12. Dangsan Dowon (4)
Up until now, no humanoid anomalies had ever appeared in Dangsan Dowon.
In other words...
"...I'll ask once more. What are you? State your affiliation."
The man in a suit who emerged from the bushes and asked that, along with the other suits standing behind him.
They were unmistakably human.
'Of all times, now?'
And that was precisely the problem.
In situations like this, humans were scarier than ghosts or supernatural phenomena.
'Where the hell did they come from? Enemies? If they're enemies...'
Mirae Co., Ltd. was one of the largest forces dominating the supernatural underworld—and top-tier among them.
Which also meant there were other top-tier forces of similar scale.
The Counter-Measure & Preparation Bureau.
The Twilight Library.
And Mirae Co., Ltd.
In the underworld, they were collectively known as the BIG3.
'Bureau agents?'
The Bureau was a government agency handling administrative duties for anomalies—rescuing civilians, destroying or containing high-risk ones. Their job.
In simple terms, civil servants. No different from police or firefighters.
Well, closer to National Intelligence Service agents, but anyway.
'But those guys don't give off civil servant vibes. So then...'
The Twilight Library?
The Library was a bit weaker than the other two BIG3 organizations.
While Mirae and the Bureau checked each other in a constant game of one-upmanship, the Library solidly held third place.
'Still not hopeful. They're elite few, after all.'
According to Department Head Jo, the Library ran several "state-run universities" to train phenomenologists who studied urban legends.
Every professor there supposedly outclassed Mirae's department heads.
But these people didn't have that scholarly air. Just the weary, annoyed vibe of exhausted folks—and something oddly familiar.
I held off judgment. Bureau or Library, our response wouldn't change much anyway.
'Whichever it is, they're not easy opponents.'
I strained my ears. Breathing sounds came through the silence.
The voices from behind the door had stopped.
'Looks like the Department Head and Section Chief noticed things going sideways too...'
Don't move rashly. Maintain the standoff for now.
Kyung-min and Deputy Choi had come to the exact same conclusion.
And so had they. Just as we tensed at the sight of them, they tensed at us.
The standoff dragged on.
But this tension wouldn't last forever.
"Oh Assistant Manager, Ko Assistant Manager, get ready. I'll take center—you left, Ko right."
Deputy Choi whispered. Ko gripped the air. I stealthily moved my hand to my inner pocket with the pistol.
'Damn it, a fight after all?'
This ice-cold atmosphere would shatter soon. And whoever struck first, it wouldn't end pleasantly.
"Aigoo, this is exhausting! Why'd upper management set the exam site here of all places? Desk jockeys like me are weak in spots like this!"
......
"Huh? What's this? Why's the vibe so weird?"
A frivolous voice cut through as a man pushed through the bushes.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. They wavered; we ramped up our guard.
And I wasn't part of that "we."
'That's Section Chief Kim Jun-sik?'
It was bewildering.
His neatly combed hair was mussed, his body sweat-soaked, but it was definitely Research Division's Kim Jun-sik.
"Huh? People? Hi there... Huh? Oh Assistant Manager?"
He recognized me just as I did him.
Eyes from both sides locked on me.
"...Company folks?"
The middle-aged man who'd asked our affiliation muttered.
"Uh, yeah. You too?"
He nodded reluctantly at my response.
The tension deflated.
Looking back, it hit me.
Dangsan Dowon was a company-owned anomaly.
They were using it for new recruit exams—no way Bureau or Library people would be here.
'Guess I've heard too many industrial spy stories lately.'
Still, good we figured it out before shots fired.
That we considered it a relief already meant things were a mess, but anyway.
The group we encountered was from the company's HR Division.
With new recruit open hiring coming up, scouting wasn't odd.
The problem: our encounter wasn't scheduled.
"So, is what I heard correct?"
The HR Division section chief—a middle-aged man at section chief rank—glared at Department Head Jo.
"You won't confirm your team, your purpose for entering Dangsan Dowon, or even if it was authorized or unauthorized?"
"Yeah, more or less. Our division's work is a secret project."
"...You're not seriously asking me to buy that?"
"Why not?"
The HR section chief narrowed his eyes. Suspicious. Aigoo.
"This is blatant overreach, you know? So..."
"Jo Gil-taek, Department Head. And yes. If there's an issue, send a formal complaint later."
Once more: aigoo.
"Does that mean I can treat you all as industrial spies right here?"
"What? Have you lost it? How does this lead there?"
"Then state your affiliation. Affiliation! Which team are you from? We can't proceed without that!"
"Got a secret or top-secret badge? We don't accept anything lower."
"......"
Thin ice atmosphere.
It hadn't started this way. The HR section chief had been cordial when he confirmed we were company employees.
That cordiality sank on the reef of our "secret" project.
