Chapter 40
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Special Mission! Broker Sweep Operation
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"What the hell, there's so many flyers."
I'd just popped out to the convenience store for a bit, and in the meantime, a whole stack of flyers had crammed itself into my mailbox. From supermarket ads to shady loan offers. Nothing surprising for this neighborhood, but today it seemed even more chaotic than usual.
Rustle.
"Hm?"
Now they're even shoving them through the door crack.
I picked up the flyer that had fallen to the floor and read it over to see what kind of ad it was.
Notice to All Residents!
Your outdated air conditioner
must be repaired immediately!
This summer is expected to be brutally hot.
—Migratory Bird Employment Agency—
'What is this?'
The content was all jumbled, and the design looked like it was made by someone touching a computer for the first time.
It seemed like an employment agency ad at first glance, but why were they telling people to fix their ACs?
A nagging suspicion lingered, so I went inside and scrutinized the flyer for a good while.
"Awakening required?"
Reading the first letters of each line formed a strangely coherent message. No way that was a coincidence. For them to come all the way to this rundown neighborhood and stuff these flyers in... it had to be...
'An awakening broker disguised as an employment agency.'
Awakening brokers were groups that took money from non-awakeners and helped them awaken.
No one knew exactly how they induced awakening, but I remembered hearing on the news a few years back about a massive crackdown. Were they back in business?
With all the talk about how becoming a hunter could turn your life around, plenty of desperate folks scraped together cash to commission brokers for an awakening.
Creeeak.
I stuffed the flyer into my pants pocket and headed back outside.
"Whoa..."
They'd plastered them everywhere.
The house across, upstairs, downstairs—every door had that suspicious employment agency flyer wedged in the crack.
Clunk.
Just then, I heard the downstairs door open. I craned my neck to look and saw a young woman I'd glimpsed on the stairs a few times, carefully reading her flyer.
I knew she lived there with her husband and little daughter. Right?
[One Who Steps on Karma]
[Regain your memories and clear the karma from past timelines.]
[Karma that can be cleared has been detected.]
[Would you like to move to the location?]
It popped up again. I tore my gaze from downstairs and gave the status window an affirmative nod.
'Where's it sending me this time...'
Thud.
"Huh?"
"Oh?"
The first thing I saw upon landing was the downstairs woman.
'The downstairs neighbor?'
I jolted back in surprise, and she flinched, staring at me.
Ah, better sort out this situation first.
"H-Hi! I was just heading home and we bumped into each..."
"Y-You're Shin Ji-ui the hunter, right?!"
Grab.
The downstairs woman's face lit up. She seized both my hands, glancing between me and her home, flustered beyond words.
"Oh, this... this, um... hold on!"
She propped the door open and dashed inside, dragging someone out amid a clamor.
"Ahh, this is our first time properly greeting you, right~? This is our daughter, Yeon-woo. Lee Yeon-woo."
The little girl I'd seen a few times before. Yeon-woo, startled by the sudden introduction, alternated glances between her mom and me before bowing her head deeply.
'Is she younger than my Ji-yu?'
I crouched down in front of Yeon-woo and gave a slight smile.
"Hey, Yeon-woo. Nice to meet you."
"H-Hi..."
Skinny as a rail, messy hair like she'd just woken up.
"You have to remember our Yeon-woo, okay? Promise?"
"Pardon? Oh, sure..."
The downstairs woman giggled like she was off her rocker, stroking Yeon-woo's hair.
Pat, pat.
Each touch made the girl's head loll limply.
"Uh, that... your grip seems a bit strong..."
"See you later then. Haha!"
Slam.
'What the hell was that woman.'
Staring at the closed door, an inexplicable disgust welled up. If the mission triggered, we'd definitely crossed paths in a past timeline. She'd probably made some critical mistake.
Crumple.
I pulled the flyer back out of my pocket.
Migratory Bird Employment Agency
No way I could just let this slide.
"What a coincidence."
"Pardon?"
The Chairman's eyes widened after hearing my story, his jewel-like blue irises sparkling clearly.
"The very thing I wanted to ask of you was this broker purge operation."
"Really?"
Perfect timing. After I told Se-bin about the awakening broker flyer, she immediately contacted the Chairman—who'd been looking for me for the same reason—and our meeting was set.
Knock knock.
"Ah, looks like she's here."
The door to the Chairman's office opened, and in walked a middle-aged woman in a police uniform.
"This is Lee Go-eun, Chief of Guro Police Station. A C-rank awakener and my old friend."
"Pleased to meet you. Lee Go-eun."
"Shin Ji-ui."
I shook the Chief's outstretched hand, and she sat across from me. Her presence matched her deep, resonant voice—tanned skin from the sun, deeply set double-lidded eyes, prominent cheekbones, and lips pressed tight like they only spoke truth.
"Just as Shin Ji-ui Hunter said, the awakening brokers have resumed activity."
"Their numbers dropped sharply after a major sweep about five years ago, but they've surged again lately."
Chief Lee Go-eun added.
"Brokers take money from non-awakeners—or reserves like E- or F-rankers—and help them awaken."
"Even reserves?"
"Rare cases of re-awakening happen, though C-rank is the limit."
Got it. E- or F-rank awakeners were practically civilians, classified as 'reserve awakeners.' Or in slang, fake awakeners.
"How do brokers induce awakening?"
"Come to think of it, it's never been publicized."
