< Cracked Magic Stone (1) >
The 2nd floor of the dungeon was like the 1st floor, with a castle and a lake. But the castle was already half collapsed, and the lake had become muddy and shallow like a swamp. There was a mood difference between night and day, but the flooded plants were thickly overgrown so it looked gloomy, too.
What appeared over that was a water dragon whose fins seemed like they were modified into wings. Were both the background and the boss monster sort of evolved from the 1st floor? Anyways, even if you said it was a dragon type, it was A-Rank level, so it wasn’t anything much. Though that wasn’t something someone with an F-Rank combat power should say.
“What about Noah-ssi going against it alone? Without using poison or other skills, and just using the beast transformation. It’s a flight type dragon type, so I think it would be a helpful experience in various ways.”
And it was a waste for the other two to handle it, while the My Brat skill was applied. Noah nodded his head and changed into a dragon, flying up. I had thought that Sung Hyunjae would’ve tossed over a comment asking if I didn’t want to go out quickly, but he was surprisingly quiet.
Noah’s boss monster hunt took quite a while. Even if you said he was used to the beast transformation now, it was prioritized on flight, and in the first place, he didn’t have a proximity combat style. Still, seeing him end the water dragon’s life safely, was praiseworthy.
“Around what time would it be outside?”
“If it’s around now, the day should be starting to brighten.”
To think that it didn’t even take 24 hours – it really was fast. It was all thanks to Noah and Riette being able to change into dragons. Normally, it would’ve taken more than a day to just move around in the 1st and 2nd floors.
When the boss monster died, the gate appeared. When we go out, I should go straight to a nearby clothing shop and start off by buying and putting on new clothes. If I went into the rearing facility where there were a lot of eyes, like this, then it would reach Yoohyun’s ears without a doubt. Putting aside my top, the ripped and bloodied pants would be advertising that I was attacked, so I had to hide it.
“…What is that now.”
I was praising Noah who had returned after fighting well, when Riette, who had briefly disappeared, came over, dragging something. It was none other than people tied in a row, like strings of dried fish. I saw Choi Sukwon and Yoo Kyeongsoo, who looked worse for the wear.
“You did not kill them all?”
“You have to be frugal to live well.”
Was that something a person who used units of hundred million on, not an item, but a watch? But they were all high rank Hunters, so it was true that it was a waste to just kill them off. Even more so, if you were in a position to grab their weak point and use them.
On top of that, it was two S-Ranks, too.
“The last thing for sightseeing really is shopping. I will also offer some money.”
“You said you wouldn’t buy anything, but it looks like you’re a fickle tourist.”
“You should gratefully sell if the customer changes their mind, Mr. Guide. The service here is really not that great.”
“Saying it’s not great to sincerity that offered an eye and an arm, ah really. There is no choice but to wholly-.”
“I will refuse.”
I didn’t need it. If you were going to give me something, just give me the skill. Maybe Riette was also going to receive something, because she was staring contently at the string of dried fish. Soodam was big too, but MKC had more to take from.
‘Once I go out, I should check Yoohyun’s contract first…’
I should calmly organize Diarma’s memories. Maybe because they were things that were directly pulled out inside of the consciousness, they were still clear in my mind even though it was a sizable amount.
When I crossed the gate, I felt a slightly hot wind. Then, I saw a brightening sky. A sky that was lightly tinted purple, where darkness and light was mixed.
…Why could I see it? This was indoors. But now it was outdoors.
The considerably large dungeon building had disappeared. No, there were traces left. It was a remote place, and there were no human traces in the other buildings since they were next door to an A-Rank dungeon… but now there were no buildings either. Instead, there was a barricade set up, and people, and.
“……Yoohyun?”
In front of the gate, there was Yoohyun, sitting in a chair. It was a common plastic chair, but because of the mood, he seemed like a king seated on a throne. In other words, it was heavy. The chilly expression and the energy spilling out. On top of that, he was holding a long knife in his hand. Wasn’t it not allowed for him to have a weapon out?
Next to him, I saw Peace, who was a little bigger than his adolescent state. He really didn’t seem to be in a good mood. But Chirpie on top of Peace’s head was.
-Chirp!
I didn’t know why it followed, but unlike the two guys setting the mood, it welcomingly raised its wings and greeted me. And a bit apart, Song Taewon was standing with a tired face.
“It seems like it was exposed. Then again, there’s no reason for the young master, who should’ve been fired up, to not notice. Since two S-Rank Hunters made a move, on top of mobilizing other high rank Hunters.”
Sung Hyunjae said, as if it wasn’t his business. I mean, if you had guessed, you should’ve given a hint. So we could ready our hearts at least. Unlike the leisurely Sung Hyunjae, Noah was slightly tense.
