Chapter 81 - Cage
"No way, it's just a concert security gig. What's with the ammount of experience points I get?"
Jin pulled his face back, then waved away the intrusive status window.
Khalifa, watching him, asked, "What do you mean, 'disaster'? All of a sudden?"
"Hmm. Just got a strong feeling."
"…?"
A question mark practically hovered over Khalifa's head.
The same confusion was evident on Po's face as he wiped down a glass.
"And what makes you think that?" asked the bartender.
Jin simply replied, "…It just feels that way."
An abrupt and completely unfounded gut instinct.
Of course, this stemmed from Jin's inability to properly explain the correlation between experience points and difficulty—or even the unknown power behind the status window.
Thus, such a bizarre theory was born.
"Hmm."
Khalifa crossed her arms, scrutinizing Jin's expression with calm eyes before giving a small nod.
"If your instincts are telling you that, I'll trust them. Got it, Jin. Let's drop this job. I'll find you something better."
A clean conclusion.
This was the biggest reason Khalifa was respected as a top-tier linker among solos.
If someone said no, she didn't waste time trying to convince them otherwise.
It wasn't just solos who appreciated easy, lucrative jobs. Linkers who took a cut of the reward found them just as tempting.
Even so, Khalifa respected others' decisions and never pushed back.
It was just half a day—mere hours of keeping a stern face at a concert—and yet she didn't insist.
She had always been this way, even before Jin had grown this strong.
Now, placing a plate of freshly baked homemade cookies in front of him, she smoothly changed the subject.
"So, how's the new place?"
Jin's face brightened at the natural shift in conversation.
"Oh, that…"
He had come to Anekdote today because he felt a bit empty after leaving Gravis behind.
This cozy little bar had been the first place to make him feel like he belonged, and for that, he was grateful.
He chatted away for hours.
Only when the bar became crowded with customers did he finally take his leave.
On his way back, he stocked up on snacks, feeling completely at ease as he rolled up the warehouse shutter and stepped inside.
Sniffing the air, he muttered, "Maybe I should get some scented candles."
He had never cared about this kind of thing while staying at that no-staff motel.
With that thought, he flopped onto his bed.
A smile naturally formed on his lips.
The softness of the mattress was absolute bliss.
People really do need their own space.
Reaffirming this universal truth, Jin rustled through his bag, pulling out an assortment of chips and placing them on the bedside table.
And with that, it was showtime.
Korea's most beloved pastime—sprawling out on the bed and doing absolutely nothing.
The most crucial tool, his device, was fully charged and stationed beside his pillow.
Rolling onto his side, Jin gripped the device with his right hand, while his left efficiently shoveled snacks into his mouth.
"Hmm."
With the family tournament only two weeks away, he had recently developed an interest in gathering festival-related information.
"Huh. In the past few hundred years, only two people outside the seven great families have ever won? Whoa—"
His eyes sparkled with curiosity.
The sheer dominance of the seven families, ruling as pure-blood supremacists for centuries, was impressive in its own right.
But what truly fascinated him were the two underdogs who had managed to break through and claim victory.
Driven by curiosity, he tried to look up more information about them.
But what the hell—everything was locked behind restrictions.
Seriously?
Why be so stingy with info on people from centuries ago?
Jin frowned but didn't have any alternatives.
He found himself idly wondering, If I had chosen the corporate route, would I be a networking expert by now?
Slicked-back hair, a black suit, standing over a city skyline while twirling a wine glass…
That image clashed completely with his current reality—gripping a potato chip like a hawk's talon—but his expression remained serious.
Oh, right.
If I were a corporate guy, I'd need a cybernetic port in my head, huh?
Snapping back to reality, he refocused on the screen, idly scrolling with his thumb.
He was aimlessly browsing, searching for anything interesting, when a certain headline caught his eye.
[A Star Shining in the Gutter: Elina Vicent]
Jin's eyes narrowed.
It wasn't because of the celebrity's name appearing again.
He just really hated that title.
"…Who even comes up with these headlines?"
