《Humanity Protection Company》 1 - Test TL/Editor:raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here It was his fourth time taking the civil service exam. Even though he had turned thirty and his age started with a new digit, Lee Yeonwoo had be worn out and fallen behind, just like the old hoodie, faded jeans, and worn-out sneakers he was wearing now. His aging body started to break down one part at a time. His mind and spirit, worn out from the long life of a civil service exam taker, were slowly being chipped away and decaying. Thinking about his parents, who had also deteriorated while supporting him, made it even harder to endure.¡®This time, I will definitely pass. Definitely, for sure.¡¯ Yeonwoo sat in the exam hall, reading his study materials with bloodshot eyes. There were parts he hadn¡¯t memorized. There were only a few minutes left until the exam started, but he tried to imprint even one more word into his mind. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The examinees sitting around him were simr. Some had just graduated from high school and were taking the exam immediately, some had just graduated from university, and some had been taking the exam longer than Yeonwoo. They all flicked through their study materials with a dim hope in their eyes. ¡®Please, let the questions be ones I know.¡¯ The heightened concentration stretched the time longer than ever, but the flow of time couldn¡¯t be stopped. The exam supervisor and the assistant supervisor entered the ssroom. The supervisor, younger than Yeonwoo, stood at the podium and checked his electronic wristwatch before giving a long list of instructions. ¡°Please put away all your study materials. Only have your pen, writing tools, exam admission ticket, and ID card on the desk. You are not allowed to have anymunication devices or electronics during the exam. If found, it will be considered cheating.¡± There was a flurry of sounds as books closed and were put into bags. Yeonwoo, trying to be as slow as possible, closed his book while reading the final sentences. He was thest examinee to put his book into his bag. As the sound of Yeonwoo closing his bag''s zipper ended, the supervisor said, ¡°We will now distribute the answer sheets.¡± The assistant supervisor walked around distributing the answer sheets. Yeonwoo closed his eyes tightly, recalling the sentences he had just read. White letters floated up on the ck background of his mind. ¡®Don¡¯t forget, don¡¯t forget.¡¯ Meanwhile, the assistant supervisor approached and ced the answer sheet on Yeonwoo¡¯s desk. Yeonwoo immediately opened his eyes and picked up his pen. As he carefully marked his name, candidate number, and date of birth on the answer sheet, the distribution of answer sheets waspleted. The supervisor, looking around the exam hall, continued. ¡°We will now distribute the exam papers. Please check your paper type.¡± To prevent cheating, the exam papers were shuffled, and each had a different type. The assistant supervisor distributed the exam papers in a zigzag manner, and Yeonwoo¡¯s paper was marked as type A. Confirming the type, Yeonwoo clenched his cheap pen and nodded to himself. ¡®A. Good. This feels good.¡¯ Based on his experience from retaking the exam three times, he usually did better with type A than type B. This time, he really felt that passing was within reach. In the meantime, his electronic wristwatch, synchronized with the inte clock in the morning, signaled exactly 10 o''clock. At the same time, the old speaker in the high school ssroom emitted a piercing bell sound. Ding-dong-dang-dong- ¡°The exam begins now.¡± Rustle! The sound of turning the first page of the exam paper filled the room. Not wanting to fall behind, Yeonwoo also turned his first page roughly. And then, he stopped. For a few seconds, a strange silence fell over the exam hall. ¡®Human Qualification Exam¡­?¡¯ It was supposed to be the local civil service level 9 exam. The exam paper, which should have had subjects like Korean, English, Korean history, and two optional subjects, had a strange title written on it. Human Qualification Exam. ¡®What is this? Did they mix up the exam papers? No, there¡¯s no such exam in the world. Then is it a prank? Why? Time is already tight, why!¡¯ Anger and fear filled Yeonwoo¡¯s mind. His vision narrowed, his heart pounded, and the hand holding the cheap pen trembled. He raised his head abruptly from the exam paper. He was about to raise his hand roughly to protest. Someone moved before Lee Yeonwoo. ¡°Hey! Supervisor!¡± It was a man with a scruffy beard. Just by looking at him, it was clear he had invested at least five years in the civil service exam. His desperate eyes gleamed with a wild light as he shouted in a rough voice. ¡°The exam paper is wrong!¡± ¡°The exam paper?¡± The supervisor seemed a bit flustered and quickly came down from the podium. Meanwhile, hands were raised all around the exam hall. ¡°I think something¡¯s wrong too.¡± ¡°What is this? Are we being filmed? Did anyone get our consent?¡± ¡°Hey! Is this a joke? Why are you doing this with such an important exam!¡± Verbalints were the least of it. Another long-time exam taker, whose life depended on passing this exam, stood up and began pointing fingers. Chaos erupted in an instant. There wasn¡¯t a single person who wasn¡¯t angry. In the midst of all this, Yeonwoo quietly lowered his hand. Thanks to the uproar others were causing, his anger and fear quietly dissipated. ¡®What is this? Is everyone¡¯s paper wrong?¡¯ If only one person had a problem, it might be overlooked. But the whole exam hall had a problem. It wasn¡¯t a situation that could be easily ignored. ¡®At the very least, there will be a retest.¡¯ At worst, it would be a day, at best, a few days. He could think of it as more time to study. Yeonwoo tried to think as positively as possible. ¡®Not bad. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, so I wasn¡¯t in good condition anyway.¡¯ On the other hand, the supervisor was facing a harsh trial. ¡°No, this can¡¯t be happening.¡± ¡°If it can¡¯t be, then what is this! Who are you? Which department are you from? State your name and position!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll file aint and post about this online, so be prepared!¡± ¡°Well, first of all, everyone, I¡¯m sorry. Let me check with the exam headquarters, so please quiet down and wait for a moment.¡± Facing the wave ofints from the shouting examinees, the supervisor raised his hands, trying to calm them down, sweat dripping from his forehead. Then, as if escaping, he ran to the front door of the ssroom and put his hand on the tightly closed door. Screech¡ª It was when the sliding door of the ssroom was half-open. Crackle¡ª The old speaker emitted noise. The supervisor and the examinees stopped as if in disbelief. ¡®Is this an announcement? Is the problem not just in this ssroom but everywhere?¡¯ Simr thoughts crossed everyone¡¯s minds. The supervisor stopped his hand on the door, and the examinees lowered their raised hands. Everyone listened intently to the announcementing from the speaker. However, the announcement betrayed their expectations. A voice, crackling with noise, echoed strangely. -Anyone leaving the exam hall during the exam time will be considered a cheater and will fail the Human Qualification Exam. It was hard to understand. The idea that such a test even existed, and that it had reced the civil service exam, didn''t feel real. So while everyone was stuttering and struggling to ept reality, the announcement continued. -This also applies to the exam supervisors. Supervisors who vite the rules are no longer considered human. With that, the announcement ended. The speaker fell silent, no longer emitting strange noise. But the strange phenomenon didn¡¯t end. Stagger¡ª The supervisor, who had half-opened the ssroom door, stumbled backward as if he were drunk and copsed. With wide, shocked eyes, he looked around the exam hall and opened his mouth wide. ¡°Kweeeek! Kwiik! Kwieeeeeek!¡± The cry of a beast. What was there was no longer a person. It looked like a person, wore human clothes, and walked on two legs, but it was just a beast. ¡°Kweeeek!¡± The beast that had been the supervisor crawled on all fours, then suddenly stood up and ran to the front door of the ssroom again. Kkdeudeuk- The beast couldn¡¯t even think to use its hands to open the door. It squeezed its body through the half-open door. The door was forced open by its body. The beast passed through the door in an awkward posture and ran down the hallway. Tatadak! Beyond the ssroom window facing the hallway, the beast¡¯s head bobbed up and down, and with an echoing howl, it disappeared into the distance. Then, the door of the adjacent ssroom, where the same series of civil service exams was being held, opened. The supervisor of the neighboring ssroom peeked in and murmured. ¡°What kind of animal got up here? Anyway, everyone, the beast has gone down to the lower floor, so¡ª¡± Thud, the door closed, cutting off his words. Instead, there was a loud sound of someone copsing into a chair. ¡°Uh, uh.¡± It was the long-time exam taker who had been shouting the most aggressively. He sat down so hard on the wooden chair that it should have hurt, but he showed no sign of pain. He just stared at the door where the beast had passed with bewildered eyes. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The assistant supervisor, standing frozen at the back of the ssroom, and the examinees who had been watching the beast, including Yeonwoo, all had their minds go nk,pletely paralyzed. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. This, this is just nonsense.¡± Someone muttered in a trembling voice. Everyone had seen it clearly with their own eyes. The person who had been standing right in front of them, the supervisor who had be a civil servant at a young age, the person who had achieved the stable future they all desperately wanted, had turned into a beast in an instant. Even though his appearance, clothes, and voice were the same, he was just a beast. He looked like a human, but he was no longer recognized or thought of as one. No matter how you looked at him, he was human, but he wasn''t. It was as if something transcendent had stripped away the humanponent from the supervisor. A situation that made no sense at all. ... In the midst of this shocking silence, Yeonwoo barely managed to grip his pen. His palm was drenched in cold sweat, making the pen slip. After repeatedly adjusting his grip with trembling hands, he finally managed to ce the pen on the exam paper. ¡®Human Qualification Exam¡­ If I fail, I¡¯ll be a beast like the supervisor.¡¯ No matter how unreal it seemed, that¡¯s what he had seen. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but that¡¯s what he felt. ¡°Ugh.¡± His vision swam, and the text on the exam paper blurred. He felt a wave of dizziness. His breathing was rough. ¡®No. I can¡¯t fail. I have to pass this.¡¯ He closed his eyes tightly and desperately tried to steady his breathing. Even though he had lived like less than a person for four years as an exam taker, he didn¡¯t want to be an actual beast. He wanted to remain human. To repay his parents who had supported him devotedly, to see his friends again, friends he had lost contact with due to his feelings of self-reproach, and most importantly, for himself, to live like a human being. He had to pass this bizarre exam. Yeonwoo opened his bloodshot eyes and examined the exam paper carefully. Tick-tock, tick-tock¡ª Even at this moment, the second hand of the clock ced in front of the ckboard was diligently moving. As people gradually epted the reality, they started moving their pens over the exam papers, dripping with cold sweat. The time allotted for the exam was 100 minutes. There were 100 questions to be marked on the answer sheet. In this inescapable enclosed room, where making a mistake would turn you into a beast, the exam was proceeding urgently. 2 - Test TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here It was his fourth time taking the civil service exam. A 100-minute exam with 100 questions. Even if it was an unfamiliar exam, the skills he had honed over four years did not disappear. ¡®First, I need to figure out what kind of exam this is.¡¯ His fingers, drenched in cold sweat, trembled uncontrobly.Yeonwoo barely managed to pick up the test paper and turn to the next page. As the front page, which contained instructions, turned over, the back page with the actual questions was revealed. Yeonwoo intended to quickly skim through and identify the type of questions, but he froze at the first question. Question 1: A train is speeding towards you. There are four tracks ahead, and you can decide which track the train will take. On each track, the following people are tied up. Which track would you guide the train to? [A track: You alone.] [B track: Both of your parents.] [C track: Five of your friends.] [D track: One hundred innocent people unrted to you.] 1: Track A. 2: Track B. 3: Track C. 4: Track D. A question with no correct answer. A subjective question with answers that vary from person to person. A question that, if it appeared on the civil service written exam, would cause an uproar. And a type of question he never imagined facing at this moment. Yeonwoo screamed internally. ¡®How am I supposed to answer this! There isn¡¯t even a correct answer!¡¯ He instinctively gripped the pen tighter, almost tearing the test paper. Sweat droplets that had formed on his chin dripped onto the crumpled test paper, creating stains. One drop, two drops, three drops, the stains gradually widened. During this, the rough sound of pens moving around him could be heard. Scribble, scratch, tear, squeak. Yeonwoo¡¯s bloodshot eyes nced at the other examinees. They were pale, with their heads buried in the test papers, solving problems. A frenzy of dancing pens. ¡®What is this? Are the questions different? How are they so fast?¡¯ The suspicionsted only a moment. Hearing the ticking of the second hand, he checked the clock and saw that ten minutes had already passed. There were 90 minutes left. Even solving one per minute wouldn¡¯t be enough time. ¡®This isn¡¯t the time to hesitate. I need to solve the problems. I can¡¯t waste any more time.¡¯ Hurriedly returning his gaze to the test paper, Yeonwoo recalled a maxim he had held onto since his college entrance exams. ¡®The examiner''s intention. Right. Understand the intention.¡¯ Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes fixed on the six characters at the top of the test paper. Human Qualification Exam. An exam to test one¡¯s humanity, where failure meant turning into a beast. Understanding this meaning made the intention clear. ¡®An exam to judge humanity. I just need to choose the most humane answer.¡¯ He roughly grasped the context. His bloodshot eyes moved rapidly. He interpreted the question quickly but carefully and chose one of the four answers. It wasn¡¯t easy. His pen hovered over the four choices multiple times. ¡®Track A? Sacrificing myself to save 107 people. Plus, it¡¯s self-sacrificial, so Track A is the most humane. Or, a humanly selfish choice? Sacrificing 100 strangers for myself?¡¯ He narrowed it down to 1 and 4 emotionally, but he couldn¡¯t choose recklessly. His pen, poised a few centimeters above the test paper, trembled and wouldn¡¯t move. If he got it wrong, this single question could disqualify him from humanity and turn him into a beast. What was at stake was not just a civil service job but his human dignity. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Yeonwoo closed his eyes tightly. The sentences he had memorized just before the exam werepletely erased. Instead, the disheveled face he saw in the mirror that morning, his parents¡¯ faces turned white with age, and the faintly remembered faces of his friends from long ago came to mind. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want my family and friends to die either. I¡¯d rather a hundred strangers die.¡¯ This was his honest feeling in front of this extreme situation. ¡®I am human. The choice my heart makes is the most humane answer. If I fail, it means I was never truly human in the first ce, so...¡¯ Like pulling a trigger, like giving up impulsively, he mmed the pen down and marked the answer with a V. 4: Track D. ¡°Hoooo.¡± After solving just one problem, he felt as exhausted as if he hadpleted a sprint. He struggled to lift his limp hand and wiped the sweat drenching his face. Maybe because he had rxed a little, the world that had narrowed to the single problem on the test paper widened again, and he noticed the various figures in the exam hall. A man shaking his legs incessantly was gnawing on a pen cap. ¡°Hu, huuuu. Huuu.¡± Someone was covering their mouth with one hand, sobbing and shedding tears. Another was drenched in sweat, as if they had been caught in a sudden downpour. ¡°Cough, cough. Hem. Hemhem.¡± Someone was coughing in spasms, like having a seizure. Despite this, the desperate scribbling of pens filled the exam hall with a cacophony of sounds. The various noises he had barely registered due to his near-panic state now poured into his ears, disrupting his focus. ¡®It¡¯s too noisy.¡¯ Frowning, Yeonwoo looked for the assistant supervisor. But the assistant supervisor had copsed at the back of the ssroom, leaning against a locker. He sat with his arms around his knees, looking dazed and unlikely to be of any help. Forcing himself to focus on the test paper, Yeonwoo reminded himself. ¡®Focus, focus. There¡¯s not even enough time to solve the problems.¡¯ A quick nce at his wristwatch showed that five more minutes had passed. Now, only 85 minutes remained, and there were 99 questions left. The horrifying thought of failing because he didn¡¯t mark the answers in time shed through his mind. Even the thought sent a shiver down his spine. ¡®No, I need to read quickly and solve quickly.¡¯ Rustle¡ª rustle¡ª Flipping through the test paper roughly, he saw that all the problems were simr to the first one. Subjective questions asking for personal opinions, without correct answers. This meant that solving the problems wouldn¡¯t take much time. He just needed to choose the honest answer that immediately came to mind. Returning to the test paper, Yeonwoo picked up his pen to answer the second question. Bang! A loud noise that he couldn¡¯t ignore erupted. A trembling voice followed. ¡°This is filming, right? A hidden camera prank? Hey! You¡¯re all in on this! A person can¡¯t turn into a beast!¡± It was the long-time exam taker who had been pointing at the supervisor. He stood up, hitting the desk with both hands, pointing everywhere with dted pupils, and then locked eyes with the equally haggard examinees. He hesitated, then suddenly bent down and started shoving the test paper and pen into the pockets of his tracksuit pants. ¡°This can¡¯t be real. You insane people. I won¡¯t let this slide. On the day someone stakes their life on this exam, you pull this kind of stunt. This won¡¯t end well for you. Watch.¡± His hands, reddened from hitting the desk, moved busily. Despite having a bag, he clumsily shoved therge test paper into his pants pocket. Leaving his bag hanging on the side of his desk, he rushed to the back door of the ssroom. ¡°I won¡¯t forgive this prank.¡± Without ncing at the assistant supervisor copsed by the lockers, he put his hand on the sliding door. The sound of pens moving stopped slowly. As the door creaked open, the examinees turned their heads. Multiple pairs of eyes focused on the long-time exam taker. Their gazes were a mix of faint hope, disbelief, expectation, and fear, along with low murmurs. ¡°Can he really leave? Really?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Yeah, this must be a bad prank. Like one of those viral YouTube videos.¡± Seeing the heads turned back, the long-time exam taker gritted his teeth with a pale face. "It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m going home." Bang! The long-time exam taker pulled the sliding door all the way open and stepped out into the hallway. One step, two steps, three steps, and then four steps. He walked to the middle of the hallway without any incident. Hope appeared on the faces of the pale examinees, and they unconsciously began to rise from their seats. ¡®That¡¯s...¡¯ Yeonwoo noticed the answer sheet flipped over on the edge of the long-time exam taker¡¯s desk. Though he couldn¡¯t see it clearly, he could make out the darkly marked spots showing through the back of the answer sheet. ¡®He finished all the questions? And evenpleted the marking? Then why did he make such a fuss and leave? Could it be...¡¯ Yeonwoo looked around the exam hall. Seeing the long-time exam taker leave safely, many other examinees were preparing to follow suit. They hadn¡¯t even finished solving the problems. Thirteen of them, about a third of the examinees in the hall, began packing their bags. A quick nce revealed that their answer sheets weren¡¯t even marked. A chill ran up Yeonwoo¡¯s spine. ¡®He wanted the others to leave without properly solving the questions. The reason could be...¡¯ Because the Human Qualification Exam might be graded on a curve. Because they didn¡¯t know how many would be selected as passers. To eliminatepetitors who might be more human than him. With that realization, fear overwhelmed him. ¡®If it¡¯s graded on a curve. If only one person can pass. If thepetition is as fierce as the civil service exam. What will happen?¡¯ He thought he just had to choose the most honest answers. But what if hispetitors are more human than him? What if his humanity score is lower than theirs and he bes a beast? Watching the people who had stood up, the examineespeting for the position of a human, Yeonwoo thought without realizing it. ¡®Please, just leave.¡¯ As if in response to his desperate wish, the speaker crackled. 3 - Test TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The exam hall, which had been noisy with people packing their belongings, fell into a fearful silence once more. People who had been gathering their stationery, slinging their bags over their shoulders, and standing up to leave happily now looked at the speaker with stiff faces. Then, a voice mixed with noise echoed. -Anyone leaving the exam hall during exam time will be considered a cheater. Any examinee who stands up during exam time will be considered a cheater. ¡°No, no! This can''t be!¡±Faces that had been rxed with hope and relief were now filled with despair. Their expressions were contorted, and their voices hoarse. Someone swung their hand, roughly pushing the desk away, causing the legs to scrape sharply against the ssroom floor. A student copsed beside the disced desk, covering their ears tightly with their fists. With eyes tightly shut and head shaking from side to side, their rapidly moving lips mumbled. ¡°No, no, no. This can''t be real.¡± The announcement continued. -Cheaters are immediately disqualified from the Human Qualification Exam. Disqualified persons are no longer human. Simultaneously, the howls of beasts erupted. The chorus of beasts, indescribable and offensive, seemed to mock humanity. Then, 13 beasts rampaged, escaping the exam hall. Chairs toppled over. Desks were pushed out of ce. Test papers and answer sheets were trampled underfoot, leaving clear footprints of the beasts. The orderly exam hall became aplete mess. As the beasts passed by, the students, who had clung to their desks with their heads down, raised their heads, trembling. Their unsteady gazes turned towards the hallway. The hallway was filled with rampaging beasts. ¡°Graaaaagh!¡± The beasts ran, roared, leaped, and smashed nametes and water dispensers. From the bathroom in the middle of the hallway, a beast that had been the long-time exam taker emerged, its hair wet, joining the pack of beasts. It was a horrific scene. From various directions, the sounds of supervisors urgently emerging could be heard. ¡°What on earth is happening? Is this a terrorist attack? How did beasts get to the third-floor hallway? Did someone deliberately release them?¡± ¡°How many got in? And why today, of all days?¡± ¡°The exam headquarters contacted 119 for support. Everyone, please handle the examinees.¡± Voices treating them as beasts, not even considering they were humans just moments ago. They hadn''t noticed anything unusual. ¡°Hoo.¡± Yeonwoo took a deep breath as calmly as he could. Rubbing his head, which had been hit by a beast, he gathered his scattered thoughts. Fortunately, seeing it a second time was less shocking than the first. He even felt a sense of relief. ¡®13 of them. Including the long-time exam taker, 14 have been disqualified. I don¡¯t know how many will pass, but this is good.¡¯ Fifteen minutes had passed during all this. There were 70 minutes left and 99 questions remaining. Yeonwoo began answering from question 2. The sound of pens clicking, faint sobs, shaking legs, and severe coughing were no longer distractions. They were positive signs that hispetitors couldn''t concentrate. This put his mind at ease. ¡®...2. ...2. ...2. Is this right? Three consecutive 2s? No, there¡¯s no time. Just move on.¡¯ Even if it seemed strange, he read and answered without stopping. His eyes moved from the questions and choices to marking the answers with a V. He worried if these were truly humane answers, but there was no time. He worked diligently, solving all 100 questions before the exam time ended. He had spent about 30 seconds per question. After 50 minutes, he had 20 minutes remaining. Pop- Yeonwoo checked his electronic watch, then set down his pen. ¡®I¡¯ll mark only the ones I¡¯m sure about first. I¡¯lle back to the confusing onester.¡¯ Scribble, scribble, scribble¡ª The ck sign pen went back and forth three times on the firm answer sheet. Yeonwoo carefully marked the correct answers, checking the question number and marking spot repeatedly. He made sure the marks didn¡¯t stray from the circles, were not too light, and werepletely filled. ¡®Okay, it looks good. Number 30, option 1. Number 31, option 4. Number 32 is confusing, so I¡¯lle back to itter. Number 33.¡¯ Thus, the initial marking waspleted. After confirming that his personal information was correctly filled, Yeonwoo hurriedly opened the test paper again. He quickly searched for the questions he had marked with triangles. The questions he had dyed marking because they were confusing. ¡®There are 10 minutes left. Hurry.¡¯ He had spent 10 minutes marking too carefully, leaving little time to deeply consider the confusing questions. Tick-tock, tick-tock¡ª The second hand of the wall clock raced. A moment of hesitation meant the second handpleted one round, and one minute passed. A longer hesitation meant it went around three times, and three minutes passed. When he reached thest question, there was less than a minute left. Yeonwoo checked the time and deliberated until the end. ¡®My heart says 2, but 1 seems more humane. Should I change it? No, if I change it, it¡¯ll be wrong. Go with 2. But 1 is... Oh, just pick one.¡¯ With a sense of resignation, he marked thest question. Screech¡ª The clock hands narrowly pointed to 11:40. The 100-minute exam that started at 10:00 had ended. Ding-dong-dang-dong¡ª The bell that signaled the start of the exam now signaled its end. Yeonwoo ced his pen on the desk carelessly. He looked down at the answer sheet with vacant eyes. A sense of exhaustion, as if all his energy had been drained, overwhelmed him. It felt like he had been dreaming. ¡®Really? Is it over? Was it real?¡¯ He felt a sudden sense of disbelief and an unrealistic sensation. Slowly, he looked around the exam hall. Everyone else was staring into space with vacant eyes. Scribble, scribble, scribble, scribble¡ª However, even after the ending bell had rung, someone was still using their pen. A hand hurriedly marked the answer sheet, moving frantically between the answer sheet and the test paper. The disheveled head shook wildly. ¡°Number 1, number 3, number 3, number 2.¡± A small, rapid muttering. A voice mixed with noise flowed from the speaker. -Writing on the answer sheet after the exam has ended is considered cheating, and the examinee will be disqualified. ¡°No! I finished it all! The announcement waste¡ª!¡± The examinee, who had been writing on the answer sheet after the exam ended, stood up abruptly and ran out to the hallway. ¡°Aaaaagh!¡± The examinee, who had not followed the rules, turned into a beast. The beast fled the exam hall, roughly pushing aside other examineesing out of different ssrooms. ¡°Ah! What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one that was making a lot of noise earlier?¡± ¡°What kind of animal is that? Judging by the clothes, it must have an owner, right?¡± Amotion erupted, but it was outside the ssroom. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Even though the exam was over, the ssroom Yeonwoo was in remained quiet. The examinees who had taken the Human Qualification Exam didn¡¯t dare leave their seats. Although the exam seemed to be over, they were afraid of making a mistake and turning into beasts, so they didn¡¯t move carelessly. Thirty minutes passed in silence. 12:10. A long time had passed since the exam ended. It was lunchtime. The sound of growling stomachs echoed from all around. It was only then that it felt like they woke from a dream. The examinees, ncing at each other, slowly began to rise from their seats and leave the ssroom. They left without incident. A wave of departures began. With a dazed expression, Yeonwoo also joined the exiting examinees. ¡®Is it over? It¡¯s really over.¡¯ He remembered nothing of what happened next. It was all a blur. It seemed like he wobbled out of the high school building and walked back to his room in the goshiwon. "Ah." He thought suddenly at the door. The exam was over. He had solved all the problems. Yeonwoo instinctively opened the door to his gosiwon room and went inside. A small room without even a window. In front of the desk, dimly lit by a white deskmp, Yeonwoo turned on his phone. A schedule app reminder popped up, blinking to remind him that today was exam day, and a message from his mom, sent around 9 a.m. that morning, was disyed at the top of the screen. [Son, it''s exam day. Make sure to eat well, and even if you don''t pass, it''s okay¡ª] He couldn¡¯t read any further and turned off the screen. He tossed his phone onto the desk, causing a stack of study materials to topple over. 2025 Local Government Level 9 Civil Service Exam Solution Guide. 2024 Local Government Level 9 Civil Service Exam Solution Guide. 2023 Local Government Level 9 Civil Service Exam Solution Guide. The years Yeonwoo had spent as a civil service exam student shed by in reverse. Each shback ended with his failures. ¡®Since I couldn¡¯t even take the exam this time, I¡¯ll need to buy the 2026 solution guide...¡¯ Yeonwoo slumped into his chair, burying his head in his arms on the desk. He hadn¡¯t even taken the civil service exam. He didn¡¯t know the results of the Human Qualification Exam, which he barely managed to take. ¡®When will the resultse out?¡¯ Would he have to live in fear, trembling about when he might turn into a beast? As Yeonwoo¡¯s face twisted with these terrible thoughts, he noticed an envelope on the corner of the desk, as if it had always been there. ¡®What¡¯s this...?¡¯ Slowly, he reached out and opened the envelope. Inside was something the size of a child¡¯s palm. It looked like a passport or a small notebook. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ His hurried hands flipped open the leather cover. Inside was Yeonwoo¡¯s identification photo, along with his name, date of birth, and the dates of passing and issuance. Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes stopped at a sentence in the middle. -This entity is certified as human. It was confirmation that he had passed the Human Qualification Exam. His vision blurred, and a faint cry escaped his lips. ¡°Huuu. Huuuuu.¡± A sense of relief washed over him. He no longer had to live in fear. Then, looking at the certificate, he thought suddenly. ¡®Human. I am human.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t control his emotions. He wept until someone in the next room knocked on the wall, and until his mom called to check on him. It was his fourth time taking the civil service exam. Yeonwoo survived and began preparing for his fifth attempt. --- [1. raei: From the author: in the actual civil service exam, it seems that before the starting bell rings, examinees can''t even check the test booklet or mark personal information. Please consider the actions in the exam episode as creative license for the sake of the story. ]Toggle New Ads Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 4 - Test TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here [Human Qualification Exam] -Hostility Level: Orange -Danger Level: 3 -Importance Grade: C -Details: An anomaly that randomly reces exams to test human qualifications. Those who pass be human, and those who fail are no longer considered human.The exam can appear in any ce, whether in written or practical form, on the inte, or in reality. -Countermeasure: Use AI in data centers to repeatedly conduct fake exams, reducing the probability of the real exam appearing. For every real exam, create 100 million fake exams. *** [Special Cases and Risks of the Human Qualification Exam] -An online lecture exam taken at home on aputer. A mother reported discovering arge beast in her home. This was the first case of the exam appearing online, leading to it recing inte personality and psychological tests. -In the case of a culinary skills practical exam. The test required the candidate to cook using their body parts. Those who passed were left with permanent disabilities due to the loss of body parts. This caused physical harm due to the Human Qualification Exam. -When an animal took the Human Qualification Exam. During a university study on animal intelligence, the exam appeared when animals were tested. It tested the animals. The animals that failed appeared the same, but crows and monkeys that passed became human. These crows and monkeys were used for [Redacted]. -Security tests conducted at an orbital space station and on Mars. The physical areas in which the Human Qualification Exam can appear is increasing. -Testing anomalies with [Redacted]. These cases indicate that this anomaly is clearly evolving. It has increased its media appearances, expanded its test subjects, and broadened its areas to include [Redacted]. In the worst case, every moment of human life could be a Human Qualification Exam. Fake humans¡ªbugs, animals, or fish¡ªmight at one point, outnumber real humans. The grade must be elevated to Red. *** [Regarding the Grade Elevation of the Human Qualification Exam.] For now, we will maintain the current situation. Of course, the Red grade is appropriate. An anomaly hostile to humans, an anomaly that does not contribute to the survival of humanity, must be destroyed. However, we have seen usefulness in it. How does it grant and revoke theponents of humanity? What are theponents of humanity? If we understand the principles, or if we can even make the exam appear at our desired time and ce, By turning animals into humans like those monkeys and crows, we can reduce unnecessary losses of real humans. We protect humanity. If using and studying anomalies benefits the long-term survival of humanity, we will take some risks. But we cannot ignore the potential dangerspletely. Since we already have a Human Qualification Research Team, let¡¯s establish another team to study destruction countermeasures. When the danger level rises to 5, we will assign the Red grade and destroy it. *** [Records of the Human Qualification Exam''s Appearance] -A high school in Korea. It reced the 2026 local government level 9 civil service exam. Discovered after a 119 report of beasts entering during the civil service exam. The number of victims was 33, with additional damages - the cursor blinked behind the text. After staring at the monitor for a long time while writing the report, a middle-aged man let out a deep sigh. ¡°Damn it. Isn¡¯t the probability of this showing up in a real exam less than 0.00001 percent? Out of all the exams, why did it have to appear in Korea, and during a civil service exam?¡± As he leaned his heavy body back, the chair creaked loudly. A woman sitting at a distant desk, only looking at her monitor, responded roughly. "They say the data center has its limits. It¡¯s starting to appear in MBTI[1] tests and CAPTCHA tests. They can¡¯t run more fake exams." "Damn it. Then just destroy it. There are already so many anomalies in the world, why create something else to worry about?" The man, irritably tapping his thigh, ced his hands back on the keyboard and continued typing the report. The sound of typing filled the empty office. It was a vast space, but it felt hollow with so many empty desks and only two people working there. After a moment, the man spoke again. ¡°Are the follow-up measures for the victims being sent out today?¡± ¡°The local civilian response team has been dispatched.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll probably just use memory erasers.¡± ¡°A new recruit might join us. It would be good if they came to our department.¡± The woman spoke with a faint hope in her voice, but the man scoffed. It wasmon to make recruitment offers to those who had experienced anomalies, but rarely did anyone who had been deeply affected by anomalies join the Humanity Protection Company. No one who escaped hell would willingly walk back into it. Especially since refusing the offer came with the benefit of having those horrific memories erased. But the woman¡¯s eyes still shone with hope as she spoke. ¡°People who failed the civil service exam. If they¡¯ve been taking it for years, they might be desperate for a job.¡± ¡°...Is that so?¡± The man, who had been scoffing just moments ago, now leaned forward with a serious expression. ¡°That makes sense. I have to go to the HR department. I¡¯ll ask them to send any new recruits our way first.¡± The man stood up abruptly and marched off, exuding the energy of someone about to pick a fight. As he reached the entrance of the wide office, the woman raised a fist energetically. ¡°Leader! Make sure to bring them in!¡± ¡°Will do! Let¡¯s fill this office up!¡± He threw the door open and mmed it shut behind him, the noise echoing through the empty office. The old namete on the closed door read ¡°Anomaly Investigation Team,¡± with the paint peeling off. It was the department with the highest turnover rate at the Humanity Protection Company¡¯s Korean branch. --- --- Knock knock- ¡°Is Lee Yeonwoo here?¡± Yeonwoo was sitting in his gosiwon room in front of an empty desk. The white deskmp illuminated the desk as he stared nkly at the swirling wood grain, then turned his head. His hollow eyes red at the metal door. Knock knock- ¡°We know you¡¯re in there. Please open the door.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± A voice, hoarse from disuse, came out. A man answered from beyond the door. ¡°You went through something big recently, right? We¡¯re here about that.¡± "...." Something big. The words made nightmarish scenes sh through his mind. The exam. The strange questions. The people turning into beasts. The Human Qualification Certificate lying on one side of his desk. His heart raced. His breathing grewbored, and his vision blurred. His mind went white. Yeonwoo clutched his chest and forced himself to take a deep breath. ¡°Hoooo. I¡¯ming out. Just a moment.¡± Since the incident, he hadn¡¯t slept properly. When hey down and closed his eyes, the memories of that day reyed, leading to panic attacks like now. It got worse when he tried to study. Every time he saw questions or exam papers, his hands shook, and he broke out in a cold sweat. Concentration was impossible. He repeated deep breaths until he managed to calm down. Thud¡ª Yeonwoo, resting his hands on the desk, stood up and opened the door. The hallway light flooded into the windowless room, casting the shadows of two men inside. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± The two men wore fluorescent vests, looking perfectly at home in the gosiwon hallway. The tall and short men hesitated before entering the room. It was very dark, with the deskmp being the only source of light. "Let me turn on the light." The tall man fumbled along the wall beside the door, searching for the switch. Yeonwoo didn''t say anything. Even though he was the room¡¯s owner, their actions felt natural. There was no reason to stop them. "Ah, here it is." Click¡ª The ceiling light poured down a blinding brightness. Their fluorescent vests shone brightly, causing Yeonwoo to squint. "Let''s go in. Oh, there''s nowhere to sit." "Sit on the bed." "Thank you." Yeonwoo let them in. He gestured to the unmade bed, and they sat on the edge naturally, as if they were part of the room. Creak¡ª Yeonwoo sat in his chair and turned to face them. The room was small, and their eyes met at a very close distance. Yeonwoo spoke first. "You said you came because of that incident. What exactly do you mean?" "You experienced the Human Qualification Exam, correct?" "...." The direct term, Human Qualification Exam, left Yeonwoo speechless. Questions surged within him, leaving his throat tight. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, his eyes wide. ''How do they know? What do they know? Are they involved with the exam? Why did theye? Or are they other victims? Why me?'' As if understanding his thoughts, the short man smiled and spoke. "There is an agency that deals with such anomalies. We are the people who handle the aftermath for victims like you." Anomalies. An agency. Aftermath. Yeonwoo had many questions, but he focused on the word aftermath. "By aftermath, you mean...?" It sounded ominous. Creak¡ª He subtly inched his chair toward the door, positioning himself to block the men with the chair if necessary and make a quick exit. The man quickly waved his hands, his voice friendly. "It''s nothing strange or bad. Do you know those old movies with aliens[2]? It''s like that." He mimed pressing a pen-like device. Yeonwoo recognized the gesture from a film where agents erased witnesses'' memories with a sh of light. "Memory erasure?" "Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a good offer for you. You seem to be struggling. You look exhausted, like you haven¡¯t slept." "That¡¯s true¡­." "We can erase those memories for you. You can return to a peaceful life." "Oh¡­." It was a good offer. In his current state, he couldn¡¯t study. Those weren¡¯t good memories¡ªthey were nightmares. Yeonwoo leaned forward, showing interest in the offer. Then the tall man spoke. "There is another option besides memory erasure." "What? What is it?" "You could join ourpany." "I will." The words burst out instinctively. Even Yeonwoo was surprised and covered his mouth. The two men widened their eyes, then nced around the small room with understanding expressions. "First, hear us out." "I was a bit hasty." "That''s understandable. Let us exin what ourpany is and what kind of world this is." The short and tall men took turns exining. There were countless anomalies in the world, like the Human Qualification Exam. The Humanity Protection Company was an organization that protected humanity from these anomalies. The short man¡¯s smile faded as he added seriously. "Don¡¯t decide lightly. Think it over many times before making a decision. No matter which department you join, you''ll be risking your life. Many people actually die." "...." Yeonwoo closed his eyes. A torrent of thoughts and considerations filled his mind. His brain was overwhelmed. Preparing further for the civil service exam didn¡¯t seem promising. Taking the exam had be an end in itself. The recruitment offer was a stroke of luck and an opportunity. But the fear he felt during the Human Qualification Exam, the dread still clinging to his mind, made him question whether he should face such things again. Three minutes of contemtion that felt like three hours. Yeonwoo opened his eyes. The clear light of the ceiling reflected in his determined eyes. His voice came out firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡± ¡°If you join, we¡¯ll leave your memories intact. You¡¯ll continue to suffer. Are you sure you want to do this?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t join, I¡¯ll suffer even more.¡± That was the conclusion. If he missed this opportunity, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the rest of his life. It would be risky, but he was willing to take that risk. The tall and short men stood up. With three people in the small room, it felt crowded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be going. We might meet as colleagues next time. See you then.¡± ¡°But how will I get details about the interview or further instructions?¡± The short man, standing by the open door, smiled brightly after moving the chair aside. ¡°Thepany will contact you.¡± Yeonwoo nodded. Aftering all the way to his room, contacting him wouldn¡¯t be an issue. The door closed. He was left alone in the brightly lit room. Yeonwoo touched his lips. They were stretched into a wide smile. He burst outughing. ¡°Heh. Haha.¡± He had a job. He was employed. It was a dangerous job, but at this moment, none of that mattered. Pure joy erupted within him. He jumped up and down, the room echoing with hisughter, his arms reaching high toward the ceiling. ¡®Yes. This is a real job. No, it¡¯s even better. Isn¡¯t it more impressive to work for apany that protects humanity than being a civil servant working for the country and its people?¡¯ Yeonwoo hurriedly grabbed his phone. His trembling hands dialed a number without hesitation. ¡°I got a job! Yeah, it¡¯s at a really goodpany. How did it happen? They offered me a position!¡± Yeonwoo had joined the Humanity Protection Company. --- [1. raei: MBTI test is a personality test] [2. raei: Men in ck! Wait that''s considered an old movie now.. damn I''m old]Toggle New Ads Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 5 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here At thirty years old, I got my first job. Will I be able to adapt well to thepany? A steep road located halfway up the mountain. Screech- A green bus came to a precarious stop in front of a bus stop sign with peeling paint.Lee Yeonwoo, wearing a book bag and a tight, worn-out suit, got off alone through the back door, which opened with a tter. Vroom- As the bus, emitting exhaust, rattled away, a cool mountain breeze blew, brushing against his sweat-drenched forehead. Yeonwoo spun around where he stood, taking in his surroundings. He had arrived in a remote mountain vige after passing through the city. Surrounded by lush green trees, the cracked and aged asphalt road stretched out. Not a shadow of a person or even a passing car could be seen on the mountain path. No matter how he looked at it, this didn''t seem like the ce where the new employee training was supposed to be held. "Is this not the ce? The training is starting soon. Am I going to bete on my first day?" The sweat from the heat was reced by cold sweat. A chill ran down his spine. In a panic, Yeonwoo pulled his phone out of his suit pants pocket and reread the text message from thepany. Because of the ring sunlight, he increased the screen brightness to its maximum and shaded the phone with his hand. A long informational message. Squinting, Yeonwoo quickly dragged his thumb across the screen, skimming for important details. [New Employee Training Information] The new employee training was tost for a week. They were also instructed to bring essentials andfortable clothes. The directions to the ce were clear. It said to go right from Jungsangol Station. "Jungsangol. I got off at the right ce. But where''s the road?" Looking up at the bus stop sign, Yeonwoo quickly shifted his gaze towards the right path. He scanned the edge of the road briefly. "Oh, there it is." He found the road. A dirt path, not even paved with asphalt. Only two grooves were carved out by car tires, hidden under overgrown green weeds. Yeonwoo hurriedly stepped forward, his polished ck shoes getting smeared with yellow dirt as he walked. Beyond the winding path, people and buildings came into view. ''Is that the ce...?'' A wall surrounded by barbed wire. The entrance was guarded by soldiers, and a barricade prevented vehicle entry, making it look like a checkpoint. Yeonwoo hunched his shoulders and slowed his pace. He nced between his phone and the building nervously. ''This doesn''t look like the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center.'' For a cultural research center, the security was tight, and the atmosphere was far from cultural; it was intimidating. As he got closer, he made eye contact with two guards wearing ck masks and sunsses. A strange tension hung in the air. "..." "..." "..." The guards, wearing bulletproof vests and carrying batons and tasers at their waists, red at Yeonwoo. The guard in front slowly moved his hand to grip his taser, while the guard behind raised a walkie-talkie to his face. Crunch, crunch- Feeling intimidated, Yeonwoo hunched over, sped his hands, and approached them. At that moment, one of the guards swiftly drew his taser and shouted loudly. "Stop! Stop! Stop! Hands up! Move and I''ll shoot!" Startled, Yeonwoo immediately raised his hands. His voice trembled with indignation. "Excuse me, I just want to ask-" "Shut up! If you make a sound, I''ll shoot!" "But-" "I''ll shoot!" Click- The taser was aimed precisely at his head, and blue sparks flew. Yeonwoo shut his mouth tightly. At that moment, he felt he was in the right ce. ''Thispany prevents those tests, right? This seems right. And that doesn''t look like an ordinary taser either.'' "Check with the security office!" "I was about to." Szzz- The noise from the guard''s walkie-talkie sounded as it turned on. Lost in thought, Yeonwoo instinctively flinched. It reminded him of the noise he heard during the Human Qualification Exam. At that moment, the guard, who was startled along with the surprised Yeonwoo, pulled the trigger. Zap! A blue lightning bolt shed. It was over in an instant. A blue snake-like electric current wrapped around Yeonwoo''s entire body. He couldn''t even scream properly, only managing to let out a groaning sound as he clenched his teeth. "Ugh!" Thud! He fell backward, limbs trembling. The guard, as if it was no big deal, nonchntly began speaking into his walkie-talkie. "This is the main gate. A suspicious person has approached. Please verify their identity." -Hold on. Buzzing- The CCTV camera turned, capturing the convulsing Yeonwoo in its lens. After the lens zoomed in and out busily, a voice came through. -He''s a person. There''s nothing abnormal. He doesn''t have anything dangerous, and he''s not part of a hostile group. "He''s a civilian." When the guard with the walkie-talkie ryed the message, the guard who fired the taser scratched his head with the taser handle. "Ah, damn. So he came here by mistake? Using memory-erasing drugs carelessly will get us in trouble." -I don''t think you need to worry about that. He''s a new recruit who was supposed toe for training today. "A new recruit?" "He''s a new recruit?" The guard who fired the taser quickly turned his head to look at Yeonwoo, who was still convulsing from the electric shock. His voice, which had been forceful, now sounded apologetic and small. "Wait. Weren''t all the new recruits already here? People from the military, the police, the National Intelligence Service, and even the fire department have arrived. And the survivor from that incident not long ago is here too." -ording to his profile, he''s also a survivor. It''s rare to have two survivors joining. Anyway, calm him down and let him in. Buzz- The guard with the walkie-talkie spoke. "They said to handle it. Since you shot him, you deal with it." "Ah, this is messed up." The guard walked over and pointed the taser at Yeonwoo. The blue snake-like electric current that had been wrapping around Yeonwoo''s body slid back into the taser. "Ugh!" "Are you okay? Are you conscious?" He grabbed Yeonwoo''s shoulders and shook him back and forth. Yeonwoo''s eyes, which had rolled back, came down and focused on the guard''s mask and sunsses. "Excuse me, I''m sorry. Are you here for the training?" "Ugh!" Yeonwoo jumped up and stumbled backward. He didn''t have time to worry about the dirt on his suit. As blood rushed to his pale face and he was about to let out a scream, the guard spoke quickly. "We''re very sorry! We have something like PTSD. Recently, there have been some suspicious people approaching in strange ways, so we''ve been on edge. We apologize again!" "..." The guard bowed at a right angle. The taser, loosely hanging from his holster, dangled. The scream that was about to burst out sank back down into Yeonwoo''s throat. The electric shock seemed to have cleared his mind. Yeonwoo thought. ''Is this a personality test? No, that can''t be. What kind ofpany electrocutes you on your first meeting?'' Still, he figured it wouldn''t look good for a new recruit to start causing trouble right away. Yeonwoo forced a smile. "Ha. Ha ha. It can happen. I also recently went through a strange test, so now even a sound with some noise scares me. It''s like how soldiers who have been to war get startled by loud noises. I understand. Of course. Ha ha ha." Heughed as he straightened the guard''s bent waist with a veiny hand. The suit, marked and smelling of burnt fabric from the electric shock, was clearly reflected in the guard''s sunsses. --- --- "Training! You''re here for the training! Let''s go before you''rete! Just go through that passage, and there''s a two-story building on the left! The training is there!" Following the guard''s awkward instructions, Yeonwoo passed through the checkpoint and saw the view of the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. On the left, there was a two-story building. On the right, a three-story building. Nothing special. The few people walking around looked ordinary. ''If I wander around too much, I''ll probably get hit with a taser again.'' Step by step- Yeonwoo headed straight to the two-story building. As soon as he entered, he saw an A4 paper stuck to the hallway wall. [New Employee Training Room] [ ---> ] Following the arrow, he arrived at the door of a small lecture room in the corner of the first floor. At the door marked with an A4 paper that read "New Employee Training Room," Yeonwoo checked his phone. 8:50 AM. He wasn''tte. Brush, brush- Dusting off dirt, Yeonwoo took a deep breath. His heart suddenly beat faster. It wouldn''t calm down. His mind was filled with both anticipation and anxiety. Could he do well? He had never really experienced social life, having lived as a civil service exam student. Then he suddenly let out a hollowugh. ''I was hit by a taser at the start, is there anything else to worry about?'' "Whew." He exhaled briefly, grabbed the handle, and opened the door. Bang- Entering through the wide-open door, he found himself at the front door. It was a small lecture room with eight desks. People who had arrived earlier were scattered and seated, catching his eye. Five people. One woman and four men. A sergeant with a short haircut, dressed in a military uniform. A young man in a police uniform. A young man in a T-shirt and jeans. A young woman neatly dressed in a suit. A man in a worn-out suit. They all put down their phones and looked at Yeonwoo, then nodded briefly in greeting. "Hello." "Hi." "Oh, hello." Yeonwoo wondered why they were all so polite but suddenly thought it made sense. They were all new colleagues. Yeonwoo also nodded to them. "Yes, hello." Then he sat in the empty seat at the front, hearing a puzzled male voice from behind. "Are you not with thepany?" "What?" A random question. Turning around while putting down his bag, Yeonwoo saw the sergeant pointing at his clothes with a curious expression. "Your clothes." Covered in dirt and burnt marks, the clothes reeked of a smoky smell. He looked like someone who had juste from a tough job site. Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. "I just joined too." "Then why are your clothes..." "I got hit by a taser at the main gate." "Oh." An awkward exmation. The gazes that had been fixed on Yeonwoo scattered. The ticking sound of people tapping their phones resumed, like the ticking of a clock. 6 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ¡®I think I¡¯ve messed up my first impression.¡¯ He was hit by a taser by a guard. There''s no way his first impression could be good. As Yeonwoo was sweating nervously, it turned 9 o''clock. At exactly 9, the front door opened and a woman entered. She had dark circles down to her cheeks and wore a suit stained with ramen broth. Dragging her slippers, she walked to the podium and casually looked at the new employees. "A lot of new recruits came. Good. The more people, the better. Everyone is dying, and we can''t replenish them."The people, who had been sitting up straight and listening attentively, rxed their postures and looked slightly bewildered. It wasn''t something the person in charge of training should say. Even as their eyes wavered like an earthquake, the woman continued speaking without regard. "No need to exin who I am. Just call me Dr. Kim. Now, let''s start with your introductions." Rustle- She ced a stack of papers on the podium and opened it. These were resumespiled by thepany. Dr. Kim skimmed through the names and backgrounds. "Some of you epted the job offer based on brief information, and we even have two survivors here. Let''s start with Lee Seoyeon. Come forward." "I prepared a PPT. What should I do with that? I couldn''t download the file due to theputer security." "Just speak." Shezily gestured for her toe forward. Lee Seoyeon, looking sharp in her suit, stepped confidently in front of the whiteboard. "I''m Lee Seoyeon. I worked at the National Intelligence Service and epted a job offer from the Humanity Protection Company. Although I don''t know much about thepany yet, the fact that it works for the safety of humanity-" "Okay, that''s enough. Just state where you worked and your name. Next. Sergeant Kang Yeol?" She cut her off without hesitation. Seoyeon awkwardly smiled and switched ces with Kang Yeol. "Hello! I was in the Special Forces-" "Yes, next. Since I mentioned your name, let''s move on." "I''m Han Changseong, formerly with the police-" "I¡¯m Song Siwoo, a former firefighter-" The introductions passed by in an instant. While the police officer in uniform and the firefighter in a T-shirt stood briefly at the front and then stepped back, Yeonwoo felt flustered. It wasn''t because of Dr. Kim''s absurd handling. ''What, they all have experience?'' And impressive credentials at that. Unlike himself, who struggled with the civil service exam. "Lee Yeonwoo?" "Oh, yes." He was called before he could finish his thoughts and stood in front of the board. Seeing his messy clothes and hair, Dr. Kim chuckled. "I heard from the head of security. Someone got hit by a taser on their first day." "Haha." Laughing it off, Dr. Kim nodded. "It''s rare to find someone who experiences two anomalies before even starting work." Anomalies. Things like the human qualification exam. Things like the blue snake-like taser gun. Those words instilled confidence in him. ''I went through the human qualification exam and passed. Anomalous experience! That''s definitely an advantage in thispany. In that aspect, I''m experienced.'' Standing tall, Yeonwoo spoke confidently. "I''m Lee Yeonwoo. I experienced an anomaly while taking my fourth civil service exam and joined thepany." The response was not good. The eyes that were interested in the word "anomaly" turned indifferent, filled with unknown disappointment and a hint of superiority as soon as they heard "fourth attempt." The confidence that had been welling up dissipated like smoke. Dr. Kim also spoke in a businesslike tone. "Okay, next. Park Sangjoon." Yeonwoo slumped his shoulders. His steps back to his seat were heavy and slow. ''Well, I''m not a veteran who has survived hundreds or thousands of anomalies. I just survived one by chance. It''s hard to call that an advantage.'' Those experienced professionals would likely pass the test too. It was true that he was significantlycking in terms of ability. Yeonwoo slumped into his chair, staring nkly as he waited for the next introduction. It was thest person''s turn. Park Sangjoon, dressed in a worn-out suit, spoke in a tight, nervous voice. "I-I also experienced the same anomaly as Lee Yeonwoo and epted the job offer. I''ll do my best!" "Great. Two survivors joining thepany. Now, what should we do next?" Dr. Kim shuffled through the documents. As Park Sangjoon descended from the podium with stiff steps, Yeonwoo, forgetting his disappointment, stared intently at his face. A clean-shaven chin, but hollow eyes. Despite his nervousness, his eyes held a desperate resolve. A face shed in his mind from the exam hall. ''A civil service exam veteran?'' Not the most aggressive one who eventually turned into a beast. The one who first reported the anomaly on the exam paper to the supervisor. As Park Sangjoon passed by, he briefly acknowledged Yeonwoo with a nce. He recognized him too. Yeonwoo nodded slightly in return. ''There''s someone like me here.'' An unspoken camaraderie formed between them, both civil service exam takers, both survivors of the same test. Thud! Meanwhile, Dr. Kim, having skimmed the documents, tossed the stack into a corner of the podium and picked up a board marker. The ck marker scratched across the whiteboard. Anomaly. "Let me exin what this is." The previously chaotic atmosphere in the lecture room shifted. The new employees straightened up and focused on Dr. Kim''s words. Yeonwoo and Park Sangjoon, who had experienced the human qualification exam, did the same. It wasn''t for show; they were genuinely curious. What is it that turns people into beasts, that defiesmon sense, that cannot scientifically exist? "It''s notplicated. It means the same as it does in the dictionary." Dr. Kim pulled out her phone and tapped on it, then read aloud as if reciting from a script. "Something different from a normal state. Unusual or different from previous experiences or knowledge. Something suspicious or unknown." As soon as she finished speaking, she pocketed her phone. That was the end of the exnation. Dr. Kim then moved the marker again, writing six characters under the word "anomaly." Humanity Protection Company. "And ourpany exists to protect humanity from such anomalies. There''s nothing more to exin. You have to experience it to understand." A puzzled expression appeared on Yeonwoo''s face. The definition of anomaly was vague. "So, if it''s just strange, it''s an anomaly?" It wasn''t just Yeonwoo; none of the new employees understood. Dr. Kim looked around at the new employees and sighed, as if she expected this. She then waved her crumpled suit and walked out of the lecture room. "Seeing and experiencing it is best. Follow me. The survivors too. I''ll show you part of what our research center does." There was a brief moment of silence. Just a brief moment. The new employees'' eyes lit up, and they stood, pushing their chairs back. The sound of chairs scraping filled the small lecture room, followed by the footsteps of the six new employees heading into the hallway. Their hurried steps led them through the hallway of the two-story building, past the main gate, and outside, ending at the three-story building. --- --- During the walk, the new employees split into two groups. Lee Seoyeon, Kang Yeol, and two other experienced employees. Lee Yeonwoo and Park Sangjoon, both from civil service exam backgrounds. Dr. Kim led the way at the center. They walked in pairs, chatting quietly. "When did you pass the police exam, Han Changseong? You look very young." "I passed right after graduating high school." "Oh, the youngest to pass? You must have been in the news." "Kang Yeol, which unit were you in-" "Lee Seoyeon, being from the National Intelligence Service, you must have been like a spy-" They were building camaraderie. Yeonwoo and Park Sangjoon, unable to join in with the others, kept their mouths shut. They walked a few steps behind and to the right, only starting to talkter. Yeonwoo spoke hesitantly. "...You survived." ¡°Fortunately, yes. Besides the people who stood up in the middle, half the people failed and turned into beasts at home, I heard.¡± "Half of them?" The conversation stopped. An awkward silence followed. Park Sangjoon clenched and unclenched his fists, ncing around at the building and at the back of the doctor pushing open the ss door of the three-story building''s main entrance. "If we''re going to see something like that test now, won''t it be dangerous?" "I don''t think they''ll show us something that dangerous... but we should be prepared." After all, working for thepany meant facing anomalies inevitably. ''This might also be a kind of test. To see how we react.'' They were hired without an interview. This might be both training and an evaluation for new employees. If they didn''t meet the standards, their employment could be canceled. Yeonwoo clenched his teeth and steeled himself. ''Ick skills. I''m older. I have no experience. I can''t show any disappointing behavior here. I must show that I fit into thepany during this training.'' As he was thinking this, they arrived at the central part of the first floor of the three-story building, in front of the stairs leading down to the basement. Bare concrete stairs. The gloomy staircase, illuminated by white incandescent lights, seemed to descend endlessly. ck, ck, ck- They descended the stairs for quite a while. Kang Yeol, without a drop of sweat on his face, nced up briefly. "It''s deep. We''ve alreadye down to the fifth basement floor. What kind of facility is this, and why don''t they have an elevator?" "It''s the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. It''s cultural." Dr. Kim, dragging her slippers, quickly descended the stairs. It seemed like she knew the stairs well, extending her steps without looking properly. Seoyeon hurried to Dr. Kim''s side, her pale face close. "What exactly is this cultural research center? I looked it up beforeing, but there wasn''t much information." Dr. Kim leaped down three steps at once. Thud! Finally, the stairs ended. A barren concrete hallway. The narrow, unfinished hallway extended long to the left and right. The nametes sparsely attached to the upper part of the walls indicatedboratories, storage rooms, and research rooms. Dr. Kim, standing in the hallway, looked up at the new employees still on the stairs. "Baekbeom Kim Gu[1] said, ''The one thing I desperately want to have is the power of high culture.'' What do you think this cultural power is?" Every time a Korean work, be it an idol, a movie, or a drama, became a trend, this saying popped up. Kang Yeol made an awkward face, not knowing the answer, while Seoyeon waited for Dr. Kim''s words like an attentive student. Han Changseong and Song Siwoo couldn''t respond either. Yeonwoo, like deciphering the intention of a test question, quickly grasped the implication in Dr. Kim''s words. "Cultural anomalies? Is this a ce that studies such things? For example." A horror movie he had seen once quickly shed through his mind. "A movie that makes youmit suicide if you watch it. A novel that drives people insane. Do they have such things here?" --- [1. raei: Uhm dunno about the statement, but in real life, ''Baekbeom Kim Gu, also known as Kim Gu or Kim Koo, was a prominent Korean nationalist and independence activist during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea.'' and Baekbeom: trantes to "white tiger" in Korean, it''s like a symbolic title.]Toggle New Ads Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 7 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here They walked through the narrow concrete hallway in the basement. Dr. Kim, leading the new employees somewhere, raised her voice with passion and academic fervor. "Culture. It drives people mad. Makes themugh, cry, feel moved, burns their passion, and even leads to death." Her enthusiastic voice echoed through the gray hallway. It felt strange. She didn''t seem like this type of person at first nce. The new employees widened their eyes and stepped back a few paces. Dr. Kim, absorbed in her own world, continued speaking rapidly."Movies, songs, idols, dances, paintings, sculptures, novels, poetry, literature, dramas, musicals. What do all these have inmon? What power does this culture hold?" "Is it about giving the audience or readers new experiences?" Seoyeon asked cautiously from behind. Dr. Kim shook her head without turning around. "No. That''s not it." She suddenly turned under the namete of the First Laboratory, looking at the new employees with wide, staring eyes. Seoyeon flinched and stopped. The following new employees also stopped. From a slight distance, her voice became sharp and high-pitched. "It''s about controlling people." "...Controlling?" Her unexpected words continued. "When people see a great work of art, they often feel simr emotions. Why? Because art controls people in that way. It controls their souls, their brains, their physical reactions." "Do you mean like crying when watching a sad movie orughing at a funny one?" Kang Yeol asked, trying hard to understand. Dr. Kim smirked. Her hand moved to the doorknob of the First Laboratory. "You''ll understand when you see it." She opened the door wide and said, "Now, you will witness the power of culture that can kill people." Dr. Kim disappeared through the open door. From a few steps away, the new employees couldn''t see whaty beyond the door. Only the bright lights of theboratory cast a square shadow on the hallway. The new employees stood frozen in ce, their faces stiff. They felt like mice facing a snake, encountering something unfamiliar. Their bodies wouldn''t move. Then, someone pushed through the crowded hallway of new employees. It was Yeonwoo from the back. He clenched his lips and strode forward. ¡®Think of this as an evaluation. Move actively and proactively. This is thepany you''ll be working for, and these are the anomalies you''ll face. Don''t be afraid. Adapt.'' Yeonwoo paused for a moment at the sight of the First Laboratory, then walked resolutely to stand beside Dr. Kim. "Let''s go in." "Did you mention the Werther effect...?" "Let''s go." Following him, the other new employees regained theirposure and hurried in. "..." "..." They were speechless at the sight of theboratory, standing in a daze. "Is the experiment ready?" "Oh, Dr. Kim. We''re about to start. Are those behind you new recruits?" "They''re here for a tour. It''s better to see once than hear a hundred times." "That''s true, but..." Vroom- Theboratory buzzed with the vibrations ofputers and unidentified machines. A researcher in a white coat sat at aputer, typing on the keyboard. The young researcher nced at the ss window. "Won''t it be tough to see something like this from the beginning? They might quit." On the left side of theboratory, arge ss window reced the wall. Behind the ss, in a containment room, a person was tightly bound against a concrete wall. Wires hung around their head, swaying, but their face was not visible. In front of their face was a tall, vertical lectern, so it wasn''t clear what was on it. "Anyone who runs away at this point won''tst long anyway." "That''s true. Well then, shall we begin?" Just as the researcher reached out to pull the microphone in front of the ss window, Han Changseong, the former police officer, raised his hand and interrupted. "Is this a human experiment? Why is that person tied up?" "It''s legallypliant. We have their consent." "You have their consent?" "Yes, so don''t worry. It''s all legal." "It''s not about worry... never mind." Deciding to observe for now, Han Changseong folded his arms and stepped back. Seoyeon started examining the equipment, while Kang Yeol stood by the door. The other new employees found their spots. Yeonwoo stood close to the ss window, watching Dr. Kim and the researcher''s demeanor. They were as businesslike as if it were a routine task. ''They''re so used to dealing with anomalies. There''s no need to be scared.'' Then, the experiment began. "We aremencing the 23rd experiment on the anomalous entity ''36 Reasons I Should Die.'' The purpose of this experiment is to analyze elements of cultural disasters and measure the changes in the entity. The subject..." The researcher holding the microphone paused briefly, nced at the new employees, and spoke softly. "The subject is a judicial trade-off. Can you hear me, subject?" -Yes, I can hear you clearly. The voice of a middle-aged man came cleanly through a small speaker. The researcher spoke while only looking at the monitor. "We will open a book for you to read. Once you finish reading, let us know, and we''ll turn the page for you." -I get that, but will you really reduce my sentence if I just read this? "Yes, of course. Let''s begin." Click- Rustle- As the researcher pressed a button, the sound of a page turning came from the high-performance speaker. Though not visible, it seemed the page had turned beyond the lectern. A moment passed, enough time to read one page. The subject spoke. -I''ve read it. But is this like a will? It''s unsettling. "Keep reading." Click- Rustle- Another page turned. This time enough time passed to read two pages. -This seems like someone else''s will. Anyway, I''ve read it. But if it''s like this, can''t you just untie me? I can turn the pages myself. "No. Just tell us, and we¡¯ll turn the pages for you. Keep reading." The new employees watched with puzzled expressions, wondering what kind of experiment this was. It didn''t seem dangerous at all. The person was simply tied up and made to read a book. For all the talk of death and anomalies, this seemed... -I''ve read it. Turn the page. "Alright. Let us know if you feel anything strange." -Just turn the page. Click- Rustle- The speaker delivered the sound with perfect rity, with no noise at all. Yet, Yeonwoo felt his eyes twitch. His mouth went dry for reasons other than PTSD, and a chilling thought clouded his mind. Dr. Kim''s words and the name of the anomalous entity. ¡®They''re experimenting with an anomaly that kills people on a human? They¡¯re really going to kill someone? For real?¡¯ He wanted to believe it wasn''t true. Yeonwoo nced at Dr. Kim and the researcher. Their faces were so ordinary. There was no sign of madness. ''It can''t be. Thispany wouldn''t do such crazy things. It''s supposed to protect humanity.'' Yeonwoo opened his palm and wiped it against his pants. The cold sweat beading on his hand was wiped away. Click- Rustle- How many times had the pages been turned? -I¡¯ve read it. Turn the page. ¡°Do you feel anything strange, any thoughtsing to mind, or anything special?¡± -No. Just turn the page. ¡°Are you sure?¡± The researcher, looking at theputer monitor, asked again. The monitor disyed an image of the person''s brain, with red warning indicators shing. -I said no. Just turn the page. The subject shook his head from side to side, causing the wires attached to the EEG device to ripple. The researcher checked the monitor''s readings several times before pressing the button. ¡°Alright, one more page then.¡± -Hurry! Click- Rustle- Not even enough time to read two pages had passed when the subject shouted. -I¡¯ve read it! Next! ¡°¡­¡± The researcher looked at the brain model, now lit up in red, and sighed quietly. He spun his chair around and stopped to face Dr. Kim. ¡°It¡¯s certain. After thest person died, another trait has been added.¡± ¡°Not only does it make people want to kill themselves by the end, but it now makes them want to keep reading. Who knows how much more it will change? We should stop the research for now.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll end today¡¯s experiment here. Continuing might kill him.¡± The researcher turned his chair back around to see the convulsing subject. -Turn the page! Hurry! Hurry! The subject struggled in his restraints, trying to move his body, bending his head toward the lectern, reaching for the book, and stretching his legs. But the restraints binding his joints and the chains connected to the wall didn¡¯t budge. His desperate voice echoed through the speakers, almost tearing them apart. -Why won¡¯t you let me see it? I told you I finished reading! Turn the page! ¡°Today¡¯s experiment ends here.¡± -Stop messing around and turn the page! I want to see it! ¡°Yes, the experiment is over. Security staff, administer the sedative and iste him.¡± ng- The sound of a heavy steel door opening could be heard through the ss. Then the rhythmic sound of boots marching in unison followed, and two men armed like the front gate guards entered the containment room. -Administering the sedative. -I¡¯ll find the key to the chains. The containment room was busy as one pulled out a syringe and the other took a key from his pocket, wrapping up the experiment. Dr. Kim, standing in the middle of the ss window, turned to face the new recruits. Their bewildered, slightly distrustful, and confused faces awaited her. Dr. Kim let her mouth droop. ¡°If the new trait was weaker, I would¡¯ve let you experience it directly. But given the situation, that¡¯s not possible.¡± ¡°¡­Is this person acting like that just from reading a book?¡± Seoyeon asked, pointing at the ss. They could see the face of the subject slumped sideways. The sedative had loosened his neck and facial muscles, but his eyes remained fixed on the lectern. The situation made no sense. ¡°He¡¯s like a drug addict,¡± Han Changseong muttered. Dr. Kim shook her head. ¡°This is the kind of anomaly we research here. Just like how culture can control people-¡± While Dr. Kim continued her exnation, Yeonwoo secretly let out a sigh of relief. ''Not all anomalies are necessarily lethal. And the experiments aren¡¯t some insane human experiments.'' Prepared safety measures. Ethical practices. The worries about how to adapt to thepany were being resolved. His heart, which had been racing, started to beat at a normal pace, and the sticky cold sweat stopped. The gentle breeze from theboratory¡¯s air conditioning felt refreshing. Just as Yeonwoo was rxing his stiff shoulders, he heard it. Rustle- The sound of a page turning. The button had not been pressed. 8 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here "...Huh?" "Now?" Dr. Kim and the researcher quickly turned their heads to look into the containment room. -Unlocking the chains. Hold him steady so he doesn''t fall. -I''m supporting him. Hurry up.One guard aimed a key at thest chain connected to the wall. The other guard supported the tightly bound subject, holding him up like a crutch. The restrained subject continued to stare at the lectern with dted pupils. As the chain was unlocked with a click and his body tilted towards the guard, his eyes remained fixed on the book. No one touched "36 Reasons I Should Die." Then, what was that sound...? "Wait-" The researcher urgently grabbed the microphone and shouted, but it was toote. The sound was heard again. Rustle- This time, even the guards heard it. They froze in their positions, looking at the chains and the subject. One asked in a low voice. -Did you turn the page? We heard the sound of a page turning. "No, we didn¡¯t! Did you touch anything on your end?" -No. We only touched the chains and the subject. "Understood! Then, first, put on your sunsses and close your eyes-" Rustle! The lectern trembled. It seemed as though the edge of a page was fluttering at the top. In an instant, it passed the corner of the book''s back cover. Someone had read the book to the end. Ssh! The subject''s face turned bright red. Blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain, and his tongue, shredded and bloody, fell out. With a bloodstained face, the subject smiled. -Heh, heh. Ugh. -F*ck! The guard supporting the subject shoved him against the wall, sitting him down. He quickly pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into the subject¡¯s mouth, holding it firmly with his fingers to prevent him from swallowing it. -We already administered the sedative! As blood soaked the handkerchief, the other guard, who had reattached the chains, asked while facing away from the lectern. -What do we do? Do we prioritize extraction or emergency treatment? The containment room turned crimson in an instant, and theboratory was filled with shock. The new employees gasped and stepped back. Yeonwoo, Park Sangjoon, and Seoyeon backed into a cab, the cold metal pressing against them. In contrast, Song Siwoo, Han Changseong, and Kang Yeol stepped forward. "I''ll handle the first aid. Where do I go?" "I''m calling 911. Why isn''t the signal getting through?" "Is there anything I can do?" But the researcher paid no attention, staring at the lectern with a pale face, biting his lip until it bled. He swallowed the blood and spoke, the metallic taste lingering on his tongue. "Proceed with emergency measures." -Understood. Turning on sunsses. Stop the bleeding. -...Yes. Click! The guard pressed a button on the side of his sunsses. Theboratory was instantly flooded with bright light. But that wasn''t all. Beep! An electronic sound red from speakers attached to the sunsses. With his sight and hearing blocked, and his mask covering smell and taste, the guard was left only with his sense of touch, standing motionless in the containment room. Dr. Kim tapped the researcher on the shoulder. "That was a timely response." "We justpleted the emergency measures. Now we need to proceed with follow-up actions." The researcher smiled wryly, typing furiously on the keyboard. He adjusted and pressed buttons on the equipment, seemingly sendingmunications somewhere. At that moment, a loud voice erupted. "What are you doing! Someone is dying!" It was Song Siwoo, the former firefighter. Squinting against the bright light, he pounded on the ss wall. The white light made it hard to see, but it looked like the abandoned subject had copsed sideways, vomiting blood. Even at this moment, the golden hour was passing. "If we start emergency treatment now, we can save him! Where do I need to go?" The researcher and Dr. Kim ignored the urgent shouts with somber expressions. The researcher spoke in a low voice. "It''s toote. We can''t save him." "No, we can save him. If we stop the bleeding and secure the airway, he can survive. It''s not toote." "It is toote. Once affected by this anomaly-" "When ites to saving lives, there''s no such thing as toote!" Bang! Song Siwoo mmed his elbow against the ss window. It didn¡¯t budge. It wasn¡¯t a material or thickness that could be broken by hand. He nced around theb with squinted eyes. "An emergency hammer or a fire axe, damn it, of course, there wouldn''t be any here. Then, anything sharp and metal-" "Here. Step aside." Kang Yeol stepped forward, holding a pair of scissors in a reverse grip. He had found them in a pencil holder cluttered with pens, knives, and awls. He tested the scissors lightly, gauging the target point. Just as he pulled his arm back to swing, "No! Stop! Don¡¯t do it!" The researcher screamed and jumped up, grabbing Kang Yeol''s arm and clinging to it. Kang Yeol''s upper body wavered slightly, but he didn¡¯t drop the scissors. "Let go. We need to save him. And we just need to avoid looking at that book, right?" "The fact that containment is broken is the problem! And you¡¯re not even wearing protective gear!" Kang Yeol hesitated. The researcher had a point. Life-saving was important, but without knowing the exact dangers inside- "Sir, please sit down for a moment?" "What? This is no time to restrain me!" "Yes, yes. Just move aside for now." It was Han Changseong. He skillfully restrained the researcher with both hands, just as he would a drunkard. He nodded his head. "What are you doing? Break the ss now." "This is why newbies...! Stop it!" Two conflictingmands. Kang Yeol hesitated. And in the end, he made a decision. He tightened his grip on the scissors. Just as the veins on his hand bulged and he was about to swing, Yeonwoo grabbed his wrist to stop him. "Wait. Listen to me." Yeonwoo thought as calmly as he could. Was it because he had experienced the human qualification exam? Despite the urgent situation, his mind was clear. His vision didn¡¯t narrow. He noticed. Dr. Kim was observing the new employees with an analytical eye. ''They''re evaluating us in this unexpected situation.'' So, what should he do? What actions would earn the highest evaluation? The answer was simple. ''Act like apany employee.'' Just like the researcher who was stopping Kang Yeol. Of course, he also didn¡¯t want to be in the same space as an anomaly that could kill people. Yeonwoo cleared his throat and began to speak. "Think about it. These people are the experts. There must be a reason they''re acting like this. And there must be a reason why they divided the rooms like this." "That¡¯s..." The resolve on Kang Yeol''s face quickly faded. He spoke with a shaky voice. "But we need to save him." "We can''t save him. He didn¡¯t just bite his tongue. He was killed by the anomaly. First aid won¡¯t work." Just as someone who fails the Human Qualification Exam bes a beast, anyone who reads "36 Reasons I Should Die" to the end will inevitably die. Based on the name of the entity, the researcher''s words, and his own experience, Yeonwoo concluded the same. Yeonwoo''s logical persuasion made Kang Yeol rx. His grip on the scissors loosened. As Yeonwoo let go and stepped back, "Damn it! I''m telling you, we can save him!" Song Siwoo jumped in, snatching the scissors. Gripping them like a hammer, he struck the corner of the ss window. The loud impact of steel on ss and the cracking sound of tempered ss shattering filled the air. The window instantly turned opaque, covered in countless fractures, breaking into tiny, sand-like fragments. It happened in a sh. "No!" The researcher screamed but was unable to break free from Han Changseong''s strong grip. Crash! With a light push, the ss window fell. It shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. Ignoring the ss shards cutting him, Song Siwoo dashed straight towards the subject. "Stop the bleeding, prevent the tongue from blocking the airway, and secure the airway to prevent suffocation from blood or the tongue." He ran, thinking of emergency procedures. He quickly closed the distance, reaching the wall of the containment room. Inevitably, he passed by the lectern and the anomaly ced on it. In that moment, he stopped dead. He stopped mid-run, ncing at the book. Did he look because he couldn''t understand what the anomaly was? Or was he trying to grasp what caused the death? Or perhaps the curious sight of the book flipping on its own like magic captured his attention? The title on the front of the book that had consumed another subject was seared into his mind like a brand. "37 Reasons I Should Die." Rustle- The page turned. He couldn''t blink. His neck and eyelids were frozen. The sentence at the center of his vision flowed into his mind through his eyes. The book was being read by a person. 9 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The broken ss window connected theboratory to the containment room. Through the open frame, they could clearly see Song Siwoo, entranced by the anomaly. He had stopped in his tracks after passing the lectern, his head turned to the side, his eyes moving left to right, up and down. Rustle¡ª the sound of a page turning echoed directly, not through the speakers. "Damn it! Why did you do something so stupid?" The researcher clutched his head, his face contorted. The change in the anomalous entity, the destruction of the containment room, and the impending death¡ªeverything was like a sharp spike piercing his brain.Han Changseong, who had restrained the researcher, and Kang Yeol, who provided the scissors, both widened their eyes. "If he stays like that, won''t he die too?" "We need to save him." They reflexively moved toward the ss-framed doorway covered in ss powder. The researcher, holding a handful of hair, red at them with bloodshot eyes. A rough, low voice slipped out. "Don''t do anything." A cold, rational glint shone briefly in his red-tinged eyes. "We can''t feed that thing more victims. It seems to gain additional traits and power the more people it consumes. If you mess up, everyone in thisb could die. Stay put until containment measures arepleted." "So... what you''re saying is..." Difficult words. Kang Yeol and Han Changseong interpreted them professionally. As if there was a dangerous criminal wielding a weapon in there, as if there was an explosive they didn¡¯t know how to disarm installed in there. They finally understood the gravity of the situation and the mistakes they had made. The weight of it was heavy. "...Understood. We''re sorry." They bowed their heads, closing their eyes tightly and turning away from Song Siwoo. Sometimes, they had to stand by and watch someone die. At that moment, Click¡ª click click¡ª The sound of a door handle turning repeatedly was heard. It was Park Sangjoon. He shook the door back and forth, almost breaking the handle, but the door didn¡¯t open even though it wasn¡¯t locked. "I need to get out. Let me out. Please, please. I''m begging you." Gripping the handle tightly, Park Sangjoon looked back and forth between Dr. Kim and the researcher. His dted pupils trembled rapidly. It seemed like his PTSD had triggered, or his mind had broken under the pressure. The researcher shook his head and addressed not only Park Sangjoon but all the new recruits. "When the ss shattered, this ce was sealed off. No one can leave until the containment team arrives." "No, no. No!" Bang, bang, bang! Park Sangjoon hit the door repeatedly, then copsed to the floor. His fist, which had been pounding the door, slid down. Kneeling in front of the door, he lowered his head, his shoulders shaking. "..." A gloomy silence settled over the room. The sharp noise from the guard''s sunsses, the sound of the researcher repeatedly typing on the keyboard and pressing buttons, the new recruits'' nervous footsteps and heavy breathing, and the sound of pages turning filled the air. "..." Yeonwoo looked at the unyielding door, the shattered window, and the anomaly driving Song Siwoo toward death. He felt like he had been doused in ice water. "Excuse me, Dr. Kim, and you, the researcher." "What is it?" The researcher replied, still staring at the monitor. Dr. Kim remained silent, continuing to observe the new recruits with an evaluating gaze. But now, evaluation wasn''t important. His survival instinct was sounding the rm. He swallowed hard. Yeonwoo looked at Song Siwoo and spoke. "Shouldn''t we save him?" Thud! The researcher mmed the keyboard in frustration. He turned his chair roughly and red at Yeonwoo with a fierce expression. His voice was even fiercer. "It won''t work. Just stay put." "No." Yeonwoo''s gaze remained fixed on the lectern. How many pages had turned earlier? Forty? The person now seemed to have turned about twenty pages. It wasn''t toote yet. "You said the anomaly gets stronger the more people it kills. If that person dies, it might be able to move on its own, or make the rest of us want to read it." The implication that they would be in danger if Song Siwoo died. A deeper silence fell. The researcher''s face turned pale. Comparing the past experiment data with the current changes, he reached a conclusion. "That''s not entirely impossible..." The new recruits took a deep breath and stepped back instinctively. But in the sealed room, there was nowhere to escape. They pressed their backs against the cab as far as possible. Only Han Changseong moved forward, crushing ss shards underfoot. "I''ll do it. Just as long as I don''t look at the book, right?" He spoke in a voice heavy with guilt and responsibility, ring at the lectern. The researcher looked up at him for a moment before shaking his head solemnly. The smell of blood still lingered from his bitten lip. Maybe the scent of blood from the subject had wafted through the broken window frame. "Cultural disasters can be avoided if you don''t perceive them. But, like the subject earlier, that person will try to keep looking at it." "Like an addict." "In the struggle, can you guarantee you won''t see it? Or can you subdue him with your eyes closed?" Han Changseong was a former firefighter, strong and fit. He wouldn''tck in strength or stamina. "..." Han Changseong turned to the researcher, his face shadowed by the white light behind him. "Even so, isn''t it safer to save him than to do nothing?" "...As long as you don''t get drawn in by the book." "Understood." He nodded, then turned and walked forward. He stepped over the broken window frame, through the path of ss shards, up to the lectern. Those left in theb watched his back intently. He stopped in front of the lectern. Han Changseong nced at Song Siwoo''s eyes. They didn''t blink. The dry, red eyes were fixed on the book, with a sense of unknown terror in the busily moving pupils. Hoo¡ª He exhaled, stretching and bending his arms, adjusting his footing. He simted how he would subdue him. In that moment, another page turned. He shut his eyes tightly and lunged forward. "Ugh!" In the darkness of closed eyes, he extended his leg to trip, twisted the arm behind the back, and pushed with his weight. He felt the sensation of the movending correctly, the buoyancy of both falling, the cushion of Song Siwoo''s body, and the dull pain of his knees hitting the floor. Crash¡ª He heard the dyed sound of bodies hitting the ground and the cries of a person trapped by the anomaly struggling. "Let go! Let go!" "Stay still!" He twisted and writhed, using all his strength to break free, his head shaking wildly. Han Changseong, eyes tightly shut, maintained his hold with all his strength. He applied his weight and held the joints. Song Siwoo''s body jerked for a while before it stilled. "Huff, huff." Had it worked? Song Siwoo was only breathing heavily, no longer struggling. Whether due to exhaustion or regaining his senses, it seemed the restraint was sessful. "Whew, if only I had handcuffs." Han Changseong, catching his breath, slightly opened his eyes. Lying face down, he wouldn''t see the book. He wanted to assess the situation. And then, he saw it. "Ah...?" Did they hit the lectern while struggling? Did Song Siwoo hit it while thrashing around? Or did it fall by itself? Thud, the book fell in front of their faces. A ck cover, a small journal, thin in thickness. The pages were filled with handwriting, like a diary. Rustle, rustle, rustle. The book''s pages turned in quick session until it reached the end. At the same time, there was a squelching sound, like chewing meat, and a strong smell of blood filled the air. Han Changseong, trembling, lifted his head. Everything in front of him was red. Song Siwoo was bleeding profusely. His gaze, which had been fixed on the book, finally found freedom and stared aimlessly into space. "Ah, ah." Conversely, Han Changseong''s gaze was drawn like a ma to the anomaly that had revealed its front cover. "38 Reasons I Should Die." Rustle¡ª The page turned, revealing the first reason. [It was a hot summer night. As Iy down to sleep, I looked at the wide-open window and thought of jumping out. I didn''t want to die, nor did I want to live. So, I jumped.] Rustle¡ª The page turned again. Han Changseong couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it. No, he couldn¡¯t look away. Eyes wide open, he read and reread the reasons someone had died. The sound of pages turning echoed in theboratory. ¡°F*ck¡­.¡± Someone cursed. Neither Han Changseong''s face nor the book could be seen. The lectern blocked them. Unfortunately, the position where they had fallen was such. But the fact that the two bodies, which had been wrestling moments ago, were now still like corpses, the intensifying smell of blood, and the spreading pool of blood beyond the lectern¡ªall of this was palpable in theboratory. Even the most oblivious person could tell something had gone terribly wrong. "Blood! There''s blood over there!" "Calm down!" The researcher waved a hand toward Park Sangjoon, who was about to panic. Pointing at theputer, the researcher spoke calmly. "We just received contact from the security office! The containment team for ''Reasons I Should Die'' will arrive in 30 minutes! We just need to hold out for 30 minutes!" ''Damn it.'' Thirty minutes. An excessively long time to endure an anomaly that kills people. It wouldn''t be surprising if everyone here died. Yeonwoo decided to prioritize his own survival. To hell with the job evaluation and everything else, surviving came first. 10 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here People were busy checking the time. They stared at the clock at the bottom of theputer screen, their wristwatches, and the time on their phones, counting each passing second. "30 minutes, 29 minutes... 28 minutes." Seoyeon, who had been sitting quietly as if dead, looked at her phone and counted the remaining time. The stopwatch she had started as soon as she heard there were 30 minutes left was ticking quickly. It didn''t provide anyfort. Time passed the same for everyone. Seoyeon nced at the lectern. Rustle, rustle, rustle.As the time for the containment team to arrive drew nearer, the pages of the book continued to turn, one after another. At that moment. Bang¡ª Yeonwoo suddenly threw open a cab. It was filled with mysterious files. He began pulling them out inrge handfuls and tossing them haphazardly onto the floor like trash. "What are you doing? Those files were all organized! Put them back!" The researcher, who had turned his eyes from theputer, approached in a panic, extending his arm before he reached Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo threw the files forcefully before the researcher could grab him. Yellowed papers fluttered through the air as the researcher frantically tried to catch them. "No! Stop that!" Themotion drew all eyes from the clocks to Yeonwoo and the researcher. They looked at him as if he were mad. Yeonwoo didn''t care and continued to throw the documents wildly. "Calm down. We just have to wait 26 more minutes." Kang Yeol approached Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo threw a bundle of files at him too. Kang Yeol swatted it away, the files exploding like a bomb. The once tidy floor was now scattered with papers. Over this mess, Yeonwoo''s voice rang out. "How many pages has he read? 20? 30?" "...About that many." "25 pages." Seoyeon, who had been counting the time with her eyes and listening to the sound of turning pages with her ears, added. "How much time is left?" "25 minutes... Ah, now 24 minutes." "So what will we do after he dies? There will be about 20 minutes left. Are we just going to sit here, counting the time?" Yeonwoo spoke as he emptied the cab. He tossed the documents on the floor, pulled out the shelf brackets, and leaned them against the wall. He never turned his body towards the lectern. "That thing came down from the lectern by itself. What do you think will happen if it consumes that person too? Won''t it be able to reach us here?" Crack! He pulled out thest shelf bracket with enough force to nearly break it. Yeonwoo threw the bracket to the floor, panting as he removed his suit jacket and loosened his tie. He took a final look at the others. Whether he got fired or they were killed by the anomaly, he might never see their faces again. Seoyeon, who had been calcting something on her fingers, widened her eyes. "Roughly 4 pages per minute? In that case... two more people could die. Maybe three." "Exactly. I don''t want to die, so I''m doing this. You should all find your own way to survive." That was all he had to say to people he met for the first time today. Yeonwoo wrapped his loosened tie around his eyes. That wasn¡¯t enough, so he draped his suit jacket over his head and tied the ends together. Then, he blindly reached out, felt the empty cab, and crawled inside. Yeonwoo squeezed himself into the cramped cab. His muffled voice came through the fabric of his suit jacket. "Close the door and lock it, please." After a brief moment, there was a creak as the cab door closed. Click, the lock was fastened. Whoosh¡ª Yeonwoo exhaled a hot breath. The warmth and moisture from his breath filled the space inside the tie and the suit jacket covering his face. It was hot and suffocating. However, this was the best method he could think of. If he wanted to survive, he had to endure. In the narrow, dark cab, Yeonwoo, his head wrapped, closed his eyes. He could hear the sound of his pounding heartbeat. He breathed calmly and regrly. --- --- Thump, thump¡ª A narrow, dark, hot, and quiet world. He couldn¡¯t tell how much time had passed. It felt like ten minutes, maybe five. Perhaps twenty? It felt like he had been trapped for an incredibly long time. Maybe only three minutes had passed. Yeonwoo shifted his body. His legs were numb, so he changed his position. His sweat-soaked clothes clung to his skin. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Breathing deeply only made his throat feel tighter. The smell of burnt fabric from his suit jacket was suffocating. It felt like he would suffocate to death. ¡®Containment team? Anyway, I have to stay like this until someone opens the door. Endure.¡¯ Yeonwoo imagined ice or iced Americano, or shaved ice, gritting his teeth. If he couldn¡¯t endure, he would really die. Then, distant sounds reached him. Muffled by the tie, suit jacket, and cab, the sounds from outside were fragmented. ¡°Tha¨€¨€ ey¨€¨€ cov¨€¨€, hol¨€ hi¨€ han¨€?¡± ¡°Goo¨€¨€ ¨€ssessm¨€¨€.¡± It sounded like multiple people murmuring. ¡®Has the containment team arrived? Has it already been 30 minutes? I hope so.¡¯ His calves and thighs were numb, and his back, shoulders, and neck were aching. Even changing positions didn¡¯t relieve the persistent pain. The stifling heat and sticky sweat made it even worse. ¡®Should I loosen this a bit? No, I can¡¯t. Endure. Who knows what could happen.¡¯ In the warm, suffocating cab, Yeonwoo moved his body to find a cooler spot. Then someone shouted loudly. ¡°¨€¨€ mov¨€¨€! Kee¨€ han¨€ hol¨€¨€!¡± ¡°¨€!¡± After a shout, there was silence. Yeonwoo tensed up, feeling his heart pound. ¡®What was that? Did the containment team arrive? Or¡­¡¯ Had someone fallen victim to the anomaly? He licked his lips and swallowed. His tongue tasted salty from the sweat. He couldn¡¯t afford to feel difort; all his senses were focused outward. He strained to hear what was happening in theb. Huff, huff¡ª His own hot breaths. ¡°¡­¡± Other than that, there was no sound. Not even the sound of pages turning. He couldn¡¯t see anything with his head wrapped. An ominous imagination unfolded freely on the ck canvas of his mind. ¡®Damn it. What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Had the containment team arrived? Had they cleaned up and left him behind? Or had the anomaly killed everyone? Or had another ident urred? Uncertainty. Anxiety. Fear. He wanted to untie himself and peek through the cab¡¯s thin venttion slits. Yeonwoo¡¯s hand reached the knot tying his suit jacket. ¡®¡­No. Endure. Not yet.¡¯ He forced his hand down. To clear his mind, he banged the metal door of the cab. The pain from his fingertips grounded him. He tried to think calmly with his overheated head. ¡®If the containment team had arrived, they would have taken me out. If someone was attacked by the anomaly, there would still be 20 minutes left. That means I¡¯ve only been in here for three minutes.¡¯ There was still a long way to go. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± He exhaled to expel his thoughts, suffocation, anxiety, and irritation, emptying his mind. He perked up his ears to catch even the faintest sound. If someone else fell victim, it meant ten minutes had passed. ¡®Come to think of it, if two people are sacrificed, we might be able tost until the containment team arrives¡ªno. Don¡¯t think like that. I don¡¯t know how dangerous it could get.¡¯ His vision was blind, and his hearing was half gone. In the dark, stifling world, his thoughts jumped without context. ¡®The new employee evaluation is probably ruined. I moved to save myself. Would I get fired?¡¯ He shivered with worry, recalling Dr. Kim''s evaluating gaze. ¡®But survivales first. Even if others die. I can¡¯t die in their ce.¡¯ The faces of the three fellow new employees he met today shed in his mind, and he shook his head to clear them away. Seoyeon''s pale face, Kang Yeol''s unmistakably soldier-like face, Park Sangjoon''s face, still marked by his years as a civil service exam veteran. Then, the faces of Han Changseong and Song Siwoo, who had died, also appeared. ¡®¡­They¡¯re dead. Killed by the anomaly.¡¯ Strange things. Dangerous things. He would inevitably face them if he worked at thispany. ¡°Do¨€t! St¨€¨€ sti¨€¨€!¡± ¡°Let go¨€¨€ not go¨€¨€!¡± ¡°Let go! I nee¨€ to se¨€! I ha¨€ to!¡± Shouts. Thud¡ª Startled, Yeonwoo twisted his body. He moved his head, pressing his ear against the cab door. Through the suit and tie, he could hear voices. ¡°Mr. Park! Sto¨€¨€! Let go¨€ ¨€tay sti¨€¨€!¡± ¡°Hol¨€ on! Don¡¯t le¨€ go!¡± Someone had fallen victim to the anomaly. Even with the fragmented sound, the situation was clear to Yeonwoo. He thought, ''Is there only 10 minutes left?'' Thump, thump¡ª Using his rapid heartbeat as a clock, he counted the time. About one minute for every hundred heartbeats. ''One, two, three... fifty-seven... eighty-nine... one hundred. One minute.'' ¡°Toot¨€¨€! Let go¨€¨€!¡± ¡°F¨€¨€ it! We ca¨€ sa¨€ him!¡± ''One, two, three... one hundred. Two minutes.'' "Gi¨€¨€ up! Think ¨€¨€ ou¨€ sur¨€¨€ !" ''...Three minutes... four minutes... five minutes.'' ¡°Move in! Move in!¡± ¡°They¡¯¨€ her¨€!¡± ¡°Confirm¨€¨€ entit¨€¨€! Check¨€¨€ injuries!¡± The first time he heard this booming voice, it pierced through theyers of fabric and hit his eardrums. Yeonwoo was sure. The containment team had arrived. "Anom¨€¨€ confirm¨€¨€! Injure¨€ stabil¨€¨€! Sedati¨€¨€ inject¨€¨€! No effec¨€! All Cle¨€¨€!¡± The sound of reports continued for a moment. With a jolt, the cab door opened. Cool air hit his skin. Still cautious, Yeonwoo, his head wrapped, spoke loudly. "Is it over?" "It''s over. You cane out now." Yeonwoo hurriedly moved his hands to the knot in his suit jacket. In his haste, it wouldn''t untie easily. His fingers fumbled over the tightly bound knot. Finally, he yanked the suit jacket off over his head like a helmet. The same went for the tightly tied tie. He endured the scraping pain and pulled it over his head. His face stung, but he finally managed to throw the tie aside. "Ahhh!" He felt relieved. He felt like he could live. Yeonwoo limped out of the cab, his legs numb. Under the white lights, he saw the chaotic state of theb. The new employees in disarray, the doctor, the researcher, the guards with their sunsses, and the members of the containment team wearing even more advanced gear. 11 - Training TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo stood awkwardly, unbuttoning a couple of buttons on his shirt as he looked around theb. A gentle breeze from the air conditioning circted in theb. It looked like a storm had hit, with documents strewn all over the floor. Papers covered inplex terms, graphs, and tables were crumpled and trampled, leaving footprints behind. The people standing there were as disheveled as theb itself. Thud¡ªSeoyeon copsed onto the floor. She held her tie and suit jacket, crumpled in one hand, much like Yeonwoo. Her once neatly styled hair was now sticking out in all directions, indicating she had worn her clothes inside out. It wasn¡¯t just Seoyeon. Dr. Kim had taken off his suit jacket, Kang Yeol had removed his military jacket, and the researcher was holding his rolled-up white coat. Seoyeon spoke in a tone of admiration. ¡°Wow. It¡¯s over.¡± She looked up at the containment team member with shining eyes. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over. It¡¯s safe now.