Chapter 42
#042
1.
“That’s right.”
“What is it?”
“It’s been engraved. An imprint.”
“What?!”
“An imprint on me?”
“Then what is an imprint?”
“Honestly, I don’t really know either, so let’s hear top instructor Ceres mama explain it.”
“An imprint (刻印) is a ‘bias of the circuit.’”
A mana circuit is basically a blank slate that can accept all kinds of mana.
If you form the proper image and go through the correct procedure, in theory it can be compatible with any magic.
“But once an imprint is engraved into a circuit, it can only be used for the magic it was imprinted with. Right now, the circuit in your right upper arm bears the imprint of Death Sentence.”
Ceres’s fingertips slid from my right shoulder to my elbow as if drawing a line.
It was strangely ticklish and chilling at the same time.
So, to sum up.
“You’re saying the circuit in my right upper arm has been trained for Death Sentence only?”
“Did you have to put it that way?”
“So what happens then?”
“You gain specialization at the cost of losing versatility. In the end, a mage’s level depends on how much you refine this imprint and lead it upward. You’ve taken your first step.”
After hearing a bit more, I understood why an imprint was described as a ‘bias of the circuit.’
In simple terms, I guess it’s like burning ROM into my circuit?
Even simpler, it was basically a skill button.
Not only can it drastically skip the ‘procedure’ you normally have to go through to cast magic, it also makes the spell far more powerful.
But here’s what I was wondering.
“Do imprints normally form this easily?”
“No, that’s why it’s weird.”
Ceres said flatly.
“An imprint is engraved only after you completely understand the principles of the magic and master it through thousands, tens of thousands of repetitions.”
“But I don’t really understand the principles behind Death Sentence, do I?”
“I know. Your skill at handling mana is nothing special. If anything, it’s a little below average. The circuit’s performance is just about average too. But….”
Ceres stroked my cheek.
“Your mental image is special. As if… yes, as if you’ve experienced death over and over again.”
As expected of Ceres mama—sharp as ever.
Of course, that may be part of it, but….
The imprint was probably engraved thanks to the proficiency bonus from ‘Growth Acceleration,’ most likely.
I’d chopped up those 8th-rank fixers and power-leveled in real time like crazy.
I asked one last question.
“Lady Ceres, if for some reason the imprint gets blown away... is it hard to build it back up?”
“You always ask such strange questions, don’t you?”
It’s an important question.
Fast growth is great, but in the end it stays in the hardware called an imprint, doesn’t it?
If the imprint is wiped clean at the point of regression, I’ll have to revise my first-run plan.
“Even if that happens, you’ll recover quickly. Even if the imprint disappears, your mental image and interpretation won’t fade, will they? You’ll soon return to the level you reached.”
Good, then there’s no problem.
Confirmed: I can keep the first-run policy as is.
All that’s left is to polish this thing called an imprint through as much real combat as possible.
I need to take quests from Iming and cut down fixers like today to raise the ceiling as much as possible.
On top of that, I can farm affinity with Iming too—two birds with one stone.
I’m steadily building the stairs toward Arbel Bunny Girl!
I threw on my burgundy leather coat and got ready to leave.
“Leaving already?”
For once, Ceres mama had come all the way to see me off at the elevator, so I gave her a polite little bow.
“Yep! You really helped me a lot. Thanks so much for today!”
“…Sure.”
Ceres mama doesn’t seem in a good mood today.
2.
After the last mission to recover the British specialty goods.
I started taking on and handling House Hyun-gwi’s work in earnest.
“Rowen, the reason I’m not bringing you into House Hyun-gwi is….”
“I know. Please don’t say it, big brother. Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”
“You brat! Of course you know, damn it!”
It’s not like I’ve officially joined House Hyun-gwi.
My official standing is still Iming’s errand boy—an outside subcontracted fixer.
This isn’t entirely a bad thing.
