My Girlfriend Returned as a Dragon - Chapter 6

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

◈ My Girlfriend Returned as a Dragon ◈

Chapter 6: Oppa, Want to Go to the Gate Together?

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After spending such a romantic morning together, we went to the community service center and restored Sia’s deleted legal identity.

I had wondered whether someone already declared dead could really reclaim their identity, but South Korea’s administrative system was more thorough than we had expected.

“Oppa. It’s called a Resurrection Application. Isn’t that hilarious?”

“Yeah. I’d heard there was something like that and thought it was just a joke. I never imagined it was real.”

I had heard that such a form existed for the occasional missing person who returned alive.

But I never thought our Sia would be the one filling it out.

After handling the paperwork, we headed straight to the Rank Assessment Center under the Hunter Administration.

“It says anyone who was previously a Hunter has to update their rank immediately after their Resurrection Application is approved. What kind of law is that?”

“Right? Why are there so many strange laws in the world?”

I thought I had heard of a ridiculous law in some American state where a principal had to look after students’ horses for a day if they rode them to school.

This seemed just as useless and strange.

Anyway.

It was a pain that we had to go straight to the Rank Assessment Center once the Resurrection Application was approved, but at least Sia could use Teleport.

We traveled to the Rank Assessment Center by Teleport, and Sia immediately began filling out the forms after we arrived.

“Miss, do I have to go in alone for the rank assessment?”

Sia asked the receptionist as she filled out the form.

But the receptionist diligently answered as though that was not the case.

“If you would like, you may enter with a companion. The law was recently changed.”

“Really? That’s a relief.”

Even while speaking with the receptionist, Sia naturally pressed herself against my arm.

Then she set down her pen and asked me.

“Oppa. Since you’re here, do you want to get your rank reassessed too?”

“Me too?”

“Yeah. You have to renew your rank every two years anyway. How long has it been since you updated yours?”

I had not even thought about that.

For the past year, I had lived like a wreck and forgotten everything related to being a Hunter.

When was the last time I had my rank reassessed?

“...One year and ten months.”

“Then it’s almost time! Perfect. Let’s get yours done too.”

Sia received another form from the receptionist and handed it to me.

She was not wrong, so I decided to follow Sia’s suggestion and get reassessed.

After filling out the paperwork, we headed to the assessment room.

‘What rank will she get?’

Unless something unusual happened, I would most likely remain D-rank. If I was unlucky, I might get E-rank, but I had heard that rank decreases were rare.

My awakening class would not change either.

What interested me was not my own rank, but Sia’s.

Sia had been D-rank, just like me.

But not anymore.

Back when she was human, Sia had only been a D-rank Hunter.

Now, however, she was a dragon who had lived for 2,500 years. She was completely beyond the norm.

Just considering that she could use the mysterious power called Dragon Speech and freely cast high-level magic like Teleport without formulas, her power was clearly unprecedented.

And if my guess was right, the power Sia had shown me so far was only a tiny fraction of her full strength.

Considering that...

‘Won’t she get an Unmeasurable rank?’

Normally, an Unmeasurable rank was only assigned when someone’s power was so weak that measuring it was meaningless.

But there was another case that people did not know about, one that existed only in theory. If someone was too strong for the current rank system to define their power, they would also receive an Unmeasurable rank.

However, that case had only existed in theory. It had never been reported even once.

‘This will cause an uproar, not just in Korea, but around the world.’

At the very least, it would make worldwide news.

Full of anticipation, I looked at Sia.

But.

Unlike me, Sia did not seem to care much about her rank.

Instead, she stared at me the entire time we walked.

“Sia, is there something on my face?”

“No. It’s just strange coming here with you, Oppa. It makes me happy, but it also feels a little weird.”

“Hmm. Now that you mention it, I feel the same way.”

There had never been any reason to bring someone along for a rank assessment, so I had always come alone.

After hearing Sia say that, I felt strangely emotional too.

Anyway, as soon as we arrived at the assessment room, a staff member called our names.

“Mr. Yoon Minjun, Ms. Jung Sia.”

“Yes!”

“You came together. Who would like to be assessed first?”

“Sia, do you want to go first?”

“No, you go first, Oppa. I’m fine.”

Thanks to Sia giving way, I could be reassessed before her.

