Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Act 3. The Faceless Competitor (4)
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My gaze, meeting Kim Ji-hyeon's, almost wavered.
I didn't know what Kim Ji-hyeon's intentions were for bringing that up.
But there was no reason to reveal information only I possessed.
"I'm not quite sure what you're talking about..."
"Answer clearly. This is an important matter."
Kim Ji-hyeon's eyes narrowed.
At some point, her hand had come to rest on her sword.
It meant she was prepared to eliminate me right here and now if she deemed it necessary.
"This is the kind of world we live in. If someone with a little power gets strange ideas, things get even messier."
"..."
I slowly closed my eyes.
What Kim Ji-hyeon said was true.
I didn't have to look far; soon enough, people fitting that exact description would be running rampant everywhere.
In a world already plunged into chaos, they were the ones who chose to follow it.
In a way, it was an efficient and rational choice.
But at the same time, it was a path that would never lead to the ending of 'this game'.
"This is a kind of lie detector. Of course, it's not the kind you're used to, the ones used in police investigations. It's what you might call magic. In front of this, you can't hide whether you're telling the truth or a lie."
The pinkish crystal orb gave off a strange glint.
The Crystal of Truth.
It was a kind of dummy item, one whose data existed but was unobtainable by players.
I'd lost count of how many times I thought it would have been convenient to have one while playing the game.
'It's not common, but Kim Ji-hyeon has one.'
This wasn't a game. It was reality.
Even if they had only existed as dummy items before, now that I knew they were real...
It seemed I might be able to obtain one somehow.
"So we're finally using the word 'magic'."
"Monsters exist too, you know. I'm just rolling with it at this point."
Min-ah chided Min-woo for his incredulous mutter.
"D-Do we have to go that far? Se-hyeon-ssi isn't the type of person to..."
"We have to."
Kim Ji-hyeon cut Lee Seong-chan off sharply.
Lee Seong-chan hesitated, glancing at Lee Seon-yul.
*Isn't this going a bit too far?*
He protested with his eyes, but this time, even Lee Seon-yul remained silent, as if siding with Kim Ji-hyeon.
"If you tell the truth, it stays calm. If you lie, it turns black. A common story. Now, it's your turn to answer."
"I'd like to make one thing clear myself. Kim Se-hyeon-ssi. Are you certain... that you haven't regressed?"
Previously, Lee Seon-yul had mentioned regression.
I denied it back then, too. Because I hadn't regressed.
The Crystal of Truth only determines truth or falsehood. It can't discern anything else.
So there was no way it would detect me as lying. Because I hadn't lied.
But, just to be a little more certain.
"I have not regressed. Furthermore, it is true that I have newly awakened this time."
The crystal remained calm.
Kim Ji-hyeon and Lee Seon-yul, who had been staring at it for a long time, finally let out a long sigh.
"Alright. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. But it was something I had to confirm."
"It's fine. I understand."
"But no matter how I think about it, I don't get it. For someone who just awakened this round, you're adapting too well. You're quick on your feet. And you seem to have a lot of background knowledge."
"I've consumed a lot of this kind of subculture. Through games and novels."
"What. You're one of those types too? Damn it. To think studying ahead is important even in a world like this."
Kim Ji-hyeon grumbled, scratching her head roughly as she turned away.
'Those types?'
That was an important point.
In short, it meant Kim Ji-hyeon had encountered a few others besides me who were 'adapting quickly'.
I didn't know if it was because they had played 'End of Apocalypse' like me, or if they had simply consumed a lot of apocalypse-genre media.
If it was the former, there was a lot to think about.
Watching Kim Ji-hyeon step onto the platform as if to do something, I casually threw out a question.
"It seems there were other people besides me who adapted quickly."
"There are. A few in the stadium. Even without being told, they're finding their own tasks and doing them well."
I see. So they're here.
Suddenly, Hwang Chan-jin came to mind.
His figure wasn't visible in the stadium.
Instead, various yet similar expressions caught my eye.
Anxiety about survival.
Arms wrapped around themselves, gazes constantly shifting, observing their surroundings with trembling focus.
...Indeed, how many of the people gathered here would survive?
As if drawn, I looked up at the sky, which had darkened before I knew it.
The night sky in the city center had so few visible stars.
"Um, are you awake?"
"Over here! Unni woke up!"
Turning my gaze at the children's shouts, I saw Jeong Ha-yeon, with a haggard face, barely managing to sit up.
She woke up at the perfect time.
I glanced at her for a moment before shifting my gaze to the empty air.
Just then, the event I had been waiting for was about to happen.
"W-What is that!?"
"There's a person floating in the air!?"
As someone shouted, all eyes turned at once.
Following the tip of someone's finger, just as they said, something that looked like a person was floating in the air.
But it wasn't a person.
The form was human, but it had something humans do not possess.
A pair of pure white wings.
It was an angel.
"An-An angel...? Se-hyeon-ssi. Look over there. It's an angel, an angel!"
"I see it."
White wings and robes. A golden aura spreading around it.
A sight I had seen to the point of boredom while playing the game.
Speak of the devil.
The angel surveyed the area once, then brought its hands together in a gesture of prayer.
Then, something amazing happened.
*Fwaaaah!*
"Th-This is...?"
"I became a player too! I'm a player now!!"
A pure white light spread from the wings, seeping into those who weren't players.
