How to Survive in a Fusion Punk

Chapter 6 – Anekdote

At the heart of downtown stood a massive shopping complex.

It was called Junk Plaza.

The sight of densely packed, cage-like buildings exceeding a floor area ratio of 1,000% left one feeling breathless.

The shadowed streets, deprived of sunlight, glowed under the dim, eerie light of neon signs, their hues replacing the absent sun. Combined with the perpetually overcast sky caused by pollution, Junk Plaza existed in a perpetual state of twilight, where day and night blurred together.

It was no wonder Jin was reminded of Kowloon Walled City when he first laid eyes on downtown’s landscape.

The infamous den of Hong Kong, long gone since 1993, stood right here.

But even more dazzling.

Even more chaotic.

“Hey, handsome.”

A sultry voice made Jin turn his head.

A woman sat atop a green garbage bin in a lightless alley, a seductive smile playing on her lips.

“How about spending some time with me? I’ll give you a discount.”

As she spoke, she tapped the air in a circular motion before her mouth, puffing her cheek suggestively in rhythm.

Jin didn’t fail to grasp the meaning.

But he shook his head.

“Got no money.”

“Even if I give you a discount? With a face like yours, it wouldn’t even feel like work.”

“Doesn’t stand up.”

“…? Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

As the woman stared, momentarily at a loss for words, Jin gave her a thumbs-up and turned away.

Sadly, he wasn’t lying.

His pockets were empty, and his lower half had been unresponsive for a long time.

Not back in Korea, of course.

But ever since he fell into the game.

At first, he thought it was purely psychological.

But when nothing changed over time, he began to suspect something else—his irregular trait.

The very trait that had kept him alive so far.

Trying to recall its description, now faded from memory, Jin vaguely remembered something about self-sustenance, maximized energy efficiency, and evolution.

Piecing together his own theory, he figured the energy usually allocated for reproductive functions was being redirected elsewhere.

Maybe toward regeneration, muscle reinforcement, or something along those lines.

Over the past year, despite no significant increase in muscle mass, his strength had been steadily growing—practically confirming his suspicions.

For ordinary humans, regardless of age or gender, muscle strength was roughly 4kgf per cm² of muscle cross-section.

But Jin had long surpassed such limitations.

And after breaking through the Transcendent Perk, he had become even stronger.

…Wait a second.

Even after reaching superhuman levels, his reproductive function hadn’t returned?

Jin stroked his chin, his expression growing serious.

Not that he was the type to dwell on things for too long.

Well, something would work out eventually.

There were still plenty of locked constellations.

Who knew?

Maybe one of them held the answer.

Deep inside Jin, countless constellations remained dormant, their lights extinguished.

The problem was that he had no idea how to unlock them.

Considering that [Rapid Recovery] had been the first star of the fist-shaped constellation when he started the game, he figured he needed to break through the most fundamental perks first.

The issue was, he had no idea what that was.

If only he had been more meticulous with guides back then.

Not that regret would help him now.

“…Anyway, where the hell am I?”

Jin halted, scanning his surroundings.

[Junk Plaza, Sector 4, Zone A]

The large sign overhead confirmed he was in the right place, as per the hot dog vendor’s directions.

But the streets were so cluttered and chaotic that his brain momentarily froze.

Every street looked the same.

Every alley seemed identical.

Whoa.

Hold on.

Feeling dizzy here.

Just as Jin blinked through his confusion—

Thunk!

A dull impact hit his back.

Followed by an irritated voice.

“Damn it…”

Jin turned around.

A man stood before him.

Sharp, blade-like eyes peered out from behind a goblin mask that covered his lower face.

He was nearly as tall as Jin, and at his waist—

Oh.

A sword?

Not just the kind of palm-sized knife a back-alley thug might carry to stab someone.

No, this was a full-length sword, so long that even angled diagonally, its tip nearly touched the ground.

Its shape resembled a Hwandao or a Japanese katana, but its length was closer to that of a two-handed sword.

Jin couldn’t help but think—if Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s legendary twin dragon swords, lost for over a century, still existed, wouldn’t they look just like that?

How the hell does he draw that thing?

The blade looked longer than his arm’s range of motion.

Just as Jin was wondering—

“Why the hell did you stop all of a sudden?”

The man’s voice carried clear irritation.

Jin scratched the back of his head.

His tone was rude, sure, but Jin had indeed stopped abruptly.

“Ah, sorry about that. I’m not familiar with this area.”

“Move.”

The man shoulder-checked Jin as he passed by.

Only to stumble.

Recovering his balance, he slowly turned back, his gaze sharp as a blade.

Jin met his glare without flinching.

‘What, you weakling.’

‘Why pick a fight you can’t win?’

But their silent standoff didn’t last long.

A noisy crowd suddenly surged between them.

And by the time they passed, the man was gone.

“…Huh.”

Jin unclenched his fist, feeling let down.

Seriously, if you’re gonna wear a sword, at least make sure you can actually use it.

Maybe others found it intimidating, but it didn’t work on him.

Scoffing, he glanced around once more.

And immediately felt dizzy.

“So where the hell am I now?”

After circling the same area about ten times—

Jin finally found the place the hot dog vendor had mentioned.

This wasn’t some hidden gourmet spot tucked away in a bustling market.

