Haeyeon’s greenhouse of dungeon plants. “...so, just don’t worry about it, hyung.”

To be completely honest, Yoohyun didn’t mind at all. At least, not enough to ever make his hyung pay him back for something like this. The fire manticore on the other hand… 

The Han brothers entered the glass enclosure. Barely even a few steps in, Yoojin had been forced to react quickly as he caught a much larger version of Peace in his arms than what they’d left behind. The manticore was purring raucously, its mane having grown long and wild like flames, its paws nearly the size of Yoojin’s face. Yoohyun moved to intercept, but Yoojin had turned and grinned in pride at Peace’s new skill, his fingers already buried in its fur. He held the large creature up with ease.

“No way! You learned the giganticize skill just while we were gone?!” Yoojin rubbed away at Peace’s thick mane, enamored by the feel of his fur. Peace nuzzled its newly giant head beneath Yoojin’s chin. Yoojin activated Promising Sprout, checking Peace’s stats. “And now you’re B-rank! And have your second A-rank skill! Aww, Peace, I’m so proud of you!”

“Hyung.” Yoohyun interrupted, and Yoojin misses the shared glare between Peace and Yoohyun as his eyes are too busy admiring Peace’s fiery mane. 

“Yes?” Yoojin asks, not looking at his brother, petting Peace thoroughly and unloading praises unto the beast. He does throw in some admonishments for their thoroughly burned surroundings, but neither of them pay the sight much attention.

“Hyung-” Again, Yoohyun is ignored. 

Yoojin chokes out a surprised laugh when Peace suddenly plants all four of its paws on the ground. It then noses at Yoojin’s shoulders, urging him to get on. Yoojin’s eyes light up. “You want me to get on your back?” 

Kkiang! Peace barks in agreement, and Yoojin doesn’t waste any time. With another nudge from Peace, he uses the monster’s mane to boost himself up and onto its back. With only a cut off shout from Yoohyun, the two of them take off through the enclosure. Peace races around at full speed, Yoojin’s hair blown back by the breeze created in their mad dash. He’s laughing without restraint, genuinely enthralled by the experience of mounting a beast for the first time. He hadn’t obtained custody of Peace with the intention in mind, but the reality of the possibilities Peace could bring to the table hit him hard. Yoojin was elated.

They pass Yoohyun a few times during their impromptu, rapid tour of the enclosure. With every lap his face grows more stormy. This is what convinces Yoojin to pat Peace gently on the side to signal the end. Peace seems a little reluctant, but he comes to a stop where they had started. Yoojin hops down, his face flushed with exhilaration. Peace shrinks back down to his juvenile size, and Yoojin immediately sweeps him back up into his hold. He presses kisses to the manticore’s head, and is rewarded with aggressive purring.

“You’re so amazing, Peace! Imagine clearing dungeons now that you’re able to get bigger! Ah, Peace-yah, I can’t wait to see you in action-”

“Hyung.”

Yoojin pauses mid-sentence, glancing up at his brother. For the first time in a little while, he gives Yoohyun his full attention. His brother’s eyes are dark and upset, his expression shadowed with tension. 

“You won’t be going into dungeons for a while. Especially not with your beast. Do I have to remind you what happened last time?” Yoohyun presses, unable to keep quiet any longer. His restraint shatters, the dam bursting and water shooting forth with deadly force. “I almost lost you, hyung. I don’t care what the fucking association has to say. I won’t allow it.”

Yoojin blinks, befuddled by the intensity and the foul language. His eyebrows pinch together, and he draws Peace closer. “Yah, Han Yoohyun! Mind what you say, I’m still your hyung. And I’ll be the first to admit that what happened to me was… unprecedented, but it’s also never happened to anyone else! It is highly unlikely that it will happen again, I’d think. And even if it did, I don’t plan on leaving you behind again. Never again.”

Yoojin doesn’t ever plan on leaving his brother behind if he can help it. He doesn’t even want to part with him in the foreseeable future. The only way for Yoojin to ground himself, outside of the pack bond he’d used when in another dimension entirely because of the dungeons, was to hear his brother’s heart beating for himself. Even now, the strong but quiet thumps his SS-rank sensitive hearing could pick out separately was helping him hold onto his sanity. Yoojin really would go crazy if he had to separate from Yoohyun again. 

“Seriously, Yoohyunie. Now that we’re together, there’s nothing that can come between us. You’re my number one priority. Always.” Yoojin steps closer to his little brother and draws him into a one armed hug, easily holding Peace in his other arm. Yoohyun still looks upset but allows Yoojin to manipulate his movements without complaint. He melts into the hug, exhaling sharply, relaxing just a bit.

“...Can we go back to the loft, hyung? Would you like to rest some more?” Yoohyun asks, extremely obvious about his intentions. 

It’s too bad that Yoojin is oblivious. 

Yoojin pinches his brows together, stepping back. “I’m really not tired. I slept a lot, and ate well. And there is too much to think about right now. Plus, I haven’t even done my exercises yet! Yoohyun, you must have a training center here, right? This would be the perfect time to help Peace acclimatize to combat in a larger form! Ah, I’ll have to learn how to adjust to it too, Peace-yah. Your mana flow feels a little different in that new form…” 

While Yoojin begins thinking out loud, as if unused to having to filter his thoughts, Yoohyun is silent. He listens quietly to his brother’s enthusiastic ideas on how to combine his skills with Peace’s new form. The manticore’s ears are perked up, listening intently to its owner's words. Yoohyun, too, is intrigued by how Yoojin’s brain seemed to work. 

His brother seemed very knowledgeable about his own skills. Yoojin also seemed well-versed in using them in conjunction with his dungeon creature. The half-finished sentences as Yoojin thought out loud, switching between speaking his mind and thinking silently, was also very noticeably a new habit. Yoohyun didn’t know how lonely Yoojin had been all this time, because maybe the habit had even formed before he’d spent months in isolation with only dungeon creatures for companionship. It was as endearing as it was worrying with its implications.

“Hyung, are you sure you don’t want to go back and rest first?” Yoohyun finally speaks up. 

