TWKH Ch 8

You have invited Healer202 to the Party.

Healer202 has joined the Party.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: come to voice chat

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: your mic still not working?

Healer202 waves their hand.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I said use words!!

Healer202 shakes their head.

“Ah, this bastard….”

Jehyun ran their fingers through their hair in irritation while glaring at the screen. After connecting their headset and joining voice chat, Habaek was already there. Seeing the slash mark, it seemed their mic was still broken.

While naturally following the leveling route and starting main quests, Jehyun asked Habaek:

“Who told you to add those numbers to my ID?”

Habaek, who was following JalapeñoKimchi doing main quests, made a crying emote. Jehyun sighed. It seemed like just a minute ago they thought about taming them, but already they were about to lose it. Frowning, Jehyun clicked their tongue and said:

“You really don’t listen at all. Don’t you get hit by your brother? If you were my sibling, you’d be dead.”

Habaek made a laughing emote and used a skill in the air. What does that mean? Blinking, Jehyun said hesitantly:

“Are you Sangjae’s younger brother? He’s older?”

Habaek waved their hand again. That meant yes.

So that’s why they were so bratty and acted up with Sangjae. Jehyun let out a dry laugh, remembering Sangjae mentioning that Habaek was someone who worked out.

“You hit your brother who’s seven years older, so why didn’t you show up at the back gate? You ran away after seeing my face, right?”

At that question, Habaek finally spoke:

[Party] Healer202: lol here we go again

[Party] Healer202: can’t communicate

[Party] Healer202: it’s tiresome so let’s just say I ran away after seeing your face, I’ll give you that

[Party] Healer202: I’ll acknowledge you as the Korea University back gate fighter

[Party] Healer202: I ran away because you were so handsome your face was glowing and it scared me

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: stop talking nonsense ffs

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: it’s not that much

[Party] Healer202: notice you’re not denying being handsome babe

[Party] Healer202: can I screenshot this and post it on Caven?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: sure along with your selfie

[Party] Healer202: you’d be surprised if you saw my selfie;

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: np I’m surrounded by people like you

[Party] Healer202: ah~ which entertainment agency are you with?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: you’re really talking nonsense lollollol

Jehyun burst out laughing at Habaek’s shamelessness and turned off their mic to laugh. Finding it truly ridiculous, they laughed for a while, then turned their character to pretend to hit Habaek’s alt before responding.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: do you look like Sangjae?

[Party] Healer202: Why?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Your brother is handsome though

[Party] Healer202: Have you seen Sangjae?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Nah, heard it from your sister. She said he came to the PC cafe and was super handsome

[Party] Healer202: I’m better looking;

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: OK, I’ll ask Sangjae tomorrow to screenshot

[Party] Healer202: But it’s true…

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Yeah, whatever

Having Habaek around was better than leveling up an alt character alone. Even if the conversations were meaningless, at least they were amusing in their absurdity.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: And pick one – formal or casual speech with me. It’s annoying

[Party] Healer202: What do you prefer?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Super formal speech

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Like “My dearest Guild Master o(^^)o, how has your noble health been faring?”

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I’d like that

[Party] Healer202: OK, got it

[Party] Healer202: My darling, have you risen from your seat today?

[Party] Healer202: The doctor said we must turn you over to prevent bedsores…

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Let’s just shut up

Train this? It might be faster to grab him by the collar and fight to put him in his place. Jehyun quickly went silent, sighed, turned on his mic and spoke.

“You really have a talent for pissing people off, don’t you? Don’t people tell you to shut up when you go outside?”

Jehyun asked through gritted teeth at Habaek’s irritating response. Habaek made a laughing motion and denied it.

[Party] Healer202: Well, everyone’s dying to hear even one more word from me

“Maybe because they’re amazed that something that barely passes for human can talk?”

[Party] Healer202: Maybe. Did they think I was a picture and got surprised I could talk?

“I think I’m going to throw up.”

[Party] Healer202: Do it in my hands, darling

He really had to have the last word. Jehyun sighed as he ran to the quest NPC, leaving behind Habaek who was standing still with both hands out in a begging motion. Where did someone like this come from? He shook his head and kept quiet.

But even though Habaek was annoying enough to make him want to hit him on the head, he wasn’t hateful.

Though they’d been growling at each other for 5 years, the two were, so to speak, running mates. Rivals enjoying a dying game while fueling each other’s competitive spirit. That’s why Jehyun could decide to merge the Guilds.

Habaek knew where to draw the line. In their long time of fighting, the usual extreme swearing or personal attacks that often come up never occurred between them. Of course, words like “bastard,” “crazy,” “fuck,” “get lost” were exchanged… but among guys, that level was just playful banter.

Besides, Habaek was only twenty. It was funny to get seriously angry at a kid whose ID card’s ink hadn’t even dried yet, who was too scared to show up for real-life fights. With the mindset of playing with a younger brother, Jehyun asked Habaek:

“How long are you playing until?”

