「Name: Seed - Ring
The ring that the Fairy King of the Grand Labyrinth tried to hide until the very end. It does not easily reveal itself.
Possessions: Expand to see details ☜
《???》 - Your emotional level is insufficient to peek at this.
《Deception Lv.2》 - Like a clown, it is secretive. It adds a little chaos to the owner's words and actions.」
A transparent ring was grasped in my hand.
Is it because it has the concept of 「Deception」? It was quite a fascinating object, transparent to the point of being invisible.
One unconfirmed concept 《???》 was bothering me, though─.
With this, even if the police noona's secret interrogation comes unexpectedly, I think I can overcome it.
The misfortune of being crushed by Bangdeng-i's butt and coins spilling from a jar has turned into a blessing in disguise!
I think I'll head out now.
Just as I was thinking of leaving the Treasure Hall, a problem occurred.
【Sauce container C-2 imbued with the concept of 「Charging Lv.2」】
「Charging Ketchup Bottle」?
Wondering if it was what I thought it was, I squeezed the ketchup, and surprisingly, I saw the ketchup inside the bottle restore itself as if it were being refilled!
Literally, a ketchup bottle that recharges itself with ketchup!
Such a precious treasure is right in front of my eyes!
“Aaaagh!”
Why can I only take one item!
Bangdeng-i, however, frowned as if she couldn't understand my desperate agony.
“You chose the ketchup bottle? Ha Nam-jin, so like you!”
“I'm a little cool, aren't I?”
“That wasn't a compliment!”
After much deliberation in that manner, we arrived at the entrance of the Treasure Hall.
The Captain, wearing ridiculous party glasses, sternly warned us.
“You guys, you didn't steal or hide anything, did you? With these 「Detection」 glasses, I can see even hidden objects. Chang-sik, you have one more coin in your pocket, right?”
“So-Sorry. I'll put it back.”
“Deok-hee brought only one. Yeo-ul also brought one. Ha Nam-jin, you...”
The Captain, wearing strange party glasses, scowled fiercely.
“A ketchup bottle? Hey, you punk Ha Nam-jin! Of all things, you bring a ketchup bottle? Are you playing around with choosing a 「Treasure」 from the Treasure Hall? Huh? You punk! A ketchup bottle!”
The Captain nagged me while looking at the ketchup bottle I brought.
The fact that he didn't say anything about the 'ring' I was wearing felt strange.
The Captain soon saw the tag attached to the microphone Deok-sun-i was holding and typed on a nearby computer keyboard.
“D-108, a microphone with the concept of 「Courage」. It’s an excellent item. And Ha Nam-jin, what is this ketchup bottle you brought? I can’t see the tag because it’s covered in ketchup?”
The Captain searched for 「Charging」 in the search bar.
Information about 「Sauce container C-102」 appeared.
Apparently, if you search for a 「Concept」 on that computer, information about the object containing that concept appears.
It’s like finding the book you want in a vast library, right?
Suddenly, I became curious.
“Captain, are there any items here that possess the concept of 「Deception」?”
“「Deception」? Well, I guess we'll find out if we search.”
Tattatak- Tak-
「No search results」.
There was no information about the 'transparent ring' I was currently wearing.
That means this Deception Ring isn't a registered item in this Treasure Hall.
I don't know what's going on, but─.
“Captain, I found a ring and I’m wearing it. Actually, I was really agonizing over whether to take this ketchup bottle or the ring. It's a Deception ring.”
“Ring? Where?”
The Captain, wearing the ridiculous party glasses, looked at my hand. And he frowned, looking quite angry. Is it because I brought two items?
“Ha Nam-jin, are you kidding me right now? Where's the ring!”
“It's here, I'm telling you. A transparent ring! You can tell if you touch it!”
Swish-
I held out my right middle finger to the Captain.
Unintentionally, it ended up looking like I was swearing, but what could I do! The ring is on that finger!
However, the Captain touched my middle finger and became even angrier.
