Chapter 64: Disobedient to Orders

Swaaaak-!

At the same time, a sharp wind shot out from the sword he swung, spinning like a boomerang.

A blade of wind that smoothly sliced through the skin of the White Serpent.

But.

「99.3%」

「100.0%」

The health I shaved away so easily was restored just as easily.

Just as I expected.

"There's no point in attacking! It just heals right away!"

"I know."

"Then why are you—?!"

At that moment, the serpent, which had been aiming for the eyes of the blonde, turned its head toward me.

Would it be too much of an imagination to think the glare from its eyes and the way its tongue flickered were signs it was licking its lips in anticipation?

"Sword Wind!"

There was a reason I unleashed an attack that wouldn't work against a pure white predator with its prey right in front of it.

Taat-!

Was it strange to say it was to run away?

"Sword Wind!"

I swung and dashed.

Running across the wide cylinder, back and forth, up and down, diagonally.

And sometimes I stabbed in with my blade.

Shyaaaaaa-!

Whenever it seemed like the thing had caught me, sticking out its split, blood-red tongue sharply—

Taat-!

I turned back and ran away along the path I'd come.

Dodging, stepping on, and leaping over its body or tail—whatever that thing was.

"What are you doing right now?! If you're going to attack, attack! If not, then stop, why are you making it angrier?!"

"It's ready."

"What's ready?!"

And then, the final blow.

Tak! Tak! Tadak!

I leapt up, stepping on the blocks embedded in the walls.

Sure enough, the thing without legs wriggled its body and chased after me with all its might.

After confirming my diligent pursuer, I turned around, dodged the snake's jaws as it climbed the wall—

Taak-!

And jumped down.

Right into the center of the coiled snake's body.

Then, like a bungee cord falling, the White Serpent shot straight down after me.

Shyaaaaaa-!

Poison dripped from its open jaws.

Chijijijik!

I raised my petrified right arm to block it and barely slipped out through a gap beneath its belly scales.

As expected, it chased after me, determined to get me.

But...

Bbaduk!

Its head got caught in its own coiled body.

It looked almost like it was wearing its own tail as a scarf.

Shyaaaa!

The furious thing thrashed its head, jaws gaping, trying to break free.

Bbaduk-!

But the more it struggled, the tighter the knot became.

"You tied it up? Did you just tie it up?!"

"Why do you think I ran around like that?"

"I thought you were just scared and running away...!"

Ignoring the blonde cowering in the corner, mouth agape, I—

Step.

Slowly walked over to the snake, which was still spitting poison everywhere.

When I got close enough that my reflection shone in its wide-open yellow eyes—

Kyaaaaaaaak!

The snake opened its mouth wide, as if it was about to swallow me whole.

I—

"Acceleration! Petrify!"

Thrust my petrified right arm and right leg deep into its mouth.

At the same time—

[You have been exposed to a large amount of poison!]

Chijijijik-!

Poison dripped from its upper jaw, burning away the sole of my right shoe.

[Due to the effect of Petrification, the poison cannot penetrate your body!]

I had the rock gifted by the random box and the golem.

"Summon."

And I had the weapon left behind by the serial killer.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang...

Golden willpower surged out like a waterfall.

I aimed at the softest part of its body instead of bullets.

Firing so many times I couldn't even count the shots.

All that built up, and—

Tick-!

When all the accumulated pain was delivered at once...

[The White Serpent has entered an incapacitated state!]

Its white skin, yellow eyes, and scarlet tongue all lost their luster.

[The match cannot continue!]

[‘Cooperation’ mission ends early!]

---

[...This concludes my report.]

As soon as Harona finished speaking, Seung let out a breath he'd been holding.

The manager gave the briefing, but why did his own throat feel so parched? He couldn't figure it out.

[...]

The meeting room was filled with noisy silence.

Noisy, because everyone's minds were busy calculating their own interests; silent, because one person's words carried more weight than all those put together.

"So."

A voice as high as the sky and as heavy as the earth resounded in the room.

The boss, who was the sky and earth to everyone here, spoke.

"Is he worth going against the Center for?"

"That is..."

Harona, who had been babbling in response to the question, fell silent.

Because the department head sitting beside the director quietly shook their head.

It probably meant not to stir up trouble by saying anything unnecessary.

"I can't believe this. You're asking me to refuse the Center's request just to protect one subject?"

"It's not that we're trying to protect—"

"Administrator Harona!"

The department head stopped Harona's words.

A mere administrator couldn't possibly contradict the director, who was like the sky itself.

But—

[!!]

The director raised his hand, stopping not the insolent administrator, but the department head.

"Then what? If it's not about protecting?"

He even looked at her as if to tell her to continue.

"What they want isn't just one subject. I'm certain this is just the beginning—they plan to strip the Administration Bureau of its authority bit by bit."

"Isn't that a bit of a leap?"

"Isn't it strange for the Center Director to make an official request himself just for one subject?"

Hmm.

The director let out a low sound.

And then—

"I'm curious."

A faint curiosity appeared on his mountain-like face.

"What kind of talent is it that everyone wants to keep under their control?"

"W-We can't afford to lose him! Director, you'll know if you see for yourself!"

Sharp-witted Harona seized the chance.

"If you truly feel that way—"

Thanks to that—

"Protect him."

"!!"

"And prove his worth."

She got what she wanted.

