This Room Is Mine Now
"…So, one thing led to another, and that's how we ended up following Yoo Joonghyuk…"
"Um, are you listening?"
"Ah, yeah… sure."
"Basically, three days ago Yoo Joonghyuk showed up here and saved you people — Lee Jihye included — from a swarm of monsters."
"That's the gist of it, right?"
"Uh, does it really sound that simple when you put it like that…"
Haaawn—
I was dead tired.
After more than an hour of this kid's endless rambling about how he'd become Yoo Joonghyuk's follower, Dokja and I were both soaked through with exhaustion.
This guy had only survived because he'd been lucky enough to be standing next to Lee Jihye. There was no way Yoo Joonghyuk would have bothered saving someone with zero abilities.
"So how are you handling food supplies here?"
"Well, calling it a supply system is a little embarrassing…"
"A few of us, myself included, are pretty much dependent on Jihye."
"She goes out hunting, then we ask Yoo Joonghyuk to cook it for us…"
At this point I genuinely had to wonder.
What exactly were these people even for?
They couldn't fight. They weren't bringing in food either. At this rate, it might just be cleaner to wipe the whole lot of them out—
No. Bad thoughts.
"And drinking water?"
"We trade food or coins with the 'Landlord Association' on the upper floors and get a little at a time."
"…The Landlord Association?"
Now we could finally move.
We stood up and started for the floor above.
"Oh— the new faces from earlier. Here to look at a 'room,' by any chance?"
"Ah, sorry. We're just heading up to use the restroom for a moment…"
"Ehh, shame. Watch yourselves."
The Chungmuro Landlord Association.
According to Kim Dokja, they ranked among the Ten Evils.
I honestly hated this whole situation. I'd never been a fan of dictatorships to begin with, and the people who ran them were almost always completely unhinged.
And once we got upstairs, a fight was all but guaranteed…
Time to switch identities.
"Equip Identity."
Skill 'Identity Equip' has reached a set number of uses.
Skill 'Identity Equip' has leveled up.
Oh. Nice.
While the others talked about rooms — the Green Zone, basically — I looked over the newly unlocked identities.
Index Proxy. Middle Finger's Big Brother. And…
…Yeah, I wasn't passing this one up.
Current Enkephalin: 20 / 100
The amount of Enkephalin generated by skill 'Enkephalin Generation' has reached a set threshold.
Skill 'Enkephalin Generation' has leveled up.
Current Enkephalin: 120 / 200
Enkephalin Generation had leveled up right on cue. At this rate, I could run another identity of similar grade if I needed to.
Constellation, 'Clock-headed Manager', takes one look at your transformed appearance and blares a horn like a scream as it ticks!
Yeah, fair enough. From Dante's point of view, this identity was probably a nightmare.
"And Yoo Joonghyuk hasn't done anything about any of this?"
"You said she saved all of you."
"Well… she just told us to get up on our own…"
Classic Joonghyuk. Never one to disappoint when it came to personality.
I leaned in and murmured against Dokja's ear.
"So where do you think Yoo Joonghyuk went?"
"Probably off hunting for a hidden piece or farming coins… Hayeon… is that you?"
Dokja tilted her head, not quite recognizing me for a second after the change. The others were focused ahead and hadn't seen me yet.
"It's me. Don't worry."
"That skill again? Just how many things can you even—"
"I don't know either, so don't ask."
Honestly, I really didn't. Whether I could equip Color-grade identities. Whether I could go all the way up to the Adjuster someday. I had no idea. For now, I was just doing what I could with what I had.
"Uh… why is everyone stopped here?"
"The restroom should be right up ahead…"
We found ourselves looking at a crowd of people gathered in front of the bathroom.
"Pildu-ssi! Please take us back! We won't do it again!"
"Please, please! Just let us stay one more day!"
"We'll get the coins even if we have to go into debt!"
People who'd been kicked out of that room for failing to pay, no doubt.
Haa… maybe I really should just clean house…
While I was entertaining that ugly little thought, Gilyoung bolted straight for the bathroom.
"Gilyoung, wait—!"
Incarnation 'Lee Gilyoung' has trespassed on private property!
"The hell are you, kid?"
"H-holy shit!"
"B-back up! Hurry!"
Aigoo… here we go.
"Hmm. Looks like you've lost your way. Do you even know where you are?"
"Isn't this the way to the bathroom?"
"The bathroom? Haha. It used to be."
"Hey, you little shit… where's your parents?"
"…What?"
At that single word, Gilyoung's eyes started to tremble. The word parents must have hit a raw nerve.
"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to walk onto other people's land?"
"Looks like nobody did. Uncle'll teach you right now."
At the same time, crimson turrets began materializing one after another.
Incarnation 'Gong Pildu''s Stigma 'Armed Zone Lv. 3' has activated!
Incarnation 'Gong Pildu' demands payment of 500 coins for trespassing on private property.
Failure to comply will result in all surrounding turrets opening fire immediately.
"Kid. Pay up."
"Sangah-ssi, Heewon-ssi, I need you to—"
Incarnation 'Park Hayeon' has trespassed on private property!
"…Hayeon?"
"Aigoo~ what's everyone getting so worked up over a kid for~? Huh~?"
"The hell are you? You his guardian?"
"That's right~ I'm this kid's guardian…"
"And why the hell are you talking down to me?"
"Ghk! Aaaagh!"
In a single motion I shoved my hand into the bastard's mouth. What came out clenched in my fist was a lump of raw flesh — and with it, a spray of blood from between his teeth.
"You use honorifics with your superiors~"
"Ugh… ah… y-you crazy son of a—"
"Honorifics."
"Ghk!"
I kicked him square in the jaw and his body crumpled like a rag. Leave him like that and the blood would probably clog his airway and finish him off. Not my problem.
"Hey~ Gong Pildu~ let's have a little chat~"
"That's far enough."
A middle-aged man sitting in a chair, flipping through a magazine. Finally decided to pay attention, had he?
"Come any closer and I kill you."
"Whoa~ aren't we bloodthirsty."
"So. What business do you have?"
"Doesn't look like you're just here to pay a fine."
"Well~ as a matter of fact~"
"This land. Hand it over."
"…What?"
The turrets swung toward me the instant the words left my mouth.
"Say that one more time, brat."
"Hand it over. Are your ears not working?"
Vreeeee—
"Gilyoung. You stay properly hidden, yeah~?"
"Y-yes?"
I gave Gilyoung a light shove just as a mana round came screaming toward me.
KWAANG—!
"Tsk… mouthy little shit…"
"Puhaha! Damn~ this thing's the real deal~?"
"…What?"
As the smoke cleared, my figure emerged — not a scratch on me, despite taking a mana round dead-on. Gong Pildu's face went slack with shock.
"Well then… shall we get started?"
I drew the Heavenly Rejection from my waist, cracked open the cylinder, and loaded a red round.