harleyscars Page 146
Page 146
"...Ze-kun?"
"Koshimura-kun?"
"Sawarin?"
“No, did I say something wrong?” Koshimura Sawa said.
"Sigh, hysteria," Shiina Tatsuki concluded incisively.
The girls nodded in agreement, then turned away, ignoring him, and continued their discussion.
"In that case, how about we form an adventure team together and give it a try?"
"Together...?" Hope rekindled in Takamatsu's eyes.
"That's right, we must communicate properly this time. That way... there won't be any problems. Me, Xiaodeng, Zejun, and Lixi..."
"Huh? What about me?" Chihaya Aine pointed to herself.
"Aine-chan...we want to come too!" Takamatsu Akari exclaimed excitedly.
Wow, this even has a worldline convergence to look at, that's amazing!
As Yuecun Ze looked at this familiar scene, he was about to take out his phone to record the famous moment when he felt someone gently tap his shoulder from behind.
"Looks like you've been ostracized by them." Rinko Maji appeared behind him at some point, a mischievous smile on her face.
"What are you saying? That makes me isolate them all." Yuecunze put away his phone, his tone righteous and indignant. "Besides, the straws in your store are of very poor quality. Can you please replace them?"
“I’ll change it if you pay for it,” Rinrinko replied with a smile.
"Then forget it." Koshimura Sawa didn't react for a moment.
He still has the debt from a Maybach, so he needs to use the money wisely.
For example, buying Yuzusoft's new works.
Rinrinko gave a knowing look, then suppressed her smile and lowered her voice, saying, "I've already asked someone to inquire about the problem you encountered last time."
"What's the problem?" Koshimura Sawa didn't react for a moment.
"...that time when the Hollow Simulation System was illegally hacked, causing you and Lixi to be in danger."
"Oh." Koshimura Sawa immediately remembered.
So much time has passed that he almost forgot about it.
“I asked Ms. Tomoe Chiyu of RAISE A SUILEN to use secret techniques to hack and reverse trace the other party’s IP,” Rinko continued. “Unfortunately, the other party seemed to be well-prepared and cleaned up very thoroughly. Apart from finding this mark in a hidden corner of the jump server, we didn’t find any useful information.”
As she spoke, she opened her phone and showed him a photo.
It was a white pattern with simple lines, yet possessing a certain eerie beauty.
It resembles an abstract, artificially distorted butterfly.
"What is this?" Koshimura Sawa asked, frowning slightly.
The pattern gave him a strange feeling of unease.
“The sphenoid bone.” Rin Rin put away her phone, her tone instantly becoming serious. “It’s a bone located in the center of the base of the human skull.”
Have you heard of—the Human Collection?
Chapter 55 The Miracle Walker is still farming in the jungle
"What, the [Human Collection]?" Yuecun Ze's expression froze, and he gasped.
"It seems you've realized the seriousness of the problem." Rinrinko's expression also turned serious.
"No, I have absolutely no idea what this is," said Koshimura Sawa, shrugging his shoulders.
Shinji Rinko: "..."
"You should know that a professional's abilities come from the rhythm within their body, right?" She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples as if she had a headache.
Koshimura nodded. This was a new piece of knowledge, and he could remember it without having to review it.
“Normally, when a professional dies, the [Melody] within their body will naturally dissipate,” Rinrinko continued. “But through some special methods, it can be preserved.”
"These [melodies], which contain some of the original owner's abilities and characteristics, will attach to the remaining body parts, so they can be used to create...wonder objects."
"Huh?" Koshimura Sawa was stunned for a moment, then realized, "Wait, using people to make strange objects?"
"Yes, all sorts of strange items, from props to weapons, even consumables, are available."
I am super.
How come there's still a legendary modified king here?
When did Qu call?
“In the early days when the Void first began to descend, many workshops made a living by specializing in this kind of business. After all, it was much easier to obtain materials from existing people than from the Void.” Rinrinko’s expression was somewhat unpleasant, clearly not wanting to recall that history. “It was not uncommon at the time for teammates to continue fighting with artifacts made by their fallen comrades.”
Ok.
Although it sounds like hell, it's true.
This is truly putting people first.
"This seems to be illegal, doesn't it?" Koshimura asked instinctively.
Do you even want to hear what you're saying?
"So the first thing the Adventurers' Guild did after its establishment was to establish relevant regulations and crack down on illegal organizations like this," Rinrinko continued. "But we are powerless against those workshops that started with such businesses, but eventually laundered their money and started operating legitimate businesses, getting rid of all the evidence and leaving no trace."
Koshimura shrugged, indicating his understanding.
The saying "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish" applies everywhere.
"And the Human Collection is an organization dedicated to creating strange objects using residual human melodies."
“But unlike the workshops, they don’t treat these strange items as tools, nor do they sell them. Instead, they treat them as works of art, carefully crafting them and then collecting them as museum treasures… They even invite members they recognize to participate in private exhibitions from time to time…” Rinrinko paused here, “Moreover, their targets are not just any professional. Only those with rare sub-jobs, renowned reputations, great strength, or special talents are considered their prey.”
"Oh," Koshimura Sawa responded, then realized what he meant. "So what does this have to do with me?"
"Haven't you realized it yet?" Rinrinko said helplessly, "You possess a rare sub-rank, a renowned reputation, formidable strength, and unique talents—you've fulfilled all four conditions by yourself!"
Upon further reflection, Koshimura realized that it might actually be true.
