The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 322

321

“So.”

WDSO’s Eclipse, the Item Creation Research Lab.

Chloe, who had guided me there, led me into a deeper area and showed me something.

“Is this the method?”

I asked her with a puzzled look.

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

“No, it’s not that I don’t like it, but…”

I trailed off, staring blankly at what was in front of me.

Because what she showed me was none other than…

“What am I supposed to do with this…?”

A Bank Item that hadn’t even completed its research yet, the Time Stone.

“If the Time Stone is the cause of your regression, wouldn’t dealing with the cause somehow solve it?”

“Wouldn’t…? So, it’s not even certain?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Unlike other Bank Items, the Time Stone hasn’t been fully researched yet.”

“…….”

“The processed bullet we used in New York was barely made. And only one.”

I asked, taken aback by her confident demeanor.

“So, what are you going to do with something that hasn’t even been fully researched?”

“Destroy it.”

“……?”

She shrugged as if it were obvious.

I frowned at the explanation that seemed to cut off the beginning and end, and stared at her.

“But there’s a problem.”

Then she continued.

“…What is it now?”

“I can’t guarantee that destroying the Time Stone won’t send you back.”

“……What kind of nonsense is that?”

“It might not send you back, but conversely, it might send you back immediately.”

“…….”

This is absurd.

How is this a method?

The outcome is uncertain, but there’s a possibility… it’s just gambling.

“Well, in the worst case, there’s a possibility you might disappear altogether…”

“……?”

Another shocking possibility popped up at the end.

“It’s worth a shot.”

“…It sounds like I’ll die if I lose.”

“Why is Kim Jun-woo, the great, so afraid? So, are you going to do it or not?”

I might die if things go wrong, but she talks so easily as if it’s not her problem.

‘But still…….’

I hesitated to answer Chloe’s urging and fell into thought for a moment.

Her method isn’t entirely unreasonable.

If the loop was caused by the Time Stone and the regression was triggered by the condition of karma, then destroying the Time Stone could indeed eliminate the loop.

It’s not like I haven’t considered that myself.

Even if the loop disappears and I return to before the regression, the outcome is the same now that there’s not much time left anyway.

So, it’s a ridiculous method, but it could be a solution.

“Either way, isn’t this gamble worth taking if it means you can stay?”

“I don’t know…….”

However, the real problem lies elsewhere.

“I came along because I was curious about the method, not because I said I would stay.”

“……Huh?”

Whether I really intend to stay.

Whether to return or stay.

Unless I make that choice, the method and possibility are meaningless.

“Then… are you saying you’re going back?”

“I don’t know.”

I continued with an ambiguous answer.

“Honestly, I’m not sure.”

Because I hadn’t made a decision yet either.

Then Chloe said, quite surprised.

“If you’re still *gominhal* [hesitating] after becoming the Secretary-General of an international organization… were you doing that well?”

“Well, somewhat.”

“Enough to give up everything you’ve achieved here and go back?”

“…….”

I couldn’t answer that question.

It wasn’t that I was *gominhal* [hesitating] about the choice.

Returning was, after all, my goal.

The reason I tried to settle my karma, the reason I ran so hard for nearly four years, was all because of that goal.

Of course, going back is the right thing to do.

But…….

‘It’s strange…….’

For some reason, I don’t know.

What I did before the regression, what goals I had, why I had to go back, why I tried so hard to go back.

Whether there was something valuable enough to give up everything I’ve achieved here and go back.

I couldn’t remember at all.

‘…….’

I remained silent for a long time.

“Well…….”

[Time remaining until skill activation]

“Let’s think about it during the remaining time.”

[5 hours 12 minutes 04 seconds]

In the end, I postponed the choice.

“……As you wish.”

Chloe said with her arms crossed, and I turned away with a smile.

“But tell me before it’s too late.”

“I will.”

I left Eclipse like that.

***

“The Director… is a bit strange.”

WDSO Headquarters, Operations Command Room.

Kim Min-joo cautiously opened her mouth while all the directors were gathered.

