Damn System

Episode 26

Chapter 7 Murderer (1)

It’s true that I was embarrassed, but I couldn’t pass the time.

The time limit for bounty missions is only 24 hours.

Perhaps my tension had eased while I was deep in my thoughts, but when I woke up Namgyu, who had been dozing off, the sky was bright blue.

I asked for the address and went to Namgyu’s house.

I tried magic detection, but nothing in particular caught me.

Looking at the cold studio, it seemed that the father of the child had not entered yesterday either.

Thanks to this, he was able to wash off the blood on Nam-gyu, change his clothes, and bring him out without anyone interfering.

The final destination is a motel quite far from Gwanak-gu.

I handed several 50,000 won bills to Nam-gyu and begged him to trust him.

“Even with this, order delivery food and stay calm. I’ll be in touch tomorrow at the earliest, or the day after tomorrow at the latest. Don’t tell anyone about the game.”

When he said it with his transparency on, Namgyu answered calmly even with his swollen eyes.

“yes… … .”

After a moment of hesitation, I added his codename as a friend.

I couldn’t help it because Namgyu didn’t have a cell phone.

Even if there was, it would be cleaner this way than leaving my cell phone number.

Perhaps because he failed in the third tutorial and was distracted, Namgyu’s code name was also his real name.

“Go in now.”

Namgyu, who was silent as if he had something to say, turned around with a gloomy expression.

After confirming that he was entering the motel, I moved on.

The blood from Namgyu’s hands was on his clothes, so he couldn’t use public transportation.

So, I walked while using invisibility.

Now it’s time to take a look at what we haven’t seen before.

titles and renown.

[style]

• Description: Titles can be obtained according to the player’s performance, and each title can receive different system support.

[Bounty Hunter (Pre-Activation)]

• Description: A title given to players who have completed bounty hunting missions, and is automatically activated when completing bounty hunting missions.

• Effect: One of the target’s skills can be randomly absorbed.

‘Absorbing technology?’

When I checked the effect of the title, I was honestly surprised.

It means that one of the target’s skills will be secured unconditionally.

Although the random condition of randomness was entered, it was a sufficiently surprising effect.

‘This… … .’

Suppose a player of the same level as me becomes the target of a bounty mission.

There are only four skills I have right now.

One of them is a title that allows you to absorb it unconditionally.

This means that depending on the skill the opponent has, you can acquire a skill that can generate thousands or tens of thousands of mana.

In addition to that, the target’s mana will be absorbed by default.

Although not specifically mentioned, the player classified as a target is also a creature.

I skimmed through the bounty hunter’s description with mixed eyes and clicked the Reputation tab.

[Fame]

• Description: Acquired when achieving achievements recognized by the system. Depending on your accumulated reputation, you can receive benefits such as store discounts and increased rewards.

(View achievement list)

(View reputation ranking)

At the end of the description, there were two blinking buttons as if to induce a click, but I didn’t catch my eye.

After the new window opened, my gaze was fixed on one word.

‘discount?’

I was more surprised than when I read the description related to the title.

This game has a structure where you have to buy skills and equipment with the magic you have gathered.

How many times have you been cursed at for that?

Even when I bought invisible a few days ago, my hands trembled because of the waste of magic power.

But can I get a discount? I read the description of Fame over and over again.

The discount rate seemed to vary depending on how much fame you had.

1% at my level right now.

When I turned on the shop window, a number with 1% magic power discounted from all prices appeared in red letters.

It was the moment when there was a reason to gather fame.

‘The more fame I collect, the more magical power I can preserve.’

I took a deep breath, feeling the thrill running down my spine.

It was good that there was a way to use the shop other than magic.

But it was hard to like it.

Aside from coveting the reward from the bounty mission, I didn’t want to rush through that mission.

‘Murder of my own people… … .’

Because the content of the mission was too explicit.

‘You’re telling me to kill people.’

A visceral reluctance to kill arose.

However, it is difficult to give up the mission blindly because of that.

‘Unlike hunting missions, this one has a penalty if it fails.’

When the time limit has passed without me doing this mission.

There is a sentence stating that the target is notified of the location of the bounty hunter.

Will the players who know of my existence hesitate like me?

According to what you said in that mission, he must have already killed people?

My head still throbs today.

The moment I was trying to think about where to start with this problem.

The cell phone vibrated. The sender is Jinwoo.

‘Oops.’

Only then did I realize that I had been up all night outside.

After sending a message saying he would be late the day before, he stayed out at all.

I sighed deeply and moved to a place where there would be no CCTV.

And I answered the phone while unlocking the invisibility.

“Are you awake already?”

“where are you?”

The time I checked before answering the phone was 5:03 AM.

Normally, my younger siblings are sleeping and it is time for me to get ready for work.

I have no choice but to gloss over it by saying that it came out a little early.

“I got out early, I had some work to do.”

『… … ha.”

Jinwoo’s sigh came from beyond the cell phone.

“What is your sigh?”

“It’s a lie.”

Then, he questioned me with a sharp voice. What?

“what?”

“I know you didn’t come in yesterday. They took turns waiting for me and Yeonwoo.”

When I heard the lie, my shoulders twitched and trembled.

But I can’t explain what happened last night.

“Why wait? Don’t do that, just sleep.”

『How are you? Can’t we just worry about hyung?”

“I don’t mean that… … .”

“Hyung, you know what’s really weird these days? What’s going on? What is it?』

“… … what is the job?”

