TWKH Ch 10

The moment F3’s chain flew toward Habaek seemed very slow. Jehyun used backstep to resist his chain at the right timing while watching Habaek’s character.

Habaek→ Who would fall for this.

Along with a low laugh, Habaek was seen using a movement skill, not even an evasion skill, to get behind F1. The black chain that exceeded its maximum range couldn’t capture Habaek’s character and dispersed like smoke in the air. Seeing this, a deep smile spread across Jehyun’s face.

“Got them.”

Boss→ Shit, I think I’m caught too?!

Though Boss’s voice was heard crying out urgently, Jehyun wasn’t worried. While surviving Contempt and Sangjae were protecting Boss, Help was standing alone in front of Habaek.

As F1 tried to escape while summoning their familiar, Habaek stuck close. Although JiCheonWang’s elementalist was running toward F1 from over there, and F3 also returned to their Guild Master leaving Jehyun behind, Habaek was a bit faster.

Habaek has stolen F1’s time! F1 has died. Countess Guild has won the Guild war against Four Heavenly Kings Guild from Hell! Gained 6,327 Guild points. Exiting combat state.

Victory! As the system log appeared, the Guild war victory notification popped up. Jehyun looked at Habaek’s character standing over the dead F1 with a face full of smiles. His mouth was itching.

He could barely contain wanting to shout “Shit, this is our steal!!” He never thought this day would come. Jehyun was currently high on Habaek pride.

“Good… work.”

However, given what they’d been doing until now, he couldn’t quite bring himself to do such a thing. Drawing upon extreme patience, Jehyun substituted what he wanted to say with just saying good work.

Anyway, they had taken the enemy Guild Master’s head and forcibly ended the Guild war, so JiCheonWang couldn’t declare war for the next three days. They even took half the Guild points, so they could defend their first place in this week’s Guild rankings.

Then suddenly Habaek, who was dropping 1-won coins on F1’s corpse, said:

[Party] Habaek: At this point, isn’t merging Guilds the best thing you’ve done in your life?

[Party] Healer: lollollol?

[Party] Habaek: Where else would you see this kind of con

[Party] Healer: If you want praise just say you want praise

[Party] Healer: Don’t show off

[Party] Habaek: Then give me some

And at the whining tone that came back, Jehyun burst out laughing without resistance.

“Ah, this cute bastard.”

Three Guild members answered his soft muttering:

Sangjae→ …Who are you talking to? Sounds intense.

Boss→ Habaek…?

Contempt→ The emphasis is on bastard not cute, right?

Instead of responding, Jehyun just laughed. He couldn’t be more satisfied that Habaek was his dealer.

* * *

To think a day would come with over 80,000 Caption viewers Shit this is so hype This is Caplet What are you waiting for, make an account already

Comments(7)

Anonymous1: Really surprising lollol Anonymous2: It’s just cuz there’s no one streaming, but Caplet is fun to watch…

Anonymous3: It’s just the streamer effect, you think they came to watch Caplet?

Anonymous4: What are you talking about, did something happen yesterday??

└ Jackson who streams Switch came to try Caplet, heard about the all-out Guild war and streamed it live, hit 80k viewers ㅇㅇ

└ Jackson? Raterre Jackson? Why is Jackson trying Caplet? That 1-year-old Kuang fan lol

└ Day before yesterday he got destroyed by Ssipal and threw a fit saying he’d delete his character lollol

No, JiCheonWang and Kante have different player quality? Here’s proof ㅇ

Keep saying Kante got lucky ㅇㅈㄹ it’s frustrating so I clipped it directly

Sorry for low quality gif, clipped from stream so quality is shit;;

(JiCheonWang Guild members being dragged by Sangjae’s Chains of Capture).gif

(Contempt and the boss using skills on captured JiCheonWang Guild members).gif

Did you see JiCheonWang members trying to dodge the chains in the first gif? But Yeomra avoided them on his own lollol. It’s been over a week since the Chains of Capture were released, and they still haven’t learned the timing? Doesn’t that mean they’re not even trying to PvP?

Also, when Sangjae uses Chains of Capture, the moment the chains land, Contempt and the boss immediately follow up with area attacks. These guys are just perfectly coordinated. Actually, it’s not even about coordination—this is the basic level of execution in PvP. JiCheonWang is just subpar.

At first, it was 4v6 without Ummayi and F3, then 4v7 when Kanglim joined. But regardless of numbers, if this is how they perform, they can’t compete.

The only ones in JiCheonWang who were serious about PvP were the Hell group, but Yeomra can’t carry alone, and even within Hell, there were only a few true PvP veterans. Unless they all gather, it’s inevitable they’d lose.

