Chapter 16
c9zPg9GJe Hyuno was not my first registration.3Oms
i5bxI had already registered Park Seonggyeon as a test before.3s4
gjtQmeaBut this time was completely different.eMkFv
BVeCCA scorching heat, as if I were boiling alive, tore through my entire body.DMdESE
tWPbIYPIt was undoubtedly unbearable pain.NolWS2z
zXlzQeBut at the same time, a strange sensation appeared that made me feel something indescribable.40Fan
OaSn2Relief?SORytjv
FurTRelease?qLowe
wk57k3PSatisfaction…?d7RtDkB
Dc9I6SI didn’t know exactly how to describe it.zCnV
9X37That sensation crushed the pain and drove itself directly into my brain.ECqE
XCWxxThe euphoria that arose within me made the corners of my lips curl upward on their own.TgNspZ4
pQ02jaRegistration complete!TEK6bi
MiZI already knew exactly what I had to do.qv30
LGvrIt was something as natural as a newborn lamb searching for its mother’s milk.7Ebx8km
1vPHh0‘Prohibition. Message.’VXLQ
4JEQsdA Prohibition is applied to ‘Je Hyuno’.p7N
qYntvvYou think about the message you will send to ‘Je Hyuno’.urNLV
Fs0RgI felt a sharp pain in my nose.152s
9380gDjIt seemed that the heat from my eyes had moved downward.kHkS
kPSlI tasted the metallic flavor of blood as I sent the message.Sq9Fo
RAw72WgI could see a system window blocking Je Hyuno’s path.5lBw
DFHIi2I“Captain, don’t attack!”5KQ3
OhBKwak Hanmuk, who had been preparing to strike, hesitated.Ucl
8qgXmL3“Just ram into him!”eF1
pm5If Je Hyuno counterattacked, we would both be torn apart.YGUhGs
FCSXQnBut there was no time to argue.G5oOBPF
sJMfT5Z“Captain Kwak!!”Fdtmvl
9fP5BaWhen I called out to him, Kwak Hanmuk let out a mad laugh.s6GO
pN0The rosaries wrapped around both of us instead of attacking.kmY
kRikH9uThey bound us together so that we would not be separated no matter what happened.86bb
G6ds“Damn it, Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno! Welcome the new recruit!”D5RM1j
uskDlKwak Hanmuk’s wild laughter mixed with the deafening roar of the engine.pqjK
DuB2pdThe motorcycle shot straight forward.fKdH
u4J2OJe Hyuno stood before us.FeV
7P0Motionless under the effects of the Prohibition.91wz
U8H9WgPAnd in front of him floated a system window.MSBjI2r
gamgStay still.nCEE
eG6wxTMJe Hyuno’s gaze moved away from the window.d7sG3
ZevLAnd turned toward me.i81TkW
QmZqF2My face was reflected in the smooth surface of his goggles, where no LEDs were lit.NcnUGf
ulr6gfbBut it was still impossible to see what expression he was hiding behind them.VKYs
vbPwLjJust before impact.G6z
57AOThe rosaries completely covered our field of vision.ubi
LuxGhNeKwak Hanmuk and I were protected inside a cocoon formed by the beads.kCUZ4CK
eQYlYyqBOOOOM!gKVn
9Sj7PqhThe crash sounded like slamming into a steel wall.Sla
1zQfThe violent shock seemed to rattle even my internal organs.Wfl
m3RThe rosaries scattered apart.Wmp3f
mtECvhAnd both of us rolled across the ground pathetically.zAUE8b
QO6E“Ugh…!”gFjb
PtIz5Kwak Hanmuk spat out a mouthful of blood.6Jly3
8qmIEFThe rosaries had absorbed much of the impact.Lg8mHt
kHsaXyWBut not all of it.W0f8x
JSVjpxIThe strange alien metal that made up Je Hyuno’s body was particularly incompatible with the biota wood rosaries.q8RU
KlTLying in a pool of blood, Kwak Hanmuk checked Je Hyuno’s condition before checking his own.8LrkKz
MoFA brief silence followed.3ZvpolT
Pd6m5I8Then he spoke with a hint of disbelief.QcOsx
H2CKx“…Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno?”pw9U
NplJe Hyuno was lying at the end of a long skid mark carved into the ground.60h4IO
v4WqcCompletely motionless.ArH26ig
eGmhUCLike a puppet whose strings had been cut.Jzou
UhONKwak Hanmuk voiced what he wanted to hear.vrM
ArTx“Is he dead?”InsDfE
yNOiOf course, even he didn’t believe that was possible.LY3ROd
