Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: 0th Financial Sector (1)
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Now that I had closed my eyes to finally get some sleep, a single thought filled my mind.
'Ah... I should've used it more sparingly...'
If only I'd been a bit more careful with the Surgery Result Chart...
'I got blinded by the incoming stones and messed up...!'
If only I'd known that the Surgery Result Chart was an insanely overpowered item capable of erasing entire ghost stories...
I never would've thought something stupid like, 'Stone incoming. Hurry up and write it down.'
'Why did the Status Window deposit stones right away every time I killed a monster...!'
Whenever I killed a monster, the Status Window acknowledged the feat and deposited stones as a reward.
That's why, every time I used the Surgery Result Chart to off a patient at Unfair Hospital, seeing those stones roll in real-time...
A dopamine rush hit me hard in that moment, and I didn't think straight. That's the truth of it.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
I writhed in regret without realizing it...
"...!"
Startled awake, Min-ah stared at me.
"Ah... sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
I apologized and tried to let her settle back into sleep...
Poof...
"?"
Suddenly, she climbed down from the bed and hugged me tight. That's when it hit me.
'...Don't tell me she likes—'
"...You stink."
Um...
No, then?
"Ah, yeah... You're right. I need to shower before bed... Ahaha..."
"Hee... Glad you made it back safe. You have no idea how worried I was, thinking Big Whale was a goner."
"Tell me about it. I was scared out of my wits thinking I was done for."
She let out a small chuckle at my half-joking sincerity and released the hug.
"Go shower quick. You must be exhausted."
Only now did I notice—compared to Min-ah's sweet, fragrant scent, my body reeked pretty badly.
I'd just gotten used to the smell and hadn't realized.
"Eww, for real. Gotta wash up ASAP."
Realizing that, I headed straight to the bathroom to shower before bed.
'Huh?'
I spotted a new message waiting.
'From the admin?'
Checking your phone while soaking in the tub is practically a national pastime.
I did the same, wetting myself with warm water and opening the message.
Opponent: You're alive?
Opponent: Wow... impressive.
Opponent: Not sarcasm. Dead serious.
I could see the guy who'd shoved me into that ghost story to kill me had messaged me.
Me: Yup, survived lol
Opponent: lmao
Me: What, bummed I'm alive?
Me: Apologize now. Who knows? My soft heart might spare you.
No reason to let the guy who started the mind games win. I fired back aggressively right away.
Opponent: lmaooooooooo what a retard
Me: Wanna see how long you can keep flapping your gums?
Opponent: Keep trying.
Opponent: You'll figure out soon enough you can't touch a hair on my head.
"Hm? Can't touch a hair on your head?"
The guy's sudden cockiness threw me off a bit.
Because...
Me: You really clueless or just talking shit?
Opponent: About what?
Me: I posted on the community before—I have an item that tracks locations.
I had an item to track him, yet this guy was acting all high and mighty—
Opponent: So what if you do? You gonna catch me?
Me: Yup
Opponent: You got me. Like you said, I'm Japanese.
Me: So?
Opponent: Our exchange times don't line up. How you gonna get me~?
Me: Burn your house down?
Opponent: lmaoooooooo try it. I wanna see what happens when you wreck a building outside exchange time lmao
"..."
My head went ice cold in an instant.
Not a single word from the guy messaging me was wrong.
Opponent: We got exchange tomorrow. Whatcha gonna do?
Opponent: Want me to swing by your place and snap a pic out front?
Opponent: lmaooooooooo can you even find out who I am~?
Opponent: Aaaaaah~~~ sooo scary~~~~~~~
I squeezed my eyes shut and dismissed the Status Window.
Just like that...
'I'll kill that bastard somehow.'
I hurriedly washed up, Status Window dismissed.
"Still up?"
"Hee... Sleeping alone feels a bit cold."
Stepping out freshly showered, I saw Choi Min-ah still awake.
"Use my blanket too."
"...Pardon?"
"You're cold, right?"
"..."
I flashed some chivalrous charm and ordered food via the Status Window.
Soon after, the Bellierd Library monster delivered it.
"Um...!"
?
As the Bellierd Library monster entered and handed over Set A...
I immediately asked it...
"By any chance...! Do you take hit jobs?"
A hit job...!
O
"...By any chance, is that... a no...?"
. .
O
. .
"...Sorry... I just really want this one guy dead..."
No wonder my luck was so good at Unfair Hospital...
Yeah, I'm not normally that lucky. What was I expecting...
"Ah, ahaha... ...No, sorry. My head's just a bit fuzzy this late at night."
I sent the Bellierd Library monster away like nothing happened.
Min-ah, who'd realized something from my hit job request, watched me quietly...
"This got kinda heavy. How about we switch to some good news?"
To lighten the mood, I decided to share some happy tidings with her.
"..."
