Chapter 226 - City in the Day (1)

A young man with black hair slept in the center of the spacious area. The mana absorption engraving inscribed on the ground centered around the young man and continued absorbing his mana.

People outside the area where the runes took effect looked at the young man with worried expressions.

"Solemnis Sigma has rejected the request."

"At least Lambda from Ranchea said they would provide support in case a class SS monster appears, but in case it happens simultaneously, the city of Ranchea will take priority."

Class SS monsters appear once or twice a month. Although it wasn't a frequent occurrence, the frequency wasn't precise, so even if support was promised, it couldn't be relied upon completely.

Furthermore, class SS guards belonging to the city were absolutely necessary to reduce the damage from class S and lower monsters.

"It would be dangerous to awaken Alpha without any measures. This is close to the Mana Hall."

Even SS-class awakeners with powerful abilities would lose consciousness when their mana ran out. Suppressing the runaway Alpha was also achieved by blocking the mana replenishment path, waiting for the ability to consume mana, and then using skills and items to absorb mana from the opponent.

This was possible because even SS-class guards only had a very small amount of mana potion, and the mana recovery of the awakened person was extremely low.

"He was showing symptoms of mental confusion. It's better to wait until there is help from other SS-grade guards available. Let's ask the city of Solemnis again for now."

"Please be careful what you say so that the current state of Alpha doesn't leak."

Low sighs escaped from everyone's mouths at the same time. Fortunately, it had been less than a week since the last class SS monster appeared. It would be safe for at least a week, so they had to find a way to stabilize Alpha before then.

***

Indra Scans

***

beep-beep-beep

I woke up to the loud sound of the siren. What, a dungeon nearby exploded...

Where am I?!

'...Oh.'

I startled as I saw the outer wall of the building blocking my view, and finally remembered what happened last night. This was in a dungeon.

To be precise, it's in a world that has already been destroyed. A fake world where only information remains. When I came here, I met someone who looked like Sung Hyunjae... Thinking about it makes me angry again.

I immediately got up. The sirens were still blaring. It was dawn, and a pale light was filtering through the cracks of the building.

Let's see what's going on. I used my stealth ability and carefully slid through the gap in the building.

Metallic sound!

A large machine was moving along the road. Every time the machine passed by, the broken and cracked road was carefully repaired. I looked around, thinking that if a monster came out like that, it would be destroyed immediately, but unlike the night, it was quiet.

'It makes such a loud noise, but why isn't anything appearing?'

As I wondered, the road repair machine disappeared into the distance. And after a while, the sirens stopped blaring.

Clang, Clang.

The thick barriers blocking the entrance and windows of the building began to open. A light turned on in the store in front of me, and the store owner opened the door wide. It was embarrassing to see them start cleaning the front of the store as if nothing had happened overnight.

One by one, people began to appear not only in the stores but also on the streets. Cars appeared on the pavement, and even a vehicle that looked like a bus showed up.

"I heard a class SS monster appeared nearby, but this place is fine."

"They say residential area 5-B suffered a lot of damage."

"But it seems like no one was injured. Ah, Mr. Park. We have to finish cleaning before sunset, so let's act fast."

Although there were contradictory stories about the monsters, people seemed peaceful. It was simply an ordinary street scene.

Most of the people weren't awake, with only a few F and E classes mixed in.

All those F and E classes had a low amount of mana. After staring at the street for a moment, I returned to the alley and activated my stealth ability.

Just in case, I fetched some water, and lightly washed my face and went out.

Some people glanced at me, but only for a moment. It was a normal look, just passing by a passerby.

'...Do monsters not come out during the day?'

It was an atmosphere that could only be imagined that way. I walked slowly, careful not to look around too much. A bus stopped at a stop, and people crowded to get on and off.

Stores had put up signs and stalls. Office workers lined up to enter a large building. The takeaway drink shop right next to the building was busy taking orders from the office workers.

I thought it was coffee, but the drink in the transparent cup was red or green. Instead of the aroma of coffee, it smelled sweet and refreshing.

It was really normal and peaceful.

"It would be easy to gather information in this kind of atmosphere."

And first, let's buy something to eat. I'm hungry. Although I don't have any money.

The money currently available was 1,000 L. There were a few more side missions, so I went back to the alley to see if I could earn some money.

This is quite annoying. But if you stare into space and gesture with your hands, you'll think it's strange.

