In the spacious center, a black-haired young man lay asleep. Mana absorption runes engraved on the floor around him continued to absorb 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 Ranchea's Lambda promised support in case of an SS-grade monster, but in a simultaneous occurrence, Ranchea takes precedence."
SS-grade monsters appear only once or twice a month. The frequency is not high, but even with a promise of support, there was no assurance due to the unpredictable nature.
Moreover, to minimize damage caused by monsters of S-grade or lower, city-affiliated SS-grade guards were essential.
"Waking up the alpha without any plan is indeed dangerous. We're close to the Mana Hole, so..."
Even an SS-grade Awakened with powerful abilities loses consciousness when their mana is depleted. Suppressing the rampaging alpha involved blocking mana replenishment paths, waiting for mana depletion due to skills, and using skills and items to absorb the opponent's mana.
Mana potions, even for SS-grade guards, only contained a tiny amount, and relying on the Awakened's own mana recovery was not a viable option.
"He showed symptoms of mental confusion. It's better to wait until assistance from other SS-grade guards is available. Let's ask Solemnis again for now."
"Be careful not to let the alpha's current state get worse."
A collective sigh escaped from the people's mouths. Luckily, the last appearance of an SS-grade monster was less than a week ago. At least for about a week, it would be safe, and they needed to find a way to stabilize the alpha before that.
---
The blaring siren woke him abruptly. What's happening? Did a dungeon explode nearby... Wait, where am I?!
"...Oh, right."
He was momentarily surprised by the building exterior blocking his view, but then he remembered the events of last night. This place was inside the dungeon.
More precisely, it was a world that had already perished. A false world with only retained information. He came here, encountered someone resembling Sung hyunjae, and... thinking about it again irritated him.
He got up from his spot. The siren continued to wail. Unsure if it was daylight, a dim light seeped through the building's gaps.
Should I check what's going on? He used the concealment skill and cautiously slipped through the gaps in the building.
Thud, thud, thud.
A large machine was moving on the road. The road broke and repaired neatly with each passage of the machine. He looked around, expecting monsters to appear anytime, but it was quiet, unlike the night.
"Why is it making such a loud noise, and nothing is showing up?"
While pondering, the machine repairing the road disappeared into the distance. Shortly after, the siren stopped.
Clank, clunk.
Thick barriers blocking the entrance and windows of the building began to open. Across the street, the lights entered a shop, and the shop owner opened the door wide. It was bewildering to see them start cleaning the front of the store as if nothing had happened overnight.
Not only the shop but also people began to appear one by one on the street. Cars appeared on the road, and vehicles resembling buses also showed up.
"They said an SS-grade monster appeared nearby, but everything seems fine here."
"Zone 5-B residential area suffered significant damage."
"But it looks like no one got hurt. Oh, Mr. Park, we need to finish the cleanup before sunset."
Although there was talk about monsters, people seemed peaceful. It was just an ordinary street scene.
Most people were Non-Awakened, and a few F~E-grades were scattered. All those FE-grades had minimal mana. After staring at the street absentmindedly for a moment, he activated the concealment skill again. Just in case, he lightly washed his face with water from a bottle and went outside.
A few people did glance at me, but it was only for a brief moment. Just a casual look at a passerby, a typical gaze.
"Monsters don't appear during the day?"
That seemed to be the only atmosphere. Careful not to attract too much attention, he slowly walked. Buses stopped at the bus stop, and people got on and off. Shops displayed signs and shelves. Office workers lined up to enter the tall building. Next to the building, a takeout beverage shop was busy taking orders from office workers. It looked like coffee, but the drink in transparent cups was red or green instead. Instead of the coffee aroma, a sweet and refreshing scent wafted.
It was genuinely ordinary and peaceful.
"If the atmosphere is like this, it should be easy to gather information."
And for now, let's get something to eat. I'm hungry. I don't have money, though.
The current money in hand was 1,000 L. Several sub-quests appeared. Let's see if there's a place to earn money, but first, I went back to the alley. It's quite troublesome. But gesturing in the air and looking at it might seem strange, so I decided to be careful.
[Sub-Quests:
First Purchase at the Store
First Steps as a Guard
First Purchase at the Store 2
**First Outing**
*Today's Part-Time Job Worker*
Another quest had emerged: the first purchase quest had one more addition. The first purchase quest was for the Point Shop, and the second one was for a regular store. The rewards were 1,000P and 500L for the first, and 500P and 1,000L for the second.
