Warm morning sunlight poured into the living room.
An utterly ordinary family home, nothing special about it.
Right in the center sat a tiny creature, planted like a stone statue, eyes glued to the TV. It suddenly tilted its head upward.
"...? Uncle Samchoon?"
"It's Uncle Wonseok."
My brother, helping me take off my shoes, grinned.
Yes, that little one was my niece.
She'd just turned four, so I hadn't seen her face much.
But it wasn't because she was my niece—no, she was genuinely adorable.
"Uncle Woooonseok!"
She came toddling over, wobbling like she might topple any second, and hugged my leg tight. Something welled up fiercely inside me.
"Naeuni, look at this. Uncle got you Lego."
Even as my brother held out the Lego box he'd hidden behind his back.
"Uncle Woooonseok."
The kid, who could barely string words together yet, just rubbed her face against my shin.
"She goes crazy for Lego. She likes Uncle more than Lego?"
"Yeah!"
"More than Daddy?"
"Yeah!"
"Why?"
"Uncle's smarter than Daddy!"
My brother groaned bitterly, then quickly flashed his dimples with a lifted smile.
He jerked his chin at me, like go on, show 'em.
"Well, yeah. If your head's no good, your body's gotta suffer."
"These days, it's the opposite. Nah, if your body's no good, even a smart head won't cut it."
"Gonna be cynical around the kid?"
I smiled.
And looked down at my niece clinging to my leg.
"...."
I almost reached out to stroke her head without thinking.
I clenched my fist hard enough to drain the blood from it.
Did I even have the right? No.
My niece, Naeuni.
...In my past life.
After Hunter Seo Boseok's death, I'd deliberately avoided meeting her.
She'd been in her school uniform at her entrance ceremony when I'd snuck in to see her. Now she's just a tiny baby....
A sharp pang hit me.
The reason I'd avoided her was simple and pathetic.
I didn't have the face to see her.
I bore no direct blame for my brother's death, but a leaden guilt weighed on my chest. Because Hunter Seo Boseok had thrown himself into work out of inertia—for my sake.
One day, a guy claiming to be my half-brother showed up at the orphanage, promising to cover all my college tuition.
Back then, he wasn't awakened. It hadn't been long since Hunter Seo Boseok made his mark on society.
That's why he was a monster. He'd become Korea's top hunter in just three short years.
In short, my half-brother—who was basically a stranger—had dragged me out of the orphanage and put me through college. While working at a factory.
If your head's no good, your body's gotta suffer?
Hell no.
He'd been a straight-A vet med student on the verge of graduation.
Right at that moment, he learned about his half-brother.
And so, without telling me, he dropped out and started earning money.
For me, a total stranger.
I only learned the truth later.
Years after, I confronted him in a fit of belated rage, demanding why.
—Because we're brothers, even if half? That won't fly, huh? Fine, fine. I'll tell you next time, when I get the chance.
The chance never came.
Why?
Why would a half-brother go this far for me?
Guilt over failing to repay even a fraction of that devotion. That's what kept me from visiting my niece in my past life.
"Uncle Woooonseok."
"Give her a pat. Look how much she loves it."
My brother nudged my shoulder.
I hesitated, then reached out.
"Hehe."
She beamed like it was the best thing ever.
What a strange thing. Despite our thin blood tie, both she and her father adored me.
This was it. The eternal glacier of my distrust in humanity from before regression finally melted.
I couldn't see the red thread connecting me and Naeuni.
Seemed like those threads only formed between awakened beings.
Good. Better this way.
Between us, I should be the subordinate, Naeuni the master. I wanted to repay that debt of the heart.
Now it's my turn to give back.
Tenfold what I received.
And a hundredfold what was taken.
I vowed it. This regression would be worth more than just settling scores.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Same time.
A building smack in the middle of Gwanghwamun.
Click-clack, click-clack.
Heeled shoes echoed perfectly down the spotless corridor.
Lining both walls were portraits of top-tier hunters, like an art gallery.
This was the R&Y Guild, hailed as Korea's finest.
"Sunbae-nim."
Han Biyeol, lost in thought as he walked, flinched at his shoulder.
The sharp-jawed hunter guiding him smirked slyly.
"You seem way too tense about meeting the guild master."
"...You think it's the guild master making me like this?"
"I thought you'd bailed after that Gate Break yesterday—your growth was zilch."
Grind.
Han Biyeol ground his teeth.
So what if he used respectful terms? This squinty-eyed prick always subtly belittled him by flaunting his own achievements.
"...Lucky for you this is guild HQ."
"Whoops, I'll watch it. Sorry, sunbae-nim!"
His head was already steaming.
This sarcasm made it boil over from his forehead.
