Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“800…900…1 million…” Han Yoojin counted his savings, thumbing the bills religiously, making sure that he got the right amount. The illegal awakeners that he had made contact with may have looked suspicious to him, but he was hanging by a spider’s thread.

If he couldn’t get awakened through their means, he’d have to go do drastic measures he heard other awakened individuals did…doing things that would bring him close to the edge of life and death.

He’d rather gamble a million won than with his life. (Then again, dealing with those seedy awakeners was a gamble in itself).

But…

“A million won…it’s pretty cheap as an awakening fee. If it was that easy to be awakened, everyone would have been hunters by now.”

Everything about this blared fire alarms inside his head.

It’s a scam, isn’t it?

I was just trying to convince myself that I’ll be like...Yoohyun-ah.

But that’s a lie.

If I was going to awaken as an S-rank, they would have set more importance towards me.

But they didn’t. They don’t. They probably had no plans.

It took him thirty minutes to muster up the mettle to make the call, abandoning his plans of being awakened.

Thus he remained a civilian, away from his dreams once more of being awakened.

He hopped from job to job, each one slowly growing more and more taxing to his body, mind and morals.

From a delivery worker, to a mover’s assistant, to working in a flower shop, and working as a waiter in a host club.

Taking tips by servicing people behind alleys, doing booty calls for private individuals and finally working as a host under an alias.

He couldn’t use his real name or reveal it. The last thing he wanted was to be connected to his younger brother, the shining light of Haeyeon Guild; one of the most powerful hunter guilds of the country.

The moment his younger brother had left him after awakening, all the directions of his life that he planned out after their parents died seemed to suddenly lead him to nowhere.

The first few years, he couldn’t reach his younger brother.

Civilians couldn’t enter restricted areas as Hunters could. And Yoohyun somehow did his best to make sure their paths never crossed.

The next few years, they had established their office for public relations. Yoojin tried to get them to contact his brother.

At first it was excuses like “he’s inside a dungeon” or “he is attending a meeting with other guild masters right now and cannot be disturbed” but the excuses suddenly grew weaker and weaker each time until they just flat out denied him the opportunity.

Yoojin realized that they’ve been instructed to prevent him from contacting Yoohyun.

The vigil he made to the office diminished until he overall just stopped doing so.

Did his younger brother hate him so much that he did his best to cut ties with him? Was he such a terrible big brother when it was just him and Yoohyun?

He slowly grew depressed, his self-worth plummeting, leading to fathomless depths.

His job saved him.

“Yunyun…you’re so beautiful.”

“Yunyun, I love you.”

“Yunyun, I’ll treat you like the finest jewelry.”

“Jin Doyun” craved these words; soaking them up while servicing men and women alike who visited him, who appreciated him.

He desired their validation and used it as a justification to continue existing, to want to live.

And for the sake of those praises, he did his best to maintain his body and looks. Worked out at every possible opportunity. Not enough to build bulk, but to trim off excess fat and make sure that his muscle contours would be highlighted when his customers would touch him, fondle him, worship him.

He visited every high-profile men’s salon and kept himself up to date with the latest styles and fashion. Built a network of hair stylists and artists. Some of his customers sponsored his visits and he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth for it.

Gifts of jewelry and clothes came with it. He made sure to note from which clients the articles came from, made sure to wear it in anticipation of their visit. He would be praised for his thoughtfulness, praised for his appreciation of their gifts to him.

And when he worked past official hours, where his clients unwrapped him from the gifts he was given, caressing his body like he was an immaculate doll, whispering sweet nothings in his ear and finally the foreplay and the sex; it would have all been worth.

All that effort to make sure he was pretty.

To make sure he was handsome.

It would not have gone to waste.

Ah, Yoohyun-ah. If you could see your hyung right now, you would have thought it was the right decision to run away.

So I commit my real name to obscurity. I who wears the name of “Jin Doyun” when night falls.

May no one relate "Han Yoojin" to what I have become now.

“Hey! You! Boo!”

Yoojin, coming back from work and walking towards his condo was accosted by a floating masked being, who seemed a tad irritated with him.

A very well-dressed floating being wearing a dokkaebi mask and looking straight out of maddangeuk play.

“…awakened.” Yoojin didn’t know what to make of the situation.

Why was this hunter talking to him?

He never had contact with them again ever since his foolhardy visit to the Haeyeon Guild offices.

“What’s your name?!”

 “…Han Yo-.”

The floating masked being’s expressions shifted from irritated to confused. He bought a sleeved hand to his chin in curiosity.

“Huh? Did I get the wrong person?”

Shit…he’s a Hunter! If he got linked to his younger brother, it could spell trouble for him.

“…alright, I can’t lie against an esteemed hunter.” (And my, did they look satisfied about it). “My real name is Jin Doyun. My friends call me Yunyun though.”

“THERE! THAT” The masked being accusingly pointed a sharp fingernail at him.

“YUNYUN! Stop using that name! It’s annoying!”

Yoojin looked shocked at the finger pointing at him, carefully raised his hands in surrender.

“…if you want me to do so, Hunter-nim. May I ask why though?”

“My name!”

“…Yunyun?”

“Yoon Yoon!”

“…ah.”

“It’s so weird! So weird! I keep hearing my name from people I don’t know! And they’re saying like they want to play with me or they bought me clothes and jewelry-”

“I’m sorry.” Han Yoojin bowed his head in apology.

“To think I troubled Hunter-nim because of this coincidence.”

“Well, you should be!”

“I will inform everyone to stop using that nickname.” Yoojin set his cellphone to remind him of this. “Hopefully, this will appease Hunter-nim.”

Yoon Yoon tilted his head in confusion at Yoojin easily agreeing with his demands.

“...you’re very polite.”

Yoojin shrugged. “Thank you, Hunter-nim.”

“That. You keep calling me Hunter-nim. You sound like…” He trailed off, feeling uncomfortable. “…like someone I knew once.”

“...were they very important to you?”

Yoon Yoon nodded.

“I had a very important person…once. But now he hates me, and he’s doing his best to run away from me.”

Yoon Yoon pondered on this before making an offer.

“Well, since you agreed to stop using my name, how about I help you with this important person? I’m confident I can bring you to them if you know where they are right now!”

Yoojin’s heart skipped a beat, having been landed a free ticket to his brother.

At least for that sole second, his hopes of seeing Yoohyun again was rekindled in his now cold, jaded heart.

“Thank you, Hunter-nim..."

"...but it won’t matter even if you do bring me to him. He will not talk to me and will probably order his men to escort me out of the building."

"It will only bring trouble to both him and me. “

Yoon Yoon quivered, his mouth forming a crinkled line. He dropped down to the sidewalk, weeping dramatically.

“You really do sound like my grandma. So considerate! Oh how I miss her!”

Yoojin’s hand moved as if on autopilot, immediately landing on Yoon Yoon’s head in a soothing pat.

“Cheer up, Hunter-nim. I’m sure…she also misses you, knowing how much you love her.”

After a few minutes of consolation, and relieving Yoojin of his buckwheat jelly he got from a coworker, Yoon Yoon decided his business was concluded and was ready to fly away.

“Thank you Doyunyun!” Yoon Yoon munched on his prize. “I’ve decided!”

Yoojin was still mourning for his buckwheat jelly. It was part of his daily health regiment. “Decided on what, Hunter-nim?” Halfway realizing he got a new nickname he could probably use.

Yoon Yoon clasped his right wrist tightly, hurting him a bit. A bit of heat flashed on Yoojin’s skin and when Yoon Yoon took his hands off, there was a gear-like pattern wrapped around it.

“That you’re under my protection!” Yoon Yoon sniffed, looking proud of himself.

“You can tap your wrist if you need me and I’ll appear if I’m not busy! Also if you’re in danger, I’ll immediately know and appear whether you like it or not, hehe!”

He’s been given a boon! From a high ranking Hunter nevertheless, if he can claim he can do what he says.

“Thank you Hunter-nim. I’m sure this is probably not something you can give so freely.” Yoojin smiled softly.

“Also…” Yoon Yoon conspiringly hid his mouth behind his sleeves.

“…you can’t trick me! I know your name isn’t Jin Doyun! You can’t fleece the eyes of a dokkaebi!”

Yoojin smiled softly, not refuting it.

“I’m sorry, regardless, I can’t share my real name. It’s dangerous.”

“I don’t care though.” Yoon Yoon floated upside down. “I’m a keeper and messenger of secrets. I don’t demand of them. I just steal them if I want to. I just choose not to with your name.”

“Thank you, Hunter-nim. If you save me one day, I will surrender that secret as payment.”

