Chapter 73: How Do You Even Name A Tech Bear? (1)
I had been pushing it for days, but I think it's about time.
Using my meta-knowledge.
Because of Sylvia I had skipped yesterday's classes, but it wasn't so bad — at least I got some wholesome moments.
Now that both she and Quincy's issue were over, it was time to concentrate on other things.
In front of me right now was a massive steel door with a small section for inputting passwords.
Around me were jagged, clean rocks and nothing else.
In the novel this was a vital part of Jake Kim's abilities. It was a knight art that let him use his body to the max.
I wasn't a knight, so there was no way I could use it; however, what I needed wasn't the technique itself but the drawings — illustrations of the human body.
I planned to build for myself a system backup.
If I had that, then I wouldn't need to worry about dying as long as I had enough mana.
Not only me, but I would be able to form backups for anything whose structure I knew and recreate it.
Severed limbs, torn flesh — as long as I knew how the person was and the person wasn't dead, then it would be possible.
[Speaking through the coms... is this Detective Allen? Over.]
My gaze went blank as Sylvia's voice through the coms rang in my ear. "Please, can you speak properly?"
[What are you saying, Sergeant? This is how I speak normally. Over.]
I stared at the high-tech door. "Come on, Jin-ah — just tell me the passcode."
Unlike me, who had forgotten the password for the door, Sylvia could remember it.
It seemed if I had waited an extra week it would have been stolen.
Honestly, I had downplayed the fact that Jake Kim still existed in the demon realm.
It was actually a good thing that Sylvia had found out about me; at least now I could prevent the midterms event she talked about.
Yeah, I didn't mean to be fighting them — why would I have teachers if I had to fight?
I chuckled at the thought.
[Al, are you okay? Why are you laughing to yourself?]
'Oh right — she can hear me.'
I exhaled. "Nothing."
I moved toward the keypad. "Okay, hit me."
[I think it's U something.]
"Huh? What do you mean by 'U-something'?"
[Uhmm... Well... I'm just as confused as you are.]
I stared into nothing blankly, then sighed. "Okay, let's try this."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Bzzzzz....
"A bust."
I typed again.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Bzzzzz....
I groaned. "For fuck's sake, just work."
The keypad buzzed with rejection again, and I sighed. "At this rate I'll end up writing every swear word I know until it gives up."
[You're hopeless, detective.] Sylvia's voice dripped with amusement through the coms.
"Got a better idea?"
[Obviously. The password is Ursus-17.]
"Then why did you make me write shit for the past five minutes?"
[Hehehe. Because hearing you annoyed puts a smile on my face.]
I didn't respond and punched in the code.
Fzzzzz....
The steel door rumbled, gears turning like a throat clearing after centuries.
From the dark chamber ahead, something heavy stirred.
Whoosh...
Cold air blew everywhere, kicking dust into my eyes, but I didn't avert my gaze.
The moment the door fully opened, blue torches along the walls lit up, casting eerie shadows on the stone pavement.
My breath caught as I looked at the creature in front of me...
A bear — no, not flesh and blood, but a hulking construct of steel bones and enchanted fur — lumbered out, eyes glowing pale blue.
"Intruder detected," it growled, voice like two rocks grinding. "Prepare yourself."
The fight began in an instant.
Its paw swiped through the air as wind pressure rushed toward me.
This creature, whatever it was, wasn't in the Hunter Association database, that's for sure.
However...
『 User has activated... 』
Blink.
When I said I was the slippiest man, I didn't just mean in my old world — but in this one too.
With a crimson flicker, I reappeared a short distance to the side.
The passage was narrow, so there weren't many places to dodge.
Boom!
A gust of wind blew from behind me as the earlier attack smashed into the jagged rocks beyond the door.
I immediately moved as my body became a streak of light.
『 User has activated Tier 9 spell: Red Chains 』
Summoning only two chains, I embedded the sharp end into the wall and streaked past the bear's open legs with Flashstep.
The beast turned its head to face me, but I leaped up and used Blink to vanish back to where I had been, from above its head.
The chains already under the bear tightened once the other ends caught its shoulders, and like straps it collapsed with a loud boom onto the ground.
The bear panted, growled, and finally, with a thunderous huff, stopped struggling.
"Why are you just dodging and teleporting? It's annoying! Just stay in one place and let me crush you!"
I crouched in front of it, catching my breath. "Why don't you sit still and let me rob this place instead?"
The bear froze, head tilting, then shook its head. "My master said… he would give me a name if I guarded here."
I pushed my bag up onto my shoulder. "And how long ago was that?"
"Uhmm..." the beast hesitated, looking away. "Five hundred years."
I scratched the back of my neck. "Pretty sure your boss was human. Which means he's probably six feet under."
Silence.
Was I too harsh?
The bear's ears drooped, its giant shoulders slumping. "Then… what should I do now?"
I stepped closer, looking up at the lonely guardian. "Simple. I'll give you my name. How does that sound?"
Its eyes widened, glowing faintly warmer, as though hope itself was a kind of light.
"Really?"
"If you let me rob you, that is."
"Hmm... How much are you planning to take?"
I rubbed my fingers as if counting money. "As much as I can carry."
The bear stared at me with the look that said, "this guy is small; he can't take much."
This was why it was a silly beast.
Of course I came here prepared.
I did say that I knew the art, but I also said I couldn't use it.
So, I had to get some I could use, and some Sylvia could use, some for Quincy too, some for Beatrice and Valentina once they are back, maybe one for that simp guy, then some for the market naturally.
I smiled softly. "So we have a deal."
The creature hesitated.
I knew it wasn't because of what was inside, but because of the name itself.
Name.
It was something spirit-art users like Quincy used for contracts.
The stronger the creature, the harder it was to name, leading to failed contracting.
But even strong spirits weren't as hard as unnamed beasts, since those spirits naturally have other titles.
It was like renaming a file on a desktop and making a new file and naming it.
Yeah, the difference in skill was huge.
But I was Allen Vanderbilt Park — this much was nothing.
I raised my hand as mana flared in the air.
"Are you ready?"
The beast lowered its head.
If I gave him a name, he wouldn't be able to disobey until someone gave him another name that was more powerful than mine.
The entire passage began shining the same hue as my mana.
I let the mana hum in my throat.
The name had to be perfect — something no one else could ever have.
A name that carried the weight of greatness across universes.
My lips parted slowly as I whispered.
"Your name is..."