Ch.204Side Story: What Happened?

“The Guild Master has summoned me? Why on earth…?”

“I don’t know either. But the order was to come fully prepared, so please make appropriate arrangements. And don’t forget to arrive on time.”

The secretary left after saying only that. Kang Yu-na’s mind became overwhelmingly complicated.

‘Is it because I spent too much time on the last subjugation? Or because I destroyed some expensive equipment? No, that can’t be it. They said it was fine since I came back alive…’

The Eternal Guild was the envy of hunters worldwide. Naturally, the caliber of hunters who gathered there was extraordinarily high.

The philosophy that human lives were more important than equipment was a fundamental principle thanks to that.

Low-rank hunters who joined mediocre guilds just because they awakened abilities without knowing what they were doing might be valued less than the equipment they wore, but not here.

Since most people who had the skills to enter the Eternal Guild had made names for themselves, the guild would typically brush off even the destruction of equipment worth hundreds of millions of won as long as the hunter returned alive…

‘And it’s Lee Seo-ah of all people! I’m really doomed…’

Among the seven Guild Masters, Lee Seo-ah was undoubtedly the most demanding. It was commonly said that if she caught you making a mistake, you should forget about excuses and just start praying.

Why would someone like that summon her?

But there was no time to tremble in fear. Even with her mind in chaos, Kang Yu-na finished her preparations perfectly and headed toward the Guild Master’s office with a rigid, knife-like posture.

Standing in front of the door, she composed her voice as much as possible, and when the appointed time came, she knocked without a moment’s hesitation. The knocking sound echoed at regular intervals.

“Guild Master. This is Kang Yu-na. I’ve come as summoned.”

“Come in.”

Kang Yu-na desperately maintained her composure as she stepped inside.

“Why did you call for me—huh?!”

She had to catch her breath when she saw Lee Seo-ah smiling brightly at her.

Normally, Lee Seo-ah would cross her legs, rest her chin on one hand, and indifferently look at documents, regardless of who entered. Kang Yu-na knew this well from her previous visits.

But now? She was sitting upright in her chair, looking at Kang Yu-na, and even smiling brightly. Nearly suffering a heart attack, Kang Yu-na approached her trembling.

Regardless of the current situation, she was stunningly beautiful even from another woman’s perspective. Her black hair reaching her shoulders, the faint red eyes visible through her bangs, and her figure below.

In fact, all of the Eternal Guild’s Masters were like that. There was once even mockery suggesting they were selected based on appearance. But after the Gate incidents escalated and their abilities were confirmed, everyone shut up.

“Would you like some tea?”

“N-no! I’m fine!”

I’m dead today, Kang Yu-na chanted inwardly. Whatever she had done in the past, she was clearly on the Guild Master’s bad side. Her life flashed before her eyes.

“You’re sweating a lot. If you’d like, I can lower the temperature.”

“No! I’m fine!”

“Is that so? Very well. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Th-thank you!”

While expressing gratitude, Kang Yu-na wished she could just faint right there. Why was this person being like this to her today? Should she beg to at least spare her parents?

Whether aware of these inner thoughts or not, Lee Seo-ah flipped through the documents in her hand and spoke.

“Kang Yu-na, A-rank hunter. Twenty-nine years old. Weapon of choice is a greatsword, and awakened ability is superhuman strength. Correct?”

“Y-yes! That’s correct!”

“Can you guess why I called you here?”

‘How would I know if you didn’t tell me!’

Kang Yu-na screamed internally. Besides, why was she reciting her profile when they’d met several times before? At this point, she just wished for a quick death if that was the intention.

“I don’t know, ma’am!”

“I thought as much.”

Lee Seo-ah rested her chin on her hand and smiled again.

‘Just kill me already…’

Kang Yu-na screamed internally once more.

“Family relations… Both parents are alive and well, and your younger brother, two years your junior, died seven years ago when his residence collapsed during a Gate emergence incident. Is this also correct?”

“…Yes, it is.”

At the mention of her brother, Kang Yu-na, who had been screaming internally, became as calm as if cold water had been poured over her. While many people had similar experiences in today’s world, Kang Yu-na also carried painful memories.

Her brother had lived an ordinary life for twenty years, but suddenly changed, taking a leave of absence from university and shutting himself in his room.

Just as her worry was mounting, the Gate incident occurred. Kang Yu-na successfully awakened her abilities by sheer luck and, at the urging of her parents who had also fortunately escaped the disaster, went to check on her brother’s rented apartment.

But the building where her brother lived had completely vanished. A Gate had appeared in the center of the building. In her dazed state, she learned from the police that they couldn’t even recover the bodies of those who lived there.

“Why are you suddenly mentioning my brother?”

She thought she had buried it deep in her heart. Kang Yu-na’s tone became noticeably blunt. Lee Seo-ah continued undeterred.

“You’ll see.”

Suddenly, the door at the back of the Guild Master’s office opened, and someone walked out with an awkward smile.

Kang Yu-na’s eyes widened.

“Hi, sis. It’s been a while.”

“…Yu-seong?”

The person who appeared was her brother, Kang Yu-seong, who had died seven years ago. Strangely, despite the seven years that had passed, his face had barely changed.

Kang Yu-na, as if entranced, started to approach her brother but hesitated.

“…Is he really my brother?”

“I do not lie. Go and check for yourself. You’ll know whether it’s true or not.”

Lee Seo-ah extended her hand, pointing toward him. Her gaze returned to her brother, or whatever was wearing her brother’s appearance.

“Are you really my brother?”

“Who else would appear with this face besides me?”

“Anyone can say that. Prove it.”