[Party] Healer202: What about you, Mr. Korea-University-Back-Gate-Fight-Guy

[Party] Healer202: Too long so I’ll call you Mr. Fight-Guy

Ignoring Habaek’s words, Jehyun replied:

“Maybe three?”

If he slept at three, he could get 8 hours of sleep until 11.

“No, four?”

Jehyun corrected himself, thinking 8 hours might be too much sleep. Then Habaek thought for a moment and answered:

[Party] Healer202: Then let’s play until then. I have late classes tomorrow too

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: OK good, I can hear a freshman’s life being ruined

[Party] Healer202: I could take exams with my eyes closed and still do better than you

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: And that was a statement from Habaek, who’s on academic probation.

While bickering, the two followed the main quest hard to level up. 10, 20, 30, leveling up was faster with the experience bonus from playing together, and by around 3 AM, they were able to enter the first dungeon available at level 35.

As it was early dawn, Jehyun naturally assumed there wouldn’t be anyone around, but thanks to the power of server integration, there were users going to the dungeon even at that hour. There was no tank, but low-level dungeons could be cleared recklessly anyway, so Jehyun quickly abducted people looking for a party.

“RaptorsMustDie has joined the party.”

[Whisper to GuiJaMoSin: Would you like to go to the labyrinth? We have two DPS and one healer.]

[Whisper from GuiJaMoSin: Sure, invite please.]

“You have invited GuiJaMoSin to your party.”

“GuiJaMoSin has joined the party.”

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Hello

[Party] RaptorsMustDie: Hello

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Invite KanglimDoryeong please.

“You have invited KanglimDoryeong to your party.”

“KanglimDoryeong has joined the party.”

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Welcome

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Ah, you’re max level.

It turned out that KanglimDoryeong was a max-level necromancer. It seemed they were looking for someone to join the party for the experience bonus.

Moreover….

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Let’s enter.

You’ve entered the underground labyrinth.

You feel an ominous presence.

[Party] Necromancer: Hmm. Canteens?

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Oh hello, nice to meet you.

The Necromancer and GuiJaMoSin were from the Hell Guild, JiCheonWang Guild, that had come up from the Maverick server.

Although it was awkward since they would obviously be enemies during this weekend’s siege battle, Jehyun greeted them nonchalantly with an exclamation.

“Hell bus is sweet.”

Habaek used a laughing emote, hearing that.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Are you the healer?

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Wait, but you’re not a priest, you’re a robber.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Kimchi is a priest?

[Party] RaptorsMustDie: Could you guys chat later and go kill the raptor quickly??? I’m sleepy.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: ? Shut up during the bus ride.

[Party] RaptorsMustDie: ;;;

Insolent behavior.

Seeing GuiJaMoSin’s chat, Jehyun frowned. Telling someone to shut up because it was a bus party. RaptorsMustDie probably didn’t even realize it was a bus party. Jehyun clicked his tongue and intervened.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I’m the real healer.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I invited Kanglim without knowing he was max level, and Raptors probably didn’t know it was a bus party either. It’s fine for me and 202, but,

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Raptors, are you okay with the bus?

[Party] RaptorsMustDie: Haha, sure… it’s fine for me.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: lollol

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: lollollollolㅋ

Then, for no reason, KanglimDoryeong and GuiJaMoSin started laughing at Jehyun’s words.

Feeling mocked, Jehyun’s tongue rolled inside his mouth as he raised his eyebrows. If they had said one more word, Jehyun wouldn’t have held back, but KanglimDoryeong, perhaps not wanting to waste more time late at night, quickly typed “gg” and rushed forward to herd monsters. Jehyun cast buffs on the remaining party members and followed with a stern face.

Fortunately, there were no more clashes as the dungeon progressed. KanglimDoryeong quickly rounded up and defeated mobs, while the party members easily gained experience points by taking down distant monsters or collecting items.

The JiCheonWang guys made another unpleasant comment while they were looting items after defeating the final boss.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: You live up to your name.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Seeing a healer putting up 100% damage reduction in a low-level zone is pretty amazing after dealing with idiot priests.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Come to hell, we’ll treat you well.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: I heard you’re not on good terms with Habaek, lol

Jehyun, who was reading the chat, frowned in irritation.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: I heard you got a guild hideout in some lousy corner, lol.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Our guild hideout is in the Capitol shopping district.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Rent is ten million gold a month, lol.

If their guild house was in the Capitol shopping district, it was the place where Jehyun and Sangjae failed to bid with 90 million gold. These jerks must have bid 100 million. Jehyun’s temper flared as he widened his mouth and put his hands on the keyboard.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Lol, must be nice.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Thank you for your hard work.

The party has been disbanded.

