Chapter 201 – Twin Brothers

When the brothers Choi Woo-hyun and Choi Woo-jin first awakened as hunters, they realized they would have to stay together for life.

It wasn’t just because they were the only family each other had. It was because of their characteristics.

[Characteristic – First Twin’s Blessing]

-Grade: S

-Description: Magic power and agility increase by 10%, and skill damage increases by 20%. If a Second Twin’s Blessing holder is nearby, the effects are tripled.

[Characteristic – Second Twin’s Blessing]

-Grade: S

-Description: Strength and health increase by 10%, and it blocks a fatal blow once. Has a 24-hour cooldown. If a First Twin’s Blessing holder is nearby, the effects are tripled.

The twins’ characteristics tripled in effect when they were together. This meant that the 10% stat increase became 30%, skill damage rose to 60%, and the number of fatal blow defenses increased to 3.

‘How could we possibly separate under these circumstances?’

Just by being next to each other, they could enjoy tremendous benefits. Because of this, the twin brothers stayed together from level 1 all the way until they reached S-rank.

They entered dungeons together and fought together. But that only lasted until they obtained the Twin Blood Rings.

‘To utilize the rings’ hidden Teleport function, it’s better for us to be apart.’

Being close to each other made teleporting meaningless.

‘Now that we’ve reached S-rank, we can hunt at a more relaxed pace.’

With this in mind, the twins who had always stuck together deliberately started to separate. Although their characteristic options decreased from triple to normal, they were already famous enough that they didn’t need to become stronger.

‘We can take our time getting stronger. No rush.’

But now the twins regretted that decision.

‘We should have gotten stronger.’

‘We should have raised our levels more.’

Level 3,200 wasn’t low by any means, but it seemed woefully inadequate against the man before them.

KWANG-!

“Kugh.”

Choi Woo-jin, who had barely blocked the attack with his axe, was pushed back.

‘My strength should have increased by 30%, and yet…’

As the holder of the Second Twin characteristic, Choi Woo-jin’s strength and health increased by 10% by default. With his brother present, it increased by 30%.

‘So why am I still being overpowered?’

It was incomprehensible. The opponent was at most an A-rank hunter, yet he was overwhelming Choi Woo-jin, whose strength exceeded 3,500.

‘This is impossible. This is cheating.’

He might have understood somewhat if he knew his opponent was using Frenzy to amplify his stats by 50%… but what mattered was that they were losing even while fighting together.

HWARARURUK!

Red flames swirled from the tip of Choi Woo-hyun’s staff.

‘Fire Blast!’

A storm of fire shot directly at Min Do-jun. Not only had he increased accuracy with his high agility, but the damage was also considerable.

‘The damage is boosted by 60%. If it hits, he’ll be reduced to ashes…’

But there was no way such a slow magic could hit Min Do-jun, whose agility exceeded 5,000.

‘Damn, he dodged? Then I’ll try a faster lightning magic…’

Suddenly, the twin hunters’ eyes widened in shock. Their opponent had disappeared, as if using invisibility.

‘I can’t see him!’

Not being able to see where he was proved his high combat power. They tried to sense his presence by listening carefully, but strangely, they couldn’t even hear his footsteps.

Just then.

TING-!

Choi Woo-jin’s skin turned golden as Min Do-jun revealed himself.

“Oh? Blocked again?”

Seeing the sword touching his neck, it was clear Min Do-jun had tried to behead him in one strike.

“YAAAAAH!”

As Choi Woo-jin spun his body along with his axe, Min Do-jun finally backed away.

“It’s working, brother! That bastard can’t use invisibility anymore…”

SRURUK-

‘Huh? What?’

‘He disappeared again?’

They thought they had prevented him from using invisibility, but he vanished again right before their eyes.

‘Damn it, what’s going on?’

‘Can he use invisibility without a cooldown?’

For them, who couldn’t see through invisibility, this was a desperate situation—enough to make them want to throw down their weapons and run.

The confidence that had been on their faces at the beginning was now completely gone as they felt the difference in power.

“Woo-jin, how many do you have left?”

“J-just one, brother.”

He only had one chance left to block a fatal blow. He had already used two chances to survive deadly situations.

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

“Then stall for time here for a moment.”

“What are you going to do, brother?”

Choi Woo-hyun held his words. Min Do-jun might be listening. Instead, he communicated with his eyes.

Reading his brother’s gaze, Choi Woo-jin nodded.

“Okay, got it.”

“I’m going to use a skill, so dodge well, okay?”

“Don’t worry, brother.”

Flames gathered at the tip of Choi Woo-hyun’s staff.

‘Fire Storm!’

As he struck the ground with his staff, flames spread in all directions.

PUHWAAAK-

Fire Storm was a lower version of the Inferno skill. Unlike Inferno, it didn’t consume vitality, but anyone within its range would inevitably be hit.

Because of this, it could result in friendly fire if allies were nearby. Of course, he didn’t use it to harm his brother.

‘Brother, now!’

Before the flames could reach him, Choi Woo-jin used Teleport to escape.

SHWOOK- TAK.

Safely teleporting to his brother’s side, he saw Min Do-jun, whose invisibility had been dispelled by the flames.

‘There he is!’

Without hesitation, Choi Woo-jin charged and swung his axe wildly.

KWANG! KWANG! KWANG!

Loud sounds rang out as sword and axe collided. Despite his size, Choi Woo-jin was being overpowered, but he didn’t give up.

‘I need to buy time so my brother can escape!’

Glancing to the side, he saw that his brother, Choi Woo-hyun, had already fled.

While Choi Woo-jin kept Min Do-jun occupied, his brother had escaped.

