---

Gangseo Branch Chief was not in a good mood.

“They say contact with the cruise has been lost.”

“That could actually mean the representative was right.”

She didn’t like that words related to her staff were brought up at the regular branch chief meeting.

“Indeed, the ‘manual’ is different.”

“Exactly.”

She didn’t appreciate the comments from other branch chiefs who thought of him more as a weapon than a person.

It wasn’t that she had any special feelings for him; what she disliked was their attitude.

It’s unacceptable that the Management Agency, established to save people, doesn’t treat people like people.

And that was immediately revealed through her actions.

She flexed her arms a bit.

– Crunch!

The metal desk split in half.

“…”

“…”

Everyone else stared at her wide-eyed.

“Excuse me. I’m just a bit upset.”

Her calm words immediately silenced the room.

“You’re right, it’s your fault.”

A deep voice reprimanded them.

As the crowd quieted down, the voice continued.

“I hope you all behave appropriately for a branch chief. Especially the Gangbuk Branch Chief.”

“…Yes.”

With a sulky tone, the man replied, and Gangseo Branch Chief glanced disapprovingly in his direction before turning her gaze back to the center.

“As the branch chiefs said, the chosen ones appointed by the Management Agency—no, the will of the Management Agency—have finally gathered.”

“…”

The branch chiefs fell silent.

“Some are fighting far away, while others are still causing accidents, having just awakened.”

Gangseo Branch Chief recalled a certain man.

A tired-looking man with an ordinary face.

It wasn’t that he was just unlucky and causing trouble. He was simply facing challenges worthy of his name and reputation.

– Click,

The screen turned on, revealing the silhouette of a man whose face couldn’t be seen.

“Anyway, since the ‘manual’ has been produced, we now have the elite of the Management Agency gathered.”

“I’m curious about the ability of the ‘manual’ she personally selected. That’s not something she usually does.”

“Quiet.”

The man quieted their murmurs.

“Anyway, we will exert our utmost effort. We have done so until now and will continue to do so.”

“…”

“Gangseo Branch Chief.”

“Yes.”

“Please support him as much as possible. It’s the maximum welfare and assistance we can provide from our Management Agency.”

“Understood.”

“Each branch chief should take good care of those they’re assigned. They are deserving of our gratitude.”

“Yes!”

As their voices unified, the screen darkened again.

Gangseo Branch Chief stood up.

Her slender eyes opened wide as she scanned the surroundings.

“Let’s head back.”

“Yes.”

The man in sunglasses followed her.

What kind of support should they give upon returning?

She couldn’t know what kind of help would be considered enough for someone who met a sea monster while on vacation.

With a low sigh, she made her way to the office.

*

With each wave, the sandy beach shrank.

She turned her attention back to the sound of a tremendous crash.

– Smash!

The stone dropped by Jang Chae Yeon crashed onto the head of the creature, producing a sound that would be lethal to any ordinary life form.

But the problem was that the creature hit by that stone was anything but ordinary.

A house-sized wave surged forth.

“Stick close to me!”

She instinctively clung to Jang Chae Yeon, and as she extended her arms, a powerful shockwave erupted, creating a hole in the wave.

– Boom! As the wave split, it passed by us.

Drenched from head to toe, more water came pouring in. Furthermore…

“The beach has shrunk even more!”

“Right?”

Shouting loudly over the sound of pouring water, they both realized that the fight couldn’t even be called such.

The creature was only bombarding them with massive waves, and they could do nothing but stand there helplessly defending.

Every time they defended, the space they could stand on shrank.

How many times had they defended?

She looked at Jang Chae Yeon.

Breathing heavily, she was clearly exhausted, having pushed her limits since yesterday.

She glanced again at the monster on the horizon.

It looked significantly smaller than what she had seen underwater, yet the bullets couldn’t penetrate, and with no other abilities aside from watching, she couldn’t think of a way to inflict any effective damage.

It felt like fighting a mountain.

Before they knew it, the ground beneath them was filled with water up to their ankles.

Quickly, she pulled back.

Why was the water flooding in so much?

Did it even make sense to try a critical attack on such a creature?

She quickly cast her eyes over the creature as it finally showed its form.

[Name: Baby]

[Age: Created 300 years ago]

[Specialty: X]

[Talent: X]

[Background: This being, freshly born, is elated for its first hunt.]

[Vulnerability: Sometimes unable to fight due to weight class. Consider the characteristics of this place and think about what gives it power.]

It was in chaos.

Reflecting on the vulnerabilities that arose when she looked up at the sky, she mulled them over.

When the sea is no longer the sea.

What on earth could that mean?

She took out the butane gas from her pocket before putting it back.

Using fire to dry the sea?

That didn’t seem easy.

She gazed outside.

Should they pour poison on it instead?

But could that actually solve the problem?

Once again, she pondered the weakness.

The characteristic, once the sea becomes no longer the sea, it would lose its strength.

But what does it mean when the sea is no longer the sea? Is it like playing territory—

Before she realized it, she was looking at the water flooding her feet once more.

In that moment, a flash of inspiration struck her mind.

“Chae Yeon!”

“I’m listening!”

“Do you know how to play territory?”

Without even answering her, Jang Chae Yeon shouted back.

“Explain it simply!”

“Let’s bury the earth!”

“… How far?”

“To the horizon!”

She surveyed the water around.

It was too small to be called a sea; honestly, it was more like a lake in size.

In her view, it was a temporary base, a transitory space. In other words, this was a separate realm.

