Chase
A door appeared in one corner of the wall. Han Yujin tilted her head.
'Song Service, my ass. Not even giving me a ride?'
Well, yeah. Didn't really wanna ride in a car driven by a monster anyway.
Han Yujin stepped through the door.
Thank you for using our bank, customer Han Yujin.
The mechanical voice from inside the bank faded away. And moments later.
"Aaaah!"
She hit the ground and rolled around.
"Fuck."
Her arm, back, butt—nothing didn't hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes. Looking back in outrage, she saw stairs right under the door.
"What kind of psycho puts the exit right at the top of the stairs?!"
Like some sadistic setup screaming, Try it yourself, bitch! It felt like someone inside the bank was watching and snickering. Rage boiled up.
Even so, Han Yujin, tears in her eyes, took a deep breath.
"Haaaa..."
The artificial perfume smell that had squeezed her lungs was replaced by the stench of rotten water and dust. The smell of reality, not a horror story.
"...I'm out."
Tension melted away, relief flooding her chest that she was alive. Sure, dodging rules was great, but diving straight into horrors like this wore you down eventually.
Especially monsters. No matter how human they seemed, they always drained her energy just by being there. The gallery called it "mental pollution"—that phenomenon.
— How to Manage Your SAN.txt
Maybe check out those tip posts on managing mental pollution levels.
She was sprawled on the ground lost in thought when a notification pinged.
96.4% rulebook contribution, and an A-grade crystal. Han Yujin grinned, lips curling up.
A-grade crystal! That shit's worth tens of billions, right? Upgrade the computer first, grab some food... maybe buy a house?
Then a sudden thought hit her.
"...Oh right, the debt."
She furrowed her brow, deep in thought.
"Yeah. Not paying it."
She muttered shamelessly, words that would've made the bank president faint.
I mean, there's no deadline or anything. Plus, you gotta keep protecting me, right? Who'd buy a 300 billion debt anyway?
"Should've written the terms better."
Han Yujin, whose brain spun at light speed whenever rules were involved. From the bank's perspective, they'd hooked the wrong fish. In other words, she was their horror story.
Anyway.
"Ungh."
Han Yujin staggered to her feet. She'd set Seoul Station as her return point, so this had to be some quiet back alley nearby. Time to head home.
The moment that thought crossed her mind.
"Hey, you."
A low, cold voice came from the alley entrance. Three men in suits stepped out from the shadows.
"...!"
Her heart dropped with a thud. Groups of guys always triggered her PTSD from bounty hunters!
Han Yujin glanced for an escape route and started backing away slowly.
"Stop. We confirmed you just came out of D Building 10081."
The man in the middle pulled out a notepad. Unique Limited Company. Assistant Manager Kim Jah-ha.
Damn. Unique Company?
"You're Han Yujin, right? Where'd you stash Manager Kang Ye-rin?"
That woman, Kang Ye-rin—the bitch from the bank who'd tried to sell her as "merchandise." Her colleagues.
"What're you talking about? I don't kn—"
"Then you'll have to come with us. We need to collect for the lost employee."
Kim Jah-ha cut her off. His eyes greedily scanned under her eyes.
"Rulebook edits, #1 ranking, A-grade reward. No way a newbie pulls that off. Come quietly. Your info and that crystal belong to the company anyway."
"...And if I don't wanna?"
"Then we'll take you by force."
Kim Jah-ha gestured, and the two flankers advanced.
"Oh, there she is! Unnie's here! These guys were looking for you!"
Han Yujin waved at some distant point. The three men's gazes snapped that way. When they checked and saw nothing, turning back—
—Thud thud thud!
Han Yujin bolting away in the distance.
"We got played!"
"Chase her!"
"Fuck, don't come closer!"
Han Yujin yelled as she ran, but like hell they'd stop because she said so. Curses spilled from her lips.
Damn, damn!
Her legs shook. A full day of tension in the bank horror had drained her stamina. Plus this damn body—a frail girl's frame barely scraping 160cm.
'Faster! Faster...!'
Her mind was Usain Bolt, but her real legs had pathetically short strides. Breath burned in her throat.
"Stop right there!"
Footsteps closed right behind. Persistent bastards. Where the hell were the cops in this alley!
Han Yujin bolted deeper without looking back.
