Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Gangnam Teheran-ro.
Once called the most expensive land in South Korea, it had now become a lawless zone where countless survivor factions were entangled.
Among them, the second floor of a half-destroyed Starbucks.
At a seat by the shattered window where cold wind blew freely through the broken glass, a beautiful woman sat with her legs elegantly crossed, wearing a fur coat that looked completely out of place against the dust-covered sofa.
Cha Yumin.
She idly flipped through the screen of the [U-Link] terminal in her hand.
At the top of the screen was the logo of Survival Hobby.
After the collapse, it had become a massive community where survivors starving for information gathered, competing with Union Market for the number one and number two spots in user traffic.
[Real-Time Popular Posts]
[Today's Market Prices]
[For Sale / Wanted]
The clean and stylish interface emitted a soft blue glow.
With practiced movements, she entered the [For Sale / Wanted] board.
Then, exactly according to the scenario she had prepared in advance, she began carefully writing a post.
[Teheran-ro 304… please help.]
A post that even used the wrong category—obviously written like a beginner.
—My teammates are all dead… I’m hiding alone inside a ventilation duct.
—There’s a [D-Grade Blood Lurker], so if I go outside I’ll die immediately.
Up to this point, it was just a common rescue request.
But the hyenas of Gangnam did not move for something as trivial as sympathy.
The only thing that drove them was greed.
A faint, bloodthirsty smile curled at Cha Yumin’s lips as she added one final decisive line.
—The team leader’s core storage case is with me. There should be around [20 F-Grade Cores] inside.
—If you rescue me, I’ll give them all to you. Please… help me.
Lastly, she uploaded an attachment.
The background showed the dark interior of the ventilation duct, while in the foreground a slender leg wrapped in a bloodstained bandage was visible, along with a silver aluminum case deliberately positioned beside it.
[Post Complete]
The moment the post went live, Cha Yumin set down her phone and brushed her hair back.
“That should be just right.”
If she looked too weak, they would grow suspicious.
Nothing in the world was free.
On the other hand, if she looked too strong or too dangerous, they would run away.
Everyone only had one life.
But if you mixed a wounded woman, guaranteed compensation, and a moderate threat (a D-grade mutant)?
Then it became worth gambling on.
A sweet trap where the reward seemed far greater than the risk.
Ding!
Just as she expected, less than ten seconds after posting, a cheerful notification sound rang out.
[A trade message has arrived from Jackknife.]
[This post has been changed to Negotiating status. Other users are now restricted from sending messages.]
Cha Yumin’s eyes curved slightly.
Was there really an angel in Gangnam who would instantly respond to a stranger’s rescue request?
“They took the bait.”
After exchanging a few short messages with Jackknife, she rose from the sofa and lightly stretched her body.
Now all she had to do was wait.
For the greedy prey that would walk straight into the trap.
“Hmm-hmm~♪”
It would take a little time for the prey to arrive.
During that short gap, Cha Yumin hummed a tune while pulling out her real treasures.
When the long leather bag slung over her shoulder opened, a brilliant gleam poured out that looked completely out of place among the dull ruins.
Daggers, kukris, knuckle weapons, and even her main weapon—dual swords.
Each one was well-oiled and razor sharp.
“My pretty babies, looks like you’ll get a good meal today.”
She took out her most beloved pair of swords, White Heron, and rubbed them against her cheek.
She had purchased them for 50,000 UP from the Union Market auction house.
The price was equivalent to buying twenty-five rifles—roughly comparable to a strategic asset in a normal shelter.
[White Heron]
[Grade: C]
Dual swords crafted with emphasis on aesthetic beauty, characterized by elegant curves resembling the wings of a white heron.
Considering her specs, she should have been using at least B-grade weapons.
But B-grade weapons easily exceeded several hundred thousand UP.
Because of her particular trait that frequently broke weapons during combat, 50,000 UP was the absolute limit she could afford.
Performance-wise it was C-grade.
