Chapter 24
The first splendid external activity of the Mystery Club concluded only after I, the president, was held up at Hero Prep’s main building until evening, giving various statements, describing the situation, and making a few excuses.
“What a pain in the ass.”
Advisory instructor Yun Jeongseop received a light disciplinary action on the grounds that he did not accompany us on the external activity, but that was none of my business.
I dragged my tired body and mind towards the dormitory.
Under the pressure of having to train with An Hwigom in a few hours, I skipped my meal and immediately sprawled out on the sofa.
“Should I just drop out and run away.”
I wished An Hwigom would show some flexibility on a day like today, but it was ridiculous to expect such a thing from that old man.
I gave up early on and turned on the TV.
The news channel was repeatedly reporting on the terror attack that had happened during the day.
The main focus of the report was, of course, Lee Eunho and Cha Yeri.
I was vaguely watching their interview when, at some point, the camera turned, and a guy who looked like Supporting Actor A came into view.
“……I can’t watch this.”
I almost reflexively turned off the TV.
Because I was shown right after Cha Yeri, the relativity of our appearances was starkly revealed.
Soon, the screen changed, and another report followed.
─Yes. The next news is also related to the previous report. There was an announcement that the remnants of the Psychic Mafia Catalina stole the Core of the Earth while fleeing from the exhibition hall. This Core of the Earth is Sword Saint Kim Yuseong’s…….
The current report was a lie.
Because Catalina did not take the Core of the Earth.
Rather, the one who took it was me.
No, it would be more accurate to say that I did not put it back in its place.
It was not that I stole it on a whim just because I was wearing the Phantom Thief’s cloak.
“Of course, it is still theft……”
This also had its own purpose and reason.
Catalina was planning to conduct some research through the Core of the Earth.
However, they failed to obtain the Core of the Earth in the planning stage and were defeated by Lee Eunho today.
The problem was that another organization that wanted to continue Catalina’s research would become interested in the Core of the Earth and eventually steal it.
In other words…….
“An item that will be stolen, used meaninglessly, and discarded anyway.”
It was a matter for the distant future, but it was a choice to not give power and opportunities to villains.
As the episodes gradually get messed up, it would become a considerable problem if an entirely unexpected force were to get their hands on the Core of the Earth.
It also had the effect of pressuring the Psychic Mafia itself by framing Catalina.
Due to the extensive media coverage, the mafia’s involvement in crimes would decrease significantly for a while.
“I was lucky. It was a result close to a perfect crime.”
Bruno the Hunter might have his suspicions, but since he did not know my identity, it was meaningless.
No matter how much he remembered my mana, as long as I did not leave the 4th Scholastic District, the possibility of us meeting was also slim.
“Because the 4th Scholastic District is a special area with the strongest security after the 1st Underground District.”
Except for special cases, it was impossible to enter without permission, and if one were to lay a hand on the academy students, they could become the target of top-tier hunters.
Moreover, if they earned the antipathy of those who had overlooked the mafia as a necessary evil, their business in the underworld would also become difficult.
“Well, they are still an indispensable existence in the underworld, so it won’t collapse completely.”
I turned off the TV, which had changed topics, and checked my status for a moment, then used my coins.
[1 Remake Coin will be consumed.]
Then, for the first time in a while, space-time stopped, and color and light disappeared as if evaporating.
<Status>
[Durability 10.0] [Strength 3.5] [Stamina 3.7]
[Agility 14.4] [Intellect 11.0] [Magic Power 7.3]
<Attributes>
[Fire 0%] [Water 0%] [Wind 0%]
[Earth 30%] [Lightning 0%] [Light 0%]
[Dark 90%] [Neutral 15%]
Excluding the one just consumed, the current remaining coins were 7,796.
In order to avoid an absurdly unfavorable condition like a 50% intervention rate, as in today’s main episode, I had to use coins whether I liked it or not.
“If I use 10,000 coins, the intervention rate is 10%……”
I planned to make a full-scale coin investment based on that figure.
