Chapter 24

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: Rumor (4)

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-It's fine. It's just because you're not familiar with mana operation yet.

"This must be related to mana operation too."

Lee Seojun nodded as if agreeing.

-Yeah, probably. You have to get used to mana operation to split your mana finely.

I let out a small sigh after figuring out why I'd failed to cast a spell in this [Elemental Magic] class.

To use magic, it seemed like I needed to practice mana operation first, but I wondered if it was really necessary.

'Should I just give up?'

Honestly, quitting magic wouldn't cause me any problems.

Since I'd already reached the archmage realm in the 10th world, there was no need to learn it again.

"......"

But I decided to correct my thinking.

'No, let's learn as much as I can while I have the chance.'

The magic of this world could only be learned here.

The moment I moved to the next world, my progress in magic would stagnate right there, so it was best to learn everything possible now.

-Oh, by the way, Lee Seongmin. What was that story you asked about at the cafe back then?

"Divide and conquer?"

-Yeah, that.

What I'd asked Lee Seojun at the cafe wasn't anything major.

It was whether he remembered the appearance and abilities of the key Villain Alliance members who attacked Shin-hwang Corporation, and the locations of other crime organizations' hideouts.

Fortunately, Lee Seojun knew both, so once preparations were done, we could move right away.

"Simple. I'll steal a Villain Alliance member and use them to hit another crime organization."

-Pardon? Steal a person?

"I'll explain the rest back at the dorm."

With that, I headed back to the dorm with Lee Seojun.

Once there, I simply explained one of my abilities.

"One of my abilities is [Transformation]. That's what I'll use."

Lee Seojun nodded in understanding the moment he heard "transformation."

-So, you'll transform into a Villain Alliance member and attack another crime organization.

"Simple and foolproof."

-I'm not sure it'll be that easy. The Villain Alliance might catch on to the transformation.

"It'll work. I'm not planning to rely on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠[Transformation] alone."

The 100 ability cards I'd acquired in the 12th world.

In addition to Transformation, I planned to use one other card.

"Anyway, your role is crucial, Lee Seojun. I need you to tell me everything about the guy's appearance, personality, abilities, and so on."

-Well... I've seen it a lot in games and in real life, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Lee Seojun cooperated, though he still looked skeptical.

"Oh, hold on."

I stopped Lee Seojun just as he was about to start explaining.

Then I manipulated my other body, which was diligently training in the nearby mountains.

'Power of space.'

Using the power to manipulate space itself, I teleported it straight to the dorm in an instant.

Pafat!—

-Huh?

Lee Seojun stared in surprise as my second body appeared out of nowhere.

Regardless of his reaction, I decided to focus solely on this one body for this job.

'The original body should stay lying in bed.'

I lay down on the bed with my original body and even closed my eyes.

Now I could fully control the body that had been training in the mountains.

"We'll use this one."

-Come to think of it, what happens if your clone dies, Lee Seongmin? In games, they just vanish.

"Who knows? Probably the same. But even as a clone, it's not completely independent from me..."

Would the other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body feel the damage too?

I was curious, but I couldn't just kill it to test.

So I set aside the minor curiosity and got to work.

"More importantly, let's start. Tell me about his appearance first."

-Ah, sure. First, blond hair with the front roughly swept back by hand...

I listened to Lee Seojun's description and gradually transformed using ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠[Transformation].

Lee Seojun's eyes widened at the real-time changes, but he soon started explaining more enthusiastically.

-The eyes need to be a bit more sly. Make the forehead a little wider too.

"......"

It felt like he was treating this like character customization in a game.

'No need to get too detailed.'

I planned to wear a mask anyway, so precision wasn't necessary.

Showing my face openly would raise suspicions, so the mask would cover the rough edges.

The key was to reveal enough facial contours, build, and abilities through the mask to make them think it was the Villain Alliance.

'Hmm.'

But if Lee Seojun remembered this much detail, maybe I could adjust the plan a bit.

-Wow. At this point, anyone would think it's 'Jake'.

After quite some time, Lee Seojun kept marveling as he looked at me.

"So the guy I'm transforming into is Jake."

-Yeah. He's amazing with short-range space leaps and dagger arts. Plus, he has a dagger artifact that returns to his hand when thrown.

"Nothing special."

