Chapter 171. Beneath the Surface (2)
[Welcome to the Eastern Rest.]
Instead of the private residence reserved for the Employee of the Year, Eun-Ho had returned to the dormitory. The reason was simple: to learn how to use the editing tools from Ji-Eun.
“If you drop it in right here... Ta-da! Hear that? The sound effect is in,” Ji-Eun said excitedly.
“Wow. This is harder than it looks. Even the shortcuts are complicated.”
“That’s normal for your first time,” Ji-Eun said with a smile. “But you’re picking it up pretty fast. I think you’ve got a knack for it, Eun-Ho.”
She was likely tired from staring at a screen all day, yet she still agreed without the slightest reluctance. He was genuinely grateful for how kind, sincere, and ambitious she was. Always improving, Ji-Eun was an impressive colleague.
“Next up is the background music, and—huh? Um, do I have something on my face?”
“No, no. It’s not that.”
For some reason, Eun-Ho kept averting his gaze from her. Was it because she looked up at him with those round, puppy-like eyes? Or was it because the image of Jung Min-Gyu and Choi Min-Young, standing hand in hand like a fresh young couple, kept flashing through his mind? He didn’t know.
[OJT at the Management Bureau has ended.]
It had ended safely, and he was simply grateful that he had survived yet another day.
“We’re going on air now,” Eun-Ho said.
“Oh, I see myself too.”
“Would it be alright if I asked you again sometime? For tutoring.”
“Anytime,” Ji-Eun replied warmly. “I’d be honored.”
[Your final management performance is 518,000 Points.]
[You have earned fifty-two Points as a benefit.]
Harona’s shared channel had recorded 295,500 Points. Thanks to that, Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk each received a neat thirty Points.
“My sales performance was two hundred and five Points,” Ji-Eun said, doing the math. “So that’s two hundred and thirty five Points in total. Eun-Ho, you’re at two hundred and fifty seven Points.”
“With numbers like that, we’re more than set, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk said brightly.
It’s not over until it’s over, Eun-Ho thought.
The lack of interim announcements during the Management Department OJT made it impossible to determine the combined results of the other survivors. Perhaps it was meant to keep the lower-ranked survivors on edge.
[All training courses have been completed.]
[Tomorrow morning at exactly 9:00 AM, the Job Market will open to determine the departments of all new employees.]
[Please select your desired department in advance!]
Job Market?
Eun-Ho wondered if they were really going to choose departments the way people shopped at a market. “So once we pick our departments, that’s really the end.”
“OJT is finally over, Hyungnim!”
“Yeah. It’s only been eight days, but it feels like forever.”
In a little over a week, he had already adapted far too well to this company.
“Well, now that it’s all done, there’s no chance of anyone getting deleted or anything, right?” Jae-Hyuk asked hesitantly.
“Probably not. But the real problem is—”
Ding!
[There is a post registered under the keyword Employee of the Year.]
[Would you like to check it?]
“Check the post.”
[Employee of the Year Channel Not Recommended]
This channel kept getting recommended, so I checked it out, but honestly, it wasn’t very fun. If you want to watch a death game, I’d rather recommend other rookie channels. The contract employees bashing each other’s heads in and killing each other are way more intense, and time flies by.
#EmployeeOfTheYear #Boring #NotRecommended
#RookieChannelRecommendation #DeathGame
#E13-OLV-19
Where there was light, there was shadow. It seemed that a familiar kind of darkness had already taken root here as well.
Eun-Ho’s expression hardened. “Hah.”
Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk had probably sensed something was off. They enlarged the window too and their eyes widened.
“What kind of post is that?” Ji-Eun muttered.
“H-Hyungnim! It’s a not-recommended review!”
They seemed more shocked than if it were their own problem.
Eun-Ho, however, replied calmly, “I think I know who wrote it.”
“You do?”
#E13-OLV-19
“E13. That should mean they’re from Sector Thirteen.”
It had to be someone who desperately needed attention right now, and stood to gain the most from diverting traffic away from Eun-Ho’s channel. In other words, his petty competitor.
“They’re one of the new employees.”
Eun-Ho had expected it.
“How could they give us a trial like that?! You could’ve taken donations in other ways!”
“It was an unavoidable sacrifice.”
“Right. We don’t even know what happens if the trial fails.”
“They say the penalty, department transfer, is basically the same as getting deleted...”
They were living in a world where they watched people fight for their lives from the safety of a screen. In this place, choosing to press downward rather than resist upward was a given. Hence, it made sense that the owner of that post was trying to drag Eun-Ho down from above. No matter how department selection played out, it would ultimately turn into a ranking competition among them.
“Report it! Isn’t there a report function? This is spreading false information!”
“I’ll leave a rebuttal comment right now!”
“No.”
At this point, a post like this didn’t matter. Their trial had already ended long ago. In fact, judging from the reactions that followed, it didn’t seem to have caused much damage anyway.
└Huh? This is insanely fun though. Did the higher-ups even watch the Employee of the Year channel?
