A shrine in Kyoto, Japan.
After checking the message, Se-yeon spoke up.
"Sugihara Industries."
"!!!"
Nakamura Mio stopped in her tracks.
Her brows furrowed.
How? She was sure she'd killed him before he could talk.
She took a couple of deep breaths to compose her expression.
Then she turned toward Cheon Se-yeon.
"That was quick—only a few seconds."
Se-yeon smiled and pointed at her face.
"You've lost your composure."
Mio gritted her teeth.
Deep breaths weren't enough to erase the shock.
In contrast, Se-yeon smiled leisurely.
Seeing the woman's reaction confirmed it.
Sugihara Industries, infamous even in Japan as an extreme right-wing company.
They're the ones.
Using the Kansai Oni to kill thirty Korean players and target her as well.
"I don't know why you'd suddenly bring up that name, but it won't change anything."
"Maybe not. Anyway, we'll have to move our lodging to Osaka. It's getting late, so I'll be going."
With a light bow, Cheon Se-yeon and the hunters turned away.
They slowly walked down the stairs.
Mio bit her lip as she watched their retreating figures.
No matter how much Korea struggles, they'll never reach the truth.
But separately from that, the situation had gotten seriously tangled.
She'd planned to hand over the Kansai Oni and cut off the tail, but it failed.
There might not be a direct hit, but Sugihara getting dragged into rumors was unavoidable.
"Tch."
She pressed the call button.
"This is Mio. Cheon Se-yeon found out about Sugihara Industries. I'm sorry."
A heavy silence followed from the other end.
# Was Miyamoto's silencing too late?
"No. I handled it before that."
# Then how did Korea get that name?
"I don't know."
She racked her brain for every possibility, but it was useless.
In Mio's common sense, Korea didn't have the connections to uncover Sugihara.
# Can't be helped. Korea can't do anything anyway. Handle it as you see fit.
"Understood. I'll wrap up the rest."
After hanging up, Mio frowned.
She knew better than anyone that it would end as a minor hiccup.
But still, it left a bad taste.
Who could it be?
The one who told Cheon Se-yeon about Sugihara.
*
# Thanks, Jin-hyuk. It hit the mark. I'll treat you big when I get back.
I smiled at the incoming message.
I'm glad I could help, even a little.
"You can tell whoever you want, but I'd appreciate it if you left my name out. Even I find Sugihara scary."
"I won't say anything. They wouldn't believe me anyway."
If I posted it online, I'd probably get flooded with accusations of being delusional.
A famous Reform Party assemblyman leaking info treated as an open secret in Japanese politics to some 22-year-old nobody?
It doesn't make sense.
"Thanks for being honest when you could've played dumb."
I'd asked Tsubasa about the Kansai Oni.
I hadn't expected much.
A famous politician can't know everything.
But the name Sugihara slipped from her lips all too easily.
"Since you showed up out of nowhere, I figured I should at least provide that much info."
Silence flowed between us as we faced each other.
Tsubasa exhaled slowly.
With this info, she'd given at least a minimum of trust.
What would be the next step?
What does this guy want?
"The sun's rising."
Jin-hyuk muttered to himself, looking at the terrace.
Then he turned his gaze back to Tsubasa.
He looked like he wanted to say something but was hesitating.
"Go ahead, speak freely. Since I've already started at a loss, I can afford a bit more."
"Alright then..."
A smile tugged at Tsubasa's lips.
Here it comes.
This is where the real negotiation begins.
"Could you leave now?"
"...What?"
She'd prepared for various scenarios and questions, calculating gains and losses quickly.
Except for the request that just flew in.
Just leave like this? For real? After getting only what he needed?
"It's really late."
Jin-hyuk yawned and started nodding off.
His fake drowsiness was so obvious it was infuriating.
And he hadn't even said he was leaving yet, but Jin-hyuk was already at the door, opening it.
"Haa."
Tsubasa reluctantly stood and headed to the entrance.
It felt like she'd been one-sidedly robbed, which was frustrating, but it was her own fault.
She'd barged in without a plan and ended up getting crushed instead.
Besides, today wasn't the only day.
Now that she'd confirmed his existence, there would be plenty of opportunities.
"Just one thing. You're the Runner, right? You owe me a little, even if it's small. I'd like an answer to this much."
"I wish I were the Runner too. For real."
Jin-hyuk sighed deeply, as if he truly meant it.
Tsubasa bit her lip.
This guy was really hard to read.
As Tsubasa put on her shoes and stepped out.
"And I don't owe you anything, Assemblywoman. Shaking up Sugihara Industries in any way benefits you too. That's why you told me so readily."
Tsubasa, about to leave, let out a hollow laugh.
This young guy is no joke.
She turned back with a peculiar smile.
"You'd do really well in politics. But you're mistaken about one thing."
She shook her head.
"Unfortunately, Sugihara Industries won't be shaken. Their history and size are on a different level from Hosaka. It's sad, really. For me, and for the Reform Party. But hey, if they get some flak, it's not all bad. See you."
