Faith (2)
Han Yujin had never hit a person before. There just weren't many opportunities to punch someone in modern Korea. Of course, that didn't make her a pacifist. She'd spent the last ten years gallery-trolling, beating people up with her keyboard, so she was more of a fighting cock than a peacenik.
In Han Yujin's mind, online communities were just like the martial world of wuxia novels. Swords swapped for keyboards in battle. The loser submits to the victor. It was basically life-or-death combat, wagering your entire gallery career! If that wasn't the jianghu, what was? In that eat-or-be-eaten world, Han Yujin had zero losses over the past decade-plus. She was one hell of a high-level fighting cock.
And her fighting cock instincts didn't discriminate by topic. Not even mudslinging bait like "adult male vs. leopard." She had to win, which meant mastering the theory cold. That was why Han Yujin was so well-versed in physics and human anatomy.
—Thud, thud.
The footsteps closing in to capture her. Han Yujin's mind raced.
What to do?
She already had a plan. Burst out of the hidden drawer cabinet and bolt straight down the hallway ahead. Why not the subway exit on the left or the Lost Property Center on the right? Yeah, that objection might come up.
Her answer? Then die.
Dashing to the subway exit, those four goons would grit their teeth and block her. Fleeing to the Lost Property Center? She'd just be a rat in a trap. No other options—she had to take the front hallway. If she bolted there, the newbie hunters standing by the cabinet would let their guard down for a split second.
What came after? All planned out.
Anyway. To move forward, she had to break the encirclement. How?
"Hey, I know you're hiding in there. Come out already."
Words wouldn't work on them. Force it was.
An adult male's skull can generally withstand about 1200J of impact.
To repeat: Han Yujin was undefeated in any bait thread. She had endless body-physics knowledge for situations like this.
Problem is, can I deliver 1200J?
She glanced around. No dice. Not enough space to swing her arm fully. Reach short by about 5cm.
Plan B, then. Subduing one and bulldozing the other three? Too much. Go for psychological shock instead. Like blood suddenly gushing from a buddy's mouth.
Teeth popping out like popcorn would amp up the visuals.
The man laid a hand on the cabinet. The moment he did—
—CRACK!
The 7kg money bag slammed dead-on into the man's mouth. Perfect angle, solid spin, torque on point. Release timed exactly on impact. That way, the full force transfers straight to his jaw.
And the precise hit.
"Gaaaargh, hack!"
When all conditions aligned like this, even a woman's body could harvest corn from a burly guy.
Teeth scattered on the floor. The gang staring in shock. Han Yujin smirked in satisfaction as she watched. Plan executed flawlessly. Great show, just as expected.
Of course, now it was a race against time.
"One more for good measure!"
Han Yujin kicked the face of the man clutching his jaw.
"Gyyyaaah!"
The thug went flying backward. Han Yujin stomped him on the way past and sprinted down the hall.
"B-Bro, you okay?"
"Wh-What the hell is that girl?"
"Help the boss first!"
The gang was panicking. Caught between their fallen comrade and Han Yujin, they floundered. Perfect distance opened up.
"Y-You bitch... yoooou biiitch!"
The downed man bellowed, eyes bloodshot. A few missing teeth wrecked his speech.
◆ Park Cheol-min gritted his teeth.
"Agh!"
Pain exploded from his shattered teeth, forcing him to relax. He rolled on the floor a few times, then tremblingly pulled a syringe from his pocket and jabbed it into his arm.
Unique Company's injectable stabilizer analgesic. Pain ebbed instantly, mind clearing.
"Damn it."
About five teeth gone, jawbone probably caved. Wasting an emergency item meant for anomalies on this? Thinking of the cost made his blood boil.
"Hurry up and grab her!"
He shot to his feet, yelling. And didn't stop there—he ran too. Sure, there was a loss, but the target was a pretty girl. A very pretty one. Sell her off, and it'd make this medicine look like pocket change.
Lucky her: she'd run straight down the dead-end front hall.
"Why'd that kid head there?"
"Probably just fleeing anywhere."
"It's a dead end anyway. No worries!"
The gap closed fast. She could run, but not that fast. Park Cheol-min scowled. How'd such a tiny body pack that punch?
Monster bitch.
Thought she knew how to use her body, but her running sucked too. Who knew? Who the hell knew.
Anyway, Park Cheol-min was furious to his core. Once he caught her, he'd knock out a few of her teeth in return—or make those big eyes really cry. She'd pay properly.
"Got you!"
Finally within grabbing range.
"I'm lost! Help me find my friend!"
The girl shrieked.
Has she lost it? Park Cheol-min smirked, momentarily thrown.