As for the Four Heavenly Kings, they were always more into farming ranks and dabbling, so I thought they’d take PvP seriously after merging with Hell. Apparently not. aaa

There’s someone called Elka in the Four Heavenly Kings who’s a hardcore PvP veteran, but he hasn’t been around lately. Rumor has it he left the guild after hearing about the merger with Hell.

Anyway, Caplet isn’t just about having numbers, you idiots. It’s a control game.

For those asking why JiCheonWang keeps losing guild wars despite their numbers, it’s obvious they’ve never touched PvP themselves. Honestly, it’s secondhand embarrassment at this point. Just shut up, seriously.

Comments (25)

Anonymous1: Agree with OP. I watched the whole battle from the front-row spectator seats, and JiCheonWang didn’t stand a chance—from movement to formations. They seemed to anticipate a backstab from the helpers, but JiCheonWang’s shamans just followed the DPS and kept their distance. Their backup was way too slow. If they had just used invincibility when Habaek engaged, they could’ve won.

└ Unless JiCheonWang members start grinding alt characters for points, Caplet will keep taking first place in guild wars.

└ Grinding alts just to take first in guild wars? Might as well not bother lol. Being first in Caplet guild wars is like announcing to the world you’re a no-life gamer lol.

Anonymous2: Someone clip Habaek dodging F3’s chains. His distance calculation was insane lollol. He avoided it with movement skills, even though his dodge wasn’t on cooldown.

└ [Image] This one?

└ What? That wasn’t a dodge? (Newbie here, I don’t know.)

└ Nope. He used a movement skill to reposition and get out of range.

Anonymous3: What a joke lol. Who wouldn’t win with assassinations like that? lol

└ lol

Anonymous4: When does this comment section become real-name only?

└ lollollollollollol

Anonymous5: Someone clip the healer too… ㅠㅠ

└ Do it yourself.

└ I can’t. ㅠ^ㅠ

└ Hold on, I’ll get it.

Yesterday’s guild war healer movement was insane.

I’m a priest main, and I had to change my underwear twice watching the war yesterday.

Not going to explain everything from the start. If you’re curious, watch the replay on Jackson’s stream.

Anyway, the healer tried to bait F3 and Habaek into a backstab lol. F3 didn’t fall for it, so they used resurrection bait instead lollollol. Who wouldn’t take the bait when a priest with 1 HP is taunting you at the front? F3 abandoned the helpers and charged, but the priest tanked it with shields.

For newbie priests:

(F3’s charge being dodged by the healer).gif

For those who know, you’re aware that a lancer’s charge is semi-auto-targeted, tracking the opponent even if they move 364 degrees. The only way to dodge is to move in the exact opposite direction at the right moment, with an angle difference of maybe 1 degree lol.

Check the gif. The lancer charges, but the healer calmly stands there, then steps backward toward where F3 came from just before the damage connects. That’s how they dodged and escaped. In Caplet, maybe only 2-3 people can pull this off.

And what happened after dodging?

(F3’s CC attack dodged with a movement skill by the healer).gif

Right after the dodge, F3 tried to use their CC skill, but the healer anticipated it and moved out of the stun range. Look at that.

If it feels slow, that’s just because I set it to slow motion. The dodge and escape combined took less than 3 seconds in real time.

The healer predicted the lancer’s skills to perfection. Absolute mastery lol.

(Dodging F3’s basic attack with movement by the healer).gif

Dodging basic attacks with simple movement

Still incredible no matter how many times I watch it. This is why I love non-targeting combat.

(Healer precisely placing Habaek in position with a rescue skill).gif

And this—

Look here.

(Slow motion).gif

The healer keeps baiting F3 while staying at the perfect distance for the rescue skill lock-on and Habaek’s maximum charge range, moving to that exact spot… all while at 1 HP with the Resurrection debuff lol.

In the slow motion, you can see the healer glance at the hiding Habaek before moving sideways again, right? My guess is they calculated their position and the help indicator to move F3 slightly further back.

Like a fish hooked on a line, F3 just follows the healer everywhere.

Seriously, amazing performance.

Healer, could you stream just once? Please?ㅠㅠ

(Healer sending “My dear ❤” in the chat to Habaek).gif

Ending with an adorable Countess couple meme.

Later, 20000.

Comments (17)

Anonymous1: What’s that last gif lollollollolㅋ

└ Before the server merge, the healer was taunting Habaek in the battlefield lollol.

└ They used to really hate each other back then, but now that they’re in the same guild, they’re even leveling alts together. They might actually be dating.

└ Hooked.

└ Healed and hooked, it seems.

Anonymous2: Me trying to copy this in annihilation mode: Step back! Dodge! Movement! Dead!

