033 – The 3rd Tier Disaster-Class Ability User
After receiving an award at the police station from a high-ranking official, I’ve been promoted to the Night Brooch rank!
With that, we’ve gained the qualification to access the “Treasure Exhibition” and borrow tools semi-permanently!
I’ve heard that the “Treasure Exhibition” is filled with extraordinary treasures obtained and collected by senior Awakened Ones during their explorations of the “Great Labyrinth.”
Since we can only select one treasure, we’ll need to be careful in our choice.
‘I wonder what kind of items are waiting for me.’
As I was getting excited with anticipation, the classroom door creaked open, and someone wearing a police cap entered the room.
She was wearing hot pants so short they were almost punky, a white T-shirt, and towering high heels that made her look dizzyingly tall.
Her hips featured handcuffs, which jingled as if they were part of her fashion statement. Every boy in the class was left speechless and mesmerized by this flashy woman’s entrance.
Including me!
“Hi, it’s been a while since I’ve been back in this classroom. Nice to see you all. I’m a third batch graduate and one of your seniors, and I’m a 3rd Tier Ability User. Let’s skip the details. Gather up the students who are receiving commendations today!”
Her tone was incredibly casual.
Is this woman the important figure from the police station who came to award us our certificates?
“Alright then! Monster Han Nam-jin! You’re first. By the way, monster? What kind of codename is that?”
“Yes, I’m Dicaprio Han Nam-jin.”
“Thanks to all of you, we’ve managed to take down one of the pain-causing groups known as the Villains! The only problem is learning about the deaths of Samajun and Yeomhun by the Judge this very morning!”
…Excuse me? Didn’t I just hear an incredibly important statement said so nonchalantly?
As everyone began murmuring, the female police officer retrieved a paper from her bag and handed it to us.
“Blah blah blah blah! And with that, you’ve earned this commendation! Anyway, you guys are amazing, haven’t you? You haven’t even graduated yet and already stopped 3rd Tier villains! I must admit, it gave me goosebumps! Let’s give ourselves a round of applause!”
Clap clap clap.
Following the police woman’s lively encouragement, all the students, whether they remembered the shocking news or chose to forget it, started clapping their hands.
It has to be said; being the center of attention always feels pretty good.
It’s always thrilling!
“How should I deal with this? It’s been so long since I’ve been applauded!”
“Well, to be honest, I’m a little embarrassed.”
“…I want to hide…”
Unlike me, who was enjoying the attention, the members of the “No Leftovers Day” team, who fought alongside me, seemed unable to genuinely celebrate and were instead embarrassed.
Still, they are young.
“But as expected, it was dangerous. Because of this, we’ve reconsidered the practical combat exposure of Yingsha Academy students. So, from now on, try not to approach bad guys recklessly, right?”
If the practical deployment of students has been reconsidered, then it means that the possibility of Yu Yeorum receiving fatal injuries or even dying during combat will be slightly lessened.
Above all, is the story of Samajun and Yeomhun being slaughtered by the Judge true?
Before I could even inquire about this, the police woman unleashed a torrent of words.
“And then this morning, there was an incident of a missing person, Miss Seo Gaeul of Class F.”
“Missing?”
“What do you mean?”
The mood shifted again, leaving everyone unsettled.
And the even more shocking news followed.
“Furthermore, I, Inspector Jinlihyeon, believe that the mastermind behind the Seo Gaeul disappearance is someone within this academy. All I am asking is, please do not turn yourself in. I’m more inclined to personally demolish the entire class to capture the suspect.”
Dududududduk. The woman flexed her hands, revealing her sharp fangs as she smiled. At this moment, her name, Jinlihyeon, suddenly surfaced in my mind. Long ago, Chief Gimjangdong said, “I have a subordinate who can amazingly detect lies. It’s incredibly hard to hide my preferences from them…”
A 3rd Tier ability to detect lies.
For me, it’s as if a calamity has entered my school life—truly a calamity!
Why must I be so unlucky?
“Han Nam-jin! What kind of tools should we pick up from the Treasure Exhibition? Huh? I must brag to my mom tonight that I’ve received this commendation! Lately, all our furniture has been seized, leaving me rather down, but this commendation is literally a stroke of luck!”
