Why do we need a break now of all times?"
°Is there a problem with my timing?°
"If I may say it, it's useless right now...." said Rachel.
In the middle of the night when owls came out to cry, I came back from working out and collapsed on my bed.
"Is he training during night time?" asked Yeonha.
"That's a bit too much in my opinion." replied Rachel.
"We're so much stronger than him that he has to work even more than us." boasted Jonghak.
"Can you all shut up! I'm trying to enjoy the show!" shouted Nayun. It seemed like she regained her composure and started to return to her lively self.
Ever since I came to this world, I found it hard to fall asleep. My body was tired, but countless random thoughts emerged in my head preventing me from falling asleep.
"We will soon have to deal with these kind of thoughts after reacting to his story." said Yeonha.
"That won't change a thing for Suho. It's like he's training instead of sleeping." whispered Nayun in her friend's ear. Rachel happened to hear what she said and looked at Suho with worry.
"Not me though, I don't care about what happens to him." Nayun rolled her eyes at Jonghak's declaration.
"Like h_ll we'll believe you." The boy decided to ignore his crush talking back and he focused his eyes on the screen.
How could I survive in this world? What actions should I take? Should I be a supporter who secretly helps the leading characters? Or should I become a villain and execute the evil side from the inside like in the noir movie I saw?
".... What's that again?" asked Nayun. She was having a headache from all these useless informations.
"I think we would better stop asking questions since we know from our previous experience that they won't be answered." responded Suho who didn't take off his eyes from the screen.
Then, I got suddenly curious about my current stats. I looked for my laptop.
===
▷Stats
*Variable stats
[Strength 1.735]
[Stamina 1.845]
[Speed 2.15]
[Perception 2.605]
[Vitality 1.65]
[Magic power 1.3]
===
"Did it improve or not?? I can't see the difference from before." whined Jonghak.
"It actual-" before Yeonha could answer Nayun cut her off and was about to throw a tantrum at his stupid comments. She was getting irritated from all these useless interruptions.
"Mabe if you shut your mouth and kept reacting we wouldn't have to ask anything..." Suho and Rachel were sweating from the tension and quite feared a future argument.
Sure enough, my stats were on the rise. All stats other than magic power had surpassed an average adult male's (1.5), and my perception could be said to have surpassed what an ordinary person was capable of having.
'He just passed the minimum.... No wonder I didn't find a difference.' Jonghak scoffed while Yeonha and Suho looked at him perplexed.
'What was this guy thinking about again....' They were scared to find out so the ignored it and continued their previous activity.
But I was still far from ready from entering a field. I needed money, it wouldn't be long until the Packhorse Master guild would go public.
"Another guild? When will it go public?" Yeonha didn't pay attention to other competitors except for the potential ones that would represent a menace to hers. Was this one a future enemy? Or did he just mention it cause it's benefitting him?
Only time will tell them. This voice was really as useless as a chocolate teapot.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
Indeed, going to the Field was the most honest way of making money. I had been putting it off because my stats were lacking, but after thinking about it carefully, there was a way around it.
"Wait, did he just say honest?... Don't tell me he is thinking af an illegal way...." Rachel remained confused at the information as well as Jonghak, Yoo Yeonha is strating to know how Hajin made so much money quickly.
Suho and Nayun looked at each other astonished like they've understood something surprising. Hajin definitly did not leave that sort of impression when they spent time together. Even his mysterious part didn't give vibes like these ones.
I could make up for my lacking stats by using the laptop to strengthen my weapon. Just like Kim Suho, who would later use a single holy sword to sever a mountain...
Only Rachel maintained a composed face at this point. Why did Kim Hajin give powers like these to someone. Was Suho's potential and fate not enough to make them envious. Jongha had wide eyes and an incomprehensible expression plastered on his face.
Jealousy rose in him. From what Hain said at the start, he would become a villain but he didn't understanf why at first. Everything made sense now, their powers were incomparable and he realised the enormous gap destined to distinguish their abilities.
