Shadow Fang
"You. You're a Possessor, aren't you?"
At my words, his body stiffened. His pupils dilated violently. "Y-you... How do you know that...!"
"That's none of your concern." I tapped his chin with the tip of the rebar. "Your reaction confirms it. How exactly did you possess that body?"
As I asked, a blue Spoiler window popped up. I intended to read his inner thoughts first, regardless of whether he lied or not. But then.
[Target: Kim Hyun-seok (Possessor)]
[Status: Shock, Confusion / 'How does this bastard know that? Is he also a ███ from ███? Or did the system ██ me...']
'...What is this?'
My brow furrowed naturally. The text was corrupted. It was printed out as if it had been blacked out, as if there were an error. I changed my question.
"Then why did you possess him? What's your goal?"
The status window updated again. This time, there was no black ink.
[Status: Desperation, Arrogance / 'Damn it, I came here to become the king using my knowledge of the original novel! I was going to lay all the pretty girls under me and trample the bastards who ignored me! I didn't come here to get wiped out by some extra like this!']
"..." I looked down at his inner thoughts in silence. As expected, there was no need to hesitate. A pure piece of trash who didn't deserve a shred of sympathy.
"Yeah." I lifted the rebar high and muttered coldly.
"Killing you is the right thing to do."
"W-what? Wait...! Aaaaargh!"
I had no intention of listening to his excuses. I drove the rebar down into his skull without mercy.
Thud!
With a dull sound, his head snapped and he collapsed onto the floor. No more text appeared. Only silence remained in the middle of the road.
"...Tsk."
Shaking off the unpleasant sensation, I moved my hands. "I have to do what I have to do."
I began to roughly search his pockets.
[You have searched the belongings of a deceased player.]
[Recovering loot.]
As expected of a Possessor, there was no shortage of items spilling out. Faint lights scattered, and items were grasped in my hands.
◈ Made of sturdy leather, it prevents slipping when holding weapons. Agility +1.
"Oh." Looking at them now, these were the gloves he had been wearing. It seemed that even items being worn could be recovered upon death. I immediately put on the leather gloves. The texture clung to my hands. I felt a bit lighter.
"But this..." The problem was the coins. It was annoying to shove them into my pockets, and the bulk was significant. 'Do I really have to carry all this around?' Just as I was clicking my tongue in annoyance,
Ding!
[The amount of copper coins held has exceeded a certain threshold.]
[Coin update complete.]
A notification window popped up suddenly. At the same time, the coins filling my pockets shattered and turned into light. Then, they were sucked into the status window in the air.
Name: Park Si-woo / Level: 5
Title: The One Who Overturns the Board / All Stats +1
Strength: 11(+1) / Stamina: 9(+1) / Agility: 16(+2) / Intelligence: 12(+1) / Remaining Stats: 6
Assets: 80 Copper Coins
"Geez, is someone listening to me or something..."
A currency tab had been newly created at the bottom of the status window. The heavy sensation was completely gone. In addition, the added stats seemed to have been applied. "The title increased the stats by one each... and agility must include the gloves. It's convenient, at least." The system was certainly intuitive. My steps felt much lighter. Everything was settled. A level explosion, a title, a C-grade weapon box, and E-grade equipment. The harvest was definitely decent for the first night. I brushed off the dust and turned around. It was time to return to my sister, who would be waiting.
On the way home, the night air brushed against my cheeks coldly. Unlike my mood, my head was spinning with complex thoughts. 'Is this the third one already?' It had been only a few hours since I escaped the supermarket. In that time, I had killed three people with my own hands. Two uninvited guests at the door, and one Possessor. It was different from killing monsters. I didn't know what kind of results killing a human would bring systemically. Suddenly, Choi Kang-min's status window from the supermarket basement came to mind.
[Current Goal: Slaughter 15 survivors to unlock the Hidden Trait 'Blood Eater' and recover]
[Hidden Trait Info: Blood Eater]
[Condition: Kill 10 or more humans during the tutorial period]
[Effect: Drink the target's blood to repair wounds]
(Note: When overlapping with the Murderer trait, the recovery effect applies only to human blood.)
The trait he was trying to unlock to survive. Through this text, I had confirmed that a 'Murderer penalty' existed. 'If I keep killing people, I might be forcibly branded with such a trait or title.' Becoming bloodthirsty. The possibility of being systemically labeled a murderer and suffering disadvantages. Both were problems I needed to be wary of. Since I didn't know what would happen in the future. '...But I can't hesitate because of that.'
Of course, it was only a level of caution. Although it had only been a day, I had enough time to understand the changed world. 'I define the line. I won't harm them if they don't touch me first. But if they threaten my sister, I won't hesitate, no matter what penalty is given.' Yes, this was enough. I clenched my fists. It was my first time killing a person, but fortunately, I wasn't trembling much. The familiar red brick building came into view in the distance. "...Let's go, for now." I climbed over the balcony window and entered the house. The living room was exactly as it had been when I left. I approached the wardrobe in the master bedroom and spoke quietly. "Yu-ah. Oppa is home."
Click.
The sound of the lock being undone echoed from inside. The wardrobe door opened simultaneously. As soon as Yu-ah confirmed it was me, she threw herself into my arms. "Sob, Oppa..." "It's okay. Nothing happened." Perhaps because I wasn't covered in blood, my sister's trembling was less than before. I lightly stroked her hair and sat down on the living room floor. Yu-ah's gaze fixed on the metal box in my hand. "What's that?" "Something I got today."