Then, he disbanded the party immediately. He didn’t want to waste any more time pointlessly. He didn’t want to go to bed in a bad mood. Anyway, he leveled up a lot by taking the bus, so he was done with this dungeon.

Let’s do the main quest until 4 AM, Jehyun thought, and as soon as he came out of the dungeon, he invited Habaek to the party.

Healer202 has joined the party.

[Party] Healer202: You’re quite popular; even getting scouted.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Idiots like me a lot.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I’m tired of it.. being popular.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Funeral Director..? That guild kept asking me to join them.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Good times.

[Party] Healer202: Jangji came first.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: ? What do you mean Jangji came first?

[Party] Healer202: Before you joined Neungdong, Jangji Guild scouted you first.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: ??

Jehyun tilted his head, not understanding. Did he meet Jangji before joining Neungdong? But it was so long ago that he couldn’t remember. As Jehyun tried to recall and failed, he was about to ask Habaek what he meant.

KanglimDoryeong: Don’t run away, lol. Did I go too hard?

GuiJaMoSin: Lollollollol dude.

GuiJaMoSin: Are you really not thinking of joining JiCheonWang?

The two, who had also come out of the dungeon and stood at the entrance, spoke to Jehyun. He sighed briefly and typed on the keyboard.

JalapeñoKimchi: If you give me the guild leader position, I’ll consider it.

GuiJaMoSin: Ah, lol, that’s too much.

KanglimDoryeong: With such ambitions, how are you still a sub-leader in a 10-member guild?

KanglimDoryeong: Just come to Hell, the sub-leader position should be available.

KanglimDoryeong: If you’re serious, I’ll talk to the leaders and Yanluo. We lack healers.

GuiJaMoSin: Yeah, really, we only have idiots as priests; the only decent one is a shaman.

Their persistence was annoying, and just as Jehyun frowned in irritation, GuiJaMoSin’s words angered him for the second time that night.

Shin Jehyun, as he was known, was a priest incarnate, one of those die-hard nerds who had engraved the priest’s spirit of sacrifice onto his spine. No matter how incompetent, he didn’t appreciate anyone badmouthing priests.

Whether they were good or bad, priest players were like saints, dedicated to saving stupid DPS and tank players….

“This is insane.”

Jehyun muttered in a low voice and started typing furiously with a fierce look.

JalapeñoKimchi: Maybe your priests have no will to heal because your DPS and tanks are idiots? Haha.

JalapeñoKimchi: Stupid priests? Who would go to a place that talks like that?

JalapeñoKimchi: I was trying to be nice, but you’re really pissing me off, dammit.

GuiJaMoSin: ? Lollollollol

KanglimDoryeong: Are you a priest player?

KanglimDoryeong: We weren’t cursing you out; we were talking about our guild priests. Why are you getting mad?

Guild member Healer202 has logged off.

Healer202 has left the party.

The party has been disbanded.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Calm down, lol, my bad.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: I also hate our guild’s necromancers, they’re such idiots, they barely heal.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Lol? Why are you picking on necromancers?

Jehyun started to insult KanglimDoryeong’s class, the necromancer, using a mirroring tactic. After all, there were no necromancers in the Countess Guild, so he could insult them as much as he wanted.

With eyes blazing with anger, Jehyun kept typing while glaring at KanglimDoryeong.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Are you also a necromancer user?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Does anyone here not know that necromancers are garbage?

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Please stop…

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: We were wrong.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Priests are the best.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: They can’t do damage, can’t tank, and barely do a million per second with 15 scrolls.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Damn, you’re pissing me off now, lol.

Guild member Habaek has logged in.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Isn’t necromancers’ only use being a bus for low-level dungeons? Oh, by the way, are you JiCheonWang’s dedicated bus driver? Sorry, I didn’t recognize you as a first-class bus.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Let’s get along!

Jehyun smirked at KanglimDoryeong’s sudden declaration of friendship.

“This bastard is crossing the line.”

Excessive profanity is filtered on Caplet, which results in the phrases being replaced with “I love you,” “Have a nice day,” “Use kind and proper words,” etc. Profanity of a sexual nature or involving family insults was also filtered.

Despite fighting with Habaek for five years on the Countess server, Jehyun had never seen filtering. Yet here he was, seeing it within 24 hours of server integration.

Jehyun was contemplating how to respond when Habaek appeared.

Habaek has been invited to the party.

Habaek has joined the party.

[Party] Habaek: Earlier, that place?

When did he leave? Habaek had logged in on his main character. Though surprised, Jehyun just replied shortly with “Yeah,” and turned back to the chat.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Have a nice day!

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Damn, can’t talk nicely, lol.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Because he’s ranked first, he thinks he’s something special?

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Wow, Kanglim is mad.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: With that attitude, I bet he’s treated like a king in Canteen, lol.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: If attitude matters, then you must be JiCheonWang’s official pet.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Quite worn out, huh?

