Chapter 2 : Start – 2

Truth be told, I’m not exactly a skilled fighter.

Back in my childhood, when my head was still wet behind the ears, I only ever scrapped a few times with classmates who mocked me for being an orphan.
That’s the extent of it.

As an adult, I learned to bow my head and say, “I’m sorry.”
If I didn’t, I risked losing the meager job I’d barely secured, regardless of who was at fault.

But things are different now.

At least in this neighborhood, you can’t just lower your head or turn your back to anyone.
Do that, and they’ll instantly peg you as weak and tear into you without hesitation.

That’s right.
This is a world where the common sense I knew doesn’t apply.

Not a society, but a wilderness.
A lawless zone where “survival of the fittest” and “the strong prey on the weak” are the only rules.

That’s exactly why I flipped off these thugs without a second thought.

“Ha. Why don’t you stop playing hard to get and just give in quietly?”
“Shut up. I’d rather bite my tongue and die than roll around with filthy b*stards like you.”

This wasn’t their first time coming after me.
It’s happened several times already, and it always follows the same pattern.

“Tch. Looks like we need to teach her a lesson today too.”
“Heh heh. You’d be better off staying still.”

The three punks closed in.
I wasn’t about to just stand there, so I threw the first punch.

Clenching my fist, I swung with all my might, landing a clean hit on one’s face, making him wince.
But it didn’t do much damage, and a counterattack came flying back.

I focused as hard as I could, tracking the incoming fist.

‘Left!’

For a split second, I could faintly see its trajectory and jerked my head to dodge the blow.
“Well, look at that! Dodged it? Let’s see you dodge this!”

“Ugh…!”

A knee strike came next.
I barely blocked it as it shot up from below my field of vision, but the heavy impact still rocked my stomach through my hands.

That was the end of it.
I gritted my teeth and resisted as best I could, but surrounded by three guys piling on, I had no way to hold out.
All I could do was stubbornly land one more hit, even in the chaos.

“You stubborn b*tch! Just lie down already!”
“How long do you think you can keep this up!?”

Why are these punks beating me so badly?

It’s simple.
They want to break my spirit.
With my decent looks, they want to tame me to their liking, but since I keep fighting back like my life depends on it, they’re trying to crush me so I’ll never defy them again.

It might not make sense.
That’s only natural.
Everyone living in Rat Town is a deranged freak with a screw loose.

How much time passed?
The guy acting as their so-called leader, Tae Yang, spoke to me as I lay on the ground, panting heavily.

“How about you give in and come to your big brother now?”

“Ptoo.”

My heartfelt reply must’ve touched him, because his face twisted in disgust.
Finding the sight amusing, I smirked and taunted him.

“Go ahead and try. I’ll chew that pathetic thing of yours to bits.”

“Sweetheart, don’t get it twisted. If I wanted, I could have you right now. The only reason I don’t is because I want your heart, not just your body. I’m waiting for you to spread your legs willingly. Forcing it isn’t fun, you know?”

The guy spouted insane nonsense like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“And let me give you a piece of advice.”

He flashed a cryptic smile and left a warning.

“You should think about that little sister you cherish so much.”

“If you lay even a finger on my sister, I’ll kill you.”

“Ooh, scary. Those eyes are deadly. Don’t worry, I won’t touch her—for now. I know if I did, you might actually bite your tongue and die.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll kill you first and then follow her.”

“See you next time, then.”

The thugs left me sprawled on the ground and walked off.

Even after a month of this happening repeatedly, I still haven’t gotten used to it.
It hurts like hll, but oddly, the injuries are never too bad.
This body, for some reason, is annoyingly tough.

More than the physical pain, my pride is bruised.
Realistically, given the gender and numbers, this outcome is inevitable, but why did I get isekai’d into a novel with no special abilities?

This isn’t some romantic fantasy world to begin with.
In a hopeless cyberpunk city, you can’t just wait for some vague stroke of luck to gain the strength to protect yourself.

