Standing before me was a thin man with long hair and narrowed eyes.
"You..."
As I gazed at his face, something dark swelled within me. Years had passed, but I would never forget him.
Kim Minhyuk.
The source of my hellish high school years. All because I'd accidentally stained his favorite uniform. That one moment condemned me to years of being his punching bag and personal servant. He had rallied the Iljins to beat me, harassed me daily, and isolated me from everyone, ensuring I had no one to turn to. No one dared stand by me, too afraid of becoming his next victim.
And because he came from a wealthy family, fighting back was never an option. Any attempt would have only led to my expulsion or worse.
The worst years of my life had been shaped by the man standing before me now. Maybe I should just.
The gun in my hand shifted slightly. Was this one time logical?
[The Skill, 'Black Box,' has activated.]
Suddenly, the anger that had been surging through me faded, replaced by an eerie calm. My hand lowered the gun, moving against my will.
What was this?
The abrupt shift in mood left me disoriented. I frowned, trying to make sense of the unnatural change.
It was almost disturbing how my anger had turned to indifference in an instant. In any case, it stopped me from doing something reckless right now.
I spoke with a blank expression.
"Minhyuk? It has been a while. I didn't think I would see you here."
"You know me?"
"We went to high school together. Don't tell me you've forgotten? At one point, we used to be best buddies."
"Hmmmm."
Minhyuk leaned in closer, squinting his eyes at me.
This bastard... Was I really that forgettable after you treated me like trash?
Oh, Great Mother, prevent me from beating this guy to death!
A few seconds later, a flicker of recognition sparkled in his eyes before he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! So you're Kim Jakga, huh? You look so different now, I hardly recognized you. How have you been all this time? It's been, what, three years?"
"Don't talk like we're friends."
"C'mon now, are you still holding a grudge?"
Yes, I'm still holding a grudge. In fact, I'll hold it until the day I die, you bastard.
No, calm down.
I took in a deep breath and said,
"My personal feelings don't matter. Are you the leader of these kids?"
"Isn't that a funny thing to say? How do they look like kids?"
"Answer the question."
"Yes, yes... As I said before, I'm the leader here."
"Why you're collecting coins from these people?"
Minhyuk simply shrugged, as if it were no big deal.
"It's very simple. Tell me, Jakga, do you think anything is truly free in this world?"
"Excuse me?"
I raised an eyebrow. Minhyuk continued with his monologue.
"Even after the world fell into chaos, nothing is free. Food is scarce, and a new currency called Coins has replaced the old Yen."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What I'm saying is that, even though this is a lawless world, it doesn't mean the laws of the old world have completely disappeared. The strong and the weak—those two fundamental concepts remain unchanged, even when the world is on the brink of destruction."
"..."
"This is a lawless world. A world without laws or morals. If you want to survive in such a world, you need to be cruel. It's unavoidable."
Minhyuk glanced at the trembling people nearby and smiled faintly. They were the individuals who couldn't adapt to the new world.
Then he turned back to me.
"If everyone entered for free, the safe zone would be overcrowded, and there wouldn't be enough food to go around. So I made a choice. I made this place my property, made those willing to stay pay rent, and kicked out the unwilling."
"So you became a landlord?"
"Correct. As long as you stay here, you must pay rent. That way, resources are distributed, and everyone survives. Isn't that a happy ending?"
Happy ending, was it? That joke wasn't even funny in the slightest.
"What about the people you kicked out of the safe zone? What happened to them?"
"Oh, that..."
Minhyuk didn't answer right away. It was clear what had happened to them.
I turned and glanced at the survivors, who all wore faces filled with sadness and resignation.
Those who were kicked out of the safe zone became food for the monsters outside. While those unfortunate souls were cast out, these people stood by, and watched without lifting a finger to help.
But it couldn't be helped. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't have done anything.
They were weak. They could barely save themselves, so how could they be expected to help anyone else?
I was sure that was what they were thinking now. This situation wasn't that different from bullying.
There are three main parties in bullying: the bullies, the victims, and the spectators.
The bullies treated their victims like trash while the spectators stood by, and do nothing. Why? The answer was simple. People are cowards, especially when they lack strength.
If they decided to help the victim, they would become the next target of bullying. So, they had no choice but to silently watch. It was a scenario I knew all too well.
Being weak wasn't a sin, I could understand that. But choosing to remain weak was unforgivable. Unlike the old world, anyone in this new world could become strong.
Women, children and even grandpas and grandmas were no exception.
The fact that they silently watched as those people were condemned to die proved they were murderers themselves. But who was I to judge, really?
Hadn't I killed a pregnant woman as well?
This wasn't the cruelty of the world; it was the cruelty of humans.
Sure, what Minhyuk did was nothing but an act of cruelty. But it was also a logical decision. It was impossible to feed a thousand people, especially when food was scarce.
So, kicking out a few useless people would help allocate resources for the remaining survivors. But it wasn't as if he heartlessly cast them out. By introducing the concept of rent, he gave them a chance to survive.
All the survivors had to do was hunt a few monsters and gather coins, and they could enter the safe zone. That way, even the dead weight could become somewhat useful.
In the end, both sides could benefit. The main group would collect rent daily, and the survivors would get stronger.
It was a strategy that was both effective and cruel. In other words, it was wrong to call them outright villains. But it was also wrong to call them heroes. So, there was no need to eliminate them.
