"Woah~ What a coincidence. To think that I'd see ShiHoon here!"

"Kim YeongHoon...?"

Kim ShiHoon's expression hardened after seeing who was approaching them.

Kim YeongHoon

He was the vice-leader of one of Korea's top five guilds, the Mir Guild. Not only that, he was the son of the CEO of Mir Electronics, Kim JaeHyun.

He was born with a golden spoon.

But it wasn't a normal golden spoonit was one coated with diamonds.

Unlike Kim JaeHyun, who was among Korea's two most talented players, Kim YeongHoon was only slightly above average.

But that weakness was covered by Kim JaeHyun's money and power.

They had a massive amount of money that could cover the lack of talent.

"Is he someone you know?"

"Isn't that person the vice-leader of the Mir Guild?"

Seol-ah and TaeSoo looked at both of them.

Kim YeongHoon bowed slightly and opened his mouth.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim YeongHoon. Woah. So ShiHoon has formed a party with such a beautiful person."

Kim YeongHoon smiled after looking at Han Seol-ah.

"Why are you here...?"

Kim ShiHoon glared at Kim YeongHoon.

He was leaking out a strong killing intent that one wouldn't believe was coming from someone as calm as him.

"Huh? I obviously came here to hunt."

"Then go hunting, and get out of my sight."

"Hahaha! You shouldn't talk like this to your brother."

"What?!"

The moment he heard Kim YeongHoon calm himself 'hyeong,' his body started to tremble.

Kim ShiHoon spoke while glaring at Kim YeongHoon.

"You aren't my hyeong!"

"Hahaha! Well, indeed, we aren't normal brothers."

Kim YeongHoon laughed as if he found the situation funny.

"After all, unlike me, you have mundane blood running through your veins."

"You son of a bitch!!"

Kim ShiHoon took out his sword while frowning angrily.

Mundane blood

That word he had heard countless times sent a piercing pain through his heart.

"Why? Are you planning to rebel against your hyeong?"

Kim YeongHoon took a blue sword from his waist.

Just a glance was enough to know that it was a good sword.

Kim ShiHoon trembled a bit after looking at him.

Kim YeongHoon was strong. No, to be more precise, all the equipment he was wearing had made him strong.

"..."

"Haha. Okay okay. Hmm. I've recently heard rumors about you."

"Rumors?"

Kim ShiHoon looked at him while frowning.

"You got a high-ranking Attribute. Right? An S one, at least."

"...!"

Kim ShiHoon's eyes widened.

"To think you would awaken a high-ranking Attribute at such perfect timing."

"What are you talking about..."

"We currently need an 'offering' just like you," Kim YeongHoon said while licking his lips with a smile on his face.

"Offering...?"

Kim ShiHoon frowned after hearing that ominous word.

lghtnvlubm fr th bt nvl rdng rn

Kim YeongHoon looked with great interest at the other party members as well.

"The other party members seemed talented, too. This is a complete jackpot."

"..."

"Ah. I won't use that beautiful woman over there as an offering because I can think of some better uses for her body."

Kim YeongHoon looked at Han Seol-ah with lustful eyes.

Han Seol-ah felt as if a snake was crawling up through her body. She frowned.

"What are you planning to do...?"

"Haha. If you follow me, you'll soon find out."

"Who would follow a guy like you...!"

"Well, it doesn't really matter whether you want it or not because you'll follow me either way."

Kim YengHoon raised the sword and spoke to the man next to him.

"Stay there. This guy is my prey."

"Understood."

The person next to him replied shortly while bowing.

"Ugh..."

Kim ShiHoon's body trembled angrily.

He remembered everything he had gone through.

They were brothers from separate mothers

But the lives they'd lived were completely different.

Kim ShiHoon was born as the result of an affair, and he'd received bullying from Kim YeongHoon since he was a little kid.

One day, Kim JaeHyun had gotten bored of his mother, so he kicked both of them from the house even though his mother was sick at the time.

No one had helped them.

Kim ShiHoon had done his best to live while controlling that anger.

'If only I were stronger.'

It was a thought he had harbored more than a thousand times.

After wishing for it for such a long time, he finally got a chance.

* * *

The soul of the martial god, Cheon TaeHwaong, an SSS-rank Attribute.

He could get stronger at a pace that couldn't be compared to other players.

'But'

There was despair in Kim ShiHoon's eyes.

Just facing Kim YeongHoon was enough to see the overwhelming difference between them.

Kim YeongHoon had finished the sixth Awakening, so there was too much of a difference between their levels.

Even if his Attribute's ranking was good, that was a hard-to-overcome difference.

'If only I had more time.'

Maybe if he'd done the fourth Awakening, or maybe the fifth one, he would've had a chance.

But it didn't make sense to think of that in his situation.

Because, for the moment, he was just a low-level player who had only finished the third Awakening.

"Then, should I teach my rude younger brother a lesson?"

Kim YeongHoon gripped the sword in his hand tighter and leaped forward.

He approached Kim ShiHoon very fast and swung his sword.

Clang-!

"Ugh!"

It was TaeSoo who blocked Kim YeongHoon's attack.

TaeSoo bit his lips because of the effect of the shock and opened his mouth.

"I'm not sure what relationship you have with ShiHoon hyeong, but as long as I'm here, you won't be able to land a hit on him easily!"

"What's up with this muscled pig?"

Kim YeongHoon seemed bothered by the fact that TaeSoo had blocked his attack, so he glared at him.

