Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: An Uncomfortable Proposal, A Good Choice
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I'd entered the home of the mother who recognized me, carrying her baby.
We sat facing each other in the living room, sharing an awkward silence for a moment.
Jang Ho-seop was originally supposed to lead the conversation, but he kept glancing at me for cues.
He probably thought this woman was someone I knew.
"How do you know me?"
In the end, I spoke first.
"Well... because I know your mother."
"My mother?"
My expression hardened at the mention of Mom.
My mother had barely any social connections.
Besides, this woman was much younger than her.
"Oh, no, not that well. I don't even know her name..."
That made it even stranger.
She knew my name but not my mom's?
"My parents ran the Muhwa Mart down below."
"Ah."
It was the neighborhood mart I knew well.
A pretty big one, too.
"When I was young, I often helped out at my parents' store. Your mother came by frequently..."
"Yes. That's right."
"She even ordered deliveries to the house sometimes. The two-story place up on the hill, right?"
Fuzzy memories surfaced from her explanation.
A college-aged girl would come delivering on a scooter.
"Your mother bragged about her son to me once. I even saw your face back when you were in high school, Yi Hyun."
"You have a good memory."
"Well, you were so handsome... it just stuck with me."
She remembered my mom.
But that wasn't important right now.
"Then one day, she stopped coming. Your mother..."
"She passed away."
"Ah, I see. I'm sorry."
She bowed her head at my curt response.
In doing so, her eyes met those of the baby she'd been carrying on her back even while seated.
The mother's side looked grimy.
Her hair was matted from not washing it properly, and dark circles hollowed her eyes.
The baby, on the other hand, had good color and seemed relatively clean.
"Ho-seop."
"Ah, yes. It's amazing the baby's not crying."
At my signal, Jang Ho-seop began the pitch.
Just like at the other houses.
"If you share your Fundamental Skill, we'll give you food?"
"Yes. And we can offer work, too."
"Pardon? Work?"
Jang Ho-seop's proposal was a test to see if we'd bring them into our group.
"Our team goes around everywhere every day. We fight monsters to secure safety and gather whatever supplies we need."
"I see. That's... very brave of you."
"When we bring back all those supplies, sorting and organizing them is a lot of work. That's what you'd help with."
Jang Ho-seop recited the same lines as at the other houses.
"Compensation would be in food or snacks. If you're interested, come by late afternoon tomorrow..."
He dangled the bait identically.
"So, what is your Fundamental Skill?"
"Mine is... well..."
The baby's mom hesitated to answer.
Jang Ho-seop smoothly took over.
"I understand. It's hard to share casually, right?"
"Yes... I think it needs to stay secret."
Those desperate for food spill their skills right away.
People with some leeway or the weak either hide them or lie.
Hiding or lying is fine.
It's a natural reaction.
The key is that I can read their emotions while Jang Ho-seop talks.
"Have you seen us out and about by any chance?"
"No... I've been locked indoors."
"Ah, you haven't. Hmm..."
Jang Ho-seop hesitated.
He glanced at me again, so I nodded to keep going as planned.
"We don't lack for anything. We're offering to help, and..."
Up till now, he'd subtly mixed in threats.
The other residents had seen us, so they opened up about their skills easily.
"The world's gotten really dangerous. You know that, right?"
"Ah... yes."
"Let me make you an offer. You don't have to tell us exactly what your skill is..."
This woman wasn't stupid.
She picked up on the implication in Jang Ho-seop's words and nodded.
"Attack types, defense or protection types, ones that can neutralize enemies..."
He explained skill categories step by step.
The baby's mom hesitated, then finally answered.
"It's a bit ambiguous... but healing type, I think."
"Huh?"
Jang Ho-seop looked at me again.
This time with surprise.
We returned home.
We ate an early dinner.
"Son, tell us now. What was that last house's skill?"
"Healing type, but..."
"Huh? Healing type?"
The group was startled when Jang Ho-seop mentioned the baby's mom's skill.
"It's ambiguous. Not really healing—more purification."
"What's purification?"
"Brother and I didn't get the full details either."
The aunt explained in simple terms.
"Something like that. Like detoxification. You know, stomach pumping if we eat something bad."
"Ah! Isn't that an amazing ability? We really need it."
I agreed.
But there was a problem.
"The issue is the kid attached to it..."
"Kid? Like a child?"
"No, not exactly a child. Brother, how old would you say?"
I wasn't sure either.
I showed the aunt with my hands spread shoulder-width.
"Around that size? Maybe just before first birthday. Could it talk? Walking yet...?"
"Not sure. It stayed on her back the whole time we talked, didn't make a sound."
We weren't certain of the baby's age, but one thing was clear.
"Whatever the age, a baby like that is a net negative."
"Yeah... in every way."
Kim Soo-jung nodded absentmindedly at my words.
A baby was both an instability factor and a constraint.
'It meets the conditions, though.'
I'd set loose criteria to gather people.
Whether their skill was useful.
If there were elements to make them obey me, etc.
