novelraw Chapter 204: The Bounty
Chapter 204: The Bounty
The evening sun dipped low, casting amber streaks across the dirt path as Jin led the group toward their school base. The cool dusk air soothed the ache of a grueling day training at Ryu’s police station base, where Jin had secured Ryu as an ally for the crown quest. Relief pulsed through him—Ryu’s loyalty was never truly in question, but proving it had lifted a quiet burden. Still, caution lingered; the system’s shadow hung heavy, and each step toward the school felt like a wager in a world turned feral. The city’s outskirts were hushed, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the silence sharp with the threat of unseen dangers.
Joon’s voice sliced through the quiet, brimming with excitement. "Yo, Jin, check this out!" He held up his system interface, a glowing screen hovering above his palm like a smartphone from a forgotten time. The system’s gift, unlocked an hour ago as they left Ryu’s base, had restored internet access and data archives, reshaping their survival into something surreal. "They’ve got games, man. I’m deep in this retro shooter—costs points, but it’s a blast."
Jin slowed, eyebrow raised. "Games? You’re serious?" He summoned his own interface, the screen flickering to life with apps for books, music, and shows—echoes of the old world, locked behind system points. "This is... unreal."
"Right?" Joon grinned, swiping through his screen. "It’s got everything—classic movies, music libraries, e-books. Found this old sci-fi novel, but it’s ten points to unlock. Worth it, maybe."
Areum glanced up from her interface, her voice soft with nostalgia. "I’m scrolling through music. Entire albums from before... it’s like stepping back in time."
Yujin nodded, her screen glowing with a drama catalog. "I’m on shows. Costs points to stream, but for a moment, it feels like the world’s still normal." Her tone carried a quiet longing, fingers pausing on a title.
Jisoo grunted, swiping through his interface. "I’m digging into archives—news, survival guides. Some of it’s locked behind crazy point costs, though." He shot Jin a look. "Our stash from Ryu’s base isn’t endless."
Echo, silent as ever, scrolled through his glitching interface, his face unreadable. Seul frowned at her screen, voice tense. "I’m searching for system data—how it works, why it’s here. But the real info’s buried behind high point walls, like they’re keeping secrets."
Hanuel, at the rear, smirked. "I’m just seeing how many points I can burn on music before Joon flips out." His eyes flicked to the woods, sharp beneath his playful tone.
Jin dimmed his interface, mind racing. The system’s update was a lifeline—internet, archives, a way to order food or gear—but points were their currency, earned through blood and system tasks. Their stash from Ryu’s base was solid, but finite. "Don’t waste points," he warned, voice firm. "Books, shows—that’s nice, but food, weapons, supplies come first. We can’t afford to blow our stash."
Joon chuckled, still tapping his game. "Chill, I’m just messing around. But picture ordering a pizza with points. That’s the future."
The group shared a soft laugh, a rare flicker of ease. Their interfaces glowed as they walked, dirt crunching underfoot, woods thickening on both sides. Jin’s hand rested on his katana, a sleek blade from Ryu’s cache, its weight a reassurance after the fragile pipe of months past. His skill turned any weapon lethal, but the katana felt like an extension of his will, honed and deadly.
A sharp rustle cut through the silence—not wind, but purposeful, predatory. Jin’s instincts flared, hand snapping to his katana’s hilt. Four figures emerged from the shadows—two adults, two teens, their faces gaunt, eyes alight with desperation. The taller adult, broad and grizzled, gripped a rusted spear, its tip catching the fading light. The other, wiry and quick, held a long knife, her stance taut. The teens clutched crude clubs, hands trembling but resolute.
"Who’s Jin Yeong?" the tall adult demanded, voice rough, spear leveled.
Jin stepped forward, grip tightening on his katana. "That’s me. Who are you?"
The wiry adult’s eyes narrowed. "Come with us. Now."
Jin’s voice was ice. "Not happening. Walk away."
