Chapter 54. Someone Else’s Memories (5)
A strong man was all Jae-Hyuk had ever wanted to be. He wished to be so strong, no one’d dare look down on him, and becoming a soldier was part of it. Hence, he trained, bulked up, and learned discipline. He even helped keep the other guys in line sometimes. Faking it wasn’t that difficult.
However, no matter how strong his muscles grew, or how hard he tried, the coward inside him never disappeared. His fear was so powerful that it awakened supernatural abilities.
[Through overwhelming stamina, muscle memory etched from triceps to calves, and an extreme resistance to injury, a Unique Skill has been created!]
Physical injuries would heal, but the wounds of the heart never did. Some memories would fade, but they never truly disappeared.
For Jae-Hyuk, sharp objects were the worst of them all. The click of a blade being drawn, the paralyzing fear as it crept closer, and the burning sting as it sliced across his skin.
He’d hide that pain under his clothes all day, pretending it wasn’t there. Even then, the constant chafing would tear at him. He was terrified of pain, of blades, and of being cut, stabbed, and scraped.
No matter how strong he acted on the outside, he was still the same frightened fifteen-year-old inside.
[All Subjects may freely select which memories to share and will be active participants within that memory for the duration of the trial.]
Therefore, only one thought came to his mind after hearing the system message.
If I’m able to win, maybe—just maybe, I’ll finally stop being a coward! I’ll be someone who actually pulls their own weight!
“Are you sure? You don’t have to push yourself if it’s too much.”
Jae-Hyuk remembered Eun-Ho’s words from the past. He owed it to Eun-Ho—his Hyungnim—who’d been carrying everything alone.
Crash!
That was why he threw the chair, screaming, "Jung Chan-Hyung. You used to practice your kicks on me every day, didn’t you?!"
"What the hell are you talki—aargh!"
Thud!
He kicked the bastard square in the gut. On top of the overwhelming difference in mass, there was the weight of hundreds, thousands of simulated trials. All to overcome this nightmare.
Boom!
The guy flew across the classroom and slammed into the back door.
"Guh! Ack! Hrk!"
Then, he pounded down on the guy with all his weight.
"S-stop! Please, stop! Aaaargh!"
The ones he’d knocked over earlier scrambled to their feet and rushed to him.
"You motherfucker!"
"What the hell’s wrong with this guy today?!"
They came foaming at the mouth after their punching bag turned on them.
"How did he—guh!”"
Jae-Hyuk asked, "Kim Jin-Sol. The money you stole? I bet it adds up to a few hundred thousand won, right?"
"W-what?"
“It’s ten thousand per punch.”
Wham! Whack! Thud!
Jae-Hyuk’s fists were puny—nothing more than soft, childish swings. Still, it was a punch to the face, a kick to the ribs, and when the kid doubled over, an elbow to the crown of his head.
"Gyaaaah!"
"H-he’s insane!"
"Look at his eyes! Holy crap, he’s lost it!"
The guy flailed in agony, the pain too much to bear. However, he was just a fifteen-year-old punk who’d probably never taken a real beating before.
"W-we’re sorry! Okay?! Please, just stop!"
"Yeah, let’s talk, man! C-come on!"
Jae-Hyuk thought he was pathetic for suffering so much from these weak little brats.
Thump.
He now had only one target left, the leader, the worst of them.
"D-don’t come any closer! I swear, I’ll kill you!"
He slashed Jae-Hyuk with blades, insulted his parents, stole his money, hit him, and beat him over and over again.
"Stay the fuck away!!"
Even now, he still showed up in Jae-Hyuk’s nightmares on the bad days, when he was aching and weak.
“Lee Hyuk-Joo. You’re a real piec—”
Thunk!
The second Jae-Hyuk spewed that disgusting glee, the box cutter plunged into his side. It tore through his school uniform, burying itself deep.
"I told you not to come near me, you piece of shit!"
Blood seeped through the fabric of his shirt. Back then, Jae-Hyuk would’ve screamed, but now he simply yanked the blade out.