These were the same standards we'd used for the current group.
'Tendencies and such... we'll see.'
People change.
Even in the same moment, thoughts and behaviors can differ.
So I planned to judge only what I could control first.
'That woman is too extreme.'
The baby's mom had an incredibly rare and valuable Fundamental Skill.
At the same time, her weakness—and the baby she had no choice but to protect desperately—could be a fatal drawback for everyone.
"It's our first healing type. Given the skill..."
"No, raising a kid is hard even normally..."
"If it cries outside... we couldn't move at all?"
In short, it was hard to judge.
Opinions in the group were split.
"We'll decide after seeing tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah. She's at her limit. She can't hold out alone anymore. She'll come."
I stepped in to end their debate.
They all nodded in agreement.
There's a church on the downhill path south from our house.
No residents remained between that church and my home.
After dinner, Lee Yu-na and I came alone to the church.
"You think anyone will really come?"
This was the location we'd spread the word about to the neighbors all day.
Work in exchange for supplies.
"Who knows. Even if no one shows, it's fine."
Jang Ho-seop and I expected most people to come here seeking work.
Except a few, everyone was in bad shape.
Hoarding food extremely or already starving.
"I think some will come... but I'm doubtful about them trying to steal."
We'd taken position on the second floor of the main building.
The sanctuary was in clear view.
I sat in a good spot and turned my head; Yu-na averted her gaze.
She'd been staring at my face moments ago.
"People are scared of us. That's why."
"True. But we've shown what we're capable of so far."
We'd moved regularly and predictably.
Out at dawn, back before sunset.
Neighbors had seen us around.
Some might have even scoped out my house already.
Eying the supplies we'd gathered.
Now we'd given them the exact location.
Though it was false info, of course.
"So we're just casting the line."
Sprinkle bait and wait.
To filter out those coveting what was mine.
"If it were me, I wouldn't trust it. Too many suspicious points."
"Fair enough."
Yu-na wasn't objecting to our plan.
She'd called it a good idea when she first heard it.
The intent to screen people, that is.
'It's pretty sloppy, yeah.'
So if no one bites, that's fine too.
"Ah, want some jelly?"
As conversation lulled, Yu-na spoke up again.
Pulling out snacks.
"Thanks."
I could feel Yu-na's shyness.
Yet she kept talking.
"Um... mister. No girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend?"
"Yeah. Ah, unnie said you're not in that kind of relationship."
I shook my head.
Bom unnie hadn't dated anyone else but me, yet we weren't lovers.
Hard to explain to Yu-na.
I'd never done the typical dating thing people talk about.
Unless it was just for sex.
But Bom unnie was neither.
"Huh? Really? Why?"
Yu-na's joy swelled.
I tried to explain, but she kept going.
"What about unnie? How'd you get close to her?"
"Close... sort of, yeah."
"Huh?"
"Ah, unnie's like Mom."
"Ehhh? No way, really?"
She seemed to misunderstand.
"There was an accident at the salon when I was in middle school."
"Oh."
"Unnie hugged me while asking if I was okay."
Bom unnie has a soft voice.
She doesn't get loud around me.
Yu-na hurriedly lowered her tone when I pointed that out.
"And big breasts."
"Pardon? Ah..."
"That's why I said similar. Not like Mom in personality."
Yu-na's face flushed red.
"I... I see. Yeah... So you like mom-like women, mister?"
"Yeah. Appearance-wise."
There'd never be another woman exactly like my mom in this world.
That's what I think.
Because.
"My mother was someone who could do anything for me."
Mom could've killed for me.
Before the cataclysm.
"Hee hee hee. Yeah. My dad too. Mom passed early, so I don't know much..."
Why was she laughing?
I hadn't said anything funny.
"Ah, what about my voice? To you..."
"Nice."
Yu-na's voice is a bit low for a girl.
Easy on the ears.
"Hee hee. Oh, I brought chocolate too. Want some?"
Yu-na was extra chatty today.
"And I'm practicing new skill uses. Can you watch?"
I'd thought she was quiet, but apparently not.
Yu-na and I took turns sleeping to guard the church.
No one came.
The next morning, the group came down early.
We pulled our carts along the usual route as always.
Ah, we'd gotten a few extra carts.
"This way."
After descending the hill, we headed toward Yongsan Station but turned off.
We took the opposite path we never used, climbing back up the hill.
We returned to the church without being spotted.
"Yu-na, go up top. Ho-seop, here. The rest of you..."
We began our stakeout.
I figured it'd be a boring wait.
Screeech.
Less than an hour later, Target Detection pinged several presences.
The door soon opened.
"Doesn't seem like anyone's here?"
"See? Told you. They all go out together."
Village residents.
Neighbors from the same block, come as a group.
"Not sure if we should do this..."
"It's not theirs anyway. We stole it all ourselves."
"Hey, folks. My nose is numb from the cold. Let's grab what we can and go."
They entered cautiously.
I waited for them to fully enter and close the door.