“The reassessment process is the same as your first rank assessment, so please make yourself comfortable.”

I entered the assessment area, and Sia waved to me from the waiting seats.

A little later, my reassessment began.

I did not feel particularly nervous. I did not expect any dramatic changes.

The staff member’s voice came through the speaker in the assessment room.

“Please channel mana into the ring we provided. Once you receive the signal, strike the dummy.”

Following the instructions, I poured mana into the rank assessment ring and gripped the wooden sword.

A moment later, I got the signal and immediately ran toward the dummy across from me.

When I closed the distance between us,

Whoosh!

I swung my sword with all my strength.

Clang! Clang!

My first strike did not feel right, probably because I had lost my feel for real combat.

But.

‘This is better than I expected.’

With each following strike, I felt the combat sense I had forgotten gradually return.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The strange impact sounds from a rank assessment dummy were not something one could hear outside of a rank assessment.

They were not pleasant sounds, but I ignored that and swung my sword with everything I had until the time limit ended.

For that moment, it truly felt as if I had returned to a year ago.

“The assessment is complete. Please wait a moment.”

Following the staff member’s instructions, I sat beside Sia in the waiting area.

“Good job, Oppa! You did great! Your skills haven’t gotten rusty at all.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. I was worried you might not be able to show your true skill, but except for the first minute or so, you looked just like the Oppa I know.”

I had felt the same way, but hearing Sia say it made me even more confident about the result.

It did not take long for the results to come out.

[Yoon Minjun / D / Swordsman

Strength: 28

Stamina: 24

Agility: 24

Mana: 16

Average: 23

Special Skills: X (+0)

Final Average: 23]

The staff member opened the door and came inside.

“There are no changes to either your rank or class. Good work.”

“Thank you. Phew, this is not bad.”

Other than my Mana stat dropping by one, there were no major changes.

Considering the year-long gap, it was an even better result.

Sia seemed to know how I felt and patted me, telling me I had done well.

“Next, Ms. Jung Sia. Hmm, just a moment.”

However, the staff member carefully examined Sia’s paperwork, then suddenly recoiled as if they had seen a ghost.

“Ms. Sia... Your reassessment is because of an Awakened Resurrection Application?”

“Yes.”

“My goodness. Then, um... are you a Returnee? Amazing. I’ve never met a Returnee before!”

The staff member, who had kept a calm tone until just then, suddenly became much more talkative after confirming that Sia was a Returnee.

The dead fish eyes common among office workers had turned into the curious eyes of an excited girl.

“I’ve only ever seen stories about Returnees on the news. This is my first time meeting one in person! Wow... How did you feel when you returned...?”

But the staff member, who had briefly forgotten they were at work, seemed to notice Sia and me staring at them. They stopped and cleared their throat.

“Ahem. I’m sorry. That was rude of me...”

“It’s okay. I probably would have reacted the same way. Returnees are not common.”

“Thank you for understanding. Preparing reassessments for Returnees like you takes a little longer, so please bear with us.”

The staff member returned to their usual attitude and prepared Sia’s assessment.

During the brief preparation time, a whole scene was already playing out in my mind, even though the result was not out yet.

The system declaring her Unmeasurable. The flustered staff member. The absurd record after the reassessment...

The Hunter Administration’s top brass coming personally to interview Sia. High-ranking guilds presenting her with blank checks as they competed to recruit her...

‘I’m proud of you, Sia.’

How should I congratulate her if that happened?

Maybe I should pretend not to care at first, then properly congratulate her once she got flustered.

While I was lost in my fantasies.

Sia’s rank assessment began.

Sia could probably play with that rank assessment dummy like it was a toy.

Normally, the dummy used for rank assessments was sturdy enough that it would not even get scratched, thanks to its special material. But whoever made it could not possibly have anticipated the strength of an abnormal being like a dragon.

How would that dummy get smashed to pieces?

With that expectation, I watched Sia’s reassessment.

But.

“...?”

The overwhelming power she had shown when we reunited was nowhere to be seen. Sia was striking the dummy with ordinary magic, like an ordinary mage.

She looked just like...

The Sia from before she reincarnated.

Like any other D-rank mage.

‘Why...?’

Why was she hiding her power?

