Chapter 145

Chapter 145. Bounty Hunter (3)

In Afghanistan, players suspected of being part of the Resistance were using monsters to massacre not only the Taliban but also the civilians in areas occupied by them.

Listening to their excuses to justify their actions left me astounded.

Speaking or having any scuffle with them felt utterly displeasing, so I killed them as quickly as possible.

Next, I visited New Delhi in India, where a cultist player was attacking devotees using monsters, absurdly profiting by claiming it was divine retribution from Allah.

The situation in Kenya was no better; the person exploiting the monsters for money had only changed from a religious figure to a circus ringmaster.

Even though many circus members had already been eaten, the person was using the monster as a source of income rather than killing it.

And in Greece, a social misfit was keeping a monster as if it were a pet, of all things!

Of course, the food for this monster pet was people kidnapped by the player.

I fed that player’s corpse as the monster’s last meal.

Around the time I dealt with the problematic pet and moved on to Italy, I truly understood what it meant to lose affection for humanity.

This time, the stage was an underground arena operated by the Italian mafia.

The current show was a match between a monster and a regular person, with an obvious outcome.

“Save meee!”

I briefly looked away from the person being eaten alive by the monster.

Even though I diverted my gaze, I couldn’t completely escape the horror because I could still hear the excited cheers of the spectators watching someone die.

The roars from those who had forfeited their humanity, intoxicated with drugs and bloodshed, filled the air.

In those fleeting moments when my eyes took in the dimly lit underground arena, whatever little humanity I had left began to vanish in real-time.

‘I always did have a slight aversion to humans.’

Despite this, the thought of having to kill people stirred complicated emotions within me.

But being here made me realize how foolish that was.

‘What a pointless thought.’

I wasn’t necessarily justified in judging others, but I didn’t feel the need to bear guilt for killing those who casually committed such heinous acts.

‘Perhaps this is my way of justifying things to protect myself.’

Maybe I was walking the same path as those players in Afghanistan, who justified their means with their ends.

Even if I was, it wouldn’t matter.

As I let go of one more burden that had been weighing on me even though I hadn’t asked for it, the spear I pulled out from my inventory felt lighter than before.

In that state, I stood directly facing the player I needed to kill.

On the upper part of the dome created underground, seemingly reserved for VIPs, among the shadows that flitted in and out, there was one who was my target.

‘A mana level that exceeds 100,000 has been detected.’

That signified two main points.

‘The person is of Silver Rank, and they haven’t contained their mana within their core.’

Among players, the size of one’s mana reserves essentially translates to strength.

By evaluating the possessed mana, one can gauge how many awakenings the opponent has undergone and their track record.

Revealing one’s mana so freely without concealing it?

‘It’s not that they won’t, but that they can’t.’

It implied that the person’s skills were only at that level.

Not capturing someone like that after sprinting continuously, dividing my time into minutes and seconds, was impossible for me.

‘From the smell of the sea, it’s due to water attributes.’

Without a mana accumulation tool, it meant they couldn’t use barriers, which require earth attributes.

I clutched the spear in reverse, stepping forward while remaining invisible.

And habitually, I folded my waist and pulled my arm back.

The spear’s blade pierced through the thick glass and impaled the person’s head, yet no sound was heard.

Compared to the roaring cheers below, it was a trivial sound.

Without seeing the familiar message appear, one could believe nothing had happened.

「Congratulations! HIDDEN MISSION – Bounty Hunting (Italy-01) has been completed.」

「As a reward for success, reputation increases by 10.」

「As a reward for success, a Random Box (×1) is provided.」

「The effect of the title ‘Bounty Hunter’ has been activated.」

「Magic Water Whip has been absorbed.」

Upon checking the status window, the magic “Water Whip” was added under the magic category.

According to the description, it was a Level 2 water attribute magic.

‘Again with the water attributes….’

Over the past four days, I had cleared a total of 5 hidden missions, with one mission involving three targets.

‘The Bounty Hunter trait applies to the number of targets.’

This meant I had absorbed a total of seven skills.

Among them, five turned out to be water attribute magic.

‘Is it just a coincidence?’

While mulling over this puzzling feeling, I observed as the people in the presumed box seat area burst out.

I waited until the place was emptivest and then moved forward.

The screams of those intoxicated by drugs and bloodshed who unleashed cries below the ground held no interest in what transpired above.

Thanks to that, I entered a room with nothing but a lone corpse without interference.

A spear embedded in the wall and the unfamiliar player impaled upon it.

It was like a painting hung on a wall.

I gazed at that pitiful and chilling scene before extending my hand.

As I pulled the spear from the wall, I felt the sticky remnants of blood and brain matter clinging to the blade.

I ignored the unpleasant sensation and extracted the spear completely, letting the body with a caved-in head slide down onto the floor.

Instead of focusing on the corpse, I flicked away the blood from the spear.

“Wooaah!”

“Kill him, kill him!”

“Hurry up and devour him!”

Suddenly, the cheers grew louder, prompting me to look beyond the shattered glass.

Once more, they were presenting a victim to the monster in the arena below.

While looking at that scene, I lifted my hand slowly.