[Missions

First purchase in store

First steps as a guard

First purchase in store 2

First outing

Part-time worker for today]

There was one more first purchase in the store. The first purchase mission was a purchase in a timely store, and the second was a purchase in a general store. The rewards were 1000P and 500L, and 500P and 1000L, respectively.

Well, let's first buy something in the timely store. I opened the store window and looked at cheap items.

'Flashbang 350P. Should I buy this? There's also a cable, it would be good to have a spare one, but it's expensive...'

It would be better to save as many points as possible and buy the items you need at that time. But I still lack equipment. I even lost a dagger because of fake Sung Hyunjae. The cheapest dagger costs 1000P.

The poison resistance is at level S, so poisonous items would also be really useful. However, high-quality poison pills were extremely expensive even though they were disposable.

There are also bombs. I want to buy. Wow, sniper rifle. Trap set! Oh, the stealth ability of this ghillie suit applies multiple times. I also want a sleeping bag. I don't even have a tent, but at least a sleeping bag is fine. My back hurts because I sleep on a hard, cold surface.

"All of these are dungeon items that go into the inventory, but there are all kinds of things in them."

Ah, there are so many things I really want to buy, but I don't have the money or the points. There's a lot of money outside the dungeon. You can't buy points with cash. Please be prudent.

Isn't it normal to accept cash when it comes to games? I'll give you my savings passbook, please let me give it to you. I have money, but why can't I use it?

With a heart pounding with sorrow, I bought a flash grenade. It seems that monsters here mainly come out at night, so there's a high chance they have a weakness to light. It's good to activate a stun grenade and link it with the stealth ability.

I completed my first purchase mission in the store and looked at other missions. Postpone your first step as a guard.

[First outing

Let's leave the city! It's dangerous outside the defense wall, so be prepared. A pass is required. Reach other cities on the way.

Reward: 10,000P, 80,000L, Map]

As for the reward, it seemed really dangerous. Are monsters rampaging? Even up to class S, I can probably avoid it with stealth abilities, but...

"After listening to people's conversations earlier, it seems that class SS monsters also appear here."

The rank of fake Sung Hyunjae was also SS, and overall the average rank seemed to be higher than in my world. There must be at least one person in this city. I think everyone here has risen to class SS, so... Sung Hyunjae is a damn bastard.

[Part-time worker for today]

Let's look for a daytime job! A variety of part-time jobs are available in the city. Feel the joy of work!

Reward: 500P, recruitment brochure]

...What can I really do? I need money, but is it a part-time job or an idle job? But I was concerned about the recruitment brochure. You feel like you have to complete the mission because the reward is an object. I'm sure it's not just an ordinary job offer leaflet.

Anyway, since it's not a mission I can do now, I went back to the street again to complete Shop Purchase 2 and fill my stomach. I have a total of 1,500L now.

I couldn't calculate the value of the money, so I entered a store that looked like a convenience store.

"Welcome!"

A woman who looked to be in her thirties sitting at the counter greeted me cheerfully. Do they also sell things like ramen cups here? There was a table, chairs, and even a TV on one side. That's good. You can get information while eating.

There was a drama on TV.

[How do I leave the city?]

[I spent all my money and hired a Class S guard. A hidden transport truck has also been prepared.]

As expected, it seemed dangerous outside the city. It's a stealth truck, so it must be expensive. How can you not rob it?

The convenience store had a variety of foods. However, there was nothing that looked like a cup of ramen, and the machine on the side didn't seem familiar to me. I think it works like a microwave, but I don't know where it opens.

On countless occasions, I bought a sandwich that didn't need to be reheated. Grilled Chicken Sandwich, 250L. If it costs about 3,000 won, 1,000L would be about 2,000 won. If you buy this and get compensation, you'll have approximately 27,000 won.

If things continue like this, I'll be homeless again tonight. Damn it.

"Hello."

I went to the counter with a sandwich and smiled as kindly as I could. I'm definitely not a suspicious person, I just want to ask something.

"Hello."

The store owner also responded with a friendly smile. His expression was more understanding than I expected.

"I heard there was no scandal last night."

"That's right. This SS-class monster was released almost a month ago. There was peace for a while. Still, I'm glad it was resolved quickly. Last time, even the underground shelter was damaged, so it was a really big problem."

It's an underground shelter. Ordinary citizens seemed to take refuge underground at night. The pattern is that monsters only appear at night, and after the guards deal with the monsters at night, they come to the surface during the day and continue with their daily lives.

