The Final Trade
The Mullae-dong clinic was quieter than usual when Min-jun returned. The flickering neon sign buzzed faintly, casting erratic shadows across the cracked pavement. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of antiseptic and something sharper—ozone, maybe, or the faint metallic tang of blood.
Kim Seung-ho, the grizzled surgeon, sat behind his cluttered desk, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His scarred face was unreadable as Min-jun approached.
"You're back," Seung-ho said, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I was starting to think you'd skipped town."
"Where's Hae-won?" Min-jun asked, his voice calm but edged with steel.
"Recovering. The stabilizer did its job, but he's still weak."
Min-jun's system flickered:
"[Social Perception (Lv. 3) Activated]"
"[Target Analysis: Partial Truth (62% Confidence)]"
"I want to see him."
Seung-ho stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low growl. "You'll see him when you've held up your end of the deal."
"I got your stabilizer," Min-jun said, his tone flat. "I cleared your mess. What more do you want?"
The surgeon smirked, revealing yellowed teeth. "One last job. Consider it… closure."
Min-jun's fists clenched, the fire in his veins flaring.
"[Corruption Level: 70%]"
"[Warning: Stabilization Required Within 48 Hours]"
"What job?"
Seung-ho slid a folder across the desk. Inside were blueprints of a high-rise building in Gangnam, marked with red circles and notes.
"This is a guild-owned facility," the surgeon explained. "They've been experimenting with Aurora cores—trying to create artificial Awakened. I need you to retrieve their research data."
Min-jun's system pinged:
"[Quest Updated: Retrieve Guild Research Data]"
"[Reward: Corruption Resistance (Lv. 3), Hae-won's Full Recovery]"
"[Failure Penalty: Mutation, Hae-won's Death]"
"Why me?"
"Because you're expendable," Seung-ho said bluntly. "And because you've got a knack for surviving things that should've killed you."
Min-jun stared at the blueprints, the fire in his chest simmering. "If anything happens to Hae-won—"
"He's safe. For now."
---
The guild facility was a sleek, modern high-rise in the heart of Gangnam. Its glass façade reflected the city's neon lights, but the lower levels were heavily guarded. Min-jun approached under cover of darkness, his system highlighting weak points in the perimeter.
"[Environmental Analysis (Lv. 2) Activated]"
"[Weak Points Detected: Service Entrance (Unlocked), Ventilation System (Accessible)]"
He slipped through the service entrance, his movements silent and precise. The corridors were dimly lit, the air humming with the faint buzz of machinery.
"[New Skill: Stealth (Lv. 2) Acquired]"
Min-jun moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. The system's map guided him to a secure server room on the third floor. The door was sealed with a biometric lock, but the system highlighted a manual override panel.
"[Mechanical Systems (Lv. 1) Activated]"
The door hissed open, revealing a room filled with servers and monitors. A single technician sat at a console, his back to the door.
Min-jun moved quickly, grabbing the man's head and slamming it into the console. The technician slumped, unconscious.
"[Combat Victory: +10% Proficiency to Improvised Combat]"
He plugged a data drive into the main terminal, watching as the system's interface flooded with code.
"[Data Retrieval Initiated]"
"[Progress: 15%... 45%... 75%...]"
The door creaked open behind him.
"Freeze!"
Min-jun spun around, his hands raised. Two enforcers stood in the doorway, their weapons trained on him.
"Hands where I can see them!" one barked.
Min-jun's system pinged:
"[Threat Analysis: Two Enforcers (C-Rank)]"
"[Recommended Action: Distraction, Escape]"
He glanced at the terminal. The retrieval was at 85%.
"I said hands up!"
Min-jun dropped to the floor, kicking the chair into the first enforcer's legs. The man stumbled, giving Min-jun an opening.
"[Improvised Combat (Lv. 3) Activated]"
He grabbed a monitor and hurled it at the second enforcer, the screen shattering on impact. The first enforcer recovered, swinging his weapon at Min-jun's head.
Min-jun ducked, driving his elbow into the man's stomach. The enforcer doubled over, gasping for air.
"[Combat Victory: +15% Proficiency to Improvised Combat]"
The terminal beeped.
"[Data Retrieval Complete]"
Min-jun bolted for the door, the enforcers' shouts echoing behind him.
---
Seung-ho was waiting when Min-jun returned, his expression unreadable.
"It's done," Min-jun said, tossing the data drive onto the desk.
The surgeon examined the device, his scarred face lighting up with a rare smile. "Good. Your friend's in the recovery room."
Min-jun followed him to a hidden room where Hae-won lay on a medical bed, his breathing shallow but steady. The stabilizer hummed softly beside him, its violet light pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
"He'll be fine," Seung-ho said. "The mutation's purged. He just needs rest."
Min-jun's system flickered:
"[Hae-won's Condition: Stable]"
"[Corruption Level: Stabilized at 70%]"
"And me?"
Seung-ho activated the stabilizer again, its energy coursing through Min-jun's body. The fire in his veins subsided, the corruption receding to a dull ache.
"[Corruption Resistance (Lv. 3) Acquired]"
"[Fire Affinity Stabilized]"
"You're good for now," the surgeon said. "But this is a temporary fix. You'll need to find a permanent solution."
Min-jun nodded. "We're done here."
Seung-ho smirked. "For now."