“Areum, hey! You’re early today, huh?”  
“Ah, yeah! Hey.”

Eun-byeol greeted Areum warmly when they met at the academy. They were heading to the classroom for the required course on magic hunters.

After sitting in the front row, Areum hesitated before speaking up.

“Uh, Eun-byeol…”  
“Yeah? What’s up?”  
“Um, do you want to go to the dungeon today?”  
“Oh, I was actually planning to go! But I’m surprised, you’re the one bringing it up first.”

Eun-byeol happily agreed to Areum’s suggestion. It had been her plan from the start.

After Eun-byeol casually asked a few more questions, Areum shyly responded.

“I want to try hard…”  
“Hmm.”

Eun-byeol narrowed her eyes and looked at her friend. She didn’t know what had sparked this change in Areum, but it was definitely a positive one.

Areum, who had always been scared of dungeons, would usually run away at the slightest provocation. Even when forced to go, she would always try to distance herself as much as possible.

They were both support roles in the dungeon, yet Areum had always kept her distance. Now, seeing her wanting to go first was a huge change.

‘What happened in just a few days?’

Eun-byeol smiled prettily, thinking about it.  

“Let’s go after the lecture. I should send a message to Jae-woo in advance.”  
“Okay!”

Areum nodded, smiling brightly like a flower in full bloom.

After focusing on the lecture, the two women met up with Jae-woo in front of the reserved E-rank dungeon.

There, Eun-byeol was once again taken aback by what she saw.

“Hey, um… How do you exercise?”  
“Hm? Exercise?”  
“Uh… It’s my first time, so I don’t know where to start…”

Areum asking Jae-woo about exercise?  

‘Did the sun rise in the west today?’  
Eun-byeol rubbed her eyes and absentmindedly looked up at the sky. It didn’t help, of course, but...

Areum’s transformation didn’t stop there.  

Once inside the dungeon, when the battle started, Areum didn’t stay far behind like she usually did.  

She leaned forward a little, then stopped. Her toes twitched, as if trying to move forward but then quickly pulling back.

It was hard to believe what she was seeing.

‘What happened in just a few days?’

Eun-byeol, who should have been focusing on Jae-woo, found herself staring at Areum again. She shook her head forcefully to shake off her wandering thoughts.

After finishing the dungeon, the three of them exchanged some casual conversation before parting ways. On her way home, Eun-byeol ran into her older brother, Yeo Do-hyeong, in front of their house.

“Where are you going?”  
Eun-byeol casually asked, and Do-hyeong stopped for a moment to answer.

“To a shoot. I’ve got some additional filming for the ramen commercial.”  
“Ah, right.”  
“I’ll come home after the shoot.”  
“Alright.”

Eun-byeol said with a light tone, not really expecting anything by asking. Do-hyeong shrugged and continued on his way.

Eun-byeol went inside her house. In the kitchen, she saw a box of cup ramen.

“Ugh, I don’t get what’s so good about spicy stuff.”

She scowled at the box before heading to her room.

---

* * *

“This, like this…”  
Eun-byeol was scribbling furiously on several sheets of paper, carefully forming new magic circles. One by one, the incantations took shape.

“Phew!”  
She took a short break from the table and stretched her neck and shoulders. Her eyes caught the broadcast of Momobin on the muted TV. She had almost finished her task, so she figured she’d finish it up and then catch the rest of the show.

She turned her attention back to the papers in front of her. The traces of the magic she was creating were visible, and now she needed to name it. What would be a fitting name?

Fire taste?  
Flames on my tongue?

The pain on the tongue was the main point, not the fire or flames. Was there a better name? Hmm...

Hell in the mouth.  
Burning tongue agony.

Ah, Burning Tongue Agony! That might work.

It had been a while since she developed magic, and she was feeling a bit excited. Creating such a useless spell felt oddly satisfying.

Though the magic itself was a weak debuff spell that she could complete in no time, the person experiencing it wouldn’t feel that it was weak. After all, it would perfectly replicate the sensation her tongue had experienced. Hehe…

“Unnie— What are you doing?”  
Siyoon, having come out for a break, approached.