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Lol, stop… lol, we were going to say if you join our guild, Habaek won’t be able to mess with you.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Let’s not fight. You never know how things will turn out.

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Maybe our guilds could merge, just like yours did, lol.

[Party] Habaek: Who is killing whom?

That was when Habaek appeared. As befitting a former Funeral Director time thief, he leisurely walked up and stood next to Jehyun, asking with a string of question marks.

[Party] Habaek: Even if I let you kill me, I bet you wouldn’t get one kill, lol?

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: I love you!

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: Use kind and proper words!

[Party] GuiJaMoSin: Oh dear.. you called your boyfriend?

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Lol?

Jeering at the boyfriend comment, Jehyun was about to politely tell them to shut up when Habaek intervened.

[Party] Habaek: I heard some jerks were flirting with my partner, so I rushed over.

Habaek has declared PK on KanglimDoryeong! Use emergency escape to exit PVP status before the battle starts.

Entering battle state in 10 seconds.

[Party] Habaek: I’ve spoiled our healer so much.

[Party] Habaek: Who do you think you are to mess with my partner?

[Party] Habaek: Idiots.

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: What a bunch of idiots, lol. Bring it on, damn it, lol.

“Ah, this is really annoying.”

It was Jehyun who was horrified by Habaek’s words. Spoiled? Damn it! With a frown on his face, Jehyun grumbled irritably at Habaek.

“You’re more embarrassing.”

Despite his words, Jehyun’s body was diligently buffing him. It wasn’t because he thought Habaek would lose, but because the priest spirit engraved in his bones made it automatic.

Entering battle state in 3 seconds!

[Party] Habaek: Let’s go for character deletion.

Entering battle state in 2 seconds!

[Party] KanglimDoryeong: You’re really annoying, lol?

Entering battle state in 1 second!

[Party] Habaek: Ah, you’re a necromancer; I’ll give you 3 seconds of free damage time as an advantage.

The battle has begun!

Since they were in a party, the PK declared by Habaek applied to Jehyun as well. When the battle started, the IDs of KanglimDoryeong and GuiJaMoSin turned red, indicating they were also in a party.

Seeing Habaek walking toward KanglimDoryeong, Jehyun used retreat to avoid GuiJaMoSin, who was coming at him.

You dealt 328 damage to GuiJaMoSin.

Casting the curse of the earth god.

Resistance occurred and the character moved back. Jehyun immediately cast a movement speed reduction curse on GuiJaMoSin, keeping his distance and watching Habaek and KanglimDoryeong.

“Sigh.”

PK had barely started, and Habaek’s health was already halved. He had allowed KanglimDoryeong to hit him directly. Dumbfounded, Jehyun spoke into his mic.

“You’re really overdoing it. What are you going to do if you get embarrassed by losing?”

Jehyun’s derisive comment was answered with a scoff.

[Party] Habaek→ I don’t lose to someone like that.

“…”

Suddenly hearing the voice, Jehyun frowned. As he moved his character to avoid GuiJaMoSin, Jehyun yelled out.

“…Have you been lying about your mic working this whole time?!”

But Habaek stayed silent again. Three seconds had passed.

[Party] Habaek: You’re excited to hit me because I gave you 3 seconds?

[Party] Habaek: If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to hit you, but you still haven’t beaten me?

[Party] Habaek: Get ready to delete your character.

Having finished his countdown, Habaek started to move.

Necromancers were considered a strong PvP class. Despite being a robe-wearing class, they had a lot of crowd control abilities and high damage. Additionally, their debuffs, which were less useful in PvE, were highly effective in PvP.

In Caplet, when focusing on the top-ranked players, the Time Thief was often considered the top tier class, excelling in both PvP and PvE. However, the Necromancer was the only class that could even compete with the Time Thief in PvP.

Despite having a 3-second free-hit window, KanglimDoryeong, a Necromancer player, failed to secure the kill on Habaek, who was almost dead.

KanglimDoryeong died. GuiJaMoSin died. The battle ended.

KanglimDoryeong: Damn it, lag. Habaek: lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

Habaek: Stinky cliché.

Cleanly killing KanglimDoryeong and chasing down GuiJaMoSin, Habaek walked towards KanglimDoryeong’s corpse.

Habaek started dropping 1 won coins in front of KanglimDoryeong, a common humiliation tactic in Caplet.

Habaek: Here’s some money for character deletion. KanglimDoryeong: I didn’t say I’d delete my character.

Jehyun, who was watching with a smirk, chuckled at KanglimDoryeong’s response.

JalapeñoKimchi: I knew he’d say that. JalapeñoKimchi: I’m a Necromancer, and I got owned by a Time Thief with 3 seconds of free hits? Ugh. JalapeñoKimchi: Even without a character deletion bet, I’d be too embarrassed to keep playing this character.

