The Age of Adaptation
It was space. That was where he’d been moved again from the Enter Room.
A black void stretched out so far that it seemed to have no end.
In the center of that dark canvas, speckled thick with stars, Yoo Sung-jun clapped a hand over his mouth and nose.
What the hell is this situation?
Another Earth 2.0 was unreal enough as it was.
This was worse.
They’d dumped him out in outer space.
He’d covered himself in a hurry, but for some reason, it felt strangely comfortable.
Huh?
He let go and tried drawing in a slow breath.
There was air. His body was still suspended in midair.
Better not move around for no reason.
Without gravity, and with nothing to slow him down, he’d just end up spinning in circles.
"That’s unexpected. You’re remarkably calm."
Something spoke.
Literally something—an instant later, a presence had appeared before him.
Yoo Sung-jun stared at the sphere of light.
"Higher Being?"
"I’m Yoo Sung-jun-nim’s supporter. Mm, mm, Loki. I suppose that wretch called us that."
"You said there’d be a reward if I raised my user grade... "
"That’s why I called you here. By the way, I’m surprised. I thought you’d panic a lot more when you were placed in space."
"You’re not messing with me or anything, are you?"
"Of course not. It’s all for Yoo Sung-jun-nim’s safety, so I’d appreciate your understanding."
The sphere of light hummed softly.
Why did it somehow feel as if it were smiling faintly?
In any case, this was the Higher Being he’d come face-to-face with.
So he got straight to the point.
"So what are you giving me now that my user grade has gone up?"
"It’s not material goods. What we’re giving you is information."
"Information?"
"Yes. All information within the range of what humans can understand. We’ll tell you one thing you want to know."
"And the reason you chose that as the reward?"
"Naturally. Overwriting. On Earth, people widely call it Dark Cover, don’t they?"
The sphere of light circled around Yoo Sung-jun.
"Information is important under any circumstances. It becomes even more important when humanity is facing calamity."
The thing drifted up close.
It tapped the tip of his nose, then wavered in front of him.
"A safe region from infectors. Blueprints for equipment. Other people’s emotional states. Anything you’re curious about, within limits, I’ll tell you."
"Just one thing?"
"Yes, just one thing."
This time, it seemed to be smiling.
Ignoring the Higher Being’s expression, Yoo Sung-jun thought it over.
Not for long, though.
There was something he wanted to test right away.
"May I ask about your identities?"
"As I said, only within the range of what humans can understand."
What, would hearing the answer infect him with madness or drive him insane?
The Higher Being went on.
"If you want an answer instead of advice, then once you finish body strengthening to level 10, that question should also fall within range."
He’d only tried asking on a whim, but that was unexpectedly useful information.
Which made him unreasonably uneasy.
"You’re saying I didn’t lose my chance with that just now?"
"Of course not. Advice doesn’t count."
"Then... "
Information. Honestly, there was plenty he needed to know.
Survival in Another Earth, the world he’d have to live in from here on out, came first.
Safe regions? Those would be solved as he handled missions.
Weak points of high-level infectors? That, too, was no concern, thanks to the innate analytical information that had once belonged to the character Meteor.
So the thing Yoo Sung-jun needed to ask right now was simple.
Within the range of what humans could understand.
The most useful information available to him at this moment.
"Tell me a new application for my innate talent, Breathing."
"You only get one. Are you sure that’s enough?"
Once he heard the answer, he couldn’t take it back.
As if reminding him of that, it asked the question.
Yoo Sung-jun shrugged.
Because he’d already learned one more thing from what it had just said.
"The effect of innate talents. So there’s more than one application, then, not limited to what’s written in the description."
"I won’t confirm or deny it."
"Then I’ll interpret that however I want."
He’d thought leveling up only made the effects listed in the description stronger.
But innate talents were powers that could evolve in a different direction.
That’s a secret that wasn’t in the game.
His heart pounded hard.
Innate talent, a new application of Breathing.
In the game, he had already studied the weaknesses of almost every infector through analysis.
If he confronted them with an innate talent that had become even more versatile, extermination would be far easier than before.
I can get stronger than I was as Meteor. I can lead my brother and me to even greater safety.
He clenched his fist and waited for the Higher Being’s answer.
It came close again, this time pressing its light against his forehead.