Yoon Yoon giggled in anticipation. “I look forward to it. As a special service, I’ll tell you something.”

“Yes?”

“There’s someone monitoring you right now. A black car, two blocks away. They're probably wondering why you’ve been talking to empty air for ten minutes now.”

For the first time in his fogged life, Yoojin felt general panic creep up his spine and head. Someone has been keeping tabs on him? Was it work related? One of his clients? A stalker perhaps?

“…do they not see you?” Yoojin’s body language grew tense and uncomfortable at this revelation.

“Hunter-nim probably has eccentric abilities that keep him hidden then?”

“I’m invisible to anyone but you right now.” Yoon Yoon looked at the general direction of the car. Yoojin was tempted to do the same but decided against it. The stalker might take action if it was revealed that they were exposed.

“Can I rely on your promise of saving me if I do find myself in danger?”

“Of course! Yoon Yoon doesn’t go back on his word! Dokkaebis are very meticulous with contracts, even if it is one-sided!”

Yoojin felt relief in his heart at that claim. Yoon Yoon looked like a powerful Hunter if he can freely use his abilities without anyone the wiser.

“…feel free to visit my room sometime. I’ll be sure to stock up on buckwheat jelly and…probably red bean rice cakes for you.”

Yoon Yoon felt ecstatic hearing those words, already anticipating the treats on his next visit.   

-

A few weeks after that strange encounter, Yoojin swore that Hunters have slowly come out of the woodwork and into his life. Was it a coincidence? A conspiracy?

“Doyuuuun-ah!” The boss of the host club was in a straight out panic. “What should I do??? We’re just a humble host club! Why did Seseong Guild decide to hold their party here?”

Yoojin was nervous himself but years of having a poker face and acting kept him cool-looking on the outside.

“Cheer up, sajang-nim. Does it not mean that our efforts are being recognized? What we should do now is to make sure that everything goes well and to set up contingencies if something does go wrong.”

Their boss, enervated, nodded; taking a handkerchief to wipe the sweat forming on his brow.

“Y-you’re right as usual, Doyun-ah. If we do this well, we’ll be able to tap into the Hunter market!”

I’d rather not. Yoojin thought, but kept this to himself.

“Alright everyone, you heard the boss. If we do this well, it’s us who’s also going to benefit in the end. Keep a strict sense of professionalism and keep cool! Ready our drink stocks if needed and emergency supplies just in case. We’re dealing with Hunters, so do not assume they’ll be as easy as civilian clients. If you’ve dealt with them before, share tips with one another. Those who have not, listen to those who have.”

All the other hosts nodded, already having elected Doyun-ssi as the de facto leader of their little hole-in-the-wall host club.

It was the obscurity of this host club that Yoojin chose to hide in. His drive to seek his brother out was soured and now he was doing his best to make sure that he wasn’t found at all.

It worked out for everyone, didn’t it? Yoojin could stay in the city and keep tabs on his younger brother’s welfare, and his younger brother wouldn’t have to suffer having an incompetent sibling that didn’t even awaken.

He didn’t want to delve into the psychology of it all. He knew his feelings were twisted at this point.

He loved his brother, that much has not changed. But he scorned him for refusing his love when Yoohyun decided to cut him out of his life. He wanted his brother to regret it and come looking for him, to apologize and take him back.

But he knew Yoohyun’s oddity as a kid; he doesn’t act as predictable as other people. And he didn’t want to make it easy for Yoohyun if it ever happened. All those years of isolation and hardship, he wasn’t going to take his brother back with open arms easily (no matter how much he wanted to, how much he needed to).

No, he still had work to do.

Now wasn’t a good time to drown in idle, self-destructive thoughts.

The preparations for the Seseong Guild hunters continued on until the night when the doors of their host club was opened for reservations.

It turned out that it was a lesser branch of the Seseong Guild, full of F and E rank hunters and office workers.

Just a small part of the branch that decided to sate their curiosity with how host clubs work and look like.

Light chatters and laughter echoed through the establishment after a few minutes of awkwardness.

Wine, spirits and words flowed freely between host and client.

Yoojin didn’t let his guard down even if everything seemed to have been going smoothly.

Even if he was entertaining and conversing with his own set of clients, his eyes flitted towards different areas of the club.

The servers were trained to follow the minute gestures of his fingers, hands that were slung behind his guests. It looked like a grandiose pose, but making his hands visible to the staff was the foremost priority of this action.

Slim digits raised and made combinations and numbers, which the staff picked up. If other hosts needed refilling, if a spill occurred, to standby on another table because they were probably able to order; Yoojin took note of everything. It was exhausting juggling this performance of mental gymnastics, but he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly.

If not for the boss who took him in during the darkest periods of his life, but also to the place that sheltered him. And to the staff and hosts that he now considered family.

The event went on, highlighted with a modest champagne tower, before the guests retired; giving fat tips alongside a rather generous payment for their services rendered.

Everyone raised a toast for a job well done, with the hosts retiring to the temporary employee’s room to sleep their fatigue away while the remaining staff finished cleaning up and tidying the club.

The boss had decided it was a free day that Saturday, and coupling it with a Sunday, their usual day off was extended to two days.

Yoojin decided to set his mini vacation into a day where he can finally tidy up his place, vacate his refrigerator of expired food and refill it with a fresh stock of food and dokkaebi treats (he did promise a certain Hunter-nim).

He took a nap that afternoon on the couch, tired after cleaning up.

Never noticing a dungeon open right inside his very living room.

Swallowing him up, couch and all.

Yet he remained sleeping throughout the entire ordeal, only waking up to the terrible smell of poison and ozone and rancid breaths,

and panicking,

and realizing he was inside a dark cave.

Right in front of the Legendary Class Poison and Curse Dragon King, Rauchitas.

“Wha-“

Han Yoojin was not even given the luxury to let out a scream, right as the dragon’s maw swallowed him with a sickening crunch.

On that day, every Hunter in the world felt the System shake and shudder.

Even as the people who Han Yoohyun planted on his hyung to keep an eye out for him were confirming to him that the news that a violet dungeon gate opened right inside Han Yoojin’s residential condominium.

That his hyung was nowhere to be seen afterwards, whether in the congregation of evacuated tenants nor at the host club he was working in.

Even as Sung Hyunjae, who was just passing by the reception of their guild building, wondering what the weeping middle aged man was asking Seseong Guild to.

How his establishment hosted their guild a day or two ago, and how his top employee’s condominium unit disappeared inside a newly formed, anomalous dungeon gate. The one being reported on the news right now.

Even as Yoon Yoon, suddenly felt the disappearance of his link to “Jin Doyun”, and appearing instantly at the last place he felt Doyunyun’s presence, only found a pulsing violent maelstrom of dungeon energy that denied him entry.

The system flickered and bugged out for a complete hour before subsiding.

Soon after, the whole building, vacated of its remaining tenants, collapsed in the middle of downtown, leaving the dungeon gate suspended in mid-air, save for a near invisible dokkaebi with his futile attempts at trying to enter the portal.

Chapter Text

If there was not any large coverage of the strange portal that apparently had one casualty, there was one now.

Haeyon Guild’s guildmaster, Han Yoohyun, was armed to the teeth with as much S-class equipment he can muster, followed by a retinue of guild members that tried to placate him in futility.

Han Yoohyun was all facets of rage personified.

If fire could come out of each breath, the area would have been a raging inferno by now. The desperation and anger he emanated could be felt in waves, even by the unAwakened.

It was futile, useless.

No matter how much he tried to keep his hyung away from the world of dungeons and superhuman powers, it was useless.

No matter how much his hyung tried to keep away from dungeons and superhuman powers, it still barged into his life and even swallowed him whole.

If he got his hyung back, he’ll have to approach the matter differently. This time, enough for him to immediately respond should something like this happen.

Fuck cutting him out of his life for his safety. It only soured his relationship with his brother.

“Oh dear."

Oh no.

"If it isn’t the young master of Haeyon Guild.”

Crimson eyes landed on an unexpected (and somehow not) Seseong Guild guildmaster; one Sung Hyunjae.

If he wasn’t irritated now, he surely was at this moment. The rather refreshing look the blond guildmaster was wearing contrasted greatly to the rack and ruin that befell the area. His (fake) cheer and (fake) positivity was stifling, irritating, annoying.

All their guild members immediately mobilized, forming a human barrier between their masters. Both guildmasters scoffed at the gesture.

Foolish? Yes. It was death going against S Class Hunters.

Futile? Definitely. Might as well use a paper shield against a flamethrower.

Necessary? Yes but still… 

It was a fact that when S-ranks met on the field, disaster was imminent. Inevitable.

