Chapter. 10 Lead and Silver Coins (6)
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Up until now, I had been feeling like something was floating around, but after I had just made up my mind, I felt like I knew why.
“I felt sluggish because my stomach was covered in oil. “Like an idiot.”
“hmm? Well… it doesn’t seem like my condition has gotten any worse. “While I was here, I occasionally watched your broadcasts, and it seemed like I became sharper when I saw you flying around.”
“Not that one. “It means I’ve become a little dull mentally.”
From a life where you have to starve for the next day if you take a day off, to a life where you have leftover rice and eat snacks. From an unknown calorie bar to a diet with meat and vegetable seasoning.
As basic living conditions are met, the tension that had been tight until now has been loosened.
The risk factors are not reduced compared to before. Or rather, it can be seen that it has increased. A situation where merchandise was being sold under my name throughout the dome and stories about the last battle were endlessly circulating. Anyone with a brain will know that I have taken care of something for Dom.
Although they have a friendly relationship with Dom, they are not officially affiliated with it and live separately in a remote place.
There are four members, and one of them is a 10-year-old girl who, not to mention her combat power, can be used as a hostage and is excellent at creating fear by cutting into several pieces and making the opponent lose their senses.
Unlike such a small group, they have as much wealth as most wealthy Domes.
Easy and satisfying food. That was the current state of our BDSM.
“After hearing what you said, I thought you were too complacent. It’s not just the scavengers. Aside from the relatively ‘safe’ psycho gangs that make pizza clothes inside the dome, there are many real psycho gangs wandering the wastelands who are interested in making a name for themselves. Wouldn’t the tag ‘hero’ be something that those guys would be excited about? From a scavenger looking for a quick fortune to a true homicidal psychopath. “There are more than one person who will come to visit.”
As Ian said, we were in a position where we needed to make a lot of money. You have to make money like crazy, build walls and lay turrets, and work the people inside to the point where they are so poor that they can’t even dream of free riding. Even just basic infrastructure will cost hundreds of millions of shillings.
When I think about it, I feel like it would be a waste of time to just sit still and drink milk. Should I say that my legs are itching or that I feel anxious every time the second hand ticks?
Tadakduk-
I was bouncing his left hand with his fingertips and his fingertips.
“Hehehe. That’s it, Professor Park. As soon as I saw him, I was worried because his eyes looked a bit like a pig, but he recovered quickly. “In a world like this, anyone who forgets how to run is bound to die quickly, right?”
“….I?”
“okay. Like old coal, once you catch fire, you either have to burn until the end or you have to live as a cold stone from the beginning. If it burns and goes out half-way, it will crumble and become damp, unable to catch fire or stay strong. When I first saw you, you were like an awesome high explosive C4 or Semtex. Although he doesn’t explode easily, he is an incredible person who can blow up mountains and buildings when meticulous calculations and the fuse of the charge come together. If you had settled for just 200 million, I would have burned you alive to raise you up again. Well… there was one guy who already tried to do it before I could.”
Click!
There was a guy who flinched at the sound of Ian taking out a new cigarette and lighting it.
“Isn’t that right? “Bex.”
“…what am I doing?”
“Pretend it’s not like that. Of the three of us, you are definitely the one who is the least capable of thinking deeply or anything like that. However, you are the one who is quickest in taking action based on your instinctive judgment. If you’re a professor, there’s no way you, a guy who can’t survive, would just leave a professor who looks like wet gunpowder like this, right? You are the scavenger closest to the wasteland’s ecology. Did you do something? yes?”
“….”
“Vex?”
“…It was resolved well, so it’s okay. “Just move on.”
I thought it was a joke, but Bex’s vague attitude aroused my suspicions. Come to think of it, this guy has been quiet ever since he left the village.
But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine Vex plotting something shady or plotting something that would shock me. He? me?
As I gave him a questioning look, Ian started tapping his knees and laughing.
