Chapter Text
“Do you remember your childhood?”
His childhood. He remembered some of it, yes. Certainly not all of it, but he does… he does have a… childhood.
“Do you remember your childhood?”
He remembers. He’s sure he remembers. During that time in the bubble dungeon, he’s sure he saw his memories as a 14-year old. He was at school. He remembers he was homeschooled as a child but then sent away to a boarding school abroad—
Wait, where is abroad again? If abroad means outside of Korea, then where was he born again?
“Do you even have a childhood at all?”
No, he’s sure he has a childhood. It’s just there’s so much memories about that it jumbles up, right? He’s sure of it.
He is Sung Hyeonjae, the guildleader of Sesung. He was born in French from a Korean mother and a French father. Their names… he doesn’t remember his parents’ names anymore but he remembers their lavish mansion built with gilded silver and golden leaves wallpapers that surrounded his childhood room. He knows that they’re already long dead now and that their other relatives don’t want anything to do with him.
He remembers his favourite toy when he was a child was a pink cat plushie made of knitted yarn that got worn out by time and use. He remembers he used to learn knitting by himself to patch his own plushie. He remembers… being alone. All the time. The white, gold, and silver grand mansion in his memories was always devoid of people no matter what age he was.
He remembers…
“Sung Hyeonjae-ssi!”
Sung Hyeonjae blinks and he is back in his office room in Sesung. Kang Soyeong and Evelyn Miller are looking at him with concern in their faces.
“Guildleader-nim, are you okay?” Kang Soyeong asks with worry etched in her face.
Hyeonjae shakes his head slightly and smiles, “I’m fine. What was it that you’re saying?”
Soyeong and Evelyn looks at each other briefly before composing themselves. “I was giving you a report of my latest dungeon raid with Riette Luire, Guildleader-nim.” Soyeong says.
“Ah yes, you were on a dungeon date, didn’t you?” Hyeonjae’s amused smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “So how was your integration rate without Yoojin-gun’s boost?”
-
“Evelyn-ssi, do you think there’s something wrong with our Guildleader?” Kang Soyeong asks as soon as they entered an elevator.
“It’s just been only a few days after that fight with Choi Sukwon. But lately, he’s been spacing out a lot. I know he doesn’t usually pay attention to meetings, but it never usually got this bad that he doesn’t respond to his own name. Do you think something happened to him during that fight?” Soyeong asks worriedly. “After all, Guildleader-nim and Han Yoojin are the only ones who came out of that fight relatively unharmed. Do you think… maybe they witnessed something terrible…?”
Evelyn was silent, processing it before she shakes her head. “I’m sure that whatever it is that is currently bothering our Guildleader is a private matter, or else he would’ve already taken some actions if he believes it endangers our guild or nation. You know how our Guildleader is.”
Kang Soyeong lets out a resign breath. Evelyn smiles and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry too much. I’m sure that whatever it is that our Guildleader is thinking about, he will quickly figure things out. It’s always like that with him.”
“But it’s not good to bottle things up by oneself,” Soyeong says. “Should I invite Han Yoojin-ssi to come cheer him up?”
Evelyn chuckles as the elevator dings and the door opens. “You can, but I’m not sure if the F-ranker will be up to it—or if his brother would allow him to. You know better than me how their relationship is.” She steps out of the elevator.
Soyeong follows her out. She opens her mouth to say something just as her phone rings out. She takes out her phone from her jacket and grins in delight. “It’s the person we’ve been looking for!” She cries out as the name “Han Yoojin” was clearly ringing on her phone display.
-
The day before…
“What? You need Breath of Frost and Crystal Heart Fractals?”
Han Yoojin sagged in disappointment on the dining table. Yoo Myeongwoo sheepishly rubbed his neck, picking up his chopsticks. “I’m sorry, Yoojin-ah, but just ice-core mana stones are not strong enough to make an ice-resistant armour that you wanted. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
Yoojin sighs again, “I know. It’s not that I doubted you, I was just hoping you wouldn’t say that.” He groans, “Getting those items are hard, you know.”
