Chapter 3

003. Payment Review. (2)

003.

I don’t even know what 'Awakening' is, let alone the O-Halla system.

However, I understood the message that I had to achieve it to receive the insurance money.

It’s my rightful insurance, yet I need qualifications.

I couldn’t even curse, thinking it might be in the terms and conditions I hadn’t read.

The only thing I was certain of was that I had to receive the insurance money to survive this inexplicable situation.

‘A time attack mission.’

Naturally, calculations began to form in my head.

The 0th wave of the invasion would occur in three days.

Within that time, I had to capture 10 goblins.

If I achieved that, I could undergo 'Awakening' and receive the insurance money.

A mission with a set goal and a time limit.

It felt very similar to the time attack missions in games.

‘I have to fight. No, I have to hunt.’

Three days would be shorter than I thought.

If I just muddled through, it would quickly pass by eating and sleeping in the auditorium.

That’s why I had no choice but to volunteer.

“Fortunately, more people volunteered than expected. Welcome. I’m Security Team Leader Lee Chan-wook. I’ll be leading you for a while, so please cooperate.”

‘He looks incredibly strong.’

Lee Chan-wook, the security team leader, was someone I had never seen before, despite working at the company for two years.

Since the security team mostly stayed in the lobby, it was natural not to have seen the team leader.

This Lee Chan-wook looked incredibly strong.

Even in a black suit, undisturbed by the situation, his bulging muscles were evident.

He was a man who naturally made people feel humble.

“Please wait here and greet those you know. I’ll go and gather the remaining members.”

Nine people had gathered.

He turned around, saying there were still not enough people, even though he didn’t know how many teams existed in the company.

I naturally approached the person next to me.

“Damn. Why are you here again?”

Let’s say I came here because of an unspeakable secret.

I couldn’t understand why Lee Dong-chan was here.

Of course, the same question was in his eyes as he looked at me.

“Why did I come? Damn, I lost rock-paper-scissors. Happy now?”

“Rock-paper-scissors, really?”

“What can I do? When men decide to have a one-shot match, you can’t back out. Why are you here?”

“Is there anyone else from our team who could come? I just came.”

“What? Idiot.”

Even though we were cursing each other, it felt a bit reassuring to have someone next to me.

Lee Dong-chan didn’t seem to want to leave either.

“I’m a special forces soldier.”

“You were just an administrative soldier, not an officer. Stop making things up.”

“You were just a grunt. Where did you get the nerve to talk to a special forces soldier?”

“Tsk, why are you like this? I was a top-tier special forces soldier who guarded Yanggu, the heart of South Korea.”

“Stop making things up.”

The thought of having to fight naturally led to the army.

The tension eased a bit as we talked about the army, which every healthy South Korean man should have enjoyed.

Maybe because of our conversation, people started introducing themselves, talking about the army.

Most were men of similar age, so they quickly got along.

“Are you Mr. Jang Seo-ho from Development Team 2? Nice to meet you.”

“I didn’t expect to see you here, Mr. Tack.”

“Likewise. Please cooperate.”

The person who spoke was Mr. Tack Jin-ho, a manager from the Quality Control Team.

People who were connected through work got along faster.

It was a bit funny how they already felt camaraderie, like new recruits in a training camp.

‘At least Mr. Tack is okay.’

A manager from the Quality Control Team, which usually doesn’t get along well with Development.

Still, he was a good person with a gentle personality who had never made anyone blush.

Lee Dong-chan also seemed to know him, so it looked like we would be fine working together.

As we chatted, more people gathered.

* * *

“The task we have to do has two main parts. First, we need to guard and prevent the monsters from coming up while securing an escape route. The other is to find out what these monsters are.”

Most people looked like they were about to cry at Lee Chan-wook’s words.

His face was cold as he looked at those who clearly didn’t want to be there.

“If you don’t want to do this, you can leave. If you want to leave this building, which belongs to Yeonggwang Electronics, no one will stop you.”

If you don’t listen, leave this place and go to the streets where the monsters are running wild.

In a situation where the outcome of leaving was clear, it was a more terrifying threat than any words.

Thanks to this, the faces full of complaints slowly disappeared.

“Now, let’s form teams. I heard that those who volunteered first have already chosen their teams, so just fill in the remaining spots.”

Fortunately, the later arrivals weren’t mixed with us.

Since the teams were formed in groups of three, my worry about not having a team disappeared.

“We’re one team. Please cooperate.”

“Me too, Manager.”

“Please cooperate.”

Our team was naturally me, Lee Dong-chan, and Tack Jin-ho, who joined us.

All three of us regularly exercised, so we were in good shape and didn’t lag behind in height or build.

We communicated well, so we seemed to be the best team here.

“You three are Team 5. And this is Manager Cha Su-hyun from the Security Team, who will be your team leader.”

We were Team 5, and Manager Cha Su-hyun from the Security Team would be our team leader.

However, our faces weren’t very good at Lee Chan-wook’s introduction.

‘A woman?’

In such a situation, gender discrimination was inevitable.

Even if she was from the Security Team, being a woman was enough to cause discomfort and unease.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cha Su-hyun.”

“You might be surprised that I’m a woman, but I’m a former special forces soldier, so don’t worry.”

Lee Chan-wook, who couldn’t miss our gaze, added.

The word 'special forces' carried a lot of weight, but it was still a bit unsettling.

Cha Su-hyun, who had probably received such looks all her life, didn’t seem to care much.

