034 – Do You Really Like Honest Older Sisters?
Name: Seed – Ring
This ring was what the fairy king of the Great Labyrinth tried to conceal until the very end. It does not reveal itself easily.
Details: Expand for More Information ☜
《???》 – Your current emotional level is insufficient to comprehend this.
《Deception Lv.2》 – Deceptive like a jester, it subtly mixes confusion into the owner’s words and actions.
A transparent ring now rested in my hand.
Perhaps due to its nature of “Deception,” it was remarkably transparent to the point of being almost invisible—an incredibly fascinating item.
Though the single unconfirmed concept 《???》 did intrigue me somewhat…
Having this would mean I could withstand even an unexpected and secretive interrogation from the police officer.
Considering how my misfortunes, like being squashed under Bangdaengi’s bottom or spilling coins from a jar, turned into blessings in disguise—it seems my luck really turned around!
Now, it’s time to head out.
Just as I was about to leave the Treasure Exhibition, a problem arose.
【「Replenishment Lv.2」- Empowered Ketchup Bottle】
“Hm? A Ketchup bottle with the concept of replenishment?”
Half-skeptical if my hunch was correct, I squeezed out some ketchup – only to be amazed as the ketchup inside magically replenished itself!
An automatically refilling ketchup bottle! Right in front of me!
How could such a precious treasure be right here?!
“Aaaaah!”
Why must I be limited to carrying only one thing?!
Bangdaengi furrowed her brow, seemingly not understanding my deep internal conflict.
“You’re picking a ketchup bottle? Truly worthy of you, Hanamjin!”
“Isn’t it pretty cool?”
“That wasn’t a compliment!”
Despite my internal struggles, we eventually reached the entrance of the Treasure Exhibition.
An absurdly clownish party glasses-wearing captain gave us a stern warning.
“Did any of you steal or hide objects? This ‘Revelation’ glasses I’m wearing can see through anything you concealed. Chang-sik, did you take an extra coin? Right?”
“Apologies. I will return it immediately.”
“Duk-hee only took one thing, good. Yeul also stuck to one item. Hanamjin…you?”
The captain wearing those monstrous party glasses frowned deeply.
“A ketchup bottle?! Hanamjin! What is the meaning of this? Is this some kind of a joke to you? Picking a ketchup bottle from the Treasure Exhibition! What’s so special about a ketchup bottle?!”
The captain ranted on as he spotted the ring on my finger but curiously stayed quiet about it.
The captain, upon seeing the tag on the microphone Duk-soon brought, began typing on a nearby keyboard.
“D-108, a microphone imbued with the concept of ‘Courage.’ A splendid choice. But, what about Hanamjin’s ketchup bottle? Can’t even see the tag because it’s soaked in ketchup.”
The captain searched for ‘Replenishment’ in the search bar.
There, information about ‘Sauce Bottle C-102’ appeared.
It seemed like one could search for ‘concepts’ on this computer and it would bring up information about objects imbued with it. Kind of like a wide library where you find your chosen book.
A sudden thought struck me.
“Captain, is there an item here imbued with the concept of ‘Deception’?”
“Deception? I don’t know, why don’t you search for it and find out.”
Tap, tap, tap…
“Search Result: None.”
There was no information on the ‘transparent ring’ currently on my finger.
This meant that this deceptive ring wasn’t registered in the Treasure Exhibition’s system. Although I didn’t know how it happened…
“Captain, I found a ring and put it on. I was actually debating between this ring and the ketchup bottle. It’s the Deception Ring.”
“Ring? Where?”
The captain, wearing the clownish glasses, looked at my hand and frowned, seemingly quite upset. Was he aggravated because I had two items?
“Are you mocking me, Hanamjin? Where in the world is this ring you speak of!”
“It’s right here! A transparent ring! You’ll feel it if you touch it!”
Swish.
I extended my middle finger towards the captain.
Accidentally swearing with my tone, but what can I do? It’s not my fault the ring’s on my finger!
Yet the captain, after touching my middle finger, grew even more furious.
“What ring? Are you ridiculing your own instructor! And what is this nonsense about a ketchup bottle in the first place? Of all things you could pick, a ketchup bottle? KETCHUP?!”
“Isn’t my eye for treasure truly exceptional? Honestly, this ketchup bottle surpasses all the items here combined.”
“Your audacity leaves me speechless. Next person!”
While I had originally believed that stealing from the Treasure Exhibition would be unmanly, thus being open about the situation, the captain took it as mockery and became irate.
As a result, I managed to leave the Treasure Exhibition with two ‘precious items’ without any restrictions.
“Name: Seed – Ring”
Even though it’s clearly on my finger.
Is it only visible to me due to my ’empathy’ concept?
—
“Look at this! A talisman imbued with the concept of ‘Absorption’! It’s perfect for me, right? Perhaps it will absorb some of my ‘bad luck’ like a dehumidifier would absorb moisture!”
On our way home,
Bangdaengi proudly showed off the item they borrowed permanently from the ‘Treasure Exhibition.’ It was a yellow paper talisman inscribed with red characters.
“But, what happens if it keeps absorbing bad luck? I fear it might eventually condense into something truly terrifying…”
Chang-sik, visibly trembling, expressed his concerns about the talisman. Just imagining what could happen if Bangdaengi’s bad luck was concentrated in such a talisman was unpleasant.
What kind of treasure had Chang-sik chosen?
But Chang-sik only said with a sly smile, “Haha, I’ll reveal it later!”
“With this talisman, I should be able to somewhat control my misfortune and our family’s finances will improve!”
“Hmm, I’m already excited to conduct several tests once I get home.”
Everyone seemed in good spirits with their new items.
Well, Duk-soon appeared a bit despondent upon closer inspection.
“Duk-soon, is everything alright?”
