As soon as we stepped completely outside the building, more police officers were waiting.
There were approximately 15 officers, along with two heavily armed police vans equipped with machine guns.
Anyone passing by might have thought they were about to storm a battlefield.
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.
.
Lim Su-ah signaled her team to board the vans, then walked over to my side.
"Seems like you don't have a driver. Want me to drive for you?"
"The police are being awfully friendly."
"The people's protector should be friendly."
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
"Leave it to me."
She playfully saluted before hopping into the driver's seat.
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Our first destination was a remote area in the Namdong Industrial Complex. Despite the name "industrial complex," it had long since turned into a slum, now a haven for violent gangs.
It wasn't even far from Songdo Future City, a high-end entertainment district for the upper class, yet it was one of the most chaotic places in Incheon.
Even Lim Su-ah, who had been chatting nonstop while driving, fell silent and cautiously scanned the surroundings.
"Young master? This place is a death trap if you mess up. Are you sure this is the right spot?"
"Yeah. Turn right there."
"Jeez… we better be careful. We don't wanna kick a hornet's nest."
As our luxury car and the police vans drove through the heart of Namdong Industrial Complex, people stepped out to see what was going on.
None of them looked good.
A missing arm or leg replaced with machinery was common. Some even had their entire heads swapped out for robotic ones.
The one thing they all had in common—everyone was armed.
If I had come alone, I would've already been shot at, or maybe even hit by a stray grenade, flipping my car over.
Even with hotel security escorts, they would've at least tested us.
The only reason they were keeping their distance was because of the police vans—two of them, no less.
Nobody wanted to get shredded by machine gun fire just because they got cocky.
"There, in front of that abandoned warehouse."
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.
We had arrived at our destination.
This place had "Nine Lord," the key to solving my drug addiction, along with other valuable loot.
Lim Su-ah picked up her radio.
"Stay outside and block the entrance with the vans. If anyone approaches, warn them. If they keep coming, shoot."
-"Roger."
Then, she expertly parked the vehicle.
The moment we stepped out, the scorching sun greeted us, beating down like it was trying to burn our skulls.
And I wasn't exaggerating—the sun really was that intense.
This world had suffered significant global warming and ozone layer destruction.
"So, why are we here? What exactly are we looking for?"
Lim Su-ah pulled out her gun, scanning the area.
Of course, the abandoned warehouse itself didn't have anything worth looting.
We needed to find the hidden underground area.
I led her around the warehouse.
"Here. Underneath this spot."
I tapped the ground with my foot.
It was thickly covered with dirt, blending in with the surroundings, but I knew for sure—this was the place.
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.
.
I crouched down and started digging with my hand, but the ground was too hard.
I needed tools.
'In the game, this just dug itself up…'
Then it hit me—
In the game, I played as a protagonist with absurdly high stats, so it was possible.
But in reality, Go Mu-yeol had the physical strength of a middle schooler.
"Is there anything around here I can dig with? Like a shovel or something?"
"A shovel? Hmm… not sure."
Lim Su-ah kept a wary eye on our surroundings, then called one of the officers over the radio.
"You called for me?"
A massive man, nearly two meters tall, approached.
Both of his arms were mechanical.
"There's something here. Dig it up."
"Hmm."
Sure enough, the big guy quickly dug at the spot I indicated and soon uncovered a steel door. He looked at me—it was a structure that couldn't be opened without the correct password.
"Step aside."
Of course, I knew the password.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
Clunk.
Thud.
The door unlocked, revealing a staircase that looked like it had been abandoned for at least a decade.
"…How do you know the password?"
"Secret."
"…"
As I stepped inside, Lim Su-ah ordered the big guy to stand guard and followed me in.
'Should I stop her from coming in?'
For a moment, the thought crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off.
"It's deeper and darker than I thought… Should I take the lead?"
"There's nothing dangerous."
"…Is this, like, your secret vault or something? I mean, why would you build a vault in a place like this?"
Damn, she talks a lot.
She was like this in the car, too.
'Should I just shut her up? Plug her mouth with my dick or something—that'd be ideal.'
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.
.
As soon as I had that thought, I started getting hard.
Honestly, aside from her slightly tacky and noisy personality, Lim Su-ah was a pretty woman with a damn tempting body.
She'd definitely feel amazing.
'Ah, shit.'
My thoughts kept spiraling.
In my mind, Lim Su-ah was already stark naked, her pale ass sticking out as she got pounded.
My lust flared.
'Is this because of my sex addiction? This is rough.'
Still, I held it in.
Thankfully, compared to my drug addiction, controlling my sex addiction was relatively easier.
Relatively.
Ssshhk.
I pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.
My head felt slightly numb, and the sexual thoughts faded a little.
"Hoo…"
As I silently smoked, Lim Su-ah shifted her gaze around the room.
Rust was everywhere, and the corpses of rats and bugs were scattered across the steel interior.