"I’ll give you the answer to your question."
The moment it finished speaking, something surged into him.
The new application of Breathing that a human with body strengthening level 1, Yoo Sung-jun, could comprehend.
It felt as if his head were boiling.
Under that overwhelming, unknown sensation, Yoo Sung-jun shuddered before he realized it.
At the same time, the world went dark.
Just before he lost consciousness, the Higher Being’s final words drifted faintly to him.
"...I look forward to our next meeting."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
...Uh.
When he woke up, it wasn’t space, and it wasn’t the Enter Room either.
It was his own familiar room.
Yoo Sung-jun grabbed his smartphone first.
As if she’d been expecting it, Loki displayed the settled points.
Infector Extermination: 3,300 points
Confirmation Kill: 600 points
Collector: 1,200 points
Incomplete Antibody: 380,000 points
Total: 385,100 points
Collector is an intermediate achievement awarded for obtaining five or more different types of equipment.
The new achievement explanation was clean enough, too.
"Thanks."
He murmured his thanks to Loki and lay back down again.
His head was cluttered with too many thoughts.
Three hundred eighty thousand points. I want to use them efficiently, but...
Body strengthening level 2 cost 300,000 points.
Yoo Sung-jun had no intention of skimping on that investment.
Up to level 1, you were still within the realm of humanity.
But from level 2 and level 3 onward, you were beyond human.
It was fair to say you had stepped into the ranks of the Transcendent.
No matter how strong you were without body strengthening, you were still human in the end.
The limits of the species were clear, while infectors teemed in monstrous variety.
Body strengthening comes first.
He had already secured the invitation, which had been his highest priority.
Yoo Sung-jun checked the remaining points.
Remaining Points: 420,850
Compared with a few months ago, it was truly enormous progress.
Back then, he’d been scrambling over a few thousand or a few tens of thousands of points.
It’s the result of hard work.
He calculated the points with a satisfied look.
After finishing body strengthening level 2, he’d have 120,000 points left.
Their use was already decided.
That’s when I’ll change both my brother’s gear and mine.
The PK users he’d run into during this cooperative mission.
It was about time people like that started surfacing above the water.
Now was the time to prepare.
Just as there were methods for hunting infectors, there were plenty of ways to deal with humans in Another Earth as well.
As for my brother...
Still no news. He ought to drink some cold water and calm himself down.
He went to the kitchen and poured water into a glass.
Bang!
The sound made the glass in his hand seem meaningless.
The source was inside his room.
Yoo Sung-jun rushed there immediately.
He flung open the door and came face-to-face with his brother.
"...Sung-hwan?"
It was the first time they’d seen each other again in days.
Yoo Sung-hwan looked thoroughly worn out.
A shotgun was slung over one shoulder, and the tracksuit he wore was soaked through with mud.
He didn’t look injured, exactly.
Still, he looked so exhausted that Yoo Sung-jun turned on the boiler first.
"I’ve been through it too, so I know. Go wash up first. Then get some rest. We’ll talk after that."
There was a lot to talk about.
What the tutorial was like, what he’d gone through, how hard it had been, and how much psychological damage it had left behind.
When he patted Sung-hwan’s shoulder, the younger man lifted his head with a start.
"Hyung..."
His voice trembled fiercely.
Then he let out a long, heavy breath and slowly headed for the bathroom.
"...I’ll wash up and get some sleep. I’m tired..."
"Yeah. Good work. Hand that over."
"Ah, uh..."
He looked half out of his mind.
Yoo Sung-jun took the shotgun from him and watched his brother’s back.
On closer inspection, it wasn’t just mud—there was blood all over it, too.
Not from a wound, most likely.
From the looks of it, he’d already been treated in the Enter Room.
"Hmm..."
Yoo Sung-jun studied the shotgun his brother had handed over.
It was scratched up all over, the stock was slightly dented, and the bloodstains were dark and thick.
Did he get into close combat with infectors?
He could roughly imagine the kind of battle he’d fought.
Ranged shooting and close-range fighting with approaching infectors.
To end up with a gun in this state, he must have done that nonstop.
Without even proper armor, his younger brother had crossed that line of death.
He wanted to hear the details right away, but rest came first.
