All masters of Cyberpunk

Episode 10

 

 

10. Eat the pheasant and the egg.

 

 

“Off, off, off! Help me!”

 

“So if you’d paid me nicely when I told you earlier, none of this would have happened!”

 

“Zee, I have a small child at home; please, I was going to sell it and buy her food!”

 

“I want this for my daughter; give it to me!”

 

“Are you crazy? Why would you give drugs to your daughter?”

 

“Al Banya! Fuck you! Just give it to me!”

 

The scene in the South was brutal. The atmosphere in the northern part of the city isn’t all that great, but it’s nothing compared to the completely slumlordized southern part.

 

If the North District is Seoul Line 1, the South District is New York Line 1.

 

The streets were littered with drug-addled, zombie-like people, and sometimes what appeared to be corpses were left lying in the streets.

 

Red lights flicker on illegal tents nestled under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

 

It’s a squatter village. Some of the tents sway in broad daylight, suggesting that some people live in such poor sanitary conditions.

 

“It’s disgusting.

 

It was a sight that could truly be called Hellgate.

 

Jung-gu or Dalseo-gu in Daejeon’s Green Zone represented the glorious civilization of humanity that survived the Great Chaos.

 

The South District depicted the reality of the devastation caused by the chaos.

 

Post-apocalyptic to dystopian.

 

The difference in living standards in just one neighborhood is staggering.

 

The people who settled in Nam-gu in the first place were mostly evacuees from Busan and Changwon, which were destroyed in the early days of the crisis.

 

It is unlikely that the administration in Daejeon, my home city, could have managed the refugees properly.

 

In addition to the influx of refugees, slumization has accelerated in Nam-gu, which was hit hard by the chaos and had its infrastructure destroyed.

 

It’s a neighborhood that even the police have given up on.

 

Funny enough, one of the gangs has turned into a militia to stabilize the area.

 

I skillfully twisted the steering wheel of my Harvard Davidson and began to weave my way through the chaotic alleyways of the South Side.

 

I’d turned a few corners before I realized it.

 

I could make out the distinctive green sign and the cross towering over the building.

 

“Last Haven.”

 

A building that would have been a common neighborhood church in Daejeon before the world ended.

 

I parked Harvard in the corner of the alley, opened the church door, and stepped inside.

 

“Woooooo~ woooo-”

 

The chant echoed softly throughout the building. The soothing sounds of the organ tickle my ears, in contrast to the chaos outside.

 

The smell of marijuana wafting through the streets was nowhere to be found in this building.

 

The Church of the Last Resting Place.

 

It lived up to its name. A’sanctuary’ that reverently maintained its place in the hellish South Ward.

 

“Visitor.”

 

I glanced around, and a man in an immaculate suit appeared from the wide-open aisle.

 

The man’s tight suit and black horn-rimmed glasses obscured his features, but they didn’t disguise the visceral sense of intimidation.

 

His gaze flicked up and down, swiftly, for a split second.

 

He held out both hands, his face impassive.

 

“Well, well, well, you’ve taken the hard way.”

 

“It is my pleasure to meet you, Reverend Joo.”

 

“You must be Mr. Lee Do-jin Hunter, the rising star of the Chilgok Guild.”

 

It’s strange that word has spread so far already. It’s even stranger that it’s not being talked about in this cramped society.

 

I smiled and returned his handshake. The power of the monkfish is evident in the simple act of holding hands.

 

In addition to being the administrator of the Last Resting Place, he is also the mediator and arbiter of disputes in the South District.

 

His leadership and forcefulness were recognized even in the southern district, where gangs of all kinds ruled, and the area near the church was treated as a tacit neutral zone, not the territory of any gang.

 

Of course, this meant that Reverend Joo Kim sang-yup’s influence was great.

 

He’s also a force for good in Daejeon’s Green Zone.

 

“He’s practically the big sister of Nam-gu.

 

A private citizen with direct bargaining power with the city government.

 

“I heard you took care of the gargoyles that harmed the late Hunter Kim Sang-yup. I also heard you put down the Underdog Bikers, too.”

 

“You’re pretty quick with the news.”

 

“There are only a few places where the rich congregate, but the powerless underdogs are everywhere in Daejeon.”

 

Reverend Joo put a large arm around my shoulders and led me inside the church.

 

The sunlight streaming through the windows and the red crosses hanging over the long aisles made it clear that this was God’s domain.

 

The atmosphere was overwhelming, and I was overwhelmed.

 

“So, Brother, what brings you to this sanctuary?”

 

I asked in a laid-back voice, but the essence of my question was sharp. I could feel the subtle wariness in his tone.

 

It’s a kind of pressure to speak straight, to say what you mean, and not to go around in circles.

 

It’s the kind of masculine charisma that is recognized even in lawless territory.

 

“I want to open a new cell phone and virtual account.”

 

“I’d like to open a new cell phone and virtual account.” “I’d like to open a new cell phone and virtual account.” “I’d like to open a new cell phone and virtual account.”

 

“I’m allergic to machines.”

 

“I see you’re a fan of the beauty of the old, and coincidentally, so am I.”

 

Reverend Joo smiled.

 

“I’ll give you a reasonable price. What kind of model do you want?”

 

“Anything suitable, but if I had to pick, I’d like it to be durable.”

 

This wasn’t the 2020s, and I didn’t care if it was an Apple or Galaxy phone.

 

It just needs to be sturdy enough to not break down.

 

It’s not like I’m going to take pictures of it in a star-studded emotional cafe.

 

“Hmph.”

 

The pastor taps me on the nose, as if intrigued.

 

In fact, there were many companies that opened cannon phones and cannon accounts in Nam-gu. It’s much more efficient to use other companies if you consider time.

