Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The City's Blade
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The City's Blade.
Leaving those icy words behind, the woman turned and started walking away.
Her steps felt strangely weightless, soundless as she advanced a few paces—
until she reached a dark, empty lot devoid of even a single streetlamp, planting her foot against thin air.
Right after, a translucent blue glow emerged from the darkness, revealing the outline of a wingless helicopter where nothing had been moments before.
Whirr—
The door slid open automatically, and the woman boarded.
Through the narrowing gap, it felt like her pale blue-white eyes were staring right at him.
Then the craft rose, kicking up wind, and vanished beyond the night sky in an instant.
Jin, who had watched the whole thing in a daze, gaped wide.
"...Insane."
This was his first time seeing an air vehicle (AV) right in front of his nose.
And he hadn't even noticed it was there until the engine started.
This was optical camouflage tech—
something his homeland had been buzzing about for over a decade, with rumors of America developing it, but consensus was it was still far-off overtechnology.
Jin, who didn't know much about that stuff, just thought of a paper plane that cost 150 minerals and 100 gas.
Whoa. Cloaking race.
His pure admiration lasted only a moment.
As tension faded, excruciating pain surged through his body, which he'd been forcing to hold up.
Jin collapsed to the ground unthinkingly, gasping for breath.
The fall's impact must have been brutal.
He had no memory right after hitting the pavement, actually.
Was this reconstruction again or whatever?
This felt like he'd died and come back briefly.
As he recovered, sweat pouring down, Jin suddenly glanced at Michel.
"......"
Glassy eyes, a blade through his skull.
Come to think of it, he didn't even know the guy's name.
No real desire to, either. He'd just be remembered as "the seller," maybe forgotten in days. Jin stared at that face for a while.
Once he could finally move, he pried the ring from the dead man's hand.
Everyone's had that experience at least once.
"XX's gunning for you."
You've heard it, passed it on,
or eavesdropped from afar, ears perked.
Something like that.
Most tie back to those wild school days.
Depending on who XX is, you might tremble—"Why me...?"—rage—"Who the hell does he think he is?!"—or even hunt them down first.
Not for Kalifa.
She just wore a faint smile—
"Interesting," she murmured, the words dissipating like cigarette smoke.
Jin, feeling awkwardly like the messenger shot, relaxed at her mild reaction.
He'd have felt guilty if his words flustered or enraged her.
At the same time, he thought:
I picked the right linker.
"What was that guy? That AV was badass."
"Probably the City Government's fixer. Lost City's weird about state assets—if they deem recovery needed, they handle it themselves. Still odd, though. Even genuine, it wasn't worth their attention..."
Kalifa trailed off, brushing back her fallen bangs.
She glanced sideways and asked,
"Poh. Disappointed?"
The bartender, peering at the ring through his loupe, snapped the lens shut and looked up.
"Hardly. It's a shame it's not authentic, but this one's definitely from that era. That's a modest win."
Kalifa quirked a brow like "Heard that?" Jin, munching a cookie, chimed in.
"The Age of Light and Roses must be super valuable."
"Oh. Jin."
Kalifa pressed her hand to her forehead.
"You didn't know? Well, you might not, but still... you're..."
"Me?"
"You look like a purist on the outside."
...What's that got to do with looks?
As Jin puzzled, his intuition pinged.
He recalled what purists revered.
"Oh, so the Age of Light and Roses is...?"
"Right. Before humanity's cyberspace upheaval. Purists' longed-for homeland."
"Artifacts are treasures lost then. Value varies wildly, but even junk starts at eight figures."
Poh smoothly added to her explanation, and Kalifa continued.
"Treasure hunters specialize in them. Plenty have bounties. Like the Marjie family's centuries-long hunt for 'Eternal East'—reward's not cash, but heir position."
Jin's pupils widened slightly.
Ditch solo for treasure hunter?
Just a passing thought.
Snot-nosed kid him sucked at treasure hunts.
Never found anything when searching, but others dug up gold like magic.
Better stick to what he knew.
Today's haul: half a nugget of knowledge? Common sense? Whatever. As Jin demolished another cookie,
"So, how's it feel passing all three sieves?"
Jin shrugged lightly at Kalifa's question.
"Eh. Whatever."
"Figures. Not special for you."
With that, she leaned forward, placing a black suitcase-like bag on the table.
