Chapter 347

〈 Chapter 347 〉Part 1, Chapter 15, Section 5

Yahwang Kim Nuri.

Not quite a villain, but a martial arts ultimate damage dealer with an explosive personality. Due to awakening as a C-Rank Water Attribute Sub-Class, everyone rated her as “incredibly moody but only strong early-game,” making her one of the most unfortunate heroines.

But then Park Ra-on gained power thanks to the protagonist’s help, Su Ri—a rare Fire Attribute A-Rank user—joined the team, and occasionally Seok Harang, a Water Attribute S-Rank user, would make guest appearances… relegating Kim Nuri’s role to near irrelevance.

– “Maybe it’s time we cut ties with Kim Nuri…?”

Just when that thought crossed my mind…

A rescue signal from Himeji Hikari came flying in. Since they needed someone small to navigate through the ventilation shafts, Kim Nuri, who was notably short, was chosen for the job. During this mission, she faced off against the S-Rank villain <Tattooist> Soyeon Chang, revealing her true potential—an S-Rank Dark Attribute Awakening!

It was like a stock on the brink of delisting suddenly skyrocketing so much that trading had to be halted due to its rapid ascent.

In general gameplay, nine out of ten times, Kim Nuri ends up being the first S-Rank ability holder.

“But why isn’t she showing up?”

“Hikari, let’s try searching again. Remove the birth condition filters and just search by name.”

“Yes, please hold on.”

Hikari swiftly adjusted the conditions and scanned through 2.1 million entrance applications. There were 120 people named Kim Nuri.

“Such a common name…”

The surname and given name weren’t particularly unique either. Fortunately, each application included a photo taken during submission.

“None of these are her…”

Mostly teenagers or young adults, but there was even a middle-aged man among them. However, none matched the Kim Nuri I knew.

“Hmm… Could it be that something changed because the timeline got twisted?”

Hikari voiced her thoughts after reviewing all the Kim Nuri entries. Perhaps the Kim Nuri I knew wasn’t exactly the same as the one in this world.

“No, that can’t be right.”

“What if she never applied at all?”

“There’s no way Kim Nuri’s parents wouldn’t have made her apply. They’d kick her out of the house if she refused—they’re monsters.”

At the mention of overbearing parents, Hikari grimaced uncomfortably. Having lost her own parents, she understood how uncomfortable it could feel to have pushy guardians.

“Out of the ten heroines, family is always the biggest obstacle.”

Sometimes not having parents is better, but even when they’re around, some block their children’s paths. These dramatic parents straight out of games and movies? That describes Kim Nuri’s folks perfectly.

“And yet, this world happens to be based on a game…”

Thus, it was highly likely Kim Nuri’s parents were absurdly overzealous. With odds better than lottery numbers, they probably submitted Kim Nuri’s application without consulting her, enrolling her in university at age fifteen.

“I intended to use that situation…”

So I created a dormitory. While separating from such toxic parents might cause emotional pain for any child, Kim Nuri especially would benefit more from being away.

“But did they submit the application too late?”

No, that wasn’t possible. People don’t change easily, especially those kinds of parents. They’d definitely treat it like a golden opportunity and rush the application process.

“Could the form have been filled incorrectly?”

“Well, we used smartwatches for submissions, thanks to government cooperation, so typos shouldn’t happen. At least not with the applicant’s own name. Unless… maybe Kim Nuri doesn’t own a smartwatch?”

“In today’s world? No way. Even if that were the case, her parents would’ve bought her a secondhand model just to get her to submit the form.”

“…Then perhaps the registration itself had errors from the start. Let me check.”

We continued our search, considering other possibilities.

Kim Ruri. Yi Nuri. Yi Ruri. Kim Neol Ee. Kim Yurie. The further we strayed from the original name, the less familiar the faces became.

“Hmph…”

My head hurt. We still had many targets left to find, but we couldn’t even get started properly.

“Should we go back to checking one by one? Just those surnamed Kim?”

“For now, let’s do that.”

Though time was limited, finding Kim Nuri remained crucial. As an S-Rank Dark Attribute user, Kim Nuri boasts excellent synergy with Azidahaka, ranking among the top five strongest ability users overall.

“Chang Yeom must’ve wanted us to save Kim Nuri too.”

Chang Yeom, driven by the story’s background, empathizes with the hardships endured by heroines. Like wanting to keep Cheon Gaeul close, or extracting Turbulus from Park Ra-on, Chang Yeom secretly aims to aid unfortunate heroines. I’m grateful for that aspect; otherwise, my sanity would’ve surely eroded while brooding alone.

