Chapter 38
Understanding the Universe (2)
“That person really doesn’t suit me.”
I muttered sulkily as I watched Cha Geun-dam leave.
Too kind. Too stubborn.
Even upright to a fault.
For someone like me, trying to survive in this harsh world with a merchant’s mindset, he was a tough opponent.
“Sam, isn’t that right?”
[⁕ Sorry, I couldn’t understand the question :)]
“Yeah… of course you wouldn’t be the one to talk to me.”
Is smiling all you can do, AI?
I let out a heavy sigh and threw off both my mask and robe.
I never thought that Cha Geun-dam, now a major power in South Korea, would come to me personally for help.
I had expected that I might pop up as one possible solution if things got stuck, but I didn’t expect him to try to involve me even before the plan officially started.
He was probably trying to save countless lives that would die once the operation began.
‘As if I’m some kind of deus ex machina.’
I never intended to help, yet a small corner of my mind felt restless.
Then again, there was nothing I could do.
I didn’t actually know anything about the 51st floor.
Right now, my spy, the strategic planning team of Aegis, would be busy as well, and since the 51st floor had only recently opened, security would be tight.
And the seven major guilds were uniting, sending only their best members.
“Ah well, this won’t take long this time.”
The struggles on the 49th floor had been because the challenges hit too hard before I could even figure out a strategy.
Now, I had other things to consider.
Echo, the cat with eyes bright as a cow; Onak, the macho rabbit warrior…
‘…No, that’s not it!’
I shook my head violently, brushing out the pitiful stories of beasts that had invaded my thoughts in an instant.
Feeling concerned was inevitable, but I had ‘things to do’.
I opened my inventory and took out a document envelope I had been guarding like a sacred treasure.
[Attendance Request – Babel Administration Bureau]
“Ugh…”
A sigh escaped me naturally.
[Sender: Park Ji-woon (Director, Hunter Management Office, Babel Administration Bureau)]
“Haahhh…”
Now the sigh doubled.
Even though Cha Geun-dam had emphasized that he wasn’t an easy opponent, just staring at that name didn’t make it disappear.
Park Ji-woon had been recognized as an S-rank Hunter and was working for the state, but detailed information about him was shrouded in mystery.
Nobody knew what abilities he used or how he fought.
Even at official events, he would brief slowly with the face of a weary office worker. You could tell he was tired, but his private life was strictly hidden.
‘Now that I think about it, Cha Geun-dam really had it right.’
That man might know how to be polite and courteous, but surprisingly, he might have a keen eye for people…
Yet to use that to blackmail me into helping.
The narrow-minded Cha Geun-dam I once thought of no longer existed.
Anyway, since the strike team would enter the 51st floor in three days, I needed to go there once more before then.
…No, my thoughts wandered again!
“Ah, Lee Hae-won, seriously.”
I shook my head.
Lately, with so much on my mind, my head wasn’t just cluttered—it was a junkyard.
Anyway, no matter how much the Babel Administration Bureau investigated Friendly Market, they wouldn’t find anything, but I couldn’t keep running away either.
Leaving it alone long-term would be exhausting and draining.
For someone like me, who seeks a peaceful and leisurely daily life, it was unbearably harsh.
I murmured with a determined face:
“Alright, then, let’s meet Park Ji-woon.”
Hate doing things? End them in one go.
…Of course, I had no intention of going directly into the Babel Administration Bureau.
‘The other party should come.’
I couldn’t chicken out before starting as the operator of the great Friendly Market.
Two days before the first guild-union strike team entered
Past 2 a.m., the Hunter Management Office of the Babel Administration Bureau was still lit.
Park Ji-woon stared at the stack of documents on his desk and let out a deep sigh.
There were mountains of tasks to complete before the 51st floor operation.
Participant lists from each guild, support equipment for the operation, emergency medical staff deployment for contingencies…
The government even requested contingency plans in case of a failed strike.
“What a frustrating job…”
Park Ji-woon twirled his pen as he spoke slowly.
Since becoming director of the Hunter Management Office, he hadn’t remembered the last time he left work on time.
Suddenly, he had to handle the rewards for Wolpae, who cleared the 49th floor, and the treatment for Aegis, who had retreated midway from the 51st floor but was now reassigned to the strike team.
He couldn’t show favoritism to any guild.
Yet no matter what decisions Park Ji-woon made, there were always people who would view them negatively.
Of course, enduring that backlash was also Park Ji-woon’s responsibility.
Solving problems and facing backlash was part of the job, so it wasn’t a major issue for him.
The Hunter Management Office’s work was full of unwelcome matters.
That said, Park Ji-woon wasn’t indifferent to everything.
‘The most frustrating problem is the one I haven’t even touched.’
He blinked slowly.
