Ye-rim still showed no sign of opening her eyes. A faint aura of the young spirit lingered by her ear, clinging close and sparkling as if determined to protect her. If worse came to worst, I could fall asleep too and go fetch her myself.

“If we bring Sigma here, Hyun-yi will target Sigma instead of Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”

“That’s precisely why that kid is important. By your logic, your sister will become even stronger than before.”

“...Maybe twice as strong?”

In the Nightmare Dungeon, I shared skills with my dungeon self. If Hyun-yi can do the same, her buffs could stack doubly.

“And if the other dependents join in, it’ll be impossible to protect him.”

“Wouldn’t it be the same for Sigma?”

“Our kid’s sleeping peacefully, but we don’t know where that one will pop up.”

Ah... true enough. Me, the puppeteer, Director Song, and Ms. Mun Hyun-ah all stared at a person who could appear anywhere, anytime. Seong Hyunjae gave a silent, slight smile. Right—he won’t stay still. You never know what a person like that might do.

“If there’s a high chance Seong Hyunjae could die more than once, it’s better to bring Sigma and protect him. Your sister will assume Sigma is still hidden elsewhere, so she’ll chase Seong Hyunjae until discovered.”

“Then Ye-rim protects Sigma’s side, lure Hyun-yi toward Mr. Seong Hyunjae’s side, and take out the other dependents. With Seong Hyunjae there, they’ll draw the dependents in.”

We sketched the rough plan and split into teams.

“Ms. Mun Hyun-ah, you need to stay with our kid. Bring Hwangrim along.”

“That’ll sink the boat.”

Seong Hyunjae, Director Song, and Hwangrim—all three in line would leave me invisible. I missed Noah so much. Of course, compared to me, Noah was still...

“That only applies once our kid can maintain the water. Aren’t you supposed to wake up?”

“I’ll fall asleep and check, then.”

At my words, Ms. Mun Hyun-ah raised her palm. Yes, there was no other way. Ye-rim probably fell asleep just like that.

“I’ll make it safe and painless. Come here.”

There was no painless method. She promptly passed out.

“Uncle!”

“Hyung!”

Ye-rim’s and Park Ha-yul’s voices rang out. When I blinked back awake, brilliant sunlight stabbed through me. The shoreline’s waves whooshed in.

“Ugh, Ye-rim?”

“I kept practicing, but I hate to admit it—I really can’t do it!”

Ye-rim cried out and pushed herself up, looking around. The scene was like a warm country resort.

“Can’t do it is just can’t do it. It’s a Transcendent’s power. How can a kindergartner run as fast as a gold medalist?”

“But I once fought the Mermaid Queen neck and neck. I thought I could do it!”

“That still makes you a kindergartner. And the fastest in your class. Ordinary people would barely flip.”

Even S-Ranks are at the crawling stage before Transcendents. By life lived alone. Ye-rim splashed on the waves, flapping her arms. She looked frustrated despite everything. Water splashed everywhere.

“Hyung, I saw it.”

While she splashed, Park Ha-yul slipped closer and whispered.

“It’s your sibling.”

“Oh, right. That is... Ye-rim.”

“Yes, uncle.”

“Hyun-yi has returned.”

“Yes?”

“My sister from before regression.”

I calmly explained it to Ye-rim. Having vented my emotions before Ms. Mun Hyun-ah, my voice didn’t tremble. Ye-rim, eyes wide, listened, then stomped her feet in bewilderment.

“I had no idea! So you, uncle... you...”

“I’m fine. It’s actually more like I can finally take my sister home as I hoped.”

“...I’ll make sure of it!”

No one knows how this will end. If freed from the Gardener, Hyun-yi will... But I must do my best. I’ll do everything I can.

“So we need to see if she can maintain the water—covering as wide as possible, even if not like now, including the Sesung Guild. While absorbing the skill’s power.”

“The Sesung Guild?”

“Yes. There’s a fully sealed room reachable by mini-portal. It has an oxygen supply system; they say you can survive over a week.”

Underwater is safer than sleeping.

