Trust
"So you really were a Named. The Human Cook Gang... even the name's grotesque. Everyone heard that, right? Told you I wasn't your average guy."
Gong Won-goo grinned at the crew behind him. Any trace of the hostility from their first meeting was long gone. Won-goo, Potion, and Montage sat around a single table, sipping their drinks.
"So how exactly did you catch Ralph?"
It was Potion's question. The smile slid right off Won-goo's face.
"How much?"
"...?"
"How much will you pay me? Apparently you share trade secrets back in your neck of the woods? That shelter there — Arc, was it?"
"That was a slip of the tongue on my part."
Potion dipped her head in apology.
"Not a slip. I'll tell you for money. If you're that curious, make me an offer."
"......"
"So how's Arc run, anyway?"
"Run, you say?"
"Every shelter's got its quirks. Some of them charge double the entry fee, call themselves members-only, that kind of thing."
"Not so different from here."
"Oh... then you must get a lot of customers."
"Quite a lot, yes."
"What's your flagship product?"
"Flagship... product?"
"You've got a market there too, don't you? Goods listed early sell cheap, recently listed ones sell high. That's just how it works. Food is cheap in this area. Plenty of gourmands around here, you know."
"......"
"......"
"What? You don't share that kind of intel either? Stingy town, is it?"
"We followed Ralph's trail here, so..."
"Take it."
"...?"
"Judging by the look of you, you're fairly well-known back there too. You didn't come all this way just for a bounty, am I right? You need to bring something back so your people save face. No?"
"That's right."
"The bounty I'll hand over, obviously. So take it. It never hurts to know people in a world this bleak. I may only operate around here now, but there's no guarantee our paths won't cross again. Let's start off on good terms, shall we?"
"The Human Cook Gang has a fearsome reputation around Arc. If you take them on directly, you'll gain quite a lot."
"I'd imagine. But that's always how trouble starts — trying to eat everything on the plate. We just need the money. And like I said earlier, that Sde bastard ran, didn't he? In my book, he's a trickier customer than Ralph ever was. That one."
"He's in the second-in-command position, that's true."
Won-goo shot a glance at Montage. Unlike before, Montage was quietly drinking his beverage, saying nothing, just listening.
"His skill... no point even talking about that. But Sde is relentless. Temperament-wise, he's nastier than Ralph. He'll probably come looking for you."
Won-goo snorted.
"Then we'll just catch him too and hand him over. I'll sweet-talk the authorities into raising his bounty while I'm at it."
"......"
"......"
At the sight of him worrying not one bit, both Potion and Montage were quietly stunned.
"And wasn't there one more oddball in that gang? The one who hauls around that metal bat."
"Hmm?"
This time Montage reacted.
"Sounds like he's got business with us, then."
Won-goo crossed his legs and smiled.
"You worked that bastard over too, did you? The bodies weren't touched."
"That one's still alive."
"......!"
"Something feels... off, doesn't it?"
Potion asked the moment they stepped out of the diner. Montage's expression had grown considerably graver than when they'd gone in.
"It's off, all right."
"No matter how I look at it, I just can't trust him..."
"But that man did catch Ralph. That part's true."
"...?"
"The traces match up perfect as peaches. Identical to what we saw in the dungeon. He looks like a two-bit thug, but the skill's the real deal, I'll give him that."
"Then..."
"Let's head back to the lodging first."
Back at their quarters, Montage and Potion sat through a briefing. The subject: Gong Won-goo.
"Boss, it's true all right. One mention of that man's name settles everything. Heck, even the Shelter Director's in on it, they say."
"The Shelter Director?"
"Yeah. Word is, whenever trouble breaks out, the Director goes looking for that man himself."
"The Shelter Director shows his face?"
"Couldn't wrap my head around it either, so I cross-checked. It's the straight truth, I swear it."
Surprise welled up in their eyes all over again.
"In Arc, he's never once shown his face..."
"And remember that son of a bitch the boss drove into the ground a while back?"
"Who?"
"That pointy-headed bastard, you know the one."
"Right. I remember."
"Turns out that punk's the one running errands for him around the shelter."
"Then he's nothing but a street thug. How can we trust a man like that?"
It was Potion's take. She was remembering Il-chul, the sneaky little weasel who'd pestered them endlessly.
"Doesn't seem to be like that, though. Word is he honors his contracts to the letter. High trust rating, they say. Backstabbing and double-crossing ain't his style, far as I hear. And on money matters, he don't skimp neither."
"So he can be trusted?"
"Well, that's the thing..."
"What thing?"
"If things go sideways, he'll flip the whole table, they say. Just recently he got all cranky and started grabbing random folks in the plaza and beating the daylights out of 'em — caused a right commotion, I heard. Listening to that story, he's a bona fide hothead, no mistaking it. But one thing's dead certain: 'round these parts, there ain't a soul with more weight than that man."