# # #
“In the crucial moment of danger, I turned banknotes into chocolates! Seeing as the concept of my ability has now entered the application phase, I might soon reach Tier 2.”
“Did you really capture a 3rd Tier wanted criminal with chocolates? It’s so hard to believe.”
“Moreover, they say that Deoksun played an incredibly crucial role? Deoksun, is that true? How did you do it?”
“…”
During break time, upon hearing the news that a student managed to capture a 3rd Tier special criminal, curious children surrounded the “No Leftovers Day” team, making as much noise as a bustling market.
Many gathered around me as well.
“Namjin, I heard you confronted a 3rd Tier ability user alone and bought time! How did you do it? Did you show your underwear again?”
“What underwear are you wearing right now? Show it.”
“Hey, Kim Jin! What are you saying? Asking someone to show their underwear! Gah!”
The giggles of the girls sounded delightful.
It’s said that in a man’s life, there comes a moment when one is at the peak of popularity. Could I be experiencing that now?
“Hey, it’s too noisy to sleep! Step back, all of you!”
Bing bing—At that moment, Baek Yeo-ul, who was slouching beside me, grabbed the frying pan “Bad Luck Staff” and swung it at the girls.
“Ah, what’s up, Baek Yeo-ul?”
“You should just sleep.”
Still, like a leader of delinquents, Kim Jin and her gang, surprised by Bangdaengi’s ferocious attack, clicked their tongues—tsk—and gradually retreated.
Bangdaengi, not content with this, directed a remark at me.
“Han Nam-jin! Didn’t you say you liked Seo Gaeul? Even making a wedding invitation! Yet you’re here giggling with other girls while Seo Gaeul is missing. Is that all there was to your feelings for her?”
Who would have thought Baek Yeo-ul would hit the nail on the head?
With the case of Seo Gaeul’s disappearance now widely known, I wondered what changes this might bring to my daily life.
Especially with that police officer roaming the hallways—it’s the biggest variable.
“…Inspector Jinlihyeon, in her third batch, was known by the codename “Sixth Sense” during her student days. Her intuition was extraordinarily good…”
At lunchtime, as we gathered on the playground consuming snacks from the canteen, Deoksun, who seems to know a lot about various matters, shared some knowledge she had about the policewoman.
With her great intuition, didn’t the policewoman indeed assert that the perpetrator behind Seo Gaeul’s disappearance was within this school?
“Is it really true that Yeomhun and Samajun are dead?”
Bangdaengi tilted her head, and soon Chang-sik held up the customized smartphone of Yingsha Academy, searching for related content. But after a moment, he shook his head.
“There doesn’t seem to be any story circulating on the internet yet. It might be an embargo of some sort.”
That Yeomhun is dead…
Although Yeomhun was always a cheap guy to k*ll, in the distant future, after civilization collapsed, he once reignited the flames of a broken power plant, saving people from a harsh winter’s cold.
I do not know why he exhibited such altruism, but I, too, have to admit that because of his actions, many people survived.
Hence, I didn’t k*ll Yeomhun or leave him handicapped because I believed the permanent fate of ‘a human piece of coal’ would be more fitting than a d*ath sentence for him.
And I often thought I would meet him again just to beat him up during my downtime.
If someone killed such a guy…
Whoever this “Judge” is, I don’t like them constantly interfering with my plans. Clap!
At that moment, Geum Tae-sung clapped his hands.
“Let’s stop with the gloomy stories. You guys were going to choose treasures in the afternoon, right? I also had something I wanted at the Treasure Exhibition, but I just skipped work. Really, I envy you.”
Geum Tae-sung was part of our team but missed this operation due to his part-time job. Honestly, I was quite disappointed too.
If Tae-seong, with the concept of “reversal,” had been part of our operation, our entire strategy might have changed.
“Taesung, does the thing you want happen to be “The World”?!”
Why is it such a big deal? Everyone’s gaze turned to Deoksun, who was unusually loud. Then, her face turned scarlet as she babbled on.
“No, it’s nothing…”
# # #
Deep underground in Yingsha Academy, there was a hall that was incredibly massive in size. To be precise, it would be better to call it a bunker, a nuclear fallout shelter.
