#067. Artificial Emotion (1)
—
The leaders of the five gangs knelt before Ray, their faces covered in blood.
“I want three pieces of information. The Rainbow. The Black Rain. A brown-haired woman.”
Their minds were dazed. They still couldn’t fully grasp the situation.
“Come to my lodging every day and report to me. Tell me what information you’ve gathered and how many streets you’ve searched.”
They had all charged at that white-haired person at once, and then…
“I will reward the one who does the best job.”
A reward.
At that one word, the gang leaders’ eyes lit up.
“H-How much is the reward…?”
“100,000 shillings. And only one person will get it. Understood?”
Their jaws dropped in astonishment.
Nodding frantically, they shot up from their knees and bolted out of the alley.
“Rainbow! Black Rain! Brown-haired woman! Rainbow! Black Rain! Brown-haired woman!”
“My job from today is an information broker!”
Repeating the keywords Ray had given them.
Reaffirming their determination.
Watching Ray handle the gang leaders, Philip couldn’t help but admire him.
‘Impressive. He’s deliberately making the reward exclusive to one person to fuel competition. I never even thought of that.’
He had only given Ray a simple piece of advice—that dealing with these kids didn’t always require force, but that rewards could work as well.
Yet Ray had already mastered the method and was now applying it in his own way.
“It would be best to stop by the lodging and change clothes first. They’re expensive, and we can’t let them get dirty,” Veronica suggested.
Ray and Philip agreed.
Now that their business at the hotel was done, the clothes had served their purpose.
After returning to their lodging and changing outfits, the group stepped out again to investigate the sector.
“Philip and Veronica, go together. The gang leaders have been warned, so you shouldn’t have any trouble moving around. But just in case.”
The second most dominant color in Veronica’s mana-circle, after white, was sky blue.
The emotions associated with it: cheerfulness and joy.
Its primary elements: wind, change, speed, and connection.
It was mainly used to enhance mobility or increase the speed of projectile-type magic.
Or to summon wind itself.
‘They should be fine without me.’
If danger struck.
If Veronica chose to, she could summon blades of wind and shred her enemies to pieces.
Of course, given her personality, such a scenario was unlikely.
She typically used her wind magic not for attacks but for cooling off on hot days or sweeping leaves away in front of a bookstore.
Ray added an extra safety measure.
Wooong—!
A strand of mana flowed from his palm and seeped into the backs of their hands, forming and then fading into an intricate pattern.
A “Binding.”
This would allow them to sense each other’s locations.
They could also infuse mana into the mark to trigger a resonance, signaling danger.
「It’s originally a spell used by summoners or creature handlers. But it has various applications depending on the situation.」
One of the many spells he had learned from Graham.
Its range wasn’t infinite, but it was enough to cover several surrounding streets.
“We’ll check this area.”
“See you later, Ray!”
Ray watched as the two figures walked away from the lodging.
Then, turning toward the alley, he spoke.
“You can come out now.”
Tap— Tap—
Slow, deliberate footsteps.
Skyle appeared.
“I had no intention of hiding. I only waited for your conversation to finish before stepping forward.”
Ray wasn’t particularly bothered.
After forming his mana-circle, his physical senses had reached a level incomparable to those of ordinary people.
He had noticed Skyle’s presence long ago.
He had arrived near the end of their conversation.
And nothing they discussed was sensitive enough to be a problem even if overheard.
“Are you done talking with Mr. John?”
Unlike in the wasteland, he now spoke formally.
For now, they were in a temporary alliance.
At least minimal respect was necessary.
“Yes, I am. I wanted to discuss the upcoming plans with you, if you don’t mind. Would you care to move to a different location?”
*
*
*
The place Skyle led him to was a tavern in the center of the sector.
Clink!
Inside an elegant private room.
Ice slid against the glass, scraping its walls before liquor poured over it.
“Do you drink, Mage?”
“…….”
He had tried alcohol before.
Once, Niles had given him a bottle of cheap whiskey as a gift and said:
“You’ve never had alcohol before, right? Try it. You’re not truly an adult until you’ve woken up with your organs twisted and cured your hangover with hot soup.”
