14

He was a man who had started from the bottom. From the lowest-ranking and weakest F-rated hunter to the highest-ranking SS-rated, he had become one of the strongest hunters in the world. If he was really still the Lee Ho that I knew, then he must have used up his money as soon as he got it. However, he told me that he was too late.

“It was too late.”

I continued to puff on my cigarette without saying anything.

“From her lungs to her heart, every single organ she had was already affected. It was too late for a cure, and any treatments would be of no use. The doctor had told me she would die soon.”

“…When was this?”

His words froze me. Even after everything, this was still quite shocking for me.

“May, even before you disappeared. We hid it from you.”

“…..”

“I know what our mom was thinking, she didn’t want to be a burden. That’s why I worked hard to save her, and that’s why I asked her to get surgery.”

Well, our visit here explained that her surgery did not go well.

“What were her last words?”

“Do whatever makes you happy, and I’m sorry for being a bad mother. She wanted me to tell you this when you returned.”

I closed my eyes. Lee Ho’s, no, my mother’s voice was reaching my ears through my brother.

“Don’t cry. I was happy to have you as my child. And I’m truly sorry.”

I opened my eyes. Ho was much calmer than I expected. I turned my head to look at my mother’s urn. Beside it were photos of the three of us together when we were still young and smiling. Our clothes were worn and old, and we were holding hands. I was observing the pictures for a while when Ho asked.

“Are you not sad?”

I could see my reflection in the frames of the photos; I was not expressing any emotions.

“I’ve already cried a lot.”

I already knew about it. Even before I returned, I knew that our mother would not last long. Back then, I believed that Lee Ho was not able to use his arm properly. However, I already knew that I would not see her alive again.

That was why I had cried a lot; there was no one left to support her. That despair and that desperation led to my tears.

Then life in Valhalla eventually turned me into this. My tears had already dried up.

I turned back to face him. His eyes were still observing me, trying to find a crack.

“Are you still suspicious?”

“…You caught me.”

A laugh came out of my mouth, not because I was happy or something like that. I knew it was inappropriate, but I just couldn’t resist.

“I noticed that your spies were gone. Jeong Gi-Hoon surely reported well. I talked about your life story as well.”

I guess that was not enough for him.

“Did you think that I would cry upon seeing our mother?”

He did not deny it, so that was the truth.

“If I cry, would your suspicions be reduced?”

My dear Lee Ho.

“You developed a bad habit while I was gone, doubting continuously. To be honest, that doesn’t really matter.”

Yet.

“There’s a line that you should not cross.”

My voice was coming out harshly, but my laughter did not stop.

I stood in front of him and we stared at each other, neither one of us breaking eye contact.

To be honest, I knew that from the beginning, there was only one simple way to resolve this. Even though I did not want to do that, I understood that the situation was indeed suspicious. Lee Ho was one of the most successful men in the world, and now his missing brother suddenly appeared?

It sounded like a plot, a plot to take whatever he had. That was why many people had pretended to be related to him.

DNA test? Fingerprint test? Iris Examination? Those didn’t really work. Because of the monster ‘doppelgangers,’ it was hard to determine one’s actual identity. In fact, there were already several of them who reached out to Lee Ho. That’s why he couldn’t stop doubting.

Ironic, wasn’t it? The advances in technology made it harder to simply identify a person.

Lee Ho must have been pondering a lot. I had passed every test he threw my way, so there was only one thing left to do. He wanted to get rid of his doubt once and for all, and that was why he used our mother.

He was suspicious because he thought that I was just one of those people who pretended to be his missing brother to attempt to gain benefits from him, including his power. I could prove him wrong by showing him that I didn’t need to beg for his power. I already had the power to do what I want.

Although, I did not want to do that because my mother did not like it when I fought with my brother. But….

“How dare you use our mother just to satisfy your doubts. Let me warn you that this is a bad habit.”

As the atmosphere around us changed, Lee Ho became more serious as well.

“I’m disappointed to say that I have no other choice but to do this. As you know, our mother did not like our fights. She always told us it was her fault.”