Calling a smart person an idiot is an insult, but calling an actual idiot an idiot is just asking for a fight.
Sure, District 40 was a shithole.
But did they have to spell it out like that?
Annoyed, Jin clicked on the article.
It wasn't out of curiosity.
It was pure defiance.
Let's see how amazing you think she is.
His expression became as stern as a military officer scanning for infractions.
And so, he began reading the article.
Hmm.
She is pretty.
But so what?
She's a good singer?
Big deal.
A singer should be good at singing.
Would a solo even count as one if they couldn't fight?
Wait, she's really good?
…Fine.
Maybe I'll listen to one song.
What's her most popular track?
Oh.
Hmm.
Oh-ho.
Cough.
…She is good.
What was her name again?
Elina Vicent?
How old is she?
Twenty-five—so she's younger than me.
…Should I listen to another one?
A two-hour medley?
Tch.
That's long.
I'll just listen for a bit and turn it off.
That was the last trace of Jin's resistance.
Who knew how much time had passed since then?
At some point, Jin found himself humming a tune, and he was startled by it.
"...Huh?"
He checked the time, and it had already been over four hours.
On the screen, Elina's interview was still going on.
[For the fans in sector 40, I'll be sure to visit you too.]
She smiled brightly as she adjusted her posture, and Jin thought to himself,
She must be a good friend.
Thinking about it, it's pretty amazing that she'd hold a concert in a place like Downtown just to meet her fans.
Huh?
Where am I?
This is a street where people perform, with those crazy enough to either run off with the loose change in the cans or kick the cans around—an artistic graveyard, a miserable pit.
Jin shook his head, but his finger still clicked on the next live video.
Truth be told, even before he woke up in Lost City, he had liked some celebrities.
Every man has their enlistment song.
He clearly remembered how much he liked a four-member girl group (which later became a five-member group) that had their debut song as an enlistment anthem.
Of course, it eventually became less of a priority due to school, work, and other practical matters.
Anyway, it was true that he had started paying attention to Elina's songs, to the point where memories from his younger days resurfaced.
With her different concepts and impressive skills, it was no wonder she was popular.
"Cough-cough."
Jin had originally started searching for flaws in Elina's performance, but by the time he realized it, he was looking up more videos.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
This wasn't the plan.
He felt a little embarrassed.
Then, a sudden thought pierced through his mind.
...Is something going to happen during the concert?
It probably would.
It didn't make sense that the experience points for just providing security were 12,000.
If the status window, which had been quiet for over a month, was suddenly active, something big must be coming up.
A terrorist attack?
A kidnapping?
Or maybe sacrificing the crowd as offerings?
Jin rubbed his chin, his face growing serious, as if picking the evening's dinner menu.
Then, a quiet mutter escaped his lips.
"...Should I go for it?"
At the same time, a rectangular window suddenly covered his view.
「Art in the Sewers」━━━━━━━━━━━
Elina Vicent's security detail.
Reward: 12,000 XP
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Jin scowled at the window, as if he had been waiting for this.
"Get lost."
He swatted at the air to dismiss the window, but a voice from the device pierced his ears.
[We drop our tears into the dried-up sea—]
[So the boat that stopped can sail again—]
As the lyrics continued, Jin idly tapped his feet.
He thought, If everything works out, maybe I can get an autograph.
After coating it and framing it, it would make a nice display...
The thought curled like a tail, and the moment it reached its end, Jin resolutely picked up the device.
Then, he pressed the keys firmly.
After a moment, he hit the call button.
"Ah, Khalifa. Are you busy? It's about the security thing. I was thinking of giving it a shot. Yeah, I've got some time before the rotation, so I figured I might as well—"
The conversation continued.
***
"How's your condition?"
A deep, bass voice echoed.
It sounded like it came from a cave.
At the same time, the sharp scent of cigars filled the air.
Elina, who had been staring at the mirror, turned her head.
She looked at the plump man chewing gum and spoke.
"I'm fine."
"Hah, you expect me to believe that with that face?"
The plump man let out a snort and blew a bubble.
