Chapter 180. The Wailing Forest (1)
“Ms. Sarah! Aren’t we starting the afternoon event?”
Sarah was anxious, so much that unlike her usual self, she paced back and forth on the spot despite facing a crowd of hundreds.
What should I do? Should I start without Lee Eun-Ho?
If she delayed any longer, people would start finding it strange.
“Five minutes! We’ll start in five minutes. Since things might feel a bit awkward, why don’t you start by greeting others from your own departments?”
He’ll come back safely. I just have to drag a little longer!
She discreetly wiped the sweat from her palms as she stalled for time.
Ding!
Then, a notification rang.
Startled by the unexpected alert, Sarah’s shoulders jerked. She blinked rapidly and checked the message window.
[An event has occured!]
[Your affiliation has changed from the Public Affairs Bureau to the Personnel Bureau.]
Although it was news she had been waiting for desperately, it absolutely should not have arrived at this moment. She had submitted the request, but given the timing, the chances had been close to zero.
What?! Why did I get that news all of a sudden?
A departmental transfer was a huge deal. Her original department would never let go easily. Unless one was ready to fight to the death, it was practically impossible. There were even cases where employees failed to transfer despite their determination and ended up truly destroyed. Still, she had tried, just in case.
The Personnel Bureau controlled placements and personnel authority, hence there was always a possibility. Even if the originating department opposed it, she thought that they could force it through. If it had been a powerful department like Administration or Sales, it would have been difficult, but that wasn’t the case for the Public Affairs Bureau.
Even so, things moved this fast?!
Sarah had no special connections. Originally, she had planned to lean on the reputation and results she built during the new employee training, but Lee Eun-Ho overshadowed her time and again. Even then, she had never seen a transfer processed this quickly. Without the firm resolve of the HR manager, this would have been impossible.
However, she was aware that the HR manager was infamous for extreme self-preservation. There was no way he would risk antagonizing the Public Affairs Bureau just to take her in. His stance couldn’t have changed in just a few hours. The one who had set this entire board in motion was definitely Lee Eun-Ho.
Just as expected.
Choosing to stand on his side had been the right decision.
I don’t care about the event. I’m not starting until Eun-Ho gets here.
She clenched her fist in resolve. At that moment the antique wooden door, likely installed by the HR manager himself, opened and Lee Eun-Ho stepped inside.
Click.
“Let’s begin,” he said casually, waving his hand as if nothing had happened.
“Lee Eun—”
“Hyuuungnim!”
“Eun-Ho!”
The new employees shouted his name at the top of their lungs, waving both arms wildly. Startled, Sarah closed her mouth.
Thank goodness he made it back safely.
That was all that mattered. Now it was time to bring things to an end. The end of familiarity and the beginning of a new challenge had come.
Exhaling softly, she pushed away the lingering regret of endings and put on a bright smile. Then, she turned on the microphone for the final event she would host as the mascot of the Public Affairs Bureau.
Click.
“Hello, everyone! Thank you for waiting! We’ll now begin the closing ceremony!”
***
It was 4:00 PM. After a lunch hour that had been chaotic in more ways than one, they finished a short schedule, which included team selection for each department and a briefing on the company’s vision.
After that, everyone returned to the garden located at the very center of the four towers—east, west, south, and north.
Whooosh—
With the sound of the fountain as background music, they gathered beneath a large arch formed by intertwining vines. The reason everyone had assembled here instead of returning to their respective dorms was simple. They had all been kicked out of their rooms immediately after the event ended.
“Attention, new employees. As of today, all new employee training programs have officially concluded. Dormitory lodging benefits will also end today, so please proceed to your assigned departments,” Sarah said.
“Damn. Telling us to clear out our rooms all of a sudden feels kind of cold.”
“It really does feel like we’re being chased out.”
People looked uneasy and forlorn, even though all they had done was stuff their few belongings into their inventories, or toss them into a single backpack. Perhaps this place had come to feel like a first foothold, a kind of new hometown. No matter what kind of day they had, running into familiar faces every day had offered a small sense of comfort.
