Chapter 12 - Behold, a New Power: <em>Vision Share (Unique)</em>

The new skill was, in a word, a spectator mode. No cooldown or cost meant I could sit safely in my room and watch Siyeon fight in real time.

It had popped up at just the right timing—a perfect skill.

I activated it immediately.

'Vision Share. Show me Siyeon's viewpoint!'

The moment I did—

My vision split in two.

One side was my familiar one-room setup. The other was an unfamiliar outdoor scene.

Seoul's neon signs flashing in the night sky.

A viewpoint racing through them at ferocious speed.

The vision shook wildly like a parkour video, leaping from building to building.

This must be what Siyeon was seeing.

'It's... this vivid?'

It wasn't just visual.

The muggy summer night air. The city's noisy clamor. The concrete's rebound underfoot with each massive leap. The floating sensation as her body hung in the air.

Every sense hit me with crystal clarity.

Or, to put it another way—

'Ugh... so dizzy...!'

Motion sickness hit like a truck! It felt like ten times the nausea from my first VR game.

Already reeling, and now all these senses flooded my brain at once. No way I could handle it.

'D-Deactivate it!'

I panicked and shut it off in a hurry.

Ugh. No way I could watch like that.

The blood I'd just drunk nearly came back up.

Frowning, I poked through the system window again.

'Any settings or something?'

Sure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠enough, there was a detailed settings menu.

'No way. It actually has settings?'

I hadn't expected much, but it was surprisingly user-friendly. Like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a game options menu for graphics and sound.

I dropped the sync rate to 50% and limited shared senses to vision and hearing.

This should do it.

Once more.

'Vision Share!'

Whoosh.

Perfect this time. Just clear vision and sound, no dizziness or unnecessary touch feedback.

Plus, I could move the vision screen at will.

So I floated it in a rectangle in midair.

Now it felt just like watching a high-def game stream.

'Ooh, nice, nice.'

I was admiring my corner-monitor setup when—

"Milord! Your eyes blaze red as if aflame!"

Katarina, standing beside me, jumped in surprise.

Oh, really?

Did using this make my eyes glow from the outside?

"Hehe. 'Tis but one of the True Ancestor's powers—naught to be surprised at. I merely borrow my familiar's eyes to survey the situation."

I casually explained the Vision Share.

"Ahh... To oversee the world from within these walls—truly, milord's power is sublime!"

Katarina marveled once more.

I let her praise slide in one ear and out the other, focusing on Siyeon's floating screen.

By now, she'd reached some building.

'Oh, this their hideout?'

Criminals living in a spot like that? Top-tier mansion fit for chaebol heirs.

Brutal-looking gangster guards lined every entrance. Security so tight you'd wonder if it was breachable.

But—

Siyeon melted into the shadows, silently snapping necks or stabbing vitals, neutralizing them one by one.

'Whoa, insane... total assassin!'

Like watching a first-person stealth assassination game stream.

Every time Siyeon darted through the dark—whoosh—gangsters dropped like flies.

Slipping inside like a ghost, she rummaged room by room, slitting the throats of sleeping organization executives.

Again and again.

Mechanical precision, merciless hands felling foes nonstop.

'How many kills is Siyeon at now? She's going berserk.'

As I watched in awe, something odd struck me.

'Huh? Why am I so chill?'

Even if they were irredeemable scum, people were dying. A murder scene unfolding.

Earlier, seeing four die in my room was life-or-death for me. But now, live-streaming dozens getting one-sidedly shredded... my mental should be shaking.

Yet I felt zero nausea or revulsion. Perfectly fine.

Like characters dying in a game?

Objectively brutal, but to me, just a mad movie clip.

'Is this Noble Bearing too?'

It claimed full mental attack immunity. Probably blocked trauma or PTSD from gore like this.

'Eh, not complaining.'

Chilling as I spectated—then it happened.

Siyeon entered a narrow, dark vent on the outer wall for her next target.

...I saw it.

Scuttle-scuttle, scatter!

A swarm of huge cockroaches bursting from the vent entrance!

'Aaaahhh!!'

I jolted—ass lifting off the chair in horror.

No way, that's not fair!! So gross!

Desensitizes me to slaughter but not bug mental attacks...?!

Mosaic this at least!

"Milord?! Is there ill with your sacred form?!!"

My flinch made Katarina rush over in alarm.

Guess the shock was too much—even Noble Bearing couldn't fully block it.

Calming my pounding heart, I forced a stoic face.

"Ahem. Naught amiss—worry not."

'No way I'm admitting cockroaches on screen made me jump...'

