[Raccoon Man Beginning]
[Raccoon Man Beginning]
There are many things that come to mind when you think of the United States.
For instance, I think of Chicago pizza first, or maybe mac and cheese. As someone in the food industry, I'm quite interested in American cuisine. Of course, since the country itself doesn't have that long of a history, there aren't that many famous dishes, but there are plenty of foods that are fatty, salty, and sweet.
Isn't that bad for your health? Hey, if I cared about my health, I would've eaten less meat and gone vegetarian. I feel empty if there isn't at least one meat dish on the table every day, so why would I worry about my health?
Besides food, there's the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, Las Vegas, disgustingly high medical bills, the imperial system, gun issues, etc... I'm only thinking of the bad things as I go on. Is this an occupational hazard?
Anyway, the US is a country with a huge landmass, lots of people, lots of money, and a super strong military. It's not for nothing that the US is always the one beating up aliens in movies.
Unless a massive meteorite hits the US, they'll probably keep that number one spot.
Russia or China are the only possibilities, but Russia is too cold and China lacks civic awareness. The social structure is like that, too.
"I need to get money first. If I go to the US, I won't be able to use my card there, right?"
"I'll exchange it for dollars."
If I use a card, I'll definitely be tracked. I didn't even go through immigration, so if I use a card in the US, I'll definitely get caught.
To avoid being tracked, I have to use cash. My wallet will get pretty thick even if I just put in 100-dollar bills.
Next, the mask. The Raccoon Man Mask is a must-have... Honestly, going with just my body is enough, what else could I need?
"Just in case, take some medical supplies. If you're going to save people, you'll definitely need medicine."
"Will basic medicine be enough?"
"I bought an emergency kit from Delta Castle. You might not be able to take it all, but you should take a few."
"Their products are good and the people are nice, but I hate the place itself."
Sion pulled a box from the drawer. She took out a small spray bottle and a cartridge containing a few ampoules and handed them to me.
"One is a spray for trauma, the other is an emergency cell activator... simply put, it's a potion. It has no side effects, so you can use it on anyone, but there aren't many, so use them carefully."
"For something that 'isn't many,' aren't there like 20 of them?"
The ampoules were about the size of an index finger. There were about 20 of them. Even with small amounts, they are effective, so in reality, I could use them on at least twice, or even three times as many people.
It's not like I'm going to a battlefield... wait, it is a battlefield.
"No side effects, so that's a load off my mind. I'd get an earful if I used it and got cursed at."
Potions aren't omnipotent. People think they heal wounds instantly, which is true, but the aftermath is the problem.
Ultimately, activating cells shortens your lifespan. You won't die right now, but you lose at least a year of your life.
Good potions are everywhere if you look, but potions without side effects are rare. At best, you need a divine potion infused with a god's power.
But these Delta Castle bastards make them with pure technology. Scary bastards.
"The trauma spray can stop bleeding if you spray it. This is about all that's useful for now, so take it."
"Okay, I'll take it."
I plan to fly to the US. Of course, not high up, but low. If I fly close to the sea, it would be harder to detect me.
Ultimately, it's illegal entry. No matter how powerful a nation is, they can't blockade the entire coastline, so if I go through the sea, who could stop me?
"But how are you going to get there?"
"Huh? I said I'd fly, didn't I?"
"......I can see right through you. You're thinking of crossing the Pacific, aren't you?"
"That's right."
If I go back, I have to go through land rather than sea, so I'd have to go through China and all that. The Pacific is better than that.
"New York is in the northeastern part of the US. If you cross the Pacific, you'll hit the West Coast."
"Huh?"
I spread out a world map in my head and thought about it. The fastest way to get to the US from our country is to cross the Pacific, but if the destination is New York, the story changes.
If I want to go to New York via the Pacific route, I'd arrive in San Francisco or LA and... have to cross the North American continent.
"Is this Steel Ball Run Race? Unless you're going to collect the Saint's Corpse, think of another way!"
"I can't use a Stand, and that guy makes me uncomfortable too!"
Sion sighed, thought for a moment, and suggested a better plan.
"......There's a direct flight from Incheon Airport to JFK International Airport in the evening. Sneaking on board and getting off in the middle to stow away is a good method."
"Oh, that's not bad."
"It's the fastest route, so it only takes about 15 hours. But you don't have stealth abilities, do you?"
I'm the type to smash things openly. Don't expect ninja or spy-like abilities to hide and gather information. People have fields they can do and fields they can't.