Not only is he a sorcerer, but he is also a unique sub-profession of cursed swordsman, an outstanding young role model of the Adventurers' Guild, a rising star of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigations, and a genius boy who reached level four in just over a week.
He is incredibly powerful, and his most impressive feat is defeating a level 9 Oathbreaker Paladin with only a level 3 body.
Although some less-than-honorable methods were used.
...Thinking about it this way, it seems like his buffs are already fully stacked.
Like an old general with flags planted all over the stage, his status bar is almost longer than that of DNF (Dungeon Fighter Online).
"Then am I in great danger right now?" Yuecunze asked hurriedly.
“Of course.” Rinrinko crossed her arms and looked at him. “The fact that they were able to trace this mark backwards means they’ve already identified you as their prey. I even suspect it might be a deliberate provocation they left behind.”
"After hacking into the Hollow Simulation system and faking an accident to kill you, they'll probably try to steal your body while you're waiting in line to watch the ad to resurrect."
Koshimura suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if he could already see himself being displayed like a collectible in a dark showcase.
Haha, just kidding. How could I possibly leave you the whole thing? You'd be lucky to have the Koshimura Spine Sword left.
“Although I don’t know why they haven’t attacked you since then… it’s obvious that you’re now on their radar,” Rinrinko analyzed. “Based on past observations, unless necessary, members of the Human Collection never show themselves. They only cause their targets’ deaths by faking various accidents… But this also shows that their members’ overall strength isn’t very strong, otherwise they wouldn’t resort to such petty theft.”
"No matter what, it's always better to be careful," she cautioned again.
After saying that, she took something out from behind the bar, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Koshimura.
It was a ring that shimmered with silver light and was engraved with exquisite patterns. The inside of the ring was engraved with the four characters "Tamatechiyu" in small characters.
"This was given to you by Chuchu, the leader of the RAISE A SUILEN adventure team."
Are they legendary keycaps?
"It contains three [Anti-Death Barriers] and one [Holy Abode]."
Jazz Cat!
“That’s exactly what she said.” Rinrinko cleared her throat and mimicked her exaggerated tone, “Oh mygo gosh! Since she’s LOCK’s friend, how could I possibly stand idly by?”
"I'll lend you the ring for now. Remember to return it to recharge when you're done. If you encounter any danger, just call LOCK and summon our RAISE A SUILEN Adventure Team. I won't let anyone from the Human Collection get away with this! Come to RAS, rip off their hoods, and slap them in the face."
Who are you?
"You can come to our RAISE A SUILEN location anytime. If you get tired, you can just go to sleep, no problem."
Jazz Cat.
"...Let me also take a good look at you."
Legendary keycaps.
[I see now, legendary keycaps (flipping over next time!)]
There are also batches of oven-baked goods.
As Yuecun Ze looked at the exquisite ring on the table, he suddenly felt a tightness in a certain part of his body. He hesitated for a moment, not daring to take it.
“Speaking of Chuchu… actually, her mother was also targeted by the Human Collection before, and some bad things happened to her.” Rinrinko’s voice returned to normal, with a hint of emotion. “That’s probably why she has such a strong hostility towards the Human Collection.”
"Well...please thank her for me first." After a moment of silence, Koshimura Sawa finally reached out and picked up the ring.
The cool, hard touch traveled through my fingertips.
I never expected that this connection with RAS would happen in this way.
But I guess we've found the right person, right?
It can be considered a blessing in misfortune.
Rinrinko turned around: "Alright, I have work to do, so I'll be going now. Take care of yourself during this time."
“You remember what happened to Lixi last time. If you don’t want your loved ones to be in danger, it’s best to stay away from them for now… The Adventurers’ Guild may not be able to spare any manpower, but the Bureau of Paranormal Investigations can definitely assign someone to protect you if you just tell Takamatsu Yuji.”
But I just gave him a good scolding along with Sister Haizi.
Hachiman Kairin, is there something wrong with your play this time?
This is ridiculous! This is what an ingrate looks like.
"Oh, by the way, remember to watch out for butterflies." Rinrinko suddenly turned around and said this out of the blue.
Beware of butterflies?
Just as Koshimura was about to ask her why, he saw that she had already walked away and disappeared into the passageway behind RiNG.
He turned away helplessly towards the bar, then turned back around, holding the ring up his finger, trying to figure out which finger would be more suitable.
Just then, the conversation in the booth area in front suddenly stopped.
When Yuecunze looked up, he found that the girls had all quieted down and were all looking at him with different expressions.
"What's wrong?" he asked, puzzled.
"What's that you're holding?" Shiina Riki asked first, her brows furrowed slightly.
"A ring." Koshimura Sawa shook it, seemingly puzzled.
"Who gave it to you?" Chihaya Aine narrowed her eyes and asked suspiciously, "Didn't you come in empty-handed?"
"It was given to me by Rinrinko."
"What did she say to you?" Nagasaki Motoyo stared at the ring on his hand, her voice so gentle it was almost sickening.
"She told me to stay away from you guys from now on."
"Wait, Soyorin, what are you doing? Put the bass down first—" Chihaya Aine was startled and quickly said.
------
"So you mean you're being targeted by some evil organization again?" Nagasaki Motoyo caught her breath and sat back down in her seat.
No, why should I say again?
"Yeah," Koshimura Sawa said, resting his chin on his hand, looking equally helpless. "And I seem to perfectly fit their criteria for selecting a target..."
He had already put the ring on the index finger of his left hand.