Then he added:
“Alcohol makes people emotional. Don’t start doing things you normally wouldn’t, okay? Like suddenly showing your gratitude, staring at me with respect, or calling me ‘big bro.’”
“Sounds like you want me to.”
“Who knows?”
Alcohol makes people emotional.
He hadn’t had enough experience to confirm it, but he agreed with the statement.
Drunkards on the streets always carried far more emotion in their vessel than others.
Sometimes, they were so overwhelmed that they crawled on all fours, laughed and cried simultaneously, and behaved incomprehensibly.
Niles had called alcohol a potion that transformed humans into dogs.
“Thanks for the gift. I’ll let you know after I try it.”
“You’re drinking it here.”
“I don’t want to.”
Returning to his usual hideout under the bridge, Ray sat by the river and opened the bottle of vodka Niles had given him.
He had no great expectations.
That was a time when he had already given up trying to feel emotions.
Pouring the liquor into a cracked glass, he downed it in one go.
A burning sensation spread through his throat and body.
“……. ”
He waited.
No change in his mood.
Another drink.
Still nothing.
Yet another.
Again, nothing.
“Was I scammed?”
No matter how much he drank, it felt like water.
He emptied and refilled his glass repeatedly.
By the time the bottle was thoroughly emptied, Ray stood up without the slightest unsteadiness and walked away from the river.
‘Maybe it was because the alcohol was cheap.’
He wasn’t sure, but the liquor before him now was probably far more expensive.
If so, perhaps it could help him feel something.
“Yes. I’ll drink.”
“Good.”
Skyle smiled in satisfaction and pushed a freshly poured glass toward Ray.
Then, filling his own, he raised his glass.
“Since we’re now working together, let me introduce myself properly. I am Skyle, leader of the Skyle Mercenary Corps.”
Something must have changed in him during their walk from the hotel to the lodging.
His aura was now filled with positive emotions.
Anticipation. Reassurance. Excitement.
Though, deep in its corners, a sizeable hostility remained.
And the dominant emotion of all—greed.
A dazzling golden hue.
Its brightness and clarity were the second most intense he had seen since arriving in Sector 48.
For someone to harbor such strong greed even in daily life…
‘He must be incredibly obsessed with money.’
Ray followed Skyle’s lead and downed his drink.
“Ahhh.”
“…….”
Only the emotions in Skyle’s vessel rippled wildly.
Ray himself felt nothing.
So, it still had no effect?
Or maybe it was just because it was the first drink.
“You handle your liquor well. If you don’t mind, may I ask which mercenary group you belong to?”
“We haven’t decided on a name yet.”
A brief silence followed.
It took Skyle a moment to understand Ray’s words.
And the moment he understood, his vessel swelled rapidly with anticipation.
“Oh, I see. When you mentioned a mercenary group, you didn’t mean you were already affiliated with one—you meant you intend to start working as a mercenary!”
Ray nodded.
He reached for the bottle to pour another drink, but Skyle moved faster and refilled his glass first.
The second glass went down.
“Ha! If there’s anything you’re unsure about, feel free to ask me. I’ll be more than happy to help!”
*Clink!*
The third glass went down.
“Here, have another! First, I can explain the basics, like how to register at the mercenary office…”
Despite the strong liquor, Skyle continued speaking smoothly without any signs of intoxication.
He had a high tolerance for alcohol.
Bringing Ray to the bar was meant to get him drunk and find an opening.
But something felt… off.
His drinking partner—a young one at that—showed no signs of wavering.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’
As long as he was human, drinking continuously would inevitably make him drunk.
With heightened excitement, Skyle kept the conversation going.
“Ah, and thank you for not mentioning the hunting matter to the client. If that had come up, it could have been a real headache.”
“…”
It wasn’t as if Ray had intentionally avoided talking about it.
His purpose in visiting John Grid was solely to gather information about the Blue-Gemmed Rockdeer.
He hadn’t gone there to report or expose anything.
However, the other seemed to interpret his silence as a favor.
Ray casually asked, “Is the tracking of the Rockdeer herd still ongoing?”
“Of course. My subordinates are keeping a certain distance while pursuing them, helping control their numbers whenever they return to the area.”
*Control their numbers.*
That meant hunting them.
At that moment, Skyle’s greed swelled violently.
