Misunderstanding (1)
In front of the Hunter Administration Bureau’s main gate, the footsteps of employees on their way to work gradually came to a stop, one by one.
It was because of the hologram hanging above the main lobby entrance.
2069 Government-Sponsored Skills Competition
Congratulations to employee Im Du-ho on winning the grand prize.
As they looked up at the hologram, the employees murmured to one another.
“There was a competition like that?”
“The Hunter Administration Bureau won the grand prize in a skills competition?”
It made sense. However much it had declined, the Hunter Administration Bureau was still a place where awakeners were at the center of everything.
Of course, they used androids to subdue awakeners, and the regular employees who weren’t awakeners were all cyberbrains, but that was the extent of it.
It wasn’t as though they had a research institute, and they certainly weren’t a group that paid much attention to technology.
“A grand prize in a skills competition, huh.”
“But who’s Im Du-ho?”
“No clue. I’ve never heard the name.”
“If he won the grand prize, he must be a real talent in that field, right?”
And then…
From one side of the gate, Na Yong-seok stood with his arms crossed.
His eyes were fixed on the entrance.
The Bureau’s workday began at nine.
He had checked Im Du-ho’s attendance records…
He always clocked in at exactly 8:50.
He glanced at his smartwatch.
> 08:42:52
Heh.
He’ll be moved when he sees this, won’t he?
A hologram banner at the Bureau’s main gate was highly unusual.
Na Yong-seok had deliberately come early that morning and waited just for this.
The moment Mr. Im Du-ho was touched by it—
I’ll step in immediately and congratulate him.
And while Im Du-ho is all flustered, I’ll take him straight in and lock the contract down. Game over.
He was lost in that sweet little fantasy when the young woman standing next to him asked cautiously,
“Um….”
“Yes?”
“Director, it’s past nine.”
“Hmm?”
He looked at the employee.
“Maybe he stayed late celebrating and got held up.”
Time passed again.
Na Yong-seok wiped his face with a dry hand.
What if…
He quit already???
“C-call him. Hurry!”
“Yes!”
The young woman manipulated her smartwatch.
A moment later—
“Director.”
“No answer? Or is he saying he’s not coming?”
“No, that’s not it… Mr. Im Du-ho has already clocked in.”
Na Yong-seok’s eyes went wide.
What?
“I’ve been standing here the whole time.”
“That’s why I checked Mr. Im Du-ho’s attendance record, and it was stamped at 8:50.”
8:50?
Na Yong-seok was flustered.
I’ve been here since eight!
If Im Du-ho had walked past him, he would have definitely seen him.
“That doesn’t make any sense!”
When he raised his voice, the young woman pressed her lips together and felt oddly wronged for no reason.
* * *
Basement Level 2 of the Hunter Administration Bureau.
Du-ho walked out between the storage room and the machine room through Save Point.
How many androids had come in?
He couldn’t know for sure, but there was probably a fair bit of backlog.
Well…
I did take a day off yesterday, so it makes sense.
Just then, he spotted a man loitering at the entrance to the Machine Upcycling Department.
“Assistant Manager Park?”
“Oh, you’re here.”
Assistant Manager Park looked relieved the instant he saw Du-ho.
“Why are you standing outside?”
“Ah, well….”
Assistant Manager Park gave an awkward laugh.
Apparently he couldn’t bring himself to say, There’s a ghost in the office!
Looking at him, Du-ho scratched his cheek.
He still seems afraid of the office.
-His mental state is way too weak, hamda.
But then again.
I got jumpy over that android-eye incident too, to be fair.
-Oh! Oh! I had forgotten about that, so why are you suddenly saying it so scary-like, imkka?
Du-ho snorted at Isto’s unexpected response.
Then he placed a finger on the fingerprint reader, and a short chime sounded to confirm his arrival.
When Du-ho opened the door and went into the office, Assistant Manager Park followed him inside.
Hmm…
Is there any way to fix Assistant Manager Park’s fear?
It bothered him.
Just as he was thinking that—
-We can erase his memory, hamda.
Can you even do that?
-A medical super-intelligence can, hamda.
You… can’t?
-Shall I come out and smack that big brain of yours?
Sigh.
Forget I said anything.
Anyway.
Now that he knew there were super-intelligences specialized in all kinds of fields, Du-ho loosened his fingers.
“Then let’s get started again today.”
He set one android on the workbench and activated the Parts Detection skill.
Part information appeared in the air.
