Chapter 241: Exclusive Administrator (1)

"It seems like he truly didn't die after all."

The golden eyes shimmered faintly. Han Yoohhyun's demeanor had completely changed. Despite fatigue and injuries, his gaze that was previously swaying like turbulent waves, now settled calmly.

If Alpha had sensed the fact that Han Yoojin wasn't dead, how did he come to know it? Sigma smiled. Pretending to be dead, what mischief had Alpha been up to?

"I know you're well aware there's no chance of winning. I advise you to surrender quietly."

The chains, scattering finely dispersed currents, writhed in the air like snakes, blocking any escape routes. Although Han Yoohyun had recovered some mana, it was insufficient to break through the wall and flee. It might be possible, but Sigma wouldn't just stand by and watch.

"If you drag out the time like this, you'll end up back in Akates Defense Bureau. Think about it, Alpha."

As Alpha seemed unaware of the current situation in Akates, Sigma combined threats and persuasion in his speech. He hoped to secure both of them without causing any damage. If Alpha obediently followed, Sigma could deal with him during the struggle against the resistance, possibly accidentally resulting in his death.

Sigma was sure this time would be as enjoyable as he anticipated.

"If you make a contract with me, I'll ensure both of you are safely protected. Consider the proposal before the individuals linked to your seal return. I promise treatment far better than that of the Akates Defense Bureau."

Sigma's words hinted that even the corpse in Han Yoohyun's arms might not remain unharmed. Han Yoohyun's brow slightly furrowed in response. The amount of recovered mana was indeed meager. There was no feasible way for him to escape this place alone.

If only he were alone.

After recovering mana, Han Yoo-hyun concentrated on the summons he felt immediately afterward. When he wondered where it had gone, instead of responding to Sigma's proposal, he called out...

"Irin."

His spirit appeared—a small, red lizard with sparks akin to embers. It quickly grew and transformed into a small dragon, reminiscent of the adamant refusal to ascend. Clutching blue flames in its four paws, the red dragon twisted its body, seemingly wrapping around its master.

Crash!

The fiery tail struck the wall. It didn't break; it melted. The once solid wall now had ample holes for a person to pass through.

Simultaneously with Han Yoohyun pulling himself through the hole:

Kururung!

Accompanied by lashing chains, a golden lightning bolt flashed. The torrent of electricity, like a waterfall of currents, struck where Han Yoohyun had been, pouring over the wall and eventually collapsing it.

Even if Sigma firmly held onto Han Yoohyun's ankle, as long as he didn't die, it was enough. The destruction extended far into the corridor, engulfing everything mercilessly.

"Unexpected."

Sigma's attacks had only shattered the walls and floor of the corridor. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling that he assumed Han Yoohyun would traverse. Expectedly, the foresight only worked in direct combat situations and didn't predict evasive actions or escapes. If it could anticipate that, it would be not just foresight but a straightforward prophecy.

In any case, it was a mistake. An irreversible mistake.

'What to do?'

Alpha must have reached the area near the mana hole by now. If a guard from the mana hole, affiliated with Sigma, confronted an equal guard, Sigma could witness the result directly.

Without much hesitation, Sigma moved forward. At least, he wanted to see C-class coming back to life with his own eyes.

Gerung!

The closed door burst open as if smashed, revealing a vast space. In front of the blue-tinted hole, Han Yoohyun stood. The little dragon had transformed back into a small lizard, perched on his shoulder. Still tightly embracing his brother, Han Yoohyun faced Sigma.

"I didn't expect you to follow me here."

"I made a deal with him."

Sigma pointed towards Han Yoojin, and a crease appeared on Han Yoohyun's forehead. Once again, he thought that this person resembled Sunh Hyujae.

"Don't even think about touching him. Choose your words carefully."

With a cold remark, flames erupted. A mixture of black and blue flames spread in all directions instantly. The mana hole was right behind, so Sigma didn't need to worry about mana consumption. Han Yoohyun raised flames like an endless wave.

At the same time, lightning struck. Instead of feeble defenses or evasions, strength and power collided head-on. Blue flames and golden electricity tangled, swirling like a vortex.

Kugugug!

The surroundings shook as both the ceiling and the floor simultaneously exploded. Melting, disintegrating, even the structure receiving the endless power of the mana hole couldn't withstand it, distorting its form.

Tududuk!

the ceiling, farther from the mana hole than the floor, began to collapse completely. Soon after, flames and lightning erupted over the collapsed ceiling. The head had already pierced through, and the impact spread throughout the entire building.

"It's about to collapse."

Smirking, Sigma climbed up the chains, avoiding the melting floor. He spoke with a smile while the central building of the Akates Defense Bureau couldn't withstand the consecutive shocks. The building, dozens of stories high, rapidly sank. Although it seemed inevitable to be buried alive,

"I'll take care of that!"

With a cheerful shout, Irin transformed back into the appearance of a red dragon, soaring upward. Passing straight through the central part of the building, radiating blue light, it exploded. Instead of melting and evaporating, the upper part of the building turned into small debris, scattering like rain.

Except for the underground levels, the entire building disappeared. People who had sought refuge during the bomb terror, and those who had already panicked and fled due to the shaking building, stared blankly at the scene.

Under the now-exposed night sky, the blue flames, undiminished, expanded their territory. The lightning also leaped, but the limits of mana were vivid. Between Han Yoohyun, who had the mana hall behind him, and Sigma, who didn't have that advantage, there existed a considerable gap.