└ Ah lollollol, I tried it too after seeing this, but I ended up wasting all my movement skills like an idiot. Even the opposing lancer was like: ㅇㅂㅇ.. (dumbfounded). I just became someone who blew all their cooldowns for nothingㅠ.

└ Seriously;ㅅ; Relatableㅠㅠ It feels like I’m playing a different game. Where do you even find people who are this good?ㅠㅠ

└ Are you a priest main? Join JiCheonWang.

└ (KanglimDoryeong: “All our guild priests are trash”).jpg

└ lollollollolㅋ If a priest sees that and still joins JiCheonWang, they’re out of their mind.

Anonymous3: I’ve partied with them a lot since they’re from Countess. They’re genuinely skilled. As a tank main, I have so much to manage, but when I party with them, I can just focus on boss aggro, which is such a relief.

└ Agreed, agreed. I’ve also partied with them a lot. They’re so reliable. Even in chaotic situations, they never forget to debuff the boss.

Anonymous4: Suddenly, I want to join Countess. Do they accept guild applications?

└ Probably, but I heard you have to pass an interview and do Mayo runs.

└ ㅠㅠ Forget it. I’ve never even done Mayo.

└ Hello, I’m the acting guild master of Countess. You don’t need to know about Mallorca to join. If interested, whisper me~

This is why image-making is important.

Yes, they mean Countess Guild.

Before the server merge, Neungdong and Jangji had terrible relations, often waging petty guild wars with just five people whenever bored. Plus, Habaek and the healer would argue, causing party raids to fail and inconveniencing everyone. Their reputation was garbage lol.

It used to be seen as a guild for washed-up otaku gamers.

But now that they won a single major battle, people suddenly want to join lol. So transparent;;

Just a heads-up, Countess is full of hardcore no-lifers. If you want to join, be ready to abandon your real life.

Comments (6)

Anonymous1: What’s so important about real life? Caplet is what matters.

└ Yep, Countess is basically where people like you gather.

Anonymous2: True lol. How could a guild of god-tier real-life players like JiCheonWang ever beat Countess, a gathering of life-wrecked gamers? lol.

└ lollollollolㅋ If you ever joined Countess, you’d shut up real quick. There’s probably no one there whose life is as messed up as yours.

└ ? Why are you talking about my life like you know me?

└ Your angry comments here make it pretty obvious, don’t they?

That said, JiCheonWang will probably win the siege war.

Just my opinion.

Isn’t that unarguable?

Comment (1)

Anonymous1: Agree. There’s a huge difference between fighting with whoever’s online at the moment versus planning a specific day for 100 people to log in for a war. No matter how skilled Countess is, I doubt they can take a castle.

“Honestly, there’s no issue with siege battles, right? The real problem is defending afterward.”

Sangjae → Exactly. Sieges are chaotic anyway, so as long as we secure the last hit on the annihilation stone, we have a chance. But defense… that’s going to be tough.

Sangjae agreed with Jehyun’s comment. It was the second Friday of the season, and the guild members online were discussing the upcoming siege battle scheduled for the next day.

At the start of a new season, players had to capture castles from NPCs in a siege battle. Last week, the battle couldn’t proceed because the NPC server crashed. The game’s management, being typical Ahn Yiyoung, didn’t even stir up complaints from the players. Thus, the siege to determine the owners of Capitol and Weather was set for this weekend.

Guild Master → Defending the castle is ridiculous. JiCheonWang will probably get… at least 50 people online. If their attendance is good, it could go up to 80 or 90. Even if all of us log in, we wouldn’t stand a chance.

Sangjae → But giving up from the start would mean losing out on too many points, wouldn’t it?

“Exactly….”

Many factors contributed to a guild’s ranking points, ranging from individual level-ups and achievements to major milestones like first clears and siege victories. Among these, the monthly siege battle provided as many points as first clears, making it one of the most critical events.

The difference was that while first clears granted points only once per dungeon, siege victories gave recurring monthly opportunities to overturn rankings.

Capturing a castle involved defeating NPCs and dealing the final blow to the engraving stone inside the inner sanctum. Despite being outnumbered, this process didn’t put smaller guilds at a major disadvantage. NPCs respawned infinitely during the siege, and everyone faced the same chaotic conditions for the last hit.

The real issue arose after capturing the castle.

A month later, guilds that owned a castle would have to defend it in a siege against other guilds, where the gap in numbers became glaringly apparent.

Back when the server was Countess, both Jangji and Neungdong had comparable numbers, and the social guild Animal Farm wasn’t interested in castle ownership. This allowed Countess to dominate the castle for years. But the Raptor server was different.

Not only JiCheonWang but many other guilds from various servers had applied for the siege. Few guilds had as few members as Countess. Even if they captured a castle this time, they would inevitably lose it in the defense battle.

