Read Novel Full Chapter 403
Chapter 403: The Untaken Path (1)
Noah blinked, his vision adjusting to the dim light filtering through dense foliage. Beyond the treeline, the familiar skyline of Seoul stretched before him—a city he’d grown to know intimately over the past months.
‘A dungeon.’
The system message confirmed what he already suspected. He’d never encountered a dungeon with such a modern appearance before, though the last one in Japan had been far from ordinary as well. Without hesitation, Noah activated his Stealth skill.
Despite being a support class, Noah’s dungeon experience rivaled that of any S-Rank Hunter. During his A-Rank days, the powerful S-Rank Hunter Liette had dragged him through countless dungeons across the globe. Even after reaching S-Rank himself and establishing his own guild, clearing support requests from other organizations kept him constantly busy.
There was no reason to panic over being dropped into an unfamiliar dungeon. If anything, Noah excelled at survival more than any other S-Rank Hunter. While he might lack raw power, his skills were perfectly optimized for staying alive.
Stealth could conceal his presence, Flight offered quick escapes, and his high poison resistance made consuming dungeon creatures feasible. He could lay traps using poison and curses, and even heal himself when injured. Surviving anywhere wasn’t particularly difficult for him.
‘If it were Mr. Yujin, he’d head straight for either the breeding facility or the Haeyeon Guild.’
Golden wings unfurled behind Noah’s back as his body lifted silently into the air. Uncertain about the monster grades in this area, he maintained maximum caution despite his active Stealth. Rather than transforming into his full dragon form, he deliberately chose the smaller dragonoid shape, flapping his wings while staying hidden in building shadows.
Gliding past glass windows that gleamed like scales, Noah surveyed the streets below. He scrutinized every alley in detail, but no monsters were visible. Instead…
‘…Hunters?’
Two armed figures loitered on the street below. Noah landed quietly on an apartment balcony railing.
‘Raiders, perhaps?’
Even when raiders entered a dungeon first, gates didn’t close immediately, allowing other clearing teams to potentially interfere.
But this dungeon should have manifested in China, and these two didn’t appear Chinese. Noah deactivated his translation item and listened carefully.
“Feels a bit cold.”
“The weather’s pretty chilly for autumn.”
Korean. While his grasp of the language wasn’t perfect, he could understand simple words like “autumn” and “cold.” But what was going on here? The Hunters’ behavior seemed equally suspicious. Their relaxed attitude as they strolled down the street showed none of the tension expected during an active dungeon clear.
Noah observed them for several more minutes, then picked up a small flowerpot and hurled it in their direction.
“Hey! What the—”
“Did someone drop that?”
Both Hunters quickly dodged the falling pot. Noah’s sharp eyes captured every detail of their movements.
‘Probably B-Rank, maybe low A-Rank.’
Quick reflexes for mid-tier Hunters, but lacking for high-tier ones. No other Hunters or monsters were visible in the immediate area. Noah spread his folded wings and dropped straight down from the apartment, catching the wind to glide silently above the two men.
The Hunters remained completely unaware of his presence. As they continued their meaningless chatter, Noah released poisonous gas toward them. The toxin that dulled bodily functions slowly dispersed through the air. Just before the Hunters realized something was wrong, Noah’s hand shot down.
“Gasp!”
A scaled hand clamped around one Hunter’s throat. His companion tried to draw his weapon quickly, but—
WHACK!
A thick golden tail whipped violently across the second Hunter’s ribs. While holding the weaker of the two, Noah stomped down on the fallen Hunter’s throat. The pinned man tried to swing his weapon, but Noah’s tail tip knocked it away.
“P–please, spare me…”
“What were you doing here?”
Noah deactivated his Stealth as he questioned them. The Hunter in his grip quickly answered.
“Just taking a walk!”
“A walk? In a dungeon?”
“…What?”
Confusion clouded the Hunter’s features at Noah’s words.
“Th–this is Seoul. Seoul, Korea. This is Korea.”
The Hunter beneath his foot nodded with difficulty. Noah blinked as he studied both men. They genuinely didn’t recognize this place as a dungeon.
‘…Is this not actually a dungeon?’
But for the real Seoul, these streets were far too quiet. And besides…
“I am Noah Luhir.”
“O–okay.”
