It had been a few days since Levi's reincarnation, and the half-dragon had already made quite the name for himself in Axel.
Adventurers whispered about the "Noble Warrior", a man who walked in shining suits, with flowing white hair and the calm confidence of a seasoned hero. He was polite, he was reliable, he was handsome, and — perhaps most importantly — he didn't blow up the quest board with pointless requests like a certain crimson demon girl.
And yet, for all his fame, Levi was a mystery.
Nobody knew where he lived.
He came into town, finished quests with terrifying efficiency, exchanged a few words with fellow adventurers, bought supplies, then disappeared. Every day. Without fail.
Rumors started swirling.
"He must have a secret noble estate outside town."
"Maybe he lives in some secret dungeon and uses it as a training ground."
"No, no, I bet he sleeps upside-down like a bat."
The one person who knew the truth… was Luna.
It had happened entirely by accident.
One evening, curious about his disappearances, Luna had followed him to the river outside Axel. When a massive vortex of water suddenly formed beneath Levi's feet, her heart nearly stopped.
"LEVI, WAIT—!" she cried, rushing forward to grab him.
Unfortunately, Levi had already stepped into the whirlpool. And because she was clinging onto him in panic, she was dragged in as well.
Instead of drowning, however, something unbelievable happened. A warm, protective force wrapped around her — Levi's Hydro Dragon Aura, instinctively shielding her from the crushing water.
When she opened her eyes, she was dry. Completely dry. And before her was something she never could have imagined:
A mansion of flowing water, shining like crystal under the moonlight, tended by nymphs and spirits who bowed in reverence to Levi.
Luna had known he was half-dragon, but this… this was something else entirely. It was like stepping into a fairy tale.
Levi had sighed at her panicked face, scratching the back of his head.
"...You weren't supposed to see this."
And Luna, after calming down, had decided on the spot: she would keep his secret. No matter what.
One more thing Luna had learned about Levi was his diet: he absolutely refused to eat seafood.
"Water dragons don't eat fish," he'd explained once with a shrug. "Feels… wrong."
And Luna had quietly filed that away as just another unique quirk of her favorite adventurer.
Today, she stamped his latest quest sheet and slid the pouch of Eris across the counter with her usual bright smile.
"Here's your payment, Levi."
Levi accepted it with his usual polite grace.
"Thank you, Luna."
Half the guild sighed with envy.
Female adventurers, receptionists, even a few older women at the bar shot Luna dagger-glares. To them, she was far too close to the one man every girl in Axel secretly (or not-so-secretly) wanted.
But Luna ignored them, leaning forward just a little.
"Actually, Levi… could you do something for me?"
Levi straightened, always willing to help.
"Yes, I would be honored to."
Her smile grew softer.
"There's a new adventurer I'd like you to look after. She's a bit… shy. Black hair, red eyes, part of the Crimson Demon Clan. Would you help her out?"
Levi nodded immediately.
"Of course."
On the outside, calm. Composed. The image of a noble dragon warrior.
On the inside?
"NOOO, NOT MEGUMIN!!"
His soul howled in despair.
Levi forced himself to breathe, mentally gripping his own shoulders.
"Okay… okay. Calm down. Just take her on one quest. Smile, be polite, and if she asks to join my party, reject her gently. That's it. Simple. Easy. No problem."
His face remained a mask of serenity.
"…It will be done."
Levi walked alongside Luna, his mind already heavy with dread.
"Alright… time to meet the Explosion Gremlin herself. Don't panic. Just be polite, do one quest, then reject her gently. You can do this. You're a dragon, for crying out loud."
He exhaled slowly, bracing himself for the worst.
Luna stopped in front of a table near the back of the guild hall, smiling warmly.
"Here she is."
Levi opened his eyes, ready for Megumin's dramatic pose and loud declaration of Explosion—
Instead, what he saw made his heart skip.
There stood a young girl with a slim but athletic frame, her pale skin catching the lantern light. Crimson eyes glimmered nervously, not with manic energy but with shy hesitation. Long, dark hair tied into two neat twin-tails, held by red ribbons and a delicate golden band. A black robe draped over her shoulders, paired with a low-cut blouse, a short pink skirt, dark stockings, and sturdy brown boots. A silver wand hung at her side, along with a short sword that looked more ceremonial than practical.
And—Levi's eyes caught it for half a second—a barcode-like tattoo along her thigh.
[Insert image of Yunyun here]
Levi's heart screamed with joy.
"YES! Not the gremlin! It's Yunyun! One of my waifus from my past life! The gods have smiled upon me!"
On the outside, however, he remained the picture of calm nobility, giving only a small nod.
"I see… this is the girl. She seems… very shy."
