Chapter 4. The Newcomer
[Just call me Mu-gung-hwa No. 1.]
The citizens didn’t know this, but Mu-gung-hwa No. 1, the current President of South Korea, was also an Awakened person.
And he had definitely heard the system notification as well.
[Good work.]
There was no need to say who he was talking about or what he was referring to.
I knew exactly what he meant.
“Thank you!!!”
[There will probably be a reward coming soon.]
With those words, the smartwatch disconnected.
Kim Cheolho stared at it for a while with deeply moved eyes.
“Ha, seriously… Officer Lee Jihoo, that guy…”
The only words that came out of his mouth were essentially seriously, seriously, seriously, but for Kim Cheolho, that was the highest praise he could give.
“The Hunter Management Agency is already doing its job. Congratulations, Your Excellency.”
The President smiled at the Chief Secretary’s words.
“He’s doing better than I expected.”
The Chief Secretary’s expression brightened as well.
In truth, although the Hunter Management Agency had been established at remarkable speed this time, everything had not proceeded smoothly.
They had needed to meet with the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties and negotiate their opinions.
“I never expected the Republican Party to change its position in just one day.”
As soon as Cha Junhyuk’s death became certain, everyone had initially agreed that a Hunter management organization needed to be established.
However, when the full assembly session was held the following day, the leader of the Republican Party said:
“We oppose the establishment of the Hunter Management Agency.”
Hunter Management Institute.
Originally, they had planned to establish a Hunter Management Institute, not the Hunter Management Agency.
The plan was to place the Hunter management organization directly under the President, like the National Intelligence Service, and unify the chain of command.
However, during the full assembly session, they faced fierce opposition from the Republican Party, the opposition party.
In the end, the compromise was to establish the Hunter management organization as the Hunter Management Agency under the Ministry of National Defense.
“It is unfortunate that we are in a situation where the opposition holds the majority.”
The President nodded at the Chief Secretary’s words.
He could have forced the matter through, but despite calling it a state of emergency, the country wasn’t technically at war.
So they had no choice but to take the majority party’s position into consideration.
And it wasn’t difficult to guess who was behind this situation.
“I suppose the Association must have used its influence.”
Under these circumstances, what the Hunter Management Agency had accomplished was extremely meaningful.
An S-Rank clear of a Tower, something that had never been heard of before.
And on top of that, the reward was a Tower buff.
A buff that applied to the entire Tower, regardless of floor.
This meant that anyone who entered Gwanaksan Tower to conquer it could receive the benefit.
With the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked Hunters disappearing overnight, this was practically the ideal situation the current government wanted.
It was also closely connected to the Hunter Management Agency’s founding goals: strengthening Korea’s ability to stand on its own without relying on foreign powers, while protecting the lives and safety of its citizens.
“Don’t hold back on providing support, understood?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. I’ll pay special attention to it.”
[Let’s go to Gangwon Province! Gangwon Province!]
The ghost from the corner of my room had been chanting “Gangwon Province, Gangwon Province” since morning.
“Why?”
[To set a new record!]
“Not today.”
I left the house, leaving the complaining ghost behind.
Today was the day I had to report to work at the Hunter Management Agency.
“Hey! Officer Lee Jihoo!”
As soon as I entered the first-floor lobby, I ran into the Director.
“Good work!”
He didn’t say what he meant, but I immediately knew he was talking about my Gwanaksan Tower clear.
After all, that was the only task I had been assigned so far.
“Thank you.”
“Just keep going like that from now on!”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Speaking of which… Officer Lee, how about the Gangwon Province Tower for your next clear?”
“The Gangwon Province Tower?”
“Yeah. Or the Jeju Island Tower would be fine too. The order doesn’t matter.”
If that was what he meant, I had a pretty good idea why.
The system notification yesterday had clearly said…
“Is this because of the Tower buff?”
“Exactly! I knew we’d understand each other!”
“Understood. Then I’d like to make one request as well.”
“What is it? Tell me anything. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Could I travel directly to the Tower?”
The Director looked surprised.
“Huh? All the way to Gangwon Province?”
“Yes. There’s a reason I need to go there personally. The rewards are different if I leave through the hidden exit.”
“The hidden exit?!”
“Apparently, only a few ranked Hunters know about it.”
“So there was a treasure like that hidden away! If it’s for your growth, I’ll support you however I can! I’ll give you about two days off, so go without worrying.”
The Director was true to his word.