“Hahaha! I guess you really didn’t know this? Professor, if you just throw in a few bits of information, you can find the answer like a ghost, but when the target is people around you, you strangely become dull? Imagine for a moment that the Vex and I are enemies. No, the enemy won’t move for you, so um… Imagine being a trainer like Sergeant Hartman, who is extremely cold-hearted and cruel. How would the current situation be handled to sharpen Professor Park’s weakened days? “If I give you a hint, Vex is always on the move.”
At least when it comes to things in front of us, they are always one step ahead of us.
It felt like the last sentence that came out of Ian’s mouth was floating before my eyes.
Now that I think about it, there were a lot of strange things. The reason I was able to spend a month playing games without any worries was because these guys were living in my house. However, as soon as I got out of the connector, there were a lot of big problems around me, and Vex said he didn’t know about such problems and was giving Cynthia some combat training.
A scavenger who was none other than a Vex from District 45, where territorial disputes keep blood flowing 24 hours a day, just watched people settle in around the house?
“Hey, can you…? “That village?”
“Sniff! Joe, that stupid bastard is telling useless stories…”
Percussion!
Bex snatched the bottle of brandy from Ian’s hand, his face red as if he were embarrassed, and downed the entire bottle in one go, wiggling his fingers as he continued speaking.
“okay. Those people. “I just watched the first person who moved in, holding back from wanting to kick them out right away.”
“Look. He must have done something? That’s it? “The more people there are, the more likely it is that accidents will occur around them.”
When I turned my head, Vex turned her head in the opposite direction with lightning speed.
“…I agree with Ian. After the war with Raptor ended, you looked at ease, as if you had accomplished something. I don’t know if it was because of the money or the people, but soon everyone who became comfortable in the wasteland died. So I left it alone. At least as far as I know, when people gather together, they fight. Then there might be an accident and there might be gunfire, swearing, and blood around my house… but I thought I could at least give you some sense of tension. You will naturally become sharper and whether you reject them or accept them, you will return to being an active Hepburn again. “I never thought Cynthia would get caught in the middle of it.”
“So, haven’t I told you time and time again that you shouldn’t pull tricks like that? “You don’t have the power to control variables.”
“I had no idea Cynthia would suddenly come down from there-”
Boom!
“…Hey, let me think about it.”
I made a loud noise with my fingertips, interrupted the conversation, and took a moment to summarize the situation.
People gathering.
According to what they say, I have become loose and have lost all tension and am in a perfect state to be a guest somewhere.
And the conflict that will arise between people gathered together with no one to control them over limited and predictable goods.
“Oh, by the way. “It’s ridiculous.”
Vex did not do something, but chose not to do something. People gathered around him due to rumors, and he knew that problems would arise if people gathered like that, and even though he was reluctant to let outsiders invade his territory, he just let them gather. I hope we get together and solve the problem. Hoping that amid all the noise and chaos, I would return to my old sharp self.
A very primitive and violent ‘raising up’. Honestly, I didn’t know how to accept this.
I had no choice but to ask in front of Vex, who had her head down like a criminal.
“…Vex. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice that?”
“….”
“okay. Honestly, I didn’t notice until now. It was hectic from the morning and I had a lot of work to do. But I know you so well that I can recognize it right away when I think of it like this. In the end, it was going to be discovered someday. You know that too, right? “Because you know me as much as I know you.”
“…Still, being hated is better than having you die in a relaxed state and come back. It’s not just that it’s loosened up. “Really, all the people who did that are dead.”
ah. this. go. It’s the head.
So in the end, he made this choice because he thought it was a sacrifice to himself. By inducing an appropriate level of violence to re-create my own tension, in the process, I choose to stand by and watch as it is obvious that I will be found out, risking my suspicion and hatred. Then, while Cynthia was interfering with the plan she had made, I jumped out.
For some reason, when I said I hadn’t seen him since morning, he didn’t go out to catch something like a mouse snail, but he was doing some work, but when I suddenly came out in a very complicated situation, he didn’t know what to do and just jumped out. After all, who would go out early in the morning to catch trash like rat snails? Even your excuses should make some sense.