Well, let's start by buying something from the Point Shop. I opened the Point Shop window and looked at the inexpensive items.
'Flash Grenade for 350P. Should I buy this? There's also a wire, having a spare would be nice, but it's expensive...'
It would be better to save points for items needed on the spot. However, I'm still lacking equipment. I lost a dagger because of the fake Sung hyunjae. The cheapest dagger is 1,000P. It has S-grade poison resistance, so poison items would be really useful. But even low-grade poison rings were ridiculously expensive for one-time use.
There were also bombs available. I really want to buy some. Oh, a sniper rifle. A trap set! Oh, this Ghillie Suit has an overlapping stealth skill application. A sleeping bag, I want a sleeping bag too. Not necessarily a tent, but at least, sleeping on a hard surface without anything hurts my back.
'These seem to be dungeon items that go into the inventory.'
Ah, there are so many things I want to buy, but I don't have money or points. There's plenty of money outside the dungeon. Can't I exchange cash for points? Please let me pay in cash if it's a game. I'll offer my bank account, just let me spend the money I have.
Regretfully, I purchased a flash grenade. It seemed like the monsters here were mainly active at night. Flash grenades could be useful for their vulnerability to bright light, and it could be combined with the stealth skill.
After completing the first store purchase quest, I looked at other quests. Let's postpone the first steps as a guard.
**First Outing**
*Let's go outside the city! Please prepare well, as it is dangerous outside the defensive wall. A pass is essential. Try to reach another city along the road.*
Rewards: 10,000P, 80,000L, Map
The rewards made it seem really risky. Are monsters roaming around? I can probably avoid S-rank with the stealth skill, but...
'From the conversation I overheard, it seems like even SS-rank monsters appear here.'
The fake Sung Hyunjae was also SS-rank, and overall, the average rank here seemed higher than in our neighborhood. Someone in this city must be at least SS-rank. If I join, everyone here should be SS-rank... Sung Hyunjae, you scoundrel.
**Today's Part-Time Job Worker**
*Let's find a day job! There are various part-time jobs available in the city. Experience the joy of labor!*
Reward: 500P, Job Advertisement
...What am I supposed to do? I need money, but do I look like someone with time to do part-time jobs? However, the job advertisement caught my attention. Since the reward is an item, I felt like I had to clear the quest. Maybe it's not an ordinary job advertisement.
Anyway, I couldn't do this quest right now, so I went out to the street again to fill my belly and strategize for the second store purchase quest. I currently had a total of 1,500L. Since I didn't know the value of money, I entered a store that looked like a convenience store.
"Welcome!"
The woman in her thirties behind the counter greeted me cheerfully. There was a table, chairs, and even a TV on one side. Great. I could gather information while having a meal.
A drama was playing on the TV.
*Leaving the city, how would you do that?*
*I emptied my entire fortune to hire an S-rank guard. An inconspicuous transport truck with stealth applied is ready too.*
Certainly, it seemed dangerous outside the city. A transport truck with stealth applied, it must be expensive. I wonder how they prevent looting.
The convenience store had various foods. However, there were no apparent cup noodles, and a machine on one side looked unfamiliar. It seemed to play the role of a microwave, but I didn't know how to open it.
I reluctantly picked up a sandwich that didn't need to be heated. Toasted Poa Sandwich, 250L. It would be around 3,000 won, so about 12,000 won in total. If I buy this and get the reward, I would have roughly that amount.
Tonight would be another night without shelter. Damn.
"Hello."
Holding the sandwich, I approached the counter and tried to smile as kindly as possible. I'm not a suspicious person; I just want to ask a few questions.
"Hello."
The store owner also responded with a friendly smile. Surprisingly, her expression was more favorable than I expected.
"Last night was quite chaotic."
"Yes, indeed. This SS-rank monster appeared almost a month after the last one. It was peaceful for a while, but luckily, it was quickly dealt with. Last time, we suffered damage even in the underground shelter, so it was a big deal."
An underground shelter. It seemed that ordinary citizens took refuge underground at night. Monsters only appeared at night, and after guards dealt with them, people would come out during the day for their daily lives. That pattern.
With the sandwich in hand, I handed over the card, trying to appear as friendly as possible. It's not that I'm suspicious; I just want to hear it from you.
