Chapter 56

Thanks to the effect of the [Enhance Hearing] attribute, I could clearly hear the sound of an on-going battle from somewhere. It was certain that humans were fighting each other.

The problem was:

“It’s getting closer.”

“…It must be a coincidence, right?”

Perhaps one side was being pushed back.

I could hear the sound of people running away, trying to evade their pursuers.

The troubling part was that the origin of the sound was drawing nearer and nearer.

‘Normally, I’d think it’s just a coincidence.’

But the sound was getting closer and closer.

It felt like they were approaching in a straight line.

Almost as if:

“They know our location and are heading straight for us.”

What should we do then?

Avoiding them wouldn’t be difficult.

We still had plenty of Light Foot Slypa Jerky left.

If we used it to boost our mobility, retreating would be easy.

However,

“I’m curious.”

“Hmm… Sorry?”

“Who is attacking their own kind, and for what reason?”

I decided against running and chose to stay, opting to wait and see what would unfold.

After a short while,

In the distance,

“Ugh, we can’t shake them off.”

“Don’t give up! We’re almost there…”

We saw people running towards us.

“Wait, up ahead!”

The fugitives seemed to have noticed us.

They halted in front of the path where we were resting.

Just as they were about to say something to us,

“Haha! Finally given up on running… huh?”

Another group, the pursuers, appeared.

They paused upon seeing us.

“Military uniforms? Deserters, perhaps.”

“So, there were deserters who came this far.”

The ones who arrived later muttered softly when they saw us.

They seemed to think we couldn’t hear their whispers.

‘But I can hear everything.’

Thanks to my [Enhanced Hearing], I could clearly hear their conversation as if they were speaking right beside me.

– Damn, we almost had them. Talk about bad luck.

– Deserters, huh?

– Can we take them?

– Are you crazy? How do we beat armed soldiers?

I couldn’t tell what their exact relationship was with the ones being chased, but it was clear they didn’t see us favorably.

– Still, we can’t just hand over those we’ve nearly caught.

– They probably don’t want any conflict with us either. Let’s wait and see.

As they continued discussing among themselves,

“Ahem.”

One of them stepped forward.

“Greetings.”

“Hmm… Hello,” I replied, nonchalantly.

“I didn’t expect to see military personnel in a place like this.”

“Let’s skip the long story and get straight to the point.”

I cut off his attempt at conversation, thoroughly unimpressed.

Earlier, these guys were talking behind our backs and had assumed that we were deserters and now they are addressing us as military personnel?

“These people here,” I indicated the ones who had been fleeing.

“And those over there,” I pointed at the pursuers.

“What is your relationship?”

“Straight to the point, I see. I like that,” the man from the pursuers’ side glanced at the group of escapees before speaking boldly.

“Those people stole goods from our group and ran away.”

“They stole from you?”

“Indeed. From our perspective, they are criminals who must be apprehended. How could we possibly concede?”

As the man finished speaking,

The fugitives were taken aback and countered vehemently,

“T-That’s a lie!”

“We’re just an ordinary group. Those guys suddenly attacked us out of nowhere!”

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However,

It seemed they paid no heed to their objections.

The man from the attackers continued,

“Of course, we’re not asking to hand them over for free.”

He smirked, gesturing towards the fugitives.

“After all, what you soldiers want is the goods they possess, isn’t it?”

“…In that case?”

Truthfully, we had no intention of taking someone else’s belongings.

Yet they seemed to regard us as mere plunderers or deserters.

For now, we decided to let it slide.

But then he proposed something ridiculous.

“We’re willing to cede all of those supplies to your side.”

“What?”

Handing over all the goods to us?

The offer to relinquish the supplies was likely because that man saw us as deserters.

But it was surprising, as this was an incomprehensibly generous proposal.

“Then what will be left for you?”

“Didn’t I say? Those guys are thieves who betrayed us by stealing our group’s belongings! The goods themselves aren’t really important. But those guys betrayed us, stole our belongings, and ran away. They must face proper consequences. And That’s sufficient for us.”

“Hmm.”

Honestly,

I thought they were plunderers.

And rightly so.

After witnessing them attacking fellow humans right before our eyes,

How could anyone view them favorably?

But if they were truly plunderers, why would they be willing to surrender the very supplies that they were targeting since earlier?

If what that man says is true,

This isn’t our affair to meddle in.

“That’s a lie!”

“Don’t give me that ‘lie’ nonsense! And you, stop bothering these officers.”

“What, what did you say?”

