Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Aftermath and an Unforeseen Variable
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With the leader gone, the city's night found peace.
The chilling wails were no longer heard, and in a city free from the touch of the unseen, the young Si-woo and Lee Si-woo shook hands.
Young Si-woo asked.
“Are you leaving now? Like last time?”
Lee Si-woo nodded, his voice flat as he replied.
“Yes.”
Young Si-woo looked at Lee Si-woo with eyes full of curiosity, or perhaps, questions.
“You know? I still don’t even know your name.”
Lee Si-woo's answer to young Si-woo's question was rather eccentric.
“The elder's name is Luktator.”
“…I wanted to know your name, though?”
“There’s no need for you to know my name. I don’t even know what name I’ll go by, or what I’ll be called.”
Young Si-woo scratched the back of his head.
He really was a peculiar guy.
His personality was unpredictable, his abilities unfathomable, and his identity was a complete mystery.
But young Si-woo soon decided to look on the bright side.
What did it matter, one way or another?
Thanks to this guy, he had survived and could achieve his goal.
“Thank you.”
To young Si-woo's simple thanks, Lee Si-woo calmly asked.
“What will you do? Go to the police station?”
“No. I’m going to leave this city.”
“What will you do after you leave?”
“Things like this will keep happening. So I have to stop them. Because besides me, there’s no one else to stop that devil’s schemes.”
“There are many capable people in the world. So there will be someone to stop it, even if it’s not you.”
At Lee Si-woo's words, which subtly encouraged him to be a bystander, young Si-woo let out a small laugh and replied.
“But they might not stop it. People are indifferent to anything that isn’t their business. I may be young and haven’t seen much, but from what I’ve experienced… most people don’t act without a sense of duty or responsibility.”
“But protecting people isn’t your duty or responsibility, is it?”
Young Si-woo shrugged and said.
“Wouldn’t the world be too harsh if it only ran on duty and responsibility? What’s the harm in having one kid searching for a little romanticism?”
“Romanticism…”
“Well then, I’ll be going. And noona… I mean, Elder Luktator.”
Young Si-woo, who was about to call him noona, quickly corrected himself when Luktator glared, and continued.
“It was fun working with you. If fate allows it, let’s meet again. We… we will meet again, right?”
Lee Si-woo nodded.
“We will meet again. Definitely.”
* * *
After parting with young Si-woo, Lee Si-woo grabbed the black box containing the rocket launcher and returned to the bus stop.
Just as he expected, a bus from the base city was already waiting at the stop.
This was because the chapter had been cleared, and the roads that were blocked during the chapter's open period were now open.
And then, a system message appeared before Lee Si-woo.
[Secret Chapter 2 Clear Grade: A]
[3 Inventory Slots have been granted.]
[A Chapter Clear Perk is awarded. Please select the perk you desire. (Only one can be chosen)]
‘Setting aside the fact that the inventory, known to be a Chapter 4 clear reward, has appeared already… a perk? What’s this?’
*Ding.*
A list of choices appeared before Lee Si-woo's eyes.
[Map: Allows you to grasp the geography with a satellite map anytime, in any situation.]
[Magazine x3: Triples the magazine capacity of any weapon used.]
[Heal: Cures all diseases and injuries of the target. (Limited to once a day)]
[Suit Durability Enhancement: Doubles the suit's HP.]
[Suit Function Enhancement: Increases the suit's physical ability enhancement by an additional 30 percent.]
[Plunder: Randomly steals one item from the target's inventory. (Limited to once a day)]
[Special Research Journal: ???]
The types of perks were varied, and each one was appealing.
Except for the final one, the mysterious Special Research Journal.
‘I’m curious, but… I’ll pass on the research journal for now. It’s better to avoid risky choices when I don’t know what crisis awaits in Chapter 3. Let’s see… which perk would be best?’
Soon, after contemplating which perk was most necessary and had the highest potential for use, Lee Si-woo made up his mind and chose one.
The perk he chose was Heal.
Although it had the restriction of being usable only once a day, it was an overpowered perk that could cure any disease or injury.
‘If it can heal any injury… as long as I’m not killed instantly, it’s like having an extra life. There’s nothing better. Especially since I already felt my life was in danger, and it’s only Chapter 2…’
Having chosen his perk, Lee Si-woo took the quad-barrel rocket launcher from the black box and put it in his inventory.
Although he only had two inventory slots left, Lee Si-woo, having dealt with the cumbersome rocket launcher, spoke in a relieved voice.
“Did you also receive a clear perk as a reward, Elder?”
“Hmph, I did.”
“What did you choose?”
“Plunder.”
“Plunder? The ability to randomly take an item from a target?”
“That’s right. It looked the most fun, so I took it.”
Hearing that he had chosen the perk with the most randomness when there was a whole pile of good ones, Lee Si-woo asked back in disbelief.
“I mean, it’s not a useless perk, but aren’t there too many variables? Shouldn’t the obvious choice here be Heal?”
“This body is not weak like you, so I won’t get hit in the first place. It’s a useless perk.”
“…Is that why someone so great was of no help at all during the last battle?”
“That’s not because I’m lacking, but because the equipment is. If you have a problem with it, hand over your suit. I’ll wipe the floor with everyone.”
Since he had a point, and Lee Si-woo had not the slightest intention of handing over his suit, he subtly changed the subject.
“Still, it seems like the Map for geography or even the Suit Enhancement would have been more useful. Or if you had chosen Magazine x3, we might have been able to fire this rocket launcher 12 times…”
“Hmph, what’s the point in choosing something so boring? I prefer Plunder, which lets me empty the pockets of anyone I don’t like. Besides, if I chose something like the Map, I’d have to listen to you nag me all day while I figure out the geography. Do you think I’m crazy enough to choose that?”
