Yoohyun threatened me to just keep still and watch in a whisper and pushed me away. I chased after him to grab him back, and while he did frown, he did not avoid nor push me back.
“Don’t be stupid! Who else pays attention to me as much as you do?”
“I know why you are acting that way. Why do you push yourself so hard when you’re my little brother?”
I put some strength on my arm and enjoyed his surprised face. When would the poison resistance skill come into effect?
“Don’t act that way. You did and suffered enough. While I am weak, trust your big brother a bit.”
His voice calmed down, and now he looked like his age. I really should not let him get to this state.
“Hey, you know that you’re loved.”
I spoke like I had done right after my return, but the emotions were a bit different. Yoohyun’s shoulders shook, and his face turned mellow. His arm also came around my back.
“...A bit. Yeah, I made up with you.”
It seemed that the poison was finally dissipating, and it had taken a much longer time than Noah. He needed a poison resistance skill, and I wondered where to get one.
“I’ll use a skill, so accept that, all right?”
I was about to use my teacher’s skill to get Yoohyun’s memories back when the fog suddenly began to move. It gathered around the half-broken manor like a herd of sheep. Blue fog came out from Yoohyun’s body, and it also flew inside the manor along with minute amounts from Noah and Taewon Song. While Noah tried to reach out in reflex, it was to no avail. Had that poisonous fog swallowed up the memories and then got out? Then what would happen?
“Yoohyun, do you remember anything else?”
Yoohyun briefly shook his head. Damn.
“There’s something there!”
Noah pointed at the manor, and Yoohyun grabbed me to find shelter with the other two hunters. A dark blue something was now in a position in the manor, and the fog had gathered around it to increase its mass. I used one of my skills to open the system window just in case.
[Awakened: Seokwon Choi (A Member of the Vacant Sea)
Current Stat Class: SS
Half-circle Sword (S) Gained
The Line on the Road (S) Gained
Sound Netting (A) Gained]
“That’s Seokwon Choi?”
The other three also looked surprised, and I also saw something that was not even human. What did Vacant Sea mean, and how had his stats become SS? He would have been an S class. Had he grown with that fog? Then what about Yoohyun’s memories?! Would they come back once that was defeated? Please say it did.
The blue thing that was said to be Seokwon Choi grew up even bigger than the house, and the structure now became completely flattened. A humanoid monster that was several stories high slowly stood up. It was literally a giant and looked like a massive doll with dark blue armor.
Fog shining with the light came out where its eyes should be, and its rough hands made fists. At the moment the giant completely stood up, something also dark and massive sprang out of the darkness with rough footsteps.
A black dragon tackled the giant, and it stumbled with a loud bang. The dragon jumped back and swung its tail, and the surrounding buildings crumbled with each passing moment. The dragon’s sharp teeth flashed, and I knew that to be a smile.
Riette and Soyoung Kang, on top of the dragon’s head, shouted at us. They had arrived with nice timing.
A car stopped in front of the barricade near the fog, and the hunters from the Association that had been guarding the barricade stood still. Hyunjae Sung had come out from the car. While someone needed to check his ID for form, at least, no one came out. They just looked at each other, as all of them had heard that the Sesung Guild Leader had come fresh out of an S class dungeon conquest.
“I heard that it would not be a dungeon break, but it seems to be the case.”
Eveline, who was one of Sesung’s S class hunters, stepped out of the car and whistled at the blue fog. Hyunjae Sung also fixed his gaze on it.
“Yoojin Han’s invitation tends to be special, as nothing ends normally.”
Hyunjae Sung spoke like he was enjoying himself and approached the barricade. The fog writhed like it was alive against the headlights of the car, and the murky blue was being fickle.
“Are you all right after finishing up the dungeon?”
“You’re too kind. I have to see up close your candy box since I never had the chance.”
Eveline signed the agreement in Hyunjae Sung’s place that the Association hunter had handed over, and they were about to go back to the car after the barricade was partly removed.
The fog suddenly came over the barricade and surrounded them. Hyunjae Sung slightly raised his brows at the darkness.
He could not feel Eveline’s presence, let alone the other hunters. There had to be another reason since a mere fog could not block an S class hunter’s senses.
Hyunjae Sung was considering whether to attack or move, and something appeared during that process. A familiar shape smiled in a friendly manner.
“Hello, Mr. Hyunjae Sung.”
I do not like imitations. Hyunjae Sung murmured as he stared at the young man, and it began to speak.
“Do you remember your childhood?”