TPYBIRAAC 05

The main character’s younger brother is resurrected as a constellation Episode 5

Kim I-gyeol managed to take down the monster that was grotesque even at a glance.

He moved so nimbly, as if he had originally been a Hunter, and cleared a path in front of me in an instant.

I hid behind the rock he had pointed to. There, I checked the newly updated main quest again.

<Main Quest 2 – My Contractor’s Growth is My Reward (In Progress)>

Even seeing it again, it’s atrocious. Rising from D-rank to S-rank, the criteria were utterly absurd.

More than anything, I doubted why I had to do this.

This world had already shown that even though my role was finished, it wouldn’t send me back to reality.

Trusting the system? I’d rather trust a cat to guard a fish shop.

Just as I was thinking that, the quest window seemed to flicker, and an additional reward appeared at the very bottom.

Reward: Growth Rate 20%, 2000 Points
Additional Reward: A Wish Ticket provided

‘A wish ticket… does that mean it grants anything?’

Even with my question, the system remained silent. I could feel the system’s will, that this was the best it could do.

Would it grant a wish to return reality to its ‘original’ state?

Feeling my mindset change, the system sent a new notification.

!Urgent Announcement!
To facilitate smooth quest progress, your contractor’s growth data is provided.
From now on, you can check your contractor’s growth level through ‘Check Growth Level’.

I immediately followed the system’s guidance and checked the growth level. I could select and view stats and rank, so I checked the rank first.

‘Rising from D-rank to C-rank’ In Progress
Offensive Skill Accuracy Rate 60% or Higher (23/10,000)
Cumulative Skill Usage (143/20,000)
Evade 3 or More Times Consecutively (2/1,500)
※Note: Only applies to usage within dungeons※

And I was at a loss for words.

I turned my gaze to Kim I-gyeol, who had just plunged his sword into the body of the insect monster.

What do I do? When will I ever finish this?

Unaware of my troubled heart, he finished the battle and was walking towards the rock where I was.

I could see wounds all over his body. Right there, I bought a recovery potion and sponsored it to Kim I-gyeol.

Even though he must have received the alert, he came to me without even checking it. Why isn’t he using the potion?

“You’re hurt.”

“Ah, just a little.”

I purposely pointed to the wound as I spoke. I couldn’t directly ask if he had medicine.

Wouldn’t an ordinary person, if they were injured and told they had medicine, apply it right away?

But Kim I-gyeol was different. He glanced at the wound once and just said, “I see,” and left it at that.

Unable to watch any longer, I finally directly mentioned the constellation.

“Doesn’t your constellation give you things like medicine?”

“No, they did. Do you want some?”

Anyone could see that Kim I-gyeol was the one more seriously injured. The very idea of him offering it to me was so absurd I had to ask back.

“Why don’t you use it and try to give it to me?”

“I don’t really need it. You have a wound on your face.”

He stared at the wound on my cheek, then, as if he were a mirror, tapped his own cheek.

“Your older brother used to say that. If a girl gets a scar on her face, she’ll mind it every time she looks in the mirror.”

Looking at his frustrating behavior, my heart felt tight in one corner.

He’s casually causing the watching constellation’s heart to burst!

Skill <Immovable Stillness> is activated.

Oh. What’s this?

The moment that notification appeared, my mind calmed down. Thanks to it, my insides, which felt like they were about to explode, returned to normal.

“B-but still, wouldn’t it be better to use it on the more severe wounds? I can get treated outside.”

“Sister said that treatment is better the sooner you-“

“Ah, alright. Just give it to me for now.”

Cutting him off, I held out my palm and gestured for him to give it to me.

Kim I-gyeol took the potion I had sponsored out of his inventory and handed it over.

I opened the lid and immediately poured it over his right arm. In times like this, doing it myself is the answer.

“Ah.”

A short groan escaped Kim I-gyeol’s lips, surprised by my action.

The wound that had been seeping blood healed in an instant. Now my mind felt completely at ease.

He alternated his gaze between the healed wound and the bottle in my hand, then spoke gruffly.

“You said you were going to use it.”

“Yeah, I did use it. I poured it, didn’t I?”

It wasn’t my wound, but it was true that I used it.

I blocked his rebuttal with a shameless smile. Then I sprinkled the remaining potion on his ankle.

“Huh.”

“The only person I can trust shouldn’t get hurt.”

At my serious words, Kim I-gyeol frowned as if dumbfounded, but he didn’t stop me.

