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Chapter 64: Personality Test (4)
Whoosh!
At the same time, a sharp gust of wind shot out like a boomerang from the sword’s swing.
A single gust that smoothly tore through the white snake''s hide.
But.
「99.3%」
「100.0%」
The health that was easily reduced was just as easily restored.
As expected.
“Attacking doesn’t work! It just regenerates immediately!”
“I know.”
“Then why are you…!”
At that moment, the snake, which had been aiming at the blonde-haired guy’s eyes, turned its head toward me.
Its glowing eyes bore into me, and if its flicking tongue was savoring the thought of a meal, it might not have been pure imagination.
“Sword Wind!”
The reason I struck at the pure-white predator with an ineffective attack was—
Leap!
—perhaps odd to say, to run away.
“Sword Wind!”
Swinging and jumping.
I dashed across, up, and diagonally through the vast cylindrical space.
Here and there, I jabbed my sword to test openings.
Hissssss!
If the creature flicked out its forked, crimson tongue as if to say, I’ve got you!—
Leap!
—I retraced my steps and fled again.
Dodging its body or tail, stepping on it, and leaping over.
“What are you doing right now? Either attack or don’t! Why are you provoking it?!”
“It’s all set.”
“What is?!”
Then, the final move.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
I leapt off blocks embedded in the walls.
Sure enough, the legless creature wriggled with all its might to chase after me.
After confirming my diligent pursuer, I turned back, avoiding the snake’s gaping maw as it climbed the wall.
Thud!
I jumped down.
Landing right into the coiled center of the snake’s body.
As if tethered to a bungee cord, the white snake came straight down after me.
Hissssss!
Venom dripped from its gaping mouth.
Ssssst!
I blocked with my petrified right arm, then found a gap under the snake’s belly and barely escaped.
As expected, it chased me relentlessly.
But…
Snap!
Its head snagged on its own coiled body.
It looked like it had tied its tail around its neck, forming a scarf-like knot.
Hissssss!
The enraged snake iled, jaws wide as it tried to free its head.
Snap! Snap!
But the more it struggled, the tighter the knot became.
“You tied it up? Did you seriously tie it up?!”
“Why else do you think I ran around like that?”
“I thought you were scared and just running for your life…!”
Ignoring the blonde-haired guy, who was cowering in a corner with his mouth agape, I approached.
Step.
The snake spat venom at me, flicking its tongue furiously.
I walked closer, until I was reflected in its glowing blonde eyes.
Kaaaaaah!
The snake opened its jaws wide, as if determined to swallow me whole.
And then—
“elerate! Petrification!”
I shoved my hardened right arm and leg into its maw.
At the same time—
[You are exposed to a high concentration of venom!]
Ssssst!
The venom dripped from the roof of its mouth, burning through the sole of my right shoe.
[Due to the effects of Petrification, the venom does not prate your body!]
I had the stone-like gift from the random box and the golem.
“Summon.”
And I had the weapon left by the serial killer.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...
Golden mental energy poured out like a waterfall.
The bullets hit the snake’s softest spot over and over.
I didn’t even count how many times I fired.
And as they umted—
Tick!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
When all the umted time of pain struck at once...
[The White Snake has been incapacitated!]
The once gleaming white hide, the glowing blonde eyes, and the crimson tongue lost their luster.
[Match cannot resume!]
[The ‘Cooperation’ mission is terminated early!]
* * *
[…That concludes the report.]
As soon as Harona finished speaking, Seung exhaled a breath he had been holding.
Why does his throat feel so dry, even though the report was delivered by his superior?
He simply couldn’t understand.
[...]
The conference room was filled with a noisy silence.
Noisy because everyone’s minds were busy calcting their own interests,
and silent because one person''s words mattered more than all of theirsbined.
[So.]
A voice as vast as the sky and as heavy as the earth resonated through the space.
The voice of the boss, who was the sky and the earth for everyone here.
[Is this person worth going against the Center for?]
[Well...]
Harona, who was fumbling to respond, shut her mouth.
The department head seated next to the director quietly shook his head.
It must have meant, "Don’t bring up unnecessary matters and escte this."
[Unbelievable. Rejecting the Center Director’s request just to protect a single subject?]
[It’s not about protection, but...]
[Manager Harona!]
The department head watching her quietly interrupted her words.
After all, how could a mere manager dare to contradict the words of a director who was like the sky?
But.
[!!]
The director raised his hand, not to stop the impudent manager, but to silence the department head.
[What is it? If it’s not about protection, then what?]
And he even looked at her silently, as if to say, “Go on.”
[What they want isn’t just one subject. This must be their way of gradually taking over the authority of the Administration Bureau.]
[Isn’t that an excessive leap in logic?]
[Isn’t it strange for the Center Director to formally request, and that too personally, for just one subject?]
"Hmm."
The director let out a low hum.
And then.
[Intriguing.]
A faint curiosity spread across his stony face.
[What kind of talent could be so valuable that everyone wants it under their control?]
[He—he’s an indispensable asset! Director, if you see him yourself, you’ll understand!]
Sensing the opportunity, Harona seized the moment.
[If that’s truly your opinion,]
And because of that...
[Protect him.]
[!!]
[And prove it—prove his worth.]
...she achieved her goal.