While I watched Sia’s test in confusion, unable to understand her intentions.

Her result came out quickly too.

“...Huh?”

The staff member, who saw the result first, tilted their head as if something was wrong.

“That’s strange. Your stats have not changed?”

[Jung Sia / D / Mage

Strength: 15

Stamina: 21

Agility: 23

Mana: 29

Average: 22

Special Skills: X (+0)

Final Average: 22]

The estimated stats the staff member showed us were nearly identical to Sia’s stats from when she had been human.

The staff member scratched their head in confusion, but Sia merely smiled calmly.

“It is not common, but Returnees like you usually come back stronger than before. Their stats increase, or they gain special skills. But you have not changed at all.”

The staff member looked at her as if they felt sorry for her.

[Jung Sia / D / Mage

Strength: 15

Stamina: 21

Agility: 23

Mana: 29

Average: 22

Special Skills: X (+0)

Final Average: 22]

“Am I an unusual case, then?”

Unlike me, who was still confused, Sia asked the staff member as though she knew nothing.

“Yes. Returnees usually either gain stats or awaken another power, though the extent varies. Just in case, we will assess you one more time.”

The staff member measured her rank again.

But the result was the same this time as well.

[Jung Sia / D / Mage

Strength: 15

Stamina: 21

Agility: 23

Mana: 29

Average: 22

Special Skills: X (+0)

Final Average: 22]

The staff member tilted their head at the result, then handed Sia the paperwork to have her Hunter ID reissued.

“You must be disappointed. We will contact you separately later, but if anything happens before then, please contact us right away.”

“Okay. Let’s go, Oppa!”

As though she had no regrets about her measured rank, Sia took my hand and led the way.

“...”

After handing in the paperwork at the counter, getting Sia’s Hunter ID reissued, and leaving, I could no longer contain my curiosity.

“Sia, why did you deliberately get such a low rank?”

After checking to make sure no one was nearby, I whispered quietly.

“Was it because of me?”

“That’s right. Just as you think, Oppa.”

Sia did not deny it.

Could it be because I was only D-rank? Had she matched my rank because she cared about my pride?

Seeing my expression darken, Sia used Silence magic around us, just as she had yesterday, then continued.

“What are you thinking, Oppa! It’s because we can’t enter Gates together if our ranks are too far apart!”

“...What?”

It was not written into law, but among Hunters, there was an unspoken rule. Unless it was a Gate Break or a special situation, Hunters did not clear Gates with people whose ranks were two or more levels apart from theirs.

“Honestly, you’re impossible.”

So that was why she had lied during the assessment. It was such a cute reason.

When I turned toward her, Sia was smiling shyly as if it were nothing important.

Still, if she had shown her true power, she could have rewritten Hunter history. Did she not regret giving that up?

That was what I thought at first.

Then it occurred to me that to Sia, a dragon, that kind of empty prestige probably meant nothing.

If it did matter to her, she could have simply stayed in that other world. But she had crossed dimensions to come here for me alone.

In any case, grateful that she had done this for me, I suddenly kissed Sia on the cheek.

“Thank you.”

“Hehe.”

Perhaps embarrassed, Sia wriggled shyly.

Then she said,

“Oppa. Since we’re talking about it, do you want to go to a Gate now?”

“A Gate...?”

Not a date?

“Yeah. Since we’re talking about it, we can remember the old days. We used to go into Gates together back in our Hunter Academy days, remember? Can’t we?”

Going to a Gate instead of on a normal date was a little strange, but...

‘If Sia wants to go, I should go.’

The only problem was that I had spent the past year away from all this while Sia was gone.

Regardless of my reassessment result, I might not be able to do my part properly in real combat. My psychological issues might trap me again.

Of course, with Sia being a dragon, it would not be a serious problem.

‘But I don’t want to show her a disappointing side of me.’

I knew it. In front of Sia, a transcendent being, I would look lacking no matter what I did.

Still, if I showed her that I was doing my best, I would not feel ashamed in front of her.

So I should stop overthinking and go.

After all, Sia’s sincerity had already been crystal clear from the moment she returned to Earth.

Rather than worrying about what Sia would think of me, I should do my best so that I could be proud of myself in front of her.

“There’s no reason not to. Let’s go now.”