#Episode 4
It was obvious.
The system wanted only the ‘Awakened’ to ‘clear the gate’ using ‘system-accepted weapons’.
In such a situation, it would be right for those who are sane to control the gate.
Even if they are an awakened person, not just anyone can be put in.
So, in order to determine which Awakened One entered which Gate during this process, a law was created.
Awakened people who enter to clear the gate must activate the nationally certified watch worn on their wrist when entering, after entering, and after clearing the gate.
Using that watch, each nation controls the gates and Awakened beings that appear in their respective lands.
The reason I’m explaining this in such a hesitant manner is because Jeongbin came out and realized something.
The fact that I will soon be in a very difficult situation.
“So what happened? The gate meter says it’s A-class. Did you clear it by yourself?”
Even if we leave Jin Shihou out of the equation since he didn’t know anything, he wasn’t Jeong Bin.
Jeongbin is an Awakened One. A B-class Awakened One at that.
Even if he was sucked into a gate that appeared suddenly, he had a duty to activate the watch.
“No way. Go over your watch history. There should be videos and everything in there. By the way, this kid hasn’t even sent his watch history? He’s a bit too easy for a newbie.”
Jeongbin looked at Jin Shihoo, who was linking arms with him nearby.
It was just an instinctive movement.
And, Jin Shi-hoo understood the movement in his own way.
He flicked his fingers without anyone noticing.
Then Pasuk.
Smoke began to pour out of the watch that Jeongbin was holding.
Jeongbin was surprised, and Ji Changsu, the leader of Gate Safety Management Team 1, who was talking to Jeongbin as if he was questioning her, was also surprised.
“What’s that? What’s wrong with the watch?”
Although Jeongbin was of a low rank, he was not a man without sense. That’s true.
Jeongbin spoke without even licking his tongue.
“That’s… …the watch broke down when I suddenly entered the gate.”
“……breakdown?”
“Yes. I tried to do something about it, but I was surprised. The gate.”
“The gate?”
“It was a F-class gate.”
“……what?”
Once the lie began, it soon became a source of confidence in itself. Jeongbin opened his mouth with a confident expression.
“Did you say it was a Class A gate?”
“… … That’s right.”
“I guess this is why there is so much confusion because it is a gate that has caused many strange phenomena.”
Ji Chang-soo’s expression changed strangely.
This kid, this.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Team Leader, I’m not stupid enough to lie about something like this. And as you know, I’m a B-class Awakened. If that gate was an A-class, would it have been possible for a B-class like me to clear it in just 5 minutes?”
To those who didn’t know the situation, that would be correct.
Jungbin is a B-class Awakened. A B-class Awakened person clears an A-class gate in 5 minutes? And without a single scratch?
What is this, it’s perfect for hearing people call me crazy.
“It was a real goblin?”
“Yes. It was just a regular gate with a goblin lord and fifteen goblins coming out.”
“… … Haa… … . Yeah, that seems right to me. That’s why I told you to be careful. The kid is being foolish, hey, stupidly getting swept up by a management agent at the gate? What’s a B-class special recruit trying to do? This isn’t even the beginning of the Great Upheaval.”
“……sorry.”
“No need to apologize, just get some rest and call it a day.”
“……yes?”
“It’s your birthday. We were planning to have your birthday party secretly at a beef restaurant later, but no matter how I look at it, today doesn’t seem right. I’m going to postpone it until tomorrow, so just know that and leave work now. I’ll take care of whatever happened today.”
Jeongbin was surprised. Was this gentleman really this kind of gentleman?
I was secretly touched.
Ji Chang-soo.
I think I misunderstood this gentleman a little.
And rejection? I don’t.
He bowed his head deeply.
“Thank you, Team Leader!”
“Okay, then go. And before you go, take care of that guy who got swept away by the gate. There’s nothing to investigate, so just take him home. Write up a report and send it to me. I’ll figure it out.”
“Team leader… … .”
“Stop staring and go away.”
“yes!”
Jeongbin left work like that.
With Jin Shihou.
* * *
“You’re quite perceptive.”
Jeongbin felt a prickle at Jin Shihou’s words.
“Wasn’t that expected?”
“I don’t know.”
Even though Jin Shihou said that, Jeong Bin knew. Although Jeong Bin was the one who received it, it was Jin Shihou who ultimately set the stage.
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It is true that Jin Shihou does not know much about the modern world. But at least he has some sense.
Earlier, there were exactly twenty-five golem sorcerers at that gate. Not only were each of the twenty-five individuals stronger than Jeongbin, but the golems they commanded were all stronger than Jeongbin.
I didn’t say anything, but that mountain.
The mountain itself was also a golem.
Did Jungbin kill him alone? It only makes things more complicated. Jin Shihou read it and reacted in his own way, and Jungbin simply followed suit. Jungbin now asked the question he had to ask.
Substitute.
“What is your purpose?”
Jeongbin asked Jinshihu again, who was smiling silently.
“You came all the way to my house because you wanted something. No, before that, I’m really curious about this. How did you break my watch? It won’t even turn on anymore.”
“I just lightly detonated a small amount of mana that was inside the watch.”
“… … .”
“Why? Can’t you do it?”
“Yes, I can’t. I’m more surprised that there’s someone who can do it. Even though you’re not an awakened person?”