Habaek: Typical KanglimDoryeong: no pride.

KanglimDoryeong: I love you!

GuiJaMoSin: Guys, let’s stop. Don’t make a big deal out of this. GuiJaMoSin: We were wrong. We’re really sorry for insulting the Priest.

KanglimDoryeong: Fck! You won because of Time Thief’s lag, and now you’re talking sht.

Habaek: That’s why he wasn’t talking. Habaek: Time Thief lag only activates when he’s about to get a kill. Isn’t that amazing?

JalapeñoKimchi: Everyone who loses to a Time Thief says that. It’s a fact.

KanglimDoryeong: It’s not a lie.

JalapeñoKimchi: Don’t cry.

KanglimDoryeong: I’m not. I didn’t even turn off party effects.

Habaek: Yeah, Kanglim, that’s right. Habaek: You died because of lag and forgetting to turn off party effects.

JalapeñoKimchi: lol lol lol lol lol lol lol

Jehyun clenched his teeth at Habaek’s mocking tone. But he couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out laughing. His laughter echoed through the microphone, and Habaek chuckled along.

Leaning back in his chair, Jehyun and Habaek continued to drop coins on KanglimDoryeong’s corpse, and Jehyun asked Habaek:

“Why are you pretending your mic doesn’t work?”

Habaek replied through chat:

[Party] Habaek: It’s not that I’m pretending. It’s just that it keeps cutting in and out.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: Bullsh*t.

[Party] Habaek: No, seriously. I swear.

[Party] JalapeñoKimchi: You don’t have any honor.

[Party] Habaek: lol

[Party] Habaek: You don’t know anything about me?

A cheeky reply. Jehyun sighed helplessly and moved the mouse.

The corpses of GuiJaMoSin and KanglimDoryeong, who had been talking nonstop, had already disappeared. Jehyun checked his character information and saw that his infamy had increased. He then told Habaek,

“Let’s go to the guild hideout. I’ll switch to a healer.”

If you kill someone in an unprovoked PK, your infamy increases. Infamy can be lowered through hunting and quests, but until it reaches zero, you’re considered a wanted criminal.

The important thing is that if you die while you’re wanted, your items drop. After confirming that Habaek was moving to the guild hideout, Jehyun also moved to the hideout and went to the character change screen.

Since his infamy had increased, KanglimDoryeong and GuiJaMoSin would come after Habaek. Before that, Jehyun planned to log in as a healer, join the JiCheonWang Guild, and declare war. Once a war is declared, both sides are in a PVP state for a week unless the guild master dies or one side surrenders. Even if someone with infamy kills you, your items won’t drop.

Since we were going to be enemies anyway after the weekend, declaring war early wasn’t a bad idea. KanglimDoryeong might try to kill Habaek by temporarily leaving JiCheonWang to take his items, but I wasn’t worried about KanglimDoryeong at all.

Although I hadn’t yet received the guild master position because the guild master had forgotten to log off, the deputy guild master also had the authority to declare war. When Jehyun typed in the command, a message appeared in the center of the screen.

Do you want to declare war on the Jihok-eseo-ollaonFour Heavenly Kings Guild?

The war state will last for 7 days.

【 YES / NO 】

Jehyun didn’t hesitate and pressed Y. Then, he opened the guild chat on his phone and left a message.

3:49

[ㅠㅠI’ve never been filtered while playing Caplet before]

No one would say anything about declaring war, but Jehyun appealed his grievance. In fact, KanglimDoryeong’s eyes were so red and swollen that he should have checked on his condition, but that wasn’t important.

After sending the message, Jehyun checked the time and turned his attention to the chat window. He was about to ask Habaek when his infamy would be cleared, but the world chat was quite noisy.

The Countess Guild has declared war on the Four Heavenly Kings Guild!

[World] Ahn Yiyoungirago-malhaji-ma: At this time of night?

[World] Gangdan: It’s hot without even a siege lol

[World] Obayukbachilba: Is this the start of a regional conflict?

[World] F1: ..Ha, what is this?

[World] Habaek: The warlock is harassing me

[World] F4: ? Isn’t it KanglimDoryeong?

[World] Salsak: Didn’t you harass them..? The kill log shows Habaek died twice lolㅋ They must be in JiCheonWang

[World] Habaek: No, I was harassed ㅠㅠ

[World] F1: Ha, this is really crazy…

[World] Salsak: Isn’t there a better exclamation than “Ha, this is really crazy…”?

Jehyun skimmed through the conversation and curiously asked Habaek,

“Hey, do you know that saying too? You’re friends with Sangjae, right?”

“What kind of concept is that? Your tone is so weird.”

[Party] Habaek: What was it… I heard it somewhere

[Party] Habaek: It’s

Habaek seemed to have a hard time remembering and replied after a long time.

