The Seal
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?”
Gong Won-goo had spotted Kim Seok-bong loitering in front of the store. The man had clearly made an effort at disguise, but there was no slipping past Won-goo's sharp eyes.
Kim Seok-bong had been working as a pathfinder for a small outfit while also guiding people into Black Shelters on the side.
“You recognize me?”
“I should damn well recognize you. Why are you skulking around out there?”
“My identity is—”
“I don't give a crap about your identity.”
“Still, if word gets around that someone like me—a bottom-tier grub—is tangled up with you, Director—”
“That rumor's already spreading. Plenty of people around this shelter have worked with me. You acting like this just makes you look MORE suspicious.”
With that, Won-goo ushered Kim Seok-bong inside. The store wasn't located anywhere particularly visible, and the street outside wasn't exactly crowded either.
“What do you want?”
“There's work.”
“Where? Black Shelter?”
“There's been steady work there. I hear they're still investigating the Hikan incident.”
“I know that much. And I know they suspect me the most.”
“Thanks to that, I've come under some suspicion too.”
“But there's no evidence, is there.”
“No, sir... though they're just about certain it was you.”
“Anyone with half a brain could figure that much out. I've factored it in. And like I promised, nothing about you has leaked. Any rumors going around about you?”
“Not really...”
“See? I keep my promises. So why are you here?”
“You told me to let you know if I heard anything.”
“What kind of news? Are they throwing a joint wedding over at the Black Shelter?”
“No, nothing like that. You know about seals, right?”
“Of course I do.”
“There's supposedly a collector going around asking questions about them.”
“A seal collector?”
“Yes, sir. Apparently it's someone who peels seals off people and collects them... honestly, I didn't even know that was a job until just now. I have no idea how they even—”
“I know. They flay the skin and graft the seal onto themselves.”
“You knew?”
“I know the type of bastard who does that kind of work.”
“Figured you would. So these bastards—”
“I don't know the ones who came here. I'm saying I know the breed. So what, is one of them showing up a big problem? Who around here was running seals as their main setup?”
Won-goo mentally ran through a few names.
“I wouldn't know about that... but the important thing isn't that. Word is, a big seal surfaced around here recently.”
“A big seal?”
“Yes, sir. What I heard is that a massive one appeared, and they're promising a hefty reward to anyone who tips them off about it. So if you happen to know anything, Director...”
Nine times out of ten, that big seal was referring to Gong Won-goo himself.
But the seasoned operator didn't so much as blink.
“You little punk!”
“Sir?”
“How the hell am I supposed to answer anything when you come fishing for information that vague? You should've asked what KIND of seal it is, how big, get some specifics at least.”
“That's all I heard, sir.”
“And why'd that bastard start by hitting up the Black Shelter? Is he one of the blacklisted too?”
“Probably. One thing's certain—he's not one of the local operators.”
“A gang? How many?”
“They said seven in total?”
“And that's why there's a bounty?”
“Yes.”
“What do they look like?”
“I'm told you'd know them on sight. Every single one of them has a seal covering their face.”
“Okay. Blacklisted seal collectors have surfaced around here. Yeah, that's worth passing along.”
“I mean... it's not really relevant to you, though, right?”
“Hard to say it's irrelevant. I've got friends who use seals. You think those guys are going to dig in the dirt and collect seals themselves?”
“Ah...”
“If they weren't blacklisted, they might just be ordinary collectors. But you said blacklisted, didn't you? Those things are all made from the flayed skin of people who had seals. Yeah, you'd better tell me.”
“That's fair.”
“Anything else?”
“There is. And this is the real news. You flipped your profile recently, didn't you, Director?”
“The summoner? At the Coin Exchange?”
“Yes, yes. Word is that guy went into a Black Shelter.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Though it's not confirmed. It's just that his appearance and clothing were similar, that's all...”
“I get it, you punk. But that's useful intel. If the guy who actually slipped into that Black Shelter turns out to be that Coin Exchange vermin, I'll guarantee you three gold coins.”
“Really?”
Kim Seok-bong's eyes lit up like lanterns.
“That much I can easily cover. There are plenty of people grinding their teeth over that bastard.”
“I'd be grateful if you did. So how do you plan to handle him?”
“You think that vermin's going to stay in there forever? He'll crawl out eventually. Activate your human tracker. Don't touch him—just report when he leaves the Black Shelter. Only when he comes out. Catch him outside, and you get paid.”
“Ah... but there's no telling when that'll be...”
“You refusing?”
“No, sir. I'll do it.”
Won-goo then gestured toward Jeon Hye-ji, who brought over a pouch of silver coins.
“The intel on that vermin was solid. The rest, not so much. Bring me something better next time.”
“Yes, sir!”
Thwack!
As Kim Seok-bong snatched for the pouch, Won-goo casually blocked his hand.
“That doesn't mean bring me garbage. Credible stuff. Verified stuff. Got it? Let's not have you getting sloppy over pocket change.”
Nodding, Kim Seok-bong pulled his hood up and slipped out through the back door.
“He is indeed looking for Director Gong. That much is certain.”
Mu Beob-sa spoke up, lounging on a spread mat with a book in hand—the same philosophy tome he always carried.
“Probably.”
“You have abilities for tracking such things as well?”