Jeongbin’s psychological state was very simple at the moment.
Should I just say that it is just confusion itself?
The man in front of him introduced himself as Jin Shihou, who went missing in 2024.
However, the real Jin Shihou never went missing, and already existed in the present world.
He is even famous. He is a genre novelist and a broadcaster.
You might think they are namesakes, but no. The man is the younger brother of Jinsongi, one of the greatest Awakeners in the world.
This is so ridiculous.
Jin Shi-hoo in front of you and Jin Shi-hoo, the genre novel writer.
It’s clear that one of them is joking.
And, if the person who is joking is Jin Shi-hoo in front of you, then the problem becomes serious.
No matter how you look at it, he wasn’t an ordinary person.
It wasn’t in the Awakened database, it wasn’t scanned by the Watch, and the system couldn’t read it as a ‘person’.
However, fingerprint recognition confirms that it is Jin Shi-hoo.
Now I’m even a little scared.
Of course, it’s true that I received ‘help’. It was a special reward.
I never dreamed that I would be given something like this.
Should I say that I vaguely saw the world where the top-tier Awakened people live?
Jeongbin received help from Jin Shihou that could not even be converted into money.
Jungbin wanted to repay her somehow. That way, he would feel at ease.
So when Jin Shi-hoo said, “Let’s just go together to the front of your house,” I readily agreed.
And just now, Jeongbin asked, why did you ask me to come here with you?
Jin Shihou said with a momentary look of bewilderment.
“But, come to think of it, this gentleman is really funny. You said you were going to take me home earlier? Look at him wiping his mouth as soon as he came out.”
“… … Wipe your mouth. Why are you saying that? It’s disappointing.”
Jin Shi-hoo continued speaking, smiling faintly.
“I feel like things are really messed up right now.”
“… … So?”
“I’m going to think about it for a moment.”
“… … .”
“I have some things to look into, and I think you received something similar to compensation earlier. Is that true?”
“… … Yes, that’s right.”
“You’ve gotten something good thanks to me. You know the saying, ‘The land of courtesy in the East,’ right?”
I ended up sighing.
“first.”
“first?”
“Let’s eat first. It’s been a while since I’ve had a taste of Earth food. Is there a place around here that makes good kimchi stew?”
* * *
He was a busy man every day.
He was also a very regular person.
6 am.
It’s time for him to wake up.
As soon as he wakes up at 6 o’clock, he takes off his pajamas, changes into training clothes, and runs outside.
The distance is exactly 10km.
It was a course with a clear view of the Han River the entire way, and it was also a course he had designed himself.
After jogging like that, I come home and check my schedule. If it’s a broadcast day, I broadcast, and after the broadcast, I write.
I eat breakfast alone, and for lunch or dinner, I eat with someone I know, otherwise I eat alone.
Then, when I can’t write well, I exercise again.
Hitting the sandbag and running.
He was a man who split his day into chunks and chunks again.
Although he is a writer, he is also a perfectionist who takes good care of his physical strength.
After finishing his workout, he picked up his watch to check his schedule for the day.
Then a message comes flying in.
[Do you know Casa Pia Restaurant?]
It’s a famous restaurant located on Sajik-ro in Seoul. There’s no way I wouldn’t know. The man checked the caller.
It was ‘older sister’.
The man replied right away.
[You know, why?]
[Let’s have dinner together after a long time.]
[dinner?]
[You said you wanted to see Ron Wesley.]
Ron Wesley.
He is an American science fiction and fantasy novelist, screenwriter, and television producer.
The ‘Burning Lake’ series he wrote became a worldwide hit, and the drama series that was produced swept all kinds of awards at award ceremonies.
He is one of the hottest writers of our time.
His name, heavy ass, is out now.
[We’ll do it together, so come in the evening. You wanted to see me, right?]
[Sisterㅠㅠ]
[It’s 6pm today. If you’re late, there’ll be no soup.]
[Thank you, sis.]
He also sent it with a cheering emoticon attached.
My sister really helped me a lot.
And there was no reply. I said I’d meet him later this evening.
I think I’ll have to change my schedule today.
Ron Wesley.
That was it.
I have been saying this on TV and with people around me, that one of my wishes is to meet Ron Wesley and have a deep conversation about him and his work.
Although it was a meeting he had been looking forward to so much, he had a look of no emotion on his face.
I turned my head.
I can see the sky.
He, no, Jin Shihou, had a very indifferent expression on his face.
In addition, he had a very arrogant expression, and his expression clearly showed his disgust for this time itself. It was an expression that made it hard to imagine that he was the person who had just sent the emoticon in the message.
He sighed briefly.
“… … I’m tired.”
If anyone who knew Jin Shihou saw this expression now, they would be surprised.
Because he was a man who had never made that kind of expression on anyone’s face.
The world has changed.
The big world has changed, and the small world has changed too.
Few people are aware of the changes in both.
Jin Shihou stood up from his seat.
That’s that, and this is this.
There is work to be done, and in the meantime, you must ‘do’ it diligently.
Suddenly, Jin Shihou checked today’s date.
May 5, 2034.
His expression brightened again.
now.
“There’s one month left.”
That year, one month.
Only then did Jin Shi-hoo, no, his doppelganger, smile brightly.