All abilities I could replicate perfectly.

"Next is personality."

Now I just needed to adjust the personality, and I could move out.

This wasn't hard either, thanks to the second special ability on [Acting].

【Special Ability 2: The boundary between acting and reality disappears.】

This meant I could transcend acting and become the person themselves.

In simple terms, I could change my personality, temperament, and tendencies to match anyone I wanted.

-His personality is a mix of playfulness, but quick-tempered—he swings his dagger at the slightest annoyance.

With Lee Seojun explaining more actively, nailing the personality was easy.

Surprisingly, he even remembered Jake's speech patterns and habits.

Before long, I fully became Villain Alliance's Jake and finished preparations to move.

* * *

That dawn.

-Space teleportation is amazing too.

I teleported near the abandoned church Lee Seojun had told me about.

To take out the Geneva Cult bastards in the basement who were behind the missing persons cases.

Just in case, I tried teleporting with Lee Seojun, and he came along too.

I'd thought a ghost might not be able to, but apparently he could.

"Now we just kill them all, right?"

My speech, now in Jake's appearance and personality, came out lightly flippant.

Of course, flipping the [Acting] card would revert me, so no worries.

-Yes. But kill them by slicing off a quarter of their necks—Jake likes doing that. And even if you kill them all, about two will revive, so don't worry.

I'd originally planned to attack them all but leave one or two alive.

That way, rumors would spread, and the two crime organizations would clash.

But Lee Seojun said that wasn't necessary.

"Weird. They don't die even if you cut their necks."

-Geneva handles destruction and regeneration. Those especially favored by him regenerate even from decapitation.

"If I can kill them all, that's even better for me."

By the way, the dagger I held matched the appearance of Jake's weapon exactly.

It was just a lookalike with no actual performance, but that didn't matter.

"Let's go."

-Yes!

I glanced at the oddly excited Lee Seojun and moved immediately.

The abandoned church seemed devoid of any signs of life at first glance.

'I've already scouted it.'

I'd spread the power of space everywhere and detected another space underground.

Plus, Lee Seojun knew exactly how to get to the basement.

-Go to the confessional there and lift the floor—stairs will appear.

"Got it."

Even though I already knew, I replied and lifted the floor to head underground.

Of course, the power of space had also told me there were exactly 21 people there.

"Praying all night at this hour? Don't these guys sleep?"

"Who the hell are you?!"

A guard near the entrance I'd come through shouted immediately.

I stabbed my dagger into his neck, then used space power to return it to my hand.

'This should match Jake's artifact perfectly.'

Then I threw the dagger again to smash the surveillance camera on the ceiling.

"Let's make this quick."

I muttered to myself and moved at a brisk pace.

I destroyed all visible cameras but left the hidden ones intact.

-They're all gathered together, huh.

"Yeah."

One of the 21 was on guard; the other 20 were inside doing some ritual.

Anyone else might hesitate to charge alone into a room with 20 people, but...

'Not me.'

I kicked the door open without a care and strode in boldly.

Kwang!—

Inside, I saw four corpses already laid out on what looked like an altar.

And 20 Geneva Cult members surrounding them.

I smirked based on my acting.

"Whoa~ I was wondering what you guys were up to in the dead of night. Mind sharing with me?"

"......An infidel has invaded."

"Infidel? Cheap hospitality."

The moment he spoke, I threw my dagger and charged.

The dagger embedded in a dazed cultist's neck, then returned to my hand via space power.

"Kill him."

A seemingly leader-like old man gave a curt order, and the remaining 18 rushed me.

Some charged with daggers like me; others chanted spells—magic, probably.

-Lee Seongmin, Geneva handles destruction and regeneration, right? They're using destruction power. Effect ignores 50% defense.

'Nothing special.'

Fine, time to get serious.

Chwak!—

I moved far faster than the one stabbing at me, sliced off a quarter of his neck, then did the same to two others.

"Die, infidel!"

I kicked a collapsing body at a spellcaster and charged again.

Kuwaaaang!!—

The body exploded like it'd taken a direct bomb hit.

In that gap, I slit his neck too, then used more bodies as shields while rampaging everywhere.

Thanks to that, nearly half were dead ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in less than 20 seconds.

"Wh-what the..."

At this point, even their leader sensed something was off and showed clear panic.