I shook my head at the genius scientist, who clearly had no intention of sleeping, then texted my training officer. While I was at it, I asked about today's schedule.

It was almost nine. He usually started putting me through my paces at eight, so why hadn't I heard from him today?

While I stood waiting for a reply, the scientists approached me. As I greeted them, they tugged at my clothes.

“Mr. Hilde.” The scientists looked at me gravely. “There's a bounty on Martin's head.”

“Isn't that a strange way to put it?”

I understood what they meant, but the wording sounded odd.

But the scientists were serious. They grabbed my arms and dragged me deeper into the lab.

“It has the highest reward of any quest currently posted.”

“Quest?”

What was a quest?

No, obviously I knew what a quest was, but why were they talking about quests here? I gave the scientists a puzzled look. Horror flashed across the faces surrounding me.

They gaped at me, then all spoke at once.

“Don't tell me Yun never told you?”

“No one explained the quests to you?”

“He didn't explain them, did he?”

This was the first I'd heard of it. When I nodded blankly, they eagerly tugged at my arms. I followed without resistance.

After spending most of my time around Yun and my seniors, being with these people made the difference in strength painfully clear. They seemed to be pulling with all their might, but their tugs felt incredibly light to me.

I'd have to watch my strength.

They took me to a circular, plaza-like space filled with holograms. Holographic windows floated in the air. At the scientists' direction, I stepped onto one of the glowing circles on the floor, and windows filled the space around me.

[Quest: 50 Blue Glowing Inkcap Mushrooms]

[Reward: 500,000 won]

[Quest: 35 Mad Buffalo Horns (Grade A Condition)]

[Reward: 750,000 won]

[Quest: 5 Plague God Hosts (Capture Alive)]

[Reward: 1,000,000 won]

[Quest: Freshly Produced Osilisk Droppings]

[Reward: 3,500,000 won]

What was all this?

They looked almost exactly like quests in a game. The rewards, however, were very real. I swiped the windows aside one by one, reading every last one.

Most paid in the hundreds of thousands of won, though a few offered a million or so. Apparently these were missions people could undertake individually. Some windows listed the participants' names and their progress. I took a closer look at the ones with familiar names.

[Choi Ami: 20 Red Inkfire Butterfly Wings: 40% Complete]

[Karl Doe: 10 Blue Land Whale Fins: 80% Complete]

[Ro Giacomo: 5 Haena Horned Rabbit Tails: 20% Complete]

[Iho Chang: 100 Ticks from Bomb Rats' Backs: 95% Complete]

“So these are individual missions?”

“Exactly. You can choose whichever you like.”

They gave me a brief explanation as they rapidly swiped through the holographic windows. Only Badgers could go outside the core, but the scientists needed samples for their research. That was why they'd created this system.

Essentially, they were little side quests like the ones in games. The rewards came out of the scientists' allotted research budgets.

They said Badgers like Ami, Karl, and Bobby did a decent job with the quests. Plenty of Badgers never took any, and plenty of others made a mess of them. I chuckled when I heard that Giacomo Ro never brought back a sample intact.

That sounded about right.

“Karl really is our top VIP. The condition of the samples he brings back is incredible.”

“Ami's great at catching flying creatures. No other Badger brings back flying creature samples as well as she does, so the scientists who study them all depend on her.”

“That one Ro's doing... I don't think he actually meant to do the quest. He just happened to bring one back, and the scientist researching it went wild and begged him for it.”

“I bet he's forgotten it's even posted as a quest.”

“As you've probably guessed, Yun doesn't do quests. He's busy enough with his own research.”

“You should start doing them too, Mr. Hilde.”

The people in white coats earnestly tried to win me over.

“I'll pay you the full amount in cash.”

“That goes without saying. I'll even give you an advance whenever you want.”

“My samples are plants, so you won't even have to worry about getting attacked.”

They were all so enthusiastic.

When I said I'd pick a quest as long as Yun gave permission, they cheered. I looked sheepishly around at the cheering crowd.

Was it really worth getting this excited about?

“Please find Martin, too.”

One of the scientists who'd wailed at Martin's empty spot during the emergency assembly pointed to a holographic window.

“See the reward?”

How could I not?

The sum was too enormous to miss. I nodded, then turned toward the window glowing bright red. Its contents were as arresting as its appearance.

[Quest: Martin's Main Unit]

[Reward: 30,000,000 won]

The lab staff really loved Martin. I stared blankly at the window and shook my head without meaning to.

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I took it out and read Yun's replies.

[Yun: You can't stop him. Leave him be.]

