SSEI | Chapter 2.11

Meanwhile, Eren Noeul gestured toward the items and continued her explanation.

“You don’t have to rely on the merchant, though. If you know what you’re doing, you can craft things yourself at special locations at night or dawn. That way, you just need to gather bones and leather—it’s way cheaper.”

“Uh… Speaking of which, what kind of bones and leather are these, exactly?”

”Calamities. You haven’t encountered one yet, right?”

“Judging by how I have no idea what you’re talking about, I guess not… Uh, wait. Am I misunderstanding the word calamity here?”

“They’re not easy to come across. In evening or nighttime zones, they only appear if specific conditions are met. People say they’re common at dawn, but we haven’t made it that far yet.”

A disaster… isn’t that usually something like a flood or an earthquake? Yuan found it strange, but it didn’t seem like something he could fully understand right now.

‘Come to think of it, I think I heard before that the Red Man woke up a “White Disaster” in the canola flower field….’

Anyway, it seemed that “disaster” referred to some kind of monster. Maybe he’d get a real sense of it when he actually encountered one. Yuan vaguely accepted the idea and moved on.

“The heart-looking things on the right over there are called disaster cores.”

“Cores…?”

“Think of them as something like a heart. They’re way rarer than bones or leather. The ones on display here are from White and Green Disasters, but Blue and Red Disaster cores are nearly impossible to find and ridiculously expensive.”

“What are they used for? And do the colors mean anything?”

“If you implant a core into your body, you gain a special ability. Once implanted, you can use it permanently. It’s basically like getting an extra special skill, so if you choose wisely, you can become insanely strong.”

The “special skills” he had seen in the last match were all bizarre, things that outright defied the laws of physics. If you could gain an additional ability like that, then yeah, it’d definitely be a big deal. Yuan vaguely understood the appeal.

“And the deeper the color, the stronger it is. White is the weakest, followed by Green, then Blue, and finally Red… Oh, right.”

Eren Noeul, who had been explaining up to this point, suddenly grinned mischievously and whispered to Yuan.

“You don’t know why the Red Man is called that, do you?”

“I don’t. But why are you bringing it up all of a sudden…?”

“Because he’s the only wanderer who has ever implanted a Red Disaster core. That’s why no one else carries the title of ‘Red’ besides him.”

You know, that blade on the back of his hand. Sael, who had been standing nearby, murmured in addition, making Yuan’s eyes widen as he stared at the cores.

How in the world do you implant something that beats like a heart and end up with a blade sprouting from the back of your hand? He had no idea. But just hearing that story made him a lot more interested in the items displayed in the shop.

It wasn’t just because he was frustrated about being killed twice by that man, or because he wanted to get stronger himself. Yuan felt a deeper, more primal urge bubbling up inside him.

He wanted to know more about these cores. Because it felt like by understanding them, he might also learn more about that Red Man—and even about himself.

“Hey, how much do these cost?”

“They’re insanely expensive. Even a White Disaster core is something most people wouldn’t even dare to consider buying….”

“But they’re in the shop, so someone must be able to buy them, right?”

“That’s true, but there are specific conditions you need to meet before you can purchase a disaster core. It’s not just about having enough points.”

Sael gave a hesitant smile, trying to cool Yuan’s enthusiasm, but by then, Yuan was already brimming with curiosity. If left alone, he looked like he might just grab any random core and start interrogating them about what conditions he needed to fulfill to get his hands on it.

Fortunately—or maybe unfortunately—a dry, disinterested voice cut him off before he could go any further.

“Yeah, even if you had mountains of points, we don’t sell them to rookies like you, kid.”

Startled by the unexpected interruption, Yuan turned his head toward the voice. Beyond the counter, a young man was slouched deep into a worn-out sofa, scowling in his direction.

Yuan was being called a “kid,” but the other guy didn’t look that much older himself. At best, he seemed to be around Sael’s age or maybe even a little younger.

However, the young man carried the kind of seasoned air that only came from living a long time. His long golden hair was loosely draped over his shoulders, and he wore a slightly tattered linen shirt under a leather vest, a look that strangely suited the rough atmosphere of this store.

From where he was sitting, he was obviously the shop owner. As soon as their eyes met, the young man let out a sigh, as if exasperated, and gestured toward Yuan.

“This is your first time in a shop, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be buying a Private Room Pass or a Status Check Ticket first?”

“I was planning to buy the Private Room Pass. I don’t know what a Status Check Ticket is, though…”

“What the hell have the guys with you even explained to you? They left out the most important stuff.”

“Sorry, but I swear I’ve heard that same line at least ten times already. There are just so many ‘important’ things that no matter how much I listen, the explanations never seem to end.”

“Yeah, well, that’s how it is.”

