The helicopter landed far away, avoiding our vicinity, probably judging it risky to approach after seeing traces of battle. Even for someone like me, it wasn't a scene I particularly wanted to get closer to.
"Yoohyun, are you okay?"
Despite applying potions diligently, new wounds appeared. While not severe, the signs of fatigue couldn't be concealed and were evident. After resting well and eating for a few days, I ended up facing SS-grade guards immediately upon venturing out. It felt strange that I'm unharmed.
"If we had dragged it out a bit more, we could have captured him for sure."
Yoohyun complained slightly while receiving treatment.
"Being poisoned may have made you more advantageous over time, but you're not in perfect condition either. You might have gotten seriously injured."
"True, but I did clash with him up close a few times."
Yoohyun lowered his voice as he spoke.
"It seemed like you lacked experience in combat. It felt easier than facing Guild Leader Sung."
"Huh? Experience? Sigma awakened long before Sollemnis, right?"
"It's about experience in large-scale battles."
Moon hyuna interjected abruptly.
"There were likely few opportunities here to fight against superior guards, especially other SS-grade awakened individuals. Mostly, you would have faced monsters. Despite that, you handled him skillfully, ."
It was probably due to the combat foresight skill, quite a morale-boosting ability. After hearing about their lack of experience, Sigma and Seong Hyunjae felt even more different from ordinary people. Well, they were still different, but it felt more pronounced.
"Speaking of which Young master probably hasn't accumulated many points. I've gathered quite a few myself; the store has some decent items."
Moon hyuna said with an expectant expression. She even expressed her desire to leisurely set up her magic circle outside if nothing major happened. It would be great to secure at least one SS-grade equipment.
"I just defeated two SS-grade monsters a while ago, so I probably earned over two million points."
"Huh? No, SS-grade monsters usually give around five hundred thousand each, so it should be around a million."
"…What?"
I had earned over a million points? Moreover, Yoohyun mentioned that he only got about four hundred thousand from defeating a snake. What happened? I hunted with Sigma and got over a million per monster... Oh.
'Miracle Rookie Title!'
It was a title that allowed you to receive double rewards from dungeon items. Since there were no dungeons here and monsters appeared directly, it seemed like the points were applied at double rate. So, the usual hunting points for an SS-grade monster were five hundred thousand.
'I received double points, and Sigma, being on this side, didn't receive any, so I took all of it...'
A million points per monster. Was that it? The acquisition points were doubled, and my points store had a much wider variety... Wow, this was...
'If I hunt with Sigma, I can monopolize points with double rewards!'
My heart fluttered a bit. If there were many monsters outside the city, I wanted to sweep them all with Sigma, who adored me. I could lightly throw a bomb to get scratched and let Sigma handle the rest. The points would skyrocket.
"Sigma, are you okay?"
Can't you spare just three days? There's even a bait item now. Gather all the monsters around, then defeat them all at once... Oh, my smile crept up. In three days, I could gather points in the millions and equip everyone with SS-grade equipment! Skills too! Useful items!
"Need help with detoxification? As you know, I have poison resistance—"
"Hyung, what are you doing?"
Yoohyun grabbed me as I tried to approach Sigma. is this because he's fond of me?
"We should wewaste a healing item, we need to soothe and complete the contract."
"Why not just kill him? Hunter Moon Hyuna is also here tho"
"he's not that bad."
Despite the reassurance, the younger sibling seemed uneasy. It was understandable, given that they had suddenly attacked, demanding my corpse. Nevertheless, dear sibling, that person is extremely useful.
"Oh, you don't look so good. The healer from R
Lanchea will arrive soon. Before that, shall I lend you a hand?"
Sigma, who was treating burns on various parts of his body with potions, looked down at me with a cool expression. The equipment he was wearing must have been of high quality, but it suffered considerable damage. Especially the upper garment, a significant portion of it was burnt, and I worried about whether it could be repaired. It would be a shame if it was SS-grade.
"What kind of trick is this again?"
"It's not a trick. When did I ever treat you poorly? Compared to how you treated me, it was kindness from beginning to end. Let's go peacefully, modify the contract a bit."
