Chapter 227: City of Day (3)
“Are there a lot of monsters outside the wall?”
I mixed in some admiration and praise as I asked—expressing my gratitude for the guards who worked tirelessly to protect the city and how reassuring it was to have them stationed here.
“Of course. We don’t deal with monsters unless they appear inside the city or cross over the defense wall. Occasionally, when monster byproducts—especially meat—are in short supply, we do go out to hunt.”
Meat… Wait a minute. Did that mean the meat in my sandwich and at the restaurant had been monster meat? Back home, edible monster meat was treated as a specialty, but—
‘Could monster meat be the city’s primary food source here?’
The wasteland stretched endlessly beyond the walls, and although the city was large, I hadn’t seen a single farm on my way here. Raising livestock required vast land and a massive amount of feed. If they used monsters, which conveniently grew on their own and just had to be hunted, they could significantly reduce the number of facilities needed to sustain the city.
‘The sandwich had a decent cut of meat, but barely any vegetables.’
If farmland was scarce, fresh vegetables would be expensive, while monster meat would be cheap. Energy likely came from magic stones or something similar, meaning their power generation facilities were probably minimal as well.
In other words, this city was essentially a self-sufficient, independent state.
‘So traveling to another city is like traveling to another country.’
Judging by the barren landscape, intercity trade probably wasn’t frequent either. This world was made up of multiple city-states. Solemnise seemed relatively peaceful, but I had no way of knowing what kind of place Achates City—where Yuhyun was—might be.
“That weapon looks amazing! Does it also run on mana?”
I gestured toward what looked like a massive cannon. The guard nodded, saying it consumed an enormous amount of mana.
“It can deal damage even to S-class monsters if it lands a direct hit.”
“Wow. Do S-class monsters appear often here?”
“Not too frequently. Most of them are B to A-class.”
“What about C-class and below?”
“C-class and lower? They get eaten by B-class monsters or higher at night, and if they survive, they burn up when the sun rises. So they’re quite rare.”
I almost blurted out, They burn up?! So, monsters below B-class in this city couldn’t withstand sunlight. That explained why only B-class and above were considered real threats. I had thought it was a waste of manpower, but if C-class monsters barely even existed, then using them for mana replenishment was technically efficient…
Still, the way they talked about it didn’t sit right with me.
At the very least, they could treat them like people. Calling them “fuel tanks” was a bit much.
I continued asking about the defense system—whether the wall was just a plain barrier, if there were measures against climbing monsters, or if hidden moats were placed at the base. The friendly guard explained everything in detail, which I appreciated.
“That’s incredible. Oh, by the way, do you know anything about Achates City? I heard it’s relatively close to here.”
“It’s the second closest city after Lanchea. But even then, it takes two days by car to get there. We don’t receive much news from other cities, but I’ve heard that guards in Achates City aren’t treated very well.”
“Really? So it’s different from here?”
“All cities have their own ways. I’ve even heard that Myu of Medsang City is treated like a god.”
Medsang City’s title was Myu. But more importantly—guards weren’t treated well in Achates City? If Alpha was really Yuhyun, would he be okay? No matter what, they had to treat an SS-class well, right?
…If they dared to mess with my little brother, I was going to turn that place upside down.
‘Yerim and Noah worry me too. I need to find them as soon as possible.’
Even if these weren’t their real bodies, it felt real enough. I didn’t want anything bad happening to them.
After finishing my tour of the defense wall, the B-class guard personally gave me a ride back into the city. People were so kind here that I was starting to feel a little guilty.
My next stop was the Solemnise Historical Archive.
As I stepped inside the archive building, I spotted a group of young children on a field trip gathered in the lobby. They looked to be around six or seven years old—the equivalent of kindergarteners in Korea.
“Oh! You’re the C-class guard from TV!”
A little girl shouted, followed by a boy clapping his hands.
“That’s right! Black hair, black eyes, and red earrings!”
