Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Sweeping the Organization (1)
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Thanks to the little goblin's heartwarming autograph request, the monsters crowding the platform no longer paid us any mind.
We were able to board the train departing from Hwam Station without incident.
Perhaps from the release of tension, the young woman we'd rescued fell into a deep sleep almost immediately upon sitting in her seat.
I could only imagine how long she'd hidden in that fire hydrant, enduring unimaginable mental strain.
Fortunately, this subway line returning to our world from Hwam Station—unlike the trip there—didn't force that twisted game of spot-the-difference on us anymore.
It simply ran silently through the darkness like any ordinary subway. Thanks to that, Bora, Park Sunja, and I could lean back in our seats and catch our breath, if only for a moment.
"...What if the monsters show up at our houses later, claiming to be fans?"
"...Don't make such terrifying jokes..."
Bora's joke sent a chill down my spine.
If they came looking for me when I was home, that'd be one thing. But if a monster phenomenon occurred at my place while I was away?
Sure, Daeho was at home, but he'd shrunk to the size of an ordinary cat and probably couldn't handle monsters.
Not to mention Leo, who was just a regular cat.
Before long, the train arrived at that quiet Incheon subway station where our journey had begun.
As the doors opened and the familiar air of reality rushed in, a wave of relief finally washed over me—the realization that it was truly over.
As soon as we arrived at the station, Park Sunja contacted the support team, and soon police and Monster Agency officials showed up.
We handed the rescued woman over to them safely.
She was still half-asleep, drowsy-eyed, but her expression looked far more at ease now that she knew she was safe.
They said the Monster Agency and police would handle the rest.
And so, we successfully completed our rescue mission and returned to White Tiger Corporation.
Though it had been a short time, the events we'd gone through felt like an intense nightmare spanning several days and nights.
"Hoo..."
As I sank deep into my office chair, that's when it happened.
A clear system message window appeared before my eyes.
[Main Quest completed.]
[Rewards granted.]
[Strength increased by 2.]
[Sub Quests unlocked.]
The main quest was complete.
True to its name, the reward was tremendous.
Not only had my Strength stat gone up by 2, but it had also unlocked something called sub quests.
[Name: Kim Minjun]
[Stats: Strength 9, Intelligence 8, Agility 7]
My Strength stat had increased by a whopping 2.
Even if it felt overly generous for the early main quest.
Thanks to Cheat Mode multiplying it by 100, but in reality, Strength 9 was still far from enough to face monsters head-on.
And the rewards weren't just stats.
'Sub quests.'
Sub quests, huh.
I'd assumed they existed since there was a main quest, but I hadn't expected them to unlock right away.
While the other team members headed to the break room or tended to personal matters, I quietly sat at my desk and reopened the system window.
The newly received main quest was surprisingly simple: [Complete 2 Sub Quests].
The problem was, I had no idea where or how to obtain these sub quests.
"Hmm..."
As I scanned the office in frustration, my gaze suddenly lingered on one spot—Hanbit.
And I doubted my eyes.
Above Hanbit's head floated a small yellow exclamation mark icon [!], like something out of a game.
From my extensive gaming experience, that mark usually appeared over NPCs who gave quests. Wasn't that the unwritten rule?
"No way..."
Half-believing, half-doubting, I stood up and approached Hanbit as a test, striking up a conversation.
"...Something bothering you? You look upset..."
At my sudden question, Hanbit's eyes widened in slight surprise before he gave an awkward smile and opened up readily.
"Ah... Well, I do have a worry, but how did you...?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a new system message window appeared before me.
It really was a quest indicator.
After checking the message window, I composed myself and asked Hanbit to tell me more about his issue.
Hanbit glanced around cautiously, then lowered his voice and began to speak carefully.
"The thing is, a group has recently appeared impersonating our Jinmyeong Group, peddling extremely low-quality and dangerous items... And because of them, there have been more than a few victims."
