Chapter 10 : Stability Assessment Test (1)

“Han Sion-nim, if you haven’t decided on a guild, how about taking a basic test at the association?”
“A test?”
What does that mean?
As I tilted my head, Hong Yuon, judging that I, as a Constellation, wouldn’t be interested in the affairs of lower-world humans, quickly handed me a guide titled <Procedures After Awakener Registration>.
I read through it and my attention was drawn to one procedure.
‘After Awakener registration, for the Awakener’s own safety, they must undergo a gate entry stability assessment under the supervision of the association or a guild?’

“You’re talking about the stability assessment, right?”
“Yes. Since you’re an S-rank, you’ll be assigned an A-rank gate, and it’ll be easy for you… but it’s a mandatory procedure.”
“Yes, I’ll take it at the association.”
“Really?”
Hong Yuon smiled brightly at Sion, who had readily agreed.
I also thought it wouldn’t be a big deal and let it pass.
But…
When I saw the people I met in front of the A-rank gate again at the association, where I went for the stability assessment, all I could think of was turning back and beating up Hong Yuon.
“Im Yeongjun, from Crow.”
“Sejin, from the same guild.”
“Hello. I’m Han Sion, who serves the Silent Calamity.”
If it had been just people, it would have been fine.

[You have a new message.]
[The Crow’s Ruins: Hello?]
[The Crow’s Ruins: We meet again?]
The damn Awakener trafficker had appeared again.
I ignored the message and focused on the people who had spoken to Sion.
Crow was a very Constellation-friendly guild where only those who had contracted with the Constellation, The Crow’s Ruins, could enter.
Because of the incident with Yoo Cheong, my view of that guild wasn’t favorable, and seeing Han Sion’s even less favorable gaze, I opened my eyes wide.
Wow, my contractor looks like he’s about to kill someone.
“Haha, don’t look at us like you’re going to kill us. We’ve taken care of Yoo Cheong’s matter within the guild.”
“What measures have you taken?”
“A month of self-reflection… no, don’t look at me like that. It’s complete self-reflection where he can’t enter gates or go outside. In our guild, that’s the highest punishment.”

