Damned System

Chapter 19. K(3)

When I suddenly saw the knife appear, I completely froze.

I had certainly laid my body down on a flat rock.

So why did a lethal weapon appear next to my face?

The answer was quite simple. It had been where I laid down!

“Ugh.”

With bread in my mouth, I hurriedly rolled my body to the side.

Chills ran down my spine. Just moments ago, I nearly suffered a tragic accident.

If I had lain just a few centimeters to the right…

That knife would have pierced through my skull or neck.

My heart was thumping abnormally fast.

The sudden approach of death was truly terrifying.

Only a few minutes later was I able to barely calm down.

Gathering my still-trembling body, I stood and took in the sight that nearly killed me.

A rock covered in shrubs and moss, with a blade sticking out from its edge.

“Ha!”

I let out a hollow laugh because it was so absurd.

Staggeringly, I climbed up the rock and grabbed the pole part where the blade was missing.

I tried to pull it out with strength, but it seemed to be caught on something and wouldn’t come out easily.

In the end, I used the blade part like a lever to push it upward.

With a thudding sound, a rock rolled and fell from behind shrubs and trees.

Only then did the entire weapon come into view.

“A spear…?”

Why was something like this here?

I picked up the spear and examined it.

The spear I owned was the kind with a sharp point, like a harpoon or an arrow.

But this one had a blade resembling a double-edged sword.

Its length was about 15 centimeters.

And there was one more blade on each side.

The spearhead alone looked like a cross.

There was also an incomprehensible pattern carved into its center.

‘Is it a script?’

Staring intently at the engraved part, I swung the spear once.

“Oh.”

A word of admiration slipped out unknowingly.

Although I wasn’t well-versed in weapons, it was clear that this spear was better than the one supplied by the system.

From the weight alone, this one felt lighter.

Moreover, when wielded, the balance was much better.

The hardness of it was much greater than my own spear, and there was no rust on the blade.

It was in good enough condition to use immediately. It was an unexpected gain.

I swung the spear several more times to get accustomed to it.

The spear, which had fallen into my hands at an unexpected moment, was quite satisfactory.

However, separate from that, my mind was in turmoil.

The coin I found in the valley, and now this spear that popped out here.

‘It’s strange.’

These were not familiar items to me.

I took out some of the loot from the inventory.

No matter how I looked at it, this was gold. A coin made of gold.

I could accept jewelry adorned with gold and gemstones.

But what was this gold coin all about?

Who uses such a heavy currency these days?

‘Unless it’s a commemorative item.’

Perhaps it wasn’t currency but a medal?

The spear was just as strange.

In an era where even nuclear bombs are made, what is this cold weapon doing here?

Whoosh, whirl.

As I twirled the spear in my hand, my head was also spinning with thoughts.

The black blood shed by monsters, the mission paper, summon and injury, items not fitting the era.

Piecing these scattered fragments together formed a picture that was frustratingly unclear.

At some point, my expression turned grim.

‘A land with monsters.’

Where was this place? Somewhere in the world I live in?

‘Are those monsters somewhere on Earth?’

It was an absurd assumption.

No matter how vast the Earth is, the number of monsters in the missions reaches hundreds, thousands, or even millions.

I never forgot the number at the bottom of the mission list.

I had already silently concluded it was the monster’s count.

The idea that humans could live unaware of such countless monsters made no sense.

Ultimately, it led to the conclusion that this place was not Earth.

‘That’s also hard to believe, though.’

If so, this damned game’s presence wouldn’t make sense from the start.

Given what I’ve seen so far, the latter assumption was more convincing than the former.

‘If this isn’t Earth.’

The question of where this is follows, but there’s no way to know.

Clear was one thing among all.

‘A civilization exists here.’

There are the gold coins, gold bars, and the technology that made this spear in my hand.

Proof that a civilization exists on this land.

‘I doubt monsters use spears and swords.’