This meant the guild needed more members. Jehyun, with a serious expression, clicked his tongue while still playing on his alt character. He was leisurely preparing his recently max-leveled alt to clear Habaek and Gallie’s Labyrinth.

“Honestly, even though it’s just once a month, it would be frustrating to drop guild rankings after every siege.”

Guild Master → It’s not just frustrating; I’m already mad.

“Honestly, same.”

At Jehyun’s small laugh, the guild master chuckled, seemingly in agreement, before speaking in a more serious tone.

Guild Master → But we can’t just accept anyone. Let’s review the applicants and pick people with some sense. There’s a difference between someone who’s completely incapable and someone who’s inexperienced but teachable. We can train the latter.

Sangjae → True. So, who’ll conduct the interviews? The healer?

Guild Master → Whoever has time. I’ll do it. Let’s make it intense. We’ll gather as many guild members as possible and include just one applicant in the party. We’ll even make deliberate mistakes to test their crisis management skills.

“Yes, and please find someone who listens well.”

Guild Master → Sure. I’ll look for someone who’s really good at following directions.

“Great, great.”

With that, the tank joined the party, and the recruitment was complete. Jehyun closed the party window and headed to Gallie’s Labyrinth, greeting the group.

[Party] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: Hi.

[Party] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: Please enter.

[Party] Ahn YiyoungBoyfriendHealer: Hello.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Gasp.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Gasp.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Are you the healer?

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Wow, you’re really from Countess;; Please take care of meㅠㅠ.

The newly joined tank gasped in surprise upon seeing Jehyun. However, the character, 9Won’sQualification, who greeted him politely, was standing in front of Habaek’s Ahn YiyoungBoyfriendHealer. Jehyun smirked and waved at him.

[Party] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: I’m the healer. That’s Habaek.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Gasp.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Oh, you have matching couple nicknames.

[Party] 9Won’sQualification: Sorry, sorry. Please take care of meㅎㅎ I’m a fan of yours, healerㅎ.

[Party] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: It’s not a couple nickname. I chose it to mess with Habaek’s mood.

[Party] Ahn YiyoungBoyfriendHealer: Babe, am I that embarrassingㅠ?

[Party] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: lol… Let’s go, first boss.

Jehyun ignored Habaek’s quip, skillfully buffed the party, and started the countdown.

Gallie’s Labyrinth was a dungeon he could run with his eyes closed, so there were no issues. While leisurely healing and applying defense-reduction debuffs, Jehyun suddenly recalled something and spoke up.

“Habaek, are you here?”

He asked over voice chat. After a short pause, Habaek responded through the guild chat.

[Guild] Ahn YiyoungBoyfriendHealer: Yeah.

[Guild] Contempt: ㅇㅅㅇ? Another secret conversation, huh…;ㅅ;

[Guild] Contempt: Let me guess your next usernames lol.

[Guild] Contempt: HabaekS2Healer, Healer’sBoyfriendHabaek, right? LOL

[Guild] AhnYiyoungS2Habaek: Shut up.

[Guild] Contempt: T^T…

Jehyun opened the Guild chat and confirmed that the boss and Sangjae, along with Contempt, were in a mid-tier dungeon for interviews. After seeing this, he pressed alt-tab and noticed they had also left the voice chat. Realizing he was now alone with Habaek, he asked:

“How did you recognize it was me back then?”

Then he remembered there wasn’t a proper chat window for Habaek to respond in, so he quickly added, “Whisper me,” and shortly after, a message from Habaek’s alt arrived with a ping.

“You know, way before the server merge. Was it last December? When I tried to hitch a ride on your alt bus in the maze and got caught after a wipe at the final boss, how did you figure out it was me?”

Then, he added, “Ah,” leaving the question hanging with no immediate answer. Maybe Habaek didn’t remember well. Jehyun played the game with a curious look on his face, realizing that Habaek couldn’t chat and deal damage at the same time as he spoke through the mic. So Jehyun decided to wait for him. After all, the first boss was already down to half health, and its mechanics were simple.

About three minutes later, the first boss in Galleye’s Maze dropped some junk items as it died. While heading toward the second boss on horseback, Habaek finally replied.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: How could I not know?

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: In the maze.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: Or any dungeon, really. It’s not common to see a priest consistently debuffing defense by 100%.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: I could tell 30 seconds into the first boss fight.

Hearing that, Jehyun frowned slightly. Unlike Habaek, who played multiple classes, Jehyun always leveled priests, even for his alts. So his gameplay in dungeons was more or less robotic. But to think he was identified because of that… Feeling a bit unsettled, Jehyun licked his lips and asked again.

“I’ve hitched rides on your bus loads of times with my alts. Did you figure out every single time?”

