I Activated Cheat Mode in a Bizarre Game

Tatadadak—!

I heard the whimpering voice of the Clerk Monster calling out to me from behind, but I didn’t even glance back and bolted away at full speed.
I’d already observed how the Clerk Monsters moved earlier when chasing the men.
They were fast, but I figured that with my speed, I could easily outrun them. More than anything, the exit was close.

My plan worked perfectly.
“Whew…”
Having made it back to the abandoned factory, I took a moment to catch my breath and calm down.

Then, to check the items I’d snatched up in the chaos just now, I opened my inventory.
There were three items glowing with a blue hue, which meant they were decent. First: a small compass. Second: what looked like an ordinary wristwatch. And lastly… some kind of candy.
I used the Item Appraisal skill, but as expected, I still couldn’t get detailed information.

It simply told me that they were not bad items, glowing blue. Still better than having nothing, so I closed my inventory feeling fairly satisfied.
Now it was really time to deal with the aftermath. I took out my phone and called Hanbit. He picked up immediately.
“…I found the hideout of the guys pretending to be from Jinmyeong Group. And… I found out how they’ve been getting their items.”

Their location, how they were procuring items, and their connection to Dongto.
I reported everything I’d discovered without holding anything back. On the other end of the line, Hanbit stayed silent for a while.
After a heavy pause, he spoke in a low, restrained voice.

“…Hold on. Just wait a moment.”
With that, Hanbit hung up.
About ten minutes passed.

Then, a small commotion stirred near the entrance of the quiet abandoned factory, and moments later—BOOM!—a deafening crash echoed out as the rusted metal door was thrown open with brute force.
Through it, a group of people strode in with perfect synchronization.
They were all dressed in colorful hanbok.
It was a bizarre, overwhelming sight.

But I recognized them instantly.
They were Jinmyeong Group’s elite exorcists—shamans—clearly sent by Hanbit.
A few people who had been sitting dark-faced in front of computers panicked at the sudden intrusion, completely losing their heads.

“Don’t move! We’re from Jinmyeong Group! Hands above your heads!”
The man in front, a rough-looking shaman, barked the order.
His eyes swept across the factory, and then locked onto me, standing quietly in the back.

Pointing directly at me, he shouted with certainty.
“You! You’re the one in charge of this place!”
“…Huh?”

I guess since I was standing deep inside the factory and looking relatively calm, I must’ve seemed like the ringleader of all this.
At his words, the factory workers all turned to stare at me, eyes wide.
Their faces said they couldn’t make any sense of why someone who wasn’t their comrade Changshik was standing there in Changshik’s outfit.

Looks like the situation was going sideways again. I needed to clear up this misunderstanding first.
“By any chance… did you receive any message from Hanbit?”
At my question, the man who seemed to be the leader among the shamans furrowed his brow for a moment, then as if something clicked, let out a small, “Ah!”

“Now that you mention it… Young Master Hanbit did say there would be an ally on-site. And… I think he also said not to offend that person under any circumstance.”
I let out a faint, bitter smile.
So Hanbit had tried to back me up in his own way.

I turned toward the shamans, who were still wary, and spoke.
“…That’s probably me.”
The leader looked me up and down for a moment.

Suspicion still lingered in his eyes, but then, as if it all made sense, his previously harsh attitude softened.
He approached more cautiously and addressed me respectfully, his tone now entirely different.
“…M-my apologies. I didn’t realize you were the Young Master’s collaborator. Jinmyeong Group will take over this site from here. You’re free to leave now, sir.”

That was music to my ears.
I had no desire whatsoever to stay in this cursed abandoned factory a moment longer.
After glancing once at the shamans, I gave a small nod and quietly exited the factory.

And so, my first side quest came to an end.
Now there was just one more left. Once I completed that one, a new main quest would begin.
With a lighter heart, I headed home.