“If we focus too much on Sesung Guild, it’ll show. So let’s naturally reduce it from this state—think that’s possible?”

“Hmmm, yes. I think so. How deep?”

“Keep the upper floors of Sesung Guild unsubmerged. Half-sunken.”

“Okay. Ha-yul oppa, help me!”

Ye-rim called Park Ha-yul. He nodded and sat on a chair. Have they become friends in the meantime? Ha-yul does seem good with kids. Ye-rim sat on the waves and closed her eyes. The surrounding air felt weightily soaked.

“Why so slow?”

“You’re fast. Take it slow, take it slow.”

“I feel like I could just blast it all at once.”

“Ah! It’s overflowing, overflowing!”

“Got it! Wait, again, again!”

They worked for a moment, then sighed together. Ye-rim pretended to wipe imaginary sweat.

“Uncle, I’ve reduced it. Water’s receded toward Seocho, and levels have dropped at Banpo and Sadang.”

“Well done! Still absorbing the skill?”

“Yes. It’s not my power but the sleeping sea’s power. Since it’s the dream world’s base, it draws in dreams—that’s roughly how it works.”

Even a stronger Hyun-yi wouldn’t dare attack rashly.

“But if too far away, it becomes hard to maintain.”

“Right, Ye-rim, you protect Sigma. If Hyun-yi learns Sigma’s location, they’ll collide eventually.”

Without Ye-rim, even resisting would be tough.

“Ha-yul, can you tell where Hyun-yi is now?”

“He was near COEX, but as the water receded, he’s moving. Of the siblings, Willow Leaf is there. The Butterfly sibling is hidden; I can’t spot them well. Some other dependents are concealed, others not.”

“That Butterfly is due to the Gardener’s power.”

Meaning other concealed dependents carry their Transcendent’s power. They’re particularly dangerous.

“Can you still contact the system from here? I can use admin privileges again.”

“Uh, can’t we just relay messages?”

“Good. Then keep me updated on any visible dependents’ movements by message. Ye-rim, let’s go out.”

“Come visit again, hyung!”

Park Ha-yul woke us. I opened my eyes and rose. The water level had definitely dropped. Still over ten stories high, though.

Ye-rim!

Coral hugged Ye-rim’s cheek as she awoke. Ye-rim stretched long.

“They say we can maintain it like this.”

At my words, the puppeteer nodded.

“Then let’s head to Sesung Guild.”

We boarded the boat again. With one more person, Ms. Mun Hyun-ah, aboard, it still didn’t sink. This time, without rowing, Ye-rim churned waves and propelled us straight to Sesung Guild.

“It’s been a while here. You once helped me out.”

“Han Yujin blasted it, too.”

“Did you wipe your memory of that? You were the one who blew it up.”

I was an innocent citizen caught in the fray. We ascended to one of Sesung Guild’s rooftop gardens. Not the main garden we’d visited before, but a smaller hidden terrace in the back. Still a ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) decent size, with tables, chairs, and a vending machine—free drinks.

“It’s fine even submerged.”

Is it because it’s not ordinary water? Or because it’s built on dreams? Or both. The vending machine offered everything—cup noodles and instant rice bowls even. Should we install one at Dodam too? No snack budget limit, but free vending machines feel different.

“Ms. Mun Hyun-ah.”

The puppeteer looked at Ms. Mun Hyun-ah. She still looked awkward.

“So what exactly am I supposed to do?”

“First, go fetch Sigma and bring him here. That’s the start.”

“Nothing harmful will happen to me, right?”

I asked quickly. I wanted Sigma safe, but Ms. Mun Hyun-ah must be unharmed too.

“Of course not. You’re to be his guardian; it mustn’t go wrong.”

“Excuse me, puppeteer gentleman. What exactly does being a guardian entail?”

“It’s literal. Traditionally, it means Sigma formally enters Ms. Mun Hyun-ah’s household.”

...‘Enter the household’? Wait. In this context, that means...

‘...marriage?’

Reflexively, I looked at Ms. Mun Hyun-ah, then at Seong Hyunjae. Surely that’s it? My heart thumped. On the surface they fit. I’d honestly oppose if it were Seong Hyunjae, but with Sigma... it could work. And they got along well.

‘But Ms. Mun Hyun-ah...’

I felt weird. Not romantically for Ms. Mun Hyun-ah, but something fluttered. No, Ms. Mun Hyun-ah is genuinely a good person! So it’s hard to think that way, but anyway... After hearing the puppeteer, Ms. Mun Hyun-ah wore a seriously thoughtful expression.

“I’m not thinking about marriage or anything.”

She’s not—but still.

“Still, having a son as big as Dal would be a bit much.”

...What?

“Could he be a sibling instead? I’d need Mom’s permission, but Mom likes Seong Hyunjae’s face. It might be okay to swap my brother with him.”

Wait, what. Why a son and a sibling? Normally this means marriage, right?

“Merging formally is most efficient. Guardianship works too.”

“I was going to do that anyway. Dal has nowhere else to go, and it’d feel cruel to leave him with Seong Hyunjae.”

“You did dote on him, though.”

“You tormented the kid in the meantime?”

Ms. Mun Hyun-ah clicked her tongue. Well, uh.

“You should stay apart from the Sesung Guild Master as much as possible—for both your sakes, if you both make it back safely. Until Sigma is fully accepted in that world, it’s best not to cross paths.”

At the puppeteer’s words, relief faintly crossed Director Song’s face. Sigma would behave, but Director Song might not know him well. The thought of Seong Hyunjae and Sigma getting into trouble together made my vision dark. If that’s the case, Director Song needs someone else too.

The puppeteer raised his fingertips to open the path. Threads of light unfurled, brushing the surrounding trees to carve out space. Ye-rim, standing beside me, whispered softly.

“I thought Ms. Mun Hyun-ah was marrying Sigma.”

“So did I.”

Honestly, in this situation, that’s what it seemed like. Perhaps Ms. Mun Hyun-ah treats younger ones as cute but not romantic interests? Then maybe Director Song? Surely not Seong Hyunjae. Perhaps she simply isn’t interested in romance. Many prioritize work anyway. I put kids first too.

“Master of Water, please raise a wall of water around here. It will help conceal the spatial link.”

“Yes, one moment.”

Water rose thinly into a dome around the garden, then a circular entrance opened. The puppeteer bowed politely to Ms. Mun Hyun-ah.

“Please bring him here. You can ignore the gatekeeper—he’ll follow on his own.”

“Oh, okay. Feels odd, though.”

Ms. Mun Hyun-ah adjusted her clothes and stepped forward. Her figure vanished. Soon she returned, cradling Sigma wrapped in blankets in her arms.

“Look, hyung! He really hasn’t changed.”

Unlike upon entry, Ms. Mun Hyun-ah looked happy as she held Sigma out to us. Sigma’s small head peeked from the blanket.

“He’s the same, exactly the same.”

“He really is identical! Same as Mr. Seung at Sesung, yet somehow different—just that feeling!”

Yes, that feeling. It’d been ages. I poked Director Song and said,

“What do you think? Even at a glance he’s clearly different?”

“...I’m not sure.”

“You’ll know when he wakes up!”

It’s a pity to miss his expression. Then Director Song would see he’s truly different.

“At this point, he’s like Dal’s personal nanny. Same face, after all.”

Beyond the open door, Hwangrim appeared. He seemed harmless enough to leave be. I raised my hand in greeting.

“I missed you, my—”

“Don’t come over or cling! You work for the Gardener!”

“Not yet. But I’m not at a dependent level. The Gardener’s dependents were terrifying, with all that familiar fire.”

At my gaze, my eyes frowned unconsciously. Yes—my sibling.

“You have two siblings.”

“Twins?”

“Not twins. Two, but one.”

I briefly explained to Hwangrim. He blinked and seemed fascinated. His eyes glinted with excitement.

“Then let’s go hunt down the dependents.”

And my sibling too. It’s time to go home, Hyun-yi.