Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 017
Chapter Title: First Outing
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‘Special reward?’
This was out of nowhere.
I just blinked at the sudden windfall that had dropped into my lap.
I had no idea what was going on, but it seemed Moonlit Path had shelved their plans to advance into the 8th Special District for now.
I couldn’t fathom why the reward was coming through right this second, but...
Whatever. Good things are good things.
I decided to think positively.
In a situation where every single skill point was precious, if they were handing one over, that was a big thank you from me.
And as a bonus, the 8th Special District would be a bit more peaceful. How could that not be great?
Wait a minute. In that case...
With the special reward included, I now had a total of two skill points.
One regular skill point, and the other an enhancement skill point, no doubt.
Now the question is how to allocate them.
For the future, it felt like a smart move to invest at least somewhat in magic.
I scraped the last grain of rice from my tray and headed to the return slot, lost in thought.
Magic, huh...
I currently had three magic-related skill trees unlocked.
Fire, lightning, and curse magic, respectively.
The unlocked skills were [Lowest Bolt] and [Belial's Withering Minor Curse], and since I'd acquired [Basic Fire Magic] last time, the fire magic tree had split into two branches.
[Flame Ring]
[Unleash powerful flames around the caster to incinerate nearby enemies.]
[Spear of Fire]
[Summon three spears of fire that explode on impact to intercept distant enemies.]
It looks like the skills branch into melee and ranged here.
Personally, I wanted to invest in both fire and lightning magic.
Mages with multiple elements were extremely rare, as far as I knew, so having an extra tactical ace up my sleeve to catch them off guard would be huge.
But that wasn’t all.
It’d be especially effective against robots or enemies loaded with implants.
Until now, I’d ended up facing more mage-types by chance, but the 8th Special District was one of the few places overrun with implant addicts.
Walter’s arms were both mechanical, for instance.
And users with powerful implants were infamous for their superhuman combat prowess.
Of course, Wereking Fist is plenty strong too.
But I wasn’t confident it would work well against foes with barely any internal organs to target.
If they had Bearwolf-level physical abilities, maybe...
And there was another blind spot.
Above all, lightning mages are rare.
Curse magic didn’t require innate aptitude, making it even less accessible, and fire magic had a reputation for being somewhat common compared to other elements.
Lightning was different.
Thinking about it now, it was lucky that Moonlit Path’s executive was a lightning mage.
I couldn’t guarantee when I’d next face one as an enemy.
In other words, the odds of getting killed by lightning magic were significantly lower than by fire magic.
Which also meant it’d be harder to raise proficiency through death.
So it makes sense to invest skill points in lightning magic as much as possible.
With a small sigh, I made my decision.
For now, put the regular skill point into lightning magic, and hold off on the enhancement point until I see how things play out.
Wereking Fist’s [Internal Force Fist Punch] only worked when enemies got close, so I might need a ranged skill like [Spear of Fire] someday.
On the flip side, there could be situations calling for curse debuffs or the speed boost from [Wereking Step].
No way to know yet.
[Bolt Pulse]
[Release powerful lightning within a 3-meter radius to repel enemies and inflict paralysis based on their resistance.]
The lightning magic tree branches after this skill, huh.
I was a little curious about what came next.
Checking the time, I thought,
Time to head to the office.
I grabbed my new keycard and headed up to the fourth floor, where Joseph’s office was.
*
“An outing pass.”
The next day.
I scratched my head as I examined the outing pass Joseph had issued me yesterday.
From what the guards had told me, this was an extreme special exception among special exceptions.
Well, yeah.
I’d never even heard of outing passes being issued in the Gulag, even if special visits existed.
Not to mention in a penal unit.
I briefly recalled what Joseph had said yesterday.
- You’ve shown results beyond expectations again, so you deserve a reward to match. I’ll issue you a one-day outing pass, so go get some fresh air. But there are conditions.
But I remembered how he’d emphasized it.
- Don’t go anywhere except the neighborhood you lived in. And no causing trouble. Got it? The guards will be nearby tracking your position in real-time via the collar’s GPS, so keep that in mind.
Joseph had looked a bit complicated.
- Go have a good talk with your sister.
“...”
Waiting outside the cell block, a familiar voice reached my ears.
“43471. Outing?”
