"So you made it, but only you can use it?"
The Ordnance Department Chief looked at Shin Hyuk with a troubled expression.
"For now, is the performance solid?"
"Yes, sir. The test results are perfect. It perfectly shares everything it records."
"Haah, it's good. Everything's good."
The Ordnance Department Chief had Shin Hyuk wait for the moment.
"Wait here. I'll file a report."
Left behind, Shin Hyuk made an awkward face.
"What? I made this because you asked me to. Why are you acting like this?"
A short while later, the Ordnance Department Chief spoke to Shin Hyuk.
"Someone's coming soon. You'll hear the details from them."
"Huh? Who?"
"They said National Intelligence Service?"
Knock, knock, knock.
"Yes."
The Ordnance Department Chief opened the door.
A woman in a black business suit appeared with a smile.
"Hello. I came after being contacted. Were you contacted in advance?"
"Huh? What brings you here?"
She was the NIS agent who had been helping out beside Aizar.
"I was contacted by Deputy Director Cha Ki-cheol. You're going to help us with our work?"
The Ordnance Department Chief immediately pointed at Shin Hyuk.
"He's right here. Please make good use of him."
"Yes. Then I'll explain. Please come this way."
Shin Hyuk was led away by her.
"We are conducting a separate investigation into the sudden increase in new Gates."
She put Shin Hyuk in a plain black sedan.
"But where are you taking me?"
"A clothing store. You're going to investigate looking like that?"
"Hm?"
Shin Hyuk checked his own appearance.
The baggy military uniform had a spectacular fit.
"Buy some jeans and a hoodie to look ordinary, and we'll lend you a car. Please drive around and observe."
"What kind of mission is this? It doesn't seem like simply finding Gates."
She smiled and handed him a card and car keys.
"It's exactly what you're thinking. You know. What else would we be looking for?"
When Shin Hyuk took the card and keys, she leaned over and opened the door for him.
"So please help us find it. And even if you do find it, don't approach first. Even if you feel like snapping, hold it in."
"Ah…… yes."
When he got out of the car, he found himself in the downtown area of the neighboring district.
As he looked around, she rolled down the window and spoke.
"There should be another phone in the car. Please answer it. Don't forget to report every hour."
"Yes, yes."
She sped off.
"Hmm. It's my first time on an operation like this. Kinda exciting."
He was strangely excited.
"Then shall I start with the disguise."
* * *
The NIS agent who had left Shin Hyuk behind called someone.
"Chief, I just dropped him off."
"Good. Did you brief him on the mission?"
Checking Shin Hyuk entering the clothing store through the rearview mirror, she said,
"Yes, I briefed him well, and he should be planting a few bugs and trackers by now."
"Okay. Leave the new Gate cause investigation to him, and you just keep a close eye on Shin Hyuk. Don't let him cause any trouble."
"Yes~ You mean pin him down if anything happens, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. His level isn't that high yet, so it'll work. Good work, Joo Yeon-ah."
"Yes."
She ended the call and maintained an appropriate distance from Shin Hyuk.
"Just how good is his ability that they'd brazenly dump the whole investigation on him?"
Maintaining a suitable distance, she docked her phone into the car mount and opened a tracking app.
"Krr, this is fine by me. I just have to observe him comfortably. That weird priest was a bit uncomfortable."
* * *
"It's been a while since I wore a hoodie."
He stopped by the clothing store right behind where she had dropped him off and changed into a perfect civilian disguise.
He checked his reflection in the store glass.
"Oh, perfect. Anyone would think I'm a civilian."
He nodded and was heading to find the car when a lady selling fish cakes on the street shouted,
"Hey there, soldier boy! Come have a fish cake before you go!"
At those words, Shin Hyuk paused for a moment.
He checked again in the store glass.
"Per……fect."
"Which unit are you from? From this block or that block?"
"……."
He went back into the clothing store, bought a hat, and pulled it down tight to cover up.
"I don't want any fish cakes."
"Well, goodness me."
He pressed the car key to check the location, and it was right across the street.
"Close."
He immediately got into the driver's seat and checked the phone first.
"This is it."
He picked it up and touched it, and it opened right away.
'A text came in.'
Checking the contents, it was regarding the current status of recently occurred Gates and their locations.
- Please start checking around this area.
It was a text from her.
Shin Hyuk checked the location and started the engine.
"Shall we go?"
As he drove, he took out that guy he had stored in his inventory.
A small eyeball popped out onto the passenger seat.
'Greetings, Master.'
"Yeah."
The eyeball settled gently onto the passenger seat.
'That space is very stuffy. Please store me outside where I can breathe next time.'
"Huh? Uh, sure."
Shin Hyuk was slightly taken aback by the demand of Obsir, the golem with a distinct will.
The eyeball spun its body around and stared at Shin Hyuk, asking,
'What shall I do first?'
"Ah, I'll explain the situation first."
Obsir blinked for a moment and cut in.
'No, I am already aware of the situation.'
"Hm?"
'Because we are connected.'
"R-really? Then do a wide area search."
'Yes, I will conduct a random sweep of the vicinity first. If meaningful data and statistics emerge, I will carry out a second, detailed search.'
Obsir immediately vanished outside the window.
"Uh, yeah, thanks!"
Shin Hyuk blankly stared after the overly competent golem.
"Way too competent."
He parked the car in a corner and waited for a while.
"What am I even doing……?"
'You need only wait.'
The golem's voice resonated in his head.
"Nothing to do."
Thanks to the overly competent golem, he had nothing to do.
As the wait stretched past three hours, he began to grow bored.
"Haaaaah."
He yawned long and hard as he looked around.
