As soon as he finished showering, Momo and Kancho came running over as if they had been waiting.
Elia, who had been sipping tea, also walked over and took a seat on one side.
Once they were all settled in the living room, he pulled out the item he had obtained from the 91st floor.
[Space Extractor / Grade: Epic]
# Can cut and extract spaces of a certain size or larger for storage.
# Cannot extract if living beings are within the range.
# Cannot use the extraction function while a space is being stored.
# The extractor becomes heavier by the weight of the stored space.
# Can also be used outside the Tower of Despair.
Momo fiddled with the Space Extractor for a moment before lifting it up.
"Kancho, go stand over there! Let's try it out!"
"What nonsense are you talking about?! I'll get disintegrated!"
"Did you even read the description all the way through? It says it can't be used on living—"
*Thwack!*
Kancho grabbed Elia by the collar and shook her.
"Hey, old hag! There's always a one-in-a-million chance in this world! If I end up as a half-baked yokai, will you take responsibility?!"
"Fine, fine, just go over there so I can try it out."
Elia took the extractor from Momo and aimed it at the large front window of the living room.
"Oh? You can set the size and depth too?"
She fiddled with it for a moment, then pulled a trigger-like button.
*Snip.*
"Huh?!"
"Whoa!"
In an instant, the massive window vanished, and wind came rushing in.
*Thud.*
At the same time, Elia dropped the Space Extractor.
"What are you doing, old hag? Got the shakes?"
"It suddenly got heavy!"
Jinhyuk swallowed dryly.
Seems like Elia hadn't bothered to read the description all the way through either.
She'd probably read just one more line than Kancho.
He picked up the Space Extractor.
It was definitely heavier now, probably because of the added weight of the front window.
When he used it on the same spot again, the front window reappeared.
Momo dashed over and meticulously checked every corner of the window.
"It's a perfect fit! Not a single gap!!"
"Ohhh."
He rubbed his chin.
What kind of interesting item was this?
After thinking for a moment, he furrowed his brow.
Wait a second.
What would happen if he put the Duram 2 in the parking garage and cut it out?
Could he carry it around wherever he wanted now?!
With a pounding heart, he placed a remote control on the table.
Then he extracted it and put it back.
The remote control returned perfectly, as if nothing had happened.
A rough breath escaped him.
It works. That means from now on, I can carry the Duram 2 around with— *Ding!*
[A crack has occurred in the Space Extractor! Remaining uses: 1!]
[This item cannot be repaired! The item will be completely destroyed upon the next use!]
He glared at the message that popped up, trembling with irritation.
You're telling me now that there's a limit on uses?
Even the item descriptions were unfriendly these days.
He suppressed his annoyance and looked at the Space Extractor.
So using it as a portable parking garage was out of the question.
Where should he use this last remaining use to make it worthwhile?
*Grab.*
"Huh?"
*Swoosh.*
"What's with the kidnapping?!"
He stretched out both arms and pulled Kancho and Momo towards him.
Nothing was better for calming his nerves than Kancho on the left and Momo on the right.
He spent a moment fiddling with their fluffy fur and chubby cheeks.
Then, the visit from Min Soyul and Cheon Ilgyo the previous day came to mind.
The reason they had been able to find him here was simple.
During the Seopangyo attack incident, which was led by Jaeung Construction and the client last time, a missile had been shot down, drawing attention to this area.
Min Soyul had followed those traces and arrived here.
"Hmm."
The house that Jin Seohee and Yoo Suyeon had painstakingly remodeled.
He hadn't even lived here that long, so his mindset was to just stay put if possible.
But if more people like Min Soyul kept showing up, a peaceful daily life or rest would be impossible.
If Cheon Ilgyo could find him, it didn't seem like other organizations or groups would have trouble doing the same.
After finishing his thoughts, he looked at Momo and Kancho, who were squirming in his grasp.
"Momo, Kancho. How about we move?"
"No! Momo likes this house!"
"Huh? We're moving?! I was just getting attached, this is sad!"
"The house is coming with us."
He held up the Space Extractor.
If it didn't work, it couldn't be helped, but he might as well give it a try.
A few hours later.
At the Incheon coastal pier, where darkness had deeply settled.
"Follow me! Hup-two! Hup-two-three-four! Two-two-three-four! Hup-three!"
"Yaaah!"
"What's with the 'ow'?! Why the sudden violence?!"
"Because Kancho counts weird, Momo can't do her warm-up exercises properly!"
He watched Momo, who was twisting Kancho's pointy ear, and Kancho, who was flailing beneath her.
The Kanmo duo were fully equipped with swimsuits, goggles, and floaties.
Why were they dressed like that?
And on top of that.
"I don't know how to swim. It seems this is as far as our journey together goes. It was an honor to serve you, even if only for a brief time."
Vayla was suddenly putting on a one-man melodrama.
If he left them like this, it would only get more chaotic, so he quickly raised his hand.
"Attention!"
The Kanmo duo, who had been rolling around, and Vayla, who was delivering her farewell speech like a tragic heroine, all looked up.
"First of all, we're not swimming there."
"Huh?!"
"No way!"
The Kanmo duo slumped to the ground as if they had lost their country.
"I will be able to continue accompanying you."
Vayla sighed in relief, patting her chest.
He turned his gaze and stared at the pitch-black waters off the coast of Incheon.
Before coming here, he had made several phone calls.
He asked if anyone could recommend a deserted island, like a place of exile.
