Kim Sibaek threw out the suggestion half in jest, and as expected, Tae Woon simply laughed and refused outright.
“Not going.”
The conversation about Director Noh—the real topic they had intended to discuss—came up while Kim Sibaek was watching Tae Woon get ready for work. It was always a strangely fascinating sight: the way he tied his necktie and fixed his hair in front of the mirror.
Honestly, it wasn’t hearing others talk about Tae Woon or seeing photos of his office that made it feel real that he was part of the working world—it was moments like this, watching him prepare for the day, that made it sink in. It was funny, in a way. He had never thought much of other people in suits, but when Tae Woon put on a perfectly tailored three-piece, it looked incredible.
“Director Noh is the perfect candidate to run the Agency right now. She’s fair, incorruptible, and knows how to mediate between the government and Hunters. On top of that, she’s personally trustworthy. Her only real flaw was her workaholic husband, but they’re divorced now, so that’s dealt with.”
Kim Sibaek nodded. Even though their conversation had been brief, he’d come away with a solid impression of her. And if Tae Woon—who had likely worked with her for quite a while—was willing to vouch for her, that meant something.
“Do you think it’s safe to tell her the truth—at least partially?”
“Hmm. She’s not the kind of person who’d secretly scoff and call you insane. Depending on the situation, she might even keep things hidden from the president. More importantly, if they’re trying to secure the one and only person with healing powers, they’ll have to pretend to trust them.”
“Would she be willing to cooperate if it meant restoring Divine Power?”
“I don’t know exactly what method you’re considering, but if the benefits outweigh the harm to Korea, she’ll help. That kind of patriotism is rare these days, but she’s the real deal.”
“What do you think I should do?”
“Whatever you want, Hyung.”
Kim Sibaek reconsidered, turning Tae Woon’s explanation over in his mind—but his conclusion didn’t change.
“I trust Guildmaster Tae Woon’s judgment more than my own or Section Chief Gwak’s.”
Just like Director Noh had said, he trusted Tae Woon.
***
He called Director Noh and set an appointment for four days later. She’d clearly wanted to bring him in earlier, but the delay suggested that rearranging her schedule wasn’t easy.
According to Bae Ji-han, even their meeting the day before had been squeezed in during a hectic day.
“Mom delayed her overseas business trip by a day just to meet you for the date.”
Of course, when Ji-han said it, he emphasized the word “date.”
With some free time now, Kim Sibaek decided to go out for something else today.
“I was thinking of heading out when you leave for work.”
“Where to? Under my desk at the office?”
“What, are you asking to play hide-and-seek under your desk? Aww, look at the baby.”
Kim Sibaek poked Tae Woon’s nose with his index finger. Tae Woon stayed quiet for a second, then gave a cheerful smile.
“You know, it doesn’t feel so bad talking to a wall when the wall is you.”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, where are you going?”
“I thought I’d check out the area near the Barrier.”
“Then allow me to provide a premium tour servi—”
Tae Woon jumped at the offer, but Kim Sibaek cut him off with a firm hand.
“No half-day leave, no vacation time, and definitely no tagging along.”
“Yes, sir.”
With a barrage of texts from Tae Woon buzzing nonstop, Kim Sibaek managed to reach the Barrier by subway and bus without much trouble. Of course, Lord Biendeoé’s help had been essential.
[Death and Beauty considers this extremely shoddy magitech.]
“Well, it’s only been 21 years since we started using magic. Given that, it’s not too bad.”
The Barrier that separated human cities from monster habitats wasn’t made of concrete or rebar. It was a semi-transparent wall several meters high, formed from magitech—devices invented and continually refined by mages. However, its height fluctuated irregularly, likely due to unstable maintenance.
The area around the Barrier was collectively called Zone 0, which was then subdivided into smaller districts. Kim Sibaek had arrived at Zone 0-C—the area near the Rift where he’d returned to Earth.
[Death and Beauty asks what your next move is.]
“I was planning to just look around… but from outside the Barrier, I can’t make anything out. Whether it works or not, I’ll probably have to go inside.”
He quickly located the entrance. Following the flow of what looked like Hunters, he soon found himself in a noisy, bustling area—though it was a well-organized kind of chaos.
The area around the entrance was developed like a commercial district. Shops lined the plaza where people gathered party members or met for appointments. Some bought monster byproducts; others sold magitech crafted by mages. There were also ordinary restaurants and motels.
According to Tae Woon, several such infrastructures had developed around different Barrier entry points.
