Chapter Title: Ninelord
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Once we were completely out of the building, even more cops were waiting.
There were about fifteen in total, including police vans armed to the teeth with machine guns. Two of them, no less.
Anyone would think we were storming some hideout.
Im Su-ah signaled with hand gestures to load all the officers into the vans, then came over to my side.
"No chauffeur, huh? Want me to drive?"
"The cops are being awfully nice."
"The staff of the people has to be friendly."
"Fine, whatever."
"You got it. Leave it to me."
Im Su-ah saluted playfully before hopping into the driver's seat.
.
.
Our first stop was a remote corner of the Namdong Industrial Complex—a place that had turned into a slum paradise for violent gangs, despite being called an industrial zone. It wasn't far from Songdo Future City, the playground of the elite, but it was one of Incheon's biggest messes.
Even Im Su-ah, who had been chattering nonstop while driving, hardened her face and scanned the surroundings busily once we got here.
"Young master? This is the spot where one wrong move gets you killed. You sure this is it?"
"Yeah. Turn right up there."
"Ugh~. Gotta be careful. Wouldn't want to poke the hornet's nest."
A luxury car and two police vans rolling through the heart of Namdong Industrial Complex had people poking their heads out, wondering what was going on.
Not a single one looked respectable.
Swapping out an arm or a leg for cybernetics was par for the course, and some guy even had his whole head replaced with a weird robot one.
The common thread? They were all armed.
If I'd come alone, I'd probably have eaten a bullet or a grenade from somewhere, flipping the car. Even with hotel security, they might've tested us.
At least with two police vans, they were content to gawk.
No point in showboating and eating machine-gun fire—that'd be on them.
"Over there. In front of that abandoned warehouse."
We'd arrived at our destination amid all that.
The place where I could farm 'Ninelord' to fix my Drug Addiction, plus a bunch of other items.
Im Su-ah got a radio call.
"You lot stay out and block the entrance with the vans. Warn anyone who approaches, and if they keep coming, just shoot."
- Roger.
Then she parked smoothly.
Stepping outside, the blazing sun beat down like it was trying to scorch our scalps.
No exaggeration—the sun was brutally hot. This world's global warming and ozone depletion had progressed pretty far.
"But why are we here? What's the deal?"
Im Su-ah drew her gun and looked around warily.
Of course, there was nothing worth farming in the obvious abandoned warehouse. We needed to find the hidden basement.
I led her around the warehouse perimeter.
"Here. Underneath this."
I stomped on it.
It was covered thick with dirt, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, but it felt familiar for sure.
This was the spot.
Press.
I crouched and scratched at the dirt with my hand, but the ground was rock-hard. No dice.
I'd need tools.
'In the game, it just dug right up.'
Come to think of it, in the game I played as the stat monster protagonist, so that made sense. Go Mu-yeol's stats were middle-schooler level.
"Anything around here we can sell to buy a shovel or something?"
"A shovel? Hmm...."
Im Su-ah kept watch, then radioed for one of the cops.
"You called?"
The guy was a giant, pushing two meters tall, with both arms mechanized.
"Something's here. Dig."
"Hmm."
Sure enough.
The brute dug up the spot I'd pointed out in seconds, uncovering a steel door, then looked at me.
It needed a passcode to open.
"Step back."
Of course, I knew it.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Clunk.
Rumble.
The door swung open, revealing stairs that looked neglected for about a decade.
"...How'd you know the passcode?"
"Secret."
"...."
As I headed inside, Im Su-ah posted the giant to stand guard and followed.
'Sshould I keep her out?'
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I shook it off.
"It's deeper and darker than I thought.... Want me to take point?"
"No big deal."
"...Is this your secret vault or something? Why build a safe in a dump like this?"
Man, she was chatty.
She'd been yapping in the car too.
'Might need to shut her up. Stuff her mouth with my dick—that'd be perfect.'
....
That thought hit, and I started getting hard.
Her name was a bit hickish and she was noisy, but aside from that, Im Su-ah was a hot woman with a killer body. She'd definitely be fun.
'Fuck.'
My imagination ran wild.
In my head, she was already stripped bare white, ass up, getting pounded.
Lust flared up.
'Sex addiction acting up? Tough nut.'
Still, I held back.
Luckily, the Sex Addiction was easier to fight than Drug Addiction.
