Lin Young-Jae didn't know when he fainted, but he woke up still in the same body and suffering the same headache and weak senses.
He couldn't even hold his own hand into a fist and couldn't even carry himself for long. At first, he thought that this description of being weak is just being... weak.
But it seemed that he underestimated the single sentence that described this character as a whole: 'Lin Young-Jae is very, very weak that everyday looked like it was his last'.
It wasn't even an hour when the doctors began to thoroughly gave him a check up. Several specialists seemed to be regularly checking his physique as if making sure that there's nothing out of the ordinary.
Next was checking out his mana fluctuations. It was also normal.
"How do you feel today?" The doctors stood around him holding a writing pad, staring at him with a lukewarm gaze.
Seeing as four doctors stood there with their perspective specialties and are careful not to make skin contact with him in fear of unexpected contamination, intimidating the young man that he couldn't help but speak honestly. "My head hurts and I feel really heavy."
They nodded, noting what the young man said before giving him the usual medicine before leaving.
Watching as the room was empty again, Lin Young-Jae looked at the table that had a lot of pills for the morning and after breakfast intakes.
Breakfast also came just a few minutes when they left.
With a sigh and a spoonful of cooked rice on his mouth, he started checking out his status window.
[Lin Young-Jae]
[Awakened]
[Ability:
Suction
Rank: LOCKED
-Ability to absorb malicious Mana from another source
Ability: LOCKED
Rank: LOCKED
Ability: LOCKED
Rank: LOCKED]
Maybe because it wasn't used yet? But what about the other abilities that was just plain gibberish?
But why not just measure it to the bottom anyways? It's not like he could use it since everyone has been trying to maintain his mana for survival.
Malicious Mana is a toxic poison being involuntarily ingested inside dungeons and monsters. It is mixed within what's left of hunter's own mana and can cause irregularities in health and power alike so healers are always on stand by in front of the portals, awaiting hunters to come out and hand out the temporary potions.
So absorbing Malicious Mana, although a useful ability, could post great danger in his already weakened body.
Nevermind activating that ability, he's already in the brink of breaking.
They said that his ability might accidentally activate if he was touched which is why he was covered from head to neck. He wore socks and gloves, occasionally wearing facemask when he was getting tested as well to avoid accidental ingestion of toxic air since most doctors specializing in mana are awakened.
One of the things that made the siblings' life tragic. It was the fact that they couldn't make much skin contact unless Lin Ji-Young is thoroughly cleansed out of malicious Mana, that is— but this is also impossible in theory. All hunters can't fully cleanse their mana since the contamination is already in their core unless, one removes their own mana core permanently—in short, death—but the contamination could be reduced.
Closing his status window, he took another spoonful, feeling the prickling heat outside his window just by looking at it.
Who would believe that this is a guild building and not a hospital? Well, technically it is a hospital too, but... Nevermind, what's he defending for anyway.
Bang!
Lin Young-Jae nearly jumped upon hearing his room door being slammed open. His head immediately turned to the open door, blinking twice.
What struck him were a pair of sky blue eyes, almost like a pair of gem shining from the starlight followed by a beautiful ethereal face and bouncy waves of black hair with blue gradient on its tips. A face so unbelievable you won't believe she's a human.
Lin Ji-Young!
"Young-Jae." Her voice, although stern, had a hint of warmth.
Unsure, the younger blinked again after swallowing his food before opening his mouth. "N-noona..."
Lin Ji-Young's cold demeanor slowly became soft, her face that looked like it could kill without an ounce of remorse earlier brightened as she rushed towards the younger, holding his gloved hand lovingly. "My little Jae, I missed you so much, did you miss me?" She asked.
Well, isn't this shocking?
Lin Young-Jae simply sat there frozen. Although from memory, the body owner would sweetly comply and would kiss her cheek between facemask or cloth with warmth, it made him embarrassed.
He received some shards of memories from the original owner. The memories are very short and cryptic too, which made his memories hazy and cannot be even considered a memory. But most of those bits and pieces were of Lin Young-Jae sitting on this bed and looking out the window with his lonely back.
The only time the scenario would change is when Lin Ji-Young would appear from the door carrying with her the stories in the outside world, the sweets she would bring, the books she would bring to wring away his boredom being confined here.
Lin Young-Jae knew that this body's only world is Ji-Young herself just like how he knew that the villainess Ji-Young's only reason for being sane is his brother.
His older sister who did everything to save him can do everything in her power to extract revenge that nearly brought the world to its downfall.
"Noona, are you okay?" Lin Young-Jae asked as soon as he was let go.
The huntress gave enough distance for him, making sure that she was in the range from skinship, sitting on the side of the bed, smiling as she pat his head lovingly with her own gloved hand. "Of course, I'm very good." She answered. "How about you, you haven't finished your breakfast yet. You should eat more and drink your medicine."