¡± There was only one member of the containment team. He wore a ck helmet covered with small cameras, and the enhanced reality disy on the visor flickered blue and red. His body waspletely covered in thick ck protective gear, leaving no skin exposed. In his gloved hands, he held a small diary and a taser gun, which had already been used as it no longer emitted blue sparks. It was clear who the taser had been used on. ¡°Ugh! Argh! Agh!¡± Park Sangjoony on the documents, trembling as the blue snake wrapped around him. He had been affected by the anomaly, desperately trying to keep reading the book. He was foaming at the mouth. ¡°Retrieve!¡± The containment team member bent down and pressed the taser gun to Park Sangjoon''s forehead. The blue snake swiftly returned to the taser gun. Sparks flew from the taser. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Park Sangjoon went limp, staring nkly at the sparks. He seemed to have been given a sedative, unable to move even a finger. He drooled, breathing heavily. Two guards lifted Park Sangjoon. Wearing sunsses, they nked him and dragged him out of theb. ¡°We¡¯ll take him to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Swish¡ª Dr. Kim draped his crumpled suit jacket over his shoulders. Then, he extended his hand to the containment team member. ¡°Let me see that.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The anomaly. It¡¯s been subdued, so I want to show it to the new recruits.¡± Without a word, the containment team member handed over the small diary. Dr. Kim propped it up so the new recruits could see it. The sentence on the cover was visible to all. ¡°39 Reasons I Should Die¡­¡± Seoyeon read it aloud as if entranced. Kang Yeol flinched, looked up at the ceiling, and moved towards the door. Yeonwoo instinctively closed his eyes, then opened them again. ''They said it¡¯s subdued.'' But his body couldn¡¯t help but twitch as if having a seizure. Rustle¡ª The sound of a page turning was clear and distinct, causing Yeonwoo to step back involuntarily. His foot hit the cab. The sweat he had poured out earlier dried, sending a chill crawling up his skin. Dr. Kim, who had turned the cover, spoke. ¡°Read it. It¡¯s safe now.¡± After a brief breath, he read the handwritten sentences aloud. A question mark formed in his mind. [It was a hot summer night. Then suddenly, a ninja appeared! ¡°Domo. Nice to meet you. Ninja desu.¡±] ¡°Ninja?¡± The word, which had been circting in his mind, slipped out of his mouth. The fear and surprise were gone. Seoyeon and Kang Yeol, with puzzled expressions, turned their gaze to Dr. Kim. Dr. Kim continued in an exnatory tone. ¡°Not all anomalies are hostile to humans. Some anomalies, like this ¡®And then suddenly a ninja!¡¯ actually help thepany.¡± ¡°This sentence is an anomaly?¡± Kang Yeol asked, his face showing his confusion. Dr. Kim nodded slightly. "You can think of it as an information lifeform. It moves from medium to medium¡ªwhether text, images, or videos¡ªand alters their content. With this characteristic, it can neutralize other cultural disasters." "That''s fascinating." Seoyeon''s eyes sparkled as she read the sentences repeatedly. Yeonwoo, reading the bizarre text about the ninja, suddenly had a thought. ''Anomalies that harm humans. Anomalies that help humans. Then what about people?'' Would all humans agree with thepany''s ideology? Wouldn''t there be people with opposing views? What about those whose interests conflict with thepany''s? A possibility shed through his mind, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. Yeonwoo looked at Dr. Kim with trembling eyes and asked, "Is thispany the only group dealing with these anomalies?" "You''re sharp. I like that. I''ve been observing you, and you''re excellent. That keen perception and survival instinct are the most important qualities in an employee." "...So there are others." The implication was simple. Thepany wasn''t just dealing with anomalies. Yeonwoo''s face hardened. As Dr. Kim continued speaking, his expression grew darker. "The world you knew already had all sorts of people. A world with anomalies adds even moreplexity. There are groups that want to show anomalies like this diary to many people...." Dr. Kim''s voice carried a hint of irritation. It was brief. Dr. Kim''s eyes returned to the new employees. He looked at Seoyeon, Kang Yeol, and Yeonwoo one by one and said, "Humanity Protection Company. Protect humanity from anomalies. That includes threats from groups rted to anomalies. Considering that, what you experienced today might be nothing. So let me ask you now." His voice was serious and heavy. The new recruits focused and awaited Dr. Kim''s question. Dr. Kim asked, "Do you want to join thepany?" "Yes, I will!" It was Seoyeon. She responded immediately, nodding eagerly like a boy who had just seen a robot. Kang Yeol answered briefly, like a soldier. "I will join." Dr. Kim''s gaze turned to Yeonwoo. He closed his eyes, lost in thought. This was a crossroads that would determine the rest of his life. ¡®I don¡¯t really care about ideology or beliefs.¡¯ He simply weighed the risks and benefits. ¡®If I join.¡¯ The benefits were straightforward: a job. Employment. The risks were also simple: anomalies. Hostile groups. ¡®If I don¡¯t join.¡¯ His livelihood was at risk. Preparing to take the civil service exam again would mean losing a significant amount of time already spent on thispany. He had already forgotten some of the material. He could live a rtively safe life, not connected to anomalies, but... ¡®The dangers of anomalies and abnormal phenomena have always been there, even if I didn¡¯t know about them. Think about the Human Qualification Exam. It¡¯s better to know and deal with them. Besides, workce idents and hazards exist everywhere, not just in thispany.¡¯ Yeonwoo opened his eyes. In front of the shattered window stood Dr. Kim and the researcher, with the containment team member waiting nearby. The diary had been returned to him, and it was closed in his hand. ¡®Today¡¯s incident was actually manageable. Even though there was an ident, everyone from thepany survived.¡¯ It''s dangerous, but not excessively so. It''s a doable job. His mind was made up. "If you''re having trouble deciding, take your time. The training isn''t over yet. Just let us know by thest day of training¡ª" "No. I will join too." Yeonwoo said. Dr. Kim smiled. ¡°Good. New employees with experience in anomalies can always pull their weight. I¡¯m d the three of you are joining.¡± p! Dr. Kim pped his hands and left theb. The new employees followed him, listening intently to his words. ¡°Today''s remaining schedule will be canceled. You¡¯ve experienced an unexpected situation firsthand, so there¡¯s no need to learn anything more today. I¡¯ll guide you to your amodations. Take the rest of the time to rest.¡± --- --- The dormitory was on the second floor of a two-story building. It resembled a military barracks, with two empty eight-person rooms. Kang Yeol and Yeonwoo shared one room, and Seoyeon had the other to herself. "You can unpack and rest here. You can wander around near this building, and for dinner... it''s already past lunchtime. Go downstairs to the first floor for dinner at six." After guiding the three new recruits to their dormitory, Dr. Kim turned around. Having roughly finished the orientation, it was time to return to his main duties. He left the two-story building and went up to the third floor of the three-story building. In the middle of the third-floor hallway was the director''s office. Click¡ª Dr. Kim entered without knocking. The director''s office was empty. He walked slowly and sat in the chairbeled with the director''s namete. When he leaned back, the soft chair sank deeply. "The incident report will be written by the researcher, so I''ll just write the new employee evaluations." He tapped the mouse. The monitor lit up as theputer woke from sleep mode. He opened the new employee evaluation document and ced his hand absentmindedly on the keyboard. Knock, knock¡ª "Come in." "Yes, Director. About Park Sangjoon¡ª" "Call me Dr. Kim. I don''t like being called Director." The medical staff member from the infirmary gulped before continuing. "Yes, Dr. Kim. Park Sangjoon has regained consciousness and wants to go home. We administered more sedatives, but what should we do?" "Administer the memory-erasing drug and send him off. Forcing someone to work who doesn''t want to will only cause idents." Rattle, click¡ª Dr. Kim coldly erased Park Sangjoon''s entry from the new employee evaluation. He deleted two more names: Han Changseong and Song Siwoo. After muttering the two names to himself, Dr. Kim picked up the internal phone and gestured dismissively at the medical staff. "That will be all. You may go." "Yes!" The medical staff hurried out. Dr. Kim dialed a number and started a call. "Make sure the deaths of the two new employees are handled discreetly with the cooperation of the Korean branch. Both were promising civil servants, so there should be no suspicion." The call ended, and he made another. "Head of Security. What''s the status of the Free Artists'' Association? There have been a lot of suspicious approachestely. Oh, they''re all just misguided civilians? Does that make sense? Understood, for now." After several calls, the work was roughly finished. Dr. Kim turned back to the monitor. The cursor was on Seoyeon''s entry. After a moment, he typed out her evaluation. He also determined her future role. Seoyeon would go to the administrative office, Kang Yeol to the security office. His hands, which had been moving smoothly, stopped when they reached Yeonwoo''s entry. Unlike the other two, who would work at the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center, Yeonwoo was different. "The Korean branch''s anomaly investigation team wants to take him¡­." Recognizing Yeonwoo''s strong survival instincts and keen perception, the Korean branch had already decided to recruit him. Although he was a promising talent, the research center, a mere subdivision under the Korean branch, had no say. They could only finish his orientation and send him off. "Indeed, he''s more suited to the anomaly investigation team than a research center." When an incident suspected to be caused by anomalies urred, the anomaly investigation team was the first to respond. It was no exaggeration to say that Yeonwoo, with his exceptional survival instincts, had already adapted to the department. 12 - Operation Art Retrieval TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The training period passed quickly. Yeonwoo wandered through the administrative and security offices of the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center, experiencing the atmosphere on site, and sometimes listened to Dr. Kim''s unenthusiastic lectures. Examples and ssifications of abnormalities, dangers, hostile groups active in Korea, and so on... Thus, six days had already passed. The training would end tomorrow.Having finished their schedule, Yeonwoo and Kang Yeol sat on their beds, packing their belongings. They stuffed clothes and daily necessities into their bags so they could leave immediately the next day. Chuk, chuk¡ª While Kang Yeol was folding towels into neat bricks, he suddenly spoke. ¡°I can''t believe the training is already over. It doesn''t feel real.¡± ¡°Indeed. It feels like the incident happened just yesterday.¡± Yeonwoo crammed a short-sleeved T-shirt into his bag. His hands were trembling. It hadn''t even been a full week. The metallic smell of blood and the eerie sound of pages turning in the strange diary were still vivid. ¡°...¡± Perhaps because they were recalling the horrors, the conversation didn''t continue. For a moment, only the sound of packing in silence filled the room. Knock, knock¡ª Someone knocked on the door, then unexpectedly, a pale face peeked through the slightly open door. ¡°Are you guys still up?¡± ¡°Seoyeon? What''s going on?" Kang Yeol checked the clock on the wall and asked. It was 11 PM, after all schedules werepleted and everyone had settled in. Wearingfortable training clothes and with her hair tied back, Seoyeon smiled bashfully, peeked down the hallway, and then quickly stepped into the room. Rustle¡ª She was holding something tightly in her arms. "Didn¡¯t they tell us not to bring that?" While Kang Yeol spoke with wide eyes, Yeonwoo gulped. Therge bag of snacks and a bottle of soju, the size of an ion drink bottle, glistened under the fluorescent light. In the next moment, Yeonwoo dug into his bag full of packed items and pulled out a tumbler. Seoyeon, ring at Kang Yeol, sat on the empty bed. She raised the snacks and soju she was holding in both hands up to her face and shook them. ¡°So, you''re not going to drink? It''s thest night of training? I''ve been saving this for today.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I''ll drink.¡± ¡°Here, take this.¡± She unscrewed the cap of the soju bottle and poured it into Yeonwoo''s tumbler. Glug, glug¡ª the characteristic smell of alcohol from soju wafted through the air. Then, the bottle, now about a third empty, was offered to Kang Yeol. ¡°Are you really not going to drink? If you don''t want to, then fine.¡± ¡°No, I''ll drink.¡± While Kang Yeol''s cup was being filled, Yeonwoo opened the snacks. With a rip, the bag of shrimp crackers was torn open. Seoyeon yfullymented. ¡°Look at you two, not even considering me. Fine, I''ll pour my own drink.¡± ¡°No, it''s just that¡­¡± ¡°Toote, cheers, cheers.¡± ¡°Cheers.¡± With joyful shouts, the different tumblers clinked together and then separated. The tumblers returned to each person''s lips. After a swallow, they let out groans. ¡°Ah. It''s sweet.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± All three simultaneously reached for the snacks and crunched on them. As they chewed and swallowed, conversations about their futurepany lives started flowing out along with the smell of alcohol. ¡°Kang Yeol, you''re going to security, right? I''m jealous.¡± ¡°I was selected because of my experience.¡± ¡°Still. I wanted to do something like that too. I only did administrative work at my desk in the National Intelligence Service.¡± Seoyeon tilted her ss and took another sip of soju. Her eyebrows furrowed, likely from the taste. ¡°I came to thepany wanting to do something special. But now it''s the same old administrative track. I''ll be sitting in a chair, typing on a keyboard.¡± Then she gulped down the soju. Yeonwoo, munching on shrimp crackers, secretly shook his head. What a luxury. A desk job was actually better. Besides, drinking like that, she would get drunk quickly... Sure enough, Seoyeon''s eyes were already zed over. Her drunken pupils focused on Yeonwoo. ¡°Yeonwoo, I''m envious of you too. You''re going to the Korean branch, right? And you''re joining investigation, which sounds so cool.¡± ¡°Well, I don''t really know what the department does¡­.¡± ¡°Still, it must be more interesting than my position. The name itself sounds like you''ll encounter all sorts of abnormalities.¡± Yeonwoo fiddled with his tumbler and replied softly. ¡°What''s so good about encountering those? We saw the other two die.¡± ¡°Ah. That''s true¡­.¡± A brief silence. Seoyeon raised her ss without a word. Her voice, now drunken, followed. ¡°To Han Changseong and Song Siwoo, who acted to save lives.¡± Clink. With each sip, a toast followed. ¡°To ourpany lives!¡± Kang Yeol shouted. ¡°May ourpany life be safe and peaceful, without any major incidents.¡± Yeonwoo wished. As the three tumblers clinked again. Click-! A strange sound echoed. It was like the sharp shing of stic rods, yet oddly familiar. The new employees stopped, their tumblers halfway to their mouths, and exchanged puzzled nces. Yeonwoo spoke suspiciously. ¡°Didn''t you hear something just now?¡± ¡°I heard it too. It wasn''t the sound of sses clinking.¡± ¡°It sounded like a te being struck. Like the ones they use in movies or dramas.¡± At that moment. The door burst open. The three newbies hurried to hide their tumblers, but in their haste, the remaining soju spilled, filling the room with a strong alcohol smell. Soju pooled on the floor, and a slipper stepped into the puddle. It was Dr. Kim''s slipper. He looked down at the drunken Seoyeon. She awkwardly smiled with her flushed face. ¡°Ah, well, I brought the alcohol, and I suggested we drink¡­.¡± ¡°Everyone.¡± He cut her off. Dr. Kim waved his hands, making a strange expression. ¡°To celebratepleting the training safely, a performance has been prepared. Let''s go watch it.¡± ¡°Now? At this hour?¡± Yeonwoo nced at the window without thinking. The clock beside it was nearing midnight, and outside was pitch dark. It was the dead of night in the mountain valley, with not even a streetlight in sight, and no moonlight. Yeonwoo felt something was wrong. Yet his body moved on its own. p, p p, p p p, hands pped. Their mouths opened spontaneously, adding to the apuse. ¡°That sounds great! Let¡¯s go see it!¡± ¡°Let''s go!¡± ¡°Wow! Leonardo da Seoul, the legendary singer who can move people to tears with just one song! We have to hear this!¡± The name, which none of them knew and Dr. Kim hadn''t mentioned, slipped naturally from their lips. It wasn''t just their mouths. Clunk- creak- Their feet moved on their own, slipping into slippers, their bodies getting off the beds withoutmand. As if pulled by invisible strings, their legs stiffly marched. Yeonwoo''s eyes trembled violently. He tried to speak, but his mouth wouldn''t move. --- --- ¡°Ready!¡± Click-! ¡°Action!¡± 0. Opening Subtitle: Art must be free. Especially if it is art that moves the world. - Free Artists Association 1. Jungangol Station / Night The moonlight shines brightly on the station sign, illuminating Leonardo and the director below. The director raises a fist. Director: Art must be free! Down with thepanies that oppress art with their nonsense! Down with thepanies that censor, lock away in storage, let gather dust, and sometimes even destroy art! Leonardo: (annoyed) Mister, let''s just finish this quickly and leave. Leonardo tapped the guitar case slung over his back. The director''s clenched fist trembled, and he pounded his chest. Director: (self-absorbed) It was a tough journey! How hard it was to find the warehouse of thepany that only collects art that moves the world! How long it took to find this small country, and then this research institute! The journey that roamed the world, producing dozens of scripts! Leonardo: (irritated) Oh, cut it out already. Leonardo turned and headed alone towards the mountain path leading to the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. The director red at his back and slowly followed. The two faded into the distance across the path. The title ''Operation Art Retrieval'' appeared. --- --- ¡°Cut!¡± At that word, the moonlight, which had been shining like a spotlight, disappeared. The mountain path instantly plunged into darkness, with nothing visible ahead. Leonardo and the director, who had been walking fine, came to a stop. ¡°Mister, let''s resume filming? We can''t even find the path like this.¡± ¡°No! This kind of scene isn''t needed in the ''Operation Art Retrieval''! It''s dull, boring, and meaningless!¡± ¡°Fine, fine, no need to yell. What if thepany guys hear us?¡± Despite being cautious enough not to turn on their phones, here they were, shouting. Adjusting his guitar case, Leonardo carefully stepped forward, whispering hisints. ¡°But why today of all days? It''s hard to walk with no moon.¡± ¡°If you watch my work, ''Operation Baekbeom Cultural Research Center Espionage,'' you''ll understand. It took a really long time, and it''s also amazing¡ª¡± ¡°Enough. I''m not watching it.¡± As they conversed, they somehow approached the Cultural Research Center. In the near distance, two buildings with lights spilling out from their windows came into view. Shadows seemed to be visible at the main gate, shrouded in the hazy darkness. The two hid behind a tree and peeked out. ¡°What now? You said all I had to do was perform.¡± ¡°Ready.¡± With a burning voice and eyes, the director muttered as he stared at the research institute building. Immediately after. Click-! The sound of a te pping came from somewhere in the air, and the director gave the cue. ¡°Action.¡± --- --- 2. Baekbeom Cultural Research Center Main Gate / Night A moonless night. Two security guards on night duty chatted away. Then footsteps were heard, and Guard 1 turned his head to look beyond the path. Guard 1: I just heard something strange. Is someoneing? Guard 2: Who woulde at this hour? If anyonees, they''re an enemy. Guard 1: Right? Let''s be on guard, just in case. Guard 1 gripped a taser, and Guard 2 brought a radio to his mouth, fixing his gaze on the path. A shadowed figure gradually approached from the dark path. A finger hovered over the radio''s transmit button. Leonardo: Good evening. I''m Leonardo da Seoul, invited to perform tonight! Leonardo smiled brightly and bowed. The guards lowered their radio and taser. Guard 2: Wow! Leonardo da Seoul! I''m a fan! I''ve always wanted to see you live! Guard 1: It''s Leonardo da Seoul, whose performances make you lose track of time! We can''t check him; we must let him through! Guard 1 opened the iron gate. Leonardo passed through and entered the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. Passing the guards, Leonardo stopped. Leonardo pped his hands. Leonardo: Right! I have one favor to ask. Guard 2: Ask anything! What can we do for you? Leonardo: (pointing somewhere) See that empty space between the two buildings? The guards turned their heads. Between a three-story building and a two-story building was an empty lot. The moonlight acted as a spotlight, shining down in a circr beam. Leonardo smiled contentedly. Leonardo: Since I''ll be performing there, gather everyone in the research institute. Don''t leave anyone out. Guard 2: Yes! We''ll move right away! Guard 1: A performance by Leonardo da Seoul! No one can resist that! Everyone will be excited toe out! The two guards ran to the three-story and two-story buildings, respectively. Leonardo walked to the empty lot. Standing at the center of the moonlight, he waited for the audience. His head bobbed, and he hummed a cheerful tune. 13 - Operation Art Retrieval TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here 3. Second Floor Dormitory Hallway / Night People were rushing out into the hallway, their faces bright with excitement. They walked quickly, almost running, eagerly anticipating the performance. Researcher 1: I can''t believe I get to see a performance by Leonardo da Seoul! Researcher 2: This is such a lucky break! I need to get down there early to grab a good spot! Dr. Kim, looking displeased, pushed his way through the crowd in the opposite direction. His facial muscles twitched in irritation, and his hands moved restlessly.He stopped in front of the door where the new employees were staying. His body creaked as he moved. --- --- ¡°Cut! How dare you try to refuse the scenario! That¡¯s not allowed! Actors should stick to their roles! Ready!¡± Click! ¡°Action!¡± --- --- 4. Male New Employees'' Dormitory / Night The dormitory had more empty beds than upied ones. The three new employees were sitting on the beds, sharing drinks when they suddenly stopped. New Employee 1: Didn''t you hear something just now? New Employee 2: I heard it too. It wasn''t the sound of sses clinking. New Employee 3: It sounded like a te being struck. Like the ones they use in movies or dramas. Just then, the door opened. The new employees hastily moved, causing the soju to spill onto the floor. Standing in the spilled soju was Dr. Kim, looking down at New Employee 3. New Employee 3: (awkwardly smiling) Ah, well, I brought the alcohol, and I suggested we drink¡­. Dr. Kim: (firmly) Everyone. Dr. Kim kept moving his hands and making weird facial expressions, but actions outside the script were impossible. Dr. Kim: To celebratepleting the training safely, a performance has been arranged. Let¡¯s go see it. New Employee 1: (confused) Now? At this hour? New Employee 1 nced at the clock by the window, which read 11:20 PM. The new employees began pping. New Employee 3: That sounds great! Let¡¯s go see it! New Employee 2: Let¡¯s go! New Employee 1: Wow! Leonardo da Seoul, the legendary singer who can move people to tears with just one song! We have to hear this! Kim and the new employees cheerfully left the room. --- --- ¡°Cut! ¡­What is this? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d spend this much screen time on extras. Is something interfering? No, I would have noticed if that were the case.¡± --- --- As soon as they left the room, the unknown force weakened. Their legs continued moving on their own down the stairs, but their hands and mouths were free. Yeonwoo grabbed the handrail with his hand, which was scraped as he was dragged down the stairs. He urgently spoke to Kim. ¡°Dr. Kim. What is going on? Is this some sort of exercise or training?¡± ¡°No. We are under attack.¡± Kim spoke tly, his mind focused elsewhere. Using the brief moment of regained freedom, he quickly typed on his phone. Using his authority as the director of the research center, he essed the institute¡¯s management system. As the scene transitioned, he made steady progress, finally reaching the point where he could execute the emergency containment protocol. Arge red button filled his phone screen. Kang Yeol, seeing this, calmly asked. ¡°Who is attacking us, and how? What should we do?¡± ¡°The confirmed intruder is the director from the Free Artists Association. His anomalous entity name is ¡®Director.¡¯ He has limited reality maniption abilities¡ª¡± As he spoke, his fingers pressed and released the red button. Although the immediate surroundings didn¡¯t change, the spaces containing anomalies were now secured with iron bars. The final containment measure, the release of ¡®Suddenly, a Ninja Appeared,¡¯ was activated, giving the ninja freedom. In the meantime, they exited the building and reached the open space. Then, they heard a sound. Click! --- --- 4. Open Area / Night with a Bright Moon The research center staff gathered in the open area, murmuring excitedly. They were looking forward, their eyes sparkling, and jumping in ce with anticipation. Researcher 3: Look over there! It¡¯s Leonardo da Seoul! Security Guard 3: I can¡¯t believe this day hase! I¡¯m so happy! Standing at the center of the bright moonlight, Leonardo opened his previously closed eyes. The people who met his gaze shrieked. Leonardo ced his hand on his guitar. Leonardo: Is everyone here? No one left out? All Researchers: (very loudly) Yes! Leonardo: Ladies and gentlemen, I am Leonardo da Seoul from Seoul. All Researchers: Wo! Leonardo: Before we start the performance, let me give you some instructions. Leonardo pointed to Security Guard 1. It was the guard who greeted Leonardo at the main gate. He was wearing sunsses. There were also a few other guards wearing pajamas with crooked sunsses. Leonardo: Please take off those sunsses. They will interfere with enjoying my performance. Security Guard 1: Yes, sir. Security Guard 1 struggled to remove his sunsses. The sunsses fell to the ground, cracking and breaking. Other sunsses followed, dropping onto the dirt. Leonardo looked around at the audience. The spectators, gathered closely together, waited eagerly. Leonardo adjusted his guitar. Leonardo: Then for the first song... Then suddenly, a ninja appeared! Ninja: Domo. Nice to meet you. Ninja desu. --- --- ¡°Cut! Cut! Cut! How dare you tamper with my scenario! How dare you! This is uneptable!¡± --- --- The moonlight vanished, leaving the open area in darkness. The ninja, who had sprung to life thanks to the director¡¯s power, disappeared in an instant. Instead, a white man wearing a t cap appeared and began shouting loudly. His neck veins bulged, and his spit flew everywhere. ¡°How dare you tamper with my work! You¡¯ll pay for this! I only intended to retrieve the artwork, but now there will be no mercy, none!¡± But no one was calmly listening to him. With the force now weakened, the atmosphere shifted drastically. From an enthusiastic concert waiting for their favorite singer¡¯s song, it turned into apany facing an enemy. The security guards moved stiffly, as if their joints were rusty, bending to pick up their sunsses. The gate guards reached for their tasers. The supervisors searched their pockets to activate remote emergency devices, while the researchers sharpened their senses to observe, analyze, and remember the anomaly. Their actions were excessively slow, as if tightly bound by something heavy, moving with great difficulty and sluggishness. Stalling for time, Dr. Kim shouted loudly. ¡°Director! I hadn¡¯t heard you entered Korea. Must you really do this?¡± ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t even deserve to speak! You don¡¯t understand art!¡± ¡°There are many anomalies here that kill people! They must not be released to the world¡ª¡± ¡°They are not anomalies! They are great works of art that move the world and are loved by everyone! And you¡¯ve locked them in boxes! And now you¡¯ve even tampered with my scenario! How dare you!¡± The director¡¯s eyes gleamed. Dr. Kim sighed inwardly. ¡®He¡¯s not listening. There¡¯s nothing more I can do.¡¯ Still, he had done everything he could. He executed the emergency containment measures, isting the anomalies and summoning the ninja. The institute¡¯s anomalies wouldn¡¯t be stolen, and the ninja might even subdue the director. Feeling a bit more at ease, Dr. Kim rxed. The director suddenly smirked. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no need to get angry. Dealing with unexpected situations is part of a director¡¯s skill. Alright, this will be fun to direct.¡± He muttered a few words. ¡°Total ninja massacre. Provocative and primal violence.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Before anyone could understand or stop him, the director shouted quickly. ¡°Ready.¡± Click! ¡°Action!¡± --- --- 5. Open Area / Dark Night The open area with no moonlight. Then suddenly, a ninja appeared! Ninja: Domo. Nice to meet you. Ninja desu. The ninja stood in the darkness! Among us! Cloaked in pitch-ck clothes and a hood! The ninja drew his ninja sword! The sword gleamed even in the darkness! The moonlight-like de shed among the research center staff! Once! Twice! Three times! Four times! Five times! Six times! Seven times! Seven crescents appeared on the ground and vanished! Bodies fell apart! Blood spurted! Screams echoed! It was a scene of horrific carnage! Standing at the center of the field of bodies, the ninja dropped his ninja sword! Ninja: This... this isn''t what I wanted. Aaaah! The ninja knelt in the pool of blood, his knees submerged! Then, suddenly standing up, the ninja fled. Disappearing into the darkness. --- --- ¡°Cut! Haha! Serves you right! That''s what you get for trying to change someone else''s work!¡± The directorughed, shaking his head as he pointed at the scattered bodies, as if that wasn''t enough, kicking them as well. Thud¡ª The kicked body parts rolled, leaving a red trail where they had been. The smell of blood was overpowering. In an instant, over twenty people had died gruesomely. It felt unreal. The director¡¯s maniacalughter seemed distant. The research center staff stared nkly at the bodies of their colleagues. They were speechless, their minds numb. ¡°Hey, mister.¡± Leonardo, whose face was spattered with blood, wiped it off and red at the director. ¡°Are you crazy? Why did you kill my audience!¡± ¡°Ha! They¡¯re not your audience, they¡¯re my actors! I can do whatever I want with them!¡± ¡°No! Anyone who listens to my music is my audience!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just an actor moving ording to my script! How dare you¡ª¡± ¡°What? You have some weird power but haven¡¯t made a single decent piece of work¡ª¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± The two began to argue. But Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t hear them well. He looked down at the ground through his narrowing vision. The body lying at his feet. Blood pooled around it, soaking his slippers, seeping between his toes. ¡®...I survived by a hair¡¯s breadth.¡¯ It was pure luck. The ninja''s terrifying de had narrowly missed Yeonwoo. The cleanly cut sleeve of his shirt was proof. But he couldn¡¯t fully enjoy the relief of survival. It wasn¡¯t just because the source of the problem still remained. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Over the past week, he had grown attached to Kang Yeol and Seoyeon. Both were now slumped over, bleeding. Kang Yeol¡¯s arm was cut so deeply the bone was visible. He was calmly tearing his shirt to use as a bandage, but hisplexion was pale. He tied the knot with his good hand and teeth, trembling. Seoyeon, copsed, was in worse shape. Her left leg, thin as a twig, had been severed. Blood gushed from the stump of her thigh like a faucet. Kang Yeol crawled over, having managed to tie his bandage. ¡°Seoyeon, I¡¯m going to give you first aid.¡± He started to tie her thigh with the torn shirt. Seoyeon trembled, on the verge of fainting, her eyes rolling back. ¡°Ghhhhh!¡± Yeonwoo slowly moved his gaze again. Among the bodies scattered around, he saw a familiar face. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It was the security guard who had shot him with a taser on the first day of training. They had talked often, and the guard had apologized. Now, only his head remained. He was in pajamas, likely having rushed out of bed, with other body parts scattered around. ¡°I thought you were some great director since you¡¯re an executive, but without your powers, you¡¯re just third-rate¡ª¡± ¡°One more word, and I¡¯ll kill you too.¡± The intruders continued to argue. Yeonwoo sent a blurred nce at them, staggering forward like a person drunk with sleep. He stepped over puddles of blood and bodies. Toward the taser gun lying on the ground. 14 - Operation Art Retrieval TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The whole world was blurry. Only the taser gun, half-submerged in a pool of blood and sparking with blue electricity, stood out clearly in his vision. ¡®Blue snake¡­¡¯ Yeonwoo thought incoherently and let the thoughts drift away. ¡®A snake like lightning, lightning like a snake. A person-like anomaly. An anomaly-like person. In the end, it¡¯s all just anomalies.¡¯He nced briefly at the two anomalies still shouting and arguing. They looked like humans, acted angry like humans, and gestured like humans, but they were anomalies. Anomalies that had caused this horrific massacre. ¡®They need to be dealt with.¡¯ To survive. For revenge. For himself. As he grasped the taser gun with his blood-soaked hand, Yeonwoo realized something. ¡®In this strange world, there can be no safe andfortable life.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just about working at thepany. Life itself was like that. In the shadows of the world lurked strange things that could show malice at any time. Just as these anomalies had ughtered the research staff one night. ¡®To survive in such a strange world¡­¡¯ Click- With a shaky hand, he aimed the taser gun at the back of the anomaly known as the Director. Leonardo, who was gesturing on the opposite side, widened his eyes. His mouth opened in a shout. ¡°Mister, get down¡ª¡± ¡®I have to be strange too.¡¯ He pulled the trigger. sh¡ª In an instant, the blue snake-like electricity wrapped around the Director. His whole body convulsed and he fell sideways with a thud. Remarkably, even in the throes of paralysis, he struggled to move his tongue. ¡°Raaagh! Reee! Diieeee! Raaagh! Reee! Diieee!¡± Yeonwoo looked down at the sight, then slowly turned his gaze to Leonardo. The taser gun aimed at him. Cold sweat rolled down Leonardo¡¯s forehead. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this. Hey, everyone, if I surrender¡ª¡± Click- He pulled the trigger, but the blue snake didn¡¯te out. It seemed the taser gun only had one charge. Relieved, Leonardo suddenly smiled. His hand was already on his guitar strings. As his fingers moved, a sublime melody filled the clearing. ¡°Alright, first song! Leonardo of the 21st Century Seoul!¡± A song that moves the world, captivating it, and thus influencing it. Leonardo¡¯s song began to flow, drawing everyone into ecstasy. Mouths opened, and saliva dripped. Eyes widened, and minds grew hazy. Souls were bathed in joy and bliss. How could there be such a song in the world¡ª Then, Dr. Kim shouted urgently. ¡°Stop! Stop right now!¡± The song didn¡¯t stop. ¡°If you stop now, I¡¯ll let you go!¡± Gritting his teeth¡ª Dr. Kim bit his fingers to stay conscious and pointed at the wounded. Many were dead, but there were also those who were injured. People who could still be saved. ¡°If they hear your song, they¡¯ll all die! We need to perform first aid, so stop the song now! If you don¡¯t stop immediately, I¡¯ll escte your threat level!¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t have that. So it¡¯s a deal? I stop, and you let me go.¡± ¡°Yes, so stop now.¡± ¡°Promise you won¡¯t escte my threat level¡ª¡± Leonardo continued to strum his guitar, but he didn¡¯t sing. Both he and Dr. Kim were desperately negotiating. Lives were on the line. In the heat of the moment, Leonardopletely forgot about Yeonwoo. Drip¡ªdrip¡ª Blood dripped from Yeonwoo¡¯s chin. His front teeth and canines had cruelly dug into his lower lip. Despite this, his mind was being sent to heaven, so he bit down on his upper lip as well. Crunch¡ª The collision of pain and ecstasy in his head. In that gap, he barely managed to hold onto a thread of thought. ¡®There were two gate guards. Two tasers. Two snakes. I used one, and the other one is there.¡¯ The other gate guard was dead. The holster and tasery on the ground. ¡°Then, to be safe, I¡¯ll go to the gate and stop ying.¡± ¡°Run! We don¡¯t have time!¡± ¡°Running while ying the guitar? That¡¯s not stylish¡ª¡± Yeonwoo pulled the sparking taser from the holster and aimed. Trigger pulled. sh. ¡°Keep your prooooomise! Ohhhh!¡± Ding, dedeng, ding¡ª Leonardo¡¯s fingers lost control and plucked the strings wildly. It was no longer music. The ecstasy gradually faded. To make matters worse, Leonardo fell forward, his face hitting the dirt. ¡°Uuugh! Ugh!¡± Dr. Kim and Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes met. He gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Well done. You bought us some time.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Yeonwoo, who had adapted to this strange world, silently shook his head. --- --- What happened next went by quickly. The employees, shocked by the massacre, and then further disoriented by Leonardo¡¯s song, were awakened by ps to their faces. The medical staff, who needed immediate attention, were prioritized. The medics, bruised on their cheeks, rushed around, administering first aid to the severely injured. In one corner of the clearing, security guards watched the two intruders with fierce eyes, ensuring they couldn¡¯t cause any more trouble. ¡°They¡¯re insane. Even while bound by the snakes, they¡¯re trying to do something.¡± Yeonwoo and Dr. Kim stood with the guards, looking down at the two intruders. The Director twisted, trying to shout ¡°Ready, action,¡± while Leonardo attempted to turn his screams into song. Every time they tried, they were beaten with batons. ¡°Stay still, you bastards!¡± ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡± ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t kill them! Drag this guy away!¡± Batons made from non-conductive materials struck them without mercy, hitting their heads, chests, arms, waists, and legs. On top of the mess caused by the blue snakes, bruises bloomed all over their bodies. A researcher approached them. With a deathly pale face, the researcher spoke to Dr. Kim in a somber voice. ¡°Temporary containment measures are ready.¡± ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°We suspect that the sounds these two make are the starting points of their anomalies. Therefore, we will gag them. The singer will also have his hands bound.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°To be sure, we will additionally administer sedatives and tranquilizers to keep them unconscious. If they wake up, the device will make the snake bite them again.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that for now.¡± Dr. Kim nodded. With the help of the security guards, the researcher dragged the two intruders to the deep basement of the three-story building. The intruders, realizing this, thrashed and convulsed, trying to activate their anomalies with their voices. The guards, seeing their chance, struck them with their batons. Crack¡ªThud¡ªSnap¡ª ¡°Gaaah! Reek! Raaagh!¡± ¡°Aaaaah! Aaaah! Aaaah!¡± ¡°Still not staying still? Keep hitting them! Make sure they can¡¯t even groan!¡± It was a brutal scene where two people could die. Dr. Kim didn¡¯t stop it. Watching quietly, Yeonwoo asked a question. ¡°What will happen to those anomalies now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The singer will be managed by our research center, but I don¡¯t know about the Director. The Korean branch or the headquarters will decide.¡± Dr. Kim spoke with a controlled voice, but his tightly clenched fists didn¡¯t rx. ¡°They might be used in negotiations with the Free Artists Association or in research on reality maniption. They won¡¯t be killed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It was an unfair situation. But Yeonwoo epted it calmly. It was a strange world. A world of anomalies. To survive in such a world, it seemed better to be an anomaly than a human. In the clearing where the tragedy urred, the surviving employees busily moved to handle their fallen colleagues. The clearing, soaked in red blood, was touched by the faint morning light. The day the training ended, morning hade. Yeonwoo faced the morning as a person in a strange world. --- --- On thest day of the 7-day training. There was no graduation ceremony for sessfullypleting the training. It wasn¡¯t the right situation for that. Only three new employees and Dr. Kim gathered to briefly exchange farewells. The dormitory, transformed into an eight-person infirmary due to the number of patients, could no longer hold the injured. Yeonwoo, Kang Yeol, and Dr. Kim gathered near Seoyeon¡¯s bed, who had lost her left leg. They all looked exhausted, having had no time to sleep. Dr. Kim, with deeper dark circles, flipped through a few documents with his bandaged fingers, muttering to himself. ¡°New employees, the 7-day training has ended safely. Ah, there¡¯s no need to read this.¡± Dr. Kim shoved the papers aside and made eye contact with each of the new employees. Kang Yeol, with his arm in a cast. Seoyeon, lying in bed after losing her leg. Yeonwoo, wearing clothes cut by a knife. They looked more like proper employees now, with eyes that had changed in just one day, meeting Dr. Kim¡¯s gaze. ¡°I reported yesterday¡¯s attack to the Korean branch and the headquarters. What¡¯s important here is that the assignments and positions for Kang Yeol and Seoyeon have changed. Orders came from above.¡± ¡°How have they changed?¡± Seoyeon asked weakly, worried that losing her leg might lead to her termination. ¡°Seoyeon, you¡¯re assigned to the Intelligence Department at the Korean branch. Kang Yeol, you¡¯re assigned to the Special Forces at the Korean branch.¡± ¡°The Intelligence Department!¡± For a moment, Seoyeon was as happy as a child. She seemed to forget about her missing leg, her face flushing with joy. Kang Yeol, on the other hand, looked puzzled. ¡°What kind of unit is the Special Forces?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Both the Intelligence Department and the Special Forces have purpose-specific divisions, and I can¡¯t tell you where exactly you¡¯ll be assigned.¡± Not getting the information he wanted, Kang Yeol stroked his chin with his uninjured hand, looking unsure. ¡°And Yeonwoo.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still with the Anomaly Investigation Team. But you yed the biggest role in capturing the Director and Leonardo da Seoul.¡± Yeonwoo nodded nonchntly, not realizing he had done something significant. He had just grabbed the taser and shot it at a careless enemy. Dr. Kim looked Yeonwoo up and down once more. ¡°Anyway, Yeonwoo will receive credit and a reward.¡± ¡°What kind of reward?¡± ¡°Probably money.¡± Yeonwoo smiled faintly. No matter how strange the world was, money was always useful. Dr. Kim had onest thing to say to Yeonwoo. ¡°Yeonwoo, report to the Anomaly Investigation Team as soon as they contact you. Kang Yeol and Seoyeon, focus on your recovery first. Well done, everyone.¡± With that, Dr. Kim¡¯s words ended. It was time to part. Yeonwoo bowed to Dr. Kim, Kang Yeol, and Seoyeon. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going.¡± ¡°Yeonwoo, you¡¯ll do well wherever you go. And thank you for capturing the Director, even if it¡¯s a bitte to say it.¡± ¡°See youter, Yeonwoo!¡± ¡°Take care.¡± He left the infirmary, passing by busy medical staff and patients with dark expressions. Thus, Yeonwoo left Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. Exiting the two-story building, passing the security guards at the gate, walking down the dirt road to the Jungsangol bus stop. --- --- 6. Epilogue The bus rattled to a stop. Yeonwoo boarded, sat by the window, and looked back in the direction of Baekbeom Cultural Research Center. His eyes were calm andposed. The bus ran along the winding mountain road. Subtitle: Thus, the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center retrieved the two artists, and the Humanity Protection Company prevented a national catastrophe-level threat from arge-scale anomaly leak. In white letters, ''The End'' appeared. --- --- CAST Lee Yeonwoo as Lee Yeonwoo Lee Seoyeon as Lee Seoyeon Kang Yeol as Kang Yeol Kim Hyeji as Dr. Kim Mil Madison as Director Leonardo Park as Leonardo da Seoul Ninja as And Suddenly a Ninja Sohong Kim as Lab Employee 1 Yujin Choi as Lab Employee 2 Sangha Park as Lab Employee 3 Euddeum Shin as Security Staff 1 Junyong Bae as Security Staff 2 Kangmin Cho as Security Staff 3 Watt as Blue Lightning Snake 1 Bluey as Blue Lightning Snake 2 Director as Mill Madison STAFF Script: Writer Production: Humanity Protection Company Sponsored by: Pretap, Chocobo, Phobos, Joonyoung, Pitchblende, Two Fun Men, Sagangsagang, Dadaman, was yea ra, Feed Me, Outer God L, Hair Loss Treatment Shaving, 1h2q3p, Apple_513, Complete, 00 inch, Joyful Microbe, Founder, Creation, Hyunjin57, Crazy Soundtrack, preeded, Lucky Sign, Wing Beauty, World Eater. This work is a fiction, and any resemnce to actual persons, organizations, or locations is purely coincidental. 15 - Mountain Climbing TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here In this strange world, surviving day by day is the rule. Saving for tomorrow is a luxury. Vroom- First job, firstmute, and first car. Lee Yeonwoo smiled contentedly as he drove his smallpact car. Thepact car, which he spent all hispensation money from thepany on, was second-hand but pretty decent. He couldn''t help but hum a tune as he drove. After a while, he was driving happily yet awkwardly on the road.A notification sound came from the phone with the navigation app turned on. -Turn right 500M ahead. "Turn riiight." Yeonwoo stretched out the words like he was singing and turned the steering wheel. Thepact car, rattling along the asphalt road, entered a quiet parking lot. Thepact car entered a rectangr parking space crookedly. Ding-dong- -You have arrived at your destination. Ending guidance. "Thank you for the guidance." Yeonwoo, who turned off the navigation app, got out of the car and looked around. A spacious and quiet public parking lot. Except for Yeonwoo''spact car with a "new driver" sticker, there was only a police car and a passenger car. Looking up, the mountain towering over him wore a green dress and a white mist hat. The scent of grass and the mountain carried on the breeze. "It''s been a long time since I came to the mountains¡­." Yeonwoo''s voice turned hesitant. He didn''te here for driving practice or hiking. A memory of a phone call with the head of the investigation team quickly shed through his mind. A booming voice that seemed to explode the speaker. "Hey, newbie! I''m the head of the department you''ll be working in! You start tomorrow. You know Gwaebaek Mountain? Be there by 7 AM!" Yeonwoo''s loosely raised lips drooped. He moved his hand slowly to fix the outfit of the hiking clothes he bought yesterday. The new clothes'' smell and the glossy shine were tiring for his nose and eyes. A sigh mixed with a mutter came out. "If the boss is a hiking fanatic, it''s going to be exhausting¡­." It''s a weekday, not a weekend, and it''s the first day for the new employee. Being called to the mountains already gave him a creeping sense of foreboding. Yeonwoo tried to think positively as he walked toward the trail entrance. "Maybe not. The investigation team must be in the mountains." Climbing the mountain every time he goes to work is a problem, but having a boss obsessed with hiking is¡­. Or is it? Which is worse? While he was pondering, he arrived at the trail entrance. Yeonwoo stopped his unnecessary worrying and stood still. There was something strange at the entrance. ''What is this?'' The entrance was cordoned off with a "No Entry" tape. Two police officers were controlling entry in front of the tape, and under the shade of a tree next to them, a boy in a high school uniform and a woman in a shabby tracksuit were squatting and staring nkly at their phones. As Yeonwoo approached cautiously, a police officer reached out a hand to stop him. "Sorry, there''s an incident, and we''re preventing hikers from entering." "...Really?" He was definitely called to Gwaebaek Mountain, and this is Gwaebaek Mountain, so it''s strange. ''Is this some kind of initiation? Or is there really an ident? Surely it''s not another test?'' He was about to call the team leader when a woman who had been watching him closely spoke up. "Are you Lee Yeonwoo? Right?" "Yes, that''s me. But you are¡­?" "Ahem, I¡¯m Yoo Ji-yoo, working in the investigation team." A colleague from the same department. He hadn''te to the wrong ce. Though her shabby clothes and listless eyes were a bit concerning. Tap-tap- As Ji-yoo stood up and dusted off her tracksuit, Yeonwoo bowed his head. "Hello, senior. I''m Lee Yeonwoo, the new employee. I look forward to working with you." "Yes, really nice to meet you. The team leader couldn''t stop talking about you. An S-grade rookie, he said. Let''s work together for a long time." She held out her hand for a handshake. He took it, and they shook hands a couple of times. At that moment, the boy in the school uniform poked his head out. ¡°Mister, are both your parents healthy?¡± ¡°What?¡± A sudden, and if taken a certain way, offensive remark. Lee Yeonwoo calmly looked at Yoo Ji-yoo. His eyes asked if she knew the boy or if he was rted to the investigation team. Yoo Ji-yoo, avoiding Yeonwoo¡¯s gaze, swung her palm and smacked the back of the boy¡¯s head. Whack-! ¡°Ow! Why¡¯d you hit me?¡± ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to act recklessly? If you don¡¯t listen, you get hit.¡± ¡°This is violence! Officer! Arrest this woman!¡± Whack-! ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Sigh. Anyway, Lee Yeonwoo, this kid is Choi Jae-min, and as you can see, he¡¯s a bit ¡®strange.¡¯¡± ¡°By ¡®strange,¡¯ do you mean¡­?¡± Perhaps because there were unrted police officers around, she cleverly referred to the anomaly in a way that theughing police wouldn¡¯t understand. Understanding what she meant, Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Directors who manipted reality, Leonardos who led minds into rapture. The humanoid anomalies he had encountered were all terrifying. His gaze towards Choi Jae-min mixed with caution and hostility. Choi Jae-min, rubbing the back of his head, raised his head defiantly. His voice was excited and angry. ¡°I¡¯m human! I¡¯m not a monster or anything!¡± Even though Choi Jae-min shouted, the two members of the investigation team didn¡¯t respond. Yeonwoo, keeping a tense eye on Jae-min, quietly asked Ji-yoo. ¡°What kind of anomaly? Is he dangerous?¡± ¡°No. If we rate him by level, he¡¯s about a 1. Harmless. At worst, he just insults people¡¯s parents¡ª¡± ¡°Stop ignoring me with your otaku-sounding sh*t!¡± The police officer who had been watching quietly chuckled. Ji-yoo hit the back of Jae-min¡¯s head once more. Whack-! ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s hard to talk here. Let¡¯s discuss it while climbing the mountain.¡± After saying a few words to theughing police officer, Ji-yoo crossed the "No Entry" tape. Jae-min, still holding his head, grumbled as he followed her. Yeonwoo looked at Jae-min¡¯s back puzzledly. He was starting to understand what kind of anomaly he was. ¡®Parent detector?¡¯ It was really vague and insignificant. He might throw out some abusivenguage at people, but it¡¯s not like he could kill someone¡­. As he pondered, Ji-yoo, who had gone ahead, turned and spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°Lee Yeonwoo, you¡¯re not thinking of quitting just because you got called to the mountain on your first day, right? This is part of the job. I mean, not that hiking is our job, you know. It¡¯s because of work. No, this makes it sound like our job is hiking. That¡¯s not it¡ª¡± Her eyes seemed to shake violently as she looked at the newbie. Yeonwoo quickly gathered his thoughts. ¡°No, I¡¯ming.¡± He crossed the "No Entry" tape. The police didn¡¯t stop him. They lifted the tape to let him through easily. After lightly nodding to the police, Yeonwoo started up the mountain path. --- --- When climbing a winding mountain path, sweat pours, breath shortens, and the heart beats incessantly. Especially for a body that hasn¡¯t exercised once while living as a civil service exam student. Huff- Huff- Huff- Hoo¡ª A few steps behind, Yeonwoo ced his hands on his knees. His arms and legs trembled, his torso bent over as if he were about to vomit. Sweat dripped from his nose and chin, falling onto the dirt floor. Saliva dribbled as well. Jae-min, standing midway up, looked back at Yeonwoo and screamed in shock. ¡°Sis! This guy looks like he¡¯s about to die! He¡¯s really going to die!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not in good shape¡­. This is not good¡­.¡± Ji-yoo looked down at Yeonwoo with a somewhat disappointed expression. She had sweated, but didn¡¯t look nearly as exhausted. Barely lifting his head, Yeonwoo spoke, gasping for breath. "Let''s just rest for a moment. Please, really." "There¡¯s a resting spot just a bit further up. Let¡¯s go that far." "A bit, really?" "Yes, really just a bit." "Ugh!" Yeonwoo groaned as he forced his bent body upright. Then he summoned all his strength to take another step forward. Yoo Ji-yoo and Choi Jae-min walked slowly. They kept ncing at Yeonwoo, who looked like he might copse at any moment, and offered worriedments. "Mister, do you want some ionized water? I brought some. But your stamina is really weak." "Don''t... talk." Help disguised as annoyance. "Yeonwoo, I¡¯m saying this as your senior, so don¡¯t take it the wrong way." "Yes..." "Our investigation team does a lot of fieldwork. If your stamina is this weak, it will be a problem. You need to exercise regrly to build your strength¡ª" Advice disguised as a distraction. Yeonwoo, half out of his mind, let their voices wash over him like white noise. Suddenly, his eyes widened. ¡®A rest area!¡¯ There were two park benches on a small, t clearing. Arge tree beside them cast a cool shadow over the spot! "As a member of the investigation team, I¡¯m telling you, Yeonwoo? Yeonwoo, are you listening?" "Yes! There was really only a little bit left!" "Sis, I don¡¯t think he heard any of that." Summoning his remaining strength, Yeonwoo hurried his steps. He was the first to reach the rest area and imed one of the benches. He threw himself onto it as if it were a bed. "Ah, I feel alive again." The hard wooden bench felt better than a bed. Swoosh¡ª At that moment, a breeze blew through. Sunlight scattered through the rustling leaves. As Yeonwoo, nowfortably resting with his eyes closed, began to breathe more slowly, Ji-yoo spoke. "Yeonwoo, do you feel better now? Can we start talking about work?" "Yes! I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t realize my stamina was this bad." "Thene over here." On the bench where Ji-yoo and Jae-min sat, there were several sheets of paper spread out between them¡ªarticles, photos, and text. Yeonwoo squatted in front of the bench, and the three of them huddled together. Ji-yoo began to speak. "First of all, our Anomaly Investigation Team is tasked with investigating incidents suspected to be the work of anomalies." "So, there¡¯s an anomaly in this mountain¡­?" Yeonwoo trailed off. His face, which had brightened while resting, hardened again. His nerves were on edge. Unconsciously, he looked around. The empty mountain felt unfamiliar. Swoosh¡ª The sound of leaves rubbing against each other in the wind, the faintly rising mist. "It¡¯s not certain yet, but there are some suspicious aspects. Look at this." Ji-yoo handed over a few sheets of paper. They contained photos and interview records. Yeonwoo began reading the first page seriously but soon his expression turned strange. ¡®Park Sangjoon? Why is he mentioned here?¡¯ 16 - Hiking TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The first photo was of a gruesome corpse. Its limbs were twisted in various directions, and its stomach, exposed under a pulled-up shirt, appeared to have been eaten by an animal. Bugs swarmed all over it. Yoo Ji-yoo, with a frown, added an exnation. ¡°A hiker died in this mountain. The autopsy results showed that he slipped and rolled down a slope, and he slowly died from those injuries.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not strange, is it? It seems like an ordinary idental death.¡± Yeonwoo calmly asked back. He scrutinized the brutal photo, looking for anything unusual with steady eyes.¡®...I can¡¯t tell.¡¯ It seemed like a simple corpse. Yeonwoo took his eyes off the photo and looked at the others. ¡°Ugh, f*ck.¡± Jae-min was leaning over the bench, gagging. He was of no help. On the other hand, Ji-yoo, like a good senior, pointed kindly at the report as if she had expected this. ¡°It seems like a simple ident, right? Look at the next page.¡± Rustle¡ª The sound of turning pages. Yeonwoo, startled by his own action, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them calmly to read the report. ¡°Oh.¡± Park Sangjoon¡¯s ID photo appeared. Below it were dialogue records that looked like an interview. There were many alternating questions and answers. With a puzzled look, Yeonwoo nced up at Ji-yoo. ¡°You know him too, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Why is he in this?¡± Park Sangjoon, a civil service exam veteran. He was someone Yeonwoo had taken the Human Qualification Exam and done the new employee training with. Ji-yoo let out a deep sigh. ¡°He tried to kill himself in this mountain. In a secluded valley where no onees.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°They say he couldn¡¯t endure the training and dropped out. That means he was prescribed memory-erasing medication.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ You don¡¯t need to say more.¡± Yeonwoo looked silently at Park Sangjoon¡¯s ID photo. Somehow, he felt he understood him. ¡®He failed the fifth civil service exam, and he had to prepare for the sixth one. But when he came to his senses, he realized time had passed without any memory of studying.¡¯ He probably lost the will to prepare for another exam, couldn¡¯t endure it anymore, and perhaps the influence of ¡®Reasons I Should Die¡¯ lingered in his subconscious. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t joined thepany¡­ No, this is not the time for such thoughts.¡¯ Yeonwoo pped his own cheek and began to read the material methodically. ¡°Survived? Amnesia?¡± Park Sangjoon survived. But he seemed to have experienced another strange incident. ¡°He came down in a terrible state but said he couldn¡¯t remember anything. He thinks he saw something and ran away. But the important thing is.¡± Ji-yoo held up four fingers in front of Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes. ¡°The valley where Park Sangjoon tried to die is where the first death urred, and since then, four more people have died in this mountain.¡± ¡°From slipping?¡± ¡°Yes, from rolling down.¡± ¡°In a simr valley?¡± ¡°In that same valley.¡± This was certainly strange. Yeonwoo looked around cautiously. The white mist had thickened since before. The visibility was narrowing. The trees in the distance were blurry shadows standing beyond the mist. The swaying branches and leaves looked like something was gesturing. In the midst of this ominous mountain, Ji-yoo spoke seriously. ¡°Our mission is to investigate whether this is truly an anomaly and what kind of anomaly it is.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous work.¡± Yeonwoo steeled himself. Just like when he took the Human Qualification Exam, when he survived ¡®Reasons I Should Die,¡¯ and when he captured the Director and Leonardo, he was prepared to fight desperately. But just as things were getting serious, Ji-yoo suddenly slumped her shoulders and smiled slightly. ¡°¡­Well, in reality, it¡¯s about finding small clues and running away. After all, we¡¯re working to make a living, so there¡¯s no need to risk our lives.¡± ¡°Mister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve worked on a few cases too, and I¡¯ve never seen anything truly strange.¡± It¡¯s all lies, bullsh*t, just rumors. Anomalies aren¡¯t thatmon. Jae-min and Ji-yooughed. But Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t rx. ''It¡¯s a strange world. Nothing would be surprising.'' His muscles were tensed just right, his senses on alert. He was ready to react instantly to any signs of danger. Seeing Yeonwoo''s tense face, Ji-yoo patted him on the arm. "It''s fine. You''re a newbie, so it''s normal to be on edge. It''s not a bad attitude." "Wow, Mister, you''re such a scaredy-cat. Then again, I guess you have less experience than me. I''ve already done over ten investigation drills." Theyughed, disying ack of awareness of the danger. Yeonwoo opened his mouth to say something. "Shall we get back to work?" Ji-yoo took back the documents. She put the papers into her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and got up from the bench energetically. "The valley where the deaths urred is too dangerous, so let¡¯s go up to the peak overlooking that valley. We might see some clues from there." Ji-yoo took binocrs out of her tracksuit pocket and waved them like a cheering stick. "Safety first. Let¡¯s go safely." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut at those words. She was a senior in the investigation team. He couldn¡¯t dismiss her experience, skills, and the fact that she had survived until now. It might not be ack of awareness but confidence. ''Still, I must stay alert. Even if I look strange, I need to stay sharp.'' He shook his head to clear his mind. As he followed Ji-yoo with Jae-min, he asked a question. "How long until we reach the peak?" "About one-fifth? We¡¯vee that far." "Oh, I see. About 20 percent¡­." They still had a long way to go. Thinking about the return trip made it seem even farther. Yeonwoo looked at the high peak with a distant gaze. It was shrouded in thick fog and not visible. --- --- They walked and walked. They climbed uphill, then went downhill, climbed again, and descended again. They stepped on dirt, weeds, fallen leaves, and branches. Huff¡ª Huff¡ª "Wait, let¡¯s rest for a bit." ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Thud¡ª Yeonwoo copsed onto the ground, struggling to lift his head to look at the sky. The sky was covered by a white mist like a lid. The sun, a white dot, was high above his head. "We should have reached there a while ago." "That¡¯s true. This is strange. Why are we still on the mountain path?" A long time had passed. They walked slowly because of Yeonwoo, but even so, they should have reached the peak by now. Yet, they were still on the mountain path. They didn¡¯t know if they were at the base, the middle, or near the peak. Ji-yoo raised her binocrs to her eyes, then lowered them in frustration. She tapped her thigh with the binocrs. Tap tap tap¡ª "Can¡¯t see anything because of the fog. No people, either. I don¡¯t know where we are." "Sis, look at this." Jae-min showed his phone to Ji-yoo. A map app was open with a red pin marking their current location. "We¡¯re only halfway up." "¡­That doesn¡¯t make sense." Her hand stopped mid-tap. Ji-yoo red at the map, then turned to look back at the path they had walked. The white mist filled the air, hiding the end of the downward path. The next moment, Ji-yoo spoke cheerfully. "Clue collection finished! This fog that makes people lose their way is definitely strange, right? Let¡¯s head back and report!" "Are you sure? Isn¡¯t it just the fog causing us to get lost?" Before Jae-min could finish his rebuttal, Ji-yoo¡¯s hand swung. Whack-! "Ouch! Why again?" "Intern? When a full-time employee speaks, you listen." "Damn." Despite her yful yet serious attitude, Jae-min pouted his lips and wisely said no more. Ji-yoo turned to look at Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo? Shall we head down now? Yeonwoo?" "Senior." His voice was trembling. Yeonwoo was sitting on the ground, staring at his phone. His eyes and hands were shaking. "Look at this." "What is it?" Ji-yoo quickly approached, bending down to look at the phone over Yeonwoo''s shoulder. [Recent Calls] -Team Leader (Outgoing Call / One Hour Ago): 1 minute 20 seconds It was a call he had no memory of making. From a distance close enough to touch noses, Ji-yoo and Yeonwoo locked eyes. "Yeonwoo, did you secretly call the team leader?" "No, and it¡¯s not like I walked far enough that you wouldn''t have heard the call." "Then..." An unremembered call record. Ji-yoo stood up quickly, pulling out her phone and pressing the speed dial to call the team leader. The call connected almost immediately. A voice came through the speakerphone. -Hey, what is it now? "Team leader, we¡¯re trying toe down now. The fog is making us lose our way, so we¡¯re going to head back down." -...The newbie already reported that earlier. "Reported? He did?" Ji-yoo rubbed her forehead and looked at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo shook his head vigorously, mouthing that he definitely hadn''t made any such report. Ji-yoo licked her dry lips. "Team leader, we¡¯re still on the mountain. We don¡¯t remember making that call." -You don¡¯t remember? Silence. Only the sound of breathing came through the phone speaker. Then, the team leader¡¯s voice mixed with the noise of him making another call, flipping through papers. After a brief moment, the team leader spoke again. -Damn it. It¡¯s not life-threatening, so there¡¯s no rescue teaming. Those bastards think investigators areb rats. "Oh. So, we have to find our way out ourselves. But we can¡¯t find the path." Ji-yoo craned her neck like a meerkat, looking around. Only the white fog was visible; there was no path to be seen. Herbored breaths hit the phone¡¯s microphone. Hearing this, the team leader shouted loudly. The speaker seemed to tremble with his yell. -Ji-yoo! Get a grip! You¡¯re the senior! If you lose focus, you¡¯ll fall and die! Stay calm! "Yes, calm down. Stay calm." Fuuu¡ª Taking deep breaths, she regained herposure. The team leader, hearing her breathing, waited before speaking again. -Take good care of that kid who can detect parents. Listen to the newbie. He¡¯s good at surviving. "Got it. Yes." -Come back alive. There¡¯s a reward waiting when you return. "A reward?" Ji-yoo¡¯s eyes sparkled, slightly moreposed now. -That fog might be useful for making memory erasers. We¡¯re short on those. The reward won¡¯t be small. "We have to make it back alive, then." -Yeah. See youter. Click, the call ended. Ji-yoo put her phone in her pocket but then took it out again, holding it in her hand. Topensate for her fading memory, she turned on the video recording. Yeonwoo and Jae-min appeared on the recording phone screen, waiting for Ji-yoo¡¯s instructions. Ji-yoo¡¯s voice reached the microphone. "Ahem. Intern, junior. From now on, our top priority is getting down the mountain. The investigation is over; our goal is to return safely. So, let¡¯s each make a record to prepare for any memory loss." "Understood." "Yes, ma¡¯am." Yeonwoo opened a notepad app and typed a few words. Current time 12:35 PM: Memory loss confirmed. Proceed with caution while descending. He pinned it to his home screen. Click¡ª Meanwhile, Jae-min took a selfie and wrote a few lines on the photo. Then he opened the map app again. "I¡¯ll keep checking our route." "Good job. Let¡¯s head down." Ji-yoo took the lead, starting down the slope. Soon, the three figures disappeared into the fog. In the deserted mountain, shadows of trees, birds, and animals stirred. 17 - Hiking TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The world turned red as if it were on fire. The sky at sunset, the mist soaked in the scarlet light of the setting sun. The faces of the people standing in the middle of the mist were also reddened. Huff¡ª Huff¡ª Yeonwoo trembled all over. His face, pale and looking as if he aged half a day, appeared close to death. He barely suppressed the nausea that rose with every breath and managed to speak. "Why are we still...?" "I don''t know. I don''t know."Ji-yoo also shook her head, looking exhausted. Her sweat-drenched tracksuit clung to her neck and arms. The phone in her sticky hand waspletely dead. "My phone''s battery is dead. I have no idea." "Mine¡¯s about to die too." Jae-min had taken off his school uniform jacket and was wearing only a white T-shirt. Holding his crumpled jacket in one hand, he showed his phone with the other. Battery 3% remaining. The screen, dimmed to save power, showed a map and their current location. That location was... "This ce... this ce." Ji-yoo urgently swung her backpack to the front. After fumbling with the zipper several times, she pulled out the report. It was wet with sweat and wrinkled from being held multiple times. As she struggled to flip through the pages, Ji-yoo suddenly froze. Her lips trembled as she mumbled. "Why are we here...?" "Where is this ce?" "The valley. The valley where people died." "This is the valley? No way, sis, don''t joke." Jae-min forced augh. After looking at the phone screen, he reached out towards their surroundings. "No way. We did go deep in, but look around. How is this a valley?" The slope wasn¡¯t visible. Due to the white mist, only an ordinary hiking trail was visible. No matter how you looked at it, it wasn¡¯t a dangerous path where one misstep could lead to death. "Wait a moment." Ji-yoo took deep, regr breaths. She closed her eyes and mumbled to herself for a while. When she opened her eyes, she spoke calmly. "You can''t see well, but there''s a slope nearby. If you step on a tree root wrong and fall, it''s over. Got it? Be careful." "Are you serious? Really?" Ding ding ding ding¡ª At that moment, Jae-min¡¯s phone made a cheerful sound and turned off. Jae-min went pale and stopped talking. He kept pressing the power button, but the dead battery wouldn¡¯t revive the phone. "No, without this..." "Calm down. Just be careful with your footing¡ª" Ji-yoo approached Jae-min to calm him down when Yeonwoo suddenly interjected. "No. It¡¯s not just about being careful with our footing." Ji-yoo and Jae-min looked at Yeonwoo. He had his head down, looking at his phone and the memo. -12:35 PM: Memory loss confirmed. Proceed with caution while descending. -12:50 PM: Took the wrong path. The downhill led to the peak. Keep checking the current location on the map carefully. -1:30 PM: Will the batteryst? What if it runs out? I have no writing tools. I need something to record with. I''ll save my phone''s battery as much as possible. -2:55 PM: Memory loss confirmed. Realized btedly that time had jumped. We identally took a path leading to another peak. The map is fine, but none of us are familiar enough with the mountain to find the correct trail. -3:20 PM: Felt a presence. Is it a person? An animal? A shaking branch? Or am I just paranoid? -4:50 PM: It¡¯s clear. There is something. A cry like that of a roe deer. Is it really a roe deer? -6:10 PM: The shadow in the mist. It¡¯s hunting us. There had been two instances of memory loss. There was a record of danger, not just memory loss. ¡°Something led us here. The people who died before us didn¡¯t die by ident.¡± ¡°That means, right now, there¡¯s something around us trying to kill us.¡± ¡°F*ck, we¡¯re screwed!¡± Ji-yoo and Jae-min hade closer, reading Yeonwoo¡¯s memo from either side of him. They began frantically scanning the surroundings. Their eyes darted constantly, from shadow to shadow through the mist. ¡°If it¡¯s a Level 2 danger, it¡¯s really dangerous. Something that kills people is out there.¡± ¡°Oh, man. I really didn¡¯t want toe today.¡± They trembled and kept turning their heads. They couldn¡¯t stay still for even a moment. The world they lived in made them this way, unable to think of anything else. Rustle¡ª Crack¡ª Sss¡ª The unfamiliar mountain. The ominous mountain. The mist-covered mountain. The sound of vegetation brushing against the wind, the cracking of twigs and pine cones falling, the movements of insects, frogs, or snakes¡ªsounds that were usually refreshing in the mountains. Now, these sounds held sinister hints, shaking their minds. Normal thinking was impossible. Yeonwoo, having survived three deadly crises, spoke with a tired voice. ¡°I think there are three things we can do.¡± ¡°What are they? Tell us quickly.¡± Before speaking, Yeonwoo took out a water bottle to moisten his dry mouth. He then threw the bottle away. It was empty, having been drunk earlier. The bottle rolled out of sight, making a noise simr to a rock falling. There was a slope nearby. Yeonwoo suppressed his emotions as much as possible. He thought intensely about survival and spoke. ¡°First, I can call 119 or 112. I still have about 20 percent battery left, so it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s impossible. If theye, they¡¯ll lose their memories and get lost because of the anomaly.¡± Ji-yoo, still watching the shadows beyond the mist, said. Then she mentioned her duty as an employee. ¡°And even if it¡¯s possible, calling civilians would negatively affect our personnel evaluations¡ª¡± ¡°Survival is the priority. Safety first. You said that, senior.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s true, but calling them won¡¯t ensure our survival.¡± Ji-yoo spoke, and Yeonwoo nodded in agreement. To resolve this situation and survive, they needed experts. Police officers or firefighters weren¡¯t the right experts for this. So Yeonwoo suggested the next idea. ¡°How about starting a fire? Neither the mist nor the monster can withstand a forest fire.¡± ¡°Yes! Mister, I learned in school that heat rises! The mist will definitely clear out!¡± Jae-min, his shoulders shaking, pulled out a lighter from his back pocket. It was a turbo lighter. He looked around for branches, ready to start a fire immediately. Ji-yoo swung her hand at the back of Jae-min¡¯s head. Whack-! ¡°Ow! Why! If we start a fire, the monster and everything else will burn!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll die too! We don¡¯t know the way; can we escape a forest fire? And why do you have a lighter? You¡¯re a student, are you smoking?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± While Jae-min stammered, Yeonwoo turned on his phone and presented thest solution. ¡°If we can¡¯t call for help or start a fire, there¡¯s only one option left.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Request assistance from thepany. Report that we¡¯ve confirmed a Level 2 anomaly.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure, but reporting such a danger might bring in a rescue team or a special operations unit¡ªtrue experts. Yeonwoo pressed the buttons with hope. Jae-min and Ji-yoo looked at him and the phone with hopeful eyes. Yeonwoo put the phone on speaker. A clear voice came through. Ring-ring-ring¡ª Click¡ª -Hey, newbie. What now? ¡°Team leader, this is new recruit Lee Yeonwoo. We¡¯ve confirmed that it¡¯s not just mist but an anomaly, and it¡¯s a Level 2 danger. We¡¯re requesting assistance¡ª¡± -¡­Newbie, you already reported that earlier. ¡°What?¡± Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t continue speaking. His mind went nk. Instinctively, he switched screens to check. A call record he had seen but inadvertently ignored. [Recent Calls] -Team Leader (Outgoing Call / 30 minutes ago): 2 minutes 23 seconds Another call he had no memory of. In his lost memory, Yeonwoo did the best he could. ¡°Oh.¡± -¡­Newbie, put it on speaker so everyone can hear. ¡°Yes, yes. It¡¯s on.¡± With his mind emptied, Yeonwoo mechanically followed the team leader¡¯s order. Forgetting that the speakerphone was already on, he reached to press the button but then realized and tapped the microphone with his finger instead. The team leader spoke. -Listen carefully. The Korean branch sent a drone to collect samples of the mist and assess the environment. ¡°Then¡­?¡± Yeonwoo clung to a faint glimmer of hope. -They said it can be used as a material for memory erasers. So, they rmended not to mess with the anomaly. Damn bastards. They said the anomaly you confirmed might be causing the mist, so it needs to be preserved. ¡°Oh.¡± -Haah. They¡¯re forming a research team and dispatching the Special Response Unit, but that¡¯s forter. There¡¯s no immediate helping for you. The team leader coldly cut off the hope of the endangered investigators. The team leader spoke in a low voice. -Investigators need to take care of their own lives. Thepany can¡¯t afford to help. Yeonwoo understood the harsh truth. He had to carve out his own path to survival. ¡°¡­Yes. Understood.¡± Yeonwoo ended the call. The three of them exchanged nces. Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°There¡¯s no rescueing. We have to do whatever it takes ourselves, even if it¡¯s something we shouldn¡¯t do.¡± If the best option was impossible, they had to go for the second best. If that too failed, then even the worst option would be better than being killed by the anomaly. ¡°Right. This isn¡¯t the time to be picky¡­¡± Ji-yoo sighed and beckoned to Jae-min. He flinched and stepped back. ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°Give me your cigarettes.¡± ¡°What? No way, I don¡¯t smoke. I¡¯m a student.¡± ¡°Come on, hurry.¡± Reluctantly, Jae-min pulled out cigarettes from his back pocket. Ji-yoo took one, lit it with a click, and inhaled deeply. The cigarette smoke mingled with the mist. Flick¡ª Ji-yoo flicked the lit cigarette to where Yeonwoo had thrown his water bottle. The cigarette rolled down the slope. ¡°No matter how many memories we lose or how the monster chases us, it won¡¯t go towards the fire. Let¡¯s move away from this valley first.¡± Under the red sunset sky, they set the mountain on fire. Dry leaves, branches, and the report served as kindling. In the burning mist, a ghastly scream echoed. -Keeeeeeek! 18 - Hiking TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The world was aze. Red, orange, radiating heat, scattering embers everywhere. Huff¡ª Huff¡ª Now, memories didn¡¯t matter. Only the struggle for survival remained. Like an animal fleeing the mes, they ran. Even if their breath was stuck in their throats, they couldn¡¯t stop. Even if they died running, they had to keep going. ¡°Yeonwoo, f*ck! Snap out of it!" ¡°Huff, I¡¯m not... okay!¡±Yeonwoo should have copsed from exhaustion long ago, but he found strength from somewhere to keep running downhill. His unsteady steps and pounding heartbeat were signs of his desperation. Behind Yeonwoo, Jae-min and Ji-yoo also ran desperately. Jae-min shouted with broken breaths. ¡°Mister! Is this the right way down?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t... know!¡± ¡°F*ck! What if we¡¯re going the wrong way?¡± ¡°Stop cursing!¡± Ji-yoo raised her hand but immediately dropped it. She didn¡¯t have the energy to hit him. She focused on the path ahead and kept running. Then it happened. ¡°Ah!¡± Thud¡ª Yeonwoo tripped over a rock and fell forward hard. His iling hands barely caught the ground, but his strength gave out, and he copsed. His face hit the dirt with a thud. ¡°Yeonwoo!¡± ¡°Mister!¡± The two who had been following stopped instantly beside Yeonwoo. He tried to push himself up off the ground but couldn¡¯t get to his feet. His trembling hands had no strength. In the end, he feebly raised his convulsing hand. ¡°Help, help me up.¡± ¡°Get up, quickly!¡± ¡°Hurry, mister!¡± They grabbed Yeonwoo''s arms and helped him to his feet. As soon as he stood, he stumbled forward. There was no time to brush off the dirt from his face or spit it out of his mouth. -Keeeeeeek! A horrible scream echoed from behind them. ¡°Run!¡± Huff¡ª They didn¡¯t look back. There was no point. They could barely keep their eyes on the ground in front of them. A world of red, white, and ck. The sunset, the mist, and the smoke mixed chaotically, blurring everything. Nothing was clear. Only the acrid smell of smoke, the sound of leaves rustling wildly in the strong wind, and the constant fleeing of forest birds and animals surrounded them. Thud¡ª Snap¡ª Then something fell through the mist andnded in front of them. Jae-min, startled, instinctively raised his fist. ¡°What is it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a squirrel! Just keep running!¡± Ji-yoo pushed Jae-min, who had slowed down, urging him on. Indeed, a small squirrel was darting away frantically. Yeonwoo, who was overtaken by the squirrel, struggled to recall his thoughts in his dizzy head. There had been two screams so far. At least in his memory, that was the case, and two instances were enough topare. ¡°It seems to be getting closer than before!¡± ¡°What? The monster?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jae-min and Ji-yoo¡¯s breaths faltered. Ji-yoo, panting, lifted her eyes from the ground and red at the mist ahead. ¡°Where are we? We¡¯vee down a lot, but how far to the entrance?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! We¡¯re not even sure this is the way down!¡± ¡°¡­Even if we get down, will the parking lot be safe?¡± Suddenly, Yeonwoo stopped running. Jae-min and Ji-yoo also stopped. Catching his breath, Yeonwoo looked at them. ¡°Despite the fire, the monster is still chasing us.¡± They had set the fire for three reasons: To disperse the mist, to drive away the monster, and to avoid the valley where people had died. It seemed the fire had worked to some extent; their memories were rtively intact, and they had distanced themselves from the dangerous valley. Yet, the monster was still pursuing them, seemingly intent on killing them. ¡°Mister, so what are you suggesting? Are you seriously saying we should fight? Against a monster we know nothing about?¡± Jae-min quickly shook his head and pushed past Yeonwoo. ¡°How do we fight a monster? What if we die trying?¡± ¡°No, we can do it. Because¡ª¡± At that moment. -Keeeeeeek! The monstrous scream came from nearby, close enough to guess its location. Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°¡­Even if we can''t, we have to try. It¡¯s going to catch up soon. No, prepare to fight right now. It¡¯sing!¡± It approached with a sound. Crack¡ª Snap¡ª Crunch¡ª! Breaking branches, something sharp stabbing, not on the hiking trail, but on the slope! Not on the ground, but in the trees! Crack! Snap! Thud! The sound grew louder, like a countdown, from above, beyond the mist. ¡°Damn it!¡± Jae-min wrapped his school uniform jacket around his fist. Ji-yoo swung her bag to the front and pulled out a short knife. Yeonwoo picked up a thick branch with trembling hands. Yeonwoo thought calmly. ¡®We can win. Judging by its speed, its physical abilities aren¡¯t overwhelmingly superior. And we have numbers. There are three of us, and only one of it.¡¯ He had survived until now. He would survive this too. ¡®Yes, I won''t die here.¡¯ He gripped the branch tightly. The rough bark and splinters dug into his palm, causing a stinging pain. The pain and exhaustion made the branch waver in his grip. Snap¡ª! The next moment, the sound stopped. A deadly silence, even the wind had stopped. The once bustling mountain with its animals and birds was now utterly still. ¡°...¡± ¡°Huff, huff.¡± ¡°Get ready, get ready, get ready.¡± They couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, their tension peaked. Their wide eyes focused on thest spot where the sound was heard. To the right, somewhere above the shadows of the trees. With fists wrapped in school uniforms raised, knives gripped tightly, and the branch drawn back like a baseball bat, they were ready to attack at any moment. Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. He looked up at the sky. ¡°Above! It¡¯s falling!¡± Through the thick mist, a dark human-like figure silently descended right in the middle of the three of them¡ª --- --- ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Pain shot through his head. His vision was red. Yeonwoo instinctively wiped his eyes. Blood stained his hand. It seemed to be flowing from his head. No, not just his head. His hands, empty of the branch, were now covered in blood. Dizziness hit him. The world blurred, and he copsed. Yeonwoo struggled to hold onto consciousness. ¡°So, we tried to fight the monster, but then, did I lose my memory? Then what happened¡­.¡± His blurred vision and thoughts began to clear. Yeonwoo slowly looked around. Ji-yoo. ¡°¡­What happened? Is it over?¡± She was sitting dazedly, with no severe injuries. Her bag was torn, and her training clothes had some rips with red lines of blood underneath, but nothing serious. In front of Ji-yooy something strange. It had a human shape but was clearly a monster. Sharp ws covered in flesh, a knife embedded in its neck. It wasn¡¯t moving. It was undoubtedly dead. Relief washed over him. The tension released, and Yeonwooy downpletely. The misty sky darkened, but his heart felt at ease. ¡°Ah, we survived.¡± ¡°Yes, it looks like we won.¡± Ji-yoo, rustling as she stood, walked over to Yeonwoo. She looked down at his arm with concern. "There''s a chunk of flesh missing from your arm. We need to do some first aid and get down the mountain." "Oh." He hadn''t even realized the pain. He just felt a bit dizzy and overwhelmingly sleepy. "Right. No time to rest... If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn''t have started the fire. It was pointless." "Let''s move on. We survived, that''s what matters. Jae-min! Give me your uniform jacket! We need it as a bandage!" There was no response. Ji-yoo blinked in confusion. "Jae-min? What are you doing?" Struggling to sit up, Yeonwoo turned his head to look at Jae-min. Jae-min''s cheeks were trembling, his teeth chattering. Despite being the least injured among the three, he was shaking with fear as he stared at the monster''s corpse. "Jae-min? What''s wrong?" "Sis, Mister, this... this..." "What about it? It''s dead, isn''t it?" "That''s not it." Jae-min''s eyes, filled with terror, darted between Ji-yoo and Yeonwoo. But his gaze seemed to be looking past them into the void. "This thing... Mom and Dad are here, and they''re really, really angry¡ª" At that moment, screams that shook the mountain erupted. -Aaaaaaagh! -Keeeeeeeeek! Two endless, echoing screams. ¡®If we fight, we die. If we get caught, we die. Oh.¡¯ Yeonwoo staggered to his feet, only to copse again from dizziness. The world swayed around him. Nevertheless, he grabbed at the dirt and clung to a tree trunk to stand up again. But¡ª ¡°Oh. This really... isn''t good.¡± Maybe it was the blood loss. Maybe it was because the bleeding hadn¡¯t stopped. Or perhaps his strength hadpletely run out. He felt like he couldn¡¯t walk anymore. As he shook his head, Ji-yoo approached and tightly wrapped Jae-min¡¯s uniform jacket around his injured arm. ¡°Hurry! We need to move!¡± ¡°No, I... I don¡¯t think I can walk.¡± He tried taking a few steps, but he could barely stand straight, even while holding onto a tree. Trying to move forcibly, he felt he would tumble down the slope. ¡®This way, there¡¯s no way to survive¡­¡¯ No matter how he thought about it, only death scenarios came to mind. Falling to his death, bleeding to death, being killed by the abnormality¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t die. I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯ Yeonwoo gritted his teeth and took a step, but his foot slipped, and he fell. ¡°Yeonwoo!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Lying there, he realized he couldn¡¯t get up again. His eyelids grew heavy, and sleepiness overwhelmed him¡­. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die. Not like this.¡¯ Faint sounds reached his muffled ears. ¡°It¡¯s toote to get help if we go down. We have to carry him.¡± ¡°Move aside, sis. Let me try... I can¡¯t lift him!¡± Voices and hands trying to save Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo struggled to open his eyes. He saw Jae-min and Ji-yoo, unable to flee or save him, at a loss for what to do. And then. Crash! Crack! Boom! The sounds grew louder and clearer, approaching along the path they had taken. Trees were being smashed, branches were breaking, and rocks were shattering. The parents of the monster were rampaging, destroying everything in their path as they raced towards them. An unavoidable death was approaching. In a faint voice, Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°We need to get out together¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Just go.¡± If there was any chance of survival, he would have clung to them shamelessly, even at the risk of being a burden. If he could trade lives, he might have even considered killing them to survive. But facing unavoidable death, there was no reason for everyone to die together. ¡°Safety first, right? Go. They¡¯ll be here any moment.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Mister.¡± Jae-min and Ji-yoo bit their lips and stood up. They couldn¡¯t meet his eyes properly and left. Their figures disappeared into the mist. Left alone, Yeonwoo nced up at the sky and waited for the approaching abnormality. ¡°Damn bastards¡­.¡± Their noisy approach made it impossible to miss them. Indeed, they came closer soon enough. Two dark shadows,rger than humans but smaller than trees. ¡°Gaaaaaaah!¡± The monster''s figures burst forth, screaming like banshees. Time seemed to slow as they approached, the moment of death dragging out. Surprisingly, his life didn¡¯t sh before his eyes. He felt nothing, thought nothing. Yeonwoo simply watched in a daze. A shot down from the sky. 19 - Hiking TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ¡°Keeeeek!¡± ¡°Gaaaaaah!¡± Crash¡ª Bang¡ª The two anomalies, tangled in the, rolled down the mountain path at full speed. They slid across the ground, bounced off trees, and finally disappeared down the slope beyond the mist. ¡°¡­What the hell?¡±It waspletely unexpected. Yeonwoo, staring nkly beyond the mist, turned his head to look at the sky where the had beenunched from. There, fourrge drones were silently hovering. Two drones headed down the mountain, while the other two swiftly followed the anomalies, gliding down the slope. Simultaneously, a loud noise began to emanate from the sky where the drones had been. Tutatatata¡ª In the misty twilight sky, a firefighting helicopter cast a dark shadow as it flew towards the fire. Rumble¡ª Breaking through the mist, a group of people ran up the mountain path. Six individuals fully armed withbat suits and augemented reality helmets. They didn¡¯t even nce at Yeonwoo, heading straight down the path where the anomalies had fallen. ¡°The targets are caught in the! Keep pursuing them!¡± ¡°Roger that!¡± Thebat squad quickly disappeared beyond the mist. Yeonwoo blinked stupidly. ¡®What is this...? Did thepany really send support at this perfect timing? Am I hallucinating before I die?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a hallucination. A voice called out from the distance. ¡°Yeonwoo! Where are you? Are you alive?¡± ¡°Mister, say something! Where are you?¡± ¡°Oh, I... I¡¯m here. Over here.¡± His dazed voice called out, and soon Jae-min and Ji-yoo appeared, bringing several people with them, retracing the path they had taken down the mountain. Especially weing was a medic with a red heart emblem on their armband. A smile of relief spread across Yeonwoo¡¯s face. A simr smile appeared on Ji-yoo¡¯s face when she found him. ¡°Ah! We found him! Quick, give him first aid!¡± ¡°Yes, step aside.¡± The medic, kneeling beside Yeonwoo with a red medical kit and stretcher, began administering first aid with practiced hands. They tore open his clothing around the wound, sprayed disinfectant to wash away dirt, and applied a clean bandage topress the wound. The pain was excruciating. In the face of overwhelming pain, Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t even scream; only a strangled groan escaped his tightly clenched throat. ¡°Gah!¡± ¡°Oh, my. You¡¯re badly hurt. You¡¯ve lost a lot of blood. You might need a transfusion.¡± ¡°Ugh¡ª¡± Writhing in pain, Yeonwoo was eventually ced on a long stretcher. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get him down!¡± His body felt like it was floating and swaying, as the world rocked up and down. Leaves and sky alternated between close and distant, flowing in one direction. Suddenly, Yeonwoo chuckled. Pain was something you felt because you were alive. ¡®Haha. I survived. I really thought I was going to die.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you okay? Why is heughing? Is this a bad sign? Shine a light in his eyes.¡± ¡°Our battery¡¯s dead¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s a shlight in my front pocket. Get it out¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get him down quickly¡ª¡± Receiving the fussing attention of the people around him, Yeonwooy on the stretcher, purely happy to be alive. --- --- The parking lot was packed. Several ck vans, like those in spy movies, were lined up, and there were also two ambnces. People were bustling about, issuing orders and making reports. ¡°The wildfire has been contained!¡± ¡°Reporting on the captured anomalies. They have some burns, but they¡¯re not severe.¡± ¡°First toon of the Special Response Unit, all clear!¡± ¡°Wrapping up the emergency operation caused by the fire.¡± In contrast, the ambnce where Yeonwoo, Jae-min, and Ji-yoo were resting was rtively quiet. Jae-min, swinging his legs as he sat on the edge of the ambnce, asked, ¡°Mister, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I survived.¡± Yeonwoo, receiving a blood transfusion, slowly nodded. His eyes, gazing up at the transfusion bag, looked like they could close in sleep at any moment. Ji-yoo also leaned against the wall of the ambnce, her head nodding. Now that it was over, fatigue overwhelmed her. But in the next moment, they opened their eyes wide and looked outside the ambnce. Thud, thud¡ª Several tall figures were approaching. Leading them was a middle-aged man in a decoratedbat uniform. Tall and imposing, he looked down at the investigators with a twisted smile. ¡°You f*cking lunatics. Setting a mountain on fire, destroying important anomalies. Only care about saving your own asses." The harsh words took their tired minds a moment to process. ¡°So you¡¯re saying we should have just died?¡± Jae-min shouted as he stood up, ring directly at the middle-aged man. After all, he had just narrowly escaped death, and these words felt like a deep insult. But the man nodded. ¡°Yeah, you should have died. If the anomaly you killed could save ten, a hundred people, I might understand. But this one could save ten thousand, a hundred thousand people. And you set fire to its habitat, destroyed one of them?¡± The middle-aged man strode forward, towering over Jae-min. As Jae-min recoiled, the man grabbed his cor with both hands and yanked him forward. "You little sh*t. Didn¡¯t you say this thing had both a male and a female, and they were breeding? With them, we could produce enough memory erasers. Do you understand how many people we could save? Do you still think your pathetic life is still more important?" In the dark night, his eyes glowed with anger under the car lights. It was a tense moment, as if he might throw a punch at any second. ¡°Commander, we still have the parent entities and the fire has been contained. That should be enough. Also, he¡¯s just a student.¡± A soldier nearby intervened. The man called Commander red at Jae-min for a moment longer, then let go of his cor with a shove. "Anyway, I can''t stand these f*cking investigators. They only care about their own lives." Stumbling back, Jae-min¡¯s face flushed red. He looked at the ground, opening his mouth to shout a string of profanities, but¡ª "Your mom''s a bi-" "Stay still, just stay still!" Ji-yoo mped her hand over his mouth and dragged him back into the ambnce. Jae-min shook his head, but Ji-yoo let out an exaggerated groan of pain, and he settled down in the ambnce. Themander, turning to leave, stopped and looked back at them. "What? If you have something to say, say it." "Ha, no. You can go." ¡°Commander... treating a student like this is a bit much¡­¡± ¡°In this f*cked-up world, there¡¯s no such thing as students and adults. Let¡¯s go.¡± He started walking away but turned back again. Ji-yoo, who had been sighing in relief, tensed up and mped her hand over Jae-min¡¯s mouth again. Themander, looking at them with disdain, jerked his chin. ¡°You there.¡± ¡°Sir, this kid¡ª¡± ¡°Not the kid. The one lying down.¡± Yeonwoo struggled to sit up. His arm shook violently, causing the IV connected to it to sway. A soldier stepped forward with a worried expression. ¡°Commander, what¡¯s going on today? Why are you even going after the patient?" "Don¡¯t bullsh*t. Yeah, you. If you want to change your unit, say it now." "My unit?" Yeonwoo asked in a confused voice. Themander nodded once. ¡°My men live together and die together. They don¡¯t abandon each other to save their own hides like these bastards did.¡± He seemed to be referring to when they left Yeonwoo behind. Yeonwoo thought for a moment with his tired mind and quickly made a decision. The investigation team was deployed for suspected anomalies, whereas the Special Response Unit was only dispatched for confirmed cases. Investigators might encounter anomalies, but they always fought against them. And having thatmander as a superior? Insanity. ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯m not fit enough, and besides¡ª¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Themander didn¡¯t ask twice and headed straight for the van. The assisting soldier bowed politely to the investigators before hurrying after themander. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± An awkward silence settled over them. Jae-min and Ji-yoo nced at Yeonwoo, feeling guilty for leaving him behind. Yeonwoo slowlyy back down. His voice was calm. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I told you to go.¡± It wasn¡¯t like they intentionally caused trouble or tried to kill him. Everyone did their best, but the oue was bad. He didn¡¯t particrly care. Jae-min hesitated for a moment, then pped Ji-yoo¡¯s hand, which was still covering his mouth. p, p¡ª ¡°Ah! I was still holding on.¡± ¡°Phew. I thought I¡¯d suffocate. Why did you have to shut me up like that?¡± ¡°Because you were about to curse his parents.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true... but that guy was really annoying!¡± Jae-min huffed, ring at the spot where themander had disappeared. Then, ncing at Ji-yoo again, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°I just wanted to ask something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Since both his parents are dead, I wanted to ask if they died trying to save someone else. How many did they save?¡± Whack¡ª! Ji-yoo smacked the back of his head. Jae-min yelped. ¡°Stop hitting me!¡± Whack¡ª! ¡°You deserve more. You¡¯ll be working with the investigation team after graduation anyway, so it¡¯s fine if you get a bit dumber.¡± "I won''t do it! I won''t work!" "Don''t then! Just get dragged off to theb!" ¡°How can you say something so harsh¡ª¡± Their bickering sounded like a luby. Yeonwoo closed his eyes, letting the drowsiness take over. His vision darkened, and the sounds faded. He felt at peace. Thus ended Yeonwoo''s tumultuous first assignment. 20 - Company Dinner TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here It had been a few days since they came down from the mountain. Lee Yeonwoo, groaning in pain, walked to a barbecue restaurant located in a corner of downtown Sangpyeong. His limping steps finally brought him to a stop in front of the restaurant. The door was wide open, and the rich aroma of grilling meat wafted out. Swallowing his saliva, Yeonwoo swung his cast-covered hand and stepped inside. ¡°Wee! How many people?¡±The owner, who had a hideous scar on his face, greeted him with a broad smile. A frightening visual. Avoiding his gaze, Yeonwoo turned his head this way and that, looking around the sparsely filled tables. ¡°We¡¯re having apany dinner here tonight¡ª¡± ¡°Hey! Rookie! Over here!¡± A loud voice echoed from a corner table. The burly team leader waved his thick hand. Sitting at the same table in casual clothes, Choi Jae-min and Yoo Ji-yoo each raised a hand or nodded in acknowledgment. Yeonwoo quickly walked over. ¡°Hello, Team Leader, seniors. Jae-min, too.¡± ¡°Oh, it''s the first time seeing your face in person, right? How''s the injury?¡± The team leader pulled out a chair while keeping his eyes on the cast. Yeonwoo sat down, waving his cast-wrapped arm back and forth. ¡°Thanks to resting for a few days, I''m fine.¡± He had indeed spent thest few days resting in his small gosiwon room. Given his injuries, going to work was out of the question. Of course, despite the rest, his overworked body still screamed with muscle pain. ¡°Yeah, you need to rest well if you want to work long. So there are no aftereffects.¡± At that moment, the grim-looking owner brought arge tray with side dishes. cing kimchi, scallion sd, and bean sprouts down, the owner smiled brightly while ncing at Yeonwoo. ¡°Ah, are you the new employee?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you often then. They always have theirpany dinners here. Want a soft drink or something?¡± ¡°Forget that. Just bring us some soju.¡± Yeonwoo showed difort at the excessive attention, and the team leader ordered nonchntly. The owner quickly left and brought soju, a gas burner, a stone te, and thick pork belly sprinkled with coarse salt. ¡°Enjoy your meal, and call me if you need anything.¡± The owner moved to another table. Ji-yoo, familiar with the task, lit the gas burner and ced the meat on it. Sizzle- Sizzle- The sound of meat cooking. The delicious sound like a rain shower, along with the smell of meat, rose up. Yeonwoo, who swallowed his saliva, snapped back to reality and took chopsticks and spoons from the utensil holder with one hand. As the youngest employee, he nned to set the table. However. tter, tter- His trembling hand, like he had a tremor, made the utensils tter noisily. The muscle pain hadn''t subsided yet. ¡°Mister, give them to me! I¡¯ll do it.¡± Silently handing them over, Jae-min ced the chopsticks and spoons in front of each person, distributing the stacked soju sses one by one. A soju ss was also ced in front of Jae-min himself. Ji-yoo, who was grilling the meat, narrowed her eyes. ¡°What? nning to pour c into that?¡± ¡°No. I''m going to drink, too.¡± Jae-min met her gaze boldly. Ji-yoo raised her hand, then realized she was holding tongs and scissors and fell into thought. Should she hit him on the head with the scissors? At the menacing look, Jae-min pushed his chair back, moving away. ¡°No, listen to me.¡± ¡°Go ahead. If you can''t convince me, I''ll stab you with this.¡± ¡°Listen.¡± Jae-min pulled his chair closer and looked at Ji-yoo, Yeonwoo, and the team leader. Then he lowered his voice. ¡°Last time, we almost died.¡± ¡°So what? That''s it?¡± ¡°No! Listen to the end. Last time, we survived somehow, but the investigation team''s job is like that. Usually, there''s no problem, but if we mess up once, we''re dead.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± In the noisy meat restaurant, silence fell over their table. Ji-yoo silently flipped the meat. Jae-min continued to speak. ¡°We were lucky this time. But what about next time? There might not be a next time. And in this job, the risk is always there. So I want to drink. Because we made it through.¡± Click- The team leader silently twisted open the soju cap. The soju bottle pointed towards Choi Jae-min. ¡°Fine, let him drink. It''s okay to drink in front of adults. It''s also a good opportunity to learn how to drink.¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you!¡± Jae-min respectfully raised his ss with both hands. He seemed to be copying something he saw on TV, being overly polite and filling the ss to the brim with soju. Yoo Ji-yoo watched with a bitter expression, then put down the tongs and took the ss when the bottle came to her. Lee Yeonwoo did the same. As he lifted his ss with his good hand, the team leader paused for a moment. ¡°Can you drink right now?¡± He nced at the cast. Yeonwoo nodded. ¡°A few sses should be fine. If anything, it might help me heal.¡± ¡°Haha! That''s right! You know something!¡± In the meantime, the meat was perfectly cooked. Ji-yoo cut the meat into bite-sized pieces with scissors. ¡°Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± The team leader raised his ss high. The four sses met in the center of the table and then parted. ¡°Ugh! It tastes f*cking awful!¡± Jae-min turned aroundpletely and downed his ss, then hurriedly turned back and grabbed three pieces of meat, dipping them generously in ssamjang before eating them. Ji-yoo, looking exasperated, said a few words. ¡°Drink slowly. Don''t cause any trouble.¡± ¡°How can I drink a lot of this? It¡¯s ridiculous. Why do people drink this saying it¡¯s good?¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Amid the cheerful mor, Yeonwoo struggled to make a wrap. Using his good hand, he ced fresh lettuce on a side te, added a spoonful of warm rice, put on some ssamjang-covered pork belly, and added a clove of garlic. As he was about to stuff the wrap into his mouth, the team leader rummaged in his pocket and took out a small ss bottle, cing it in front of Yeonwoo. ¡°Rookie. Keep this.¡± Munch, munch- Yeonwoo, chewing, looked at the ss bottle. The small, brown ss bottle had nobel or paper on it and looked like a digestive or hangover remedy. Inside was a clear liquid. The team leader spoke softly. ¡°There¡¯s no reward for this job. You know why, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Swallowing the wrap with a gulp, Yeonwoo responded in a choked voice, and Ji-yoo bowed her head slightly. They had been scolded by thatmander, learning their mistake. Destruction of anomalous entities, setting fire to habitats. The possibilities they almost erased with their own hands. The team leader hit the table with his spoon, cursing the higher-ups. ¡°Damn bastards. Is this a humanity-protectionpany or an anomaly-protectionpany? They call this a mistake. Anyway, instead of a reward, our investigation team got a few memory erasers. What I¡¯m giving you is one of those.¡± ¡°Is this the memory eraser?¡± Yeonwoo picked up the memory eraser and shook it a few times. The clear liquid inside sloshed normally. He turned his gaze to the team leader. ¡°But why are you giving this to me¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a resignation letter. Ji-yoo already has one.¡± The team leader poured himself another drink, watching the soju flow. ¡°Keep it with your resignation letter, and drink it when you retire.