“Let’s introduce ourselves again. I’m Cha Su-hyun. I joined the Security Team of Yeonggwang Electronics last year after serving in the 707 Special Task Force. I’m here at the request of Team Leader Lee Chan-wook. Please cooperate.”

Not just a special forces soldier, but from the 707?

The pride she showed at being requested by Lee Chan-wook was impressive.

It seemed to mean that we shouldn’t doubt her skills.

“I’m Jang Seo-ho from Development Team 2. Please cooperate.”

I led the introductions.

Fortunately, no one was stupid enough to bring up the discomfort of having a woman, so the conversation went smoothly.

“I heard that you three volunteered. Teams 3 to 5 are all volunteer teams, so we’ll be given a bit more challenging tasks.”

“Ah, you mean the vanguard team the security team leader mentioned earlier?”

“That’s right. The 1st and 2nd teams, made up of the security team, will go first, and we’ll clean up behind them. If you’re scared or afraid, you can back out. I don’t want to drag anyone in who isn’t prepared.”

His tone was soft, but the resolve inside was as solid as steel.

His rather pretty face was so stern that the words 'I can’t' naturally came out.

Lee Dong-chan and Tack Jin-ho also seemed to feel the same, as they didn’t say anything.

“Let’s move. Put on the equipment and we’ll start with a briefing.”

That’s how my apocalypse really began.

* * *

“We will secure this emergency staircase and ensure its safety. First, we’ll check if there are any monsters and assess how dangerous they are.”

Cha Su-hyun explained, spreading out the map.

The map, prepared by the management team, was detailed enough to immediately understand where everything was.

“So, we’re going to catch one?”

“That’s right. We know there are many monsters inside the building, but the 12th floor seems relatively safe. Our goal today is to capture at least one alive.”

I’m the only one who knows the monsters are goblins.

And I’m the only one who knows that capturing 10 goblins will lead to Awakening.

The goblins are probably a fightable enemy as a human.

I have to kill them with pure human strength to awaken.

This fact gave me a bit of confidence.

“Put on this equipment.”

“Oh, there’s a knife. I’ll take it.”

“I’ll carry the dangerous items. Dong-chan, you take the shield, and this spear will be Seo-ho’s.”

There were four items in total.

Cha Su-hyun gave me a spear with a kitchen knife attached to a long pole, while she took a dagger and a metal pipe.

Lee Dong-chan, who licked his lips, had to carry a shield made from a modified desk.

The bat with a hook-like structure was Tack Jin-ho’s.

“Dong-chan, who’s carrying the shield, will go in front. I’ll give instructions from right behind you. Let’s go.”

Lee Dong-chan’s expression crumpled at the order to go in front, but he stood at the front without complaint.

After observing the goblins on the rooftop for a long time, he seemed to think a shield was enough.

I stood behind Cha Su-hyun, ready for any unexpected situations, so I had no major complaints.

Creak.

“Be careful. The 2nd team went down first, but it’s still dangerous.”

“Yes. Block the door as soon as we go out. And be ready to open it when we return.”

“Don’t worry about that and don’t overexert yourselves.”

Cha Su-hyun spoke to the security team member blocking the door to the 12th floor.

The trust in the eyes of the member who opened the door showed how much she was respected.

It was a bit reassuring to see her leading the way.

“Slowly. Very slowly, we’ll go down.”

Lee Dong-chan nodded slightly at Cha Su-hyun’s whispered words.

He took each step cautiously, eventually reaching the sign that read '12F'.

A strange, pungent smell came from beyond the open door.

“Stop. We’ll wait here. I’ll check and come back.”

Moving through the slightly open door, Cha Su-hyun made no sound even as she walked.

Even in sneakers, her silent steps showed how much she had trained.

After checking inside, she returned and whispered.

“There are monsters beyond the door. I can see two. We’ll wait and assess the situation. You three wait here.”

She could see two, but there might be more.

Her decision was to wait longer.

And soon, an opportunity came.

Thud.

“...Gurgle.”

The dagger that hit the goblin’s neck exactly as it came out of the door.

The short blade pierced the goblin’s neck so smoothly.

Cha Su-hyun quickly covered its mouth to prevent it from making a sound and killed it naturally.

“Squish!”

“Squawk!”

But the goblin that came out of the door wasn’t alone.

Two more monsters, seeing their quickly killed comrade, charged forward.

The roar heard up close made my spine shiver.

“Raise the shield.”

Cha Su-hyun, who threw the dead goblin, took a position behind Lee Dong-chan and spoke in a low voice.

Her calm voice snapped us back to our senses, and we confirmed our positions and raised our weapons.

Clang. Clang.

The shield made from a metal desk performed excellently.

It easily blocked the goblin’s dagger from the front and stopped its advance.

And Cha Su-hyun’s dagger pierced through the gap.

Thud.

“Gurgle!”

The monster, with a cold blade in its abdomen, made a strange sound and bent over.

Clearly a serious injury.

Now only one was left.

Tack Jin-ho responded to the remaining one.

Moving the long pole with a hook, he caught the goblin’s neck and threw it to the ground.

The goblin screamed as its head hit the sharp railing.

“Seo-ho, kill it.”

Now, only I was left with nothing to do.

‘Damn, damn.’

But I had never killed anything except mosquitoes and flies, so my hands were shaking badly.

I couldn’t help but be scared of the monster glaring at me with killing intent.

Ding!

But a supportive message for such a day.

‘Damn. I get it. I can do it, right?’

The bad system repeating my words at a strange time.

I gripped the shaking hands and thrust the spear into the goblin’s chest.

I could feel the monster’s heart beating violently at the tip of my fingers.