5

“It’s a bit late, but I want to thank you.”

Ee-Na grinned widely as my brother showed his appreciation. Then, she answered, “Y-You are welcome! I-it is my duty!”

Despite her calm expression, her voice was shaking. Maybe it’s because she is getting thanks from her idol. I guess I could also give her more than an autograph for her help. So, I called my brother and said.

“Why don’t you take a photo with her? Her second wish was to take a photo with you.”

“…I never said that…….”

I ignored Ee-Na’s voice. I just wanted to give her some reward for bringing me here.

Besides, my brother also seemed to side with me, even though his secretary was staring at me intensely. Well, I guess I had to bear with that.

Eventually, Ee-Na took photos with my brother. Before she left, I shook her hand and left a simple goodbye.

“Take care and be safe.”

“Yes… and, um, thank you.”

Well, I didn’t see why she was thanking me. It was my brother who took photos with her and gave her an autograph. Anyway, now it was over.

I sat down and spoke to my brother. “I would like to catch up with you in private.”

My brother nodded. Yet, unlike the previous occasion, the secretary seemed to be against my suggestion. I could guess bringing a pen and paper and leaving his master alone with me are two very different issues.

“Master, we are not certain that he is really your brother.”

It was an understandable response. As a secretary and a bodyguard, he had to be suspicious of me, and I got that.

“I’m not sure what will happen if I leave you with him alone.”

Hong Jong-Geun, the chief secretary, kept his eyes on me.

“You look like an awakener, but there’s something quite different in you,” he said.

I could sense where his questions would lead to. “Go on.”

“Are you an awakener?”

It was quite hard to give a straight answer, but I decided to tell the truth.

“Well, I can tell you that I’m not an awakener.”

“Then, how could you endure master’s fist like that? Even if he did not use aura, a normal person wouldn’t be this fine.”

To be honest, my brother’s punch hurt me a lot. I did not say it out loud, but that was indeed the truth.

“I feel like my mouth is bleeding.”

“…”

“My teeth were shaken loose.”

“…”

“Well, now that I’m thinking about it… it did hurt for a bit?”

I can see that the secretary was trying to hold back his anger. The guy immediately raised his voice.

“Master, even if he is your brother, we need to investigate him….”

He was not able to finish his sentence. I guess he felt something from Ho’s expression.

They exchanged looks for a while, then Mr. Hong raised his hand and bowed.

“…….Please excuse me.”

“No worries. I understand. You must be friends with Ho, right?”

“…….”

He did not reply to my words. Instead, he stared at me for a while and closed the door.

“That guy is pretty interesting,” I remarked.

To be honest, I could not blame Mr. Hong. The Earth before I had fallen to Valhalla was far different.

I believed that Earth was the same as I remembered. If anyone had the same experience as me, I was sure they would think just like I did. Who would have thought about gates or monsters anyway? As is why I wore simple clothing to fit in the world I used to live in.

I should have brought my sword with me. There was a slight regret on my mind, but I let that go quickly. There was nothing I could do about it. Instead, I chose to continue a conversation with my brother.

I need to resolve his doubts. I understand his circumstance.

Ee-Na told me that in this world, there was a monster known as the ‘Doppelganger.’ She said it could transform into any creature and copy its exact appearance and features.

Besides, if I put myself in my brother’s position, I would be in doubt as well. I also was the strongest swordsman in the world I was from. In a different world, I was in a position that was similar to my brother.

A brother who was missing for ten years returned unchanged, without even aging?

Someone would say that it was more likely for someone to pretend like me. He might even think that this was some sort of a trap. There were a lot of possible scenarios.

Ho finally opened his mouth.

“You might wonder why I let you in here. Of course, you are suspicious. Yet, I have a feeling.”

“Feeling?”

“Yes. An instinct. As a hunter, I made lots of decisions. From trivial choices like going left or right to the heavy choice of deciding one’s life.”

“And?”

“My instinct is telling me that you are my real brother.”

I had to laugh. I could sense that what he just said was not what he really wanted to say. My dear Ho had developed a nice poker face, but it was clear that behind his expression, he still was doubting me.

Then, why did he let his secretary leave?

The answer was simple. He was much stronger than his secretary.

“So what kind of place is Valhalla continent, and what were you doing there?”

He had a soft smile that would disarm any other people. If someone did not know about his state, that one would fall into his trap.

I could not explain everything. Not in a time when I was being suspected like this.

I leaned myself on the chair and started telling the brief story of my journey.

* * *

Lee Ho, also known as the famous Manifester, looked out his window as he listened to the man who introduced himself as his long-lost brother.

The story he listened to was short, but it was also undeniably interesting.

Lee Hwan’s story was quite convincing. In fact, if that story was novel, it would have been a best-seller.

Ho grabbed his cigarette. He had been smoking for ten years now. He started smoking when he heard that his brother was missing.

Hwan may not know, but he was not just a brother to Ho. He was an ideal man that Ho wanted to be like. It was true that he blocked Ho’s path as an artist, but that was an accident. In addition, it was just for three months.

On the 5th of May, he was considered a disabled person due to the condition of his arm. But on the 16th of August, he became an awakener, and his arm was cured.

That was the same day his brother went missing.

He did not know that Ho’s arm has healed. All the time he was in that world, he believed that Ho was living a difficult life.

He inhaled the smoke gas deeply. He knew that he was an immature child. He liked drawings so that he could escape from the harsh reality. He was evading it since it was too painful. Yet, instead of running away, his brother Hwan faced reality and worked harder to overcome such obstacles.

To get money, he quit high school. He worked hard and used that money for his mother’s treatment fees and expenses for the family’s needs. Despite his hard time, he never complained.

In his mind, Hwan was a father figure. When he disappeared, Ho could not hide from harsh reality anymore. He faced it. He became mature to save his remaining family. That was when he started smoking. Smoking cigarettes was something his brother did, and it reminded Ho of him.

Ho knew that Hwan wasn’t lying.

He whispered to himself: “Status Window.”

Name: Lee Ho

Level: 87 (88% Exp)

Title: Manifester

Strength: 76

Health: 82

Agility: 88

Intelligence: 90

From the beginning, Ho always had this thought inside him. Were these status windows and systems a gift? Or is it a curse? He closed his eyes for a while.

“So, what’s your plan?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Why? Are you giving me a position in your company?”

“If you want.”

At this, Hwan shook his head.

“Is it because you didn’t want to get appointed by someone from above?”

Hwan shook his head again.

“I don’t know what exactly is your job, but if I’m linked with you, then the direction you are headed may change.”

It was hard to understand. Meanwhile, Hwan stretched his body and then smiled at his younger brother.

“Everyone who was involved with me ends up dead, broken, or lonely… Always, without any exceptions.”

He watched his brother. He had a mysterious atmosphere that was hard to understand. At least, it was the first time for Ho.

Warm, yet cold and frosty. The atmosphere was paradoxical, having two contrasting adjectives combined as one.

“Maybe I should try out for GED.”

“Are you sure?”

“You know that my highest level of education is graduating middle school. Remember? Our mom said her wish is to see my graduation certificate.”

Ho nodded after seeing that his brother actually meant it. Then, he passed him a key card.

“I am about to go on an overseas business trip. Meanwhile, stay at my place. This is the key for it.”

“Wow, you surely are a successful man now, aren’t you?”

As Hwan took the key card, he brought out two potions that he had.