The reception hall had pristine floor tiles, and one could see a reflection of oneself. The walls and ceiling were built with marble.
Noises from the people created a certain sense of symphony, naturally set as its default background, once in a while disturbed by the ringing of phones.
Staff welcomed guests and clients alike with warmth. Amidst the bustling scene, Shun was sitting alone in the corner. His legs bounced as he clasped his hands together. His eyes were on the table, yet seemed far.
A receptionist approached him.
"Please wait, dear sir. We will contact you once the young master is ready."
Shun grunted in acknowledgement. The receptionist left calmly.
Shun crossed his arms, resting his back against the sofa with his legs still bouncing.
He waited patiently. He came here to talk. That was all.
As he waited, Shun heard all the talk about his little brother.
"Young master Kaoru is truly amazing. Didn't you know he cleared a Rift within ten minutes!"
"That's quite impressive, as expected of Clapping Death." Someone praised highly and added, "But not as impressive as Harza! He cleared a Rift in three minutes!"
"Don't compare him with the strongest hunter in the world, that's not fair!"
Shun then fell into deep thought about his little brother.
He never thought about it that deeply, but now, he couldn't help but process the fact that his little brother had grown into someone of high standing and respect.
Does that make him less? No. Maybe. Shun wasn't sure and didn't linger on such a thought any longer. He continued to wait.
What was thirty minutes of waiting became an hour.
Then three.
Then five.
The receptionist walked over and informed,
"I'm sorry, kindest sir, but it seems the young master has an important business to attend and cannot meet you."
Shun got up. "I see."
He then walked through the front entrance like a polite guest. He halted his steps, put his hands into his pockets, and looked up.
"Important business, eh?" His eyes glinted dangerously.
---
He stood on top of an unfinished building. Opposite him was the building where his little brother was.
He thought for a moment. There were two ways he could force his way in: slither along the wall and get in, or use that form.
The first method would require a lot of mana, and he didn't want to run out of mana while slithering.
Henceforth, he decided to take the second approach. It was most efficient and effective.
For one, there might be hunters in that building when he barged in, and his normal form, which was only a level seven hunter, wouldn't be able to face them. That form, however, could, as it increased his stats and heightened his chance of survival.
'Okay.'
He crouched and took position.
He straightened his legs backward with one leg bent. His arms stretched forward. He looked like an athlete about to race.
Shun closed his eyes and tapped into his Root. His eyes focused on his Heart as soon as he arrived. He felt a faint sensation within the depths of his heart.
He moved his awareness toward it and saw a tiny dot of light. He approached it. It was akin to swimming through murky, thick water.
It wasn't long before he reached out and caught it with a tight grip. He opened his palm and revealed a flower made of steel. Then, without giving time for Shun to react, the flower grew roots and coiled around him. Some roots crawled under his skin and wriggled somewhere as if they knew their destination.
It was unpleasant. Revolting. Terrifying. He wanted to run away. Yet he endured, trying to embrace it.
His consciousness stirred and he returned to the real world. His form had changed. His hair had grown longer to his waist. It was white and spiky.
His clothes changed too—formerly a simple black tracksuit turned into a long red coat.
Shun jolted forward and sprinted. After a certain distance, he crouched slightly and catapulted into the air, leaving a huge web-like crack and a thunderous echo.
"What is that noise?"
"Is it an explosion?"
It gathered attention. The crowd sounded worried too. Then, they saw it—a humanoid silhouette flying across the building.
Shun was oblivious to the scene he caused. He got closer to the building and crashed into it.
---
Kaoru was enjoying his pudding while watching an anime. It was an old show that only hardcore anime fans might remember, but to Kaoru, who grew up poor and didn't have a lot of free time, today he finally got the chance to watch it.
"Stop what you're doing, evil pirate!" the character exclaimed.
"Haha!" The villain let out an exaggerated laugh. "You'll never stop me, Yomi!"
Kaoru was so immersed that he forgot to put the pudding he held into his mouth. It was stuck mid-journey.
When, all of a sudden, chaos ensued at the window right next to him. Window shards flew everywhere. Dust filled the area. Debris scattered. A silhouette could be seen.
As the chaos took place, Kaoru got up and pulled out a sword from his sheath, aiming the edge at the mysterious figure that barged into his house.
The dust faded away, revealing the figure. Kaoru was stunned for a second before a chuckle escaped his mouth.
"I didn't expect you to give such a grand entrance, Nii-san."
"Kaoru." Shun called out his name as he straightened his posture. "We need to talk."
"Don't you know how to take a hint?" Kaoru swayed his sword up and down slightly, wanting to intimidate Shun. The sword was extremely close to his chest, after all.
Yet Shun stared at him solemnly. He spoke,
"Grandma is dying. I want you and the rest of the family to visit her."
"That old woman?" Kaoru sounded surprised, lowering the blade. "That's surprising. I thought she's long dead."
"She only has a few days."
Kaoru didn't respond, but only let out a simple acknowledging grunt. He paused for a moment before speaking,
"I can't visit her."
"Why?"
"A new Tower is opening up soon. I don't have time to visit a dying rat." Kaoru gracefully sheathed his blade and turned around—or was about to—when a blurry object came at him at a terrifying speed.
Kaoru blocked the attack, feeling the force throughout his body. The ground caved. Dust filled the air. A loud explosion reverberated.
His posture was steady, yet his blade was shaking. Fear? Maybe.
He felt, for a moment, a devastating blow that could cause a fatal injury.
'Is that attack only my imagination?' Kaoru's eyes widened in disbelief. 'His strength is also similar to those at level fifteen, yet he's only level seven.' Kaoru frowned slightly, feeling odd.
[Osamu Kaoru - level 48.]
[Osamu Shun - level 7.]
'And that attack… although weak, it was certain it could harm my Root.' His eyes half-closed. 'Is it that form? I underestimated him.'
"You…" Shun's voice was low and deep. His eyes filled with rage. "Take back what you said."
Upon hearing those words, Kaoru felt chills penetrating deep into his soul. He instinctively retreated, leaving afterimages and halting a few distances away.
Shun assumed a fighting stance. It was wild, rigid, rough, and couldn't be categorized as a stance, yet something about it seemed right—more fearfully beautiful than an ordinary stance.
Kaoru thought for a while. Sure, he could defeat his big brother due to the huge gap in their levels, but something about Shun's blow generated an uncertainty he'd never felt before. Kaoru had a feeling if he got hit, it'd be game over—his life and his career.
Sure, he could move faster than him and end the fight before Shun could react, but he had to take precautions against hidden threats.
Kaoru then thought, He must've brought artifacts that can stop my movement.
Who would be dumb enough to barge into a hunter's house—one with a level higher than them, no less—without preparation?
Such a line of thought crossed Kaoru's mind, without really knowing that Shun only brought his fists to the table.
Disregarding such a possibility and regarding Shun as an unpredictable foe, Kaoru lost options, and he came up with this:
"Then, how about we make a deal?" Kaoru sheathed his blade. He wasn't afraid that Shun was going to attack.
"A deal?" Shun relaxed slightly. "Speak."