In truth, giving a buff to Cha Sahyeon wasn’t a decision Cha Seohu could make lightly.
It was far too risky.
There was no data—nothing confirmed about how much or in what form the buff should be administered to be safe.
If something went wrong, they might end up bringing the Catastrophe itself just to take down a mere S-rank monster.
'If my buff triggers a change in the progress of the Seed...'
That would be the worst-case scenario.
So if he was going to gamble with Cha Sahyeon’s power, the risk would need to be just as high.
Like right now.
Having already experienced the Gyeongbokgung incident, Cha Seohu had prepared as best as he could after receiving a warning from J that something was going to happen.
Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, and Song Jiwoon had joined the plan. Even Yoon Jeha, who was chasing the cultists, agreed to cooperate.
But this exceeded all expectations—by a lot. Six rifts had appeared, each one estimated to be at least S-rank or higher.
They were opening so quickly that in just a few minutes, the area around the hotel would undoubtedly become a battlefield overrun by monsters and the hunters trying to stop them.
Even with reinforcements, stopping hundreds of monsters falling from the sky was almost impossible. And if they were airborne types on top of that...
Just imagining the damage that would come from trying to close the rifts made his head throb.
'I need Cha Sahyeon’s help.'
He was L-rank, and the only one who could fight in the air using wings made from shadows.
After weighing every possibility, Cha Seohu finally made up his mind. This time, he would give his younger brother a buff.
“Alright, first... come closer.”
He gestured, and Cha Sahyeon returned the bird to the shadows before quietly approaching.
“A buff?”
Sahyeon’s voice was skeptical, his eyes suspicious.
“You said you wouldn’t give me one.”
“Y-Yeah, I did.”
“Then why now?”
Why now, he says.
'You don’t see the sky throwing a tantrum up there?'
Cha Seohu swallowed the groan rising to his throat and forced a cheerful smile.
“It’s just, hmm~ I figured it was finally time for our Sahyeon to get a buff!”
“You want me to fight harder with it, huh.”
“......”
The little brat knew exactly what was going on and asked anyway.
Cha Seohu was left speechless by the blatant baiting, and Sahyeon immediately began to pout, clearly annoyed.
“You always said no like it was the end of the world, but you gave it out to everyone else so easily... and me...”
“T-That’s because you’re different from them. You’re already strong, so you didn’t need a buff.”
“This isn’t just a normal buff, though.”
It seemed Sahyeon had stored up quite a bit of resentment. His expression turned deeply sulky.
“You say no to me every time, and now that things are going bad, you suddenly change your mind? That’s just cruel. What do you even think I am to you?”
“Sahyeon, come on... don’t put it like that...”
The sincere way Sahyeon was confronting him made Seohu start to panic.
He had to get the buff on him and send him off, but this wasn’t something he could smooth over with a few words. Cold sweat started dripping down his back.
“Okay, okay. From now on, if you ask for one, I’ll give it to you. I didn’t realize how hurt you were. That’s my bad. Now, just give me your hand, okay? Please?”
“......”
“Come on, I always keep my promises, right? Really! I swear! My hand’s getting lonely over here—are you just going to leave me hanging? Ugh, my arm’s gonna fall off!”
Practically in tears, Seohu flailed his outstretched hand dramatically until Sahyeon finally reached out and took it.
“...You better keep your word.”
“Of course.”
Shit. It’s all over now.
He’d planned to try it once and then only ever do it again in critical situations.
His damn mouth was the real traitor. Cursing himself internally, Cha Seohu carefully activated his skill.
《Skill: Bond of the Guardian (SS-rank) activated!》
《Main skill damage increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》
《Base speed increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》
《Stability effect applied. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 4 minutes 59 seconds)》
'Alright. The 5-minute buff went through fine.'
Relieved, Seohu checked the status window, then opened Cha Sahyeon’s stats.
[User Info: Sahyeon (Villain)]
Age: 22
Main Skill: Living Shadow (L-rank)
Title: The Master of Shadows
Attack Power: L-rank
Attack Speed: L-rank
Movement Speed: L-rank
Agility: L-rank
Special Traits ▼
└Seed of Catastrophe (Progress: 65%) (Synchronization: 66%)
Thankfully, nothing significant had changed. Most importantly, the Seed's progress was still the same.
'So the buff doesn’t affect those numbers?'
He wondered briefly but didn’t jump to conclusions.
A handshake was the lightest form of buff delivery.
Still on edge, he hugged Sahyeon while both of them remained clothed.
