At first I thought I had misheard, but then the universe thought, ‘Here we go again.’

    It wasn’t the first time that two young women working in the sales department had been treated this way. Usually, these people would do it to discourage others, or to show off their territoriality, or to beat up a competitor.

    “Stop talking nonsense and just tell me what you want to request. If it’s nothing special, I’ll ignore you.”

    “The sharp gaze is nice. I like it when it’s fresh. This kind of thing adds to the fun of teaching. I didn’t come here to ask for a favor. I just came to see you because you seem to be making a name for yourself.”

    “If there are no requests, leave.”

    “But, after seeing it, my mind changed. Let me sign an ‘exclusive contract’ with you. But, I’ll have to suffer a little at night.”

    The man looked as greedy as a pig, and the way he spoke and his voice were as sinister and vile as a scorpion. And that gaze… . The universe hid the galaxy behind him at the blatant gaze that seemed to suck on the chest and buttocks.

    “I refuse. If you have no business, leave now.”

    “Hey, don’t you know who I am? I’m from the best craftsman guild, [Daon Hammer]-”

    “Whether you’re [Daon Hammer], [Hanulmoru], or [Nopsaehwaro], it doesn’t matter. We won’t sign an exclusive contract with you. So, I’d like you to just get out of here.”

    “… That’s a bit harsh. Are you trying to act tough in front of your younger brother? Can you handle disrespecting the craftsman of [Daon Hammer] like this?”

    Huh, the universe laughed.

    “You were the one who ignored us first. You were the one who did all the sexual harassment. And to us-”

    The universe smiled at the faint-hearted man who was looking at it from about ten paces away.

    Although he may seem timid and mean, his skills as a craftsman were trustworthy. Above all, unlike men like this, he was not a bad person at heart.

    “The company has a dedicated craftsman attached to it, you know. … I’ll decline the offer. So get out.”

    His gaze was as sinister and sharp as a razor blade shining in the darkness, and he turned to his exclusive craftsman. With a groan of ‘Eek’, the craftsman shrugged his shoulders and shrank his neck.

    “We’ll probably be seeing each other often, so let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Kim Jin-hyung.”

    “Yes, Kim Jin-hyung. I’m starting to get annoyed because I’ve been talking so much, so please leave. Can’t you hear me?”

    Their gazes crossed in the air. Woo-joo felt goosebumps at the sight of those disgusting eyes, but he mustered up the courage to face them for the sake of his younger brother who was hiding behind him.

    Eunha was a child who was sensitive to the ill will of others. She didn’t want to reveal it in front of a man like that.

    “… Let’s go for today. But I won’t forget this. I wonder if I can say that in bed later. See you later, us.”

    “I don’t want to see you, so let’s not see you again. Get out quickly. I have to sprinkle salt on you?”

    Bang, the door slammed shut, and heavy footsteps slowly retreated.

    The universe briefly rubbed the corners of its eyes, feeling the irritation and fatigue that was creeping in. When it turned around, the galaxy was covering its nose and mouth.

    Kim Jin-hyung was a man who was unpleasant and disgusting even to the universe. It was easy to imagine how dirty and unpleasant the ‘wind’ must have felt to Eun-ha, who could sense other people’s thoughts and feelings.

    “Now that it’s gone, you can rest assured.”

    “Sister, I don’t feel well… .”

    “Just hold on a little longer. I’ll buy you some candy later. -Hey, our new employee! Min-geun, you worked hard too. You got sworn at all of a sudden.”

    “I, won’t something go wrong later? It’s none other than Kim Jin-hyung of [Daon Hammer]. As a craftsman, his skills may not be that great, but I’m sure he’ll know how to breathe… .”

    “I don’t know, they were the ones who were rude first, and we weren’t the ones who started the fight. Let’s just say we made up for it and go get something to eat. Should we eat some meat for the first time in a while?”

    “Meat?!”

    “My little brother gets energy from meat.”

    “Ah, ahahaha… .”

    The universe, frankly, was letting its guard down. It wasn’t particularly worried, thinking it was just a passing bout of measles.

    No it wasn’t.

    Kim Jin-hyung was persistent. Sometimes he would come to the workplace, or to a company dinner, or sometimes to a gathering of awakened people. He would follow the sisters and make disgusting, sexually harassing remarks that didn’t even sound like courtship.

    I don’t know how they found out about their whereabouts in such detail, but when they found out and chased me all the way to the gate entrance, I honestly wanted to faint.

    “You, a stalker?! You’re a craftsman! Why are you following someone around like this? Don’t you have anything better to do?!”

