Surviving Among the Entities

The police had only one reason to seek me out.

“Unidentifiable beings keep appearing in the city.”

An incident had occurred that defied ordinary common sense.

“It started last month.”

The visitor was the Daegu Metropolitan Police Chief.
According to him, from early February, a thick fog began enveloping all of Daegu late at night.

“At first I thought it was some meteorological phenomenon? Like with Daegu being a basin, coupled with climate change? I figured the fog was frequently rolling in due to that.”

But after that day, deafening noises began echoing throughout the city.

“It was the combined noise of motorcycles and vehicles. Horn blaring, raucous shouting. We thought it was street racers and road racers battling it out.”

Road racers.
A term referring to those who enjoy illegal street racing on public roads instead of race tracks.

“Back when street racing gangs were popular, there were instances of motorcycles and vehicles competing, as well as multiple people participating simultaneously, so we thought this was another such case.”
“But it wasn’t.”

The experienced Daegu Police Chief paled as much as his age.

“They were indeed road racers. But they were already dead ghosts.”

Just recalling that day made him break out in a cold sweat.

“Rotting corpses visible through shattered helmets, drivers with cracked skulls leaking brain fluid visible through shattered windshields, ghosts akin to those smoking cigarettes in endlessly burning vehicles, sitting on flaming motorcycles shouting about freedom.”
“All equally abnormal.”
“……As expected of a Resolver. When I reported this to my superiors, they called us lunatics, haha.”
“That’s why I’m a Resolver. I believe you.”

From the very moment they sought me out, I could trust their words and deeds.

‘People don’t seek out a Resolver for no reason.’

Perhaps strengthened by the effects of the Great Author’s legacy.
Or an effect of changed perception blended with my fondness for Resolvers, I don’t know.
But it made my work much easier.

“They were ghosts. We tried chasing them, but couldn’t. They moved so quickly, disappearing and reappearing out of nowhere. Most frightening of all, not only did they flee through back alleys, evading us, but they climbed buildings and flew about, brushing us aside. And then they disappeared into the fog, saying:”
“What did they say?”

The road racing ghosts only desired one thing.

“If we beat them in a race, they would leave.”
“The damage must have been severe.”
“No, strangely when we checked the next day, not only were buildings unharmed, but even the skid marks on the roads had been completely erased. As if nothing had happened.”

With no evidence left behind, it seems their superiors dismissed the Daegu Police Chief’s words.
But the noise they made could be heard by the original citizens of Daegu as well.

“If this continues, nothing will be resolved! That’s why we came to seek your help! Please! Resolve this problem!”

It was not a difficult task.

“Of course.”

If what they wanted was racing, then I just had to race them.

“I will go directly soon.”

It was a timely opportunity to test my driving skills.

[Seung-hoon, will you not depart?]
“Dealing with them requires preparation.”

I slowly and carefully prepared for the street racing.

[Are you aware of the opponent?]
“The entity ‘Street Racing Gang,’ a collective entity that brings fog, born from the lingering resentment of those who died during street races.”

More specifically, it was an entity created with that premise.

“An entity that will never die or disappear until defeated in a race, but once the race begins, they use all sorts of cowardly means to interfere with the opponent.”
[What does interference entail?]
“Since they cannot die and act as a team, they collide their own members into the opponent, or use their ghostly nature to create courses that can only be passed through by going through buildings.”
[But weren’t their actions confined to ordinary cities?]
“Their fog creates a new space by fully copying the city they currently reside in. A sort of independent dimension, if you will? The copied city can be freely transformed as they wish, even during the race, making it absolutely impossible to win.”

It was the same in the game.

‘No matter what means were used, it was absolutely impossible to win the race against them.’

Challenging the Street Racing Gang to a race would inevitably result in defeat.
And with that defeat, the bad ending would occur where one becomes a member of the Street Racing Gang, forever wandering the cosmos as a road racing ghost.

‘So there was only one way to survive against them.’

Instead of being fearful, simply not accepting their race from the start.
Since they had no interest in ordinary people, they would not bother non-racers.

‘That must be why the police left it be.’

The police were only chasing them as police officers, not participating in any race.

If left alone, Daegu’s problem would naturally resolve itself.
Contrary to their words, the entity was designed to move to a different city worldwide every 3 months.

‘But that’s not a complete resolution.’

It would just be passing the problem to another city.
After conveying this information to Sarang, I explained my plan going forward.

“There may already be participants who lost to them and joined their ranks. To prevent more participants, I need to defeat them in a race.”
[Not victims, but participants?]
“Right, they don’t force anyone into racing. In the end, those who raced them did so of their own will, so they aren’t victims but participants.”

There were two reasons behind my decision to race them.

‘According to the wiki, the only way for them to achieve Buddhahood is by being defeated in a race.’

Racing and defeating them was the sole method to eliminate them.

‘And another premise stated……’

I recalled the content written on the wiki at the time.

[With driving skills of the highest world-class level, and a car equipped with tank-level defenses and flight capabilities, one may be able to legitimately defeat them in a race.]

It was written as a joke premise, but reality is no longer a joke.

‘With my current self, I have the skills.’

The only thing lacking was the vehicle itself.
And just yesterday, a message I sent was conveniently answered.

-Seung-hoon, I’ve brought the vehicle you requested.
“Thank you, Mr. Dong-wook.”

“This is the vehicle you requested.”
“Impressive.”

Mr. Kim Dong-wook had brought the vehicle I asked for.

“This is no ordinary vehicle. Made from a metal capable of 100% shock absorption, it will be perfectly fine unless struck by dozens of Scud missiles consecutively.”
“Good.”
“But how did you know the Foundation had such a vehicle?”
“I happened to find out.”