Excited cries of It’s really him! echoed as the kids rushed toward me. I hadn’t even appeared on TV—just been mentioned in the broadcast—but they were still fascinated. Was this the Sigma effect?
“Kids, that’s not polite.”
“Listen to your teachers.”
The adults accompanying them stepped in to calm the children. Interestingly, two of the three chaperones were Awakened, and one was a B-class. Judging by the mana level, the D-class was a… fuel tank. Were guards assigned to protect the children?
‘Probably in case any monsters from the night before were still lurking.’
Could C-class and lower monsters survive as long as they avoided sunlight? Maybe that’s why buildings were so tightly sealed at night.
Curious eyes sparkled all around me.
They were just ordinary kids on a school outing—chubby cheeks full of energy, completely free of fear or anxiety.
In a world that had already been destroyed.
I told myself it was just information about the past, yet it still felt strange. It was too realistic.
I had no idea how long this world had managed to hold out. Considering how well-organized the city was and how peaceful the daytime seemed, it might have survived much longer than expected.
‘…But it’s not real.’
I had no reason to care. This was just a fake world I’d be leaving soon. Still, those smiling faces pricked at my heart for no reason.
…Maybe video games were better off staying behind a monitor. This kind of virtual reality could easily cause a massive wave of mental health issues.
“Mister, have you seen Lord Sigma in person?”
A child tugged at my clothes, eyes full of curiosity. The other kids also looked eager to hear my answer.
“Of course I have! Our first meeting is still fresh in my mind. Lord Sigma saw me walking alone and, worried for my safety, approached me first. I told him how gentlemanly he was, and as a token of appreciation, I dusted off the dirt on his sleeve.”
And thus, we met for the first time. A tale of bounty rewards, extravagant shopping, and an avalanche of invoices.
“I’ve never seen him before!”
“Me neither!”
“He mostly comes out at night. Good kids should be fast asleep by then.”
“I’m not a baby! I’m already seven years old.”
“Yeah, now that I’m seven, I don’t go to bed early anymore. But my little sibling sleeps a lot because they’re still a baby.”
Talking about how cute babies were, the child wiggled their tiny fingers, saying, Their hands are this small!
Ah, adorable. It reminded me of the past. When I was that age, I had thought my little brother was so tiny, helpless, and precious that I had to take care of him.
Even though my memories were blurry, I could still clearly recall those small hands. Baby hands and feet were unbelievably tiny, delicate, and fascinating. They could move, grab onto things—even clutch at fingers. How had those tiny hands grown larger than mine? I missed Yuhyun.
Listening to the chattering kids, it became apparent that Sigma rarely showed himself. They even said it had been a long time since he had last appeared on TV.
The underground shelters provided private rooms for every household, but they were so small that they barely fit a bed, making them feel cramped and boring.
Without me even asking, the children enthusiastically described their daily lives. Aside from the long hours spent in the shelter at night, their living conditions seemed more comfortable than I had expected.
“Bye, Mister!”
“Bye-bye!”
After parting with the children, I headed deeper into the archive, where the exhibitions were displayed. Admission was free.
At the entrance, a massive aerial view of the city was prominently displayed. One side was slightly distorted, but the overall shape resembled a rectangle. To the east of the city, a fairly large section of land was dedicated to agriculture.
Solemnise City. Established 27 years ago.
I slowly walked through the exhibits, taking in the displays. In the center of the spacious hall stood a large model—depicting a deep crater in the ground with a massive, glowing blue sphere at its core. It continuously emitted shimmering light.
[Mana Hall]
I tapped the touchscreen in front of the model, and an audio explanation began playing.
[The Mana Hall was first discovered 31 years ago. Two years after the emergence of monsters—wild beasts that came to be classified as such—the first Mana Hall appeared near the former borders of Inscidema.]
A slideshow of historical photographs appeared on the screen. The initial monsters had been no stronger than D-class and could be easily dealt with by armed forces. However, their numbers gradually increased, leading to a growing crisis.
