Chapter 19
“Man, Seong-Tae. You’re a full-fledged tank now, huh?” Ho-Geun said.
“No, I wanna be a damage dealer too!” Seong-Tae shouted.
“Nah, I think you were born to be a tank. What’s wrong with defending?”
“It’s not flamboyant! If only I had gotten a good Destiny Weapon like you.”
“Keke, I fed my family with this Made In Korea Recoilless Sledgehammer. That’s why this is my Destiny Weapon. That aside, why is yours a clutch bag?”
“Tsk, I have no idea.”
After a short break, Shin Jun and his team traversed through the Dark Forest.
Min-Jae asked, “Jun, do you think our progress is faster than people from other districts?”
“I think we’re average. I’d bet the fast ones have already reached the next zone.”
“Really?”
“Yes, but there’s nothing to worry about. We should be out of the Bodies’ territory in about half a day,” Jun replied with certainty.
He guessed that the area of the Bodies’ territory was smaller than that of the Black Dogs. Based on that, they should be around the edge of the Bodies’ territory.
The area will decrease as we approach the center, increasing our chances of encountering people from other districts.
They had avoided encounters until now thanks to Ha Rin’s Destiny Weapon, the Yorkshire Terrier Chocho, but no one knew how long this luck would last. Besides, the people from other districts weren’t the only problem.
First, it was Black Dogs, then Bodies. What kind of Chaos will it be next?
Jun was at least sure it would be stronger than the Bodies, but he was not worried since their team was also getting stronger. Each of them was finding their role in the team, and injury instances had also decreased as they got more accustomed to their roles.
There is one I’m worried about, though.
Jun turned around and saw Hwa-Yeon walking with her head down. She had been far too unlucky; none of the skills or items she pulled were useful. As a result, Jun judged it was too dangerous for her to participate in battle and positioned her at the rear.
People tend to lose self-esteem if they’re unable to help their community. I should do something about it soon.
Jun’s thoughts shifted to the three hundred Karma he had accumulated.
If I open an item cube and get something useful to Hwa-Yeon... no, I have to keep this. I don’t know when he’ll come to see me.
Jun was reminded of the man who introduced himself as Card. He wondered why he had not shown up despite saying he would come in a few days.
Has something happened to him? I wanted to ask him a few things.
He was sure Card knew things others did not. Jun guessed the man had a Destiny Weapon with some kind of information-gathering ability.
I wanted to ask him if what he said about there being only a hundred Teleport Rocks is true, or how he uses his stats and Destiny Weapon.
Everyone else shunned Card as a murderer, but Jun did not think he was evil. He did not know why, but Card did not seem to be the type of person to harm others for no reason. Jun had perhaps developed an eye for distinguishing those kinds of people because he had dealt with many rude customers at his diner.
Well, the problem is that he would undoubtedly harm others as long as he’s given a reason.
Rin came up to him as he was deep in thought and called, “Ummm, Jun oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“Chocho has been shaking since earlier.”
“Everyone, halt!” Jun shouted.
The team stopped. Jun stared at the puppy Chocho in Rin’s arms.
Whine! Whine!
“What is it saying?”
“Uhhh... scary people... and... people who left traces?” Rin, the only one who could read Chocho’s mind, tilted her head in confusion.
Ho-Geun’s expression crumpled. “Jun, could it be them?”
“People who left traces? The ones who left their traces in District 8!”
The team’s expressions suddenly changed. They all remembered the massacre at the District 8 safe zone—a sight none of them would forget until their deaths.
“Those bastards are up ahead?” Seong-Tae asked.
Seung-Jun remarked, “Jun hyung. It’s too dangerous. We shouldn’t engage—”
“Damn coward! What use is a sword to you? Be a man!”
Ho-Geun intervened as Seong-Tae and Seung-Jun, whose relationship had soured since their last argument, were about to argue again.
He asked, “What do you want to do, Jun? It’s your call.”
Jun thought about several scenarios in silence. If he made the wrong choice, the team would fall into danger.
Avoiding them would be the right choice under normal circumstances, but we can’t keep avoiding them. If there are only a hundred Teleport Rocks like Card said, we have to fight other humans sooner or later. This can serve as experience!
𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
“For now... let’s advance. Everyone here knows that this place is merciless to the avoidant.”
***
“Gahaha! Then I asked them, “Do you want to live? What can you give me for your life?” ”
“What did they say?”
“They said, “Anything!” What do you think I told them?”
“What?”
“I said, “Then give me Karma!” And then I cut off their head.”
“That’s awesome. Keke!”
