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“But to do this, there’s one item I’ll need.”
“An item?”
Kang Seul-gi’s expression changed at the mention of an item.
“Yes, but it’s nothing complicated—just something simple and easy to acquire. Do you know of an item called the ‘Third-Person Controller’s Viewer’?”
“The Third-Person… what?”
“It’s an item stored in the Resource Warehouse, classified as junk. With that, I can remove the Mega Crusher from your body.”
“R-really? The Third-Person what? Controller?”
“The Third-Person Controller’s Viewer. I noticed it in the junk storage while taking the first test.”
The Third-Person Controller’s Viewer—nicknamed the Tri-View—had absolutely no connection to the Mega Crusher.
However, Su-ho needed the Tri-View for a different purpose.
It was the final ingredient for a partner item he planned to craft for Kim Gun.
“But given the circumstances, there’s no way I can take the Tri-View without leaving a trace.”
Even in a warehouse overflowing with items, any missing inventory would eventually be discovered during a stock check. Such a careless act could bring unnecessary trouble, and Su-ho wasn’t about to take that risk.
The same was true for Kang Seul-gi.
Kang Seul-gi hesitated, his expression conflicted.
“But if it’s already in the Resource Warehouse, taking it out might be a problem…”
“You’re right. Normally, it would be difficult. But now we have a way.”
“A way?”
“I just discovered the 22nd purification method, didn’t I? That means the Resource Division will need to re-examine all their items. Who knows what hidden options the 22nd method might reveal?”
“Ah!”
Su-ho’s logic was sound. With a new purification method revealed, the Resource Division would have no choice but to conduct a full reinspection of their inventory. And a clever person like Kang Seul-gi immediately realized the opportunity this presented.
Su-ho asked, “Do you think you can do it?”
“Yes. I’ll find a way to make it happen. No, I’ll absolutely make it happen.”
“Alright. Once you’ve secured the item, contact me here.”
With that, the issue of the Tri-View was resolved. Su-ho shared his personal contact information and began to rise from his seat.
But just as he stood, Kang Seul-gi hesitated and called out to him.
“Uh… Su-ho?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to ask, but… how did you know about the Mega Crusher? I mean… that it’s inside me?”
Kang Seul-gi’s face was filled with anxiety.
“Of course he’s worried.”
He had believed this secret was his alone. To hear it from someone who wasn’t even part of Special Team 2, and a recent hire at that, must have been deeply unsettling.
After a brief moment of thought, Su-ho answered casually, “It’s one of my personal skill effects.”
“A… skill effect?”
“Yes. Normally, I wouldn’t share this, but I’m telling you as a favor. So don’t worry—nobody else knows about this except me.”
“R-really?”
“Of course. You can trust me. In fact, you have to trust me—I’m very discreet.”
Su-ho gently patted Kang Seul-gi’s shoulder a couple of times before walking away.
Now, all that was left was to wait.
***
The next day.
The discovery of Su-ho's 22nd purification method had a far greater impact than he anticipated. So much so that it led to an automatic pass for his next evaluation at the Research and Analysis Division.
Su-ho learned this through a phone call from Kim Seok-hoon.
“So, you’re saying I’ll receive full marks for the Research and Analysis Division evaluation as well?”
“Yes, that’s what the higher-ups decided. Honestly, your discovery is a monumental breakthrough for our Resource Academy.”
“That’s true.”
After the Great Upheaval, all topics related to the system had become priority issues for every nation. Su-ho’s discovery was nothing short of revolutionary.
Still, he feigned ignorance.
“But the Research and Analysis Division isn’t directly part of Resource Management, is it?”
“No, it’s not, but it falls under the Resource Department umbrella. That allowed them to make this decision.”
“Well, that’s great. So, does this mean I can move straight to the Gate Division for training?”
“Yes, it’s been decided that way. However, due to the sensitivity of the situation, we’d like you to remain on standby at home until we contact you again.”
“Understood.”
After ending the call, Su-ho nodded and muttered to himself, “They’re really pulling out all the stops.”
He was pleased. Passing an evaluation this decisively was a welcome surprise.
“Still, this kind of downtime is frustrating.”
Su-ho was eager to finish his training and jump into practical work as soon as possible.
After a moment of deliberation, Su-ho picked up his phone again and made another call.
“Hello, Vice President?”
The person Su-ho called was none other than Park Gyu-min, the Vice President.
Su-ho explained everything that had happened in the Resource Department and requested an expedited transition to the Gate Division training, skipping the wait time.
“Thank you. I’ll be waiting. Oh, and by the way, since I discovered the 22nd purification method, I think the Resource Warehouse should re-examine all their items. I suggest starting with the junk items first.”