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Ji-yoo nodded in agreement. Yeonwoo carefully put the ss bottle into his pants pocket. They ordered more pork belly and emptied several more bottles of soju. As the night grewter, their once-sober faces turned red with drunkenness. After eating all the fried rice made with chopped pork belly, kimchi, and bean sprouts, the team leader stood up. ¡°Let''s go. Look at this guy, drunk.¡± ¡°Aaaah. I think I can drink more? I''m not drunk!¡± Jae-min pped his arms, slurring his words. He could barely control his own body. Ji-yoo smacked the back of his head. Smack-! ¡°I told you to drink just a little, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I only drank a little!¡± ¡°This is driving me crazy. What do we do with him?¡± ¡°Let''s just drag him out for now?¡± While the team leader settled the bill, Ji-yoo and Yeonwoo grabbed Jae-min by both arms and dragged him outside. His feet scraped the ground, and Jae-min found it amusing, giggling as he went. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± The grim-faced owner smiled and saw them off, while the team leader pulled out thepany card and handed it over. The owner epted it and asked curiously, ¡°Did you enjoy your meal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a barbeque restaurant; if the meat isn¡¯t good, there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Haha. So the meat was fine?¡± ¡°Why, is business not good?¡± The transaction waspleted. The owner returned the card, and the team leader put the card and receipt into his wallet, asking casually, ¡°Except for a few regrs, new customers aren''ting. Even the regrs are dwindling. I¡¯m worried about how I''ll make a living if this ce goes under.¡± A response filled with concern. The team leader listened silently, thenughed and gave some blunt advice. ¡°You¡¯re worried about making a living. Man, you¡¯re lucky to have worries like that.¡± ¡°Haha. Really? My wife says the same thing, wondering why I worry so much.¡± The ownerughed. The team leader shook his head and stepped out through the open door. A farewell greeting sounded from behind. ¡°Goodbye!¡± Avoiding the glowing sign, the team leader went to the dark smoking area and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. The click of the lighter¡¯s flint striking. As the me flickered to life, the voice of a man who had once been an investigator like him echoed in his mind. ¡®Hey. I can¡¯t do this anymore. Every day is hell. It¡¯s not just the work.¡¯ ¡®Will I survive today without any issues, will some crazy people attack, will my city be destroyed? Will the Earth suddenly end tomorrow? How is living with these kinds of worries any way to live?¡¯ ¡®I just want to live like normal people, only worrying about making a living.¡¯ The colleague who had endured ten years as an investigator with him drank the memory eraser and moved on to a normal, non-anomalous world. The investigator, who lost ten years of memories, became the owner of a bbq restaurant, met a life partner, got married, and lived a normal life, worrying about making a living, just as he wanted. The team leader took a deep drag from his cigarette. He let out a sigh-like curse, exhaling smoke into the sky. "You bastard..." As he reminisced, the team leader suddenly smirked. Up ahead, investigators were causing amotion. ¡°Huuuuh! I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry I left you¡­!¡± ¡°Arm! Arm! Arm! Ouch!¡± ¡°Get a grip! Get a grip!¡± Jae-min clung to Yeonwoo, who screamed and tried to escape, while Ji-yoo struggled to pull Jae-min away. People who never knew when they might part ways. The team leader watched them until he finished his cigarette. 21 - Error TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here [Monster in the Fog (Temporary)] -Hostility Level: Yellow -Danger Level: 2 -Importance Grade: D -Details: An anomaly that creates fog erasing short-term memories in its habitat.-Measures: Designate the mountain where it was first discovered as a special protected area to prevent civilian ess, establish an anomaly management team to prevent the escape of the anomalous entity, and prioritize efforts for its reproduction in the original habitat. Also, assign a research team ording to the anomaly discovery procedure. --- --- [Regarding the direction of researching the newly discovered anomaly.] To the newly established research team. As always, prioritize analyzing the anomaly ording to the anomaly discovery procedure. Since it¡¯s a newly discovered anomaly, everything is still spection. Can it really reproduce? Does this anomaly really generate the fog? Are the fog and the monster separate entities? Could the fog create the monster? Perhaps it doesn''t erase memories but consumes them? There are many questions, and the unknown can be dangerous, so we must uncover the truth. Of course, we understand the shortage of memory erasers. Research the safety of the fog''sponents and the reproduction of the entity first. For this reason, personnel were sourced from the Rare Material Research Institute and the Anomaly Research Society. --- --- [First Research Report on the Monster in the Fog] Preliminary results have been obtained and are reported as follows. Analysis of the memory-erasingponent of the fog shows it is safe. It can be used immediately as a raw material for memory erasers. Although there is no data on long-term consumption, since it is rare to take memory erasers long-term and periodically, this has been deprioritized. Breeding was sessful, and offspring were born. However, the Extinction Representative noticed a suspicious point, which we will report together. Please consider the following as the opinion of the Extinction Representative. The date when several humans were clinically tested with the memory eraser coincides with the birth date of the offspring. What does this imply? Its diet is also significant. The anomaly eats animal entrails, but this is insufficient for the energy it requires for its activities. I think this: Its essential nutrient is human memory. The fog is its mouth, consuming memories through it for sustenance and reproduction. Thus, using the fog refined into memory erasers aids its reproduction, and the more memory erasers we use, the more their numbers will increase exponentially. I suggest raising the hostility level of the Monster in the Fog to Orange before their numbers be uncontroble. Before we repeat our mistakes. --- --- [Regarding the Increase of the Hostility Grade of the Monster in the Fog.] After carefully reviewing the Extinction Representative''s opinion, we concluded that it is not an unmanageable risk. We will maintain the current level. The reasons are as follows. -Shortage of Memory Erasers: If we can increase the supply of memory erasers, we must tolerate a certain level of risk. What else can we do? -Weakness of the Anomalous Entity: Although it was an infant entity, it was weak enough for a few rookie investigators to kill. Even if its numbers increase uncontrobly, simple firearms should be able to handle them. Of course,cency is a sin, so we have prepared precautionary measures. -Strict restriction of habitat and precise monitoring and management of entity numbers 2. Separate management of memory erasers made from the anomaly: We name the memory eraser made from the fog MM-001 and manage it separately like other special equipment. --- --- [Statement of Reflection] Affiliation: Anomaly Investigation Team Position: Investigator Name: Lee Yeonwoo I hereby submit this statement of reflection, pledging not to repeat the mistake of setting fire to the mountain and destroying the anomaly while performing investigation duties. Blink-blink- Lee Yeonwoo blinked along with the shing cursor. Even before his cast was off, he had to write a statement of reflection as soon as he started his first day at the office. He doubted if he had written it correctly. ncing sideways, he saw Yoo Ji-yoo frowning and typing on her keyboard. He leaned over a bit more to peek at her monitor. It was the same statement of reflection. Even the content was almost identical, with only a few words different. ¡°Um, senior. Is this how we''re supposed to write the statement of reflection?¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± Yeonwoo turned his monitor slightly after moving his body to the opposite side. Ji-yoo quickly scanned it and then returned to her seat. ¡°It looks fine as it is.¡± ¡°Isn''t it too simr?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter, does it?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If they have a problem, they can fire us. There are only three investigators, including the team leader. What can the higher-ups do?¡± With that, she uploaded her statement. Yeonwoo read his statement of reflection again from the beginning. No matter how much he looked, it was too simr to Ji-yoo''s, as if he had copied it. Feeling uneasy, he raised his hand to the keyboard to change a few words when the team leader spoke. ¡°Just write it roughly, rookie. Investigators don''t get promoted, and the longer you work, the more your sry increases. There¡¯s no disadvantage to writing these things carelessly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hesitating for a moment, Yeonwoo pressed the upload button. It felt unsettling, but even the team leader said so. No sooner had he submitted the statement of reflection. ¡°Damn it. What the hell?¡± The team leader swore. Startled, Yeonwoo stretched his head over the desk partition to see the team leader¡¯s spot. Ji-yoo also pretended not to listen but paid attention. The team leader grumbled to himself, then raised his thick hand to beckon them over. ¡°What kind of bullsh*t are these guys pulling by assigning an investigator? Hey, Ji-yoo, rookie. Come here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When the two reached the team leader¡¯s spot, he leaned back in his chair and pointed at the monitor. There was a request form. [Personnel Assignment Request] The document contained a lot of formalnguage, but it was clear they couldn''t refuse. The team leader clicked his tongue. ¡°It¡¯s an order from above. They want to borrow any investigator.¡± Ji-yoo rubbed her tired eyes. ¡°I don''t know what it is, but I guess I have to go. Yeonwoo, your arm still hurts, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± The team leader, looking annoyed at the request form, nced at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo fidgeted with his hand still in a cast, but the team leader didn¡¯t care. ¡°These bastards just want a name and a body. They¡¯re trying to pass off some investigation activities to deceive people.¡± ¡°¡­So I¡¯m going?¡± When Yeonwoo asked, the team leader nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do anyway. Just sit around ande back.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t it be better for Ji-yoo to go? I¡¯m aplete rookie.¡± Yeonwoo nced at Ji-yoo, feeling uneasy about leaving the office for something seemingly easy. But Ji-yoo took a step back. ¡°What can Yeonwoo do in the office? It''s more efficient for me to stay here.¡± She was right. Yeonwoo had only learned how to write a statement of reflection and knew nothing else. Plus, he couldn¡¯t use one arm. Ji-yoo then made a strange face. ¡°And seeing Yeonwoo, it feels like trouble follows him. I¡¯m scared I¡¯ll get involved in something weird if I go.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t argue with that. He felt the same way. Starting with the Human Qualification Exam, an anomaly had gone berserk during training, and a hostile group had attacked. From his first task, he had faced a real anomaly. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. ¡®Am I cursed? Should I see a shaman?¡¯ In the past, he would have dismissed such thoughts as nonsense, but living in this strange world¡ª The team leader interrupted his useless thoughts. ¡°Rookie. Tomorrow, go to Cheonghae Port in Cheonghae City.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. But what should I do when I get there?¡± ¡°There will be someone else there. Just follow that person around. You won¡¯t really have to do anything.¡± Yeonwoo responded briefly, looking ufortable. ¡°Yes.¡± For the rest of his shift, Yeonwoo learned basic office tasks from Ji-yoo, and the day to go to Cheonghae Port arrived. --- --- At the public parking lot near Cheonghae Port. The scorching sun beat down, and Yeonwoo sipped on an iced coffee from the convenience store, looking around. The parking lot, filled with the smell of the sea, had hardly any cars. More sand blown in by the sea breeze upied the space than vehicles. The parking lot seemed to be dusted with yellow spray paint. Yeonwoo scuffed his shoes on the sandy asphalt, keeping an eye on the parking lot entrance. ¡®When are the people who called meing? And what kind of car will they be in? Maybe a van?¡¯ At that moment, his phone rang. It was an unknown number, but Yeonwoo answered immediately. ¡°Yes, this is Lee Yeonwoo.¡± -Are you the investigator dispatched as requested? An urgent voice. ¡°Yes. I was assigned and came out.¡± Yeonwoo answered cautiously, looking around. A blue truck entered the parking lot, drifting precariously without slowing down properly. Screech-! -Are you at the location we mentioned? ¡°Yes. I''m waiting in the parking lot.¡± -Where exactly are you? It sounded as if they had just arrived. Yeonwoo looked at the blue truck, feeling uncertain. ¡°Is it the blue truck? With the cargopartment?¡± -That''s right. Hurry up and get in. Clunk! The truck braked sharply, slowing down. Yeonwoo quickly walked to the back of the truck, passing by the grey tarpaulin covering the cargo area. He slowed down briefly. Through the pping tarp in the sea breeze, he caught a glimpse of a foreigner and what looked like a door. ¡®What? A foreigner? A door?¡¯ Swallowing his questions, he climbed into the passenger seat. As soon as he closed the door, the truck started without any greeting. It left the parking lot and entered the road. Yeonwoo asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll brief you on the current situation.¡± ¡°What? No, where are¡ª¡± ¡°Prepare for an attack.¡± The man in the ck suit driving the truck spoke quickly, ncing nervously at the rearview and side mirrors. His eyes darted back and forth anxiously. Pressing the elerator, the truck sped up. Yeonwoo quickly fastened his seatbelt. ¡®An attack? An attack? They said they just needed my name. They said I just had to sit around.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d be spending his time peacefully. Shoving his phone, loaded with movies, deep into his pocket, Yeonwoo looked at the side mirror. The truck sped down the empty road of the port city. 22 - Error TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The scenery of the port city shed quickly past the speeding truck. The short buildings wore old, peeling coats of paint, with their dark, unlit eyes shut tight in sleep. There was no one to wake the buildings up, so the city seemed to sleep quietly. It was thendscape of a decaying port city. The only thing out of ce was the lone truck speeding down the empty road.Vroom-! Ignoring the red light, the truck bounced heavily over a speed bump. Lee Yeonwoo¡¯s head was helplessly knocked side to side, banging against the window and headrest. Despite his headache, he held a piece of paper with one hand, reading its contents. What was written was far more dangerous than reckless driving. ¡°Danger Level 4? Doomsday Cultists? So, this means...¡± Yeonwoo quickly summarized the information and ced the paper roughly on hisp, looking at the driver. ¡°So, to put it simply, we¡¯re carrying nuclear bomb materials in the cargo hold, and crazy people who want the world to end are attacking us to steal it?¡± ¡°You understood correctly.¡± ¡°No. No.¡± At the driver¡¯s calm reply, Yeonwoo picked up the paper again and read it. On the first page was a photo. The foreigner and the door he had glimpsed earlier. More specifically, a foreigner wedged through a door. [Trapped Man] -Hostility Level: Orange -Danger Level: 1 -Importance Grade: B -Details: A humanoid anomaly that oveps with doors, walls, or objects. ¡®It would be fine if it ended here.¡¯ Like a bugged character sometimes seen in games. The problem was the next part. -Error NPC: A series of anomalies defying physicalws. The more Error NPCs gather, the more reality-distorting errors increase, raising the danger level. Two together make it 2, three together make it 3. -Currently, thepany has discovered five Error NPCs. Considering those not yet found, the potential danger level could rise to 6 or 7. The driver spoke. ¡°The doomsday cultists have stolen three NPCs under strictpany management. Thepany is secretly transporting the remaining two NPCs elsewhere. One of them is the Trapped Man in the back.¡± ¡°What did you mean by an attack?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve beenpromised.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Yeonwoo moved the document aside and looked at the man in disbelief. The man¡¯s eyes darted continuously, watching all directions, licking his dry lips nervously. ¡°The doomsday cultists discovered our transport operation and have invaded Cheonghae Port. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no security. The 1st Security Company and Strike Company are engaged in battle.¡± As soon as he finished speaking. Boom! Bang! Explosions echoed from the direction of the port, a series of sounds as if waking the sleeping port city. Yeonwoo quickly turned his head to look out the window but saw nothing unusual. Instead, he noticed people emerging onto the streets, startled by the explosions. A woman with wide eyes pulled out her phone, and an elderly man hurriedly retreated into a building. ¡®I want to get out of this truck too. ...Can¡¯t I get out? Maybe if I ask nicely?¡¯ Yeonwoo mumbled under his breath, watching the man. ¡°Why did you call me...? You don¡¯t need an investigator....¡± ¡°We originally nned to disguise this as an investigation activity. Sorry, but given the situation, we need your help.¡± ¡°What exactly do you expect me to do?¡± Yeonwoo raised his cast-wrapped arm and the hand holding the document in a gesture of surrender. ¡°I don¡¯t have any weapons, and even if I did, I can¡¯t fight. Look at this hand. I can¡¯t even do physical work.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need your hand. You¡¯re an investigator. You¡¯re experienced in detecting and identifying anomalies. We need you to quickly identify and alert us to any signs of attack or ambush.¡± ¡°No...¡± As Yeonwoo tried to speak, the man turned his head, locking eyes with him. His eyes were serious and desperate. ¡°Please, I¡¯m asking you. We don¡¯t know how many doomsday cultists there are or what kind of anomalies they¡¯ve brought with them. If we make one mistake, it¡¯ll be like dropping a nuclear bomb on our country.¡± His desperate voice didn''t reach Yeonwoo. If a nuclear bomb is falling, you run away from the st zone. How can one person stop that? ¡°Look, I¡¯ve only done investigative work once¡ª¡± He was trying to persuade him to let him out. As Yeonwoo was raising his voice, his eyes suddenly widened. He shouted more urgently than the man. ¡°Look out! There¡¯s a car ahead!¡± A car was speeding towards them from the oppositene. It looked like a normal car, though a bit over-speeding. It wasn¡¯t driving in the wrong direction. However, through the wide, clear windshield, there was no driver. Vroom-! In the next moment, the car crossed the center line, speeding directly towards the truck. Crash-! --- --- A parking lot at Cheonghae Port. The parking lot, echoing with the sound of crashing waves, was stained red. Blood-soaked corpses were strewn everywhere. Security guards in suits and Strike Company members inbat geary scattered like trash on the ground. Around them, skid marks marked the asphalt, and carsy chaotically scattered. Some were on fire from explosions, others were crushed. In the middle of the chaos stood two peculiar individuals. Click, click! Thud! A boy, leaning against a car with his eyes closed as if asleep, suddenly moved his fingers on a game controller. He opened his eyes and raised his hands triumphantly. ¡°Yeah! We stopped them by crashing!¡± ¡°What¡¯s their location?¡± The man with the glowing blue toy gun asked abruptly. The boy blinked. ¡°No idea. I¡¯m not from this country, how should I know? But I know the roads to drive on.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to ride in the car you¡¯re driving.¡± ¡°Cool! There are no cars on the road here, so it¡¯s fun to speed.¡± ¡°Drive safely when we¡¯re in the car.¡± ¡°That¡¯s no fun.¡± The boy stood up, steadying himself on the car. Suddenly, he swung the controller again. ¡°Looks like thepany guy with the NPC isn¡¯t dead yet. Shouldn¡¯t we just crush them like we did with the others?¡± ¡°No. If the NPC gets caught up and dies, it¡¯ll respawn somewhere on Earth. It¡¯d be a hassle to find it again.¡± ¡°Boring... Shall I block the road with other cars so they can¡¯t go anywhere?¡± ¡°That sounds good.¡± The boy sat back down, gripping the game controller with both hands. He closed his eyes, his consciousness leaving his body, controlling distant cars as if ying a virtual reality game. The man, holding the toy gun, looked down at the boy. Someone was watching them. A Strike Company member with his lower body crushed. ¡°¡­.¡± The Strike Company member swallowed the scream and blood rising in his throat. He couldn¡¯t make any noise. With trembling hands, he clutched a grenade. Click, click- Using the sound of the controller as cover, he removed the safety clip and pin. The man didn¡¯t notice. With a feather-light push, the Strike Company member rolled the round grenade. Roll, roll- The grenade, soaked in blood, rolled silently across the road. The Strike Company member watched with unblinking eyes through his shattered helmet. His eyes met the man¡¯s. The man reacted swiftly. In an instant. Click, click- He shot the grenade with the blue toy gun, then fired at the distant sea. Nothing wasunched from the gun. Instead, a blue hole appeared where the gun was aimed. The grenade rolled into the blue hole and fell into the sea. A high water spray erupted in the distance. A faint explosion echoed from afar. It failed. He knew by the sound. The Strike Company member coughed up blood and spoke in a faint voice. ¡°The hijackers... and the driver... I reported to the higher-ups... A specialized unit wille for you...¡± The hijacker, who had been watching the subsiding water spray, slowly looked down at the Strike Company member. Then he moved his wrist, shooting at the sky, before lowering the gun to aim at the Strike Company member. ¡°That specialized unit isn¡¯t here.¡± A dry mutter. Followed by a gunshot. A blue hole opened in the ground where the Strike Company membery, and he fell from a hole in the sky. Hisnding point was a car in the parking lot. Crash, he plummeted through the roof. The car''s body bent, and its windows fogged. ¡°...We still shouldn¡¯t let our guard down.¡± The hijacker moved each corpse to the sea, ensuring no survivors remained. Click-click-click. How many times did he pull the trigger? Only red blood and a ruined parking lot remained. The boy, the driver, sprang up puzzledly. ¡°Blocked them all! ...What? Why the cleanup?¡± ¡°Not cleanup, confirmation kills.¡± ¡°Really? So, shall we go?¡± ¡°Let''s go.¡± They got into an unlocked car. The driveryfortably in the backseat, clutching the controller again. The hijacker in the passenger seat fastened his seatbelt and spoke. ¡°Support.¡± ¡°Oh. So I don¡¯t have to use the brakes?¡± ¡°Do that. We might be short on time.¡± ¡°Then here we go!¡± With closed eyes and a distant consciousness, the boy manipted the buttons with his fingers. Simultaneously, the car, without its engine even running, elerated toward the row of trees ahead. Vroom-! The hijacker in the passenger seat fired consecutively at the tree in front and a spot on the road visible through the parking lot exit. The wildly speeding car shot through a blue hole onto the road, racing ahead without slowing down. The man thought. ¡®The primary goal of this attack is hijacking. If that¡¯s not possible, then kill the NPC. If that¡¯s impossible... we probably won¡¯t reach the third option.¡¯ Click-click. Even while thinking, he continued to open blue holes in space. On straight roads, he shortened the distance, and at times, he cleared obstacles blocking the way. Up into the sky. The two red-grade wanted criminals swiftly closed in on thepany truck. On the road they passed, the obstacles sent flying into the sky rained down as a shower of steel and flesh. 23 - Error TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Screech- Crash! Screech! Boom! A series of loud noises echoed. Yeonwoo slowly opened his eyes. Cracked windows and a painful body. His groggy eyes suddenly widened as if torn open. ''Driverless car, ident! Ambush!'' Memories struck him like lightning.Bang! He quickly opened the truck door and tried to jump out, but his body, strapped by the seatbelt, couldn¡¯t leave the seat. Yeonwoo iled his limbs as he hung from the seatbelt, then reached behind with his free hand to press the red PRESS button. As soon as he pressed it, the seatbelt released, and he fell to the ground. ¡°Ouch!¡± Hended awkwardly on a manhole cover. Without time to recover, Yeonwoo quickly looked around. ¡°What the...?¡± Bang! Bang! The crashing sounds continued unabated. Driverless cars sped towards the truck, surrounding it on all sides. The road was as blocked as a chain-reaction collision site, or a holiday highway jam. Then, he heard a click, the sound of footsteps. ¡°¡­!¡± The sound came from the other side of the truck. Yeonwoo crouched down and pressed himself against the truck. He listened to the conversation, then circled around the truck. ¡°Yes! We can¡¯t move any further! ¡­You''re saying the force was wiped out? Then... Oh, support ising now? How long will it take? ¡­It¡¯ll take forever! At this rate, we¡¯ll lose it! ¡­No! The aftermath isn''t what matters right now! ¡­Then at least tell me who the attackers are, what? Who?¡± The man who had been driving the truck shouted into his phone. Wiping blood from his head, he angrily threw the phone. The phone bounced on the asphalt a few times before sliding to a stop at Yeonwoo''s feet. The man and Yeonwoo made eye contact. Yeonwoo spoke first. ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Should we run?¡± ¡°No¡­ Giving up is the worst option. We have to protect the Trapped Man no matter what. That¡¯s the best option.¡± Yeonwoo looked around the congested road with a gloomy expression. It was as blocked as his mind. ¡°How can we protect it here? You said the Strike Company was wiped out.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a backup n.¡± The man hesitated briefly, then pulled a short knife from his suit pocket. Yeonwoo asked with a sinking feeling. ¡°You¡¯re not suggesting we fight with that, right? You don¡¯t mean the backup n is to fight the attackers?¡± ¡°No. ¡­We¡¯re going to kill the Trapped Man.¡± The road, where the idents had suddenly stopped, was eerily quiet. There was no time. The man bit his lip and walked to the back of the truck, talking as if convincing himself. ¡°The Trapped Man is an anomaly. Even if we kill it, it won¡¯t die. It¡¯ll respawn somewhere on Earth. Better to send it far away than let the doomsday cultists get it...¡± The doomsday cultists are a decentralized organization. Given thepany¡¯s superior information resources, it¡¯s not a bad oue. They would find and recover it first. ''Is that it? Then I just need to find a way to save myself. Running or hiding would be better, right?¡¯ Yeonwoo thought about how to stay safe from potential terrorist attacks. He followed the man, then suddenly stopped and returned to where he had fallen. He saw the round manhole cover. ¡®This...¡¯ Yeonwoo asked, ¡°Hey, how many attackers are there, and what anomalies do they have?¡± ¡°The attackers are people. They are wanted criminals who use anomalies as weapons: the Hijacker and the Driver. To put it briefly.¡± Hijacker. A thief who stealspany property using a gun that creates blue holes in space. Driver. A terrorist who uses a controller to manipte lifeless vehicles, causing traffic idents, bringing down nes, derailing trains, and operating tanks and fighter jets. Yeonwoo thought for a moment, then kicked the manhole cover. ¡°You mean they can''t observe or track us?¡± ¡°Yes. The driver might be able to do something, but since he''s on his way here now, probably not¡ª¡± It was a tentative answer, but Yeonwoo spoke quickly. ¡°Then we just need to hide, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± The man, who had his hand on the tarp of the cargo bed, turned his head towards Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo pointed at the manhole cover. ¡°Why don¡¯t we hide the anomaly and ourselves down there? What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­Not a bad idea. I''ll open the cover.¡± --- --- Swoosh! Yeonwoo and the man pulled aside the tarp covering the cargo bed, revealing its dim interior. A door stood upright, with the upper half of a man protruding from it. The Trapped Man looked up as sunlight suddenly flooded in. ¡°Hey, my back really hurts. Can you help me change my position? If you twist me just right, I cane out. I promise I won¡¯t run.¡± Yeonwoo and the man exchanged nces and nodded briefly. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Thanks. My back is killing me¡ª¡± The man climbed into the cargo bed and shook the door back and forth vigorously. The Trapped Man wobbled, then suddenly slipped out of the door like a ghost. He stretched and took a deep breath. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s better.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Come on out quickly.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Let¡¯s go.¡± Grabbing the man¡¯s outstretched hand, the Trapped Man climbed out of the cargo bed. Squinting in the sunlight, he asked, ¡°There¡¯s been a big ident. So where are we going?¡± ¡°Down here.¡± The man, dering that opening manhole covers was a basic skill for field agents, retrieved tools from the truck and opened the manhole. Rusty handles embedded in the wall served as adder. A faint stench wafted up. ¡°Down there?¡± As the Trapped Man hesitated, Yeonwoo gave him a firm push. ¡°There¡¯s no time. Hurry.¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want to... Alright. I have to listen to thepany.¡± Step, step, step. Fortunately, the Trapped Man climbed down without getting stuck. Yeonwoo was next to enter the manhole, gripping thedder with both feet and one hand. Step, step, step. Standing in the sewer, Yeonwoo looked up and called out. ¡°Come down!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± The manhole opening, glowing like a round sun, suddenly had a head silhouetted against it. The man spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll be the decoy. I¡¯ll lead them somewhere else, just in case they find us.¡± With that, he started closing the cover. As the opening shrank to a crescent, Yeonwoo quickly called out. ¡°Wait, wait! Give me the knife!¡± The closing stopped momentarily. Yeonwoo¡¯s voice echoed through the gap. ¡°Just in case, for the backup n!¡± ¡°Understood. Be careful.¡± The knife dropped down, sshing into the dirty water. Yeonwoo picked it up, ignoring the filthy water, and sighed in relief. ¡®Alright. If they find us, I can use this to threaten them.¡¯ It was just a de, but it was a weapon. He could take the Trapped Man as a hostage. He could stage a standoff to buy time until reinforcements arrived, or use the hostage to save his own life. Yeonwoo ced the knife on his cast and pulled out his phone from his pocket, turning on the shlight. The dark sewer was illuminated by the white light. Damp moisture, a horrible stench, filth, and moss. Creepy darkness. But it was safe. At that moment, the Trapped Man called out to Yeonwoo. ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Yeonwoo turned his phone towards the Trapped Man, who extended his hand towards him. ¡°My foot¡¯s stuck. Can you pull me out? It feels gross down here.¡± One of his feet was deeply wedged into a stream of sewage. Yeonwoo approached him, avoiding the sewage, and shook him randomly. Yeonwoo and the Trapped Man waited beneath the ground for the situation to resolve. --- --- They had beencent. They assumed that the thoughts of terrorists, of madmen who wanted to destroy the world, were those of ordinary people. They thought if the terrorists couldn''t take what they wanted, they would simply leave. ¡°Aren''t you going to chase him?¡± ¡°....¡± The Hijacker stood beside the truck, watching the man in a suit running away in the distance. As if waiting for them to arrive, the man started running as soon as they appeared, exaggeratedly showing he was trying to escape down the sidewalk. The Hijacker wasn''t fooled. ¡°He''s bait.¡± ¡°That guy?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no NPC. No need to chase him.¡± It was obvious he was bait, running away alone without the Trapped Man. The real target was either hidden nearby or had escaped. ¡°So, can I do as I please?¡± The Driver held the controller. The outermost car blocking the road elerated suddenly, hitting the man. A short scream. The car ran back and forth over the man several times. ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Driver¡¯sughter echoed as the Hijacker closed his eyes, lost in thought. Two clocks were ticking in his mind. The time it would take for a specialized unit to arrive. Not much time left. And the time since they had stopped the transport truck. He made his decision. The Hijacker opened his eyes. ¡°If they hid, it¡¯s nearby. If they escaped, they wouldn¡¯t have gone far.¡± ¡°Are you going to search? I didn¡¯t see them near the cars.¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s no time.¡± The significance of the red grade and the specialized unit was clear. Destruction and killing were the top priorities. They were equipped, trained, and staffed solely to deal with anomalies and wanted criminals. The specialized unit for the Hijacker operated globally, moves faster than nes. His appearance had been reported, so they would arrive soon. ¡°So, what then? Are we just leaving?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s a third option.¡± The Hijacker raised his toy gun. When they couldn¡¯t steal or kill. Experimentation. Another word for terror. Click- The Hijacker turned the dial on the side of the toy gun. Twelve pre-designated numbers linked to pre-opened holes. Click, click, click. One, two, three. Three blue holes opened, each ejecting an NPC. And the anomalies began to erode reality. The Broken Woman and the Repeating Man made contact. The surrounding road shattered like a broken graphic. The Repeating Man fell through the cracked pavement. Distant objects floated as if thrown into a zero-gravity space. The uncontroble anomaly spread, reaching the underground where the Trapped Man and Yeonwoo were hiding. 24 - Error TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ¡°Oh. It¡¯s here.¡± His voice echoed eerily off the dark sewer walls. In the pitch ckness, the Trapped Man tilted his head back to look at the concrete ceiling. Yeonwoo, who had been browsing the inte, turned his phone to shine the shlight at the Trapped Man. ¡°Sorry, what¡¯s here?¡± The Trapped Man, his face illuminated by the white light, slowly lowered his head. His eyes, reflecting the shlight, stared at Yeonwoo without blinking as he raised his left hand.¡°Something like me. One, two, three. Four including me?¡± He folded each finger starting from his thumb, leaving only his pinky extended. ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡± Yeonwoo instinctively moved towards the Trapped Man but stopped short. His right foot wouldn¡¯t move. It felt as if it were firmly rooted, nailed in ce. Swallowing hard, Yeonwoo slowly looked down. The phone''s light followed his gaze. There was no foot, only his calf. Below his ankle, his leg was embedded in the concrete. ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± Before he could fully understand what was happening, the Trapped Man spoke gloomily. ¡°It¡¯s alright. The world is breaking down like me. You''ll be able to get out soon." ¡°You mean, something like you has arrived?¡± Faced with this bizarre situation, Yeonwoo tried to stay calm. From past experiences, he knew that losing hisposure could be deadly. ¡®Four NPCs. Level 4. The anomaly is spreading across the city¡ª¡¯ Thud¡ª Before he could finish his thought, his body was flung towards the ceiling. His vision darkened instantly; there was no light inside the concrete. As he passed through the concrete, he glimpsed the vertical passage of the manhole. The wall was lined with rungs. Yeonwoo frantically reached out and grabbed thedder. The phone, still in his hand, flew into the air, spinning and casting erratic shadows. ¡°Ugh!¡± Hanging from one hand, his body swung like a pendulum, mming painfully against the dirty wall. Stifling a groan, Yeonwoo iled his feet, desperately seeking thedder. He finally found a foothold and steadied himself, gasping for breath. More troubling than the filth, the car crash, or the pain was the realization that dawned on him. The phone, spinning in the air, began to rise like a coin tossed in zero gravity. The situation was clear. Yeonwoo banged his head against the wall. ¡®Damn it. What do I do? Should I climb up? Stay here?¡¯ If he got thrown again and ended up stuck inside the concrete, he would be dead. ¡®It¡¯s just as dangerous to go up.¡¯ There were plenty of buildings, cars, and trees aboveground. Even if he soared into the sky and fell, he would still die. For a moment, hanging midway up thedder, Yeonwoo nced up and down. The darkness swayed with the phone''s spinning light. He made a decision. ¡®The backup n. If I kill the Trapped Man, the anomaly might weaken.¡¯ Just then, he heard the sound of someone climbing from below. Yeonwoo looked down. The Trapped Man was climbing up, holding the knife that had fallen earlier. ¡°Sh*t.¡± Sweat dripped down his face. ¡®Will the Trapped Man let himself be killed?¡¯ This was the guy who hadined about back pain from being stuck in a door. Even if he respawned, he would still feel pain. And now he had a knife? A bead of sweat fell. The Trapped Man frowned as the droplet hit his forehead. ¡°Are you really scared? This is just a regr day for me.¡± ¡°Well, it''s just that¡­¡± ¡°I guess if you¡¯ve never experienced it, it would be scary. Even other people, too. Wee back to life, but others don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Once I die, it¡¯s over.¡± During their conversation, Yeonwoo forced himself to stop looking at the knife. He couldn¡¯t let the Trapped Man think he was nning to kill him. ¡®How do I take it? How can I kill him?¡¯ As Yeonwoo was engrossed in these thoughts, the Trapped Man began to speak as if in a daze. ¡°Honestly, I hate being like this too. Why was I made to ruin the world? I understand why thepany keeps us locked up like nuclear bombs. But still.¡± The Trapped Man adjusted his grip on the knife. As the phone spun upward, the Trapped Man was momentarily enveloped in darkness. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they should treat us poorly, right? They don¡¯t feed us, just perform weird experiments. I¡¯m still a person. So.¡± The phonepleted half a spin, and its white light shone back down on the Trapped Man. ¡°Employee whose name I don¡¯t know. Survive and testify. Say that the Trapped Man sacrificed himself for humans. So next time, treat us like people.¡± Thunk! The knife plunged into his neck. The Wedged Man¡¯s pupils dulled. In the next moment, the phonepleted its full rotation, and thedder, once again illuminated, was empty. Only the echo of the knife ttering to the ground remained. ¡°...¡± Yeonwoo was speechless, staring down at where the Trapped Man had been. ¡®...This benefits him too. He¡¯lle back to life anyway. Dying once to demand better treatment from thepany...¡¯ But isn¡¯t he afraid of dying? Stabbing his own neck must hurt terribly. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have done it. Even if the anomaly spreads, I wouldn¡¯t do that. There¡¯s no reason to suffer.¡¯ He tightened his grip on thedder. Without realizing it, he looked upward. To the surface, where other NPCs and anomalies might be. ¡®...One gone isn¡¯t enough. I need to reduce more to survive. This is the right thing to do.¡¯ The phone floating in the air was proof. An anomaly was still affecting the area. Muttering to himself, Yeonwoo climbed thedder. Step, step, step. He reached the top and pushed the manhole cover with his forehead. With a light touch, the cover lifted off. Yeonwoo emerged onto the surface. --- --- It was chaos. It looked like a game with a broken physics engine. Yeonwoo¡¯s first impression as he set foot on the ground was that he had entered a buggy game. Cars were flying through the air. Sometimes they teleported to new positions instantly or spun rapidly at high speed, crashing into buildings or people. Many objects were distorted beyond recognition, like broken graphics. Some moved without casting shadows. Floating¡ª Yeonwoo¡¯s body slowly lifted. He grabbed a street tree that had grown through a car to anchor himself and gazed at the street with dazed eyes. ¡®Four, no, five.¡¯ Among the chaos, the anomalous entities stood out. He could see them at a nce. A woman whose limbs and features grotesquely expanded and contracted, constantly transforming into a monster. A man repeatedly running the same short distance. Another man falling from the sky, piercing the ground, then falling from the sky again. And the wanted criminals. ¡°This wasn¡¯t part of the n! We¡¯re caught up in this mess! What do we do now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it would spread this fast!¡± The boy with the game controller swam frantically in the air. Not far away, the man with the toy gun was also running hectically. At the end of their gaze was the blue hole in the middle of the road. But they couldn¡¯t get close to it. ¡°Damn! I got sent back again!¡± ¡°F*ck!¡± Sometimes they were sent back to their starting point, other times they were flung far away from the hole. Yeonwoo watched the two, unable to escape the anomaly, with bewildered eyes. ¡®Are they suicide bombers? Why are they still here?¡¯ The Hijacker, who flew near Yeonwoo, didn¡¯t even look around. Screaming like a madman, he swung his gun wildly and pulled the trigger. "Damn it! Damn it! The specialized unit will be here any minute!" Click click click click¡ª A near-random spray of bullets. Yeonwoo flinched and backed away, but nothing changed in the direction the gun was aimed. To be precise, the holes weren''t opening properly. The gunshots aimed at the air only pierced through secondster, and even then, the openings were distorted and irregr. Even the anomalies they possessed were being corrupted by the glitch. The Driver was no better. Every attempt to control the vehicles resulted in cars flying wildly or crashing into the ground or buildings. The notorious criminals were helpless. ¡°...¡± Yeonwoo looked around the street with weary eyes. The street waspletely consumed by the anomaly. His shoulders slumped, and his muscles rxed. He hade up, ready to do anything, full of bravado. But there was nothing an individual could do. It was impossible to approach. Even the wanted criminals couldn¡¯t move freely. ''Should I just go back down the manhole?'' It would be safer than a road filled with flying cars and trees. Yeonwoo nced at the manhole. The dark vertical passage anddder beckoned. It had only been a few minutes. The Trapped Man, his voice, came to mind. ''...'' He could hear the Hijacker cursing and the Driver''sints in a youthful voice. ''...'' Even in a world where physicalws were broken, voices carried without issue. Yeonwoo shut his eyes tightly and took a deep breath. ''Deal with the Error NPCs. Make them act like the Trapped Man did on their own.'' Yeonwoo decided to persuade them. 25 - Error TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ¡®But how do I persuade them? What should I say?¡¯ Lee Yeonwoo, who had confidently taken a deep breath, couldn''t bring himself to speak. His mouth remained tightly shut, and all the words swirling in his head disappeared. ¡®Should I ask them to die? Sacrifice themselves for the world? What''s the problem with respawning? I wouldn''t do it either.¡¯ He wasn''t good at speaking in the first ce. Simple greetings or business conversations were manageable, but he had no eloquence to persuade others. Even if he had it, it had disappeared while living as a civil service exam candidate. Especially in a critical situation where he had to persuade someone to die.He ran out of breath thinking of what he could even say. Yeonwoo''s lips parted, and a feeble voice came out. ¡°Excuse me¡­.¡± It was a voice no one heard. Neither the NPC nor the criminals paid attention. Yeonwoo inhaled deeply and raised his voice. ¡°Excuse me! Excuse me!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The hijacker reacted. The hijacker, who bounced off beside Yeonwoo, quickly scanned him. Dirty clothes and shoes soaked in sewage. Even his hand in a cast. The gaze swiftly passed from head to toe. ¡°Civilian?¡± As if it wasn''t worth paying attention to, the hijacker ran towards the blue hole again. Yeonwoo didn''t grab the back of his head. The criminal wasn''t the problem right now. ¡°Hey! NPCs! Please listen to me!¡± NPC. Everyone reacted to that word. The criminals, realizing Yeonwoo was an employee, btedly became cautious. They gripped the gun and controller tightly. The NPCs turned their heads to look at Yeonwoo. The woman''s bulging eyes, the man''s eyes shifting between looking at Yeonwoo and elsewhere, and the eyes of the man falling from the sky. Three pairs of eyes he had to persuade to die. Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut. No persuasive words came to mind. His head turned white. So, he decided to speak honestly, saying whatever came to mind. He shouted. ¡°The Trapped Manmitted suicide! Please die as well!" A moment of silence. Then the broken woman opened her mouth wide. From her torn mouth, the voice of a young girl shot out. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Listen. I heard you are being treated unfairly by thepany!¡± "That''s right." The repeating man raised his hand to stroke his chin while he spoke. The gesture repeated. He continued. ¡°They lock us in a isted room without even a nket, don''t feed us because we don¡¯t die of starvation, just experiment on us. No matter what we say, it''s an anomaly, they don''t even pretend to listen." "Ah." Yeonwoo let out a short sigh. ¡®Crazy f*ckingpany.¡¯ It''s only natural to hold a grudge against thepany. The Trapped Man was no exception. He doubted he can persuade them. As if to seal the deal, the broken woman burst into a scream-likeugh. "Die! Thepany should die more! You too!¡± The broken woman swung her tentacle-like arm, hitting the surrounding cars. Like balloons being hit, the cars floated up and stopped, then rose to the sky. ¡°Die! Die!¡± The broken woman huffed and hit the cars and trees a few more times but didn''t reach Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo didn''t move a step from his ce, biting his lip hard. Then he opened his mouth again. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to improve your treatment? If you sacrifice yourselves now to stop this anomaly, I will report to thepany and testify. And I will ask them to improve your treatment-¡± "Who are you?" The falling man asked shortly and disappeared below the ground. Yeonwoo bowed his head. He looked down at the ground where the man had disappeared. He couldn¡¯t answer that he was an investigator. Even if an investigator made a suggestion, would they pretend to listen? Words he couldn¡¯t even believe himself, he could only mutter inwardly. The repeating man turned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t particrly want to kill anyone. But I don¡¯t want to die painfully either.¡± Then he started running again. ¡°If I just get out of the error range, it¡¯ll shrink back. So leave me alone. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± He ran back to the starting point, repeating his running again. It was meaningless. Next, the falling man quickly spoke. ¡°I can¡¯t die anyway, physical interactions almost never happen-¡± He fell through the ground. Yeonwoo watched for a moment, then looked at thest remaining NPC. The broken woman. She tapped the road with her pointed feet, then quickly turned her head away as if she didn''t want to see. ¡®I''m really screwed.¡¯ He couldn''t persuade a single person. If he could just persuade one, the danger level would drop to 2, like the monsters seen in the fog. As he repeatedly wiped his face dry, the hijacker who had been quietly watching Yeonwoo stepped forward. If the error decreased, he could escape. With eyes shining, he urgently spoke. ¡°No. It¡¯s better for you all to die. It¡¯s good for you too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in pain.¡± The repeating man answered roughly, but his voice was more amiable than when he addressed Yeonwoo. Not only him, but the other two also focused more. "I got you out, so just listen for now." The hijacker raised his gun and pointed around once. Even from a distance, the world was visibly ruined. ¡°This is arge-scale anomaly. Thepany must know. Not only my specialized unit but a unit to capture you wille. Do you want to go back to that horrible ce?¡± ¡°I don''t like that.¡± The repeating man stopped running and listened. The broken woman also nced at the hijacker. In front of the gathered gazes, the hijacker pretended to shoot himself in the head with his toy gun. ¡°It¡¯s better to die and get a moment of freedom. What if you respawn in some remote ce? That would be great.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The repeating man pondered with a look of hesitation. Seizing the moment, Yeonwoo quickly added. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about dying for a moment of freedom. It¡¯s about sacrificing for the world and getting freedom as a bonus. I don''t know how much my words will matter, but I will report to the higher-ups that you sacrificed to reduce the error.¡± Persuaded by both the criminal and the investigator, the repeating man let out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­So how do we die? You need to give us a weapon.¡± It worked. Yeonwoo quickly scanned the surroundings. A weapon, something to use as a weapon. Just then, a knife floated up above a manhole. The knife used and dropped by the Trapped Man. Yeonwoo kicked off the tree, quickly flew to the manhole, grabbed the knife, and paused for a moment. ¡®How do I hand this over?¡¯ He wasn''t confident he could reach the repeating man safely. Not only Yeonwoo, but everyone else was silent. If moving were that easy, the criminals would have escaped long ago. ¡®Leave it to luck.¡¯ Yeonwoo took a deep breath and threw the knife with all his strength. Swish- The knife left his hand and cut through the air. Yeonwoo¡¯s desperate eyes and the hijacker¡¯s urgent eyes followed the knife¡¯s trajectory. ''Please, no problems. Please.'' The knife narrowly avoided a flipping car, just missed a suddenly appearing soda can, passed through the tentacle-like broken tree branches. Finally, it reached the repeating man¡¯s hand. ck! The repeating man looked down at the knife, sighing heavily. ¡°Of all things, a knife. This will really hurt.¡± He looked around at Yeonwoo, the hijacker, the driver, and finally the falling man and the broken woman. He said, ¡°Employee. Keep your promise. Whether it works or not, report it. Tell them to treat us like humans.¡± ¡°Yes. I will report exactly as I said.¡± With that answer, the repeating man steeled his resolve. Determined eyes. Firmly grasped knife. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. The repeating man stabbed himself in the throat. Thud- thud- thud- thud- thud- The stabbing didn''t stop. He couldn''t even scream. Screaming wasn''t part of the repetition. His dted pupils showed the horrific pain he was feeling. ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo met his eyes. Bloodshot whites, pupils shaking erratically as if in a spasm. Yeonwoo nodded, promising to keep his word. Thud! In the next moment, the repeating man vanished as if he had never existed. Now, only two error NPCs remained. The error shrank. From a city block to a small clearing or a narrow yground. The intensity of the error also weakened. Bang! Boom! Bang! Cars and trees floating in the sky fell like rain. Yeonwoo, who had fallen from a few steps high, curled up and looked up at the sky. Luckily, nothing heavy was falling on Yeonwoo¡¯s head. He only got hit by bouncing soda cans and stic cups. Yeonwooughed in relief. ¡°Ha, ha.¡± Danger level 2 was still threatening, but it was only at the level of fog monsters. Much safer. --- --- The situation wasn''t over yet. Of course, the two criminals had already escaped. As soon as the error subsided, they threw themselves through the blue hole without looking back. But with two error NPCs still gathered, the error remained. Thud- thud- thud- bang- Yeonwoo looked at the war-torn street. Crumpled and smashed vehicles and trees. Small items scattered everywhere, like soda cans, bounced around like rugby balls, hitting trees or the ground. If mishandled, many people could be severely injured or even killed by the error. It needed to be resolved. ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo looked at the remaining error NPCs. The man falling endlessly with a rxed expression. And the broken woman, who, although seen briefly, seemed more like a young girl than an adult woman. ¡®I need to persuade the broken woman. The falling man can''t interact physically anyway.¡¯ Unfortunately, she was the most hostile NPC. The hijacker, who at least pretended to listen, was also gone. But Yeonwoo spoke to the broken woman in a gentle voice. "Do you want to go get some food?" "...Food?" ¡°If you don¡¯t like a meal, we can have bread. Or snacks.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The broken woman looked at Yeonwoo with her balloon-like eyes. Yeonwoo nodded. ¡®No need to kill. No need to persuade to die. Just getting out of the error range will be enough.¡¯ The broken woman hesitated, then looked at the falling man. A brief exchange of nces. The falling man quickly spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t need to eat anyway, I can¡¯t eat because I pass through-¡± ¡°¡­Liar. It¡¯s a lie.¡± The broken woman, with a voice full of distrust, though her grotesque and exaggerated monster-like appearance made it hard to be certain, spoke to Yeonwoo. ¡°Liar! You can¡¯t show me to other people!¡± ¡°No.¡± Yeonwoo smiled slightly and took out a memory eraser from his inner pocket. The memory eraser remained unbroken despite the chaos. "If ites to it, I can just use the memory eraser. I can always get more, so it¡¯s no problem." ¡°¡­.¡± Maybe she decided to trust him. The hesitant broken woman silently approached Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo led her, walking towards the other side of the street, to a world without errors. The two disappeared beyond the street. The falling man remained alone on the street. ¡°Ah-. I want to try eating too-¡± How many times did the falling man prate the ground? Soon, even the remaining error subsided. The bouncing objects settled on the street, and the small items stuck here and there remained embedded like modern art. Thus, the error that hade into reality was fixed. --- --- It was the moment he led the broken woman out of the error range. From the sky, where the error was being restored, a small object suddenly popped out and hit Yeonwoo on the head. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± When Yeonwoo turned his head, a six-sided die that had fallen in front of him was spinning alone. While Yeonwoo watched nkly, the dancing die stopped and showed one side on top. Critical Sess! ¡°What the hell.¡± At the same time, the die disappeared from reality. Instead, it appeared in a corner of Yeonwoo''s mind. Whether his eyes were open or closed, he could vividly sense the die. Yeonwoo¡¯s expression twisted in confusion. ¡®What is this now?¡¯ He looked up at the sky where the die had fallen from, but there was only the usual sky. The broken woman, who had stopped walking, looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°¡­Why? Are you going to kill me because the error is fixed? As expected, thepany-¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. Just a moment, just a moment.¡± He had no time to worry about the broken woman. The die he could feel in his mind. Upon closer inspection, the six sides were marked with Critical Sess, Critical Failure, Sess, Failure, Miss, and Miss. A die that was definitely anomalous. ¡®It''s all over! Why is this happening to me! Why!¡¯ Yeonwoo clutched his head. 26 - Extra Story: Plus Conversion TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Dear Respected Teacher, Professor, a Level 4 anomaly recently manifested in our country. This was due to a terrorist attack by a doomsday cult, which caused four error NPCs to gather. Fortunately, it urred in a sparsely popted city and only for a short time, so there wasn''t severe damage, but I am afraid. Is the world we live in real? Or is it a sophisticated simtion? Do we truly exist? Or are we just part of a simtion?The very existence of anomalies that defy thews of the universe¡ªisn''t that proof that our world is false? Since learning about the existence of anomalies and seeing a city overrun by error NPCs, I have been unable to stop feeling fear. If our existence is a lie, if the world we''ve lived in and protected is just a simtion... Professor, I heard that you have long worked at the Metaphysical Literature Society, which studies the possibility that our world is a work of fiction within a frame. Please tell me the truth. Do I, do we, does this world truly exist? Is there value in our lives? Your former student, seeking only the truth. --- --- To my former student, I am sorry to hear that such an event urred. My deepest condolences for the deceased. To get to the point, questions about the existence of being and human dignity are natural. Especially for an employee dealing with anomalies. Is our world a simtion? Are we part of someone''s novel? Do humansck free will? Are humans nothing but bio-robots made of organic material, moving by electrical signals? These are topics studied diligently by various research institutes and departments. And there has been some progress. If you truly want the truth, I invite you. To the department that explores the world beyond the fourth wall, beyond the frame. If you wish to ept the invitation, please respond with a suitable date. P.S. It would be best toe quickly. We are close to seeing the fruits of our long research. Your former teacher. --- --- Professor, The department¡­ So the nameless department truly exists. I thought it was just amonpany myth. But if the department is real, the answers I seek must be there too. Alright! I wille! Any time is good! Even right now is fine! Please respond as soon as possible. Your former student. --- --- The invitation was rough. ¡°Wake up. We have arrived.¡± His body was roughly shaken. The doctor blinked several times, recalling his memory through a foggy mind. ¡®After receiving the invitation¡­.¡¯ A ck-suited agent, whose affiliation was unknown, had appeared, blindfolded him, changed his clothes, and forcefully gave him a sleeping pill, citing the location''s secrecy. He had considered protesting but decided that knowing the truth was more important, so he reluctantly swallowed the pill. ¡®I remember. So, is this the department?¡¯ The doctor slowly looked around. It was a corridor in some building. A pristine white corridor. On either side of him, the two agents who had practically dragged him here were supporting him. ¡°He is awake.¡± The doctor forcefully shook off the agent''s arm. It was a gesture filled with emotion. The coercive attitude had been unpleasant, and unpleasant memories are hard to forget. If he hadn''t wanted something so badly¡­. The agent who had been pushed away stepped back silently. At that moment, a grandmotherly voice spoke softly. ¡°You seem quite upset. But please understand. This ce is that important.¡± ¡°Ah, Professor.¡± At the end of the white corridor, a gracefully aged, robust grandmother walked slowly toward him. The professor he had taken lectures from in the past, the person who now held the answers he sought. The professor greeted the doctor with a kind smile. "It''s been a while. I hear you''re working as a doctor for thepany?" "I''ve been with thepany for quite some time. But Professor, what I want here¡ª" The doctor took a bold step forward but staggered, still feeling the effects of the sedative. An agent quickly approached to grab his arm, but the doctor swung his hand, knocking the agent''s arm away. The professor gave an awkward smile. "You must be in a hurry." "Of course I''m in a hurry. How can you not understand how the thought that this world, that I, might be an illusion eats away at someone!" His voice, filled with mixed emotions, echoed through the corridor. Despite staggering, the doctor managed to walk up to the professor. Looking down at the professor, he shouted. "That''s why I came here! I put up with the rude behavior of these agents or whatever! Give me the answers quickly¡ª" "Calm down. Don''t you know nothing about the department? Shouldn''t you learn the background first to properly understand?" The professor soothed the doctor as if dealing with an impatient student. Her demeanor was calm and serene. The doctor took a deep breath, then bowed his head. "I''m sorry. I was too much. I, I,tely, it doesn''t feel like I''m really living." "I understand. This field is like that. It''s one of the topics with a particrly high suicide rate. But you''ve endured well." "...No, I haven''t." The professor''sfort seemed to reach him, and the doctor''s breathing gradually steadied. The professor waited for the doctor to calm down before turning and starting to walk down the corridor. "Shall we walk for a bit? It takes a while to get to our destination, so I''ll give you a short lecture." The doctor quickly followed, feeling frustrated by the professor''s slow pace. --- --- The professor and the doctor walked down the white corridor. An agent trailed behind them, but they made no sound, like shadows, leaving only the quiet conversation between the two. "Frame narrative. A story within a story. A y within a y. The fourth wall. Characters in a movie talking to the audience. Meta-narrative. You''re familiar with these?" "...I am. But suddenly, a ninja appeared. Isn''t that anomaly simr? Characters in the narrative talk to us, move to other books or paintings." "Then it should be easy to understand." The professor continued her lecture in a slow, deliberate tone, matching her slow pace. "Our department studies that. We got the idea from anomalies that are our world''s creations but interact with our reality." The professor paused to catch her breath. She appeared healthy, but her breathing was strained. The doctor anxiously paced around the professor. "I know that. You worked at the Metaphysical Literature Society, studying the possibility that our world is a framed world. I know that story, so get to the point¡ª" The professor smiled warmly. "This is the department. Not the Metaphysical Literature Society. Naturally, we study something different, right?" "Well, yes." A basic mistake. The doctor blushed. Even in his urgency, such a mistake. The professor resumed walking. The doctor quickly followed. "We studied ways to venture beyond the frame. To interact with the world outside the frame." "..." This time, the doctor stopped walking. The professor walked a few more steps before realizing the doctor wasn''t following and turned around. There stood the doctor. His face was pale. His eyebrows trembled ceaselessly. In an instant, he broke into a cold sweat, as if his body had expelled all its moisture. The doctor opened his mouth. Only groans came out at first, but he finally managed to speak, moving his tongue with effort. "That. That means. That we are characters in a frame¡­?" "Don''t be so shocked." "How. How. Then. Then." He couldn''t continue. His dted pupils stared into space, and he staggered like a drunk, leaning against the wall for support. The professor slowly approached and patted the doctor on the back. "I understand what you''re thinking and worrying about. But we exist, and our world is real." "Don''t lie to me!" The doctor suddenly straightened up and screamed. Exhausted in an instant, he grabbed the professor by the cor. The two agents moved quickly, but the professor raised a hand to stop them. She met the doctor''s eyes. "Even if our world exists within a frame, it doesn''t mean our value and existence are meaningless." "How can you say that! If my life is just a string of words written by someone else, what meaning does it have¡ª" "Think about the universe." It was an unexpected statement. The professor looked up at the ceiling as if she could see the sky. She continued in a voice that sounded like she was dreaming. "Leaving Earth, setting foot on the moon, building bases on Mars, sending probes beyond the sr system." "What does that have to do with anything right now?" "It''s the same with frames and meta-concepts." The doctor slowly released his grip on the professor''s cor. She stopped looking at the ceiling and faced the doctor again. "Just as we venture into space after living only on Earth, we can move beyond the frame into the world outside it." "Beyond the frame¡­?" "Our technology has advanced that much. To the point where we can move beyond in a meta-dimensional sense. Shall I exin it more simply?" The doctor nodded nkly. "Think of anomalies, like when a ninja suddenly appears. These anomalies interact with the world outside the frame. Does this still make your life meaningless?" If they could interact with the world beyond the frame, could they still be considered mere characters in a novel? Could they be simply the creations of someone''s imagination? The doctor looked at the professor with trembling eyes and asked in a faintly hopeful voice. "Is that possible?" "Of course. We''re almost there." The professor pointed to the end of the corridor. The doctor followed her gesture to see the corridor''s end. "It''s just a wall, isn''t it?" "The fourth wall is a wall too." The professor took the doctor''s hand and led him toward the wall. She said, "We''re going to step outside the frame for a moment." "Outside." "We need to go through the outside to reach our destination. Let''s go." --- --- "We''ve arrived." "Already?" The doctor looked at the professor with bewildered eyes. He had no memory of the journey. He hadn''t seen anything. He had just opened his eyes, and the space had changed. The professor sighed with pity. "Youck the aptitude¡­. You don''t have the aptitude to interact with the world outside." "You''re joking, aren''t you? This is some sort of teleportation trick." The doctor couldn''t believe it and distrusted the professor. The professor no longer made eye contact with him. She looked at something behind him and exined. "If our world were a novel, the process of our movement just now wouldn''t have been written. Because we stepped outside the narrative." "What do you mean. Prove it. Prove it to me. I still can''t believe it." The doctor was flustered. If he couldn''t interact with the outside world, then his life¡­ He couldn''t ept such a reality. As the professor walked past the doctor, she spoke objectively, as if stating a fact. "Unfortunately, Doctor, you will have to live within the framed world. You cannot go outside." "Lies. Don''t lie to me! Thepany''s technology can''t be this limited¡ª" The doctor turned to chase the professor, but he stopped speaking. There stood a massive mechanical figure. It was only an upper body, the size of a small house. Tap-tap-tap. The mechanical figure was typing on a keyboard the size of a truck. "What is that? Where are we?" The professor, who had approached the mechanical figure, turned around from its center. With the giant keyboard and mechanical figure behind her, she spoke. "Here is the frame. It is the intersection between the outer world and the inner world. And this is." Her voice, filled with emotion, blended with the sound of typing. "One of the extinction prevention devices. A meta-narrative machine created to interact with the outside world. We call it ''The Writer.''" There was fervor in her eyes and voice. The doctor watched and listened, entranced. "Even if our world is truly a novel, so what? If we hold the pen, if we are the ones typing on the keyboard, wouldn''t our lives still be meaningful?" The doctor was overwhelmed as he watched the machine''s fingers continuously typing on the keyboard. Then, a sudden thought surged. ''That machine is what makes our world a framed world. It''s writing my life as it pleases. If I destroy that writer, I won''t be a character in a frame anymore.'' Smack-! Blood vessels burst in his eyes, turning his vision red. The doctor red at the machine and charged with a scream. The professor stepped aside calmly, watching him. The doctor reached the keyboard without any interference and swung his fist. "...Huh?" His fist passed through the keyboard as if it were a hologram. The professor''s voice reached him. "I told you, Doctor. You don''t have the aptitude to interact with the outside world. Naturally, you can''t interact with the writer either." The doctor pulled back his fist and stared at it nkly. The professor''s calm voice echoed in his ears. "Metaphorically speaking, you might be considered just an extra." His entire body went limp. The doctor copsed to the ground. The sound of typing on the keyboard echoed endlessly. His vision darkened. --- --- The doctory unconscious in front of the keyboard, his face haggard as if his soul had left him. Blood trickled from the corners of his eyes. "..." The professor looked down at him. Over his face, she saw the faces of colleagues from long ago. The end of the Metaphysical Literature Society had not been a good one. Their research ultimately proved that their world was within a frame. On that day, a day of thunder and lightning, when the lightning of wisdom struck their souls, what had happened? "Many people left..." The professor closed her eyes. Faced with an unbearable truth, many colleagues took their own lives. Others drank memory erasers to escape reality, and only a handful gritted their teeth and took another step forward. "If our world is just a story, let''s hold the pen... If it''s a painting, let''s hold the brush. If it''s a movie, let''s write the screeny..." Let''s write the story within the frame, ourselves. Let''s go outside and shape our destiny with our own hands. So they did just that. They deleted the department''s name, bing the nameless department, and created ''The Writer,'' sessfully interacting with it. Cough, cough. The professor covered her mouth and coughed. After coughing for a long time, she wiped her reddened mouth and spoke to the doctor with earnest emotion. "Doctor, ovee this. You are the only one who can seed me. It''s okay to be an extra. There''s nothing as powerful as a living, moving character. So, ovee this and live. I don''t have much time left." Their research had finally borne fruit, but now there was no one left to see the beautiful sight. Many from the nameless department had left. Some had reached the end of their lifespan, others had crumbled, and others... Now, the only researcher left was herself. Tap-tap-tap. The machine continued typing on the keyboard. The professor looked up at the machine. A faint smile appeared on her lips. "Ah, it has begun." The sequence to obtain sustainable power from the world outside the frame was in progress. [Secured 965 continuous meta-observers] [Meta power sponsors: Anonymous, Hair Loss Treatment, Nanisi, onlyjamie.] [Plus conversion in progress] [Serialization schedule and time: Sat-Wed at 00:05] Watching the words being written by ''The Writer,'' the professor closed her eyes and sped her hands. She prayed, hoping sincerely. ''Please, let the beings outside the frame enjoy the story of our world.'' So that we can continue to write our story for a long time. --- [raei: I was confused at first but... But plus conversion here is the author applying for plus which novelpia''s subscription model. The meta power sponsors, I''m assuming, are currently the top supporters/donators? I recognize some of these names from when there was script credits in ch14. Also make sense as to why I have no idea how to interpret some of the names, my bad on that one. 965 continuous meta-observers would be readers staying.]Toggle New Ads Also, doing 5/week from monday forward! Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 27 - Demon TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here [Regarding the Treatment of Error NPCs] The reason we didn''t put bomb cors on the necks of error NPCs was that we feared they might exploit them as a means of escape. However, as seen in the recent error expansion incident, if they are willing to cooperate with thepany, it might be worth implementing. In return, we would have to treat them more like humans. Of course, error NPCs are anomalies. How could beings that appeared one day with their current form be considered human?Thepany''s strict rule is that no matter how humanlike an anomaly behaves, it is not human. Therefore, fundamentally, the previous treatment was not wrong. But thepany also mandates that if treating anomalies like humans helps manage them, exceptions can be made. We will improve the treatment of error NPCs. We will move them from padded isted rooms without self-harm means to rooms where humans live. We will provide the same meals as employees and allow some leisure activities. And, we must start by finding the Trapped Man and the repeating man. --- --- The report was essed using the team leader''s ount. ''Thank goodness. This is good.'' Lee Yeonwoo read the report over and over, then exhaled softly. The sacrifice of the Trapped Man was rewarded. His worries about whether thepany would change its policy or impose more restrictions were relieved. The day thepany and the Trapped Man face each other again, it will be as person to person, as he had hoped. Yeonwoo leaned slowly against the back of his chair. The old chair creaked. Creak¡ª At that moment, Yoo Ji-yoo, sitting next to Yeonwoo''s desk, nced at the news on her phone and then showed it to him. "This is about what you went through recently, right?" "Huh? Oh." Yeonwoo leaned forward, fixing his eyes on the phone. On the small screen, a reporter was speaking, the location being the center of the error he had stood in recently. The reporter pointed to the devastated street with her hand while walking, and the camera panned to show the extensive damage. [I''m currently at the site of a series of explosions in Cheonghae City. As you can see, it looks like a war zone.] "What, this is on the news." It was even on a majorwork. He thought thepany would handle it discreetly, but it had made it to the news. Yeonwoo, his head buried in the phone, looked at Ji-yoo in confusion, but she just gestured for him to keep watching. [Five vehicles, including an oil tanker and LPG delivery trucks, collided in a chain reaction and exploded, triggering arge-scale explosion that also affected the gas pipelines. The cause of the ident was revealed to be an underage driver smoking while driving without a license¡ª] Yeonwoo''s mouth dropped open. His eyes widened in disbelief. An oil tanker, yes. Gas explosions, yes. An underage driver, usible. But all thesebined? "Do people believe this? It''s absurd." "Most people will just ept it. Some might not believe it, but it''s not a big issue." Ji-yoo paused the video, searched for another rted news clip, and yed it. An interview with an elderly man. [Kim Choon-duk: I can''t remember anything. My mind is, uh, nk.] [Citizens of Cheonghae City, who witnessed the disaster, areining of traumatic amnesia.] Traumatic amnesia. Yeonwoo blinked. Now that he thought about it, he had often heard the term "traumatic amnesia" in the news. Chain collisions, random murders, explosions, building copses, idents, idents, many idents. A realization hit him. Yeonwoo spoke. "Is traumatic amnesia not due to psychological shock but because of memory erasers?" "Exactly. They spray it in mist form, put it in the water supply, and use a ton whenever there''s a major anomaly incident." Ji-yoo casually took her phone back. Her nails tapped rhythmically on the screen. "And they say there''s a lot of information maniption too. Anyway, that¡¯s not what I wanted to say." Yoo Ji-yoo ced her phone on the desk and slowly slid her chair back, distancing herself from Yeonwoo. As Yeonwoo stared nkly at her, Ji-yoo scrutinized him with a suspicious look. "I''m really d you came back unharmed. But, Yeonwoo, are you really not cursed or something? How does it always happen when you go out..." She stopped, thinking it would be rude to continue, but Yeonwoo understood what she meant. He couldn''t deny it. Yeonwoo sighed deeply and knocked his head against the back of the chair. "...I think so too." Since the start of the Human Qualification Exam, something felt terribly wrong. His life seemed to be unraveling in every possible way. ''Maybe I should actually consult a shaman...'' Suddenly, Yeonwoo leaned over his desk and spoke loudly. "Team Leader, do you know any good shamans by any chance?" "Rookie." The team leader answered without even lifting his head, his voice slightly exasperated. "If such shamans existed, they''d be anomalies. Thepany would have captured them all. Don''t waste your money on talismans or rituals." "...Then is there a priest or monk you know? Someone who could offer psychologicalfort, even if it¡¯s not effective?" The team leader slowly raised his head and made eye contact with Yeonwoo. His eyes looked dull and exhausted. Well, considering the number of anomalies he''s encountered in such a short time... Even the error alone was at danger level 4... It''s a miracle he survived. But there was nothing he could do. The team leader avoided Yeonwoo¡¯s hollow eyes. "I do know a priest, but he''s not what you''re hoping for." Disappointed, Yeonwoo lowered his head onto the desk. Then he raised it again, remembering another request. "Then, Team Leader, can we at least get some weapons? Even a handgun?" Honestly, he didn''t need a shaman or anything. Just having a proper weapon would make him feel much safer. Ji-yoo, seemingly thinking the same, joined in and looked at the team leader. "Team Leader, isn''t it a bit much to only have a knife? If we at least had a handgun, we wouldn¡¯t get hurt by fog monsters¡ª" The team leader shook his head again. "Rookie. Ji-yoo. What kind of country do we live in?" "Huh?" "Civilians can''t own firearms. We''re civilians. The guys with guns in the special forces are officially under the Ministry of Defense. They''re actual soldiers." Suddenly, the team leader stood up, seemingly reminded of something, and began to raise his voice angrily. "Why do the security guards use those damn tasers? Foreigners all carry guns! Those damn snake bastards! One shot and it''s over! Calling that a gun, bullsh*t!" Yeonwoo and Ji-yoo briefly looked at each other, then lowered their heads and focused on their work. No matter how frustrated and angry they felt, when the other person reacted more intensely, it drained their energy. They could only sigh deeply inside. Ignoring the team leader who was now stomping his feet, Yeonwoo looked around his desk. ''Where did I leave my phone?'' He was sure he had left it somewhere on the desk, but it was nowhere to be seen. Yeonwoo searched around his desk for a bit, then gave up and closed his eyes. The image of the dice appeared vividly. ''Where is my phone?'' Roll¡ª As soon as he focused intently, the dice rolled in his mind. Soon, the dice stopped. Miss! Nothing happened. Yeonwoo thought again. ''Once more. Phone.'' Roll¡ª Sess! Suddenly, he saw his phone. It was deep under the monitor. Yeonwoo retrieved it, wearing a somewhat ambiguous expression. ¡®The dice. Not bad at all.¡¯ After a few experiments, he found it somewhat useful. Mostly itnded on nothing, with asional sesses and failures. A double-edged sword, but handy for small tasks like finding lost items or recalling forgotten passwords. ¡®I haven¡¯t experienced a critical sess or critical failure yet, but since they rarely happen, there¡¯s no need to worry about¡ª¡¯ Bang! The door to the Anomaly Investigation Team''s office burst open, mming into the wall. Yeonwoo, Ji-yoo, and even the still-angry team leader stopped and looked at the door. Huff, huff. There stood Choi Jae-min, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Without catching his breath, he urgently shouted. "My friend, my friend!" "Calm down first, kid." The team leader, as if he hadn''t been agitated moments ago, spoke calmly, but Jae-min, squeezing out hisst breath, screamed desperately. "My friend''s parents disappeared!" "...What? You mean, they''re missing?" "No! They don''t exist at all! The parents don''t exist!" Jae-min ran up to the team leader, speaking in a panicked and jumbled manner without even catching his breath. --- --- Choi Jae-min saw the world differently from others. When he looked at someone with parents, he saw text above their head. [Father: Choi Dong-hyun (Status: Deceased)] [Mother: Lee Jin (Status: Healthy)] Like this. So, when he arrived in the ssroom on Monday after the weekend, he could tell immediately. ¡°Hey, Jae-min! Hi!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hi.¡± The girl sitting next to him, Ah-yoon Baek, looked up at him puzzledly. She blinked her eyes. ¡°Did you stay up all night? You look tired.¡± ¡°Well, I went to bed early¡­¡± Jae-min stood there stiffly, not even putting down his bag, his gaze slightly raised to look above Ah-yoon¡¯s head. [Father: ] [Mother: ] nk. Meaning they didn¡¯t exist in the first ce. For a person, this was impossible. In the ssroom with no air conditioning, hot summer wind blew in from outside, but a chill crawled up his spine. Jae-min put his trembling hand in his pocket and grabbed his phone. ¡®An anomaly. It¡¯s an anomaly.¡¯ It looked like Ah-yoon and acted like Ah-yoon, but his eyes could see it. This wasn¡¯t a person. ¡®Ji-yoo, Yeonwoo, Team Leader. I need to call someone¡ª¡¯ The moment he took out his phone, Rattle¡ª The ssroom door opened. The homeroom teacher walked in. As soon as he entered, he addressed the students. ¡°Hand in your phones. Turn them off, no handing in dummy phones, and don¡¯t lie about not bringing them. Especially you, Jae-min. I saw you with your phone.¡± ¡°Teacher, just one call¡ª¡± ¡°No, you should¡¯ve done that earlier.¡± ¡°Teacher! I really forgot it at home today!¡± Jae-min, abandoning his attempt to call, looked down at Ah-yoon. The thought hit him. ¡®Ah-yoon. What happened to the real Ah-yoon?¡¯ While he was still processing, the phones were collected, and ss began. Jae-min couldn¡¯t focus on the lesson at all, watching Ah-yoon the entire time. 28 - Demon TL/Editor: raei Schedule: Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Time at school passed quickly. Even during the teacher''s lesson, which seemed like an anomaly designed to put students to sleep, Jae-min didn''t doze off once, as he kept ncing at Ah-yoon Baek. Before he knew it, it was time to go home. The teacher who returned their phones gave a brief dismissal. ¡°Nothing more. You¡¯re done. Go.¡±The students got up all at once, filling the ssroom with a loud noise. The sound of chairs scraping the floor, students running out in a hurry, and groups chatting loudly. Jae-min stayed seated, continuing to observe Ah-yoon. "..." Ah-yoon stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and looked at Jae-min. He flinched and quickly looked away, but it was toote. Ah-yoon tilted her head. ¡°Jae-min, you¡¯re acting weird today?¡± ¡°Me? No, I¡¯m not.¡± ¡®The real weird thing is¡­¡¯ He swallowed the rest of his sentence, staring at the space above her head where the text should be. Ah-yoon continued to tilt her head in curiosity but then cheerfully stepped away. ¡°See you tomorrow!¡± ¡°Yeah, see you tomorrow.¡± Ah-yoon walked out, chatting with friends. Jae-min watched her go, her back to him, the nk text still hovering above her head. [Father: ] [Mother: ] ¡®But¡­¡¯ Jae-min let out a groan. He was confused. He had watched her all through ss but hadn''t noticed anything strange. She acted just like the usual Ah-yoon. Her gestures when she tilted her head, the rhythm of her nodding off, even the songs she hummed asionally, everything was the same. He started to doubt. ¡®Is Ah-yoon the anomaly? Or did something happen to her parents?¡¯ Maybe something like an eraser that could erase a person''s existence had wiped out her parents. In that case, Ah-yoon would still... As he pondered, someone ced a hand on his head. ¡°Jae-min, what are you doing?¡± It was a friend. He snapped back to reality. Jae-min quickly slung his bag over one shoulder and stood up. ¡°Going home.¡± ¡°Coming to the PC room?¡± ¡°No, I need to get home quickly.¡± ¡°Just one game¡ª¡± Ignoring his friend''s plea, Jae-min ran. Through the school corridors, down the stairs, across the yground. He didn''t wait for the bus and ran down the road. He ran towards the ce where he knew he could get help with this situation. ¡®To the investigation team! Quickly!¡¯ --- --- ¡°This is what happened. What should I do? What do I need to do? Is Ah-yoon okay?¡± Jae-min fired off questions without pausing for breath, looking at the team leader with hopeful eyes. Yeonwoo and Ji-yoo also looked at the team leader, hoping for answers. Listening alone didn¡¯t give them any clues. Maybe the experienced team leader knew something. As if meeting their expectations, the team leader scratched his chin and asked in detail. ¡°I think I know what it is¡­ When was thest time you saw your friend? Not the current anomaly, but your actual friend.¡± ¡°Friday. I didn¡¯t see her over the weekend, so it¡¯s been about three days.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s been three days, there shouldn¡¯t be any major problems.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Jae-min, relieved by the words, copsed to the floor, leaning against a desk. His breathing slowly steadied. Then he looked up at the team leader with a sweat-drenched face. ¡°What happened to Ah-yoon? Or was it her parents?¡± ¡°It seems your friend summoned an anomaly.¡± ¡°Summoned?¡± Jae-min¡¯s eyes widened. The team leader casually grabbed his phone and car keys as he continued. ¡°It''s called the Demon of Sloth. You can look it up on myputer.¡± Jae-min quickly got up and typed on the keyboard in a hunched position. Soon, the monitor disyed the report. [Demon of Sloth] -Hostility Level: Yellow -Danger Level: 2 -Importance Level: D -Details: An anomaly that acts as a clone of the summoner, behaving identically to the summoner. Thirteen days after being summoned, the summoner disappears from the Earth. -Countermeasure: Since the summoning method is spread through text messages, phone calls, and emails, use AI to monitor themunicationwork and intercept the messages mid-transmission. The team leader added an exnation. ¡°It¡¯s like a doppelg?nger, and it seems your friend summoned it as a stand-in. Solving this isn¡¯t difficult. The problem is why your friend attempted something like this.¡± "Why would they... how could they..." While reading, the team leader finished getting ready to leave. He nudged Jae-min with his toe, who was still glued to theputer screen. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The sooner we solve this, the better.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Let¡¯s go quickly.¡± Jae-min stood up straight. As the team leader walked ahead, he spoke to Yeonwoo and Ji-yoo. ¡°I have to handle this with him. Ji-yoo, kill some time and then head home. Rookie, youe with me.¡± ¡°Me? Understood.¡± Yeonwoo, surprised by the sudden call, quickly took off his slippers and put on his sneakers. Though he had questions, he figured it was part of rookie training. ck¡ª The team leader grabbed the office door handle and spoke, his back turned, his face unseen. His gaze was fixed on something else. ¡°It¡¯s nothing major, but having one more person is convenient. Unless another incident happens. If another incident does happen, we might need to suspect you¡¯re the anomaly.¡± Heughed as if joking and left the office first. Jae-min hurried after him. Yeonwoo quickly put on his sneakers and followed them. Ji-yoo watched them leave, then pulled her chair close to her desk. ¡°I¡¯ll keep a good watch over the office.¡± ¡°Good. Don¡¯t leave too early. There might be a call from upstairs.¡± The team leader¡¯s loud voice came through the closed door. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Ji-yoo nodded absently, searching for videos on her phone. Soon, the sound of a video filled the now-empty office. --- --- They decided to use the team leader¡¯s car. The front passenger seat was piled high with a cardboard box full of misceneous items, so Yeonwoo and Jae-min sat in the back. The car was idling. The team leader, seated in the driver¡¯s seat, turned around, plunged his hand deep into the cardboard box, and rummaged through the junk. Trash, towels, and tools shifted around. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ to kill a demon¡­ Here, take this.¡± The team leader extended his hand between the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger seat. In his hand were a half-empty bottle of soju and an electric drill shaped like a gun. Jae-min eagerly grabbed the drill, his eyes sparkling. He brought it close to his face, turning it back and forth. ¡°A drill? Wow, I¡¯ve never seen one like this before.¡± He pretended to aim it like a gun at the passenger seat¡¯s headrest and then out the window. Watching the drill move around wildly, Yeonwoo nodded slightly. If they couldn¡¯t carry guns, tools might be the next best thing. Finding the situation both ridiculous and serious, the team leader chuckled. ¡°Using this as a weapon¡­ Alright, take this too.¡± He shook the soju bottle, the liquid inside sloshing around. Yeonwoo quietly epted the bottle. At that moment, the drill, which had been moving around excitedly, settled quietly on Jae-min¡¯sp. Hesitantly, Jae-min spoke in a troubled voice. ¡°So, I¡¯m supposed to kill Ah-yoon, or rather, the thing that looks like Ah-yoon with this?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just press it against her forehead, and it¡¯s over.¡± His tone was indifferent. Jae-min stared at the drill. The long, sharp bit looked like a giant nail. He could vividly imagine drilling into Ah-yoon¡¯s forehead. ¡®What if Ah-yoon isn¡¯t the anomaly? What if her parents were the ones affected by the anomaly?¡¯ His hesitation was written all over his face. His tightly pressed lips, drooping eyes, and trembling pupils showed his inner conflict. The team leader nced at Jae-min through the rearview mirror and spoke firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate. You said her parents don¡¯t exist, right? That¡¯s an anomaly.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°Do you want to see your friend disappear from the earth and have that thing take her ce?¡± ¡°No¡­.¡± Jae-min replied weakly, pushing the electric drill to the side, cing it on the middle seat. The team leader tapped on the navigation system and said, ¡°Tell me where your friend would be right now if she was living her normal life.¡± ¡°She¡¯s probably at home.¡± ¡°Address.¡± ¡°She lives in the same apartmentplex as me¡ª¡± Before Jae-min could finish, the team leader stopped messing with the navigation and grabbed the steering wheel. He didn¡¯t need the navigation; he knew where Jae-min lived. The car smoothly exited the parking lot and drove down the road. Jae-min stared out the window, but his mind was too tangled to notice the city bathed in the red hues of the sunset. ¡®The team leader must be right. But why would Ah-yoon do such a thing¡ª¡¯ He couldn¡¯t shake off his doubts. While Jae-min wrestled with his thoughts, the car reached its destination. --- --- ¡°Go bring her here.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± Jae-min slowly opened the car door and walked sluggishly. His mind was a mess. He was so lost in thought that he couldn¡¯t remember how he got to where he was. Before he knew it, he was out of the elevator, standing in front of Ah-yoon Baek¡¯s apartment door. Almost unconsciously, he rang the doorbell. Ding dong, ding dong¡ª -¡°Yes, who is it?¡± ¡°Oh, um, it¡¯s Jae-min.¡± Before he could gather his thoughts, Ah-yoon answered the door. Beep¡ª Ah-yoon, dressedfortably in pajamas, opened the door and looked at Jae-min puzzledly. ¡°Jae-min? Why are you at my house?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that, um, homework! Let¡¯s do our homework together.¡± ¡°At my house?¡± ¡°No, at the caf¨¦!¡± Despite his awkward and suspicious behavior, Ah-yoon blinked and then nodded. ¡°Wait a minute. Let me change my clothes.¡± She slipped into her room. Jae-min, unable to step past the entrance, stood there and suddenly realized something. The house was silent except for Ah-yoon. ¡®Where are her parents...? Why is she alone at home¡­?¡¯ It might bete for her father due to work, but her mother was always home. Just as Jae-min was about to step inside, Ah-yoon emerged, having changed her clothes. She wore a backpack and came out in slippers, closing the front door behind her. ¡°Let¡¯s go! ...By the way, where¡¯s your bag?¡± ¡°I left it downstairs. But where are your parents? You seemed to be alone at home.¡± ¡°They went on a trip! They must be having fun since they haven¡¯t called.¡± She grumbled as she pressed the elevator button. Doubts deepened in Jae-min¡¯s mind. ¡®So her parents¡­?¡¯ The elevator ride down was filled with mounting suspicion. ¡°Hm-mm, hmm-mm, hm-mm¡ª¡± Ah-yoon hummed, nodding her head. It was a familiar sight. Jae-min watched her, swallowed hard, and then asked, ¡°That song, you said it was by your favorite indie band, right? What was the band¡¯s name again?¡± ¡°Hey! I told you before! You still haven¡¯t listened to them?¡± ¡°No, I just can¡¯t remember the name. What was it?¡± ¡°Lego-vored Ice Cream. Their songs are really, really¡ª¡± Her eyes sparkled as she talked about her favorite band, her voice and gestures full of genuine enthusiasm. Jae-min stared at her, finallying to a conclusion. ¡®This is the real Ah-yoon. No matter how perfectly the Demon of Sloth acts, it couldn¡¯t replicate such genuine feelings.¡¯ The elevator arrived at the first floor. In front of the main entrance, Jae-min grabbed Ah-yoon¡¯s arm. She stopped walking and turned to him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get my bag.¡± --- --- The team leader and Yeonwoo waited in the car, watching as Jae-min walked back alone, leaving Ah-yoon at the entrance. His face clearly showed his emotions. The team leader clicked his tongue. ¡°Good grief, this is frustrating. Is he worried I¡¯ll kill her without checking?¡± ¡®Well, it seems like both of them have something in mind but aren¡¯t saying it.¡¯ Yeonwoo kept his thoughts to himself while the team leader sighed heavily. ¡°Rookie, hand me that soju bottle and the drill.¡± Yeonwoo handed over the two items, still looking at the soju bottle. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a liquid anomaly that certain anomalies are allergic to. In short, it¡¯s holy water.¡± ¡°Holy water?¡± ¡°I got it from an exorcist a long time ago. This isn¡¯t the time to exin. Rookie, youe along too. If Jae-min does something stupid, stop him.¡± Bang¡ª The team leader opened the car door and walked briskly toward Ah-yoon. ¡°Team Leader, listen, I don¡¯t think Ah-yoon is¡ª¡± Jae-min reached out to grab the team leader, but Yeonwoo stepped in and caught his hand instead. The team leader walked straight to Ah-yoon and stopped in front of her. Ah-yoon shrank back slightly. A man with a soju bottle in one hand and a drill in the other stood before her. Her voice trembled with fear. ¡°Who are you?¡± The team leader didn¡¯t answer. He tilted the soju bottle over Ah-yoon¡¯s head, pouring the holy water on her. Sizzle¡ª In an instant, red blisters appeared all over Ah-yoon¡¯s face. Her skin bubbled grotesquely, and her face contorted in pain. Her swollen lips parted, about to scream. The drill aimed at her forehead and began to spin. 29 - Demon TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Whiiing- The drill pierced through the center of the forehead. Blood trickled down from the forehead where the drill was embedded. "No-!" Choi Jae-min screamed, opening his mouth, and pushed Lee Yeonwoo, who was holding him tightly instead of the team leader. As Yeonwoo staggered and was pushed away, Jae-min ran forward but stopped abruptly. Floppy-Baek Ah-yoon, who had died, slumped like a liquid monster. Her features crumbled like y, turning into gray y and falling drop by drop onto the first-floor entrance floor. The drill, which had been rotating with a lot of y on it, stopped. Jae-min looked at what was Ah-yoon on the floor with disbelief. The red blood turned into clear water, and the gray y gradually evaporated. Evidence that it was not human. "It wasn''t Ah-yoon...? This, this." While Jae-min couldn''t collect himself, the team leader brought the soju bottle up to his face and clicked his tongue briefly. "Used too much. What a waste." Just enough for two sses of soju. The soju bottle had about a finger''s worth left. Even a few drops would have sufficed, but he poured it all out in a fit of temper... Yeonwoo approached beyond the soju bottle. Jae-min, feeling pain from his excessively tightly gripped arm due to tension, rubbed it. "Team leader. Is it over?" "The demon of sloth is finished. What''s left is the friend who summoned this." The team leader nced at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo couldn''t hide his anxious expression. As if it was strange for things to end like this, he watched the disappearing gray y. Then he spoke. "The summoner is still left.... Ah, please." "Why, do you think another ident will happen?" "Considering what we''ve experienced so far, a little bit. I hope it''s just unnecessary worry..." Yeonwoo sighed deeply. The team leader looked at Yeonwoo, then turned his head and called Jae-min. "Hey kid! Stop looking at that ande over here." "Huh? Ah, yes." Jae-min, who approached hesitantly, couldn''t keep his eyes fixed on one spot, moving them around. The team leader sat on the entrance railing and gestured with the drill. "Do you know anything about that friend''s family situation, any problems? Like academic stress or something." Usually, the method to summon the demon of slothes in text, and its content is so absurd that an ordinary person would dismiss it with augh. Those who try it are often mentally pushed to their limits. So, he was asking if Ah-yoon had any hidden suffering. "Well..." Jae-min hesitated to answer. Though answers floated in his mind, they sank down in doubt. ''She studies better than me, but not exceptionally well. But her family didn''t seem to push her to study much... Both seemed like good people...'' They had lived in the same apartment, attended the same school, the same grade, and the same ss for quite a while. If measured in years, it would exceed five fingers. But Jae-min ended up lowering his head. "I don''t know.... I''m sorry." Since the moment he mistook the demon of sloth for the real Ah-yoon, Jae-min had lost his confidence. Despite looking carefully, he had been deceived. He couldn''t help but doubt if he truly knew the real Ah-yoon. The team leader struck Jae-min''s drooping shoulder hard with the drill handle. "Why is that your fault? Anyway, on the surface, it seems like there''s no big problem-" "Team leader." Yeonwoo''s call. The team leader''s head snapped towards Yeonwoo. Holding the drill tightly in hand. "What? Why?" "Over there, someone''sing." "What?" He pointed somewhere with the hand that had recently been freed from a cast. The sunset sank, and the sky turned navy blue. One person was walking diligently on the sidewalk illuminated by streetlights. It was Ah-yoon. Dressed in casual clothes and swinging a puffed-up eco bag, Ah-yoon suddenly stopped. Her gaze shifted between Jae-min, the team leader, and Yeonwoo before returning to Jae-min. "Jaemin?" A voice mixed with curiosity and a bit of anxiety. Jae-min confirmed the usual characters above Ah-yoon''s head and shouted. "Hey! What did you do!" The emotions of worrying, doubting, and hesitating all day poured out in a yell. His voice echoed through the apartmentplex. --- --- "Calm down. Hey, student. You summoned a demon, didn''t you?" The team leader stepped forward and asked before the suddenly excited Jae-min. Ah-yoon stepped back hesitantly and shook her head. "N-no? How would I summon a demon?" "Don''t lie. We know everything. You know you did something wrong, right? Be honest." "Well... yes." She lowered her head and looked at her toes. She knew her mistake without needing further exnation. Jae-min hurriedly approached, asked quickly, and then lifted his head. "Why the hell did you do it! You almost-" "...I just wanted to see the concert! I¡¯ve never seen Lego-vored Ice Cream before, and today was the only chance!" Jae-min, with a dumbfounded expression, exhaled a long breath mixed with relief. "That''s so like you..." "Look at this! It''s a limited edition item from the performance!" She took out a Lego ice cream model from the eco bag and shook it rhythmically. Ah-yoon''s face still had the excitement and emotion from the performance, glowing red like the sunset. "The performance was so great! Really-" "..." "Wow." The team leader and Yeonwoo were momentarily speechless. Summoning a suspicious demon just to see a performance? Not knowing the terrifying consequences... The team leader scratched his head with the end of the drill, speaking in a relieved voice. "Kid. Messing with things like that can get you killed. If you''d been just a littleter, you''d have gone to hell." "H-hell? That wasn''t mentioned." "If they told you everything, they wouldn''t be demons. Don''t ever do something like that again." Ah-yoon shrank back and nodded slightly. Then, just as she was about to ask out of curiosity, the team leader held the drill and the soju bottle in one hand and extended his empty hand. "Give me your phone. Show me the demon summoning message." "Okay... It came as a text... Just a moment." She quickly put the Lego ice cream back in the eco bag and pulled out her phone, tapping on it. After a moment, Ah-yoon handed over the phone. Unable to contain their curiosity, Jae-min and Yeonwoo leaned in from either side of the team leader to look at the small phone screen. There was a long text message. [Do you hate school? Do you wish someone else could do your homework for you? Do you want someone to go to school for you, get scolded by your parents for you? Or do you hate going to work? Do you want someone to work for you, get scolded by your boss for you, and earn money for you? For those like you, we have the demon summoning system! Summon a doppelg?nger to rece you during those unpleasant moments! Just click the link, and a doppelg?nger will be summoned to take on your suffering! Don''t worry! There''s no price to pay! Enjoy the sweet moments of your short life! Link: 666.13.666] The more they looked at it, the more they couldn''t understand why Ah-yoon would click on such a suspicious message. As the team leader thought he couldn''t understand kids these days, and Jae-min red at Ah-yoon. Yeonwoo instinctively looked away from the phone and toward the path Ah-yoon had walked. There were two people. Two people walking with a distinctly suspicious aura. "Somewhere around here..." A small man muttered to himself. His face was listless, looking pale. And then. Hehehe- A tall man with bronzed skin, wearing a tracksuit with a military jacket, wasughing while looking at his phone. The next moment, the small man looked at Ah-yoon and said, "Ah. Found her." --- --- The team leader quietly lowered the phone. He frowned and looked at the small man and the tall man. "...Who are you?" "Ah, must be someone from thepany... I''mte... I moved really quickly though..." The small man muttered gloomily, shifting his gaze from Ah-yoon to the team leader. His eyes were as lifeless and dull as fish eyes, and his voice was equally dead. "I''m a demon worshiper... I''m here to take the person who summoned the demon. If it''s alright, can I just take that girl...?" "Haha, like hell you can." "I''m not taking her as a sacrifice. I just want to educate her in demon worship... Surely we don¡¯t have to fight about this¡­?" His dull eyes turned back to Ah-yoon. Eyes that desired the girl. Jae-min took a step diagonally, shielding the frightened Ah-yoon from his gaze. Jae-min looked at the top of the small man''s head. "Your parents-" "Ah, such vulgarnguage is too much... But my parents are also demon worshipers. And I''m doing what I''ve been taught." "Oh..." His words were calm. Jae-min''s mouth opened and closed, then he shifted his focus to the tall man. The man still looking at his phone andughing had a nk space above his head. Empty. Jae-min muttered softly, "That guy in the military jacket is strange. He has no parents." "He must be a demon. The problem is what kind of demon." The team leader nced down at the holy water and drill in his hand. They were only minimally armed, knowing the traits of the demon of sloth. To face an unknown anomaly... As a loose tension flowed between them, The small demon worshiper spoke. "I don''t want to fight, but it can''t be helped... Demon. Please." "No." "Oh,e on... I even gave you the phone." The man called a demon replied while still looking at his phone. "What do you have to do tomand a demon? You have to utter my true name first." "Ah, seriously... Even though the name doesn''t mean much..." The name. Knowing that name would allow them to guess what kind of demon it was and its characteristics. Guessing would make it easier to respond. The team leader and Yeonwoo pricked up their ears, not wanting to miss a word. The demon worshiper looked at them and blushed with embarrassment. "I don''t want to... Ah. I''ll say it. It''s..." Then he closed his eyes tightly and muttered softly, "Changingnamesisreallyfun Demon... Please get rid of them quickly." Hehehe- The demonughed. The demon pointed a finger at the team leader. "You bastard... ident!" From the top floor of the apartment, a flowerpot fell. The flowerpot caught a sudden strong wind, drew a gentle curve, and struck the team leader''s head. An absurd reality engulfed them. 30 - Demon TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here It happened in an instant. The flowerpot shattered into pieces and scattered soil everywhere. Covered in shards and soil, the team leader staggered and sat down, blood streaming from his head. Dizziness overwhelmed him, likely from a concussion. He clung to consciousness as it threatened to slip away. ¡®ident? Name means nothing? A demon of absurdity? Damn it, sh*t. There¡¯s no answer.¡¯Running was the answer. It wasn¡¯t a shameful act, nor was it neglecting his duty. There was no need to deal with the demon of sloth directly. He had stepped in because the kid hade running in panic and to observe Lee Yeonwoo. ¡®Escape and report to the higher-ups. They will protect the student and deal with the demon.