The one issue Park Ji-woon couldn’t solve—or rather, couldn’t even attempt to solve—was Friendly Market.
Several weeks had passed since the attendance request was sent.
He knew that Wolpae had greatly contributed to clearing the 49th floor, and that they had a mysterious ability to construct a building in the Babel Tower plaza, where construction was prohibited.
But the owner’s identity remained a complete mystery.
Even after assigning all personnel from the Hunter Management Office to investigate Friendly Market over the past weeks, they hadn’t gained a single clue.
Park Ji-woon frowned as he pondered, when suddenly—
Ring-ring—
The phone shattered the silence of 2 a.m., dragging him from his thoughts.
He answered and immediately returned to his usual dry expression.
“Yes, I’m checking now. I’ll send it as quickly as possible.”
The caller seemed unaware of the time difference, or that it was early morning.
Their voice was sharp and almost irritable.
After a short call, Park Ji-woon hung up and frowned again.
Three hours ago, he had received a list of support items for the strike in writing, and now they wanted him to organize and send it within five hours.
Even for a strike approaching, it doubled the fatigue of a bureaucrat’s life.
He sighed and began searching through the envelopes piled on his desk.
“…Hm?”
Amid the many envelopes received today, one stood out.
A plain envelope with sloppy handwriting.
[To: Director Park Ji-woon / From: Friendly Market Administrator]
“What is this?”
Park Ji-woon muttered reflexively.
A reply from the Friendly Market, which had ignored the Administration Bureau’s attendance request?
Even the envelope’s words were ridiculous.
“Director Park Ji-woon, Yours truly, Friendly Market Administrator”? What’s with the ‘To’ and ‘From’?
Even Park Ji-woon, who rarely showed emotion, couldn’t help chuckling in disbelief.
He slowly opened the envelope and pulled out the contents.
The letter was filled with handwriting that looked like a kindergartener who had just learned Korean had written it.
[You sent a summons. I’m replying late because I just checked it. Oh, just in case, I wrote this reply with my left hand.]
Already, the tone was unusual.
**[Sorry to keep you waiting. But things have been very busy.
However, since you work at Babel Tower, I understand the Bureau’s suspicions. I think I can meet if you follow these conditions:
First, Director Park Ji-woon alone. No assistants or guards. I faint when I meet unexpected people.
Second, no weapons allowed. Even if abilities can’t be used inside the information desk, leave all equipment behind. I have a condition where the smell of weapons makes me faint.
Third, the meeting must be under 30 minutes. I faint if I speak longer than 30 minutes.
Time: 5:00 a.m. the day after this letter arrives. Location: Babel Tower 50th floor, Babel Square, inside the information desk.
Please strictly follow these conditions. Otherwise, there will be no meeting.
I look forward to meeting Director Park Ji-woon. See you tomorrow. :)]**
Park Ji-woon slowly reread the letter.
The final “:)” suggested that the sender had no idea how serious this summons was.
The playful tone, teasing remarks, and even the fainting condition seemed like nonsense—but still, it wasn’t the reaction of a typical criminal or dangerous individual.
‘A strange person.’
He couldn’t tell if it was a mental issue or if they were simply arrogant, confident they had the upper hand.
Unable to guess, his frown deepened.
The letter’s main point: if you want to meet, come alone.
Since the letter likely arrived yesterday, 5 a.m. meant…
‘1 hour and 24 minutes left.’
It was probably chosen to minimize crowd exposure.
Park Ji-woon cleared the documents he had to send in a few hours and slowly prepared to leave.
He removed his usual glasses, placed them on the desk, and even took off his gloves—three whole minutes passed just for that.
His mind was complicated.
‘Clearly a cautious person.’
Though the letter was full of nonsense, every condition was carefully designed for self-protection.
The firm demand to come directly instead of complying with the summons showed that clearly.
Effectively, the attendance request had been nullified.
The Administration Bureau had no clue about the owner of Friendly Market, and the owner seemed fully aware of their advantage.
The choice of the information desk as the meeting place was clever.
According to protocol, this would normally be refused.
Yet Park Ji-woon had no other choice.
With the seven guilds uniting for the 51st floor, he couldn’t leave potential threats behind.
He had to confirm if the owner of Friendly Market was dangerous—or, as Wolpae’s guild leader said, an ally willing to help.
‘…Curiosity as well.’
For the first time, Park Ji-woon, who usually had no interest in worldly matters, felt frustration.
He played with his fingers, tasting freedom, and reflected on the opponent who had broken through the 49th floor and brazenly toyed with a government agency.
He opened the office window wide.
“Shall we go?”
Muttering quietly to the night sky, Park Ji-woon lightly jumped out the window.
And in the ensuing ‘meeting’, Park Ji-woon encountered a type of human he had never seen in his life.