Yoo Sung-jun waited quietly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Yoo Sung-jun looked at his brother with a sullen expression.
Sung-hwan, his face finally regaining some color, was stuffing himself with properly cooked meat.
Sensing his gaze, he asked with his mouth full, "Aren’t you eating, hyung? You said we’ve got to stuff ourselves while we can."
"I will. Want me to order more meat?"
"Do it. Order a ton of the special cuts."
"Can you even finish all that?"
"After working out, I can manage six meals easy. Besides, I didn’t get to eat properly during the tutorial."
Swallowing a bite of meat, Sung-hwan continued.
"Aren’t you going to ask what I went through there?"
"I was going to ask once you were ready."
"I’m ready. I’ve eaten, and my body and head are both fine now."
"Then tell me."
Yoo Sung-jun pulled his chair closer. He straightened his posture.
He set down his chopsticks and folded his arms.
At that serious look, Sung-hwan lowered his eyes.
A faint smile appeared, hollow and brittle.
"It probably won’t be very fun."
"I’m not listening because I want entertainment. I need to hear what you went through and how you dealt with it so I can use it as a reference when we work together."
"Got it. I’ll tell you."
His brother began to speak.
Yoo Sung-jun listened in silence.
The tutorial’s purpose had been hide-and-seek: survival.
He’d been lucky enough to get hold of a shotgun, and with his genius-level marksmanship, he’d started not just surviving, but exterminating.
"I killed a lot of them. I dug through a truck at a gun shop and found more ammo."
If he saw them from far away, he shot.
If they came close, he shot.
If they attacked at close range, he met them head-on and swung back.
...And not just infectors.
"People. The survivors were enemies too."
To those people, the shotgun was practically the ultimate treasure.
They hid their greed. What had seemed like harmless goodwill was really just the expression of a buried desire.
"...You killed them."
At Yoo Sung-jun’s murmur, his brother poked at a salad with his chopsticks.
He speared a cherry tomato, and juice burst out, spilling onto the plate.
"I had to live. If I died, you’d be left all alone, wouldn’t you?"
A killing committed without body strengthening.
Surprisingly, his younger brother remained composed.
Was his control over emotion, or his capacity to accept it, far greater than Yoo Sung-jun had imagined?
He didn’t know. Maybe he was just holding it in.
Maybe he was painfully aware of the weight of the force he’d wielded.
And maybe that state would hurt him in future missions.
So Yoo Sung-jun was able to reach a decision.
By the time he finished body strengthening level 2, he’d still have 120,000 points left.
I’ll just push the equipment upgrade back a little.
He ordered more meat and said, "Once we’re done eating, we’re forming a party first."
"A party?"
"Simple. We just need mutual consent through our supporters. After that, party members can even share the Enter Room."
"Nice. Mine’s completely empty, but yours has all sorts of things in it, right?"
"Yeah. And there’s also the body strengthening capsule."
"You’ve finished level 1, right?"
"Yeah. I’m going to level 2 next. You’ll strengthen up to level 1."
"...What?"
"It’s not free. I’m not giving my points away just because you’re my brother."
"No, I mean—still, that price is huge..."
"Don’t argue. I’m getting that money out of you one way or another, so just say thanks and take it for now."
It was an investment in the future.
His brother was someone he’d have to take with him anyway.
He’d lead him before his emotions broke down.
Having made that resolve, Yoo Sung-jun focused on eating.
They stuffed themselves with meat, and then he gave Loki an order.
"Loki. You can send Sung-hwan a party invitation, right?"
[Of course. I’ll send it right away.]
Their smartphones both vibrated.
I should introduce Sung-hwan to Jeyca, and while I’m at it, the three of us should try carrying out a mission together. We need to get our rhythm down, too. And I might as well test that new application of Breathing.
As he was thinking about what he’d need to do tomorrow, a message appeared on Yoo Sung-jun’s phone—not from Loki, but from what seemed to be Sung-hwan’s supporter.
Sung-hwan-nim has accepted Seong-jun-gong’s proposal.
What kind of archaic speech was that?
Scratching at his temple, he looked over at his brother.
Meeting his eyes, Yoo Sung-hwan gave an awkward smile.
And then, making his own solemn expression feel suddenly pointless, Yoo Sung-jun laughed too.
---