Upon opening, randomly acquire 1 C-grade weapon most suitable for the user's tendencies and stats.
"Can you step back a little?" At my words, Yu-ah stepped back. I carefully placed the box down. "Hoo..." My stats were extremely focused on agility. Plus, my main combat style was surprise attacks and assassination using Spoiler. If the system reflected my tendencies and stats, what kind of weapon would come out? "Opening it." I flipped the latch of the box without hesitation.
Whoosh-!
An intense blue light filled the living room. The radiance slowly faded. What remained where the light had vanished was a sleek short sword with a blackish hue. "...A sword?" The overall length was about the size of my forearm. A red blood groove was carved into the blade. The weight was light, and the grip was excellent.
Attack Power: +15
A short sword forged from the fangs of a predator that grew in the darkness.
Special Effect 1 [Excessive Bleeding]: High probability to widen the opponent's wounds upon impact, causing continuous bleeding damage.
Special Effect 2 [Nocturnal]: Critical hit rate increases by 10% in dark places without light.
Agility +2 when equipped.
"It's definitely different..." A gasp escaped my lips before I knew it. The options showed a clear difference from the F-grade dagger. Bleeding, increased critical hits, and even a stat bonus. On top of that, the special effects were perfectly suited for me, as I had the ability Spoiler. I drew a light arc in the air with the Shadow Fang.
Swoosh!
A sharp sound cut through the air. Combined with the leather gloves, the feeling of oneness with my hand was incredible.
Name: Park Si-woo / Level: 5
Title: The One Who Overturns the Board / All Stats +1
Strength: 11(+1) / Stamina: 9(+1) / Agility: 18(+4) / Intelligence: 12(+1) / Remaining Stats: 6
My agility had hit 18 before I knew it. But perhaps it was because I had focused my stats too much on one side. As the tension released, every bone in my body screamed. It might have been a natural result, having moved beyond my limits all day. I immediately poured 3 points of the remaining stats into Stamina.
[Stamina increases by 3.]
Instantly, a warm energy swept through my entire body. My battered muscles and ligaments softened. The fatigue that had been crushing my shoulders washed away at once. 'I feel like I'm alive.' I decided to keep the remaining 3 points. It wasn't like I was lacking combat power right now. I didn't know what kind of unexpected situations would pop up in the future.
"Oppa, the sword is glowing..." At that moment, Yu-ah muttered with wide eyes. Instead of putting the weapon away immediately, I held it out slowly in front of my sister's eyes. A sinister magic faintly illuminated the dark living room. "Bring it closer." "Uh...?" "It's not a toy. I told you earlier that I got a special ability, right? This is the result of that." At my voice, Yu-ah reached out hesitantly. Even though her fingertips only touched the blade, her shoulders flinched. My sister's eyes wavered, and she slowly opened her mouth. "It's really... like a novel or a game. Did you fight outside with things like this?" "Yeah. Monsters and people alike have all come to possess this kind of power." I lightly ruffled her hair, which had been stiff. Then, I packed the weapon and tucked it into my waist. "So, your Oppa isn't just a pushover convenience store part-timer anymore. I can beat most monsters, so don't be anxious and just trust me." At my words, Yu-ah bit her lower lip and nodded. For some reason, her face looked firm. I couldn't help but smile. I took out mineral water and handed it to her. "Drink it little by little. Water will become scarce starting tomorrow." Yu-ah held the bottle with both hands and swallowed the water carefully. Then, after wiping the moisture from her lips, she spoke up suddenly. "Oppa." "Why? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?" "No, not that... Then, can I also get an ability like you?"
It was an unexpected question. I looked at my sister with slightly widened eyes. "Why all of a sudden?" "You said the world has changed like this. Attacking monsters and people alike... Then, won't I just keep hiding behind you and be a burden? I don't want to do that... I want to fight, or help, or do something." Even while trembling, her gaze was directed straight at me. It was hard for a child of her age to say such things. She had chosen to face the reality rather than avoid it after confirming it. It was admirable, but at the same time, a corner of my heart ached.
"For now... it's not possible right now. You don't see anything like a status window or abilities, right?" "Yeah..." "Then it's not time yet. I don't know what might happen if you step out rashly." While lightly stroking Yu-ah's hair, who was becoming dejected, I continued. "Instead, I'll find a way. A way for you to safely get an ability and help me by my side. Until then, just stay quietly behind my back."
"...Okay. You have to find it."
Yu-ah nodded with her large eyes. I smiled bitterly to myself. 'Actually, do I even know anything?' It wasn't even clear how I had obtained this ability. I had no way of knowing the system, or the conditions for awakening. But I had to give her certainty like this so she wouldn't do anything reckless. 'Well, I'll find a way if I look for it.' It had always been like that. Everyone said it would be hard to live, that it was impossible. But my sister and I had survived until now. Even in a situation where I had an ability others didn't. Was there any reason I couldn't do it now, when I had done it before?
I patted Yu-ah's shoulder lightly and leaned my back against the floor. Today, I had fought monsters and killed people. The sensation remaining on my fingertips made my stomach churn. I struggled to keep my expression neutral. There was no need to show it to my sister. "Sleep well, sleep well. Tomorrow will be even busier." I heard the small breathing of my sister burrowing into my arms. "...Don't stick to me too much, I'm really dirty right now." At my words, Yu-ah hugged me even tighter. I also placed my hand on my sister's back. Yes, the hell had already begun. If I could protect my sister by dirtying my hands, that was enough. The long first night was finally deepening.