He really would like his older brother to take it easy, but he also understands the itch for action. S-ranks did not naturally stay still for long, especially if they had a new skill at their fingertips. Also, Yoohyun was curious. Just what was his brother capable of? Or the beast he’d tamed? The mere thought fills him with anticipation, but his concern overrides his curiosity.

Yoojin jolts, startled from his thoughts, and blinks large silver eyes at his little brother. He stares at Yoohyun, who feels stripped bare, as if his brother could read all of his thoughts and emotions. Finally, Yoojin’s eyes curve up in a grin and he holds his pinky finger out to Yoohyun. The younger Han stares at the digit warily, uncertain of the intention.

“Do you trust me, Yoohyunie?” Yoojin asks, his grin wide enough to draw Yoohyun’s eyes to his sharp teeth. 

“Always, hyung.” Yoohyun breathes out, interlocking their pinkies together. With a subtle twist, the two brothers press the pads of their thumbs together and seal the deal.

“Then believe me when I say I’m fine right now. I promise.” Yoojin says happily, his eyes glittering with delight at his brother’s reciprocation of the method they’d used for childhood promises. 

“I believe you, hyung.” Yoohyun says after a beat, trying to find any traces of discomfort in Yoojin’s expression. 

He’s unsuccessful, and it makes him relax. His brother wasn’t a civilian anymore, and while he had gone through a lot in the last few months, he was also an S-rank now. Yoohyun was reassured that the food and rest had been enough to put Yoojin in good spirits and fine health. It was a relief to know his brother could handle himself well, but it would be hard to break Yoohyun’s protective mentality. Everything he’d done was to protect Yoojin. Everything he would do was also to ensure his brother’s health and safety. That would not change anytime soon, if ever. Even if Yoojin was the same rank as him, now.

Yoohyun is also not so clueless as to miss the unconscious, but subtle “right now” in Yoojin’s response. No matter how okay Yoojin seemed, Yoohyun would do his best to look after his hyung. Whatever he’d been through was truly novel, and even if Yoojin had awakened as an S-rank and managed to keep himself alive while raiding dungeons on his own for this long, he couldn’t have been left entirely unaffected. His actions right before his disappearance and upon his return had proven as much. 

“I will show you to the training center.” Yoohyun relents, feeling cheered by Yoojin’s enthusiastic fist pump. 

“Alright! Let’s go!” Yoojin exclaims, holding Peace out in front of him. The little creature yowls with equal enthusiasm, and while that annoys Yoohyun, his brother’s excitement stirs his own. 

Yoohyun can’t wait to see a little bit of what his brother is capable of as an awakened person.

“Let’s go.”

They leave the conference room shortly after.

“AHJUSSI!” 

If only Bak Yerim wasn’t here.

Ire fills Yoohyun as his newest high-ranked guild member bombards his hyung as soon as they enter the training area. He thought he’d told Kim Sunghan to clear the training center out before they arrived. Yoohyun can’t even intercept the two of them because Yoojin seems just as enthused to see Bak Yerim as she was to see him. Peace was on the ground at Yoojin’s feet, eyes narrowed at the newcomer, tail tip flicking from side to side. 

Yoohyun had known Bak Yerim had been spending plenty of time training, as Kim Sunghan had kept him informed of her movements per his request. He’d been awfully suspicious of their connection and how Bak Yerim knew his older brother, as there had been no indications of them ever having met before Yoojin had gone missing. It was highly suspicious. 

“Yerim-ie! How are you?!” Yoojin greeted, beaming as he caught the girl in his arms.

She’d come flying at him from above, having been training her flight skill before they walked in, but he had grabbed her with ease. Yoohyun had never seen Bak Yerim as lively or bright as she was now. His blood boils at the way she looks at his hyung, as if he’d hung all of the stars in the sky for her. What right did she have to his affection and attention? Really, how did they know one another?

“Ahjussi! I missed you so much! Are you okay?! How are you feeling?” Bak Yerim is in a princess carry in Yoojin’s arms, seeming quite pleased about it, her hands shaking his shoulders roughly as she questions him. Her face looks quite stern, but her eyes sparkle with delight at seeing Yoojin. 

“I feel great, Yerim, so you don’t need to worry. I rested, and Yoohyun made sure I ate a lot.” Yoojin tells the girl, setting her on her feet.

He then straightened out her training clothes, fussing over the teenager. Yoojin’s keen eyes seem to notice the same things that Yoohyun does. Her face was flushed ever so slightly, sweat on her brow causing her bangs to stick to her face. She had been training herself quite hard, it seemed. Harder than Yoohyun was used to seeing her train, and he was already aware of how much Bak Yerim pushed herself for unknown reasons. Seeing how she looked at his older brother, however… Was Yoojin one of those reasons?  

What was the connection between these two, really?

“Are you drinking a lot of water? You should rest a bit!” Yoojin worries over her like a parent; the same exact way he worries over Yoohyun. 

It makes his heart ache with both pain and fury, striking Yoohyun with an unfamiliar feeling of intense jealousy. Yoojin was his hyung. His. How could Bak Yerim have earned this sort of care from his hyung, without Yoohyun being any the wiser of them having ever met before? His hands were clenched painfully into fists, his eyes narrowed in anger directed at Bak Yerim as he watched the two interact.

“I’m fine, ahjussi! I wanted to get stronger for you!” Yerim says, but she is clearly soaking up Yoojin’s attention. She looks younger this way, more her age, turning to him like a sunflower would chase the sun. 

“You changed your hair, too. It looks great, Yerim-ie. And you look healthier. How has Haeyeon guild been treating you? How did you end up choosing Haeyeon guild anyway?” Yoojin pesters her, ruffling her hair as Bak Yerim wraps her arms around Yoohyun’s hyung and melts into his side. 

Yoohyun is so focused on his own jealousy and disbelief that he doesn’t notice Peace was now at his side, staring at the two with his eyes narrowed in dismay. The two of them are united in their shared jealousy. Bak Yerim seems to know this, too, and the haughty smirk she sends them around Yoojin’s shoulder is the tipping point. Peace and Yoohyun bristle, teeth bared, as Yoojin dotes on the young S-rank.