It’s just that there were no emergency shelters inside.
“Do not stay inside too long. This place is filled with all kinds of concepts, which might not be good for your mental health. You can only take one item with you when you leave.”
Following Captain Kang Cheolmin’s instructions, we hastily entered the “Treasure Exhibition.” It felt like stepping into a giant library of immense proportions.
“Back in the day, I visited the British Museum on a family trip, and this reminds me of that experience…”
Bangdaengi Baek Yeo-ul provided a unique analogy.
Is the British Museum in the UK? So, it appears Bangdaengi hailed from a wealthy family since childhood.
Suddenly, I feel rather irked.
“Ow! Why are you pinching my b*tt!”
“Just because.”
While Bangdaengi glared at me, I noticed a doll displayed in a glass case.
A porcelain doll that reminded me of the kind that would appeal to little girls in romantic fantasies. A small label was attached to the shelf.
【Caution! – Doll D-107 endowed with the concept “Possession Lv.2”】
The doll waved its hand at me.
“What kind of cursed doll is this?”
The Treasure Exhibition was filled with items like this.
While I was tempted to explore many objects, I already knew what kind of “treasure” I was looking for before entering the Treasure Exhibition, so I didn’t want to waste time.
I need an item with concepts like “tricks,” “lies,” or “disguise.” That way, I can escape the net of inquiries from that policewoman with the keen sixth sense.
While wandering around, looking for such things, a familiar item caught my eye.
【Caution! – W-002 Sword with Unknown Concept】
A sword with an unknown concept.
It was a short katana-style blade.
The reason it caught my attention was that the maple pattern on the sword’s saya (sheath), decorated with mother-of-pearl, reminded me of Seo Gaeul’s waist from the shack we once met in.
This is Seo Gaeul’s sword. To be precise, it’s the sword owned by the future version of Seo Gaeul.
“Unknown concept…”
Meaning even the tools for revealing concepts couldn’t decipher its abilities.
Thinking it might reveal something by observing it with my “sensations,” I scrutinized it for some time, and words floated into my mind.
“Name: Maple – Wakizashi
An extraordinary masterwork sword. All those who owned this blade met with a terrible d*ath.
Possession: [???] – Your “senses” are not advanced enough to perceive this.”
That’s how it feels.
Seo Gaeul also bears the [???] concept. It must be a concept of a higher tier than the level my “sensation” can comprehend.
Still, this sword is undoubtedly a valuable tool.
It makes sense that a future version of Seo Gaeul would wield it.
“But I’ll pass.”
It’s not the kind of item I need right now.
As I continued wandering after that,
“Ugh…Just a little more…”
A large Bangdaengi came into view.
To be precise, I saw Bangdaengi Baek Yeo-ul stretching her hand to grab something high from a ladder.
“Bangdaengi, it’s white today, huh?”
“Yaaaak! Don’t look—!”
Clink clink.
In her desperate attempt to cover herself, Baek Yeo-ul seemed unsteady and ended up falling off the ladder.
Crash bang! Rattle!
The scene was chaotic.
I was unfortunately crushed under Baek Yeo-ul’s rear, who had fallen from above.
“Gaaah!”
“Huff! S-Sorry! Nonetheless, your skirt didn’t get completely messed up… Lucky!”
What luck? The coins inside the “Storage” jar have all spilled onto the floor.
“d*mn, my luck is so bad.”
“It’s your fault…!”
While brushing dirt off our bodies and getting up, we bent down to pick up the scattered coins. That’s when my hand found something instead of a coin.
Clink.
A round something.
It’s round, but the hole in the middle indicates it’s not a coin.
And it’s transparent to the point of being invisible.
What’s this?
As I furrowed my brow at this strange phenomenon, words appeared.
“Name: Seed – Ring
The ring that the Great Fairy King of the Labyrinth tried to hide at the end. It reveals itself reluctantly.
Possession: Expand ☜
[???] – Your “sensation” level is not high enough to see this.
[Deception Lv.2] – Like a trickster, it remains mysterious. It adds a subtle chaos to the words and actions of its owner.”