As I was putting the empty bottle in my pocket, my bracelet got caught on my clothes.

The bracelet, which I hadn’t even noticed because it felt so natural, dangled and started to bother me.

‘I’ don’t have a bracelet like this. This was ‘Jin Se-rin’s’ bracelet.

…I had just realized that what I thought was a dream was actually my reality. But could it be that it’s not that, but possession?

Does that mean I’m not the ‘me’ from reality now, but ‘Jin Se-rin’ from <The End of Extinction>?

Then what about the attack I received from the monster on the day I fell and got separated from Jin Se-hyuk? How am I alive?

It was at that moment, when I was about to take off the bothersome bracelet, that it happened.

Kim I-gyeol, seeing my bracelet, frowned slightly, his eyes wavering. He silently continued to stare only at the bracelet.

…Did you become enemies with my bracelet without me knowing? Why are you looking at me so scarily?

After an incomprehensible silence, Kim I-gyeol finally spoke.

“Where did you get that?”

“The bracelet? My older brother gave it to…?”

Without a moment to think, my mouth moved on its own and answered. As if it were only natural.

‘I’ was an only child, so this was puzzling. Had I somehow merged with the original ‘Jin Se-rin’?

“Ha, does this even make sense?”

Upon hearing my answer, he muttered quietly.

I tilted my head, trying to grasp his intention.

Kim I-gyeol asked something else, his voice much more agitated than before.

“This bracelet is a set with a necklace, isn’t it.”

It wasn’t a question but a conviction.

At his words, I checked the bracelet. Looking closely, it had the exact same star-shaped pendant as the necklace I had tried to give to Jin Se-hyuk.

Since the original story said Jin Se-hyuk made it himself, they must be a set. How did this guy know?

Even as I asked back, surprised, he remained calm.

“How did you know?”

“…I just, know.”

When I nodded blankly, a now calmer voice flowed from him.

“Do you have the necklace too?”

“I don’t have the necklace. I gave it to someone.”

That little brat, I wonder if he gave it to his brother well. It was a pretty important item in the original story.

“Maybe 10 years ago… No. Never mind.”

Leaving me curious, he waves his hand dismissively as if it’s nothing. Is this guy trying to pick a fight?

“10 years ago? That would make me 7 years old.”

“Yeah, that’s probably how you’d feel it.”

His tone was gentle, but it sounded argumentative to me.

He’s bragging about getting older, saying he was 9, suddenly.

I tried to say something back but was stopped. A monster was coming again.

“…Let’s talk about this later.”

Wiping the expression from his face, he readjusted his weapon.

As if he’d had some change of heart, he now focused solely on taking down the monsters.

“You stay still here. Got it?”

Whenever a monster came, he would first place me in a safe spot and then go forward to fight.

Thanks to him, I could watch his battles from a safe place. Occasionally, when he seemed to be struggling, I’d sponsor a stamina or recovery potion.

Of course, even if I gave them, my contractor didn’t use them right away.

Boom!

A loud sound echoed as the monster was slammed into the wall. Kim I-gyeol, having properly awakened, didn’t look like a D-rank.

Even if it was a low-grade E-rank monster, was it just my imagination that he seemed to be winning too easily?

‘Rising from D-rank to C-rank’ In Progress
Offensive Skill Accuracy Rate 60% or Higher (99/10,000)
Cumulative Skill Usage (298/20,000)
Evade 3 or More Times Consecutively (19/1,500)
※Note: Only applies to usage within dungeons※

Sitting on the ground, propping my chin on my hand, I stared at the steadily rising numbers.

Kim I-gyeol was fighting so stably, it was hard to believe he had only awakened today.

Thanks to that, the strategy was cruising along without any advice from me.

‘Honestly, I don’t know if the constellation’s role is anything more than these three: sponsoring, giving skills, and watching.’

I was blankly watching him fight when our eyes met occasionally. It felt like he was checking to make sure I was still there.

I started to wonder why Kim I-gyeol, a complete stranger to me, cared for me so much.

Lost in thought, I didn’t notice the monster approaching from behind.

Seeing me like that, Kim I-gyeol blocked the monster with his sword and shouted.

“Jin Se-rin, get down!”

I reflexively ducked, and the monster flew right over my head.

My palm stung. Opening my hand, I saw a small cut from a rock.

Kim I-gyeol immediately ran to me.

‘Ah, that infuriating guy!’

Shouldn’t you kill the monster you were just fighting?!