Secret
"I'll just use my real name."
"Your name isn't listed on your profile, though? What is it?"
"Hyeon-jeong."
"Hyeon-jeong? That name is..."
"I know! It doesn't sound like a man's name!"
Hyeon-jeong — the former Gombang — suddenly barked out the words, and with that single reaction alone, Won-goo read the very root of the man's prickly personality. A man named Hyeon-jeong would have taken more than his fair share of teasing.
"What's your family name?"
"Gye. Not 'Gae.' Gye Hyeon-jeong."
"I know that much, you brat. You thought I'd mishear it as 'Dog'?"
"In any case, it's Gye Hyeon-jeong."
"Fine. Gye Hyeon-jeong, then. Just go by Jeong-hyeon. Good. That works too. Or else you can go jump in a coffin lid-first."
"I'll go with Jeong-hyeon."
"There we go, Jeong-hyeon. Answer properly from now on, and keep everything sorted and categorized. If something good drops, you tell me right away. Got it?"
"..."
"Why no answer?"
"I'll do as you say."
"You brat. You think I'm going to skim everything good off the top if it drops? I'll cut you in fairly, so don't worry. Money's the one thing I don't play cheap with."
"That's not why I hesitated."
"Then what is it?"
"You're really sure there's no problem?"
"Do you want a beating? How many times are you going to ask? The eyes that saw you that day — I've soldered every one of their mouths shut. I know you saw a lot in there, but at least here in the Shelter, my name carries more weight than the Sugar Company's."
Even if that hadn't been the case, he had other options ready. If the fact that he'd intercepted Gombang ever came to light, Won-goo was prepared to cut a proper deal to bring the man in legitimately.
A Gift holder like Gombang's was nothing but an asset to keep close, and raised well, he had the kind of value that could feed an entire Shelter.
Won-goo knew all too well that as the apocalypse dragged on, support-type Gifts would grow more precious than the combat-types heading out into the Field.
Combat types could reach a level where they rarely died through steady enhancement, but those who relied primarily on support abilities like Gombang's found that far harder.
And so, at a certain point, a period would come when survivors holding non-combat Gifts began dying off in droves.
That was the whole reason Won-goo moved the way he did — circling around with a large family of subordinates in tow.
"I'm off. Eat your meals properly. I won't say a word about food, so eat as much as you want."
Back at the office, Fresh was waiting for him — arm in a cast, head wrapped in layers of bandages.
"Did you get hit by a car?"
"Director Gong! Swap this for me!"
Fresh pulled out the Wabulgwi capsule and slammed it on the table.
"What's this all of a sudden?"
"What do you mean... you told me they obey!"
"They don't? Last I heard, capsule monsters submit to their owners."
"Submit my ass... I nearly died the second I let it out. Look at this. One hit snapped my arm and sent me flying — cracked my skull. If I hadn't had superhuman willpower and forced it back into the capsule, I was meeting King Yama right then and there."
Fresh shook his head as if he never wanted to recall that moment again.
It looked exactly like the Wabulgwi they'd seen in the mysterious temple. The sight of it flipping its golden Buddha statue over itself and closing the distance in an instant — that was a vengeful spirit, plain and simple.
The moment it saw Fresh, it charged, fist raised. Fresh had reflexively raised his arm to block.
A single punch crushed Fresh's arm and knocked him backward, slamming his head against the ground.
He'd nearly blacked out — but he hadn't. Barely managing to clutch the capsule, he succeeded in sucking the Wabulgwi back inside.
But he had seen the last thing it did.
He'd seen the Wabulgwi raise its foot to grind his fallen head into paste.
After seeing that, Fresh simply didn't have the nerve to use the capsule again.
"That shouldn't be possible."
"Director Ttaeng-gu. I'm telling you, it's real. Can't you see this? Anyway, where the hell did Pacific go? You said he woke up."
"That bastard went to manage a client account."
"A client? Wasn't he one of your crew already? He's still doing door-to-door sales?"
"As long as we don't cause trouble, we don't care what anyone does. Vacation time is free time."
"This outfit of yours is as loosey-goosey as ever. The gangs operating near Mt. Yuhyang go to take a dump in pairs, you know."