The fugitives’ survivors tried to argue back,

But the attacker’s man rebuked them.

“Think about it. What our military personnel want is material goods, and what we want is you thieves.”

“…Ugh.”

“We can get what we want without friction. Then does it really matter if you keep insisting it’s a lie?”

With that said, the man smiled triumphantly and looked towards us.

“If even that’s difficult to concede, then a conflict seems inevitable. Surely you soldiers wouldn’t want gunfire in a place like this? How about we settle this amicably here?”

“Well…”

Actually,

The man wasn’t entirely wrong.

In fact, it was quite a reasonable proposal.

But that’s only if we really were the plunderers.

We are the proud members of the Republic of Korea’s military; we had no intention of pillaging others’ belongings.

And yet they keep thinking of us as plunderers.

Even if we set aside the matter of supplies for a second, the real issue lies elsewhere.

If the fleeing group truly had stolen from the aggressors, then this was not our place to intervene in.

But the fugitives claimed the accusation was false.

Depending on who was telling the truth, our decision would differ.

And… I didn’t think it would be too difficult to determine that.

I met the gaze of the smugly grinning man and activated my ability.

[Trait – Ingredient Identification (Enhanced) activated]

Then, a message appeared above the man’s face.

[Species – Human]

[Freshness – Moderate]

Species and freshness.

This was the amount of information that would have been visible with my Junior Grade Ingredient Identification trait.

But that wasn’t the case anymore.

A few days back, while recovering at the ammunition battalion.

I had used my Trait Enhancement Ticket to upgrade my Junior Grade Ingredient Identification to Ingredient Identification (Enhanced).

This entire change was marked by just one word “Enhanced”.

But the difference was quite significant.

Now, I can see additional lines beneath the descriptions of species and freshness.

[Occupation: Novice Serial Killer Lv. 7]

[Attributes: Strength 14, Agility 16, Magic Power 5, Luck 3]

[Traits: Novice Dagger Mastery, Novice Stealth Mobility, Novice Acting]

[Skills: Bone Piercing, Trace Removal]

The contents were rather shocking.

“Huh…”

“Hm? Did something get on my face?”

As an Awakened, I am quite familiar with the criteria that determine one’s occupation.

It is typically based on either one’s prior experience in a related field, or an alignment between one’s natural talents/tendencies and the requirements of that occupation.

It was either one or the other…

However, a “Novice Serial Killer” is not a profession that I have ever encountered before.

It was quite a disturbing revelation.

A guy with such a job can’t be normal.

Having made my decision, I addressed the troops.

“Guys.”

“Yes.”

“Take up your weapons.”

At my command, the nearby soldiers quickly rose to their feet.

“Sir, yes, sir!”

“…What?”

The man from the attacking side looked bewildered at their response.

“You’re ordering them to take up their weapons? Am I misunderstanding something here?”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“I can’t understand.”

The man seemed frustrated.

“As I said, we’re not here to do anything wrong. We’ve been chasing those who committed crimes and fled from our group.”

“Ah yes, I’m sure that’s the case.”

I replied dryly.

“Are you perhaps hoping for further concessions? If so, just say so plainly. The moment gunfire erupts here, all sorts of monsters will come flocking. I don’t understand the need to spill blood.”

A tone of genuine injustice and incomprehension.

Just looking at him made me feel like I was doing something wrong.

His trait.

The effect of “Novice Acting,” probably.

But…

It didn’t really convince me.

Even if it might convince the man himself.

“Brother, what’s your decision? Shall we fight?”

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

[Occupation: Novice Human Hunter Lv. 4]

“Looking closer, it doesn’t seem there are many armed soldiers. We may just be able to pull this off. It’s up to the leader to decide.”

[Ingredient Identification (Enhanced)]

[Occupation: Novice Plunderer Lv. 6]

Including those around him.

Not a single one of them seemed trustworthy.

The man with the grim occupation of a serial killer glanced at me and the soldiers before raising his head.

“Let’s retreat.”

“Huh?”

“We stand no chance against them, even with hyung here this time. It’s unfortunate, but we have to concede defeat.”

What? Are they just leaving?

The attackers turned their backs and withdrew. The man glanced back one last time and said,

“Right now, you can afford to act tough just because you’re soldiers. Enjoy that luxury while you can. It won’t last long.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whether you realize it or not, the potential of an Awakened is tremendous.”

Hmm.

It’s a fact we’re well aware of it too.

“The day will come when firearms will be useless.”

***

“Until then, I will remember what happened today.”

