Chapter 29
1.
I was glad I pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Thankfully, the save point didn't update.
The two options that popped up right before death.
[ 1. Kisara Resistance ]
[ 2. Paradise Administration Bureau ]
I thought it over carefully, but I honestly have no idea what it means.
And I have no idea why it showed up in that context.
If I don't understand it, I skip it for now.
I've got more than enough other things to think about.
“……Ugh!!! Mm…?! Gmph…! Mmph…?!”
As I fell into Necropolis after a steamy reunion kiss with Arbel.
I mulled over my insanely eventful fourth run.
Let's start with the measurable gains.
+57 pt including the final challenge completion.
Achievement 「Selective Death」 obtained.
In addition, my understanding of death reached 'High'.
Not bad.
I didn't earn as many points as in the third run, but I did get an artifact gacha ticket, so that's fine.
But what is 'understanding of death'?
It felt like it popped up often, but nothing seemed to change so far.
“Hmph.”
Let's move on quickly from what I don't understand this time too.
This run wasn't just about gains; I also farmed information like crazy.
From experience, this godawful world setting has way too many 'you die if you don't know' moments.
I'm not joking—one life isn't enough.
“My death constant, Kisara Yagyu.”
I don't know what the Paradise Administration Bureau is, or what an Executioner is.
But Kisara is absurdly over-specced to be a phase-one boss.
In other words.
“If you meet her, you're definitely dead.”
By genre convention, she's not a boss you're meant to beat in the first place.
You get stronger in 16 days and cut that bitch's head off?
It'd be easier to cram for the SAT from scratch for 16 days and get into SNU.
The only lifeline I can cling to is Ceres...
No matter how I think about it, Ceres doesn't seem like she'd fight that woman for me.
In fact, Ceres didn't follow me to Sector E to help rescue Arbel.
Even though it wouldn't have been hard for her.
So all that affection I painstakingly built up was, uh... about the level of a cherished pet dildo.
Anyway.
There are two triggers for summoning this utterly vicious bitch.
One is, as you know, touching the omnipotent transformation.
The other is a bit long...
“Huh? Those bastards executed the evil Project Z? I can't forgive that in the name of justice!”
“Executioner Kisara, who even ignored the mascot bureau chief's orders, makes an absurdly, exceptionally rare appearance in Necropolis!”
“Purge the villains!”
“Huh? I came to the dump and Cedric's here too!”
“Yay, side hustle! You too, purge!”
And I die because of that completely insane process.
No matter where you hide, the moment Kisara appears in Necropolis, it's a Kisara delivery.
“The mess was made by Twilight Resource Development, so why am I the one getting splashed with the sewage...?”
To avoid this, you either leave Necropolis before 5 a.m. on day sixteen,
or somehow stop Project Z and prevent Kisara from coming in the first place.
“Haa...............”
I'm the kind of young man who usually doesn't lose his positive mindset or hope.
But this is a bit hard to accept.
Why do I have to save the neighbors?
Those bastards are planning to stick a knife in my side and have gopchang for dinner....
There is one way to make this problem a little easier.
“Maybe I should give up on Arbel's reverse-bunny outfit.”
Back in the first run of Necropolis, when I didn't know there was a regression.
I sold Arbel's corpse and got the omnipotent transformation.
I was desperate too.
I didn't know I would come back to life.
After I resurrected, I felt guilty and did everything I could to save Arbel.
Of course, I also wanted to see the bunny girl. Arbel is seriously beautiful.
But as a result.
I was hacked to death by that insane samurai bitch.
I got turned into Cedric-bang-bang by Akhit and Areng.
I killed myself with a pistol.
At this point, haven't I done my duty as a human being?
I only have two talismans left now.
The death penalty includes petty stuff like ingrown toenails, but also hopeless shit like TS beams or being one-armed.
What if I try to save Arbel and end up with nothing but the penalties stacking?
What if I become one-armed, wheelchair-bound, blind, have kidney stones, patchy hair loss, ingrown toenails, dysentery, erectile dysfunction, and impacted wisdom teeth Cedric?