¡¯ The biggest problem was escaping from that demon safely, but the team leader wasn¡¯t worried. An investigator¡¯s primary skill was the ability to flee, and the team leader was confident in his own. In that brief moment, he made his decision and acted before the blood flowing into his eyes could impair his vision. With weakened hands, the team leader pushed away the power drill and soju bottle. The power drill slid across the ground, and the soju bottle rolled slowly. At the same time, the hand holding Baek Ah-yoon¡¯s phone twitched, fingers tapping the screen repeatedly. What his fingers hit was the demon summoning link. Summon, summon, summon. Shwaa-! Gray streams of water surged from the phone screen, splitting into three and forming human-shaped gray y. The y figures soon took on color, shaping themselves into the team leader. While no one in the investigation team could react to the sudden incident, the team leader shouted, ¡°Retreat!¡± ¡°Huh, huh? Where to?¡± ¡°Anywhere! Somewhere thepany can find us quickly!¡± Yeonwoo was the first to understand the situation and move. Cursing inwardly, he ran towards the apartment entrance. ¡®Of course! Things never end easily!¡¯ ¡°Run!¡± Next, Choi Jae-min grabbed Ah-yoon¡¯s arm and dragged her, following Yeonwoo. They quickly overtook him. "Hey, hey." No one stayed to help the team leader. It could be said they were fulfilling their duty as investigators. Thest one left, the team leader, sighed and, seeing the demon of sloth standing idly, threw his phone at him. ¡°Call thepany.¡± ¡°I know, you idiot.¡± The demon of sloth caught the phone, unlocked it with a fingerprint scan, and started dialing. The other two demons of sloth each picked up the power drill and the soju bottle, gripping them tightly. Four identical team leaders. Three demons of sloth silently ring at the real team leader. The demon of absurdity twisted its face in rage. It immediately extended its thick fingers. ¡°How dare you, you useless demons of sloth...!¡± ¡°Wait, demon of absurdity.¡± The demon worshiper grabbed the outstretched fingers and lowered them. He looked at the team leader. The real team leader, bleeding from his head, was using the surrounding cars to prop himself up. ¡°Hey¡­. Think again. Do we really need to fight like this¡­?¡± "F*ck off." ¡°Since you¡¯ve already summoned a demon, why not be a demon worshiper yourself...? With that girl.¡± ¡°What the hell is this guy?¡± The team leader, struggling to stand, looked at the demon worshiper in disbelief. The demon worshiper continued in his lifeless voice, ¡°We have ears too¡­. We¡¯ve heard yourpany isn¡¯t what it used to be. The number of people is decreasing, they¡¯re not hiring enough, and support isckluster¡­. So why overwork yourself?¡± The team leader tried to continue the conversation. The more time he could buy, the better. But before he could, the demon of sloth holding the phone spoke up. The sound of the call being connected came first. "Hey. It''s the investigation team leader. This is Happo Apartment, and a demon has appeared. Of course, it''s in Sangpyeong City, you idiot. There''s also a worshiper, a pair of them. And¡ª" Crackle- Bang-! Suddenly, the phone exploded. Sparks and mes erupted. The demon of sloth holding the phone had half of his face and his hand burned and mangled by the explosion. His intact eye looked at the demon of absurdity who had extended his finger. The demon of absurdity withdrew his finger. "You bastard... using electronic devices?" The demon of absurdity could bring about an absurd reality, illogical results, and extremely low probability misfortunes. If he wished, you could suddenly have a traffic ident, be hit by a brick dropped by a child from a balcony, or die of a sudden heart attack. A phone explosion was no different. The demon worshiper, who had contracted with the demon of absurdity, asked leisurely onest time. "If you refuse, you''ll have to die.... What will you do? Being a demon worshiper is quite fun. There are many interesting demons." What nonsense. The team leader slowly backed away. One mangled-faced team leader covered the real one, while the ones holding the power drill and soju bottle split off. The real team leader, hiding, spoke. "If I were going to do that, I would have done it long ago." He had worked as an investigator for a long time, seeing many hostile groups. There were many days he was disappointed with thepany, days he wanted to quit everything. But the reason he didn''t join the hostile groups or take the memory erasers was simply that he didn''t. That''s just how he lived, and that''s how he would continue. "..." Without a signal, the real team leader hid among the cars in the apartment parking lot. It seemed like he could manage if he avoided those pointing fingers. At the same time, the remaining three team leaders charged at the demon worshiper and the demon of absurdity. In an instant, they closed in. Whirr-! The fiercely spinning drill aimed for the worshiper''s heart, but the demon of absurdity reached out, cing his hand between the drill and the heart. "You bastard..." Crack! The drill pierced through the palm instead of the heart. The demon''s fingers clenched, twisting the drill. It bent like it was severely malfunctioning, and the battery fell out, rolling on the ground. "..." Simultaneously, the demon of absurdity red at the mangled-faced team leader. His eyes burned like hellfire. The mangled-faced team leader clutched his heart and copsed forward. It was a heart attack. Meanwhile, the team leader who had approached the demon of absurdity raised the soju bottle and struck. "Die-!" Crash! Drip- The demon of absurdity slowly turned his gaze. The striking team leader and the demon of absurdity locked eyes. "Damn it..." The broken soju bottle shattered. Despite being covered in ss shards and holy water, the demon of absurdity remained unscathed. His eyes curved like clipped nails. "Holy water? It''s useless." A demon impervious to names and holy water. The demon of absurdity dipped his fingers in the blood and holy water flowing from his head, then licked them. He then pressed the finger coated in holy water against the forehead of the team leader holding the broken soju bottle. Sss- The holy water burned the skin of the demon of sloth. The demon of absurdity, his nails forming a cross mark on the team leader''s forehead, spoke. "You will have a cerebral hemorrhage." Bang-! A sound of something bursting and severing inside the head echoed. The demon of sloth copsed, turning into gray y. The same happened to the demon whose heart had stopped. Now, only one demon of sloth remained. The team leader, having abandoned the broken drill, was pummeling the demon worshiper. Thud-! Thud-! Thud-! Mounting him, he relentlessly punched the worshiper''s face. Hisrge fists smashed the worshiper''s face into a pulp. The demon worshiper, unable to even shield his face, let out helpless groans. ¡°Ah-, ah-, demon-, hurry-.¡± ¡°You weak bastard¡­.¡± The demon of absurdity pulled the drill out of his palm and threw it at thest remaining demon of sloth. The moment the drill struck the back of his head, he copsed, his life extinguished. Thud- Floppy- Covered in gray y, the demon worshiper brushed off the y as hey on the ground. The gray y dripped like paint. The demon worshiper raised his y-covered hand. ¡°Ow, ow.... It hurts.... Demon, you should apply this, since your head is injured...?¡± The demon could use the gray y like a potion. The demon of absurdity, with his head broken and a hole in his palm, crouched beside the demon worshiper and applied the gray y to his wounds. The injuries healed as if he had patched them with new flesh. He muttered in a grumbling voice, ¡°Those weaklings... How dare they challenge a great demon like me.¡± ¡°Ah.... But what should we do...? We lost them all¡­.¡± The demon worshiper sat up, clutching his swollen, bruised, and torn face. His vision narrowed by the swelling, he looked around. Quite a bit of time had passed. It was now evening in the apartmentplex. Several heads peered through balcony windows. Peopleing home from work, startled, were hiding. Cameras, capturing everything, also watched. But there was no sign of thepanys people who had summoned the demons, nor the girl. The small demon worshiper got up without hesitation. ¡°Let¡¯s give up¡­. They¡¯ve probably reported everything by now. Let¡¯s leave before a bigger fight breaks out¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to fight thepany¡¯s demon hunters or the Vatican¡¯s exorcists¡­.¡± The demon of absurdity paused. He didn¡¯t like the idea of retreating, but he disliked the thought of exorcists with their winged summons even more. In the end, he took out his phone and started reading the absurd stories that overflowed in reality again. An unspoken agreement. The demon worshiper rubbed his face and walked towards the apartment''s back gate, casually followed by the demon. ¡°Still, it feels wrong to just leave. Cast a curse on thepany people we saw earlier. You know, Changingnamesisreallyfun-¡± ¡°I changed my name just now.¡± ¡°Again¡­? What is it now, no, never mind. Just do it.¡± "F*ck¡­" The demon lifted his head slightly from his phone and spoke briefly. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± A curse was cast upon the team leader, Yeonwoo, and Choi Jae-min. A curse to bring them misfortune and idents. The demon worshiper and the demon walked slowly past the back gate, entering the dim alleys of the residential area. ¡°There¡¯s another potential demon worshiper, let¡¯s go there¡­.¡± They disappeared into the city¡¯s darkness, searching for those reckless enough to summon demons, intending to bring them to the demon region and make them fine demon worshipers. The demon of absurdity¡¯sughter echoed in the air before fading away. --- --- Huff- Huff- Yeonwoo¡¯s heart felt like it was about to burst. He ran nonstop until he reached the main road, panting heavily, and continued running. Trying to get as far away as possible from the demon that caused idents. At that moment. Roll- A die suddenly rolled by itself. Sess! The result dered sess, though it was unclear what had seeded. ¡®...What is this?¡¯ Yeonwoo stopped, staring intently at the die in his mind. Then he saw Choi Jae-min running across the distant crosswalk. Crash- Choi Jae-min tripped badly, smashing his face into the ground. 31 - Demon TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here An hour had passed since they encountered the demon of absurdity. The three members of the investigation team and Baek Ah-yoon had returned to Happo Apartment. They brought with them thepany''s demon hunters, cleanup specialists, and a Vatican exorcist. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s here.¡± The team leader, his head wrapped in bandages, pointed to a spot. The first-floor entrance where they had confronted the demon worshiper.The only signs of the fight were scattered flowerpot shards, soil, a broken soju bottle, and a damaged drill. The gray y had evaporated and disappeared. Despite this, the priest in the ck cassock clutched his cross and closed his eyes, his nose slightly wrinkling. ¡°The stench of demons.... It¡¯s overpowering. There were three lowly hellspawn, and one of a different level.¡± ¡°Can you track them?¡± The demon hunter in a ck suit adjusted his cello case and asked. The priest shook his head. ¡°They are disappearing unnaturally. Evil power must be erasing their traces. It will be difficult.¡± ¡°...¡± They couldn¡¯t track the demon. Without hesitation, the demon hunter turned and left. If there was no fight, there was no reason to stay. He would return when thepany detected the demons again, to kill them. Leaving the demon hunter fading into the distance under the streetlights, the priest turned to Baek Ah-yoon. ¡°Although the demons have retreated, they may return. You should stay at the rectory for the time being.¡± ¡°But... I have to ask my parents.¡± Baek Ah-yoon,pletely frightened and pale after seeing the demon, lowered her gaze. The priest didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I will contact your parents. I¡¯ll tell them it¡¯s like a temple stay at the church. Won¡¯t they agree to that? If possible, they cane too.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°You will study the Bible, earn volunteer hours, and most importantly, learn why you must be cautious of demons. Let¡¯s call them now.¡± The priest took Ah-yoon to a corner. He got her parents¡¯ number from her and put the phone to his ear. ¡°Yes, hello. Are you Ah-yoon¡¯s parents? No, it¡¯s not about a problem¡ª¡± Left behind were the three members of the investigation team and thepany¡¯s cleanup specialist. A man with an average, nondescript look suddenly patted the team leader¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, Team Leader Hong. Looks like you had quite a fight. Your head¡¯s all busted up?¡± ¡°Hey, Team Leader Lee. Stop talking and get to cleaning up.¡± ¡°Ah, that...¡± As Team Leader Lee made an awkward face, a crackling noise came from the apartment¡¯s speakers. -Attention, this is an announcement from the management office. Regarding the incident at the entrance of Building 101 this evening, it was staged during video filming. Residents, please be advised ordingly. The speakers went silent. The apartmentplex fell into a hush. Team Leader Lee took out a cigarette, looked around cautiously, and lit it. The team leader red at him. ¡°Team Leader Lee? Are you cking off? Is this the best you can do? And you¡¯re smoking?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t me me. Thepany¡¯s new guidelines are like this. What can I do?¡± Team Leader Lee took a deep drag on his cigarette and exhaled. The team leader, also taking out a cigarette, listened as Team Leader Lee continued his gripe. ¡°They say not to worry about some exposure, just to savepany resources as much as possible. Unless it¡¯s like that incident at the harbor a while back, everything¡¯s handled half-heartedly.¡± ¡°Have the higher-ups lost their minds?¡± The team leader paused before lighting his cigarette and cursed. It made no sense to him. If these exposures piled up, the abnormal would be normal. And if abnormalities became the norm, thepany wouldn¡¯t be able to contain them. If it led to a full-blown revtion of these anomalies... Team Leader Lee flicked his cigarette and watched the ashes scatter. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The higher-ups must have lost their minds. Back in my day, it wasn¡¯t like this.¡± The cigarette burned slowly. ¡°The government was adamant about no firearms, so we negotiated and created a special task force. We provided great support and benefits for employees. But look at things now.¡± As he talked, Team Leader Lee¡¯s anger seemed to build. He jerked his head up and started ranting, shaking his cigarette and scattering ashes. ¡°They cut benefits, reduced staff without hiring recements, and now they even half-ass the cover-up operations. I¡¯ve heard from others that the support is crap too. What the hell are they thinking¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, your cigarette.¡± ¡°What? Ah, hot!¡± The me had reached the filter and burned his fingers. Team Leader Lee yelped and threw the cigarette, which rolled on the ground. Looking deted, Team Leader Lee stepped on the butt to extinguish it and finished his rant. ¡°Anyway. Maybe it¡¯s time to retire.¡± ¡°What will you do for a living if you quit?¡± the team leader asked, finally lighting his cigarette. ¡°I¡¯ve saved enough. I¡¯ll enjoy the rest of my life. Team Leader Hong, you should quit too.¡± ¡°Bullsh*t.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of working yourself to death? We¡¯re too old to run on passion alone.¡± ¡°Team Leader Lee, the rookies can hear you.¡± Team Leader Lee nced over at the team leader¡¯s nod towards the corner where Jae-min and Yeonwoo stood, looking worried. Jae-min¡¯s face was covered in bandages, and Yeonwoo looked exhausted. Seeing this, Team Leader Lee didn¡¯t stop. ¡°At least they¡¯re still hiring for the investigation team. Listen up, rookies. Thepany isn¡¯t what it used to be¡ª¡± ¡°There you go, talking nonsense again.¡± ¡°Hey, these are words of wisdom.¡± Team Leader Lee stuffed his hands in his pockets and started to walk away. ¡°Team Leader Hong, I¡¯m leaving. See you next time, if there is one.¡± ¡°Are you seriously leaving like this? Is this all the cleanup?¡± ¡°Yeah. Good luck.¡± Team Leader Lee disappeared into the distance. The team leader watched him go, then nced at Jae-min and Yeonwoo. They looked like they were taking Team Leader Lee¡¯s words to heart, worry evident on their faces. The team leader cleared his throat and began the cleanup. ¡°Don¡¯t take him too seriously, you two. He alwaysins.¡± ¡°Uh, okay. But Leader, if what he says is true, isn¡¯t there a problem with thepany?¡± Jae-min asked innocently. The team leader, momentarily speechless, took a drag from his cigarette before replying. ¡°No. Sometimes thepany focuses on other things, and this happens.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What do you know about thepany, kid? Trust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure¡­¡± The team leader picked up his cigarette butt and Team Leader Lee¡¯s, disposing of them in a nearby ashtray. Jae-min and Yeonwoo prepared to leave. The team leader spoke. ¡°You live in this apartment, right? Where do you live, rookie? I¡¯ll give you a ride.¡± ¡°I live in a goshiwon in the city.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still living in a goshiwon?¡± ¡°I was nning to move. I finally saved up enough for a deposit and rent.¡± Yeonwoo spoke proudly. After two months of saving his sry, he had enough to move into a decent ce. He was also expecting a bonus for his performance in resolving the recent anomaly. Reflecting on the tough times, he felt a sense of aplishment. The team leader congratted him. ¡°You earned it through hard work. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡¯m jealous. Can I visit you sometime?¡± ¡°Maybeter.¡± After their conversation, they waved goodbye to each other. ¡°Leader, Yeonwoo, take care getting home.¡± ¡°Sure, you be careful too.¡± Yeonwoo waved silently. Jae-min headed towards Ah-yoon and the priest, while the team leader and Yeonwoo got into the team leader¡¯s car. The team leader checked the navigation and spoke. ¡°The goshiwon... It¡¯ll take a while to get there.¡± He pressed the elerator, and the car left the apartment parking lot, driving down a quiet road. The team leader looked at Yeonwoo through the rearview mirror. --- --- His mind was a mess. He couldn¡¯t focus on driving. There was Team Leader Lee, who wanted to quit, thepany¡¯s lousy management, and above all, Yeonwoo. ¡°¡­.¡± The team leader nced at the rearview mirror. Yeonwoo was looking at his phone, slightly smiling at something entertaining. But beneath the smile was a deep-seated fatigue. He looked just like any other rookie. His chest felt heavy, like a stone was weighing it down. It was ufortable to suspect his subordinate. But. ¡®It¡¯d be strange not to suspect him at this point¡­.¡¯ The team leader had seen Yeonwoo¡¯s resume and had witnessed the incidents firsthand. Even overlooking the Human Qualification Exam, there had been containment failures during training, attacks by hostile groups, the discovery of anomalies on his first day, and a catastrophe during a mission, leading to the spread of errors due to criminals. ¡®And today, we even faced a demon worshiper and a high-ranking demon.¡¯ When coincidences pile up, it¡¯s an anomaly. As an investigator, the team leader had to suspect Yeonwoo. And suspicions need to be resolved quickly. ¡°Ahem. Ahem.¡± The team leader cleared his throat. Yeonwoo looked up from his phone at the back of the team leader¡¯s head. Watching Yeonwoo through the rearview mirror, the team leader spoke directly, using the perfect excuse. ¡°Rookie. Let¡¯s get you tested.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°You consulted a shaman, and today you encountered a demon worshiper. It¡¯s a bit suspicious. Let¡¯s get a thorough examination from thepany.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Yeonwoo turned off his phone and looked out the window. His eyes wavered with anxiety, and his lips pressed tightly together. Was it the ominous atmosphere of the word "thorough examination" that unsettled him? Or was he ufortable with thepany? Or was it something else, an anomaly? The team leader stopped guessing and began to persuade him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about being diagnosed as an anomaly. I can cover for you if it¡¯s not too bad. Look at that student. The researchers wanted to use him as a test subject, but I brought him here.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get the examination.¡± After a brief hesitation, Yeonwoo agreed to the examination. The team leader unknowingly felt relieved and tapped the steering wheel with his hand. ¡°Good choice. It¡¯s no big deal.¡± ¡°But, team leader.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°Can I move first and then get the examination?¡± Yeonwoo asked, exining that he had already scheduled the move and it would be a hassle to postpone it. The team leader nodded without much thought. ¡°Oh, right. You said you were moving. Fine, move first and then get the examination. I¡¯ll treat it as leave until the resultse out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me not toe to work from tomorrow?¡± Yeonwoo looked at the team leader¡¯s profile, puzzled. But the team leader found it a reasonable precaution. ¡°Yes. It seems like you attract anomalies or escte incidents. It¡¯s best to stay off until we have urate results.¡± With that reasoning¡­. Yeonwoo seemed to understand, though he was ufortable with the idea that the team leader might already consider him an anomaly. He turned his phone back on. Thoughts about the examination filled his mind. --- --- And on the day Yeonwoo finished moving and was picked up by apany employee for the examination, The team leader received a call from the higher-ups. Yeonwoo had gone missing. 32 - Pet Human TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here [Introduction to Topology] ¡­The universe we live in is not the only dimension. There are adjacent dimensions surrounding us. (A picture depicting various dimensions.) There are numerous dimensions inhabited by unknown beings with unknown characteristics, including the hellish realms of demons, the afterlife, and many other second dimensions. These dimensions generally have no connection to our world, like parallel lines, but they can intersect with our world through certain interactions called magic, shadows, and light from parallel dimensions, or astronomical coincidences.(Three illustrations: a magicianmunicating with the dead, a farmer turning into a hunk of meat, and a traveler falling into the world of fairies.) When dimensions intersect, the unlucky person at the intersection maymunicate with beings from the other dimension, transform into one of them, or sometimes be entirely transported to that dimension. The study of these dimensions is called topology¡ª --- --- Lee Yeonwoo never wished for things to escte to this extent. He only wanted to avoid thepany¡¯s examination. In a vast world where des of grass grew as tall as trees. ¡°Damn dice¡­¡± Tiny as a mouse, Lee Yeonwoo held his face in his hands, recalling the recent past. --- --- The move had been quick. There wasn¡¯t much to move in the first ce. He had long since discarded the high stacks of civil service exam prep books, and he didn¡¯t have many personal belongings. He moved everything in one trip with his car. The move was finished in no time. A sunlit duplex studio. Though it was empty now, he could fill it with things he bought with his earnings. It was a solid proof of escaping the life of a civil service exam student. How rewarding and fun that would be. ¡°¡­.¡± But Yeonwoo¡¯s expression as he stood in the middle of the studio wasn¡¯t good. In fact, it was rather gloomy. The time for thepany¡¯s thorough examination was approaching. He paced around. He couldn¡¯t stand still and circled the studio. ¡®No matter how I think about it, I shouldn¡¯t get tested¡­.¡¯ Thinking about the man who got caught makes it even clearer. His treatment only improved after he gave his life for thepany. Before that, they didn¡¯t even feed him, they just locked him up and experimented on him. With the strange dice in his possession now, he was worried about what might happen. At the very least, he¡¯d be imprisoned and subjected to numerous experiments. They¡¯d try to figure out what kind of anomaly he had¡­. ¡®Repeating experiments would surely lead to dangerous situations. It¡¯s better not to get tested.¡¯ Moreover, doesn¡¯t the thorough examination by thepany feel very different from what a shaman would do? Despite deciding not to get tested, canceling the examination was also problematic. Thud- ¡°Ah¡­. What should I say¡­.¡± Yeonwoo sat on the floor, staring at his phone. There were two messages. One from the team leader, wishing him luck with the examination. Another from the anomaly examination department, stating what time they¡¯de to pick him up today. ¡°Aaagh-!¡± His groan echoed through the studio. Yeonwooy back, staring at the high ceiling of the duplex studio. ¡°Simply refusing the examination would be like admitting I have an anomaly.¡± And he couldn¡¯t think of a clever way to dy the examination either. ¡­Time passed without any good ideas, and the phone rang. It was from the same number as the text, the anomaly examination department. With a gloomy expression, Yeonwoo answered the call. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. You¡¯ve arrived? Ah¡­. Yes, I¡¯lle down.¡± The anomaly examination department hade to pick him up. Yeonwoo sluggishly got up, dragging his feet as he left the studio. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw a sedan parked on the roadside. The person from the anomaly examination department, waiting with all the windows down, waved at him. It seemed they already had his personal information, recognizing him immediately. "Here you are." "...." Yeonwoo approached silently, ncing at the person from the examination department and the car''s interior through the window. The person looked more like abatant than a doctor or researcher. It seemed they were ready to subdue him if necessary, with a baton and a Taser ced on the passenger seat. Yeonwoo hung his head low. ''Did theye to pick me up or arrest me?'' He already had a bad feeling. As he reached for the car door, he hesitated. ''Oh, please. I really don¡¯t want to take this examination. I wish I could avoid it somehow¡ª'' Roll- Yeonwoo lifted his head. He met the eyes of the examination department staff, but his attention was drawn to the dice that had started rolling. The dice stopped. Critical sess! And then, the world changed. Into a vast world. A dimension where humans were small and weak. --- --- "Damn dice.... Please, send me back...." Yeonwoo whimpered, but the dice remained silent. Perhaps it meant that continuous use for simr requests was not possible. Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut, holding back tears. ''I asked to avoid the examination, not to be sent to some strange world....'' Understanding the situation wasn''t difficult. Just as someone who had summoned a demon of sloth and then gone to hell after thirteen days, the dice had transported Yeonwoo to this giant world. Yeonwoo was now no bigger than a hamster, in a world full of creatures that could easily devour a hamster. There were swarms of bugs that seemed asrge as big dogs, birds as big as airnes, and countless other creatures. A world where survival was uncertain. A world where taking the examination would have been better. It was then. Thump! Thump! The ground shook in a steady rhythm. Yeonwoo hurriedly grabbed onto a de of grass asrge as a tree and fixed his legs, looking up. The sky darkened. He thought a cloud had covered the sun. But no, it was a giant casting a shadow. Thump! Thump! With each step, the giant''s massive body moved, leaving deep footprints in the ground. A giant foot, descending like a meteor, cast a dark shadow over Yeonwoo. The sole of the shoe grewrger andrger. With his limited strength, Yeonwoo couldn''t run far enough to escape. He let out a desperate scream. "No-!" "...Hmm?" The foot stopped mid-air. The massive sole, shedding dust, slowly retreated. The giant, bncing on one foot, looked down at Yeonwoo. "Oh. It''s a human." Thump! The giant carefully set his foot down and crouched. Even from a distance, the face was immense, like an impending collision with a meteorite. Yeonwoo stepped back. Simultaneously, the dice rolled again. Roll- Sess! Yeonwoo¡¯s Human Qualification Certificate fluttered to the ground beside him. Of course, Yeonwoo, focusing all his attention on the giant who could crush him with a finger, didn¡¯t notice it was the certificate. The giant carefully picked up the certificate with his fingernail, squinting and reading its text aloud. "What does it say? This entity is certified as a human. Oh." The giant removed his finger and looked down at Yeonwoo. His crescent moon-shaped eyes and thunderous voice were intimidating. "You''re lucky. A human with a certification. I can sell you for a high price." The giant''s hand reached out slowly, and Yeonwoo, the size of a mouse, was helplessly caught. The grip was loose, but the strength was such that even a slight squeeze could crush him. Huuu- Hic- Yeonwoo exhaled softly, closing his eyes. ''Why did the Human Qualification Certificate appear here? What kind of world is this¡­?'' Not only was it giant, but also¡­ Yeonwoo opened his eyes and gasped. He let out a shout with all his strength. ¡°Hey! Where is this, and who are you¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, listen to you whine. You¡¯re full of energy. I¡¯ll make sure to sell you at a high price. I¡¯m a sessful seller of pet humans, you see.¡± The giant pocketed the Human Qualification Certificate and lightly flicked Yeonwoo¡¯s head. His head jerked as if his neck would snap. But it wasn¡¯t the pain that bothered him; it was the talk about selling humans as pets. Feeling the vibrations and rough wind as the giant walked, Yeonwoo screamed internally. ¡®Damn dice! Send me back now!¡¯ --- --- The giant crossed the field and entered what seemed to Yeonwoo like a massive castle but was just arge hut to the giant. As soon as they entered, the giant pulled out a cage lined with iron bars and shoved Yeonwoo inside. The cage, about the size of a small room, confined Yeonwoo, who rubbed his numb arms and legs. His entire body tingled from theck of blood flow while being held tightly. ¡°Hmm, hmm. I¡¯ll feed the others first, then move you to the room with the valuable humans.¡± The giant stomped around the hut. Yeonwoo, regaining hisposure, watched him carefully. ¡®First, let¡¯s understand the situation.¡¯ He realized he hade to a giant¡¯s world where humans were bought and sold as pets. The giant couldn¡¯t understand human speech, hearing it as barking, while Yeonwoo could understand the giant¡¯snguage and writing. Still, he needed a more detailed grasp of this strange world. Thud! The giant lifted arge bowl and scooped out round pellets from a container-sized sack. Humming a tune, he approached cages stacked against the hut¡¯s wall like a chicken coop. ¡°Time to eat, products.¡± Yeonwoo saw them then: numerous humans crowded inside cages, each marked with various tags. [Clearance! Five humans for the price of one!] [Cors included!] [Ask for prices! Friendly service!] [Mixed breed. Male. Young. Healthy.] [Mixed breed. Female. Old. Sickly.] [Mixed breed. Male. Young. Energetic.] [Mixed breed¡­ Female¡­] [Mixed breed¡­ Docile¡­] Countless naked humans pressed against the cage bars. The giant poured handfuls of pellets into bowls attached to the cages. The humans reached through the bars to grab and eat the pellets. Yeonwoo¡¯s face turned pale, but this was just the beginning. ¡°Let¡¯s move the precious ones to the luxury room.¡± The giant picked up Yeonwoo¡¯s cage and carried it deeper into the hut. Clinging to the bars of his shaking cage, Yeonwoo made eye contact with other humans in the adjacent cages. Creak¡ª The door opened. 33 - Pet Human TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Creak-! The door to the luxury disy room opened. Beyond the door, a firece cast a warm glow, and luxurious wooden disy cases adorned the walls. The cases held fewer cages than outside, each disyed with some space in between. Yeonwoo took a sharp breath when he saw those cages. ¡®Humans? Are those humans?¡¯In one cage, an abnormally tall and thin human was crouched inside the small space. The que beneath read: [First ce in the Tall Human Breeding Competition] In the next cage, a human with long, thick fur that made them look like a Yeti or Bigfooty sprawled, panting heavily. [Second ce in the Hairy Human Breeding Competition] Another cage held a human with purple skin, scratching themselves until their skin bled. [Nominee for the Naturally Impossible Skin Color Category] Each cage contained a human with some strange feature. One had the most hair, another was the heaviest, another the lightest, and so on. As Yeonwoo stared nkly at their appearances and read the ques, suddenly he felt a lurch. With a sudden increase in gravity, his view lifted. The giant had hoisted Yeonwoo¡¯s cage high, scanning an empty spot on the disy case while muttering to himself. ¡°Since I have a human with a certification, it¡¯s best to ce him here.¡± Thinking it best to group simr themed items, the giant ced Yeonwoo¡¯s cage on the top shelf with a thud. Yeonwoo staggered from the impact, but the giant left the luxury disy room, turning back once more. ¡°I¡¯ll bring food for you all, so wait quietly.¡± Creak-! The enormous door closed. The sound of the giant¡¯s footsteps faded away, leaving only the sound of human breathing in the room. Yeonwoo reached out and grabbed the bars of the cage. ng, ng, the metal bars shook. The rhythm was rapid and urgent. ¡®I have to escape!¡¯ He had been captured by a monster that modified and bred humans. There was no telling what might happen to him. He couldn¡¯t stay idle. He pushed and pulled the bars, even tried squeezing his body through, but the seemingly flimsy bars didn¡¯t budge. ¡®Is escaping with bare hands impossible¡­?¡¯ The firmly fixed bars frustrated him. Yeonwoo scanned his surroundings, hoping to find a tool or a weak spot in the cage. Then he saw it. In the adjacent cage, a human was swinging back and forth, clinging to the bars. Yeonwoo called out. ¡°Hey, can you hear me? Do you understand me?¡± The long-haired man with brown hair and eyes climbed the bars, touched the ceiling of his cage, and then jumped down. He spoke. ¡°I understand you. My name is James Kong. I¡¯m an investigator for thepany.¡± The man, holding a Human Qualification Certificate, scratched his chin awkwardly. Yeonwoo was relieved. ¡°Oh¡­!¡± Though he didn¡¯t know what kind of world this was, he saw traces of thepany. Even though James, an investigator from an overseas branch, was also captured. --- --- Bang, bang-! Yeonwoo pounded the floor of his cage repeatedly. The frustration was suffocating. The unyielding floor felt more stifling than James. ¡°No¡­! Which branch are you from? Where are we?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just told to keep walking forward.¡± ¡°Forward? To where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. They said the paths ovep.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± It was impossible to get any useful information from someone iming to be a fellow investigator. Whether he was pretending or genuinely clueless, Yeonwoo red at James in frustration, but James didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Running around the cage the size of a studio apartment, grabbing the bars and moving up, down, left, and right, he muttered to himself. ¡°I want to eat a banana.¡± ¡°No, listen. Please, let¡¯s talk. Bananas aren¡¯t the issue here. We¡¯re in a dangerous situation, right? We¡¯re in a world where people are being modified! Understand?¡± Despite Yeonwoo¡¯s desperate voice, even as he clung to the bars and jumped up and down, James shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous. You and I can live here. And I wasn¡¯t human. I¡¯m used to cages.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Yeonwoo looked up at James, dumbfounded. James met his gaze for a moment. ¡°I was a monkey. Took the Human Qualification Exam and became human.¡± Then James resumed moving around, holding onto the bars. Yeonwoo was speechless. He scanned James from head to toe. Apart from his strength, which allowed him to move around the bars with ease, he lookedpletely human. And he spoke like one too. But thinking about how those who failed the Human Qualification Exam turned into animals¡­. ¡®He passed the exam?¡¯ Could it be that despite being a monkey, James was recognized as human because of his voice and behavior? So much so that the giant believed he was a genuine human. A human from another world, an ex-monkey, and Yeonwoo himself. ¡®What should I do¡­!¡¯ Yeonwoo was clutching his head in frustration, trying to find an answer, when the door creaked open. The giant returned. The giant carried arge ceramic te with mouth-watering chunks of meat and a pair of scissors. ¡°Time to eat!¡± Starting with James¡¯s cage on the top shelf, the giant began snipping the meat into bite-sized pieces and dropping them into the food bowls at the cage doors. Yeonwoo swallowed hard. The meat was beautifully browned, with whole peppercorns embedded here and there. ¡®It looks delicious¡­.¡¯ Unconsciously, Yeonwoo grabbed a palm-sized piece and brought it into his cage. The grease dripped as he took a big bite, and the juice burst in his mouth, seasoned with salt and pepper and a hint of butter and herbs. Being a prized possession meant even the food was different. It tasted better than the three meals he usually had. Chewing mechanically in shock, Yeonwoo thought to himself. ¡®Maybe this isn¡¯t so bad¡­?¡¯ The giant continued to cut meat for the other cages, smiling contentedly. ¡°Eat well and fetch a good price.¡± Yeonwoo began to eat the remaining meat hastily, thinking he needed to build up strength if he was going to do anything, including escaping. --- --- Night came without Yeonwoo finding a way to escape or having a proper conversation with James. The moon passed the midpoint in the sky, nearing midnight. Yeonwoo closed his eyes and spoke to the dice. ¡®Earth! Please!¡¯ This world was hopeless. Even if the food was excellent, it was still ruled by monsters that modified humans. Returning to Earth, even with thepany¡¯s suspicion, was a better option. Roll¡ª Yeonwoo held his breath, waiting for the result, and the dice stopped. Failure! Nothing changed, leaving Yeonwoo still in the narrow cage the size of a studio apartment. He let his hands fall onto hisp andy down as if meditating. ¡®Once a day with the same wish? Today¡¯s a bust. Might as well sleep.¡¯ He curled up like a fetus. At least once a day, he had a chance to escape. Surviving intact and staying healthy was the top priority. The warmth from the firece spread softly. --- --- Morning came. When the giant served breakfast, a sd mixed with vegetables and dressing, Yeonwoo rubbed his sleepy eyes and approached the cage door. The sd was finely chopped with lettuce, cabbage, corn, tomatoes, and chicken breast, all mixed with a delicious sauce. Yeonwoo only ate the chicken breast and corn, prompting the giant to tap his cage. ¡°Don¡¯t be picky. You need to eat a bnced diet to stay healthy.¡± Yeonwoo paused his chewing. ¡®Does he really think I¡¯m a pet?¡¯ He was a human with the same intelligence, intellect, and personality as the giant. Being treated like amon wild animal was¡ª The giant spoke. ¡°There¡¯s a special guesting today.... You look overall healthy. I hope you sell well.¡± Yeonwoo put down the chicken breast he was holding. He wiped the sauce from his hands on the cold, damp lettuce. ¡®A guest.... Is it better to stay here than to be sold?¡¯ As he swallowed the meat left in his mouth, Yeonwoo pondered. Was it better to stay here, or to be sold and go somewhere else? ¡®I can roll the dice once a day to try to return to Earth. It¡¯s safer to bide my time here, and this ce seems rtively safe.¡¯ If he were sold to a giant who might eat, abuse, abandon, or kill him, he wouldn¡¯t survive long enough for the dice tond on a critical sess. Just as he made this decision, the giant left and returned with the guest. Murmurs¡ª Thud, thud, thud¡ª Voices and the vibration of footsteps echoed through the thick wooden walls. Soon, the door opened, and the selling giant entered with a giant family as the guests. Father giant, mother giant, son giant, and daughter giant. The children, eyes wide and open mouths, eximed as they entered the luxury disy room. ¡°Wow! Look at this! It looks so weird!¡± ¡°It looks so fluffy!¡± Though smaller than the adult giants, the giant children were still enormous as they pressed their faces against the bars of the cages. They poked their fingers through the bars, prodding at the other humans. Yeonwoo slowly retreated to the back corner of his cage. The father and mother giants pretended to admonish their children while talking to the selling giant. ¡°You have humans with breed certification?¡± ¡°Yes, we have two.¡± ¡°Ho, are there any males?¡± ¡°Of course. Both are males. Would you like to see them?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a look.¡± nk¡ª They pulled out the cages holding James and Yeonwoo. Both men grabbed the bars in different positions to steady themselves, facing the scrutiny of the father and mother giants who examined them like products. The father giant looked back and forth between James and Yeonwoo, stroking his chin as he asked, ¡°Are they neutered?¡± 34 - Pet Human TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ''...Neutering? What? No way!'' Lee Yeonwoo was about to freak out and search for the dice. The giant seller, just as surprised, quickly shook his head. His voice grew louder. "No way! This is a precious purebred human. We need to breed them, neutering is out of the question." "That''s why I''m asking. I''ve heard that the offspring of humans with certificates sell for a high price." The father giant looked at James and Yeonwoo with cold eyes, as if assessing an investment. The mother giant chimed in from beside him."We''re raising a human female. How much would the offspring from these two sell for?" "Do you have a certificate?" "No. Would the price drop significantly then-" The conversation continued, revolving around money. The seller suggested that they buy a human with a certificate to breed them, promising to write a certificate for the offspring, trying to sell as much as possible. While listening attentively to the seller, the father and mother giant discussed ways to make a decent return with minimal investment. Yeonwoo, with his nerves on edge, didn''t miss a word of their conversation. "The time hase to part. One of us will be sold." James, hanging onto the iron bars in Yeonwoo''s direction, spoke. Yeonwoo nced at James. Judging by the situation, it seemed certain that one of them would indeed be sold. It didn''t feel good at all. Especially after hearing talk about neutering. "...Aren''t you thinking of escaping?" "Not until I find a way back or thepany contacts me. Besides, you said you''re an investigator from thepany, right?" Yeonwoo nodded, recalling the identity he had revealed during their introduction. "I''m an investigator working at the Korean branch." "Good. If you return or get in touch with thepany, please deliver a message." "What is it?" Yeonwoo looked at James through the iron bars. James jumped down from the iron bars he was hanging on. He continued in a light but businesslike and monotonous voice. "Investigator James Kong reporting. This ce is not fit for human habitation." "Is that all?" Yeonwoo gestured as if to say he was willing to deliver any other messages, tapping his ear. There was the dice. As long as they were alive, they could return. Although he hesitated to reveal this, he was willing to pass on any message. But James jumped up, hanging onto the iron bars with one hand, scratching his chin with the other. "Nothing. Aren''t you going to report about this world anyway?" Implying that since they had fallen into a strange world, the contents of their reports as investigators would be simr. Yeonwoo shook his head. It wasn''t about work. "Isn''t there something you want to say to someone else? You might never return." "...Nothing." A firm answer after hesitation. The conversation ended. Yeonwoo turned his body silently. And then, he saw two young giants with sparkling eyes looking at him and James. The son and daughter giants opened their mouths in awe. "Wow! They''re talking to each other!" "Crying like that is so cute!" "Dad! Can''t we keep both? They seem to be friends!" The father giant, patting the heads of his two children, gently pulled them back. "We already have one at home, don''t we? We''ll only buy one. Hey, which one is better?" The father giant asked the seller, who lifted James''s cage with regret simr to that of the children. "Both are healthy and have no problems, but their personalities are different. This one is lively." Then he lifted Yeonwoo''s cage. "This one is calm." "Let''s take this one. The one we have at home is too lively...." "Excellent choice! Then the price will be-." The conversation progressed regardless of Yeonwoo''s will. Yeonwoo, who had been sold, had a sullen expression, and James waved his hand roughly, finishing their farewell. Then, the seller pulled out a ck cloth and covered the cage. Despite the cage and the cloth, loud voices were still clearly heard. Thus, Yeonwoo went to the house where the giant family lived. --- --- "Here! This is our house!" Whish-! The cloth covering the cage was suddenly removed. As sunlight poured in, Yeonwoo shielded his eyes with one hand and looked around. The giant''s house. A well-maintained garden and a two-story mansion surrounded by red brick walls. Its size was so enormous it seemed like a castle encircled by fortifications. Thud-! The daughter giant shook Yeonwoo''s cage vigorously as she ran to the front door. Yeonwoo clung to the bars, swaying precariously. From behind, he heard the stern voice of the mother giant. "Don''t run!" "Okay!" She opened the front door, ran up the stairs, and dashed into a room on the second floor, enclosed by a dense wire mesh. Pushing the mesh door open, the daughter giant said, "This is your room!" Dizzy and exhausted from clinging to the bars, Yeonwoo swayed as he looked around the room. A spacious room. No giant-sized furniture, indicating it was meant for raising humans. Instead, there were small model houses, a toilet, a dining table, tes, and a water bowl scattered around. Click- The cage was ced in the center of the room, and the lock was undone. The daughter giant, who had tossed the lock and key carelessly to the floor, peeked around the room. "Where did Yellow hide? Yellow! Come out! Your friend is here!" No answer, no movement. The giant stomped around the room before giving up and turning back to Yeonwoo. "Yellow must be asleep. Let me show you around the room." Yeonwoo cautiously stepped one foot out of the cage but quickly retreated back inside. ''She''s just a kid. Who knows what she might do.'' She had already swung the cage recklessly. She might try to pet him and end up breaking his bones. "Hurry up ande out! This is your room!" As Yeonwoo tried to sneak to the opposite corner of the cage, the daughter giant shoved her hand inside. Her clenched fist forced the cage door open, then got stuck. The iron bars screamed. Screeech- Screeech- Stretching her fingers, she tried to grab Yeonwoo, her tree-like fingers brushing past his nose and scratching the cage floor. Her nails left scars on the floor. Screeeeech- Fingers filling his vision. The cold bars against his back. Yeonwoo broke out in a cold sweat. ''Does she not know her own strength?'' If caught, his internal organs might burst. At the very least, his ribs would break. Or his skin might tear. At that moment, apanied by thundering footsteps, the father giant appeared. He spoke from beyond the wire mesh door. "Child, you''re scaring him. Stop ande down." "Dad! He won¡¯te out!" "He can''te out because you''re blocking him. Now,e on." He opened the wire mesh door, gesturing to his daughter. She reluctantly withdrew her hand and trudged over to her father. "I wanted to show him around...." "You can do thatter. Let him rest now, let''s go." ng-! The wire mesh door closed. The sound and vibration of the giants descending the stairs faded away. Silence descended upon the room. Yeonwoo took a deep breath, nced around cautiously, and stepped out of the cage for the first time. A vast room. High walls with windows above. Yeonwoo turned towards the myriad of miniatures, human-sized furniture, and toys scattered around the room. Then, a voice came from behind. "They actually bought one. F*cking idiots. Who¡¯d give birth just because you say so?" Yeonwoo turned around. A woman with blonde hair and an exotic appearance, making it hard to identify her ethnicity, strolled in, having emerged from some hidden ce. She nced at Yeonwoo and then picked up a bucket-sized cup model, heading towards the water bowl. She scooped up water with therge bucket. With her back turned, she spoke. "Hey. I don''t know where you''re from or what you do, but I don''t intend to live as a pet human." "...Me neither." A stranger met in a strange world. He had no intention of getting friendly or taking sides rashly. Unless they worked for the samepany, they were just people from different worlds. Of course, he didn''t n on being hostile without reason, but a rtionship where they ignored each other seemed appropriate. "Really? Good. Then help me." The woman, hugging the bucket filled to the brim, passed by Yeonwoo and kicked the key that the daughter giant had thrown on the floor. "We''re going to escape." "Escape?" Did she think he was interested? She went to the wire mesh door and started sprinkling water in a corner of the mesh. Yeonwoo noticed it wasn''t a task done just for a day or two. Only a small corner of the wire mesh, like mold, was rusted. If they cut through the rusty part, it was big enough for a human to pass through. "Bring that key. We¡¯ll use it to pound and saw through." Drops of water hung on the wire mesh like dew. The rusted part was reddish and quite corroded. It seemed easy to break, even with the jagged parts of the key. Yeonwoo didn''t move. ''Escape? Is that necessary?'' If he could hold out until the day the dice rolled a critical sess, he could return. Of course, the rough handling by the young giant was dangerous, but the outside was even more dangerous. There was no reason to leave the safe space of the mansion and venture into the huge world filled with all kinds of bugs, beasts, and unknown dangers. If he got hurt or died for no reason... Yeonwoo remained silent for a long time. "Hey. Why aren''t you answering-" The woman stopped sprinkling water and turned her head, her expression hardening. She red at Yeonwoo and muttered softly. "You don¡¯t n to escape, do you?" 35 - Pet Human TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Her re was fierce. She wore a dress that looked like something a princess doll might wear, likely put on by the young giant, but it didn¡¯t look ridiculous¡ªher demeanor was too menacing. Yeonwoo recoiled and raised his hands defensively. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to escape. We just met, right? Shouldn¡¯t we introduce ourselves first-¡± ¡°Forget it, get lost. Live your life as a pet human.¡± She red at Yeonwoo, then walked toward the key lying on the floor. As she approached, she stopped briefly in front of him.Suddenly, she grabbed Yeonwoo by the cor and pulled him close. He was dragged helplessly, their faces so close they could see their reflections in each other¡¯s eyes. She bared her teeth and growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you live, but if you interfere with my escape, I¡¯ll bite you. Got it?¡± ¡°Okay, just let go of my cor.¡± Yeonwoo calmly tapped her hand holding his cor. He had faced too many threats to be scared by such intimidation. Real dangeres without warning. She scoffed and let go, then bent down to pick up the key. The giant¡¯s key was as long andrge as a person¡¯s arm, hefty enough to be used as a tool. As she slung the key over her shoulder and headed for the wire mesh door, Yeonwoo followed. ¡°Have you heard of the Humanity Protection Company?¡± ¡°No.¡± She wasn¡¯t apany employee. ¡°Where are you from? Earth? America? Europe? Asia?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Hey! If you¡¯re going to interfere, get lost! Stop babbling!¡± She wasn¡¯t from Earth either. She yelled and thrust the key like a spear into the rusted part of the wire mesh. The mesh easily bent, and the key got wedged in. ¡°Ugh-!¡± She sweated profusely, gritting her teeth and straining until her veins bulged as she moved the key. Screeech- Using it like a lever, she wiggled it up and down, back and forth like a saw. The hole in the mesh slowly widened, the rust king off bit by bit. But her stamina gave out before the mesh could be cut through. Drenched in sweat, she gulped down the remaining water in the cup model and slumped against the wall. Her eyes turned to Yeonwoo. While she had been working hard to escape, Yeonwoo had been leisurely wandering around the room, examining the human-sized miniature furniture. Her eyebrows rose in frustration. ¡°Hey. Are you really not going to escape? You¡¯re nning to live as a pet human here?¡± ¡°Mind your own business-.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡± Yeonwoo turned a model chair around and sat on it. He met her annoyed gaze with his own frown. He was irritated by her continued informal speech, so he decided to drop formalities too. ¡°I don¡¯t n on leaving the house. Why should I go out? It¡¯s just dangerous.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to live like an animal here? Eating scraps they throw at you, wearing the clothes they force on you, having babies when they tell you to, and then having those babies sold off. Is that how you want to live?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± Yeonwoo shook his head. He didn¡¯t intend to live like that. He also had the dice as a means of escape. Therefore, he casually asked, with the mindset of a traveler exploring a foreignnd. ¡°But what¡¯s your n after escaping? Honestly, if you leave the house and run into a cat or a dog, or any kind of animal, you¡¯ll get killed.¡± This wasn¡¯t just a world of giants, but a gigantic world. Humans were the size of hamsters, and there were countless bugs, wild animals, and birds that could easily hunt creatures that small. Even an army of ants was terrifying. Escape wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning. She wiped her sweat with the frilled hem of her dress and looked out the window. The setting sun cast a twilight glow through the window. She spoke. "...I heard before. There''s a city of humans. A city made by humans, for human survival." Screeech-! Yeonwoo sprang to his feet, the chair scraping against the floor. She looked at him puzzledly, but Yeonwoo quickly addressed her. "Tell me more about that." Could it be a trace of the Humanity Protection Company? Even if it wasn''t, it sounded like something from Earth. The phrase was reminiscent of "of the people, by the people, for the people." It felt simr. She looked at Yeonwoo and then nodded towards the wire mesh. "I''ll tell you, but while I rest, you saw through that." Yeonwoo silently went to the wire mesh and grabbed the handle of the key with both hands. ''Even if I have the dice, it''s better to know about any group that seems like thepany.'' You never know when the dice will roll a critical sess. Preparing a backup n seemed wise, so Yeonwoo began sawing with the key. --- --- Huff- Huff- Yeonwoo looked up at the ceiling, exhausted. The ceiling spun around. When he closed his eyes, he could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He ced his trembling hand on his chest. His voice, as shaky as his hand, came out. "Now, tell me... what you know." She looked at him with astonishment. How could he be this weak after so little effort? "How did you get so weak...? How did you survive? You don''t have the body to survive out there." With such low stamina and strength, it was doubtful how long he could survive in the wild, where the weak perish. She sighed and approached Yeonwoo, patting his head. "You shouldn''t escape. You''ll die as soon as you leave the house. You really are suited to be a pet human." With each pat, his head wobbled, worsening his dizziness. Yeonwoo tried to push her hand away with his trembling hand but only swiped at the air. "Just tell me." "Alright, alright." Thud- She sat down next to Yeonwoo''s head, taking a moment to choose her words. Then she began speaking as if recounting legends and myths passed down orally. "There aren''t many humans like us, but there are not too few either. Sometimes, while wandering, you might meet other humans." "..." Yeonwoo listened quietly while catching his breath. "Once, I met an old human in an alley. The old man told me." She looked out the window, not at the high brick walls outside, but with eyes that seemed to see a wider world. "He said we originally weren''t from this world. People who fell from a world where only humans lived, struggling to survive in this giant world, left behind descendants." She spoke, and Yeonwoo understood. ''So, this world originally had no humans... The humans who identally fell here survived and asionally new ones arrived, leading to the current situation...'' Perhaps the reason they couldn''tmunicate with the giants was simr. It felt like trying tomunicate without special trantion between beings from different dimensions. She continued. "And he said, humans from our world wille to save us. There is a city of humans gathered together, for that day when they wille. A city just for humans." With those words, she slowly blinked, as if erasing a vision only she could see. Now, the room for raising humans, the wire mesh that blocked any passage, and the high stone wall beyond the window came into view. She suddenly stood up and chuckled. "I''m going there." "...Do you even know where it is?" Yeonwoo looked up at her. She smiled confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t know! But it''s better than being raised here and dying. If I keep walking, I''ll get there eventually. And when I find the city.¡± She turned and grabbed the key again, moving her whole body to cut through the wire mesh. Her energetic voice echoed. ¡°I¡¯lle back to save you too.¡± Yeonwoo closed his eyes and then opened them. ¡°No need. I''ll find my own way out.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You think you can survive out there alone with that body? Just say thank you.¡± ¡°I said, no need.¡± She let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°Fine, try living on your own. Even if I rescue all the other humans and take them to the city, you can stay here by yourself.¡± At that moment, there was a thudding sound, someone climbing the stairs. The woman quickly pulled out the key and threw it far away, then dashed to the pile of toys. She disappeared in an instant. While Yeonwoo just blinked, the mother giant opened the wire mesh door with her free hand, the other holding a te. ¡°Time for dinner-. Huh?¡± She looked down at Yeonwoo. He was exhausted from the hardbor of sawing, covered in sweat and fatigue, looking as if he had justpleted a huge task. The mother giant smiled slyly. ¡°Already working? Good, keep it up and have babies soon.¡± Despite Yeonwoo¡¯s bewildered expression, she hummed a tune and poured the food from the te into a dish for humans. Fried eggs, bacon, and bread. The food, cut into small pieces for humans, filled the dish. The mother giant said, ¡°You look very weak... Maybe I should feed you something nutritious¡­¡± Muttering to herself, she checked the water bowl and the toilet before leaving the room. The door closed, and silence filled the room. The woman crept out from her hiding spot, grabbed some bread, and stuffed it into her mouth, avoiding Yeonwoo¡¯s gaze while holding out some bread to him. ¡°What are you doing? Eat.¡± Yeonwoo struggled to his feet and went to the dish. With trembling hands, he shoved the food into his mouth, feeling her pitying gaze. --- --- Night came. Past midnight. Lying on a soft handkerchief, Yeonwoo blinked and thought. ¡®Return. Go back. Somehow.¡¯ Rumble- Thud! Nothing changed. Yeonwoo closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He was starting to feel anxious. ¡®When will the critical sesse up¡­? It won¡¯t note, right? If it''s as rare as winning the lottery or getting struck by lightning¡­.¡¯ If the odds of a critical sess or a critical failure were that low, he couldn¡¯t rely on the dice alone. He was also worried about what might happen if a critical failure came up. But it was also difficult to blindly follow the woman and escape. ¡®I¡¯m not sure if that city is rted to thepany. I don¡¯t know its location. I don¡¯t even know if it really exists. Even if it does, there''s no guarantee that the city has a way to return to Earth.¡¯ His confidence in returning was wavering. The stillness of the deep night suddenly felt ominous. Yeonwoo pulled the handkerchief nket over himself and curled up. The moonlight streaming in from the window was chilly. He felt abandoned in the vast ocean, like being alone in a foreignnd where he couldn¡¯t speak thenguage. ¡®I don¡¯t know a sure way to return. There¡¯s nothing I can do¡­.¡¯ This was different from the anomalies he had faced before. This wasn¡¯t a danger he could ovee with his own strength. He couldn¡¯t blindly trust the dice, and there was no support or contact from thepany. He wondered if he would have to live here as a pet human for the rest of his life. As these anxious thoughts gnawed at his brain, suddenly he felt a tap. Yeonwoo opened his eyes wide. The woman called Yellow was in front of him, her eyes shining in the moonlight. ¡°Hey. I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± When Yeonwoo sat up, she handed him a bag made from a toy bag and some strings. It was filled with bread and makeshift tools poking out. Proof that she was already prepared to leave. ¡°I¡¯ve cut through the mesh and checked the escape route. We need to escape now while they¡¯re all asleep.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll help.¡± Yeonwoo hesitated, then threw off the nket and stood up. ¡®I can¡¯t sleep anyway. If I stay still, I¡¯ll just think bad thoughts. I might as well move. Escape¡­¡¯ Stay with the giant family, or follow her. Rely on the dice and endure, or take the risk and seek out a city whose existence is uncertain and whose connection to thepany is unknown. He couldn''t decide. ¡°You?¡± She looked at Yeonwoo with disbelief. It wasn¡¯t so much mockery as it was doubt about what he could possibly do with his physical abilities. Ignoring her, Yeonwoo approached the wire mesh. After dinner, the cut wire mesh had a holerge enough for a person to pass through. 36 - Pet Human TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here It was a night lit brightly by moonlight. Carefully, they passed through the hole in the rusted wire mesh, making sure not to get scratched. They tiptoed down the hallway, past the room where the young giant was sound asleep, and stopped in front of the daunting stairs. The stairs used by the giants, leading down to the first floor. The lower part, untouched by moonlight, was shrouded in darkness. ¡®We have to go down there¡­¡¯ Each step of the stairs felt like a single-story building. They would have to cling to the walls and drop down step by step.It wasn''t impossible, but it made his legs tremble. While Yeonwoo hesitated at the edge of the stairs, the woman stood beside him, peering over the edge. In a hushed voice, she whispered, ¡°Once we get down the stairs, we¡¯ll go straight to the kitchen. There¡¯s a window by the sink, and it¡¯s open.¡± ¡°¡­Can you make it down the stairs without getting hurt?¡± When Yeonwoo asked, she let out a shortugh. During the many days when the giants opened the door, forgot to close it, or the young giant took her to its room, she had been practicing her escape tirelessly. The sweat she had shed while the giantsfortablyughed at the lively human was immense. ¡°I¡¯ve gone down a few times already. And hey, if you can¡¯t even do this, you shouldn¡¯t be thinking about going outside.¡± Yeonwoo nodded. That made sense. If he couldn¡¯t even get down a single step, how could he survive out there? She gave Yeonwoo a light pat on the back, then crouched down and looked up at him. ¡°Watch closely. This is how you do it.¡± She turned around, grabbed the edge of the step with both hands, and slowly extended her legs, dragging them along the side of the stair. Then, at a certain point, she let go with her hands and jumped down. From below, she looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°Your turn.¡± With a reluctant expression, Yeonwoo slowly mimicked her actions. Turning around, grasping the edge of the step with his hands, and dragging his feet along the stair¡¯s wall¡ª Thud-! His arms couldn¡¯t support his weight, and he slipped down. Landing awkwardly, Yeonwoo stifled a groan as he clutched his ankle. ¡°Hey, are you alright? See, this is why you should¡¯ve stayed in the room instead of trying to help¡­¡± She approached him. Yeonwoo rotated his ankle and then stood up. His face was contorted with pain, but his foot moved without issue. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t sprained it or damaged the joint. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡± Yeonwoo went down the next step first. Through the pain, he learned to fall in a way that minimized the impact. Each descent made a small noise. She slid down the stairs silently and watched Yeonwoo with a somewhat worried face. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re making too much noise.¡± Yeonwoo¡¯s falls were quiet, but in the dead of night, on the stairs, they sounded loud to a small human. ¡°¡­.¡± Having volunteered to help, he couldn¡¯t be a burden. Gritting his teeth, Yeonwoo tried to mimic the rolling techniques he¡¯d seen somewhere,nding as quietly as possible. Despite the small noises that continued, they managed to reach the bottom of the stairs without waking the giant family. --- --- The living room, with a sofa and carpet. Crossing the soft carpet, she suddenly stopped. Yeonwoo, exhausted and following her without thinking, bumped into her bag. He looked at her. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shh. Be quiet.¡± She squinted and perked her ears. The next moment, she grabbed Yeonwoo¡¯s hand and started running. The two humans sprinted across the plush carpet. Just as Yeonwoo opened his mouth to ask something, he closed it again. Thud- Thud- Creak- The sound of a gianting down the stairs. With added determination in his steps, Yeonwoo and the woman quickly slipped under the sofa. They crouched awkwardly, covering their mouths and noses to silence their breathing. They were on high alert. ¡®Why is heing down at this hour? Did he notice we¡¯re escaping?¡¯ Did he wake up because he heard them on the stairs? Was heing to check on them only to discover they had broken out of the mesh? From under the sofa, they watched through a narrow gap as the young giant rubbed his sleepy eyes and stumbled forward. ¡°Thirsty...¡± Holding an owl-patterned ss cup with both hands, he walked to the kitchen. The two humans followed, moving to a better vantage point behind the sofa. The kitchen connected to the living room came into view. There was an oven and stove, shelves for dishes, and a sink. Next to the sink was an open window. Fortunately, it seemed he hadn¡¯t noticed their escape. Phew- As Yeonwoo and the woman sighed in relief simultaneously, the young giant filled his cup with water and drank. Then, standing on tiptoes, he reached for the window and grumbled. ¡°Geez, they keep leaving the window open. What if bugs get in and bite our little ones?¡± Clunk¡ª Straining, he closed the window. Once it was securely shut, he even locked it. Proud of his good deed, he headed back with a satisfied expression. Thud- Thud- Thud¡ª The young giant climbed back up the stairs. Even after his presence disappeared, Yeonwoo and the woman couldn¡¯t move. Their escape route was closed. They stared at the now-closed window from under the sofa. The woman forced a cheerful tone. ¡°We blew it today. Let¡¯s try again another time!¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Tomorrow, or the day after. We can think of another way besides that window.¡± She lowered her head, hiding her expression in shadows, adjusted her bag, and turned away. Yeonwoo watched her and then tugged at her hand. She turned her head. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going tonight.¡± Yeonwoo thought if they didn¡¯t go now, they might never get another chance. The broken mesh could be reced with a stronger door. The young giant might start closing the kitchen window every night. They could be confined to a small box to breed. Yeonwoo pulled her towards the kitchen. She protested. ¡°How do you n to get out? You¡¯re not thinking of opening the window, are you? It¡¯s locked and even if it wasn¡¯t, it¡¯s way too heavy. No matter how much you push, it won¡¯t budge.¡± ¡°I have a way.¡± If he rolled the dice with enough effort, he could break the ss. As long as a critical failure didn¡¯te up, it should be fine, and a critical failure was unlikely. Yeonwoo walked decisively. --- --- There was a long wooden nter beside the sink, so they climbed up the trunk and jumped from the leaves to reach the sink. Standing on either side of the closed window, they held a knife like a battering ram, ready to strike. Suddenly, she spoke. ¡°Will this even work?¡± Human strength was weak. They were the size of hamsters. They couldn¡¯t open the window, much less break the ss. She looked at Yeonwoo with doubt, but he closed his eyes and recalled a memory. The first day of training, in theb where people had died. How the new recruit, a former firefighter, had broken the ss. ¡®He used a pointed metal tool to hit the corner of the ss.¡¯ Recalling the expert¡¯s technique, he opened his eyes. ¡°On the count of three. Got it?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work¡­ but okay.¡± ¡°One, two, three.¡± As they ran and struck the ss with all their might, Yeonwoo called upon the dice. ¡®Break!¡¯ Rumble¡ª Thud! Screech¡ª The knife slid across the ss, leaving a scratch. The two of them wavered under the force. The woman sighed. ¡°See? It¡¯s not working.¡± ¡°Again. One, two, three.¡± Reluctantly, she jabbed the knife again as the dice rolled. The result was the same. Thud! Screech¡ª The scratch deepened slightly, but it was hard to tell. Yeonwoo ground his teeth. ¡®You damn dice.¡¯ Returning to Earth was a once-a-day thing, but finding a phone or breaking a window seemed to be multiple attempts. The scale of the task must differ. The effort required must be different. Maybe even trivial tasks couldn''t be attempted infinitely. But the current situation was unbearably frustrating. ¡®I didn¡¯t even ask to be exempt from the test. I just hoped I¡¯d avoid it and ended up here in this awful world. And now I can¡¯t even seed at this?¡¯ It was anomalies and the dice. Even knowing it was pointless to me them, it still infuriated him. He had rolled twice at most and failed both times. But the pent-up frustration had nowhere to go. Yeonwoo clutched the knife against his side like ance. ¡°Again. One, two¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, stop. Why waste energy on something that won¡¯t work? Let¡¯s just sleep on the carpet.¡± ¡°One more time. Just one more roll, I mean, one more try.¡± ¡°¡­Last time.¡± The woman, standing diagonally behind him, clutched her knife like Yeonwoo. They stepped back as far as they could, holding the knives horizontally. ¡°One, two, three.¡± They ran in unison, but only one set of footsteps could be heard. As the knife tips collided with the ss¡ª Rumble¡ª Sess! A sudden gust of wind shook the window, causing it to push against the knives. The knife tips struck the ss, and the wind shook the entire frame violently. And then, the ss shattered with a loud crash. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± A gaping hole in the ss. They stared at the broken window, realizing it wasn¡¯t the knives but the wind that broke it. They snapped out of their daze. Yeonwoo gave the woman a push. The sound of shattering ss was loud. The giant family would wake up. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh. No, did it really break like this?¡± She unwound the string wrapped around her waist and hooked it to the window frame, then climbed over, avoiding the shards. She poked her head back through the window, bathed in moonlight. ¡°Hey. Are you really noting?¡± ¡°No. You saw my stamina. I¡¯ll die out there.¡± Yeonwooughed at himself. Even moving inside the house was tough. Surviving in the wild was out of the question. The risk was too high for such an uncertain endeavor. She said, ¡°I can help you. I¡¯ve survived outside for a long time. I can take care of you.¡± ¡°No. If you reach the city, do me a favor.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Yeonwoo said one word. ¡°Humanity Protection Company. See if anyone from thatpany is there. And if there is.¡± He recalled seeing James at the store where humans were sold. His words echoed. ¡°Investigator James Kong reporting. This ce is not fit for human habitation. Investigator Lee Yeonwoo requesting rescue. Deliver it like that.¡± She repeated his words softly and nodded. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll remember. So that¡¯s your name? James? Yeonwoo?¡± ¡°Yeonwoo.¡± Thud- Thud¡ª The sound of the gianting down the stairs. She disappeared beyond the window, her voice filled with anticipation, longing, and freedom. ¡°My name is Dandelion! The old man said it¡¯s the name of a flower¡ª¡± ¡°Just go! They¡¯reing.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle back for you once I reach the city!¡± With that, Dandelion disappeared through the moonlit window. Yeonwoo stayed behind, looking at the broken window before turning around. ¡®It¡¯s not so bad.¡¯ After all, he was bought for a high price. The giant family wouldn¡¯t harm him. He just needed to patiently roll the dice every day and wait for a critical sess. Maybe he could return just with a sessful roll. And then there was Dandelion. If Dandelion truly reached the human city, and if the Humanity Protection Company was there, they mighte to rescue him. Thud¡ª ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out!¡± The father giant came down holding a club. Behind him, the son peeked his head out from the stairs. Yeonwoo stopped thinking and looked at them. Was it because he helped Dandelion escape? Or because the dice rolled a sess at the perfect moment? Either way, he felt a bit more at ease. 37 - Interrogation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Time passed. The shattered window was reced with a new one, and the hole in the wire mesh was patched with extra wire and cloth. The children mourned Yellow¡¯s absence, and the giant parents couldn¡¯t bring themselves to buy a new human woman. Yeonwoo often looked out the window, thinking of Dandelion. He imagined her returning over the window sill with apany employee. At night, he prayed alone in his room to return home. How many times had the moon risen and set? ¡°¡­.¡±Yeonwoo packed his belongings under the square patch of moonlight streaming through the window. He changed out of the doll clothes the giants dressed him in and into the clothes he had arrived in. He pocketed his dead phone, his thin wallet, and his human qualification certificate. Finally, he clutched the key that unlocked their cage. It was the key used to cut the wire mesh, proof of his visit to the giant world. Every night, Yeonwoo repeated his routine, muttering to himself without any expectations. ¡°Dice¡­.¡± The dice kept yielding failures. Sometimes Yeonwoo wondered what might have happened if he had followed Dandelion. The streets would be rough, but with Dandelion¡¯s experience and his own survival skills, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Maybe it would even be fulfilling and exciting, unlike the life of being raised in the giant¡¯s house. As usual, Yeonwoo shook off his mncholic thoughts. ¡°Home.¡± He spoke dryly. He had rolled the dice enough to no longer feel anything about its results. It had be a habit to finish his nightly routine without any hopes. Rumble¡ª The dice rolled. And stopped. Critical sess! For a moment, Yeonwoo didn¡¯t understand what had happened. Then his eyes widened as the world changed. From the room where he was kept by giants, he was suddenly back in his duplex studio apartment. Just like when he had fallen into the giant¡¯s world, it happened without warning. --- --- ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo slowly looked around his studio. The new apartment, where he hadn¡¯t spent a single night, felt unfamiliar. Dust had umted, and there were signs that someone had been in and out. Footprints and unpacked items were scattered around. Above all, the sense of scale felt strange. Like the ground swaying underfoot after disembarking from a ship, the residual perception of the giant world lingered. Cautiously, Yeonwoo approached the window, opened itpletely, and looked out at the bustling daytime city. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­.¡± He saw the busy roads filled with vehicles, the dense concrete buildings, and the tiny-looking people. A faint smile crossed Yeonwoo¡¯s lips. But then the smile vanished. ¡®I need to deal with the dice first.¡¯ He had experienced firsthand the oues of critical sess and critical failure. The risks were too high. He would find a way to relinquish ownership of the dice, whether by rolling for it or requesting thepany¡¯s help. ¡®There¡¯s a lot to do.¡¯ Yeonwoo found his car keys and started mentally listing his tasks, prepared during his time in the giant world. ¡®Report to the investigation team without arousing suspicion. Ry James¡¯ message. ask about the giant world and the human city. Then charge my phone, visit a caf¨¦, and have a hamburger¡ª¡¯ Without pausing, Yeonwoo dashed out of his apartment. --- --- Bang! He flung open the door to the Anomaly Investigation Team. Yeonwoo entered the office with a sheepish expression, meeting the eyes of the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo. There was a brief silence. Just as Yeonwoo was about to awkwardly greet them¡ª Thud! ¡°You, you! What are you doing here!¡± The team leader raised hisputer monitor as if ready to throw it. Yoo Ji-yoo stood up, gripping her chair like a weapon. Yeonwoo held the giant¡¯s key and raised his hands palms up in a gesture of surrender. ¡°Team Leader, Senior Ji-yoo. I fell into a strange world. How long have I been gone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been over a month¡­¡± The team leader looked back and forth between Yeonwoo¡¯s face and the giant key before slowly lowering the monitor. Yeonwoo also ced the giant key on a nearby desk and raised his hands in surrender. ¡°Can I exin?¡± ¡°¡­Go ahead. Close the door.¡± Yeonwoo slowly pushed the door shut with his foot. The sound of the door closing seemed unusually loud. Under the wary eyes of the team leader and Ji-yoo, Yeonwoo began recounting his story. From the day he acquired the dice to his return today. ¡°¡­And that¡¯s how I came back today.¡± ¡°It¡¯s usible.¡± The team leader frowned. It didn¡¯t sound like a lie. There was doubt, but the exact circumstances would be for the intelligence department to determine. Tap-tap-tap¡ª The team leader typed away on his keyboard, reporting Yeonwoo¡¯s return and reviewing documents rted to Yeonwoo¡¯s disappearance. The documents discussed whether to list Yeonwoo, who had vanished in front of the testing department staff, as a missing person or an anomaly, how to categorize him, and what level of threat to assign. Based on the team leader¡¯s experience, it would take time and procedure for Yeonwoo to be formally reinstated. The team leader said, ¡°Rookie, you¡¯ll have to undergo an investigation. And write a detailed report on the dice, the giant, and everything you experienced in that world.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Yeonwoo obediently went to his desk and powered on hisputer. As it booted up, he cleaned the dusty desk. Ji-yoo watched him from a distance with suspicion before speaking. ¡°Yeonwoo, you¡¯re not an anomaly, right? You¡¯re not a terrorist or a spy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not.¡± Theputer finished booting. Yeonwoo began typing out his experiences honestly. He included the message from Investigator James Kong and finished his report by detailing the human city in the giant world. The report listed everything he had gone through up until today, from the errors to his return, in a straightforward manner. ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo felt a wave of emotions as he looked at the densely typed words. ¡®I really did survive.¡¯ He clicked to upload the report. Then he turned to the team leader. ¡°Team Leader, I¡¯ve submitted the report.¡± ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll wait for a response from the intelligence department.¡± Yeonwoo nodded, and the response came a weekter. He was toe to a safe house located on the mountainside for an investigation by the intelligence department. --- --- An oldpact car pulled up on the side of the mountain road. Yeonwoo stepped out, looking up at the mountain with a reluctant expression. It wasn¡¯t Gwaebaek Mountain, where he had seen the fog monster, but it was still a mountain, which made him uneasy. Especially since he was there for an investigation. ¡°Nothing bad will happen¡­¡± He muttered to himself as he climbed the mountain path. Despite the heavy weight of the impending investigation by the intelligence department, Yeonwoo tried to stay positive. ¡®If they were treating me as a fugitive, they wouldn¡¯t just call me here. They¡¯d send a team to arrest me.¡¯ Sweating profusely, he soon saw an abandoned house nestled among the dense trees. This was the safe house the intelligence department had mentioned. Yeonwoo took a few deep breaths before approaching the house. The safe house was close to being a ruin. Broken windows, overgrown weeds, and the inside visible through the windows looked like a mess. There was no sign of human presence. Thud! Thud! Yeonwoo knocked loudly on the door. Besides the startled scurrying of bugs and rats, there was no response. Yeonwoo cleared his throat. Bang! Bang! ¡°Is anyone here? I was told toe today!¡± From deep within the house, he finally heard movement. Footsteps hurriedly approached, crushing the remnants of the ruined house beneath them. Yeonwoo watched as a man and a woman climbed up through the broken window. Their eyes met over the ss shards, and they smiled. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here. We couldn¡¯t hear much from below. You must be Lee Yeonwoo?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. I came for the investigation today.¡± ¡°Wee. Come on in.¡± The man with sses opened the door and gestured for Yeonwoo to enter. As Yeonwoo stepped inside, he noticed the man¡¯s friendly smile contrasted with the woman¡¯s displeased expression. He passed them and entered the house. Yeonwoo frowned. For a safe house, it was in worse condition than he had imagined. There was a musty smell, along with the presence of dead bugs and rodents, mold, and dampness. The man led Yeonwoo to a room while the woman followed behind. ¡°It¡¯s a mess, isn¡¯t it? This ce was abandoned, but we started using it recently. It will take some time to renovate properly.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Yeonwoo, ever the investigator, was more focused on assessing his surroundings than listening to the man¡¯s words. A confined room. It was rtively clean, but the dim lighting and stairs leading down to the basement gave it a grim atmosphere. With the man leading and the woman¡¯s imposing presence behind him, Yeonwoo descended the stairs. It was toote to turn back now. Thud-thud- They descended the bare concrete steps for a short while. They arrived in the basement. A single incandescent bulb hung from the ceiling, illuminating a table and four chairs beneath it. Along the wall were rusty cabs and old monitors, and opposite the stairs was a holding cell. ¡°¡­.¡± Gulp¡ª Yeonwoo swallowed hard. There was someone familiar in the holding cell. His fellow recruit, Lee Seoyeon. She had lost a leg to a ninja¡¯s sword and was transferred to the intelligence department. Now, shey in the cell, her gaze fixed on it. The man with ssesughed cheerfully. ¡°Oh, them? Terrorists. Our department interrogates and investigates people like them.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Sweat trickled down Yeonwoo¡¯s forehead. The cool, mmy air of the basement clung to his skin. ¡®Terrorists? That¡¯s a ridiculous im.¡¯ If she had been a spy infiltrating a hostile group, it might be believable. Butbeling her as a terrorist or a wanted criminal made no sense. Yeonwoo tried to maintain hisposure, looking at the man with steady eyes and a calm voice. But the woman blocked the stairs and spoke. ¡°You¡¯re caught, idiot. Did you think you could fool apany recruit? Especially an investigator?¡± ¡°Oh, really? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± The man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled something out. Click¡ª A homemade pistol gleamed dully under the light as he aimed it at Yeonwoo. ¡°Mr. Lee Yeonwoo? Why don¡¯t you sit down, and let¡¯s have a chat. It could be beneficial for you.¡± Yeonwoo chose the cleanest chair and sat down. 38 - Interrogation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The woman stared at Lee Yeonwoo in disbelief as he settled into the clean chair. ¡°That¡¯s my chair.¡± Yeonwoo ignored her. He pulled the chair up to the square metal desk and ced his handsfortably on it. The woman pointed her homemade gun at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you see the gun?¡±¡°You¡¯ve already seen my information.¡± Yeonwoo nced over the papers spread out on the old metal desk. Among the stacks of documents, he saw his resume and reports on top. They had been reading them just moments before. ¡°It would be a waste of my experience to be scared of a gun.¡± They had asked for a conversation, which implied they wouldn¡¯t kill him. Still, a gun was a gun, so he didn¡¯tpletely dismiss the threat. The man with ssesughed and sat across from Yeonwoo. ¡°Right. People don¡¯t seem to fear guns anymore. They¡¯ve seen things scarier than guns. Yeonwoo, do you know that fairy tale?¡± ¡°What fairy tale?¡± Yeonwoo half-listened, his eyes on the holding cell. Inside, Lee Seoyeon and an unknown many as if dead. Their chests rose and fell, and there was no smell or sight of blood, indicating they weren¡¯t in immediate danger. Just then, the man tapped the metal desk with the gun barrel. ¡°What was it? The Carrot and the Stick? That fairy tale with the sun and the storm.¡± ¡°Idiot. The North Wind and Sun.¡± ¡°Close enough. Anyway, people don¡¯t fear guns, but they can¡¯t ignore this.¡± The man set the gun down and pulled a bar of gold from his pocket. It shone brilliantly under the incandescent light. Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes were drawn to the gold. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A gift. Show a bit of loyalty to us, and it¡¯s yours. What do you think? We¡¯re not asking for much.¡± The man slid the gold bar towards the center of the table. It was within arm¡¯s reach. Yeonwoo swallowed hard, and the man¡¯s voice became soft and persuasive. ¡°You¡¯re an investigator, right? Just a heads-up about anomalies before you report them to thepany. That¡¯s not too hard, is it? We¡¯re not asking you to hide anything.¡± Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the gold bar. The clear engraving read 1,000g. One kilogram of gold. The man watched Yeonwoo with interest. Yeonwoo closed his eyes, shaking off the temptation. When he reopened them, his gaze was clear and steady on the man. ¡°First, you need to tell me who you are.¡± ¡°Oh, if you had grabbed it right away, I would¡¯ve been suspicious.¡± The manughed, and the woman crouching by the stairs answered. ¡°We¡¯re alsopany employees.¡± ¡°Were, until a few days ago.¡± Their gazes shifted to the holding cell. Real intelligence agentsy there, appearing dead. ¡°But we got caught despite our loyalty. We overpowered them during questioning. Now, we¡¯re recruiting before we escape.¡± The man leaned forward to make eye contact with Yeonwoo. His eyes twinkled with amusement behind his sses. ¡°You understand, right? Thepany pays well, but not enough for the work we do. And.¡± The man leaned back casually in his chair. ¡°We¡¯re not doomsday cultists or demon worshippers. We¡¯re not doing anything harmful to humanity.¡± It was the story of employees sellingpany information to hostile groups for money. When caught, they decided to fully switch sides. ¡°¡­You still haven¡¯t answered. What group are you with?¡± Yeonwoo stared at the man, who chuckled. ¡°By now, you must have guessed. We¡¯re with the Goldberg Club. Heard of it?¡± ¡°¡­No, I haven¡¯t.¡± ¡°Really? You must be joking¡­ You¡¯re serious?¡± The man blinked in surprise, and Yeonwoo subtly avoided his gaze. The woman muttered under her breath. ¡°He¡¯s really new.¡± ¡°No way. What am I doing with a newbie?¡± The man suddenly looked deted. He took off his sses and wiped them with his suit jacket. Putting his sses back on, he looked at Yeonwoo with a more rxed demeanor. He crossed his legs and draped one arm over the back of his chair. ¡°Rookie, didn¡¯t you even get the basic training? Like, don¡¯t ept bribes from the Goldberg Club, and always use a taser first on artists?¡± ¡°Idiot, keep it short. We need to recruit this guy and get out of here.¡± ¡°¡­Right.¡± Yeonwoo watched them and slowly rxed his mouth. For whatever reason, it was good if they let their guard down. Yeonwoo deliberately acted more naive. ¡°I really haven¡¯t heard of it¡­ Should I know about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s basic training¡­ Oh, you¡¯re an investigator. I guess you wouldn¡¯t know about hostile groups.¡± The man seemed to ept this exnation. Investigators were usually assigned to smaller, uncertain anomalies. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t know about dealing with hostile groups, so it makes sense.¡¯ He sighed and rxed a lot more. At that moment, the woman adjusted her grip on the gun, her finger on the trigger, ready to fire. ¡°Don¡¯t be careless. This guy has been through all kinds of things. Remember what you read.¡± ¡°¡­Right. But how? Why is an investigator handling us? Is he an anomaly? Yeonwoo, are you really an anomaly?¡± The man adjusted his posture and subtly readied his gun. Despite his casual tone, he still aimed it at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s stop with the nonsense. Exin the Goldberg Club to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. Eat well and live well. Make money from anomalies. A lot of money. How about it? Want to join us?¡± Yeonwoo stared at the metal desk, lost in thought, then responded a bitte. ¡°I¡¯ll join.¡± --- --- He had no intention of actually joining. It was a lie to get out of the current situation. ¡®I can¡¯t trust anything they say.¡¯ Yeonwoo kept his eyes from blinking, hiding his true thoughts. ¡®Their talk sounds good, but they got caught and had to run.¡¯ They managed to overpower the intelligence agents and lock them up, but they were ultimately discovered and needed to escape. Moreover, Yeonwoo was already under suspicion by thepany and needed to clear his name. Joining a hostile group now made no sense. Yeonwoo nced at the two homemade guns still pointed at him. ¡®I need to report this to the team leader as soon as I get back. They threatened me with guns.¡¯ The man with sses rxed and smiled, lowering his gun slightly. ¡°You¡¯ve made a good decision. Many people have a foot in the Goldberg Club. Don¡¯t worry about it. Just think of it as earning more money for the hard work you do.¡± ¡°¡­So what¡¯s next? An initiation? Ceremony? Or will you contact meter?¡± The man pointed at the gold bar with his gun. ¡°No big ceremony. Just take this as a token of trust.¡± He gestured for Yeonwoo to take the gold bar. Yeonwoo looked at the shining gold but didn¡¯t reach for it. ¡°Is this just to leave evidence that I epted a bribe? To have something on me?¡± ¡°Well, sort of. If we transferred cash to your ount, it¡¯d be easily traced. Physical goods are better.¡± All he had to do was put the gold bar in his pocket. But Yeonwoo hesitated. His instincts were ringing rm bells. ¡®¡­Why a gold bar?¡¯ Most of all, the man¡¯s offhandment about not epting bribes lingered in his mind. It was something thepany would teach about hostile groups. Instinct and experience told him to be suspicious. This wasn¡¯t an ordinary gold bar. Under the white light of the incandescent bulb, Yeonwoo froze like a statue. The man waited for a moment and then pulled the trigger. Bang! The gunshot echoed through the narrow basement, painfully loud. Yeonwoo twisted his body in shock, but the bullet hit the wall behind him. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. The man twisted his wrist, aiming the gun at Yeonwoo again. ¡°Mr. Yeonwoo, I didn¡¯t ask for anything difficult, did I? Get shot or take the gold bar. Is that hard? Whyplicate things?¡± Suspicion turned into certainty. Yeonwoo slowly reached out. His hand, now slick with cold sweat, trembled under the harsh light. ¡®They¡¯re going this far? This isn¡¯t just any gold bar. What is it? What should I do? The dice? I could die if itnds on a critical failure.¡¯ Squeezing his eyes shut, Yeonwoo grabbed the gold bar. For now, he was being recruited. His life wasn¡¯t in immediate danger. And he still had the dice as ast resort. The man, eyes wide and unblinking, watched as Yeonwoo pocketed the gold bar, then lowered the gun. ¡°Haha. Isn¡¯t this better? No wasted bullets.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve taken what you wanted me to. Is that all? Or is there more?¡± Yeonwoo checked himself for any physical or mental issues, but finding nothing wrong, he nced at the stairs. The woman blocking the stairs showed no intention of moving. She had put her gun back in her pocket but remained in the middle of the steps. The manughed. ¡°There¡¯s more. Since you took the gold, you need to pay for it. Mr. Yeonwoo, answer honestly.¡± Yeonwoo¡¯s body tensed. His head turned involuntarily to watch the man¡¯s mouth, waiting for the question. ¡°Do you intend to join the Goldberg Club? Truly? Without lying?¡± Yeonwoo responded. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then you n to report back?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut. His mouth moved on its own, out of his control. Even as he tried to stop himself, his hands wouldn¡¯t obey. ¡°So you lied to us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man narrowed his eyes and red at Yeonwoo. 39 - Interrogation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, wake up." tter- Lee Yeonwoo stood up, pushing the chair back. He bit his lower lip lightly. ''...This is not the time to be picky.'' The lie was exposed. Manipted by a gold bar, there was no hope of getting through this nicely. Yeonwoo called upon hisst resort.''The dice.'' In a short moment, his thoughts elerated. He quickly conveyed his will to the dice. ''Resist the gold bars or whatever they are, cause those bastards to malfunction, break their guns, wake up my friends in the cage, open the cage too-'' Resist the anomaly, imitate the demon of absurdity, all kinds of measures poured out endlessly. Roll- The dice jumped up excitedly as if it was having fun. Rolling around as if dancing for a moment. The first result of resisting the gold bars came out. Bang! And, just as it was about to roll again. A man''s voice was heard. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, stop. If you rolled it, stop, and don''t roll it again in the future." "Yes." The dice gloomily came to a stop. Forced by the gold bars, Yeonwoo canceled the roll. Although he couldn''t overturn the judgment, he canceled it before the result came out. Even though he learned a new way to use it, Yeonwoo''s expression sank heavily. His gaze swept over the steel desk. The document where Yeonwoo had reported the dice. The man alternated between looking at Yeonwoo''s expression and the report, then asked indifferently. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, did you just roll the dice?" "Yes." The man red at Yeonwoo with cold eyes. Yeonwoo calmly met the man''s gaze. No need to be flustered. ''Don''t get obsessed with the dice.'' The dice was just a hidden card. The dice is a tool, not Yeonwoo himself. He survived from tests to errors with just his body. His mind, cooling down and sharpening like a de. The man, looking at the sharp-eyed Yeonwoo, asked a question. "What did you roll? And what was the result?" "Resisting the gold bars. I failed." Yeonwoo twisted the interpretation of the question, hiding the truth. He didn''t mention anything about causing malfunctions. After all, the others were stopped before they rolled. The man, unaware of this and overconfident in the gold bars, rxed his expression and smirked. "Resist? That''s clumsy. Should I say it''s rookie-like? Well, you didn''t even use that dice for the lottery or stocks. It''s nice to see such purity." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut, and the man shook his head. "It would have been nice to work together." The man put the gun into his suit pocket, and the woman slowly stood up, dusting off her hips. "I told you, you wouldn''t be able to persuade him." "Even if he''s no longer apany employee, it would be good to recruit people." "We failed, you idiot." "Then we give up on people and take something else." The man spread his hands wide, roughly gathering scattered documents into one pile. The clumped stack of papers went into the briefcase without regard for order or ssification. The woman hid the gun in her bosom and repeatedly opened the rusty cabs in order. After a moment of ear-scratching friction sounds, she clicked her tongue. "When was this ce abandoned? There''s nothing to take." "Still, the harvest is quite good." The man pulled out the chair under the desk with a tter. Therey the key to the detention center, an ID badge of an intelligence agent, a security card, aptop, a small mechanical device, and an external hard drive. The man picked up the key to the detention center and lightly tossed it to Yeonwoo. "Catch." Yeonwoo reached out his hand, but the key slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor. While Yeonwoo bent down to pick up the key, the man and woman, who were ready to escape, stood side by side watching him. The greatest harvest was there. Their eyes sparkled with expectation and desire. The man spoke. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo. Is there a way to transfer the dice to us?" "I don''t know." "Really? Think hard. If you can''t figure it out, you''re dead." The man tapped his chest where a bulging, homemade gun was hidden. The woman''s voice continued. "It''s not like we want to kill you. If we do, the hostility level goes up. But if you don''t cooperate, we will kill you. Why? Because usually, anomalies parasitic on the mind reveal themselves when the host dies." "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, please understand. We''re escaping from thepany; we need to take at least the dice." The dice had enough value to risk the hostility level going up. Yeonwoo lowered his gaze and pondered, then raised his head slightly. "Maybe we can roll the dice." "Aha. Like transferring ownership? Do it. But don''t roll it for anything else." Following the man''smand, Yeonwoo rolled the dice. Roll, the dice spun. Yeonwoo focused all his mind on the dice. ''It doesn''t matter whates out.'' The dice stopped. Bang! "It''s a miss." "Roll it again." Roll- Bang! "Miss." "Again." Roll- Fail! "It''s a fail." The man''s expression hardened. He spoke. "...You''re not lying, are you? Answer honestly. Did you falsify the result?" "No." Yeonwoo confidently puffed out his chest, licked his dry lips, and spoke. "And if a critical failurees out while doing this, you won''t be able to take it even if you kill me." "...Then we have to kill you and take it now." "That will be difficult too." The man tilted his head. Yeonwoo spoke about when he obtained the dice. "A critical sess came out, and I was parasitized. You can''t take it until another critical sesses out. And if a critical failurees out... I don''t know what will happen." Yeonwoo nced at the briefcase. The man recalled Yeonwoo''s report. The dice that caused topological dimensional shifts. And the remaining time they had. The man and woman looked at each other for a moment, then sighed deeply. The woman turned around. "Let''s give up. We don''t have time." "It''s about time they noticed something strange." The man looked at the small device on the chair. The device that tracked the intelligence agent''s location andmunicated periodically blinked red. The man put the external hard drive next to it into the briefcase and threw the briefcase to the woman. "Take this and start the car." "What about you?" "I don''t know. Vent some anger?" "Idiot, we don''t have time." "Just kidding. I''ll rig the scene a bit." "Hurry up. You know what happens if you''rete." The woman reluctantly climbed the stairs. Yeonwoo, unable to rx, watched them, then met the man''s gaze. The man pointed to Yeonwoo''s hand, to the key to the detention center held in it. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo. Open the detention center and kill the people inside." The man grinned. "Make it look like an anomaly killed an intelligence agent during interrogation." --- --- Cold sweat dripped down. His heart pounded. His limbs moved on their own towards the detention center. The rusty, sturdy iron bars of the basement came closer. Yeonwoo urgently spoke. "Hey. No, sir. Do we really have to go this far? Do we really need to-" "Well, you can be grateful." "Excuse me? No, for what-" "Isn''t murder also an experience? Think of it as training." "What kind of bullsh*t is that!" Click-click- His trembling hand fumbled a few times before finally inserting the key into the lock and turning it. The creaky hinges screamed as the detention center opened. Two people slept as if dead. The man''s voice came from behind. "It¡¯s a joke, a joke. It might not be very effective, but this way, thepany''s manpower will be dispersed, right? It will also slow down their pursuit of us." "All because of something like that...!" Yeonwoo shouted, veins bulging in his neck. He screamed as if he was about to cough up blood, trying to wake the sleeping people. Yeonwoo''s desperate eyes turned to the two people. The intelligence agent in a suit. The male agent, lying nearby, was sleeping sprawled out, while Lee Seoyeon, a bit farther away, stretched her legs and breathed like a baby. Yeonwoo noticed something strange. ''Lee Seoyeon? Her leg should be amputated.'' The supposedly severed leg was perfectly intact. Hidden under suit pants, socks, and shoes, it was unclear whether it was a prosthetic or not. Yeonwoo had no time to question it. His body moved to carry out the order even at that moment. All Yeonwoo could do was choose the method of killing. ''Beat them to death. If I beat them to death, they¡¯ll wake up. They must wake up.'' Yeonwoo climbed on top of the male intelligence agent, raised both fists high, and brought them down. Alternating blows with his fists. Then, he met the man''s eyes. "...." Breathing like a sleeping person, eyes barely open. The drowsy eyes focused, and a chilling aura passed. The next moment, the agent sprang up, pushing Yeonwoo away. Yeonwoo flew like a paper doll, his head hitting the bars. "Ugh!" A fleeting gap. The male agent grabbed Lee Seoyeon''s ankle and pulled out the leg. The prosthetic leg,plete with socks and shoes, came off easily. The agent raised the prosthetic leg and shouted. "Freeze! Move and I¡¯ll blow it up!" Yeonwoo, looking on in shock, started to get up to continue following the orders. The man shouted like a thunderbolt. "Stop!" Yeonwoo froze in an awkward half-risen position. He vaguely heard the man tapping the floor with his toes. "Damn it. Did they nt a bomb in the prosthetic?" "There¡¯s a bomb imnted in my body too! If either of us moves even a little, both will explode!" 40 - Interrogation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The agent''s pupils dted. Though he threatened as if he would detonate the bomb at any moment, he kept a broad view of his surroundings. The old basement was visible under the hanging incandescent light. New recruit Lee Seoyeon, sleeping soundly, and a man stamping his feet in frustration, and Lee Yeonwoo with a gold bar protruding from his pocket. The agent assessed the situation. He pointed at the gold with his prosthetic leg. "Stop messing around and grab the gold bar first! If you say anything else, I''ll blow it up!""Ha... Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, please return the gold bar." Yeonwoo took the gold bar out of his pocket, hesitated for a moment, then threw it with all his might at the man. There were no specific instructions on how to return it. The gold bar, glinting golden, flew and was caught deftly by the man¡¯s hand. The man frowned. "This isn''t good." The gold, which forced obedience, returned to its owner. The force that bound Yeonwoo was gone. ''This is good.'' Yeonwoo slowly stretched his limbs. Standing in an awkward position, his blood-starved limbs were now feeling refreshed. ''Should I roll the dice? No, hold on.'' The situation looked favorable. There was no need to risk rolling the dice. It seemed he didn''t need to do anything drastic. The man looked back and forth between the bomb-imnted prosthetic and Yeonwoo, then slowly raised both hands. "Okay. I won''t do anything stupid. So, calm down first. If that thing goes off, both of us will die." "Is there an agent who isn''t prepared to die?" "Didn''t I say I''m a Special Forces member? We''re all the same. Or are investigators different?" The man and the agent''s gazes turned to Yeonwoo. Unlike Special Forces members or agents who achieve their goals even in death, investigators survive by any means to deliver information. There was a fundamental difference in purpose and behavior. The man subtly tried to persuade him with his gaze, while the agent cautiously backed away. But Yeonwoo shrugged nonchntly. "Don''t mind me, go ahead and blow it up." He couldn''t ruin the atmosphere by backing down. It didn''t seem like they would actually go as far as to detonate it. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo, if you do that, we''ll all die?" "I think I can survive." Yeonwoo made a rolling sound with his mouth, imitating the dice. The man''s expression darkened. "From what I saw, it only failed-" "Since it failed that much, it will seed now. Agent, continue." But the agent kept retreating until he reached the corner of the detention center. The agent checked Yeonwoo''s face. He mumbled. "Yeonwoo... you were supposed to be interrogated. Don''t move! If you move, I''ll blow it up!" "Haah..." Yeonwoo ran a hand over his face, then raised both hands like the man and sat down heavily. He looked up at the agent. "I''ll stay still, so do what you need to do, Agent." The agent watched Yeonwoo for a moment, then turned to look at the man. The man was now sitting in the chair, tapping the desk with his fingers. In front of his fingers was the agent''s ID. "The name is... Kim Gapdong? Is this your real name? Sounds like an alias." "I told you not to move!" "Then blow it up. But we''re not in a situation to go to such extremes, are we? Let''s solve this through conversation." Agent Kim Gapdong shouted. "If you want to talk, hand over the external hard drive and documents first!" "Oh, that... they''re not here." The man shrugged. He spread his hands and gestured around the basement. The open cabs. The empty basement with nowhere to hide anything. In an instant, Kim Gapdong''s face turned ghastly. His face turned pale as if the blood had drained from it. His lips quivered as he looked at Yeonwoo, as if asking if it was true. Yeonwoo nodded. "The woman who was with us took it upstairs." "Then! Tell her to bring it back! Quickly!" The man leisurely crossed his legs. "It''s toote. That¡¯s the rule in my unit. If there''s no contact for more than five minutes in a separated situation, we consider it a death. They must have already guessed there was a problem and left." "Ah, f*ck. We''re screwed." Kim Gapdong let his prosthetic leg droop. The edge of his thigh hit the floor of the detention center with a thud. Lee Yeonwoo quietly backed away from the prosthetic while still sitting, and the man pped his hands. "Okay, I got the gold bar back and didn''t pull out my gun. Agent Kim Gapdong has calmed down. Let''s talk." "I don''t negotiate with traitors..." "Don''t be like that." Kim Gapdong looked at the man with a defeated expression, but the man pointed at the prosthetic and Kim Gapdong with a rxed smile. "The Intelligence Department puts bombs in people''s bodies. Do you really want to keep working for them? Take this opportunity to join the Goldberg Club." Then, the man¡¯s gaze shifted to Yeonwoo. "If you help, we can retrieve the dice and clean up the scene nicely." After ensuring there were no issues, the n was to kill Lee Yeonwoo and retrieve the dice. --- --- Yeonwoo spoke indifferently. "I''m going to roll the dice. Let''s see that bomb explode." At this point, killing only Yeonwoo would be meaningless. It was toote to just kill Yeonwoo; he was already free. With his life in danger, he had nothing left to lose. "Roll for the bomb, roll for the basement copse, roll for a heart attack, roll for a gun explosion, roll for everything. One will seed." Then he red at the man, mimicking Agent Kim Gapdong. "Whether it''s the gold bar or the gun, if you make any suspicious moves, I''ll roll." "If you make a mistake, you''ll-" "Better than dying alone and getting my anomaly extracted." The man looked carefully into Yeonwoo''s eyes. They were cold and calm. It wasn¡¯t a bluff or fake madness. The situation supported it. Yeonwoo also spoke to the agent standing beside him. "The same goes for you, Agent. Don¡¯t do anything weird. Just do your job." "Okay, got it." Agent Kim Gapdong, trembling, pressed his back tightly against the wall of the detention center. The prosthetic leg dragged on the floor. For a moment, the three of them stayed silent. None of them wanted to die here. After a while, the man spoke. "Let''s do this. Let''s part ways cleanly here. I''ll escape, and you stay and do your job." "No way!" Agent Kim Gapdong shouted. He pointed at the empty basement with his prosthetic leg and red at the man. "Do you know how severe the punishment is just for losing the information? We have to catch you at least!" "Do you think I''ll let myself be caught? Kim Gapdong, use your head." With a frustrated expression, he pounded his chest and then swiftly and naturally pulled out the gun from his chest, aiming it at the prosthetic leg. The gun still smelled of gunpowder. The man spoke emotionlessly with a nk face. "If I get caught, I''ll be sent to the penal unit. I''d rather die here." There was only one bomb, but all three of them could detonate it. And if it came to that, they were all ready to do so without hesitation. In that tense moment. Roll- The man''s eyes widened as he sensed something strange and looked at the gun. The gun exploded. All the loaded bullets and the ones in the magazine exploded simultaneously, scattering fragments. Red mes red up and then disappeared. The man looked at his shredded hand with a horribly twisted expression and then looked at Yeonwoo. "You!" Yeonwoo, his eyes unfocused, stared into space before lowering his gaze to the man. "I told you, didn''t I? If you pull out the gun, I¡¯ll roll." The dice that rolled for the gun explosion had seeded. --- --- The man''s weapon was gone. In the next moment, Agent Kim Gapdong sprang forward. Raising the prosthetic leg like a sword, he struck it against the incandescent light with a powerful blow. Buzz-! Under the shaking light, the man covered his head and charged low at the agent. Thud-! The prosthetic leg that struck the man''s back rolled on the floor. The agent hit the man''s back with his elbow and kneed him, but couldn''t overpower him and was shoved into the bars of the detention center with a crash. Agent Kim Gapdong shouted urgently. "Yeonwoo! What are you doing? Help!" Before Yeonwoo could react, the man shoved the bloodstained gold bar into Kim Gapdong''s pocket. Kim Gapdong received the gold bar. "Agent Kim Gapdong. Stop Yeonwoo from following me! Keep going!" Bound by the gold bar, Kim Gapdong gritted his teeth and entered the detention center, raising his hand to subdue Yeonwoo. The man, standing up,ughed. "Good luck! Take your punishment well!" Bleeding from his damaged hand, the man climbed the stairs. Kim Gapdong reached out towards Yeonwoo but stopped. Yeonwoo was sitting with his hands raised, showing no intention of chasing. --- --- "I''m not nning to chase him. I can''t catch him alone anyway." "...So, I don''t need to stop you?" "Of course. What can I do alone?" The gold bar''smand was fulfilled. With Kim Gapdong freed and Yeonwoo not wanting to fight, they awkwardly looked at each other before proceeding with the same task simultaneously. "Trainee Agent Lee Seoyeon, this is not the time to sleep." "Seoyeon, wake up." They shook her shoulders and pped her cheek. Lee Seoyeon, drooling in her sleep, opened her eyes. "Uh...? Ah!" Raising her upper body, she looked around and then widened her eyes at Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo! When did you... no, what¡¯s going on... Ah!" Her drowsy eyes cleared as she recalled the past events. Disarming two people suspected to be from the Goldberg Club, Senior Agent Kim Gapdong had a gold bar slipped into his pocket, and she took the gold bar herself to save Kim Gapdong, who fell asleep because of it. "The Goldberg Club! What happened?" "Trainee Agent Lee Seoyeon. First, restrain me. I''ve been affected by the gold bar." "Oh, right. Just a moment." Lee Seoyeon loosened her belt, hopped on one foot, and tied Kim Gapdong''s hand to the leg of the steel desk. Agent Kim Gapdong sighed. "Now, let''s report to the higher-ups. The two suspicious individuals were indeed from the Goldberg Club, they stole information, and we will start interrogating Investigator Yeonwoo." The two intelligence agents looked at Yeonwoo. 41 - Interrogation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The interrogation proceeded in a rxed atmosphere. Agent Kim Gapdong, tied with a belt, wasmunicating through an earpiece, muttering something. Lee Seoyeon, with her prosthetic leg, smiled and sat on a chair. "Yeonwoo, long time no see." "Indeed." They hadn''t met since the new employee training. They hadn¡¯t kept in touch, and now they were meeting as the interrogated and the interrogator.Yeonwoo gave an awkward smile and nced at Seoyeon''s leg. "You got a prosthetic." "It''s equipment supported by the Intelligence Department. Isn''t it cool? Look at this." Stretching her leg, Seoyeon ced the prosthetic on the desk and rolled up her suit pants. The flesh-colored prosthetic was revealed, and with a few gestures, Seoyeon opened her thigh. Click- Inside the thigh''s hollow space was a square explosive, packed tightly, obscuring the framework. "I requested this myself. Feels like a real secret agent, doesn¡¯t it?" Yeonwoo''s eyebrows twitched as he looked at Kim Gapdong. The look asked where his bomb was. Finishing hismunication, Kim Gapdong wiped his cold sweat and shook his head. "I don''t have anything like that." "But you said earlier you had a bomb imnted in you." "That was a lie, just bluffing. Even for an Intelligence agent, putting a bomb in the body is..." Kim Gapdong and Yeonwoo''s gazes shifted to Seoyeon. She blushed, looking embarrassed. She quickly closed her thigh and pulled down her pant leg. "Ahem! Anyway, Yeonwoo, you are here under suspicion of being a spy for a hostile group, right?" "...Yes." When Yeonwoo answered, Seoyeon looked around the desk and tilted her head. "Didn''t we have a report? Where did it go? Was it stolen too?" "Everything was taken. We lost them too." "Oh... that''s not good..." Seoyeon stomped her foot in frustration. Kim Gapdong looked at Yeonwoo with a tired expression. "Just interrogate this guy. At least we can finish this properly and get less scolded." "But Yeonwoo was tentatively concluded not to be a spy." Unlike the two, who were worried about punishment, Yeonwoo''s expression rxed. It turned out he was already cleared of suspicion. Kim Gapdong grimaced. "I was going to do it half-heartedly, but if I do it like that now, they''ll find fault. Do it by the book." "Even if it''s by the book..." Seoyeon looked at Yeonwoo. He satfortably, blinking, showing no signs of resistance or deception. "I feel like he''ll answer everything if we just ask." "Of course. Ask me anything. What are you curious about? The dice? Dimensional shifts? Or what happened while you were sleeping?" Yeonwoo quickly offered, seeing no reason to be uncooperative. Kim Gapdong sighed deeply and leaned against the desk leg. He muttered softly. "I don''t know. We''re already screwed. Do as you please, Trainee Agent Lee Seoyeon." "Then I''ll think of this as interrogation practice!" Kim Gapdong turned his head awaypletely and took out his phone, tapping it habitually. He searched for post-retirement businesses like a chicken restaurant. Seoyeon essed thepany''s informationwork on herptop and pulled up the report on Yeonwoo''s investigation. Seoyeon spoke. "I''ll just ask a few questions. Don¡¯t worry. Wow, Yeonwoo, your achievements are amazing?" She had heard about the capture of the Director, but after that, his contributions to resolving error expansions, encounters with a demon-worshipper who contracted with a great demon, delivering Investigator James Kong''s report from another dimension, etc. "You''ve dealt with so many anomalies...!" Seoyeon''s eyes sparkled, and her voice rose with excitement. In contrast, Yeonwoo''s expression soured. "It wasn''t what I wanted... And it wasn''t good. I almost died every time." "Even so, thanks to that, the Intelligence Department doesn''t suspect you of being a spy anymore. They judged you to be a dedicated investigator. Instead..." Swoosh- She moved theptop aside. Calming herself, Seoyeon met Yeonwoo''s eyes. "They suspect you might be an anomaly. Specifically, one that attracts other anomalies." "Ah." Yeonwoo sighed, slightly bowing his head. It made sense, given how frequently he encountered anomalies. Even today, he was supposed to have a simple investigation, but ended up shing with what seemed to be members of the Goldberg Club. "I don''t think I am... but I''m not sure anymore. Could we find out if I''m an anomaly or just affected by one through an investigation?" Whether it was a curse, twisted fate, or something out of a legend or fairy tale. "That''s not the Intelligence Department''s job. You''d need to go to the Anomaly Inspection Department for that. Anyway! Let''s continue with the questions!" Yeonwoo lifted his head, waiting for Seoyeon to speak. "When did you get the dice?" "As I wrote in the report, I got it when the error spread calmed down." "Not around the time of the Human Qualification Exam? You can be honest. Right now, we''re in the period for voluntary anomaly possession deration, so minor lies won''t be a problem." "No, I''m not lying." Seoyeon pulled theptop closer and skimmed through Yeonwoo''s records. The cursor stopped at the paragraph where Yeonwoo reported the dice. "There are five oues from the dice: Critical sess, sess, miss, failure, and critical failure. Have you ever encountered anomalies because of bad dice rolls?" The question implied that failed dice rolls led to containment failures, the Free Artists Association attacks, and encounters with demon worshippers. Yeonwoo shook his head slowly. "I wish it were that simple." "Then the likelihood of you being an anomaly increases... because you''ve encountered these things without doing anything." "That''s right." Tap, tap, tap- Seoyeon typed on theptop, her lips moving slightly as she muttered the words she was writing. Yeonwoo, nervous, focused on her muttering. "Interrogationplete... no suspicion of being a spy... suspected anomaly that attracts other anomalies... further inspection rmended..." Yeonwoo swallowed dryly. ''Suspected as an anomaly. What will happen now? Laboratory? Confinement? Detention?'' Click! She hit the enter key forcefully, as if delivering a verdict. Seoyeon stretched and then smiled. "Okay, the interrogation is over! Yeonwoo, you can return to your investigator duties now!" "...What? Is that it? No dragging me to ab or transferring me to another department?" Yeonwoo looked at her, relieved yet confused. Seoyeon nodded with bright eyes. "That''s not our job from here on out. Proving and managing anomalies isn''t our department''s responsibility. So, as for follow-up measures..." Yeonwoo listened closely as Seoyeon tilted her head. "I''m not sure." "But isn''t there a simr case or any expectations?" "I''m just an trainee agent... Senior Agent, what do you think?" Kim Gapdong, looking at his phone, raised his head. He had been checking his bank ount and savings, then looked at Yeonwoo with a somber expression. "There won''t be any follow-up measures." "None?" "The head of the investigation team covered for you a lot. Plus, your abilities are perfect for investigation work. There''s no reason to transfer you elsewhere." Anomalies gather around you naturally. Especially around an investigator like you. From Kim Gapdong''s perspective, Yeonwoo would continue to work as an investigator, like a parental figure for anomaly detection. "Aren''t you going to get an anomaly inspection?" "The Inspection Department won¡¯t take you now. They can''t control that dice of yours. What if they brought you in for inspection and something happened?" Yeonwoo couldn''t purely rejoice and had a puzzled expression. It was good to avoid the inspection, but it seemed thepany already half-treated him as an anomaly. "It¡¯s already spread among the employees. There''s someone you shouldn''t work with in the investigation team¡ªno, never mind." Kim Gapdong cut off his rambling. It wasn''t something to say in front of the person involved. He looked away awkwardly. Yeonwoo didn''t seem to care and focused on the dice he could distinctly feel in his mind. "...What about the dice? It''s definitely an anomaly." "Oh! I know this! Based on Yeonwoo''s report, it¡¯s been recorded in the anomaly list, and since it''s the voluntary reporting period, there won''t be any penalties." "They won¡¯t confiscate it either. They¡¯ll consider it equipment used for investigation work." Equipment that helps an investigator survive. Thepany wouldn¡¯t take away gear obtained by a loyal employee. Even the annoying experiments were blocked by the team leader. He had made it very clear that no one should mess with Yeonwoo or the dice. ''And...'' Above all, thepany wasn''t in a state to micromanage each employee and anomaly. As an experienced Intelligence agent, Kim Gapdong felt thepany''s operations had be quite strange. ''The headquarters took away all the high-level and core personnel, cut the budget, moved essential resources to unknown ces, and hardly respond to hostile groups. What on earth is happening to thepany¡ª'' Creak¡ª The sound of a chair moving interrupted his thoughts. Kim Gapdong looked up. Yeonwoo stood up from his seat. "The interrogation is over, right? I''ll be going now. Oh, and I¡¯m not going to chase the Goldberg Club." "No need to stop you." It was a statement to avoid the restraint of the gold bar. Seoyeon waved cheerfully. "Next time, let¡¯s have a meal with Sergeant Kang Yeol too! All of us!" "Sure. But what''s Sergeant Kang Yeol doing?" "Still in basic training, I think? They said he¡¯d be training for several months after enlisting in the Special Forces." "Then, see youter." Without looking back, Yeonwoo hurried up the stairs. His quick footsteps faded away, as if he couldn''t wait to leave this ce. Watching the stairs, Kim Gapdong shook the hands tied to the desk leg with the belt. The desk rattled. "Untie me now." "Yes, sir." Seoyeon untied the belt that had tightly bound him, and he rotated his wrist, which had turned pale from the tight binding, a few times. Agent Kim Gapdong reached under the chair and retrieved a recording device. "Collect the other surveince devices too. Let''s check what happened while we were asleep." After all, Yeonwoo could have been recruited during their sleep and staged a y with the Goldberg Club. Seoyeon and Kim Gapdong retrieved the cameras and recorders from the corners of the basement and reviewed the contents. They reported to their superiors that Yeonwoo was a loyal employee. Thus, Yeonwoo returned to his duties as an investigator. 42 - Time TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo returned to his duties as an investigator. His days repeated in a cycle: waking up early to go to work, spending time in the office, exercising after work to build strength, and then heading home. One day, two days, a week, two weeks... the peaceful days continued. No investigation work, no office tasks, just collecting a paycheck. However, Yeonwoo, who initially enjoyed the routine, couldn''t hide his growing anxiety.Tap, tap, tap- His slippers constantly shook and tapped against the floor. Yeonwoo chewed on the end of his pen, staring nkly at the monitor. Yoo Ji-yoo, sitting next to him, tapped his shoulder. She looked at him with a face that seemed to ask if he was anxious again. "Oh dear. Are you that uneasy? It''s nice when there''s nothing going on." "You''re right, but..." Yeonwoo ced the pen, now marked with teeth indentations, on the desk and leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling. "I''m starting to wonder if it''s okay to be this peaceful..." It had been two weeks without encountering any anomalies. At first, it felt good, but now it made him anxious. He feared a major incident might happen all at once, or that a hostile group might attack unexpectedly. Or that the dice might suddenly roll a critical failure. Ji-yoo patted Yeonwoo''s slumped shoulder. "It''s not that there''s anything special about this peace, it''s just how things usually are. You''ve just been really unlucky before." "Ji-yoo, you never know. He might go out on an investigation and encounter anomalies like a ma." Their team leader chimed in from across the desk, earning a re from Ji-yoo. "Team leader! You should beforting him, not saying mean things." "It''s not mean, just a warning not to let his guard down." "Team leader." It was Yeonwoo''s voice, heavy and resolute. The team leader peeked over the desk with a somewhat awkward tone. "Look, rookie. I didn''t mean to be negative¡ª" "Is there any investigation work avable? I think I''d feel better if I were working." Whether it was just bad luck before or things were back to normal now, he needed a chance to be sure. Even if that chance involved dangerous investigation work. The team leader scratched his head, looking at Yeonwoo''s determined eyes. "There isn''t any." "It''s been over two weeks, and there''s not a single job?" "We usually get one to three assignments per month, so this isn''t unusual." "Oh..." Yeonwoo lowered his head. The persistent anxiety continued to gnaw at his mind. As his leg started shaking again, he heard the team leader''s next words and looked up. "Rookie, if you can''t sit still, why not attend this?" "Attend what?" The team leader didn''t answer immediately. He clicked the mouse a few times, and an alert popped up on Yeonwoo''spany ount. He clicked on it. A notice from thepany opened. The team leader spoke. "Sometimes thepany holds lectures for employees. Want to go?" Yeonwoo looked at the notice, which resembled a poster for an event. A blue background with arge clock icon, surrounded by text in various sizes. [Newton''s Mistake: Strange Time in a Strange World] -A lecture on anomalous time by a researcher from the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab at the Korean branch. The lecture will be held in the auditorium of thepany''s building in a city adjacent to Sangpyeong, a week from now at 9 a.m. Yeonwoo''s leg stopped shaking. He stared at the poster with eyes like a soldier heading to battle and briefly replied. "Yes. I''ll go." --- --- A week passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Yeonwoo felt no anxiety. He maintained a moderate level of tension, preparing to test his fate. On the streets of a bustling city. People moved about busily, while environmental activists held signs urging everyone to wake up before the was destroyed. Lee Yeonwoo stood alone amidst the noise, looking up at the skyscraper in the center of the city. It was the building where today''s lecture would take ce, a ce where anything could happen. Clutching his eco-bag tightly, it bulged with items like a power drill, gas torch, knife, and slingshot, all rattling inside. ¡®It doesn''t matter if something goes wrong. Let''s see if anything happens.¡¯ He stepped forward confidently, but his stride soon faltered. As he approached the building entrance, a security guard stopped him. "Sir, please show your employee ID and submit to a quick body search." "Ah, well..." Yeonwoo hesitated, wondering what would happen if they found the dangerous items he brought. The longer he hesitated, the more tense the security guard became, his hand slowly moving toward his taser. "Here it is." Yeonwoo quickly handed over the eco-bag and pulled out his employee ID. The security guard didn¡¯t take the ID but opened the bag and looked inside, then slowly raised his head to look at Yeonwoo. "Sir, why did you bring all these items? Depending on your answer, this could be a serious issue." "I brought them because I was anxious," Yeonwoo replied honestly, continuing, "Every time I¡¯ve done something for thepany, there¡¯s been an incident. I have a feeling something big will happen today, so I brought these." After a moment of silence, the security guard nodded, showing understanding. Working security in a building where lectures and seminars frequently urred, he encountered all sorts of employees, many like Yeonwoo who were perpetually on edge. Dealing with anomalies meant some employees suffered severe PTSD triggered by everyday items, and sometimes grudges from past missions led to violent encounters. Thus, the security guard didn¡¯t scold Yeonwoo but had to do his job. "We¡¯ll keep these items for you temporarily. Don¡¯t worry about your safety. Security in this building is tight, especially with so many employees gathered here." To tamper with this building, an amateurish attempt wouldn''t suffice. And serious threats were detected in advance. The security guard continued persuading Yeonwoo and even suggested he could leave if he still felt uneasy. "If you''re really that anxious, you can skip the lecture and go back. What will you do?" Yeonwoo hesitated, then handed over his ID again. Even without his gear, he couldn''t miss this chance to alleviate his anxiety. "I¡¯ll attend the lecture. Please hold onto my things for now." "Understood. I¡¯ll return them when you leave." The security guard put the eco-bag under the desk and scanned Yeonwoo''s ID, reading his employee information. ''Lee Yeonwoo, Investigator. Lecture attendee.'' No issues, nothing gged in the search. "You''re all set." Yeonwoo pocketed his ID and headed towards the basement auditorium mentioned in the poster. The security guard watched him go, then returned to his post. Another guard from the same team asked. "Who was that? Special Forces?" "No, an investigator." "An investigator...?" Working in such a ce, you see and hear a lot. The questioning guard thought about the investigators he knew, then his eyes widened. "Not the team leader, not a student. Isn¡¯t that the guy?" He urgently called the other guard. "Hey, hey. Isn''t that him?" "Who?" "The one rumored to attract hostile groups and anomalies. The one the Inspection Department gave up on testing. Is something about to go wrong?" "That''s just a myth. If it were true, would they send him here?" The guard who dealt with Yeonwoo dismissed it casually, but the one who raised the concern was different. "Do you ignore superstitions while working here? I''m reporting this." He grabbed the radio and reported Yeonwoo''s entry, including the rumors associated with him. The guard''s concerns were taken seriously, and the security alert level was raised. --- --- The underground auditorium was already filling up. People were scattered among the rows of seats like in a movie theater. Yeonwoo scanned the room for an empty seat. ''Researchers, Special Forces, security guards. That person looks like an Intelligence agent. Some I can''t identify.'' People from various departments gathered together. Some sat with colleagues, while others chatted with acquaintances from different departments. "Long time no see. How have you been?" "Just guarding the house. Doing well. How about you? You still have all your limbs." "As long as I''m alive." Amidst the chatter, Yeonwoo chose a seat with fewer people, closest to the emergency exit. The front left seat. "Phew." Yeonwoo sat down and exhaled deeply. He clenched and unclenched his hands, sharpening his focus, ready to act if something went wrong. ''If my issues persist, something will definitely happen. Whether it''s an attack from a hostile group or an anomaly appearing.'' And it would be on a different scale than before. Arge gathering of employees in a secure building like this. If something were to happen here... ''If nothing happens, I can live peacefully from tomorrow, like Senior Ji-yoo, facing anomalies only asionally.'' Yeonwoo was prepared to ept whatever oue awaited. He looked at the stage. The stage was wide, with a white screen hanging down. Above the screen was an old banner announcing the period for voluntary anomaly possession derations. At 9 a.m., the projector disyed the lecture PPT on the white screen, and a researcher, holding a wireless microphone and lecture remote, walked onto the stage with a hunched posture. "Ah, ah. We will now begin the lecture." 43 - Time TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Click¡ª As the PPT slide changed, the researcher¡¯s ID photo and brief bio appeared. ¡°I am Kim Gak-jung, a researcher at the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. Today, I will be giving a light introduction to the study of anomalous time.¡± The murmuring noise subsided. Employees interested in the lecture focused on the researcher and the PPT, while those attending as an excuse to ck off continued looking at their phones. The researcher didn¡¯t pay any attention to their reactions. With a hunched posture, he pressed the remote and began his lecture.¡°What is time? Not the time dictated by physicalws, but the strange time of an anomalous world. How do anomalies manipte time, what principles do they follow to perform impossible feats that the universe doesn¡¯t permit?¡± Click¡ª The PPT transitioned to a cartoonish depiction of Isaac Newton. Under an apple tree, Newton got hit on the head by a falling apple. ¡°Newton was inspired by a falling apple to discover thew of universal gravitation. We will dig into anotherw from the apple. Not an apple falling from above, but an apple falling from the past to the future¡ªtime itself.¡± People who had been looking at their phones began to focus on the lecture, turning off their devices to watch the screen. Click¡ª The next slide showed a character in an old-fashioned cartoon style walking sideways, running forward, and jumping up. ¡°Time is a coordinate, just like XYZ coordinates. From left to right, back to front, bottom to top, and from the past to the future.¡± Yeonwoo was too tense to focus on the lecture and noticed someone raising their hand. ¡°I have a question.¡± A middle-aged professor. The researcher nodded. ¡°Please ask.¡± ¡°If time is a coordinate, does that mean it can be traveled freely? Even from the present to the past?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what time-rted anomalies do, and ourpany¡¯s time department has made breakthroughs in this research.¡± ¡°That¡¯s theoretically impossible¡­¡± The questioner, perhaps knowledgeable in the field, was visibly agitated, muttering to himself. The researcher began moving in ce. He moved left and right, forward and backward. ¡°We can move freely in these directions.¡± Suddenly, the researcher jumped andnded back on the stage. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the speakers. ¡°But we can¡¯t move freely up and down, because gravity pulls us down. However, we can ovee gravity.¡± Click¡ª The next slide showed photos of missiles, satellites, spacecraft, airnes, and jetpacks¡ªall devices that ovee gravity, pushing off the ground and heading for the sky. Looking at the PPT, the researcher then nced down from the stage. ¡°The reason we fall toward the future is that something in the future pulls us, like gravity. Perhaps... no, that¡¯s too deep for now.¡± Muttering to himself, the researcher snapped out of it and pressed the remote again. The next slide showed two photographs side by side. On the left was a ck-and-white photo of an empty concrete room. On the right was a high-resolution color photo of a clutteredboratory. In the center of the room was an A4 sheet of paper. ¡°Just as we use the power of engines to ovee gravity, we use powerful time engines to ovee the gravity of time. This video demonstrates that.¡± Click¡ª As the photos turned into videos, a low hum filled the room. In the high-resolution video on the right, the A4 sheet of paper was enveloped in blue light and disappeared, reappearing in the ck-and-white video on the left, bathed in white light. A document had been sent from the future to the past. ¡°In this way, we can ovee the limitations of time coordinates with limited means¡ªooohhh¡ª¡± Suddenly, the researcher¡¯s voice stretched out endlessly and then stopped. It wasn¡¯t just the researcher. The entire auditorium fell silent. Everyone froze¡ªwhether they were listening attentively, looking down at their phones, or whispering to each other. Blinking eyelids, fingers reaching to tap phone screens, mouths opening to speak¡ªeverything stopped as if turned to stone. Even the machines, objects, and insects stopped. Silence. The underground auditorium was devoid of any sound, not even the faintest breath. Time had stopped. --- --- Yeonwoo was no exception. He froze mid-nce, searching the auditorium for any potential danger. His heartbeat was silent, making him seem like a preserved statue. Then, the dice rolled. Roll¡ª Miss! Nothing changed. In the frozen time, Yeonwoo remained a statue, and the underground auditorium was still silent. A dead world with no sound or movement. In this frozen world, only the dice''s time continued. After its waiting period, the dice rolled again. Roll¡ª Miss! Resisting the time stop was as difficult as dimensional travel. The dice rolled, failed, rolled,nded on a miss, rolled, failed, rolled,nded on a miss, rolled, failed, rolled, and finally, seeded after countless attempts. Sess! Shiver¡ª Life returned to Yeonwoo¡¯s body. His heart beat, and blood began to circte through his veins. His eyelids twitched, and his head slowly regained its original speed as if an ant were crawling. Yeonwoo blinked. He saw the strangely frozen auditorium and the sessful roll of the dice. He quickly understood the situation. ¡°So, it¡¯s like this.¡± Indeed, fate had not changed. The peaceful life had not returned. epting reality calmly, Yeonwoo stood up from his chair. ¡®Whether it¡¯s a hostile group or an anomaly, I don¡¯t know what caused this, but I can¡¯t stay here.¡¯ Yeonwoo quietly stepped towards the emergency exit. The sound of the door opening and closing was almost imperceptible. A faint murmur escaped through the closing door. ¡°...Thank you.¡± He knew he could move thanks to the dice. --- --- He moved stealthily. Leaving the underground auditorium, he held his breath and climbed the stairs, retrieved his eco-bag from under the desk, and exited through the front door. Yeonwoo stopped outside the main entrance. ¡°Uh...¡± The city was silent. It felt like a world on the brink of extinction¡ªno signs of life, no car engines, no music drifting from buildings. People, cars, and buildings were all intact, yet the world seemed dead. Yeonwoo looked around the street in a daze. People walking on the sidewalks, cars on the road, the leaves on the street trees, flying pigeons, dark clouds gathering to swallow the sun, and raindrops starting to fall. Everything was frozen. Like a photograph, like a paused video. ¡°This, this...¡± Desperately, Yeonwoo shoved his hand into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and pressed the power button repeatedly. But the phone remained unresponsive. The screen stayed ck as if the battery was dead. Cold sweat dripped onto it. ¡®If it''s this extensive, it''s at least Danger Level 4.¡¯ Simr to an error spread, but worse because he didn¡¯t know the cause or the solution. ¡®Escape is the answer!¡¯ He needed to get out of the affected area. Yeonwoo ran down the street, bumping into the shoulders of people frozen like mannequins. The people, unable to withstand the impact, toppled over, but then froze again in their fallen positions. Leaving behind the oddly frozen figures, Yeonwoo ran. In the silent city, his breaths were the only sound. Passing through the stopped cars on the road, climbing the hill in the city, Yeonwoo paused to catch his breath. At the top of the hill. Standing where he could overlook the city, Lee Yeonwoo turned pale. ¡®¡­The city has stopped. No, it¡¯s not just the city.¡¯ Everything within his sight hade to a stop. Shivering, Yeonwoo slowly looked up. There, he saw the sun. It was around 9 a.m. The sun, which should have been steadily moving towards the center of the sky, was frozen before the dark clouds. During the time he had been running, the sun should have moved slightly, and the shadows should have shifted, but nothing had changed. Yeonwoo realized that time had stopped. --- --- He had no idea why this was happening, what anomaly caused it, or if thepany could respond to it. With these thoughts, Yeonwoo hurried back to the underground auditorium. There were clues there. Clues that could help him understand the current situation. Thud, thud¡ª In the silent underground auditorium, only Yeonwoo''s footsteps echoed. He climbed onto the stage. Under the lights, Yeonwoo saw Researcher Kim Gak-jung. The researcher, holding the microphone near his mouth and in the middle of a lecture, was frozen without even breathing. ¡®Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. It must be a ce that researches time-rted anomalies.¡¯ If any ce had clues about the current situation, it would be there. Yeonwoo rummaged through the researcher''s pockets and pulled out a wallet. The worn wallet contained cards, cash, receipts, an ID card, an employee card, and business cards. He took out the business card and employee card and read them. The business card had the location of the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. Yeonwoo sighed in relief. ¡®Fortunately, it¡¯s in this city.¡¯ If it had been in a distant city, the journey would have been excruciating, but it was in the same city, even if a bit far. Yeonwoo returned the wallet, took the researcher''s employee card and business card, and left the underground auditorium. His destination was the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. ¡®It¡¯s too far to walk.¡¯ Looking around the street, Yeonwoo found someone parking a bicycle in a bike rack. Luckily, the lock hadn¡¯t been fastened yet. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll borrow this.¡± He set the bicycle¡¯s owner gently on the ground and mounted the bike. Riding the bicycle, Yeonwoo sped through the frozen world. 44 - Time TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Even in the stopped world, Lee Yeonwoo''s time flowed. He diligently pedaled his bicycle through the silent city, ate lunchboxes from convenience stores when he was hungry, and drank coffee freshly ced on trays at cafes when he was thirsty. How long had it been since only Yeonwoo moved in the city? Yeonwoo arrived at the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. ¡®It feels different from the Baekbeom Cultural Research Center.¡¯Maybe because it was in the middle of the city. From the outside, it looked like an old, worn five-storymercial building. On the first floor, there was a convenience store and a cafe, and above them, offices with signs that didn¡¯t clearly indicate what they did. On the top floor, there was a sign for the Clock Hand Research Lab with all the paint chipped off. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ Hoping to find a clue here, Yeonwoo grasped Researcher Kim Gak-jung''s employee ID tightly and stepped forward. First floor. An ordinarymercial building. However, there were no people, the elevator had an out-of-order sign, and the entrance was taped off. Creeeak- He opened the emergency exit door and climbed the stairs. He passed two security guards frozen in conversation on thending and reached the fifth floor in one go. When he exited the emergency exit and entered the fifth floor, he found an old corridor simr in feel to the building¡¯s worn exterior. Yeonwoo''s eyes looked to the end of the corridor. [Director''s Office] Apany employee, just finishing his business, wasing out, leaving the door open. ¡®There.¡¯ Yeonwoo pushed the employee aside and entered the director''s office. The director''s office looked like an old office typical of an old building. Arge stic desk cluttered with junk, and an old man sitting in the inner seat. The old man behind the director''s namete had turned his chair to look out the wide-open window at the city. His eyes were wrinkled and gloomy. ¡°Now¡­.¡± Yeonwoo muttered to himself. In the silence, with only the sound of Yeonwoo''s breathing, he wandered around the office. It seemed he was searching for something rted to the time stop. And he found it. An oldputer next to the old man. A fat CRT monitor, a white keyboard, and a ball mouse. Yeonwoo''s eyes widened in front of the oldputer. It was the only electronic device working in the stopped time. --- --- White letters on a blue background moved. As he chewed over the text for a moment, Yeonwoo obtained information through the file folder ced around the oldputer and felt both relief and anxiety. ''A broken clock stopped the time¡­ But, why?'' The fact that thepany caused the time stop and that it was still operating brought some relief. But the word ''apocalypse,'' the crisis that required a time stop, made Yeonwoo uneasy. Swallowing hard, he ced his hand on the old mouse. As the mouse slid, the screen changed. The response mechanism changed to 3, and a simple chat window appeared in ce of the disappearing text. Hesitating, Yeonwoo ced his hand on the keyboard. Typing quickly, he pressed enter. -CHS: Is anyone there? A reply came back instantly. -ACTR: Ah! Finally! There¡¯s someone else moving! As Yeonwoo wondered what to say next, messages starteding in rapidly. -ACTR: Do you know what''s going on? The Time Physics Lab activated a broken clock to stop time and even took control, but they¡¯re not saying anything! Even though they¡¯re connected to the emergencymunicationwork right now! Yeonwoo''s eyes moved to the bottom left corner of the monitor. There was a list of institutions connected to the emergencymunicationwork. CHS (Clock Hand Studio) ACTR (Association for Clock Tower Research) TPL (Time Physics Laboratory) Three institutions with green lights on. Departments still active even in the state of stopped time. Yeonwoo sent a brief message. -CHS: I don¡¯t know either. -ACTR: Ah.... The chat window paused for a moment. Yeonwoo was worried about what to say next, while ACTR was feeling despair. But ACTR quickly regained spirit and sent another message. -ACTR: Still, it¡¯s good. Fortunately, there are morepany employees moving. -CHS: I don''t know much about this situation, could you briefly exin what''s going on? In response to Yeonwoo''s question, ACTR, as if longing for conversation, quickly typed out an answer. -ACTR: I don¡¯t know either. I checked the anomaly alert system, but there wasn¡¯t even an anomaly event of danger level 6. There¡¯s no reason to activate a broken clock. -ACTR: But the Time Physics Laboratory stopped time. -ACTR: Could they have activated it by mistake and are now trying to fix it? Or, was it an attack by a hostile group? Yeonwoo pondered while looking at the blue background of the chat window. The blue light from the monitor reflected in his eyes. ¡®So, there''s no reason to stop time, but the Time Physics Laboratory did it.¡¯ It''s suspicious. The intentions and actions of the Time Physics Laboratory. However, Yeonwoo carefully assessed the situation, then diverted his attention from the Time Physics Laboratory. ¡®In any case, there¡¯s no catastrophic event threatening Earth. The Time Physics Laboratory isn¡¯t the most important thing right now.¡¯ He looked back at the chat window. -ACTR: Time Physics Laboratory! I know you¡¯re watching! Stop ignoring and say something! If it¡¯s a mistake, we¡¯ll help! Yeonwoo typed on the keyboard. He asked the most important question. -CHS: More importantly, is there any way to undo the time stop? -ACTR: Only the Time Physics Laboratory can handle something of this scale. The Clock Tower can at best manipte time within a regional scope.... Yeonwoo frowned involuntarily. For some reason, the Time Physics Laboratory had no answers and seemed to have no intention of stopping the broken clock. Tap tap- click- -CHS: So, are you saying we have to live in this stopped world forever? -ACTR: Unless theboratory stops the broken clock, or the time power of the broken clock runs out.... There was no answer. But living like this wasn''t an option. As Yeonwoo''s gaze naturally turned to the dice, ACTR suggested an alternative. -ACTR: But if the Time Physics Laboratory continues to give no response, we¡¯ll try to resume time at least here in London. -CHS: ...Then we will also resume time in a limited manner. We have a method to try. Rolling the dice to judge each person one by one, by street or regional scope, or, with great risk, even the judgment of the time stop itself. Of course, Yeonwoo didn¡¯t actually intend to do that yet. He looked at the Time Physics Laboratory on the list of connected users. ¡®Whatever they¡¯re doing, they don¡¯t seem to want time to resume.¡¯ It was essentially a threat. So, they would somehow react. To stop Yeonwoo and ACTR''s actions. Sure enough, the Time Physics Laboratory, which had remained silent until now, sent its first message. -TPL: Stop. You must not resume time now. -ACTR: Finally responding! Exin the situation first! No, who are you? Are you from theboratory? You¡¯re not taken over, right? Yeonwoo leaned back and carefully watched their chat. -TPL: It''s the director. And we are... A message appeared. -TPL: People who cannot give up on Earth. It was hard to grasp the situation just from those words. Did it mean a dangerous anomaly event had urred, or was the director part of a hostile group? As Yeonwoo tilted his head and typed on the keyboard, ACTR also sent a message full of question marks. -CHS: What do you mean by that? -ACTR: There¡¯s no anomaly event listed in the anomaly alert system, so what are you talking about? Is this a betrayal? If so, we can¡¯t wait any longer! TPL''s reply was simple. -TPL: It¡¯s better to read once than to hear a hundred times. I¡¯ll send you the documents, read them. Simultaneously, several documents were attached and uploaded in session. Yeonwoo leaned in close to the monitor, drawn to the curious titles. [Earth Destruction Scenario: Abnormal Climate] [Human Preservation n First Draft] [Exploration Report on Relocation Sites] [Preservation n Progress] --- --- [Earth Destruction Scenario: Abnormal Climate] We don¡¯t know the cause of the abnormal climate. Is it the result of humanity''s excessive development, a natural cycle of Earth, or the effect of an anomaly phenomenon we haven¡¯t discovered? Perhaps it¡¯s all of them. One thing is certain: we have crossed the point of no return. Rising average temperatures, rising sea levels, food shortages due to reduced drinking water and crops, extreme weather patterns with floods, droughts, heatwaves, and cold waves.... So far, thepany and allied groups have tried all means and methods to prevent this, but it¡¯s now beyond our control. We can no longer stop it. In as short as 15 years or as long as 30 years, human civilization on Earth will begin to copse. We won¡¯t be able to produce food, and asphalt roads will be swept away by floods. The Doomsday Clock finally struck midnight. We have no time left. Thepany must prepare for destruction. ** Yeonwoo''s heart pounded. His hands trembled. The mouse cursor moved uncontrobly, but Yeonwoo couldn¡¯t blink as he read and reread the text. Then, he immediately opened the next document. ** [Human Preservation n First Draft] It¡¯s regrettable. We don¡¯t have the technology to manipte the cycles of stars. Ah, if only we had a little more time, surely this reality.... But it can¡¯t be helped. After averting the nuclear war crisis and twice preventing Earth¡¯s doomsday threats, let¡¯s implement the buried Human Preservation n. The number of humans to be preserved is five groups of 1 million each, totaling 5 million people. It is estimated that around 8000 BC, the human poption was 5 million. With our capabilities, we can rebuild civilization in a shorter time with a poption of 1 million. We will construct the ultimate shelter on Earth to house 1 million survivors, and we will ce another 1 million in the Mars base to prepare for the day when Earth''s climate returns to normal. Additionally, we will relocate 1 million people each to two human-friendly environments in other dimensions, and the final 1 million will be ced in the Extinction Defense Device: Ark. From now on, thepany will dedicate all its efforts to survival and the future. -Additional: There is no need to worry about hostile groups. They know the truth too. The ones causing trouble now are just small fry. The real dangerous doomsday believers are holed up in their rooms in depression. Quite a few people who believed in the actual doomsday have joined thepany. The Free Artists Association is building an art center to leave artistic works even after the destruction, and the demon worshippers are creating a self-governing demon region with the power of demons to prepare for survival. The Goldberg Club is busy constructing an underground city. Other groups are simr. None of them have the capacity to cause a major incident. --- --- Yeonwoo couldn''t read any more. His hand, holding the mouse, slipped and fell under the desk. He had only read two brief documents, yet it felt as if he had been hit by an anomaly force, draining all his strength. His head spun, and it seemed like a ringing noise echoed in his ears. With a dazed expression, Yeonwoo turned his head to look at the window. The window where the director of the Clock Hand Studio had been gazing with gloomy eyes. Yeonwoo staggered over and stood by the window, looking down at the city. Therey the Earth. The Earth thepany had given up on. The Earth that would soon face destruction. 45 - Time TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here His mind went nk. No thoughts came to him. Lee Yeonwoo stood by the window, frozen like a statue. A city where time had stopped. A city that would copse in as little as 15 years, or at most 30 years. Lee Yeonwoo, at thirty years old, facing ruin in middle age. Scenes from news or documentaries he had often seen lingered in his mind. Land that could no longer produce food,nd submerged under the sea, pouring rain and snow, riverbeds exposed, unquenchable wildfires, seasons osciting between extreme heat and extreme cold... A global catastrophe that neither a single person nor apany could stop.What woke Yeonwoo from his shock and helplessness was none other than hunger. Growl- Since Yeonwoo''s time was still flowing, his biological activities were as usual. Snapping out of his hunger, he returned to the oldputer. Hunger was not important right now. His eyes and hands moved towards the oldputer. A blue light reflected in his pupils. ¡®TPL stopped time to find a way. There might be a way to prevent it. Or, at least, a way for me to escape.¡¯ The chat window had stopped at TPL''sst message. ACTR, seemingly in shock, had not posted anything further. Yeonwoo opened the remaining documents. --- --- [Exploration Report on Relocation Sites] This is a report on exploring secondary dimensions suitable for human migration. We report the results of the exploration using the topological dimension transfer device and anomalies. -Dimension 001: Investigator deceased. -Dimension 002: Investigator deceased. -Dimension 003: Exploration result unsuitable. . . . Exploration result: Found two suitable dimensions. Will construct settlements in those dimensions. Additional exploration results -Dimension 092: Reported by Investigator James Kong. Not a ce for people to live. Based on Investigator Lee Yeonwoo''s report, high possibility of severe conflict with natives. Unsuitable for settlement. -Dimension 093: Reported by Investigator Hans Raven. A small human world. Based on the review, unsuitable for settlement. . . . Final exploration result: Found two suitable dimensions and five preliminary dimensions. ** [Preservation n Progress] It''s fortunate that the results of the migration exploration are positive. Above all, it''s encouraging that humans have already taken root in various dimensions. Like dandelion seeds, humans have rooted in various dimensions. Even if the preservation n fails, humanity can maintain its lineage. On the other hand, it''s negative that many employees oppose the preservation n. It''s surprising how enthusiastic our senior staff are. They can''t give up on Earth. Everyone, don''t think too hard. Think of it as moving, gaining independence. Isn''t moving to a better ce to live a human instinct? We''re moving to a new home, leaving the embrace of our parent, Earth. Leave the useless and dangerous junk on Earth and start anew. In any case, the preservation n is progressing smoothly. The final shelter ispleted, and the Mars base is being actively expanded. Settlements are being built in the two suitable dimensions, and the ark is about to finish its inspection. The selection of preservation personnel isplete, and many employees have already migrated. Let''s all hang in there for just 10 more years. Let''s execute the preservation n 100 percent within the time limit. --- --- Lee Yeonwoo took deep breaths to sharpen his mind. There''s no need to cry, despair, or give up now. Doing so won''t change reality. ¡®TPL. And the preservation n.¡¯ There is a way, even if it''s not the best. Yeonwoo ced his hands on the keyboard. However, he hesitated to type, pondering what to say first, and slowly pressed the keys. -CHS: I just read it. Is this true? -TPL: It may be hard to believe, but it''s true. Thepany has given up on Earth. A definite answer from the research director. -CHS: Then, is there a n? Time has been stopped, hasn''t it? -TPL: Not yet. -TPL: But if we stop time, gather those who can''t give up on Earth, and research until we find a solution. Even if it''s a faint hope, we might have something. The idea of stopping time to find a solution due to ack of answers. Uncertain optimism. Yeonwoo''s hands began to tremble again. He closed his eyes tightly, then opened them again. In the meantime, a message from TPL appeared. -TPL: Thepany, allies, and hostile groups. Humans and anomalies. If everyonebines their efforts, isn''t it possible? That statement seemed like he was trying to convince himself. Uncertain hope was not Yeonwoo''s concern. He turned his attention to the preservation n and the migration exploration report. -CHS: Has the list of 5 million survivors been decided? Even if Earth is doomed, isn''t there a way to survive? Yeonwoo wasn''t fixated on staying on Earth. But TPL''s answer was negative. -TPL: The selection of personnel isplete, and transfers are being carried out step by step ording to the deadline. The selected personnel are aware of the extreme weather scenarios. This meant Yeonwoo was not among the preservation personnel. ¡°...¡± In the end, there was no way for Yeonwoo to avoid the extreme weather. His fists clenched tightly, but he couldn''t bring himself to hit the keyboard, trembling just above it. Yeonwoo, who had been curled up, suddenly stood up and walked out of the director''s office. His chest felt tight; he couldn''t stay there any longer. --- --- A silent city. Yeonwoo sat leaning on the hood of a car in the firstne of the road, holding a hamburger, looking out at the street. His face was weary, his eyes dark. In the distance, the traffic lights at the intersection were green, but all the cars on the road were stopped. Mechanically, Yeonwoo moved his jaw. Crunch- Crunch- Although it was a hamburger he usually liked, he couldn''t taste it. His mind was filled with all kinds of ways to avoid the extreme weather. ¡®If time were stopped for about 100 years.¡¯ At least Yeonwoo could live and die peacefully without experiencing the disaster. The city had enough resources for Yeonwoo to use for a lifetime. ¡®If I entered a shelter, ark, or migration site while time is stopped.¡¯ He didn''t know how thepany would react once time resumed, but maybe he could secure a position by threatening with dice. ¡®If I prepared for survival.¡¯ If he secured anomalies for survival, built a survival shelter, and filled it with all sorts of resources. He could survive somehow. But whatever he chose, he would never live the same life again. Civilization would copse. Crinkle- The hamburger wrapper brushed against his lips. Lost in thought, he hadn''t realized he had finished eating. ¡°...¡± Yeonwoo, with hamburger sauce all over his mouth, looked silently at the wrapper. A food he would soon only recall as a memory. Crunch- The hamburger wrapper crumpled into a ball in his hand. Gripping it so tightly that veins stood out, Yeonwoo threw the wrapper onto the road and stood up. ¡°For now, I''ll help the Time Physics Laboratory...¡± He could always choose other optionster. When an irreversible day came, he could roll the dice. But with time stopped, if he could help TPL find a way to prevent the extreme weather, even if the chances were slim. That was the best choice. Shuffle- Shuffle- Yeonwoo, dragging his tired body, walked towards the director''s office of the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. Where Yeonwoo had been, the discarded trash floated in mid-air, frozen. --- --- While Yeonwoo was away, the chat window hadn''t stopped. ACTR, having read the documents, and TPL, waiting for a response, had a conversation. ACTR decided to help TPL. -ACTR: We can''t give up on Earth. So what can the Clock Tower help with? -TPL: It would be enough if you just don''t get in the way. But if you want to help, check if there are any anomalies needed for Earth''s regeneration. -CHS: I will help too. But first, exin the n. Before helping, Yeonwoo needed to know what the n was to provide proper assistance. When Yeonwoo asked, TPL hesitated, then slowly sent a message. -TPL: We stopped time for 10 years with a broken clock. Beyond that, weck the energy. So, for 10 years, we will use all technologies and anomalies, regardless of thepany, hostile groups, or allies, to find a way to restore Earth. Only 10 years. A short time to be confident in the results. In front of the oldputer, Yeonwoo rubbed his lips, then slowly typed on the keyboard. -CHS: I have dice. There was a risk of exposing his identity, but everything would be revealed upon investigation anyway. There were traces of the people Yeonwoo passed by, the bicycle, and the food and drinks he had consumed. -TPL: What kind of anomaly is it? After Yeonwoo briefly exined the dice, TPL immediately responded. -TPL: It''s a gamble. It''s okay not to use it. -TPL: Instead, inform us of the observation results from the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. They have many tools for measuring temporal physics data. They should still be functioning. So, check the fluctuations in temporal energy, the temporal resistance values, and- -ACTR: Not just that, but also the critical values- Yeonwoo stared nkly at the chat window. The chat kept going, but he couldn''t understand a single word. In the end, he asked them several times, received the photos and data they sent, and thoroughly searched the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab before finally sending a reply. -CHS: Lastly, the critical value? It''s 93. -TPL: ...Are you sure? -ACTR: Please check again. Yeonwoo turned his gaze to a thermometer-like object among the junk ced next to the CRT monitor. While he was typing, the red liquid had risen slightly, showing 94. Clickety-ck- -CHS: It just rose to 94. Is that bad? -TPL: Yes, it''s bad. If the critical value reaches 100, even the broken clock can''t stop time. This means we have less time than expected. Not even a month, let alone 10 years.... The critical value was too high. At this rate, they couldn''t even start the research. The chat stopped. Despite having stopped time, they had no time. Faced with this reality, they pondered and then sought Yeonwoo. -TPL: How high is the risk with those dice? -CHS: If a critical failure urs, we don''t know what might happen. Yeonwoo told them about his experiences without hiding anything. The dimensional travel, the gun explosion, and the resistance to stopping time. The chat window remained still for a long time, then filled with gloomy emotions. -TPL: The risk is too great. We give up on the dice. They had stopped time to regenerate Earth. But if something went wrong, Earth might stop forever. They couldn''t take such a risk. -TPL: Perhaps it''s fate. Something that can''t be stopped by human power.... Yeonwoo lowered his head and looked at his hands. If he couldn''t stop the extreme weather, he had to find a way to survive. But could he just stand by and do nothing? Survival was easy. While preparing for survival, he had enough energy to help with other tasks. He lifted his head. -CHS: We still have time. The predicted destruction by thepany was between 15 and 30 years. The research by those who couldn''t give up on Earth should yield results within that time. If everyone put in the effort, perhaps the Doomsday Clock that struck midnight could start moving from midnight again. -CHS: Let''s continue that research in a world that moves properly. 46 - Time TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo received a response to his words. -TPL: Of course, we have to continue. They had gone as far as to activate the apocalypse defense system all on their own. Although briefly discouraged, their determination was not weak enough to breakpletely. Yeonwoo gave a slightly awkward smile and looked at the monitor. -TPL: Judging by the trend of the critical value, we have about a month left. During that time, we''ll reorganize and set up general guidelines for action.A month. It was a short time to continue the research, so they decided to first determine what to do once time resumed. -TPL: Our goal is Earth''s regeneration. We will use any means necessary. -CHS: We will mobilize the technology and anomalies of all groups to find a way. Is that correct? Yeonwoo asked, and TPL answered. -TPL: That''s right. It won''t be easy. Robbery and coercion will be essential. TPL then sent the data they had gathered during their investigations. Various anomalies owned by different groups. Important resources considered key by each group. Goldberg Club''s omnipotent gold, Free Artists Association''s Earth Drawing, erasers from red-level wanted individuals, and more. Anomalous entities that wouldn''t be handed over even at gunpoint. Reading this, Yeonwoo had a question. -CHS: You said "we." Who is with us? -TPL: Not many. A few employees who sympathize with my cause, a few people from various groups I''m acquainted with. And you two. -ACTR: That''s really just a few¡­. It was less of an organization and more like a club formed by the director of the Time Physics Laboratory gathering acquaintances. -TPL: Still, we have to try. If each of us does our part, like gears in a clock, we can get the Doomsday Clock moving again. Yeonwoo let out a small sigh. It was clearly not easy. He had expected a coalition when they said everyone would unite. Of course, he would still help.... -CHS: What should I do? I''m an investigator. -TPL: Excellent. If you find any anomalies needed for our goal during your investigation, set them aside for us. It was simr to the proposal the Goldberg Club had made before. But Yeonwoo''s answer was different. He nodded and typed on the keyboard. ¡®I was going to get the anomalies needed for survival anyway.¡¯ -CHS: I''ll do that if possible. Is there anything else? -TPL: You''re in Korea, right? From now on, you are the head of the Korean branch. If there is any need in Korea, let me know. His expression turned sour. -CHS: Are there any members in Korea? -TPL: Only you. -CHS: Then what about support? -TPL: Our capacity doesn''t allow for support¡­. So there was work but no support orpensation. The only thing he got was an empty title. It was pure passion alone. TPL, feeling awkward, added to the chat, but Yeonwoo''s enthusiasm had already hit rock bottom. -TPL: Still, thepany won''t interfere. They don''t have the capacity for that, and there''s some tacit understanding. If necessary, I can provide some financial support. -CHS: Yes, understood. Yeonwoo answered with a slightly grimaced face. He would help with what he could. That was it. ¡®My top priority is my survival.¡¯ Ensuring his survival from the impending doom in the near future came first. Helping TPL would be secondary, done only when he had spare time and without overexertion. -ACTR: By the way, what is the name of our organization? -TPL: Isn''t "The Group of People Who Can''t Give Up on Earth" sufficient? -ACTR: What? That''s toome! Let''se up with a new name! -TPL: I think it''s straightforward and good. But if you insist on changing it, do you have a good name in mind? ACTR and TPL argued over the name. They suggested various names, but their opinions differed, and the chat continued without end. Yeonwoo didn''t intervene. The name wasn''t important. He just sat back, staring into space, thinking about how to prepare for survival. ¡®Secure anomalies that help with survival, find a way to sneak into a shelter or migration site. In the end, gambling with the dice wouldn''t be bad.¡¯ There was also the option of using the dice to trigger dimensional travel and go to a migration site. In the meantime, the name was decided. Yeonwoo looked at the monitor. -ACTR: Then let''s go with Clock Repairmen. People who fix the Doomsday Clock that struck midnight so it moves again from 00:01. -TPL: Alright, alright. -ACTR: CHS, you agree, right? -CHS: I don''t care about the name. Thus, Yeonwoo became the head of the Korean branch of the Clock Repairmen. --- --- While making and revising various ns, the critical value soared to 99. They decided to continuemunication through a messenger app and waited for time to resume. Shuffle- Shuffle- Plop- Returning to the underground auditorium, Yeonwoo handed back the ID card to Researcher Kim Gak-jung and went back to his original seat. He quietly watched the stage. A banner about the anomaly possession reporting period was hanging, and Researcher Kim Gak-jung was frozen in the middle of giving a lecture. In a world where time had stopped, everything remained the same, but Yeonwoo had changed. He closed his eyes. ¡®I did what I could during the month.¡¯ He had found and read confidential documents from the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab. He had learned information he didn''t know before and discovered that the Goldberg Club''s firearms workshop was in this city. When Yeonwoo patted his chest, the outline of the homemade pistol in his inner pocket became clear. ¡®There were no gold bars, but the pistol is enough.¡¯ He had stolen a few homemade pistols from the Goldberg Club''s firearms workshop. He had plenty of bullets too. As he was still an investigator, he didn''t touchpany property, but he had no qualms about hostile groups. ¡®It''s a pity I couldn''t secure any anomalies¡­.¡¯ Then, time started to flow again. Everyone began to move slowly, and noises poured in. The sound of tapping on phones, countless breaths, rustling movements, murmuring chatter, and the researcher''s voice. ¡°-oooo can be moved.¡± Researcher Kim Gak-jung blinked. Something had changed, but he didn''t know what. He straightened his clothes for no reason and continued the lecture. The noise boomed through the speakers. The sound felt unfamiliar. Having lived in silence for about a month, Yeonwoo curled up. ¡®I¡¯ll get used to it soon.¡¯ His sensitive ears protested in pain, but his senses quickly dulled. By the time the lecture ended, he had returned to his previous state. ¡°This concludes the lecture. I was Researcher Kim Gak-jung of the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab.¡± p p p p- Apuse thundered. Yeonwoo joined in, then mingled with the people leaving the underground auditorium. In front of the first-floor desk. The security guard who had stopped Yeonwoo took out an eco bag from under the desk and handed it to him. ¡°Here it is, sir.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Without looking back, Yeonwoo merged with the crowd pouring out and left the building. The security guard, watching him leave, clicked his tongue as he returned to his post. ¡°It was just superstition. Nothing happened after all.¡± --- --- Office of the Anomaly Investigation Team. Yeonwoo carefully wrote a report. Titled ¡°Lecture Review,¡± it detailed what he did while time was stopped. ¡®TPL''s director said thepany would ignore it.¡¯ It turned out to be true. Despite the considerable time that had passed since the report was submitted, the upper management of thepany took no action. Whether it was because theycked the capacity or because they too couldn''t give up on Earth, they pretended not to notice. And so time passed, bringing azy afternoon inte summer. Yeonwoo, Yoo Ji-yoo, and the team leader were slouched in their chairs. Yoo Ji-yoo tapped the floor with her toe, spinning her chair around. Screech- Her toe dragged on the floor, stopping the chair in Yeonwoo''s direction. Yeonwoo was focused on his phone. "What are you looking at so intently? Did you get a girlfriend? You''ve been on your phone a lottely." Yeonwoo flinched and turned off the phone screen. The chat room of the Clock Repairmen disappeared, leaving a ck screen. "Huh? No. I''ve just had something on my mindtely...." As Ji-yoo smirked and seemed about to tease him, Yeonwoo smoothly changed the subject. "The weather''s been weird. There''s been a lot of talk about the world ending. It''s worrying." He spoke nonchntly, observing Ji-yoo and the team leader to see if they knew about the extreme weather. But it seemed they didn''t. Ji-yoo let out a smallugh, and the team leader shook his head slowly. "Yeonwoo, do you believe in that stuff? Even though you''re apany employee?" "Rookie, if it were really that dangerous, thepany would do something. Stop worrying about weird things." The optimism and confidence of being apany employee. Yeonwoo''s heart sank heavily. Pretending to look at his phone, he spoke in passing. "...But it''s interesting to look into. Survivalism? Survival techniques? It might even help with my investigation work." He hadn''t decided whether to recruit them. He considered telling them about the extreme weather scenario but hesitated, not wanting to worry them without a solution. The brief conversation ended. Ji-yoo watched a video on her phone, the team leader started to nod off, and Yeonwoo checked the chat room of the Clock Repairmen. Knock, knock- Someone knocked on the door of the Anomaly Investigation Team. When the investigators looked at the door, two Intelligence Department agents walked in. "Hello. We''re from the Intelligence Department." "Hello!" Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon. The two agents, who he had seen during the interrogation, bowed and then straightened. The team leader looked at them with sleepy eyes. "Intelligence Department? What brings you here?" Yeonwoo tensed. Was it because of the Clock Repairmen? His hand holding the phone was damp with cold sweat. The two agents nced around the spacious, empty desk area before making eye contact with Yeonwoo. They had ambiguous expressions. "We need Yeonwoo''s help, so we''vee to ask for support." 47 - Terror TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The sleepiness vanished from the team leader''s eyes, reced by irritation. "Do you f*ckers think investigators are here as a free handout? Should I give them away just because you ask? What department are you from? Who''s your superior?¡± ¡°Well, we''re from the Intelligence Department¡­¡± Sweat beaded on Agent Kim Gapdong''s forehead. He knew well how ill-tempered the team leader of the investigation team could be.¡®One wrong word and I''m screwed.¡¯ His tongue felt like a stone. He didn''t dare mention the Intelligence Department''s name as a threat. The investigation team leader had authority simr to that of the Intelligence Department. These bastards look suspicious? Let''s investigate them. Oh? You¡¯re resisting? You must be anomalous, right? Are you controlled by an anomaly? Call the Special Forces! Just recently, hadn¡¯t he overturned several departments showing interest in Choi Jae-min, the Parent Detector, and Lee Yeonwoo? The Intelligence Department could face the same fate if things went wrong. ¡°It¡¯s absolutely notpulsory! We urgently need Yeonwoo''s help, so we came to ask!¡± Standing at attention like a soldier, Kim Gapdong shouted loudly. The team leader¡¯s eyes softened a bit at this. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the issue? Why does the Intelligence Department need an investigator?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an investigator we need, it¡¯s Yeonwoo himself. More precisely, we need his trait of attracting idents.¡± All four pairs of eyes turned to Yeonwoo. Ufortable, he shrank into his cubicle. ¡°First, please exin what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Yeonwoo, it¡¯s nothing major, well, it is actually, but¡­¡± Lee Seoyeon stepped forward. She tapped her prosthetic leg as if choosing her words, then nced at Kim Gapdong, seeking permission on how much to disclose. ¡°Tell them everything. They¡¯re trustworthy.¡± ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s the situation. Lately, there have been many people distorting thepany¡¯s ideology. The distortion methods are so varied that factions have split up, leading to a near-civil war, though blood hasn¡¯t been shed.¡± She was being very detailed. However, Kim Gapdong didn''t interrupt, intimidated by the team leader¡¯s gaze. ¡°And now, one of these factions is making a move.¡± ¡°¡­Which faction exactly?¡± Yeonwoo asked calmly. He had an idea why the factions had split. Extreme weather and the preservation n. Their reactions to these. After all, wasn¡¯t he part of the Clock Repairmen faction? Lee Seoyeon squinted as she spoke. ¡°The Humanity Management Company. They argue that we must go beyond protection and manage humanity.¡± Yeonwoo held his breath, and the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo¡¯s faces twisted. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°Are those people reallypany employees? Are they spies?¡± To employees who had lived by the mission and ideology of protecting humanity, this was the utmost insult. It trampled on their passion and sacrifices. Lee Seoyeon also shook her head with a dark expression. ¡°They¡¯re not spies; they¡¯re all diligent employees. But suddenly, these days¡­¡± Yeonwoo understood why. Thus, he asked calmly. ¡°So what exactly are these people nning to do? Brainwash key government figures?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Lee Seoyeon widened her eyes, and Kim Gapdong, who had been watching the team leader¡¯s reactions, squinted at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo waved his hand dismissively. ¡°If they¡¯re the Humanity Management Company, how many employees do they have to manage humanity? They must brainwash the government.¡± As an investigator, such intuition was expected. However, Yeonwoo had other thoughts in his mind. ¡®Are they nning to take control of legitive and administrative bodies worldwide to deal with the extreme weather?¡¯ That was also a method. But the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo erupted in anger. ¡°Those insane bastards. How are they different from hostile groups? Why are they stillpany employees? They should be erased with memory erasers, no, they should be killed!¡± ¡°What is the Intelligence Department doing? Isn¡¯t it your job to handle such people?¡± ¡°Well¡­ the Intelligence Department is also divided into factions¡­¡± Kim Gapdong lowered his eyes and trailed off. As a field agent, there was nothing he could do. The Intelligence Department itself was in the midst of factional infighting. Following his superior''s orders ording to principles, Kim Gapdong was just doing his original job. After wiping his weary face once, he looked at the team leader. ¡°They n to use anomalies to brainwash everyone attending the cab meeting.¡± The cab meeting. A meeting attended by the President and the ministers of various departments. If they were brainwashed, it would not be an exaggeration to say that they had seized control of the government. The team leader''s expression hardened. He knew that if thepany had the will, such a feat was entirely possible, even if it was just one faction of the Korean branch. Tap, tap, tap- He drummed his fingers on the desk before asking. ¡°Can you stop them? It seems like it''s just you guys stepping in.¡± ¡°The Intelligence Department is the only one rtively intact right now. We have to step in.¡± ¡°What about the Special Forces? Aren''t they supporting you?¡± ¡°They''re in a simr state¡­.¡± Silence fell. After a moment, Yeonwoo raised his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon''s faces brightened a bit. They really needed Yeonwoo''s help. They bowed their heads to him. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeonwoo, it won''t be dangerous! All you need to do is hang around near the Blue House!¡± They briefly exined the n to use Yeonwoo, who attracted idents and anomalies, as bait to catch a member of the Humanity Management Company faction. By now, Kim Gapdong had leaned against Yeonwoo''s desk and continued to reassure him. ¡°No matter how fierce the factional fighting gets, we¡¯re still family. We won''t fight to the death.¡± ¡°Yes, so when do we head out?¡± ¡°The regr cab meeting is at 10 AM tomorrow at the Blue House. Pleasee by 6 AM just in case.¡± Yeonwoo nodded silently. Internally, he contemted what to bring and what to say if he encountered the Humanity Management Company faction. --- --- At dawn. With an eco bag slung loosely over his shoulder, Yeonwoo walked along the outer road of Gyeongbokgung Pce, tapping on his phone. He was on his way to meet Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon. But first, Yeonwoo was gathering information in the Clock Repairmen''s chat room. -TPL: Thepany is divided into factions¡­ I suppose that could happen. There isn''t just one way to deal with extreme weather. -CHS: You don¡¯t know? -TPL: I¡¯m a researcher through and through¡­ I don''t have many friends. -ACTR: Same here... The Clock Tower is full of oddballs who only research time. It wasn''t helpful. Yeonwoo put his phone in his pocket and looked around. He had arrived at the meeting ce. Not far away was a convenience store. On a stic table, an iced coffee with dew on it sat. In front of it, Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon were fiddling with some small electronic devices. Dressed in casual clothes and wearing makeup to disguise themselves, they looked like ordinary citizens, but their conversation was different. ¡°Is the battery fully charged?¡± ¡°Yes. I brought a few spares, too. How about you, senior?¡± ¡°Reflective vest, cooperation documents, Taser gun, got everything.¡± Yeonwoo walked toward them, making loud footsteps. They tensed up for a moment, then rxed when they saw him. ¡°Yeonwoo, you''re here?¡± ¡°Came early.¡± ¡°I woke up early. What are those?¡± Yeonwoo sat on a stic chair and looked at the wireless earpieces they were handling. ¡°Communication equipment. Like the in-ear pieces bodyguards wear. Take it.¡± Kim Gapdong pushed a small earpiece toward Yeonwoo. ¡°When you walk around near the Blue House, we¡¯ll follow close by. We¡¯ll give necessary instructions through this, and if anything happens, we¡¯ll join you immediately.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? No montage or anything?¡± Yeonwoo looked back and forth between Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon, holding the earpiece. They gave him awkward smiles. "To be honest, we don''t know who''sing. There are too many suspicious people. That''s why we need to wait for you to attract them." Yeonwoo ced the earpiece down, looking bewildered. "Then how did you get the information? Didn''t you get it from an insider or through hacking?" "No. The head of the Intelligence Department overheard those guys talking while smoking¡­." Is this really the Intelligence Department? As Yeonwoo gaped, Lee Seoyeon hurriedly turned on her phone and handed it to him. "Still, we have some ideas about the anomalies they might use. Here¡¯s the list." Instinctively, Yeonwoo looked at Lee Seoyeon''s phone. On thepany app screen was a document she had written. The anomalies the Humanity Management Company faction was expected to use. A pink-glowing hypnosis app, a phobia prescription you might get at a hospital, a child-made poster proiming ¡°The World is Ending!¡±, and so on. Anomalies that manipte human psychology. Yeonwoo frowned. ¡°They don¡¯t stand out. Even if I meet them, I wouldn¡¯t recognize them.¡± "That''s why you''re crucial. They will definitely be drawn to you. We¡¯ll do the recognizing." ¡°Alright, I understand. It''s not that difficult anyway.¡± Just wander around as if taking a stroll. It''s not a life-threatening task. Yeonwoo put the earpiece in his ear. Lee Seoyeon took her phone and spoke as if on a call. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± -Can you hear me? The voice ovepped with the sound from the earpiece. Yeonwoo nodded. ¡°Yes, I can hear you well.¡± ¡°Then take this too.¡± Kim Gapdong took an A4 document from his bag and handed it to Yeonwoo. He held it and quickly scanned through it. A document certifying cooperation with the Anomaly Management Agency. It was a document to prevent police or military checks. ¡°This is from the Anomaly Management Agency, a secret branch of the Korean government. As you go up, there will be a checkpoint, right? This will get you through.¡± There was a checkpoint on the stone wall path up to Gyeongbokgung Pce, where police would check those heading to the Blue House. Yeonwoo¡¯s gaze shifted to the eco bag. Inside it was a homemade pistol. He had stolen it from the Goldberg Club''s firearms workshop while time was stopped. Sliding the document next to the pistol, Yeonwoo stood up naturally. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start walking now.¡± ¡°Alright. Good luck.¡± As Yeonwoo started walking along the stone wall path of Gyeongbokgung, the two intelligence agents followed him at a slight distance, taking pictures like tourists. 48 - Terror TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Walking along the stone wall path. The early morning turned into a full morning, and the number of people walking along the road and cars driving by began to increase. Office workers busy with theirmute, tourists who hade early, and residents out for a walk. Yeonwoo circled around the outskirts of Gyeongbokgung Pce, stopped by a convenience store to buy coffee, and ate a simple triangr kimbap. The police at the checkpoint gave him strange looks when they saw his cooperation document.After walking for a long time, Yeonwoo muttered to himself. ¡°My legs hurt¡­¡± It was now 9 AM, meaning he had been walking for almost three hours. Not only were his calves and thighs sore, but his shoulder and neck, where he carried the eco bag, hurt as well. There was a strange feeling in his feet, as if blisters had formed. A tired voice came through the earpiece. -I¡¯m in pain too. The prosthetic is crushing my thigh¡­ Yeonwoo''sints stopped. Lee Seoyeon must be in more pain than he was. Yeonwoo cleared his throat and muttered again. ¡°Where¡¯s the restroom?¡± He meant he needed to make a quick stop, and Lee Seoyeon¡¯s response came quickly. -See that building on the left? I noticed it when we passed by earlier; there''s one inside. ¡°¡­.¡± Wearing an awkward expression, Yeonwoo headed to the restroom. He stopped in front of the sink. Yeonwoo nced at himself in the mirror. Despite it being morning, his face looked tired. Even though it was a cool morning inte summer, his face, neck, and arms were sticky with sweat. Ssshhh¡ª He washed his face several times with cool water, rinsing the sweat off his arms too. Then Yeonwoo suddenly froze. ¡°What¡¯s this, first thing in the morning?¡± ¡°Why are they sending us for this¡­?¡± Two men entered the restroom, chatting loudly. Their eyes met Yeonwoo''s in the foggy mirror. Both the men and Yeonwoo stopped, scanning each other quickly with only their eyes. ¡®They¡¯re not ordinary people.¡¯ They had the air of someone who worked in the same field. Yeonwoo sensed it, and so did the two men. Only the sound of running water filled the tense silence. Yeonwoo moved first. He opened his mouth and shouted loudly. ¡°Support, now!¡± ¡°Subdue him!¡± The two men charged at him. Yeonwoo, unable to think of drawing his gun, swung the eco bag with his wet hands. Thwack¡ª The eco bag, filled with various tools, hit one man in the face. The weight and the hardness of the metal tools inside caused him to stagger, clutching his face. The other man closed in and reached out with both hands. ¡°You!¡± His hands targeted Yeonwoo¡¯s shoulder and wrist while his foot aimed at his ankle. It was a judo technique. ¡®If I get caught, I¡¯m dead!¡¯ mming into the floor without a mat would result in serious injury. Yeonwoo lifted both legs, pushing the man¡¯s sr plexus as he sat on the sink. But perhaps due to all the walking, he couldn''t muster enough strength. The man didn¡¯t budge and grabbed Yeonwoo¡¯s ankle. His grip was crushing. ¡°Restroom! Here!¡± ¡°These bastards!¡± At the same time, the two agents, Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon, rushed in and joined the fight. Just as exhausted as Yeonwoo, they tackled the two men. Crash, bang, thud¡ª The two men fell, and the grip on Yeonwoo¡¯s ankle slipped. Yeonwoo quickly ran to the back of the restroom, assessing the situation. ¡°Give up now!¡± ¡°There are three of them! Request backup!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± It was chaos. The four of them were entangled in a brawl. One man, nose bleeding, kept punching, blocking, and grappling with Kim Gapdong. The judo-trained man grabbed Lee Seoyeon''s ankle, but he was thrown off bnce when her prosthetic leg came off. Lee Seoyeon''s body tilted dangerously. ¡®I can¡¯t win this.¡¯ Yeonwoo quickly reached into the eco bag and pulled out the gun. ¡°Stop.¡± They didn''t listen. Their entire focus was on the fight. Yeonwoo aimed the pistol. ¡°I have a gun here.¡± As if it were a lie, their movements stopped. In their entangled positions, they turned their heads to look at Yeonwoo, their eyes fixed on the dark homemade pistol. ¡°¡­Goldberg Club?¡± A model different from any other gun on the market. A homemade pistol from the Goldberg Club. The expressions on the two men¡¯s faces twisted strangely. ¡°You¡¯re terrorists?¡± ¡°Terrorists? Us? Aren¡¯t you the terrorists?¡± Yeonwoo''s expression also changed oddly. Something was off. Instead of catching the expected fish, they had caught something else. One of the men spoke quietly. ¡°We''re from the Anomaly Management Agency¡­¡± Awkwardly gauging the situation, Kim Gapdong and the man lowered their fists, and the other man returned Lee Seoyeon¡¯s prosthetic leg to her. Rubbing his bruised face, Kim Gapdong spoke. ¡°It seems we need to have a conversation. Yeonwoo, you too.¡± Their eyes stayed fixed on the gun. Yeonwoo shrugged and put the gun back into the eco bag. ¡°Let''s move to a different ce. This isn¡¯t suitable.¡± --- --- They entered a nearby caf¨¦. Yeonwoo ced his coffee in the center of the table. Everyone took their coffees but remained silent. Kim Gapdong and the Anomaly Management Agency staff red at each other while pressing on their bruised faces or bloody noses. It was a subtle power struggle betweenpeting agencies within Korea. Neither wanted to speak first. ¡®This is not the time for this.¡¯ Yeonwoo tapped the table and spoke first, addressing Kim Gapdong. ¡°I didn¡¯t join the Goldberg Club.¡± ¡°¡­Then how did you get that gun?¡± ¡°I stole it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Gapdong looked at Yeonwoo with his swollen eyes, disbelieving. Yeonwoo remained calm. ¡°It happened under certain circumstances. The details are confidential, but the higher-ups have been informed.¡± One of the men squinted his eyes. So it wasn¡¯t the Goldberg Club. ¡°Who are you people?¡± ¡°We¡¯re from thepany.¡± ¡°Humanity Protection Company?¡± Yeonwoo showed his cooperation document. It was wet and crumpled but genuine, not a forgery. ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve made a mistake¡­¡± The two men simultaneously rxed, holding their heads and leaning back in their chairs with a sigh. Then they suddenly straightened up. ¡°You must have heard the intel too. Since it''se to this, how about we cooperate?¡± ¡°¡­What intel did you hear?¡± ¡°You must know. The cab meeting today.¡± Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon exchanged nces for a moment. ¡®How do they know? This is an internalpany matter.¡¯ ¡®I have no idea.¡¯ Their silent conversation ended quickly with the Anomaly Management Agency staff¡¯s words. One of the men spoke. ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact details. The Anomaly Hazard Security Bureau predicted a possible threat, that a terrorist attack involving anomalies would happen. Do you know more?¡± Kim Gapdong responded skillfully. ¡°We know about the same. We predicted an attack on the cab meeting and came to stop it.¡± There was no need to reveal everything. Informing a government agency that apany faction nned to brainwash government officials wouldn¡¯t be beneficial. The Anomaly Management Agency staff didn¡¯t suspect anything and nced at his watch. The wristwatch, cracked from the fight, showed the time. The staff member painfully confirmed the time. ¡°It¡¯s 9:20¡­. Let¡¯s head to the Blue House. Whoever the enemy is, they¡¯ll be heading there.¡± After quickly gulping down their coffee, they stood up. They left the caf¨¦, heading towards the Blue House. --- --- ¡°You can''te in. It''s not allowed.¡± The five people walking silently were stopped at the main gate of the Blue House. An employee of the Anomaly Management Agency raised his voice, arguing with the gate security, but the guard ignored him. The employee stomped his feet, waving some kind of ID card. ¡°You have no authority to block us!¡± ¡°If you keep causing a disturbance, we won¡¯t stand by.¡± The guard spoke bluntly, his eyes momentarily shing pink. Ready to signal the Presidential Security Service, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Security Division, and the Capital Defense Command without hesitation. The Anomaly Management Agency employee pursed his lips tightly. At that moment, the three members of the Humanity Protection Company stepped past the employees and approached the gate naturally. ¡°Excuse us, we''ll be passing through.¡± ¡°Understood. Please proceed.¡± ng- The firmly closed gate opened. The two Anomaly Management Agency employees widened their eyes, watching thepany members. Wearing fluorescent vests, they naturally entered the Blue House. Kim Gapdong gave a slight smile and waved to the employees. ¡°We¡¯ll take care of the inside of the Blue House. Please handle the outside.¡± The natural-looking fluorescent vests were civilian response team equipment. Specialized infiltration anomaly equipment, they moved away beyond the closing iron gate. The Anomaly Management Agency employees couldn''t follow, only watching thepany employees with bewildered eyes. Once they were a little farther from the main gate, Kim Gapdong smirked. ¡°Did you see their faces? They looked like dogs chasing chickens. How dare a mere agency try to mess with thepany.¡± Despite his face being bruised and swollen, he couldn''t hide his smile. Lee Seoyeon had a subtle expression. ¡°Senior, this isn''t the time to be celebrating.¡± Kim Gapdong¡¯s smile stiffened. After all, they were here to stop thepany faction from brainwashing government officials. Kim Gapdong chewed on his lip and then noticed someone walking ahead of them. ¡°Uh¡­¡± A man wearing a fluorescent vest, like them, was walking leisurely, swinging a phone emitting a pink light in his left hand. He suddenly sensed their presence and turned around. He was a middle-aged man with a face full of wrinkles from hard work. Kim Gapdong''s lips trembled as he spoke. ¡°Manager of the First Response Division?¡± --- [raei: uhm, I apologize if I reiterate any of the names of agencies/ departments etc. incorrectly.. There''s so many at this point, my list is starting to dizzy me. We''re only at ch48!]Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 49 - Terror TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The Manager of the First Response Division hade in person. Kim Gapdong had expected maybe one or two field agents at most. He bit down on his split lip. This was no time to be startled. Squeezing his eyes shut, Kim Gapdong shouted. ¡°Close your eyes! Don¡¯t look at it!¡± Just closing your eyes could block the hypnosis app.Yeonwoo had already shut his eyes, and Lee Seoyeon urgently covered her eyes with one hand. In the darkness, they heard the Manager¡¯s voice. ¡°So, you¡¯re friends from the Intelligence Department. That¡¯s a new face over there. But how do you n to stop me with your eyes closed?¡± The Manager stopped mid-sentence. His gaze shifted to Lee Seoyeon''s thigh. He squinted slightly, recognizing the story of the new recruit with a bomb in her prosthetic leg. ¡°A bomb?¡± The explosion itself wasn¡¯t a threat; they were at a safe distance. But the consequences would be troublesome. The cab meeting would be postponed, and key government officials would evacuate. Lee Seoyeon patted her thigh and spoke amicably, still covering her eyes. ¡°Manager, I won¡¯t ask why. Juste back with us.¡± The Manager shook his head and firmly refused. ¡°I can''t do that. I have a job to do.¡± ¡°Manager, I may be a trainee, but I¡¯ve learned this much. Anomalies shouldn¡¯t get involved with the government. You know the horrors of the world wars.¡± They had learned from history what happened when anomalies intertwined with the state. That¡¯s why thepany¡¯s policy was to avoid excessive interference in politics or government and to prevent nations from possessing dangerous anomalous entities. The Manager knew this well, but he also knew the oue: extreme weather, humanity hurtling toward self-destruction. ¡®They have no idea. There''s no point in convincing them.¡¯ The Manager moved silently. There was no need to fight among their own. They each had to do their best in their given roles. After taking about three steps, the Manager suddenly stopped. While the two Intelligence agents were looking in the wrong direction, a man with his eyes open was staring at the Manager. The moment the man raised the phone emitting a pink glow, he spoke first. ¡°Investigator Lee Yeonwoo.¡± ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re that investigator.¡± The investigator with the dice. The odd investigator constantly entangled in incidents. The Manager lowered the phone. There was no need to provoke someone capable of resistance, someone unpredictable. Yeonwoo drew the pistol from the eco bag but pointed the barrel to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to fight. I understand your actions, Manager.¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°I do.¡± The Manager¡¯s demeanor changed at those words. Half skeptical, half intrigued, his tense face slightly rxed. He spoke probing words. ¡°What do you know?¡± ¡°Scenarios and ns. Five million.¡± Three significant words. The two Intelligence agents above their heads were puzzled, while the Manager showed interest, tilting his head slightly. ¡°Then you should know. This is something that needs to be done. So, why are you here to stop me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to stop you. I¡¯m here to meet you.¡± Before continuing, Yeonwoo carefully chose his words. The Intelligence agents were listening. He had to be cautious. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t difficult to fabricate the story. ¡°I belong to one of the factions as well. I¡¯m here to establish a cooperative rtionship on their behalf.¡± That¡¯s why he was involved in this situation. Not to stop a terrorist attack, but to support him. ¡°What are you talking about¡­!¡± ¡°Yeonwoo!¡± The two agents'' faces twisted, but they had no right to participate in this conversation. The Manager and Yeonwoo continued their private discussion. ¡°Which faction?¡± ¡°The Clock Repairmen.¡± ¡°Never heard of it.¡± Yeonwoo nodded. It was the only one in Korea. It would be strange if he knew about it. ¡°It¡¯s a faction made up of several domestic and international organizations.¡± The Manager''s eyes widened slightly. Even the Humanity Management Companymunicated with allies from overseas, but they couldn''t im to have a unified group. ¡°Are you sure? Not just sharing general goals?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the head of the Korean branch. We have a unified goal and havebined our strengths.¡± Of course, it was more facade than substance, but it was all in the presentation. Yeonwoo maintained a confident expression and posture. The Manager muttered the name "Clock Repairmen" a few times, then nced at his wristwatch. 9:45 AM. There was a little time to talk. ¡°Interesting. What methods do you-¡± At that moment, a sudden explosion erupted. Boom! The Manager, Yeonwoo, and the two Intelligence agents all turned their heads to the right. Yeomingwan. The building where the cab meeting was taking ce erupted in blue mes. It was a terrorist attack. --- --- Boom! A blue flower of mes blossomed, radiating heat and noise. The fiery flower consumed oxygen as it grewrger. Simultaneously, the Blue House descended into chaos. People poured out from all directions like a disturbed beehive. The footsteps of civilians and soldiers shook the ground, and shouts filled the air. ¡°It¡¯s a terrorist attack! Move quickly!¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Where is the Anomaly Management Agency? Call them!¡± Armed police and soldiers ran frantically, their faces filled with urgency. The troops running in groups briefly nced at thepany employees but moved on, as seeing people in fluorescent vests here was normal. They ignored them and headed towards Yeomingwan. ¡°Idiots¡­!¡± The Manager''s face twisted like a demon¡¯s. The sound of his teeth grinding was especially clear, adding to the cacophony. Kim Gapdong pointed a trembling finger at the blue flower. ¡°What is that! Isn''t that an anomaly owned by thepany! Why is it here¡­!¡± "Some radical fool must have meddled. I¡¯ll blow his head off." Kim Gapdong, Lee Seoyeon, and Yeonwoo looked at the Manager. The Manager quickly regained hisposure and calmly gave orders as the head of the First Response Division. ¡°Agent Kim Gapdong. Trainee Lee Seoyeon. Report this to thepany immediately. If that thing isn¡¯t contained, it will destroy the entire area.¡± A blue me flower that grows by consuming oxygen. Once fully grown, it would scatter seeds in all directions, and those seeds would grow by consuming oxygen. If left unchecked, it would continue until Earth¡¯s oxygen was depleted. Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon¡¯s eyes widened, and they quickly pulled out their phones to make calls. ¡°This is Agent Kim Gapdong! There¡¯s a terrorist attack at the Blue House-. What? Which faction are you with? I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s a terrorist attack using a blue flower! Yes!¡± ¡°Emergency report, emergency report. This is trainee Lee Seoyeon from the Intelligence Department Audit Division. Location: Blue House. It¡¯s an anomaly-based terrorist attack.¡± Turning around, raising their voices, and whispering rapidly. Meanwhile, the Manager and Yeonwoo remained silent. The Manager knew that brainwashing would be difficult in this situation, while Yeonwoo was contemting whether to run away. The blue flower that had grown even more in a short time filled one corner of their vision. ¡®I¡¯ve informed the Humanity Management Company faction, so I can leave now.¡¯ The goal was achieved. The terrorist attack wasn¡¯t his concern. Humanity would face extinction in 15 years anyway. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going-¡± Yeonwoo turned to say goodbye to the Manager and saw someone. On the road crowded with people running, someone was walking leisurely. Wearing a fluorescent vest like theirs, holding a cylinder filled with blue particles. He stopped when he saw the Manager. ¡°Manager of the First Response Division? Too bad, you¡¯re a step toote.¡± The Manager turned to see the man¡¯s face. He spoke coldly. ¡°Operations Manager of the Special Forces. You¡¯ve crossed the line.¡± ¡°Hey, you were nning to do the same thing, don¡¯t act all righteous with me.¡± The man twisted his mouth into a smirk. He pointed his cylinder at the Manager¡¯s phone. ¡°Brainwashing people or killing them¡ªit''s the same thing. Let''s not fight among ourselves if we¡¯re aiming for the same goal. All roads lead to Rome, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. This is something thepany won¡¯t tolerate¡ª¡± ¡°And what if they don¡¯t? They don¡¯t have the capacity to do anything. And who are they to object?¡± While the Manager maintained hisposure, the other man¡¯s eyes suddenly zed with anger. His voice was filled with rage and heat. ¡°Thepany has given up on Earth. They could save people, but they chose not to.¡± He mmed the cylinder down like a knife. ¡°Kill 7 billion people, and the extreme weather problem is solved. It¡¯s not even that hard. Just release a few of the anomalies thepany is holding back, and nuclear weapons would look like toys!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even worth responding to.¡± Yeonwoo took a step back, listening to their conversation. He assessed the situation and gleaned the ideology of the man¡¯s faction. ¡®The Humanity Extermination Company? Their solution to the climate crisis is to kill humans?¡¯ It was understandable but hard to agree with. Especially since the root cause of the extreme weather hadn''t even been identified. ''Can I really join hands with these factions?'' The man suddenly calmed down, his emotions swinging to the extreme. ¡°If the preservation n goes ahead, only 5 million will survive. Maybe more if all the groups arebined. But if we kill 7 billion, 1 billion will survive. That¡¯s saving more lives.¡± ¡°You think we don¡¯t know that?¡± Directly taking 7 billion lives. Thepany would no longer be the Humanity Protection Company. ¡°If we do that, thepany can never return to what it was.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll take the blood and bear the responsibility. You, the Humanity Management Company, just need to manage the remaining humans well. Just put your spoon on the table we¡¯ve set.¡± The Manager shook his head firmly, his expression hard. ¡°We¡¯ll handle things our way. We don¡¯t need your help.¡± ¡°Really? Ha ha. So, you n to obstruct us to the end?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s obstructing me right now.¡± The man readied to throw the cylinder, while the Manager subtly lifted his phone, its pink glow flickering. The man with the fiery eyes and the cool-headed Manager stared at each other without blinking, ready to attack at any moment. At that point, Yeonwoo stepped in. Clearing his throat a few times, he walked over to stand next to the Manager. The tension dispersed slightly. Both the Manager and the man looked at Yeonwoo, the outsider. ¡°Investigator Lee Yeonwoo.¡± ¡°That investigator?¡± The man flinched, gripping the cylinder filled with blue seeds tightly. The cylinder was now aimed at Yeonwoo. The Manager chimed in. ¡°He¡¯s part of the Clock Repairmen faction.¡± ¡°Never heard of it. What kind of faction is it?¡± ¡°A faction dedicated to solving the extreme weather problem.¡± ¡°How?¡± The man¡¯s eyes began to spark again. Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°We n to use all anomalies and technologies, regardless of whether they belong to thepany, hostile groups, or allies, to find a way tobat the extreme weather.¡± The Manager and the man¡¯s expressions becameplex. A mix of shame, regret, and reflection crossed their faces. They both moved their lips slightly before speaking softly. ¡°Honest and idealistic.¡± ¡°¡­Not bad.¡± Protect humanity from anomalies. The Manager and the man had chosen an easier path to achieve this. They decided to manipte humanity with anomalies to survive the extreme weather¡ªa perversion of their mission, actions that could be defined as hostile. On the other hand, the Clock Repairmen had not lost sight of the Humanity Protection Company¡¯s original mission. They aimed to face the extreme weather head-on, remaining true to their principles. Even if the path was narrow and faint, it couldn¡¯t be ignored. 50 - Terror TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Blue flowers grew at the Blue House. The sweltering heat blew in with the wind on the road. People, sweating profusely, hurried back and forth. Loud voices echoed. In the midst of themotion, only thepany workers remained silent. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡±Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon, who had been eavesdropping, turned pale. The manager and the man stared into the void, lost in thought, then slowly turned their gaze to Lee Yeonwoo. The man, who had loosened his grip on the cylinder, spoke. ¡°So what? What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Can we form an alliance or a cooperative rtionship? Honestly, it¡¯s unlikely with just the Clock Repairmen. The more people we have, the higher the chance of sess.¡± Lee Yeonwoo spoke frankly, saying they needed their help and asking for their strength. His voice was sincere. In truth, the Clock Repairmen were just a small group of people. His eyes conveyed his emotions directly. The manager dug into his pocket, pulled out a business card, and slipped it into Yeonwoo''s eco bag. ¡°If it''s something I can help with, I will. I''ll talk to the factions too, they''ll probably be willing to help.¡± Regardless of the factions, no one would ridicule or ignore the Clock Repairmen. ¡°Thank you.¡± Yeonwoo bowed his head, opened the eco bag, and looked at the card inside. It read, "First Response Division Manager, Intelligence Department." ¡®Intelligence Department Manager. He''ll be a great help.¡¯ As he memorized the phone number, a new business card flew in. Another business cardnded on top of the one from the response team manager. It read, "Operations Manager, Special Forces, Korean Branch." He heard the voice of the man. ¡°As long as you don''t interfere with us, we''ll help. And we''ll avoid your area of activity as much as possible.¡± When Yeonwoo looked at him, he was staring at the blue flowers with eyes where the spark had faded. ¡°If you seed, it''s a good thing. A really good thing.¡± He stood at an angle, his expression hard to read. Yeonwoo silently bowed his head again. The tense atmosphere vanishedpletely. The manager sighed softly and lifted his phone. ¡°Cleanup is going to be busy. ¡­Those guys will be a hassle too.¡± Thepany workers turned their heads. From the direction of the main gate, two employees of the Anomaly Management Agency were running frantically. Their hands, holding ID cards, were trembling. ¡°What happened here! We couldn''t stop-¡± The employee who had approached looked at the operations manager''s hand. The blue seed was sealed in the cylinder. At that moment, thepany workers'' minds became one. ''We can''t let these government agency guys catch us in a weak spot.'' The road ahead was long. The Anomaly Management Agency, a government organization, would be troublesome if they got involved. Yeonwoo spoke first. ¡°We are allpany workers. Unfortunately, we couldn''t prevent the terrorist attack, but we stopped additional attacks. This Special Forces member seized the anomaly from the terrorists.¡± At the same time, the manager pointed his phone at them. As a soft pink light flickered, their eyes became cloudy. The manager echoed Yeonwoo''s words. ¡°This is the current situation. An apocalyptic extremist stole thepany''s blue flowers. Thepany tried to handle it, preventing further attacks. Thepany is also doing its best to manage the aftermath of the attack.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so¡­.¡± ¡°Ah¡­.¡± They stood nkly, their voices dull. When the manager put away his phone, their eyes began to focus again. They blinked a few times, then red at the blooming blue flowers. Their eyes and voices filled with rising anger. ¡°Apocalyptic extremists¡­! Doing this in our country!¡± If it were an apocalyptic extremist, they could certainly do such a thing. They wished for the world to end. Ding-ding-ding- At that moment, both their phones started ringing. It was a call from the Anomaly Management Agency. Seeing the screen, the faces of the agency employees instantly turned pale. In a hurry, they took the call and began speaking while bowing their heads. They repeated exactly what Lee Yeonwoo and the manager had told them. ¡°Yes, yes. Thepany prevented additional attacks. They are now doing their best to manage the situation.¡± ¡°We haven''t confirmed any survivors yet. Yes, we''ll help thepany with the cleanup.¡± The two, sweating nervously, ended the call and stared nkly at the manager and the blue flower. ¡°What do we do now? How do we stop that?¡± ¡°A special helicopter loaded with a substance to kill the blue flower.¡± The manager''s voice cut off mid-sentence. He couldn''t take his eyes off the blue flower. The flower was in full bloom. An anomaly made of blue mes had blossomed. The roaring sound of the mes consuming oxygen was no longer heard. The blue petals quietly fluttered, burning dust, leaves, and construction materials. Amid the ck smoke scattered like pollen, blue particles asionally soared like a cluster of stars. Seeds scattered everywhere, carried by the wind. ¡°So soon?