Chapter 39
The Yihae Universe (3)
Alessandro, who was standing guard in front of the guide station door, spoke in a low voice.
“He’s here. Just as you requested—alone.”
The moment of reckoning had arrived.
“Hooo….”
I let out a long breath and steeled myself.
I’d been fooling around shamelessly to avoid showing how nervous I was, but belatedly regretted it when I remembered that my opponent was someone whose true nature I couldn’t even grasp.
Still, I’d already turned myself into a legendary troublemaker, so this was a disaster of my own making.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three slow, monotonous knocks.
The unhurried rhythm carried a sense of composure, which only made me feel more rushed instead.
Even so, I’d already adopted the insane concept of telling Park Ji-woon that I had a “fainting condition,” so inside the guide station, I had to act more confidently than anyone else.
“…Is this even possible?”
Was I being way too optimistic?
Suddenly uneasy, I looked up at Alessandro and said,
“Alessandro, if it looks like I’m about to get murdered, you have to save me.”
My greatest insurance policy was this massive uncle of a man.
But despite my pitiful expression, Alessandro replied firmly, sounding helpless.
“…I can’t use aura in here either.”
‘This guy, seriously…’
I stated reality more firmly.
“If I die, you won’t have a house either.”
“No matter what happens, I’ll save you.”
The soon-to-be homeless man nodded resolutely.
Just in case—security: ready.
A mask and robe to conceal my identity: ready.
Mental preparation… not ready, but still, preparation to meet Park Ji-woon: complete.
I took a deep breath and nodded at Alessandro.
Click.
As the guide station door opened, cold air flowed inside.
At the same time, a voice was heard.
“Are you the administrator?”
A flat, emotionless voice, as if he were simply notifying me of something.
Even his gaze seemed indifferent as it rested on me.
I stepped toward the doorway, raising my voice as naturally as possible.
“Right on time—five o’clock sharp?”
“It’s an important meeting.”
Park Ji-woon’s first impression was unexpectedly ordinary.
No—“an overworked civil servant” would be more accurate.
His dark circles looked so deep they might punch through the floor and reach the Earth’s core.
He reminded me of my friend Gukminseong, who joined the Babel Administration fueled by patriotism and looked exactly like this right before quitting.
A gaunt, sharp face, half-lidded eyes, average height, thin build.
Wearing nothing but a black suit, completely unarmed just as he’d written in his letter, Park Ji-woon looked less like an S-rank hunter and more like a civil servant who hadn’t clocked out yet.
‘…Or is something different?’
I studied him carefully and noticed he wasn’t wearing the glasses and gloves he usually treated like a totem.
Apparently, those counted as armament too.
It meant he was fully complying with my demand to leave behind all weapons—even the ones I couldn’t detect.
I turned slightly toward Alessandro.
The reliable bearded man gave a subtle signal with his eyes.
While we exchanged silent looks at the boundary between life and death, Park Ji-woon spoke first.
“May I come in now?”
“Of course! Please come in! Was the trip here difficult?”
When I greeted him with deliberate cheerfulness, Park Ji-woon hesitated.
His dull, unreadable eyes lingered on me for a moment.
Just like me, he was probably analyzing every detail.
And since my speech matched the tone of the letter, he must have been quite taken aback.
‘…Or maybe not.’
That was probably just wishful thinking.
His expression didn’t change at all—I couldn’t read anything.
Of course, I was covered from head to toe, so all he could tell was that I was a woman.
Either way, I had to stay calm and natural.
“It was fine. I was just surprised by how tight the schedule was.”
“I’m busy as well. Since you must be busy too, shall we get straight to the point?”
“Sounds good.”
“Please, sit! Standing while talking hurts your neck.”
I casually gestured toward a chair, and Park Ji-woon moved with slow, measured steps.
From that cautious demeanor alone, I could tell he was a higher-difficulty quest than Lee Hwayun.
To think I’d miss the woman who tried to kidnap me—Park Ji-woon, just who are you…?
“So you really did come alone. And completely unarmed.”
“Isn’t it only natural to keep one’s promises?”
“Exactly! Promises are meant to be kept. That’s why I showed up like this too.”
Park Ji-woon stared at me.
He blinked very slowly—less of a blink and more of a long, deliberate closing and opening of his eyes.
Every movement he made was unhurried.
After silently studying me for a long time, he finally spoke.
“Are you the administrator of the Friendly Market?”
“Of course. Who else could open the guide station door?”
“That’s true. But verification is still necessary.”
“I understand. Still, is there any verification more certain than meeting inside the guide station?”
“A fascinating ability.”
“Right? I think so too!”
When I replied cheerfully, like I was missing a screw, the furrow in Park Ji-woon’s brow narrowed just slightly.
“What should I call you?”
“Hmm, just ‘Administrator.’ I’ll call you Director. Using first names is a bit embarrassing, don’t you think?”
“…I didn’t come here to trade wordplay.”
