Chapter 36
The place I arrived at was an apartment not far away.
I’d thought maybe this was an apartment complex for agents, but it didn’t seem to be that at all. Only ordinary people were around. It looked like they were handing out civilian lodgings one by one like this.
When I went into the unit they gave me, there were only the basic appliances and furniture inside. It was clean, too, like it had been kept in good condition specifically for agents.
I unpacked first.
What about clothes?
Uniforms and the like would be issued if I requested them. As for ordinary clothes to wear here, I’d have to buy those myself. If I filed for reimbursement, they’d probably give me money too.
My life had changed in an instant, but I didn’t feel the slightest discomfort.
No, if anything, everything was so well set up that it just felt like I’d come to heaven.
Because...
In my perception, I’d been surviving in Seoul where everything had been destroyed until just a little while ago. After staying in a place like that for so long and then coming here, just having a lodging space like this felt incredibly precious.
Come to think of it, I’d been so flustered that I hadn’t even seen Mom and Dad. In the giant incident, they were practically dead, so I couldn’t have seen them anyway. We’d been separated for a very long time.
Once I’m settled in as an agent, I’ll go visit them then. Besides, even if I wanted to see them, I’m in the middle of dealing with vampires right now. I should get information and countermeasures from the Administration, deal with that, and then go.
"Phew."
Whatever the case, this apartment is now my home.
"I’ll cherish it."
With that thought, I lay down in the living room.
"Come to think of it."
Where had my regression point been updated to?
That had always been something I wondered about.
There’s no way to check without dying, though.
It’s a bit much to die just to find out... should I try it? It’s not like I’ve ever gotten any sort of penalty from dying so far. But the problem is my regression might suddenly stop.
I don’t know whether I have unlimited lives or not, so I can’t just go dying recklessly. Thinking about dying just to check my regression point, I really am completely insane.
"Descendants of the Singing Star..."
That was the giant’s official name, right.
Then the regression point is when this message window popped up?
Well, that’s not important right now.
Time to do what I’d been putting off.
"Taechang-taechang status window."
I immediately opened the status window.
ㅡDing.
——————————
[●Status Window]
Name : Kim Geun-hong
Age : 24
.
.
.
Loop : 2
Death Count : 11
[●Death Count by Loop]
[●Collected Endings]
[●Functions]
[●Resolution List]
[...]
——————————
"Oh."
A lot of things had been added.
The death count going over ten was shocking enough, but this thing called Functions and the Resolution List were both new to me.
"It said functions would be unlocked, didn’t it."
Is that it?
The Resolution List was, literally, a list of things I’d resolved.
It would probably only have the giant on it.
Thinking about that, the window shifted.
——————————
[●Resolution List]
[...]
[Descendants of the Singing Star]
——————————
"Sure enough, there’s only one."
Maybe because this was the only thing I’d resolved?
Come to think of it, the vampire only ran away. The fake Administration got thoroughly thrashed once and then basically stopped drawing attention. As for the hospital, I only escaped from it.
[Descendants of the Singing Star]
I was kind of curious about what exactly it was, but nothing else came up. If I’d handled it properly, it’d be nice if it gave me some information too.
"Maybe the status window functions just aren’t unlocked yet."
Either way, now that I knew this kind of function existed, there was also a possibility there were more functions. I’d have to look into that gradually.
"Hmm."
Come to think of it.
Right now, in this loop, I hadn’t had any contact with the fake Administration. After dying from the brain-extraction incident and the Sejeongge incident, I’d decided not to get involved at all, so I didn’t really have any connection with them. The only exception was bringing Department Head Lee Do-hyung out at the hospital.
"Connections, huh."
Thinking about connections made me think of Salhyung and the nun.
"Black stone."
I don’t currently have the black stone necklace on me.
It’s a rare item you can only get by delivering Dr. Kim Sung-han’s ring to that Arab lady. I should get it soon.
If I have that, I might even be able to build a good relationship with Salhyung again. You absolutely have to grab rare items like this.
Since Salhyung was apparently stationed at the temple in Itaewon, Korea anyway, I should be able to find Salhyung somehow.
But as an agent, going to look for Salhyung blindly is a bit much, isn’t it?
Come to think of it, during the giant incident the Administration, the Islamic faction, and the Papacy did form an alliance, but the vibe felt more like they had no choice.
They might not be close now, so it’d be better to approach carefully.
"Good."
They’re things I need to know anyway.
When I come to work tomorrow, let’s learn about the Islamic faction and the Papacy too.
"As for the nun... I do at least know where she is."
If she’s working as a clerk at a Christian shop, there must be something there. She said her identity was half-vampire, and that she was tracking purebloods, so it might be worth visiting her when it comes to vampire-related matters.
"..."
In this loop, I haven’t met either Salhyung or the nun yet.
That felt too disappointing.
"Functions."
Let’s move on to the functions.
[●Functions]
In my view, this is the main thing.
