Chapter 776: Searching for My Brother (4)
I almost whipped around on instinct, but barely stopped myself. A subordinate? Liette? The presence of Liette sitting behind me on the tail end of the bike, back pressed nearly against mine, suddenly felt deeply unsettling. She was not the kind of person who would obediently crawl under a Transcendent. Was this some subordinate wearing Liette’s skin? But her voice, her attitude, all of it was Liette.
“…You were missing this whole time. Why didn’t you contact us?”
I kept riding along the tracks and asked as calmly as I could. This was Line 4, so if I followed it straight, I could get to the Sesung Guild. Ten minutes, give or take.
“It’s hard to explain in detail, but I was somewhere else with Noah.”
“Somewhere else? For this long?”
Back then, the Transcendents had not gotten involved yet. No, it probably had not been entirely impossible for them to interfere. There had been the Puppeteer, after all. But for that to happen, they needed some connection to our world. Noah and Liette.
‘Dragonkin?’
Venom and Curse Dragonkin. But Diarma, the Transcendent tied to the Venom and Curse Dragonkin, had vanished a long time ago. And if it was not the Venom and Curse Dragonkin…
‘Light Dragonkin.’
Noah’s title, skills, and items flashed through my mind. He was one of the twin dragons belonging to the Venom and Curse Dragonkin, but the younger twin actually had Light Dragonkin blood mixed in.
‘I’m pretty sure they said some items were things Transcendents had used in the past.’
Like the Earrings of the Mermaid Queen of Changlang. Then maybe Noah’s item had belonged to a Light Dragonkin who became a Transcendent too. What exactly had the item description said again?
“Mm, we were there for a few days.”
“So when, where, what, how, and why!”
Give me a real explanation, damn it! Unlike me, who was about to tear my hair out, Liette was casually swinging her legs. Seeing that made her seem like the real Liette, but still. After we rode a short distance through the pitch–dark tunnel, another brightly lit station appeared. Sookmyung Women’s University Station.
“Did you meet a Light Dragonkin Transcendent?”
“Wow, sweetheart. I didn’t say that~.”
She did not say it? Then maybe.
“Did someone gag you? Some kind of contract saying you can’t talk?”
“That’s my honey! So smart.”
So it really was a Light Dragonkin Transcendent. Diarma had been able to control Liette too, so of course a Light Dragonkin Transcendent could interfere with Noah. Had Noah been captured, forcing Liette to sign a subordinate contract because of her brother? Liette was not on the Light Dragonkin side, after all. Seriously, what was with these Transcendent bastards and their obsession with messing with people’s younger siblings?
‘Wait. Then I probably shouldn’t take Liette back with me like this.’
I eased off the speed a little. I had no idea what the Light Dragonkin Transcendent was after, but as long as they were holding Noah hostage, it was hard to see them in a positive light.
“I can’t say much, but that one was really interested in you too. Kept saying, ‘this person called honey~’ and all that.”
“…How far has that damn ‘honey’ spread?”
I answered Liette while sending a message. We would be entering Samgakji Station soon, and from there—
Boom!
The ground shook as a deafening crash erupted behind us. Then came a rolling rumble, one vibration after another, like the underground tunnel was about to collapse. What the hell!
“We’re being chased~.”
I quickly used the Teacher skill on Liette. Through Liette’s eyes, I saw something moving in the darkness behind us.
“Oh, for God’s sake, seriously!”
Rrrrrrip. The gravel, sleepers, and rails were swept up and sent flying all at once. What was chasing us was a gigantic mole covered in spikes. Its face was hidden between the thorns, and its two forelegs jutted out like bulldozer blades, tearing through the ground as it charged. Screeeeech. The spikes scraped against the subway tunnel, making an ear–splitting sound.
– Honey!
A surprisingly pretty, clear voice rang out through the tunnel. What honey! I knew I should not judge people by appearance, but I did not want to be called honey by that thing! At the very least, I wanted a species that walked upright, stood under three meters tall, and had hair instead of spikes! I could compromise on skin color. One extra eye was fine too! I could even accept up to four arms!
– I won’t eat you, so stop right there!
“Wow, it’s really fast. Maybe it has some speed buff underground?”
Liette sounded way too relaxed. You think not eating me is enough? I’m about to get skewered! We passed through another station and kept going. The terrifying roar was getting closer and closer.