However, they seemed to recognize the danger of such weapons.

That suggests there was at least someone who used this spear against those monsters.

My eyes narrowed at that moment.

「The patch for update will proceed.」

Suddenly, a system message appeared.

Startled, I saw familiar numbers at the bottom of my sight.

「Progress 0.01%」

An update patch? So suddenly?

I frowned, staring at the numbers.

There was no way to know why the system suddenly decided to do an update.

Only when that progress bar filled could I find out. For now, I just had to wait.

“Tsk.”

So much information bombarded me in minutes, my head felt like it would split.

I shook my head, putting the ring and gold coins back in the inventory.

‘I’ll think about it when I get back.’

Then I looked at the bread that had fallen to the ground and opened a new one.

With bread in my mouth, I looked around.

‘First, the mission.’

The complex thoughts needed to be sorted out one by one, but now was the time to focus on the mission.

Chewing on the bread, I opened the mission window and saw the counter.

MISSION

「02-07(1/5)」

Eliminate the enemy. (5/7)

Two monsters remaining.

A mission field that might not be on Earth.

A few fragmented pieces of information became a significant help in decision-making.

‘Walking around like this takes too much time.’

Evaluating objectively, I was capable of handling two monsters at once.

Coincidentally, two were left.

I began taking out the items I had prepared from the inventory.

These were what I prepared because I felt sorry for leaving the plants unattended during the upgrade mission.

Large-capacity oil, like those used in restaurants, and matches.

‘I didn’t come with a determination to set fire indiscriminately.’

Still, if this isn’t Earth, there’s at least no one to report me.

Since I’m the only ‘human’ on this mission ground.

It wouldn’t be bad to try once.

‘If it’s hard to find by walking, make them come to you.’

I poured the oil around the area.

A cracking sound echoed as I lit and threw the match.

Though worried about the lush greens, once ignited, the fire spread rapidly around.

Walking with my back to the flames, I sent a butterfly high.

‘Let’s see.’

Would the remaining ones come running at the sight of the fire or flee instead?

I planned to bet on the former.

The monsters I encountered so far were aggressive.

They wouldn’t run seeing anything unusual.

After hastening away from the fire scene for some minutes…

“2.1 Mana is absorbed.”

“1.8 Mana is absorbed.”

“1.5 Mana is absorbed.”

“1.3 Mana is….”

Mana started absorbing in heaps.

And through the butterfly floating in the air, I could see a sizable cluster of mana rushing at me quickly.

Time to finish the mission.

* * *

Returning to Jonghun’s lab, I found it empty.

I steadied my breath, purifying the remaining corrupted mana in my body.

It hadn’t been all that easy, yet I had managed it alone.

I never liked this game, but a sense of achievement was a separate matter.

“Whew.”

Exhaling a long breath, I opened the inventory.

The moment I confirmed what was inside, I clenched my fists.

‘There it is!’

Thankfully, the system hadn’t tampered with my loot.

Last time it was ten million won; this time it was treasure bound to be even more valuable.

If this continued, I’d become more active with missions.

Smirking, I placed the spear into an empty slot.

That’s when I realized my clothes and hair were singed.

As I suspected, the monsters flocked towards the roaring flames.

Though dealing with one, another joined in, making things a bit tricky.

It wasn’t anything life-threatening, though.

‘My abdomen is quite sore, though.’

Unconcerned, I dusted off my singed hair and headed for the camera on the tripod.

After stopping the recording, I picked up the phone next to it.

Pressing Jonghun’s number at the top of the call list, the signal went through.

Ring ring, ring ring.

『Hyunwoo?』

Barely two rings and Jonghun answered promptly.

“Yes, uncle.”

『Are you hurt?』

“I’m fine this time.”

Fortunately, there weren’t any additional significant injuries in the second battle.

『Hold on. I’ll be there soon.』

“You must be busy, take your time.”

After finishing the call with Jonghun, I checked the recorded video.

