Report
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
Chapter 12: Performance Pressure (2)
"Achievements? Human whetstone?"
I muttered to myself, wondering what that meant, and the system kindly responded.
[When you achieve remarkable results or perform extraordinary feats, they are recognized as 'Achievements,' granting you an appropriate 'Title.']
Remarkable results or extraordinary feats, huh.
Sharpening weapons barehanded must fall under the latter.
[Would you like to check the effect of the 'Human Whetstone' title?]
"Yes."
[When sharpening weapons barehanded, the speed increases significantly.]
[Your understanding of the sharpened weapon improves.]
A whetstone—a stone used for sharpening blades.
"Does this mean I can sharpen faster than before?"
Skeptical, I moved my hands quickly.
— Scrape. Scrape-scrape-scrape-scrape-scrape...
"Whoa, Eunho! Did you use the acceleration skill again?"
"No, the acceleration skill is still on cooldown."
"What? But your hands are moving super fast...?"
This was real.
The blade was being sharpened at a speed incomparable to before.
"Hyung! I think that's enough sharpening! The blade fits perfectly into the hilt now!"
Jaehyuk checked the handle groove against the blade tip as he spoke.
But based on my 'understanding'...
"No, the tip needs to be longer—long enough to pierce through the handle."
"What?!"
"Pass me the adhesive."
— Tap. Tap. Tap.
I evenly applied adhesive to the thin blade and inserted it into the handle, letting the tip pierce through the end.
Then:
"Jaehyuk, can you bend the tip protruding through the handle? Be careful not to hurt yourself."
"I can do it, but why go this far...?"
"If you only rely on adhesive, the blade might come loose when you swing it. If we bend the tip like this, it’ll hold securely."
"Ohhh! That makes sense!"
Perhaps it was the effect of the title.
I instinctively 'understood' that just adhesive wouldn’t suffice to properly secure the blade I had sharpened.
"But, Eunho, this makes the blade touch the handle. Isn’t that dangerous?"
After struggling for a while, Jaehyuk handed me the fully assembled sword.
Jieun inspected the handle and commented.
"Ah! Then, how about wrapping it with duct tape?"
Convenient, but it wouldn’t last.
Instead...
"Wasn't there a leather sofa in the lobby?"
"Eunho, you’re not suggesting using the leather from the sofa, are you...?"
Our team leader once boasted the sofa that occasional visitors sat on was made of expensive leather.
'Soft yet durable. Just what we need.'
I cut strips of dark brown leather, wrapped them tightly around the handle, and secured them.
The sword was complete.
— Ding!
[You have crafted the 'Blade-Tipped Sword!']
▣ Blade-Tipped Sword
A unique sword made by embedding a bird-like blade tip into a hilt carved from animal bone.
Though the joint is somewhat crude, the blade has been meticulously sharpened with an exceptional whetstone, granting unmatched sharpness.
-Non-tradable item.
'Did I do a good job?'
The blade certainly looked sharper than the borrowed sword I used earlier.
To test it...
— Swish.
I lightly slashed at the chair cushion I had just been sitting on. It cut through like butter.
The gleaming blade reflected light, its edge so sharp that I felt confident it could draw blood with the slightest touch.
This would be enough.
"It’s finished."
A monster like the blade-tipped bird would surely be no match for this.
'Maybe even a person...'
"Hyung! Amazing! Is there anything you can’t do?"
"Seriously, Eunho, who knew you had such talent!"
"It turned out better than expected. You two, why don’t you bring me your broken swords as well?"
After admiring the weapon for a while, the two handed over their broken blades.
I quickly crafted two more swords at a faster speed than before.
It felt like I was getting used to this.
"Did you find any supplies outside?"
"Yes, we managed to fill three backpacks. If we add canned food, we could last about a week."
"Let’s pack them quickly."
We picked items that were compact, lightweight, and high in calories.
Dried goods like jerky were all packed in.