“Sweetheart, I heard you have two younger brothers now?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Clang, claaang! The screen doors hit by the spikes shattered one after another. Thank God this was a dream world. Otherwise that would all be taxpayer money, you damn subordinate!
“The one with the butterflies around him. He’s insanely strong.”
“That’s Yuhyun from before the regression. He’s probably SS–Rank!”
I sharply turned the motorcycle. We were almost there. The spikes seemed almost there too. Liette drew her sword.
“There’s a reason the other subordinates all gathered around your brother~.”
“What did Yuhyun offer them?”
“He said he wasn’t interested in the pseudo–Source.”
Right, the Gardener was after Sigma, not Seong Hyunjae. They had said once the Gardener got Sigma, the job was half done. Liette’s sword swung lightly, almost playfully. Thunk! One of the spikes thrust toward us was sliced off. But it regenerated almost immediately.
“If I use too much force, the bike’ll go flying.”
“Then sit still!”
Any second now. I sent the message.
[Now!]
Immediately after, boom! A thunderous crash rang out. Gold light flashed as the screen doors of Ichon Station exploded all at once. A black figure leaped onto the tracks lit by that glow, and a chain shot forward from him. I threw the bike aside and jumped toward the chain. Clatter, clatter. The chain wrapped around me and yanked me into the station. Chief Song, standing in the middle of the tracks, was about to charge at the spiked subordinate when—
– Wait! Truce! Truce!
Rumble— The spiked mole came to a stop, leaving a long gouge along the floor. Then it dug into the ground with its enormous forefeet. Its body, easily over ten meters long, disappeared in an instant, leaving only a hole behind. What? What the hell. Even Chief Song seemed a little taken aback as he stared at the traces the subordinate had left.
“Looks like reconciling with your brother didn’t go well.”
Seong Hyunjae said as he set me down inside the subway station. No, more importantly.
“…Didn’t that thing switch sides way too fast?”
Sure, it was suddenly at a disadvantage with more enemies showing up, but it had sounded scared. Chief Song and Liette climbed up from the tracks.
“Because he’s here.”
Liette pointed at Seong Hyunjae. Huh?
“They’re after the Sesung Guild Leader, aren’t they? Shouldn’t they attack harder because of that?”
“The subordinates who don’t know much yet probably will.”
“Don’t know what?”
“The Sesung Guild Leader~ He eats them like a real Source.”
I looked back at Seong Hyunjae on instinct. He smiled at me as if asking what the problem was.
“I heard there are many kinds of subordinates, but most of the ones here belong completely to a Transcendent. So even if they die, their Transcendent can collect them again and bring them back.”
“They can be revived?”
“Something like, their lives have been entrusted to their Transcendent too? They said as long as the Transcendent doesn’t die, it isn’t that hard.”
I had heard something similar from Senior. One of the ways to extend my lifespan was to become the subordinate of a being stronger than me.
“They said bringing a dead person back itself isn’t that difficult, either. As long as they haven’t been dead for long and the essence of the lifeform is intact~.”
The wish stone suddenly came to mind. Back then, I could have revived him. Anyway… the subordinates here could be revived even if they died. And yet the mole had run like that just now. I looked at Seong Hyunjae again.
“…No way.”
Unlike me or Chief Song, Seong Hyunjae…
“If he eats their magic stone, they can’t come back?”
“Exactly~ More precisely, if the Sesung Guild Leader eats it. A magic stone does contain the essence, the Source, of a living being, but just because our Belare or your Peace eats a magic stone doesn’t mean they absorb the Source too. The Source in a magic stone leaves once the stone breaks. Even if it doesn’t break, they said it naturally separates over time. The soul falls away on its own~.”
Myungwoo had told me that before. The trait inside a magic stone disappeared over time, leaving it as an ordinary energy source. That was why we had separately preserved Byeol’s magic stone too.
“So… normally when someone eats a magic stone, they only absorb the condensed magic inside it, but Seong Hyunjae swallows the Source too? Because he’s a pseudo–Source?”
Just like a real Source. Subordinates swallowed that way could not be revived. They would face a complete death. Liette clapped and said, correct.
“That’s why the subordinates joined forces more. They don’t want to deal with him.”
…No wonder the subordinates had gathered around Yuhyun so easily. They must have been powerful Awakened in their own worlds, so normally they would not have united well. Just like the S–Ranks of our world. But if dying and getting eaten meant it was truly over, of course they would start playing it safe.
‘Is this why Rookie left, saying there was a problem related to the subordinates?’
