章 15: 14: Evolution, Interaction and Suspicion
"A person fears the responsibility of taking care of their own mask, and by ignoring this care, they run the risk of becoming the very monster they fight against."
— Inspired by Oscar Wilde, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche
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[Update in progress… 79%]
"But it takes so long to charge. It's already another morning."
Coming out of the bathroom right after he had finished brushing his teeth, Oreki looked at the update percentage on his phone.
He had even set up a brokerage account and invested the nearly two million won he had earned from the recent hunt in the Mule Master guild. The number of shares purchased was 11,764.
Although there was no rush, he decided to keep the account open for a while, considering that powerful entities like the Chameleon Troupe could monitor his activities.
With a considerable amount of capital already secured for the future and some available in the present, Oreki pondered his next steps: decide whether to kill or find a way to save Chae Nayun's brother, because his death had shaken him; strengthen himself to face the changes in the world, one of which was the Djinn who saw his memories; and deal with the Chameleon Troupe.
As he was thinking about such things…
"Uk!"
Out of nowhere, an intense pain arose throughout his body. It was as if he was overheating from the inside out.
His right wrist was the point of greatest pain, with blood coming out of the pores and forming a continuous black line around the wrist, similar to a tattoo.
"What the fuck…"
It was an incomprehensible pain. He clenched his teeth and placed his hand on the scar that was gushing blood, while a tsunami of information invaded his mind.
[Inventory is one of your powers]
[You can store a limit of items in your emblem]
"...I should use the cc."
He focused on something other than the pain. Even with the throbbing pain, the screen in front of him was clear.
[Update List]
▷ 'Book of Investigation' had been added to his Gift, [Observation and Reading], and had also become stronger.
"…haha… I also received this…"
He looked at the scar on his wrist, a thick black line circling his right arm, similar to the tattoo on Sukuna's wrist, but with only one line.
With his supernatural resilience, Oreki managed to endure the pain his body was feeling.
Looking at the blood-stained floor, he felt pain.
Emotional pain.
"What a pain…"
***
After cleaning the blood-stained floor of the room, Oreki took out a moss green backpack and put a few things in it, then headed straight for the Association Tower.
The pain he had felt earlier had disappeared, but the black mark that had formed on his right wrist remained, as a reminder of the new skill he had acquired. He would occasionally look at it, thoughtful, as the clear weekend sky guided him through the city.
The early spring weather was cool, with a hint of warmth, which made the day seem ordinary and pleasant.
The reason for his trip to the Tower was simple: to receive the money he was owed.
The celebration ceremony, intended to celebrate the recent victory against the Djinns, would take place in the gardens of the Association Tower. Many guests had already gathered when he arrived, but to his chagrin, the ceremony still seemed far from starting.
As if that were not enough, he, Kim Suho, Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha were forced to participate in a rehearsal, since they would receive their praise directly from a dignitary. However, just like in the novel, the dignitary was late.
"Why didn't they do it digitally? This is the modern age, after all," Oreki grumbled irritably, sinking back into his chair. It was clear that leaving the house just to receive public praise was boring him.
The chairs were arranged in an orderly fashion: Kim Suho on the right, followed by Oreki, Chae Nayun, and Yoo Yeonha on the left.
"Take advantage of the moment to test your improved skill." Blood nonchalantly gave Oreki a suggestion.
"Good idea. An imaginary good boy star for you," Oreki replied sarcastically in his head.
He activated his Sharp Insight and immediately regretted it. The world around him seemed to explode with information. Every micro-expression, every tiny movement of the people around him turned into a tsunami of data.
Every blink, every breath, even the smallest gesture of those present triggered an avalanche of information in his mind.
From Kim Suho, he picked up on the underlying tension in his muscles, signaling that he was prepared to fight if something happened.
Chae Nayun exuded a mix of frustration and curiosity, with her index finger lightly tapping her leg in a steady rhythm, indicating impatience.
The environment, in turn, also seemed to cry out for attention, from the slight oscillation of mana in the air to the possible escape routes, everything appearing in an accelerated and suffocating way.
