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#137. Cube (3)
The light disappeared and vision returned.
‘This is….’
A cubic room with all sides made of white marble.
From the outside, it looked like the colors had been reversed to black and white.
Because the black lines that appeared as a natural pattern stretched like lightning across the white marble.
It was an empty room with nothing to note other than that.
therefore.
[2nd visit─]
Except for the mass of light floating in front of you.
[─Welcome, User 1. Your current location is Office 23.]
A fist-sized halo of light with a mixture of yellow and green lights.
From there, a hard, mechanical sound of unknown gender was coming out.
‘Second visit?’
I used John’s card when I came in.
So does that mean John has only been here once so far?
‘That’s a little strange.’
Since I had to go directly to Cube to withdraw money, I didn’t think I would only visit once.
‘And what does user number 1 and office number 23 mean?’
User 1 didn’t get the hang of it.
I thought that maybe Office 23 was not the only space like this.
“… … .”
It felt like my mind was being overloaded by the sudden influx of information.
That too for a moment.
The boy, whose curiosity was boiling over several times more than usual, stared ahead with combative eyes.
In my sixteen years of life, this was the first time I had experienced something so new and exciting.
[Ignis, which boasts the best security, currently only accepts new members through introductions from existing members.]
The halo of light was spitting out what seemed to be guidance comments on its own.
It seemed clear that something had to be done about it.
[Ignis is the best service that allows you to easily find or deposit money anywhere─.]
“I’m trying to find money.”
[─You have selected the ‘Withdrawal’ task. Please place your card on the sensor.]
“Sensor?”
Then a rectangular pillar rose from the middle of the room.
Wheein─ clank.
It stopped at chest height.
On the panel above the pillar were two plates shaped like cards and palms, along with a number pad.
“… … .”
There was no specific explanation, but I felt like I knew what to do.
Ray placed the card on the contact area of the board and pressed the pad to enter the password.
And the palm was also placed on the contact area of the board.
[Ownership Verification Complete. John Grid.]
[Password match.]
[Pattern recognition failed. The pattern does not match the registered owner.]
[Would you like to try again?]
This time I tried it with the other hand, but the result was the same.
[Security system activated. If pattern recognition fails 3 or more times, transactions will be restricted for a certain period of time.]
It seemed that further experiments would be impossible.
When Ray took no action, the pillar fell back down and became the floor.
[Ignis always provides the best service for its users.]
The halo of light started spitting out the same repetitive message again.
Ray walked up to the wall and satisfied another curiosity.
Hurrah!
I even tried burning it with fire.
Phagec!
I even tried it with electricity.
But the wall surface had been specially treated so that it didn’t have a single scratch.
‘I want to try it with the element of destruction too.’
It was impossible to create the element of destruction with just the ring’s mana.
Also, there was no mana inside the cube.
Ray couldn’t help but feel regretful, and had no choice but to turn his curiosity back to the halo and ask.
“What are you?”
[I am a business guide.]
The halo of light didn’t seem to have any particular self.
But it seemed like he could at least answer the questions.
“Tell me again what I said when I first came in.”
——————
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[Welcome to your second visit, User 1. You are currently in Office 23.]
“Who does user number 1 refer to?”
[The customer in front of you is currently user number 1.]
“Not the card owner, John Grid?”
[Yes, that’s right. The customer you are currently seeing is user number 1.]
“So, does that mean this is your second visit?”
[With this visit, the total number of visits to the work processing room by user number 1 has reached 2.]
Ray tilted his head.
‘This is your second visit?’
The first time is followed by the second time.
That’s a given.
But no matter how much I thought about it, I realized I had never been here before.
‘This is my first time.’
I don’t know what technology the cube is running on, but I thought maybe there was an error or mistake.
Ray continued asking questions.
“What does user 1 mean?”
[User numbers are assigned in the order in which accounts are opened. User number 1 is Ignis’ first customer.]
The halo was making increasingly strange noises.
“Are you sure I’m user number 1?”
[The customer in front of you is currently user number 1.]
I asked the question several times, slightly changing the sentence, but the answer I got was always the same.
It was a strange thing.
I’ve never been to this place, Cube, before, let alone opened an account.
Especially since you’re my first customer.
‘Is this also an error?’
After thinking for a moment, Ray came up with a way to resolve some of the questions.
“You can become the owner of multiple accounts by stealing other people’s cards and changing ownership.”
“However, opening a direct account is limited to one per person.”
“… … .”
According to Curiosa, it was so.
Account opening is limited to one per person.
If there is an account opened in your name, it will be impossible to open a new account.
“I’ll open a new account.”
[You have selected the ‘Open a new account’ task. Please recognize the pattern.]
Ray placed his palm on the raised pillar panel again.
[This pattern has already been registered. Account creation is not possible.]
Ray continued without any hesitation.
“Then I will check the money in my account.”
[Please enter your password after recognizing the card on the sensor.]
I don’t have a card.
I don’t even know the password.
After that, Ray asked several questions to understand the situation as best he could and came to a conclusion.
‘There is an account in front of me that I don’t even know about.’
However, only you can open an account, and you must go directly into Cube to do so.
Could it be that my past self went to work at Cube without me knowing?
… that doesn’t make sense.
It would be more convincing to suggest that someone else, through some unknown special method, created the account addressed to this person.
But why on earth, and for what purpose?
“… … .”
Ray, who had been worrying, first decided to focus his thoughts on the system’s errors.
Objectively speaking, that side was the most likely.
Also, since I could just use John and Skyle’s cards, not being able to open an account wasn’t a big problem.
If necessary, it is also possible to open an account through Philip and Veronica.
“Who is the founder of Ignis?”
[… … .]
“How long has it been in operation?”
