Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Highway Hooligans
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The police had only one reason for seeking me out.
"Certain entities keep showing up that we can't catch in the city."
It was because inexplicable incidents were occurring, defying common sense.
"It started last month."
The visiting officer was the chief of the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency.
According to him, starting in early February, a thick fog would blanket the entire city of Daegu every late night.
"At first, we thought it was some kind of weather anomaly. Daegu's in a basin, right? Combined with global warming? We figured that's why the fog was getting more frequent."
But after that night, a massive roar echoed across the city.
"It was a mix of motorcycle and car engines, horns blaring, and rowdy shouting. We thought it was street racers duking it out with biker gangs."
Street racers.
A term for those who raced cars on public roads instead of tracks.
"Back when biker gangs were all the rage, there were showdowns between bikes and cars, even mass races with dozens of participants. So we assumed this was the same."
"But it wasn't."
The Daegu chief, seasoned with years of experience, turned pale.
"They were street racers, alright. Just ghosts of the ones who'd already died."
He broke out in a cold sweat just recalling it.
"Rotten corpses visible through shattered helmets, drivers with cracked skulls leaking brains seen through broken windshields, ghosts smoking cigarettes from vehicles engulfed in unquenchable flames, skeletons astride blazing bikes howling about freedom."
"Every last one abnormal."
"...As expected of a fixer. When I reported this to the higher-ups, they called me crazy. Heh."
"Fixers get the job done. I trust you."
The fact that they'd come to me in the first place proved their story credible.
'They wouldn't seek out a fixer without good reason.'
Whether it was the amplified effect from the great novelist's legacy, or my affection for fixers reshaping perceptions, it made things a lot easier.
"Those things were ghosts. We tried chasing them, but we couldn't keep up. They were impossibly fast, vanishing and reappearing at will. Worst of all, they didn't just tear through alleys—they climbed buildings, flew through the air to shake us off. Then they'd vanish into the fog, saying..."
"What did they say?"
The Highway Hooligans had one desire.
"If you beat us in a race, we'll leave."
"Must've caused a lot of damage."
"No, strangely enough, the next day everything was pristine—no building damage, not even skid marks on the roads. Like nothing happened."
With no evidence left behind, the higher-ups dismissed the chief's report.
But the citizens of Daegu could hear the noise just fine.
"If this keeps up, nothing good will come of it. That's why I came to you, Fixer! Please! Resolve this!"
Not a tough job at all.
"Of course."
If racing was what they wanted, I'd give them a race.
"I'll head there myself soon."
Perfect timing to test my driving skills.
『Mr. Lee Seung-hoon, aren't you leaving?』
"To deal with them, I need to prepare."
I carefully prepped for the street race.
『Do you know about the opponents?』
"Entity name: 'Highway Hooligans.' A collective born from the grudge spirits of those who died during street races, bringing fog in their wake."
More precisely, that's how it was set up.
"They won't die or vanish until you beat them in a race, but once it starts, they pull every dirty trick to sabotage you."
『What do you mean by sabotage?』
"They don't die, and they operate as a team, so they ram teammates into you or use their ghostly nature to create courses you can only pass by phasing through buildings."
『Wasn't it just normal city antics?』
"Their fog copies the current city into a new space. Like an independent dimension. They can warp that copied city however they want—even mid-race—which makes it impossible to win."
Same in the game.
'No matter what, you can't beat them in a race.'
Challenge the Highway Hooligans to a race, and you always lose.
Lose, and you join them as a ghost, eternally street-racing the nine heavens—a bad end.
'So the only way to survive them...'
Don't accept the race from the start. They ignore non-racers, leaving civilians alone.
'That's why the police left them be.'
The cops chased as cops, not racers.
Leave them alone, and Daegu's problem resolves itself. Every three months, they move to another city worldwide, per the lore.
'But that's not a real solution.'
Just passing the buck.
I shared this intel with Love, then outlined my plan.
"There might already be challengers who've lost and joined them. To stop more, we need to beat them at their own game: racing."
『Victims or challengers?』
"Yeah, they don't force races. Everyone who raced did it willingly, so they're participants, not victims."
Two reasons to race them.
'The wiki said beating them lets them ascend.'
Only way to eliminate them: win the race.
'And another detail...'
I recalled the wiki entry.
[With world-class driving skills, tank-level armor, and flight capabilities on your car, you might win fair and square.]
Written as a joke, but now it's no laughing matter.
'I've got the skills now.'
Only missing: the vehicle.
And right on cue, the contact I'd sent yesterday arrived.
-Seung-hoon, got the car you requested.
"Thanks, Dong-wook."
