STJ_04
"It's hard to find, isn't it?"
Yeo Hyeju, an employee who had just returned after introducing herself, sat down on the seat next to him and spoke to Doyoung in a friendly manner.
"I got lost the first day too. It's so big."
UEFC is as big as several campuses put together. On the sprawling campus, there is a main building in the center, surrounded by a large garden and small apartment complexes that resemble housing. There are also various buildings scattered here and there that serve their respective functions.
Among them, the place where Doyoung will work is the Public Relations Department on the 28th floor of the UEFC's main building.
The UEFC has a unique identity that combines civilian and military aspects. In fact, some of the Public Relations Department and the supporters in the main building can be considered civilians.
Doyoung looked at his new business card, which had just been issued today.
[Chief of UEFC Public Relations Department, Joo Doyoung]
Since this is not a media company, Doyoung has a title that is used in a regular company, not a reporter.
Everything feels very strange. In just one week, the situation has changed 180 degrees.
‘What? Job transfer? Hey, you. You're getting hair on your head*. How many media do you think will accept you like this?’
*t/n: 윗선에 미운털이 단단히 박혔어; literally, this is an expression in the context of a dispute/bad relationship with a superior.
That was what he heard from the director when he said it would be better to transfer than to go to the UEFC. Doyoung sighed in resignation, having no choice but to pack his bags.
And now he was here. He had once criticized the UEFC, a national institution, for being more concerned with the interests of the country than private companies.
He was just an ordinary office worker who could only wait for his pay on the weekend to think about food. The loan at the end of the month had to be paid after his salary.
UEFC was a place where Doyoung made a profit in his business by writing several articles that he published. Why did they bring him to a place that had given him extra money like that?
Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer*. Maybe that was the goal of the UEFC.
*t/n: 친구는 가까이, 적은 더 가까이 하라; proverb; meaning "Know your enemies better than your friends".
Doyoung was in charge of the weekly column to be published on the official UEFC blog. When he saw the proposed article titled ‘Reporter's Visit Experience at UEFC’, he laughed helplessly. He immediately knew the direction they wanted to write.
‘UEFC is so amazing that it will impress even skeptical reporters.’
"Ah, Chief Joo Doyoung."
As if he had just remembered, the team leader called out to Doyoung, who was about to leave the meeting room.
"Don't you have to go around covering and interviewing?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"If you want to go to certain places, you need at least level 3 security. But since we're not soldiers, we only have level 2, right? I'll ask a soldier to guiding you. Don't carelessly enter a security zone that could have serious consequences, and be careful. Understand?”
Soon after, a man in a military uniform appeared in the office. His attention was drawn to a rank insignia with a broken bar engraved on it, he probably held the rank of sergeant.
"Which one is Chief Joo Doyoung?"
"Ah, I am."
Doyoung awkwardly raised his hand to announce his presence. The man walked up to Doyoung's desk and stood up with a peculiarly straight soldier's gait. Under the indescribable pressure, Doyoung hurriedly grabbed his camera and notebook.
"You should leave your camera. This is a military security agency, so taking pictures is prohibited."
Doyoung put the camera down, took the previously printed UEFC map and stood up from his chair.
"Where would you like to start?"
Doyoung stared at the map, confused by the man's question. There were two buildings attached like wings on either side of the main building. Doyoung asked as he pointed to one of them with his fingertip.
"Here, what's in this East Wing? A1? What does that mean?"
"Arena 1. This is the training ground of the Espers.”
***
The place was like the Colosseum where ancient gladiators fought. Only, inside the open building, a fierce battle was taking place, equipped with advanced facilities that could not be found anywhere else.
Every time the military boots of the Espers wearing special combat uniforms hit the ground, blood splattered and clanking sounds could be heard.
The 'Delta' team, the UEFC's best fighting force that was often sent to medium to large gates, consisting of four Espers, including the S-class Esper Sa Iijun, was in the Arena at this time.
They stood in battle formation while a dozen monsters gathered on the other side, sensing the energy emitted by the Espers.
However, the second purpose of today's training was to observe and study the behavior patterns of these monsters, commonly known as 'Creatures'.
The small Creatures were the size of an orca whale, and the large Creatures were the size of a sperm whale. They were called 'Crawlers' because of the way they crawled on the ground and their reptilian appearance.
They had scales hard enough to withstand bullets from all over their bodies, crawled on four legs, and had very large and long tails that carried deadly destructive power. They also have a terrible appetite for anything they find, be it animal or human.
Sa Iijun kicked the ground and jumped, starting the battle that had been interrupted earlier.
The Creature's body exploded shortly after, spraying blood and scales everywhere.
Blood flowed like water, streaming down Iijun's face and covering his vision, which then began to evaporate without a trace.
On one side of the Arena, people watched him from a reserved seat.