“Hyung.”
Yoohyun stood up from his seat. The gaze slowly sweeping from my head to my feet, stopped on the ripped pants. Hm, I was caught.
“I’m not hurt anywhere other than there.”
In terms of my real body. The matter with the dragon bastard wasn’t real at any rate. Though the dragon bastard really died, but anyways. …It would probably be better to hide that forever. Let’s put it that Water Droplet killed the dragon bastard.
“That shirt, isn’t it the Seseong Guild Leader’s?”
It was a dungeon item, but outwardly, it looked normal; he was perceptive in picking things up.
“Ah, that’s……”
I was about to explain, but my throat got stuck. For telling it truthfully in front of my younger brother, the situation was a little… you know. Should I just say that it got a little dirty so I borrowed it? Though, a Hunter changing clothes because they got dirty inside a dungeon, wasn’t even funny.
Just then, the strings of dried fish started to be thrown out of the dungeon, one or two at a time. When we naturally dodged to the side, Riette jumped out onto the top of the piled people.
“I took all- oh? Did a dungeon burst nearby or something?”
No, instead it was right before my younger brother would burst. When the strings of dried fish and then Riette appeared, the fierce eyes even held a red tint.
I briefly had an impulse to shout, ‘I didn’t know anything and Sung Hyunjae made me into bait!’. The mood was like the 1st ranking competitions would open if I really did, so I should resist.
“…What has happened?”
Yoohyun asked Sung Hyunjae, with an expression saying that he was drawing up all his patience to suppress and hold back.
“I saved the princess who was kidnapped and pounced on by a dragon, and danced. Ah, I didn’t receive a kiss. Because the princess was a little cold-hearted.”
Was he crazy – why would there be a kiss? At the fucking crazy answer, Yoohyun’s cold expression cracked a little. The younger brother who couldn’t hide his confusion, turned to look at me as if asking exactly what was he talking about.
“Uh… It’s nonsense, but it’s also the truth……”
Even while speaking with my own mouth, it was quite dumbfounding. To think that all of that had really happened. …I mean how did it end up like that? This was all because of Sung Hyunjae and Riette. It was like this with just two born S-Ranks – to think that there were two left. My blood pressure was already starting to rise.
I wouldn’t end up having to shoot an even worse drama than this time, right?
“I was the dragon!”
Riette shot one hand up and cut in. Towards her doing that, Song Taewon went over, and held out handcuffs.
“Selling illegal contracts and illegally entering a country, and…”
Song Taewon turned to look at me, and asked.
“Possibly sexual assault-.”
“Ah, no! Suddenly what kind of question…”
He sure was disgustingly perceptive. Song Taewon put on a uselessly understanding expression.
“If you change your mind, please contact me anytime. A Hunter’s stat rank comes before gender, so-.”
“Yes, I understand. Thank you for worrying, but I am okay.”
At the least, let’s speak while my younger brother isn’t here. I swallowed a sigh and moved my gaze toward Riette, whose eyebrows were raised up high.
“Riette.”
“Yeah, darling. Will you stand off to the side for a bit?”
What were you going to do? Of course, she probably had absolutely no intention of obediently getting handcuffed.
“Breaking the law is breaking the law, so quietly follow him.”
“Why should I?”
“If you make trouble here, then you’ll really be banned from entering the country. If you seriously want to entrust a baby monster to me, take the proper punishment. I’m not going to accept an illegal channel, so formally entrust it to me with clean hands. At any rate, you’re an S-Rank Hunter, so you won’t have to serve prison labor.”
“Ughhhh, okay.”
She discontentedly puffed out her cheeks, but obediently held out her hands. Exactly what kind of guy was the monster she wanted to leave to me? It probably wouldn’t be a normal magic beast.
Song Taewon, who safely arrested Riette, stared at me with slightly moved eyes. He probably hadn’t known he would be able to catch and take away Riette this easily. Adding to that, Noah’s eyes were also bright.
There, now.
“Yoohyun.”
“There’s no way Sung Hyunjae wouldn’t have known he would be surprise attacked, and did hyung also know?”
“Approximately.”
I heard a small breath being spit out.
“Go home first.”
What were you going to do after sending me away first? Yoohyun’s gaze glaring at the strings of dried fish and Sung Hyunjae were serious. It definitely wasn’t a mood where he would use words. And there was no way that Sung Hyunjae would also avoid it. Just look now, his eyes were smiling.
What should I do, what should I do; should I hold out, saying I wouldn’t go? …I thought of a future where I was carried out within 3 minutes. Ughhh.
“…Let’s go together.”
“What?”
“There’s something I want to tell you separately, too, and……”
And, and…
“…I’m uneasy.”
