The Opposite of Suicide (5)
Eunho studied the man standing before him.
He was easily over a hundred and ninety centimeters tall, packed with so much dense muscle that his tailored suit seemed to groan in agony at the seams. Yet his face looked surprisingly youthful. At an educated guess, he was perhaps in his early thirties.
To make department head at that age, he must be remarkably capable.
The Association was a global institution. Even if this was merely the Korean Branch, climbing the corporate ladder was anything but easy.
Was that dramatic greeting earlier some kind of calculated psychological gambit?
Eunho raised his guard another notch, keeping a sharp eye on the man. Park Sang-ik, noticing the scrutinizing glare, scratched the back of his head sheepishly and let out a hearty laugh.
"Seeing you in the flesh got me a bit overexcited, I'm afraid. My apologies, Mr. Baek Eunho."
"In the flesh?"
"Ah, yes. I'm actually one of your viewers. Been following your stream since the very beginning, in fact." He grinned broadly. "Do you happen to recall a comment early on from someone claiming they took personal leave just to watch?"
Eunho searched his memory. Well, calling it the past was a stretch—it had all happened earlier today. Roughly twelve hours ago, to be precise. Because it had been his very first broadcast, the early chat messages remained vivid in his mind.
A viewer who had declared himself a winner merely for watching the broadcast.
Remembering the line, Eunho could not help asking, "That comment mentioned a Department Head Park. Don't tell me... you're that Department Head Park?"
"Yes. Haha! Having it brought up to my face makes me feel like my digital footprint is getting autopsied, which is a little mortifying, but I am indeed that very Department Head Park."
"Wait a minute. Then why did you act like you were talking about someone else entirely in chat?"
"Well, to get attention, of course."
"...Excuse me?"
"Oh, and I didn't actually burn any leave. The Association is far too busy for that. I was just sneaking peeks on my phone from inside the bathroom stall."
What in the world? What kind of avant-garde wage theft confession was this? Was an upright department head of the prestigious Association really allowed to behave like this?
Besides, the revelation that a man built like a brick fortress had posted bait comments purely out of a craving for attention came as a fresh shock. Someone with his physical presence would turn heads just by walking down the middle of a street.
"Are you thinking about how massive I am right now?"
Eunho flinched slightly.
"Or perhaps you're wondering if I bear a striking resemblance to that goblin from earlier?"
"...No, that didn't cross my mind."
"Haha! Don't worry about it. My colleagues actually said the exact same thing a little while ago. We had a magnificent laugh over it."
He was a remarkably jovial man. When someone suffered from complexes about their appearance or lacked self-esteem, turning their own shortcomings into self-deprecating humor was nearly impossible.
"Now then, you came to the Association with business in mind, didn't you? Allow me to show you to the reception room. Right this way."
Department Head Park Sang-ik bowed with exaggerated courtesy before leading Eunho and Arin down the corridor. As they walked, Regressor Arin's voice drifted softly into the ears of both Eunho and her present-day self.
—Department Head Park Sang-ik. To think you'd run into him this early.
'Why? Who is he?'
—A prominent figure who was slated to become a prime candidate for Korean Branch Director within three years. And... a man who ultimately lost his life because of his unbending principles and sense of justice.
The look in Regressor Arin's eyes as she watched Park Sang-ik's broad back was heavy with solemn sorrow. It was the expression of someone gazing upon a fallen comrade whose face they never expected to see again.
'Were you close?'
—Hm? What's this? Is our Eunho getting jealous?
Eunho had spoken out of genuine concern, but having walked straight into that counterpunch, he promptly shut down his curiosity. Regressor Arin, however, continued rambling on anyway.
—We weren't close. I could count the number of times I saw his face on one hand. But I know this much: if he had stayed alive, South Korea's Awakeners wouldn't have fractured so easily.
'Fractured? Over what?'
—Over what else? The demonic humans. Because of those bastards who threw away their humanity, South Korea devolved into near-anarchy. Even when people tried to join forces, no one could trust anyone else. In the Tower, where teamwork is paramount, that kind of distrust is the single biggest catalyst for downfall.
A bitter shadow lingered over Regressor Arin's features.
—Once Korea couldn't even manage its own survival, the collateral damage cascaded to other nations. China held out for a bit, but... they merely threw money and sheer manpower at the problem. They lacked individuals with genuine, peerless talent, so they couldn't endure for long.
'...I see. Then we'll have to make sure he survives.'
—Yes. Above all, he's someone who genuinely cares for Korea's Awakeners. Even though he never awakened himself, his wife is an Awakener. Apparently, that's why he's so devoted.
'Contrary to how he looks, he's quite the romantic.'
—Right? And just so you know, he's very much taken. You can relax now, Eunho~
'...'
Eunho felt like a fish wriggling helplessly on a hook. To think taking a single bite of bait would lead to such utter indignity!
As Eunho furrowed his brows in annoyance, Department Head Park noticed his expression and misinterpreted it with concern.
"Did I handle something poorly, by any chance?"
"Ah, no. It's just that my stomach feels slightly off."
"Oh, what a shame. There's a fantastic braised short ribs place nearby. I was hoping to treat you to a meal if the opportunity arose."
"Actually, I think I just made a miraculous recovery."
"...Haha! Excellent. Then we'll head over as soon as we finish our discussion. I'll make a reservation right away."
The two men exchanged a brief glance and broke into simultaneous chuckles. Beside them, the present-day Arin simply flushed red with embarrassment.
Guided by Department Head Park, they entered the reception room. He made a quick call to issue instructions, and before long, light refreshments and tea were brought in.
"I hope this suits your palate."
"It's more than fine. I have a coarse appetite, so I'm rarely picky about food."
