"Quiet, okay? You were quite lively a moment ago."
"Just in case, please stay on standby."
"To easily affect an SS-rank, impressive."
The scrutinizing gazes and evaluating voices made my skin crawl. As the others suggested, Yoohyun quietly nestled against me. Surrendering his body to be pulled closer, he leaned down, pressing his head against my shoulder and chest. Desperate to cling even closer, he squirmed like a puppy seeking attention. I bit my tongue lightly, pretending to be nonchalant, just to be able to speak.
"When the skill is applied strongly, emotional transfer occurs. Even if I show some odd behavior, please don't be alarmed."
"Emotional transfer? Isn't that dangerous?"
"Yeah, despite my skill being C-rank. If I were a higher-ranked guard, I wouldn't be casually displaying such skills. Also, I can't apply it to more than one person at a time."
Although my skill grade is relatively high, the fact that it doesn't easily work on SS-rank individuals was emphasized. I reassured them not to worry, as I was safe, and Yoohyun was behaving.
"The combination of the medication-induced confusion symptoms seems to enhance the effect. Is it possible to release the binds on his arms a bit? It might help the skill to be more effective."
After a brief discussion, the decision was made not to touch the restraints that disabled my inventory. An S-rank guard with the key to Yoohyun's arm bindings approached. Simultaneously, Yoohyun's body tensed, visibly on edge.
"Wait! Don't come here; just throw the key."
With a clattering sound, the key was tossed. Quickly freeing Yoohyun's tightly bound arm, I was met with a strong pull as he clung to me. His attempts to utter "hyung" were muffled by the gag.
"Yeah, it's okay. Stay quiet, okay?"
It hurt as if my insides were burning. If only I could purchase an all-purpose key now and remove all the restraints binding my brother. But the S-rank guard was watching closely. It wasn't just about attempting something foolish; even speaking discreetly was challenging, and considering their lip-reading skills, I couldn't risk it.
"Since too rapid mana recovery could be dangerous, it's better if you start leaving. We're concerned about Alpha's mana absorption adaptation."
Though I could forcibly extract mana and suppress the situation, Mindiba warned that his life might be in danger. I reluctantly released Yoohyun, but his body, not wanting to let go, trembled. I comforted him as he clung to me. I couldn't bear to let him go.
Perhaps it would be easier to detonate a bomb right here.
I would die and resurrect, but what would happen to my brother... I hadn't heard the details. Even if it wasn't his real body, would he be trapped in this state until a solution was found? Although he wasn't conscious, if he died with awareness, I would be anxious all along.
In his current state, it was agonizing.
"The most certain and quickest method, but..."
No, I couldn't go that far. Even though it wasn't his real body, the thought of doing it with my own hands, how could I? I bit down on my frustration and exhaled heavily.
Taking my time, I carefully released Yoo Hyun's arms. His red eyes widened as if surprised.
"I'll be back soon, just wait. Be good."
Our Yoo Hyun. I spoke to him like I would console a younger brother who used to follow me. There was anxiety in his face. He didn't force his way back, even though he was undoubtedly much stronger than me. Without resistance, he withdrew as I let go, sitting down.
"...Wait patiently."
Even though he seemed to want to approach immediately, Yoohyun sat still, crouching. His trembling body gradually subsided. I had to bite my tongue multiple times to speak. There was a metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
"...You'll be back soon; just wait a little longer. Stay quiet."
Damn it how can I turn away from my dongsaeng Is there really no way to take him out immediately? Two S-ranks. Yoo Hyun is not fully recovered in terms of mana, and due to the medication, his normal reactions are hindered. If it gets slightly risky, they will instantly take away his mana through the mark."
No matter how much I pondered, it seemed impossible. It couldn't be done right away. I needed to retreat, but...
"Han Yoojin?"
At the perplexing call, as I attempted to turn, Yoo Hyun's breathing became ragged. It felt insane. Perhaps it would be better to just...
At that moment, a message window appeared as if blocking my view.
[Patience is Bitter, but its Fruit is Sweet]
It was a sub-quest. Was this all for such a small reward? Yet, it jolted me back to my senses. Without making any impulsive moves, I quickly turned around. When we left the absorption zone, the mana absorption began, and the sound of Yoohyun collapsing echoed. Turning my head, I saw my unconscious brother.
"You should have come after untying his arms. Well, it should be fine for now."
