Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Contact
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"I'm... I'm heading out."
I muttered as I slipped on my shoes in front of the door.
A rustling sound came from behind, but no one followed me out.
I turned my head and saw Yuriel peeking at me from behind the door, half her body hidden away.
Her hand gripped the loose hem of her shirt like a lifeline, knuckles white from the strain.
"......"
Her eyes trembled with unease.
The terror of being left alone in an unfamiliar place.
And the stray dog's fear that her owner might abandon her.
But she couldn't bring herself to stop me.
For a slave, blocking their master's path was unthinkable.
"I'll go make some money, so guard the house."
"The... the house, sir?"
Her ears perked up.
"Yeah. Don't open the door for anyone. Not even a single rat. Got it?"
Relief mixed with moisture gathered in Yuriel's eyes at my words.
I wasn't abandoning her.
I was giving her a mission.
A crucial one: to protect her master's most private domain, the house itself.
"Y-yes! I'll stake my life on it..."
She nodded solemnly, retreating deeper behind the door as she mumbled.
"I'll never leave this door... even if it kills me..."
...Anyone hearing that would think I'd put her in charge of defending a fortress wall.
It felt a bit off picturing her in just a shirt, staring at the front door, but what could I do?
My own nose was barely above water right now.
I pulled my cap low and stepped out.
Destination: Gangnam, Hulk Hong's studio.
I'd scheduled it an hour earlier than the card deal time.
'The buyer will show up with a fortune that ultimately becomes my money, but I can't look desperate at the negotiation table.'
You need full pockets to play it cool.
Hulk Hong had begged me to come and jacked up the appearance fee to 3 million won.
First things first: collect that ammo.
A large building in Gangnam.
Across from a noisy, sprawling fitness center that took up two-thirds of the floor.
Inside the comparatively small and quiet Pilates studio [Bodyline], a heavy silence hung in the air.
"Hoo... hoo..."
Lee Seo-ah huddled in a dark corner of the studio, turning her smartphone screen on and off with trembling hands.
[Come to the side by 4 PM. Need a report too.]
[Congrats on surviving. First time back, so I'll let the no-report slide.]
Messages from Kim Sung-hyun.
Polite, gentlemanly strings of text. But Lee Seo-ah felt suffocating pressure between the lines.
'I don't want to go...'
She buried her face in her knees.
Memories of Stage 1-1 flooded back like a nightmare.
[The Shelter].
Korea's largest and most secretive clan of Abyss survivors.
Kim Sung-hyun, the actor introduced through Hulk Hong, was a high-ranking executive and their public face.
Lee Seo-ah wanted to live.
So she'd handed over most of her saved cash as clan sponsorship for semi-membership in The Shelter.
The Shelter wasn't a scam. They provided solid support in return.
Vast monster encyclopedias, fairly accurate maps, and strategy guides written by veterans themselves.
There had even been two lectures in just a few days.
- Folks, our full members can't intervene directly in Stage 1 due to system rules. But memorize this hand signal. With just this...
- Remember this signal, and you'll know if the other guy's from our Shelter. But don't go flashing it at races and getting on their bad side! We can't let them into the Shelter! Hahaha!
The lectures covered the same things. As if they were that important.
And everything they said was true.
In a situation where she could only rely on random matching luck, the hand signal had let her join semi-members from other Shelters.
Reliable allies, perfect strategy. Everything seemed smooth.
But that was just 'theory'.
"Grrraaaah!"
In front of the final boss, the Corrupted Amalgamation, the guide was useless.
[Pattern 3: When it sprays poison gas, turn your back to the wind and drop prone.]
Easy enough on paper.
She'd heard veterans' stories, but reality was a different beast.
Reading wind direction from rustling leaves in that frantic chaos? Near impossible.
No beginner could stay calm amid the terror of a rampaging giant monster.
The two Shelter-provided allies she'd teamed with melted away screaming.
It wasn't their weakness. Or bad info.
The Abyss itself was an irrational hell no theory could conquer.
'They gave us their all... and we still failed.'
That terrified her more.
Even with top clan's help, allies died.
Her own powerlessness sank in deep.
She'd survived on luck alone. Would it hold next time?
'I don't... want to die...'
Lee Seo-ah forced her shaking legs to stand.
She staggered out the studio door.
The lively music from Hulk Hong's gym across the hall buzzed like it was from another world.
Ding-
The elevator opened, and a man stepped out.
Black cap pulled low, face masked.
Hands in pockets, walking the hall casually like any passerby.
Lee Seo-ah tried to brush past him listlessly, then froze mid-breath.
'......?'
A fleeting vibe as they passed.
Familiar.
Seared into her brain.
A man who'd wielded overwhelming power alone in the tutorial hell.
No clan intel, no party teamwork.
Slaughtering monsters on pure skill, needing no one's help.
'Could it be... Han Yujin?'
Lee Seo-ah's pupils shook.
True strength.
Not the safe fence of The Shelter, but the raw, beastly power of the wild.
It was walking right past her.
'Should I... talk to him?'
If she clung to him, wouldn't he protect her better than The Shelter?
Or at least teach her real ways to survive this hell?
But her feet stuck to the floor like glued.
She looked pathetic, like a ragged survivor, and last time he'd treated her like baggage.
While she hesitated, he pushed open Hulk Hong's gym door without a backward glance.
'Is he a regular here? I think I saw him last time too...'
His back vanished beyond the frosted glass.
In her despair-filled heart, a tiny spark of hope flickered.