“I had Song Taewon help me figure things out. Even though he was very business-like and strict the whole time, he was helpful. We narrowed things down after a lot of talking. The Seseong guild offered the highest paying contract, but I don’t know much about the guild leader, so I didn’t sign with them. Even though Soyoung-unni was really cool, it didn’t feel like the right choice. I was stuck between choosing the Breaker guild or Haeyeon, but, ah… honestly, boss man kind of reminded me of you… and the terms of my contract were accepted as being quite impressive, when I showed Simyeong-ajussi. So I decided on choosing Haeyeon guild! And I’m so glad I did, because I was able to find you again!” 

Yerim squeezes Yoojin tightly, brows furrowed, an expression of worry and concern warring on her face as she tips her head back to look up at Yoojin. “You can’t ever go off alone like that again, ahjussi. Boss man or I can go with you, so long as you don’t get stuck alone in a dungeon like that again!”

Yoohyun agrees with this, even though he wouldn’t let just Bak Yerim go into a dungeon with his hyung. Yoohyun would go wherever Yoojin went. And seeing how attached Yoojin seemed to be to this middle schooler, maybe he’d consider allowing her to go with them. If Yoojin even entered a dungeon anytime soon. Which Yoohyun was not keen on letting happen.

Han Yoohyun didn’t trust anyone with his hyung’s safety. He isn’t sure if he ever would. Not after watching him be taken away so easily, even when he was an arm’s reach from Yoohyun himself. It had been the single most terrifying and devastating moment of Yoohyun’s life. 

“How do you know so much about hyung’s situation?” Yoohyun says instead of what he’d been thinking. His question is more of a demand, his eyes burning into Bak Yerim’s gaze. 

“Ah, we can talk about it later.” Yoojin interrupts, silencing Yerim, who had opened her mouth to argue with Yoohyun. Yoohyun’s anger cools in the slightest, although his interest only grows. Yoojin’s eyes are narrowed, head canted in a way that suggests to Yoohyun that he’d like that conversation to be held in private. 

Yoojin then looks at the young girl in his hold, his eyes softening. “Would you like to have dinner with us after training, Yerim-ie? We can catch up more while we eat.”

“What?! No way. I’m not having her in my home.” Yoohyun bites out, pointing at Bak Yerim much like a child would.

“I’m not going into his home!” Yerim bites back, equally as childish, seeming appalled.

Yoojin seems thrown by the clear dislike the two held for one another. His voice is confused when he speaks. “Aren’t you two colleagues? Can you not handle one meal together? Yoohyunie, I would really like to catch up with Yerim, too. And Yerim-ie, I would love to talk somewhere I know we won’t be interrupted.”

This was also code for Yoojin wanting to talk in a place no one aside from those who were already present could listen in. But Yoohyun did not want Bak Yerim in his home. Especially when she would be diligently drawing Yoojin’s attention away from Yoohyun, just like Yoojin’s dungeon creature. Speaking of Peace, the manticore was seemingly pouting at being ignored. Its ears and tail were drooping, eyes still narrowed in dislike at the goings-on. 

“I know that it’s your home, Yoohyunie, but this is a conversation we need to have.” Yoojin chides, looking a little uncomfortable. “But seeing as it is your place, I can’t force you to let people in. Is there another place in the building-”

“It is your home too, hyung. What is mine is yours.” Yoohyun interrupts, practically forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “...so, if you want to invite others… I guess that is okay.” He speaks as if it physically pains him to say so.

Yoojin still seems uncertain, looking at his brother’s expression. “Um, if you’re really not comfortable, Yoohyun, we can-”

“It is your home too, hyung. I insist.” Yoohyun forcibly softens his tone, ignoring Bak Yerim’s pinched look. 

He did not like seeing that expression on his hyung’s face; a visual of feeling unwelcome to do as he pleased in a space Yoohyun had already decided to give up for his brother, too. It’s worth it to see Yoojin’s expression clear up and brighten, because that smile is aimed at Yoohyun this time. Han Yoojin is the sun to his sunflower, not Bak Yerim’s, see?

“Thank you, Yoohyunie!” Yoojin beams, before stepping away from Yerim and beckoning Peace over to him. He kneels down, winking up at Yerim. “Yerim, we actually came here to train too. Peace learned a new skill, so we wanted to see what we could do with it.”

The two S-classes aim their discontent gazes at the monster this time, who ignores them completely. Peace straightens immediately and bounds over to Yoojin’s side. Its ears perk up, tail standing straight in the air, little chirrups of excitement escaping its mouth. It seems to know what Yoojin is thinking already. Is it wrong for Yoohyun to be so jealous of a dungeon creature that knows how to read his hyung’s intent so easily?

“Let’s try an obstacle course, huh? We’ll start slow, so I can feel out your mana and adjust to your new size. Once we’re comfortable, we can try some tricks, Peace-yah!” Yoojin instructs, and Peace nods its little head. 

In the blink of an eye, it grows into its large form. Yerim exclaims in surprise, eyes sharp with curiosity. Peace shakes itself out, watching Yoojin carefully. Yoojin grins in expectation, flicking his wrist, and both Yoohyun and Yerim exclaim in surprise at what happens next. Silver constructs form all throughout the training room, made of various shapes and sizes. Yoohyun pokes one in curiosity, but feels Yerim’s gaze on his back, so he quickly schools his expression and steps away from her. Yerim squints at her boss and climbs onto one of the constructs without fear, sitting on it and swinging her legs, ready to watch the events unfold. 

“You go up first, Peace, and I’ll follow. Okay?” Yoojin asks, absentmindedly changing the shape of the construct Yerim was sitting on into a chair. The youngest S-rank giggles in surprise, rubbing her fingers on the mana construct, seeming awed by the feel of it. 

Yoohyun suddenly finds himself rising into the air on another one of the constructs, but easily maintains balance. It’s a moving platform, with him in the center. He shoots his hyung a questioning gaze, uncertain about what he wanted him to do. Yoohyun does reach out to feel another construct that moves close to his face, though, while ignoring Bak Yerim’s snort. 

Peace moves its large head in a nod, signaling it was ready, before leaping onto the closest construct. It begins to leap around the training center, staying in the air with only the constructs Yoojin had created out of mana as its footholds. There is no uncertainty in its movements; no lack of trust to be seen. It is clear to Yoohyun just how much faith the manticore has in his hyung and his skills. 

