Chapter 11 – The Broker of the Slums
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A place where people had barely managed to build a settlement using tents and planks over ruins.
It had been trampled by monsters during the Great Cataclysm, but as people with nowhere else to go gathered here, it became inhabited again.
We walked through the center of this place.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”
Has it been nearly three years?
Seeing the slums again after so long brought a rush of nostalgia.
Prill, noticing my expression, asked.
【Yujin, have you been here before?】
“I used to live here.”
【So, this is your hometown?】
“Well… you could say it’s something like that.”
【???】
Prill tilted her head in confusion. I chuckled lightly and kept walking.
Creak, squelch—
I felt something sticky underfoot.
It wasn’t surprising.
This place was far from hygienic.
If the area where the Ironclad Faction was located could barely be called “downtown,” then this slum was a place untouched by law or welfare.
Services like sanitation and beautification were luxuries this place had never seen.
【Ew, the smell!】
Prill grabbed her nose and grumbled.
“You’ll have to get used to it.”
【…Yujin, why did you come to a place like this?】
“I need to.”
【For what exactly…?】
Prill puffed out her cheeks, clearly dissatisfied with the environment. I gave her a brief explanation.
“Remember those Ironclad Faction guys?”
【Yeah, those jerks will definitely cause trouble later!】
“Exactly. I came here to deal with that trouble.”
【Ah…!】
The Ironclad Faction wouldn’t leave me alone.
Even if I had the justification, they’d see their pride as being wounded.
I had come here to address that issue.
【But Yujin, the way these people are looking at us feels strange.】
Prill seemed to understand the situation but remained wary of our surroundings.
It was no wonder—the people in the slums were watching us with a mix of curiosity, greed, and jealousy in their eyes.
Their gazes made me laugh for some reason.
【Why are you laughing?】
“Just reminded me of old times.”
Ten years ago.
My mother had teleported me here using Spatial Movement Magic.
It was nice to escape the immediate danger, but that didn’t mean I was safe.
I had no food, no place to sleep.
Being on the run from a massive organization like the Gaiah Order meant I couldn’t seek help from the authorities.
To make matters worse, the people in the slums tried to exploit me however they could.
Violence and bullying were just the beginning—forced labor, attempts to coerce me into prostitution, and even being nearly used as a test subject for strange experiments.
This was that kind of place.
A place where people did whatever it took to survive.
There was no leisure, only desperation.
“Excuse me.”
This was a place run by people like that.
A middle-aged woman with seemingly kind eyes approached me.
“Are you new here? I have some great—”
“Go away.”
“Oh, come on. Just hear me out—”
Screech—
I drew my sword and pointed it at her.
“I said, go away. I won’t say it a third time.”
“Tch.”
The middle-aged woman left without another word.
As I sheathed my sword, I muttered.
“There’s always someone like that.”
It was refreshing to be back here after so long, but it was still unpleasant.
【…Yujin.】
“What?”
【I don’t get it. Couldn’t you at least hear her out?】
Prill seemed confused, unable to understand my actions.
She questioned why I’d cut her off before even letting her speak.
But she didn’t know.
“The only reason a stranger approaches another person is for one thing. Do you know what that is?”
【One thing? Hmm…】
Prill thought about it for a moment but couldn’t come up with an answer.
【I don’t know!】
“It’s because they want something from you.”
【…?】
Even after hearing my answer, she tilted her head, still not understanding.
I elaborated further.
“People don’t act unless it benefits them. So what benefit did that person see in talking to me?”
【Hmm, I don’t know.】
“Exactly.”
【???】
“She was hiding her true intentions.”
【…Ah-ha?】
The most dangerous thing in the world is an act of kindness without reason.
Even if it seems harmless at first, it’s best not to accept it.
“It’s always a scam. Got it?”
I’d been through situations like that countless times.
At one point, I’d even felt grateful for seemingly kind gestures, only to be betrayed every time.
Now, I could spot such tricks before they even started.
【Okay, but… couldn’t she have been a genuinely nice person?】
“Hmm.”
Prill, however, remained hopeful about humanity.
Despite living for over ten thousand years, her mental age didn’t seem very mature.
