Chapter 26 - Puppeteer (1)
Puppeteer (1)
Puppeteer (1)
Earth and dust mixed together in the wind.
His entire body ached as if it were about to break.
His head spun, and his vision blurred.
A single moment of impact.
Just that alone had almost knocked him unconscious.
“…I’m going to die.”
After the storm passed once.
Lee Jeonseok struggled to lift himself up.
Then he slowly looked around.
The dust clouded his vision so badly that he couldn’t see anything.
If the world were to end, would it look like this?
[Skel has died.]
[Summoning is unavailable for 24 hours.]
A window suddenly appeared before his eyes.
Even Skel, who had been in a gigantified state, couldn’t withstand the shock of the explosion.
If there was any consolation, it was that he could resummon him after 24 hours.
“…Cough!”
Lee Jeonseok coughed violently in the polluted air.
But only for a moment.
Soon, the wind blew, sweeping the dust away.
At the same time, the collapsed abandoned factory was revealed.
No—
Could this even be called a factory anymore?
The building’s original form was nowhere to be found.
All that remained were broken ruins.
It had already been poorly maintained.
With an explosion added on top of that, the ceiling, pillars, and even the foundation had completely collapsed.
‘First of all…’
Lee Jeonseok cautiously scanned his surroundings.
That level of impact and noise had gone off.
People would gather soon.
And then the situation would become rather troublesome.
More precisely, it would become annoying.
Proving one’s innocence was always tedious and exhausting, no matter the era.
Holding his breath and erasing his presence, Lee Jeonseok moved quickly.
He left the scene and soon hid himself in a damp alley with no CCTV cameras.
The surroundings were quiet.
There were no traces of people.
Nor was there any sign of pursuit.
“Phew…”
Only then did Lee Jeonseok release the breath he’d been holding.
And then—
‘I misjudged it.’
He replayed what had happened at the abandoned factory.
‘I should’ve expected that bastard to interfere.’
That bastard.
Alessandro Ferguson.
A villain infamous for dealing with corpses.
At this point in time, he was still an unknown name.
In his previous life, he hadn’t shown himself until two years later, so Lee Jeonseok hadn’t even considered the possibility of his involvement.
It was the downside of relying entirely on memories of the future.
‘I’ll need to think more flexibly from now on.’
Lee Jeonseok brushed his bangs back.
Sweat mixed with blood dripped down.
Was it the aftershock of the explosion?
His fingertips were trembling faintly.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
His clothes.
Both his top and bottom—
They were stained everywhere with blood and dust.
They were already in a state where calling them clothes was generous.
Torn and tattered, no different from rags.
‘Hmm…’
Only then did Lee Jeonseok properly examine himself.
Covered in wounds.
At least there were no fatal injuries, but…
‘If I go home like this, I’ll definitely get scolded.’
Not only his mother, but his father and younger sister would surely be shocked.
If they were merely shocked, that would be fine.
In Han Yuri’s case, she might even collapse.
Her body was as fragile as her heart.
But sneaking in using stealth wasn’t an option—he lacked mana.
Potions?
He’d already used them all.
The last one had been consumed to stop the corpse explosion.
What should he do?
The worry didn’t last long.
Soon, Lee Jeonseok used the Karma Shop and summoned a rabbit.
“We meet again, dear customer.”
A torn gate opened.
Toyoto hopped out from beyond it.
Hop—.
Cute footsteps.
Toyoto’s eyes widened when he saw Lee Jeonseok’s condition.
“My, I don’t know who your opponent was, but it looks like it was quite the fierce battle.”
Toyoto wiped at the corner of his eyes with his stubby hand.
“Still, it’s a relief you don’t seem to be seriously injured. If my one and only customer were to pass away already, I’d truly be heartbroken. Boohoo.”
Was he crying?
No way.
“How about you wipe that grin off your face before talking?”
“Haha, caught me?”
Toyoto laughed and turned his head.
Lee Jeonseok stared at him in disbelief.
What was this rabbit even thinking?
He had no idea what went on inside that tiny head.
“First, let’s pay off the loan.”
Of course, that was that, and this was this.
“Oh? You’ve accumulated quite a bit of good karma already.”
Adjusting his monocle, Toyoto looked at Lee Jeonseok with visible surprise.
The amount of good karma had increased significantly in just a few days.