Five mestizo men with darkish brown skin were chatting above a pool of blood left by dead Bodies.
“Man, this place is the best. You don’t need oxygen masks, and there are so many things you can enjoy. It’s too bad there’s no marijuana.”
“Keke, agreed. No cocaine either. The boss has some, but it’s so little.”
“Murder is our only solace. I can’t believe we’re rewarded for killing people! This place is a paradise. A thousand times better than El Salvador!” one of the men shouted as he unsheathed a knife and was about to behead a man on the ground.
Just then, the man who seemed to be the leader of the group stood up and kicked his subordinate.
He shouted, “Are you insane?! Don’t kill him! The boss said to bring people from other districts alive to pry information out of them!”
“Oh, that’s right. Hehe, I completely forgot.”
“Motherfucker! You were trying to take the Karma for yourself, weren’t you?!” one of the subordinates accused.
“No! I seriously forgot!”
“Don’t lie to me, you fucking pig!”
Their ethics seemed distorted, but to them, the conversation was like any they would have on a regular day. They were from District 10, which was made up of people from El Salvador, one of the countries where a coup d’état occurred due to the extreme natural disasters and the virus. The intense civil war destroyed anything close to a governing body, leaving only the gangs that ruled each territory. Most of the Lost individuals in District 10 were from gangs.
“Hm? All of you, shut up!” the leader shouted at his arguing subordinates and looked around. “Someone is watching us.”
[Activating Skill: Sparse Radar.]
The subordinates stood up with weapons in hand once the man activated the skill. Their expressions were menacing, unlike just seconds ago when they were chatting away with a smile.
“I know you’re there. Come out!” the man shouted as he stared at a thicket.
Ten people revealed themselves from beyond the thicket—it was Jun and his team.
“Eight, nine, ten! Ten of them!”
“Their gear isn’t that great.”
“Chief Carlos! We can take them!”
“Shut the hell up, all of you! Who’s your leader? Don’t be a pussy and come forward!” the leader, Carlos shouted.
Jun walked forward.
“Heh, you’ve got guts. Which district are you from, Asian?”
Carlos was speaking Spanish, but Jun could understand him for some reason, just like how he also understood the Akasha Messages through his soul.
Have language barriers disappeared? That’s yet another new piece of info, Jun thought.
“I’m from District 8. And you?”
“District 8?” Carlos was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected answer.
Jun noticed that and shouted, “So you know about District 8!”
“Heh. Well, I suppose so.”
“Are you the ones who attacked the District 8 safe zone?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just... heard from this guy that he’s also from District 8,” Carlos shrugged and pointed at the man on the ground.
He was an Asian man wearing black combat boots, green cargo pants, and an oversized hoodie.
“Card!” Jun shouted.
He wondered, Why is he here? Unconscious, no less?
Carlos asked, “Hm? You know him? Just so you know, we won’t be handing him over. He attacked us first.”
He kicked a piece of metal on the ground—it was a piece of the knife that Card used.
“Let’s settle this peacefully. We’ll go this way, and you guys can go that way,” Carlos proposed with a smile.
“Jun hyung. The murderer lost against them. They’re too dangerous. Their gear is better than ours, too,” Seung-Jun whispered from behind so that only Jun could hear.
Jun gritted his teeth and stared at the crafty Carlos. Life was a series of choices, and the result was the responsibility of that choice. Jun fell deeper into thought.
Seong-Hwi, pretending to be unconscious on the ground, slightly frowned as he shouted inwardly, Go away!
***
Seong-Hwi completed the trait quest, Pursuer of Chaos II, an hour ago.
[Progress: 1,000 / 1,000]
[Trait Quest: Pursuer of Chaos II, complete.]
[1,000 Karma obtained.]
[Converting Trait Chaos Chaser to Chaos Hunter.]
[Commencing Trait Quest: Pursuer of Chaos III.]
...
[Chaos Hunter (Trait)
Rank: F(0)
Description: The tenacity of a hunter who resents the Chaos more than anyone. 20% boost in attack for a set duration against the race Chaos.
Duration: 30 seconds
Cooldown: 24 hours]
...
[Pursuer of Chaos III (Trait Quest)
Rank: F++
Description: Hunt 100 Radanmos of the race Chaos in the Dark Forest.
Progress: 0 / 100]
...
“Hah! This is insane.”
The trait quest chain, Pursuer of Chaos, that could only be carried out in the Dark Forest was beyond insane in many ways, including its rewards and difficulty.
Seong-Hwi had finally acquired the Chaos Hunter trait he had wanted, and it boosted his attack by an additional ten percent compared to Chaos Chaser. It was no wonder that Yuri Nazakov found it unfortunate that only he had acquired it.