“Anyway, come here.” The young man kept gesturing, and Yuan reluctantly shuffled over. Thankfully, the items near the counter were at least a little less gruesome. There were jars filled with powder that looked like finely ground bone, tiny glass vials containing what seemed to be blood or some other kind of bodily fluid, and…

“You’ve got at least 100 points, right? Buy a Status Check Ticket.”

“The way you’re just throwing that at me makes it sound like a scam.”

“Once you use it, you’ll stop complaining.”

The young man pulled out a single sheet of paper from the corner of the counter—it was probably the only item in the store that wasn’t a byproduct of some creature—and handed it to Yuan. Without thinking, Yuan took it.

“Uh… how do I pay for this?”

“The system deducts it automatically, so don’t worry about it. Just tear the paper.”

At first glance, the paper didn’t seem special at all. It looked just like a theater ticket or a train pass, except it was covered in an unfamiliar language.

Following instructions, Yuan tore the paper.

At that moment, a bright flash burst inside his mind, like fireworks exploding in his brain.

“Whoa, what the—?!”

It felt like a previously unused corner of his brain had suddenly been pried open. Information came flooding in, like water gushing through a broken dam. Overwhelmed, Yuan stood frozen as the same cryptic phrases he had seen every time he died appeared clearly in his vision.

[Wanderer Status]

Name: Yuan (Nickname: White One)
Death Count: 2
Current Points: 540
Longest Survival Time: Evening, when the sun was halfway set
Best Ranking: 37th place, 0 kills, 3 assists
Possessions: Status Check Ticket (100 points)
Status Effects: None
Hunger: A little hungry (Eat before the next match starts!)
Fatigue: Feeling fresh (You can maintain peak condition for up to one hour. That’s terrible! Start building up your stamina now!)

It was literally a display of his personal information. Everything he had done so far and his current physical state were listed in surprising detail.

The messages about eating properly and improving his stamina were oddly lecture-like, but if he considered them as just another form of information, they weren’t too weird.

‘I have no idea why my nickname is “White One,” but that’s not the important part right now…’

Even just this much was helpful. But the most crucial detail was written in the last line.

Special Ability: Final Stage of Crimson Disease (Additional information will be unlocked upon meeting certain conditions.)

“Crimson Disease?” Judging by the “final stage” part, it sounded like some kind of illness. But weren’t “special abilities” supposed to be things like Eren Noeul or Sael’s unique skills? If it was a disease, then wouldn’t that be more of a weakness than a strength?

Not to mention, the description gave absolutely no clue about what kind of ability it actually was. How was he supposed to know what he could do with it or how it would help in a fight?

Just as he was trying to process this new information, a familiar voice called out to him.

“You bought a Status Check Ticket, Yuan?”

“Now you can check your special trait, right? At first, you’ll probably have no idea what it means. But as you meet certain conditions, more details will gradually be revealed.”

The two of them had finally caught up to Yuan. Listening to Eren Noeul’s explanation, it seemed natural for there to be little information at first, which was somewhat reassuring… but it still bothered him. Hesitating, Yuan finally spoke up.

“Um, what exactly is this Crimson Disease?”

“Crimson Disease? What’s that?”

“It’s listed under my special traits. It says… Crimson Disease, Final Stage.”

“Final stage? Like some kind of terminal illness? Yuan, are you sick?”

Yuan had asked, hoping they might know something, but the two of them just looked at each other in confusion. It seemed like they had never heard the term before.

“I don’t feel sick or anything. But, uh… what does it even mean for a disease to be a special trait…?”

“Maybe you should see a doctor? The doctors here are pretty skilled. Even if you lose an arm or a leg, they can reattach it in no time. I’m sure they can cure your disease too—”

“Eren Noeul, it’s a special trait. If you cure a disease that’s classified as a special trait, wouldn’t that mean Yuan loses his special trait altogether?”

“Now that you mention it… Yeah, what do we do then?”

The two of them seemed to be having a serious discussion, but in terms of actual knowledge, they didn’t seem to be much better off than Yuan. Listening to them only made his head spin.

But then, the shopkeeper, who had been silently listening, casually spoke up.

“Don’t go to a doctor. It won’t help, and you’ll just leak information for no reason.”

“Huh? Do you know what kind of disease it is?”

“I wouldn’t say I know much, but I do know a little… That’s not a disease a doctor can cure. It’s an incurable curse.”

A curse? Just a moment ago, they called it a disease, and now it was a curse? Yuan had no idea what to believe. Still, wouldn’t a doctor at least be able to figure out what kind of illness it was? But the look on the shopkeeper’s face was so serious, it made Yuan hesitate.

“Either way, you’re immortal here, right? Then it doesn’t really matter. The disease probably won’t progress any further.”

“W-Well, that’s a relief, I guess. But, um… since it’s my special trait, could you tell me exactly what kind of disease it is if you know?”

“That’s your problem to figure out. Why are you asking me? Are you planning to pay for the information?”