The 4th Artifact Management Office

Performance bonus: 500 points.

At 10,000 won per point, that meant a cool five million won had just landed in my bank account.

Whoaaaa...

I stared at the screen, still unable to believe the number. More than three months of busting my back at part-time gigs, earned in just three days on the job. Perhaps because the figure was so surreal, I felt oddly detached. It didn't feel like my life had suddenly blossomed, nor did I feel like I'd turned it all around. That made sense, considering my meals and housing were already maxed out at the pinnacle of corporate luxury.

Was it because I'd spent so long as a broke, unemployed bum? I had no idea how to spend this kind of money in a way that would make heads turn.

Instead, a completely different impulse welled up inside me. Food and shelter were settled, so should I look at clothing next?

No.

I just wanted to live. I was sick to death of anomalies. From here on out, my sole ambition in life was to die of old age.

To do that, I need to quit this damn company.

Except I couldn't even quit anymore.

Whether it was because of contamination from an anomaly or something else, it was abundantly clear that without a Protection Badge, I would keep getting dragged into the personal realms of entities whose faces I didn't even know.

I needed a Protection Badge. A remarkably powerful one at that.

I booted up my computer and logged into the corporate welfare mall. Seungjun had told me to buy one here.

...2.5 million won? Why the hell was it so expensive?

Well, it wasn't an ordinary item; it was an artifact imbued with uncanny power, so I could let it slide.

Still, it was damaged in the line of duty. Doesn't insurance cover this sort of thing?

No way an exploitative black company like this would foot the bill. I had to pay out of pocket. Squeezing my eyes shut, I parted with half my bonus—half the price of my own life.

Right, let's look at it as buying my life. I just extended my lifespan for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠2.5 million won. Framing it that way took some of the sting out of my churning stomach.

"Feeling any better?"

"Yes, sir."

"The recovery capsule works wonders, doesn't it?"

Before I knew it, Seungjun-sunbae had drifted over, slurping instant mix coffee from a paper cup.

"Sunbae, haven't you made plenty of money? Do you really prefer mix coffee?"

"Yep. Nothing beats this on the clock. It's sweet, rich, and takes the edge off the stress."

Chatting casually, he leaned over toward my monitor and eyed the payment confirmation window.

"Did you buy a badge the second you clocked in? It's not so critical you need to replace it the moment it breaks, you know."

I almost died last night because I didn't have one.

I replied that preparation prevents disaster and the earlier the better. He offered what sounded like backhanded praise, remarking that being so sharp and sensible didn't really fit this company.

"Oh, right. The infirmary doctor called just now. Said the Artifact Management Office is looking for you. They were yelling about what kind of hell you dragged yourself through to turn a badge into a lump of charcoal, and demanded you head down immediately."

"They're looking for me?"

"Yeah. Told you to come down alone."

Seungjun chuckled mischievously and tapped my shoulder.

"I'll shoot you an email with the apology statement template, so don't look too dejected, rookie~"

Then again, having trashed such an expensive piece of equipment in a single day, maybe they wanted to chew me out for negligent gear maintenance. As luck would have it, the pickup location for the badge was the 4th Artifact Management Office anyway. Might as well kill two birds with one stone and get scolded while picking it up...

After finishing my exploration report on Heart-Pounding Summer File, I headed down to the third basement floor.

Ding—

The 4th Artifact Management Office hit me with suffocating heat and the thick stench of molten iron. The harsh ringing of heavy iron hammers and bright crimson sparks flying through the air greeted me. It was as if someone had transplanted a colossal medieval forge directly into the corporate basement, operating in plain sight.

People pounded frantically on anvils, oblivious to any visitor.

Are all these people hired employees of Arcana too?

"Um... excuse me... I'm here to pick up an artifact...?"

I hesitated, taking a timid step into the forge.

"Oh my, a customer! Welcome in~!"

With a cheerful, ringing voice, a woman with coral-red hair strode right up to me.

Skin sun-tanned from the heat of the forge, goggles pushed up over her forehead, sweat trickling past her collarbones over a white tank top. A massive iron hammer rested casually over her shoulder.

"Here for custom gear? Or repairs?"

Her lips curled into a wide, bright grin, flashing sharp, shark-like teeth.

"I'm here to pick up the Protection Badge I ordered."

"Aha~ You're the one who just placed the order! Hang on a sec~"

She reached into her vest and pulled out a glittering silver badge, handing it to me. It looked identical to the silver Protection Badge I'd received during orientation.

With trembling hands, I accepted the badge and pinned it to my chest. Whether it was just in my head or not, the anxiety wrapping around my body immediately settled. Relief washed over me—finally, I was safe from the unauthorized abductions of these crazy anomalies.

"Heheh, new gear always looks sharp on a customer."

Just as I let out a sigh of relief at her unexpectedly friendly and outgoing demeanor—

Sniff, sniff—

She suddenly leaned in, thrusting her nose right next to my collar to take a blatant whiff.

"Hold on...? You smell strangely delicious, customer. Mmm, I'm catching a thick lingering scent of purified essence~~"

Her amber eyes gleamed like a serpent's.

