Setting the Stage

After leaving the head director's office, I headed straight back to my desk and packed my things.

To be precise, I was about to head out on an unauthorized field trip under the convenient pretext of an on-site survey for a report.

An out-of-office free pass, personally bankrolled by Managing Director Han Tae-seok...

It couldn't have been more convenient.

After all, I knew exactly what digging around the office would turn up: tabloid rumors and a few edited videos [Midas] had released. But I had a far more accurate source of raw data than any of that — my own body.

They say that if you know your enemy and know yourself, you'll win a hundred battles out of a hundred. But what do you call it when the enemy is myself?

A dry chuckle escaped me. They were making me fight an absurd matchup, and it was funny — and somehow, it was also just plain funny.

Well, whatever.

Humming a tune, I slipped out of the office. My destination was [The Archive] — specifically, its VIP-only facility, [The Cube]. Before I threw out the bait meant to hook Han Tae-seok, I needed my own condition checked down to the last detail.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Whirr—

With the deep hum of heavy machinery, I stepped inside [The Cube], a space sealed off completely from the outside world and built for training alone. It was a stark-white training chamber that reeked of money at a single glance.

I set down my bag and lightly brushed off my suit. Before getting into any real design work, there was something I wanted to confirm first.

Just how far do my abilities actually go?

It was something I'd wondered about for a long time — a 'red' I could feel instinctively, yet had never approached closely enough to understand.

"Simulation, activate. Floor 24, Z-1 Sector, Phase: 'Grave'."

A dungeon designated forbidden access, judged to be a world already annihilated. I wanted to see how I would respond under the most extreme conditions imaginable.

Beep—

With a ringing in my ears, the world changed. And then...

"...Ha."

My breath caught in my throat.

I opened my eyes to look for somewhere to dodge, but all I could see was 'red'. Not lines — planes. Not planes — a blood-soaked world packed solid in three dimensions.

That was everything I saw.

In that ashen world, not a single hand-span of colorless space — the mark of a safe zone — remained.

So every inch of space is filled with Red Solid Lines.

If there was no possibility of evasion at all, then even I was helpless. But instead of panicking, the corners of my mouth curled upward.

Right. If I were barehanded, I'd be dead.

But I was no longer the rookie I'd been ten years ago. I had years of operating experience behind me, and unlike the day I'd first awakened, I'd led others using this ability more times than I could count.

No place to dodge?

Then I'd just have to make one.

I'd rarely tried it before. Since it took me time just to perceive those lines and call them out for others, it had never been practical. But rather than watching and shouting warnings to someone else — if all I needed was a place for one body, my own, to hold its ground—

I drew Dr. Lee's masterpiece from inside my jacket.

Click.

With that familiar sound, I slid the blade up, and a shimmer of blue light rose smoothly from the edge.

[Office Utility Cutter Knife MK2]

The chill of [Sharpness] radiating from it was pushing back the suffocating red space — only a hair's breadth, but it was pushing.

"Well then, shall we put you through a performance test?"

Pouring mana into the blade, I swung at the massive red wall blocking my path.

Zaap—!

A faint tremble ran through my fingertips, and blue mana-metal rippled outward along the physical blade, stretching longer and longer. In an instant it passed the length of a greatsword and kept going, reaching spear length.

Ha. It converts my mana into metal in real time...?

Admiration beyond mere surprise. And it wasn't simply that the blade grew longer.

KWAAAAAANG!

With a bone-rattling crack that sounded like space itself screaming, the red plane filling my vision — tore away in its entirety.

Like a red curtain being swept aside, a safe 'ashen corridor' gaped open along the path the blade had cut, if only for an instant.

Since [Sharpness] persisted in the blade, the sheer lengthening of its reach came with a crushing bonus to destructive power.

He complains and complains, the dirty old grumbler. But that mad genius really is in a league of his own when it comes to his craft.

At this level, there was no question: in pure close combat, my destructive power outmatched that of corporate mid-level hunters wrapped head to toe in custom artifacts.

The endless rain of 'red' did eventually swallow up the area where I stood, sealing the whole world shut once more.

End simulation.

More than satisfied with the results, I wiped my sweat and stepped out of the Cube.

The moment I stepped into the corridor, I ran into someone I hadn't expected.

A woman in a red suit and sunglasses.

Na Hee-ra of [Midas].

"Oh my, what a coincidence."

A coincidence... was it. I couldn't say it was entirely impossible. Even at the [VIP Salon] last time, I'd run into quite a few notable figures. But for her to materialize with ghostly timing at the precise moment I walked out of [The Cube]?

That's a little hard to swallow as coincidence.

Then again, honestly, it didn't feel bad. Na Hee-ra was someone positioned to call in whoever she wanted — and she'd been waiting for me. That alone said something. And between her kindness during the 'Stopped World' incident and these shoes, she'd shown me nothing but goodwill. She was hardly an enemy of mine.

"Well, I'll take your word that it's a coincidence. What can I do for you?"

I played along with an easy deflection, readjusting my mask. Na Hee-ra smiled as if amused and approached.

