*

“I don’t trust you. You might lead me to your comrades and put me in a difficult situation, right?”

“No, no.”

The man’s metal teeth were missing, causing his speech to slur, but he still desperately expressed his intentions. Seeing his clear loss of fighting spirit, Ga-On unclenched his fist and spoke.

“Then guide me.”

*

The unauthorized clinic wasn’t far away. It was located slightly below ground level, behind a row of old buildings. It seemed like a regular residential area, but descending the stairs revealed a hidden back door. It was a place easily overlooked by outsiders.

The man, dragged by Ga-On, opened the closed door as if it was the most natural thing to do.

“Here it is.”

Seeing the light seeping out, it seemed the place was still in operation. When the man stopped walking, Ga-On frowned.

“Why?”

“Sh-should we go in together?”

“Then what? Stop wasting time and walk.”

As they entered, the television was loudly broadcasting the news. Uninterested, Ga-On turned his head away.

An old man sat at the counter. Was he of Indian descent, or perhaps South American? His eyebrows were thick, and his features were exceptionally distinct. What accentuated his appearance was his intellectual aura. Expecting a greasy old man, Ga-On was surprised to see a face that might have been quite popular in his youth.

The old man turned his gaze from the television at that moment.

“Who are you?”

“I heard you can get cybernetic surgery here.”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but this isn’t that kind of place.”

“Hey, he says it’s not. Were you lying?”

“No, no.”

The man, who had suddenly appeared behind Ga-On, awkwardly greeted the old man.

“It’s been a while.”

“Ah, it’s you. Looks like you’ve gotten into trouble again.”

Without needing to hear the whole story, the old man clicked his tongue briefly.

“Even if it’s someone like him recommending you, a customer is a customer. Come in.”

“Then, excuse me for a moment.”

Following the old man inside, Ga-On saw equipment that didn’t match the semi-basement setting. It seemed well-maintained, with no rust or damage, only faded colors.

“Sit there.”

The old man gestured to a unit chair combined with medical equipment. Numerous surgical devices were installed on the ceiling, waiting.

“A notification will pop up saying unauthorized access to the device has been detected. Accept it.”

Following the old man’s instructions, Ga-On ignored the warning message that appeared as soon as he sat down, and new information was projected onto his retina. It was his current body information, data that should be strictly managed.

“Oh, a natural. That’s rare in today’s world. So, what will your first procedure be?”

“Quite confident, aren’t you? I thought ripper docs each had their specialties.”

A reaper doc is a doctor specializing in cybernetic surgeries. Unlike general doctors, they had to be well-versed in mechanical and biomedical engineering, inserting foreign objects into humans without causing rejection. The knowledge and experience required were immense, and their fields of expertise were often limited. In the underworld, these factors were even more pronounced, as a failed surgery could lead to a silent death.

The old man responded to Ga-On’s skeptical reaction.

“Didn’t that guy tell you? My specialty is doing a bit of everything.”

Whether it was true or not, Ga-On didn’t need to verify it. The fact that the old man was still running his business unharmed was proof of his skill.

“Now that I see, I didn’t recognize a benefactor. No need for lengthy explanations. I’ll go with a hormone regulator.”

“That’s an unusual choice. Most people start with Emil’s brain series.”

“I need the hormone regulator more.”

“You’re not a drug addict, are you? I don’t want to get involved in any troublesome matters.”

“You can tell by looking at my face that I’m not.”

Seeing no signs of the typical life-worn look of an addict, the old man moved on to the next step without further questions.

“I handle Protel B-type and Ryungcheon 07.”

“What’s the difference?”

“The former has more storage capacity, while the latter absorbs faster.”

“Both are modified to use any type of drug, right?”

“Otherwise, would you be here?”

“Then the former.”

“Got it. Relax and lean back in the chair.”

As soon as the old man finished speaking, a surgical robot descended from the ceiling. Thin tubes threaded through Ga-On’s veins and nerves in an instant. Without any surgical incisions, the procedure and implantation were completed through a tiny hole.

Before Ga-On could even savor the foreign sensation burrowing deep into his body—

“It’s done.”

The old man’s declaration was heard.

“Already?”

“What more do you expect from just implanting a hormone regulator?”

Unbelievable, but there was a device for injecting drugs inside his upper arm. It was about the size of a coin, and the actual shape was just that.

A new slot management item appeared in the device’s internal interface in an instant. The skill was so impressive it was hard to believe why he was in such a place.

“You know the payment has to be all in cash, right?”

