Return of Overthinker

Chapter 6

“What do you mean?” my voice echoed with a tinge of disbelief.

‘There is no way he could know it.’

"You're also dealing alone at night with all those people, making secret deals," the man said. His eyes searched mine intently, as if trying to unearth secrets buried deep within. "Don't you think I'm not aware of it? Or do you want to tell me how you acquired a lot of abilities symbols on your back?"

A chill ran down my spine. 'He knows everything.' In a fleeting moment, my gaze shifted to his right hand, where a distinct symbol lay – an emblem of far sight, a power to see anything, anywhere. Once locked onto someone, he could always find and observe them.

It was a terrifying ability.

I had made a grave mistake. My mind, too occupied with getting the pact maker ability, had betrayed me, exposing my weakness.

“Don’t you want to ask me inside? Or do you want everyone here to hear about you?” His tone was laced with a threat.

Nodding, I opened the door wider, allowing him to step into the room.

“And don’t try anything funny, kid,” he warned, his voice cold as steel. “I am ready to drag you to hell if you dare to cross me. I have a record of everything you've done. If I don’t return to my dormitory in 30 minutes, my friend will spread it everywhere.”

“Alright,” I replied, closing the door with a sense of foreboding. “What do you want?”

“I want everything you have,” he declared ominously.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You've taken abilities from all those people, and I want them.”

“I don’t know how to do that,” I stammered, my heart racing.

In a swift motion, he stood and slapped me across the face. “Don’t pretend! I know you can do it. Just make a deal, give me everything you have.”

I remained silent, the sting of the slap lingering on my cheek. 'This is one.'

"Do you want everyone to know what you've done, kid?" the man threatened, his voice a menacing growl. With a forceful gesture, he extended his right hand toward mine. "You'll be killed, kid. The entire military will hunt you down and kill you! Now, shake my hand and give me everything you have."

His impatience was palpable.

As I hesitated, he raised his left hand and slapped me again, perceiving me as nothing more than a weak guy. The sting of the slap burned on my cheek. ‘Now, there are two.’

Gathering my courage, I spoke, “I’ll make a deal. I’ll transfer all my abilities to you, but if you can’t withstand them for more than five minutes, then everything you have becomes mine. Deal or not?”

“What do you mean by your clause?” he asked, his brow furrowing in suspicion.

“I’m afraid you might not be able to handle so many abilities,” I said, trying to mask my growing confidence.

"What the hell are you saying? If you can, why can't I? Stop wasting my time with your bullshit. Just give me all your abilities!" He slapped me again, his fury mounting. Inside, a fire was burning brightly within me, but I maintained a facade of fear.

'Now, there are three.'

“We’ll make a deal. You’ll receive all my abilities, and if you can sustain them for five minutes, they’re yours permanently. But if you can’t, all yours will be mine.”

"You damn child!" His patience was wearing thin. "Stop all that nonsense."

“I can’t. The ability is bound by a deal, and both sides must be on equal footing. If it’s one-sided, it’s not a deal. It’s my ability, and these are its rules. It won’t work any other way.”

He slapped me again, his frustration boiling over. 'Four then.'

“Alright, give me all your abilities. Don’t play games with me.” He shook my right hand.

[Pact is sealed]

As the pact was sealed, I could feel the weight of my abilities being lifted from my body and transferring to the man. The room seemed to pulsate with the energy of the exchange.

'Who was the man's name again? Forget it. He's going to die anyway.'

As the man's face turned blank, the overwhelming flood of abilities began to enter his body and mind. I quietly moved under the bed, grasping the 4 kg iron barbell hidden there. I swung it lightly to warm up and then, with a powerful swing, aimed it at the man's face. "One."

The barbell connected with his skull with a sickening thud. I feared I might have broken it.

"Two," I muttered, striking him again as he fell to the ground. He lay motionless.

"Three." With all the strength I could muster, I hit him one final time. At that moment, I felt the abilities beginning to return to me. The man had succumbed, and with his demise, his abilities flowed back into me. Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed, surrendering to the black mode that rendered me vulnerable to any attack for the next 5 minutes.

When I awoke, I discovered a new ability had manifested within me. The man's body lay on the floor. I moved to his body and slapped his cheek. "This is four!"

Searching for his clothes, I found a military knife hidden within them. It was clear he had intended to kill me after seizing my abilities.

Utilizing the newly acquired ability of far sight, I closed my eyes and visualized myself entering that man's dormitory. My dorm was on the third floor, and this man had been on the second. His friend was supposed to be in his dormitory.

Even without knowing his name, I knew which his dormitory was, as we had encountered each other a few times this month. In my mind's eye, I slowly entered the room and saw its contents: a fat man laid down on the bed, idly watching something on a smartphone with another phone resting beside him.

Seeing the A-grade symbol on his hand, a realization dawned upon me.

‘I must obtain that ability,’ I thought to myself.

As they say, knowledge can be the root of greed.

I kept the knife and moved towards the dormitory downstairs and knocked on the door. The man who opened it had a pig-like face, overweight and with blonde hair. "What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

Putting on a facade of fear, I stammered, “That man in my room, he asked you to go there.”

He looked at me with a smirk. “Did he hit you?”

Nodding fearfully, I received another slap from him. “Next time don’t try to act important, kid.”

I nodded, bowing apologetically. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll get the phone,” he said, turning his back to me. Seizing the opportunity, I followed him inside, quietly drawing my knife.

“What are you doing?” He spun around, facing me, and in that moment, I plunged the knife into his stomach with force, causing him to collapse onto the bed.

“Don’t move,” I commanded, as I removed the knife and pressed it against his mouth to prevent any outcry. “Put your hand on the wound. You can still be saved.”

“You...you...” Blood oozed from his wound, unable to be staunched by his hand.

“Make a deal with me,” I proposed urgently. “Give me your abilities, and I will give you the ability to heal yourself. Deal?”