NOVEL NEXT 63. Creating a Decent School Connection Is This Difficult (6)
Bang!
“Everyone, stand back!”
Hyun Siwoo pushed the surrounding hunters back.
Every single strike exchanged between Glitch and Hyun Habin was excessively powerful. If anyone were caught in the crossfire by mistake, even uninvolved third-party hunters or demons could lose their lives.
‘There’s absolutely no opening to intervene.’
Their battle raged on relentlessly without a moment’s pause.
It was only because he was Hyun Siwoo that he could even grasp how the situation was unfolding.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen Hyun Habin’s true abilities.’
In the first iteration, Hyun Habin had used Neaiba as her main weapon, focusing on magical attacks.
But this time, with Ahezar as her primary weapon, close-range sword techniques became her main form of attack.
“In her previous life, she was in a mage position, so I thought the swordsman position might be awkward for her……”
‘But somehow, she seems to be even better at this?’
Anyone watching would think she’d been training in swordsmanship for decades.
Amidst the wind from the shockwaves, Hyun Siwoo wore an incredulous expression.
‘How can she be good at both?’
◆◇◆◇◆
At the same time, there was another person having similar thoughts to Hyun Siwoo.
Keeng!
‘……She blocks this?’
Glitch, taking a step back, frowned.
Beings of the demon realm are fundamentally masters of magic.
So, what more could be said about the Demon God who stood at their apex?
Each spell he was using now was the kind of sorcery and attacks that only appeared in legends.
A power that couldn’t even be nullified without considerable strength.
It was something he wouldn’t even bring out against ordinary opponents for fear of killing them.
Clang-!
And now, all of that was being nullified by a single sword strike from this human.
‘……And with just one hand, at that.’
His eyes narrowed.
Yes, that was the issue. Hyun Habin was accomplishing all of this with just one hand.
Although Glitch wasn’t attacking with his full power either, this human was blatantly fighting him using only one hand.
Because in her other hand, she was holding a small sauce container.
Glitch glared at the mysterious sauce in Habin’s left hand. The red sauce container she had pulled out before the fight, telling him to prepare himself.
Seeing that it was labeled ‘Nuclear Spicy Chicken Stir-fry Noodle Sauce’…
“……”
Surely it couldn’t be used for… the purpose he was thinking of.
For a moment, the tingling taste of ‘cup ramen’ flashed through his mind. Glitch broke into a cold sweat and wore a troubled expression.
“Looks like you still have the luxury to be distracted?”
Hyun Habin shook the sauce container in her other hand with a savage expression. Due to her rhythmic motion and the shockwave, the lid opened halfway, releasing a spicy aroma.
A fragrance so red it was almost black.
“……”
He could at least tell that consuming that would bring about immense pain.
The moment he smelled it, Glitch felt an unknown fear for the first time in his demonic life.
“……Huh?”
He let out an exclamation as if dumbfounded.
To think that he, Glitch, would feel fear over something like this—if other constellations or system administrators knew, they would mock him for eternity.
‘You have a talent for making situations ridiculous.’
Threatening an opponent with a spicy sauce container while effortlessly blocking attacks. And not just any attacks, but those of the Demon God.
At this point, it wasn’t just making the situation ridiculous; it was toying with it.
‘To have such leisure, she must have that level of skill.’
Glitch watched as Hyun Habin cleanly cut through his next spell.
‘Moreover, that technique……’
The sword energy that effortlessly received the Demon God’s strike. And the unique swordsmanship that simply nullified attacks coming simultaneously from unexpected directions.
This was a level that even most constellations couldn’t achieve.
‘It reminds me of a legendary War God who was once very famous in the human realm. Is it just my imagination?’
Just as Glitch was lost in reminiscence due to this elusive clue-
“Didn’t I tell you not to get distracted?”
Crack.
“……!”
Habin’s attack, seizing that exact moment of inattention, caused Glitch to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
With the sword barely grazing his neck, Glitch opened his mouth while glancing at it.
