Damned System

Chapter 30. Murderer (5)

“Have you ever considered joining the National Intelligence Service (NIS)?”

Surprised by the unexpected question, Kj flinched and trembled slightly.

I observed him silently, reflecting on why I had made this proposal.

If the bounty mission got resolved smoothly, I could establish at least a minimal cooperative relationship with the government.

With that, I thought of sending Namkyu there.

‘They’ll probably take better care of him than I could.’

It would be easier to separate him from his alcoholic father since they have the authority that I lack.

However, I was uneasy about just sending the child there alone.

While pondering over this, Kj’s party came to mind.

‘It would be a disadvantage for me to join directly.’

Even if I dealt with Han Changshik, there were likely people who almost died at his hands or family members of the deceased.

My actions only served to reduce animosity and suspicion towards players; it couldn’t completely resolve the emotions of the victims and their families.

There was no need to go to such places and receive their sharp gazes when I had the ability to take care of myself without their protection, unlike Namkyu.

Therefore, I came up with sending a guardian or supervisor other than myself.

‘That way, I’d be able to hear updates from within the NIS as well.’

So, I had come all the way to meet with Kj.

In a way, I was telling him to bear the piercing gazes and surveillance instead of me, so I needed to at least show sincerity by visiting directly.

I tried to predict Kj’s response.

The USB contained all the support plans the NIS had proposed.

‘The promise of professional military training must be quite an attractive condition.’

For me, it wasn’t very compelling since I had already dabbled on a superficial level, and my body had transcended the human realm.

But for Kj, the circumstances differed, so there was a good chance.

“I’d like you to convey any perceptions or updates you hear from within.”

I hoped Kj would accept my proposal.

From our past exchanges, I realized that his sociability exceeded my expectations upon meeting him in person.

Moreover, judging from his quick wit, he might play a larger role than anticipated.

I hoped for the answer I wanted, but after a brief pause,

“Then… what would hyung give me in return?”

Kj gulped down his apprehension and asked.

Though it wasn’t visible, my lips curled up a little.

“Glad you understood the message well.”

I materialized mana in my hand and grabbed Kj’s arm.

The startled, flinching movement was vividly felt.

“What is this!”

Even before he finished his sentence, I withdrew my hand, causing a bewildered expression to appear on his face.

Since he would be helping me by being the informant, it was only fair that I offered him something in return.

“It’s Mana. If you enter the NIS and relay information, I’ll teach you mana manipulation and materialization.”

“……”

“I also plan to share the information I acquire quickly. You could think of it as a kind of employment relationship. How about it?”

“…… Can I talk it over with my party members and get back to you?”

“Sure, let me know when you’ve made a decision. And….”

I hesitated for a moment; upon reconsideration, it seemed unnecessary to mention what I was going to say.

It was a matter that would be resolved, if not tonight, then by tomorrow morning.

“Just don’t undertake any missions today or tomorrow.”

“Huh?”

“See you.”

“Wait, are you leaving right now?! Maybe we could chat over coffee or something…”

“Next time.”

Leaving Kj behind, I opened the bounty mission window.

‘Check the location.’

Upon clicking the button, a new window popped up—a map indicating the target’s location.

The red dot signifying the target was firmly placed on the outskirts of Namyangju City.

As I took in the scene I had checked before leaving the PC room, I hurried my steps.

‘Let’s go.’

I planned to make the necessary preparations while getting close to the place where he was supposed to be.

‘If he moved when there was little time left, that would be problematic.’

While relocating to catch an intercity bus, I began analyzing Han Changshik’s capabilities.

First were Han Changshik’s words and behavior observed in the video.

– Purification pill? Ah, seems like the one below needs that?

Judging by his reaction to the purification pill story, he could have undergone the Promotion Test.

It’s best to assume he’s either a Beta or Alpha.

Next, I assessed his mana reserve.

He was the guy who cleared the tutorial and killed three players with over 100 mana and more than ten ordinary people.

