Chapter 84: SI Whatever (1)

『Price: 70 Points (Currently 30% Off)』

When I saw the SI I was about to skip without buying was discounting in real-time.

The first thought that came to mind was none other than absurdity.

Somehow, don’t you often have thoughts like that?

When you see a product on sale for 50% off at places like franchise restaurants or supermarkets, instead of deciding, ‘It’s cheap, so I have to buy it right now’.

Times when thoughts like, ‘Just how much are they ripping people off normally?’ occur.

The thought that popped into my head right now, witnessing that exact situation in real-time, was precisely that.

They tried to sell something that could have been sold for 70 points from the start, at 100 points, just to discount it by 30%?

If it’s like this, of course I wouldn’t buy it. Why would anyone buy something that looks so obviously suspicious?

As I’ve said many times, points are a limited resource.

The points I use to get stronger right now are always insufficient, and in a situation where I don’t know how many more skills will keep unlocking in the future…

I didn’t want to spend points on this thing, whether it’s AI or SI, that looks so suspicious no matter how you look at it.

To begin with, I didn’t feel the need for this item the moment I first encountered it.

Items like the spatial pouch or the mysterious mask were things I purchased without hesitation because when I felt the need for them, they coincidentally appeared in the point shop.

Things like the UI improvement or the sperm concentration adjustment function were items I hadn’t even considered, but after seeing their descriptions, I felt a need for them and purchased them.

This item called ‘Hunter Awakening with SI’ was, in many ways, completely lacking any appealing elements.

To begin with, even the product name isn’t intuitive. And the description is even less so.

Fundamentally, to sell an item, it should be accompanied by detailed content explaining its value, but…

Would anyone buy something just shoved in their face like that, out of the blue?

Thinking that, the moment I was about to close the point shop window right before my eyes this time for sure…

This time, the description of the featured product in the center of the point shop changed.

『Competent SI Secretary: High-performance system intelligence provides helpful advice to you.』

Seeing it like this, it’s certainly much more intuitive than the initial product description.

Although the price remains fixed at 70 points.

While I do like the changed description itself, my initial decision to not buy it remains completely unchanged.

I honestly don’t need it, really.

I’ve been doing fine up until now, so why are you interfering to give me advice now?

Moreover, they’re even selling the ‘right to give advice’ by exchanging it for awakening points.

Did it bother you that much that I wasn’t going around sleeping with just any woman according to my awakening ability, and only meeting the women I do meet multiple times?

“……”

There was no answer.

Though, it probably would have been scarier if there was an answer.

Anyway, the very act of suddenly meddling in my awakening life and trying to interfere with something made it an extremely suspicious product.

A fast and efficient way to get stronger?

I already knew things like that, even without the system telling me.

Just going to places where many hunters gather, picking anyone who looks easy or inexperienced, man or woman, and sleeping with them.

Regardless of how many points one has, increasing the number of ejaculations as soon as someone appears in sight to mass-produce points.

It’s obvious that would be the fastest and most efficient method.

But what can I do if I don’t want to do that?

It’s true that I want to get stronger quickly and raise my Hunter rank efficiently, but…

I didn’t mean I wanted to discard even the minimum standards or principles in that process.

I know it’s shameless to talk about principles when I’m already playing with my dick randomly without a fixed partner.

However, I had clearly established my own standards: at least sleeping only with women who don’t have a partner and women I intend to meet again in the future.

In that situation, if I were to purchase this suspicious item sold by the system, it feels like it would interfere even in the realm of my private life.

Because I had that thought, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

Because I’m not the kind of hero who can move forward by discarding everything.

Thinking that, I tried to close the point shop window for good this time, but…

This time too, far from the shop closing, a new system message screen appeared before my eyes instead.

『’Competent SI Secretary’ does not interfere in the Awakener’s private life in any way.』

『This item is purely for improving the user’s convenience.』

『It is an item that provides solely useful advice, without system manipulation, point usage, or interference in private life.』

“……”

Just how pathetic are you going to get?

Not only did you change the shop’s product description twice, but now you’re reading my thoughts and directly communicating via system message?

Is it that important for me to purchase this item?

