BWDC:SDDK Chapter 118: The Untraceable International Economic Conference
[Task: Witch·Hunt] [Content: Witch...]
At Professor Agasa's Research Institute.
Ren Ichimonji stared at the flickering system light screen in front of him, several question marks practically manifesting above his head.
When I'm throwing out question marks, it's not that I have a problem—it's that I think you have a problem.
If there's a task, just give me the task. What's with this "halfway jump then shrink back" routine every single time? "Witch·Hunt"? Does this refer to the Red Witch, Koizumi Akako? Or something else entirely?
The system screen flickered back and forth for a moment before finally vanishing completely.
The special task regarding the witch was not issued by the system after all. Seeing this, Ren Ichimonji subconsciously took a sip of his coffee. Then, he looked down at the cup.
Come to think of it, he hadn't used the special effect of the coffee cup today. It was almost midnight; he might as well use it now, otherwise, wouldn't that be a waste?
With a thought, Ren Ichimonji drained the coffee in the cup.
One-Minute Batman Mode activated.
However, there were currently no enemies to deal with. On a whim, he pulled out several disguise masks he had crafted back at Kaito Kid's base. These masks were all modeled after very famous figures. Because their features were so distinct, they were particularly easy to make.
Among them was the Jackie Chan Mask he had worn to pummel Seiran Puyi, as well as prototype masks for Einstein, Kobe Bryant, and Kun.
Ren Ichimonji stared at the masks in his hands.
This was the first time he had entered the One-Minute Batman state in a non-combat situation. Previously, when using this state against criminals, he had subconsciously utilized those combat techniques. Now, for the first time, he was actively thinking about how to improve his disguise skills.
Soon, the One-Minute Batman duration ended.
Ren Ichimonji stroked his chin, his expression turning a bit strange. He seemed to have just seen memories.
But they weren't his own; they were Batman's memories. More accurately, they were the memories of a somewhat "unprofessional" Batman who constantly carried a coffee cup and took sips whenever he had a spare moment.
He saw this Batman disguise himself and break into a mysterious bar. The bar was filled with villains from various comics and movies—for instance, Thanos from Marvel, Darth Vader from Star Wars, and Voldemort from Harry Potter.
Though he couldn't quite fathom how this Batman managed to win a one-versus-many fight, Ren Ichimonji managed to glean a few tricks for mask-making from this memory.
He raised an eyebrow.
So this coffee cup had hidden functions he hadn't developed yet? As expected, system items that only have flavor text without capability descriptions need to be tested in every possible way.
Stowing the coffee cup back into a hidden compartment, Ren Ichimonji once again pulled out the Benevolent Crowbar of Physics he had used to beat Moriya Teiji and Seiran Puyi.
He stared at the crowbar for a while.
He wondered: if he found someone on the verge of death and kept hitting them with this until the ambulance arrived, would it forcibly extend their life until they reached the hospital?
...Never mind, there was no one around to experiment on.
He couldn't exactly pick a "lucky audience member," beat them into the ICU, and then test just how far the "cannot kill" description went, could he? If he did that, he'd be sitting at the same dinner table as the Batman Who Laughs.
Ring, ring! Ring, ring!
The alarm went off. It was exactly midnight.
Ren Ichimonji looked at the time and skillfully pulled out his wheelchair, placing it in front of the computer desk. He sat down and retrieved his Special-Use Micro-Computer and a charging cable.
Time to surf the web!
Stuffing the Crowbar of Physics back into his six-slot storage belt, Ren Ichimonji immediately connected his special computer to the network. He first did a routine lap through the databases of the Japanese Public Security, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and the Pacific Buoy. After confirming everything was clear, he linked directly into the database of the Schindlers Group across the ocean to give Noah's Ark its daily "stress test."
The numerous data analysts at the Schindlers Group were completely oblivious.
To them, Noah's Ark was a product years ahead of its time. They relied on the lead engineer's guidance even for routine maintenance, and the lead engineer in turn followed the guidance of the Noah's Ark AI. If the AI itself didn't notice, the other analysts stood no chance.
After quickly planting several backdoors, Ren Ichimonji reserved about thirty seconds of his time.
He used this window to search for the International Economic Conference from 47 years ago. However, because it was so long ago, he couldn't find any relevant entries on the network even with his reserved time.
The five-minute Oracle Mode soon ended.
Ren Ichimonji's brow furrowed slightly.
He remembered that in the original plot, Rum had participated in an international economic conference 47 years ago. It was hard to say exactly which year, but calculating 47 years back from the current date, such a meeting definitely existed.
Yet, this meeting had left almost no digital footprint.
A pity. If he could find the electronic archives or information from that conference, he could dig up Rum's name and photo. Then, using the Pacific Buoy, he could send Rum straight to the ICU for emergency treatment.
But things don't always go as planned.
Retracting his wheelchair and micro-computer into his storage belt, Ren Ichimonji restored the Noah's Ark programming page to its original state and left the room.
He waved goodbye to Professor Agasa and began walking home alone.
Special items weren't omnipotent. Whether it was dealing with Seiran Puyi earlier or the illusionist Spider now, both battles highlighted the limitations of these items. Rather than relying on gear that required specific triggers, Ren Ichimonji felt it was more reliable to depend on his own strength—like continuing to level up his skills.
His points had reset to zero after this battle. To exchange for High-Level Combat Mastery, he needed a full 1,000 points.
"Looks like I'll have to start grinding for points again."
Ren Ichimonji sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Still, it wasn't a big deal. After all, various bizarre and violent incidents happened around Conan and Mouri Kogoro every single day. As long as he followed them, earning 1,000 points was just a matter of waiting a few extra days.
"...Conan didn't even come to the Professor's house to check notes with me tonight."
"Did something happen? Did he get put on a curfew after taking a punch from Mouri Kogoro?"
Ren Ichimonji mused.
He felt no sympathy for Conan getting hit. You could only say one was willing to hit and the other was willing to take it—purely self-inflicted!
End of Chapter
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