The next day, around 3 PM.
**Chik. Chijijik.**
Layla's radio caught a signal. It was the routine check-in from a non-combat personnel stationed nearby.
From that point, everything moved swiftly. Their dragging steps quickened. After some time, they spotted the vehicle that had come to meet them.
"Good job, everyone."
The non-combat personnel had a proper face. It might seem like a trivial detail, but to Kim Ihyeon, it was a novel experience.
'In the game, most extra characters' faces were covered in shadows. Even the voice actors were reused.'
He still had the mental capacity to be surprised by such things. After all, it had been less than five days since he fell into Polaris.
They exchanged the usual pleasantries.
The professor with lost memories. Kim Ihyeon, whose identity remained unknown. When he introduced himself as a vagrant, Pavel and Layla laughed.
They were quick to catch on.
**Clunk.**
The military vehicle drove across the roads of Tullabia. The first vehicle Kim Ihyeon rode in the world of Polaris had the worst ride quality.
The seats were hard, the roads were bumpy. The vehicle shook like a ride through a rural mountain path. The only consolation was the spacious interior.
While looking out the window.
"Hyun. What do you plan to do now?"
"You asked me that a few days ago too."
"The situation is different now."
Ghost smirked.
"I won't persuade you further. If you have ties with Kushan, you should already know what the lab is like."
"To some extent."
"If you decide to come with us, I'd welcome it. You'll need to talk to Kushan first, and there are matters the personnel department would need to look into. But once you become part of the family, it's a minor thing."
"Hearing it like that makes me not want to go."
"Haha. Haven't you already made up your mind?"
That's true.
Kushan wasn't as lenient as Layla and Ghost. He would demand various information and meticulously verify its sources.
Even if he successfully dodged the questions, losing his freedom was inevitable. The return value wasn't worth the gamble.
It was better to withdraw at this point.
"I'll acknowledge you if we meet again."
"…Sure. There will come a day when we cross paths again."
"If we're both still alive, that is."
Why does he always have to spoil the mood?
Just when he thought Pavel was growing on him, Pavel proved to be Pavel. After saving him with great effort, he spews nonsense like this.
'These people are just as naive as Layla.'
If it were him, he would have forced a confrontation with Kushan. Even if they owed him their lives, the situation warranted it.
But they didn't seem to think that way at all. As expected of the player's faction. Thanks to them, adapting was easier.
'I need to watch what I say from now on.'
Kim Ihyeon turned his gaze back to the window. The scenery outside was gradually changing.
'Finally out of there.'
It was hard to say the urban landscape was intact. There were still half-destroyed buildings and trash scattered everywhere.
But it wasn't uninhabitable. They started to see a few passersby on the roadsides.
Soon, a tilted sign came into view.
[Ulantz]
A small city in Cadillac. Most of its residents were immigrants or poor. Over half of Tullabia's residents had migrated to Ulantz.
That's the setting.
'It's not completely safe here either.'
Kim Ihyeon's eyes narrowed. From now on, he had to deal with not only monsters but also people.
People who weren't as good-natured as Layla's group. People whose lives were as harsh as theirs, leaving them no time to consider others. People who preyed on the poor…
'Perhaps the real adaptation period starts now.'
Separated from characters he could trust unconditionally, he had to act proactively and in his own way. The responsibility was his alone.
'Of course. I'm not a kid.'
It was an obvious thought.
Not long after entering Ulantz, at Kim Ihyeon's request, the vehicle stopped. Just as they were saying their goodbyes, he remembered something important.
"Oh, right. Are you heading straight to the lab?"
"That's the plan. We need to get the professor and Ghost's wounds checked."
Hmm. Makes sense. Kim Ihyeon nodded approvingly and continued.
"Which means you have some useless items for now."
"Excuse me?"
"Once you reach your comrades, you'll be fine even if you have nothing but food and water. Isn't that right?"
"That's… true?"
"Actually, I came from very far away. The journey to Tullabia was, oh, very rough. I ended up penniless."
Layla seemed not to understand yet. Ghost sighed, and Pavel looked at him as if to say, 'What kind of bastard is this?'
Not that it mattered.
They owed him for their lives.
"Wouldn't it be unsettling if I starved to death? And."
Kim Ihyeon pointed to Layla's wrist. A bracelet of an unknown material was hanging there.
The so-called Limiter. A device that suppresses spells. It's also one of Selbro Logistics Lab's main sources of funding.
"Do you have one left?"
Kim Ihyeon managed without one, but he had urgent need for it.
* * *
After booking a room and washing himself with the trickle of cold water, he put on the shabby t-shirt and pants he had bought.
With the addition of a khaki jacket, he felt like he was wearing a movie costume. He would get used to it after a few days.
Next was the meal.
The menu consisted of hard rye bread and a mushroom soup of unknown origin. The quality made him long for the canteen food, but it wasn't inedible.
"My tolerance has improved."
Maybe it was because he was eating with money given by others. Layla's group generously emptied their wallets to pay him back for saving their lives.
'31,000 credits should last me for a while.'
Credits.
The currency issued by the Shiran Empire in the north-central part of the Polaris planet. It was widely used in all countries.
'It's a game-style unified currency.'
What if different countries used different currencies? Managing game money would become overly complex.
Returning to a gold or silver standard wasn't feasible either. So they added a convenience-oriented setting.