For a moment, Oreki had to fight not to be buried by this flood of perceptions.
"Damn..." He whispered in Portuguese, an instinctive reaction to the flood of details flooding his mind. He saw even the smallest of Chae Nayun's facial muscles twitch. "She's bored." Useful.
"Did you say something, Oreki?" Chae Nayun asked, her voice slurred, clearly trying to break the suffocating boredom that dominated the room. She seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep just by being there.
"Oh, it's nothing much. Just... hungry." He lied, forcing a casual smile as he desperately tried to block out the absurd amount of data his mind was processing.
"Hah, good excuse." Blood scoffed. "More like 'I'm drowning in information', huh?"
Nayun shrugged, clearly disappointed by the mundane answer. No exciting surprises here.
Oreki pulled out his backpack and opened it. After rummaging through it briefly, he pulled out a gray jar with a clear lid, drawing the curiosity of the other three cadets.
He knew this would attract the attention of the others. Chae Nayun, Kim Suho, and Yoo Yeonha gave them curious glances, even though they each tried to hide it in their own way.
"Good thing I did this ahead of time," Oreki thought, grateful for his own advance preparation.
Blood, in his mind, scoffed in his usual teasing tone: "Master of excuses~."
Opening the jar, it revealed a set of six perfectly arranged sandwiches, their colors and textures evident through the transparent lid. The slices of bread were uniform, with various fillings, ranging from roast beef and tuna pâté to fresh vegetables and carefully balanced sauces. The fresh aroma filled the air, awakening the appetites of those present, even those who tried to ignore their hunger.
"These sandwiches look better than you, Oreki," Blood commented, chuckling inwardly.
"You're looking quite funny today, huh," Oreki thought in response, as he took the first sandwich out of the jar.
"Did you bring... food?" Chae Nayun asked, frowning as she looked at the sandwiches.
Oreki simply said, "It's just sandwiches, Nayun. Want one? I haven't made anything for a while, but I trust I haven't gotten rusty." He said lightly, trying to soften her resistance.
"Corporation helped me too. So it should taste better than the food I used to make."
Chae Nayun shook her head slightly, hesitantly. "It's not really my type of food." She didn't dismiss it with disdain, but she didn't seem willing to try it either.
"Come on, it's just a sandwich. I bet you'll like it. Not everything has to be gourmet," Oreki insisted playfully. He knew Nayun was strict about her diet, but he would like to start poking her every now and then.
Nayun sighed, still leaning back in her chair. "Maybe another day."
Kim Suho, who was standing nearby, watched the exchange with a slight smile. Nevertheless, upon seeing Oreki's offer, he politely took one of the sandwiches and took a bite.
"It's really good," Suho said, praising it sincerely.
"You have good taste, Suho. Unlike some people," Oreki commented, casting a provocative glance at Chae Nayun.
"Since when did you learn to cook?" There was a lightness in the conversation, showing the growing friendship between them.
"Since I was little. I started cooking because of a book I had read," Oreki replied, smiling.
On the other side, Yoo Yeonha seemed distant, feigning disinterest as she played with her hair.
However, the small glances she cast at the sandwiches betrayed another reality. Oreki, with his Sharp Insight, immediately noticed her hidden interest.
"She must be dying to," Blood commented, amused by the situation.
"Of course she is," Oreki thought mischievously as he glanced sideways at Yeonha. "Are you going to tell me you don't want it too, Yeonha?" He asked suddenly, a mischievous smile on his face, interrupting the silence around her.
Yoo Yeonha kept her composure, raising an eyebrow as if the question were a personal insult. "Me? Of course not. Not like... this," she said, waving her hand elegantly, as if referring to something inferior.
"Are you sure? This one has special sauce," Oreki said, picking up a sandwich and holding it in a deliberately flashy manner. He knew exactly what he was doing. "It's going to be hard to resist."
Yeonha looked away quickly, clearly irritated but unable to say anything. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she bit her lip lightly. Her composure was hanging by a thread.