Yunyun, cheeks flushed, bowed awkwardly.
"Th-thank you for agreeing to help me!"
Levi stepped closer with that composed grace that had the entire guild buzzing about him. He offered a polite smile.
"Hello there. I am Levi."
Yunyun froze mid-step, her crimson eyes widening as she clutched her wand like a lifeline.
"W-wait… Levi? That Levi? The 'Noble Warrior'? Y-you're him, right?!"
Her voice cracked halfway through, earning a few amused glances from nearby adventurers.
Levi kept his outward smile calm and courteous, but inside he was already melting.
"Oh my god, she's so adorable. Actual cinnamon roll energy. Protect at all costs. No gremlin screeching about explosions, just pure awkward Yunyun perfection."
He gave a small nod.
"Yes. That's me."
Yunyun's cheeks went bright pink. She fumbled with her robe sleeve and bowed so suddenly she almost tripped over her skirt.
"I-it's an honor! Please, take care of me!"
Levi tilted his head slightly, fighting the urge to laugh.
"Take care of you? Yunyun, if only you knew—I've wanted to take care of you since my last life."
But all he said aloud was a smooth,
"Of course. I'll do my best."
Yunyun shuffled her feet, trying to calm her racing heart.
"U-um, s-so, let's go and… and… pick a quest!"
Levi gave her a small, reassuring smile.
"Very well. Since you're new, allow me to help with picking an easy one."
They walked toward the quest board together. Yunyun tried to look composed, but her twin-tails twitched like nervous cat ears. The moment they stopped at the board, a group of female adventurers across the room started whispering.
"Unbelievable! First Luna, now the Crimson Demon girl?!"
"She just got here!"
"Is he collecting them like trading cards or something?!"
Meanwhile, the male adventurers sat slumped over a table, watching with watery eyes.
"Why… why is life so unfair?"
"She's not even trying, and yet she already got invited to the board with him…"
"First Luna, now her. What's next, Wiz?!"
Levi ignored the background noise, scanning the parchment slips with practiced eyes. Yunyun, meanwhile, was sneaking glances at him every other second, cheeks glowing pink.
Finally, Levi tapped one of the easier quests on the board.
"Here. A simple extermination request. Wolves in the eastern forest. It's good training without being too dangerous."
Yunyun blinked, staring at his finger pointing at the paper. Then she quickly snatched it up.
"Y-yes! That's perfect! I-I mean… I totally knew that already, I was just, um, testing you!"
Levi chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Of course you were."
Levi and Yunyun walked back to the counter, quest slip in hand. Luna looked at them, then at the slip, then back at Levi with a knowing smile.
"An excellent choice. Wolves are a good start for a beginner. Quest approved."
Stamp!
She handed the paper back, and Levi gave a small bow.
"Thank you, Luna."
Then, with Yunyun practically skipping at his side, Levi headed toward the guild doors. The moment the pair stepped outside together—handing in the quest as an official duo—the guild hall erupted like someone had announced the apocalypse.
"NOOOOOOO!" screamed a cluster of male adventurers, slamming their mugs on the tables.
"The pretty boy stole another one!"
"I trained for years to get noticed and he just… just walks in! Damn nobles!"
At the same time, the women cried out in despair.
"It should've been me!"
"Why is it her?!"
"I spent three hours braiding my hair this morning, and he didn't even look at me!"
Even some of the guild receptionists whispered dramatically behind the counter.
"First Luna… and now the Crimson Demon girl."
"At this rate, he'll accidentally start a harem without realizing it."
"Unforgivable…"
Meanwhile, Levi simply pushed the door open calmly, ignoring the chaos behind him. Yunyun trailed close, utterly oblivious to the storm of jealousy she had just walked into, her cheeks still glowing pink from being beside him.
Levi sighed inwardly.
"…Why does everything I do feel like I'm starting some kind of cult?"
The forest near Axel was quiet, save for the chirping of birds and the crunch of boots against dirt. Yunyun held her staff tightly, nerves clear in her face, but her crimson eyes gleamed with determination.
"Um, Levi-san," she said softly, "the quest said a small pack of forest wolves was spotted around here. They're fast, but… I can handle them."
Levi gave her a sideways glance.
"You're confident. That's good. Just don't overdo it."
Yunyun nodded, puffing out her chest. "Don't worry, I'm a Crimson Demon! I'll prove I'm worthy of being your partner!"
Rustle, rustle—
Three wolves emerged from the brush, growling, eyes glowing faintly red from lingering dark mana. They spread out, circling.
Yunyun planted her staff, her voice firm.
"Intermediate Magic: Lightning Arrow!"
