Chapter 4: A Dark Sky

Yoo Eun-ha. The younger sister of Korea's S-Class Hunter Divine Sword Yoo Jin-seok.

Weak compared to her outstanding Oppa, Eun-ha closed her heart and shut herself away at home.

Thinking this couldn't go on, Jin-seok asked me to write her an Academy recommendation letter, hoping to make her at least a D-Class Hunter.

To be honest, I didn't expect much.

It was a favor for a friend I liked, and she was my friend's sister, right? I thought I could at least do that much. But who could have known it would turn out like this?

On the surface she seemed like a prickly cat. But I thought she was just all talk.

Up until now, whenever Eun-ha acted like a keyboard warrior against Jin-seok, that's exactly how she came across.

"My name is Yoo Eun-ha. My hobby is reading, and my ability is acceleration. I don't particularly like or dislike anything."

When I met my former student again after so long, I noticed she had completely changed.

Her once black hair had turned white, and she had multiple piercings in her ears.

The smell of cigarettes when she opened her mouth right next to me

She seemed like nothing more than a delinquent, but her face that used to be full of whining and irritation was now an emotionless mask.

Honestly, that white hair doesn't even look like it's from awakening. Seems like she just dyed it for fun.

She said her ability was acceleration. Is it the same as Jin-seok's then? Or could she be lying?

Well, we'd find out in the ability test anyway.

And when the ability test time came, I had to completely revise my evaluation of this girl called Yoo Eun-ha.

During the ability test that replicated the wooden doll that me, Jin-seok, and our classmates back then had beaten up, I saw her true worth.

Magic power control beyond my level. Up to here, I thought "well, she is Jin-seok's sister after all." But that's when it started.

With an expressionless face, she stared straight at the wooden doll as if only it and she existed in the world, then moved.

But I couldn't see her at all.

A speed invisible even to my A-Class Hunter eyes. That speed that left barely an afterimage was just like the acceleration Jin-seok uses.

A black shadow moving in front of the wooden doll. The wooden doll breaking and regenerating countless times as only its weak points were struck.

A scene that looked almost possessed to anyone watching.

"Kim Ji-hye."

Just then, Im Yoo-jin, the A-Class Hunter in charge of the ability test simulation room, came with a chart.

"Oh, Yoo-jin. How are the new kids?"

"Reina who uses Spirit Arrow destroyed 1,459 wooden dolls, Divine Sword Si-woo got 1,124. After that Park Ji-soo with 1,114, Han Soo-ji with 1,057."

I'd only watched Eun-ha and missed the others, but there seem to be quite a few promising kids.

Though compared to Eun-ha, that's chicken feed.

She's already passed 7,000 after all.

"Si-woo and Reina are indeed beyond expectations, and Park Ji-soo and Han Soo-ji are impressive too."

"Though we're counting by number of kills, if we just look at the damage meter, Si-woo would win by far."

"What about Eun-ha?"

At Im Yoo-jin's question, Kim Ji-hye pointed with her chin at the scoreboard.

"The kill count is still going up."

Actually, Eun-ha's damage would be higher too.

Well of course it would be. She's only targeting the dolls' cores. Unless we're talking about large monsters where it's hard to target the core.

"What the hell? That's really Eun-ha?"

85—85—86­­

In an instant it reached 8,600.

Wondering if her mana was still okay after all that, I checked her magic power with the meter.

"She's destroying them in one hit faster than she's using up mana?"

That's not all. Her magic circuits are expanding like some kind of nuclear chain reaction.

Is this even possible normally?

It doesn't seem like she's doping either. Because this is already beyond what doping could achieve. Besides, as messed up as she is, Eun-ha would rather not come to the Academy than buy doping drugs.

"Natural talent?"

At this level, she could be deployed to the field right away after just a bit of practice fighting monsters.

No, just the results of today's ability test getting out, with her being Divine Sword's sister on top of that, there's going to be a recruiting war for her.

