“The thief’s solo victory requires reaching Governors Island. The slave’s is much simpler: the master only needs to set them free. Of course, usually no one would ever free the slave who holds the key to victory. I glanced up at the timer floating above the chat window.

[Time Remaining 0:39:15]

What if—

[Hey, ChatterBox! If the asset holder meets their win condition at the same moment another reverse-win condition is met, what happens then? No monitoring agent? There must be one!]

“They’ll have to count it as a tie-win!!!!”

“Yujin, let’s go!!!!! Let’s win!!!!!!!”

“OMG Yujin solo victory let’s go!!! [email protected]@!!!!!!!!!! Our Yujin will take it all”

Yuhyun and Peace might claim it before I could, but if they didn’t allow a tie-win, it’d be downright unfair. I’d lodge a protest. Soon enough, a message window appeared before me.

[If victory conditions are met simultaneously, it is treated as a tie-win.]

Great! Now Yuhyun and Peace could tie, too. Seong Hyunjae and Gyeol would have their asset-holder condition nullified at the same moment, so there was nothing for them to do… …I ought to reward them somehow. Anyway.

– Kya-ooong, grrng.

Yuhyun… Peace—please both lose to me! I thought, but of course neither understood. Even if Yuhyun could, how could I explain “lose on purpose” to Peace? Even our clever Peace… it seemed impossible. Then at least Yuhyun!

– Kya-aang.

I lifted a forepaw toward my brother on my head. Yuhyun, take a glancing blow and pretend you lost! But he dodged lightly, and my paw only scratched an ear. Yuhyun spun in midair and landed next to my cheek.

“You’ll surely let me win, hyung.”

[But Yuhyun!]

“That’s why I didn’t speak up—until Park Yerim stepped in.”

My brother spoke as if he understood my inner pleas.

[But I can’t leave this spot. So it’s better if you win!]

“Yerim will at least fill in for you. I don’t know the thief’s exact condition, but by role trait, it must be stealing the slave. Since there’s a tracking penalty, I suspect the thief must transport the slave to a specific location.”

He was right—and clever, too. I nodded reflexively, and Yuhyun faintly smiled.

“The location won’t leave Manhattan; Peace could reach it within five minutes.”

Five minutes. Even if Delouze vanished then, Yerim and Director Song could hold off the hunters. But could just two withstand so many? I turned my gaze toward the plaza. Yuhyun, half-hidden in my fur, watched too. I saw Yerim and Song Taewon in view.

On the frozen plaza, ripples danced. Yerim wielded the overflowing water like a whip, and Taewon stood firm before her. Every time ice shards glittered skyward, Taewon’s fist, staff, and kicks forced hunters back.

“Yerim!!! Wipe them out!!!!”

“Yerim, you missed with your spear!!!! It hit my heart!!!!!ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

“This is insane—Yerim and Director Song are insanely in syncㅠㅠㅠㅠ so reassuring”

“Director Song’s dark circles miraculously stayed awayㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

– Grrng?

They were incredible, but something felt off. Riette didn’t budge. Moon Hyunah held her ground. Noah offered no support either.

‘No way.’

Were they all helping from the sidelines? They couldn’t have coordinated—yet they did. My heart warmed. There had been times they wouldn’t heed even a desperate shout—but now, without a word, they strengthened my cause.

“Peace and I have received sufficient reward. Now it’s your turn, hyung.”

My brother’s words still gave me pause. Perhaps it’d be safer if Yuhyun and Peace won—fewer moving parts. But for me to win, Peace must not remain enslaved. Judging from Seong Hyunjae, slaves seemingly can’t use skills. Plus, one must land exactly on the island—stricter conditions.

“Hyung.”

“Yujin, let’s win together!!!!!ㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

“Honestly, it’d be wrong if Director Han didn’t win.”

Time ticked down. Yerim and Director Song still battled fiercely. The hunters in the plaza—numerically superior—were weary of the dance of water and ice. If Yerim was the storm, Taewon was its eye: calm, unwavering.

Moon Hyunah, Noah, and Riette maintained defensive delays. Even if I briefly left my post, they’d hold. A slight crack might appear, but they’d seal it.

– K’ng.

I glanced at Yuhyun. He gave a small nod and smiled.

