Chapter 28
The story continues off the page
Floaties for Everyone
Swim lesson at the water park, and she's demonstrating on you
Creak.
9:00 a.m.
Meracle clock-in time.
Kim Yang comes into the office.
She goes through the contents of the mailbox one by one. Insurance premiums, business-related official notices, and the like.
Amid all the overlapping odds and ends, one particularly old-fashioned sheet of stationery stands out.
Without any hesitation, Kim Yang tore open the letter. Kim Juseon wasn't coming in to work today anyway.
BLR (Black Line Risk).
Because he had gone to work a part-time job at Blackline Risk Hunter Management.
Kim Yang thought a sweet gig that paid 2.7 million won for only three days of work wasn't something to pass up, even if it wasn't her own salary, so she sent him.
-----
Dear Great Hero.
This is Baek Yeonhwa.
......I received your reply.
A letter I'd been waiting for for days.
My hands were trembling, and I was terribly excited.
But.
'It seems you've misunderstood?'
'I'll introduce you to a good husband candidate?'
Great Hero.
What exactly did I just hear?
Could it be.
Is it possible that, really, you didn't read my letter, Great Hero?
Or did you read it, but not understand it?
A good husband candidate?
Great Hero.
What I want isn't some husk, but you—the one who defeated me.
You who stopped my rampage and let me break free of the Blue Dragon.
Does this look like a misunderstanding to you?
The answer to my question, 'If we meet again in half a year, what would you want to do first?'
Was it 'introducing me to another man'?
Great Hero.
I'd like to meet you if I get the chance.
The day we stood face-to-face.
Whether, on that day as well, you would give me the same answer as in your letter.
I'm truly curious—.
I'll wait, and wait again.
Your wife.
Respectfully, Baek Yeonhwa.
-----
“......”
After reading the whole letter, Kim Yang set it on Kim Juseon's desk with a sigh.
Working at a matchmaking agency, she'd seen all kinds of clients, but this kind was a first.
“Y-yeah. Why do something pointless like that...?”
Sipping her coffee, Kim Yang started handling the tasks Kim Juseon had asked her to take care of yesterday.
* * *
The 22nd floor of Blackline Risk.
The first thing in front of you as soon as you step in is a pass checker.
And a man standing there yawning, his hair slicked back stiff with plenty of wax.
The employee badge hanging from his neck reads 'Manager Kang Baram.'
As soon as he sees the temporary pass hanging around my neck, he immediately gestures indifferently.
“Kim Juseon? Is that right?”
“Yes, that's right.”
“Let's go.”
No explanation, no guidance, not even a greeting.
He simply strides straight inside.
From what I could tell as we went along, this place was basically a kind of laundromat used only by male employees.
After passing through the hallway, we saw suits hanging from a huge trailer. It felt like we'd walked into a conveyor-belt sushi place.
“Find your own size, change in the locker room over there, and be in the first-floor lobby within 15 minutes. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“Do you smoke?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Then don't smoke while you're working.”
Manager Kang Baram grumpily headed back out into the hallway.
'Is he mad because I'm a parachute hire?'
I know Blackline Risk is such a huge company that the hunters who come from here tend to walk around with their noses in the air.
Well, from his point of view, I'm probably just someone who got lucky and came to coast for three days because he knows the right people.
'He's not wrong.'
Hmm, not a single thing about that is wrong.
I'll milk this sweet gig for all it's worth.
After changing into a suit and coming down to the first floor, there were seven people standing in front of Manager Kang Baram.
Judging from how stiffly they were holding themselves and the way their hands were clasped behind their backs, they seemed to be new recruits.
The manager immediately began explaining after confirming that I had come too.
“All right, today's job is security for the famous singer 'Aul.' You all got Aul's schedule through the company messenger, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
Loud shouts.
Other people passing by nearby snickered at the rookies' spirited enthusiasm.
“What number assignment is this now?”
“It's the third!”
“Right, you're about at the point where you're starting to shed your rookie tag. Keep in mind that, unlike this assignment, we don't just go around hunting monsters blindly.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“And—”
Kang Baram's gaze fixed on me.
