Chapter 350

〈 Chapter 350 〉 Part 1, Chapter 15, Section 8

<9:00 PM, Busan, Seok Harang's Residence.>

While Kim Nori undoubtedly takes the cake when it comes to family tragedies, there’s another person whose home life is almost equally messed up.

“……This is kinda hard to say, but… this is kinda weird.”

[Are there really parents like that? Are they sane? The kid ran away, and they didn’t look for two weeks before checking the family registry? Are they out of their minds?]

On the surface, she pretends to be polite, but inside, she’s cursing up a storm with her magic power. If those curses had come out in Busan dialect, Kim Nori might have cried.

“Come on, don’t be so upset.”

I handed Seok Harang a cup of ice cream loaded with blueberries. Even though it was late at night, ability users don’t worry about calories, and Seok Harang shoved a spoonful straight in, taking a big bite.

“You should have some too. Don’t feel bad.”

“……It’s all true. Wow, this is insane. Insane case.”

Kim Nori couldn’t properly eat, just alternating her gaze between me and Seok Harang. I set up a table and sat down while Seok Harang lounged on a bean bag chair, muttering under her breath.

“They say Phoenix and Cheongnyeon were secretly holding hands behind closed doors.”

“Holding hands? There’s a whole complicated story here as deep as the ocean.”

Seok Harang tossed a cushion toward Kim Nori, who was still standing against the wall.

“Sit down and relax. How long do you plan to stand?”

“S-Surely Lady Cheongnyeon can imagine how confused I am right now! Since when has it been so chaotic!”

Kim Nori pointed angrily between Seok Harang and me.

“Cheongnyeon turned out to be the leader of the Blue Wind Sect, Cheongnyeon turned out to be the villain Phoenix, Phoenix casually walks in and out of Lady Cheongnyeon’s house, and Lady Cheongnyeon treats her like family!”

“You see? This is the kind of shock normal people experience. So we need to keep things even more hidden. Got it?”

“Let me handle my own affairs… Hmph.”

Seok Harang lazily waved her hand and cleared her throat.

“Student Kim Nori. You can speak more casually if you’d like.”

“Yes, but then I’ll call you ‘unni’ (older sister).”

“…Alright. Nori. Even though I don’t get along well with her, for the greater good, I had no choice but to team up with her.”

“The greater good?”

“Yeah. It’s a very complicated story that’s hard to explain in a short time…”

“Summarize it in three sentences.”

Crunch. Seok Harang ground her teeth. Kim Nori showed no intention of folding her three extended fingers. I took out cookies from the kitchen cabinet and placed them on the table.

“There’s an evil organization aiming to conquer the world, and to stop them, the villain and the hero decided to work together. Along the way, after some arguments, they became friends.”

“Oh, I understand.”

Kim Nori nodded vigorously without hesitation. Seok Harang blew a raspberry and looked exasperated.

“What are you talking about? When we first met, I spent almost two hours explaining just the beginning part to you!”

“That’s because we were eating at the time. These days, kids don’t like long explanations.”

“I’m not one of those kids!”

“…”

In the original story, Seok Harang and the protagonist are both S-rank and the same age, so they’re technically senior members. Sorry, but Kim Nori doesn’t have that mature vibe. Maybe it’s because she grew up alone from a young age?

“Can you even call someone who’s already been in society for nine years a ‘kid’?”

“Putting hero career length and mental maturity on the same level is different. That’s just saying I’m old for my age.”

“Judging by your actions, you’re quite the elder child.”

“What? Want to fight?”

“If I hurt Her Majesty the Ice Queen, the citizens of Ice Island won’t like it.”

“This…”

I attacked Seok Harang’s biggest concern recently. Seok Harang frowned and reddened her face but held back her magic power because Kim Nori was nearby.

“…”

Kim Nori swallowed hard at the sight of hundreds of ice blades appearing in the air.

“…Nori? I’m sorry. She’s just annoying me a bit—”

“Wow, Unni, how did you do that?”

Kim Nori’s eyes sparkled at the power Seok Harang had displayed. She was ready to take a picture and post it on social media if given permission.

“Can I do something like that once I awaken my water affinity powers?”

“Only if you awaken dark affinity; water affinity would make it tough. You’re a water-touch-the-sky type.”