├─ Tier 1:Detects damaged parts ✓
├─ Tier 2:Identifies material composition ✓
└─ Tier 3:Precise fault localization — UNLOCKED ★
No. L-CB
Clavicle dislocation
After using the skill so often, he was now more skilled and accurate than the android diagnostics program.
Hmm…
So I just need to put it back in.
As Du-ho peeled away the artificial skin to repair the android, Assistant Manager Park sidled closer.
“Uh….”
“Need any help?”
Du-ho looked up.
Come to think of it, Assistant Manager Park’s expression was surprisingly serious.
“Don’t you need to go up to the rooftop?”
“I just thought… I’d help too.”
“You can rest if you want.”
“N-no! L-let me! I want to do it!”
The same man who not long ago had been dumping work on others.
To think he’d actually say he wanted to do something himself….
-Du-ho nim, that big brain is broken, hamda!
Broken? No.
That’s actually the normal state.
Du-ho smiled and was just about to speak when his smartwatch rang.
He accepted the call, and a woman he didn’t recognize appeared in hologram form.
“Are you Mr. Im Du-ho in the Machine Upcycling Department?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Did you perhaps take leave today?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then when will you be coming in?”
“I’m already here.”
“??”
“…”
The two of them just stared blankly at each other.
Then the woman came to her senses and said,
“I… understand. For now.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
It was obvious she was flustered by a situation she couldn’t understand.
Click.
The video call ended.
What was that?
Du-ho shrugged and got back to work.
* * *
By afternoon, another call had come in from the same woman who had contacted him in the morning.
The message said to come to the seventh-floor small conference room.
So Du-ho was sitting in the small conference room.
Are they going to give me a reward for winning the grand prize?
He even imagined himself being switched over to full-time employment.
Well…
It didn’t cost anything to imagine.
In fact, it was pleasant.
-Du-ho nim, are you nervous, hamda?
…A little?
-Mechromancer-nim. You mustn’t be swayed by the feeble framework humans have built, hamda.
Hmm…
I’m a human too, you know.
Right then, the door opened and Na Yong-seok entered.
His face was full of smiles.
“Mr. Im Du-ho! Have you been waiting long?”
“Not at all. I just got here.”
Du-ho stood and greeted him.
Na Yong-seok sat in the chair opposite him and studied Du-ho’s expression.
…He’s too calm.
Not nervous at all.
And not excited, either.
Come to think of it, he had seen the hologram at the front gate in the morning and simply walked past it, hadn’t he?
And suddenly he thought—
Maybe he resents the Hunter Administration Bureau for keeping him on as a contract worker for six years.
But then again.
For a high school graduate technician in the Natural sector, that kind of treatment was normal. The Bureau had probably been generous to extend his contract for six years at all.
Gathering himself, Na Yong-seok spoke.
“Mr. Im Du-ho, congratulations on the grand prize.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The two of them exchanged a few words here and there.
As the atmosphere grew softer, Na Yong-seok got to the point.
“The submission paperwork listed Moru Workshop. How do you know Master Jang Mun-seo?”
Du-ho hesitated for a moment.
Why is he suddenly asking about the boss and me?
He thought about it briefly.
It felt like a situation where he shouldn’t mention that he had sold a large batch of monster hide to the boss….
That monster hide had come from the first floor of the vanished Abyss, after all.
Du-ho looked Na Yong-seok straight in the eye.
Wait, this is the Bureau, so…
He’s figured out that I’m an awakener.
After reaching his conclusion, Du-ho spoke.
“Actually… I awakened a few months ago.”
“I know.”
Du-ho thought, Of course. He picked up the titanium fountain pen on the table.
“Well, you see….”
As he began explaining, Du-ho gathered mana at his fingertips and activated Metal Manipulation.
The fountain pen began to deform as though it were melting.
It stretched longer.
It spread thin and wide.
Then, with the edge gradually taking shape—
In an instant, the titanium fountain pen became a finely honed knife.
Metal Manipulation
A titanium fountain pen reshaped into a knife
[Proficiency increases]
This was something else.
It’s been a while since I heard that.
Du-ho smiled and slowly pushed the knife toward Na Yong-seok.
“I showed this ability to the owner there, and he took an interest in me.”
Du-ho answered with a mix of truth and falsehood.
He had reported his awakening, and he hadn’t caused any social trouble, so there was no problem.
My God….
Na Yong-seok quickly picked up the knife and examined it.
His mouth fell open.
No forging necessary?
It couldn’t just be good-looking, right?