The wiry adult lunged, her knife slashing with unnatural speed, a system skill boosting her agility. Jin sidestepped, katana flashing out in a fluid arc, parrying her strike with a piercing clang. The blade caught hers, sending it spinning into the dirt. She stumbled, eyes wide, but darted back, snatching the knife and striking again, her movements a blur. Jin weaved through her attacks, his skill guiding his blade with precision, each parry a spark of metal on metal. Her speed was relentless, but his instincts were sharper, reading her every move.
"Joon, Hanuel—handle the teens!" Jin shouted, ducking as the tall adult’s spear thrust forward. The man’s strikes were swift, practiced, the spear’s reach forcing Jin back. He countered, katana slicing through the air, knocking the spear aside with a resonant ring. The adult pressed harder, thrusting low, then high, aiming to overwhelm. Jin danced around the attacks, his blade a silver streak, deflecting each strike with calculated ease, but the man’s persistence kept him on edge.
Hanuel moved, shadows curling around him like living tendrils. He raised a hand, and darkness surged, swallowing the teens in a disorienting void. Their clubs flailed blindly, shouts muffled as shadows coiled around their legs, yanking them off balance. One teen swung wildly, his club grazing Hanuel’s shoulder, but Hanuel twisted, sending a wave of shadow that pinned the boy to the ground, the darkness tightening like ropes. The other teen charged, only to trip as shadows snaked around her ankles, her scream cut short as she hit the dirt.
Joon’s hands crackled, kinetic energy pulsing like a heartbeat. He thrust his palms forward, launching two glowing spheres that tore through the air with a low hum. The energy surged, guided by Hanuel’s shadows, which funneled the spheres into a devastating barrage. The first sphere slammed into the tall adult’s chest, the force hurling him back, his spear skidding across the path. The second struck the wiry adult’s side, spinning her into a tree with a pained cry. The teens, trapped in Hanuel’s shadows, collapsed, disoriented, their clubs useless.
The attackers scrambled, desperation turning to panic. "Run!" the tall adult shouted, grabbing his spear and bolting for the woods. The wiry adult stumbled after him, the teens struggling to their feet. Hanuel’s shadows surged again, a dark tide that coiled around the adults’ legs, dragging them back. Joon launched another sphere, smaller but razor-precise, striking the ground between them. The shockwave erupted, dust and leaves exploding, knocking all four flat. The teens sprawled, gasping, while the adults lay winded, their weapons scattered.
Jin advanced, katana raised, its edge glinting in the dusk. The group closed in—Areum, Yujin, Jisoo, Echo, and Seul tense, their interfaces gone, hands ready. The attackers lay defeated, their defiance shattered in the dirt.
"Why?" Jin demanded, blade steady, pointed at the tall adult. "Why come for me?"
The wiry adult coughed, clutching her side, voice trembling. "We need food... points. To survive, to protect ourselves. The system—it updated an hour ago, gave us a way to buy what we need. But we’re out of points."
The tall adult nodded, face etched with desperation. "We didn’t want to fight. We had no choice."
Jin’s jaw tightened, pity warring with suspicion. He glanced at Joon and Hanuel, their faces hard but uncertain. The others stood poised, waiting for his call. These people weren’t enemies—just survivors pushed to the brink, like them. But targeting him by name set his nerves ablaze.
"How did you know my name?" Jin asked, voice low, katana unwavering. "How did you find us?"
The tall adult hesitated, then met Jin’s gaze, voice shaking. "The system... it showed us a bounty. Said Jin Yeong was nearby, with points, supplies. You were the closest target."
Jin’s blood ran cold, the word bounty a blade at his throat. Who had marked him, and why? His katana gleamed in the evening light, still pointed at the tall adult sprawled in the dirt. The wiry adult clutched her side, panting, while the two teens trembled nearby, their clubs useless. Joon and Hanuel stood tense, energy and shadows ready, while Areum, Yujin, Jisoo, Echo, and Seul watched, poised for action. The city’s outskirts loomed around them, trees sprouting through cracked pavement, vines snaking over crumbling buildings—a slow reclamation by nature that made the urban ruins feel like a living forest.