Unfortunately, Mr. Kim Dong-wook had forgotten the time we trained in driving together.

“Would you like to take it for a spin? I’ll drive.”
“Oh, to witness a Resolver’s driving……”

Suddenly, his face paled.

“……Something, something is making me feel a sudden chill, uhm, I’m not feeling well.”
“I can give you a ride to the hospital.”
“N-No, I’ll go myself!”

Darn, I really am fine though.
Before I could persuade him further, Mr. Dong-wook hurriedly left.

“Shall I head to Daegu then? Sarang, connect to the vehicle, and if anything seems off, take control.”
[Understood.]

I drove the vehicle toward Daegu.
Along the way, I experienced a smooth ride unlike anything before.

‘This is normal vehicle operation!’

It felt like Sarang was driving for me.
The natural cornering, drifting, lane changes, and merging were all perfect, and the vehicle moved precisely with traffic signals, making all my previous driving feel like a lie.

“How nice.”

Finally, I could drive normally too.
I arrived in Daegu. Without separately notifying the police, I planned to wait in the vehicle until night to personally make contact with the Street Racing Gang.

“Hey you fucker! Drive properly!”

Just as I was about to park in a lot near Daegu’s marketplace, a driver on the road shouted out.

“Shitty driving!”
“You madman! You call that driving!”
“Argh! Seriously! Trying to kill someone!?”

It seemed there was someone driving poorly.

‘I understand that feeling well.’

To them, it probably looks like I’m driving properly.
The actual driving didn’t seem wrong either.
But if the result looks strange enough to drive one mad, how could I not understand that feeling?

“You piece of shit bastard!!! Open your eyes and drive properly!!!”

I parked the car in the lot.
When I disconnected Sarang from the connected jack, a strange screen appeared.

[Power Deficient]
[Shutting Down Program]
[Remaining Battery: 0.012%]

“……I’m certain I had fully charged it.”

For a brief moment, a ridiculous thought occurred to me.

‘What if the smooth driving was due to Sarang’s autonomous driving correction?’

But I had completed the mission and clearly felt the power dwelling within me.

“It must have been an illusion.”

I trust in entities.
So the highest world-class racing driving skills must reside within me.

‘Pointless thoughts. Let me look around the marketplace instead.’

I explored Daegu’s various markets.

‘I thought it was jjambbong, but it’s a mix of kalguksu and sujebi noodles.’

Not spicy, but delicious.

‘I thought it would be bland, but dipping it in the sauce makes it tasty?’

I also ate naengmyeon dumplings.

‘The market krokke is tasty too.’

Next, I ate some ssiatihotteok and headed to a convenience store to quench my thirst.

[Help Wanted]
[Hourly Pay: 6,580 won]

After washing down the grease with a Zero Coke, I continued my stroll, circling the park a few times until evening had fallen.

“It’s time to get moving.”

I boarded the vehicle again and exited the parking lot.

“Argh!”
“Watch it!”

I drove onto the largest road.
If I waited there, they would surely show themselves.

“Argh! You madman!”
“Fuck! Drunk driving!? You’re drunk driving!”
“Isn’t that a hit-and-run criminal fleeing!? I memorized the plate number!”

Just in case, I also consumed Dried Friendship.
After parking on the shoulder, I gripped the steering wheel and waited for them.

“……It really has increased?”

Why do I keep hearing strange sounds?
As much as I want to deny it, the situation keeps making it impossible to deny.

“Trust in entities.”

I must believe in their abilities that transcend human common sense.

‘The same applies to the Street Racing Gang. If I draw out their desire for racing, they may come find me.’

I want to race!
I want to stomp the accelerator like crazy!
I want to unleash everything I have and flaunt the driving skills overflowing within me that I received for completing the mission!

‘They’re here!’

Fog began rolling onto the road.
The vehicles that had been passing by moments ago were swallowed into the fog, disappearing entirely.

[Hihihihi!]
[Racing!]
[Street racing is the best kind of racing!]
[Tracks? Only cowards do that!]

Their forms appeared.
Dozens, perhaps close to a hundred motorcycles and vehicles occupied the road, speeding along.

[Which one of you wants to street race with us!]
“I do.”
[You, the challenger?]
“Hello, I’m Seung-hoon.”

An army-like number.
There was no separate iron force.
It was clearly impossible to win a race against such a massive force.

“Then let’s begin right away.”
[Such an impatient one! Trying to start without even knowing the course?]
[The course is in front of the Maaeyaksa Buddha Rock Carving at Mt. Palgong in Daegu!]
[Heheh! You have to climb not just the city, but the mountain too!]
[An impossible course for any ordinary human!]
[Too bad, if you were on a motorcycle, you might have had a slight chance.]

But for some reason,
my heart was pounding so intensely.

‘I want to stomp it.’

This was like,
yes, the first time I unleashed the inner beast during my driving training, it was showing signs of raging again.

‘Could increasing my driving skills have increased the abilities of my inner beast?’

To a level far exceeding the ordinary, at that?
Pushing aside any doubts, I entrusted my body to the inner beast.

“I’ll stomp it.”

I deeply depressed the accelerator.
The trembling body brought a pleasure akin to the first time I experienced masturbation, tingling down my spine.

[Huh?]
[Huuh!?]
[What the hell is that guy!?]

The wheels were now my legs, the steering wheel my arms, the headlights my eyes.
The engine was my very heart.

[F-Fuck!?]
[R-Run!]
[Insane!?]

I am the vehicle itself.