[Party] Habaek: A military concept? Something like that

“Military? The military from ancient times?”

It was such a strange concept. Do soldiers talk like that? Jehyun shook his head, unable to understand the concept players, and asked Habaek again.

“Are you going to sleep? I’m going to sleep too.”

[Party] Habaek: I should sleep. It’s already 4 AM?

[Party] Habaek: I didn’t even realize how time flew by because I was with you, honey

[Party] Healer: Get lost

Jehyun clicked to turn off voice chat, annoyed by the sudden nonsense. Jehyun was about to end Caplet, but he typed on the keyboard with a displeased expression, unable to understand.

[Party] Healer: How long are you going to keep up that concept? I hate it

[Party] Healer: Stop it now.

[Party] Healer: It’s getting annoying.

[Party] Habaek: When did you try to seduce me and now you’re like this?

[Party] Healer: When the heck did I ever seduce you?

[Party] Habaek: You said you loved me.

[Party] Habaek: I have all the evidence.

[Party] Healer: Typical loser: can’t differentiate between truth and jokes.

[Party] Habaek: lollol Do you really hate me calling you ‘honey’ that much?

Was that even a question? Jehyun answered with a look that clearly conveyed, “Isn’t it obvious?”

[Party] Healer: Is there any reason I should like it?

[Party] Habaek: Okay, then I’ll keep doing it.

[Party] Habaek: I’ve endured it for two years now.

[Party] Habaek: Seeing the guild master hate it so much makes me want to do it even more^^

Jehyun clicked his tongue with a displeased look. It hadn’t been long since he heard ‘honey’ for the first time, and while it wasn’t as utterly repulsive as it used to be, the fact that he was getting used to it was equally unsettling. Shaking his head, Jehyun asked him again.

[Party] Healer: Can’t stand being a victim?

[Party] Habaek: I return the favor as I get it.

[Party] Healer: So, if I start cursing at you now, will you drop that ridiculous act and curse back?

[Party] Habaek: Yeah, in two years.

In the end, it was clear he intended to keep calling him ‘honey’ indefinitely.

He planned to keep doing something repulsive just because Jehyun disliked it; indeed, his tenacity was remarkable.

[Party] Healer: Hehe, so it’s a challenge, huh, honey?

[Party] Habaek: Yeah, let’s see who quits first^^

If that was the case, Shin Jehyun couldn’t back down either. It would be easier for both of them if one of them quit, but if Habaek was determined to go all the way, Jehyun was fully prepared to give him a hard time too. Smirking, Jehyun scoffed at Habaek’s quick reply. sss

After thinking for a moment, he asked.

Ever since he found out that 20-year-old Habaek lived near the back gate of Korea University, he had been curious. He hoped it wasn’t true, but considering the circumstances, it was almost certainly true. Habaek confirmed it.

[Party] Habaek: Yeah.

[Party] Healer: Korea University standards have really fallen;

[Party] Habaek: I regret coming here too.

[Party] Habaek: Considering you’re my Sunbae, it seems like a hopeless school.

[Party] Healer: lollollollollollolㅋ

It was an absurd but laughable statement. A ridiculous laugh escaped Jehyun’s lips as he licked them and stared at the monitor. Then, he casually probed into Habaek’s personal information.

[Party] Healer: What department are you in?

[Party] Habaek: I’ll tell you if the elder reveals theirs first.

[Party] Healer: lol

[Party] Healer: What department are you in, hyung?

[Party] Habaek: Our guild master… don’t you have any pride?

[Party] Habaek: You were so happy about getting on the hell bus earlier.

[Party] Habaek: Don’t go around bragging about it; it’s embarrassing.

Habaek muttered in disbelief at Jehyun calling him hyung. Even though the voice chat was off, Jehyun could almost hear Habaek sighing through the headset, making him burst into laughter.

They were hurling insults at each other, but it didn’t feel unpleasant. It was strange and unfamiliar, like talking to Seo Eunjae, just funny.

To think I’m having such a friendly conversation with Habaek. It’s creepy. Jehyun thought as he saw Habaek leave with a single “bye” and turned off his computer as well.

Suddenly, he realized how scary it was to develop a fondness for someone he initially disliked.

* * *

Habaek, Habaek….

Calling out that love-hate name in his mind, Jehyun scanned the lecture hall with sharp eyes.

No way, that bastard can’t be in Political Science and Diplomacy, right? This department wasn’t a place just anyone could wander into, after all. But even as he thought that, a flicker of suspicion rose in his mind. The world could be surprisingly small and interconnected.

As Jehyun observed his fellow students, his gaze eventually stopped on one person. Among the fresh and lively freshmen, there was one junior who stood out as a central figure—Ha Baekyung.

