novelraw Chapter 9 : I Don't Want to Stand Out (3)
Chapter 9 : I Don't Want to Stand Out (3)
Chapter 9 - I Don't Want to Stand Out (3)
A hollow laugh escaped Taebaek's lips.
He had overlooked one fact.
The fact that his level had increased to 2 due to the half-day's commotion.
There had been an explanation that the power of Buff and Nerf was proportional to his level, but there was no way to know the degree of increase without using them.
That's why he'd experimented on the handsome blond man to gauge its effect.
But alas.
The increase was far greater than Lee Taebaek had anticipated. He had only intended to retaliate slightly.
'What do I do?'
In his attempt to not be looked down upon, he was about to make a mortal enemy. He felt like biting his tongue off.
As if to prove his humiliation, the blond man's handsome face flushed red. It was understandable, having been disgraced in front of the very woman he liked.
“You...! What did you do to me!”
The blond man shouted, panting with rage. He looked ready to chew Taebaek up and spit him out.
Hearing the shout, people passing by began to gather in small groups.
A bottleneck quickly formed in the narrow corridor. They covered their mouths and whispered to one another.
“That person kneeling over there, isn't that the Deputy of the 8th Battalion? What's he doing?”
“Hey, you're so dense. They say that playboy, Deputy James, has been hitting on Deputy Yoo Da-hee from the 9th Battalion lately. That guy's always been famous for chasing women.”
“Deputy James really is something else. He's the perfect example of someone whose actions don't match his handsome face, tsk tsk. ...By the way, who's that black-haired guy?”
“The picture is pretty clear, isn't it? That black-haired guy must be Deputy Yoo Da-hee's lover, and he somehow tracked them down—.”
A crime of passion, a duel, a losing move.
The scandal, which had stealthily grown in size, rubbed salt in the wounded heart of Playboy James. He placed a hand on his trembling knee and squeezed strength from his abdomen.
“Hah… hah... I'll ask. What in the world did you do to my body? And if this incident causes a dispute between our battalions, will you take responsibility?”
If he could, James desperately wanted to grab the black-haired man, the source of this damn mess, by the collar.
But his body just wouldn't obey.
'Dispute between battalions, my ass.'
Taebaek also felt sorry for unintentionally delivering a lethal dose of embarrassment.
But when the person who started the fight acts like this, then I have to become a thug too.
Besides, Taebaek had just acquired several 'concepts'. His eyes, which had been like a dead fish's when he was on Earth, were now low and sunken.
“In Lake City, the strong don't take responsibility.”
He said, looking at Playboy James with those hollow eyes.
His mental fortitude must have been hardened by his recent experiences. That's what Lee Taebaek, the man in question, thought.
“This bastard!”
James shouted convulsively. It was a cheap curse word he would never normally utter. The recent humiliation and an unprecedented fear of Taebaek were the catalysts.
With all his might, James grabbed Taebaek by the collar. And immediately, he regretted it.
Black eyes.
They were black eyes, calm as a placid lake, yet filled with a cold emotion.
Whether James struggled or not, he simply stared back with a look of boredom.
James flinched at those inorganic eyes, like those of a porcelain doll.
W-What is this guy's deal?
Unconsciously, the strength in his grip was fading.
But the reality was different.
Lee Taebaek simply hadn't had time to react. The effect of the Nerf should still have been active, but the grip on his collar was surprisingly strong.
From experience, if you let guys like this off the hook, they'll come back to haunt you. The kind of character who nurses a grudge and betrays you at a critical moment.
For the sake of the future, I should establish dominance from the start. That way, there won't be any trouble later.
Taebaek grabbed James's hand, enveloping it with his own. Then, he brought his mouth to the man's ear.
“You chose this.”
James had no time to retort. A wave of weakness even greater than before had already washed over him.
[Buffing the caster's Strength stat.]
[Nerfing all of the opponent's stats.]
Immediately, James's body collapsed, as if the strings holding up his limbs had been cut one by one.
Next, his forehead planted itself on the floor. An irresistible pressure pushed down on his back.
“......!”
Everyone watching was shocked. James could only tremble, his head bowed toward Taebaek.
'Wha—What in the world?'
James was feeling utter terror.
At first, he thought it was some kind of trick.
But he'd fallen for it again.
He had submitted twice, making a mockery of how he'd ground his teeth in anger just moments before.
Suddenly, a chill seized his heart. This wasn't some simple trick.
This is because the gap in our skills is just that vast. That was James's delusion.
Taebaek looked down on James, then glanced around. There were too many eyes watching to resolve this quietly.
People really do go crazy for a good fight.
'Good. This is actually better.'
Now, before the true extent of his abilities was revealed, was the perfect time. Taebaek had zero combat ability.
With all eyes on him, he needed to put up a brave front and plant the idea in everyone's minds that he was not some pushover.
'Why can't I think of anything but webtoon lines.'
The problem was that the lines running through his head were all things that would be difficult to say with a sober mind. His brain wasn't working properly due to the tension.
Taebaek squeezed his eyes shut. It was time to abandon his human dignity. When his eyes fluttered open, a strange light flickered in his pupils.
[Buffing the caster's Spirit stat.]
......
Creeeak.
The door to the Commander-in-Chief's office opened and a man entered. After closing the door, he brought the edge of his hand to his brow in a salute.
“You summoned me, Commander-in-Chief.”
“You're looking sharp, Hyunseong. You should stop by Miss Mok-ryeon's shop before you gain weight. Anyway, you've been through a lot.”