With a light bow, she walked to the elevator.
"I called the elevator for you."
As the doors opened immediately, Tsubasa laughed again.
What can I say? He's a type I've never met before.
Scary yet pure, annoying yet friendly, seemingly sloppy yet sharp.
Mysterious. Incredibly so.
Jin-hyuk waved at the closing elevator doors.
Thud.
As soon as the doors shut, he let out a sigh of relief.
Finally gone.
She didn't seem like the type to back off easily, but whatever.
'I need to move soon.'
If I bolt to another area, she probably won't find me easily.
He closed the front door and went inside.
Then he stuck right up to the terrace door.
After waiting a bit, Sato Tsubasa emerged from the lobby and headed to the main road.
"Boss. You'd see better from the terrace."
"No. That woman's nose is insanely good. She even figured out my floor from the scent leaking out there."
"That good?! Then we should eliminate it beforehand!"
I looked at Kancho.
This guy has a scary side sometimes.
Creak.
"Yaaawn!"
Elia emerged from the Star's Workshop, stretching.
"I'm going to bed. Wake me for food?"
"You're always on edge, old hag. Keep it up and you might sleep forever one day."
"Thanks for the bedtime curse. You little yodels be careful too. Someone might slip poison in while you're asleep."
"Boss. That's a death threat."
"Watch out. Elia's potions are no joke."
We nodded in unison for a moment.
Then the friends manifested one by one and headed to their rooms.
I wonder sometimes.
Camella's got a thatched house with crappy facilities, sure, but why do the others always sleep while manifested?
"Is Momo here?! Answer if you are!"
"Momo's here!"
Momo waved enthusiastically from the sofa.
Once again, right next to him, and he didn't notice.
"It's that time."
"That time?"
"The time when ramen tastes extra good."
"Momo loves ramen!"
"Wanna eat together?"
"Yeah!"
"Momo's got nimble hands, so boil it. If I do it, it'll be Daedong River ramen."
"No Han River ramen! Momo will boil it!"
Kancho sent Momo to the kitchen and plopped on the sofa.
He's a total pro at handling Momo.
"Boss, you can have three chopstickfuls too. If Camella or the old hag touches it, I'll blow it up, but you're fine. I can even give you the kelp from the Neoguri."
I gave him a big thumbs up.
Three chopstickfuls? That's true love.
I settled beside him and reached into my inventory.
Then I pulled out the box from clearing floor 62.
I sent Tsubasa away quickly to open this.
"It's locked."
"Yeah."
I squeezed the lock and crushed it.
"Gone now. As expected of the boss. Excellent."
I smiled and opened the box.
Ding!
[You've opened the Mysterious Random Box!]
A gacha box started spinning as soon as it opened.
After a moment, a faint light revealed two rectangular tickets.
[You've obtained a One-Time Tower Entry Ticket!]
Ding!
[A system error has occurred! There's one more enterable tower!]
[Please choose between the Mythic Tower and the Tower of Despair!]
'Just give me both.'
I didn't say it out loud.
It might get annoyed and withhold even what it was going to give.
"Mythic Tower."
[The Mythic Tower Entry Ticket is granted!]
The ticket settled on my hand and blurred for a moment.
The grayed-out entry button activated.
I looked up.
Kancho was glued to the TV like when he games, watching a drama.
"What are you doing?! They said absolutely don't go in, so why?! This is totally frustrating!"
Very passionately.
He must've been really pent up, because now he's grabbing the TV and yelling.
"Kancho."
"You called!"
As if he hadn't been mad a second ago, Kancho dashed over and stood beside me.
"It's time. Time to put Toto Grandpa in his place."
"Finally."
Kancho made the most serious face ever and clenched his fluffy fist.
He'd clearly been sharpening his grudge.
"Loyalty!! Yodel Ranger Vice-Captain Kancho! Ready for deployment! Momo!!"
"Why call! Momo busy!"
"I'll be back before the ramen cools!"
With Kancho pumped full of spirit on my shoulder, I pressed the entry button.
[Entering Floor 1 of the Mythic Tower!]
Swoosh.
A blinding light flashed once.
And today's peaceful Yodel Forest landscape unfolded.
I took a deep breath.
'Mmm, phytoncides.'
It felt like my chest was opening up.
Of course.
"Charge!"
Our little friend had no intention of enjoying these phytoncides.
Ignoring the village entirely, Kancho bolted toward the old tree house in the forest.
He cleared the vine section in a flash and hurled himself at the tree house.
Knocking? Skipped.
Kancho sliced through the air and drop-kicked the door right open.
"Toto Grandpa here?!"
Jin-hyuk, leisurely crossing the vines, smiled.
The Yodel Ranger Vice-Captain's voice boomed powerfully.
So dignified.
Then.
"Toto Grandpa?!"
Kancho called out to Toto Grandpa again.
His tone was different from before.
What happened?
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T/N:
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