Black Badger

I shook my head at the genius scientist who didn't seem to have a single coherent thought in his mind.

Then I texted my mentor. While I was at it, I asked about today's schedule too.

It was almost 9 o'clock. Normally, we'd start getting dragged around from 8, so it was unusual for him to be so quiet today.

As I waited for a reply, the scientists approached me, standing there blankly.

They grabbed the hem of my clothes as I greeted them.

"Hilde."

The scientists looked at me seriously and said.

"There's a bounty on Martin's neck."

"The wording felt a bit off."

I understood what they meant, but the phrasing sounded strange.

But the scientists were dead serious. They grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the lab.

"It's the quest with the highest reward among the ones posted right now."

"Quest?"

What the hell was a quest?

No, I obviously knew what a quest was, but why did it come up here? I looked at the scientists with puzzled eyes. Then, shock flashed across the faces of the scientists surrounding me.

They all dropped their jaws open and spoke at the same time.

"You mean Yoon didn't tell you?"

"You didn't get the quest explanation?"

"He didn't explain it, huh."

This was the first I'd heard of it.

I nodded blankly, and the scientists eagerly tugged at my arm.

I willingly followed where they led me.

When I hung out with Yoon and the seniors, the difference in strength was stark compared to being around these people. They seemed to be pulling with all their might, but it felt incredibly light to me.

I had to be careful with my strength control.

They took me to a circular plaza-like area filled with tons of holograms floating around.

Hologram windows hovered in the air. Following the scientists' instructions, I stepped into one of the glowing circles on the floor. Suddenly, the area around me was covered in hologram windows.

[Quest: Blue Glowcap Inkcap 50 units]

[Reward: 500,000 won]

[Quest: Mad Buffalo horns 35 units (A-grade condition)]

[Reward: 750,000 won]

[Quest: Apostate Host 5 units (live capture)]

[Reward: 1,000,000 won]

[Quest: Osirisk fresh excrement]

[Reward: 3,500,000 won]

What was this?

It was just like quests from a game. Except the rewards were very real. I swiped the windows aside one by one and read through all of them.

There were a lot in the 100,000 won range, and some up to a million won. They seemed to be missions individuals could handle. Some hologram windows had the progressor's name and status listed.

I read the ones with familiar names in detail.

[Choi Ami: Crimson Flamewing Butterfly wings 20 units: 40% complete]

[Kal Dow: Azure Earthwhale fins 10 units: 80% complete]

[Ro Giacomo: Oceanic Hornhare tails 5 units: 20% complete]

[Lee Ho-chang: Ticks on Explosive Rats 100 units: 95% complete]

"These are personal missions, right?"

"Yeah. You can pick the ones you want."

They swiped through the hologram windows and gave a simple explanation. Outside the Core, badgers couldn't go anywhere else, but scientists needed samples for research. So this system had been created.

It was like mini-quests in a game. The rewards came from the research budget allocated to the scientists.

They said badgers like Ami, Kal, and Barbie reliably took on quests. But there were plenty who never did quests, or who botched them completely.

I chuckled at the story that Giacomo Ro had no way of bringing back intact samples.

That sounded about right.

"Kal is really the scientists' VVIP. The condition of the samples he brings back is unbelievable."

"Ami's great at catching flying creatures. No other badger gets flying creature samples as well as Ami, so the scientists studying flying creatures are all banking on her."

"Ro's thing... doesn't seem like he meant to do the quest. A scientist who was researching happened to see what he brought back and lost it, begging him for it."

"That guy probably even forgot it was listed as a quest."

"As you might have guessed, Yoon doesn't do quests. He's plenty busy with his own research."

"You should start too, Hilde."

The people in white coats earnestly persuaded me.

"I'll pay you in cash lump sum."

"Of course, and I'll advance you payment whenever you want."

"My samples are plants, so no risk of getting attacked."

They were all so enthusiastic.

When I said I'd pick one if Yoon gave permission, the scientists cheered. I looked at them surrounding me with awkward faces as they cheered.

Would they like it this much?

"Please find Martin too."

One of the scientists who had sobbed at Martin's empty spot during the emergency muster pointed to a hologram window.

"You see the reward?"

I couldn't not see it.

It was an enormous sum that no one could ignore. I nodded and turned to the hologram window glowing bright red.

The content of the window, which boasted an incredible presence, was this.

[Quest: Martin Core Unit]

[Reward: 30,000,000 won]

The people in the lab were sincere about Martin.

I stared at it blankly and unwittingly shook my head.

At the same time, the phone in my pocket vibrated. I took it out and read Yoon's reply.

[Yoon: Can't stop him, so just let it be.]

[Yoon: You're on leave until tomorrow anyway. You stayed outside the Core for two days. But do an hour and a half of training. Then go here and get a suit fitted.]