"Could I examine your body for a quick second? The urge to investigate the source of this scent is just... haah..."

With her eyes totally glazed over in mania, drool almost dripping from her lips, she leaned closer.

SMACK—!

"Don't get all worked up over a customer, you mindless brat!"

An old, white-haired blacksmith appeared from behind and mercilessly walloped the back of her head with an open palm. He was a hulking elder with a stern, uncompromising scowl etched into his face.

"Ow-w-w?! Geezer, that actually hurt!!"

"Apologies, customer. This one's always had a screw loose."

The woman clutched her head, whining, before poking out her tongue with a cheeky grin.

"Ehehe, sorry about that. I just can't stand leaving a mystery unsolved. Call me Topaz from now on. And your name, customer?"

"Jeon Yul."

"Jeon Yul?"

Topaz's expression shifted.

"Wait, the Jeon Yul the doctor mentioned?"

"?"

"The rookie who joined this week?"

"Yes."

"The guy who turned a badge into a charcoal briquette... is you?!"

Topaz slammed her massive hammer onto the floor with a loud growl. The iron plating beneath our feet shuddered and rattled.

"Grandpa! He's the one!"

At Topaz's shout, the surrounding blacksmiths hammering away at their anvils simultaneously froze and locked their gazes onto me. In an instant, the chorus of hammers died across the entire forge.

The old blacksmith picked up a pair of iron tongs, clicked open a steel box on his workbench, and extracted a pitch-black, scorched lump of charcoal. It was the very damaged badge I had left at the infirmary.

The elder turned the charcoal lump over in his tongs, clicking his tongue as he glanced at Topaz.

"...This kid did that?"

"Totally reckless, right?!"

Topaz tapped the badge with the tip of her hammer, her eyes sparkling.

"Is... is this that serious of an issue?"

"Put it in gaming terms: it's like wearing a level 15 beginner's set and strolling right into a level 50 dungeon! In a game, it's just a game, but doing that in real life is straight-up suicidal!"

Well, that made complete sense.

"Laddie, with this degree of damage, it's a miracle your limbs are still attached," the elder chimed in.

Topaz grinned, baring her sharp teeth. She looked like she couldn't contain her excitement as she stared at the man before her.

"Reeking of concentrated essence and shattering a badge on his very first day on the job? My curiosity is bubbling over!"

Setting down her colossal hammer with a heavy thud, Topaz stepped right in front of me and smirked.

"Yul, how would you like to become my exclusive tester? With someone like you, I bet I could field-test my babies to the extreme and refine them!"

"Excuse me? An exclusive tester?"

"Yes! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Form a contract with me!!"

It was an offer out of left field. But instead of hastily nodding, I narrowed my eyes.

"What do I get out of it?"

"...Huh? Are you seriously asking that?"

She grabbed my shoulders as if dumbfounded.

Ow, that hurts...

"You're hesitating over an exclusive contract with a blacksmith? Do you have any idea how nearly impossible it is for a low-level worker—a brand-new rookie, no less—to score a one-on-one exclusive deal with a blacksmith?! You get priority artifact repairs, and you get to test out prototypes before anyone else!"

As Topaz got increasingly worked up, the old man smacked her on the back of the head again.

"Spouting whatever nonsense pops into your head! That applies to proper, respectable blacksmiths. You're still a greenhorn wet behind the ears!"

"Ouch?! Don't interrupt my sales pitch, you old fossil!"

Rubbing the back of her head, Topaz huffed indignantly at the elder.

"What do you mean greenhorn! How many pieces around here outperform the ones I make?!"

"Aye, your talent for crafting outstrips mine. So why does your workshop gather nothing but cobwebs?"

"...Because nobody bothers to give them a proper shot, that's why."

"Because you cram so much of your own ego into them that every user finds them impossible to handle! Stuffing in all sorts of useless gimmicks nobody asked for."

"I added them because it's better to have them than not!"

"Who are you to decide that? You're supposed to ask the person using it!"

I cautiously chimed in.

"So, about this tester position...?"

Just as Topaz opened her mouth to reply, the elder spoke first.

"Quit daydreaming about testing contraptions packed with your stubborn ego, and think about what you can actually forge for this man."

"Tch... fine. If there are features you want, Yul, I'll craft customized artifacts tailored just for you! How's that? A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠total steal, right?"

"For free?"

"Free, my foot! Do you have any idea how much it costs to forge even a low-grade badge? But I'll give you a ten percent discount off the welfare mall price!"

"Deal. Let's make the contract."

After pretending to deliberate for a brief moment, I extended a hand. Topaz eagerly grabbed it with both of hers.

"Heheh, contract sealed! Feel free to come back with plenty of shattered badges from now on, Yul!"

Laughing boisterously, Topaz slammed her palm heavily against my shoulder.

...I said that hurts.

I barely managed a smile through my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grimace of pain. But for exclusive tester status and a ten percent discount, I could tolerate this much...

Ting—

A now-familiar system notification chimed. Hastily excusing myself from the forge, I opened the notification window.

An apology?

I clicked open the announcement.