The figure in the pure white robe welcomed Kang Hyunseong with open arms. The sleeves spread out thinly, like the membrane of a wing.
“A superior flattering a subordinate. Should I call this 'insubordination from above' instead of 'from below'?”
“Haha, you really are the only one who talks to me like this. The other battalion commanders are so formal with me. Do you have any idea how bored I was for the three months you were gone? I missed you, Hyunseong.”
“It's not exactly pleasant to hear that you missed me from another man.”
The Commander-in-Chief laughed out loud. It was a mechanical sound, filled with static. He slowly walked over to the sofa.
“I've never once said that I was a man.”
“Then are you a woman, Commander-in-Chief?”
“That's also a secret.”
The Commander-in-Chief was wearing a helmet. He conveyed changes in expression by displaying emoticons on the face screen.
“You're a person of many secrets.”
“Because I'm the leader of the Resistance.”
“I'd appreciate it if you got to the point. I came as soon as you called, even skipping my first meal after being released.”
“My apologies. The small talk went on too long.”
The Commander-in-Chief fluttered his hand as if fanning himself. For an instant, his sleeve slid down slightly, but because he was wearing long gloves, not a bit of bare skin was revealed.
Name, race, voice, and even gender. The Commander-in-Chief was a person whose every aspect, aside from their very existence, was unclear.
“I was going to let you rest for a day and call you in tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait. And for good reason.”
The Commander-in-Chief, sitting on the opposite sofa, rested his chin on his clasped hands and spoke. In that position, he tilted his helmet, and the black wall lit up.
FLASH–!
A holographic display, adorned with languages from all over the world. Everywhere he looked, the display was filled with a sea of light pollution, packed with neon signs.
In the light-filled city of Lake City, a female reporter delivers a breaking news report.
[Good evening, residents of Lake City ...... About two hours ago, the government announced there was a small disturbance at the Neuro-prison ...... However, they say there were no casualties thanks to the city government's swift response ...... Adding that this was thanks to the grace of 'Akira, the Goddess of Order', the city government stated that they will use this incident as an opportunity to work harder on public security.......]
“...The news report has been fabricated.”
Kang Hyunseong was the first to speak.
A thin line drew an arc across the face screen. The Commander-in-Chief was smiling.
“What was the reason for planning this prison break?”
“To instill in the city government the awareness that we can break out any member of the Resistance, even if they're detained in the Neuro-prison... In truth, that was just a pretext. The real point was to attract the attention of those monsters, the 'whales' that exist beyond the city government. That was the core of this operation.”
“But the report announced it as a simple 'internal disturbance.' It's true that the city government has a filthy amount of pride, but they're not incompetent enough to distort the facts like this. There are still a few soldiers with a conscience left.”
Kang Hyunseong scratched his forehead. What in the world happened? The arc on the face screen rose higher.
“The whales.”
“...Don't tell me!?”
For a moment, Kang Hyunseong's mind went completely alert.
They got involved directly.
The ones who wouldn't even give them the time of day, no matter what they did to try and provoke them. It was supposed to be like that, and yet...
“The whales, the megacorps, have intervened directly.”
The Commander-in-Chief stared into Kang Hyunseong's eyes. The gaze seemed to pierce through his skin and stab directly into his brain.
“I heard you brought someone back from this mission. But no matter how I think about it, this intervention by the megacorps seems to be related to that 'someone'. Is my assumption wrong?”
He was talking about Taebaek. Kang Hyunseong chewed on his lower lip before finally replying with a look of resignation.
“It might look as if I was trying to hide him, but the report was merely delayed–.”
Beep-beep.
Just then, a ringing sound broke the mood. The Commander-in-Chief, feeling the tension dissipate, tapped the side of his helmet.
[C-Commander-in-Chief!]
The owner of the urgent voice was his secretary.
“If it's not urgent, call back in five minutes. If it is urgent, make it brief.”
[W-Well. There was a problem where the Deputy of the 8th Battalion and the Deputy of the 9th Battalion were together! However, it seems an outsider was involved...]
“A problem? What kind of problem? Don't tell me it's about Taebaek?”
Droplets of spittle flew from Kang Hyunseong's mouth, sticking to the Commander-in-Chief's face screen like shrapnel.
[Ah, it is the Commander of the 9th Battalion. Sir.]
“At ease.”
[Anyway, it is not the situation you described, Commander of the 9th Battalion. Rather, it is the opposite...? You could say. James... uh, that is... they say the Deputy of the 8th Battalion is currently... pressing his forehead to the ground...?]
After a moment of dumbfounded silence, Kang Hyunseong looked up. A smiling-eye emoticon appeared on the saliva-spattered screen.
“The one who made the whales, who were only watching from the sidelines, finally make a move. Could that be the friend you were so fervently crying out for, this 'Taebaek'?”
“......”
[Kssht- kssht- Commander-in-Chief? Can you hear me?]
“Send the location. I'll go check it out myself with Hyunseong.”
[Sir? Why would you, the Commander-in-Chief, go yoursel—.]
The Commander-in-Chief tapped the side of his helmet again, cutting him off. Then he slowly rose from his seat and spoke.
“I'm looking forward to this.”
A flicker of anxiety crossed Kang Hyunseong's pupils. The Commander-in-Chief began to walk, the hem of his robe trailing like a shadow.
......
“Kneel.”
I'll leave dealing with the aftermath of this embarrassment to tomorrow's me.
“This is our eye level.”
This was the solution Lee Taebaek had come up with after much agonizing.