But in terms of appearance, it was a masterpiece that rivaled A-grade weapons.
The only luxury she could enjoy in the ruined world.
“You’re the main star today. Try not to break too quickly, okay?”
She strapped the dual swords to her waist where her hands could reach them easily and inserted her auxiliary daggers into thigh bands.
And finally—
From the deepest corner of the bag, she pulled out a heavy object wrapped roughly in newspaper.
“Ugh. Rust smell.”
Cha Yumin frowned.
When she peeled away the newspaper, what appeared was an ugly jungle machete.
The handle was wrapped crudely with cheap synthetic resin, and the blade was covered in rough file marks and rust.
[Old Military Machete]
[Grade: E+]
[A well-balanced machete. The creator’s delicate craftsmanship stands out.]
After checking the information window, she pouted.
“Sigh… I seriously bought this blindly just because of that [Crafted Item] tag.”
When she first received it in person, she had been horrified.
Compared to the 50,000-UP White Heron beside it, it looked like a homeless man standing next to a luxury department store model.
By her aesthetic standards, this weapon had already failed.
“You’re just a charm. A lucky charm. Stay quiet back there since you’ll never get used.”
Cha Yumin shoved the machete into the most inconvenient slot behind her back.
Unless every other weapon broke, she would never draw it.
Thud. Thud.
At that moment, the heavy footsteps of combat boots echoed up the building staircase.
One, two, three… five.
Just as expected.
A full team.
“Looks like they caught on. Well, I have used this trick a bit too many times.”
Still, it was worth trying.
She climbed into the ventilation shaft and began her performance.
Her flashy weapons disappeared beneath a loose blanket.
Her confident smile transformed into the terrified expression of prey.
Exactly five minutes later.
The revolving door of the building lobby turned silently as five shadows slipped inside.
They were Jackal, a raider group infamous throughout the Gangnam area.
Following the leader’s hand signals, their formation moved in perfect coordination.
The raider at the rear attached a signal jammer near the entrance to block other groups who might have seen the post.
“Everyone knows the drill. Don’t relax.”
The leader whispered in a low voice.
“Whether she’s a honey trap or not, the core bag is real. We take both the woman and the cores.”
“Yes. If it’s a trap, we’ll just rob them instead.”
They were already aware that the post might be bait from another raider group.
But the Jackal squad were predators who hunted even the fishermen.
Just then—
A red mass suddenly leaped from the floor at the base of the staircase.
Kiiiieeek!
A grotesque creature with its skin peeled away, exposing raw muscle.
The D-grade mutant [Blood Lurker].
It flicked its long disgusting tongue and threatened the raiders.
“Tch. Annoying.”
A normal raider would have panicked and opened fire.
But this was Gangnam, where factions were tightly packed together.
Gunshots would attract not only mutants but rival organizations as well.
“Don’t use guns. Take it out quietly.”
At the leader’s command, the D- and E-grade Awakened subordinates drew melee weapons.
When the creature lunged, two in front blocked the charge with shields while two behind stabbed spears into its sides.
Shk!
“Kiek?!”
Before it could even scream, the leader leaped forward and slit its throat precisely with a dagger.
Ten seconds.
The [D-Grade Mutant] collapsed to the floor pathetically.
The leader shook the blood from his blade and smirked.
“Lucky.”
“Lucky? Isn’t that bad luck?”
“No. Blood Lurkers parasitize floors. That means the entire floor of this building is its territory.”
He glanced toward the stairs to the second floor.
“That means the injured woman stuck in the ventilation shaft probably couldn’t escape. The ceiling would be safe against this thing.”
“Ah! As expected, boss.”
“And if the woman inside is an Awakened, the Blood Lurker would have sensed her presence and guarded that direction.”
Suspicion turned into certainty.
Certainty turned into greed.
The raiders exchanged sinister smiles.
“That said… stay alert.”
Second-floor corridor.
The air was thick with dust and the smell of blood.