AfJGkUtI staggered to my feet and approached.lwBj0MT
kQR0“Right now… we should move as quickly as possible.”SLQMKA
2SWVMqWe couldn’t waste this opportunity while Je Hyuno remained immobilized.SwI37
V2JPThen Kwak Hanmuk suddenly grabbed my face with both hands.mLMYeo
il6nKcHe stared at me intently.KKN1u
grkyHWith my cheeks squashed between his hands, I protested quietly.AAmmKFD
dqD3bM“That hurts…”KBponEG
feQRnZlKwak Hanmuk didn’t react.zU0TyM
0hqHe kept staring at me for several seconds before muttering.riWC
KuPS5PX“It came back.”UBE
HTrS“What came back?”bPQe
C4cBg5i“Nothing. Are you okay?”6RWZsl
b6CJGQ“I’m fine. What about you, Captain?”llD
35mJKyN“I’m perfectly fine.”p9Y6rd
pQ0…he replied while blood ran from the corner of his mouth.0mlz
HTKUPkI probably didn’t look any better.7hMer
e3fXbI wiped the blood from my nose and chin with my sleeve.uSuM5KK
ddOSQ“We need to move.”W3hWI
fcUo0eK“Yeah. Let’s go.”dqr
1os7RHe went to retrieve the backpack and duffel bag that had been thrown away by the impact.LrahyGf
5fgzHe discarded the crushed onigiri, dented cans, broken bottles, and ruined weapons.1Nq
Bp0OUThen he reorganized the luggage with the food and tools that were still usable.PIWr
0pl6WhlWith the duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he cautiously approached Je Hyuno.GTJp7i2
IewJe Hyuno remained motionless.gJp
FDTG2Completely still.0Ch1jU
0lGgKwak Hanmuk signaled to me with his fingers.PMH
HaaIMII limped forward.2x7
JtGKyJust as we passed by Je Hyuno.y3z
D8FwThe lights on his goggles lit up.1No2x9
845X XjBI6
03C21eNow I completely understood why they called him a sane madman.E2eyB7
W1roSPThe moment he saw the goggles, Kwak Hanmuk unleashed a stream of curses.Qq7AZ
SirqqBut he wasted no more time.n0TD
M9I1UThe two of us left Je Hyuno behind and entered Yellow Zone.2RVl
s2WuYUJDespite it being midnight, the area was completely silent.MgGc
moXBhizThere wasn’t a single zombie in sight.ICc
Sjx5aPcAll the nearby zombies had gathered at the bridge and ended up sinking into the river.jn30OE
HtLKwak Hanmuk found an old jeep.QK03
nWfv6sEHe forced open the key compartment and started the engine with a screwdriver.UdH892p
1CNBIB“Goyo, do you know how to drive?”1oAQwS
GUAQDc“I have a license, but I’ve only driven manual cars in video games.”l7VK
LpkDKwak Hanmuk chuckled and took the wheel.Mdyh
VYZ5fx“Should we head to the base first?”FcsIEb
NHN“Yeah. Good idea.”H5NlIHB
GefWe needed to regroup before going out to search for Mo Haein.UxVqw
LaWIn our current condition, we wouldn’t even be able to handle a single zombie.pk4YA
eF2vJ2While Kwak Hanmuk drove, I sank into the passenger seat like a flattened piece of mochi.vgDJfJ
D0hgaAnd decided to check Je Hyuno’s status.8OZeAjn
XZYE‘Je Hyuno’s status.’7blkAB
H9Q— Je Hyuno (Manifestation)aJhp6
Lw9— Soldier0nrsGIi
OtPEEquipped Items:FWOc
u94— NoneEXFE
gkaYPossessed Items:21fh
H9i0jz— Crow Hood Jumper (1)C59Su
0AblU— Crow Combat Uniform (1)zcqWlV
RWiZ— Crow Goggles (1)aeax
NUPWY— Crow Mask (1)IX6CMo
kzv— Crow Gloves (1)a2KZp
CASx— Crow Boots (1)foj2
Yt4rwU> MessageHEf
QaDlF> Prohibition6q4Lsx
mHo3> ExecutionoT18cEJ
EY2Options that hadn’t existed when I registered Park Seonggyeon had appeared.ar1Ssj
bfsDOI examined each section one by one.uq4loSP
RBvoMIt seemed that Manifestation was the name given to Je Hyuno within the Trial.Y3FCGh
D4xrJISHis profession was simply listed as Soldier, without any indication of rank.OeWOGmE
ssh0Probably because Dead Zone Delivery did not have a detailed profession system for players.e870knx
6d32The items were divided into two categories.FSw8xN
pRNjjyFObtained Items and Possessed Items.G8S
3jBje‘Obtained Items must be the ones acquired inside the current Trial, and Possessed Items… the ones he originally had, like Mo Haein’s Black Moon Blade?’hDFkJ7