“Water-touch-the-sky? Where is that?! Hehe, thank you, Sect Leader.”

“…Sect Leader?”

Seok Harang looked uneasy.

“Hey, what’s this? Aren’t you supposed to be S+ grade dark affinity material? You should walk the hero path, not become Sect Leader.”

“Kim Nori has a hunter disposition. Dark affinity isn’t suited for heroes anyway, right?”

“Baeck Hee-a is an executioner with dark affinity. Are you trying to turn her into a former Blue Wind Sect officer? No way. What kind of nonsense are you feeding her? Nori?”

Seok Harang got up from the bean bag and approached Nori.

“Nori. I’ll take good care of you. Starting at C-rank water affinity isn’t bad at all. Let’s register with the association. You can start as a hero, and if you awaken dark affinity later, becoming S-rank will be easy. Right?”

“She’s a hunter type. She’s better suited for monster hunting rather than rescue missions. Why ruin her future like that?”

“So you’re going to put a minor right in front of monsters?! Have you lost your mind?”

“Didn’t she already deal with northern monsters using ultimate skills since she was twelve?”

“I’ve tried everything, so I know! Nori, you must never become a hunter! Let me raise you… hrmph.”

Seok Harang, self-destruct mode. Kim Nori gulped upon witnessing her true nature.

“The Ice Queen…”

“Ice Queen? Please. She flips tables whenever she gets the chance.”

“…Alright, let’s expose each other’s true colors. Do you really think you can win against me? Ridiculous.”

Seok Harang grabbed Kim Nori’s hand and muttered to me.

“Looks like she’s a woman on the outside but harbors a dark uncle inside. Every time she sees talented women, she tries to poach them. Not just you, many women have fallen for her tricks, including me.”

“A woman… liking women?”

Kim Nori’s confusion multiplied.

“And Lady Cheongnyeon too?”

“Just stop with the unnecessary talk.”

Worried she might say something inappropriate, I stood up, but Seok Harang grabbed Kim Nori’s face and shouted.

“Maybe she wants to raise you only to eat you later!”

“This girl is a minor, you idiot!”

I kicked Seok Harang in the stomach. Before my foot could reach her, she erected an ice barrier to block it.

“Minors still need to know these things! Is the Blue Wind Sect really a good environment to teach her anything? Sounds like a place where strange noises come from everywhere!”

“At least everyone knows basic decency!”

“You’re the one creating the most abnormal situations! Because of you, Yuha-unni is completely off her rocker!”

“That’s because Eun Yuhwa hid her real self from you! Honestly, if you had any interest or curiosity in that direction, Eun Yuhwa would have helped with dolls and everything!”

“This gashead talks nonsense in front of kids! Are you crazy?”

“…Excuse me.”

Kim Nori interrupted, pointing at the entrance.

“The delivery seems to have arrived…”

“…”

“…”

Temporary ceasefire.

I peeled the plastic off the fried rice while seething. A crispy sweet-and-sour pork took center stage, and I grabbed the sauce bowl.

“So, if I follow Phoenix-sama, I join the Blue Wind Sect as a hunter, but if I follow Lady Cheongnyeon, I become a hero?”

“In summary, that’s correct.”

“Even though we’ve seen some embarrassing moments, both of us are pretty strong. If you want, you can do anything.”

“…Let me think about it while eating. Can I try a little…?”

“…”

Seok Harang glanced at me. Though it’s her house, I always paid the bills. And every time, Seok Harang complained about “dipping,” while I poured sauce in front of her.

“Of course.”

I placed the entire sauce bowl next to the plate. In response, Seok Harang threw a dumpling at me with her chopsticks.

“Are you discriminating against people?”

Tch. I lifted the veil around my neck and caught the dumpling. Kim Nori gaped in admiration at my reflexes.

“Discrimination? It’s consideration. I don’t care either way. I adjust based on who I’m eating with. Does Nori dislike dipping? Then I’ll dip for you.”

“Yah! Why do you pour sauce every time I mention dipping?”

“Ah, that?”

I shook the dumpling in my hand.

“It’s because you hate dipping, so I pour it intentionally.”

“Yah, you jerk! Let’s fight!”

Sparring began over the sweet-and-sour pork sauce.