Even a Transcendent isn't omnipotent. They just look omnipotent because they are well-versed in one field.
"Then you'll have to ride on top of the passenger plane. You can sleep, but take some food with you."
"Got it."
Since a Dimensional Rift is predicted in New York, flights leaving the US might be blocked, but entering seems okay. Probably tonight is the last one. It wouldn't be strange if the route was suspended immediately, but since it's the US, it seems they can still operate.
I packed most of my equipment and finished preparing to leave. Let's go before it's too late. If I miss this flight, I have to do the Steel Ball Run Race.
I don't want to meet that guy again! The one who looks like John Wick!
"If Yejin wakes up, explain it well to her."
"Understood."
"If Baek-ri comes looking for me... give that to him."
"Understood."
I gave Sion a few instructions and left the house.
I think I'll buy a bag of roasted almonds.
It was long, 15 hours!!!
I jumped off the passenger plane just before landing and landed on the roof of a nearby skyscraper. Ah, time really didn't pass, it was a pain.
I spent time playing with my phone, sleeping, and munching on roasted almonds, but time didn't pass as much as I thought. Looking at the scenery is good for an hour or two, but when it goes on for over 10 hours, you get sick of it.
But I finally arrived. A-merica! Rolling my tongue is just a preference!
Fortunately, there was no special security on the rooftop of the building, and only the door was locked, so I used my abilities delicately to open the lock and went down the building to step on American soil in earnest.
America! Land of opportunity! Fucking imperial system!
I like everything about the US, but if it weren't for the damn imperial system, I would've given it full marks. You guys are more of a problem than medical privatization. You know that? If you blew up a rocket because of that, you should've come to your senses.
"Let's see. Where should I go... Ah, come to think of it, I didn't even hear where she is."
Thinking about it, I never heard the daughter's name or where she lives from Mr. Lee Gyeong-jin.
I called him again. It connected after a few rings.
[Ah, is that you?]
"I just arrived in the US. Tell me your daughter's name and where she lives."
[I was wondering why that call wasn't coming. It was hard for me to call directly because of the emergency order, but that's a relief.]
"Judging by the quiet surroundings, are you taking this in a bathroom somewhere?"
[My daughter's name is Lee Yun. She's attending Columbia University. Where she lives... I don't think she lived in a dormitory. The address of her boarding house must be somewhere here... ?]
"You don't even know where your daughter lives?"
[If I memorized an address I've never been to, and an address I'll never be able to visit, my memory would be overflowing. Damn it, they give me so little vacation time, and even when I do get vacation, they say I can't go abroad?]
"Wow, that's harsh. What are you, a separated father?"
[Anyway, I'll send the address by email. Please... take care of my daughter.]
"Got it. But change your tone, old man. You're not some 60 or 70-year-old geezer, what's with that?"
The call ended, and a moment later, an address arrived. I should head toward that area first. Ah, shit, the address is in Manhattan.
JFK International Airport is nearby, so this is roughly the Queens area... Manhattan is a long way to go.
Honestly, it's not that bad. Wall Street is in Manhattan, and if I just guard that, Sion won't lose much. It's the center of the financial market.
"Anyway, Columbia University... your daughter must be very good at studying."
I spread out a map of the area, found the subway line and the route, and started moving. It's daytime, so there should be many people, but there aren't as many as I thought. Is it because of the Dimensional Rift alert?
But I think it's too relaxed. If they were sounding the alarm 15 minutes ago, that's one thing, but it was predicted yesterday, so seeing them maintain daily life is a bit uncomfortable.
If they were truly afraid, they should have been holed up in a bunker by now.
......Thinking that far, I remembered that the prediction didn't specify a detailed date. If it did, they would have evacuated as I thought, but it's more urgent to make a living than to hide in fear of something that might not happen.
It's because reality is cruel, so it can't be helped.
The US subway felt different from Korea's. The biggest difference is cleanliness.
Maybe because there's a lot of foot traffic, there's quite a lot of trash on the floor. No, even so, isn't it too much? Who just throws trash in the subway?
Ah... it seems the thinking starts here. Anyway, if you ride it thinking of a Korean subway, you'll be disappointed in the US.
Even if you try to think about the environment and recycle hard in a small country like Korea, the US will probably ruin it all.
The scenery looked similar, but the people were different. Mostly white, or black, and occasionally an Asian like me. As expected of a multi-ethnic country, the races of the people are diverse.
