NOTICE: Many of the novels have been removed because they might cause violations, which we were not aware of earlier.
#136. Cube (2)
“… … .”
“… … .”
“… … .”
Everyone was speechless.
The pedals rotating at a ferocious speed as if they were driven by a motor were enough to evoke a momentary sense of eeriness.
Is it because of my mood?
In the fierce rotation, the pedal was trampled by countless feet, and it seemed as if I could feel the hatred and resentment I had for the world.
“Uh, uh… This needs to stop for now… .”
Philip pushed the branch he had picked up between the pedals.
Kagagak!
In an instant, I had to look at the tree branches that were now only the bottoms of the branches and make a vain face.
Why is that?
Even if I put something like a steel pipe in, the result didn’t seem to change.
Swish.
Ray took his hands off the frame he was holding.
‘You injected too much mana.’
I kept repeating ‘just a little more’ as if I was filling people’s bowls with emotions, but I failed to control the amount.
Kiririririririk────!
The pedal would naturally stop when the mana was depleted to a certain level.
But the problem is.
“… … .”
It was black smoke billowing fiercely from the pedal.
Ray’s gaze slowly follows the smoke towards the sky.
I tried to concentrate just in case.
But the black smoke rose toward the clouds, paying no attention to the boy’s orders.
It was a natural thing.
Black smoke was not mana, but a byproduct of mana.
‘Is there a way to get rid of the black smoke? Or… the black cloud itself?’
Then, wouldn’t the sky clear up and it be easier to find the rainbow hanging somewhere?
Just as the boy’s thoughts were about to spread out.
Kiririririririk────!
The sound of the pedal woke me up.
“Jeffrey! Jeffrey!”
“Uh… Is this cool guy with the steel frame spewing out his fierce hatred towards the world named Jeffrey?”
Ray offered a solution to the three who were at a loss in the face of Jeffrey’s wrath.
“If you leave it alone, it will stop.”
And then I turned my head and looked around Nerobel Square, which was my top priority destination within Sector 37.
A huge and magnificent fountain.
Sturdy benches placed throughout.
Passersby with positive emotions and the sound of musical instruments.
As expected from a place located in the center of the sector, it was very bustling and had a typical landscape.
…therefore.
Except for one building that dominates the center of the square.
It was a cubic building made of smooth black marble.
The height and width are each about 3 meters.
There were no entrances or windows, giving the impression of an artificial structure rather than a building.
‘I said I’d call it a cube.’
Ray thought.
It’s like a giant’s painstakingly carved, unmarked dice.
That was the point of Ignis that it only existed in sectors above a certain number.
“Jeffrey! Calm down! I understand how you feel, but this isn’t going to solve anything!”
“I think I need to drain the infused mana and reduce it, but you’re acting up so much I can’t do anything about it.”
Ray took something out of his bosom, letting the conversation he was hearing next to him go unnoticed.
Rustle.
John and Skyle’s Black Card.
The two cards had similar yet different appearances, with a circuit-shaped gold pattern embedded in the corners.
Just like a person’s fingerprint.
It was a sign indicating who the current owner of the card was.
Curiosa said so.
“Once you have the card, you can enter and exit inside.”
“But the conditions for finding money are a bit more stringent. You need to know the password and be registered as the owner of the card.”
Ray, who was listening to the story, asked.
“It’s unusual that the branches are located in the busiest areas of the sector. I thought you’d find the money in a more secretive and discreet way.”
“That’s it─”
Curiosa said with a smirk.
——————
faqwiki.xyz
Join our Discord for new chapter updates!
https://discord.com/invite/xr7SxG5T6V
——————
「─That way, more people can see who owns the card. How much money is withdrawn.」
Ray immediately understood what those words meant.
“They intentionally made it so that it would be easy to steal money.”
“Yeah. I don’t know who made Ignis, but he’s got pretty bad taste.”
He said that it is also dangerous to take out your card carelessly outside.
The registration pattern could be easily modified by a technician.
In effect, it was said that if you knew the password, you could steal someone else’s card and use it.
“I think Ignis intentionally made the pattern sloppy. So that it could be easily modified.”
He said there were many such speculations.
I wonder if they are intentionally trying to provoke a fight so that the card is permanently lost.
“That makes sense. After all, the money that can’t be found ends up in Ignis’ possession.”
Still, many people put their money into Ignis.
“Thanks to the card payment system built throughout the 30th Sector. You can pay with a card in most stores. There’s no need to carry around a lot of cash.”
Because of its overwhelming convenience, the number of users has never been small.
“… … .”
Ray reviewed the conclusion of the conversation.
In the end, the story was that in order to use Ignis, you need to have a lot of money and the power to protect it.
therefore.
I’m talking about the power that can easily defeat the eyes shining all over the square.
‘At first glance, there are 7 people.’
A person sitting on a bench and reading a newspaper.
Three people circling the square repeatedly.
A person watching a musical instrument performance.
Two people sitting at a table drinking coffee.
The seven, who at first glance appeared to be ordinary pedestrians, were constantly glancing in the direction of the cube.
Ray was sure they were after the cards.
Each bowl was rippling with black mana.
The emotions involved are.
‘malice.’
The intention to harm another person.
Since the method of mixing black mana is not uniform, the associated emotions change slightly each time.
But the results were generally similar.
And Ray looked up two words in the dictionary that could collectively describe those emotions that had something in common.
Malice, and fear.
‘Those people don’t seem to be showing any particular fear.’
Additionally, the black mana has a sharp blade pointing towards the cube in the center of the square.
Not in the shape of a ball tightly packed inside.
So it wasn’t fear, it was malice.
‘The ring is not visible.’
While riding the rickshaw, I saw a few magicians on the street.
1 circle set.