"I have a settlement to pay you. You contacted me during the 'Stopped World' last time and had the recovery team come out, remember? For the 'Metal Giant'."

And with that, my smartphone buzzed briefly in my pocket.

Ring.

"......"

No gasp of amazement came out of me.

5.2 billion won. I'd handed over most of the giant's corpse, so I'd expected a hefty sum — but not this hefty. At this level, the [Metal Pig] I'd co-built with Dr. Lee looked downright adorable by comparison.

Of course, the 'Concept Magic Stones' I'd acquired so far were worth far more — but those corpses had been mere byproducts, and they'd still fetched this much?

And at the same time — maybe it was because this was the first time a figure like this had actually landed in my hands — a strange sense of unreality washed over me.

Well, I am a Hunter now.

Hunters worked with expensive equipment, shouldering steep repair costs and mortal risk — which was exactly why their pay was beyond comparison.

But even so, my palms were sweating at the unreal sum, and I felt an odd tremor running through my whole body.

"...You're surprisingly unfazed, I see?"

I was fazed. Staggeringly fazed—

Truthfully, I was so stunned I'd frozen solid, but Na Hee-ra just widened her eyes in apparent surprise at my non-reaction.

"Ah, my apologies — I suppose someone in your position already handles this kind of money. Anyway, I pulled some strings and got you the best possible price after fees and transport. You'll appreciate that, I'm sure. So? Doing business with Midas — not bad, is it?"

Apparently she'd assumed I was so wealthy that this amount barely registered, and my lack of visible reaction had only confirmed it.

Deep down, I wanted to grab her by both hands, hold the phone up high, and dance a little jig with her — but I refrained, since such giddy behavior would have made Na Hee-ra recoil in horror.

"...Outstanding work. I'll be a regular customer going forward."

Whew. Mercifully, I managed to keep my composure. I'd be handling sums like this endlessly from here on out — I might need to learn how to stay collected.

Money wasn't everything, but with enough of it, you could ward off most unhappiness. That alone was reason enough to be pleased — and with a figure this size, what couldn't I do from here? My heart was pounding.

"By the way — have you heard the news?"

Na Hee-ra lowered her voice and asked slyly.

"The mood over at [Ark] has been off lately. Word is, Vice President Jin Sehoon is working himself into a frenzy preparing a project to drag you down. He's going to build a 'Star Hunter' and crush you with it."

Her eyes glinted sharply. The game had barely begun, and she was already catching the scent of how the board would move.

Fast as ever.

But I simply smirked and shrugged.

"I'm aware. Apparently I've become a thorn in their side."

"Ohh... you already knew. So then — you'll just take it lying down?"

"Hardly."

I met her eyes directly.

"This is an opportunity, if anything. I intend to build them exactly the stage they want."

"...Stage?"

Na Hee-ra, ever the picture of composure, went wide-eyed.

"That's right. I hear ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠[Ark] has a 'Star Hunter' development program. Which means they'll have no choice but to throw everything they have into it — a stage that's spectacular and seductive beyond resistance. But the moment anyone climbs onto it, their true face will show for all to see. A stage where the gap between [Ark]'s actual capability and mine will be laid bare."

I added with a grin,

"...A piece of information is going to leak through the black market, [The Archive], that my next destination will be the [Crystal Cave]."

"The [Crystal Cave]...?"

Her eyebrows twitched. Knowing how capable she was, there was no chance she didn't know that dungeon's nature. Refraction and reflection of light. A region to be avoided, where visual information warped and lied.

A dungeon where everything hinges entirely on the operator's skill.

"Once [Ark] gets wind of it through the black market, they'll do the math. Time their new hunter's debut to match my expedition schedule, and they can bury [Corporate Slave Life] under an overwhelming performance by contrast. And with all those glittering magic stones down there, the visuals come free."

"...Are you serious? Love them or hate them, [Ark]'s operations and safety record are top of the industry."

Na Hee-ra's eyes rounded, as if she'd heard something reckless.

"That's something we'll find out by watching. So... what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠will you do about it?"

I smiled and faced her squarely.

"Me, or [Ark]. Where would you like to place your bet?"

At those words, something subtle shifted in Na Hee-ra's expression. She was known as a gambler who took on enormous risk to pick her side — and instinctively, she'd caught the scent.

"...Fine. I'm betting on you. My broadcast team will be on full standby. Let's make something, shall we?"

Her eyes were half-glazed with something feverish.

"The most dopamine-drenched content money can buy."

Yep... Na Hee-ra isn't entirely sane either.

But that was hardly a bad thing. My gut said she had good instincts — and I was about to prove those instincts right.

This was a match decided before it began. From opening move to endgame, every beat of it had been designed by me.

"Feel free to look forward to it."

I gave her a light handshake and said as I turned away,

"The more blood [Ark] spits up, the softer our money cushion gets."

Two days later. The head director's office.

As Managing Director Han Tae-seok read through the report I'd submitted, exclamations kept spilling out of him.

"Oho... phase distortion, hm."