“Of course.”

Transactions through the device left a record in the system, which was not favorable for either the old man or Ga-On. In a world where everything was preserved in the virtual realm, paper money seemed meaningless, but the desires of the high class wanting to deviate made it possible. Despite fulfilling its role, it still existed.

The two could benefit from the trickle-down effect because of that.

While Ga-On was paying at the counter, a sudden power outage occurred. Darkness spread like ink in the semi-basement, where not a single ray of light penetrated. The only thing lingering inside was the cold, sinking air.

When the emergency generator kicked in and the lights came back on, a figure that wasn’t there before came into view. Despite it being the middle of winter, the person was dressed freely. The well-developed trapezius muscles and the metal frame attached around them resembled armor. A sawed-off shotgun dangled from the waist like an accessory. The most striking feature was the hook-shaped tattoo crossing the cheek.

The old man, seemingly familiar with the face, spoke with a sharp voice.

“What is this? What if I was in the middle of surgery?”

“That’s none of my business. What’s important is that the old man hasn’t paid the tribute yet. This could be seen as defiance against us, the Pier Gang.”

“If you want to be a neighborhood boss, do as you please. But don’t drag others into it.”

The old man ran an unauthorized clinic. It wasn’t uncommon for a criminal organization occupying the area to demand rent or protection fees. In some ways, it was almost customary. Of course, this story had nothing to do with Ga-On, who was just a customer, so he tried to slip away quietly—

“Boss!”

The situation changed with one word from the man.

The figure, who had been glaring at the old man, finally noticed the man’s presence.

“Tug? What’s with your wrist?”

When Tug’s gaze turned to Ga-On, the figure growled, understanding the situation.

“Did you do this to him?”

“It was self-defense.”

The figure leaned in close enough for their breaths to touch, glaring, but Ga-On just looked back indifferently.

“A newcomer who doesn’t know the rules here. It’s your first time, isn’t it?”

“Well, even if I knew, nothing would change.”

“Good. I was just about to test the new slot I got.”

As the two silently stared at each other, tension filled the room. Just as Ga-On tensed his muscles, ready to counterattack—

“Let’s stop there.”

A third party intervened.

With a somewhat unjust look, the man’s large eyes seemed on the verge of tears. A harmless frog. That was Ga-On’s first impression.

“You…”

But contrary to that, the figure didn’t relax and took a step back.

“I hear you’re demanding tribute from the old man? Isn’t that too much? The slot you have was probably installed by the old man, wasn’t it? Or did you suddenly need pocket money, Gesto?”

“It’s the directive of our Pier Gang. No one can escape it.”

“I wonder if my acquaintance would have the same opinion. Should I call them?”

At the word “acquaintance,” Gesto hesitated and turned away.

“The mood’s ruined. Let’s end it here for today. I have no desire to engage in a pointless argument with you.”

As he left, Gesto met Ga-On’s eyes and muttered quietly.

“The next time we meet, it’ll be your funeral. If you don’t want to die, behave yourself.”

“Oh, how scary. Is this the moment I’m supposed to wet myself?”

Without looking back, Gesto left, raising only his middle finger.

---

A while later, as Ga-On left the unauthorized clinic intending to return home, a suspicious figure blocked his path. It was the middle-aged man who had just made Gesto retreat.

“You are lucky.”

“What do you mean?”

“You survived an encounter with the Pier Gang. You might not know since it’s your first time here, but they’re a rising power that’s been expanding their territory around here. They’re quite ruthless in their attempts to displace the established forces.”

The detailed explanation was enough to make one’s ears ooze pus. Yet, the middle-aged man seemed unsatisfied and added more.

“Moreover, Gesto might not be an executive, but he’s at least a squad leader. Once he bites, he’s a troublesome type. If I hadn’t passed by at the right time, you would have been in a difficult situation too. He invests all his earnings into himself. I’m sure he has one or two trump cards up his sleeve.”

The middle-aged man noticed Ga-On’s cold gaze around that time.

“Oh, did I ramble too much? Sorry about that. Talking to strangers is always interesting and enjoyable. Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I am…”

He was about to say his name—

“You must have known I killed Sprinter.”

Ga-On preemptively silenced him.

If they had met in a bustling area, it would have been difficult to pinpoint, but this was the back alley. A place where betrayal and conspiracy were alive. Even a saint would find it hard to show goodwill to a stranger here.

Yet, the middle-aged man approached Ga-On with familiarity, as if he knew who he was talking to. Therefore, it wasn’t hard to speculate.