The target for the stat change was, of course, Agility.
When I recall the pain of being cut by An Hwigom, my hand naturally goes to the Durability stat, but in the end, the part that occupies a large portion of an Awakener’s talent is Agility.
To be blunt, it was also the most difficult stat to increase.
Of course, my Strength and Stamina had always been holding me back while going through episodes.
However, in a situation where a skilled person like An Hwigom was gauging me, if my Strength or Stamina were to explode overnight, I would face a not-so-pleasant situation.
I was fiddling with the increase value for Agility when I suddenly had a thought.
“……Should I try it?”
If it were a devoted reader, that is, that cunning person who hides something to enjoy it alone…….
[Increase Agility by 3.8?]
[Required Remake Coins: 7,777]
There was no way they would have designed this system ignoring the number 7777.
[Agility increases by 3.8.]
[Agility 18.2]
[Congratulations! You have used 7,777 coins!]
[The used Remake Coins will be refunded.]
“Heh.”
For a moment, I almost soiled my pants.
Because I was blown away by my own judgment.
“This is it.”
If it had been 4444 instead, it might have taken away my coins.
It was just a guess.
“By the way, an Agility of 18.2.”
Suddenly, greed welled up.
If I invested the remaining 7,000-odd coins, the setting intervention rate for the next main episode would be a little over 15%.
Could I really handle that number…….
Wouldn’t it be fine as long as it did not exceed 20%?
But my hesitation was brief, and I canceled the coin usage.
While consuming coins was important, it was also important to use them appropriately according to the situation of the episode.
Above all, there seemed to be no change in my abilities.
“Is this the limit of my deformed status……”
It was bittersweet.
As I canceled the coin usage, a message arrived on my smartphone.
-Final bid amount for the registered ‘MA6’: 1,114,286,580 won.
Friday, today was the 15th day since I had registered the MA6 on Mammoth Market.
The final bid was accepted with the amount bid around 10 AM today.
Judging by the amount, they seemed to have participated in the auction quite desperately.
“1.1 billion won is…… about 11 billion in the old world……. Huh?”
It sold for an excessively high price, didn't it?
No, in a situation where there was no supply, this price was not strange, but…….
I checked the revealed bidder’s nickname.
-Successful bidder: Sharp Sheriff
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine.
The nickname Sheriff…….
It was the signature of a certain someone who had an excessive affection for the firearm known as the revolver, like a gunslinger from a western.
“……It’s Cha Yeri.”
***
Saturday morning.
Cha Yeri was sitting in the back seat of a car driven by her aide.
“Are you really alright? You don’t have to comply with the seller’s request……”
“It’s fine. I’m actually curious. Who is the person who has an item that hasn’t been traded for the last 10 years? More importantly, did you report it properly to home?”
“Yes, I reported that you would be visiting a classmate’s house.”
“……A classmate’s house?”
“Yes, because that is the most common and ordinary excuse.”
At the same time as those words, Cha Yeri glared at the rearview mirror.
The aide’s expression was calm, without any particular emotion.
The meaning of the words was obvious.
The pressure to make real friends, not the ones she made small talk with and faked socializing at tea parties.
Cha Yeri, who was not oblivious to the intentions of her aide of several years, naturally let the topic pass in silence.
If she reacted poorly, she would be treated like a child.
‘It’s just that there are no friends who match my mental level.’
She must not show any sign of that rationalization either.
The vehicle headed for Seoul’s District 7.
The commercial district where the Production Guild was located.
The place where the world’s largest Awakener market was formed.
The reason for heading here was because there was a Mammoth Market transaction at the Production Guild headquarters.
The item she had barely managed to win by scraping together all the money she had was the MA6.
The MA6 was one of the most highly-rated revolvers for Awakeners who were considering becoming a gunman or a marksman.
Although it was not highly rated in actual combat, it was revered almost to the point of deification for the sole reason that it was the Phantom Thief’s firearm.
For a gunman like Cha Yeri who used magic bullets anyway, as long as the durability of the firearm was intact, it was not a big problem.
