Cha Sahyeon reluctantly nodded, understanding that Cha Seohu had some kind of plan. His face was still filled with discontent.
“...Then I’ll send a shadow with you.”
“Of course you should.”
Cha Seohu readily agreed to the suggestion.
What used to feel like nothing more than a nuisance now felt like a dependable bodyguard.
Besides, whenever he called out “brat,” Sahyeon would come to his side immediately, making it a very safe and convenient skill.
In situations like this, where they had no choice but to part ways, it was an essential skill.
“Really?”
A faint flush rose on Sahyeon’s cheeks.
He couldn’t help but be pleased that his brother, who always insisted on various conditions whenever he wanted to attach a shadow, had agreed so easily this time.
“Then I’ll attach two.”
“Do as you like.”
What difference did it make?
Sensing the question forming silently in Seohu’s head, Sahyeon explained.
“One will appear automatically if you get injured. The other one will respond to commands. It’s linked to me. You remember the command word, right?”
“Yeah.”
Seohu lifted his head from where it had been resting on Sahyeon’s shoulder and gave one final reminder.
“It might take a few days.”
“I’ve had enough of going around alone to last a lifetime, so don’t worry.”
“...”
Hearing that calm answer—as if he were talking about the weather—left Seohu momentarily speechless.
He opened his mouth a few times before finally sighing and saying,
“You took me to the hotel last time, right? Don’t wander around. Go straight to the ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) hotel. Make sure to eat, too. It’s fine no matter how much money you spend.”
He pulled his wallet out of his inventory and placed it in Sahyeon’s hand. Then he handed over his phone as well.
“Look things up on the phone if you’re curious about anything.”
“Mm.”
Sahyeon accepted everything his brother gave him.
They weren’t items that held much meaning to him, but he liked it when Seohu took care of him, so he had no reason to refuse.
Watching Sahyeon hold the wallet and phone with a complicated expression, Seohu pressed his fingers to his forehead.
“...This won’t do.”
He removed the necklace from his neck. It was an item with inventory functionality. Seohu clasped it around Sahyeon’s neck.
“If you get dragged off, they’ll go for your inventory first anyway. Better you hold onto it.”
“Me?”
“Who else would I trust with it?”
Losing a wallet or a phone wasn’t a big deal. The bigger problem was the “Source of Energy” stored in his inventory.
There was also the “Revelation” book he had taken with Eun Woojeong when they stormed the church.
There were all sorts of cult-related items in there. If those got confiscated, it’d be a huge problem. It was far safer to let Sahyeon hold the inventory for now.
Sahyeon fiddled with the necklace hanging around his neck, then smiled deeply.
“Okay. I’ll take good care of it.”
He tucked the wallet and phone into the inventory. For some reason, he looked very satisfied.
Even though his earrings also had inventory functions, Seohu couldn’t understand why the boy was so pleased.
Sahyeon carefully hid the necklace under his clothes and withdrew his wings.
The wings transformed into a sword and then dissolved into shadows, vanishing beneath his feet. Some of the shadows flowed into Seohu as well, but because the two of them were standing close together, it went unnoticed.
After saying everything he needed to, Seohu turned around and walked back toward the others. Sahyeon followed quietly behind.
Among the tense S-ranks watching them, Kwon Taehyuk finally spoke.
“...Is everything alright?”
A question loaded with meaning.
Seohu replied in a deliberately light tone.
“My little brother tends to worry a lot. I just had to calm him down a bit.”
“If that’s all it was, then I’m glad...”
Still, the uneasy expressions didn’t fade from Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, or Song Jiwoon’s faces. The nearby Hunters who had been glancing in their direction looked no different.
Their reaction left a bitter taste in Seohu’s mouth, though he worked hard not to let it show.
‘It was Cha Sahyeon who killed the boss monster.’
Sure, he was the one who tracked down the flower and pulled it out, but without Sahyeon, they would never have been able to take the boss down so easily.
The S-ranks and Hunters present would have had to fight it out in full combat.
No—finding the flower in the first place had only been possible because of Sahyeon. If he hadn’t held back the boss, there would have been countless casualties.
Sahyeon had contributed to the victory just as much as Seohu had with his wide-range skill.
And yet, people’s attitudes were starkly different. Even though Seohu publicly claimed Sahyeon as his brother and treated him affectionately, it didn’t seem to help.
That left a lingering bitterness in Seohu’s chest.
It felt as though the entire world rejected Sahyeon—just as the system had labeled him a “villain.”
Ah...
Suddenly, Seohu realized something.
