Chapter 21: Episode 21 – The Contract

Chapter 21: Episode 21 – The Contract Episode 21 – The Contract The walls of the WN Agency meeting room were lined with smooth charcoal panels that absorbed more than just sound. They devoured tension too. The air was cool, filtered, and subtly scented with something crisp like eucalyptus—but it couldn’t quite wash away the quiet pressure that sat between the two figures at the table. Han Jin-woo (한진우), official recruiter and representative for the WN Agency, sat forward with both hands resting on a manila folder filled with paperwork. His suit jacket hung neatly on the back of his chair, and his tie had been loosened ever so slightly, a rare breach in protocol. But this wasn’t just another client. This was the kid. The strange one with the calm eyes and unnerving timing. Kim Do-hyun (김도현). "You’re looking for a hunting ground to start with," Han began, flipping open the file. "You’re new. And you don’t want to die. That narrows it down." Do-hyun sat across from him, arms crossed lightly, his back straight without tension. He didn’t speak—just waited. Han cleared his throat and slid a printed map across the desk. "The green slime field. Beginner level. Passive monsters. Mostly harmless, unless provoked." Do-hyun leaned forward, his eyes scanning the simple sketch of the zone. A green patch just northeast of the city perimeter, marked with warning lines and hazard levels. "The creatures there don’t chase. They don’t hunt. But they will react if you get too close or too loud. And when they do, they spit." Han paused, lifting a finger for emphasis. "That stuff isn’t lethal. It won’t burn through steel or anything. But your clothes? Gone. Skin? Red and raw. And the gas they release can cling to your gear." He tapped another sheet beneath the map. "Standard procedure is to wear filtered protection suits. They last maybe two hours before saturation. After that, the filters clog and you have to bail or choke." Do-hyun nodded once. "Got it." "You’ll need rotation. Get in, harvest essence or drops, get out. Rinse and repeat." "Sounds manageable," Do-hyun said. Han raised an eyebrow. "Most newbies freeze when they hear the word ’acid’. You’re a strange one." "I’m not planning on getting spat on." That made Han blink, then grin. "Fair enough." He flipped to another section and pointed. "Option two. Scaled frog marshlands. It’s a wetland zone with slightly more aggressive creatures, but also better loot. The frogs are small, slow, easy to deal with—until they group up. But unlike the slime field, this zone has something special." He tapped twice on a blue-shaded corner of the map. "Permanent security barrier. Full magical fencing, twenty-four-hour monitoring. Rare in beginner zones." Do-hyun’s gaze lingered on the blue lines. "So I’d be under watch?" Han nodded. "Safer. Hunters are on standby outside in case anything goes wrong. If something stronger than a frog shows up, they trigger the barrier lock and send in a rescue team." Do-hyun leaned back. "So the slime field is riskier, but quieter." "And the frog marsh is more stable but monitored," Han finished. "Personally? I’d say go with both. Alternate between them depending on what kind of training you’re after." Do-hyun didn’t answer. He just reached out and picked up the contract that had been waiting on the desk since he walked in. A thick stack of legal jargon, liability clauses, and payout splits. Not a glamorous read, but it was honest. He scanned it with surprising speed, his fingers flipping through the pages as his eyes danced from clause to clause. No reaction. No frown. No sigh. Just silence. Finally, he closed it and placed it back down. "It’s perfect," he said. Han stared at him. "That’s not usually the response I get." "I like honest terms," Do-hyun replied. "Then let’s do it." Han reached toward a drawer and pulled out a small red stamp—the official agency seal. He placed it carefully beside the contract and pushed both forward. "Pick your hunting ground," he said. "Once you stamp it, we’re locked in." Do-hyun glanced down at the stamp. He hadn’t moved yet. Han waited. "Which one will it be?" Han asked again. That’s when the door creaked open. The tension in the room shifted—not like a sudden wave, but like a subtle pressure drop in the air. Han turned his head, expecting to see maybe a secretary or intern walking in. But what stepped into the room was not someone he recognized. It was Kim Do-hyun. Again. Wearing a yellow hoodie. Walking casually. Expression unreadable. The same exact face as the one already seated in front of him. Han’s mind went blank for a half-second. He looked left—Do-hyun was still seated. Perfectly calm. Alive. Solid. He looked right—the second Do-hyun approached the table and glanced at the contract without saying a word. The silence between them thickened. Han blinked. Then again. His throat tightened. He wanted to speak but didn’t know where to aim his question. Was this...? No, it couldn’t be... The new arrival didn’t wait. From the sleeve of his hoodie, he produced something red and familiar. The stamp. The official WN agency stamp. Han’s mouth dropped open slightly. That was the same one. The one still sitting beside the contract. But this Do-hyun—the one who had just walked in—was holding it. Not a fake. Not a replica. The exact stamp Han had given moments ago. How? When? The new Do-hyun pressed the stamp firmly down onto the contract. There was a sound. Thud. Final. Undeniable. A chill passed through Han Jin-woo’s spine. He stared, unmoving, at the red seal now emblazoned across the signature line. His breath came slowly, uneven, and his fingers twitched above the desk. He looked between the two boys again. Both Do-hyuns now standing, side by side. Same height. Same presence. Same smirk. But different outfits. Different postures. Different...something. Han felt his voice scrape out from his throat. "W-Wait... Who...?" He didn’t finish the question. The second Do-hyun—the one in yellow—smiled. The one who had been seated all along stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his pants. Two of them. In the same room. No explanation. Han staggered backward slightly, knocking into his chair as both boys looked down at him like twin wolves watching a confused shepherd. No illusion. No trick. No aura clone. These were real. He could see the breath in their chests. The tiny muscle twitches in their hands. He could even see one of them blinking faster than the other. Real. Somehow... both real. Han’s fingers trembled where they touched the desk. "What the hell..." Neither answered.