"It might feel heavy, but it’s better to carry as much as we can. We won’t need to move much, and we’ll eat as we go."
"But how do we carry these swords? They’re quite heavy."
"In games, people carry them on their backs."
"Don’t worry about that."
[Purchase complete. Items can be stored in your inventory at any time.]
The same message had appeared when I bought the broken swords earlier.
Since the Blade-Tipped Sword triggered the system, it must also be considered an 'item.'
"Store."
The sword in my hand turned translucent and disappeared.
"Looks like some kind of inventory system. You two try it too."
"Wow, that’s convenient!"
"I’m a bit disappointed, though. I wanted to try carrying it on my back and drawing it out during a fight."
When Jaehyuk grumbled over such a trivial matter, Jieun gently coaxed him, pointing out the reality.
"If you tried that, you’d end up hurting everyone nearby."
"I could be careful when drawing it!"
"Yeah, but how would you sheath it again? You can’t see it. What if you accidentally stab your own back?"
"That... uh..."
Jieun, logical as ever, reminded me of her thoughtful nature.
Back when she was just someone from the finance team, I only thought of her as kind.
"Just store it in the inventory. Got it?"
"Y-yeah..."
Finally convinced, Jaehyuk stored his sword in his inventory and started packing his bag.
Watching Jieun smile at Jaehyuk’s retreating figure, I made a casual comment.
"You’re good with Jaehyuk."
"Maybe it’s because I have a younger brother. He feels like family."
"How old is your brother again?"
"Just a year younger—he’s 25."
That made him the same age as Jaehyuk.
As if thinking about her brother brought fresh worries, Jieun fiddled with her phone.
"Jieun, if your brother is anything like you, he’s probably very smart."
"He is! He’s been clever since he was little, always coming up with tricks. He’s still studying now."
"Then he’ll be fine. But for you to see him again, you need to survive first."
Hearing that, the shadow of worry briefly clouding her face lifted, and a smile returned.
"Thank you, Eunho. I think I've survived until now thanks to you. And on top of that, you even made me this sword."
"It's nothing. This is just the beginning."
It was only just the beginning.
Jieun must have known too—it was far too early to express gratitude for being saved.
"I hope I won’t have to use this sword…"
Jieun muttered as she looked down at the blade, which glowed a cold, blue light.
A blade so sharp it seemed it would slice through soft flesh with just a graze.
"That’s unlikely, isn’t it?"
"…Let’s rest for now."
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
* * *
AM 8:30.
There were still 30 minutes left before the mission started, but I came down to the first-floor lobby early.
Normally, the lobby would be packed with people heading to work, but not now.
The vast lobby, as well as the streets visible through the glass doors, were completely empty.
The only ones alive and moving were the three of us.
"We don’t know where the next mission will take place. Let’s wait here."
"But why the lobby, Hyung? If we stay in the middle floors, we can respond faster no matter where in the building the mission starts."
Jieun nodded in agreement with Jaehyuk’s reasoning.
He was right.
That is, assuming the next mission would also take place inside this building.
"We might need to leave the building."
"Leave… the building?"
There were thirteen people left in this building.
If the mission was to fight each other, there would have been no need for a long gap between missions.
Since we’re all gathered already, they could’ve just moved straight into the next round.
"If we get cornered inside, we can take the elevator. No one’s going to fight over it anymore."
Because they’ve all been "deleted."
The two seemed to understand, nodding their heads.
"You youngsters! Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. You’re out early."
"For me, coming out early is just part of the job."
Perhaps they had similar thoughts or it was just coincidence, but a few of the other survivors, led by the security guard, gathered in the lobby as well.
AM 8:50.
Ten minutes before the mission started.
As expected, the announcement played over the speakers.
[Attention, MS Tower survivors.]
[The next mission will begin at 9:00. Please move to your designated safe zones.]
[Area movement restrictions will now be lifted.]