"Do you happen to know someone among the high-level guards who uses fire-related skills?"
Skills might change upon entering this world, but the basic attributes should remain the same. Except for me, who was supposed to possess someone originally from this world, S-rank or higher guards with fire skills were likely to be Yoohyun.
The store owner, looking puzzled at my question.
"A fire skills guard? That would be Alpha from Akates City."
"Alpha?"
"Don't you know?"
The store owner looked puzzled and asked in return. Is it something like hearing someone not knowing Yoohyun or Sung Hyunjae while living in Korea? Trying to appear as naturally as possible, I opened my mouth.
"I'd like to pretend not to know for now. Could you please tell me in detail?"
It's something I know, but I want to hear it from you. I mentally scolded myself for being so sneaky. However, the store owner seemed to accept it well. While smiling, she began to explain.
**"Alpha is an SS-rank guard from Akates City. Similar to our Sigma in Solemniss City. He's a young man, awakened for four years, at the age of twenty-six, and his main skill is fire. Although he's young with a short career, I've heard that his abilities are outstanding."**
Seems like it could be Yoohyun . Perfect avatar for him. The issue might be...
**'Being in a different city.'**
In the end, it means I have to leave the city. Moreover, judging by the tone, it seems like there is approximately one SS-rank guard in each city. To gather the whole team, do I need to tour the cities? And there might be installation areas for the discs in each city.
...Hey, newbie! Provide some means of transportation for beginners! Peace, where are you? I need you. I hope he hasn't been mistaken for a monster and attacked. Even though the kid did get hit by a monster.
**'The Sigma in Solemniss City must be referring to the fake Sung hyunjae. It seems like they use titles based on the city's name for SS-rank guards in each city. Is Med Sang City our city...? Oh well, Alpha, Beta, Delta, Theta, I know them. Maybe it's Meta.'**
"Is there anything else you're curious about?" The store owner asked cheerfully. She's really friendly. Or perhaps... does she have a liking for me? Come to think of it, my stats have risen to C-rank. Did I get a facial adjustment? My height seems a bit taller... Or not.
Anyway, it's going well. Let's take this chance to gather more detailed information.
"City Defense Bureau, right? Can ordinary citizens visit, like a tour? Maybe there are guidebooks about guard history and imprints. The fun might be limited, but..."
"During the day, only some public facilities are open, but the nearby park is good for a walk. It's not far from here."
If only public facilities are open, the probability of high-ranked guards being present is low. It should be fine to visit during the day.
**[There will be an emergency broadcast from the City Defense Bureau in a moment.]**
At that moment, the drama on TV was interrupted, and a stern voice started broadcasting. I turned to look, and the screen changed, revealing a familiar face.
"Oh? Sigma-nim. What brings him here?"
When seen in a well-lit place, his hair color is indeed darker than the Sung Hyunjae I knew. He faintly smiled on the screen.
**[Citizens of Solemniss City.]**
Hearing the voice, irritation surged again. It could be someone else, but he looks too similar.
**'If the stern-faced chick's teacher can't deal with regular people, we can confirm that by checking this.'**
If it's another guy, it's better, but if that idiot with lost memories is on the screen, I'll immediately refuse and let them take him away. A refusal from an SS-rank results in immediate fainting.
Anyway, I need to get to Akates City somehow and join Yoohyun
**[A newly awakened, unregistered Awakener who was supposed to join our ranks escaped last night.]**
...What? Seriously? A chilly premonition washed over me.
**[A C-rank male Awakener with black hair, black eyes, wearing a red earring. He has an average height for his rank, fair skin, and a handsome appearance in his early twenties. Please report immediately if you discover him for city defense.]**
...Damn, wait a moment. Then, Sung Hyunjae disappeared from the screen, and subtitles appeared, stating that 5 million L would be given for a decisive report, and 100 million L for a live capture.
Hey, you fake Sung hyunjae!
Amid confusion, I looked back at the counter. The store owner and I locked eyes. She stared at me blankly. Then, swiftly, she lifted something that seemed like a phone.
This is bad, really bad!
"Even if I say no, you won't believe me, right?"
"Hello, is this the City Defense Bureau?"
Yeah, as expected. I grabbed the sandwich and card from the counter, turned quickly, and used the stealth skill to escape to the street.
You imposter Sung Hyunjae!!
---