What the Hell?
Taejeong, who had been politely asking for permission to pass through, couldn't hide his bewilderment as countless people turned to stare at him all at once.
In the midst of it, a small shout rang out.
"That's the incarnation of the battlefield himself! Yoo Taejeong-nim!"
A voice that made him doubt his own ears—and at the same time, enormous cheers erupted from every direction.
Waaaaah—!
Applause that seemed to shake the very building poured in, followed by waves of praise.
"You're really amazing!"
"It's an honor to meet you!"
"Oh my, he's handsome too, oppa!"
"Kyaa!"
"Please look over here just once!"
Blinding flashes and chaotic noise exploded relentlessly, and Taejeong glanced at Park Se-ah.
"What the hell is this?"
"W-well... I don't really know either..."
Park Se-ah seemed just as clueless, so Taejeong quickly tried to assess the situation.
But something was even faster: the onslaught of people shoving their way forward from all sides.
"Please sign this, young executive-nim!"
"Just one photo, please!"
"We live on the same block, third floor! Smile for me once!"
"Hey, I got here first! Move it."
"Aren't you from the lower ranks!? Know your place. Outta the way, punk."
"Can't I go first? I have to head to my shift soon."
"Oh, if it's a beauty like you, I'll yield one spot."
"Thank you!"
A swarm of people like a hive of bees, and frenzied hunters desperately trying to push to the front. It was pure chaos, like five minutes before total mayhem. No, it was already total mayhem.
Caught off guard, Taejeong took the pen and paper from the man at the front.
"That siege was the best ever, executive-nim. From today, you're my role model and hero."
"Ah, I'm not that great..."
"Please sign big and bold, no empty space left—I want to frame it at home!"
Taejeong hesitated briefly at the man's shining eyes but soon scrawled a large signature with a flourish.
The man bowed deeply, bashfully extending his hand.
"Thank you! Sorry, but... could we shake hands too...?"
Before the man could finish, a massive uproar erupted from the back.
"Enough already, get out!"
"You gonna set up house here or what?!"
"Can't you see the people behind?!"
"No sense at all!"
Despite their threats that seemed ready to beat him down any second, the man steadfastly held out his hand.
Taejeong took it, looking troubled once more.
"I have to head to work right now..."
"Thank you! To think I'd shake hands with someone like you. Truly, thank you!"
The man's words ignored Taejeong's completely.
As the man drifted away in a daze, three or four more rushed forward at once, thrusting pens and paper at him.
Right then, Park Se-ah grabbed Taejeong's arm and charged straight ahead.
"Everyone, please make way! This isn't okay! You all have to get to work! Please, I beg you, step aside!"
She shouted loudly, desperately trying to clear a path, but she couldn't move a single step from her spot.
A non-awakened civilian like her had no chance of breaking through a crowd of burly hunters.
Completely surrounded, unable to advance or retreat—that's when a massive siren blared somewhere, and a broadcast echoed out.
All personnel gathered in front of the dorms.
Disperse immediately or face disciplinary action.
This is your final warning.
Disperse immediately or face disciplinary action.
The word "disciplinary" made the hunters jump in shock and start scattering.
Its effect was so potent that in less than a minute, everyone had vanished.
Left alone with Park Se-ah, they were approached by about ten armed hunters.
The leader at the front bowed politely in greeting.
"I'm Security Chief Song Min-ho. We should have taken measures sooner—my apologies for the delay."
"No, no. It wasn't that big a deal."
"There'll be an official memo from above, so this won't happen again. Shall we go? I'll escort you."
Taejeong nodded at Song Min-ho's words and got into his car.
"So, what were all those people anyway?"
"Guild members who heard of the regional commander's fame and came running. It's not common, but whenever there's buzz, they swarm like that. They even form pointless fan clubs. We tell them not to, but we can't force it, so incidents like this keep happening."
"I see. Me, someone great?"
"It's an undeniable fact that you're extraordinary. How many hunters in the guild could single-handedly crush 10,000 troops? Calling you a legend wouldn't be an overstatement."
"Aigoo, legend? I just got a bit lucky."
"As the rumors say, you're incredibly humble. The staff officers rave about you—talent, character, manners, the full package."
"This is embarrassing. I'm not that great..."
Unable to handle the excessive praise, Taejeong turned his gaze to the window.
He had done something impressive, sure, but there were limits.
It might feel good now, but expectations would breed responsibility and pressure in equal measure.