They had to be oriented first in case of meetings, to manage expectations and to set itineraries.

Because S-ranks have dangerous idle thoughts when around other S-ranks; usually those involving pitting their powers and strength against each other, resulting in frivolous annihilation and decimation of everything within their immediate surrounds.

“To find the Haeyon guildmaster in attendance to this place, color me surprised.”

Yoohyun pointedly turned his head and paid attention to the pulsating portal instead. The instinct to fight was there; but he still had his mission. Far urgent than addressing a base need.

The portal was, give or take 250 meters above them. A terrible distance mid-air, but one his Azure Willow Leaves wouldn’t be able to reach.

“Seseong guildmaster.” Yoohyun returned the barb, whilst already tracing the imaginary path he would take to reach the portal, while pointedly not looking at Sung Hyunjae.

“Still as uncute as ever.” Sung Hyunjae chuckled. “We received a commission to rescue someone. One Jin Doyun from a host club our branch guild members visited a few nights ago.”

If he wasn’t stressed right now, Yoohyun would’ve wondered why the other guildmaster was so forthcoming with information right now, given he was so enigmatic and irritating the first few times they’ve crossed paths.

Well, if they didn’t realize the false alias they’ve been fed –

“Or was it Han Yoojin? It isn’t strange for hosts, especially top ones to use aliases. But it’s strange how he shares the same family name as you do. Then again, how many Han Yoojins run around in this district?”

Fucker. He probably had the establishment investigated before he cleared it free for their guild.

The Azure Willow Leaves around him exploded in reaction to his emotion, blinding everyone save the other guildmaster; and converged under his feet before propelling him skywards. He was shy 6 jumps, but the leaves had already collected around his feet and fulfilled the distance needed to thrust himself vertically, straight into the pulsating maw of the wayward dungeon gate.

“What a troublesome child.” Sung Hyunjae chuckled, grasping a chain that shot towards the dungeon gate as well, following behind the irate Han Yoohyun. His chains had no issue latching into the gate so he did not have trouble with relaying.

“Oh fuck…”

Everyone was momentarily awestruck at what happened before coming to their senses and realizing 2 S-Classes were literally inside a single dungeon.

Their PR teams are going to go through hell after this incident.

The moment Sung Hyunjae’s eyes cleared, his feet had already alighted on a floating platform of willow leaves.

Beside him, one Han Yoohyun was emanating so much bloodlust it was a surprise his Golden Chains had not acted in automatic defense.

Sung Hyunjae looked around, assessing the situation.

The gate dumped them inside a very large cave room, possessed of minerals that looked very profitable should the dungeon be cleared out. The trouble was that they were spat out meters high up mid-air. A platform should be constructed first.

And down below – ah.

A quick use of the Appraisal skill (why was the appraisal skill flickering?) revealed the target of the other guildmaster’s ire.

A three headed dragon, born of red, with spikes black and maws decorated with equally sharp teeth.

“Dragon King of Poison and Curses, Lauchitas…L-class.” Sung Hyunjae muttered in assessment, using a consumable item to use Appraisal.

What a troublesome opponent.

Even Sung Hyunjae would estimate a 40% chance of winning if he ever encountered this being. Normally, he wouldn’t bat an eye against dragons since most of them have fire as their breath attacks, which his equipment nullified.

But poison and curses...it was an eccentric element that only a few Hunters were able to wield, like the mad Older Sibling of the Valchesis Twins.

His eye spied something odd with the dragon. Not that it was slumbering right now, but the strange object in front of it that didn’t fit with the dungeon.

A couch.

Bloodied, but one that an L-class dragon king shouldn’t possess.

"Oh dear."

The rescue mission already failed before it even started.

There was only blood in the area around the couch, and the dragon was sleeping in front of it. It was safe to assume the victim couldn’t even run away.

He was a little bit annoyed this was going to put a fail record on Seseong’s guild record, but would corpse retrieval offset that annoying mark?

Something like an L-class dragon shouldn’t blemish anything that he owned after all.

The sound of unsheathing a sword brought his attention back to Han Yoohyun, who before was emitting waves of bloodlust, has now refined it into a laser-like focus towards the dragon.

“If you have no plans of joining the slaughter, Seseong Guildmaster, I suggest you go back outside.”

Sung Hyungjae’s chains appeared, menacingly making clinking sounds as they tensed up in anticipation.

“Worry not, junior guildmaster.”

As more chains than what he normally manifested, appeared from various gates around him.

“I’ve still an interesting commission to fulfill and I admit I am annoyed. As expected of an L-class lizard.”

Both hunters launched themselves towards their quarry, one for vengeance; the other for his own objectives.

The great dragon Lauchitas awoke with a traumatic jolt; the ambush immediately severing two of its three heads. It tried to roar and scream, but the burnt and bloodied stumps beside his last head could only spurt blood in response.

The fact that Lauchitas was in the middle of its 5 hours sleep cycle when it got ambushed.

The fact that there were two S-SS rank hunters who were just a tad more forceful in using a bit more strength than what was necessary.

And maybe, just maybe.

There was something wrong with Lauchitas itself.

The scales and skin were softer, the poison spits far slower, the cursed stingers delayed in their firing.

It wasn’t a battle, as Yoohyun claimed; it was just a hunt. The butchering of a Dragon King.

It had taken 10 minutes of conflict even with both Hunters and only one head remaining; a testament to Lauchitas’ rank as an L-class dragon. And even then, they had not come out unscathed.

At the very least, the poison and curses received were degraded into A-class types, which their potions and antidotes could handle.

Why did an L-class monster only use A-rank attacks? Was this an imitation being? But Appraisal has never been wrong.

All that was left a dangerous draconic cadaver rife with unrecoverable poisons and curses that cannot be contained; Han Yoohyun had already started hacking away at the dragon’s belly, hoping to reach whatever remained of his estranged brother inside.

An arm, or even just strands of his hair. Han Yoohyun swore to grieve and cherish it.

His sword started to melt, a testament to the potency of the disintegrating poisons.

“Huh-”

Clang!

Yoohyun’s weakened sword had hit something hard; harder than bone. And the impact had broken the already deteriorating blade, sending it flying towards Sung Hyunjae who casually tilted his head out of the way.

“People would think you have a personal grudge against me, junior guildmaster.” Sung Hyunjae hummed, eyeing the blade that lodged itself neatly into stone.

Regardless he walked closer, wondering what the amber-like thing was inside the dragon.

What remained of the sword in Han Yoojin’s grasp fell from his hand.

Color Sung Hyunjae impressed and surprised; and to think he thought he’d seen it all.

The amber-like “thing” was apparently an egg, and his first conclusion would have been that it was Lauchitas’ brood inside.

But the egg was clear, and its contents were visible.

Inside lay two humans, identical and mature, lying dormant and clinging emptily towards the other in a fetal position.

Locked in peaceful slumber, but amidst the amniotic fluid that bubbled softly, one could see their chests and shoulders rising and falling.

Alive. Inside an L-class dragon known for deadly poisons and debilitating curses.

“Hyung…” Yooyhun murmured. “…but two of them. What’s this –“

Han Yoojin? This is what he looks like? And there are two of them contrary to reports.

Yoohyun's hand reached out to touch the surface of the egg.

The moment his fingers touched the surface, the two Yoojins inside the egg opened their right eyes; piercing Han Yoohyun with their gazes.

One accusingly harsh, the other soft and relaxed.

The surprise was enough to throw Yoohyun back, falling flat on his butt.

“Interesting…”

Sung Hyunjae whistled; a smile flitting through his lips.

Chapter Text

Crack!

The misshapen amber egg holding the two Yoojins slowly began to glow, emitting heat enough to be of a discomfort even for Sung Hyunjae.

The fluid inside the egg began to violently bubble, though the twin gazes never wavered; silently judging Yoohyun on the floor. 

A keening sound could be heard before the egg was wrapped in a brilliant flash of white light; and suddenly subsiding all too abruptly.

Crack!

A hair-thin line on the surface of the egg quickly formed into a spiderweb of cracks, releasing internal pressure from the egg's insides before the shell collapsed falling inwards into itself. Dull grey fluid that leaked over from the insides like a trickle turned into a raging gush, spilling onto the cold dungeon floor.

The corpse of Lauchitas creaked and groaned on contact, slowly squeaking and twitching.

It was being dissolved, melted by the amniotic fluid. Flesh, scale, bone and spine; nothing was being spared by the deceptively volatile slimy liquid.

A hand shot out, clutching the sharp edges of their amber cradle.

Two naked forms arose; the first one holding a hand out for the other.