Yet the short one- or two-minute walk was tangled with countless alleys and street stalls, woven together like a maze.

For most people, this wouldn’t have been an issue.

All they had to do was turn on their navigation app.

In this era, simply entering an address would project the shortest route as a holographic guide.

But for Jin, who had never installed a BCI chip, that option was out of the question.

Instead, he had to rely on asking reluctant strangers for directions.

Now, standing in front of the bar, he narrowed his eyes to check the sign.

[Anekdote]

Anekdote.

This was the right place.

Without hesitation, Jin pushed open the door and stepped inside.

A soft chime greeted him, and at the same time, a young bartender wiping a glass behind a long table turned his head.

“Welcome. Please, make yourself comfortable.”

Jin took a moment to scan the interior.

Round, backless stools were spaced neatly in front of solid wood tables.

The lighting—subtle wall lamps and footlights—provided just enough illumination, giving the place a laid-back, almost serene atmosphere.

Compared to the chaotic streets he had just navigated, the contrast was almost jarring.

Shaking off the feeling, Jin settled into a seat.

Then, meeting the bartender’s silent gaze, he asked,

“Are you the Linker?”

The bartender blinked.

Then, with a faint smile, he responded,

“Are you Solo?”

“Uh… yeah. I’ve taken a request, so I guess that makes me one.”

“Your name?”

Jin instinctively scratched his ear at the overly polite tone before answering.

“Jin.”

“Understood, Jin. Please wait a moment.”

The bartender paused.

Though his eyes remained on Jin, they took on an eerie, unfocused gleam, as if drifting through another space entirely.

Moments later, his gaze sharpened again, and he spoke.

“My apologies. A search on the Solo Intranet returned no matching results. Are you a Level 5 Solo or higher? If so, direct queries may not be possible. Please forgive the inconvenience.”

Jin, momentarily caught off guard, scratched his cheek.

“Uh… I don’t think so?”

“Could you clarify?”

“I mean, I’m here to become a real Solo. I don’t have any official verification or anything. Didn’t even know that was a thing.”

“Ah, I see.”

The bartender nodded, surprisingly accepting.

At that moment, a conversation from a distance reached their ears.

“What about Zone 49?”

“The worst. Ever since Taha unified all the clans, it’s basically a mini dictatorship.””Taha… He was always an ambitious one. Be careful.”

“Careful? Please. He’s just another corporate lackey.”

“Heh. Wonder if you’d say that to his face.”

From behind the central liquor shelf, a man and woman stepped into view.

Jin’s brow twitched.

Not because of the strikingly red-haired woman—

But because of the man walking beside her.

Sharp eyes, an oni mask covering his lower face,

And an absurdly long sword.

It was the same man who had shoulder-checked him on the street.

“…Hm?”

The man also noticed Jin.

Annoyance flickered in his exposed eyes, while the woman beside him casually turned her head to look.

“Hmm? We have a guest.”

“This is Jin. He came here wanting to become a Solo. It seems like he’s looking for a contract.”

At the bartender’s words, the woman raised an eyebrow.

“Is that so?”

With that, she widened her strides and approached the seat opposite Jin. A smoky yet sweet fragrance filled the air with the rhythm of her clicking heels.

“So, Jin, you came here because you want to become a Solo?”

Jin, who had been locked in a second round of a staring contest with the masked man, reluctantly tore his gaze away with a sour expression.

“Ah, yeah.”

“Want something to drink first?”

“I don’t have any money.”

The woman smirked at Jin’s response.

Whether she took it as a joke or simply intended to give him a drink for free, she turned around and grabbed a bottle from the shelf.

Should I ask for a cola?

After a brief hesitation, Jin accepted the glass she offered.

He figured it would be rude to complain when he was being treated to a drink.

“Shall we start with introductions? I’m Khalifa. As you can see, I run Anekdote.”

“Jin. The man who will become the Solo King.”

Pirate King, Mercenary King, Knight King—

Having grown up consuming a snack culture full of “King of this” and “King of that,” Jin casually slapped “Solo” in front of “King” to declare his ambition.

Technically, “Solo King” might have been more accurate, but who cared?

By that logic, “loot” should be “gettem” and “bad controls” should be “foot controls,” right?

[TL: These are some korean puns, no way for me to translate them.]

Apparently, Khalifa found his confidence amusing.

“…Solo King?”

She rolled the unfamiliar term around in her mouth before tilting her head back and bursting into laughter.

It was a bold and hearty laugh, unexpected from her delicate frame, yet oddly pleasant to the ears.

“That’s hilarious. I like it. Makes me want to bring out the contract right away. But listen, Jin—having a good sense of humor isn’t enough to become a Solo. More precisely, it’s not enough to make a contract with me. Anekdote doesn’t deal with just anyone.”

For a brief moment, Jin saw a red gleam flicker in Khalifa’s irises.

Artificial eyes?

No, they moved as if alive, writhing within her gaze.

“To test your skills, I was thinking of giving you a few small requests fir—”

“There’s no need for that.”

A voice cut through Khalifa’s words.

It was the man in the oni mask.

He had been standing like an unmoving statue ever since he last laid eyes on Jin.

Now, as if he had been waiting for his moment, he seized the opportunity and spoke without hesitation.

“Let’s not take the long way around. Fight me once. There’s something I need to confirm.”