Chapter 884

EP.884 [Light Novel Side Story] The Death Dinass of Changcheon 2nd Volume 001

It has been two weeks since the <May Incident> occurred.

Kim Nori, the tragic protagonist, was wandering around the D-Rank dungeon while taking care of her parents, barely scraping by.

“Will you even do something if Kim Nori dies inside the dungeon?”

People worried that an S-Rank, possibly SS-Rank talent with dark attributes might get into trouble while tackling water-attribute C-Rank dungeons, but fortunately, their worries turned out to be unfounded.

<Oracle Studio>.

Though it carried the name “studio,” in reality, it was practically a training facility established by Oracle in Korea, and its first recruit was Kim Nori, discovered by the local manager ‘Xian.w.Hibiscus.’

“So you’re planning to take her to America after training her up, right?”

Some speculated, “I heard this foreign guild is trying to form one.” Indeed, there were witnesses who saw Xian recruiting for a guild. On top of that, rumors spread that ‘Oracle’ had visited Xian during a hospital visit, reigniting concerns about national wealth leakage as an aftermath of the May Incident.

“It’s all a misunderstanding.”

In response, Xian clarified the reasons for establishing the studio in an interview with ‘US Today.’

“Our goal is to awaken and nurture potential heroes. If Kim Nori wishes, we will allow her to contact other guilds.”

Xian explained, “With the help of Yuna, a Hero Academy student whom I met at the airport, we resolved the language barrier misunderstandings.” Thus, they began operating a full-fledged hero training facility centered around Nori.

“If the association allows our studio access to dungeons, Kim Nori’s first guild will definitely be from this country.”

Xian firmly declared this in the interview, and Kim Nori also gave a clear response.

There were disagreements about choosing the studio over other guilds, but when Nori mentioned that Xian was the first to recognize her abilities, the controversy subsided.

“For now, let’s just watch how it goes.”

Since a massive amount of capital was invested, they wouldn’t run away overseas so easily. As the whole nation kept an eye on Nori’s movements, none of them realized the true nature of the studio.

The truth that its operations were practically akin to a ‘guild,’ and the existence of the covert ‘Team Death Dinass.’

* * *

<February 26th, 11:00 AM, Oracle Studio>

“This sign makes me feel dirty every time I see it.”

Xian revealed discomfort upon seeing the flashy sign outside the convenience store. The grand sign hung above the building was nothing like what Xian originally envisioned.

“At least thanks to that, our activities have become smoother, haven’t they?”

Raon pointed at the quiet surroundings of the building.

There are still some reporters and inspectors from the association lingering around or stationed in nearby cafes, but compared to the first day when the office sign was put up, there are far fewer people. Xian shook his head while checking the items in the bag.

“What’s pretty about it? They’re all jackals circling us, looking for anything valuable.”

“If we don’t deal with those jackals, they’ll tear us apart. Though our bodies won’t be harmed, our clothes will surely get torn. Thanks to Oracle-sama, we’ve gained a reputation as a wealthy studio. And your actions, Xian-sama, also played a part.”

“What?”

“You kept offering coffee to everyone who visited, didn’t you? That’s already widely known as ‘the prestige of American capital.'”

Sighing deeply at Raon’s unnecessary reminder of online reviews, Xian muttered,

“It was much better when no one knew about us.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now. Isn’t that why everyone made fancy business cards?”

Raon pulled out her card and smiled. As an employee and fitness trainer at Oracle Studio, this was Raon’s officially known role.

“The experience of a veteran who’s seen it all certainly sells well. You worked hard yesterday too, Coach Kim Nori.”

“Nuri-san has far more combat experience than me. Although I’m not S-Rank, I’ve gone through A-Rank to D-Rank dungeons multiple times.”

Raon proudly patted her chest. Nodding as if understanding, Xian pointed toward the office.

“Then let’s go to the dungeon now?”

“…Again?”

Unable to hide her distaste, Raon’s reaction did not make Xian back down this time.

“What if you don’t?”

Thanks to getting quite close over these past two weeks—despite Raon being two years older—they treated each other casually. Although Raon disliked being called ‘nuna’ in front of others since Xian was clearly her senior, she preferred Xian’s informal speech.

“Of course, don’t you know what we’ve been doing for the past week?”

“Of course, we’ve been clearing dungeons.”

“We’ve only been clearing dungeons. Until yesterday, we conquered all the D-Rank dungeons created in Korea.”

Raon gradually sped up her speech. No matter how important combat experience was, even Raon, who valued training, thought Xian’s obsession went too far.

“And five times at that. If we hadn’t opposed it, we would have been running circles in Yeosu by now.”

“Don’t change the subject. Do you even know how many times we cleared dungeons last week?”

“Of course, I do.”

With a nonchalant expression, Xian tapped on a magical gear, reciting the precise records he’d compiled.

