Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Method Acting (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Finally found you!"
"…Miyazaki Rena?"
I couldn't believe my eyes.
I'd spotted a face that had no business being here. I nearly pinched her cheek like I would a clone.
'But this one's real, right?'
Miyazaki Rena wore a peculiar smile.
Beside her stood a man with a fidgety look. He appeared to be her manager.
"You, come with me. I've got a ton to talk about."
Rena went straight for my arm.
But that rough move was stopped cold.
Faster than her, Laszlo blocked my path.
"Oh my, what's this? Interfering with the sacred shopping of Mr. Kang Ihyeon? Who's this vulgar little runt?"
"What? Little runt?"
Laszlo openly scowled, scanning Miyazaki Rena up and down. His gaze treated her like a roadside bug.
I couldn't help but panic too.
'…Don't talk like some flamboyant gay guy.'
With a snap of Laszlo's fingers, burly men emerged soundlessly from the shadows of the alleys around us, like living shadows.
His bodyguards, no doubt.
Silent, they perfectly encircled the petite Miyazaki Rena.
"Hold on, Mr. Laszlo, there's some misunderstanding..."
Whatever was happening, rashly escalating it like this was a bad idea.
For starters, she was an S-rank hunter.
Not someone you just tried to rein in.
Sure enough, Rena let out a derisive snort.
"Hmph."
With that short scoff, her body rippled like liquid. Her pitch-black leather jacket and ripped jeans melted away, morphing into sticky lime-green slime. Her signature skill: slime.
Naturally, it was leagues beyond the technique my clone had shown.
"Wh-what...! Th-this woman...!"
"Grrgh, m-my feet!"
"My body's burning!"
The bruisers panicked and tried to retreat, but the slime had already coiled around their ankles like serpents, pinning them firmly to the ground.
The immobilized men groaned. Laszlo's smug smile finally cracked for the first time.
"Hoo... Acidic solution, I take it."
His eyes gleamed with eerie light behind his glasses.
"Wait! Everyone, stop this."
At last, I had an opening to step in.
I hurriedly positioned myself between Laszlo and Miyazaki Rena. Before it blew up into a full fight, I had to mediate somehow.
"Mr. Laszlo, calm down. This is an S-rank hunter. Can't have you messing with her. Rena, you too. Release the slime first."
"Y-yes! Rena, please! If you make more of a scene, who knows what'll reach the Association! Just calm down, okay?"
"Hmph."
At my words, her manager—who'd gone pale and fidgety beside us—seized the chance to butt in.
Rena huffed in annoyance but obediently dispelled her skill.
The lime-green slime around the bruisers' ankles slithered away, dissolving and leaving sticky residue as it reabsorbed into her body.
Arms crossed, she shot me a sharp glare.
"I came here 'cause I heard I'd find you this way, but this welcome? Unexpected."
"So... you wanted to see me?"
"Yeah. My clone. You're not gonna feign ignorance, right?"
Her blunt question left me momentarily speechless.
A strange guilt rose in my throat.
Of course, she wasn't my first clone. But among all the clones I'd made so far, Rena was the only one I'd left as a cold machine consciousness—never activating 'personality mode' that retained over 50% combat power.
Just a consumable. An emotionless doll, pulled out only when needed.
'I modeled my skill publicly after her, so that's how it went. Until Yu Jeong, I hid that I could embed the original's consciousness.'
Seeing the real Rena—alive and moving before me—washed over me with an indescribable sensation.
It was guilt toward the clone, clearly. But this real one and the fake shared the same face.
Naturally, that guilt arrow pointed straight at the Miyazaki Rena standing here now.
"Ahem. Mr. Laszlo, looks like we should postpone our fun shopping."
"Hmm... Very well. I'll head to the auction house first and wait. Enjoy your chat."
Laszlo backed off surprisingly easily.
With a meaningful smile, he led his freed men gracefully into the shadows.
Now, this dingy back alley held only Rena, her manager, and me.
"Underground auctions too? Big shot for a student."
The moment Laszlo vanished, Rena tossed sarcasm with arms still crossed. Thorns laced her voice.
"...What do you want from me? If it's a request I can grant, I'll do it."
"Request?"
She laughed like it was absurd.
"Request? Get real. From now on, you follow my 'orders'. Got it?"
"Me?"
"Hmm? Wanna get sued over this?"
"Dunno. I hear no legal regs yet on portrait rights from hunter skills. Don't think I'm in deep trouble legally."
"Ha. Law. Wanna play law with me now? You did all sorts with my doll, and that's fine legally?"
"Proof?"
My shameless counter left her speechless. Her eyes narrowed.