“We have a special part-timer here today for training. Keep that in mind.”
The rookies turned their heads and stared at me.
Every one of those eyes was full of annoyance and discomfort.
They probably thought some impurity had slipped into the company they themselves had fought hard to get into.
“As you all know, the team leader is Hunter Ryu Seoram. It isn't a particularly difficult mission, but don't let your guard down.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“We are under a duty of confidentiality, so don't forget that anything you see while working must never be leaked outside.”
The manager's gaze pinned itself on me.
As if he wanted me to hear it.
“Also, under any circumstances, the client comes first. Unlike the Association, remember that we don't work for the public good.”
“Yes! Understood!”
“Good. The team leader will be here soon, so stand by.”
Snap!
The staff stood waiting at attention with rigid posture. I didn't like it, but there was no benefit to getting on their bad side any more than I already had.
I also snapped to attention to match them.
And then, a little later.
Ryu Seoram, now in a suit, came over and burst out laughing.
“Pwahaha! What is that bastard doing? He knows how to stand at attention?”
That fucking bitch.
Ryu Seoram approached, snickering.
Seeing the employees greet her so formally, I ended up standing there awkwardly.
No matter what, I didn't feel like bowing my head to that woman.
“Please take care of us!”
“Please take care of us!”
“Yeah, yeah. Just relax. We haven't even started the escort yet.”
As she said that, Ryu Seoram came up to me and poked my chest repeatedly with a finger.
“Aren't you going to greet me? I'm your superior.”
“......Please take care of me.”
“Pwahaha! Look at this bastard biting his lip!”
Manager Kang Baram cautiously approached Ryu Seoram, who was cackling with laughter.
“Team leader, the kids are watching. Please keep the personal familiarity to a minimum—”
“I don't work in such a stiff atmosphere.”
Even so, Ryu Seoram also took a step back.
“Relax. Loosen your shoulders. You only need to be tense in front of the client. Let's go.”
* * *
Ryu Seoram definitely kept her word.
From the moment we went out to meet the client, Aul, in front of the company, the Ryu Seoram I knew vanished completely.
The team was divided into Alpha and Beta.
Since each team consisted of four members plus a team leader.
Alpha Team's leader was Ryu Seoram.
Beta Team's leader was Manager Kang Baram.
I was assigned to Beta Team.
Bwoooong.
With a heavy exhaust note, Beta Team's vehicle entered the 'tower-bound lane.' We were passing through the tollgate that leads to the Tower.
The lane gradually widened, and soon it was followed by an enormous line of vehicles.
At the tollgate, we had to present passport checks, various quarantine documents, and medical examination reports.
“Take the VIP line.”
“Yes, sir!”
There was a reason they were a big corporation and a famous singer.
Our vehicle cut into the VIP line and got through quickly after a brief inspection.
End of the road.
After we passed through the red rift, the world's scenery changed.
The road that had run through the busy city was now racing across the Pacific.
Everyone in Beta Team, apparently visiting the Tower for the first time, stared out the window with startled expressions.
“Wow... This is my first time coming to the Tower.”
“So this is a gate. It's really convenient.”
“We just skipped over several thousand kilometers in the blink of an eye.”
“I think it's a little over 5,000 km.”
Manager Kang Baram shot a small reprimand at the teammates who were marveling at it.
“Did you come out for a picnic? Don't neglect watching the vehicle the VIP is riding in.”
“S-sorry!”
“Sorry!”
No matter what they were chattering about up front, I rested my chin on my hand and looked out the window.
A road laid across the wide expanse of blue sea.
The end of the road connects to a colossal tower rising high into the sky.
Whenever I come here, the smell of the sea and the cries of birds ring out so loudly.
This is an area with all kinds of fish, especially plenty of sharks, so you can spot them pretty often.
Because—.
Because there must be countless human corpses buried in this sea.
A rift gate.
At first glance, it's an incredible means of transportation.
You can cross to the tower located in the center of the Pacific in the blink of an eye.