“……You didn’t thrust? Are you showing mercy because I’m your senior?”
His voice was still quite composed, as if his spirit hadn’t been broken. Habin replied with a fierce voice while looking at his face.
“Oh no? Like hell I’m showing mercy.”
She smiled with her eyes and cheerfully shook the sauce with a light motion.
The outer packaging was adorned with the product name and promotional text in fancy lettering.
-Shake before use! Nuclear Spicy Chicken Stir-fry Noodle Sauce.
-Enjoy an even more intense spicy flavor!
Crack.
As she properly opened the lid, the capsaicin scent that had been merely wafting before now began to emanate more dangerously and thickly.
“I’m going to let you experience something even more incredible than that.”
“W-wait.”
Feeling a sense of crisis, Glitch stiffened his body.
“As your junior, I should treat my senior to some precious food, right?”
“Food……. You call that food?”
Isn’t that poison?
Glitch looked at the reddish-black sauce container with disbelief.
“……”
Without answering, Habin smiled and grabbed Glitch’s collar. Then, dipping her other hand generously into the sauce-
“Never underestimate the people of garlic again.”
“Kuhack!”
She kindly applied it to Glitch’s eyes.
◆◇◆◇◆
“As expected, cruel human!”
Kriksha, watching Habin and Glitch from afar, especially Glitch writhing in pain, let out an exclamation of admiration.
“Oho! By the way, what is that? I never imagined such a torture device. How creative!”
Kriksha, who had introduced himself as a torture specialist on the 26th floor, was quite intrigued by the origin and ingredient composition of this unfamiliar reddish-black poison—Kriksha firmly believed the Nuclear Spicy Chicken Stir-fry Noodle Sauce to be poison.
“Next time I’ll befriend that human and definitely find out the manufacturing method……. Ah, no. I should pray that human never comes back here.”
Ahem.
Kriksha cleared his throat awkwardly.
“……So, senior, how do you find the taste of capsaicin you’re experiencing for the first time in your life?”
Meanwhile, Hyun Habin was kindly pouring the Nuclear Spicy Chicken Stir-fry Noodle Sauce into Glitch’s mouth.
“Kuk, kuheck. This, cough- isn’t this going too far?”
“You went too far with me too, didn’t you? You know you almost killed me, right?”
“You didn’t die, so it’s fine. You even gained a skill, isn’t that good?”
“……This person still hasn’t come to his senses?”
“Kuheck?”
Habin tilted the angle of the bottle. As the sauce flowed down more steeply, Glitch quickly replied.
“W-well, didn’t you impersonate me first? Have you forgotten that?”
“Ah, that’s right?”
Slurp.
Habin stopped pouring the sauce with an ‘oops’ expression.
“……It’s 2 to 1 now. This means you’ve crossed the line, junior.”
Glitch glared at Habin. Though his eyes were reddened from the spiciness, his menacing aura hadn’t diminished at all.
Furrowing his brows from the spicy taste, he smiled meaningfully.
“So don’t resent what’s about to happen next.”
After finishing his words, he turned to look at the demons. As if wanting everyone to hear, he suddenly shouted in a loud voice.
“……I surrender! I surrender. As expected of the legend, the Demon God-nim is unbeatable!”
A harmless voice, completely different from his menacing muttering just moments ago.
“……What kind of trick is this now?”
Habin frowned.
“Waaah! Demon God-nim!”
“As expected, Demon God-nim has returned to conquer the demon realm!”
The demons who had been watching them with bated breath cheered as if they had been waiting for this moment. Glitch nodded his head in response with a calm face. Anyone watching would think he was enjoying this situation. He continued to speak.
“So as promised, I should give this ring to this person.”
“What?”
‘When did we make such a promise?’
Habin hadn’t heard this part as she was on the balcony, but Glitch had clearly told everyone that he would give the ring to whoever defeated him.
