Chapter 8: Building Management Authority

I returned to the office and 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 would have probably ended up as that car’s meal.”

Agent Park Jaehyun bowed his head in gratitude, and Agent Yoon Haseo also expressed her thanks beside him.

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{Status Window}

[Favorability: 0% → 50%]
[They regard you as a savior.]
[They are looking for an opportunity to recruit you.]

___________________________________________________________________________________

Their favorability went up quite a bit. Perhaps because I was their savior, the favorability of both agents from the Management Department exceeded 50.

___________________________________________________________________________________

{Status Window}

[Status: Curiosity, Liking, Suspicion]

___________________________________________________________________________________

The psychological state of Agent Park Jaehyun, which I grasped through the status window, was not bad either.

While regarding me as a savior, is he also trying to figure out how to lure me into the Anomaly Management Department?

“Come to think of it, we haven’t introduced ourselves. I am Park Jaehyun from the Central Security Department.”

“I am Yoon Haseo.”

Agents Park Jaehyun and Yoon Haseo handed me their business cards with the Central Security Department’s logo on them. The Anomaly Management Department is publicly known as the Central Security Department.

They can’t just go around saying they’re from the Anomaly Management Department in front of people.

“We’d like to reward you separately for helping us today. Would that be alright?”

“That’s fine. You’re always welcome.”

If it’s a reward directly from the Anomaly Management Department, I have to take it. As a government agency, the Anomaly Management Department was famous for paying high request fees.

There was even a saying: if you want to earn money, if you’re short on search funds, if you don’t have money for materials, then go to the Anomaly Management Department.

“And if it’s not too much trouble, could we know about your background, Fixer Lee Dohyun? Since we’re in this field, we need to be sure about certain things.”

“My background, you mean?”

“Yes. Your skill in handling anomalies is extraordinary. Did you perhaps originate from the Wolhyang Sect?”

Most freelance spirit mediums trace their origins back to the Wolhyang Sect, so it was a natural question.

“No. I have no connection to the Wolhyang Sect.”

“What? Oh, then were you perhaps a religious person?”

“No. The Church and Buddhism are also unrelated to me.”

“Th-then…”

The only ones left are the heretical Sorcerers and the Onmyoji whose origins are in Japan. Since both are difficult groups to manage, Agent Park Jaehyun’s expression quickly soured.

“I am a native Korean. And I have no connection to sorcery.”

“…Then did you perhaps learn by yourself?”

“You could say that.”

Agent Park Jaehyun blinked and looked at me with a bewildered expression. Among those who fight anomalies in this world, the number of people who don’t belong to any group can be counted on one hand.

Anomalies are not beings you can learn to deal with just by wanting to. It was insane for an ordinary person without any guardian or protective measures, not belonging to a specific group, to face an anomaly.

It’s not a joke, they would really die. Most ordinary people go mad or die the moment they encounter an anomaly. But he didn’t die, survived, and is working as a Fixer specializing in anomalies? This was like a bad joke.

[Status: Suspicion, Disbelief, Tension]

As expected, the agents’ states changed. They probably couldn’t believe my words that I didn’t belong to any group.

The common perception is that such an ordinary person cannot exist. From their perspective, a person like me would feel no different from an anomaly that needs to be isolated.

“Yes. It’s true.”

Agent Park Jaehyun couldn’t let go of his suspicion. It wasn’t just tension from thinking I was a Sorcerer or an Onmyoji.

No matter how many problems Sorcerers and Onmyoji caused, the fact that they existed as playable characters meant they weren’t completely evil. There are real, truly insane people in this world who are not Sorcerers or Onmyoji.

‘The evil organizations that have yet to reveal themselves.’

Evil groups that committed terrorism through anomalies, called for the revival of ancient gods, or aimed to overthrow the state appeared in the mid-to-late game.

As the Doom Meter rises, their power will gradually grow, and a scenario of stopping them together with the Anomaly Management Department will unfold. Agent Park Jaehyun was suspecting that I was a member of such a terrorist organization.

“Just in case you’re wondering, I have no connection to anomaly terrorist organizations. In fact, I’d like to catch all of them if I see them, so don’t worry.”

Only after I drew a clear line did the agents’ expressions brighten a little.

“Then, if it’s not too much trouble. Would you be interested in becoming an agent of the Central Security Department? We will guarantee you special treatment.”

Perhaps thinking that there was no problem with my background, Agent Park Jaehyun finally got to the main point.

“Unfortunately, I have no intention of belonging to any organization.”

Of course, I refuse. I have no intention of joining any organization right now. If I join a group, a certain level of safety will be guaranteed. But why? I’m not likely to die anyway, even if I don’t join any organization.

In fact, joining a group would only increase the troublesome things.

They would make me do a lot of work without paying me properly, so why should I?

I can earn much more by taking on requests, so there’s no reason for me to join the Anomaly Management Department as a salaried worker.

