Chapter 64 - Pause for a Moment!
Before waking up in Lost City, Jin was the type to hit on others, not the one getting hit on.
Success rate? A solid 100%!
…Or maybe a hopeful 90.
No, possibly an optimistic 80.
Better yet, a wishful 70 or 60.
If success and failure were a simple binary, then 50.
But in reality, unfortunately, it was a little lower—around a .400 hitter.
…Or at least, that was the dream.
Okay, enough of that.
The point is, Jin wasn't used to this kind of situation.
His appearance was decent enough to make sense of it, sure.
But the actual owner of this body had never once in 30 years relied on looks to get by.
Which meant he had zero immunity to such sudden, out-of-nowhere attention.
And this?
Cutting straight to the point without any buildup, just dropping an "I like you."
If a normal confession at least included a classic "I've been watching you for a while…" so the other person had time to mentally prepare…
This was just straight-up ambush tactics.
It wasn't a question; it was a demand.
A brute-force confession with zero regard for social niceties.
Jin's brain completely froze.
His blank eyes blinked slowly, buffering.
And so, the one to break the silence was a thug who had been watching the spectacle unfold.
"What the hell is this? You two know each other?"
A thick hand slammed down onto the table.
Revealing, right there on the back of his hand—an unmistakable scorpion tattoo.
Which meant…
He was part of the Scavengers, a gang based in Area 49, Mute Town.
Their boss? Haneta the Scorpion.
A master of venom arts, wielding all kinds of deadly poisons with ease.
He was especially fond of scorpions—so much so that he'd fused a long cybernetic tail to his coccyx.
A widely feared fighter in the area.
And an important rule of gangs—
The strength of the boss reflects the strength of the underlings.
So when the boss's thug glared menacingly…
Wait.
Why the hell was nobody reacting?
It's Haneta, damn it!
Haneta the Scorpion!
The momentary shock of being ignored quickly turned into anger.
They were disrespecting his symbol.
Which meant they were disrespecting him.
Which meant they were disrespecting his boss.
Which meant they were disrespecting the entire Scavengers gang.
His decision was made.
The woman would have to wait—
First, he'd wreck that pretty-boy face.
Bastard.
If you're gonna be that handsome, at least have some damn awareness.
"You son of a bitch… You dare go after my woman?"
As soon as he spat out that legendary piece of bullshit and reached for his gun—
CRACK!
A sickening sound.
The thug's body locked up in shock.
His face twisted in dumb confusion.
His trembling gaze slowly dropped—
To see a dagger skewering his hand.
"AAAAARGH!"
The scream came late.
His fingers splayed open in agony, looking just like a scorpion stiffening in death.
To top it off, the dagger had pierced right through the scorpion tattoo.
But he didn't even think to pull it out.
Because the one who had stabbed him was still gripping the handle.
"Y-You crazy bitch—!!"
As he writhed in pain, the woman turned her head toward him.
Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she spoke.
"Annoying."
The unexpected turn of events left the Scavengers momentarily stunned.
Jin was just as caught off guard.
What the hell?
He frowned instinctively.
The woman met his gaze—and smiled.
And then—
"Y-You dumb fucks…! Don't just stand there—shit! Do something!!"
The thug's shrieking snapped the Scavengers back to their senses.
"This bastard…!"
"Thinks he can just flaunt his pretty face?"
Knuckles, hammers, knives—all drawn in an instant.
And for some reason, all that hostility was aimed solely at Jin.
"…Wait, why me?"
Jin's eyebrow twitched in confusion.
The Scavengers lunged.
First up—a guy with brass knuckles.
Aiming a wild swing straight at Jin's jaw.
Did he just assume it would land?
THUD.
His fist was caught—trapped in Jin's palm.
"Wha—?"
The idiot barely got the sound out before—CRUNCH—his fingers crumpled.
Like they had been sucked into a hydraulic press.
"GYAAAAAH…!"
His knuckles and fingers twisted into an unnatural shape, spit dribbling from his mouth.
"Bastard!"
Another Scavenger swung a hammer with all his might.
It must've been the best he could do.
But to Jin, it was almost laughable.
He couldn't help but compare it to a beastman he once knew, who wielded a hammer twice as big and heavy.
And just like that—
The hammer, falling in an arc from behind, abruptly stopped.
Blocked.
By the sole of Jin's shoe.