After leaving those words behind, the man departed.

Watching his retreating figure, I thought,

“Remember, huh? Maybe it’s better to eliminate him now.”

I’m not sure what gave him the audacity to say such things.

If we try to catch him, there’s nothing we can’t catch.

Rather than leaving room for regrets,

it might be better to just kill them here…

“…What am I thinking? This is…”

Given the circumstances, it might be unavoidable, but it feels like my thoughts are getting rougher.

Well, even if it doesn’t come to killing them,

These guys don’t seem like they’ll do anything good.

Maybe it’s better to keep them here.

I glanced around discreetly.

Monsters’ whispers still echoed around us.

Just like that guy said.

This is a dangerous place.

There’s no need to stir up trouble and attract the monsters’ attention.

“They’re gone.”

“Let’s assume they’ve been sent off. Now, the next issue.”

After the attackers departed, our attention turned to the group of fugitives.

“About those people.”

Although we’ve just helped them but those deserters from earlier had practically ruined the image of the soldiers.

It was obvious they’d start begging to be spared again.

I was wondering how to best handle the situation.

That was the dilemma.

Just when I wondered if someone among the survivors would step forward, a woman lowered her head towards us and said,

“Thank you.”

Contrary to expectations, the woman with her eyes closed was not wary of us at all, but simply offered her sincere gratitude.

“…Is she blind? Is that why she doesn’t know we’re in military uniforms?”

No, she must have heard our conversation with the departed group.

Could they be unaware of the rumors about deserters…?

As I pondered over this,

*Trrring*

[Shaman: Young-joon]

[Chef: Taejun?]

An unexpected, guild message was delivered from a familiar figure.

[Chef: What happened all of a sudden?]

[Shaman: I just received a divination]

And…

[Although I don’t know who you’re meeting right now]

But

[They seem to know a lot about us. In quite detail]

[Chef: …Interesting]

* * *

We escorted the survivors out of the military zone.

It wouldn’t be easy for them to rest at ease there.

Once we reached a secure building near the outpost, I decided to try conversing with the survivors.

Inside a room in the building, sitting across from me was the leader of the survivors.

The atmosphere around her was quite unique.

She moved about with a cane with her eyes closed.

Clearly blind, yet far from ordinary.

Even with her eyes closed, her movements were unsettling, suggesting something more than meets the eye.

“Well, our unit has its share of oddballs.”

Mages who emit blue currents when angered.

Berserkers who drool uncontrollably and lose their ability to speak when excited, and so on.

Having experienced quite a variety, I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to the unusuality.

Whether this is a good or bad thing, I can’t say.

“So, what happened?”

Upon hearing my question, she opened her mouth and replied promptly.

“It’s not… as complicated as you might think. We were just moving around as usual when they suddenly attacked us.”

“Really?”

“Yes, none of the things they said about thieves or whatever is true. We have never seen them before”

“I had a feeling.”

“You did?”

She seemed puzzled by my intuition.

But that wasn’t important right now.

“Anyway, I’ll say it again. Thank you so much for saving us.”

“You’re welcome, though I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to express your gratitude so readily.”

“Excuse me? Isn’t it natural to express gratitude to those who have helped you?

Uhh.

Well, that’s not entirely wrong.

I shrugged casually and replied, “If you put it that way, I don’t have much to say. As you know, perceptions of soldiers aren’t particularly positive these days.”

“Is that so?”

“Seems like some soldiers who deserted their units have committed some crimes. Thanks to them, even our intact unit is under suspicion.”

“I see. You’re not like those people, though, right?”

“… For now, we’re not.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“…”

Is that really so?

The woman spoke expressionlessly.

I tried to read her expression as we conversed, but she seemed somewhat distant.

‘Is she pretending to know, or pretending not to?’

I couldn’t quite tell.

Nevertheless, since we decided to talk, before diving into a serious conversation,

I stood up with the intention of preparing at least a simple tea.

“Let’s have a drink while we talk. We have tea and coffee. It’s the instant one, though.”

“Tea…”

We carry some rations in the combat vehicle.

There were small packets of tea and instant coffee.

I don’t know why but I felt we should offer something like that if we were going to talk,

“I’ll pass.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s tea, but it’s rations. Water is precious in this world. I appreciate what you’ve offered, but I don’t want to impose further.”

Ah.

Now that I hear it, that does make sense.

Once we occupied the ammunition battalion, we discovered a small stream flowing inside.

While food supplies were still a concern, I hadn’t really thought much about drinking water.

