Chapter 16
Chapter 16
"Already leveled up like this?"
I muttered to myself.
Before coming to Sejong, I'd wiped out the highway in one go. The fact that I'd temporarily placed the Variants under my command via Corpse Control before having Asura absorb them was also counted as kills.
All of that combined, and I'd reached level 10.
I was about to close the stat window when my finger stopped.
"But... what is this?"
Actually, the choice had been set from the start.
Necromancer.
To take my main class to the next level, there was only one thing I needed right now.
Absolutely, Cyberpunk.
"I need basic implants."
Someone walking beside me turned their head.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's just such a thing."
I answered briefly and immediately pressed the selection window.
Without hesitation.
[You have selected the Cyberpunk dimension.]
[The Gallery is opening.]
In an instant, a translucent window opened in the corner of my vision.
It was as if a film had been placed over my eyes; text floated, superimposed over reality.
[Cyberpunk]
[Sandebiseutan] : Did I mess up the implant? Why am I seeing this in mid-air?
└[Doctor Repair] : You little shit, I did it myself, how could it be wrong? It's probably sent by the AI.
└[T] : Boring.
└[Nova] : All systems normal. Gallery abnormal.
"Whoa."
Cyberpunk.
In a word, it's humanity in a future era.
A world where you view the world digitally through prosthetic eyes, and your brain is directly connected to the network.
The remnants of humanity where most authority has been handed over to AI.
It's definitely a dystopia, but it was still a world that had endured through technology, where the scent of humanity faintly remained.
That gallery was now spread out over my vision.
"Shall I give it a try?"
The first greeting is the golden rule.
[Nice to meet you, it's the Gallery Owner. Please take care of me from now on.]
└[Sandebiseutan] : Are you a real AI? That's amazing.
└[Doctor Repair] : What on earth is the principle behind this? I want to dismantle it piece by piece.
└[T] : ...Might be a little interesting.
└[Nova] : Gallery Owner. Appointed as main AI.
Scanning through, useful people caught my eye.
Doctor Repair.
The name alone suggests someone who lives with machines.
What else would a human who naturally blurts out wanting to dismantle things be if not an engineer?
Nova was more direct.
With a single line of conversation, it immediately analyzed the system and brought up the mention of appointing a main AI.
It's just an AI.
Blatantly.
My own AI.
"Nice."
"What on earth is it?"
"That oppa is weird...."
"Shh!"
I was muttering and chuckling to myself, and the people around me shot glances at me all at once.
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry."
I waved my hand, but their gazes didn't easily recede.
Excited by the new gallery, I had been rambling to myself in the middle of a zombie horde.
"First, let's quickly catch the zombies and go up."
The most important thing right now is, of course, the zombies.
"Su-ah-ssi, do it."
"Ha...."
I sent a look to Lee Su-ah, and with a short sigh, she gripped her dagger.
And then.
Shuk! Shuk! Shuk!
It was a speed that didn't even leave afterimages.
In an instant, the zombies were sliced up, and she returned with their noses in tow.
"Whoa...."
It was a speed that gave me goosebumps every time I saw it.
Seeing that, Kang Tae-san and Kang Ju-ah dropped their jaws.
"An... Awakener?!"
"Oppa! Shh!"
Kang Ju-ah covered her brother's mouth with her palm.
Her eyes scanning the surroundings trembled.
They were perfect ordinary people, through and through.
"Kids, can you keep a secret?"
"Ye...yes!"
"Don't worry!"
It becomes quite troublesome if it gets known that I'm an Awakener.
The reason I came to this shelter is to find useful talent, and I didn't want attention drawn to me before that.
I need people to manage the facility.
It would be best if they were from an engineering background, but the problem is that those aren't very common.
"Shall we go up?"
We handed two noses to the kids.
"Wh...why are you giving this to us?"
"It's... it's okay...."
It's abnormal in every way for teenagers to be hunting zombies.
It must mean the shelter is pushed to its limits.
I wanted to lighten their burden a little.
Well, the direct reason is hush money, though.
"Just take it."
I led the kids upstairs.
But.
"Grrr..."
"What is that?"
At the corner of the stairs, a gaze was felt from the darkness.
Two glowing red eyes were glaring at us.
But it didn't approach.
It's a guy that has gained some intelligence.
It knows by instinct that if it attacks, it dies.
You can't leave a guy like that alive.
"Skeletal Species. Deal with it."
The hidden Skeletal Species silently lifted its feet.
In an instant, it melted into the crowd of zombies and disappeared.
"Ah... this is tough."
"Tell me about it."
It was a 30m ladder.
My arms were shaking and my calves were sore.
But.
"Wow, you guys have amazing stamina?"
"Right."
Kang Tae-san and Kang Ju-ah had climbed up easily without a single sign of fatigue.
Is this what teenage stamina is like?
"....Thank you."
"Thank you."
The two bowed and scurried off to convert the noses into money.
