If asked, “Why did you do it?” the answer would be simple: “Because it was necessary.” And if asked, “Was it really necessary?” the reply would be, “Because someday it might be.” Kim Yuhyun truly held that belief.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Kim Soohyun’s way of thinking. At least when it came to “how to get stronger,” the world of Hall Plain offered a very clear answer. You train, or users band together to form caravans. You go on expeditions, hunt monsters, and raise your user stats. You sell the loot you acquire and buy better weapons. It was a straightforward system, and Kim Yuhyun had no real objections to it.
But every rule has its exceptions. And Kim Yuhyun wanted to create one of those exceptions, at least once. Instead of simply hunting monsters, he chose the path of coexistence. All while doing his best not to disrupt the current system. Why? Because it seemed like it could help. Because it might help.
“Wow, it’s a human.”
“Thank you for the meal! Hehe.”
Of course, he couldn’t deny that his bond with Kushan Thor had some influence. But this plan didn’t stem from some naive idea that “monsters are living beings too.” Humans are the cruelest creatures on earth, and Kim Yuhyun was no exception. Except for Kim Soohyun, he could be ruthless to anyone at any time, always thinking and acting by human standards. But if mutual cooperation could create synergy, then that was a path worth exploring.
So he returned to the Steel Mountains and sought out the giant bird to talk.
And then,
“I don’t know… Anyway, I get it. You must have your reasons.”
That was when he felt a pang of sadness.
He understood Kim Soohyun’s position: to save his brother and the woman and return to Earth together. Actually, it was a dimension no one could fully grasp. Though they had once spoken openly, the finer details remained unspoken. Kim Soohyun deliberately kept silent, and Kim Yuhyun noticed and let it slide. He could only guess it must have been terribly painful. To have reached the pinnacle in such a brutally realistic world was proof of having endured unimaginable trials. Naturally, it came with deep wounds. It couldn’t be otherwise.
Maybe that’s why—
Sometimes, Kim Yuhyun strongly sensed that Kim Soohyun was trapped by something. It seemed connected to the first cycle, but he couldn’t pinpoint it exactly. It felt like captivity, or perhaps a blind obsession. In other words, he had changed too much. Every time that feeling surfaced, an inexplicable wave of pity welled up inside him.
Of course, Kim Yuhyun wasn’t in a position to fix it. But at least he could help. He wanted to show a new possibility: that the first cycle was just the first cycle, and now they were in the second. That the future wasn’t predetermined but something to be forged. That there was no need to fear what lay ahead. And above all, now was the time…
“…Hmph.”
Kim Yuhyun let out a quiet chuckle. Beside him, the giant bird leader trudged along. Many users had gathered, but the path was automatically cleared, so there was no hindrance to their pace.
The conversation with the giant bird leader was already over. Humans would protect the giant birds’ habitat within the Steel Mountains, and in return, the birds would help stabilize the region. But that wasn’t all. There could be cases where individuals formed direct bonds, and perhaps even new means of transportation might emerge.
He didn’t think it was impossible. If they made a pact and kept their promises, it could very well become reality. In any case, now that the plan had begun, there was no way he would treat it lightly.
After gathering his thoughts, Kim Yuhyun quietly opened his left hand. Resting in his palm was a warm, dark blue orb. Actually, it wasn’t just an orb—it was a magic potion. A potion that raised magic power by two points when consumed. Kim Soohyun had forced it into his hand on the way out. Normally, Kim Yuhyun would have refused such a thing—he didn’t want to be the shameless type who eagerly accepted something his younger brother had worked hard to obtain.
But Kim Soohyun insisted he’d already taken one, that no one could take more than two, and with a teasing “Hmph! If you don’t want it, fine! I can just give it to Estantel Low Lord!”—a line that was anything but teasing in reality, just distorted in Kim Yuhyun’s memory—he reluctantly accepted.