Indeed, eating just about anything without complaint was one of Eunho's quiet points of pride. Of course, stinky tofu or bizarre, unrecognizable concoctions were out of the question—his lack of pickiness applied strictly to things meant for human consumption.
Slurp.
Living up to the Association's prestige, the beverage served was far above standard instant mix coffee. Wherever they had fetched it from, the velvety sweetness of the cafe mocha washed over the tip of his tongue. After surviving on bland, utilitarian rations inside the Tower, the rich flavor felt like pure luxury.
"Nothing kick-starts the brain quite like sugar," Park Sang-ik remarked, taking a sip from his own cup—which, in hilarious contrast to his intimidating frame, was a strawberry chocolate-chip frappuccino drenched in extra chocolate syrup. "Mr. Baek Eunho. Coming here means... you have something you want from the Association. I'll get straight to the point."
Park Sang-ik cast a lingering, regretful glance at his drink before setting it down on the table.
"Whatever it is you desire, the Korean Branch of the Association is confident we can provide a favorable answer."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Tell me, what do you want?"
"Hmm."
Eunho let his eyes wander. Despite the abundant open space on the sofa, Regressor Arin was deliberately pressing her weight against his back, making ridiculous little noises as she squirmed. Their eyes met.
Honestly, he wished she wouldn't do this. Her chest kept brushing right against his shoulder blades.
—You need help drafting a deal for the Association, right?
'Yeah. But before that, could you please sit up properly? Arin is glaring at me like she wants to murder someone.'
Eunho felt like a criminal despite doing nothing wrong. He didn't even dare turn his head toward the present-day Arin. The piercing glare burning into the side of his skull felt sharp enough to drill a hole straight through.
—Don't wanna~
Finding the situation immensely entertaining, Regressor Arin giggled and pressed herself even closer. Yet despite her shameless antics, the tactical advice that followed was sharp and veteran. It was an uncanny dissonance, as if her mental age and her behavior operated on entirely different wavelengths.
—First, let's solve your Coin shortage. Tell them to provide a regular monthly Coin stipend. Aside from what they earn inside the Tower, Rankers receive supplementary Coin sponsorships like this all the time.
'Did you get one too?'
—Nope. In my timeline, the Association was practically ruined after the demonic humans attacked, so there was no such thing as sponsorship. I just lived off the land inside the Tower. Still, my clear records were so stellar that I was rarely short on funds anyway.
Hmm.
Eunho nodded internally at her advice and addressed the man across the table.
"Department Head Park."
"You may simply call me Sang-ik."
"I couldn't do that. More importantly, I've decided on what I want."
"And that would be?"
"I want a regular monthly sponsorship in Coins."
At Eunho's words, Park Sang-ik broke into a knowing grin. Reaching beneath the table, he rummaged around and produced a folder. When had he even prepared that? Just as Regressor Arin had claimed, the man was extraordinarily sharp.
"I anticipated as much and secured this proposal from the Branch Director in advance. A regular monthly Coin sponsorship. The amount is five hundred Coins. In Korean currency, that translates to roughly two hundred and fifty million won."
—Double it. You have to get at least that much.
Regressor Arin's voice suddenly turned dead serious.
'Double? That's a thousand Coins.'
—Exactly. That's a sponsorship tier reserved for proper Rankers. But think about it, Eunho. Are you not worth that much? You are. From the moment I entered your body, you gained the potential to conquer at least the floors I once climbed—a feat that modern Rankers haven't even dreamed of achieving.
Her voice rang with an absolute, unshakeable confidence that far surpassed anything she had shown before, as if stating an immutable decree of fate.
—And watching you firsthand made me realize something. You will climb far higher than I ever did. No... you might actually conquer the Tower entirely. You possess that caliber of monstrous talent. Trust me on this.
"..."
Convinced by her unwavering conviction, Eunho gave a calm nod.
"Make it double."
"...I see. I expected you to ask for that much, Mr. Eunho."
Park Sang-ik nodded approvingly, reached beneath the table once more, and pulled out an entirely different set of documents. The clauses were identical to the first, but the figure printed inside was different. Not five hundred Coins, but one thousand—the exact amount Eunho had just demanded.
"Truth be told, I had already pitched that very figure to the Branch Director. Haha! I caught quite an earful for it, of course. But having watched your broadcast himself, the Director gave it serious thought and approved it. Though... there is one condition."
"A condition?"
"Yes. Your departure from the Tower at this specific timing... it means you intend to lend a hand with the Erosion, correct?"
Erosion.
A recurring catastrophe that had begun plaguing the world ever since the Tower first appeared on Earth.
During the first three days of every month, the boundary separating reality from the Tower wore perilously thin. The frayed space naturally overlapped with another realm, unleashing the Tower's monsters directly into the physical world.
'If an Erosion isn't cleared in time, the territory assimilates permanently, doesn't it?'
It was far more insidious than monsters merely adapting to Earth's ecosystem. An eroded district became transformed into a localized spire of the Tower itself. The land where humanity once lived ceased to exist, stolen away into the alien architecture of the Tower.
That existential threat was precisely why Climbers were revered as heroes, and why the public rallied behind them with such fervent devotion.
"Are you telling me to stop an Erosion?"
"Precisely. Naturally, we will calculate the danger rating according to your current floor and dispatch you only to an Erosion of matching difficulty. What do you say?"
"Are you trying to buy my cooperation with money right now?"
Eunho's brow furrowed, and Park Sang-ik's expression instantly crumpled into visible panic.
"N-no, that wasn't my intent at all, I assure you—"
"Deal. I'll do it."
The sum was, quite simply, far too large to refuse.