Chapter 864

EP.864 [Light Novel Side Story] Death Dinass of the Creator’s Sky 1-011

“If this were a motel or something, I would’ve called the cops.”

“What exactly do you take me for?”

“Some blonde hooligan flirting with everyone?”

“…….”

Xian glanced at his reflection in the glass once more.

“Blonde hooligan…?”

He admitted to being blonde and having a typical Hispanic face, but the comment about hitting on anyone was something even Xian couldn’t stomach.

“I’m not that kind of person.”

“My mom says all men say that.”

“…Which is true, but still, not me.”

“And then they always follow up with ‘Do you trust your brother?'”

Xian blatantly scanned Nuri up and down. Nuri instinctively shrank back from his gaze.

“What, what is that look supposed to mean right now?”

“Maybe I should’ve dressed you up differently. A school uniform might lead to some misunderstandings.”

Xian looked around. As he said, the combination of a foreigner and a high school girl was enough to spark nasty imaginations from the onlookers.

Fortunately, they managed to escape the uncomfortable stares quickly.

“Attention, number 293 testee, please proceed to testing room C.”

“Let’s go, it’s our turn.”

Xian stood up from his seat at the called number. Nuri reluctantly followed behind after standing up as well.

Is this really the right thing to do? The arbitrary retest costs hundreds of thousands of won. Nuri cautiously asked while rushing to keep up with Xian who was striding forward confidently.

“Uncle, you realize this is basically like throwing money into thin air, right?”

“Why?”

“Well, I already had a retest last December through the national certified awakening test. That’s where I was classified as an unawakened individual.”

“…So you spent New Year’s Eve cracking open cheap beer and philosophizing about life, huh?”

“Of course! Not even knowing how much magic power I have inside me, let alone if it even moves. I mistakenly thought the retest cycle was every two years… Ahh?!”

Xian flicked Nuri’s forehead with his finger before gesturing for her to enter the examination room.

“Just come in already.”

“Hmph.”

Nuri pressed her tingling forehead, feeling tears welling up from the injustice but not daring to swear or vent her frustration in front of others.

“Just wait till you fail again. You’re buying me expensive liquor.”

Nuri resolved to search for pricey whiskey as soon as she got home, then entered the examination room.

Wheeeeeee—-

The large testing machine, with its magic coil spinning, had a separate panel for placing one’s palm. As always, Nuri placed her right hand flat on the panel. An attendant nearby stopped her with an annoyed expression.

“Excuse me… This is government property. Please handle it carefully.”

“……”

Nuri closed her eyes without a word. The attendant, glancing at the unruly high school girl and her accompanying guardian Xian, mechanically recited the testing precautions.

“…Accordingly, you can only be tested once a year. Please remember that. Since today is February 5th, you won’t be able to retake the test until January 1st next year.”

“I understand.”

“…Kim Nuri’s last test date was December 25th, 2024. Last Christmas, huh? Hehe.”

The attendant barely contained their laughter, which eventually burst out.

No matter how strong the will to retake the test, there was no one who came back for another test just two months apart. Opening her eyes filled with humiliation, Nuri glared at Xian then bit her lips. Xian shrugged nonchalantly.

“Alright, let’s begin the test.”

As soon as the attendant finished speaking, a purplish light of magic shot up from the panel, enveloping Nuri’s hand.

Even though she had come this far, Nuri fervently prayed in her heart to teach that attendant a lesson.

‘Please awaken! Please awaken!’

It would be fine even if my maximum growth limit turns out terrible.

Even if I become one of those common people awakening these days, a water-element E-rank special ability user. Please, just don’t let me get the result of ‘unabled’ with no growth potential detected in the magic pattern analysis like before.

The testing machine spat out the results of analyzing Nuri’s magic pattern. The attendant pulled out the result sheet with a lazy hand, only to widen their eyes in surprise.

“Eh, eh?”

Is the testing machine broken? The attendant repeatedly compared the previous and current results.

There was no detectable magic pattern two months ago, yet now there was clearly active magic flowing within her body.

December 25th and February 3rd.

What on earth happened in those mere forty-plus days? Just as the attendant was unconsciously trying to hide the result sheet by holding their breath, Xian whistled while snatching the sheet.

“As expected. Congratulations, Nuri.”

Xian handed the test sheet to Nuri. Already expecting something from the attendant’s reaction, but never imagining such an event happening to herself, Nuri trembled as she accepted the sheet.

– Earth 55, Water 37, Fire 13, Wind 49, Light 04, Dark 50.

“What are you doing, Uncle?”

Xian was covering the darkness attribute and the activated magic pattern with his finger. Smirking, Xian revealed the covered section.

