Years ago, Eun-Ho had briefly worked as a marketing assistant at a small company. His team leader could walk into any meeting and somehow leave with everything she wanted.

One day, curiosity got the better of him, and he’d asked her, “Ma’am, how are you so good at negotiating?”

She’d smiled and said, “Because I negotiated to make it win-win.”

“Win-win?” he’d asked. “As in, both sides win?”

“Exactly. Most people try to strong-arm the other party. Sure, that works for a while, but it doesn’t last. You’ve got to be willing to give something up now in order to earn something bigger later.”

Knowing how to get what you want without making the other side feel robbed—such was the line between a threat and a negotiation. Both parties had to walk away with something, even if the balance was uneven.

“I’ll tell my staff to credit your employees with Welfare Points,” the Center Director said. “Would ten thousand Points be enough?”

No way that’s enough, Eun-Ho thought.

“There were nine researchers who manipulated their records and were handed over to the Audit Bureau,” he said calmly.

“So?”

“Of the ten researchers you personally selected, nine manipulated their data, which means there could be more we haven’t found yet. Perhaps even higher up the chain.”

The Center Director’s eyes narrowed. “Are you threatening me right now?”

“Of course not,” Eun-Ho replied lightly. “I’m simply saying that the results this potion can yield are worth far more than ten thousand Points.”

Center Director’s fan paused midair, her gaze half-lidded and sharp. “If Iro already succeeded, then it’s only a matter of time before the others do as well. It’s just a question of patience.”

She wasn’t fooled because she knew he was trying to steer the conversation. Therefore, instead of giving her time to think, Eun-Ho pressed on. “You would rather rely on each researcher’s personal abilities? Wouldn’t it be faster and far more reliable to analyze Iro’s verified data and apply it directly?”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The tip of her fan struck her chin in thought. “Fast and reliable you say?”

Eun-Ho waited for a beat, then added quietly, “If I may be blunt, you’re in a hurry, aren’t you?”

The fan froze in midair.

“What do you mean, in a hurry?” she asked coldly.

“I heard that all ten researchers were personally chosen by you. And after looking into them, I found that each one was leading a separate project. If they’ve abandoned ten separate projects just to focus on this one, then it absolutely has to succeed no matter what.”

The Center Director said nothing. Her poise remained regal and unbroken, but the silence spoke volumes.

“Then perhaps,” he suggested softly, “you should focus on the method with the highest chance of success.”

“Hmm...”

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her long lashes lowered as she thought deeply. Then, finally, she exhaled and said, “You always seem to lead me by the nose. Fine.”

It worked.

“I prefer to think we’re simply working toward the same goal,” Eun-Ho replied with a mild smile.

“Cut to the chase. What is it that you want?”

He didn’t waste a second. “I defeated an Ice Golem at the Research Center.”

“Ah. So the protocol did trigger,” she muttered to herself, slightly frowning. “That explains why the area was so thick with demon energy.”

Eun-Ho waited until she refocused on him before he went on. “And I obtained the core of the Golem.”

“The Golem’s core?” she repeated.

When he had slain the Ice Golem, he’d expected to receive another diamond, but it turned out that wasn’t the case.

[Ice Golem Core]

- A core forged from mountain diamonds wrapped in eternal frost and bound by a blizzard’s sorrow.

- Grants permanent Heat Resistance(Lv. 99) when carried.

- Can be reprocessed into high-purity diamond clusters.

Keeping it as-is granted permanent Heat Resistance, while refining it produced pure diamond instead. A clear choice had to be made between the two.

“I’ve heard that you’ve been putting the Abandoned Ridge's Diamond to good use. You want me to melt the frost on the core for you, is that it?” the Center Director said with a faint smile.

To melt the frost meant dissolving the core and refining it into diamonds. That palm-sized cluster would be more than enough to enhance any part. A pebble had been enough to strengthen a single finger, so a stone the size of a coin would probably mean an entire leg.

“No, that’s not it,” Eun-Ho said quietly.

The Center Director tilted her head, curiosity flickering behind her composed expression. “Hm?”

He already had the protective chestplate and the Revive skill, which was more than enough. Therefore, what he actually wanted was simple.

“I want the Golem,” he said.

“What?!” the Center Director exclaimed.

“If I have the core, I should be able to recreate it. Please tell me how.”

Her fan-hand trembled once and then dropped. She snapped it open again to hide the twitch of her mouth, but it was too late. He had seen the corner of her lip quake. She seemed genuinely taken aback by the unexpected request.

“You don’t understand. Golems are still only at the prototype stage. That’ll be beyond your control,” she said as if that would settle it.

He shook his head. “I know you can evolve a Golem and set its target.”

Her eyes widened.

I’m speaking from experience.

“When I first met the Stone Golem and the Iron Golem, I thought it was strange that one of them followed only me despite the number of people and Skeleton Soldiers around.”

“That was because—”

“They had set me as their target, didn't they?”

The Center Director fell silent. Her silence held the faint, reluctant confirmation of his guess. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

“That will be sufficient,” he said.

She had no real grounds left to refuse.