***
A few days passed since the side quest to wipe out the fake Jinmyeong Group.
During that time, our Team 10 spent our days adjusting to Baekho’s system, undergoing basic training, and analyzing monster data.

They were peaceful days—but I was starting to feel anxious. To clear the main quest, which required completing two side quests, I needed to find the next one fast.
Whenever I had the chance, I kept stealing glances over the heads of Shun, Bora, and Park Sunja.
But unfortunately, the small yellow exclamation mark I’d seen above Hanbit’s head hadn’t appeared above theirs.

What exactly were the conditions to trigger a quest? I was just starting to wonder if I needed to try a different method, when—
“Um… Minjun-ssi. Do you have a moment?”
While I was practicing throwing talismans in the office, former Team Leader Park Cheolwoo approached me carefully.

He belonged to a different department now, so technically I should be calling him Mr. Park or sunbae, but in my head he was still “Team Leader Park.”
“Yes, of course. What’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing big… I just need help moving a heavy item box from the warehouse over there, and I can’t manage it on my own…”

To me, that was no trouble at all.
Strength was something I had in abundance. Naturally, I agreed and followed him.
The item box he pointed to definitely looked hefty. Even two grown men would probably have a tough time lifting it.

It made sense that he’d have a hard time on his own. I picked it up easily, and he once again marveled at my incredible strength.
“It’s been a while~”
“Haha…”

Back in the support team’s office for the first time in a while, I saw some familiar and welcome faces. Han Sora, Seo Jihyun, and Rahee.
They all seemed to be adjusting well to their new environment, busy at work in front of their monitors.
And then, I saw it.

Above Han Sora’s head—bright and unmistakable—was the small yellow exclamation mark [!], the one I’d been hunting for.
The second side quest was right there.
After helping Park Team Leader set down the item box, I casually walked up to Han Sora and started a conversation.

“Everything okay lately? Any worries, maybe…”
At my question, Han Sora smiled brightly.
“Worries? Nah, not at all! Thanks to a certain kind-hearted teammate, I transferred from the dangerous exploration team to this safe and comfy support team!”

She winked at me.
But then suddenly, “Ah!” she gasped softly and admitted that she did have one tiny worry.
I had a hunch—this had to be the side quest. I encouraged her to go ahead and tell me.

“Well… my friends and I are going on a short 3-day, 2-night trip to Japan… I’ve kept putting it off using work as an excuse, but they said if I bail again, they’ll cut me off for real…”
“…You don’t want to go?”
“It’s not that… I’m just worried about Dusty being left alone…”

Dusty. Han Sora’s cat.
Come to think of it, when she showed me that picture of Dusty a long time ago, it was what made me want a cat too—so I adopted Leo.
We’d never met, but I felt a strange connection to the cat too.

Han Sora looked at me cautiously.
“So… if it’s not too much trouble, could you take care of Dusty for a few days? If it’s not possible, I can leave her at a cat hotel nearby, really—no pressure!”
Before she even finished speaking, the system message I’d been waiting for popped up in front of me.

[Take care of Dusty while Han Sora is on vacation.]
“It’s fine. I’ll take her.”
“Really? I feel way more comfortable leaving her with someone who already owns a cat.”

Of course I accepted. There was no way I was letting go of the second side quest I’d finally found.
I could only hope Leo and Daeho, our two residents, would treat the new guest well.
That night, I went straight to Han Sora’s place to meet Dusty.

And wow, this cat was something else. Inside her cage, Dusty had every hair on end, hissing and growling at me—“Kyaaak! Hiss—!”
“She’s wary of strangers…”
Han Sora said, flustered.

At the same time, she looked worried about Leo.
“Dusty’s got a strong personality… she won’t hurt Leo, right?”
I was worried too—but for a different reason.

Daeho and Leo weren’t exactly gentle souls either… I’d definitely need to avoid a three-way face-off.
Worst-case, I’d separate them—Dusty in my room, Leo and Daeho in the living room. I’d just have to hold out for the 3 days.