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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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My past, my homeland.
In modern-day Korea, a mysterious psychological test called “MBTI” suddenly gained popularity.
Many people questioned its validity, asking what kind of test it was with no scientific basis.
But Korea is… Korea.
As a country with one of the world’s leading football players (Son) and a practically divine professional gamer (Faker), there had to be something to it that I didn’t understand.
The MBTI test broadly categorized people’s personalities into two types:
Extroverted people (E) and introverted people (I).
By this point, everyone must have figured it out, but what more is there to say?
I was the very embodiment of an “I,” a leading representative.
For that reason, I loved staying home.
It was true in the past, and it will be true in the future.
But in life, there are things you “just can’t avoid.”
Just like today, situations arise where you absolutely have to go out.
Really…
Why do people have to go outside?
For some, it’s a philosophical question, and for others, it’s a question related to livelihood.
In my case, it was neither.
Rather than “philosophy” or “livelihood”…
If I had to define it, it was a question related to “survival.”
I approached the wall and touched the window’s shading switch.
The drab, dark color of the concrete wall instantly changed.
The entire wall transformed into a panoramic window.
Although it was still too early for evening…
The forest of giant skyscrapers visible outside the window was already brilliantly lit.
Neon signs of all nationalities were embedded throughout the buildings.
English was a given, followed by what seemed like Japanese or Chinese slang.
A giant, unidentified hologram of a naked woman swam among them.
It was as if the entire city was a single billboard.
Several years had passed since I started living in this city, but…
It was still fascinating no matter how many times I saw it.
It was a reminder that I had entered a game world.
But what I needed to see this time wasn’t the cityscape.
I looked up at the sky.
Beyond the ceiling shield…
“Oh.”
It was filled with gray smog, devoid of any blue.
“As expected, the fine dust is terrible today, too.”
I couldn’t even remember what sunlight felt like anymore.
Just another peaceful, ordinary day in cyberpunk.
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After I finished showering, Eve asked,
[Do you intend to depart immediately, I inquire?]
“Yeah.”
Once I decided to go out, I couldn’t dilly-dally.
The longer I stayed put, the less I wanted to leave.
So, the key was to move quickly.
Of course, the fact that I didn’t have much time left before my forced appointment also added urgency to my actions.
I needed to hurry.
There wasn’t anything special about getting ready to go out.
I put on clothes with ballistic protection to block any stray bullets.
And just in case…
I packed a gun, a 3-day supply of emergency calorie bars and purification tablets, an ampoule of nano-robots, renewed my temporarily suspended civilian medical services, and finally put on a cyberpunk smart mask with fine dust (and various biochemical attack) purification functions.
The cyberpunk mask didn’t have flashing LED lights or anything (though those were more common).
It just had a lot of extra features.
It was a bit stuffy, but…
Who am I?
Someone who had worn masks for years to avoid fine dust and certain viruses that came from the continent long ago.
This wasn’t a big deal.
Mask fashion wasn’t mandatory in Neon City like in modern Korea.
Vagrants and criminals wore them a lot.
But that wasn’t for health reasons, so it was a different case.
People who wanted to block fine dust for health reasons preferred more efficient and direct methods than masks.
For example, installing filters directly into their respiratory systems.
Or getting implants to replace their lungs with cyberware or bioware.
There were various methods.
Of course, this excluded races like orcs.
They were naturally robust from birth.
Many of them believed they didn’t need masks.
In their world, wearing a mask was considered un-orc-like and could get you shot.
As for me…
I didn’t want to replace my perfectly good lungs just to inhale a little less fine dust.
And the various negative traits attached to me slowed down my physical recovery, which was another big reason.
There were ways to recover quickly, but…
The side effects were significant, so I didn’t bother considering them.
Honestly, inhaling a bit of fine dust wasn’t going to cause immediate health problems.
I could just replace my lungs later if things got bad. Living with that cyberpunk mindset was easier.
I finished my preparations to go out, more or less.
Eve spoke in a strangely subdued voice.
[I inquire, are these the standard preparations for human egress?]
“You have no idea how dangerous it is outside.”
[That sounds absurd, I opine.]
“Hey, no bad language.”
This wasn’t excessive at all.
I liked moderation.
But that’s just my subjective opinion.
