Brian 2

Once again, his younger brother’s face appeared in his mind.

He lay in bed in the middle of the night, but sleep wouldn’t come.

He could only listen to Kevin’s steady breathing from the bed next to him.

It was strange.

Lately, Edgar’s face kept popping into his mind.

Feeling restless, he got out of bed.

Kevin stirred but didn’t wake up.

He quietly got dressed and went outside.

The early morning air was cold.

To clear his mind, he headed to the open lot on the outskirts of the village.

Practicing swordsmanship there might help him organize his thoughts.

A sound of a sword slicing through the air came from a distance.

Shh… Shh…

It was sharp and clean.

Someone was clearly practicing swordsmanship.

He approached cautiously and saw a woman’s silhouette under the moonlight.

A greatsword was tracing trajectories that shimmered like silver ribbons in the air.

Haphel? At this hour?

As he drew closer, it was indeed Haphel.

Under the moonlight, she was wielding her greatsword with a serious expression, unlike her usual arrogance.

The massive blade gleamed softly in the moonlight.

Beads of sweat on her forehead sparkled like crystals.

Her swordsmanship was remarkable.

Handling such a heavy greatsword with the lightness of a feather, her movements exuded overwhelming energy.

Not a single unnecessary move.

Perfect balance.

This was the skill of an A-rank Adventurer.

His chest ached.

An A-rank Adventurer, yet she was still practicing at dawn.

As for him… had he truly lived his life to the fullest?

He had grown a lot recently, but maybe it was only natural that he remained a C-rank for seven years.

He turned to leave but stopped when Haphel noticed his presence.

“What brings you here at this hour?”

Her tone was sharp as usual, but there was something different about it.

Since meeting Lycoris, Haphel’s demeanor had subtly changed.

She wasn’t as prickly as before.

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep…”

“Troubled thoughts?”

He nodded.

“How about joining me?”

“Huh?”

“Sword practice. It’s better than being alone.”

He couldn’t believe it.

Haphel asking him to practice together? Something that would never happen before.

He hesitated, and Haphel, with her greatsword on her shoulder, said,

“What’s with the surprise? I’m not looking down on you. I just-“

Before she could finish, a flash of light cut through the darkness.

A brilliant beam rose from the Sia Kalt Mountains.

It looked like a thin thread but was more intense than moonlight and purer than starlight.

“That’s…”

Haphel murmured, but Brian knew what it was.

It was the Hind family’s secret technique.

A swordsmanship that burned life force for temporary power.

He had never mastered it, but Edgar…

Edgar must have succeeded.

His heart pounded.

That light was Edgar’s.

Why had he been thinking of his brother so much lately?

“Wait! Where are you going!?”

Haphel’s shout went unheard as he ran toward the light.

“Brian!!”

Haphel grabbed his shoulder.

“We have to go to where that light came from.”

“Why suddenly?”

“That’s… the Hind family’s secret technique.”

“The Hind family? That noble lineage of Genes?”

He nodded.

“I… was originally the first son of the Hind family.”

Haphel’s footsteps faltered for a moment.

“Then that light…”

“Must be my brother.”

No further explanation was needed.

Haphel silently followed him.

As they climbed the mountain, his chest tightened.

His breath grew labored, but he couldn’t stop.

The Hind family’s technique was as good as staking one’s life.

Edgar, if you’re in such a desperate situation…

Haphel’s footsteps behind him were oddly comforting.

She didn’t say a word, but whenever he stumbled, she seemed to reach out to support him, though she didn’t actually do it.

“Should we… take a rest?”

Haphel asked casually.

Her voice hid concern.

“I’m fine.”

He replied, though his voice trembled.

Was it due to exhaustion or worry for his brother?

…

They ran and ran.

The cold pre-dawn air pierced his lungs.

His breath came in ragged gasps, but he pressed on.

Finally, they reached the source of the light-the entrance to the Great Labyrinth.

“Please…”

A desperate prayer escaped his lips.

But reality was cruel.

“Edgar!”

He couldn’t bear to open his eyes.

His armor was gone, replaced by tattered clothes.

His pale, frozen skin resembled marble, and the wounds across his body still bled.

The red blood glistening on the white snow was all too vivid.

More alarming was his breathing.

Due to the aftereffects of the Hind family’s technique, his breath was thin and irregular, like an elderly man.

His veins under the skin were visible, frozen blue.

As if his very life force had frozen.

Perhaps from the combined effects of the technique and the extreme cold.

Memories of childhood flashed before his eyes.

When Edgar first held a sword, and Brian guided his small hands.

Back then, Edgar was just a nuisance, but now…

Seeing his brother in this state after seven years was heartbreaking.

The prodigy who was once so confident was now at death’s door.

As his older brother, he had done nothing for him, and now he found him like this.

His eyes stung.

“Edgar…”

He reached out to touch Edgar’s face.

It was cold.

So cold it felt like his heart would stop.

Edgar’s lips trembled faintly.

He was still alive.

But for how much longer?

His mind reeled.

Then Haphel spoke up.

“Snap out of it!”

She pulled out a red potion from her inventory.

An intermediate life recovery potion.

The shimmering liquid inside seemed alive.

Haphel’s hand trembled slightly.

She was nervous too.

“Open your mouth.”

She carefully poured the potion into Edgar’s mouth.

Each drop felt like an eternity.

Please… let it work.

But the effect was minimal.

His pale complexion improved slightly, but he remained critical.

Checking his pulse, it was growing weaker.

Even Marian, who had grown powerful recently, or the Saintess, would struggle with this.

Despair washed over him.

“Let’s go to Lycoris.”

Haphel suggested.

“Her healing pollen might work.”

Haphel believed in Lycoris?

She used to distrust Lycoris before…

But she was right.

Lycoris’s pollen had extraordinary healing properties.

That mysterious being they met on the mountains.

He recalled the story the Hero and the Saintess told after meeting Lycoris.

Lycoris had moved deeper into the labyrinth, and Frostia was gone.

They were now at the labyrinth’s entrance.

He looked up at Haphel.

“Haphel, could you inform the others that I’ve entered the labyrinth?”

Before he finished, Haphel glared at him incredulously.

“What? You think I’ll just stay and inform them? Of course I’m coming with you.”

“Huh? You’ve already come this far-“

“If you go alone, you’ll die.”

Haphel’s tone was rough, but there was a hint of concern.

As they stepped into the labyrinth, the cold enveloped them.

The icy walls exuded a chilling aura, and the sound of their footsteps echoed in the vast space.

Drip… Drip…

Water droplets fell somewhere in the distance.

The bloodstains split into two trails.

One staggered, the other showed signs of being supported.

Edgar and someone else.

Fortunately, no monsters were in sight.

At this depth, they should have encountered at least ten, but there were none.

Was it Lycoris’s influence? Or another reason?

Carrying Edgar was no easy task.

The cold emanating from his body was overwhelming, like holding a block of ice.

“Let me take him.”

Haphel suddenly reached out.

“I can-“

“You’re trembling.”

Haphel’s hands, though shaking from the cold, carefully took Edgar.

Her usual rough demeanor was gone, replaced by gentleness.

They advanced slowly, very slowly.

Deeper into the labyrinth, the darkness grew thicker.

It was probably daytime outside, but here, it remained pitch black.

Again, no monsters appeared.

At this depth, they should have faced at least ten, but there were none.

Haphel suddenly stopped.

“Wait, didn’t your brother have a run-in with Lycoris?”

He shook his head.

“Lycoris can’t use ice attacks. She has root abilities and pollen skills, but…”

“No, Lycoris controls ice insects.”

He examined Edgar again.

The suspicious small wounds were everywhere, but most were large.

Lycoris’s insects couldn’t inflict such wounds.

“No, look at these wounds. Lycoris’s insects are palm-sized at most. They can’t cause wounds like these. This looks more like… something much larger.”

“You’re right. These torn wounds can’t be explained by ordinary monster sizes.”

“Then, could it be Frostia?”

Haphel’s voice tensed.

“That’s impossible. If we met Frostia, we wouldn’t have escaped alive.”

As soon as he spoke, a chill ran down his spine.

Then, who…?

…

Following the blood trail, they walked for a while.

Haphel suddenly stopped.

“Shh.”

Her sharp eyes pierced the darkness.

“Someone’s coming from behind.”

Soon, voices were heard.

Human voices.

Who else could be here besides them?