 

One reason I chose Pastor Kim sang-yup reverend Joo’s church was because he said:.

 

“You only need to attend once.”

 

It’s because the transaction here is not just about money.

 

It’s about trust.

 

Almost the only group that prioritizes the common good over trust.

 

I nodded at the reasonable bargain.

 

“It’s cheap once, so where do I show up?”

 

A brief silence ensues. Against the backdrop of solemn organ music, Pastor Joo pulled a note from his arm.

 

The note had a single line of scrawled addresses.

 

 

[3, Yulhadong-ro 15-gil, Dong-gu, Daejeon, Korea, Guryeong Villa 204]

 

“One of our members left something precious outside the wall.”

 

“It’s a collection service.”

 

Going outside of Daejeon’s Green Zone, which has been taken over by mutants, to retrieve items from the world before it was destroyed.

 

“He asked me to bring you an elvum containing a photograph of his daughter, who recently passed away after an extended illness. They are a family of four, with a small son below the deceased eldest daughter.”

 

“I checked… ”

 

“If you do a good job with this request, I’ll give you a few other jobs in the Southern District.”

 

Reverend Joo added as they clasped hands once more.

 

With that, the deal was sealed.

 

“Come back in two days or so, and you’ll have both your account and communicator.”

 

“I’ll see you then.”

 

I nodded slightly and rose from my seat.

 

It was time to return to Chilgok, and there was no reason to linger in the church now that I had settled the matter on fairly reasonable terms.

 

“I will pray for your peace, Mr. Hunter.”

 

Peace.

 

I walked out of the church, the greeting a little out of touch with a world where human life was the life of an insect.

 

Apart from that, the sound of the organ echoing through the church was still sweet.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Chilgok Guild arrived after running for 20 minutes from the Last Resting Place Church.

 

There were still ten more minutes until Choi Hyun soo’s announced on-time arrival time, but most of the guild’s workers were already at work.

 

“Mr.Lee Do-jin, where did you go, and are you coming back now? It’s only the third day, and you’re already late.”

 

Or not.

 

Choi Hyun-soo’s nagging made me dread going to work.

 

I arrived 10 minutes early, not exactly on time, but I didn’t know what else to complain about.

 

“But wait a minute. Is that Mr.Lee Do-jin who just arrived on a motorcycle?”

 

“Yes, that’s him.”

 

“……???”

 

I shrugged it off, and Choi Hyunsoo’s eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Where’d you get a motorcycle?”

 

“Some underdog bikers got pulled over in the neighborhood, so I gave them a good scolding.”

 

“……Underdog bikers? Was it Mr.Lee Do-jin who caught them?”

 

I let my silence speak for me. How far did the rumor really go?

 

It was a moment that reminded me of how narrow the Daejeon Green Zone is.

 

I glanced over, and Ihaan shook his head tiredly. It was his way of telling me to change the subject before he flipped the strange switch.

 

“By the way, you don’t have any raids scheduled for today, do you?”

 

“Hmmm, um… yeah, you know how it is; raid preparation is a bit tricky.”

 

You’re risking your life to go on an expedition in the first place.

 

You can’t just go whenever you want. Especially not when you’re not a freelance hunter but a guilded one.

 

“On top of that, because of the gargoyle incident you witnessed, the city government has issued a moratorium on raiding for a while.”

 

“Is there really something wrong with the city’s defense system?”

 

“I don’t know exactly. Some say yes, some say no, but no one can say for sure, and the guild discrimination against these bastards is unbelievable.”

 

Choi Hyun-soo frowned and looked out the window at the huge city hall building looming overhead.

 

The Chilgok Guild, ranked only nineteenth and now even lower than twentieth with the death of Kim Sang-yup, didn’t have much access to information.

 

However, judging by the way Haan was waving at me from behind, there must have been a problem with the defense system.

 

I can’t help but feel that the Green Zone’s demise is fast approaching.

 

“So that means we don’t have any plans today, right?”

 

“According to… right?”

 

“Well, I’m going to go raid on my own then.”

 

“What did you just say?”

 

“It doesn’t have to be a team; I’m thinking of going on a raid by myself.”

 

Choi wasn’t the only one with a puzzled look on his face. The reactions of the E- and D-ranked Hunters who had arrived at the guild in the morning were no different.

 

“Is there any rule that says we can’t do that?”

 

“Uh, not really, but you’re going alone?”

 

“Yeah, well, it’s not like I’m going to need anyone else to help me.”

 

D-grade people.

 

The quality of their tech bodies, the versatility of their superpowers, and their accumulated experience would be poor.

 

In the first place, those with real potential don’t rely on the Seven Songs.

 

They aim for higher ground.

 

There’s nothing more foolish than looking for jewelry in a valley. It’s all pebbles that look pretty if they’re shiny.

 

There may be the occasional jade stone, but it’s quicker to destroy a cod than to pick one out.

 

“What the fuck is this guy talking about as soon as he walks in?”

 

Unsurprisingly, the thick-skinned bastards took offense at his blatant disregard for them.

 

“I’ll take my leave then, and if I get the soul stones, I’ll leave the consignment to you.”

 

I casually dismissed them and left the Seven Songs Guild.

 

It’s not worth my time to deal with them one-on-one, especially when they’re this aggressive.

 

“Ah, ah, yeah, consignment, yeah, yeah, be careful out there, you bastards; who are you to be so smug, eh? You should take a cue from Mr.Lee Do-jin don’t just spread around the guild with nothing to do!”

 

Of course, even the lowest-ranked hunters.

 

It was less ugly than the guild leader, who made a 180-degree attitude change at the mention of foster care and berated my teammates.