As soon as I submitted my application for an official business trip outside the jurisdiction, it was approved.
It was lightning-fast, completely unlike the usual civil service approval process.
Well, there are only two of us.
“Officer Lee, go home early today. You need to prepare for your trip. You need to climb the Tower in peak condition.”
He was right.
Even if I didn’t have to do anything special for my physical condition, I still needed to prepare for the trip.
“I’ll submit an early-leave request in the attendance log.”
“Early leave? What are you talking about? This is work too. Go home!”
Is this really okay?
Still, being a civil servant meant…
Maybe he noticed that I was uncomfortable.
The Director lowered his voice and spoke solemnly.
“Officer Lee Jihoo.”
“Yes.”
“Remember just one thing.”
“What is that?”
“Protect the lives and safety of the people.”
“Protect the lives…”
It was something the President had also announced in his address.
“That is the number one principle for you and me from now on.”
“The number one principle?”
“That’s right. Nothing else matters.”
The Director continued in a serious voice.
“And I have enough authority to do this. I’m directly connected to Mu-gung-hwa No. 1…”
He stopped speaking and hurriedly shifted his eyes around.
“…Anyway, that’s how it is. This is how the Hunter Management Agency will be run from now on. You just need to trust me and follow along.”
A civil service job with guaranteed job security, a pension, performance bonuses, and now a workplace where even annoying paperwork could be skipped.
Was this the beginning of the ultimate fast track for civil servants?
“Understood.”
“Go on, then. Have a good trip to Gangwon Province!”
“Yes. I’ll submit a report when I return.”
I bowed and headed home in the middle of the day.
When the ghost from the corner of my room heard the news, he was even happier than I was.
[When are we leaving? Right now? Tonight?]
“Tomorrow.”
[…That’s so late?]
The ghost looked disappointed for a moment, but soon his expression changed and he began jumping around.
[Gangwon Province! This is exciting!]
What’s even there?
[The goblin heads you get in Hwanseongul are especially delicious!]
So that’s what it was.
Being able to genuinely enjoy your work was a blessing in itself.
[And I can get my revenge!]
“Revenge?”
[Yeah. That’s where I died. The Gangwon Province Tower!]
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, the Hwanseongul Tower had 40 floors.
Cha Junhyuk had said he died while fighting the Floor 40 boss.
[You didn’t know I died in the Gangwon Province Tower?]
“I knew you died in the Hwanseongul Tower. I’ll remember it from now on. May you rest in peace.”
[…Huh? I’m right here. Does that even make sense?]
I didn’t know either.
But wasn’t that what people normally said to the dead?
The ghost’s eyes became hollow, as if he couldn’t accept it.
In other words, his eyeballs disappeared, leaving only black eye sockets.
[I can’t die yet! I’m going to get revenge!!!]
But you’re already dead.
Denying one’s current state was rather tragic.
Anyway, after returning from the Tower with Cha Junhyuk, one thing had changed for me as well.
An icon shaped like a book had appeared in the upper-right corner of my Status Window.
<Spirit List>
“Spirit List.”
When I opened it, Cha Junhyuk’s profile appeared on the very first page.
<Name: Cha Junhyuk Lv. 67
Bound to: Lee Jihoo
Class: Swordsman
Rank: S-Rank
Titles: Korea’s Strongest (Attack Power +10%), Pioneer of the Back Route (Evasion +5%)
Stats:
Health [25,140]
Mana [370]
Mental Strength [370]
Strength [620]
Attack Power [4,246 (+10%)]
Defense Power [1,557]
Power [1,328]
Agility [30]
Intelligence [185]
Evasion [30 (+5%)]
Skills:
Body Enhancement Lv.2 (D)
Iaido Lv.3 (B)
Sword Mastery Lv.3 (A)
Charge Lv.3 (B)
Cap Kick Lv.4 (C)
Counter Strike Lv.1 (S)
Sword Demon Lv.1 (S, Sealed)
Skill Selection Ticket Fragments: 57>
Just like I had a sealed title, Cha Junhyuk had a sealed skill.
“Why is this sealed?”
[Oh, Sword Demon? It isn’t complete yet.]
“Complete?”
[I haven’t collected enough fragments.]
Ah, now I understood.
It was like the Random Box fragments. I needed to collect enough of them.
[There’s something called Skill Selection Ticket Fragments…]
What he said next meant the same thing.
When I obtained Skill Selection Ticket Fragments, they could either be immediately added to a skill I was already collecting, or I could gather enough fragments and use them to select a new skill.