On that point, everyone agreed. At least around Shelter Arc, the mere mention of Sde's name was enough to put people on edge. Even setting Sde aside, most survivors thought long and hard before crossing the Human Cook Gang at all.
Won-goo was different. He'd said he'd catch them and hand them over as if it were nothing.
It wasn't bravado. It wasn't for show, either.
It was certainty — beyond mere faith that things would work out. After all, nobody exaggerates the obvious.
"What do you think?"
Montage asked, looking at Potion.
"It's complicated. I don't even know where to start believing him."
"His behavior's pure street trash, but he's got the chops to carve Ralph into sashimi, and when trouble starts, the Shelter Director comes calling personally. What in the hell is this guy's deal?"
"You call everyone together, then wander off somewhere — and might I ask, that's the part I'd like explained."
"Old man, why're you talking like that when you've been holed up at home all week?"
When Won-goo stepped into the shop, the whole crew was gathered. They'd enjoyed a fairly generous stretch of vacation, and everyone looked the better for it.
Every shelter had its differences, but Shelter Sabbath had plenty to enjoy if your pockets were deep enough. The facilities weren't as pristine as before the apocalypse, but they could pass for having the full set. There were plenty of restaurants, a fair number of bars. With safety guaranteed, even a few days of rest left everyone glowing.
"So why'd you call everyone together?"
"You all had a good break?"
"Yes, sir. Hyung-nim. Ready to deploy at a moment's notice."
"It's not work, it's payday. Just got back from the post office. Potion, Montage — seems you two are trusted figures back in your territory. I sent the bounty straight through the postal system. Looks like nobody skimmed anything off the middle, either."
Won-goo pulled small pouches out of his subspace bag.
"Ten each. Head to the route we mapped out beforehand, get them stamped, and come back."
"You're not keeping operating funds back? Feels like you're pushing too hard, all of a sudden — that's the part that worries me."
"I've run the numbers. Everything's accounted for. The goods we recovered from the dungeon look set to sell faster than expected, and at better prices too. Some war must've broken out somewhere. Add in the revenue from Buri Island, and I'd say our situation's improved considerably."
Clack.
Won-goo handed out the pouches one by one.
"You cash them in as agreed, and get confirmation. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ttugi."
"Yes! Hyung-nim!"
"Take point and get them there and back."
"Understood."
When Lee Hyun-sung rose from his seat, the crew fell in behind him without a word. He didn't need to give a single order.
"You're not coming along, old man?"
"Aren't you overextending? I thought you said we need to keep a generous reserve for the Trailer?"
"This is on top of that reserve. Money's been flowing in awfully fast lately, hasn't it?"
"Now that you mention it, something does feel that way. We've pulled in quite a lot recently. What we've earned since the new recruits joined must be several times what we made over all our contracts before... that's the part I keep chewing on."
"In a world where you can't see one step ahead, worrying about that is a luxury. Let's just call the new recruits lucky charms. Something about them draws money in."
"And did you look into that thing on your body?"
"It's a Seal."
"Right. A Seal."
"Not easy. It seems to be an extremely rare one."
"So you gain a huge reward and can't even put it to proper use."
"It's one of several. Either way, when you die, you never get to use everything you've got — that's the same for all of us. I know you've had something eating at you lately, old man... but snap out of it. Bickering I can stand. Killing the mood, I can't."
"......"
Won-goo's face was dead serious. At that, Mu Beob-sa answered in kind, just as grave.
"I take your meaning — that's the part I've understood."
"Let's go to the Coin Exchange."
Dan-shin was thoroughly satisfied with his current life.
Back when his ring had been swiped, he'd wholeheartedly agreed with the rumors that Won-goo was a thug. He didn't believe a word of it anymore.
Won-goo had given him an enormous opportunity, and thanks to it, Dan-shin was living very well indeed. That was why he managed the Trainer's shop and warehouse with such diligence. The shop, especially, had been transformed from the ground up.
It used to be a counter with rows of cages behind it. A simple layout on paper, but hardly an efficient one. Dan-shin had reshaped it bit by bit — cleared the cages out entirely to open up space, and today he'd even torn out the counter. It still wasn't as roomy as Sanghae's place, but it was now ample enough for the crew to make real use of it.
With the extra space, the crew could do far more at the shop. Lee Hyun-sung in particular spent every spare moment drilling combos with the others.
"Ttugi."
"Yes, Hyung-nim."
Even mid-sparring, the moment Won-goo's voice rang out, Lee Hyun-sung answered instantly.
"Your blade's changed a little, hasn't it?"
"Has it?"
"What kind of answer is that? You should know better than I do."
Lee Hyun-sung's role was vanguard. Tank. The man who protected the crew at the very front line. So he'd been investing in upgrades that let him fulfill that role — which meant that, for all his tenacious survivability, his attack power lagged well behind. What compensated for it was his Gift: the talent to synchronize with a weapon and keep strengthening it, indefinitely.
"Look at the tip. It's changed, hasn't it?"
"It does seem a bit sharper, sir."