During that, Jin Seohee told him about an island called Baekyado.
It was an island that Genex had purchased in the past to expand their production facilities, but the plan fell through, leaving it abandoned.
Zero residents, zero visitors in recent years, a perfect exile that people didn't even know existed.
-Grandfather gave his permission. You can use it, Jinhyuk.
With a grateful look in his eyes, he stared in the direction of Genex's headquarters.
Chairman Jin Taegon of Genex, I pledge my loyalty!
"Momo, is our house safe?"
"Wait! I need to check one more time!"
Momo popped into the Infinite Storage and then came out, giving a chubby thumbs-up.
"It's perfectly safe!"
The Space Extractor, which had become so heavy from extracting the entire mansion that even he couldn't lift it.
In the end, with Seyra's help, he managed to move it to a corner of the Infinite Storage.
"Then let's go."
"Why aren't we swimming there?!"
"If we swam, it would be tomorrow."
Even by boat, it would take three or four hours from here.
"Darc. Make an ice path straight in this direction, please."
Darc nodded and began creating an ice path across the sea.
After dismissing his other companions, he climbed onto the Duram 2.
"Vayla, ride here."
"Understood."
"Hang on tight."
*Crack!*
"Cancel the 'tight.' Can you hold on gently? It feels like my ribs are going to be ripped out."
"Understood."
*Swoosh!*
Sure enough, Kancho and Momo climbed onto his shoulders.
He figured they would hold on by themselves.
*Vroom!!*
He pressed the accelerator with a satisfying feeling.
Let's hurry and go.
To our new home.
***
Incheon Airport Runway.
A group that had disembarked from a private jet entered the airport.
"Welcome. Welcome to South Korea."
The woman at the front of the group smiled.
"My, my, what an honor. The Director of the External Cooperation Bureau came to greet us in person."
"Of course I had to. You are a distinguished guest from the United States, our key ally. It's been a while since the last security council meeting, hasn't it, Director of the Player Hunter Agency's Transition Investigation Bureau?"
"Is there any need for such formality between us? Please, just call me Karen."
Yun Sewon smiled and nodded.
"Shall we go then, Karen? I'll escort you to Seoul."
"Once again, it's an honor."
After briefly scanning Karen's group, Yun Sewon turned around.
As they matched paces, she casually opened her mouth.
"You've assembled a team of experts from various fields."
"Yes. Since the simultaneous appearance of four transitions is an unprecedented event, and we don't know if it's a precursor to something, we've formed a team with the best personnel. As it's a phenomenon occurring in our key ally, we intend to do our best. So don't worry. Whatever happens, the United States will overcome it together."
Having said this much, Karen made a peculiar expression.
"Of course, it was a bit disappointing that Runner bypassed the US this time."
Yun Sewon clicked her tongue inwardly.
She had been wondering when this topic would come up.
After the Azrael subjugation, Runner had only shared the benefits with Japan, the UK, and the Vatican.
Even without official statements, it was as clear as day that the excluded nations were secretly displeased.
Especially those referred to as key allies or neighboring countries.
"I understand how you must feel. But that's something I can't help you with. As you know, Runner isn't under the Player Hunter Agency. Besides, I don't even know who they are."
"Are you sure you don't know?"
Yun Sewon stopped walking and looked up at Karen.
Karen, with a relaxed smile, asked back.
"Are you sure you don't know who Runner is? There are rumors that they receive support from the Player Hunter Agency."
"Are there such rumors? This is the first I've heard of them."
"Your father, Director Yun, is the chairman of a huge foundation, isn't he? The name was... Cheonryeong, was it?"
Yun Sewon's eyebrow twitched.
As expected of the US, she thought.
This was information known only to a few within the Player Hunter Agency itself. Impressive.
"I heard that a large number of artifacts from the Cheonryeong Foundation were moved out before Runner cleared the 90th floor. Could that be related? To Runner's clear?"
"Of course not. What connection could shamanistic tools have with Runner's tower clear? Speaking of which, I forgot to mention something earlier."
Letting out a small breath, Yun Sewon looked at the team Karen had brought.
"You've brought quite a few team members who are more adept at finding people than investigating transitions. According to my inquiry, they were transferred to the Transition Investigation Bureau only two days ago."
The corners of Karen Whittaker's mouth curled up.
Yun Sewon, the youngest bureau director.
By age alone, she was just a greenhorn, but she was quite something.
"Is there someone we shouldn't be looking for?"
"Of course not. I don't believe our key ally would do anything harmful to South Korea."
"I'll take that as your understanding if we happen to find someone by chance."
Yun Sewon smiled brightly.
"Of course. Extraterritoriality applies to our key ally. You're free to find whoever you wish."
"Good."
"Shall we continue, then?"
"Let's."
As they walked side by side again, Karen signaled to someone behind her.
A man nodded and issued orders to his team members.
# After arriving at the accommodation, deploy personnel to Pangyo-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Begin the search.
Karen ran a hand through her hair, a relaxed smile on her lips.
Now that she had a justification, she intended to see with her own two eyes.
The face of the being who had thrown the entire world into a frenzy of excitement, even coining a new term like the "Runner Effect."
***
Baekyado Island, West Sea, Incheon.
"Phew!"
"Phew indeed!"
"Totally phew!"
Jinhyuk and the Kanmo duo wiped the sweat from their brows and looked at the mansion standing tall before them.
Midnight escape... no, moving complete!
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T/N:
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