"With skills like that, why show them off instead of hiding them?"

"Maybe she was going for the hidden power concept? Or since Jin-seok forced her into the Academy, she's just like 'whatever happens happens'."

"This is going to be a headache."

She's already destroyed 9,999 dolls.

Except for the students who left early out of boredom, only Si-woo, Reina, and the other rookies who were the focus of expectations, along with some other students remained, watching Eun-ha's test area with their jaws dropped.

Why don't these siblings know how to hold back?

Jin-seok was pretty bad at holding back too, going around destroying every dungeon he could find. He even hogged all the glory in the Pyongyang Battle.

Eun-ha probably destroyed way more wooden dolls. The counter just doesn't go above 9,999.

"But when is she going to stop destroying them?"

"Huh? Oh, right."

She doesn't know when to stop. She should stop at a reasonable point.

Maybe she's angry about being forced into the Academy.

She did say she hated her Oppa enough to want to kill him.

Maybe those wooden dolls are stand-ins for Jin-seok.

"Student Yoo Eun-ha! That's enough!"

I stopped Eun-ha's movements.

"Ah, yes."

"With talent like this, you're beyond your brother even. Look at the scoreboard."

Eun-ha looked at the numbers on the display and smirked.

Then she twirled her knife and spoke.

"Only 9,999?"

She's definitely got a 'kill Jin-seok' mindset. Might need to keep an eye on this.

"That's just because 9,999 is the max."

"Oh? That's too bad."

How should I put it. Feels like we need to watch Eun-ha more carefully than the Divine Sword user.

After staring intently at the scoreboard for a while, Eun-ha pressed her eyes shut several times.

Her eyes must hurt. That gesture is kind of cute.

"Instructor. Are we done for today then?"

"Oh, y-yeah."

Eun-ha fidgeted anxiously then headed home, ignoring her friends calling after her.

* * *

"Ah, my body's melting. Melting."

I groaned in pain like an old person with aching joints.

I can't take anymore. My whole body is screaming in agony. Feels like bugs are crawling all over me.

The sky is still dark and gloomy.

I fumbled around for the table, put a cigarette in my mouth and lit it.

Now my body's finally starting to loosen up.

Getting a higher score than the protagonist in yesterday's ability test was really unexpected.

The combination of Acceleration and Parallel Circuit is the worst.

Using it just once a day makes me feel like I'm dying.

What kind of premature ejaculation build is this. Ah, since I don't have a dick I can't be premature, so is this how I get to experience it?

"Ah, I don't want to go to the Academy."

Why should I go? I learned that working means losing. Isn't going to the Academy also part of working?

I don't want to go. I absolutely don't want to go. Should I skip today?

It's still dark but it's 7 AM. I need to get up and get ready.

My vision brightens again with each drag of the cigarette.

"Not going at all would be ideal."

Choi Si-woo with the Divine Sword is the protagonist. I'm definitely not the protagonist.

If I unnecessarily outperform the protagonist, that's the moment I become the protagonist.

But I can't just not go to the Academy either since I don't have much money left in my account. I need to graduate quickly and become a Hunter.

Why is fate so cruel?

Still, I have to go.

In any world, academic credentials matter.

Later if I skip Academy a lot and then try to get hired as a Hunter at some Guild after graduating.

"Wow, can you even hold a sword?"

"So she was just a slacker. If it was a guy we could at least use him as a porter. Sigh."

I can already feel the contempt this era would have for me.

But, with my memories as a man, I've already experienced being worked to the bone as a slave.

Plus this body is super weak. It's amazing it can even handle Acceleration and Parallel Circuit.

"Sniff sniff."

Smelling my body after noticing a sour smell, the stench of sweat hits my nose.

Some guys have this misconception.

Girls sweat and stink too.

Some dudes would call it an industry reward. But I hate it.

After a quick shower, I drank sugar water for breakfast.