“Why is it exactly that you need this armour, Yoojin-ah?” Yoo Myeongwoo asks, putting some tteokgalbi on Yoojin’s plate. “I don’t think you need one since you can always use Hatchling Class skill on Yerim-yang to share her ice-resistant skill.”
“It’s not for me,” Yoojin says, reluctantly picking on his plate. “It’s for Yoohyun-ie.”
“For your brother?” He asks with a raised eyebrow. “Why would he need ice-resistant armour for?”
“Obviously because he’s going to go to dungeon with Yerim-ie more often.” Yoojin says. “They’re on better terms now. After that fight with Choi Sukwon a few weeks ago, he said that he will do his best to keep accompanying me on raids. And if he comes with me, Yerim-ah would want to come too or she’ll get jealous. They often come with me together when we raid dungeons nowadays anyway. Yerim-ie can easily find fire-resistant items since Haeyeon is full of them anyway, but we’re short on ice-resistant items.”
“Yoohyun-ie has fire elemental now but that will make him even more vulnerable to ice elemental. If they’re going to follow me to dungeons together, I need him to have at least an A-class ice-resistant item with Yoohyun-ie so Yerim-ie won’t accidentally turn him into an ice block.”
“If that were to happen, I don’t think it will be an accident,” Myeongwoo says with a laugh. “Well, the ice-core mana stones will be enough to build a shell, I think. But it still needs to be imbued with Heart Crystal Fractals to up the ice elemental stat and Breath of Frost for ice-resistant stat.”
“How many of Breath of Frost and Heart Crystal Fractals do you need to make one armour for Yoohyun-ah?” Yoojin asks.
“Wait,” Myeongwoo rummages around in his inventories before saying, “For Heart Crystal Fractals I only need around twenty. I still have some in my inventories so I don’t need that much. But for Breath of Frost, just one will suffice,” Myeongwoo says. “But keep in mind that the higher the grade of the Breath of Frost, the higher the grade of the ice-resistance will be.”
“I see,” Yoojin hums around his chopsticks. “So we need to concentrate on looking for Breath of Frost, huh.”
Yoojin picks on his food thoughtfully. Heart Crystal Fractals are easier to find since low-level ice-type monsters can drop them so it doesn’t matter how much Myeongwoo needs them. As long as they enter an ice-type dungeon, they will encounter ice-type monsters. Any species of ice-type monsters will drop Heart Crystal Fractal stones.
However, Breath of Frost is another story entirely. It’s an upper grade loot that can only be found in upper A-level dungeons—and not just any dungeons, it can only be found exclusively in Ice type dungeons—which Haeyeon doesn’t have right now. The item can only be looted specifically from an ice-type boss, Blue-Eyed White Dragon. Although it’s a dragon type, fortunately it has no ties to the Filial Piety lizard man whom Yoojin had fought (and defeated) before. Finding Breath of Frost will be no easy feat—they might have to loot several A-level Ice-type dungeons before finding them.
Yoojin hums and nods, “Okay, got it.” He will have to ask around his contacts first to see if they got any ice-type dungeons though.
“So what kind of armour do you want, Yoojin-ah?” Myeongwoo asks after he’s done chewing.
Yoojin hummed as he chews his tteokgalbi. In his mind, the image of Sillekia’s Wings came to be—and with it, its owner, who was always wearing it meticulously. Come to think of it, he’d never seen Sillekia’s Wings on anyone else before, even though Sesung Guildleader-nim said he had once lend it to Yerim-ie, he hadn’t been conscious to see it.
Yoojin had worn Sillekia’s Wings once in Bhabar dungeon. He doesn’t remember the feeling of it since he was busy trying not to throw up from using Hatchling Class skill on several S-rankers at once. But he does remember the scent…
Yoojin blinks then shakes his head to shake the memories of Sesung guildleader’s perfume and shampoo scent that clung to the collars of Sillekia’s Wings. The rippling muscles under his hands that was hidden by the silk fabric of his suit—
Okay, enough, Yoojin-ah! He slaps his own cheeks, to Myeongwoo’s confusion.
Anyway, Sillekia’s Wings… Obviously, he wants Sillekia’s Wings, but since his Yoohyun-ie has a fire-elemental anyway, he doesn’t need more fire-resistant item. But maybe he will look as good with a coat similar to Sillekia’s Wings with ice-resistant stat.