Come to think of it, their names were quite similar. Take one syllable out of Ha Baekyung, and you’re left with Habaek. That made Ha Baekyung the prime suspect if Jehyun were to point to someone who fit the name.

Still, Jehyun didn’t really believe Ha Baekyung could be that Habaek. Because….

“Sunbae, when did you get here?”

Catching Jehyun’s gaze, Baekyung smiled and got up from his seat. Whispering, I’ll head over there, to his peers, Baekyung quickly packed his things and moved to sit beside Jehyun before he could stop him.

“I just got here. Why? You don’t have to sit here; you can stay there.”

“Really? Should I go back then? If you don’t want to sit together, I’ll leave. But I think it’d be better to take the class together.”

Jehyun rested his chin on his hand, and Baekyung responded with lowered eyes, his voice soft and polite, but with no hesitation in his bright smile.

“Fine. Let’s sit together.”

Jehyun let out a small laugh and nodded. There’s no way this sweet, innocent kid could be the rebellious Habaek who doesn’t listen to anyone….

“Why didn’t you come to the general meeting on Friday?”

“The general meeting….”

Jehyun had been bombarded with messages about it since Thursday. Juniors, peers, and even seniors were all desperate to get him to attend.

But Jehyun had plans with his younger brother, Jehee, on Saturday. If he went to the meeting on Friday night, he’d inevitably end up drinking until Saturday afternoon, and there was no way he could meet Jehee in that state.

So, Jehyun ignored all the messages, resisting the temptation of alcohol.

“Did you really go to a temple stay over the weekend? The seniors said you were lying.”

Of course, he didn’t just ghost them without a story. Jehyun had changed his messenger profile picture to a photo of a temple he had taken earlier, joking that he was going for a three-day digital detox at a temple stay. He could still vividly recall the wave of disbelief his profile change had caused.

Jehyun shrugged and leaned slightly toward Baekyung.

“Yeah, the temple stay was a lie. I had plans with my brother, and I knew if I went to the meeting, I’d end up drinking too much to keep them. Those meetings don’t wrap up until midday Saturday.”

As he whispered this into Baekyung’s ear, a small smile formed on the younger’s lips. What kind of person is this? Though it was absurd, Baekyung laughed, the humor in the situation undeniable.

“I see. You have a brother? How old is he?”

“Eighteen. He’s still in high school. He keeps pestering me to go watch movies.”

“Wow, you must be close. Is he your younger sister?”

“Yeah.”

“I have an older brother, but if I asked him to go watch a movie with me, he’d probably try to kill me.”

Jehyun laughed at that, taking off his cap and setting it on the edge of the desk. Resting his chin in his hand, he looked at Baekyung and said, “Why? You seem so sweet. Are you not close with your brother?”

“No, not really. I don’t listen to him.”

Baekyung’s mischievous reply made Jehyun burst out laughing. His expression was playful, showing a childish side beneath the composed demeanor he’d displayed so far. Unable to resist, Jehyun reached out and patted Baekyung’s head.

“Then I’ll treat you well. I think you’d still be cute even if you didn’t listen to me.”

“Really? No way, I’ll listen to you, Sunbae.”

With that, Baekyung smiled innocently, his eyes curving with sincerity.

His smiling face was like that of an angel. His lifted lips were beautiful, and his slightly flushed cheeks were endearing. How could someone be so kind and lovely? Jehyun thought to himself, I’d even forgive this kid if he caused a mess in the middle of a dungeon…. It was the highest compliment Jehyun could give.

“Good morning, everyone. Let’s begin the class.”

Just as the two were laughing together, the door opened, and the professor entered the lecture hall.

Professor Kim Gonghak, in charge of the mentorship program, began a lecture on human relationships. Based on his philosophy that the most crucial aspect of political science and diplomacy is people, the program paired freshmen and upperclassmen to spend a semester analyzing and understanding each other.

After that, during finals, instead of a traditional exam, students had to submit a report to the professor. The professor would then assess how well the students understood their assigned partners based on the submitted reports and follow-up discussions.

Incidentally, Jehyun had taken this class as a freshman, partnered with a senior Sunbae in their fourth year. He had summarized his Sunbae—who was a self-righteous, sexist, and all-around bigoted jerk—as a “human-shaped moron and trash.” Unfortunately, that report had been leaked by a teaching assistant, causing an uproar. The incident became a hot topic within the department when Jehyun received an A+ for his brutally honest evaluation, with the professor essentially agreeing with his assessment of the Sunbae’s character.

This course was almost mandatory for freshmen, but the participation of upperclassmen—who no longer needed the credits—was crucial. This was why Seo Eunjae had forced Shin Jehyun into the program to fill a gap.

“…Coincidentally, there’s a film about humanity currently playing in theaters. It’s an independent film, so you might only be able to watch it at smaller cinemas. Interested students should consider watching it. The title is No Longer Human. It shares its title with Osamu Dazai’s novel. Surely no one in our department hasn’t read No Longer Human, right?”