“So here I am, digging myself into another hole…”

Fortunately, this time I had Hikari speeding through applications while I kept my eyes peeled for that poor girl.

Even with her petite stature and striking imbalance, there was no way I could mistake Kim Nuri…

Suddenly, flipping randomly through the forms, a familiar face caught my eye.

“Hikari, wait! Go back!”

“You mean ‘Kim’ with ‘Ga’?!”

“Just rewind!”

Calmly, Hikari scrolled backward. Kim Gain, Kim Ga-eun… then the name that caught my attention: ‘Kim Ga-on.’

“Huh…”

What could I say? I never imagined seeing this face under these circumstances.

“The sister who dragged her younger sibling down even in death.”

The very person responsible for instilling deep inferiority complexes in Kim Nuri, the one who almost sent her spiraling into despair, now smiled awkwardly in the application photo.

Kim Ga-on.

Kim Nuri’s older sister, barely a year apart.

“Is this the real deal?”

“No. This is her older sister, only differing by one centimeter in height. You could consider them twins.”

Hikari looked startled upon seeing Kim Ga-on’s face. Indeed, though beautiful, her somewhat rebellious features carried an intimidating edge.

“Director…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve seen this face before.”

“Where?”

“Uh…”

Hikari suddenly opened Seoul City Hall’s website. Unsure what she was doing, I watched as she navigated to the community board and posted a message authored by ‘Kim Ga-on.’

“Holy…”

Why would she post something like this here? Confused, my heart sank reading the title and content.

###

Title: Looking for My Runaway Younger Sister

Author: Kim Ga-on

My younger sister has run away.

My parents, myself, and others have been searching everywhere, but we haven’t found her yet, so I’m posting here.

She looks exactly like me. If you see her, please reply here immediately.

[Attached Photo]

###

“What an irresponsible move…”

“By doing this, you’re basically broadcasting that Kim Nuri is a runaway teenager across the city, you idiot!”

“Shall I hack and delete it?”

Raising her glasses, Hikari’s eyes gleamed dangerously, ready to crash Seoul City Hall’s homepage at my command.

“No. She’ll likely repost it if we delete it. The faster we find her, the better. When was this posted?”

“…The initial post was two weeks ago, the day Director returned from awakening Carna in Russia.”

“That can’t be…”

I felt genuinely irritated, and Hikari furiously typed away, twisting her lips.

“If we started collecting applications in August, how come we didn’t find Kim Nuri but instead found Kim Ga-on submitting hers?”

Moreover, the post had been updated just an hour ago.

This meant that even after two weeks since Kim Nuri ran away, they still hadn’t found her. Meanwhile, Kim Ga-on had already submitted her application to Galaxy University.

“Unbelievable.”

“Let me investigate further.”

Hikari rolled up her sleeves.

“Hikari, prioritize checking Kim Nuri’s information. If time permits, look into others as well.”

“Name?”

“…Yuinah.”

The last heroine remaining in Korea, an irreplaceable existence who absolutely cannot die.

“She was born in 2005. Let’s check now.”

“…”

Yuinah.

Born in 2005.

Search results: 0 hits.

“Eh? She’s not here?”

“…”

Sighing deeply, I gripped Hikari’s shoulder anxiously.

“Hikari.”

“Yes?”

“Can we briefly scan the government database?”

Hikari’s lips curved upward slightly.

***

<Meanwhile, beneath Mapo Bridge>

“Now’s the time to go home. Your parents are worried about you.”

“If they cared, they’d have plastered my face on flyers throughout Seoul alleys by now. Haven’t you seen a single one? Exactly. So stop pretending I’m abandoned because I ran away once!”

“…Kids these days are hard to understand.”

Black Flame Dragon didn’t know how to handle the runaway teenage girl Kim Nuri (15) living under his wing. Initially thinking she was just a troubled teen moving from New Seoul to Seoul, he merely played along, but learning about her family situation forced him to take responsibility for her care.

“Haha, Uncle, I won fair and square. Now it’s your turn to step up.”

“Which parent in their right mind wouldn’t contact their kid after a week?”

“Don’t insult my parents, you scaly loser!”

“Oi, oi. You spilled venom first, now you’re mad at me?”

Black Flame Dragon snorted and shifted his massive body, causing ripples in the Han River below. Lying sprawled across his scales, Kim Nuri nearly tumbled off.

“Ah! Stop fooling around! Damn it, you’re losing your temper!”

