EFME 21

“Hyung, hyung. I heard you saw Jang Beomjin getting his ass beat in person. How was it?”

Dakyung, who had come to the break room, asked his question as soon as he said hello. After hanging out together last time, his attitude had become much friendlier.

“…He looked like he was in pain.”

He hadn’t seen the whole thing because he was busy evacuating, but getting beaten up by Muyeong looked incredibly tough. He was getting thrashed so miserably that you had to wonder why he even picked a fight. Dakyung took Sunyul’s words with great pleasure.

“Ha. To think I missed seeing that in person… I’m so sad. I’m tearing up.”

“Don’t cry, Dakyung.”

Thinking he was really crying, Sunyul comforted Dakyung. At that, Dakyung beamed. He seemed to be in a rather good mood.

“Well, I guess I should be laughing since they said he beat Jang Beomjin half to death. I shouldn’t be crying. Right?”

“…Are you two on really bad terms?”

At Sunyul’s question, Dakyung nodded his head vehemently.

“We are. Really, really bad. Ugh, he’s just one rank higher than me, but he acts so damn cocky. That guy got it all from contribution points; if we fought properly, I bet I could wipe the floor with him. I don’t get why we have to pay a fine for Hunters fighting each other. They should just hold Hunter ranking matches like other countries.”

“I see. It hasn’t been long since you started seriously entering dungeons either.”

Sunyul said, recalling information he had heard a while ago. Dakyung let out a deep sigh.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s so unfair it’s killing me. If I had my way, I’d go into dungeons every day, but my mom and dad worry so much…”

Dakyung grumbled for a good while. Sunyul thought that Dakyung seemed to have grown up in a pretty good environment. He also thought that was a good thing.

After venting for a while, Dakyung’s expression softened, as if he felt much more relieved.

“Hyung, what are you doing now?”

“Just… going to rest.”

Sunyul answered vaguely. He had just followed Muyeong to the guild, but he didn’t have anything in particular to do or any purpose.

“Then do you want to go to the Melior Guild with me?”

“The Melior Guild?”

“Haemin hyung said he saw you and Heena-noona. It’s their guild.”

“Ah…”

Sunyul recalled the two people who had observed him and given him a rather favorable interview.

When he actually met them, he just thought they were a bit strange, but they had spoken surprisingly well of him. Thanks to them, the gazes toward Sunyul, at least within the guild, had turned favorable.

“If it’s okay, let’s go.”

“Awesome.”

Dakyung cheered and immediately went to ask Muyeong for permission. After a moment’s thought, Muyeong readily nodded.

“There’s no harm in it. Don’t stray from Lim Sunyul when you’re out, and watch him well.”

“Yep. Of course.”

Sunyul headed straight to the Melior Guild with Dakyung.

The Melior Guild was located in a three-story building in the suburbs. They had bought up all the nearby land, and that empty space was used for the primary testing of item performance.

“The guild only has fifteen members besides the guild master, but almost all of them are A-rank. Truly a small, elite group.”

As they drove in and watched a guild member testing an item in the distance, Dakyung added an explanation. Sunyul nodded his head, fascinated.

After parking the car and going inside, the security was quite intense. Only after undergoing all sorts of checks from head to toe were they barely able to enter.

The Melior Guild was the only one in the world with two S-rank crafters. The items those two made were primarily stored in the guild, so strict security was essential. They didn’t usually accept guests, so even this was exceptional treatment.

As they entered the guild, Heena and Haemin, who had been waiting, shot up from their seats.

“Oh, our Dakyung is here.”

“Dakyung, have you been well?”

“Noona! Hyung!”

Dakyung ran to the two, extremely happy to see them. Haemin put on a sullen face as if he were disappointed.

“Why did you call for noona first?”

“In the order of who called me first.”

“That’s so mean.”

“Then you should have spent the day being more agile.”

Heena, scoffing at the grumbling Haemin, gave Dakyung a light hug. The abandoned Haemin greeted Sunyul, who was behind them.

“Hey to you too. Heard you swiped Jang Beomjin’s item?”

“What does ‘swiped’ mean?”

“Stole it.”

“I didn’t steal it!”

“Right, that’s what they all say. Good job. I don’t like that bastard either.”

“……”

Sunyul kept his mouth shut, as he couldn’t deny it outright because of what the constellation had said. Fortunately, no one found his silent reaction suspicious.

“Dakyung said he was buying clothes today, right?”

“Yes. I scraped together as much allowance as I could.”

“Oh, good. For Dakyung, I should give a little discount.”

“Noona and hyung are my gods.”

“Alright, then serve us well.”

