Damned System

Chapter 83. Laying the Foundation (8)

As soon as I used up all the attribute mana stored in the mana accumulation tool, I scratched my neck while looking at the limp evolved species.

“Hmm…”

I knew the attribute mana stored in the ring-shaped mana accumulation tool was not insubstantial.

I had fully expected that unleashing a minimum of 2,000 units of attribute mana all at once would yield significant power.

‘But I didn’t expect the outcome to be this extraordinary.’

I had merely consolidated attribute mana at the tip of my spear and thrust it once.

That one strike had scorched the evolved species’ skin to the point where its original color was unrecognizable.

I quietly observed the rising smoke from what was now a colossal pile of ash.

The familiar crackling sound of small embers spreading reminded me of the smell of cooked pork.

I hadn’t used any magic per se; it was merely a large amount of attribute mana unleashed at once. Yet, the power was like this.

Standing in front of the remains of the evolved species, which now looked like a massive ash heap, I decided to think positively.

‘It could serve as a trump card.’

With a bewildered yet relieved mind, I turned my back on the dead monster. It was time to go find Messeo.

But first, there was still a player, not yet dead but unconscious, that I needed to finish off.

‘I received only eight Absorb messages.’

That meant there was one person still alive somewhere. It was likely the one who had been struck by the spear I had thrown earlier.

When the others fell to the evolved species, the messages popped up immediately.

I decided to find that surviving person and deal with it. However, there was no need for me to step in myself.

“Mana is being absorbed. Some corrupted mana is mixed in.”

The message that appeared when killing a player and absorbing the mana.

Upon turning my head, I saw Kim Yul, who had somehow descended, gripping the spear I had lent him and trembling.

The spear, which should have been lodged in the gut of an unknown player, was now planted in his chest.

It seemed Kim Yul had personally ended the life of the barely breathing player. Observing this quietly, I walked over to Kim Yul and ruffled his hair roughly.

“Keep doing just like now.”

The advice wasn’t about targeting players as an easy way out. It was a comfort not to hesitate when others were aiming for his life.

One moment’s hesitation could mean that Kim Yul would become the one dying.

In a situation where everyone was targeting each other’s lives, only one life could be saved.

‘There’s no guarantee that if I stop, the other person will too.’

In such a case, isn’t it obvious who should survive?

‘Trying to prevent the other person’s death without being willing to sacrifice my own life is arrogance.’

Fortunately, at my blunt comfort, Kim Yul simply nodded instead of responding verbally.

That made my heart slightly uncomfortable. Today’s events were something he didn’t have to experience.

In reality, I was here to ensure Yeonwoo and Jinwoo wouldn’t go through similar events. So why was Kim Yul, who was the same age as those two, going through this here?

Just as I swallowed a sigh, I heard the sound of retching.

“Ugh, ugh!”

An Kijun, who had descended later than Kim Yul, was leaning against a tree, emptying his stomach.

After a moment, he straightened himself but rolled his eyes, unable to look at me properly.

He must have realized that if he didn’t pay close attention, he could end up like the sprawled-out players here.

I allowed myself an unobtrusive satisfied smile. The reason I had bothered to lure the PK criminals here was all to witness this scene.

An Kijun was different from Kim Yul, who had formed some level of understanding and trust.

So while the server was linked, I tracked his phone number through a detective agency and did some background checks.

I entered his house invisible, verifying the appearance of his entire family.

I had no intention of harming them. But if An Kijun threatened my family for personal gain, I wouldn’t hesitate.

So, I gathered information I could use as leverage, mentioning it repeatedly. I also showed him actions that might seem cruel.

Although I might have scared him a bit excessively…

‘I need to make sure he doesn’t speak recklessly.’

Making An Kijun fear me was the best way to keep him in line.

‘In fact, it wouldn’t be difficult to paralyze nine people simultaneously if I used all my attribute mana.’

All I’d have to do is spread the mana widely. Still, I opted to let the evolved species kill the players instead of doing it myself.

‘If I attacked, it would merely be violence.’

Regardless of my abilities, I’m just a human being like An Kijun.

‘No matter what I do, it’s hard to instill anything beyond vigilance or caution.’

But if the evolved species intervenes?

‘Humans fear the unknown more than the known.’

If I killed a player, it’d just be murder. Everyone living in modern society has encountered murder cases indirectly through the news.

Although the probability is slim, it’s something they think could happen.

On the other hand, the spectacle of a creature murdering people, a sight completely unfamiliar to them, is…

‘A completely unfamiliar incident, never seen or heard of.’

It’s enough to instill a profound fear beyond mere caution.

What if I was to subdue that creature during such an event?

Would the evaluation of me remain at the abstract level of merely being a dangerous person?

‘There’s no way.’

A clear standard has been established that I am stronger than the creature that just slaughtered more than seven players.

He would fear me and my revenge. At least until he thought he could defeat or contend with me, he wouldn’t dare touch my family.

For now, that was enough.

‘I can suppress him periodically in the future.’

There are many ways to control An Kijun. So, today, I’ll leave it at this.

“Hyung, it’s time to go. We need to destroy the Messeo.”

I called An Kijun while putting my arm around Kim Yul’s shoulder.

“Oh, oh…”

Soon, with the two of them in tow, I started moving. Now that the guardian-like evolved species had disappeared, others would swarm in to seize the Messeo.

It needed to be destroyed before that happened.

Fortunately, the messeo’s characteristic swirling mana was marked on the map. As I led the two, I fiddled with the spear in my hand.

‘Again, I’ve used the sword more than the spear.’

It was a recurring issue in my combat pattern. Even when starting a fight with a spear, I tended to switch to long swords or daggers before I knew it.

