My Brother’s Changed
They were clueless. Hyun and Yujeong hadn’t even considered the formation we had set up around Sol. Thankfully, I had taken the role of the keeper. I shot Yujeong a sharp look before striking the scorpion’s tail with the flat of my sword.
What happened next left me momentarily stunned. I had only intended to deflect the attack, not destroy it. But the tail shattered with a crack, like brittle chitin breaking apart. The creature’s mournful wail snapped me back to reality.
Perhaps it was the effect of my swordsmanship or some latent ability kicking in. Whatever the case, I needed to focus on the battle. I raised my voice, infused with magic, to address everyone.
“These are Black Scorpions. Their tails are venomous, so be careful. Their weak spots are the eyes or the belly, but they’re hard to expose. Infuse your weapons with magic and strike hard.”
I glanced at Sol, who was still gaping in shock. He seemed shaken by the close call. I felt a twinge of frustration but kept my voice low as I reprimanded him.
“An Sol. We’re in the middle of a fight. You can’t just stop chanting.”
“Ah…”
His voice trembled as he resumed his incantation. I sighed and turned my attention back to the battlefield.
The fight had entered a brief lull. Black Scorpions often pair up, forming strong bonds. The one Hyun was facing seemed to hesitate upon hearing its partner’s cry.
But it was only a momentary pause. Soon, the scorpions’ enraged roars filled the air, and they emerged from the shadows, their massive forms as large as tigers. The sight drained the color from my companions’ faces.
We had been caught off guard initially, but we were managing. Now, the scorpions were advancing slowly, both sides wary of making the first move.
Maintaining our formation seemed pointless after the earlier exchange. I quickly assessed the situation and decided to take the initiative.
“Yujeong and I will take one. Hyun and Sol, the other. Sol, bind the scorpion’s tail with your spell. Hyun, focus your magic at the tip of your spear and pierce its body. Don’t try to cut through the tough exoskeleton. Yujeong, stay behind me. I’ll expose its belly, and you strike when you see an opening. Wait for the tail to pass before moving in.”
They nodded in understanding, and the scorpions continued their slow approach. As soon as they were within range, the battle resumed.
The scorpion’s tail, though partially severed, still posed a deadly threat. I charged forward as it raised its tail again.
The tail lunged at me, but its attack was straightforward, easy to dodge. I sidestepped, and the tail sliced through empty air.
I closed the distance, sensing Yujeong moving behind me. I lowered my sword, ready to strike. Then, I noticed the scorpion’s unsettling grin.
“Brother! Behind you!”
A chill ran down my spine. The scorpion’s tail was long and flexible. It could change direction mid-attack. As I dodged, it must have bent its tail into a U-shape, aiming for the back of my head. I grinned back at the scorpion and dashed forward, closing the gap.
Just as the tail was about to strike, Yujeong’s scream pierced the air. I twisted my head to the right, narrowly avoiding the tail by a hair’s breadth. I lifted my sword, letting the tail graze it, and subtly redirected its path toward the scorpion’s eye.
It never expected me to dodge at such close range, nor to use my sword to guide its tail. The technique I used was akin to a swordplay acrobatics, a style that allowed for incredible adaptability.
The result was immediate. The scorpion’s own tail impaled its right eye.
“Graaaah!”
I smiled triumphantly as the creature howled in pain. I drew back my right foot and kicked its face with all my might. The impact sent the scorpion flying, its pincers spread wide as if in surrender. I shouted as it exposed its belly.
“Now!”
It wasn’t the perfect counterattack timing, but Yujeong was ready. She lunged beneath me, her daggers crossing in an X as she slashed the scorpion’s belly. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a successful combo.
As the scorpion screamed, I leaped off Yujeong’s shoulder, raising my sword high. I brought it down with all my strength, slicing through the scorpion’s tough shell as if it were tofu. In less than ten seconds, we had taken one down.
But there was still one left. I turned to see Sol finishing his incantation, his staff glowing white. He aimed at the scorpion’s tail and shouted.
“Shackles!”
A blinding flash lit up the forest. Sol’s magic was impressive for a novice. Hyun instinctively closed his eyes, then opened them to see the scorpion’s tail frozen in place.
“Ha!”
With a fierce shout, Hyun thrust his spear into the scorpion. The tail immobilized, the scorpion raised its pincers, but the spear’s reach was longer. The spear pierced the tough shell, but it didn’t penetrate deeply enough to cause significant damage.
Hyun pulled back, stabbing repeatedly, but the scorpion’s tail broke free and forced him to retreat. The tail lashed out, its movements unpredictable, and Hyun found himself on the defensive.
“What’s going on? Why is he struggling so much?” Yujeong asked, bewildered.
I frowned. Sol was also watching, unsure of what to do. I was exasperated. What were they doing? Were they here to watch a show? I clicked my tongue and dashed forward, shouting.
“Are you here to watch? Help him!”
Finally snapping out of it, Yujeong and Sol sprang into action. Hyun was holding his own, dodging the tail and deflecting the pincers. But he was stuck on the defensive, unable to attack.
I realized my mistake. I had assumed they would perform well based on their stats alone. But real combat was different. It revealed one’s true abilities, and I hadn’t accounted for that.