Eun-Ho took a step back, softening his expression deliberately instead of pushing. He kept his face as genuine as he could. “If you’re truly reluctant, then I suppose we have no choice.”

She exhaled a long breath. “Very well. Bring it forward.”

“Center Director!” several of her attendants blurted, opening their mouths and closing them again as if unsure what to say. However, their leader had made up her mind.

“Summon,” Cheong Ryeon-Hwa ordered.

She spread her palm and called forth a round chunk of ice. Like dry ice, it was transparent and radiated a white-blue miasma. Embedded at its center was a jet-black stone, set like a seed.

The extreme cold swept outward and filled the room. Even holding it caused body heat to drip away. With a swift motion, Cheong Ryeon-Hwa covered the ice with her fan and removed it. Then, a brilliant blue light burst upward.

Fwoosh—!

[Congratulations!]

[The Ice Golem Core has been activated!]

[A special skill, Summon Ice Golem(Lv. 1) has been unlocked!]

A blue window appeared, announcing the birth of a summoned ally that would stand guard beside him in place of the Skeleton Soldiers.

[Summon Ice Golem(Lv. 1)]

- Summons an Ice Golem for (1) minute.

- Cooldown: 24 hours.

- The Golem appears in perfect condition on re-summon.

One minute...

The time limit was short, but he had enough Points to raise the level later.

“Thank you,” he earnestly said, bowing as he handed the potion to her.

“You are something else...” she murmured, fanning herself slowly with a thoughtful look.

“I should either make you one of my people, or cut that tongue of yours so you cannot strangle me,” she said at last. “One of the two must be done.”

Her face was a mix of displeasure and curiosity, so he flashed a sly smile. “I’ll take the first option.”

“Hmm?” she asked.

“If I must choose between the two, I choose the former.”

The Center Director let out an almost musical laugh. “You really are something.”

***

After the Center Director had stormed out like a whirlwind, the door that was blown wide as if by an explosion soon disgorged nine researchers in a neat, sausage-like line.

“All right, one at a time! Come on in! Let’s have a nice, long chat today,” someone barked.

A few more frantic hours went by, the office a haze of shouting, paperwork hauling, and rapid-fire orders. Things were so wild that Swear-Master and the others didn’t dare get in the way. Amid the chaos, Eun-Ho and his party sat like planted sacks while the shouting continued around them.

“Would you like a cup?” Eun-Ho offered, passing out coffee.

“You’re insane,” said Swear-Master.

“There’s more in the pantry. Help yourselves if you want,” Eun-Ho said mildly.

“Huh?” Swear-Master grunted, staring as if puzzled. “Are you seriously enjoying the moment?”

“Hmm... This coffee’s pretty good!”

Even as Eun-Ho pretended not to notice the tension, feigning innocence, his mind was racing.

There’s a pantry and restrooms. They even have a cafeteria.

At a glance, they all seemed to be ordinary people working in an ordinary office.

But there’s not enough information.

Too many things remained unknown. Every time Eun-Ho asked a fundamental question about the system or the staff, they clammed up as if by agreement.

Maybe they will loosen up if I earn their trust.

Doing his best to hide his impatience, he watched the office quietly.

Just then, the blond supervisor came over. “There you are.”

“Yes sir. Were you looking for me?” Eun-Ho asked.

The blond supervisor exhaled. “Yeah... Also, we’ll have to wrap up your OJT here.”

“Huh?” Eun-Ho blinked.

It’s not even four o’clock yet, and they are already ending it?

“Things escalated. I’ll report to the Division Chief,” the mentor said.

“Has something gone wrong?” Eun-Ho asked.

“No, I shouldn’t say it’s a problem. It’s more like good news. We just posted a major result for the first time in a while.”

Well, that’s a relief.

Early leave was something that rarely happened, even back when he’d worked at a company. Eun-Ho began to rise from his seat, when the supervisor suddenly bowed his head.

“... Thank you. I really mean it,” the blond supervisor said quietly.

“You don’t need to. I was just doing my job,” Eun-Ho replied.

“It wasn’t just your job,” the blond supervisor said, face taut.

In truth, it had been Eun-Ho’s trial. By getting the researchers caught, he’d completed the hidden trial. He’d even earned a generous twenty Resistance Points per person.

However, the supervisor didn’t know that, so he thanked Eun-Ho sincerely. “The truth is, our division has been in rough shape. We were set back when Iro escaped.”

“You mean, Researcher Iro?” Eun-Ho asked, surprised that the name had come up.

The supervisor’s face tightened. “Oh right! You’re one of the survivors from the ROK-SEO district. Then you would know.”

“Know what?”

“During the Physical Examination trial, they made the manager of the Investigation Bureau into a test subject, then killed him and fled. That incident was my responsibility.”

Eun-Ho flinched, muttering, “W-what are you talking about?”

“The manager and I were in great trouble after Iro got away.”

Wait a second...

The mentor’s jaw hardened. “That’s why I was assigned to the Center’s explosion case too. Since it was Iro’s lab, I thought there might be a connection.”

“... Huh?”