"Heard the latest? That standby team supposed to join you at Hangju Bridge yesterday. Turns out they ran into Seo the hunter on the way! Tried to bolt, got grilled, and apparently got reamed good."
"Figured as much."
"Seo Hunter's always... Does he even know? That his stiff personality made him a target."
"Hey, hoobae."
Han Biyeol stopped.
Squinty Eyes turned slowly.
"Got something to say?"
"We're here to beg off the Seo Hunter job. Say it's gotten too weird."
"Right."
"Still funny?"
Squinty Eyes' eyes widened slightly.
"Seo Hunter did whatever, but you wanna swing the sword? That guy's Korea's top hunter in three years. Stronger tomorrow than today."
"I know."
"Then quit strutting."
Squinty Eyes' eye twitched.
Then smoothed into a line.
"Haha. Thanks for the lesson!"
"...Slippery bastard...."
Thick-skinned but a master schmoozer—Squinty Eyes had tons of connections. Everyone knew he was shady but shrugged it off. Plenty of worse junior hunters out there.
As they walked on.
"Hey."
Han Biyeol suddenly asked Squinty Eyes.
"You still meeting Association staff?"
"Now and then. We're all family, right?"
"Then you've heard about second awakenings."
Squinty Eyes tilted his head.
"Heard through the grapevine. Rare as hell in Korea. But I know a fair bit domestically."
"Then overseas second awakening cases where the power...."
Han Biyeol's throat caught.
Even saying it felt absurd.
He barely continued.
"...The power's an instant-kill?"
It'd bugged him since last night.
Seo Wonseok, was it?
Definitely blood-related to Hunter Seo Boseok.
That alone was shocking.
He had leverage on Seo Boseok's family weak point.
But what really grated... unprecedented power.
—Sahyung.
Goblins wiped out instantly.
Explosion.
Witnesses and gate experts called it natural aftermath of the break's end.
Han Biyeol thought otherwise.
Easy talk for outsiders.
That was...
His ability.
He'd agonized all night over what it could be.
Conclusion?
"Instant-kill?"
This.
Squinty Eyes blinked.
"Sunbae-nim."
"No way, for real...."
"Did you hit your head yesterday?"
"...."
Han Biyeol gripped his curved sword's hilt.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Handing the Lego off to my niece like a baton, my brother shut the master bedroom door. Stealthily, without a sound.
Thud.
Even after closing, he gripped the handle cautiously.
"Whew."
A sigh of relief now that it was quiet.
I couldn't help chuckling.
"Wonder what folks would say if they knew Korea's top hunter's helpless against a four-year-old."
"You get the weight of being head of the house? Sheesh."
He plopped onto the floor.
A Lego piece tumbled.
"So."
His eyes turned serious.
The convo opener was yesterday's incident....
"Your body's...."
No.
"What'd the doc say?"
My health check was top priority.
So damn selflessly nagging.
I answered past my fluster.
"Anemia."
I hadn't sorted it out myself yet.
Head fuzzy, words might tangle. Sticking to the diagnosis on paper was safest—for now.
Lately, shapeshifter awakening crimes are rampant.
"Anemia? You?"
"That's the thing."
"...Could be second awakening aftereffects, then."
He naturally pegged it as second awakening.
Most logical guess right now.
I nodded, conscience pricking.
"You knew."
"How could I not?"
He didn't pry further into second awakening.
He must've been shocked.
Unspoken rule among awakened: never ask another's ability.
Superpowered society was a patchwork sock, patched with stopgaps after every incident.
Wrong from the start. Hunter society was riddled with distrust.
Even keeps the rule with me.
Might feel slighted, but I'd take it as consideration. Or occupational habit.
Especially for rare second awakenings—best kept secret. First and second were different beasts.
Probably for the best.
Not much I could explain anyway.
I shook off the thought with a small head shake.
He kept going.
"Plenty of witnesses to yesterday's Gate Break. Few articles and you'd know."
"Ar...ticles...?"
"You were hospitalized. Check this out."
He pulled out his phone. Just typing "Hangju Bridge" flooded search with articles. Titles varied, but gist was same.
Some headlines grab you. In hunter terms, good aggro.
⚡ BREAKING NEWS ⚡ [Exclusive Coverage] Hangju Bridge: Two A-Grade Hunters' "Encounter"
...(excerpt)...
Gija-ryeong, Reporter
LIVE | [CHANNEL NAME] — [Location] | [Time]
Way off the main point. That's what made it competitive.
This guy's still titling like this even now.
I started reading with a sigh, but it was decently written.
Unlike the sensational headline, the focus wasn't on A-grade hunters like my brother or Han Biyeol.
It was on me.