└Isn’t this just self-promo for their own channel?
└Holy crap, you’re right LOL. Fake review much?
└They must’ve been desperate LOL
└Channel owner, come on out!
More than anything, the blatant attempt to promote their own channel was almost laughable. Of course, Eun-Ho had no intention of letting it slide quietly.
“We’ll need to find out who wrote it,” Eun-Ho said.
“Huh? And how would we do that?”
“I have an idea. Someone comes to mind.”
OLV.
Eun-Ho wasn’t completely certain, but there was a name that surfaced immediately. He was one of the guys who had rubbed him the wrong way during the relay trial at the training center, and again during the siege battle.
I thought he’d been quiet since joining the company, but I guess people never really change, Eun-Ho thought.
Well, it didn’t matter. If it were someone he didn’t know, that would be one thing, but he already had a full grasp of that guy’s abilities. Honestly, it could even be more fun if he made the first move.
Ding!
As Eun-Ho nodded to himself, a notification chimed.
[Your final OJT evaluation grade will now be announced.]
[Your evaluation grade is...]
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He had gone through evaluations countless times, yet his heart still raced. Half confident, half wary, he waited for the result.
[S Rank.]
“Phew. Just as expected.”
Harona was a manager who followed the simple principle “deliver results, receive rewards” to the letter. She had even said this time’s target was cleared thanks to him, hence gratitude must have been high. An S rank felt well-deserved.
“S?!”
“I-I got an S too!”
Even Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk had received generous evaluations as well.
Ding!
Then, more messages followed.
[Congratulations!]
[All Project OJT sessions have concluded.]
[Your position has been updated.]
[Employee(Probationary) → Employee]
“So the probation tag is gone.”
“Congratulations, Hyungnim! Noonim!”
“You too, Jae-Hyuk. Congrats.”
Ding!
As they congratulated one another, a clear chime announced the message Eun-Ho had been waiting for.
[You have a new message.]
- From: Choi Seung
- Message: There are quite a few suspicious individuals.
[Assistant Manager Choi Seung wishes to share location data.]
[Would you like to add it to your map?]
“Yes.”
Fwoosh—!
A translucent window filled his vision once more. Then, a three-dimensional map showing the entire company building at a glance appeared. Right at its center were three red stars, pinned in place reminiscent of favorite markers on a smartphone map.
[The Management Bureau location has been added.]
[The Investigation Bureau location has been added.]
[The Operations Bureau location has been added.]
He’s good at his job, Eun-Ho thought.
It hadn’t even been a few hours since Eun-Ho made the request, yet the information was already here. He had to admit that Seung was impressive.
I haven’t even figured out a way to sneak in yet.
As that thought crossed his mind, another cheerful notification rang out.
Ding!
[A gift has arrived!]
[Would you like to check it?]
He opened the newly appeared box. Inside was a pouch tied shut with a cord. From the fabric to the string itself, it seemed unmistakably high-end. Fruits as black and hazy as shadows spilled out.
[Fruit of Concealment]
- One of the twelve Divine Fruits that grow on the Bodhi Tree once every ten years.
- When held in the mouth, the user becomes invisible to all eyes.
- Once fully dissolved, the effect ends. The duration is approximately one hour.
Next was a smooth fruit with a deep red sheen.
[Fruit of Enhancement]
- One of the twelve Divine Fruits.
- Permanently increases physical endurance upon consumption.
- Effect: Stamina stat increases by five.
Then finally, there was a fruit wrapped in a soft blue glow.
[Fruit of Restoration]
- One of the twelve Divine Fruits.
- While held in the mouth, cooldown times are reduced to ten percent.
- Once fully dissolved, the effect ends. The duration is approximately ten minutes.
The moment he had asked for information on those who interfered, she had likely realized that he would do whatever it took to identify and hunt them down. Hence why she had sent such gifts, at this exact moment.
Harona...
- To: Lee Eun-Ho
- From: Harona
- Message: Do whatever you want to do.
She’s really backing me openly.
***
It was 5:10 PM and those who had finished their trials began trickling back to the dormitory.
“Young men! You are back early today, huh?”
“It wrapped up sooner than expected,” Eun-Ho replied. “How have you been?”
“Well, same as always.”
The security guard’s face was heavy and so was the cleaning lady’s.
Yoon Sol-Ah lowered her head so deeply that her long, jet-black hair hid her face entirely. Min Yeo-Jin and Lee Ye-Ji stood nearby, quietly trying to comfort her.
“There were just too many injured,” she murmured.
“It’s not your fault,” someone said gently. “They were already hurt before we even got there. What could you do?”
“Still...”
Among those who returned safely, not a single face seemed bright. Until yesterday, they had a comfortable life where money could solve meals and shelter. Everything had felt natural, almost deserved. Now that they had seen how the temporary contract employees struggled just to survive, that comfort sat bitterly in their throats.
Then, 6:00 PM hit, and before anyone realized it, it was time to get off work.
“Yul’s group is late.”
