Chapter 59

“Park Yi-sak, 23 years old… running an office in the Swamp Area. Plus two companions.”

A heavily guarded checkpoint.

The soldier stationed there, dressed in somewhat sci-fi-like gear, squinted his eyes and scrutinized us carefully.

Was it curiosity, or just a professional habit?

Either way, his gaze wasn’t exactly welcoming.

To be fair, our position was a bit suspicious, and even though we were somewhat disguised, someone sharp-eyed might still find us troublesome.

So, just in case, we had prepared a bribe.

After all, the magic of checkpoints is that money can turn a perfectly fine person into a blind one.

No?

Then just hand over one more bill.

“Hmm…”

What’s this?

Is he asking for a bribe?

I naturally extended my hand forward.

“You must be working hard guarding the checkpoint.”

“Haha, not at all. It’s a soldier’s duty to protect the citizens.”

While casually accepting the bribe, of course.

Well, soldiers have never been a well-paid profession, so what can you do?

It’s not like anyone appreciates living upright these days.

If you wanted to appeal that way, you should’ve become a hero.

Of course, being a hero in this world means you’re an elite…

Hero.

The probability of encountering them in Seoul has noticeably increased.

In the original story, most of them were decently righteous people… but what about here?

I couldn’t gauge how my ambiguous identity would appear to them.

“Have a good time.”

Thanks to the power of the bribe, we were warmly welcomed into Seoul.

Seoul, 2070.

First impression… it was cyberpunk-ish.

“Wow… Oppa, look at that, it’s so tall!”

“It’s like a whole different world, a different world.”

“This is… Seoul.”

Cars with a near-futuristic design, rarely seen outside.

Holographic projectors displaying advertisements everywhere.

People with a mix of early 21st-century vibes and sci-fi aesthetics, completely different from the Swamp Area.

At this point, I felt like I was time-traveling.

“Only 10 kilometers away, and it’s so different…”

The difference was so stark that just looking at the atmosphere from afar made it feel like a completely different genre.

Outside, bullets are too precious to waste, but here, they’re probably playing around with laser guns.

No wonder everyone keeps talking about Seoul.

Experiencing firsthand what an extremely developed Seoul Republic looks like, I drove further into the city center.

Right now, I’m in Gangdong.

So, based on the knowledge from my original world, this is where the Olympic Park used to be, right?

Honestly, it’s all a bit hazy now.

I didn’t even live in Seoul back then.

I pieced together fragments of faint memories as I drove forward.

Today’s goal is Dunchon Market, located deeper in Gangdong.

Of course, the comprehensive mart exclusive to Seoul would be better, but there’s a reason I chose this less-equipped, lower-quality market.

It’s where the first event in the original story—the protagonist’s first villain capture in episodes 1 to 5—takes place.

Located away from the city center, it’s a place where lower-class people in Seoul mainly live, so incidents happen frequently.

But most of the criminals here are weak, so it’s often assigned as a duty area for rookie heroes.

If I’m lucky, I might get to see the protagonist in person.

Not that I particularly wanted to see the original protagonist.

What’s the point of looking at some overly passionate guy’s face?

My goal was to witness the chase between the first villain, Yoo Sang-chul, and the protagonist.

The original story’s starting point.

Considering the prologue was just meaningless rambling, the actual story began in episode 1.

But I don’t know when that is.

From what’s mentioned, it’s definitely spring, but…

“Boss, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

Mina, sitting in the passenger seat, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Was I too lost in thought?

I chose my words carefully and gave Mina a convincing answer.

“Just… seeing Seoul feels like I’ve entered a completely different world.”

“It’s amazing, just like you said, Boss. Is this what all big cities are like?”

“Probably just here.”

Busan has become a place where twisted, otherworldly fish jump out of the sea, like some Cthulhu relative.

But apparently, they’re surprisingly nutritious and tasty, so people in Busan can’t get enough of them.

Ironically, thanks to those fish, Busan is one of the few places with decent food supplies.

It’s also relatively less affected by the war.

“Oppa, that must be the market over there!”

We’ve already arrived, even though it didn’t seem like we’d driven far.

I rolled my eyes, searching for a parking lot.

Navigating in this era is incredibly difficult, so it’s an unavoidable choice.

After circling the market for a while, I spotted an empty lot with cars lined up and drove in.

Is there no fee or anything?

Well, if there isn’t, that’s even better.

I parked the car in the relatively rundown lot and took in the slightly stale air of Seoul.

“The air in the Swamp Area is… no, it’s not great there either.”

The air in the twisted gray forest, warped by biochemical attacks and ability misuse, was far from pleasant.

If the environment had been fine, twisted monsters wouldn’t be roaming around.

At least those damn strays were recently cleared out by the Crocodile Birds, or so I heard. I’m not entirely sure, though.

“Oppa, look at that car, it’s shaped like a ball!”

Wow, seeing a sci-fi car parked opposite an old Jeep feels surreal.

The seats visible through the windshield looked more like comfortable massage chairs than a driver’s seat. Are passengers just getting massages while the car drives itself?

Wow, technology has really advanced.

Before I got here, I remember hearing on the news that it was still too early for commercialization.

“Oppa, can we get a car like that?”

“Well. There’s no need to buy something you can only use in Seoul.”

It’d be better to get a phone instead.

The electricity at the office is a bit unstable, but at least it’s there, so I can charge it, and having one would make communication easier.

It might stand out a bit in the Swamp Area, though.

But no one would dare mess with Mina or Seolhwa there.

The rumor mill has pretty much wiped out anyone who’d try.

“Let’s get going. We need to check out the market and, if possible, get a phone.”

“Okay!”

We left the parking lot and headed toward the bustling market.

————-

“Oppa, what’s that? It’s moving by itself!”

“It’s a robot.”

The drum-shaped body with arms moving items around reminded me of machines used in large restaurants before I got here.

Robots with drum-like bodies managing stores.

Drones flying around delivering items.

“With this, running things would be easier even with fewer people.”

If the Swamp Area feels like an old-fashioned market, this place feels like a sci-fi version of a market.

“Having one of those at home would be so convenient!”

“It’d be nice to have something do the housework for you.”

True.

But I’m not planning to buy one.

We walked through the market, browsing the stalls, and headed deeper inside.

Passing by simple snack stalls, we soon reached the area selling fresh ingredients.

At a glance, the quality of the produce here was much better than what we could get in the Swamp Area.

We scanned the stalls with serious eyes and started buying the ingredients we needed.

“Oppa, what’s this?”

“It’s tofu.”

Let’s grab a few.

I picked up about five blocks of tofu that Seolhwa pointed out. It was a bit much to carry in one hand, but with my abilities, it’s no big deal.

How should we eat this?

Fried with eggs, in stew, or just warmed up with some kimchi on top—

Just as I was reminiscing about tofu, a sudden explosion echoed.

At this timing, the explosion must be—

I turned my head to identify the source and fell into thought.

Was it just a coincidence?

Or was it some kind of inevitable event?

Logically, it’s the former, but getting here in the first place isn’t logical.

Being here is the epitome of illogic.

So, it’s hard to gauge.

But one thing was certain.

This world was signaling the start of the original story to me.

And perhaps, it was trying to tell me something.

For example,

“Stop right there!”

Meeting the protagonist flying through the air to catch a criminal?

As soon as I finished that thought, I pulled a criminal passing nearby toward me.