Staff members from Lee Ho’s guilds started to come closer. Ho, without any hesitation, raised his hand to stop them, and they followed his command.

I hope mom could understand my actions.

I inhaled the smoke from my cigarette deeply.

“My dear brother.”

It was now time for a lesson.

***

Big three. That title had always been heavy. It was extremely difficult for someone to reach that position.

Lee Ho was special. He had a natural talent that was not inherited. As he continued to survive, he learned how to easily sense a fight, the enemy’s purpose, and the change in atmosphere. Even now, he could sense a change in his brother.

As a habit, he opened his status window.

Name: Lee Ho

Level: 89 (28%)

Title: Manifester / Implementer

Strength: 76

Stamina: 84

Agility: 90

Intelligence: 90

Unique Skill: Manifesting / Implementing

Skills: Rush, Concentrate, Brushing, Inventory, Golem Craft, Summoning Creature Craft

He checked his status again as Hwan was announcing.

“My dear brother, it’s time for a lesson.”

As smoke wisped out of his mouth, Lee Ho’s instinct told him to attack. With his dagger clutched in his hand, Ho quickly aimed for Hwan’s neck. It was a sudden attack that no one could have possibly dodged.

However, Lee Hwan was exceptional. By shifting his head, he easily dodged the attack.

“Analysing the enemy and then striking with a dagger, huh? Not bad.”

Was he evaluating his movements? If so, then surprisingly, he was right. Suddenly, Lee Hwan disappeared from sight.

“If you ambush someone, you should attempt to kill them better.”

Ho swung the knife in the direction of Hwan’s voice, but his attack did not hit its target.

‘Where did he go? Was I wrong about his voice?’

While Lee Ho was thinking fast, Lee Hwan grabbed his arm. He knew that this was going to be dangerous so he tried to evade it, but he was too slow. Hwan’s attack hit his body.

Slam.

Ho’s body collided with the ground. His organs, as well as his bones, quivered.

Oh, my god. What was that power? Was that his fist? Or was that a kick? He was not sure.

Lee Ho usually protected himself by using his aura like a shield. Most of the members of the guild knew that he was fully protected by it. His defense was outstanding. It could even be said that Lee Ho would survive even when hit by more than ten missiles.

However, one hit from Hwan cracked his defense.

Lee Ho calculated in his mind again. He had been wrong about Lee Hwan’s strength; the man was much stronger than he anticipated.

He clenched his fist and tried to get up. In front of him, he saw Hwan standing proud, a sinister smile on his face. His instincts were telling him that that smile was dangerous.

“That’s your problem. You think too much while fighting.”

Lee Ho did not answer. Instead, he sent his aura to his vessels. His physical ability was enhanced, and the ground around him shook violently.

The big three, also known as the weapons symbolizing the power of the nation. They could smash mountains through simple hand gestures and cause earthquakes when they stomped the ground.

That was Lee Ho’s strength. He never let his guard down. And that was why he could not understand Lee Hwan.

In the blink of an eye, Hwan disappeared again like he had a while ago. Ho completely lost track of him and looked around quickly. Suddenly, an intense pain bloomed near his stomach.

His enchanted dagger, named ‘Breath of Mara Papiyas,’ had stabbed his side. His blood immediately froze, and the frozen blood exploded. That was the main effect of Lee Ho’s dagger, it froze the person’s blood and exploded it after.

Ho coughed violently, and blood was expelled from his mouth. His knees were on the ground, and as he raised his head, he saw Hwan waiting for him.

If he was being completely honest, he could not match him. Hwan was astonishingly strong. His fellow hunters, after seeing him fall, rushed toward him right away.

“Master!!!”

“Everyone! Prepare for battle!”

While observing their approach, Lee Hwan talked to him.

“Do you remember? August 2019, about 4 pm?”

“………..”

“We promised to watch a movie when mom feels better, just the three of us. I watched it yesterday. Do you remember it as well?”

Ho’s eyes were filled with surprise. His description was too precise and accurate. How could he remember all that? It was ten years ago.

At this, Lee Ho wanted to confirm something. He raised his hand to stop his colleagues from approaching.