“Don’t Mess with My Brother”

Even the “Crystal of Truth” can’t escape the scrutiny of a third eye. After quickly scanning the internal structure of the item, I nodded slightly. Having analyzed how judgments are made, I could think of a way to navigate this tricky situation. I placed my hand on the “Crystal of Truth.”

Everyone around me looked shocked by my action. Especially Yujeong, whose face twisted as if she were about to cry, biting her lip hard. I glanced at Yujeong and the others, then spoke in a calm voice.

“I understand how Yujeong feels about me.”

”…Brother.”

“Don’t cry, Yujeong.”

At my warm words, Yujeong nodded and wiped her eyes with her hand.

“If you trust me, I trust you too. It’s true I kept things hidden, but I had my reasons. Besides, I was planning to tell you all soon anyway.”

I emphasized the word “all” deliberately. As soon as I finished speaking, a wave of relief washed over their faces. After reassuring them, I turned my attention back to the matter at hand.

“User Jeong Hayeon. If this is truly the best method, I will infuse my magic without hesitation.”

”…Alright.”

“But I have my own conditions.”

I paused, fixing her with a cold stare. Jeong Hayeon met my gaze steadily, though her eyes trembled slightly. We both knew what it meant for her to bring out this item and why I accepted it.

After a brief silence, I continued in a chilly voice.

“While considering my circumstances, I placed my hand on this crystal in front of everyone. I understand your curiosity, but I didn’t expect you to go this far. I hope you understand how I feel doing this.”

”…I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And I have one condition.”

“Is it the right to refuse to answer?”

I shook my head.

“The reason I placed my hand on the ‘Crystal of Truth’ is not to satisfy personal curiosity but to resolve the questions our group has had. So, I ask that you refrain from asking overly intrusive or personal questions.”

I laid the groundwork. If she’s as smart as I think, she’ll understand what I’m saying. If either of us dislikes it, we can simply ignore it. But I have a fondness for her, so I allowed her to push me. And she has a fondness for me too. We both know this, which is why Jeong Hayeon brought out the “Crystal of Truth.” All of this was possible because I turned a blind eye.

However, by adding this condition, I drew a line. Given my abilities, I’m clearly superior to her. In simpler terms, it was a warning: “Don’t push your luck.” She responded immediately to my warning.

“You mean to stay within professional boundaries. I’ll keep that in mind.”

After confirming her slight nod, I infused the crystal with magic.

A low hum resonated as the “Crystal of Truth” began to glow with a bluish light, vibrating slightly. The light rose into the air, slowly merging into my body, and a small, pale flame flickered within the crystal.

If I speak the truth, the crystal will remain unchanged. But if there’s even a hint of falsehood, the flame will darken accordingly. With this in mind, I swallowed hard.

The method to bypass the “Crystal of Truth” isn’t simple. It inherently judges the truth, but the scary part is that every word spoken must be entirely truthful and sincere. Therefore, I needed to speak the truth while keeping my words deliberately vague. Ironically, this worked to my advantage.

Jeong Hayeon shook her head slightly, as if trying to clear her thoughts, then confirmed the crystal’s operation before speaking.

“Please state your name.”

“Kim Suhyun.”

“How many years have you been a user?”

“Zero years.”

“Are you the same kind of user as us?”

“Yes.”

The questions and answers flew by in an instant. But this was just a warm-up, a prelude to the real questions. After three questions, Jeong Hayeon scrutinized the crystal. The flame inside remained unchanged.

She nodded slightly, then resumed her questioning in a calm voice.

“User Kim Suhyun, you have secrets you’re keeping from us. I’d like to know why.”

“After entering the Hall Plain, I decided it was better to hide my strength for a while.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want to attract attention. If my hidden strength were revealed, there would be those who viewed me unfavorably.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“I wanted to grow stronger first. I didn’t want to get caught up in troublesome matters from the start.”

Jeong Hayeon seemed to understand, nodding slightly. Kim Hanbyul had also obtained a secret class for certain reasons, which the clan kept confidential for user protection. While not exactly the same, I hid my strength for similar reasons. At that time, I was wary of unnecessary attention hindering my future actions.

“Alright. Can you tell us what you’re hiding?”

”…I can tell you. But what I’m about to reveal is part of my user information.”

