Chapter 6

Chapter 6

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 6: If it’s Inevitable (1)

What is the most important thing for a person to live?

Some would say it’s love.

And some would say it’s dreams or fame.

There are also friendships, work, learning, appetite, and so on.

Some might confidently say that money is the most important.

Well, to some extent, all of these are true.

But what I wanted to talk about wasn’t of this kind.

The most important thing for a person to live.

The most fundamental thing.

Naturally, it can be said to be ‘food, clothing, and shelter.’

Especially here in Neon City, it was even more so.

If you don’t wear ‘clothes’.

In the lower classes, the temperature in Neon City at night often drops below zero.

It wasn’t a temperature that could be endured with just bare skin.

Moreover, things that couldn’t be protected from the fences made by city laws existed, of course.

Even though it was a cyberpunk world, there was still the crime of public indecency.

And if you don’t eat ‘food’.

Within a few days, you’ll end up begging on the streets for cheap synthetic foods made from ‘krill shrimp’ or ‘soy protein’, and the like.

By the way, neither of them tastes good.

It’s not at a level where people can eat it.

Orcs eat quite well, but even when they eat, it’s obvious that they’re enjoying the taste.

They just eat.

And finally.

You needed a ‘shelter’ where you could sleep safely.

Of course, there were quite a few homeless people in Neon City.

They were common sights as you roamed the lower zone.

There were many vagabonds laying cardboard outside, lighting fires in drums, trying to sleep under bridges.

But if you noticed that they disappeared after a while, everyone would realize the importance of a home together.

In that sense, a home was important in Neon City.

Very much so.

As long as it wasn’t a tent-like structure under a bridge, any kind of home would do.

Anyway, someone would go to Royal Vegas and spend their days in luxury hotels that cost tens of thousands of credits per night.

And someone else might go to China Town in the Citizen Zone and spend a night in a dense building complex reminiscent of the past, Kowloon Walled City.

Even near the central business district of Center Plaza, there were many buildings designed for accommodation.

In one area, there were rows of luxury apartments, while in another area, there were one-room capsule apartments with entrances the size of cabinets.

In such a situation.

I could say that the house I live in is above average.

It’s called the ‘Golden Smile Condominium’.

It’s just an ordinary good condominium.

First of all, its location is in the middle, in the business district, so the security is above average, and it’s also an advantage that it’s a building made of luxury materials, so there aren’t too many people living on each floor.

By the way, there are condominiums called ‘Silver’ and ‘Bronze’ as siblings of this building.

I heard that there are over 100 households per floor in Silver.

I couldn’t even imagine how serious the situation would be for Bronze, which is located in the lower area.

Of course, I did not evaluate my house as above average based solely on location and conditions.

No matter how good a house is, there are bound to be unexpected problems.

When people have to move.

There are parts that need to be carefully examined.

Typically, issues like water quality problems (rust water).

Insect problems (30cm cockroaches).

Sunlight problems (light reflected from the opposite building can cause fires).

For your reference, all expenses in Neon City were extremely expensive. There wouldn’t be anyone willing to pay expensive city taxes to wash in rusty water or to wage war against bugs.

I can assert that there is no perfect house in this world.

After much rationalization and consideration, I was able to find a house that I could be satisfied with.

Still, since it was a house I found after quite a long struggle, I was satisfied with it in almost every aspect.

Except for one thing.

– Ding dong.

“Hey, listen. It’s Bill. I can’t reach the stuff because the key is out of reach. Can you help me a bit?”

So, there was no need to take a taxi.

It’s not because I didn’t have credits.

...That taxi fare could buy a few artificial chicken meats.

Anyway, no.

The monorail station wasn’t far from home.

It was one of the factors I considered when buying the house.

Within a 5-minute walk to the station.

It’s very important for a happy cyberpunk life.

I soon arrived at the large-scale ‘monorail station’.

[North Houston 3 Monorail Station]

Even though it’s a train in the cyberpunk world, the way to ride it wasn’t much different from my old world.

The only difference might be that payment is made through a biometric credit chip rather than a transportation card.

– Payment has been made for 1 adult male.

[I haven’t taken the monorail in a long time, I appreciate it.]

Eve’s brief appreciation followed.

“...Sigh, I don’t want to go out.”

[I would have rated it better if the purpose of this outing wasn’t ‘escape’.]

“What are you talking about? If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t have come out.”

[.......]

The noisy voices of my neighbors still lingered in my ears.

Next time I move, I will definitely check the neighbors too, I silently vowed to myself.

...I decided to think about my friend who followed me all the way to the room next to me later.

Soon, the train arrived.

Since it wasn’t rush hour, there weren’t many people.

The doors slowly opened upwards.

I entered the train slowly.

Soon, the train departed along the predetermined rail.

Holographic letters passed quickly through the windows, depicting the cold scenery of Neon City.

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Different advertisements passed by each window, while buildings zoomed past outside.

Occasionally, Geisha advertisements with white makeup on their faces passed through the gaps between buildings. And sometimes in English, Japanese, or Chinese. Very rarely, even Korean.

I blankly stared at the passing advertisements and buildings.

[Where are you planning to go, may I ask.]

“...Let me think for a moment.”

What would be a good place to kill time?

I thought about just riding the train around, but I remembered the crowd that would pour in later during rush hour, so I decided against it.

What did I used to do when I was bored in Korea...?

“Oh.”

[Have you decided?]

“I have.”

Yes.

Where do Koreans, no, people all over the world go when they’re bored?

When waiting for a friend.

When wanting to do some work on their electronic devices.

Or even just to pass the time.

There was one answer without any need for consideration.

“The answer is a cafe.”

[You are displaying that you have really never been outside, I believe.]

...That’s something only you’d think.

The spirit of Koreans.

Appearing in the cyberpunk world.

* * *

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“Everyone, raise your hands above your head and put your heads down!! We are the ‘Eco Warriors’, a nature preservation group! Just follow the instructions, and no one will get hurt!”

But I didn’t expect terrorists to appear.

Does this make any damn sense?

[Translator – Peptobismol]