Unlike other weapon categories, there was also the advantage of being able to modify and use it.
‘What bothers me a little…… is that the seller’s nickname is Phantom Thief.’
The nickname Phantom Thief.
And the MA6 being sold by the Phantom Thief.
That was the reason why Cha Yeri was moving to District 7 herself.
There was also the seller’s request for a face-to-face transaction, but the bigger reason was that her curiosity was being stimulated.
‘Phantom Thief……’
Cha Yeri’s curiosity soon began to trace back to the terror attack that had happened yesterday.
The exact point in time was a few minutes before she encountered the investigation cadet Ji Seokhyeon in the restroom.
Cha Yeri, who was finishing up her search in Hall C, had discovered a dark and gloomy silhouette at a slight distance.
Thanks to her activated ability, she quickly recognized it as Ji Seokhyeon’s mana, but…….
‘That appearance was definitely the Phantom Thief.’
The appearance reflected in the flickering, incomplete perception-impairing ability was definitely the Phantom Thief.
At least, if one grew up in the Seoul Special Self-Governing City of Superpowers, one could not fail to recognize that appearance.
The Phantom Thief’s appearance was famous enough to be used as a character on stationery for preschool children, and it was so stereotyped that it caused numerous copycat crimes.
Cha Yeri had waited for the Phantom Thief at the entrance of the restroom in a tense state.
As expected, the person she had anticipated came out of the restroom looking neat and clean.
‘……Ji Seokhyeon, what on earth is that human’s identity?’
Was he simply imitating the Phantom Thief?
He was an unreadable person, but he was not the type to do that in an emergency situation.
Before that, even the evidence that he had imitated was insufficient.
He did not have the Phantom Thief’s overcoat when they met at the entrance.
‘Did he use something like…… a subspace?’
After the advent of the Awakener era, research on subspace had continued, but its effectiveness had never once been proven.
Except for the time when the Phantom Thief made the stolen goods disappear right before their eyes.
Therefore, if Ji Seokhyeon was carrying on the legacy of the Phantom Thief for some reason, she could understand why he was pretending to be a non-ability user.
‘It would have to be a reason of that magnitude to hide his ability.’
Even the kids in the outskirts of Seoul knew how grave a crime it was to fail to update an Awakener’s information.
To be blunt, if Cha Yeri herself were to open her mouth, Ji Seokhyeon would be buried in this field.
“……Should I just bury him.”
The vehicle, engraved with Hyeonseong’s symbol, came to a halt along with Cha Yeri’s muttering.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright alone?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
The Production Guild was a familiar place to Cha Yeri.
She had visited it numerous times as Hyeonseong’s successor.
She did not even need to look for the information desk, as the guards on the premises would recognize her first and offer to guide her.
“Here it is. The seller has already arrived.”
The place she arrived at after being guided was a space in the main building of the premises.
It was like a lounge provided to the users of Mammoth Market.
Cha Yeri opened the door of the designated mediation transaction room and stepped inside.
A small room that gave off an atmosphere similar to an interrogation room at first glance.
Only the minimum items for a transaction were prepared, and a professional mediator belonging to the guild was standing next to the central table.
Cha Yeri’s eyes first took in the MA6 lying on the crimson velvet.
Then she shifted her gaze to the seller standing behind the MA6.
That is…….
“Ah, what a coincidence.”
To Ji Seokhyeon.
Cha Yeri, who was about to approach the long-awaited item, froze stiffly with her back to the door.
Even her expression management, which could be called her specialty, began to waver.
‘……A coincidence, he says?’
He could imitate the Phantom Thief’s appearance, use the nickname Phantom Thief, and was disposing of the Phantom Thief’s gun.
Following that, the fact that his past actions had not been revealed came to mind again.
“We’ve been waiting for you, customer.”
Cha Yeri approached the table along with the mediator’s words.
She stopped in front of Ji Seokhyeon and threw out her words without hesitation.
“Are you perhaps the Phantom Thief?”