A crackling bolt of electricity shot from her staff, piercing one wolf clean through. The beast yelped and collapsed, smoking. The other two snarled but faltered, uncertain.
Yunyun wasn't done.
"Intermediate Magic: Wind Cutter!"
Blades of air whipped out, slicing across the second wolf and sending it tumbling with a whimper.
The third tried to lunge—only for Yunyun to raise her staff again, mana flaring bright.
"Intermediate Magic: Fireball!"
BOOM!
The last wolf was blasted back, rolling across the dirt before it went still.
Silence fell. Smoke rose from the scorched earth. Yunyun stood panting slightly, staff lowered, but her eyes sparkled with pride.
"H-how was that? Did I do well?"
Levi just stared for a moment, his jaw slightly slack. Inwardly, his thoughts were less composed:
"This girl… is two hundred times more useful than Megumin. Then again, that bar is chilling somewhere at the bottom of the ocean floor."
Outwardly, he gave a calm smile. "Impressive. Efficient casting, clean control. You did well, Yunyun."
Her face went crimson as she fidgeted with her staff. "R-really?! Thank you, Levi-san!"
Meanwhile, Levi's slime companion hopped onto one of the unconscious wolves, like it was claiming victory.
Levi sighed. "Yes, yes. Good job, you too."
Levi patted Yunyun on the head.
"Good job. Let's drag this thing back to the guild."
Yunyun beamed at the praise and grabbed one side of the giant wolf, lifting with all her strength. Levi took the other side, though his mind wandered as they hauled the beast's corpse along the dirt road.
Dark-marked wolf… His eyes lingered on the black sigils burned into its fur. At first I thought it was just that bear, but now it's wolves too. These marks are spreading. In the last few days, I've dealt with more of them than I care to count. At least the experience pushed me up to Level 2. Not much, I know, but the leveling system in this world feels closer to D&D than an RPG. Slow growth, steep curve. Level 20 isn't just high—it's god-tier. And honestly? I doubt anyone besides the Demon Lord himself has ever reached it.
He adjusted his grip on the carcass, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. 'Though, knowing my luck, he'll show up at Level 21 just to make a point.'
Yunyun, oblivious to his brooding, started humming happily. Then, out of nowhere, she proudly announced:
"Levi! Did you see how efficient my spell was? I cast it in record time! And it only used half my mana!"
Levi glanced at her, then sighed internally. 'This girl is two hundred times more useful than Megumin. Then again, that bar is chilling somewhere at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, so…'
Still, he couldn't deny she was proving herself. "Yeah, yeah. Keep that up and the guild will start fighting over who gets you on their team."
That thought had consequences he didn't expect. Yunyun's face went bright red, and she nearly tripped over her own feet.
"M-Member of a party… with me? You mean… you?"
Levi blinked. "…I meant in general."
Yunyun let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a groan, while Levi shook his head. 'Great. Now she's gonna be daydreaming about that for the rest of the walk.'
And all the while, the corpse they dragged behind them left a dark trail of blood that almost seemed to pulse with its own energy, like the marks weren't done yet.
The guild hall quieted as Levi and Yunyun heaved the wolf onto the counter. A ripple of chatter spread—first gasps at the sheer size of the beast, then murmurs at the faintly glowing black mark etched into its hide.
Luna leaned forward, inspecting it with narrowed eyes. "You two made quick work of these wolves."
Levi shrugged, then jerked a thumb at Yunyun. "Don't look at me. She's the one who did most of the work. For a newbie, she's ridiculously good."
Yunyun flushed crimson, fidgeting with her staff. "L-Levi, thank you…" she whispered, as if the whole guild hadn't just heard him.
Some of the male adventurers groaned in despair. "Another one stolen…"
Meanwhile, the women muttered angrily. "It should've been me, not her…"
Levi ignored them, eyes still on Luna. "I can see it on your face. We're not the only ones bringing in dark-marked animals today, are we?"
Luna froze for half a second before sighing. "…You're sharper than most. You're right. More of these marked creatures have been showing up. Bears, wolves, even a few boars. We've been cataloging them, but the number's rising faster than anyone likes to admit."
The guild buzzed with uneasy murmurs at her words.
Levi crossed his arms, frowning. "Thought so. I've run into a handful myself in just the last week. If it's happening this often, something's stirring out there."
Luna gave him a look equal parts weary and curious. "For someone only Level 2, you talk like a veteran."
Levi smirked faintly. "Let's just say I've rolled enough dice to know when the Dungeon Master is cooking something nasty behind the screen."
The adventurers around them blinked, confused. Yunyun, however, nodded sagely like she actually understood him.
To be continued
Hope people like this Ch and give me Power stones and enjoy