Dress Code
Outside the subway car, the tunnel was nothing but darkness.
Occasional flashes of light swept past, the only proof that the train was actually moving.
"It's fast."
"Right? Seoul's subway system was actually pretty well-made. There were barely any delays back then."
In reality, a vehicle that moved this fast and without interruption simply did not exist.
"If I jump out, it's not going to end with just a few scratches."
"Why is jumping out the very first thing you think of?"
"Of course it is. This place is basically a locked room."
The subway train was long, but it was still a sealed space, blocked off in every direction.
If we were ambushed here, there would be nowhere to run.
The only way out would be to force the doors open and leap into the dark.
"Guild Leader Yoo Hyeyeon said that as long as you act normal, the internet residents won't even realize you're human."
I had heard the same thing when I accessed the Internet for field duty in the past, and again when I received this first mission.
As long as I acted normal and didn't draw the attention of the AIs, I would be safe.
"If that's the case, people have been staring at me for a while now."
"Huh? Really?"
"Yeah. And it's not just one or two. Everyone walking past steals a glance at me. ...See? Just now, someone made eye contact with me and quickly looked away."
"Ah... about that..."
"I think I'm already being watched. If things get hairy, I might have to abort the mission and pull out..."
"That's... just because you look weird, Mister."
"Weird?"
"You're wearing a goblin avatar right now."
"So what?"
Goblins were common trash mobs in Maetan. While nobody used them as avatars, it wasn't a particularly shocking appearance.
"Did you forget what Guild Leader Yoo Hyeyeon said? She said that if you use a goblin avatar, the Internet automatically filters it to make you look like a human who resembles a goblin. So... to other people, you look like a person who looks exactly like a goblin."
I looked at my reflection in the subway window.
A height that wouldn't even reach a normal man's chest, tattered and filthy clothes, patchy male-pattern baldness, a massive nose, and rough, sickly green skin.
An indescribably hideous face stared back at me.
"This... is me?"
"Yes... Everyone is just staring because you're ugly, Mister. Don't let it get to you!!"
Right on cue, the train ground to a halt, and the doors on my side slid open.
"Eek!"
A woman waiting at the platform gasped in shock and quickly scurried past me.
Come to think of it, even though the train was packed, there was a strangely empty bubble of space around me.
Just as I was debating whether I should find a different avatar, the train stopped at Gangnam Station.
The moment I stepped out of Exit 6, I flipped open my phone to check the time.
20:08.
"Time really did flow backward."
CC spoke in an impressed tone.
Before leaving the Sprout office, Yoo Hyeyeon had explained:
"Royal Canin is a room salon in Gangnam. In Room 8, on May 31st at 20:21, a transaction to sell military secrets to China is scheduled to take place."
I had opened my phone to check the time.
It was already past 19:00.
"I don't know how long it takes to get to Gangnam from here, but isn't that cutting it a bit close?"
"Don't worry. I'll explain that part separately. Joohyuk, your job is to go to Royal Canin and steal those secrets. I don't care what method you use. In the end, you just need to return safely with the USB containing the data."
"Understood."
"Now, listen carefully. You must follow this exact route. First, enter the subway through Chungmuro Exit 4, board Car 6 heading toward Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, walk through the cars to Car 3, transfer to the next train..."
"...Something's off. If we move the way the Guild Leader is telling us, we won't make it in time."
"If we take such a detour, won't we run out of time?"
"Don't worry, just follow the designated route. You absolutely won't be late."
Yoo Hyeyeon had smiled confidently.
And just as she said, I had arrived at Gangnam Station before the event occurred.
"We spent almost two hours inside the subway, but only a little over an hour passed outside. There must be some trick to it."
"It doesn't matter."
CC sounded baffled, but it wasn't of much interest to me.
Who cared if the flow of time was a bit strange? The only times I ever cared about keeping were clock-in and clock-out times.
What mattered right now was that I had safely reached my destination, and the mission lay right before my eyes.
"Royal Canin is right here."
CC pointed an arrow toward a building.
In the corner of the building was a small door leading down to the basement.
As I tried to enter, a man in a black suit blocked my path.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No way. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but are you seriously trying to go in? Looking like that?"
"...I'm here to have a drink."
The man in the black suit let out a scoff of disbelief.
"Ha! Look, pal. We actually have a dress code here, you know? There's a cheap dive bar down the back alley. Go there, alright? Wow, you've got some nerve. I'm almost impressed."
"What's a dress code?"
"Appropriate attire for the venue. This place isn't exactly high-end, so they probably aren't super strict, but... your clothes are a bit much, Mister."
Reflected in the subway window earlier, I had been wearing a tattered, filthy t-shirt.
"So I just need to wear a suit?"
"Huh? Yeah. A suit would do, but... sigh... Look, pal, if you're planning to dine and dash, you should really find somewhere else—*urgh!*"
I grabbed the man by his collar and yanked him forward.
Caught completely off guard, his upper body bent forward helplessly. I slipped behind him, wrapped my forearm around his neck, and squeezed his carotid artery.
"You... bastard... *gack*..."
