The sky outside the window was still dark. Having woken early, Han Yuhyun looked at Han Yujin’s face, lightly shaded in dawn’s gloom. His brother’s breathing was calm, and there was no sign he would wake soon. Han Yuhyun slowly sat up. He had burned away the bloodstains, but the lower floor was still a mess. Yesterday’s events—still today by Korean time—floated through his mind. That Han Yuhyun was identical to himself. Iryn, too, recognized him as the contract holder. Their basic appearances were almost the same. He was a little taller—but barely. His build was a bit larger, but the body type matched. Perhaps this was Han Yuhyun some years later—at least several years older. ‘...a dungeon’s, monster?’ Something similar had happened in the Chinese dungeon. He had met his twenty-nine-year-old brother there. He didn’t see him directly, but his twenty-four-year-old self had also been there. Han Yuhyun’s eyebrows twitched in confusion. He couldn’t make sense of it. The one who had appeared suddenly offered almost no explanation about himself—only about their brother. ‘He was benevolent toward my brother, at least.’ He couldn’t be considered an enemy. In truth, if he were Han Yuhyun, he would have to accept him. He was there to help and protect their brother—valuing him more than himself. Yet he felt unease. Thinking of Han Yujin, he knew he shouldn’t—but he disliked this other self. Should he tell his brother? Honestly, he didn’t even want to bring the topic up. Hesitating, Han Yuhyun slid out of bed. He had tried to hide that presence, so there was no need to reveal it immediately. Han Yuhyun glanced back at Han Yujin once before leaving the bedroom. As he descended the stairs, debating whether to tell his brother that a monster had invaded, he sensed a fiendish aura. He quietly headed for the living room. On the table, where the cake and dishes had been left, a small beast was perched. Its bright tawny fur and fluffy long tail flicked occasionally. It nibbled on a piece of cake it had dug out with its front paw, smearing cream all over its face and chest. A discarded fork lay nearby, suggesting it had tried to use it at first. Though its grade was high, it was still a juvenile. Han Yuhyun abandoned thoughts of slaying it. A high-grade young fiend might please his brother. If he captured it alive and presented it, his brother would be so distracted he wouldn’t notice anything odd. The juvenile fiend twitched its nose and lifted its head. Its blue eyes met Han Yuhyun’s. He expected it to flee, but instead it pricked its ears and flicked its tail. Surprising—tamed monsters almost always instinctively feared him. Han Yuhyun approached the table slowly. The creature made some sound and tried to grasp the fork with its front paw. After a few tries, it squeaked in frustration, then leapt off the table. It shifted into a human form. Han Yuhyun’s brow lifted. Though its hair and eye color differed, the face was that of the young Han Yujin. Now that he thought about it, he faintly sensed his brother’s scent and magic. At first he thought it was yesterday’s residue, but as he drew closer, he realized it came from the fiend. The young Han Yujin stuck the fork into a cake slice and offered it to Han Yuhyun. He never ate food from anyone but his brother—only under unavoidable circumstances would he touch it. But this was cake his brother had prepared. And this fiend must be connected to his brother, sharing that familiar face. Although he didn’t usually care about appearances, memories and nostalgia flooded him. He recalled vague childhood memories: his brother, just that height, insisting he eat and caring for him. Of course, since this wasn’t his real brother, he took the fork and ate instead of accepting the slice. As Han Yuhyun ate, the juvenile fiend watched intently, then reverted to its beastly form. It seemed delighted, hopping onto the table, grabbing a colorful birthday candle and biting it off before spitting it out. Han Yuhyun watched for a moment, then reached out toward the fiend. Had his brother brought in another young monster without his knowledge? He needed to take it and confirm. The young fiend struggled as Han Yuhyun lifted it by the tail. Han Yuhyun glanced indifferently at its cream-smeared paw and fur. It would need washing first. He headed straight for the bathroom as the young fiend squeaked loudly. His back stung. He shot awake as if burned. What, what was that? His bedroom? In his groggy ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ state, he barely recalled yesterday’s events. They had celebrated Yuhyun’s birthday and eaten cake before he collapsed—now, by French time, it must be the twenty-fifth. Hopefully it hadn’t been several days already. ‘...I thought I felt better.’ A faint image of his crying younger brother surfaced. He must have worried a lot. Yuhyun had seemed to fall asleep beside him—where had he gone? He got out of bed, but something felt off in his body. After the battle with Chatterbox, his mana sense had grown keener—but now it felt dull. Why? Had his condition worsened so much that even his senses were blunted? ‘...should I find the Elder first?’ It was still the twenty-fifth, so he could briefly check a nearby dungeon—ugh! His back flared again. What was this? Another warning of his dwindling lifespan? A strange sound drifted faintly from downstairs—something familiar. He needed to find Yuhyun too, so he hurried down. But why was the living room in such disarray? Had something serious happened? He flung open the bathroom door where the sounds came from. Yuhyun looked back at him, holding down a wet clump of fur in the sink, as if doing laundry. The youngster thrashed a front paw toward him. Yuhyun lifted up the juvenile fiend. “Another monster related to hyung? It was eating cake in the living room.” “What? When did it even get out!” He hadn’t named it yet—could it still roam free? Then again, Cye had done the same. The black dragon, however, seemed impossible. It must have heated his back to urge him to come find it. “It’s covered in cream.” “No wonder the living room was a wreck. You can’t wander off alone!” Scolded, the little one wailed as if resentful of the water, and Yuhyun fetched a towel. “You can’t eat whatever you want. This is the monster we made before—just the last little one.” “...really the last one, right?” “It really is. There haven’t been any since.” He dried the fiend’s fur with the towel. When it was partly dry, it slipped into his hand and vanished—entering the mana stone it belonged to. “We need to give this one a name, too. Anything come to mind?” “Don’t match it to me. We still need a name for the black dragon—your sword.” He went back to the living room to inspect the table. Clear traces of the youngster’s feast remained, and the sofa was somehow wrecked. Its grade must have been higher than expected. There were scorch marks on the floor. “Did you mean to catch it?” “That could’ve gone badly. You should’ve told me sooner—I didn’t know it would roam on its own.” He’d need to discipline it so it didn’t wander. “You feeling alright?” Yuhyun fell into step beside him, concern on his face. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke. “To be honest, my condition’s gotten worse from fighting Chatterbox. I think I need to enter a dungeon.” A shadow passed over Yuhyun’s face. It was still his brother’s birthday... he sighed. “Don’t worry too much. Contact the French Hunter Association and let’s stop by a nearby dungeon briefly.” He worried about the others in Africa, but they’d assured him he could rest until the day after Yuhyun’s birthday. There were still days left until January 1—December has thirty-one days. He gave Yuhyun an awkward smile. “I wanted to properly celebrate your birthday this time. Sorry.” “No, it’s fine. I can spend next year—and every year after—with you.” “Yeah, that’s how it has to be.” Since it was still barely dawn, they waited for daybreak. They shared the food and cake they hadn’t eaten, dressed warmly, and stepped outside. Deep in the woods without any lights, they could barely see a hand in front of them. Yuhyun held out his hand, and a red flame flickered to life. Then a willow leaf shining with light rose against the black sky, soared on the breeze, and drifted down like sparkling snow. Cold flakes actually tapped his cheek. “Looks like it’s snowing.” The flakes were so light they wouldn’t accumulate—he wished for a heavier fall. Yuhyun smiled. “There’s snow piled on the mountain peak over there. Want to go?” “Really? Perpetual snow?” He remembered they were near the Western Alps. Just yesterday they’d been in warm Africa—it reminded him how vast the world was. Even in Korea, the difference between Jeju Island and Seoul was big. “Next year, let’s go to Jeju. We went to Africa but never visited Jeju.” “Sure. We’ll go wherever you want.” “No, no—think of where you want to go. I’m subtly passing you homework.” The mountain top was too far, so they strolled around. Though the winter air was chilly, with Yuhyun beside him, he didn’t feel cold. “The stars are incredible.” The ground was pitch black, but the low night sky shimmered with countless stars. Only a few stray flakes fell, so there were few clouds. “When everything’s over safely, we can do this every day.” That’s right—no money worries, eating well, traveling wherever we like. Iryn then slipped onto his arm and spoke softly. She usually came immediately if she felt cold, but now she was unusually quiet and seemed down. Iryn said gloomily, then vanished back to Yuhyun. “...what’s wrong with Iryn?” “It’s her nature—no need to worry.” What did that mean? Did fire spirits sometimes get sad? Yuhyun knew her better, but he still felt a little concerned. After their walk and rest, they ate breakfast and contacted the association. They said Hunter Han Yuhyun wanted to test a skill, so the association gave them the nearest low-rank dungeon—on condition they’d make an official visit afterward. Entering the low-rank dungeon with Yuhyun, they found a spacious reception room with warm air. He’d half hoped for another snowy field, but instead— A young Chaos sat on a sofa. “This place only stays open briefly, they said.” “Hello, Elder. Is it because Chatterbox is dead?” “I’m not sure. I had other business.” “I gave a certain jerk a butt-whupping.” Chapters fırst released on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝘯𝘦𝘵 Who had he fought? That made him worry about his own rear. He cleared his throat and approached the sofa. “Then I’ll be brief. Elder, I have a request.” The young Chaos immediately narrowed his brow. “Eh?! Elder, please listen!” “Could you perhaps make me into a sword?” Both the Elder and Yuhyun looked at him with surprised eyes. It was exactly the reaction he’d expected. He swallowed and continued. “After all, it’s only my outward form that changes. The black dragon seemed conscious before sleeping, and its lifespan─” “You’re talking nonsense!” As expected, he yanked at his ear. This time Yuhyun didn’t stop him—he only stared in shock. “No, ow! It hurts, Transcendent! Really! Better than being subjugated!” Tears welled up. Clutching his ear, he knelt before the Elder. Yuhyun, sheepish, knelt beside him instead of taking the sofa. The young Chaos clicked his tongue.