Chapter 66 - Not too late

Chapter 66 - Not too late

In Jin's hometown, there exists a rather outrageous way to prove one's innocence—by swearing on their mother's honor.

Essentially, it means, "I'm telling the absolute truth, so please, just believe me."

Of course, to an outsider, it could seem highly offensive.

What did the mother do to deserve being dragged into this?

But Jin only let out a faint scoff.

For once, he refrained from acting like a young, self-righteous traditionalist, preaching about moral duties and ethical principles.

Because D'Andre's words reminded him exactly of his own childhood—his school days, to be precise.

Back then, whenever boys found themselves in an unjust situation, they would instinctively make a fist, extend only their thumb and pinky, and stamp it onto their tongues and foreheads—an official, juvenile seal of truth.

Not that it was anything to be proud of, but that's just how it was.

Thinking about it now, it was amusing.

After all, wasn't there a certain teenage detective from a neighboring country who swore on his grandfather's name at every turn?

The details may have been different, but wasn't the core sentiment the same?

A universal, childish urge to tie one's own will to their family's honor?

Well, anyway.

Jin found himself lost in nostalgia, a smirk curling at his lips.

To D'Andre, it must have seemed like the conversation was going well.

"How about it? Sounds tempting?"

"I'm curious, at least."

"Great. Then let's talk inside. Follow me."

With that, D'Andre spun around and strode ahead, making his way down the alley with long, confident steps.

Jin tilted his head at the sight of his broad-shouldered back before calling out, "Hey, hey. We're not doing this at Anekdote? It's right around the corner."

"What? Why the hell would we go there? I've got an office, you know. And booze!"

He looked genuinely offended, as if his pride had been wounded.

Was suggesting Anekdote really that big of a deal?

Jin blinked, then added, "I came for the cookies Khalifa made, though."

"Shit, those damn cookies. I'll get you as many as you want! I'll stack them up like a goddamn mountain, so just come with me."

Hmm.

With that kind of conviction, Jin had no reason to argue.

Shrugging, he followed D'Andre.

And so, they arrived at Junk Plaza, Section 5.

A solid twenty-minute walk from Section 2, where Anekdote was located.

D'Andre led them to a suffocatingly cramped chicken coop-style apartment complex.

No elevator, of course.

They had to climb the stairs to the third floor, right end of the hallway.

There, a small nameplate greeted them:

[D'Andre's Damn Idiot Linker Office]

"…?"

Jin blinked in disbelief.

Damn idiot?

No, seriously.

That was what it said.

Someone had carved out a gash between the words D'Andre and Linker.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a thick black marker had been used to angrily scribble out the words—creating a makeshift strikethrough.

And to top it all off?

The poor, slightly crooked nameplate was covered in cigarette burns.

Was the entire neighborhood holding a personal grudge against the guy or something?

As Jin pondered this, D'Andre nonchalantly pushed open the door.

"I'm back."

A loud voice boomed in response.

"WELCOME BACK, BOSS!"

Jin found himself staring at a man bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle—straight out of a third-rate gangster film.

"Yeah, yeah."

D'Andre waved him off with a lazy flick of his hand, and only then did the man straighten up.

But upon closer inspection—

He wasn't human.

His metallic face, devoid of synthetic skin, turned to Jin.

"IT'S AN HONOR TO SERVE YOU!"

"…Uh. Yeah. Hello."

Jin awkwardly raised a hand in greeting.

In response, the android snapped into a rigid attention pose.

"…Is he always like this?"

"No. He had a personality update recently, but something must've gone wrong. Now he's just… like this."

D'Andre grumbled as he flopped onto the couch, sinking into the worn cushions.

"Sit wherever you want."

Jin settled into the seat across from him, subtly scanning the room.

No surprises.

Aged, dirty, and reeking of mildew—the office had nothing else to offer.

The contrast was almost comical.

The sleek, stylish D'Andre lounging amidst such a rundown backdrop.

D'Andre spoke up.

"Want me to get some cookies?"

"No, just get on with it."

Jin answered flatly.

After all the dramatic buildup about an amazing job opportunity, he'd expected something impressive.

But this?

The sheer disappointment of the office had completely deflated his excitement.

Yeah, this is a bust.

A total flop.

Maybe D'Andre sensed it, because he flinched before quickly speaking.

"Hey, man. I haven't even told you what it is yet. How about hearing me out before you get disappointed?"

Jin quirked a brow as if to say, Go ahead, then.

D'Andre clapped his hands.

"Hooker! The files!"

"YES, BOSS!"

With a snappy response, the android handed over a neatly organized file.

D'Andre took it and slid it toward Jin.