As the two-hour class neared its end, the professor wrapped up with that comment. Jehyun frowned slightly and closed his notebook. Once Professor Kim Gonghak had said his goodbyes and left the room, Baekyung, who had been packing up his books, turned to Jehyun and said,

“Looks like I might actually get to watch a movie with you, Sunbae. I love indie films—want to watch it together?”

At that, Shin Jehyun patted the innocent Baekyung on the shoulder and said,

“Baekyung, you shouldn’t take the professor’s words so literally.”

“Huh?”

Baekyung blinked in confusion. Jehyun glanced briefly at Baekyung’s clear eyes, then shifted his gaze to the door the professor had exited through. Professor Kim Gonghak, true to his name, had a highly convoluted way of communicating.

“When Professor Kim Gonghak says it’d be good to watch, what he really means is we have to watch it. We’ll need to discuss the film and include it in our report. It’s mandatory.”

“Oh….”

“No Longer Human, though? You’ve read it, right? Probably in high school?”

“Nope, I haven’t read it.”

“You haven’t?!”

Jehyun was genuinely surprised. Baekyung nodded as he zipped up his backpack, frowning slightly as he smiled.

“I’m not a fan of Japanese-translated texts.”

“Really? I’m not a fan either. But anyway, I have the book at home. Want to borrow it?”

“…Your book, Sunbae?”

“Yeah. The library probably doesn’t have it anymore. Hold on.”

Jehyun pulled out his phone and searched for nearby theaters. The city’s cultural foundation operated a cinema that often screened student and amateur films. Sure enough, No Longer Human was being shown there.

“Ah.”

But as Jehyun checked the screening schedule, he frowned. The movie was only playing once a week, and, of course, the only available day was Monday. Most of the seats were already booked—likely because Professor Kim Gonghak had mentioned it in another class. With only ten seats in the small screening room, this kind of issue wasn’t uncommon.

No Longer Human was showing every three hours on Monday, with the last screening at 10 p.m. Today was out of the question, and next Monday seemed problematic, too. That day coincided with the opening of the second overload dungeon, the Sanctuary of Spirits. As the main healer for the dungeon, Jehyun wouldn’t have time to spare in the afternoon.

“The movie only plays on Mondays, but there are no seats left for today. Next week has openings, but I have plans….”

Jehyun pursed his lips in frustration as he scrolled through the schedule. To make matters worse, the film was only running for two weeks. Seriously? How can they expect us to watch this? Jehyun grumbled internally, scowling.

“Wait… it’s only showing until next week?”

“Yeah…. I also have plans next Monday afternoon. What should we do? Do you think skipping it will hurt our grade a lot?”

“……”

Jehyun thought back to the grades he’d gotten in Professor Kim Gonghak’s previous classes, recalling how failing to understand the professor’s indirect instructions had earned him a B+.

“Yeah, it’ll hurt. Quite a lot.”

Sighing, Jehyun clicked on the 10 p.m. screening for next Monday. Thankfully, there were still seats available, likely because of the late hour.

“How about next Monday at 10 p.m.? Is your afternoon appointment going to run late? I think I’ll be free by then.”

Clearing Anak’s Love School overload dungeon usually took about four hours. It wasn’t a new dungeon but rather an upgraded version of an existing one, so it was manageable.

So, wouldn’t the Sanctuary of Spirits take about the same amount of time? Since those Cass bastards are bound to release pre-set patterns anyway, it shouldn’t be too difficult. Even accounting for some buffer time, Jehyun was confident he’d finish well before 10 p.m.

At Jehyun’s suggestion, Baekyung seemed to mull it over briefly before smiling and nodding.

“Sure, let’s plan for that time.”

“Alright. If you can’t make it, let me know. I’ll summarize the movie for you.”

“Got it, Sunbae.”

“Good. I’ll get going, then.”

After packing up his bag, Jehyun patted Baekyung’s shoulder and was about to head home when Baekyung suddenly stood up and called out, “Sunbae.” Reaching out, he placed a firm hand on Jehyun’s shoulder, halting him. The grip was surprisingly strong. Jehyun froze, teetering slightly as he turned to look up at Baekyung in confusion.

“What is it?”

There weren’t many people in the department taller than Jehyun. Perhaps only Seo Eunjae came close. Being pulled into the embrace of someone taller was an oddly unfamiliar sensation.

As Jehyun awkwardly darted his eyes around, Baekyung smiled warmly and tilted his head.

“The book?”

“The book?”

“You said you’d lend me No Longer Human.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, of course. Are you heading home now? Do you have any other classes?”

“Nope, just this one on Mondays.”

“Same here. Let’s go together, then. Swing by my place, and I’ll grab it for you.”

With a smile, Baekyung nodded. The two walked side by side toward the exit.