Back at the office, I handed a cup of coffee to each of the exhausted agents from the Anomaly Management Department.
"Thank you. If you hadn't helped us, we probably would have ended up as that car's meal."
Agent Park Jae-hyeon bowed his head deeply in gratitude, and Agent Yoon Ha-seo expressed her thanks alongside him.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Affinity: 0% → 50% They regard you as their benefactor. They are looking for an opportunity to recruit you.
Affinity had risen quite a bit.
As their lifesaver, both agents' affinity had surpassed 50%.
[Status: Curiosity, Favor, Suspicion]
From the Status Window, Agent Park Jae-hyeon's psychological state didn't seem too bad either.
He saw me as a benefactor while racking his brains on how to bring me into the Anomaly Management Department.
"Come to think of it, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Park Jae-hyeon from the Central Safety Bureau."
"I'm Yoon Ha-seo."
Agents Park Jae-hyeon and Yoon Ha-seo handed over business cards stamped with the Central Safety Bureau logo.
The Anomaly Management Department was publicly known as the Central Safety Bureau. They couldn't exactly go around announcing themselves as the Anomaly Management Department in front of people.
"Regarding your help today, we'd like to reward you properly later. Would that be alright?"
"Sure. You're welcome anytime."
If the Anomaly Management Department was offering a reward directly, I had to take it.
True to its government affiliation, the Anomaly Management Department was famous for paying generously on commissions.
There was even a saying: if you want to make money, need search funds, or lack material costs, go to the Anomaly Management Department.
"And if it's not too rude, could we learn about Fixer Lee Do-hyun's background? We're in this line of work, so we have to verify certain things thoroughly."
"My background?"
"Yes. Your handling of anomalies is no amateur work. Did you perhaps originate from the Lunar Blossom Sect?"
Most freelance spirit mediums hailed from shrines, so it was a natural question given the Lunar Blossom Sect's dominance.
"No. I have no ties to the Lunar Blossom Sect."
"Pardon? Ah, then were you perhaps a religious figure?"
"No. Churches and Buddhism have nothing to do with me."
"Th-then..."
What remained were shamans walking the left-hand path or onmyoji from shrines in Japan.
Both were groups that were a hassle to manage, and sure enough, Agent Park Jae-hyeon's expression soured rapidly.
"I'm a native Korean. And I have no connection to shamanism either."
"...Then, did you seriously self-teach?"
"You could say that."
Agent Park Jae-hyeon blinked in bewilderment as he stared at me.
In this world, the number of people fighting anomalies without belonging to any group could be counted on one hand.
Anomalies weren't something you could self-teach just because you wanted to.
Facing an anomaly without a protector or safety measures as an unaffiliated civilian was sheer madness.
No joke—it was a sure way to die. Most civilians went insane or perished the moment they encountered one.
Yet here I was, not only surviving but working as a professional anomaly fixer? It sounded like a bad joke.
[Status: Suspicion, Distrust, Tension]
As expected, the agents' statuses had shifted.
They probably couldn't believe my claim of not belonging to any group.
Conventional wisdom held that no such civilians existed. To them, my very existence must feel like an anomaly that needed quarantine.
"You're truly not affiliated with any group...?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Agent Park Jae-hyeon couldn't shake his suspicions.
It wasn't mere tension from thinking I might be a shaman or onmyoji.
Even if shamans and onmyoji caused various issues, existing as playable characters meant they weren't pure evil.
The real lunatics were the ones who weren't shamans or onmyoji.
'Evil organizations that haven't revealed themselves yet.'
In the mid-to-late game, groups committing anomaly terrorism, calling for ancient gods' resurrection, or plotting national overthrow appeared.
As the Destruction Gauge rose, their influence would grow, leading to scenarios where you'd stop them alongside the Anomaly Management Department.
Agent Park Jae-hyeon was suspecting I might be part of such a terrorist group.
"Just to be clear, I have no ties to any anomaly terrorist organizations. In fact, I'd love to capture them all if I see them, so don't worry."
Once I drew a clear line, the agents' expressions finally brightened a little.
"In that case, if it's not presumptuous, would you consider joining the Central Safety Bureau? We can offer special treatment."
Convinced my background checked out, Agent Park Jae-hyeon finally got to the point.
"Sorry, but I have no intention of joining any organization."
Of course, I refused.
I had no plans to affiliate with any group right now.
Belonging to one might offer some safety.
But why bother?
I wasn't going to die easily anyway, regardless of affiliation.
On the contrary, joining a group would just pile on the annoyances.