And that pressure was bound to grow.
So, moderation was key.
Of course, overwhelming power made such concerns irrelevant—everything would turn out fine anyway.
But he was far from that level yet, so these gazes and expectations weren't entirely welcome.
The car drove for about ten minutes before arriving at the regional command headquarters.
A grand 20-story building loomed, flanked by numerous annexes.
Greeting the waiting HR manager, he headed straight inside to the command center.
The room was already filled with the regional command's key personnel, including the deputy commander, anticipating his arrival.
"Alright, introductions. This is Yoo Taejeong, your new regional commander starting today. You all know him already. Anyway, I have things to handle, so I'll take off. The rest is on you."
After the casual intro and the HR manager's exit, Taejeong faced the dozens of people watching him.
They clasped their hands, waiting for him to speak first.
New to this, he pondered briefly before echoing the HR manager.
"I'm Yoo Taejeong, taking over as regional commander today. I have a lot to learn, so please teach me well."
Applause followed his simple introduction, and key personnel from each department introduced themselves, welcoming him warmly.
Rumors had spread far and wide, turning his exploits into heroic tales on everyone's lips.
Everyone had wondered who would fill the vacant commander spot after over a month, and assigning the hero of the recent territory war was cause for unanimous celebration.
The commander's role represented the department's power—strong leadership made everything smoother for the staff.
Weak leadership meant budget woes and disdain from other departments.
So, the commander needed real strength.
In that regard, Taejeong was perfect.
A man who soloed 10,000 troops and elevated the guild to specialist status—what more needed saying?
After brief introductions, Deputy Commander Han Min-su personally escorted him to the commander's office.
"This is your office, commander-nim. The secretary pool is just outside. Since it's your first day, just look around today and start duties tomorrow. I'll take my leave."
Once the deputy left, Taejeong scanned the room, then plopped into the executive chair, spinning it around.
He stared at the nameplate with his name, muttering.
"This must be like being CEO out in the civilian world, huh? President or whatever. As a kid, sitting in a spot like this was my dream, but... no thrill now. Guess it's 'cause I'm not a regular guy anymore."
Drifting into nostalgia, he snapped back and asked Park Se-ah.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"Your impressions. You've got a real workplace now."
"Just that I need to work even harder."
"Always work, work, work with you. Anyway, no more housework from now on—you've got a proper job. But why the long face since earlier? Something wrong? Why do you keep rubbing your arm?"
"No, it's just numb. Probably slept funny."
Her awkward tone made Taejeong stand and approach.
He grabbed her arm she'd pulled behind her.
"Ah!"
"What? You hurt?"
"No, just... ahh!"
"You're hurt."
"It's... I think I twisted it a bit getting shoved by the crowd earlier. But it's nothing. This is no big deal, ahh! Ow."
"Doesn't look like nothing."
She winced even from a light grip, and Taejeong inwardly clicked his tongue.
Why's she so stubborn? If you're hurt, say so and get treated. What's the point of lips if you don't use 'em.
"It's your first day with the boss—how could I? And really, it's minor. A good night's sleep and it'll be fine."
"You a doctor? Cut the nonsense and go get treated, then head home. Like the deputy said, nothing to do today—rest up."
"You don't have to go that far..."
"Aish, you never listen. Am I even your boss?"
"Sorry."
"No backtalk—just do as I say. Can't be helped if you're uncomfortable. Got it? Out you go."
After forcibly sending out the protesting Park Se-ah, he recalled the scene at the dorms.
Her frantic efforts to clear a path through that mob of hunters.
Admirable, but foolish.
Even six burly guys couldn't have budged that crowd.
It left him feeling a pang of sympathy.
Can't get that Awakening Stone anywhere? Would be nice to give her one.
He half-wished he could make one and hand it over.
Even as an office worker, a secretary needed enough power to protect herself.
But that was nearly impossible.
Out of over a hundred secretaries evaluated over four years, only one had awakened—the Awakening Stone was that rare.
As far as he knew, the guild held just two in storage.
Rumors said the next batch would be the last shot at secretary awakenings.
You couldn't just ask for one, and it wasn't something you could easily obtain even if you tried.
Pondering options, he shook his head.
"Whatever, best I can do is look out for her comfort. My own issues come first right now. A level 400 busybody is a no-go. Gotta adapt here first... but man, can I even handle the job? Total noob at this stuff."