Chapter 2

Chapter 1. The Start of Restructuring (2)

Ten years ago, a traffic accident changed my life.

I lost my parents,

and the body that I once considered my treasure and future became an insurmountable obstacle,

and all possibilities in life were blocked.

The sense of despair began the moment I opened my eyes and got out of bed in the morning, and continued until I climbed back into bed at the end of the day.

When going to the bathroom, when bending down to wash my face, when changing my pants, when slinging my bag over one shoulder to leave home, when taking the subway instead of the bus, when going up and down the stairs...

So, I know better than anyone else.

How stiff and heavy my right leg is.

The feeling of it not moving no matter how hard I try is so vivid that it even appears in my dreams.

They said my limp, the limping gait, had been restored.

If you told a normal person, "Your leg has been strengthened by 20%," they probably wouldn't understand.

But I...

— Swish, Thud.

I knew immediately.

The subtle difference I felt in my leg.

That it had become a few grams lighter.

Definitely, clearly, even if only a little...

It moves.

At my will.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The thought of this miraculous possibility made my heart race. The pleasant stress I hadn't felt in a long time made my head clear.

The time that had been frozen for ten years began to flow again.

Like standing on the track, with both feet on the starting blocks, waiting for the starting signal.

"What is this? Did you guys get it too?"

"They're asking us to choose mission rewards?"

The game company employees began to check in front of their eyes.

Swish. Swish again.

"It's disappearing. Reappearing again."

They stretched and shortened it with their index finger and thumb.

"The size can be adjusted. Is there anything else?"

With shining eyes, they shouted out all kinds of words: "Status window! Inventory! Skills!"

"There's nothing. Only the status window appears."

"Is this virtual reality? Has my chance finally come?"

"What chance? Haven't you been reading too many web novels?"

Some people were making ridiculous statements with the utmost seriousness, while others were using their smartphones to relay news from elsewhere in real time.

A large circle appeared all over the world.

People who were fine suddenly disappeared.

No, that was a manipulation.

My silent smartphone remained quiet, but the sound of bells and messenger notifications echoed from all around.

To the point where there was no need to turn on the internet and look for news.

"This mission isn't just for us, it's clear."

"Mr. Eunho! Can you... see this?"

"I can see it. I'm relieved it's not just me going crazy."

"Can you see my screen? The images too?"

In the midst of this, I wondered if my hologram, dressed in underwear, was visible to me.

I hastily added, startled for no reason.

"No, only I can see my screen. My affiliation and stats."

"Phew. Still, what is this? Who would play such a prank...?"

A prank.

I grabbed my right leg and pulled it back and forth.

— Swish, Swish.

It moves. Slightly.

If this is a prank.

If it's a miraculous prank that brought back a leg that died ten years ago.

"Are there more missions? It was clearly called the 'first' mission."

I will do my best with this prank.

"Is that... you?"

"Yes. According to the announcement, it seems they are trying to reduce the number of people by conducting missions multiple times. It would be nice if they told us how many will be left."

"Mr. Eunho, do you believe all of this? You were just going to go down earlier..."

Ms. Ji-eun stopped biting her lip and looked at me.

She didn't fully trust the announcement about "restructuring" and "elimination."

Maybe because she didn't see Mr. Choi, the manager, disappear in real time.

After all, it's an unrealistic story that a person, not a computer file, would suddenly blink and disappear.

Feeling impatient because of her earnestness, I found Ms. Ji-eun's inability to believe it frustrating.

"To receive the reward."

"Reward..."

I stopped Ms. Ji-eun, who had started biting her nails again.

"Ms. Ji-eun! The first safe zone, where we are standing now, is the 25th floor center. Right?"

"Yes, the elevator is on the east side of the cafe, and the smoking room is on the west side."

"Have you seen anyone come up since the announcement?"

"No, not a single person."

No one had come up to find the safe zone.

"Perhaps a safe zone has appeared on each floor."

"Then should we keep waiting here?"

"I don't think so. The first mission was probably simple."

Maybe it was like a tutorial, to show how missions would proceed.

"If the safe zone is far away."

"We might not be able to get there in time."

But also.

"It might already be full of people who arrived first."

"Then... will those who arrive late fail?"

If the safe zone is already full when they arrive late.

Would they say, "It's already full. I give up!" and turn back?

"...They might fight."

Thinking realistically.

We must always assume the worst.

"First, let's find something that can be used as a weapon."

"Weapon...? Are you going to fight?"

"I don't know if there will be anything useful."

There wouldn't be many weapons in a regular office building.

Chairs are heavy, and scissors or utility knives have short reach.

It's not practical to swing a laptop stand or keyboard.

"Maybe a broom?"

"A broom used for cleaning?"

"But it's big and heavy, so it would be inefficient. We might have to go down the stairs."

"..."

"Each floor has a cleaning supply closet, so let's think about it slowly."

As I was lost in thought, Ms. Ji-eun stared at me with a trembling gaze.

1:15 PM.

15 minutes until the second mission.

We don't have time.

"If you don't like it, you can go back to the office. I don't want to burden you."

"I don't mind. I'm just surprised by the sudden talk of fighting and weapons."

"If that's the case, let's deal with the mission first."

"Mr. Eunho, the atmosphere seems different."

With a complicated expression, Ms. Ji-eun watched as I limped and looked around.

"Anyway, just in case, if there's anything useful, take it. Something easy to carry."