Neither Hunter recognized the name. Korean Hunters, yet they didn’t know him. With his distinctive appearance, his extremely rare Dragonization skill, and his televised fight with Liette during the A-Rank ranking match, it would be nearly impossible for any mid-tier Hunter—let alone non-Awakened individuals—not to recognize Noah.
Something was definitely wrong.
Noah released the Hunter with a dismissive gesture, activated his Stealth skill, and took to the air again.
‘Seoul, but not Seoul?’
He remembered the Japanese dungeon—technically a dungeon, yet people lived there normally. Was this a similar situation?
Finding Han Yujin had to be his top priority. Yujin would have answers. Noah quickly navigated through the forest of buildings, checking the roads below. He spotted Hunters occasionally but ignored them, passing by unnoticed. As he circled around a particularly tall building…
“What is this?”
A familiar voice froze Noah’s blood.
BOOM!
Someone shattered the asphalt and launched upward. The figure that rocketed into the sky in an instant stepped off the building’s exterior wall and charged straight at Noah. Too late, Noah spread his wings wide and extended his claws, swiping at the attacker. But his opponent blocked the strike effortlessly with their forearm. The sound of claws scraping against iron plate rang out as a powerful hand seized Noah’s neck.
“A face I’ve seen plenty of times.”
A fierce laugh erupted inches from Noah’s nose. Bluish-black eyes. Reddish-blonde hair.
“…!”
Noah’s eyes widened in shock. She—Liette—grabbed his neck and slammed him into the ground.
THUD! The already cracked asphalt trembled again under the impact. Black fragments scattered in all directions. Noah instinctively cast a healing spell on himself and released poisonous gas.
“Wings, different eye color too. Poison?”
“What are you—”
The corners of Liette’s mouth curved into a sharp smile.
“My dead little brother shows up, strangely transformed?”
“…What?”
Noah’s struggling ceased momentarily. What had she just said?
“Dead? But—”
“Strange. You still feel like Faible, though.”
Liette dragged Noah like prey and began walking. Noah’s clawed hands scratched desperately at the arm holding his neck, but it didn’t budge. Only her clothes tore; not even a scratch marked the skin beneath.
“This place is weird too. Why am I in Seoul? I haven’t been here since Hyunah left.”
Liette hummed as she spoke.
“It’s so quiet. No people around. Was it always like this? I’m confused.”
“Noonim!”
“Yes, Faible.”
“I’m not Faible, I’m Noah!”
“Shut up.”
Liette’s tone carried mild annoyance. As she wandered aimlessly without any clear destination, several Hunters approached them.
“What are you—”
Silence. The speaking Hunter’s body split cleanly in half and collapsed. The others suffered the same fate—scattered into pieces before they could even comprehend what was happening to them. In the thick stench of blood, Liette paused her wandering.
“I’ll ask you something.”
She glanced down at the pooling blood, then hoisted Noah over her shoulder.
“Which way to the airport? Are the planes still running?”
“What are you talking about?!”
“I need to go home.”
Noah pounded his fists against Liette’s back.
“My home is here!”
“Huh? Faible, you’ve never even been to Korea.”
This was all wrong. This was definitely Liette, but nothing she said made any sense.
“I’m a member of the Monster Mounts Breeding Facility!”
“Monster Mounts Breeding Facility?”
“And Noonim, you’re currently staying at the Breaker Guild!”
“What are you talking about, Faible? Breaker went bankrupt.”
Noah’s voice died abruptly. His mouth snapped shut, his brow furrowing deeply. Liette had claimed her little brother Noah was dead. The Breaker Guild had gone bankrupt, and she knew nothing about the Monster Mounts Breeding Facility. Also, her hair and eye color matched her appearance from before obtaining the Dio Valsesis’s Twin title.
Noah recalled the system message window’s contents. Christmas Carol. Past, future, present. Based on Liette’s appearance, this should be the past, but…
‘…The future?’
A hypothetical future where the Monster Mounts Breeding Facility never existed and Dio Valsesis’s Twin was never cleared. Something like that?
“Noonim! Don’t you have the Dragonization skill?”
“Dragonization?”
“I’m talking about Dio Valsesis’s Twin. No, what year is this?”
“It’s been two years since you died.”
Liette’s tone remained casual.