Yoojin’s eyes track everything, completely focused. “Let’s speed things up a bit, and make it more difficult, Peace! Let me catch you.” In a blink, all of the constructs aside from the ones that Yerim and Yoohyun are spectating from, and the one Peace was perched on, crumble and disappear.

Without a single ounce of hesitation, Peace jumps outwards where there are no constructs to be seen. He’d been at the highest point in the room, and while a fall from that height wouldn’t kill a B-rank monster, it might cause minor injuries. Yet the beast does not doubt Yoojin’s ability to catch it in the least. 

As if to prove that Yoojin would never let him fall, malleable constructs form individually under all four of Peace’s feet. The monster bunches its muscles and leaps, once again returning to its race around the room, remaining exclusively in the air. Yoojin’s constructs keep up with ease, and Yoojin himself seems satisfied. He’s grinning, arms crossed over his chest, eyes glimmering with enthusiasm.

“You’re amazing, Peace-yah!” Yoojin calls out, clapping loudly.

Peace chuffs back at its master, sticking its chest out in pride. Yoohyun scowls at the creature. Bak Yerim seems to have been swept up in the excitement, and is standing on the arms of her mana-chair, cheering loudly.

Yoojin laughs at the sight, and then suddenly the room is once again filled with differently shaped constructs of various sizes. It’s a complete obstacle course, suitable for both humans and creatures. Yoojin grins at his brother and Bak Yerim.

“You can try to run around on the constructs too, if you want to, Yerim-ie, Yoohyunie. I haven’t had a chance to use this skill with anyone other than myself and Peace, so this would be good practice.”

“Are you sure, hyung?” Yoohyun asks. He glares at Yerim, and she frowns, remaining in place for now. Yoohyun wouldn’t want her to get too swept up in excitement and make his hyung tired from using his skill, although Yoojin looked completely fine.

“Are you going to do it too?” Yerim asks, now looking a tad concerned about Yoojin pushing himself.

Yoojin wrinkles his nose at them both incredulously, rolling his eyes. Casually, he jumps several feet into the air, landing effortlessly on a construct. He strolls through the air, footholds appearing under his feet with each step, until he reaches Yoohyun’s side. He’s within arm’s reach of his little brother, now, and turns his head to glance at Yerim.

“Do you two trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Yes!”

They both answer simultaneously. Their heads whip around to glare at one another, lightning shooting between their gazes. Peace is chuffing, almost as if laughing, its hindquarters wriggling, as it had dropped into a perfect stance to pounce from.

Yoojin sighs, sounding a mix of fond and exasperated. He reaches out and smacks a hand on his little brother’s shoulder, swallowing laughter at the look of confusion that Yoohyun shoots at him. “Great. This will be fun. Don’t use any flight skills, and trust my skills to catch you as you move around. Tag, Yoohyunie, you’re it.” 

And then Yoojin darts away, smothering his laughter into his palm. He hadn’t played tag with his little brother in so long. Yoohyun blinks for a moment, stunned, and Yerim seizes the opportunity. She leaps out and away from her guild leader, running across Yoojin’s obstacle course with ease, beginning to giggle in excitement. Even when she shouts out in exhilaration, jumping into the air in a free fall, Yoojin’s constructs form beneath her feet so that she can push off of them and continue to run through the air. Yoohyun had chosen to target Yerim, and she sticks her tongue out at him as she races away. 

Yoojin and Peace had gathered at the other end of the room. Yoojin was laughing, eyes alight in mirth, and something in Yoohyun’s chest loosens at the sight. He can’t really… remember his brother being so happy, before. Especially not during the stretch of time Yoohyun had wasted by pushing him away. But doing this, being here, with Bak Yerim and the fire manticore and Han Yoohyun, had brought more life to his eyes than Yoohyun had seen in a very long time. 

Yoojin seemed to have shaken off the nerves that had formed when speaking with Kim Hayeon and Seok Simyeong, and had only been exacerbated by Song Taewon’s orders. He truthfully hadn’t looked well after Song Taewon had left the room. The mention of being escorted to the association building to register had, for some reason, acted as a sort of trigger. Yoohyun may have understood his brother being nervous about registering, and having to work for the association for a time, but there seemed to be a lot more to it. Yoojin looked almost sick at the thought of facing tomorrow’s schedule. 

It made Yoohyun’s protective instincts flare like nothing else. It’s why he’d suggested they go to the loft and rest. He figured some quiet time together might have helped Yoojin to relax. But this, too… playing around with them, while also using this time to test the limits of Yoojin’s mana manipulation skill, had worked much better than Yoohyun would have thought. It pleases him to see Yoojin so happy, even if Yoohyun detests having to share Yoojin’s attention with Bak Yerim and the fire manticore. 

“You’re it.” Yoohyun says like a threat, teeth bared, as he catches up to Bak Yerim and tags her. The air begins to haze around him from the heat his body was generating.

“Not for long, boss man!” Yerim grits back, the air cooling around her. 

“No skills! Just physical avoidance!” Yoojin instructs, appearing between the two of them, standing on Peace’s back. 

With a strict look, the barriers the two had been standing on suddenly launched them in opposite directions. Both Yerim and Yoohyun are forced to reorient themselves, grumbling beneath their breath. But Yoojin is laughing at their expressions, and they both soften without realizing. 

“Oh, it’s on, ahjussi.” Yerim bites out playfully, and then she darts towards Yoojin without abandon. 

Yoojin’s eyes widen slightly, and then his grin grows, teeth showing. “You’ll have to catch me!” 

Yerim accepts the challenge with a shout. She doesn’t realize just how difficult Yoojin would be to keep up with, however. Even Yoohyun is dumbfounded, keeping to the side so that Bak Yerim couldn’t tag him back, watching closely to make sure that she couldn’t do anything to Yoojin in her attempts to catch him. Yoojin was really, really fast. Yoohyun wondered what his stamina stat was. Or his mana stat. Keeping all of these constructs up, while simultaneously and subconsciously creating more to catch all four of them whilst they moved throughout the room, was incredibly skillful. 