Jehyun hadn’t only joined Habaek’s bus that one time. Whenever he saw Habaek, he would often sneak into his party, pretending to be a social Guild player. In fact, about a year or two ago, upon hearing that a priest was urgently needed, he had even raided under Habaek’s leadership for a while.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: LOLLOLLOLLOL

In response, Habaek simply laughed, leaving no room for doubt. Understanding what that laugh meant, Jehyun felt a little embarrassed. He hadn’t expected to be recognized like that… Rationalizing that it wasn’t his fault, he spoke again.

“This feels unfair. I didn’t recognize you. Hey, be honest. Did you ever hitch a ride on my bus while trash-talking Jangji?”

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: What do you think?

“Totally did.”

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: Correct. ^^

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: But I never badmouthed Jangji.

With that straightforward reply, Jehyun was momentarily at a loss for words. As he started counting down to the second boss fight, memories of the past surfaced.

But Habaek was no different from Jehyun. If Habaek had been in a party while fully focusing on dealing damage, there’s no way Jehyun wouldn’t have noticed his exceptional performance.

Come to think of it, one of the DPS players regularly hitching a ride on his bus was a “foreigner” with 2-3 million DPS who didn’t speak Korean….

“Wait, no way. Were you Chingdao?”

Chingdao1, Chingdao232—using IDs like these, Chingdao had joined Jehyun’s buses several times. Whenever someone told Chingdao to curse Jangji, he’d always say, “Sorry, I don’t speak Korean T-T,” pretending to cry. For years, Jehyun had assumed he was genuinely a foreigner and didn’t bother vetting him!

When Jehyun asked, dumbfounded, Habaek only responded after the second boss was cleared.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: Now there are no secrets between us, my love.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: Thanks for all the rides.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: I sent bus fees via mail. You got them, right? T-T

“What bus fees? All you sent was cow dung. Pay me properly, in cash. Wow, you’re unbelievable. Faking being Chinese? Where’s your national pride?”

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: National pride LOL. Did the country ever give me anything?

Of course, the country hadn’t given him anything. Still, Jehyun would never consider pretending to be Chinese to catch a bus. Disgraceful excuse for a Korean… Clicking his tongue, Jehyun scolded Habaek.

“Fine, I’ll let it slide because you’re still a kid. But listen up, once you’ve served in the military, we’ll talk again. Impersonating a blasphemous communist… You’ll realize how shameful that was.”

That lecture, dripping with boomer energy, made Habaek burst into laughter.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: LOLLOLLOL. Too bad.

[Whisper] AhnYiyoung’sBoyfriendHealer: I’m exempt. ^^

Hearing him openly proclaim his exemption status, Jehyun’s lips stretched into a long line. Exempt? Of course, Habaek wasn’t qualified to be a proper man. Feeling suddenly wronged, Jehyun clammed up and promptly blocked Habaek’s alt.

The siege battle over the weekend ended with unexpected results.

On Saturday, during the Capitol Castle siege, the guild leader managed to secure the final hit by sheer luck. With Capitol Castle smoothly acquired, the Countess Guild dominated most of the mid-tier saturation dungeon rankings, making it easy for them to clinch first place in the guild rankings.

However, as Countess claimed the top spot in the rankings for two consecutive weeks, Jehyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of self-loathing. It turned out that no other guild besides Countess was so obsessed with rankings that they raised alternate characters weekly like clockwork.

JiCheonWang, and even Hell Guild, had most of their players only level up alternate characters about once a month, or sporadically when they had time. The realization that he was the only one not in his right mind, rather than everyone else, left him mentally stunned.

Anyway, during the Weather Castle siege on Sunday, the final blow was taken by a social guild from the Maverick server called “Sunshine Kindergarten.”

When JiCheonWang, with its massive 70-member roster, failed to secure even a single castle, chaos erupted in Caplet’s discussion boards. Posts from JiCheonWang members occasionally popped up, with many criticizing the way Yeomra had led the raid during the siege.

Since the server merge, Flex had been promoting Caplet ads, and a prior streaming battle event hosted by a Switch streamer brought a significant influx of new players to Caplet. The number of new posts on Caplet’s vendor board was nearing 60 per day, with most of them related to Countess and JiCheonWang.

Scrolling through the flow of posts, Jehyun tilted his head in confusion.

He couldn’t understand why the Hell Guild and the Four Heavenly Kings Guild had decided to merge. From what he’d heard, the Hell Guild had initiated the proposal, and the Four Heavenly Kings accepted, resulting in the guild master position being handed to Doummal. However, judging by the posts, it seemed that communication among the leadership was far from smooth.

Why had Hell, a PvP-oriented guild, decided to merge with Four Heavenly Kings, a social guild? Unable to contain his curiosity, Jehyun sent a message to the guild group chat during a break.