To the point where I’ll regret and obsess over making that decision someday if I don’t buy it, becoming completely worn out?

Honestly speaking, my intuition was still whispering to me not to buy it, but…

Since this was the first time the system itself, my awakening ability, had tried to persuade me to this extent, I couldn’t shake off my hesitation.

I also got the feeling that this argument wouldn’t end forever if I didn’t buy it.

“Sigh, alright, fine.”

Seeing how you’re trying to shove this into my mouth like this, it must be because it’s necessary, right?

After all, none of the items I bought from the point shop until now were a waste.

Trusting the point shop I’ve had transactions with all this time, the moment I was about to purchase the item labeled ‘SI Whatnot’ with the thought of letting myself be fooled just this once…

The currently remaining points suddenly caught my eye.

『Remaining Awakening Points: 365』

If I use 70 points in this state right now, the remaining awakening points would be 295…

It doesn’t divide cleanly, which somehow bothers me.

In a situation where I’ve raised three skills-Shielding, Fire Magic, and Healing-up to level 3.

Using points that could raise any one skill to level 4 anytime felt like something I hesitated over a little.

“…I’ll buy it, so can’t you knock off just 5 points?”

It was a slightly groveling negotiation, delivered with a tone of ‘it can’t be helped if you refuse’.

After a brief silence, the description of the item posted in the point shop changed once again.

Only then was I satisfied and able to purchase the item from the point shop.

『SI Whatnot: I gave you a discount, are you satisfied? Price: 65 Points (Currently 35% Off)』

As soon as I saw the product description, which seemed quite grumpy, I also felt like I really had to buy it now.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

「Greetings, C-Rank Hunter Sung Taekyung-nim. This program is an SI designed to smoothly operate the Hunter’s Lust Manager awakening ability.」

「Henceforth, if you ask about content you don’t understand or have questions regarding the process of handling your awakening ability, this SI will answer based on the most accurate information possible.」

「This program operates separately from the Hunter’s Lust Manager system.」

“Oh….”

As soon as I purchased the ‘SI Whatnot’ that was listed in the point shop, a loading window seemed to appear in mid-air, like something was being installed.

As soon as the window closed, a greeting was immediately heard, like a familiar female voice was speaking directly inside my head.

Although it was familiar, it wasn’t the kind of familiarity you get from meeting someone in real life; it was the kind of familiar voice you hear in public announcements or from voice synthesis software.

First of all, since I purchased a new item, I should start with a function test.

Since it claimed to be high-level system intelligence itself, I believe it will show corresponding usefulness.

First, because I needed to find out how it operates, I opened my mouth and asked the first question directly.

“Do I always have to ask questions verbally?”

「It is a program that receives intent solely through thought, and answers if it judges the input as a question.」

“Oh….”

At least it means I won’t look like a lunatic talking to myself in the empty air anytime I ask a question.

Since I needed to get used to operating this system, just like I did with the improved UI, I deliberately asked quite a few questions, perhaps excessively.

‘Can you understand questions asked in this format?’

「Questions in that format can be understood without exception.」

‘How many remaining awakening points do I have right now?’

「Sung Taekyung-nim’s remaining awakening points are exactly 300.」

‘Tell me today’s date and the current time exactly.’

「Today’s date is July 25, 2077, based on the Gregorian calendar and date line, and the current time is 10:22:37 AM KST.」

‘How many times have Kang Hye-eun and I had sexual intercourse?’

「Hunter Sung Taekyung and Hunter Kang Hye-eun have had sexual intercourse a total of 10 times so far, with 9 of those instances awarding awakening points.」

‘Is this statement I’m making right now a lie?’

「This question could cause the program to overload, so I must refuse to answer.」

“Wow….”

After confirming the SI’s operation was much more proper than I expected, my mouth opened involuntarily, and admiration burst out.

I hadn’t expected accurate answers to pop out for every question asked to this extent.

This SI might be much more useful than I thought.

Even if I had bought it when it was sold for 100 points, I probably wouldn’t have regretted it in the end.

「Thank you for the compliment, but my last traded value was 65 points.」

It was an answer that somehow seemed to leave a strange, lingering resentment.