"That's only for criminal scum with ugly warrants on their backs. Not us. Besides, Fresh — didn't I tell you we're not a gang? When have you ever seen us act like those gangs? Have you ever seen us do murder, robbery, kidnapping?"
"All the time. Plenty of times, actually."
"Tsk. Is moving strictly in self-defense the same as a life of everyday crime? If you keep looking at us through that lens, honestly, it hurts my feelings. You keep it up and our image suffers."
"In a world where a gang and a private outfit are a hair's breadth apart, why bother splitting hairs?"
"That one hair is a big difference."
"Anyway, I can't use this thing."
Fresh said it as he slid the capsule across the table.
"You have to use it. If you're going to take on crew, you need support like this. You feel it too, don't you? No? Your shelf life's running out."
"I know... but I'm telling you, not that thing. I can't handle it. Say I let it out while I'm alone and this happens again — I'll be dead before my shelf life runs out."
"Still, it shouldn't be possible..."
Going by the information Won-goo had, the situation was simply impossible. Capsule monsters were designed from the ground up to submit to their capsule's owner.
But in the world of the apocalypse, nothing was absolute. Targets with exceptional rules occasionally applied to them were more than possible.
And if it were the Wabulgwi — a notorious deep-dweller of a monster alongside Tadersen — it was entirely plausible.
In pure grade terms, the Wabulgwi had actually been rated higher than Tadersen.
In the late game, the ever-resurrecting Tadersen was treated as far more difficult than most Wabulgwi, but in raw base grade, the Wabulgwi sat two or even three tiers above it.
"It's strange to me too, Director Gong. I've actually looked into capsule monsters, you know? You think I wouldn't? I know this thing is a hell of an opportunity. I even researched capsule sticker materials. But no. I seriously thought I was going to die."
"Hmm... well, I can put together a few hypotheses."
"Like what?"
"First off, our Dulla gave Cheol-soo no trouble at all. Which means there could be some kind of condition attached to using this particular capsule monster."
"Like only a certain class can use it?"
"Entirely possible. But as far as I know, I've never heard of capsule monsters requiring special qualifications to use. So this is where we need to put our heads together. Maybe the Wabulgwi is classified as something special even among capsule monsters. Something like that?"
"So you're saying it's not an ordinary capsule monster? The Wabulgwi capsule?"
"It's plausible enough. Dullahan and Wabulgwi — the grades are different. The grades."
"They are different, I'll grant that. Okay, so that's one possibility. What else?"
"It might be tied to coin enhancement."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Can anyone use a capsule monster?"
"Can't they?"
"You said you researched capsule monsters. Then you skimmed the basic manual at the Coin Exchange too, didn't you?"
"I did. It said any survivor can use a capsule monster. That's what it said."
"What's the condition for being a survivor?"
"Staying alive."
"No. A survivor is someone who's completed at least one coin enhancement. That's what makes you a survivor. No coin enhancement? Then you're just a person. An Earthling. A human being."
Fresh, who'd been listening, nodded — and so did the crew.
"Hold on. So we could read it as: the Wabulgwi is only usable by someone who's completed coin enhancement past a certain threshold?"
"That's plenty plausible too. Think about it. Someone slaps down exactly one coin. And snags a monstrous capsule. Say... they get a capsule for a monster ranked leagues above even the Wabulgwi. Don't know what would qualify... a dragon? Something like that. Would that be right?"
"It'd be pay-to-lose."
"Right. That's exactly why I think some safeguard exists."
"So the reason I can't handle that Wabulgwi is... my coins are lacking?"
"That's right."
"How lacking?"
"No way for me to know. But I have a projection."
"What is it?"
"You'd need to be at least 2-Star, wouldn't you?"
"A second special trait?"
Won-goo nodded.
"2-Star is... way above me."
"Still, it's not impossible."
"Ugh, a usage requirement of 2-Star... that's still ages away for me. You know how it is, Director Gong. Even when I take on jobs constantly, the take is thin."
"I know. And this is just a hypothesis. It could be wrong."
With that, Won-goo picked up the capsule monster himself.
"If I let it out, that'll give us our answer, won't it?"
"Oh? You were 2-Star, Director Gong?"
"Don't play dumb. Weren't you all expecting it?"