Park Ji-woon muttered quietly, clearly displeased with the direction of the conversation.
His appearance wasn’t scary at all, but maybe it was the aura of an S-rank hunter that made me tense.
Even so, my stance was clear.
“Does this sound like wordplay to you?”
I finished firmly, tilting my head.
My tone might have sounded playful, but I was serious.
I had no intention of giving Park Ji-woon any information about “Yihaewon”—or even about “Yihae.”
‘Damn, I’m nervous.’
It couldn’t be helped.
I moved my hand inside the robe and discreetly wiped away sweat.
Honestly, Chae Geundam went without saying, and even Lee Hwayun had been easy to deal with.
Lee Hwayun laughed openly, and Chae Geundam was straightforward—you could read them easily.
But Park Ji-woon was completely different.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking or what calculations were running through his head.
I’d only dealt with easy marks until now—looks like my luck had finally run out.
“Do you understand the position you’re in right now?”
“I do. The ability user who turned Wolpae—eternal seventh place—into a pioneer of the Tower. The owner of a strange power that allows buildings to be erected inside a Tower where construction is impossible. And an administrator whose identity no one knows.”
I answered immediately, and Park Ji-woon’s eyebrow twitched.
I was fairly objective when it came to assessing situations.
No—honestly, I’d mastered situational awareness.
Perhaps my answer was too precise, because Park Ji-woon twisted his lips slightly.
“So then—why did you summon me?”
“Summon? I’m not sure what you mean.”
“It said ‘attendance notice.’ That scared me so badly I couldn’t sleep for days.”
“….”
Park Ji-woon tilted his head again, offering no reply.
‘God, this guy is exhausting.’
With no reaction at all, the crazy-woman energy I’d painstakingly charged up was steadily draining.
I swear, I’m never meeting this guy again.
If I do, I won’t be Yihaewon—I’ll be Haewon Martinez.
…Still, smoothly leading a conversation like this was probably part of being the owner of the Friendly Market.
I spoke calmly, as if nothing affected me.
“So, what exactly did I do wrong?”
Park Ji-woon looked at me as if asking whether I truly didn’t know.
It seemed like a gaze meant to create tension, but unfortunately for him, it had zero effect on me.
“Yes?”
When I asked again brightly, Park Ji-woon let out a low sigh.
After a long pause, he spoke.
“The Friendly Market independently constructed a commercial complex on the 50th floor and selected businesses to move in without government approval. Among the vendors you approved are some that appear on the Babel Administration’s blacklist.”
Blacklist?
I hid my startled expression behind the mask.
‘I didn’t know that.’
Out of nearly fifty vendors, I had no idea which one was a landmine.
Was I supposed to vet their personalities like an idol survival show…?
Unaware of my frustration, Park Ji-woon continued.
“Additionally, neither ‘Babel Square’ nor ‘Bamanjangjeom’ has received government authorization. You’re surely aware that the 25th floor is operated under the rules of the Babel Administration—”
I wasn’t interested in bureaucratic explanations.
‘And there’s a huge mistake here!’
I interrupted urgently.
“Wait a second. I’m an administrator certified by Babel. Isn’t the Babel Administration the one illegally claiming the Tower as national property? The Babel Tower isn’t even part of the national territory, is it?”
From the Korean government’s perspective, it seemed obvious—but from mine, it was a blatant setting error.
Yet despite my reasonable objection, Park Ji-woon didn’t waver.
He simply stared at me, blinking slowly.
‘What are you trying to do?’
A man in his thirties gazing deeply at me wasn’t going to change reality.
“You said the Babel Administration is managing the Tower ‘without authorization.’”
Choosing his words carefully, Park Ji-woon lightly tapped the table.
Inside the silent guide station, the only sounds were the rhythmic tapping and Alessandro’s burning gaze.
Leaning back slowly, Park Ji-woon added,
“That is not true.”
“Oh? Really?”
Frowning beneath my mask at this completely new information, he continued.
“There is someone who requested Babel to manage the order of the Tower.”
I was about to ask who that was, but stopped myself.
At times like this, mysterious administrator Yihaewon should probe carefully, not show confusion.
“So it’s outsourced management. And that person is Director Park Ji-woon?”
Park Ji-woon didn’t answer.
But I knew—and so did every Korean citizen—that there was only one person capable of managing the Babel Tower through the Babel Administration.
He must have expected suspicion once he brought it up.
Instead of answering, he changed the topic.
“If that ‘proxy administrator’ never received information about the Friendly Market, then doesn’t that mean the Friendly Market never received Babel’s authorization in the first place?”
“Maybe they just haven’t been informed yet?”
“They didn’t know you.”
“Who didn’t?”
Park Ji-woon blinked slowly once more.
At the same time, a faint red glow seemed to gather in his eyes as he murmured quietly,
“The ones watching over the Babel Tower.”
…Huh?
I was genuinely stunned.
I couldn’t even respond.
‘This was a constellation-type story?’
I thought this was just a normal Tower-climbing story?