"What do you mean, a bounty?" Jin pressed, his voice low, edged with urgency. "Show me."
The tall adult hesitated, glancing at his companions, then fumbled for his system interface. The glowing screen flickered to life, and he swiped through it with shaking fingers, pulling up an app labeled Bounty Board. Jin leaned in, his heart pounding. The screen displayed his face—Jin Yeong, unmistakable, a recent image from Ryu’s base. Below it, details were blurred: his skills, his strength, his points, all locked behind a prompt: Unlock for 50 points. A marker pinned his location to this exact spot, updating in real time.
"They’re selling us out," Jin muttered, his voice tight with realization. "The system’s giving people a reason to hunt each other." He stepped back, katana lowering slightly, his mind racing. The update an hour ago—internet, archives, resources—wasn’t just a lifeline. It was a trap, dangling rewards to turn survivors into predators.
The wiry adult coughed, her voice hoarse. "We didn’t want to hurt you. The bounty... it said you had points, supplies. We thought we could take you, get enough to survive."
Jin’s jaw clenched, pity and anger warring within him. "This system’s pitting us against each other," he said, voice sharp. "You go after bounties, you’re playing their game. More people get hurt, and for what? A few points to buy food or shows? It’s not worth it."
The tall adult’s eyes flickered with shame, but he nodded. "We didn’t know what else to do. No points, no food... we’re desperate."
Hanuel’s shadows receded slightly, his expression softening but wary. "You could’ve asked instead of jumping us," he said, voice low. Joon’s hands dimmed, but he stayed alert, his gaze hard.
Jin exhaled, lowering his katana but keeping it ready. "What’re your names?" he asked, his tone steady but firm.
The tall adult hesitated, then spoke. "I’m Kwan." He nodded to the wiry adult. "This is Soo-jin." He gestured to the teens, a boy and girl, both wide-eyed. "Hyeon and Min-ji."
Jin nodded, meeting their eyes. "I’m Jin. This is my group." He gestured to the others, who stood tense but silent. "You don’t have to do this alone. Come with us to our base—a school, not far from here. We’ve got food, shelter, people working together. You’d be safer."
Kwan’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering. "Why would you offer that? After we attacked you?"
Soo-jin’s voice was sharp, guarded. "You’re strong. Too strong. People like you... you don’t get that way without killing." She glanced at the teens, her expression hardening. "We don’t trust groups. There’s a reason we haven’t joined anyone."
Jin’s chest tightened, their words cutting deeper than he expected. He’d killed to survive—monsters, people, no choice in the system’s game—but he wasn’t a monster. Was he? "It’s your choice," he said, voice calm but heavy. "I’m not forcing you. But out here, alone, you’re targets too. The system’s not your friend—it’s using you, just like it’s trying to use us."
Min-ji, the teen girl, spoke, her voice trembling. "You’re letting us go? After... this?"
Joon snorted, crossing his arms. "Don’t make us regret it."
Kwan exchanged a look with Soo-jin, then the teens. "We’re grateful," he said, voice low. "For sparing us. But we can’t join you. We’ve seen what groups do—killing, hoarding points. We’ll take our chances alone."
Jin nodded, respecting their choice despite the ache it left. "Stay safe," he said. "Don’t trust the system’s bounties. They’ll get you killed."
Soo-jin managed a weak nod, helping Min-ji to her feet. "Thank you," she murmured. Kwan gathered Hyeon, and the four retreated into the shadows of the city, their silhouettes swallowed by the growing dusk. Jin watched them go, the weight of their words lingering—you don’t get that way without killing.
The group stood in silence, the air thick with unspoken thoughts. The city around them felt alive, trees piercing through shattered asphalt, vines curling over rusted cars, nature reclaiming what humanity had lost. It reminded Jin of their school base, nestled in a living forest, where trees wove through broken walls, a sanctuary carved from ruin. He turned to the others, their faces lit by the fading sun.
"Let’s move," he said, voice resolute.