Chapter 5
The Protagonist’s Younger Sibling is Reborn as a Constellation
Even at a glance, Kim Igyul effortlessly defeated the disgusting monster.
He moved with the agility of a seasoned hunter, clearing a path right in front of me in an instant.
I hid behind the rock he had indicated. From there, I checked the newly updated main quest again.
<Main Quest 2 – The Growth of the Contractor is My Reward (In Progress)>
Even seeing it again, it was brutal. Raising a D-rank to S-rank was absurdly unreasonable.
More importantly, I wondered why I had to do this.
In the past, this world had kept me from returning to reality even after my role ended.
Trusting the system seemed less reliable than leaving a fish shop to a cat.
As I thought that, the quest window seemed to shake, and at the very bottom, a new additional reward appeared.
Reward: 20% growth, 2000 points
Additional Reward: Wish Ticket
‘Does a Wish Ticket grant any wish?’
Even when I asked, the system remained silent. Its silence conveyed that this was its best effort.
Would it grant a wish to return reality to its “original” state?
Noticing my shift in mindset, the system sent a new notification.
!Urgent Notice!
To facilitate smooth quest progress, contractor growth data is provided.
From now on, you can check the contractor’s growth using “Check Growth.”
Following the system’s guidance, I immediately checked the growth. I could select stats or rank, and I looked at rank first.
‘Progressing from D-rank to C-rank’
Offensive skill hit rate 60% or higher (23/10,000)
Cumulative skill usage (143/20,000)
Evade three times in a row or more (2/1,500)
※Only counts in dungeons※
I was speechless.
I shifted my gaze to Kim Igyul, who had just stabbed the bug monster’s body.
How am I supposed to complete all of this?
Oblivious to my anxiety, he finished the battle and walked toward the rock where I hid.
I immediately bought a healing potion and handed it to him.
Even with the alert, he didn’t check it and came straight to me. Why didn’t he use it?
“You’re hurt.”
“Ah, a little.”
I deliberately pointed at the wound since I couldn’t ask outright if he had medicine.
Normally, people apply medicine immediately when hurt.
But Kim Igyul was different. He glanced at the wound and said, “I see,” and that was it.
Unable to stand it, I finally mentioned the Constellation directly.
“Doesn’t the Constellation give you something like medicine?”
“No, it did. Want me to give it to you?”
Obviously, Kim Igyul was the one hurt. The idea of giving it to me seemed absurd, so I asked again.
“Why not use it yourself and give it to me?”
“I don’t really need it. You got hurt on your face.”
He looked at the wound on my cheek, then tapped his own cheek as if it were a mirror.
“My sister said that if a girl gets scars on her face, she gets bothered every time she looks in the mirror.”
Watching him fumble like that made my chest tighten. Meanwhile, the Constellation inside me seemed utterly indifferent to my frustration!
Skill <Immovable Calm> activated.
Oh. What’s this?
The moment the notification appeared, my mind calmed. The turmoil in my chest settled instantly.
“Wouldn’t it be better to use it on a worse wound? I can go get treated.”
“The faster you heal, the better—”
“Ah, fine. Just give it to me.”
I interrupted him and gestured for him to hand it over.
Kim Igyul took the potion from his inventory and gave it to me.
I opened the cap and poured it onto his right arm in an instant. Sometimes doing it myself is just faster.
“Ah.”
A short groan escaped Kim Igyul, surprised by my action.
The bleeding wound healed instantly, and my mind finally relaxed completely.
He glanced between the healed wound and the potion in my hand, then spoke brusquely:
“You used it.”
“Yes, I did. I poured it.”
Even if it wasn’t my wound, I had used the potion.
I blocked any protest with a cheeky smile, then poured the remaining potion on his ankle.
“Phew.”
“The only person I trust can’t get hurt.”
Kim Igyul grimaced at my seriousness, but didn’t stop me.
As I put the empty bottle in my pocket, a bracelet snagged on my clothes.
It was naturally dangling, and I hadn’t even noticed it before.
I didn’t have this bracelet. It belonged to Jin Serin.
…Just now, I realized this wasn’t a dream. But wait, it wasn’t me inhabiting reality—it was possession.
I wasn’t the real “me,” I was Jin Serin in Melkkeut.
Then what about the monster attack I took when I fell away from Jin Sehyuk? How am I alive?
I reached to remove the bracelet that kept bothering me.
Kim Igyul saw it and slightly furrowed his brows, his gaze trembling. He just stared at it silently.
…Did I somehow make an enemy of my bracelet without knowing? Why is he looking at it like that?
After a tense silence, Kim Igyul finally spoke.
“Where did this come from?”
“The bracelet? My brother gave it…?”
Without time to think, my mouth answered on its own. It felt like the obvious answer.
I was an only child, so this was odd. Had I somehow merged with the original Jin Serin?
“Hah, does this make sense?”
He muttered softly.
I tilted my head, trying to understand his intention.
Kim Igyul asked in a noticeably unsettled voice:
“This bracelet… it’s part of a set with a necklace, right?”
Not a question, but a statement of certainty.
I checked the bracelet. Indeed, it had the same star-shaped pendant as the necklace I had planned to give to Jin Sehyuk.
Since in the original story Jin Sehyuk made it himself, it must be a set. How did he know?
When I asked, he simply replied calmly:
“How did you know?”
“…I just know.”
Bewildered, I nodded, and his calm voice continued:
“Do you have the necklace too?”
“No, I don’t. Who gave it to you?”
I wondered if that kid gave it properly to my brother. It was important in the original story.
“Maybe ten years ago… no.”
He waved it off as if it were nothing. Was he trying to pick a fight?
“Ten years ago, I was seven.”
“Yeah, that’s how it felt to you.”
His soft tone sounded like he was teasing me. Suddenly, he boasted that he was nine, older than me.
I tried to reply but was interrupted. A monster was approaching again.
“…We’ll talk later.”
He erased all expression and adjusted his weapon.
A change in demeanor seemed to occur. He now focused solely on defeating the monster.
“Stay put here. Got it?”
If a monster approached, he made sure I was safe first, then went forward to fight.
Thanks to that, I could observe his battle safely. Occasionally, if he seemed exhausted, I’d provide stamina or healing potions.
Of course, just because I gave them didn’t mean he used them immediately.
Bang!
A loud crash rang out as a monster smashed into a wall. Kim Igyul, fully awakened, didn’t look like a D-rank.
Even for low-tier E-rank monsters, it seemed like he was winning too easily.
‘Progressing from D-rank to C-rank’
Offensive skill hit rate 60% or higher (99/10,000)
Cumulative skill usage (298/20,000)
Evade three times in a row or more (19/1,500)
※Only counts in dungeons※
I crouched, resting my chin on my hands, watching the steadily increasing numbers.
It was hard to believe he had just awakened today. Kim Igyul was fighting steadily.
Thanks to him, the battle strategy proceeded smoothly without my advice.
Honestly, the Constellation’s role seemed limited to support, granting skills, and observing. What else could I do?
As I watched, our eyes occasionally met. It felt like he was confirming I was there.
I began to wonder why Kim Igyul, a complete stranger, cared so much.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice a monster approaching from behind.
Kim Igyul, spotting me, blocked it with his sword and shouted:
“Jin Serin, get down!”
I reflexively ducked, and the monster flew over my head.
My palm stung. Opening it, I saw a cut from the stone.
Kim Igyul ran straight to me.
‘Ah, that infuriating human!’
Wasn’t the monster we were just fighting supposed to be killed first?!
