Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Two Nights, Three Days!
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Creak.
9 AM.
Meracle's opening time.
Kim Yang steps into the office.
She skims through the items in the mailbox one by one. Insurance bills, official business documents, and the like.
Amid the pile, one particularly antique-looking envelope stands out.
Kim Yang tears it open without hesitation. Kim Juseon wasn't coming in today anyway.
He'd headed off to work a part-time gig at BLR (Black Line Risk) Hunter Management.
She'd sent him there herself, figuring that even if it wasn't her own paycheck, a sweet deal like earning 2.7 million for just three days of work was too good to pass up.
"......"
Having read the letter through, Kim Yang let out a sigh and placed it on Kim Juseon's desk.
In all her time working at the marriage agency, she'd seen all sorts of clients, but this was a first.
"Y-Yeah. Why go and do something pointless like that......"
Sipping her coffee, Kim Yang began handling the tasks Kim Juseon had asked her to take care of yesterday.
22nd floor of Black Line Risk.
The first thing visible upon entry: a transit pass scanner.
And a man standing there yawning, his hair slathered in wax and spiked straight up.
His employee badge hanging around his neck reads 'Section Chief Kang Baram'.
He glances at the temporary pass around my neck and lazily beckons me over.
"Kim Juseon? That you?"
"Yes, sir."
"Let's go."
No explanations, no guidance, not even a proper greeting.
He just strides right on in.
As we pass through, it dawns on me: this place is like a laundry service for the male staff.
Suits on hangers attached to massive rolling racks. Feels like I walked into a conveyor-belt sushi joint.
"Find your size, change in the dressing room over there. Be in the first-floor lobby in 15 minutes. Got it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Smoke?"
"Yes."
"Don't during work."
Section Chief Kang Baram heads back down the hall, visibly irritated.
'Pissed 'cause I'm a parachute hire?'
I know Black Line Risk is a massive corporation, so their alumni walk tall and proud.
To him, I'm just some lucky bastard buddy sucking honey for three days.
'Spot on.'
Hm, not a single thing wrong there.
Time to suck even more honey, then.
I change into the suit and head down to the first floor, where seven guys are lined up in front of Section Chief Kang Baram.
Tense postures, hands clasped behind their backs—they look like fresh rookies.
The section chief confirms I'm here and launches right into the briefing.
"Alright, today's job is bodyguard duty for the famous singer 'Owl'. Everyone got her schedule via company messenger, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
A thunderous response.
Other folks passing by smirk at the rookies' enthusiasm.
"How many requests is this now?"
"Third one, sir!"
"Good, about time to shed those rookie tags. Remember, we're not just blindly hunting beasts like on some gigs."
"Yes, sir!"
"And—"
Section Chief Kang Baram's gaze lands on me.
"We've got a special trainee-slash-part-timer today. Keep that in mind."
The rookies turn and stare me down, eyes filled with annoyance and disgust.
Probably thinking some impurity's snuck into the company they busted their asses to join.
"As you all know, team leader is Hunter Ryu Seram. Easy mission overall, but don't drop your guard."
"Yes, sir!"
"We've got confidentiality obligations—no leaking anything you see on the job to the outside."
His gaze drills into me again.
Like he's saying it for my benefit.
"No matter the situation, customer comes first. Unlike the Association, we're not here for the public good. Got it?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Team leader's due any minute—stand by."
Snap!
They snap to attention in perfect formation. Hate to stand out and make enemies, so I match them.
And shortly after.
Ryu Seram shows up in a suit—nothing like before—and bursts out laughing.
"Puhaha! What's with that asshole? Knows how to stand at attention?"
That fucking bitch.
Ryu Seram approaches, cackling.
The employees bow politely to her, leaving me standing there awkwardly.
No matter what, I don't feel like bowing to her.
"Looking forward to working with you, ma'am!"
"Likewise!"
"Yeah, yeah. Loosen up. We haven't even started the protection detail yet."
She saunters over and pokes my chest with her finger.
"No greeting? I'm your boss."
"......Looking forward to it."
"Puhaha! Look at him biting his lip!"
Section Chief Kang Baram approaches cautiously as Ryu Seram cracks up.
"Team leader, the kids are watching. Could you please refrain from personal familiarity—"
"I don't work in stiff atmospheres."
Though she says that, Ryu Seram takes a step back.
"Relax, everyone. Loosen those shoulders. Save the tension for in front of the client. Let's move."
Ryu Seram kept her word to a T.
From the moment we went out to greet the client Owl in front of the company, the Ryu Seram I knew vanished completely.
The team split into Alpha and Beta.
Each with four members plus the leader.
Alpha Team leader: Ryu Seram.
Beta Team leader: Section Chief Kang Baram.
I was assigned to Beta Team.
Vroom.