i3fI waited for a moment.2MZVFd
3EGZXlNo system window appeared to contradict me.C8bV
4cjpGhIt seemed my deduction was correct.EhP9kFd
Ty4EZuLThe list of Possessed Items was practically a crow festival.VZWdq
yjX3ZJe Hyuno always used his own equipment inside Trials.vpe6jXk
KifJBut this was the first time I had discovered that everything belonged to the same set.trmXP
4BT4zzK‘And Prohibition.’h5S
fbkgIIt was the ability I had just used on Je Hyuno.51A2
geYDGProhibition temporarily restricted the actions of a registered character.ZDPE
a3oh4syBut its duration was extremely short.xkpkO
GkdThree seconds at most?4LZeY0
AoTwIt seemed to be the current limit of my abilities.Sb1eG
CTSiC5IThe reason Je Hyuno had not moved after those three seconds was the message I sent immediately afterward.mMucrE
dh6UW9lThe order to stay still.lWP
aCnFrom Je Hyuno’s perspective, an inexplicable phenomenon had just occurred.xyhalc
NkypCmThe most logical thing to do was obey what the system window said.o58
hiOIK4‘Because he doesn’t know that I was the one who sent it.’pMCBUO2
L1GJjvI could probably use that trick on him a few more times.YdbvAIa
xfQwMThe problem was that it was still only a temporary solution.nDLltMI
yyVP4With my current abilities, it was impossible to completely control Je Hyuno.gWxGUD
elYhOgAnd I couldn’t keep chaining the use of Prohibition over and over again.hBnC
PdgRemembering the pain I had suffered when activating it, it was clear that it placed an enormous burden on my body.O3jqYQ
F3yI might end up dying before I managed to control Je Hyuno.Jph
irrl‘Isn’t there some kind of offensive ability?’tzFu
JiyDYou feel great satisfaction with your progress.uSmtPzr
YSOO0You think this has been an extremely successful first registration.Rh3
b5VAnd you commit yourself to continuing your development in the future.UWz
7U1z3To grow faster and obtain new abilities, you consider it advisable to fill all three registration slots first.sbD2v
0ECThe system seemed to be in a very good mood.6F1L09
W2NNormally, it only sent isolated words such as “insufficient.”AbJX
qFTEiBut this time it had even taken the trouble to explain itself.lDFDO
FgQ2It was probably thanks to registering Je Hyuno.cAYz
DS53N1PHowever, I wanted to avoid registering people whenever possible.kmiIB
BCChEQIt had already seemed unsettling to me before.5GhLG
vhcAnd after registering Je Hyuno, I was even more convinced.ZEa
cY5AKHaving absolute control over another person was already a burden.07mG2db
CpiBut the real problem was something else.zJTTTWD
eULsDI felt like something inside me was changing.SEm7E
ToeT1The emotions and thoughts I experienced while registering him were not normal.YtFHKK
36a1iIt also seemed that I had thought something strange during that moment.PrbB
jmwBut only a vague feeling remained.gE2Gz0
z12BG4I couldn’t remember it clearly.8hlp
SgtIt was like waking up after being in a trance.LvETSwt
b5NI had always preferred a quiet life, true to my name.hkeKR
pgXD1Becoming the System of Earth was already more than enough responsibility.IVgARRN
X3lAdding something capable of affecting my mind was too much.Xqjg9
1CVOi0bPerhaps improving the System’s capabilities solely by completing Trials was impossible.ml8uPa
z85R3I would find out when I achieved the True Ending of Dead Zone Delivery.UOD
XC8C‘I’ll try to handle things on my own whenever possible.’4PMu
nbuAs for Je Hyuno.nfIP
H2VOoWell, he was already registered, so there was no helping it.1JoenjV
oD6RAfter organizing my thoughts, I looked at Kwak Hanmuk.vTbf
ds5He was someone who actively supported me and allowed me to act.aWStHCd
Mk2gcQEven when something seemed suspicious, he trusted me without questioning it.xMsq
MkTTWhat happened earlier had only been possible because he agreed to ram into Je Hyuno according to my plan.uE4QF