“But isn’t it nice that we’re all going together?”
“Right, Unni! You know our team has the most people, right?”
“Yeah, yeah! I guess Eun-Ho has amazing luck with people. Don’t you think so?”
“Luck with people... Yeah, that guy’s got it in spades.”
Ji-Eun and Bo-Ra exchanged words back and forth. They were probably trying to lighten the mood after seeing everyone so dejected.
They’re not wrong, Eun-Ho thought.
[Labor-Management Cooperation Team]
- Affiliation: Directly under the Personnel Bureau
- Members: 42/50
- Benefits(Current): 1,512 Points
- Benefits(Cumulative): 1,512 Points
- Shared Skill: [Return to Office(Lv. - )]
- Events: [Tea Time for Boosting Morale], [Focused Work Hours], [Group Dinner]
The brand-new department he had practically forced into existence had forty-two members. He had done a bit of unofficial recruiting among the new employees, but even he hadn’t expected this many to gather. Out of ninety-nine survivors, nearly half had volunteered to join his team.
“Thanks for taking me in,” Jang Han-Il said while awkwardly avoiding eye contact.
“What are you talking about? Thanks for coming.”
Then there was Park Gong-Chan. “So we really did end up on the same team.”
“Looks like it.”
Instead of his usual arrogance, he wore a light smile and gave Eun-Ho a gentle tap on the shoulder. “I had a feeling this day would come. Let’s do our best.”
On top of that even Dmitri, with his shaved head, joined. “I’m the only Russian. Will this be all right?”
“Of course it’ll be fine. You shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
“To be honest, I thought you would choose the Future Research Center.”
Dmitri had been the real surprise. His major was pharmacology and not only that, he was talented enough to create items recognized as proper potions.
“Maybe you’ve found your calling! You can choose your department later anyway, right?”
“I don’t know. I think you might’ve found your calling more than I did.”
He had also learned through the Audit Bureau trial that the Future Research Center conducted similar research. Naturally, Eun-Ho had assumed Dmitri would choose that path.
“I did consider it,” Dmitri said. With his usual stoic expression, he pointed at Eun-Ho and then he pointed at himself. He said firmly, “You said let’s work together again.”
Huh? Was it because of what I said when we parted after the Audit Bureau trial? Eun-Ho thought.
“Well, let’s team up again sometime.”
“Gladly.”
I appreciate it.
Of course, not everyone was as resolute as Dmitri.
“Was that the HR manager earlier? He didn’t look pleased... Will this really be okay?”
“Hey! Don’t say stuff like that! It’s not like we can change it now!”
“I-I’m sure it’ll be fine. Sorry.”
There were plenty of people who felt uneasy, unsure whether their choice had been the right one. Quite a few openly showed how shaken they were. Even so, one thing was certain.
They trusted me enough to follow.
If that was the case, then the very first thing he had to do was turn forty-two different individuals into one.
“First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for choosing this newly formed team,” Eun-Ho said.
[Leadership(Lv. 2) has been activated.]
[Members of the Labor-Management Cooperation Team focus on the team leader’s words.]
“I know many of you are anxious, wondering whether this was the right choice, whether it’s too risky. But.”
[Due to Leadership(Lv. 2), your influence over team members has increased.]
He had to step forward because what they seek right now wasn’t humility or excessive caution. “As a survivor of the restructuring and as the leader of the Labor-Management Cooperation Team, I have one simple goal.”
All forty-two gazes flew toward him, shining like stars in the night sky. There were eyes sparkling with expectation like the blazing sun, but also eyes trembling with unease like fog filling the dawn. He accepted them all.
“My goal is that every single one of us will be guaranteed permanent safety. Not a life where we’re tossed around like toys, barely clinging to survival, but one of freedom.” Complete freedom and a life without compromise was what Eun-Ho wanted. “So that we can live like human beings again just like we did in the old world.”
Only by standing on equal footing will we ever get a chance to strike back at those bastards. Only then would true, flawless safety be complete.