The dragon’s corpse had finally finished dissolving, leaving only the egg and the two Yoojins who looked like they were still caught up in their own world.

 The leaner Yoojin brought a troubled finger close to his lips in a sign of consternation. “…not enough. We (I) need more.”

The slightly bulkier Yoojin, with sharp impertinent eyes with an equally impertinent facial expression grunted. “Then I'll (we'll) get more.”

Han Yoohyun trembled, whether it was in sorrow or rage he did not know.

They looked like his hyung but…

…but he knew they weren’t.

The way they moved.

The way they talked.

They way they smelled and their aura.

The bulkier Yoojin, whose muscles were very well-defined, held expressions in his face he could never imagine his hyung would make. Eyes that were very insolent and stern, like they were looking down on everything save the other hyung lookalike. They were not at all the gentle eyes his hyung held for him.

He looked like an older hybrid-cross between Yoohyun and Yoojin.

The leaner Yoojin, whose gestures and movements were wisp-like and gentle, held a very relaxed air around him. Yoohyun could not remember the time when his hyung ever looked so relaxed, eversince their falling out that day. The way his fingers danced and caressed the arm of the other hyung lookalike reminded him of the days when his hyung also hugged him.

He moved like a courtesan, but the lack of visible breasts and the organs between their legs confirmed to him that they were both male.

His reverie was interrupted by one unpredictable Seseong guildmaster, who immediately tried to catch the attention of the twins.

“Hello -” The Seseong Guildmaster greeted them, all cheery with a disarming smile.

BAM!

Sung Hyunjae couldn’t even register anything that came after.

His mind was still reeling with what was happening within the milliseconds before pain suddenly erupted like a bloody flower in his torso.

He saw himself slowly being lifted from the ground.

A majority of his auto defense golden chains had formed a knot in front of his abdomen, probably protecting him from an impact force he didn’t see or percieve.

There was a shift in the air behind him, the pressure enough to cause a vacuum that will inevitably create a sonic boom milliseconds after.

Turning his gaze towards the twins, he saw the bulkier Yoojin slowly putting his foot down. His right leg having a slight pattern of indentations that suspiciously looked like it came from his chains.

Time flew forward once more, and Sung Hyunjae flew back, hitting the cave wall and creating a sizeable crater that was threatening to bring the room down on their heads. A sizeable cloud of rock and dust erupted from where he was blown back.

“Well met, fucker.” The bulkier Yoojin greeted back, making a tsk sound.

An explosion of dark flames came from Yoohyun’s direction.

His face was contorted in anger, rage…confusion. The flames reflected his desperation.

“How dare…”

Yoohyun…I love you.

“How dare you monsters…”

I’m sorry, Yoohyun…please forget your useless hyung.

“HOW DARE YOU WEAR THE FACE OF MY HYUNG!”

I…I CAN’T. HYUNG. I CAN’T FORGET ABOUT YOU.

A large conflagration of black flames surged forwards, washing the area where the twins stood. The flames moved as if it were living and swirled and undulated, turning into a flaming twister of immense heat.

Even the rocks glowed red before slowly melting, getting sucked into the fiery maelstrom of black flames.

This was Han Yoohyun pushed into desperation; wielding flames worthy of an S-Class Hunter, probably even higher.

And yet…he just wanted to preserve his hyung’s memory.

To not be defiled by monsters wearing his face and his voice.

And so he devoted his flames to that prayer, that this devout bonfire born from his life force and his wish would be enough to char anything and everything that represented his hyung’s death.

The flames raged and mourned, swallowing without prejudice; leaving naught but ash and stone.

It had taken a few minutes before the flames weakened to a degree that was noticeable even to an outsider’s eyes.

Lava slowly dripped from the ceiling, bubbling on the floor.

There were large cracks and fissures everywhere in the cave.

Oxygen was down to a minimum, having been consumed by the flames.

Yoohyun had to eat an emergency air seed to avoid suffocation. He heaved, having spent a majority of his energy on that attack that was probably worthy of decimating a small country on its own.

The flames died down, and in the middle of bubbling lava floor, the twins still stood. The ground that was underneath them escaped from being melted.

They looked undisturbed, and covered in reddish slime. The bulkier Yoojin was crossing his arms looking annoyed, while the leaner Yoojin twirled a finger.

The slime shuddered before slowly getting sucked into that finger, leaving behind liquid that spilled onto the surrounds.

Where the liquid touched, the lava cooled so rapidly that it formed into obsidian. The liquid spread further than what was normally possible, devouring lava and heat and rapidly cooling down ground and air.

The only testament that the attack even happened earlier was the molten rock dripping from the ceiling, which the liquid could not reach.

“Yooyhun-ah.”

The leaner Yoojin spoke, finally addressing the younger brother.

“Willful dongsaeng. I’ve always taught you to be considerate about your surroundings and other people. You didn't forget, did you?”

No, he has not.

“You…” Yoohyun’s ire rose again. “Why do you have the memories of my me and my hyung?”

Black flames began to burst from his right hand again.

fwit!

Yoohyun wondered why his vision suddenly tilted.

His eyes moved to his left.

The bulkier Yoojin suddenly appeared in the corner of his vision and kicked him on his left side, effectively distorting his spine, breaking his left arm and probably tearing the muscles in his lumbar region.

Physics took over, as if forgetting that an object receiving an enormous amount of force should move with the direction of said force, and Yoohyun whistled through the air, also having been thrown into the wall of the cave, creating a spectacular crater as sizeable as Sung Hyunjae’s.

Yoohyun coughed blood, having never felt this much pain in a very, very long time. Not even when he tussled with other S-Class hunters.

That single kick from the bulkier Yoojin broke through all possible defensive gear he had, managed to injure the body of a natural born S-Class; all without breaking a sweat.

“I’m (we’re) sorry, Yoohyun-ah.”
“I’m (we’re) sorry, Yoohyun-ah.”

“But isn’t this how you S-classes listen to one another? By pitting strength with one another.” The bulkier Yoojin questioned.

“At least that’s what the book I read told me.” The leaner Yoojin made a curious sound.

Both Yoojins slowly walked towards his fallen form.

Deliberately slow. Painfully slow. Each step so much audible in the quiet cave. Yoohyun could hear the gravel beneath their feet getting pulverized with each step.

For the first time after many years, Yoohyun felt genuine, actual fear.

“Who…"

"...what are you?”

They both stood in front of him, and then squatted down, meeting his gaze.

“Yoohyun-ah, you fucker. Have you forgotten who your hyung is?” The bulkier Yoojin tilted his head to the left, looking unamused.

“First you cut me out of your life, now you pretend to not know me? Ah, this fucker really knows how to ruin my day.” The leaner Yoojin tilted his head to the right, looking at Yoohyun like one would look at a frog that was ready to be dissected.

The bulkier Yoojin brought a gentle hand towards Yoohyun, moving his hair and tucking it behind his ear.

“I am Han Yoojin (Alpha).”

The leaner Yoojin did the same, fixing Yoojin’s overgrown bangs that covered his eyes.

“I am Han Yoojin (Beta).”

Both their slitted eyes, menacingly yellow; glowed amidst the darkness of the cave.

“I (we) love you, Yoohyun-ah, my cute dongsaeng.”

Chapter Text

The words made sense, but from where it came from made none.

Han Yoohyun wished he had the ability to block his hearing. To stop hearing the blasphemies that should not be.

These clones kept uttering words.

Words that formed memories.

Memories he shared with his hyung.

That only both of them shared.

Cherished, personal, memories.

But each one of them accurately recounted the tale and the details of each memory.

Did his hyung have his memories bleed for these facsimiles? Did they leach out his memories like squeezing a sponge?

“Yoohyun-ah?” Beta tilted his head curiously. “You look uncomfortable. Tell me (us) what makes you uncomfortable so I (we) can correct the situation?”

Yoohyun turned towards the hyung who called himself ‘Beta’.

“…give me my hyung back.”

“Give me the kind and gentle hyung that I grew up with! Give him back!”

Alpha and Beta gave Yoohyun a look that looked like he had grown an extra head.

“I (We) don’t understand. Aren’t I (we) here?”

Yoohyun clutched his head in pain.

There was something hard to understand about the way they spoke. The duplicitous nature of referring to themselves. Like some alien language. Whether it was ‘I’ or ‘we’ it just flowed out of their mouths together.

“You.” Yoohyun pointed his finger at Alpha.

“And y-“ His words were cut short when his finger was still pointed at Beta.

He shifted his finger towards Alpha again, but it landed on Beta. He tried pointing at Beta but his finger ended up pointing at Alpha. It was like existence blinked in and out correcting and preventing a natural situation.