“I’m imagining it can be worn around his body, like a coat.” Yoojin hummed. “Kind of like Sillekia’s Wings.”
“Sillekia’s Wings?” Myeongwoo blinks. “The S-grade fire-resistant coat that belongs to Sesung Guildmaster?”
“Yeah,” Yoojin sighs. “I’ve always wanted that coat.”
Myeongwoo chuckles. “I’m sure if you ask for it, Sesung Guildmaster-nim will give it to you freely.”
“No, not free. There’s no such things as free when talking with that guy,” Yoojin says, stabbing his chopsticks on his tteokgalbi. “But that’s not my point. I just think that a coat like that style will suit Yoohyun-ie. That’s all.”
You’re sure? Myeongwoo was about to ask but didn’t as he stare at Yoojin’s face. He looks lost in thought with his cheeks a bit pinker, but he doesn’t want to interrupt whatever it is on his mind. “Alright. An ice-resistant armour with a style like Sillekia’s Wings. I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Thanks, Myeongwoo-ya.” Yoojin smiles. “Can I request the colour red?”
“Yeah, I can die them if you want.” Myeongwoo nods with a smile. He really wants it to look like Sillekia’s Wings, Myeongwoo thinks with amusement. “Anything else you want to add?”
“Nothing for now, I think,” Yoojin says. “Other than Breath of Frost and Heart Crystal Fractals, do you need any other materials?”
Myeongwoo hums. Then his eyes turn gold—a sign that he was using his mana as he looked like he was reading through his status window—before he shook his head. “No, I don’t. For the fabric of the coat itself I can use the Poison Spider Silk that I have currently—it’s light, durable, and will add poison-resistant stat too. And it’s lighter than Sillekia’s Wings.”
Yes! Yoojin is practically bouncing in his seat. Finally Yoohyun-ah will have something that—not only resembles Sillekia’s Wings—but also rivals it. He couldn’t wait to rub it on Sesung Guildmaster-nim.
“Thanks, Myeongwoo-ya. You’re the best!” Yoojin says.
Now, he only has to call Sung Hyeonjae for information about the ice-type dungeon. Who knows Sesung might have any. He knows Haeyeon doesn’t have one. The majority of dungeons that Haeyeon has is usually fire-type dungeons, since that’s what Yoohyun’s elemental is. It’s always beneficial to keep a dungeon with the same elemental as the guildleader, since it will increase the guildleader’s power.
But with Sesung Guild, one couldn’t really know, since it was rare for a person to have electricity-type of elemental. It’s also rare for a dungeon to materialize with electric-type elements. As always, Sesung Guildmaster-nim is always the odd one out.
But before he calls Sung Hyeonjae, maybe he should talk about this with Yoohyun-ie first, since he will be the one receiving the armour after all. Besides, it won’t do if Yoohyun thought Yoojin is keeping secrets or endangering himself and goes berserk again like last time. He doesn’t want to make him cry again—he doesn’t want to be the reason for his brother to cry again.
Yoojin’s phone rang once, then twice, before Yoohyun’s familiar voice answers from the other side.
“Hyung? What is it? I’m on a meeting.”
“Oh, sorry for disturbing your work, Yoohyun-ah,” Yoojin says sheepishly. “I was just wondering if you’ll have time for dinner tonight? There’s something important I want to discuss with you.”
“Of course, Hyung.” Yoohyun says readily. “I’ll make sure to be home by 6:00 PM.”
“Is there anything you’d like to eat?” Yoojin asks.
“I like anything you make, Hyung.”
Even if he couldn’t see him, Yoojin can hear the smile on his brother’s voice through the phone. “Okay then. Is tteokgalbi and kimchi-jigae alright?”
“Sounds good,” Yoohyun says. “See you tonight, hyung. I gotta go.”
“Right,” Yoojin nods. “See you soon, Yoohyun-ah.”
“Bye, Hyung.”
The phone closes with a beep. A content feeling rises in Yoojin’s chest. Home, huh. That’s right. He has a home now—with his family—his dearest, prodigal, baby brother has come home.
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