Yoojin seemed well-versed in using his skills, and testing their limits. How much time had he invested in training? Had he been forced to train while in combat, or had he had any time to focus entirely on training? There was still so much Yoohyun didn’t know about what his hyung had been through.

It seemed he’d gotten too deep in thought, and as he wasn’t threatened by his brother’s absent aura at all, he wasn’t expecting Yoojin to appear at his side again and tag him. Yoohyun reacted immediately, arm lashing out to tag Yoojin back, almost surprised when he made contact. Yoojin was fast enough to dodge, even at this distance, but Yoohyun quickly realizes why he’d allowed himself to be tagged back. 

“Peace! Your turn!” Yoojin cackles, dashing forward to tag Peace. The monster growled playfully as it was tagged, quickly bounding after Yoojin, who had pivoted and decided to run towards Yerim. 

“Run! Don’t let him tag you!” Yoojin warned, chuckling enthusiastically.

Yerim’s eyes widened, a grin spreading across her cheeks. She takes off at Yoojin’s side, Peace hot on their heels, and they both run towards Yoohyun. Surprised by the move, Yoohyun pivots and jumps away, his breath catching in his throat as he dodges. Had he…? He’d almost laughed. Playing tag. With his hyung and two others that shouldn’t have been there but were because hyung wanted them to be.

In the end, the four of them ended up playing tag for a long time. Kim Sunghan had kept other hunters from entering the training room, so they hadn’t been interrupted. They had only stopped when Yoohyun’s keen eyes picked up the slightest tension in Yoojin’s brow, taking it as a sign of strain. He doesn’t think that Yoojin had used much mana, and his brother seemed to have large reserves, so it made him wonder if his brother was still fatigued and was just ignoring it. Yoohyun brought the game to an abrupt close by leaping to the ground and declaring that hyung needed to eat, and he guessed Bak Yerim and Peace could come along.

That was how the four of them ended up together in the penthouse atop the Haeyeon guild building. Yoohyun was cooking, not trusting Bak Yerim anywhere near the food. But he had allowed Yoojin to help him prepare the meal, at his hyung’s insistence. It felt good to move around the kitchen with Yoojin at his side, if he ignored that Bak Yerim was keeping up a steady commentary of her adjustment to Haeyeon guild. And that a dungeon creature was curled up on his hyung’s slippers, now small again, where Yoojin stood and chopped vegetables.

Yoohyun had finally learned that somehow, Bak Yerim had met his hyung in one of the dungeons he’d cleared. And he’d learned that it hadn’t just been Bak Yerim who had cleared said dungeon as previously believed, after the brokers she’d been with had tricked her and left her for dead, forcing her to awaken and clear it herself. 

It was far different from the story she’d given the association. She had had Yoojin’s help. Yoojin had even talked her through the process of awakening, and explained the best way to form a contract and choose a guild. He had even urged her to lean on Song Taewon for help. He’d helped Bak Yerim through every step, without any bias, and somehow she had still chosen Haeyeon guild on her own.

Without knowing that her guild leader was the younger brother of the man who had saved her.

“So, Hyuna-unni did help me a bit too after she heard Taewon-ssi was helping me adjust. She said that it wouldn’t be good for association propaganda to get into my head, just like you said, too, ahjussi. They’re all a bunch of jerks for the most part, and while Taewon-ssi did make sure things were fair, he never really pushed back against what those old jerks tried to add into my contract. Hyuna-unni yelled at all of them for trying to take advantage of my age, but she also got in trouble with Breaker's investors for it. So I ended up choosing Haeyeon, because boss man and Simyeong-ahjussi agreed with all the terms you’d told me to include to make it fair for me. They even let me put off choosing a guardian for this long, because one of the clauses stated that it had to be my choice, and within six months!”

“That’s fantastic, Yerim!” Yoojin said, genuinely happy for her and what she’d accomplished. He then looks a little uncertain. “About the guardian thing-”

“I can wait until you’re done with your community service or whatever, ahjussi! It shouldn’t take that long, maybe a month at the most, right? Once your record is clear, they really won’t have a reason to refuse you becoming my guardian!” Yerim beams. Her feet are swinging from where she sits on a stool at the counter, watching the brothers cook. 

Yoohyun’s head snaps up, and he suddenly interjects in the conversation, staring at his hyung. “You plan to become her guardian?” His heart races at the thought. Hyung was his guardian. What was so special about Bak Yerim? Was Yoohyun not enough?

Yoojin looks even more uncomfortable now. He glances at Yerim, and then back at Yoohyun. “I mean… I wouldn’t mind becoming your guardian, Yerim. I’d love to, even. But I don’t… I mean… ah, shoot. I don’t know if I’m in a good enough place for it…?”

Suddenly, he’s faced by two equally scandalized, worried looks. 

“What does that mean, hyung? Are you okay?”

“What? Ahjussi, if you’re worried about money-”

Yoojin waves his hands, chewing the inside of his cheek anxiously. “No, no, relax! I just mean, um, I don’t know if I’m suited to be a guardian-”

Again, he’s pinned in place by two equally scandalized, worried looks, now with much louder protests. 

“What?! Hyung, you were a wonderful guardian, you were the best guardian-”

“You have done so much for me in such little time! You didn’t even know me when you saved me! I trust you to be my guardian and I don’t want anyone else!”

Entirely overwhelmed, Yoojin frowns, his skin prickling with anxiety. He can’t help his discomfort. 

Yoohyun notices, and speaks up, glaring at Yerim. “Bak Yerim. Not now. Revisit the topic later.” 

However much Yoohyun would like to shut it down completely, he’s a little worried by how Yoojin would take it. Why else would Yoojin be reacting so strongly?

Yoojin shoots him a grateful look, and that settles it. Yerim drops the conversation, but seems displeased about it, glowering at the counter. Yoojin ropes her into helping him set the table, while Yoohyun brings the food out. Yoojin accepts some mana stones and monster meat from his younger brother and sets Peace’s food down so that the manticore can eat, too. Once they’re all sitting down, Yerim and Yoohyun wait for Yoojin to begin to eat before they tuck in. Yerim eats with enthusiasm, but Yoohyun eats calmly, and Yoojin seems to have gotten lost in thought. He slowly brings his chopsticks to his mouth and chews, eyes unfocused.

