Surviving Restructuring

“We have issued deployment orders to the directors of the seven bureaus, excluding the Personnel Bureau.”

“Make sure they understand there can be no delay.”

“Yes, sir. The directors of Management, Sales, and Corporate Relations have confirmed deployment.”

“Good. Report back as soon as the rest are accounted for.”

“Understood.”

The chairman had dispatched eight bureau directors, each one powerful enough to turn even the Wailing Forest back into a desert with a mere flick of their hand. Reportedly, they had arrived safely and begun their assault. His order was simple: defeat Lee Eun-Ho without delay. By now, that pitiful little fortress of his should have been nothing more than rubble.

“H-Hyungnim! N-Noonim is—” Jae-Hyuk said.

If that was the case, then there was only one reason Lee Eun-Ho stood here now.

“So you tucked your tail and ran,” the chairman muttered.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

There was no doubt about it.

If he made it here this fast, he must have seen the advancing force from afar and bolted immediately, thought the chairman.

Of course, with the bureau directors chasing him relentlessly, it wouldn’t be an ordinary escape. Eun-Ho had to have shaken them off somehow.

Even he must have struggled against those eight...

It was a fact that Lee Eun-Ho was not as strong as a bureau director. Compared to a newcomer who had just undergone restructuring, those eight had risen through promotion, reforged their fleshes, and stepped into the realm of near-immortality.

Yet, Eun-Ho had done the impossible. Not only did Eun-Ho kill Seung Gi and rob his power, he had even escaped eight bureau directors.

“You abandoned your stronghold to save your comrades?” asked the chairman. “How touching. It almost brings a tear to my eye.”

It was a strategy that transcended raw strength. In its own way, that too was a kind of power. However, now that Eun-Ho had come here, the tug-of-war was over.

Thump.

The chairman lifted his foot from Ji-Eun and turned toward Eun-Ho. “To stake everything on a single battle... you truly have no talent for business.”

He had intended to claim both the office and its employees. Instead of securing one of them, Eun-Ho made the mistake of chasing him here with nothing but a sword.

“Let me teach you something,” said the chairman.

Swoosh—

His staff glowed with a dull red light. Opposite him, the swordsman’s black blade shimmered with a deep blue aura.

“Risk is only worth taking when it promises greater returns.”

Swoosh—!

Eun-Ho kicked off the ground.

“T-Team lead—” a subordinate tried to call out.

However, before they could even rise, everything sank.

Movement stilled and the pounding hearts of the fallen soldiers quieted. Even the flowing air came to a halt.

Fwoosh!

In that silent world, only two weapons burned. Red and blue clashed against each other. A torrent of blood-red energy erupted like a raging dragon.

In response, the deep blue current shifted its flow, redirecting the force along unseen pathways. When one surged, the other rose with it. When one stilled for the next strike, the other stilled as well. There was no desire to win nor fear of losing. The exchange became something beyond victory or defeat. It was a formless duel.

This is Mirror Clear Mind... the chairman thought.

Like still water, the blade was perfectly calm and clear, reflecting its opponent without distortion. A legendary state that mirrored strength, speed, and even erratic strokes with flawless precision.

Come on. Are you serious?

One had to overcome oneself to defeat such a blade. In other words, the closer one was to perfection, the harder they were to fight.

“Answer me!” the chairman demanded. “How are you using this technique?!”

Even as he watched it unfold before his eyes, he could not believe it. Mirror Clear Mind, a state befitting the sheer power of swordsmanship, carried impossibly severe conditions to attain.

One had to possess, desire, and expect nothing. Only a hollow being, or a person wandering after having lost even the self, was permitted to reach it.

The chairman frowned, his feet coming to halt once more. “This feeling is...”

At the same time, the sharp, radiant energy coiled around his staff dulled. The force that had surged forward without restraint recoiled like a compressed spring.

Bzzzzzt—!

As the twisted sword strike swept outward, the stillness around them shattered.

“Just as I thought.” The swordsman smirked. “So you recognized instantly.”

The black blade rose high, as if to tear the sky apart. His dark hair billowed, and his abyssal black eyes gleamed. None of it was originally his, yet it all fit as though it had always belonged to him.

“How dare you!” The chairman’s white hair bristled. “You’re not Lee Eun-Ho, are you?”

***

It was 6:30 PM. As Min Yeo-Jin supported the exhausted Yoon Sol-Ah and made her way toward the temporary ward, Lee Eun-Ho was deep in thought. He thought, and thought again.

A martial god who could imbue even a spoon with energy and slice through steel. A master who could cross dozens of miles in a single step. And on top of that, a time-stop ability, superior even to Acceleration... How am I supposed to defeat a protagonist straight out of an overpowered fantasy novel?

“It has to be that method,” Eun-Ho muttered.

“Mr. Eun-Ho?” someone called.

At that moment, Mirabo approached him. “What are you thinking about so deeply?”

Eun-Ho rubbed his face once, then answered her question with one of his own, “Have all the weapons been collected?”