"Sure..." He muttered, still smiling teasingly. He knew Yeonha was trying to keep up appearances, but it was amusing to watch her fight her own urge to give in.
Blood, ever present in Oreki's mind, laughed. "You're cruel, brat. She's almost breaking her pose."
"Look who's talking," Oreki replied, mentally amused by the situation.
"Leave her alone, Oreki," Kim Suho said calmly, but with a smile on his face. "I think you can tell she's satisfied."
Oreki shrugged, still smiling. "As you wish."
Chae Nayun, watching the entire interaction, chuckled softly. "You two are insufferable," she said, referring to both Oreki and Yeonha, who was trying to maintain her impeccable image while Oreki enjoyed teasing her.
However, instead of prolonging the teasing, Oreki decided to back off. He knew he had reached his limit with Yeonha. He covered the pot, but left it in plain sight, as if he were still offering it, without insisting.
Yoo Yeonha finally went back to feigning disinterest, crossing her legs and looking away. But Oreki noticed that, from time to time, she still cast surreptitious glances at the sandwich, fighting her desire to try it.
Oreki settled back into his chair, satisfied with their little teasing and the plot that their interaction was leading to.
At that moment, an extraordinary ripple of magical power sounded.
The so-called 'dignitary' had finally arrived.
"H-He's here. Everyone get ready!"
He was today's commendation speaker, the Master-rank Hero titled 'Wolf of Valhalla'.
"…this."
Looking around the room with his wolf-like eyes, the Master-ranked hero, Yoo Sihyuk, muttered under his breath.
"These bastards telling me what to do…"
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Oreki activated his Sharp Insight to adapt to it.
With a subdued arrogance and a lethargic attitude, Yoo Sihyuk pushed the guests towards him.
He walked up to the podium. His attendants rushed over and handed him a paper that listed the order of the ceremony. With pent-up anger, Yoo Sihyuk glared at the paper before throwing it away. His attendants picked up the discarded paper and hurried away.
"Now, the handover ceremony will begin."
The host announced the start of the ceremony.
"The ceremony will be conducted by Mr. Yoo Sihyuk." Kim Suho, Chae Nayun, Yoo Yeonha, and Houtarou Oreki took their positions on the stage.
Oreki remained calm, looking bored while at the same time taking in everything he could from the surroundings and the people. His eyes were mainly on Yoo Sihyuk, who began to scan the stage with a thorough observation.
Yoo Sihyuk smiled as soon as he saw Kim Suho.
"Are you Kim Suho?"
"Yes."
"Mm. I can see why these guys want you."
Intense interest was reflected in Yoo Sihyuk's eyes. With unusual gentleness, Yoo Sihyuk advised Kim Suho.
"Don't join the Association. It might even be better to join the 'Vast Expanse' and become a hunter. Being a Hero is nothing more than a burden of responsibility and it's no fun at all."
"…Still, a hero fits my personality better."
Kim Suho revealed a clear refusal with a smile. In response, the corner of Yoo Sihyuk's mouth twitched.
"You're an annoying guy. Alright… What about you, it's been a while, huh?"
This time, he spoke to Chae Nayun. When her eyes met his, she made a bitter expression.
"…It's been a while."
"Your father told me to take care of you, but I don't plan on doing that."
"I… Master."
"I'm not your master. A bow user like you thinks you can call me master? Do you want to die?"
At his open reproach, Chae Nayun only pouted.
When her eyes met Oreki's, something changed. Yoo Sihyuk paused for a moment, his relaxed posture becoming stiff, as an invisible aura seemed to envelop Oreki.
It was an abnormal aura coming from a cadet. An aura that was forged by the harsh life that one could only receive if one saw the evil in the world. The intensity in Oreki's gaze was like an open book to someone with Yoo Sihyuk's discernment.
Sihyuk approached him and, with a half smile, said, "You're Houtarou Oreki, right?"
Oreki raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised by the direct question. "Yes, it's me."