The only thing that was good was the tax reduction benefit, but there were more disadvantages to just look at that one thing.

“Is that so. That’s a shame. I’ve never seen such a talent before.”

“If you join us, you can enjoy various benefits!”

Agent Yoon Haseo, who couldn’t watch any longer, stepped in to try and lure me, but my mind won’t change.

Most importantly, if I join the Anomaly Management Department, they might find fault with the methods I’ve been using, and there’s a high possibility that they’ll try to take the Bride of the White Face for experiments.

A relationship with the Anomaly Management Department where I just complete requests and receive payment is good. If I get deeply involved, they’ll try to find fault and interfere with all sorts of things, and I’m already getting tired just thinking about it.

“That’s a shame. I understand. We can’t force you. Then, would it be possible to ask for a personal request?”

“That’s welcome. Please contact me if you have a request. I’ll help you as long as a fair payment is promised.”

If you pay me, what can’t I do? I can even go into the other world if you ask me to.

“Then we’ll be on our way for today. We’ll see you again next time.”

“Yes, take care.”

Agents Park Jaehyun and Yoon Haseo called a taxi and returned to the Anomaly Management Department.

I heard they were investigating an anomaly related to a certain ‘door’ and were transferred to the underground parking lot. Since I’ve already conquered the mysterious underground parking lot, it seems they won’t be sent here anymore.

“With this, have I met almost everyone except the Wolhyang Sect?”

I’ve met the exorcist from Daehan Buddhism, someone from the Church came to visit, and I’ve also successfully made contact with the Anomaly Management Department today.

Excluding the Sorcerers and Onmyoji, who are generally hard to meet, only the Wolhyang Sect is left. Since the other groups have shown interest in me, the Wolhyang Sect will probably try to contact me soon.

Getting involved with the major groups within two days of being transmigrated is dizzying.

‘Should I receive the reward.’

[Investigate the 7 Ghost Stories of the Building. (7/7)]

I tamed the gray sedan in the underground parking lot and completed the quest. I postponed receiving the reward because it was a bit awkward to receive it in front of the Management Department agents, but since they’ve both gone back, I can probably receive the quest completion reward now.

[Quest Resolved!]
-You have investigated all 7 ghost stories.
-Rewards will be given.

Along with a small amount of money, a single document was dropped as a reward.

“This is…”

The document stated that the authority over this building was being delegated.

====
[Special Area Designation Authority]

In accordance with the [Special Paranormal Zone Measures Ordinance], you have successfully resolved and nullified a total of 7 unregistered ghost stories within this building on your own. Therefore, the following authorities are granted:

▼Article 1
Management authority over anomaly detection and supernatural phenomena manifestation within this building.
Note: Alarms can be triggered and managed in case of unauthorized anomaly appearances or unapproved intruder access.

▼Article 2
Access and entry permission for inter-floor boundary zones (invisible structures).
Note: Entry into hidden floors, closed-off areas, and mutated passages (e.g., underground parking lot, Room 404, 6th floor, etc.) is possible.

▼Article 3
Authority to assign anomaly grades and to isolate and seal specific spaces within the building.
Note: Designated area placement and limited activity permission/blocking for specific anomalies is possible.

▼Article 4
Authority to create an absolute domain over the entire building and to designate registrants.
Note: Temporary spatial stabilization through external interference blocking and distortion prevention is possible.

[Precautions]
**This authority cannot be transferred or sold to others, and the building manager is responsible for any side effects (otherworldly erosion, anomaly transformation, etc.) that occur during the exercise of this authority.**

====

Roughly four authorities were added. Of course, it didn’t mean I became the building owner, but it meant that the entire building was being delegated to my domain in a spiritual sense.

‘In other words, it means I should make this place my territory.’

It means that I have literally gained administrator privileges for this building.

I’ll still have to pay rent for using the office to the unidentified building owner, but I can now customize this entire building to my liking. I’m not the building owner, but I’ve become the building’s manager.

‘Does this mean I can place anomalies in desired locations or know in advance if an intruder is coming?’

It also says I can freely enter restricted floors or closed-off areas. It means I can enter places like the underground parking lot, Room 404 which I didn’t even know existed, or the 6th floor where the woman in the elevator boarded, without any conditions.

‘To put it simply..’

I can now detect intruders, enter places I couldn’t before, and place anomalies in specific areas to use as guards. Finally, since it says I’ll be free from external interference, if an ancient god or some such being awakens, this building will be free from their influence.

“The reward is solid.”

As a reward for solving the 7 ghost stories, I’ve sanctified a building. Is there any reward better than this?

Considering that I can even use the hidden underground parking lot and the non-existent 6th floor of a 5-story building, this is practically like using a building for free.

Although among the 7 ghost stories of the building, all but the gray sedan in the underground parking lot and the woman in the elevator have disappeared, I can say that I have achieved my original goal of fortifying the building.