In one corner of the living room, a stack of dominoes had been built. It wasn’t a simple straight line. Except for the four pieces at the very bottom, every square tile was balanced on its corner. They leaned against each other in an 人-shape, forming a delicate tower nearly a meter high.

The living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, as if even a sigh might bring the whole thing down. Riet sat with her mouth set in a firm line, totally focused. Thanks to her concentration, unlike last time, our house was still intact. Who suggested doing this? Noah? Riet succeeded in placing a new domino, and Yerim picked up another with a serious expression.

“Everything okay?”

Han Yuhyun stepped closer to me, shifting his weight from foot to foot. At that moment—

Crash—

“Hey! Han Yuhyun!”

The domino tower collapsed and Yerim snapped at him. She pretended to be angry, but her eyes looked relieved. Riet stretched and let out a triumphant “Whaaa!” It seemed she’d been getting bored but didn’t want to lose, so she kept at it.

“I worry every time you go alone, hyung,” Yerim said, frowning at me.

I checked myself over—no injuries, everything fine.

“I’ll be fine,” I answered, glancing at Riet. She’d worked hard in the fields, too.

“I got compensation for the crops.”

“Compensation?”

“Extra lives.”

Yerim tilted her head.

“Extra lives?”

“They mean I can be resurrected once if I die. It might even nullify the death entirely.”

My voice turned heavy. Asking for extra lives meant accepting that I might die. I shouldn’t have invited Yerim.

“It means it’s dangerous.”

Yuhyun said, looking at Yerim. Her eyes widened, then narrowed in displeasure.

“I’m not backing out. I’m a Hunter too.”

“...They said replacements aren’t possible anyway.”

“Don’t worry, ajusshi. If the world ends, it doesn’t matter if you’re a kid or an adult.”

Still, it felt unsettling.

“You said you got extra lives, right?” Yerim pressed.

“Yeah. I gave them to you, Yuhyun, and Noah.”

My gaze stopped on Noah. I could have hidden it, but I had to say it.

“The last one went to Peace. Sorry, Riet.”

“Why?” Riet asked, puzzled.

“I’m all for giving Noah his share.”

“Huh? What?”

“Right? Honey’s share should be at least two. You can’t split half a life each, so I gave it all to him.”

Riet looked at me, as if asking if that was right.

“...Is it okay that I gave it to Peace?”

“It’s a Honey item, isn’t it? It doesn’t affect me.”

So Riet thought of it like dungeon loot. That made sense, though I wondered how she felt giving it to a monster. But maybe to her, monsters and people weren’t so different—she was half dragon, after all.

“Well, I’m glad you don’t mind.”

“I’m not expecting anything from my sister.”

I thought we’d moved on, but Noah spoke up, his tone stone-cold.

“And it’s better if my sister has it than me.”

“Noah, support and healing Roles get priority protection, you know.”

“I’m different. When it comes to survival, I might be better off than my sister.”

“Really? But you’re still my little brother.”

Riet blinked, and Noah frowned slightly.

“Being siblings doesn’t mean I’m weak.”

“Even if you become way stronger than me—” Riet spread her arms wide, “I’ll still give you an extra life.”

“...Even if I’m stronger?”

“Because I decided to protect you.”

No more, no less. Noah let out a small sigh.

“You’ve been self-willed from start to finish. And you’re the one who’s gotten me hurt the most.”

“You’d have died if I hadn’t stepped in.” Riet said casually. Some things never ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) change. Noah fell silent.

“Riet-unni is the one at fault!” Yerim slapped Riet across the back.

“But I don’t really get it. If you die, it’s over, right? Soyeong tried to explain, but I don’t understand. Should we just leave the weak to die?”

“Well—” Yerim looked at me, then at Yuhyun, and spoke.

“I love my little sister, but Yuhyun and I are different people. As seniors, we should teach them basic skills to live in society. But anything beyond that is just what we want, not what they need.”

“And if they die because they’re weak?”

“Riet, that’s a choice Noah has to make. All you can do is persuade her.”

Teaching basic life skills can’t be forced, but imposing one’s own standards beyond that is violent. Riet probably meant well, like I once did with Yuhyun. But even blood relatives have different boundaries. You can grow closer, but you remain distinct individuals.

“You and Noah aren’t the same.”

“I know.”

“I don’t want the same things.”

Riet pouted, looking a bit sulky.

“...But I’ll give it to Noah.”

“And what if I refuse?”

Noah’s face showed relief at the question. Riet frowned deeply.

“Wouldn’t you rather have it, Noah? I think it’d be better. What do you think?”

Maybe she was awkwardly trying to persuade him, rather than ordering him to take it. Noah smiled faintly.

“All right. I’ll take it.”

Riet beamed, hugging and kissing her brother. Well, at least she really cared about him, or she wouldn’t have shown this change. As an S-Rank born with almost no need to yield to anyone, she’d have just forced her will through.

