Chapter 27: Chapter 26
TL/ED: Hamsterminator
Learning is a process of endless self-cultivation.
An intelligent being does not cease to grow while becoming aware and cognizant through experience and training.
It is a noble ritual where humans, who were once mere cells, define themselves as proper entities and temper themselves to become better beings.
Jin doesn't have any of that.
When Jin lights up a star,
It means he skips the arduous learning process entirely,
And refined knowledge is directly implanted into his brain.
It’s the ultimate form of condensed real-combat knowledge transmission.
Even the most elite instructors can’t dream of such a thing.
The problem is that the one receiving it suffers.
Just like now.
Ugh, my head!
Jin groaned as unfamiliar knowledge flooded in.
It felt like someone was kneading the most fragile part of his body at their whim.
What? Why?
Wasn’t it fine during the Mana Rampage?
Even in pain, Jin felt wronged.
Of course, this was just a misunderstanding.
At the time, due to the situation, the surging adrenaline had dulled the pain, and the self-destructive imagery of the Mana Rampage gradually devoured the agony.
It wasn’t that it didn’t hurt; he just didn’t realize it hurt.
So Jin, who had reassured himself that it would be fine this time too, got hit hard.
The only saving grace was that the pain didn’t last long.
About 20 seconds at most?
So after that short yet intense burst of pain, Jin clutched his dizzy head and got up.
Anyway, I learned it! Blink!
Afterward, flashes appeared all over the narrow motel room.
Jin, who confirmed that the knowledge engraved in his head could be immediately applied in reality, collapsed onto the bed.
This is really my limit now.
Mentally exhausted, he closed his eyes without even washing.
***
Surprisingly, there is a city hall even in Downtown.
You might wonder how a government institution could exist in the abandoned Area 40s.
But it was a follow-up action by the city government, belatedly established to oversee certain districts (not all of the Area 40s) that had continued to survive and had grown to a scale that could no longer be ignored.
Naturally, the evaluation hit rock bottom both inside and outside.
For civil servants, it was the deadest of all dead-end posts no one wanted to be assigned to.
For the residents, it only looked like a belated attempt to stick a hand into their rice bowl, which couldn’t be seen in a good light.
Thus, indifference and corruption had spread through the organization like air, making it formally a government agency, but in reality no different from another large gang.
The Operator had told him to exploit this point.
“There’s nothing in this world that can’t be solved with money.”
The man giggled as he typed away at the keyboard, and in front of him, a chaotic screen, like something out of a spy movie, continuously filled with new lines of text.
As Jin watched silently, he realized it was a list of missing persons.
Why are there so many?
As expected of Downtown, there were quite a few people who had disappeared without a trace (most of whom were presumed dead).
“Male, 20s, missing for more than 3 years, clean record with no criminal history...”
The Operator muttered to himself as he added filters one by one, and Jin let out a hollow laugh. It felt like he was shopping online, entering size, color, and price preferences.
“...Well. There are plenty of profiles that more or less match. Let’s go with this one.”
Right after the man clicked on someone’s name, a new popup window appeared on the screen.
A face that looked to be in his mid-20s.
Except for one eye being a mechanical prosthetic, he had an overall chubby and gentle impression.
But that was only for a moment.
After a few clicks of the keyboard,
Soon enough, a moderately handsome man was looking this way with a dazed expression.
Jin scratched his cheek.
So that’s why they took my photo as soon as I arrived?
If I knew this would happen, I should’ve at least dropped by a hair salon.
At that moment, the Operator spoke.
“Want me to change your name? If you leave it as is, it’s Jose Martinez.”
“Ugh. What. Make it Jin, just Jin.”
“...Jin, huh. Then what about the last name? If you haven’t thought of anything, I’ll randomize it.”
"Sure, go ahead."
Jin, who had always thought just 'Jin' was enough, nodded his head.
The man, having finished the setup in no time, opened his mouth.
