#106 Reward: Inventory
[Relic: Processed Siren's Heart] ownership ceremony completed.
From now on, [Relic: Processed Siren's Heart] belongs to Player 'Bal Jeong-nam'.
You can now summon [Relic: Processed Siren's Heart].
Player-exclusive quest [Take the Relic: Processed Siren's Heart!] cleared.
[Special Reward] granted as reward.
[Inventory] acquired.
[Inventory] can be checked in Player 'Horny Guy''s status window.
"Inventory?"
I hurriedly opened my status window.
A new Inventory slot had been added below the HP bar. It twinkled like a star at the top of the status window, as if begging me to look at it.
When I tapped Inventory, a small rectangular box appeared next to the status window. Naturally, it was empty inside.
Below the Inventory window was a section explaining how to use it.
[Inventory Usage Guide]
[Items can be stored in the Inventory.]
[Relics can be stored in the Inventory.]
[Living beings cannot be stored in the Inventory.]
[Drag an item to the Inventory window to make it disappear and store it.]
[Think about storing an item in the Inventory window to make it disappear and store it.]
I read through the usage guide.
Fortunately, it wasn't much different from other games, so I memorized it right away.
"Just think about it, right?"
Mark Two handed me a ballpoint pen.
'Store ballpoint pen.'
The moment I thought about putting the pen in my hand into the Inventory, it vanished in astonishment.
This would be killer for magic tricks.
"Not bad."
My evaluation of the Inventory was pretty good. I'd expected something amazing, but the Inventory was reward enough on its own.
"Wait, no?"
Thinking about it, this was way more incredible than I'd realized—a system, no, an ability far beyond my expectations.
What if I used the Inventory system for theft?
Only I, the player, could see the Inventory window. And only I could take items out of it into reality.
If I cleaned out a jewelry store with this? Kept an emergency car on hand? Stored guns, cannons, bombs, and such?
"It's already OP, but this could make me a one-man army."
Sometimes guns and weapons are more efficient than superpowers. You can't tell if someone's a superpower user unless they use their power. That's why clueless punks sometimes pick fights on the street.
But if you're carrying or showing a gun? The magic of people leaving you alone kicks in.
"Plus, no need to carry a wallet around."
I pulled the wallet from my inner pocket and stored it in the Inventory. A "$100,000" label appeared over the wallet icon.
If I'd had this sooner, I wouldn't have had to pay Emily's hospital bill in installments.
"Oh right. Sujeong-i said to pay $30,000."
Thinking of Emily's hospital bill reminded me of the text from Nurse Bae Sujung a few days ago.
Another $30,000 added to the admission fees, right?
"Might as well go see Sujeong-i's face while I'm at it."
Honestly, I didn't have to pay that $30,000. Emily had already been discharged, and they knew I was involved, so unless they had a death wish, they wouldn't force it.
But if I didn't pay, Nurse Bae Sujung might take the heat for it. She was the one who rushed Emily to the OR in the emergency.
No need to put my harem candidate in a tough spot over a measly $30,000.
And it'd be nice to see her face.
"Anyway, let's call it. I'm off to Elis."
The main reason I'd stolen the Siren's Heart in the first place was to show it to Elis.
Ji-na had passed out, so she was sleeping at the main house today. Mark Three was heading there in my place with Mom.
"Then I'm off to Yuna."
Mark Two was going to Yuna. She'd been a huge help stealing the Siren's Heart today. Without her flooding the aquarium floor with water, I'd have been lost in the fog.
She'd done great work, so time for a reward. Wait, Yuna might prefer punishment?
"I'm going to Sujeong-i."
Mark Four was heading to the hospital to pay the bill. His real goal was seeing Nurse Bae Sujung and boosting affection.
"I'll go to Emily."
Finally, Mark Five was off to Emily. She might be asleep by now, but who knows? He'd check if her body's okay, no misunderstandings, if she'd gained a bit of weight, etc.
Of course, no perving if she's asleep.
"But if everyone's gone, who's guarding this place?"
"""".....""""
My clones shut their mouths at my question.
Mark Two, whose perving was confirmed, stared off at distant mountains.
You punk, where are there mountains to stare at?
"Whatever, we'll call in a subordinate. Might as well put 'em to use boiling stew."
In the end, I called Karinbia and left the hideout for the first time in ages.
*****
Meanwhile, at that moment—
"Hoo..."
High Fog ended the call so his wife wouldn't hear and let out a sigh.
When he heard her say the phone was on silent and she hadn't gotten his calls, the thought that he'd been had by Steel Armor flashed through his mind.
"Unbelievable."
High Fog shook his head in disbelief, chuckling wryly as he got in the car.
"Crazy bastard."
His wife, Hazel Fox, had never been caught by Steel Armor in the first place.
