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* * *
The 15th floor conquest that Doun had started lightly as practice ended in an instant. Since it wasn’t a first conquest without information, and various conquest methods had already emerged, the 15th floor was no different from a playground for hunters now, so it was a natural result.
Samin, who was roughly dismissing the conquest completion popup and picking up the magic stones left scattered on the ground, was seriously lost in thought.
‘To keep seeing hyung smile like this, should I just let hyung do whatever he wants and support him from behind?’
Even though he carried various burdens due to his title as guild master, Kyung Samin was only twenty-four. He was a fresh graduate who wouldn’t be lacking even if he spent all night drinking and acting immature. Naturally, he couldn’t help but be clumsy when it came to human relationships.
He was frowning deeply while picking up magic stones, unable to easily answer such a difficult question, when Doun quietly approached.
“I said I’d pick them up, so why are you doing that?”
“Oh, I melted those with poison, so they’ll sting if you touch them. Don’t come near.”
“That skill you use often. The one Hyeonwoo calls the Black Flame Dragon.”
“Yes. ‘That one.'”
Samin was reluctant to mention only the name of that particular toxic skill to Doun. Even if he’d tell him his house door lock code and bank account password, he didn’t want to reveal the skill name. The reason was nothing special. It was full of pretentious middle school syndrome sentiments that made him embarrassed to say out loud.
So even though Doun had heard detailed information that money couldn’t buy about Samin’s main skill—its acquisition method, usage range, combo skills—he actually didn’t know the exact name of that skill. He just vaguely thought that ‘Samin is reluctant to reveal his skills.’
“It’s a magic skill, right? I’m not affected by it anyway, so what does it matter?”
Doun had ‘Special Immunity (S),’ which was a superior version of the immunity skills that other magic-type hunters possessed. When it came to magic skills, he wasn’t even affected by skills cast by others. This meant he wouldn’t be hurt at all by various supernatural phenomena generated by magic.
He didn’t know it, but in the past, Chronos Guild had trusted this skill and used Doun as a human shield. Since he wasn’t affected by magic skills anyway. He wouldn’t burn from fire-attribute magic cast by other hunters, nor get electrocuted by electric-attribute magic, so they comfortably put him at the front lines.
“Let’s pick them up together and get out quickly.”
Doun sat down next to Samin without hesitation and picked up magic stones. After the conquest success popup appeared, video recording stopped. Personally, this was the moment he hated most. Usually at this timing, they’d handle the casualties, and the berating from Timer Choi Jeongwook, who had been the guild master, would pour down.
Doun wanted to collect the magic stones as quickly as possible and either leave the tower or go to the training floors to practice more. When Doun suddenly became quiet and only picked up magic stones, Samin, sensing something strange, also became busy with his hands.
Every time he picked up magic stones buried in the sticky liquid where flesh had melted from poison, his fingers became gooey. Samin, looking at the liquid stuck to his white fingers, muttered.
“Good thing I brought wet wipes and hand sanitizer. Let’s clean our hands after we finish collecting and then leave.”
“You brought stuff like that?”
“Of course.”
Samin had recently started carrying various items including handkerchiefs and wet wipes in his inventory to prepare for unexpected situations. Since the delicate Doun might cry again, he naturally had to take care of such things as someone who stuck by his side. At least that’s what he thought.
Last time he had shown the disgraceful behavior of trying to wipe with his t-shirt, but now it was different. He had thoroughly read reviews and stocked up on several luxury baby handkerchiefs that excelled at tear absorption, so he could cleanly take care of Doun when he cried or when his hands got dirty like now.
Such a considerate roommate who was even good at being charming—why wouldn’t Lee Doun suggest they live together?
Samin just felt resentful toward Doun. Still, if he consistently lured him with food, Doun might open his heart, so he diligently pondered today’s menu as well.
“It’s about lunchtime for us, so what should we eat?”
“Right. Is there anything you want to eat?”
“I wonder. What do you want to eat, hyung?”
Samin grinned as he watched Doun naturally ask him about the menu in return. It seemed like just yesterday that Doun had glared at him threateningly, saying he’d kill him if he sent one more text. Now he was asking first if there was anything he wanted to eat. He almost felt like crying at such tremendous progress.
“…I want to eat charcoal jjamppong today. But you said you sweat when you eat this.”
And he even remembered his eating habits. At this level, he deserved a standing ovation for his sincere past self who had persevered in squeezing out and sending texts despite consistent indifference.
“Chinese restaurants sell other things too, so I can eat those. I wonder if there are Chinese restaurants that don’t sell jjajangmyeon?”
“Then let’s go eat at that place where you said the charcoal jjamppong was delicious last time.”
“Mm. That place is near the guild building… Since it’s hot today, let’s order delivery to the office.”
Except for conquest teams he was familiar with, Doun was still completely intimidated by other hunters’ gazes. Although Samin thought it was a natural reaction since he’d been so vilified, it was inevitable that Samin felt upset watching from the side.
For his sake, Samin made weather excuses and induced delivery orders. Of course, it would be nice if Doun became indifferent to people’s gazes, but Samin was fine even if Doun didn’t become that way.
In spring, he could blame pollen or fine dust, in summer it was hot, in autumn the temperature difference was large, and in winter it was cold—those excuses were enough.
