Joo-o. Twenty-two years old.Fifteen years had passed since he’d been possessed, yet he was still twenty-two.Joo-o thought so. The years he’d lost his memories and drifted around didn’t count toward his human age.All the more reason he needed to act more human.‘Little by little, I’m getting better.’Thankfully, his foggy mind was clearing. With food in front of him, he even had a bit of patience.He hadn’t broken anything on impulse. Muhae was helping him properly.That was enough. From now on, he’d spit out any bones instead of swallowing them. If he forgot something else, he’d just correct it the moment it became a problem.“Here. Swallow these.”Just then, Dr. Jeong handed him pills and water. Joo-o accepted the round tablets and swallowed them, gazing up at him.The doctor’s gentle expression and the prominent scar made him feel like a long-lost neighbor reunited after years apart.Still, Joo-o knew him all too well. He’d chased down every side story of the important characters when he’d played the game.If Muhae rifled through that cabinet, he’d find narcotic painkillers and sleeping pills; if he tore up under the bed, he’d discover weapons.Dr. Jeong was a man who was “prepared.” Joo-o liked his quiet but thorough nature.“I heard about it,” he said, wiggling the wire puzzle in his hand.“From Boss Gil?”“Yeah.”As the puzzle clinked, Muhae and Dr. Jeong resumed their conversation.“I asked him for advice… but honestly, I don’t know where to start.”“Of course not. You only cracked it open yesterday.”“Boss Gil thinks it’s some qualification test set by your father.”“A test… Right, it’d be dangerous to take this on without some skill.”Dr. Jeong’s eyes glinted. Joo-o noticed a subtle change in his scent.“You’ve read the records, so you know. What we got involved in wasn’t a small project. Besides the main players, there were several co-conspirators.”“It certainly seems that way.”“Most of them slipped back into everyday life and lay low. Hard to believe, but it was possible.”“How on earth…?”The city’s core didn’t give up power easily. ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) How could people powerful enough to shake the system survive, let alone live ordinary lives?Dr. Jeong glanced at the tightly sealed window, then lowered his voice.“If there were insiders in Central, it wouldn’t be impossible to downplay the incident. Right?”Only then did Muhae look enlightened. He must’ve recalled the records mentioning collaborators across every echelon.“You want me to track them down?”“If necessary, yes.”“Who should I start with?”“Hmm… best to poke the safest one first.”Dr. Jeong picked up a note from the nightstand, scribbled for a long while, then pressed it into Muhae’s hand.“Read it, then burn it. Or swallow it.”“I don’t eat paper.”“Who does?”Joo-o watched their bickering, lips twitching.‘I could eat it.’It probably wouldn’t taste good, but it wouldn’t harm him. Resolving to swallow it cleanly if Muhae ever asked, he set the wire puzzle aside on the bed.“I’ll go.”“Be careful.”Only after that brief exchange did Muhae turn to Joo-o.Joo-o gave a small nod—time to go. He leapt off the bed and scampered after Muhae.“See? I told you I’d be fine.”“Shut up.”“You’re noisier than me, Muhae.”Muhae fell silent, apparently uninterested in the juvenile exchange.Still, when he pulled the hood over Joo-o’s head by hand, Joo-o felt elated.He was glad to have met Muhae. He was grateful he’d intruded on this man’s life. At first, he’d planned to derail Muhae’s big moment and change the ending, but after meeting him—feeling his touch, smelling his scent—it didn’t matter anymore.“You’re noisier than me.”“...”“Muhae is…”“Enough. Follow me. Stay by my side.”A satisfied shiver ran down Joo-o’s spine.Walking side by side with Muhae made his spirits as colorful as the path itself.Ding.A cheap metal bell rang, and the clinic fell silent.Dr. Jeong stood motionless for a moment, then relaxed his shoulders.Tap, tap. In the quiet, his footsteps erased every trace of Muhae.Then, with a soft rustle, he drew back the half-closed curtain. On the bed where Joo-o had sat, the wire puzzle lay alone on the blanket.