¡± The manager''s eyes widened. The blue flower was undoubtedly reproducing, growing faster than expected. The operations manager nced at the manager as if it were obvious. ¡°They worked hard to improve it. Like the electric snake used in tasers, to make it a weapon. Damn apocalyptic extremists, how did they know and steal it?¡± The blue flower''s seeds spread everywhere. It was a somewhat dreamlike sight, but the result was horrific. Seedsnded all over the Blue House. Around the road where they stood, the seeds consumed oxygen, sprouted, grew blue stems, and formed buds. --- --- ¡°Fire?¡± ¡°Put it out!¡± People reacted quickly. They stopped running, stomped on the seeds with their shoes, and hit the blue seeds with their jackets. Someone came out with a fire extinguisher and sprayed white powder. Small buds that hadn''t grown yet were extinguished. But where eyes couldn''t see, the blue flower continued to grow. Once all the flowers fully bloomed, they would scatter seeds again. Those seeds would be flowers and bloom again. ¡°If this continues, downtown Seoul¡­¡± The manager''s eyebrows twitched with a blue tint. As the First Response Division manager, he could predict. The time it would take for thepany to respond, the speed at which the blue flower reproduced, the scale of damage and casualties in the meantime. The manager began pacing in ce. ¡°Thepany alone won''t be enough. What needs to be done now. ¡­Hey, Anomaly Management Agency.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The employee, who had been stomping on nearby seeds, quickly looked up. The manager pointed alternately at them and the Blue House. ¡°Evacuate the area and contact the fire department to prevent the seeds from spreading.¡± Thepany could also mobilize government agencies, but requests from the national Anomaly Management Agency were more effective. The employee, dialing a number, paused and looked at the manager. ¡°Evacuation orders and emergency alerts have probably already been issued. Tell us how to deal with those flowers.¡± ¡°Fire. In the end, it¡¯s fire.¡± Buds and seeds could be killed by dousing them with water and cutting off oxygen. But that also took time. The issue was how much the flowers would spread before they started responding. ¡°We need to deal with the seeds immediately.¡± The manager looked at the blue flowers sprouting everywhere. The flowers were multiplying exponentially. They had to respond on the spot. Killing one seed now would greatly reduce the damage. The manager, holding a hypnosis app, approached the people around. A woman in a business suit, busy moving, had the app thrust in her face the moment she saw the manager. ¡°Find a fire extinguisher, walk around, and deal with the blue mes.¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± After hypnotizing a few more people around him, the manager looked back at thepany worker. ¡°I''ll stay here and hold them off as much as possible. You all go back.¡± ¡°We''ve achieved our goal. I won''t stop you.¡± It was the operations manager holding the cylinder. The manager frowned once but didn''t argue further. The operations manager walked away leisurely, gradually distancing himself. Lee Yeonwoo also slung the eco bag over his shoulder. He tapped the two Intelligence Department agents. ¡°Let''s go.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, we should go.¡± Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon staggered with faces drained of life. They had realized the anomaly and the preservation n while eavesdropping on the conversation. They walked silently towards the Blue House¡¯s main gate. They exited the main gate and entered the bustling city streets. The streets were crowded with people. Some were taking pictures of the Blue House with their phones, others were fleeing, and police officers were shouting for people to evacuate¡­. And the blue seeds that hadnded on the street, carried by the wind. ¡°What is this? It''s pretty.¡± ¡°Shouldn''t we put it out?¡± ¡°Let''s just take a picture.¡± People gathered around the seeds that grew by consuming oxygen, aiming their phones at them. Even when the police tried to evacuate them, people wouldn''t leave. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo suddenly stopped walking. Kim Gapdong and Lee Seoyeon, who had been walking in a daze following Yeonwoo, stopped a few stepster. Yeonwoo was looking up at a utility pole. ¡°Mr. Kim Gapdong, did you bring the taser gun?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I brought it.¡± ¡°Can you deal with the blue flower using the electric snake?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± Slowly, expression returned to Kim Gapdong¡¯s dazed face. ¡°It might be possible. But if it consumes too much electricity, it might go out of control. It could cause more trouble-¡± Kim Gapdong stopped talking. The Blue House was in ruins, and the road was a mess. The disaster was already severe. And they were talking about the end of the world. Compared to that, everything else seemed trivial. Kim Gapdong let out a helplessugh. ¡°Fine, whatever. Let''s give it a shot. How much worse could it get now?¡± ¡°I''ll do it, senior!¡± Lee Seoyeon hurriedly opened Kim Gapdong¡¯s bag and took out her taser gun. Before he could say anything, she aimed the taser gun at the power lines hanging in the sky. ¡°My snake is obedient. It listens well and is friendly with me.¡± Click- The trigger was pulled, and a blue lightning bolt shot out. The blue snake coiled around the power lines. The snake paused for a moment, then lifted its head and looked down at Lee Seoyeon. Its eyes, which appeared as round voids, seemed to ask if it could really consume this. Lee Seoyeon nodded. ¡°Eat up! Then grow big and take care of these flowers!¡± The snake turned its head to look at the blue flowers blooming everywhere. Then it plunged its head into the utility pole and began absorbing electricity. A shing light. Blue lightning gathered on the ground. The blue light grew increasingly intense. Yeonwoo shielded his eyes with one hand and made a confused expression. ¡®I meant to ask if it could handle the blue flowers blocking our escape route.¡¯ But if they could deal with the flowers here, that wasn''t bad either. Yeonwoo squinted at the blue lightning snake through the dazzling light. The snake, rapidly growing as it consumed electricity, wrapped around all the utility poles on the street. 51 - Terror TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The lightning snake grew rapidly. It coiled around a whole area following the utility poles, and the unceasing shes of lightning turned the entire world blue. The snake raised its head toward the sky and opened its mouth wide. There was no roar, but it felt as if lightning was surging upward. The lightning took on the shape of a dragon. Under the blue light, people looked up with their mouths open. Though their eyes hurt from the shing lightning, they couldn''t take their eyes off it. ¡°Wow¡­.¡±A low exmation escaped. The police forgot their duties, the fleeing people stopped in their tracks, and those with camera apps instinctively raised their phones. Everyone was half out of their minds at the sight of the huge anomaly. Even thepany workers. ¡°Was the lightning snake always this powerful¡­?¡± Kim Gapdong trembled as he slowly took the bag off his shoulder and held it in his hand. The bag contained his taser gun and the lightning snake he managed. Of course, he knew the risks from reading and hearing about them. There had been cases of the lightning snake taking over power nts. This one wasn''t as bad, but feeling it firsthand was a whole new level of fear. The shing lightning and the massive body covered the narrow, rectangr sky between buildings. Lee Yeonwoo also backed away from the bag as if it were an explosive. Cold sweat trickled down. He looked at Lee Seoyeon. ¡®Can she control that?¡¯ Lee Seoyeon, with her eyes shining in the lightning, raised her fist. ¡°It¡¯s enough! Now deal with the flowers!¡± As Yeonwoo and Kim Gapdong sent tense nces, the now-monster-like lightning snake flicked its forked tongue a few times. The snake,rger than most buildings, tilted its head and looked down the street. People were staring up, stunned. The humans who fed it, housed it, yed with it. And the blue flowers, which felt simr to it but seemed unappetizing. ¡°Uh¡­ Didn¡¯t you hear me? Friend!¡± ¡°If it goes out of control¡­¡± Meanwhile, thepany workers'' faces turned bluer than the lightning. If that thing went wild and rode the power lines to the transmission towers or power nts¡­ They looked at the snake with narrowed pupils. After hesitating for a moment, the snake fortunately began to move slowly. Crackle- Crackle- Its body, now closer to sma than lightning, wriggled after consuming so much electricity. Then it became lightning and began to roam the city. The blue lightning dashed across the sky. Boom-! Lightning branched out from its body and struck down small seeds or buds, killing them. The fully bloomed flowers were strangled and then bitten off. It all happened in an instant. In the aftermath of the sh, only the smell of burning, power outages in buildings, charred trees, and stunned people remained. Rumble-! The snake circled around the Blue House several times and finally flew into it, leaving the street quiet. Someone muttered with a dazed look. ¡°What the¡­?¡± A reality so strange. Blue me-like flowers flying around and a lightning dragon roaming the sky. It felt like a dream, or maybe an event. But it didn''t take long for people to realize it was real. Excited people started talking about the lightning snake captured on their cameras, chatting with family or friends, and posting on social media. Lee Seoyeon, as excited as anyone, shouted with a flushed face. ¡°See! I told you my snake is really good!¡± Meanwhile, Kim Gapdong''s face turned pale. He looked around the street with a clear mind. ¡°How do we handle this?¡± The blue flowers were already a headache, and there were countless witnesses to the lightning snake. And this was Seoul. People here would scatter everywhere. There were too many to track individually. Lee Yeonwoo looked at the sky for a moment. ¡°Should we handle it?¡± ¡°¡­Maybe not.¡± The Earth would be destroyed within 15 years, and thepany would escape the. Would they bother with such matters? ¡°The secrecy might be broken¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a mess.¡± They foresaw the future through experience, intuition, and history. Thepany focused on the Human Preservation n. The opposing factions were in civil war. The hostile groups were busy finding their own ways to survive, while the ignorant riffraff roamed freely. Even now, it was like this. What if anomalies were revealed? Ordinary people would react as diversely as they did now. ¡°Anomalous religions, Anomaly Rights Protection Associations, anomalous states, anomaly fan clubs, anomaly politics. Even those removed by thepany were like this. It''s ruined. It''ll alle back. No, it¡¯s a doomed Earth anyway.¡± Kim Gapdong slumped. Lee Yeonwoo turned around. He spoke. ¡°This isn¡¯t something we can handle. We need to do what we have to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Yeonwoo! What¡¯s with the repairman and the abnormal climate? I have a guess, but please exin.¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± Amid the bustling crowd. Wearing fluorescent vests, they chased the lightning snake to the Blue House while talking. People didn¡¯t pay attention to them, the very ones who had shot the lightning snake. Though they had blocked the blue flower, the world was now one step closer to ruin. Thepany workers naturally disappeared from the streets. --- --- The blue lightning snake dealt with the blue flower. After a while, the lightning snake shrank back to the size that fit into the taser gun. Lee Seoyeon received a scout offer from the Anomaly Research Society, praising her for training the blue snake so well and suggesting she put that ability to use. Of course, Lee Seoyeon declined. It wasn¡¯t cool, she said. Instead, Lee Seoyeon joined the Clock Repairmen Korean Branch. Kim Gapdong did too. ¡°Here¡¯s the beer.¡± At a bar. Lee Yeonwoo, Lee Seoyeon, and Kim Gapdong sat at a table, munching on puffed rice snacks, holding cold beer sses. Cheers- The beer sses clinked in the middle of the table. After a few gulps, Kim Gapdong looked around the noisy bar. ¡°Is this real? I mean, what the¡­¡± ¡°Check WeTube. It¡¯s crazy.¡± People talked loudly, while a TV broadcasted the recent blue flower and blue snake incident. The news anchor, with the giant blue flower and the raised snake in the background, spoke clearly. -The cause of the disaster at the Blue House remains unknown. We don¡¯t know what those things are. ¡°Damn¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ve given up on secrecy now.¡± It wasn¡¯t officially announced, but the people from their world didn¡¯t step up to inform either. They just didn¡¯t stop the natural spread of the information. Despite the chaos on social media and the inte, the existence of anomalies was spreading rapidly. Much faster than the blue flower''s proliferation. Kim Gapdong lifted his beer ss and began to drink heavily. The remaining beer disappeared entirely. Bang, he mmed the ss down roughly, letting out a hollowugh. ¡°Thepany really gave up.¡± After hearing from Yeonwoo, denying, despairing, and being angry for days, Kim Gapdong finally epted reality. On the other hand, Lee Seoyeon never lost her enthusiasm from the start. Clenching her fist, she spoke confidently. ¡°Then we should do it. We¡¯re part of the Clock Repairmen now.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± Kim Gapdong fiddled with the beer ss handle, filled with doubt. ¡°If one faction could do it, thepany would¡¯ve done it already. It¡¯s better than doing nothing, though.¡± ¡°Other factions are responding in their own ways, so there is hope.¡± Lee Yeonwoo, tapping on his phone, looked up and spoke to them. Encouraging new colleagues wasn¡¯t hard. ¡°There''s just under 15 years left. It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s not, we¡¯ll make it possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s stay strong.¡± They grabbed their beer sses to toast again, but Kim Gapdong noticed his ss was empty. He pressed the bell to call the waiter. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s think positively! We have plenty of time! We can stop it! ...A bottle of soju, please.¡± The waiter soon brought three soju sses and a bottle of soju. Kim Gapdong took the bottle, opened it, and filled the sses. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking about depressing stuff and drink!¡± ¡°No, I wanted to talk about what we should do as Clock Repairmen today-¡± ¡°What is there to talk about? We¡¯ll live reasonably, and if we find something useful to deal with the abnormal climate, we use it. Whether it¡¯s an anomaly or a person.¡± Cheers- They clinked sses several times like that. Before any snacks arrived, they had already finished several bottles. They continued to eat and drink at the table for quite some time. Maybe because he was frustrated, Kim Gapdong drank ss after ss until he waspletely drunk. Lee Seoyeon and Lee Yeonwoo looked at each other. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s time to go.¡± ¡°He''s really drunk.¡± Kim Gapdong, with unfocused eyes, waved his hand. His hand flopped weakly. ¡°I¡¯ll pay. Move aside. Move aside-¡± ¡°Senior, you were saving money to start a chicken restaurant.¡± ¡°I broke my savings. What good is a chicken restaurant? This, this damnpany. I can¡¯t even quit.¡± Suddenly, he stood up and staggered toward the cashier. Lee Seoyeon and Lee Yeonwoo didn¡¯t stop him. Instead, they slowly prepared to leave. After gathering their belongings, the two left the bar first. The night breeze was cool. They nced back at the bar for a moment, then Lee Seoyeon pulled out her phone, searched for something, and showed it to Lee Yeonwoo. ¡°Do you remember Park Sangjoon?¡± ¡°Who was that?¡± After thinking for a while, he remembered. The person who passed the Human Qualification Exam. The one who couldn¡¯t endure the new employee training and left. The one who attempted suicide at Gwaebaek Mountain, where the fog monster appeared. ¡°Oh, that guy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s be really famoustely.¡± Lee Seoyeon tilted her phone. Yeonwoo saw it was a video site. He vaguely remembered Park Sangjoon, whose face was now in a typical thumbnail. The title and caption were oveid with pictures of the blue flower and the blue snake. Lee Seoyeon clicked a few times to enter Park Sangjoon¡¯s channel, showing a list of videos he had posted. Some familiar titles caught their eyes. [Shock! A Monster Lives in Gwaebaek Mountain! Gwaebaek Mountain Designated as a Protected Area, Is the Government Raising a Monster?!] [The Secret of the Cheonghae Port Incident! Unbelievable Investigation Results, What Is the Government Hiding?!] [The Reason for Silence Despite a Murder in an Apartment!] In addition to those, there were many conspiracy theories, mysteries, and horror videos, with impressive view counts. ¡°Wow.¡± Yeonwoo was genuinely impressed. He gave up on the civil service exam and found a way to make a living. The timing was perfect. If thepany had been operating normally, it would have censored everything. 52 - Mirror Match TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Swoosh- The forecast of a record-breaking typhoon hade true, with rain and wind fiercely battering the windows. The torrential rain and strong winds were so terrifying that thepany had advised employees not toe to work. The sound of raindrops hitting the windows sounded like frying chicken, and the windows rattled violently. ¡°Is this also an anomaly¡­?¡± Lying in bed, Lee Yeonwoo turned his head to look at the window and then fiddled with his phone.-Does this ident make sense? A juvenile offender? An oil tanker? A gas truck? A gas pipe explosion? Common sense says- He watched exaggerated and spective videos by Park Sangjoon, looked up the aftermath of the Blue House incident, yed mobile games, and chatted with various people as a Clock Repairman. Thus, the afternoon arrived without him having done much. Ding-! A text message arrived. The sender was the First Response Division manager, a reply to a request Yeonwoo had made a few days ago. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Feeling hungry and wondering what to eat, Yeonwoo quickly sat up. When he opened the message, a long thread of text scrolled down. Their previous conversation: -Lee Yeonwoo: Are these things possible? -First Response Division Manager: It¡¯s not a difficult task, but we¡¯re busy dealing with the blue flower terrorism right now. We managed to frame it as an apocalyptic extremist act, but maintaining secrecy is the issue. -Lee Yeonwoo: It¡¯s okay to take your time. But what¡¯s happening with the inte chaos? -First Response Division Manager: We¡¯re mostly giving up on secrecy and taking a hands-off approach. He had received direct information about the terrorism results and secrecy maintenance over the past few days. -First Response Division Manager: They¡¯re taking this opportunity to move the equipment used for information control to the resettlement area. -First Response Division Manager: Only the equipment used to block informational life forms and cultural disasters will remain. Even information an investigator wouldn¡¯t know. ¡®I¡¯ve read all this already.¡¯ Flick, flick- His thumb scrolled up the screen. As the screen moved, the most recent message filled the disy. -First Response Division Manager: Here¡¯s what you asked for. I don¡¯t know what you n to do, but be careful. Yeonwoo carefully scrolled down, ensuring he didn¡¯t identally press anything else. There was a spam message he had seen before. [¡­Summon a doppelganger to take your ce during your unpleasant moments! Just click the link, and a doppelganger will be summoned to endure your suffering for you! Link: 666.13.666] The method to summon the Demon of Sloth. Yeonwoo stared intently at the link, forgetting his hunger. The Demon of Sloth wasn¡¯t his goal. The one who woulde looking when it was summoned was. ¡®If I summon this, a demon worshiper will detect it ande.¡¯ A means to contact a demon worshiper. A somewhat dangerous method. Yeonwoo stood up and began pacing the room. He stepped on the nket that had fallen off the bed, opened and closed the window that was shaking in the storm, grabbed the emergency escape device attached to the side, and climbed up and down the loft stairs by the entrance. ¡®Will I be able tomunicate with a demon worshiper? Is it okay to summon the Demon of Sloth?¡¯ He had thought it through, but when it came time to act, worry began to creep in. ¡®The Demon of Sloth. If it¡¯s left summoned for 13 days, I¡¯ll be transported to hell. Then, the Demon of Sloth will take my ce and live as me. So, I have to kill the Demon of Sloth within 13 days.¡¯ The Demon of Sloth itself wasn¡¯t the main issue. Even if he fell into the dimension called hell, there was a chance to escape. He had the dice. The same applied to the Demon of Sloth. With a priest¡¯s gun, handling it wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Yeonwoo stopped walking in the middle of the first floor. Standing in front of a round stic table, he muttered quietly. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s do it.¡± It would be good to form an alliance with a demon worshiper. He needed information about the demon self-governing region. If it was a livable ce, bing a demon worshiper could be a viable path. Stomp, stomp- Lee Yeonwoo packed the homemade pistol into his eco bag and took several deep breaths. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s summon it.¡± He slowly moved his thumb over the link and pressed it hard enough to turn his nail white. The result was immediate. Swoosh- A gray stream shot up from the screen. The gray y formed a parab and then took on the shape of a mannequin, soon molding itself into the exact likeness of Yeonwoo. Scramble- Yeonwoo quickly ran to the front door, aiming the gun at the gray y figure. He aimed at the broad torso since he wasn¡¯t confident about hitting the head. In that moment, the gray y mannequin gained color and breath. The gray turned to Yeonwoo¡¯s skin tone, and he heard a deep exhale. It looked at Yeonwoo with the same appearance. For a brief moment, its gaze passed over the gun. It raised its hands as if in surrender. ¡°I have no intention of resisting.¡± Surrender. But the real Yeonwoo¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Cold sweat formed on his forehead, soaking into his greasy hair. The same face as his. The same memories. The same way of thinking. Yeonwoo realized he had made a huge mistake. ¡®That¡¯s me. I wouldn¡¯t just die quietly.¡¯ The thought was simple if he reversed it. If Yeonwoo were the Demon of Sloth, he would kill the original. To live as Yeonwoo on Earth. ¡®I have to kill it. Right now.¡¯ Their eyes met simultaneously. The same gaze, the same thoughts. They both realized they were thinking the same thing. The thought of killing each other. Rumble- Thunder crashed. Momentster, lightning shed, and the windows, already rattling from the fierce wind, shattered. Rainwater seeped into the room, the wind swirling in the studio apartment. As Yeonwoo¡¯s finger tightened on the trigger, the fake Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°If you kill me now, you won¡¯t achieve your goal. If you kill me right away, the demon worshippers won¡¯t detect it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you.¡± The more the Demon of Sloth spoke, the more intense the desire to kill grew. The same was true for the demon. ¡°You have the dice, don¡¯t you? There¡¯s no need to go this far-¡± ¡°Would I take that risk? When I have a sure thing with a gun?¡± ¡°Right. I wouldn¡¯t either.¡± There was no need to listen. This conversation was ultimately about killing each other. Yeonwoo knew because it was himself. Yeonwoo pulled the trigger. Bang-! The fake Yeonwoo immediately threw itself to the side. It acted the moment Yeonwoo decided to shoot. Swish- The bullet grazed its forearm and passed through the broken window, disappearing into the rain. Yeonwoo hurriedly moved from the front door to the living room but then stopped. ¡®Where did it go? The loft?¡¯ The fake Yeonwoo had vanished from sight. Instead, he heard footsteps rushing up the stairs to the loft. The fake Yeonwoo, now in the loft, spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve never fired a gun, right? You haven¡¯t even practiced. Why not roll the dice instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯d never roll it.¡± There was no point in listening. The dice was ast resort. Telling him to roll it meant the Demon of Sloth was desperate enough to rely on the dice gamble. ¡®I have the advantage.¡¯ Even with the same body, Yeonwoo had a gun. But he couldn¡¯t rely on the gun alone. After all, the enemy was himself. ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo thought for a moment, then reached for his phone and pressed the switch for the fluorescent light on the ceiling of the studio. The loft had a high ceiling. The white light came on, requiring adder to change the bulb. Yeonwoo lowered his eyes slightly to see the shadows. The loft was above the front door, so he could see the shadow cast from the loft railing. A rectangr shadow protruded in front of the entrance. ¡®A box? Stuff stored in the loft?¡¯ Boxes filled with various books, useful items for everyday life, and clothes for different seasons that were too precious to throw away. ¡®He ns to drop it the moment Ie in.¡¯ Thud- Yeonwoo deliberately made loud footsteps. The sound of his soles sticking and unsticking from the damp floor. He bent down and poked his head in first. Thud- The fake Yeonwoo, watching from the loft railing, dropped the box as soon as he saw the top of Yeonwoo¡¯s head. The shadow of the box grewrger and darker, and Yeonwoo quickly straightened up and stepped back. Thud-! The heavy box narrowly missed his face and hit the floor. Itnded just a step away. It wasn¡¯t just one box. Thud-! Thud-! Thud-! Six boxes fell, piling up haphazardly and blocking the entrance. Faint footsteps could be heard stealthily descending the stairs. ¡®Is he nning to attack while I clear the boxes?¡¯ Yeonwoo turned on his phone screen. ¡®You¡¯re the one who¡¯s trapped.¡¯ He made a call. The recipient answered immediately. -Hey, rookie. What¡¯s up? ¡°Captain, I just summoned a Demon of Sloth. I need backup.¡± -Why the hell did you summon it? And why do you need backup? If you just summoned it, nothing should have happened yet. The Demon of Sloth doesn¡¯t pose a threat to the summoner. It mimics the summoner¡¯s actions and follows their daily routine. But Yeonwoo was different. He had summoned it with the intention to kill it from the start, and Yeonwoo had no intention of dying. ¡°We¡¯re trying to kill each other right now.¡± -What? What did you do¡­. Rookie, just hang on. The typhoon¡¯s causing dys. ¡°You¡¯reing soon? Got it.¡± He ended the call with that lie to pressure his opponent. Yeonwoo looked at the gap between the entrance and the boxes. The white light was seeping through the gap. The fake Yeonwoo, havinge down from the loft during the call, was now sneaking around the living room, gathering Yeonwoo¡¯s belongings. Car keys, wallet, ID, eco bag, emergency escape kit. Then he moved towards the emergency escape device by the broken window. If there¡¯s a fire, you lower the rope to escape to the ground. Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®He ns to escape.¡¯ If he got away, it would be dangerous. If that thing stayed summoned for 13 days, Yeonwoo would end up in hell. Yeonwoo kicked the boxes away. Crash, the boxes tumbled down. The fake Yeonwoo immediately turned, holding the rope and hook from the emergency escape kit. ¡°Wait, let¡¯s talk-¡± There was no need for conversation. Bang- Bang- Bang- Bang- Yeonwoo pulled the trigger repeatedly. The thunderous gunshots and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the room. The fake Yeonwoo blinked, then slowly looked down at his torso. Three holes. Blood slowly spread. The fake Yeonwoo sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die like this.¡± Swoosh- The fake Yeonwoo crumbled into gray y. The y lost its texture, spreading like paint. Raindrops pelted the y until it eventually evaporated and disappeared. All that remained in the studio was the shattered window, ss shards, and rainwater soaking the floor. ¡°Really¡­¡± Yeonwoo leaned against the wall by the entrance and let out a long sigh. His legs gave way, and he sank to the floor. Only then did his hands begin to tremble. ¡°I was so stupid.¡± There was no shock from killing something that looked exactly like him or seeing something that looked like him die. But the thought that he could have died, that it was a danger he had brought upon himself, made him feel dizzy. p, p- Yeonwoo pped his cheeks a few times. Then he got up and started cleaning up. ¡°I should never do something this dangerous again.¡± 53 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The cleanup was a hassle, but it was finally done. Even during the typhoon, the police arrived in response to the gunfire report, and the team leader, who had been dyed getting holy water, arrived at the same time, helping Yeonwoo avoid an investigation. Recing the broken window and cleaning the rain-soaked apartment after the typhoon had passed wasn''t too difficult. After the storm had passed. At the office of the Anomaly Investigation Team.Yeonwoo stood before the team leader, wearing an awkward smile. The team leader''s gaze was sharp. ¡°Why on earth did you summon it?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to test if a doppelganger could be used for investigative work. I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way.¡± A convenient excuse. He couldn¡¯t admit that he had summoned it to contact demon worshipers. Fortunately, the team leader didn¡¯t seem suspicious. He sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair. His voice sounded resigned. ¡°Rookie, rookie.¡± He remembered summoning the Demon of Absurdity himself in the past to deal with a tricky case, and he thought Yeonwoo must have been through a lot of incidents to resort to using the Demon of Sloth. The team leader tapped the desk and looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°Well, it happens. Investigators don¡¯t get much equipment support. Sometimes we have to gather our own gear.¡± His words showed a bit of leniency, and Yeonwoo¡¯s awkward smile turned more genuine. But suddenly, the team leader mmed the desk. The impact was so strong that the monitor shook. ¡°But still! You can¡¯t summon an anomaly recklessly! You should have done it in front of us at least! And where did you get that Goldberg Club gun?¡± ¡°Oh, that? I stole it.¡± ¡°What?¡± The team leader, who had been angry, now looked bewildered. Yoo Ji-yoo, who had been watching nearby, wore the same expression. They looked like they couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Yeonwoo quickly reached into his eco bag and pulled out the homemade pistol. The dark homemade gun was revealed in the office. Before the team leader and Ji-yoo could react, Yeonwoo ced the gun on the team leader¡¯s desk. Then he handed another gun to Ji-yoo. ¡°I stole quite a few. team leader and Senior Ji-yoo, please take one each. Isn¡¯t a gun better than tools or knives?¡± ¡°Are you seriously giving this to me?¡± ¡°Wait. Ji-yoo, don¡¯t touch it.¡± Ji-yoo, who had been about to grab the gun with sparkling eyes, stopped. She looked at the team leader. The team leader examined the gun with a serious look, even more serious than when he had questioned Yeonwoo about summoning the demon. ¡°So, did you join the Goldberg Club? Is this a bribe?¡± He asked in a heavy voice. He knew the Goldberg Club well and their methods. This might look like a gun but could be something like a gold bar. But Yeonwoo shook his hands vigorously. ¡°You know what happened during my interrogation. I really stole these.¡± ¡°How? It¡¯s not just one or two.¡± The suspicion persisted. Yeonwoo scratched his head. The report on what happened during the time freeze had bypassed the team leader and went straight to the higher-ups. The documents were ssified, and the team leader couldn¡¯t see them. ¡°It¡¯s ssified, but¡­ Do you remember the lecture I went tost time?¡± ¡°The lecture on anomalous time?¡± ¡°For some reason, time stopped during that lecture. The dice resisted, so I could move.¡± ¡°And then?¡± The team leader asked, scrutinizing Yeonwoo closely. Yeonwoo grinned. ¡°The Goldberg Club¡¯s firearms workshop was nearby. I went in and took everything I could.¡± ¡°Well. The day hase when those bastards get robbed.¡± The team leader, briefly impressed, quickly grabbed the gun. As Ji-yoo silently pushed her chair back, the team leader expertly disassembled the gun. His hands moved swiftly, removing the magazine and making the gun parts fall apart. ¡°Never do anything this dangerous again.¡± Yeonwoo was slightly startled as he watched the team leader mutter. "It''s really brand new." The gun parts gleamed without a scratch. ¡°Have you used one?¡± ¡°A few times. Took one off a thug during work and kept a few secretly.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The team leader lowered one hand and opened a drawer with a tter. After rummaging around, he pulled out a dust-covered pistol. The same model. ¡°Rookie, I¡¯ve got one too. I¡¯ve used up all the bullets, though. Anyway, thanks. As for the report¡­ don¡¯t bother. We¡¯ll keep this between us.¡± Yeonwoo gave a small nod. Then he pulled a ck stic bag full of bullets out of his eco bag and ced it discreetly on the team leader¡¯s desk. The bullets rattled. The team leader, nowpletely free of suspicion, smiled contentedly. ¡°You stole the bullets too? Good job. Plenty to go around.¡± ¡°Leader, can you teach me how to maintain and shoot this gun?¡± ¡°Of course. Ji-yoo,e here too. Since we have these, we should know how to use them.¡± Under the team leader¡¯s guidance, they learned how to maintain the guns and the basics of shooting. ¡°You don¡¯t always have to shoot. Just showing the gun can be enough to threaten someone.¡± ¡°Practice like this isn¡¯t enough. Go to a shooting range and practice with other guns. That¡¯s the most effective.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to shoot, make sure to do it properly. Don¡¯t even think about sniping. Just unload from a reasonable distance. Even one hit will be enough.¡± ¡°If the other guy has a gun¡­ I don¡¯t know. Anyway, I¡¯m not a special forces guy either.¡± After a considerable time learning. Ding-! A cheerful rm sounded from the team leader¡¯sputer, signaling the arrival of a document. The team leader, who had been speaking seriously, turned to look at the monitor, his brow slightly furrowed. ¡°What are these bastards up to now?¡± Yeonwoo and Ji-yoo, still handling the guns, waited for the team leader¡¯s words. Click, click- A few mouse clicks and scrolls of the wheel. The team leader examined the monitor puzzledly, then looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°Rookie. We¡¯ve got a support request.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yes, specifically asking for you.¡± Yeonwoo felt a sudden sense of foreboding. The team leader gestured for him toe over and look at the screen. Hesitantly, Yeonwoo moved to the team leader¡¯s side and looked at the monitor. [Request for Investigator Support] -Seo Peonho, Researcher at the Korean Folklore Research Institute -We urgently need Investigator Lee Yeonwoo for our research activities. Please support us. The future of humanity depends on this research. -The location is a deserted mountain lodge in Meorigol. Pleasee. ¡°This guy didn¡¯t even bother to write a proper request. You can ignore it, rookie.¡± ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not mandatory.¡± But Yeonwoo, fixating on the phrase ¡°future of humanity,¡± slowly nodded. ¡®It seems like research rted to the abnormal climate. It¡¯s worth investigating.¡¯ And this researcher felt different from the Humanity Management Company or the Humanity Extermination Company. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a different faction, but as a Clock Repairman, it seemed worth contacting them. ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re willing to go.¡± The team leader, wearing a reluctant expression, sent a reply to the support request. ¡°Yeonwoo, take care. Be well prepared. I feel like another strange incident is going to happen. Well, you have a gun, so you should be fine?¡± ¡°¡­I guess.¡± And so, Yeonwoo¡¯s business trip was decided. --- --- Vroom- Yeonwoo¡¯s usedpact car drove along the winding mountain road. The destination was a deserted mountain lodge in Meorigol, where the researcher Seo Peonho awaited his support. ncing at his navigation app, Yeonwoo recalled the information he had researched beforehand. ¡®Meorigol. The deserted mountain lodge.¡¯ Meorigol got its name because of arge rock carved like a human head that had been there for ages. The "Deserted Mountain Lodge" was located in a peaceful mountain valley, named to encourage visitors to enjoy the solitude andfort of being away from people. ¡®I couldn¡¯t find any folklore rted to this area. I wonder what the Korean Folklore Research Institute is studying here.¡¯ While pondering, Yeonwoo arrived at his destination. The navigation app chimed to announce his arrival. -You have arrived at your destination. Yeonwoo parked the car in the lot, gathered his phone and eco bag, and stepped out. Standing on the gravel-covered parking lot, he looked around. ¡°Nice ce.¡± The small lodge was situated in a quiet mountain valley with no signs of civilization. The air was fresh and clear, and there was no hint of the city''s noise, just serene silence. The green trees and the clear, high sky. It felt like a ce to rx, not work. ¡°Maybe I should suggest a trip here with the investigation teamter.¡± After a moment of enjoying the scenery, Yeonwoo approached the lodge. Near the lodge, a man with thinning hair was holding a broom, looking at a drain. Hearing Yeonwoo''s footsteps, he looked up. ¡°Oh, what brings you here? The lodge is fully booked right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m with someone inside.¡± ¡°Ah! I was informed. Please,e in.¡± Yeonwoo nodded politely and walked past the lodge owner. The lodge owner watched Yeonwoo''s back for a moment before starting to sweep the path again. Leaves and branches blown by the typhoon were being cleared away. Swish- Swish- As he swept, the lodge owner muttered in rhythm with the broom. ¡°One head, two heads, three heads, four heads¡­ Need more heads¡­¡± 54 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The lodge was a two-story building. On the first floor, there was the owner''s room, a small convenience store, and a storage room. The second floor had four rooms. Lee Yeonwoo went straight up to the second floor via the stairs. He never stopped walking because finding Researcher Seo Peonho''s room was not difficult. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so sleepy¡­.¡± A man who looked like a graduate student to anyone.The man, with a haggardplexion, hugged a bunch of experimental tools like sks and cylinders and staggered into a room. The door opened and closed roughly. ''That must be it.'' Yeonwoo stood in front of the room the man had entered and knocked on the door. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± -Who is it? A tired voice responded from beyond the door, a voice mixed with curiosity. Yeonwoo answered. ¡°Is Mr. Seo Peonho in? He called for me. Did I find the wrong room?¡± -No, you¡¯vee to the right ce. Just a moment. He sensed someone moving busily behind the door. The sound of hurried footsteps and a middle-aged voice scolding the graduate student-like man. -I told you someone wasing. How can you forget so easily? How do you conduct research with such a memory? -Oh, right¡­. I keep forgetting¡­. The voices grew clearer as they approached the door. Then, the door opened. A man, somewhere between middle-aged and elderly, greeted Yeonwoo with a wide smile. ¡°Mr. Lee Yeonwoo?¡± ¡°Yes. I came because you requested support. Are you Researcher Seo Peonho?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That''s me. Thank you so much foring. Your assistance is crucial for our research.¡± An excessive wee. Yeonwoo, harboring some wariness, scrutinized Seo Peonho from head to toe once more. Hair beginning to gray, horn-rimmed sses, an intellectual face. Neither thin nor fat. ''He doesn''t look dangerous at first nce.'' Seo Peonho gestured inside the room. ¡°Don''t just stand there. Pleasee in. I¡¯ll exin everything.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Yeonwoo entered the room. Seo Peonho walked ahead, smiling kindly. ¡°We have rented all the rooms in this lodge for long-term use. This room is our temporaryb.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite thorough.¡± Yeonwoo quickly scanned the surroundings with his eyes. Beyond the entrance was a spacious living room filled with various desks andplex tools resembling those in a chemistryb. There were threeputers set up. The graduate student-like man was typing on a keyboard in front of aputer, while a woman who seemed simr to him was working with some experimental tools. ¡°That graduate student, no, assistant researcher is Choi Hyunsang, and the female assistant over there is Gong Yuna. They are good helpers for my research.¡± Despite being mentioned, they remained hunched over, focused on their work. Seo Peonho, as if not needing to worry about them, led Yeonwoo to an inner room. A small room attached next to the bathroom. ¡°This is where I sleep. Haha. I didn¡¯t prepare a separate room to receive guests.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The small room had a single bed and a round table near the window. Seo Peonho sat in the chair in front of the table and gestured to the chair across from him. ¡°Sit down. I don¡¯t have anything to offer you to drink.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°More importantly, can you exin why you called for me?¡± After pulling out the chair and sitting down, Yeonwoo watched as Seo Peonho turned to grab a few documents haphazardly lying on the bed and ced them on the table. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you, Mr. Lee Yeonwoo. They say you bring anomalies and idents. Personally, I think it¡¯s just superstition.¡± ¡°¡­Does it have anything to do with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to believe even in that superstition. Look at these documents.¡± Seo Peonho slid a sheet of paper over. ncing down, Yeonwoo saw it was some investigation into ancient documents. [Instances of Anomalies in Meorigol Found in Literature] -¡­Based on these records, it is presumed that an abnormal phenomenon known as "hair-loss rain" urs irregrly in Meorigol. "It is estimated that this hair-loss rain urs every few years, or every few hundred years at the longest. We don''t know when it will happen." Yeonwoo was called here in the desperate hope that the rain might fall if he came. Being treated like a totem, Yeonwoo frowned slightly. "Is hair loss all there is? Then what about the talk about the future of humanity?" That was the only reason he came, but hair-loss inducing rain? At best, it sounded like some enhanced form of acid rain. There was no real reason to havee all this way. Seo Peonho slyly brushed his hair back. "Isn''t hair loss the enemy of humanity? If we can analyze this anomaly, we might be able tobat hair loss. It¡¯s certainly a cause worth pursuing." Yeonwoo sighed softly. His enthusiasm hadpletely vanished. He thought about just taking it easy at the lodge for a while. "Then how long should I stay? If it''s not urgent, I''d like to return to my duties as an investigator soon." "Let''s see. Chuseok[1] ising up. Please stay with us until the end of the Chuseok holidays." Yeonwoo frowned sharply at that. Staying here for the entire Chuseok holiday? It was his first holiday since getting employed, and he had nned to go back home. However, Seo Peonho''s next words made Yeonwoo''s expression rx. "I''ll give you a generous travel allowance. I''m thinking of starting with ten million won. Is that enough?" "No, that''s plenty. What should I do? Just stay here?" The holiday would only be about four days. If he could spend that time at the lodge and get ten million won? That was irresistible. A smile spread across his face. ¡®Instead of going home, I can just give my parents a generous gift.¡¯ As Yeonwoo smiled broadly, Seo Peonhoughed as well. He nodded lightly. "Yes, just being here is enough." "Understood. If there''s anything you need, just let me know." "If we need more help, I''ll ask. For now, you can unpack and rest." Yeonwoo lightly stood up and opened the door to leave, then turned around. His gaze met Seo Peonho''s, who had been watching him. Seo Peonho tilted his head. "Is something wrong? Is the travel allowance not enough?" "No. I just wanted to know which room I should use." "Use any empty room. The assistants are using one room, so just avoid that one." Out of the four rooms, one was an experimentalb and Seo Peonho¡¯s room, another was the assistants'' room. He could choose one of the remaining two rooms. Yeonwoo left the room with a spring in his step. Seo Peonho watched the door close behind him and twisted his lips into a smile. "Easy. We''ll get good results." --- --- A night passed. In thete morning, Yeonwoo woke upte, rubbing his sleepy eyes as he stepped out into the lodge''s front yard. Under the cloudy sky, the greenwn stretched out. Sitting on a wooden bench, Yeonwoo turned on his phone and called his mother. "Hello?" -Why are you calling at this hour? "I''m noting down for Chuseok. I wanted to, but I have to work." He heard his mother grumbling on the other end. -What kind ofpany makes you work during the holidays? "They pay a lot of money." -Making money isn''t easy. I don''t understand why they pay you so much. It must be dangerous work. Her sharp intuition made Yeonwoo break out in a slight cold sweat. "Ah, it''s a little dangerous, but not that much. Uh, uh. I have to go. Bye." Yeonwoo deliberately made busy noises. He stood up, stomped his feet loudly, and tapped the wooden bench. Yeonwoo immediately hung up. It was still difficult to exin what kind of work he did. Taking a deep breath, Yeonwoo suddenly saw someone. ¡°Ah, I''m so tired¡­.¡± It was Assistant Researcher Choi Hyunsang. Blinking his bloodshot eyes, Choi Hyunsang walked over. From what he had been doing since morning, his clothes were covered in dirt and grass. He was dragging a shovel and arge sack of rice. Yeonwoo quickly approached him. ¡°That looks heavy. Can I help you?¡± ¡°Ah, it''s fine. It looks heavy, but it''s actually light.¡± Choi Hyunsang, letting the shovel hang, lightly shook the swollen sack of rice with one hand. A quick nce showed it was filled with wet soil. ¡®It looks incredibly heavy.¡¯ Yeonwoo grabbed the sack with both hands, as if to take it away, and staggered heavily. His forehead veins popped, and he clenched his teeth tightly. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Choi Hyunsang took the sack back with one hand, and Yeonwoo made an embarrassed face. ¡°You¡¯re really strong.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s light¡­. Maybe you¡¯re just weak?¡± No, the sack was marked as 40KG. It was filled with soil instead of rice. Yeonwoo looked puzzled for a moment. His eyes quickly scanned Choi Hyunsang up and down. ¡®He doesn¡¯t have visible muscles. What''s going on? Is he naturally strong?¡¯ Yeonwoo''s gaze finally settled on the sack of soil. ¡°¡­What is this soil for? Is it for research?¡± ¡°Oh, right. I need to move it quickly. Yes, the soil is for research. Theponents of the hair-loss rain remain in the deep soil. I have to go now. If I''mte, the professor will scold me.¡± Mumbling like that, Choi Hyunsang wobbled into the lodge. Yeonwoo also headed back to the lodge to get some breakfast and lunch but then stopped. At the end of the road, he saw the lodge owner and some strangers. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m not good withputers, so I must have made a mistake.¡± The lodge owner, bowing his sparsely-haired head repeatedly. Behind him, three men and women followed, looking very annoyed. ¡°Excuse me, how could you make such a mistake? Even if we get a refund, we spent timeing all the way here! And now you''re telling us there are no rooms avable!¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I must have pressed the wrong button and thought the room was empty. For now, you can use my room on the first floor.¡± The distance between them closed. Yeonwoo frowned slightly. ¡®The lodge owner must have made a mistake and epted guests. ...I have a bad feeling about this.¡¯ When he had looked it up, this lodge had been operating for at least ten years. Would they really make such a basic mistake? At that moment. Plop! A raindrop hit Yeonwoo¡¯s cheek and trickled down. Plop! Another raindrop fell on the lodge owner''s sparsely-haired crown. Both of them tilted their heads back to look at the sky. The sky was filled with dark clouds. Raindrops fell one by one, tracing blurry lines as they descended. The lodge owner''s face hardened. ¡°¡­So soon? No, this can''t be.¡± Leaving the disgruntled guests behind, he quickly started running. With an incredible burst of speed, he ran like the wind. Yeonwoo didn''t hesitate either. He turned around and ran back to the lodge. ¡®I don¡¯t know what this is, but it feels ominous. Is it the hair-loss rain?¡¯ Even though he had no hair loss, it wouldn''t hurt to be cautious. The two quickly disappeared into the lodge. ¡°What¡¯s with those people?¡± ¡°Do they have something urgent-¡± The three remaining guests stood in bewilderment. Suddenly, a man and a woman with light luggage chased after the lodge owner in a hurry. The running man¡¯s eyes shed as if he had realized something. He grabbed the woman¡¯s wrist and forcibly pulled her along. ¡°Ouch! Why are you doing this!¡± ¡°Run faster!¡± So, in the ce where people had disappeared, only one man carrying a lot of luggage was left. Plop, plop, plop- Swoosh- The rain started pouring down like a sudden shower. "Ah, rain. Everything''s going to get soaked. I should split up the luggage." He struggled to move, holding tworge shopping bags, getting drenched in the rain. His head jutted forward like a turtle''s. Crrrk- Crack- His neck stretched. The sound of bones twisting, the sound of skin tearing. As if someone were pulling, his neck stretched until, finally, his head fell off. Thud- The head of the nameless man rolled on the wet ground. It rolled through rain-soaked grass, muddy soil, and puddles filled with rainwater until it came to a stop. St- Next to the two wide-open eyes, the headless man stepped. A headless human approached the lodge. --- [1. raei: Chuseok, also known as Hangawi, is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in South Korea]Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 55 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The two entered indoors before the rain started pouring. Lee Yeonwoo stood at the entrance of the lodge, breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell quickly, and his entire body was tensed. But even in that state, he kept his eyes on the lodge owner. Regting his breathing, he slowly stepped back. ''His behavior is suspicious. He''s not an ordinary person.'' His foot was poised on the stairway leading to the second floor, ready to punch if necessary, his hand tightly clenched.The lodge owner also took deep breaths. Suddenly, his eyes met Yeonwoo''s. He smiled awkwardly. "You see, with so little hair left, I''m sensitive to things like acid rain." "...I didn''t ask." He ran his hand through his sparse hair, making an unnecessary, clumsy excuse. Yeonwoo red at the lodge owner, then cautiously took each step up the stairs. ''First, I need to arm myself. Let''s get the gun.'' When the situation was uncertain and he sensed unknown danger, he knew to grab his gun first. Yeonwoo rushed to his room and checked the pistol he had stashed in his tote bag. The gun, which he cleaned daily, was in good condition. Click- ''It''s well-maintained. The magazine is fully loaded.'' The weight of the gun brought him reassurance. After quickly checking his other tools, he slung the bag over his shoulder, passed through the quiet hallway, and descended to the first floor again. "..." Everyone hade down to the first floor by then, all staring at the front door. The man and woman who hade in before the rain, the suspicious lodge owner, and the entire research team were tensely watching something beyond the door. Yeonwoo nced at the front door, ready to draw his gun from the bag at any moment. ''What is that?'' A shadow of a person was cast on the translucent ss door. The shadow of a headless person raised its hand and pressed against the ss door. Crack- The ss door split from the center of the two palms, and finally shattered, sending ss shards, rainwater, and two arms into the lodge. The headless person, drenched in rainwater and ss fragments, walked slowly into the lodge. Splish-ssh, leaving wet footprints, the headless man approached the people. As people instinctively held their breath and stepped back, Seo Peonho, the man, and the lodge owner exchanged sharp nces. Bang-! A gunshot rang out. It was Yeonwoo. Even as people looked at him in shock, he coldly stepped forward, pulling the trigger on the headless man. Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! ''Rain that causes your head to fall off? Do people without heads turn into some kind of zombies?'' Bang-! Bang-! He didn''t spare bullets, pouring them into the target. The headless man staggered as if dancing from the sudden barrage, but only slightly moved back without falling. Despite the holes riddling his body, he continued to move. The distance between them closed. Yeonwoo suddenly stopped walking. His index finger, wet with cold sweat, repeatedly pulled the trigger, but no more bullets came out. Click- Click- He had emptied a magazine. The headless man hadn''t died. ''...He won''t die?'' Yeonwoo instinctively stepped back and looked at the people around him. "What are you doing? Aren''t you going to subdue him?" "Well, that, the gun-" "Uh, uh. He''sing. Quickly subdue him!" Yeonwoo''s shout snapped them back to their senses. "Choi Hyunsang! Subdue him!" "Yes!" At Seo Peonho''smand, Choi Hyunsang raised the dirt-covered shovel high. The vertically positioned shovel de sliced through the air and struck down. Whoosh-! Thud-! The shovel split the shoulder and embedded halfway into the upper body. "Yah!" Next, the lodge owner swung a long broom hard at the headless man''s ankles. Just as he was taking a step, the headless man lost his bnce and fell. Seo Peonho grinned. "Choi Hyunsang! Gong Yuna! Don''t kill him, just restrain him! He''s a fresh research subject!" "Uh¡­ what should we use to restrain him?" "Isn''t there any rope or string?" "We didn''t bring any." At that moment, the lodge owner rushed out, returning with a red rope from the storage room. He handed it to Choi Hyunsang. "Here it is!" With a tired look on his face, Choi Hyunsang unraveled the long rope, holding each end in his hands. He briefly looked the headless man up and down. The headless man struggled to get up. The lodge owner pressed down on the joints with a broom, and Gong Yuna stomped on the sr plexus with her shoe. "I''ll tie his legs first." The red rope tightly wound around the ankles, calves, and thighs. Then it bound the wrists, torso, arms, and shoulders. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo stepped back and reloaded his magazine, ncing at everyone. ''The lodge owner is suspicious. Seo Peonho too. They hid information from me. That man is also strange.'' Despite the appearance of the headless monster, the man was excitedly filming it. Muttering to himself. "As expected. This really exists. A world we didn''t know about. Good thing I kept searching through ancient documents." Yeonwoo pondered for a moment. ''Did he film me too? Should I erase his memory and steal his phone?'' He thought about it, not wanting his face exposed, regardless of confidentiality. But that wasn''t an immediate concern. Escaping the dangerous anomaly and suspicious people was the priority. Yeonwoo pulled a folding umbre from his bag. ''If I just avoid the rain until I get to the car, I¡¯ll be fine. A few drops won¡¯t hurt.'' He decided to leave the lodge. As he passed the chaotic scene and approached the front door, Seo Peonho''s eyes lit up while watching the headless man. Then, seeing Yeonwoo, his face hardened. He spoke in a low voice. "Mr. Lee Yeonwoo? Where are you going?" "I don''t need the travel allowance. I''m leaving." "The outside is dangerous, you know." Seeing Seo Peonho trying to stop him only strengthened Yeonwoo¡¯s resolve to leave. He red at Seo Peonho. "My role here is done. It rained as you wanted. I have no reason to stay. And you withheld information from me." "But if you leave like this-" "I''m done here." Yeonwoo turned and strode out the front door. His sneakers crunched on the wet ss shards. He disappeared beyond the front door, into the pouring rain. Seo Peonho looked at Choi Hyunsang, his lips twitching, then clenched his fist. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something, smiled faintly, and then his expression hardened again. "Well. Will he be able to escape? ...No, that guy might just make it. Damn it." --- --- Outside, in the pouring rain. Yeonwoo lowered his umbre, protecting his head from the rain. He held it so low that the spokes brushed against his head, ensuring his head stayed dry even when the wind blew. Yeonwoo stopped at the parking lot. His face twisted under the umbre. "Who did this¡­." There were four cars. Hispact car, the research team''s SUV, the lodge owner''s sedan, and the guests'' sedan. Except for the sedan that the three guests arrived in, all the tires were shed. Nails stuck out, and holes made the tires look limp. It was obvious that driving them was impossible. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth. ''Who did it? The lodge owner? Seo Peonho? No, it doesn''t matter who. Escaping is the priority.'' Yeonwoo closed his eyes for a moment and called on the dice to repair his car. "Can you fix this?" The dice, excited at being summoned after a long time, bounced and rolled, finally showing the result. Failure! Bang-! A small explosion was heard. Yeonwoo couldn''t believe his eyes. Smoke rose from the engine of the once-functioning usedpact car. He didn¡¯t need to open the hood to know the car was wrecked. "Whew." Yeonwoo sighed. He had bought the cheap car just to get around, but thanks to the dice, it was ruined. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t have to drive my own car.¡¯ Yeonwoo moved toward the only car left intact. He memorized the number: 8562. Then he returned to the lodge. People were still gathered on the first floor of the lodge. When they saw Yeonwoo approaching, they each grabbed a weapon but then cautiously lowered their shovels and brooms upon seeing his head intact. Seo Peonho smiled slightly and said, "As expected, the outside is dangerous-" Click- The makeshift pistol gleamed darkly as it aimed at the people. Seo Peonho''s face hardened. "8562. Whose car is it?" "Th-that¡¯s my car." The man, who had been filming the headless man on his phone, slowly lowered it. Yeonwoo pointed the gun at him. "Car key. Hand it over." "What? No, it¡¯s a new car with a lot of payments left-" "Do you want to get shot or hand over the car key?" "I¡¯ll give it to you." The man quickly pulled the car key from his pocket and handed it respectfully to Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo motioned with the gun near the man''s head. "Put it in the bag. If you try anything, I''ll shoot immediately. I¡¯ve reloaded the magazine, so I have plenty of bullets." Holding an umbre in one hand and a gun in the other, he had no free hand to take the key. The man, his hands trembling, ced the car key into the bag. The muzzle of the gun touched his head, cold and heavy. "It''s in." The man stepped back, hands sped together respectfully. Yeonwoo took a step back as well. He scanned the faces of the people and left a final remark. "I checked the parking lot. All the tires were shed except for this guy''s car. Someone drove nails into them. I don''t know who did it, but you should figure it out." Expressions on the faces of the people changed drastically. The lodge owner¡¯s mouth trembled, Seo Peonho squinted, and the man realized he was in danger and turned pale. However, this wasn¡¯t Yeonwoo¡¯s concern. Ssh- Yeonwoo slowly backed away and headed to the parking lot. 56 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here He got into the man''s car. Of course, he was careful not to get wet by the rain, closing the umbre only after leaning his head into the passenger seat. After cing the rain-soaked umbre on the floor of the passenger seat with hands as careful as if handling acid, Lee Yeonwoo immediately started the engine and stepped on the gas. The car elerated rapidly, leaving the parking lot. Vroom- ¡®Let''s just go to a ce where it''s not raining.¡¯Yeonwoo looked at the blurry road ahead. The world was dyed gray, rain pouring down. The wipers moved busily, sweeping away the rainwater, and the disced rainwater rolled along the wind. He didn''t even think about finding a direction. Just straight ahead. Escaping the area of falling rain. Swoosh- As he passed through puddles filled with rainwater, the car sshed the water like waves. How long had he been driving on the narrow, winding mountain road? ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, something like a wild animal jumped in front of the car. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth and pressed the elerator harder instead. Whether the animal died or not, whether the car was damaged or not, escaping this ce was- Thud- Bang- Bang- Bang-! Screech-! He stepped on the brakes. He had no choice. It wasn''t just one or two animals. Inside the stopped car on the mountain road, with the headlights broken, Yeonwoo looked at the rearview mirror with trembling eyes. The road he had passed. The herd of animals he had hit and passed. Squeak- Squeak- Wild boars, deer, stray dogs, and wild cats, all boasting their rain-soaked fur, stood up. Their bodies were deeply dented, legs broken, headless. A headless animal dragged its broken leg as it approached the car. Yeonwoo realized. ¡®The rain that makes heads fall. It''s not just humans. Animals too.¡¯ And also that he was surrounded. Taking his eyes off the rearview mirror, he looked around. The rainy mountain road. High rising mountain peaks and dense trees on both sides. A herd of headless animals was gradually approaching him through the gaps. Large creatures like headless wild boars and deer wereing down the mountain path, while headless squirrels, headless chickens, and headless snakes were climbing up the road ahead. Click- Yeonwoo grabbed a gun from his bag, but his heart pounded anxiously. ¡®They''re hostile towards humans. What should I do? Advance as is? Retreat to the lodge?¡¯ At that moment. Bang-, with a loud noise, something ck mmed into the windshield. The windshield cracked greatly. Startled, Yeonwoo raised his gun, and beyond the cracked windshield, a headless crow pped its broken wings. Biting his lip, Yeonwoo looked at the sky beyond the crow. It wasn''t just one. Under the rainy sky, crows, pigeons, and hawks were pping their wings. Headless bodies, all heading straight for Yeonwoo. ¡°¡­Sh*t.¡± Cursing simrly to how the team leader did, Yeonwoo shifted the gear to reverse. ¡®I have to go back to the lodge.¡¯ The sky visible was all pouring rain. Running for a bit wouldn''t escape the area of rain. Moreover, the birds were a big problem. If the windshield broke, he would get wet by the rain. That meant losing his head. Vroom-! The car moved backward, running over the headless animals he had already hit once more. The car jolted as if hitting speed bumps. At the same time, as the car reversed over the road, thud, thud, thud, headless birds plunged vertically. A fall close to bombing. Even as a narrowly missed bird shattered the side mirror, Yeonwoo focused on driving, only looking at the rearview mirror. ¡®A mistake means death.¡¯ He didn''t keep to the center line. With the car straddling the center line, he swerved backward along the winding road. The birds asionally tapped on the car roof, and the windshield, already nearly broken from multiple hits, held on barely. The messed-up car barely made it back to the lodge. Fortunately, as he got closer to the lodge, the birds stopped attacking. Bang-! The car, which had made a U-turn midway, crashed straight into the entrance of the lodge. The car smashed through the lodge''s wall and door, entering inside. After parking, Yeonwoo pulled out a homemade pistol and got out of the car inside the lodge. --- --- On the first floor of the lodge, there were a man and a woman, Choi Hyunsang wearing a raincoat, and the owner of the lodge. They stared wide-eyed at thepletely demolished entrance and the damaged car. ¡°My, my car. The car.¡± ¡°My lodge! Oh no! If you break everything-¡± The people who had been mumbling to themselves with pale faces suddenly shut their mouths. It was because Yeonwoo, with a fierce look on his face, hade out holding a gun. He red at the suspicious people and suddenly asked a question. ¡°Where did Researcher Seo Peonho and the headless person go?¡± ¡°They took them to the temporaryb for experiments. Dr. Seo and Yuna are in theb.¡± ¡°Call them, please.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I need to go out to collect rainwater.¡± As he pressed down on his raincoat, the woman who hade with the man hurriedly ran up the stairs. Trembling in fear, the woman disappeared beyond the stairs. Choi Hyunsang, shaking a bag containing a shovel and a stic bottle, passed by Yeonwoo and went outside through the broken wall. ¡®He''s just strong, seems like an ordinary assistant researcher.¡¯ Yeonwoo spoke to him. ¡°That rain, it also pulls out the heads of animals. Be careful. The headless ones seem to intend harm to people.¡± ¡°Thanks for the information. As expected, you¡¯re an investigator. ...Should I also take an animal while I¡¯m out? Seems like a good test subject.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a headless bird stuck in front of the car. Take that.¡± ¡°Oh. Thank you. I¡¯ll take itter.¡± Choi Hyunsang left with a brightened face. Meanwhile, the owner of the lodge sneaked away to the storage room, and only Yeonwoo and the man remained on the first floor. Yeonwoo calmly tossed the car key to the man. The man caught the key, tears welling up in his eyes. He was on the verge of crying. ¡°I still have a lot of payments left¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. But before that, who are you? Where are you from? Why did youe here?¡± ¡°Well.¡± The man nced at the gun and swallowed hard. He spoke with a voice mixed with tension, excitement, and sorrow. ¡°We''re a team that produces videos tracking mysteries and urban legends. We came here after finding a document about rain that makes heads fall off.¡± Then he suddenly looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°You''re from a secret organization, right? Like that incident at the Blue House, you know something real that others don¡¯t, right? That Dr. Seo person too, you¡¯re from the same organization. An interview, no, even just a conversation-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important right now. Prepare to deal with the danger first.¡± Yeonwoo looked away from the man. He was just a civilian. More important were Seo Peonho and the lodge owner. The lodge owner had disappeared somewhere, and Seo Peonho came down the stairs with a faint smile. Even when he saw the destroyed entrance and the car that had burst through, he didn¡¯t lose his smile. ¡°Mr. Lee Yeonwoo? What¡¯s going on? I thought you were leaving.¡± ¡°Escape was impossible.¡± ¡°Even though you had a car?¡± Yeonwoo sighed shortly and moved his body aside. He raised his gun and pointed at the car. ¡°Do you see that bird?¡± ¡°¡­It has no head. It seems animals are also affected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just about losing their heads. The headless ones only targeted me. So.¡± Seo Peonho walked to the front of the car and poked at the still wriggling crow. His back was turned to Yeonwoo. A glint shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. He moved his hand swiftly. Click- The gun touched the back of Seo Peonho¡¯s head. His movements stopped immediately. ¡°¡­Why are you doing this to a fellow employee?¡± ¡°Tell me what you know. All the information you''ve been hiding from me.¡± ¡°A civilian is watching right now-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know thepany has given up on secrecy?¡± With his index finger ready on the trigger, he was prepared to pull it if necessary. Seo Peonho remained silent for a moment, then slowly moved his hand to fumble with the writhing crow. ¡°Then thepany is nning to-¡± ¡°I know. Stop the bullsh*t and give me the information. What kind of anomaly is this, and how do we deal with it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to deal with it. This is hope for our humanity.¡± Seo Peonho raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and slowly turned around. With the shattered entrance and the car as a backdrop, and rain pouring outside, he looked straight at Yeonwoo. An unknown fervor and sense of mission gleamed in his eyes. ¡°I haven''t lied. The future of humanity truly depends on this research.¡± Yeonwoo stepped back slightly. The distance was too close, posing a risk of counterattack. Still aiming at his head, Yeonwoo asked again. "Don¡¯t beat around the¡ª" ¡°If we are to go extinct due to abnormal weather, then we must adapt to it.¡± Seo Peonho pulled one hand back and grabbed the crow. The headless crow twisted its body in his grasp. ¡°If this vitality could be given to humans, we could survive on Earth. It''s entirely possible.¡± Crack, the strong grip. The sound of air escaping and bones crushing came from the crow. Yet the crow did not die and continued to wriggle. Seo Peonho felt the movement in his palm and smiled joyfully. ¡°And through theponents left in the soil, the research has achieved some sess. If we can just reduce the side effects like insomnia, hair loss, memory loss, increased aggression, mental disorder, and death, we can survive. So, Mr. Lee Yeonwoo.¡± Seo Peonho nced behind Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo felt his instincts sounding an rm. ¡°Please cooperate with our research. If we inject you with the ¡®rainwater¡¯ and you ovee the side effects, we can perfect the rainwater.¡± Whoosh- He threw the crow at Yeonwoo¡¯s face. Yeonwoo did not back down. Instead, he lunged forward. ¡®Behind! The danger is behind me!¡¯ sh-! Something sharp grazed the back of his head. From the front, the crow swept across his face. With the momentum of his leap, Yeonwoo tackled Seo Peonho. At close range, he pulled the trigger against Seo Peonho¡¯s stomach. Bang, bang, bang-! Three shots. Simultaneously, he grabbed Seo Peonho¡¯s arm and spun around. Their positions reversed. Yeonwoo used Seo Peonho as a shield. A syringe, dripping a transparent liquid, stopped in ce. Gong Yuna, who had descended silently, dropped the syringe. ¡°Doctor.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Seo Peonho clutched his abdomen with a pale face. Blood poured from the three holes in his belly. ¡°No. The research.¡± Yeonwoo wore a bitter expression. He was just a man struggling to survive the abnormal climate. ¡®But he was also someone who tried to inject me with dangerous drugs.¡¯ Yeonwoo wiped his face with the hem of his clothes, removing the rainwater left when the crow brushed by him. 57 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Seo Peonho let out a shallow breath. He looked at Gong Yuna with clear eyes. She was his prized student, who he had taken an interest in since she was an undergraduate, led through graduate school, and finally brought into the Humanity Protection Company. And although she was the next person, after Choi Hyunsang and the woman, to be a test subject for the rainwater, the situation had changed, leaving no other choice. ¡°Gong Yuna. Continue my research... And, Mr. Lee Yeonwoo.¡±Seo Peonho turned his head to look at Yeonwoo, who had positioned him in front. Yeonwoo¡¯s face was expressionless, revealing nothing of his thoughts. Seo Peonho gave a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But please spare my student. She won¡¯t trouble you.¡± ¡°How do we stop this rain?¡± Consistent as ever. Seo Peonho recalled the rumors he had heard about Yeonwoo. A human totem who attracted all sorts of incidents and idents. Hadn¡¯t it started raining as soon as Yeonwoo arrived? ¡®There must be a reason he¡¯s survived.¡¯ A survival specialist, the epitome of an investigator. Seo Peonho spoke honestly. ¡°For that, you need to sacrifice seven people. For the details, ask my student... Please, just save my student¡­¡± With those words, Seo Peonho closed his eyes. His legs gave out, and he copsed. He wasn¡¯t dead yet, as his faint breathing continued. Yeonwoo looked down at Seo Peonho. Then, sensing someone approaching, he raised his gun. It was Gong Yuna. She had picked up the syringe she had dropped and wasing closer but then stopped. "I have no intention of harming you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Gong Yuna stared at Seo Peonho. Without a word, Yeonwoo walked past Seo Peonho and Gong Yuna, heading further into the lodge. He figured he would provide some first aid or move Seo Peonho elsewhere since he wasn¡¯t dead yet. But in the next moment, Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes widened. Stab- Gong Yuna had plunged the syringe into Seo Peonho¡¯s neck. With her thumb, she pressed down, injecting the transparent liquid. ¡°The doctor would want this. It''s something that helps the research before he dies.¡± Her voice was emotionless. After fully injecting the liquid, Gong Yuna pulled out the syringe and rolled it in her hand. ¡°In fact, the doctor intended to test it on you. He said you would expedite the research.¡± ¡°What the hell.¡± ¡°If we injected you with the rainwater and you resisted the side effects, we could use your blood as a sample for further research.¡± Yeonwoo readjusted his homemade pistol. He couldn¡¯t let his guard down around these crazy people. Both the master and the disciple were the same. Gong Yuna pulled out her phone and turned on the camera. The smartphone¡¯s camera lens captured Seo Peonho. Gong Yuna¡¯s voice continued. ¡°September 11th. Rainwater-003 clinical trial. The subject is Seo Peonho. Condition: three gunshot wounds to the abdomen. One minute after the rainwater injection. Gunshot wounds are healing.¡± Yeonwoo nced at Seo Peonho. The gunshot wounds were indeed healing. Underneath the blood-soaked clothes, the flesh was regenerating. Additionally, Seo Peonho¡¯s hair was falling out in clumps, and he began to convulse, his eyes rolling back. Something felt dangerous. ¡°Hair loss progressing. Convulsions confirmed.¡± ¡°Hey. First, tell me how to stop the rain.¡± Gong Yuna didn¡¯t even turn her head. She recited the knowledge in a t tone. ¡°It was recorded that if seven people lose their heads to the rain, the rain stops.¡± Seven people must be sacrificed. Yeonwoo counted the number of people staying here, folding a finger for each one. ¡®The man who lost his head, two civilians, three research team members, and the lodge owner.¡¯ Exactly seven, excluding Yeonwoo. As he was about to get lost in thought, shaking his gun, Yeonwoo suddenly raised his arm and aimed the gun. The gun barrel pointed at Seo Peonho. Screech- crack- thud- creak- Seo Peonho twisted his limbs like a possessed person, his joints bending unnaturally, his fingernails scraping the floor as he struggled. Yeonwoo licked his dry lips. "That thing is dangerous, no, it will definitely be dangerous." He concluded before Gong Yuna could answer. Seo Peonho had admitted it himself¡ªside effects included increased aggression and mental instability. ''If left alone, he''ll definitely go berserk like a zombie.'' Yeonwoo hooked his finger on the trigger, then put the gun back into his bag. Gunshots wouldn''t be effective. A heavy blow or a sharp cut would be better. He called out to the man crouching in the corner. "The guy with the broken car. Let''s subdue that thing together." "Y-yes! Yes!" The man grabbed a long broom that had fallen to the floor, and Yeonwoo took out a tool from his bag. A mini electric saw, perfect for the current situation. The de was slightlyrger than the palm of his hand. Whirrr- As he pressed a button like a trigger, the RPM increased, and the saw de spun furiously. The mini electric saw, designed to cut small branches, cut through the air as it moved toward Seo Peonho. Gong Yuna stood in front, blocking for Seo Peonho. "Gong Yuna, step aside." "...I''ll tie him up right away, so don''t damage the specimen." Gong Yuna picked up a leftover rope she had used to tie the headless man. She then tied Seo Peonho''s ankles, hands, and body. Seo Peonho, tightly bound with rope, struggled violently. His skin chafed and peeled off, but it regenerated continuously, leaving him writhing. Whirrr- Yeonwoo kept the electric saw running. He didn''t know what might happen next. Indeed, his caution was not excessive. Gong Yuna crouched and tied the knots tightly. "Kyahhh!" Seo Peonho, his eyes rolled back, raised his upper body and bit into Gong Yuna''s neck with his gaping mouth. Thud- Choi Hyunsang, who had gone outside, returned headless, dragging his torn raincoat as he crossed the broken entrance. Thump, thump- The woman who had gone upstairs to call Seo Peonho tumbled down the stairs. She had apparently been injected with the ''rainwater'' in theb, as her hair was falling out and her eyes were rolling back. "Kyaaak!" "..." The scene turned into chaos in an instant. Gong Yuna spewed blood from her torn neck. Even now, flesh was being ripped from her neck. Headless Choi Hyunsang, with his rain-soaked shoes squelching, slowly approached them, while the woman crouched like a beast on all fours, ready to pounce. "...The guy with the broken car. Take this." Yeonwoo took out a hammer from his bag and handed it over. He then said, "Let''s go up the stairs. If we barricade ourselves on the stairs, we can hold out." "Ah, ah." The man grasped the hammer but let it hang limply. His eyes were fixed on the woman. His voice trembled endlessly, just like his eyes. "Why, ah. Because of me. It''s because I wanted toe." He was out of his mind. Gone. Yeonwoo gave up on him. He took a determined step toward the stairs. The woman sprang up and charged on all fours. Yeonwoo sidestepped and quickly ran up the stairs. A scream-like shout came from the man behind him. "Snap out of it! It''s me! Agh!" It was toote. Yeonwoo didn''t slow down. He entered theb, which had its door open, and grabbed theputer tower and monitor before heading back to the stairs. Thud, thud- Downstairs, the headless Choi Hyunsang was climbing the stairs. One step at a time, steadily. Yeonwoo lifted the monitor high and, after a quick calction, threw it. The monitor flew through the air and struck Choi Hyunsang in the chest. Choi Hyunsang fell backward and tumbled down the stairs. Yeonwoo''s expression was grim. ''This isn''t going to solve the problem. Coming up to the second floor might have been a mistake. I should''ve just gone outside with an umbre.'' Even as he thought that, he threw theputer tower again, pushing both Choi Hyunsang and the woman down simultaneously. Then he urgently rummaged through his pockets as he ran back to theb. ¡®Calling thepany... it''s toote. They might note. It would be better to call the police or an insurancepany, or a tow truck, and use them as sacrifices¡ª¡¯ At that moment. Yeonwoo, who had reached theb, suddenly stopped. From theb''s window, which overlooked the parking lot and road. A police car and a tow truck had arrived at the lodge. Someone had thought simrly and acted first. --- --- The lodge owner was pacing frantically inside the storage room. He spun around the shelves, checked the tightly locked door, and grabbed a traditional straw rain cape and a bamboo hat that had been passed down through his family. He tore at his thinning hair. ¡®What on earth is happening?¡¯ Rain that makes heads fall was not a big deal to him. He was from a family that had lived in the vige for generations, descendants of a shaman who quelled the rain. Naturally, he knew about the rain that made heads fall and the need to offer seven sacrifices. It was his duty. A while ago, he had a dream that foretold the rain, so he had made preparations¡­. ¡®How did I attract new guests, puncture all the tires except for one, and even tear the researcher¡¯s raincoat?¡¯ Then a gunman appeared, the front door was destroyed, and zombie-like humans showed up. With trembling hands, he turned on his phone and checked the CCTV on the first floor of the lodge. He counted the numbers, recalling the situation. Two people rampaging, two people bitten and dead, two headless people. He tore at his hair again. ¡°We¡¯re short of heads¡­.¡± These unknown individuals hadpletely ruined the ritual. At this rate, he didn¡¯t know how long the rain would continue. He had to stop the rain quickly. The lodge owner tightly closed his eyes and then opened them. He looked at his phone. "It should be outsiders that are sacrificed. There¡¯s no other choice.¡± 58 - Rain TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here People got out of the tow truck and the police car parked at the entrance of the lodge. One young man from the tow truck, and two men from the police car. Despite the pouring rain and the scene being right in front of them, they stepped out bare, without umbres. They shook their heads at thepletely shattered entrance of the lodge. ¡°This looks intentional. Why drive all the way here and crash the car when there¡¯s a perfectly good parking lot?¡± ¡°Is the person who called here?¡±The middle-aged policeman clicked his tongue as he looked around the entrance, while the young policeman raised his voice, shouting beyond the entrance. ¡°Uh...¡± The young man from the tow truck started to attach a hook to the car, then stepped back when he saw beyond the entrance. He leaned forward, his eyes widening. Beyond the bloody entrance. Someone tied with red rope was squirming, there were two corpses with bitten necks, a woman with crazed eyes as if drugged, and a headless man. The headless man, standing in front of the stairs, turned and approached the tow truck guy. ¡°Officer, that, that over there.¡± Unable to take his eyes off the scene, the tow truck guy gestured frantically. But the policemen approached him instead. Both policemen stretched their necks out towards the tow truck guy, reaching out urgently. ¡°Are you okay? Your neck is...¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not the problem right now¡ª¡± The tow truck guy finally turned his head. His neck, elongated like a turtle or snake, bent to the side. Crack- Tear- The sound of bones twisting and skin tearing. The young man instinctively touched his elongated neck, then fell backward at the sight of the two policemen. As he fell onto the rain-soaked pavement, the policemen with their elongated necks cast shadows over him. They dropped their heads and stamped their feet in front of him. Sizzle- Crack- ¡°Hey, is your neck alri¡ª¡± Then, their heads fell off. One, two, three. Three heads rolled across the entrance of the lodge. Hats fell off, rain-soaked hair mingled with gravel and leaves. Rainwater dripped from eyes that could no longer close. Swoosh¡ª The headless bodies paused momentarily, reaching out with their hands, then slowly turned towards the inside of the lodge. Towards the humans with heads. ¡°Grrr¡ª¡± The woman who had injected herself with rainwater growled, turning her crazed eyes towards the headless beings. Choi Hyunsang, the two policemen, and the tow truck guy. Too many to handle alone. But the crazed woman didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t free Seo Peonho, nor did she run away. She lunged at Choi Hyunsang like a beast. ¡°Raaaagh¡ª!¡± Her sharp ws swiped, and her fangs lunged like a hunting dog. But even as she scratched and bit, the headless Choi Hyunsang calmly reached out and grabbed her. His strong grip held onto her shoulder, not letting go. Meanwhile, three headless beings slowly approached and surrounded the woman. They grabbed her limbs and slowly dragged her outside the lodge. ¡°Nooo¡ª!¡± No matter how much she struggled, she couldn¡¯t move. In the end, under the dark clouds, soaked by the rain, her head fell off. ¡°....¡± The headless woman slowly stood up and joined the ranks of the headless beings. They dragged the bound Seo Peonho outside the lodge and offered him as a sacrifice as well. Thus, seven humans lost their heads. The rain began to weaken. The torrential downpour gradually lessened until it finally stopped. The dark clouds parted, and sunlight streamed through the gaps. The sunlight illuminated the ruined entrance of the lodge. ¡°....¡± ¡°....¡± The headless beings stood still like mannequins, then suddenly turned into water and sshed down. All that remained in their ce were puddles of water. At that moment, the lodge owner appeared. He looked down at the puddles of water and saw his own reflection on the water''s surface. "It''s over...." Covered in cold sweat, his limbs trembling, he let out a deep sigh. Somehow, he had managed to stop the rain. ¡®I thought it was all over. The zombie-like humans, then the one with the gun¡ª¡¯ The relieved lodge owner shuddered. Only now did he think of another survivor. ¡®Right! That person with the gun! They''re still here¡ª¡¯ Click¡ª A cold sensation touched the back of his head. He didn¡¯t need to look to know. It must be a gun. The lodge ownerughed awkwardly, his hands trembling. ¡°Th-that. I-I...¡± As he struggled to speak, something rolled in front of him. He nced down with his eyes and saw a red rope. The rope, kicked by his foot, stopped in front of him. Lee Yeonwoo spoke. ¡°Tie yourself up with that. To the tow truck hook and your arm.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After restraining the lodge owner, Yeonwoo contacted thepany, informing his contacts in the intelligence department that a cleanup was necessary. --- --- Yeonwoo sat on the first floor of the lodge, watching as thepany handled the scene. Two cleanup specialists made calls, said something, and physically confiscated the CCTV footage, putting it in a box. They then collected all theb¡¯sputers and equipment, loading them into a porter truck. ¡°Gentlemen, please listen to me. It''s all my fault.¡± The handcuffed lodge owner, loaded onto the porter, begged the cleanup specialists, but they ignored him. They injected him with what seemed to be a sedative, putting him to sleep and covering him with a ck tarp. One of the specialists approached Yeonwoo after finishing the job. ¡°Investigator Yeonwoo, everything has been taken care of. It¡¯s like nothing happened here.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± "Oh, no. You''re the one who''s had it tough. What in the world, worshipping anomalies these days. I mean, worship is one thing, but sacrifices..." Having extracted information from the lodge owner through a simple interrogation, they shuddered. "What can we do about anomalies?" ¡°Isn¡¯t that what ourpany is for? There must be a way to stop it without sacrificing people.¡± He nced at the lodge owner sleeping under the ck tarp, shook his head a few times, and bowed to Yeonwoo. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The ck porter truck rumbled away. Yeonwoo watched it leave, then fiddled with his bag. Among the various tools were two small ss bottles. One was a memory eraser, and the other was ''rainwater''. He had stolen the rainwater before the cleanup specialists arrived. ¡®¡­It¡¯s better to have at least one.¡¯ Yeonwoo pondered with a somber gaze. Despite the severe side effects, it was like a roll of the dice. If he were mortally wounded, it would be worth trying the potion once. It was better than quietly dying; he could drink the rainwater and resist the side effects with a roll of the dice. Moreover, couldn¡¯t the rainwater be used as a weapon too? Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes turned to the puddles of rainwater outside the lodge. ¡®Seo Peonho said he made the ¡®rainwater¡¯ from the elements left in the soil. So, the rainwater itself...¡¯ Suddenly, Yeonwoo stood up. He carefully filled a tumbler with the rainwater, wrapped it in a stic bag, and put it in his bag. ¡®I can throw it at enemies or put it in a water gun and shoot it.¡¯ Having roughly finished his work, Yeonwoo took onest look around the now-empty lodge. Was there anything else to take? No. Just as she was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. With the Chuseok holiday starting, would the way back be congested? "...Let''s rest a bit and leave when the traffic clears." Since the business tripsted until the end of the Chuseok holiday, there was no problem in taking his time to return. Yeonwoo, who had grabbed a cup of instant noodles from the convenience store barely the size of a hole-in-the-wall shop, returned to his room on the second floor. --- --- A few days passed. At the office of the Anomaly Investigation Team. Yeonwoo was writing a report about what he had experienced at the deserted mountain lodge. He suddenly stopped, describing the moment he retaliated against Seo Peonho. Yeonwoo stared at the monitor with a dark expression. ¡®This is when I got hit by the rainwater¡­.¡¯ It had been a little, and he wiped it off quickly, so he didn¡¯t think much of it. But the aftereffects were serious. Swish- Yeonwoo lightly grasped his hair and then brought his hand in front of his eyes. A considerable amount of hair was stuck to his hand. Hair loss had begun, albeit mildly. ¡°Haah¡­.¡± A sigh. The sigh, along with the hair,nded heavily on the keyboard. Yoo Ji-yoo, watching Yeonwoo anxiously, bit her lip. She had a suppressed smile. ¡°That, um. Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.... It¡¯s fortunate if this is the extent of it.¡± It was better than having his neck extend and ultimately losing his head. There were no issues with insomnia or mental instability, and it was better than dying. When Yeonwoo sighed, not for the first time, the team leader raised his head slightly. ¡°Rookie. Think of it as a badge of honor. You see, when you work¡ª¡± ¡°...Team Leader. I brought some rainwater back.¡± Pain lessens when shared. If everyone¡¯s hair fell out, wouldn¡¯t it bring some peace of mind? It wasn¡¯t hard. Just put the rainwater in a spray bottle and spray it once. As a strange glint appeared in Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes, Ji-yoo and the team leader recoiled in horror, pushing their chairs back and ducking behind their desks. ¡°No! What are you trying to do!¡± ¡°Rookie, you can¡¯t do that. Hey!¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Yeonwoo bowed his head slightly, then, correcting his posture, pulled his chin back and finished the report. 59 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Just past midnight, as he was about to prepare for bed, a mission came down from the Clock Repairmen. Lee Yeonwooy in bed, carefully reading the chat. -TPL: We''ve found one of the causes elerating the abnormal weather! Since the cause is in Korea, CHS, please investigate. Excited by the good news, the message was a bit disjointed. However, Yeonwoo calmly tapped the screen.-CHS: Please exin in detail. What is the cause, and what do I need to investigate? -TPL: With the help of an artist, we raided apany''s server and stole data. Among the confidential documents was an anomaly called ''The North Wind and the Sun.'' His fingers paused on the phone screen. Yeonwoo blinked, reading the words again, and then slightly opened his mouth. "No way¡­." An artist? A raid? What did I just read? Are we this aggressive¡­? The confusion quickly subsided. Yeonwoo let out a shallow sigh. Compared to the Extermination Company or the Management Company, this was quite moderate. ''This is fine, I guess.'' Yeonwoo stopped the unnecessary thoughts and focused on the chat. -TPL: ''The North Wind and the Sun'' is a fairy tale written on parchment. Anyone who touches the parchment enters the story and bes a character in the tale. -CHS: Do they be the traveler with the cloak? -TPL: Exactly. Yeonwoo, stroking the edge of his phone, fell into thought. ''The North Wind and the Sun'' was a story where two made a bet on who could make the traveler take off his cloak. -CHS: How is this rted to the abnormal climate? -TPL: It can elerate abnormal weather. -TPL: Depending on the oue of the bet, the real-world temperature changes. If the Sun wins, the temperature rises, and if the North Wind wins, the temperature drops. In the dark room, the light from the phone reflected in his wide-open eyes. Yeonwoo urgently tapped the phone. -CHS: Then we can use this to solve the abnormal weather! -TPL: Hmm. Thepany thought so too. That¡¯s why there was an ident. TPL slowly recounted the experimental records read from the confidential document. Realizing the abnormal weather, thepany decided to manipte the results of the North Wind and the Sun''s bet to prevent it. They forced the North Wind to keep winning, intending to lower the temperature. But the result was¡­. -TPL: It worked well at first. But then, the North Wind and the Sun noticed. They realized they were being tricked and used. -TPL: After that, in their anger, the temperature kept rising. They don¡¯t even make bets anymore. Thepany was contributing to the abnormal weather! Yeonwoo pped his forehead. That was it. Despite the poor oue, it was still an attempt to prevent abnormal weather. -TPL: Anyway, the North Wind and the Sun are kept by the Korean Anomaly Research Society. Go investigate it. -CHS: What exactly should I investigate? -TPL: Well. The chat stopped. Yeonwoo waited, staring at the screen. TPL, choosing his words carefully, slowly gave the instructions. -TPL: Investigate the structure of the Anomaly Research Society¡¯s building, the location of the North Wind and the Sun, and the security status. -CHS: Why is that¡­. -TPL: We need to deploy someone, whether a doomsday cultist or an artist, to steal it. It¡¯s an anomaly that can dy the abnormal weather. Whether to destroy it to stop the eleration towards destruction or to persuade it to lower the temperature, it was an anomaly the Clock Repairmen could not miss. Agreeing with this intention, Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes sparkled. He found a faint hope. It''s not a difficult task. Just simple reconnaissance. Resolutely, Yeonwoo moved his fingers and sent a brief message. -CHS: Yes. I will do it. --- --- Although he answered confidently, he couldn''t act immediately. If he went there recklessly, he would definitely be caught by the security team. Because of this, Yeonwoo stayed up all night preparing a n. When morning came, he went to work at the investigation team, still exhausted. The office, which he arrived at much earlier than usual. The team leader was already there, drinking coffee mix. He looked up at Yeonwoo. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re early. Good timing. Take out the trash, it¡¯s full.¡± The team leader gestured toward the overflowing trash can. Ignoring him, Yeonwoo looked around the office. Yoo Ji-yoo hadn''t arrived yet. Considering her usual arrival time, she would be another 30 minutes. Being alone with him was the perfect opportunity to speak. Yeonwoo swallowed hard and spoke in a low, serious voice. ¡°Team leader.¡± His tone suggested he had something important to say. The team leader stiffened, then sighed deeply, as if expecting the worst, and put down his paper cup. ¡°You¡¯re going to resign?¡± Given the serious incidents he had experienced and his hair loss, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think he might be considering resignation. Despite the sweet coffee mix, a bitter taste lingered on his tongue. As the team leader was about to ept his request without much protest, Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What? No. Why would I quit thepany?¡± Since learning about the abnormal weather, he had never once thought of resigning. Losing his status, connections, information, and memories as apany employee would make survival difficult. Quit now? Yeonwoo and the team leader exchanged confused looks before the team leader cleared his throat and averted his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not? Okay, then.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I wanted to ask if you knew about the abnormal climate and the preservation n.¡± Yeonwoo went straight to the point, aiming to bring the team leader into the Clock Repairmen. ¡°Never heard of it. Sounds like apany project, though.¡± The team leader, puzzledly, shook his head, and Yeonwoo summarized the story. Time stop, abnormal weather, preservation n, clock repairmen, the factions and employees split by their different approaches to saving Earth¡­. As the story progressed, the team leader¡¯s expression grew darker. His mouth dried up, and he drank several cups of water after finishing his coffee mix, silently listening to the story. When the story concluded, the team leader stared nkly into space, his eyes unfocused as if tracing past and future. ¡°So, that¡¯s why thepany¡¯s¡­.¡± His voice mixed with variousplex emotions. Yeonwoo stood quietly, waiting for the team leader to ept reality. After a brief silence, the team leader lowered his head to look at Yeonwoo. ¡°So. You want me to join your faction?¡± ¡°Yes. I can hardly do anything alone.¡± The team leader looked at Yeonwoo with focused eyes and shook his head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Team leader.¡± ¡°Listen, rookie. I¡¯m an investigator for thepany. Always have been, always will be.¡± The team leader leaned back in his chair, gazing at the old ceiling of the Anomaly Investigation Team¡¯s office. The ceiling, thick with dust and cobwebs. Even if abnormal weather came, this reinforced concrete building would easily endure for decades. ¡°Even if abnormal weatheres, humanity won¡¯t go extinct. It will be very different, but we¡¯ll survive somehow.¡± The team leader envisioned a future overwhelmed by abnormal weather. Survival would undoubtedly be challenging. Modern civilization would certainly copse. However, even if civilization copsed and the Earth was ruined, humanity wouldn¡¯t go extinct. They would revert to a primitive society, spread out in small groups, but they would survive. And if humanity didn¡¯t go extinct, neither would the Humanity Protection Company. ¡°As long as there are people, there will be thepany. What is thepany anyway? Protecting people from anomalies, that¡¯s thepany. I will continue living as an employee, an investigator. I don¡¯t know about anything else.¡± The team leader had epted the impending doom and decided to remain an employee of the Humanity Protection Company, even in a broken world. The team leader gave a faint smile. ¡°Maybe it''s because I''m getting old, but it''s hard to try something new. I just want to live as I always have. Although, my hair is younger than yours.¡± He ended with a joke, looking at Yeonwoo, who had a troubled expression. Yeonwoo''s lips twitched, and he let his shoulders slump. ¡°Understood.¡± The team leader stood up and patted Yeonwoo''s shoulder. Then, he gripped it tightly, leaving deep wrinkles in the suit with his thick fingers. ¡°I won''t say anything more to you. When you''re young, you should challenge yourself and try new things. And, as your team leader, I¡¯ll help you in any way I can.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Yeonwoo, who had been frowning in pain from the grip, brightened up. ¡°Then please help me with one thing.¡± ¡°What, now?¡± ¡°Yes. I need to go to the Anomaly Research Society, but it¡¯s hard to go alone.¡± The team leader, a bit flustered, stepped back. He meant he would overlook things and cover for him when needed. Yeonwoo quicklyid out the n he had thought of all night. ¡°Can we go together under the pretext of an anomaly inspection?¡± The team leader, with a reluctant expression, finally nodded. It would be unsightly to back out after just saying he¡¯d help. Just as they were preparing to leave the office, the door burst open, and Ji-yoo arrived. She tilted her head as soon as she entered. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Oh. I¡¯m going on a business trip with Yeonwoo.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to watch the office alone?¡± She sounded somewhat happy. The team leader waved dismissively. ¡°Yeah. Leave when you¡¯re done, tell them we went for an inspection if anyone calls, and clean up. Take out the trash and clear those cobwebs from the ceiling.¡± ¡°Why the cobwebs? Spiders catch bugs for us.¡± ¡°Oh, whatever. Do as you please.¡± The team leader grabbed his car keys and left the office. Yeonwoo, carrying a heavy bag on his shoulder, gave a short nod to Ji-yoo before following him out. Their destination was the Anomaly Research Society. 60 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The Anomaly Research Society was located in a natural reserve on a in, which meant driving for several hours. Vroom- The team leader¡¯s car sped down the highway. The team leader nced at Yeonwoo through the rearview mirror. Yeonwoo was stroking his chin while looking at his phone, but whenever his hand moved to his head, he''d jerk it back down in surprise. "Is your hair loss that bad?"When the team leader asked, Yeonwoo carefully touched his head. ¡°It¡¯s not bad right now. A lot has fallen out. It looks fine now, but I don¡¯t know what will happen.¡± Yeonwoo pushed his bangs up with his palm. His once thick hair seemed to have thinned. His forehead seemed to have receded a bit in an M shape. He turned on the phone camera in selfie mode and angled his head slightly. The team leader, wanting to make small talk during the long drive, continued the conversation. "You haven''t tried the dice?" ¡°It¡¯s not obvious right now, and the risk scares me¡­ should I try it?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? You should decide for yourself.¡± The team leader was taken aback. He didn¡¯t mean for Yeonwoo to actually roll the dice. Who knows what could happen if it was a critical failure. Click- But Yeonwoo took a selfie with his bangs pushed back and, after examining the photo closely, made up his mind. ¡°I need to roll it.¡± ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°If I leave it as it is, I¡¯ll eventually go bald anyway. It¡¯s the same whether I roll it now orter.¡± Before the team leader could stop him, Yeonwoo spoke to the dice in a determined voice. "Dice. Resist hair loss." Roll- The team leader swallowed nervously, ncing at Yeonwoo through the rearview mirror. Yeonwoo waited for the result with determined eyes. Seconds felt like minutes, and the dice showed the result. Failure! Bang! A sound like a firecracker burst out. Yeonwoo¡¯s hair exploded and scattered. He stared at the air with wide eyes. His hair was falling like petals. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What. What.¡± Yeonwoo and the team leader¡¯s lips trembled. They could barely form words. The team leader almost veered off hisne but managed to hold onto the steering wheel just in time. ¡°Yeonwoo, your, your hair.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo¡¯s hands shook as he touched his thinning hair with one hand and looked at his phone camera with the other. His hair loss had rapidly advanced. White patches showed through his thinning hair. ¡°Dice.¡± ¡°Yeonwoo. Wait, calm down-¡± "Resist hair loss." Roll- Failure! Bang! His hair scattered like firecrackers again. Now, more scalp was visible than hair. Yeonwoo¡¯s eyes rolled wildly. He had nothing left to lose. ¡°Dice. Resist hair loss. Until I seed, keep going.¡± His voice filled with madness, the dice seemed to tremble as it rolled. Roll- Sess! Shoop-shoop-shoop-! ck hair sprouted smoothly on his shiny scalp. The white patches filled in with ck. It wasn¡¯t just that. His body felt lighter. The exhaustion fromck of sleep disappeared, and energy flowed through him. Yeonwoo instinctively realized. ¡®The rainwater became a remedy.¡¯ It wasn''t hair loss he was resisting. It was the rainwater. As a result, the rainwater that caused hair loss worked oppositely, enhancing his stamina. And possibly, a slight increase in regenerative abilities. Yeonwoo clenched and unclenched his fists. The feeling was different. What to call it? Vitality? Energy? A faint sense of power settled in his body. ¡°Haha.¡± Yeonwoo smiled, and the team leader sighed in relief. He focused on driving with a rxed mind, turning the wheel as they exited the highway. ¡°Yeonwoo¡­ be careful with the dice¡­ what if it was a critical failure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful next time.¡± Yeonwoo scratched his head confidently, looking at his knees, the car seat, and the floor. His hair was piled up as if it had been cut. ¡°I''ll clean up the hair right away.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better. There¡¯s a box with bags and tissues, use those.¡± As they cleaned up, they arrived at the in. Yeonwoo and the team leader took the employee-only road of the natural reserve and arrived at the building where the Anomaly Research Society was located. --- --- The Anomaly Research Society looked like a temporary military outpost. Inside the barbed wire fence were two elongated watchtower-like structures and a small concrete building. Buzz- A sound came from the speaker attached to the watchtower. -Unauthorized personnel are not allowed. Please turn back. ¡°We¡¯re authorized personnel, idiot.¡± The team leader, with a disdainful expression, approached the barbed wire gate and pressed the bell. The red light on the yellowed inte lit up. -Who is it? ¡°This is the team leader of the Anomaly Investigation Team. We¡¯re here for an inspection. Open the gate.¡± -What? What? The team leader rummaged through his pocket and pulled out an ID. He held the ID up to the inte camera. The camera scanned the ID. He didn¡¯t wait for those few seconds. ¡°What are you hiding? Why are you so slow? Is this an anomaly? Are you being controlled by an anomaly?¡± -No, sir! We¡¯ll open it right away! Beeeeeep- Click, the barbed wire gate opened. The team leader strode in confidently, and Yeonwoo followed naturally, nodding his head. ¡®If I hade alone, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten in.¡¯ Without the team leader¡¯s authority for anomaly inspections, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter so easily. Inside the small concrete building, the employee who had spoken through the inte came running. ¡°Sir! You¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the society president?¡± ¡°Well¡­.¡± The employee wiped the sweat from his forehead. As soon as he informed the president about the visit, the president had said: ¡®Why is that person here? What¡¯s he going to overturn this time? I don¡¯t even want to see his face. If he asks for me, say I¡¯m not here.¡¯ Words he couldn¡¯t directly ry. ¡°He¡¯s sick and on sick leave, resting at home.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Are you lying because he doesn¡¯t want to see me?¡± ¡°No, no. Go down and see for yourself. He¡¯s really not here.¡± The employee moved quickly, guiding the team leader and Yeonwoo to the elevator. He inserted his ID card like a key, and the elevator doors opened. ¡°Where would you like to start?