[The Crow’s Ruins: Yoo Cheong was my ace, but you shattered him. Because of that, my image has been tarnished quite a bit.]
[The Crow’s Ruins: So I’m trying to refresh my image this time.]
I completely ignored the message.
Messages like [Hey?] and [I know you’re looking, please reply;;] followed, but I ignored them again.
‘But does he not know that the jellyfish form is a Constellation?’
Hong Yuon figured it out, but a Constellation doesn’t?
It was a strange thing.
I had even met The Crow’s Ruins before Hong Yuon.
But he didn’t recognize me.
‘Is he a bit slow?’
Or was Hong Yuon special, or is there a reason why Constellations have a hard time recognizing me from the starry sky?
Anyway, it was a good thing for me.
The Crow’s Ruins seemed to have a big mouth.
‘If he finds out that the jellyfish around his contractor is a Constellation, he might go around telling everyone.’
I shuddered.
No! I don’t want to face a Constellation as a Constellation!
I don’t want to face a person as a person!
I’m going to live as an amoeba!
As if interpreting my trembling in some way, Han Sion carefully picked me up.
“Could you please not come any closer. Pion is scared.”
“Huh? Ah, that jellyfish?”
Im Yeongjun, from Crow, looked at me with his slanted eyes.
I snuggled closer to the handsome man with his big, beautiful hands.
I don’t like ugly things.
Han Sion held me in his arms, his white platinum eyes sharp.
“It’s Pion.”
“What’s with the jellyfish…”
“It’s Pion.”
It felt like a knife fight would break out if he said jellyfish one more time.
The man named Sejin from behind poked Im Yeongjun and took him away, whispering to him.
Of course, I heard everything.
“Hey, didn’t you hear the rumor about Han Sion?”
“What rumor? The fanatic?”
“Yeah, that one! And the rumor that he’s a fanatic about the jellyfish too!”
“What? The Constellation is one thing, but why is he so protective of the jellyfish too?”
It wasn’t uncommon for people to treat a Constellation like a religion.
After all, people who had a dramatic contract like Han Sion had enough reason to have faith.
The saintess of America was an example of that.
Of course, Han Sion’s faith was a bit over the top, but he was handsome.
His golden eyes, visible under his white hair, were fantastic.
I listened to the conversation of the two ugly men and admired Han Sion’s face.
I guess I have a thing for delicate beauties.
“He seems to think the jellyfish is a monster chosen by the Constellation.”
“What?”
“So be nice. He may look like that, but he’s an S-rank.”
“A rookie S-rank, we can beat him—”
“Yoo Cheong got his ass kicked, remember? Don’t be arrogant.”
Im Yeongjun shut his mouth.
“So let’s do well. For the sake of passing the assessment. You know fighting in a gate gets you demerits, right?”
“I know.”
As the whispering ended, it was time to enter the gate.
Soon, an association staff member came out and checked us.
“Two from Crow, S-rank gate entry permit assessment. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“That’s right.”
“Assoc… ahem, Han Sion-nim. Is this the stability assessment test?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll enter. All actions inside the gate will be recorded by a special camera, and we promise to give a fair and impartial evaluation.”
The gate was orange.
It was a bit of a daunting color, perhaps because there was an S-rank involved.
I could see the two from Crow, who had been complaining about why our assessment had to be at the same time as an S-rank’s test, getting nervous.
On the other hand, Han Sion ostentatiously stroked me.
“Pion, I’ll make you pancakes when we get home.”
“Piik!”
Yay!
As I rejoiced, Sion smiled and kissed my head.
The people around us looked at us with disgust, but I didn’t care.
“Then, let’s enter.”
And so, we entered the gate.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!”
SWOOSH!
As soon as we entered, a monster that looked like an angry monkey rushed at us.
Sion immediately imbued the B-rank dagger provided by the association with his ability and cut down the monster.
It was a good thing Sion was the first to attack; if it had been someone else, they would have had a hard time with that speed.
They might have even faced the monster’s claws right upon entry.
The association’s supervisor, who entered last, looked troubled.
“Ahem, since the gate is orange, it’s not uncommon for monsters to attack right upon entry. I’m glad you caught it safely.”
Han Sion sheathed his sword and said nothing.
The two from Crow, who had entered before the supervisor, seemed to be observing the situation for now, whatever their intention was.
Maintaining a very awkward atmosphere, we moved forward.
“A-rank dungeon, ‘Angry Monkey Forest’. The raid begins now.”

‘Angry Monkey Forest’ was, as its name suggests, an endless forest.
The occasional screech of monkeys could be heard, and there were also swampy, muddy areas.
It often looked more like a tropical rainforest than a forest.
Thanks to the gate’s peculiarity, there were thankfully no bugs.
‘If there were, I’d be dead.’
I’m a palm-sized jellyfish right now, so even a mosquito bite would be a serious injury!
Whether jellyfish even have blood is another matter.
SWOOSH!
A monkey, I don’t know how many it’s been, fell.
Most of the monkeys here fought primitively, just lashing out with their claws and feet, but for some reason, some of them occasionally threw banana-shaped bombs.
KWAAAAAANG—!
“Damn it, kill that one first!”
Sejin began casting.
The magic circle that appeared above his head was the 5th-circle magic, ‘Dancing Flame Bolt’.
Even when I was the White Magic Tower Head, the 5th circle was not a common achievement.
However, it would be disappointing if this was the average magic of an A-rank.
The efficiency of the magic circle, the casting speed, the efficiency of the mana.
There were more than a few things I wanted to point out.
But I wasn’t a fool who would give advice to the enemy.
Why the enemy, you ask?
Because even now, messages are coming from their Constellation!

[The Crow’s Ruins: How about handing over that contractor now?]
[The Crow’s Ruins: I can give you a price that’s incomparable to last time.]
[The Crow’s Ruins: I see you only have one contractor, you can just find another one, can’t you?]
‘Are you crazy?’
Selling an S-rank?
And this handsome man with his delicate features?
His white, fine hair, similar to mine, and the golden eyes visible under his long eyelashes seemed to hold the sun.
His delicate face, which crossed the line between handsome and beautiful, exuded a strange charm.
I couldn’t give up this face.
And this was an appearance that had changed because of me during the contract.
There’s no way I’d give up a face I had practically created !