I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“In exchange for revealing my information, users Jeong Hayeon and Shin Sangyong will have to pay a corresponding price. Of course, the others and Vivian are excluded.”

“Alright. I agree, as long as the information is deemed true and valuable.”

“Agreed.”

Without hesitation, Jeong Hayeon nodded. Hearing their confirmation, I finally felt at ease. Though unlikely, if they were to break their promise…

I steadied myself and revealed one of my secrets in a dry voice.

“Then I’ll tell you. First, user Kim Suhyun possesses a secret class.”

“Ah…!”

The impact of the term “secret class” was significant. Everyone looked at me in shock, and even Jeong Hayeon’s throat moved slightly. I thought she might have suspected, but it seems she was genuinely surprised. Ignoring the murmurs around me, I waited for the next question.

“Could you tell us what kind of class it is?”

“It’s a combat-related class. And if you ask one more personal question out of curiosity, I’ll remove my hand from the ‘Crystal of Truth.’”

At my firm words, Jeong Hayeon looked taken aback, then gave a wry smile. However, the murmuring didn’t subside. I wanted to smoke a cigarette to calm my nerves, but since I didn’t have one, I could only wait.

After some time, the commotion finally died down, and Jeong Hayeon quickly checked the crystal. Seeing that the color hadn’t changed, she sighed.

“Indeed, everything you’ve said so far is true. And the secret class aligns with your previous answers. I understand…but.”

Regaining her composure, Jeong Hayeon continued with a glint in her eyes.

“Even so, you’re just a zero-year user. A zero-year user defeating a high-level demon? That’s impossible. I need an explanation for this.”

“Hold on.”

Just as I was about to answer, Vivian raised her hand. She looked around with a blank expression before pointing at me and speaking.

“There’s something we need to clarify about that.”

“Then speak quickly.”

At Jeong Hayeon’s urging, Vivian turned to me.

“When we explored the third floor earlier, we discovered something interesting. Shin Sangyong and I found traces of a magical barrier meant for high-level demons. It was strong enough to still be active.”

“I didn’t see it, but I couldn’t sense any barrier traces at the time.”

Jeong Hayeon countered, but Vivian and Shin Sangyong responded in turn.

“That’s possible. The barrier was triggered whenever the demon tried to leave the lab. It activated when the ceiling was breached by its final spell.”

“I was there too, and I agree with my mentor. High-level demons are powerful, but it admitted to being an incomplete summoning. With the barrier’s suppression, it couldn’t be considered a full high-level demon.”

As they defended me, Jeong Hayeon tilted her head with a neutral expression. Meanwhile, I was struggling to suppress a grin. My companions were backing me up. Honestly, I didn’t feel outmatched, but the situation was turning in my favor so much that it would be strange if I were losing.

I needed to seize this opportunity. With that thought, I calmly raised my left hand and slowly summoned the power of fire. As the clear flame, reminiscent of the one I used against Belphegor, flickered to life, all eyes focused on my hand.

“This is…”

I gave them a moment to take in the sight before speaking.

“You might have seen it briefly on the third floor today. This power isn’t just the simple force of flames. It’s separate from my profession as a Secret Class. And let me assure you, this power wasn’t obtained through any illicit means. It’s a power acquired through legitimate procedures, known even to the angels.”

He wasn’t lying. Even the angels couldn’t easily question the TANAY grade, and the so-called “Crystal of Truth” couldn’t declare my special abilities as false.

Now came the crucial moment.

Jung Ha-yeon seemed too caught up in the moment to think clearly, but if she believed what I said was true, then there was a glaring contradiction in my past actions. If she brought up the issue of user Jung Ji-yeon, with my hand on the “Crystal of Truth,” I’d have no choice but to admit my guilt. So, I had two tasks ahead of me.

The “Crystal of Truth” doesn’t last forever. In fact, its duration is quite limited. I needed a stepping stone to justify what happened in the ancient alchemist’s dungeon. I recalled pretending to have a magical backlash in front of the kids in the pitch-black forest. They believed I had pushed through to the dungeon in that state.

But that was just a lie, an act. I needed to stall until the crystal’s time ran out, so Ha-yeon wouldn’t have the chance to question me. I had to offer her a bait she couldn’t resist. And the bait I chose was Hwajeong.