He had sunk comfortably into the couch, extending his leg at the last moment.
The hammer let out a long, trembling hum.
The lingering shock, unable to fully dissipate, transferred directly to the hands gripping the handle.
"Argh!"
The scavenger let go of the hammer with a pained expression.
In that brief moment, Jin snatched an ashtray from the table and hurled it.
Smack!
The impact sent the man's head snapping backward, causing him to crash onto the floor, landing on the back of his head.
The last scavenger, armed with a knife, charged forward.
"S-Shit!"
Jin tilted his head back, narrowly dodging the desperate stab, then kicked the man's shin.
Crack—a sharp, sickening sound of bone breaking.
The scavenger collapsed, clutching his now useless leg, rolling across the floor in agony.
Meanwhile, the man with the pierced hand reached for the gun at his waist with his other hand.
But he never managed to draw it.
Because, in that instant, his eyes met Jin's.
"..."
In the dull, ashen gaze, he saw a line.
A boundary between life and death.
And he understood.
If he drew that gun, he would undoubtedly cross that line.
"I-I... We were wrong. We'll leave quietly, just let us go."
As he let his arm fall limp, Jin's expression turned oddly amused.
Oh?
This guy's got good instincts.
It was a good day for Jin—he had exercised some restraint.
But only to a point.
If they had kept pushing their luck, he would have simply killed them.
He had set a firm standard for himself.
Yet, this quick-witted one had avoided crossing the line.
Yeah, people need to have some awareness.
Jin nodded and shifted his gaze forward.
"You heard him?"
"..."
The woman, silent for a moment, raised the hand holding the dagger.
As the bloodied blade slid free, fresh blood gushed from the wound on the man's hand, causing him to stagger backward.
"...Let's go. Get the youngest."
At his command, the other scavengers, looking ashen-faced, hauled their injured companion out of the shop, supporting him by his underarms.
Watching them leave, Jin suddenly felt indignant.
"...Why the hell did they attack me in the first place?"
Just then—
"Here."
The restaurant owner, who had silently observed the fight, placed four glasses of Coke Float on the table and walked away.
Oh, right. Jin's eyes widened as he grabbed a straw and took a long sip.
Then he muttered,
"Next time, just ask for help. You talking nonsense about liking or disliking me is probably what made them act up even more. And about the knife... forget it. I don't even want to talk about it."
The exasperation in his sigh made the woman tilt her head.
"I'm not sure what you're saying. But I really do like you. I've been looking for you for a while."
"Ah, for fuck's sake. Not this again."
Jin narrowed his eyes.
Was she mentally unstable?
Pale skin so fair that veins faintly showed through, strikingly assertive features, and long, sleek black hair cascading past her chest—
She was undeniably beautiful.
But aside from that, her behavior was...
Dragging a bunch of thugs along and suddenly declaring her interest?
Plunging a knife into some thug's hand without hesitation?
She was missing a few screws, no doubt about it.
No matter how pretty, getting involved with someone rotten inside was a surefire way to ruin your life.
Jin's instincts for self-preservation kicked in before he even realized it.
And, of course, he also felt an uninvited twinge of pity.
"Whatever. Do you like cola?"
Before she could answer, Jin slid one of the drinks toward her, even helpfully popping in a straw.
"Try it. Compared to regular cola, it's a bit mild, but when mixed with ice cream, it tastes pretty damn good."
The woman, her dark eyes blinking, took the straw between her lips and sipped.
For someone who looked like she belonged in a high-end restaurant dining on steak, she drank rather enthusiastically.
Satisfied, Jin turned and ordered ten more burgers from the owner before looking back.
"I'm curious about you."
The woman, having nearly finished her drink, set it down and asked,
"What's your name?"
Persistent, huh?
Jin let out a short laugh and answered.
"Jin Evernight."
"...Jin Evernight."
She repeated his name as if savoring the sound, then suddenly smiled.
"I like it."
"Good for you."
At this point, Jin was beyond reacting.
At first, her abrupt declarations caught him off guard, but by now, they didn't even faze him.
He just figured she was weird.
And if that was the case, the least he could do was feed her well before sending her off.
"Go ahead, pick whatever you want. If it's not enough, order more."
Jin gestured toward the now food-laden table and immediately dug into his own meal.
He had a track record—once devouring twenty skewers from a street vendor, drawing the attention of passing strangers.
