Chapter 874

EP.874 [Light Novel Side Story] Death Dinass of the Sky 1 Vol. 021

<A Little Later>

“Uncle, you should thank me. I really didn’t want to come here at first.”

“…Really, thank you so much, Nuri. I don’t know what to do with myself. Truly.”

Xian knelt and faced Nuri. His legs were slowly going numb, but he endured it with great patience.

“Um, excuse me…”

Xian subtly sent a rescue signal to the other two. But they mercilessly ignored him.

“The Guild Master needs some reflection.”

“As the saying goes, ‘The mouth is the source of calamity.’ It’s karma, so accept it sweetly.”

“…This is unfair.”

I just spoke the truth. While Xian made a sad face, Nuri lifted a paper bag she had brought from the first floor onto the table.

“Ta-dah! What could this be?”

“…’Padre Juan’? Isn’t that the boss’s café?”

At Xian’s words, Nuri chuckled as she pulled something out of the bag. In her hands was a neatly plastic-wrapped brown apron and a beret-style chef’s hat.

“Hehe. I’ve found a new part-time job.”

“Seriously? You’re not thinking about—”

Nuri ripped open the plastic and immediately tied on the apron. The front pocket featured the café owner Huan’s name in a stylish design.

“Wow, the boss truly has impressive experience. He came up with this idea late at night.”

“That, well…”

Xian stammered. Nuri clicked her tongue and pointed to her own apron pocket.

“Officially, I’ll work at the first-floor café. People coming to see me will grab seats at the café and wait, which will boost the boss’s sales, right? While I’m working downstairs, Uncle can just catch any special ability user.”

“While working at the café, you’ll secretly slip away when it’s dungeon time?”

“That’s right.”

Xian tore his hair out at the sloppy plan. Nuri smirked at Xian’s pitiful gaze.

“Why? Doesn’t it seem feasible? We even have backup!”

Nuri tapped on her magical gear. Soon, Huan’s face appeared near the first-floor coffee maker. Huan slightly tilted the screen forward.

[Your Americano order is ready.]

There, Gaon, who looked exactly like Nuri with the same hairstyle, placed the coffee on the table while looking hungover. Huan whispered very softly.

[Thankfully, the sisters look alike. Even their height matches.]

“Boss?”

[Hmm… Nothing at all.]

“Anyway, my sister and I will alternate shifts. While I go to the dungeon, my sister pretends to be me on the first floor.”

Xian was quite genuinely perplexed.

“Why did Gaon join such a plan?”

“Just a little tantrum.”

“Tantrum?”

“I scolded Dad for what he did to you. My sister also said she’d help during her short stay in Korea. But only until February. Heehee.”

Nuri twirled her hair bashfully and smiled. Yuna thought the smile seemed to hide some secret but decided not to point it out since it seemed like something she wanted to keep hidden.

“So ‘until February’ means…”

“Yes. If we’re not registered by then, my parents will introduce me to another guild. Coincidentally, the association set the contact ban period until the end of February, so the timing worked perfectly.”

“The association really gave us a break.”

“Uncle, stop talking. When I emphasized being a high school senior who just finished the college entrance exam, it went over pretty well.”

No one can tell a high school senior who just finished the college entrance exam what to do. Though Nuri’s college entrance exam results might make pigeons cry, now that graduation was near, there was nothing holding her back.

“Looks like we’ve got to settle this by February.”

Still kneeling, Xian fell into deep thought. For Yuna to remain at the academy and to recruit Nuri, the guild absolutely needed to register by the 27th.

“But it’s risky to head to Cheonan right now. Even if Nuri’s sister pulls off a diversion, there will surely be many people waiting in Cheonan.”

“Most D-Rank dungeons are near New Seoul. We deliberately chose Cheonan as the farthest place.”

“You’ve become too famous. Ugh.”

Xian glared resentfully at Nuri. Nuri crossed her legs and flicked her side bangs.

“Sorry for being famous! Cough cough.”

“…Alright. Since you mentioned it, let’s consider the current situation. Practically speaking, dungeon exploration is blocked, isn’t it?”