"Read this."

The title on the cover:

[Top Secret]

"…What the hell is this pretentious nonsense?"

"Hey, nonsense? Come on. It's worth the secrecy."

"Oh, really now?"

Jin scoffed but opened the file anyway.

No three-line summary, huh?

Minus ten points.

Still, it seemed… fairly well-organized.

It was a moment of admiration for the well-structured document, with its clear paragraph divisions and appropriately placed images enhancing readability.

Jin's brow twitched.

His ashen-gray eyes slowly shifted from side to side.

A tense atmosphere spread over D'Andre's face as he observed him.

Was this how a chef felt when serving a dish to an esteemed guest?

It would be nice if he at least said whether it was good or bad.

But instead, the guest simply chewed in silence, making it impossible to read his expression, leaving the chef anxiously waiting.

And so, just as D'Andre swallowed dryly—

The guest finally set down his spoon and opened his mouth.

"…A subterranean ruin?"

D'Andre nodded confidently.

"That's right. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Hmmm."

Jin exhaled through his nose.

It wasn't a short "Hmm" or a dismissive "Hm," but a drawn-out "Hmmm."

His ambiguous reaction suggested something didn't sit well with him, making D'Andre shift in his seat.

"Why? What's bothering you?"

"No, it's not that. Just a moment…"

Jin trailed off.

D'Andre was on the verge of losing his mind over Jin's lukewarm response, but he had no idea—

At this very moment, Jin was suppressing his irritation.

[Buried]──────────────

Find ??? in the subterranean ruin.

Failing the request will result in failure. This quest cannot be postponed. Reward: 14,000 XP (Unknown) will commence.

────────────────────

A status window had suddenly appeared.

It had barely been a few seconds since he opened the file folder when—bam!—this thing popped up.

Jin hadn't even managed to read more than a few lines of the document before his gaze was hijacked by the square interface.

This was exactly what annoyed him.

The way it appeared, as if dictating his course of action.

No, seriously.

Couldn't it have shown up after he'd at least heard the explanation?

What was he supposed to do with this out-of-nowhere interruption?

A vein throbbed on his forehead.

Even if it was something he would have to do eventually, there was still a proper order to things.

Skipping over that was infuriating.

Damn thing had no concept of timing or social awareness.

Despite the storm of frustration raging inside him, Jin adhered to the principle that emotions shouldn't dictate one's demeanor.

He slowly spoke to D'Andre.

"Sorry, but could you explain this to me in words?"

"Oh, of course."

D'Andre nodded.

He didn't quite understand why Jin had been staring so intently at the document, only to suddenly ask for a verbal explanation instead.

But explaining was far preferable to being refused, so he figured he might as well give a proper briefing.

"Are you familiar with the underground tunnels of Lost City?"

"No."

"Well, that makes sense. Hooker? Pull up the footage."

D'Andre snapped his fingers.

At his command, the android referred to as Hooker emitted a beam of light—

Projecting a rectangular image onto the wall.

"Oh."

Jin whistled at the display, which functioned like a built-in projector.

Soon, the wall displayed a circular map—

A complex yet meticulously arranged network of red lines began stretching out beneath it.

"These are the underground routes of Lost City, also known as the Metro Web.

They say it's incredibly efficient, but we've got nothing to do with it.

You'd know this as a downtown resident, but there's no underground access in the 40s."

"Why?"

"Because of the war.

The unprecedented blood feud between the megacorps and the noble families.

It was a fight that absolutely couldn't have a victor.

The city government abandoned all its responsibilities just to focus on mediating it."

Jin nodded in understanding.

Even just looking at Mute Town made it clear.

After winning the war, TB had skyrocketed in power within a single year.

A war between megacorps and noble families?

If mishandled, it could've shattered the city's balance.

The city government's decision to abandon the 40s was… not entirely unreasonable.

"So, the underground tunnels that were under construction were abandoned.And for decades, they've been left untouched."

D'Andre pulled out a cigarette from his pocket.

Lighting it up, he took a deep drag before speaking again.

"What do you think happened? To those abandoned tunnels?"

"Someone probably took them over.

Just like how the 40s, which were supposed to become a ghost town, ended up attracting people instead."

"Spot on. Sharp, aren't you?"

D'Andre clapped.

Behind him, Hooker clapped too.

Jin shrugged.

Praise could make even a whale dance.

"I do have a sharp mind."

The exaggerated reaction to his simple guess boosted Jin's mood.

Of course, this was all part of D'Andre's strategy.

A deliberate attempt to flatter Jin, the promising solo, in hopes of forming a connection.

