Chapter 115

Everyone stood around Blaine, deep in thought. Noquia would absolutely refuse to modify the clothes. They considered entrusting the production to another designer entirely, but the current outfit suited him too well. It was at a level where they wondered if another designer could even replicate something that fit Blaine this perfectly.

As they deliberated seriously and looked him over from different angles, the thought began to sprout that perhaps this level of exposure was acceptable. It wasn’t an overt display; unless you were in a bright area, you couldn’t even distinguish if it was see-through or not. Besides, it wasn’t the front—it was the back. Who would turn around and stare through someone else’s back that intently?

It was a sleek design that suited him remarkably well. If anything, the see-through back added to his charm rather than detracting from it. Now, it even felt like a mistake to change the outfit, as if his appeal would vanish with it. Though they didn’t say it aloud, everyone was reaching the same conclusion: it was too a waste to cover it up now.

“Is there really a need to change or modify it?”

Father asked. The other guild members, who had been cautiously reading the room without daring to speak first, looked at Father all at once. They saw a giant shield-bearer taking the lead behind her back.

“I think it’s fine as it is, too. It’s not like those previous clothes that showed everything off. The color is dark, so it’s just a subtle shimmer. It looks great on him.”

Holanghee chimed in to support. Faced with their back-to-back opinions, Theo looked at the two with a complicated expression before turning his gaze to Blaine.

“I mean… it’s not like anything wouldn’t look good on him, but…”

The way Theo muttered those words made it clear to anyone listening that his resolve had weakened. Theo, in truth, was also admitting it. It suited him. The see-through back added an extra layer of charm.

As Theo agonized until his head felt like it might burst, Blaine stepped forward. When Theo looked up at the shadow falling over him, clear eyes were looking down at him.

“Hyung… if you hate this, I’ll wear something else.”

At Blaine’s words, Theo’s lips parted slightly. He asked back slowly.

“…Why?”

“Because I want to keep being your Companion…”

Blaine smiled, his brows slanting downward. He believed that if he didn’t listen to Theo, he wouldn’t be able to maintain their Companion status. Therefore, to stay with Theo, he had to follow him blindly. Theo stared intently into Blaine’s eyes, as if scanning his very soul. Then, he asked:

“What do you think of the clothes?”

“Pardon? I… I liked them, but…”

“Sigh… fine, let’s just wear them.”

“But you hate them, don’t you, Hyung?”

“No. They look good on you. Besides, as long as you like them, that’s what matters.”

“…Then, what about being Companions…?”

Theo let out a hollow laugh.

“That was just talk… I wouldn’t end our companionship over something like that.”

Whether it was because he didn’t have to change or because he heard their companionship wasn’t ending, Blaine’s face bloomed like a flower. Looking up at the radiant, joyful Blaine, Theo narrowed his eyes as if considering something, then scanned him from head to toe.

He then stood up.

“Blaine, just a moment.”

Theo led Blaine toward the second floor. Blaine followed with a puzzled look, and the watching guild members all shared anxious expressions. They wondered if Theo was taking him upstairs to beat him to a pulp.

Once upstairs, Theo opened the nearest room and pushed Blaine inside. Closing the door, he said:

“Deactivate your Customization.”

“What?”

“I need to check something. Just do it, quickly.”

Blaine blinked both eyes, then deactivated his Customization without a word of complaint. Instead of the youthful 19-year-old look, his mature 20-year-old self was revealed.

“Is this okay?”

Instead of answering, Theo slowly scanned his form. Then, he nodded.

“Definitely…”

“?”

“Your current look suits the outfit much better.”

“This… look?”

Blaine looked down at himself with a bewildered face, as if trying to confirm it. However, since he wasn’t standing before a mirror and wasn’t seeing himself through someone else’s eyes, it wasn’t easy to judge himself objectively. Left with no choice, Blaine looked back at Theo.

“Then, shall I synchronize to this appearance?”

At his question, Theo made a troubled face.

“But if you synchronize, this current look will disappear…”

Theo trailed off. He was clearly hesitating and worrying. Watching Theo like that, Blaine felt his heart swelling with a sense of fulfillment. Right now, Theo’s mind was filled with nothing but him.

Blaine leaned down slightly and spoke to Theo in a whisper.

“If I can remain even in a corner of your memory, I don’t mind becoming a mere recollection.”

Theo looked up, startled. He was taken aback by Blaine’s face being so close, but the faint smile on Blaine’s lips left him speechless. How could he say such beautiful things with such a beautiful face?

When Theo simply stared in silence, Blaine tilted his head slightly and asked again.

“Shall I synchronize?”

“Wai—wait. Let’s at least take one last photo first.”

“A photo?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s take it together.”

“Huh? Why me?”

“You never know when your appearance might change too, Hyung. So please, let this version of you take its place in a corner of my memory.”