I couldn’t give a detailed explanation, so it was best to gloss over it.

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

“How can you not worry? Why are you staying out all night without saying anything?』

“I sent a message saying I was late yesterday… … .”

『Just being late is the same as sleeping out?!』

I had to put my cell phone far away from my ear because Jin-woo was screaming.

‘It’s not often that this guy raises his voice.’

I had to shake my head nervously.

I had no intention of telling my younger siblings about the game.

Let’s pretend it’s okay for now.

“Don’t scream, are you ripping me off for sleeping out right now?”

『What is Aurabang? Did you explain?”

From the side, I heard Yeonwoo’s voice gurgling.

“Oh come on, stay still. What’s going on? What did you do at night?”

Judging from Jin-Woo’s current momentum, he would be suffering even after going home.

I took a deep breath and spoke in a firm voice.

“I’m past the age of nagging because of staying out, and I also have a private life. So don’t ask and move on. There was nothing for you to worry about.”

It was to draw a line so that Jin-woo and Yeon-woo would not ask questions later.

“privacy?”

I really couldn’t even imagine that this would cause a strange misunderstanding.

『Brother, maybe… … Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Cool, kek kek!”

I swallowed my saliva at such a sudden statement and heard a sigh.

I had to keek-keek for a while.

In the meantime, on the other side of the phone, Yeonwoo’s fuss began.

『He said he has a girlfriend? Who are you? Are you pretty? How old are you? When did you introduce us?”

I was about to say that it wasn’t like that, but I was speechless.

‘What if I say no?’

I’m going to go back to the sleepover story and ask what’s going on.

“Nu, if you notice, just say you’re going to do that in the future and pass it on.”

In the end, my lips trembled and I lied.

“Don’t ask any more questions and go back to sleep. ”

“I’m just going to wash it right away. You can go to bed early tonight.”

“So then.”

“By the way, when did my sister-in-law… … .』

“We’re not like that yet, so please stop asking!”

If you ask me to introduce you to a girlfriend you don’t even have for a long time, it’ll be a big deal.

『Damn it! That’s mean! I want to meet my new sister too! Hyeonwoo Kang, guarantee an introduction!』

Yeonwoo’s protest has already begun from the side.

Feeling threatened, I hurriedly opened my mouth.

“Yeonwoo, you calm down, hang up!”

I just hung up and hit the end call button at the speed of light.

It felt like the storm had passed.

It has been said since ancient times that lies lead to bigger lies, but there is nothing wrong with that.

I banged my head against the wall and sighed.

Even while doing so, the timer for the bounty mission kept running down.

‘Let’s check the circumstances first.’

I need to know why the word murder of my own people popped up in the mission.

In order to do that, you need a means of contact… … .

I turned on the portal site app on my phone to search.

‘I don’t know if this is still there.’

I saw it often when I was young and I think I used it a few times, but I don’t know if it still exists.

When I searched with dubious doubt, the results popped up.

* * *

9 am.

The phone started ringing in the empty office because of the meeting that had been going on since dawn.

“I am a detective belonging to Team 2 of the Domestic Security Guard.”

Gam Ji-won, who had not yet taken off his rookie tee, quickly answered the phone.

『I told him that he had something to say about the game, and he connected me here.』

Right after that, a slightly heavy and calm male voice was heard over the receiver.

The detective’s body trembled.

『I would like to speak directly to the person in charge.』

It was something that would have been dismissed as a prank call just a few days ago.

But now a lot has changed.

For that reason, orders had already been given to those receiving external reception.

Details are kept confidential, but all calls that mention a few words, such as games or players, should be directed to the National Security Council.

Recalling what had happened two, no, three days ago, the detective took a deep breath and said.

“Can I help you with identification?”

“I don’t want to tell you my name, but I am a player. Please change the person in charge.”

“Identification verification for more accurate reporting… … .”

“I said I had no intention of talking. I’m on a public phone right now, so don’t waste your time and contact the person in charge. Or else I’ll quit.”

The detective, who was trying to trace the caller’s number, replied with his eyes closed.

“… … Please wait a moment.”

Putting the company phone on standby, she hurriedly got up and ran into the conference room.

Unlike the empty office, it was full of team leaders and agents.

When the door suddenly opened, the eyes of those who were concentrating on the meeting with serious expressions focused on the detective.

Receiving the gaze of her seniors, she recited the business with a nervous look.

“Captain, this is a call from someone claiming to be a player. It was clearly referred to as a game. What should I do?”

“… … Where is it?”

“I was trying to track him down, but he said he would hang up if I didn’t hand over the phone… … In my own words, it is a public phone.”

“… … As soon as the location is confirmed, send people and return the phone to the meeting room.”

While the inspector returned to his seat, a man in his 40s called the leader calmly gave instructions.

“Transcribe and check if there are words that can be retrieved from personal information. Team leader Han Seok-joon listens together.”

“Yes, Captain.”

The agents in the meeting moved in perfect order.

It wasn’t long before the phone on the table rang.

The man who met Han Seok-jun’s eyes nodded.

One, two, three.

At the same time, he raised the receiver and greeted the person on the other side of the receiver.

“Nice to meet you, this is Yang Jo-cheol, the head of the National Intelligence Service’s Domestic Security Department.”

“I am a player.”

It was such a quiet voice that there was no trembling to be found.

From that fact, several facts could be inferred.