There were complaints about why it had taken so long, but they seemed busier checking the power they had just obtained.
Unaware that the angel had already vanished.
The power of a player.
Seeing them rejoice without understanding what it meant to gain that power, the corner of my mouth twitched.
For 'ordinary people' like them, it was by no means a good thing.
It would be a relief if they didn't fall into despair and commit suicide.
[Coins are being calculated.]
[2400 Coins have been paid.]
[You have cleared the first chapter.]
[1000 Coins are awarded as a reward.]
Looking at the two system windows that appeared before me, various emotions crossed my mind.
The overwhelming feeling of having just climbed a single step. Worry about the events to come.
And, a strange sense of anticipation that this was the real beginning.
Did I truly take my first step safely?
"By now, everyone has probably received their coins."
Eyes turned to the platform one by one.
As most people assumed a listening posture, Lee Seon-yul gave a small nod.
"Coins are calculated daily based on the deeds you've accumulated that day. Normally, they are calculated at exactly midnight, but since today is the first day of this anomaly, it seems they've been given out early."
"That, um, 'deeds' thing, what is it?"
"To put it simply, you can think of it as experience points. There are no levels, and you can't see how much experience you've accumulated, but since the amount of coins you receive increases whether you hunt monsters or train, we surmise there's something like an invisible experience point system."
It was a good analogy, no matter how many times I heard it.
In other words, the experience points accumulated throughout the day are converted into coins at midnight.
"Now, I will explain how to use the coins."
Lee Seon-yul's next words shook me from my thoughts.
From here on out was crucial.
The coins calculated on the first day.
How you used them would determine the difficulty of what was to come.
"First, about the Shop."
As the explanation continued, a few people quickly moved their hands.
They were trying to preemptively buy things they would need from the Shop.
"Tch...!"
A player bit their nails.
The frustration of wanting something but not having enough coins to get it.
Having cleared just one main quest, there was next to nothing you could buy from the Shop.
The main purpose right now was just to learn of the Shop's existence and move on.
Despite that, the act of quickly scanning the Shop.
I stared at that person's face for a long time, searing it into my memory.
That was someone who had progressed quite far in the game.
One of the 'few people' Lee Seon-yul had mentioned.
It seemed I could identify the rest of them in this way.
[Coins: 6600]
Perhaps due to the various achievements and sponsorships, a considerable amount of coins had accumulated.
In terms of the end of Chapter 1, it was more than I had even in my very last playthrough.
It seemed I could proceed with my plans more smoothly than I'd thought.
When I thought of the Shop, a blue window appeared.
In that moment.
I doubted my eyes.
[Clear Privilege is being applied.]
[3,000,000 Shop-Exclusive Coins have been paid.]
The 'Owned Coins' displayed at the bottom right of the Shop window shot up at a terrifying speed, hitting 3,000,000.
A whopping 3 million coins.
Even if they could only be used in the Shop, this was an absurd amount.
Especially considering that even when S-rank items luckily appeared in the shop, they cost around 700,000 to 800,000.
I covered my mouth to hide the rising corners of my lips.
Right. This is what a privilege should be.
The disappointment of not getting a single combat-related ability melted away like snow.
It was then.
[So you are the chosen one?]
"...Who's there?"
[I am the angel Uriel. I've been assigned to support you, Kim Se-hyeon-nim. It's a pleasure to be of service! If you call me while using the Shop, I can help you with all sorts of things.]
Since only the voice was transmitted into my head without a physical form, I looked around trying to find its source.
The angel that first appeared had vanished right after praying.
It was possible this was the same angel, but I pushed that question aside for later.
"Is it okay for an angel to be attached only to me like this?"
[Because you were chosen?]
It was a carefree answer.
So the basic principle was that it would stay quiet and only respond when I called.
I couldn't just trust what I saw. Especially not these system-related beings.
Looking at Uriel, who was now waiting for my words in a chibi form at the top of the Shop window, I spoke briefly.
"777 coins..."
[For the first time only, I can open the Angel's Shop for free. Would you like me to?]
Just as I was about to say the hidden code, Uriel offered what I wanted with perfect timing.
A free opening. It was only once, but not bad.
I smirked slightly.
"Please do."
[Please wait just a moment!]
There was no reason to refuse.
The number of coins consumed to open the Angel's Shop was not something I could ignore at this point.
Whether I could open it with the shop-exclusive coins... I'll test that later.
[Hidden Code entered.]
[Switching to the Shop of Blessings.]
I stared at the window before me.
The border of the Shop window turned a bright yellow, and the list of available items changed.
[Intermediate Healing Potion - 2500 Coins]
[Talisman of Purification - 5000 Coins]
[Guide's Lantern - 1000 Coins]
...
The Shop of Blessings contained items that could help you escape a crisis someday.
Though that 'someday' could be tomorrow or in the distant future.
I scrolled down the list, examining the items.
There were two things I needed right now.
Since I had the shop-exclusive coins, since I've opened the Angel's Shop anyway, I might as well look at other items...
"...Insane."
About halfway down the list.
I discovered an item and muttered to myself without realizing.
Something like this existed?
That can't be right.
In the hundreds of times I played the game, I had never once seen it.
I barely managed to steady my trembling hands and examined the item closely.
[Stat Limit Removal - 1,800,000 Coins]
I hadn't seen it wrong.
This was the catch of a lifetime.