Chapter 85 – Collaborators III

[Proofreader – Gun]

Chapter 85 – Collaborators III

The final resistance force wasn’t just comprised of awakened individuals; ordinary people also participated in large numbers. Consequently, immediately after they were swept away, Busan felt eerily deserted, like a ghost town.

Even as we hung the [Open for Business] sign and surveyed the streets, not a single passerby could be seen. Noh Doha and I sat on a bench in front of the workshop, quietly taking in the scene.

“....”

“....”

“Hmm. Would you like some coffee, Master?”

“Oh. Yes, please. Anytime, Assistant.”

The silence of the streets didn’t feel awkward.

Instead, amidst the end of the century, the occasional familiarity of the days gone by occasionally felt strange.

Deserted streetlights.

Crosswalks with torn white stripes.

Deciduous trees. Aurora of sunlight. Sirens as cicadas that hadn’t yet gone extinct searched for their mates.

“It’s summer...”

Noh Doha’s breath, mingling with the aroma of Café au lait, rose like transparent smoke.

The world seemed to have finally regained its original calmness.

9 AM, 11 AM, lunchtime. The menu was steaks I cooked myself. Even at 1 PM, 3 PM, 5 PM, not a single customer visited Noh Doha’s usually bustling workshop.

The sun set.

The eyelids of the night sky were the color of dusk.

The world, which should have fallen asleep long ago, had spent the past eight years tossing and turning, finally closing its eyelids.

“It wouldn’t be bad to witness the end alone like this.”

That’s when it happened.

Amidst the lying sunset, a familiar sound suddenly reached my ears.

My ears perked up.

“Well, I guess it’s time to close up shop. Hmm. Today was a complete disaster. You must be enjoying yourself, huh... Huh? Why the long face, Assistant?”

“...Someone’s coming this way?”

“Oh...?”

The sound of footsteps grew louder. But it was strange. Each step seemed to be accompanied by something else. Thud, thwack, thud, thwack, as if footsteps were overlaid with another sound.

It was the sound of a cane.

“Oh.”

I got up from the bench to greet the visitor. Lo and behold, an elderly man, leaning on his cane, was hobbling down the street towards us.

I quickly approached and supported the old man.

“Oh, young man! So, you’re still in Busan. Why are you still here? Oh? And why is Noh Doha still here? What’s the point of young people like you being here? Huh? What’s the point...”

“...?”

As I helped the old man into the workshop, I saw Noh Doha inside, wearing his usual white lab coat, adjusting his glasses and holding up a medical chart.

“Isn’t this Mr. Ban Songdong? What brings you here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing much. Just, um, my ankle support has been squeaking since last week. It’s old, you see...”

“Hmm. If it’s squeaking, it means it’s worn out. Didn’t I tell you not to touch it? Seems like my words mean nothing to you...”

“No, um, that’s not it-”

“And if the support seems to be off, you should come for repairs right away. Why did you wait a whole week to fuss over it?”

“Oh, sorry, sir. I’m so sorry. What should I do now? If it’ll take too long, I’ll just leave it.”

“No, it’ll only take 10 minutes...”

Noh Doha took out an extension and began repairing the misaligned part of the device, chatting casually with the patient.

Just like usual.

Clang— the sound of a hammer echoed.

“....”

I sneakily went to the entrance of the workshop to check outside.

In the night sky descending with the sunset, there was a strange noise mingling.

Instead of starlight, red spots flickered like sparks, and instead of the Milky Way, blue veins pulsated like arteries.

The voidification of the sky. No, the voidification of celestial bodies beyond the sky. It was evidence that the end of the world was truly near.

“...Not good at all.”

Even the sunset was being infected in real-time. What was once tinted with crimson and yellow gradually began to take on a sickly hue, as if it were being drenched with black blood, little by little.

“The gentleman insisted on walking the last leg himself. I had no choice but to let him.”

“Ah. Hmm. I didn’t consider that...”

Pop- the cork of the wine bottle was removed.

With a toss, Noh Doha flung the cork over the rooftop’s edge.

“A drink...?”

“If it’s from the Workshop Owner’s collection, I’ll indulge.”

“Hmm.”

Swish- the red liquid flowed into the glass, mirroring the wine-colored twilight sky.

“To whatever... for something, anyway...”

“Cheers.”

Clink.

The glass chimed crisply. The red wine in the glass resembled a golden flower suspended in mid-air.

We stood side by side, peering at the city sky through our wine glasses. The sky itself now seemed like transparent glass, creating a feeling of glass looking through glass.

Now, only five minutes until annihilation. Maybe six minutes at most.

“Assistant.”

“Yes?”

“You know, I can make weapons...”

I glanced at Noh Doha. He wasn’t looking my way.

“Pardon?”

“Weapons, equipment. You know in those games where characters get stronger when they get weapons... My ability, as you know, is to make limbs feel like part of the body, even if they’re prosthetics. Well, actually, it applies perfectly to other equipment too...”

“....!”

My eyes widened.

Indeed. The human arm and leg were the earliest extensions and tools. If Noh Doha were to create swords or spears, the extensions of the arms, using his ability...

“Sword as One with the Body...!”

“...? What are you talking about?”

“Ah. Um. Nothing... Just means it’s impressive.”

It was difficult to convey my admiration to someone with no connection to subculture, purely a voluntary nerd (this person hadn’t even watched a Marvel movie).

“...Why did you hide such an ability, Workshop Owner? You must truly be a born blacksmith. You could have established a stronghold, avoiding the gaze of the authorities and gangs, and made them all jittery.”

“Hmm. I just explained the reason... If rumors spread that I can make incredible weapons, there will be even more annoying awakened individuals pestering me for favors...?”

“Ah.”

“But if I knew the world would end like this, I would have made weapons for at least one person. Since I wouldn’t have to worry about spreading rumors to others...”

“....”

The sky turned red.

And then, as if the guillotine’s blade had fallen, the pitch-black night followed, swallowing everything. Veins and arteries spread across the sky, imitating the Milky Way, its color wriggling.

“...Then, please make one next time.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s a hassle to the point of death. Since we’re going to die anyway, I suppose I can endure the inconvenience now...”

“Indeed.”

“Yes. If you don’t want to make it, I’ll force you to make it...”

Crack-

From the rooftop across the way, near the traffic light at the intersection, came the sound of something breaking. A metallic crunch.

It sounded somewhat comical, as if a joke, but the result was not funny. Everything on the other side of the intersection was consumed by the night sky.

Crack, crack. Crack-

Crosswalks and buildings were gradually devoured by the void of the night. Like a half-eaten apple, the upper parts of the buildings were sliced off.

300 meters, 250 meters, 180 meters, 120 meters. In an instant. From all directions, the pitch-black night sky surged forth, devouring space as it approached.

The world’s embrace had now narrowed to the point where only our breathing could be heard.

“Assistant.”

“Yes?”

“Thank you...”

Clang.

The last sound I heard was the wine glass Noh Doha was holding. Perhaps it was the sound of my wine glass shattering against the teeth of the night sky.

The glass was fractured.

And the world closed its eyes.

[Proofreader – Gun]