[Yun: You're actually on leave through tomorrow. You spent two days outside the core. But work out for an hour and a half. Then go here and get a suit made.]

[M Tailor Shop – GPS Location]

[Yun: I don't think I can leave Yehyeon, so work out on your own for the next two days.]

Hallelujah.

I was sorry to hear the commander hadn't improved, but I was thrilled by the unexpected free time. Unable to suppress my grin, I typed a reply.

[Yes, sir. Will do. Oh, by the way, about how big is Martin?]

[Yun: A human head.]

Nice and clear.

I looked up and carefully studied the size of the scientists' heads. By the time they asked the perfectly reasonable question, “Why are you examining our heads so closely?” I told them to keep an eye on John and left the lab.

* * *

I spent two blissful days following my training officer's instructions to the letter. I worked out as much as required and had a suit made at an uncomfortably expensive shop.

There was no way I could afford the suit on my salary, but the tailor refused to take any money, telling me meaningfully that it had “already been paid for.” I couldn't tell whether Yun or Yehyeon had footed the bill.

I'd have to ask my training officer properly later.

Once I'd finished my errands, I roamed headquarters looking for Martin, then returned to my room and played games. I beat them one after another, starting with the shortest.

Having so many games left to beat made me happy. If only I could stay holed up playing them forever.

Like back then...

Back then?

A buried memory nearly surfaced, then sank back down. I smacked my lips in frustration before turning my attention back to the game.

That was how I spent my time until eight in the evening, with my leave nearly over. Only when the streetlights began to come on did I finally leave my room.

“He probably hasn't left work yet.”

Paper bag in hand, I headed for the hospital building. I wanted to stop by and thank Samuel. Surely no other Badger wound up hospitalized every single time they returned from a mission like I did.

I hoped he would like the pound cake I'd bought at the department store yesterday.

When I arrived at the hospital building with that thought in mind, I was told Samuel was in Yehyeon's private room.

So he still hadn't been discharged?

That explained why I hadn't heard from my training officer. Satisfied, I turned toward the ward where Yehyeon was staying, retracing my way to his corridor from memory.

And there, in the corridor of luxurious private rooms, I spotted a scientist holding a bundle the size of a human head.

“Oh.”

The man was standing anxiously outside Yehyeon's room. Looking at the bundle in his arms, I blurted out,

“A human head.”

“Eek!”

The man holding the bundle recoiled in horror.

“It's not!”

“What's not?”

I hadn't said anything.

I tried to look as harmless as possible, but the scientist's face turned ashen in an instant. Keeping the blatantly suspicious bundle in view, I cautiously studied him.

He looked ready to bolt if I so much as stepped closer.

Maybe I could gently talk him around?

“You're here to visit a patient, aren't you?” I asked gently as he clutched the bundle tight. “So am I. Would you like to go in together?”

No answer.

The scientist trembled, his eyes darting every which way. I patiently waited for him to do something else. If he ran, I'd chase him. If he answered, I'd try to reason with him.

After a long while, he replied.

“N-no...”

“You're not?”

Then what was he doing here?

“What brings you here, then?”

Now he was breaking into a cold sweat. He looked so close to passing out that I felt sorry for him.

He wouldn't even be able to run properly in this state. I'd be impressed if he could turn and run without his legs giving out.

I tried addressing the trembling man again.

“If you have something to give someone, would you like me to deliver it for you?”

“What?”

“What you're holding.” I pointed to the bundle with the hand that wasn't holding the pound cake. “That. Shall I deliver it for you?”

Silence.

The scientist stood motionless, staring at me. I carefully watched his expression.

Oh. If I just kept waiting calmly like this, I might get Martin back.

His expression shifted from moment to moment. From fear, to hesitation, to resignation.

And finally, from resignation...

To resolve...

BANG!

Just as the scientist bit his lip and steeled himself, the hospital room door swung open. Yun's neat features appeared in the doorway.

“Hey.” My training officer's characteristically low, cold voice rang through the corridor. “Why are you talking to yourself out here instead of coming in?”

“Eeeeeek!”

The scientist's piercing shriek echoed through the corridor.

“Please don't kill me!”

After screaming directly into Yun's ear, the scientist tore down the white corridor. Perhaps it was a surge of adrenaline, but he sped away without even stumbling.

My training officer stared after him in utter disbelief. I tossed the bag of pound cake onto the corridor floor and sprinted past Yun in the doorway.

“I'll catch him!”

“Yeah,” Yun replied calmly. “Lose him and it's a hundred laps around the track.”

Why was I getting caught in the crossfire?

Of course, there was no time to ask. I gritted my teeth and chased Martin's thief for dear life.