“Wow.”“…”“Ooh.”“…”Muhae heard those exclamations as he stepped into the terminal. Ever since he’d disembarked the transport, Joo-o seemed endlessly fascinated.“Quiet.”They passed three or four stalls selling cheap snacks before a vast, dust-choked lot opened up. Muhae grabbed the dazed Joo-o and hauled him forward.“Registration 33764—unregistered.”He spoke to the cracked window of the weathered booth. The old man behind it, a fixture here for decades, peered up with a wrinkled face.“Ah, Jin Muhae.”“No time for chitchat.”“I can tell by your tone.”The old man’s eyes gleamed, as if he’d just snagged a valuable tip, a sly grin forming under his gruff voice.This was the parking depot for vehicles that shuttled between the Comfort Zone and the outside. Since vehicles returning from hazardous areas required lengthy decontamination, most drivers left them here rather than bring them into the residential districts.“You looking for a bike? Off to hunt that wolf, huh?”The old man broke in, lips twitching with amusement. Muhae tapped the window again, telling him to hurry up.Creak—clank. Inside the steel cage, the floor lifted, and an old motorcycle rumbled into view through the rusted bars. Its forks, headlight, and seat were obviously scavenged from different bikes—a wild, snarling mash-up. Muhae had built it himself with Boss Gil’s help back in his first year as a mercenary.“How much?”“Got a chip from the old man who died—so that thorn wolf really did swallow it?”“Thirty-two dil, right?”“The jackal asked me to keep an eye out for you.”The old man jabbered on, chuckling under his breath. He’d clearly been hired to spy on Muhae. Not unusual—Muhae was young, strong, and fast, and he scooped up jobs in every cutthroat corner of the slums before anyone else could.“If you’re peddling intel, make it twenty dil and we’ll call it even.”Beep! Though Muhae’s counteroffer had no reply, he was certain the old man punched in twenty dil. Announcing a lowball rate up front was the old man’s way of currying favor—making a quick buck on easy tip-offs, but avoiding Muhae’s wrath if things went sour.Beep! Muhae brushed his watch against the terminal °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° and turned on his heel.Joo-o, who had been watching like in a movie, finally snapped awake and hurried after him.“You’ve got a tail I’ve never seen before.”The old man’s gaze flicked to the hooded figure on the bike. Muhae pushed Joo-o’s hood deeper. Unperturbed, Joo-o’s white hand waved politely.“Hello, Jaegu.”The old man’s eyes widened at the strange name. Joo-o giggled as Muhae dragged him away.“Don’t call him by random names.”“Okay.”Even as the two left the booth behind, the old man’s stare remained fixed.WELCOME TO LA VIDA :)~Year 15, Day 117~Humming to himself, Joo-o approached the snarling bike. Muhae didn’t need to look back to know the old man was still watching them. His official title was Old Beaver, the parking lot’s resident thief; back in the old days he was called Jaegu. In the game, he was an NPC you visited endlessly on side quests, but seeing him alive here felt strangely fresh and welcoming.“Stay put.”“I did.”“And don’t gawk at strangers.”Despite Muhae’s cold warning, Joo-o didn’t lose heart. Rather, he seemed pleased someone was talking to him again. He nodded and climbed onto the back.“Guide me.”Muhae offered no further instructions—no route, no words of caution. But Joo-o was happy enough. His body felt light, and a nostalgic BGM played in his ears.…This rudimentary terminal he’d only ever seen in old playthroughs. The assortment of cheap snacks you could buy with pocket change. The dome city itself. It felt like a dream. In fifteen years, Muhae had never felt this immersion in La Vida Blue’s world—until now.So Joo-o simply smiled blankly. He looped his arms around Muhae’s waist and rested his head on his back, even though he couldn’t possibly fall off at this speed. He tried to rub cheeks but was stopped by the gear on Muhae’s jacket; still, he felt the faint warmth through the fabric.“Let’s go.”Strangely, each time he heard Muhae’s voice, his heart pounded and a smile crept across his lips. He laughed as if half-delirious—“ha ha, heh”—the sound scattering in his mouth.Vrrrr—.The wind lashed at his ears, the world at speed blurred and vanished before him. Yet Joo-o could still hear his pulsing heartbeat, see clearly into the distance, and even catch Muhae’s fleeting scent as it drifted away.It wasn’t hard. He was the kind of being who could sense Anomalies from hundreds of meters. In any conditions, he could stick to Muhae’s side and help him. Especially for a basic early-game side quest, this would be easy and quick to accomplish.[Quests]Main QuestTutorial (Completed)CHAPTER 1☞ Outsider of the City (In Progress)- The Gold-Laying Wolf[The Gold-Laying Wolf]David Jang of Goryeo City seeks the thorn wolf that swallowed his father’s bio-chip. He’s publicly promised a generous reward to whoever brings that wolf before him…“Jin Muhae.”“…”“Jin Muhae.”“What?”“I know where I am.”“I can’t hear you—later.”After years in La Vida Blue, before his mind faded completely, Joo-o had replayed this story endlessly. Even through the haze, every location for each quest remained vivid in his mind, since the Tutorial always placed them at fixed spots. Fifteen years later, he could still point out those spots on the mini-map.If his memory served, they were near a small forest southwest of the thorn wolf’s usual hunting grounds…“Turn left.”“What?”Muhae claimed he couldn’t hear, but it was a lie. His reply sounded more like stubbornness than ignorance. Joo-o tightened the arms around his waist; even without much force, Muhae’s brawny frame flinched at the gesture.“Go left. It’s there.”“Don’t distract me—sit still.”“I’m not distracting. I’m helping.”“Do you know where we’re headed?”Despite Muhae’s annoyed tone, Joo-o answered cheerfully.“To the thorn wolf. I know where the one with the chip is.”The bike, which had been racing, slowed to a crawl.Screeeech—. Muhae halted the bike in the middle of the parched earth, swung his head around and glared at his passenger.“How do you know that?”Muhae seemed suspicious—something about Joo-o’s confident claim pulled his brows together.“Also, you’re speaking properly now?”“I always did.”“You could only say you were hungry before.”“I said I’d help.”Muhae’s eyebrows twitched as he toyed with Joo-o’s gripping hands. He opened his mouth to argue further, then sighed as if giving up.“This isn’t a joyride—don’t bother me.”From his expression, Muhae would never bring Joo-o out again if he complained further. Honestly, that’d probably be for the best; his own home was barely holding together. Yet Joo-o reached for Muhae’s waist once more, knowing exactly how to press his friend’s buttons.For now, if he behaved, he’d stay by Muhae’s side—but soon enough, he’d be abandoned. To observe the world and survive, he needed the protagonist to need him first.“…Left.”But all this thinking made Joo-o’s stomach clench. He swallowed and urged Muhae on. Starvation dulled his mind and drowned out all else—he’d lived like that so long, following whichever instinct rose to the surface.“It’s no lie. I know.”For the first time, he spoke with force. Muhae glanced down at the arms around his waist, then considered for a moment. Since he planned to scout the thorn wolf grounds over the next few days anyway, there was no harm in following Joo-o’s directions.Gruuurr—woooosh.Too tired to argue, and with nothing to lose, Muhae tilted the bike’s handlebars leftward. At once, Joo-o’s grip relaxed. He pressed his head back against Muhae’s back. The faint scent of warm skin eased his hunger a little.Each time he felt Muhae’s heat, heard his voice, caught his scent, his foggy mind drifted slowly back to reality.

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