“Han Yuhyun is thinking of becoming a slave?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“Han Yuhyun met his hyung and forgot about everyone else”

“Director Han, please send my regards to your brother! I don’t even look at the chat since meeting youㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

I couldn’t speak either. Yuhyun climbed down onto my paw, sat, then sprawled, arms open toward me.

“Here, hyung.”

It felt awkward to step on my brother—but I had to win…

[We’re really close! This isn’t me stomping on my brother for fun—this is for the victory condition!]

“You don’t have to explainㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“The whole world knows”

“Even if you’re close, you’re still stepping on him, hyungㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

Why step on my kind brother? Are we really that close? I raised my paw and gently pressed Yuhyun down. Beneath my paw, Yuhyun laughed and said,

“I concede. I lost, hyung.”

Would that suffice? Yuhyun’s form changed. He looked the same, but slightly smaller, wearing plain clothes. Alone, his wrist chains were joined at both hands. No need for cuffs in ChatterBox’s chat.

“Huh?”

Peace cocked his head. Could he say “Dad” now, too? Peace!

[Time Remaining 0:27:03]

Time had fallen below thirty minutes. For security, I’d need to release Delouze’s skill with about ten minutes left. Yuhyun—unable to use his skill—climbed onto my paw.

“Korea’s strongest guild leaders reduced to slaves, by the way”

“Extremely extreme: from police chief to slaveㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“Han Yuhyun looks happier than ever… well… as long as you’re happy, that’s enough…”

“Director Han’s mount looks so soft… I envy Han Yuhyun……”

As the clock passed the twenty- and ten-minute marks, the chat—once lively—grew tense. Skeptics wondered if the timing would work. I felt a twinge of doubt.

“If you arrive 0.1 seconds early, doesn’t that ruin the tie-win?”

“If you chase two rabbits, you might catch neither”

“Honestly, Director Han could win but is giving way… let him fail”

If I gave up, it’d end safely. Was I being greedy? Doubts rose. But—

I switched my gaze between my brother on my paw and the distant plaza.

[We’ll try what we can.]

I might regret not staying still, but still.

Seventeen, fifteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten minutes. Yuhyun rose. He released his skill. My viewpoint dropped instantly, meeting my brother’s eyes.

“Thieves must go to Governors Island, Peace!”

Before Peace could say anything, he transformed into his adult form. I realized—

“…Our Peace is a huge bird!”

– Chirrook!

He became a large, pale blue-white bird. I took Yuhyun in one claw and mounted Peace. Thieves may stow away, but may not use movement skills while carrying the slave—yet Peace was a police monster.

“Peace, fly quietly out of sight, then head around.”

Peace spread his wings and slipped through the park’s trees, skimming low to avoid the plaza’s view, then dove into the city’s building forest. Though the monster had vanished, the timer steadily ticked downward.

“Yujin, your family is truly the best!!”

“Yerim really is the master of water… Let’s make her master of the worldㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ”

“Director Song: one strike, three kills!!!!!!!!!!! Yerim’s finishing Ice Storm!!!!!!”

“Foreign hunters won’t know—Middle School 2nd-years in Korea are so scary even wars don’t break out”

A broad expanse of rippling water—East River—spread before us.

“Peace, keep following just like this!”

With a vigorous wingbeat, Peace gained speed, skimming the water’s surface under the bridges and following the river downstream. The humid wind whipped my cheek.

[Time Remaining 0:04:21]

Governors Island appeared small in the distance. A glowing circle marked its center. I asked Peace to slow and turned to Yuhyun.

“Yuhyun, even now, if you—”

“No!”

Yuhyun used his one chance decisively.

“For any reason, I will never leave your side.”

Even if it’s just a simple game rule, he hated the idea of me abandoning him. My brother looked me squarely in the eye. Never again.

Three minutes: Peace reached just outside Governors Island. The luminous circle glowed ahead. Two minutes, one minute, fifty seconds, forty, thirty—Peace and I leapt from his back into a sprint. Ten seconds. Yuhyun and I ran, the white bird trailing. One second, and at zero, I swept my brother into my arms and plunged into the circle.

Whoosh—the timer vanished.

[Asset Holder Evelyn Miller Win Condition Achieved! Evelyn Miller’s Employment of Cooperating Participants Achieved!]