"Alright. From now on, you're Jin Evernight. Sounds badass as hell... anyway, card or cash?"
At last, the inevitable moment of payment. Jin closed his eyes tightly.
"...Cash."
"Okay. That'll be 35 million credits."
"What?! Wasn’t it 30 million?"
"It was. Until the city hall raised the mainnet access fee for the personal data database. I’m just a subcontractor. Can’t help it."
At that, Jin’s face went completely pale.
Even 30 million credits required some serious mental preparation, and now they were asking for another 5 million on top?
You motherfucking city government bastards! Let an illegal immigrant live a little!
Cursing inwardly, Jin reluctantly shoved his hand into his jacket.
He pulled out five bundles of bills and laid them on top of a cash bag with the exact amount prepared.
His hand trembled like crazy. Practically indistinguishable from an epileptic’s seizure.
"...You're making me feel bad taking it."
The Operator said that, but still took the money without hesitation.
Leaving a short farewell.
"Take care, Jin."
***
[Jin Evernight / M4100227-AREA 47]
"......"
Jin squatted on the floor, quietly staring at the ID card in his hands.
That tiny piece of plastic had cost him 35 million.
He’d practically emptied out everything he had to get it.
This is why anything square-shaped is no good.
Grumbling even at the Status Window, Jin sighed deeply.
Now all he had left was around 2 million.
After buying the helmet, filling up on gas, restocking ammo, and paying for lodging and food, that was all that remained.
It wasn’t exactly a small amount, but the fact that he could no longer smell that familiar, comforting scent of money every time he opened his zipper bag was a bit depressing.
This is why people never appreciate what they have until it’s gone.
Blaming himself for ever thinking the great and glorious Money-sama was a burden, Jin gazed at his ID with misty eyes.
Still, it wasn't all sadness.
Finally, at last, against all odds, he now had an identity, even if it was forged.
Maybe that was why. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the feeling of belonging somewhere wasn’t all that bad, Jin thought.
Even if that place was the goddamn Downtown.
And then.
"...King Dick? That you, King Dick?"
Jin’s eyebrow twitched at someone’s voice.
Who the hell’s calling me that, when I’ve got a perfectly good name like Jin?
Frowning, he looked up, and someone stood there, backlit by the sun.
A man with a filthy face and a disastrous fashion sense that screamed he’d just thrown on whatever was lying around.
As their eyes met, the certainty struck Jin.
"It’s you, right? It’s me. Jeff. Don’t you remember?"
He crouched down to eye level and greeted him brightly, but Jin honestly... couldn’t quite place him.
More than anything, the guy's breath was making it hard to focus.
"We know each other?"
"Sure. I shared food with you a few times. Not much, but still. It’s you, right? You used to cry every night."
Suddenly poking at his weak spots out of nowhere.
Only then did Jin start to vaguely recall.
The most painful, miserable time of his life came to mind.
Jeff.
Seemed like someone who remembered Jin from his homeless days, but Jin still couldn’t be sure.
No surprise, really- during those first one or two months in Downtown, when he’d been starving and freezing, he’d been half-an-animal at best.
"......"
Feeling a little down, Jin placed his hands on his knees and stood up.
"We were close?"
"Uh. Well... You weren’t exactly coherent back then. So it was... whatever. I wasn’t all there either, it was cold as hell."
Jeff stood up too, scratching the back of his head.
"You disappeared all of a sudden, so I figured you died. Didn’t expect to see you like this. Honestly, I wasn’t sure it was you. You didn’t look like this back then. Damn... you got it all now, head to toe. Anyway, good seeing you again?"
Maybe he was going for a handshake. He started reaching out, but after seeing how clean Jin’s hand looked compared to his own, he awkwardly clasped his hands behind his back instead.
"Ahem. Well, I’m off. Take care."
"Wait a sec."
Jin called out to Jeff just as he turned to leave.
"You wanna hit up Rumpumpumpum? I’ll buy you a meal."