“What ring! You punk, are you mocking your instructor! And in the first place, what's with the ketchup bottle? Of all things to choose from the Treasure Hall, a ketchup bottle? A ketchup booooottle?”
“My eye for these things is truly amazing, isn't it? Honestly, I can confidently say that this ketchup bottle is more valuable than all the items here combined.”
“...I’m so speechless, I'm actually speechless. Next!”
I thought it would be unmanly to steal from the Treasure Hall, so I was honest, but the Captain got angry, saying I was treating him like a fool.
As a result, I was able to leave the Treasure Hall with two 「Treasures」 without any interference.
「Name: Seed - Ring」
It's clearly on my finger, though.
Is it only visible to me because I have the concept of 「Appraisal」?
# # #
“Look at this! A talisman with the concept of 「Absorption」! Perfect for me, right? Maybe this will absorb some of my 「Misfortune」? Like a dehumidifier absorbing moisture!”
On the way home.
Bangdeng-i proudly showed off the item she had permanently borrowed from the 「Treasure Hall」. It was a talisman with red writing on yellow paper.
“W-What happens if it keeps absorbing misfortune? I feel like a terrifying amount of misfortune will be concentrated in that talisman later on...”
Chang-sik was trembling while looking at Bangdeng-i’s talisman. As he said, I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if Bangdeng-i’s misfortune became densely concentrated in that talisman.
Then, what kind of treasure did Chang-sik bring?
However, Chang-sik dodged the question, saying, “Hehehe, I'll reveal that later!”
“With this talisman, my misfortune will be controlled a little, and our family’s finances will revive!”
“Hehehe, I’m getting nervous thinking about experimenting with this and that at home.”
Everyone seemed happy with their new items.
No, strictly speaking, Deok-sun-i seemed a little gloomy.
“Deok-sun-i, what’s wrong?”
“I thought I might be able to find a 「World」 treasure... but... I couldn’t find it...”
Come to think of it, Deok-sun-i talked about 「World」 earlier too.
What is that, exactly?
“「World」... as the name suggests, it means an object containing the vast concept that makes up the 「World」. For example, the fish tank with the concept of 「Sea」... in the President's Office. It’s an amazing object. Tactical nuke level...”
A tactical nuke level treasure? To think such a thing might have been in the Treasure Hall.
That’s really awesome! But I wasn’t that disappointed.
“The potential of my ketchup bottle surpasses the sea and the universe. An infinite ketchup bottle. With this, I should never starve to death. I’m afraid of my own insight.”
Swish-
I showed off my ketchup bottle to everyone. But the other kids seemed to make subtle expressions, as if they couldn't understand my high and deep meaning.
We parted ways in that manner.
I need to go home quickly and feed Seo Ga-eul. While I was thinking that, someone approached me.
“Youth, youth. It’s good to see. I was a high school girl once too.”
It was the police noona who had been watching the students at the school gate.
What was her name again?
“Your name was..., Jin Ram-yeon (Ramen) Mild Flavor, was it?”
“What's that? I’m Jin Ri-hyeon.”
The handcuffs at her waist jingled, flashing silver.
“Monster Ha Nam-jin, I have a few things to ask you about Yeom-hun and Sa Ma-jun. Can you spare a moment before you go home?”
Saying that, the police noona grabbed my right hand and led me to a nearby alley. She scrutinized me, even sniffing my palm!
“You don’t smoke. Judging by the length of your index and middle fingernails, you don't have a girlfriend yet? Or maybe your relationship hasn't deepened that much. Hehehehe─.”
What do fingernails have to do with girlfriends?
Perhaps there's a dating equation for college graduates that I, a middle school graduate, don’t know.
“But what if I said you killed someone with these hands? You killed Sa Ma-jun and Yeom-hun, didn’t you? Ha Nam-jin, you have a grudge, don’t you. You lost your family in the incident two years ago.”
“Me?”
To think I'd be treated as the culprit who killed Yeom-hun and Sa Ma-jun.
I was planning on keeping them alive and relieving stress by beating them up repeatedly.