“Three dungeons near New Seoul, seven in Chungnam and Jeonbuk, and ten in Gyeongsang Province. Including Jeju D-Rank which we finished yesterday, that’s a total of twenty-three.”

Caught off guard by the exact data that Raon hadn’t bothered to count properly, she stomped her foot in frustration.

“We’ve only been clearing dungeons for twelve days! When we went to Jeju, I thought we’d at least get some fresh air, but there was no sightseeing—just dungeon runs. We even had to take the ferry without resting!”

“Once the mission is done, it’s natural to return. You leave your house behind for nothing when you go out to work.”

Frustrated, Raon felt her breath getting stuck despite wearing a highly breathable bodysuit underneath her clothes. Her heavy breathing caught Xian’s attention slightly.

“…So what do you want?”

“Obviously, rest. We’ve been working without a break for almost two weeks.”

Xian pushed them to their limits. To the extent that the phrase ‘squeezed dry’ perfectly described how Xian accurately gauged the magical power thresholds of the three ability users and pushed them to their extremes.

“Even weekends were taken away from us.”

At Raon’s complaint, Xian responded with a stern look.

“That’s Nuri’s fault. If Nuri hadn’t lied, everything would have gone smoothly.”

“……”

Raon couldn’t continue speaking. Though patience wasn’t Nuri’s strong suit, she exploded first, feigning illness. However, Xian quickly detected the lie after checking her pulse several times.

“Because of that, you shouldn’t mislead people. Honestly, you guys participated in Nuri’s lie too.”

“Well, that’s true…”

Raon joined Nuri’s excuse, and Yuna silently agreed with Nuri’s lie.

That lie caused Xian to lose his temper, leaving the three of them gloomy as they followed his orders.

“I mean, I know how important and dangerous ‘that day’ is. But lying about it makes me seem like someone who ignores someone’s illness and forces them into dungeons recklessly.”

Worst of all, Nuri used ‘Magic Day,’ which occurs once a month, as an excuse for feeling unwell.

– What? Is anywhere hurting? Why didn’t you say so earlier?! I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. Yuna, cast healing immediately! Let’s go to the hospital for a detailed check-up. Raon, find a hospital capable of examination. I’ll call… no, I’ll call an ambulance. Just wait…

– Sorry, uncle… It’s a lie.

– YAHHH#@#$%@#%@

Raon never imagined such a colorful array of Korean curses could come out of a foreigner’s mouth.

“…Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Mistakes happen. Maybe I should have been more flexible instead of focusing solely on efficiency.”

“So where are we heading today?”

Resigned, Raon followed Xian, who was about to open the office door. Just as Xian was about to open the door, his hand stopped.

“Not going anywhere?”

“Huh?”

“We need to settle accounts for the dungeon runs, and besides, today’s ‘that day.’

Raon’s face turned red. It wasn’t her, but one of the two must be experiencing it. Calmly, Xian continued.

“It’s still unstable with a three-person squad missing one member. Plus, someone who’s unwell can’t keep running dungeons. It’s impossible to replenish supplies inside a dungeon anyway. So, at least two days of rest. No, including you—”

“Shut up.”

“…”

Raon deeply regretted her past self and Nuri. Embarrassed, Xian opened the door, and inside, Yuna and Nuri greeted them.

“You’re here? It’s still cold outside, I apologize.”

“Why so late, uncle?! The hot bread is getting cold!”

“This is my bought hot bread, why are you making a fuss? Here, Yuna said she wanted vegetables, right?”

Yuna took the green vegetable-filled hot bread, and Nuri grabbed the orange pizza-filled one and bit into it loudly.

“JMT rules.”

“……?”

“…….”

The two elders silently peeled the packaging off their bean paste hot bread while swallowing their words. As Yuna peeled her vegetable hot bread, she noticed Xian’s reddened hands and asked worriedly,

“Weren’t you cold outside?”

“It was, but I’m fine. It didn’t take long.”

Xian held the hot bread like a hand warmer. As Yuna tried to place her own hot bread into Xian’s hands, her eyes met Nuri reaching for the drinks, and she quickly put the bread into her own mouth instead.

“Wow, why is it suddenly so cold? Is the heater broken?”

“…”

After checking if the heater was on while making a fuss, Xian bit into the hot bread and said,

“Let’s eat some snacks and talk now. Let’s assess our ‘current abilities.'”

“…? What does that mean?”

Nuri, with a mouthful of hot bread, tilted her head. Suppressing laughter at Nuri’s puffed cheeks, Xian pulled out something from under the table.

“Ta-da!”

“That looks similar to the last testing device.”

Yuna compared it to the previous tester that identified her growth limit. While similar in appearance, the magic analysis section differed.

“Still sharp as ever.”

Xian pointed to the dish-like testing device.

“It’s about materializing the ‘current’ magic power each of you can produce. Then this tester will ‘numericalize’ that magic.”

“Does that mean that number is our level?”

“…Yeah. Your current level. For reference, the maximum level is your growth limit, got it?”

