Dark Fantasy Normalized

44 – High-Class? Personnel (2)

[Title: Dude WTF, this game changed as soon as I entered the destiny quest]

Okay, here’s the translation, keeping the tone and formatting as requested:

Content: Why the fuck are these b*stards suddenly adding a zero to their levels ㅋㅋㅋ

Saw a level 27, thought it was a boss, but it was just a mob, shit

You piece of shit, why are you being a mob here ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

You’re a boss if you go to that lower zone ㅋㅋㅋ

– : A dragon’s tail is better than a chicken’s head, ya know ㅇㅇ

– : Is it really a dragon’s tail though?

– : Fact is, that could also be a chicken’s tail

– : The fact is that the fact might be a fact is the fact

– : Ha, shit, smells like newbie again ㅋㅋㅋ Just mashing all the way from 1. to 99. ㅋㅋ

– : Dude, just wait till they see the area’s named mob levels, gonna love it

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[Title: Seriously, why are these adventurers so weak?]

Content: Some so-called A-tier guild member is like, level 10-ish

– : But isn’t that supposed to be strong for the world setting?

– : Yeah, nobles who barely hit level 10 by age 20 are treated like human weapons among commoners

– : Isn’t level 10, like, 3rd tier? A level you can only reach by 20 years old after training in swordsmanship, combat, and mana

– : So, like, exceptional commoner = regular noble, kinda

-[Poster] : No wonder those nobles strut around like that

– : But if you go to the top, adventurers are not that far behind

– : Yeah, named adventurers with upper ranks are around 5th tier on average

– : But they’re all washed up…

– : Fr, you see anyone above 5th tier and they’re like 30+

– : Even 30-year-olds are treated like young prodigies

– : Still, aren’t there sometimes young ones who are above 5th tier?

– : Those guys, their special thing = getting wrecked by fate quests

– : Ah ffs ㅋㅋ

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Kella, despite her young age, was a veteran adventurer acknowledged for her experience and skills.

The career of an adventurer she had begun in her childhood had already gone on for over 10 years, and now she was on the verge of the 3rd tier.

Thanks to that, even the lower-tier nobles of Bondales couldn’t treat Kella carelessly.

Especially if they knew she was affiliated with Drafon, a first-rate adventurer guild.

As such, Kella held great pride in her own judgment and experience as an adventurer.

And judging by those two things, Lishir was just ordinary.

He had noble features, sure, but his gentle and unassuming aura seemed far removed from that of a noble.

For example.

If Kella were to find out that Lishir was actually a noble, and, like other nobles his age, a skilled practitioner who had reached the 3rd tier, she would be incredibly surprised.

…But what if things unfolded beyond that?

“Ma, magic…!? Lishir, was that you!?”

Kella was overwhelmed by the situation, showing an uncharacteristic clumsiness for a veteran adventurer.

Within their ranks, Lishir’s evaluation underwent a rapid transformation.

Perhaps his gentle and unassuming demeanor was a mask to conceal a tremendous identity.

“Kella-ssi.”

That’s when Lishir spoke.

“Yes? Ah, yes! Lishir…nim! Please, speak!”

From “hyung-ssi” to “nim.”

A sudden, profoundly respectful attitude.

‘Out of the blue?’

Lishir found it odd, but continued nonetheless.

“Do you know anything about those people?”

“No! I have no idea. What kind of people would be strutting around Bondales in broad daylight—”

“…We! Have no business with you!”

The ruffian at the front of the group shouted.

“If you don’t intend to interfere with us, we won’t lay a hand on you either! Leave now! If you do, we’ll pretend this never happened!”

“Isn’t it normal to offer a handshake first, and if that doesn’t work, swing a sword? Swinging your sword, then offering a handshake because it didn’t work? Are you trying to live life too easily?”

“…”

Lishir said that, yet he was, for a moment, tempted.

He was already somewhat braced for trouble when he was lured into the alleyway by the ‘foreign aura,’ but to get wrapped up in a situation this straightforwardly?

In his heart, Lishir wanted nothing more than to make it disappear as their proposal suggested.

But unfortunately. Lishir knew.

The way of the world wasn’t so smooth and amiable as all that.

These were the kind who’d try for outright annihilation just because your eyes met in a desolate place.

