Although his back was to the crowd, the Priest keenly sensed the heavy weapon striking from behind. He grabbed a fire hydrant nearby and spun around with sudden violence.
BANG!
The spinning long-handled hammer was struck sideways and sent flying. A few thick tufts of wolf hair fell from the Priest's left arm, but his wolf ears stood erect as he sensed a far greater danger.
Putato seized the opening created by Olga and lunged forward. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he aimed directly at the Priest's hairless face. He exerted extreme force, causing blood vessels to bulge in his eyes.
PHFFFT!
The tip of the blade pierced the skin.
Just as it was about to sink in, before Putato could rejoice, a fierce impact slammed into his chest. He felt a rib fracture, and his body was uncontrollably thrown backward.
"Are you alright?"
Olga rushed forward to support Putato. She saw him excitedly swing the sword around his bandaged face, instantly turning the white fabric bright red with blood.
"I got him!"
Releasing Olga, Putato tasted the opponent's blood on his lips—salty and sweet.
Mika and Rain, who arrived late, watched the giant wolf cautiously. Their breathing became labored under the pressure.
"A pitiful, bound puppet. I will now let you experience what freedom truly is."
WHOOSH!
The Priest waved his hand, putting the four on high alert. But instead of an attack, he hurled the silver hammer toward Putato.
Putato saw a flash of silver. He couldn't dodge in time, and another rib on his left side shattered. At that exact moment, he swung his sword upward.
"His right ear is deaf!"
The Blood Sword, having tasted wolf blood, flickered with a faint glow. It immediately pierced the Priest's raised right arm. Putato felt the blade vibrating, realizing that blood was flowing ceaselessly from the wound into the sword.
"Impossible! Why haven't you changed?!"
The You You You Priest completely ignored his wound. He stared at Putato with wide, wolf-like eyes, as if seeing something unbelievable. His entire body trembled.
Putato ignored the enemy's ranting. Coordinating their assault, Olga struck the Priest's right side again.
"ROAR!"
Facing the four-pronged attack, the Priest threw himself forward, clutching his head. In an instant, four deep wounds, exposing white bone, appeared on his body.
He snatched up the silver hammer like a madman. Ignoring Putato's horizontal slash with the Blood Sword, he reached out and swung the hammer toward Rain.
"What is this!"
Rain stared in horror at the chunks of metal and flesh erupting from his own arm. He almost dropped his weapon as he stumbled backward.
"Bastard!"
An enraged Olga brought her weapon crashing down on the Priest. The smiling Priest barely tilted his head in time, and the fur on his shoulder was instantly stained with a large patch of crimson.
SWISH!
Putato, leaping with all his might, viciously plunged the Blood Sword into the wound on the Priest's shoulder. With his full strength, more than half the blade sank into the tough flesh.
The intense pain and horrific wound made it impossible for the You You You Priest to continue his attack. Putato was flung to the ground, rolling five times before he finally stopped.
"You... you are hopeless."
Gripping the Blood Sword still stuck in his shoulder, the Priest looked at Putato with pity. A hint of sympathy appeared in his beastly eyes.
This immediately enraged Putato. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain in his chest, and rushed forward to kick the silver hammer from the Priest's hand.
Putato watched the Blood Sword ceaselessly drinking blood. The weakened Priest slowly transformed from a wolf back into a human. Putato pondered for a moment, then lunged forward, knocked the man's hand away, and regained his grip on the hilt.
"You bastard! What did you do to Rain?!"
"I just let him temporarily experience freedom. Child, you don't need to be afraid."
Olga shattered several of the Priest's teeth with a single punch. Mika and Rain had never seen their Office representative so furious.
"What is this thing, exactly?"
Mika carefully picked up the silver hammer with a handkerchief.
"Ah, you are the hunting dogs of The City. Of course, I can tell you. That is the Hammer of Counter-Attack, a holy artifact for seeking the light of freedom from within."
"The great Me Me Me discovered it, allowing us to escape the troublesome etiquette of The City."
Putato frowned, pulling the Blood Sword out slightly, making the Priest scream in agony.
"Get to the point. Isn't that Green Journey's technology? It should be used to solidify a person's mind."
"What is the Hammer of Counter-Attack?"
"It allows a person's soul to truly embrace their physical body, briefly obtaining freedom."
"But one must be enlightened. Like Patsy, being so flighty is no good. It's a real pity."
Absolute gibberish.
However, Putato roughly understood. It turned out the Myn Church had obtained and modified Green Journey technology.