"That's just the beginning. Once the shape starts shifting, it changes fast. From today, swing it even more. Every day."
"I will, Hyung-nim."
"Everyone — pair off with Hyun-sung as often as you can for a while. This period is critical."
"Yessir!"
"And you've no thought of helping, old man?"
Won-goo asked, glancing at Mu Beob-sa, who sat cross-legged on the floor.
"I'm walking the path of magic, aren't I — that's the part where I stand."
"Mu... fine. What's the point of arguing. Meditate more often, then. Watching you, I'd say you haven't even been doing that lately."
"What nonsense! I meditate day and night, more than you could imagine!"
"Then do even more. Look around. Everyone else is striding ahead, aren't they?"
"The path of magic is perilous and winding — that's the part where it lies."
Won-goo wanted nothing more than to fire back a retort right then, but he held it in. He genuinely acknowledged the potential Mu Beob-sa carried.
BANG!
Someone kicked the shop door wide open.
The first thing Won-goo's crew had changed when they took over the shop was the door. They'd replaced the flimsy old one with solid iron. Kicking a closed iron door down took serious strength — and this one had been booted open like it was a mess-hall door. Every head in the shop turned.
"Serve the customer!"
A man strolled in, bellowing cheerfully.
"What's with kicking the door?"
The crew's faces all stiffened. Lee Hyun-sung's especially had gone ice-cold — right up until he got a look at the visitor's face.
"Fresh?"
"Heard you opened for business, so I came by."
The visitor was a familiar face — Fresh, the man who'd worked alongside them dealing with the beastmen. The one who'd been injured and needed treatment.
He showed up all smiles.
"Then why the hell are you booting down other people's door?"
"Can't a guy joke around?"
With that, he plopped himself down carelessly in an empty chair.
"Well, well?"
"Brought you a nice gift, see."
Grinning, he pulled a small glass jar from his bag.
"What could that be?"
"What's it look like? Honey, isn't it?"
"It is."
"Wait — is this King Giant hornet honey?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Managed to get my hands on it by pure luck."
A smile crept across Won-goo's lips.
"How's the arm?"
"Perfect, obviously. Healed up nicely, wouldn't you say?"
"Where'd you dig up something this rare? How much did it cost you?"
"Cost? Between us? Just eat it. I'm not selling, anyway. I'm having the whole thing myself... what's left of it."
"This is— wow. It's authentic, right?"
"Inspect it and see."
Fresh was a middle-aged man with an unkempt all-white mane and a scruffy beard, sharp-jawed and radiating pure machismo. Pop!
The moment the jar opened, there was no doubting it was something extraordinary. A fragrance filled the shop — the scent of stepping into an untouched forest, blooming out of nowhere. Every eye in the room was drawn to it. That was how potent the aroma was.
"It's real."
"Of course it's real."
"And you're just giving it to me?"
"Take it and do one job with me. That's the deal."
Won-goo's expression shifted in an instant.
"Figured as much. What's the job?"
"One that needs Director Gong's strength. You know Damseok Mountain?"
At the name, Won-goo glanced sideways at Mu Beob-sa. The old mage's ears pricked up, listening hard.
"I know of it. It's not our territory, so not in any detail."
"A Coin Exchange was discovered inside that Damseok Mountain."
"And?"
"But that Coin Exchange hasn't opened for business yet."
"What?"
"Weird, right?"
"It is weird. You're sure it hasn't opened?"
"Sure. The sign's dark. Not a single light on it."
Only then did Won-goo take the seat across from Fresh. His interest had been piqued.
"What happens if a Coin Exchange hasn't opened?"
Jeon Hye-ji quietly asked Jo Mu-sa.
"The survivor who opens a Coin Exchange receives benefits. The way a shelter grants benefits to its first visitor — the Exchange has something similar. But those benefits were claimed ages ago... an unopened Exchange surviving until now? That's a first for me, honestly."
Meanwhile, Fresh and Won-goo had moved into specifics.
"So something's there?"
"Right. But nobody knows what that something is — which is why the request came to me."
"You must have at least figured out what it is?"
"Couldn't."
"Seriously... you don't even know what it is, and you want me to come along?"
"There are a few clues. Just nothing confirmed."
"All right, let's boil it down. There's a Coin Exchange on Damseok Mountain, and something's prowling around it, attacking survivors. And right now, nobody's even properly identified what it is. That about sum it up?"
"That's it."
"Then it's no ordinary job... I've never once seen a monster-hunting request where the numbers actually work out. You'd at least need to identify the monster before weighing reward against risk, no? And this one's not even that..."
"That's exactly why I came to Director Gong. There's nowhere else to turn in this line of work."
"I appreciate the high marks for my skills, but does that Exchange really need to open at all? Can't we just go on ignoring it like we have been?"
"That's how it's been handled so far. But that was a misjudgment."
"Of what?"
"That something in the Coin Exchange has been expanding its territory. And lately, the rate of expansion has been speeding up."
"......"