Getting deeply entangled with House Hyun-gwi means taking on that many responsibilities and obligations.
Responsibilities and obligations are the words I hate most.
Besides, Iming cares about me more than just a mere underling, so all I have to do is enjoy jobs without any responsibilities.
“If possible, please give me jobs centered on beating up the bad guys.”
“There are plenty of easy, comfy jobs, so why?”
“Because this suits me.”
“Krrr! Exactly! If you’re a man, you’ve got to at least cum from the thrill of battle!”
“Huh?”
Y-You crazy bastard….
Iming, fighting in drag and spurting cum?
Kraaaagh! My brain feels like it’s going to break.
“I’ll do my best to come properly!”
“Yes!!!”
Anyway.
Overnus Pharmaceuticals was utterly a crime cartel wearing a corporate mask.
A noble mafia that keeps to the rules? A gentlemanly mafia? The Godfather? Don Corleone?
All of that’s just fanfic made with mafia money.
“The requests… choose from these.”
“There are this many disputes?”
“I already picked out only the jobs suited to your skill level.”
The real Overnus Pharmaceuticals was trying to kill itself like rival VTuber fandoms.
And so, until we reached Day 7 of the first run, the work never once dried up.
I even earned 9 points from the challenge tasks!
Thus.
Day 8, safely welcomed after doing two or three life-and-death fights a day like they were vitamins.
Iming, dressed in a gown, lifted his teacup with his fingertips and said elegantly.
“Rowen, if you have heaven’s mandate.... it must be a killing instinct. Guys who don’t shy away from fighting like you are rare even in these parts.”
“Ah, yes. In middle school, everyone called me the Seventh Night Murder Fiend.”
“Kha-ha! That’s a nickname that really suits my little brother.”
I, too, replied, with a huge ribbon perched on my head.
As you can see, it’s been a long time since club activities were this fun.
The mission is important, but first and foremost I’m a spy—I need to bring Ceres mama some decent results too.
But Iming doesn’t seem to have any intention of using the Project Z documents….
“Big brother, about those Project Z documents. You’re still keeping them, right?”
“Hm? I am, but why the sudden question?”
“You’re going to keep holding onto them, right?”
“Yeah? Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Now Iming didn’t suspect me even when I asked blatantly.
He didn’t seem to doubt for a second that I, the sole club member, could be a spy.
While I was at it, I set out to gather extra information too.
“I remembered you once said the awakening serum in Project Z was the blood of the Jinzo or whatever, so what exactly is a Jinzo?”
“Jinzo... Jinzo, huh... It’s been a while since I’ve heard that name.”
Iming’s gaze sank heavily.
The bastard’s posing all dramatic again.
“Rowen, have you heard of the Foundation?”
“The RCD Foundation?”
“That’s right. Before the coup brought the Foundation down and it split into Overnus Pharmaceuticals and Twilight Resource Development, the Foundation ruled the Necropolis.”
I’d heard that when the Foundation collapsed, Ceres mama’s family was torn apart.
This was news to me too.
“The person who ruled the Foundation until they were dethroned by the coup was the head of the Tsukimiya (月宮) house—the one and only Red Moon. In other words, the Jinzo.”
“So the head of the Tsukimiya family = the one and only Red Moon = the Jinzo, right? That’s one overloaded equation.”
“That’s what makes it cool.”
Damn, that Iming bastard.
For someone who cross-dresses, he sure knows his stuff when it counts.
“What does Project Z have to do with the Jinzo?”
“It’s just my guess too, but….”
Iming trailed off.
“The Jinzo isn’t dead. It’s sealed inside Twilight Resource Development’s headquarters. The failed project was probably an experiment to control the Jinzo. It’s been those bastards’ long-cherished goal for a while now.”
Looking at it like this, it all starts to connect.
So what I saw when Project Z broke out wasn’t zombies, but more like ghouls?
It’s a mash-up of settings, but weirdly faithful to genre conventions.
