By Zephyria 
From birth until adulthood, he had never once stepped outside of Central. Despite that, when the time came to decide on a career path after finishing academy, the options available to Park Young-chan were not particularly broad.
He didn’t have the brains for research. He wasn’t skilled enough in money-making to help with his father’s business. However, by a stroke of luck, he had been born with flawless genes and the financial means to nurture them, allowing him to grow up physically robust.
If there was one thing his father—who already had his hands in many different pots—lacked, it was a token of devotion to show the city.
And so, Park Young-chan became a member of the Defense Force. For someone who had been half-pushed into it, it was a job he liked more than expected. Despite the physical toll and the dangers lurking everywhere, he felt a sense of satisfaction for the first time in his life.
Yes. It was only after receiving a medal that he gained proper attention from his family. Though he had put his life on the line, he had avoided any major injuries, so it was practically a windfall.
Looking back, it was all thanks to Instructor Jin. Thanks to the man who had appeared like a disaster one day and guided him, even while enduring an unfair reputation.
Unlike himself, who had simply aged into an adult, the man felt like a real adult. A true man who had carved his own path through a harsh world alone!
The way he moved with optimal efficiency under perfect judgment was the very blueprint of the Defense Force member Park Young-chan aspired to be.
…Of course, as the rumors suggested, he was a strange person. In the first place, it’s rare to meet a human who mimics an Aberrant to that extent in one’s lifetime.
An instructor who, under the guise of training, would spit in the faces of his subordinates or kick their legs out from under them. He had looked into whether all mercenaries were like that, only to be told, “Do you think mercenaries are all psychopaths?”
However, his personal fondness for the man did not fade. Following his father’s advice that one should not merely owe a debt to a useful person but actively create one, Park Young-chan strove to live up to the value of the medal he had received.
Fortunately, Instructor Jin also seemed to find him approachable. After all, hadn’t he remembered to call him even while wandering in search of a missing comrade?
“Park Young-chan reporting.”
“Come in.”
As soon as he entered Instructor Jin’s office, a man named Joo-oh—a name easy to remember—hurriedly handed him a palm-sized bottle of a drink.
Not feeling like something sweet at the moment, he simply stared at it, and after checking some records for a moment, the instructor turned around to face him.
“I heard you were appointed as the squad leader for Instructor Cha’s practical training. Since that’s an unusual measure for a second-year member, I called you in to see if there was anything you needed help with. Well, that guy… no, the training assistant was practically begging to see you.”
“That’s right.”
“Ah, well, it’s not certain yet. That training is relatively safe for a practical exercise, so I think I just got lucky with the opportunity.”
“I am well aware of your skills, as I am the one in charge of the lectures. I heard you’ve been assigned to Beast extermination cases more frequently lately. Are you tired or exhausted? Carelessness always leads to injury.”
“No, I’m fine with—”
He tried to answer normally, but he caught a sharp gaze. It was a pair of eyes that seemed to pierce right through his inner thoughts.
Chrarak. A sound effect, like flipping a page on a pad, echoed, and a brightly highlighted record was placed before him.
“Of course, there hasn’t been an increase in mistakes during training, nor do you seem to be struggling… but I got a feeling that things were a bit precarious. Upon checking, I saw that your weight and test performance have been steadily declining over the past two weeks.”
Oops. Only today did he realize that Instructor Jin was the type to check every individual’s chart. Park Young-chan shook his head, trying his best to hide his troubled expression.
“There’s no problem with the training. I won’t let my guard down. Also…”
“If it’s not the training, then there seems to be another problem. Do you need help?”
“That’s… a bit of a personal matter. It’s not related to the Defense Force.”
“What does that matter? I’ve also received a great deal of help with my own personal affairs.”
It was a voice that was neither kind nor warm. The tone was strictly professional and incredibly stiff.
Nevertheless, he could feel the consideration and concern directed toward him, and he felt his frayed nerves begin to relax.
Pop! Beside him, Joo-oh opened the cap of the drink for him and handed it over. Park Young-chan took it reflexively and guessed the situation.
Oh boy. It seemed the circumstances he had leaked to Joo-oh had reached Instructor Jin’s ears.
“Not just as an instructor, but as a mercenary, I can be of help.”
As a dry smile tugged at the corners of the man’s mouth, Park Young-chan’s lips parted slowly.
“Why does he say that’s necessary for business?”
“Because if the other party is in a good mood, they’ll think more positively of the same proposal.”