"Shall we go too?"
In front of the exchange center, two soldiers wearing gloves were standing with their hands behind their backs, guarding a large container.
Guns were hanging at their waists.
Since it's a place related to money, it seemed they were guarding it strictly.
"Can you give us the zombie noses?"
As we approached, one of the soldiers stepped up immediately.
"Here you go."
I held out 10 noses.
The soldiers' eyes widened.
"Huh... 10? Is this possible?"
"That's crazy. 5 per person..."
"Shouldn't we draft them as soldiers?"
The whispering reached my ears.
Whatever.
"Good. I'll charge 100,000 won. Who will receive it?"
The soldier took out a barcode reader.
"Give it to me."
I held out my electronic bracelet.
Beep!
A notification sound rang from the bracelet.
"It's done."
I checked the bracelet.
Balance: 100,000 won
"Ooh."
Turning away from the soldiers, I approached Lee Su-ah.
"Got 100,000 won."
"Really?"
Lee Su-ah didn't seem particularly impressed.
She seemed used to this kind of shelter.
"Let's go. There's a temporary shelter."
"Ooh, really?"
But the temporary shelter wasn't much.
"What is this?"
Like a gym in a disaster situation, they had spread out bedding in a huge space and were calling it a temporary shelter.
Strangers were huddled together back-to-back everywhere.
"Hmm... we're supposed to stay here?"
"Even I find this a bit much."
Lee Su-ah also shook her head.
"Shall we walk around a bit?"
If there's a concept of money, there must be lodging.
But.
"Oh my, oppa, come rest for a bit~"
"Hey you, unni, I'm good at it. Have you ever tried it with another woman?"
It was blatantly a brothel.
The smell of powder and perfume mixed together, making my head dizzy.
The buildings were old and dilapidated, and even the signs were crooked.
"Let's go quickly."
"Agreed."
We hurried out of that street.
I grabbed a passerby and asked.
"They exist, but it would be about 200,000 won a day?"
"Ah...."
100,000 won wasn't nearly enough.
"What do we do?"
"Hmm...."
That was when it happened.
"Oh? Ahjussi!"
It was Kang Tae-san.
The teenager recognized us and waved.
"What is it, you guys?"
"We live here?"
What he pointed to was a shabby building.
The old exterior wall had paint peeling off in places, but the windows were wiped clean.
"It's the only thing my father left me."
"Hmm...."
So it's an inheritance.
"Is it possible to stay for a night?"
"Yes, but there's no electricity. Because we can't pay."
"That's fine."
"Then follow me."
I followed Kang Tae-san into the building.
As soon as I entered, what I felt was unexpected comfort.
"Oh...."
It was small but tidy.
It was clear they swept and wiped it every day.
I could feel how much the kids had cherished this single space.
Kang Tae-san said as he unpacked.
"Ahjussi, you can sleep on that sofa, and Ajumma, you take the bed."
"I told you I'm not an Ajumma!"
"Okay, Noona..."
Kang Tae-san corrected himself only after Lee Su-ah shot him a glare.
The kid was quite sharp.
The sofa was old, but the cushions were still good.
The bed assigned to Lee Su-ah seemed like it hadn't been used in a while.
It was probably her father's spot.
"This is actually really good?"
"Right."
Lee Su-ah and I didn't hide our satisfaction.
"Kids, come here."
I called the kids and held out what was in my hand.
"Gasp! This is... snacks?!"
"Awesome!"
The kids' eyes went round as they began to tear open the bags in a hurry.
It had become a world where snacks were precious.
"Why are you eating so fast?"
"Yeah, eat slowly."
When I took out more snacks, only then did their speed slow down.
It seemed like they hadn't eaten in a while.
That sight really bothered me, but I didn't show it.
I left the kids and went up to the building's rooftop.
The night wind blew.
The night in Sejong was dark.
Lights were sparse, and the cries of zombies could be heard from somewhere far away.
"Well, since I'm alone, shall I take a look?"
I opened the shop tab of the newly opened Cyberpunk Gallery.
First item.
[Name] : Black Core Prosthetic Arm Implant
[Category] : Body Modification
[Function] : 1. Strength Amplification
2. Module Slot : Electric Shock / Wire Ejection
3. Combat Assist AI (Low Level)
[Required Ether] : 1 Billion Ether
[Name] : Nemesis Prosthetic Eye Implant
[Category] : Body Modification
[Function] : 1. Tactical Vision Mode
2. Heat Detection / Biological Scan
3. Distance & Ballistics Calculation
[Required Ether] : 3 Billion Ether
"....."
My mouth wouldn't close.
"Fucking expensive!"
Prosthetic arm, prosthetic eye.
Things that turn your body into a machine.
The problem was the Ether.
"1 billion... 3 billion..."
Compared to my current Ether balance, it was a staggering number.
But then.
There was one item that caught my eye.
[Brain Implant Chip]