[… … .]
“Have I been here before and created an account?”
[… … .]
“How old are you?”
[… … .]
The types of questions that were answered were limited to work-related ones.
After a long search, Ray decided that there was no more information to be gained from this place.
“I’m done with work. Let me out.”
*
The light disappeared and the view of the square appeared before my eyes again.
Ray walked quickly and entered the alley between the buildings.
Knock—knock—knock—
Breaking and turning without hesitation.
We went deeper.
The place I’ve lived my whole life is a back alley.
So, even without any special knowledge, I could tell by feeling where to go to reach remote places.
Knock knock knock knock knock!
Loud footsteps following behind.
At first, he seemed to have the good faith to follow me stealthily, but after the alley became deserted, he seemed to have no intention of hiding his identity at all.
The seven men smiled in satisfaction as they saw the hooded boy enter the dead end alley.
“Kuuuuu. You’re taking me to a place where I can work.”
“What if my thing runs away? Kid, talk to us for a minute… Huh?”
What greeted the men as they hurried along was an empty alley.
They entered the alley and looked around with confused faces.
“What, what is it? I clearly came in here?”
“Didn’t you jump over the wall and run away?”
“It’s too high. How can a child climb over it?”
“Are you a wizard by any chance… … .”
Static. Everyone got goosebumps for a moment.
“This fu*king kid is talking nonsense. It’s giving me goosebumps.”
“Is this the one spitting out ominous sounds from its pierced mouth right now? Huh?”
“How can such a young child be a wizard?”
A torrent of blows in an instant.
The man who had brought up the subject of the wizard muttered in a timid voice.
“Why, there are those brats in the Amon family.”
“Little kids?”
“Yeah. Those guys.”
“What kind of guys are they?”
“You know. Those two brothers… huh?”
Everyone turned their heads toward the entrance of the alley, realizing that the question was coming from a strange direction.
There was a hooded boy looking at me, tapping the floor with an iron pipe.
“You… You…!”
“How are you there?”
“Is there a hole in the wall or something?”
The atmosphere became hectic for a moment.
“Brothers and sisters, what’s next?”
The men burst into laughter at Ray’s question.
“What is that kid saying now?”
“I don’t know. I think I just lost my fear.”
“If you ignore me, I’ll just stick my tail out and run away.”
The men took out knives and other equipment from their pockets one by one and closed the distance between themselves and the boy.
Phew!
He spat on the floor in an overbearing manner, but the boy did not show any sign of being intimidated.
‘Something seems a little strange.’
But it didn’t matter.
The result is already decided anyway.
“Let’s get started with something right!”
The first man to jump out was hit by Ray’s swinging iron pipe and his face turned around.
Boom!
The men’s sense of discomfort towards the boy was amplified at that moment and they sounded the alarm, but it was too late to change their actions.
“Hey, shit! Stop it!”
“Ahhhh! Sa, save me!”
Kaaaang! Boom! Crunch! Crunch!
The iron pipe cut through the air sharply, turning faces, shattering bones, and bursting skin.
Since he had already confirmed the extent of the enemy’s malice, there was no hesitation in Ray’s hands.
How many minutes passed like that?
Knock-knock!
Ray grabbed a box that was rolling around and sat down.
And then I looked at the two men kneeling right in front of me.
The two men who met each other’s black eyes flinched and quickly looked down.
“Please, please save me.”
“Well, I’ll do anything.”
The largest volume in their vessels was still black mana.
But the types of emotions expressed have changed dramatically.
In extreme malice.
With extreme fear.
In a way, it was natural.
Currently, the rest of the comrades were all lying on their backs in a horrible state.
There wasn’t even the slightest sound.
Not a single breath was heard.
…the smell of blood and other secretions coming from right behind.
My head was spinning and my stomach was queasy.
“Your belonging.”
That was why I didn’t realize for a moment that the boy’s words were a question.
Crack─! Crack─!
The boy’s palm, enchanted with strengthening magic, immediately slapped the two men on the cheeks.
My neck turned. A scream rang out.
The tooth that flew through the air fell and rolled on the floor.
“Ugh, haaug… .”
“Ahhhhhh… .”
Two men groaning and shedding tears.
The black mana in the bowl throbbed as violently as the rapid heartbeats of my masters.
Ray looked at the sight with dry eyes and moved his lips.
“Your belonging.”
“No, it’s Clan Nostra! What, they’re eating up the streets north of here!”
“Father, North─!”
Corporal punishment was effective.
When you see the answer coming immediately.
but.
Taaaaak───!
Kkudangtang!
The man on the left was hit in Ray’s cheek and rolled around on the floor.
Ray’s flat voice echoed eerily through the alley.
“If you answer slower than the person next to you, you’ll get hit. Whenever you ask a question, at least one person gets hit.”
Ray thought.
There is a possibility that we will stay in Sector 37 for a longer time than expected.
There were quite a few gem-related orders that had to be carried out while staying in Sector 37, including tasks that required crossing the wilderness to reach distant ruins.
That’s why it was very important to understand the ecosystem of Sector 37.
Of course, sunny areas, but also shady areas.
Of course, I knew that the moment I set foot in the dark, a black shadow would reach out.
Perhaps, the men in front of you now are only a small part of the entire shadow.
“Sit back down.”
“Ugh…! Yes, yes!”
But it doesn’t matter.
If a shadow falls, all you have to do is turn black and melt into it.
Malice is met with malice.
It was one of the main principles that formed the boy’s world view, acquired at a very young age.
“The name of the organization you belong to, the boss.”
“No, Nostra…!”
“paddle…!”
An empty back alley with no pedestrians.
“It’s late.”
The boy’s black eyes were shining eerily.
Taaah──!
Bam!