Trait Hoarder – Chapter 10

Escape from the Goshiwon — Part 1

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“Ugh, I feel like I’m dying.”

I threw myself onto the old, worn-out bed.

The bed creaked, as if it were screaming in pain.

I wasn’t any different. Every muscle in my body ached, and each movement felt like my muscles were crying out in agony. The world swayed, as if trying to knock me down.

‘Switching traits isn’t a cure-all.’

The fact that my body changed when I switched traits was an amazing advantage.

The problem was the side effects.

It wasn’t an issue when I switched off traits like Strength or Vigor, but the aftershock of removing the Mutant trait was hitting me late.

‘If I remove the mutant trait at a higher level, it might kill me.’

Still, just the fact that I could return to being a normal human from a mutant was incredible.

It might even save my life a couple more times in the future.

With that thought in mind, I slowly closed my eyes.

A sensation of sinking into a swamp overcame me, and soon, pitch-black darkness reached out for me.

“Ugh…”

I slept like I was dead.

The worst part was that even though I was asleep, my mind was half-awake.

“Get out, you son of a bitch!”

“Why the hell is this happening to me? Even the doctor said—! You said you’d help!”

“I don’t care anymore!”

Despite the state of my mind, I could hear the noises.

The usual sounds of life in the goshiwon. (TL Note: Goshiwon refers to a type of small, budget accommodation. They are called that way because they are typically rented by people trying to pass a civil service exam.)

Someone was fighting.

The voices were familiar, but in my half-asleep state, I couldn’t quite place them.

They came and went, moving away from my focus and then returning again.

How much time passed?

Suddenly, a piercing, chilling scream tore through the air, like a blade slicing into my eardrums.

“AAAAHHHH!”

It forced my ears open, driving the sound straight into my brain, making it impossible to stay asleep.

I jolted upright.

It was dawn.

The windowless goshiwon room was dark, but my smartphone by the bedside displayed the time: 5 a.m.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“Why the hell are they screaming at this hour? Let us sleep!”

Voices from the neighboring rooms spoke out, people poking their heads out to complain.

But soon, everyone fell silent.

“Haaaah…”

A long, low groan, like air escaping, filled with despair and terror, resonated through the hall.

It wasn’t just an ordinary scream or groan.

The metallic sound of it was so eerie and unsettling that the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

I instinctively slammed open my door and ran outside.

The others were doing the same.

Some people were even holding kitchen knives, while others clutched baseball bats.

“Where?”

“The management office! It came from the office!”

“The office?”

“Did the manager get stabbed?”

The management office was right by the entrance, a place where you couldn’t avoid being seen when coming and going.

Just as we gathered outside the office, the door creaked open, and someone stepped out.

His eyes were glazed over, saliva drooled from his mouth, and a steel jaw, misaligned and grotesque, jutted from his face.

His teeth were jagged gears, like someone who had been experimented on by a mad scientist.

In his hand was a knife, stained with blood.

“D-damn it.”

“Holy shit.”

Through the open door, we could see the landlady lying on the floor.

Blood was pooling around her body, spreading quickly.

Her body trembled, but the amount of blood she had lost was already fatal. Unless a priest from the Temple arrived to use holy power, there was no saving her.

“Hehehe!”

The man with the steel jaw, Mr. Lee, giggled as he looked at the knife in his hand and waved it around playfully.

“B-back off! Get back!”

The goshiwon residents grimaced.

“That bastard’s on drugs.”

“He was always crazy, but now he’s high too?”

“Let’s just step aside. We’re not the police. What are we going to do, arrest him?”

Nobody wanted to risk getting stabbed over this.

There was a shared understanding—stay out of it, don’t get involved.

I clenched my fist, staring at the steel jawed man.

‘Should I take him down?’

I could.

No matter how high he was or how dangerous the knife looked, he was still just an ordinary human.

Even though I wasn’t a Level 1 yet, with my Strength and Bright Eyes traits, I could throw a few pieces of furniture and charge at him. He wouldn’t stand a chance.

But… there was no reason to.

I glanced at the fallen landlady inside the office.

She had it coming.

After all, she’d sold Mr. Lee’s jaw and teeth to some unlicensed quack because he’d missed a few rent payments and she thought she could make some money out of it. This was her karma catching up with her.

She should’ve just filed for eviction instead of doing something so reckless.

It was unfortunate she got stabbed, but honestly, Mr. Lee was the real victim here.

Maybe Mr. Lee was what my future could look like.

Without thinking any further, I turned and stepped aside to let him pass.

But Mr. Lee’s actions were completely unpredictable.

Instead of quietly walking away, he let out a roar and charged straight at me.

“D-die!”

This bastard!

He was only a few meters away. Too close.

At that moment, my eyes caught sight of something.

A fire extinguisher, covered in dust, was mounted on the wall.

Crack!

It was bolted to the wall, but my brute strength easily ripped it free.

Thwack!

I swung it with all my might.

The extinguisher smashed directly into the side of his steel jaw.

Thud!

A satisfying impact echoed as it hit his left temple.

His already dazed eyes rolled back, and he collapsed, dropping the knife with a clatter.

One hit was all it took.

Knocking out a drugged-up alcoholic? Easy.

“Whoa.”

“Holy crap, that was amazing.”

“I heard Mr. Lee used to be quite a fighter when he was young…”

“Of course! It’s Warrior Kim! He’s living up to his name!”

“H-he’s not dead, is he?”

“No, he’s alive.”

I checked his carotid artery—it was pulsing steadily.

Feigning calm, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

I’d been a little worried.

No matter what, I didn’t want to be responsible for killing a person.

It was different from the hedgehog mutant, which had already transformed into a monster. But Mr. Lee? He was still human.

