I'm Not That Kind of Person (4)
Myeong Gi-sa's command was impressive.
"Hey, chief! Turn left from here!"
I did as he said.
-KRAAARRGH!
-KYAAACK!
Suddenly, the monsters lunging from both sides ignored me and A-ram entirely, tearing into each other instead. One stone, two birds—or in this case, filling the ditch while catching crayfish. Situations like this kept happening the closer we got to the anchor. You could write off one or two as coincidence, but when it repeated endlessly, only an idiot wouldn't catch on.
I looked at Myeong Gi-sa with genuine awe. What the hell is this guy? He looked like your standard middle-aged construction grunt, but he was the smartest person I'd ever met.
And sure enough, as we slipped past the monsters ripping each other apart, Myeong Gi-sa laughed cheerfully.
"Nice! Worth locking up those natural predator-prey mana beasts together for emergencies like this!"
He went on with more complex explanations. Wyverns don't get along with earth dragonkin, they prioritize big prey over small ones, and so on. For an otaku like me whose lifelong ecology knowledge was limited to "ecology stew," all I could do was nod along.
Thanks to my computer science friends, I knew that when someone spouts incomprehensible expert jargon, just nodding gets you on their good side. The non-expert's secret technique: Nod first, ask questions later!
"Indeed. An efficient mana beast containment policy. There might be some applications for Nebula's research labs."
"Tch! If it were anyone else, I'd sue for copyright infringement and squeeze out compensation, but I'll let you off special."
My casual agreement earned an unexpected reply. Surprised, I glanced at Myeong Gi-sa, but he bashfully looked away.
"Quit staring! The anchor's right ahead! Keep your head in the game!"
"Indeed, Section Chief Seo! If we formally license this, we'd pay tens of millions for the patent, yet you share it so easily…!"
A-ram was darting between the chaotic monsters and heavy machinery, her eyes sparkling. Was this what made her a solid 7th-rank hunter, even at her level? I was at my limit just following Myeong Gi-sa, but she casually tapped away on her tablet. From what I could glimpse, she was logging the predator-prey mana beast placements he'd just mentioned.
A-ram…
Why are you like this? You weren't this character before. You're not some useless scaredy-cat like me, right?
Watching her doggedly pursue company gains even in this hair-trigger crisis made the distance I'd thought we'd closed feel vast again. Like the bus leaving me behind on the expressway… staring at its receding taillights, I ran on with a queasy feeling for a few minutes.
Suddenly, a massive piece of heavy machinery loomed ahead.
"What's that?"
"We're here! That's the anchor!"
I took in the scene with awe. Amid the chaotic mess stood a colossal pillar thrusting toward the sky. Its base was secured to the ground by countless cables, while the top, aimed at the heavens, emitted a brilliant blue glow from a huge magic stone.
Whoa…
This was the mana suppression terminal—extra-large. Commonly called an anchor. Its sheer size overwhelmed anyone who saw it.
I stood there dazed for a split second, but as Myeong Gi-sa moved to advance, he groaned at the sight.
"Urgh… It's all heavy machinery around here… This is dangerous."
Myeong Gi-sa winced in pain. But wasn't the presence of heavy machinery a good thing? No mana beasts in sight. As I tilted my head, puzzled and about to ask, A-ram beat me to it.
"The Heavy Equipment Knights' gear mostly runs on mana mechanisms, synced to avoid the mana suppression terminal's effects. In a situation like this, that's poison."
"……."
Oh. Of course. Thinking about it, it made perfect sense.
The mana suppression terminal—aka anchor—suppressed all artificial mana manipulation in the vicinity. It restrained mana beasts from defying physical laws, but it also interfered with mana-powered equipment. To counter that, the knights' heavy machinery was tuned to the anchor's wavelength for immunity.
But now, with the anchor overloading and going haywire, even those synced machines were on the brink.
I caught on a beat late and panicked internally. Hope no one noticed.
Composing myself to look like I'd known all along, I replied.
"Sticking to this route raises casualty risk to 40%. I reject entering via this path. Myeong Gi-sa, are there no alternatives?"
"Guh!"
'This place scares the hell out of me…' Phrased all fancy-like, and Myeong Gi-sa grimaced in anguish.
About ten seconds passed. The elite knight seemed to have calculated every path to the anchor in that brief moment—his answer was firm, leaving no room for doubt.
"None. There are some, but they won't make it in time. Even at top speed on the shortest route, we'll barely arrive before it fully breaks."
Tragic news.
Ah…
I'd been scheming to win over the Heavy Equipment Knights and haggle down the compensation, but it looked hopeless now.
Hiding my gloom, I turned to A-ram. Let's go, A-ram. Looks like we're screwed…. But survivors gotta survive. Let's bail before the meltdown hits!