[B-class and lower Awakened individuals began to appear. They efficiently hunted monsters, but they frequently suffered from mana depletion.]
The narrator stated that Awakened individuals in this world had extremely low natural mana regeneration. Even those with high magic stats had only a marginal advantage over lower-ranked Awakened in terms of mana recovery.
‘That’s practically the same as having no natural regeneration at all.’
Back home, an S-class magic stat meant you could clear an A-class dungeon without using many mana potions—if you managed your skills properly. But here, the magic stat seemed to have little correlation with mana recovery.
‘…Do the others know about this?’
If they weren’t aware and used mana as freely as usual, they might end up in serious trouble. Especially Yuhyun and Yerim—both relied heavily on their magic for fire and water-based skills.
Fortunately, it was later discovered that mana could be replenished through the Mana Hall, which could also convert energy into electricity and other daily necessities. This led to the establishment of cities around Mana Halls, with high walls built to keep monsters out.
[With research on the Mana Hall, the average rank of Awakened individuals increased. Awakening through the Mana Hall became the norm, but since only a limited number of Awakened could be produced each year, a selection process was implemented. Half of the slots were determined by talent, while the other half were assigned through a lottery.]
[A special ritual known as ‘Divine Baptism’ was also introduced for exceptionally talented pre-Awakened individuals. This process sometimes resulted in the birth of SS-class Awakened from the start.]
The Divine Baptism could only be conducted once or twice a year and typically produced at least an S-class Awakened.
That meant some of the current SS-class Awakened might have originally been S-class but were boosted to SS-class using the Mana Hall’s power.
Was Alpha one of them? It would have been nearly impossible to reach SS-class in just four years otherwise.
After the basic explanation about the Mana Hall concluded, a detailed menu appeared on the screen. I tapped on the Mana Engraving section first.
[Mana Engraving]
[Protection Engraving]
I started with Mana Engraving.
[Pure mana, as opposed to converted energy, cannot be stored in inanimate objects. At present, there is no way for individuals to carry mana, except for the rare mana potions granted by the system as rewards.
As higher-ranked monsters began to appear, the issue of mana replenishment became critical. During battles, the need for mana refueling grew, which led to active research on using living beings as mana fuel tanks.]
Initially, livestock were used for this purpose. However, no matter how well-trained an animal was, it would still panic and flee in the presence of a high-ranked monster. Carrying unconscious animals like luggage was also impractical. Additionally, non-Awakened animals had low mana retention capabilities, making them highly inefficient.
[As a result, C-class and lower Awakened individuals—who were deemed unfit for proper guard duties—began receiving Mana Engravings. While mana flows through various pathways in the human body, the largest and primary channel is the spine.]
An image of a spinal column appeared on the screen. A glowing circle highlighted the back of the neck.
[By engraving a mark at an easily accessible point, a fuel tank can transfer their mana to nearby Awakened individuals. These Mana Engravings can be set to public, team-based, or individual use.]
Receiving a Mana Engraving did not necessarily increase one’s mana pool. If no significant change occurred, the individual was allowed to return to civilian life.
The transfer of mana was supposed to be mutually consensual, but guards could forcibly extract mana from fuel tanks as well. Since this act placed significant strain on the fuel tank, it was illegal unless in emergencies. But realistically speaking, if a high-ranking guard abused it, the worst they’d face was a fine.
Next, I checked the Protection Engraving section.
[A Protection Engraving is designed to prevent mana leakage. It is engraved at the same location as the Mana Engraving.]
Even without a Mana Engraving, the back of the neck was a weak point. Monsters or Awakened individuals with specific abilities could steal mana from this area. Since running out of mana rendered even high-ranking guards defenseless, Protection Engravings were a standard safety measure.
There were different types of Protection Engravings, some of which also incorporated aspects of Mana Engravings.
[Some high-ranking guards integrate mutual Mana Engravings into their Protection Engravings, allowing them to replenish each other’s mana when necessary.]
