[(Anonymous): SIN is my light. My sun. And the greatest mercenary in the world.]
[(Anonymous): Thank you for saving me, magic-skill mercenary!]
[(Anonymous): To think there was a magic-skill mercenary in a backwater like this...... Thank you.]
[(Anonymous): Judging from the reviews, you really seem like a wonderful person. Full marks.]
[(Anonymous): S-Grade? Shinhwa? Did they deliberately let the Outbreak happen instead of catching the Resistance beforehand?]
[(Anonymous): Person above...... I-I think you should delete that post quickly?]
[(Anonymous): Code name SIN...... Well, he is a legend among magic-skill users.]
“I am Captain Kim Hyeon-seok of the 3rd Company, Port Mine Defense Force. Thank you very much.”
A man in a neat military uniform approached Kang Hyeon-woo, who had been reading the reviews, and greeted him.
“Bwahahaha! It is only natural for a registered mercenary! I heard rumors that the Resistance was behind this. Is that true?”
The large man laughed heartily as he spoke to Captain Kim Hyeon-seok.
“So you are the famous mercenary with the code name Bulldozer. Thank you for saving the people.”
“Bwahahaha. Something like this is basic work.”
“And to answer your question...... yes. There were members of the Resistance, as well as unregistered mercenaries belonging to an illegal organization.”
“Oh. You caught them pretty quickly considering they had mercenaries with them.”
“We belong to Shinhwa.”
Captain Kim Hyeon-seok’s face was filled with pride.
“Shinhwa...... If you are an officer, does that make you B-Grade?”
“No...... unfortunately, I am D-Grade. You are C-Grade, correct, Bulldozer?”
“That’s right! Heh heh heh. You look young, Captain. You’ll be promoted before long.”
“Thank you. In accordance with the relevant regulations, the two of you will receive compensation worth 10,000 cores. If you would prefer Skill Pages or other equipment instead of cores, please let me know.”
“Oh...... ten thousand? Now that is good. Bwahahaha!”
Cores were both currency and an energy source.
When a non-Awakened person worked at a job in the city, they earned around 1,000 to 2,000 cores a month.
That did not mean they were literally paid in physical cores.
Since Shinhwa guaranteed the payments, all owned cores were issued electronically.
Shinhwa was the government, a corporation, a bank, and the representative of humanity itself.
“Do you have any High-Concentration Cores or old-model energy capsules?”
Captain Kim Hyeon-seok tilted his head at Kang Hyeon-woo’s question.
“High-Concentration Cores are not intended for everyday use, so it would be difficult to issue them immediately. By old-model energy capsules, do you mean the ones used long ago?”
“That’s right.”
“We probably do not even have those old capsules in the supply depot. High-Concentration Cores....... As it happens, the City Lord of Port Mine said he wished to meet you personally and express his gratitude. Why not come with me and ask him?”
“I refuse.”
Captain Kim Hyeon-seok looked troubled by Kang Hyeon-woo’s answer.
“Um...... I was specifically ordered to bring you with me no matter what. Could you please spare just a little of your time?”
‘So he wants to use me.’
Each city was governed by a high-ranking mercenary belonging to Shinhwa Headquarters.
However, unless a serious problem arose, the rulers of smaller and medium-sized cities that were not major hubs effectively passed their positions down through generations.
If they failed to uncover intelligence about the Resistance and citizens were killed or the city came under attack, headquarters would dispatch an Inspector and, when necessary, replace the City Lord.
The City Lord here wanted to invite Kang Hyeon-woo, who was practically the city’s benefactor, to calm the citizens’ anxiety and send headquarters the implicit message that he had handled the crisis well.
“Bwahahaha! Come on, Single Malt. Who knows? Someone important enough to be a City Lord might have some good liquor!”
“Liquor......? Yes! Liquor! The City Lord enjoys drinking, so he has many rare varieties. If you come with us, I am sure there will be something you would like.”
“I don’t need it.”
“Our City Lord Seed specifically ordered me to bring you. Please......”
Captain Kim Hyeon-seok clung to Kang Hyeon-woo with an expression that was almost tearful.
“Seed.”
“Yes. That is our City Lord’s code name.”
“Is his name Lee Jong-seok?”
“Uh...... no. Lee Jong-seok was the name of the founding City Lord. His son, City Lord Lee Yeon-gak, has been managing Port Mine for the past fifty years.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“R-Really? Thank you.”
“Bwahahaha! Good decision! Thanks to you, I’ll get a drink too!”
Unable to hide the joy on his face, Captain Kim Hyeon-seok hurriedly began leading the way before Kang Hyeon-woo could change his mind.
“I will take you this way.”
Kang Hyeon-woo briefly looked around at the heavy machinery collecting the monster corpses.
SNAP! SNAP!
Kang Hyeon-woo snapped his fingers.
“Let’s go.”
He followed Captain Kim Hyeon-seok toward the tallest building at the very center of the city.
***
Luxurious marble and dazzling lights.
It was an alien sight completely at odds with the crumbling, devastated buildings outside the city.