A conclusion that she wouldn't have to give up the subject she personally discovered and nurtured.

"If you fail, I'll hold you responsible."

"Thank you for trusting me! Director!"

The girl bowed deeply.

Her smile was bright as a freshly blossomed flower.

But at that very moment—

BEEEEEP—!

[?!]

"What's that sound?!"

An ominous alarm blared—a sound that should never be heard at this moment.

【Warning!】

【Mission execution disrupted!】

News that should never be heard filled the meeting room.

【Proof protocol interrupted.】

【To ensure smooth proceedings, a penalty will be given to subject ‘Lee Eunho’!】

...The news that the newly recognized subject had caused trouble.

"Haa..."

The girl just bloomed swallowed her curses.

Of course, only inwardly.

---

[‘Cooperation’ mission success!]

[You have received 1 point as a mission reward.]

[Check your rewards!]

The mission was over.

So, the mission...

"What, what are you doing?!"

The blonde, who had been slumping against the wall, suddenly jumped up.

She seemed startled by me, still holding my sharp sword at the ready even after the mission had ended.

"Not you."

I tossed her a reassuring remark and turned my gaze.

To the White Serpent, for the 'dismantling' work.

"They say it's really good for you."

"...What is?"

"Snake."

"...Huh?"

Pook-!

Leaving the speechless blonde behind, I stabbed my sword straight down into the serpent's head, battered from bullet wounds.

Like slicing through raw meat, the blade slid in.

With all my strength, I barely managed to split its head in half between the eyes.

[You have defeated the White Serpent!]

BEEEEEP—!

A piercing tinnitus rang through my skull.

[Warning!]

[Emergency announcement!]

"Huh? What's this?"

"Why is there an announcement all of a sudden?"

"Don't tell me, is it another golem or something?"

Bracing myself for yet another disaster, I listened closely.

Then, what I heard was—

[Subject ‘Lee Eunho.’ Penalty will be imposed for interfering with mission execution.]

'...Me?'

Such a grand charge as 'interfering with mission execution,' and—

[Your vision will be blocked for 1 hour.]

[You will only be able to hear system messages for 1 hour.]

[All your speech will be muted for 1 hour.]

An utterly ridiculous punishment.

【‘Bureau Raven’ is enraged at this outrageous treatment!】

【‘External Cooperation Newbie’ wonders why there are so many penalties in this channel!】

【‘Investigation Bureau Brain’ frowns, saying it was just getting interesting!】

【Many spectators explode in anger at this frustrating development!】

'Don't see, don't hear, don't speak?'

This was so ridiculous, I cursed out loud—

[You are now afflicted with the status: Muteness (不言)!]

"☒☒!"

No sound came out of my mouth.

And then—

[You are now afflicted with the status: Deafness (不聞)!]

—!

All sound vanished.

It was as if someone had erased every noise from existence.

Even the exclamations of my companions, who were shocked by the announcement, failed to reach me.

Their mouths moved, but nothing came through.

'Dammit...!'

And finally—

[You are now afflicted with the status: Blindness (不視)!]

Blink!

My vision, though I hadn’t even closed my eyes, went completely dark.

'!!'

I could still feel the sword hilt in my hand.

The roughness of the serpent's severed head beneath my blade.

The cold, fishy smell unique to reptiles and the metallic scent of blood rising belatedly—all still there.

But it was pitch black.

No up, no down, no sides, no back.

Only darkness.

'What is this...?'

All my senses lost their bearings.

Even when I stayed still, I felt like I was sinking endlessly.

Without realizing it, I dropped my sword—but I couldn’t feel or hear a thing, and it made me shudder.

Eventually, when I began to wonder if all the senses I'd just experienced had ever belonged to me at all—

"...Mr. Ho!"

Someone shook my shoulder.

—Whoosh!

Sunlight burst through a window and flooded my face.

"...Are you all right?!"

"...Miiiiiister!"

Tak! Step! Clang! Crash!

All sorts of raucous noises drilled into my head.

—Ding!

A private message, audible only to me.

[Subject ‘Lee Eunho.’ Due to the effect of your unique trait ‘Rebel Spirit,’ your penalty is lifted!]

[Your vision returns.]

[You regain your hearing.]

[You recover your ability to speak.]

Light and sound poured in all at once.

Warururururu.

Like a torrential downpour in the monsoon season, drenching me completely.

"How do they expect anyone to do a mission like this?!"

"This damn system!"

And from that damn system—

[Congratulations!]

[You have obtained the unique title, ‘Disobedient to Orders’!]

I actually gained something.

A grand title called 'Disobedient to Orders.'

[Would you like to check the effect of this title?]

'Disobedient to Orders?'

[With the effect of the ‘Disobedient to Orders’ title, penalties become benefits!]

[Duration: 1 hour.]

[Status effects Blindness (不視), Deafness (不聞), and Muteness (不言) become reversed effects!]

Penalties turning into benefits?

I frowned, wondering how to interpret this wordplay of 'effects' and 'reverse effects.'

'If it's a reverse effect, does it work in the opposite way?'

But before I had time to ponder, more messages poured in.

[You can see the core of objects.]

[You can hear sounds that cannot be heard.]

[Your words gain power.]

And at the edge of my vision, with those new abilities—

"...Huh?"

Wait a second.

This snake...

What on earth did it hide inside its belly?