episode_0017

“Ugh, who turned on the air conditioner? Why is it so cold?”

Kim Song-ah, an employee of the Artifact Management Department, swept her swollen arms in the strangely cool air.

cold.

It was warm spring weather just a little while ago.

When I look out the window, dark clouds fill the sky.

For a moment he felt strange about the suddenly low temperature, and then he looked down at the suitcase that Eunha had left behind and quenched his appetite.

A precious artifact that came to my feet.

What is actually in that suitcase?

Even things that have no commercial value are used for research purposes, so they cost at least a few hundred thousand… Even something worth ten million won is ridiculous.

Isn’t a luxury item more expensive than the price of gold of the same weight, and an artifact more expensive than that luxury item?

Looking at the F-class bugger making a fuss about almost dying, it doesn’t seem to be a failure, and it may be a [combat artifact] that is difficult to watch if done well.

If that assumption turns out to be true, it would be a huge hit.

You can make hundreds of millions of won by putting it up for auction, and if you use it yourself instead of selling it, it’s not impossible to get promoted to the level A hunter you’ve been dreaming of.

A story that only appears in novels. That’s what an artifact is.

And no matter what, this artifact will never return to the F-class.

‘Educate yourself, get a good education… this is life.’

Come to think of it, that F-class bastard… did you say galaxy?

I saw it today and it was really pretty. Why didn’t I know this until now?

No matter how much you think about it, it’s a beauty that would be a waste to leave as is.

How can we not use this incident as an excuse to provide true education?

Of course, since she is F-class, she cannot be used as a combat force, but she can be used as a sub-heroine to eat and throw away when she is bored.

Dalkak-.

Kim Song-ah hummed and opened the black carry-on lying on the floor.

A subtle iron smell passes through the tip of my nose, and the hidden interior of the suitcase is revealed.

“……What’s this.”

The first thing that caught my eye was the [black book] placed neatly in the middle of the suitcase.

And a salt bag surrounding the book as if sealing it, and numerous amulets stuck to the inside of the carrier.

Lastly, the crosses and prayer beads that protect both sides of the [Black Book]…

There was an occult altar there that made me feel bad just looking at it.

Is this what it feels like to be intimidated by the atmosphere?

Kim Song-ah, who took a step back without realizing it, swallowed her saliva.

I knew that F-grade bastard was out of his mind, but I never thought it would be like this.

Among all the crazy people in the world, this is the type of crazy you shouldn’t interact with.

It’s not a pseudo-religion, so who would store artifacts like this?

Kim Song-ah was embarrassed by the shocking visuals, but quickly regained her composure and used her ‘skill’.

Huh…

A haze of mana rose from his body.

For a moment his vision turns bright red and then returns to normal.

And as if by magic… the ‘uses’ of the objects in sight began to appear in my mind.

Sensing skill, [Understand its use].

Kim Song-ah is a B-level hunter that everyone knows, and it is a skill that has helped her rise to the elite position of the ‘Artifact Management Department’.

The effect is as simple as the name, but the purpose of the ‘inanimate object’ seen with the eyes… that is, the use automatically appears in his mind.

When you see a cane, the image of a person walking with it comes to mind, and when you see a kitchen knife, the image of a chef holding a knife and cutting food comes to mind.

Moreover, as the output of the skill increases, various uses emerge, making it a talent optimized for the ‘Artifact Management Department’, which must inspect and manage all kinds of artifacts.

First time seeing an artifact? Just use the skill and you’re done.

Artifact overhaul? When Kim Song-ah glances at it, an estimate on how to use it is immediately provided.

It is for the same reason that Kim Song-ah ignored the warning of the F-class bugger.

I know it once I see it, but what’s the danger?

The damn manager always nags Kim Song-ah for being insensitive to safety… but it’s probably just an old man’s jealousy anyway.

I’m just complaining about him for no reason because he doesn’t like how he gets the job done with just one skill.

‘Ugh, this is it. This is the main character. It’s a perfect plot where you have to endure living under a shitty boss and end up with an artifact cheat.’

I laughed out loud, remembering the tasteless top of the manager of the management department.

Yes, I should just eat up the artifacts like now, get a proper opportunity, and start working as a hunter.

Kim Song-ah took a quick look inside the suitcase, hoping that this artifact would be the cause.

As usual, the uses of various objects come to mind.

charm. The Cross. beads……

At that moment, a phenomenon he had never seen before was imprinted on his retina.

“……what.”

He frowned and picked up the [Black Book].

A thick book with no title written on the cover.

Before I knew it, it had started to rain outside the window, and the chilly temperature had now dropped to the point where I could barely breathe.

Kim Song-ah let out a white sigh and increased the output of the [Understand Use] skill.

“Why… can’t I see anything?”

I can’t see anything.

The cross and prayer beads next to each other showed people holding a cross in their hands and praying, and people holding prayer beads and reciting Buddhist scriptures.

But this [black book] showed nothing.

This is the first time that a skill has not been activated.

Is it really a useless object?

No way.

Everything has a use.

Kim Song-ah immediately looked at the novel on the desk. Soon the purpose of the book came to mind.

A person reading a book… swinging a book… tearing a book to use as firewood, etc…

I can think of all kinds of ways to use it.

I looked at the [Black Book] again.

… … nothing.

I really can’t see anything.

‘Is this possible?’

He tried to open the [Black Book] with hands shaking from the cold.

However, it does not budge as if each page was glued together.

There was a strange bookmark in the [Black Book] that had never been there before, and the fishy smell of blood filled the office.

As the temperature drops in real time, my lips crack and bleed.

Shoot~.

