“Do you have any intention of staying here for good?”
The moment those words slipped out—
“…What did you say?”
I instinctively asked back, hardly believing my ears.
Did I just mishear that?
“I asked if you plan to keep living here. Not go back home… not return to the old world, but settle down in the Whole Plane. That’s what I mean. Speaking as your user.”
But my brother continued calmly, without a hint of hesitation.
I hadn’t misheard. The phrase “old world” grated on me sharply. Why would he suddenly bring this up? What was his real intention?
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. My head was spinning.
Even as this was happening, his face remained unnervingly composed. It felt like he was just watching me, gauging my reaction.
“You’re not angry.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I thought you’d jump up and yell when I said that. I even braced myself for some harsh words. But you’re surprisingly calm.”
“Are you serious?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Isn’t there nothing wrong with it?”
He spoke as if it was obvious.
“Nothing wrong?”
“Think about it. Both of us have established some footing in this world. No, it’s more than just footing.”
“Just because of that?”
“Of course, you might miss your family or friends. But you said it yourself, didn’t you? Even though I came here two years before you, the me on Earth didn’t disappear. I was still able to be a proper older brother. So I figure it’s the same for you. At least your parents wouldn’t know.”
“Brother…”
“And to be blunt… let’s say things go well and you do return. Wouldn’t your situation be even worse then?”
“Worse?”
“Think about it. On Earth, there’s still another you. But here, you’d vanish completely. And, well, you’re not alone anymore.”
A sudden tightness gripped my chest. It felt like the boiling heat in my stomach was caught in my solar plexus. I wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Status, wealth, honor, relationships… giving all that up to go back to Earth… can you handle it?”
“……”
“That’s not all. Earth is a peaceful place, unlike here. But you’ve lived in the Whole Plane for over fourteen years…”
“Brother…”
I cut him off. If I kept listening, I felt like my chest would burst.
I took a deep breath. He rested his chin on his left hand, watching me as if daring me to speak.
“Brother… why are you like this?”
The moment I spoke, his eyes narrowed briefly.
“You know.”
I barely managed to say it, my voice trembling. It felt like every sense I had—my vision, my breath—was resonating in unison. No matter how hard I tried to steady myself, the feeling only grew stronger.
“Then you—no, you shouldn’t be like this. You’re the only one who shouldn’t say things like that.”
That’s when—
“Do you know what I was thinking? How I felt when I came back…?”
“Don’t make excuses.”
His voice was so sharp it felt unfamiliar.
“Did I ever ask you to save me? To do this for me?”
I was completely speechless. I squeezed my eyes shut.
My brother…
‘If I die, don’t bring me back.’
‘Why? Because it’s strange. Saying you can just bring me back after death. I don’t think my life is that cheap.’
‘Suhyun…’
‘Run away… you have to survive…’
…He never said that.
The moment I remembered, a wave of exhaustion swept through me.
“And I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
At the same time, he spoke again.
“Better to be clear. I’m not saying I want to live here, nor am I trying to persuade you.”
“Then…”
“As I said before, I just want to know your true feelings. Whether they’ve changed at all, or if they’re still the same.”
“Why ask me that…?”
My voice was hoarse even to my own ears.
“Because you’re the one who turned everything around.”
He said this without changing expression, then fell silent. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something.
But I wasn’t in the mood to speak. The sudden wave of helplessness swallowed me whole, and I still hadn’t recovered. I just didn’t know what to say. Because…
“…I’m sorry.”
At that moment, I sensed movement. When I finally looked up, my brother was already standing, heading toward the door. Only then did I manage to pull myself together.
“Brother.”
“I’ve scheduled an official announcement for tomorrow at noon.”
He stopped, hand on the doorknob.
“Announcement?”
“We’ve already coordinated the message. Central, East, West, South, North cities—all of them. A lot of users will gather. Probably.”
“I haven’t heard a thing. What are you planning?”
“Nothing major. And the plan itself isn’t that important.”
He turned halfway to look at me.
“The important thing is you.”
“Me…?”
“It seems complicated, so I won’t say much. Of course, you have a place at tomorrow’s official event. Whether you attend or not is up to you.”
“So I don’t have to go?”
“If you come, we’ll proceed as planned. If not, it’ll just be a simple announcement. So let’s consider your answer to be whether you’ll attend tomorrow. No need to decide right now.”
“Wait a minute.”
“And one more thing—whatever you choose, I will absolutely respect and accept your decision. …I mean it.”
“Brother!”
The door clicked open and shut. He vanished like the wind.
“……”
I stared at the spot where he had been for a long moment, then slowly sank into the chair. I tilted my head back and stared at the ceiling.
The pale pattern above seemed to shift, or maybe it was drifting away. A strong dizziness circled my forehead, and I closed my eyes. I thought I heard something bumping nearby, but I didn’t open them.
As I calmed my breathing, my mind seemed to settle a bit. But one thing refused to fade no matter how hard I tried.
‘That’s not all. Earth is a peaceful place, unlike here. But you’ve lived in the Whole Plane for over fourteen years…’
The words I hated most. No, the words I truly feared to hear. So I cut him off without thinking. I never imagined he’d be thinking that way…
“Hey!”
A sharp shout hit me like a slap. I hurriedly opened my eyes and sat up straight, blinking at a blurry white shape in front of me. Only then did I realize someone had come in.
“What’s up? I knocked so many times but you didn’t answer.”
Vivian was standing right in front of my desk, cheeks puffed out in a pout. I shook my head hard, and my vision cleared a little. She raised her eyebrows, as if wondering if I was sick.
“You got called and ran all the way here, and you’re just sleeping like you own the place.”
But then she snorted and dropped something onto the desk with a clatter. From two pouches the size of soccer balls came a rattling sound.
“What’s this…?”
“Gold coins. Probably about 3,710,000 gold coins. Add it to the clan funds.”
“Three million what? Where did you get this?”
“Well, I put some research results up for auction. Just for fun, really. Didn’t expect them to sell for so much.”
Vivian pouted and shrugged. The mention of the auction triggered a thought. The winning bidder pays 70%, and the organizers take 30%. Doing the math, the original price was exactly 5,300,000 gold coins.
“…That’s impressive.”
I chuckled dryly, and Vivian puffed out her chest proudly.
“Hey, being impressive isn’t new for me. But why did you call me here?”
Right. I had something to give her. I was supposed to tease her a little, but I wasn’t in the mood. I pulled two potions—one black, one white—from the drawer and activated my Third Eye.
< Resident Information (Native Status) >
[Strength 51] [Endurance 52] [Agility 58] [Stamina 47] [Magic Power 94] [Luck 74]
The potion from the ‘Abyssal Extinction’ expedition has a magic power limit of 95 points and raises magic power by 1 point when consumed. The potion bought at the auction has the same limit but raises magic power between 2 and 4 points.
So, if taken in order—expedition potion first, auction potion second—both effects stack. Magic power will rise to at least 97 points, possibly up to 99.
“Why are you staring so hard? I asked why I called you.”
“Oh, I wanted to give you something.”
I pushed the two potions forward. Vivian’s eyes widened with curiosity as she reached out.
A moment later—
“Whoa…!”
As expected. Maybe it’s because she’s a natural alchemist, or because she’s made potions before. Her eyes grew as big as lanterns as she examined both potions.
“Could this be…?”
“Yeah, magic power potions. I heard you’ve been struggling with summoning lately due to low magic power.”
“Really? You’re not kidding? You’re not teasing me?”
“If you want, you can use ‘Guz Appraisal’ on them.”
“Ki-Kim Suhyun!”
“But there’s one thing you have to be careful about before taking them.”
I explained the order in which to consume the potions. The black one first, then the white one. I stressed this repeatedly. Vivian nodded frantically, her face a mix of joy and gratitude.
“Hey~ What the heck are you doing?”
“……?”
“You could’ve at least given me a heads-up. Do you know I was seriously shocked? My heart’s still pounding!”
“Ha ha…”
Clutching the elixirs tightly in both hands, Vivian was practically bouncing with joy, her whole body radiating excitement.
Normally, I should’ve been happy too, but somehow I found myself glancing away. For some reason, an uncomfortable feeling crept over me—a vague unease without any clear cause. Suddenly, the lively atmosphere seemed to fade.
“Um, Kim Suhyun?”
“Hm?”
“Are you… okay?”
“What do you mean? Nothing’s wrong.”
“Really? That’s a relief. You just seemed a little off earlier.”
“Ah… it’s nothing.”
Something inside me felt unbearable. I shook my head and stood up.
“Huh? You’re leaving?”
As I started putting on my clothes, Vivian’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Sorry. I have an appointment. I need to head out right away.”
That was a lie. I had no appointment, and no real reason to leave immediately. Honestly, I didn’t even know where I was going.
“Oh~ Still busy as ever, huh?”
Just as I was about to pass by, I caught a flicker of hurt in Vivian’s eyes, but she quickly nodded as if she understood. After reminding her again about the order to take the medicine, I hurried off, pretending to be busy. Then—
“Kim Suhyun!”
Right before I opened the door, a clear voice called out to me.
I glanced back to see Vivian raising both arms high. Her hands stretched toward the ceiling, then curved into a heart shape above her head.
“I love you! Thank you so, so much!”
Vivian beamed brightly.
I could only respond with a faint, forced smile.
I had no choice.
Quietly closing the door behind me, I quickened my pace.
Maybe because I was walking like I was running away, my steps unconsciously grew faster. I heard voices calling after me here and there, but I focused only on walking. From the hallway to the stairs, from the stairs to the first floor, from the first floor to the entrance, and from the entrance to the garden…
…So now, where to?
I wanted to go somewhere, but I didn’t know where.
Though I thought it was a silly kind of wandering, I ended up leaving the main gate and walking aimlessly.
And then, how much time had passed?
While walking endlessly, I suddenly felt my foot catch on something.
When I came to my senses, my toes were touching a long, square-edged, solid brick. It took me a moment to realize it was one of the steps leading upward.
I looked up blankly.
There stood—
“…….”
A pure white temple, towering silently.