“And…”
That wasn’t all. In his right hand, he also held a large orb—a recording orb. As Kim Yuhyun was leaving, a kindly-looking woman had called out, “Brother-in-law~ Just a moment~,” and handed it over with a warm smile, saying she was sure he’d like it.
“What on earth is this?”
The recording orb shimmered, reflecting the sunlight as if urging him to look inside. He didn’t know what it was, but he could check the contents. Tilting his head, Kim Yuhyun carefully infused a bit of magic into it.
The development of the inner city was progressing rapidly. The relocation from the Old Continent to the New Continent was complete, and new buildings were rising one after another.
Then one day, a strange phenomenon occurred in the city. The newly established Inn of Beginnings was enveloped in a blue veil. The meaning was clear: after the conquest of the Steel Mountains, the first batch of prospective users had finally arrived. Consequently, the Atlanta User Academy was about to open its doors for the first time, and the Northern Continent was naturally buzzing with excitement. The arrival of prospective users was a hot topic and a great opportunity to bolster their forces. And with over 2,000 people coming in, there was no need to say more.
But regardless of all that, some users paid no attention and focused solely on their own tasks.
“Harder! Faster! You’ve got your enhancements, so why are you thinking about what’s behind you?”
“Hyaaah!”
“If you charge straight like that, who can dodge? What happened to that footwork you love so much?”
“Hah, hah!”
Late at night, the castle garden echoed with the shouts of two women. On the left side of the waterway, the bushes that had been neatly trimmed just that afternoon were now trampled and ruined. Standing calmly amid the crushed foliage was a woman clad in armor that shimmered like ice. Another woman, radiating golden light with fiery red hair flying wildly, was circling the ice-armored woman at full speed.
“Aaaah!”
A fierce shout burst forth. For a moment, the golden energy seemed to reverse, then exploded like a bullet from Lee Yujeong’s new form. This time, it wasn’t a straight line. Her left and right feet moved irregularly, leaving zigzagging yellow afterimages.
But Nam Daeun’s eyes watching from nearby were cold and unflinching. There was no sign of surprise. Standing still, she waited for Lee Yujeong to come closer, then lowered her stance and moved her hand fluidly.
Slash!
A hand blade charged with powerful magic lightly grazed Lee Yujeong’s path.
“Puhk!”
The result was anything but light. Lee Yujeong, charging fiercely, suddenly collapsed right in front of Nam Daeun. She twisted her body desperately to regain balance but couldn’t overcome inertia and rolled heavily across the garden. She tried to get up immediately but couldn’t—she felt the cold blade pressed against her neck. Turning her head slightly, she caught a glimpse of the ice blade radiating a chilling aura.
“…Your speed’s improved quite a bit.”
Nam Daeun tapped the dirt-streaked face of Lee Yujeong with the back of her blade. But seeing the dazed, open-mouthed expression in response, she continued coldly.
“But your control is still below par. Remember what I told you last time?”
“Huh? Y-Yes! I’m not Ha Seungyoon…”
“Right. He’s a mercenary, but his style is completely different from yours. And he’s somewhat more polished. Anyway, so?”
“So… um… Ah! You said I should focus on distributing my strength rather than obsessing over enhancements.”
“That’s right. But you know that and still do this? Just barely managing to change direction like that?”
“…I’m sorry.”
It was surprising. Lee Yujeong, who always thought of herself as the best, bowed her head obediently. And not to Kim Soohyun, but to someone else. Nam Daeun sighed deeply and sheathed her sword. Lee Yujeong quickly got up and steadied herself. She must have been running nonstop for hours; her sweat-soaked clothes clung to her slender curves. A cool breeze blew from somewhere, soothing her overheated body.
“No.”
Nam Daeun shook her head, and Lee Yujeong, lowering her stance slowly, opened her eyes wide in confusion.
“I heard you’ve risen to E rank?”
But when she heard the rest, she nodded blankly. Nam Daeun was right. Lee Yujeong had been taking on mission after mission to the extreme lately. As soon as one ended, she’d return and look for another. She didn’t discriminate between tasks, sometimes taking on as many as three in a single day. Tomorrow, she had to leave early at dawn again.