But what was this? A-ram's eyes, after her first field outing from the secretary's office turning into a mega-disaster, burned with an unusual fire.
Whoa.
If I had to describe it, she looked like a fierce heroine—one who'd chomp steel bars and demand, "Open the nine cauldrons!" Her aura blazed like flames, making me shrink back a step. But A-ram strode forward with resolute steps.
"Section Chief Seo. You're certain this is the best path?"
I nodded reflexively, spooked. Yeah. Shortest route and all. Less running, might even cut the payout if we're lucky…. But no other way, right?
I phrased it vaguely along those lines.
"No. With lives on the line, I won't repeat the mistake of chasing rabbits while burning fields. We'll reroute to minimize policy damage and evacuate."
"No."
? Huh? No what?
I couldn't keep up. Ignoring me, A-ram marched ahead, positioning herself in front of me and Myeong Gi-sa. The back of the suited woman wasn't imposing so much as slender and delicate. She glanced back at me over her shoulder, her expression steely.
"Section Chief Seo. From the moment I joined the secretary's office, you've always put me first."
Of course! Without you, the office falls apart! This cotton-candy softie from Chungcheong needs his buddy-buddy!!
—No way I could say that. I desperately clung to my roleplay as the "efficiency-obsessed but loyal-to-his-own cool guy secretary."
"Naturally. You're my tool. A craftsman of the highest caliber treats his tools like his own limbs."
"I've been inadequate so far. As a tool, I haven't helped you at all."
She murmured softly, her tone remarkably calm. But behind it: "I can't rely on protection forever. Now's the time to prove my worth!" Her unbreakable resolve shone through.
A-ram turned forward again, eyes fixed ahead.
-KURUNG, KURURUNG!
-PSHHHHH!!
The heavy machinery clattered madly: excavators, concrete mixers, grinders, dump trucks. Amid the discordant roar of their engines, A-ram widened her eyes.
Then, she pressed her fingers together. The gesture for snapping—fingers striking to make a sound, what most call a finger snap.
They trembled. Veins bulged vividly on her delicate, jade-like fingers—whatever force she poured in, it was immense.
"Right here, I'll prove it!!"
-KUUUUUWUK!!
"Ugh! The ambient mana saturation?!"
Myeong Gi-sa let out a short groan. His pocket mana detector beeped frantically.
I just stared blankly at Kang A-ram.
Pshut.
From the strain of gathering power, a trickle of blood-tear ran from one eye. How much pain? Unimaginable. Yet amid the agony, her face remained resolute.
"I, Kang A-ram!"
A-ram shouted, and
"Am your greatest tool, Section Chief Seo Han-gyeol!!"
Tak.
Her fingers snapped.
Then, silence fell.
-…….
-……Kuruk.
-…….
* * *
"What… is this?"
Myeong Gi-sa looked around in bewilderment.
No angel had descended, no man turned into a woman—nothing miraculous like that. In fact, it was a sight he'd seen countless times before.
-…….
The heavy machinery lay quietly dormant. The furious clamor from moments ago felt like a dream; a gentle, heavy silence settled softly between hydraulic cylinders and mana engines.
And that confused Myeong Gi-sa.
"Th-they were on the verge of rampage…?"
He denied the reality. But the scene before him remained unchanged: the machinery slept peacefully, as if nothing had happened.
-Thud.
In the profound quiet, the only sound was the woman called Kang A-ram collapsing to the ground.
Myeong Gi-sa stared at her crumpled form. Her cheap suit, the worn wallet half-spilling from her pocket, and her lone shining plastic employee ID.
Nebula Secretary Office. Kang A-ram
Myeong Gi-sa felt it viscerally once more. Nebula, Korea's top mega-corp.
"…Even rookie newbie secretaries aren't hired lightly, huh?"
It lived up to its name.
He gazed at the hunter—a mere 7th-rank by the numbers, yet she'd silenced over a hundred heavy machines single-handedly.
Seo Han-gyeol scooped up the fallen A-ram and laid her in a relatively safe clearing. Then he approached Myeong Gi-sa.
"Hazards resolved. Let's move."
"……Yeah."
Myeong Gi-sa swallowed hard, watching Seo Han-gyeol remain unshaken despite his colleague's collapse.
Habit? Training results? No… This is more like trauma. Has he lost someone close too?
Meanwhile, Seo Han-gyeol was inwardly praising himself. Whoa, Kang A-ram is the real deal… Glad I pulled her into the secretary's office. She's breathing fine, no life-threatening issues. Gotta give her a fat bonus later and keep her around long-term.
He was a successful value investor: Seo Han-gyeol.