¡± The buttons went down to the third basement level. Without looking at Yeonwoo, the team leader spoke as if in passing. ¡°Let¡¯s check out all the floors from the first basement level.¡± Yeonwoo needed to see the North Wind and Sun, but there was no need to reveal that. Ding-! The elevator doors opened on the first basement level. Beyond the doors was arge space lined with instion, where blue snakes roamed freely. They climbed steel bars, coiled themselves up, or slithered around. The employee spoke. ¡°This is the first basement level, the Blue Lightning Snake breeding ground. All the snakes used in the taser guns by the Korean branch are raised and trained here.¡± Just then, an employee in ck appeared and rang a bell. ¡°Time to eat-!¡± At his shout, the lightning snakes surged like a blue wave toward one wall. Each snake ced its head on the numerous hanging electric wires, feeding on the electricity matched to the taser gun¡¯s output. The team leader waved his hand dismissively. There was no need to see more. ¡°Second floor.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The elevator doors closed and then opened a momentter. Yeonwoo''s mouth fell open in awe. ¡°Wow.¡± It was a world like a scene from a fairy tale. Whatever technology they used, it felt like they had moved to another dimension. High sky and clouds. Green grass swaying in the wind. On the ground, cloud-like catszily wagged their tails, and various strange creatures roamed the fields. Most overwhelming of all was the gold dragon sitting in the center of the field. With an elegant posture and a raised head, the gold dragon conversed with one of the employees, its voice resonating powerfully. ¡°The gold dragon is the finest of all dragons, the wisest among dragons in the entire universe!¡± As Yeonwoo and the team leader blinked in surprise, the employee guiding them sighed. ¡°There he goes again. ...This is the second basement level, the Anomalous Entities Containment Zone.¡± ¡°Oh. Let¡¯s take a look.¡± The team leader¡¯s eyes sparkled as he stepped out of the elevator. The employee and Yeonwoo followed him into the field. Meanwhile, the dragon continued to shout loudly. ¡°The red dragon is trash, no better than a beast that can¡¯t even control its instincts! The green dragon isn¡¯t worthy of being called a dragon! The ck dragon- ¡° The dragon stopped speaking. It turned its golden head slightly, looking at the new visitors. Its eyes, filled with unfathomable wisdom, looked down on the humans. ¡°Ah, foolish mortals. Have youe to seek my wisdom?¡± One was an employee here, the older man was also a proper employee, and the other was... ¡°Argh!¡± The dragon closed its eyes and bit its tongue. It frantically wiped its eyes with its short forelimbs. ¡°Dreadful! Get him out of here! He¡¯s wrapped in disaster! And he¡¯se with ill intentions! Quickly, quickly, get him out!¡± Silence. The guiding employee slowly moved back, his hand inching towards the emergency button, and the team leader closed his eyes. Yeonwoo looked embarrassed. He spoke to the employee. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of my constitution-¡± But before Yeonwoo could finish speaking, the gold dragon spread its wings wide, creating a gust of wind as it took off. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave, I will!¡± Where the whirlwind passed. The employee pressed the emergency button. 61 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Where the dragon had flown off. Amidst the strong wind that ruffled their hair and clothes, the employee thought. ¡®That dragon may be a bit off in the head, but it never lies.¡¯ Despite discriminating by scale color, it was an anomaly that only hated other dragons. It liked to teach humans, calling them the burden of dragons, and was thus friendly to thepany.Therefore, the employee believed the dragon¡¯s words. A disaster that hade with ill intentions. Without hesitation, he pressed the red emergency button firmly with his thumb. ¡°¡­Investigation Team Leader. Investigator. I¡¯ve sent an emergency signal. Stay still if you don¡¯t want to be shot by the security team. We¡¯ll release you after the investigation.¡± His eyes were sharp, a stark contrast to his previously subservient demeanor. Lee Yeonwoo let out a bitterugh. The energy he gained from the rainwater seemed to drain away. ¡®How did things go so wrong?¡¯ They had managed to get this far inside, only to be exposed by a racist dragon. He hadn¡¯t seen iting at all. Thispany¡¯s security measures were truly strange. Eventually, Yeonwoo gave up and squatted down in ce. ¡®Somehow, I¡¯ll manage the aftermath. I haven¡¯t actually caused any trouble. I have connections in the Intelligence Department.¡¯ Yeonwoo gestured towards a cloud cat that had approached. The cat, made of pitch-ck storm clouds, slowly wagged its tail and came closer. When Yeonwoo petted the fluffy body, the cloud cat let out a small thunderous purr. ¡°Rumble.¡± His hand, stroking the moist body, became damp. As Yeonwoo carefully squeezed the cloud cat, water flowed down like rain. The cloud, having shed its water, turned gray. While Yeonwoo was ying with the cat. The team leader quietly stared at the spot where the dragon had been, then slowly turned his head to re at the employee. ¡°You. Are you out of your mind?¡± His eyes were steely, his voice heavy. The employee was about to speak, showing the emergency button, but the team leader reached out, grabbed the employee by the cor, and yanked him forward. Because the team leader was a bit short, the employee¡¯s head was pulled down. "Urrung!" Frightened by the menacing atmosphere, the cat ran away. Yeonwoo stood up and hurried over to the team leader. ¡°Team leader.¡± His steps stopped. He wanted to say it was okay, that there was no need to go this far, but the look in the team leader¡¯s eyes was rming. The team leader shook the confused employee¡¯s cor back and forth. The employee¡¯s head bobbed weakly. ¡°What the hell are you doing-¡± ¡°Who are you? Ackey? You pressed the emergency button just because an anomaly said something? If it tells you to die, will you die? If it tells you to release someone, will you do it? If it tells you to kill someone, will you?¡± "That¡¯s not-" The employee, flustered, stubbornly shut his mouth. Then, he swatted away the team leader¡¯s hand and said, "That dragon is ssified as green. It''s a friendly entity. There¡¯s no reason not to trust it!" ¡°Bullsh*t. You trust anomalies?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got anomalies under you, too! Parent Detector!¡± ¡°My guys are human. And I¡¯m the leader of the investigation team.¡± The team leader snorted and pulled a button from his pocket. The employee¡¯s eyes widened in shock when he saw it. It was the button to call the Extermination Team. During an anomaly inspection, if the department was deemed to be under anomaly control, it was used to request suppression or destruction of the department¡ªa notoriously dreaded button. Click-! The button was pressed. The team leader grinned fiercely. ¡°Let¡¯s see how this turns out.¡± Yeonwoo¡¯s business was now secondary. The team leader decided to thoroughly inspect the Anomaly Research Society, remaining true to his original job. A society that lived with cute, beautiful, and grand anomalies, but had be mentallyx. The employee gaped, then clenched his teeth. ¡°Go ahead! Let¡¯s see who¡¯s at fault-¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± At that point, Yeonwoo intervened. His eyes sparkled as he subtly suggested to the team leader, ¡°Let¡¯s continue the inspection? We don¡¯t know what else might be hidden.¡± A suggestion to move in search of the North Wind and Sun. The team leader wore a momentarily ambiguous expression, nced at Yeonwoo, and then turned to speak. ¡°Now? With the emergency button pressed, everything is probably contained. The elevator must be shut down too. We should wait until the Extermination Team arrives and then thoroughly search every corner.¡± It would be impossible for two investigators to search the department without the Extermination Team. They couldn¡¯t fight the armed security team. But Yeonwoo calmly shook his head. ¡°The justification is on our side. And as for the containment¡­¡± Yeonwoo dug through his heavy bag while looking at the employee. The bag bulged and squirmed with his movements. ¡®Not the mini chainsaw, not the hammer, not the drill, not the cutter, not the blowtorch, not the stun gun, not the handgun... Ah, found it.¡¯ Out of the bag emerged a hand holding a water gun. Yeonwoo pointed the water gun at the employee¡¯s head. The employee wore a confused expression, as if wondering what Yeonwoo intended to do with a water gun. Yeonwoo exined. ¡°It¡¯s filled with a hair loss drug.¡± ¡°Medication for treating hair loss? I don¡¯t have hair loss.¡± ¡°It causes hair loss. Cooperate if you don¡¯t want to go bald.¡± ¡°Why would that be a medication¡­.¡± The water gun moved closer. The employee¡¯s face turned pale. He looked at the bag with trembling eyes. ¡°What are you carrying around?¡± ¡°Will you cooperate or not?¡± The water gun grazed his forehead and pressed against his crown. The employee closed his eyes tightly, his face changing expressions rapidly as he thought. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯ll cooperate.¡± --- --- The employee changed his attitude and guided them to a ce in the field. ¡°This second basement level is a sort of pocket dimension created with thepany¡¯s core technology. Naturally, both the elevator and the emergency exit are Spatial Transport Device.¡± The team leader stomped along, barely listening, while Yeonwoo tilted his head in curiosity. ¡®Is this technology used in the ark or thest shelters?¡¯ With such thoughts, they arrived at a door standing alone in the middle of the field. The dark wooden door was firmly in ce, covered in dust. The employee stood in front of the door. ¡°This door leads to the third basement level.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s on the third basement level?¡± Yeonwoo reached out for the rusty doorknob but stopped to ask. The employee answered nonchntly. ¡°There are unrealistic creatures.¡± ¡°Are they dangerous?¡± ¡°Is there any anomaly that isn¡¯t dangerous? Electric snakes, blue mes, cloud cats. They all look cute, but actually-¡± Instead of answering directly, the employee circled around. Swish- Yeonwoo frowned and aimed the water gun. He lightly pulled the trigger. Rainwater dripped from the tip. Yeonwoo silently pressured the employee with his gaze. The employee looked at Yeonwoo with a stiff face and then spoke. ¡°Third basement level. Red Zone. It¡¯s where we contain unrealistic creatures with a hostility rating of Red or Orange. Of course, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± With that, Yeonwoo gave a brief nod. ¡°You open the door and go in first-¡± ¡°Enough, why are you so scared?¡± The team leader stepped forward, grabbed the doorknob, and turned it. The rustytch screamed as the door opened. The three of them looked through the widening gap. The door opened. Beyond the door was another world. A gloomy corridor lit by red lights. A hallway made of ck-painted steel. Countless doors densely packed along the long corridor, resembling a research facility. He didn''t want to take a step inside. But the team leader crossed the threshold without hesitation. ¡°Emergency containment''s been activated anyway.¡± Yeonwoo hesitated, then prodded the employee with the water gun. The employee cautiously followed the team leader, and Yeonwoo was thest to cross the door. Thus, they arrived at the third basement level, the Red Zone. ¡°¡­.¡± Yeonwoo rolled his eyes, taking in his surroundings. A long, wide hallway with steel doors lined up on either side. On each steel door, there were unrecognizable characters. They looked like passwords: QJF20!@, skan20@@, alfo21)). The font and size were all the same, with no distinguishing marks. There was no way to predict whaty beyond each door. The employee spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in here. I don¡¯t know how to open the emergency containment either.¡± While Yeonwoo squinted, deep in thought, Creak¡ª The sound of a door opening echoed. Both the employee and Yeonwoo quickly turned their heads. At the end of their gaze was the team leader. Frowning, the team leader had opened one of the doors. ¡°These bastards. They didn¡¯t even do the emergency containment? No, this wasn¡¯t even contained in the first ce.¡± A room supposedly containing a Red or Orange-level anomaly opened just by turning the doorknob? The team leader muttered softly. ¡°Maybe they are being controlled by an anomaly?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± The employee frantically pulled out the emergency button, pressing it repeatedly. Nothing changed. It was unclear whether the emergency containment had already ended or if the containment protocol had been ignored entirely. Even under the red lighting, the employee''s face turned pale. ¡®I thought it was fine to guide them because the emergency containment was over¡­!¡¯ But thinking about it, if the emergency containment had ended, they should have been able to use the emergency exit. Something was seriously wrong. The same thought shed through all three of their minds. A chill ran down their spines. Goosebumps rose on their skin. In the blood-red light, they fell silent. 62 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here ''Forget the North Wind and Sun.'' Yeonwoo made a snap decision. To hell with the mission in this situation. Survivales first. His heart pounded, rapidly circting blood to deliver oxygen to his brain and muscles. A faint surge of vitality brought Yeonwoo to peak condition. "Team leader. Should we escape to the second floor? No, let''s get out of here entirely.""Uh... Wait. There''s something over there." The team leader peered through the gap of the door Yeonwoo had opened. Inside the roombeled skan20@@ stood a single tree. A conifer trimmed into a conical shape, like a Christmas tree. Behind the densely packed, pointed leaves, something lurked. He couldn''t make it out clearly, but through gaps in the foliage, he glimpsed... something. The longer he stared, the more captivating it became, writhing behind the tree. The team leader leaned in closer, pressing his face to the door gap for a better look. As his forehead pushed against the cold steel, his head about to enter the containment room- "Team leader!" Yeonwoo grabbed the team leader''s cor and yanked him back. His shirt rode up, choking him as he fell. "Gack!" The team leader let out a strangled cry as he toppled over. He looked up at Yeonwoo, dazed. Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut and felt around for the doorknob. The team leader''s reaction suggested visual contact might be dangerous. SLAM. He shut the containment room door. After counting ten more seconds, Yeonwoo opened his eyes. "Team leader, you okay?" "Uh, yeah..." The team leader mumbled weakly. The image wouldn''t leave his mind. The conical conifer. Something lurking beyond it. He had to see what it was, quickly- SLAP! The sound of a hard p rang out. He''d hit himself with full force. The team leader licked blood from his split lip, then sprang to his feet. "Sh*t. I''m a f*cking idiot." He''d let his guard down. Thought the emergency containment procedure was over, tried opening it as a test, but that itself was a mistake. He needed to act like an investigator. This ce was a danger zone crawling with anomalies. The team leader and Yeonwoo locked eyes, recognizing they''d both heightened their vignce. They nodded briefly without speaking. Survival instincts on high alert, the two investigators turned their heads in unison towards the escape route. Rattle rattle- "Why won''t this...!" The employee clutched the wooden door, shaking it. It must have locked in the meantime - the emergency exit no longer worked. Trapped in the Red Zone on B3? Yeah, we''re f*cked. The team leader took out his phone to call the Extermination Team, while Yeonwoo put away his water gun and drew his pistol. The team leader shook his head as he pocketed his phone. "Communications are down. Not sure if it''s because we''re underground or if there''s a problem here." "Did the Extermination Team alert button work?" "That should be fine. It may seem like a simple button, but it''s aplex mechanism. It''ll send a signal no matter what." "How long until they get here?" As Yeonwoo checked his gun, the team leader pulled out the pistol Yeonwoo had gifted him earlier and flicked off the safety. "First response team within 30 minutes. If they die or lose contact, 2 hours for the specialized response team to gear up and deploy." "So we''re looking at 2 hours." "That''s right." They openly prepared for this. They were ready to fight with or without the Extermination Team. The investigators were willing to do whatever it took to survive. The two, armed with pistols, walked towards the employee slumped in front of the door. Their shadows fell over him as he clung to the doorknob. Backlit by the red lights, the team leader spoke. "You. If you don''t want to die pathetically here, tell us everything you know." "I don''t know anything..." The employee sniffled, his hands trembling. Yeonwoo nudged him aside with his foot and ced his palm on the door. "What you know about this society, anything suspicious you''ve noticed, any strange urrences. Spill it all." "I''m just a low-level employee... I really don''t know anything." While listening to the team leader and employee''s conversation, Yeonwoo closed his eyes and summoned his dice. The first thing to test in this situation. ''I want to use this door. Is it possible?'' The die leapt up. And then. Failure! CRACK- SCREECH- The rusted hinges suddenly shattered, and the door fell backwards. It crumbled to dust with a puff. The Spatial Transport Device was now junk. The employee and team leader stopped mid-conversation, looking bewildered between the broken door and Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo scratched his head. "I failed." "It''s fine. We couldn''t use that door anyway." The two investigators assessed the situation coolly. The door was locked and unusable - sess would have been nice, but failure changed nothing. The employee dazedly fingered the broken door before speaking again, his voice gloomy. "I''m not sure about anything suspicious. But the higher-ups have been acting strangetely. I''m in charge of the main entrance, you see." Even small clues were important. Yeonwoo and the team leader listened intently. "For some reason, the executives have beening in early and leavingte recently. Sometimes they even stay overnight. And they seemed really happy about it. That''s not normal when you''re working so much, is it?" The team leader frowned. "Were they really under some kind of mind control?" "How do you resist anomalies that mess with your mind?" When Yeonwoo asked, the team leader answered with actions. He bit down on his split lip. CRUNCH, his canine tore into the flesh. A chunk came off, and blood welled up. The taste of iron filled his mouth. "Weak ones can be resisted with strong willpower and pain. You have your dice too." "What if it''s too strong to block?" "How can we block it without specialized response equipment? Avoiding it entirely is the best option." The team leader nudged the employee with his toe. "Let''s find the elevator first. And the emergency exit. Is this the only one? There should be at least two or three more." "This is the only one I know of... I don''t know where the elevator is either." The team leader shook his head and started walking down one side of the corridor. The employee scrambled to his feet and hurried after him. Yeonwoo sharpened his senses before following at the rear. --- --- They walked down the steel corridor under red lights. Containment rooms densely lined both sides. Each door as dangerous as an explosive, they moved forward cautiously, unable to let their guard down. After passing several doors like this. The team leader adjusted his grip on his gun. "I can''t see the end. Did we go the wrong way?" "At least we''re not going in circles. These are all different containment rooms." Yeonwoo spoke while looking at the cryptic letters written on each room. He''d memorized a few as they passed, and none were repeats. New containment rooms, unfamiliar identification numbers each time. Proof they were moving forward. Which made it all the more strange. "Is it normal for things to be this quiet when containment''s been breached?" Anomalies wouldn''t stay docile with the doors open. An eerie calm, like standing in the eye of a typhoon. The team leader hesitated, then stopped walking. "If some powerful anomaly were controlling all the others, it could be like this." "...What danger level would that be?" "At least 5. Probably 6." Terrifying to even imagine. Yeonwoo shuddered silently. A hostile anomaly on par with the Extinction Defense Device: Broken Clock? He didn''t want to encounter it, let alone exist in the same world. As he rubbed his goosebump-covered skin, the employee beside him shook his head rapidly. "We don''t contain anomalies like that here. You don''t store sparks next to a powder keg. Do you know how many anomalous entities are here?" "That''s impossible to say." The team leader spoke as he quickened his pace. As the footsteps of the three echoed through the silent corridor, his voice continued. "Anyway, our top priority is getting out of here-" His voice cut off. The three pairs of feet stopped. They stood side by side, staring at the end of the corridor. Creeeeak- A golden door opened as if on cue, like it had been waiting for their arrival. Brilliant white light poured out from beyond. A dark human silhouette was visible in the white glow. A person emerged from the door. The employee''s eyes widened as he muttered. "Director...?" As the man, who looked about the same age as the team leader, opened his mouth with an ufortable expression. Click- Two gun barrels pointed at the director. They shouted simultaneously. "Don''t move!" "We''ll shoot!" "...Such tempers. Can''t you do something about that fiery disposition? How could you call the Extermination Team right away just because you''re pissed off?" The Director clicked his tongue nonchntly, even with guns aimed at him. Then he turned, fully exposing his back. "Come in. He is waiting." They couldn''t bring themselves to pull the triggers. As the two investigators stood rigid, gripped by an ominous instinct- The employee''s face lit up with hope as he rushed towards the wide open golden door. "Director!" Seeing his workce superior at ease must have made him think he was saved. He vanished into the brilliant white light without hesitation. But the two investigators only gripped their guns tighter. "...I don''t see a way to escape. And I''ve no idea what''s enthralled that guy." "Let''s confront it head-on. If all else fails, I''ll roll the dice." "What will you roll for?" A cold light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. He recalled the idents he''d experienced. And the idea he just had. "ident urrence, dimensional travel, time stop, anomaly control." Control isn''t as grand as it sounds. In fact, it was simpler and easier than the others. If he seeded at a lie detection roll, the target would believe him. If he seeded at a persuasion roll, the target would change their mind. The team leader was aghast. His tension suddenly gone, he gaped at Yeonwoo. "That works?" "...The risks are high, but I think it''s possible. Better than dying or being controlled, isn''t it?" "You''re right about that." They fell silent for a moment, then slowly moved into the light. Beyond the light was a temple. An altar enshrining the Anomaly Research Society''s anomalies, with the society''s high-ranking staff lined up reverently before it. They parted to open a path to the altar. Atop the altar were five anomalies. Their breath caught in their throats. --- [raei: heya guys! So, I''ve decided to slowly go back through all the chapters to retrante some names and terms to make it more obvious + add some kind of naming structure. Not really important but it''ll help for the future chapters to have a better system. So for this chapter: unrealistic creatures -> anomalous entities. Unrealistic creatures is actually correct but it sounds a little different in english. I''ve changed to anomalous entities to make it easier/obvious as a reader. topological transport device -> spatial transport device]Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 63 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo stumbled, his heart racing as if he''d just sprinted a marathon. A dizzying sense of danger overwhelmed him. Even in this pristine white sanctuary, the world seemed to bleed red with peril. A voice echoed in his mind. "Come forward." He took a step without thinking, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then, in an instant-"Ughk!" Yeonwoo bit his tongue hard. Blood gushed out, staining his throat crimson. The searing pain blurred the line between life and death. He spat out the severed flesh and crushed it underfoot, then slowly raised his head. His eyes, distorted by the pain in his brain and some strangepelling force, looked ahead. The employee and team leader were already several steps away, their backs to Yeonwoo. He wiped the blood from his mouth with his gun hand, then raised it toward the ceiling. His hand shook violently from the pain. But he had no trouble pulling the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots echoed in quick session. The employee seemed not to hear, stumbling forward, but the team leader suddenly shuddered. "F-f-f*ck," he stammered. Whack! He struck his face hard with his fist. Once, twice, three times. His face swollen, the team leader spat out a tooth and muttered, "Damn it all. Do you know how much teeth cost?" He looked around with bloodshot eyes. The high-ranking employees lined up in the sanctuary stood silently watching the altar, as if they hadn''t heard a thing. Yeonwoo was in bad shape. His eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth was still bleeding. In this state, he turned his gaze to the altar. Five anomalies stood atop the high altar, arranged in a ''?'' shape. At the outer edges were a primitive-looking being, as if a monkey and human had been merged then split, and arge cockroach waving its antennae. Inside them were the Gold Dragon he''d seen on the second basement floor and a floating parchment. The North Wind and Sun. Finally, Yeonwoo looked at the anomaly standing in the center. ''A tree person?'' It was arge tree, ancient-looking. Its arms were made of branches, its legs of roots. A kind old man''s face was set into the trunk. It smiled benevolently. "Excellent," it said. Yeonwoo felt a surge of joy at the praise. An indescribable happiness. As his face began to rx into a smile, he coughed up blood and snapped back to reality. "F*ck this," he slurred, his severed tongue making speech difficult. But he ignored it. Action was what mattered now. He moved the gun, ready to fire and empty the entire magazine. But something sensed his intentions and moved first. "Foolish mortal," a voice said. Ting! Ti-ting! The Gold Dragon''s tailshed out. Bullets ricocheted off its golden scales, leaving scratches on the sanctuary floor, pirs, and ceiling. Click. Click. The magazine was empty. Yeonwoo tossed the gun aside and reached into his bag. His fingers brushed past various tools before stopping on the water gun. He hesitated, then pulled it out, muttering a curse. ''Damn it. Nothing useful. Too many anomalies, and even more people.'' He considered using the torch to set a fire, but the sanctuary was made of marble. The chainsaw or hammer would be useless against the society employees. In the end, he had only two options. ''Either spray myself with the rainwater to try for an enhancement. Or keep rolling the dice.'' He pointed the water gun at his head. After a moment''s thought, he rubbed his bloodied tongue against the roof of his mouth. Pain shot from the root of his tongue to his brain. ''I''ll try everything I can.'' He decided to start with the dice, attempting persuasion- "Stop," the tree person said. "We mean you no harm." Yeonwoo''s thoughts froze. His eyes zed over until the pain jolted him back to his senses. He twisted his lips into a grimace. "Oh yeah? Then how about you stop this mind control crap first? We can''t exactly talk like this, can we?" The dice ttered. Failure! The tree person rustled its leaves. The sound rolled in like waves, and a gentle mental pressure enveloped Yeonwoo''s mind. "That won''t do," it said. "You''re far too dangerous. Besides, my control is weak. You can resist it with pain alone." Yeonwooughed bitterly. Weak? While controlling an entire department andmanding other anomalies? What nonsense. The tree person seemed to read his thoughts. "I''m not controlling them," it said. "I merely showed them the future and promised them salvation." Future and salvation. Yeonwoo could guess what that meant. He felt a twinge of boredom. Wasn''t this just another rehash of the same old story? Some vague talk about climate anomalies threatening Earth, the need to defeat them, and preparing to survive. "I know all that," he said. "But I''m not about to be your ve when there are other-" "No," the tree person interrupted. "You don''t know. You must join us." Just then, the society director stepped forward. He turned to face Yeonwoo, his back to the altar and the anomalies. "You don''t know the future," he said grimly. "Bullsh*t. I know plenty," the team leader retorted. He strode up to the director and grabbed his cor, ring at him nose-to-nose. "Climate anomalies, preservation ns. But that doesn''t mean we bow down to these freaks, does it? You crazy bastard. You call yourself apany man?" "Apany..." the director murmured. He stared at the team leader with dark eyes, then turned slightly to look at Yeonwoo. Their eyes met despite the distance. "Thepany will fail," he said quietly. "...What?" The team leader''s voice was filled with disbelief. The director shook off his hand, then bowed to the tree person on the altar. "O Prophet," he said. "Show them the future. The future after climate anomalies strike and thepany abandons Earth." "It shall be done," the tree person replied. A strange hissing filled the air, though not a breath of wind stirred in the sanctuary. As the tree person shook its branches, Yeonwoo heard the sound of rushing water. A wave of mental energy washed over him. "Behold the future," the tree person intoned. Everything went ck. --- --- The world had changed. Yeonwoo found himself standing atop the rubble of a copsed building. He instinctively reached for a weapon, but he was wearing only a suit with no equipment. A voice rang out. "Look to the sky." Yeonwoo tilted his head back. His mouth fell open in shock. "That''s..." The Milky Way stretched across the daytime sky. A swarm of twinkling stars streaked rapidly overhead, creating a breathtaking spectacle. The tree person''s voice continued: "The graveyard of humanity''s fallen hopes." "What do you mean?" Yeonwoo asked. "It''s space debris," the voice exined. "When climate anomalies struck, governmentsunched refugee ships into space. One ship collided with debris, triggering a chain reaction. All satellites, space stations, and refugee ships were destroyed. The sky is now sealed off." Suddenly, the sky turned blood-red. A massive chunk of steel hurtled towards Yeonwoo, its long tail zing. The wreckage of a spaceship filled the sky. Through the mes, he caught a glimpse of the word "HOPE" on its side. There was no time to dodge, no way to escape. A massive shockwave erupted, and the ground beneath him buckled. As Yeonwoo instinctively curled up- The world shifted again. He slowly lowered his arms from his face. He had regained hisposure now. ''It''s just an illusion,'' he reminded himself. Yeonwoo calmly surveyed his new surroundings. "Where am I now?" he wondered aloud. He was floating high above an unfamiliar mountain range. Looking down, he saw a strange sight. A perfectly rectangr cliff cut across the mountains. It was so deep that darkness pooled at its bottom, impossible to see. It looked as if a giant eraser had made a single stroke across thendscape. "Earth''s final shelter," the voice said. Yeonwoo''s eyebrows twitched. "This is supposed to be ourst hope?" "A powerful doomsday cultist erased it," the voice exined. "iming humanity must go extinct." Yeonwoo examined the scarred mountains with a hollow expression. In this world, humans no longer existed. Instead, the primitive beings and giant cockroaches he''d seen at the altar now swarmed the mountains. "The next intelligent species after humanity," the voice said. "But sadly, they won''t be Earth''s dominant species. The sky is sealed, and the''s resources are depleted. And..." The scene changed once more. This time, Yeonwoo found himself on a vast in. Two enormous blue portals soared into the sky, seeming to pierce the heavens themselves. "What is this?" he asked. "One-way portals connected to two migration sites," the voice replied. "Or more urately, lids for trash cans." The portals rippled. Massive, grotesque monsters poured out, raising their heads to roar at the sky before hurling themselves back at the portals. But they simply passed through like ghosts, unable to return. "Thepany can''t maintain migration sites with just a million people," the voice continued. "They can''t handle the anomalies." "So these portals..." "Are lids for trash cans. They dump unmanageable anomalies here, using Earth as their dumping ground." With each shift of the world, another hope was extinguished. Yeonwoo felt as if reality itself was crumbling around him. His heart sank. His hands trembled as he asked urgently, "What about the Mars base? The Ark?" "The Mars base was destroyed by resource depletion and civil war," the voice answered. "With the sky sealed, they lost hope of returning to Earth. Unable to receive enough supplies, they fought amongst themselves until all perished." "And the Ark?" "It''s in hibernation, waiting for Earth to recover. But will Earth ever recover?" Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s view shot upwards. He rocketed high into the sky. The portals shrank to pinpricks, then the ins, then Earth itself. Space debris orbited the like Saturn''s rings. A frozen corpse drifted by in the cold vacuum. Yeonwoo looked at the body, then down at Earth. It was as clear as if seen through a telescope. Blue oceans and green continents. All covered by countless anomalies. This future Earth was no longer the of humans. It had be the domain of anomalies. "What about me?" Yeonwoo asked quietly. "What happened to me in all this?" 64 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The Tree Person paused, momentarily flustered, before slowly projecting a mental wave. "You rejected us and left. And since the world''se to this, you must be dead." "Show me the body then." I needed to find out where and how he died while I had the chance. At Yeonwoo''s firm voice, the Tree Person slowly changed the world. Then it spoke, sounding confused."He''s alive?" The world changed in an instant. A secluded mountain cabin somewhere. Warm sunlight shone down, birds chirping in the gentle breeze. Future Yeonwoo, dozing in a rocking chair in front of the cabin, slowly opened his eyes, sensing something strange. "Ugh...?" Wearing fluffy pajamas, he rubbed his eyes. His hair was messy and his beard neatly trimmed. The pupils clearly reflecting dice suddenly fixed on present Yeonwoo, thenzily gazed into space. "This is-!" The Tree Person spoke urgently. "You''ve seen enough, now go back-" "What the hell are you doing?" A low voice. Somewhat slurred pronunciation. Future Yeonwoo stretched out his hand. A gesture as if measuring countless threads. Simultaneously, the dice in his pupils rolled. As he clenched his fist, the dice stopped abruptly. Sess! "No!" With the Tree Person''s cry came the sensation of a string snapping. Just as Yeonwoo, swallowing hard, began to fade away. Future Yeonwoo opened his hand again, then made a fist. The dice in his pupils rolled. Sess! Yeonwoo, who had been fading, returned. He was transported in front of future Yeonwoo. Captured in the future, breaking through low odds. "Uh..." Yeonwoo stepped back cautiously, wary of his future self. He couldn''t let his guard down just because it was the same person. Hadn''t he seen the Demon of Sloth? If it posed a threat to survival, he''d kill even another version of himself without hesitation. His mouth went dry. His body tensed. Future Yeonwoo nced at him, then slowly rose. He turned and opened the cabin door, disappearing inside. A voice came from beyond the door. "Come in." "Yes." Yeonwoo entered the cabin politely. His legs trembled as they stepped on the wooden floor. ''What the hell is this?'' He was clearly a superior version of his current self. Whatever he did with the dice was visible in his eyes, and he seemed to control the results too. If he decided to kill him... he''d be dead in an instant. Yeonwoo carefully closed the cabin door with both hands, then reluctantly made his way to the living room table. Future Yeonwoo sat in a chair and gestured to the chair across the table. "Sit." "Yes." Yeonwoo sat down, cing both hands on his knees. As he looked at future Yeonwoo with trembling eyes, future Yeonwoo poured water from the kettle on the table and took a sip. "I don''t know how long it''s been since I''ve had a conversation. So, where are you from? The past? A parallel world?" "Th-the past, I think. The Tree Person in the Anomaly Research Society said it would show the future, and here I am." "Ah. That time. Good." Future Yeonwoo nodded slightly. He stared at the water in the wooden cup for a moment, looking at his reflection. An ufortable silence fell. Yeonwoo fidgeted, moving his hands from his knees to the table, then spoke. "I was wondering why you kept me here..." "Listen." "Yes." Future Yeonwoo spoke slowly. "At that point, you''re probably focused on survival. Thepany too." "Yes." "That''s not right." "Pardon?" Yeonwoo raised his head. Despite his fear of the other, he couldn''t suppress his curiosity. He doubted if this was really himself. Future Yeonwoo leaned back in his chair, looking at the cabin ceiling. Shadows fell across his face. He closed his eyes, lost in thought. His past self, the journey he''d been through, the idents he''d experienced. And consequently, the things he''d lost. Future Yeonwoo muttered as if to himself. "I experienced it all firsthand. The extreme weather, thepany''s failure, the evacuation ships, the final shelter, the migration site..." Scenes that stille to mind when he closes his eyes. Moments that asionally appear in nightmares. The evacuation ship he boarded. The dice he rolled to prevent a collision resulted in a critical failure, entangling nearby satellites and other ships. The dominos fell. He made them fall. All the evacuation ships exploded simultaneously, bing space debris. The day he infiltrated the final shelter, half his body vanished at the gesture of a doomsday cultist. The day he reached the migration site, he fled immediately in the face of the anomalous army scaling the walls. "Well, you survived anyway, didn''t you?" At this clumsy attempt at constion, future Yeonwoo opened his eyes and looked at present Yeonwoo. "I survived. By bing one with the dice, digesting all the rainwater, collecting and controlling countless other anomalies, incorporating them into my body. I''ve reached about danger level 6 or 7." Goosebumps rose on Yeonwoo''s skin. Half from fear of such a dangerous being before him, half from amazement that he could reach that level. But there was no joy on future Yeonwoo''s face, despite having the power to survive any situation. "But that''s all. I''m just alive." Future Yeonwoo met Yeonwoo''s eyes. His eyes sank wetly. Eyes closer to an anomaly than a human. Yeonwoo lowered his gaze, cowed, waiting for future Yeonwoo to speak. Future Yeonwoo said with a hint of mockery: "Everyone else is dead." He spread his fingers wide, then folded them one by one. With each finger, a memory was folded away. "Family, the investigation team leader, Senior Ji-yoo, the kid, mypany friends, the clock repairman, the allies I personally recruited, other friends. While I sought only my own survival, they all died." A stone settled in Yeonwoo''s heart. His chest tightened, and he couldn''t bring himself to speak. Future Yeonwoo said: "The reason I didn''t cooperate with the Tree Person was because I didn''t want to live as a ve with my mind controlled. But. Am I living like a human now?" Future Yeonwoo, who had be a top-tier anomaly living alone in a world where humanity was extinct, sneered. "Survival alone isn''t the issue. I should''ve thought about the world after survival. There''s no meaning in a world where only I survive. So." Future Yeonwoo looked at Yeonwoo. Over the pupils reflecting dice, Yeonwoo''s image ovepped. "Go back and change the future. Don''t focus solely on survival, think about defeating the extreme weather. That''s how you can live like a human." Yeonwoo closed his mouth. He felt some sympathy, but also a lot of resistance. Finally, in a small voice, he said: "But I don''t know how to stop the extreme weather. And I can''t just roll the dice recklessly, can I?" Seeing Yeonwoo like this, future Yeonwoo nodded. This was indeed his past self. He knew those thoughts well. "You were nning to roll when the risk became too great, when the point of no return came, right?" "Yes..." "This is the result of that postponement. The world''s going to end anyway. Just roll it." "No." Yeonwoo opened his mouth. Are you saying to gamble with the fate of the Earth? Sure, it''s not wrong, but why not just tell me the cause and solution to the extreme weather? Future Yeonwoo smirked. "More precisely, try various things, but definitely roll before the extreme weather hits. Once it starts, it''s over." "Could you exin those ''various things'' in more detail...? I''ve only found the North Wind and Sun so far." The conversational atmosphere wasn''t bad, so Yeonwoo asked casually. Future Yeonwoo tapped his fingers on the table. With each tap, thoughts long buried bubbled up like spring water. "I have some ideas." Methods to defeat the extreme weather that he once pondered every night before sleep. "The North Wind and Sun, Demon of Malthus, Surtr''s Sword, the Butterfly Effect, Biblical gues..." Countless anomalies flowed endlessly from future Yeonwoo''s mouth. Entities contributing to the extreme weather, entities that could prevent it, entities known to thepany, entities unknown to thepany... Yeonwoo etched each word into his mind, his face turning pale. The number was excessive. Moreover, their locations were spread across the world. "...Just handle these. Use them, persuade them, or destroy them. Judge based on the situation." After a long while, future Yeonwoo finished speaking, and Yeonwoo said: "Isn''t that too much? Almost all of them are overseas. How am I supposed to do this?" "So you won''t do it?" Future Yeonwoo stretched out his finger, pointing at the cabin window, then at himself. "If you''re going to survive anyway, you should live well in the city. Eat hamburgers, drink coffee, use smartphones, useputers." "...I understand." There must be a way. Yeonwoo silently mouthed, etching the list of anomalies his future self had mentioned into his brain. Future Yeonwoo added some advice: "By that time, you''ll be more than capable. I had greater abilities than I thought, but I didn''t use them well." "For example?" Yeonwoo let down his guard and openly asked for guidance. "You yourself are a smallpany. Use the Extermination Company as a strike force. Use the Management Company as an intelligence department, and use the clock repairman or hostile groups as informants or subcontractors." The alliances Yeonwoo had formed were more powerful than he realized. "In the end, they''re all people who couldn''t abandon Earth. With the same ultimate goal, they won''t refuse the answer I''ve given." Only then did Yeonwoo raise his head straight. A light of realization shone in his eyes. He now understood the value of this information. His voice thundered out: "With this, I can unite not just thepany factions, but even the hostile groups!" "Uh... I hadn''t thought that far." Future Yeonwoo hesitated. Having lived alone in a deste world for so long, he couldn''t see the bigger picture. He had just thought of telling his past self to use other people. But the current Yeonwoo, who was actively meeting people and forming alliances, was different. "It''s possible! This is more than enough!" This wasn''t just information or a goal. It was a g, a lighthouse. A clear path to an ideal future. A light to draw in all humans searching for a way in the darkness. A faint hope became vividly real. --- [Terms I''ve changed: Great failure -> critical failure. This one is thanks to a dnd youtube short. Realized it was meant to be critical, not great. Strike Force -> Strike Company. This is from c22 and c23. No idea if they will show up again. This is different from the strike force mentioned in this chapter]Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 65 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo could barely contain his excitement. His face flushed red as he sprang up, pacing restlessly. A vivid n materialized in his mind. "The best way is... no, another, better, safer for me-" Future Yeonwoo watched his past self mutter. Then he slowly opened his hand. The dice in his eyes began to roll. tter- "Time for you to go now."Sess! "Huh? Oh! Thanks for telling me! But, um..." Yeonwoo''s body began to fade. Translucent like a ghost, he desperately reached out and shouted before vanishingpletely. "How do I control the dice results-" "Die once. Roll for resurrection just before yourst breath. If you get a critical sess then, you''ll be one with the dice." "What? No, then at least some other tip-" The other was his future self, surely full of hard-earned wisdom from countless experiences. And if he went back now, he''d have to face the Tree Person. He desperately needed even the smallest hint. As Yeonwoo begged earnestly, casting aside all pride, Future Yeonwoo looked somewhat bewildered, then gestured casually as if annoyed. "Ugh. Fine, go." Following his gesture, probabilities shifted, and something formed in Yeonwoo''s mind. Before he could identify it, his world changed. He returned to reality, to the underground shrine of the Anomaly Research Society. His head spun and his vision blurred. He vaguely sensed a mental wave mixed with fear and anger. - Kill that bastard! Danger. His vision cleared. The Tree Person, now shedding leaves, stretched its gaunt branches with a twisted face, while the society staff surrounded Yeonwoo with uncertain expressions. Staff densely encircled him. One by one, they drew weapons. Taser guns, knives, pistols, batons, and more... Faced with numerous weapons aimed at him, Yeonwoo took deep breaths and checked what he''d received from Future Yeonwoo. A small ticket appeared in his mind, far from the dice. It read: [Guaranteed Persuasion Sess Ticket (One-time use)] "Oh..." Even surrounded, Yeonwoo couldn''t help but marvel. Then he slowly looked at the people around him. Staff reluctantly surrounded Yeonwoo. Countless weapons seemed ready to rain down on him at any moment. Someone adjusted their weapon and said: "I''m sorry. We don''t have a choice." Yeonwoo calmly regarded them and took a deep breath. ''I should save the guaranteed ticket.'' Such a trump card should be saved for a truly desperate crisis. So, how to break through this crisis? Yeonwoo exhaled all at once. "Listen to me for a moment." "...If you havest words, speak them." The staff hesitated, lowering their weapons slightly. Yeonwoo recited the list of anomalies he''d heard from Future Yeonwoo like a prayer. "The North Wind and Sun, Demon of Malthus, Surtr''s Sword, Butterfly Effect, Biblical gues-" The staff''s expressions gradually changed. They were office workers too. Office workers who knew the future. They couldn''t fail to understand what this list meant. From the center of the marble shrine, they focused solely on Yeonwoo, listening intently. Hope gradually filled their shadowed faces,pletely erasing the darkness. Yeonwoo said: "These are the methods I got from the future to defeat the anomalous climate." "..." In the silence, they slowly turned. The formation that had surrounded Yeonwoo transformed in an instant to one that protected him. Before their eerily shining eyes, the Tree Person emitted a mental wave like a scream. - You believe that? You doubt the salvation I promised, the earthly paradise I promised? "...I believe him more than you. Because." The director, who had been bickering with the team leader, said as he loosened his tie. "I never believed you in the first ce." They weren''t fools. They had merely sought survival by relying on anomalies because the future seemed too bleak. "If you can see the future, of course you can find its cause and solution. But you never even tried to find the cause. We justpromised, so we didn''t demand that." The director nced at Yeonwoo once, then slowly raised his head to re at the Tree Person. If they could defeat the anomalous climate, there was no need topromise with anomalies. He gave a brief order. "Contain it." "Yes, sir." The staff rushed forward en masse. The Cockroach and Monkey Person were docilely restrained, and the North Wind and Sun were just parchment to begin with. The Dragon was a problem, but the Gold Dragon didn''t resist. It could judge the situation. Rather, it helped the staff pounce on the Tree Person. "Foolish mortal. Submit quietly." - How dare a mere lizard! As the Tree Person tumbled beneath the altar, emitting a harsh mental wave, the dragon didn''t flinch. shing its emotionless golden pupils, it simply threw itself down to pin the Tree Person. Crunch-! The dragon''s ws dug from bark to core. Raising its head haughtily, the dragon muttered. "Mortal. I never liked you from the start. You remind me of Green Dragons." - Crazy lizard! Simultaneously, staff who had ovee the Tree Person''s mind control approached, pulling syringes from their pockets. More like stakes than syringes. They plunged them into the Tree Person''s trunk. "Injecting sedative!" - Humans destined for extinction... The fading mental wave. The Tree Person''s eyes closed. The incessant mental waves subsided into stillness. The director ordered: "Implement proper emergency containment, send that tree thing to theb. Properly contain the rest too." "Yes, sir." The staff moved in perfect unison. Suddenly, one staff member asked the director: "What should we do with the dragon?" "...Leave it be. It won''t do anything foolish." The Gold Dragon was carrying the Tree Person in its mouth, following staff guidance to theb. As the scene settled somewhat, the director approached Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo had been talking with the team leader, but stopped and looked at the director. The director bowed politely. "Thank you. Thanks to you, we have hope." "It was just a lucky break." It really was pure chance. That his future self was alive, and that self gave him information. The director marveled, gesturing somewhere. "Please, tell us more inside. We need to discuss how to proceed from here." "Understood." The team leader, nursing his swollen face, muttered. "Damn. It worked out well, but. My teeth..." --- --- The conference room inside the shrine. Only Yeonwoo was there. The Extermination Team''s First Response Team had entered, thoroughly grilling the society for failing to follow containment procedures. The team leader had gone to get his teeth treated. There was quite some time before they could talk. In the silence, Yeonwoo gently tapped the table. The water gun on the table and the guaranteed ticket in a corner of his mind. An idea that urred to him after seeing Future Yeonwoo. After thinking for a while, Yeonwoo carefully grasped the water gun. "It said I digested all the rainwater." Come to think of it, since he''d resisted the rain''s toxicity, didn''t his body have some kind of antibodies? Couldn''t he absorb rainwater within the limits of what the antibodies could handle? He decided. Yeonwoo dabbed a drop of rainwater with his finger and rubbed it on his head. "..." He wasn''t sure. Nothing seemed to have changed. His hair was fine, and he didn''t feel more energized. Maybe because it was just one drop. ''I''ll have to keep absorbing it steadily.'' Next, Yeonwoo closed his eyes. [Guaranteed Persuasion Sess Ticket] Somehow the distance between the dice and the ticket seemed greater than before, but Yeonwoo examined the ticket. A new way to use the dice. A way to control the dice''s risks. ''I should be able to make these too, right?'' Yeonwoo called the dice. "Um... Create a guaranteed search sess ticket." A light experiment. tter- Failure! A new ticket was created. Yeonwoo nodded at its name. [Guaranteed Search Failure Ticket] "Dice. Search for a receipt." Dering he would search for a receipt put somewhere in a bag, wallet, pocket, or somewhere, the dice rolled and failed. Looking at the space where the failure ticket had vanished, Yeonwoo thought. ''What was I trying to find?'' He was trying to find something. Yeonwoo shook his head, shaking off the thought. The important thing was the ticket experiment. He roughly understood the results. A bright light dawned on Yeonwoo''s face. ''With this, I can control the risks to some extent.'' He just needed to make tickets in advance. Use failure tickets on rtively safe rolls, and save up sess tickets. Yeonwoo rapidly moved his lips. "Create guaranteed search sess ticket. Create guaranteed search sess ticket. Create guaranteed search sess ticket. Create guaranteed search sess ticket. Create guaranteed search sess ticket." How much time passed like that? The conference room door opened. The director who entered cautiously, stopped abruptly. "Are you alright? You don''t look well." Yeonwoo slowly turned his head to look at the director. The director stepped back. Disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes. And a pile of failure tickets in a corner of his mind. Not a single sess ticket. "I''m fine, really fine." "If you say so..." The director sat across from Yeonwoo and opened his mouth. "Then let''s discuss the future." --- [raei: sorry for the no chappy yesterday, was super confused about something in chap 48. I''m releasing a bunch today, as well as advance chappies, I''ll post it on thest chap of the bunch! Also: c31: Chief Lee of the cleanup specialists -> Team Leader Lee c48: Chief of the First Response Unit -> Manager of the First Response Division - there is also a reference to a ''First response team'' and a ''specialized response team'' in c62, but just the names of the teams themselves, not including who they belong to. Most likely the same team associated with the Extermination team revealed in this chap and maybe the same with the specialized team. c62: President -> Director Anyway, I''ll still be going through all the terms we''vee across so far... But uh, I realized very very few, have ever appeared again past the event they first showed in.]Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 66 - Fairy Tale TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo stroked his chin for a moment, gathering his thoughts, then spoke slowly. "I''ve found a way. Now the question is how to act on it." "Indeed. In my view, we need to gather as many people as possible. Not just domestically, but internationally too." Tap- Tap- Tap- Yeonwoo tapped the desk with his fingernail. Countless options swirled in his mind, from directlymanding through his connections to forming an alliance under his own name.The safest path among them. Tap-! His hand stopped. Yeonwoo''s eyes gleamed as he looked at the director. "Let''s spread it worldwide under the Humanity Protection Company''s name." "Spread it? Using ourpany''s name?" The director faced Yeonwoo with a bewildered expression. He looked like he couldn''t understand Yeonwoo''s thinking. In more ways than one. "It doesn''t seem like a good idea. Your reputation would be at stake, and I doubt people would follow even if we publicize the solution." "There will definitely be those who act." People with excessive drive and decisiveness, like those in the Extermination Company or Management Company. Even if they''re skeptical, they''ll at least move to verify. If they act, doubts will vanish, and they''ll do everything to secure and destroy the anomaly list. And as for the fame of being the one who found the solution to the climate crisis... "I don''t need honor, glory, or rewards. Living on a normal Earth is enough. So please keep my name a secret." The director gazed at Yeonwoo with sunken eyes. Yeonwoo met that gaze, conveying sincere emotion with desperation. ''It''s dangerous. If I gain that kind of fame, I''ll be the top target for doomsday cultists.'' Restoring a doomed Earth? Would the doomsday cultists just stand by and watch? The future shown by the Tree Person was vivid. The doomsday cultists'' attack that wiped out the final shelter. Yeonwoo didn''t want to be the target of such monsters. Yeonwoo intended to show the way without anyone knowing, and make others walk that path. The director let out a sigh that could have been either admiration or resignation. He bowed his head politely. "I''ll do as you say." "I''ll give you a contact. He''s the Manager of the First Response Division from the Management Company faction. Ask him to release the information." A business card emerged from the bag. A card received directly from the First Response Division Manager during the previous terrorist incident. The card slid across the desk, arriving in front of the director. He carefully tucked it into his wallet. "Then I''ll contact him right away. We''ll try to persuade Boreas and Helios, or rather, the North Wind and Sun." And that day. The information was released. To everyone living in this strange world. --- --- The solution, spread with all the might of the Intelligence Department. Coupled with details on the climate anomalies and preservation ns, it was emailed to everypany employee through thepany intr. Through thepany''s official and unofficialworks, contact was made with every group and various members within those groups, continuously spreading the information. "Could this be real...?" A scrawny demon worshipper muttered, looking at his phone as he roamed the city shadows, seeking potential converts before the apocalypse. Beside him, the Demon of Absurdity clutched its stomach,ughing until tears came. "That bastard... I''ve got to hand it to him! To think the predetermined apocalypse would be stopped so absurdly!" "Lord Demon..." "It''s real." "That''s not it. Demon of Malthus[1]... Didn''t this demon change its name too?" The demon worshipper stared at his phone, trying to remember. A demon presiding over inevitable limits and the resulting end. In the past, when theories emerged thatnd and food production couldn''t keep up with poption growth, it used the name Demon of Malthus, but... Now with climate anomalies approaching. He seemed to recall it changed its name to the Demon of Global Warming, or was it the Demon of Climate Anomalies? The Demon of Absurdity cackled. "Who cares? Let''s catch it and turn it over to thepany." "But it''s still a fellow demon..." "I never liked that bastard anyway." Ignoring the demon worshipper''s somewhat uneasy expression, the Demon of Absurdity snapped its fingers in session. Snap, snap, snap! "Summon the boring bastard. Knock him out. Tie him up." Absurd reality engulfs Demon of Malthus. A gloomy schrly demon was suddenly summoned, immediately lost consciousness, and was promptly bound with severed electrical wires, sprawled out on the asphalt road. The Demon of Absurdity ced its foot on top of it. "Kekekeke." With that frivolousughter in the background, the demon worshipper reluctantly dialed a number on his phone. "Hello...? Is this thepany? I want to report a demon... Our location is..." Simr incidents urred all over the world. In a meeting room in the Vatican. The saints gathered there discussed thepany''s message, then sighed. One saint spoke. "We must have misunderstood the revtion." "Perhaps Satan used God''s voice to tempt us. Anyway, things are returning to normal, so this must also be part of His n." One day, while praying, they simultaneously received a revtion: - Human depravity has reached the heavens and turned the world into hell, so cleanse the Earth with a flood and establish a millennial kingdom with a new humanity as the sacrificialmb. - But taking pity on you, I open the door of salvation. - On the day when 13 gues befall the world, find my son and pierce him with a spear. Then the dead shall live in my kingdom, and the living shall ascend to meet me in heaven. "Come to think of it... It was a theologically nonsensical revtion." "Then we''ll consider the salvation n null and void. I''ll return the Spear of Longinus to the holy relic repository." The biblical gue that would trigger the great flood and turn countless Christians into non-humans disappeared at the nning stage. And so, one by one, the anomalies were dealt with. A wizard in a cabin. "Master, look at this." "What is it?" The young disciple held out his phone screen and exined, gesturing excitedly. Climate anomalies and the anomaly list. Among them, Surtr''s Sword that the master possessed. The white-haired wizard quietly looked at the anomaly list, then shifted his gaze. "So that''s the problem?" A red sword gathering dust in some corner. Surtr''s Sword, once obtained while exploring Muspelheim. "Yes. So, Master, it''s not an important item to you, right? What if we move it to another dimension?" "Very well." The old wizard fumbled with his hands. He drew a magic circle with various powders and dyes. Magic. A method of interacting with other dimensions. The old wizard carelessly picked up Surtr''s Sword and tossed it into the magic circle. The circle glowed, and Surtr''s Sword vanished. The disciple asked curiously. "Where did you send it?" "Tossed it in Asgard. Let''s use this chance to clean up some trash." The old wizard, seemingly uninterested, had his disciple throw useless odds and ends and garbage into the magic circle. The Goldberg Club also took action. On the top floor of a downtown skyscraper. In front of a massive golden face sculpture, a man draped in custom-made luxury clothes from head to toe lifted a gold bar. The gold bar entered the sculpture''s mouth. It disappeared with a gulping sound. The man spoke. "Is this solution true?" - Yes. "Will the climate anomalies disappear?" - Yes. One gold bar for each question. After finishing his inquiries, the man nodded. Then he called his secretary and ordered. Bring all the gold they had stockpiled. Also,pile a list of anomalies from the anomaly list that the Goldberg Club could use to curry favor with thepany. He fiddled with his expensive watch. "To make money and live well, the climate anomalies must go." In the past, as soon as they noticed the climate anomalies and asked questions, they were told that it was beyond the Goldberg Club''s capabilities to resolve. So they focused all their efforts on building underground cities, but with the situation changing like this, their actions change as well. Rattle- Gold poured in endlessly. The man put all the gold into the sculpture''s mouth while reading through thepiled list one by one. A butterfly that causes typhoons with its wings. An anomaly difficult to locate. "Please kill the Butterfly Effect." - It''s dead. "Good. Next." The golden omnipotence, granting wishes in exchange for gold, dealt with the anomalies one by one. Thepany''s activities also reached their peak. Regardless of faction, night or day,nd or sea, numerous special forces, intelligence agents, and investigators cooperated to secure, utilize, and destroy anomalies. Each time, the climate anomalies receded a bit. The rapid rise in temperature stopped. The weather that had been heading to extremes gradually returned, and severe natural disasters slowly disappeared. --- --- And on an ind surrounded by blue sea. The storm that started at Yeonwoo''s fingertips engulfed the Earth, and this ind was no exception. "..." A bald man with a sturdy build stood on a cliff, gazing at the sea. A sea clearly visible. It shouldn''t be this clear. It should look hazy and blurry, like a drawing about to disappear at any moment, or a sketch that''s been erased once. The man twisted his face in anguish as he rolled the eraser in his grip back and forth. "...The apocalypse is disappearing?" A higher-up doomsday cultist. A wanted man who possessed the eraser and caused numerous terrorist attacks with it. Having spent so much time with the eraser that he had half-merged with it, thus gaining a sense of apocalypse, he instinctively realized that the climate anomalies were disappearing. "This won''t do. This can''t happen." He whirled around to re at the small mansion where he was staying, then lightly swept his hand. The eraser passed through the air. The mansion in its path vanished as if it were a lie. The doomsday cultist strode forward. To find the cause of the disappearing climate anomalies, and to erase that cause. --- [1. raei: Malthus'' Demon changed to Demon of Malthus for naming consistency. Malthus btw, was an English economist and demographer best known for his theory on poption growth. He argued that poption growth tends to outpace the production of food and resources, leading to inevitable shortages and societal problems. In case you were wondering why its name is such.]Toggle New Ads 5/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 67 - Eraser TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here A secret room in the Intelligence Department. Lee Yeonwoo was sipping coffee in a leather chair when the door burst open. The First Response Team Manager stormed in, shouting: "Yeonwoo!" Looking haggard but with bright eyes, he grabbed Yeonwoo''s hand enthusiastically. "Your method worked! We''ve resolved over half the climate anomalies, and the rest will be dealt with soon!"He shook Yeonwoo''s hand so vigorously it almost hurt. Yeonwoo stood awkwardly and guided the manager to a chair. The man was barely coherent, overexcited despite his obvious exhaustion. Yeonwoo poured water, handed it over, and asked, "Is the processing going well?" "Extremely! We couldn''t do anything before because we didn''t know the cause. No wonder, with so many anomalous entities intertwined." The climate anomalies were like a massive machine - a device of anomalous entities meshed with human activities, driving Earth towards destruction. People had been fleeing from it all, but now things had changed. Yeonwoo had revealed the blueprint of the climate anomalies - everyponent broken down in detail. "We don''t need to confront the climate anomalies head-on anymore. They''ve been dismantled. We just need to deal with eachponent separately. It''s really easy now." The manager coughed roughly, his throat sore. After a few sips of water, he continued: "One Special Forces unit can handle one anomaly. It''s simr for us, and other groups too." Yeonwoo listened quietly, nodding. No one had dared face the climate anomalies before, a tangle of countless anomalous phenomena. But a few anomalous entities? You could investigate them cautiously, overpower them, or banish them to another world. Each of these minor actions, whenbined, would destroy the climate anomalies. "That''s fortunate," Yeonwoo said. "Fortunate? It''s more than that. This is-" Yeonwoo stepped back from the manager''s enthusiastic advance. Then he exined why he''de to the Intelligence Department, why he couldn''t simply rejoice at the anomalies'' disappearance. "What about the doomsday cultists? I don''t think they''ll just sit quietly." "...Those bastards." The manager''s expression hardened. He stared into space with murderous eyes, then slowly pulled out some documents. "These are satellite photos from an hour ago. The hardcore cultists have gathered." Yeonwoo examined the documents. They showed an ind packed with people, each one a formidable wanted criminal. The word "eraser" caught his eye. Yeonwoo asked nervously, "I''m not the target, am I...?" The manager''s silence was telling. Yeonwoo looked at him with trembling eyes. The manager slowly shook his head. "They found out you revealed the solution." "No... Didn''t you promise to keep it secret?" Anticipating this, he''d told the manager he''d found the solution, asking for security measures. But they''d already found out? The manager averted his eyes and pushed another document forward. "We were extremely careful. The head office took various measures, but..." The document listed security measures. Yeonwoo read through them. The Anomaly Research Society members drank memory erasers. The Intelligence Department maniptedmunications to delete information about Yeonwoo and spread false information. They even used anomalous entities for security, but... Yeonwoo crumpled the document''s corner, dampening it with cold sweat. "So they broke through everything?" "That''s right." The manager pointed at the word "eraser" and a few wanted criminals, looking apologetic. These fugitives had survived despite thepany''s best efforts. Their abilities couldn''t be denied. "The anomalous security was erased, and our other measures were breached too." "So what do I do now? Will I get protection? Though I doubt an ordinary detail would be enough." As Yeonwoo asked, scratching the table nervously, the manager looked around the sealed room. He lowered his voice. "Thepany''s decided to protect you." "How?" Meeting Yeonwoo''s worried eyes, the manager spoke of the safest ce in the world. "The final shelter. They''ve decided to invite you to the shelter that can even withstand climate anomalies-" "You''ve got to be kidding me." Yeonwoo smacked his forehead and slumped in his chair, drained. The final shelter? The one erased in the future? "How can you even suggest that?" "But it''s really safe... The final shelter-" The manager tried exining the shelter''s safety, but Yeonwoo wasn''t listening. How could he, when he''d seen its destruction? Yeonwoo sighed and spoke briefly. In the future he saw, that ce was erased. The manager fell silent. Then, blinking his bloodshot eyes, he asked slowly, "Then... what do we do? There''s no safer ce." Yeonwoo tapped the satellite photo. "These people, can''t we bomb or missile them if we know their location?" "We''ve tried that. It doesn''t work." "What about assassination after stopping time, or using anomalous entities?" "We''ve tried all that too." "Then maybe I could go to the migration site... No, never mind." He couldn''t flee to a barren site after saving Earth. Silence fell. The manager racked his tired brain for a solution, while Yeonwoo also thought of ways to survive. Finally, Yeonwoo spoke. "Let''s go to the final shelter. Let''s have a proper fight there." "An all-out war, huh." "We''ll bring all thepany''s forces, and ally with groups that hate the cultists. Since we revealed the solution under thepany''s name, they should grant us this much-" He couldn''t continue. Suddenly, the door burst open, and an agent shouted: "Manager! The eraser is attacking!" They jumped to their feet. "Request backup first!" "Impossible! They''re attacking multiple departments and groups, not just here!" At that moment, the ceiling disappeared. Sunlight shone down on the underground department. Cool autumn air blew in. --- --- Earlier, on the cultists'' ind. They grumbled while looking at thepany''s climate anomaly solution. "Thepany... Didn''t they give up on Earth? When did they investigate all this? Oh, one person figured it out? What kind of person is that?" "That''s not the point. The problem is our awaited doom has been postponed." "Tsk. Thosepany bastards. They''ll do anything to save themselves." The cultists sat casually, cursing. Someone gulped vodka and said with a flushed face: "So what are we gonna do? Kill the one who figured this out first?" "Seems right for now." Just then, a bespectacled cultist examining the list spoke up. "There''s something we need to do before that." "What?" He held up the list of anomalies. The scattered cultists turned to look. "This. Let''s take it. If we secure these, the climate anomalies should return. At least we can use them as weather weapons." The mood changed. Some stroked their chins, some''s eyes lit up, some stood, brushing themselves off. A hijacker among them gripped a toy gun that created blue doors. "Let''s go. Open the door." "Understood." The hijacker pulled the trigger, changing locations each time. Blue doors to various capitals opened. The cultists chose countries randomly and stepped through. The terrorists, gripping their anomalies like weapons, disappeared. The man with the eraser walked towards the Korea portal. "I''ll handle the Korean Intelligence Department. If I have time, I''ll deal with the solution-finder too." "We''ll handle the other departments." He and a few others disappeared through the portal. Left alone, the hijacker fiddled with his toy gun and looked skyward. --- --- And so, to the present. A mountain in Seoul. The Intelligence Department headquarters on a secluded mountainside. The eraser passed by, leaving a deep, circr hole. Sunlight shone down on the department below. Stale underground air mixed with fresh mountain air. Clear and cool. Yeonwoo gripped his trembling hands. Cold hands, drained of warmth. He couldn''t stop shaking. ''The eraser...!'' He swallowed hard and hastily covered his face with documents. His first thought was hiding his identity. Meanwhile, the cultist stood near the hole''s edge and gestured lightly. Earth erased diagonally, forming a steep slope. He descended and shouted loudly: "Tell me where the anomalous entities are. If you do, I won''t erase you-" His words stopped. From the slope, he saw all the agents below. While they frantically drew weapons, one person covered their face with paper. The cultist''s eyes were drawn to this conspicuous person. He flicked his finger slightly. Swish- The document covering Yeonwoo''s face erased diagonally. Yeonwoo crumpled the remaining scrap tightly and looked up the slope. "..." "..." They were close enough to make out each other''s features. They clearly recognized each other. The gazes of the cultist with the eraser and Yeonwoo, who revealed the solution, crossed. 68 - Eraser TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Crisis at its peak. Yeonwoo''s mind raced as his concentration peaked. Time stretched, each moment feeling eternal. He watched specks of dust fall in slow motion and blood vessels bulge on the cultist''s smooth scalp. His thoughts exploded like fireworks. ''Eraser. Dice. Strike first. Persuasion ticket. Persuade.'' He had to turn this around. But how?Beg for his life? Ask him to leave? Request help with other cultists? No good. That''d only dy the inevitable. After sparing him, after he left, after killing other cultists, he''d juste back to finish Yeonwoo off. So. ''I have to kill him here.'' No time to breathe. The cultist''s hand moved, the eraser starting to wipe away the room''s walls. Deletion crept closer in the stretched moment. Yeonwoo squeezed everyst bit of air from his lungs and shouted desperately: "Sir, I''ve got hair growth medicine. I''ll give it to you as a gift. Why don''t you try it? Your hair will grow like crazy." Persuasion check: critical sess! The cultist''s hand stopped, veins bulging. The eraser froze right next to Yeonwoo. "...Hair growth medicine?" The cultist muttered, rubbing his scalp with his free hand. Yeonwoo quickly pulled a water gun from his bag. He stepped confidently towards the slope and handed it over. "I used to have hair loss too, but this stuff made it grow back. You should try it, sir." "..." The cultist stared at the water gun before taking it. "I just spray it on my head?" "Yeah. Use plenty. It''s good for you." "Hmm." The cultist aimed at his own head. Yeonwoo watched, hiding his shaking hands in his pockets. Under Yeonwoo''s expectant gaze, the cultist pulled the trigger repeatedly. Water sprayed out, soaking his head and flowing down to his neck. The cultist closed his eyes, savoring the water before smirking. "Interesting." Grrrk- His neck stretched slightly. Just as hope filled Yeonwoo''s eyes. The cultist calmly raised the eraser. Its sharp edge carefully drew a straight line from the top of his head downward. A meticulous touch. The water that had soaked the cultist, absorbed into his body, was erased. ''...This doesn''t work?'' Yeonwoo realized instantly. He couldn''t stop. He immediately called for dice to gamble. ''Dice! Heart attack!'' Roll- The dice rolled. Five strands of possibility wavered chaotically around the cultist. The cultist red at Yeonwoo and flicked the eraser. "Dice? Possibility? Probability? Some anomaly that maniptes those things? Then I''ll just erase the changing possibilities and probabilities." A familiar sensation from being persuaded earlier. He could respond better now. Stop- The dice stopped. No result. All probabilities erased. "..." "..." They faced each other in silence. The cultist focused, ready to respond if Yeonwoo rolled dice again. The dice was as dangerous as the eraser. They were both holding bombs, essentially. If they couldn''t kill the other decisively, the bomb would explode and they''d die together. Yeonwoo thought differently. ''...Hand-to-hand is the only way. I can''t give him anything for the eraser to catch.'' The dice had lost its power. He''d use other means. It felt like being doused in ice water. His mind and eyes cooled. He estimated the distance closed to hand over the water gun. Swish- He stepped closer, naturally extending his hand. The cultist, focused on his metaphysical senses, didn''t react immediately. Grab! He seized the wrist holding the eraser. Yeonwoo twisted the hand upward, pressing close to the cultist. Staying out of the eraser''s path. "What?" Hand-to-handbat. The cultist was shocked. Why get close with anomalous entities like dice? Why? Still, he tried to push Yeonwoo away, straining against the grip on his wrist. But Yeonwoo gritted his teeth and held on with all his might. One trying to shake free, the other desperately clinging. They spun and staggered like dancers. The world erased along the eraser''s random path. As it crossed the sky, clouds vanished to reveal blue. Brushing the mountaintop sheared off its peak. The slope disappeared with a circr stroke. Only the two at the center were safe, like the eye of a destructive storm. Yeonwoo dripped cold sweat. ''Strength, stamina - I''mcking!'' He was gradually being overpowered. Though he kept his grip on the wrist, he was losing in punches and kicks. Wham-! Taking a hit to the gut, Yeonwoo sharply raised his hands. The eraser shot straight up, cleaving the Intelligence Department and mountain in half. The moment the eraser was used elsewhere. This was his chance. He called for dice. He called for a future Yeonwoo to counter the eraser. ''Summon my future self!'' If he could go from past to future, surely he coulde from future to past. It had to be possible. If sessful, it would be the surest way out. Roll- The cultist gnashed his teeth and gestured towards probability, but toote. The result came. Critical sess! An extremely low probability manifested dramatically. Several people suddenly appeared around them. Four Yeonwoos from parallel worlds, diverged at points he''d passed. Special Forces, Devil Worshipper, Doomsday Cultist, and Goldberg Club Yeonwoos... "What''s going on-" "Who summoned me-" The Yeonwoos with different appearances first assessed the situation, then looked at each other, this world''s Yeonwoo, and the cultist with the eraser. The four Yeonwoos made their judgment simultaneously. "Return! Go back! Quickly!" "Move! Dimensional shift! No, return!" The eraser? Such a dangerous person right there? Multiple versions of me for some reason? This ident was huge. They had to escape fast! Four dice rolled at once. The cultist reflexively flicked the eraser frantically. Erased possibilities. As the parallel world Yeonwoos lost their words and as the cultist desperately tried to take down Yeonwoo, Yeonwoo painfully opened his mouth and shouted. "Do you know how to solve the climate anomalies? If not, I''ll tell you, so let''s kill this bastard together!" The future Yeonwoo didn''t appear for some reason, but with this many of him, they could surely survive. --- --- Those from parallel worlds weren''t clock repairmen. They didn''t know the solution. When time stopped, they hadn''t attended the lecture on anomalous chronology, so they spent time elsewhere until time naturally resumed. Not being clock repairmen, they hadn''t visited the Anomaly Research Society either. Still, being Yeonwoo, they''d learned about the climate anomalies through other routes, but they were desperate to find a way to survive. The Special Forces Yeonwoo moved immediately. He joined the physical struggle. "Move!" As if switching ces, he grabbed the wrist, trading blows back and forth. "Die!" The cultist, lip split, sat down hard and threw his weight downward. His hand and the eraser dropped with him. As the trembling eraser moved towards the Special Forces Yeonwoo''s torso, the Devil Worshipper Yeonwoo and this world''s Yeonwoo rolled their dice. "Eraser lost." "Eraser moved." "You damn bastards!" Roll- Two dice rolled simultaneously, ten strands of possibility tangling chaotically. The eraser''s target changed. Busy flicking his hand to erase probabilities. In the end, the eraser that barely grazed the Special Forces Yeonwoo''s body was used futilely to erase probabilities. At that moment, the Goldberg Club Yeonwoo silently approached from behind the cultist and shoved a gold bar into his pocket. "You''ve received gold, so you have to work, right?" "Get lost!" As he violently shook his trapped wrist to erase the gold bar''spulsion, the dice''s probability maniption struck again. Not just one. Four dice rolled, twenty strands of possibility writhing chaotically. The cultist was now desperate just to erase probabilities. The hand with the eraser was used to defend against the dice, while the other tried to fight the Special Forces Yeonwoo, but the tide gradually turned. "Fracture, brain bleed, organ rupture-" "Blood clot, shorter life, memory loss-" "Take eraser, control humans, seal eraser-" Endlessly rolling dice. Methods learned by parallel world Yeonwoos through different experiences. The cultist took a beating, unable to use the eraser as a weapon. At this point, the Doomsday Cultist Yeonwoo stepped back and spoke quietly. "Is this world''s Dandelion[1] still alive?" "Uh, I''m not sure." "Didn''t you escape together?" "No. I stayed in that house and escaped using diceter." "...She might be alive then." The Doomsday Cultist Yeonwoo briefly observed the chaos, then slowly raised his hand. The anomalous entities hanging from his clothes were dazzling. From a toy gun that opened blue doors to a game controller that operated cars, and various unidentifiable odds and ends. He gripped one of the guns. He spoke. "I''ll help." "Uh..." Bullet hit check. Bang-! A gunshot rang out, the bullet hitting the floor. Though probability was erased by the eraser, there was no chance to stop the bullet. The cultist looked at the gun with crazed eyes and screamed. "Let''s die together!" There was no answer. This was where he''d die. One eraser couldn''t handle five dice. Without the eraser, he was just another person. The moment he decided to make the eraser go berserk topletely wipe out himself and the area. The instant his attention turned elsewhere. Wham-! The Special Forces Yeonwoo''s fist struck his jaw hard. The cultist lost consciousness and went limp. The Special Forces Yeonwoo moved smoothly, snapping the cultist''s neck in one motion. Crack- Thud- After tossing aside the corpse, he kicked the eraser far away and said. "The solution to the climate anomalies. Tell me." "Yes." --- [1. raei: Dandelion was the girl that escaped from the house of giant''s first.]Toggle New Ads Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 69 - Eraser TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The parallel world versions of Lee Yeonwoo stared at each other with piercing gazes, uncertain when they''d return to their own realities. Without wasting time, Yeonwoo began reciting the list of anomalies. He also exined why he had to fight the Eraser. "The doomsday cultists attacked as soon as this list was revealed. Keep that in mind." The four Yeonwoosmitted the anomaly list to memory, then slowly backed away. Their eyes darted between each other. Versions of themselves, ufortable in the same ce. A subtle tension settled over the ruins."..." "..." As the awkward silence lingered, the Goldberg Club Yeonwoo casually waved his hand. The watch on his wrist rattled. "You rolled to summon a parallel world version of me, right? Let''s not do this. There''s an unspoken rule - we shouldn''t call people to dangerous ces." "That''s right." They all nodded in agreement. At the same time, they narrowed their eyes and red at this world''s Yeonwoo. They must have been shocked when suddenly summoned before the Eraser, especially when the dice roll was canceled. Sure, they got the solution to the climate anomalies in return, but such unexpected danger... It''s truly unpleasant to think that Yeonwoo had been taken advantage of. He hastily waved his hands and tried to exin. "It was an ident. I didn''t even roll for a parallel world." "Then what did you roll for?" "I called for my future self, but suddenly a critical sess came up..." They tilted their heads quizzically. "There''s no one from the future here though." "I think they must have refused from their end." "Ah. Refusal." All the Yeonwoos fell into thought for a moment. Such one-sided summoning was truly dangerous. They needed toe up with countermeasures. As they each pondered defensive methods, whether using Golden Omnipotence or borrowing demonic powers, Yeonwoo casually spoke up. "More importantly, let''s share our dice techniques. Since we''re all here anyway." "Good idea. I noticed earlier you were rolling different judgments-" The voice disappeared. More precisely, the person vanished. Just as suddenly as they had appeared, they returned without warning. Left alone, Yeonwoo stared nkly at where they had been. He was about to start a productive conversation. They were gone, leaving only ruins behind. The mountainside, haphazardly swept through by the Eraser. The artificially split clouds dispersed naturally, and the mountain cleaved in two crumbled, filling the valley with mounds of earth. And the Intelligence Department. Traces of deletion passing vertically through the center of the underground headquarters. The surviving agents moved busily, each focused on their tasks. Creating escape routes out of the pit, contacting other departments, gathering and rying information... Suddenly, Yeonwoo felt drained. The tension dissipated, his limbs going ck. Only then did it truly sink in. "It''s over." The climate anomalies were resolved. They had also thwarted the attack of the most dangerous doomsday cultists. A new world was about to begin. Earth, free from climate anomalies. Companies returning to normal. Groups abandoning survival preparations to focus on power struggles. And anomalies that would continue to appear without fail. Seeing an Intelligence Department agent approaching to greet him, Yeonwoo smiled. --- --- Time passes. The battle with the doomsday cultists concluded. They lost a few anomalous objects, but the climate anomalies disappearedpletely. Thepany canceled its preservation n. Resources invested elsewhere began returning to Earth one by one, andpany operations started normalizing. Other groups were the same. They came back to Earth, to society. And Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo sat on the floor of his studio apartment, looking at one person. A man who suddenly visited the apartment, dressed in a ck suit. He looked around the studio, then slowly sat down across from Yeonwoo. "Mr. Yeonwoo. I''m Mark Jung from headquarters." "Why from headquarters...?" Yeonwoo subtly pulled his bag closer to his knee. One hand slipped into the bag. The mere mention of headquarters filled him with a vague sense of dread. It brought to mind the clock repairmen''s work, and the inhuman way they carried out the preservation n without hesitation. The image of those who would stop at nothing to protect humanity, quite literally. Mark Jung smiled. "I''m here tomend your achievements, Mr. Lee." "Ah." Yeonwoo rxed, letting his arms fall limp. Then he looked at Mark Jung expectantly. "You found and revealed the solution to the climate anomalies, and even eliminated that wanted person to recover the Eraser. These are aplishments thepany can''t ignore. Headquarters has decided to reward you." "What kind of reward?" Asked in a much gentler tone, Mark Jung opened his briefcase and took out a nk sheet of paper. A single nk sheet ced on the table between them. Yeonwoo looked at the nk paper, then slowly raised his head. What was he supposed to do with a nk sheet? Mark Jung said: "Write down anything you want. There are no restrictions. Thepany will fulfill everything within its power." "Oh." Yeonwoo let out a gasp and his hands trembled. He couldn''t even bring himself to touch the paper. He swallowed hard, staring at the sheet. It may be a simple piece of paper, but it was no ordinary paper. An unlimited wish from thepany. This was practically an anomaly in itself. ''What should I write?'' With no limits, it was actually harder toe up with requests. Yeonwoo''s mind raced. Mark Jung spoke casually from beside him. "Anything at all is possible. You could retire with no strings attached and receive a few buildings. You could request a security team." "I''m not retiring." "Excellent." Yeonwoo hesitated, then grasped a pen. He moved the sweat-dampened pen, slowly writing out words. - Improved investigator treatment: Provision of firearms and anomalous equipment, plus other support to enhance work efficiency. He had never considered quitting. He would continue working as apany employee, as an investigator. So improving investigator conditions was essential. Mark Jung nodded. "Firearms will take time as we need to coordinate with the government, but we''ll make the effort. Please write down your other requests." Next, he wrote down reasons why he needed to keep working as apany employee. - Priority information provision: Preferential ess to crisis information like preservation ns or climate anomalies. Through this incident, Yeonwoo had clearly realized: Information is power. If he hadn''t known about the climate anomalies, he would have wandered a ruined world, oblivious to everything. To ess such information, he needed to stay with thepany. It seemed like a bit much to ask. Yeonwoo paused his pen and looked up. "Is this possible?" "We would have informed you of this even without you requesting it." Mark Jung exined slowly. "After this incident, headquarters highly values your abilities. There are many doomsday scenarios, and while none are currently in progress, they may one day be reality." He then took an ID card from his breast pocket and ced it next to the nk paper. Yeonwoo saw it was his own ID. Special Investigator Yeonwoo "You''re now an investigator affiliated with headquarters. Normally, you''ll carry out investigator duties at the Korean branch, but when we provide you with a doomsday scenario, investigate it freely." "..." Yeonwoo looked at the ID card with a dejected expression. The thought of quitting suddenly surged. There was a different feeling between investigating to save his own life and being ordered to investigate from above. Oblivious to these thoughts, Mark Jung continued exining about special investigators. "You have the authority to ignore orders from the Korean branch, and the authority to call in the Extermination Team. You can also request information from the Intelligence Department-" "Yes, please inform me of thatter in writing." His excitement settled, Yeonwoo freely moved his pen. The pen glided across the nk sheet. Requests to fulfill his personal desires. ''Get a house and move, receive amplepensation... What else is there to ask for?'' More than half the paper remained nk. Yeonwoo slowly pushed the paper away. Mark Jung picked up the sheet and read through the requests. They were more modest than expected. He asked casually: "You don''t want the Eraser? If you wish, we could give it to you, Mr. Lee." "I don''t need the Eraser." Yeonwoo truly had no lingering attachment. He believed in the dice. Hadn''t his future self shown the limits of what could be achieved with the dice? Probability maniption. He just needed to use the dice well. In the end, even annihtion or deletion could be done with the dice. Mark Jung stood up. He bowed his head to Yeonwoo. "Then I''ll be going now. I''ll ry your requests exactly as written, Mr. Lee." "Take care on your way back." In the space Mark Jung had vacated. Yeonwoo couldn''t shake a sense of regret. "Ah... I feel like I could have asked for more." Perhaps because his life wasn''t in danger. His mind just wouldn''t work properly. --- --- As soon as he left Yeonwoo''s home, Mark Jung called his superior to report Yeonwoo''s requests. "These are all of Yeonwoo''s demands, Director." "Very, hmm, modest." "Yes. But..." Mark Jung hesitated before asking a question. "What would you have done if he had quit? Isn''t he a necessary human resource for thepany?" "Haha." Laughter flowed from the other end of the phone. "It wouldn''t matter if he quit. He''s a survivalist." The voice continued, tinged with amusement, saying that even if they just leaked a bit of information about a crisis, he would take action. "And in some situations, an individual''s survival bes everyone''s survival." Whether in thepany or not, Yeonwoo would benefit thepany. --- [And that ends volume 1! There are 5 volumes btw, I''ll be updating the novel''s image on the website to volume 2 this weekend but I''ll also post the images for all 5 volumes on discord as well. Up to 15 advance chaps are now up on Ko-fi for anyone interested in supporting the trantions or in reading ahead. 5 more will be addedter today after a bit of proofreading. Click here for Kofi. And someone in the discord said there''s actually a brand new webtoon adaption, maybe 2 months in? Anyways, I hope you''re enjoying the story so far and back to 5/week! ]Toggle New Ads Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 70 - The Man at the Door TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Early morning. Lee Yeonwoo was mechanically brushing his teeth when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate. He picked it up. - Team Leader: Hey everyone. Our office is getting renovated. Work from home until it''s done. I''ll let you know if any fieldworkes up. It was a message in the Anomaly Investigation Team''s group chat. Yeonwoo blinked, rinsed his mouth, and went back to bed. He sat on the edge, eyes glued to his phone.- Me: What''s with the sudden renovation? - Team Leader: They''re bringing in new equipment. Apparently recing all the storage units andputers. Improved working conditions for investigators. It seemed Yeonwoo''s demands to Mark Jung were being implemented right away. - Senior Ji-yoo: Why now? How much are they spending to warrant construction? - Team Leader: Guns, drones, small observation devices, fluorescent vests, memory erasers, tasers, you name it. - Team Leader: So when it''s done, you''ll need to get drone licenses and go for equipment training. The chat went quiet after a final message to rest up during construction, as they''d be busy afterward. No longer needing to go to work, Yeonwoo put his phone down and scratched his head. His gaze fell on his messy room. "Ah... I didn''t clean upst night." Beer cans littered the floor around his bed. He nudged them aside with his foot and shuffled around, picking up trash. As he put the cans in a bag, Yeonwoo vaguely recalledst night''s chat with the clock repairmen over drinks. ''Did we decide to keep it social from now on? And only team up for anomalies like climate issues?'' He''d decided to stay in touch with both the clock repairmen and other factions. Just enough to keep lines ofmunication open. Lost in thought, he finished cleaning. Yeonwoo yawned widely and looked around his studio. Nothing left to throw out, nothing to eat for breakfast. ''Guess I''ll hit the convenience store.'' Arms full of garbage, Yeonwoo shuffled out of his apartment. The convenience store was across from the recycling area. Yeonwoo approached but stopped short. He stared at the ss door and the man standing in front of it. ''What''s this?'' A man stood motionless in front of the ss door. Not entering, just leaning his forehead against the ss. "Ahem." Frowning, Yeonwoo cleared his throat and entered through the door next to the man. A chime sounded as the ss door opened. Ding-a-ling! As they brushed past, Yeonwoo nced sideways at the man. He leaned against the door like a mannequin, staring straight ahead. ''Why is he doing this?'' An uneasy feeling crept over him. Yeonwoo hurriedly grabbed a lunch box and a drink. When he finished paying and left, the man had vanished. Yeonwoo looked around the street, his expression suddenly hardening. "..." The man now stood at the entrance of Yeonwoo''s apartment building across the street. Just like before, he was motionless with his forehead against the ss door. Instinctively, Yeonwoo reached for his bag, but his hand grasped air. He''d left it behind, thinking he''d be out briefly. ''Weapon. I need a weapon.'' Yeonwoo gripped the store bag tighter with his sweaty hand. The lunch box and 2-liter water bottle inside made it quite heavy. A solid hit would hurt. After testing its weight, Yeonwoo strode forward purposefully. ''I don''t know if this is an anomaly or just a person, if he''s part of a group or just a civilian.'' He steeled himself for a fight if necessary. At the apartment building entrance, Yeonwoo kept his distance, ready to swing the bag. Their reflections appeared side by side in the ss door. Yeonwoo spoke. "Excuse me. What are you doing?" "..." No response. The man didn''t answer or move. Even his face, briefly visible in the reflection, remained unchanged. His eyes didn''t even blink. Yeonwoo cautiously poked the man''s shoulder. He felt like an ordinary person through the clothing. "Are you okay? Do you need help?" "..." "..." Yeonwoo hesitated, then approached the ss door beside the man. Whatever this person''s deal was, he decided to grab his gun first. As the door opened and they crossed paths, their eyes met. Yeonwoo nced at the man, who only rolled his eyes to look back, maintaining his posture. The moment passed where Yeonwoo tensed, ready to swing the bag if needed. He entered the building. Yeonwoo whirled around to look at the man. "..." "..." They stood with the closed ss door between them. The man had resumed leaning his head against the ss, staring at it. Frowning, Yeonwoo took the elevator to his studio on the 7th floor. Bang! mming the door shut, Yeonwoo tossed the store bag on the floor and grabbed his bag. He pulled out the gun and set it on top. "I don''t know who this guy is, but..." He sensed danger. As apany employee, it warranted an active response. Yeonwoo shouldered the bag, put on his sneakers, and went back out. And there he was. The man stood in front of the elevator on the 7th floor. "..." Yeonwoo''s expression hardened. His heart raced as he swiftly grasped the gun, striding purposefully toward the man. He thrust the gun forward, pressing it against the back of the man''s head. "This is a gun. Move and I''ll shoot. Who are you? Why are you following me? Answer me!" Squeeze- The gun barrel dug into the man''s skull. Yet, he showed no reaction. No words, no movement. Yeonwoo''s frustration mounted. His throat and chest tightened, as if he''d swallowed a sweet potato whole. ''Is he just a civilian? I can''t shoot him for no reason. If only I knew if he was hostile or an anomaly.'' If the man had shown even a hint of aggression, Yeonwoo wouldn''t have hesitated. But this was perfect non-resistance. Yeonwoo slowly backed away. One hand still aiming the gun, he used the other to call the team leader. - Yeah. What''s up? "Team Leader. I''ve run into a strange person. Can you confirm if it''s an anomaly?" - Uh... Tell me what they''re like. A voice tinged with confusion. Yeonwoo red at the man as he spoke, still blocking the elevator. After a brief silence, the team leader spoke reluctantly. - I''ve checked, but there''s nothing in our data. Seems like just a weirdo. Call the cops. "Got it." The call ended. Yeonwoo hesitated, then approached the man and reached out. He checked for a pulse and breath. ''Seems human. Is he really just a civilian?'' Both pulse and breathing were steady. ''If he''s human, he must be a civilian. A hostile group wouldn''t do this for no reason. They''d attack right away with an anomaly.'' He couldn''t just shoot a civilian without cause. Yeonwoo sighed and called the police. "Yes, here-" The police arrived quickly. The elevator came back up to the seventh floor, and the doors opened. Two familiar officers appeared across from the man. One recognized Yeonwoo and spoke. "The guy who fired a gun before?" The same cops who''d responded when Yeonwoo had shot at the Demon of Sloth in his apartment. Their expressions seemed to ask what kind of trouble it was this time. Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly and pointed at the man still standing in front of the open elevator. "I called because of him. He keeps following me and standing in front of doors I''m about to use." "I see." One officer held the door open while the other looked the man up and down before grabbing his shoulder and pulling. The man was dragged along lifelessly. The officer spoke. "He might be ill. We''ll take care of it." "Thanks, I appreciate it." The moment the officer''s hand left the open button, the doors began to close. For a split second, the back of the man''s head was visible through the narrowing gap. Yeonwoo watched the fully closed doors, then looked up. The elevator descended to the first floor. "...Was I overreacting?" He felt he might have been too sensitive after seeing so many anomalies. Scratching his head, Yeonwoo put the gun back in his bag and slowly returned to his apartment. The front door opened, and Yeonwoo froze mid-step. There were people in his supposedly empty studio. "Ah." The bathroom right by the entrance. In front of the tightly closed bathroom door stood the man. And not just him, but the two police officers from the elevator as well, all leaning their heads against the wooden door,pletely still. An impossible situation. Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief. "So it is an anomaly." If it was an anomalous entity, there was no need for hesitation. He could respond by any means necessary. Yeonwoo drew his gun. Bang bang bang bang-! Click click- The gunfire continued until the magazine was empty. The man and the two officers, riddled with bullet holes, continued to stand in the same posture, blood streaming down their bodies. ''The gun might not work.'' Yeonwoo reced the magazine, then took out his phone. His mind raced. ''Danger. Safety. Survival.'' Seeing what happened to the police, it seemed dangerous if the man crossed the threshold. He also showed the ability to teleport. Hadn''t he moved from the elevator to the apartment? The response wasn''t difficult. "Team Leader. It''s definitely an anomaly. I''ll describe its characteristics, so please contact an appropriate special forces unit or department." Finishing the call, Yeonwoo turned his head. And he was startled. The man had moved. One stood in front of the bathroom door, another in front of the closed front door, and the third was nowhere to be seen. 71 - The Man at the Door TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here A man stood at the bathroom door, and a police officer guarded the front entrance. The other officer was not in sight. Lee Yeonwoo''s head swiveled rapidly. He spun in ce, scanning the entire studio apartment, climbed the stairs to check the loft, and peered out the window to survey the surrounding streets. But the missing man was nowhere to be found inside the apartment. "..." Yeonwoo tightened his grip on his gun as he pondered. A faint smell of blood hung in the air. If he wasn''t inside..."Whatever." The location of the unknown anomaly didn''t matter. It was better to escape this enclosed space with few exits. Conveniently, the window was open. Yeonwoo made a beeline for the fire escape by the window. The fire escape had been hastily installed after the fight with the Demon of Sloth. No need for additional setup. After securing the belt around his chest, Yeonwoo flung open the window and tossed the rope outside. The rope unfurled with a whoosh. Seven floors. A dizzying height. People and streets looked tiny below. Taking several deep breaths, Yeonwoo checked the support firmly before throwing himself out the window. The support and speed regtor bore his weight as he pushed against the window and wall with both hands to descend. 7th floor, 6th floor, 5th floor... 