“Ambition’s good and all, but you’ve got to take care of yourself too. At the very least, make sure you get enough sleep.”
“Y-yes.”
“So that’s enough for today. Time to head back.”
“Thank you!”
Though the tone was cold, the words themselves were anything but. Lee Yoo-jung bowed respectfully, then sheathed her dagger. After a nod from Nam Da-eun, she turned and began to walk away. Just as Nam Da-eun was about to follow, something happened.
“!”
Something closed the distance at an incredible speed—so fast that there was no sound, no warning, no clue where it came from. It was a perfect ambush, on a whole different level from Yoo-jung’s earlier movements. Caught off guard, Nam Da-eun’s back arched sharply, forcing her to look up at the sky—striking a pose almost like a woman dancing the tango.
“How dare you…!”
Who was this reckless fool to pull such a stunt? Nam Da-eun vowed to give them a proper lesson. But the moment her eyes met the man standing behind her, calmly looking down, surprise flickered in her wide-open eyes—and then melted away like a gentle thaw in a cold winter wind. Who was this, and what kind of magic had they cast to bring such a warm spring breeze to her face?
“You’ve been working hard.”
“Y-you startled me.”
A low voice spoke, and Nam Da-eun blushed, shyly averting her gaze. Kim Soo-hyun smiled softly, clearly finding her reaction endearing.
“So, you’re still sparring with Yoo-jung?”
“I originally planned to just rough her up once or twice… but it’s actually been pretty rewarding. I mostly just give her a good beating and point out her weaknesses.”
“That’s more than enough. After all, it’s the swordmaster’s guidance. Keep it up, okay?”
“Ah, got it. But could you please let go of me first… huh?”
Just as Nam Da-eun tried to slip away, she suddenly clamped her mouth shut. Kim Soo-hyun’s hand moved like lightning, slipping something into her mouth. It happened so fast that Nam Da-eun swallowed it without thinking. Then, when two messages popped up before her eyes, she gasped in shock and sank down with a thud.
“My… my durability stat increased…?”
“Yeah. You always worried about your weak durability, right? So…”
Kim Soo-hyun trailed off with a sly smile.
Meanwhile, at the same moment—
“…Whoa.”
Lee Yoo-jung, who had been quietly watching the two, let out a small breath. She hadn’t been spying on purpose—just planning to take a bath before bed after sweating so much. Then her thoughts drifted to Nam Da-eun, and she’d come back intending to ask if they wanted to bathe together to get closer. But instead, she stumbled upon this unexpected scene.
She couldn’t hear what they were saying—not that she wanted to eavesdrop… or rather, she very much did. Heart pounding, Yoo-jung strained to listen.
“Why the face? Ah, don’t like the taste? Haha.”
“N-no… it’s not the taste… it’s just… you were too sudden…”
“But you swallowed it, didn’t you?”
“Y-yeah… I swallowed it without realizing…”
“Good.”
“Ah, geez… I don’t know…”
At that moment, Yoo-jung turned her head away, muttering “Oh my” over and over. Kim Soo-hyun’s voice sounded thoroughly pleased, while Nam Da-eun’s was flustered and unsure. Compared to the icy shout from earlier, their now slackened voices felt oddly intimate.
From a distance, the two’s posture was definitely suspicious. Nam Da-eun sat slumped, her head positioned just in front of Kim Soo-hyun’s… well, important area. And Kim Soo-hyun was gently stroking the crown of Nam Da-eun’s head with a faint smile. From the side, where Nam Da-eun’s back was visible, it was easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. In other words…
‘No way… outdoor fellatio… this is insane…’
Mouth agape, Yoo-jung quietly, very quietly, turned and began to tiptoe away. She was scared of being caught, but more than that, she didn’t want to disturb their happy moment.
Unaware that this was a huge misunderstanding, Yoo-jung slowly left the scene, silently repeating to herself, “B rank, B rank.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
(Quiet…)