It took less than ten seconds for the man in the black suit to go limp.
Supporting his collapsing weight, I dragged him to the landing of the stairs and stripped off his jacket.
When I put it on, the sleeves hung loose and baggy, making me look like a child wearing his father's clothes.
"Does this fit the dress code?"
"...I have a lot of thoughts on this, but let's say yes. Hurry inside before he wakes up."
Descending into the dimly lit basement, I saw a woman in a red dress standing behind a dark wood counter.
"Welcome—wait, who are you? Is there no one upstairs?"
The woman stared at me with a look that clearly said, What kind of trash just walked in? before stepping out from behind the counter to peer up the stairs.
"I'm here for a drink."
"Mister, how did you even get in? Hey, guys! Get out here!"
As the woman yelled toward the back of the establishment, several men in black suits emerged.
Though their clothes were neat, their posture, expressions, and entire demeanor practically screamed that they were thugs.
"What? What's going on?"
"Well, this customer says he wants a drink..."
"What? Ah, that lazy piece of shit rookie. I told him to guard the door... Hey, old man. We aren't selling to you. Beat it."
The thugs waved their hands, shooing me away.
Their customer service was utterly atrocious. This place was worse than Maetan.
"I matched the dress code, though..."
"Screw your dress code. We don't sell to people like you."
"Boss, wait. Isn't that the rookie's jacket?"
"What?"
"It is. Hey! You, get over here."
These guys couldn't decide whether they wanted me to leave or come closer.
One of the thugs stomped toward me.
"You motherfucker, what did you do to our—*urgh!*"
I grabbed the hand reaching for my collar, pulled him in, and drove my fist straight into his ribs.
In Intra-Maetan, a basic attack like this wouldn't have even shaved off 1 HP, but my fist was different from a normal goblin's.
◈ Effect: Strong Arm (A)
◈ Description: Drastically increases the wearer's physical strength.
Backed by the power of Strong Arm, my fist was just as devastating as it was in the physical world.
The thug collapsed, clutching his side.
"Hyungtae!"
"You bastard!"
The other thugs panicked, pulling their hands out of their pockets.
Seeing their comrade drop in a single blow, they seemed to realize something was seriously wrong.
"I should have just done this from the start. No need to worry about a dress code."
In the narrow hallway of the room salon, lined with doors on both sides, the brawl began.
"Argh!"
"Gack!"
"Ugh!"
The fight was entirely one-sided.
The thugs who rushed me first didn't even possess basic combat skills.
They had plenty of bravado and bluster, but that was it.
Every time I threw a punch loaded with the power of Strong Arm, another body hit the floor.
However, there was one unexpected complication.
"Mister, I've confirmed a closed fracture in your right wrist. There's a comminuted fracture in your index and middle fingers, and joint dislocation in your ring and pinky fingers. You probably don't feel it right now because of the adrenaline, but it's going to swell up soon."
My fingers were bent in grotesque directions.
I could barely move my wrist, and making a fist was out of the question.
"...Tsk. Is the avatar unable to handle the load of Strong Arm?"
"Yes. The goblin avatar's skeletal and muscular structures are far too weak. If you swing with maximum power four or five times like that, damage is unavoidable."
I used my left hand to forcefully snap my right ring and pinky fingers back into place.
There was nothing I could do about the broken bones, but I could at least pop the dislocated joints back in.
"You... you bastard. You're no ordinary guy."
The last remaining thug spoke.
He seemed to be the leader of this bunch.
"Which syndicate sent you?"
"Syndicate?"
"It seems these residents have a rival syndicate they're hostile with."
A syndicate. I probably shouldn't mention Sprout.
"A syndicate... Well, I used to be in the military. Though now I'm just an ordinary office worker."
Hearing the words 'military' and 'office worker', the thug's face turned pale.
"...Are you NIS?"
What was he even talking about?
The thug suddenly straightened his back and spoke in a resigned tone.
"Damn it, I knew it. Look, we just provided the venue. We're innocent citizens. The people you're looking for are over there. Room 9."
The thug raised both hands to his shoulders and stepped aside, clearing the hallway.
"We have nothing to do with this. You guys handle it among yourselves."
I lowered my arms and walked slowly down the hallway.
The long sleeves of the jacket hid my fractured right hand.
Despite the commotion in the hallway, the people inside the rooms didn't seem to care at all, still singing and drinking.
Inside Room 9, dead-drunk men and women were singing loudly.
When I opened the door, an unbearable din of singing spilled out into the hallway.
And at that exact moment—
Bang!
Thwip!
The bullet fired by the thug grazed past me, while the goblin dagger I threw buried itself deep into his chest.
"Argh..."
The thug glared back and forth between the dagger and me before collapsing.
I retrieved my dagger and picked up the gun the thug had dropped.
"Got something good."
"Did you know?"
"Of course. He gave me the wrong room number from the start. It's supposed to be Room 8, but he said Room 9. More importantly, why didn't you point it out when he lied about it being Room 9?"
Holding the gun in my left hand, I kicked open the door to Room 8.
"Hands up. Move and I shoot."