However, that was not the end of it. A third quest of the chain, which Yuri had likely failed to complete, had appeared, and its rank was F++.
“A hundred Radanmos, huh?”
A Randanmo was a Chaos that appeared in the third zone. It had the shape of a lizard but was as big as a shipping container. It was primarily a Chaos hunted during raids.
I can kill them just fine, but a hundred might be difficult.
Radanmos traveled underground and only appeared where there was much prey. Hence, it was difficult for Seong-Hwi, who traveled alone, to come across them. Although he could kill them by himself, it was pointless if he couldn’t find them.
I’ll worry about the Radanmos later. Since I’m done hunting Bodies, it’s now time to hunt humans.
Since he had worked hard to complete the Pursuer of Chaos II quest for the past few days, he would now shift his focus toward acquiring the trait, Hundred-Man Killer.
I hope there are enough prey for me to feast on.
The Symbolic Tarot Deck appeared in midair with a golden sheen, and a card came out of the deck. It showed a young man with a laurel wreath on his head, basking in the sunlight with a smile while standing at the edge of a cliff. He had a white rose in his left hand and a flashy bag in his right. A white dog with its tongue out was following behind him.
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Foolish Dog, one of the symbols of No.0 The Fool]
No.0 The Fool was a Major Card, unlike the Element Cards like the sword, cup, wand, and pentacle he had used before. Because the Major Cards represented major events and destinies of one’s life, they contained more superior symbols than the Element Cards.
Although the Foolish Dog is an inferior symbol, Seong-Hwi thought.
Arf! Arf!
Seong-Hwi stared at the foolish white dog running around while sniffing things and peeing on them as soon as it was embodied. No.0 The Fool symbolized innocence, optimism, a new beginning, foolishness, and fortune. Among them, the Foolish Dog symbolized a guide to fortune.
“Huuu, okay. Pee, poop, do whatever you want. Just guide me to where I want to go.”
The Foolish Dog would read Seong-Hwi’s subconscious and guide him to where he wanted to go the most.
[Foolish Dog Embodiment Duration:]
[00:04:43]
[00:04:42]
...
And of course, the embodiment duration depended on Seong-Hwi’s mana and Destiny Force. Hence, Seong-Hwi followed the Foolish Dog and ended up meeting the people he wanted to meet the most.
***
“Haha, thank you very much. You saved me,” Seong-Hwi remarked.
“Heh, it was nothing. It looked like you were about to defeat them even without our help.”
“Not at all. I thought it was over for me once my knife broke.”
Seong-Hwi stared at the five men as he put on a flawless performance. He discovered these five mestizo men after following the Foolish Dog. Having them take him to their base so that he could kill everyone there would be far more effective than killing just these five, so he started a noisy battle against six Bodies he happened to discover near the area.
Hearing the battle, the five men ran to him, and Seong-Hwi begged for their help. Seong-Hwi noticed their hesitation and infused his knife with irregular mana to break it. The men saw that Seong-Hwi was in real danger and decided to help him for now.
“Which district are you from?” Carlos asked.
“I am from District 8. South Korea. Huh? Come to think of it, how can we communicate with one another?”
“Gahaha! You didn’t know? Is this your first time meeting people from other districts?”
Carlos lowered his guard as Seong-Hwi acted gullible and asked him various questions, acting like a gentleman. He asked Seong-Hwi about whether he had comrades and what his stats, skills, and Destiny Weapon were. Seong-Hwi loosely evaded their questions and stood up with an uncomfortable expression.
He remarked, “Ummm, haha. Thank you very much. Let’s meet again if the opportunity ever arises.”
“Kek! What’s wrong? Are you running away?”
“Pardon me?”
Carlos showed his true self as Seong-Hwi stood up, confident that he could easily neutralize a gullible Asian seemingly without comrades or experience.
“Come with us to meet our boss.”
“W-what do you mean by boss? I’ll just—kurgh!”
Carlos punched Seong-Hwi on his solar plexus as Seong-Hwi showed signs that he was about to run.
Your fist feels like cotton, Seong-Hwi thought.
Seong-Hwi, with his F(99) Health stat and body armor, could barely feel the blow, but pretended to pass out.
Alright, take me to your boss and your hideout now. I’ll use you all as a sacrifice for the Hundred-Man Killer trait.
The five men, thinking they had neutralized Seong-Hwi with one blow, cackled and took a break. Seong-Hwi’s plan was going perfectly—until Jun’s team appeared out of nowhere.