“Yes. It’s impossible to explore a C-Rank dungeon in Seoul. Surely someone is monitoring Nuri’s every move.”

Ranon’s words shocked Nuri, making her sit up straight.

“Eh? How? Didn’t the association mention a no-contact period?”

“That’s official. Behind the scenes, they’re definitely watching you. Honestly…”

Xian pointed to the first floor.

“How many customers sitting in the café are actually here for coffee? There must be at least one or two surveillance agents dispatched by the association, right?”

“Then, does that mean my plan is ruined?”

“It shouldn’t be—”

“Don’t worry, Miss Nuri.”

Ranon smiled warmly and nodded at Nuri.

“Since you and your sister don’t differ much in build, I believe it will certainly serve as a perfect disguise—”

“My sister is terrible.”

Ranon took a big emotional hit from the soulless muttering. Xian quickly retracted the comment he was about to make after realizing Ranon had already said it.

“…As we discussed at your house yesterday, your sister is quite the special ability user. If she genuinely pulls off the cover, it should fool them easily. Alright. Let’s proceed like this.”

Xian clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention.

“The basic condition for forming a guild is ‘merit.’ A Hunter Guild requires merit from dungeon exploration or monster hunting, while a Hero Guild needs achievements from rescue activities or villain captures.”

Xian held up two fingers and asked Yuna.

“Your guild registration doesn’t have to be specifically a Hero Guild, right? A Hunter Guild would work too?”

“Yes, either one works as long as I join a guild.”

“Then let’s do this.”

Xian displayed two screens in front of the team members. On the screens were only the phrases ‘Dungeon Exploration’ and ‘Villain Capture.’

“Both options are dangerous. Unless we miraculously find a D-Rank dungeon, we’ll have to take risks by exploring a C-Rank dungeon or capturing a comparable villain.”

Xian reached for his coffee as if his throat was dry. After hydrating, Xian continued.

“I’ll draft a plan over the weekend. Let’s see where we can safely explore with our current strength. Meanwhile, Nuri, go home and rest with your parents today. Or you can switch shifts with Gaon downstairs.”

“So Uncle is staying here?”

“Living in the office saves money, you know….”

Xian glanced at Ranon and Yuna before tightly closing and reopening his eyes.

“We need to find a place to live first.”

The group dispersed.

—

<February 7th, 11 PM, Xian's Office>

It wasn’t possible to keep letting Ranon sleep in the office forever, nor could Xian and Ranon share the space comfortably.

Eventually, thanks to Yuna’s strong suggestion, Ranon decided to stay temporarily at her house.

‘So, why don’t Ranon and I just share a place?’

‘That makes sense.’

‘Honestly, that’s a bit…’

“Shouldn’t a three-bedroom apartment work?”

Xian lay on the office sofa, gazing at the ceiling in deep thought. Despite sleeping under the same roof, they’d each have separate rooms. Still, he wondered why it felt so bothersome.

“Am I just too influenced by Western media?”

Living together in a shared room setup seemed fine, but apparently, Ranon preferred staying at Yuna’s house, finding it more comfortable than living with a man. Xian quietly closed his eyes in the quiet office.

“…I can’t just lie still; it’s driving me crazy.”

Lying down, Xian operated his magical gear. A faintly lit screen appeared in the dark.

“Practically speaking, we can’t explore dungeons near New Seoul, can we?”

Unless it involves dungeon exploration with Nuri, surely Nuri already has covert bodyguards assigned.

“Then how about Ranon and Yuna exploring without Nuri?”

They could handle the D-Rank Goblin Dungeon they explored previously. However, there’s always the risk of another dimensional gate incident.

“Could it be because of Yuinah?”

A dimensional gate appearing once every six months.

An SS-Rank Demon Beast, the Light Demon Dragon, showing up in a D-Rank Dungeon.

An incomprehensibly short golden time for destroying the dimensional gate.

The circumstances speak volumes. But without solid data, Xian couldn’t rashly conclude anything.

“When will this kid send me the test results?”