Alpha and Beta’s eyes widened a bit at that experiment

“I (we) see.” They both stood up, hands on their hips and situation cleared.

“Space has not converged so far. Time has brought the phenomenon too early. Liminality has not yet finished and the penalties have not yet been remunerated to this branch’s system.“

“Schak!”

Golden chains FINALLY managed to pierce through the bodies of the twins. The multitude of them goring up the twins bodies, rupturing flesh, blood, bone and innards. The area around them exploded in their fluids, even splashing Yoohyun with blood and humors. 

"Augh!" Yoohyun cried out, wanting for answers.

Another golden chain wrapped around Yoohyun, snatching him away and carrying him to Sung Hyunjae who was already shooting through the air, rocketing towards the floating portal that led entry to this space.

He would have protested at the interruption, but his broken spine that had probably needed to be aligned before it started healing held back scathing words.

Sung Hyunjae sensed the unnatural angle Yoohyun was sporting and spared him a glance.

“This might sting.” Sung Hyunjae directed two more chains, one to wrap around Yoohyun’s abdomen, and the other around his dislocated joint.

With a gesture, the chains tightened, realigning the misaligned bones and joins.

crack!

Yoohyun’s pain tolerance was remarkably high, but it still elicited a grunt of pain from him. At the very least, he can breathe easier now.

“The blood on your face – “

Sung Hyunjae looked in wonder and confusion at Yoohyun’s face.

“It is gone.”

Both of them looked at the place where the twin’s bodies were pierced.

Only to see the two of them unscathed and without injury. As if the assault on them earlier had never happened.

“Such troubling opponents.” Sung Hyunjae quickened his pull on the chains that were tugging them into the portal.

They need to escape. To regroup.

The twins had immediately leaped towards them, crossing the great distance between them, hands outstretched, in a bid to reclaim Han Yoohyun from Sung Hyunjae’s chained grasp.

Momentary panic crossed the twin Yoojin’s faces as the two guildmasters managed to escape them with just a few centimeters separating them.

Before their upper bodies exploded by smashing head on to the portal at high speeds, which now acted like an impervious gate that barred passage for the twins.

The portal momentarily flickered before disappearing, leaving their smashed bodies that had stuck to it falling down onto the cave floor with a sickening sound.

Splat!

Another second and the corpses blinked out of existence.

Alpha and Beta were quietly observing the now-closing portal to the side, looking like they hadn’t just splattered their bodies into it at Mach 20 speeds.

“Liminality incomplete. We ( I ) are still considered as ‘dungeon beings’.”

A system window flickered in front of them. Both eyes swept through the content of the message in it.

“The probability penalties have been fulfilled. Why are we ( I ) still unable to access the Over World?”

Several windows popped up. Some in red, others blue.

“…has this branch been so weakened that it cannot cradle our existence without causing a probability storm?” Beta asked the system window.

A window flickered from red to blue to red rapidly in confirmation.

“…can we ask the Witch of Smoky Butterflies for help via a contract?”

A random window turned red. Negative.

“…her successor?”

Another turned red.

“Perhaps the successor isn’t yet powerful enough to intercede with the penalties.” Alpha hypothesized.

A window turned blue at this.

“How many penalties should I (we) shoulder to be allowed entry to this branch?”

All the system windows disappeared and were replaced by one lengthy system window.

“Tsk. Has this branch eroded so much in the little time I (Yoojin) disappeared?”

“The penalties are severe, but fair. Please assist us (we, Yoojin) in processing the fees to be made.”

The window flickered out of existence before the cave room creaked, slowly collapsed in on itself like a black hole. The twins made no movement even as they were slowly being entombed in stone.

The portal had expelled the two guild masters with a noisy fizzle as it slowly destabilized before shrinking and completely disappearing.

Yoohyun was slinging an arm over Sung Hyunjae, who looked worse for wear. Both of them were dirty, sporting bruises and burns, and both of their immaculate appearances were absent for the public.

Sung Hyunjae sighed in relief as he noted that the two humanoids had not pursued them, or at least, had not managed to go through the gate.

His theory that because they had emerged from the corpse of Lauchitas, it had meant they were dungeon beings.

And because the gate was purple and not red, it would deny them entry to the other side. Had it been red, things would have probably become worse.

Red gates meant dungeon outbreaks and were the only types of gate to allow dungeon monsters entry to their own world.

"You can let go now."

Yoohyun had enough mettle and strength to stand unassisted, once they had touched ground. He had an image to preserve as a guild master.

Kim Sunghan, Yoohyun’s right hand immediately ran over to assist his guild master. He did not know the courtesy in thanking another guild master for assisting their own because it had NEVER happened before.

For an S-Class hunter to help carry out another S-Class hunter out of the dungeon probably meant one thing.

But Kim Sunghan did not push his ideas through. Right now, his guild master had to hear what just happened, as well as to inquire what had happened inside the aberrant dungeon.

The lower rank hunters of each guild had the job of managing the area around the dungeon.

The Haeyeon hunters were cordoning the area between their guild master and the car that was to escort Yoohyun out of the area and presumably back to their guild building.

The Seseong hunters meanwhile, had prepared a stage for the small press conference that was to be held for the media. Seseong guild handed media publicity far better than Haeyeon guild did, no offense to Suk Simyeong-shi.

Yoohyun had no doubt the Seseong guild master would not expose what truly happened inside the dungeon. Probably a little lie and a little drama to satisfy the reporters.

The idea that two otherworldly beings could easily toy with S-rank hunters would lead to mass panic and hysteria.

Plus his pride wouldn’t allow it.

Both of them were probably making plans already to try and access that space again, even if the portal to it had already closed.

Him, for the purpose of finding out the mystery behind the aliens wearing his brother’s face.

For the other, to wipe out the stain of LOSING to dungeon beings. And what no other way but to completely annihilate them.

The question was whether he had the capability.

They might have to call support with Breaker Guild’s Moon Hyuna and probably even the Korean Hunter’s Association dog, Song Taewon.

Regardless, nothing else matters except for him to be able to collect what little remains of his actual brother.

“Guildmaster!”

Han Yoohyun was broken from his reverie, facing a worried Kim Sunghan.

Traffic had stilled and they were still quite the distance from their office. Kim Sunghan took this opportunity to converse with his guildmaster.

“You seem distracted. Did something go awry with the plan?”

What plan?

“Regardless, we’re thankful it was successfully pulled off.” Kim Sunghan actually sounded cheerful. “If your brothers hadn’t successfully rescued Han Yoojin-ssi while you and the Seseong guildmaster served as distraction…well, we all know how much you cherish your hyungnim. I don’t want to imagine if they hadn’t.”

A cold wave of dread washed over Han Yoohyun.

Brothers?

"They called me on their personal line, telling me to drive you to the Korean Hunter's Association. I heard they brought Han Yoojin-ssi over there because our medical wing isn't as advanced as the one over the Association."

No.

What was going on?

Chapter Text

Earlier

While Han Yoojin and Sung Hyunjae was still engaged in mortal conflict with the twins inside the portal, another portal had been forcibly opened in front of the Korean Hunter’s Association.

The hunter guards had immediately straightened in attention, as was the protocol for wayward portals that may appear in the vicinity of the building.

The S-class twins, Han Yoon-ae and Han Yoonbi stepped out of the portal; both wearing black dungeon gear with belts and harnesses and looking none the worse for wear.

Han Yoon-ae, whose rather feminine name did not match his serious behavior and bulkier body, held a hand in support to Han Yoonbi, the smaller between the two of them, who was the more sociable and cheerful one between them.

Yoonbi noticed the guards, and waved at them playfully; making them lower their guards. The tension in the air had dissipated immediately when they recognized the twins, some of them breaking out in smiles.

Yoon-ae momentarily tensed when he felt someone appear to their right, but the familiar aura from his own dimension made him recognize who it was.

“Hello, Song Taewon-gun.” He greeted, as the unnaturally tall man seemed to appear from out of nowhere and into their side.

The man nodded at both of them.

“Was the rescue mission a success?”

Both faces nodded at him, but their lips were set in a grim line.

Song Taewon picked up on this and unhurriedly ushered them inside.

There was a 30-minute intermission while Song Taewon briefed the higher ups on the state of the wayward portal. Depending on the news that the Han twins may bring, they might have to set countermeasures against the threats of purple colored portals.

Once Song Taewon managed to book and secure a conference room, they had an impromptu briefing on what happened. All three of them occupied the rather large conference table, settling themselves on the farthest edge of the table from the door.