In front of him, Blaine’s eyes crinkled into half-moons. Theo, his gaze completely captured, nodded as if possessed. By the time he snapped out of it, they were standing side-by-side taking a photo. He felt as if he had swallowed a witch’s potion designed to make one fall under a spell.

After taking the photo to serve as a mutual memento, they began the synchronization of Blaine’s customization. It took a little time, but the process was completed without a hitch.

The familiar, youthful face he had seen for months was gone. In its place stood a taller Blaine, with a broader frame and more defined, mature features.

“…….”

Theo looked up at the transformed Blaine with a somewhat dazed expression. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel a twinge of regret. That version of him from just a few minutes ago could now only be seen in a photograph.

“Do you feel… any discomfort?”

When he asked cautiously, Blaine shook his head with a smile. Theo offered a calm smile in return, not wanting to let his lingering attachment show.

When the two emerged from the room and headed down to the first floor, a localized riot broke out. It was all because of Blaine, who had transformed in the blink of an eye.

The guild members swarmed him, marveling at his mature appearance that seemed perfectly tailored to his new clothes. They showered him with extraordinary praise: some said he’d become even more handsome, others noted that while “clothes make the man,” in his case “his face made the clothes,” and some even suggested making him the official face of the guild.

To avoid the chaotic crowd, Theo stepped back and watched the scene unfold. It was a heartwarming sight, yet a corner of his heart still felt a bit bittersweet.

A few days later, along with a new update, two stages were added to the Survival Dungeon. The names of the stages were “The Unreturning Guest” and “Treasure Hunter.”

The users, thrilled by the news of a dungeon update, gathered in parties of three to five and rushed toward the Survival Dungeon. Father’s group was among them.

Standing before the dungeon entrance, they opened the stage list. The new stages, The Unreturning Guest and Treasure Hunter, sat at the very top. Noquia, staring intently at the list, turned to Father.

“Hey, what exactly is an ‘Unreturning Guest’?”

Father shook her shoulders with a shrug.

“I don’t know. Maybe ghosts or something? It sounds like someone who leaves and never comes back.”

At the mention of ghosts, Holanghee’s eyes sparkled.

“Then is it a horror theme?”

Noquia, getting excited as well, urged in a high-pitched voice.

“That sounds fun! Let’s go to The Unreturning Guest.”

A cold, heartless voice suddenly cut through the excited trio.

“No way. Treasure Hunter.”

Father, Holanghee, and Noquia turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice. A disinterested-looking Theo was flipping through the list. The three looked at each other once, then called out the other stage in unison.

“The Unreturning Guest.”

Theo lifted his narrowed eyes to meet theirs. He spoke slowly and clearly.

“Treasure. Hunter.”

“Unreturning. Guest.”

A tense psychological war began. The three insisted on The Unreturning Guest even if it killed them, while Theo stubbornly stuck to Treasure Hunter. Behind Theo, Blaine stood alone, looking restless.

Father narrowed her eyes at Theo. Then, with a smirk, she gestured to Holanghee and Noquia. The two grabbed Theo from both sides and restrained him.

“Hey! What are you…!”

At Theo’s panicked voice, Father laughed with certainty. It was a wicked laugh. Then, right in front of Theo’s eyes, she selected The Unreturning Guest.

Just as his vision began to fade to black, Theo’s scream echoed in everyone’s ears: “Ack! No! Treasure Hunter” But then came the sensation of their bodies dropping, and a temporary dizziness washed over them all.

After a brief darkness, a cluster of light exploded, and their vision cleared.

Everyone opened their eyes while lying on a cold floor. A damp, clammy sensation, heavy air sticking to their shoulders, and the feeling of moisture on the palms pressing against the ground. They pushed themselves up in a dark, enclosed room and looked around with puzzled eyes.

The musty smell of mold, acrid dust, and the sound of water dripping one drop at a time from somewhere.

Father instinctively covered her nose and mouth.

“Where is this?”

“I’m not sure…”

Noquia also furrowed her brow in disgust. Holanghee was busy dusting off her clothes, feeling grossed out by the fact that she had been lying on a dirty floor. Theo surveyed the interior with anxious eyes. His palms were sweating, and his mouth felt bone-dry.

Blaine approached the visibly unstable Theo and asked, “Hyung, are you okay?” Theo forced a nod and gripped the edge of Blaine’s sleeve.

“First, let’s find a way out.”

It was too dark to see well, but there had to be an exit. Father spoke as she reached out to move forward, and everyone began to feel the walls through the darkness.

The walls were slimy and damp, as if water had been running down them. Relying on the tips of one’s fingers to find objects was more skin-crawling than they had imagined. Even the smallest unknown texture made them jump, and their fingertips kept curling inward.

After fumbling for a while, Theo’s fingertips brushed against cold metal. He felt around the metal just in case and discovered a small crack. It seemed the metal was a hinge and the crack was a door. When he pushed with a bit of strength, he felt the door give way.

“Over here.”

Theo spoke as he pushed the door with all his might, and with the sound of a rusty hinge, a faint light began to leak in.