Episode 3: My Little Brother Is Strange (1)
I was sitting on a bed, not on a dragon corpse.
The terrible smell of blood had completely vanished. My clothes had changed as well.
"...Have I really returned to the past?"
For starters, the status screen wouldn't open. There was no inventory either.
Five years ago meant I hadn't awakened yet.
"That guy Yuhyeon was already a successful guild leader."
The Guild Haeyeon. It was a guild that, after showing rapid growth centered on a small elite group, eventually established itself as the undisputed best in Korea.
Of course, I couldn't join.
...There were plenty of guild members who hated me, too.
"I must have heard them tell me a hundred times to get lost and not hang around the Guild Leader."
Ugh, those petty bastards.
Fine, I'll just live quietly this time.
I rummaged through my pockets and found my cell phone.
The date was...
Oh, it really is five years ago.
The most recent message—
"Wait, isn't this an Awakening Broker?"
The contact history with the Awakening Broker from just this morning remained.
Seeing it, memories of the past flashed before my eyes.
I've returned to those days.
It had been three years since Dungeons were created and Awakened Hunters first appeared. It was a time when the rapidly changing society was gradually stabilizing.
I was in the midst of a throbbing inferiority complex, staring only at the back of my younger sibling who was succeeding as an S-Class Awakener.
And harboring the vain hope that I could become just like them if I only awakened, I had contacted the Awakening Broker.
An Awakening Broker.
Simply put, a con artist.
They are brokers who take large sums of money and illegally send non-Awakeners into Dungeons, claiming that even those who are not awakened can become one just by clearing them.
However, most of them were vicious individuals who either took the money and disappeared, or provided no protection even if they managed to take someone into the Dungeon.
It's not like you awaken just by clearing the Dungeon in the first place.
While there is a high probability of awakening in response to the dangerous environment of a Dungeon, it has nothing to do with actually conquering it.
That fact wouldn't be revealed to the public for six months, as the Korean Hunter Association established a safe awakening facility and the broker vanished completely.
Anyway, I went there with a bag of money to meet that broker...
I got caught by my younger brother's subordinate and dragged back.
Yeah, I remember it clearly.
This was one of the guest rooms inside the Haeyeon Guild building.
Soon, that little brat would show up and nag me with a look of utter displeasure.
Just as I thought that, the door burst open.
Han Yuhyeon stepped inside.
He wasn't exactly a gentleman, either.
“Hyung.”
My younger brother, who was still alive, called out to me.
The face looking this way was incredibly youthful.
Even five years later, he wasn't that old, but right now, he was truly young.
He was twenty, right now.
He was barely labeled an adult; in a peaceful world, he would still be a student.
Or he had just enlisted.
Of course, the military still existed, though.
He got exempted because he's an S-rank Awakener.
I had already served.
They say there are so many guys who awaken in the military and get discharged early, yet here I am, unable to even awaken.
At best, he was an F-grade, so he probably would have completed his full term of service.
Military exemption starts at E-grade.
Anyway, that guy is so successful that he didn't even go to the army...
...Ah, my inferiority complex is about to explode again.
Let go of greed. Let go of suffering.
Namu Amita Buddha.
I stood up and approached Yuhyeon, who was wearing a sullen expression.
Seeing him up close, the passage of five years felt even more profound.
I hadn't thought much of it back then, before the regression, but looking back now, I realized how much that young kid must have suffered.
No matter how S-grade he was, building and growing his own guild wouldn't have been easy.
And in the midst of all that, his only older brother was just going around causing trouble.
...I was wrong.
"The dungeon brokers—"
"Sorry."
I apologized first.
My younger brother, who was about to start nagging, shut his mouth.
He looked at me as if I were a creature he had never seen before.
"I won't do it again."
Everything.
He just wants to live quietly, befitting his status.
Yuhyeon wore a confused expression before cautiously opening his mouth.
“By any chance, did you cause some big trouble...?”
“It’s nothing.”
This little brat doesn’t trust his older brother.
Though he has every right to.
I nudged his arm with a smile.
“Just... I sat down and thought about it, and I realized I was being immature.”