Heavy rain pouring outside the window covered in pure white frost.

Kim Song-ah, who threw the [Black Book] on the floor out of reluctance, hurriedly stepped back.

Everything is strange.

That book, the cold, everything.

“Huh… Huh…”

My head doesn’t turn properly due to a sudden abnormal phenomenon.

The cell phone he took out because he felt his life was in danger did not turn on, and the emergency call bell attached under the desk did not work.

My fingers turned pale from the cold and I let go of my phone.

Kim Song-ah, who realized that the feeling in her hands had disappeared, hurriedly wrapped her hands around her.

can not understand.

Just a few minutes ago, I was having fun alone in my office.

“What on earth… what on earth did you give me!!”

I cursed, remembering the F-grade bugger who was grinning like an idiot. I felt like I would freeze to death if I didn’t do this.

What on earth did that bastard bring? If it’s such a dangerous item, shouldn’t it be explained in advance?

This is terrorism. It is an act of artifact terrorism targeting the association.

He is a trash villain who threatened me, the management department elite and the main character of this world.

Kim Song-ah, who had completely forgotten that she had ignored Eunha, mumbled curses. Meanwhile, my frozen limbs are trembling, craving warmth.

The torn lip is frozen solid and not a single drop of blood comes out.

“Whoa… Whoa… It’s cold…”

I need to run outside, but my legs are frozen and I can’t move.

Now I feel hot, probably because my nervous system is damaged.

so hot. Should I take off my clothes?

Startle…

Suddenly, his brain, shivering from the cold, came up with a hypothesis.

Kim Song-ah, who had stopped using skills and was desperately strengthening her body by using the mana in her body, turned her gaze to the [Black Book] that had fallen on the floor.

His skill, [Understand its use].

The ability to see the use of ‘inanimate objects’ seen with the eyes.

Then, could it be… that [Black Book] is not an inanimate object?

‘That’s… not an artifact…!’

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

It was probably around that time that I heard another voice.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

[The Black Book] as seen by Kim Song-ah.

Behind it, someone is standing.

When did it come?

As a B-class hunter, he didn’t notice at all.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

A woman with pale blue skin, like someone who froze to death.

She wears the same gray suit as the association staff, and has cracks all over her body like broken glass artifacts.

She was repeating the same thing and pointing her broken finger toward the office doorway.

Kim Song-ah realized.

The intuition of a B-class hunter facing death.

The cause of this cold is ‘that’.

[The Black Book] called ‘that’.

Also, ‘that’ is something that even B-class hunters cannot compete with.

Damn it.

A large crack appeared on Kim Song-ah’s frozen skin.

“…….”

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

“……a, ugh… uh, there… ㅁ, what… is there…”

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

The question that took my life out. But there is no answer.

Just repeating the same thing over and over again.

The sound of rain outside the window was now replaced by the sound of countless palms tapping on the window.

“……ha ha ha.”

Red sunset light shines through the window.

The sunset light coming through the numerous palm prints on the foggy window was quite terrifying,

It didn’t take long to realize that the handprints were taken inside the office.

Was there something you realized from that scene?

Kim Song-ah, who had been standing as still as a statue, moved her frozen, cracked legs and walked slowly.

‘That’ comes out of the office in the direction beckoned.

Sigh…

It was still cold outside the office.

He kept walking.

After passing two offices, a staircase appeared.

Third to the right.

I went down the stairs. First floor.

I went down the stairs again. Association’s first basement floor.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

I went down the stairs and turned left.

A warehouse was seen with the door open, and ‘Artifact Management Department’ employees were organizing items inside.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

“Ah, are you here, Team Leader Kim Song-ah. We need your skills at the moment… Team Leader Kim Song-ah?”

“T-Team leader? What does that look like…”

It was like that. Today was the regular inspection day for artifacts.

I didn’t feel like doing it, so I stayed in the office with the excuse that my stomach hurt.

I regret it.

If I had worked hard… I wouldn’t have died today.

“…It’s cold. Manager…”

Association’s first basement floor.

Artifact Incinerator.

A place to incinerate damaged artifacts.

『Third from the right. Go down the stairs and left.』

I see So ‘that’ led me here.

Kim Song-ah felt grateful.

Now you don’t have to shiver from the cold anymore.

“Team leader Kim Song-ah!!”

“Stop that bastard right now!”

“What…! My legs don’t move…! Hey! Kim Song-a!!”

While fellow employees were ‘as if frozen’,

Kim Song-ah threw herself into a place where she could feel the warmth.

It’s not cold anymore.

He was satisfied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

– A fatal accident occurred at the association headquarters.

– Deceased, ‘Artifact Management Department’ team leader 3, B-class hunter Kim Song-ah

– Committed suicide by setting himself on fire in the incinerator on the first basement floor of the association.

– Frostbite of unknown cause occurred in all members of the ‘Artifact Management Department’ at the scene, and were immediately transported to the emergency room and placed under protective quarantine.

– It appears that the ice barrier skill has been activated, but cannot be confirmed.

– Mana detection voice. There are no traces of the skill being used within the association.

– There are no ice-bound artifacts within the association.

– Two members of the control room team who were observing CCTV complained of symptoms of delirium. Immediately transfer to emergency room and quarantine

– The person complained of short-term memory loss. He stated that he had no memory of the incident.

– Check the CCTV in the control room. Nothing special

– No outsiders entered the ‘Artifact Management Department’ office today.

ㅡ CCTV footage was deleted. There is no problem.

– According to the statement, Hunter Kim Song-ah complained of cold just before his death.

– Further investigation required. Emergency summons of all team leaders and above from each department