How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 009

Don't Even Think About Running Away

*

Club Davenue.

An establishment run by the Guerrilla Family and one of the places owned by Mark. Until a year ago, Shin had visited it as if it were his own home, so he didn't hesitate to sink into the plush chair.

Mark, sitting across from him, put a cigar in his mouth. After exhaling the smoke gathered in his lungs, he looked at Shin's face and held out a cigar cutter.

"Want to smoke one?"

"No, I'm good."

Although Mark was approaching him in a friendly manner, Shin found it rather uncomfortable.

He had lived through countless years. The number of people he had encountered was in the thousands, tens of thousands. Though he had forgotten their names, their characteristics remained etched in his mind.

Giving nicknames to everyone he met was a kind of self-preservation tactic, born from the desire that even if he forgot later, the impressions of that time would not fade.

In that sense, Mark's nickname, "Steroid," was perfect. As the word suggests, he was the embodiment of challenge and competition, not hesitating to use negative means to achieve his goals.

The fact that he had risen as a candidate for the next boss of the Guerrilla Family was proof of that.

Though he spoke with a smiling face, his true nature hadn't gone anywhere. After all, an ordinary person wouldn't have such a prosthetic arm—

'There's no way.'

Shin's gaze fixed on Mark's right arm.

In place of the thick forearm was a foreign object full of dark steel and thick cables. However, it wasn't clumsy; it seemed to follow the formula of human body curves so well that there was no sense of discomfort.

Of course, that was only speaking of the overall structure. In terms of size, it was astounding.

It was as if a child had received an adult's arm transplant.

While they say anyone with money can get cybernetic surgery, not many people go to such extravagant lengths. Rather, small, convenient slots were more in fashion.

Shin wasn't unaware of Mark's inner thoughts. Men as a species dream of becoming the ultimate weapon. It's like an instinct engraved in their genes, not something that can be denied away.

But the aspiration should be towards 'ultimate,' not 'weapon.'

Yet he had stubbornly pushed forward because he was a violent wreck fascinated by violence. One who wouldn't hesitate to discard his own flesh to reach a higher realm.

"You've changed your prosthetic arm since I last saw you."

"I see you're envious too, aren't you? Of this arm?"

"It doesn't look like something available on the market."

"That's because it's custom-made by New Delvier. Can you believe it? It weighs 28 kilograms, but its instantaneous grip strength can reach up to 2,650 kilograms. It's no different from the jaws of a beast. Anyone caught in this hand, and bam!"

Mark clenched the air as if to demonstrate.

Certainly, that grip would be no different from a compressor.

But—

"Doesn't it hurt every time you change it?"

"You're speaking like a child, unlike you. Come to think of it, you were a natural, weren't you?"

Natural.

A pure body that hasn't undergone any procedures.

In an era where even newborn babies receive device implants, someone like Shin would be an exceptional case.

Suddenly, Mark's eyes narrowed.

"Unlike me, you haven't changed at all in a year."

"It's just a year."

"There's no 'just' about it. You were the same even when I was a youngster. Isn't that right?"

At the seemingly probing question, Shin's eyebrows slightly rose and then fell.

Yes, that look.

The reason for parting ways with Mark wasn't just his impure ideology, but that look also played a significant part.

Being human, even Shin couldn't fully bear his own secret. There were times when he almost got caught. And always before that, such reactions followed. If the tail is long, it's bound to be caught, and an appearance that doesn't age was quite a long tail.

"I think I've answered this before, but unnecessary curiosity only hastens one's demise."

"That's why I'm more curious. It doesn't seem likely that someone without an identity would be lucky enough to receive treatment at an aesthetic clinic."

"What if I did?"

"When you put it that way, I don't know how to respond."

"Enough about the secret to my youthful looks. Tell me about the request."

Mark, who had been staring quietly at Shin's face, held out a file.

"It's a search request that came down from New Delvier."

"From the megacorp? They're actually resorting to people like us?"

"Of course, on the surface, it's a request from a completely unrelated place. But the Guerrilla Family has received information that can't be ignored."

So they had unauthorized found out who the client was, using underground connections. New Delvier would be furious if they knew.

"Just for locating the target, it's 2 billion pia. Doesn't that tempt you?"

"Who are they looking for that warrants such an amount?"

"They're looking for an Asian of Chinese descent. I was going to put our guys on it, but the race doesn't match. They can't distinguish between Asians, though they're fine with Westerners."

"That's racial discrimination."

"We can't force something we're not capable of, can we?"

The very act of dividing people into Westerners and Asians was an anachronistic statement.

After the ice age arrived, or more precisely, after the completion of the dome, the concept of nations disappeared. The existing order vanished, and an era of survival began. Many things changed to adapt to the new environment.

Language unification.

Major legal reforms.

Revisions in communication, transportation, and units of measurement.