Estimated mana was around 600 to 700.

‘But that’s the minimum.’

He could have more if he absorbed mana by killing animals or other people over the days.

It might even exceed 1000.

But so far, no one except me had completed a Level 2 mission.

‘Is he only collecting mana in reality without participating in missions?’

When I checked the completed mission list for confirmation, my head went cold.

「01-09(1/10) – Closed Contributor: Giant」

「01-10(1/10) – Closed Contributor: Giant」

「01-12(1/10) – Closed Contributor: Giant」

「01-14(1/10) – Closed Contributor: Giant」

It was precisely since June 22 that I discovered someone undertaking Level 1 missions alone.

Feeling uneasy, I clicked on the mission log, revealing detailed information.

‘Average entry is about five to seven people.’

However, coming out of missions alive was a player with the codename “Giant.”

‘He cleared a total of four Level 1 missions.’

If Han Changshik did this and restrained other players while tackling the mission’s monsters, his mana would easily surpass 1000.

‘Yet he’s still at Level 1.’

The only Level 2 clear record was mine.

If one’s mana exceeds 1000, they’re unable to remain at Level 1, meaning something clear.

‘This bastard is buying something at the shop.’

As the variables increased, things got more complicated in my head.

‘What was he buying?’

I started selecting possible candidates swiftly.

First, all expensive offensive skills were ruled out.

The reason being, combat-related skills have minimum prices starting around 5000 at least.

He couldn’t afford them at this stage.

This was why all the skills I’d bought until now weren’t combat-oriented but instead auxiliary ones.

Thinking up to that point, some exceptionally low-priced items came to mind.

‘One-time use skill stones.’

The shop also sells permanent skills costing between 20,000 and 30,000 mana as one-time use for much cheaper prices.

From a long-term perspective, they only deplete mana, so I hadn’t bought any.

But there’s no guarantee the Giant didn’t purchase them.

‘This might not be as easy as I thought.’

If this Giant really was Han Changshik, I shouldn’t underestimate him.

“Click.”

Arriving at the terminal, I boarded a bus headed towards Namyangju City and opened the inventory.

Inside was one item quietly holding its place for the past few weeks.

‘Shop Free Use Voucher.’

An item allowing shop access up to five times the price of one’s total mana.

Not knowing the skills or items Han Changshik possessed, I needed a means to counter any situation.

That was why I decided to use the shop voucher that I had been saving diligently.

My current mana was 2248.36.

It didn’t take long to find the best option from the choices I could afford within five times that range.

「Barrier (10,988 mana)」

• Category: Permanent Skill

• Description: A skill that protects the user from physical impacts; the hardness of the barrier varies according to the amount of mana invested.

Isn’t there an old saying that the best offense is a good defense?

When the opponent’s power was unknown, it was wise to go in with a defensive skill.

The best choice I had within my grasp was the barrier.

Yet, I couldn’t help but feel a lingering regret.

‘Dammit, I was planning to get Flaming Orb originally.’

This damned bounty mission had forced me to forgo a skill that had caught my eye.

The official name of the skill marked in the shop was Flaming Orb.

The price was precisely 15,672 mana, obviously indicating a Fireball.

‘Damned expensive for something that’s a basic magic in other games.’

Because I had thought I could acquire it soon, it felt terribly regrettable.

But it wasn’t an option to save the voucher for later.

‘I’ll come back for it later.’

Bidding farewell to the Fireball, I swallowed my bitter feelings and purchased the barrier.

“Ugh…”

An unpleasant sensation overwhelmed me as unfamiliar knowledge invaded my head unbidden.

It was the same experience as the previous two purchases.

Clenching my teeth, I endured it.

Approximately five minutes passed when the desire to vomit up my insides subsided, replaced by a headache.

“Whew.”

After taking several deep breaths to calm myself, I frowned and reviewed the mana structure required to activate the barrier.

‘It’s complicated.’

