Chapter 55
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Operation Failure
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'It was supposed to be product expansion, but it changed to item rental?'
I never imagined the additional function of Modern Item Purchase would shift so fluidly like this.
With that realization, I figured out that this Modern Item Purchase was the ability my friend had given me, leading to one speculation.
'No way... is my friend watching over me?'
I still hadn't grasped my friend's true identity, but it was plenty plausible.
After all, not only had he flung me into another world, but he'd also stuffed me with the exact ability I'd mentioned.
"...Hey. You watching?"
I spoke to my friend, just in case he really was watching.
"I don't get why it had to be me, of all people."
Unlike me, that guy was an ultra-social butterfly.
Not just close friends, but seniors, juniors, you name it—he knew everyone.
'If he needed someone to save the world, there had to be tons better than me.'
All sorts of complicated thoughts raced through my mind, but what slipped out of my mouth was pure resignation.
"Still, a heads-up would've been nice."
What if he'd confessed the truth back then? I would've refused, obviously. But if he'd begged with real sincerity, maybe I'd have gone along with it.
'Though I definitely wouldn't have picked Modern Item Purchase back then.'
In any case, no voice from my friend or anything like that came.
To onlookers, I'd just look like I was mumbling to thin air.
"...".
With no other choice, I checked out the new 'Item Rental' function I'd gained.
'Let's try sending something to Elisicia first.'
I tapped the newly appeared item rental option.
Please place the item to rent here.
'Similar to the product repair that unlocked at level 3.'
I tried putting a nearby bottle of booze into it, but it wouldn't go in.
Consumables like food cannot be rented.
'Can't rent food since the recipient eats it and I can't get it back, huh?'
I'd half-expected that, so I swapped the booze for a plate.
Please set the rental duration. Maximum: 96 hours.
'96 hours is four days.'
Confirming the max was four days, I set it to a simple one minute.
Please specify the target channel and nickname.
Hm.
"Channel 2. Hero☆."
Renting the item to Channel 2, Hero☆ for 1 minute.
I turned to look at Elisicia.
She stared into space for a moment, then reached out and caught the plate dropping from thin air.
'That's how it gets delivered.'
Elisicia tilted her head at the plate, then turned to me.
"Castaway. What's this?"
"New function. Anyway, try breaking that plate."
"The plate?"
"Yeah. Gotta check something."
Elisicia snapped the plate in two as I asked.
Watching her casually shatter it like a cookie with her bare hands, I waited one minute.
Fwosh―
Channel 2, Hero☆'s rental time has ended.
The plate in Elisicia's hand vanished in an instant, returning to my inventory still in two pieces. Only after seeing that did I get a full grasp on item rental.
'Straight-up lending items, huh.'
But if the item gets damaged during rental, it comes back that way.
'Product repair exists anyway, so no big deal.'
I could fix damaged items back to normal, and the points for repair could just be charged to whoever broke it.
'Now that I've got item rental too...'
No issue lending a gun to 3-channel's assault leader.
Problem was, the only gun I had was the Plasma Pistol.
"...".
So I decided to ask 4-channel's Quick Fix Doctor☆ if he had any decent weapons.
3-channel.
Zombie Queen Kim Hee-jin spotted the sudden arrival of Han Soo-yeon and knew she was the target.
Once Han Soo-yeon froze the whole area with her ice powers, some twenty people popped up like they'd been waiting.
'They came prepared.'
Even so, Kang Mu-hyun from the Incheon Alliance showing up was unexpected.
Kim Hee-jin thought it was perfect and resolved to kill them all.
'Come forth.'
A special ability gained upon becoming Zombie Queen.
You can summon 153 zombies of random grades once per day.
She unleashed it on them, and 153 zombies appeared nearby.
No stage-4s, unfortunately, but stages 0-3 swarmed to surround them.
"Zombies out of nowhere..."
"Zombie Queen's power?"
The intruders here to kill the Zombie Queen panicked hard.
With zombies spawning right next to them, it was natural.
Kieeeek!―
The zombies charged at Kang Mu-hyun and the others to carry out their queen's command.
"Calm down and use detection first."
Kang Mu-hyun soothed the group and activated his power.
Fwaaah!―
A five-meter golden sword appeared in his hand.
Kang Mu-hyun swung his ability, Light Sword, slicing the first charging zombie.
Slash!―
The Light Sword ignored all physical properties, cutting anything perfectly.