Glitch whispered in a low voice so that others couldn’t hear.
“I’m sorry once again. I know you wanted to live quietly.”
Glitch continued, making a slight gesture with his hand.
“Honestly, isn’t your power too precious to live quietly?”
“……”
Notification windows popped up in front of Habin’s eyes with a ding-ding sound.
[You have achieved the condition set by the Demon God himself!]
[You have received the ring through legitimate procedures.]
“……!”
Swoosh.
A reddish-black ring appeared on Habin’s left ring finger. The ‘Demon God’s Ring’ that was the conquest condition for the 50th floor.
[As this is a legitimate succession, the hidden function of the ‘Demon God’s Ring’ has been unlocked.]
[Due to the ring’s hidden function, you acquire a constellation!]
[The unregistered constellation, ‘Demon God Glitch’, is added as your second constellation.]
“What?”
[2nd Constellation: Glitch]
The Demon God who governed the demon realm, not the human realm, in Auraiden, the first world that perished.
Extremely little information is known about him.
[Characteristics]
Demon God’s Wonder (You can summon and use magic-type skills possessed by Glitch), Senior’s Loyalty (With Glitch’s consent, you can summon Glitch to a desired location.)
(*Due to the constellation’s background, all constellations related to the ‘demon realm’ will perceive you favorably.)
(*This is an unregistered constellation. Memory synchronization and some system functions may not work properly.)
(*This is a school connection. Due to having similar attributes, there are fewer restrictions on invoking power.)]
[You obtain the title ‘True Master of the Demon Realm’!]
Notification windows popped up, bursting like confetti.
Despite Habin’s increasingly sour expression, the rush of notifications didn’t stop.
[‘Demon God’s Ring’ acquisition completes the 50th floor conquest condition!]
[Congratulations! The 50th floor conquest is complete!]
Ding! Ding!
The problem was these notification windows.
The news that the 50th floor had been conquered.
The last notification appeared simultaneously for all hunters present there.
“What?”
“Why is the 50th floor suddenly conquered?”
“But we haven’t obtained the ring yet?”
Other hunters looked around with confused expressions.
“That’s strange?”
“The one who got the ring wasn’t even human, but that Demon God, right?”
“Then why……”
Some of the hunters tilted their heads in confusion.
‘Damn it!’
If they found out that Habin wasn’t a demon but a human, or worse, a hunter hiding her power, it would be the end.
Habin wore an expression of dismay.
She shook Glitch’s collar vigorously.
“You bastard?!”
What kind of underhanded trick is this?!
“Oh, now you’re calling me a bastard? Your terms of address are getting rougher, aren’t they?”
“I said I didn’t want the ring, dammit……”
Habin gritted her teeth and tried to remove the ring, but Glitch waved his hand mischievously.
“Then I’ll see you next time. Take care until then.”
Of the demon realm.
Crackle-
Glitch disappeared with an effect that wavered like an error.
“Hey!”
Shouting at the already vanished Glitch yielded no response. Habin roughly pulled off the ring and threw it.
Whoosh- Thud.
As luck would have it, Hyun Siwoo, who had been watching closely, quickly caught it. Habin asked him indifferently.
“Ha……. Do you want this, by any chance?”
“……”
Hyun Siwoo tilted his head.
‘What’s this? Even in the last iteration, Hyun Habin got angry saying it was junk, but is she furious this time too because she realized it’s junk again?’
Or is it because she’s in danger of her identity being exposed?
‘To think she’d react with such disgust right after obtaining the ring.’
Hyun Siwoo shrugged his shoulders. Either way, it wasn’t his concern.
Because-
“This is a bound item, you know?”
“……”
The black ring disappeared from Hyun Siwoo’s hand with a swoosh. It reappeared on Hyun Habin’s hand with a clink.
“Shit……”
Hyun Siwoo watched as his sister recited curses with a dejected expression.