Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Junk Plaza
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In the heart of Downtown stood a massive complex mall.
Commonly known as Junk Plaza.
Just looking at the chicken-coop buildings crammed together without a single gap in all directions, exceeding a floor area ratio of 1,000%, was enough to make your breath catch in your throat.
The shadowy streets, denied any sunlight, were illuminated by the gloomy glow of colorful neon signs standing in for the sun, and with the hazy weather caused by environmental pollution on top of that, Junk Plaza made it impossible to tell day from night at any time.
It wasn't for nothing that Jin thought of Kowloon Walled City when he saw Downtown's landscape.
The Hong Kong underworld that vanished in 1993 was right here.
Only flashier. More chaotic.
"Hey, handsome."
Jin turned his head at the sultry voice.
In an alley devoid of light, a woman perched on a green trash bin flashed a seductive smile.
"Hi there? Wanna spend some time with me? I'll give you a good deal."
She tapped her pursed lips with her hand, rhythmically bulging her cheek from the inside with her tongue.
Jin knew exactly what that gesture meant.
But he shook his head.
"No money."
"I said I'd make it cheap. With a face like yours, it wouldn't even feel like work for me."
"Can't get it up."
"...Huh? For real?"
"For real."
Jin gave the momentarily speechless woman a thumbs-up and turned away.
Sadly, there wasn't a shred of lie in what Jin said.
His pockets were empty, and he couldn't get it up to begin with.
Well, not back when he was living in Korea.
It started right after he fell into the game.
At first, he chalked it up to psychological factors. But as time passed with no change, he began to suspect it had something to do with his Irregular trait.
The trait that had saved his life more than once.
Recalling the now-fuzzy description...
Autophagy and maximized energy efficiency. And something about evolution level. Based on that, Jin theorized that the energy needed for reproductive functions was being diverted elsewhere.
To recovery or muscle enhancement or whatever.
Over the past year, even though his skeletal muscle mass hadn't changed much, his strength had steadily increased, making it all but certain.
Human muscles, regardless of age or gender, can only produce about 4kgf per 1cm² of cross-section, but Jin's superhuman strength had long surpassed such norms.
And recently, breaking through the Superhuman perk had made him even stronger.
Hold on.
Superhuman, and still no recovery in that department?
Jin rubbed his chin with a gravely serious expression.
Of course, given his personality, he didn't dwell on it for long.
Eh, it'll work itself out somehow.
He's got plenty of unactivated constellations left.
Who knows? One of them might hold the solution.
In fact, Jin's inner world was filled with countless dormant constellations.
The problem was he didn't know the unlock conditions.
Considering that the [Quick Recovery] he chose at the start of the game was the first star of the fist-shaped constellation, he figured breaking through basic perks was key to progressing, but he had no idea what came next.
Should've read the guides more carefully.
Not that regrets helped now.
"...Anyway, where the hell am I?"
Jin stopped walking and scanned his surroundings.
[Junk Plaza Complex 4, Section A]
He'd arrived at the spot the hot dog vendor described, judging by the high-mounted sign, but the street was such a mess that his brain just froze.
Every path looked the same, every alley blended together.
Whoa. Hold on, getting dizzy here.
As Jin blinked, stunned all by himself...
Thud!
A dull impact hit his back.
Followed by an irritated voice.
"Ow..."
Jin turned around.
A man stood there where his gaze landed.
Sharp, blade-like eyes, lower face hidden by a goblin mask. Towering height rivaling Jin's own, and at his waist... huh. A sword.
Not some palm-sized knife like the back-alley thugs carry, but a long sword slanted across his back, its length nearly scraping the ground.
If anything, it resembled a ring-hilted sword or katana in shape, but its length was closer to a two-handed sword—probably just like the legendary Twin Dragon Swords of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, whose whereabouts had been unknown for a century.
How does he even draw something that long?
The blade looks longer than his arm reach.
As Jin pondered that...
"Why'd you stop outta nowhere, asshole."
Jin scratched the back of his head at the man's words. The tone was rough, but he had stopped abruptly, so...
"Sorry about that. Not familiar with the area."
"Move."
The man shoved past, slamming his shoulder into Jin's.
Then he staggered.
Steadying his flung shoulder, Jin turned slowly, eyes fierce.
Jin didn't look away.
What, you weakling?
Serves you right for throwing a shoulder check you can't back up.
But their staring contest didn't last.
A noisy crowd pushed between them.
And by the time they passed, the man was gone.
"...What the hell."
Jin unclenched his fist, the tension draining away.
Well, that sword he was wearing wasn't just for show. Others might've backed off in fear, but not me.
Jin snorted and looked around again.
Only to feel dizzy once more.
"So... where the hell is it?"
After circling similar spots about ten times...
Jin finally found the place the hot dog vendor had mentioned.
