Dreams, Hope, and a Bullet
The morning after unlocking his skill tree, Kang Hyuk, who had hidden the corpse securely in his hotel room, headed toward the neighborhood where Networker was hiding. The D-class villain Networker was a famous hacker with a record of hacking the Busan Central Bank. In the game's main storyline, he frequently appeared as a low-level lackey for various villain organizations. Because of this, Kang Hyuk knew exactly which area he was hiding in.
"It should be around here..."
Arriving in the neighborhood a short while later, Kang Hyuk carefully scanned his surroundings. The area he had come to was called Beomgu-dong, a completely undeveloped district that looked incredibly run-down at first glance. However, Kang Hyuk knew very well that this place served as a hideout for a certain villain organization operating in Busan, and that Networker was squatting somewhere within it. If he searched thoroughly, it wouldn't take long to find him.
'Since he's a hacker, he must use the internet constantly. Should I start by searching around areas with a high concentration of communication lines?'
Kang Hyuk began his search where the internet and telephone lines clustered, gradually expanding his perimeter. He occasionally stumbled upon suspicious-looking houses, but every single one he broke into turned out to be a bust. It seemed he would have to invest a bit more time.
"...Fuck, who the hell are you?"
It was about three hours into his search when three men suddenly blocked his path. Kang Hyuk frowned. Had he been wandering around too conspicuously? One look was enough to tell that these three were lackeys of the local villain organization.
"I asked who you are, you crazy bastard! What kind of prick wanders around our neighborhood like he owns the place?"
"I'm looking for someone."
"Who? Who are you looking for?" as one of them barked the question, Kang Hyuk quickly ran the calculations. Would causing a scene here be a bad move or a good one? There didn't seem to be any security cameras around...
"Hey, you piece of shit, we're asking you a question! Who the fuck are you looking for?!"
"Networker."
"What...? Why are you looking for that... that hacker here?" The three men looked visibly flustered. The fact that Networker was hiding here was supposed to be a closely guarded secret.
"W-where did you come from? Are you with the Red Monsters?"
"Red Monsters? What is that no-name gang?"
"No-name? Ha, this motherfucker...!" They began to close in on him. Kang Hyuk watched them coolly.
"You'd better start talking if you know what's good for you. Who do you work for?"
"Why do you keep asking that?"
"Why do you think, you dumb shit? We need to know who you are so we know how to dispose of your body!"
Clang!
It was clear they intended to kill him. One of the three drew a handgun, while the other two pulled out knives. The two with knives immediately lunged at Kang Hyuk.
"Die!"
Swoosh!
In an instant, the two blades sliced viciously through the air. They were surprisingly fast. However, Kang Hyuk was someone who had dumped a whopping two points into his Agility stat through his recent level-up. Twisting his upper body, he effortlessly dodged both blades, then drew his revolver from his coat. Since things had come to this, there was only one option. These three men had to become his experience points.
Bang! Bang!
"..."
As the muzzle flashed in rapid succession, the two men's jaws dropped. One bullet embedded itself directly between the first man's eyes, while the other struck the second man's left shoulder.
Crack-crack-crack-crackle!
"...Aaaargh!"
But the man shot in the left shoulder didn't survive either. Razor-sharp ice instantly erupted from the wound, shredding his body from the inside out. It was the power of his sub-skill, 5.56mm Frost Bullet Creation.
"Y-you monster!"
Only one remained. The man standing at the back frantically raised his gun toward Kang Hyuk. His face was pale with terror after witnessing his companions get slaughtered in the blink of an eye. Yet, he still seemed confident that he would emerge victorious. After all, his index finger was already squeezing the trigger.
"D—!"
Bang!
"..."
But in that split second, the last man also joined his companions in death. Kang Hyuk's trigger pull had been just a fraction of a second faster.