"As expected of someone with experience. You quickly noticed something unusual." Blood said, interested in the person he saw through Oreki's eyes.
Yoo Sihyuk fixed a piercing gaze on Oreki, as if trying to see beyond appearances. "You have an interesting look, boy. It's not often I see someone with such a solid aura, as if nothing could truly shake him."
Oreki raised his head so he could make eye contact. "I didn't expect you to notice me."
Yoo Sihyuk stepped a little closer. "You're not just noticed. If people could put their pride aside, they'd realize you're not that bad."
As Yoo Sihyuk spoke and looked into Oreki's green eyes, a strange feeling came over him. Something instinctive made him feel uneasy, a warning he'd seen before in his fights.
He felt a presence he couldn't quite define, something that seemed to emanate from Oreki. It was as if a hidden shadow, a latent power that could only be described as animal instinct, was present.
"Your presence… is a bit disturbing, actually," Yoo Sihyuk muttered to himself.
Hearing this, Oreki felt a slight sense of unease. It seemed Blood could be discovered by people who had experienced the battlefield a lot. He easily maintained his calm demeanor, but his mind was analyzing the situation.
Yoo Sihyuk gave a slight smile before turning back to the ceremony. "Now, if you'll excuse me… the fraternization ceremony is about to begin."
The host announced the start of the ceremony, and all the cadets breathed a sigh of relief as they saw the imminent end of their interaction. Oreki could still feel Yoo Sihyuk's piercing gaze, a reminder that he had piqued the curiosity of someone powerful and cunning.
Oreki noticed other gazes as well. Gazes that he already knew who they belonged to.
However, before he continued, Yoo Sihyuk glanced at Yoo Yeonha, his wolf-like eyes narrowing slightly. "Yeonha… Yoo Jinwoong's daughter, right?"
Yoo Yeonha straightened up, feeling the pressure of his gaze, and forced a polite smile. "Yes, sir."
"You're keeping up appearances, just like your family," he said with a hint of disdain, examining her from head to toe. "Always so impeccable. You've gotten into an interesting group, I hope this 'flawless' of yours isn't all you can become."
Yoo Yeonha held her breath in her throat, her eyes hardening slightly, but she still maintained her composure. "I believe I'm more than that, sir."
"Let's see, shall we? Because the perfect image will only get you so far." He tilted his head, as if assessing something deeper in her, his expression softening into something almost sympathetic. "Your father, Jinwoong, he always had this desire to prove himself. But he later realized that he had to trust someone. Did you learn the same thing?"
Yoo Yeonha felt the blood heat up in her face, but she didn't give in to the provocation. "I know very well what I'm capable of."
"Hmm…" Yoo Sihyuk just shrugged, seemingly uninterested in her answer. "I hope so. Because when you're in the field, no one will care if your hair is perfectly done or if your clothes are clean. Blood and sweat don't mix with vanity, girl."
With a sarcastic smile, he turned away, ending the subject abruptly.
Yoo Yeonha remained silent, each of his words hitting her hard, but she refused to show any reaction. Her cold gaze followed Yoo Sihyuk, anger contained in her eyes as she forced herself to maintain a cool facade.
Oreki watched from afar, interested in this interaction. He didn't remember any scenes of the two interacting.
The ceremony unfolded in the same way as the original. Except that Yoo Yeonha was there. And the gaze Oreki was receiving from two people.
"The fellowship ceremony is over."
Everyone sighed in relief, eager to leave before he started giving more unsolicited advice.
As he stepped down from the podium, Oreki couldn't help but reflect on what Yoo Sihyuk had said. Her comment about him had a special resonance.
"He noticed two things. One was about my Perseverance. My mental fortitude was beyond human limits, a strength that worked against depression and increased my motivation. The other was…"
"Me. He has experience of many battles against many people. He must have encountered someone who had their mind controlled by me," Blood commented, completing Oreki's thoughts with his usual arrogance.
"This is the first time I've heard you say so much at once." Oreki thought, puzzled, as he felt a slight vibration of surprise.