A vague expectation that there might be paths beyond becoming a cog in a giant machine.
'I have to go back to that hell. Hesitate, and... I'll die.'
Her gaze locked completely on him through the massive fitness center windows.
"Whoa! You're here! I've been waiting!"
Hulk Hong rushed out barefoot the moment I entered the gym.
Even more deferential than last time.
No wonder—last video's views had shattered channel records.
"Please take it easy on us today. Ah, have a seat here."
Cameras were already rolling in the setup area.
I sat, adjusting my cap.
"Before we start, subscribers are dying to know. Mind if I ask a few?"
Hulk Hong cautiously held out the mic.
"Your age? Ex-national weightlifting champ? Special forces?"
"We agreed no personal questions."
"Ah, haha, sorry. You're just so mysterious..."
Hulk Hong chuckled awkwardly and pivoted.
"Heard the rumors? About Abyss survivors using... superpowers. Community blew up once. Died down now, though."
He trailed off.
But it hooked me.
"...Superpowers?"
I played dumb.
A million thoughts raced inside.
Hulk Hong lit up, chattering away.
"Yeah! Suddenly shooting fire, insane strength. Superhero sightings."
I kept a blank face, but frowned inwardly.
'Figures. Not just me—others with unique cards too.'
But the world was weirdly quiet.
Real Superman powers would've caused chaos everywhere, not just rumors.
'Still hidden, or super rare?'
If they were common, attention whores would've flooded YouTube by now.
"Who knows. World's rough—plenty of nonsense floats around."
I shrugged it off.
"Right? Superpowers? Nah, better to grind like us, build muscle. Alright, challenge time!"
Hulk Hong gestured dramatically.
A hulking brute emerged from the back lounge.
Forearms thicker than my thighs, menacing muscle monster.
"Introducing! Unlimited arm-wrestling ranker, 'Crusher' Victor Jo!"
Woooah!
Trainers and onlookers cheered.
Classic YouTube hype.
Victor Jo cracked his neck arrogantly and sat across from me.
"What’s this twig?"
He eyed me up and down, sneering.
"Boss, you pay me, so I do it... but normals give no thrill."
He propped his pot-lid hand on the table, flexing.
"Buddy, sign the waiver first—no suing if your arm snaps. Busted some punk to 8 weeks ago. Your funeral."
Open provocation.
Scripted for views, or just his personality? Whatever.
'Annoying.'
I silently placed my arm on the table.
"Let's go."
"Ha, got guts."
Grip.
His callused hand crushed mine like a vice.
"Ready... Go!"
At Hulk Hong's signal, veins bulged on Victor's forearm.
Grraaah!
He went all-in from the start, slamming his full weight to pin me.
Face beet-red with effort.
Crowd held breath.
But.
"......"
My arm didn't budge.
Like a steel pillar rooted deep.
"Wha... huh?"
Victor's eyes bulged.
He was maxing out, and I looked bored.
"Done?"
I asked flatly. His face twisted in shame.
"You little...!"
As he twisted foul-like, I didn't flip his wrist.
Instead, I drove vertical force down through our grip.
Hard.
Like punching through the table.
Krunch-!
"Guhk."
Ominous snap.
The arm-wrestling table's steel frame screamed.
Screeech-clang!
"Eek?!"
Boom-!
Thick steel top split in half, collapsing.
Supports bent like taffy.
"Urk!"
Victor toppled back, losing balance.
He rolled on the floor, staring wide-eyed at the wreckage and my face.
Terror on his mug.
"......"
Silence blanketed the set.
Hulk Hong gaped, dropping his mic.
I brushed dust off and stood slowly.
"You won't cheap out and deduct table costs from my fee, right?"
In the chilly aftermath, as Hulk Hong snapped out of it to salvage things.
Murmurs.
Commotion at the entrance. Crowd parted like the Red Sea, whispering.
"Hey, isn't that Kim Sung-hyun?"
"For real? Damn, he looks even better in person."
"That Abyss survivor celeb. Always on the news!"
A sharply dressed man entered with his manager.
Soft smile, relaxed gestures. Nodding lightly amid stares—like a natural celeb.
I frowned, dusting off beside the wrecked table.
'Who?'
Kim Sung-hyun? Never heard.
Rising star? Hulk Hong's next guest?
Didn't matter.
Entourage types like him just brought headaches.
I tugged my cap lower, slipping away.
Deal time neared; head to the spot and wait.
But then.
The suited man, mid-fan service at the door, scanned my area quick.
He'd heard about the incident.
Smashed steel table in two.
Arm-wrestler on the floor, dazed.
Me, standing nonchalant before it.
"......"
His eyes narrowed.
The crowd-pleasing smile vanished, replaced by cold scrutiny.
'What.'
Our eyes met.
Intensely probing gaze.
He whispered to his manager, then strode straight through the crowd.
Step, step.
He stopped before me, nudging the table's jagged edge with his shoe tip.
Then looked up, intrigued.
"Impressive. Ripping the frame barehanded, no tools."
Courteous tone, but eyes dissected me.
"Not the kind of strength training alone builds."
"So?"
I snapped curtly. He lowered his voice, mindful of onlookers.
"By chance."
He pulled out his smartphone, flashing the screen.
Familiar secure messenger app.
"Are you... the card seller?"
I paused then.
This guy.
The sucker who'd messaged to buy my card.
I looked him over again.
Not just flashy exterior for a celeb.
Buyer probing the seller's vibe first?
I tipped my cap brim up, flashing a grin.
"You bring plenty of cash?"