I was a victim. I was kidnapped by a dragon, and my leg was hurt, and the sightseeing guide was a total conman. I grazed past Yoohyun, and placed Chirpie, who was on Peace’s head, into my arms. I continued speaking, petting Peace, who purred and stuck close.
“Even though I look fine, I’m not actually fine.”
I sent a silent signal that I was barely holding on thanks to the fear resistant skill. It was about half the truth, too. In various ways, it wasn’t something that a stat F-Rank could handle.
“So won’t you go with me? There’s a lot of other people, too, but the person I trust the most is you, Yoohyun.”
I couldn’t stand to say it while looking at his face, so I met eyes with Chirpie. Our Chirpie was cute every time I saw it.
“……Alright.”
He fell for it. As expected of my good younger brother.
“It is not that it will end with this.”
Putting his weapon in his inventory, Yoohyun said, fiercely staring at Sung Hyunjae.
“It shouldn’t be, or else it’ll be disappointing. Contact me after soothing your hyung-nim well. Or you can come together. If it’s the two of you, it’s welcome anytime.”
Don’t fan a dwindling fire, this damn person. Thankfully, Yoohyun didn’t speak more and turned around.
“Noah-ssi, you can go back alone, right?”
“…Yes.”
For some reason, a sullen reply came back. Up until his noona was handcuffed, he was in a good mood – why was he gloomy again? I took Peace, who became smaller, and got into a car.
The destination wasn’t my house, but Yoohyun’s house. Seeing how I couldn’t know when Myeongwoo would pop out, Yoohyun’s house was more convenient for talking about the filial duty addicts. I should tell Myeongwoo to pick a place to appear and disappear at. Generally, it was the living room, but he did sometimes pop out of weird places.
“Hey, you that…”
When I washed and changed clothes and came out, the fire lizard was chewing up a fabric hem. It was Sung Hyunjae’s shirt that I had borrowed.
“I have to return it though.”
But I didn’t think to stop it. And it had already swallowed about half. It ate well.
“Come here and sit.”
I called to Yoohyun, going to the sofa. Peace came up to my lap like it was obvious, and Chirpie also took a seat on top of that.
“Why did you bring Chirpie?”
“Because it chased after us.”
Yoohyun said, sitting next to me. The lizard, who had eaten up the shirt, crawled over my brother’s body.
“The contract with the filial duty addicts – check if it’s still the same.”
At my words, Yoohyun’s eyes became round and big.
“How does hyung… Could Sung Hyunjae that jerk have-!”
“I asked, and he replied. And I know the system, so would I have been completely in the dark?”
Though that side didn’t tell me properly. When I urged him to check the contract again, he took out a contract from his inventory. It was a black board similar to Sung Hyunjae’s. It wasn’t cancelled even though the lizard bastard had died.
“I’ll de-curse it now.”
“But hyung’s curse resistance is L-Rank.”
“Against this contract, the curse and poison dragon king’s owner, the skill effect is applied doubled. And I tried it with Sung Hyunjae. He staked his arm and eye on it, but it was released perfectly fine.”
“That’s a little regretful.”
“What was your price?”
“…Two eyes.”
……This damn asshole.
“Hey! Han Yoohyun!”
“Wait, hyung! You’ll get hurt like that!”
Truthfully, the hand that smacked his back smarted. And my wrist ached a little. Yoohyun held out a potion and searched my expression.
“Back then, I was still young, and it wasn’t a difficult condition. You said Sung Hyunjae also staked his arm and eye.”
“It’s not my business whether that person staked all of his limbs or not. You really-!”
“Hyung also deceived me and went into a dungeon and got hurt.”
“My leg was just stabbed a little. Is that the same as an eye? And both of them, at that, ah, you!”
When I couldn’t win against the rage and stomped my foot, Peace growled at Yoohyun. Chirpie also chirped. Then, Yoohyun’s lizard also hissed back.
Thanks to that, I calmed down a little.
“Let’s start by releasing the contract. Come here.”
I stretched out an arm, and pulled Yoohyun’s head over. But when I ultimately tried to tell him to break the contract, my lips wouldn’t move easily. It should be okay. Since Sung Hyunjae was also fine.
The damn lizard bastard, why did he stake both eyes of all things? What did he do to a young kid who wasn’t even an adult? Should I have somehow threatened him and released the contract first, before I killed him?
“Hyung?”
“That, it’s ready, so speak.”
“I know about the filial duty addicts.”
With a small crackle, the contract broke. Hurriedly I grabbed Yoohyun’s face and scrutinized his eyes.
“You’re fine, right?”
“I can see fine.”
“Don’t do something crazy like that again.”
“Okay.”
For now, a big worry was relieved. Now, from where to where should I explain?