How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 010

Anyway, I Like That He's Straightforward

*

Thomas's life was doomed from the start.

His father was a loser who wasted time cooped up in virtual reality.

It was one of the common social issues in the 24th century.

After all, there were plenty who chose to avoid the real world, refusing to come out.

Should we call it poverty amidst abundance?

As the universal basic income became widespread, the value of labor decreased, but that didn't mean the concept of competition disappeared. In some aspects, it had even intensified.

The important thing was deciding whether to face and accept it, or to run away.

Sadly, his father, as a person, lacked courage.

An exceptionally herbivorous animal in an era where the wild had vanished.

Thomas's mother wasn't much different.

She minimized spending on necessities to indulge in her own luxuries. Instead of being immersed in virtual reality, she was obsessed with the real world.

Both were different types, but parasites nonetheless, focused only on consumption without producing anything.

They were the extreme poor, living off the support of a highly developed society, commonly called parasites.

Thomas's future, born between such parents, was all but predetermined. However, fortunately in his misfortune, he had an exceptional talent. Despite not undergoing genetic modification, his comprehension and memory were extraordinary.

Realizing his talent at an early age, Thomas chose to become a 'diver'.

A hacker who directly connects to the raging network while maintaining self-awareness. Some even called them full-divers, as they plunge into electronic space with their nerves wide open.

It was a profession that one wouldn't dare attempt without the right aptitude, as it utilized the innate brain as a computing device, but Thomas lacked nothing.

Life was already on a downward slope anyway.

Betting everything, Thomas immersed himself in the digital world and thrived on clandestine requests from others. Some even revered him.

Though he knew he was being dragged into the shadows, he couldn't refuse.

It was all he knew how to do.

He had never imagined any other kind of life.

But it wasn't long before he was caught. He had been using unauthorized bypass routes from the start. It was arrogant to believe he wouldn't catch the eye of the authorities.

Moreover, organizations that had unknowingly suffered damage also threatened Thomas.

At sixteen, he was too young to shoulder such enmity.

Naturally, he found himself on the run with no time to prepare.

The pursuit was relentless.

From the sweltering summer to the unusually rainy autumn.

Exhausted to his limits, Thomas closed his eyes in half-resignation. And there, under a fallen overpass—

"What's this?"

He met a man.

Looking back now, it could be called a turning point in his life.

To Thomas, the man was an incomprehensible sort. He approached without hesitation, as if taking pity on Thomas's situation.

"A diver? At your age? You've lived hard."

His casual observation was just the beginning.

"There's a self-help program run by the city government. The downside is that treatment varies based on performance, but you should do well."

"Criminal record? I've erased it."

He committed an outrageous act without batting an eye.

"You don't have to thank me. You want a new life, don't you?"

It was the first act of kindness Thomas had ever received. Something he'd never experienced even from his parents. At first, such warm emotions felt awkward. But he soon got used to it. Thanks to this, he could understand what it felt like to live a fulfilling life.

By the time he turned twenty, he had even received a certificate from a respectable educational institution.

And that too, as the top student.

With an excited heart, Thomas ran to the man's house.

He wanted to shout that it was thanks to him that he could grow like this, to say that because the man believed in him until the end, he too didn't give up.

But he wasn't there.

[Let's meet again someday]

He had disappeared, leaving only a letter with no promises.

Though the sudden farewell was bewildering, Thomas was no longer a child. He had also learned from the man how to keep gratitude in his heart without forgetting.

"Yes, someday."

It took 40 years for the memory to fade into a distant reminiscence.

During that time, there were many changes in Thomas's life. Not only did he move from Dome No.2 to Dome No.1, but he also lost his wife at an early age.

He was left with only one son.

He was no longer at an age that could be called young. Somehow, while feeling skeptical about the unreasonable social structure, he was seriously preparing for his retirement.

Naturally, his mischievous nature from the past had long since disappeared.

His only achievement, if it could be called that, was working at MegaCorp, Millennium Code, for a long time.

His performance was recognized to the point where he gained access to confidential documents, which was saying something.

But that was the problem.

He had seen something he shouldn't have.

The project that Millennium Code was preparing in step with the city government was so heavy and dark that it could determine the fate of the Dome.

To condone or to expose.

At this crossroads, Thomas chose the latter. It wasn't out of a hero complex, nor was it a reaction to the ugly reality.

He was simply worried about his son who had just become an adult. If he missed this opportunity, the world his son would inherit would be an indescribable hell.

But there was little he could do alone. So Thomas became a diver once again. To find a comrade who would help him blow the whistle on the biggest scandal in history.

The final person selected after careful consideration.

When Thomas met that man, he trembled.

He was clearly a stranger.