"There's no need to modify. Can't we discuss it here?"
"It's important. It's a quiet, separate time to satisfy Sigma's curiosity. Don't frown. Did you get upset? Don't act narrow-minded; let's not act petty when you're nearly in your forties the day after tomorrow."
Sigma's expression became even more displeased at my words.
"Do I look that old?"
"No, you seem young... Wait."
Come to think of it, how old is this guy? I thought he would be around the same age as Sung hyunjae but as Moon Hyuna said, he looks a bit younger. With a stoic default expression, he seemed quite youthful when he softened. Well, if he were to loosen up.
"…Thirty already?"
There was no answer. Wait a moment. Could it be?
"…Twenties? Really?"
"Usually, that's what people think."
Sigma said, looking a bit uncomfortable as I expressed my surprise. Oh, no, of course, he has a smooth, young face. Wow, twenties. Really?
"I'm your older brother!"
"...What?"
"I'm in my thirties!"
Sigma muttered in disbelief. Even Yoohyun, who was standing close to me, widened her eyes.
"How old is hyung?"
"Yoohyun, how many years older is yoojin than you?"
"Five years."
"How old are you now?"
"Twenty-six."
"You're twenty-six now. So, I'm thirty-one. Call me hyung Sigma."
Moon Hyunna, who had been watching with great interest, finally burst into laughter. On the contrary, Sigma and Yoohyun looked visibly displeased. Oh well, it's not like I dislike it. It felt somewhat good to think that the one with Sung hyunjae's face looked younger than me.
Well, considering the environment, the young one might have grown up a bit rough.
"Let's modify the contract. Look, we both need a break, so let's meet separately tomorrow afternoon to talk. Is that okay? Don't run away like earlier; you have to listen properly this time. In exchange for answering three more questions besides the information, let's exclude Alpha from the conditions. Just accept it, Sigma."
Might as well negotiate well and go monster hunting together. My beloved point shuttle. Just give me a proper three days.
Sigma stared at me for a while but eventually agreed to the contract modification. At that moment, healers from Lanchea and guards, including those from Sollemnis, arrived. The guards from Sollemnis, in particular, kept a watchful eye on us, ensuring the safety of their leader. Their gaze, especially towards me, was less than favorable.
I did a lot of work, but I'm not a bad person, really.
When I returned to the Akates Defense Bureau, the tumultuous atmosphere had been largely sorted out.
Most of the upper floors and guards had been arrested. Among the five S-rank guards, Vitera's sister sustained moderate injuries in the battle with her younger sibling and was captured. One of the remaining four was caught by the lanchea guards, but the whereabouts of the other three were mysterious. They might be wanted when daylight comes, but there's also a high chance they escaped outside the city.
"Since we have more S-rank guards on our side, we can't easily rush in."
Vitera smiled as she spoke. It seemed she was unaware that Noshi's harbored intentions to kill me. Gnosis and the guards with her were still unconscious. Once they wake up, I'll have to clarify the misunderstanding.
"I've been focused on the situation because of Alpha, but I didn't expect things to be resolved so smoothly."
Among the S-rank guards of the resistance force, who had taken refuge in lanchea, there were a total of four. Including Vitera, there were five. While not a small number, compared to the Defense Bureau, it was only half, and with the SS-rank Alpha, activities other than rescuing the children were challenging.
She expressed gratitude to me, saying that she had been hoping for a child with SS-rank potential to appear. I felt a bit frustrated hearing that. In the real world, thinking deeply about it... I tried to answer vaguely and left the place.
Mon hyuna seemed to have something she wanted to say to me, but she made an excuse about being tired I also went up to the room with Yoohyunn. I was indeed tired. I hadn't had proper rest for a while.
"Don't think about anything and rest well, Yoohyun."
Ignoring the stares from the guards of lanchea, we occupied the top room with only two beds. Why, I wondered. Our Yoohyun is also an SS-rank guard. It's Akates here. Honestly, my younger brother should be treated the best. I even wanted to file a complaint against the Akates Defense Bureau.
