Putato was a transmigrator, but in The City, such things weren't actually strange.
Besides the Mirror technology that could observe parallel worlds, there was also a Color Fixer named Purple Tear, who genuinely possessed the ability to traverse space-time.
"Green Journey."
If there was any CorporationPutato could link to, it was this technological alliance, annihilated by K Corporation on the very day of his transmigration. But this unlucky thing had already been destroyed by K Corporation.
Even if it still existed, could an organization like this, not even a Wing of the World, know about his transmigrator status?
Putato thought and thought, then fell asleep on the sofa. Everyone else quietly left.
...
"I'm not eating!"
Putato, drenched in sweat, tumbled off the sofa and onto the floor. He nervously touched his neck as he stood up. He had just had a nightmare about being forced by Yixin to drink large intestine soup.
She said the idea came from Putato's saliva soup.
"Damn it, how is it already the next day?"
The thought of facing Yixin today gave Putato a headache. Moreover, the phantom pain from the death aura still lingered. Even slight movements caused a faint ache.
"You were too tired yesterday, so I didn't disturb you."
Collecting the blanket from the sofa, Katae handed Putato a white cylindrical object. Putato took it, puzzled.
"What is this?"
"A pneumatic syringe. Pressing it against the skin allows for rapid drug injection. The red button on top is for healing, and the blue one is for sedation."
Putato hesitated only for a moment before pressing the red button against the back of his hand. The scratches on his skin quickly healed, and his vitality also recovered.
You're a genius!
Putato immediately fell in love with this gadget, feeling that Katae's talent wasn't in combat at all, but rather suited for scientific research.
If Katae had joined the Wings of the World earlier, perhaps there wouldn't have been so much trouble later.
"What's in the blue one?"
"Enkephalins."
Casually clipping the pneumatic syringe to his belt, Putato hastily put on his jacket, intending to leave. As soon as he opened the door, he found the three iron-men chatting in the corridor.
"You're all awake. How come no one called me?"
"Hmph, you don't appreciate kindness."
At Putato's urging, the three immediately got into the car.
The factory had become incredibly lively, so crowded that vendors couldn't even set up stalls.
A portion of the Stray Dogs' rats and small Syndicates proudly collected their money. Many were selected to join Stray Dogs as reinforcements.
"Executive, sir!"
After this appearance, Putato's reputation in this part of The Backstreets was fully established. The Stray Dogs greeted him with utmost respect.
Parui sat on a refrigerator, impatiently tallying Axe Gang heads. Before Putato could even greet him, Gyeong-mi strode out and roared.
"Go! Don't waste time! We can't let others take our spoils!"
Gyeong-mi gave his subordinates no time to respond, immediately announcing their departure for Axe Gang's stronghold.
It was an eight-story building, similar to a school building, with axe graffiti everywhere on the walls.
Putato immediately recalled Katae's description. This was originally Katae's school, later becoming a Syndicate stronghold after Oaks massacred everyone.
Schools gathered people hoping to pass tests to join the Wings of the World. Lesti's diligent work was also to join one of them.
Damn it!
Who did studying diligently ever provoke?!
Zulu and Dino led their men, sweeping floor by floor. All the gang members who carried out orders couldn't stop smiling. Their eyes towards Putato had become noticeably gentler.
A bunch of money-grubbing bastards!
Putato, having just become an Executive, had no subordinates, so Gyeong-mi had already assigned him to heavy labor.
"Hurry up! Move what you can. The rest will be set on fire tonight!"
Putato followed Gyeong-mi into Oaks's room. This guy liked to sleep on a pristine white hospital bed, and his bedside table had quite a few psychoactive drugs.
Watching Gyeong-mi keenly peruse Axe Gang's ledgers, Putato walked into the adjacent room. It was clean and tidy, not looking like a Syndicate member's hideout.
Amidst a large stack of study materials, several thick folders were tucked in. Putato pulled them out and carefully read them, quickly discovering they were Green Journey's experimental records.
"Personality experiments in collaboration with The Ring, and key-point modifications."
Putato looked at the description of the impact hammer on the document. This was a powerful technology that could solidify the mind by striking the body.
Key-point technology was Green Journey's core science, and part of its results was the personality chip.
However, these materials were completely unrelated to what Putato was looking for. He wanted to know why Green Journey had attacked K Corporation. Perhaps it was related to the death squad that attacked him.
After all, there was no way he could investigate K Corporation directly. That would have to wait until Putato was appointed to a Wing of the World.
"No, I can't passively wait for the next attack. Perhaps I can start with Fixers."
"Coincidentally, my promotion here in the Syndicate has hit a bottleneck. Maybe I can try to raise my Fixer grade."
"But Gyeong-mi is a problem. I can't be discovered."
Pocketing the documents, Putato wished he could immediately visit an Office, but he remained utterly loyal, following Gyeong-mi to clear out the office.
After clearing this most important room, Gyeong-mi looked at Putato strangely, making Putato feel a bit scared.
"Your hands and feet are quite clean, damn it."
"Of course, I am absolutely loyal to you, leader. This is also part of fulfilling my commitment."