He tapped his finger against the section titled [Corporate Slave Life — Ability Analysis].

"No wonder the little weasel keeps wriggling out of everything. And this isn't internet rumor-mongering — it aggregates the assessments of professionals, so it's solid, right?"

"Yes. It's a point flagged in common by multiple analysts, including Ranker Park Sangwoo of [Dokkaebi]. An ability that forcibly twists the trajectories of physical strikes."

Well... not exactly. But I'd simply written down the conventional wisdom the analysts were peddling — so while it wasn't true of [Corporate Slave Life], it was perfectly true of Kim Doyoon.

Before I'd even finished speaking, Han Tae-seok was already flailing like a fish that had swallowed the hook.

"Then what's the weakness?"

"Offense. Specifically, we estimate his evasion relies heavily on his attack range and his field of vision."

I brought down the prepared killing blow.

"Based on analysis of his last expedition, his attack power isn't low — but every strike has been confined to a considerably narrow range. What's more, he shows a strong tendency to rely on visual information, so an environment that scrambles sightlines would work even more in our favor."

Of course, the tests in [The Cube] had shown that my attack range problem was already solved thanks to the [Metalization] concept Dr. Lee and I had fused into the weapon — and my 'vision' wasn't the sort of thing that could be scrambled by anything. But to the world at large, this read exactly right.

I spread a map across the desk.

The [Crystal Cave].

"Which is why I recommend this site. The crystals inside refract light in every direction, making it ideal for inducing visual interference. And..."

I looked into Han Tae-seok's eyes and whispered the words he most wanted to hear.

"With the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crystals glittering like that, it'll be absolutely killer on camera. For the Vice President's grand 'Star Hunter' debut stage, there's no venue better."

"HOO-WEE!"

Han Tae-seok slapped his knee.

"That's our Team Leader Kim! This is why I treasure you! You scratch my itch with pinpoint precision, don't you?"

He was already wearing the rapturous expression of a man rehearsing an awards-show acceptance speech in his head. But when he turned the report over to the back pages, his brow creased.

"Now hold on, Team Leader Kim. This 'essential equipment list' — isn't the budget a little excessive?"

Where he'd pointed, there sat the list of high-priced gear I'd thoughtfully jotted down.

[High-grade Mana Amplifier], [Portable Barrier Generator], [Special Communications Module]...

Mostly small, compact items — the kind whose price tags made you groan out loud.

Chances were it would never come to that, but this was the equipment I'd listed so that if [Ark]'s expedition went properly south, they could haul something back — just like the [Graveyard of Blade Winds] disaster.

"Do we really need all this?"

So it wouldn't sail through on the first pass after all. But my justification was airtight. I'd fully anticipated that Han Tae-seok would balk at spending money.

The field survey teams had always been squeezed dry this way, too. Thank goodness I'd been the operator — if anyone else had held that post, the accidents that never happened would have come in bushels.

Anyway, with a suitable shield at hand, persuasion wouldn't be difficult.

"Managing Director. The [Crystal Cave] may be a dazzling debut stage — but that's exactly why we'll need even more equipment. Otherwise, the brilliance of that environment will swallow up the Star Hunter we're debuting."

I put on a deliberately grave expression and played the fear card.

"And remember, we're the ones coming from behind. If we want to take down an opponent who already has name recognition, the smarter play is to bury him under as much spectacle as possible, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmm... spectacle, hm."

"Besides, Vice President Jin Sehoon already promised he wouldn't skimp on support. An investment of this size is simply his to approve. If you pinch pennies here and end up losing ground, the Vice President won't exactly sit still for it."

At that, the tension drained from Han Tae-seok's face. The calculation had crystallized: he could spend the Vice President's money while pocketing all the credit for himself.

"Right, exactly! If we're doing this, we do it properly. Fine — charge the entire list!"

Hooked.

"Good, get it moving immediately! Round up every field team we can spare and outfit them with top-grade equipment. This time, there will be no failure."

"Understood. Then I'll take my leave—"

"Ah, wait a moment."

Han Tae-seok rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a thick envelope, holding it out.

"Here, take it. A little something for Team Leader Kim's hard work. Wrap this job up nicely and I'll stack a bonus on top when your severance is settled. Do a good job to the very end, hm?"

I took the envelope. It was heavy.

"Thank you, Managing Director. I'll give it my best."

As I left the head director's office, a bitter smile tugged at my mouth.

A hard-work bonus, is it.

I'd tuck this money away carefully — and later, add it to the pile for shorting your company's stock.

And a few days later—

The news was wall-to-wall with it. [Ark] had thrown down its gauntlet with total confidence.

I sat at my desk in the office and watched the expedition trailer — all gloss and glamorous graphics — touting the conquest of the [Crystal Cave]. On screen, [Ark]'s hunters struck heroic poses, and behind them stretched a forest of crystals, beautiful and lethal in equal measure.

"Safe travels, Managing Director."

I fished my mask out of the depths of my desk drawer and slipped it into my bag, smiling slyly.

"I'll be waiting for you there."

It was time for the hunt to begin.