"Ha-ab!"

After blocking Kim YeongHoon's attack, TaeSoo used the shield to push him.

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The two-meter-tall TaeSoo grappled with Kim YeongHoon.

Clang-!

"Huh...?"

TaeSoo let out an exclamation in disbelief.

As soon as the shield touched Kim YeongHoon's black armor, his shield was pushed away.

"Who do you think you're touching?"

Kim YeongHoon swung his sword toward TaeSoo, who had interrupted the fight.

"Mr. TaeSoo! Move!"

Slam-!

"Ugh!"

With the sound of an explosion that was hard to believe came from a sword, TaeSoo was pushed away by the attack.

His shield broke into pieces and fell to the ground.

"Fuck!"

Kim ShiHoon cursed and leaped toward Kim YeongHoon.

'Sleeping Dragon Sword Style, 5th Form. The Appearance of the Wind Dragon.'

There were over 30 levels of difference between them.

He didn't stand a chance if he didn't use his strongest attack from the beginning.

"Boost!"

He was thinking that when suddenly Seol-ah's boost entered his body.

Instantly, he became more powerful than before.

'Maybe with this!'

Kim ShiHoon brandished his sword toward Kim YeongHoon with his eyes shining.

"Ugh!"

Clang-!

Kim YeongHoon quickly used his sword to block Kim ShiHoon's attack.

Because there was too much of a difference between their stats, Kim YeongHoon's strength and speed were overwhelmingly higher than Kim ShiHoon's.

But despite that, he couldn't block all Kim ShiHoon's attacks.

Clang-!!

"This damn brat..."

Kim YeongHoon's face became red from anger while looking at Kim ShiHoon's sword that was bounced away thanks to his leather armor.

The fact that he'd been hit despite the difference in their stats was humiliating for him.

"Yes, you were always like that."

Kim YeongHoon glared at Kim ShiHoon.

Since they were little kids, Kim ShiHoon had been better than him at everything.

Whether it was studies or sports, he had never been able to win against him.

Even talent as a player

'But!'

The tips of Kim YeongHoon's mouth went up.

Talent didn't matter. Thanks to his money and power, hed obtained the ability to overcome talent.

Kim YeongHoon pushed Kim ShiHoon's sword away and kicked him in the chest.

Kim ShiHoon bounced back helplessly.

"Cough!"

"Hahaha! Yes! This is your limit! This is the difference between you and me!"

"Ugh..."

"It doesn't matter how hard you trythere's a wall you'll never be able to overcome."

Kim YeongHoon kicked Kim ShiHoon's face.

Paf-!

"Cough!"

Paf-! Paf!

"Hahaha! How about that? Will you now peacefully come with us?!"

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Kim ShiHoon's face was covered in blood.

"Lightning Spear!"

"Holy Strike!"

Seol-ah and EunBi cast magic to protect Kim ShiHoon.

"AARRGG!!"

Even TaeSoo, who had lost his shield, ran toward Kim YeongHoon with bare hands.

"Ha. Did these guys lose their minds...?"

Kim YeongHoon moved a bit and dodged the magic.

While Kim YeongHoon dodged the attacks, TaeSoo grabbed Kim ShiHoon and moved back, increasing the distance with Kim YeongHoon.

"Ugh, Argh."

"Mr. Sh-ShiHoon!"

Kim ShiHoon used his sword as a prop to push himself into a standing position.

Han Seol-ah came running toward him and began using healing magic on him.

"Everyone, escape."

"We can't do that!"

"This is something I must face on my own..."

Kim ShiHoon walked toward Kim YeongHoon with staggering steps.

"Ugh."

He was angry.

The fact that he had to suffer so much because of Kim YeongHoon

He couldn't stand it anymore.

The fact that he didn't have the strength to defeat him

He couldn't take it anymore.

That fact that he was so weak

- Do you need strength?

At that moment, he heard someone's voice.

* * *

'So the Mir Guild was the one connected to the Demon Cult.

KangWoo's eyes shone while looking at Kim YeongHoo and Kim ShiHoon's fight.

They even mentioned something about an offering, so it was definitely true that the Mir Guild was connected to the demon cult.

'But to think Kim ShiHoon was the bastard son of a billionaire family.'

Previously, hed thought after looking at Kim YeongHoon's photo that he resembled Kim ShiHoon, but he never imagined that they were both related.

"Should I start moving?"

All the calls necessary for the 'plan' were done.

KangWoo slowly stood up and was about to get involved in the fight.

It was at that moment

"Huh?"

Strong energy started to gather around Kim ShiHoon.

'What's happening?'

Kim ShiHoon, who was covered in strong energy, raised his sword instead of using it as a cane.

'Don't tell me he Awakened because he's in danger.'

KangWoo looked at him in disbelief.

While surrounded by a powerful energy, ShiHoon pointed his sword toward Kim YeongHoon.

"Yes! I need more strength!"

'What time to Awaken.'

"Strength to kill the enemy! One that lets me protect the people dear to me!"

'Woah, spitting out words like that.'

A powerful energy that resembled an explosion rumbled from ShiHoons body.

A blue sword energy more vivid than before appeared on his sword.

Ting-

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[Your familiar spirit 'Kim ShiHoon' has received the strength of the martial god.]

[Your familiar spirit 'Kim ShiHoon' has learned new martial art techniques, Cloud Dragon's Style and Cloud Dragon's Beam.]

'Just take the role as the protagonist.'