"Check your Status Window. Your Return Uses should be up by one."
"...? Huh? For real...?"
"I cleared the Liar Ghost Story for you."
"...!! How?!"
...
I pulled an all-nighter, eyes wide open.
Staring at the Status Window all night, all damn night...
'...10 minutes left.'
Even now, with 10 minutes until the Japanese exchange time...
No way to catch and kill the bastard who'd sent me to die had come to mind, so I scratched my head roughly.
"...?"
At some point, Min-ah had brewed me a warm cup of tea.
"Ah... Thanks."
"No problem. You gave me an extra Return Use, Big Whale."
"Ahaha..."
"You look beat. Should rest a bit."
"Yeah, but..."
"Sometimes, when no answer comes no matter how hard you think, sleeping it off is the way."
"...True."
Choi Min-ah was spot on.
Staying up harming my health wouldn't magically reveal a way to crush him.
It'd just hurt me...
'Sigh...'
And self-harm might be exactly what that bastard who pushed me into hell wanted.
Opponent: 5 minutes left!
Opponent: Come ooon~ Now 4 minutes~~~
Opponent: Now 3~
Opponent: I'm so scared! Big Whale's gonna kill me?!
Opponent: 2 minutes~
I ignored the gleeful taunting and sipped the tea Min-ah had made.
"Thanks. Clears my head a bit."
The warm tea relaxed my tensed muscles bit by bit.
My mind calmed too...
"Phew... Gonna catch a quick nap."
"Sleep well."
"Thanks."
Eyes would close easy now.
I shut off the Status Window, dove into bed, and closed my eyes.
Clunk...
'Ugh... Why this lingering regret.'
How much regret for the house door to creak open outside Korean exchange time...
'Thought I'd let it go... Human hearts are sneaky...'
Is this the enlightenment monks feel?
All is vanity—
"Big Whale?"
"What's up?"
"Uh... Our exchange time's still... like four days away, right...?"
"Yeah?"
"...Why's the door opening now...?"
"...What?"
I bolted up at Min-ah's words.
And...
"...!"
True to her word, the front door stood wide open.
Had the Bellierd Library monster who'd heard my lament yesterday opened it? I rushed outside to check.
'...No one's here?'
Not the Library monster...
No one outside. Questions arose...
"...No way?"
"...Another anomaly?"
A hypothesis flashed through my mind.
"Maybe 'cause you're half-Korean, Min-ah?"
"Ah...!"
She seemed to think the same.
Her face full of shock—
"...You know my name and background...?"
"Uh..."
Oh right.
Ah... yeah.
We hadn't properly shared names yet...
"Uh... Isn't it better for survival not to know names here...?"
"Well..."
"You said back then... To minimize info given to monsters if possessed... Korea's strategy..."
Min-ah was right.
In this ghost story world, a real Death Note that kills with a name wouldn't be out of place.
In the Korean community, not knowing real names was a small survival courtesy...
"I'll explain everything later, okay? Can we talk after?"
"Ah...! Sure, go handle your business."
For now, clearing Min-ah's misunderstanding wasn't priority.
I hurried out to catch the bastard who'd toyed with me before Japanese exchange ended.
Among the Japanese gathered in the village center.
I first checked the guy who'd sent the middle finger pic using the camera tracker, but didn't pursue right away.
Because...
'That pic could be stolen too.'
The middle finger photo might've been swiped from someone else.
'Good thing there's a surefire way.'
I opted for a more reliable method to find the jerk who'd messed with me.
Namely...
Opponent: When you coming to kill me, Big Whale? I'm dying of anticipation~
Opponent: Just tell me your house. I'll knock myself.
Me: (Photo)
Me: (Photo)
Me: (Photo)
Me: (Photo)
Me: (Photo)
Opponent: Wtf is this
It was quarantine meme terror.
Thud...
Found him—the Japanese guy who'd passed out from the five-hit lethargy mental attack quarantine meme combo.
"Ugh... Where... am I...?"
"Hey, buddy."
"...Huh?"
"Nice to meet ya. I'm Big Whale. What's your name?"
"...! S-Spare me...!"
"Got it. Name's 'Spare Me'? Nice to meet you, you piece of shit. Wait, nice to meet you, Spare Me."
"I'll do anything you say...! Please...!"
"Oh yeah? Anything I say? Tempting."
"Y-Yes...!"
"Cool. Cough up 200k stones first."
"...What?"
"No rule against that in your Rulebook? Sometimes you can borrow stones."
"W-Wait a sec..."
"Max out the loan. Then I'll let you go."
"If I max loan...! I'll d-definitely die...!"
"No loan? You'll suffer and die here."
"H-How... how...?"
"Nurse. Scalpel ready."
"Yes, Doctor. Right here."
"Commencing neuter—"
"I'll do it!!! Loan...! I'll take the loan...!"
"Surgery postponed."