Haemin led the way, and Dakyung stuck to his back like a sycophant. Sunyul followed behind them with Heena.

“This is the new collection for this winter season.”

“Wow.”

Dakyung exclaimed, examining the clothes.

Unlike crafters of the past who only focused on performance, Haemin paid a great deal of attention to the design of his items. His items were highly popular for many reasons, as they were created in collaboration with luxury brands or designers. Thanks to him, these days, all crafters tended to put effort into design as well.

“Any options you need?”

“Cold resistance and increased health options.”

“Hmm. I don’t know if there’s one with both.”

“I can buy them separately. It would be nice to get one with a fatigue recovery option too…”

While Dakyung was focused on picking items with Haemin, Heena spoke to Sunyul.

“Hey, did you see the interview?”

“The interview where you talked about me?”

“Yeah.”

“I saw it. Thank you.”

Sunyul bowed his head deeply. Seeing the very polite Sunyul, Heena smiled softly.

“Don’t mention it. We’re the ones who should be thankful for letting us observe you.”

Heena patted the seat next to her. Sunyul took a seat there.

“I saw the analysis results from the Han-i-yeon.”

“The Han-i-yeon?”

“The Korea Institute of Paranormal Abilities Research. The place where you were first tested.”

Sunyul’s face turned pale as he nodded.

“…Yes.”

“They said that half of the components that make you up are human, but the other half are mana or dungeon material. But to deny that you’re human, you’re still half-similar.”

“……”

“There are two possible theories here. One is that you were created in a dungeon and imitated a human. This is the most likely hypothesis. Or, that you were originally human but, for some reason, entered a dungeon and were influenced, turning into an item. This is the hypothesis I’m pushing for.”

“Hey, say something that makes sense.”

Haemin, who had distanced himself a bit from the mesmerized Dakyung, must have overheard Heena, as he approached the two of them.

“The idea that a substance’s properties can change due to the influence of a dungeon is still just a hypothesis. Even if it were true, for a being as large as this kid to mutate enough to deviate from being human would take more than a few hundred years.”

“Anyway, the possibility exists, doesn’t it? A variable could have appeared and accelerated the dungeon-ization.”

“My god. That’s complete nonsense.”

“What’s nonsense? It’s more nonsensical that such a sophisticated human could be created artificially.”

“You might as well say he’s a special present the dungeon gave to Kwon Muyeong.”

At Haemin’s words, Heena made a contemptuous face.

“What the fuck.”

“You’re the one talking shit, you know? You’re not that smart, yet you go around making weird speculations.”

“I’m much smarter than you, you know?”

The two began to bicker. He hadn’t seen Heena and Haemin often, but this scene already felt familiar.

[The ‘Traveler of the Eternal Night’ is impressed, saying it’s a sharper guess than he thought.]

What on earth was so sharp about it?

If, as Heena said, his body had changed from being in a dungeon for a long time… that felt a bit lonely. Because during that incredibly long time spent in the dungeon, he would have surely been alone.

“Hyung, I’m done picking!”

“Oh, oh, okay.”

At Dakyung’s words, the childish fight about what their IQs were and who couldn’t even get spelling right came to a halt.

Haemin left, and Heena shrugged her shoulders.

“Anyway, that’s how it is. As for whose theory is right, you can believe whichever one you like.”

Sunyul wanted to believe Heena’s words. No matter how lonely it sounded, he felt more at ease with the idea of being human.

“Hyung, hyung!”

Just then, Dakyung called out to Sunyul.

“Hyung, come over here for a sec. Tell me which one looks better on me.”

Sunyul nodded readily. Dakyung tried on the clothes one by one. The first was a long coat, pitch-black with sharp lines, and the second was a jumper with a collar decorated with short fur.

“I think I like the first one you wore.”

“Right? I think the first one is better too, but Haemin hyung keeps saying the second one is better.”

At Dakyung’s claim, Haemin tutted.

“Hey, you have to pick what suits the person. Clothes like the first one only suit people like Kwon Muyeong. Not a fluffy twenty-year-old baby.”

“How much of an age difference is there between you and me!”

“I’m almost thirty, so I’m much more of an adult than you, who just shed your minor status.”

“I’ll be twenty-one in a month and a half too, you know!”

“Hey, it’s been ages since the Korean age system changed. You’re still twenty in international age. And you have a late birthday, too.”

Dakyung was at a loss, feeling wronged. He then pointed at Sunyul.

“Sunyul hyung said the first one is better too!”

“What would he know, he doesn’t even have his memories straight. Since the person he’s around is Guild Master Cheongyeon, he sees formal wear all the time, so he probably just said that suit-like one was better. Right?”

Is that so? It sort of feels like it might be.