    “Are you being harsh? You just happened to get it ‘by chance’. Rather, don’t you think it’s time to change your mind? It’s not often that I get the chance to sign an exclusive contract by hanging on like this.”

    Kim Jin-hyung’s crooked smiling face was extremely annoying.

    The gate that had been conquered this time was not easy, so both the galaxy and the universe were quite tired and exhausted.

    I was so angry that I had to face this situation.

    “Eunha’s face looks pretty even when she’s tired. I wonder if she’ll have that same expression the next morning if I tease her all night. What do you think? Now, stop twitching and accept it. What do you mean, I’m willing to give you more benefits?”

    The galaxy was shocked by the unexpected encounter and the sudden malice, so it curled up like a crab and trembled.

    When my beloved little brother was tormented by a rude and annoying person like Kim Jin-hyung, the emotions of the universe finally exploded.

    “I won’t do it, that kind of thing! How can I entrust equipment to a guy who doesn’t even put in the effort and just sits around observing every move of a woman!? It’s obvious how skilled an author like you is! Don’t be so arrogant, a Meister who doesn’t even get a request and just goes around doing legwork! No, were you even a Meister in the first place?”

    The universe threw out sharp accusations without hesitation. The people around the gate looked and started whispering. Kim Jin-hyung’s face turned red at the words that he could not refute.

    “This fucking bitch, you’re crossing the line by talking back because I thought you were cute? You’re an orphan with no mother or father, so why are you acting so fancy and buying expensive things! It’s obvious you’ve been working your body like crazy since long ago, so you’re insulting people like this when I’m trying to get you to do nice things?!”

    ◦ I haven’t been able to do it at the bottom!

    Woo Joo and Kim Jin Hyung’s voices grew louder and rougher.

    If left alone, it seemed like it would escalate into violence. People around them began to try to stop it, and eventually even a police car showed up.

    As they fell into the hands of civil servants and police officers, Kim Jin-hyung and Woo-joo continued to swear at each other until the end.

    “You fucking bitches, just wait! I’ll make you get on your knees and beg and beg… !!”

    “Don’t make me laugh. As long as I breathe, no one can touch us, the galaxy!”

    “Really? Then-”

    The snake-eyed pig twisted its mouth. It raised its voice, spitting out saliva, and the corners of its gleaming mouth turned up in a disgusting manner. The space between its eyes slowly moved away, and Woo-joo felt goosebumps for a moment.

    “Then, I guess I’ll be fine without you.”

    [Hey, are you having a hard time these days? You look tired.]

    [Ah, Mr. Park Min-geun. Well, as you know, there are a lot of things going on these days. There are things to worry about.]

    [… … .]

    [If it weren’t for that bastard Kim Jin-hyung, things might have been a little better. Anyway, it’s been like that lately.]

    [I think Joe is pushing himself a little too hard these days.]

    [I’ve been getting a lot of big requests lately. I have to figure out information, select requests, organize documents, manage them… I don’t have time to breathe. On top of that, I’m the CEO, but I have to do it myself, so I can’t help but overwork myself.]

    [Seo, I’ll help you organize the documents. Give me a few over here too.]

    [I want to say, “It’s okay,” but… . Thank you. Just take care of a few of these for me.]

    [Oh, come to think of it. This time, even though the place we’re going to is small, it’s a Grade A gate. Isn’t it dangerous?]

    [It may be risky, but I believe that Eunha and I can do it. It’s not a bad opportunity. If we succeed, Eunha will probably be able to meet the minimum requirements to take the A-class qualification examination.]

    [Oh, I see…]

    [Of course, since I’ve been busy with work one after another, I’m thinking of taking a break after this one. I’m thinking about going on a trip around the country with Eunha.]

    [Of course, we don’t plan on resting by ourselves like this, and Min-geun will give you a lot of bonuses and give you a long vacation, so go and heal up.]

    [That’s good, man.]

    [By the way, can you please take care of the equipment for me? It’s not time for maintenance yet, but both Eunha and I want to prepare thoroughly for this difficult task.]

    [Ma, leave it to me.]

    weird.

    Something is wrong.

    It was after entering the gate that the universe began to think that way.

    Even if it was a Grade A gate, this couldn’t happen. There couldn’t be this much of a gap. The universe wasn’t stupid. Reckless strategies were completely ruled out.

    This request was certainly difficult, but not impossible. She tried the simulation several times. No matter how bad the condition of the universe and galaxy was, she judged that it was possible.

    There were variables outside of the assumptions.

