“A weird note came to the Guildmastew. From a bad person. It said, in big red letters, ‘Does it feel good to be the only one who came back alive?’”
On Suhyeong’s face darkened as he looked down.
“I see. So it’s finally started...”
“The Guildmastew said he’s okay and he’s not letting it get to him, but... even so, Guru felt upset.”
“Yes, that’s completely understandable.”
Despite his cold appearance, he listened and accepted her words with sincerity, and at that, Guru suddenly felt a surge of confidence and spoke firmly with both fists clenched again.
“So even if you don’t like Guru, I still can’t go. Because Guru is gonna ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) be the one to give the Guildmastew strength!”
Ha! Guru, you were just like a drama protagonist. So cool. A hundred million points of courage!
“Mm. Then do that.”
All that surging momentum deflated like a balloon. The strength drained right out of her clenched fists.
On Suhyeong swirled his wine gently and looked intently at Guru, who had her mouth still slightly open.
His habit of never adding unnecessary words was an old, ingrained flaw. But now, thinking of the child, he spoke again with more care.
“I must have made you misunderstand.”
“Misundewstand?”
“I heard you were a very gifted child, so I just wanted to give you the best environment. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to think about children’s education... I got ahead of myself. It was never my intention to separate you from Jurim.”
“Then Guru doesn’t hafta go far away?”
“I told you I’d grant you whatever you want, didn’t I?”
Guru’s eyes sparkled. It finally seemed like she believed him.
On Suhyeong let out a low laugh—rare for him, but he couldn’t help it.
When he first heard that Jurim had adopted a child, he’d been extremely concerned.
In truth, when his first child turned out that way and only Jurim, the second son, was left behind, he had erased any expectations of a next generation.
And with good reason. Jurim had never once raised even a potted plant, let alone an animal. If there was anyone who hated anything bothersome or high-maintenance, it was Jurim.
His relationships with women were so casual, he let them come and go without attachment. The idea of being bound by marriage probably hadn’t even crossed his mind.
So when he suddenly brought a child home—like someone casually placing a new plant in the house—Suheyong had feared he might end up neglecting her just as easily.
That’s why On Suhyeong secretly assigned someone to observe Jurim and Guru.
Since Jurim constantly attracted attention wherever he went, unless there was a direct threat, he didn’t pay much attention to the people around him. Thanks to that, Suhyeong was able to collect plenty of photos and reports.
In the photos, Jurim was holding the child, holding her hand, even smiling.
And that wasn’t all.
He’d heard the two had gone to Chairman Nam’s amusement park. (At that point, Suhyeong had seriously wondered if they’d mistaken someone else for his son.) And then when the child went missing, Jurim had thrown a tantrum and demanded the park be shut down until she was found... (At that point, Suhyeong was sure it was his son.)
Suhyeong had been so curious about the child who’d melted Jurim’s heart that he could hardly focus on work.
But Jurim would never willingly show her to him.
So he went to extreme measures to win over the child’s sitter. The plan had been to quietly escort her home and maybe catch a glimpse of her face—yet by sheer luck, they’d ended up eating together.
Now that he’d met her in person, it all made sense.
The child reminded him a little of his firstborn. But beyond that—she was so adorable, so full of charm, there was no way not to find her lovable.
The saying “so cute I wouldn’t mind if she poked my eye out” had never felt truer.
Just then, as if deep in thought, Guru stretched her neck out like a meerkat, peering around in every direction. Then she leaned in very close and whispered,
“Chairman, um... would you become Guru’s teammate?”
“Teammate?”
“Yesh. For the Guildmastew. He’s been all floppy lately. Like, like a jellyfish outta water.”
Guru wiggled her whole body to perfectly imitate a jellyfish.
“Like a jellyfish?”
On Suhyeong coughed softly, stifling his laughter.
“So Guru wants to make the Guildmastew strong again. Like a jellyfish that went back to the ocean.”
Now, he couldn’t hide or suppress his smile anymore—he just stared at Guru for a long moment.