“Ah, yes.”
Turning around, I saw the tall guard from yesterday standing there.
He beckoned me over.
“Follow me.”
Jealous murmurs rose from the prisoners in the exercise yard.
“Who’s that guy? Parole or something?”
“Nah, I heard it’s an outing.”
“Outing? That’s possible in this unit?”
“You haven’t heard? That’s the guy. The Mafia Butcher from 3rd Squad.”
“Oh, the one who takes down whole crews solo on missions?”
“Hey, quiet. Word is he caught that Bewitching Witch all by himself last time.”
“No way. For real?”
“There’s a sole survivor from 2nd Squad, right? Jackson or whatever. He said it.”
“Man, what kind of monster is he...”
“Cut the chatter!”
At the guards’ warning, the duty prisoners swept the grounds with brooms like nothing had happened.
In my eyes, the duty crew is ground zero for all these rumors.
It made sense, being the only place where multiple squads mixed.
“There it is.”
The tall guard pointed to a parked four-wheel-drive jeep, and the driver hopped out to salute.
“Lieutenant Roden.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He turned to me—the guy called Roden.
“We’ll take this to the city. Come here before you get in. Gotta blindfold you.”
“Ah, got it.”
Unlike deployments, no helicopter this time.
Makes sense—not worth the waste.
He blindfolded me and helped me into the back seat of the jeep.
“Start her up.”
“Yes, sir!”
The jeep rocked slightly as Roden climbed into the passenger seat.
“Move out.”
“Moving out.”
Soon, the jeep rumbled to life with a roar, and I felt the dry wasteland wind whipping through my hair as speed built up.
That refreshing coolness filled me with a touch of excitement.
*
Cyber columbaria were usually tucked deep in dingy alleys, away from the main city streets.
Pass a flickering neon sign and slip into a narrow lane, and you’d spot rows of old phone booth-like structures.
Those were the entrances. Don VR gear inside, and you connected to a virtual columbarium.
This city didn’t even grant non-citizens the right to properly enshrine their dead in reality.
No space for them in real columbaria, not even the tiniest corner.
And that included me.
“Sis. Sorry.”
I apologized to her portrait in the low-res feed.
“...You wanted me to live normally, but I turned into a criminal.”
But I had no choice.
I couldn’t just stand by with my own two eyes and watch the ones who’d so pointlessly taken her life mock her death and get away with it.
To them, she was just a pawn, but to me, she was the first family I’d met in this world—my only one.
“Still, luckily there’s a chance. If I work hard, I think I can even get citizenship.”
I couldn’t hide my bitter smile.
“Then, like you said, I’ll go to school... date someone there... well, gotta study first. Haha.”
But I definitely could. If I got citizenship.
“...When that happens, I’ll move you to a proper grave. Not some... rundown back alley spot like this, but a real one. So just hold on till then.”
I paused.
“...Just till then. Wait a little longer.”
In my heart, I promised it wouldn’t take long.
“I’ll come again.”
Swallowing a sigh, I silently removed the VR gear.
The dingy, grimy booth came into view.
I stared at it with mixed feelings, then walked out without a word.
“Hoo...”
I tapped the ground a few times with my toe before my feet finally moved.
It had already taken a good chunk of time just getting from base here.
Limited time. Since I was out, I should take care of everything I could see outside.
No telling when I’d get another outing pass.
First...
Heading down the familiar shantytown path, a rundown, shabby bar soon came into sight.
Hasn’t changed a bit.
The bell jingled as I entered.
“Welcome... uh...”
The Hawk-nosed Old Man, wiping glasses at the bar, froze mid-greeting.
I gave him a smile—it’d been a while.
“Still not many customers, huh.”
“You...!”
The startled old man opened his mouth wide but cut off with a glance to the corner, falling silent.
Following his gaze, I saw a hooded customer sipping a drink in the shadowy spot.
By then, he’d come around the bar and grabbed my shoulder.
“You, what the hell happened? I heard you got nabbed by the cops, but no way...”
He looked like he thought I’d busted out. I shook my head.
“No, nothing like that. It’s... complicated to explain, but point is, I can’t stay long.”
“...R-right. Sit down first. I’ll grab you something.”
As he vanished into the kitchen, I settled onto a worn stool at the bar.