"Kid, no one's saving you."
He reached out. Thought he'd touched her—
—Ding-dong~ ♬
A cheerful announcement chimed incongruously down the hall.
Announcement: The Lost & Found Child Center is currently protecting lost children. Guardians of lost children, please visit the Lost & Found Child Center to retrieve your missing child.
Chills ran up Park Cheol-min's spine. Classic horror entry cliché, plain as day.
"Shi—"
Before he could finish, the girl vanished.
—Thud crash!
Park Cheol-min, hand outstretched, tumbled to the floor. Or thought he did. One blink, and it wasn't the hall anymore.
—Scratch, scratch.
The sound of a pen on paper.
He realized he was hunched awkwardly in front of a counter. A uniformed staffer met his eyes—not eyes but something dark and joyful aaa we praise it for doing...
"Uwaaaargh!"
Park Cheol-min clutched the counter and vomited. A red blood clot and dangling tooth shards splattered out.
—Scratch.
The staffer's pen paused unpleasantly, then resumed scribbling. Instinct screamed: Don't look at what it's writing. Look down. Down.
His mouth opened.
"Are you the lost child's guardian?"
The 'staffer' asked the lead comrade. Lucky—Park Cheol-min was last, number four. He focused.
The voice mimicked human speech. But listening closely, it didn't sound human. Life-or-death concentration. But the more he focused...
The language crumbled. The comrade ahead pondered.
"Last chance. Are you the lost child's guardian?"
Panicking. The comrade. Shouted.
"I am the guardian."
—Crunch!
Something crushed. Fragments sprayed. Sticky, bloody something.
Park Cheol-min's face crumpled. Screwed. Think. Fast. Focus while thinking. What to do? Right. Gallery. Search. Lost child. Tons of results. What? What? What? What?
"Are you the lost child's guardian?"
Not his turn yet. Good. Number three. No, two. Snap out of it. Find it. Find it.
"I— am. Guardian. Faith required."
—Crunch!
Bone. Guts. Flesh. Gunk. Wrong answer. Search. Lost child. Lost child.
"Are you the lost child's guardian?"
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Hurry. One left. Search. Search. Search. Search. Search.
"No— I birthed it. Mother. Father."
—Crunch!
Blood. Blood. Blood. Meat. Blood. Blood. Fresh. Blood. Blood. Gasp. Heave. Haaah. Guidepost. There.
"Uwaaaargh!"
Wha. Wha. Wha...
"Are you the lost child's guardian?"
The moment the question hit, calm washed over Park Cheol-min. Eerie peace. The anomaly's voice? Or the guidepost?
The Horror Survivor Gallery guide said:
6. Four people from the same space as the lost child (or random four if none) are selected as guardian candidates.
7. The lost child judges guardian status. Non-guardians are disposed of.
* Exception: Reports of direct visits to the center allowing rescue.
** Additional Exception: Visitor rejected and vanished.
The lost child decides the guardian. Park Cheol-min realized. He'd been baited by that newbie who'd knocked his teeth out.
That fox-like bitch had planned this from the start, luring him into her horror story. One where she held total control. Here, life-or-death over 'guardians' belonged to the 'lost child' newbie.
Whatever insane horror this was, two facts stood out. One: his target was either a veteran pretending newbie, or a psycho post-human-level newbie. Two: he couldn't survive.
"Heh... heh... heh."
Park Cheol-min giggled insanely. Tricked. Perfectly tricked.
"Last chance. Are you the guardian?"
Grinning at the anomaly mimicking human speech, he answered.
"Nooo shiiit."
The anomaly wagged a finger, scribbled in the notebook.
—Crunch!
◆ [■■■■ Station Lost Child Management Log ■■]
986. Approx. 10-year-old boy.
- Legs broken.
- Fresh. Approx. 29kg.
- Guardian identity unconfirmed.
- (1/4) Random contact attempted; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
- (2/4) Random contact attempted; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
~Omitted~
- (4/4) Random contact attempted; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
- If no guardian visits within 751 seconds, transfer scheduled.
- Transfer complete. ■■■■ received. Receiver satisfied.
987. Approx. 19-year-old ■■ female.
- Normal body.
- ■■■. Approx. 47kg.
- Guardian unknown, but mentioned 'friend' relation.
- (1/4) Nearby presumed guardian found; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
- (2/4) Nearby presumed guardian found; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
~Omitted~
- (4/4) Nearby presumed guardian found; not guardian.
- Disposed per manual.
- If no guardian visits within 750 seconds, transfer scheduled.
- ■■■■■■ inquired if early transfer possible due to impatience; advised to wait remaining 313 seconds per manual.