Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: The Red Tissue
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"..."
I felt utterly empty.
After those three ran a full background check on me yesterday, I was mentally drained and crashed right away, but nothing seemed to have changed much.
I'd tried to brush it off positively yesterday, but I still hadn't unraveled the secret of my memories.
"I just don't have the energy."
When I felt like this, there was only one solution: business.
"Shut up! You devil."
This business-obsessed Shop apparently only cared about its own interests, nagging me about sales from the morning.
Now, just hearing the word "business" was enough to give me neurosis.
Right now, the tiny corner of my mind occupied by business had already been overtaken by other worries.
And that worry was Park Se-jin's reaction yesterday.
At first, I thought he'd broken something when he fell, but considering the cause and effect, that didn't make sense.
He'd been fine after the fall—it only happened when he touched the blue tissue.
The problem was that his reaction was something impossible, no matter what, when touching the blue tissue.
Think about it: why would anyone scream in agony and pass out just from a memory resurfacing?
"The only possibility..."
Shin Jin-seong.
My true name, and the protagonist's name in the game.
It felt like something had gone wrong when memories of that name resurfaced.
I wanted to ask Park Se-jin directly, but that wouldn't be easy given the situation.
I needed to look into it more.
"Shop, let's wrap up business quick."
Once business was done, I'd acquire something that could give me clues.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Cat Aspect activated, and pheromones that summoned the lost drifted through the air.
This was salvation for them, yet also calamity—its dual nature drew people in.
"Damn it! You think this makes any sense? It only loses when I bet big!"
"Come on, Mr. Hwang. First time playing Hold'em? Sometimes luck's good, sometimes bad."
Five men sat around a table playing Hold'em.
Hold'em was usually known as a sport, but the hundreds of bills piled on the table made it clear this was gambling.
"Mr. Hwang, if you're gonna keep whining, get out. You know what happens if you try cheating here."
"Damn it. I'll watch closely."
It was only natural that Mr. Hwang's complaints didn't faze the others.
This was a gang-run joint—getting caught cheating was obvious doom.
No one but a giant whose liver reached past the 63 Building into space would dare cheat here.
"Check!"
"Bet three hundred!"
"Call."
Countless bets and hands played out.
"Fuck! Fuck! You fucking shit!"
Curses unfit for polite ears spewed from Mr. Hwang's mouth.
His ten million won fortune had vanished entirely.
"You bastard! You're a pro! No other explanation!"
"Heh, tsk. You're too worked up. Here, take your fifty thousand and grab a solid meal on the way out!"
The man smirked and taunted Mr. Hwang.
Losing all reason, Mr. Hwang shoved the table and swung his fist.
Thwack!
"You crazy fuck! Your life's over now!"
Several burly men clenched their fists and closed in.
"N-no..."
In a gambling den, violence was the gang's domain to handle.
"Heh heh. Mr. Hwang, it's all over now—"
Thwack!
But the fist didn't target Mr. Hwang.
"Uh?"
The gambling den's owner emerged from the gangsters.
"Gyu Hyung-seok. Caught you palming cards. Our place has cameras everywhere, even under the table. I was gonna let you slip out quietly if you behaved, but you had to stir up trouble."
Gyu Hyung-seok's face, punched once by Mr. Hwang and once by a gangster, swelled bloodied.
He was the one who'd caused the mess, but no time for grievances.
"S-sorry! I'll leave all the money!"
"Eh? Even then, can't just let you go..."
"You thought I'd say that?"
With veteran lightness skill, Gyu Hyung-seok bolted for the door.
He hadn't grabbed the money, but nothing mattered more than his life.
"How many times have I run like this?"
The den was underground, stairs endless, but no time to tire.
Nearby was a bustling famous restaurant—once outside, the bruisers couldn't chase.
"Just open this door!"
"Gyu Hyung-seok... You thought you could escape?"
Wham!
"Argh!"
When he opened his eyes after a skull-splitting shock, Gyu Hyung-seok was dumped in a back alley.
His body ached like it was torn apart, and his hand clutched documents with his home address, family details, and a note demanding repayment of 25 million won in scam debts.
Gyu Hyung-seok sensed his life was over and trudged away.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Wh-what the hell."
Who are you calling that?
The new customer's first impression wasn't great.
His face was swollen like he'd been beaten, clothes soaked in sweat and blood.
Clearly, he'd gotten thrashed somewhere and stumbled into the shop.
And that ugly, creepy face screamed bad guy.
"What are you!"
Well, bad guys could be good customers at a Tale shop.
"Hello, customer. This is the Tale Shop."
"Tale... shop?"
Only then realizing he'd fallen into a Tale, his puffed-up shoulders slumped, his feral tiger eyes softer than a passing rabbit's.
"S-save me, please!"
Until moments ago, he'd acted like he'd never heard of manners, but this guy shifted attitudes fast.
I wondered if any Tale actually saved you just for begging.
Well, mine did.
"No, customer. This is a Tale Shop—we sell items. As long as you make a proper trade, there'll be no issues."
His face paled at my words.
"S-sorry! I have no money."
"No, our shop—"
"Actually!"
He cut me off before I could finish.
"I was gambling earlier—"
The man yammered nonstop: his name was Gyu Hyung-seok, he'd cheated at the den and lost everything, his distant cousin—heck, eighth cousin—was a congressman who'd pay up.
"So please, just let me live—"
"Enough!"
This was a new customer type.
Maybe from scamming at gambling spots—he trembled in fear but wouldn't shut up.
Mostly useless chatter, though.
Still, his energy livened up my morning emptiness a bit.
"I'll scrape together the money somehow..."
His jaw dropped at the stacks of cash in one corner.
"You should've let me finish. As you see, we've plenty, but our shop doesn't take money. Instead, we take a part of your body as payment."
"Like... an arm? Or a finger...?"
"Exactly."
Gyu Hyung-seok's expression brightened.
This guy really would do anything to survive.
"Then I recommend this red tissue."
"Red... tissue?"
Gyu Hyung-seok crept closer cautiously.
After a brief explanation of the red tissue, his face lit up.
"If those guys catch me, I'm dead anyway—a finger's nothing... and with this tissue, it'll work."
"Shall we proceed?"
"Y-yes, I'll buy it!"
"Thank you."
"Gaaah!"
A pig-slaughtering screech filled the shop as the ritual completed.
Gyu Hyung-seok realized he was standing in front of a convenience store.
One hand throbbed with sharp pain, but with so many other hurts, it barely registered.
More importantly, he held the red tissue.
"It better not be a scam..."
Recalling what he knew for sure, he tore open the tissue.
"I don't remember!"
The red tissue's power erased specific memories.
"Yes... it's working! What do I do with this? Sell it? But..."
Gyu Hyung-seok thought.
Selling it would net a fortune.
Enough to pay back the den, even.
"But revenge first. I'll wipe their memories and turn them into vegetables."
Meanwhile, the den—target of revenge and freed from the card shark stigma—was in festive mood.
"I told you! That fucker's a shark. Without me, you'd all be cleaned out!"
Everyone joyfully ordered extra drinks, laughing at Mr. Hwang's tale amid the chatter—except one.
"Chairman."
"Yeah, good work. Here's some bonus—grab something tasty with the boys."
"Th-thank you!"
All gone, the Chairman alone filled the awkward room.
"No quiet days..."
Malice flickered across the Chairman's face.
"Drawing attention does no good."
He pulled a file from a bookshelf.
"Soon... the past glory will return..."
Scrawled in red letters on the file:
Tale Management Bureau - Level 1 Classified