I said to her, clapping my hands, “You don’t have to refuse, really.”

“Well, still, it bothers my conscience. I’m not particularly fond of tea either.”

I offered again, but she firmly declined.

In a typical situation, it would probably be proper etiquette to refuse.

It could be true that she doesn’t like tea.

However…

“Hmm.”

Right then, there was something else that was occupying my mind.

Till now, I can vividly recall the message from the guild message window.

The message was sent by Sergeant Park Taejun who was staying on our old base along with some other soldiers of our unit.

His profession was that of astrologer.

Apart from his job title, what he does, and his abilities can do are akin to a shaman, hence the nickname, Shaman.

I asked him the meaning of his divination, just in case.

But the response only indicated he had read the stars and knew no further details.

And that’s the downside of Taejun’s abilities.

He often speaks without fully understanding what he’s saying.

But…

“At least the information he passed on is likely to be true.”

You can’t always get what you want when you want it.

And while we may not know the specifics of the information, the information itself can never be false.

In other words,

“This woman seems to know quite a bit about us.”

There are two important points here.

Firstly, how detailed is the “know a lot about us”?

Secondly, the reason why this woman who knows about us, approached us.

First, I decided to verify the first point.

I smiled slyly and said to her, “If you don’t like tea, as I mentioned earlier, we also have coffee.”

“It’s okay.”

“If you don’t feel like having a drink, how about some snacks? There’s plenty to eat. I have simple cookies I made.”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.”

“If not that, then…”

Even after that…

“Well then, how about…”

“No, really, I’m fine.”

I continued my persistence and insisted on different suggestions – cookies, snacks, etc.

But each time, she politely turned them down.

After several cycles of this comedic exchange…

This time, I made the most pitiful expression possible and said, “Could it be that you think my cooking might not taste good?”

While continuing this play, I was reminded of the time when I was young and visited a friend’s house.

My friend’s mother kept insisting that I try all the food, to the point where I had to eat a few more bites, even when I was already full.

I was compelled to do so as she made a pitiful face and asked if it was because the food tasted bad.

I learned that if someone insists this much, it’s polite to take at least a bite.

However…

“No, it’s not that, but I’ll still decline.”

“Hmm…”

Indeed.

Perhaps it’s a matter of etiquette, pride, or personal preference.

It’s not the kind of refusal based on manners.

They say it’s a universal rule to refuse three times out of courtesy.

Refusing more than that would be…

There must be another reason then.

“If it’s not about the taste…”

I pushed aside the tea I was preparing and faced her directly.

“It seems you’re cautious about food.”

“…Yes?”

She flinched.

‘Ah…’

A slight crack appeared on her consistently expressionless face.

This is somewhat satisfying.

“That’s… if you’re cautious about things like poison in such a dangerous world, it’s a wise choice.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry to bring it up.”

“But that’s probably not the reason.” 

Seems like she was just maintaining her distance from us. As we might also be the deserters that she has heard of.  

And food given by strangers could indeed be seen as risky.

But from what I see, that’s not the core issue.

After checking the positions of the two knives at my waist,

I watched her movements closely and continued, “It’s about the food I made, isn’t it?”

“…”

Taejun’s words about someone who knows a lot about us.

I finally understood, the extent of that now.

‘This woman.’

At the very least,

She’s clearly aware of my cooking skills.

“How did you know?”

Upon hearing my question, the woman remained silent, as if contemplating.

Should I push a little further here?

“Well, you don’t have to say. Actually, I already have some idea.”

“Already have some idea? What do you mean by that?” she asked, visibly surprised.

“That you know quite a bit about us. And the reason for that.”

I pointed my finger towards her face.

More precisely, her tightly gripped pupils.

“Isn’t it because of those eyes?”

“How did you even notice that!”

As she opened her eyes in surprise,

I saw her whitened, discolored pupils.

Eyes that were clearly blinded, to anyone looking.

“But how did you know that?” she exclaimed.

Hmm, how should I respond to that? I couldn’t exactly tell her that my own eyes were rather extraordinary as well, allowing me to perceive things in great detail. 

[Trait – Ingredient Identification (Enhanced) Activated]

[Species – Human]

[Freshness – Excellent]

[Occupation: Spirit Master]

[Stats: Strength 14…]

[Trait: Spirit Vision]

Her occupation and attribute.

Honestly, it was quite surprising, just like when Min-jae hyung had unexpectedly become a Mage.

And

“Now we even have a Spirit Master?”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Translator: One Force

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