‘Run far away, brother.’

Anyone watching might criticize Choi Woo-hyun as a heartless brother who abandoned his sibling, but it was all part of the plan.

‘The farther my brother goes, the better chance I have of surviving.’

There was no need to chase after Choi Woo-hyun with difficulty. He could instantly reach him with Teleport.

For them, who could move to each other’s location, moving together was actually inefficient.

KWANG!

“KUGH!”

Pushed back dozens of steps, Choi Woo-jin wondered if surrendering now might spare his life.

But he quickly shook his head.

‘No. Don’t harbor false hopes.’

He had already received two fatal blows. That meant the opponent was determined to kill the brothers.

‘He killed Pil-young hyung without hesitation. Begging for my life won’t save me.’

Taking a life shouldn’t be easy, but this hunter named Min Do-jun wielded his blade without reservation.

Even now, he was thrusting his sword directly toward Choi Woo-jin’s heart.

TING-

“Oh, your skin turned golden again. I’m curious how long you can keep this up.”

“……”

Choi Woo-jin was dumbfounded by his opponent’s relaxed demeanor.

‘I’m fighting for my life, and this bastard is…’

He seemed to be fighting casually, holding back. He definitely wasn’t giving it his all.

‘Now I have no extra lives left.’

Min Do-jun had wondered how long he could keep blocking, but there would be no more of that. He had used up all three chances.

‘From now on, if I’m stabbed, I die.’

Though backed into a corner, Choi Woo-jin didn’t retreat. He needed to buy as much time as possible for his brother to escape pursuit.

However, Choi Woo-jin sensed that the time he could buy wouldn’t be long.

“HUT!”

In the blink of an eye, Min Do-jun disappeared and reappeared behind him, casting a skill.

KUKWAKWAKWAKWANG!

Magnum Burst spread in a fan shape, sweeping through the alley.

TUDUDUK- TUDUDUK-

As the walls crumbled, Min Do-jun looked around. Choi Woo-jin was nowhere to be found in the devastated alley.

‘As expected, he escaped with Teleport.’

He had anticipated this from the moment Choi Woo-hyun fled first. It was impossible for brothers who would later stage a coup together to betray each other.

‘His escape at this timing means he can no longer use his invulnerability.’

Judging by the count, the golden transformation seemed to be limited to three times.

Despite losing all his prey, Min Do-jun remained calm.

‘No matter how far they run, they’re still in the palm of my hand.’

He had already instructed his ghost wolf to pursue them.

‘With no invulnerability left, it’s truly time to end this.’

SRURUK-

Using invisibility, Min Do-jun ran through the alley. He could track their location just by following their scent.

“HUHK!”

Having used Teleport by a hair’s breadth, Choi Woo-jin gasped for breath. If he had been even slightly later, his upper body would have been blown away by the opponent’s skill.

He wasn’t the only one breathing heavily.

“Huk huk, you made it? Woo-jin?”

Choi Woo-hyun stopped running when he saw his brother appear beside him. With his already low stamina, he felt like he might die before being caught.

“Hey, now it’s your turn to run. I can’t run anymore.”

“Got it, brother.”

As he said this, Choi Woo-jin wiped the sweat from his forehead. Or rather, he tried to.

“Huh?”

The place where his hand should have been was empty. Unable to fully dodge the skill, his entire hand had been blown off.

“Keu, KEUUUK!”

Once he realized it, the pain hit him belatedly.

“Are you okay, Woo-jin…”

Choi Woo-hyun couldn’t finish his sentence. His vision went dark, and he felt pain in his nape.

“Kek, KEUK, KEK!”

“BROTHERRR!”

Choi Woo-jin swung his axe at the unknown beast that had suddenly swallowed his brother’s head.

PUEOK!

The beast yelped and detached from his brother. Blood was streaming from Choi Woo-hyun’s neck where the teeth marks were visible.

“You son of a bitch!”

Choi Woo-jin finally got a good look at the beast that had ambushed his brother. It was a massive wolf unlike any he had ever seen.

[GRRRRRR…]

The wolf growled threateningly and lunged at him.

‘A mere beast like this!’

Choi Woo-jin confidently swung his axe.

At that moment, the ghost wolf’s pupils turned red, and it moved with noticeably increased speed.

HWIK- KWAK! HWIK- KWAK!

The wolf dodged the axe skillfully, biting and retreating repeatedly.

“KUGH, you bastard…”

The wolf’s strength wasn’t particularly high, as its bites weren’t life-threatening. Nevertheless, they still hurt like needle stabs.

“You crazy dog, appearing out of nowhere and interfering!”

Choi Woo-jin swung his axe frantically, but he couldn’t land a single hit.

‘Damn, it’s hard to swing with just one hand.’

Partly because he was down to one hand, but mostly because the wolf was incredibly fast. It felt like he was being hunted by the wolf rather than the other way around.

‘Damn, if I waste time with this thing, my brother will be in danger…’

Suddenly, Choi Woo-jin’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at his brother.

SEOGUK SEOGUK SEOGUK SEOGUK!

Wind blades that had appeared from somewhere were cutting his brother’s body into pieces.

“BROTHERRRRR!”

Choi Woo-jin screamed in anguish.

It was around this time that Min Do-jun appeared.

“Good job, Awoo. I’ll take care of him now.”

Noticing Min Do-jun’s arrival belatedly, Choi Woo-jin glared at him with bulging eyes.

“I’ll kill you to avenge my brother.”

“People who say that tend to be the ones who die.”

Min Do-jun snapped his fingers.

“Like this.”

A black beam pierced through Choi Woo-jin’s body. He didn’t even have time to react.