As I ignored the system notifications, I slowly entered the safe zone, feeling the familiar unease of eyes on me. The spectators' gazes never wavered and focused there attention on my every move.
"Did you guys see that?"
"The heads of those monsters just exploded."
"Did anyone see what he did?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire, but no one seemed to understand what had actually happened. To them, it looked as though the Man-eating rats simply exploded out of nowhere. In truth, I had killed them so quickly that their eyes couldn't track my movements.
It was the effect of the skill 'Eagle Eye'. It was a dangerous skill indeed.
However, if their agility stats had been high enough, they might have been able to spot me. It was a reminder that the people here were weak.
It was expected. Most of them lacked a Star Contract and had no real understanding of the system. They were simply scrambling for survival in a world that demanded more.
"Jakga—?"
A voice cut through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. I turned to see a few silhouettes approaching me. It looked like they made it here safely after all.
"Angelica?"
"Oh god, I'm really glad you survived." Her face lightened in relief.
"Well, I'm not that easy to kill," I replied, giving a half-smile, though the situation felt awkward. I scratched my cheek nervously.
"I knew you would survive, Jakga," said Lee Jong-ho, the ex-soldier.
His muscles appeared even more solid than before. Had he grown stronger during my absence?
"I'm really sorry for that time..." He added, his gaze turning regretful.
"Don't worry, it was an unavoidable situation," I reassured him.
"Even so, I'm ashamed. Please forgive me." He bowed his head slightly, his sincerity evident. Jong-ho was a simple person, always earnest and straightforward.
How was that incident his fault? Wasn't he pushing himself too hard?
Then I suddenly felt a presence and turned my head.
Then, I felt a subtle presence beside me. I turned to find Jung Yunhee standing.
She had changed out of her hospital gown into a black leather jacket and casual clothes. She must've moved so quietly that I hadn't even noticed her presence until now. Was this the effect of her assassin attribute?
Creepy. She reminded me of those midnight stalkers.
She nodded her head slightly, as if acknowledging my presence. I responded with a nod in kind, knowing her quiet nature. She was a woman of few words, and that suited me just fine.
It seemed like everyone had made it to the safe zone without incident, just as planned.
"Hmm?"
But then, I noticed something off. Looking closely, the group wasn't complete. Someone was missing.
"Where is the doctor?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"Ah! That..." Angelica and Jong-ho exchanged looks, their expressions darkening, while Yunhee remained neutral.
Wait, could it be…?
"Was he caught by the monsters?" I asked, the worst-case scenario flashing through my mind.
"W-What? No."
"Was he killed by someone?"
"No, It's not that either."
"Then...?"
"He's alive but..., how should I explain this?"
Before Jong-ho could finish, he was abruptly interrupted. It was because several group of men approached us.
"Is that the newcomer?" one of them asked, eyeing me with an unsettling interest.
"Yes, I'm sure," another answered.
I narrowed my eyes. They were about ten in number, each armed with metal pipes and baseball bats. Among them, I spotted a familiar face.
"Kwangsun?"
"... Jakga?"
Doctor Kwangsun's voice was filled with surprise, though his eyes quickly shifted to avoid mine. Seeing him here, I pieced together what was happening.
A large man, with an intimidating presence, stepped forward from the crowd. He was clearly the leader of this group.
"You... Do you know him?" the big man asked, his voice gruff.
"Ah, yes. He's an acquaintance of mine," Kwangsun replied quickly, though there was an edge to his voice.
"Is that so?" The leader studied me for a moment before turning his gaze toward the others. "But he still has to follow the rules."
"Rules?" I repeated, confused.
The big man looked back at me and stated matter-of-factly, "If you want to stay here, you have to pay rent."
"Rent?"
"You didn't know?" the leader continued with a smirk. "You have to pay 500 coins to stay in the safe zone."
"..."
I tilted my head in disbelief. 500 coins? What kind of racket were they running here?
I glanced around and noticed the strange number of survivors in the safe zone.
[Safe Zone: 187/1000]
187 people? The limit of the safe zone was 1000 people, yet there was only 187 people here?
As I suspected, stronger survivors were beginning to take control of the area, monopolizing it for themselves. The chaos was breeding opportunists—just like in the novel.
"Why should I pay you? The safe zone is a public area."
"Well, it used to be," the big man said, his grin widening, "but not anymore."
"If I pay 500 coins, you will let me stay in the safe zone?"
"Yes. For a day that is." The man confirmed with a businesslike voice.
"...."
I felt a vein in my head twitch. Did he think 500 coins was equivalent to 500 Won?
"Isn't that too much?" I muttered.
"Are you saying you can't pay?" The big man raised his metal pipe, slamming it into the ground with a thud.
Thud!
"If you can't pay then leave. We don't need parasites that take advantage of our kindness."
[The Skill 'Threathen' has been used.]
[The Skill failed due to the high level difference.]
"Oh, aren't you rather strong?" I said, unimpressed.
The intimidation tactic didn't faze me in the slightest. I could feel the constellations stirring with annoyance.
[The constellation 'Judge of War and Wisdom' is annoyed by these people.]
[The constellation 'Architect of Destruction' snorts.]
The men looked at me with malice, but their expressions began to change when they saw the plastic bags I was holding. It was bags filled with food.