I can just discard the blade and the memory.
"This won’t hurt me. And I won’t ever get hurt because of someone like you,” said Jae-Hyuk.
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry, okay?!"
He even told himself that if he couldn’t pull it out, then he’d bury the whole memory instead.
"Aaaah! P-please! Stop!"
Too late. Everything had changed, and he was no longer the helpless, terrified kid they used to call pork-chop loser.
[The Sign Board from the Bureau of Investigation cheers at the satisfying justice served!]
[The Sign Board from the Bureau of Investigation has donated a thousand Welfare Points!]
[The Macho Man from the Bureau of Management shouts for you to stomp them harder!]
[The Top Performer from the Sales Department praises the heavy, satisfying punches!]
[The Top Performer from the Sales Department has donated a thousand Welfare Points!]
The crowd that had once roared at the bullies now turned their applause to Jae-Hyuk. Then, a box appeared before his eyes.
Puff.
[A gift has arrived from Subject Lee Eun-Ho!]
[Would you like to check it?]
It was unexpected and way too big for just a message. Inside were three bottles of potion, glowing faintly with a swirling blue liquid.
[Fatigue Recovery Potion]
- A fatigue recovery potion brewed from herbs.
- It should help with everyday fatigue and minor injuries.
They were simple healing potions that restored a bit of health, easing some fatigue. Still, Jae-Hyuk couldn’t understand why Eun-Ho had sent three bottles.
Then, he saw the three punks sprawled across the room—bruised, bleeding, and unconscious.
Ah, I see.
Even someone as dense as Jae-Hyuk instinctively understood that Eun-Ho was supporting him to beat them one more time until his anger ran dry.
A smile tugged at his lips. Jae-Hyuk thought he was so damn lucky to have someone that persistent like Eun-Ho on his side.
“You said you were sorry, right?” Jae-Hyuk said, looking at the three beaten up guys.
“Y-yeah! Y-yes!”
“Then drink this. We haven’t even started yet, bastards.”
***
[You have selected the Fatigue Recovery Potion.]
[You have donated to Subject Choi Jae-Hyuk.]
Jae-Hyuk stood there, smiling like an idiot, holding the three Potions. Eun-Ho was relieved to see that goofy grin. For a second, Eun-Ho had worried the kid had snapped completely during his rampage.
You’ve grown up, huh?
He hoped Jae-Hyuk would let it all out. Repay everything, and finally move on. However, just as Eun-Ho reached to close the channel, new messages chimed in unexpectedly.
[Congratulations!]
[You have acquired a title, First Sponsor.]
[Would you like to check the effects of the title, First Sponsor?]
“Check.”
[All sponsored items now receive a permanent 10% discount.]
[Items sponsored through the Eye will receive a 10% effectiveness boost.]
Huh? Well, that’s a nice surprise. In that case, let’s send him a few more just in case.
[You have purchased the Fatigue Recovery Potion.]
[You have purchased the Fatigue Recovery Potion.]
[You have purchased the Fatigue Recovery Potion.]
***
[You have returned to Channel HRN-GENERAL.]
After reviewing Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk’s memories, Eun-Ho reviewed others’ memories as well, before returning to the general feed. The screen stretched endlessly in every direction, each one filled with sensory overload.
The content had clearly shifted since the last time.
Ugh.
A handful of the memories were particularly skin-heavy. The provocative ones weren’t exactly aligned with the preferences of the things watching from beyond the Eye.
[The Badger from the Bureau of Management clicks their tongue in disappointment.]
[Dorothy from the Sales Department ends her viewing session, unimpressed.]
Yeah, not their kind of stimulus, huh?
[You have been connected to Channel HRN-X#1.]
Innocent people appeared to be locked in a basement. There were sharply dressed college students, elderly grandparents in their eighties, middle-aged men brought to their knees.
「P-please don’t kill me! I’m begging you!」
「Let’s talk this out. Come on, put the gun down.」
「I have three kids. If I die here, think about what might happen to my wife.」
However, the mastermind didn’t hesitate to kill every last one of them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A head exploded with each single gunshot. Three bullets lodged in the concrete floor behind.