“You too, Chairm’n. Be the teammate that makes him strong and glowy again.”
Guru beamed brightly.
When had he last felt such genuine warmth? The kind of heat that gently wraps around your heart.
Guru seemed to be waiting for an answer, and after a moment of hesitation, he spoke.
“Would it be alright... for me to be part of something like that?”
“Yesh? Yesh!”
Of course it would! Guru nodded her head eagerly.
“Chairm’n, you’re blood-related family with the Guildmastew.”
Unlike adopted Guru, their bond was by blood. They were “real family.”
“Family...”
He murmured the word quietly and looked down, his face returning to its usual unreadable expression. But on that cold face, there was a faint, lingering sadness.
“Well. I doubt that child would like that very much.”
“Yesh? Why not?”
On Suhyeong replied bitterly.
“Jurim is very angry with me. Because I did something... disappointing.”
“Something disappointin’?”
“Yes... It was all my fault.”
Guru hadn’t expected that kind of answer. She was momentarily at a loss for words.
Slowly turning his gaze, On Suhyeong’s eyes stopped at one spot. His slightly furrowed brows were filled with sadness.
Guru followed his gaze.
The massive banner that had once hung on the side of the tall building beyond the restaurant window had now been completely taken down.
Oh.
Without realizing it, Guru just stared blankly at the empty wall.
There, printed across the building, was a large photo of a man smiling gently. It was a close-up of his upper body. Next to his face, a vertical line of text was written:
[Fifth Anniversary of the Tower Raid. Honoring the noble sacrifice of On Ijo...]
On Suhyeong, who had been staring at the photo of On Ijo for quite some time, finally spoke in a husky voice.
“Ijo was my firstborn son. Jurim’s older brother.”
Just as the child had said, Jurim turning into a jellyfish wasn’t because of the cruel card—it was likely because Ijo’s death anniversary was approaching.
On Ijo’s death anniversary was the day the Tower was conquered. The day Jurim made it back alive from the 99th floor. The day his older brother climbed alone to the 100th floor and never returned.
[Title: Am I dumb for not knowing who On Ijo is?]
I’m a second grader in elementary school.
This girl I like called me stupid because I didn’t know who On Ijo is.
She is kind of smart, lol, but I’m not dumb, right?
I know who On Jurim is.
Giving away my points.
[Top Answer:]
Kids these days don’t know who On Ijo is? He’s On Jurim’s older brother—the first generation who died going up to the 100th floor.
You bet a lot of points so I’ll give you the full rundown ᄋᄋ
This was back when the Great Cataclysm happened and the Tower first appeared.
Back then, guilds? Didn’t even exist.
They said if the Tower opened up, the world would collapse. So everyone had to join hands and fight.
So the developed nations teamed up and just made a bunch of Avengers-style teams.
Those guys would rotate and go up the Tower floor by floor.
Today’s second-gen Hunters are all basically TV celebrities, but the first-gen Hunters? They were the real deal.
Back then, they were literally fighting with the survival of humanity on the line.
Every single one of them was basically a version of On Jurim.
Back then, On Jurim was the youngest on the team, kind of like the current Gidan position.
And among all those Avengers-level elites, the one who stood at the top of humanity... was On Ijo.
No one really knows what his ability was—it was classified. But every time they interviewed raid teams, they’d say stuff like, “On Ijo is amazing,” or “fantastic.” That led to thousands of compilations on NationalPrideTube showing foreign Hunters praising him.
But honestly? Until the Tower was completely cleared, people weren’t even sure about On Ijo.
When the Tower first showed up, the U.S. estimated that it would take barely five years to clear the 100th floor.
That five-year time limit became kind of a PR line to help calm the public.
But it got cleared in just three years.
Because On Ijo climbed to the 100th floor alone and shredded the Tower.
That’s when he officially became the legendary Top of Humanity.
But On Ijo... never came back down from the 100th floor.
The only survivor was On Jurim, who made it back after hitting the 99th.

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