He hadn't spent over two weeks staking out Anekdote, eyes strained from waiting, for nothing.

"That warren is packed with criminals.

Like moles, they've turned it into their own kingdom.

They call it Underheart."

Jin, now engrossed in the story, urged him to continue.

"…Underheart. And?"

"Nobody really paid attention to it before.

It was a pit full of fugitives with bounties on their heads—

A place people avoided simply because it was disgusting.

But recently, something happened."

D'Andre glanced around cautiously.

Then, as if wary of eavesdroppers, he lowered his voice.

"The Underheart thugs were expanding their tunnels when an accident occurred.

But it wasn't just human error.

Nobody could have expected it.

Beneath the collapsed ground—

A subterranean ruin was buried."

"…A ruin?"

"Yeah.

And get this—it's from the Era of Light and Roses.

Think about it.

That means the architecture is over a thousand years old.

Can you even imagine the kind of treasure that could be inside?"

"Ohh."

Jin nodded, his face filled with concentration.

But only for a moment.

Before he knew it, he had his arms crossed.

"…Wait a minute. How do you know about that kind of internal information?"

"I've got a connection in Unterheart's crew. A guy named Henato. I knew him even before he started living underground, and somehow, we've been in touch for over four years now. He's a real piece of shit, but the information he brings is reliable."

D'Andre continued.

"…And since we're on the topic, this isn't just my secret anymore. It hasn't been officially announced, but the rumors are already spreading. Recently, there have even been whispers that some mercenaries have formed teams and gone into the tunnels—"

"Whoa, hold on."

Jin raised a hand, palm up.

Then, folding all his fingers except for his index, he pointed at the [Top Secret] file on the desk.

"Something feels off. Even if this is just bluster, do people really call common knowledge 'top-secret intel' these days? You wouldn't try to sell out your own mother like this, would you…?"

At the same time, D'Andre frantically waved his hands.

"It's a misunderstanding! It's only because I didn't move fast enough! I got this intel nearly three weeks ago!"

"Hmm? Three weeks ago means…"

"Yeah. The day you and I first met. I swallowed my pride and proposed a collaboration with Khalifa, but that damn woman said she couldn't trust me and shot me down! But look—it turned out to be true! Aaaah!"

Beating his chest in frustration, D'Andre went on.

"And so what if the rumor's out? It's still high-value. Still worth selling for a hefty price."

"That so?"

Jin glanced at Linker, who was putting out his cigarette in the ashtray, before speaking again.

"Then why me? You had three whole weeks. What happened to all the solos you usually work with?"

"Well, it's just that they're a bit too… uh… not up to this kind of job. Yeah. They need more time. That's it. Uh…"

Too weak?

Them?

Jin frowned at the crude word choice and the odd way D'Andre phrased it.

After a brief moment of thought, he asked,

"Don't tell me you couldn't even get a contract with a solo above Level 3?"

D'Andre's head dropped instantly.

Like he had just taken an invisible bullet straight to the heart.

Hooker screamed.

"Boss!!!"

He rushed over and shook D'Andre's slumped shoulders, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Jin found himself seriously debating the same thing.

"…There's one."

As if waking from a coma, D'Andre forced his eyes open and spoke.

"No, 'only one.' And even that guy barely listens to me. That son of a bitch."

A deep sigh of frustration followed.

"…How did it come to this? All I wanted was to stand out as a fast, efficient Linker. But somehow, all I got were a bunch of cheap-ass nobodies… Every damn day, it's 'Boss! Boss!' Am I a Linker or a thug leader, huh?"

"Boss…!"

"Shut up, dumbass! And why the hell are you copying them?! This isn't because of the update, is it? You're just screwing with me—urk."

Seized with frustration, D'Andre clutched the back of his neck.

Hooker immediately let out another desperate, "Boss!!!"

And that was it.

Jin made his decision.

Just laugh.

There was no way to hold it in.

Throwing his head back, he burst into laughter.

Seeing that, D'Andre squeezed his eyes shut in resignation.

"Yeah, go ahead. Laugh it up, you bastard."

At last, he gave up trying to impress his prospect.

And once he did, he found the whole thing funny too.

"Pfft—" A laugh escaped D'Andre like air from a punctured balloon.

Watching the two of them, Hooker tactfully joined in. "Hahaha."

And so, the three idiots laughed for a good while.

Eventually, Jin was the first to stop, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Then, glancing at the status window shimmering in the corner of his vision as if awaiting an answer, he silently stared at it.

After a moment, he looked back at D'Andre and spoke.

"It's not too late, right?"

"For what?"

D'Andre blinked dumbly.

Jin grinned.

"I'm thinking of going in. That tunnel."