Chapter 5

A Returner Carrying the Memory of a Doomed World - Chapter 5

I wrote down the names of seven people and recorded everything I knew about them.

“Han Yeri, Choi Tae-su, Alex...”

The plunderers who devoured humanity and the defectors.

We called the seven who caused immense damage to humanity the Seven Evils.

“I must start by eliminating them.”

Just like I preemptively killed the college student who was about to become a defector.

If we consider the Gate Break and the Monster Wave as natural disasters, these are clearly man-made disasters.

Unlike natural disasters, the future can be clearly changed depending on my actions toward them.

However, even if I were to return to 20 years ago, it wouldn't be an easy task, especially for the Seven Evils.

Even if I set aside the fact that I, currently an E-rank Hunter, would be outmatched by the majority of them, who are B-rank or higher, it's not a matter that can be solved with mere force.

For example, in the case of Choi Tae-su, the leader of the brainwashed Awakeners, there is always a Teleporter Awakener by his side, and he absolutely avoids combat, making it harder to meet him than to kill him.

“I should pretend to become a follower...”

Therefore, not only force but also money and reputation will be necessary. To approach the leader, I must first become the prey he desires.

The encouraging point is that it is still the Hunter society.

It means that strong people can easily make their voices heard, and there are many opportunities to earn money.

“However...”

Due to the time I spent as a porter, I am currently lacking in many areas.

◇ Abilities (0/1)

Inventory (E-rank, Attribute: Unassigned).

◇ Stats (0/6)

Strength: 11

Agility: 9

Stamina: 13

Health: 15

Mana: 96

Current Mana: 9.7

My stats, except for mana, are pitiful.

Although I have mastered the handling of mana, my [Mana] is almost at its limit, but my [Current Mana] is almost as short as premature ejaculation.

My current situation is like having the technology to extract hydrogen from water but not having any water to use it on.

When in a hurry, I can break a mana stone to replenish it, but each one costs money, so I can't waste them.

The other stats are equally pitiful.

“Ten years.”

In the case of normal growth, I expect it would take me that long to narrow the gap with the Seven Evils.

That's just for one of the seven.

Therefore—

To turn the tables, something special, not just the ordinary, is needed.

Let's think.

What makes me different from the Seven Evils?

“The information gap.”

This is promising.

Not only knowing which guilds will thrive, which gates will offer what rewards, and which rookies are promising, but also considering the 20 years of future time.

Would the survivors have just survived?

We have devised various methods to become stronger and continue surviving, beyond the power granted by the gates.

One of these is the [Mana Circuit], a technology inspired by the use of monsters' mana.

To narrow the gap with the Seven Evils, I must fully utilize such things that they do not know.

Since it is something that can be applied immediately, I immediately got up from my desk and sat on the floor in a formal position.

Hummm—

I guided my mana according to my will.

I created a circulation loop of mana flowing through a predetermined path from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and spread the mana that was generated as a byproduct to the extremities.

Creating a core of mana and polishing the channels through which mana flows.

This is the most revolutionary method of using mana developed by the past human race.

It is the [Mana Circuit].

I didn't need to pay much attention. I had been doing it habitually for ten years.

After adding a bit of acceleration to let it flow naturally, it was sufficient to leave it as it was.

How many times did I circulate, squeezing out the little mana I had?

The flow of mana, which had been racing through the predetermined channels, began to flow on its own, independent of my will, seeping into various parts of my body.

This is a byproduct of the [Mana Circuit].

The true excellence of the [Mana Circuit] lies in the amplification of mana.

Even with the same amount of mana, the [Mana] of 96, the S-rank [Mastery], and the synergy of the [Mana Circuit] can create a completely different result from others...

“Of course, the byproduct is also desperately needed right now.”

With the [Mana Circuit] that I, who am equipped with a technology that will be developed over the next ten years, can use, I thought about what to do next.

Entering the gate to seek growth is a one-dimensional idea, and I thought of someone who would desperately want this technology.

Naturally, excluding plunderers and defectors, and among those I can trust, someone who can immediately help me.

“Kang Yebin.”

I didn't need much time to think.

She was already someone I planned to find first, even before the regression.

I accessed the portal on my phone and looked for the number of contracts that had come to me.

Since delivering corpses doesn't require much labor, and those with prior knowledge of corpses are preferred during transportation, porters are usually preferred.

I received many offers, and soon found the contract I wanted.

Kang Yebin, the Time Sleep Awakener who regressed me.

- Mana, the most supreme energy used by Awakeners.

She was also an authority in mana research.

The idea of breaking mana stones to amplify mana came from her, and she was the outstanding figure who invented the [Mana Circuit] technology, greatly contributing to humanity.

“Of course, she won't be as powerful as before.”

She is probably deeply engrossed in research right now.

Therefore, she will be even more eager for the already completed [Mana Circuit].