Even Toyoto couldn’t help but be surprised.
“Understood. I’ll process the repayment for the gigantification loan.”
Immediately after—
[You have paid 3,000 Good Karma to Toyoto.]
[Congratulations!]
[You have fully repaid your loan!]
Three thousand points of good karma vanished from the status window.
What remained was roughly forty-one thousand.
With that, Lee Jeonseok purchased clothes.
They really did sell everything here…
Toyoto even carried a wide selection of ordinary clothing, not just items.
[You have purchased a white sweater.]
[You have purchased clean jeans.]
A sweater and jeans.
Each cost 300.
A total of 600 good karma.
It felt wasteful to spend good karma on something like this, but it was far better than worrying his family.
Besides, this amount was easy enough to earn back.
[You have purchased a Stamina Potion (D).]
[You have purchased a Cleanliness Potion (F).]
Next, he bought two potions.
One to heal minor injuries, and one to clean his body.
They looked identical to the ones sold on the market.
And their effects were no different.
As he drank the potions—
Sizzle—.
All the minor wounds and bloodstains on his body disappeared completely.
“That should do it.”
Just two sets of clothes and two potions.
His business here was finished.
Lee Jeonseok was about to send Toyoto away.
But then—
“Customer, how about a product like this?”
Toyoto said, grabbing Lee Jeonseok’s attention.
He looked just like a department store clerk.
At the same time, a status window appeared. Clean
Rank: CEffect: Consumes a small amount of mana to restore bodily cleanliness. “Even with the good karma you currently possess, this trait is well within your means. It doesn’t help in combat at all, but when it comes to washing off that unpleasant feeling after a fight, nothing beats it.”
“……”
Lee Jeonseok stared at Toyoto.
He was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t speak.
No matter how much of a merchant he was—
‘This is basically a joke…’
And yet—
‘It is tempting.’
Clean.
A trait that was essentially an upgraded version of the Cleanliness Potion.
“How much?”
Lee Jeonseok asked, just in case.
Then—
“Thirty thousand good karma.”
“Bullshit.”
The price hit him like a blow to the head, and the curse slipped out unconsciously.
And then—
“I’m not buying.”
A firm refusal.
‘Do you think I’m an idiot?’
Buying that would make him a sucker.
It was far better to just keep some Cleanliness Potions on hand, even if it cost a bit of money.
“Then it can’t be helped.”
Toyoto bowed, still wearing that inscrutable smile.
“Please use our services again next time.”
Despite the blunt rejection, he vanished without a hint of dissatisfaction.
If anything, there was even a trace of enjoyment in his eyes.
A rabbit that was impossible to understand.
Which made him all the more unsettling.
“Phew.”
Letting out a tired sigh, Lee Jeonseok glanced around.
‘Let’s just go home for now.’
After quickly changing clothes, he headed home.
※ ※ ※
Association Headquarters, Basement Level 10.
A round space reminiscent of a dome.
At its center—
Kim Baekdong stood.
And several gazes were fixed upon him.
From behind monitors arranged like a fence, sharp eyes glared at him.
━ So, you’re suggesting we change the operation?
“Not change everything.”
━ Then?
“If we make slight adjustments so the Union doesn’t notice, I’ll handle the rest on-site myself.”
━ Hmm…
Kim Baekdong was conversing with the people beyond the monitors.
They were all high-ranking officials of the Association.
Pillars that supported it alongside the Chairman.
Voices flowed from the screens.
━ I don’t understand.
━ Yes, I really don’t.
━ Director Kim Baekdong. You were originally in favor of this operation, weren’t you?
━ A change of heart at this point doesn’t suit you.
Words stung like bees.
The atmosphere was like an interrogation.
But Kim Baekdong didn’t flinch.
“I don’t know what you mean by ‘not suiting me.’ I am myself. I’m not a trained AI. As the chief director, if I judge there to be an issue with the operation, I have the right to raise an objection.”
━ An issue… Do you believe the operation we planned is wrong?
“That’s not it.”
Kim Baekdong continued.
“However, the Union’s movements are unusual.”
━ Evidence?
“I’ve already submitted it.”
At his words, silence fell.
The executives beyond the monitors seemed to be reviewing something he had sent.
Soon, low voices followed.
━ Indeed… This is different from what we initially expected.
━ Director Kim Baekdong, how did you obtain this information?