“There'd be a related Gift. Seal tracking.”
“Covering their entire faces, though... doesn't that mean they have an enormous number of seals?”
Jo Mu-sa asked, and Won-goo shook his head.
“No. Seals don't get engraved on the face first. Anything carved onto the face is far more likely to be a tattoo.”
“A tattoo? On their faces? To show off that they're in the same gang?”
“No—it's proof of their profession. Professional seal harvesters.”
“...?”
“You know who recognizes a con artist fastest? Another con artist. Who spots a murderer first? Another murderer. Criminals recognize criminals. You don't know that theory?”
“I-I think I've heard something li-like that.”
“Right. Experts recognize experts. Think about what collecting seals actually means—tearing the skin off someone else and grafting it onto your own body. That's not something a normal mind can stomach. So what would bastards like that fear most?”
“...?”
“Meeting a collector just like themselves. So what would they need to do to avoid that fate?”
“...?”
“...?”
“...?”
Nobody could come up with an answer. Even Jeon Hye-ji was stumped this time. None of them knew enough about seals to help it.
“Make it impossible to tell what's a seal and what isn't. Then they can't get picked off easily. To those bastards, seals are both the source of their power and their entire fortune. It's like me saying the Trailer is everything I own. Worth more than their lives. Now imagine someone robbing you of that. Could you stomach it?”
“So they tattoo their faces as a disguise?”
“Exactly. A seal is just skin and ink once you peel it and graft it on. Which means the ones on their faces are almost certainly fakes...”
“But I have a question.”
Geum Chul-soo raised his hand.
“What is it, Chul-soo?”
“If you peel off someone's skin and graft it on, can you actually use the ability?”
“If they've invested the related Milestone Trait, yes. These are people whose entire build was designed around it from the start.”
“So it is a path most ordinary survivors never walk?”
“That's right. Look at you, finally following along.”
“But if there are seven of those bastards together... isn't that extremely dangerous?”
Jo Mu-sa said.
“Dangerous, all right. Nothing levels you up faster than seals. You're raking in coins AND using seal abilities on top of it. What's not to love?”
“Is there no kind of restriction?”
Jeon Hye-ji asked. Won-goo shook his head.
“None.”
“Then there'd be no reason NOT to use seals...”
“If the chance to get one comes up? Sure, take it. They pop up as rewards now and then, and the opportunities will only multiply as the apocalypse deepens. But building your entire path around seals? I don't recommend it.”
“Why not? You just said there were no restrictions.”
“No restrictions, faster growth than anyone else—all true. But that much power draws flies like a carcass in summer.”
“Flies?”
“Say you grind through a dozen major contracts—versus bagging ONE guy draped in seals head to toe? That second one's a lottery ticket, a lottery ticket. Running around with one or two seals and using them is fine. Building your whole identity around them? No. You never know when you'll get jumped. Carry five, seven seals? People will abandon entire shelters for the chance to ambush you. And here's the thing—they can't use your seals if their abilities don't match. So what do they do? They sell them.”
“Ah...”
“Everything has its trade-offs. And there's a reason nobody walks that road. No matter how high and far you fly in this world, going it alone has a ceiling. Look at Ah-bal. In the end, she'll go down once. If she's lucky, she lives. If she's not, that's the end. No reason to paint a target on your own back. Those collectors that surfaced in the Black Shelter? Why do you think they travel in a pack? They know. So they built themselves a fence—watching each other's backs.”
“Then is it not the case that one of them might be a seal tracker? Would Director Gong be safe?”
“Finding me right away won't be easy. They'll probably start by squeezing the seal-users around here first.”
Gong Won-goo didn't just avoid using seals—he didn't even know what his own was. There was no chance of him being exposed immediately.
“But if skilled ones like that start prowling, won't you run into them eventually? Better to strike first, Hyeong-nim.”
It was a quiet word from Lee Hyun-sung, who had been listening to the conversation in silence.
“I was already thinking that way.”
“Strike first? Did you not say they were in the Black Shelter?”
“The Black Shelter needs to be crushed at some point anyway. An opportunity's come knocking—we take it.”
“Director Gong. Growing quickly as we have of late does not mean we can afford to poke the Black Shelter. Their numbers are considerable. And...”
“I know. Nothing but violent criminals in there. No—worse than that. A concentration of filth that's barely human. Which is exactly why their combat power is no joke.”
“I am relieved you understand.”
“But there've been plenty of people with old grudges against the Black Shelter. And now we've got Seok-bong's report—the vermin summoner from the Coin Exchange has crawled in there. So Fresh's participation is confirmed, and Fresh will drag in everyone with a grudge against that vermin bastard.”
“That hardly seems like enough, though.”
Jo Mu-sa said.
“Of course it's not enough. That's why we call in every seal-user in the area.”
At that, everyone nodded along in agreement.
“We'll need to persuade them to join the fight. Striking first before you get struck is one of the ways you survive in this world. And you young ones wouldn't know this... but there are a LOT of people with grudges against the Black Shelter. If I recall, Dr. Woo has some business over there, doesn't he?”
“By that logic, Sapiens has a stake as well.”
“He does. If that bastard decides to flip the Black Shelter inside out, he'll come out of the woodwork. Grudges born of love and obsession never fade—just scratch the surface a little and he'll come running.”