Episode 13
#6 Arrogant Artifact (3)
But his bewilderment was short-lived. Soon, he was enraged.
━How dare you lie to me! You good-for-nothing bastard! With your squinty eyes!
A torrent of curses poured out. Words I couldn't even bring myself to repeat went on for quite a while. And why did he bring up my eyes in the middle of all that? My eye shape is actually a complex of mine, so I'm sensitive about it.
Did he just hone his cursing skills while being stuck here? The variations are vast. He seems seriously pissed that I tricked him.
"Haha, I couldn't help it. If I hadn't tricked you, you would have killed me, right?"
After a moment of silence, he asked.
━So you admit you lied to me?
"If you're going to tell me someone like me doesn't deserve to live, save it. Either way, I survived. That's all that matters."
Even though he has no form, is it just my imagination that I picture him with a fed-up expression? Heh heh, I burst out laughing.
Yeah, I survived.
Lie or not, who cares?
If I had honestly told the truth, I would have died on the spot. Is that what you call good and just? My ability, which I once hated so much, saved my life again this time. That's enough.
"By the way, do I have to keep listening to your voice like this?"
Can't I just get the power and ditch this guy? The voice booming in my head was getting on my nerves.
━Hah! I hate your guts just as much. But what can I say? You're the one who picked me up.
"Does that mean there's no mute or vibration function?"
━I have no such functions.
So, I'm stuck listening to this guy's crap?
How did that bastard Park Se-woon put up with it? Well, Park Se-woon might have actually gotten along well with this guy. He was one messed-up dude, after all.
"An artifact with an ego, huh."
To still have an ego even after being completely synchronized with my body. Never heard of anything like this before.
I sat down. My broken ribs were killing me, but when I saw the pop-up, the pain was gone, just like that.
━ 「Mana Circuit Expansion」 ━
Potential: S-Rank
Type: Passive
Utilizes mana circuits to transform your mana into any form.
Park Se-woon called his talent Kaleidoscope, but my system pop-up showed a different name.
Like all the other talents in this world, the description sucked.
But a lacking description doesn't mean this skill is lacking.
Quite the opposite.
"This is amazing."
Okay, S-rank potential is insane, but being able to turn mana into anything? That's straight-up cheating.
When I absorbed and subjugated the artifact earlier, hundreds, maybe thousands, of mana circuits were all over my body.
Awakening is the process of mana circuits being engraved into the body of an ordinary human. The reason talents are predetermined is also because of this.
Because the mana circuits engraved in the body during awakening determine the talent.
For example, circuits for 'being good at lying' were laid out in my body.
And the eggheads all agreed you couldn't change those mana circuits...
But if I have this artifact, it means I can use thousands of talents.
The problem is, like the voice kept saying, I don't have a ton of mana, so there's probably a limit to how much I can do.
I scored big time, way more than I expected. I almost thought, 'pearls before swine,' but I shook that off.
I'm no pig. Nope, not me. I just gotta use this thing right, you know?
The problem was, I couldn't tell one of these mana circuits from another.
Before, I could just move mana and it'd turn into lies, but now, even pulling up mana, I was clueless.
The voice helped me out when I used Condensation and Release before.
I looked up at the air and said,
"Ahem, ahem. First of all, thank you for saving me. I apologize for being rude earlier."
The voice didn't say anything to my apology. For something that's not even human, it's sure got an attitude.
I recalled what he had said.
"You said earlier that you had a great mission. That you drifted into this dimension with a great mission."
━Yeah. By the way, why are you suddenly using honorifics? Just speak normally like you were before.
"But you saved my life, I can't just talk to you like that, can I?"
━Hah, now you're trying to butter me up.
Tch, he's totally eating it up but playing it cool. I flattered him and subtly asked.
"What is that great mission?"
It wasn't just to suck up to him. If this thing really came from another world, on some kind of mission, it could be dangerous, you know?
━I will save this world from the invasion of another dimension.
Huh?
Hearing those words, I blinked. It totally blew my mind. Like he could read my mind, he sneered,
━Yeah. It's not something a guy like you would understand! But I'm not gonna let you use me for your own gain.
"No, what blew my mind was that your mission and my goal are pretty much the same."
━What?
"I also intend to save this world."
The voice freaked out, like he couldn't believe it.
━You? Doing something that noble? Bullshit! Are you trying to pull one over on me again!
"Whoa, hold on, I'm being serious here."
Even though my idea of 'saving the world' and his were way different, I was being for real.
"Well, I was just thinking of taking out the trash ruining this country."
I figured that'd be enough to save the world, but I was way off.
So, it's an invasion from another dimension, huh.
"Are you saying that gates are invasions from another dimension?"