He felt enraged but decided to calm down and not give these readers out there a cringe backstory for the villain. He simply won't let that happen. He wouldn't become a villain and he'll make sure of it.
It seemed like the quickest way to become stronger. But it was also a huge waste of SP.
'So stingy...' thought Nayun. She glanced at Jonghak and saw him with a delighted expression. What happened to him this time. She now had a grossed out expression on her face.
I currently had a training gun provided by Cube and 380 SP I got from destroying my potential friendship with Chae Nayun. Now, suppose I also had the famous handgun, Desert Eagle.
'Wasn't that the gun he asked for?' Sometimes, Yeonha forgot that they were reacting to their author. This greedy boy knew litterally everthing about them from their personality to the legendary artifacts airing in this world.
Nayun looked at the screen flabberghasted. Did this dude find a benefit in ruining his relationship with her?
Even if I invested all of my SP into strengthening my training gun, it would likely only come to equal the Desert Eagle.
Yeonha smiled. He better be grateful and join her league after all the favours she granted him.
In other words, SP was more efficient when it modified weapons with a more powerful base performance.
'I know that I shouldn't feel eaous about him but can I have the same ability as him seriously?' Rachel sighed and looked at the screen with a disappointed smile. Suho saw her and patted her shoulder to confort her.
....She now felt guilty to be conforted for such selfish thought.
"Hm..."
Speaking of the Desert Eagle, I suddenly became curious. It was the only firearm I had in my setting.
'..? Well, good to know I guess...'
Without getting up from my bed, I turned on my smartwatch and entered a weapons dealer website.
Essential Armory.
It was an armory operated by the 'Essence of the Strait' guild. Since weapons above the artifact grade were sold in auctions, Essential Armory was the most popular website for factory manufactured weapons.
Hajin was very serious and didn't seem to make useless decisions. From all the thingsthehad reacted to, he acted with precision and had a clear goal for each action he did. Only one remained unclear, why was he trying so hard to help them. As much as they think about it, they didn't seem to know as he didn't mention it for now.
Was it his family that he missed? Anyone woud feel depressed in his situation so why was he not showing the slightest sign of tiredness.
[Welcome to Essential Armory.]
As expected of the most popular weapons dealer website, it was well designed. The homepage showed off new items, while the top bar had categories such as sword, spear, bow, and rapier. Perhaps because mercenaries often used the website, it also had a good selection of guns.
I clicked on [category – gun].
'What is he going to discover on this website?' Every described action was here for a reason and this one seemed more than meaningless to Jonghak. He just yawned and kept gazing at the screen with sleepy eyes.
There were different types of guns such as handgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle. For now, a handgun suited me best since it didn't hinder my movements. The Desert Eagle seemed to be a popular choice among handguns, as I quickly found it.
===
Desert Eagle
—Feel the transcendental power! Built into the Desert Eagle is a magic amplification device that boosts the power of magic bullets! Because of its huge recoil, the Desert Eagle is recommended only for the most proficient sharpshooters.
*Weight: 3.5948kg (1.2938kg with weight reduction magic effect added)
*Length: 333mm
*Identification and contract required to purchase.
===
"I know that this gun has multiple options but why doesn't it show the others?" asked Yeonha.
"What do you mean by that??" Nayun looked at her a perplexed look.
"When Kim Hajin uses it, it seems to have better settings than the ones showed on the screen."
"You're actuall not wrong. Maybe he added them himself?" reasoned Suho.
"Yeah, with his invisible laptop" added Jonghak clearly pointing at the fact that only Hajin could see it.
Desert Eagle. Its picture on the website looked much more beautiful than the original design. The barrel had an elegant platinum color, while a majestic eagle was inscribed on the grip. While looking like a piece of art, this weapon boasted a heavy weight and a bulky size.
Just from a glance, I could tell how powerful it was. There was just one problem.