The Chairman calmly continued while munching on the mini rice cakes on the table.
"They take clients into dungeons or privately owned buildings, expose them to primal fear or mortal threats, and force an awakening."
'Utter scum.'
Even if many awakened under life-threatening stress, this was way too extreme.
Chief Lee Go-eun handed me a tablet. The screen showed a Seoul map, densely pinned with flags in one area.
"What are these flags?"
"Places where broker activity has been spotted. Lately, they're operating organized out of offices instead of solo."
"Guro-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Dongjak-gu. All clustered."
"Because that's where private company-owned dungeons are concentrated. Easier access and laxer regs than Association dungeons, so brokers frequent them."
I thought Guro-gu only had that one dungeon Nokdu and I hit often, but apparently loads of private ones too. Tapping a flag brought up a photo of a rundown three-story building.
"Migratory Bird... Employment Agency!"
The exact broker outfit that flyered my place.
"That's the building housing the largest broker group you're seeing now. Our intel says they take clients into dungeons every Friday evening."
"Why that time?"
"Close to quitting time."
"Ah."
I got it without further explanation.
Yeah, that witching hour when focus tanks. Even as a dungeon staffer, I'd skim scans and bolt home.
Chief Lee Go-eun tapped the tablet again, bringing up a man's face.
'Let's see. Han Cheol-min, 40 years old, C-rank awakener, hunter license revoked four years ago.'
He looked reasonably groomed, but not likable.
"What I'm asking you to do is pose as a client and capture Han Cheol-min."
"Undercover, huh..."
Scrape.
Chief Lee Go-eun stood then.
"We'll discuss details at the station."
A police office straight out of the movies. I sat awkwardly on the sofa when a young male cop about my age brought coffee. I bowed slightly in thanks and took a sip. Cheap beans and sugar tingled on my tongue.
"Shall we get down to business?"
"Yes! But who's this...?"
Behind Chief Lee Go-eun stood a man with dark circles down to his jaw. He stepped out of her shadow and bowed to me.
"I'm Hwang Su-won, who's been undercover investigating."
"Lieutenant Hwang Su-won infiltrated their building as a janitor for two months."
"Whoa..."
That must've been rough.
His weary face said it all.
"First, Lieutenant Hwang will explain the building layout and personnel traits to Shin Ji-ui Hunter. Then we'll brief the operation. Lieutenant Hwang."
"Yes, ma'am."
Lieutenant Hwang wobbled as he pulled a thick stack of documents from his bag. Setting it on the table made the coffee cups rattle.
Investigation Log
Flipping the honest cover revealed faces and scribbled notes.
"You can check the rest later... Start with Han Cheol-min's profile."
"Got it. Hm... looks ordinary at first glance..."
"Typical awakening broker, but just a slimy bastard. Smokes everywhere inside..."
Ah, janitor's nightmare.
Hwang Su-won grumbled but refocused, pointing at Han Cheol-min's profile.
"This guy's the boss, Han Cheol-min. C-rank, fire attribute. Veteran hunter once. Has an attack-type unique skill; after license revocation, bounced around fight clubs."
"So he's used to using skills on people."
"Right. Skill's Fire Fist—literally sets his fists on fire. Nothing special."
Hwang flipped a page, showing Han bloodied and floored in a fight club, then sneaking into the rundown building with shady docs.
"Photos from a few years back. Probably when he started the broker gig under the employment agency front here."
"Hmm... personality?"
"Classic con man. Lies flow without a blink. Gets violent if things don't go his way."
Flip.
Next: building blueprint.
"First floor's a snack bar, second's some tax accountant's office? Anyway, third's Han's. But they spend more time in dungeons than offices, so not crucial info."
Chief Lee Go-eun rose from her chair and approached as a police emblem lit the wall-spanning screen.
"Now, the operation briefing."
The screen flashed 'Illegal Awakening Broker Infiltration Sweep Operation,' then Han Cheol-min's face and a gate photo.
"Simple op: Shin Ji-ui Hunter poses as non-awakener, requests awakening at the building, gathers intel in the dungeon."
"No worries about getting spotted. Chief has perception interference skill."
Ah, right—I kept forgetting I'm famous. Only home or dungeons for me, no real moments to feel it.
I gave Hwang an awkward smile; he grinned back and thumbs-upped.
"Undercover day, we'll fit you with a necklace cam. Top-tier, scanner-proof. Post-clear, help standby police subdue Han and protect non-awakeners."
"...Bit rude to ask, but may I?"
Chief Lee Go-eun nodded.
"Seems straightforward—why hasn't he been caught yet...?"
From her words alone, no need for elaborate undercover. She closed her eyes briefly, reopening them—like she agreed deeply.
"Clients who've paid Han won't cooperate with investigations."
"Why not?"
"They've bet everything on him. Awakening to hunter is their only escape from despair."
That explained it. If Han's shut down, so's their shot. Grasping at straws.
'Plenty of pharma scam artists pushed company meds on Ji-yu when she was hurting.'
Sick of leeches preying on desperation to fatten themselves.
"Some of Han's clients entered dungeons and ended up total wrecks from mental trauma. Broken limbs are minor."
Beep.
Chief Lee Go-eun killed the screen with the remote.
"Tomorrow, 10 AM here. We'll provide items and skills. Then straight to Han's office."
"Understood."
Her stoic face cracked a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. As I offered another handshake, she gripped firmly and nodded.