TDLHRH 14

A firm voice cut through the tension between Haerang, Horang, and Hyeon. Hyeon tightened his coat to hide his bloodstained clothes and straightened his back. Haerang, still recovering from exhausting his holy power, steadied his dizzy head and stood up. Horang remained slumped in her chair, half-melted into it.

“…Sister, get up.”

“What? Are they here to take me away? Why should I, the innocent victim, bother getting up?”

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“Ha…”

“Fine, fine. I’ll get up.”

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Horang leaned back, then swung forward, using the momentum to spring to her feet. She stood with a cocky posture, propping herself on one leg. The guards, who had entered with authority, looked dumbfounded at her attitude. Only Hyeyeon, maintaining a poker face, cleared her throat and tried to shift the atmosphere again.

“Hunter Baek Haerang, Hunter Jegal Hyeon. You are aware that using mana without valid justification inside the Awakening Center is a serious offense, right?”

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“…Yes.”

“So, would it be okay to hear the grand reason why S-rank hunters like yourselves felt the need to use mana here? May I?”

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“It’s nothing serious. Just a minor quarrel.”

“…Hunter Jegal Hyeon, was it really just a minor quarrel?”

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Hyeyeon glanced at the disheveled room, then back at Hyeon, asking pointedly. He frowned, as though he didn’t even want to open his mouth, and merely nodded. The situation suggested the two had already come to an agreement, causing Hyeyeon to furrow her brows slightly. Probing further seemed pointless. Both were giving only curt replies. Hyeyeon eventually let out a deep sigh and conceded.

After all, Hyeon, one of Korea’s nine S-rank hunters, and Haerang, a rising star with fervent support among the younger generation, weren’t people anyone could easily pry information from if they chose to conceal it. As Hyeyeon’s determination waned, Haerang’s tense expression visibly relaxed.

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“This time, I’ll let it slide. But if this happens again, both of you will be summoned by the association.”

“We’ll keep that in mind.”

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“Well then… Oh, Ms. Horang, what were the results?”

“Hm? I haven’t even touched it yet.”

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“Pardon? Why not?”

Hyeyeon’s tone was filled with disbelief. Horang, wearing her usual nonchalant expression, replied, “What if it’s poisoned or something? What am I supposed to trust and touch that thing for?”

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“…Ms. Horang, do you believe in cults or anything like that?”

“What? Me? A cultist? That’s…”

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Horang glanced briefly at Haerang’s profile but quickly turned away before her sister could notice. Though her sister was kind-hearted enough to embrace even a cultist sibling, Horang preferred not to broadcast anything that could label Haerang as such to the world. Feigning an awkward cough, she diverted the topic with a question. Fortunately, Hyeyeon showed more interest in Horang’s question than in Haerang’s supposed affiliations.

“Ahem, anyway… Do I really have to do this? When I lightly touched it with my finger, there was some weird energy trying to interfere, so I pulled back immediately.”

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“That’s not weird energy—it’s mana emitted to measure and assess your rank and skills. It circulates through your body to gather that information.”

“So, do I really need to know my rank and skills? I don’t plan on becoming a hunter.”

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“By law, all awakened individuals must undergo measurement and register as hunters. It’s for public safety, so don’t be too resistant and just get it over with.”

The conversation shifted so smoothly that, except for Horang and Hyeyeon, everyone else glanced around nervously, gauging the mood. Hyeyeon, coaxing in a voice as if speaking to a child, contrasted with Horang, who initially resisted but slowly caved and crept hesitantly toward the device, casting suspicious glances.

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Had it not been for the wrecked room and the guards surrounding the doorway, the scene could have easily been mistaken for a comedic skit.

“Hunter Baek Haerang, having your family members registered as hunters will likely make your guild operations smoother. Scandals involving guild leaders’ families tend to sell well these days. The scan only takes a moment and just assesses mana—it’s really nothing to worry about.”

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“Well… okay. I am a little curious. This is my first time seeing it in action.”

“You made the right decision. I’ll call a staff member to assist you, and they’ll guide you through the process.”

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After finishing the conversation, Hyeyeon smiled and nodded politely to Haerang before leaving with the guards. Hyeon, after a brief silence, gestured to Haerang with his eyes before exiting as well. Watching each person leave while greeting Haerang filled Horang with a small sense of pride.

My sister’s grown up well. Hmm.

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Left alone in the room with just the Baek siblings, Haerang finally let her guard down and slumped into a chair. After wiping her face with her hands, she slowly lifted her head to look at Horang.

“Noona, let’s finish the measurement and go home. Hunter registration only requires basic personal details, so I’ll try to expedite the process for you.”

