Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 219.1

In one of the many offices in Daydream Inc.’s main building—

A small-framed employee with long curly hair was seated at a conference chair in that tidy space.

“Mm-mm-mm.”

An elite employee of the Field Exploration Team, already wearing her dolphin mask atop her head.

The several documents laid out on the table before her, which she was reading, were today’s special assignment. It had been assigned only yesterday.

And it was specifically designated to her.

And then…

“Hello, Assistant Manager!”

Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae lifted her head.

As the office door opened, an employee entered, cheerfully greeting her with a bow.

“I’m Kang Yihak. Ah, please just call me Pony!”

“Yes. Hello.”

It was an employee Lee Seonghae was acquainted with.

If you managed to survive about a year after joining, employees gradually began to remember each other.

There was even proof of that.

Promotion to supervisor.

“Ah, you just got promoted to supervisor this time, right?”

“Yesyesyes. We all got promoted together. Fuhaha, isn’t it nice not having to buy drinks for promotion?”

Kang Yihak laughed, tapping her chest with a thump.

Right.

Roughly half the Field Exploration Team recruits, those who had survived without dying or retiring, were almost all given the title of ‘supervisor’ en masse this year, just before the next recruitment batch of new employees.

Of course, the few with outstanding performance had been promoted two or three months earlier… but that was something Kang Yihak would rather pass on.

Because she had realized recently.

‘There’s no need to go out of my way to make myself spend money!’

Isn’t it human nature to expect someone to share a little if they seem to be doing well?

And here, being promoted early didn’t mean you suddenly earned much more or had some really good Darkness falling into your lap.

Of course, if there were a substantial reward than, say… something glittering and golden, or perhaps green. That would be a different story!

But in the grand scheme of things, just an itty bitty raise in salary was a loss.

Thanks to that, she was able to suppress the reward center in her brain that craved the dopamine rush of short-term gains…

‘There are people who just like being the boss first, I guess.’

Kang Yihak recalled a colleague who had been promoted before her.

Baek Saheon, the goat-masked employee who always wore an eyepatch.

That employee had obsessed over information and items from the start, constantly buttering up the superiors, and in the end had gotten promoted first.

‘So he really did invest aggressively from the beginning in squeezing information from the sunbaes!’

But lately, that guy had grown strangely quiet. Clearly, he must have realized the truth that investment was best made in Darknesses.

And once her thoughts reached that point, other colleagues came to mind.

Those who were no longer in the Field Exploration Team’s headquarters office.

“Ah~ There was that guy who got promoted to Supervisor really fast, and there’s that person who’s truly exemplary too… Ah, do you happen to remember?”

Kim Soleum. Go Yeongeun.

Both recalled the same employees, and both nodded.

“Yes. They were good people, it’s such a shame…”

Lee Seonghae furrowed her brow, as if truly lamenting the loss.

Sensing it, Kang Yihak gave a light smile and changed the subject. There was no need to sour a superior’s mood over something that wouldn’t even pay her!

“Congratulations on your promotion as well, Assistant Manager~ I also heard the news that you’ve been newly assigned to the B-squad with your promotion.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Lee Seonghae nodded.

“Hahaha, so how’s B-squad?”

“Mm. Work is the same no matter where in the company, really!”

But information about the elite squad was money.

So Kang Yihak softened her tone even more, as though coaxing.

“Ah, but still, since the people you’re working with have changed, if there’s anything you’d like to say, you can tell just me…”

“Eh? Me?”

“You don’t have to, of course. Yes!”

Don’t hit a superior’s nerve! Once again, there’s no need to foul a superior’s mood!

Especially if that superior was rumored to have been transferred to the B-squad for drowning two of her own higher-ups in a Darkness while in the C-squad!

‘Long-term perspective, long-term perspective.’

With a quick change in stance, Kang Yihak sat down again politely.

“Then I’ll also study the documents diligently!”

“Sure, sure.”

And so, after the appropriate pre-work small talk ended, they were nearly finished reading and reviewing the documents laid out on the table…

“Greetings!”

A Research Team employee appeared.

The one who would be briefing them on today’s task.

Section Chief Kwak Jekang of Research Team 1.

At the appearance of a superior from another department, they all rose with suitable courtesy.

“Have you all gone through the materials?”

“Yessir, we have!”

“Eeyah~ Well, of course our elite Assistant Manager Lee has done it, but Supervisor Kang, you’re also quite fast. Is it because you’re a supervisor now?”

“Hahaha, thank you!”

Nope. It was because she had already found a corner from which to extract a little side income from this assignment.

And Kwak Jekang knew it too, but regardless, he smiled as he looked at the two, before moving on to the most important matter.

The introduction of the Darkness that held their very lives in its grasp.

“Then… this is the superior you’ll be serving today!”

The office door opened.

The one who appeared was wreathed in black smoke.

Strange bone-like horns, towering like a crown. Yellow lantern-like eyes and sources of light gleamed from within the black Security Team uniform.

At the familiar sight, Lee Seonghae’s eyes went wide.

The owner of Flower Golden Resort!

“Mr. Masco… No, Security Team employee!”

To think she would see him again!

With a broad, beaming smile across her face, Lee Seonghae rose and stepped closer.

“It’s really good to see you! Have you been well?”

The Special Division employee of the Security Team did not move, only looked down at her.

And though one of the eyes seemed for a moment to glance at the researcher, he soon lowered his head toward Lee Seonghae and raised a hand…

Question : Current health condition

“I’m always healthy!”

Yes. Truly still the same kind and gentle employee!

“As expected of our elite Assistant Manager Dolphin. To think you’re even acquainted with such a powerful Security Team employee!”

At that, Kang Yihak quickly looked for a place to step in and approached.

“It’s truly a pleasure to meet you. Please just call me Pony, Mr. Employee!”

She even went so far as to request a handshake.

“……”

“……”

Ah.

That was a mistake.

In the instant that chilling sensation passed through her head, from the black smoke extended a gloved hand that clasped her outstretched one.

“…!”

The other had, shockingly, accepted the handshake.

But an uncanny sense of crisis climbed Kang Yihak’s throat.

Cold.

A chill went down her spine.

Warning bells bleared in her head, the primal alarm alerting her of power and greatness.

……And yet, it somehow felt familiar?

As though she had once encountered it before, somewhere in a Darkness maybe…

“Well, in any case. Since it would be difficult for this person to simply walk into a broadcast station, that is why both of you from the Field Exploration Team were called.”

But before Kang Yihak could recall who it could have been, the handshake ended, and the task briefing began.

Salt Goblin

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