Grand Strategy (3)
Nebula Group HQ's first floor. …Not far from there, in a café.
"Tch!"
A man with his hood pulled low over his face clicked his tongue in annoyance. Even then, his inner rage still simmered, but after taking a sip of his iced Americano, he finally calmed down a bit.
What was there to hide? This was none other than [Ink Shadow].
After becoming a freelance hunter known as the God of Combat, he discovered his talent for information gathering and had spent over a decade honing his stealth and eavesdropping skills without rest.
Moreover, abilities like this one, mana utilization techniques, were all newly developed fields after gates opened. If they were like sports or math—disciplines humanity had refined for thousands of years—even a prodigy like [Ink Shadow] at best would have no choice but to accept his limits.
Fortunately, humanity's mana utilization was still in its early stages. Of course, it was advancing at a terrifying pace year by year, so the special know-how he'd developed wouldn't be useful for much longer.
That was why, despite knowing full well the dangers of big corporations, he'd mustered the courage to attempt eavesdropping.
'I was planning to make a killing this time and wash my hands of it.'
[Ink Shadow] let out a light sigh.
He couldn't figure out where things had gone wrong.
The clue had come from the Busan Oncheon Gate.
Information guilds. And freelance hunters specializing in intel. Sounds cool, but it was pretty much like a third-rate tabloid chasing scandals out of hunger or paparazzi hawking photos—basically the same relationship.
Just adding a dash of spice to what regular paparazzi did. Sure, they sometimes operated in legal gray areas, but even then, it was minor stuff like trespassing, invasion of privacy, assault, blackmail, or light portrait rights violations(?).
Push your luck after a few close calls, cross the line, and the Punishment Enforcement Bureau's reapers would come for your neck.
Sticking to boundaries was key.
In that sense, feeding Nebula updates to Atlas was one of the steadiest income sources out there. Corporations always had money to bleed, and since they were in business, they constantly needed intel.
So, he'd casually snuck around the Busan Oncheon Gate to snoop—and that's when he saw it.
—What the hell is that guy?!
[Ink Shadow] nearly popped his eyes out watching the madman stabilize a super-sized anchor all by himself.
His own bag strap might be short, but anyone could see that was impressive, right? Unless your eyes were busted, it was plain fact.
And above all…
'Smells like money.'
That man's side was bound to overflow with rare, expensive stories.
So, using his signature techniques, he'd eavesdropped on Seo Han-gyeol and the Atlas division chief's conversation—only for all sound to cut off abruptly.
"I've never been caught once before…"
He muttered to himself, when suddenly a chill ran down his spine.
A sensation like cold mana brushing his back.
'?!'
[Ink Shadow] whipped his head around in alarm, scanning the surroundings.
But the café was full of ordinary folks—no unusual types in sight.
However…
'The mana's solidified?'
The mana thread he'd stretched thin for communication had frozen solid like a frostbitten potato.
His experience as a modern-day rat set off blaring alarms.
The mana thread extended for voice eavesdropping. A typical hunter wouldn't even detect it easily, and he'd gone the extra mile this time, planting it far from the conference room—just barely within earshot.
And that wasn't all. Just in case, he'd spun it with the faintest possible mana.
Yet that mana thread…
'Neutralized before I, the caster, even noticed!'
If it'd just been severed, that'd be one thing. But to perfectly analyze the technique's structure and alter its properties? They'd pinpointed his location ages ago!
'Gotta run!'
[Ink Shadow] bolted from his seat without hesitation.
He rushed out of the café, bumping into people who grumbled complaints he didn't even hear.
Only after putting about 200 meters between him and the café did he gasp for breath and exhale in relief.
"…I escaped."
Or maybe a small fry like him wasn't worth chasing.
Either way.
"I'm alive."
He wiped the sweat soaking his forehead, blissfully unaware.
"Is this really enough, sir?"
"Of course. It's a mana property testing device developed in our Atlas labs."
"I knew you were special, but to suppress even ambient natural mana properties! With this, we could halve the development costs for Busan Oncheon Gate!"
That it was mere fallout from a mini-experiment to sate the two Atlas division chiefs' curiosity about Seo Han-gyeol's abilities ahead of a big project.
Meanwhile.
In the secretary's office, Kang A-ram stood with a resolute expression after taking Seo Han-gyeol's call.
'Senior Secretary Seo wouldn't really call me just because he's thirsty for drinks.'
No. He was genuinely thirsty.
But how had Kang A-ram met Seo Han-gyeol? In a sunset-lit hospital room, he'd offered to "use" her(?), forging their fateful master-servant bond.
No matter his intent, it wouldn't register properly with Kang A-ram.