Mindba suggested not to interfere directly with Yoo Hyun but to suppress him by removing mana when needed. I exhaled deeply. Even though my head, chest, and entire body ached severely, it was better than Yoohyun being awake.
If he's unconscious, at least he won't be anxious.
...But did it have to be on this cold floor?
"Could we make him more comfortable? Even I find it uncomfortable to watch."
"He's SS-rank."
Hey, you bastards! Even if you're strong, it doesn't mean you can sleep however you want on the floor. Come to think of it, they probably didn't feed him properly. They must have placed him here for quite some time. The bastards didn't properly feed him. How many days has he been starved like this?
I scrutinized the surroundings while grinding my teeth. The absorption field occupied almost half of the room. Once touched by an awakened, it would instantly absorb mana, rendering magic items useless.
Although Yoohyun's arms were free now, his ankles were still tied, connected to the ground with a rope, making it impossible to pull him using ordinary tools.
In short, until the mana absorption field was turned off, an awakened person couldn't approach.
'I could ask a non-awakened for help.'
But how could I bring a non-awakened person here? Stealth items that could work against S-ranks were too expensive. Long-distance teleportation items were also the same. Even the cheapest long-distance teleportation item costs over three million points.
Currently, I have around one hundred fifty thousand points. Thanks to the hidden quest, I gained a bit more, but it wasn't enough to freely spend on high-grade items. I needed to consider other things after rescuing Yoohyun.
"The effect has been clearly proven, right?"
Smiling to Mindiba, I tried not to show Yoohyun too much. She nodded, understanding my intention.
"Let's go outside for now."
"But can't I be the one to handle the Alpha? If I spend a day or two with him, taking care of him, he'll quickly follow my lead, right?"
Once Yoo Hyun was deemed safe, the Akates Defense Bureau would undoubtedly release him. After all, they were guarding against S-rank monsters. I smiled at Mindiba while trying not to let Yoohyun be visible. She nodded in agreement.
"I understand your enthusiasm, Han Yoojin-ssi. However, you haven't officially transferred yet. First, change your mark to the Akates Mana Hall's mark and make a formal contract."
"But leaving an SS-rank Alpha like that for too long is a significant loss. An SS-rank monster might appear at any time."
"Don't worry about that. Luckily, Sigma of Solemnis is expected to arrive soon."
...Sigma? No, why is that person here again? It irritated me involuntarily. Rather than that, wouldn't it make it even more difficult to rescue Yoohyun with an additional S-rank guard?
"Originally, we rejected the request for suppression of the Alpha, but for some unknown reason, Sigma informed us that he would help. Once Sigma arrives, he'll handle the Alpha more safely."
"...When did you receive the message?"
"It was two days ago. We received the message early in the morning. He should arrive within a day or two, as he needs some time to prepare for visiting another city."
"Two days ago. They contacted us early in the morning, saying that they need some time to prepare for visiting another city, so they likely aim to arrive within a day or two."
Two days ago. Right after I made a scene. They probably received information about me planning to go to Akates and immediately contacted them.
...Damn. Did they notice that I was planning to go to Akates? Perhaps because of my inquiries about the Alpha and Akates. They caught on quickly. No, it's not just that. Did an SS-rank guard come all the way here? Maybe they also had a cooperation request.
Anyway, it wasn't a pleasant surprise.
As I walked down the corridor, pretending to check my skill window, I opened the completed sub-quest window.
[Patience is Bitter, but its Fruit is Sweet
For your patient behavior, here's a small gift! Something sweet for your stress.
Reward: Caffe Latte, 15-year-old Blue Hole Wine from Medsang]
What kind of reward is this? Truly a small gift.
"Would you like to reconsider a bit more? Or shall I guide you to the Defense Bureau's accommodation? You seem to have used a significant amount of mana due to your skills. Shall I connect a mana passage for you first?"
"No, I'm fine for now. Besides, I have a 15-year-old Medsang wine with me."
"Is it the Blue Hole by any chance?" Min Diba asked with a hint of surprise. Even the guard, who was guarding the entrance, widened his eyes, intrigued. Seems like it's a famous drink.
"Yes, it's Blue Hole wine."
"Even a 15-year-old one! As I heard, quite affluent... Ah, excuse me. This was just a basic check. The guard who guided you to the city told us about it."
"My pockets are quite generous."
"We won't ask for more details, so don't worry."
Mindiba subtly gestured behind me, indicating that they know about my situation. They probably have a rough idea that I may have pilfered something along the way.