2 circles one.
But he wasn’t among the seven men.
Also, even if it covers the entire square.
‘Judging by the way they’re exchanging glances, they’re all in the same boat.’
Is that the end of the personnel?
Are there any more groups to belong to?
Judging from the fact that it appears to be somewhat systematic, the latter is more likely.
According to the vagabonds, there are four major forces dividing the shadows of Sector 37.
Are they the ones who belong there?
Many thoughts and judgments were busy going through the boy’s head.
To avoid drawing unnecessary attention, the number of times you enter and exit the cube should be minimized.
There is no need to enter the Cube right away since you need to find a broker and tamper with the card.
… but curiosity and the desire to explore are running wild inside the vessel.
The boy, who had weighed and reviewed many variables, opened his mouth.
“Philip, Veronica. Would you like to find a place to stay first? With the driver.”
The answer came back from the other side.
Kkiriririririririk────!
*
Jeffrey’s rampage was brought to a halt when Ray recovered his mana to lower the elemental concentration within the frame.
The rickshaw puller, Jang, looked very shocked to find out that his old friend had this side to him.
“Then… let’s go.”
“Sir, you’re wearing your gloves on the handlebars instead of your hands.”
“Yes, I will leave.”
“You put it in the exact opposite way.”
The rickshaw carrying Philip and Veronica disappeared down the street.
Ray sprang into action right away.
First, I went into a clothing store near the square, picked out the most plain and featureless clothes possible, and headed to the changing room.
Rustle. Rustle.
I quickly changed my clothes and looked in the mirror inside the changing room.
“… … .”
A boy with white hair and blue eyes was looking this way.
Woof─
The hair and eyes turned black with the rising mana.
Black hair and black eyes.
A type commonly seen on the streets.
Actually, I didn’t dye it.
It was a simple illusionary magic that could deceive the eyes of those who had fallen.
widely-
Let’s put on the round glasses I borrowed from Philip, and in the mirror.
“Perfect.”
Anyone who looked could see that Ray was standing there.
My glasses were a bit dizzy because my prescription was high, but it was okay.
The black-haired boy, satisfied with his disguise skills, nodded slightly and left the changing room.
“Can you hold my change of clothes for a moment?”
“Oh, uh…? Yes? Uh, of course.”
The shop owner was taken aback by Ray’s changed appearance, but he accepted the clothes.
Knock knock─
Ray came out without delay.
He put on the hood attached to his top and walked briskly towards the cube.
Hit— Hit— Hit—
Among the many people passing by the square, no one paid any special attention to the boy with an ordinary appearance that could be seen anywhere on the street.
That is, except for a few people with impure intentions.
Hit— Hit—
Ray kept walking and watched the seven men out of the corner of his eye.
There was a deep sense of excitement and agitation rippling through the bowl.
‘You must have realized that where I was headed was exactly the cube.’
It would definitely be a different trajectory of movement from that of ordinary citizens who pass by the cube without a problem.
The seven pairs of eyes glanced more frequently as they got closer to the cube.
Hit— hit— bang.
He stopped in front of the cube and stared at me openly, without any thought of looking anywhere else.
… Black Mana was shaking violently as if it had found prey.
Ray deliberately took his time and observed the cube.
“… … .”
Smooth black marble.
Above it, white lines appeared in a natural pattern, extending in all directions like lightning.
The part where the lines were gathered looked like clouds at first glance.
What should I say?
I had a strong impression that it was a structure that could not be built with the current level of technology.
‘The enemies don’t seem to have any intention of rushing in right away.’
Despite spending quite a bit of time observing, the seven men showed no outward reaction.
It’s not certain yet.
Are you a user of Ignis?
It might not be easy to do business in a crowded square.
However, in contrast to their relatively calm appearance, the enemies’ emotions were showing violent fluctuations.
From anticipation, excitement and greed.
With bewilderment, suspicion, and doubt.
Ray took out a black card from his pocket to live up to the audience’s expectations.
──!
… … !
Surprise, excitement, confidence.
The emotions of the men who were about to turn their heads towards disappointment suddenly took a U-turn.
Swish.
I put the card back in my pocket.
… … ?
… … .
Doubt, suspicion, confusion.
The men’s emotions were at a standstill.
Swish!
This time, he took out two black cards.
────!
… … … … !
Extreme excitement and shock.
My emotions were twice as strong as before.
Swish.
I put it back in my arms.
… … … ?
… … … .
Confusion, bewilderment, tension.
My emotions were twice as intense as before.
Ray watched the men’s intense emotional changes for a long time, showing off his talent for quickly putting the cards in and taking them out.
─That, that fu*king bastard…!
─We’re just kidding, right?
Ray placed his card on the wall of the cube, taking in the sight of the enemy, who had exploded with anger, kicking his seat and approaching him.
Okay then.
Woof!
Ray’s appearance became distorted, and he was suddenly sucked into the cube.
Among the pedestrians passing by.
There was nothing left where the boy had stood.
*
The feeling of being sucked in and rolling somewhere was a familiar sensation.
‘Space travel.’
But I could tell from the fact that there was absolutely no stinging or nausea.
The current movement is taking place through passages in space that have been solidly constructed in advance.
It was as if there were no aftereffects when entering and exiting Curiosa’s cabin.
However, the movement had no intention of ending yet, as it would be a much longer distance to be skipped.
‘Isn’t that moving inside the cube that was just in front of me?’
Curiosa didn’t say anything about the inside of the cube.
I just threw out a meaningful comment that you’ll understand once you experience it.
Then at one moment.
The shaking sensation in my body stopped.
At the same time, the light that had been covering my vision began to clear.
A voice came from ahead.
[Soul recognition complete. Welcome to your second visit. User number 1. Your current location is office 23.]