“Like how Cheong always gives us delicious food?”
“…Just pack your bag.”
Three days later in the morning, Jin Mu-hae prepared to leave the house early. Since they were leaving the city, they had to move while it was as bright as possible.
Joo-oh, wearing a hat pulled low, followed closely behind, citing unpleasant examples. As they approached the exit of the Comfort zone, someone waved briefly from a distance.
It was Park Young-chan, dressed in clothes that were easy to move in. It was almost similar to what he wore during training, but the dark attire, devoid of the Defense Force emblem, suited him perfectly, as if he blended into it.
“You arrived early.”
“There was a lot to prepare, so I hurried a bit. But will this really work?”
“The satisfaction level should be fine. Above all, it will align better with your father’s intentions.”
Mu-hae replied calmly as he took Joo-oh’s luggage and loaded it into the car.
Park Young-chan gave him a unique look at his unwavering composure. A gaze filled with moderate expectation and a non-burdening amount of admiration. It was an expression of trust, as serene as could be.
“Then, let’s map out the route.”
Park Tae-sun was a man of wealth. Specifically, a manager of a massive business entity. Ahead of a new, important project, he wanted to entertain distinguished guests.
Unusually, he entrusted this task to Park Young-chan rather than his other children. It wasn’t a formal delegation of authority, but rather a casual inquiry for his opinion—yet even someone without a brilliant mind could tell that this was an opportunity.
From then on, Park Young-chan spent his time after work rushing around Central, agonizing over a plausible tour itinerary, but every plan he floated as a casual conversation was shot down under a numb gaze.
Even while sacrificing sleep to think, he couldn’t grasp his father’s intention. That fact tormented his mind and body.
‘What kind of project is it? Just tell me the parts that are okay to disclose.’
‘Ah, the parts I know aren’t confidential or classified, so it’s fine. It’s about the development of a bulletproof outer shell for external environment vehicle bodies. We plan to invite investment and partner representatives to Goryeo City…’
‘The guests are from another city… Is this the document? They’re coming from quite far.’
‘That’s why I was planning a route to help them recover from travel fatigue, but the reaction isn’t great.’
The surprising part was what happened in Mu-hae’s head after hearing the situation. Despite being in a position that seemed a million light-years away from Central or business, a light bulb suddenly went off in his mind.
Perhaps it was because of the considerable experience he had accumulated. Visitors from distant cities who could only receive information about Goryeo City’s situation in the form of reports. The nature of a project starting from development. Park Young-chan’s profession in the Defense Force.
After hearing the simple information about the visitors and the list of Park Young-chan’s plans—which had been dismissed as if they weren’t even worth responding to—he could pinpoint the direction Park Tae-sun desired with uncanny accuracy.
‘Did you know? Some mercenaries often take requests from other cities if the money is right. Before starting a job, they usually take a thorough look around the surrounding forests.’
It was worth the effort of reading through documents to mimic official phrasing during the days he lived in luxury pretending to be a Company executive.
Among the conditions the Company’s food development department used to select partners, the state of facilities and production stability were essential.
If that were the case, a mere four-day vacation plan would certainly fail to leave any particular impression on Park Tae-sun.
‘Let’s consider an outing to the exterior.’
‘Pardon? The exterior…?’
‘Outside the city. The Defense Force, which patrols as much as the Company does, would know the areas that are suitable for a tour while carrying people in a safe vehicle, wouldn’t they?’
The travel fatigue of people who flew in on private jets can be solved by leaving them in a hotel room for a single day.
Between relaxation and entertainment, they needed an effective experience that would stimulate them. For example, the safety status of Goryeo City, which wouldn’t be shaken by any ordinary accident…
Sshhhhh—.
As the vehicle departed, Joo-oh quickly moved to the window. He munched on a candy, watching the outside scenery flash by.
Snatching away the plastic wrapper Joo-oh tried to stuff into someone else’s pocket, Mu-hae pointed out several areas on the map in a dry voice.
“We can start from the areas the Defense Force patrols periodically. We’ll gradually move toward points where mercenary request rates are relatively low and rest areas are close by, and then—yes, it would be good to dip into a danger zone where Beasts occasionally linger before returning.”
“If you had told me sooner, I would have researched it.”
“No need for that. Because I already know.”
He was a man who had scoured the land, taking on everything from Company requests to personal commissions. In this regard, he knew as much as the scars etched into his body.