Ch.105105. Stop the Assassination!

In this way, I asked them to first gather evidence to prevent the harsh discipline imposed by the second-years and Yoo Deokmin.

With evidence, we’d have a solid case.

So what should I do? Obviously, I need to do what I can.

“Perfect timing. What I ordered has arrived.”

I met with a burner phone dealer I contacted online and got a phone registered under a different name.

Why do I need this? It’s a disguise for contingencies.

First priority: the recent assassination incidents making headlines and future ones to come.

As soon as school ended, I planned to move elsewhere.

Naturally, I got a call from the security team.

[Jong-hyun, where are you going again? I get anxious whenever you move around because accidents happen.]

“No, noona. The monster breakout wasn’t my fault. I need to go out sometimes too.”

[That’s true, but you really do get caught up in accidents. I don’t know if it’s your nature or what.]

See? At this point, anyone who’s not an idiot would be suspicious because too many incidents happen around me.

Can I prevent assassinations in this state?

Not a chance.

But people can change with even small adjustments.

My previous idea was to warn about dangers in advance.

Threats work, or even using fortune-telling or superstitions to send warnings.

If those targeted for assassination receive even one warning, their risk of death decreases.

Even that Dok Go-jun suffered massive damage from a surprise attack and retired.

While perfect defense is impossible, being on high alert can at least reduce the probability of assassination.

I searched for the best IP masking methods available.

At internet cafés, I’d use guest accounts. First install masking programs like Asgard, then send warnings to prominent figures on the day they’re targeted.

The key is making sure no one sees me. Whether in couple booths or using two computers, I need to work where others can’t see me.

Old-style internet café spaces for hardcore gamers like Lin would be perfect. I even timed this with an online game event period.

[Jong-hyun, why are you going to multiple internet cafés just to play games?]

“You wouldn’t understand, noona. This is important!”

Yes, using the game event as cover, I hop between several internet cafés.

Then I just need to send the content I prepared in the dormitory.

Should I start with something innocuous like fortune-telling?

[To Guild Master Oh Min-su of the Seonggun Guild who works tirelessly day and night. I have a bit of spiritual sensitivity, and I sense something major will happen to you in two days.]

[Lee Ha-yeon of the Doctor Guild? You bitch. I’m coming to kill you in two days! Look forward to it!]

I diligently set up scheduled emails for over ten people while moving between internet cafés.

Fortunately, email functions these days don’t require verification.

I even bought a burner phone just in case, but I don’t need to use it.

Anyway, I set everything to be sent only when I’m not present and visited five different internet cafés.

At one of them, I actually logged into the game without sending any posts or emails.

My alibi is solid.

[What? I had the game running at other internet cafés for the event. I don’t know who did it.]

It’s unlikely anyone would track me down, but I kept in mind the experience of someone charged with defamation—respond with shameless confidence if confronted.

I tossed the burner phone in a trash can before visiting the last internet café. Let them trace the signal there if they try.

“Do I really have to go this far? This is crazy.”

But I have to do it to reduce the probability of human extinction.

All operations were completed by 11 PM. I returned to the dormitory, taking routes with minimal CCTV coverage.

Of course, not everyone would believe the warnings. But I did the best I could within my capabilities, so it’s fine.

Fortunately, no major news broke after I sent the warnings.

Maybe they ignored them, or perhaps some places just published small articles asking people not to send strange messages.

Then, in early November, TV news confirmed the survival of some guild members I had warned.

[Seonggun Guild leader Oh Min-su successfully repelled an attacker.]

-Oh Min-su: He was drooling and seemed crazy, then suddenly his body shrank and he died. I don’t understand what happened either.

“Phew.”

I felt relieved knowing I’d saved someone.

But his body shrank? Lee Myung-hyun had something similar happen. Is that the fate of those who take the powder?

But in the original future, weren’t they assassinated by strange beings?

This time, the attacker changed to someone who took the powder.

At least the timing matches, which is fortunate…

My head kept hurting even as I went to school.

If they were attacked on the same date, this isn’t coincidence. It’s intentional.

Only the assassins changed. This powder is definitely related to those strange beings.

Powder spread by strange beings. Catching them is…

“Not my job.”

This isn’t drug enforcement, and I can’t do that. But I kept thinking about Yoo Deokmin and Min Gangsu.

Abnormal growth rates. But there’s no evidence. I can’t just search their bags…

The classroom remained bleak.

But Cheon-gi talks with Hee-min and Su-cheon too.

Well, they were originally friends, so it’s not strange. But I’m worried since those two are Yoo Deokmin’s cronies.

At that moment, Yoo Deokmin suddenly stood in front of the blackboard.

“Everyone, attention!”

Out of nowhere, Yoo Deokmin shouts at us.

