In front of a nameplate that read ‘Closed Today,’ Director Ho was waiting for me at a table in a hallway-like waiting area.
After bowing politely to the director and sitting down across the table, the first thing I said was that.
“You want… to file for workers’ compensation?”
“Yes.”
I confidently placed my empty right arm stump in front of the table for him to see.
“On my very first mission at the Disaster Management Bureau, I had to cut off my arm.”
“…….”
If Director Ho had any sense, he would remember this.
“ – It’ll be much more comfortable for you.”
He was the one who introduced me to the spy division, saying it had better working conditions and was safer.
But after surviving in a lucid dream world for over six months and extracting two batches of A-grade essence without a scratch, I lost an arm just three days after becoming an agent.
‘This is basically fraud.’
Of course, I had already prepared for the possibility that they might blame it on bad luck or my own incompetence….
“Oh my! Of course, we’ll process it for you!”
“……!”
Director Ho looked like he was about to cry, then nodded his head.
“It must have been very painful, Mr. Sol-eum. So, are you saying you need a Regeneration Potion from Daydream Corporation right now?”
“That’s correct.”
“Of course, I’d love to give you as much of the potion as you want right away. But… I’m a little worried about whether you can handle it.”
“…Excuse me?”
Director Ho glanced at the empty space where my arm used to be.
“If your arm suddenly grows back… there won’t be any excuse for the Disaster Management Bureau. That might put you in a difficult position.”
“…….”
“And the Disaster Management Bureau surely has its own methods for dealing with missing limbs. Is there a particular reason you’re in such a hurry to get Daydream Corporation’s Regeneration Potion…?”
Director Ho rambled on with a concerned expression before suddenly realizing something and clasping his hands together.
“Ah, I must have overthought it. Of course, you must have a clever plan in mind, Mr. Sol-eum.”
“Yes.”
“…….”
“Hmm, I must have phrased that wrong, leading to some misunderstanding.”
I smiled slightly.
“I’m not here to bother you by demanding to use the regeneration potion right now.”
“Of course not! I wouldn’t consider it a bother, but if that’s the case?”
“I need the potion so that in case I lose another body part in the future, I can regenerate it immediately.”
“…!”
“The Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau operates on a one-agent-per-team basis, right? So I figured I could just regenerate before reporting back after an incident.”
“I also heard that if the level of physical damage becomes too severe, retirement is strongly recommended. This is my way of preventing that.”
“Of course, if it’s too much for the company, I’ll try to endure it.”
“You know, Mr. Sol-eum?”
Director Ho stared at me intently.
“When I look at you, I feel like I’m looking at my past self……”
The Fox Counseling Room wavered strangely.
Old earthen walls, paper windows, wooden beams, and a moldy wooden floor.
“I really miss it….”
For some reason, the image of a crumbling thatched house flickered before my eyes. Beyond the cozy, modern interior, that eerie abandoned house….
Click.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
“…!”
As the door to the Fox Counseling Room opened, everything stopped.
Two men and women with tense expressions stepped into the cozy waiting area of the Fox Counseling Room through the doorway.
Familiar faces.
“Ah, hello.”
“…!”
Go Yeongeun, Jang Heo-un.
The two who infiltrated the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau as spies along with me had also been invited here.
I was so relieved and happy to see them, I almost teared up.
“Welcome, both of you.”
Director Ho smiled and guided them to their seats at the table.
I first saw Go Yeongeun, who nodded slightly, looking visibly relieved, then looked at Jang Heo-un, whose face turned pale upon seeing my missing right arm.
“Ah, thanks to Mr. Sol-eum’s suggestion, each of you will receive a Regeneration Potion. Isn’t that great?”
“…?! Yes, yes….”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Ms. Go Yeongeun seemed to handle it better, but Mr. Jang Heo-un looked like a mouse caught in front of a cat.
In other words, he was extremely tense.
‘Well, this is the appropriate reaction in front of an executive….’
Especially when that executive is from a ghost story-related company.
“Hey, aren’t you happy?”
“I-I am happy.”
“…It’s a great and thankful thing, but I was nervous about the upcoming work report. My apologies.”
“Ah, of course. That’s understandable. Then let’s quickly discuss the relevant matters!”
Director Ho smiled as if he understood everything and quickly turned to look at someone.
“Ms. Yeong-eun was nearly lost, but thanks to your colleague’s help, she made it out safely. That’s truly a relief! Right? It seems your joint infiltration was worth it.”
“…Yes.”
A short, sharp breath could be heard from Ms. Go Yeongeun.
“I heard Mr. Heo-un is doing well too. You joined the Field Restoration Unit, right? That’s a great team for accessing documents.”
“Uh, yes. That’s correct….”
Jang Heo-un couldn’t lift his gaze.
Director Ho smiled and picked up the green tea I had prepared.
“It’s really nice to meet and talk with you all in person. No need to be nervous just because it’s your first time here—please relax….”
“…….”
“…….”