The higher the skill level, the more fragments were required.
[I was almost done collecting them.]
“How many are left?”
[Three. I just need 60.]
Cha Junhyuk smacked his lips regretfully.
[Anyway, let’s hurry up and sleep so we can wake up early!]
As he said that, the ghost flicked off the room light.
…What?
“You… just now.”
[Why?]
“Can you touch that?”
[Huh?]
Cha Junhyuk blinked.
Then his eyes suddenly widened.
[Ah!]
Click-click-click-click-click-click!
The ghost’s hand began rapidly switching the room light on and off.
“Stop.”
It was making me dizzy.
[I can do it! I can! I can touch it! I can do it too!]
I left the ghost spinning around the ceiling in a frenzy and went about my business.
In other words, I ate, showered, packed my luggage for the business trip, and went to bed.
Oh, before that.
“Inventory.”
I checked the inventory I had received as a reward earlier.
There were 22 slots in total.
When I put the suitcase I had prepared inside, three inventory slots became occupied.
It seems to depend on the size of the item.
[I can do it! The switch! I can touch it! Oh! I can do this!]
Even at that moment, the ghost from the corner of my room was still frantically turning the light on and off.
[Did I get some kind of superpower?! Or am I becoming human again?]
But the only thing Cha Junhyuk could touch in this house was the light switch.
I knew for certain because he had just tried to grab the doorknob, only for his hand to pass straight through it.
[No… Why?!]
I don’t know either.
“I’m going to sleep.”
Something strange had definitely happened.
But what mattered more was getting to my business trip on time tomorrow.
I simply turned off the light through my smartphone app.
[Why!!!]
“If you don’t be quiet, I’m not taking you tomorrow.”
The ghost, who had been talking nonstop, immediately shut his mouth.
But Cha Junhyuk’s eyes were shining brightly from the ceiling like lights in a pitch-black night sky.
“…”
For the sake of a good night’s sleep, I thought it might be better to stuff him into the storage room somewhere.
With that thought, I closed my eyes and prepared for tomorrow.
I took my car to Gangwon Province because I needed it for when we came out after clearing the Tower.
We left at 5:30 a.m.
Thanks to getting an early start, we arrived at the Tower just before 9 a.m.
The Gangwon Province Tower stood towering over the location where Hwanseongul Cave used to be.
[Hwanseongul is inside here.]
According to Cha Junhyuk, the environment inside the Gangwon Province Tower was similar to the original Hwanseongul Cave.
“Let’s go.”
[Let’s go!]
But then.
Something moved at the foot of the Tower entrance.
It was moving at a speed far beyond that of a human.
It was practically as fast as light.
“A ghost…”
[Huh?!]
[Hey! You too?]
[Huh? What?!]
A female ghost looked at us with wide, surprised eyes.
[Can… you see me?]
[Yeah. I can see you perfectly.]
[No, not you. Him.]
[Hey! Of course she can! Do you know what kind of person our homeowner is?]
[…What kind of person is he?]
The female ghost nervously looked back and forth between Cha Junhyuk and me.
[State power!]
[State power?]
[That’s right! He’s a civil servant!]
Hmm.
The female ghost looked at him with an expression that clearly said, ???
“Let’s go inside.”
Cha Junhyuk followed behind me with a proud expression, while the female ghost, still looking confused, followed us inside.
<Would you like to bind the spirit that entered with you as an affiliated spirit?>
[Huh? Something strange just appeared. A contract? Binding?]
The female ghost signed something without even looking at it.
Then she looked at me and asked:
[I just have to sign here, right?]
“…”
<The compatibility between Jack Reacher_07 and the new spirit is 100%.
Would you like to bind her as an affiliated spirit?>
It was definitely different from what had happened with Cha Junhyuk.
Did each spirit have different conditions for being bound?
If our compatibility was that good, there was no reason to reject her.
“Bind her.”
As soon as I accepted, the scenery around us changed.
We had probably entered Floor 1 of the Hwanseongul Tower.
“Hey! Why did you follow us?”
[I followed this person!]
Things had somehow become twice as noisy.
[Huh? But…]
“Why?”
[Why are you human?]
“Huh? Oh… Then why are you still a ghost?”
[What?? Isn’t that obvious?]
At that moment, goblins began appearing one after another from the pools of water gathered on the cave floor.
“Keieek! Keruk! Kieeeek!”
“Kyaaak! Kihek! Grrrrrr…”
“Kerururuk! Kyak!”