Logically speaking, the man should have fired first. Kang Hyuk had just shot two people, meaning he should have lacked the time to realign his aim and fire again. Yet, Kang Hyuk's movements and speed shattered all common sense, planting a bullet right between the man's eyes before he could even register it. The power of Agility +2 was truly beyond imagination.
If Agility +2 was this fast, how blindingly quick would Agility +5, or even Agility +10 be? Kang Hyuk resolved once again to level up as quickly as possible. Acquiring skills was great, but raising his stats was equally crucial. Unfortunately, the trash he had just disposed of didn't yield enough experience to trigger a level-up. Leaving his disappointment behind, Kang Hyuk quickly departed the scene.
'Well... it's not like they gave zero experience. If I kill Networker, that might just push me over the threshold.'
With a sliver of anticipation, Kang Hyuk resumed his search of the neighborhood. Just as he was starting to regret not keeping one of them alive to interrogate, he finally spotted a particular house.
It was a run-down, two-story shack, no different from any of the other dilapidated structures in the neighborhood. Yet, for some reason, Kang Hyuk felt an absolute certainty that Networker was inside.
Knock, knock.
"...Who is it?"
When Kang Hyuk knocked, a man's voice drifted from within. A small smile played on Kang Hyuk's lips. There was no mistake. That raspy, grating voice belonged to Networker.
"Is this the residence of Mr. Networker?"
"..."
"I have a Coupang delivery for you. Please open the door. The item is 'Death'."
There was no response. Smirking, Kang Hyuk delivered a powerful kick to the door.
Crash!
"...Ack!"
The power of Strength +1 was also far beyond expectations. The door shattered into splinters, sending Networker rolling across the floor. Shards of broken wood were embedded all over his body.
"Aaaargh! Who the fuck are you?! Who do you work for?!"
"Geez, everyone around here loves asking who I work for. Is that a Busan thing?"
"Y-you son of a bitch!"
Networker lunged at Kang Hyuk. But there was absolutely nothing a hacker with zero combat capability could do against him.
Thud!
"Squeal!"
With a swift kick to the stomach, Kang Hyuk sent Networker rolling across the floor again, squealing like a dying pig. Kang Hyuk stepped forward, planting his boot firmly on the man's chest.
"Shut up. Give me a brief summary of your tragic backstory."
"W-what?"
"Who knows? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. I'm willing to listen, so let's hear it."
After meeting Aila, the Witch of Seduction, Kang Hyuk had learned a new side to her. He realized that the woman he had assumed was a pure villain was actually just another human being with her own circumstances—not so different from himself. Because of that, he decided to give Networker a chance. Perhaps this guy also had some tragic reason for turning to a life of crime. Kang Hyuk resolved not to paint all villains with the same brush anymore. He would listen to their stories first, then decide whether to kill them. Of course, those who drew their blades against him first wouldn't get a single drop of mercy, backstory or not.
"Spit it out. I don't have all day."
"A-backstory...? What exactly do you want me to say...?"
"Too broad? Fine. Tell me one good deed you've done in your entire life."
"..."
"Wow... Don't tell me you haven't done a single one?"
When Networker remained silent, Kang Hyuk was genuinely dumbfounded. He had never once considered himself a good person, but even he had done a few decent things in his life.
"Even something small is fine. Have you ever volunteered? Returned a lost item to its owner?"
"..."
"Wow, you really are a hopeless piece of trash, aren't you?"
"W-wait!"
As Kang Hyuk raised his gun, Networker shrieked in terror. His eyes darted around frantically before he finally grasped at a memory.
"I-I have! I've done a good deed!"
"What is it?"
"I spread dreams and hope to countless men all over the world!"
"Dreams and hope?"
"By distributing free adult videos..."
Bang!
The muzzle flashed, punching a clean hole right between Networker's eyes. There was no need to listen to any more of his nonsense. Networker was a parasite who didn't deserve to live.
At that moment, a welcome notification chimed in Kang Hyuk's mind. His consciousness was instantly pulled into a pure white void—the Skill Selection Chamber.