Chapter 151

Chapter 151. Human Hunting(5)

I thought to myself, “Being in a Silver Rank in about two days shouldn’t be a problem…”

I had roughly been awake for 52 hours since my last sleep.

I felt a bit tired but not overwhelmingly so.

It seemed like I could last up to four days without sleep, but overexerting myself like that would negatively affect my combat ability and concentration.

Ideally, it was better to rest or rotate with someone before reaching my physical limit.

I habitually massaged around my trapezius muscles to assess the limits of my body.

Noticing this, Lily glanced at me and asked, “Are you tired?”

“Yes, sort of!”

I replied.

In Mexico, there were seven plazas producing Cratoll. Among them, Eisa had already taken care of one before coming to the United States.

Over the last two days, Eisa and I had dismantled the remaining six together.

It involved tedious work to avoid civilian casualties, but in terms of outcome, we accomplished our mission targets and eliminated all monsters in the plazas.

Following that mission, Eisa headed to Paraguay to deal with another target, while I returned to the United States.

“No choice as my entry record remains here.”

Since the task was over, I needed to join up with Squad Leader Yang Jochul. Thanks to Lily’s persistent messaging, I ended up coming back to San Diego.

“If you’re planning to stay in the US, we can arrange accommodations for you…”

“I must return immediately. I have someone waiting for me at the airport.”

It implied that I hadn’t entered the country illegally. I didn’t plan on further engagements with Lily or the US government either.

Noticing my mention of an acquaintance, Lily Evans fell silent for a moment before asking, “Which airport?”

“Los Angeles International Airport!”

I said.

“Would you like us to provide a flight there?”

“I didn’t bring my passport, though. Can I still board?”

With a concise response, Lily nodded. She seemed half-curious and half-skeptical, possibly trying to figure out if I actually hadn’t entered the country illegally or who might be waiting for me.

Even though I perceived her intent, I nodded willingly.

“I’d appreciate that.”

There was no need to unnecessarily struggle since they offered a method. I had arrived by Sniper’s vehicle, so there was no clear way back.

Soon, a black car was prepared, and I got into it without hesitation.

It was impossible for human technology to restrain me anyway, so I figured I might catch up on sleep during the ride.

“Oh!”

I said, not forgetting to take out the phone I’d kept in my inner pocket before we embarked.

Lily’s attention fixated on the device, as if considering if it might trace back to my identity.

‘Surely, she doesn’t think I’d bring such a thing.’

This wasn’t my phone. I didn’t even know who it was registered to in the first place. It was given to me by Squad Leader Yang Jochul for emergency contact purposes.

Dialing a number from yesterday’s record, the call was quickly connected.

“Yes, K.”

“Have you been waiting long?”

“I’ve been on edge.”

“I’m heading over now, flying from San Diego airport…”

My voice trailed off as I glanced at Lily sitting beside me. She held up one finger.

“They say it’ll take about an hour. It would be another couple of hours with the plane ride,” she explained.

“Are you traveling with someone?” the voice on the line asked, immediately catching on because I was flying without direct assistance.

Since Lily could hear the conversation at this distance, I responded, “Lily Evans.”

No further explanation was necessary. She was famous enough among those familiar with the game.

“I’ll introduce you later; please arrange the flight. It’s to India. I’ll send the details by text!”

I said.

“I’ll prepare everything on time,” came the response.

“Thank you. See you later then.”

“Yes.”

As soon as Squad Leader Yang Jochul’s response came, the car started to move.

* * *

“Let’s make introductions. This is from the Korean National Intelligence Service, and this is from the U. S. CIA.”

After facilitating the introductions, Yang Jochul and Lily shook hands. Once they finished, Lily spoke first.

“I’d heard rumors, but K is indeed a Korean.”

“As you can see!”

Yang Jochul said, almost as if anticipating her words.

He showed her my passport, which bore this face and an unfamiliar name, only seen today. The nationality was, of course, south Korean.

Lily’s cheek twitched subtly, indicating she wanted to object but knew better than to ask questions she wouldn’t get answers to.

She probably realized that it was a fake identity.

‘Technically, the identity is fake.’

The passport itself was genuine, issued by the Korean government. Thus, there was nothing more she could say.

‘It’s convenient.’

Having the support of authorities was convenient in many ways. Not that I planned on walking into the National Intelligence Service on my own.

An uncomfortable silence, stemming from tension or something else, stretched between Yang Jochul and Lily. It was soon broken by my intervention.

“When’s the flight?”

“We need to proceed with the boarding process immediately.”

Yang Jochul answered promptly as if he had been waiting for my involvement.

“Let’s go.”

I needed to sort out some issues I had left in Asia, starting with Afghanistan.

‘Three incidents occurred in Asia.’

I had four days to deal with them.

‘It will be tight.’

Swallowing a sigh, I briefly bid Lily farewell before turning away.