And that separate realm would never be large.

She pulled out the manual from her pocket.

– Whoosh!

The manual unfolded at a breakneck speed.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Y – Separate Realm]

1. When entering a separate realm, the first thing to check is its size.

2. Depending on the situation, a separate realm is generally not larger than what you know as Earth. Of course, it could be as big as Earth; in that case, good luck.

3. The smaller the separate phenomenon, the higher the chance of resolution, while the larger it is, the higher the chance of death.

4. Common sense does not apply in a separate realm. Try many things.

5. Good luck.

When the sea becomes no longer the sea.

In other words, when the sea becomes land.

The most primal yet most efficient method.

[Critical: 1->2]

A translucent window appeared before her, and as she closed the manual, an immense amount of soil began to float above her head, enough to fill a gigantic truck.

“I got it.”

Jang Chae Yeon raised her arms and began shoveling the earth into the sea.

“I’ll finish it in no time.”

She followed suit, scooping with her hands.

Surprisingly, with each clump of soil they threw into the ocean, the sea receded, and a sandy beach began to form, almost proving that their method was correct.

This was what it meant that common sense does not apply in a separate realm.

If they had good fortune, they’d accept it.

In that short span, about a third of the sea had been filled.

Of course, the monster wasn’t just going to watch them do that.

– Whoosh!

The waves came rushing in again.

Jang Chae Yeon abruptly stopped shoveling and raised her right arm.

Her face had gone pale.

“There’s no need for that.”

Lowering her arm, she lifted up her pistol.

The key to this operation was Jang Chae Yeon. If she collapsed from overworking, they both would die here.

She had already done enough to fend off the waves.

“Chae Yeon, focus on filling the earth as quickly as possible. Don’t waste your strength.”

“Okay.”

But she didn’t voice her concern for him. She only worked based on her complete trust in him.

Standing before her with the pistol in my right hand, my left arm was too pained to move properly.

[Critical: 2->1]

The world faded into black and white and slowed down.

She stared intently at the house-sized wave.

Soon, a red dot appeared at its center.

– Bang!

Like a possessed person, I pulled the trigger.

The bullet tore through the air and embedded itself in the wave, and—

– Whoosh!

As if it were nothing, the wave crumbled away.

– Oooooo!

Its roar echoed. Was it startled? It could be.

Kneeling again, she followed Jang Chae Yeon and filled the earth even more, though compared to her psychokinesis, it seemed like nothing at all.

They filled more than half of the sea with earth.

Despite blood dripping from her nose, Jang Chae Yeon continued to shovel in the dirt.

“Haah… haah…”

“Just a little more…!”

“Okay…!”

Stumbling, Jang Chae Yeon moved the earth, and so did I.

Another wave came.

It was notably smaller than before but still too big to handle with human strength.

Following suit, I raised my pistol again.

[Critical: 1->0]

A single small bullet pierced through the wave.

Once more, the massive wave crumbled helplessly.

Yes, my hypothesis was confirmed.

The monster was being pushed back, and the more the sea shrank, the weaker the creature became.

“Just a bit more!”

Encouraging the breathless Jang Chae Yeon, I continued to fill in the earth.

Soon, the vast majority of the area was filled with earth.

Eventually, the creature began to retreat further into the rising earth and finally stopped as it bumped into the wall.

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon, kneeling and breathing heavily, looked between me and the creature.

“I can’t… do it alone, can I?”

“…No.”

I wiped the sweat off my brow as I answered her.

There were no more Criticals left. I had already used them all for defense, and all I had left was a plain pistol.

But what did that matter? My weapon wasn’t limited to just one Critical.

Our eyes met.

“…Carry me.”

She gave a tired smile and stretched out her arms, and I nodded and lowered my back for her.

“Let’s go.”

I started to sprint across the sandy beach, carrying her.

Sometimes my feet would sink into the ground, twisting my ankles with a painful ache, but I disregarded it and charged across the terrain that was once a sea.

– Ooooooo!

It let out a loud roar. As if it was making a final stand.

But what could it do?

[Coordinate Tear -> 2 Remaining]

The world transformed into a grid pattern, and I could see wrinkles forming on its body.

Jang Chae Yeon reached out and clutched it tightly.

Its body twisted.

– Ooooo! Uuung!!

It screamed in agonizing pain.

[Coordinate Tear -> 1 Remaining]

Finally, the world was lined with a grid once more.

As Jang Chae Yeon reached out and placed her fist against its head, squeezing once more—

– Boom!

With a loud explosion, its head vanished.

“…Hah… Hah…”

“Phew… Phew…”

Amidst the silence, only the sounds of our heavy breathing could be heard.

The sea started to disappear.

Soon, Jang Chae Yeon and I found ourselves standing inside the engine room.

Gently placing her down, I collapsed onto the floor.

“…I’m tired…”

“So am I.”

We remained seated, merely mumbling that we were exhausted until Yu Da On and Song Ah Rin came to fetch us from the engine room, still dazed and unable to move a step.

*

“Wow! It’s so beautiful!”

The next day, looking at the sea with joy, Yu Da On was enough to make me smile too.

Yeah, this is exactly—

“Jae Heon.”

“Yeah?”

“By any chance, just in case… I’m really curious, so I want to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

Yu Da On’s gaze was fixed on me.

“Are you dating Chae Yeon?”

Though her face always wore a smile, it now seemed like a fragile glass mask that would shatter at any moment.