"...Well, you prepped somewhat for me showing up."
Rena stared me down a moment, then tsked.
"Fine. Table that. Hey, manager, wait in that alley."
"R-Rena! But...!"
"Shut it. Private talk, so scram."
Her manager clung desperately, face nearly tearful at her harshness, but she shoved him off impatiently.
"Not a baby—stop whining! Get lost!"
"Uh... O-okay...! Um, Kang Ihyeon, please take good care of our Rena...!"
Unable to take her pressure, the manager slunk into the alley shadows, voice cracking.
A grown man cowed by a tiny idol? Pathetic sight.
"Tch, just fire the loser."
Now truly alone, she confirmed his absence and turned to me.
"You said it'd do anything, right?"
"Within reason."
"Good. Then... swap with my doll."
"...Pardon?"
I doubted my ears. Sounded like a noir flick line—unreal.
I asked again.
"Swap?"
"Your doll copies my skills and all, yeah? Then it can stand in for me too."
Not impossible now, but...
Pure question popped up.
She cleared her manager for this alone time?
"Mind the reason?"
"Huh? Don't wanna work."
Straightforward as hell.
"Need more? Sick of shoots, dumb interviews, creepy fan service. Dump it all on the fake. Wanna hit academy again, rift-dive sans permit, peep that shady auction you mentioned. Real free time? Tons to do."
Speechless again.
Different reason.
Pure intent.
No malice, no plot—just kidlike escape from drudgery.
Serious?
"Th-then, pick a day..."
"Wait. Said I wanna see that auction everyone's buzzing about."
"Right now?"
"Yeah. Problem?"
So, pose as my clone, hit auction together—now?
Even charitably, impulsive. Not normal thinking.
Who pitches this to a first-meet stranger?
Without seeing my skill live.
Miyazaki Rena: oddball supreme.
My weird look got a smirk from her.
"What. Worried 'bout me? Think alley trash can touch me? 'Rena dead too.' Gotta half-kill one to prove S-rank power?"
"......"
Long sigh escaped me.
No choice.
Join her childish game.
Could refuse.
But gut said: once hooked, she'd cling annoyingly.
Till Seraphina's sorted, minimize variables.
"Got it. Let's do it."
"Sweet! Young and sharp—I like."
"...One condition: always see my doll—me—as master, act it. Bad acting caught? On you."
"Ha? Media idol hunter can't act?"
Smug smile, arm looped mine naturally.
"Think I can't pull this?"
"...No, you can."
Rena's original: more hassle than imagined.
"What's this?"
"What else? Your doll, sir!"
"...Yeah."
Underground auction entrance.
Suit-clad Laszlo waited right there, as mentioned.
No full deception. Vague summary.
No desire explaining crazy to crazy; doubted belief anyway.
Yet Laszlo nodded easy.
Or faked buying it.
Smack—!
My words barely done, his palm nailed Rena's cheek.
"Oh. Doll confirmed."
"...Yeah."
"No damage from that hit."
"Y-you fucker! The hell?!"
Rena's tiny hand blurred out, snagging his collar.
S-rank fury grip hoisted him airborne slightly; he just cackled in ecstasy.
"Ooh...!"
Eyes mad behind glasses.
"Emotion shift intensity! Angry pupil shrink—perfect! Fine doll, Mr. Kang Ihyeon!"
"Master! Kill now?"
"She's hitting—hey, stop! Enough!"
Rena snarled through gritted teeth. Pure rage, no act.
"Calm down, everyone. Mr. Laszlo, hands off my doll."
"Heh... Got it. If you say so."
Laszlo unflinched, laughed merry. Punches? Ignored. Elegantly straightened suit.
He led us through the door.
Hand to iron: magic hummed, heavy creak inward.
Dark, dank stairs down.
Descending, he explained calmly.
"Nocturne Town underground auction: simple rule. All untradeable above sells here."
"Like?"
"Ancient dynasty relics, forbidden black magic tomes, rare monster eggs, unique-skill humans even. Money-power masks hide deepest urges."
Rena pouted.
"Not Earth—ancient dynasties? Forbidden magic? No such laws."
"Ah, formal-ed types."
"Huh?"
"Nocturne common sense. Earth's a rift part. Other rifts? Countless—no civ traces?"
True enough.
Game anniv drops Earth-like civ rifts.
Many rifts: fallen post-apoc worlds like Earth.
"Such ooparts Association-managed mostly... but underground auction."
Stairs end.
Flashy-decadent hall. Crowds buzzed for auction.
Laszlo arms-wide, meaningful grin.
"Welcome... to desire-furnace abyss: Nocturne Town underground auction!"