Withdrawing the Blood Sword completely, Putato flicked the blood off the blade. He turned to look at Olga, only to find her already staring at him.
"You did well. But what good did Yun do for you?"
Putato's heart skipped a beat. He thought he had been exposed, but he had no agreement with Yun.
"Your strength is quite reliable, isn't it? Why are you still staying at such a small Office? Is Yun your relative?"
"Damn, I'm lucky I recovered. Otherwise, I would have had to replace my Prosthetic."
Rain, still fearful, touched his arm and looked at Putato with a strange expression.
Even Mika, who was tying up the You You You Priest, looked puzzled.
"Vanda, don't you think you should be a Grade 6 Fixer by now?"
"Although a Fixer's rank isn't entirely based on combat power, you're not lacking in other areas either. Did you offend the Association?"
Faced with these questions, Putato couldn't say he had already risen to the top of a Syndicate and was only working as a Fixer to build his resume.
In the end, Olga came to his rescue.
"Alright, you've put in a lot of effort this time. You'll definitely get your credit. I'll buy you a drink!"
...
The Clouds Room Bar.
The noisy environment and dim lighting made Putato feel as if he were sinking into mud, no longer needing restraint or concealment.
"HAHAHAHA, I ordered this especially for you! It's called a Money Shock. Drink it, and you'll forget you're a poor ghost—you'll feel like a billionaire!"
What a strange thing.
Putato took the glass. The smell alone was pungent. He set it down on the table to get to business.
"I want to join the Molar Office. You know my situation, so I won't explain much."
"No problem! But you have to drink it!"
"Don't worry, I don't choose those shady bars. At most, they use fans to blow some Enkephalin vapor around here, they won't add any extra ingredients to the drinks."
Damn it.
Putato had felt a familiar sensation upon entering. He hadn't expected to deal with drinking parties even after transmigration.
Beside him, Rain and Mika looked at Olga with a headache. They hadn't even exchanged a few words, and Olga was already drunk.
Putato picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. The overpowering taste filled his mouth, and he broke into a violent cough.
"HAHAHAHA! That's the spirit! I'll sign for you!"
"Vanda, we've already handed over the prisoners and the evidence to the Association. They'll be satisfied with this mission. You'll be promoted in a few days."
[Congratulations on your appointment to the Molar Office]
[Acquired Work Talent: Workshop Hamster]
[Description: Hoarding is not about greed for the present, but fear for the future.]
[Effect 1: You can quickly manipulate and disassemble various Workshop weapons.]
[Effect 2: You gain Team Combat Mastery.]
[Effect 3: When you carry more than two Workshop weapons, your load capacity and resilience increase with each additional item.]
Khaji, are you playing a game? You even implemented resilience.
Pushing away Olga, who casually grabbed his neck again, Putato immediately understood the utility of this talent.
Carry a mountain of equipment, then trade blows with the enemy. With high resilience, he could forcefully make his move, effectively exchanging his own blood for theirs.
As expected, a talent from a high-tier team is powerful.
"Do you know of any Workshops that sell good, cheap gear? I need some sturdy defensive equipment."
"Oh? Are you planning to test if I'm sturdy?"
Olga, reeking of alcohol, instantly pulled the unprepared Putato onto the dance floor, dragging him into a wild, frantic dance.
The dazzling disco lights and the crushing crowd freed Putato from his usual work worries. It felt like taking Enkephalins; his body simply moved, dominating his mind. The other two were also dragged into the chaos.
"Wait, I lost my shoe!"
In the dim light of the bar, Putato couldn't see who had stepped on his leather shoe. Just as he bent down to find it, Olga poured wine directly into his mouth.
"Ugh."
"..."
The drinking party finally ended. Putato looked at his right leather boot with twitching eyes. It was nearly filled with Olga's vomit, and the spilled wine made the surface gleam in the streetlights.
Beside him, Mika and Rain, supporting a severely drunk Olga, looked at Putato with apologetic eyes.
"Uh, Vanda, we're sorry. Our representative has no limits once she starts drinking. Next time, let Mika take you to a Workshop to pick out your weapons."
"We're truly sorry. We wanted this to be a proper welcome to the Molar Office."
Putato politely waved his hand, then, clutching the ruined shoe, threw it into a trash can and began the walk home barefoot.
...
In front of an overflowing trash bin, a little girl in ragged clothes—her face surprisingly clean—blinked pitifully at the camera. Mo hastily pressed the shutter, admiring the shot.