“The conclusion is that it is your karma, Professor Park. “So, you’re going to worry a lot of people just because someone got a small lump sum of money?”
Grumble.
Ian handed me a bottle of brandy that Bex had half-drinked as I stroked my throbbing brow. As I just stared, Ian pushed the bottle into my hand.
“Drink it, dude. As someone who has killed and seen more people die than anyone else. As someone who knows the most raw aspects of the wasteland, Vex was worried about your complacent state. It’s just that Vex, as always, is faster in action than in words. It was a bit rough, but it was resolved neatly, right? Let’s have a refreshing drink and move on.”
“to the next?”
“okay. Like you said, there are a lot of things I want to do and things to do now.”
“……”
The professor, who was lost in thought in silence, turned his eyes to the brandy bottle he had been handed. Under the mysterious name [Manana], there was a bottling year of 2074, and in the dark brown liquid beneath it were the faces of Bex, who was glancing with a bowed head, and Ian, who was grinning as if he was dying of fun at this situation. There was one more person. A man with a strange expression and strange arms who doesn’t know whether this situation is good or bad.
The professor raised his head as if he could drink the sight away and drained the rest of his drink in one go.
It was bitter and harsh.
“Puh-haa. “It’s so tasteless.”
“Hehehe, what kind of taste can there be in the mouth that drinks a national treasure-class liquor like Dalmore 62? So it’s all sorted out now, right? “Before doing something big, you have to sort out all the troublesome things that are bothering you.”
Still, I felt good.
Through Ian’s grinning voice, I could feel the hot aroma of alcohol rising and the intoxication rising. Suddenly, I caught sight of Bex, who was still lowering his head as if he had committed a crime.
‘I heard somewhere that if you want to do something you wouldn’t normally do, you should drink a lot of alcohol.’
I walked between the two, staggering slightly, and put my arms around their shoulders and pulled them towards me.
“What!”
“Wow! “Why, Hepburn!”
Ian is embarrassed as he is dragged by his left arm, and Bex looks visibly unnatural.
“just. “Thank you.”
“….huh?”
“Hahaha! Did I hear this wrong? Crispy Cherry. “I can’t believe it came out of Park’s mouth?”
“Just… kinda. You enlighten people in many ways, especially you, Bex. Didn’t I do my best to make things difficult and even prepare to be scolded because I was worried? Thank you so fucking much, you son of a bitch.”
I wanted to at least say thank you to these guys, even if it was just for the sake of alcohol. Is there really a need for a reason? I just do it because I want to.
“…Hepburn is a bit disgusting.”
“Hehehe! I know yeah. And don’t do anything like shoulder with that arm. scary.”
“It’s a plague…. It’s embarrassing for people!”
Although I was screaming on the outside, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked at the two with their shocked faces.
****
“So… you came straight here? “Do you drink that much?”
“Hey what? “If you don’t like it, come back in a few months when you’re sober and in good condition.”
“Ah no! Hehehe, really. Now that I’m getting older, I’m talking nonsense… Stop talking inside! “I’ve been waiting for you!”
After successfully completing the ‘reflection meeting on Professor Park’s recent behavior’, the three of us quickly began preparing to depart for Area 30. Ian consulted with the people of the Dome to select the supplies and trade goods needed to get there. Since Bex can’t take her to that dangerous place, we need a facility to take Cynthia in and educate her while we are there. I….
“Hey guys! Professor Park has finally come to our ‘Department of Biotechnology’!”
“Oooooh! at las! The ‘material’ that I had been researching only through videos for a month is—up!”
Wow!
“Take this friend in! Material! I told you not to speak carelessly! How can you talk about a human body as material or research material? Isn’t that right, Professor?”
“No, I don’t particularly…”
I’m talking about an administrative research facility. Since it seemed like it would be a fairly long journey, I felt the need to know exactly the state of my body by starting with the suddenly increased amount of food I was eating.