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“Ugh, that thing feels weird… Fine.”

Grumbling, Horang opened the door and crossed into the room where the device was located. Watching her retreating figure, a smile crept onto Haerang’s face.

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This was the sister he knew—Baek Horang.

Horang confronting Hyeon earlier, though… It felt like dealing with a stranger. Her faintly upturned lips seemed kind, yet seeing Hyeon’s despairing expression while listening to her words made Haerang wonder just what terrifying things she had said. The chilling disparity was like watching a horror movie, leading Haerang to entertain the absurd idea that someone might have possessed his sister.

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Despite her world-weary demeanor, Horang always got things done, which, in the end, proved she was just Horang—no more, no less. With the glass already long shattered, Horang was clearly visible beyond the empty window frame.

She briefly made a ugh face, looking disheartened, before slowly reaching out to grasp the upper part of Narin. Just then, the door behind Haerang opened, and someone entered.

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Already sensing a presence at the door, Haerang turned around naturally and stood up.

“Hello, Guild Leader Baek Haerang. I’m Chae Hye-won, your assistant for today’s measurement and registration process. Is the person currently being measured your family member, Baek Horang?”

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“Yes, she is a gate returnee who awakened in another world and came back.”

“I see. Being both a returnee and the family of Guild Leader Baek, the results should be promising. We might even have the tenth S-rank hunter in Korea.”

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“Regardless of what rank my sister gets, it doesn’t matter to me… I just want her to live doing what she wants.”

“That’s kind of you.”

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“I have a lot to feel sorry about when it comes to my sister.”

With a bitter smile, Haerang glanced at Horang, who wore a puzzled expression as she stared into space, lost in thought. Memories of the past flooded Haerang’s mind.

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Back when he naively insisted on becoming a hunter without realizing how dangerous it was, his sister had done everything she could to secure him a safer future. Sometimes coaxing, sometimes scolding, she had tried her best to persuade him. It wasn’t until he was 21 or 22 that Haerang realized everything she had said was for his sake. Around that age, he overestimated his abilities and recklessly challenged an A-rank gate with only six people, ending up with his back nearly sliced in half.

Given that it typically took a minimum of 20 and up to 50 hunters to conquer an A-rank gate, it was undoubtedly a suicidal act. Fortunately, there was a hunter specializing in healing magic in their party, so he narrowly escaped death. While most hunters would feel relief at surviving, Haerang instead found himself reflecting deeply on Horang’s words. Her constant nagging about how dangerous being a hunter was, how it was an essential societal role but didn’t have to be his, suddenly struck home.

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In that moment, tears welled up in his eyes—not because of the physical pain, but because her words, clumsy yet full of concern, finally resonated with him. The realization that he had no one to thank anymore for her past efforts made it even more heartbreaking. But no matter how grave the injury, a hunter had to continue closing gates. As an S-rank hunter at a young age, Haerang was even more compelled to do so.

He faced countless near-death situations, and now, just shy of his 30s, a miracle had occurred—his sister had returned. He was long past the age of feeling shy about expressing affection, and he’d already overcome the phase of just scraping by to survive. Now it was his turn to do anything for his sister.

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“If there’s anything I can do… anything at all…”

He murmured to himself, gripping his clenched fists even tighter as he resolved himself once more. Of course, judging by the display of strength she’d shown while confronting Hyeon, Horang was undoubtedly far stronger than him. Her overwhelming power made him wonder what he could possibly do for her.

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But… Horang was undeniably lacking in something. Whether it was morality, humanity, or both, Haerang couldn’t say for sure. One thing was certain, though: Horang was still his sister, and he was still her brother.

Lost in thought, Haerang snapped out of it when Horang stepped out with a faintly furrowed brow. She was clenching and unclenching her hand, as if something was bothering her. Could it be that Narin had negatively affected her? Though the device was certified as safe by over a century’s worth of hunters, the limited data on returnees left a lingering uncertainty about unforeseen outcomes.

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What if that 0.001% chance of malfunction happened, and his sister became the victim? Or perhaps the device itself had broken down at this critical moment? Overcome with unease, Haerang quickly approached Horang and grabbed her hand, which was still clenched. Unaware of the misunderstandings forming among the awakening center staff, who interpreted his actions as excessive concern, Haerang asked cautiously, his face etched with worry.

“No, did something strange happen? You’re not hurt, right?”

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“Uh… No, but Haerang, what does ‘Beyond Rank’ mean?”

“Beyond Rank? Did it say that on the measurement screen?”

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“Yeah, it was written next to my name and… some title or something. Is it different from S-rank?”

In the century-long history of the gate era, no one had ever anticipated the emergence of a hunter labeled Beyond Rank.

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