This wasn't some hidden gem in a market—you'd think it'd be a straight shot, one or two minutes without obstacles, but side streets and stalls tangled it up like a ball of yarn.
For most people, firing up a nav app would've solved it instantly. Just punch in the address, and a holographic shortest-path route projected right into your field of view.
But for Jin, sans BCI chip, that was a non-starter from the premise itself. After politely asking passersby—who weren't exactly overflowing with kindness—he finally located the bar and narrowed his eyes at the sign.
[Anecdote]
Anecdote. Right place.
Jin pushed open the door and stepped inside.
A bell jingled in welcome, and at the same time, a young bartender wiping glasses behind the long counter turned his head.
"Welcome. Please, have a seat."
Taking in the interior as he returned the greeting...
Round stools without backs were spaced evenly in front of wooden tables.
The lighting—wall sconces and footlights—provided just enough soft glow to make the place feel cozy, giving off such a calm vibe it was hard to believe they were in Downtown.
Jin, who'd just been lost in the middle of a flea market, felt a touch of cognitive dissonance but quickly shook it off and plopped down at a nearby seat.
He looked at the silently watching bartender.
"You the Linker?"
The bartender blinked at the question, then smiled faintly.
"Solo, right?"
"Uh, yeah. I've taken a commission or two, so I guess that counts."
"Your name?"
Name. The polite speech tickled; Jin reflexively dug in his ear before speaking.
"Jin."
"Understood, Jin. Please wait a moment."
The bartender paused his movements as he said that.
It was brief, but his gaze stayed on Jin while drifting into some other space, emitting an odd sheen.
Soon, his eyes focused again.
"Apologies, but a search of the Solo intranet turned up no matches. Are you perhaps Level 5 or higher? If so, basic queries won't work. Forgive my rudeness."
Jin scratched his cheek, caught off guard.
"Nah, nothing like that."
"Pardon?"
"I'm here to become a real Solo. No certification badge or anything. Didn't even know they existed."
"Ah. Got it."
As the bartender nodded more readily than expected...
Voices drifted from a bit farther away.
"What about Area 49 then?"
"Worst place ever. Ever since Taha unified all the clans, it's basically a mini dictatorship."
"Taha. Ambitious guy. You better watch out too."
"Watch out? Pfft, he's just corporate ass-kisser trash."
"Wonder if you'd say that to his face."
A pair of man and woman emerged from behind the central shelf lined with liquor bottles.
Jin's brow twitched.
Not because of the woman with her cascade of lush red hair that drew admiration, but the man walking beside her.
Sharp eyes, goblin mask over the lower face.
And that absurdly long sword.
It was the guy who'd shouldered him on the street.
"...Hm?"
The man spotted Jin too. Irritation flickered in the eyes above the mask, and the woman beside him naturally turned her head.
"Oh? We have a customer."
"Name's Jin. Came to become a Solo. Seems like he wants a contract."
The woman arched one eyebrow at the bartender's words.
"Really now?"
She widened her stride and approached Jin's side of the table.
A smoky, sweet fragrance wafted with her clicking heels.
"So, Jin. You wanna become a Solo?"
Jin, in the midst of round two staring down the man, reluctantly broke eye contact with a sour face.
"Uh, yeah."
"Wanna drink something first?"
"Got no money."
The woman chuckled at Jin's words.
Whether she took it as a joke or planned to comp it, she turned to grab a bottle from the shelf anyway.
Should I ask for cola?
After a moment's hesitation, Jin just took the glass she offered. No point being picky when you're getting a freebie.
"Shall we reintroduce ourselves? I'm Kalifa. As you can see, manager of Anecdote."
"Jin. The man who's gonna be Solo King."
Pirate King, Mercenary King, Knight King, and all that.
Grown up gorging on snack culture packed with XX Kings, Jin slapped "King" onto Solo to declare his ambitions.
Solo King was more precise, but whatever.
Then loot's Get'em, foot control's Full Control?
That confidence seemed to land with Kalifa.
"...Solo King?"
She rolled the unfamiliar term around her mouth, then threw her head back in laughter. It was hearty for her slender frame—actually quite pleasant to hear.
"Fun guy. I like it. Makes me wanna pull out a contract right now. But Jin, good sense of humor alone won't cut it as a Solo. Specifically, not to contract with me. Anecdote doesn't deal with amateurs."
For a split second, Jin caught a red glint in Kalifa's iris. Artificial eye? No, even if it was, it writhed like it was alive.
"We can check your skills while we're at it. First, a few simple commissions..."
"No need."
The goblin-masked man cut her off.
He'd stood there like a statue since spotting Jin again, and now seized the opening to speak right up.
"No need to beat around the bush. Have him spar with me. Got something I wanna confirm about this punk anyway."