[Sangjae-nim, you mentioned you’re friends with Doummal from Four Heavenly Kings, right?]

9:51

[I’m curious… why did Four Heavenly Kings and Hell merge? Is F1 originally acquainted with Yeomra too?]

After sending the message, the phone of Baekyung, who was seated next to him, vibrated. It felt oddly as if he had caused it. As Jehyun curiously looked at Baekyung, Baekyung casually smiled and picked up his phone.

“It’s spam.”

He answered nonchalantly and fiddled with the screen. Jehyun shifted his focus back to the guild group chat and replied to Baekyung.

“Oh, I’ve been getting a ton of spam messages lately too. My number must’ve been sold somewhere. I should’ve sold it myself for money while I had the chance.”

“Haven’t you installed a spam-blocking app?”

“I don’t think I have one.”

“Really? You probably do. Want me to check for you?”

“Sure, let’s see.”

Jehyun willingly handed his phone to Baekyung. He didn’t have high expectations since their devices were from different manufacturers, but it was worth a shot. He was tired of receiving ridiculous crypto investment texts.

Taking Jehyun’s phone, Baekyung entered the app store and searched for a spam blocker. The most popular app for Android appeared at the top. Baekyung pressed the install button, and when the Face ID prompt appeared, Jehyun quickly leaned over to authenticate.

Within five seconds, the spam-blocking app was installed, making Jehyun chuckle sheepishly.

“I swear it wasn’t there when I searched….”

“When did you check?”

“…About four years ago?”

“It probably wasn’t listed on the store back then.”

With a light smile, Baekyung opened the newly installed app. But at that moment, the phone buzzed again, and a message notification popped up on the screen.

[Princess: Oppa, can we watch a movie this weekend and then crash at your place? Make me some ramen >< Yours is the best!]

She wanted to stay for ramen. The message was unmistakably personal, and Baekyung’s eyes twitched slightly at the sight.

Not only was Jehyun bringing men over to his place, but he also had a girlfriend he called “Princess.” His flirtatious tendencies clearly had roots. It wasn’t random behavior—it was habitual, stemming from the way he indiscriminately interacted with others.

Could he be polyamorous? Into open relationships? Or just a two-timing jerk? Or maybe he wasn’t dating at all and was just casually seeing people? How many people like this could he possibly be meeting? Did he lend them all books, pull them closer when a motorcycle was coming, and do all those little gestures too?

Baekyung’s heart pounded, and his thoughts felt noisy. He thought he was an idiot for wanting to get closer to someone like that. Hardening his expression, Baekyung finished setting up the spam-blocking app, handed Jehyun’s phone back, and subtly hinted.

“Sunbae, you got a message.”

He didn’t want to say words like “girlfriend” or “lover.” Taking the phone, Jehyun read the message and smiled happily as he explained.

“Oh, it’s my younger sister. Remember? I mentioned her before.”

“…You saved your sister’s contact as ‘Princess’?”

Sister? That excuse didn’t even try to sound convincing.

Ha Jaegyeong had saved Baekyung in his phone as “jerk.” That’s how siblings were supposed to be. The claim that he saved his younger sister as “Princess” was utterly unpersuasive. Baekyung furrowed his brows with an unamused expression, but Jehyun awkwardly chuckled and responded.

“Yeah. Kind of funny, right? We’re not that far apart in age, but I feel like she’s my kid or something.”

…Was she really his sister? Jehyun didn’t seem to be lying. Baekyung, still skeptical, replied.

“It’s not funny, but it’s interesting. My brother saved me as ‘jerk.’”

Baekyung’s blunt remark made Jehyun burst out laughing. While replying to Shin Jehee’s message, Jehyun looked at Baekyung with an unexpected expression.

“You curse? You don’t seem like the type.”

“I do—to my brother.”

“How big’s the age gap? A year? Two?”

“Seven.”

Jehyun’s eyes widened.

Seven years was a huge age gap among guys. Most of his friends couldn’t even talk back to siblings two years older, yet here was Baekyung casually cursing at a brother seven years his senior. Intrigued, Jehyun chuckled at this surprising side of Baekyung.

“You must be really close with your brother. Normally, a seven-year gap means you’d be super formal.”

“…Is that so?”

Baekyung didn’t seem keen to acknowledge being close with his brother. His neatly shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly, and Jehyun laughed again. Finding Baekyung adorable, he ruffled his hair and began talking about Shin Jehee.

“My sister’s an athlete. She’s busier than me, so we don’t meet up much. Sometimes she comes over whining because training’s tough, and if I don’t indulge her, she gets super sulky. She’s a total princess.”

“She sounds cute just hearing about her. What sport does she play?”

“Volleyball. She even played for the youth national team. Want to see a picture?”

“Yes, show me.”

