Chapter 132.3 |
‘Perfect.’
I wiped the cold sweat off my temple.
They say a great scam is 90% truth and 10% lies—
And, unintentionally, I had kept that ratio quite well.
…For the record, neither of my fellow spies who infiltrated the Disaster Management Bureau had to go through this mess.
– Director Ho, about my fellow batchmates who…
– Oh, they’ve already entered.
– ……
– Until last month, we had a direct recruitment pathway into the bureau, so they got in right away.
Which meant, I had to suffer through this entire ordeal alone.
Haha…
Go Yeongeun, Jang Heoun… I don’t know where you’ve been assigned within the bureau, but please…
Just relax, enjoy yourselves, and if things go south, please… please come save me.
‘I’m begging you.’
Was it selfish to hope my batchmates were safe and comfortable purely so I could use them later?
Maybe.
But right now, the only thing that mattered was—
‘Where exactly am I getting assigned?’
It wasn’t too hard to figure out.
I crossed my arms.
Let’s see—based on the <Dark Exploration Records>, the three main divisions that Disaster Management Bureau agents were assigned to after completing their three-week probation were…
‘There are three major units.’
Simply put, these are the three main stages of handling supernatural disasters.
First.
1- Preliminary Investigation Unit
: A reconnaissance team that analyzes newly emerging ghost stories, assesses their progression and threat level, and reports findings.
Their job is to track down rumored ghost stories, both online and offline, and categorize them.
Of course, unlike Daydream Inc., they don’t just throw agents into a disaster site and force them to create a manual on the spot, as they do with members of the Field Exploration Team. Instead, they gather information and conduct investigations as safely as possible.
‘This really makes me realize just how insane my old job was…’
Then again, I’m still technically working there—as a spy, no less.
…That’s depressing. Let’s not think about it.
Anyway, next was the second one.
2- Dispatch & Rescue Unit
: A rapid-response task force that answers civilian distress calls when they’ve already been caught in a supernatural disaster or urban legend.
Basically, a rescue team.
They’d jump into the middle of a supernatural disaster, right when things were at their most terrifying, and pull people out.
It’s the most dangerous assignment, but at the same time, it’s considered the core of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau. It’s the most respected unit in the agency.
‘And their mission reports are the most entertaining to read, too.’
But… this is not what I’m aiming for.
‘I’ve had enough excitement.’
I could experience thrills vicariously just fine.
The one I’m targeting was…
3- Site Cleanup Unit
: A post-disaster team responsible for restoring an affected area after a supernatural incident, ensuring that civilians remain unaware of what happened.
Basically, the cleanup crew!
Like crime scene cleaners, they’d go in after ghost stories had been resolved or sealed and restore the site. They were also in charge of handling documentation.
That means, I’d be in charge of registering and organizing documents!
This was the best role for gaining access to classified supernatural records, including those on the specific phenomenon that Director Ho mentioned.
‘And for someone who’s already read the <Dark Exploration Records>, this is basically free real estate.’
It would be as easy as editing a wiki page.
Relaxing. Enjoyable. No sudden death threats.
And most importantly…
‘I only go in after all the scary shit is over!’
In other words, it’s the least terrifying unit to be assigned to.
For the first time, I could finally work a government job without breaking into cold sweats…!
Can you hear that? The sound of my quality of life skyrocketing!
And getting assigned there is simple.
‘For the next three weeks, I just need to act passive and show that I have a sharp, analytical mind.’
If I emphasize classification, documentation, and organization—basically, skills suited for research—I’ll be a perfect fit.
And, hasn’t it become obvious now? This perfectly aligns with the character I’ve been playing!
Even better, my senior agent already knew I had past experience with supernatural incidents.
And he also knew about my suspicious background.
‘I managed to talk my way out of it, but if there’s still any lingering doubt, they’ll stick me in a paperwork-heavy role.’
Agent Bronze seemed competent.
And there’s no way a rational agent would expect an ex-employee of a deranged pharmaceutical company to be put in charge of saving people!
“Huu.”
With a quiet sigh of relief, I got to my feet.
Just in time, the agent returned.
Thud.
“Kim Soleum-ssi.”
Ah, he’s probably going to tell me to go home now…
“Take this.”
Thuk.
Before I could react, something was tossed into my hands.
‘An identification pass?’
It looked like an access badge—but I had already received one earlier during the appointment ceremony…?
“New recruits are usually assigned to a unit after completing three weeks of training in pairs.”
I knew that.
But I had no way of expecting what came next.
“However, I’ve taken the liberty of assigning you to a unit myself.”
“……”
Excuse me?
“From this moment forward, you’re in the same unit as me.”
“……”
Wait.
If Agent Bronze’s unit is…
I had a terrible feeling.
I flipped over the badge I was holding—
Agent (β)
Name : Kim Soleum
Assigned Unit : Dispatch & Rescue Unit, Black Turtle-Snake Team 1 [1]
“As of this moment, you are part of Turtle-Snake Team 1.”
“……”
No…
NOOO!!
“Coincidentally, we’ve just received a rescue call. We’ll be entering a Disaster zone immediately to extract civilians from the scene. Follow me.”
“……”
My persuasion check landed a nat-20 in the weirdest place!
Note/s:
[1] The ‘Black Turtle-Snake’ or ‘현무’ is a mythical creature considered to be one of the ‘Four Gods’ in East Asian folklore. Read more about it over here: https://en.namu.wiki/w/현무
For the sake of brevity, Agent Bronze’s team will be called ‘Turtle-Snake’! Just keep this background info in mind throughout the arc. ↩
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