The All-Master of Cyberpunk-Chapter 11

But I had my foolproof answer ready.

“I'm from Liberation Village, so it's fine.”

“Oh.”

As soon as I uttered 'that word,' the soldiers' attitudes changed. From seeing me as just an oddball, there was now a tinge of pity mixed in.

Still, given my status as a Hunter, they didn't openly show disdain or contempt.

Being a Hunter means being formally recognized as a citizen of Daegu Green Zone.

As long as I'm not an illegal immigrant, there's no reason for the soldiers to treat me as an enemy.

The reason I worked so hard to earn the D-grade Hunter qualification by offering up soul stones was exactly for situations like this.

Given the times, those from Liberation Village, with unclear backgrounds, were always met with suspicion or outright hostility.

“Confirmed! Open the gate for the 5th district!”

“Got it!”

At the senior soldier's shout, the massive steel wall, easily 20 meters high, began to part.

The 'Iron Curtain,' a barrier designed to completely isolate the Green Zone from the mutants outside.

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True to its name as the frontline defense, it's made of over 1 meter thick alloy and equipped with high-voltage lines on the outer walls, capable of frying any mutant that touches it.

And there's also the densely packed anti-air system.

While there seem to be some issues in certain areas, most of it is still intact.

Even with gargoyle-like mutants swarming just a few kilometers away, it's this barrier that allows Daegu to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

'Of course... that won't last much longer.'

I recalled the sight of grotesque mutants climbing over the outer walls, the high-voltage lines down due to power cuts.

It was one of the most memorable scenes in all of Seoul 2056's storyline.

“Even if you're from Liberation Village, try to avoid Suseong-gu. It's close to being declared a Red Zone.”

“It hasn't been declared yet?”

“No, for now, the higher-ups seem to be observing the situation, but the number of mutants has suddenly increased. Just yesterday, an outpost was attacked.”

An outpost attack. It seems the fall of Daegu Green Zone is becoming more apparent.

As the soldier mentioned, the barely maintained Yellow Zone in Suseong-gu will soon be completely lost and declared a Red Zone.

And if this situation continues, 'that entity' might appear in the problematic area.

“...Thank you for the information.”

When I slipped a few bills from my wallet into the senior soldier's hand, the visor lenses blinked red. Momentarily stunned, he quickly saluted me.

“Oh, yes! Be careful out there, sir! Loyalty!”

“I'll be back in about four hours. I'll need your help then too.”

“In four hours... Ah, yes! I'll inform my replacement!”

“Take care.”

It's always beneficial to show proper appreciation. Rather than risking being extorted by soldiers, it's better for my mental health to handle it cleanly this way.

Unless they're officers or experienced NCOs, junior NCOs and soldiers' pay is still pretty meager, so offering a bit of extra income ensures better treatment in minor ways.

Passing by the smiling young soldier, I mounted my bike.

With the heart-pounding roar of the engine-

“Let's go.”

I sped off into the completely ruined old city.

The address given by Reverend Ju Gang-hyuk was a villa near Yulha Station in Dong-gu.

Following the road connected by a bridge to the Kumho River, which runs through the city center.

“Now the real challenge begins.”

I parked my bike on the roadside, cluttered with abandoned cars, and pulled out a map from my pocket.

Daegu is currently divided into three major zones.

The Green Zone, which maintains some semblance of city life within the walls.

The Red Zone, where the mutant virus is rampant, and high-grade mutants roam freely, making survival for ordinary people impossible.

And finally, the Yellow Zone, located between the Green and Red Zones.

Though outside the walls, and thus similar to the Red Zone, its proximity to the walls means it hasn't been completely overtaken by mutants.

In gaming terms, it's a low-level area. Dangerous, but manageable with caution—suitable for beginners.

This means there are still people trying to live in the Yellow Zone.

Liberation Village and the unauthorized Hunter group known as 'Stray Dogs' are representative communities in the Yellow Zone.

The outposts mentioned by the soldier are more like checkpoints, not real power zones.

Of course, both Liberation Village and Stray Dogs are problematic for regular soldiers and Hunters...

'But they can be very helpful in times of need.'

I didn't plan on making any short-sighted decisions.

Despite being weaker than the creatures wandering the Red Zone, the mutants in the Yellow Zone can still easily tear apart an ordinary person.

No matter how terrible life in the Green Zone might be, true survival begins the moment you step outside the walls, so I must keep all options open.

I don't want to end up dying like Kim Sang-yeop, the original owner of my abilities, out of sheer frustration.

“The right leads to Yulha Station and the department store, the left to Daegu International Airport controlled by 'Sky Road'.”

Sky Road, huh.

Not bad.

Given that they've taken over the expansive Daegu Airport, Sky Road possesses considerable military strength for a Liberation Village. They can handle mid-level mutants and sporadic attacks from high-level mutants.

In Seoul 2056, there were side quests available from Liberation Village, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit them.

Ultimately, to achieve my goal of saving Daegu, aligning with the Liberation Village factions is essential, according to the original storyline.

As the city's destruction is imminent, building connections with both the Daegu Defense Force and these factions will be useful.

'Then I'll head north along the main street and turn left. The road to Suseong-gu is likely blocked.'

I mapped out an emergency escape route in my head before mounting my bike again and heading towards Yulha Station.

The Yellow Zone indeed. The streets were deserted, filled only with the remnants of burned-out cars and collapsed buildings.

The gray dust-covered sign of a cosmetic shop hinted at a once-thriving commercial area. Despite the midday sun, the eerily silent street felt ghostly.

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The aimless banners fluttering in the wind added to the ghost town feel. In a way, it was a ghost town.

Of course, no signs of life meant no mutants either, so I reached the address without incident.

As I entered the villa complex, marked with numerous rental signs, I noted that almost every villa had rental notices, indicating that it was a dying residential area even before the Great Chaos.

Given the nearby department store, I worried about a few mutants making nests, but luckily there were none.

Mutants, after all, are monsters transformed from humans or animals. The fewer people around, the fewer mutants.

As a result, the condition of the buildings was much better compared to the street. No collapses, not even broken windows. No mutants meant no significant battles.

“Goo-yeong... Goo-yeong Villa... Ah, found it.”

I entered a particularly old villa among the rows of buildings. The building, even by 2020s standards, was quite dated. The still-intact brown brick walls were impressive.

I parked my halberd in the villa’s inner parking lot and checked the pistol firmly holstered at my side.

It was a gun I recovered during the Underdog Bikers' raid. Haan, saying he preferred his old gun, had returned it to me.

Even though I had the shockwave, it would be odd not to use a gun I’d obtained.

Fifteen rounds. Three spare magazines. Though still unfamiliar with pistols, I fiddled with it awkwardly when I heard an unsettling sound.

“Weeeeeooong...”

It was an unpleasant wail.

“Aeang, hyarrrk! Weooong!!!”

It was a cat's sound, one I'd often heard even in my original world. Normally, I'd ignore it, but as soon as I identified the sound, I threw myself forward.

‘...!?’

Crack! A red tentacle pierced through the asphalt where I had been standing, shattering the road like a wooden plank.

Immediately drawing my pistol and aiming upwards, I saw a cat on the villa’s roof, its body swollen with agitation, staring down at me.

“Hyaarrrk!! Ssssk!!”

“Ah, damn it.”

Yeah, there’s no way a regular stray cat would be in the Yellow Zone.

“Look at those deadly tentacles.”

From behind the cat’s back, several deadly tentacles writhed menacingly.

A mid-level beast mutant.

Commonly known as Hellcat.

A truly hellish beast, living up to its name.