Sharing of culture and ideology.

Occupational and social mobility.

Residential reorganization.

It was only after the Third World War that true integration began in earnest.

Although there was still some discord, it was clearly meaningful progress. At least the semblance of unity had been achieved.

Anyway, Shin seemed to understand Mark's intention.

"So you need me, an Asian? What's the name?"

"Yang Hu."

At that name, Shin couldn't help but twitch his toes as if struck by a harpoon. Of course, there was hardly any visible agitation. If he couldn't maintain that level of composure, the years gone by would have been in vain.

Yang Hu was the one who had ended the Millennium Code Gate incident 19 years ago. To be precise, he was a prime suspect, as his crime had not been fully confirmed yet.

It was an open secret known only to those involved.

In fact, even after the Millennium Code Gate, the aftermath was so severe that conditions were not conducive to any investigation.

It was later revealed that what those who caused the uproar truly desired was not ordinary corruption.

Creating a VIP list and applying that algorithm to law enforcement forces was close to plotting a rebellion. It went beyond standing apart from the social structure to observe; they tried to exploit it. All for a better world for themselves.

The original goal was to establish a dictatorship under the guise of the Millennium Code.

So, what if their ambitions hadn't been exposed?

Their ambitions that exploited the blind spot of entrusting everything to artificial intelligence, even in areas where one should judge and decide for oneself.

Undoubtedly, they would have added weight to the crimes of political opponents caught by patrol drones, and under the pretext of on-site judgment, used android investigators to slaughter competitors.

Thus, if such incidents were to seep into daily life without even becoming gossip, a tyranny unknown to anyone would have been completed.

This wasn't just Shin's imagined future. The citizens living in the dome also easily arrived at this conclusion.

It was only natural to become wary of a civilization racing towards the cutting edge.

It was only a matter of time before absurd conspiracy theories spread into the scandal of the century. Consequently, Yang Hu was also reevaluated.

His determination to carry out justice, even if it meant committing errors, was revealed.

For Shin, this result could only be burdensome.

Why wouldn't it be?

Yang Hu was—

'The identity I used before.'

Some might ask why he chose to disguise himself as Chinese. But this wasn't a subjective selection, rather an extremely arithmetic judgment.

'Because 2 billion is better cover than 20 million.'

It turned out to be the right choice. Prejudice sometimes serves as an incomparably excellent shield.

Although no one would recognize him due to plastic surgery, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

Hiding his true feelings, Shin asked casually as if he knew nothing.

"Wasn't he active in Dome No.1?"

"I heard they found traces leading here."

"Traces?"

If that was true, it was an obsession bordering on madness. Dome No.1 was located in China. To reach Dome No.3, one had to cross continents. And that, relying on a thread-like clue.

Moreover, they must have spent a considerable amount of funds repeating this process for 19 years.

Somehow, he felt as if his ankles were submerged in water.

"But the actual client is New Delvier, right?"

"We're tracking that some kind of agreement was made with the Millennium Code. Maybe even the city government there has joined in. After all, it's not just one or two people who owe Yang Hu a debt."

He had intended to leave after hearing the request details, but he changed his mind. There was nothing more certain than intervening to disrupt things. Coincidentally, it aligned with the time to change his identity, so if used well, he could completely throw them off.

At that moment, Mark added,

"If you want to claim the reward, you'll need to act fast. I've heard news that they've already found a related person."

"A related person?"

At those words, Shin swallowed dryly. Though he hadn't heard, he felt he knew who it was.

The whistleblower involved in the Millennium Code Gate incident was also in this dome.

And very close by at that.

'Master.'

*

After finishing his conversation with Mark, Shin immediately left Club Davenue and rushed towards the Hyperloop station. He had a strong feeling that he needed to go to Attitude. However, that desire faded after just a few steps.

A group he had encountered once before was blocking his path.

"Del?"

"Who gave you permission to say my name?"

"Don't pick a fight. Move aside."

Any other time, he would have engaged them a hundred times over, but not now.

"What? Scared now that your shield is gone?"

"You mean Mark? Ever consider that he might have been your shield?"

"Ha, that's the dumbest thing I've heard all year."

This wasn't the time to be wasting time in a place like this. He needed to inform Thomas of this news and prepare as quickly as possible.

But Del showed no intention of backing down.

The Striders also surrounded them.

"You fucking cockroaches, for real."

There was no reason to play along with those who had given up on being human. Dialogue was useless. That left only one option.

Shin grabbed the neck of the man standing closest to him and squeezed.

Crunch.

Crushed flesh dripped like juice.

Some hesitated at the inhuman strength. They might regret having provoked him. But what can you do?

"Killing will be faster than coaxing and persuading."

Shin pulled out a folding knife from his pocket and flicked his wrist, revealing a bright blue blade.

"Don't even think about running away."