“The seniors will now give instructions about first-years’ conduct. This is for good senior-junior relationships, so keep that in mind. When instructions come, follow them well.”

What? Instructions? Second-years giving orders to first-years?

I felt déjà vu. What Min Gangsu experienced with Geum Do-hyun was now happening right before my eyes.

Yoo Deokmin shouted at us as we stirred restlessly.

“Hey! Just listen well and act quickly. You’ve been too undisciplined. Not greeting properly, talking back. Let’s reflect on ourselves.”

What nonsense.

At that moment, my eyes met Yoo Deokmin’s.

“What, Do Jong-hyun? You seem dissatisfied. No, I’m sure you are.”

“I’m wondering why we’re suddenly being controlled when we weren’t before. And why you, another first-year, are delivering this message? Are you in cahoots with them?”

“You’re in cahoots with the advanced class. That’s why the seniors don’t like you.”

This bastard Yoo Deokmin has definitely been given authority.

“You keep saying ‘in cahoots.’ Is that how you want to see it?”

“Even when I state facts, you take it as inferiority complex. Think whatever you want. Rejecting the second-years’ policy will only hurt you.”

And that was the end of Yoo Deokmin’s speech. Right, the school trip is over, so this is getting serious?

The next month will be the most difficult. But once we gather evidence, we can deal with this in one go.

“Maybe I’ll go to an internet café.”

I’m logging in every day to maintain my alibi about the game event in case I’m questioned.

But pretending to play a game I don’t actually play every day is incredibly tedious.

So I invited the others to come to the internet café with me.

Just as I was about to start gaming at the internet café, my phone suddenly rang.

“Jong-hyun, can you help your teacher? I need your assistance with that test from before.”

I hear Eun Se-rin’s energetic voice.

“What? Right now?”

“Is something wrong? It’s quite urgent.”

“No, I should come. If we had an agreement…”

I had no choice but to tell my friends that Eun Se-rin called me and run out.

“Being called for another power suit test. When will this end?”

“Tsk. That’s why you should read contracts carefully, Jong-hyun.”

“You’re leaving after calling me here?”

“Sorry, I’ll treat next time.”

After apologizing to my friends, I met with Eun Se-rin again. Entering the staff room, she greeted me in her usual business attire.

“Good, you came. Actually, the tests finished a while ago, and the testing company sent something as thanks.”

Smiling, she tossed me a large silver case.

As I caught the person-sized case, I realized what it was.

“No way? Is this…”

“It’s a prototype power suit. I told you, you might receive one as a gift. They were satisfied with all the data collected.”

“Wow.”

Considering the value of power suits, I just got something worth hundreds of millions for free.

“A prototype power suit?”

“Yes. It’s adjusted based on your data, though the real production model will come out separately.”

I understood why she called me immediately. This is worth leaving the internet café for, even if I had to fight my friends.

I bowed to Eun Se-rin after receiving it.

“Instructor, thank you. I can’t believe you’re giving me something like this…”

“No, it’s because you worked hard. I’m counting on you in the future too.”

“Yes! So, is this the end?”

“It is, but… will you do me one favor?”

“Of course! Anything!”

The joy of receiving something worth hundreds of millions for free kept my smile wide.

“Then, I need to borrow you briefly. You know the security team’s number, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let me have it for a moment.”

Eun Se-rin called somewhere and borrowed me from the security team.

“I’ll just borrow him for about two hours. I’ll protect him, so don’t worry.”

She put me in her car and headed toward what seemed to be her home.

“Isn’t this the direction to your home, Instructor?”

“You know it well?”

“Are you going to feed me ramen?”

“Should I give you baby food instead?”

“…”

She’s powerful. I tried to joke but was left speechless. No, I can’t let her win here.

“I hear formula milk is tasty these days. Could I have some of that?”

“Actually, there’s something strange happening around my house.”

“Something strange?”

“Recently, it feels like I have a stalker, but I can’t figure it out. There are signs of someone trying to break into my house when I’m not there.”

Wouldn’t it be better to call someone else for that?

“Wouldn’t it be better to call someone else for that?”

“But asking for help without clear evidence feels awkward, you know? I’m not even sure if it’s real or my imagination. So while we’re at it, could you help me, Jong-hyun?”

“Well, I guess I can consider it payment for the power suit?”

“Exactly!”

That’s fine.

The plan is this: Eun Se-rin pretends to come home alone, then steps out briefly, while I watch the surroundings from the car.

“Then I’m counting on you.”

With a wink, Eun Se-rin disappeared, and I lay down in the back of the car, carefully watching the dashboard camera screen.

I cautiously raised my head to look around, then ducked back down.

“I hope they show up soon.”

Since I have to hold my bladder too, please come out quickly.

But nothing happened for nearly an hour.

