Chapter 62

“Interesting.”

The glass in his hand slowly floated into the air.

As if it had a mind of its own, the glass swam through the air before attaching itself to his lips and tilting slowly.

“I’m not sure if this is good news for us.”

“Perhaps it could become a great spear.”

Different methods, different locations, but the goal could still be the same.

Quaker, with his hazy eyes, recalled the scene he had seen through his subordinate’s eyes.

‘Even though they used my genes, the abilities are slightly different. How fascinating.’

A clone, yet with different abilities.

Even in a chaotic world, scholars still exist.

Since the appearance of Users, many scholars have struggled to uncover the truth behind superpowers.

Some say it’s due to genetic modification, others claim it’s the activation of brain functions we don’t yet understand, or even radiation…

Countless theories have been created and discarded, but no one has been able to pinpoint the exact reason.

Even after dissecting human brains,

After conducting countless experiments,

The conclusion scientists reached was, ‘We cannot understand the mechanism of these abilities.’

Thus, the superpowers humanity suddenly gained one day remain an unknown, and Quaker stopped thinking about it.

After all, that’s not what’s important.

What’s important to him now is…

“The time is near, Quaker.”

“Yes. That’s right… The preparations are done. All that’s left is to flip the board.”

He stared at his reflection in the wet window.

A face full of wrinkles, unlike the one he had when he vowed revenge long ago.

Lifeless eyes.

His will was firm, but time flows mercilessly.

That’s why he must stake everything on this opportunity.

‘Once it’s all over, I’ll return to a handful of dirt.’

Once his revenge is complete, he’ll be able to embrace death with satisfaction.

So.

For now—

“Let’s send the signal.”

“As you command.”

His loyal subordinate disappeared.

“Park Yi-sak… huh.”

Alone in the room, he recalled the man who looked exactly like his younger self.

The clone that had awakened its ego and run away.

‘I thought it was just a meat puppet without a sense of self. What on earth happened?’

An unexpected variable.

Which way will this variable’s blade point?

“I hope it becomes a very sharp dagger.”

Only then will it be a fatal move, no matter what it strikes.

The glass floating in the air landed on the table.

—————————

“Seolhwa, let’s eat.”

“Okay~”

I didn’t expect to feel like a parent with a disobedient child.

I sighed as I watched Seolhwa, who refused to look away from her phone screen.

Smartphone addiction.

What an unfitting addiction for the apocalypse.

But I get it. In a world with little entertainment, handing someone a device filled with entertainment?

Addiction is inevitable.

Even I spent nearly half a day glued to my phone on the first day.

But there’s surprisingly little to do.

The world is a mess, so even the games available are few and not of high quality.

At best, some old games from the past have been uploaded thanks to someone’s efforts.

Even before I possessed this body, most games were considered classics.

Gacha games seem to have all become lost media.

Well, games that require servers are hard to keep running.

“Boss, I…”

“Seolhwa, eat first, then do whatever.”

“Okay~”

At least she listens after being told twice.

I stuffed my phone into my pocket and placed a bowl of rice in front of Seolhwa, who was sitting at the table.

“What’s so fun that you’re so into it?”

“Hmm—videos are fun, games are fun…”

“How is XTube still alive?”

It’s strange to see a site created by a company on the other side of the world still functioning.

How did it survive the aftermath of the war?

Of course, the number of videos uploaded has drastically decreased compared to the days when thousands were uploaded daily, but even in this world, there are streamers and new YouTubers.

Though their activities are mostly limited to big cities, so it’s all pretty similar.

Either playing old games, casually chatting, or showcasing abilities by inviting Users.

If I had possessed an ordinary Seoul citizen, I probably would’ve lived like that too.

But being a hunter is like walking around with a knife at your throat every day.

“Boss?”

“Let’s eat.”

We quietly picked up our utensils and began our meal.

Hot rice with soybean paste stew, kimchi, and a fried egg.

Simple, but in this place, it’s a pretty luxurious meal.

I leisurely put rice and side dishes into my mouth, lost in thought.

The first episode of the original story.

The Yongsan terror incident, was it?

The first time the protagonist encounters Quaker.

I planned to witness that incident with my own eyes.

It was one of the few times Quaker directly appeared in the original story.

To see Quaker with my own eyes and to intervene in the original story, I had to get involved in this incident.

Staying quiet was an option, but since that bastard’s plans include destroying the swamp area, I have no choice.

Besides, I’ve already got a house here. What would I gain by running away?

It’s better to just take down Quaker and protect my home.

If this place gets destroyed, the gray forest management will go haywire, and monsters will likely pour in.

If that happens, even Seoul, which is relatively intact, won’t be safe. So, like it or not, I have to take down Quaker.

No hard feelings, though.

“Thanks for the meal~”

“Kids, I’ll be out a lot for work for a while. Don’t cause trouble and behave, okay? If something happens, let me know.”

“Boss, don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Seolhwa.”

“Oppa, can’t I come with you?”

“Sorry, but no.”

Seolhwa has gotten stronger through training over the winter, but taking her to a terror scene is a different story.

I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention.

If Quaker takes an interest and kidnaps her… that would be the worst-case scenario.

Mina also has abilities that Quaker might covet, so it’s even more important.

“Are you leaving right away?”

“Looks like it. Need anything when I come back?”

“Um… I’m fine. Just… come back safely.”

“I want a hamburger!”

“Sure, sure.”

She must really like hamburgers.

I patted Seolhwa’s head once and got up.

I’ll be staying in Seoul for a while, so there’s a lot to prepare. I’ll need to bring some money too.

I put my phone in my pocket and headed to my room.

————————

“…What are you doing here?”

“You’re going to Seoul, right? I’m borrowing the passenger seat.”

How does she know that?

Did she bug my car?

I sighed and sat in the driver’s seat.

“How did you open the door?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Why are you going to Seoul?”

“That’s a secret.”

“…Aren’t you getting out?”

If she tags along, it could interfere with my work.

I glared at Ina, who was confidently sitting in the passenger seat, but as always, she just smiled shamelessly and fastened her seatbelt.

“Get out, quick.”

“It’s our company’s car. Can’t you give me a ride?”

“What’s our relationship?”

“Well—”

“What are you doing?!”

Mina suddenly appeared, opening the passenger seat and glaring at Ina.

How did she know? She couldn’t have seen my car from the office.

“Scary. I just wanted a ride, that’s all.”

Don’t lean towards me.

I used repulsion to push Ina away as she tried to cling to me.

“Boss isn’t going out for fun! Lady, get lost!”

“Lady…?”

Even in a world gone to hell, being called a lady still hits a nerve.

Seeing Ina frown, which was rare, I felt the need to intervene.

“Both of you, calm down…”

“Boss! Are you taking this lady with you?!”

“I’m going for work. What are you thinking, overreacting like this?”

“I, I—”

“Enough.”

Sigh.

“Tell me straight. Why are you going to Seoul?”

“I have business in the underworld.”

“What’s in it for me?”

“Huh?”

“If you want a ride, there’s a price. Does electricity grow on trees?”

“Tch.”

Ina reluctantly took out her wallet and paid me. It was quite a sum.

“Please behave.”

“Boss—”

“Mina. I get how you feel, but—if I ditch her, it’ll just get more annoying. So, be the bigger person and bear with it.”

“…Okay.”

She seems a bit sulky.

I’ll buy her a gift on the way back.

I sighed and started the car.