Gallery Lord (4)
As the sound of running water tapered off, I hurriedly cleared my throat and stood up from the cockpit. Before Ha-seon emerged from the bathroom, I set up a fluffy bed, making it neat and tidy. Just in case, I even hung curtains around it like they do in hospitals to block out the light.
Click.
Finally, the bathroom door opened amid a puff of white steam. Ha-seon stepped out, carefully dabbing her wet white hair with a towel, and froze when she spotted her very own bed.
"You didn't have to go this far..."
Her tone suggested she was genuinely touched. I felt a bit embarrassed by her reaction but replied anyway.
"Yeah, I just wanted you to get some comfortable rest... Let me know if there's anything you're missing."
"No, this is more than enough. Thank you..."
She bowed deeply, expressing her sincere gratitude. Even as she did, my eyes kept drifting to her white hair.
Wet white hair has that kind of texture, huh.
A moment later, with her face now fluffy and dry, Ha-seon perched on the edge of the bed. She cautiously checked the outlet's location before rummaging in her backpack and pulling out some items to set up.
"Um, is it okay if I use the outlet? I need to manage the gallery..."
"Of course. But... you handle the gallery with a laptop?"
I blinked in surprise. Ever since getting isekai'd, I'd only accessed the gallery via my smartphone, so I had no idea you could use other devices.
"Yeah, the phone screen just isn't big enough to keep up..."
Ha-seon plugged in her laptop, and the timid, hesitant demeanor from moments ago began to fade. With her glasses on, her expression turned serious.
Tap, tap, tap-tap-tap.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard and mouse.
"...You look insanely busy."
"There are so many accounts to suspend..."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, lately there've been tons abusing the exchange under the guise of trades for scams and crimes... Even just me alone—"
"Ah..."
Ha-seon's eyes gleamed coldly. Right in the center of her monitor screen glowed the red-highlighted profile of that Yeouido nickname account—the one that had been peddling necessities laced with trackers.
I watched with interest, then curiosity struck.
"What if they just make a new fake account and come back?"
She paused her typing and shook her head.
"I worried about that too, but it's not exactly suspending the account—it's more like my skill blocks that person from accessing it altogether."
A skill that straight-up bans the person. Kinda like my train.
"But are there really that many people doing stuff worth getting banned? Everyone's too busy surviving."
Getting cut off from info and trades in this hopeless world would be a huge risk. Were there really that many idiots?
Ha-seon gave a wry smile and scrolled through her ban list on the monitor. It was packed with countless nicknames.
"More than you'd think. Especially since the exchange tab opened— they've spiked."
Her eyes darkened as she stared at the screen, continuing quietly.
"Survivors tend to stick in groups anyway, so as long as one account in the group stays alive, they can still get gallery info or use the exchange no problem. So it seems like they prop up one account as a front to scam or lure others into traps."
"Ah..."
I let out a short sigh. Yeah, those Yeouido guys were probably doing exactly that with their blatant trap.
"...You must have it rough."
At my consolation, she smiled faintly and turned back to her screen.
"It's okay. This is my responsibility to bear. And I get compensated for it."
Inside the first car of the train late at night, I lay in bed listening to the clicks and keystrokes echoing until deep into the hours. Strangely, the rhythm helped me drift off easier than expected.
***
Inside a large SUV heading from Yeouido toward Ansan—even in a world overrun by monsters—the front seats held two men in immaculate suits, hair waxed and slicked back. Their polished attire clashed sharply with the ruined cityscape flashing by outside.
By contrast, the two men in the back wore gear perfectly suited to this changed world: hulking awakeners armed to the teeth in thick armor and weapons, lounging arrogantly against the seats.
Tap, tap.
One of the back-seat awakeners lightly drummed his fingers on the thick, book-like skillbook in his hand. Smirking, he addressed the front seat.
"No matter how urgent, handing over a combat skill that's worth a premium on the exchange to us like that? The assemblyman must be pissed about the cost."
The suited man in the passenger seat turned around with a friendly chuckle.
"Come on, what kind of talk is that? Thanks to fine awakeners like you two, we can sleep soundly in Yeouido. It's the least we can do to support your future heroics."
