Damned System

Chapter 6. Beta Test (5)

Yeonwoo’s anger did not dissipate easily.

She was worried about what might happen if I got hurt rushing at someone wielding a knife.

“Why are you so fearless!”

She yelled and then burst into tears, which left me frantically trying to console her.

A few journalists even called me.

They wanted to do an interview or something.

However, I was in the middle of this crazy gamev, where my life was at stake.

I didn’t have time to spare for them.

I declined all interview requests and threw myself into relentless manual labor.

It was a day filled with the cycle of mana control, plant slaughter, and part-time work.

Throughout the process, I discovered a few things about mana.

When mana moved within my body, it generally enhanced my physical abilities.

My senses heightened, and my basic physical strength increased; my skin became more resilient, and my strength grew.

When I concentrated mana on a specific area, even a knife slash wouldn’t cause cuts.

“The rate of consumption isn’t too fast.”

With the mana I possessed, I could strengthen my body for nearly 10 minutes.

And when I drew it out externally, describing it simply as ‘enhancement’ fell short.

“Destructive is a more fitting term.”

I could easily punch through a wall, which said it all.

When a red shimmer covered my skin, even if a knife stabbed with force, it wouldn’t penetrate my flesh.

However, the rate of consumption was extremely fast.

I could barely maintain it for 1 minute and 12 seconds without stopping.

That, too, was only possible with an intense struggle to hold on until the last moment.

When my mana began to deplete, my physical strength rapidly declined and, once exhausted, I reached a state of collapse.

“It’s not a skill I can use recklessly.”

Building upon these insights, I practiced repeatedly for three days.

I was slightly on edge. There was a high chance the next mission would start the following morning.

“The previous mission had a five-day interval.”

I might have to repeat that hell again the next day.

Just the possibility of it sharpened my nerves keenly.

Throughout my part-time work, I had to endure the tedious question of whether I was angry.

But I didn’t want to show that side of myself in front of my younger siblings.

I paused at the front door, steadying myself.

I finally managed to put on a smiling face, as usual.

Only then did I press the door lock and open the door.

“Hyung, you’re here?”

Jinwoo was the first to welcome me.

“Yeah.”

As soon as the door made a sound, the boy emerged from his room and approached the shoe rack.

I tousled Jinwoo’s hair roughly and scanned the living room.

Yeonwoo was nowhere in sight. Normally, she would have come rushing in, raising her voice.

“Where’s Yeonwoo?”

Thinking she might have gone out, I asked.

“On the balcony.”

Jinwoo’s calm response made my body flinch unwittingly.

“Wh-why the balcony?”

There was no specific reason mentioned, yet I felt guilty.

There was a saying that a thief feels guilty even at the sound of a wind-tossed branch.

“No, let’s not jump to conclusions. It might not be related.”

Yeonwoo had more than ten potted plants.

Only the smallest one had disappeared.

She might not have noticed.

She had been quiet over the past few days, after all!

There was no guarantee she went to the balcony because of that incident.

She could be hanging up laundry or simply getting some fresh air.

“She’s fussing because a plant’s gone missing. Claims she didn’t put it away either.”

Just as I thought it, Jinwoo confirmed it, delivering the fatal blow.

My expression stiffened uncontrollably.

I had planned to use a couple more of the remaining plants in preparation for tomorrow.

Of all times, why did she have to find out today?

‘If Yeonwoo gets angry, it’s hard to handle.’

We had barely managed to soothe her after the kidnapping incident last time.

“Ugh.”

I groaned as I glanced sideways at the balcony.

Jinwoo watched me with a peculiar expression.

But before the boy could say anything, Yeonwoo came in.

“It’s gone, gone… I didn’t even put it away, so why is it gone?”

Yeonwoo mumbled to herself with a gloomy expression but soon spotted me.

“Ora-bang!”

Seeing Yeonwoo’s face blossom into a bright smile made my conscience prick.

“Uh-uh…”

“You’re back? Are you tired? Shall I give you a massage?”

“What massage? No, I’m fine.”

While I dismissed her offer with a feigned nonchalance, my eyes drifted behind Yeonwoo.

Through the transparent glass, I glimpsed the potted plants. I had to give them up entirely.

“Ugh.”

I unconsciously clicked my tongue in frustration.

The total amount of mana I could use was far too disappointing.

With all animals off limits, my means to absorb mana outside missions were limited.

With winter making greenery sparse.

I couldn’t set parks or mountains ablaze.

I couldn’t steal plants from others’ homes.

Even uprooting every green thing in sight yielded little.

Despite the abundance of greenery, the mana I could extract was insufficient.

Taking a wistful look at the potted plants on the balcony, I swallowed a sigh and headed to my room.

How could I gather mana quickly?

“Does a slaughterhouse hire part-timers…?”

But even if I did get a job there, I wouldn’t be butchering animals right away.

“Ah, really.”

Back in my room, I flopped onto my bed, ruffling my hair.

It would be great if I could find a place where mana flowed abundantly.

* * *

My prediction was correct.

At 10 a.m. on the fifth day, the third mission commenced.

Everything I had put back in inventory just in case didn’t come with me.

All I had at my disposal were the weapons provided by the system and the clothes on my back.

「A new weapon, a Spear, has been provided.」

A weapon was distributed first.

The moment I picked it up, a dagger also appeared, grasped in my left hand.

Immediately, my pupils quivered violently, as if an earthquake had occurred in my eyes.

There were no curses left to curse this time.

I expected the difficulty to rise with each stage.

But this was absurd, regardless.

“This is too much!”

Standing beyond the mission window was a polar bear.

I had to crane my neck back to see the head of the bear standing on its two legs.

Its height appeared about twice my own.