“Yeah, they are,” another agreed.
The children were nowhere to be seen.
“Didn’t Wei say he chose China?”
“Yeah. He picked it right after you youngsters left.”
“And, uh... Her dad came to get her.”
People had been uneasy, perhaps because Han-Wool—the only adult among them—had no notable abilities. The trials relied on directing others and assigning tasks, and cheerful little Yul could not have been much help in that regard.
“Should we send a message?” Ji-Eun asked.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
As if on cue, footsteps echoed down the hall.
Yul, safely returned, came charging in and threw herself into Eun-Ho’s arms. “Uncle—!”
Thankfully, she was safe. Feeling the warm, uniquely childlike heat of her, Eun-Ho gently brushed aside her soft, fragile hair, which felt like it would shatter at a touch. “Welcome back, Yul. Did everything go okay?”
Yul practically exploded with excitement as she started babbling, “O-Oppa! A rock! A huuuge rock!”
“A rock? Like a Go stone?”
“Yeees! He drew pictures with it! On a huge river! Like, swish-swish!”
He had drawn pictures on top of a huge river?
For a moment, Eun-Ho wondered if Wei had used his Grand Match skill to play Go on the Yellow River itself. Maybe he had even pulled in donations with a picture-perfect display.
“Well done, Wei,” Eun-Ho said.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Wei mumbled, deliberately avoiding his gaze.
Eun-Ho gently ruffled his hair and the kid froze, eyes going wide. “W-why would you brag about stuff like that?”
“Whyyy! It was super coooool!”
“Cool?”
“A rock this biiig! Daddy says big things are cool!”
“Then I guess big monsters are cool to you too?”
“Umm... Monsters aren’t cool though...”
Ding!
As Yul and Wei bickered back and forth, a sudden alert rang sharply in his ears.
[A gift has arrived!]
[Would you like to check it?]
A gift? Another one? Was Harona still not done? Why send them one by one instead of all at once?
As that thought crossed his mind, the spacious lounge shook violently.
“H-huh?”
“Did something just move?”
Thuud!
“Eek!”
A massive shadow loomed overhead.
Crash! Baaaaang!
Thuuuuuuud!
It burst in, toppling sofas and smashing bookshelves in its wake.
[Please check the gift!]
There was a gigantic gift box in front of Eun-Ho. He had never seen a present taller than himself. “What the heck is that?!”
Dumbfounded, he reached for the gold ribbon draped over it like a curtain. The ribbon loosened on its own, as if a curtain were being drawn back.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
All four sides collapsed outward and fell flat. Inside the box was an overwhelming pile of assorted junk.
[Lightweight Armor for a Paper-Thin Body]
[Compact Time Bomb]
[Razor Beak Blade]
...
“Huh? Razor Beak Blade?”
Among the heap, one item immediately caught his eye. It was the sword he had personally forged with his own hands.
“A letter! There’s a letter! Read it, mister!”
At Yeo-Jin’s shout, Eun-Ho unfolded the letter fluttering in front of him. Inside was a short message.
- To: Lee Eun-Ho
- From: Myung Tae-Pyeong
- Message: Fuckin thanks
“Myung Tae-Pyeong? Who’s that—ah!”
There was only one person with the surname Myung he could think of.
“The Swear-Master?!”
He was the cousin of third-generation conglomerate Myung Seung-Tae.
“Why would he send something like this?”
Wait a second.
“Where is the Swear-Master?!”
“He hasn’t come back yet!”
The one who always cursed still hadn’t returned even though the trial was over.
“It looks like he sent all of his items.”
“What? Why does this feel like someone packing up their belongings before they die.”
It was a gift box filled with every item he owned.
Don’t tell me he...
Eun-Ho stiffened, then asked, “Which area did he choose?”
“T-the U.S.!”
“And who went with him?”
“No one from here! It was all Americans!”
[Failure Consequence: Department Transfer(Personnel → Operations)]
If he had failed the Management Department OJT trial, he would have been reassigned to the Operations Bureau as a result.
“Don’t tell me he went to Operations.”
“That can’t be right! They said going to Operations is basically the same as getting deleted!”
“It’s a place where you work in the dark with no reward. You pour your whole body and soul into it, but no one ever acknowledges you. That’s the Operations Bureau.”
Eun-Ho knew instinctively that the Swear-Master had gone to the Operations Bureau. It was the same place Harona had deliberately painted as terrifying.
[The Operations Bureau location has been added.]
It was one of the coordinates Assistant Manager Choi Seung had shared.
Eun-Ho took a deep breath. “Haaa.”
He had originally planned to check the Management Bureau and the Investigation Bureau first, as he was already somewhat familiar with them.
Then I’ll do it in one go.
With that decision made, he sent a message.
- To: Myung Tae-Pyeong
- Message: I’m coming. If you can see what floor you’re on, tell me.
He tried to tell him that he would go right away, so hang on just a little longer. However, his message could not be delivered.
[Send Failed!]
[The recipient cannot receive messages at this time.]
“What?!”