Profession 1: Rune Swordsman
Rune of Lightning: Command lightning through runes.
Rune of Water: Command flowing water through runes.
Variant Rune of Ice: A variant of Water Rune, commanding glacial power.
— This was Torina’s original profession. All members of House Dewell trained in both rune magic and martial arts, their professions uniformly named “Rune [Something].”
Profession 2: Office Drone
Office Drone Gauge: Accumulate Office Drone Points via work. Currently three slots. Skills consume gauge slots.
Skill 1: "Office Drone Never Dies from Overtime" – Damage first depletes the gauge; health drops only after gauge exhaustion.
— This new profession emerged after Torina awakened past-life memories. Seems carried over from her previous existence.
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The golem shattered completely. Marian and Lilja lay collapsed amid scattered rubble.
Torina had minimized the Ice-Lightning Spear’s lethality, yet their bones and organs still suffered irreversible damage—seared by violent electricity, sealed under solid ice. Their recovery? Left entirely to fate.
The old Torina would’ve finished them. But now… public murder wasn’t ideal. Best to stop here. She was a law-abiding citizen now (yeah, right).
“Phew…”
She leaped down from the wall, no longer stuck in that abstract-art pose. Every muscle ached; her Office Drone Gauge was half-empty. Yet truly unharmed—health bar full, zero debuffs.
(“Office Drone Never Dies from Overtime” sounds silly, but it’s basically a… universal damage shield? All-resistance too? Crazy useful in combat!)
Now she had a cheat too! Yay!
Joy dulled the pain. As for Marian and Lilja—she wouldn’t kill them, but after hurting her this badly? Payment was due.
“Well then~ I won’t hold back. Hehehe~ Leave all your valuables here, darlings~ ❤”
……
……
Teammates and onlookers rushed over. Annawiel led the panic; some worried genuinely, most came for the show.
Marian and Lilja’s fused monster form was shockingly strong—boss-tier for a low-level dungeon. Even teammates never knew they had this. Torina’s condition looked dire: smashed through houses, slammed into a wall. Gear or not, bones should’ve snapped. Unprotected head? Brains probably splattered…
In the crowd, Mylora silently confronted her system.
(Marian and Lilja—weren’t their combat stats assessed earlier?)
[System: Unexpected. Algorithm requires update.]
(And the captain? She…)
[System: Combat output matches assessment. But theoretical defense couldn’t survive the golem’s assault. Presumed deceased.]
(……………!)
Mylora’s chest tightened. The rival she vowed to crush after growing stronger… taken out by some random upgraded side character? What a mess.
But more urgently—
Torina clearly took the villainess duo’s challenge to protect *her*. If Torina was gravely hurt or…
(…No!)
Clutching her pounding heart, Mylora hurried forward.
The crowd gathered at the town’s outer wall, braced to see a broken, beautiful corpse—
“Hehehe~ Nice figure. Sturdy too~ ❤”
—Only to find Torina cackling while stripping both girls bare.
“Hehe~ What else are you hiding? Let me… inspect closely~ ❤ …Hm?”
“……………”
Dead silence.
Mylora realized her worry was wasted. Annoyed… yet weirdly relieved.
What *was* this feeling?
Was she actually concerned for this wicked woman?
———————
———————
Later, at the inn—Torina’s room.
“I chased them off for you~” Torina grinned proudly.
“But… they were here for *you*, right?” Mylora deadpanned.
“Hehe~ Helping me helps you! If I lost, *you’d* be the one getting messed with.”
“Tch…”
Mylora’s cheeks warmed.
Why this tangled mix? Annoyed yet glad. Worried yet calm… Was she sick? Why did this woman seem… nicer now?
“Ahem!”
Annawiel, checking Torina’s wounds, cut in. Felt like a giant third wheel. Super annoyed.
“Stop chattering! Torina—no talking! Mind your injuries!”
“I *said* I’m fine…”
“Still be careful! Mylora—go sleep! I’ve got this!”
“Tch. Whatever.”
Mylora shot her a glare charged with Phoenix Overlord (incomplete) aura and left. Annawiel tsked at her back and kicked the door shut.
“…You really hate Mylora, huh?”
“Obviously! She’s irritating—wait, no! *You’re* irritating too! Both of you!”
“Then why worry if I’m hurt?”
“T-This is just vice-captain duty! If you vanish another week to heal, what then?!”
“Oh. I see.”
Exactly. Tsunderes don’t exist in real life.
But Torina had bigger concerns.
(Why did Marian and Lilja use their fusion technique *now*?)
Original plot retcon: Marian’s bloodline held potent golem arts; Lilja inherited elemental essence mastery. They later fused into a wind-wielding golem to ambush the returning protagonist—who crushed them instantly.
(But that arc was just lazy author padding + fake tension. So why…)
In canon, this cheat appeared mid-story against the MC. Now? Early game. Targeting *her*? Butterfly effect from her awakening? Or someone scheming behind the scenes?
If the latter… who?
(……………Mylora’s system?)
“Hey! Daydreaming again? I’m talking to you.” Annawiel snapped her back.
“Huh? Sorry, spaced out.”
“You… tsk! About the Lord of Amana Forest! Rumor says the Lord’s chamber’s locked in the swamp zone. Your thoughts? Move slow, another team grabs it first.”