A chaotic mess of items was piled up randomly—it would take some time to search through everything.
"This place looks like it's been abandoned forever. What is it?"
"Who knows."
I crushed my cigarette and started searching for Nine Lord.
"Look for something like an ampoule. A transparent liquid inside."
"Are you sure it's okay if I touch things here?"
"Yeah."
"Then…"
Honestly, there wasn't much else of value besides Nine Lord.
Well, if I were here as the protagonist instead of Ko Mu-yeol, there'd be plenty to gain.
For example, there was a new drug not yet released on the market.
It was basically a cheat drug—far stronger than existing ones but with significantly fewer side effects.
It was perfect for making quick money and starting a business in the early game.
But I was a conglomerate heir, wasn't I?
I already owned a company.
Why bother going through all that trouble for efficiency?
It was easier to just sit back and run a corporation.
'Still, it'd be a waste to ignore it completely… Maybe I should let her handle it?'
I glanced at Lim Su-ah as she wiped sweat from her blonde hair, her pretty face scanning the room.
She was, without a doubt, a corrupt cop.
If I could make her the ruler of Incheon's underworld and have her as my pawn?
'Just because I'm in the light doesn't mean I have to abandon the dark.'
Loyalty could be bought with money—and other things.
I pulled up Lim Su-ah's information.
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[Lim Su-ah]
Age: 31
Affiliation: Incheon Autonomous Police Bureau, Songdo Innovation Future City, Public Support Team 3
Species: Human
Level: 84
Combat Ability: 69
Willpower: 77
Tech: 91
Leadership: 92
Charm: 89
Corrupt Cop, Endurance, Greed
A perfect example of a corrupt cop, spelled out right in her traits.
Someone who could be easily exploited—she'd do anything for money.
Compared to Ha Eun-young (Seo Eun-mi), the National Intelligence Service mole, her stats were lower and she was older.
But then again, that woman was an anomaly.
Lim Su-ah's stats were actually quite impressive.
"Kyaaah!"
Just then, Lim Su-ah screamed from another room.
Did she find it?
I rushed over to find her frozen in place, having spilled a box.
When I went over to check, I saw her frozen in place, having spilled the contents of a box.
"T-this is…."
Drugs.
And an enormous amount of them.
Even a single box would easily be worth billions, and an entire room was packed with them.
If sold properly, it would generate an immense fortune.
Lim Su-ah swallowed hard and picked up one of the spilled packets.
Inside the thick transparent bag, a fine, salt-like powder was tightly packed.
"…We'd have to test it to be sure, but—"
"It's drugs."
"…A-ah, you already knew? Well, of course. You knew the password too. Did you used to take—hup! S-sorry!!"
She had blurted it out without thinking and was now bowing repeatedly in panic. When I made it clear I didn't care, she hesitantly stood back up and fidgeted with the packet.
Greed flickered in her eyes.
She bit her lower lip in a rare display of seriousness—it was quite a sight.
'She must be debating it.'
Even taking just one of these boxes would be enough to cover her lifetime earnings.
That's how valuable this new drug was.
The problem was me.
Killing me wasn't an option—my status was too complicated for that—so even if she wanted to pocket it, she couldn't.
She could confiscate everything under the guise of law enforcement and use it to boost her career, but honestly, which was more tempting: a promotion or the wealth she could gain from selling these drugs?
Especially for a corrupt cop like her.
"What? You thinking about turning me in?"
"N-no, of course not…."
Her voice trailed off as she hurriedly stuffed the spilled packets back into the box.
Even the ripped tape—she tried sticking it back on as if she intended to cover everything up.
"Do you have the guts for this?"
"Huh?"
"Do you think you can sell this without getting caught?"
She had just been about to push the box back into place, but now she froze.
"Isn't it a waste to just leave it here? If we don't take it, someone higher up will."
The only reason no one had come yet was because a cop was here.
But they were watching.
The moment we left, someone would come to check out the place.
Which meant that if we didn't take this now, it would all be gone.
"W-what are you saying…?"
"You're a cop, and I'm the grandson of the chairman of Goryeo Group."
"…"
"I'm buying a house in Songdo. Move everything there. We'll talk details later."
"!!"
Her eyes widened in shock.
She swallowed hard, then slowly lowered the box.
"Y-yessir…."
And then, she immediately called it in over her radio.
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[NINELORD]
A drug that normalizes the abnormal.
Occasionally, it also makes the normal abnormal.
Effect: Can delete one trait.
Back in the car, I wasted no time and downed the Nine Lord.
The description was a little vague, but in simple terms, it allowed me to choose and erase a trait.
The downside was that it could also erase beneficial traits if used recklessly.
But with careful use, it was an incredibly valuable item.
Honestly, I wanted to erase all my negative traits.
But I only had one dose.
So, I got rid of my drug addiction.
Still, that alone was a huge win. I was no longer a junkie.
[Trait
As the system message appeared, my mind suddenly felt clear.
I could finally breathe again.