Bzzzzzzzz-
A vibration echoed through the space, and the glass walls of the building blurred momentarily as if washed by rain, then became clear again.
The barrier that had surrounded the building since the start of the missions had finally been lifted.
"We’re finally heading out."
"Yes, but… where is that?"
A map appeared, filling my vision.
Compared to yesterday, the area was noticeably larger.
A sprawling road too wide to count the lanes, an even broader railway, and an elegant building situated between them.
"Seoul Station."
More precisely, the plaza in front of Seoul Station.
"We can make it in 10 minutes."
By myself, it would only take about 5 minutes.
Since this was my daily commute, I was almost certain of the timing.
Normally, the wide road would make it time-consuming to cross at the pedestrian signal, but now there were no signals to stop for.
— Clack!
Pushing open the large glass door, I began to run.
Reaching the road, I saw cars strewn haphazardly, ignoring lanes.
"It looks like a mission took place here too!"
The scene bore traces of hurried panic caused by the sudden mission.
Cars abandoned as their drivers fled.
Vehicles crashing into nearby stores, their drivers possibly "deleted."
And bodies crushed by those vehicles, pinned against walls.
"…"
Unlike the "deleted," whose remains had disappeared entirely, the intact corpses and pools of blood remained visible everywhere.
As I got closer to the main road, the chaos intensified—buses collided with fences, cars crushed by impacts, leaving behind a haunting sight.
When I finally reached the road in front of the station, the scene was beyond belief.
"This is… what the hell…"
Buses lined up along the ten-lane road, some burned to the point of emitting faint smoke, and tire tracks scorched into the asphalt.
"It must have been a 'safe zone'…"
In the center of it all, there was a circle.
Where a green circle once signaled safety, a grotesque blend of human flesh and blood now formed its replacement, made by those who couldn’t enter in time.
A fragmented tableau of chaos.
"Urgh…"
Dragging Jaehyuk, who was nearly retching, I forced us to cross the road.
03:47.
The circle marking our destination at the plaza in front of Seoul Station came into view.
Sitting in the middle of it was a middle-aged man, nonchalant amidst the carnage.
'A homeless man?'
Could he be a survivor of the Seoul Station mission?
With long hair and a beard matted with dried blood, he looked more like a beast than a person.
'But why is he alone?'
Seoul Station should’ve had plenty of people.
A bad feeling crept in as I scrutinized him. Soon, more people began to arrive.
"Haah… I barely made it."
"Waah! I’m scared!"
"It’s okay, Yura. Don’t cry. Daddy’s here."
A homeless man, three schoolgirls in uniforms, a father and his young daughter, a man in uniform.
And the thirteen of us from MS Tower.
'Twenty in total.'
Their ages, genders, and appearances were diverse, but they all shared one thing in common.
A mixture of fear and determination in their faces, awaiting the next mission.
[Attention survivors in the Seoul Station area.]
AM 9:00.
The mission began.
[Project Selection: The next mission is a TF (Task Force) mission where participants must form teams and complete objectives together.]
"TF?"
TF—Task Force.
A temporary team assembled from various departments to tackle a specific task.
In simpler terms, this mission was a team battle.
"Who you team up with will be crucial."
I muttered to the two standing next to me, but suddenly, the people from MS Tower started glancing in my direction.
[The mission will consist of three rounds. Teams failing to meet their objectives in any round will be fully 'restructured.']
[Defeat the enemies and achieve results.]
"Fully 'restructured' means…"
"Objectives? What objectives?!"
"And who are the enemies? There’s nothing here!"
Failing to meet the objectives meant complete elimination.
Literal death for poor performance.
The atmosphere turned icy cold, tension palpable between the people.
[At the start of the mission, the four closest people will automatically form a TF team.]
As the final announcement ended—
"The closest…?"
Twelve pairs of eyes all turned to me.
[Mission start.]
And then, they all lunged.
"Hey, kid!"
"Team up with me!"
"You bastard, you're teaming with me!"
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!w
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
