Chapter 51

“It feels good to get a full night’s sleep after so long—”

Maybe it’s because this body is healthier than the one before possession.

Even without much exercise, the body has been through so much that it’s developed a lean, muscular build.

To think this body belonged to a prisoner locked up in the Research Institute… Maybe the original owner was captured more recently than I thought.

The problem is… the past before being captured by the Research Institute.

What kind of past did this body have?

Could it be… someone really connected to Quaker?

Somehow, I feel like I’ll only get clues if I go to Seoul, but will I be able to go?

Still, considering I’ve managed to accumulate this much wealth in less than half a year, I should be able to gather information in Seoul soon.

Especially since I’ve even made a connection with Speed, a hero who belongs to the upper class in Seoul.

Of course, that guy won’t let me commit any illegal acts, but I should be able to get some information.

Or maybe I could ask him to gather information for me.

He’s the type who can’t stand injustice. Just telling him what I’ve seen and experienced would be enough for him to investigate on his own.

…Ah, maybe in the original story, he got caught by Quaker while moving like that?

Thinking about it that way, it feels a bit awkward to ask him.

Ah, whatever.

What’s the point of me thinking about this alone?

I scratched my head and stepped out of the bathroom.

“Boss. Good morning.”

Perfect timing.

Or maybe he timed it to say that the moment I stepped out of the bathroom.

“Boss. If you scratch your head too much, you might go bald.”

“Where did you hear that? Don’t say such terrifying things. And how did you know I was scratching my head?”

“W-well, your hair is all messy after washing up.”

“Unnie, that’s mean—”

Ah, so that’s it.

I roughly fixed my hair with my hand and sat down.

Breakfast was simple: fried eggs, kimchi, and soybean paste stew.

Sadly, this was considered a middle-class menu here.

Those who couldn’t afford it couldn’t even eat the rice that was overproduced and distributed in Seoul.

The soybean paste… was a spice I managed to get with great difficulty to celebrate the recent payment.

Compared to the big-brand soybean paste I used before possession, the smell was a bit stronger, but the taste wasn’t much different, so I was quite satisfied.

If I go to Seoul, I’ll be able to stock up on such spices in bulk.

There’s nothing I want more than that.

More than anything, the dishes I could eat normally before possession have become either impossible to eat or really hard to get here.

Like wild greens, Chinese food, or Vietnamese food.

Among them, what I want to eat the most is chicken.

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, paired with beer…

…Ah, whatever.

What’s the point of thinking about it? It just makes me feel miserable.

“Let’s eat.”

I picked up my spoon.

—

“Security Chief. You want to get a weapon?”

“I lost the weapon I was using before, so…”

“I see. I know a good place. But have you decided what kind of weapon you want?”

“Something I can throw and retrieve would be nice.”

“I heard you used iron balls quite brutally before.”

“I need something powerful enough to take down even a massive opponent.”

A weapon that can tear anyone apart.

Something effective not just against humans but also the monsters I encountered during the first exploration and the one that swallowed Seolhwa.

“Well, let’s go. He’ll explain better than I can.”

“Excited!”

“Boss.”

“…Hey, don’t overdo it.”

“What did I do?”

“…Tch. This is why popular guys are annoying.”

The bearded man clicked his tongue and walked ahead quickly.

Since I was being dragged by the two, it was hard to keep up, so naturally, I fell behind.

Is he throwing a tantrum now?

For someone his age, he’s acting like a child.

I sighed and widened my stride.

After chasing the bearded man for a while, I arrived in front of a building where something was being hammered rhythmically.

“Chief! Over here!”

…It’s hot.

I stepped back slightly from the intense heat radiating from outside and took in some cool air.

A blacksmith in this era? Feels strange.

Of course, in a world where using firearms is risky, it’s not strange to seek cold weapons.

“Hey! I brought a customer!”

“A customer?”

A man with fiery hair, presumably the boss, narrowed his eyes and scanned me from head to toe.

“Hmm… Interesting. What’s your ability?”

In response, I reached out and pulled a nearby lump of metal toward me.

When I shot it back into place, the man with flames instead of hair on his head showed a rather intrigued reaction.

“Good ability.”

“Focus on durability. Preferably a spear-type weapon.”

That was the conclusion I reached on the way here.

Spears have been humanity’s weapon of choice for thousands of years.

They have a long reach, making them good against most cold weapons, and they’re not too hard to handle.

If I needed to perform flashy moves like in martial arts novels, it’d be different, but that’s not the case.

And most importantly… throwing spears.

Throwing spears have a big advantage.

With my ability, I can throw spears with more force than an average human.

“A spear, huh. No one uses them because they’re cumbersome… Come over here for a sec.”

I walked four steps forward at his words.

He told me to extend my hand, and when I did, he stared intently at my palm.

“Hmm… Not a bad palm.”

“How long will it take?”

“If I start now, three days. You’ll need to pay quite a bit.”

“I have the money. How much exactly?”

He quoted a rather large sum.

Even for me, it was a hefty amount. But right now, the cost isn’t as important as whether I’ll get a usable weapon.

“Here’s the money.”

“Ho. You’re rich.”

He took about two-thirds of the cash from the suitcase I brought and spoke with a satisfied expression.

“I’ll make three spears. Designed for throwing. Practice with that old spear over there until they’re ready.”

I looked at the old spear he pointed to.

“Use it as a temporary one?”

“Yeah. Even if I start now, it’ll take three days.”

“Ah, okay.”

I picked up the spear.

Hmm.

It’s quite heavy.

Well, it’s about two meters long, so that’s expected.

I tried to get used to the surprisingly smooth shaft by running my hand over it.

“This is nice.”

“It’s been sitting around because it didn’t sell, but it’s a decent piece. The blade has an alloy only used in the Seoul area.”

“An alloy…”

I think it was mentioned in the original story. Something about heroes’ weapons having this and that.

“Well, if you get the idea, get out now. I need to start working.”

“Then I’ll come back at this time in three days.”

“If it takes longer, I’ll let that lazy security chief know, so ask him.”

“Ugh, you’re giving me more work.”

The bearded man scratched his head in annoyance and complained, but he nodded in agreement as if it was just a minor protest.

“Security Chief, come back in three days.”

“Then I’ll see you in three days.”

“Boss, I’ll go check the market.”

“Go ahead.”

“Then I’ll leave. Have a good time.”

We immediately left the blacksmith and headed to the market.

Since it was the time when people were busy with their livelihoods, we could shop leisurely.

“This should last us about a week.”

“Didn’t we buy too much? The fridge won’t fit—”

“…Well, we’ll figure it out.”

If the fridge is full, we’ll just eat what’s already in it and make space.

“Tonight, let’s clean out the fridge…”

My skin feels prickly.

As soon as we turned onto the path to the office, I felt an unpleasant sensation and rolled my eyes.

“Boss…”

“Hey, whoever you are, if you have business, come out.”

I set down the bags and tightly gripped the spear slung over my shoulder.

“…You caught me.”

“Boss, the voice is coming from the wall.”

“I don’t know how you noticed… But since I’ve been caught, I’ll take some hospitality.”

Before the words even finished, a person walked out of the wall.

As if the wall wasn’t there, she stepped out, and as we quietly stared at her, she lifted her face from under her cap and smiled seductively.

“Do you have any coffee? I’m a fan of coffee.”