“Do you even realize who you’re sitting on?”

“You deliberately shook yourself to mess with me, Uncle!”

“Tch. Your senses are annoyingly sharp. If you’re annoyed, get off my back or go home. Return.”

“Why should I? All my parents think about is using me to make money. You’ve seen the final warning.”

Kim Nuri projected a screen powered by a magical device gifted by Black Flame Dragon.

-If I don’t return home today, consider me gone forever.

“Threatening your kid like that? And they know where you are.”

[Yep. My youth begins now. Ever heard of eighteen springtime?]

“You’re fifteen years old!”

“That’s why I’m asking nicely, Uncle, right?”

Kim Nuri playfully tapped Black Flame Dragon’s scales.

“Uncle, aren’t you part of the Blue Wind Sect? Aren’t you Phoenix’s pet? Then introduce me. I’m great at cleaning and laundry. If I awaken extraordinary abilities and reach S-Rank, I’ll never forget your kindness.”

“Not a pet. Personal transport. Also, the Blue Wind Sect values ability above all else.”

“Exactly! That’s why I want to join to showcase my talents! Whether it’s Yasha, Kinna-ra, or Earth Dragon, I’ll carry the team!”

“Your confidence knows no bounds… Here they come. Hide.”

Black Flame Dragon lowered his wing membrane. Kim Nuri quickly slid down using it like a slide, landing on a makeshift raft constructed from planks beneath the bridge.

Moments later.

Someone leaped off Mapo Bridge. Black Flame Dragon tilted his head to avoid being hit by whoever landed on him.

“Tch.”

[Since reaching S-Rank, you’ve grown so bold. Not long ago, you were trembling as you reported to Director.]

“Got a problem? Let’s duel then.”

Yu I-shin, chewing gum irritably, floated briefly above the water surface by releasing magic power from her feet. Black Flame Dragon gently placed her on his palm.

“Let me arrange a sparring match with Director. If I win, I’ll take some of your magic power. How’s that sound?”

[You’ve stopped showing respect now, huh?]

“If Director says no, fine. Unlike you, I’m currently a full-fledged S-Rank.”

[Then you don’t need the cores I possess anymore, I assume.]

Black Flame Dragon lifted a handful of cores above the water surface. Yu I-shin eyed them greedily but cautiously observed him.

“Eh, eh. Don’t do that. Cough. Shall we revert to formalities? How may I assist you?”

[There’s no point pretending when we both know each other’s true nature.]

Once bound by blue feathers, after suppressing a coup attempt involving them in Moscow, the blue feathers disbanded. Black Flame Dragon became solely Phoenix’s personal transport, while Yu I-shin occasionally earned fame as an S-Rank ability user.

[Did you bring the items I asked for?]

“Yeah, I raided a supply carriage coming from New Seoul.”

Yu I-shin dropped the bags she held in both hands onto Black Flame Dragon’s palm and hastily snatched a core from the other hand.

“Hehe, how do you manage to collect so many cores? Are you venturing far for hunts lately?”

[Don’t ask unnecessary questions. Isn’t it obvious since you set so many conditions?]

Black Flame Dragon tightly gripped a convenience store bag marked US25. But Yu I-shin moved faster, grabbing the bag from his palm.

[What are you trying to pull now?]

“I’m curious. I bought it, sure, but something feels off…”

Yu I-shin pulled out a black-wrapped package from the bag.

“Why do we need women’s underwear and sanitary pads? Explain yourself. Right now.”

[…]

Black Flame Dragon glanced toward the raft. The runaway girl lying flat on the ground drew an X with her finger.

[If I require it, why is that a problem?]

Deciding to brazen it out, Black Flame Dragon hoped nothing would happen if Yu I-shin discovered the runaway girl. He merely wished for her to peacefully reconcile with her family.

“You need it?! For real? Knowing you’re a dark-skinned dude, are you proposing marriage or something?”

If Yu I-shin learned she was part of the Blue Wind Sect, Kim Nuri would undoubtedly beg to join. Black Flame Dragon certainly didn’t want to drag minors into this crazy evil organization.

[…And you accepted the cores knowing this?]

“It doesn’t make sense, so I’m asking. If you give me a good reason, I’ll even throw in my stash as a bonus.”

For the sake of the runaway girl, Black Flame Dragon resolved firmly.

“…What if I truly need it?”

“Ahhh!”

Yu I-shin dropped the black package.

“Ahhh!”

“Who’s there?!”

The raft flipped over.