When I handed over my card along with the sandwich, the payment was processed in a familiar way. 250L has been paid. A mechanical sound was heard.

"Do you know any advanced guards who use fire-related abilities?"

It's possible that skills change when entering this world, but wouldn't the basic attributes be the same? As it was said to be like being possessed by someone in this world except for me, I thought there was a high chance that Yoohyun was the guard with an S-class or higher fire ability.

"If it's a guard with fire abilities, it must definitely be the Alpha of the city of Acates."

"Alpha?"

"Don't you know?"

The store owner seemed puzzled and asked. I guess it's similar to hearing people say they don't know Yoohyun or Sung Hyunjae while living in Korea. I smiled as naturally as possible and opened my mouth.

"I'd like to say I don't know right now. Could you tell me in detail?"

I know, but I want to hear it from you. I felt very embarrassed when I heard Your words. But the store owner seemed to accept it. He smiles and explains.

"Alpha is the SS-level guard of the city of Acates. Just like Sigma from Solemnis City. He's a 26-year-old young man who has been awake for 4 years, and his main ability is fire. He's young and inexperienced, but I heard he has outstanding skills."

I think it's Yoohyun. Isn't this the perfect avatar for Yoohyun? If it's a problem.

"He's in another city."

Ultimately, it means you have to leave the city. Also, from the way they spoke, it seemed there was at least one SS-class guard in each city. Do I need to do a city tour to gather the whole group? I think there's probably a city area where discs are installed.

...Rookie! At least provide a beginner's guide! Pace, where are you? I need you. I'm sure he wasn't attacked because he was mistaken for a monster. But the kid is not a monster.

'Sigma from Solemnis City probably refers to the fake Sung Hyunjae. It doesn't seem to be the real name, but do SS-level guards in each city receive titles according to the city's name?

The city of Medsang to which I belong is M... What is it? I know Alpha beta delta theta. Is it meta?

"Any other questions?"

The store owner asked with a smile. You're very kind. Or perhaps... Have you fallen in love with me? Now that I think about it, my stats have risen to level C. Was my face retouched? I also look a bit taller... It doesn't seem like it to me.

Anyway, it went well. Let's take this opportunity to gather more information.

"The city's defense office. Would it be possible to conduct tours for the general public? Inquire about guides on guard history, engravings, etc."

"Although it may not be very fun."

"Only a few public service facilities are open during the day, but the nearby park is fantastic for strolling. It's not far from here."

If only the civil service facility is open, the likelihood of having a high-level guard is low. It would be okay to go during the day.

[There will be a brief emergency broadcast from the city's defense office.]

At that moment, the drama stopped broadcasting on television, and a raspy voice came out.

When I turned my head to look, the screen changed, and a familiar face appeared.

"Oh? It's Sigma. What's going on?"

When I saw him under the bright light, I could see that his hair was darker than the Sung Hyunjae I knew. The man on the screen smiled faintly.

[Citizens of Solemnis.]

When I heard the voice, my irritation increased again. He may be a different guy, but he still looks a lot like him.

"I heard that the damn teacher class can't be used against the people here, so you can check it out."

It would be better if it were someone else, but if it were Sung Hyunjae, who foolishly lost his memory, I would reject him immediately, so it wouldn't be any different from saying:

"Take me." If you're rejected by the SS rank, you'll faint immediately.

After all, somehow I have to go to the city of Acates and join Yoohyun.

[Last night, an unregistered male alarm clock scheduled to join my new group escaped.]

...What? No way? My heart froze with a sinister premonition.

[It's a male Class C alarm clock with black hair and eyes. He wears red earrings. He has average height for his rank, white skin, and an attractive appearance in his twenties. For city defense, report it immediately upon discovery.]

...Damn it, wait a minute. Then Sung Hyunjae disappeared from the screen, and a subtitle appeared saying that 5 million L would be paid as compensation for a decisive report and 100 million L if captured alive.

Hey, you damn fake Sung Hyunjae!!!

I looked at the counter in confusion. And I made eye contact with the store owner.

He looked at me uncomprehendingly. Then, he picks up what looks like a phone.

It's ruined, really!

"You wouldn't believe me if I said I wasn't him, would you?"

"Hello, is this the Defense Agency, right?"

Yes, as expected. I grabbed the sandwich and card from the counter and quickly turned around. I used my stealth ability and escaped to the street.

Fake Sung Hyunjae, you son of a bitch!