Episode 46: Astaroth (1)
In front of Ascend Management’s headquarters, I waited for Oh Hyun-ah.
She’s a must-have for my guild.
Those privileges she got—how could we let them go to waste?
Sure, her complete lack of gaming knowledge is an issue, but that’s why I asked In-soo to mentor her.
The real problem comes when she proves herself as an adventurer.
‘That’s when she’ll use those privilege tickets and start her chuunibyou act.’
The infamous villainess ‘Astaroth’, no less.
It’s her own fault for being obsessed with gritty villainess romance novels since she was young.
After all, I modeled Astaroth after 13-year-old Hyun-ah, so it’s only fitting.
‘She even swore she wouldn’t resent me.’
No backing out now.
She’ll taste the same self-loathing I do.
“Hey, oppa!”
Hyun-ah waved from a distance.
She’s been overly sweet lately, and honestly, it’s creepy.
What siblings wave like that in public?
But I get it—she’s probably guilty about snatching my privileges.
For my sister, who’ll soon writhe in embarrassment, I’ll at least return the gesture.
“Wow, my little sis is early?”
“Ugh, don’t be weir—ahem, yeah! Early as always!”
Hyun-ah, flustered by her brother’s warmth, even swallowed a curse mid-sentence.
Looks like she’s maturing.
“Since when are you so nice?”
“I’m kind of a big deal now. Eyes are on me. And don’t forget, a celebrity’s family is public too.”
“Oh!”
I tossed out a half-baked excuse, and she bought it completely.
“Didn’t even think of that. Thanks for the heads-up!”
My sister, so naïve.
How does she trust her brother’s every word? Haha.
“But seriously, you confident about this?”
“About what?”
“Adventuring. There’s a ton to learn.”
“I may not know much, but my study game is top-tier. Just watch—I won’t be dead weight.”
Her confidence is refreshing.
She’s got a good head on her shoulders, as she said.
So, I hope she earns high marks from Teacher In-soo.
And I really hope she performs Astaroth in front of me.
***
The contract went smoothly.
No unfair terms for Hyun-ah—in fact, she got a generous deal for a rookie.
“If there’s anything to adjust, let us know.”
“Okay!”
“Here’s the contract. Review it carefully at home.”
“Thank you.”
As the staff left the meeting room, Hyun-ah studied her contract closely.
“Oh, so this is how adventurers split profits. I had no idea.”
“That’s standard.”
“What do you think, oppa? Is it okay to sign?”
“No issues. It’s pretty good for a newbie.”
“Really? Guess I gotta bring my A-game.”
Your real game-changer is that ticket in your hand.
But is she ready to embrace it?
‘I’m still not used to Lucifer’s speech patterns.’
That’s why I keep it short and simple.
One wrong word from self-consciousness, and I might slip up.
I hope she holds her mental ground.
Knock knock.
In-soo walked in.
“Hello, I’m Go In-soo.”
He greeted me with a handshake, then bowed to my sister.
“I’m Oh Hyun-ah. Looking forward to working with you!”
“Hyun-ah… using formal speech? To someone younger?”
“He’s my teacher. What kind of student speaks casually to their mentor?”
“Oh, I don’t mind.”
“No way. I believe in clear boundaries!”
After brief introductions, In-soo brought an A4 sheet and a pen, handing them to Hyun-ah.
“I heard you’ve never played games.”
“Well… not never, but barely.”
“So, I prepared a test. It’s about basic game systems and terminology. I’ll adjust the curriculum based on your results.”
“Oh! Got it!”
Hyun-ah grabbed the pen confidently and started reading the questions.
But… she’s just reading, not writing any answers.
Just when I thought she couldn’t understand the questions—
“Okay, I got the gist.”
After skimming the test, Hyun-ah started writing answers rapidly.
Confidently, she handed the sheet to In-soo.
‘…Did she memorize the whole thing on the spot?’
My sister, with such a comic-book-like ability?
I knew she was smart, but…
In-soo, equally stunned, began grading right there.
The test had 20 questions.
How many could she get right?
His red pen circled answers starting from question one.
‘She guessed, right? Just got lucky?’
Hyun-ah, are you that good?
My sister’s this smart, and I’m…
No, wait, maybe she just scribbled random answers!
“Wow, you know a lot!”
“Really?”
Hyun-ah got 18 correct, missing only two harder questions.
‘…They say smart people excel at games too.’
Right after, Hyun-ah dove into her first lesson, lasting about two hours.
I worried it was too long for a first session, but she insisted on it.
She’s clearly serious about adventuring.
While she studied, I checked out the new secret training room Ascend built.
After summoning Theo last time, I realized we needed a secure space for summon setup, away from prying eyes.
Hyun-ah’s privilege tickets will be used here too—her Astaroth summons aren’t exactly crowd-pleasers either.
Who’d have thought she’d use this place before me?
‘This’ll be fun.’
Hyun-ah emerged from her lesson.
“Teacher, thank you!”
“You worked hard too, Hyun-ah-nim.”
Judging by their faces, it went well.
“In-soo, thanks. I’ll treat you soon.”
“I’ll hold you to that!”
After seeing In-soo off, I tossed a question at Hyun-ah.
“Hey, ever looked into summons you’d want as an adventurer?”
“Uh, no?”
“Don’t lie. You’re a total face-chaser.”
Hyun-ah’s been a hardcore fangirl since childhood, from romance novels to idols like ‘Miracle Boyz’, still ongoing.
“What? I’m not a face-chaser! I quit all that!”
“So you sold your ‘Bind’ photocards or whatever?”
“Are you crazy? Sell my heart?”
So transparent.
With that fangirl energy, she must’ve scoured for ‘hot summons’ the moment she awakened.
“So, who’d you check out?”
“…I thought summons were all monsters, but they’re not always like that.”
Haha, 20 years as family, and I know her too well.
“Yurie, right? That water-element swordsman hottie.”
“Oh, Yurie from ‘White Snake’? Silver hair, sword-wielder. Definitely your type.”
“Wow, you really know everything about games.”
“But you know he’s a yokai, right?”
“So? He’s hot, that’s enough.”
Yurie, a legendary-grade warrior summon, was popular despite slightly underwhelming stats for his rank.
“Still all about looks, huh?”
“Who doesn’t like pretty faces? Why’re you asking?”
“Just checking. Come on, we’re going somewhere.”
“Where?”
“To get your summon.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“For real? You’re giving me a summon?”
“Giving or earning, depends how you see it…”
“Wait, what was with the questions? Is the summon good-looking?”
Oh, he’s very good-looking.
Not my intention, but still.
‘What’s a pretty boy’s face got to do with me?’
Still, the Seven Sins’ sidekicks were popular among the few female players, all male characters too.
Looks are subjective, but among the seven flavors of handsome, one’s bound to suit Hyun-ah’s taste.
It’s perfect—it gives her extra motivation to embrace Astaroth’s roleplay.
“You’ll see for yourself. Go look.”
“Okay! I’m excited to see what he looks like.”
…Prioritizing visuals over stats? Classic Hyun-ah.