Grrraaah!―
But Zombie Queen Kim Hee-jin knew of Kang Mu-hyun's power.
To counter him, she sent a Bomber first among the summoned zombies.
"Bomber, huh."
A stage-2 variant zombie, obese enough to evoke extreme obesity.
The problem? Its body was a living bomb—get close or hit it, and it exploded.
"Kim Sang-ho. If you would."
"Yes, sir."
Kang Mu-hyun, naturally, had countermeasures.
He had absolute attack power, but his physical stats were plain human-level—a weakness.
"Steel Cloak."
Fwosh!―
Half the twenty were support awakeners for him.
Incheon Alliance head Lee Geon-woo wouldn't let his ability's user die easily.
"Park Chan-beom!"
"Got it!"
Steel Cloak took physical damage in his place.
The more damage, the shorter it got until vanishing.
But it blocked all physical harm—crucial for Kang Mu-hyun.
"Giggly Doll!"
Park Chan-beom activated his ability.
A small doll appeared in his hand; he tossed it far away.
Hee-hee-hee-hee!―
The doll stood like a roly-poly, growing human-sized and cackling.
Normally, it taunted zombies to swarm it, but not this time.
Twitch―
Zombies just twitched slightly before resuming the attack.
"Giggly Doll isn't working."
"Zombie Queen's orders take priority, looks like."
Kang Mu-hyun coolly analyzed.
He sliced off the Bomber's head with his Light Sword and said,
"Fall back now!"
The Bomber's body swelled massively post-decapitation.
Everyone knew what that meant and retreated far.
"Mauler incoming from behind!"
"Move! Gravity Field!"
An arm-huge stage-3 variant, Mauler, charged; an awakener deployed a gravity field.
Kang Mu-hyun dashed in, cleanly bisecting it with his five-meter Light Sword.
Slash!―
Not just the Mauler—other zombies got diced too.
"As expected of Kang Mu-hyun!"
"Takes others ages just to take down a stage-3."
KABOOM!!―
The Bomber exploded, flinging flesh and bone everywhere.
Touch that meat, and infection started—but no one was hit yet.
"Detection results?"
Kang Mu-hyun asked the detection awakener.
He'd bet the Zombie Queen would flee in panic once they rampaged.
"Uh, well..."
Detection tracked everyone and every zombie in real-time.
Spotting the one moving oddly amid the chaos was key.
"No separate movements detected."
"None? You sure?"
"Yes. Still checking."
Kang Mu-hyun frowned slightly at the failed plan.
That instant.
Crunck―
"...!?"
Unholy dark-green chains erupted from the ground, coiling around Kang Mu-hyun and the others' ankles.
Plus, two stage-3 Assassins rocketed in from the sides at insane speed.
"...".
Kang Mu-hyun sacrificed one side, slicing an Assassin.
Slash!―
One-shot the infamous Assassin, but the other side broke through.
"Agh!"
He had Steel Cloak active.
But the Zombie Queen's Corruption Chains rapidly shortened it.
Then Assassin struck; with cloak gone, a fatal blow landed.
"Lee Jung-woo. Get him to the wall, fast."
"On it."
Lee Jung-woo teleported the infected back for treatment.
Kang Mu-hyun realized things were going south but couldn't abandon the Queen.
Slash!―
He severed his chains quick, then the others'.
"B-but, Kang Mu-hyun... This an awakening power?"
"What're you getting at?"
"What if Zombie Queen's an awakener...?"
"Nonsense."
He sliced charging zombies while replying swiftly.
"Zombie Queen gains special powers over time. Awakening wouldn't be weird."
"Ah. Right."
"Means she's hiding nearby since she used it."
As he finished, everyone scanned for the hidden Queen.
But no Zombie Queen zombie in sight, wherever she hid.
Bang!―
"Argh!"
Sudden sharp spikes flew from somewhere, striking people.
Zombie Queen had recalled all wall-attacking Snipers to hit here.
'Trouble.'
Kang Mu-hyun's S-grade Light Sword didn't boost physicals.
He needed support, and without it, the op was toast.
'Failed to kill Zombie Queen.'
Keep hunting, and casualties would be anyone's guess.
Maybe doomed since detection missed her at the start.
"...Retreat."
Once teleporter Lee Jung-woo returned, Kang Mu-hyun pulled everyone to the wall.
Fortunately.
KABOOOMMM!!―
While Zombie Queen focused on him, Han Soo-yeon controlled her nightmare demon to drop the stage-5 Gigas.