“Though it’s disappointing that the activated magic is water-based…”

Xian smirked again as he uncovered the darkness attribute he had hidden with his left hand.

“Darkness attribute maximum growth limit 95. So you’re completely a child of darkness?”

“What?”

Nuri was utterly bewildered by the numbers before her eyes. The attendant beside her also excitedly explained.

“95 is the upper end of S-rank. So Kim Nuri Testee, after awakening your dark magic power and reaching 95, if you somehow increase your growth limit by 10,000…”

“To reach the highest level 96, SS-rank. Congratulations.”

Nuri burst into tears.

* * *

“So the reason you bought a whole cake downstairs is to celebrate?”

“You didn’t buy a chocolate cake because she awakened as S-rank in the darkness attribute, did you?”

Scratching his cheek under Yuna and Raon’s criticism, Xian replied,

“It’s a historic awakening, so that kind of reaction is somewhat…”

“Hmph, we’re just jealous. Basic maximum growth limit S-rank special ability user. And they say she’s already knight-ranked.”

Nuri displayed the article featuring her face.

In just an hour, information about Nuri spread throughout the community, detailing even her family relations including her parents and sister. Confirming the reactions while Yuna read the article,

“‘How will the kid who just went back to school after winter break handle being S-rank?’, ‘Academy applications are already closed, what will they do with her?’, ‘From the Pekda Guild, please contact us’…?”

“It’s because it’s been a while since the last S-rank appeared. …But currently, she’s practically still a C-rank water-type.”

“Ugh, but once I grow, I’ll be S-rank! It’s a coin guaranteed to skyrocket!”

“Could be delisted before it rises.”

At Xian’s calm rebuttal, Nuri forced a laugh.

“You’re the one who figured out I awakened. Are you really saying that?”

“You’re C-rank right now. Growth limit simply indicates how far you can develop; your current level is water-type 37. If something happens before then…”

Xian bowed his head to Raon. Raon shook her head calmly sharing her opinion.

“The battlefield is where even A-ranks can get injured. No matter how much potential you have to grow into S-rank, it’s meaningless if you get hurt or die beforehand.”

“Hmph! That will never happen. Like, who would expect getting hurt?”

Nuri pouted, showing her dissatisfaction. Seeing her completely ignoring the advice, Raon furrowed her eyebrows, while Yuna became restless. At that moment, Xian clapped his hands to draw attention.

“Alright! Now that Kim Nuri has completed the special ability awakening and C-rank registration, are you feeling better?”

“Feeling? Hahaha! Of course! Don’t you see the magical gear catching fire?”

Nuri laughed, clutching her stomach.

With calls coming from unknown numbers for the first time ever, Nuri panicked and took off her magical gear from her wrist. Nodding at that, Xian stood up from his seat and put on his coat hanging on the rack.

“Then I need to go to work now.”

“……Huh?”

“One, two, three special ability users.”

Pointing at Raon, Nuri, and Yuna with his fingers, Xian grinned.

“They say you should pull out the iron when it’s hot, so let’s head to the dungeon right away.”

“Guild master, shouldn’t you sit down first?”

“Yuna? …Ms. Yuina?”

“Sit down.”

Despite the overly aggressive progression that wasn’t quite swift, Yuna managed to calm Xian down and made him sit back down.

* * *

According to the dungeon management system established by the global Hero Association, E-rank dungeons are so easy that even regular people can clear them.

99% consist of non-aggressive monsters, and even non-magical individuals can conquer them with core weapons. The dungeon boss attacks with a force comparable to a stray cat’s scratch.

No wonder why ‘E-rank dungeon runs’ have taken over jobs like package loading/unloading or construction labor. E-rank dungeons are incredibly easy to clear.

‘Tutorial Dungeons.’

As tutorial dungeons often are, the rewards after clearing them are extremely minimal.

Working non-stop for 8 hours a day, one could barely earn 100,000 won.

A rule requiring at least one special ability user to accompany as a precaution against unforeseen incidents.

Regular people must carry core weapons when entering dungeons.

Operating at a loss, these dungeons never yield any ‘efficiency,’ and special ability users wouldn’t bother clearing dungeons with no risk of losing control.

“So Yuna and I came here for a full-strength test.”

Xian shattered a slime stuck to the wall with his gun held upside down. The bursting slime splattered mucus, some of which touched Yuna’s cheek close to Xian.

“……”

While exploring dungeons usually gets dirtier than this, Yuna kept her pouty expression unchanged. Surprised by the mucus on Yuna’s cheek, Xian apologized.

“Mi, sorry?”

“It’s not because of this.”

About that secret… Yuna turned her gaze away from the gun Xian wielded like an axe. Meanwhile, Raon and Nuri were happily busting slimes using rented core weapons.