After riding a smooth elevator to the top floor, Kang Hyeon-woo’s group was greeted by a panoramic view of the city at night.
A middle-aged man seated at the head of a massive conference table large enough for dozens of people stood and broke into a broad smile.
“Welcome. Are these not the heroes of Port Mine? Haha! It is good to meet you. Call me Seed.”
Mercenaries preferred code names over real names.
A famous code name was a brand in itself, and they considered it something special that non-Awakened could never possess.
“I am Bulldozer, City Lord. Bwahahaha!”
“What a hearty fellow. Haha. And the man beside you......?”
“SIN.”
“SIN? Unusual. Plenty of mercenaries imitate the code names of heroes, but I have never seen anyone imitate SIN......”
“Bwahaha. Perhaps it is because this friend uses magic skills too.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, that does make some sense. SIN was called the Archmage, after all.”
When Kang Hyeon-woo simply stood there without responding, Seed made a belatedly apologetic expression.
“Where are my manners? Sit down. I have prepared seats for you.”
Seed sat at the head of the conference table and gestured for the two men to sit.
Twitch.
Kang Hyeon-woo’s brow moved ever so slightly.
The seats prepared for them were not even opposite Seed at the head of the table.
They were at the far end, in the lowest seats.
“Bwahahaha. Thank you, City Lord. To think I would ever get to sit at Port Mine’s Council table.”
“Make yourselves comfortable. You deserve at least this much consideration.”
Kang Hyeon-woo silently sat in the seat at the very end.
As though he had been waiting for that, Seed immediately spoke.
“So, what Grades are the two of you?”
“I am C-Grade.”
“Oh, Bulldozer. You are quite capable.”
“How could I be anything but dust compared to you, City Lord, an A-Grade?”
“That is true.”
“......Bwahahaha.”
“And what about you?”
“None of your business. Bring out the liquor.”
“What......?”
The smile slowly vanished from Seed’s face.
“You seem rather arrogant because you are a rare magic-skill user. If you keep behaving like that, you may not live out your natural lifespan. Consider that advice from this old man.”
Kang Hyeon-woo remained silent.
Seed’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Chief Choi.”
“Yes, City Lord.”
At Seed’s call, the man who had been guarding the door in the distance hurried over and bowed beside him.
Seed quietly whispered to Chief Choi.
“Look that bastard up and put his information in front of me.”
“Yes. There probably are not many mercenaries using the code name ‘SIN.’ The citizens will have written reviews as well, so I should be able to find him quickly.”
‘SIN? Surely he isn’t the SIN I know? ......No. No one has seen that bastard since a hundred years ago. He’s probably just a follower.’
Having finished the thought, Seed soon dismissed his concern.
With a satisfied expression, Seed shouted loudly.
“Bring out the liquor. The very best we have!”
***
“Khh....... This is incredible. Truly.”
Bulldozer grimaced in appreciation after downing a glass of brown liquor in one gulp.
Seed gave an arrogant snort.
“It is a liquor called single malt. Ordinary mercenaries like you rarely have the opportunity to taste such a thing.”
Kang Hyeon-woo quietly stared at the glass before him, raised it to his lips, and took a sip.
Watching him, Seed slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
“What do you think?”
“It’s blended whisky.”
“Hmm? What did you say?”
“I said it isn’t single malt.”
“......What? Are you making a fool of me? I go to the trouble of serving you single malt, and that is all you have to say......?!”
“Ignorance isn’t a crime.”
It had already been a hundred years.
In this ruined world, no matter how high a position someone held in a backwater like this, they were still only a frog in a well.
If someone had never seen or experienced the real thing, then whatever they believed was real became the real thing to them.
Seed glared sharply at Kang Hyeon-woo, tossed back the rest of his drink, and spoke.
“Ahem. Thanks to the two of you, our city is safe. You have my gratitude. And about the compensation.”
“Bwahaha. Yes, City Lord.”
A broad smile appeared on Bulldozer’s face at the mention of compensation.
“Our internal administrative procedures take some time. So how about I give you one more simple request, and you can collect the compensation along with a bonus after you return?”
“A bonus? Bwahahaha! What is the request?”
“A simple reconnaissance mission. There is an area on the outskirts of the city where old abandoned factories used to stand. It seems the Resistance is hiding there. Just find their location for us. We will handle the rest.”
‘Killing with a borrowed knife.’
“Bwahahaha! Of course the two of us would be honored to accept the City Lord’s special......”
“I refuse.”
“......request, huh?”
Bulldozer looked at Kang Hyeon-woo with eyes full of confusion.
“Hey, Single Malt....... No, SIN. It’s just a simple reconnaissance mission. The City Lord is offering us a bonus!”
“Bulldozer is correct. On top of that, once you return, I will personally put in a good word for you with the Mercenary Administration. You will be one step closer to a promotion.”
“Oooooh......!”
CLACK.
Kang Hyeon-woo finished the last sip, set down his glass, and rose from his seat.