There was nothing more foolish than taking their words at face value.

‘Above all-‘

Lysir’s gaze pierced through the group.

‘That’s it.’

One of the thugs was holding something out to a young wolf cornered in the shadows.

A ring set with obsidian.

The source of the alien energy Lysir was feeling.

Lysir sensed it instinctively.

If that thing, those b*stards, were let go, they’d spread their filth anywhere and everywhere.

‘So, let me do it. The normalization.’

That was the last, and most important reason.

Normalizing the alien energy would inevitably lead to an increase in magical power.

With the cause and the situation aligned, there was no reason to refuse.

“Kella-ssi, what do adventurers usually do in situations like this?”

“An attack on a guild member is a challenge to the guild itself! If it were our Drapawn Guild, we’d capture them alive and investigate their purpose and identities!”

“So, you’re thinking of capturing them and bringing them to the guild?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t they just attack you?”

“Uh… yes…?”

“Good. Then I will cooperate with you.”

“…Thank you?”

Wait, what?

Come to think of it, wasn’t he the one who entered the alley first?

Wasn’t he the one who got attacked first, too?

Kella, feeling a bit unsure, straightened her posture nonetheless.

An adventurer’s intuition was telling her.

Don’t ever let go of this connection with this oddball named Lysir!

More than that, it was obvious the thugs had already lost their fighting spirit.

“…”

The thugs exchanged glances.

They didn’t forget to look at their fallen comrades scattered here and there.

He was the most skilled and the leader of their group.

The thugs had suddenly lost their core power and their head.

One of the thugs, resolved, took action.

He immediately gave it his all—

And ran in the opposite direction of the alleyway.

Without looking back.

“Hah.”

Kella nodded, watching him.

Yeah. That’s right.

Flee.

In Kella’s opinion, it was an extremely rational decision.

‘Damn it!’

But Rishir’s thoughts were somewhat different.

He hadn’t even considered the possibility of “escape”.

The enemies he’d faced so far were ruthless villains who, when their plans went awry, charged in with a willingness to be annihilated.

‘He’s gone to call for backup!’

At minimum a Level 1, at maximum a Level 3.

The thugs’ overall level was pathetic, so of course they had some hidden card.

The main force must be waiting nearby.

The remaining thugs were probably intending to buy time until the reinforcements arrived.

‘What if a Level 6 or higher comes…! Then we’re really screwed!’

If Kella could have eavesdropped on Rishir’s thoughts, he’d have said one thing.

Does he even know what Level 6 or higher means, like it’s some dog’s name?

‘Please be a black mage! Then I can handle it!’

If Kella could have eavesdropped on Rishir’s thoughts, he’d have said one thing.

A black mage, he thinks he can handle it, has he lost his mind?

With a distorted expression, Rishir, conjuring the worst possible scenario with his skewed sense, nodded to himself.

‘Maybe… I got too cocky.’

Even if I was confident in dealing with unfamiliar energies, to just jump in like that.

Lishir finally admitted his arrogance.

Just like that, right when he was steeling himself to admit his mistakes.

“Shit, damn it all!!!”

The thugs, without exception, started fleeing the scene.

They’d taken Lishir’s gradually worsening expression as a danger sign.

“…?”

Only then did Lishir realize something was wrong and shifted his perspective.

From a different angle, they were far too pathetic to be a gang of black mages plotting some dark scheme.

“These morons…!”

The thug who’d offered the obsidian ring to the wolf pup was frozen in place, staring blankly at his comrades’ retreating backs.

In the end, even he couldn’t hold out and was about to follow them when—

“Guh-huck!”

Lishir, belatedly grasping the situation, moved to clean up the mess.

He used the power of wind to knock out the ring thug, then pursued the fleeing others.

“Kkyaaahhh!!!”

“A, a mage from the magic tower!?”

“Please, spare me!!!”

Overwhelmed by his pursuit style and speed, which was beyond the pale, the thugs were easily caught and subdued.

“Huh…”

Having captured even the first one who’d fled, Lishir let out a hollow laugh.

‘Is this even okay?’

Lishir’s twisted senses were screaming.

“To wield elemental magic so skillfully… Could he be a 5th-circle…? At his age?”

Watching Lishir from a distance, Kella chuckled dryly.

‘Is this even okay?’