* * *

On the monitor are Awakener Association bureaucrats, famous university professors, A-rank Awakeners, and Ph.D. holders in mana-related fields.

“Do you know? The efficiency of solar energy increases as it resembles the structure of plants.”

Kang Yebin strongly appealed to the monitor.

“It's not just that. The prototypes of the various engines we use are all inspired by the organs of plants or animals.”

So, survival of the fittest. Like that theory of evolution.

“Mana is the same. Look at the reference. The experimental value shows that the efficiency of the mana we use is less than half of that of monsters.”

Monsters, who have evolved more superiorly in the use of mana than humans.

The mana organs inherent in the bodies of monsters.

We need to emulate the use of mana derived from them.

“The circuits through which mana circulates differ for each monster and their rank. We must continue to research this and find ways to apply such circuits appropriately to humanity.”

This is the [Mana Circuit].

The direction that the newly awakened human race should take!

That was the conference.

“...”

Although there was no response.

Kang Yebin cursed and turned off the video conference.

“Stupid bastards.”

The result is always the same.

- It's just a theory, do you have proof?

This is the reason for the researchers' opposition.

- Mana doesn't move as I want, so how can you talk about forming circuits and making it circulate?

This is the Awakeners' excuse.

- There aren't enough monster corpses for artifact production.

This is the Association's stance.

Their usual rejection.

“No, damn it, give me more corpses!”

Monster corpses are like that. They are abundant inside the gates, but it's rare to bring them to reality.

They need to be artifactized to be stored in the inventory and enter and exit the gates.

“I don't care about that.”

Anyway, almost no corpses are allocated to her.

“To establish or prove a theory, you need a control group!”

The only corpse she received in the last quarter was a Gast's arm, which had been reused so much that it was like a rag. She had already learned everything she could from that arm.

“This is such an important matter...”

So, those idiots still think the Earth is flat.

They are so stupid that they handle things like this.

“Sigh...”

Now, only proof is the answer. The only way to make those guys understand is to show them the results directly.

Experiment. Proof. Experiment. Proof is the only answer...

Muttering this, Kang Yebin entered the laboratory and rewound the time of the Gast's arm.

According to her ability, the Gast's arm, which had been completely burned in the previous experiment, returned to its previous state.

“Unfortunately, this is all I have.”

However, the circuit engraved on the corpse was not as clear as before.

Because it had been reused so much.

Kang Yebin knew this best. The reason was that her Time Sleep ability was incomplete.

Since she had been doing experiments every day, there had been no growth, and her ability was almost the same as when she first awakened.

Anyway, Kang Yebin plugged the Gast's arm into the mana injection machine and went outside the laboratory to watch the monitor.

The visualized mana displayed on the monitor through MVO (Mana Visual Origin).

Just by injecting mana, the flow of mana circulating inside the corpse was output on the monitor.

“How does it work like that...”

It's really amazing. Why does the amplification happen when mana moves like that? It's not like a transformer.

While Kang Yebin was studying and noting down things worth referencing, a man in a cap and others sent by the Association knocked on the laboratory door.

Remembering that today was the day for the corpse support for this quarter, Kang Yebin greeted them with a bit of hope.

“Yes, come in. What kind of corpse support do we have this time?”

She first received the receipt.

Surely they didn't send another Gast arm, right? If they did, I'd really quit.

Actually, it was a bit different.

“This time, it's a Gast leg.”

“...”

“It was hard to get. Ha ha.”

What the hell?

If she hadn't seen the Association member's friendly smile, she might have spat in his face.

Phew, phew—

She calmed the heat rising to her head.

What's wrong with this person who just moves corpses... The Association is the one that's messed up...

Swallowing her curses, she called the Association president. She planned to give him a serious talking to.

“Rather than trying to persuade a monkey.”

Holding her phone and huffing, Kang Yebin glanced around.

As if subconsciously looking around while waiting for a call, she glanced at the monitor by chance.

“Huh?”

So, Park Shin-hyuk, who had entered the laboratory to move the corpse.

Seeing his visualized [Mana Circuit] on the monitor was definitely a coincidence.

Zing—

A shiver ran up her spine and exploded in her brain.

- Ah, Dr. Kang Yebin. Did you receive the corpse? I specially... this time...

The voice of the Association president, who immediately started making excuses, faded away, and the surrounding noise of moving the corpse was temporarily eliminated.

The Association people, the experimental equipment, and the experimental instruments disappeared, leaving only Park Shin-hyuk and the monitor in her field of vision.

“No way...”

The clear [Mana Circuit] visible on the monitor.

The complete circulation of mana wrapping his body.

The shape of that mana was the goal of the research Kang Yebin had been pursuing for five years.

- Why aren't you talking on the phone, Dr. Kang? Then, shall we use this corpse for this quarter?

“...What the hell?”

Kang Yebin's ongoing research was already complete.

From someone she didn't know, who looked like a porter.