With a heavy exhaust note, the Beta Team vehicle enters the 'Tower-bound lane'. Passing through the toll gate to the Tower.
The lanes gradually widen, soon joined by an endless line of vehicles.
At the toll gate, we submit passports, quarantine certificates, health checks, and so on.
"Take the VIP line."
"Yes, sir!"
Not for nothing a megacorp and a celeb singer.
Our vehicle zips through the VIP lane, clears checks in no time, and we're off.
End of the road.
We pass through the red rift, and the scenery flips.
The urban highway buried in city bustle becomes a road slicing across the Pacific.
The entire Beta Team, first-timers to the Tower, gawks out the windows in awe.
"Whoa... First time heading to the Tower for me."
"So this is a gate. Super convenient."
"We just skipped thousands of kilos in the blink of an eye."
"Roughly 5,000 km, from what I hear."
Section Chief Kang Baram gives the gawking team a sharp rebuke.
"On a field trip? Eyes on the VIP vehicle—don't slack."
"S-Sorry, sir!"
"Sorry, sir!"
I rest my chin on my hand and gaze out the window, ignoring the chatter up front.
A vast blue ocean spread beneath the road.
The road ahead connects to an enormous Tower piercing the sky.
Out here, the sea air mixes with birdsong echoing loud.
Plenty of fish, especially sharks, swimming by regularly. Easy to spot.
Because—
This ocean holds countless human corpses buried within.
Rift gate.
At a glance, an incredible means of transit.
From Earth's Pacific heart to the Tower in a blink.
Over 5,000 km, as just mentioned, without breaking a sweat.
But.
Not even 4th Floor magic, 5th Floor sorcery,
nor 6th Floor cutting-edge tech
could create such a colossal rift gate.
This rift gate is a remnant of the inter-floor wars.
Back when demons from the 1st Floor spread to the 3rd.
A curse they punched into densely populated cities to ease their invasion.
Originally meant for passage from the Tower to the cities.
'These days, though—'
Just a toll gate.
"Nngh—!"
Arrive at the Tower, handle procedures, wait a bit, then elevator to the 5th Floor.
The 5th Floor Old Martial World carries its signature forest scent.
No vehicles allowed, so we walk or take carriages.
"We have a partnered carriage service on the 5th Floor—got 'em prepped."
Sure enough, as we exit the Tower per Ryu Seram's words, three carriages await.
As the VIP Owl boards her carriage, I seize the moment and approach Ryu Seram.
"......Team leader."
"Pfft! Don't talk to me. You're hilarious."
"Feels awkward for me too."
"Fine, what's up?"
"......No schedule sheet. You said there was one. Wasn't shared."
Section Chief Kang Baram never planned to hand it over from the start.
Ryu Seram frowns, taps her phone, and sends a text.
"Don't leak it outside. Crazy fans tailing us is a headache."
She scratches her head and adds,
"You'll see on the schedule, but it's just tourism. Something about needing rest after that incident? Anyway."
"Got it. And one more thing."
"So many questions, part-timer?"
"Just gotta do three days."
"Yeah?"
"But think about it—we've already burned five hours just traveling."
Four hours till shift end.
How the hell do I clock out from here?
"Buddy, you misunderstood 'cause no schedule."
"Misunderstood?"
"Two nights, three days duty."
"You fuck—!"
I grit my teeth, about to snap, but eyes are on us.
Especially Section Chief Kang Baram, looking thoroughly displeased.
I force calm and ask,
"Hey, saw it in the contract? Nine hours a day. That's a violation of contract and labor law."
"It also said extra shifts and night work get 10% bonus each."
"......Wait, so—"
"It's 2 PM now. Your normal end is 6 PM. From 6, extra 10%. Past 7, night 10% more. Till 9 AM tomorrow, hourly at 20% premium. Okay?"
I whip out the calculator and crunch the numbers.
Three days later, total pay—6.28 million won.
This bitch a goddess?
"......Almost confessed there, you punk. Come in with that sparkle."
"Puhaha! No holds barred with the team leader."
She grabs my arm and squeezes.
"Working out lately?"
"......Sometimes."
"Feels more than that? Was gonna drag you along thinking your old form rusted, just to check—"
She grins in satisfaction and shrugs.
"No need to worry."
Didn't plan on no clock-out, but turns out better.
Just text Kim Yang.
'Always spinning weird lies since way back.'
Well, never backfired on me.
"Team Member Kim Juseon! What're you doing? Board the carriage!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Heh, suck up to the seniors, kid."
With Ryu Seram's cheeky encouragement, as I head for the carriage—
Kaboom!
A bolt of lightning strikes like a flash.
People tilt their heads skyward.
"What? Gonna rain?"
"Dry lightning from a clear sky."
"Better grab umbrellas just in case."
"......No way."
I pretend not to hear a thing and hop on the carriage.