“There’s always a reason. But do I really need to explain it?”
“Thank you. And about the other matter—taking care of your personal affairs—I hope you’re handling it well?”
“Make sure you deal with everything you can on your own. If you don’t, it’ll only make things harder for you. Let me know if something comes up. Take care.”
Ending the call, Su-ho smirked. “Having connections really makes life easier.”
Sure enough, not long after, Su-ho received another call, this time from Jung Cheol-min.
“Yes, Team Leader?”
“Haha, stirred up might be a bit of an exaggeration. Things just happened.”
“Thank you. Hearing that makes me happy.”
Hearing this, Su-ho smiled faintly and nodded. “Of course.”
“Really? That’s great news.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Yes. I’ve already studied the materials you provided.”
“That would be fantastic. Thank you.”
Ending the call, Su-ho immediately pulled out a pen and paper to review his schedule.
“The Gate Division training will cover both Detection and Management.”
The Gate Division was split into two departments: Detection and Management. Initially, there had only been the Detection Department, but as gate incidents increased, the Management Department was established to handle oversight of existing gates.
“For the Detection Department, they’ll probably test predictive formulas and monitoring methods. The Management Department will focus on standard gate management protocols.”
As Su-ho reviewed his notes, he lingered on the term Detection Department, prompting memories of his past life.
Su-ho had lost his entire family to a Gate Shock caused by a newly formed gate. He was one of many gate orphans left in the aftermath.
“I imprisoned the culprits in Cheongsong and Cheongok prisons in my past life. But that doesn’t erase their crimes.”
As he had revealed to the banshee, the Gate Shock incident had been entirely preventable. Corruption and greed among higher-ups had led the government to ignore clear warnings, resulting in the loss of countless lives, including Su-ho’s family.
When Su-ho later learned the truth, he had methodically hunted down those responsible and brought them to justice—not through vigilante actions, but through proper legal channels.
“I’ll make sure they face justice again.”
Although he had already punished them in his past life, returning to the past meant those individuals had also returned to their pre-punishment state.
“But it’s not time yet. Right now, I’m still just a trainee. I’m not ready to wield the blade.”
Still, Su-ho was confident. This time, justice would come far sooner.
Returning his focus to the present, Su-ho began searching his Library of Memories for gate-related materials to prepare for his training.
While reviewing his findings, something caught his attention.
“This gate opens around this time?”
It was a gate that piqued his interest—no, more than that, it was a gate he absolutely desired to investigate.
“If that’s the case, I need to make contact right away.”
A smile spread across Su-ho’s face, the perfect timing of this discovery filling him with anticipation.
***
The Next Day
Su-ho arrived at the Gate Division as planned.
As soon as he entered, Jung Cheol-min greeted him warmly and quickly escorted him to meet the head of the Gate Division.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Go Seong-rok.”
Go Seong-rok, the head of the Gate Division.
He was part of Pi Seong-yeol’s faction, one of the power players within the association. More importantly, he had been one of the key figures behind the Gate Shock Incident that claimed Su-ho’s family—an event known as the Redevelopment Gate Case.
Since he had yet to face justice in this timeline, his face was infuriatingly bright and self-satisfied.
Despite this, Su-ho maintained his professionalism, extending his hand for a firm handshake.
“An Su-ho. A pleasure to meet you.”
“I’ve heard so much about you. They say you’ve been making waves in every department you’ve joined?”
“Not at all. I’ve just been lucky.”
“Haha! Luck only comes to those who are prepared. With that in mind, I have high expectations for you. I wonder what kind of ‘incident’ you’ll cause in our Gate Division.”
“Incident, huh?”
Fine. He could call it an incident.
Su-ho intended to cause one—a very big one.
After the formalities, Su-ho received a few token words of encouragement from Go Seong-rok before moving on to his first task with Jung Cheol-min.
The Theory Exam
The theory exam was the first hurdle, and the results were predictable: a perfect score.
When the scores were displayed, Jung Cheol-min merely chuckled, not even surprised anymore.
“If you get a perfect score on the Special Division’s exam, you’ll be the first person in the history of the Grand Awakened Player Association to achieve a clean sweep of perfect marks.”
“I hope it works out that way. So, do I move straight to the field evaluation now?”
“Exactly. You’ll start with the Management Department and then move on to the Detection Department. First, let’s meet the head of the Management Department, and then we’ll proceed with the evaluation. Incidentally, I’m the team leader for the Management Team, so I’ll be overseeing your test.”
“Understood.”
Together, the two made their way to the Management Department.