When I routinely raised my head to look around:

‘Huh?’

Something like slime suddenly began crawling up from the sewer next to the car.

“!”

It was slowly approaching the car. Wait, why is it coming here?

The stalker was supposed to target the house, right? That’s a monster!

As I panicked, the slime-like creature grabbed the car door.

It wriggled, and suddenly the dashboard camera went off. Did it cut the power?

Now the slimy substance was infiltrating the interior.

With a foul smell, a human-like face formed before my eyes.

Huh? A human-like face?

In that moment, our eyes met.

“…”

“…”

After silently staring at each other, I transformed using my main card.

[Half-Machine Half-Beast]

[Main Card]

-Species: Machine Beast Tribe Name: Half-Machine Half-Beast Sura Growth Form: Adult

Traits: Judgment (Analyze enemy abilities to increase all stats by 1 rank), Mechanized Wildness (Can detect the presence of targets once identified), Understanding Complete (Can ignore special abilities by analyzing circuits), Trait Transfer (Can apply traits to sub-cards)

Strength: A

Agility: S

Resistance: A

Magic Resistance: A

Energy: S

Magic Power: A

Skills: Wolf’s Claws, Light Emission, Concentrated Output, Pursuer’s Speed, Energy Shot

The moment I transformed into the armored wolf, my hand moved.

My claws left marks as they shattered the car door and advanced.

The amorphous enemy took form and glared at me.

[So you’re the one interfering with us… that deviant? Unfortunately, you cannot kill me. My trait is…]

[Understanding Complete]

-Can ignore special abilities by analyzing circuits

[Concentrated Output]

-Focus magic power in one place

[Pursuer’s Speed]

-Agility rank and movement speed increase when Understanding Complete or analysis is successful

The moment my claws grew much longer, I leaped like lightning.

My claws, now as long as great swords, slashed repeatedly, shattering both the creature’s body and the wall behind it.

It looked at me with a puzzled expression.

[W-why? My ability should nullify… attacks…]

Sorry, but I can ignore nullification abilities. Monsters like you with free-form shapes always have such special abilities.

After easily disposing of it, points appeared before me.

[DNA Points]

-2,500 acquired!

A strange being is still a strange being.

“Hmm. Weaker than I expected.”

Judging by the points, about A-rank? A strange being near Eun Se-rin’s house? Were they fighting each other?

Like with Lee Myung-hyun, this is curious. But how do I explain the broken door?

Wait, since they’re enemies of the surveillance team anyway, they won’t know. I’ll just say it was a weak one.

My eyes fell on the new prototype power suit.

“Good. This is it!”

I immediately called Eun Se-rin.

*

Eun Se-rin caressed Jong-hyun’s body in the power suit.

“Jong-hyun, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine. It was a C-rank monster, a slime type. Strange that it was hiding here.”

“Is that so? Someone might have sent it intentionally. Thanks to you, I can at least request increased security.”

Eun Se-rin praised her student while looking at the car.

“Nothing we can do about the car. I’m just glad you’re safe. Call the security team and go home together. I’ll handle the cleanup.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course. My duty is to protect you. You did well.”

Eun Se-rin stroked Jong-hyun’s head and sent him off.

Alone, her expression changed.

“Hand over that child? I can educate him better.”

They’re trying to take the project’s result.

The recent surveillance on her was probably for that reason.

[Return now. Soon our Goegeopdan’s strange beings will proudly reveal themselves. So return to Goegeopdan and help us.]

Eun Se-rin had followed Goegeopdan because she hated this world itself.

But now, she felt something different.

‘I want to enjoy this life a little longer.’

She had developed a bit of greed. Eun Se-rin explained the situation to the police and national Yeager officers who came to assess the situation, then entered her house.

‘They won’t approach that child recklessly for a while. I’ve set up barriers and told him to attack.’

Using Jong-hyun to get rid of the annoying surveillance was a good decision.

If she had done it herself, Goegeopdan would have used more aggressive measures.

‘Still, I feel bad for the kid. Making him do dangerous things.’

Eun Se-rin thought of Jong-hyun as she fiddled with her smartphone.

[Lower Class Rapid Academic Improvers]

-Yoo Deokmin

-Min Gangsu

-The average rank increase over three years is set at 2 ranks, and rising 2 ranks in one year is abnormal.

-However, considering geniuses, this might not be unusual, so detailed investigation needed

-May be addicted to red powder, requiring special attention

“What should I do? If they’re already addicted to the red powder…”

Eun Se-rin recalled Jong-hyun’s bright face. If these two were as suspected, that expression might become strained.

‘Should I watch a bit longer? Or should I ask Jong-hyun to investigate right away?’

Eun Se-rin narrowed her eyes toward Yoo Deokmin and Min Gangsu.