Master's dignity would hit rock bottom.

Thank goodness Noble Bearing kept my face cool, brazen, and aloof.

Katarina still looked worried but retreated at my calm demeanor.

On screen, Siyeon ignored the bugs, crawling through the vent to emerge in a bathroom, then heading to a bedroom.

She swiftly ended the man snoring in bed.

Died in his sleep, no scream.

'Wait, isn't this guy from Hunter Gallery's top wanted list?'

Black Cow's boss, huh. Headache for the government—and just an extra snuffed in sleep before Siyeon.

Targets left?

Siyeon traveled far to a rundown lone house in a deserted spot.

Over the wall, through a window—inside was oppressively gloomy, unlike the mansion.

Floors and walls littered with yellowish bones and unknown talismans, ritual tools.

'Shaman's lair, bet.'

Obvious vibe.

Others lived large, but the "shadow boss" in a haunted dump?

'Light's on.'

Unlike sleeping spots, the shaman's room glowed.

Vision paused—Siyeon assessing.

"Why no report yet...? Did even the Black Calf fail?!"

Irritable mutter from the lit room.

Others slept soundly; this one waited all night for assassin updates.

True puppet-master, as Siyeon said.

As he let his guard down—

Slash!

Siyeon sliced through the air, lunging at his back.

"Wh-what?!!"

But this shaman reacted fast. Unlike the instant-kill goons.

Panicked but countered instantly.

Boom!!

Crimson flames flew. Siyeon twisted aside, reverse-gripped her dagger for the throat.

Clang!

Semitransparent barrier blocked the blade.

But briefly.

Exchanges flew—shaman losing ground, even to my eyes.

Shatter!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Barrier broke.

Slash!!

Siyeon's dagger mercilessly slit his throat.

Dark blood sprayed.

"Guh...!"

Shaman tumbled.

Step, step.

Siyeon approached.

"N-number 13...?! Why are you here...!"

Clutching his gushing neck, he trembled up at her in disbelief.

"M-my spells undone...? How...? That brainwashing's unbreakable—even revived! S-rank hunters couldn't touch it—how did you?!!"

Hearing his scream, I thought idly,

'Uh, actually revived her and it broke?'

Unaware of my dumb thought,

Siyeon replied flatly.

"...Wrong."

"Wha...?"

"My name. Wrong."

"Th-that's... what..."

"My name is not Number 13. It's Yuseon."

"...!!"

Rooooaaar!!!

'Kyaa! Go Siyeon!'

Ditching her number past for the name I gave—pure style!

Movie scene right there!

Fully immersed spectator, cheering her on inside.

Yes! Siyeon, kill that bastard now!

Siyeon raised her dagger to finish him.

Right as she went for the clean kill—she froze, leaping back.

Because—

"Heh... heh heh heh..."

The dying shaman let out eerie laughter.

His eyes flipped—like ink flooding, pupils dominating, whites inverted.

'Huh?'

Reverse eyes or whatever.

"Insolent toy... you dare not know your master."

Voice, tone—totally changed, like another person. Grotesque speech.

Shaman fingered his torn throat, glaring annoyed at Siyeon.

"Tch. Good vessel wasted on you."

'What? Phase 2?'

"Vessel"—something else inside him?

'No way—the shaman's a demon?'

Read it on Hunter Gallery. Those taking monster power called that.

Or maybe fully possessed by a parasitic monster—throat half-gone, still talking casually.

His special spells and brainwashing from a contract with it?

Shadow boss had a true shadow boss!

Then—

"Die."

Whoosh!!

Shaman swung his hand—massive shockwave blasted at Siyeon.

"Nngh...!"

She crossed daggers to block but flew back from the power gap.

Swoosh!

Black tentacles whipped from his sleeve.

Siyeon rolled aside barely, kicked off the floor, stabbed his back.

Clang!

Dagger bounced off hardened skin.

"Heh heh heh, so frail."

Shaman twisted his neck grotesquely to mock her.

Ew, gross...! Definitely a monster, not human.

Siyeon attacked relentlessly, but the fight shifted.

'That guy's physical defense too high!'

Her weapons weren't penetrating.

"Hahaha. Think a human's strike pierces my hide?"

His wild tentacles shredded her suit, red welts on her pale cheek.

I watched anxiously.

This looks bad. Real bad.

'Send Katarina now?!'

But too far, location vague.

Even Katarina's speed—Siyeon might fall before arrival.

Wh-what do I do? This was unexpected!

Sweat in my palms, panicking—then:

Ding!