    “Sister, something! Something, something is strange! The weapon! The body!”

    “Let’s retreat! This, this is something wrong!”

    At that moment, a monster rushed in.

    The universe was convinced that there was a monster flying towards it.

    Can’t avoid it.

    Die.

    “Sister!”

    The galaxy enveloped the universe. The two were entangled and flew away, collapsing.

    The attack failed.

    The story that Woojoo-ne had failed to conquer the world was not reported in the news, but was spread by word of mouth.

    Those who were jealous of their performance laughed at them, saying they knew it, while some worried about whether they could recover.

    My reputation was damaged and I was penalized for my failure, but the universe didn’t care.

    It wasn’t a situation where I could care about that kind of thing.

    Have you ever seen someone you love fall down right before your eyes?

    A person who is everything to you.

    Have you ever come close to losing someone who was truly your everything, not just someone you could give everything to?

    A person like that, who fell for himself?

    If you were struggling in water, would you ever have someone who would genuinely cut open your stomach and throw out your intestines as a lifeline instead of a lifeline, but almost lost their life in your place?

    “Galaxy.”

    There was nothing in the universe, but now there is.

    Next to him, a doctor was giving a detailed explanation to Woo-joo, his guardian.

    “I lost a lot of blood, but fortunately, the surgery went well and I was able to overcome the crisis. Luckily, there were no major organ or body defects, so if I rehabilitate, I will be able to return without any problems, although it will take some time.”

    I bowed my head to the doctor and thanked him over and over again, but the relief made my body lose all its strength.

    The universe was filled with anger and doubt after that.

    The weapon I pulled out was strange. The blade became dull after being wrapped in mana, and even when I swung it with all my might, it didn’t have enough power. Rather than leaving a scratch on the monster’s outer skin, the blade snapped and bounced off.

    When it came to the armor, when I fed it mana, it didn’t absorb external shocks, but rather the mana seeped into the inside, making it heavy like chains. Like water-soaked cotton.

    Galaxy was in a better position because she was so talented, but Space was not. Unlike Galaxy, who could run and dodge, Space had difficulty moving properly.

    Because of this, the universe almost died, and the galaxy that tried to protect the universe ended up in trouble instead.

    There was something causing it.

    The universe left the intensive care unit and rushed to work.

    Woo-joo, who entered the makeshift workshop at the very back of the workplace, immediately looked for Park Min-geun.

    “Mr. Min-geun! Where are you?!”

    But the weak-hearted man she was looking for was nowhere to be found, and instead there was only a fat, mean-looking man inside. The man the universe hated the most. A man who seemed to have been born to torment her and the galaxy.

    Kim Jin-hyung.

    “What the heck? Why the hell are you okay?”

    “… … !!”

    With that one word, the universe could understand the entire situation. The eyes turned bright red, the hair stood on end, and the teeth chattered.

    “너, 이 개새끼!”

    “Ouch! What, what! You hit me? Ugh, ugh! Stop! I said stop!”

    The universe, with its mind cut off, began to stab Kim Jin-hyung and beat him up. The hammers and tongs surrounding him fell to the ground, and the stacked magic stones came crashing down.

    “You planned it! You sneaked into someone else’s business and tampered with their equipment, you, this is murder! You’re a master after doing that?! I’m reporting you!!”

    “What the hell are you talking about, you motherfucker! I was just ‘accidentally’ here! Messing with equipment!! What do you think of people that you suddenly start swinging violence at?! Don’t make me laugh! I’ll see you at the Awakened Tribunal!”

    Kim Jin-hyung limped away, squealing and squealing like a pig.

    “Oh, space… !”

    As Woo-joo was panting and wheezing from frustration, he heard a weak, small voice calling out to him.

    It was Park Min-geun.

    His face was swollen from how much he had been beaten. His eyes were barely open, his cheekbones were bruised, and his lips were swollen to the thickness of his thumb.

    “Oh my god…! Min-geun, are you okay?! Did that kid do this? How could he do something like this!”

    The universe’s anger grew. She and the galaxy were put at risk, and her business was tampered with, equipment was tampered with, and people were injured.

    I will never leave you alone. Park Min-geun lowered his head as if he was ashamed of his face as he looked at the universe that was grinding its teeth.

    “Sorry, sorry.”

    “Don’t apologize! Let’s go to the hospital first. How dare you beat someone to this extent! Just wait and see, there’s evidence, and there’s evidence that you stayed here! I’ll make sure you get your share of punishment!”

    “I’m sorry.”

    Park Min-geun did not raise his bowed head.