“Then…where is your sibling? How is he?” Song Taewon finally asked.

“Right now…he is inside me.” Han Yoonbi gestured to the right part of his body. “I’m using my ability right now to reconstruct him. He’s in a state right now where even the air can kill him if he’s exposed to it. “

Song Taewon’s eyes widened by a margin. “It was that bad?”

Han Yoon-ae nodded, looking miserable. “The one who consumed him was the L-class Poison and Curse Dragon King Lauchitas. As an Unawakened, it would have been an immediate death sentence.

Song Taewon ruminated on the information. Would? Then, it didn’t?

Yoonbi continued. “Yoohyun and the Seseong guildmaster engaged the dragon while I used my ability to infiltrate the dragon’s body and collect as much…material of Yoojin was left undigested.”

“The only good thing that came out of this was Yoohyun was too distracted to notice the both of us, so he probably has no idea we managed to get his favorite hyung out.”

Song Taewon smacked his head.

“Tell me you at least informed the Haeyon guild that you were successful in extracting Han Yoojin out. If their guildmaster comes out with no clue of the rescue, he’s going to treat it like a suicidal mission.”

“Ah.” Both twins realized this gaffe at the same time, with Yoon-ae immediately opening his cellphone to open a line to one surprised Kim Sunghan.

“Sunghan-ssi, it’s me, it’s me.”

Both Yoonbi and Song Taewon looked at Yoon-ae like he grew an extra head.

Why is he pulling an ‘it’s me it’s me’ scam right now? Song Taewon could feel the beginning of a headache appear, just like everytime he tried dealing with the Seseong guildmaster.

“Yahallo, Sunghan-ssi!” Yoonbi yelled over Yoon-ae’s phone. “Yoon-ae just wanted to report about the mission to you. Don’t mind his dad joke.”

That was a dad joke?

Yoon-ae looked at his twin like he was going to strangle him for spoiling his fun.

He was serious!

While Yoon-ae moved to a different corner of the room in order to talk to Kim Sunghan, Yoonbi and Song Taewon were left to wait.

“…would you like to have something to eat and drink brought in?” Song Taewon offered, softly regarding Yoonbi.

“Hm…some strawberry cake with whipped cream, fruit soda float and a parfait would be nice for starters.” Yoonbi thought, tapping a finger on his cheek.

“And I’ll just have some coffee instead.” He finished, with a grin.

The others were for Han Yoon-ae???

“Can you have someone buy them from LEMICO? I’ve missed their desserts.” Yoon-ae returned, having finished his call. “Yoonbi, Sunghan-ssi said he’ll bring Yoohyun-a over once he’s out of the portal.”

“LEMICO?” Song Taewon asked.

“It’s a popular dessert shop downtown.”

Yoonbi tried Googling the shop and came out with similar results but none of them were the aforementioned shop.

“It probably doesn’t exist here.”

“Shame.” Yoonbi shrugged. “Taewon-ssi, if you have any recommendations, I’ll have it instead.”

Song Taewon could feel the impending headache about to erupt. Sometimes, he couldn’t follow the conversation that went on with these twins.

Thirty minutes later, Yoohyun barged into the room, with Kim Sunghan on his heels. His eyes frantically drifted from non-plussed Song Taewon to two familiar looking strangers; one with a solemn stare and the other with a cheerful one and a happy wave of his hand.

“YOU!” Venom dripped from Yoohyun’s words as he slowly drew his blade, fire erupting from the scabbard.

The blade was slid shut once more into its sheath; with Yoohyun looking stupefied as Yoon-ae disappeared from one side of the room and then appeared once more by his side with his hand pushing down on his sword.

Song Taewon sighed, having a migraine at this point.

“Every time it’s you three, I keep getting headaches, which shouldn’t be possible for an S-class.”

Yoonbi grinned at him.

“Well, Song Taewon-ssi. Family is a headache you can’t live without, right?”

The man sighed, collecting his documents.

“Well call me after you finish your family talk. Debrief me on what you can. Pray it doesn’t aggravate my headache.”

“No guarantees here.” Yoonbi hummed, looking at Song Taewon leave.

Han Yoon-ae also gave a look at Kim Sunghan, who understood that his presence wasn’t required right now. He gave a small bow before following Song Taewon out.

Yoohyun, finding the whole thing feeling wrong and different, knew he was now standing in unfamiliar territory. Why did everyone act like they were his family? Even Kim Sunghan?

These lookalikes that claimed and looked like they were his brothers.

“Han Yoojin is my only hyung.”

He spoke and tasted those words, feeling the truth in them.

Those words grounded him into his reality, the reality he always knew.

“Of course, I am.”

“Of course, I am.”

Yoohyun was brought back to the present when both Yoon-ae and Yoonbi spoke at the same time.

“Haha, see! How is it? It’s not the creepy thing you heard back in the cave, right?”

Yoonbi sent a smug look at Yoon-ae.

“Told you things would work out, Yoojin.”

Yoon-ae let out a sigh, shaking his head.

“Don’t make it more confusing for him, Yoojin.”

The door opened, revealing Sung Hyunjae walking in.

Things just got more confusing for Yoohyun.

Sung Hyunjae elected to sit at the end of the table farthest from the siblings.

Yoohyun had the same thought, before Yoon-ae grabbed him by the shoulders, dragged him to sit down at the chair opposite Sung Hyunjae where both him and Yoon-ae unceremoniously ruffled his hair.

“Ah, is it weird to say I missed running my fingers through Yoohyun’s hair? Don’t you think so, Yoojin?” Yoonbi asked.

“Mhm. I understand the sentiment, Yoojin.” Yoon-ae agreed. His face was still dour, but his fingers were being playful in contrast.

Sung Hyunjae made no comment, carefully observing the three of them. Whether he was looking for a lie, or a hole in their acting; no one knew what it was.

He also shared the same sentiment with Haeyon's guild master. Who were these pretenders?

Yoohyun tolerated it, if only to get answers. The battle inside the cave was disastrous, he couldn’t risk bringing that level of destruction here.

He still didn't know what or how to react.

“System.” Yoonbi called out. “Give us a secure space for as long as you can please.”

The air and gravity somewhat shuddered. Sung Hyunjae’s lips tilted slightly upwards, while Yoohyun’s wariness grew once more.

“Sung Hyunjae-ssi really is a constant, even in this world.” Yoonbi smiled fondly at him.

The man being addressed looks at Yoonbi, like a cat would look at a tub of cream.

“You claim to know me, and yet, we’ve never met.” He finally replied, smiling softly. “And you say “in this world”? What you are proposing sounds quite…outlandish, if what I’m concluding is correct.”

Yoonbi smiled a cat’s grin. “You’re a pain in the ass for everyone around you. You like playing this childish game where you think the world has set its roles and you are the mysterious dark horse where no one knows whether you’re the protagonist or the villain.”

“You’re a lovely case of ‘if you can, you would. Just because.’”

A thrill ran through Sung Hyunjae’s body. It was the first time someone tried to thoroughly dissect his personality. And by someone he had never even met!

“How interesting.” A dangerous glint shined in Sung Hyunjae’s eyes.

“Well, putting that aside. There’s a reason why you two are here with us right now. And I’m sure you have an idea why.”

Yoon-ae took over the conversation.

“We’ll keep it as simple as we can, not only for convenience’ sake. But also because penalties will be required if we delve further.”

“My name is Han Yoojin, the son of Han Yoohyun and Han Yoojin from another dimension.” Han Yoon-ae introduced himself. "Call me Han Yoon-ae though."

“And my name is Han Yoojin, the Grand Echidna of another dimension.” Han Yoonbi introduced himself. "Call me, Han Yoonbi."

“In my dimension, I am categorically an SLL-class being but right now in your dimension, I’m no more than an S-class reaching near SS-class.” Yoon-ae gestured to himself.

“Same here. But I’m categorically an LLL class.” Yoonbi shrugged. “Then again, Yoon-ae could very well be an LLL-class too, if he moved into my dimension. His dimension does not allow the existence of anything above an SLL.”

Both Sung Hyunjae and Han Yoohyun’s eyes widened.

Wild and outlandish claims that say they were on the level of gods, but both of them cannot detect a hint of deceit.

A god had no reason to lie to an ant.

That was the magnanimity flowing out of the same sibling personas standing near them.

Sung Hyunjae had to admit he did come a little bit at the revelation, if the slight blush dusting his face wasn’t a clue.

“Even then, we didn’t come here of our own accord.” Yoonbi sighed.

“We are propagules of our own being. You could say we were cultivated for the very purpose of being sent here. Our original souls and bodies are still in our own dimension, but we do belong in this one too, so there’s no danger of this reality rejecting us or making us disappear.”