Yeonha nodded. Well it wasn't a problem for her but it was one for the little cadet.
"It's too expensive."
'You're just too poor.' wanted to say Nayun but didn't say it out loud remembering that Suho also wasn't rich eather.
It was expensive. Its base price was 20 million won, and the price doubled when I clicked on a checkbox that said 'full attachments'. I needed the weapon to make money, so buying it almost seemed counterproductive.
'Your problem. No need to eplain it to us-' Jonghak only smirked at Hajin's situation.
"...Ehew."
I tried to think about what to do, but my brain refused to function. My consciousness was foggy, and I felt drowsy. It seemed sleep would come to me soon.
"He finally realised it! He can't train for hours at night and expect his body to be fine with him doing some research instead of sleeping!" shouted Nayun. Rachel felt like watching a mother reprimanding her child for his bad behavior.
I turned off the smartwatch without hesitation and entrusted myself to my instincts. Thinking about this could wait until tomorrow.
The cadets sighed and had a sensation of relief seeing the boy in question sleep.
...When I opened my eyes back up, it was Wednesday.
Bright morning light shone through the curtain.
It was an unpleasant light no matter how many times I looked at it.
He was not a morning person apparently.
Another exhausting day had begun.
"Is he always this pesimistic or we only experience another side of him from his point of view?" Yeonha shook her head.
"We didn't interact with him enough to judge him-" started Suho.
"He defintly was like that since the beginning." said in unison Nayun and Jonghak. They stared at each other for a moment before turning their head. Jonghak was slightly blushing while Yeonha frowned at the scene.
"Whew."
With a sigh, I brushed off the negative emotions that came to me every morning. After trudging to the bathroom and getting washed, I put on my uniform and left the dorm. 10 minutes was enough for this routine.
So little time for a ddaily routine... The girls felt ashamed to spend hours on preparing herselves.
Once outside, I saw other cadets getting ready for class. It was still early morning, but they were busy laughing and chatting. Seeing them enjoying their school life, I began to realize why I felt so lethargic.
They paid more attention at what was happening. Is their question from before going to be answered?
I didn't have a friend in this world. I didn't even have someone to talk to. Being able to hang out with friends was the only thing keeping school from being boring, but I was no longer in my old world.
"I don't think of him as a sociable person even in his world. The thought of it is weird..." The others couldn't deny Jonghak's opinion as they all shared the same. Hajin didn't act like someone to ask you if it'ld be alright to be friends..
Should I try to look for a girlfriend?
They looked at the screen with wide eyes.
"Did he just consider this option?.." asked Yeonha.
"I don't care about what he might do as long as it doesn't affect Nayun-"
"STOP SPOUTING NONESENSE WILL YA?!" Chae Nayun and Kim Jonghak began to argue while Yeonha looked at them with an exhausted look and Suho along with Rachel were breaking in cold sweat.
No, I was too lazy for that. If I used too much of my emotion on needless human relationships, my condition could get worse.
'He just admitted that making relationships would get him more tired....' Hajin was verily something else.
Yep, I should just be content with dying alone.
"Ouch- What?"
"What a loner..." Jonghak's point was at most confirmed.
With that, I quickened my pace to the classroom.
**
"As you know, a guild's database contains many useful information. But most of the time, you have to reach a certain rank to get access to them."
I thought about my weapon as I half-heartedly listened to an old professor's lecture. The figure of a majestic eagle shimmered in front of my eyes.
How could I make the money to buy it?
'I guess he wasn't entirely emotionless since he's dreaming over a weapon.' thought Nayun.
The first thing I thought of was selling information.
I had designed most of the monsters myself, so I roughly knew their vital points and attributes. Since each guild had a different collection of data, if I sold them the information they didn't have...
No, this wasn't the best idea.
In the first place, it took 5 years for an information broker to build up his reputation. It also didn't seem like a good idea to disrupt the world's balance just to make some money.