His expression was unusually grave, nothing like his usual self.
"They're attaching fake usage manuals or selling items that haven't even undergone proper safety checks, passing them off as Jinmyeong Group products. People are getting seriously injured—or even losing their lives—because of it."
Jinmyeong Group was renowned for its items and shamans.
To impersonate them meant they were either extraordinarily bold or had some special motive.
"Naturally, Jinmyeong Group recognized the severity of the situation and assembled teams multiple times to track them down, even launching operations. But they failed every time..."
Hanbit clenched his fist in frustration.
"Those guys slip through our encirclements every time, as if they know Jinmyeong Group's every move like the back of their hand. Whether it's an internal leak or some method we can't even imagine... Anyway, we've concluded we desperately need outside help—not from within Jinmyeong Group."
Hanbit looked at me with eyes full of expectation and earnestness.
He seemed to see me as the perfect candidate.
I was an outsider with no ties to Jinmyeong Group, yet I had the combat prowess to handle dangerous situations.
"So, I was wondering... Could you help with this? Of course, we'd provide proper compensation."
"..."
"If you could just find out where they're hiding or sourcing the items from, that would be more than enough..."
I pondered his request for a moment.
A suspicious organization impersonating Jinmyeong Group. It was certainly intriguing, and the reward for resolving it would likely be substantial.
Above all, I wanted to see the faces of these guys who were up to even more monstrous deeds than actual monsters—while clearing the quest.
"Sure. Send me any detailed info or files on them."
Relief washed over Hanbit's face at my response.
He thanked me profusely, promising to compile and send all the relevant materials as quickly as possible.
After finishing my first official mission at White Tiger and writing up the various reports, it was already time to clock out.
To feed my two household members at home, I stopped by the butcher shop near the office on my way back and bought a generous amount of meat.
Today, for the first time since arriving in this world, I planned to properly grill some meat at home—so I stocked up heavily on beef.
As I opened the familiar front door and entered, Leo—as always—greeted me with a soft "grrr" from where he lounged on my bed like it was his master bedroom.
But this time, that wasn't all. Daeho, who had been napping on the living room chair, stealthily sidled up beside me and bumped his nose against the plastic bag I carried, as if brazenly asking what I'd brought today.
"Special menu today."
When I pulled out a chunk of vividly red beef from the bag, Daeho rubbed his cotton-candy paw against my foot and purred, acting like I'd pulled off an epic hunt.
The bizarre sight of the tiger I raised seeking pets made me chuckle, but I hurried to prepare dinner for the two hungry beasts and myself.
As the sizzle of beef cooking on the frying pan filled the house with aroma, even Leo—stirring lazily from the bed, tempted by the scent—quietly came to sit at my feet, waiting patiently.
I set out the perfectly grilled meat and some veggies from the mart on the fully equipped dining table that had come with the place, and dug into the meal proper.
"...Want some?"
I'd originally planned to give the two felines raw meat.
But since both fixated on my grilled portions, I cut off small pieces to test.
Sure enough, the phrase "cat's tongue" for heat sensitivity wasn't for nothing.
"Grr!"
"Kyaak..."
"Oh dear..."
Both spat out the hot meat in surprise two or three times after popping it in.
They craved the fancy grilled stuff but couldn't handle the heat.
In the end, I had to patiently blow on each piece to cool it before feeding them by hand. It felt like some parenting experience.
Leo aside, I suddenly felt mischievous toward Daeho.
"...Daeho. Didn't you chomp through burning talismans like candy? Is this really too hot for you?"
At my teasing, Daeho let out a dejected "grrr..."
His mewl was so full of emotion.
I couldn't help but burst into laughter despite myself.
"Alright, alright. I'll blow on it all for you now."
As I comforted him and stroked his neck again, he seemed to cheer up a bit.
At first, I'd worried if I could live peacefully with a tiger.
But in reality, he was no different from Leo.