'Iced Americano, matcha latte, caramel macchiato. And one drink of my choice.'
Kang A-ram cranked her little brain into overdrive.
What Seo Han-gyeol pulled off effortlessly like breathing—metaphors and political maneuvers—she, the dullard, had to chase after with all her might.
Of course, [details omitted].
A few minutes later, light dawned in Kang A-ram's eyes.
'Got it.'
Iced Americano: the most basic menu item. Thus, the most basic element in business. Money.
And the team managing company funds? Finance team.
Once that clicked, the rest flowed smoothly.
'Matcha latte, blending bitter and sweet: Field Support Team. Caramel macchiato, packed with brain-fueling sugar: HR Team.'
So, what Kang A-ram needed to do wasn't deliver drinks to the conference room taking his words at face value.
'Finance, Field Support, HR. Senior Secretary Seo plans to command the essential departments like limbs before launching the project!'
A perfect wild guess that could bury even a hulking warrior in quicksand!
So what? Seo Han-gyeol, who could correct her, was up in the conference room, leaving her alone down here.
Her eyes blazing, Kang A-ram ransacked cabinets and tablets for negotiation ammo.
Before long, her arms overflowed with top-secret docs loaded with horrors: double books, external bribes, hiring scandals.
'Watch over me, Senior Secretary Seo!'
I'll twist every department's neck until they beg to wear the collar themselves!
—Clack, clack.
The young secretary—no, Senior Secretary Seo's one and only confidante, Secretary Kang—charged into enemy territory with fierce determination.
This was months before Kang A-ram, reigning as Nebula employees' terror alongside Senior Secretary Seo, awakened to [Resignation of the Conflagration]…
—Knock knock.
"Senior Secretary Seo. Secretary Kang A-ram here."
"Come in."
Seo Han-gyeol inwardly cheered at the crisp knock. He was parched, craving something sweet.
What was there to hide? Nearing thirty and still a total sucker for sweets.
Kang A-ram, beaming with proud smile, handed over the drink tray and reported to Seo Han-gyeol.
"All your orders have been handled. HR gave some trouble, but borrowing Senior Secretary Seo Han-gyeol's prestige got them cooperating fast."
"……?"
HR? Cooperating?
'Did they promise to restock the break room coffee mixes more often?'
Nice. He could pilfer them home guilt-free now. Saved on side expenses.
A faint smile tugged at Seo Han-gyeol's lips thinking that, and
'!!!'
Kang A-ram, seeing it, felt her chest swell even more.
As she set the drinks down one by one, she explained.
"First, iced Americano courtesy of Finance's cooperation. Compressed and removed all 'off-flavors.' Clean taste."
She'd slipped the finance team lead's bribe records into the back of a coffee mix requisition form.
Kang A-ram's beaming, wordless warning.
—Cooperate nicely. Or face dishonorable discharge and compensation lawsuits.
The finance lead, still needing to pay his two kids' tuition, swallowed tears and promised to approve every budget request from the secretary's office.
Seo Han-gyeol, thinking the company had footed the bill like a true megacorp perk, was delighted but kept a stone-cold facade.
Chungcheong cotton candy would approve…
"Next, matcha latte on Management Support's recommendation. It had clumps, but now it's perfectly blended."
She'd warned the foot-dragging Management Support Team that if they kept slacking, Senior Secretary Seo would personally deliver "thanks."
Seo Han-gyeol had planned a polite "please keep up the good work" anyway, so not an empty threat.
…Though to outsiders, a guy with mana reserves to solo a super-sized anchor—someone even Seol Hwi couldn't trifle with—delivering "thanks" might sound different.
Anyway, Management Support wouldn't drag their feet on the secretary's office anymore. Even if they tried, Kang A-ram wouldn't stand for it.
'Mess with our tiny secretary's office and you're screwed.'
For such villains, special Kang A-ram tea(?) awaited. Brewing solo, with what looked like green pebbles inside? Illusion. As if it had uranium or something.
"……."
"……Ha. Does Nebula's secretary office only collect monsters?"
Meanwhile, at the same table, Seong Ha-yun and Nam Jung-jun listened quietly.
Matching big-corp exec-level scheming and brainpower, they'd grasped every hidden meaning in Kang A-ram's words.
So what?
"? Well done. I'll give you a special bonus later."
"No need. It was my duty."
Seo Han-gyeol accepted Kang A-ram's deep bow, inwardly just standing there blankly.
He'd planned to pull a new 5-star support character from last night's gacha and level it up at home.
But even his cold act now blended so seamlessly with his performance that he looked like the "black-ops secretary handling routine business"—and that was the problem…