"13 million credits—basic pay plus a bit extra."
"300k? It's a fake. Appraisal worth anything?"
"Call it good faith. Things got messy; you suffered. And we dumped it on you suddenly. Anyway, the commission..."
"Wait!"
Jin thrust up his palm before "complete," exhaling deeply.
"Need to brace myself."
"...?"
Ignoring Kalifa's puzzled eye-contact with Poh, Jin was dead serious.
This was the third commission.
Quest would wrap naturally.
Reward: 10,000 XP.
Dopamine overload incoming.
He'd even hit the Anecdote bathroom beforehand.
No messing pants.
"Good. Finish what you were saying. Commission—?"
Kalifa smirked at Jin waving his hand insistently.
"Unpredictable guy... Complete. Commission complete."
The status window flashed (Complete!)—
[Unknown] Story Unlocked.
In that instant, the world shattered.
What the—?
Startled, Jin whipped his head around.
The world split, split again, and split more.
Finally birthing a lattice universe.
Chaos of countless horizontal and vertical lines intersecting.
Its center dipped concave, pulling Jin in.
He couldn't resist.
Before the gravitational force devouring his life whole, he was insignificant.
Thus,
inscrutable random numbers rained like a squall,
an infinite corridor welcoming him.
Jin couldn't get his bearings at first, but as endless falling continued, he gained leisure to look around.
Timidly extending fingertips toward the irregular waves of numbers flashing by—
far off, a rice-grain light sprouted, swelling to match his descent.
Eh? The moment it filled his vision with blinding light, Jin was hurled in.
In fading consciousness, a hand brushed his cheek.
"Gasp!"
Jin bolted awake, exhaling like he held it for years.
He pawed at his eyes, nose, mouth, shoulders—nightmare victim incarnate.
Kalifa startled too, yelled,
"Jin—? Jin! What's wrong?"
"...Huh? Oh, nothing."
Snapping to at her voice, Jin flicked his eyes side to side.
Half-eaten cookie, half-milk: all intact. Only then did he sigh in relief.
What the hell was that?
That bizarre, indescribable experience already felt dimly distant.
To shake the haze,
as he scrubbed his dry face, Kalifa asked,
"Something happen?"
"Nah. Just dizzy."
"Hm."
Unconvinced, arms crossed, she pressed,
"How about resting a fortnight? No—do it. Crow, City agents... too much. Bad luck once or twice is fine, but consecutively? Not buying it. Next time... Nah, won't say. Rest up. No jobs till fortnight's out."
"Do as the boss says, Jin."
"Ah. Yeah."
Jin nodded reflexively.
Atmosphere screamed "grab bag and go," so
he tossed his prepped question first.
"One thing before I bounce. How much for a proper ID?"
Couldn't live burdened by unhandleable cash forever.
Time to shed illegal status, open a bank account. Poh answered,
"Forged IDs run around 30 million credits usually. Want a connect?"
After the hectic day, Jin flopped onto his motel bed.
His terminal pinged—two messages.
One from Poh: forger's address.
Other from Jeki.
[You okay?]
"No biggie, see you next week," Jin replied, arm dropping.
Exhausted, but sleep evaded.
Two star paths ready to light.
XP brimming over.
Jin closed his eyes.
Suddenly, his inner consciousness expanded to face vast night skies.
"......"
Glancing sidelong at the brilliantly shining fist-shaped constellation, Jin turned to a far larger, dimmer one.
[Mana]
Jin's second-chosen constellation.
First thought staff-shaped,
but closer inspection: tree-like.
Towering trunk branching densely midway—could he realistically light it all?
Of course, Jin's options weren't that vast yet.
Before sprawling personality-packed branches, solidify the core pillar.
That raised a question, though.
Doesn't this make a mana character late-bloomer?
攻略 writer said clans top early firepower.
(Street rats most stable, corps richest.)
Something's up, then.
Ugh, headache.
Should've read攻略 properly.
Bridge of Jin's nose twitched, eyes shut.
Screw it. Do me.
He linked star paths relentlessly.
[Mana Circuit (Lv. 2)]
Passive boosting mana capacity and output. Essential for any mage.
Next star got the XP pour.
Yeah, this is the key.
Top-ranked superpower: teleport!
...Not quite, but still covetable.
[Blink]
Short-range teleport. Everyone wants it.
Jin opened his eyes.