For reference, the recent meal cost 1,500 credits. A reasonable price considering how hundreds of thousands could be lost on equipment upgrades in the game.
'The cost of living might be relatively low.'
It was good news.
With food, clothing, and shelter taken care of, it was time to move again. He already had a rough plan.
'If I'm going to intervene in future episodes… I need an identity and affiliation first.'
If he didn't plan to join any faction, he would have to create one himself. That means making money, but the problem is this place is a slum.
There are ways to make money, but…
'It would be petty cash at best. Not to mention, it's not a good place to live. The accessibility to other countries is poor.'
The only advantage is that even immigrants can move freely. Other than that, it's all disadvantages, yet Kim Ihyeon chose to stay in Ulantz.
For one reason.
"Probably around the same time as the tutorial."
Naturally, Kim Ihyeon didn't know all the areas of Polaris in detail. So how did he remember this backwater town?
It's obvious. It appeared in the story.
'Yeah, this is exactly how the setting felt.'
The story in Polaris is divided into three categories.
Main, Event, and the Side Story assigned to playable characters of 4-stars or higher.
And Ulantz is the main stage of the 6-star agent 'Asterike's' side story. It's a tale of visiting Ulantz, where she once lived.
That past is right now.
'…I might be able to see Astrid in person?'
Nicknamed 'Aster' by players. A character with extremely high popularity among many agents.
There's even a fanatic group called the Aster Fanatics, who flood every community post with 'I love Aster.'
She was also one of Kim Ihyeon's favorite characters.
* * *
"So, you're looking for someone."
The room was filled with cigarette smoke. Mice and cockroaches scurried across the floorboards. As Kim Ihyeon made a bitter face, the man chuckled.
"Look at you. Must've come from a nice place? Just bear with the dirtiness. It might look unhygienic to you, but they're friends who live with us. Smart little guys, too."
"Smart? How so?"
"They come out like ghosts when there's food and rush at it. It's pretty amazing to watch. They have a knack for survival."
"Impressive."
Kim Ihyeon responded without much enthusiasm. He had no room to empathize with mice. His own life was hard enough.
"You're no fun."
Puff.
The man blew out smoke. He looked Kim Ihyeon up and down before speaking.
"How much did you hear about this place? Ah, haha. Just wanted to say that once."
"Down payment of 30,000. Reward of 70,000."
"…This cheeky bastard."
Rosco, the information dealer, put his feet up on the wooden table. With one hand, he fiddled with an old Zippo lighter, and with the other, he dug into his ear.
"Do you think it's
easy to find someone in this place? Those you know die or leave for the city within days, and for every one that disappears, a stranger takes their place. That's Ulantz."
"Down payment of 50,000. Reward of 100,000."
"And those newcomers? They think they still live in the city, acting high and mighty, only to vanish one day. Just like you, standing stubborn here."
"100,000 upfront. 150,000 reward."
"50,000 down, 50,000 reward. Or get lost."
Tsk. He clicked his tongue and lit his cigarette.
"This isn't a market. What's with the haggling? I hate violence, so I'm letting it slide. Any other guy would've pulled a gun first."
"…"
"What are you waiting for? Get lost."
"Haha, you're good at pushing buttons."
"What?"
Rosco raised an eyebrow. His scarred, menacing face became even more threatening. His hand moved to his waist.
"What did you eat to be this bold―"
Crash!
The table toppled, and Rosco's chair fell over. Just as he was about to draw the revolver from his belt.
Thunk.
A cold metal pressed against his forehead. A gun's muzzle, from who knows where, pressed deeply into his temple.
"Hey. You think I wouldn't have a gun?"
"W-what is this? I'm warning you, back off now. If you lay a hand on me…!"
"What if I do? Is your ancestor going to pop up and blow my head off?"
"A-ancestor? What nonsense…."
"No? Then how are you so confident? Are you saying someone will avenge you?"
"Now you're making sense. If you shoot me… you'll have a bullet hole in your head within two days. Don't believe me? You think any information dealer does this without backup?"
"That's true."
A calm voice. Thinking he would naturally back down, Rosco sighed in relief.
But in the next moment.
Bang!
A deafening gunshot echoed. Rosco glanced sideways with trembling eyes.
The bullet pierced the floor. Smoke rose from the muzzle.
"W-what, you madman! Didn't you listen to me!"
"I did. You're saying you'll be fine for now, right? But what about you? Two days? Haha. You think you can survive two days with a bullet in your forehead?"
This psycho!
Even with his ears ringing, the nuance was clear. He looked like a mild-mannered guy but was a devil in disguise.
Rosco squeezed his eyes shut. The ringing gradually subsided. He trembled as he cautiously asked.
"W-what do you want?"
"Now you're haggling. Does this look like a marketplace to you now?"
"A-alright! I swear I won't do anything stupid, so please! Please put the gun away."
Is it time?
Kim Ihyeon stepped back, still wary. He tried his best to maintain a nonchalant demeanor, not letting his tension show.
'Never thought I'd do something like this.'
He drew on his experience of being threatened by Pavel. Being the one holding the gun wasn't simple either.
He felt more confident for the next time.
"Huff, huff!"
Rosco lay on the floor, panting heavily.
Kim Ihyeon didn't take his eyes off Rosco's every move. There was always the possibility of him suddenly drawing his gun.
"Shall we talk about the request?"
He spoke calmly, feeling the texture of the 2-star special weapon [Ivory] in his hand.
A gun was a good thing to have.