Chapter 97

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Friday was the most bustling day in the youth district. It was the same even though there was a news report that the number of rift occurrences had increased significantly compared to last year.

At the end of the news, there was a mention to pay attention to safety in preparation for any unforeseen situations. However, there was no way to prepare for rifts that could occur anytime and anywhere. At best, it was just confirming the evacuation locations in advance in case of a dungeon occurrence, but even that was rarely done actively by people.

Now, 10 years after the first rift occurrence, as the system for managing rifts was established, the danger had greatly decreased compared to before. That was the biggest cause of the current peace and insensitivity.

As six o'clock passed, the color of the sky beyond the buildings darkened, and the billboards everywhere lit up. The footsteps of office workers who had finished work started to head in that direction one by one.

At the same time, the military executive officer, who was the head of the Capital Defense Supply Depot and the director of the factory, was returning to his office after finishing external work. The director also had a dinner appointment after work on Friday, just like any other office worker. However, the place where he would have a gathering with high-ranking people was scheduled to be a quiet, high-end restaurant far from the bustling alleys.

"Did you make the reservation properly?"

"Yes, Director-nim. I also conveyed the request to pay a lot of attention."

"Good. Go down first and take out the car."

As winter was approaching, the speed at which the sun set was also fast. Thinking that he should hurry out, the director quickened his pace.

It was when he arrived at his office and was about to pick up his bag and outerwear from his desk.

"You're here now? I've been waiting for a while."

The shadow sitting on the sofa stood up. It was a tall man wearing a black hat pulled down low. The director's chair, startled and straightening his back, was pushed back with a thud.

"Who the hell are you?"

In an instant, the back of his neck stood up. The higher one went up in a high-ranking position, the more incidents one had to overlook, cover up, and turn a blind eye to, even if they knew about them. In the process, there were quite a few people who held grudges and became enemies.

Although he rationalized that he hadn't done anything particularly bad compared to others, his past actions prickled the back of his waist when faced with the situation.

The intruder, who had approached with heavy footsteps, lifted the brim of the black hat he was wearing.

"Do you know me?"

He stopped where the light from the window was seeping in. Was he someone who held a grudge that had gone astray somewhere? The director narrowed his eyes and calmly put strength into his voice.

"I meet dozens and hundreds of people a day, how could I possibly know just one person... Ugh?"

He was definitely meeting the man with the smooth features for the first time. However, he clearly knew that face.

"...Jin Soram?"

The identity was Jin Soram, the chief hunter of the headquarters, who was known by almost everyone in the Republic of Korea.

"Yes, that's me."

The one who had always appeared in any media wearing a well-fitted suit was now wearing a loose jumper and black training pants. Huh, I see. Jin Soram, that's absurd. The director clicked his tongue in disbelief.

"How dare a crazy bastard enter a military facility! I don't know who you are, but if you think I'll fall for someone impersonating a hunter, ugh!"

Something cold touched the director's neck. It was the edge of a trophy that had been placed behind the desk. The trophy was floating in the air by itself.

"If someone can copy this too, I'll personally scout that person to the headquarters."

"..."

"What do you think? Do I seem like an impersonator or the real deal?"

"Are you really saying you're that Jin Soram?"

"Since you seem to understand, let's have a conversation."

Soram leaned his buttocks against the back of the sofa's head seat. The sofa was facing the desk, so it was in a position to directly face the director. As he gestured, the trophy obediently fell from his neck and settled on the desk.

A bright smile rose on Soram's face. It was a smile covered with a mask, different from the one he wore with close people.

The image most of the public had of Jin Soram was the 'troublemaker of the Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters.' Even after rising to a high position, he often displayed immature words and actions in front of broadcast cameras, and his ability to fly in the sky also had an aspect that seemed innocent. The director had also thought of him as younger than his age, having seen him through the media since his student days.

However, the Jin Soram he actually faced had completely lost his youthful spirit, and his height and physique also looked much sturdier than on the screen.

On top of that, with a swish of his hand, he could move anything around here...

"Hmm."

In the middle of his thoughts, Soram raised one hand to shoulder height. His body flinched involuntarily. Soram's two white fingers collided, making a clicking sound.

"Relax. Actually, I'm a bit nervous too. This is the first time I've gone this far."

"..."

The director managed to lower his stiff shoulders.

"Chief Hunter Jin Soram... Have I done anything to deserve this from you? We seem to be meeting for the first time. What the hell did I do that you came to find me and threaten me?"

"Huh? I didn't come here because I have a grudge. It's just that the person in the position to grant what I want right now is only you."

"What you want? From me?"

"Yes. I have a personal favor to ask of you, Director-nim."