“Try this, hyung.” Yoohyun says, hoping to get his attention, pleased when Yoojin’s eyes clear. Yoojin accepts what he’d set on his plate.

“Oh! Ahjussi, try this.” Yerim follows suit, putting some more food on Yoojin’s plate. 

Yoohyun glares at her, but does not stop her. Yoojin really did need to gain more weight, and Yoohyun had made this food himself. This much was fine.

“So, ahjussi. Will you tell me more about what you were doing in those dungeons, and why you couldn’t leave, now that you’re out?” Yerim presses when they've finished eating. Again, Yoohyun doesn’t stop her. This time, it’s because he is also curious.

Yoojin runs his fingers down Peace’s spine, as the manticore had climbed onto his lap at some point. “Mmm. Well. After I awakened in the first dungeon, where Yoohyun found me, I got this warning saying I wasn’t allowed to leave. So I allowed myself to be pulled through into the next dungeon, since I’d never heard of this happening before. I didn’t want to risk something terrible happening if I resisted. I woke up in a new dungeon with instructions on my status window telling me to adjust to my new rank and skills. After a week of that, I entered the dungeon where I met you, Yerim-ie. That was my first kind-of solo raid, I guess.”

“Really?”

“Your first?”

Yoohyun and Yerim blurt at the same time. They glare at one another and then look away. Yoojin sighs and answers.

“Yes. And then a couple weeks after that, I met Peace in another dungeon and took him with me. I saved him after his mother and littermates were killed by a different fire manticore. We were together pretty much the whole time I was away, clearing dungeons. I never did learn much about why I was the only one stuck in this loop, though. I just knew that the system wanted me to learn more about my skills and that I wouldn’t be able to go back home until I’d satisfied whatever unclear conditions had been set. Just… you know. I cleared dungeons. Over and over again. There’s not really much to say about it.”

“Did you meet anyone else while clearing dungeons?” Yerim asks, eyes wide. “I also heard fire manticores only came from the S-rank dungeon located here in South Korea. You cleared an S-rank dungeon alone?”

“Yes and yes.” Yoojin sighs, eyes unfocusing again. This habit really worries Yoohyun. “I did meet someone else, but I don’t expect to see them again. They are probably doing well on their own now. And yes, I did clear the dungeon I found Peace in. Peace was too young then to help much, but we learned quickly how to work together, didn’t we? Peace-yah?”

Peace meowed and rubbed its head under Yoojin’s chin. Yoojin grinned down at the manticore, rubbing its ears. Yoohyun begrudgingly admits that the creature does seem to help his brother. He may have to completely give in to the thought of keeping it around, since Yoojin cared for it so much. 

“Wow, I already knew it, but you’re really amazing, ahjussi.” Yerim says, seeming awed. Yoohyun would have to agree with her, not that he’d let her know that. 

Yoojin doesn’t seem to accept the praise well. “Not really. I was just, ah, surviving. Still, I did learn a lot about my capabilities and my limits. So that is something good I got from all of that, I guess.”

“You really are skilled with your mana manipulation, hyung.” Yoohyun speaks up. 

He didn’t have a flight skill of his own, so being able to utilize Yoojin’s mana constructs to be able to fight mid-air had gotten him thinking of all of the possibilities. Why didn’t his hyung want to join his guild? The guild Yoohyun had built purely because he had wanted to protect his hyung? He really didn’t understand.

“Not only can you create barriers and use it to form physical constructs and weapons, but you can suppress it like it’s not even there. And you perform all of these at a much higher level than anything I’ve heard of before.” Yoohyun continues, adamant about how impressive his hyung was.

Yerim picks up on where he’s going with this. “Yes! And you can use it to sense things, right? And catch monsters? Just think, three S-ranks at Haeyeon! With all of our skills combined, we’ll be at the top in no time!” 

Yoojin grimaces, looking guilty, because he hadn’t told Yerim about his future plans in detail yet. “I actually do plan to freelance, Yerim-ie. Although Haeyeon would certainly be my first pick if I joined a guild. I can help strengthen South Korea as a whole with my skills, though, so that’s what I plan on doing. Dungeons are only getting more difficult as time goes on.”

“Why is that your responsibility, though?” Yerim whines. “You should do what you want to, not what you think you have to. That’s what I do!”

Yoojin sighs. “Yeah, I know. But I also know what I’m doing by not joining a guild. Trust me when I say this is the best course of action. I have a bad feeling about the dungeons, especially after everything…”

It figures Yoojin would know a little more than average. Yoohyun knew what may await them in the future too. But now that Yoojin was also an S-rank, does that mean he could be taken away with Yoohyun? Did they even have to stay and fight for a dying world? So long as Yoohyun was with his hyung, he was fine with whatever. But it seemed that Yoojin was set on staying and fighting, for whatever reason. So Yoohyun would stay, too. 

Yerim is frowning, stabbing at her food. “I still think you should join Haeyeon, ahjussi.”

Yoojin offers up a half-hearted grin of reassurance. “Sorry, Yerim-ie. Things are just… pretty complicated with the dungeons, especially since there’s still so much we don’t know about them. And since Yoohyun and I think I can use my skill to raise mounts, I want to remain impartial. I might even extend globally once South Korea is taken care of… no matter where they are located, I know the dungeons will only keep getting more difficult. If hunters can use dungeon creatures to help clear dungeons, it will only help in the long run.”

“That’s true…” Yerim pouts, thinking about it. “I don’t know a lot about them either. But I’d still rather be in the same guild as you. Why wouldn’t you let me freelance, then I really could follow you anywhere!”

“You don’t need to follow me, Yerim-ie.” Yoojin laughs, and Yoohyun is relieved to see his hyung appearing more composed now. “I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”

“I know you don’t plan on it, but if Song Taewon lets those association jerks send you into dungeons-” Yerim protests.

Yoohyun cuts in, gripping his utensils hard, hair shadowing his eyes. “I won’t allow it. Haeyeon will offer additional assistance in any dungeon raids they want you to go on, hyung.”