You need to get a gun, augment your body, or at the very least, earn enough money to make it happen through sheer effort.
That’s right.
I need to become stronger than I am now.
For Ruby, my little sister.

Truthfully, things are already incredibly precarious.
To be blunt, it wouldn’t be surprising if those punks kidnapped me or broke down our door any day.

They claim they’re holding back to win my heart, but the real reason is obvious.
They’re afraid of the consequences.
If they ever lose that fear and go completely off the rails, things could get dangerous.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
The very consequence those thugs fear walked right up.

A man in a sleek black suit, far too refined for this filthy alley.
His skin was eerily pale, his frame so gaunt it bordered on skeletal.

He looked like the grim reaper himself.

“Been a while, hasn’t it, Lapis, my dear client?”

But he was no mere reaper.

He was the president of Equal Capital, the outfit that runs Rat Town.

In simple terms, a loan shark.

And I’m one of the VIP clients listed at the top of his ledger.
In the worst way, of course.

To be precise, I didn’t borrow the money myself.
But the moment he came to me, I understood why Ruby’s mother made her extreme choice and why Ruby’s older sister—me—never appeared in the original story.

I couldn’t abandon young Ruby and run, so I had no choice but to inherit the debt.
In short, this man is the very reason I can’t leave Rat Town.

“Didn’t know you had a hobby of sleeping on the ground.
It does look refreshing, but a bit too filthy for me to try.”

“…You came here to mock me after seeing me like this?”

“Not at all. I was merely conducting a routine check to ensure our client is diligently repaying her debt.”

“If that’s what you’re worried about, I’m handling it just fine, so you don’t need to bother.”

“Well, I’d rather not worry either, but the amount is what it is.
A sixteen-year-old girl tasked with repaying a whopping 130 million credits.”

“…”

That’s right.
130 million credits.
Think of it as roughly 130 million won for simplicity.
Not an amount a middle-school-aged orphan girl can handle.

He shrugged and spoke calmly.

“You look exhausted.
Dealing with these neighborhood punks every day must be tiring.
If you wish, my offer still stands.
Don’t you want to escape this sewer of rats?”

Lying on the ground, I stared blankly at the sky.

Realistically, paying off that massive sum is next to impossible.
Maybe his offer is the only way.

What would I have to do?
Get sold to a brothel, become a s*ave to a corporate tycoon, or maybe get turned into a s*x android?

Whatever it is, it’s probably thanks to this beautiful appearance, far too striking for someone from the slums.

I thought it over, but my answer remained the same.

“No thanks.
I just need to pay it off before I turn adult, right?”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“No one knows how life will turn out.”

“True.
Just like how you ended up with a hundred-million-credit debt overnight.”

This guy has a real knack for p*ssing people off.

Anyway, thanks to our agreement, I still have some time.
As long as I pay off the principal without interest before I turn adult, I just need to find a way.

I do want to leave Rat Town, but I can’t accept his offer.

Ruby would be left alone.
What’s the point of escaping Rat Town if I leave her behind?
Neotopia isn’t a city kind enough to care for orphans.

“Very well.
The choice is yours, so I won’t force you.
But I came today to give you a warning out of concern.”

“Ha. Concern? Between us?”

“I hear Ikazuchi’s inspection department is visiting today.”

“…Why?”

“No idea.
But if someone that important is coming all the way here, there’s likely something big going on.
So, it’s best you keep your head down and stay as quiet as a mouse today.”

“Hmph.
You think someone like that would care about someone like me?”

“There’s no harm in being careful.
If something happens to you, the debt falls to your little sister.
We wouldn’t want that, would we?”

I glared at him fiercely but let out a sigh.
I learned long ago that locking eyes with those dead fish eyes of his only wears me out.

“Fine, now get lost.
I need to go to work.”

“Here’s to a good day.”

A good day, my as.
I hope you step in sh*t on your way out.

After he left, I pulled myself together, stood up, and brushed the dirt off my clothes.

Ikazuchi, huh.
What the h*ll are they doing here?