[Team members empathize with the team leader’s vision!]
[Current Loyalty: 65%]
“It won’t be easy. There will be obstacles, and we’ll have to fight and struggle to get what we want. But I won’t lead you into battles we can’t win.” He gulped and looked each of the forty-two in the eye. “We’ll prepare relentlessly and I’ll draw out every bit of potential you all have.”
Just as he had done for himself, for Ji-Eun, and for the Swear-Master as well.
“Trust me and follow. That’s all I ask.”
That moment, he felt their gazes grow steadier, more vivid, and deeper.
Ding!
[You have seized your team members’ hearts with outstanding leadership.]
[Your Leadership skill proficiency has greatly improved!]
[The level of the skill Leadership(Lv. 2) has increased.]
[Leadership(Lv. 2) has been upgraded to Leadership(Lv. 3).]
“Yes, Team Leader!” Min Yeo-Jin, arm linked with Yoon Sol-Ah, shouted with shining eyes.
Team Leader?
Judging by her mischievous grin, she was clearly saying it for fun.
“Hey, that’s pretty fun! Should we call him Team Leader Young Man now?”
“What nonsense is that! We gotta show some respect and use honorifics!” the cleaning lady replied.
The team members, oddly energized, began tossing out jokes.
“Please don’t. It will make me feel uncomfortable,” said Eun-Ho.
“See? Team Leader Young Man really is better, isn’t it?”
Bo-Ra stepped closer too, calling him with a bizarre title, “Team Leader Oppa?”
Even Ji-Eun joined in, wearing an expression that made it impossible to tell whether she was teasing or serious. “Eun-Ho... Ah, no—Team Leader?”
At this rate, even he felt like he was going to lose it, so he hurriedly changed the subject. “Aren’t you curious about the office? Let’s get moving.”
“Sounds good!”
“We just have to use that shared skill, right?”
Yeo-Jin and Sol-Ah answered enthusiastically instead of Ji-Eun, who was blushing.
- Shared Skill: [Return to Office(Lv. 1)]
“Yeah, that should be it,” Eun-Ho replied.
“You said you picked it, right Mister? Wow, I’m really curious!”
“Same. I hope it’s spacious.”
“Aaaah! Yoon Sol-Ah! I’m so excited! Are we becoming career women now?!”
As the two high school girls squealed in excitement, he tried to calm them down. “It’d be better not to get your hopes up.”
However, they were already lost in their own world, not listening at all.
“Sol-Ah! Shouldn’t we be wearing suits?” said Yeo-Jin.
“Our uniforms should be fine. They’re neat,” said Sol-Ah.
“I said don’t get your hopes—” Eun-Ho tried to interject.
“Do you think they’ll have name tags? Like the employee IDs?” asked Yeo-Jin.
“If they don’t, we’ll make our own!” said Sol-Ah.
“That’s awesome! I love it!” said Yeo-Jin.
“What on earth are you two imagining?” Eun-Ho uttered.
He almost felt guilty because their office definitely wasn’t going to be beautiful.
“Let’s go, Team Leader!”
“I clearly said don’t get your hopes up...”
“Kyaa! Hurry, hurry!”
“Return to Office.”
Eun-Ho could already tell that they wouldn’t be happy with their office, their very first foothold.
***
The moment the Return to Office skill was activated, particles of light spread beneath their feet. Grains like powdered sugar shimmered one by one as they floated upward.
Shhhh—
The particles swayed like a gentle breeze, wrapping around their vision. When everything settled, they had arrived.
[Return to Office has been completed.]
[Welcome to the Wailing Forest!]
Min Yeo-Jin, who had been bouncing in place with anticipation, froze. “T-the Wailing Forest?”
Even Yoon Sol-Ah, who had been pretending to stay calm while tightly clasping her hands and shining with excitement, went stiff.
Screech—
A black wind swept across the pure white snowfield, brushing against their collars. The chill raised goosebumps, and they instinctively pulled their clothes tighter.