“I thought I’d find a treasure imbued with the concept of ‘World,’ but alas, I didn’t succeed…”
Now that I think about it, Duk-soon had mentioned something about ‘World’ earlier.
What exactly does it mean?
“The ‘World’ refers to items imbued with colossal concepts that make up the world. For instance, there’s an aquarium imbued with the concept of ‘Sea’ in the presidential office. Incredible stuff. Tactical nuclear weapon level…”
A tactical nuclear weapon-level treasure? It might have been in the Treasure Exhibition.
Still, I wasn’t particularly disappointed.
“The potential of my ketchup bottle surpasses seas and even space. An endlessly refilling ketchup bottle. This alone guarantees I’ll never starve. My insight terrifies even me.”
Swish.
I proudly displayed my ketchup bottle to everyone, but my deep and meaningful intentions seemed beyond their grasp, judging by their perplexed expressions.
We all parted ways with that feeling.
I was pondering about getting back home to feed Seugal when someone approached me.
“Hey there, good-looking. I used to be a high school student once, you know?”
It was the policewoman waiting by the school gates.
What was her name again?
“Sister, your name…is it instant ramen, mild flavor?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? My name’s Jinrihyeon.”
The handcuffs dangling from her belt gleamed silver.
“Monster Hanamjin, I’d like to ask you a few things regarding Yeomhun and Samajun. Could you spare a moment before heading home?”
After pulling me to a nearby alley, the policewoman scrutinized me closely and even sniffed my palms!
“You don’t smoke, do you? From the length of your index and middle fingernails, it seems you don’t have a girlfriend yet, or your relationship hasn’t deepened… Hmm…”
What does fingernail length have to do with girlfriends? Maybe there’s some kind of college relationship math that a middle school dropout like me doesn’t understand.
“However, if I were to claim you killed someone with these hands, how would you feel? Were you the one who killed Samajun and Yeomhun? You do harbor resentment, don’t you? Since you lost your family in that incident two years ago.”
“Me?”
Imagine my shock at being mistaken for their murderer.
I was planning on keeping them alive and beating them up whenever I needed stress relief.
“My ‘Sixth Sense’ is good at detecting things. People show more cracks when they’re flustered or nervous. By any chance, are you the ‘Judge’?”
“Excuse me?”
“A skill comparable to a third-tier Awakened One. Bold enough to commit acts of violence effortlessly. A burning hatred for criminals… You fit the profile perfectly.”
So, I’m being mistaken as the notorious serial killer ‘Judge.’ This situation is troublesome.
As I was pondering over this, the policewoman dropped a bombshell.
“The ‘Judge’ targeting the Seonam Group is a common rumor. They’re a corrupt organization after all. Consequently, the ‘Judge’ killed Seugal—what do you think?”
I had never heard the rumor about the ‘Judge’ going after the Seonam Group. Neither had I heard that they would target Seugal.
Shaking my head, the policewoman gave a sly laugh.
“Sorry, that was the backlash of my ability. I’m incapable of lying because I can easily detect others’ deceptions. It’s like a tic, and I just blurt out everything.”
“Does that mean you’ll answer honestly if I ask about your ideal type?”
“Absolutely. I like mature, reliable types. Haven’t had much time for relationships due to my job and personality, but my judgment on people is sharp. That’s why you keep catching my attention.”
“Your insight really is remarkable. After all, I’m a man among men!”
“You emit vibes similar to the criminals I’ve arrested and thrown in jail. Why is that? Who are you?”
Apparently, I give off similar vibes to criminals. She really does have excellent instincts.
It was then.
Swish.
The policewoman grabbed my hand and brought it up to her chest.
As soon as I felt the softness, every hair on my body stood on end, and a wave of excitement surged through me.
“Normally, touching a minor would be a crime, but I feel it’s fine with you. I sense you’re flustered. Do you really not know anything about the Judge or Seugal’s disappearance?”
Her straight-to-the-point question aimed to unsettle me and find vulnerabilities.
Could she have already sensed that I’m not actually a minor, but a youth surpassing twenty?
She’s a truly exceptional investigator. If I fumble my words here, I might end up with those shiny handcuffs around my wrists.
Deciding to rely on the deception ability of my newly obtained ring,
I scratched my head.
“I’m also curious where Seugal is and what she’s doing.”
It’s not a lie. I genuinely don’t know what she’s up to, especially since I left her with Yining. I want to make sure they haven’t caused any trouble.
“Ah, I see. Then do you know anything about Prince Juhyun? Like why he hasn’t been attending school recently?”
“No clue.”
At that point, the policewoman finally let go of my hand.
As the warmth disappeared, I felt an almost angelic loss, leaving just her sly smile.
“I don’t usually do stuff like this, but you’re cute, so I was teasing you a bit. I might be a little excited right now.”
“Although I already have someone I like, I’d turn you down now. Though, if you’re offering a concubine position, that might change things.”
“Concubine? Don’t make me laugh. If I like someone, I like to beat and thrash that person. What do you think of that, human sc*m? That’s why you seem suspicious to me.”
Thud, thud.
The policewoman loosened her grip.
Is she going to hit me?
“Would you consider retreating to a more secluded place with me for a bit? We could have some… intimate ‘physical conversations.’ Perhaps this would take a few days.”
“Much appreciated, but school calls.”
“No worries! My connections are good! I can ensure you’re absent for a few days. As for your parents… oh right, you don’t have them, do you? Sorry, my honest nature sometimes slips out.”
This is awkward.
I don’t know what she’s planning, but if I’m trapped here and forced into ‘bodily dialogue,’ even with the help of the deceptive concept, I might get exposed to all sorts of things.
At this point, maybe I should use my secret ultimate move—when suddenly, from afar, a voice echoed.
“Hey!!! Hanamjin!!!”
