[Translator Note: There was a Super Typhoon in my country. My place was in signal #3. Anyway, I'm back.]
....
"SS grade? Not SSS? What happened to the Great God Shura?"
"Incredible! There's actually a day when the Shura God doesn't get a Super God rating?"
"Damn, I thought I misheard it. It really is missing an S!"
"More importantly, wasn't the dungeon just the standard difficulty version of Kung Fu? How did Shura end up with just an SS?"
"Is the great Shura finally running out of steam?"
"Heh, so Shura isn't invincible after all!"
"Haha, no way! Just an SS rating? What a joke!"
"Come on, you people are ridiculous. Everyone makes mistakes now and then. What's wrong with Shura having a slip-up? You just love to drag others down!"
"Seriously—what's so bad about an SS evaluation? How many of you have even gotten that before?"
"Clearly, Shura's consistent top-tier performance made some jealous dogs foam at the mouth!"
"Who are you calling a jealous dog?!"
"Hey, I wasn't talking about you—unless the shoe fits?"
"You bastard, do you have a death wish? I'll punch you into next week!"
"Try me! Let's see if the Samsara System doesn't teach you a lesson in humility!"
In the Samsara Space, a storm of heated discussion erupted.
To the average Samsara player, it was jarring to see Shura—known for constantly achieving SSS-level Super God evaluations—suddenly end up with a mere SS.
For many, Shura was synonymous with Super God rankings. Anything less felt off.
Some even began to argue over whether Shura was "washed up."
That was the problem with being too dazzling in the public eye—one mistake and everyone jumps on it. While Shura had amassed legions of fans, he had just as many lurking critics waiting for a chance to gloat over a fall from grace.
And now that moment seemed to have arrived—at least in their eyes. The news spread fast, and ridicule followed like a flood.
Entertainment City.
In a cold drink shop, Arke and a few friends were lounging around with fruit juices when the system broadcast chimed in. They paused mid-conversation.
"Huh? Isn't Shura the genius who always gets Super God evaluations? Why only SS this time?"
"Yeah! It feels... strange seeing that."
"Maybe it was just a slip-up. SS is still an incredible rating. He's still a genius."
"Or maybe he really is starting to fade..."
Arke frowned at their comments. She quietly opened her friend list. Shura hadn't come out yet—he was likely still receiving his mission rewards.
"I don't believe you'd make a mistake, Shura," she whispered to herself.
Personal Consignment Center.
Belle Morwyn was browsing through the listings, checking for any useful items in preparation for her next dungeon run—The Avengers.
Suddenly, she heard the system notification.
Shura... only got an SS evaluation?
Not a Super God rating?
For no reason she could explain, Belle felt a sudden pang of worry. She logged out of the system and returned to the real world.
In the Capital. Real World. Early Morning.
Yuhan(Belle) stepped up to her cousin's room and knocked.
Knock knock knock!
"Sis, are you asleep?"
An irritated voice came from inside. "You woke me up just to ask that? Get in here already!"
Vivienne had turned in early, but now she was up again. As Yuhan entered, she saw her cousin lying lazily on the bed in thin pajamas.
Vivienne's curvy figure was hard to ignore—especially her deep cleavage, which Yuhan glanced at enviously.
"What's the emergency, waking me up like this?"
Yuhan shook herself back to focus. "Sis, Shura just got an SS evaluation."
Vivienne blinked. "Wait, Shura? As in the Shura? He didn't get SSS?"
"Nope. Just SS. Double S, not triple."
A hint of surprise flickered across Vivienne's delicate face, followed by a small smile. "SS is still an excellent rating."
"But... it's Shura," Yuhan emphasized.
"So what? He's still human, isn't he? Humans make mistakes sometimes."
She then eyed her cousin with suspicion. "Wait a second—don't tell me you've got a thing for Shura?"
"N-No!" Yuhan said quickly, flustered. "Don't say weird things!"
"Whatever. I'm too sleepy to tease you. If you're that worried, just ask him yourself when he logs back in."
—---
Samsara Space
[SYSTEM] Notification:
"Dear Samsara—Shura, you have completed your mission. Your rewards are as follows:
• Samsara Points: 27,500
• Strength +20
• Dungeon Cooldown Refresh Card ×1 (stored in Personal Warehouse)
• Silver Treasure Chest ×1 (stored in Personal Warehouse)"
Fenric listened to the rewards announcement with a calm expression.
By his standards, this was probably the worst reward haul he'd ever gotten.
Still, he didn't care much.
After all, he hadn't gone into the Kung Fu Hustle dungeon for the mission rewards. He went there for something else—and he'd gotten what he wanted.
The fact that he still earned an SS evaluation was enough. Fenric was satisfied with the result.
Without delay, he headed to his personal warehouse.
Of the four rewards, the first three didn't interest him much.
But the Silver Treasure Chest—that caught his attention.
He had opened many Gold and Silver treasure chests before, but this one seemed... different.
Just from the name, he could already guess the contents wouldn't be as good as a Gold Chest. But curiosity got the better of him.
What could be inside?
Without hesitation, Fenric opened it.
"Congratulations! You have opened the Silver Treasure Chest and received the combat skill scroll: Lion's Roar Technique."
Fenric raised an eyebrow at the system prompt.
Lion's Roar Technique?
Wasn't that the yelling technique used by the landlady?