Yoo Ji-won visibly shrank back, an awkward expression spreading across his face, but he didn’t stop holding up his phone. Instead, he raised it even higher, making sure to get Oh Kwon-hyuk’s full figure into the live stream.
“Wait, isn’t this Oh Kwon-hyuk?”
He had guts. When I first saw the man, I couldn’t even get a proper word out. Thanks to some degree of socialization over the years, Oh Kwon-hyuk no longer went straight for a stranger’s throat upon meeting them. Still, he responded with a harsh tone.
“Who the hell are you?”
His voice was low and threatening, as if he might knock Yoo Ji-won out right then and there. The chat exploded like it had caught fire. Comments like [Is Yoo Ji-won about to die??????] and [RIP in advance] were flooding in live.
In contrast, the Constellations were rather unimpressed.
[CH.Individual/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: Ask that mutt why the hell he keeps bothering people.]
[CH.Individual/One Who Guides the Dead: Did you just call him… mutt?]
[CH.Individual/Free Wind: Wow~ Human curiosity really is something~ Even knowing the Constellations are watching, they still feel the need to stare at other humans and set up these streaming systems~ Though, to be fair, “streaming” is a term borrowed from human civilization~ Oops, TMI, sorry~]
“You… you don’t know who I am?”
Yoo Ji-won’s eyes widened as he looked up at Oh Kwon-hyuk. The bridge of his nose, dotted with freckles, twitched. He seemed genuinely offended at not being recognized.
“I don’t.”
“Five million subscribers! A star in the sky! Shining, sparkling Yoo Ji-won! The guy who soloed that dungeon—the one even high-ranked Hunters are too scared to enter—in just an hour and a half! And you’re telling me you don’t know me?”
“Sparkling? Only Blue Star rings a bell.”
Yoo Ji-won froze in place, utterly stunned.
[CH.Individual/One More Dazzling Than the Sun: That Yoo Ji-won guy reminds me of Hermes.]
[CH.Individual/Free Wind: Huh? What are you saying~ The way he freaks out when people don’t recognize him—he’s just like all of us mythological gods~ Don’t pretend otherwise^^]
Oh Kwon-hyuk gave Yoo Ji-won a disinterested glance, then turned his gaze toward me.
“Was that guy bothering you?”
“Huh?”
“Was he bothering you?”
“Uh, no? Not really….”
“Then come with me. I’ve been looking for you.”
He said it like it was obvious, but I stared at him like, Why the hell would you be looking for me? Oh Kwon-hyuk raised an eyebrow.
“A raid team has been assembled. We’re in the same group. I’d like your cooperation.”
“Shouldn’t you be the one hoping I’ll cooperate with you…?”
At my words, Oh Kwon-hyuk gave a slight nod.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The fact that he was listening so obediently made me wonder if all that talk about “protecting me” before was actually serious. And just then, from far off, Baek Tae-beom came running.
It was immediately obvious it was Baek Tae-beom, because the crowd parted on either side of him like waves—his presence enough to send people recoiling in fear, their expressions contorting as if they’d just seen something terrifying.
“Hyung!”
Baek Tae-beom ran straight to me and wrapped me up in his arms like he was pulling me into his embrace. My face ended up pressed into his shoulder, and he turned me around so I was now facing away from Oh Kwon-hyuk.
“You fucking bastard, you messing with my hyung again—”
“Whoa, whoa, it’s not like that, Tae-beom. It’s fine.”
Good boy. I soothed Baek Tae-beom, patting his shoulder in steady rhythm. The growl in his voice, ready to pounce, quieted down. His stiff, tense body gradually relaxed.
Even in the middle of all that, Yoo Ji-won was still making a scene off to the side.
“Holy shit, it’s really Baek Tae-beom…! This close, oh god…!”
[Is that really him in the flesh?]
[WTF he’s insanely good-looking]
[The way Beom ran over like that—dude was a literal bulldozer]
[He seriously looks after Choi Ga-hyeon like the rumors say LOL]
[Kinda kills the image though]
[Yoo Ji-won not being able to shut his mouth is hilarious]
[Oppa, you’re drooling]
[Felt like a massive black panther was charging]
[But they actually look good together LOL]
But Baek Tae-beom completely ignored Yoo Ji-won like he was part of the scenery and kept his attention on me.
“Did he say weird shit to you again?”
“Nope. He just came to let me know about the team assignment.”
“Oh, I thought…”
“How did the talk go?”
“It went well. Looked like they understood and accepted it.”
Baek Tae-beom had just returned from speaking with the Association—specifically to issue a warning about Angrboda. He didn’t go into detail, simply stated that another Constellation might intervene in the dungeon and requested they stay alert.
And since it was Baek Tae-beom himself delivering the message, they probably didn’t take it lightly.
“When do we depart?”
The answer came not from him but from Oh Kwon-hyuk.
“They said they’ll give a signal.”
At that very moment, the bracelet on my wrist began to vibrate.