This is the administrative research facility we visited.
How did you know from the entrance that you came here and thought, ‘Just one chance! Please give our department a chance too!!’ After making my way through researchers from other departments shouting the same thing, receiving a loud welcome from people in the Department of Biotechnology, and 90 minutes of basic measurements and tests, I was able to get some of the answers I wanted.
“Hmm… Naturally, the reason for the sudden increase in eating seems to be related to the newly sprouted arm of this Type 3 variant.”
Well,
one of the researchers answered my questions while I was taking measurements by pulling on a dynamometer specially designed for the purpose.
“First of all, there are quite a few aspects of the phenomenon that cannot be explained physically… but in the end, that arm is a part of the professor’s body. “It cannot be said that there is no part of the body that draws energy.”
“You mean…?”
“What I’m saying is that you should eat as much as you use your strength. Here is a CT scan of the changed connection point between the arm and upper body. “Do you see that there is more to it than other parts?”
It definitely looked like it had spots or stains that were a little different than other parts.
“There were quite a few things like inflammation, blood clots, etc. inside. It’s not like a ‘cursed arm that sucks the user’s life force’ like in the novels floating around, but if you just use it up without supplying it, that might really happen. “You said swinging your arms doesn’t require that much strength, right?”
“yes. His grip is incredibly strong, but in other actions, his grip is as powerful as that…” “
That’s only natural. The act of swinging a fist involves all the muscles of the entire body, including not only the arms but also the shoulders, waist, thighs, and calves. “Perhaps strangling with an arm can produce as much power as a grip, but it would be impossible to use that arm to catch and throw a mutant with tremendous force.”
Crackling –
The professor swung his arm, which he had become quite accustomed to. There was a booming sound due to the size, but it didn’t feel powerful.
“Of course, there is still a lot of research to be done on the effects on the body. The amount of food increased, and it is said that people who until recently ate three meals a day did not feel the burden of eating 89 servings of meat at once. This probably means that the left arm had some effect on the body’s digestive system to promote digestion and absorption. This means that this effect can extend to other parts of the body, and in the case of type 3 variants, the mind and memory are greatly affected, especially in the case of the professor, as there is an ‘other self’ inside him… ..”
“Boss! “I brought you a summary of ‘professor’s’ play history!”
“Oooh! That’s good. Would you like to watch and talk for a moment? I made a little guess about the professor’s behavior and how that mutation occurred…”
Quang!
“I! Let me explain! “As the head of the Data Consciousness Exploration Department, I am confident that I can explain this 2,000 times better than you!”
As the explanation continued endlessly, people in white coats poured in from the entrance of the laboratory, which had been noisy earlier, and the laboratory began to become even more chaotic.
“Didn’t I tell you to completely block it? “It’s interfering with research!”
“But, Director, everyone from other research departments has come in, so the number of researchers is…”
“Shouldn’t we just use graduate students? Call everyone, including those who are resting at home and those who have gone out to work, and tell them to block them with their bodies! “I mean, put everything into it!”
‘….I want to stop and go home….’
Afterwards, a joint research group was formed with the heads of research from each department who stormed into the now chaotic lab, and after all sorts of additional research was done,
“Please!” Please visit again in the near future. We will prepare a more detailed study based on today’s data!”
“Ah yes! Good luck to you guys!”
Only when the sun went over the horizon was the professor able to escape from the maniac’s grasp.
[I got goosebumps.]
‘I agree that it’s devastating.’
Under the pretense of a hardness test, they try to collect at least a piece of the carapace, and say they will extract the scent by putting it in high-concentration alcohol or oil for a long time. They approach with their tongues wagging, saying they want to check if there is any part that is gustatory similar to the chitin of common crustaceans. Isn’t that right (hit me)….
When I looked back, even though the distance was quite far away, I could feel eyes staring at me from the front of the building.
I could now fully understand why spirits hated wizards so much.
****