Feels like forever.
A lot had happened since.
It felt like stepping back in time as I quietly took in the place.
But only briefly.
Why’s it taking so long?
I was about to peek into the kitchen when—
“Ah, kept you waiting?”
He emerged, set a beer bottle and glass on the table, and pulled a cigarette pack from under his arm.
“Damn, couldn’t find my smokes for a sec.”
“Cut back a bit. You’ll croak from lung disease.”
“Mind your business, punk. Lungs rot? Slap in an implant.”
“Sure, sure.”
Pop! He cracked the beer and poured it into the old glass.
“Here, your favorite Red Rye.”
“I’m broke, you know.”
“Just have one. C’mon.”
I couldn’t help furrowing my brow at that.
“What’s this? Mr. Tightwad himself.”
“Ah, forget it. Don’t want it? Fine.”
“Whoa, no—graciously accepting. Cheers.”
I chugged the cool beer and let out an involuntary groan.
“Ahh...”
How long since my last one?
The Hawk-nosed Old Man chuckled at the sight.
“Heh, good, eh?”
“...Yeah, good.”
“So, what really happened?”
“Like I said, too complicated. Anyway, came to ask about something.”
“Ask about what?”
“Yeah.”
“Spill.”
I set down the glass and continued.
“Any idea on the current market price for magic artifacts?”
“Magic artifacts?”
“Yeah. Like, say, jewels infused with magic...”
“Why you looking for that?”
“Anyway.”
He shrugged, looking puzzled.
“Those go for top dollar. Not many enchanters who can inscribe spellwork, y’know. Casting magic and enchanting are totally different beasts.”
“Uh...”
“Take stuff from the Magic Tower. Rare as hen’s teeth on the market, and even then, you’re looking at tens of billions at least.”
“T-tens of billions?”
Insanely pricey.
I recoiled, and he cackled.
“Well, those Tower bigshots hole up and don’t mess with the world much. If we’re talking cheaper ones...”
He counted on his fingers, thinking.
“Three grand. Minimum three grand.”
“Three grand...!”
I couldn’t help but be shocked.
Even the cheapest was that much?
Then how much did those alchemists burn just to kill me?
“Powerful magic can earn you a life or two on its own.”
“Ssp...”
I sighed softly.
...Buying magic artifacts to level skills might not be as easy as I thought.
Can’t blow all my spare cash on them either.
That’s when—
“...!”
My vision suddenly reeled, and I knocked over the beer bottle on the table.
Glass shattered on the floor with a crash!
The air froze in an instant.
Slowly... I looked up at the old man across from me.
“...”
His face was utterly cold now, staring down at me.
My gaze trembled.
“...P-poison.”
“Slower-acting than I expected.”
He casually lit his pipe like nothing was wrong.
“Poison...?”
“How’s it for a last farewell drink?”
My mind went blank at that.
...Come to think of it, things had been off from the start.
He’d only asked how I’d shown up after getting arrested.
Not a word about how I’d taken down those mafiosi.
That was downright weird.
He surely thought I was powerless.
“When I heard you got locked up, I tore through every Gulag there was. Couldn’t find you, so I figured some penal unit off the map. Didn’t expect you to crawl right in.”
And not just that.
Thinking back...
How did the Rorione Family pinpoint the hackers’ hideout so fast?
Hackers obsessed over securing their dens more than anyone.
At that realization, my hands started shaking uncontrollably.
“You sold us out?”
“Huh?”
“You... sold Sis, sold us out?”
He scoffed.
“Don’t give me that look, kid.”
“...!”
“Told you. This line of work? Shit like this is routine.”
At that moment, the bar door burst open with a bang!, and unfamiliar presences flooded in.
“He’s poisoned, but stay sharp. Rorione survivors said this one seems to have ‘super regeneration.’”
Guns clicked as they trained on me.
“Ha...”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“Hm?”
The old man narrowed his eyes at my untimely chuckle.
I curled my lips at him.
“Me... super regeneration?”
Heh. What a delightful misconception.
My body instantly lightened. I shot my arm out, clamping the old man’s nape in a flash.
His eyes bulged in shock.
“!? H-how...!”
Lightning erupted from my hand, ravaging his body.
“Aaaaagh!!”