Blood, of course, didn't respond. He was probably too busy thinking of some philosophical phrase or planning something dark, as usual.
"Ah, by the way…"
Yoo Sihyuk, who was about to leave the garden, suddenly stopped as if he remembered something.
"The reward for subjugating the Djinn is 15 million won. I almost forgot to tell you."
Oreki's ears instantly perked up. "The wonderful 15 million."
In his mind, Oreki was already imagining himself buying more stocks. "Stocks, here I come," he thought, chuckling mentally.
Blood, watching Oreki's mental scene, snorted in disdain. "So much fuss over paper? You should be focusing on more important things, like power, domination, control over others..."
Oreki, however, was too busy imagining how much money he would make in the future. "Yes, yes, power, control... but we'll leave that for after I'm rich for all eternity."
Blood was silent for a few moments, clearly irritated. "I give up."
"Good luck. We will meet again if the chance allows."
Yoo Sihyuk then left with a bored smile.
The cadets watched him leave and then stepped down from the podium. Before they could touch the ground, members of various guilds crowded around them.
The cadets stepped down from the podium and immediately, the guild members crowded around Kim Suho, Chae Nayun and Yoo Yeonha. All attention was focused on them. Amidst the chatter and greetings, no one even noticed Oreki's presence.
He smiled to himself, satisfied. It wasn't that they ignored him out of lack of interest; he had chosen to remain invisible. His body, perfectly relaxed, moved in harmony with the surroundings, and his posture was so neutral that it simply didn't draw attention.
His breathing, although still incomplete compared to what he aimed for, was controlled, smooth and imperceptible, almost like the training of the breathing techniques he had been practicing.
It was a kind of deep and rhythmic breathing, inspired by the anime Demon Slayer. He had not yet completely mastered this technique, but he could already use it to reduce his presence.
Without any visible effort, he simply went unnoticed. The flow of people around him moved, but no one looked at him, as if he were just another detail in the scenery.
"Perfect," Oreki thought, turning towards the exit, without anyone noticing.
As he easily passed by the guild members, he still cast a few glances at the three who caught his attention.
Yoo Yeonha is using this to increase her popularity and consequently her influence in the future. And she is doing it in a masterful way.
Chae Nayun did not like the fact that there were several people around her, suffocating her. But she was doing her best, in her own way, in the interview.
And Kim Suho is trying to be polite and not talk too much about what happened. Even though he doesn't seem very comfortable with the situation.
Oreki took advantage of the attention the three were drawing to him and headed towards the exit.
"I need to keep an eye on Yeonha and Nayun," I thought as I headed for the exit. "The incidents they have will change."
Oreki walked calmly towards the exit of the event, while the noise of the crowd faded behind him. He kept a calm expression, as if he were at peace, but internally he was celebrating the money he had just earned. "Stocks... Wealth... Controlled life..." he thought, trying to focus on the future he was shaping for himself.
However, in the back of his mind, something still bothered him. That strange feeling of being watched grew, like a subtle weight that he couldn't identify.
Already knowing who it was, he made his way to the exit, already knowing that the two figures would follow him.
***
Lilith watched Oreki walk away, her soft smile hiding the excitement that was bubbling in her mind.
His movements seemed to return to what she was used to, but she knew that he was far from fully understanding the situation.
Evelyn, beside her, remained silent, her cold eyes fixed on Oreki's figure, studying him with a frightening calm.
"He already knows we're here," Lilith commented softly, without looking away. Her voice had a mix of amusement and expectation. "Always trying to get away... but that only makes the hunt more interesting."
Evelyn remained silent for a moment, before answering, her voice neutral. "He's vulnerable. We can approach him without rushing and then beat him until he gives up resisting."
Lilith inclined her head slightly, as if savoring the decision. "Oh, there's no rush. He's our toy. And you know, my dear sister," she turned to her partner, "the most fun toys are the ones that break slowly."
With a slight nod, the two began to follow Oreki at a distance, blending into the crowd without attracting attention.
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