“Hyung, don’t tell the sub-team.” Yuhyun said to me.

“Lots of people covet shares that aren’t theirs.”

As guild leader, Yuhyun had no doubt seen it often. Yerim nodded in agreement.

“That’s right, ajusshi. Especially if they hear I gave it to Peace, some would be furious. People complain about spending on pets, even if it’s their own money. As long as it’s not a crime, who cares where you spend it?”

“I’ve seen it too.”

“You had a dog?”

“When I worked part-time at a vet. I’d walk them and people would sometimes curse me out.”

If anyone finds out later, it’d be better to say Peace got it as a one-time skill. People associate fire with resurrection anyway.

I looked at Yerim seriously.

“This could get truly dangerous. Want to go meet the Mermaid Queen?”

“I hate to give up the title, but is it okay?”

“If you get even a single skill, you’ll be safer. I got permission to go with you.”

“Then let’s do it!” Yerim said, brimming with excitement. The Mermaid Queen’s successor—a Grade L title—would surely help if it applied properly.

“I don’t want to rush, but Yuhyun, you should choose your reward too.”

“Okay.”

He answered, but hesitation lingered in his eyes.

“I’ll send it via system message so you can claim it right away.”

That way, if it’s urgent, he could immediately get a new skill or item. I manipulated the system to send Yuhyun a message.

“I accept the invitation!” Yerim grabbed my arm. Before I knew it, we were whisked away. A cool, fresh breeze washed over us.

Splash—

I heard the sound of waves. Fine, grainy sand was swept away then lapped back. The dim shoreline glittered as if scattered with gems.

“How beautiful! Ajusshi, look!”

They really were jewels—phosphorescent pebbles that glowed softly, translucent and tiny, strewn everywhere. I wondered if they were valuable. If I had a sieve, I’d filter them all...

“Can we take some?”

“You never know. Let’s ask the Mermaid Queen—say we want a few as souvenirs.”

With so many, she wouldn’t begrudge us a handful. The colors varied beautifully. The kids would love them; Star and Ppiyak would likely pop them right into their mouths, so I’d have to watch them.

“But I don’t see the Mermaid Queen.”

“Maybe she’s underwater?”

Yerim scanned the area, then said thoughtfully,

“Maybe we’re supposed to find her.”

“What?”

“I’m the successor. I should be able to search the sea and find her. Basic test, right?”

It sounded plausible. But how could we find her in such a vast ocean?

“Let’s go, ajusshi!”

“Uh—okay?”

“You have a swimming-gear item, right? Even without it, just stay close to me!”

Yerim hoisted me up. The dark sea rushed up before me.

Splash!

We plunged deep into the water.

“I can’t see anything—not the Mermaid Queen or anything!”

“I can see a little. Look, a huge fish just passed by.”

Something dark slid past beneath my feet. Without a resistance skill, I’d have broken out in goosebumps.

“It’s too vast to find her by sight alone.”

“Feel the water,” I told Yerim, sounding almost mystical. “Combine it with your mana sense—it’ll extend your range.”

“Yes!” Yerim’s mana merged with the water’s flow. Countless fish and tiny creatures carried her power steadily.

Yerim gritted her teeth. The movements of innumerable lifeforms flooded in.

“Loosen it—let it flow through you.”

I guided her to weaken her mana imprint, sensing only that something existed—like perceiving a forest without seeing every leaf. Then, from deep within—

“Found her!” Yerim cried joyfully and accelerated.

“Wait—ah!”

Too fast! A colossal turtle, nearly a monster, brushed past. We slipped past a whale’s flipper and continued downward. A giant moray eel opened its jagged mouth; Yerim kicked its snout away just before its teeth.

The eel thrashed but retreated. As if in its element, we sank deeper.

“Wow—”

We arrived at a gorge bathed in light. Coral above edged the flow, and below, the water calmed and gleamed blue. Broad leaves drifted like grass in a breeze.

Deeper still—

“It’s like dry land.”

A meadow and forest appeared. Light from above replaced the sun, and huge fish swarmed like deer. At the edge, a villa stood framed by underwater coral and anemones, and crabs roamed where dogs might be. Otherwise, it looked like any normal house.

“Welcome.”

The Mermaid Queen appeared before us, draped in a broad shawl. Yerim greeted her awkwardly.

“It’s like the land outside.”

“For us, the outside world feels like this place. In fact, your civilization grew by embracing ours.”

We followed her inside. The first thing I noticed was a hole in the ceiling—where stairs should have been.

‘Underwater, you don’t need stairs.’

Just swim up. The living room seemed ordinary. The Mermaid Queen sat on a sunbed twice the height of an average person, her tail stretched out.

“For you two, a sofa like this will be comfortable.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The sofa had a belt.

“If you feel yourself drifting, fasten the belt, honey.”

In her realm, even beds must have restraints, so you don’t float away in your sleep. She looked at Yerim and said,

“Little droplet, you’ve been slowly following the path of my power.”