He lightly tested the edge.
Oof!
The blade drew blood from Na Yong-seok’s finger.
Du-ho was startled.
“A-are you all right?”
Na Yong-seok cast a heal on his own hand and showed Du-ho the finger, now completely restored.
Thanks to that, Du-ho realized that he was a healer.
“So this skill is how you ended up connecting with Master Jang Mun-seo?”
“Yes. The boss taught me a few things, and these days I still go to the workshop to learn.”
After hearing Du-ho’s explanation, Na Yong-seok rose to his feet.
“Just a moment… please wait here.”
“Ah, yes.”
* * *
After leaving the small conference room, Na Yong-seok made a call to someone.
Soon, the face of Director Kim Tae-seong of Bureau Division 2 appeared in his smartwatch hologram.
“What is it?”
“I’ve personally confirmed Mr. Im Du-ho’s ability.”
“And?”
“It’s a jackpot.”
He held up the titanium knife in his hand.
“He shaped this titanium fountain pen in an instant and turned it into a knife.”
“...What?”
“It isn’t just a convincing shape, either. It’s a high-grade knife.”
“Huh….”
Director Kim Tae-seong rubbed his chin.
“That’s why I’m calling. How far do you want me to adjust the conditions?”
Director Kim was in a bind as well.
It was the first he’d ever heard of a transformation skill.
Then, as if something had come to him—
“Director Na. Go to the item warehouse and show that fellow some deteriorated items.”
“Pardon?”
“We need to know whether that skill can perform repairs as well.”
“Ah! Understood.”
“For now, issue him a full-time appointment, and what was it again—some global skills competition? Tell him he’ll be promoted if he gets a meaningful result there.”
“But if Mr. Im Du-ho repairs deteriorated items, then what should we do…?”
“Why ask? We grab him, that’s what.”
After ending the call, Na Yong-seok let out a long breath.
I’d better take an item with me and head back.
* * *
Na Yong-seok returned to the small conference room.
And he was carrying a sword.
“I’ve kept you waiting.”
“Not at all.”
Na Yong-seok set the sword on the table and silently looked at Du-ho.
A calculator seemed to be running furiously in his head.
The higher-ups have been blinded by Master Jang Mun-seo’s reputation. But….
Jang Mun-seo was already fully formed, an old tiger that was difficult to handle.
By contrast, this young man was a newly awakened dragon just opening its eyes.
The Machine Upcycling Department.
For everyone else, it was a place to avoid, a mere stopover on the way to somewhere better.
But this young man had endured there for six years.
That was proof of steadfastness, of a will not easily shaken.
And once he awakened as a production-type hunter, what happened?
Only three months.
In a span of time when most people could barely adapt, he won the grand prize and proved his own worth.
At first I dismissed him as just some employee who knew how to tinker with machines.
Director Na clicked his tongue inwardly.
That was my own mistake for not knowing Im Du-ho had awakened.
The future of this new organization was this young man.
Not Master Jang Mun-seo.
To be honest, even if he only handled repairs without forging, it was jackpot enough.
Having made up his mind, Director Na slid the sword toward Du-ho.
“Could you take a look at this?”
“...?”
Clink.
Du-ho picked up the sword and drew it from its scabbard.
Cold air?
As the blue blade emerged, a chill swept through the small conference room.
It had chipped and worn sections here and there, but it didn’t look ordinary.
-A frost-imbued demonic sword, hamda. It’s barely above a normal grade, so it’s high-grade at best.
This is a demonic sword?
-That’s right, hamda.
After Du-ho spotted a crack in the blade, Hoguai spoke.
-It’s so cold, it would make a perfect fire poker.
Only then did Du-ho realize.
So he wants me to fix this.
Sure enough, Na Yong-seok asked,
“Mr. Im Du-ho, could you repair the sword with that skill from earlier?”
“This sword?”
“Yes, yes.”
Du-ho stared at the sword for a moment.
Then…
A quest popped up at the worst possible time.
He read the contents.
Looks like item repair is possible….
What kind of reward is this?
He lifted his gaze and looked at Na Yong-seok.
Without knowing a thing about someone else’s thoughts.
What is he getting so excited about?
Wait.
Is this maybe an expensive item?
Once that thought occurred to him—
Then there’s no need to look for a reward in the quest.
Fine, then he should set the mood first.
Clang.
Du-ho set the sword on the table and spoke.
“Director Na.”
“Yes. Go on.”
I…
“Why should I fix this?”