“Since the funeral, his expression has been off, and he doesn’t talk much…….”

“It must be because he’s thinking about Director Park. They were quite close, right?”

Director Lee Ah-young replied, but Kim Min-joo shook her head.

“I don’t think so. It’s… the feeling is a bit different. It’s like he’s preparing to go somewhere far away…….”

“…….”

“…….”

The expressions of Directors Han Yu-bin and Lee Ah-young hardened.

It was because something they had forgotten for a while suddenly came to mind.

“N, no way…….”

“Is he trying to go back…?”

Directors Lee Ah-young and Han Yu-bin each muttered with wide eyes.

“Probably…….”

Kim Min-joo also nodded in response.

At the same time, a heavy silence filled the office, and the three directors lowered their gazes as if they had agreed to it.

In fact, they all knew.

Kim Jun-woo’s identity, his goal, and what would happen if he achieved that goal.

They all knew, but they had temporarily forgotten in the face of a bigger problem.

No, it would be more accurate to say they had deliberately turned a blind eye.

But… the day has finally come.

Everyone was just staring at the floor, not knowing what to say, when.

“W, well, maybe… if he was going back, he would have told us. Surely he wouldn’t try to go back without saying anything.”

Director Lee Ah-young tried to open her mouth.

But.

“The Director is capable of…….”

“That guy saying goodbye? That would be even stranger.”

Kim Min-joo and Han Yu-bin immediately shook their heads.

Director Lee Ah-young also shut her mouth, realizing that what she had said didn’t make sense.

Another silence followed.

And then.

“W, well, I heard it’s because of the Time Stone…….”

Han Yu-bin carefully opened her mouth.

Then, she looked at the two people in front of her and continued.

“If we destroy the Time Stone… wouldn’t he be unable to return?”

“……!”

“……!”

At the same time, the eyes of the two people widened.

“T, there’s a possibility.”

Director Lee Ah-young said in a trembling voice.

“Then…….”

Kim Min-joo trailed off and looked at them, and everyone nodded, making eye contact.

“Since I can access Eclipse, it won’t be difficult… but Chloe manages the Bank Item storage chamber.”

“I’ll try to take it from her. I was quite close to her when I was in the US branch. More importantly, how do we destroy it…?”

“You can apply ultra-high voltage instantaneously.”

“Then there might be a risk of explosion……. I’ll try to seal off the surroundings. I can tie it up under the pretext of a dungeon appearance.”

A sudden surge of energy in the conversation.

Life began to return to the eyes of the three people.

Everyone was participating in the sudden plan when.

“If that happens, Jun-woo won’t be able to return either…….”

Director Lee Ah-young stopped talking.

Then she asked with a face that had sunk again.

“But…… can we decide this?”

“…….”

“…….”

The atmosphere sank again.

Belatedly, the three realized they had made a rather foolish thought.

This was not a problem that they could decide with their own greed.

“……That’s true.”

“If we interfere without permission, it’ll be hard to face him…….”

Everyone was *jeongrihada* [organizing] their thoughts like that, and in the end.

“The Director will choose.”

“Yeah, well… who are we to stop him.”

“Sigh…….”

Eventually, that was the conclusion.

“I wish he would at least say goodbye before he leaves.”

Kim Min-joo spat out those words while looking at the ceiling, and Director Lee Ah-young replied.

“Then shall we try to change his mind?”

“How…?”

“Well, a reason to stay here. Money or power or something.”

“…….”

“…….”

Was he someone who was interested in that?

“It’s no use.”

“Doesn’t that guy have any desires?”

In less than a few seconds, everyone leaned back on the backrest as if they had given up.

But that was only for a moment.

“Ah, there’s one. A reason to stay.”

Han Yu-bin *beoljjeok ireoseotda* [suddenly stood up] as if something had come to mind.

As everyone’s attention turned to her, she pointed her finger at someone.

“You.”

“……Huh?”

The person she pointed to was none other than.

“M, me…?”

Director Lee Ah-young.

“You haven’t been able to say it because you’ve been *jaeda* [measuring] the timing. If not now, you’ll never be able to, so why don’t you give it a shot?”

