Chapter 22

“Hmm… interesting guy.”

“Boss. Seems like you took a liking to him?”

“Wouldn’t you say? That familiar face but with a different personality…”

“At first, I was a bit surprised. I thought it might be some kind of scheme.”

Quaker.

For someone who remembered his younger days, it was quite a shock.

‘He definitely shouldn’t have any family.’

Judging by appearances alone, he looked similar to when they first met, so it wouldn’t be strange to think of him as a son or nephew.

But…

‘The face is the same, but the vibe is different.’

The day he lost his lover to a government secret experiment.

He remembered the day he cried out for revenge, and how his friend had changed since then, forcing a bitter smile.

‘He used to be like that too, but now…’

Recalling his friend, now consumed by vengeance, he sighed and sank into the sofa.

“Wonder what kind of scheme he’s cooking up now…”

“Should we keep tabs on him?”

“Do that, but don’t get too close. He’s like a beast on edge—he’ll notice right away.”

“Understood. And about Park Yi-sak…”

“As long as he’s stationed in the swamp area, we’ll have plenty of chances to see him. Just keep an eye on him for now.”

After giving the order, he tapped the glass on his desk with his finger. Frost began to form on the glass.

‘A small office, a signboard, and a bit of money… quite modest.’

He tilted the now cold glass to his lips.

The icy chill clung to his mouth, but he didn’t mind.

After all, it was a chill created by his own ability.

“There was something usable at the edge of the Crocodile Bird’s territory. Clean it up and hand it over. Send Mr. Baek to make the signboard…”

“Shouldn’t we put surveillance on it?”

“Since it’s within the Crocodile Bird’s territory, it’s already in our hands. And, have Sweetie analyze this.”

“Understood.”

His loyal subordinate turned and left the office.

Left alone in the vast office, he leaned back in his chair and gazed out the window.

An unexpected encounter.

No one could predict what this meeting would bring.

“I hope something good comes out of the swamp area.”

His worried mutterings didn’t leave the room, dissipating like cigarette smoke.

———————

It’s a relief the deal went smoother than expected…

As soon as I stepped out of the Crocodile Bird’s territory, I let out a sigh of relief.

At least I got a decent haul from this deal.

A suitable place to live and work, a signboard, and a bit of money.

I planned to build a business on this foundation.

Calling it a business might be a stretch… but it’s more about setting up a base to survive under the Crocodile Bird’s protection.

Of course, if I got a big payout, it wouldn’t be hard to make ends meet.

But money tends to disappear if you don’t pile it up like a mountain.

For me, it was a better choice to get a smaller but steady profit rather than a big, quick one.

Even if I knew the original story, my knowledge was fragmented, and I couldn’t be sure how far it would apply.

There were limits to the knowledge I could use immediately.

The protagonist’s main stage wasn’t here—it was Seoul.

Unless I set up shop in Seoul, it was nearly impossible to do anything significant there.

I could visit occasionally, but without living there, there were limits to what I could do.

So, I figured I’d set up a base here, secure a livelihood, and then slowly gain benefits from Seoul, or just live quietly in this corner.

After all, if Quaker wasn’t acting like a villain, the original story wouldn’t progress properly.

…Come to think of it, there’s a lot that’s bothering me.

Am I really Quaker?

The question I’ve been too busy to address while setting up my livelihood.

My abilities are subtly different, and the timeline is a bit off.

The original story never specified the exact timeline, so it’s hard to tell how many years before the original story this is, but seeing Mina, it doesn’t seem like too much time has passed.

Unless Mina is some kind of ageless being who looks the same even in her 30s…

First, I need to gather information once I get the office.

I’ll collect clues to guess the timeline of the original story, organize the knowledge I can use in this timeline, and then use it bit by bit to make a living.

If I just work normally, I should be able to make ends meet.

Having combat abilities as a User is a huge advantage in this world.

If I develop my abilities further, I can live a pretty comfortable life.

“First, I’ll go back and tell Mina about this… and talk to the boss to prepare to leave.”

Not right now, but since they said it would be ready within three days, I’ll start packing to leave the hotel and pay the money when I get it.

As the plan comes together step by step, my worries lessen a bit.

It’s really a relief.

If even one thing had gone wrong, surviving the research institute would have been pointless, and I’d have ended up a corpse.

Thinking like that, I soon arrived at the hotel.

In front of the hotel, the boss was sitting by the door, smoking a cigarette, just like when we first met.

“Did the deal go well?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, I should be able to get a decent place within three days.”

“Congratulations. I doubt there’s any outsider hunter who got a place as quickly as you.”

“Thank you.”

“Then it’s time to say goodbye to that kid too. She was quite good at her job. She’d clean without being told, very perceptive…”

That’s not perceptiveness.

She must have been using her abilities secretly while working.

But I didn’t know abilities could be used like that.

It’s an obvious way to use them, but seeing someone who was a heinous villain in the original story using their abilities in such mundane ways feels… weird.

In the original, that ability was used for surveillance of high-profile targets, torture by stealing vision, overloading brains in collaboration with other psychic Users, distorting vision…

All horrifying stuff, so even though she was a pretty girl with illustrations, readers were clamoring for her to die.

Eventually, she met a gruesome end at the end of her arc.

In this world, that won’t happen.

She won’t become a villain.

She’ll grow up as an ordinary girl. I plan to teach her various things until she can stand on her own.

She’s not great at studying, but I can teach her the basics.

Not sure if she’ll follow along well, though.

“So, what do you plan to do for a living?”

“First, I’ll continue working as a hunter. I need to learn the geography of the Gray Forest… and I need to make a living. Then, once I save up, I plan to start a business.”

“A business…”

The boss looked at me with surprise.

Is that so strange?

“You didn’t seem like the type to run a business.”

“Isn’t being a hunter a kind of business? But it’s hard to tell how long I can keep doing that… I plan to take on various side jobs while I’m at it.”

“Side jobs…”

“There are a lot of people who can’t afford the hunter association’s fees. Some can’t even apply for requests.”

“That’s dangerous work.”

He was right.

It was dangerous.

But… in this era, not many people do that kind of work.

It’s a world where if you let your guard down, you end up a corpse, stripped of everything.

A world where everyone is too busy looking out for themselves.

“Whatever you do, I’ll support you. As long as it’s not a crime.”

“Don’t worry, I have no intention of doing such things. I’m a model citizen, despite appearances.”

“Being in the swamp area puts you far from being a model, according to the high and mighty in Seoul.”

“That’s true too.”

He smiled bitterly and stubbed out his cigarette with his foot.

“Well, go on in. It’s about time to get to work.”

The boss went to the counter, and I headed to my room.

And coincidentally, on my way back, I ran into a familiar head of white hair.

“Uncle… did everything go well?”

“They accepted it more readily than I expected.”

“Just as I thought. Ah, I mean, after hearing the boss talk about the Crocodile Bird’s reputation, I figured it would go smoothly.”

…What?

“Did the boss know about the boss too?”

“Y-yes.”

“Seems like he has wider connections than I thought. Well, never mind… Mina, I have something to tell you…”

I explained the deal to Mina.

That we got a new place to live.

That we’d be moving there within three days.

After hearing me out, Mina avoided my gaze and covered her face with her hands.

“T-two, two of us…”

“Well… I guess that’s how it’ll be.”

But we’re already sharing a room.

Is that really something to be so flustered about?

Well, she’s at a sensitive age, so it’s understandable.

I chuckled and put a hand on Mina’s shoulder.

“So, let’s get ready to move.”

“…Okay!”

We returned to the room, filled with excitement.

To the room where we had only a few days left to live.