Chapter 34
Chapter 34
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Aren't You Afraid of Death? (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Thirty minutes had already passed since Yoon Mi-so's gang took over Seongsan Bridge.
『Live Fundraising Total: 602,000₩』
The amount collected was woefully insufficient.
At this rate, even three hours wouldn't get them anywhere near 10 billion won.
"Darkness Jumper" lay sprawled on the roof of a luxury midsize sedan, staring at her laptop.
The screen showed the account balance and the broadcast feed.
"Man, it's not adding up as fast as I thought."
Viewership had already hit 1.2 million.
Black Streaming had automatically spun up relay channels to ease the server load.
The chat was still full of its usual playful vibe.
[Over a million viewers lol. If everyone watching just donated 10k won, they'd all be saved.]
[You donate then?]
[I'm busy rn, at work lol]
[Lol Bullshit]
"Darkness Jumper" wandered between the seated hostages, showing them the chat.
"Looks like nobody cares if you guys die. Oh, right—total raised so far is just 600k won!"
The hostages' faces darkened.
Some clutched their heads in silence, while others began to sob.
Yoon Mi-so savored their reactions.
"You all have your phones, right? Call your families or friends quick! Tell 'em to wire some cash."
One by one, they pulled out their smartphones and dialed.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm taken hostage on Seongsan Bridge... You saw the news? Yeah. Just send some money to that account for now."
"Mom... I'm on Seongsan Bridge right now. Sniff. Please send money. I'm scared..."
Some called family.
Others deposited their own money first.
All sorts of reactions.
But then Yoon Mi-so's eyes landed on a young man in his twenties.
He was just sitting there, doing nothing.
Curious, she approached him.
"Hey, mister, why aren't you doing anything?"
"Our family's buried in debt. We can't afford it. I don't want to call and hurt my parents' feelings over nothing. Still, I believe if the whole country pulls together, we'll hit 10 billion."
"Darkness Jumper" stuck out her tongue slightly in admiration.
"Wow, bro. You're something else. Should I let just you go special?"
"I know you're not the type."
"Hahaha! How'd you know? If you'd begged, I'd have killed you."
She turned and headed back to her laptop.
In that instant, a deafening gunshot ripped through the air.
It was the special forces snipers.
A 7.62mm round streaked in from somewhere and struck near Yoon Mi-so's head.
"Eek."
Her slender body slammed into the side of the car.
Hostages and her gang alike were stunned.
A few seconds later, her gang was laughing.
The hostages' faces grew infinitely darker.
Long-range sniping was effective even against Awakeners.
But Yoon Mi-so had prepared thoroughly.
A translucent barrier appeared over her body.
The bullet couldn't pierce the Mana Coat's defense.
She approached the hostages.
"You guys pulled a fun one. I just got sniped! If I hadn't bought this Mana Coat thinking something like this might happen, a cute girl like me could've died pointlessly, huh?"
She shoved the camera in the face of the twenty-something guy she'd talked to earlier.
"You're gonna pay for that."
The young man's expression hardened.
"Come on, bro. Say something."
......Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I feel like it's my fault you're in debt because of me..."
Bang.
A hole appeared in the young man's head.
He didn't finish his words before breathing his last.
"Eek!"
"Uwaaack!"
The nearby hostages recoiled in horror, scrambling away from the collapsing body.
"Darkness Jumper" handed the camera to another hostage.
She leaned down and whispered in his ear.
"Keep the shot steady on me, okay? Mess it up, and you're dead."
He nodded frantically.
Pleased with his obedience, "Darkness Jumper" smiled.
She stared straight into the camera.
"Cops? Military? Keep sniping if you want. More hostages die."
The injustice of a young man in his twenties dying without chasing his dreams.
The heartrending grief of parents mourning their son.
To "Darkness Jumper," it was all pure bliss.
Viewers who'd been watching lightly realized this was harsh reality.
[Crazy;;]
[People are dying and Black Streaming isn't shutting this down?]
[You moron? If they do, she'll kill 'em all. You think this was a movie till now?]
[Hah;; Donated 10k.]
[I'm not donating lol]
[Scum? You see that and still say that?]