“My concept of sixth sense allows me to grasp various things. And people tend to reveal more vulnerabilities when they're flustered or nervous. Are you perhaps the 「Judge」?”
“Huh?”
“Although it’s temporary, you have the skill to fight on par with a 3rd-Grade Awakened. The boldness to resort to violence without hesitation. A heart that hates criminals─. It sounds exactly like you.”
So, I’m being mistaken for the serial killer 「Judge」.
This is quite troublesome in many ways. Then the police noona uttered words I couldn’t ignore.
“It’s well known that the 「Judge」 is targeting the South-West Group. The South-West Group is also stained with all sorts of corruption and darkness. So, the 「Judge」 killed Seo Ga-eul to punish them─, what do you think?”
It was the first time I’d heard that the 「Judge」 was targeting the South-West Group. It’s also the first time I’ve heard that he’s targeting Seo Ga-eul.
When I shook my head, the police noona chuckled.
“Sorry, it’s the backlash of my ability. I have no secrets. In exchange for being able to easily see through others' lies, I can't lie. I end up saying everything, like a tic disorder.”
“If I ask about your ideal type, will you answer honestly?”
“Of course! I like older, reliable men. With my job and everything, I haven’t really had time to date, but I have a good eye for people. That’s why I’m so interested in you.”
“You truly have an excellent eye for people. I am indeed a man among men!”
“You have a similar aura to the guys I’ve caught and put in jail. Why is that? Who are you?”
I give off a similar vibe to criminals? She has really good instincts.
It’s probably because I'm a miraculous man who returned alive from a lawless world.
That was when it happened.
Swish-
The police noona's hand pulled mine and guided it to her chest.
As the soft sensation touched my palm, all the hairs on my body, including my head, stood on end, and all the blood seemed to rush to my face.
“Normally, this would be a crime against a minor, but I have a feeling it’s okay with you. I can also feel you’re flustered. So, you really don’t know anything about the Judge or Seo Ga-eul’s disappearance?”
It was a straightforward question. It seemed like an act to make me flustered and create a gap in my mind, and the effect was tremendous.
Did she perhaps sense with her instincts that I'm not actually a minor, but a man over twenty?
She was a truly excellent investigator. If I spoke ambiguously here, I might end up with those silver bracelets on my wrists.
At this point, let's trust the 「Deception」 of the newly acquired ring.
With that in mind, I racked my brains!
“I’m also curious about where Seo Ga-eul is and what she’s doing.”
It's not a lie. I'm genuinely curious about what she's doing right now.
I left her with Inging-i, and I wanted to check if they caused any trouble.
“Hmm, is that so? Then, do you know anything about Wang Ja-hyun? Why he hasn't been coming to school lately?”
“I don’t know.”
Only then did the police noona let go of my hand.
As the warm and soft feeling disappeared from my hand, I felt a sense of loss as if I had been expelled from heaven. The police noona chuckled.
“I don’t usually do this sort of thing. I teased you a bit because you’re cute. And I might have been a little excited.”
“I already have someone I like, so I'll have to reject your feelings. But it’s a different story if noona is okay with being a concubine...”
“Concubine? You’re funny. Can you handle it? When I fall for someone, I like to hit and beat them up. How about it, I'm a real piece of work, right? That's why I find you suspicious.”
Crack- Crack- Crack-
The police noona cracked her knuckles.
Is she thinking of hitting me?
“So, what do you say? Want to go somewhere more secluded with this noona and have a deeeeep 'body conversation'? I think it'll take a few days.”
“That’s a really tempting offer, but I'm sorry. I have to go to school!”
“It’s okay! I have connections! I'll talk to the school and let you skip for a few days! As for your parents─ah, you don’t have parents, do you. Sorry, I have to be so honest with my thoughts.”
This is troublesome.
I don't know what she's planning, but if I get caught here and have a 'body conversation,' even with the help of the Deception concept, various things might be discovered.
Should I use my secret weapon at this point─ While I was thinking that, someone came running from afar.
“Hey!!! Ha Nam-jjin!!!”