“That’s right. Who knows? Maybe the Director will change his mind too.”

“…….”

Director Lee Ah-young had a rather complicated expression at the words of the two people.

“I don’t know…….”

She sighed and avoided answering.

She closed her mouth as if she had many thoughts.

The other two didn’t urge her any further. They knew better than anyone what she was feeling.

And then.

*Kwang—!*

“S, something happened!”

Ha Sung-il, Head of Overseas Business Division and Chairman of Hanbyul Group, suddenly rushed into the office.

“N, now in each country…!”

The moment he spat out those words, the eyes of the directors widened.

***

After finishing the conversation with Chloe, as I was leaving Eclipse.

*Ttareureung—*.

My phone rang.

It was none other than a call from Director Lee Ah-young.

‘……What’s *gapjagi* [suddenly].’

As soon as I checked the caller, my eyebrows twitched greatly.

Because… she was also someone who knew about my situation.

I wondered if she had noticed that there wasn’t much time left to return.

‘…I have a feeling it’s going to be *gwichanahjineunde* [annoying].’

I hesitated to answer the phone with that thought.

If not only Lee Ah-young but also the other directors found out about my situation, they would try to persuade me somehow.

In fact, that’s why I didn’t want to tell them until the end.

I paused for a moment.

“…What’s the matter?”

In the end, I pretended not to know and answered the phone as usual.

Then.

「I just found out through Director Ha, but there are WDSO disbandment protests happening in each country right now!」

“……Huh?”

I heard a completely unexpected answer.

I was relieved that they didn’t seem to know about my situation yet, but… that was only for a moment.

“Disbandment protests? Why *gapjagi* [suddenly]?…”

「The International Association that managed the global subjugation rights tried to invade using that authority as an excuse. So, they think that if one organization monopolizes the subjugation rights again, the same thing could happen again.」

“Haa…….”

I sighed deeply.

In fact, this is a natural progression.

I was just too focused on my situation to think about it.

After experiencing such a thing, there’s no guarantee that the same thing won’t happen in the future.

“What’s the position of other associations?”

「No one has announced an official position yet, but judging from the *bunwigi* [atmosphere], most of them seem to be in favor of disbandment.」

“This is going to be *gol ttaerige* [a headache].”

「The board of directors seems to be holding a summit to resolve the misunderstanding, but in a situation where the war has just ended, what we say won’t be very persuasive.」

We are the ones who dealt with the International Association, and we are the ones who are putting effort into the damage recovery.

But we are also the ones who made the International Association reveal its ambition.

Citizens don’t know the detailed circumstances and causal relationships.

Even if they do know, it’s not important to them.

What’s important to them is…….

A guarantee that this will never happen again.

That’s all.

To the citizens, we are not heroes who defeated evil, but a dangerous factor that could become the second International Association.

“Things are going to get bigger.”

「……Yes.」

Director Lee Ah-young answered cautiously.

At the same time, I let out a sigh that couldn’t be heard.

It wasn’t because I was *golchiga apaseo* [having a headache] about the unexpected situation.

It’s just that, if this happens…….

‘A reason to stay has been created…….’

I was *jeongrihada* [organizing] my thoughts for a moment.

「…Are you going back?」

She suddenly brought up something out of the blue on the other end.

At the same time, my head went blank for a moment.

“W, what do you mean?”

「Since all the big problems have been solved anyway, and you’ve achieved your goal… I thought you might go back before things get *gwichanahjigi* [annoying]…….」

“…….”

After receiving confirmation, I unknowingly closed my eyes tightly.

She knew after all.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that thought.

“Well, for now…….”

「I like you.」

“……?”

And at that moment, my heart dropped.

What did she just say?

Did she say it wrong?

Or did I hear it wrong?

I couldn’t bring myself to speak with those thoughts, and I couldn’t even make a sound.

「I said I like you.」

My mind started to go blank at those words that came again as if I hadn’t said it wrong or heard it wrong.

And in between.

‘Should I go back…?’

Suddenly, that thought crept in.