“Shut up!”
[You’re noisy!]
At the same time, a sword and a ball of spirit energy flew forward.
Before the sword could even reach them, the ball of spirit energy exploded underwater.
BOOM!
Six goblins were caught in the explosion.
“…Keek?!!”
The goblins died instantly without even having time to scream.
Not a single piece of bone was left behind.
<You have cleared Floor 1 of the Gangwon Province Tower.>
<Rewards will be issued.
Basic Rewards: 100 F-Rank Mana Stones, 10-Slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 3 Earth Essences.
First S-Rank Clear Rewards: 1 Time Delay Ticket, 10-Slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 1 Skill Selection Ticket Fragment>
<As a special benefit for achieving the first S-Rank clear, a buff will be applied to the Gangwon Province Tower for one week.
Attack Power +5%, Defense Power +5%>
<Would you like to exit Floor 1 of the Gangwon Province Tower?>
“Cancel.”
<Remaining time until exit: 6 minutes.>
“Show us the way.”
“Yeah, follow me.”
[Huh? Where are we going?]
“Hoho. You’re such a beginner.”
[What? Me?]
“Who else would I be talking about?”
[Why am I a beginner?!]
Whether the female ghost complained or not, Cha Junhyuk walked cheerfully through the stalactite cave.
“Here, homeowner.”
This time, we arrived in front of a huge waterfall.
About halfway across a bridge spanning the waterfall, Cha Junhyuk shouted proudly.
“Open the door!”
[…What are you doing?]
Strangely enough, a line appeared across the floor of the bridge.
Then a door appeared.
It slowly opened downward.
“Let’s go, homeowner!”
“Yeah.”
[There’s a secret passage here…!]
“Tsk, tsk. Such a beginner. You’re obviously new to the Tower.”
[What did you say?!]
As soon as we passed through the entrance, a notification appeared.
<You have discovered a hidden exit from Floor 1 of the Gangwon Province Tower.
The rewards will be recalculated according to causality.>
Ratatatatak─!
<Reward calculation complete.
110 F-Rank Mana Stones, 22-Slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 1 Time Delay Ticket, 4 Earth Essences, 2 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments>
Once again, the rewards had been upgraded quite nicely.
I was especially satisfied because I had received twice as many Skill Selection Ticket Fragments.
[Let’s go now, homeowner!]
[Where?]
[Where else? Home.]
[Huh? You have a home?]
[Of course! He’s human, isn’t he?]
[Ah…!]
The female ghost glanced at me.
[Must be nice…]
The female ghost followed us all the way to the parking lot without going anywhere else, repeating the same thing over and over.
[Must be nice. You have a house to keep you out of the rain. Being homeless is so cold.]
A ghost can feel cold?
That shouldn’t be possible.
[…I kind of feel sorry for her.]
“…”
Ring-ring-ring-ring─
Just then, my phone rang.
“Yes, Director.”
[Officer Lee! Good work! Excellent work!]
“Not at all. It’s only natural.”
[Hahaha! This is why I like you. You’ve worked hard! Get plenty of rest tomorrow!]
“Yes, thank you.”
[And you’re going to receive a reward.]
“A reward?”
[That’s right. From now on, you’ll receive a reward every time you clear a Tower with an S-Rank rating. The approval just came through!]
So I would receive both the performance bonus and an additional reward?
[You and I have finally made it in life!]
I suppose the answer was yes. Both were paid separately.
“This is all thanks to you, Director.”
[What are you talking about? It’s all thanks to you. Then I’ll see you the day after tomorrow. Take your time coming back, and be careful! Safety comes first, above everything else!]
“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”
As soon as I hung up, Cha Junhyuk asked eagerly, as if he had been waiting for the call to end.
[They’re giving you more money? Then can we eat Korean beef?]
“How are you planning to eat it?”
[Well… you just grill it and put it on the table. Then stick a pair of chopsticks into the rice.]
A pair of metal chopsticks standing vertically in a bowl of white rice.
For some reason, it was a familiar scene.
“I can at least do that for you.”
I was going to be the one eating it anyway.
Though it probably wouldn’t taste very good as food prepared for a memorial ceremony.
The female ghost, who had been silently watching us decide where to eat, approached us.
Then, with a serious expression, she opened her mouth.
[5, 6, 12, 23, 26, 38.]
[Huh?]
…No way.
These six numbers…
[They’re this week’s lottery numbers.]