Slick, oily salesmanship straight out of a textbook. But the two awakeners' faces hardened at the flattery.
The one holding the skillbook snorted.
"Whatever. What's so special in Ansan that they're eating this loss just to hire escorts?"
"Haha..."
The suited men up front laughed awkwardly. The awakeners had been hired for escort and road-clearing duty to Ansan Central Station, riding along in this vehicle.
Screech—boom!
With a flick of the skillbook holder's wrist, a wrecked car blocking their path lifted as if seized by an invisible hand and smashed aside. Potent telekinesis.
His partner silently checked his weapon, loading a special firearm's magazine not with bullets but low-grade mana stones glowing red. Whirr—click. The stones converted to energy inside the gun; it chambered a round, and the barrel glowed cherry-red hot.
Even faced with the awakeners' subtle show of force—clearing obstacles and priming for battle—the suited men kept up their calm facade, changing the subject.
"We're just checking vending machine stock in Ansan and seeing if any survivors are holed up. Citizen safety is our top priority, after all."
"...Citizen safety, my ass."
"Haha..."
The suited man laughed it off coolly, but his eyes glinted with serpentine cunning and chill.
A single combat skill? Bargain. If this op succeeds—
Tucked in his pocket was the detailed address of their target.
"We're nearing the station."
The SUV pulled up on Ansan's cratered asphalt roads. The two awakeners hopped out the back, gripping their weapons, and drew a firm line with the suits.
"Road clearance and escort—that was the deal. Find your vending machines or whatever, but don't expect extra fights or help. We're only worth the skillbook price."
Swallowing curses inwardly at their sharp attitude, the suits plastered on warm smiles and nodded.
"Of course."
Truth be told, that was plenty. Dragging the target out alive from the cramped apartment the tracker pointed to? The two of them could handle it no sweat.
"If we nab 'em alive... you take those two back to Yeouido first."
"Got it."
Plan was: one stays with the captured target, the other shuttles the awakeners round-trip.
They were just stepping out toward the apartment complex when—
"Kieeeek—!"
The dark clouds blanketing Ansan's sky churned violently.
—I'd thought they were just thunderheads.
With shrieks, dozens of massive bird-like monsters dove in a ferocious swarm.
"...All those black things are monsters?"
"Ha... fuck, figures. Too easy to be true..."
The awakeners' faces twisted in annoyance. All that "skillbook value only" talk went out the window as adult-man-sized horrors rained down like a storm—they had no choice but to arm up.
Rat-tat-tat!
"Die!"
The telekinetic whipped his hands, erecting invisible barriers that crushed birds mid-air. The gunner unleashed a barrage from his glowing muzzle, shredding wings nonstop.
Blood and feathers sprayed in a hellish frenzy. The pair were pinned, fully occupied fending off the aerial onslaught.
"Go now! To the apartments!"
The suits yelled to each other, seizing the chaos and gap the awakeners had bought to sprint into the complex.
Gulping air to their throats, they reached the target high-rise. Panting from the run and stairs, they paused at the door to catch their breath.
"Hoo... We going in?"
"...Yeah."
One tugged the door experimentally.
It swung open easily—already unlocked.
"...Huh, why's it open?"
"Signal!"
One stormed in, gun trained, snarling. Dim, empty living room; fluorescent light covered in thick hanji paper; furniture neatly arranged.
"...Why's it so dark in here?"
"Where you hiding? Come out!"
They tore through room after room like maniacs, hunting the awakener. Ripping open closets, checking under beds.
But after over ten minutes ransacking the place, bewilderment etched their faces.
Nothing. No one.
The floor held signs of hasty packing—open drawers with minimal belongings grabbed, scraps of discarded food.
Proof someone had been here just hours ago.
"What... what the hell is this?"
They scowled, scratching their heads furiously.
"This makes no sense..."
The roads had been blocked solid with wrecks and debris before they arrived—no way they drove off.
Running on foot, then? With that sky full of birds?
Impossible by any logic. Bike or motorcycle? Doubtful for the same reason.
"How the hell do we report this to the assemblyman?"
"...Maybe they holed up in a nearby unit. We gotta keep looking."
Their faces darkened.