Her senses were starting to fray.

***

At the same time.

Meltas was dealing with an unexpected visitor in his lab.

“…So, you need Lishir’s help to capture that young spirit—is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s right.”

“Heh. Gadena, to see you needing human help for something related to spirits of all things. Well, this is something to behold after all these years.”

“…”

“So, what are you asking? That he use his spirit-attuned aura to capture the spirit for you?”

Gadena shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“It’s a spirit that displays an unusually strong hostility towards life. Not even we elves can approach it. Any rash attempts to approach would only increase its animosity towards life.”

“Then?”

“That’s what I was saying. We need that human’s aura. We need that human to create a mana stone infused with his aura. We’ll provide ample compensation.”

“Hmm… I understand for now. I’ll bring it up on my end. I also happen to have business with Lishir.”

That’s when the conversation between the old man and the elf was underway.

“Knock knock.”

“?”

“?”

A knocking sound (?) was heard.

Didoa was at the open lab door, pretending to knock.

“Master Didoa… it was you. Again today?”

Nod.

Master Didoa nodded.

“I just stopped by to see if Lishir was here.”

Like this, Didoa had been periodically visiting Meltas’ lab these past few days, asking if Lishir had visited.

Meltas, frustrated, said,

“If you have business with Lishir, instead of this, why not just go and see him directly? I clearly gave you his address.”

“I don’t have any business.”

“What?”

“Wouldn’t it be unpleasant if I went to see him directly when I don’t have any business?”

“…”

“So, um, if Ricihr happens to come around, could you maybe casually mention it to him? Master Meltaes.”

“You’re looking for him?”

“That’s too blatant. Wouldn’t it make him feel bad if I was searching for him?”

“…Then, what am I supposed to say?”

“I’ve been thinking, like. ‘Master Didoa’s lab looks like it has a lot of tasty snacks and tea,’ how’s that?”

“…Do you think Ricihr is some kind of child?”

“Ah. Should I stock up on alcohol, too?”

“…How about we move beyond luring him with food?”

“Elixirs?”

“I’m losing my mind.”

Meltaes shook his head, watching the half-demon who was hopeless, bordering on disastrous, when it came to human relations.

“Ah.”

Then, Meltaes looked at Gadena, as if something had just occurred to him.

“Perfect timing, Didoa.”

“?”

“It seems I just had some business come up.”

“Business?”

“Would you go find Ricihr for me and handle this business instead.”

“!!!”

Nod, nod!

The half-demon nodded furiously.

Her messy hair danced up and down.

“So that’s settled, Gadena. You can go find Ricihr together with her. Since Ricihr can make magic stones on the spot, that should work out.”

“…”

You want *me* to go with *her*?

Gadena stared at Didoa in disgust.

Didoa, with her usual expressionless face, said to Gadena,

“Thank you.”

“…?”

Not ‘please take care of me’?

Gadena already felt utterly exhausted.

***

“Let’s see.”

After subduing the thugs, Rishir first retrieved the obsidian ring that was the source of the strange energy.

“What is that?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much. Just a ring imbued with dark magic, you could say.”

“…!”

Kella gasped and recoiled from Rishir.

Suddenly, Rishir remembered the thugs harming the wolf pup with the ring, and his gaze shifted.

-…

The wolf pup was still lying in the same spot, staring at the obsidian ring.

-Grrrrr

The wolf bared its teeth at the ring.

It didn’t seem to be guarding or afraid, but rather covetous.

Rishir vaguely understood the nature of the power within the ring.

The obsidian was drawing the wolf pup in.

By stimulating its instincts.

‘Like an…excitant?’

For something imbued with magical power, it was a rather crude object.

Almost like a mass-produced product.

Rishir habitually tried to purify the obsidian’s energy, but barely managed to stop himself.

Even so, it was evidence, after all.

It was necessary to preserve it in its original state until the case was completely resolved.

So instead of the obsidian, Rishir used his restoring power on the wolf, which had been tainted by the obsidian’s energy.

Then, the wolf’s appearance changed drastically.

Collapsing outlines.

And expanding volume.

The wolf became a woman with ears and a tail.

She looked around in shock, then cried out.

“Fucking finally!”

“?”

She was a possessor of a rough tongue, quite unlike her appearance.