It had to be a bolt from the blue for the Transcendents too. They had sent out subordinates thinking they could revive them, only to risk losing them forever.
“Then the subordinates won’t be able to approach Hunter Seong Hyunjae recklessly.”
Chief Song, who had been listening quietly, spoke. Seong Hyunjae gave a short sigh.
“This has gotten even more annoying. It seems almost none of the subordinates are acting alone anymore.”
“Why not take the opportunity to go on a diet?”
“How cruel.”
Seong Hyunjae spread his arms as though wounded. What. Why.
“Have you grown tired of me already? And here I thought I was Han Yujin’s ideal type.”
…Honestly, if I could have a body like that, I would sell my soul. Not all of it. Maybe a tenth. Must be nice, Seong Hyunjae! I’m jealous!
“You’re only fifth place at best, okay? Yuhyun is above you, and so is Chief Song, and Hyunah!”
“Sweetheart, what about me? Me?”
“You’re cool too, Liette! Anyway, someone’s way too confident. You really think you’re the greatest thing in the world, don’t you?”
“Am I not?”
Seong Hyunjae smiled. He said he erased his feelings for me, but did he erase his shame too? He had always been shameless, but now he seemed even worse. Though honestly, he was impressive. Which made it even more annoying. I let out a deep sigh and went over to Chief Song.
“I really do like Chief Song best.”
“…Yes.”
Chief Song answered awkwardly under the piercing gazes Liette and Seong Hyunjae shot at him. Anyway, this was no time for that.
“Hayul, get us a car outside the subway station. Liette, are you after Seong Hyunjae?”
“He’s not my type. I like them softer~.”
“Not like that. Does the Light Dragonkin Transcendent want the pseudo–Source? Ah, Chief Song. So, the thing is.”
As we climbed the stairs, I explained to Seong Hyunjae and Chief Song that Liette had become a subordinate. Most of it was speculation, but still.
“I don’t think they want the pseudo–Source? Think about it. We went missing before that happened.”
“Ah, that was before I… did that to Seong Hyunjae.”
Liette did not miss my hesitation and immediately pressed me.
“Did what?”
“Uh… killed him. That’s how the Transcendents realized Seong Hyunjae was a pseudo–Source.”
“That sounds fun! I wanted to kill him too!”
Mm, sure you did. Anyway, the Light Dragonkin Transcendent had contacted Noah and Liette before Seong Hyunjae’s identity was revealed. They might have changed their mind since then, but one thing was certain. Their original target had not been Seong Hyunjae.
When we got out of the subway station, there was an open–top sports car parked on the road. Hayul, come on. You need to account for S–Rank builds. It only had two seats, too.
“Park Hayul! Four–seater!”
[Aw, but that one looks cool. It suits you, hyung!]
What the hell did this punk think of me?
[They’re S–Ranks, so they can just hang on the back~.]
This brat had no intention of changing it. With no other choice, I took the key and got into the driver’s seat. Chief Song headed straight for the back, but Seong Hyunjae and Liette did not look like they planned to yield. Oh, come on!
“Chief Song, sit next to me.”
“Hey, sweetie! You only spoil the government worker!”
“Han Yujin plays favorites terribly. I’m hurt.”
Yeah, yeah. If I left them alone, this would take all day, so I pulled Chief Song into the passenger seat. Seong Hyunjae and Liette climbed onto the back of the car. Sitting there like that, they looked like they were shooting a sports car ad. They matched it annoyingly well. Sales would break records. I turned the car toward Dongjak Bridge. We did not cross the bridge. I stopped before it and looked toward Seoul Station.
“Peace, Hwang Rim. Come this way.”
Liette had not told me properly, but Noah seemed to be with the Transcendent. It would be nice if Noah came too.
“Even if Yuhyun gathered the subordinates, it won’t be easy for them to break through Yerim’s water. But he might find another way.”
We could not let our guard down.
“We should start getting ready to welcome them too.”
And I had to find the younger siblings. My brother, Liette’s brother, and… surely no one else’s younger sibling had gone missing. Hyunah’s brother was not Awakened yet, so he should be safe at home, and Chief Song was… hmm. Hwang Rim did not have a younger sibling, right? As for Seong Hyunjae, Sigma was more or less his younger brother.
[Mister!]
Just then, Yerim’s message appeared.
[I think Sigma disappeared!]
…And there was one more younger brother to find. No, how the hell did that happen out of nowhere?
–TL Notes–
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