“Can the power of that fire justify the strength that user Kim Soo-hyun currently possesses?”

“Of course, the Secret Class is strong enough, but I value this power even more. It’s not just any fire; it’s a fire of immense power. As you saw today, it can burn through demonic magic, and even I can’t fully gauge its strength.”

I noticed Ha-yeon glancing at the crystal. Perhaps she believed me, as she immediately asked her next question.

“I see. I’m curious how you obtained such a formidable power… but since you say it was through legitimate means, it’s not my place to question it. Understood. But you did mention that even the angels are aware of it, right?”

“Yes.”

“Even if the Secret Class is one thing, the other powers user Kim Soo-hyun possesses are overwhelmingly strong. While there might be exceptions beyond my expectations, I understand that angels generally treat users equally.”

That’s not true.

“So, did the angels have nothing to say about you using that power? Or is there no connection at all?”

Watching Ha-yeon take the bait, I couldn’t help but smile inwardly.

“There is a connection. However…”

I deliberately trailed off. The moment I, who had been speaking so freely, stopped, Ha-yeon’s face lit up with curiosity. Seeing her expression, I felt a sense of relief.

She was certainly smart and clever, probing here and there to get the answers she wanted. It was admirable, but unfortunately for her, she was dealing with me. This was inevitable, but she had unwittingly fallen into my pace.

Despite everything, she was still just a second-year user. There was a gap she couldn’t bridge with someone like me, who had survived ten years in the underbelly of Hall Plain.

Our questions and answers were gradually steering in the direction I wanted.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Hello, this is Ro Yujin.

I thought two conversations would suffice, but it seems like it might stretch into three. Still, it’s an important part, so it’s better to address it thoroughly rather than gloss over it. It’s complex, but in times like these, I aim to stay steadfast and true to my convictions. I hope you enjoyed episode 106 comfortably. :)

PS. I’ve included changes to the settings from episode 105 in the author’s note. It was always on my mind, but now I feel relieved. Haha.

『 Reader Comments (Episode 104) 』

1. PeninsulaNovelist: Congratulations on being first. Ah, but for some reason, I’m tempted by your nickname. Slurp slurp. I feel like changing my ID. Haha.

2. Kkoya: Ahem. Yujin is actually a good kid once you get to know them. Please don’t hate them too much. ;ㅇ;

3. Kunlai: Oh, which author recommended you here? I’m curious. :) I can’t think of an introduction, so I just decided to write the next part instead. ㅜ.ㅠ

4. dddfaaaf: Many readers base their comments on their interpretations and judgments of the text. It’s enjoyable to see such diverse comments. It’s one of my pleasures. I learn a lot from seeing different perspectives.

5. Lepil: Wow. That was an incredibly long comment. You left a comment that closely aligns with what I wanted to convey to the readers. I’m often surprised by the sharp insights I see.

『 Reader Comments (Episode 105) 』

1. misoochensa: I try to post at that time as much as possible. One episode at midnight, and another at noon for readers to enjoy after lunch. Congratulations on being first.

2. Vegemilgun: Thank you for the great suggestion. I’ve decided to use a slightly altered version of the rapid chant based on your feedback. Haha. Looking back, I see a somewhat suggestive word.

3. [priest]Priest: Yes! I’ll take responsibility! So come here! Hehehe! Sorry, I think I lost my mind for a moment. ㅜ.ㅠ

4. Kaarm: Haha… I thought I was going to die searching for words one by one with Ctrl + F from episode 1. My hands were numb after passing 100 episodes. If you have a task, I recommend breaking it down into smaller parts. ㅜ.ㅠ

5. Yuun[流雲]: Oh. I didn’t realize it wasn’t searchable since I’ve been using the word without any particular feeling since I was young. I was shocked for a moment. Haha. I’ll actively consider your feedback for future revisions or remakes. I don’t know where to start since I’ve used it more than once. I should have searched for it earlier. Thank you for the valuable information.(__)

Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind continuous updates. (This is the truth.)

I always read all the comments repeatedly.

Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the comments.

If you’re really curious, feel free to send me a message, and I’ll respond!

With that, I’ll take my leave for today.

I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.

Recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.