If this was the first status report for all three of us….
Then who exactly did he ‘hear’ our assignments from?
‘…So the Disaster Management Bureau has other informants too.’
They really know how to set the atmosphere so no one dares to act carelessly.
I really hate higher-ups like this….
But as three low-ranking employees who had no choice but to obey, we just nodded stiffly and silently sipped our instant green tea.
“Uh, excuse me.”
“…!”
No, I thought that would be the end of it, but surprisingly, one of us spoke up.
Even more surprisingly, it was Jang Heo-un.
“If you don’t mind, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask….”
“Ah, what is it?”
“The exact documents we need to find in the Disaster Management Bureau,”
“That’s none of your concern.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“I’ll tell you when the time is right! When you have sufficient access to the information needed for our project.”
“…….”
“For now… hmm, I think this much information should be enough for you.”
Director Ho smiled.
“It’s a document related to a certain supernatural disaster.”
“It’s stored in the archives on the 33rd basement floor of the Disaster Management Bureau’s Gangwon Branch. If we classify it… it’s an Extinction-Class document.”
“…! T-That’s……”
“Ah, so you heard about it during training! That’s right.”
Extinction-Class
“It’s a paranormal disaster officially classified as the highest-level threat by the Paranormal Disaster Management Bureau.”
…That’s right.
A classification given to supernatural disasters that result in casualties so overwhelming that even the Disaster Management Bureau, which only deals with ghost stories involving deaths, cannot handle them.
The criteria are….
An estimated death toll of over 500,000.
In short, it’s a classification used only for insane disasters that claim as many lives as an entire metropolis. A cosmic horror-level ghost story that truly deserves the title of ‘disaster.’
But here’s the thing.
‘I… think I know what it is.’
That ghost story Director Ho just mentioned.
“ – Among the Extinction-Class disasters in the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, the one related to Daydream Corporation’s ‘Project’.”
With just this clue, the possibilities have already been narrowed down too much.
‘There’s only one case in the Chronicles of Darkness Exploration.’
Thanks to that, I now know what Director Ho is looking for and what the hell that project is trying to accomplish…!
‘This is insane.’
I was digging into a ghost story so insane that just recalling it makes my mind reel.
My heart pounded like crazy while my head turned ice-cold.
This won’t do.
‘The wish token… I don’t think I’ll be able to get it within the next few years.’
I need to cut ties.
But if that sharp and terrifying director finds out that I already know, I don’t even want to imagine what will happen.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
The wisest choice is….
For now, just keep my mouth shut.’
Don’t get crushed in a fight between whales.
I tried to look as tense as the others, avoiding eye contact with the director and staring at the table. Since I was already nervous, it wasn’t too difficult.
Fortunately, the director didn’t notice.
“Uh, is this answer sufficient?”
“…Yes.”
“Good!”
The conversation kept rolling.
“Ah, and about the workers’ compensation.”
Regeneration Potion.
“A formal compensation process might be difficult. After all, you three aren’t officially part of the main headquarters.”
Fortunately, he wasn’t suddenly changing his stance.
“So instead, we’ll provide it as an activity allowance.”
Director Ho raised his fingers.
“10,000 points per month.”
“…!!”
“I’ll give you a temporary account for the welfare store. You’re free to use it however you like, but if you don’t spend it within a month, it’ll disappear.”
My god.
That’s enough to buy a C-grade Regeneration Potion every month.
“Then, are we all satisfied with this?”
Director Ho looked at each of us one by one, then turned his gaze to me.
I bowed politely.
“Yes. For now, I can only be grateful.”
For now, that is.
“Great!”
Director Ho beamed with a wide smile.
And then, he took it a step further.
“Ah, can I offer you all one more thing to help with your activities? Please, all three of you, hold out your hands.”
“Ah.”
The two of them politely raised both hands and spread their palms forward.
I also raised one hand and spread my palm. Then, I placed it on the table….
“Not like that, make sure the back of your hand is facing up.”
“…….”
The moment I adjusted my hand’s position….
“That’s right.”
Something began to be drawn on the back of my hand.
“…!!”
“Be careful. If you move, you might have to use a Regeneration Potion….”
This is insane.
Countless hollow circles rippled across the back of my hand like waves.
‘What the hell is this?’
A strange, constricting sensation spread through me….
“ – Male, female, male. From now on, the three of you will no longer be able to call each other by your codenames.”
“……!”
“ – If there are prying eyes, you cannot share any information that hints at your true identities”
Thud.
Thud.
“ – If you try to break this rule, you will be punished.”
Something round pressed into the back of my hand like a seal. The vibration spread from my hand through my entire body. And then….
“Haaah…!”
It disappeared. Without a trace.
“…….”
“…….”
Sweating coldly, the three spies pulled their hands away from the table.
“…T-This is….”
“I put a lot of effort into preparing this to make sure you don’t make any mistakes.”
Director Ho smiled kindly.
But none of the three of us could smile.
