What kind of excellent matching system is this?
The protagonist’s opportunity didn’t go to him, but to the villain first.
“C, C-Class Norius! Sorry, I accidentally bumped into you.”
Apologize first + act weak, just muddle through for now.
By the way, what’s a thug like you doing in the library? This totally doesn’t fit your style.
“[Skill Activation Even Monkeys Can Learn], [Dungeon Appearance Compendium]? You don’t even understand these basics? You still don’t know how to activate skills at this point?
But at least you’ve learned enough to defeat Slimes, right?!”
“Sorry… my memory is bad, so I can only come here for extra lessons.”
Maintaining a humble attitude, Siloque prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Norius pointed at Siloque.
Looking carefully in the direction of his finger, he wasn’t pointing at Siloque.
“What’s that? That cute follower behind you?”
Jewel-like green eyes outlined in soft lines, a slightly round fair face, and most eye-catching of all, twin golden ponytails.
Hil Dasvey.
Siloque’s little sister.
“Isn’t it normal to apologize when you bump into someone? You’re an Explorer, and you don’t even know that? How did your parents raise you?”
Though a bit immature, Hil voiced a normal person’s rebuttal.
“Ah?”
Norius’s face darkened.
Crap.
Hil, why are you here?!
Before that thought even formed, Siloque was more worried about Hil’s safety.
Siloque’s face was covered in black lines.
It was nice that his good little sister spoke up for him, but…
Damn! Don’t you know it’s dangerous for a beautiful girl to expose herself to a blonde delinquent!
Siloque could already guess what Norius’s next line would be—definitely something like “Come play with me”.
“Heh~ Little lady, you’re pretty cute. What’s your name?”
See!
After eyeing Hil, Norius’s gaze immediately turned playful.
Hil turned her face away.
“Mom said not to give out personal information to strangers.”
Nicely done! Thank you! Mom!
Unexpectedly, Hil’s reaction was pretty good.
“Ahahaha… Sorry, she’s a weird student from the convenience store across the street from my neighbor’s house, said something inappropriate, we have something to do, we’re leaving.”
Siloque grabbed Hil’s hand and prepared to bolt.
“Wait, brother, what are you saying! He hasn’t apologized to you yet!”
Ahhhhh!!! Hil, you stupid but good little sister!!
“So she’s your little sister, huh, no wonder she’s so cute. Though she’s a bit below your level.”
Norius laughed even more happily.
Now I’m a hundred percent sure this damned blonde Norius has his eyes on Hil.
In the original story, this guy drugged Bried, now that he’s interested in Hil, who knows what he might do.
At this point, at this point…
The only option is to eliminate this guy ahead of time.
“Hey, let’s hang out together. I know a few… fun places.”
!!!
A cold terror shivered through Siloque’s body, especially at such close range.
The pressure was like an iron hammer pounding every joint.
The opponent activated a Skill—[Intimidation]
“Brother, what’s wrong!? You’re bleeding so much.”
Siloque trembled all over, a sudden nosebleed dripping from his nose, as Hil beside him took out tissues to help wipe it away.
Fear had confused his senses—no external injury, but blood flowed anyway.
Norius remained calm, though his eyes showed a hint of confusion.
He wondered how Siloque could still stand there as if nothing happened.
“Thanks, I’m fine.”
Siloque smiled and pressed his fingertip to Hil’s nose.
Norius, you bastard, this kind of thing might scare my body, but you can’t shake my spirit.
Upper left, near the entrance, top of the bookshelf, beside the emergency exit…
Siloque confirmed the cameras were operating normally, and the other people were still reading.
Hil looked at him with deep worry.
Sure enough, even though Norius is a small-time delinquent, he only targeted me with the , so he still knows the basic principle of not attracting attention when doing bad things.
“How about it? Good things don’t wait.”
Norius gave an awkward laugh, which triggered Hil immediately: “You parted-head! Can’t you see my brother is hurt?! Who wants to go with you….”
Siloque stopped Hil, then spoke expressionlessly:
“Norius Neurman.”
“Hey, you small fry, don’t just say my full name like that.”
Norius unconsciously increased the power of [Intimidation].
Siloque’s nose bled again, but his eyes remained calm and flat.
“Sixteen years old, both parents are retired Explorers, you’re the fourth child in a family with three older brothers, and your Explorer stats are also ranked fourth.”
“You—!”
Norius’s gaze turned murderous.
“Who told you all that?!”