“Yoohyun-ah.” Yoon-ae regarded his other-dimension younger brother.

“I don’t blame you for doing your best to keep us of your life in order to protect us…your Han Yoojin from personal threats."

"That is the providence of fate. It would have been the reaction of this dimension’s Han Yoojin to rise to the challenge and respond to the love you tried to exercise for him.”

“But Yoojin was never meant to die. More accurately, it would have been impossible in this current period.” Yoonbi's words were cold.

There was rage and hatred in Yoonbi’s voice that made Yoohyun shiver. The same air when Yoojin got rarely angry, but when he did – oh he was a sailor’s firecracker.

“We are, and he was, a cog that was meant to shoulder the pressures of this dimension."

"A lynch pin, one could imagine. But as he supports the dimension; the dimension must support him in turn; strengthening him into something flexible yet unbreakable.”

“As the dimension expands to accommodate the powers that have flooded in from the dungeons, the support he will give will be more pronounced.”

The air grew heavy with foreboding.

“There is a...danger. One unimaginable and requires the mustering of an entire dimension in order to weather its trial.”

“That is my role, our role. And should Han Yoojin fall for some reason, the entirety of the dimension is certain to follow in its ruin.”

“It may come after a few years, it may come centuries after. But the ruin of a dimension is something…they wish for."

"And the easiest way, probably the safest way for them, is to bring the fall of it is by destroying the lynch pin one way or another.”

Sung Hyunjae shifted in his seat, bringing their attention to him.

“That is rather a heavy-handed way of trying to boost your ego.” He challenged.

“I admit, I cannot tell if you are lying or not; but to say an entire dimension; not just this world, this universe; everything falls onto your shoulders?”

Yoonbi smiled, feeling nostalgic.

“As expected from Sung Hyunjae-ssi. Even as a sapling, you’re still critical as always in regards to everything you come to learn.

Yoonbi was about to say something, but his mouth struggled. He frowned, knowing what it meant.

“Well fuck. I can’t answer that without paying something.”

“Payment?” Sung Hyunjae inquired.

“Probability. It is the providence of events. The energy that makes time move forward. The chance that gives a sense of chaos and order in everything. A living dimension is full of probability. And from probability springs forth existence."

"Probability is the lifeblood of existence. Should it run out, the dimension falls into stagnancy. And stagnancy breeds stasis, cold, darkness...and death.”

“There is conflict of interest. But we represent a side that wishes for the continued existence of this dimension, while the other does not."

"The other si-“ Yoon-ae grunted, feeling his mouth lock up all of a sudden.

“Fuck.”

Yoonbi sighed. “A heavy payment made of probability has already been given for the current events to be set into motion. For us to be brought here, to intercede, to weather, to wander. ”

Both of them looked at Yoohyun.

“What?” The younger brother muttered.

“Han Yoojin should not have died. By all accounts and all probabilities, there was 0 chance of him not dying so early in this game. In this story.” Yoon-ae replied.

Yoonbi sighed. “There was probably an incredible amount of probability used in order to effect this tragedy. It violated the providence set upon by fate. The start point of his death marks the start of this dimension’s destabilization.”

Sung Hyunjae was able to put the puzzle pieces together.

“You say that one side wants the ruination of this dimension, and so they made payment for one event that had no possibility of occurring in order to make sure that this ruination would come to pass.”

“This...death of Han Yoojin.”

Both of them nodded.

“Then both your appearances denote that the side that wishes for continued existence paid a relative amount of probability in order to bring you here from…whatever dimensions you came from.”

Yoonbi grinned. “As expected of my par- cough Sung Hyunjae-ssi.”

Sung Hyunjae pretended to not hear the slip. “Why not just use probability to save Han Yoojin from Lauchitas? OR revive Han Yoojin then? Or reverse time? The whole thing seems roundabout.”

Yoon-ae replied to the question.

"In order to intercede against probability-driven events, one also needs to employ probability. Han Yoojin's fate was sealed using an astronomical amount of probability that is unknown to...this side."

"To save Han Yoojin, they would need to match or overtake the probability value used. And to use probability without knowing if it exceeds or is found wanting, is a fatal game to play."

"To little, and the probability used will be swallowed by the cost of the other side. Too much and the other side will know; and will directly attack our...benefactor, while they are laid helpless for having used too much to save Han Yoojin, but left with too little to defend themselves."

"Reversing time is impossible. Probability interventions take priority over providence. To reverse time is just another branch of 'saving Han Yoojin'."

"And...they cannot simply revive him either."

“Taking a life is simple and easy. One mishap, one flick, one wrong move; and it all goes downhill."

"Growing, nurturing life; that is hard. Resurrection and revival is all the more impossible."

"It is a violation of life itself. There are constellations that will not stand up for the violation of basic rules and will use their existence as payment to add more weight to the elimination of Han Yoojin, especially to those aligned with nature, law and justice.”

“Constellations? Stars?” Yoohyun raised an eyebrow.

“Mythological beings that overlook dimensions but do not govern them. Belief from sentient beings gives rise to new ones and the continued existence of old ones.” Yoon-ae tested, trying to see if he was allowed to reveal this information. Full glad he was that he was able to share this information uninterrupted.

“Even in constellations, there are factions. Some would wish for the continued existence of dimensions that give them belief because it makes them stronger and gives their existence form."

"In a way, it also becomes their shackle. If that dimension dies, belief will disappear, and they will die along with the dimension."

“Then, shouldn’t all constellations wish to have their dimensions preserved?” Sung Hyunjae never thought he’d feel engaged with new information.

This was like a Pandora’s box on a cosmological scale.

“Not all mythologies are good, kind. Some are born from cruel stories. And from these cruel stories come constellations that wish death, despair…desolation. Some dimensions are cruel itself, wishing the death of others, and then the death of their own. Some view life as a cruel accident, a stain on the universe’s immaculate fabric.”

“The other side somehow knows how to convert the destruction of a dimension into energy that can fuel a constellation’s continued existence. If these constellations can exist without being shackled by their believers…well, you can imagine which party they wish to support.”

Sung Hyunjae scoffed. “That’s all rather selfish, is it not.”

Both Yoon-ae and Yoonbi looked at him like he grew an extra head.

“What?” He genuinely didn’t get the looks of disbelief.

“Well, anyway. Before we got sidetracked earlier, yeah, we gotta look out for meddling constellations too. That is why our side had to exploit loopholes.” Yoonbi raised a finger.

“It’s going to be hell to pay trying to revive someone dead out of pure happenstance. And reversing time is useless without a regressor."

"Regressors are also a bitch to maintain, one demon king told me. They eat probability like popcorn."

"And trying to contact beings in your own dimension also consumes a lot of probability and requires dungeon energy as well. It is a waste of probability and should only be used for band-aid solutions. No, they need...we need a more effective and permanent solution that would not violate this dimension's providence.”

“The world is doing its best to maintain its form after all.” Yoon-ae added.

“Regressors are out. We can’t make Han Yoojin a reincarnator too because he’s already dead."

"Surprise, surprise! The last thing we can do to prevent a ruined world then, is through returners! Other dimensional beings that hold the same specie signature to offset the cost of bringing them over.”

“We were taken from our dimensions in incomplete forms and only one directive was ordered into our bodies: to retrieve Han Yoojin from Lauchitas. We needed a lot of rewriting in order to get our original personalities back however, and that took a lot of probability to happen.”

Sung Hyunjae raised a hand to rest his chin on it.

“You were saying that you fought 2 S Class hunters with limited mental faculties and only acting on primal instincts?”

Both of them shrugged.

“As dungeon entities, we still preserved our ranks, I would think.” Yoon-ae offered.

“We were still SLL and LLL class entities inside the dungeon. You can’t pay enough probability to even try and stand a chance against us!” Yoonbi laughed, finding the whole idea absurd.

A golden chain shot out of thin air at impossible speeds and whistled through the area where Yoonbi’s head was a few milliseconds earlier. Yoonbi was still laughing, as if dodging speed of sound projectiles aiming for his head was as easy as swatting a fly.

“Sorry, Hyunjae-ssi! We can’t die yet. Not till we’ve preserved the dimension where our favorite little brother exists in. And I believe Han Yoojin inside me shares the same sentiment.”

That brought Yoohyun’s attention back to the forefront.

“My brother…is inside of you?”

Yoonbi nodded. “Not accurately though. Otherwise, I’d look like someone with a grown man inside of me now, would it?”

