Chapter 63

“Isaac, you’re quite diligent.”

“The early bird catches the worm.”

“But it also becomes prey for the snake that wakes up even earlier.”

“Ah, yeah, yeah. I get it, so just stay quiet.”

Talking with Ina always brought exhaustion.

It wasn’t just a normal conversation—she had a knack for saying things that grated on people’s nerves.

I blankly stared at the road leading to Seoul.

The desolate path made it easy to forget that this place was once lush with dense forests.

Surprisingly, it was all thanks to the power of Users who could literally carve mountains. Disaster-level Users had the strength to devour mountains.

Take Quaker, for example. In the original story, didn’t they just yank out entire buildings and throw them around?

Compared to that, my ability might seem like child’s play… but I’m still pretty strong.

I made it this far without any professional training.

Now that I had a weapon, I could handle most of the mid-tier villains from the original story on my own.

At least until the mid-point.

The main villains in the later parts, like Quaker and their subordinates, were exceptionally powerful even among superpowered Users.

From their inner circle to their underlings, none of them were to be taken lightly.

“Oh my, you look so troubled.”

“That’s just how bosses are. They live buried in worries.”

“I’m just a hitman, so I wouldn’t know.”

In the end, being a subordinate is more comfortable.

You just have to do what you’re told.

Of course, it depends on what you’re told to do…

“But you’re really going to the underworld, right?”

“Do I look like someone who would lie?”

“Yes.”

Trusting someone from the Viper’s Den is just crazy.

It’s already ridiculous to expect criminals to have any sense of honor. Whether she was genuinely hurt or just pretending, Ina puffed her cheeks in protest.

“Despite how I look, I’m actually famous for not lying.”

“You’re saying that with your own mouth?”

“Even if I say it myself, it’s still the truth.”

So shameless.

“And you, Isaac, are you really going to Seoul for work?”

“Yep.”

“It feels like you have another purpose…”

“I’m not obligated to tell you that.”

This girl and I are partners, but we’re also potential enemies.

If things go south, I might have to quietly take her out. No need to reveal my cards to someone like that.

“Let’s just each do our own thing and part ways. Don’t make it complicated.”

“How boring.”

“Work is supposed to be boring.”

With that, we ended our small talk.

The checkpoint in the distance was one reason.

It was time to prepare for the inspection.

“Ina, how long will the job take?”

“Oh my, are you offering to take responsibility for the return trip too?”

“If you pay.”

“It’ll be done by tonight.”

I see.

I slowly reduced the car’s speed.

Now I had to wait in line among the cars being inspected.

And so, I set foot in Seoul for the second time.

—

Yongsan.

Honestly, I’d never been here before my transmigration.

When I was young, there was no reason to go, and by the time I became an adult, it was already in decline.

So, the only thing I remember is a crazy shop owner from some community who said, “Want to meet a customer?”

I shoved my hands into my jacket pockets in the chilly weather and looked around Yongsan.

Robots patrolling the sidewalks, people dressed in cyberpunk attire, and others in relatively normal clothes.

The strange atmosphere of Yongsan stimulated my senses.

“Hmm…”

Has this place become just another residential area?

Still, there was a large shopping mall, once known for its electronics stores.

Yongsan’s Maze Shopping Mall.

It’s called the Maze Shopping Mall because repeated expansions turned the interior into a labyrinth.

Without someone who knows the way, you’d wander for hours before finally getting help to escape.

Some even hired guides specifically to navigate the maze.

So, if I wanted to explore the mall properly, I’d need a guide.

But as I looked at the guides waiting for customers near the entrance, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

Which one of them won’t scam me?

This world is an apocalypse.

Even in Seoul, the law doesn’t fully function—it’s a world where fists are closer than the law.

In such a world, it’s common for guides to swindle customers for extra money. Even the protagonist in the original story got tricked by such a guide early on.

So, I had to figure out how to pick a decent guide.

Of course, there was a simple and easy way.

Hire the second guide who helped the protagonist in the original story.

That guide, though expensive, was at least honest and wouldn’t scam me.

The problem was that even a slight shift in the timeline could completely flip the original story.

If I hired that guide, the protagonist might not find the right guide, fail to catch the culprit, and let them escape.

“What a mess…”

“Are you planning to enter the Maze Shopping Mall?”

A high-pitched voice suddenly pierced my ears.

I turned to look at the owner of the voice.

“Yes.”

Ah.

This is awkward.

“Then how about entrusting it to me, a veteran guide with over 1,000 successful tours of the Maze Shopping Mall!”

A girl with glasses that had RGB lights flashing on the frames suddenly made the offer.

I firmly shook my head.

No way, not her.

“I don’t trust you. I’ll just find someone else.”

“You say that, but you can’t take your eyes off the Maze Shopping Mall.”

Tsk.

She’s not going to let go easily.

I scratched my head and looked down at Yoo Sang-ah, one of the heroines from the original story.

A girl who looked like she’d enjoy tteokbokki had sadly just graduated middle school and jumped into the guide business.

In this world, it’s not that unusual.

Middle school is compulsory, but high school isn’t, so kids from poor families often skip it and start working.

Sang-ah was one of those kids, and that’s how she became a guide heroine.

Being a guide can be quite lucrative if you’re good.

Finding the right store here requires a guide, and Sang-ah, with her specialized ability to navigate, quickly became a skilled guide.

But she shouldn’t come to me.

I’m thinking of loosely connecting with the protagonist, but I’m not trying to NTR anyone.

Wait, is it even NTR?

The protagonist and I haven’t even crossed paths yet.

Anyway, for that reason, I’m hesitant to contract Sang-ah and explore the Maze Shopping Mall.

But Sang-ah, with her unique intuition from the original story, seemed to sense I was a good catch and clung stubbornly.

“Oh, come on! There’s no guide as skilled as me!”

“I was just looking around while passing by.”

“Eh, you’ve been loitering here for a while now. You must have something to do here… Why not give it a try?”

“Do you really need to cling to me? Aren’t there plenty of customers looking for the Maze Shopping Mall?”

“I have a good sense for these things! I feel like connecting with you will improve my financial situation!”

“Do you even know who I am?”

“…Hah.”

Maybe because I glared at her, Sang-ah quickly distanced herself. Hiding behind an advertising sign, she peeked out and asked.

“Are you a dangerous person?”

“What do you think?”

“…You must be rich!”

“Didn’t it occur to you that I might harm you?”

“If I scream just once here, a hero will come running!”

Noticing Sang-ah’s gaze shift behind me, I turned to look.

“Huh.”

A hero is on patrol.

Just a nameless extra, but a hero is a hero. No need to cause unnecessary trouble.

“Fine, I’m not interested. Go find someone else.”

“At least exchange X-Talk IDs! I’ll guide you next time you come!”

“…Alright, alright.”

I registered Sang-ah’s friend code on my messenger.

Unintentionally, I ended up exchanging numbers with a high school girl.

Should I be happy about this or not?

I put my phone in my pocket and watched Sang-ah’s back as she tried to attract other customers.

Hoping that this time, things would go according to the original story.