Doun, completely unaware of Samin’s inner thoughts, nodded while putting magic stones in his inventory.
“Yeah. I’ll buy it for you.”
“But hyung. Like yesterday’s company dinner, why do you keep trying to buy things for me?”
“I have a lot of money too. Well… not as much as you, though.”
Doun replied awkwardly while picking up a shining magic stone from among the sticky liquid where flesh had pooled and melted. Samin, who had been staring intently at Doun diligently collecting magic stones, twitched his eyebrows.
“Hyung. You’re not planning to buy me food with the money from selling today’s collected magic stones, are you?”
“What? Are you kidding? What do you take me for? I’m not that broke!”
Doun playfully clenched his fist and shook it. As their emotional distance narrowed, such playful behavior that was only possible between close friends often emerged. Maybe it was because he knew that Samin had a generous personality who took his jokes well from the beginning.
“No, what I mean is, why do you want to buy me things, hyung…?”
Samin, crouched on the dirt ground, casually draped both arms over his knees. The answer he hoped for was actually predetermined as he pouted and looked at Doun sitting next to him.
‘Honestly, I was the first to sleep over at hyung’s house, we kissed, he said thank you, and we even slept together in bed…! At this level, isn’t there a possibility that hyung likes me? Yesterday he even said jealous things about me knowing a lot of people.’
Namely, a tiny expression of affection showing that Lee Doun liked him. Samin persistently asked questions hoping for exactly that. However, Doun only gave answers that shattered such expectations.
“Originally, it’s natural for hyungs to buy things like meals for their dongsaengs, you know.”
Instead of saying he liked him or bought meals because he cared, it was a statement where no romantic feelings could be felt at all.
Good brotherly relationship between acquainted hyung and dongsaeng.
It was a tone suggesting that since he was supposedly the hyung, it would hurt his pride to freeload meals from his dongsaeng, so naturally he should buy the meals.
“No… hyung is really…”
Samin buried his head in his knees just like that. If earlier he had almost cried tears of joy because Doun remembered his eating habits, now he almost wanted to cry because of his indifference.
‘I confessed that I liked him and we even kissed, but why!’
It seemed this level wasn’t enough to be seen as a romantic partner. Then he had no choice but to think of other methods. Samin’s eyes shone brightly as he pondered new ways to appeal his charm.
* * *
The day after Doun’s rapid 15th floor conquest video became a minor topic of discussion.
Doun’s face was full of tension as he entered the tower. This was because he had decided to conquer two floors consecutively today to catch up with the backlogged floors as quickly as possible, like homework.
It was a consecutive conquest that originated from an impulsive suggestion he made while eating the charcoal jjamppong that Samin had recommended after returning to the guild building following practice.
‘I remember you suggesting we try consecutive conquests before, and I’m worried because the 55th floor conquest keeps getting delayed because of me.’
Samin, who seemed ready to agree to anything Doun said, pondered briefly before asking the conquest team’s opinion, and all conquest team members casually agreed.
Since they usually spent over half a day stuck inside the tower figuring out things like magical beasts’ habits and weaknesses, conquering two floors consecutively was a piece of cake.
“From what I can see, the bastard who made the tower ran out of ideas and just recycled everything. The previous two floors were just rough copies of snowy fields pasted together, and the floor after this one is also a desert.”
Kim Chansol looked at the dry desert terrain with a sullen expression.
“Exactly.”
“They’re aliens but have no originality, no originality.”
Kim Siwon and Do Hyeonwoo nodded. Unlike the other hunters who leisurely cursed and grumbled about the tower creator, Doun was in a tense state, silently gripping only his staff.
“Hyung. If you get hot while moving, go near Siwon.”
“Why?”
“Because the desert is where Siwon lives up to his nickname.”
Doun recalled Kim Siwon’s hunter nickname, understood, and nodded.
Kim Siwon’s Veritas System nickname was Cooler. At first, he thought it was just an English word derived from his name like Samin or Park Sangyeon, but it turned out he was an attack-type hunter specialized in ice-attribute magic.
There were many magic skills that could be easily purchased from the hunter shop. Doun had also bought all the skills available in the shop. Although what he mainly used were rare skills that could only be acquired by meeting specific conditions.
Since there were skills obtained by possessing all shop-sold skills, hunters with financial means often bought skills almost like collectibles. However, Kim Siwon was different.
Excluding automatically obtained skills, he had bought only ice-attribute magic. If someone shared the acquisition path for ice-attribute skills, he’d run there immediately, but he had no particular interest in other skills.
If Kim Chansol was an attention-seeker thirsting for interest, Kim Siwon was a concept devotee faithful to his concept.
“Alright. Let’s quickly clear these two floors and prepare for the unity competition the day after tomorrow.”
Samin lightly refreshed the atmosphere and the conquest proceeded immediately. There were still some clunky parts, but since they were hunters excellent at improvisation, there were no major problems.
It was just that Doun’s cheeks became completely flushed from the desert heat, making Samin’s lower body a bit troubled. His gait was strangely awkward compared to usual, but since the terrain was desert, everyone thought he was just having trouble walking and didn’t even pay attention.
It was the first moment Samin felt grateful to desert terrain.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