“Shouldn’t we call the police?”

A young woman in her early twenties asked, trembling.

A bald man scoffed.

“The police? You think they’ll come even if we call? They’ve already given up on this area beyond the neighborhood park.”

“But… someone died.”

“You know how many people die in Korea every day? Sure, call the cops if you want, but be warned—they’ll make your life hell. Sometimes the person who reports the crime ends up being treated like the criminal.”

“No way.”

“It’s true. I’ve seen it myself. The cops are more focused on their stats than anything else. And hey, go ahead and call, but wait a little.”

“Why?”

Instead of answering, the bald man entered the office.

He clicked his tongue at the sight of the sprawled landlady and pulled a thin wire from his pocket.

Another man shook his head in disapproval.

“Come on, Mr. Yang. A person’s dead, and you’re really doing this?”

“Does a corpse feed me? If you don’t like it, go back to your room and pretend you didn’t see anything. But don’t take your share later.”

“Now, I didn’t say that…”

The bald man went over to the safe in the corner with his wire.

He skillfully inserted it into the lock, and within moments, the safe clicked open.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed nervously.

The safe door swung open, revealing several stacks of cash inside.

The bald man spat on the floor.

“Pfft! She was so greedy about collecting rent, but all she had was 600 grand?”

“Six hundred? That’s it?”

“Damn. I should’ve taken it all for myself.”

The bald man scanned the crowd.

It was loud enough that everyone in the goshiwon had gathered here.

Though the goshiwon was small, it was packed like a chicken coop. At least 20 people were present.

If we split it equally, each person wouldn’t even get 30,000 won.

I waved my hand dismissively.

“I’m good.”

“Oh, come on! Warrior Kim, you should take the biggest share.”

“I’ll just consider it payment for my rent.”

It was already nerve-wracking enough that someone had died.

But now they were casually cracking open the safe, dividing the dead woman’s money, like it was no big deal.

Even scarier was the fact that everyone here thought this was perfectly normal.

Even the young woman who had suggested calling the police was now staring at the money with greedy eyes.

‘I need to get out of here.’

No, I needed to leave this entire neighborhood.

Wouldn’t it be better to move somewhere in the center of Seoul, or at least to a middle-class area?

Maybe near that neighborhood park where I’d collected traits a few days ago.

“I’m leaving. Consider me out of this.”

“Hmph, fine. Just make sure to cover your tracks. We don’t want the Iron Fist gang getting involved.”

“The Iron Fist gang?”

“Yeah, they’ve taken over this area. The boss has a nasty temper, so getting mixed up with them is a headache. I’m sure the landlady was paying them protection money too.”

The young woman, who had been listening, asked worriedly.

“Then, shouldn’t we leave the money alone?”

“If you’re scared, don’t take it.”

“T-that’s not what I meant…”

“We don’t know anything. We just woke up and found her dead. The Iron Fist gang will deal with the rest. As long as they keep getting their payments, they won’t care who owns the building. As for Mr. Lee…”

The bald man locked the safe and glanced at the fallen steel-jawed man.

The residents exchanged knowing glances.

“We’ll take care of him.”

“Do that.”

The young woman, clearly frightened, backed away, clutching her few bills of cash, and ran up the stairs.

The bald man clicked his tongue.

“Guess she won’t be around by morning.”

“You think she’ll talk?”

“No way. What would she gain? She’s an accomplice too.”

“True.”

“We don’t know each other after today, understood, Warrior Kim?”

“Understood.”

I returned to my room.

I didn’t have much to pack. Just a few old clothes and some odds and ends.

But I had my bag.

A bag filled with 1.2 million won in cash, over a hundred Level 0 mana cores, and one Level 1 mana core.

As I hefted the heavy bag, a chill ran down my spine.

‘I slept like a rock last night.’

I’d been so tired that I hadn’t slept deeply.

Even though my mind was half-awake, I hadn’t been aware of my surroundings.

What if someone had broken into my room?

What if they’d quietly stabbed me in the heart?

I would’ve died without making a sound.

The image of the bald man picking the lock flashed before my eyes.

He was probably a petty thief in his past.

There was no way he was the only person in this goshiwon or this alley who knew how to pick locks.

And these people? They wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone for a chance at pocketing a million won.

‘This place is dangerous.’

I needed to leave, not just for my mental health but for my life.

I grabbed my bag and quickly made my way down the hallway.

The residents were still gathered in front of the office, whispering among themselves.

“…strangled with a rope…”

“Maybe we should just ask Dr. Park…”

“Cybernetic limbs are better than a corpse…”

“The landlady’s daughter…”

“Her younger brother…”

“Iron Fist’s Kim Chulkwon…”

Nobody paid attention to me as I walked by.

Well, except for one person, who briefly glanced at my bag before hurrying inside to grab whatever belongings they had left behind.

At this point, I couldn’t even muster a laugh.

“Sigh.”

I walked down to the park where I’d collected traits a few days ago and sat on a bench.

The sky was slowly beginning to brighten.

The long shadows stretched out like the claws of a witch, scraping across the world.

‘I have to move.’

Sitting here aimlessly wasn’t going to help.

I’d already made a promise to myself.

I’d survive.

To do that, I had to get through today and keep moving forward toward tomorrow.

I had money and abilities.

What reason was there to look so miserable?

Compared to the time I got scammed out of my deposit and ended up living in this goshiwon, this was nothing.

Sure, I had some credit card debt, but I could pay it off by going mining again.

“Let’s go.”

Now that I’d escaped the goshiwon, I needed to find a new place to live.

I headed straight to the real estate office I’d checked out beforehand.

–TL Notes–
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