"Ah... He killed all the Crawlers we worked so hard to catch."
In the observation room behind the sturdy glass, everyone from the commander to the researchers huddled in their respective chairs like doctors watching an operation.
The researchers in the back raised their voices in concern.
"It's hard to kill them all..."
"Please at least get Sa Iijun out of there!"
But Commander Jeon Haesu seemed to appreciate Iijun's fight more.
He didn't look away from the battle scene like someone who was completely immersed in a thrilling movie. He looked at the researchers strangely, as if he wanted to know why they were making such a fuss.
"What are you making a fuss about? We still have a dozen."
"I'm afraid he's going to kill them all!"
"What's wrong with him killing them all? There are a few more in the lab."
"But we need to keep more individuals to study their collective behavior patterns."
"Then wouldn't it be okay if we went out and captured more of them?"
Easier said than done. In front of the sighing researchers, their leader, Min Seongyu, who had been busy monitoring, stepped forward while adjusting the black-rimmed horn glasses that hung down to the tip of his nose.
"Sa Iijun's gamma wave levels have increased. Please let him to withdraw."
Gamma waves are brain waves that occur due to extreme excitement in a conscious state. In this case, Sa Iijun was very susceptible to such stimulation. He easily lost control and went crazy to the point of running away.
Min Seongyu emphasized in his voice and said once again.
"Please leave Sa Iijun. If he doesn't get proper guiding because of your actions, you will be in big trouble."
Haesu raised a hand as if to tell him to stop and said with a sigh.
"Oh my, Sa Iijun must be happy. Not only does he have a father who is the Minister of Defense, but he also has a sub-father here."
Min Seongyu didn't care about the woman's teasing, mocking his overprotective attitude towards Sa Iijun. He concentrated on looking at the monitor that displayed Sa Iijun's important data.
Haesu signaled to the soldier sitting at the control console with an unhappy expression.
The soldier who received the order turned on the microphone and transmitted, a clear female voice echoing in the hall.
[Sierra 2, please withdraw to R1 and await further instructions, change.]
However, instead of retreating, Iijun had no intention of waiting an inch and a huge flame was created in his palm.
The microphone in the observation room is turned on again. This time, the instructions were sent directly through the in-ear in Sa Iijun's ear.
[Sierra 2, please withdraw to R1]
Sa Iijun's eyes were half-open like a drunk. He was completely absorbed in the battle, as if he couldn't hear anything.
"Huh? That bastard..."
Colonel Gong Hyeongcheol of the Special Operations Command, known for his hot-tempered and decisive personality, took the microphone from a soldier sitting in front of the console.
"Hey! You bastard, Sa Iijun! Do you want to go back to the military prison? Are your ears just for show? Haven't you heard?"
Iijun, who was soaked in blood, wiped the blood from his face with his palm and pulled the in-ear out of his ear. Gong Hyeoncheol cursed under his teeth.
"That damn bastard!"
Doyoung, who was entering the observation room of the Arena, was startled by the sound of the scream. He was immediately shocked by the icy thin atmosphere that flowed between them.
Haesu turned around as if he sensed the presence of a stranger.
"Who?"
Doyoung lowered his head to greet the question with a slight bow.
Even without the four-star rank insignia, he knew who it was, since his face appeared in the news the most after the president's.
Jeon Haesu, the commander of the UEFC and an Esper with electric attributes.
"Hello. I'm Joo Doyoung from the public relations department."
"Ah, Chief Joo Doyoung?”
Realizing that her opponent was not a soldier, Haesu exclaimed briefly at the seemingly stiff introduction. Then she smiled and held out her hand.
Quickly, Doyoung took the outstretched hand. Haesu held Doyoung's hand long enough to make him a little surprised because he didn't let go.
"My... hand..."
"Ah, excuse me."
The handshake ended after Doyoung expressed his discomfort with difficulty. Haesu smiled softly and spoke.
"I liked the article you wrote so far. You have insight."
"......!"
Doyoung's stiff shoulders lifted slightly. The reasons he wanted to convey surfaced within him.
Ah, that's because the higher-ups told me to try to attract attention. You know that today's media is limited by the number of views. Of course, that doesn't mean that I wrote without thinking.
Unfortunately, he couldn't say a single word of what he wanted to say.
His gentle smile made him look so caring and kind, but the energy he radiated was strong and overwhelming.
If he had reached this level in his late 40s, it was clear that he must have some snakes in her*.
*t/n: 모르긴 몰라도 속에 구렁이 몇 마리쯤은; this expression refers to the person being addressed as a wise person.
Haesu asked quietly as she led Doyoung beside her.
"Our best team is practicing, do you want to watch together?"
Doyoung nodded awkwardly before looking forward. Immediately, Doyoung was surprised by his rounded, half-open lips.
Through the window, a bloody hellish scene was unfolding inside the Arena.
–
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