‘At this rate, it’s embarrassing to call the spear my main weapon.’

Should I just switch to having the sword as my primary weapon?

‘Frankly, handling the sword is easier than the spear.’

While I pondered seriously, we arrived at the location of the messeo. Already, pig-like monsters were gathering and circling around.

I left the task of dealing with those creatures to Kim Yul and An Kijun, while I focused on destroying the Messeo.

Of course, the hunting didn’t end there for that day. I completed one more purification mission, which is now listed as 1-star with level 3.

By the time we returned to Habon, the sun was setting. Instead of heading for Rashar’s mansion, I led the two to the temple.

Kim Yul and An Kijun said they wanted to return to Earth.

So, I took advantage of the situation to ask An Kijun, who had more freedom, for a few favors.

After sending them off, I used the gate myself. Even though my destination wasn’t Earth.

「Would you like to move to Loborre? (Y/N)」

The central hub, Loborre, was where I needed to go. An appointment set just yesterday was waiting there.

‘I’ll get to see a familiar face.’

Thinking of the person I had met just once before, I pressed the Yes button.

* * *

Second Forward Base connected to Loborre Castle.

Ethan arrived at the appointed place right on time. The first to gather were engaging in cautious conversation in small groups.

Among them, Ethan spied Lily, whom he knew well.

Sensing his gaze, Lily turned to look at him. They exchanged a simple nod, tinged with an awkward air between them.

This atmosphere was to be expected, given that despite their early government connections and hunting missions, they didn’t exactly match well.

‘She’s too by-the-book.’

Perhaps this was why he frequently clashed with Lily anytime they hunted together.

The relief he felt when forming a new party after breaking ties with her was significant.

Fortunately, the new party he formed was satisfying, filled with people from MI5 who shared his mindset.

It was only natural that they got along well, although they hadn’t come together today.

“Ethan Rembrandt,” he introduced himself.

“Ah, mr. Rembrandt. It’s great to finally meet you. A pleasure.”

“You as well. I see you all arrived early?”

“We’re all a bit nervous, I suppose.”

“This is our first time meeting K, after all.”

As Ethan exchanged greetings with the players, he naturally blended in with them while also assessing each one discreetly.

This allowed him to realize that those gathered here fell into two categories.

One comprised individuals with masks, veils, or lace obscuring their faces. The other included those like Ethan or Lily, whose faces were openly visible.

‘The latter slightly outnumbers the former.’

These were likely those who had already been exposed to the government.

As they were already within the influence of public authority, they had no reason to worry about their identities being disclosed.

In fact, Ethan wasn’t too concerned about them knowing his name and face either.

Even if they did know, they couldn’t harm him while he was under the protection of the UK government in reality.

Conversely, those covering their faces were individuals who still needed to conceal themselves.

As he surveyed the players around him, scrutinizing and observing them like Ethan did.

“Everyone here is impressive, don’t you think? Their base power easily reaches 3,000 to 4,000, and some have even achieved 5,000,” remarked Fabian, the first to greet Ethan, starting a conversation in passing.

‘He must possess a detection magic.’

Ethan, who was prudently saving his mana to purchase a 3rd-grade rock-based magic, had no abilities or magics outside of mana manipulation.

Consequently, Lily had managed reconnaissance and scouting during their hunts. Even after forming a new party, the role of scouting was still designated to another player.

“I don’t possess any detection-type abilities!”

Ethan admitted.

“Ah, a tank, are you?”

“Yes.”

Throughout all his hunts, Ethan had maintained the position of a tank. His equipment was steadily increasing, focused on shields and protective gear.

“I’m a tank myself.”

“Ah.”

“It’s good to have someone by my side in the vanguard, so I look forward to working together today.”

“Yes, likewise.”

After exchanging handshakes with Fabian, a thought crossed Ethan’s mind.

‘However, I hadn’t anticipated people reaching 5,000 so swiftly.’

The rate at which mana increased had surpassed previous standards. In the past, only K had entered Level 3 among the leading forces.

This meant failing to exceed the 3,000-mana threshold required for entry, indicating they skipped Level 2.

Yet, just one day after servers connected and the hunting method changed, they accelerated growth nearly by 1.5 times on average.

With reports of numbers close to the 5,000 range, one could argue they doubled in growth.

‘With this pace, inducted players should emerge soon.’

In trying not to fall behind, Ethan had spent the day solely hunting. Just as he contemplated on the evolving dynamic, he was interrupted.

“Cello, can you calm down a bit?”

A familiar word reached his ears. Upon turning, he saw a Caucasian woman with a veiled face and a Latin man with furrowed brows glaring at each other.

“Seriously, how long do you plan on repeating the same thing?”

Their codenames were Samba and Cello. Among them, Ethan’s gaze fell on the woman, eyes hidden behind her veil.

Codename Cello, the player who responded most sensitively when K proposed today’s gathering.

“Don’t you feel uneasy?!”

Her voice was so sharp, it inadvertently made his brow furrow. As her words hung in the air, the Latin man sighed, shaking his head.

“Seriously… Just drop it. If you’re so dissatisfied, why not just leave instead of bothering others?”

With that, the man left Cello standing and went to join other players. Watching her nervously biting her nails, Ethan stifled a chuckle.

‘In the end, she showed up.’

After the talk of a meeting came out, she had so cynically questioned and confronted K.

‘Why do that if she planned to act like this?’

Ethan’s expression soured at Cello’s behavior, incomprehensible as it was, but only briefly. A laugh escaped him soon.

He recalled K’s retort to Cello, who fervently refused to believe the gathering was not a trap to capture and steal their mana, demanding proof if otherwise.

Damned System