“No doubt about that, so I’ll go first.”

Stuffing the hot bread into her mouth, Nuri placed her finger on the tester. Soon, a blue magic power rippled from her index finger, dropping a small water droplet.

“…Isn’t it still off?”

“Then turn it on already.”

At Nuri’s urging, Xian clicked his tongue and turned on the tester. The core inside began circulating magic slowly, causing the dish to wobble.

“By the way, let me explain. This tester works by analyzing the patterns of seven types of magic and measuring the vibration frequency according to those patterns’ waves—”

“Yeah, explanation addict mode activated. How do we read the results?”

“…Same way, numbers.”

Xian grumbled while pointing to the input slot. Shortly after, the result printed out. Nuri snatched it and scrutinized it closely.

“Water attribute 33? Uncle, what about dark attribute? This only shows one thing? Such a measly amount. I have water attribute 37.”

“…Your awakened magic is only one type. And you’re lacking 4 due to poor condition. Your body holds 37 magic power, but your condition is bad.”

“What?! …Then what about my dark attribute?!”

“It’s still lounging around in your veins, slacking off. Raon, want to try?”

After wiping Nuri’s water droplet with a tissue, Xian replaced the dish with a new one beside the equipment. Raon gathered her magic from her dantian, forming it into a button-like shape.

“Still impressive as always.”

Xian exclaimed at the gem-like appearance while pressing the test button. As soon as the result came out, Xian looked at Raon’s test slip with interest.

“Water attribute 19 and wind attribute 21. Oh, light attribute and dark attribute have grown too?”

“Huh?!”

Raon shrieked in surprise. Xian handed her the test slip with a smile.

“Light attribute and dark attribute are at 10 and 7 respectively. Guess it’s thanks to the people around you?”

Xian chuckled while looking between Yuna and Nuri. Taking Raon’s test slip, Nuri openly showed annoyance.

“Wow, sis? Why did sis awaken dark attribute while I still can’t?”

“Don’t rush, Nuri.”

Yuna gently calmed Nuri down. Fortunately, Nuri quickly settled down but handed Yuna a new dish with trembling hands.

“You too!”

The shaking hand holding out the dish suggested that if Yuna also awakened dark attribute, Nuri might burst into tears.

“…Alright.”

Closing her eyes tightly, Yuna materialized her magic on the dish. As Yuna rubbed her thumb and forefinger together above the dish, golden powder gently fell onto it.

“Hmm? Not like Raon sis’ gem?”

“…Want to place it on the tester?”

Xian swallowed hard while moving Raon’s magic gem dish aside. Nuri quickly placed the dish with the gold powder on the tester, which swiftly analyzed the magic.

Ziiing. The tester spat out the printed paper. Yuna calmly read the result aloud.

“Light attribute 29.”

“…Wow, sis, what are you?”

It was a fitting description of ‘potential explosion’—Yuna’s magic power started surging rapidly. Xian’s serious expression eased somewhat.

“The dormant magic is waking up along with ‘self-awareness,’ but it won’t suddenly jump to 50 or 90.”

“I think this speed is already fast. Somehow, it feels like after clearing all the D-Rank dungeons, we’re on the verge of leveling up? Hehehe.”

The technical terms spilling out of Yuna’s mouth made Nuri raise an eyebrow.

“Does Yuna sis not know games well?”

“Xian explained it in a way that’s easy to understand, so I studied a bit.”

“…’Studying’? Pfft.”

Nuri snorted. Yuna scratched her cheek awkwardly, and Raon broke the silence by changing the topic.

“Xian, so about the conversation earlier…”

“Oh, the dungeon talk? Almost forgot about that.”

At the mention of dungeons, Yuna’s face paled, and Nuri’s ears turned red as she tried to suppress her anger. Xian waved his hands frantically and quickly continued.

“We’re not going. Today and tomorrow are rest days.”

“What? Not going? Two days? …Oh.”

Nuri bowed her head as if realizing something. Her face was still flushed.

“Today’s Wednesday, February 26th, so let’s rest until Thursday. How about meeting again on Friday? Something important will happen in New Seoul that day.”

“Important thing?”

Yuna’s voice was rather sharp. Xian scratched his cheek and shook his head.

“I don’t know exactly, but someone from that side is coming here. On the 28th. Look at this.”

Xian showed the three an official document received on his magical gear. The polite notice included the exact date and time of the visit, leaving the three completely astonished.

“Is this person really coming here?”

“Crazy. Incredible. Uncle, what did you do?”

“…Nothing.”

The S-Rank hero, protector of Busan, strongest water attribute ability user in Korea, also known as the Ice Queen.

– I plan to personally visit Oracle Studio in New Seoul on February 28th, Friday at 8 PM. If you have prior engagements or unavoidable schedule changes, please contact me via the magic code below.

From Seok Harang, Snow Princess.

She has secretly announced her visit to Oracle Studio.