That was referring solely to height.

Its sheer size seemed at least four to five times greater than my own.

I’d seen bears in zoos before, but they’d never been this terrifying.

At least at those times, there were minimum safety measures in place.

With absolutely nothing to separate me from it, the terror induced by the massive beast was greater than I expected.

At that moment, I couldn’t even remember how strong I had become.

My stiffened body was drenched in a cold sweat.

Had I not been able to look at the mission window that obscured the bear, and subsequently checked the steadily reducing timer again, I would have remained frozen and ended up as the bear’s meal.

The timer had already dwindled to 10 seconds.

“This… inventory!”

I returned the dagger to the inventory before seizing the spear in a deadly grip.

Poking with the dagger would leave nothing more than a scratch on it.

With the inventory vanishing, the mission window disappeared as well.

The polar bear moved first.

Its pace was incredibly swift.

Not befitting a bulk several times heavier than myself.

“Kuuuuuhn!”

As the bear roared, I extracted my mana.

「Mana Control initiated.」

my senses sharpened, and my body became more resilient.

The movements of the bear, which until then had only been marginally within my vision’s capacity, seemed to slow down a bit.

The bear raised its forepaw high, and I leaped to the side.

Its sharp claws barely skimmed my cheek and neck.

I ignored the light scratches, as regaining my stance was more urgent.

Rolling across the white floor, I quickly got back up and clamped my left fist tightly.

“Hup!”

Just as I had practiced hundreds and thousands of times before, the red shimmer densely enveloped my left fist and arm.

When I punched and struck the flank of the polar bear that was about to turn towards me—

Crack—!

“Krung!”

“Huh…?”

A stupid noise escaped my mouth.

Right after the sound of something breaking, the enormous bear was flung backward.

Stumbling as it attempted to get back up, the bear spewed forth red blood.

My mind was frozen by the unrealistic scene, yet my body was already lunging forward.

Instinctively, I realized that now, while it was injured and weak, was the opportunity.

There was no hesitation in the movement of thrusting the spear I held downward.

Thunk.

After a dull sound, thump.

The massive form of the bear went completely limp.

“What…?”

“The target has been killed. Absorbing 23 mana.”

“Congratulations! You have succeeded in MISSION – Tutorial Beta Test (3/3).”

“As a success reward, 10 mana is supplied. All injuries are healed.”

“The performance is being tallied.”

“All over now?”

Just like that? It felt so unreal.

But the shock only lasted for a moment.

“Ugh!”

Mana absorption commenced.

I collapsed onto the bear’s body.

After a brief struggle, the mana absorption concluded.

With the mission over, rewards came in.

Only then could I properly register the situation.

In this ridiculous game that had started so unexpectedly, all three missions had concluded.

A myriad of indescribable emotions whirled within.

But at the moment, the feeling of relief at its conclusion was the most intense.

“Sigh.”

I exhaled deeply and flipped myself over.

Resting briefly against the bear’s carcass.

I sat down, reclining against the massive bear corpse, yet soon noticed something different and sprang up.

“What’s this…?”

When the second mission concluded, rewards were given, and I had immediately returned to my room.

I received performance-based rewards there.

Today, however, I was still in this white space.

The slackened carcass of the bear testified to my not yet having returned to my room.

Frowning, I stood up.

The deviation from previous experiences had my nerves tightly on edge.

Loosely lowered tension once more surged upward.

Scanning my surroundings to check for any anomalies, I recollected my weapon.

After pulling free the spear impaling the bear’s head, placing it back in inventory effectively removed it.

I could then hold the spear again upon drawing it out from inventory.

Precisely as I had experimented with several times outside.

How much time had I idly passed in this white space?
「」”Assessing your overall performance.」

「Congratulations! Player Kang Hyunwoo eliminated the target in 00:00:39.」

「A high-ranked reward, the Attribute Mana 5, is distributed.」

「The highest-ranking result generates the Trait ?????.」

「A duplicate trait is detected. Deleting the redundant trait.」

Flowing messages appeared.

Only then did I comprehend what my extended duration in the space signified.

‘I have to wait until other players completed theirs.’

Immediately recognizing this, I prepared myself to brace against the coming impact.

“Hup!”

Mana absorption began afresh.

My body crumpled to the ground again, where I writhed like an insect.

After holding out and holding out, the end inevitably found me once more.

I staggered and sat.

“Tch.”

Mixed blood seeped into my saliva.

Though still overwhelming, initial trials had somewhat ameliorated.

“Indeed, the adage that practice makes perfect proved true.”

Phew, phew, as I regained my breath, my eyes darted around busily.

I was still amidst a completely white space.

The reason revealed itself before my eyes.

「The tutorial is concluding.」

「Calculating overall performance.」

「Player Kang Hyunwoo’s overall rank is 1/100.」

Overall rank!

As soon as I saw the message, my eyes gleamed.

Until now, the system awarded bonuses based on individual mission performance.

Thus, I expected something from my cumulative performance, too.

“Yes, if I am to participate, getting first is the way.”

I had a fair share of competitiveness since childhood.

Perhaps because of that, I felt an odd sense of pride, despite disliking this insane game, upon being ranked first.

「An additional mission is given to those who achieved an all-clear.」

「Players confirmed: 7.」

「The barrier is activated.」

「The Hall is open.」

Of course, that proud sentiment vanished when the system spouted unexpected commands instead of offering a prize.

Veins practically popped upon my temples from the unexpected messages.

It should be rewarding me, and yet, what? An extra mission?

The fury that had steadily accumulated since I got bitten by a dog that day burst forth.

“What the fuck!”

Yet, I didn’t even manage to complete my outburst before my body shone bright.

Damned System.