Xian took out a handkerchief and wiped the mucus off Yuna’s face. They stood apart watching Raon and Nuri’s hunting.

“Seems like she’s definitely lived up to her past reputation. Her movements are concise without any unnecessary motions.”

“Talking about Sister Raon?”

They whispered softly watching Raon twirling her short spear. Xian marveled at her military-like precision in thrusting the spear.

“Amazing. If only her magic power backed her up, she’d be back to her old form.”

“Nee, Guild Master, Sister Raon…”

“I know. Her core is broken. That’s why her current magic output is barely D-rank, right?”

If Raon were using normal weapons instead of core weapons, she probably would’ve had to stab the slime two or three times.

The faint green magic glowing at the tip of her 1.5-meter short spear was barely visible even in the dimly lit dungeon.

“A big tank with holes everywhere, unable to store anything except the bottom. That’s the typical condition of special ability users with broken cores.”

“Then is recovery possible…?”

Xian shook his head.

“While research is ongoing globally, no one has successfully restored a core yet. It’s practically the heart of a special ability user. And…”

Watching Raon’s combat, Xian noticed something odd intermittently. Compared to her combat footage from her active days, her techniques were undoubtedly more refined, yet there was a distinct sense of incongruity.

‘I’ll figure that out eventually.’

“Kyaahhh! Kyaahhhhh!”

Xian halted his thoughts at the ear-piercing scream. The source of the high-pitched shriek echoing throughout the dungeon, Kim Nuri, was wildly swinging her sword-shaped core weapon in the air.

“This, what should I do?! Kyaahhh!”

“……What to do? Slash.”

Xian looked disdainfully at the red slime crawling towards them like a snail. Nuri stepped backward each time the slime approached, flailing her sword.

“Don’t come! Don’t come! Eeek!?”

“Yuna, what’s the relationship between a C-rank special ability user and a slime?”

“It’s like the relationship between an adult man and a housefly.”

Sighing deeply, Yuna gripped her staff. Unable to watch any longer, she moved forward to deal with it herself, but Xian extended his arm to stop her.

“She should be able to defeat a slime on her own. She’s our main damage dealer after all.”

“Does swinging at thin air count as dealing damage?”

Raon, who had just recovered the slime’s core, criticized with an unpleasant expression. Recalling Raon’s relatively sharpened perspective, Xian consoled her.

“Everyone starts like that, right?”

“My first real battle was against an orc.”

“…You’ve grown strong. But Nuri is 20 years old now. She realized she was a special ability user just half a day ago.”

“I awakened my special abilities while killing an orc that emerged from a dimensional gate.”

Xian tightly shut his eyes. Though his expression remained calm, Raon was clearly voicing her dissatisfaction. Carefully guessing the cause, Xian asked cautiously.

“Are you upset because you were assigned as the tank?”

“……That’s not it.”

Raon averted her gaze. Xian felt his guess was correct.

“Are you mad because you were assigned as the tank?”

“You were the top ace damage dealer in the guild before leaving <Chungun>, right…?”

Recalling the background she had discreetly checked on Raon, Yuna became troubled.

Tank. Damage Dealer. Supporter. Whether in dungeons or raids, the classic ‘party play’ combinations naturally applied to this group as well. Analyzing everyone’s full strength, Xian allocated roles most rationally.

First, the supporter capable of using healing magic, Yuinah.

The veteran using her experience to cover the front lines, Park Ra-on.

And among the three, the one with the highest magic output and strongest attack power as the damage dealer, Kim Nori.

“Eeek?! Don’t just stand there watching, help me!”

Where did her usual tomboyish attitude go? Unable to land even a single successful attack against a slime weaker than a fly, she struggled helplessly. Watching Nuri freeze completely against the wall, Xian hung his head.

“……Please.”

“Alright.”

Raon and Yuna used their weapons to crush the slime that had reached Nuri’s shoe. Only then did Nuri tremble and barely stab the slime with her sword.

Pooosh. The slime dissolved instantly upon contacting Nuri’s water-element imbued sword. Nuri collapsed against the wall, her tension released.

“Geez.”

Xian brought up the screen of his magical gear and jotted down notes.

Slimes encountered so far: 16.

Yuinah: 3

Park Ra-on: 12

Kim Nori: 1

“……We’re almost done.”

Will Nuri manage to defeat even one before they clear all 20 slimes? Estimating the distance to the boss room where the King Slime awaited, Xian anxiously adjusted the pistol in its holster beneath his coat.

“Eeek! The slime changed colors?! It’s rolling around inside! Kyaahhh??”

Ultimately, by the time they reached the door to the King Slime, Kim Nori hadn’t defeated a single slime.