"Here we are, the two of us. What are you pretending for, you little brat? I know what you're up to. I brought you here so you could just take whatever you want!"
"Like that crappy The Ring artwork on the wall. Although I think it's just a spilled paint bucket, it's still worth a bit of money if you sell it."
Putato didn't expect to be yelled at for this too. Then he saw Gyeong-mi go to the door alone to light a cigarette.
His heart was set on Promotion, but Putato knew that certain members of the Association were highly susceptible to bribes, making money essential.
Moreover, offending the boss was a bad move. He decided to grab something worthwhile. Putato snatched a yellow leather bag and began to sweep the room for loot.
"Are you shopping for me now?"
Gyeong-mi forcefully stubbed out his cigarette, watching Putato carry out a bulging, heavy bag.
"How about a discount then?"
"Stop, stop. Just stop blabbering and get back to base."
"Oh, and find some more men for yourself. An Executive shouldn't be seen with just those three idiots as subordinates all day."
Putato quickly thanked him. He was planning to leave this place anyway, so he had no intention of recruiting a large crew. After all, trust was a rare currency.
...
A two-story wooden house.
Lesti cautiously entered the reinforced wooden door with her Carving Knife in hand. Someone was knocking outside.
Putato, still carrying the bag, had sent Lesti a message earlier.
"Huh? Putato, it's you again!"
Lesti opened the door, her expression full of surprise. Her messy short hair gave her a lazy, unkempt look.
"You're not here to collect a debt, are you? I just finished my Exams and I'm still recovering."
"Nothing like that. I was just passing by and brought you a gift."
Putato produced a beautiful golden Bowler Hat, his fingers expertly spinning it.
Everyone has a love for beauty, and Lesti was no exception. Since the item belonged to Oaks, the quality was guaranteed.
"It matches my hair color perfectly. You work quite hard, don't you?"
"We're friends, aren't we."
"Do you like me?"
Lesti, now wearing the golden Bowler Hat, spoke as if it were the most natural question in the world. Putato wondered if he had misheard her.
"I have feelings for you too. Do you want to get married?"
"Wait, I just gave you a gift. You've misunderstood the situation."
Lesti showed no sign of disappointment. Instead, she continued to admire the Bowler Hat in the mirror.
"Is that so? Then we're just good friends. I'll repay the favor once I get into the Wings of the World."
"Right now, nothing I own can compare to this."
Putato felt he still hadn't adapted to the rhythm of the people in The City. Was life here truly this direct and fast-paced?
He simply chuckled.
"It's fine. I heard a story about a Lobotomy CorporationManager who was helped by a friend. Later, when he reached a high position, that friend gave him two jars of clear water."
"Others thought it was a joke, but the Manager drank it all happily and returned two jars of fine wine."
"You see, people who achieve great things don't care about the price of the gift. The object is dead, but the Friendship is alive."
Ayin, your reputation is almost worthless now, so let me use it.
Lesti immediately ran back into her room and brought out a half-eaten sandwich.
"Here, this is my lunch."
Another sandwich. Putato felt like he might vomit if he had to eat another one.
...
While identifying the Death Squad was urgent, Putato knew it wouldn't be solved overnight. It was better to maintain his Network in the meantime.
The clash with the Axe Gang had taught him the power of networking. Without those numbers, he never could have pulled off such a massive operation.
Swallowing the last bite of the sandwich, the taxi arrived back at the factory.
"Bro, why do you look even more haggard than the last time I saw you?"
"Don't take life too hard."
Putato deliberately gave him some extra change, considering it his good deed for the day.
"It's alright. I found a companion more trustworthy than any human. It's the pet snake my lover left behind."
"When I come home, it just hugs me. It doesn't scold or blame me. It's very tolerant."
"I can even use the toys my wife left. The vet said it has a Cloaca. It doesn't sound very pleasant, so I want to change its name."
Goodbye.
Putato realized that trying to empathize with the people of The City was less productive than eating a sandwich. Any effort spent on them was a waste of time.
Entering the factory, Putato saw Parui again. He was standing on a refrigerator, shouting at the recruits below.
"You think those skills will get you into the Stray Dogs? We don't take actual strays here!"
"Parui."
Pulling a black plastic bag from his backpack, Putato tossed it to him.
"What's this?"
"A suit and trousers with a shark pattern. You have to match your sister when you go out, right?"
Suddenly, Parui jumped off the refrigerator and grabbed Putato by the collar.
"You brat, you're not hitting on my sister, are you? Why are you giving me things?"
"No, when I first joined the Syndicate, weren't you the one tailing me? Gyeong-mi told me. This is just to thank you for watching over me."
"Is that so."
Parui looked at the high-grade clothes, looking slightly awkward.
It wasn't that no one had offered bribes before, but nobody had ever given him something with Putato's personal touch. Everyone else just tossed him direct transfers.
"Uh, it's not a big deal. You really didn't need to come all this way."
"What are you looking at? Go play somewhere else!"
After stashing the gear, Parui still wanted to mutter a thanks, but he saw Putato leaving in a total hurry.
Even giving gifts requires maximum efficiency.