Although he called it a favor, it sounded like a threat even to himself. This was truly the first time he had done such a thing.

In his previous life, Soram had requested military support to prepare for the 3rd Great Rift. However, at that time, he had desperately grasped power and officially conveyed his words as a representative of the headquarters. And he had the naive illusion that cooperation would be smooth. Afterward, his demands were cut into pieces by the interests of others and torn apart.

Perhaps an intrusion and threat like now might be better than a formal request. Unlike before, when people raised their voices and said he knew nothing about the military system even before Soram brought it up, now they were focusing on his words.

"Starting from tonight, a little bit of bad things will happen to the military once in a while. If a high-ranking person covers it up, it will pass quietly, but if they unnecessarily expose it, it will only increase confusion. For example, a few weapons magically disappear without a trace from the supply depot."

It was a story so absurd that he couldn't even answer. But it didn't end there.

"No matter how much they try to catch the culprit, it will be useless, and only the poor people will suffer. But! Director-nim, who received this information in advance from a mountain god in a dream, exercised appropriate flexibility and covered up the incident, and this matter passed without anyone knowing. Wow, applause."

Only the sound of dry applause echoed in the quiet room. Soram lowered his hands, showing no more sincerity than that.

Ha, the director couldn't say anything out of absurdity.

"Crazy, no, I knew you were quite free-spirited, but..."

The director made an exasperated sound and touched the corner of his eyes, then raised his head. He had been tense because he was a hunter, but his reckless charge was no different from a child. Well, since he had been in the headquarters since he was eighteen without going to college or serving in the military, it couldn't be helped.

"Jin Soram. Your skills as a hunter may be good, but your negotiation skills are severely lacking. I can't believe you barged in here without considering the value of your famous name."

"..."

"What are you going to do if I shout and call people right now?"

"Eek, that's such a scary thing to say."

Soram startled and brought his two hands in front of his lips.

"Then I don't know what I, frightened and terrified, might do. I already want to get rid of all the witnesses out of fear and run away."

Without leaving any evidence. A voice like acting in a play was added.

"I don't have the skills to sit at the negotiation table, so what can I do? I'll make it as if nothing happened and hope the next director will understand my earnest request. Surely someone will understand my sincere heart, right?"

He dropped the ends of his eyebrows, pretending to be miserable. The director was once again at a loss for words. He was only neat on the outside, and this was not a conversation with a normal person. The problem was that he was not someone who could be ignored or kicked out like he had done to others before.

"...I'm not saying I'll definitely do that, I was just making an assumption. Is that all you want?"

"Yes. I don't expect anything else, so please do that well."

"..."

The director looked at the face that was still smiling and desperately racked his brain. What should he do with that crazy bastard?

"I understand what you're saying for now. It seems like Chief Jin has an important story, and if you're desperate enough to go this far, there's no choice. I value my life too."

For now, the priority was to get out of this situation. Of course, what he just said was an appropriate lie. If it weren't for the situation of facing each other one-on-one in a confined space, he would be able to say that such a claim was absurd.

"I'm glad we communicated well with each other. It was a bit of a difficult request, but I was worried that I might have to do bad things to get it done."

"...I'm not that inflexible. Chief Jin Soram is someone the country desperately needs, so I have to trust you, don't I?"

"Wow. I'm touched."

Soram clapped his dry hands again.

"Oh, by the way, I'm not saying I'll definitely do this, just making an assumption."

Thud. The back of his sneakers tapped the floor like the motion of dress shoes.

"If Director-nim breaks the promise to help me and I fail at something that will happen in the future because of it, I might be criticized by the public. If such a thing happens, I might be so upset that I'll tell everything in front of the reporters. That I secretly requested help from the military, but despite my desperate plea, I was coldly rejected, and that's how things turned out."

"...Wh-what did you say?"

"This conversation is not a weakness for only one side."

Soram's free-spirited personality, his actions so far, the attention hunters were currently receiving, and the threat of rifts that had shifted to the top priority of national security. Various contents passed through the director's mind like a panorama.

Even if they shared weaknesses together, the difference between the two was clear. When something happened due to this conversation, the position of a military director could be replaced even if it was torn apart, but Jin Soram was irreplaceable. The director lowered his voice by one tone.

"Now, Chief Jin Soram, what are you saying? I'm sincerely trying to help you, Chief Jin. But... are you expecting some kind of situation? Is something going to happen to this country?"

"..."

"If it's something like that, tell me honestly. I'll find a way to appeal to the higher-ups together with you somehow. Wouldn't that be better?"

"No."

The words were cut off firmly without any room for thought.

"I know they'll fight among themselves, procrastinate, only our names will go up and down, and in the end, nothing will be resolved, and it will drag on."