Chapter 676

〈Chapter 676〉 Part 2, Chapter 4, Episode 03

It had been two days since we submitted our guild application to the New Seoul Hero Academy.

– If you apply with a name like this, I won’t help you next time.

Because of pressure from the president of the Hero Association, Nightmare Seol Ji-young, we were not allowed to use the name “Magical Cuties.” So, I told Seol Ji-young a new name, and with bated breath, my team and I waited for the announcement day of the practice guilds.

– Congratulations, Blue Wind Sect has been selected as a practice guild for our academy.

“Of course we passed since we bribed the lobby of the Korean Hero Association. Puhuhu.”

Instead, I informed Seol Ji-young about an A-Rank monster hiding near Yeongjong Island. Even providing information on an unknown A-Rank monster was the limit for us being chosen as the practice guild.

“Young Gyeoul, isn’t it meaningless anyway? More than a hundred guilds applied, and even small guilds with five members or less passed.”

“We do have a somewhat bad reputation externally.”

“A single B-Rank hunting achievement would’ve met the criteria.”

“Even if we tried to increase that, it would just attract unnecessary aggro and lead to disqualification. It’s better to fail early and irritate Seol Ji-young.”

Our guild ended up on the exclusion list due to poor performance—B-Rank monsters and above were hunted but never reported—and rumors that we only indulged in sex every day because of foreign capital involvement.

“It’s just a show of weakness this time. We’re desperate to gain someone’s favor. It’s an appeal to Nightmare.”

“Isn’t it the opinion of someone who’s desperate to lay a Fire Demoness in bed?”

“If saving her means meeting her in bed too, then so be it?”

I couldn’t argue back. Yuna and Nuri both complained a lot about me, but hearing complaints from Ra-on at this moment wasn’t pleasant either.

“This won’t do. The academy added one condition, and I’ve chosen you.”

“…Condition?”

“Yeah. Instead of past achievements, there’s a condition to achieve something within a week: hunt a B-Rank monster or higher, capture a C-Rank villain or higher, or defeat an A-Rank academy instructor named ‘Laytel’ in combat.”

“No matter which option we choose, it feels like they’re deliberately trying to eliminate us.”

#<Quest>

1. Hunt a B-Rank monster or higher within a week.


2. Capture a C-Rank villain or higher within a week.


3. Defeat the academy instructor <Laytel> of A-Rank in battle.

“Ra-on, doesn’t it feel like a video game quest?”

“In a way, it does. Thankfully, we only need to complete one out of three conditions to pass the second review, so that’s fortunate. Really.”

To recruit the Fire Demoness, we must accomplish at least one of these three tasks. As usual in games, when more than one task is given, we usually only complete one.

‘These guys aren’t that sloppy.’

A game company filled with hostility towards players wouldn’t make such a foolish setup. Completing two tasks would confirm the recruitment of the Fire Demoness, and completing all three would unlock a ‘special event’ as a reward.

“Exactly. They’ll probably be shocked if we complete all three.”

“…Can we really do all three within a week?”

“Yeah. We need to clear all three. We can’t keep getting mocked as C-Rank forever, right? This is our Kyul-Kyul Squad after all.”

“Our name is Blue Wind Sect. Boss, can we achieve all three within a week? You don’t intend to bring Gaon into play, do you?”

Though we survived in Seoul, our strength hasn’t increased much yet. Therefore, without mobilizing Kim Gaon, an A-Rank special ability user, it looks quite difficult to stack achievements.

“Not really? I’ll have Gaon use C-Rank power. There’s a B-Rank monster we can take down with just two people. Remember, I chose you.”

“…What?”

“Yeah.”

I took something out of a Yu-Sung Department Store shopping bag. Upon seeing what I held, Ra-on immediately twisted his face in disgust.

“Wear hot pants, Ra-on.”

If it were a skirt, I would’ve taken Nuri.

* * *

<Three Hours Later, 4 PM on the Tongyeong-Daejeon Expressway.>

The trailer sped along the road. As always, I sat in the passenger seat, planning our route and strategy for the upcoming hunt in the area we were heading to.