“Since he disappeared leaving only the capsule behind, I was certain he’d eventually return to his lab.”

“A capsule?”

Is he talking about the one that I left behind?

Eun-Ho now remembered the two men in black suits from Iro’s lab right before he had returned to Sky Island.

“It appears to be a capsule owned by Cho Bok... Maybe Iro abandoned it when he failed to escape?”

“Ha!”

Back then, Eun-Ho had erased anything that could act like a black box and fled using this Acceleration skill.

“People tell me to close the case, but I haven’t given up. He’ll come back, unless he fell into Hell itself,” the blond supervisor said fiercely.

Wait. So those two that I saw were the mentor and the manager?

“You’re tenacious—I mean, determined, sir,” Eun-Ho said.

“I will catch him with my own hands,” the supervisor vowed.

Wait. So they’d been running themselves ragged because of me?

“If you’re one of the righteous sort, you’ll understand,” the supervisor said, clapping a hand on Eun-Ho’s shoulder. “Right?”

Eun-Ho forced a laugh. “Ha ha...”

***

It was 4:30 PM, and Eun-Ho stepped out of the Audit Bureau building with a lingering sense of guilt and unease.

“Well, today went pretty smoothly, didn’t it, Hyung?” Ji-Woong said cheerfully.

“Compared to yesterday, yeah,” Eun-Ho replied.

“But I think the Audit Bureau’s got their eyes on you. They looked like they wanted to snatch you up.” Ji-Woong’s tone was half-joking, half-serious.

“Maybe you’ve found your calling! You can choose your department later anyway, right?” Dmitri asked.

“I don’t know. I think you might’ve found your calling more than I did,” Eun-Ho said.

Dmitri’s eyebrows twitched up and down, lost in thought.

“Well,” Eun-Ho said lightly, “let’s team up again sometime.”

“Gladly,” Dmitri replied.

They were still exchanging brief farewells when a mechanical voice echoed through the air.

[Day two of Project OJT has officially ended.]

[OJT at Division Three of the Audit Bureau’s Field Audit Department has ended.]

[Displaying evaluation results...]

It was finally time for the message they had been waiting for. Both Ji-Woong and Swear-Master tensed up immediately, anxious for the verdict.

“Oh, wow, they’re releasing the scores already!”

“We’ll at least get a B, right? That bastard Eun-Ho’s obviously getting top marks.”

“The highest grade was A, right? I hope we all get A’s!”

Eun-Ho still remembered the last time. The Investigation Bureau had slapped him with an unfair F. Though, the system had taken pity on him, and unlocked a hidden trial and showered him with extra rewards. However, that sting had lingered. Therefore, he was curious about the second evaluation.

[Your second OJT grade is...]

A, he thought automatically. It’s got to be an A.

[S.]

Even the system’s calm tone couldn’t dull the shock of it.

“S?!”

“Me too!”

“Holy shit, me too!”

Something was off. He remembered asking HR about the grading scale after getting that F.

“So, how does the OJT grading system work? Does the manager decide?”

“Typically, OJT grades range from A to F, determined jointly by the supervising mentor and the manager.”

Well, they did use the word typically... But still an S?

That was beyond the normal range. Besides, as he scrolled through the results, everything was A across the board

[Mission Performance - A]

[Attitude - A]

[Job Suitability - A]

...

Hmm... So where did the S come from?

Then he saw it.

[Additional Evaluation Criteria]

“Additional criteria?”

”That’s probably why!”

Apparently, the manager had added his own additional categories.

[Communication Skills - S]

[Report Writing - S]

[Leadership - S]

[Initiative - S]

...

[Overall Evaluation - S]

“Whoa... It seems like every single one’s S. They must’ve averaged it out!” Ji-Woong said.

“So basically, they added categories just to give us a higher score? Damn, that’s wild,” Swear-Master said.

It was clear that they had gone out of their way to give Eun-Ho and the team the best evaluation possible.

“Evaluation... Fine. You have my word.”

That was what his supervisor had said earlier.

My goodness. What did he tell the manager?

Eun-Ho let out a small sigh. It felt odd that after everything they’d been through, he was being showered with benefits he hadn’t asked for. It even made him feel guilty.

Well, let’s call it even.

He had raised their department’s performance numbers, after all.

Ding!

Just as he was ready to move on, he heard something.

[A gift has arrived!]

[Would you like to check it now?]

Puff!

A red gift box with a golden ribbon materialized before him. It appeared before Ji-Woong, Swear-Master and Dmitri as well.

- To: Lee Eun-Ho

- From: Guk

- Message: Your shoes looked worn out. It’s nothing fancy, just something we put together. Hope to see you again.

“Whoa, the department must’ve put this together!” Ji-Woong said excitedly.

“‘Hope to see you again? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It probably means they want us to join their team,” Eun-Ho replied with a small smile.

Before he could say more, another golden notification appeared. This time, it was visible only to him.

[Congratulations!]

[You have received the Audit Bureau’s Field Audit Department Section Chief’s Appreciation Plaque!]

“... Wait! It isn't over yet?”