    There’s no way this can happen.

    “We detected inaccurate and somewhat irregular mana waves from the equipment used by the plaintiff and the plaintiff’s family, but only the mana traces of the plaintiff’s business employees were found, and no mana traces of the defendant were detected.”

    The universe felt its toes digging into the soles of its shoes without its knowledge.

    “Why… .”

    My stomach felt nauseous and my head was spinning. The universe was clenching its fists until they turned white, but somehow it felt like its strength was slowly draining away, a sense of helplessness.

    ”In addition, the defendant only stayed at the plaintiff’s workplace for a short time with the defendant’s acquaintance. In this case, even if the owner of the business did not give permission, it is difficult to hold the defendant guilty of property damage or trespassing because he accompanied the defendant with the permission of an acquaintance who was in charge of the business while the owner was away. Therefore, the plaintiff’s claim is dismissed.”

    She was shaking.

    Kim Jin-hyung was found not guilty? There was definitely a reason for that, but there was another reason that shocked the universe.

    “Why are you there…?”

    The witness stand called by the defendant’s lawyer was a man she knew well. He was a thin man with thick glasses and a weak-looking appearance.

    “Answer me, Park Min-geun-!!”

    “Manuscript, be quiet in court.”

    Kim Jin-hyung, sitting in the exact opposite position, laughed at the universe with a smiling face.

    The man, who had cleverly crossed his thick legs, was whistling softly and wiggling his body in an annoying manner.

    “Your Honor? If the plaintiff cannot appeal because they have to pay expensive surgery costs for their family, will the trial end like this?”

    “The defendant should refrain from unnecessary provocation to the other party. Perhaps, it will happen.”

    “Well, then-”

    Kim Jin-hyung laughed. It was a laugh so cruel it was creepy.

    “If I file a complaint regarding the absurd false reports of property damage, trespassing, and attempted murder, and the assault and labor law violations of repeatedly assaulting my ‘close acquaintance’, a production affiliate, and making him work without pay in violation of the contract, when will I have to appear in court again?”

    Woo-joo was speechless when he saw Kim Jin-hyung winking at him.

    [How could you do this? How could you do this? Did I, did we do something so wrong to you?]

    [Sorry, sorry.]

    [I trusted you! Me and Eunha really trusted you! But how did you-]

    [Ki, Kim Jin-hyung said that if I help him, he will build me a small workshop and room on the outskirts of Seoul. He will even install a mana furnace and a mana melting furnace as special effects of [Daon Hammer].]

    [what?]

    [Oh, how long are you going to stay in this small business? That, that’s true. I’m a person who is too good to rot here. I’m a ‘Meister’.]

    [Just because of that, you tricked us? You were the one who contacted Kim Jin-hyung repeatedly and sold our location?]

    [That’s just, no. It’s just me, my own workshop, my own foundation for success.]

    [Was it really that urgent to trample on our trust and throw it to the floor?]

    [I’m sorry, I think. But, it’s the one who got fooled who’s at fault.]

    [… … !!]

    [That, and to you too, it wasn’t a bad offer.]

    [Close your eyes and just wait a little longer, and you’ll get a big sponsor. You, what’s so great about you?]

    -.-.-

    “He’s a good guy. I really thought so.”

    “… … .”

    “I didn’t know that people could change so easily, like the palm of a hand, to suit my greed.”

    The universe didn’t know.

    People are not fixed beings. Even bad people can have good intentions, and good people can have bad intentions.

    Like two sides of a coin, humans have both conflicting concepts of good and evil.

    Just as there are people with evil tendencies who would sacrifice their lives for loyalty, there are also people with good tendencies who would kick away trust for profit.

    ‘Wind’ was by no means omnipotent.

    Park Min-geun truly thought that Kim Jin-hyeong’s advice was not such a bad thing for him or his sister.

    Even if it means betraying them, even if it is a favor that comes from self-defense by saying, ‘I’m not bad,’ I just feel a sense of unease.

    The wind couldn’t dig deep into the inside. After all, it’s not a complete understanding of the other person’s feelings or thoughts, but rather an inference and anticipation of them through the senses.

    “Me and Eunha were too young. We trusted people too easily and acted based on just the ‘wind’.”

    “… … .”

    This was especially true because I already trusted him to be a good person.

    Even if I felt a little bit of discomfort from him, I just brushed it off by thinking, ‘Maybe he’s not feeling well these days.’

    The universe took out a cigarette again and lit it.

    “I was stupid.”

    His voice was a little muffled, perhaps because of the cigarette smoke.

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