Rain was silently sitting, wearing casual clothes and an ID card, in a hall—not a grand one, but the kind you usually see on a campus. Quite decent. Waiting.
His face was brimming with happiness, and even the atmosphere around him felt lighter.
And the reason behind all this was simple.
"It was really a piece of cake," he murmured to himself, thinking about the written exam he had taken a while back. The questions were just too easy for him.
After all, how could he not know them?
What was the size of this planet, how many total species existed, the actual concepts behind soul core and body—
Spending all those hours in OG, these things came naturally to him.
But his gaze soon turned serious as his eyes scanned the room.
It was filled with people.
Many people.
Some were talking to each other, some sitting quietly. And unlike him, most of them clearly came from noble or well-off families. Most of them weren't even human.
In fact—
There was no sign of humans at all.
The door suddenly opened slightly, and a man stuck his head out.
"The next group, please come in."
His tone wasn't loud, but it carried authority—like an instruction that had to be followed.
Sweat slowly formed on Rain's face.
'I'm not nervous… not at all…'
He tried to believe his own word but the feeling wouldn't go away.
He was the weakest here, a human, an outsider, an oddball.
'Just need to take one out…'
That was all he had to do.
Take down one opponent.
After all, he knew the exam—one-on-one duels, win and you get selected, simple, but for him it wasn't.
One-on-one in his current condition was like asking a fearless cat to fight a tiger.
Even if the cat had no fear, its chances of survival were still zero, his eyes moved again across the room.
'Who can I fight…?'
He searched carefully, looking for someone he might have even the slightest chance against.
Then—
"Hm… oh… she's here too… that means…" he murmured.
His gaze stopped on a girl.
A busty figure, clearly standing out even in a room full of elites. She wore a clean white outfit, the upper and lower both simple yet elegant. A straw cap rested lightly on her head, decorated with a bright sunflower that gave her an oddly warm presence.
Rain had no interest in her, but even so a grin slowly appeared on his face, because his interest wasn't in her, it was in what came with her.
[Another species of the opposite sex with potential to become an unparalleled beauty below the Empress of Domination detected. Appraising…]
Rain stared at the screen with a flat, deadpan expression.
'…Here we go again.'
[Name: Clytie Yellow]
[Race: Dedaryn]
[True Core: Wrath of Sun (Locked)]
[Originality: Queen of Sunflower]
Rain stared at the screen. "…Here comes my free info dumper."
His eyes widened slightly in mild surprise.
'Not bad… not bad at all. Still useful… even though I already know most things about her.'
Then—
'Wait… she has a True Core too? That's something I didn't know… but it's locked.'
A slow, slightly devious grin spread across his face.
'Originality is the same as I thought. Of course it is… I researched her way too much.'
Dedaryn—a race whose origin lies in nature itself after awakening a soul core. A Dedaryn's origin could be anything rooted in the natural world—an ancient tree, a dying sapling, creeping vines, blooming flowers, water-born plants like lotus or algae, shifting soil, or even moss spreading across stone. As long as it was once a living plant, it could become a Dedaryn.
Clytie Yellow was a B-tier rare character in OG. Even though her looks were already good, her busty figure made her stand out far more than someone her age normally would.
She was the only daughter of a major corporate figure—one of the big names in the industry.
Her father was the head of the Revolution Group, and she was the result of a union between a human and another species—a crossbreed, but to Rain she was nothing more than a background character, he had not a single bit of interest in her, the reason, he simply didn't like her, and wasn't that reason enough?
Still—
There was one thing about her that he liked.
Something he loved very much.
'Just as boring as ever…' not a single spark of interest, except for that one certain thing, as Rain kept staring at her.
Clytie noticed his gaze and reacted, her lips curving into a bright smile.
"Do you have something to say?"
'He is cute… hehe.' she thought, amused by Rain's adorable and unexpectedly cute face.
Rain spoke while tilting back in his seat, his expression plain, no emotion at all as he stared at the roof.
"Nothing… you just seem familiar, that's all."