Xian checked the message history with Oracle again. Recently busy, it was difficult to call, and Oracle kept repeating, “I’ll ensure it arrives as soon as possible.”

“Seems like the safe bet is hunting roaming monsters.”

Rather than getting caught up in capturing villains with insufficient power or being forced into awkward situations, hunting monsters hiding in the mountains is far more stable.

Since outdoor combat disables Xian’s gun, and Nuri could get involved unnecessarily, Xian mulled over where Ranon and Yuna could find suitable monsters while searching through data. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he sat up.

“I’ve got a good idea.”

The office filled with the sinister laughter of a scheming young man.

—

<Next Day, 12 PM, Xian's Office>

“So, you want to hire me as a temporary team member?”

Gaon, dressed as a café worker, sipped the drink she brought while deep in thought. Xian recounted the monster hunting plan he prepared overnight.

“Gaon’s publicly known special ability is B-Rank water-elemental. She uses a bow of water. Due to her foreign guild affiliation, she has much more freedom than Nuri.”

“Forgot already? Guild registration requires a D-Rank dungeon conquest with at least three members. I’m already registered with another guild, so I can’t. Don’t think it’s easy.”

After the previous grand scheme, Gaon now spoke casually to Xian, who was four years younger. Still, Xian maintained respect in his tone to persuade her.

“So, I looked into it. There are other methods besides dungeon conquests. And guess what? There’s an option.”

Xian grinned while pointing at the hunter association registration manual he reviewed all night. Gaon applauded upon seeing the tiny print Xian discovered among thousands of pages.

“C-Rank field monster extermination? Ah, using the system-unrecognized damage shares to churn out fake records?”

“That’s the plan. Listen closely.”

Xian leaned forward, raising his index finger.

“Pretend the concerned older sister takes her younger sibling out to gain experience. Then coincidentally encounters and eliminates a wandering monster. Our team consists of Ranon, Nuri, and Gaon. We’ll use this monster elimination achievement to apply for approval from the association.”

“Not gonna work. Probably.”

Gaon clicked her tongue and mocked Xian’s plan.

“The association might accept Nuri’s initial membership for guild formation, but you clearly don’t understand. They’ll definitely reject the application. They’ll drag it out.”

“Why? Don’t we meet all the conditions?”

“They’ll prolong the process. Delays in reviews, dragging it past March. Then oh no, the no-contact restriction ends? Then the association leaks rumors: ‘Oh, some strange blonde delinquent is trying to snatch our national treasure Kim Nori’? Who is this guy? Scenarios like that will emerge.”

“Damn.”

Xian scratched his head. Managing everything behind the scenes was causing a headache.

“No matter what, we need to form the guild before February. Is there no way?”

“Hmm? Hehe. Why not hire mercenaries? Borrow the credentials of retired heroes or hunters to register the guild.”

“That sounds easier said th-”

Xian froze mid-sentence. Stopping mid-coffee sip, he stared meaningfully at Gaon before placing the cup down with a clang and stood up.

“Kim Gaon.”

“What, what is it?”

Gaon instinctively shrunk under the shadow looming over her. Although it was absurd for an A-Rank special ability user to fear an ordinary person, Xian’s charisma was overwhelming.

Thud. Xian leaned on the couch beside Gaon, locking eyes with her. Gaon swallowed hard and looked up.

“I’ll buy you.”

Slap.

A magic-infused palm slapped Xian’s cheek. Xian cried out in frustration.

“I meant mercenaries, mercenaries!”

“I know what you meant. So…”

Gaon clenched her fist, blue magic gathering at its tip.

“Don’t say things that could be misunderstood, you pervert.”

Xian, who fell backward with a thud, could only rub his tingling cheek in indignation. Gaon placed her hands on her hips and threatened him.

“And what? Hire me as a mercenary? Seriously. Yesterday, you drank fifty thousand won worth of alcohol at the club—”

“I’ll offer two hundred million won as deposit to hire you and your family.”

“Use me like a dog, Master.”

Gaon grinned widely and extended her hand to Xian. Xian sighed as he shook it.