“Kieeeeeeeek—!”
Then, a bizarre shriek that made everyone flinch.
“W-what is up with this place?!”
“I told you not to get your hopes up.”
“Eek?!”
[Team Trial, Clear the Snow, has been activated!]
[Team Trial, Logging, has been activated!]
[Team Trial, Log Cabin Repair, has been activated!]
...
Messages flooded the air nonstop.
“My employee ID! My desk!” Yeo-Jin screamed as if in despair, shouting. She grabbed Eun-Ho’s arm, asking in obvious denial, “Mister—no, Team Leader! Didn’t you say earlier that you personally chose the office site?”
“Uh. Yeah, I did.”
“And you chose this place?!”
She must have been expecting a lot more than he realized. However, it couldn’t be helped.
“Because this land has the highest growth potential.”
“Growth potential?”
This place had the best conditions. Well, except for the romantic dreams of innocent high school girls.
“There are the most trials here. In other words, the most work.”
Sol-Ah nodded while staring at the message windows with a pale expression. “It really looks that way.”
He then addressed the others, who were just as flustered, “Since we’re starting with nothing, we’ll also gain the most in return.”
It was the same logic as in games, where raising a character from level one to ten was far easier than pushing from level one hundred to one hundred and one.
“Oh! You’re so right, Hyungnim! We’ve already got more than ten trials popping up!”
“But even so... Isn’t this too much of nothing to start with?”
“Isn’t that better? We can build everything however we want.”
“A-are you serious?”
[Team Trial, Build a Watchtower, has been activated!]
[Team Trial, Gather Resources, has been activated!]
[Team Trial, Hunt Monsters, has been activated!]
...
“Of course we’ll be busy at first,” Eun-Ho muttered.
However, that was fine because they had a special event in place.
“Activate Focused Work Hours.”
[Focused Work Hours have now begun.]
[Please select the task you wish to focus on!]
Fwoosh—!
A translucent window appeared above each team member’s head.
[Focused Work Hours in progress.]
The window was slightly larger than a palm, with six solid squares inside it. The sixth slot blinked, slowly emptying as if waiting its turn.
It was two hours total, so about twenty minutes per slot or one of these squares.
Focused Work Hours doubled work efficiency. Ideally, everyone would choose for themselves, but since it was the first day, assigning tasks made more sense.
“Let’s think of today as basic cleanup.”
“Basic cleanup doesn’t seem like it’ll cover this...” Bo-Ra mumbled with pursed lips.
“Don’t worry. We can do it because we’ve got a lot of talent,” said Eun-Ho.
Bo-Ra whipped her head around to look up at him. “Talent?”
“Yeah. Like you.” He gave a few reassuring taps on her shoulders. Then, he announced to everyone, “All right, everyone, pay attention! Our goals are logging, clearing the snow, and building the watchtower.”
“What? In two hours?”
He planned to deal with what was in front of them first. “Let’s combine our efforts. If we do this for a few days, things should shape up quickly.”
“For a few days?”
“What else is left after that?”
People asked with blank, overwhelmed expressions.
“Once logging is done, we’ll level the ground and put up more buildings. Dormitories, sanitation facilities, and—ah! A training ground would be nice too.”
“A-all of that by ourselves?!”
The more he talked, the paler their faces seemed to become. Sensing the need for motivation, he said, “At least we won’t be bored. Right?”
Everyone’s mouths slowly fell open.
“Oh, and if there’s a monster respawn area, it might be better not to eliminate it completely. We can leave it like a farm and take turns hunting a few every morning before starting the day.”
“W-what?! That’s a joke, right?”
“Huh? I’m serious.”
“Kieeeeeek—”
Then, suspicious roars echoed from all directions.
Rustle, rustle, rustle—
A cutting darkness settled over the black forest.
“Ah! Or how about setting internal rules? Like morning jogging, catch a certain number of monsters before breakfast—”
“Team Leadeeeer!”
The wails of the team members, burdened with mountains of tasks, echoed throughout the forest.