* * *

I returned to Korea after covering India, Singapore, and Japan. It had been exactly nine days and 11 hours since the first bounty mission was issued.

I cleared all 13 bounty missions that had emerged in that period. Now, the corresponding regional operations managers were handling any occurring ones.

‘The immediate crisis is resolved.’

As I disembarked from the plane with a sigh of relief, I noticed a message notification.

「A chat message had arrived from the code name Kj.」

Raising my brow, I wondered, ‘What is it?’

I had already briefed my party members on the situation. Since we had agreed I’d return before the recapture expedition ceremony, I had about two days of leeway.

‘Could something have happened?’

I didn’t think we had bad terms among us, but reaching out privately was not typical.

Wary of possible trouble, I quickly opened the chat. But my concern was unnecessary.

– Kj: Hyung, a post for an attribute stone trade is up on the comm!

I instantly opened the community page.

There it was, under new posts—a high-rank Attribute Stone. The starting bid was for two days later at the central square of Viceta, matching the shop’s standard of 50,000 mana.

The post was made by someone with the codename Myeongranjeot.

After confirming essential information, my eyes lit up.

‘Must buy it.’

When used by someone with attributes, attribute Stones convert into mana. A low-rank Attribute Stone provides up to 100, medium-rank 500, and high-rank up to 1,000 attribute mana.

‘The lowest ones give under 50 attribute mana.’

Given this, I had been securing Attribute Stones through various channels. Transactions were happening between players like this one, and I had requested the Order of Palao to purchase them for me.

In Bihar, these were known as Spirit Stones and were said to grant one a small chance of developing innate attribute mana.

‘Though they’re rare, expensive, and uncertain in effect,’

In the game, where players operate, attributes emerge with a reasonable likelihood. Even if no attribute emerges, at least mana is obtained.

The stones don’t lose efficiency even if sourced outside the shop, and I’ve verified this myself.

While pursuing a level 3 mission, I’d found a lowest-grade Attribute Stone on a corpse, proving absorption was possible.

Despite pursuing various avenues to secure Attribute Stones, there was still a deficiency.

‘I wish I could buy high-rank Attribute Stones and absorb attribute mana from the shop.’

I’d willingly exchange 50,000 general mana for 1,000 attribute mana under those terms.

However, this was not possible.

‘Each person can only purchase one of each type of Attribute Stone.’

I had already absorbed what was available to me. Occasionally, those who wanted a change of pace would sell higher-rank stones, and I aimed to routinely purchase and absorb attribute mana from these transactions.

The reason for the cumbersome posting of trades, auctioning replacement items, and more cumbersome measures in trades was simple.

‘If purchased with a discount from reputation accumulation, it no longer registers in the auction house.’

Mana trades occur through auctions, while the actual items exchange hands when meeting directly. Players found a workaround to use auction mechanics effectively.

Potions are the most frequently traded item, bought by a player with high reputation at a 10% discount and resold with a 5% profit.

Careful planning could allow for mana accumulation without engaging in dangerous battles or wars.

In contrast, attribute Stone transactions were less frequent due to players’ average mana levels still being relatively low.

It wasn’t until reaching 200,000 or 300,000 mana averages would Attribute Stone trade frequency spike.

Players ahead in mana either used them personally or traded them within their parties.

I, too, bought a high-rank Attribute Stone from Yang Taeho. Kim Yul sold me an intermediate-grade one.

After upgrading his attribute mana to level 3 from a low-grade stone, then further raised to level 4 with a high-grade stone he used personally.

I sent Kim Yul a thanks and commented on the post to join the auction, muttering to myself, “10,000…”

To use ‘Firestorm’, 100,000 attribute mana was necessary. I had less than 20,000 currently.

‘Long way to go.’

Heaving a sigh, I kept pace with Squad Leader Yang Jochul, all the while glued to the community and auction windows on my device.

‘Player-to-player mana trade…’

This function was only possible through auction features.

‘Using this function cleverly allows strong players to be cultivated through mana pooling.’

Of course, the feasibility was low.

Yet, low feasibility was not the same as impossibility.

That thought kept tugging at me, imagining that maybe, if circumstances permitted, another player could be persuaded to agree to such an exchange.

‘Despite knowing it’s unrealistic, I can’t let it go.’

I hadn’t conceptualized a surefire way to persuade another player, yet the idea stayed lodged in my mind.

Given the chance, I might have lingered on that thought longer. But upon exiting the terminal, it became impossible when I was confronted with men in dark suits.

Noticing them before me, Squad Leader Yang Jochul abruptly halted.

I stopped beside him, and soon a man appearing in his mid-to-late 40s came forward, with a faint smell of gunpowder lingering around him.

“You must be K.”

He possessed a solid build despite his age and carried a cautious look with a preparedness to react.

Coupled with Yang Jochul’s recent warnings, reaching a conclusion wasn’t difficult.

‘He’s military.’

Damned System