The dragon shell was cool, so it was perfect for clearing my head.
My brother looked flustered at my slightly embarrassed words.
“No, not exactly immature….”
“What do you mean not? Hey, can I give you a hug?”
“Uh, yes?”
“It’s been a while.”
It might have been a while for him, but not for me.
The sensation of his body growing cold was vivid beneath my palm.
“…Do as you please.”
Yuhyeon nodded, though hesitating.
You little brat, why are you being shy when your older brother just wants to hug you?
It’s a bit cheesy, though.
I stretched out my arms and hugged my brother, who had grown up so much.
He was even smaller than this before he awakened.
“My little brother, Han Yuhyeon.”
The body in my arms was warm.
I could hear a slightly faster heartbeat and breathing.
Along with a deep sense of relief, something welling up inside me made me utter words I would never normally say.
“I love you.”
The guy’s body twitched.
Hey, I’m embarrassed too, so don’t say anything.
Just—
[Awakener 'Han Yujin' registration complete.]
…Huh?
[Legendary Title 'Perfect Caregiver' granted!]
Huh?
[The effect of Title 'Perfect Caregiver' is activated. Perfect Caregiver Bonus Skill – My Kid is the Best. The growth speed of Awakener 'Han Yuhyeon' doubles. Duration – 3 days]
Aargh?!?
Crazy.
What is this cheat skill?
The Caregiver title was fairly common. Parents and siblings who cared for and raised an Awakener could obtain it easily. It was possible even if they weren't blood relatives.
If the person being cared for had an Awakening Grade of C or higher and the relationship was harmonious, the title appeared eight out of ten times.
For a Grade C to B person, it was 'Clumsy Caregiver'.
Rank A was 'Decent Caregiver'.
Finally, Rank S was just 'Caregiver'.
Since there are no Awakened Ones higher than S, I assumed the 'Caregiver' title was the highest rank.
Perfect Caregiver? What on earth is this?
On top of that, the growth speed buff is a whopping double.
My previous title, 'Caregiver', gave a maximum of 10 percent additional growth buff. It only lasted for a single day.
But double?
Does that mean I can raise the level that used to take a year in half a year?
No, it's skills, not levels. The higher the rank of a skill, the slower its growth speed is!
Wow, this is totally a scam.
If I cast a buff on him before entering the dungeon, he’ll come out having grown at light speed.
“…Hyung?”
“Uh, yeah. No.”
I was so surprised that I ended up still holding him.
As I let go and hurriedly stepped back, Yuhyeon cleared his throat with a slightly flushed face.
“…I, I’ve been pushy a lot, but thank you for saying that, Hyung.”
“Th-thank you?”
“…….”
“…….”
An awkward silence fell.
Hmm. Hmm, hmm.
Just as I was about to feel like smashing the window and jumping out because I couldn’t stand the awkward atmosphere anymore, Yuhyeon spoke first.
“…Do you want to have dinner together later? It’s been a while.”
“Yeah, I’d love to.”
“Yeah. Then, I have work.”
“Okay, good luck.”
My younger brother left and the door closed.
I tore at my hair.
Wow, damn. This is so awkward.
Am I going to end up like this at dinner too?
It’s been three years for Yuhyeon, but eight for me.
Did I say yes to dinner?
Stop it, even now—
Snap.
“I forgot.”
Yuhyeon, whom I thought had left, opened the door again.
What a surprise.
“Delete the Awakening Broker’s contact.”
He said, looking at the phone lying on the bed.
“Not that I’ll make sure they can’t answer even if you call.”
“…What?”
I must have been mistaken to think he meant he was going to beat the broker up.
Even after he finished speaking, Yuhyeon didn’t leave and just stared at me intently.
…Does he want me to delete it right now?
I picked up the phone and showed him that I was deleting the broker’s contact, and he left with a satisfied look on his face.
My younger brother’s attitude felt a bit unsettling, but more importantly...
My status screen!
I quickly opened my status screen.
[Awakened Han Yujin Title – Dragon Slayer (L), Perfect Guardian (L)]
W-wait a minute.
Dragon Slayer?
Why are you here?