She'd left for the main house with Jeong-nam and Ji-na as planned.
But Steel Armor had pulled off a bold bluff. He'd said he had his wife and dared him to call her.
Feeling uneasy at that confidence, High Fog had called her repeatedly.
But she hadn't picked up once, forcing him to believe Steel Armor.
Just once. If she'd answered even once, the bluff would've been exposed.
Of all timings, her phone was on silent.
"Is heaven's luck on Steel Armor's side?"
Those favored by heaven succeed at anything. It's unscientific, but heavenly luck exists.
Didn't they say someone became president long ago because the universe itself helped out of pity?
Heaven's luck was definitely with Steel Armor.
He'd lost the target Siren's Heart. Despite all that effort, the carefully laid plan had failed.
"But I did gain one thing."
Not a total failure, though. Today's events had revealed two facts to High Fog.
"Of course. There's no way Jeong-nam is Steel Armor."
High Fog had confirmed his son Horny Guy in the fog. And at the same time, Steel Armor was there too.
This proved they were separate people.
And the second—
"Ji-na..."
His one and only daughter Ji-na was a superpower user. A very powerful one at that.
Thinking of Ji-na, High Fog squeezed his eyes shut.
"...Gotta head home first."
High Fog—no, Chairman Bal Ji-woon—removed his white mask and drove to the main house.
"....."
Just like when he'd soothed his sulking wife after forgetting their anniversary, Chairman Bal Ji-woon felt utterly lost on how to face Ji-na.
*****
"Here, Elis."
"Oppa? Why aren't you coming inside... Huh? Where's Ji-na-unnie?"
"Get in the car first. We have somewhere to go, and things to talk about."
"Okay."
Elis came out and quietly got in the passenger seat.
It was chilly at night, but she didn't seem cold in her super short outfit. I cranked the heater and drove off so Elis wouldn't catch a cold.
"Oppa, where are we going?"
"Secret. Hold your curiosity for later."
"Okay. Oh, what about Ji-na-unnie?"
"Ji-na went to the main house."
"I see?"
"Yeah. And so did I."
"Huh?"
I felt Elis giving me a weird look from the side, but I didn't say more.
Showing once beats explaining a hundred times.
Whew. Kinda nervous?
Soon, I'd tell Elis I'm Steel Armor.
I had to lie about getting the Siren's Heart, but no way to explain it as chaebol heir Horny Guy.
Found the Siren's Heart? Even sweet Elis would call bullshit.
Bought it? She'd call mega bullshit.
Any excuse was nonsense, so better to be straight.
I was sure Elis wouldn't betray me even knowing my identity, so I made this call.
"Huh? This place..."
After driving forever, we arrived at the beach.
"Oppa, why here?"
"Elis."
"Yes?"
"I'm about to drop a huge bombshell."
"Bombshell?"
"Yeah. But try not to freak too much. Brace yourself, got it?"
Elis looked puzzled but nodded.
"Okay, got it."
"Good."
I pulled the Siren's Heart from my Inventory.
"Huh? Wha? Oppa, this..."
Suddenly, a head-sized water-drop gem popped onto my empty hand—poof!—and Elis's eyes went wide.
"Whoa! Oppa, you learned magic? How'd you do that? No idea. Teach me too, oppa!"
Thinking it was a trick, Elis begged me to teach her.
Ugh... too cute. So cute I gotta kiss her.
I kissed Elis and held up the gem.
"Know what this gem's called?"
"Hmm... No clue. What is it?"
Elis thought a bit and shook her head.
"Don't know?"
"Yeah, no idea."
"Weird? You know it."
"Me? This? No, first time seeing it."
"Oh. You said you'd only seen pics? Makes sense you wouldn't know."
"Pics... Huh?"
Then Elis's eyes turned saucer-wide. She stared back and forth between me and the gem, trembling.
"O-Oppa. This couldn't be..."
"Couldn't be what?"
"S-S-S-S-S... Siren's Heart, r-right?"
"Yep."
"....."
"This is the Siren's Heart. The real deal."
"....."
Elis stared blankly at me, too shocked to process.
"You said you'd never seen the Siren's Heart in person. So I got it for you."
"B-But you can't just take this!"
"True. Was a real pain getting it. Especially when that Tough Guy fucker got on top of me... Fuck, still pisses me off."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. Anyway, I went through hell to show you this. Curious how I got it?"
"Uh... Yeah."
Elis nodded. Time to reveal my identity.
"Truth is, oppas a superpower user. Super strong, cool, suave, reliable, dandy, sexy, etc.—totally badass. And folks call me this."
I pulled the mask from my suit pocket, flipped it on, and said,
"Steel Armor."
"...Huh?"
Elis's face stiffened.