[Who are you to butt in lol? My money, my choice lol]
"Darkness Jumper" glanced at the laptop screen.
『Live Fundraising Total: 145,486,420₩』
"Okay, everyone. We've hit 140 million won~ Still a long way to go. Hustle harder. What is this? We need 100 times more!"
The hostages frantically scrolled through contacts, calling everyone.
Distant relatives they never talked to. Acquaintances who were basically strangers.
With their lives on the line, shame and pride were irrelevant.
"Sister-in-law, please, I beg you. If you have any spare cash, wire it. Think of it as saving a life... I'll pay it all back once I'm out. No? But last time you needed quick cash, my husband helped out a ton. What? You call that help?"
"Captain Mok-hoon, please, just this once. What? No way I've served you well all this time? No. Ah. He hung up. That trash bastard."
The hostages' relationships started crumbling.
Those with their lives at immediate stake, and those who didn't feel it firsthand.
Unless they were close, bridging that gap was tough.
Yoon Mi-so watched the scene contentedly.
It was exactly the picture she'd wanted.
The biggest reason she'd set the 10 billion demand.
She wanted to see the hostages flailing in a state where survival was "possible."
'Whether they hit 10 billion or not, they're dead anyway.'
Their clueless efforts.
Desperate pleas shattering human bonds.
The guilt those who'd been asked for money would feel once these people died.
One stone, two birds—no, three.
"Darkness Jumper" clutched the detonator and hopped across car roofs.
Time ticked on until only 10 minutes remained until the deadline.
『Live Fundraising Total: 7,245,486,420₩』
7.245 billion won.
"Ehehe. 7.245 billion. Impressive. Really impressive! If just a million people donate 10k each, we save 'em all! Kyahahaha!"
Still short.
Despair settled on the hostages' faces.
The chat turned somber.
[Wow, for real..]
[People who didn't donate, you're killing them.]
[No, she's the killer. Don't guilt-trip us like that;;]
[You say that now? Situation's fucked.]
Meanwhile, police and heroes were pacing helplessly.
Hostage-takers demanding cash usually got fake bills.
They'd prepped those, but without account access, they were useless.
The government demanded the bank fudge the systems to show 10 billion, but the foreign owner meant slow communication—and no firm yes.
"Hmm, when's he coming?"
It was early evening now.
The sunset was beginning.
She thought to herself.
'Dark Knight... You really gonna ignore me? Pisses me off.'
"Darkness Jumper" bit her nails, scowling.
Nothing was more boring than a target not reacting to the torment.
Her personality made boredom turn to irritation fast.
Then, a girl about five among the hostages started crying.
"Waaah. Gotta pee! Pee!"
"Shh, sweetie. Not the time for..."
Her mother scolded softly, trying to soothe her.
A shadow fell over the woman's head.
Yoon Mi-so squatted down, locking eyes with the mother.
"Aww. Does the little one need to pee?"
The mother startled as if seeing a ghost.
"Y-yes."
"Why so jumpy? Am I gonna eat you? Is this your daughter?"
"Yes. Sorry for the fuss. I'll quiet her, please."
"Hmm."
Click.
The revolver pressed to the child's head.
"I love killing kids most. Dying without really living—how unfair is that?"
Yoon Mi-so had followed the "rules" so far.
But with time up, no money, and no Dark Knight, that was over.
Her face blank, finger on the trigger—
A heavy presence loomed behind her.
The aura of a top-rank Awakener.
"Darkness Jumper's" lips curled up.
"You're here!"
She spun around.
On the sunset riverbank.
"Dark Knight" stood with the dying sun at his back.
He looked like a saint in black robes.
A halo gleamed around him.
The hostage with the camera, filming "Darkness Jumper," naturally panned to "Dark Knight."
The [Seoul Terror Live Broadcast☆] chat exploded.
[Dark Knight's here lololololol]
[He actually showed!!]
[Pls exterminate that psycho bitch quick ㅠㅠ]
[Sun positioning OP? Like Jesus Christ lololol]
[The Holy Spirit descends ㄷㄷ]
[But she said she'd blow it without the money, right?]
[He has a plan lol]
"Dark Knight" spoke in his signature voice, like rust scraping iron.
"Were you waiting for me?"