Ray found the sight fascinating and couldn’t take his eyes off it as he spoke.
“About that…”
“Yes?”
“I’d like you to stop hunting. At least for the herd you’re tracking right now.”
His goal was to observe the Blue-Skinned Rockdeer up close.
It wouldn’t do if the creature was killed or injured.
“That’s a rather sudden request…”
Confusion, distrust, suspicion.
A variety of emotions filled Skyle’s vessel.
His swelling greed halted its expansion, while a long-dormant hostility stirred and moved toward the center.
Ah.
Ray felt a pang of regret.
He had been curious just how much larger Skyle’s greed could grow.
He had anticipated some resistance, but to see it shrink so drastically…
“May I ask why?”
There was discomfort in his voice.
Swallowing his disappointment, Ray decided to deal with the hostility now making itself known.
Instead of answering, he applied psychokinetic pressure to his glass.
*Shatter!*
Liquor spilled onto the table.
Glass shards scattered in all directions.
“Is that a problem?”
“A-Ah, no! Not at all. I was just curious about your reasons…”
The hostility that had been moving toward the center of Skyle’s vessel quickly retreated to its original corner.
It also shrank significantly.
“Once I leave, you can hunt all you want. But while I’m here, it’s off-limits.”
“Haha, understood. That’s not a difficult request.”
The muscles in Skyle’s face twitched as he struggled to maintain his expression.
He was angry but had to hold it in.
Even the weakest mage could wipe out dozens of ordinary people with ease.
“When do you plan to depart? The sooner, the better.”
“You said your goal was to track the Rockdeer herd, right? We can set out tomorrow morning.”
Besides, this mage had the potential to bring in far greater profits than any hunting revenue.
It was best to accommodate him as much as possible.
Even if he was a fool who believed the delusions of an old man.
“Come now, drink up!”
To get Ray drunk, Skyle increased his drinking pace.
But as bottle after bottle of strong brandy and whiskey emptied, only he seemed to be getting tipsy.
His drinking partner, meanwhile, remained completely unfazed.
‘Damn it… Why does it feel like I’m the only one getting drunk?’
His senses were gradually dulling, yet the boy across from him drank as if it were water.
As if conducting an experiment, Ray opened multiple bottles, switching between them, mixing drinks, and even downing them in one go.
“You really do hold your liquor well, Mage.”
“I suppose so. A shame, really.”
A shame?
Was he mocking him?
Skyle frowned and reached for a bottle.
No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like the bottles in front of the boy contained nothing but water.
‘Especially that Captain Jack… That stuff is ridiculously strong.’
A joke among drinkers said that if you poured it into a car, the engine would start, or that it was “the devil’s liquor” because it knocked you out for two days, meaning no hangover.
Yet here was this kid drinking it like juice.
It was suspicious.
He must have secretly dumped the liquor and replaced it with water.
“Captain Jack. A fine drink indeed.”
Wearing a sly grin, Skyle grabbed the bottle of Captain Jack in front of Ray and poured himself a glass.
*Glug, glug, glug. Gulp!* *Clink!*
Skyle downed it confidently.
And then—
“*Bleeergh──!*”
He vomited.
His lunch had been beef stew with mushrooms and a fish dish drizzled with lemon sauce.
As Skyle examined his perfectly balanced meal in reverse, Ray continued observing his emotions.
‘He’s barely reacting.’
Perhaps because he had already been warned once, Skyle’s greed remained completely still.
‘Should I provoke him?’
Almost everyone Ray had met reacted to money by either swelling with greed or showing aggressive fluctuations.
But to trigger a mercenary captain accustomed to large sums, just how much money would it take?
In his car’s trunk, a safe contained about five million shillings.
Would that be enough as bait?
“…”
No.
Revealing his assets carelessly could cause unnecessary trouble.
Then what was the best way to stimulate Skyle’s greed without risk?
A thought struck him.
Ultimately, what filled a vessel were emotions, and those emotions were tied to the ambient mana.
If emotions attracted mana—
What if he did the reverse?
What if he *forced* mana into someone’s vessel?
As if in a trance, Ray manipulated the mana in the air, tinting it gold.
Then, he directed it straight toward Skyle’s vessel.