Once I reached the conclusion of my reasoning, I finally made my decision and spoke.
"Minhyuk."
"Hmm?"
"I've decided."
"Yes?"
I met his gaze with a faint smile. On this day, you won't have your way.
"I'll stay here. But I won't pay any rent."
"Eh? Excuse me?"
Confusion flashed in his eyes.
I continued, "According to the system, the safe zone is free for everyone to enter. As long as there's space, anyone can enter. Tell me, doesn't it seem unreasonable to pay for something that's supposed to be free? It's like asking me to pay you for breathing in oxygen. So, no thanks, you won't receive a single penny from me."
"Hey, didn't you..."
I cut him off abruptly.
"You also said something about providing for the people as long as they pay you. Fine, that's your business. But I don't require your services or anyone to rely on. Therefore, I don't need to pay you anything."
I slyly added,
"Of course, if you have a problem with what I've said so far, feel free to voice it. I'm happy to listen to your complaints, and then we can settle this using an alternative method."
I tightened my grip on the Silver Demon, and Kim Minhyuk visibly trembled like a cockroach.
****
Minhyuk and his lackeys left to patrol the zone.
In the meantime, I listened to the situation regarding the safe zone. Lee Jong-ho was the main source of information.
"I see. So the initial number of people in the safe zone was around 500?"
"Yes. When the horde arrived, only those close to the safe zone survived. The rest weren't so lucky."
"It's fewer than I expected."
The sector center was the most populated part of Hongdae. For only 500 people to survive, that meant the casualties were much higher than I anticipated.
The survivors were likely those who stayed indoors and managed to make their way to the safe zone. Others either didn't know about its existence or failed to grasp the severity of the situation in time.
Outside the safe zone, there was no protection during the Second Narrative. Those who remained indoors ultimately fell victim to the monster horde.
In the end, lack of information was the root of misfortune.
But too much information could lead to greater misfortune.
"Then what's the situation here?"
"There are two main groups in the safe zone. Honestly, it's just the Mainframe group and everyone else. But I'm sure you already knew that."
"Yeah, I figured as much."
We both glanced at the people walking around with pipes and other makeshift weapons
This was already expected.
The situation could be summed up like this: the Mainframe group, led and organized by Kim Minhyuk, held authority and managed operations. The remaining survivors were tenants, paying rent to the landlord for the privilege of staying in the safe zone, a haven from the monster attacks.
Lee Jongho continued with a cold expression.
"Food distribution is controlled by the Mainframe group. All the convenience stores and fast-food restaurants in the area have already been raided, so the food supply is extremely limited."
"I see."
"That's why Kim Minhyuk recruited some survivors to act as food scouts, going into deeper territory in search of supplies. But..."
"They never returned?"
"That's right. It's already been 15 hours, and there's been no sign of the scouts, not even from the Mainframe group."
Jongho's expression darkened.
This was indeed an interesting, yet suspicious development. There were two possible things that could have happened to them.
First, they might have been ambushed and killed by another group of survivors. Second, they could have fallen victim to a monster attack.
The former seemed more likely, as even if they had been attacked by a monster, at least one of them should have survived to recount what happened.
Wait... could it be that they encountered a Monster above Order 7?
If that was the case, it would explain everything.
I glanced at Lee Jong-ho, who wore a sad expression.
Placing a hand on his shoulder, I was surprised by the firmness of his muscles. They were far tougher than I had anticipated. His strength stats must have already surpassed 10.
"Huh? Wh-What?"
"Jongho-ssi, there's no need to be disheartened."
"Why are you suddenly talking like that? Are you trying to charm me? I'm sorry, but I'm into women."
I gritted my teeth. "This guy... What are you even talking about?! Can't you see I'm trying to cheer you up?!"
"Please, Jakga-ssi, lower your voice or people might get the wrong idea."
"Eh?"
I blinked. Turning my head, I noticed the gazes of the survivors giving me strange looks.
What's up with them? Why are they looking at me like that?
When I glared at them and released a bit of my spirituality, all of them quickly averted their gazes.
I returned my gaze back to Lee Jongho, who was smiling.
Damn. This guy was messing with me!
He chuckled,
"Sorry about that. I just noticed you were in a bad mood and decided to mess with you a bit. Is it because of Minhyuk?"
I sighed.
"You could say that."
"Oh, you knew him? What's your relationship with that man?"
"Take a guess."
"I see. It's not good, then."
Lee Jong-ho nodded his head in understanding.
"Although I don't get the full picture, I can tell you've suffered greatly under his care."
"It's almost scary how you figured that much out."
"Haha! I used to be a soldier once. It's one of my many talents. I know how to read and understand people to an extent. You seem like the kind of individual who seems lonely, but has a good heart."
I wasn't sure about that "good heart" part, though.
I recalled a memory of an old woman calling me a "Forsaken Child."
"In any case, that's not important. Since this is our current situation, we have to do our best to survive together, right? Mainframe group or not."
He smiled.
It was strange. I was supposed to be the one comforting him, but he seemed fine on his own.
I shouldn't underestimate the will of an ex-soldier.
"Thank you, Jongho-ssi."
Those were sincere words from the bottom of my heart.
... Ah! That reminds me.
Turning my head, I saw Angelica and Jung Yunhee sitting in a corner, keeping to themselves. They seemed rather depressed.
Shouldn't I go and greet them?
I slowly approached them with the plastic bags in hand.