“Yeah, you definitely died. What happened? You even became a dragonkin. Was it that lizard bastard’s doing? Well, it doesn’t matter. Let’s make sure you don’t die this time, Faible.”
“Noonim!”
“Of course, if you’re a fake, I’ll tear you apart myself.”
At that moment, Liette struck an invisible barrier with a solid thud. Her eyes contorted with confusion.
“What is this?”
A transparent hemispherical membrane stretched before them. Unlike the bewildered Liette, Noah immediately understood its significance. A dungeon boundary. Noah took a deep breath.
‘A monster.’
Liette, and those Hunters from before—they were all dungeon monsters.
Liette frowned and kicked roughly at the membrane, but nothing changed. She swept her bangs back in irritation.
“Which bastard created something like this?”
“It’s not that…”
Noah’s words trailed off. What would happen if he told Liette she was a monster? He could only imagine a violent reaction. She might even try to kill him, claiming she’d fulfill her role as a monster faithfully.
‘If it’s Noonim, she’d absolutely do that.’
So he had to escape before Liette discovered the truth.
“Noonim, please put me down.”
“No.”
“I can’t run away anyway since it’s blocked.”
“Whoever made that membrane might be nearby. You’re too weak.”
“I’m not weak! I am—”
Noah shouted, taking a deep breath.
“I fought with Noonim and won!”
Even though Han Yujin’s help had been crucial, a fact was still a fact. Liette’s steps stopped abruptly.
“What kind of nonsense is that? You, Faible?” (TL Note: I was informed that the nickname wasn’t Peble, 페블 (Pebeul), but Faible. Faible means Weak in French. Makes sense to me.)
“Yes.”
“That’s not in my memory.”
“I am…”
He couldn’t mention the word “dungeon.”
“I am Noah, but I’m different from the Noah you know. I obtained the Dragonization skill together with you, came to Korea, fought you, and won. The Noonim I know isn’t the current you either.”
“I’m not me?”
“My Noonim is a black dragon with the Dragonization skill.”
“Then…”
Liette’s voice dropped to a low murmur.
“Is my little brother really dead?”
“…I don’t know. Because I’m alive.”
Noah stared down at Liette’s back. From his current position, he couldn’t see her face or expression. Was she sad? Did she feel even the slightest regret that he had died? But…
“You said it was natural for the weak to die, didn’t you?”
Noah ground his teeth together.
“So he must have died. Because he was Faible!”
What was she muttering so sadly about something so obvious? It was exactly as she’d always said.
“But I am Noah!”
WHOOSH! His wings spread roughly as Noah transformed into his full dragon form, as large as possible. While Liette could certainly handle the weight, the sudden volume increase would create an opening as her relatively smaller human arms tried to contain him.
As expected, Liette’s grip loosened momentarily. She could have simply pressed down and maintained her hold, but that would have seriously injured Noah. As his body expanded, Liette’s arms spread apart, and seizing that opportunity, Noah slightly reduced his size and slipped free.
He immediately soared into the sky. Liette’s eyes tracked her dragonoid brother’s ascent.
“It wasn’t enough.”
“What?”
“I should have made you stronger. I thought an S-Rank, even a support class, wouldn’t die.”
Noah’s expression twisted with anguish.
“There are people who are strong despite low grades! And even S-Ranks, even combat classes, can die!”
“But Faible, the current you still can’t beat me. If I put my mind to it, you die right here.”
“It won’t be easy.”
Noah growled low in his throat. Liette smiled, baring her teeth as she watched him slowly flap his wings, creating distance between them.
“Really? You do seem a little different. Come at me, Faible.”
“Yes, Noonim!”
Noah shouted back loudly—then turned and fled. Liette’s eyes widened.
“Huh? Faible?”
“Mr. Yujin would have done this too!”
Of course he couldn’t win. The current Liette seemed even stronger than the present version, perhaps because this was some future timeline. Since he’d already reached the vicinity of the membrane, Noah slipped through it in an instant before Liette could react. He would find Han Yujin and the others…
“Ugh?!”
Noah’s body was suddenly yanked downward. Something had grabbed his ankle. Dragged back inside the membrane, Noah looked down at Liette, who beamed at him.
“You have changed a lot! But you’re still Faible. You haven’t beaten me yet, have you?”
The transparent string binding Noah’s ankle dissolved. Noah gritted his teeth and glared at his older sister.