"......?"
Jeff, blinking in confusion, soon shook his head.
"I'm good. I eat fine these days."
"Come on. Don’t turn it down just to be polite. I said let’s go."
"I’m serious. I’m fine."
Jin offered again, reminded of the times when they’d gone hungry, but all he got back was rejection.
So an awkward little tug-of-war began.
Come on, let’s go.
I said I’m not going.
Come on already!
Dude, I said no!
In the midst of that back-and-forth, Jeff suddenly shouted.
"Rumpumpumpum tastes like shit!"
"Huh?"
The reason was so unexpected that Jin blinked blankly.
Jeff waved his hand as if brushing the topic off.
"It’s way too spicy, salty, sour, and sweet with no balance. I hate it, I’m not going."
"A bum turning his nose up at food?"
"And besides, you don’t need to buy me anything. I’ve been eating pretty good these days, at a better place too."
At that, Jin asked suspiciously.
"You?"
"Yeah, me. Want me to explain?"
"Go for it."
When Jin jerked his chin, Jeff crossed his arms and said,
"Over there. A few Purists set up a church in North Downtown. Yeah, a church. I know, right? Only those types would think of something like that. Anyway, they worship some god or whatever, who cares? The important part is they give out free meals."
Apparently, you just had to pretend to pray, and they’d hand you a plate! Seriously.
Hearing that, Jin tilted his head.
In Downtown? Who’d be dumb enough to do that?
But still, you couldn’t dismiss the idea of helping others so easily.
And if Purists were based on that kind of classic fantasy worldview he imagined, then maybe, just maybe, they had a little more humanity in them than the average person here.
"If you don’t believe me, come with me for a meal."
Hearing Jeff’s offer, Jin considered it.
Should I check it out?
He’d heard a lot about Purists, but...
He’d never actually encountered one in person.
Might as well gather some intel while he’s at it.
And worst case, he could just use Blink and escape.
So Jin asked,
"Do they give a lot?"
"They do. And it tastes good too."
"...Let’s go."
Leaving the Manticore in the motel parking lot, Jin followed Jeff to North Downtown.
And sure enough, there was an actual church.
The inside wasn’t too far off from what Jin expected, either.
At the end of the prayer room, lined with benches, officially called pews but known to most as either church or music room chairs, stood a wide altar.
The only difference from a typical hometown church was that instead of a cross, there was a statue of a woman embracing a jar of water with her arms.
The man who introduced himself as a priest said,
“She is Nephetra, the Goddess of Mercy.”
"Welcome, brother. May the arms of the Mother embrace you."
Jin listened with interest at first, but as his stomach began to grumble, he asked cautiously,
"So, you really give out food?"
"Of course. Please, follow me."
Following the priest down to the basement, Jin saw people with their noses buried in their plates.
Everyone looked shabby, just like Jin and the others from a year ago.
"Eat as much as you'd like, and then return upstairs to the prayer room. Let us share in the Mother's mercy."
Before he knew it, Jin was holding a plate and standing in the long cafeteria line.
And it was self-serve.
Hallelujah!
Wait, maybe not that. Whatever.
"What did I tell you? Awesome, right?"
As Jeff nudged him in the ribs, Jin took a bite of a quadruple-stacked slice of pizza and spoke with his cheeks puffed out.
"So how do they afford this?"
"I heard some of their believers are loaded. And all this food, it’s not from Downtown. They bring it in from other districts."
"This is crazy. If Rumpumpumpum was even half this good..."
So Jin ate until his belly bulged, then went upstairs feeling filled with faith.
He even sat through a sermon, did a bit of prayer,
And parted ways with cheerful goodbyes.
There really was hope in Downtown!
All excited, Jin returned the next day. And the day after that.
「(Sudden!) There's No Such Thing as Free」─────────
Escape from the factory.
~Reward Perk: XP 5,000
──────────────────
And then it happened.
He got kidnapped.
~~~
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