“Freak.”

“Same old story.”

My black-haired golden-eyed secretary, Ha Yu-eun (Yuha), snickered while looking at what I was watching on the floating screen powered by magical gear. On the screen played a video of a mermaid monster exposing its upper body and attacking people.

“Are you going to go supply your family of monsters with magic power? Or perhaps suddenly fall in love with a princess of the sea?”

“Do you even think I’m the kind of person who would do that to a monster?”

“That would be fortunate if you were.”

Yuha sharply turned the trailer’s steering wheel. Even slightly outside New Seoul, E-Rank monster carcasses littered the roads, making it wiser to avoid them rather than run over them.

“Yuha, how could I possibly do anything with those beasts?”

“Right?”

“At the very least, they should look human. Not that I’d do anything with a monster… No, I will plant something, but not my manhood; I’ll plant bullets.”

I pulled out a gun from my coat pocket and casually shook it. Yuha stared at me with a baffled expression for a while—though the car was in autonomous mode, there was no danger of an accident—and then sighed, turning her head forward again with a defeated laugh.

“…I’ll believe you reluctantly, but watch out, maybe later you’ll stick that big, sturdy gun somewhere else.”

Hmph?!

Kim Penril, who had been lying on my thigh, abruptly perked up her tail and jumped in shock. I quickly opened the system window, wondering if an S-Rank DLC monster or a dimensional gate had suddenly appeared.

“…Nothing?”

Nya, nyaah, nyaah…

In her cat form, Kim Penril awkwardly stretched. Since returning alive from America, she has stuck close to me in her feline state, but I hoped she’d soon start moving around in her human form.

April 1st.

During March, Kim Penril began testing the waters to see if she truly wanted to become a proper teammate. This marks the start of Chapter 2, and naturally, the boss of Chapter 2 is <Penril of Gale>.

‘It’s a national rule to recruit Flame Demoness Jeong Shuri in early March and deploy <Penril of Gale> on April 1st.’

An A-Rank heroine of fire attribute.

And an S-Rank villain of wind attribute who, for some reason, can only unleash B-Rank—or sometimes A-Rank—power.

As the basic principle of RPG games dictates that newly recruited allies should have a place to shine, recruiting Jeong Shuri naturally makes defeating Penril easier. Accumulating affection points while she’s in her cat form before that is crucial. I gently supported Penril’s tensed rear.

“Why are you so startled? Is it because of the gun?”

Nya, nyaah…

“Threatening a cat with such a monstrously large gun causes that reaction.”

“Is that so? Oh.”

Kim Penril slipped away from my arms and disappeared through a small passage behind the middle seat into the connecting corridor leading to where Yuna, Ra-on, and Gaon were.

“Boy, he’s shy.”

“Still, for a cat, she’s pretty tame, isn’t she? Lucky she doesn’t scratch or bite. For someone with such a fierce name.”

“She’s half-wolf.”

“Anyway, I’ll use this gun to attack monsters. That’s why I brought three of you.”

“Poor Nuri, having to babysit Sun Gyeoul just because of such a perverted reason.”

“We need at least one person to guard the office.”

Would it be embarrassing to bring Ra-on who might look ridiculous in hot pants?

Or should I bring Nuri who induces a strange sense of betrayal when wearing a skirt?

<Current Squad>

1. Yuinah, C, Light 30


2. Park Ra-on, C, Wind 31


3. Kim Gaon, A, Water 86


4. Ha Yu-eun, C, Radiance 35 [Xroid]


5. Penril of Gale, SS, Wind 99

Since only five can be brought for the small-scale expedition for the quest, I had no choice but to leave Nuri behind. If I left Yuha, there would be no one to drive the trailer or handle chores, and leaving Kim Penril would result in significant loss of flags needed to trigger the affection event.

“Nuri will be lonely alone, so let’s wrap this up quickly and get back. Anyway, I don’t plan to stay here for more than three days.”