"Should I... carry something too?"

Ms. Ji-eun pointed to herself, looking flustered.

Maybe she thought she wouldn't have to fight anyone.

"You have to protect yourself."

1:25 PM.

"Five minutes left. Let's wait here."

"Should we go to the stairs?"

"If there's no safe zone on the roof, we need to go down immediately."

"Let's go to the elevator, Mr. Eunho."

"You know rush hour. Hundreds of people will crowd into three elevators."

"But Mr. Eunho, you don't like the stairs, do you?"

I smiled at her worried words.

I didn't like them.

My pace was terribly slow, and my whole body, not just my good leg, would be exhausted.

But if I could briefly bring back my dead leg.

"I'm fine."

"Mr. Eunho, this!"

A new screen appeared in my field of vision, in addition to the status window.

A white rectangular screen, about the size of a 27-inch monitor, with about 65% transparency.

"It looks like a building map!"

"At least we don't have to search each floor."

The screen was filled with a familiar space in an unfamiliar way.

The 25-story MS Tower.

Helpfully, a pair of tweezers icon was blinking on the 25th floor, indicating my location, and the safe zones within the building were marked in green.

"19th floor, 11th floor, 3rd floor. What should we do?"

"Let's go to the closest one. Run!"

「09:50」

I confirmed the large clock blinking next to the bird's-eye view and opened the fire door leading to the stairs.

— Creak.

* * *

"Huff, huff..."

"Mr. Eunho! Are you okay?"

My whole body is drenched in sweat.

It feels like I'm dying, but we're on the 20th floor.

We only need to go down half a flight to reach the 19th floor, where the safe zone is.

Let's go.

Think of it as interval training from my athletic days.

Imagine you're alternating between a 1,000m sprint and jogging.

"Should we take a break? Mr. Eunho looks very tired..."

Ms. Ji-eun asked with concern, but I shook my head.

"I'm fine... I'm not tired at all."

I can't be tired.

The sensation of my right foot touching the ground is so exhilarating.

The feeling of 'running' to the point of being drenched in sweat is so unfamiliar and welcome that I feel like crying.

'One reward can do this much. If it were fixed perfectly...!'

"Mr. Eunho..."

"We've arrived. 19th floor."

— Creak!

I opened the fire door to find many more people milling about than on the roof.

Sitting in place, gathered near someone's spot, moving busily to somewhere else.

They all looked different, but they had one thing in common.

They glanced at the space in front of the elevator, where the safe zone was.

"Hey, Ms. Ji-eun! What's all this commotion?"

"Ah, Team Leader Park!"

"People are talking about disappearing. Shouldn't we discipline those who are disrupting the atmosphere by not working?"

"Haha..."

The middle-aged man called Team Leader Park sighed deeply and then looked at me curiously.

"Why are you so sweaty? Surely you two weren't doing something useless..."

"It's because of the time. I'll be on my way."

"What?"

"Thank you, Team Leader!"

「02:20」

Thinking there was no time for small talk, I quickly turned around, and Ms. Ji-eun followed immediately.

"He's the team leader of the Management Support Team. They use the 19th floor."

Ms. Ji-eun added an explanation, but I wasn't very interested, so I hurriedly continued.

"We've arrived."

Beyond the glass door is the elevator area.

A green border is drawn along the wall, and dozens of people are already gathered.

"There are... so many people here."

"Indeed. How many can fit?"

The elevator platform has the same area on all floors of the building.

So...

"Probably a hundred if it's full."

"A hundred? How do you know that, Mr. Eunho?"

"It's sixteen steps wide and seven steps long."

"Huh?"

Ms. Ji-eun's eyes widened, clearly not understanding.

"My stride is about 30cm, so one person can stand per step. Sixteen times seven is... 112? So, roughly a hundred."

"Mr. Eunho, do you usually measure your steps?"

"I'm used to calculating how many steps it takes and how long it will take."

"Mr. Eunho, you're amazing!"

"Not really. It's just normal."

"Normal...? You have a good sense of distance, don't you?"

Ms. Ji-eun's mouth dropped open in amazement.

There's no need to be so surprised.

When I was actively running track, I used to calculate the remaining distance and my stamina, and this habit became more detailed after my leg was injured.

"Still, there are a lot of people who haven't come in yet. We should be careful."

About 50 seconds left.

More and more people were gathering.

"Hey, Manager Kang! Did you come for this mission?"

"Ah... Yes, it feels a bit off. What about you, Manager?"

"No, I'm going out for a client meeting."

In slippers that are only worn at the desk?

The man called Manager Kang scanned the manager in front of him, and the manager awkwardly cleared his throat.

With less than 30 seconds left, the safe zone was packed.

As it dropped into the teens, people trying to get in started pushing those already inside.

10 seconds.

"Hey! Move inside a bit!"

8 seconds.

"Ouch! Don't step on my foot!"

7 seconds.

"Team Leader?"

With less than 5 seconds left.

The team leader of the Management Support Team stumbled in like a pair of glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

Or rather, he tried to get in.

But he was blocked by the people already inside.

"Didn't that person talk about discipline earlier?"

"What can we do? He can't get in!"

3 seconds. 2 seconds.

"Hey, don't push!"

"Wait a minute!"

「00:00」

The second mission ended.

"I, I'm in, right? Right?"

Only the upper body of Team Leader Park was inside the glass door.