With another precise throw, the spear took the monster down effortlessly.

The underground filled with chaos, yet without a change in expression, I turned around.

After retrieving my spear and exiting the arena, I found myself stopping surprisingly in the middle of nowhere, staring at my hand.

The bloodstains on my palm and fingertips were red and black.

But there was no sensation left in that hand.

‘Back when I killed Han Changshik, the feeling lingered for so long.’

The sensation of flesh and bone being severed had stayed with me so long it was unbearable.

Now, there was nothing.

‘Perhaps I’ve grown accustomed to killing.’

Over the past six months, I had killed an innumerable amount of monsters.

The mana numbers left in my status window hinted at that scale.

Of course, killing humans weren’t off the table either.

‘I’ve killed quite a few people too.’

From Earthlings to the Biharin were no exception.

PKers who targeted me, biharin who were electrocuted to death by lightning attribute mana.

None of their deaths lingered as strongly as Han Changshik’s.

Furthermore, the blood on my hands today seemed a tad lighter for some reason.

‘Maybe because I killed with a spear?’

As I gazed emptily at my empty hand, my throat suddenly turned dry.

For a moment, I feared becoming desensitized to killing.

“Sigh.”

Yet, I couldn’t deny that this process was necessary, which left a part of me in anguish.

Surely there will be times in the future where I need to kill.

I have to toughen up to protect myself each time.

That’s why I chose to pretend not to notice the change within me.

For now, moving forward was the only answer.

Continue without stopping and someday, if what I fear today comes to pass…

‘I’ll find a way then.’

I can’t sit down and fret over something that hasn’t happened yet.

‘Let’s move.’

Repeating this a few times, my stiff legs began moving again.

As I left, I checked the bounty mission list.

HIDDEN MISSION 「Bounty Hunting (UK-01)」

The next destination was the UK, Ethan’s homeland.

* * *

“It’s a bit of a shame to return right after being out for two months.”

Standing atop Primrose Hill gazing over London, Ethan turned and said.

“Shall we grab a tea nearby?”

“If Ethan wants it that much, then yes.”

Accompanying him for supervision and protection, the MI5 agent nodded readily at his suggestion.

As they walked to a nearby cafe street, Ethan chuckled silently.

It was amusing to have someone tailing him like this every time he went out, given that it was utterly impossible for an ordinary human agent to both surveil and protect him.

He could kill this agent and make a run for it whenever he wanted.

‘I haven’t tried it, but I feel like I could swim across to France and cross the sea.’

With territories closely connected, there were areas with short maritime distances.

For players, borders no longer carried any meaning.

And yet, here they are, assigning personnel due to their inability to give up their reservations about players.

‘Though it’s not incomprehensible.’

Although, it’s inevitable to find it pitiful.

Of course, voicing such thoughts would have been stupid.

After all, it was thanks to their conditions that he could even go out on rare occasions without pointing out the futility of this accompanying surveillance.

‘When considering the bounty mission, I need to be even more cautious with my words and actions. It will be annoying if I refuse and end up becoming suspicious.’

Ethan recalled the message he had received from K a few days earlier, sighing internally.

‘At least we learned before David’s team.’

Ethan’s strides were just a bit more forceful than usual as he left Primrose Hill.

He had every right to feel this way.

Ethan had dedicated great effort to proving that players weren’t a threat.

Yet, because of some miscreant causing trouble somewhere, his efforts and time seemed on the verge of being wasted — of course, he was bound to be upset.

‘Of all times.’

In Britain now, the political confrontation among those in the know about the game had begun.

You could say it started once Selena chose to grapple with David, igniting political strife at large.

Judging by the current score, Selena had the upper hand.

Given that she was supported by sensitive topics like human rights that resonated widely at any time and place.

But if it came to light that players were causing issues by bringing in monsters?

‘It’ll give David an advantage.’

That wasn’t what Ethan desired.

Players should become trusted allies rather than be seen as threats.

Only in such a situation would players retain their freedom without it being stripped away just because they were players.

‘This current situation needs to be cleared quickly and decisively.’

Ethan moved quickly towards his destination.

An all-too-familiar street and a familiar cafe prompted him to reminisce about the peaceful times he had once enjoyed.

The scene he saw was once a part of the freedom his past self had lost abruptly.

‘I’ll reclaim everything.’

He clenched and unclenched his fists, seating himself in a likely spot.

Checking his phone, there was still more than enough time until the appointed time.

Planning to wait by sipping tea, he had just finished his order when a message popped up from the person he awaited.

– K: Isn’t your expression a bit too fierce?

It was a message that seemed like he was being watched.

‘Already?’

Though internally surprised, Ethan maintained his composure outwardly, slowly turning his head.

To an unknowing eye, it might have seemed he was merely glancing across to the cafe opposite without much thought.

But Ethan’s focus was not on the cafe, but rather on an individual.

With black hair and deep brown eyes, unmistakably an Asian.

Despite spending just a day, with barely ten minutes of face time, the person was unforgettable.

– Ethan Rembrandt: K, long time no see.

Seated alone at the cafe window opposite was K, devoid of any magical tools.

Damned System.