That would be useful for trusted teams, especially since keeping a low-ranking fuel tank nearby while fighting high-ranked monsters was impractical.
It seemed that almost all guards had engravings. That meant I probably looked extremely suspicious without one. Would I have to get one just to blend in? But since I was in my own body, wouldn’t it still be there even after I left the dungeon? Could it even be removed?
I skimmed through the rest of the city’s information. The city was governed by a mayor and a council, elected every five years, with a one-term re-election limit. Guards played a crucial role in maintaining city security, enjoyed numerous privileges, and were widely respected.
As for Sigma…
‘Most of his personal information is classified.’
Was it for protection? The only publicly available detail was that the previous Sigma had died five years ago, after which the current Sigma took over.
What was his real name? It definitely wasn’t Seong Hyunjae.
‘Well, I won’t be seeing him after tonight anyway.’
No need to overthink it.
I had learned all I needed to know about the city, its guards, and its monsters.
‘Might as well eat before sunset.’
A good meal and some rest before my departure sounded like a solid plan.
Night fell over the city. There were no dazzling lights from buildings—only the lonely glow of street lamps. The streets fell silent, devoid of people, while the distant howls of beasts echoed through the air.
With a crack, I drove my blade into the skull of a D-class monster, pinning its twitching body under my foot before pulling the weapon free. After collecting the points, I vaulted over a broken bench. The park was well-maintained. Now that silence had returned, faint insect sounds resumed in the background.
‘Are there other animals here too?’
It seemed like a tough environment for wildlife. Would there be rats or stray cats in the city? Most of them had probably been eaten by monsters. Raising livestock was clearly out of the question. If anyone still kept pets, it was likely a privilege reserved for the upper class. Bringing a dog or cat into a shelter would probably be considered a luxury.
The fountain had stopped running for the night. Moonlight reflected off the still surface of the water.
Goldberg Park Fountain.
The quest log practically screamed, This is the spot! The fountain shimmered as if calling to me.
Not yet. I had to wait for my guest.
Everything was ready. I had changed clothes, storing my valuable S-class gear neatly in my inventory. Just in case, I kept my red earrings on.
I stepped onto the fountain’s edge, walking along its border as I unwrapped what looked like a sausage bar and bit into it.
Two days by car to Achates City.
The thought alone was already exhausting. I had eaten well and rested comfortably today, but tomorrow would be the start of a long journey.
Hmm. There was cheese in this. Not bad.
“Want one?”
I waved an unopened sausage bar toward the man who had emerged from the darkness. Technically, I had bought it with his money.
“Good evening, Sigma.”
“Good evening, C-class.”
“Stay right where you are. No need to come any closer.”
He wasn’t alone.
Oh, an S-class.
I tossed both the sausage bar and my cash card. Sigma effortlessly caught them with one hand.
“Transfer the 1 billion L first.”
“The total amount charged to my account today was 3.2 billion L.”
That was about 40 billion won.
“Did you seriously go through all the numbers? I’d be disappointed if that amount actually mattered to you.”
I remarked that maybe I had chosen the wrong employer. Sigma smiled and handed my card to the S-class beside him. The S-class operated a device and then turned to me.
“Transfer complete.”
“Thank you. Please return it gently—fragile C-class here.”
My cash card was tossed back into my hands. I carefully tucked it away in my pocket and pulled out the disc.
I felt a faint sense of curiosity directed at the object. Sigma’s golden eyes flickered toward it, but he simply observed. He was going to wait and see what I did—after all, a mere C-class wasn’t a threat to him.
“This is my gift to you.”
I smiled warmly and firmly pressed the center button of the disc.
Immediately, a distortion rippled through the air. Even his golden gaze wavered slightly.
“Sincerely, thank you for the shopping spree.”
But now, it was time for us to part ways.
—Grrrrr…
A deep, menacing growl rumbled from behind me.