"Should I just go back to base? It seems like it wouldn't matter whether I'm there or here."
Knock, knock.
He quickly turned to the side at the sudden sound of knocking on the window.
'Please roll down the window.'
"Uh, okay."
He hurriedly rolled down the window, and Obsir came inside and seated itself on the passenger seat.
'I am hungry. Please refuel me.'
"Hold on."
He rummaged through his inventory to check if he had any magic stones.
Fortunately, he had plenty, so he handed over a few.
Obsir floated up into the air, touched the magic stones, and absorbed them.
'Recharge complete. Also, you must not leave this place. My radius of activity is approximately ten kilometers from Master.'
"Huh? Really?"
'Furthermore, the first sweep is complete. I have discovered meaningful information.'
At the words that meaningful information had been found, Shin Hyuk straightened his posture.
"What is it?"
'There is a guild repeatedly appearing near new Gates.'
"A guild?"
'It is Novasis, a place Master is also aware of.'
"The Association?"
As far as Shin Hyuk knew, Novasis Guild was a place where a director of the Association operated.
"Once the report is done, track only Novasis Guild."
'Yes.'
Shin Hyuk immediately reported to her by phone.
Ding.
A reply came immediately.
- Maintain your distance and tail them. Absolutely do not approach or clash with them.
"Yes, yes."
Shin Hyuk put down his phone and eagerly anticipated the information Obsir would soon bring.
"I've got a feeling. Let's find out what that Association President bastard is up to."
* * *
Obsir floated through the air and chased after them.
The golem hadn't moved far before it caught up to them.
A bus with large "Novasis" wrapping on the outside was visible.
Obsir approached close to the bus.
Leaning against the window, it scanned the inside and accumulated information.
"Guild Master. How many more rounds are we running today?"
The Guild Master in the front row yawned and spoke.
"Two or three? I don't know. Fuck, they assigned us so damn many."
"Ah, it's tedious."
The guild member leaned back against the seemingly endless Gates.
"Guild Master, can't we return to Seoul before heading out again today? I'm out of underwear. I'm going commando right now."
The Guild Master calmly raised his middle finger.
"I've been going commando for a week. Give it up, punk."
"Krhuk."
He shouted to the guild members who were dozing off or resting as the Gate slowly came into view.
"We're here! Get a grip! Grab your gear!"
The bus stopped, and the Guild Master in the front row got off first.
"Krrh."
The Guild Master got off first and checked the scene.
"Vice Guild Master. What grade is it?"
The Vice Guild Master who got off after him opened his phone and checked.
"It's C-rank. Looks like a few orcs and trolls. Nothing else out of the ordinary."
"Okay. Everyone put on your suits and turn all scanners on. Let's get this over with quickly."
Everyone took down their bags and began hurriedly putting on full-body suits.
"Guild Master, isn't headquarters upgrading these suits? I'm starting to feel like our gear is falling behind."
The Vice Guild Master pointed at the high-tech Gate suits and spoke.
"I mentioned it too. But those headquarters bastards ignored us the whole time, acting like we should be earning them more money, then suddenly bring it up out of nowhere?"
"Well, that's just how businessmen bastards think."
"That's why they don't know to fear Awakeners. Those money-grubbing lowlifes keep climbing the ranks."
The Vice Guild Master carefully probed the Guild Master.
"But what does the Association President say? How is he going to raise our clout?"
"You punk. Right now we have to crawl low. Because of the mess we made last time, we're the ones covering the provinces now."
"Ah."
The Guild Master saw that the guild members were already prepared and shouted.
"If you're ready, get in! Call immediately if you find the core!"
"Yes sir!"
Equipped Novasis guild members entered one by one.
The Guild Master watched them go in and glanced around the surroundings.
"Where would be good~ Where should I scatter it so people go 'Oh no, so scary~'?"
The Vice Guild Master, who hadn't entered the Gate, pointed in a direction.
"How about over there? You can see an apartment and a daycare."
The Guild Master stared intently at the Vice Guild Master. At that gaze, the Vice Guild Master made an awkward expression.
"Was that too overboard?"
"No, good job. You know, looking at you, you're even more despicable than me and better at using your head?"
"Haha, you flatter me."
"Yeah, I have to scatter it in a place like that for these fucking pigs to know their place and worship us."
The Guild Master spoke with an attitude full of force.
"Those damn soldiers clean up Gates for free every day, so they don't know how precious Awakeners are. That's why they blame Awakeners for everything. If they die, it's our fault, fuck."
The two exchanged all sorts of vicious slander as they mocked society.
Whooom.
At that moment, a guild member who had entered the portal revealed himself from beyond.
"Guild Master. We found the core."
At those words, the Guild Master headed inside.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
After he went inside, Obsir recorded this scene in greater detail and accumulated information.
'Misfit. Pathetic human.'
A short while later, he came out shaking himself off.
The Vice Guild Master watched and approached him, extending his hand.
"Here are three. Go scatter them and come back quick."
"Yes sir! Guild Master, please don't go first!"
"I'm not going, punk!"
Obsir alternated its gaze between the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master for a moment, then chased after him as he moved holding something.
'Suspicious.'
The Vice Guild Master went to a nearby apartment and tossed three dark red seeds.
"Didn't they say not to cluster them in one place?"
He pretended not to see the three dark red seeds already clustered together in the middle.
"Dunno. They'll figure it out."
Obsir observed this scene closely.
'Anomalous phenomenon detected.'
The three overlapping Gates fluctuated violently, stimulating one another.
Furthermore, the portal gradually grew larger, and the interior environment and scenery began to show through transparently.
'Break imminent. Critical emergency!'