Fast forwarding the video filled me with complex emotions.

Vanishing at dawn in a flash of white light, only to reappear hours later.

The camera had merely filmed empty space.

I had wished all this was just a delusion.

‘At least I won’t have to go to a mental hospital.’

Sighing repeatedly, I heard hurried footsteps.

The hand entering the door code was equally frantic.

Eventually, the lab door flew open, and Jonghun appeared beyond, breathing heavily.

His eyes scanned me quickly. In response, I offered an awkward smile.

“I’m back.”

Seeing me like that, Jonghun’s face twisted strangely.

He seemed to have something to say, but let it pass for a moment.

Once inside, Jonghun closed the door and spoke.

“Let me see your injuries.”

“I’m really fine this time…”

“Now!”

It was a stern tone. His stance suggested he wouldn’t let me leave until I showed him.

Under Jonghun’s watchful eyes, I reluctantly removed my clothes.

“Ugh.”

Jonghun groaned softly.

‘It’s better than last time, at least.’

That didn’t mean I was unscathed.

My abdomen and back were peppered with bruises, and numerous cuts marred my skin.

Seeing this, Jonghun, armed with the emergency kit, pressed my abdomen and asked.

“Is it painful?”

“Not rea–…”

Hoping to leave it be, I hadn’t intended for Jonghun to care for manageable injuries.

I sought his help for truly life-threatening scenarios.

Yet, with Jonghun’s stern glare, I realized I couldn’t lie.

“It hurts.”

I ultimately confessed truthfully.

“Why your back… Just in case, let’s do chest X-rays and an abdominal CT scan, then treat your leg injuries.”

“Yes.”

My prompt answer softened Jonghun’s expression.

After re-sanitizing the wounds, I was dragged by Jonghun for a myriad of tests and treatments.

A diagnosis of abdominal muscle tear kept me at the hospital for about two hours.

Still, my mind was at ease, having completed the level 2 mission without grave peril.

And I was satisfied to have obtained such valuable loot.

* * *

Even after quite some time, Jonghun’s voice seemed to linger in my ears.

‘It was fortunate the potion had partially healed me already.’

Had it not been, I might have been detained much longer.

Rubbing my ears, I swallowed a sigh.

There’d be no avoiding injuries in the future, and Jonghun would constantly worry.

‘I have to get used to it.’

But as long as I couldn’t escape the game, getting accustomed was necessary.

There wasn’t time to dwell on inevitable issues yet to be resolved.

I soothed my uneasy heart, organizing the rewards obtained from this mission.

The first thing I checked was the Attribute Stone.

I retrieved the rainbow-colored stone that had been dormant in inventory for three months, focusing my mind.

Upon surpassing an attribute mana of 50, I sensed an alien element among my mana.

Like liquids but differing in color?

Unlike the red mana, it was achromatic.

At the moment I realized it and extracted the distinct mana, I saw it clearly.

An undulating, transparent mana like a summer’s mirage.

When I brought it to the Attribute Stone,

「Attribute Stone(High-rank) is used.」

「Determining an attribute suitable for the user.」

「Lightning attribute is granted.」

The system message appeared, and the formerly transparent mana changed.

Zap.

This was undoubtedly lightning crackling at my fingertips now.

‘My previous mana felt like smoke.’

But now, with an attribute, the mana differed.

When materializing, it bore a completely different form.

I studied the spark glittering in my hand.

‘An attribute suitable for the user…’

It suggested my apt attribute was lightning.

‘What’s the basis?’

The question was fleeting. There was no way to ask the system, nor was it vitally important.

‘If it’s upper class, it must be good.’

Low-rank Attribute Stones sell for a whopping 30,000 mana at the shop. High-rank costs 50,000.

Pretty absurd prices at the moment, yet I had used such an important item.

That alone was enough to satisfy me.

Instead of getting caught up in unknowable reasoning, I decided to focus on the current situation.

“Status Window.”