His background, name, and appearance were all unfamiliar. But the scent was familiar. The way he spoke. And his smile.

In an instant, the memory that had sunk deep within resurfaced.

Meeting his past as if by fate, Thomas unconsciously blurted out.

"Brother."

Worried that he might pretend not to know, Thomas was surprised when he got a straightforward response.

"Mr. Baby. It's been 40 years since we met like this."

A nickname so old it made him nostalgic.

Feeling as if he had returned to his childhood, Thomas nodded quietly.

Back then, he had felt resentful towards the man who left without a word.

But meeting him again, he seemed to vaguely understand the reason. The man, or rather Yang Hu, hadn't aged a day compared to back then.

*

Suddenly recalling that time, Thomas quietly opened his eyes. What came into view was the interior of Attitude.

Realizing a beat late that he was holding a mop in his hand, Thomas let out a sigh.

Right, he had been cleaning the bar counter.

He had intended to sit down for a moment to rest, but it seemed he had dozed off without realizing it.

He had heard about this before.

As the human brain ages, it becomes more specialized in recalling acquired information rather than taking in new information.

Perhaps the dream he just had also started from such a reason.

He thought he might need to install a sub-brain, but that was just an idle thought. After all, an even more advanced slot was already inserted in his head.

A trivial device he had obtained while working as a broker.

As Thomas reflexively ran his hand through his hair, he recalled a conversation from not too long ago.

'I'm thinking of leaving. Of course, it'll take a few weeks to wrap things up.'

It had been well over half a century since he met the god.

Though time had reversed their outward appearances, the fact that he was a lifelong benefactor remained unchanged.

Perhaps that was why.

He felt needlessly regretful. If they parted ways this time, they might not meet again until death.

That's why he had been so careful in choosing a gift to mark the end. Though he had to break into his savings, he had no regrets.

Because he could imagine the god's face smiling more brightly than ever before.

It was then that he heard a jingling sound from outside.

A signal that someone had opened the door.

He had put up a sign saying they were preparing. The fact that someone came in anyway meant it was likely an acquaintance or a regular customer.

But contrary to that prediction, those who entered were unfamiliar faces.

One was a young man leaning on a cane, and the other was a man who appeared to be his bodyguard.

Having worked at Millennium Code before, he could recognize it. The characteristic arrogant air of the privileged.

But he pretended not to know and nodded.

"Who might you be?"

"Ah, this guy."

As the young man gestured, the man standing behind him, as if he had been waiting, held out a plastic business card. The information that appeared above the recognition tag was unexpected.

[Head of Strategic Planning, New Delvier]

[Executive Director Niel Hoover]

"New Delvier?"

The Strategic Planning Department was the division that took charge of actual corporate operations at the forefront.

Being the head of that department meant he was the real power among the powerful.

In other words, the next chairman.

Come to think of it, the young man bore a strong resemblance to the chairman whose face had appeared in the news.

"Well, what brings someone from such an esteemed place to this humble establishment? I don't sell the kind of liquor that would suit your taste."

"You're in the young master's presence. Mind your words."

Though the distance had narrowed by just one step, the scent emanating from the man intensified.

A sweet and fresh floral scent reminiscent of spring.

It felt different from artificially blended perfumes.

'Body odor.'

An unlikely combination for such beast-like rugged features.

It wasn't surprising.

This was a symbol of genetic manipulation, a characteristic unique to enhanced humans.

It seemed clear that both the young man and the man were beyond the ordinary category.

But he couldn't show any signs of tension. Even without being told, their purpose was crystal clear.

"If you don't have any special business, may I finish my work first? It's almost time to open, you see."

"This won't take long. So come over here and sit down. Thomas Russell, former cloud server security engineer at Millennium Code. I should add 'former' since you've resigned."

The young man, Niel, snorted and wagged his index finger at Thomas.

"I like how straightforward you are. A whistleblower, yet you stand so tall in front of me."

"What do you mean?"

Thomas pretended not to know, but Niel wasn't fooled. He had already cross-verified dozens of times.

"Don't be like that. The money spent just to find you could fill a swimming pool. It makes me angry when you dismiss my efforts and sincerity like this."

As Niel struck the floor with the cane he was holding, there was a thud and the ground sank in.

"Let me ask again. You're the whistleblower who leaked Millennium Code's confidential information 20 years ago, right?"

He wasn't really asking because he didn't know.

This was a warning. If he spoke nonsense one more time, there would be no more chances.

In the end, Thomas had only one choice.

"That's right."

"Then you must know about Yang Hu, right?"

"That's out of the blue. I lost contact with him a long time ago. It's been over 20 years already."

"Is that so."

Just when it seemed he had accepted it, suddenly Niel's eyes flashed.

"By my estimation, you should have come to Dome No.3 together."