Chapter 5: Chapter 2: Slayer Registration
Things were working out pretty well for me. Continuing with my plan, I decided to choose an unpopular rank I dungeon in the area as the one. It was known as nightmare trove, all, because its monsters are all insect types and disgust or creep most people, as seeing giant insects moving, wasn't necessarily imagery most could deal with at all.
Cockroaches, ants, flies, larvas, and centipedes were the monsters present in this dungeon. At first, a bunch of people, who were interested in insects, and even some researchers cared to spend time in this dungeon, but as time passed the novelty wore off, and it became a mostly avoided dungeon, for a few more reasons aside from the disgust. Like how hard it was, as the Cockroaches monsters were very hard to kill if you didn't have a good enough weapon or high strength; ants came in very large numbers and it became hard to keep up with it all, as well as having hard carapaces; flies were fast and hard to hit; larvas were sticky and smelly with numbers even higher than the ants, so physical fighters had a bad time with those, and centipedes were basically a crime against humanity being tough, poisonous, and capable of digging, not even mentioning, how they liked to entrail their victims with their disgusting bodies, before eating their heads off.
Having 69,420 years of experience before this life, I've faced way too many monsters of all kinds and insect types are something that one could never truly get rid off and had enough of as there were always more of them.
To properly prepare things, I wanted to go to the dungeon myself just to have an understanding of how it was structured, just in case, I needed to ambush and kill one of the candidates discreetly. Of course, I could intimate them into submission, but that's too risky, not only is it likely someone would eventually find out, plus it would also make molding them into what I need significantly harder. In the modern era where information travels fast, even if I associated myself with the proper organizations to do this secretively, how do I guarantee they won't betray me? Yes, power can create fear, but as I am now, I don't have the power to maintain that image for long enough. Finally, it requires dealing with too many people and honestly, that bores me.
In conclusion, for now, I'll lay low and keep a better image, since eventually, I would have to make appearances as a public figure anyway, separating myself from my villainous side is necessary. That is at least until I have the means to do things other ways, but that's beside the point.
Anyway, to get to that, I must first register as a slayer, in the slayer association and get myself tested on the whole rank thing. In order to keep eyes away from me until I have things set up, I've decided to fake a low ranking. I'm already rich and don't really need anything from the Slayer association or the Slayer Guilds since I have my system, except for arguably, manpower which isn't a major concern just yet.
Entering the Slayer association building in my city, I found a pretty busy environment with people many nervous-looking people sitting around, while there were two considerable lines to even start the registration process. Then if one were to look up, they would see that there was a big poster stating 'Appreciate your love today, and become Slayers faster and stronger, together.', as it seems the February effect was in order.
"What is that all about?" I asked some person moving about.
"Oh that, it seems couples get their own line and special treatment during this month... Really makes me regrets wasting my youth... I had all the bitches back then..." Ignoring the man's remarks, I thanked him and got my attention back on the lines.
Knowing that couples get things done faster, it's very tempting, since normally you just come here to mark your evaluation day and it takes a while, but if I can skip a few days... Will they believe me if I claim Leah is my girlfriend? Unlikely, as any relations other than companionship with familers is typically disregarded, to the point where it kind of became commonplace for people to use humanoid familiars to cheat on their partners, without really cheating since most people don't see them on the same level as a human, looking at them more like pets with high intelligence or slaves if we want to be more honest. So no, bringing what would be considered my 'sex slave' with me won't count as a girlfriend.
From what I read about the situation, at first the people who wanted familars to have equal rights were winning and a bunch of Slayers got canceled, so they stopped working altogether, and the moment the human casualties increased by a large margin, those 'equal rights' were quickly throw away, and disregarded. Nowadays some people try to bring it up every now and then, but it never really leads anywhere but an increase in human casualties. That due to the fact that eventually, dungeons reach a high enough monster number and a dungeon break occurs, sending letting them out on the human world where they destroy everything in sight.