As you just heard, the distance alone easily exceeds 5,000 km.
But.
Neither the magic of the fourth floor nor the sorcery of the fifth floor.
Even the cutting-edge technology of the sixth floor can't create a rift gate this massive.
This rift gate is a remnant of the inter-floor war.
Back when demons that had come up from the first floor were spreading to the third floor.
In other words, it was a curse drilled into densely populated cities to make invasion easier.
So its original purpose was to let them cross from the Tower into the city.
'Now, though, it's just—'
it's only used as a tollgate.
* * *
“Ugh—!”
After arriving at the Tower, going through the formalities, and waiting a bit, we were able to ride the elevator up to the fifth floor.
The old Murim of the fifth floor had its own distinctive forest-like scent.
Because you can't travel by vehicle, you have to walk or take a carriage.
“We have a cooperating carriage company on the fifth floor, so I prepared it in advance.”
Just as Ryu Seoram said, as soon as we left the Tower there were three carriages waiting.
Watching VIP Aul get into the carriage, I thought now was my chance and approached Ryu Seoram.
“......Team Leader.”
“Pfft! Don't talk to me. You're too damn funny.”
“It's awkward for me too.”
“Yeah, what's up?”
“......I don't have the schedule. You said there was a schedule. It wasn't shared.”
Kang Baram didn't seem like he had any intention of giving it to me from the start.
At my words, Ryu Seoram frowned and then tapped at her phone before sending it in a text.
“Don't leak it outside. It'll be a pain if obsessive fans start following us.”
Ryu Seoram added, scratching her head.
“As you can see from the schedule, it's just sightseeing. What was it? He said he wanted some peace of mind because of this incident or something. Anyway, that's it.”
“Yeah. And one more thing.”
“You've got a hell of a lot of questions, don't you, our part-timer?”
“You said the part-time job was for three days.”
“Yeah, that's right.”
“But if you think about it, we've already spent five hours just traveling?”
I was supposed to get off in four hours.
But how am I supposed to clock out from here?
“Buddy, you must have misunderstood because you didn't see the schedule.”
“Misunderstood?”
“It's a two-night, three-day shift.”
“Fuck—!”
For a moment I nearly blew up, clenching my teeth and about to say something, but people around us were sneaking glances this way.
Manager Kang Baram, in particular, looked very displeased.
I forced myself to calm down and asked.
“Hey, I saw it when I signed the contract. Nine hours a day. This violates the contract and labor law.”
“And it also said this: for overtime and night work, add 10% each in extra pay.”
“......Wait, then—”
“It's 2 o'clock now. Your clock-out time is 6. Then from 6, you get a 10% overtime bonus. If it goes past 7, add another 10% night bonus. Until 9 tomorrow morning, your hourly wage is increased by 20%. Okay?”
I turned on the calculator and did the math right away.
After three days, total pay—6.28 million won.
Is this guy a god?
“......I almost admitted it for a second, you bastard. Use your blinker before you merge.”
“Pfft! You don't hold back at all with the team leader, do you?”
Then she prodded and kneaded my upper arm while asking.
“Do you work out these days?”
“......Sometimes.”
“Seems like more than 'sometimes,' though? To be honest, I thought maybe your old form had gone rusty, so I dragged you here to see for myself—”
She smiled in satisfaction and shrugged.
“Guess there was nothing to worry about.”
Anyway, my clock-out time had disappeared unexpectedly, but that was actually fine.
I just needed to get in touch with Kim Yang.
'She's always been telling weird lies like that.'
Well, it's not like those lies had ever gone against me.
“Team Member Kim Juseon! What are you waiting for? Get on the carriage!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Heh, make a good impression on your seniors, kid.”
As I headed toward the carriage, with Ryu Seoram's sly encouragement—.
KWAANG!
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck.
People tilted their heads and looked up at the sky.
“What? Is it going to rain?”
“Now that's a bolt from the blue.”
“Let's grab an umbrella just in case.”
“......No way.”
I pretended not to hear anything and just got on the carriage.