“What are they trying to do by controlling the Jinzo?”
“No idea. Maybe they want to become vampires or something.”
“What, even you don’t know?”
“How would I know the inner thoughts of those sinister reptile bastards?”
The Jinzo is so old that even Iming doesn’t seem to have much information on it.
Hmm, this is a little lacking.
“If you’re really curious, should I look up some materials and put them together for you?”
“W-Would you really? Big brother! Thank you!”
“You rascal, it’s nothing.”
I really appreciate this!
Today’s tea party ended productively, with some pretty decent results.
3.
As soon as the tea party ended, I took a job from Iming and came to E Sector.
“Ugh, I’m sleepy.”
Before I knew it, it was well past midnight, and I’d already done one big job today, but…
“When you’re sleepy, it’s Red Bull!”
If I do a little doping with that favorite sports-company energy drink I’d stocked up on before, I’ll be fine.
“Krrr...! That’s the stuff.”
That Cedric guy had a body that was pure and innocent, just like a proper young master.
He took the caffeine high ridiculously well.
Anyway.
Tonight’s last shift shouldn’t be too hard.
According to Iming, it was about as hard as putting up flyers.
'The Geumri bastards stashed something in E Sector, you know? But it’s real suspicious. They haven’t even assigned proper guards, and it’s been left alone for nearly a month already.'
'Judging by how things are going, it looks like those arrogant bastards developed a new drug and were planning to release it in E Sector. Drug dealing is House Hyun-gwi’s territory, after all.'
'After the near miss with Project Z, surveillance in E Sector has gotten tighter, so it looks like they left it there for the time being... Before that, let’s quietly swipe it.'
That’s roughly the job.
After passing through filthy, grimy alleys, I reached the spot marked on the map Iming had given me.
“This is really the place?”
No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like a place where you’d hide anything important.
It was just one of those common, run-of-the-mill slum rooms—kind of like my old studio apartment.
“A feint, is it?”
Or maybe they were just really in a hurry.
Hmm, it’s been a while since I’ve done this too.
-BANG!
“FBI!!! OPEN UP!!!!”
I kicked the shabby door in and went inside.
A pungent cloud of dust rose, revealing an utterly ordinary little room.
There was no sign of anyone, and neither furniture nor the aforementioned ‘item’ was there.
“No way! There’s nothing here!”
If this had been before, I might have been a bit lost, but….
Lately, everything I do has been similar to this, so I’m thoroughly used to detective games.
-Creak!
I lifted the one floorboard that was especially loose, revealing a hatch leading underground.
A spiral iron staircase stretching down into the basement.
“Death, come to me.”
I armed Death Sentence with a stylish incantation.
I went down the stairs, prepared to engage if needed.
-Clang, clang, clang
Each time my boot heels hit the iron steps, the sound rang out deeply.
The basement was far deeper and wider than I’d expected.
Rusty pipes crawled along the walls like snakes, and cold water pooled on the floor up to my ankles.
No guards, no locks, no traps.
Instead, there was only a container sitting forlornly in the middle of the room like a lonely island.
-Screeeech!
“Excuse meee.”
The container wasn’t locked.
When I opened the locking valve, there was a case sitting alone inside.
I could tell right away it wasn’t an ordinary case.
A seamless, smooth metal surface.
On the side, instead of a zipper, there was a small dial that looked like a pressure gauge.
“Hmm... why is this so suspicious?”
It was so suspicious I couldn’t resist opening it.
How am I supposed to resist when I’m this curious!
“Unboxing, here I come!”
I fiddled with the lock however I pleased.
-Hisssss!
A burst of white, frigid cold rushed out.
And inside….
“…This is ridiculous.”
A girl with a birdlike, fragile build was curled up small, eyes closed, breathing softly in and out.
“This time it’s Boy Meat Girl?!”
“Please stop mixing genres already!!!”