Relatively speaking....
Hiss.
I pulled a cigarette from my pocket, lit up.
My head cleared a bit, and the dirty thoughts faded.
"Whew...."
While I stood there puffing away blankly, Im Su-ah looked around.
A rusty metal space littered with dead rats and bugs.
Stuff piled haphazardly everywhere—it'd take time to search it all.
"Looks abandoned forever. So what's the treasure?"
"Who knows."
I stubbed out the cig and started hunting for Ninelord.
"Look for ampules. Ones with clear liquid."
"Can I touch stuff?"
"Yeah."
"Alright then...."
Not like there was anything but Ninelord worth taking anyway.
If I'd come as the protagonist instead of Go Mu-yeol, there'd be more goodies.
Like new designer drugs not yet on the market.
Way stronger effects than the old stuff, minimal side effects—a total cheat drug. Perfect for scraping cash early and building a business.
But I'm a chaebol heir?
I've already got a company.
No point grinding personally for efficiency when I could just run the corp from afar.
'Still, too good to waste entirely.... Maybe hand it off to her?'
Sweat-damp blond hair swept back, pretty face scanning around—she was a corrupt cop through and through.
If I made her queen of Incheon's underworld and turned her into my puppet?
'No need to ditch the shadows just 'cause I'm topside.'
Loyalty? Buy it with cash and perks.
I pulled up Im Su-ah's info.
[Im Su-ah]
Age: 31
Affiliation: Incheon Autonomous Police Songdo Future City 3rd Public Service Team
Race: Human
Level: 84
Force: 69
Willpower: 77
Tech: 91
Leadership: 92
Charm: 89
Corrupt Cop, Endurance, Greed
Right there in her traits: prime corrupt cop material.
Perfect for exploitation. The type who'd do anything for cash.
Compared to NIS stooge Ha Eun-young (Seo Eun-mi), her stats were lower and she was older, but that woman was the freak— this was normal. Hell, above average.
"Kyaa!"
Im Su-ah opened a door, screamed.
Found it?
I checked it out—she'd knocked over a box and frozen.
"This, this...."
Drugs.
A massive haul.
Just one box looked worth hundreds of billions. And a whole room full.
If sold right, it'd be a fortune.
Im Su-ah gulped, picked up a spilled baggie.
The thick transparent pouch was stuffed with salt-like powder.
"...Gotta test it proper, but,"
"It's drugs."
"...You knew? Makes sense—you knew the passcode too. Were you into that st—Gasp! S-sorry!!"
She blurted it out, panicked, bowed repeatedly. I waved it off, and she finally stood, fiddling with the baggie awkwardly.
Greed shone in her eyes.
She bit her lower lip seriously—damn, she looked good.
'Must be tempting.'
One box alone could set her for life.
That new drug was worth it.
Problem was me.
Killing her off wouldn't fly with my status—she couldn't swallow it whole.
She could confiscate it all as police for performance points, but come on—who picks metrics over drug profits? Especially a corrupt cop.
"Gonna use that to bust me?"
"N-no way...."
She trailed off, stuffing the baggies back into the box—including taping up the torn ones.
Looked like she'd hide it if I didn't say shit.
"Think you can fence it clean?"
"Huh?"
"Asking if you can sell it without a trace."
She froze mid-box.
"Pity to leave it rotting. If we don't take it, the guys upstairs will."
The cops were keeping 'em away, but they were watching.
Soon as we left, they'd swarm and check.
So, take it now or lose it.
"Wh-what are you...."
"You're a cop. I'm a Goryeo Group grandson."
"...."
"Gonna buy a place in Songdo. Move it there. We'll talk details later."
"!!"
Her eyes bugged out in shock, she gulped, then quietly set the box down.
"Y-yes...."
She radioed immediately.
.
.
[Ninelord]
A drug that normalizes the abnormal.
Occasionally with the side effect of abnormalizing the normal.
Effect: Delete one trait.
Back in the car, I chugged the Ninelord right away.
The description's vague, but basically: pick a trait and erase it. Side effect warning's for accidentally nuking a good one—super useful if used right.
Wanted to wipe all the bad ones, but only one vial, so I ditched Drug Addiction.
Better than nothing. No more junkie.
[Trait [Drug Addiction] has been deleted.]
My head cleared with the message.
Finally felt alive.