Others might think it’s a bit over the top.
Whatever.
It was much better than ending up in the hospital unprepared. Especially considering the medical bills in this world.
Most things were privatized here.
You couldn’t live a full life if you were careless.
“Shall we go?”
[I confirm.]
It was time to leave.
Going out for the first time in a week.
‘Ugh, I already don’t want to go.’
I opened the front door.
As luck would have it…
A familiar “little boy” was walking down the hallway of my condo.
And I closed the front door again.
“Ugh, I closed it without thinking.”
[I concur.]
I hadn’t imagined I’d face a crisis as soon as I opened the door.
I let out a deep sigh.
I had to open the door again.
I quickly prepared myself mentally and slowly opened the door.
Then the little boy said,
“Hey.”
“…Yes?”
“You close the door on someone without even a greeting?”
“I was… startled. I apologize, Sr. Bill.”
A youthful voice.
But an elderly tone that didn’t match the young voice.
“I told you not to call me ‘Senior’.”
“Oh, right… Hello, Mr. Bill.”
“Alright.”
Then at least speak like a child.
His name was Bill.
I didn’t know his full name, nor did I care.
He was my neighbor on the same floor.
In short…
He was just crazy.
Male.
Looked about 10 years old.
But unbelievably, he was 95 years old this year.
Yet he hated being called “Senior.”
Even in cyberpunk, where all sorts of strange people lived, he stood out with his unique personality.
“Where are you going?”
“…Just going out for a bit.”
Even though I came from a Confucian society and was a law-abiding citizen who respected elders…
This guy was a bit much.
He clearly looked like a little boy.
It was difficult for me to treat him with the respect due to someone so much older.
He was also a rare breed in Neon City, a purebred grumpy old man.
And a petty person who got angry if you called him “Senior,” so you had to call him “Mr.”
Talk about bad timing.
To run into him as soon as I opened the door…
“So where are you going?”
[Heart rate 120, 130, 140. Continuously rising.]
“…To see a friend.”
“Really?”
Bill suddenly grinned.
“Good. Don’t just stay cooped up inside all the time. Go out and get some fresh air. You look healthy enough.”
“…Yes, sir.”
“When I was your age… I was never home. That’s the problem with young people these days. They think they can do everything from home, so no one goes out.”
[While seemingly nonsensical, I concur that the portion regarding egress holds merit.]
I wished they would both be quiet. It was unnerving.
Fortunately, only I could hear Eve’s voice. Otherwise, I would have been caught by Bill and subjected to a 30-minute lecture.
I quickly assessed the situation.
Once Bill started talking, there was no end to it.
It was important to interrupt him at the right moment.
“Back in the day, that’s why—”
“Excuse me, Mr. Bill, I don’t have much time before my appointment…”
“Huh? Like I was holding you back or something.”
“Hahaha.”
You were holding me back, you crazy old man…
But I kept my thoughts to myself.
Sometimes, silence is also an answer.
“Alright, fine, go ahead.”
“Yes, sir.”
I started walking as soon as I answered.
I had to get away from Bill as quickly as possible.
It was a relief he let me go so easily.
Maybe older people talk more because of their age.
There were times in the past when I couldn’t interrupt him and got stuck for over an hour.
If I weren’t Korean from a Confucian society, I would have already smashed all his dental implants.
Good job, past me, for holding back.
Only after I got on the elevator going down…
…did I breathe a sigh of relief.
[Shall I commence navigation guidance to the designated rendezvous location, I inquire?]
“…No. I’ll just take a taxi.”
I was already feeling tired.
Taking public transportation would have been fine, but it was getting late.
I decided to just grab a taxi.
[A taxi… Are you certain?]
“Well, it’s not like I’m short on credits.”
It’ll be fine.
It was not fine.
I had honestly forgotten how crazy Neon City taxis were.
First, the base fare is charged as soon as you get in.
And then…
A calling fee.
An additional fee per distance.
An additional fee for leaving the district.
An additional fee for the evening time slot.
A mandatory tip.
And the city tax was separate.
My head was spinning.
I groaned.
“At this rate, I might as well just buy a car.”
[Does this imply you intend to increase your frequency of egress, I anticipate.]
“…Uh.”
Not really.
No, it didn’t.
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A damn robbery