[The Gunfighter from the Bureau of Management revels in the string of executions!]
[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]
[The Fire Fist from the Bureau of Management hopes the killing spree continues uninterrupted!]
[A donation of 500 Welfare Points has been made!]
[The Great Detective from the Bureau of Audit begs for a glimpse of the killer’s face!]
[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]
Every movement—including drawing the gun, aiming, and firing—was smooth and efficient. It was a seamless string of executions. This person was not just dangerous—they were lethal.
Apparently, this kind of content really hit the mark.
These are straight up crime scenes though. It’d be better if I never had to cross paths with someone like that...
However, the fact that he could access their memory now meant that this person was in Yongsan District.
And with only about two hundredish survivors left, we’re definitely going to meet. The killer wore a suit and a mask. Would I be able to recognize them if we crossed paths? No, I’ll have to.
[An anonymous observer is watching Subject X very closely!]
Eun-Ho didn’t know their name, age, or even what they looked like—only that they called themselves Subject X.
[Real-Time Donation Rankings]
1. Lee Eun-Ho (20,000 points)
2. X (14,000 points)
3. Cha Jin-Sol (8,100 points)
4. Kim Ji-Eun (7,500 points)
5. Kim Gwi-Nam (5,150 points)
X clearly wasn’t their real name, but there was hardly any information to go on. Still, just as Eun-Ho was analyzing the mysterious survivor’s proportions—the shape of their head, their build, their posture—a sudden announcement echoed through the air.
[Attention all participants of the trial Observation.]
It seemed to be directed at everyone participating in the trial. Even the masked killer, still wiping down his gun among corpses, flinched at the sound.
[The trial Observation will soon conclude.]
[As an incentive to encourage your continued engagement, we are revealing the special reward ahead of time!]
[The reward is the Almighty Observer’s Eye!]
It was enough to make everyone’s head snap toward the screen without exception.
A floating screen appeared in the sky, like a giant digital blimp. Displayed in the center was a small, palm-sized case, with two white lids sitting side-by-side.
That looks just like a contact lens case.
Just as he thought it, the description of the item popped up.
[Almighty Observer’s Eye]
- Specially engineered contact lenses developed by headquarter’s research and development division. When activated, it allows the user to view remaining stamina percentages of any target in sight.
- Eyes become clearer and more vivid upon equipping.
They really are lenses? Ha...
The seemingly ordinary lenses had a significant effect. Being able to see how much stamina an opponent had left was definitely a tactical advantage.
And that person is the only one who could, meaning they could fight from a superior position.
As Eun-Ho was getting ready to return to his channel and make his move, Subject X picked up something long and metal, then began climbing a staircase. Apparently, he’d been in a basement.
Click.
I still can’t see his face...
The moonlight was faint and the man wore a full black mask with only eye holes, completely covering his head. He exited into a dark alley, ran for just a moment, and barged into a nearby bar.
Clang—!
「Welcom—aaaaah!」
「Aaargh! I-is that a gun?!」
Then, without hesitation, he unloaded a machine gun into the crowded bar. Heads burst like confetti, soaking the ceiling, the floor, and the walls in red.
Bababababam—Bang! Bang! Bang!
[The Gunfighter from the Bureau of Management roars in approval at the bloody spectacle!]
[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]
[The Fire Fist from the Bureau of Management applauds the electrifying action noir!]
[A donation of 1,000 Welfare Points has been made!]
The more the audience cheered the more unhinged X became.
「Aaaaargh! Someone, help!」
He’s panicking and trying to score big before the trial ends.
The more brutal the display, the more points they raked in.
He’s at 16,000 points. He’s nearly caught up. But I won't lose! Not to someone like that! Eun-Ho thought, gritting his teeth.
Then, a long-forgotten tension crept up his spine.
Whoosh.
With a swift motion, he waved his hand, closing every screen. Then, he stood up from his seat.
[You have been disconnected.]
Let’s see. I wonder if my customers had fun...