"What would happen if he revealed some little informations seriously?" asked Jonghak.
"He might get threatened-"
"And how so?" asked Nayun back at Yeonha's response. She looked at her with a little smirk in the corner of her lips. Everytime that Jonghak asked a question, even if it was a stupid one, Yeonha answered it to please him.
Her friend glared at her. Was Nayun having a death wish? She felt like Yeonha's glare was piercing through the side of her head. Seeing the tension rise up Suho answered:
"Knowing too much things is in fact suspicious" was the only thing Nayun understood from his explanations. She regretted asking this question.
"...Now, let's continue after a little break."
Before I noticed, break time rolled around. I immediately turned on my smartwatch to enter Essential Armory once more, but I had received an unexpected message.
[Excuse me.]
I was familiar with the sender's name.
Rank 7, Yoo Yeonha.
Rachel raised an eyebrow. Who was she to criticise or middle in Hajin's business? She knew that but couldn't help herself and let her curisity gain the best of her.
Because smartwatches of cadets were connected to the Cube's intranet, it was possible to message other cadets without knowing their exact contact address. This was the first time I was using this feature.
Yoo Yeonha was sitting in the front row. After giving the back of her head a quick glance, I replied to her message.
[What?]
[What are you?]
"A gun boy-" before Jonghak could finish, he received glares from two girls. The first one was obviously Nayun but who was the other one? Well, it was none other than Yeonha. That surprised the sh_t out of him for sure.
What nonsense was this?
[What do you mean?]
She didn't reply for a while. I wondered where this was coming from, then remembered what I told her before. I peeked at the time. It was 1 P.M. I gave her the information yesterday and she already confirmed it was true?
'Surprising right~' While Yeonha thought that proud of herself, her friends *Nayun and Rachel* thought unlike her how scary it was.
[Ah, is it about that? I'm surprised you believed me.]
[What?]
[So? Wasn't I right?]
In truth, I was also dying to know whether the Mountain Tyrant's setting was unchanged. If this unknown co-author wanted to change everything I knew, I would have a tough time ahead of me.
"Serves you right, you have enough cheat codes for now!" This huy was seriously discussing the unfairness of their settings while he knows everything about their world? Jonghak was not the type to restrain his comments as harsh or wicked they could be.
[...Yes.]
"Whew."
Thankfully, it seemed that wasn't the case. I breathed a sigh of relief.
[How did you know?]
[You think I'd tell you?]
Thinking about it, he certainly wouldn't have told any of them even if he had the option to do it.
Yoo Yeonha's shoulder twitched. Immediately afterwards, she returned a short reply.
[No.]
"You're very realistic, I wold have replied yes just to piss him off."
"I'm not like you Nayun from what I know, am I?" Nayun turned while stunned from the straightforward reply.
A smirk emerged on my face. When I was about to end the conversation, I remembered something.
Desert Eagle, the elegant and dignified bird of prey.
I had almost forgotten about it. The reason I gave the information to her was for times like this.
"Hey what?!" exclaimed Yeonha. Nayun and Jonghak burst out in laughter.
"He clearly knows his characters [us]-" managed to say Nayun between her laughs.
Coincidentally, Essential Armory was operated by Yoo Yeonha's guild, 'Essence of the Strait.'
[Anyways, if you benefited from the information I gave you, I'd like to ask for a favor.]
Yoo Yeonha gritted her teeth. She was going to make him pay for this so called favor.
Yoo Yeonha suddenly turned around. As though she had kept an eye on my seat, she knew exactly where I was. Though her gaze was still sharp, it seemed to hold less weight.
How should I put it... Right, she looked like a big bag of money.
Jonghak's and Nayun's laughter were getting louder while Suho and Rachel couldn't hold it anymore and ended up letting escape some chuckles. Yeonha was more than just embarrassed. It was a mix of anger and indignation. She covered her face with her hands and swore to take revenge on Hajin.