Yerim nods in wild agreement. “Yes, yes! I’ll go with you, too!”

Yoojin doesn’t look so sure. He gives them a deadpan stare, but the way his eyes are twinkling is evidence that he doesn’t mind their insistence to accompany him. “Seriously, you two. However much I’d love to stick together as much as possible, we have to be realistic. We’re all S-ranks. There’s an inherent responsibility that comes with that title.”

“I don’t care.”

“I don’t care.”

Again, the two speak at the same time and glower at one another. Yoojin’s eyes crinkle in amusement. Peace meows and paws at Yoojin, begging for more attention. 

“Okay, well, I guess we can talk more about that later, too. After I’ve registered at the association tomorrow, and get all the details. How does that sound?” Yoojin prods, his eyes darkening at the thought.

Yoohyun notices, but merely grinds out a, “Fine.”

Yerim sticks out her bottom lip in a childish pout but nods in agreement. “Whatever. But I’d like to go with you tomorrow, too!”

Yoojin’s expression darkens even more, and he begins to worry at his bottom lip. “Um, I don’t know. Yoohyunie and Song Taewon-ssi are both coming already…”

An awkward silence follows.

“Why don’t you go wash up, hyung.” Yoohyun breaks the silence, shooting Bak Yerim a meaningful look. “Bak Yerim and I will take care of the dishes. She is actually assigned to a raid tomorrow, so she will not have the time to come with us. I can run through the details in the meantime, since she’s here.”

Yoojin blinks at his younger brother. “What? No, I can help with the dishes too.”

Yerim glances at Yoojin and nods as she figures out what Yoohyun was trying to do. “Really, ahjussi, it’s fine. I don’t need to go with, and I forgot about the raid, I guess. I was excited to see you. Boss man wants to talk business, anyway, so you won’t be missing anything.”

“If you’re sure.” Yoojin says, relenting. He keeps Peace in his arms as he leaves the table, giving the two younger S-ranks a stern look. “Please get along. I won’t take too long in the bathroom, okay?”

He’s met with Yerim waving him off, smiling innocently as she promises to behave. Yoohyun shoots his hyung a purposeful stare, and Yoojin relaxes. “Alright. I’ll be back shortly.”

When Yoojin leaves the room and the bathroom door clicks as it shuts, Han Yoohyun and Bak Yerim turn to one another. They gaze with piercing stares at one another’s faces, expressions set. Yoohyun is the first one to speak.

“We need to talk.”

“Yes, we do.” Yerim agrees, resting her chin on her hand and refusing to back down. Frost creeps around her and onto her chair. “Why can’t I go with you and ahjussi tomorrow? I wasn’t aware of being assigned a raid.”

“Hyung seems to be… stressed out about tomorrow. I don’t know why, as he hasn’t said anything about it, but the less attention drawn to him, the better. Remember how he reacted to the media when we exited the dungeon with him?” Yoohyun explains, voice cold.

Yerim’s expression tightened at the memory, her aura briefly flaring. Realization strikes. “Oh. So if I’m there, even more attention would be on him. And ahjussi doesn’t seem to like it very much.” She frowns. “I don’t like it, but fine. I’ll go on a raid. You better take good care of ahjussi, though, Han Yoohyun.” 

Yoohyun growls under his breath at her and the lack of honorifics. However, Bak Yerim threatening him for the sake of Han Yoojin appeases something inside of him, so he doesn’t lash out. He even smothers the flames that had been flickering on his palms. “Yoojin-hyung is my number one priority, rest assured, Bak Yerim.”

“And you seem to be his. Which is fine, I understand.” Yerim sighs, seeming upset about the fact, but accepting of it. There’s something vulnerable in her gaze, something that Yoohyun had recognized seeing within his own expression. “You really can’t keep ahjussi all to yourself, if that isn’t what he wants.”

“...I know that.” Yoohyun admits, voice flat, hands clenched into fists. 

He had seen the way Yoojin looked at both Bak Yerim and at Peace. He had long known that Han Yoojin viewed the world differently than Han Yoohyun. Han Yoojin cared, and he cared with his whole being. Yoohyun had always been the sole recipient of this care. It would not be easy for him to watch his older brother let others into his heart. But Han Yoohyun had done enough damage to his hyung. If it meant his happiness, Han Yoohyun would learn to accept that Han Yoojin deserved to be cared for by others aside from only Yoohyun himself. 

In fact, maybe it would really help his hyung to be safer and more protected in the coming days. Bak Yerim was a fellow S-rank, despite her young age. Their possessive behavior was well documented. Yoohyun hadn’t been able to keep his hyung safe on his own. Even that fire manticore cub seemed set on remaining protectively at Yoojin’s side.

“I realize I know very little about you. You lied to the association about your awakening, and it was to protect my brother. I can accept that, but I will not blindly allow you to hang around my hyung.” Yoohyun tells Bak Yerim, eyes glinting with a threat. “So prove to me that you’re worthy of staying by my brother’s side.”

“Well, the same goes for you, Boss man.” Yerim retorts, her tone frosty. “After meeting ahjussi, I tried to find out more about him, to see what I could do to return the favor of saving my life. I know you hurt him a lot when you left him like that. Do you even realize how much you hurt him? I could even see it!”

Yoohyun bites his cheek so hard that he can taste blood. His flames flicker back to life around him, wild and angry. “I know! I know. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to my hyung. But don’t you ever come at me like I did any of that just to hurt him. Everything I did was to keep hyung safe. You’ve only just become an S-rank, Bak Yerim. My guild and I have been protecting you. Don’t talk like you understand everything.” 

Yerim climbs to her feet, equally as angry. “Well, you need to prove it to me too! That you can stay by ahjussi’s side! I know he cares for you a lot, but I won’t stand for it if you hurt him again.”

Yoohyun’s aura flares, black flames surrounding his body entirely. Bak Yerim doesn’t back down, her teeth bared in anger. They both go to make a move, to attack, when they find their limbs bound to their sides with ropes made out of sparkling silver mana. Peace yowls as it appears and hops onto the counter to watch the proceedings. At the same time, Yoojin stalks into the room, his silver eyes glowing with power, a disappointed expression written clearly all over his face. With a flick of his fingers he pulls the two younger S-ranks to opposite ends of the dining area, not even having to approach or touch them, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. 