Putato watched the staged photoshoot, eyes wide in disbelief.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Making money is too much of a hassle. Should I just wander around aimlessly like you, leaving my mess for others to clean up?"
"Hmph, the orphanage's website hasn't expired yet. The people in the Nest love this kind of content."
"The more miserable the photos look, the more they're willing to donate. But it can't be too miserable, or people will just look away."
Putato, still confused, suddenly felt a small hand tugging at his shirt. He looked down to see the little girl. She had turned his wine-red bow tie into a hair clip; it looked quite cute on her.
She looked up with an anxious face.
"My name is Olivia. When I grow up, I will definitely repay you!"
The sincerity in her voice sobered Putato up, but he just smiled and patted Olivia's head, expecting nothing from her promise.
In The City, the more complex and long-term a plan is, the harder it is to succeed—unless you're like Lobotomy Corporation, capable of madly accelerating time within a dungeon.
Time waits for no one. This wasn't some youthful melodrama; it was Putato's own experience speaking.
Thinking that anything in The City would go smoothly was a fantasy. You had to deal with various Syndicates and cults that intrude without notice, not to mention the unpredictable madness everywhere.
The City waits for no one.
The reason Putato had to get stronger as fast as possible was to withstand the unique work involving Abnormalities at Lobotomy Corporation.
Abnormalities were like Objects from SCP—most were utterly unreasonable. Often, simply making contact was lethal.
But he couldn't afford to miss it. The Seed of Light could be released at any time, pushing The City into an even more terrifying state.
Mixing with low-tier organizations only yielded useless talents like "Trash King." Putato had no time to waste; he had to climb to the top!
He couldn't wait for others. After all, Khaji was still waiting for him to reach the Pinnacle of The City.
"I believe you, Olivia."
"Liar!"
Putato tried to appease her, but she angrily raised her small fist.
"Let's make a pinky promise then. That way, you'll have to believe in my determination."
"Alright, alright. I guess I have no choice but to believe you this time."
Squatting down, Putato seriously made a pinky promise with Olivia. She immediately ran off, as lively as ever.
He touched the black satchel at his waist, then turned and called out to the crying Mo, who was busy complaining in a small essay. He threw the bag to her.
Consta and Arnold, who had gathered the children back into the building, also crowded around.
"Senior, what is this?"
"So much money!"
"You didn't embezzle this from the Stray Dogs, did you?"
Mo suspiciously zipped up the satchel, refusing to let the others touch it.
"I took some revenge for my own business. This is your salary. I can't let you work for the orphanage for free. Those two caregivers get a share too."
"Hmph, you're being too polite. Besides, isn't it enough that those two are being looked after?"
Although Mo spoke politely, she showed no intention of returning the money to Putato.
"Go back to your rooms. Your sister made a table full of food for you."
"No need. I have to wait for someone."
"What are you doing? This is your building, but have you even stayed here for half a day in total?!"
Mo, who was clearly happy a moment ago, suddenly got angry. She turned and ignored Putato. The other two, not wanting to bother him, also left.
Putato was used to Mo's mood swings. He took out his communicator and waited for news.
The Myn Church wasn't a grassroots organization. The disappearance of the You You You priest would definitely be a major event they would investigate to the end. That was why Putato had deliberately left Stray Dogs graffiti at the scene.
There was no other way. The Stray Dogs seemed a bit too complacent lately.
For the sake of his promotion, Putato would create difficulties where none existed. How else could he prove his loyalty and capability?
This was all so the Stray Dogs could be reborn through hardship. Boss Gyeong-mi would surely agree if he knew.
A long wait followed.
The surrounding residential area was dark, with only the neon lights outlining the buildings, allowing pedestrians to see their shapes.
"Looks like it's over for today."
Putato checked the time. It was almost Night in the Backstreets. He remembered that not everyone was like him—someone who started working the moment they opened their eyes. The church would likely only discover the priest's disappearance the next day, and the investigation could take even longer.
But it didn't matter. He had also arranged a collision between the Zwei Association and the Stray Dogs.
...
Room 101.
Katae, wearing gloves, brought over a pot of meat broth. Upstairs, laughter and the sounds of children playing could be heard, giving the place a sense of life.
"Putato, do you have a moment?"
"Hmm?"
Putato put down his spoon and turned to see Elena. She was still in the form of a calico cat, squatting on the windowsill, her mysterious cat eyes staring at him.
Katae, covering the meat broth, tactfully returned to the bedroom and closed the door.
"I want you."
Again?