Yes. This insane company actually treated our work as truly secret.
Not even sharing with HR, who oversaw it!
'Brutal...'
Suspicion deepened in the HR section chief's eyes. His hand hovered near his chest—inner civil war brewing.
'Well, can't entirely blame them.'
Dangsan Dowon was under HR jurisdiction. Like a training center.
'We've got our own reasons too.'
Department Head Jo's aggressive response wasn't really aggressive—it was textbook.
'Secrets are secrets for a reason.'
Upper management was hypersensitive to containment failures and didn't want info leaking to anyone outside the involved.
Thus, now.
We were in a standoff worse than if we'd pegged each other as enemies.
Staring contest, silence, hands inching to chests again. HR section chief neither drawing nor stopping talk.
I sighed. This would take time.
"Oh Sung-jin Assistant Manager."
Section Chief Kim crawled over on his knees and whispered. Playful tone clashing with the mood.
"Man, intense, right? Even I from Research get chills sometimes."
"Section Chief? This isn't the time..."
As I tried to stop him, Kim grinned and whispered.
"This that thing, right?"
"...That thing?"
"You know, the board agenda last time."
He mouthed the words.
Containment failure.
'How does he know?'
Kim smirked, reading my mind.
"Ways to know. Don't worry—official channels this time."
"This time?"
Implying other times weren't?
"Info networks are better with more sources."
He shrugged casually.
Yet again: aigoo.
'Company's running great.'
Spies? These guys were the spies.
"Anyway, if it's that, I can help. I'm HR's on-site commander."
"You?"
"Yeah. Discovered Dangsan Dowon myself. First entry, anomaly profiling—all me. Want help?"
'If shots fly, it'll end badly.'
He mouthed it. I fully agreed.
"Yes. Appreciate it."
"Okay. That's one owed to me, Sung-jin?"
No such deal mentioned. But request made.
I nodded reluctantly.
With that, Section Chief Kim sprang up. All eyes on him.
"Oh right!"
He grinned slyly.
"Come to think, upper management did brief us on scenarios like this... I think!"
"You think? Kim, you serious?"
HR section chief's words drew Kim's booming retort.
"Aigoo, of course! Research gets all sorts of leaks. So many, upper management slaps secret or top-secret on everything for us!"
Kim scanned the room. His gaze stopped on Department Head Jo's face.
A glint in Kim's eyes.
"Right, Follow-up Special Duty Division Department Head Jo Gil-taek?"
Jo snorted. Kim laughed again.
They knew each other.
"Anyway, Jo, I'm hurt. After all our history, no hello..."
That moment.
Bam!—Jo and Kim vanished. Bam!—Jo reappeared against the opposite wall.
Kim's neck pinned by Jo's elbow, slammed into the wall.
"Combat ready!"
HR section chief's shout startled his team into drawing pistols.
And in that instant, Team Leader Ham already pressed his gun to the section chief's temple.
As if he'd been there all along.
"Stop. Don't move."
"This is overreach..."
"Wanna test if you can whine 'overreach' with a hole in your head?"
"......"
"Tell your guys to lower weapons."
"......Lower 'em, all."
"Oh Sung-jin, Ko Kyung-min, Choi Soo-jung, Song Go-eun. Disarm them."
We collected HR's pistols as they prepped.
Jo's growl came then.
"Kim Jun-sik, shut your trap. That's far enough."
"Aigoo, so fierce. What's it called? Aura of intimidation?"
Throat choked, Kim still giggled mockingly.
"True elites. Inspiring. Follow-up Special Duty Division lives up to it—no hesitation, even against company colleagues."
"......"
"Now conflict's resolved, mind letting go? Can't breathe."
Didn't look resolved. Still, Jo released him slowly.
"You've mellowed. Nearly didn't collect your bones."
Kim dusted his clothes, murmuring.
Situation sorted.
"Follow-up Special Duty, right? We'll hold you accountable."
With HR section chief's threat, his team slunk off like defeated remnants.
Conflict over, at least.
"All good! Clean!"
Kim winked at me before leaving.
My take: simple.
'Same company, you crazy bastards...'
Such extreme responses—wanted to aigoo again.
No chance, though.
Night fell on Dangsan Dowon; exit path opened.
We set remaining rendezvous points before returning.
Back at the office, complaint memo arrived. Jo didn't blink, nor did Kyung-min.
Upper management treated it as nothing too...
'Truly insane company...'
Felt like a two-eyed man in one-eyed village.
Separately, time flew. Weeks, weeks, arrow-fast.
A month passed; today, all containment failure countermeasures ready.
[The 21st Mirae Co., Ltd. Second-Half New Recruit Open Hiring Exam]
Mirae Co., Ltd. New Recruit Open Hiring Exam day had arrived.