Cedric's sixteen-day life, made more miserable with every death.
A human becomes an adult when they independently take responsibility for their own life and adopt a mature attitude.
And a car-poor person becomes an adult the moment they sell their car.
I'm becoming an adult by giving up on Arbel.
Just as I was trying to erase that option from my mind, what surfaced was.
'...Cedric.'
'I hate you.... Something like you....'
Arbel's final appearance from the previous run.
Arbel, who could have bitten my throat out, but didn't.
And the lips that had touched my nape before pulling away.
“That cunning bitch, she planned this all the way here.”
I knew it.
She had the kind of face that looked like it could eat men alive.
“Damn it! Fine! I'll save you! I'll dress you in a bunny suit!”
I steeled myself.
I'll save Arbel.
I will absolutely dress her in reverse-bunny full-body fishnet.
We'll eat apple mango bingsu together at Arden's best resort.
“Status window!”
《Joker Random Box》
- 1 draw: 30pt
- A consumable item that can become a powerful wild card.
- Try to get your hands on a single card that will shake fate.
I had exactly 60pt.
That's enough for exactly two pulls.
“I believe.”
My heart is more desperate than ever.
My heart is burning with a will hotter than a blast furnace and an unbreakable spirit.
-Thud-clack! Thud-clack!
Please, red. No, at least let it be blue with an R.
Or what, won't SSR show up again? We haven't seen each other even once since then!
Against my hopes, the result was white, C grade.
I went blank.
“Wow, I don't even want to look at it.”
I'm not even curious what came out.
Wasn't this the part where a dramatic event was supposed to happen?
I made up my mind! And now I'm throwing it away again? Arbel, you're getting ditched?
「Sudden Festival」
- Grade: C
- Description: An unexpected festival that steals everyone's attention.
- Effect: For three minutes, spectacular and massive fireworks will go off in the sky you designate.
- Note: One-time use. Very pretty.
“Wow, great. Very pretty? You bitch?”
The unboxing result was awkward too, as expected.
At the very least, a Joker has to be UC grade to be useful; anything below that is worthless.
Forget clashing with the status window and move on to the next gacha quickly.
“Draw.”
-Thud-clack! Thud-clack!
This leaves my remaining points at a perfect 0pt.
I pin all my hopes on this final draw.
Blue glow, R grade.
It's a shame it's not SR, but still....
「Mysterious Contract Stamp」
- Grade: R
- Description: Makes a promise with the world, or breaks one.
- Effect: Can establish a new precept or break an existing one.
- Note: Can also be used on others. Remaining uses: 2.
“Did I just trigger a power-up event?!”
I had already studied up on precepts beforehand.
A contract that binds oneself with taboos, rules, or oaths, and the world grants power proportional to their value and weight.
Isn't the name itself ridiculously grand?
Is this Cedric's rapid power-up event that only depends on heroes?
I immediately held up the contract stamp.
“Precept! I want to forge a precept!”
The status window said.
[You do not meet the qualifications]
“......”
Ah, right.
Precepts are something mages of rank 1 or higher make.
It's just a mid-tier upgrade Joker; if you have jack shit, it means nothing.
“That's seriously infuriating.”
Just as I was about to toss the two Joker cards into my inventory, one thing came to mind.
The notification that had appeared when I looked at Ceres through the monocle.
1) Ceres Cassian researched a way to break a 'precept' two days ago.
2) Ceres Cassian threw away all the high-heeled shoes in the dressing room fourteen days ago.
3) Ceres Cassian leaked Twilight Resource Development's 'Project Z' plan (suspected biochem weapon release in Necropolis, estimated deaths: 250,000) to Overnus Pharmaceuticals twenty-eight days ago.
From item 1, I could tell that Ceres was trying to break a precept.
Then wouldn't this mysterious contract stamp be useful too?
“Hmmm....”
Let's put that thought aside for a moment.