"I made it to Brooklyn, at least..."
Across the river, I can see a forest of buildings. That must be Manhattan.
But looking at the map, the Manhattan visible from Brooklyn is the end part. Columbia University is much further up, past Central Park, and you have to go a long way.
How can I get there more comfortably... The best way is to ask a local.
Who should I ask? I decided to ask a policeman. English? Even if I'm a blockhead, I'm not at a level where I don't know the language.
I spotted a police officer who was opening the window of his patrol car and looking around, and I approached him.
"Excuse me, officer. Can I ask for directions for a moment?"
"Oh, sure. Where are you headed?"
The typical white American police officer smiled and was kind. I showed him the map and asked for the way to Columbia University.
"Are you here for sightseeing?"
"Ah... something like that, but this time I'm on my way to visit someone I know."
"You've come at a bad time."
"Can't be helped. I heard the news after I arrived."
He explained the way looking at the map. He talked mainly about tourist routes, maybe because I brought up sightseeing.
"Go a little further from here and you'll find the Brooklyn Bridge. Take the ferry from there and you can get off at Midtown at the terminal. You can take the subway from there, but if you take a taxi, you can also see Central Park."
"Ah, thank you."
"Don't mention it. Welcome to the US."
Society develops, no matter what. Even 100 years ago, black people didn't have the right to vote, but now it's a society where black people can be president. Unless you're a complete idiot, you don't discriminate based on race.
Of course, there's the joke that if a black person is driving, the police stop them to check, but... that doesn't mean they beat up people asking for directions.
In the first place, guys who discriminate based on skin color are idiots. Do they think the inside of their skin is blue?
As the officer told me, I bought a ferry ticket at the Brooklyn Bridge. And I moved to my destination while slowly looking around. It takes a little time, but it was quite nice to look at the scenery. It would have been really nice if I came with Sion.
Next time, let's come to the US with Sion. Not in the near future... a few years later? Around then?
Everything here is salty, sweet, and greasy, so Sion would love it. Especially Chicago pizza.
Super delicious cheese... ugh, I'll gain weight and my lifespan will shorten, but who cares!
After about 2 hours, the ferry arrived at the terminal. I set foot in Manhattan in earnest.
"From here... it's better to take a taxi."
Looking at the map, I came to 1/3 of Manhattan, but the road ahead is much longer. It's better to spend some money and take a taxi than to take the subway.
Yellow taxis that often appeared in movies pass by on the street. I waved to catch a passing taxi, but many just passed by.
"What? Is it a reserved taxi? They don't stop even when there's no passenger?"
Just as I was starting to get pissed off, one finally stopped. The driver was black, and he asked with a good-natured smile.
"Do you speak English?"
"I can speak as much as someone who has lived here all their life, so don't worry."
"Oh, I worried for nothing. Get in!"
I sat in the passenger seat. Anyway, the only luggage was the first aid kit Sion packed in a small bag, so I put the bag under my feet and sat comfortably.
"Where to?"
"Columbia University."
"Oh! That's a prestigious university, are you attending there?"
"No, someone I know is attending there."
The black taxi driver kept talking, whether he was sociable or just talkative. Well, it was good for me because I wasn't bored, and it wasn't bad to hear various stories.
"You seem to be here for sightseeing, but you came at a bad time. People are still nervous, and you can see soldiers occasionally, so the atmosphere is bad."
"It seems so. That precognitive... what was her name?"
"Alyssa Near. One of the three proud pillars of the United States."
"Three?"
"Oh, you don't know? The precognitive Alyssa Near I just mentioned, Dr. Alion, the leader of Gaia Force research, and our country's Master User, Jacob Baldwin. These three are the pillars."
Leaving aside the precognitive, I've heard of Dr. Alion occasionally, and I've heard the name of the US Master User...
What was his alias?
Mr. Lee Gyeong-jin is the Thousand Swords. Japan's Hibiki is Shuten-doji. China's Yong Hwa-jeong is the Fist Dragon Empress.
There are others in the UK, Russia, Australia, and Africa, but those are much farther countries, so I don't remember.
"His nickname is Thunderbolt."
At the taxi driver's words, a bad memory came to mind.
The strongest Transcendent who tried to judge my sins by wielding the lightning of judgment that pierces the stars.
No, the former strongest Transcendent.
As a rule, there are few easy guys among those who use electric powers. In my experience, that is.