"We suspected. It's a sensitive topic, so everyone's been keeping it quiet."
The real reason Won-goo had concealed reaching 2-Star was that he had in fact gone even higher — to 3-Star.
The gap between 1-Star and 2-Star had been enormous, but the gap between 2-Star and 3-Star was wider still.
"Dan-shin, move the tables back against the far wall. Hyeon-sung, get ready for combat."
"Yes, Hyeong-nim!"
The crew scrambled into combat readiness — a precaution against any mishap. The same men who'd been lounging in comfortable clothes went from relaxed to battle-ready in the blink of an eye.
It was a wardrobe change on the level of runway models.
Won-goo took the capsule in hand and released the Wabulgwi.
Out it popped.
Exactly the same figure they'd seen at the temple.
"Now, hold on and lis—"
Won-goo never got to finish. The Wabulgwi lunged at terrifying speed.
The one who stopped it was none other than Lee Hyun-sung.
Like a rugby player driving in a tackle, Hyun-sung threw himself at the Wabulgwi from the side and brought it down.
BWAAAANG!
A proper tackle required careful positioning to protect the head and neck. Shoulder-led impact technique was crucial to keep the neck from snapping.
Hyun-sung did none of that.
He'd charged in without a shred of hesitation, which was why the impact rang out so loudly.
It was the sound of Hyun-sung's skull slamming straight into the Wabulgwi's body.
Thanks to that, the Wabulgwi's momentum dipped for just a moment, and Won-goo swiftly shoved it back inside the capsule.
"Hyeong-nim! Are you all right!"
Hyun-sung rushed over to Won-goo and shouted.
"You brat! Why are you worrying about me? You're the one I should be worrying about. Aigoo..."
Won-goo's face flushed red as he barked in anger.
It had all happened in an instant, but Hyun-sung's appearance was no joke. His scalp was torn open and bleeding freely, and his neck — possibly wrenched — was tilted at about fifteen degrees.
Seeing that, how could Won-goo not be upset?
"You damn fool... you have to use some technique."
Without the slightest hesitation, Won-goo seized Hyun-sung's bleeding head with his bare hands.
Jo Mu-sa hurried over with the first-aid kit.
He moved to give an injection first.
"I'll handle the injection. That scalp's torn — stitch it up fast, that comes first."
"Yes, Director!"
Jo Mu-sa quickly examined Hyun-sung's head.
"See? I told you I wasn't joking."
"Understood."
Then came the wetted towel Jeon Hye-ji brought over. Won-goo wiped the blood from his hands.
And he set the capsule down.
"This thing... I think it needs a thorough investigation, doesn't it?"
"See, Director Gong? I know this is a bad hand. I know this industry is take-it-or-leave-it. But when I claimed this reward, I got your advice, didn't I?"
"I know, you brat. That's exactly why I'm giving you this after-sales service."
"Anyway, this is beyond what I can handle at my current level."
"Think it over carefully. It's true this thing is more complicated than expected. But that also means it's that many tiers higher. If you learn to use it later, you'll regret this."
"For me, right now, getting through the present matters more than the future. You know that, Director Gong."
"Then you're absolutely sure you won't regret passing on it? I'm asking you again."
"Director Gong. It's me, Fresh. You know I don't do dirty dealings."
Won-goo nodded at that. The nickname "Fresh" carried a lot of meaning, and one of those meanings was reputation.
"All right. Then we're taking this back. In exchange — what do you want?"
"Something that extends shelf life. I know. You'll say the best move is taking on crew. I will consider it. But right now, I need to survive the present. When I fought the Wabulgwi last time, I even burned my Hidden card — it came down to a hair's breadth."
"Well, I can't hand over the equipment my crew uses. But Gombang-i's been fiddling with items, so how about you dig something usable out of his pile?"
"Is that really the best option?"
"It's the only one right now."
Fresh's face darkened. He'd seen it coming, but it was still a disappointing outcome.
"Hold on."
In that moment, a thought flashed through Won-goo's mind.
"What is it?"
"Fresh. You are planning to take on crew, right?"
"Of course I am. That's why I took in Yeongyeong last time."
"Then would you like to meet Sapiens?"
"Huh?"