“I asked a source I trust. It took some time, but we confirmed that the Union’s movements differ subtly from our expectations.”
━ Still not enough to warrant changing the operation. This was within our predictions.
“As I said, there’s no need to change the operation.”
Kim Baekdong shook his head.
“What we need is the authority for teams to act independently in case of emergencies.”
━ ……
━ Director Kim Baekdong.
“Yes.”
━ If you weren’t the chief director, this proposal would’ve been rejected immediately.
In other words, it was an outrageous request.
Normally, that is.
━ Be grateful to your past self who shed blood and sweat for the Association for twenty years.
━ Don’t disappoint us.
They didn’t say it outright, but the meaning was clear.
They were approving independent action by the Villain Response Division under Kim Baekdong.
“I will not disappoint you.”
Kim Baekdong bowed.
In the end, modifying the operation wasn’t possible, but he secured the authority to act independently.
That would be enough to handle any unforeseen events on the day itself.
━ Then we’ll conclude this emergency meeting convened by Director Kim Baekdong.
The lights on the monitors turned off one by one.
※ ※ ※
Lee Jeonseok opened the front door and entered his home.
“You’re back?”
Han Yuri greeted him.
It was just about dinner time.
A delicious smell drifted from the living room.
“First day at work must’ve been tiring. I’ll call you when dinner’s ready, so go rest in your room.”
“Yes.”
At Han Yuri’s words, Lee Jeonseok headed straight to his room.
‘…My whole body aches.’
The shock of the explosion still lingered.
If not for Skel, ignition, and mana reinforcement, he might really have died.
It had been that powerful an explosion.
Soon—
Thud—.
Lee Jeonseok threw himself onto the bed.
He lay sprawled out, relaxed.
He needed even a little rest.
Even if his mind wasn’t tired, his body certainly was.
But then—
Bzz—.
As if denying him even a moment’s rest, his phone vibrated.
Lee Jeonseok frowned.
Annoying.
He didn’t want to move.
Was there a Karma Shop trait that could bring a phone from far away?
At this moment, he’d honestly buy it for about 500.
Of course, it was a pointless thought.
Even if such a thing existed, there was no way it’d cost only 500.
‘They’d just jack up the price for nothing.’
That was the Karma Shop’s biggest flaw.
“Ugh…”
Pushing aside his annoyance, Lee Jeonseok finally checked the phone on his desk.
━ May I meet you briefly?
A message had arrived.
The sender was none other than Yoon Jin.
Lee Jeonseok let out a dry laugh.
‘Didn’t expect a bite this soon.’
Did she really dislike him that much?
Had he made that strong an enemy?
As he pondered—
Bzz—.
Another message arrived.
━ I’d like to talk to you about something related to Manager Anya.
“Manager Anya?”
Lee Jeonseok frowned.
Why was her name coming up here?
In that moment, his interest was piqued.
An amusing thought and hypothesis surfaced.
The same kind of reasoning he’d once used at the Association.
‘No way… but still.’
You never knew.
Lee Jeonseok replied that he understood and set up a meeting with Yoon Jin a few days later.
He needed time to recover anyway.
For now, he just wanted to lie down and rest.
He couldn’t sleep, but lying still with the air conditioner on and his eyes closed was comfort in itself.
Yeah.
This was heaven.
※ ※ ※
Four days later.
Lee Jeonseok chose a café as the meeting place.
It was a fairly well-reviewed spot nearby.
There, he ordered cheesecake and a mango latte.
His favorite combination.
He surprisingly had a sweet tooth, and cheesecake with mango latte was practically soul food for him.
Across from him—
“What do you think of Manager Anya?”
Yoon Jin asked out of the blue.
Think of her how…
“Pretty and competent boss.”
Lee Jeonseok replied while taking a bite of cheesecake.
To him, Anya Ivanov was nothing more and nothing less than that.
More importantly—
“What’s your intention?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m asking what your purpose is. You didn’t bring this up just to gossip about a female superior with another male employee.”
There was a hint of mockery in his tone.
“I don’t like beating around the bush.”
Lee Jeonseok set his fork down.
“Let’s be honest.”
Yoon Jin fell silent for a moment.
He seemed to be thinking deeply—
Then—
“Alright. I’ll be honest.”
Letting out a deep sigh, he continued.
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