'No point being on her good side… she's not my type… just a waste of time.' he had no intention of showing even a hint of charm or friendliness toward her.
Clytie, replied, her smile still resting on her face.
"Oh? Is that so? You might have seen me in the news."
"Whatever," Rain said, closing his eyes.
[ Transferring further information about originality… ]
'Here it comes…!' Rain thought, preparing himself for the headache.
Before he could even realize it, knowledge began pouring into his head—endless, nonstop.
He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists.
'Shit—! This is even more painful than before…!'
The flood didn't stop, forcing its way into his mind without mercy.
Then—
As suddenly as it began, it stopped.
The knowledge finally settled down in his head.
Queen of Sunflower.
As the name suggests, they rule over those beneath them. Like sunflowers, they carry a strong presence of light, their mood naturally bright and cheerful—but sadness or anger could trigger something deep within.
Being one with light, their power grows stronger with stronger light. They are naturally strong against darkness—but not against darkness that covers the source of their power: the sun.
They possess the power of the sun itself, capable of burning anything to a crisp with their flames.
Water only helps them grow stronger.
But fire stronger than theirs—
Can burn them just as easily.
Rain thought as he let out a breath, 'This is still too much to process at once…'
Then—
A voice came from the side, carrying a faint mocking tone.
"Hey buddy, that's not how you talk to a lady."
Rain slowly opened his eyes a little.
'Who else could it be expect… this handsome bastard… her childhood friend.'
It was a boy with messy crimson-red hair, slightly covering his closed eyes, a calm yet lazy expression resting on his face. His features were sharp—almost unreal—with pale skin, a slim but well-defined build, and a casual outfit of a black shirt layered under a light jacket. Rings adorned his fingers, and a thin necklace rested against his collarbone.
Shion—an NPC in OG. Nothing much to talk about except his overwhelming super strength even though he was human, a handsome face, and many other features girls were attracted to like honey—and Clytie was no different.
Rain murmured with a grin, "So pity that he is not an actual man."
Really, it was a pity. His handsome face was just for show. In reality, he was good for nothing. What was the use of that face when he couldn't satisfy a woman? Just a showpiece hanging between his legs—a tower that couldn't stand, no matter what.
Shion said, "Did you say something?" as he noticed Rain murmuring to himself.
Rain said casually with a teasing tone, smiling, "Oh nothing… just talking to myself about how unfair this world is…"
With a grin, he continued, "You've got the pretty face… but what's the use when your sword is defective?"
Shion froze.
"What!?"
He gritted his teeth, 'How does he know!?'
Clytie tilted her head, confused. "What are they talking about?" Her face remained innocent, not understanding a thing.
A voice cut through the conversation.
"Next group, come in!"
Rain got up, waving his hand, the grin still on his face as he mocked, "See ya, Mr. Dudblade."
Shion snapped in anger, "Why you—!"
Clytie blinked, "Hmmm…"
'What's dudblade?' There were too many things that a pure soul couldn't understand.
---
Rain stood in the training grounds along with other examinees. Among them were Clytie and Shion too, talking to each other like a couple.
He smirked.
"Look at those two… just a perfect match."
Pure sarcasm.
[Just like us, hubby!] the screen popped up with a heart-filled expression.
'Totally forgot about her for a second…'
Shion looked at Rain with a twisted smile. "Don't cry when you end up eating dirt on the ground."
Rain replied casually, "So much talk for someone who can't even use his sword properly."
"You piece of shit—don't think I won't beat you just because of that adorable face of yours!" Shion snapped, anger rising.
Rain's veins twisted slightly as an irritated smile spread across his face.
'Now you've done it!'
Clytie stepped in quickly, "Don't fight! Don't fight!"
'I can't let him touch that cute face…' she thought, glancing at Rain.
Rain's eyes shifted slightly.
'Hey… don't look at me like that. I have no interest in you.'
His thoughts carried absolute truth.
The same one who had called them over—wearing a cap, a scar cutting across his face—looked at them once before saying,
"Now… start."