"They said they gave me 5,000 points."
I focused for a moment and the window shifted.
——————————
[●Functions]
[...]
[●Current Points : 5,000]
[●Acquire Ability]
——————————
"Oh, just as expected!"
The 5,000 points really came through—what?!
"Acquire an ability?!"
You can acquire abilities?!
[●You can spend 3,000 points to acquire a new ability]
Just as I was startled, the window changed...!
"Insane!"
Could the whole concept actually be that you gain abilities by earning points?
You crazy bastards, why the hell are you only giving me this now!
As I thought that, I looked through the details, but there was no concrete explanation. It doesn’t say what kind of ability it is or what form it takes. It seems like you spend points to acquire an ability, but then is it random like a gacha?
If that was the case, they should’ve handed it to me with a ten-pull back when I dealt with the vampire!
"But why is it so expensive?"
3,000 points for one ability? I got 5,000 for solving the giant incident—wasn’t that too high?
"..."
I should probably look into the criteria for how points are awarded, too. Maybe they only gave me 5,000 points because that giant was a total chump.
Either way, I learned that the status window has an incredible function.
Ability?
I was going to get an incredible ability no matter what. I’d get the most overwhelming ability of anyone and then beat that crazy bitch vampire down. I’d smash her until she was as miserable as possible, pay back exactly what she did to me. It had been a long time ago, but my hatred hadn’t faded at all.
While I was at it, I’d also get revenge on the fake Administration and wreck that hospital too.
Dr. Kim Sung-han, please wait for me.
I will definitely save you.
"Let’s do this!"
If I have points, I might as well use them.
Given the situation, it seems random, so let’s pray for something good.
"Allahu Akbar! O Allah! Please grant me your radiance!"
As I prayed to Allah, it almost felt like I could see Salhyung giving me a thumbs-up.
The moment I focused while looking at that vision.
ㅡFlash!
——————————
[...][...][...]
[...][...][...]
[...][...][...]
——————————
Like some kind of random box, multiple slots appeared.
Is this telling me to choose one?
I was thinking I should probably press the exact center first...
ㅡDing!
[You have acquired a new ability.]
[You can now detect new phenomena.]
"Detect?"
The moment I finished reading the explanation.
[You have unlocked your first ability.]
[Additional functions of the status window have been unlocked.]
[You can now use the point shop.]
"There’s more!"
——————————
[●Status Window]
Name : Kim Geun-hong
Age : 24
.
.
.
Loop : 2
Death Count : 11
[●Death Count by Loop]
[●Collected Endings]
[●Functions]
[●Resolution List]
[●Owned Abilities]
[●Point Shop]
[...]
——————————
"Wow!"
Insane, insane!
So now it even hands out a point shop?
As I looked at the puffed-up status window, I felt immense satisfaction. It was like I’d finally gotten my first stat-up method after starting a game.
I skipped along happily and immediately entered the point shop.
.
.
.
——————————
[●Point Shop]
[-Items available for purchase]
[●2,000 Points]
[-Lowers your death count by (1).]
[●2,000 Points]
[-#$%#$%$ value decreases.]
——————————
.
.
.
As if the exhilaration from just moments ago had been a lie.
"What is this."
My body turned cold in an instant.
Then an unknown, unfathomable anxiety began to fill my heart.
That anxiety, which filled my heart completely, spread to my organs and then throughout my whole body. I felt a chill as if my fingertips were freezing.
There were only two things I could buy in the shop.
One was lowering my death count.
Unknown.
Something that lowers a value I can’t read.
"..."
What the hell... is this?
Death Count.
Could this thing... maybe be important?
I checked my death count again.
[Death Count : 11]
Eleven times.
I’ve died eleven times so far.
"Is it something so important that I have to spend points to lower it? This?"
I don’t know.
What exactly are points, and why is the shop selling things like this?
A chill seeped all the way into my bones.
"Was I... not supposed to die?"
Normally speaking.
People obviously shouldn’t die.
No one can come back to life, and once life ends in death, that’s it. No one can defy that.
And yet I had come back to life over and over with this regression ability, getting through all kinds of things.
A simple regression.
Wasn’t it the kind of ability that had no penalties?
"Ah, no."
It might just be an assumption.
Couldn’t it just be something that lowers a value?
A death penalty? It’s strange even to think something like that exists... no.
"In the first place."
Why does this strange status window exist?
And why do I have a regression ability?
Questions filled my head. At that moment, I felt very strongly that I shouldn’t die from now on. There must be a reason. If there is a reason, then it must be possible to lower the death count with points...
"Then... what does this mean."
The thing below it.
"What value is it lowering..."
[-#$%#$%$ value decreases.]
I stared at it blankly, but...
The status window gave me no answer.
It just stayed that way.
Amid the unanswered questions, I realized that I was alone. No one else was in this apartment. No—this didn’t just mean I was alone.
I wouldn’t be able to discuss this with anyone.