I decided to preserve her innocence.
“Well, maybe.”
【Right!?】
It definitely wasn’t because I didn’t want to argue.
We continued walking through the slums.
Fortunately, no one else bothered us after that.
Normally, this place would have been crawling with con artists, thugs, and pickpockets, but—
‘Being a Hunter is great.’
I was carrying a sword, and it looked like a good one, too.
It wasn’t hard to tell that I was a Hunter.
‘Even these people value their lives.’
If you mess with a Hunter, you might lose your life.
The people here, who lived by the principle of the strong preying on the weak, understood that all too well.
That’s why no one dared to mess with me.
The middle-aged woman who had approached me earlier was the exception.
“We’re here.”
We stopped in front of a shabby store halfway up a slope.
<Peace Store>
【…Is this building going to collapse?】
The cracked door, the half-fallen sign, and the slightly leaning walls.
As Prill said, it wouldn’t have been surprising if the building collapsed at any moment.
“It hasn’t collapsed yet.”
I replied to Prill with a tone of agreement.
When I first saw this building 10 years ago, it was already in this state.
Back then, I was also worried it might collapse, but in the end, it never did.
Despite its appearance, it was sturdier than it seemed.
Clatter, creak—
I forced open the stubborn door and stepped into the store.
“Who’s there?”
“Grandpa, it’s me.”
“Who… Oh, Yujin? How long has it been?”
As I entered, an old man wearing a monocle greeted me warmly.
This was Grandpa Kim Pyung, a benefactor of mine.
“It’s been about three years. I’ve been busy.”
Though it had been a while since I last saw him, Grandpa hadn’t changed much.
He just had a few more wrinkles.
Memories of the past came to mind.
The time when I first ended up here.
‘If it weren’t for Grandpa, would I have survived?’
I couldn’t say for sure.
But the chances were high that I wouldn’t have made it.
The world wasn’t a place where a 13-year-old kid could survive alone.
Grandpa Kim Pyung had been the one to help me back then.
Of course, that didn’t mean he helped me out of pure kindness.
“There’s no such thing as altruism without cost.”
It was more accurate to say that our interests happened to align.
In exchange for providing me with basic necessities, I had to carry out some pretty dangerous tasks.
But that was fine with me.
It wasn’t charity—I was making a deal.
That made it easier to accept.
Not that I wasn’t grateful.
‘I still owe him a debt of gratitude.’
The fact that he even allowed me to make such a “deal” made him a lifesaver.
Besides—
“Grandpa, are you still doing that work?”
“Of course. Gotta make a living.”
The work Grandpa did had been a great help to me at the time.
That work was—
“Identity forgery.”
After the Great Cataclysm, there was a high demand for new identities.
Many people had died or gone missing, leaving behind unused identities.
Grandpa’s job was to connect this supply with the demand.
In other words, he was an identity broker.
‘I was one of the beneficiaries.’
Thanks to him, I was able to live under the new identity of “Kim Yujin” instead of “Do Yujin.”
For a fugitive like me, it was an invaluable lifeline.
And now—
“Then you must still be in contact with Ji Hyun-woong.”
Once again, I needed Grandpa’s help.
It wasn’t exactly about forging a new identity this time, but—
I needed to contact Ji Hyun-woong, the leader of the Hyunwoong faction, which was in a competitive relationship with the Ironclad faction.
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. To deal with the Ironclad faction, I need the Hyunwoong faction.”
That was why I had come here.
“Haha. You’re still as impatient as ever. Couldn’t you at least exchange some pleasantries before jumping to business?”
“You look healthy, don’t you?”
“And you don’t want to ask about An-bin?”
It had been a while since I’d heard that name.
Kim An-bin.
Grandpa’s grandson.
‘An optimist who thought his life would change as soon as he awakened.’
To be honest, was I curious about him?
Not really.
We weren’t particularly close.
Still, out of courtesy, I asked.
“So… has he awakened yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I see.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“Well, he doesn’t like me anyway.”
“Ha! That’s true.”
Grandpa chuckled briefly before answering my real question.
“I’m still in touch with Hyun-woong from time to time. Sometimes, there’s a need.”