In the end, he was saying he chose Plunder to preemptively block any chance of being ordered around by Lee Si-woo.
Lee Si-woo said with a faint sigh.
“Haa, do as you please. What can I say when you’ve made your choice?”
“As long as you understand.”
“Tsk, I shouldn’t have said anything. Never mind. Let’s go.”
Lee Si-woo shook his head as if he couldn't be helped and boarded the bus.
This time, rather than heading to the next chapter, he planned to take a break in the base city.
It had been a tiring chapter in many ways.
* * *
Before Adrian's body, which still twitched as if alive despite his head being split open to expose his brain, a man in a brown trench coat muttered.
“A virtual world created by an ancestral demon… Interesting.”
Only then did the man clearly see through the source of the unease he had been vaguely feeling.
This world was a virtual world created by his future self, and he was nothing more than an NPC in it.
However, despite learning a truth that would have shattered the mind of any ordinary person, the man was unfazed.
No, he was rather intrigued.
The fact that his future self had created such a world meant that he had succeeded in his ‘experiment’ and achieved his grand objective.
“Did I conquer the Faceless? So? What’s next? What did I do after conquering the Faceless? What choice did my future self make?”
He was dying to know, but now that he knew the truth, he understood.
That he would soon be ‘reset,’ lose all his current memories, and repeat the same day and the same actions over and over.
That was the duty and the law given to him, a part of this world, an NPC.
Then, the man's gaze turned to Adrian.
The users.
Those who, unlike him, truly existed.
“Then how about this? If I become you… can I avoid being reset, and continue to exist as myself?”
It wasn't impossible.
An incomplete method he was researching for a certain purpose.
If he used ‘Soul Fusion,’ he might be able to assimilate with Adrian and live not in a virtual world, but in the real one.
In truth, this was a very dangerous attempt, a gamble.
The failure rate was over 70 percent.
‘But I have no choice. If I stay like this, I’ll lose all my memories and disappear anyway, living forever as a puppet of the system without even realizing I’m an NPC.’
Yes, he had nothing to lose.
Staying like this wouldn't change anything.
Finally, having made his decision, the man approached Adrian's side.
Did he sense his own future?
Or had he become aware of the terrible reality?
Adrian's mouth, with his brain exposed, opened and a dry groan escaped, but the man paid it no mind.
Soon, the man's hand gripped Adrian's brain, and a sharp scream erupted from Adrian's throat.
* * *
After arriving at the base city by bus, Lee Si-woo headed to Testament with Luktator.
Lee Si-woo entered a secret passage on the outskirts of the base city and took an elevator inside Testament.
Upon entering a room on the first basement floor, reminiscent of a hotel suite, the first person to greet Lee Si-woo was a beauty with ash-gray hair, Kinis.
“Welcome, Mr. Lee Si-woo. I have been waiting for you.”
Lee Si-woo responded bluntly to Kinis's warm welcome.
“I’ve cleared up to Chapter 2. Can I go down to the second basement floor?”
Kinis shook her head.
“No. You must find the key. And the key is in Chapter 3.”
“It’s in Chapter 3? Hmm, then I should get going right away.”
“Mr. Lee Si-woo. I apologize, but there is something I must ask of you first.”
“A favor? Of me?”
“Yes. An unexpected error has occurred in this trial world, Residuum.”
“An error?”
“I am doing everything I can, but all I’ve been able to learn is that a major problem has arisen in Residuum. I don’t know what this problem is, or what effect it will have on Residuum in the future.”
Finding this a bit absurd, Lee Si-woo asked back in a bewildered tone.
“You say it’s a favor, so I assume you want me to solve the problem… but if there’s a problem, yet you don’t know what it is or what effect it will have, what exactly am I supposed to do?”
“I am ashamed, but you are the only one I can rely on right now, Mr. Lee Si-woo. So, though it may be a bother, please carry this beacon with you, and if it reacts, inform me immediately. I cannot guarantee it, but there is a high probability that whatever the beacon reacts to is the source of the error.”
Lee Si-woo took the small, black remote-like device with a flashing red light and asked.
“Hmm, so I just need to carry this beacon?”
“Yes. For now.”
“Alright. It’s not a difficult task, so I’ll do it. More importantly, I’d like to rest for a bit. Could you give us some space? I’m quite tired from the forced march of the last few days.”
At Lee Si-woo's request, Kinis gave a deep bow and disappeared.
Luktator, who had been listening blankly from behind, saw that their conversation was wrapping up and rushed to the shower, shouting.
“I’m showering first, so you wait!”
As Luktator went into the shower, Lee Si-woo, now alone in the room, fiddled with the beacon and muttered.
“An error… If there have been no problems until now, it seems likely that I’m the cause… Could something I did in Secret Chapter 2 have had an effect? Hmm… No, it can’t be.”
For a moment, the face of Adrian, whom he hadn't seen once while clearing the chapter, flashed through his mind, but he shook his head and dismissed the stray thought.
He was certain that Adrian, with no knowledge of the wraiths, could never have survived in there.
* * *
A man with red hair and eyebrows, who looked to be in his mid-thirties, got off the bus.
As the man looked around the base city like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the capital, someone ran up to him.
It was a member of his club who had been waiting for him, having received no contact.
“Adrian! Why are you only here now! What on earth happened!”
Seeing the club member, the man, Adrian, curled the corners of his lips.
Adrian, wearing a smile that bore a striking resemblance to someone else, spoke.
“Don’t worry. Nothing happened. More importantly… what happened with the search for the man named Lee Si-woo? Did you find him, by any chance?”
As he asked the question, Adrian licked his red lips.
As if discussing some delectable dish, full of relish.