We’ll arrive in the evening, unpack, and start busy work tomorrow morning to ‘eliminate the B-Rank monster.’ Then, we’ll either return to New Seoul late at night or the following morning.

“What if we bring Nuri down here?”

“What, did you set a trap in Yeosu?”

“Umm…not exactly, but I figured Nuri roughly knows the situation. It’s not hard to book another hotel room in Yeosu, right?”

“That’s true, but Nuri has other things to do.”

The future woman known as <Wild Lust>, Kim Nuri. Now is the time to actively utilize her magical ‘talent’ of reacting sensitively to others’ malice.

“Nuri is busy catching villains.”

Which also means she is optimized for capturing those deeply attuned to dark elemental magic.

* * *

<At that moment, inside a ventilation duct of a certain hotel building in New Seoul.>

“Hmph.”

C-Rank, water attribute, Level 38 Kim Nuri followed someone’s laughter and unfolded a map. The holographic layout of the hotel building revealed countless moving objects.

“Hmph, as expected, older brother knows people well to assign me this task.”

Nuri glanced at her reflection on the magical gear and smiled faintly. Her outfit, from the mask covering her face to the all-black attire from head to toe, resembled that of a thief.

“Thinking otherwise, sis?”

“Don’t care.”

Behind Nuri stood someone identical to her, presumably her twin, dressed identically. Though resembling Nuri, her voice wasn’t Kim Gaon’s.

There was one difference: the mask. A mask divided into black and white halves – <Masquerade>‘s.

“Why did you give me such a task in the first place…?”

[Do you have any complaints? You have to do this much if you want to engage in judicial trading.]

“Hmph…”

Cheon Gaeul grumbled and dropped her head. The confidential transmission relayed through magical gear carried the soft yet pressing voice of a young woman.

“Hey, Ms. <Nightmare>. I’m not a kid anymore. I’m older than a carton of eggs.”

[…Hmm, okay. Sister. Sorry. But what can I do about the procedures? Hehe.]

“There’s no need to fake sounding older. Geez.”

[AHAHAHAHA!!]

Nightmare burst out laughing genuinely. Despite knowing the noise wouldn’t be heard outside, Nuri and Gaeul felt their hearts sink.

“What’s with that sudden laugh? Is it that funny?”

“….Hmm, something feels off.”

“Feels off? …Oh, this is it, right?”

[Stay still. I’m sensing magic… Yes, it’s nearby.]

Just as Nightmare spoke, the two found a vent leading downwards from the air duct. After exchanging glances and nodding, they carefully leaped down from the ceiling.

“One shot.”

“Eh… Excuse me.”

The two thieves arrived in a control room filled with numerous CCTV cameras. Monitors displayed villains battling heroes separated by barriers, while in the center of the control room stood a man wearing a headset, yelling loudly.

“What are you doing?! Heroes, why aren’t you stopping them immediately?! We pay you for this, you morons! Tsk tsk, this is why kids from Hell Korea-”

“Darkness Cutting Blade!”

Puuuuuufff. Nuri swung the nearby wireless keyboard onto the man’s headset.

“Keukh!”

The man fell forward, blood vessels bursting from his mouth. The wireless keyboard, imbued with Nuri’s water magic, transformed into a water bat.

“Another insignificant thing destroyed. Phew, this girl is scary.”

After swiftly restraining the man, Nuri gestured to Gaeul.

“Sis, copy him.”

“Copy? Not exactly though.”

Gaeul kicked the man’s back with her magic-infused foot. Through the contact, she quickly transformed into the man and grabbed the microphone.

“Ah, there was a disturbance. You fools! What were you doing while intruders came this far?! Go fight now, you idiots! Follow my orders, and everything will be resolved!”

While Gaeul yelled commands, the subordinates kept getting suppressed by the heroes instead.

“What?! Did they get captured because of me? Stop trolling! That’s nonsense!”

“….Ah, crap.”

As Gaeul continued ranting, Nuri examined the man’s identity and frowned.

“He’s a C-Rank villain….”

The man’s eyes, once freed from the headset, gleamed far too brightly to belong to a mere villain.