“Hmm.”Whenever a patient refused to behave, Dr. Jeong often handed them a fiendishly difficult puzzle—purely out of bad taste.None of them ever solved it, but it bought at least ten minutes of peace.Now, that puzzle lay neatly separated and gleaming.Clink. He frowned and lifted the puzzle in his hand.Muhae brought an interesting one.Goryeo City was fundamentally concentric.At the center stood Central, where the upper-class residences and business district clustered.Around it in a ring lay the additional business and production zones; beyond that spread the general citizens’ residential areas.Further out lay the labor district, and beyond even that, the slums—life grew shabbier the farther one ventured from Central.In an age when there was rarely reason to leave the Comfort Zone, roads leading outward were less conveniences than measures of danger.Even within the same sector, neighborhoods with exits to the outside had lower property values.Muhae’s destination this time was south of Tae-eul district, bisected by one of those roads.“I know this neighborhood.”Muhae muttered, flicking the edge of the burning paper.“Is that so?”Joo-o chimed in, unnecessarily.Muhae had entered Tae-eul district a few times before.Though residential zones were separated, being part of the slums didn’t confine one forever outside the secure areas.Without a criminal record, you could pass the gate after a simple check.Even if your father’s crimes bound you by association, as with Muhae, you could enter on legitimate business.So this time, too, he could stride straight into Tae-eul district… but—‘That’s what the charge says.’Ha. Muhae let out a bitter laugh. With that record, he’d definitely be tracked.He hadn’t noticed before, but perhaps every time he entered another district—or even Central—he’d been under surveillance.This time would be no different. The moment he left the western slums, someone, somewhere, would check him like a ghost.Better, then, to have business in that district than to wander aimlessly.Muhae needed a proper commission, one connected to Tae-eul district.“Damn it.”“What is it?”“Can you stay alone at home?”“...Why?”At Muhae’s question, Joo-o’s eyes widened. His pupils seemed to dilate, as if he’d sensed Muhae intended to leave him behind.Even expected, it was a pain. He’d brought Joo-o when hunting the wolf, planning only a quick trip outside—but this job would likely require time.Especially after what Joo-o did in front of that wolf, leaving him behind would’ve been better for both their sanities.“I’m coming too.”The problem was, Joo-o wouldn’t accept being left alone.“I told you before, this isn’t a joyride. I can’t work properly worrying about you too.”“Don’t worry.”“How can I not worry? A creature sticking its neck into a beast’s jaws… Don’t brush it off with ‘I’m fine.’ Just wait here quietly because I’ll be back soon….”A chill.Suddenly, Muhae felt something strange sweep down his back.Instinctively, he reached behind to his weapon—then remembered he was unarmed, and lowered his hand.The street around them was harmless. Passersby only glanced at the hooded Joo-o and moved on.“I said I’m fine.”Joo-o’s eyes looked somehow redder as he stared back.Muhae, seized by the odd sensation, replayed their past encounters.‘…He was strong.’Grip powerful enough to rip leather in one go. Strange detection ability he couldn’t understand.He darted about unpredictably, yet somehow did Muhae no harm. In fact, the last incident had helped.If Joo-o truly knew more, as he’d claimed, this job might have uses for him too. He was still uncertain—but all the more since he was an “experiment.”Muhae pressed his temple, frowning.“Alright.”After minutes of deliberation, he exhaled.At once, the invisible weight pressing on his shoulders lifted.“Ha ha, heh.”As if he’d never sulked, Joo-o laughed brightly.Muhae felt queasy and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him close.“I’ll see how you behave before I bring you along. Act right.”“Okay.”“Don’t just say that. If you go poking around willy-nilly, I’ll lock you in the study.”“Alright, alright.”Muhae turned his gaze back and manipulated his watch. A small holographic window appeared before him.Welcome!Location ▶ [Goryeo City]Today’s weather: Clear/Dry[Commission Requests][Accept Commission]Commission TypeExploration▽Escort▽Lately, aside from long-term Company contracts, there’d been no decent work.But that was only judging by income.If he included lower-paying jobs, he could find plausible excuses.Scanning the list skillfully, Muhae soon twitched an eyebrow at one entry.Escort ▷No. 11258Visit rest area on the mid-slope of Cheolma Valley310 dilRound trip – departure point: East Gate of Goryeo CityFound it. A cheap commission.

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