“I’m developing a new spell.”  
“A, a new one?”  
She blinked in surprise. Then, Siyoon’s eyes lit up, her curiosity piqued.

“What kind of spell is it?”  
“A spell that makes you feel pain on your tongue equivalent to a Scoville rating of 20,000.”  
“Ugh…”

Siyoon looked horrified. She spoke as if she had already been subjected to the spell herself.

“Why would you make something like that…?”  
“When some hero-like bastard shows up in front of me, I’ll make sure they feel pain.”  
“Ah, uh-huh…”

Siyoon nodded dazedly. She hesitated for a moment, then took a small step back and said.

“I, I’ll go now!”  
“Okay, take care.”

Eun-byeol watched as Siyoon left the room, then turned back to the papers on the table.

Though she had said it was a Scoville rating of 20, the pain could easily exceed that, depending on how seriously she used it. 

It would be better if that assassin didn’t show up in front of her.

“Hehehe…”

Excited, she became aware of her toes twitching and quickly returned to her work.

---

* * *

Back in her room, Siyoon let out a small sigh. She never expected her sister to be planning something so terrifying.

Using unknown magic was one thing, but creating something new herself? Where would her sister’s limits end?

No, that’s not the point.

At a time when objects like cups and laptops floated around the house as if it were an everyday occurrence, the limits of her sister were no longer a major concern.

‘To intentionally make someone’s tongue feel the pain of eating peperoncino...?’  
Though it seemed trivial as magic, the thought of the pain it would cause sent a chill down her spine.

“I... She wouldn’t use it on me, right?”

Siyoon’s expression twisted with worry.  
She stared at the monitor on her desk, trying to focus on the game on screen. It looked like a simple game, but it required memory and deduction.

It was a 3D game inspired by a famous title, where players had to find mines hidden on a grid and open the other tiles.

‘I originally thought I’d get her to play this...’  
Siyoon had vivid memories of her sister being teased in platformer games for her lack of physical skill. But how would she do in a game of logic?

“She’ll be good at it, won’t she?”

She almost dismissed it too quickly.  
Siyoon sighed deeply.

Then, suddenly...

“Ah!”

An idea sparked in her mind. She looked up, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

‘My sister is a professor.’  
Before the Great Change, her sister had been a student in the education department. She specialized in teaching people.

‘Maybe I should ask her for tips on how to play games well?’

It wasn’t unusual since she had confessed to enjoying games from time to time. Asking wouldn’t be strange at all.

She could pick one of the games she had failed at and ask for tips. Once she learned how to improve, she could show off her new skills on the broadcast!

“Hehe…”

Imagining the surprised reactions of the viewers, Siyoon chuckled.  
The timing between learning and showing off would be important, but it seemed like a good idea.

“Let’s see what merch is left in the room…”  
As she sat down in her chair to resume the broadcast, Siyoon imagined the happy scene in her mind.

---

* * *

The next evening.

Si-hyun and Siyoon were preparing to go out. Yesterday, Jia had contacted them, saying that her busy schedule was finally over.

She said she could finally relax and suggested they go out for a nice meal. The three of them made plans to go out for dinner after a long time.

They decided to go for drinks afterward.

Excited, Jia boasted,  
[Let me show you my secret wine bar!]

Si-hyun smiled softly as she remembered Jia’s voice in her head.

“Ah!”  
“Yeah? What’s up?”  
While walking out to catch public transport, Siyoon suddenly let out a loud noise.

She rummaged through her handbag, patting her pockets.

“I think I left my phone at home… I’ll go back quickly since we’re close!”  
“Ah, okay.”

Si-hyun watched as her younger sister retraced her steps, then checked her own phone for the time.

‘Plenty of time.’

Nodding lightly,

 she looked around and spotted a convenience store nearby. She decided to pop in and check if there was anything fresh to eat while killing some time.

After grabbing a few things and tucking them into her magic pouch, she paid and confidently sat down in a chair tucked away in the store.

She sent a message to Siyoon to let her know she was in the store and started browsing the internet.

“Hm…?”

[(Breaking News) S-rank Spear-user Yu Byeong-jun, missing from A-rank dungeon.]  
[“Still unknown!” Rescue teams being organized by the guild.]

It was quite a buzz.