The message window appeared. A tie-win had succeeded. And then—

[Thief Han Yujin Win Condition Achieved!]

“Yujin!!!!!!!”

“Yujin is totally… not my type♡”

“For our Yujin, a dozen eggs would come in a 27-egg carton—there’s no world without you…”

“Director Han, well done!!! That’s how it’s done?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”

“Korean hunters stole the show… My Taegeuk is flutteringㅜㅜㅜ You were amazing, I love you!”

“Yujin, you worked so hard!!! Han Yujin, you’re so cool, smart, and strong!!!!!!!!”

“People’s flattery is unstoppable… If Yujin reads my chat, I’ll breakdance at Hakdong Station Exit 2”

Will they really? I couldn’t help but laugh. Yuhyun returned to his normal form and reached out to me. I took his hand and helped him up.

– Kkiang!

Ethereal Peace flew over and rubbed my cheek.

“You did great too, Peace. I wish you could’ve won, Yuhyun.”

“But you did it all, hyung. So this is right.”

“We had help, though. I feel sorry for Yerim and Director Song.”

“Park Yerim was in a tough spot. She probably never intended to just help me from the start.”

True enough—if she’d thought I was unbeatable, she’d never have joined. Had she been able to swing things in the plaza, she’d have done so without hesitation. So only Gyeol and Seong Hyunjae genuinely helped without gain. What should I do for them?

[Broadcast has ended.]

“Ah, everyone! Thank you for your support! Be happy! Yuhyun, you should say goodbye too!”

“Please continue to look after your hyung from now on.”

– Kya-aaoong!

The chat vanished, and we were whisked away to another location.

“Ah, what a pity!”

Upon the win announcement, Park Yerim threw her arms up and called out. The waterlogged hunters looked at her with exhausted expressions.

“If only time had been enough, Lawless would’ve won!”

“Yerim is the best!!!!!!”

“At this point, isn’t Yerim basically S-rank number one?”

“Professor ChatterBox, please assign graded scores to prevent freeloaders in group projects”

“Team YeSong deserves bonus points, it must be so”

Song Taewon exhaled and sheathed his weapon. Riette shook off her draconic form, grumbling.

“Neither the police chief, the monster, nor Lawless truly faced us!”

“Sis, you’re still the best!”

Half the plaza was waterlogged, the other half ice-bound. Hunters looked relieved yet slightly awkward: the monster’s identity had flashed in the chat once all data was revealed.

“I’m glad you—my brother—won. [N O V E L I G H T] If you’d prepped everything then bowed out, it’d feel rude.”

Moon Hyunah said matter-of-factly. A few hunters nodded slightly.

“Oh—broadcast’s over. From now on: Yay! Director Song, yay! Yay!”

“…Song.”

“Please give us lots of love, team!”

The chat closed, and hunters began to depart. The sky rapidly flushed red, then violet, before night’s darkness scattered stars above. In the empty plaza, Seong Hyunjae stood gazing at the sky. Hangyeol peeked from behind him, bewildered.

– What is this?

A slender moon peeked between drifting clouds, its light flowing gently over the plaza. It wasn’t threatening—merely watchful.

“Should I tell it, ‘I am well’? ”

A cold smile curved Seong Hyunjae’s lips. It felt as if invisible cobwebs clung hang in damp strands across his body—so fine they’d be imperceptible, yet they’d endlessly tangle no matter how often you brushed them away.

Hangyeol shivered. The fairy dragon opened his mouth to speak, but Seong Hyunjae raised a hand.

“Better not. This space houses transcendent power; one might observe or even forge a pact here.”

It wasn’t surprising. I’d expected some contact soon enough. Seong Hyunjae turned his gaze to the moon once more. Clouds drifted in, and moonlight dulled. Satisfied that his… possession was unharmed, he withdrew. That was the sense I felt. Hangyeol tugged Seong Hyunjae’s sleeve.

– What are you going to do?!

“Well, I’ll pray your tastes change.”

– What? What?!

“This party falls under ChatterBox’s domain. Since the two factions agreed, we can’t intervene—at least until the party ends. So let’s enjoy it.”

And then? Seong Hyunjae looked at the spot where he stood: one step back, the observer. The slave who held all information yet could only watch, speak a single word at most.

Seong Hyunjae and Hangyeol faded from the plaza’s scene.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep