Chapter 68: Craving for approval
As he said the word ’brothers’, he felt a strong disgust bubble up violently within him, a wave of deep nausea twisting his stomach.
He despised Leon with every fiber of his being, and calling him a brother felt like a filthy stain on his own identity.
However, under the strict orders of his father, he forcefully swallowed the rising bile in his throat, suppressing his intense hatred.
Leon chuckled bitterly at the absurd display, the sound devoid of any real humor as his eyes flashed with cold mockery.
"Brothers, huh? So you didn’t remember that all through the past year... when I was suffering?" he said.
He remembered every single day spent in the filthy slums, starving and abandoned, while his twin lived in luxury without giving him a second thought.
Yeon clicked his tongue softly in clear irritation, his artificial smile straining to stay intact as his patience wore dangerously thin.
He waved his hand dismissively, trying to brush away the past as if over twelve months of agonizing exile meant nothing at all.
He looked toward the open glass doors behind him and said, "Let bygones be bygones... come in, father’s really h-happy to see you."
He stumbled slightly over the word happy, his throat fighting against the obvious lie as he gestured for Leon to follow him inside the building.
Leon scoffed loudly at the pathetic attempt at persuasion, shaking his head with a look of pure disdain.
He stared right through his twin brother, his voice cold and unwavering as he said, "Really? You’re such a terrible liar."
He knew his family inside and out, and he was well aware that his father didn’t feel a shred of true parental affection.
’Status Window.’ he thought.
[STATUS WINDOW]
[Name: Leon Allistar]
[Race: Human]
[Talent: Legendary Draw(SSS)]
[Class: Swordsman]
[Title: None]
[Level: 8]
[EXP: 3500/4000]
[H/P: 80770 ]
[M/P: 45850 ]
[Magic Damage: 4585 ]
[Physical Damage: 4785 ]
[Magic Resistance: 4585 ]
[Physical Resistance: 7582 ]
[Attributes]
[STR: 85 (+4700)]
[AGL: 84 (+2100)]
[VIT: 77 (+8000)]
[MANA: 85 (+4500)]
[END: 82 (+7500)]
[Skills: Red Charge(C-rank)]
[Attribute points: 76]
He nodded inwardly as he stared at his current status, a surge of confidence washing through him.
He was particularly impressed by the huge boosts given by his legendary items, which elevated his capabilities far beyond what any standard level-eight player could ever dream of achieving.
The massive numerical bonuses added to his strength, agility, vitality, mana, and endurance granted him the destructive output of an absolute monster, giving him all the reassurance he needed for the impending clash with his father.
He had gotten around 2000 EXP each from killing Larry and Varis on the open road, taking down two veteran B-rank players whose high-level stats provided a massive reward upon their deaths.
In addition to that, he had gained quite a bit more experience from slaughtering the three other players, which levelled him up to level eight.
He hadn’t expected the EXP he would get to be that much, especially considering the modest amounts he had gathered from his previous player killings.
It was only because Larry and Varis were B-rank players, so they were already strong, giving him a good amount of EXP upon their deaths.
"Won’t you at least come in... and hear what father has to say...? To hear the real reason why you were chased out of the family like a rat?" Yeon’s voice broke him out of his thoughts.
He spat out the final word with a subtle flick of his tongue, intentionally trying to pick at Leon’s deepest wounds and goad him into stepping through the front doors of the headquarters.
Leon clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms as a cold surge of emotion ran through his frame.
To his surprise, he found his heart wavering a little in that exact moment, wondering just what the man had to say to him after an entire year of abandonment.
The mention of the real reason behind his exile hit a sensitive nerve, stirring up a wave of restless curiosity that momentarily broke through his cold, calculating composure.
He stared past his brother toward the dark, tinted glass of the guild entrance, his mind racing as he evaluated the situation.
’This could be a trap... but then... maybe I should just listen to him this one time.’ he thought. ’Perhaps... he might actually have a different reason, yeah a different one... haha.’
Despite knowing they had chased him out a year ago without a shred of mercy, leaving him to rot in the filthy slums, a part of his heart still ached to hear what they had to say at least.
That tiny, foolish remnant of his past self still sought answers from the man who had discarded him like trash.
He wanted to look the old man in the eyes and force him to explain why he had been treated as an worthless outcast while his twin brother received everything.
He took a slow, heavy breath, lowering his head slightly as he muttered, "Fine... lead the way."
The words cut through the tense quiet of the plaza, signaling his temporary surrender to the invitation. He loosened his fists, taking a step forward as he prepared himself to enter the dark heart of the Roaring Lions guild.
Yeon’s eyes trembled slightly in genuine shock as those words reached his ears, his eyebrows twitching as he stared down at his brother.
’He accepted just like that...? Could dad be right... and he indeed longs to return to this family?’ he thought.
He had expected Leon to argue or curse at him in anger, but he had simply accepted without him having to struggle much.
The sudden realization filled Yeon with a fresh wave of disgust, making him believe that despite all of Leon’s newly acquired power, he might still be just a lonely boy craving their father’s approval.