At the far end, inside a ventilation shaft, a slender silhouette crouched.
Wrapped in a ragged blanket, trembling violently at the sound of approaching footsteps.
Anyone would think she was a terrified non-Awakened woman.
“Boss! Here she is!”
The raiders quickly occupied all angles and pointed guns and blades at her.
The leader slowly approached the vent and scanned the thin ankle visible outside the blanket.
“How about handing over the core bag first?”
A weak voice came from under the blanket.
“H-here…”
A trembling white hand emerged and tossed the core case onto the floor.
At the leader’s signal, one subordinate picked it up.
It was locked, but locks were no problem for raiders.
“…It’s full!”
The subordinate’s eyes glittered greedily after confirming the neatly arranged [18 F-Grade Cores].
‘She really was an idiot.’
Even with that many cores, her group hadn’t awakened her.
‘Maybe a high-grade slave?’
Or a naïve survivor who knew nothing of the world.
He leaned toward the latter.
No one would entrust a slave with a core case.
“Now come out. Big brother will keep you safe.”
He jumped onto the ceiling and grabbed the woman’s wrist, restraining her just in case it was a trap.
In the darkness of the vent, the glimpse of her face startled him.
‘Jackpot. The cores were just a bonus. This woman’s the real lottery.’
The leader glanced back at his men.
‘A-grade. Prepare the anesthetic.’
But at that moment—
The woman’s eyes changed.
“Where the hell do you think you’re touching?”
With that icy voice, a cold flash burst from within her blanket.
Shing!
A horrifying slicing sound.
A normal human would have lost their head instantly.
But the Jackal leader had survived Gangnam’s streets until now as a C-Grade Reflex Awakened.
“Ghk?!”
He instinctively jerked his head backward and twisted his captured arm free.
Too late.
Slash!
“AAAGH!”
Instead of his neck, his shoulder was deeply cut.
Blood sprayed like a fountain.
He collapsed to the ground screaming.
“Boss!”
“What—what the hell?!”
Before the stunned subordinates could react, the blanket fluttered down from the ventilation shaft.
Thud.
She landed lightly on the floor, shaking blood from her dual swords.
“Huh. You dodged? Guess the small fry don’t fall for that trick anymore.”
There was no fear on her face.
Only a chilling boredom, as if disappointed she had missed her prey.
The ragged blanket dropped to the ground.
And what had been hidden beneath it appeared.
Weapons hanging from her thighs and shoulders.
Dual swords radiating murderous cold from her hands.
One raider stepped back, pale.
“Y-you…! The Gangnam Madwoman!”
In that instant—
Cha Yumin’s brow twisted violently.
“…What did this bastard just call me?”
Her most hated nickname.
Killing intent exploded from her eyes.
“You’re all dead.”
“Just shoot her! Shoot!”
Gunshots didn’t matter anymore.
That woman was a mass murderer.
If they didn’t fight with everything, they would all die.
Bang! Bang-bang!
Gunfire echoed down the narrow corridor.
But Cha Yumin was no longer there.
Tap!
She kicked off the wall and leaped to the ceiling.
Three-dimensional movement that defied gravity.
The bullets chased only her afterimage.
“Where are you looking?”
She suddenly appeared behind them and spun like she was dancing.
Slash. Thud.
“Ugh…”
Blood erupted from the necks of two raiders simultaneously.
Elegant.
And cruel.
“Y-you monster!”
The leader rose clutching his shoulder and shouted.
He drew a steel baton from his waist.
“Die!”
Cha Yumin narrowed her eyes and crossed White Heron in a guard.
That one’s the key.
She had already figured out his trait.
Only someone with a Reflex-type ability could evade her attacks at this distance.
If he focused on defense, the fight would drag on.
So she would block and counterattack immediately.
But—
Clang!
With a dull cracking sound, a hollow sensation ran through her hand.
Fragments of silver blade spun through the air.
“…Huh?”
White Heron had snapped clean in half.
A vicious smile spread across the leader’s lips.