"For now, you should eat something. Wait a moment; I'll ask for a meal to be prepared."
"...I don't feel like eating."
"Huh? Why? Not hungry?"
I spoke too soon. It might be uncomfortable, considering the guards, to eat in the dining hall. Until the Defense Bureau is fully operational, it's not feasible to replace everyone. But we still need to feed them.
"There's a kitchen here too. I'll quickly make some porridge for you. Go wash up; I'll be back. Should I trim your hair while you're at it?"
"You must be tired too."
"Thanks to my C-rank status, a bit tired is much better than when I was perfectly fine as an F-rank. Oh, I hope my stats stay the same when I go back."
Smiling, I pushed my brother r into the bathroom. If only I could take my stats with me, it would be great. Even just C-rank. It would be much easier to raise the kids.
With the advice of someone standing right behind me, I managed to make a decent stew in the large kitchen. Why am I so good at cooking in this world?
"Enjoy your meal! Taking care of your family is important. But you also need to take care of yourself! Let's empty a serving cleanly, with a spoonful of partner's love."
Reward: 10,000 P, Handmade hot pink gloves.
Why does the quest message change so cringe (ly)? I feel awkward being watched. Following the instructions, I chopped the meat, received the reward, and the recipe book came in handy. The apron... Why is it hot pink? Is this revenge? I didn't want to wear it, but the next quest guide for teaching cooking was wearing the apron. Damn you, Sung Hyunjae Anyway, pay me the points.
Setting the table and calling my freshly washed brother, I was relieved that Yoohyun had finished the stew. After filling my stomach and being reassured about my sister, fatigue washed over me.
"Can I learn Alpha's skills and use them outside? Although the number of skills is fewer compared to the Awakening grade, there were a couple that seemed useful."
Lying side by side on the bed, Yoohyun spoke.
"It won't be easy. Still, if you get the feel for it, it might not be impossible. Is there any equipment or skills you like in the point shop?"
"There are many good ones, but I don't have enough points."
"It won't be easy, but if you develop a good sense, there might be nothing impossible. Is there any equipment or skill in the point shop that you like?"
"There are many that look good, but my points are insufficient."
"Don't worry about points; just pick what you like."
Even if I have to squeeze the thread ball in the system, I'll make sure my brother gets what he wants.
"First, we need to find Yerim, Peace, and Mr. Noah. Fortunately, it seems that Hyuna knows where they are. After installing the disc, as long as the rookie provides the strategy, we can earn points by assessing the situation."
Once we established contact with newbie. I planned to ask how much time had passed and request to slow down the time here. Since there shouldn't be any trouble outside and I had mentioned examining the state of the tamed monsters, even if it takes a few days for the strategy, it wouldn't seem strange.
"...hyung."
"Yeah?"
"Did you say this world was a place that actually existed?"
"Well, I don't know how long ago it was, but it was said to be a world that disappeared in the past."
"And everything that happened here actually happened?"
"That's true, but don't worry too much. We'll be fine."
Without a response, Yoohyun closed his mouth. Even though my brother knew about the fact that our world is on the brink of destruction long before I did. seeing the vanished world made her feel complicated. I wonder if Yerim and Mr. Noah is okay.
'Certainly, I need to gather as much information as possible during this opportunity.'
Please take care of it, Partner. Please thoroughly investigate the system.
Already, I was overwhelmed by drowsiness up to my chin, and soon my eyes closed, and consciousness blurred. I fell into a deep sleep.
"...Yoohyu?"
My brother's figure was gone. Only faint traces of where he had lain remained. Now that we've cleared all the linked guys and restored our bodies, there shouldn't be any danger, but where the heck did he silently go?
As I quickly got out of bed, the quest message sparkled, as if waiting for me.
[Morning Exercise on the Rooftop!]
Fortunately, she didn't go far. If it's on the rooftop, it should be within a hundred meters. It seemed like Seong Hyunjae saw it. It really turned out to be helpful. I hastily put on some clothes and headed to the rooftop.
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