[Greetings, Hunter Choi Ga-hyeon.]
[Thank you for participating in the raid on <Tower of Hellnest>.]
[You are currently in the entrance queue. Your position: #2.]
In The Apocalypse Chronicles of Another World, trivial things like this were never depicted, so it was the first time I’d seen a system that assigned entry order into a dungeon like pulling a numbered ticket.
It was unexpectedly modern, and I wasn’t sure whether I should be impressed or just laugh.
‘Are they going to introduce kiosks next?’
If the world didn’t collapse, it wouldn’t be out of the question. Hunters tapping at kiosks in front of dungeons—that would be a sight.
I briefly imagined Oh Kwon-hyuk using a kiosk, and when that mental image escalated to him smashing the machine, I decided to stop thinking about it.
‘Let’s hope that never gets implemented.’
“Nervous, hyung?”
Baek Tae-beom lowered his head to ask gently, probably assuming my silence was due to nerves. Come to think of it, I was still wrapped in his arms. His scent was so familiar now that I found myself unconsciously accepting the physical contact.
I gently pushed back against Baek Tae-beom’s shoulder and shook my head.
“It’s not really nerves.”
“Then?”
“I was just thinking about something else.”
“What kind of thoughts?”
I couldn’t bring myself to admit I’d been picturing Oh Kwon-hyuk destroying a kiosk, so I gave a vague reply.
“Nothing important.”
But Baek Tae-beom, undeterred, replied shamelessly.
“Even if it’s nothing to you, it means a lot to me.”
“What?”
“Oh my god.”
Yoo Ji-won gasped and clamped his hands over his mouth.
[OMG~]
[Well, I’ll be damned]
[Is this a romance arc now?]
[Baek Tae-beom live-feed LMAO]
[Yoo Ji-won’s reaction is killing me XD]
[Are they real brothers? Nah, siblings don’t act like that, ffs]
Then, more shamelessly, Oh Kwon-hyuk chimed in from the side.
“It means something to me, too.”
Hhhhgggh.
Yoo Ji-won sucked in a loud breath.
[Is this a morning drama or something?]
[This is insane, I’m living for it]
[What are the three of them even doing? LMAOOOO]
[Why is Yoo Ji-won like this LOL]
[WHEN are they actually going into the dungeon tho LOL]
[Is this a love triangle? Wtf]
[Constellation ‘One Who Guides the Dead’ has sponsored you 3,000 Coins.]
[Remaining Coins: 5,700]
[Constellation ‘One Who Guides the Dead’ has sponsored you 3,000 Coins.]
[Remaining Coins: 8,700]
[Constellation ‘One More Dazzling Than the Sun’ has sponsored you 5,000 Coins.]
[Remaining Coins: 13,700]
I kicked Oh Kwon-hyuk in the shin and shouted.
“Cut it the hell out, you bastards.”
Fortunately, before I could smash Oh Kwon-hyuk’s shin into pieces, it was our turn to enter.
The dungeon’s entrance wasn’t anything special. It looked just the same as I remembered it from two years ago.
There were no question marks this time—perhaps because everything that needed revealing had already come to light.
[You have entered a dungeon that has been fully unlocked.]
[Dungeon: <Path to the Gods>]
[No additional info available
Estimated Rank: A
Reward: ???]
[You have entered Channel #fdl990. Current number of spectators: 8]
[Additionally, ‘Free Wind’ has entered. Current number of spectators: 9]
[‘Unknown User’ has exited Channel #fdl990. Current number of spectators: 8]
We were Team 2, currently entering in groups of fifty. A total of one hundred people were now inside the dungeon. Quite a few among them seemed to be under contract with Constellations, as the Constellation Communication Net was more chaotic than ever before.
[CH.#fdl990/One More Dazzling Than the Sun]: Why the hell are there so many people here? Don’t any of you have jobs?
[CH.#fdl990/Free Wind]: That’s not quite right~ ( ˃ᴗ˂ ) It’s not everyone—Apollo, you don’t have anything to do either~ You were just whining to me and Anubis because your contractor didn’t show up to fight and you’re so bored~!
[CH.#fdl990/One More Dazzling Than the Sun]: Why are you on my ass today? Did I commit some sin or something?
[CH.#fdl990/One Who Holds Two Snakes]: Verily,,,,,,, gods,,,,,, ought not live,,,,,,, with sin upon their backs,,,,,,,,
[CH.#fdl990/One More Dazzling Than the Sun]: What the hell is this guy now?
[CH.#fdl990/Warrior Who Protected Civilization]: This guy? You speak with reckless abandon! You possess a most worthless mouth! I shall personally see it sliced clean off!
[CH.#fdl990/One More Dazzling Than the Sun]: And who the hell is this now?
[Constellation ‘Warrior Who Protected Civilization’ raises a massive boulder.]
[Constellation ‘One More Dazzling Than the Sun’ flees in terror.]
Ignoring the chaos erupting in both the chat and notification windows, we reached the massive gate.
