By Zephyria 
When I first set foot in Jaegang District, everything around me felt unfamiliar. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, but the neat roads and buildings are now quite familiar.
As soon as Mu-hae returned, he quickly washed up and put Joo-oh in the bathroom. He didn’t know if he had suffered, but since he had at least made an effort, he planned to feed him the meat he had thawed the day before.
Surprisingly, Joo-oh also has preferences. He eats everything you give him, but his eyes shine brighter when he sees certain foods.
For example, things like meat. And sweet, salty, sour, and intensely flavored processed foods.
Also, he prefers food with a lively texture. Maybe it’s because he eats so fast, but he’s never been seen eating soggy cereal in milk.
Mu-hae couldn’t cater to all his preferences, but he often bought him semi-cooked meat.
It was fortunate that Beast Meat was relatively cheap. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to handle his appetite and would have abandoned him somewhere long ago.
“You’ve been up to some unique things.”
As he sat in the basement and connected the call, Gu-reum gave an interesting comment instead of a greeting.
He thought there would be no interference no matter what he did. It seems she’s been getting reports and watching to see how far he’d go.
Since there was no harm to those around him, she must have let him do as he pleased. He should be grateful for that, at least.
“I thought you’d just watch and come back, but this is unexpected. I wonder what the point of such an attempt is.”
Judging by the buzzing in her voice, it seems Gu-reum has added a new modulation.
At this point, he wondered if she was enjoying this. Mu-hae deliberately ignored the game and turned his wrist on the armrest.
“Even though the Company here is trusted by the citizens, simply emphasizing the mark everywhere won’t dramatically change things.”
“I know. But it will be effective in the short term.”
“Effective?”
After a short question, Gu-reum remained silent as if telling him to explain. Mu-hae absentmindedly rubbed the bridge of his nose, realized there was nothing there, and calmly opened his mouth.
“Isn’t it true that people become overly sensitive to urban legends around this time of year? To the point where external exploration and escort requests noticeably decrease.”
“Is that so.”
“Besides, there have been frequent accidents related to Aberrants and Beasts recently. It’s only known to those involved for now, but the stories mercenaries tell will eventually reach the ears of the people below, no matter how late.”
Humans are sometimes aimlessly anxious. This is especially true for those who live trapped in Dome City, avoiding the outside world.
Even if they stay under the artificial sun, the harsh weather that returns every year will create an unpleasant synergy in people’s minds.
Hmm. A sound that was either admiration or just a formal interjection came from beyond the receiver.
Taking advantage of the brief silence, he checked on Joo-oh, who seemed to understand the conversation with a clear gaze.
There’s no way, but maybe it’s because he looks normal.
“Well, there have always been those who make a fuss about preparing for disasters.”
Even if trivial coincidences overlap, Central will remain silent. Originally, only those who are vaguely excluded from information make a fuss about anything.
And there’s nothing cheaper and easier to store than cheap canned goods for them to scrape together their meager savings to fill their warehouses…
If they happen to see the Company’s mark with the words ‘Goryeo City Certified’ plastered on it, wouldn’t they be more intuitively drawn to it?
“I admit it’s a plausible idea. But sales won’t last long before they drop again.”
“I don’t care about the subsequent income. But that design will be imprinted in people’s minds for a while, won’t it?”
The residents of the Comfort zone are those who have given up their freedom and will in the belief that the city will protect them from external dangers.
The moment they discover an official endorsement in the Company mark they see every day, canned goods will become a protective material provided by the city, beyond just cheap processed food.
So, if existing products are discontinued and private companies want to occupy the same position, they will inevitably have to issue similar certification marks with the name of Goryeo City on them…
“It’ll be a bit of a hassle for the higher-ups.”
Unless they have some great connections, Central won’t make trouble.
If they can build a social safety net and get the necessary data, they will choose the least troublesome option.
Ha, Gu-reum laughed briefly. It was a sound that felt more complicated than joyful.
“To be honest, I sent you to watch you struggle.”
“……”
“I was curious to see how far you could grasp the situation with just the information I gave you. But I didn’t expect anything more than that. The employees there will all be quiet too. Because there’s no one to step up and take responsibility.”
“That’s really honest. Right.”
“Hold on.”