As expected.
Through Grandpa, I could connect with Ji Hyun-woong, the leader of the Hyunwoong faction.
“Can you arrange it?”
“And for free?”
“Of course not.”
Naturally, it wasn’t going to be free.
I didn’t expect to get this help based on goodwill alone.
Nor did I want to.
“How much?”
“100.”
Thunk.
I set down a bag full of mana stones in front of Grandpa.
“Exchange this for cash and take 100 from it.”
Grandpa checked the mana stones and looked surprised.
No wonder—the amount was substantial.
It would easily convert into several million won.
“The exchange fee is separate.”
“Of course.”
Grandpa, meticulous as ever, made sure to mention the exchange fee. After double-checking the mana stones, he clicked his tongue and asked me.
“What on earth did you do at the Ironclad faction?”
It must have been shocking for him to see someone he thought was just a porter bringing such a large amount of mana stones.
I shrugged and replied.
“Consider it severance pay.”
Severance pay.
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
I didn’t receive it; I took it with me.
Grandpa stared at me for a moment before asking.
“Are you completely done with them?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. You didn’t listen when I told you not to join them, but now you’ve come to your senses.”
“…I had my reasons back then.”
The Ironclad factionhad a pretty notorious reputation in the area.
I hadn’t wanted to join them either.
‘If it weren’t for the Mana Suppressant, I would’ve never gone there.’
Back then, the Ironclad faction was the only place where I could get my hands on the Mana Suppressant.
But now, I no longer needed that illegal drug.
“Anyway, got it. You want me to set up a meeting with Hyun-woong?”
“Yes, that’ll be enough. Please make it happen as soon as possible.”
“Haha. Got it.”
The old man answered with a smile.
Even though it wasn’t free, I could sense his goodwill in trying to help me somehow.
Unlike the hostile environment of the Ironclad Faction, this place gave me a sense of comfort.
‘It’s definitely peaceful.’
This place was like a second hometown to me.
With both my parents gone, it was the only place I could call a “connection.”
Here, at least, I could let my guard down a little.
【Yujin!】
At that moment, Prill called out to me in a curious tone.
‘Yes?’
【What is this? I can feel cold air coming from it!】
What she pointed to was a refrigerator.
An ice cream freezer, to be precise, like the ones you’d find in any small store.
‘Ah, that’s called a refrigerator.’
【A refrigerator? Amazing!】
‘Want to know something even more amazing?’
【What, what is it?】
Seeing how excited Prill was, I decided to offer her a special treat.
“Grandpa, can I take an ice cream?”
“Hm? Sure, go ahead.”
With his easy approval, I opened the freezer and pulled out a vanilla ice cream.
I was curious to see how Prill would react to this.
I held the ice cream out to her with some anticipation.
‘Here. Try it.’
【I eat this? Hmm… Okay.】
Just as Prill was about to take a bite of the ice cream—
Thud— Thud—
“…What?”
A massive presence suddenly emerged from the back of the store.
It was moving closer, even.
On instinct, I created some distance and heightened my alertness.
‘At least 2-star rank.’
As it drew nearer, it became clear.
This was a massive monster, at least 2-star rank or higher.
While it wouldn’t be a problem for me, Kim Pyung, a non-Awakened human, could be in danger.
“Grandpa, it’s dangerous! You need to get out of here.”
“Hm? Yujin, what’s going on…?”
“No time to explain—!”
At that moment—
Creak—
The sliding door at the back of the store opened, and a giant figure stepped out.
The figure was a very obese man, easily weighing 150 kilograms.
“Grandpa! Why’s it so noisy!? …Huh? My ice cream!”
When he saw the ice cream in my hand, he shouted.
“…A person?”
I had assumed it was a monster, but it turned out to be a human.
Still, I couldn’t let my guard down.
There was no guarantee that this unknown Awakened person wouldn’t attack me.
But then—
“Ki-Kim Yujin!?”
He recognized me.
“…What? You know me? Who are you—”
“You damn…”
Bang!
Before I could finish asking, he spat out a curse and slammed the door shut, retreating inside.
What was that?
“…Ah, don’t tell me?”
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