His ability to eat with gusto often had the side effect of making those around him hungrier as well.
And sure enough, this time was no different.
The woman reached out, grabbed a burger, and—rather than nibbling at it delicately—took a solid, confident bite.
Then, mouth full, she posed another question.
"Where were you coming from?"
"Me? Mute Town."
"What were you doing there?"
"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
"I'm curious."
"Look it up on the news later."
Jin said this while absentmindedly fidgeting with the tote bag beside him.
He tried not to think about it too much, but the sheer amount of money inside made it hard to ignore.
Jin felt the woman's gaze land on his bag and quickly changed the subject.
"Where are you from?"
"District 12."
"Huh?"
Jin raised an eyebrow.
Was she joking?
After all, the 10-series districts were practically a paradise within Lost City.
The megacorporations—so-called Megacorps—stood tall, forming a mountain range that nearly touched the sky, resembling titans holding up the firmament.
Beyond that lay the city government and the Seven Families' domains.
A place that felt impossibly distant to ordinary people.
Certainly not something to be casually mentioned in a roadside diner near District 49.
So, Jin didn't take her words at face value.
But he didn't outright dismiss them either.
"Must be a nice place."
They continued their meal.
The woman, full of curiosity, kept firing questions.
And no matter what answer she received, it always ended with the same amused smile—one that seemed to say she found him interesting.
Jin, having grown accustomed to this pattern, answered her absentmindedly while focusing on his food.
"How did you get so strong?"
"Just rolled around and survived."
"Impressive."
"Yeah, I am kind of a big deal."
After several rounds of this back-and-forth, Jin finally finished his meal, patting his now full belly.
"Phew. That hit the spot."
Then, with a loud belch, he added,
"Well, at least I wasn't bored."
As he scrunched his nose in satisfaction and was about to stand—
The woman, who had been silently watching him all this time, finally spoke again.
"Jin Evernight. We'll meet again."
"Take care. And let's not rush that reunion, yeah?"
Jin flashed a faint smile, settled his bill, and left the diner.
Outside, he carefully placed his tote bag in the trunk of his bike, started the engine, and merged onto the highway.
His retreat was as clean as could be—utterly devoid of hesitation.
The woman, watching him shrink into the distance through the window, murmured,
"To think we'd meet again in a place like this. And you've grown… far beyond what I imagined. No, beyond comparison. In just a few months… such rapid progress. Is it the blessing of mana?"
She lightly pressed her elegant fingertips against the glass.
"I want it. I want to make him mine."
From between her rose-colored lips, twisted words of desire trickled out.
"Jin. Ever. Night."
Her trembling hand clenched into a pale fist.
"Not yet. Not yet… just a little longer. Until the moment is right…"
The store owner, who had been silently observing the woman shudder, picked up the phone and made a call.
Before long, modified vehicles began rolling into the rest stop, one after another.
A group of men poured into the diner.
Each of them bore scorpion tattoos across their bodies.
Even the owner, whose chest tattoo was concealed by his shirt, was one of them.
He turned to a man with bandaged hands and assured him,
"Relax. He's gone."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
Satisfied, the man turned to look at the woman—who was still gazing out the window, utterly indifferent to their presence.
"Tch. What a damn princess."
He cracked his neck and sneered.
"She'd need every hole in her body to entertain all of us tonight."
At that moment, the woman slowly turned her head.
For a brief second, the men marveled at her beauty.
Then, their vision darkened.
A heavy gloom pressed in from all sides.
It wasn't a power outage.
The sun had not yet set, so there was no reason for the lights to be on.
"W-What the hell is this?"
As confusion spread among the gangsters, one of them pointed a trembling finger.
"Look…!"
All eyes turned to follow.
And they saw.
Amidst the consuming darkness, the woman raised her hand into the air.
She brought something to her face—
A silver mask, shaped like a raven.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, one of the gangsters tried to bolt.
But an unseen force crushed him where he stood.
CRACK!
A sickening crunch.
What remained of him was little more than mangled limbs and a pool of blood.
Horror-stricken, the remaining men recoiled.
Then, from behind the mask, a voice—chilling and androgynous—spoke.
"Tonight, Haneta dies along with his men."
And in that instant, a pair of pitch-black wings unfurled from her back.
Wings that eclipsed the sun itself.
A sinister omen.
A harbinger of doom.
The Black Crow.
Darkness descended.