“I just heard something about punishment.”
“Hm?”
“You said we would be punished.”
“Ah, it’s nothing too serious, just something basic… But if you’re in a situation where you’re trying to forcibly break this restriction, then that would mean something has gone terribly wrong, wouldn’t it?”
Director Ho clasped his hands together with a smile.
“Then, as ‘punishment’… the thing you cherish the most will meet me.”
“……!”
“I’ll take good care of it.”
“Wait a moment! That’s….”
I deliberately made eye contact with Ms. Go Yeongeun, who was about to protest.
“…….”
“Yes?”
Ms. Go Yeongeun slowly calmed herself and then asked in a composed tone.
“…So, will this restriction remain in effect until the moment the project ‘succeeds’?”
“No. This is just a device to help the three of you with your work!”
He really phrases things in a sneaky way.
‘Help?’
“As soon as you retrieve the information I need on the Extinction-Class disaster, this auxiliary device will disappear. And then….”
Director Ho rested his chin on his hand.
Leaning slightly toward us.
“Whoever contributes to this task will receive the potion immediately at that time.”
“…….”
Wait a minute.
Beside me, Jang Heo-un’s trembling voice could be heard.
“I-If you mean the potion….”
“The Wish Token.”
“…!!”
“As long as you complete your assigned roles, you’ll receive the Wish Token immediately! Isn’t that amazing?”
My god.
“I worked hard to make sure you wouldn’t have to wait until the project succeeds.”
Suddenly, the timeline for obtaining the Wish Token has been drastically shortened.
This spy job is starting to feel incredibly tempting.
‘If I do well, I could get it absurdly fast.’
As long as I do my part well!
“…….”
At the same time, a chill ran down my back.
‘He revealed it now on purpose.’
He’s reinforcing our motivation to cling to this mission as if our lives depended on it.
Instead of disclosing everything upfront and letting us carefully consider our choices, he controlled the flow of information.
That’s why he made it feel like it’s right within reach.’
I’ve thought this before, but his methods are chillingly meticulous and layered.
‘…This isn’t the only thing.’
I recalled Director Ho’s previous statements.
The words he said when he assigned me to the spy work.
“ – And since I thought you might feel lonely alone, other people will be deployed with you as well.”
If you just hear this, it sounds like he arranged for others to infiltrate the Disaster Management Bureau as spies just for my sake.
But once I agreed and checked, the reality was the opposite.
‘The others had already been deployed into the Disaster Management Bureau before me.’
Director Ho never lies about the facts themselves.
However, he freely manipulates the framing and interpretation of events to push people in a certain direction….
Just look at the expressions of my colleagues.
‘Their eyes are glowing.’
‘Once this job is done, we get the Wish Token’—how sweet that sounds.
But.
“Then, may I ask if everyone will be acknowledged?”
“Hm?”
I can’t afford to miss the details in moments like this.
“If we all ‘cooperate’ and hand over the data together, will everyone receive the Wish Token potion?”
“Ah, of course.”
“…Then, will you be the one to judge whether we properly ‘cooperated’?”
“…….”
Director Ho met my gaze briefly, then smiled again.
“I’ll trust your report on that!”
Phew.
With this, I’ve prevented Director Ho from dismissing our teamwork and selecting just one MVP to cut down on Wish Token potion distribution.
“Ah, time’s up.”
At that moment, Director Ho checked his wristwatch and stood up.
Then, he clapped his hands and spoke to us with a pleasant, friendly expression.
“Take your time talking, the three of you. It’ll be difficult for you to gather ‘outside’ from now on. That’s why I arranged this meeting for you.”
It was a warning not to gather as spies and arouse suspicion.
At least he preserved some semblance of decency.
In other words, he had finished his business with the low-ranking subordinates and was leaving.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
Director Ho stood up with a wide smile, saying, ‘I’ll try to arrange meetings like this in the future if possible,’ and waved his hand.
We hurriedly stood up from the table and bowed our heads.
“You don’t have to get up! But thank you.”
Then, upon reaching the door to leave the counseling room, I grabbed the doorknob but suddenly turned around as if something had come to mind.
Our eyes met.
Director Ho subtly gestured toward the silver ring on my left finger.
A silver ring.
My mental protection item.
“That’s completely worn out.”
"...!"
Srrrk.
“Then, I’ll see you all at the next session.”
The door of the Fox Counseling Room closed softly and kindly.
Thud.
“…….”
“…….”
Director Ho had completely disappeared.
And then.
“Ha……”
A deep sigh filled the waiting room.
It was the sigh of low-ranking staff members who had just faced an impossibly high-ranking, insane superior….
‘Still, the fact that I wasn’t alone in this made it somewhat bearable.’
And there was also someone I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Uh… It’s been a while, Mr. Sol-eum.”
I turned to look at my colleague.
A former member of the finalization team.
A long-haired man greeted me warmly but with a hint of concern in his expression.
“Have you been doing well?”
It was Jang Heo-un.