"Also, leave that here as well," the big man demanded, pointing at the bags with a twisted smile.
[The constellation 'Judge of War and Wisdom' is infuriated.]
In many stories, there were this one person or minor group that relentlessly tried to block the protagonist for no apparent reason whatsoever. It was an annoying trope that the author used to move the plot and I found it cringe.
These antagonists are typically portrayed as lacking any significant intellect or complexity, acting in ways that seem implausible in the real world. After all, people are usually more rational and calculated. Yet, when I pondered deeper, I realised that human nature is replete with irrational and cringe-worthy actions.
"Get him!" the big man shouted. His voice was full of authority, and the other men, except for Kwangsun, began to advance on me.
They thought they had the advantage with their numbers. But that wasn't going to be enough.
I raised my revolver and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
One of the goons screamed in agony as his leg exploded from the bullet's impact. "Aaaaack! My leg! My leg!"
The others stumbled back, and shock and fear overtaked them as they realized I wasn't some push-over.
"He's got a gun!" one of them shouted in disbelief.
"That's no ordinary gun!" another added, panic rising in their voice.
"Is he out of his mind?! Don't you know that is dangerous?!"
Why were these guys suddenly acting like I was the villain here?
The survivors watching us also recoiled, clearly terrified. In a world where firearms were practically useless against monsters, seeing a real weapon wielded by a human was apparently more unsettling than I had anticipated.
"H-Hey now…" the leader stammered, his bravado faltering as he tried to salvage control of the situation. "T-There's no need for this. You don't have to pay to stay here, okay? Just put the gun away."
The abrupt shift in his attitude was almost laughable. Moments ago, he had been commanding his men to attack me; now, he was scrambling to save face.
What a shameless coward.
Would it be really wrong if I put a bullet in his thigh?
The thought of hearing him scream like a little girl had a twisted appeal.
'Ah! That was dangerous!'
When did I start having such unrestrained, sadistic thoughts?
Shaking my head, I decided to use the «Black Box» to extract his personal information.
[Personal skill, Black Box (Envy) has activated.]
+
[« Soul Information »]
Name: Baek Sang-won.
Age: 34 years old.
Star Contract: None
Primary Attritudes: Alleyway Thug (Common)
Skill Cards:
| Hand-to-hand Lv. 2 |
| Threaten Lv. 2 |
Overall Stats:
Physique Lv. 6, Strength Lv. 8, Agility Lv. 6, Magic Power Lv. 2.
[Description: A nameless thug lacking even the qualifications for a Star Contract. A background character with an inflated sense of his own importance. A few well-placed hits, and he'd fall in line just like every other forgettable goon.]
+
Ah, now I remember. He was that useless character.
Still, I didn't expect him to be this ugly in person. Are alleyway thugs really this grotesque?
"You're Baek Sangwon from the Mainframe group, right?"
"Huh? You know me?"
"Of course I do. You're the guy who's all talk and no bite. What would you do if I decided to pull this trigger?"
"Hey now, that's... not even remotely funny. Who would want to get shot?"
Sangwon's face turned pale.
Despite his intimidating appearance, Baek Sangwon was nothing more than a lackey, taking orders from someone with real power.
I knew exactly who that leader was, but as I scanned the area, I couldn't find him.
The real leader of the Mainframe group should be nearby, watching quietly from the shadows.
Where are you? I scanned the area but couldn't spot anyone matching the description in my mind...
Where was he hiding?
"Where is your boss?"
Baek Sang-won stammered. "What? I'm the leader here!"
"Don't play dumb. I know you're not the leader. Where's the real boss? Tell him to come out or I shoot someone."
"I don't know what you're talking abo..."
Baek Sangwon fell silent the moment I clicked the firearm.
This was only to threaten him. I had no intentions of raising a commotion. But of course, he didn't know that.
He panicked and took a step back.
"Let me make this simple. Where's your boss? Please answer honestly, I can't stand liars. And just so we're clear, I'm not exactly known for my patience, so don't waste my time with games."
The gun in my hands was enough to shift the atmosphere. Fear rippled through the crowd as the goons trembled, eyes darting for an escape. The one I shot earlier lay groaning on the ground like a injuried kitten, except he wasn't cute.
It wouldn't be long before someone broke.
"There's no need for this, man. Can't you see you're scaring everyone with that 'thing'? We can settle this matter intellectually without the unnecessary violence."
A calm voice echoed from the shadows.
A few seconds later, a person stepped forward from the crowd of survivors, finally deciding to reveal himself.
The individual came closer and closer. There was an unmistakable confidence in his stride.
"I'm the one you're looking for," he declared smoothly.
I froze as his face came into view.
This wasn't the leader of the Mainframe group I had anticipated.
No, it was someone disturbingly familiar—so much so that I questioned if I had stumbled into an alternate reality.
I recognised him instantly. Even though it had been a long time since I saw him, he hadn't changed one bit.
Was this some kind of joke?
I was shocked. But then, the floodgates of memory burst open, dredging up every painful recollection from that time. My body tensed, heat rising through me as if my very blood had ignited.
"Kim Minhyuk?"
The last person I wanted to see, the one responsible for making my high school years a waking nightmare.
Now that person was standing infront of me, wearing that same disgusting smile.