Siloque continued, nose bleeding but words unceasing:
“Your talent is [Mana Self-Recovery], so you can maintain [Intimidation] for so long.
But your strength is much lower than your brothers, and your parents always compare you to them. All you can do is laugh along.
‘Shut up.’
Norius warned.
‘Even with Cliff, no one in the group takes you seriously.’
Siloque remained unmoved, and Hil beside him was stunned.
“[Mana Self-Recovery]sounds nice, but the recovery rate is too slow. In the time it takes, your teammates could have used Skills to kill the monsters—what’s the point of you?
So you’re basically a gofer in your group, and you feel your own uselessness, right?
You keep trying to please your boss, but he probably looks down on you, since your power’s lacking.
Heh, so who’s really the small fry….”
Norius’s eyes turned bloodshot as he punched silently.
The sound of hard material hitting hard material echoed, sending Siloque flying.
“Brother!”
Uwah…Am I trapped in Izayami’s cycle world?
Even though I brought it on myself, why am I getting punched through the air again?
Siloque crashed into two bookshelves before stopping, startling people from their seats with the sudden noise, scattered books leaving the scene in chaos.
Hil rushed to Siloque’s side and helped him up.
“You…!!”
Hil glared at Norius, but soon turned her attention back to Siloque.
“Brother, wh-what should we do, Hil will call an ambulance right away.”
Siloque pretended to clutch his stomach in pain, while using his eyes to stop Hil.
“Siloque, right? F-Class small fry, I’ll remember you. I’m going to beat that innocent face of yours so badly your mom won’t recognize you. You’d better spend the rest of the semester quietly in the hospital.”
“I don’t want nobodies to remember my name either. Heh, resorting to violence when you can’t argue, you’re the real monkey.”
Norius’s veins bulged.
“Lv2, and you’re acting all tough!!”
Dark green mana wrapped around Norius’s fist as he walked forward.
If that hit landed, Siloque doubted he’d even make it to the hospital, let alone just lie there.
Do all villains like to walk like cats?
I’m already down and you’re still walking over to finish me off—thanks a lot!
As Siloque’s thoughts wandered, a figure stepped in front of him.
Hil.
She spread her arms to shield Siloque, faint golden mana swirling around her, making her shine like a goddess of salvation.
Talent activated—[Superhard Matter].
“Don’t you dare hurt my brother!”
Her voice trembled, but there was no hesitation.
“Gwah!”
Siloque yanked Hil into his arms, causing the gathered mana to dissipate.
“Don’t do anything.”
Siloque’s whisper sapped Hil’s strength.
With her arms wrapped tightly around Siloque, Hil’s fear began to calm.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his sister’s talent.
It just wasn’t necessary.
I need the perfect image of a victim.
“Wonderful! Such touching sibling love among small fry! Just thinking about your sister’s twisted face excites me!”
Norius grinned savagely, his heat-wrapped fist swinging at Siloque.
Everything seemed to slow.
Norius’s fist was less than a meter away.
No images flashed through Siloque’s mind.
He didn’t think he’d die.
“To this point, that’s enough.”
Faster than the fist, a pleasant yet commanding female voice arrived.
Norius’s punch stopped an instant before connecting with Siloque’s head. His fist struck an invisible barrier, a hexagonal shockwave rippling through the air, the deep green mana dispersing.
“Hey! Don’t get in the way…a Tuner?!”
Norius’s attitude collapsed instantly. Seeing who it was, his momentum drained away, and he subconsciously stepped back.
The woman before him wore a finely crafted gray-and-black uniform, with a sleeve badge bearing the symbols of a balance for order and a scythe for death.
Tuners, an organization formed to deal with the Fallen Demon Society.
Now, they are the group specializing in handling Explorers in society.
If Explorers are experts at hunting Dungeon monsters, then Tuners are experts at maintaining peace on the surface—hunting humans when needed.
They show no mercy to those who break the rules.
“Wait, I can explain.”
Norius tried to say something, though he didn’t know what.
The Tuner silently opened a ring window and projected a recording.
On the screen, Norius suddenly attacked Siloque, blasting tables and bookshelves aside. As Norius tried to throw a second punch, Hil blocked Siloque with her body…
Everyone present watched the footage.
Clearly, Norius struck first.
Norius was speechless, face pale as he looked at Siloque—
Siloque, lying in a pile of books, gently patted his sister’s head in comfort, licked the blood trickling to his lips, and showed a twisted smile.