“He’s currently floating in a theoretical womb that’s connected to me. Barring talks about quantum physics and other-dimensional architecture; let’s just say that he’s very safe while he’s being reconstructed.”

Sung Hyunjae raised an eyebrow. “Why not? The side you say that antagonizes us can very well spend probability to make you experience some dimensional miscarriage, couldn’t they?”

Yoon-ae, who spent most of the time now eating cake and drinking soda, comically spat out his drink in a fountain, while Yoonbi rolled on the table laughing out loudly.

“A dimensional miscarriage-HAH! That’s a riot!”

Yoon-ae coughed. “Eugh…I get what you’re saying. But it’s an absolute impossibility for now.”

“There’s probably only a miniscule amount of possibility and existence for them to spend on trying to effect something on Yoonbi, right after having Lauchitas kill Yoojin."

"I've told you earlier. There's also one reason why they did not intercede with the death of this world's Han Yoojin."

"By letting them consume the probability cost, they would be left with little to none; small enough that earning it back would give us enough time to get Han Yoojin back from the brink of disappearance. They would be free to spend probability on their own terms, without fear of reprisal or interruption."

“Me and Yoonbi are still propagules of Han Yoojin. If they wanted to cause an effect for me, they will have to pay 200x the penalties of probability and existence.”

Sung Hyunjae processed that information.

“Han Yoojin, our Han Yoojin, is an Unawakened civilian. And you’re saying they spent a king’s ransom to get him killed.”

“Your suspicion is right.” Yoon-ae nodded. “Power also affects the cost. The more powerful the individual, the more probability you would need to make any significant effect on a person.”

“For Han Yoojin who is considered the lynchpin of this dimension, the wedge that preserves its shape; as an F-rank, the cost is stellar on a cosmological scale.”

“But what about Yoonbi and me. We are also Han Yoojin, who bore the same responsibility in our own dimensions, but are SLL and LLL ranks? They could sacrifice this entire dimension and convert it to existence and probability, and it would still fall short.”

“And whoever managed to bring you over to our world was able to do so with a paltry amount of probability, you say?” Sung Hyunjae challenged.

“Loopholes, remember? Which is more likely cheaper: to buy a seed and grow it into a tree, or just buy a whole tree?” Yoonbi retorted. “I say cheaper, but they paid so much of the penalty needed to bring us here that they are probably prohibited from intervening for the next thirty years.”

“Plus, you saw how everyone naturally just accepted our presence as default after you exited the dungeon, except for the two of you. You both still remember that we shouldn’t exist.”

“The probability to rewrite the structure of reality in this dimension to let us fit in was costly, but they could not afford rewriting Yoohyun and Hyunjae-ssi’s memories. For Yoohyun, one reason is we need something from him in order to fully reconstruct Yoojin, and this needed an untampered ego.”

“But the important reason is that both you yourselves require a great amount of probability to tamper with.”

Yoon-ae sent a sharp gaze at Sung Hyunjae while Yoonbi ruffled Yoohyun’s hair.

“I don’t need to spell out the implications of what that means right?”

Sung Hyunjae hmm’ed, not making any physical reply.

A large CLAP broke the somber reverie from the room, and everyone felt something breaking and falling away.

“The sanctuary provided by the System is at its limit. That’s all we can share for now.”

Sung Hyunjae stood up, turning his back at the Han siblings.

“…and you trust me with this information? I could very well side with those constellations now that I’m aware of my importance.”

Yoon-ae continued munching on cake, undisturbed; while Yoonbi made a smug, knowing grin.

“Feel free to do whatever you like, Hyunjae-ssi. Should you side with them, I’m excited to see you crawling back to us, broken and stripped of everything!”

Yoonbi made a small wave as Sung Hyunjae walked out, almost insulted, his jacket billowing after him.

Chapter Text

It had taken a good amount of time and night had fallen.

Since the world was rewritten and everyone had fully accepted that the Haeyeon guildmaster had triplets for siblings, he had elected to invite them to live on the top floor of the guild building.

Kim Sunghan had dutifully driven them from the Hunter’s Association building back to the guild building ,though unnerved by the silence and the small smile playing in Han Yoonbi’s lips. He knew that this older brother was already powerful by his own right, but he also employed underhanded and sly means which made him more dangerous than ever.

The other Han sibling, Han Yoon-ae was more comfortable to be with. He shared their guildmaster’s indifferent attitude, but was miraculously more social. And his sweet tooth had the notoriety of making him easy to open up conversations with. Mentioning a cake shop or a patisserie would get you his attention and good graces.

They quietly arrived, having been driven into the basement parking space instead of the main entrance; as per Han Yoonbi’s instructions.

“Ciao, Sunghan-ssi!” Yoonbi thanked him, dragging the other Han siblings along into the elevator that would lead them to the penthouse floor of the guild building.

He sighed, thankful that their guildmaster finally had someone to look out for him again.

The twins were given adjacent rooms though still quite a distance from Yoohyun’s own room.

Everyone had taken a quick shower in their rooms while Yoohyun had food and drinks delivered to his floor.

Dinner followed after, and the siblings fed and watered themselves with what food was available.

The moment coffee was served and all three of them were relaxing in their seats did Yoohyun ask them of their plans.

“I’m going to focus my energies on quickening Yoojin’s revival.” Yoonbi spoke behind his cup.

“Does our dongsaeng want to know anything about the process?” He teased.

Yoohyun shook his head. “No. Is there any risk I need to be aware of while you’re doing this?”

Yoonbi huffed, raising his shoulders in the negative. “As I’ll be doing the process in a dimensional pocket of my own authority, nothing short of a probability storm would pose any risk to what I’m doing.”

“I’ll be absent for a week however. The process is delicate in that I’ll need to supervise it continuously and without sleep. This is harder than creating new life, this is restoring a previous one after all.”

Yoohyun looked at him with sincerity in his eyes.

“Can you do it? Bring my hyung back? All of his personality, memory and soul?”

Yoonbi’s heart skipped a bit, witnessing such sincerity from Yoohyun. His own Yoohyun barely showed such emotions anymore.

“It will be fine. Anything to make my dongsaeng happy.”

Yoohyun nodded, not asking for more.

Yoonbi clapped his hands together, smiling and in a louder voice. “Well, time’s a wasting. That week starts now! I’ll see you guys after seven days!”

“Wait, what?” Yoohyun had to admit even he had thought it ridiculous to immediately go do something they had just talked about.

“Yoon-ae, care for our dongsaeng, will you?” The other nodded in reply. “Yoohyun, make sure no one enters my room to check up on me or anything. Make some excuse that I went back inside a dungeon again or something. And if I’m late for a day or more, have Yoon-ae follow me.”

With nary more goodbyes, he trekked back into his room and locked the door soundly, enough for both Yoon-ae and Yoohyun to hear.

Yoohyun, a bit shellshocked, asked with a distracted demeanor?

“Was he always like this, hyun – “

He caught his words before he could finish.

“I mean…Yoon-ae-ssi.”

Yoon-ae was beaming. A bit smug, but beaming all the same.

“There’s no shame calling me “hyung”, since you are my dongsaeng.”

Yoohyun massaged  his temples, out of a headache and embarrassment.

“I…do not think this is something to be decided by me only.”

Yoon-ae tilted his head in askance.

“Until Yoonbi-ssi brings my hyung back, I don’t want to share it. It was always between us. My hyung and his dongsaeng.”

Yoon-ae closed his eyes, humming a bit.

“Granted I’ve never met another version of my dongsaeng aside from you, you’re probably more talkative than he is.

Yoohyun stared at him, realizing that it was true.

“Do you remember our story? That we are nothing but propagules of the original copies from our own dimensions? I may have been taken from my own dongsaeng, but he doesn’t even know that I disappeared. Because the original me is still with him. And even the original me isn’t even aware that we were cultivated and taken away.”

Yoohyun lowered his head.

“We truly…don’t have anyone but each other…that Yoojin and me.”

“Even if someone says Yoojin’s name, we will still instinctively reply. Because we’re also Yoojin, even if we’re Yoon-ae and Yoonbi now.”

Yoon-ae stood up, and walked past him; but not without ruffling Yoohyun’s hair.

“Sleep early. I’ll be conducting your guild’s press conference in regards to what happened with the portal. Yoonbi can do it better but we can’t disturb him over it. Good night.”

He disappeared into his own room, with the door partially ajar.

Yoohyun remembered.

When his hyung would do the same to let Yoohyun know that he can go inside his room to sleep whenever he felt lonely or disturbed. Whenever he felt imbalanced or troubled. He would tunnel under the blanket and into his hyung’s waiting arms.

He sighed, quietly nursing his cup of now cold coffee.