One of this game’s many flaws was the complete absence of automation features.

The use of purchased skills depended on individual capabilities.

According to the forcibly embedded knowledge in my mind, I had to personally manipulate and place the mana.

That was how the skill could be materialized.

The knowledge acquired from the shop was merely a blueprint to form the barrier.

It was essentially a plan dictating how much mana should be used, where, and in what form.

It required blending regular and attribute mana, and the amount needed varied by skill.

Sense Expansion required a more intricate mana structure than Mana Detection, and Invisibility had an even more complicated structure than that.

Yet this barrier possessed a mana structure several times more complex and dense than Invisibility.

‘Thankfully, I have time to practice.’

The time left on the bounty mission was about nine hours.

It wasn’t entirely sufficient, but it would have to suffice urgently.

I diligently memorized the mana structure for the barrier inside the bus.

Though the knowledge was already within me, making it fully my own required memorization.

‘It feels like a text file appeared in my head.’

When I could recite its contents without glancing at the file, the headache would eventually fade.

Already familiar with the process through Mana Manipulation and Invisibility, it took less time than before.

By the time I had memorized about half of the barrier’s mana structure, the bus arrived at Namyangju City Terminal.

Immediately afterward, I hailed a cab.

My final destination was the hills surrounding the warehouse where Han Changshik was suspected to be.

The closest distance to the target was about 300 meters.

Upon activating mana detection, I felt a mass of mana hanging precariously at the boundary of my perception range.

“Click.”

As expected, it was a giant mana presence, incomparable to anything I had encountered before.

‘About half my size….’

Mana 1000. Han Changshik’s physical abilities now matched mine.

With a sigh, I sat down on the nearby ground and continued practicing.

About two hours passed, and after tedious memorization and implementation, I successfully created a barrier.

The result was a hemispherical shield with about a one-meter radius surrounding me.

“Ha….”

Despite successfully implementing the skill, my expression wasn’t great.

‘Just as I guessed from the structure, it consumes a terrible amount of mana.’

It wasn’t a skill I could use freely and comfortably whenever danger arose.

With my current mana, I could maintain it for about 10 to 15 seconds.

A slight comfort was knowing that reducing the barrier’s area also decreased mana consumption.

‘Let’s not lower the hardness.’

Instead of weakening the basic strength, it was better to reduce the range.

Protecting my body was all that mattered.

‘Let’s master it well enough to not err in practice.’

Supported by the traits Adaptability and Tenacity, perhaps?

About three hours into the relentless practice, I was able to implement it whenever I willed.

‘Next is application….’

By then, I’d already consumed five bottles of potions to restore mana depleted during practice.

But rather than stopping there, I wanted to go further.

Stopping at merely implementing meant not fully utilizing the expensive purchase.

Understanding the mana structure and applying it could open more varied uses.

With Mana Manipulation, application allowed for materialization.

Invisibility enabled extending the invisible effect onto others.

The methods of applying skills were endless.

‘Finish mastering it and also conduct analysis.’

Such accumulated knowledge could become a foundation for self-acquiring skills, reducing shop dependencies.

I persistently clung to grasping the mana structure.

Another hour passed while doing so.

As the seventh round of exhausted mana began to replenish, something remarkable happened.

The once-dark sky momentarily flashed.

“…… What was that?”

It seemed like lightning from a clear sky, yet when I looked up, it was cloudless and clear.

Baffled, I scanned my surroundings, only for my body to jolt.

It was the faint sound tickling my ears that caused tumult.

In disbelief, I expanded my senses with mana manipulation, magnifying the sound instantly.

Click, clack.

Cha-ra-rak.

What seemed like plastic clashing, or maybe metal meeting, resounded.

Puzzled over the ambiguous sound without an apparent source, I suddenly scrambled up from my seat.

The direction from which the sound came—was odd.

It matched exactly with Han Changshik’s position on the map as confirmed earlier.

Damned System