"This is the vehicle you requested."
"Impressive."
Kim Dong-wook had brought the car.
"It's no ordinary ride. Built with metal that absorbs 100% of impacts— it'll shrug off dozens of Scud missiles no problem."
"Perfect."
"But how'd you know the Foundation had something like this?"
"Just happened to hear about it."
Too bad Dong-wook forgot our driving lessons together.
"Wanna take it for a spin? I'll drive."
"Oh, the fixer's driving skills..."
His face suddenly drained of color.
"...Suddenly feeling chills. Ugh, I don't feel well."
"I'll drive you to the hospital."
"N-No, I'll manage!"
Aw, it really handles great.
Before I could insist, Dong-wook bolted.
"Alright, off to Daegu? Love, hook up to the car. If anything goes wrong, take over."
『Understood.』
I hit the road to Daegu.
Smooth ride like nothing I'd felt before.
'This is normal driving!'
Felt like Love was driving for me.
Perfect cornering, tailgating, lane changes, merges—everything flawless. Even stoplights on point. My past drives felt like lies.
"Nice."
Finally, I could drive like a normal person.
Arrived in Daegu. No call to the station—I'd wait in the car till nightfall and contact the Highway Hooligans personally.
"You fucking asshole! Drive straight!"
Parking near the market, a driver yelled from the road.
"Terrible driver!"
"Crazy bastard! Is that even driving!?"
"Fuck! Trying to kill people!?"
Someone nearby was a bad driver.
'I get it.'
They think they're driving fine.
Can't spot their own mistakes.
But the results are a mess—drives you nuts.
"You trash motherfucker!!! Open your eyes and drive!!!"
Parked the car.
Unplugged Love from the jack—a weird screen popped up.
[Low Battery]
[Shutting down program.]
[Remaining battery: 0.012%]
"...I fully charged it."
For a split second, an absurd thought hit.
'What if the great handling was Love's autonomous driving assist?'
But the mission succeeded—I felt the power within.
"Just my imagination."
I trust the entity.
Top-tier racing skills are mine.
'No need for doubts. Let's check out the market.'
Wandered Daegu's markets.
'Thought it was jajangmyeon, but it's knife-cut noodles mixed with hand-pulled dough drops.'
Mild but delicious.
'Expected greasy, but dipped in seasoning sauce? Yum.'
Flat dumplings too.
'Market croquettes hit the spot.'
Seed hotteok next, then a convenience store for a palate cleanser.
[Help Wanted]
[Hourly wage: 6,580 won]
Zero Cola to wash down the grease. Strolled laps through the park till late evening.
"Time to move."
Back in the car, pulled out of the lot.
"Ugh!"
"Scared me!"
Headed to the main road.
Wait there, and they'd show.
"Uwaaak! You maniac!"
"Fuck! Drunk driving!? Gotta be!"
"Hit-and-run criminal fleeing!? Memorize the plate!"
Downed "Marinated Friendship" for emergencies.
Parked on the shoulder, hands on the wheel, waiting.
"...It grew, right?"
Why all these weird sounds?
Circumstances keep denying my denial.
"Trust the entity."
Their superhuman abilities transcend human norms.
'Same for the Highway Hooligans—stir their racing lust, and they might come to me.'
I want to race!
Floor it like mad!
Unleash everything, flaunt my overflowing driving prowess from the mission!
'Here they come!'
Fog rolled in on the road.
Cars that moments ago filled it vanished, swallowed whole.
『Hee hee hee!』
『Race time!』
『Nothing beats street racing!』
『Tracks? For cowards!』
Dozens—maybe near a hundred—bikes and cars swarmed the road.
"It's me."
"Nice to meet you. Lee Seung-hoon."
An army's worth.
Impregnable fortress.
Impossible to beat that horde in a race.
"Let's get started."
『Feisty one! Don't even know the finish line?』
『Finish is Palgongsan Mountain's Rock-Carved Buddha Statue!』
『Heh heh! City and mountain climb!』
『No mortal can handle that course!』
『Bike might've given slim odds.』
But why?
Why was my heart pounding so fiercely?
'Wanna floor it.'
Like that time in driving school, my inner beast awakening.
'Boosting skills meant buffing the beast?'
To superhuman levels?
Doubts fled as I surrendered to it.
"Flooring it."
Mashed the pedal.
The chassis shudder hit like my first orgasm, pleasure racing up my spine.
『Huh?』
『Huh!?』
『What the fuck's that guy!?』
The tires were my legs, steering wheel my arms, headlights my eyes.
The engine? My heart.
『F-Fuck!?』
『R-Run!』
『Insane!?』
I am the vehicle.