"Idiot. It's a dead end!"
Kim Jah-ha's mockery stabbed like a knife in the back. It really was a dead end.
Han Yujin rolled her eyes once, then turned with a grin.
"Hehe."
She scratched her head. The guy who'd named himself approached, growling.
"Quit wasting time and get caught quietly, you little bitch. How far can a girl run anyway?"
"Y'know, I always forget."
"...What?"
"And you think I'd just stop 'cause you say so? You're the idiot chasing me down like you're proud of kidnapping me. Why am I the idiot?"
While Kim Jah-ha stood stunned, Han Yujin finished her calculations.
No escape routes. Three adult males. Combat skills above average.
Conclusion: 'I'm pretty much fucked.'
Her brain raced in bad spots. No pride either. She raised both hands in clear surrender.
"What the?"
Kim Jah-ha narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Don't wanna get hurt, so take me nicely. No place to run anyway."
"...Should've done that from the start. Grab her."
The two men closed in from the sides. Han Yujin whispered as tiny as she could.
"........"
"...What?"
"........"
Kim Jah-ha, annoyed, stepped right up to her—
—Wham!
Her kick nailed perfectly between his legs.
"Guuuuuaaaagh!"
Kim Jah-ha flipped his eyes back and crumpled. Han Yujin spun to the next target.
Suit guy to Kim Jah-ha's left. She scanned him: 183cm, decent muscle. Right arm overdeveloped—weapon user. Dangerous. Habit of weight on one leg. Shocked by Kim Jah-ha's crushed balls. Underestimating her as a girl.
—Thwack!
No hesitation—she struck the back of his left knee. Didn't need much force. Even a frail woman's output could buckle a knee. Meaning his unbalanced torso pitched forward—
—Crack!
No extra power needed to knee his jaw.
"Guhk!"
The suit guy rolled on the ground. Good. Two down. Next: 170cm guy, already wary, assuming stance with wide eyes. Defensive mode—hard to attack. Not super strong, but no obvious weak spot.
'Wish I had that briefcase right now.'
She missed the weapon she'd grown oddly attached to after using it twice, smacking her lips. He flinched at her fierce look.
'Scaredy-cat?'
Han Yujin glanced at the two downed men. Not dead; they'd recover eventually. Best move: 'Run.'
She darted around the scaredy-cat—only for him to step and block.
"Eek! Can't go!"
"Move, psycho. Wanna mop the floor like them?"
"S-still can't!"
Damn. Tough draw. No time to waste either.
She charged straight at him. He flinched but held. She feinted left, leaning—
"Can't go!"
As he shifted left to block—Twist! She bent fluidly right and slipped past.
"Yes, made it... Aaaagh!"
Bang!
A gunshot roared. Turning, Kim Jah-ha had propped up his torso, gun aimed. His arm still shook.
"Grrr... Move again and I hit for real."
Damn. How's he so persistent? Should've crushed 'em harder? But she'd maxed her unarmed power. Body's limits.
Han Yujin, sweating cold, spoke.
"H-hey, since when are guns free in Korea?"
"Shut up. Move and you're dead."
"You sure? You said you need me alive."
Kim Jah-ha smirked.
"Don't need your body anyway. Just the brain. Easy to use."
What the fuck? That crazy shit? Wait, Unique Company collected monsters and horrors, right? Damn, not impossible...
'Then I really can't get caught!'
Quick conclusion: Shot here or brain-harvested later—dead either way.
So—Thud!
She bolted. Simultaneously—
—Bang!
Muffled by silencer, but the shot rang out. The bullet flew straight—
—for her heart.
"Got you, bitch."
As Kim Jah-ha grinned, suddenly—a hand from thin air.
—Crunch!
It mangled the bullet and shoved Han Yujin forward, vanishing.
"Wha—what the hell? Grab her, grab her!"
While Kim Jah-ha panicked, Han Yujin was already out of the alley.
"Kill her! Shoot if you have to!"
Employees aimed at her, despair hitting Han Yujin—
Screech!
A black sedan roared in, blocking the entrance.
"Get in!"
Familiar voice, laced with panic.
"J-Jeong Gongbeop?"
No time to hesitate—she leaped in.
Rat-tat-tat!
Bullets flew, missing the car wildly.