While stopping Joo-oh from butting in, Mu-hae was relieved inside. It was a relief that he wasn’t the only one who thought she was tactless.
“It’s better than I expected. I should have you handle anything from now on.”
“If that’s a compliment, I don’t particularly welcome it.”
“Anyway, yes. Did you find what you needed?”
“Enough. Thank you for the good opportunity.”
Did Gu-reum also know that he had contacted the NPS using the Company’s network? Mu-hae wondered if there might be a surveillance system installed there.
But Gu-reum didn’t say a word about the strange organization. She just remained silent for a while and then said something irrelevant.
“As you know, nothing in this world is free.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s a tough time to be generous. You should always remember that.”
Mu-hae raised his eyebrows at the sudden advice. It was an uncharacteristic and unnecessary worry for Gu-reum.
He didn’t know how much she knew about his situation, but Mu-hae had never gotten anything for free in his life.
He wasn’t even given the chance. Because the environment was like a shackle, he had to constantly train his body and keep his mind sharp in order to get mercenary requests.
After earning tens of thousands of Deal in one Thorn wolf hunt, luck came his way surprisingly often, but even that was a price he paid by getting caught up in turbulent events.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Mu-hae leaned back in his chair with a perfunctory answer, and Joo-oh also stretched out on his chair in the same way.
“Well, I’ll contact you again if anything is needed.”
With that greeting, the sound wave graph disappeared with a beep. Jin Mu-hae stared at the empty panel and thought about the NPS, Dmitri, and the West Wind he was in contact with.
‘A traitor……’
He hid the information he got from the shelter, but Gu-reum probably already knew about West Wind.
Shin Dae-soo, whom he met in Taeul District, and Kang, who left for Seogyeong City. Even if Return flight was operated as a cell organization, they were likely to know West Wind.
Still, it’s strange that no one mentions him and gets angry. Everyone acted as if traitors didn’t exist in the first place.
It’s incomprehensible. Is it really because the target is no longer with them?
Mu-hae stretched his stiff shoulders and slowly got up from his seat. A black head followed him, warming his cold arm.
“Going to bed?”
The face that asked with a blink was dazed, unlike before. He really was a funny guy.
Tuk. When he tapped his flat forehead, Joo-oh immediately pretended to be hurt.
“You hit me.”
“Sue me.”
Mu-hae left the hideout, muttering nonsense that didn’t suit him.
Guidance on Welcoming New Members of the Natural Phenomenon Society
To our new companion, Haemu,
In commemoration of your becoming a member of the Natural Phenomenon Society (NPS), we have prepared a welcoming event for new members as previously announced.
This meeting is a valuable opportunity for you to become more familiar with the activities of the Society and to interact with other researchers and members.
◇ Date: XXXX.XX.XX (First Saturday of next month) 16:00
◇ Location: Bay City, Witz District 7, Hyangta Building 4F
◇ Schedule
Introduction to the Society and Welcome Remarks
Information on Research Activities and Future Schedules
Interaction Session with Existing Members
The content you inquired about earlier is also a part that we were considering.
While taking into account the residential areas of other members, we have selected a city as close as possible to Goryeo City so that Haemu can attend without great difficulty.
In addition, we will send a Small aircraft to Goryeo City at 13:00 the day before the event, so
We hope that you will attend and take a meaningful first step in your future journey together.
We would appreciate it if you could reply by this week whether you will be attending in order to reserve a hotel and conference room.
Sincerely,
Natural Phenomenon Society (NPS)
After receiving a new email from NPS, Mu-hae read the same content over and over again for a while.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the meaning. It was just that he was followed by unexpected treatment.
“Small aircraft?”
“Probably a Small aircraft.”
Even if they held a welcoming party for a new member in a flash, providing transportation and accommodation was too much.
Is it because of Dmitri, whom he mentioned as a recommender, that such favors are flying in with just a few calls?
Or maybe the NPS itself is a wealthy group that operates with a small number of elites.
Either way, it was burdensome for him, who had a fake identity, but on the positive side, he had a chance to dig into the NPS more comfortably than he thought. However……
‘Interaction session?’
Damn it. Mu-hae hurriedly sent a reply and began to pore over his father’s records, which he had put aside for a while.