“Your plan is to use someone else’s hands, save the compensation money, and locate your enemy at the same time. The official welcome has already ended, so even if we die in the wasteland, word won’t make its way back to Port Mine.”
A chilling silence fell over the conference room.
“What are you talking about......?!”
“The liquor was fine. But don’t go around telling people that nonsense about it being single malt.”
Just as Kang Hyeon-woo prepared to snap his fingers—
“Grab that bastard! How dare he...... humiliate me?”
CRASH—!
The conference room doors flew open violently, and more than a dozen people in immaculate military uniforms rushed inside.
Captain Kim Hyeon-seok was among them.
“Arrest him!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers slowly advanced toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
Bulldozer half-rose awkwardly from his seat, looking bewildered.
“Uh, what......? What the hell is happening all of a sudden?”
Kang Hyeon-woo quietly raised one hand.
‘Ice Arrow.’
CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE. CRACKLE.
Dozens of ice arrows formed behind Kang Hyeon-woo’s head.
“Gasp...... W-What the hell is that......?”
Seed shot out of his seat and backed away.
There were not merely one or two.
Azure ice arrows densely filled the enormous conference room.
Seed had occasionally encountered mercenaries who primarily used magic skills, but this went far beyond common sense.
Then it happened.
A hologram appeared before Seed’s eyes.
[Mercenary Lookup Complete (Administrator)]
[Code Name: SIN]
[Class: Mage]
[Grade: ???]
[Affiliation: Shinhwa Company]
[Detailed Affiliation: Unavailable (Locked)]
[Life Force: Unavailable (Locked)]
[Mana: Unavailable (Locked)]
[Recent History: Unavailable (Locked)]
[Rating: ★★★★★ (10/10)]
[Mercenary Administration Report (View)]
GULP.
Seed swallowed dryly at the Unavailable messages he had never seen before in his life.
‘Shinhwa Company......?’
Cold sweat soaked Seed’s back.
With a trembling hand, he touched the report on the hologram.
[......Furthermore, since capabilities include ■■■■■ and extend as far as ■■■■■, if ■■■■ occurs, ■■■■■ will likely be required. Considering the ■■■■ incident that occurred at ■■■ on ■■■■ year ■■ month ■■ day, as ■■■■ will ■■■■, ■■......]
Nearly every part of the report had been censored, making it virtually impossible to understand.
‘Could he really be an Inspector from headquarters?’
“Hmph! It is all trickery! I have never even heard of a skill like that! Seize him!”
The soldier who appeared to be the commander gave the order.
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers charged toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
“W-Wait......!”
Seed hurriedly raised his hand to stop them.
At that moment, Kang Hyeon-woo casually lowered his arm.
WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH. WHOOSH.
Dozens of ice arrows flew toward the soldiers.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
“Aaaaargh!”
The soldiers’ screams rang out.
‘Explosion.’
BOOOOM—!
With another gesture from Kang Hyeon-woo, the windows of the top-floor conference room exploded outward.
The shock sent Seed tumbling out of his chair and onto the floor.
“N-No! Hey, Single Malt....... You can’t just suddenly kill soldiers like that. You’re in serious trouble now......”
“I didn’t kill them.”
“What......?”
“Uggghhhhhh.”
Groans spread from the soldiers lying on the floor.
GULP.
‘T-That control is incredible. Magic skills aren’t supposed to work like this......!’
Bulldozer stared blankly at the fallen soldiers, all of whom had wounds in their thighs and arms.
There was a simple reason so few mercenaries used magic skills.
The risk was too great.
Anomalies were unknown worlds that demanded a variety of strategic approaches.
Recklessly firing off explosive magic skills in such places was no different from committing suicide along with the mercenaries who had entered.
But the level of control Kang Hyeon-woo displayed over his magic skills was more precise than anything Bulldozer had ever heard of or witnessed.
Then it happened.
“Stop......! What is all this commotion......?!”
A booming voice filled the conference room, and another elderly man slowly walked in through the doors.
“F-Father......! Help me! That crazy bastard suddenly attacked us......!”
“Gasp......! The founding City Lord!”
Bulldozer’s jaw dropped as his eyes darted around.
Kang Hyeon-woo quietly watched Lee Jong-seok enter before speaking.
“Cowardly camper Lee Jong-seok. You’re still alive?”
“What? Who dares speak to me like...... Hmm? Gasp!”
Lee Jong-seok, who had been staring irritably at Kang Hyeon-woo, began trembling all over.
“H-How are you...... here....... Th-This can’t be.”
“You’ve come a long way from the second string.”
“Father! Why are you suddenly acting like this?! Hurry up and kill that crazy bastard! With the skills you displayed in Shinhwa Company, Father, you could turn him into a kebab in one blow and......!”
“Sh-Shut up!”
Lee Jong-seok hurriedly silenced Seed and stepped in front of Kang Hyeon-woo.
“I-I lost my composure for a moment. It has been a long time, Senior. No...... Archmage. SIN.”
“......Father?”
Watching his father bow at the waist to a perfect ninety-degree angle, Seed did not even realize that his own hands were trembling.