Kim Sibaek strolled casually toward the entrance. Compared to the heavily armed Hunters and even those driving refrigerated trucks for transporting monster corpses, his light and unarmored appearance stood out—drawing curious glances from those around him.
Just as Kim Sibaek managed to text Tae Woon that he was lining up to enter the Barrier, he arrived at the checkpoint—and immediately learned something crucial.
“A Hunter license?”
[?]
[Hyung, you can’t get in without a Hunter licenseㅠㅠ]
[ㅠㅠ]
[If I came with you, we could’ve gotten inㅠㅠ]
[Hyung, you’re a dummy]
[Dummy dummy]
[ㅠㅠ]
“Unless you’re a registered Hunter or accompanying one as a porter, entry is prohibited.”
The government official at the gate didn’t even glance up as he delivered the response with practiced indifference. With no Hunter license—and not even a proper ID—Kim Sibaek had no choice but to turn back.
Scratching the back of his neck, he pivoted away from the gate. Guess today would just be about scouting the area and figuring out the subway route. At least that much was a success.
[Death and Beauty suggests grabbing a bite nearby since you’re already here. They say the real hidden gems are in places like this.]
“Sounds good.”
It wasn’t just restaurants—there were plenty of food trucks too. He was about to wander off, reminiscing about old street stalls, when—
“Hunter Kim Sibaek?”
[gyeogbeukna gireo ga jokseotseo]
The text had come unusually fast—but it was just a jumble of typos. Tae Woon, slouched deep into a chair, tapped at his phone with a blank face, sending the message that Kim Sibaek wouldn’t be able to enter the Barrier without a Hunter license.
“……”
Time passed in silence. It felt like he should’ve received a string of frantic texts by now, but the screen stayed quiet. Tae Woon, still staring at his phone, eventually picked up the internal line.
“Yang Eunho. What’s the contact number for the Zone 0-C checkpoint?”
– One moment.
Yang Eunho quickly gave him the number.
Due to the risk of fugitives, identity checks at Barrier entry points were strict. But with a single phone call from Tae Woon, even someone like Kim Sibaek, who lacked credentials, could be let in.
Just as he was about to make the call, a new text popped up from Kim Sibaek.
[Got through^0^]
Tae Woon’s eyebrows twitched for the first time in a while.
“Here’s your temporary access card.”
Gwak Yoonsang handed over a keycard.
At the checkpoint, a Hunter had recognized Kim Sibaek—someone from the Paranormal Phenomena Response Agency who had fought alongside him during the MA Department Store Eid Portal incident. After learning what was going on, the Hunter contacted Gwak Yoonsang, who had been patrolling the Barrier, and he quickly arranged a temporary pass.
“Thanks.”
“No need to mention it. It’s valid for a week, but if you need to come back, I’ll issue another.”
Speaking as though it was no big deal—as if he wanted to stay in Kim Sibaek’s good graces—Gwak Yoonsang scanned the surroundings, then leaned in with a quiet whisper.
“I heard you met with the Director. Whatever you decide to do, she’s instructed us to help in any way we can. Just say the word. Any particular part of the Barrier you want to explore? It’s easy to get lost in there. Want me to assign a Hunter to guide you? No surveillance—just guidance.”
“Since I’m starting near the northwest entrance, even if I get lost, I should be able to find my way back by heading south. Actually, could I ask you something? Where exactly was it that we first met?”
As he asked, Kim Sibaek pulled out a paper map of Daejeon. Gwak Yoonsang glanced at it briefly, then silently took Kim Sibaek’s phone and installed an app.
“This one’s developed by our agency. I’ve logged in with your temporary ID. The password is 1111—you’ll want to change that later. I’ll bookmark the Barrier map for Daejeon under the My Menu tab.”
“Oh, nice.”
The app’s map was far more detailed than a standard one, even showing known monster habitats. It might have seemed odd that Kim Sibaek didn’t know where he’d first appeared, but Gwak Yoonsang said nothing and simply marked the reported location.
“Do you need a weapon? I can lend you one.”
“I’m good, thanks. I looked into it before coming—apparently, there aren’t many high-grade monsters near the Barrier, and they don’t tend to move in swarms.”
“Huh?”
Gwak Yoonsang tilted his head, confused about how monster ranks related to needing a weapon. After parting with him, Kim Sibaek passed through the checkpoint and sent another text to Tae Woon.
The message had barely gone out before his phone rang. It was Tae Woon.