Fwururuk!

Eventually, avoiding the flames surging beyond control, Sigma stepped back. In the face of overwhelming firepower, any skills or experience he possessed were useless. It was the expected outcome, but Sigma found it somewhat amusing.

At that moment, a breath emanated from the body hugged by Han Yoohyun.

"Yoohyun."

"Hyung?"

-Hyung!

Han Yoo-jin opened his eyes.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark and unfamiliar space. Momentarily startled by the emptiness, his chest sank as he realized there was nothing there.

"Yoo-hyun!"

Before my mind could comprehend the situation, my hands trembled. Subsequently, my entire body started shivering as if doused in icy water.

What is this? I asked for some waiting time, but that was supposed to mean I could choose when to come back to life. But why am I here without any options or a selection screen?

Could it be that time is passing outside? What about Yoohyun?

"Damn it, newbie! Volleyball! Wilson!"

I had thought of coming back right away. Right after death, without any delay. Yoo-hyun was supposed to realize that I hadn't really died but merely lost consciousness for a moment.

I never intended to lose my life in front of my brother, even if Yoohyun knew the fact that I had multiple lives. Even if he were aware, it's not like I wanted to die right in front of him. After all, even if Yoohyun had the knowledge that my life was not singular, it was still unsettling to witness someone die that close.

But now, this...

"Save me! Right now!"

Despite shouting with a cracked voice, there was no response. Worry consumed me. It felt hard to breathe. Please, let time here be stopped or much slower. I wondered how Yoohyun was doing, what emotions he was experiencing right now; it was frightening even to imagine.

Still, I should know that this isn't the real world, right? ... If I don't know. If I went into a frenzy and exploded right after arriving here, maybe I couldn't even properly receive system messages. Damn it, I need to know. Newbie, please.

"Is anyone here?! Somebody, please!"

I pleaded for myself, for my brother. For anything. I scanned the surroundings, though there was nothing. I even groped in the air, though it was meaningless. As time passed, my anxiety increased. Tears were falling without my noticing.

Don't ask for things like changing waiting time; just let me come back to life immediately. No, I should have paid more attention in the first place to save my brother. Even if a warning message popped up, I should have used a defensive skill or something... a warning message.

"Sung Hyunjae!"

I momentarily forgot. It wasn't a newbie; he was the person managing the system now.

"Sung hyunjae!"

After the shout,

Tap

The screen turned on. Yoohyun was there, holding my body. Wet face, injured shoulder. Despite the expression that seemed like he could die at any moment, Yoohyun tried his best not to let me go until the end.

I didn't think of anything. With the feeling of blood draining away and the disappearance of strength from my whole body, someone grabbed me.

[Wake up.]

"Now, ho, old man."

The words asking to be sent back didn't come out properly. I only gasped a few times. I felt a comforting touch on my back.

[I'll  interfere but han Yoojin has to do it. Come on, quickly.]

Another window appeared before my eyes. There was a keyboard for sending messages. I somehow moved my trembling hand. My brother, Yoo-hyun.

-yoohyun.

Even if there were no more messages from me, Yoo-hyun could wait. I was sure of it. Seeing the revived brother's expression, I became certain. It's okay, there's no problem. My brother looks even better than me. Really, like that.

A hand in white gloves reached out from behind me. After fiddling with something, a quest window popped up.

[Save Me

Let's endure safely until Han Yoo-jin resurrects! Protect Han Yoo-jin's body against a powerful enemy for 5 minutes^▽^

Reward: Small automatic mana recovery]

[Beginner's option, huh?]

What's this? The tone and style of the content have changed.

[Once you get used to it, you can interfere in more diverse ways. It seems Master Hyunjae has recovered safely. Congratulations.]

Beyond the screen, Yoohyun stood up. Flames rose as if blocking Sigma... Huh? The color of the flames changed. It shifted from black to a lighter shade, turning into a bluish hue. Is it because of Alpha's body? Sigma started persuading Yoohyun. In the current state, negotiation might be better than confronting.

"But when can I come back to life?"

[ try your best to regain consciousness.]

"Consciousness?"

[Currently, Master Han Yoojin is in a state of unconsciousness due to the shock of a fatal injury. To revive, you have to press the option, but it's impossible while unconscious.]

"I see."

[I also found out after checking a little while ago.]

The tone sounded somewhat dejected. Meanwhile, Yoohyun summoned Irin. The red lizard suddenly grew larger... What is that?

"Irin?"

Uh, is that also due to falling into another world? Irin seems to have possessed the body of a dragon... Why is Yoo-hyun so indifferent? Isn't he surprised? With Irin's help, Yoo-hyun safely escaped and reached the mana hole. Now I can completely relax. As long as it's near the mana hole, there's no way Sigma can win.

"Anyway, thank you, Sung Hyunjae-ssi. Newbie, you should have told me about this in advance... But what happened? How did you end up using the system—"

I turned around. A familiar suit caught my eye. And the face, this.

"Ah!"

Hot pink yarn ball! A large tuft of yarn was floating where there should have been a head. Startled, I instinctively pushed my body away. The suit and gloves collapsed to the ground, and the yarn ball rolled and soared up again.

[You're overreacting.]

"W-What is that! What's with that appearance!"

[It's not a real body, so don't worry.]

"You don't worry about things like that?"

^^ The yarn ball chuckled.

Is there a rule that the system administrator has to possess a round object? Don't flutter the end of the yarn like that. Don't pretend to be cute about the topic.

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