Baekyung seemed genuinely curious, nodding in agreement. Thrilled, Jehyun opened his photo gallery and pulled up a picture of Shin Jehee, showing it to Baekyung.

“Here. This was from when she played in the U20 youth national team as a middle blocker.”

However, as Baekyung stared at Jehee’s picture, a faint smile began to form on his lips. Did Jehee look pretty even in Baekyung’s eyes? Feeling proud, Jehyun remarked.

“She’s pretty, right?”

The girl in the volleyball uniform had radiant skin and tidy features. Her bright, cheerful smile exuded energy, making her seem nothing like the somewhat somber and unfriendly-looking Jehyun at first glance.

“…She doesn’t look like you at all, Sunbae.”

Staring intently at the tall girl in the picture, Baekyung suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity. It was as if he had seen her somewhere before.

Where had he seen her? As he pondered, a memory resurfaced. The man who had entered Jehyun’s house when he borrowed No Longer Human.

Baekyung had thought the man had some personal connection with Jehyun, but seeing Jehee’s face, he was now certain they were related. After some hesitation, Baekyung asked Jehyun.

“Sunbae, the guy who came to your house when I borrowed No Longer Human—was that your older brother?”

“…My house?”

The question jogged Jehyun’s memory. Oh, right. Shin Jehwan had been there when Baekyung visited. Since Baekyung hadn’t mentioned it, Jehyun had forgotten too.

Did he recognize him? Nervously licking his lips, Jehyun nodded.

“Yeah, that guy’s my brother. This one’s my sister. None of us look alike, right?”

Baekyung smiled brightly at the confirmation. It was a surprisingly cheerful smile, as if he were genuinely pleased.

“You’re right. You don’t look alike at all. I actually thought he might be your boyfriend.”

“…Huh?”

“I mean, he didn’t seem like just a friend, but you didn’t look related either. I misunderstood.”

Jehyun laughed awkwardly, a bit flustered. Most people would assume he was an older friend or something like that, but a boyfriend? The very thought made him feel queasy.

In any case, it seemed like Baekyung didn’t know Shin Jehwan. Relieved, Jehyun looked at Baekyung and, with amusement, asked.

“Do I seem like I’d have a boyfriend?”

“Not necessarily a boyfriend, but… you do seem like you’d have someone. Everyone likes you, Sunbae.”

It was a common misconception. Despite everyone initially complaining about how intimidating he looked, once they got to know him, people assumed he must have dated plenty of women. And now Baekyung was doing the same. Jehyun smirked and shook his head.

“No, I don’t.”

At that, Baekyung’s eyes sparkled as he smiled. Really? His expression brightened as if genuinely pleased. After staring at Jehyun for a moment, he asked curiously.

“Why not? Plenty of people are interested in you, Sunbae.”

“Me? Interested in me?”

Jehyun looked slightly taken aback. He chuckled awkwardly, touched his cheek, and shook his head.

“I’m just… not really interested in that.”

“In women? Or in relationships?”

It was a blunt question. Ha Baekyung stared intently at Jehyun, as if urging him to answer quickly. There was a tenacity in his gaze that Jehyun hadn’t seen before.

Was he the type who couldn’t hold back his curiosity? The unfamiliar side of the usually polite Baekyung left Jehyun momentarily flustered, though there was no real reason not to answer. After some thought, Jehyun replied.

“I’ve never met someone I like enough to think about being in a relationship.”

“……”

Baekyung silently mulled over that answer. Comparing the phrase I’ve never met a woman I liked with the actual words Jehyun spoke—I’ve never met someone I like—he suddenly caught onto something and pressed his lips together.

Calling the man he assumed to be Jehyun’s older brother his lover had been a slip of the tongue. He hadn’t meant to voice that assumption, but when Jehyun said it was his brother, an odd sense of relief had overtaken him, leaving him no time to think it through before speaking.

But contrary to his expectation that Jehyun might feel offended, Jehyun didn’t seem bothered at all. He hadn’t reacted negatively to the phrase “male lover.” And the way he referred to “someone he likes” made it seem as if…

“Sunbae, then—”

If someone you like enough to consider a relationship appeared, could that person be a man? Baekyung was about to ask, almost entranced by the thought, when the front door opened, and Professor Kim Gonghak walked in.

“Let’s resume the class.”

“Huh?”

Jehyun turned to look at Baekyung, smiling as if to ask what he’d been about to say. Feeling a strange unease, Baekyung simply shook his head.

Instead of pressing further, Jehyun reached out and gently ruffled Baekyung’s hair. Following Jehyun’s lead, Baekyung redirected his gaze to Professor Kim Gonghak, though the nape of his neck had turned faintly red.

* * *

“Head on in. I’ll see you at the theater later—around 9:30 works, right?”