He didn’t want to leave Sahyeon alone anymore.
If circumstances forced him to be away, then he wanted someone trustworthy to stay by Sahyeon’s side and take care of him.
Realizing this made his heart twist in confusion.
It was absurd, painful, and even brought a strange relief—as though an old question had finally been answered.
Of course, that didn’t mean he understood everything now.
Why Sahyeon of all people? Have you forgotten what he did?—the screaming voice still echoed in his chest.
Even so, he couldn’t stop. Alongside that screaming voice was another: a resigned sigh that said You knew this would happen.
He thought of the replica Chronos had shown him.
That version of the Catastrophe in the past had never been cared for—not even once. He still remembered the image of long, black hair fluttering in the scorching wind.
And when he met Sahyeon again in the snowy mountains—
The first thing Sahyeon did after obtaining the item that could suppress his energy was to come looking for Seohu.
I’ve never had anywhere to go.
That line had lingered in his ears for a long time.
That winter forest, snow falling all around, Sahyeon standing at a distance, hesitating—afraid his brother might fear him like everyone else.
What had Seohu been thinking back then?
He looked calmly at Sahyeon’s face as the boy followed behind him.
“Hyung?”
Sahyeon tilted his head, curious, but didn’t avoid his gaze.
And only now did Seohu realize—just how much the boy resembled him.
While he was quietly observing Sahyeon, Park Minhyuk’s voice rang out, calling everyone to order.
“All Hunters not assigned to the dismantling team, please proceed to the exit. I repeat, if you are not part of the dismantling team, pack up and head to the exit.”
It was finally time to leave the dungeon.
The atmosphere became chaotic. Hunters began to move in unison. In the middle of it all, Seohu slowly turned his head.
Kwon Taehyuk, Ryu Sunghyun, and Song Jiwoon were silently waiting for him.
He addressed them with a slightly hoarse voice.
“...He’s my younger brother.”
Those softly spoken words made all three of them widen their eyes slightly. So did Sahyeon, standing behind him.
“I hope you’ll treat him well.”
It was the first heartfelt request Seohu had made since his regression.
“If no one else, I hope at least the three of you will.”
He gave them a bittersweet smile.
“We’re out!”
“The Great Dungeon raid team has returned!”
“Team Leader Park Minhyuk! Please say a few words!”
As soon as they stepped out of the dungeon, bright sunlight poured down, and a wave of people rushed in.
Association staff, police, and reporters who had been waiting in advance swarmed the area. The reporters, who had been holding out just for this moment, rushed in with cameras and began broadcasting live.
“The number of survivors seems high. How many returned alive?”
“What was the situation inside the Great Dungeon?”
“Guildmaster Kwon! Can we get an interview?”
Seeing the raid team pouring out en masse, the reporters grew even more excited and bombarded them with questions.
The police rushed in, trying to block the reporters who were pushing in recklessly. Association staff squeezed through the crowd, trying to explain that interviews would be conducted in designated rooms.
It was utter chaos. But that was to be expected—this was the first S-rank dungeon in the country, and all the Hunters had made it back alive.
While Seohu looked on at the mess unfolding before him with disinterest—
Sahyeon suddenly snapped his head up, staring sharply at something. The S-ranks guarding Seohu also turned to look.
A sharp gaze pricked at Seohu’s skin.
As expected—it was Kang Haeil.
He had stayed hidden the entire time but now revealed his energy the moment he stepped outside the dungeon. His intent was clear: if no one else would hand him over, he’d take him by force.
Of course, Kang Haeil couldn’t beat the S-ranks or take on Sahyeon alone. But he excelled at stirring things up.
In a scene like this, snatching away a single Supporter wouldn’t be difficult.
He likely didn’t plan to fight—just to take Seohu and run.
Seohu watched calmly as Kang Haeil approached.
It was Kwon Taehyuk who grew more anxious.
“Hunter Cha Seohu, I’ll—”
“No.”
Seohu cut him off.
“Just wait.”
He lifted the corners of his mouth into a relaxed smile. Seeing it, Kang Haeil narrowed his eyes.
Just before their standoff could erupt—
“Hunter Cha Seohu.”
Ryu Sunghyun, who had been looking ahead absentmindedly, furrowed his brow. When did all these Association staff arrive?
Dozens of Hunters stood in formation, each armed. At the front stood Park Minhyuk, cold and stern as he stared down Seohu and declared before all:
“Hunter Cha Seohu, you are under emergency arrest for false rank reporting and violation of mandatory registration laws.”

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