“That’s enough. I thought I told you two to behave.” Yoojin tsks in a very parental tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. He’d changed into night clothes, a damp towel hanging over his neck and shoulders, his hair dripping onto the fabric. He must have gotten out of the shower in a hurry. 

Both Yoohyun and Yerim slump into the mana ropes, angry expressions melting slowly into guilty ones. 

“I know you’re S-ranks, but geez, does everything have to be solved with fighting? I thought you two could handle having a civil conversation for five minutes. Han Yoohyun, Yerim is five years younger than you. You should be setting an example!” Yoojin chides, thoroughly disappointed. 

“...sorry, hyung.”

Yoohyun looks even more guilty at being lectured by his older brother. He doesn’t fight the bonds keeping him tied up, shooting Yoojin an apologetic, puppy eyed look. Yerim shoots her guild leader a triumphant smile, only to shrink back as she’s leveled with an equally disappointed gaze from Yoojin.

“And you, Bak Yerim. You’re not getting let off easy just because you’re younger. Han Yoohyun is your elder, and your guild leader. You should show him proper respect, too.” Yoojin tells her sternly, foot tapping in displeasure.

“Sorry, ahjussi.” Yerim mumbles, crossing her arms as the mana ropes disappear from both her and Han Yoohyun. She chances another look at Han Yoojin’s face, and then her eyes water a little bit. Her lips twitch. She looks torn between laughing and crying. 

Yoojin notices, and furrows his brows in concern. “Yerim, what’s wrong?”

“Just… you just…” The young girl struggles to put her feelings into words, and then her eyes well up. Yoojin looks panicked at the sight, and Yoohyun stares at Bak Yerim, uncomprehending. Yerim starts talking faster. “You really treat me like you treat your brother, and you just- um… you remind me of what it’s like to have a parent who really cares for you…” The tears spill over, and then suddenly Yerim is laughing a little hysterically, scrubbing at her eyes. “You really reminded me of my eomma, just now.”

Yoojin’s eyes are wide, and he doesn’t seem sure about what to do next. He makes an aborted step forward, extending a hand. “Oh, Yerim, I’m sorry. Don’t cry-” 

Yerim only bursts into louder tears, as if all of the tension she’d carried when mostly figuring things out on her own these last few months had boiled over. She must have had a hard time while Yoojin was gone, too.  

She hides her face in her hands, muffling her cries, as if embarrassed. Her voice is thick with tears. “I really missed you, ahjussi.”

Yoojin scratches at his nape, his face plastered with guilt and sorrow. He gazes searchingly at the sniffling teenager, something shifting in his eyes. “Aw, Yerim. You must have been really scared when you were trying to figure things out with your old guardians and your new rankings. Come here.” He offers, holding his arms out for a hug.

Yerim peeks between her fingers, eyes widening with delight as she realizes what Yoojin was offering. She surges forward into his hold, burying her face in his shoulder, where the damp towel is. Her voice is muffled by the fabric. “...it was really hard. I really wished you were here to help me.”

“Well, I’m here now. I’m so sorry I didn’t make it out sooner.” Yoojin rubs her back, letting the young girl melt into his hold. Even while he’s comforting Yerim, he meets Yoohyun’s smoldering gaze. His words are meant for his younger brother too. “I care a lot about you two. Both of you. So please, try to get along? For me? I want to spend all the time in the world with all of you. It won’t be pleasant if I can’t even leave you two alone together. How can you even work together like that? We’ll have to work on teamwork-”

Yoojin goes off on a tangent, centered on teamwork and getting along together and something about the golden rule. His voice fills the still air, and Yoohyun finds himself relaxing. Even if his hyung was holding Bak Yerim to comfort her, he was clearly still thinking of Yoohyun, too. It is reassuring that Yoojin would never let his little brother slip from his mind, even with another prospective ward present. Yoohyun is still overwhelmingly jealous and detests Bak Yerim’s desire to have his hyung’s attention, but he knows that Yoojin still considers Yoohyun to be a priority, too. 

…He’d consider getting along with Bak Yerim, for his hyung’s sake. But he does not throw away the decision that the two of them would have to fight to settle their differences. This would have to occur away from Han Yoojin’s presence, though, so it may not happen anytime soon. Han Yoohyun would thoroughly vet Bak Yerim to ensure she was worthy of staying by his hyung’s side another time. The way Bak Yerim had acted, Han Yoohyun had no doubt she’d be willing. 

So Yoohyun nods, as if chastised, as his hyung wraps up his lecture. He allows his hyung to comfort Bak Yerim and send her off with well wishes for tomorrow’s raid. He and his hyung end up doing the dishes together, and Yoohyun takes a quick shower before checking on his hyung a final time before bed. He looks in the guest room he’d told Yoojin was his, and his heart races when he finds no trace of his hyung or the fire manticore. Yoohyun steps quickly and quietly down the hall to his own room, his heartbeat calming when he spots the two fast asleep in Yoohyun’s bed. 

Yoohyun approaches, slowing his briefly panicked breathing. His hyung looks so much younger and softer when he sleeps, losing the tension that had tightened his muscles since his return. For all that Yoojin acted fine, he was struggling to readjust. Not only had he awakened, but he’d been stuck inside of countless dungeons, fighting for months. Things would seem overwhelming to anyone after awakening, let alone after what Yoojin had been though. And as an S-rank, nonetheless. 

So Yoohyun slips carefully under the covers, feeling settled as his hyung shifts closer to him even while asleep. Yoohyun and his brother press close, reassured by one another’s presence. Peace wakes up briefly, peering at Yoohyun with half-open eyes that glow in the dark, before yawning and curling back into Yoojin’s side. Yoohyun slowly, uncertainly, tangles the fingers of one hand in his hyung’s shirt like he had when he was young. He exhales when Yoojin doesn’t wake at the movement, relaxing even further. Yoohyun falls asleep like this, content, the three of them unaware of what tomorrow would bring, but ready to face it together. 

For now, Yoohyun had his big brother safe and asleep at his side, and that was enough.