Inside the barrier, Seok Harang’s attacks were fierce, but unfortunately, it just dragged on without a clear winner. Finally, I ended our duel by breaking her barrier with a small ultimate skill, claiming victory.

“Hahaha! My win, you chicken-head!”

“Ruined it and still…”

The noodles were already bloated, and Seok Harang ordered fried rice.

“…”

Kim Nori, who ordered chow mein, had already eaten her fair share. Both the sweet-and-sour pork and dumplings were gone.

“Tsk.”

I dumped the remaining sauce on the last dumpling and shoved it in.

* * *

A meal shared among two SS-rank individuals and one powerless (potential SS) ended with the two SS-rankers defeated.

Seok Harang and I argued fiercely over who would eat the last dumpling. After a long negotiation, we agreed to eat it dipped, making it mine.

“Still hungry?”

“…No need to offer.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you being considerate the whole time. Eat. I deliberately left some aside for you.”

Though slightly soggy due to time, it hadn’t absorbed too much sauce yet. Kim Nori bowed her head and picked up her chopsticks while Seok Harang fumed, pulling her hair.

“I’m completely trash-making while maintaining my image.”

“You should take care of someone who’s hungry. Nori is still growing, but you’re fully grown.”

“…True, considering height and everything, I probably need to grow more.”

Seok Harang quickly scanned Kim Nori up and down as she chewed the dumpling. But Kim Nori caught the glance like a ghost and gave her a sidelong look.

“Ah, no! Don’t misunderstand! At fifteen, you’re in the growth phase! You’re still growing!”

“Don’t worry. You’ll grow taller than her. Height-wise and… elsewhere.”

“…”

Seok Harang fell silent. Kim Nori also swallowed the half-chewed dumpling.

“Really?”

“Yes. But this is a story from when she was twenty. Who knows how it’ll turn out now. Dark affinity awakening affects physical growth too. Growth hormones solidify with magic power, halting body growth. Later… tight C?”

Once, Hikari researched the secret behind the explosive growth—nearly 20 cm in both directions—and some heroines despaired when they realized it was genetic.

“Wow… Some people barely hit B even after reaching SS rank. Wow…”

Seok Harang despaired five years early. Kim Nori tilted her head, not understanding at all.

“Anyway, does this mean dark affinity awakening leads to height gain? Not water affinity.”

“Yes. Still, there’s no immediate way to awaken dark affinity…so let’s start with water affinity.”

I nodded at Seok Harang and asked her to help. Seok Harang hesitated for a moment before grabbing Kim Nori’s hand.

“Feels a bit warm.”

“…? What, huh!”

White snow-like magic power flowed from Seok Harang and touched Kim Nori’s skin. The snowflakes melted slowly, seeping into Kim Nori’s skin, and Seok Harang closed her eyes, moving her magic.

Softly, softly.

As the dancing snow melted away, Kim Nori gradually calmed down. I wanted to stop Seok Harang immediately but hesitated, fearing interference mid-process.

“…Finished!”

Seok Harang tapped Kim Nori’s hand and stood up. I immediately took her place and locked her in a joint lock.

“I only asked you to awaken her!! Why do you always go overboard??”

“No! A-rank is necessary so she can proudly stand before her parents! I almost went for S-rank! Your magic won’t decrease! Mine won’t decrease! It’ll refill overnight, so don’t worry!”

“Is it done?”

“Yes. Faster and simpler than a kid getting a shot.”

As always, spirit-based magic infusion is quick and precise. Although I’m a bit concerned Seok Harang went a bit overboard due to empathy for Kim Nori’s troubled family background, Kim Nori instantly gained the potential to rise from C-rank water affinity user to A-rank.

“Wow. Sweet deal.”

Kim Nori already started conjuring water orbs in the air, testing her new powers.

“Now I don’t have to bring a water bottle to class anymore. Water-touch-the-sky queen, bow down. Now no one will know how ridiculous I am.”

“Still, I think I should aim to be a hero. Maybe I should teach standard Korean too.”

The Water-touch-the-sky Queen lost her patience.

Wild Child Kim Nori.

Temporarily ranked as a C-class Water-touch-the-sky user, she became a temporary guest staying in the Ice Queen’s residence.