“Yes. See you later, Sunbae.”

Jehyun had made up an excuse about having plans in the afternoon to break Sanctuary of Spirits, but fortunately, Baekyung also had plans, making him feel slightly less guilty about making him wait until the evening for their movie.

After class, Jehyun and Baekyung returned to their apartment building, parting ways on the 14th floor. Once home, Jehyun immediately turned on his computer, launched the Caplet client, and opened PC KakaoTalk to check the Guild group chat, where several messages had piled up.

The messages were in response to a question about why F1 had merged the Guild with Hell.

[Does that guy look like someone who thinks things through?] 9:59

[Listen to how he talks lolol Is he really your friend? Lololㅋ] 10:00

[It’s kind of like one of those even a bad law is still a law things lol] 10:01

Sangjae didn’t seem to know what F1 was thinking either. But the answer came from an unexpected source.

A message had just arrived.

[He said he thought the username Lord Yama sounded cool and would look good in the vice-leader spot.] 11:22

[No way he’s that dumb…?] 11:23

[I didn’t know either. That’s what he said.] 11:23

[Lol seriously, what a hilarious guy. The crazy “manic gong” concept was wild too.] 11:24

Manic gong? While reading the messages in real time, Jehyun noticed that the message about how hilarious the guild leader was had suddenly been deleted. Why delete it? Jehyun tilted his head in confusion just as Contempt chimed in.

[“Manic gong”? Nah, sounds more like “gentle gong” ㅇㅅㅇ;] 11:26

[Gonggun? Gwanggun? What’s that? Is it some kind of metaphor?] 11:30

[Why are you two having a private conversation? The guild leader is asking, and you’re not answering?]

Jehyun had taken over the Guild Leader role late last week, just before the siege event. Now, a shiny gold crown glimmered next to his healer username.

Even when asserting his authority, the boss and Contempt acted as if they were in cahoots, refusing to answer. Suspicious. Narrowing his eyes as he glared at the group chat, Jehyun soon decided to ignore it and began setting the table.

[Did you guys see Matgom on the anonymous board? Lol] 11:45

[?? What’s that? Lololololololol] 11:46

While waiting for the server to open, idle chatter filled the group chat. Jehyun cleared the dishes and, with one hand, clicked on the image Contempt had sent. It was a screenshot from a battlefield chat taken during a raid.

[Raid] xingwu: nono I cant ride airship

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: ?

[Raid] xingwu: fxxk airship I dont nid this

[Raid] ChaoChao: left door

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: Please use a translator.

The screenshot showed Matgom leading a raid during a subjugation battle. Among the party members was a Chinese user whining in English about not wanting to board the airship. Why not just follow the raid leader’s directions instead of complaining so much? Clicking his tongue, Jehyun scrolled down and burst out laughing at the continued chat.

[Raid] ChaoChao: I wanna go lefs door no airship

[Raid] Contempt: Sir.. ㅇㅅㅇ.. don’t you understand..?

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: ? What are you even saying?

[Raid] xingwu: fuckin stupid gongdaejang

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: Can’t even maintain this concept properly.

[Raid] ChaoChao: we say people like you ppackdaegari

[Raid] Hexxa: lolololololololololol

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: Speak Korean, you bastards.

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: Did you just call me a “ppackdaegari”? No, no, I’m not a “ppackdaegari.”

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: You no Korean speaking, but this is Korea, so you are truly stupid. You have a very big rock head.

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: Ok? Fuck you, get out of my team.

[Raid] LipsaApplication: Thought this one would last longer lol.

[Raid Leader Notice] SpellChecker: You are a very stupid gorilla, not human.

[Raid] ChaoChao: Ok, you’re Korean 2young too^^

[Raid] SunMonNew: Wow, these Chinese players curse really well.

As expected, something felt off. In Jehyun’s memory, SpellChecker wasn’t the type to act like this, yet after the guild merger, he suddenly started playing up this persona. Jehyun had briefly wondered if he’d misjudged him.

Now it was clear—he was simply turning the act on and off whenever he felt like it.

[If a person isn’t funny, even their persona is boring. ㅇㅅㅇ] 11:50

[I’ll be the fun person for you^^❤] 11:51

Contempt, Matgom, and Habaek were all 20 years old and the same age. They’d probably felt mistreated, constantly teased by Jehyun and the boss. Watching Contempt chat away with Matgom, Jehyun chuckled. At least he seemed to be enjoying himself now that he had a friend his own age. His excitement was palpable in the chat.

There wasn’t much time left until the server maintenance ended. They passed the time by pestering Matgom for pictures of dogs and cats.

Once the server reopened, Sanctuary of Spirits: Overload would be available. It was time to aim for the first-clear title.