“Yes. The Saetani have moved them to the armory,” Mirabo replied.

“Good. Around ten thousand should be enough.”

“Pardon?” She didn’t understand what he meant. “Enough for wha—”

Rumble—!

Craaaack! Thuuuud—!

However, before she could ask again, an attack slammed into the castle without warning. Windows exploded inward. The floor rippled like waves, toppling furniture as objects were flung and smashed in every direction. Even the Wailing Castle that was protected by a defensive dome shook. The forest outside was in an even worse state.

The ground caved in, collapsing deep below. A vortex in the earth swallowed everything like the gaping maw of a starving beast and a swamp of sand filled the lungs and tore them apart.

The Management Bureau Director! Mirabo thought.

A chill ran down Eun-Ho’s spine.

Mirabo turned at the same moment and their eyes met. “It’s the bureau directors!”

She had expected it, but facing it directly was something else entirely. Her face turned pale with fear. Eun-Ho’s narrowed eyes held no fear but anger.

“Is it the Operations Bureau?” he muttered.

“Operati—huh?”

His gaze turned cold. “I mean the chairman.”

At the same time, Mu Ah asked Mirabo, “Wait. You said directors, plural. Couldn’t it just be the Management Bureau director alone?”

“If they came under the chairman’s orders, there’s no way it’s just one!” Mirabo replied urgently. “You know how competitive they are with each other!”

“True. Those predators wouldn’t sit still,” Mu Ah agreed.

This was bad. The bureau directors were on an entirely different level compared to the soldiers of the secretariat.

“Besides, the defensive dome won’t hold for long!” Mirabo warned.

“Yeah, it looks that way. It’s already buckling pretty badly,” Mu Ah said.

On top of that, their strongest weapon, Parvatastra, had already exhausted all ten charges.

It’ll take ten days to recharge! Eun-Ho thought.

They would never last that long. Even if everyone here combined their strength, they would barely stand a chance against a single bureau director.

Mirabo gulped, but her mouth was so dry that there was nothing to swallow. “If all Eight Heavens have gathered...”

Eun-Ho studied her reaction, then narrowed his eyes. “Are the bureau directors really that strong?”

“Why are you asking me that?” Mu Ah shot back.

“Well, even you might have struggled if you hadn’t prepared in advance,” Eun-Ho said calmly.

“Obviously! I only lost to you because I let my guard down, but I’ve charmed three thousand women at once before, you know,” Mu Ah boasted.

Eun-Ho smiled faintly. “Then we’ll just charm them.”

“What?!”

“Lady Mirabo, you said Eight Heavens, right?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Yes! The eight bureaus including the Management, Investiga—”

“No,” he cut her off.

“Pardon?”

Eun-Ho dismissed the eight pillars that upheld the company outright. “First of all, the Operations Bureau director is already here with us, so that’s one out. And the Personnel Bureau director is out too, as it’s vacant.”

“Ah... that’s true,” Mirabo said.

“We can also exclude Audit and Public Affairs. They aren’t combat bureaus, and from what I’ve confirmed, they’re both too busy dealing with internal matters.”

“Is that information reliable?” Mirabo asked.

The audit had already been confirmed through the division chief, Jeon Do.

“Team Leader Lee, it looks like the Audit Bureau will be tied up for a while. They lost that last trial, and now they’re tearing each other apart internally.”

Besides, they weren’t combat-oriented to begin with. Moreover, according to Sarah, Public Affairs was in the same situation.

“The Public Affairs Bureau is a mess too. They’re so busy handling public backlash that they don’t even have time to use the bathroom.”

If that was the case, then Mirabo’s earlier statement needed revising.

“It’s not eight,” Eun-Ho said calmly. “It’s just four.”

Mirabo stared at him, dumbfounded by how composed he sounded. “What?!”

What did that change? The ones about to storm this place were the heads of Management, Investigation, Sales, and Corporate Relations. They were not enemies one could casually dismiss as just four.

“Those four are the core! They’re the strongest!” she insisted.

The Management Bureau director, Mu Ryang, was the ruler of an immeasurable desert. The Sales Bureau director, Mu Byun, was the ruler of a boundless sea. The Corporate Relations Bureau director, Mu Deung, was the ruler of towering mountain ranges. Lastly, the Investigation Bureau director, Mu Jin, was the ruler of the untouchable sky.

Mirabo had watched their power for a long time, so she knew exactly what they were capable of. She spoke rapidly, almost desperately, describing how overwhelming they were, how terrifying their abilities were, and how utterly merciless they could be.

“We’re not exactly alone either,” Eun-Ho replied steadily, unreasonably so. “We have the Operations Director and the former chief secretary.”

“What?!” Mu Ah snapped.

“I-I mean...” Mirabo tried to protest.

“That makes it four against two,” Eun-Ho finished.

Mu Ah had been mocked even by subordinates due to nepotism, whereas Mirabo was nowhere near a bureau director in strength or standing.

“You’re saying the two of us should handle four bureau directors?” Mirabo asked in disbelief.

Even if she gave him the benefit of the doubt, she was just about to ask why it wasn’t four versus three.

Fwoosh—!

Just then, a cluster of light bloomed and a door appeared. It was exquisitely crafted, so much that even a layman could tell the effort that had gone into it. They appeared stunned.

From there, one man stepped forward, his mere presence filling the space like a seasoned general. Beside him stood another, thin as a matchstick, yet carrying an unmistakable weight.

“Hello,” Eun-Ho said.

“Ayasa’s group is still on their way back,” the man replied.

“I’m aware. Tell them not to worry. We’ll finish this before then.”

Mirabo clamped a hand over her mouth. “Lord Guk Ryang?!”

Mu Ah’s jaw also dropped open.

Thud!

Mirabo’s knees hit the ground. “H-how could someone of your stature—”

She couldn’t make sense of it.

He’s on our side? Why?

Guk Ryang had once been the Management Bureau director. Yes, he had stepped down due to an unfortunate incident with the current director. Even so, he was not someone who would stand with a nobody like Lee Eun-Ho.

“What is going on?!” she whispered urgently to Eun-Ho.

Eun-Ho simply shrugged. “Four against three now.”

“Don’t joke aro—h-huh?!”

However, the shock didn’t end there.

Fwoosh—!

Another burst of light appeared. This time, green vines sprouted from within the door, stretching and weaving together as leaves unfurled. They intertwined until forming a rounded arch.

Thump. Thump.

Light footsteps echoed from within. Then, a boy in a martial robe emerged, followed by a black-haired woman in a suit.

Mu Ah staggered back. “So the green particle from earlier was—”

Judging from how clear and pure it was, it had to be the energy of Mu Jin, the master of spirits who governed the essence of all living things.

“So, you’ve all come,” said Eun-Ho.

All?

“You can feel it?”

“Of course,” Eun-Ho replied calmly. “With presence this overwhelming, how could I not?”

Mu Ah felt as though someone had struck him over the head with a blunt object. Nothing about this situation made sense anymore.

Eun-Ho added, “Still... I didn’t expect the Investigation Bureau’s Brain to show up as well.”

“Haha, the youngest insisted on coming along,” Mu Jin said with a chuckle. “She said she was quite worried about you.”

“Director! Why would you say that?!” the woman protested, flustered.

“Thank you,” Eun-Ho said simply.

The woman standing beside the investigation director was Ye Ra, the former leader of a task force. She had been promoted to head of the newly established Abnormal Investigation Management Team. There had been rumors, whispers that the investigation director had formed a personal unit, perhaps even a faction of his own.

So it was true?! Mu Ah thought, stunned.

However, whether he was shocked or not, Eun-Ho went on. “Four against three still holds. Except now, we’re the four.”

By pulling one of the chairman’s own forces to their side, they hadn’t just strengthened themselves, but also weakened the enemy.

Mu Ah’s voice faltered. “H-ho...”

The tide had turned in an instant.

Eun-Ho’s gaze shifted again, toward yet another cluster of light beginning to form. “And... You’ve come as well.”

A massive serpent appeared first, radiating a demonic aura that made one’s limbs tingle. Behind it stepped a woman with snow-white hair, elegantly coiled and secured with a jade hairpin.

“Ryeon-Hwa.”

There was no mistaking her, Cheong Ryeon-Hwa, director of the Future Research Center. She placed a hand lightly over her chest and bowed, her movements calm and effortlessly graceful.

“I greet you, my lord.” Her silver hair dipped forward as she bowed not to Eun-Ho, but to Guk Ryang. Then she stepped forward and came to stand before Eun-Ho. “Child...”

Eun-Ho bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

“I am still too weak to stand at the forefront,” Ryeon-Hwa replied softly, her voice clear as beads rolling across a silver tray. Gazing steadily at Eun-Ho, she said in a gentle yet resolute tone, “However, one cannot avoid the changing of an era.”

Just how did he persuade her too?! Mu Ah thought in disbelief.

It went without saying that Cheong Ryeon-Hwa was no ordinary figure. She had stood alone in this brutal world, built her own center with her own hands, and was widely believed to be on the path to elevating it into a full-fledged bureau. As a woman of unshakable resolve, she was renowned for never involving herself in matters outside her center.

What kind of situation is this...?

Beings strong enough to shake the earth gathered in one place. Precisely because of their overwhelming power, they avoided each other. Yet now, they had come together for Lee Eun-Ho. The pressure was suffocating, making one’s skin crawl and limbs tremble.

Yet instead of shrinking back, Eun-Ho stepped forward, standing before them all. His gaze passed over each of them in turn, a gentle smile playing at his lips, his voice steady with quiet certainty. “You won’t regret this.”

“... Hey,” Mu Ah said at last, licking his dry lips. “Hey you, Lee Eun-Ho... Just how far are you planning to go?”

It was a question he should’ve asked much earlier, yet fear held him back.