On their way home, Ryu Won couldn't stop gaping at his brother.
"Hyung, what happened? Where did you learn martial arts?"
"I don't have time for that," Ryu Min replied dismissively.
"But…"
Ever since starting high school, Ryu Min had been working part-time to help cover living expenses. Given his busy schedule, he hardly had the time to delve into martial arts or anything of the sort.
"So what happened? How did you perform those moves…?"
"You didn't read the article carefully, did you? Players who have been to another world can utilize their abilities in real life. Like this."
Ryu Min opened his inventory and pulled out a pair of stilettos.
"Huh! What—what is that?"
To his younger brother, it seemed as though a sword had just materialized out of thin air.
"Hey, where did that knife come from?"
"I told you, players can manifest their abilities in reality too."
As Ryu Min returned the dagger to his inventory, it vanished just as it had appeared. Ryu Won was left aghast, but the most unbelievable thing was the scene in the hideout.
'I never imagined my brother would defeat Bang Tae-gyu…'
Even middle school seniors and high school students typically steered clear of Bang Tae-gyu out of fear. Yet Ryu Min had taken down that bully effortlessly, without even sustaining a scratch.
"Can all players move like you do, Hyung? How did you avoid all of those attacks?"
"My agility stat is 11."
"Stats? You mean the stats from a game?"
Ryu Min patiently explained to his younger brother, who still had a lot to learn.
"So, are you saying he was that fast because he focused entirely on agility?"
"Yes."
"And how much is considered normal?"
"You could think of it as level 3 for an average adult and level 10 for an athlete."
In other words, Ryu Min's agility rivaled that of a seasoned boxer.
"What happens when your level rises and your agility hits 30 or 50?" Ryu Won asked.
"I don't know. I haven't reached that level."
Of course, that was a lie. Ryu Min's agility was actually over 300.
'When you cross the 300 mark, you become a true monster.'
At that point, dodging bullets becomes a feasible reality.
Modern weaponry would lose its effectiveness, and only players could hope to catch him.
'From now on, players causing chaos will emerge in droves.'
Murder, robbery, assaults, arson, kidnapping—crooked players will exploit their abilities for all kinds of crimes.
This isn't a far-off possibility; it's a grim reality that will unfold in just a few months.
'They'll even turn on each other.'
Despite needing to cooperate to survive the rounds, they will inevitably fight amongst themselves.
'I can't let my little brother get caught up in those conflicts.'
Previously, Ryu Min had revealed his status as a regressor to Ryu Won, and because of that, his brother was targeted for kidnapping just because he was related to the regressor.
'My brother never boasted about being the sibling of a regressor.'
The reason was straightforward: the kidnapper, Jang Seok-hyeon, possessed a rune that allowed him to read minds.
After that, Ryu Min exacted revenge on Jang Seok-hyeon and acquired the hidden [Rune of the Inner Heart].
'This time, I'll claim that rune from Jang Seok-hyeon as well.'
The Rune of the Inner Heart is invaluable for obtaining information, managing situations, and identifying enemies.
It's one of the 18 runes Ryu Min aims to collect.
'If I secure that rune, my brother won't be at risk of being kidnapped by Jang Seok-hyeon…'
That doesn't mean he feels comfortable revealing he's a regressor.
'My younger brother suffered because of me.'
Even if it's history meant to prevent future dangers, the thought still gnaws at him.
He felt guilty for putting his brother through that ordeal, which is why he chose not to disclose his status as a regressor.
"Brother, I appreciate your help, but…"
"Don't sweat it."
"Huh?"
"I just worry that Bang Tae-gyu might report me to the police."
"That's true. We don't have much money as it is, and if we get hit with medical bills…"
"He won't report anything. He knows what's good for him."
Ryu Min spoke with confidence, recalling how things had gone down in the previous cycle.
Bang Tae-gyu wasn't foolish enough to disregard Ryu Min's warning.