“This weapon has the [Shatter] trait. Everyone knows your weakness is weapon durability. I knew we’d run into each other eventually.”
“What? [Shatter]?”
Cha Yumin’s face collapsed in despair.
“Damn it! My money!”
The leader licked his lips.
“Madwoman or psychopath, doesn’t matter if the taste is good.”
He raised the steel baton again.
Cha Yumin threw the broken sword hilt aside and reached behind her back.
Since the weapon had the [Shatter] trait, she planned to block the attack once with the cheapest weapon she had.
Crack!
A heavy impact echoed through the corridor.
The vibration traveled through her wrist.
Naturally, she assumed the machete had shattered.
The enemy weapon had the [Shatter] trait.
A 150-UP scrap weapon shouldn’t stand a chance.
But—
The scene before her eyes shattered her common sense.
The crude machete blade was completely intact.
Instead—
The steel baton had snapped clean in half.
Not only that—
“AAAGH!”
The leader screamed and rolled across the floor.
His arm below the elbow had been severed along with the baton.
“…What the hell.”
Cha Yumin stared blankly at the weapon in her hand.
This made no sense.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
“You bitch!”
The remaining Jackal members rushed forward with furious screams.
Cha Yumin’s gaze turned cold again.
“Shut up.”
Her body blurred like a phantom.
The machete carved a dark crimson arc through the air.
Slash. Thud.
With the leader neutralized and no need to worry about weapon destruction, her movements became unstoppable.
If blocked, she cut.
If dodged, she stabbed.
Absolute domination.
A moment later, only the metallic smell of blood filled the corridor.
All five raiders lay scattered as cold corpses, unable even to scream properly.
“Whew…”
Cha Yumin exhaled and flicked the blood from the machete.
Then she raised the blade before her eyes with a lover’s gaze.
“This is insane.”
The blade reflected sunlight smoothly.
Not a single chip.
It had cut through the bones and muscles of five Awakened.
An ordinary [E-Grade Weapon] should have bent or dulled into a saw by now.
But this thing looked exactly the same as when it arrived.
As if it had just been sharpened on a whetstone.
“This… is really E-grade?”
With trembling hands she opened the information window again.
[Old Military Machete]
[Grade: E+]
[A well-balanced machete. The creator’s delicate craftsmanship stands out.]
Her gaze fixed on one tag.
[Crafted Item].
It was the first time she had used something with that tag.
At first she only thought the balance was good.
But now she understood.
The exterior looked like scrap metal from a junkyard.
But its true essence rivaled at least a D-grade weapon.
“Why would something like this be rated E+?”
She couldn’t understand the system.
“…Damn. This is crazy.”
A strange smile spread across her lips.
Who on earth had made this crafted item?
She stroked the machete handle like she was caressing it.
The grip that fit perfectly in her hand was more thrilling than any luxury weapon.
“Oh. I should take a verification photo.”
She brushed her blood-soaked hair aside and gathered the raider corpses into a pile.
They made excellent background props.
Sitting atop the corpse pile, she raised the dripping machete beside her face.
The murderous expression from moments ago vanished.
On the screen was only the bright and seductive idol of Survival Hobby.
Click.
She giggled while checking the photo.
A severed raider head, her wink, and the rusty machete formed a bizarre harmony.
“What should the title be? Ah, this one.”
Her fingers danced across the keyboard.
[Wow… oppas, I just got back from Hong Kong.]
After posting, she checked the seller from the transaction history.
“Thunder? What kind of name is that?”
The seller’s other items were ordinary.
While browsing the history, a notification appeared in Survival Hobby announcing a newly listed item.
[Recycled Leaf-Spring Kukri]
[Grade: E+]
[Kukri carved from a vehicle leaf spring. The creator’s delicate craftsmanship stands out.]
The moment she saw the words Crafted Item, she pressed purchase without even checking the price.
Then she sent Thunder a message.
[Do you happen to have one more of this Crafted Item?]