9GxDWAlthough there was also the possibility that he simply enjoyed doing crazy things.kVp
oCkTAjy“What?”WkPUyP
IsUbqPerhaps I had been staring at him for too long.ljmgw
gyhvX2zKwak Hanmuk shot me a sidelong glance.dkZJ0zp
9dyDbSince we were already talking, I decided to ask a question.u5ep1
2RKq83“Captain Kwak, may I ask what name you received inside the Trials?”XDzu
L4EI was curious about information about him that had never appeared in the game.4swC
OJEgPKwak Hanmuk answered without hesitation.pRyKeij
J63kv“Blue Thunder.”A2Uap
b1dP4h“……”so1
wyE“You just thought, why is he called Blue Thunder when he has red hair?”bVU
mVIZsyE“…How did you know?”hhpRy
H4bZ“Haha!”Qu3Ek
9qaMKwak Hanmuk burst out laughing.a04
I5kmtiI suffered in silence.cbOeph
5snMSuddenly, I felt envious.SOy7Sh
BBRI should have chosen a cooler name when I played.BHiwH
ShzSXI was paying the price for picking one at random.J3zacM
HuJq‘Isn’t there some way to change it?’IT0X
i8cZSUmIf there were a name-change ticket, I would buy it without hesitation.gaRKKL
hreEven so, I was still curious.10LuCG
n12uWhy was he called Blue Thunder?kODZs0
a7BSEven his eyes were gray.DdX
LCujIJGThough I didn’t dare ask directly.qZb0
jGTThen Kwak Hanmuk took something out of the glove compartment with one hand while continuing to drive.VJ5eFY
cD8qiI couldn’t help but exclaim.NLAxHF
ySIu“Wow…”686M
ONci2dIt was a portable cassette player connected to a pair of wired headphones.t2ndjt
GCI“I found it in the glove compartment. I guess it’s your first time seeing one.”yudA6vu
JlIMUHb“I’ve seen them in archived footage.”7Zd599h
MpOWt“Archived footage…”qSyfr
sZ1Kwak Hanmuk repeated those words quietly.CYEgpg
9zijThere was definitely a bit of a generation gap between us.18FPxF
lAatEpI stared at the player with fascination.N8FJNq
3BrqjIt was an item I had never seen in the game.Au1zeP1
ldTRI6The glove compartments of vehicles couldn’t be opened there.8hh4
E8cyThe description was simple.g3xz
v6PHPortable Music Player.ahFO
KX3Contains a cassette with six exciting songs.rrvSCwH
QurzJir“Don’t listen to the music.”BXDGf
nYRJI was just about to put on the headphones when I stopped.xTv
PONcr“Ah.”Kjz2
deWThe Trial Response Agency’s rules prohibited using Trial items carelessly.AplK9
JtdyYou never knew what kind of infection they might cause.gk4A63a
U44YKIt was a reasonable rule.gtb
PHSIK9‘But I want to listen to it.’sSB
o6Z4tyEven so, I would have to wait.PE9W
bgzI stored the player in the duffel bag.fo1
qqs1UYRCome to think of it, the onigiri and Buldak ramen seemed modern.BCB9
Lt89HW0But the weapons, the jeep, and the cassette player were clearly old-fashioned.p9jXf
MYwqIt was as if several different eras had been mixed together.OJphpPL
VieDmWhen I explored Dead Zone Delivery as a video game, I had never noticed it.DBe
zXn9HBut seeing it in reality felt quite strange.vURJcuP
9HZ816And I found it hard to believe it was simply a quirk of the Trial.9JUWw
TXInUbIf the Trials were based on the games created by the Developer…KAnJg
kgsI knew very well that he was not someone who neglected details.3KOp
IND55In fact, one of the reasons I liked his games so much was the meticulousness of their design.Zq3j3I8
yo8ENeIf the time periods had always been mixed together and the game had simply hidden it.ZNNL
MXz5cQ“Aaaaaagh!”ezTrK
0YiaPuDSCREEEECH!!zCRY5XZ
n1MH46Suddenly, Kwak Hanmuk screamed and slammed on the brakes.CfNEZt
sApMctMy body lurched forward.2MIkbGA
RwRS4Only the seatbelt kept me from smashing my head into the windshield.z8YU
SAqzVI looked ahead with my eyes wide open.4rkTE
qAdiq“Captain Mo…?”t8E4zgi
IShNgMo Haein, turned into a zombie, was hitchhiking.Ubhjo4g
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