The conclusion that she wouldn’t have to give up the subject she had personally scouted and nurtured.
[If not, I will hold you ountable.]
[Thank you for trusting me, Director!]
The girl bowed deeply, smiling as brightly as a newly blossomed flower.
But, just then—
Beeeep!
[?!]
[What’s this sound?!]
A foreboding sound that should never be heard at this moment echoed loudly.
【Warning!】
【Mission interference detected!】
The room was filled with unwee news that should never have reached their ears.
【Proof Protocol interrupted.】
【As a penalty for the disruption, subject ''Lee Eunho'' will be penalized.】
...News that the subject she had just barely managed to secure had caused trouble.
[Haa...]
The girl, newly bloomed, swallowed a curse.
Of course, silently.
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* * *
[‘Cooperation’ missionplete!]
[Mission reward: 1 point granted.]
[Check your reward now!]
The mission was over.
That is, the mission was...
“What—what are you doing right now?!”
The blond-haired man, slumping against the wall, scrambled to his feet in shock.
It seemed he was startled by the sight of me raising my sharp longsword even though the mission was already over.
“Not you.”
I tossed him a single line to reassure him before turning my head.
Toward the white snake that needed to be ''dismantled.''
“It’s supposed to be good for your health.”
“...What is?”
“Snake.”
“...What?”
Squelch!
Leaving the speechless blond behind, I stabbed downward, driving the sword through the head already torn apart by gunfire.
Like slicing through raw meat, the sword sank into the flesh, sawing through the skull and splitting it in two.
[You have in the White Snake!]
Beeeep!
A ringing sound, sharp enough to shake my skull, pierced my ears.
[Warning!]
[Emergency alert triggered!]
“What? What now?”
“What’s with the alert all of a sudden?”
“Don’t tell me it’s another golem or something?”
I listened, bracing myself, wondering what kind of disaster would be gifted to me this time.
And then I heard it.
[Subject ''Lee Eunho.'' A penalty will be imposed for obstructing mission execution.]
''...Me?''
A grandiose usation of "mission execution obstruction."
[For one hour, your vision will be blocked.]
[For one hour, you will only hear system messages.]
[For one hour, all your words will be muted.]
An absurd punishment.
【''The Raven of the Administration Bureau'' is enraged by this ridiculous action!】
【''External Affairs Department''s Rookie'' questions why this channel imposes so many penalties!】
【''Investigation Bureau''s Brain'' frowns, saying it was just getting interesting!】
【Numerous observers are exploding with frustration at this irritating turn of events!】
"Not to see, not to hear, not to speak?"
As absurd as it sounded, I spat out a string of curses.
[You have fallen into the status ailment: Silence.]
"??!"
No sound came out of my mouth.
And then.
[You have fallen into the status ailment: Deafness.]
—!
The sound vanished.
Every sound that existed in the world was erased as if wiped away by an eraser.
Even the startled voices of mypanions, reacting to the announcement, didn’t reach me.
They just mouthed words, nothing more.
''Damn it…!''
And finally.
[You have fallen into the status ailment: Blindness.]
Blink!
My vision, without even closing my eyes, disappeared as if someone had turned off the lights.
''!!''
The tactile sensation of the sword in my hand was still there.
The roughness of the severed snake’s head was still there.
The distinct metallic tang of cold-blooded animals and the dyed smell of blood—all still there.
But darkness.
Above, below, to the sides, behind—all that remained was darkness.
''This is...''
Every sense of direction was lost.
Even while staying still, it felt as though I was sinking downward, deeper and deeper.
I dropped the sword I had been holding without realizing it, but even that made no sound, no sensation, leaving me shivering.
Eventually, as all the sensations I had just experienced felt like they had never been mine to begin with—
"…Ho!"
Someone grabbed my shoulder and shook it.
—Fwahhh!
Light burst through, shattering like ss, flooding through my face.
"…What happened?!"
"…Are you okay?!"
tter! Thud! Bang! ng! Crash!
—A cacophony of chaotic noise pierced through my head as if to make up for the earlier silence.
—Ding!
And then, a special message only for me.
[Subject ''Lee Eunho.'' Penalty has been canceled due to the influence of your unique trait, Rebel.]
[Vision is restored.]
[Hearing is restored.]
[Speech is restored.]
Light and sound poured in all at once.
A flood.
A torrential downpour, soaking mepletely, as though I was buried under it.
"How do youplete a mission when you don’t even know what it is?!"
"This fucking system!"
And from that fucking system—
[Congrattions!]
[You have earned a special title, Disobedience!]
I had gained something instead.
A grandiose title called Disobedience.
[Would you like to check the effect of the title?]
Disobedience?
[The title Disobedience transforms penalties into benefits!]
[Duration: 1 hour.]
[The status ailments Blindness, Deafness, and Silence reverse in effect.]
Penalties turning into benefits?
With "reversals" and "reactions," how was I supposed to interpret this wordy of a system?
Reversal… does that mean the effects work in reverse?
But there wasn’t even time to properly analyze it before the messages poured in again.
[You can see the core of objects.]
[You can hear sounds that cannot be heard.]
[Your speech gains power.]
And with those abilities, I looked beyond my restored sight.
"…Huh?"
Wait a second.
This snake…
What is it hiding in its stomach?
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