[M Tailor Shop – GPS location]

[Yoon: Can't step away because of Ye-hyeon, so handle your training on your own for two days.]

Hallelujah.

It was regrettable that the commander's condition hadn't improved, but the unexpected free time was too welcome.

Unable to control my rising smile, I replied.

[Got it. I'll do that. Oh, and by any chance, what's Martin's size?]

[Yoon: Human head]

Clear and precise.

I looked up and carefully examined the head sizes of the scientists next to me.

And just as they were about to ask the reasonable question of 'Why are you staring at our heads so intently?', I said to just look at John's and slipped out of the lab.

*

I spent two happy days.

I followed my mentor's instructions faithfully. I trained the required amount, and got a suit fitted at an expensively burdensome shop.

The suit's price was something I couldn't afford on my salary, but the tailor shop said something meaningful like 'It's already paid for' and wouldn't take my money. I couldn't tell if it was Yoon or Ye-hyeon who paid.

I'll have to ask my mentor properly later.

After finishing my tasks, I roamed headquarters looking for Martin, then returned to the dorm and played games. I cleared them starting from the ones with the shortest playtime.

It was blissful to have a pile of games I needed to beat. It would be great if I could hole up and game like this forever.

Like back then....

Like back then?

A buried memory tried to surface but sank back down.

Frustrated, I clicked my tongue and focused on the game.

That's how I spent my time until 8 p.m., when my leave was almost up and the streetlights came on. That's when I finally stepped out of the dorm.

"You probably haven't clocked out."

Carrying a paper bag, I headed to the Hospital Wing. I wanted to say hi to Samuel. There probably weren't any other badgers who ended up hospitalized every time they came back from a mission like me.

I hoped the pound cake I bought at the department store yesterday would suit his taste.

Thinking that, I went to the Hospital Wing and heard that Samuel was in Ye-hyeon's private room.

He still hadn't been discharged?

That explained why there was no contact from my mentor. Nodding in understanding, I turned my steps toward the ward where Ye-hyeon was staying.

I recalled the way and headed to the hallway where Ye-hyeon was admitted.

And in the luxurious private room hallway, I spotted a scientist holding a package about the size of a human head.

"Huh."

I discovered a man fidgeting in front of Ye-hyeon's private room.

I looked at the package he was holding and blurted out.

"Human head."

"Eek!"

The man holding the package freaked out.

"No, it's not!"

"What's not."

I hadn't even said anything.

I tried to make the most harmless expression possible, but the scientist's face turned ashen in an instant. Keeping my eyes fixed on the package that looked suspicious even with my eyes closed, I cautiously observed him.

He looked like he'd run if I got any closer?

Should I try talking him down gently?

"You here to visit the patient?"

I asked softly to the scientist clutching the package tightly.

"I'm here for the same reason. Want to go in together?"

No response.

The scientist trembled and rolled his eyes around. I patiently waited for another reaction from him. If he ran, I'd chase; if he answered, I'd persuade.

After a long while, the scientist replied.

"Ah. No...."

"No?"

Then what were you doing here?

"So, what's the business here?"

Now the man was breaking out in cold sweat.

His expression looked so pitiful, like he might faint any second.

In this state, he probably couldn't even run properly. It would be praiseworthy if he turned and bolted without his legs giving out and collapsing.

I spoke to the trembling man again.

"If you have something to deliver to someone, I can pass it on for you?"

"Huh?"

"That thing you're holding."

I raised my free hand—the one not holding the pound cake—and pointed to the package.

"That. Want me to deliver it for you?"

Silence.

The scientist stood stock-still, staring at me without moving a muscle. I closely observed the changes in his expression.

Oh. If I just waited calmly like this, maybe I could get Martin back.

The man's expression shifted moment by moment. From fear, to hesitation, to resignation.

And from resignation,

to determination....

Clunk.

The moment the scientist bit his lip and steeled his resolve, the hospital room door opened.

Yoon's neat face appeared from the open door.

"Hey."

My mentor's characteristic low, cold voice echoed down the hallway.

"Why are you muttering to yourself in the hallway instead of coming in?"

"Eeeeeek!"

The scientist's piercing scream resonated through the hallway.

"Spare me!"

Screaming right in Yoon's ear, the scientist bolted down the white corridor.

Whether it was an adrenaline surge or what, he didn't trip and quickly disappeared into the distance.

My mentor stared at his retreating figure with utter disbelief. I tossed the pound cake bag onto the hallway floor and dashed to my mentor's side at the door.

"I'll catch him!"

"Yeah."

Yoon replied calmly.

"If you lose him, it's 100 laps on the track."

Why did the heat turn to me?

Of course, there was no time to respond. Gritting my teeth, I chased after Martin's thief with everything I had.