'He'll just claim he got injured in a fight. The witnesses will know better than to speak up.'
Ryu Min could be certain he wouldn't open his mouth.
If he does, well, 'I'll just pay him off and eliminate him.'
Right now, he could barely scrape together enough for rent, much less a settlement, but he wasn't worried.
'Once I have money, everything will fall into place.'
Ryu Won, however, wore a look of deep concern as he struggled with his thoughts.
The nagging worry that something bad might happen stayed in his mind.
'Well, it's not like I've repeated the situation countless times and know the outcome.'
Ryu Min chuckled at his brother's worries, yet Ryu Won had different concerns.
'Is this the brother I know?'
He stole a glance at his brother, who looked the same as the day before, but Ryu Won could see the differences now.
He remembered the sight of his brother ruthlessly breaking Bang Tae-gyu's finger despite his cries for mercy.
Ryu Won didn't find that cruelty frightening.
Instead, he felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Bang Tae-gyu in pain.
'The problem is that the brother I knew wasn't this cold and cruel.'
Did people change when they became players?
Or did the harrowing experiences of dying and returning reshape a person?
'I don't know much about survival games since I've never played one before…'
Ryu Won snuck another glance at his brother.
Feeling the gaze, Ryu Min looked over at him, puzzled.
"What's up?"
"Oh, nothing."
Ryu Won turned his head away, feeling reassured.
'Even if I might not know who he is during fights, I can confirm that he is still my brother.'
In combat, he seemed like a different person, but outside of it, he was just his regular brother.
'That's good enough for me.'
Ryu Won set his worries aside.
What's wrong with a little change in his brother?
Ryu Min was back, alive and stronger than ever.
'That's all that matters. That's all we need.'
Just as he decided to let it go, Ryu Won spotted a convenience store up ahead.
At that moment, a loud grumble sounded from his stomach.
Gulp—
He realized he hadn't eaten anything since waking up that morning.
Ryu Min caught the sound and chuckled.
"Are you hungry? Want to grab some breakfast at the convenience store?"
"Oh, that sounds good."
Ryu Won scratched his head sheepishly as he followed his brother inside the convenience store.
For brothers struggling to make ends meet, there was no better paradise than a convenience store, even if it didn't look like much.
In today's world, convenience stores offer nearly everything anyone could want.
They could have opted for a meal at a restaurant, but anything beyond a convenience store felt like a luxury to them.
As they entered, Ryu Min approached the nearby ATM.
"Brother? What are you doing?"
"Just give me a moment. I need to withdraw some cash."
Ryu Won watched as Ryu Min inserted his card into the machine and soon saw a meager amount displayed.
[Withdrawal Amount: 133,202 won]
Total assets: 133,000 won.
It wasn't much, but it was what they had for making ends meet.
Nevertheless, Ryu Min worked part-time at a meat restaurant every weekend, which helped provide for them.
In comparison to the average living standard, they were doing poorly.
Yet Ryu Min withdrew most of that paltry sum.
"Brother?"
Ryu Won was taken aback as he saw his brother withdrawing 100,000 won in cash.
"What do you need that for?"
"It has its purposes."
Ryu Min smiled at his curious younger brother and walked into the convenience store.
Ryu Won, who followed behind, instinctively reached for a cup of ramen as usual, but Ryu Min led him to the frozen food aisle.
"Alright, pick something from here."
"Hyung? These things are all on the expensive side."
Ryu Won hesitated at the frozen foods, each costing at least 5,000 won.
"It's fine. Just eat whatever you want today."
For some reason, Ryu Min seemed determined to spend more than usual.
"Hey, did the meat restaurant's owner give you a bonus or something?"
"You know that's not my style."
"Then why the sudden urge to eat better?"
"It's New Year's. I can't just settle for ramen today."
"You don't usually think this way; what's going on…?"
From rent to cell phone bills to food, even with his part-time wages, getting by for two wasn't easy.