━You think it's just a coincidence that these dimensional doors opened up, and people with powers to close them showed up?
The fact that it had a mind of its own was weird enough, but it knowing about the gates? That was seriously messed up.
"So, someone planned all this?"
━Yes, all of this is happening for the invasion of another dimension. As the two dimensions get closer, they'll start to merge. Then it's game over for your world. Just like it was for mine.
At those words, I bit my lip. What the hell?
I thought I just had to save Korea, but this means the whole world's screwed.
That's when my plan to ditch the corrupt assholes in Korea and live it up overseas went down the drain.
And now I find out why the gates exist, something I didn't even know when the world was ending.
"Is there a way to stop the invasion from another dimension?"
━A way to stop the gates from opening? No way.
"So how do we stop these guys?"
━Sooner or later, those guys will come through. The only way to win is to hit their main base.
I heard him, but it was so out there, I just stared. So, we're supposed to attack the home base of these guys who are trying to invade us?
South Korea's barely holding on against the gates they sent as a test, how are we supposed to fight off their main army?
━No matter how you slice it, you're not up to the task. You should've just left me alone.
At those words, I felt quite wronged.
Because in my past life, Park Se-woon, this thing's owner, didn't lift a finger to save the world!
He only used his powers for himself, he didn't even bother with the free gate raids like other hunters.
Hearing this guy, who couldn't see the forest for the trees, whining about me, I just had to laugh.
But what good would it do to tell him about the future only I know?
"I won't give up. I told you, my goal is also to save this world somehow."
So I said to him,
"Anyway, it is what it is, we're in this together, right? Like it or not, we're stuck together now."
At my words, the voice fell silent. No matter what he said, he was already subjugated to me.
[Name]: Kang Yi-shin (姜怡神)
[Age]: 21 years old
[Talents]: Unyielding Faith (S), Truthful Lie (B), Mana Circuit Expansion (S-Rank)
??? (??)-Rank is subjugated
The status window, which is like the truth of this world, proves it.
Honestly, I could threaten him and he'd have to do what I say. But I wasn't gonna do that.
If you're gonna use the stick, you gotta offer the carrot, too.
"Sure, I'm a total scrub. But with your help, I might actually be good. Just like you steered my mana and saved my ass before."
━Hmph! You figured that out, huh? Not bad for a human.
He acts all high and mighty, but he's just an artifact, not a person. He's useless without an owner. He's gotta be desperate for someone to acknowledge him.
"I know I'm not much, but I'll give it my all, so help me out."
━Shameless bastard.
Even saying that, the voice wasn't flipping out like before. Seems like he realized I'm his best bet. Yeah, it's messed up, but I'm his only shot.
"So, can I ask your name?"
If he's got a mind of his own, he's gotta have a name, right? Gotta start somewhere. I know we're off to a really bad start, but it's not the end of the world. We can fix this, right!
━I'm not telling you my name.
But he wasn't making it easy. Jeez, what a pain. Nah, it's more fun to crack a tough nut like this, right?
"Come on, we're partners now, right? Just tell me your name, please?"
But even after begging and pleading, he wouldn't say a word. Finally, I lost it and yelled.
"Ah, screw it! Don't tell me! I'll just call you whatever I want. How about Dog Poop?"
Only after I went off like that did he finally say, in a tiny voice,
━I can't remember.
"You lost your memory or something?"
━Yeah. When they sent me here, they had to wipe out anything extra. Guess my memories were part of that.
If that's true, that's pretty messed up.
━I remember what matters, that's all that counts.
He sounded really lonely saying that. If everything he said is true, he gave up everything to save his world and came here.
Damn, now I can't even cuss him out without feeling bad.
"Since you can't remember, can I name you?"
━What kind of stupid name are you gonna come up with... If you're gonna call me Dog Poop again, forget it! I have some pride, you know!
"Stray."
Stray. It means wanderer. It's perfect for a guy who's been drifting between dimensions and doesn't even know who he is anymore.
Like he liked the name, he shut up.
━Stray is too long, make it Ray.
Right then, his name changed on the pop-up.
[Name]: Kang Yi-shin (姜怡神)
[Age]: 21 years old
[Talents]: Unyielding Faith (S), Truthful Lie (B), Mana Circuit Expansion (S-Rank)
Ray (??)-Rank is subjugated
It still said ??-Rank, but that made sense. He lost his memories, so he probably forgot his powers, too. It'd be great if we could find a way to get them back.
"Nice working with you, Ray."
I said to Ray.
Like he was embarrassed, Ray didn't say anything.
Haha.
"When someone says something to you, you're supposed to answer, you know?"
This guy really knows how to push my buttons.