Lin Young-Jae smiled back, feeling less stiff. It seems like Lin Ji-Young isn't as intimidating as he thought. "Okay." Or maybe, they have a sibling filter?
The young man faced his food and started to eat while the older female watched him with a smile.
Lin Ji-Young went for a raid five days ago and finished the job today. She must've been exhausted but still made her way in his room to check on him without proper rest.
Finishing his meal, Lin Young-Jae drank all his medicine for the morning, wrinkling his nose in distaste. His previous body didn't need this much maintenance ever since he was born. He was a survivor in a typically growing population of the nation. He can't afford being sick and he did a good job making it that far. So consuming a lot of unidentified medicine at such a young body felt really off.
"Young-Jae, how do you feel?" Ji-Young had been watching him from the moment he started eating and after drinking his medicine. She looked like a big cat staring at a mouse very quietly, her hand even stretching out a few times because she was tempted to pinch her little brother's chewing cheeks but held back since it's close to his nose and mouth. She didn't want him to accidentally inhale her contaminated mana after all.
Lin Young-Jae smiled. "I'm okay. They ran some tests again and all's normal." He replied.
Lin Ji-Young's eyes softened, petting her younger brother's head again. "That's great news." She said, but her tone didn't sound enthusiastic. But she masked this immediately by pulling out a pack of cake out of her space. "Here's a little surprise!"
Seeing that cake, Lin Young-Jae suddenly felt like he hadn't eaten enough. Ji-Young prepared the small pastry in front of him, which he didn't shy away from and ate it with relish on the first bite.
Hm... His original self would have had much self control but... The original owner of this body seems to have a weakness towards sweets.
"Noona, this is great!" He praised enjoying it to the very last bite. Damn, Lin Young-Jae, do you have to be a sweet toothed cutie?! The young man lamented, remembering the nostalgic cake he just swallowed.
Lin Ji-Young who was watching with a smile was tempted to pinch his cheeks again, but she held back and only let out a chuckle. "I'm glad. A shop just opened and the cue was quite long."
"Thanks, noona. You're the best." Lin Young-Jae did not shy away with his praise as well knowing how his sister got this for him despite her declining reputation.
Lin Ji-Young did not say much about what happened in her job, just told the young man that she'll bring more sweets for him if she finds a new place and then she'll tour him when she has the time.
Lin Young-Jae also didn't pry since he knew what was up and wanted to distract his older sister from stress. So instead, he was the one doing the talking, explaining about his day, what he dreamed last night and what he did the past 5 days. This is how the original owner of this body helped his sister cope.
And finally, when Lin Ji-Young leaves to rest, he would take out his phone and defend her online from these heartless netizens who was bad-mouthing his older sister.
But right now, Lin Young-Jae opened his social media account to take a look. His account is filled with articles about Lin Ji-Young's achievement for the past years, trying the best he could to lift up his sister's reputation. Even the account name says it all: "Ice Dongsaeng"
Apart from articles about Lin Ji-Young, he also posted the sweets that his sister bought for him throughout the years. So to say, his supporters are divided into four.
1st is Lin Ji-Young's supporters, 2nd are Lin Ji-Young's haters, 3rd are those pastry lovers and 4th are passerbys who just went in for clout or curiosity about his account.
He continued Lin Young-Jae's usual routine. He checked the newly released article of the dungeon raid where Lin Ji-Young was in, share it on his account with a 'proud and loud' description on the post. After posting it, comments started flooding with praise and hate. He blocked each randomly hate comments and replied to others with facts, thanking good comments and reacting to others.
After two hours of stressful social media managing, he decided to set the phone aside and lie down.
It made him wonder how Lin Young-Jae was captured and was thrown in the dungeon. When did it happen and how can he prevent it?
He didn't even have an ounce of idea how to be healthier, what more could he do if suddenly he was dragged by stronger people and tossed somewhere? He could see from memory fragments that this body had previously undergone through a lot of torturous treatment but each and every single process had slowly exhausted him both physically and mentally.
He had gone through depression at a young age but thankfully, snapped out of it when he found out that his elder sister, who has patiently endured hardships and experienced life and death situations, was being pulled in the gutter by heartless people. Spreading malicious rumours and staining her awesome reputation.
The person who had always been by his side is being dragged like this. If he doesn't make himself better, who will protect his noona? When he was at his lowest, it was always noona who embraced him. When he was often sick it was noona who stayed by his side on those sleepless nights, rubbing his head to sleep. When he gave up on himself, noona was the one who continued the fight for him.
He was finally awaken from his own devastation— no, it's more like he set aside himself and focused all his strength to help his sister.
Up until the very end.
Lin Young-Jae smiled sadly. It's really sad how some villains were once people who were filled with love. But the world disappointed them, and continued to push them to the brink.