"Since I didn't get much sleep during the day, I'm not feeling sleepy yet. How about having a light drink? I have many things I want to hear for our future cooperation."
"Of course, welcome!"
Mindiba smiled and led the way. The place he guided me looked like a residential building similar to an officetel. It was neat and reasonably spacious.
Entering a secured area, I was seized and later retrieved my backpack. After receiving only the Blue Hole wine as a reward and putting it in quickly, I accessed the points shop.
Quickly flipping through the categories, I searched for a list of consumable items, specifically looking for items related to medications.
[Whispers of Truth - S
Colorless and odorless. A potion that makes the drinker answer questions honestly. Does not work on those with B-grade or higher in stats and poison resistance.
One-time use]
Even for an S-rank, it only worked on C-ranks and below. Indeed, mental-altering drugs had lower effects relative to their grades.
Mindiba's rank was precisely C. The possibility of having B-grade or higher resistance to poison skills or items was low. Since he wasn't in the combat field. Although he boasted that he didn't have any useful skills, being a recognized researcher by the Akates Mana Hall itself made him genuinely valuable.
I placed the potion into the wine bottle before Min Diba returned. If it didn't work, the traditional method was the only way to go. Fortunately, there were no surveillance cameras for privacy, and the soundproofing seemed adequate.
"Having shown its effectiveness on an SS-rank guard like Alpha, your employee grade will likely be adjusted to nearly the top."
He congratulated me, placing the glasses on the table. The snacks were cheese-like items and dried meat. He poured the wine into two glasses in succession. The pinkish liquid gently bubbled and rose. Min Diba did not seem suspicious of me at all.
Having reached the top grade nearly instantly, he praised my patience, mentioning that I would be a precious asset as a researcher for Akates Mana Hall.
Before Min Diba returned, I quickly opened the wine bottle and placed the potion inside. If it didn't work, traditional methods would have to be employed. Thankfully, there were no surveillance cameras for privacy, and the soundproofing was decent.
"Wow, it's my first time having a 15-year-old Blue Hole... It's amazing."
Now do the same.
Pure admiration flowed. It was almost regrettable not to share another bottle with the little bastard in front of me. Newbie, can't you just give me one more bottle? I want to drink together after saving my little brother.
The taste was refreshing, slightly cool, with a sweet and clear flavor that melted on my tongue without stickiness. The wounds on my lips stung a bit since I didn't treat them, but the pain had a sweetness to it. It must be disinfected due to the alcohol.
Mindiba also had a delightful expression. He extended his praises for the wine in a long and eloquent manner.
"As expected, it's truly remarkable!"
"Yes. Oh, by the way, about Alpha's imprint. Can you tell me about the people connected for mana absorption?"
It was a question definitely intended to protect the connected people for security reasons. However, Min Diba casually opened his mouth without any suspicion.
"There are a total of five people, two of them are S-rank, and three are Alpha handlers. While they handle Alphas, it's not considered a higher-ranking role as it can be risky. Of course, I'm excluded from that count."
Five people.
"Fixing Hyun's imprint immediately might be difficult, so it would be faster to eliminate the connected individuals."
The Alpha handlers were D to C-rank, making them easy to deal with. However, the issue was the two S-rank individuals. If it were about Alpha's imprint, knowing more details about the connected five people wouldn't be safe. The response was that as long as they weren't in the connected group, they would be safe unless they had a mana absorption skill of S-rank or higher. It was mentioned that only the S-rank guard with a mana absorption skill was currently in treatment due to significant injuries.
"The healer is dedicated to treating them, but it will take about three days for them to be active again. It seems like it's chaos because of the Alpha."
The guy who talked condescendingly filled his empty glass for me. I wanted to splash it on his face.
"Mana absorption jin is not easy to manipulate. It's a delicate operation, and your magic stat needs to be at least B-grade."
Damn, even if I knew the method, it seems impossible for me to do it.
I delved into detailed information about Akates City and the Defense Bureau. Mindiba continued to praise the wine while pouring glass after glass. Eventually, he became intoxicated, falling face-first onto the table. There was a dull thud, and I could hear his nose hitting the surface.
Staring down at the unconscious guy, I got up from my seat.
"I'll let him live for now."
He needed an alibi to move more easily. I then received the rewards for the sub-quest. A whipped cream-covered cafe latte was now in my hands. It tasted sweet.
I used the concealment skill and left.
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