They weren’t using their abilities to their full potential. My expectations were high, but they still had a long way to go. If not for our training, we might have been overwhelmed already.
We were lucky there were only two scorpions, and we had managed to take one down. If there had been more, we would have been in serious trouble. Our armor was lacking, and if we struggled with one, I didn’t want to imagine facing more.
I deflected the tail targeting Hyun, giving him room to focus on the scorpion in front of him.
“An Sol. Bind it again!”
“Yes! Shackles!”
As soon as I finished speaking, Sol eagerly chanted a spell. Once more, a flash filled the forest, and the scorpion’s tail, its primary weapon, froze in place again. Ahn Hyun, who had been on the defensive throughout the battle, was visibly frustrated, his face flushed with anger. The moment Sol’s binding spell took effect, Hyun sprang forward, seizing the opportunity.
“You bastard!”
With a fierce curse, Hyun thrust his spear with all his might, and as if one strike wasn’t enough, he began to stab wildly. The spear, charged with magic, sliced through the air with a piercing sound, penetrating the scorpion’s exoskeleton with each thrust. This time, the attack seemed to have some effect. The relentless assault forced the black scorpion, which had been holding its ground, to let out a mournful cry and shield itself with its pincers.
“Huff! Huff!”
Despite their desperate efforts, the scorpion only retreated a few steps. Its exoskeleton was in tatters, but the important thing was that Hyun was also exhausted. I sighed, preparing to step forward and kick the creature again, when suddenly—
“Hyun! Move!”
Yoo Jung, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly dashed forward. The daggers in her hands hummed with energy, indicating she had infused them with magic as well.
Seeing Yoo Jung charging at it, the scorpion raised its pincers high. Its tail twitched, signaling that the binding spell was about to break. But Sol wasn’t idle; I heard her chanting another spell.
“Sis! Protect!”
As Sol’s words ended, a translucent barrier formed around Yoo Jung. Hyun, not one to stand idly by, resumed his spear attacks to support Yoo Jung. It seemed like they were finally starting to coordinate, though it still felt a bit chaotic.
With Hyun and Yoo Jung’s combined assault, the black scorpion, which had been barely holding on, finally collapsed. Its corpse was a gruesome sight, its exoskeleton shattered and its insides exposed, black blood oozing everywhere. I was momentarily speechless, having never imagined they would defeat the scorpion in such a brute-force manner.
Hyun and Sol, seeing the relatively intact remains of the other scorpion, finally lowered their weapons. Panting heavily, Hyun and Yoo Jung stared at the scorpion’s corpse in disbelief.
The difficulty of this trial was nothing like the initiation rites they had faced before, and they were clearly overwhelmed from the start. After biting their lips for a moment, they glanced at me, perhaps realizing how poorly they had performed.
“You guys…”
I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again. I couldn’t tell if my expectations were too high or if their performance was just normal for their level. What on earth did they learn at the User Academy? Their skills were so different from my own early days. Honestly, I felt like taking them back to the city and starting their training from scratch.
“Hyung…”
“Oppa…”
Seeing the disappointment on my face, they became visibly anxious, but I deliberately turned my back on them. The thought of how far we still had to go made me sigh.
I slammed my sword into the ground. The blood on the blade splattered in a crescent shape onto the earth.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ryu Jin.
I wrote my first full-fledged battle scene. How did you all like it? :)
And yes, Suhyun does have high expectations for the kids. The black scorpion is a creature that requires a well-coordinated team of five to take down easily. I hope you can understand. Suhyun, after all, lived an extraordinary life in his first round.
Of course, the kids have their issues too. The Ancient Alchemist’s Dungeon arc is where they start to realize just how sheltered they’ve been as protagonists.
『 Reader Comments 』
Saramin: Congratulations on being first! You’re reclaiming your past glory, original first commenter Saramin!
Gwanghang: Of course. The future can always change. Keep that in mind as you read. :)
GradeRown: I… don’t know Japanese… ㅜ.ㅠ
Gwangsulsa: Right, they’re practically fools. The kids are going to get a serious scolding from Suhyun. Hehehe.
Arillilia: Exactly, hahaha. The Third Eye is an incredibly overpowered skill, even I think so.
Demodex: Wow. I learned something useful(?) today. Thank you. Hahaha.
rhkdel2: I don’t want to overuse H-scenes… The protagonist didn’t regress just for H-scenes… -_-a. But since it’s a novel, there will be quite a few H-scenes. Please be patient!
Agirimp: You captured the image I was aiming for in this chapter perfectly! I’m relieved. Hahaha.
Service: They received both theory and practical training. You could say they covered all the general knowledge about the whole plane.
Toranoanal: I’m also disappointed I couldn’t cover the academy life episodes. It was when many readers said the story was progressing too slowly. <I think the protagonist’s journey from taming a kitten to a companion cat will gradually be revealed.> Correct. But they’ll have to go through a lot of scolding to get there. No worries! Just the fact that you recommended it is a huge thank you. There’s no need to feel sorry. Writers find the greatest joy in having readers who enjoy their work. :)
I read all the comments repeatedly. Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the reader comments. If you’re really curious, send me a message, and I’ll reply! (Please leave lots of comments! And recommendations… ☞☜)
I hope you always read my work with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.