The Older Brother (Solo Leveling)

Floating in the pitch-black void, with an ecstatic expression adorning my face, I gazed ahead and decisively pressed the confirm button on the holographic screen, solidifying my chosen abilities.

Immediately after confirming my choice, the abyss that surrounded me engulfed me entirely, rendering both my sight and sensation obsolete, while also imposing a tremendous amount of weight upon my very being.

When that ended, I opened my heavy eyelids and surveyed my surroundings; to me, it felt as if everything had increased in size, especially when I looked down at my small hands.

"You're doing an excellent job, dear!"

Interrupting my thoughts, I turned toward the feminine voice and saw a woman with black hair and grey eyes, looking at me with glee. After a moment of reflection, I deduced that she was my mother, and the man beside her with black hair and dark eyes was my father.

With a mental shake of my head in response to her words, I rose from the ground, mustering an incredible amount of effort to place both hands onto the coffee table. Despite my legs being incredibly shaky, and it feeling as if my limbs were akin to pudding, I summoned the strength to support myself and stood up.

'Based on my brief survey of this room, it's evident I'm an infant. Still, I can't help but ponder why my little legs are so wobbly! Of course, I'm fully aware that the answer is self-evident; it's a rhetorical question, after all.'

Focused on trying to navigate the living room, with my parents' watchful eyes upon me, I accidentally activated one of my powers called Accelerated Development.

In just a few minutes of walking around, my previously unsteady and shaky legs transitioned into a firm and stable foundation.

With a contented sigh, I turned my gaze towards my parents to observe their reaction.

My mother's expression shifted to one of surprise, while my father exclaimed with excitement, "He's standing without any need for support! That's my boy!"

The compliment from my father stirred a touch of happiness within me, a rarity considering the absence of such praise in my past life for years. Additionally, it had another effect on my body; a surge of excitement coursed through me, infusing my heart with a renewed vigor, causing it to beat more strongly.

I felt the rapid rhythm in my heart, prompting me to initiate a breathing exercise I had learned in my past life: inhaling for four seconds, holding the breath for seven, and then exhaling for a count of eight. I repeated this sequence multiple times.

After a brief moment, during which my heartbeat steadied, I turned my gaze toward the spot where my parents had been, only to discover they had moved to the kitchen.

Upon closer inspection, they bore a striking resemblance to Sung Jinwoo's parents in their younger years. However, I had intentionally chosen an entirely unrelated family in South Korea. The notion of any connection between them seemed utterly implausible.

'In any case, I want to test my powers immediately, but... well, if necessary, I could potentially manipulate their memories and erase any recollection of witnessing my abilities, even though I'll undoubtedly feel horrible about resorting to such actions.'

Walking to the couch with my petite legs, I sat down and then extended my hand, holding it just inches away from my chest with my palm facing upward. Drawing inspiration from a magic spell I'd read in a novel, a sharp shard of ice manifested instantly, hovering an inch above my hand and exuding a chilly aura.

A twinkle of amazement danced in my eyes as I finally grasped that this was now my reality, and that magic was indeed real. However, despite being taken aback by what I had just done, I shook my head and disposed of the icicle in a nearby bin.

With a determined expression on my face, I continued to gaze at my hand. In my mind, I thought, 'I need to see if I can use my other abilities...'

As I delved into my memories to uncover my chosen abilities in this new life, they would occasionally peer at me from the kitchen to check if I was alright.

Each time they checked up on me, it felt as if cold beads of sweat were trickling down my face and back, while one thought echoed in my mind: 'Stop staring and just cook your damn food!'

————

Patiently waiting outside a hospital room with my concerned dad, Sung Il-Hwan, I gazed at him with a tilted head. I wasn't sure why we were here, but his demeanor suggested that something significant must have occurred.

Finally wanting to know, I asked with curiosity, "Why are we here?"

"Oh, uh..." He appeared taken aback by the question, but a soft smile replaced his earlier concern as he spoke, "Today, Kyung-won, you'll become an older brother."

Shock was evident in my eyes, but after contemplating it for a brief moment, which was only a matter of seconds, I turned my attention to where my mother was and nodded to myself.

"What's their name?" I inquired, my gaze still fixed on the door leading to my mother.

"Your younger sibling is a boy, and we've chosen to name him Jinwoo. I hope you'll cherish him as much as we cherish you," my father explained with a warm smile.

Before I could reply, the door in front of us swung open, revealing someone with an exhausted expression. When she noticed me and my father, she approached us and, with a smile, said, "I hope everything goes smoothly for your family."

As both my father and I entered the room, we saw my mom, half-knocked out, cradling a newborn baby in her arms.

With Il-Hwan lifting me up so I could get a better view of Jinwoo's face, my attention fixated on the black follicles atop his head and the gray eyes beneath those closed eyelids.

'He really does resemble him.' A smile graced my face, as a million thoughts raced through my mind.

'How do I treat him? Do I play the role of the caring and charismatic older brother, or should I be more distant and reserved?'

I continued my thoughts, pondering, 'The latter seems counterproductive, because when he becomes strong, it might give the impression that I'm only acknowledging him for his power.'

'If I explain to him that I simply want him to strengthen his mental, would he be able to accept that answer?'

'Hold on... Instead of doing whatever I said, I should strive to be neutral with him. Ah, I don't know anymore! I'll just figure this out later.' Sighing to myself, I closed my eyes, shook my head, and nestled into my father's arms for some needed rest.

————

Over the past five years since Jinwoo was born, I've kept a certain distance from him. It wasn't that I was singling him out; I behaved this way with everyone to avoid causing concern for our parents about our brotherly relationship.

I didn't even have to consciously decide how to interact with Jinwoo, because I naturally fell into the same demeanor I had in my past life – reserved and distant towards people.

Anyway, I haven't found much need to use my abilities lately. However, once everything gets going, I anticipate things will change.

'I have a rough estimate of when the dungeons will start appearing in the world, but it's mostly a guess. I need to obtain a definite answer to prepare for what lies ahead.'

'Additionally, I need to find a way to protect my family from the impending danger that's coming,' I mused, watching Jinwoo play with his friends. 'I'm still uncertain if I should warn my father about when he might disappear inside a dungeon, considering I have no knowledge of when or where it might occur.'

'Furthermore, my physical abilities have been enhanced to such an extent that even as a child, I can run at an astonishing 17 mph and lift 200 kg of weight with ease.'