It's absolutely not because I'm poor. When I got kicked out of the house, Jin-seok, famous as the protagonist of the previous work, gave me money.

This is the sequel now so that bastard is successful with a bright future and lots of money.

Naturally as his blood relative, don't I have a right to that money too? So Eun-ha without the man's memories accepted it.

The reason I take the money even while fighting all the time is this:

It's like when you have a huge fight with your parents and hole up in your room acting tough, then:

"Eat some chicken."

"Okay."

You don't want to apologize for fighting but you want the chicken so you call a temporary truce - that kind of feeling?

He'll probably give me enough allowance until I start working as a Hunter.

Should I go buy some side dishes today?

But first I need to go to the Academy right?

Looking at my phone, it's about time to head to school.

* * *

"As expected of Divine Sword's little sister. I guess blood will tell huh?"

I was fiddling with my phone after arriving at the Academy when our protagonist sat next to me with a smirk.

"Blood has nothing to do with it. It's just coincidence."

Just a bug for 9,999 maybe?

"Coincidence for 9,999? Even Divine Sword couldn't reach 1,500. This is ridiculous. I've decided. From now on you're my rival!"

Reina suddenly declared while poking my chest with her finger.

"I can't lose either. Especially as a fellow woman, I absolutely cannot let this stand. You are my rival."

What is this, some cheap novel?

"I've decided. Divine Sword? Don't make me laugh. I who stands above all others! Yoo Eun-ha! From today you are my rival!"

The heroine Reina is quite aggressive with a sense of superiority.

That's why she initially maintains a rival relationship with the protagonist Si-woo. I'm too quiet to be anyone's rival.

The reason I'm explaining this again is because the development is going strangely now.

Why am I the rival?

I'm weak. I'm dead without using Acceleration and Parallel Circuit.

Even then, after using them my body itches like crazy and the weather gets dark.

And now even the protagonist. Did I just take the fated rival position instead of being a heroine?

"But why did you leave in such a hurry yesterday?"

"Because the weather got dark?"

Why are you asking something so obvious?

"The weather was bright yesterday though?"

Liar.

"Come to think of it, they say that happens when there's a Gate nearby. Well, specifically when there are S-Class monsters."

"More importantly, did you see what's up on Hunter Gallery?"

"Gallery?"

"Yeah. Look. Your video is trending."

Si-woo suddenly operated his phone and showed me a post.

[Title: This year's Hanseong Academy rookie.avi]

The title was Hanseong Academy rookie. The content was a video of me destroying wooden dolls while using Acceleration and Parallel Circuit. And that rapidly increasing kill count above is quite impressive.

I'm mostly just an afterimage.

Just destroying wooden doll cores with a dagger. It's a Netube video, and the title already has my name on it.

The comments are varied too.

"Who is she? She's faster than America's famous Flash Gina."

"That's Yoo Eun-ha, Divine Sword Jin-seok's sister. Read the video description."

"Damn look at those hip movements in the afterimage. Girl I'm dying."

"Holy shit. Look at the end. She's fucking gorgeous. Is she a doll?"

"lol look at the piercings in her ears. Who cares if she's strong? She's a delinquent. Probably a slut lol"

"Next up eternal E-Class Hunter fat bitch"

"Yeah shut up tiny dick Korean man~"

"She doesn't even know you exist, fatty"

The Netube video was already famous after just one day. Over 5 million views and the likes are no joke.

Just looking at Netube's own comments, you can see various languages from countries around the world.

Korean comments created by King Sejong are hard to find.

The view count rising even as we speak.

Whoever uploaded this should thank me. They got tens of thousands of subscribers thanks to me.

"Hmm, everyone's definitely looking at you differently now."

Looking carefully, those who saw me as just Divine Sword's sister and a useless female yesterday are now looking with admiration or interest.

The girl who dissed me yesterday can only glare while clenching her fists and trembling.

"Well with effects that amazing, of course."

But...

Why should I care?

* * *