That aside a bigger problem started arising with time... Animals in our world are suffering mutations due to exposure to these supernatural energies, and though normally something like this would take way, way longer to take effect in only 20 years, various new species of animals have been emerging in this world, and they are being called magical beasts instead, and that's not even the end of it, as humans too were experiencing this sort of supernatural evolution, as new sub-species of humans appeared all throughout this time, from all types of fantasy creatures we had seen, from half-elves to half vampires to half succubi to half zombie... All kinds of things became normal, and yes monster girls, beast girls, so all those anthropomorphic girls are all kind of a thing now, and they basically rule social media alongside Slayers. Though not all humans became half anything or some elemental mix like me, some people just became high humans, so basically, humans with all stats boosted.
As I was distracted by my thoughts, a short girl came up to me and tapped on my elbow to get my attention.
"Hum... Can I help you with something?" I respond without paying too much attention.
"I saw that you were standing there with no one for a while, so I decided to come and talk to you. My idea is very simple, you'll pretend to be my boyfriend, we'll get in and finish the test and go our separate ways." she offered.
"But of course!" Not wanting to wait for too long, I immediately take the offer.
So we both head to the couple line and wait. Not that much later, we were both talking to someone already, it just makes me want to laugh at the people waiting in the normal line only to wait more, how sad.
"I'm sorry but as policy, I must ask you a few questions." The association woman told us.
"Go! Ahead! It's fine by me and hubby." The girl answered before I said anything, making some cute expressions, as she hugged onto my arm. I like her attitude. To complement I just smile with a slight blush... People this age are extra awkward from my memory, so let's play the part.
"Ok. So, for how long have you been together? " She asked.
"Hubby, do you remember? Cause my memory might be tricking me." She played the girlfriend is testing you card, a decent performance.
"I mean... It's been a while, half a year just flew by before I knew it. You just make it too easy to get lost in the moment and before I know it, it's been 5 hours." I keep the act and try not to cringe at myself.
From then on a few more questions and exaggerated reactions, and the final one came.
"You said, you've been together for half a year, so I assume you would be comfortable with kissing right now." From these questions and half-assed system, it was clear that the Slayer association didn't care if the couples are couples at all, and this was just a ploy to increase the influx of Slayers, as expected, but I did not expect the lady attending to us to a pervert, who wants to make people kiss in front of her, cause I'm sure that making the examinees kiss, was not one of the requirements they set... Probably...
Not minding it too much, I turned to the girl, and she too turned to me, before we both leaned in for a basic kiss, and nothing more. The perverted lady seemed to have fun as she breathed heavily watching this simple exchange.
Finally, we were allowed to progress and the next part was even simpler, as we had two choices from then on, take the full-on evaluation, where there would be physical, and academic tests involved or just go for an energy level measurement test, if we choose the first one we would end up doing the second one anyway, but as someone not interested in standing out right now, I choose the second option, which the girl also chose as most people tend to do.
They took us to a machine thing and all we had to do was put our hands on it and insert whatever energy we use. Having more than one energy was uncommon and most people used mana, so I used mana at its lowest and got I- as my rank, meaning I can't enter any dungeon above the I rank even with a party unless I'm working as a porter or something of the sort. Meanwhile..
"Omg! She's a G++ Slayer! Immediately go call the manager!" In terms of the lettering system, it was not implemented by humans, but instead by the Reality Balance System, and so even though G isn't that high in the overall, it's actually pretty good by the current human standards. Especially considering it's her beginning point.
The commotion continued for a while and because of her, we got approached by people from Slayer Guilds trying to recruit her. Once things died down, I used my status as a Slayer to get the form of the party I created to be approved, and then we both left together.
Outside the Slayer Association, I and the girl were at an alleyway saying our goodbyes, and just as I was about to go my way, something came up.
"Hey, hey! Look it's the G++ girl! She's the one we have to capture! Isn't it great how incompetent the Slayer Association is?! You better surrender easily, because you won't want what comes if you don't." An older-looking man dressed in a brown long coat with a brown hat came from one side.
"Shut up! Old fart! Why do you always tell them everything?! Why even announce your presence in this first place?! Honestly, I can't understand why they put me in with a demented old man. But you heard what he said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." From the other side, a literal child with a lollipop in his mouth yelled.
What is going on?! Is this girl involved in something?.. No from the way they spoke it seems they just heard about her talent and decided to get it for themselves, unfortunately for them, I already got my eyes on this one. Then again, my current body is still weak since I didn't put any time into getting stronger just yet... Let's hope these guys aren't much, otherwise, I'll have to temporarily let go of this one, then I'll get her back later.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone