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Chapter-04
How to Survive in a Space Company
Recruitment offers were something you could receive quite often when working in Space Company.
Until you built your own team, you had to either work solo or belong to one.
And if you stood out among others, people would naturally try to recruit you.
Still, I’d never received a recruitment offer just for awakening my mana before — but I guess reality worked differently than the game.
“Should I accept… or not?”
Exploration teams in Space Company were practically living on borrowed time.
If you wanted to extend that fragile life even a little, you needed good teammates — trustworthy people.
In that sense, Team Leader Hamed and his crew were decent folks.
They were competent enough.
But—
“If I move with a team, I have to pay not only the company’s commission but also the team’s cut. And I’ll be restricted in how I move.”
It wasn’t all good.
First, having to pay two layers of commission made it harder to earn SPD.
Second, as a veteran who knew hidden locations, being restricted in my movements would be a serious drawback.
After some thought, I lightly shook my head.
“Thank you for the offer, but I prefer working alone.”
“Really? That’s too bad. Having someone like you on the team would’ve made things easier.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be. We just met today — it’d be weird to accept right away anyway. The offer stands, so if you ever change your mind, come find me.”
“Thank you.”
Hamed looked disappointed but didn’t push further.
Leaving behind only the possibility of a future offer, he turned away.
I watched his back disappear and turned my gaze toward the window.
“Earth.”
Only a day had passed, but seeing the blue planet again filled me with emotion.
Though it was much murkier now than in the old days, it was still blue — and that was enough.
Soon, the ship carrying us landed at Earth’s spaceport.
Thud!
With a heavy vibration, the ship touched down, and the hatch opened.
The team members rushed out.
“Everyone, head to the settlement office first. You all know what happens if you try to pocket anything, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
At Hamed’s warning, which drew everyone’s attention, the workers nodded and moved toward the settlement building.
[Settlement Office]
The place was enormous, with dozens — no, hundreds — of counters.
What was even more shocking was that all of it was handled by a single being—
ROOOOOAAAR!
“…It’s even more terrifying in person.”
—an extraterrestrial creature.
Letting out a bizarre roar, the octopus-like alien swept up the scrap metal the workers had brought and then dropped SPD tokens on the counter before vanishing.
Watching that process repeat in real time, I remembered what kind of being this “space octopus” was.
“A Third-Level existence, huh… that’s insane.”
The 3rd Hierarchy.
Even Hamed, a 1st Hierarchy being, was already beyond human — a true superhuman.
But a 3rd Hierarchy entity? Even if someone like Hamed rammed it with a truck, he probably wouldn’t leave a scratch.
Why a 3rd-Level being was working at a settlement counter was a mystery, but I didn’t really care.
Clack—
I placed the scraps and the space bee’s hive I’d collected on the desk.
Ding~
Then I pressed the bell exactly once and took a step back.
Soon after, with a guttural “Kwooo—”, the alien’s long tentacle shot out, hooking my materials and pulling them inside.
The fairness of the settlement office was legendary — people wrote pages about it — so I waited calmly.
At least, until…
“…Why isn’t it giving me anything?”
Was it going to stiff me?
Even after waiting a while, the reward didn’t appear, and I started to get nervous.
But that was just the beginning.
—First day… first expedition… and you brought back a space bee hive…
“…Who’s speaking?”
The voice wasn’t heard — it echoed directly in my mind.
The instinctive discomfort made me respond sharply.
—I’m right in front of you…
“…The space octopus?”
—…My name is Helruna. Don’t ever call me by that crude species name again.
“I apologize. It won’t happen again.”
The alien — Helruna — spoke in a tone filled with offense.
Calling her a “space octopus” was like calling a human “Homo sapiens” to their face. I meant the apology sincerely.
Feeling my sincerity, Helruna’s tone softened.
—Did you really bring this back yourself?
“Yes, I caught it on my own.”
—…Amazing. A first-day explorer taking down a space bee…
“I didn’t kill it.”
—What?
“I just stole the hive and ran.”
—…Hahaha! How amusing! You chose theft over battle, huh!
Learning that I hadn’t fought the bee but stolen its hive, Helruna burst into delighted laughter.
—It’s been a while since I met someone this entertaining. I’ll reward you. Do you want me to exchange your items for other goods, or would you rather get extra payment?
“How much extra?”
—If you choose goods, I’ll give you rare items. If money, I’ll add 50% more.
“Hmm…”
It was tempting.
Getting an extra 50% would mean earning over 1,000 SPD for free.
“If it’s an item, are we talking about elixirs, cultivation manuals, or spellbooks?”
—Exactly.
“Then I’ll take the item.”
—Oh? Why’s that?
“Money is useless if you can’t make use of it.”
—Wise child. Seeing the future instead of the present is never easy.
Yes — I chose the item.
Money brings comfort, but it’s temporary — a way to sell the future for a little ease in the present.
Pleased with my answer, Helruna stretched out a long tentacle from behind the counter.
—A strengthening pill that enhances physical ability, a cultivation manual that teaches basic internal energy circulation, and a spellbook containing first-circle magic. Which do you choose?
Three items dangled from her tentacle —
A small wooden box containing the strengthening pill,
an old scroll of the Five Element Qi Technique,
and a fine leather-bound 1st Circle Spellbook.
After glancing over them, I reached out without hesitation.
*
“Hehehe… what an amusing boy.”
Deep inside the settlement office,
a red-haired beauty surrounded by writhing tentacles ran her fingers over her lips, smiling faintly.
It had been a long time since she’d met such an interesting worker.
Still only a 0th Hierarchy being,
but his creative thinking, fearless execution,
and especially his final action — those made him fascinating.
“To think he’d take all three. I didn’t say he could only pick one… but still, I didn’t expect that.”
Helruna had offered three items —
and Jin-hyuk had taken all of them.
It was a greedy move, but she saw that it wasn’t driven by avarice — it was ambition.
She’d lost about 10,000 SPD in value, but to her, that was pocket change.
What mattered more was the boy who had amused her so thoroughly.
Ding ding ding!
“Damn it! When are you coming out?! I’ve hit the damn bell ten times already!”
“…Hmm.”
Her amusement was cut short by an impatient worker slamming the bell at another counter.
Hearing the clanging, Helruna smiled again — this time coldly.
“A worm dares to shout at me?”
Swish!
A tentacle shot out, wrapping around the worker.
Crunch!
And that was the end.
Swoosh—
Both the worker and the scraps he’d brought disappeared inside the counter.
Someone had just died inside the settlement office — but those who knew what had happened simply ignored it, and those who didn’t froze in fear.
The place fell into dead silence.
Moments later, a staff member appeared, calmly wiped the blood off the counter, and left.
The office resumed its noisy bustle, as if nothing had happened.
“Didn’t expect her to actually give them all.”
Feeling the weight of the items in my bag, I grinned.
I’d just gone for it — might as well try — but Helruna had truly given me everything.
A strengthening pill for my body,
the Five Element Qi Technique to accumulate mana,
and the 1st Circle Spellbook for basic magic.
With these, I could become the strongest among 0th Hierarchy explorers.
Suppressing the excitement bubbling inside, I reached the workers’ dormitory outside the spaceport and unpacked my things.
Rustle!
84 SPD earned from selling scraps, plus the three items from Helruna.
50 SPD would go to my daily quota, but that didn’t matter — money could always be earned again.
First, I opened the small, elegant wooden box.
Fwoosh!
“Smells good. Like a fragrant air freshener.”
A rich herbal scent filled the air — not unpleasant, but refreshing, almost cooling.
Though it could’ve served as a natural deodorizer, no sane person would waste an elixir like that.
So, I swallowed it whole.
“Nngh…!”
The pill melted like cotton candy, sliding down my throat.
Then came the transformation.
Crack! Crack! Crrrk!
As the effects spread, my body began to change — bones realigning, muscles twitching. The pain was sharp, but bearable.
I endured it, knowing this agony would become my strength.
For nearly an hour, the process continued — and so did the pain.
Sweat soaked my clothes and even the floor.
“Phew… My physical stats went up by two each.”
[Status Window]
Name: Lee Jin-hyuk
Level: 2 (0 / 2000)
Strength: 7 Stamina: 6 Agility: 7 Intelligence: 3 Mana: 3
Trait: Adaptation
The pain’s reward was sweet.
All my physical stats had increased by two points — the equivalent of six levels’ worth of growth.
I was now physically strong enough to stand among the mid-tier of the 0th Hierarchy.
But the best part was yet to come.
“The real treasures are these two.”
The Five Element Qi Technique and the 1st Circle Spellbook.
Gazing at the worn scroll and elegant book, I used them both.
Fsssh—!
The scroll and the book crumbled instantly into dust —
which then swirled into my nose, mouth, and ears.
“…Hup!”
Knowledge flooded my mind.
A surge of energy shot up my spine, sending shivers through me.
When I finally opened my eyes—
“Now I understand the Five Element Qi Technique — and first-circle magic as well.”
I could now use the Five Element Qi Technique better than anyone,
and I’d mastered every 1st-circle spell.
“Mana… I need to acquire mana.”
Having strengthened my body and absorbed the knowledge of Qi and magic,
I sat cross-legged and began circulating the Five Element Qi Technique in full force.
The next expedition was tomorrow — I needed to get stronger, even just a little.
That night, I stayed awake until dawn.