Considering their situation, Ryu Won felt he needed to be cautious when selecting something to eat.
What did it matter if he ate ramen every day as a young adult?
"Just pick whatever you like."
"Are you serious, Hyung? Even if I choose this, will we still be able to manage expenses?"
"We'll be okay."
"Really? So I can choose anything?"
"Of course."
Even as Ryu Min insisted on letting him choose, his brother regarded him suspiciously.
'What's with my brother all of a sudden?'
But that fleeting thought quickly faded.
Assuming his brother had safely set aside some cash for necessities, Ryu Won picked out what he wanted.
"How about this? Gochujang samgyeopsal?"
"Yeah, I've always wanted to try that."
"…"
At Ryu Won's words, Ryu Min's expression slightly darkened.
He hadn't had the chance to eat samgyeopsal due to financial constraints.
"Won-ah, I'll take you out to a meat restaurant soon. We'll have Korean beef."
"Okay. What do you mean by Korean beef? This is good enough for me."
Try as he might to smile, Ryu Min knew it was futile.
His younger brother, having never dined out much, naturally craved such experiences.
'Just hold out for a few days. Soon, I'll let you feast on so much meat that you'll get tired of it.'
What Ryu Min said wasn't a mere empty promise.
He had a reason for spoiling himself today.
A significant sum of money was expected to arrive within the next few days.
"I'll go with this."
Ryu Min selected frozen steamed chicken.
"Looks good, bro! Can I have a bite? I'll share mine too."
"Sure."
Ryu Min made his selections—two extra rice bowls—before heading to the counter to pay with his card.
After settling the bill, he returned, unpacked the food, and placed it in the microwave.
Eating at a convenience store felt far more convenient than cramming into their little home.
"All set. Time to eat."
"I'll enjoy it, Hyung!"
They sat down to share a small dinner at the convenience store.
"It's delicious!"
"Is it? Make sure to eat a lot."
When Ryu Min shared some of his portion, Ryu Won beamed with delight.
"Thanks, bro!"
His brother devoured the food with gusto, perhaps thrilled to have a break from ramen.
He ate like someone who hadn't had a proper meal in days.
"Oh, I'm so full."
After the meal, Ryu Won patted his stomach and looked at his brother, puzzled.
"But, bro."
"What is it?"
"I saw earlier that you paid with a card… so why did you take out 100,000 won in cash?"
He figured Ryu Min could just cover their meal with his card.
"I told you, it's useful."
"So, what are you planning to use it for?"
Instead of responding, Ryu Min retrieved a piece of paper and a marker from the side.
It was none other than a lottery ticket.
"Brother, what's this…?"
"Can't you tell?"
Only then did Ryu Won understand why his brother had withdrawn 100,000 won.
"Are you planning on buying a lottery ticket?"
"Yep."
"Hey, you're still a high school student. Can you even buy a lottery ticket?"
"Have you forgotten? I'm officially an adult starting today."
"Oh… I get it."
Coincidentally, today was Saturday—the day of the lottery.
However, as Ryu Won looked closer, he noticed his brother had more than just a couple of tickets.
"Wait, how many tickets do you have? Twenty? Are you going to spend 100,000 won on lottery tickets?"
"The purchase limit is only 100,000 won per person."
He said it with a hint of regret, but his younger brother shot up in alarm.
"Brother, are you out of your mind? Why would you spend 100,000 won on that?"
Even if he were to buy one as a coming-of-age gift, twenty was quite a luxury.
"It may seem extravagant, but it's necessary."
"I don't know if it will work out! We will probably end up losing, no matter what…"
"We'll find out soon enough."
Ryu Min spoke with assurance as if he was certain he would win.
But that wasn't the only bizarre thing happening.
"What are you doing? Why are you dialing the same number over and over again?"
With a grin on his face, Ryu Min replied, "Well, these are the winning numbers."