《Skill: Bond of the Guardian (SS-rank) activated!》
《Main skill damage increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes)》
《Base speed increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes)》
《Stability effect applied. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes)》
The hugging buff worked safely as well.
Seohu finally let out a sigh of relief—but this wasn’t the last buff he had in mind.
'Now, the final one...'
Swallowing hard, he hesitated, then looked up.
Sahyeon, who had been hugging him calmly, looked back with curious eyes.
'Better check first before I try.'
Seohu didn’t relax and asked carefully.
“Sahyeon, how do you feel?”
“Feel?”
Sahyeon blinked like the question came out of nowhere.
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah. You’re hugging me.”
“No, I mean like... is your heart racing? Or do you feel hot or anything? Nothing like that?”
He couldn’t exactly ask if he was horny, so he beat around the bush. But Sahyeon still looked confused and tilted his head.
“Not really?”
“......!”
No side effects?
Seohu was stunned, then quickly realized:
'Wait... is his rank too high for my buffs to affect him with side effects?'
It was too early to be sure, but it seemed very possible.
No side effects. That was the one thing he’d been just as worried about as the Seed progressing—and now, that fear melted away.
'Then this might be okay too.'
Feeling hopeful, Seohu blurted out excitedly:
“Sahyeon, let’s kiss.”
“Huh?”
“I didn’t know this, but kissing while buffing makes the duration go way up. I just tested it, and it increased by two whole hours. Since the one I just gave you is two hours, if we kiss it’ll become four—”
They’d already kissed so many times that doing it again didn’t feel like a big deal.
Free of the burden, Seohu kept rambling in excitement—until—
“Tested it?”
A low, rough voice cut him off.
“You tested it?”
“Huh?”
Chill.
Goosebumps erupted across his skin. What...?
The air around them changed so suddenly and violently that Seohu froze, unable to process what was happening. And since they were still facing each other, he had a full view of those icy green eyes.
'Wait. What did I just say out loud...?'
He’d been so happy to find a use for his new skill, he’d started blabbing without filter.
Just as he started piecing things together, Sahyeon’s arms tightened around his waist.
“I see. So while I was waiting for you, you were out there kissing someone else.”
“......”
Oh fuck.
Dread surged up from his stomach.
Instinctively, Cha Seohu tried to take a step back—but he couldn’t. Sahyeon’s arms were still locked around his waist.
“S-Sahyeon, that’s... I...”
“Don’t bother.”
Before he could finish a half-baked excuse, Sahyeon shut him down.
“I’ll just do it too.”
The moment the whisper reached his ears, his chin was seized and yanked upward.
Seohu gasped—only for Sahyeon’s lips to crash violently into his.
His body, frozen in fear, wouldn’t open his mouth. But the hand on his jaw pressed harshly, forcing it open—just as a tongue shoved its way in.
“Fu... mmph... ah, ngh...!”
Seohu let out a strangled cry under the pressure.
A stinging pain spread through his lips—sharp and throbbing—followed by the taste of blood mixing with saliva.
It hurt so much his eyes watered, but his little brother showed no mercy. Almost in vengeance, he kept biting and grinding his lips again and again.
“Ugh... ngh... huhk...”
The groans spilling from Seohu didn’t sound like they came from someone being kissed—they were pain-filled whimpers.
Realizing that Sahyeon wasn’t going to ease up, Seohu stopped struggling and let his body go limp. If he couldn’t escape, it was better to just offer his lips and complete the buff.
《Contact Amplification effect applied.》
《Main skill damage increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 3 hours 59 minutes)》
《Base speed increased. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 3 hours 59 minutes)》
《Stability effect applied. (Target: Cha Sahyeon) (Duration: 3 hours 59 minutes)》
At least the buff applied properly—thank god.
“Huh... ngh... ah...”
The kiss ended quickly, given the situation.
But in that short time, his lips had been brutalized. The moment he brushed them with the back of his hand, a bolt of pain made his face twist.
“You, seriously...”
That stubborn streak—who the hell did he inherit it from?
Tears welling up, Cha Seohu glared at Sahyeon—then flinched.
Something firm brushed against his leg.
Looking down slowly, Seohu saw a noticeable bulge near the thigh of Sahyeon’s black pants.
Subtle enough to miss at a glance, but it was definitely there.
“Y-You said there were no side effects! You said you didn’t feel anything!”
Seohu shrieked like a drenched cat and scrambled backward. Seemingly appeased after taking out his feelings, Sahyeon let go and replied shyly.
“That’s... because we kissed...”
“......!”

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