Putato also planned to handle some Fixer business, hoping to squeeze some info about Green Journey out of the Association.
Even though the organization had recently been wiped out, the secret Laboratories they left behind surely hadn't been picked clean yet.
"Hey!"
"You, yeah, you! What's your name?"
Putato realized he was being called. He spun around instantly, eyes darting left and right, his hand already gripping his Honesuki.
But when he looked up, it was just a little girl leaning over the third-floor railing. It looked like the orphanage he had passed earlier.
Putato didn't say a word. He just pulled out a wine-red bow tie. The skills from his various talents allowed him to throw it perfectly into her hand.
The item was originally part of a suit, but it had slipped out when he was rummaging through his bag. Might as well give it away.
"Hey, hey!"
Putato walked all the way back to his place. He was too lazy to bother with the building's massive front gate. He just kicked off the wall and jumped straight over.
"Katae, I got you an Electric Baton. Just prop it against the corner of the wall when you need it."
"Thank you, Brother."
"Don't mention it. But if anyone brings soup by today, tell her I'm at Stray Dogs. If it's a real emergency, get in touch."
"Understood."
As Putato went upstairs, he felt the fatigue hitting him. He pulled out his Pneumatic Syringe, jammed it against his chest, and slammed both buttons at once.
Hiss! Hiss!
The feeling of weakness pulled back immediately. Putato felt a sudden wave of Ease wash over him. His dark mood lightened up instantly.
This stuff is gold. I wonder if I can double the dosage?
"Elena?"
Putato pulled the red pillow from his bag, genuinely confused why this Bloodfiend spent all day wandering around in the body of a Cat.
Even though they were friends, Putato could only ever find her on rooftops.
Suddenly, a gust of wind struck from behind.
Putato instinctively covered the source with the pillow.
"Mmph mph!"
Elena struggled to get up, standing on the pillow Putato was holding, peering at him with her sharp Cat eyes.
"I feel your strength has shifted significantly."
"Do you like the pillow? It's Swan Down. Should be perfect for sleeping."
Hearing this, Elena crawled up Putato's arm to his shoulder and glanced at her own claws.
"By the way, why the Cat look? I heard you used to be human."
"I was hunted by so many people before. To this day, the emptiness inside hasn't been filled. Do you really want to see my True Form?"
"Any normal person would be curious, right?"
"Perhaps. I'm just afraid you'll be terrified if you see it. The Cat form is better."
Putato watched Elena, mouth gripping the red pillow, run quickly to the edge of the roof. He had no idea where she had moved her lair this time.
"Where are you going?"
Elena just gave him a look before leaping off the roof.
Could it be that this Bloodfiend had lived in a Cat's body for so long that her habits had become identical to one?
"Yun's Office should still be open right now."
Working people didn't have much free time. Putato continued on his way.
Deep in thought, Putato didn't pay much attention to the crowded, noisy street.
"Don't buy coffins! You need to break free from the constraints of others!"
"Instead of wasting money on useless things for the dead, why not spend it on the living? Are the dead here just to be a burden to us?"
"Right? The weather is perfect. We don't even need these clothes. These are just constraintsThe City forces on us."
"What does the talk of others matter? You want to be a Free Person. Life and the world belong to our own Free Selves."
Putato looked closer. Wasn't that the same crazy man in the leather jacket he saw on the roof earlier? Was no one watching him? Had the Mental Hospital staff all died off?
Looking up, he saw the shop's name: Standard Coffin Shop.
From high-end wooden coffins to simple straw mats, they had every spec. And apparently, donating organs got you a 10% discount.
Bang!
The guy was predictably kicked away by a shop employee, making the crowd laugh.
Putato sidestepped the lunatics and walked quickly to the entrance of Yun's Office.
"Finn."
Finn instinctively caught the wooden owl carving Putato threw as he turned. Before he could even react, Putato was already headed to the second floor.
As he pushed open the office door, a heavy smell of smoke hit him.
Putato frowned in discomfort. He saw Yun, cigarette in mouth, tapping against the wall. It looked like the place had only been roughly patched up; the damage was still obvious.
"Yun, I brought you a pack of cigarettes."
A surprised Yun stood up, seeing Putato, and put out his smoke. He walked over, picked up the case from the table, and frowned immediately.
"Spoils of War?"
"Exactly. Saved them just for you."
He hadn't expected only Yun to guess where they came from. The man was sharp.
Yun held the case, hesitating for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Putato, do you want to change your identity?"
"If Gyeong-mi finds out about your Fixer situation, it won't end well. I've got some documents here you should look at."
Thud.
Putato picked up the stack of papers. It was a profile of a severely burned Grade 9 Fixer, followed by a terminal death report.
"He was an experienced Office hand, but unfortunately timid and unremarkable. Now, we have to add 'unlucky' to his list."
"In The City, having no talent is the ultimate sorrow. For him, it was pure despair."
"If you can bring me the Axe Gang Executive's head, I can pull some strings. I'll let you use this identity to promote to Grade 8 Fixer, though the bounty will be much smaller."
Putato was stunned. He never expected Yun to be so considerate. Was a box of cigarettes really that powerful?