They'd assign tons of work without proper pay—why would I?
Making money through commissions earned far more, so there was no reason to become a salaried Anomaly Management Department employee.
The only real perk was tax breaks, but the downsides outweighed that.
"I see. That's a shame. It's the first time I've seen talent like yours."
"You could enjoy various benefits if you joined us!"
Even Agent Yoon Ha-seo tried to recruit me, but my mind wasn't changing.
Above all, joining the Anomaly Management Department could lead to nitpicking my methods so far, or even them trying to take the White-Faced Bride for experiments.
A relationship limited to completing commissions and receiving payment suited us best.
Getting too deeply involved would invite meddling and interference over every little thing—it was exhausting just thinking about it.
"That's unfortunate. Understood. We can't force you. In that case, could we commission you privately sometime?"
"That's fine. Contact me if you need anything. As long as fair compensation is promised, I'll help."
Money talks—what couldn't I do for it?
I'd even dive into the back world if they paid.
"Then we'll head out for today. Let's meet again sometime."
"Sure, take care."
Agents Park Jae-hyeon and Yoon Ha-seo called a taxi and returned to the Anomaly Management Department.
Apparently, they'd been investigating an anomaly related to some 'door' when they got transferred to the underground parking lot. Since I'd cleared that mysterious lot, they wouldn't get flung here again.
"Excluding the Lunar Blossom Sect, I've pretty much met everyone."
I'd met Korean Buddhist exorcists and even visitors from the church.
Today, I'd made contact with the Anomaly Management Department too.
Aside from the hard-to-reach shamans and onmyoji, only the Lunar Blossom Sect remained.
With other groups showing interest in me, the Lunar Blossom Sect would likely reach out soon.
It was dizzying to tangle with major factions just two days after possession.
'Time to claim my reward.'
📜 QUEST PROGRESS 📜 Investigate the 7 Great Ghost Stories Tied to the Building. (7/7)
I'd tamed the gray sedan in the underground parking lot and completed the quest.
I'd held off on claiming the reward in front of the agents, but now that they'd left, it was time.
⚙ QUEST CLEARED! ⚙ You have investigated all 7 Great Ghost Stories. Rewards will be granted.
A small sum of money dropped as a reward, along with a single document.
"This is..."
The document stated that authority over this building was being delegated to me.
⚔ SPECIAL ZONE DESIGNATION AUTHORITY ⚔ Pursuant to the [Spiritual Site Special Measures Ordinance], you have successfully resolved and nullified all 7 unregistered ghost stories within this building on your own. Accordingly, the following authorities are granted:
▼ Article 1
Management authority over anomaly detection and supernatural manifestations within the building. Note: Alarms trigger for unauthorized anomalies or intruders; management enabled.
▼ Article 2
Access and entry permissions to inter-floor boundary zones (non-visible structures). Note: Entry to hidden floors, sealed areas, mutated passages (e.g., underground parking, Room 404, 6th floor, etc.) permitted.
▼ Article 3
Authority to assign anomaly ratings and enforce isolation/sealing in specific building spaces. Note: Designate zones for specific anomalies; permit/restrict limited activities.
▼ Article 4
Authority to create absolute domains and designate registrants for the entire building. Note: Block external interference; enable temporary spatial stabilization via distortion resistance.
[Notes]
• This authority cannot be transferred or sold. Risks arising during its exercise (e.g., otherworldly erosion, anomalization) are the responsibility of the building manager.
Roughly four authorities had been added.
It didn't mean I was the building owner, but spiritually, the entire building was now my domain.
'In other words, make this place my territory.'
It meant I now had administrator rights over the building, literally.
I'd still have to pay monthly rent to the enigmatic landlord for office use, but I could customize the whole building to my tastes.
Not the owner, but the manager.
'I can deploy anomalies where I want or get advance warning of intruders.'
I could also freely access restricted floors or sealed areas.
That meant unconditional entry to places like the underground parking lot, the unknown Room 404, or the 6th floor where the elevator woman boarded.
'Simply put...'
I could detect intruders, access forbidden areas, and station anomalies in specific zones as guards.
Finally, immunity to external interference meant that even if ancient gods or such awoke, this building would be free from their influence.
"Solid reward."
For clearing the 7 Great Ghost Stories, I'd turned a building into a sanctuary. What reward could top that?
Considering it included the hidden underground parking of a 5-story building plus the nonexistent 6th floor, it was basically free real estate.
Though all but the gray sedan and elevator woman had dissipated from the 7 ghost stories, I'd achieved my goal of fortifying the building.
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