I still have one more artifact pull left.
Artifacts are hard to obtain, so even the UC-grade Eye of Laplace boasts a pretty solid ability.
It wouldn't be too late to decide my next move after seeing this.
[Starting artifact draw]
“Let's gooooo, comeback, rags-to-riches, unrivaled champion!!!!!”
-Thud-clack! Boom-clack! Thud-clack!
Oh! A brilliant red glow!
An SR as sturdy as an iron stomach!
I hurriedly checked the contents.
It was a candle on a gorgeous golden candlestick.
Melted wax had already hardened around the candlestick, half of which had already melted.
“As expected of SR! It looks fucking impressive!”
「Burning Life」
- Grade: SR
- Trait: At the cost of lifespan, you gain tremendous power for 3 minutes.
- Subtrait: Prevents incapacitation once and allows you to continue fighting.
- Note: You grow stronger in proportion to the lifespan you pay. Cannot be removed.
“That's dramatic.”
So it lets me use an ultimate move that burns my lifespan...
There's something that stirs a man's heart there.
Objectively speaking... it's not bad right now.
Lifespan? Of course it's a waste.
My dream is to live to 100, then go all-in at a casino, clean out the table, and die of a heart attack.
But if I can get out of Necropolis, I wouldn't mind dying of a stroke at 80 or so.
I also like the subtrait that prevents incapacitation and lets me keep fighting.
In boxing, there are times when you still have the willpower, but your body just won't keep up; this prevents that.
“Basically, it's still an SR.”
The fact that it can't be removed is a little concerning, though....
At a time like this, do I really care whether it's hot or cold? I shoved it right into the artifact display rack.
Good.
The gacha is over.
With this, the Jokers currently in my possession are....
Talismans Against Evil (2/5), Mysterious Contract Stamp (2/2), Monocle of Grave-Opening (1/3), Trivial Pardon, Vanished Receipt, The Hotel Abyss, Suite Room Voucher, Polite Speech Coupon, Sudden Festival.
Quite plentiful.
My goal for this fifth run.
“Help Ceres mama stop Project Z and win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
I don't have time to think about all sorts of things.
One thing is enough.
2.
Originally, I would have started by hunting bandits in the slums, killing Akhit and Areng, and taking over the fixer office.
But not this time.
When did I ever take the standard route?
I'm busy dying from a lack of time as it is.
As soon as I finished the gacha, I headed toward Ceres mama's mansion.
Knowing where the key was hidden, I boldly snuck into the garage connected to her private elevator.
After waiting only a short while, I saw Ceres stepping out of a limousine.
My plan was clear.
I would make a deal with Ceres.
After all, she intended to stop Project Z.
Our goals overlapped.
“Hmm? How did you get in here?”
When the automatic lights came on, Ceres widened her eyes in surprise.
As if she never expected some crazy bastard to break into a mage's house.
“Picked the lock with a key.”
I didn't avert my eyes.
I met her gaze, as if I were completely confident.
This arrogant, self-righteous, terribly suspicious Ceres likes that sort of attitude.
“What an interesting kid.”
I took a deep breath.
Good.
First, I'll try to negotiate by offering to get rid of the 'precept' she wants to break.
If that doesn't work, I'll bring up Project Z directly.
That Yiming—the guy you tipped off—has already sold you out.
And if push comes to shove, I'll just say 'I'm sorry...!' with the help of the 'Trivial Pardon' and run.
“How interesting.”
With her arms crossed, she walked toward me as if intrigued, then leaned forward and met my eyes.
“Thank you...”
“Shh, be quiet for a moment.”
Ceres reached out toward the corner of my eye.
Was she seriously about to gouge out my eyes just because I acted cheeky?
My PTSD is flaring up.
When I didn't move an inch, her hand wandered over my face as if she were feeling a sculpture.
“Ahahaha.”
And then, all of a sudden, Ceres burst out laughing.
“Death loves you.”
What?
“You, want to work under me?”
This wasn't part of the plan.