“That’s easy. Let’s see, what should I use…”

She couldn’t believe it. Or perhaps she didn’t want to believe it. That her brother, who died seven years ago, was standing before her in perfect condition.

So she desperately wanted him to prove it. She wanted proof that even she, weathered by the world’s hardships, couldn’t deny—

“Remember when you were in your senior year of high school? Ten days before the college entrance exam. You stuck a dildo to the wall above your bed and were doing it when the wallpaper tore and you fell, passing out in a frog position—”

“WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT HERE YOU CRAZY BASTARD AAAAAHHH!!!!!!”

With the remarkable physical abilities of an A-rank hunter, Kang Yu-na instantly rushed to her damn brother and covered his mouth. Then, trembling with shame and humiliation, she turned to look at the Guild Master.

“…I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

The Guild Master was pretending to look at her documents. Kang Yu-na felt all the strength drain from her body.

Her brother removed her hand from his mouth and grinned smugly.

“How about it? Need more proof?”

“You wouldn’t dare…”

“Too bad. I was going to tell you how hard I worked to clean up afterward so our parents wouldn’t find out.”

“Alright. Well done. You really are my brother, Kang Yu-seong.”

Thump. Kang Yu-na hit her brother’s chest once. The sound of pain wasn’t even audible.

“You… you damn bastard… if you were alive, you should have come to us first…”

Thump. She hit him again, softer this time.

“We thought you were dead… we even held a funeral… without a body… but you…”

Thump. This time, there was almost no strength in it.

“Such a terrible bastard…”

Small droplets fell at her feet.

“Did you call them?”

“Yeah, I did.”

After finishing the call with their parents, I came out to the terrace borrowed through the Guild Master’s authority to find my sister waiting while smoking a cigarette.

Both parents had indescribable reactions. It took quite a while to convince them that I would come to them instead of them rushing here right away.

“You smoke too? You’ve become quite the delinquent while I was gone, Kang Yu-na.”

“I started this because of the stress from becoming a hunter after you died, you jerk.”

The crumpled paper cup in her hand flew at me. I caught it lightly and tossed it into the trash bin, making her click her tongue.

“You won’t even let me hit you. Jerk.”

“I’ve grown too big to let that happen.”

“Yeah, you’re so great. Just go ahead and do whatever you want.”

With her cigarette half-smoked, Kang Yu-na leaned her arms on the terrace railing and continued puffing smoke. I stood beside her, also leaning against the railing, looking up at the sky.

The conversation resumed when the cigarette was almost burnt out.

“So, what’s your reason for being missing for seven years that I’ll have no choice but to accept? If you can’t convince me, be prepared. I’ll hit you as much as I grieved thinking you were dead.”

“I went to another world and came back.”

“Ah, I see. Another world—”

Kang Yu-na, who seemed to be accepting it surprisingly easily, stopped mid-sentence. Her head turned toward me with a creaking motion, like a rusty wind-up doll.

“What did you just say?”

“I said I went to another world and came back.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true.”

“Prove it.”

“Here you go.”

I summoned Eternal instead of the Dragon Fang Sword to show her. For now, at least, I had no intention of revealing that Nika’s summoner and I were the same person.

My sister flinched in surprise when she saw Eternal.

“What’s that? An artifact? It looks insanely expensive.”

“It would be if I sold it. It’s a sword that never breaks or dulls.”

“…Are you lying to me right now? Do you think I’ll believe anything just because you’ve returned after being missing for seven years?”

“I’m telling the truth. What do I need to do for you to believe me?”

“That’s for you to figure out, why should I tell you how to—AAAAHHHH!”

Before Kang Yu-na could finish, I used physical enhancement to twist her arm. She screamed and half-bent her body in the direction her arm was twisted.

“Hey! Kang Yu-seong! Are you cra—AAHH! You crazy bastard! It’s breaking! It’s going to break!”

“It’s fine. I’ll heal it if it breaks.”

“What healing! Let go right now!”

“You should be the one to let go. Are you going to stay like this? If I apply a little more force, it will really break.”

“You crazy son of a—”

With a low curse, Kang Yu-na attacked me with all her might.

“Ugh, nngh…”

And after being completely overpowered, she collapsed on the bench.

My sister sat on the bench, continuously rubbing her shoulder and elbow while groaning.

“You’re really insane… I thought my arm was going to break.”

“Did you think I would really break it? I was just scaring you to make you go all out. You asked me to prove it. And I used healing magic, so stop exaggerating.”

“As if.”

“Now do you believe me? I heard your awakened ability is superhuman strength. But you were no match for me in terms of power.”

“Fine, I believe you, I believe you. I’m too disgusted not to believe.”

Kang Yu-na snorted and leaned back on the bench. Then she took out another cigarette from her pocket and lit it.

“Hah… Kang Yu-na’s life is so damn spectacular. Gates suddenly appear on Earth, I become an A-rank hunter, and my brother is a transmigrator? Wow, this is insane.”

After grumbling like that, she remained quiet for a while. When the cigarette had almost burned down to the end, she looked at me with a face that suggested something had just occurred to her.

“But is it okay for you to just tell me all this? Shouldn’t you keep it secret?”

“I thought about it a lot too. Whether to hide it or tell you. But then I realized that with the world as it is now, having a few transmigrators around wouldn’t be that strange.”

If the world had remained unchanged, I would have kept it a secret for life without even considering otherwise. But hasn’t the world changed too much to be surprised by something like this?

It’s a world where having a few transmigrators wouldn’t be strange at all. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other transmigrators besides us.

“And I can trust you, sis. I’m confident you won’t tell anyone.”

“…”

Kang Yu-na had a blank expression at my words.

“Ugh. I feel weird inside.”

“Why are you picking a fight even though I said I trust you? Want to fight?”