The greenish bubble inflated and popped, sticking to his lips.
He peeled it off and popped it back in his mouth.
He glared at Elina with a crooked stare for a moment before moving toward the sofa, where he plopped down with a loud thud.
He then threw his arms over the backrest and muttered.
"Damn, this shitty slum. Nothing here I like. The food tastes terrible, the streets are filthy, and the bed has some stains on it. It's like someone smeared rice cake on it while cleaning. Stupid savages."
The more he complained, the angrier his face became.
Elina, who said nothing, stared straight ahead as the plump man's gaze burned into her side.
"Is this all because of you? What? 'I'll visit the fans in zone 40 too'—"
His voice dripped with sarcasm.
Elina's lips parted.
"It was a tour for all zones. Only zone 40 was an exception..."
"Bullshit! This place is out of the question! It's a goddamn slum the city government won't even touch! I've told you a hundred times, there's no need for you to come all the way here and put on a damn show! Huh?!"
The plump man interrupted Elina with an angry shout, his face turning red as he spat fire from his mouth.
"If you hadn't made that bombshell statement live, I'd be sitting here rubbing my hands full of tits right now, you know?! Damn it, because of you, we're all stuck in this mess. What? Do you miss your hometown that much?"
"...Get lost."
"What?"
The sharp, monosyllabic response made the plump man spit his gum aside.
He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a pill package, and said,
"Don't want it? I can just take it with me."
At that moment, Elina's face visibly stiffened.
Her eyes trembled, and her jaw clenched as she ground her teeth.
Seeing her reaction, the plump man twisted his lips into a smirk.
"Don't even think about talking back."
With a grunt, he got up from the sofa, striding over with heavy steps, and slammed his palm down on the vanity.
"Eat it, and then go ahead and shake yourself awake."
"······"
Elina, who had been watching his retreating figure through the mirror, let her gaze fall downward.
The crumpled medicine packet came into her sight.
Hastily tearing it open, she poured the powder from the capsule into her mouth.
Her trembling hand reached for a glass of water and brought it to her lips.
She swallowed half, and the rest spilled down her chin, quickly soaking her chest.
"Hah... Hah..."
Wiping her wet chin with the back of her hand, Elina gazed back into the mirror, feeling a hazy dizziness.
Her silver-gray hair framed a face with harmonious light green eyes.
But more noticeable than that was the deep shadow under her eyes, which makeup couldn't conceal.
It was a familiar story.
A life that seemed glamorous on the outside, but beneath it, she was no more than a skylark trapped in a cage.
A humble origin, years of emotional abuse, and even conditioning through drugs.
To some, it might seem like a childish, overused tale.
Yes.
It would have been better if that were all there was.
...!
Suddenly, Elina's body, which had been trembling silently, lurched violently.
It had begun.
The strange phenomenon that had been tormenting her for the past few months, which always arrived when the drug's effects began to wear off.
"Ahh..."
A horrific headache, as if nails were being driven into her eyelids, made Elina instinctively clutch her hair.
Within her trembling mind, something began to stir.
A ruined body and mind.
The chemical result of forced awakening brought about by the drugs.
A thousand years had passed since the age of light and roses.
Another power, discovered by humankind, began to bubble up within her.
"N-no..."
Elina squeezed her eyes shut.
But it was unstoppable.
Before she could resist, her mind expanded.
It expanded, and expanded, until, at some point, it became the universe itself.
Consciousness, thrown into that vastness, screamed.
"Aaaah!"
The pain intensified.
At one point, Elina's eyes flipped wildly behind her eyelids.
─────────Crack!
The vanity she had been facing was crushed.
Surprisingly, no shards scattered.
It simply compressed with immense force, landing in a round shape on the floor with a thud.
A terrifying talent, born from an entirely different starting point.
A scene beyond comprehension.
Coming to her senses late, Elina hugged her body tightly.
As if wanting to turn away from what she had just caused, she buried her face deeply in her knees.
Gasping breaths.
A psyker, unable to control herself, was on the verge of an unsettling birth.