1st floor. Having safely reached the ground, Yeonwoo first unfastened and tossed aside the belt, then went to sit on a stic chair at the convenience store across the street. ''I''ll wait it out here until thepany arrives.'' Yeonwoo''s legs trembled as he ignored the strange looks from passersby. While Yeonwoo was descending via the fire escape. Ding! The apartment building''s elevator arrived at the 7th floor, and Yeonwoo''s neighbor stepped out. The neighbor, humming with earphones in, suddenly stopped in his tracks. A police officer stood in front of the neighboring door, bleeding as he leaned his forehead against it. The neighbor removed one earphone and cautiously took a step forward. "Excuse me? Are you alright? You''re bleeding." "..." "Hello? Sir?" The distance closed with each repeated question. The acrid smell of blood prated the mask. The neighbor gulped. Crouching down, he reached out to tap the officer''s shoulder when suddenly¡ª Snap! The officer abruptly stretched out his hand and firmly grasped the neighbor''s wrist. "Ack!" "..." The grip was like a vise. The officer opened the door and shoved the neighbor inside. The neighbor lost his bnce and tumbled past the entryway. Crash! "Aah! What are you¡ª" The neighbor''s mouth mped shut between sneakers and slippers. He looked up at the officer standing in the doorway. Eyes peering down at the neighbor from a slightly bowed head that had been leaning against the door. Lifeless eyes like those of a dead fish. Thud¡ª The officer from outside took a step forward, and the two officers'' bowed heads filled the neighbor''s vision. "W-why are you doing this to me?" A voice tinged with tears. The neighbor frantically reached out to brace himself against the shoes and entryway floor, raising his upper body, but it was toote. The officer grasped the doorknob. m! The door closed. --- --- "Yes, Team Leader. I''vee outside now. When will backup arrive?" - Ah. I''ve sent out the call, and they''re gathering the spatial containment equipment before departing. Should be here in 20 minutes. "20 minutes..." The time it would take for the special forces to mobilize and arrive. Not exactly a short wait, but an eternity for someone caught up in an anomalous phenomenon. Yeonwoo was about to speak when his mouth snapped shut again. "..." Across from the convenience store, in front of the apartment building''s ss doors, stood a man. ''He came down.'' A chill ran down Yeonwoo''s spine. He jumped to his feet and scanned his surroundings. After checking front and sides, he turned around¡ª "Ugh!" His neighbor, standing ufortably close behind him, filled his vision. Beyond the neighbor, Yeonwoo saw police officers leaning against both doors of the convenience store. Thud! Startled, he stumbled backwards and mmed into a convenience store table. The table screeched as it was forcefully shoved. The trash on top of it rattled. "Who¡ªah." Yeonwoo, suppressing his pounding heart, examined his neighbor closely and realized he too had fallen victim to the anomaly. ''Emotionless eyes, slightly bowed head. And this feeling. That anomalous entity got to him. But why isn''t he by the door?'' There was no time for detailed analysis. The situation wasn''t waiting for Yeonwoo orpany backup. Lunchtime, with the sun climbing towards its zenith. People passing on the street. Yeonwoo''s pupils constricted. "Lunch? Just grab a quick boxed meal. Excuse me,ing through." "I''ll feed the dog and be right down." "I''lle with you! I want to see the puppy too." People entering the convenience store while focused on video calls, college students chatting as they entered the apartment building. The anomalous entity advancing towards the wide-open doors. Before he could even warn them, the doors closed. The anomaly would multiply. Simultaneously, the neighbor in front of Yeonwoo suddenly reached out. Fingers syed to grab his hair. "Shi¡ª!" The reaction was instantaneous. Yeonwoo let out a cry as he swung his bag vertically upwards. Not just his arm, but his wrist too bent for the swing. The heavy, solid bag struck the neighbor''s chin. Whack! A solid hit. The neighbor fell backwards. Yeonwoo hurriedly fled to the street and rummaged frantically through his bag. ''Something I can use now...'' The gun was useless. Physical removal was nearly impossible. So then¡ª Swish¡ª A red cord emerged from the bag. Yeonwoo unraveled it and gripped it in both hands. His hands tensed with determination. ''Let''s tie them up.'' Whether doors open or not, they can''t pass through if they can''t move, right? Eyes gleaming, Yeonwoo approached his neighbor lying motionless on the ground. A few steps away, he muttered softly. "I don''t know what kind of anomaly you are. But stay put. If you resist now, nextes the chainsaw. You know what''ll happen to your arms and legs, right? And if you resist that, I''ll use even harsher methods." "..." The anomalous entity remained motionless. It simplyy there in silence, head slightly bowed. ''It might move.'' Tense, Yeonwoo began by binding its ankles, then its wrists, and finally secured the end to a utility pole like a dog leash, pulled taut. Fortunately, there was no resistance or movement, so the rest was just a repetition of the same process. Binding everyone standing by the doors. The unfamiliar man, the two police officers, the neighbor, the people in the convenience store, even the two college students¡ªall of them. "Done." After tying the final knot tight, Yeonwoo surveyed the street. The anomalous entities were firmly restrained not just at their joints, but also tied to trees, utility poles, and streetmps. And at a distance, people warily eyeing Yeonwoo. Some pretending not to notice while filming with their cameras, others calling the police. "What''s he doing? Filming something?" "No idea. Better call the police just in case." "Isn''t it some kind of filming? Those people are staying so still." Yeonwoo hesitated before drawing his gun. ''I tied them up, but it''s not foolproof.'' He had to prevent further multiplication here. If their numbers grew uncontrobly after they''d already moved to attack directly... ''The dice are my only option.'' Better not to take such a dangerous gamble. Bang! A gunshot rang out. The onlookers gasped in admiration, but when a second shot shattered a streetlight, they finally screamed and fled. The street emptied in an instant. Yeonwoo sat in a convenience store chair and checked his phone. The 20 minutes the Team Leader mentioned were nearly up. "When''s that backuping?" Just then. Whoosh¡ªa sound like tearing air echoed from the sky. Yeonwoo looked up. A massive transport ne was flying low. It dropped something rectangr. The object cast a growing shadow as it plummeted towards them. "What the¡ª!" Who drops things without warning? Yeonwoo scrambled to press himself against a building wall. He felt the ck container crash into the center of the road with his entire body. Boom! The container smashed into the asphalt road. The shockwave hit him full force. His ears rang, the vibrations reverberating through his organs. Flying debris grazed and scratched his cheeks. ng! The container doors burst open, sending up clouds of dust. Combat troops in ck battle suits poured out. Their squad leader at the front shouted: "Move out! Target is an unidentified anomalous entity..." The squad leader''s confident shout trailed off. The charging troops stopped in their tracks, looking around in bewilderment. People tied up with cords. Yeonwoo approached them with relief. The troops instinctively aimed their weapons¡ªstrange-looking guns¡ªat him. Yeonwoo raised his hands and said: "I''m Investigator Yeonwoo. I made the report. I''ve restrained them with cords for now, please handle it properly." "Ah. You''ve already responded..." "Those things were teleporting, so I''m not sure if I''ve properly restrained them." After a moment of silence, the squad leader gestured. "Throw them in the container." "Yes sir!" The troops bustled about, roughly tossing the anomalous entities into the container. They handled them like objects, not people. The squad leader in the ck helmet stood by the container watching his troops. Once all the anomalies were loaded, he turned to Yeonwoo. "Good work. Thanks to you, the operation proceeded smoothly." "Are you sure they''re properly contained?" It seemed like they''d just thrown them into a container. Yeonwoo shifted nervously as he asked. The squad leader answered matter-of-factly: "It''s a spatial containment container. They can''t escape from inside." Yeonwoo rxed, letting his arms fall to his sides. 72 - The Man at the Door TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The squad leader confidently rapped on the ck container door, the sound of armored gloves striking metal echoing in the air. He slightly raised the unique gun he was holding. "This weapon also has spatial containment properties, so we can respond adequately." "That''s a relief," Yeonwoo said, visibly rxing. He nced around the area, taking in the scene. His eyes lingered on the shattered streetlight he''d shot, the CCTVs and phone cameras mounted here and there. He thought about his image captured on them.A slight uneasiness remained. Yeonwoo hesitated before speaking. "Um, about all that shooting I did. How will the aftermath be handled?" "The Intelligence Department will take care of it. Any police reports will have been suppressed. When we deploy, relevant government agencies are already notified." A seemingly perfectly resolved anomaly, with even the aftermath taken care of. Nothing left to worry about. Yeonwoo slung his bag over his shoulder. "Well then, I''ll be going now." "Yes." The squad leader watched as Yeonwoo crossed the street towards the studio apartment building. Yeonwoo calmly opened the ss door and disappeared inside. One of the soldiers, watching Yeonwoo''s retreating figure, approached the squad leader and made small talk. "Squad leader, isn''t that guy the investigator? The one who deals with anomalies?" "Probably is." "Then shouldn''t he be living somewhere remote instead of in the city?" "Stop talking nonsense and get ready to head back. Look, the transport unit''s arriving." The squad leader nodded towards the far end of the street. A convoy of vehicles rolled down the street: heavy machinery to lift the container, trucks to load it on, and SUVs to transport thebat personnel. "We''re returning!" Thebat personnel lined up and boarded the vehicles. The container was quickly loaded, and they vanished in an instant as if they''d never been there. Only the shattered road and empty spaces where people had been remained. --- --- After roughly packing away the used ropedder, Yeonwoo called his team leader. "So, it''s been resolved?" the team leader asked. "Yes, Team Leader. It''s over." Yeonwoo frowned, looking at the convenience store lunch box. Roughly shaken, the kimchi juice and side dishes had spilled all over. The unappetizing sight made him not want to eat, but hunger won out. He struggled to tear open the stic wrap with one hand, put the lunch box in the microwave, and continued the call. "Do I just need to write the report now?" "Let''s do two. One overall situation report, and one on the anomalous entity characteristics you observed. Write up the characteristics report first and submit it." "Yes, I''ll eat lunch and write it right away." "Alright, good work." As the call ended, the microwave dinged. Yeonwoo sat at the table and wolfed down the lunch, lost in thought. ''So what kind of anomaly was it?'' It was entirely possible for there to be anomalies thepany hadn''t identified yet. The fog monster he saw on his first investigation was also a newly discovered entity. Having finished off the lunch box, Yeonwoo pushed it aside, turned on hisptop, and logged into thepany''s informationwork. A nk document page with a white background stared back at him. "Spatial movement is certain. It started moving. Door? It stands in front of doors, then enters with someone when they open it and does something. Multiplication? Infection?" Tap tap tap- Yeonwoo, who had been slowly writing the report, suddenly paused and pondered before haphazardly pressing thepletion button. ''The researchers will figure out the details.'' The remaining report was just describing the situation. Recalling his memories, he began writing from when he first encountered the man in front of the door. He was in the middle of writing when suddenly: Ring ring ring ring-! A call came in from an unfamiliar number. The phone rang incessantly, buzzing and vibrating. Feeling an inexplicable unease, Yeonwoo immediately picked up. "Hello-" "Is this Investigator Lee Yeonwoo?" a high, rapid voice urgently asked. Yeonwoo instinctively lowered the call volume. "Yes, it is. Who-" "This is the team that received the anomalous entity you just reported. An incident has urred!" "An incident? What-" "Those anomalous entities, they''ve devoured a bunch of our people and disappeared! There''s a high chance they''ve gone to your location, so be careful!" "..." A chilling sensation washed over Yeonwoo, as if doused with ice water. He gulped and first looked for his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Hello? Are you listening?" "Yes, I''m listening. But I need more details. What exactly happened-" "They opened and closed doors on their own! I''ll send you the data! If they really did go there, contact us immediately!" Click. The call ended. Yeonwoo stared nkly at his phone before jolting up. He could check the data while walking. More importantly, he needed to get outside. Ding-! Opening the video file that had just arrived, Yeonwoo rushed to the entrance. His slightly trembling fingers fast-forwarded through the CCTV footage as he hurriedly crammed his feet into his sneakers and stepped outside. "..." The front door flung open. Yeonwoo stopped mid-step as he was about to exit. The hallway of the studio apartment building stretched before him. A not-so-short corridor, with several front doors lined up on both sides. And in front of each door stood people. From the person Yeonwoo had tied up earlier, tobat personnel in battle suits orbat uniforms, all leaning their foreheads against the doors. Grip- Yeonwoo grabbed the doorknob so hard it might break, and slowly poked his head out. One eye peeking out from the edge of the doorway. Even the distant elevator and emergency exit had people standing with their backs turned. ''Is the floor sealed off?'' His mind went cold. His heart raced, pumping vigor through his entire body. ''Ropedder.'' If he could get down using the ropedder by the window- "...When?" Turning back to the entrance, Yeonwoo looked at the window with a sinking expression. Three people in researcher uniforms were densely packed against the window, having moved there at some point. They were pressed against the ss as if looking down at the street below. At this rate, he''d be caught for sure. He had to find a way out. ''The person in front of the door. The door. Right, the door first.'' Yeonwoo turned back again. The front door was slightly ajar. He pushed it open wider and lowered the door stopper to hold it in ce. Then he took out the drill from his bag. ''If the door doesn''t close, I can avoid the anomaly for now.'' Amidst his racing thoughts, he clearly recalled fragments of memory - people entering the studio apartment building and convenience store, incidents urring after doors closed. Whirrr- The drill spun ferociously. The drill bit aimed for the hinge part that remained fixed to the door frame even when the door was open. Screech-! With no intention of carefully removing screws or parts, he drilled multiple holes to sever the joint. Sparks flew wildly as holes were punched into the corner of the front door. Bang! Finally kicking the door, Yeonwoo toppled the door panel into the hallway. Gripping the drill like a gun, he looked around in all directions. People lined up at every front door. ''They haven''t moved yet.'' But they could move at any moment. He remembered when his neighbor had reached out. Not just thebat personnel, but civilians and researchers were dangerous too. ''Stairs.'' To face multiple opponents alone, it was better to funnel them through a narrow passage. Yeonwoo swiftly moved, climbing the stairs to position himself on the mezzanine. After moving the box with his belongings near the stairs, Yeonwoo made a phone call. To the person he had just spoken with. "This is Investigator Lee Yeonwoo. They''vee here. Thebat personnel and researchers have all be anomalous entities." "Understood! People from thepany will be dispatched. You, quickly contact them! Tell them to deploy here!" The sound of someone giving orders to others could be heard in the background. Keeping his attention on the bottom of the stairs, Yeonwoo asked, "How long will it take? And who''sing? I don''t think ordinary countermeasures will work." "We''ll use the Eraser." For entities difficult to contain, with little research or practical value. They didn''t hesitate to destroy them. "Ah." Yeonwoo sighed in slight relief as he wrapped up the call. The Eraser would be definitive. He knew well, having experienced it up close. "I understand." "Just hold out a little longer." The call ended. An eerie silence settled over the studio apartment. If he listened closely, he could hear the breathing of the people. His own breathing and heartbeat. Yeonwoo clenched his fist tightly and looked at the anomalous entities by the window. ''I''m ready to face them. Now I need to analyze them as much as possible.'' Maintaining just the right level of tension, Yeonwoo checked the video file sent from the other side. A silent CCTV recording. Some kind of warehouse. A truck carrying a ck container entered what looked like an aircraft hangar, and several researchers holding papers greeted the driver. As they spoke to the driver, alternately looking at the container and driver while waving papers: Slide, the container door opened. The sound must not have been small, as the researchers and driver turned around in shock, but it was toote. The anomalous entities had found freedom. One walked out of the container, one stood in front of the hangar door which then closed on its own, and the rest teleported away. Probably scattered somewhere in the department. And that was the end. As soon as the hangar door closed, the CCTV malfunctioned. Yeonwoo muttered anxiously, "They directly open and close doors, no. That''s not important." The crucial point was that being in an enclosed space with them causes one to mutate into an anomalous entity. Yeonwoo put down the drill and picked up his gun. He aimed at the window. ''Isn''t a building also an enclosed space in a broader sense?'' If all the windows closed and all the entrances sealed, wouldn''t a building be no different from an enclosed room? Of course, he didn''t know if the anomalous entity''s influence extended that far, but Yeonwoo didn''t ignore even the slightest possibility. Bang-! Crash! The window shattered and a gust of wind blew in. ss shards glittered in the sunlight as they rained down on the heads of the people standing by the window. "..." Rustle- The three people by the window turned around simultaneously. ss fragments crunched under their shoes. They kept their heads lowered, rolling only their eyeballs upward. Their gazes met. Yeonwoo prepared to throw the box down the stairs. 73 - The Man at the Door TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo took a stance to throw the box, ring down at the anomalous entities as he spoke. "I don''t know if you can understand me, but let''s stop here. If you push any further, I might do something drastic." A threatced with sincerity. If cornered before the eraser arrived, Yeonwoo would roll the dice without hesitation. ''Simple damage won''t cut it. Spatial discement is pointless too.''His eyes shed as he anticipated potential oues. Whether they understood the threat was unclear. The three anomalous entities by the window remained motionless, staring at Yeonwoo. Their mechanical eyes betrayed no emotion or thought. "..." "..." As he locked eyes with the unblinking anomalies, heavy footsteps approached. Thud- Thud- The sound came from the entrance. The footsteps didn''t stop, but slowly drew closer, one step at a time. Thud- Thud- Yeonwoo craned his neck to look over the railing. Below stood abatant in full battle gear. The helmet andbat suit were clearly visible from above. The armor looked imprable at a nce. Yeonwoo tossed his heavy bag aside. ''The gun would''ve been useless anyway.'' What good would a pistol do against a fully armoredbatant? Unless he had the skill of a movie assassin to target weak spots. ''Throw the box to block their ascent, then roll the dice-'' As Yeonwoo turned back to check on the anomalous entities by the window, he let out a small sigh. The three entities that had been standing in front of the window had moved. They were now lined up on the first three steps of the staircase, heads slightly bowed, eyes still fixed on Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo released his grip on the box. "Right, what''s the point in threatening anomalies?" Actions spoke louder than words. Yeonwoo summoned the dice, instantly recalling the judgments he''d been contemting since seeing his parallel world self. ''Starting with the least risky.'' First, slipping. Then, leg fracture. Next, loss of sensation. Finally, loss of muscle strength. Judgments that wouldn''t invite major danger even if they failed or critically failed. ''At least one should seed.'' Excited by the sessive requests, the dice leapt up and began to roll merrily. tter- Sess! Crash! Failure! Crash! Bang! Suddenly, people''s feet slipped, and they tumbled forward and backward. Thebatant''s helmet mmed into the floor, while those on the stairs tumbled down, ending up in a tangled heap. Smiling, Yeonwoo immediately threw the box at them. It hit the stairs with a bang, bounced, and struck a researcher in the sr plexus. Then, silence. "..." "..." The anomalous entities, some face-down on the floor, others pinned under bodies, and some fallen backward, moved only their eyes to look at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo didn''t avert his gaze. His hand fumbled for another box. ''I''ll hold out with this, and if I''m pushed back, I''ll roll.'' Of course, there were many entities. Yeonwoo stepped back to widen his field of view. He kept the entire first floor of the studio apartment in sight, ready to react instantly no matter where they might appear. How long did that tensionst? Blink- In the instant his eyelids closed and reopened. The living room was packed with people. "..." "..." All the anomalous entities that had been outside were now crowded below the railing, their gazes fixed on Yeonwoo. Even those he had tied up with rope rolled their eyes to look at him. The stares, piercing even through helmets. Eerie gazes like camera lenses, all directed at Yeonwoo. If they all rushed him at once... Yeonwoo calmly clenched his fist. His heart raced, blood coursing through his veins. He consciously slowed his rapid breathing. ''Don''t get excited. Don''t tense up too much.'' Staying calm was key to survival. To avoid mistakes. To respond appropriately. "For now." Whoosh- Yeonwoo leaned against the wall near the stairs, keeping his field of view as wide as possible. They mighte up to the loft at any moment. Keeping both the loft and first floor in sight, he fumbled for his phone and made a call. The other party answered immediately. "Yes, Investigator Yeonwoo!" "When are youing? When will the eraser arrive?" "I''m not sure." "What?" Unable to re at the phone while maintaining his view, Yeonwoo''s eyes narrowed dangerously. His voice rose. "What kind of answer is that-" "We''ve contacted them, and I heard they''ve deployed immediately! But since the eraser isn''t from our department, I don''t know the exact time. I''ll give you their contact info, so you should call them directly..." Essentially telling him to contact the responsible department since it wasn''t their jurisdiction. Yeonwoo abruptly ended the call and raised the phone high. He hurled it forcefully over the railing. Smack-! The phone struck the forehead of the original male entity watching Yeonwoo. It hit squarely with its edge. "..." The head tilted back slightly, then returned to its original position. A trickle of blood ran down from the split forehead, but the eyes remained fixed on Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo stared back, his eyes filled with irritation. ''If you escaped the container, whye here and cause trouble? Why not go somewhere else?'' The frustration that began with the phone call spread like wildfire through his mind. He couldn''t even count how many times this had happened, nor did he want to. ''I should just roll for deletion-'' p-! A crisp impact. Yeonwoo had pped his own cheek. Rubbing his reddening, swollen cheek, he muttered. "Calm down, you need to survive. Getting angry won''t help. It''s not beneficial." If he rolled for deletion and critically failed, he might receive something unmanageable. "I''m not cornered enough to roll that." Yeonwoo continued muttering, calming himself. The stinging pain quickly dissipated his anger and irritation. Survival instinct alone filled the void left by emotion. Looking down at the anomalous entities, Yeonwoo had a thought. The densely packed anomalies. ''...They''re all here? If I could knock them all down at once, I could escape. Dice.'' Focusing on the dice in a corner of his mind, Yeonwoo opened his hand, mimicking his future self. He spoke earnestly. "Let''s seed just this once. Just this. I''m not even hoping for a critical sess. Just a sess. So, slipping." tter- The dice rolled. Before the result appeared, Yeonwoo clenched his fist tightly. The dice continued to roll. Unlike his future self, he couldn''t stop it at the desired result. But in the instant before the result appeared, less than a second. Yeonwoo felt a strange sensation. A peculiar certainty, as if he knew the oue without seeing it. ''It seeded!'' Sess! Bang crash-! The tightly packed people fell simultaneously, entangling chaotically. Helmets collided with sharp impacts, and protective gear shed noisily. There was no time to focus on that strange sensation. Yeonwoo''s eyes gleamed as he immediately descended the stairs. Taking two steps at a time, he leapt down. Stepping on the sr plexus of fallen anomalies, he bounded forward. Amidst the motionless gazes, he stopped in front of the descent device. ''The corridor, elevator, and emergency stairs are too dangerous.'' Hurriedly throwing the rope outside, loosely fastening the belt around his chest, he climbed over the windowsill still bearing bullet holes and ss shards. Ssssk- Being barefoot, ss shards cut into his soles. Red blood spread. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth but didn''t stop moving. With the loose chest belt, he gripped the rope with both hands and slowly descended. The device lowered him. From the 7th floor to the 6th. Yeonwoo inhaled the fresh outside air, then set his expression firmly. His hands gripped the rope tightly enough to abrade his skin. "..." "..." At the window of the apartment below Yeonwoo''s. Three anomalous entities leaned their foreheads against the window, watching him. Their eyes followed Yeonwoo, moving in sync with the device''s speed. From the 6th floor to the 5th, from the 5th to the 4th. Anomalous entities watched Yeonwoo from windows on every floor. From empty apartments, after turning the upants into anomalies. Finally reaching the ground. Yeonwoo staggered as his injured bare feet touched the road. Sharp pain shot from his soles to his scalp. Even so, his vignt gaze caught the people at the entrance. People lined up behind the ss of the studio apartment''s first floor. And he also saw thepany''s support. Vroom-! Screech-! A ck motorcycle cut across the road, stopping beside Yeonwoo. Leather boots stepped onto the skid mark left behind. The person in a helmet and rider jacket pulled out an eraser from their chest, making a horizontal hand motion. The gesture didn''t stop. The eraser moved vertically in session. The studio apartment buildingpletely vanished. As Yeonwoo stared nkly at where the building had been, a muffled voice came from behind the helmet. "Core building erased. Please confirm if there are any surviving entities." Only then did Yeonwoo turn to look at thepany employee. The ck helmet, likely an enhanced reality device, had blue and red lights on its dark face. A system linked to hacked CCTVs and home cameras, observing the area. Suddenly unsure of even their gender, the person looked at Yeonwoo and nodded slightly. "Investigator Yeonwoo? I''ll need your cooperation. It seems that anomalous entity targeted you specifically." "No, my home. No. Why target me?" The eraser-wieldingpany employee was silent for a moment before answering. "There''s a certain group creating anomalous entities. It appears they''ve taken an interest in you, Investigator Yeonwoo." "No, ah." Yeonwoo forgot his pain and rubbed his face. 74 - The Man at the Door TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here His head was spinning. A house vanished in an instant, along with everyone inside. Worst of all, the unsettling news that some group had taken an interest in him. "No way..." Lee Yeonwoo rubbed his face as if washing it. His palms, raw from the fire escape rope, left smears of blood on his cheeks. That stinging pain and unpleasant sensation. Yeonwoo asked calmly:"What group pulled this stunt? And why target me specifically?" "The Creating A Better World Association, a small outfit under the Korean branch''s management... They said they were looking for the dice and bit off more than they could chew." "The dice? My dice?" An unexpected reason. The agent nodded slightly at Yeonwoo''s bewildered tone. ncing at the enhanced reality disy in his helmet, he spoke casually: "After causing major damage to the Spatial Containment Department, they turned themselves in. Confessed everything... I''ll fill you in on the details once this wraps up. This anomaly''s dangerous, isn''t it?" No time for small talk. The target was a dangerous anomaly capable of teleportation and reproduction. It had uncontroble infectiousness. The priority was to stay alert for any surviving entities and finish the operation. Yeonwoo took a deep breath. Struggling to control his irritation, confusion, frustration, and anger, he sat down on the street and looked at his feet, ss shards embedded in the soles. "I need medical attention first. My feet are a mess. Can I call an ambnce?" "Well. About that." The agent fidgeted, considering briefly. With anomalous entities potentially still around, was it safe to call emergency services to this danger zone? Especially since ambnces are enclosed spaces. What if an anomaly walked out when the ambnce doors opened? Noticing his hesitation, Yeonwoo sighed deeply. "Then go buy some wet wipes and disinfectant from that convenience store. I''ll patch myself up." "I didn''t bring my wallet since we''re on a mission..." Wordlessly, Yeonwoo pulled out a card from his bag and handed it over. The agent awkwardly reached out to take it. "I''ll be right back. Yell if any anomalies show up." "And grab some slippers too." The agent crossed the street and disappeared into the convenience store. Left alone, Yeonwoo curled up and stared at his palms. Then he shifted his gaze to his feet, ss shards embedded in the soles. A quiet murmur escaped his lips. "Rainwater..." Rainwater absorbed one drop a day. Perhaps due to its effects, the bleeding had already stopped. If he absorbed all the remaining rainwater. If he gradually absorbed theponents left in the mountain pension... "Here you go. Didn''t use the card." Suddenly, a pile of odds and ends spilled out before him. Lost in thought, he hadn''t even noticed the approach. Slowly looking at the items scattered beside his legs, he saw wet wipes, ointment, bandages, slippers, and such. As Yeonwoo began pulling out ss shards with the wet wipes, he spoke. A groan of pain slipped out. "Why didn''t you use the card?" "No one was inside, so I just took them." "Ah." Come to think of it, the convenience store had fallen victim to the anomaly too. By the time Yeonwoo finished basic first aid and put on the slippers, the agent tilted his head and spoke precisely: "Anomalous entity elimination confirmed. Operation concluded as of now. Proceeding with Yeonwoo to the designated point." St- Yeonwoo stood up. His bandaged feet, thered with excess ointment, squelched unpleasantly in the slippers. He looked at the agent. "Where are we going?" "We''re heading to negotiate with that group, the Creating A Better World Association. They wanted to see you and me." "...Fine. Let''s go." Going to see those responsible for sending the anomaly after him. Yeonwoo''s eyes shed as he climbed onto the back of the agent''s motorcycle. Vroom-! The motorcycle sped down the road without hesitation. --- --- After a considerable ride, the two arrived at a small factory. Screeech- As Yeonwoo dismounted the abruptly stopped motorcycle, he surveyed the surroundings. Arge building about three stories tall, with what looked likepany personnel and equipment gathered in droves. From armed special forces to excited-looking researchers and trucks loaded with containers. A busy, tense atmosphere. "Is this the ce? Lots of people here." "Yes. We''re seizing some anomalies from the Creating A Better World Association. These people are here to move them." The agent started walking ahead, ncing at the enhanced reality UI in his helmet. A map lit up, guiding them to their destination like a navigation system. Yeonwoo followed, dragging his stiff slippers. "Creating A Better World? Never heard of them. Fill me in." "They''re a tiny group. True to their name, they aim to create beneficial anomalies to make a better world." Passing the factory entrance, heading to a conference room inside. The agent continued exining. "Theyck the specialized skills to produce anomalous equipment like the major groups." Not the technology to create fluorescent vests, memory erasers, or taser guns like thepany, or mass-produce gold bars like the Goldberg Club. However. "They use their anomalies to create other anomalies. Those people by the door were probably made that way too." "Anomalies that create anomalies..." Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes in thought, then realized it wasn''t so special. Even he could achieve simr effects with his dice, and the fog monster creates fog, doesn''t it? The two suddenly stopped walking. A conference room inside the factory. Armedbat troops from the security battalion stood guard at the door, checking entry permissions via their helmet''s enhanced reality. "Confirmed. Enter. The Korean branch vice director and key members of the Creating A Better World Association are waiting inside." "..." Yeonwoo didn''t move. He nced down at his attire. Hastily thrown-on clothes and a body in disarray from the recent chaos. Using his phone as a mirror, he saw dried blood faintly staining his face. A wry smile twisted his lips. ''Haha. So the bastards who sent that anomaly after me are inside, huh?'' Tap- Tap- He walked, pping the floor with his slippers. The guards didn''t bother with a body search or confiscating possessions, just stepping slightly aside. m- The door opened roughly. Inside the conference room was arge table surrounded by people. An elderly woman with snow-white hair sat at the head of the table, a guard at her back. Opposite her sat people with bowed heads, like criminals. They turned at the sound of the door. A middle-aged man began to speak, but Yeonwoo cut him off: "Which one of you sent that anomaly after me?" "...Investigator Yeonwoo. You have every right to be angry. But please calm do-" The vice director, an old woman with wrinkled yet sharp eyes, stopped mid-sentence. Her gaze fixed on the ID Yeonwoo abruptly produced. A special investigator''s badge. "You''re the vice director, right? But you don''t have the authority to order me around." vice director or not, it meant nothing before those who threatened his life. Rather, if they threatened his life, he wouldn''t hesitate to respond in kind. An eerie light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Something inhuman, the alien gaze of one who swallowed rainwater and possessed the dice. Click- Click- The guards tensed, raising their weapons. Fingers on triggers. Muzzles pointed at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo let out a mirthlessugh. "Going to shoot? Wouldn''t evacuating be smarter?" "Investigator Lee. Don''t do anything rash." The guard beside the vice director, wearing some kind of medal or rank insignia, spoke through his helmet. Yeonwoo shook his head. "I''m not doing anything rash. Dangeres looking for me. Haven''t you heard the rumors about me? A factory full of anomalies, a ce crawling withpany and group personnel - perfect conditions for an incident, don''t you think?" "..." The guard fell silent, then turned to look at the vice director. A gesture asking for her decision. The vice director spoke leisurely: "Investigator Yeonwoo. We''ll finish our negotiations first. It won''t take long. After that, do as you please." "...Fine." Scrape- Yeonwoo pulled out a chair nearby and sat down. The agent with the eraser took a seat beside him. The vice director spoke calmly: "Well, Association President. We''ve granted your request. Both the eraser and dice you so wanted to meet are here." "Yes, yes. We''re truly sorry. Take our anomalies. I apologize again. We had no idea it was such a dangerous anomaly." Though groveling, the association president snuck nces at Yeonwoo and the agent. He''d flinch whenever he caught Yeonwoo''s gaze. Gulping, he said: "We''ll hand over the stic surgery machine, the oak barrel, and the bed." A stic surgery machine that changes people strangely, an oak barrel that alters the liquid inside, and a bed that brings part of dreams into reality. The vice director looked at the association president. "What about theputer?" "Without it, we''d have no way to control our entities... We can''t give up that one." "Then we''ll take just the three." The vice director nodded slightly. The guard activated the mic on his helmet. "We only need to move three entities." Simultaneously, the sounds of hurried footsteps and chatter filtered in from outside the conference room. Themotion of moving anomalies. The negotiation concluded swiftly. The vice director grasped the cane leaning against the table and slowly stood. She paused briefly before Yeonwoo as she left the conference room. "Investigator Yeonwoo. What do you intend to do? These people are a friendly group to us. I''d prefer you refrain from harming them." "...I''ll hear them out first." At that response, the vice director nodded slowly and resumed walking. The guards surrounded her as she disappeared beyond the door. The door closed quietly. "Well then, time for us to have a chat." Yeonwoo rose, dragging his chair to the doorway. A position for quick escape if needed, and to block these people from fleeing. As the Creating A Better World Association members ufortably turned to face him, Yeonwoo spoke: "You were looking for me? Even unleashing an anomaly?" "Yes, yes. We truly regret inadvertently threatening you. We''ve preparedpensation. But sir, please hear me out." The man''s eyes sparkled as he addressed Yeonwoo. "Using the dice and eraser, we can safely create any number of anomalies. And by creating anomalies this way, we can change the world." Yeonwoo stared at the man, his expression devoid of emotion. 75 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The Association President gesticted wildly as he raised his voice: "If we create just a few proper anomalies, there''ll be no limits. Infinite energy, food, space, lifespans-" "Hey." The agent rolled the eraser in his palm before clenching his fist. His slightly tilted helmet faced the Association President directly. "Because of you, we erased an entire building. There were countless victims inside. And now you''re saying this?"Though muffled by the helmet, the anger in his voice came through clearly. The Association President looked away. "That was an ident. It wasn''t intentional... I thought it would only cause spatial discement. If I''d known it was that dangerous-" "Ha." The agent''s voice lowered. The eraser rolling in his palm was caught between his fingers. As his hand twitched, about to move, Lee Yeonwoo grabbed it firmly. He tilted the eraser slightly away from himself, as if moving a gun barrel. "Calm down. Let''s hear him out first." The agent remained still, then leaned back in his chair. As if leaving it to Yeonwoo, he turned his head away. Yeonwoo quietly observed the Association President. His eyes and voice seemed calm on the surface. "So why did you call us here? To create anomalies with dice and erase dangerous failures with an eraser?" "Exactly! What safer method is there? Compared to our current haphazard creation process, isn''t this revolutionary?" The Association President pped excitedly. Yeonwoo leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "I get your intentions. But I have two questions. Answer them first." "Go ahead." "How do you control the anomalous entities?" At that question, the Association President wiggled his ten fingers. The gesture resembled ying a piano or typing on a keyboard. "There''s aputer-like anomaly. It can give onemand to a specific entity. For example, ''don''t harm humans,'' ''find the dice,'' and so on." "..." Yeonwoo stared at the Association President without blinking. Various thoughts shed through his mind. ''If I could control the dice with thatputer...'' He sensed the dice at the edge of his consciousness. Yeonwoo quietly looked at the dice, then shook his head slightly with a sigh. ''I don''t want to resort to that.'' The dice wasn''t hostile towards him. It rolled resistance on its own when time stopped, and they had ovee numerous trials together. Despite it being less than half a year, he''d grown attached to it. Moreover, there was the path shown by his future self, and that strange feeling he had while confronting the people at the door. The sense that, given time, they could be one without the need for control. Yeonwoo opened his mouth to ask his final question. "How did you know about the dice?" "It''s an anomaly we''ve been searching for a long time." "...The dice?" The Association President smiled. "That dice is probably one of the closest things to omnipotence among anomalies. Most people couldn''t handle it, but you''re using it just fine." The power of probability maniption. Yeonwoo neither denied nor confirmed. He thought that if he reached the level of his future self, it would indeed be close to omnipotence. ''And yet, the Earth was still ruined in that future.'' There are many anomaliesparable to the dice. The eraser alone is terrifying. Not to mention the numerous doomsday scenarios thepany anticipates. He had no more questions. The man before him wasn''t worth dealing with in many ways. Click- Yeonwoo pulled a pistol from his bag. Even as the Association President''s expression hardened, Yeonwoo tilted the gun to aim at his head. "I''ve no intention of helping you, so tell me whatpensation you''ll offer." His attitude made it clear - if thepensation wasn''t satisfactory, if its value was less than the man''s life, he''d take that life aspensation instead. His finger on the trigger held the Association President''s life in bnce. Faced with that cold gaze, the Association President lowered his head slightly. He spoke softly. "Ah, I see." Then he smiled. "Very well. If you refuse, there''s nothing we can do. I''ll give you one anomaly aspensation." "No, what- I don''t want any dangerous anomaly-" "It''s safe. It''s just a TV. It asionally broadcasts strange programs, which could be quite helpful. Let''s go see it directly." The Association President stood up and gestured lightly towards the conference room exit. Yeonwoo frowned but left the room first. Outside, the sounds ofpany employees moving about flooded in. "Move carefully! It''s a machine-type anomaly!" "I know, I know. How many years of experience do you think I have?" Several people worked together to move arge sleep capsule-like shaping machine, as if moving a refrigerator. On one side, others were packing oak barrels into boxes or carrying beds out. The Association President watched them with cold eyes, then pushed past Yeonwoo towards a certain room. Yeonwoo and the agent followed, listening to his exnation. "Usually it''s just a TV with static, but asionally it broadcasts something like news." "...What kind of news?" "Events? idents? Caused by anomalies. It gives advance warnings, but it''s not very useful to us." The Association President opened the door to a quiet room where no other employees were present. Inside was a single old-fashioned television. Its screen showed ck and white static, apanied by crackling noise. "Let''s go in and take a look." "...No thanks. Just send it to thepany for now." Yeonwoo spoke in a slightly softer voice. He was already prone to getting involved in incidents and idents; if he could know about them in advance, it would be a great help. Of course, he nned to have thepany inspect it first to ensure there were no real issues with the item. In any case, he liked the TV itself. Yeonwoo looked at the Association President. "I''ll let this slide. But if you mess with me one more time-" Just as he was threatening the Association President. - Today''s news. Suddenly, a fluent voice came from the TV. Turning his head, Yeonwoo saw a blurred, pixted figure sitting behind a desk, speaking. - A ''muder disease'' has been leaked from the Creating A Better World Association factory. As a result, several people from the Humanity Protection Company''s Korean branch have been injured, killed, or mutated... "A leak? What''s going on..." Yeonwoo and the Association President locked eyes. The Association President looked panicked but gritted his teeth and moved quickly. He took out his phone and pressed a button on the factory management system. Pop-! Sprinklers activated simultaneously, spraying misty streams of water. Liquid containing the muder disease filled the factory. --- --- Shoooosh- Before he could react, Yeonwoo was drenched. He quietly bowed his head. Water droplets dripped from his chin. The TV broadcast, the pouring water, the Association President who rushed to the room with the TV and locked the door. "You''re broadcasting this? Damn it! I was nning to spray it at the right time!" Shouts and the sound of the TV being smashed came from beyond the door. Ssh-! Yeonwoo quickly pulled out an umbre, but it was toote. He hadn''t reacted in time. Faced with multiple unknown threats, he failed to identify which was most dangerous and couldn''t decide what to address first. "Ah..." And so, Yeonwoo was infected with the muder disease. He felt the symptoms in both body and mind. His vision turned red and his heart pounded. Causeless rage welled up from deep within, making him want to kill people indiscriminately. Barely clinging to his senses, Yeonwoo called out to the dice with trembling hands. "Resistance, quick!" Roll- Failure! "Ah." In the time it took for the dice to roll once, the murderous disease had reached his brain. The urge to kill people filled his head. Cold, efficient thoughts shed through Yeonwoo''s mind. ''How to kill people.'' He could amplify the disease''s infectiousness. He could roll for natural disasters. There were many methods. People die for various reasons. Even if most fail, sess in just one would easily kill. ''Killing is easier than surviving.'' Just as a red glint shed in Yeonwoo''s water-soaked eyes, he suddenly looked at the agent. A helmet with various protective functions, leather rider''s clothing, gloves and boots. The agent, who had avoided infection, was watching Yeonwoo intently. The agent reported into his helmet''s microphone: "The muder disease has been dispersed. Investigator Lee Yeonwoo is infected. His eyes are red. I''ll respond on-site." The hand holding the eraser turned towards Yeonwoo. In that moment, memories resurfaced. The destruction that began at the doomsday cultist''s fingertips. The eraser that erased clouds, split mountains in half, and even erased the dice''s results. Yeonwoo''s gaze cleared. His trembling hands steadied. "Wait, wait a moment. I''m fine. Really." Hands raised in surrender. The umbre in his hand rose high, jabbing the ceiling. Yeonwoo muttered internally. ''Kill what? I''m the one who''s going to die.'' Though his eyes were still red, aggressive thoughts and murderous impulses sank beneath his survival instinct. "...Are you sure?" "Yes. Enough time has passed for the dice to roll a few times. But I haven''t done anything." "What about murderous urges-" "What kind of idiot would I be to get myself killed while trying to kill others? I won''t do it. More importantly, let''s catch and kill that Association President first." The agent kept a suspicious eye on Yeonwoo for a while, then turned his hand. The eraser briefly swept through the air. A gap appeared in the pouring water, pushed aside by the following streams, and the locked door was erased. "Because of a damn TV like this...!" In the room where water poured from the sprinklers. The Association President threw the TV against the wall, then stomped on it furiously before freezing in ce. He turned only his head to look at Yeonwoo and the agent. "Agent, you need to erase the dice first! Who knows what disaster it might cause-" Bang-! A bullet pierced his thigh. A stream of blood spurted out. The Association President let out a short scream and copsed to the floor. Yeonwoo lowered his gun to aim at the man''s head, calmly looking down at him. ''He showed interest in the dice. He''ll keep being a nuisance in the future. So I''ll kill him here.'' 76 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Just as Yeonwoo was about to pull the trigger on the groaning Association President, the agent held out a hand to stop him. Yeonwoo''s red eyes flickered to the agent, who tilted his head slightly, hand to his helmet''s earpiece. "Vice Director speaking." A cold voice crackled through the small speaker. "Kill all the infected. Make sure it doesn''t spread outside the factory. Eliminate them thoroughly. Kill the Creating A Better World Association too. This is an attack on thepany. Be thorough-ack!" A thud, then static, followed by the Vice Director''s scream. Then came the calm voice of a security guard giving orders:"Disregard thatstmand. The Vice Director is infected. First unit, evacuate with her. Remaining units, subdue the infected and the Creating A Better World Association." A pause, then the voice continued with resolve: "If subduing proves difficult... eliminate them." Gunfire erupted throughout the factory. Screams and unidentifiable howls pierced through the noise of sprinklers, creating a cacophony of battlefield sounds. "Is it over?" Yeonwoo swatted away the hand blocking him. His gun aimed at the Association President as his bloodshot eyes red. "Yes. Do as you wish." The agent stepped back, indicating he wouldn''t interfere. The Association President opened his mouth, blood trickling out along with what might have been water from the sprinklers or saliva. "Stop! Don''t! If you kill me-" "Shut up. I want to kill you." Yeonwoo''s hand trembled slightly as he removed his finger from the trigger. He desperately wanted to shoot, but he had to hold back. That could wait. Survival came first. ncing at the eraser and suppressing his murderous urge, Yeonwoo spoke: "Hand over the phone." "If you promise to spare me-" Bang! A bullet struck the opposite thigh. The Association President screamed, his body shivering. His face was pale from blood loss, his body temperature dropping from the water. "If you don''t want to bleed out, open that app you used earlier and pass it over. No, wait. I could just kill you and take it." His eyes, infected with the murder disease, gleamed ominously. The Association President hurriedly pushed the phone towards Yeonwoo, almost throwing it. The device slid across the wet floor, stopping at Yeonwoo''s feet. "Agent, please check it." "Factory management system... So this is how he activated the sprinklers. Doesn''t seem to be an original feature." The agent picked up the phone, reporting the situation through his mic while immediately pressing the stop button. The sprinklers stopped, leaving only a few lingering drops. Yeonwoo carelessly tossed aside his cumbersome umbre. Meanwhile, the agent had received some order and began interrogating the Association President. "Why did you prepare this? Where did you get the murder disease?" "In case you wouldn''t help... The stic surgery machine and oak barrel are our core anomalies. We couldn''t lose those too." Sitting in a puddle of blood-tinted water, the Association President muttered weakly. "I nned to spray it after removing the soldiers'' helmets. But that damn TV..." "I asked where you got the murder disease." "It came from the oak barrel..." Shaking his head as if dizzy, the Association President leaned against the wall and looked up at Yeonwoo with desperate eyes. "Now please, cure me with that dice..." Yeonwoo shook his head at the sight of someone clinging to anomalies until the very end. Compared topany employees who undergo all sorts of experiences and thorough training, his behavior and thought patterns were closer to those of ordinary people. Especially in how he viewed anomalies as if they were magic. Unable to properly use even a TV, yet talking about using dice and anomalies to change the world. Then Yeonwoo suddenly realized something. His red vision. The color of the blood on the floor differed from that of the Association President''s eyes. "...You''re not infected?" "I took the cure beforehand." "Cure? Where is it? How much is there? How did you make it?" As the agent asked urgently, the Association President closed his eyes and spoke in a faint voice: "Made it with the oak barrel. The recipe... Three mint chocte cone ice creams, three green tea cone ice creams, three chicken radishes with the broth, five pickles with the brine, two liters of blue ion drink, blend a whole pineapple pizza... Ferment for 3 minutes..." Yeonwoo and the agent forgot the current situation, shocked by that horrific recipe. They stood dumbfounded, doubting their ears, then looked at each other to confirm they''d heard correctly. Yeonwoo, unable to swallow, quickly said: "That''s the recipe for the murder disease? Are you trying to sabotage us?" "It''s real, it''s real. So please, hurry and heal me..." The Association President''s words trailed off as he lowered his head. His body copsed sideways onto the broken TV debris. His open eyes stared up at the sprinklers. The agent shook his head. "He''s dead." "Ah. In that case..." Yeonwoo fingered the gun''s trigger, feeling an inexplicable regret. ''I should have finished him myself- no, what am I thinking? Get a grip. The eraser''s right there. More importantly, the cure...'' He secretly observed the agent, who was busy reporting the recipe while gripping the eraser. "...This is supposedly how to make the cure. What should we do? Yes, understood." "What did they say?" Yeonwoo asked. The agent turned, wiping moisture from his gloved hands. "They want us to try making it for now." "And how do we get the ingredients?" "They''ll send them by drone. We''re to secure the oak barrel and head to the water tank on the roof." "The oak barrel...?" Yeonwoo looked at the agent walking ahead, then beyond him to the center of the factory. Company employees without armor were rampaging madly, while armored security guards were knocking them out one by one despite taking hits. ''Is it safer to stay near the eraser?'' Yeonwoo hurried after the agent. --- --- It was chaos. In the factory center where anomalies were being moved, armored security guards and murder disease-infected employees were tangled in a messy brawl. "Get a hold of yourself!" "Shut up! I''ve always hated how you just stand there criticizing without helping! Die!" "No, I just thought it looked dangerous-" "Dieeee!" An employee who had been moving anomalies lunged at a security guard, swinging wildly. But his fists only tore against the guard''s solid armor. The guard endured the blows patiently, then suddenly thrust out his fist. It struck the employee''s philtrum precisely. Bwuck-! The employee staggered backward. He slipped on the wet floor and fell backwards. The stic surgery machine stood where he was falling. "No!" The guard reached out desperately, but the pink capsule-shaped machine opened on its own faster than he could react. The employee fell inside. Bang! The capsule closed. The guard pounded on it with his fists, but once shut, it wouldn''t reopen. Instead, a cheerful melody yed along with an excited female voice: Ding ding ding-! "Apletely new you! Transcend human limitations and enjoy the world with a special body!" Psshh, pink smoke billowed out thickly before the door opened. Even denser smoke emerged. The guard stepped back, aiming his gun at the smoke. Gulp, the sound of swallowing. A human shadow was faintly visible through the hazy smoke. As it cleared, the figure became distinct. "Grrrr." A monster stood there. Like a werewolf, it was covered in ashy fur with a hunched back. It opened its muzzle wide, drool dripping. "Damn it..." Click- The guard bit his lip as he unlocked the gun''s safety. Just as the crouched monster was about to pounce- Swoosh- The monster''s upper body vanished. Its lone head and lower body fell and rolled across the floor. "This is..." The guard stared nkly at the severed head before hearing footsteps and quickly turning sideways. Two people approached. A special agent holding an eraser. A man in pajamas dragging his slippers. Peopley copsed or unconscious along the path they had taken. "Uh..." The guard unconsciously stepped back further. The eraser and dice. These were the most dangerous people here. And those red eyes - proof of murder disease infection. He jumped and aimed his gun. "Stop! Don''t move!" "Okay." Yeonwoo stopped obediently and raised both hands. Then he gave an awkward smile. "Could you lower that gun? I keep getting the urge to kill you for my own safety." "You''re infected-" "Orders from above. Help us." The agent cut off the guard''s words, pointing to a spot in the factory. "Carry that oak barrel and follow me. We''re making the cure." "Cure? You''re saying there''s a cure?" "Yes." The guard quickly lowered his gun. As he hurried to lift the oak barrel, he suddenly looked around. The chaos showed no signs of calming. "But how do we break through? There are quite a few infected." "About that..." The agent looked at Yeonwoo. The guard followed his gaze warily, overhearing Yeonwoo''s mumbling. "Slip, ankle fracture, faint, sleep, sensory loss..." The dice began to roll, targeting the infected. 77 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Getting past the infected wasn''t difficult. There was a close call when an infected person almost copsed onto a bed that manifested part of their dream, but a nearby guard''s quick tackle prevented disaster. They finally reached the factory rooftop. Opening the rusty iron door, they were met by a cool gust of wind and a swarm of buzzing drones. Whirrr-The drones deposited boxes on one side of the roof before flying off. Ice boxes, crates of drinks, and various other containers lined up in a row. "Are those all ingredients?" Lee Yeonwoo asked, shivering and hugging himself against the cold wind. The guard set down an oak barrel in front of the boxes and tilted his head. "There''s also a sprayer for disinfection. I''ve only seen the quarantine team use these before." While the guard rummaged through the boxes, Yeonwoo and the agent crouched in front of the oak barrel. Yeonwoo tapped it. "Do you remember the recipe? I only remember ice cream." "Don''t worry. It''s all recorded." The enhanced reality UI in the helmet flickered, disying the recipe. The agent quickly read it and pulled out the loosely inserted cork from the barrel''s bung hole. After shaking and even inverting the barrel a few times to confirm it was empty, the agentid it on its side with the bung hole facing upward. "Now we just need to add ingredients ording to the recipe." "Here''s a funnel," said the guard, pulling arge funnel from a box and inserting it into the bung hole. All that remained was to pour in the ingredients as per the recipe. "..." "..." Yeonwoo and the agent hesitated. Should they really make this? Was it truly a cure? Could they bring themselves to create something so wrong... The guard looked at them quizzically. "Aren''t you going to do it? There are lots of infected people below." "Agent Lee, I''ll read out the recipe. You make it." "Mr. Lee, I''m infected. Wouldn''t it be better if you did it?" They tried passing the task to each other for a moment. Just as the agent was about to say he''d do it, having remembered something, the guard stepped forward. He pushed the agent aside and sat down in front of the oak barrel. "I''ll do it. It feels wrong to just stand by and give orders." "Alright." The agent and Yeonwoo quickly stood up and went to the boxes. The agent opened the ice box first. It was full of blue and green ice cream cones. "Mr. Lee, please hand me the green tea ice cream." "Okay." The guard tilted his head curiously as he epted the mint chocte ice cream cone first. "Is ice cream really an ingredient for the cure? It''ll be sweet and tasty." "Uh, um. Put the cone in too. Since the ice cream cone is an ingredient, I guess it all has to go in." Even though Yeonwoo averted his eyes as he spoke, the guard didn''t notice anything strange and obediently applied pressure. Crunch- The cone and ice cream were crushed, pushed down by his fingers and falling through the funnel. "Mint chocte, green tea. Is it okay to mix them? Do we need to add more ingredients? Give them to me." Rrrip- A pickled radish from chicken takeoutnded in his palm. The guard''s helmet shook as he mindlessly extended his hand. His hand, voice, and the radish''s brine all trembled. "Wait, why pickled radish? Are you sure I''m supposed to put this in here?" "Pour in all the brine too." "What kind of cure is this..." The guard poured in the pickled radishes with shaking hands. One, two, three. Therge radishes slid down the funnel, and the brine melted the greenish ice cream, causing it to flow down. "Are there more ingredients? ...Pickles? Don''t tell me I have to add the brine for these too?" "Yes." After pouring in the pickles, the trembling guard looked at Yeonwoo and the agent''s backs. Judging by how they were rummaging through the boxes, there were still more ingredients left. ''Are we making a cure or food waste? Have they lost their minds? Hallucinations? Delusions?'' His mild suspicion turned to certainty when he saw the blue sports drink and something unidentifiable that looked like food waste. Click- Even when presented with the opened sports drink, the guard didn''t take it. "Hey. Is this really a cure? Doesn''t it seem weird no matter how you look at it?" "I don''t want to believe it either, but the Association President said so." "The higher-ups told us to make it anyway. Besides, it''s an anomaly. Of course it''s strange." When Yeonwoo and the agent responded in unison, the guard moved his hand again and poured the blue sports drink into the funnel. The cone crumbs, ice cream, and remnants of brine were washed down cleanly by the blue drink. "This is thest ingredient." Yeonwoo handed over a red stic containerrge enough to hold a cabbage. The guard didn''t take it. He lowered his head to look at the contents. "..." Something unidentifiable. The guard raised his head. Yeonwoo''s face was reflected on the surface of his helmet. Yeonwoo said, "It''s pineapple pizza." The finely ground cheese was kneaded like rice cake, tinged red from tomato sauce, with chunks of pineapple and bread embedded throughout. "Is this really necessary?" "Put it in." "This isn''t something humans should do." The guard muttered in a dazed voice, squeezing his eyes shut. He poured what used to be pizza into the funnel. Little by little, so it wouldn''t overflow. Pressing it down firmly. Finally, tapping the funnel to get thest bits out. With that, all the ingredients were in the oak barrel. The agent carefully corked the bung hole and stood the barrel upright. "Now, for three minutes-" Gurgle- Bubble bubble- Strange noises came from the oak barrel. It sounded like soup boiling, or a monster''s stomach growling. They could even feel vibrations. The agent who had ced his hand on the barrel quickly withdrew it and stepped back. The dazed guard, Yeonwoo, and the agent all retreated to the iron door. Huddled together and shivering, whether from the cold wind or fear, they stared at the oak barrel. The vibrating barrel looked just like some kind of monster. "Th-that, that. Are we really making a cure? Wouldn''t it be better if I rolled the dice instead?" When Yeonwoo asked that, the agent replied: "The dice has risks, right? Besides." His finger pointed at the writhing oak barrel. "This is the cure you''ll be drinking. Since you''re infected." "Ah. Ah!" He couldn''t bear to look at the oak barrel anymore. Yeonwoo looked up at the blue sky, formting a n. ''I should use the dice to lose my sense of taste... No. It might identally enhance my taste instead, which would be even worse.'' He couldn''t dy any longer. Yeonwoo quietly opened his mouth, and a handful of that substance entered. St- ''Ugh.'' In a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, the taste of that substance slowly spread. A thick, soup-like texture. Heavy chunks. The first taste to hit was sweetness. The nd sweetness of the sports drink and the intense sweetness of the ice cream yed a discordant duet across his tongue. Following that, a slightly sour taste shot through. A bizarre vor of chicken radish and pickles added to the preceding sweetness. Then, he chewed the chunks. Lumps of pizza cheese. Toppings like pineapple burst, releasing the taste of watery pizza sauce. All the vors and tastes mixed together. An indescribable, terrible stimulus swept through his mind. Yeonwoo''s eyes flew open. His mouth gaped involuntarily. "Keuuugh!" "Swallow it! It''s the cure!" "Ugh! I- ugh!" Yeonwoo copsed to the ground, writhing and expressing incoherent groans. He couldn''t think of anything else. There was only suffering. After what felt like an eternity, Yeonwoo looked up at the sky with hollow eyes. It was as blue as that substance, making him hate the sight. Closing his eyes, Yeonwoo thought: ''This isn''t right. This shouldn''t enter a human mouth. It''s a crime against human dignity.'' He felt as if he, his mouth, and his stomach had be a garbage can. But then, Yeonwoo opened his eyes. ''But I can''t be the only one to taste this.'' Yeonwoo sprang to his feet. His clear eyes, now free of the red tinge, looked at the cure. "It''s definitely the cure. Let''s quickly feed it to the others. No, I mean, let''s cure them." The guard, the agent, and even the researcher nodded hastily. The guard shouldered the disinfection sprayer, while the researcher prepared to scoop and feed at any moment. "Let''s go!" Yeonwoo and the agent escorted them from the front and back as they entered the factory beyond the iron door. 78 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Walking down the corridor. The guard readjusted his grip on the sprayer, ncing briefly at the researcher. The researcher blinked rapidly, poised to douse anyone who appeared with the cure. The guard slowed his pace. "Wouldn''t it be better if I administered the cure, and you carried this, sir?" Though he''d ended up shouldering the container , this wasn''t an appropriate role assignment.The target was someone infected with the murder disease. Wouldn''t it be more efficient for the guard in protective gear to approach? The researcher vehemently shook his head at this rational suggestion from the special forces member. "No, no. I''ll do it. I''ll share the pain I felt. Or would you like to try it? Then I''d be willing to switch roles." "No, sir. You go ahead." The guard quickened his pace, horrified. No matter how efficient the strategy, he had no intention of putting that in his mouth. As the guard walked briskly and the researcher nearly broke into a run to keep up, Lee Yeonwoo, who was leading the front and keeping watch, suddenly stopped and held his hand back. A gesture indicating something was ahead. Everyone stopped. Only the researcher excitedly reached into the water container. "Is someone there? I hope it''s an infected person." "There''s an infected person-" "Excellent!" Ssh! Pitter-patter! The researcher, hands full of cure, dashed off before anyone could stop him. However, after a few steps, his pace slowed. He stopped abruptly, looking around nkly. It was just a factory corridor soaked with water. No infected person, let alone anyone at all. "Where''s the infected person?" "Over there at the end of the corridor, isn''t it?" "...Over there?" Yeonwoo, who had casually followed, pointed to the far end of the corridor. The factory center, where most people had been, waited in the distance. The factory center, littered with stic surgery machines, where guards and infected had shed. The researcher''s lips trembled. He rolled his eyes downward. The sticky sensation suddenly felt anew, and that taste, which only he could experience, revived in his mind. "...Let''s go quickly." They moved after distancing themselves slightly from the researcher, and arrived at the factory center. All the infected had been subdued and were writhing, tied up somewhere, while the guards surrounded them with guns aimed. "Die, die!" "Please be patient. We received word that the cure will arrive soon." "I don''t need any cure! I feel so relieved now! Die, all of you... My goodness, what''s that?" One of the bound infected who had been thrashing about wildly spotted the researcher beyond the guards. The writhing stopped, and their expression changed strangely. Several guards did too. After turning to see the infected''s reaction, they raised their guns first. "Stop!" The researcher, hands covered in something deep blue, smiled. "Ah, don''t worry. It''s the cure. Just one mouthful and you''lle to your senses." "The cure...?" The guards fell silent for a moment. The squad leader was the first to lower his gun. He''d been informed earlier that the cure was on its way. After checking the color of their eyes once, the squad leader stepped aside to make way. "Is there enough?" "If it''s not enough, we''ll have to make more." "Thank goodness. Then please administer the treatment quickly. If we wait any longer, they might start hurting themselves." "Alright." The researcher approached with a grin, looking at the scattered infected. His gaze was like someone thinking what to eat first. Just as the infected unconsciously averted their eyes, the researcher suddenly rushed to the nearest one, grabbing their face with both hands. Hands that roughly gripped the nose and mouth, just as he had been treated. "Eat! Eat!" "Mmph! Mmph!" The struggling was futile. Eventually, the office worker swallowed the cure, and its taste struck their soul. A stimulus the soul couldn''t bear. Shallow breaths escaped from the gaping mouth. They couldn''t even scream. Only after what felt like an eternity did the infectede to their senses. A gaunt face, aged by several years. Suddenly feeling nauseous, they bent over and let out an anguished cry. "Urgh-! What, what did you feed me!" "Hm? Not fully cured? Guess you need more?" "No! I''m cured!" The office worker, now back to normal, looked up at the researcher in shock. The researcher gave a sinister smile. "Your eyes are still red though?" "They''ve always had a reddish tint! My eyes are naturally like this, I swear!" "Is that so...? Still, just to be sure." A sphemous finger entered their mouth. The office worker swallowed the cure with tears in their eyes. If they bit the finger, he''d surely im they weren''t fully cured and force them to take more. Gueeeeek! The sound of a soul screaming echoed through the vast factory. The guards turned away, sweating cold at the scream pounding into their brains, while the infected trembled, forgetting even their murderous urges. Then, the office worker cured of the murder disease slowly stood up. Eyes shining eagerly. "I''m cured. Please untie me. I want to help administer it too." "Excellent." The bindings were untied. The office worker quickly approached a guard, scooping up handfuls of the cure. Thus, from one to two, two to four, four to eight. The number of healers increased exponentially. It took less than 30 minutes for all the infected to be cured. "..." But the guards couldn''t rx. The cured gathered in one ce, talking with clear eyes. "Are there no more infected?" "Shouldn''t we check if some are hiding elsewhere in the factory?" "Let''s search!" "We need to make more cure too! Some of you go to the roof and make more cure! More people need to take this!" "How do we make it? Ah, no need to exin. I understand. I''ll make more." The cured began searching the factory in small groups. Silence suddenly fell over the factory. The squad leader, watching this scene from afar, gripped his gun tightly. He opened his parched mouth and spoke. "Headquarters, do you copy? Are you seeing this? The murder disease is cured, but they seem to be infected with something else-" "Squad leader? Is that you?" A voice from behind. The squad leader and the guards turned around simultaneously, aiming their guns. At the end of the muzzles stood the researcher. His hands thickly coated with the blue cure. "Don''t be on guard. After trying this myself, I think it works on mental abnormalities other than the murder disease too. So, I think it''d be good to turn this ce into a cure production factory." The researcher smiled. "I''d like the squad leader to write up such a proposal. If multiple people write the same proposal, wouldn''t the higher-ups take it more seriously?" "...I''ll think about it." "Think it over carefully. It''s a way to save many people." With those final words, the researcher turned and left. Heading for the roof. Where the oak barrel was. The squad leader watched his retreating figure, then clenched his fist. Cold sweat soaked through under his gloves. He exhaled abored breath. "Do you copy? This is beyond our capacity. This isn''t our job, I''m telling you! Call in the quarantine unit, or mental purification specialists! Quickly, before it''s toote!" "We''re monitoring from here too. It seems this is no simple cure." At the leisurely voice, the squad leader''s neck veins bulged, but conscious of others, he suppressed his voice. "Don''t state the obvious. I''m telling you to respond." "The response is already being carried out there." Iprehensible words. All the guards were gathered here, so who was responding and how? Just as the squad leader was about to lose his temper and shout, sunlight suddenly shone down on their position. They all looked up at the factory''s high ceiling simultaneously. An eraser had passed by, leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling. Under the blue sky, three heads were visible. Yeonwoo, the agent, and a guard. And the oak barrel. The guard holding the oak barrel high yelled. "Squad leader! Catch this well!" The oak barrel was immediately thrown, plummeting vertically. One of the nearby guards threw himself at it. The barrel bounced off the thick protective gear andnded upright on the factory floor. "Squad leader. First, prevent any more self-proimed cure from being produced. Don''t destroy the oak barrel. It''s an interesting anomaly, isn''t it?" "...What about the infected?" "They seem to retain some sense of reason. Subdue them with appropriate threats. Additional support will arrive soon. If it gets too difficult, shoot to kill." The squad leader''s eyes darted to the infected emerging from various ces. He lowered his muzzle to aim at the oak barrel. --- --- Yeonwoo first sensed something was off when the infected were almost all cured. Watching people gather in small groups to search for more infected and discuss making more cure, he suddenly felt a sense of dissonance. He touched his smiling lips, having been contentedly watching people in pain. ''...Why am I feeling pleased about this?'' These were strangers. They weren''t close enough to be happy about just being cured of the murder disease, and Yeonwoo''s emotions weren''t that sensitive. ''Sharing the pain I felt? No. This isn''t right at all.'' Once he became aware of the problem, more issues kept surfacing. To begin with, the very act of voluntarily treating people infected with the murder disease was strange. There''s no way he would approach an infected person. ''If they were cured, they should have run away. Why are they still here?'' His smile froze stiffly. Something was wrong. This wasn''t like him; he was acting out of character. "Agent, guard. Come over here for a moment." He pulled the two by their arms under the metal stairs. They followed willingly, sensing something was off too. After ncing at the others once, they began talking in hushed voices. Yeonwoo spoke first. "I think there''s a problem with the cure." "I thought those people looked strange too. A colleague told me people act like that when affected by a mental anomaly." "...Are you alright, Investigator Yeonwoo?" "It''s hard to say." It''s not as intense as the murderous impulse. It just subtly lingers, distorting one''s intentions. But it doesn''t threaten lives, so survival instincts don''t strongly resist either. ''I''ve definitely been affected though.'' Yeonwoo slightly raised his finger, pointing to the roof. "Let''s secure the oak barrel first. We can''t let more of this be produced." It was toote to run away now. It would be difficult to escape while affected by the cure, and they needed to find information about the cure here. ''For now, taking the oak barrel hostage is the priority.'' To threaten that we''ll destroy it if the infected be more aggressive, preventing them from making more cure. "That seems like the best option right now." The agent and guard didn''t object. They had sensed the dissonance too. They crept up the metal stairs to the roof, immediately erased the floor, and threw the oak barrel to the guard. None of the guards had taken the cure. And just secondster, the people trying to make the cure arrived. They saw Yeonwoo''s group. "Where''s the oak barrel? We need to make more cure quickly." Yeonwoo calmly spoke. "The guards have the oak barrel. More importantly, shouldn''t we find the research data on the cure first?" 79 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Three workers who had been moving cargo emerged on the rooftop. Experiencedborers, they wore thick safety gear with helmets perched loosely on their heads. They eyed Lee Yeonwoo and the erased rooftop floor dangerously. The tall one stepped forward, his mouth stained with dark blue treatment. "The oak barrel. You guys took it." His voice oozed menace. As the agent gripped the eraser and the guard prepared to pounce, Yeonwoo replied calmly. "We need oak barrels to make more treatment.""Bullsh*t. All the ingredients are here. We should make it here to produce quickly and in bulk." Though consumed by the desire to dose others with the treatment, their minds weren''tpletely gone. They assessed the situation coldly, like true office workers. That these people had interfered with treatment production. They approached slowly, muscles honed bybor flexing beneath their clothes. Yeonwoo walked straight towards them. As the gap closed, thoughts raced through his mind. ''The guards are watching the oak barrel. Now I need to find out how they identally made the treatment and what they learned from studying the barrels. That''s how we''ll understand and counter the treatment.'' Even when rolling dice, it''s safer to carefully identify issues and roll strategically than to roll recklessly. Yeonwoo nned to use the infected for this purpose. The infected came within inches. Yeonwoo lowered his head slightly and spoke softly. "I took it too. And I n to let more and more people taste it." The infected stopped. They leaned in, looking at Yeonwoo like arade. "How?" "How much could we make with that tiny oak barrel? We need to analyze research on the barrel''s principles and treatment production to find a way to mass-produce it." The infected''s eyes widened at Yeonwoo''s words. Nodding vigorously as if enlightened, they quickly turned around. "This is it. We need to tell the others." They sauntered back to the rooftop door. Yeonwoo watched quietly until they vanished, then turned his head. He had questions for the agent. But the agent and guard were several steps away, helmets fixed warily on Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo asked, puzzled, "What''s wrong?" "Investigator Lee. Are you sure you''re okay? You sounded very sincere just now." Suspicion arose because Yeonwoo''s words seemed usible. Yeonwoo let out a hollowugh. "If I was really infected, I wouldn''t bother with this. I''d just find the water supply and try to turn it into treatment. Or make it rain treatment. Fog would work too." "..." Effortless imagination and the ability to realize it. The agent''s face hardened behind his helmet. His hand holding the eraser trembled slightly. The confidence from receiving the eraser wavered. ''Even that vicious doomsday cultist lost to this guy. If he wasn''t with thepany...'' Yeonwoo''s next question interrupted the thought. "More importantly, can''t that eraser erase the treatment inside people? Last time, I saw the doomsday cultist erasing anomalies in his own body." "...That''s possible?" The stray thoughts vanished. Utterly bewildered, the agent stared at the eraser in his hand before flicking it slightly. He tried to erase only the rebar inside the rooftop concrete. But the result was simple. The entire rooftop vanished. Staring at the new hole, the agent turned to Yeonwoo. "If it doesn''t work on buildings, how could it erase only anomalies inside a person? The whole person would disappear." "But that guy was doing it... Even erasing probabilities and stuff..." Muttering to himself, Yeonwoo suddenly realized. ''Though not like my future self, that bastard had also be one with the eraser.'' Well, he even managed to barely block five dice rolling together. He was far beyond simply using anomalies. "Ugh." Yeonwoo shuddered, newly shocked. To think he''d fought such a dangerous person. He didn''t want to imagine what would''ve happened without that critical sess. Just then, the guard who''d been quietly looking down the hole spoke awkwardly. "Let''s go down now. All the infected down there have scattered." Nothing more to do on the roof anyway. The three left the windy rooftop and returned to the factory interior. --- --- Back in the factory, the infected were gone and only guards stood around loosely. They were scattered around the area with the oak barrel and stic surgery machines. The squad leader approached the three. "We managed to protect the oak barrel. We almost had to fight, but they started whispering and scattered... Any idea what happened?" "They probably went to look for research data. What are they saying upstairs? Is there a way to reverse this? And is supporting?" Questions poured from Yeonwoo. Each one crucial. The squad leader nodded slightly. "They say a quarantine unit and mental purification specialists areing. It takes time to prepare for purification, they say. At least an hour before they arrive." Yeonwoo''s eyes brightened at "purification." "If they''re specialists, can they cure it?" "Can''t be certain. It''s an anomaly, after all." Anything could happen. Unable to trust only the specialists, Yeonwoo sighed softly and looked around the factory. Guards loosely watching the surroundings. Strange that only guards were present. No way they''d let Creating A Better World members roam free, but they were nowhere to be seen. "Where are the Creating A Better World people? I was hoping to get info from them." "We killed them all in the conference room." "...What?" Yeonwoo turned quickly, but saw only expressionless helmets. The squad leader spoke matter-of-factly. "This is enemy territory. We have to protect the infected since they''repany employees, but eliminating enemies who mightunch another anomalous attack takes priority." "That..." Yeonwoo blinked quietly, then nodded. "You''re right. Safety first. Shame we couldn''t get information though." Who knew what other devices might be installed besides murder disease sprinklers. Understanding the squad leader''s judgment, Yeonwoo was about to join the search when a shout echoed through the factory. An infected person waved urgently from a door in the corner. "Found it! Looks like a researchb! Researcher,e check it out!" Yeonwoo hurried over, the guard and agent following. --- --- The infected gathered instantly but didn''t enter theb. They had no connection to research. They wouldn''t understand if they looked, and messing with it would only cause trouble. A crowd murmured around theb entrance. "Excuse me,ing through." Yeonwoo pushed through to theb entrance and gaped at what he saw. ''This is a researchb?'' Bare concrete like ruins, papers strewn everywhere, and a dead nt in a pot. The sprinklers didn''t even work. If anything, only therge monitor lookedb-worthy. ''Let''s go in.'' Yeonwoo ducked his head. Rustle- Carefully pushing papers aside with his slippers to clear a path, he nced over them. What looked like cooking recipes were scrawled all over in pen. [Experiment Log] - 200 liters whiskey: No result. - 50 liters soju, 150 liters beer: No result. - 200 liters vodka: No result. - 200 liters wine: No result. Why? No result, no result, no result! An oak barrel should react to alcohol! Why no change? What''s the rule? Such papers were everywhere. Each discarded sheet was a precious experiment record. ''They wrote all this by hand?'' While Yeonwoo marveled, his feet moved steadily to the monitor. He tapped the nearby wireless keyboard, and the screen unlocked automatically. A voice suddenly spoke up. "No password? Security''s a joke." Turning calmly, he saw the researcher who first took the treatment. His hands still stained blue. He wiped them on his clothes and pushed Yeonwoo aside. "Move. I''m the researcher." Typing away, the researcher nced at Yeonwoo. "Your suggestion was brilliant. Of course we need a mass production factory. Those idiots just wanted the oak barrel, so frustrating. They reallyck insight." "...It''s nothing." "You''ll survive long. People who grasp the core survive in this field." During this pointless chat, someone tapped Yeonwoo''s shoulder. "...Investigator. A moment." The agent turned his helmet slightly. There was a safe the eraser had passed through. Hidden discreetly, full of document stacks. Yeonwoo stepped back quietly, but the researcher didn''t notice, focused on the monitor. The guard stood strategically, blocking sight lines with his body. Yeonwoo picked up the top paper. It was covered in frantic handwriting. [Damnpany! Barging in and what? Management? Confiscation or supervision? It''s a factory I bought! A treasure I found! Bastards!] Thepany-cursing document continued with intense research on deceiving thepany. The paper was indented along ink trails, as if pressed hard while writing. [They''re monitoring all myputers and phones. I''ll just work analog then. Looks like they didn''t install surveince equipment.] [I need freedom frompany interference. The oak barrel and bed are the only hope. They control the stic surgery machine using people as test subjects entirely.] The agent skimmed a document stack, then handed it to Yeonwoo. "Looks like oak barrel experiment records. Not the fakes on the floor, but only the truly important stuff." "Let''s see." Crouching unnecessarily under the desk, he flipped through documents in the guard''s shadow. Not meaningless experiment logs. A record capturing the association president''s thoughts, intentions, and actions fully. [No rules for the oak barrel. So, let''s impose rules. We can use themand-givingputer.] [I ordered rules, but can''t find them! Themand was inputted properly! What are the rules?] [Found the rule. This wants people to suffer.] 80 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo flipped through the thick stack of documents, his eyes darting up and down as he scanned for important paragraphs. Records of full-scale experiments with the oak barrel. [Materials humans hate, results harmful to humans... The theme is clear. Experimenting has be easier.] [A disease that attacks people? Good. I should stockpile it as a weapon forter. Let''s create a system to fill fire water tanks with this and activate sprinklers only in desired areas.] [There''s a lot of leftover food from thepany dinner. Ice cream, pickled radish from the chicken, pizza... Who chose the menu? Anyway, it''s a hassle to throw away as food waste. Should I put it in the oak barrel?][Why did a drug to treat mental issuese out? Does only one of the materials or results need to match the theme? I''m not sure. I don''t know.] The records of experimenting with the murder disease and its cure ended. Yeonwoo frowned as he quickly flipped through the papers, but there was no useful information. Just a list of ingredients and results nauseating to read about. ''Ugh. How could anyone think to mix these things? Feed them the cure to make them realize the value of food... No. This isn''t my thought.'' Correcting his strangely twisted thoughts, he continued flipping through the papers. Rustle- The rapidly passing papers stopped near the end. Yeonwoo muttered in a low voice as he read the hastily scrawled writing on thest page. "This seems to be about today''s incident." The story of injecting themand to find the dice, resulting in the person at the door causing an ident. Thepany''s swift proposal upon learning of the ident, and the Association President''s uncontainable fury. [They want me to hand over not just the stic surgery machine, but even the oak barrel and bed? I can''t take it anymore! I''ll start by spraying the sprinklers and use every means avable! ...But first, I should take the cure.] [It''s terrible! My tongue is dead! This hasn''t strayed from the theme of human suffering!] The shaky handwriting, likely from taking the cure, became neat and tidy from the next paragraph. [...I''ve been thinking, there''s no need to split from thepany. Carrot and stick. How about we put on an act of identally spraying the disease and providing the cure?] [It would feel so good to see thosepany bastards suffering after taking the cure.] The record ends with what seems to be a distorted, naive idea of the ident. No more records, no more papers to flip through. Yeonwoo turned the stack of papers over, returning to the front. He looked down at the meaningful sentence written there, then put down the stack of papers with annoyance. The record returned to the safe with a thud. ''This desires suffering? Damn it. There''s nothing written about how to reverse the infection.'' Meanwhile, the agent was recording other documents page by page with his helmet camera, and the security guard, while keeping an eye on the researcher and other infected people, asked a question. "Did you find out anything? It doesn''t look like they''ve found anything over there." Peeking over, he saw the researcher furiously searching through data, nearly smashing the keyboard. Fingers mming down on the keys, apanied by an irritated voice. "This, this! Human worse than a monkey! How can they record such stupid nonsense and call it research?" It''s research data falsified by the Association President, knowing thepany''s surveince. No matter how much the researcher searched, there was no way he''d find the information he wanted. That frustration mirrored Yeonwoo''s own feelings, causing him to let out a deeply exasperated sigh. "I''ve grasped the situation, but there''s no way to reverse this." The situation was simple. Unable to figure out the oak barrel''sbination method, the Association President had given it a theme, and the oak barrel came to desire human suffering. The result was the murder disease and its cure. An anomaly that torments not just one infected person, but many more through the infected. There seemed to be some conflict between thepany and Creating A Better World Association, but that wasn''t particrly important. "That''s it. Only thepany''s experts or the dice can fix this." Both methods had their problems. Experts who might not be able to cure it, and dice with inherent risks. Just then, the agent suddenly looked at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo''s face reflected on the surface of the enhanced reality helmet. An expression of genuine frustration. Unlike the researcher or other infected people. "Why are you unaffected, Investigator Yeonwoo?" "I''m not unaffected. I want to shove that cure down the throats of the Association President and his people who caused this mess. I''m just holding back." Yeonwoo''s eyes flickered down slightly, looking at the agent''s eraser. The eraser, which had first blocked the dice itself, had unknowingly left a deep mark on his psyche. Just like trauma, the mere sight of the eraser brought back the shock of that time, putting his survival instinct on edge. "Without the eraser, I couldn''t have resisted the murder disease. And the cure, well, I probably would''ve only realized after a long time." Thinking those words, the agent tilted his head slowly. "So, you''re saying that when feeling extreme threat, one can regain their senses?" "At least that''s how it was for me." Is that even important right now? Puzzled, he turned to look at the agent, but the helmets of both the agent and the security guard were fixed solely on the researcher. The researcher had taken his hands off the keyboard. Unable to find the information he wanted, just like Yeonwoo, the researcher was muttering to himself while straightening his disheveled clothes. "...I was stupid too. Fixating on just one thing, like those friends looking only for the oak barrel." Unable to find a mass production method, the researcher found a solution in another direction. His superior intuition leapt diagonally. "There are many other anomalies here too. We can bring the cure using the bed that brings part of dreams into reality. We could also apply theputer that givesmands." The researcher turned and stopped, trampling the papers scattered on the floor as he advanced. In front of him, the infected people were looking at him with eyes full of hope. The researcher spoke. "There are no clues for mass production." As if pped, the infected people''s heads turned in unison. They looked at the security guard who had gathered the factory''s anomalies, and at the oak barrel among them. Before the security guards could react to the strange atmosphere, before the infected could rush forward, the researcher continued. "But I''ve thought of another method." "What method?" "The bed. We can all dream of that terrible cure, can''t we?" The infected nodded in unison. "If we sleep now, we''ll surely dream of that cure. It''s a taste we can''t forget even in dreams." "That''s enough. The oak barrel is too heavily guarded by the security, so let''s act normal, pretend we''re moving other anomalies, and try using the bed. What do you think?" The researcher''s voice was a soft whisper. The infected leaned forward, listening intently to his words, then one by one turned their bodies, saying they understood. Just as they started to move, their footsteps pouring out in a rush- Swish- Suddenly, sunlight poured in. The eraser had swept across the ceiling. A cold wind rushed in like a gust, and a clear threat stopped them in their tracks. "Stop right there, colleagues. Let''s pause for a moment." "The eraser? What are you doing?" The infected red at the agent with identical emotions in their eyes. The agent swallowed dryly and raised the eraser straight up. "Don''t move any further. If you take even one more step, I''ll erase you. You''re all contaminated by that cure right now." The eraser swept across the ceiling once more threateningly. Under the ceiling, now more erased than intact, the infected closed their mouths. But it didn''t seem to have the effect the agent wanted. "..." "..." Gleaming eyes. Someone spoke. "...You''re wearing a helmet. You haven''t taken the cure. That''s why you''re spouting such nonsense." "Contaminated? If you''d tasted it, you wouldn''t say such things. We''re purely trying to feed it to more people. And that''s a drug that solves mental abnormalities." "I said don''t move." Sensing the strangely shifting atmosphere, the agent raised his hand again, but it didn''t work. They smiled. "Hey. You look like a newbie employee. You can''t kill us. Even if you''re right and we''re contaminated, it''s not grounds for immediate execution." "How about this instead? You try the cure too. If you still say the same thing after tasting it, we''ll listen to you." "That''s right. How dare you give orders with a mouth untouched by the cure! You should taste it too!" The situation was taking a strange turn. The scene of the agent threatening them had transformed into the infected urging the agent to take the cure. Faced with those heated voices and gazes, the agent stumbled back. That''s when it happened. Yeonwoo, who had been inwardly sighing, stepped forward. He snatched the eraser from the agent''s hand, gripping it in one hand, while holding the memory eraser he''d taken from his bag in the other. ''Is that supposed to be a threat?'' All eyes focused on Yeonwoo as he stepped forward, pushing the agent aside. Yeonwoo spoke. "I''ll erase the oak barrel and the bed with the eraser." "Haha, go ahead and erase them. There are many other methods for recreation, so it''s meaningless-" "Then I''ll make you drink the memory eraser and feed you the cure." "What?" The infected''s eyes widened. Yeonwoo continued nonchntly. "I''ve tasted the cure too. It''s a vor you''d regret tasting just once. If we erase the memory of taking the cure and feed it to you again, wouldn''t it be fresh every time?" As he spoke, he realized. ''Does the influence remain even if the memory is erased?'' If there''s no memory of taking the cure, wouldn''t the desire to feed it to others disappear too? Whether it''s a thought induced by the cure or not, it sounds usible for now. Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled as he found a solution, while the gleaming eyes of the infected regained their rity. "Cr-crazy talk! Feed it to others-" "Come here. Let''s experiment." "N-no!" They tried to run away, but it was toote. The security guard quickly rushed over and grabbed them by the cor, dragging them over. Struggling with arms and legs was pointless. Yeonwoo poured a sip of the memory eraser into their mouth. The infected''s eyes clouded over, then blinked a few times before regaining consciousness. He asked calmly. "...My memory''s cut off. I must have taken the memory eraser. What''s the date and time now?" "How do you feel? Do you want to feed anything to others or share any suffering?" It was an odd question from the perspective of someone whose memory had been erased, but thepany employee who had been infected answered readily. "Not really. I don''t have such thoughts." "Then what do you want to do now?" "I want to check the date and find out what happened during the time I lost my memory." Yeonwoo nodded, then pulled close the water container attached to the security guard''s back. A container with something blue sticking to it viscously. Thepany employee''s gaze wavered. "What is that?" "Don''t you remember?" "I must have taken the memory eraser, so why-" "Try tasting it. See if your memoryes back." Action faster than words. Scraping together the little cure left in the water container, he shoved it into the man''s mouth. Thepany employee''s eyes widened, and he screamed, "Gueeek, guaaak!" before dry heaving. "Uuurgh, what the hell is this." "Do you want to feed it to others?" "It''d be a shame to eat it alone. ...Wait a minute. Memory eraser, could it be." The desire to share suffering with others quickly cooled. Thepany employee shook his stiff neck forcibly. "No. There''s no need to feed it to anyone." "Right? So, what about the rest of you?" Having gotten the answer he wanted, Yeonwoo turned around contentedly, but the infected were busy waving their hands. "Oh no. We''re fine." "Isn''t the cure delicious? So much that you want to feed it to others. Shouldn''t you have more?" "No, no. We''re really fine." Yeonwoo nodded contentedly. ''Using the memory eraser first removes the influence. No need to rush.'' Even if thepany''s experts fail to cure it, there''s a method. Having suppressed the infected''s aggression and found a solution, Yeonwoo smiled easily. 81 - Disease that Kills People TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here "Even if the memory eraser works..." The squad leader stroked his helmet as the infected huddled in a corner of the factory. I told him the memory eraser was medicine, but his voice sounded strained. "Memory erasers are always in short supply... We won''t have enough for this. We''ll have to try other methods first." There wasn''t enough to carelessly administer memory erasers. Thepany would use various devices or other experts instead of wasting scarce resources. "I was just letting you know."Lee Yeonwoo nodded casually. At least he had enough for himself. Just one sip would do the trick. "More importantly, when willpany support-" Beep-beep- The helmet''s enhanced reality UI shed. The squad leader spun towards the factory''s main entrance. "They''ve just entered the grounds. The mental purification specialist waste, so they''ve only arrived now. Apparentlyining about the timing being off." "Those specialists are always like that. It''s not the right season, the weather''s bad, the stars aren''t aligned - always full ofints." The security guards grumbled but startedzily opening the factory doors. The iron gates creaked open with a dull noise. Beyond them, the quarantine unit in protective gear stormed in. Carrying disinfection tools and heavy equipment, they scattered in all directions, shouting at the top of their lungs. "Move ording to n! Those extracting the murder disease from the water tanks, head to the roof. The rest, start collecting the murder disease sprayed around the factory!" "Yes sir!" Whirrr-! Something like a vacuum cleaner roared to life, sucking up any scattered liquid with a slurp. The air dried instantly. Wherever the quarantine unit passed, they left behind a bone-dry factory floor. Through the now pristine factory entrance, someone resembling a wizard strode in with measured steps. The person wearing a strange pointed hat and thick robe spoke in an irritated tone: "For heaven''s sake, do you think purification just happens by itself? Magic is delicate work. You could''ve kept all those infected locked up and done this slowly. Why the rush?" "...The vice president was infected too." "I saw. Dealt with her first thing. Now, let''s see the other infected. I''d like to finish this quickly and get back." The squad leader looked at Yeonwoo, who was closest. He was infected with the cure, after all. But Yeonwoo stepped forward briskly, pointing towards the infected gathered in the corner of the factory. "They''re gathered over there." "Hm? They seem docile." Seeing the people huddled together, sitting politely with hands folded and chatting quietly, they didn''t look like people with contaminated minds. "The threats worked well." "Huh. Then there was no need for me to hurry. No, never mind. Say no more." The wizard, or whatever they were, rummaged in their robe and pulled out a ss bottle. Tilting the bottle containing what looked like ck paint, they began drawing a strange pattern on the factory floor. At a nce, it was hard to tell what kind of design it was. "Bring them over one by one. Keep the quarantine unit from interfering. And I can''t purify them. The conditions aren''t right. I can''t connect with that side." While the guard went to fetch an infected person, Yeonwoo asked probing questions. "If not purification, then what? Are there any side effects?" "Oh, don''t interfere! If I make one mistake, I''ll have to start drawing from scratch!" Though he barked angrily, his hand drawing the pattern never wavered. The paint poured steadily, his gestures fluid. Yeonwoo obediently shut his mouth and stepped back to observe. He could just watch the treatment process directly. The wizardpleted the pattern while taking a few steps, then straightened up. "It''s ready." Immediately, an infected person was pushed into the center of the pattern. Their eyes rolled wildly. Anxious muttering escaped their lips. "Apany wizard? What is this? Are you messing with some other dimension?" "You wouldn''t understand even if I exined. Let''s see, the instructions I need to give..." The wizard ignored the infected personpletely. He pulled out a crumpled paper from his robe and read the printed text on it. His voice flowed quickly and businesslike, hardly seeming to give genuine caution: "Warning. Don''t look at it too long or too deeply. If you''re not careful, your mind could be devoured whole. Side effects. You may experience persistent feelings of emptiness and anxiety. This can lead to binge eating, excessive drinking, self-harm... Anyway, no major issues." "Wait, what are you-!" "I''m starting." Snap-! He snapped his fingers. At that moment, the infected person''s mind flew into a strange world. A pitch-ck abyss. They couldn''t see an inch in front of them, not even themselves. The infected person iled their limbs in panic, but only felt the sensation of floating, as if in outer space. - Where am I! What did you do to me! wizard! I''ll shove that cure down your throat too-! As the resentful voice echoed, Slurp-! Something in the darkness, rough and grating like sandpaper, swept across their mind. It felt like their mind was being torn away. A feeling of emptiness, as if a hole had been punched through their soul. - Uurgh! My, my mind! Give it back! Don''t eat it! Just as thepany employee desperately reached out, screaming, The world returned. From an unknowable abyss, back to the factory. "Next." Yeonwoo watched intently as the wizard gestured dismissively and thepany employee copsed to the ground. Tears poured down their face as they let out animalistic groans. An indescribable sense of loss from the void in their mind. "Ah, ah... No. It''s mine. It''s my mind." "Ah, there are so many people. Hurry and clear them out. I need to process the other infected." "The side effects seem severe..." "They''ll be fine after some time passes. Or should I not treat them?" Grabbed by the guard''s hand, they were dragged away like a sack. It was simr for the others afterwards. After treatment, they cried, fell asleep, or went berserk. In severe cases, they couldn''t move their arms or became vegetative. Yeonwoo, who had been watching this whole process, quietly backed away. No matter how you looked at it, the side effects were too strong. ''This is treatment?'' It was no different from cutting off an arm because the finger got dirty. It would be better to drink the memory eraser. Yeonwoo took out the memory eraser from his bag and looked at the agent. "This helmet records everything, right? After I drink this, show me the recording." "...Yes." After taking several deep breaths, Yeonwoo took a small sip of the memory eraser. The tasteless and odorless liquid disappeared on his tongue, and his memories evaporated. Yeonwoo''s eyes grew unfocused, as if drowsy. Then, a few secondster, his eyes snapped wide open. His pupils extremely dted. An unfamiliar ce, an unfamiliar situation. "This is..." He backed away, looking around, retreating towards the factory entrance. Memories quickly reyed in his mind. He dealt with the man at the door and... Went somewhere with the agent holding the eraser. "Special Investigator Yeonwoo. How much do you remember?" "I remember riding on your motorcycle. Did I drink the memory eraser?" Looking at the memory eraser bottle in his hand, it had decreased a little. Yeonwoo''s expression turned strange. ''I voluntarily drank the memory eraser? And where is this, what''s going on?'' It was strange that he drank the memory eraser, strange that there was a wizard drawing a magic circle, and strange thatpany employees were huddled in a corner, wailing. Seeing Yeonwoo''s eyes darting about in confusion, the agent said: "Should I give you the helmet? Everything is recorded here." "Wait a moment. Has the problem that required me to drink the memory eraser been resolved?" "Do you feel like feeding something to others or sharing pain with them?" "No. Why would I do such dangerous things..." He was fine. The agent nodded his helmet. Then he raised his hand and started to push up his helmet. "You''ve been cured. I''ll give you the helmet." "No need. Just send the recording to thepany informationwork separately." The hand lifting the helmet stopped. The agent, pressing the helmet back down firmly, asked quizzically: "You don''t need it right away? Won''t you feel ufortable?" "I can check it in a safe ceter." From Yeonwoo''s perspective, this was the scene of a major incident. Who knew what other problems might be lurking. Yeonwoo quickly turned away. "I''ll be heading back to my home- no, my home was erased. Anyway, I''m leaving." "You didn''t drive here-" "I can take a taxi." "Do you even know where-" More questions holding him back. Yeonwoo waved his hand dismissively at questions that weren''t even issues. "I can check the location information on the utility poles. Goodbye. Please send me the recording." With that, Yeonwoo made a swift escape. The security guard and agent stood there dumbfounded for a moment before fiddling with their helmets. The scene was mostly cleaned up. The security detail prepared to return, and the agent had no reason to stay either. "I suppose we can part ways now." "...I''ll be heading back too." They left the factory. All that remained were people wailing in pain, quarantine unit members busily recovering the murder disease, and the wizard returning alone. --- --- Yeonwoo determined his location from the information on the utility poles. He immediately called a taxi and dialed someone. The first person to call in his current situation without a home. It was Mark Jung, who hade from headquarters and negotiated with Yeonwoo. "Yes, Special Investigator Yeonwoo." "That house I was supposed to getst time. Is it ready?" "We''ve chosen the building, but things like air conditioning and furniture aren''t prepared yet. It should all be sorted out in a few days." Just a few pieces of furniture. With his home erased, there was no time to be picky. Yeonwoo adjusted his grip on the phone and spoke softly. "That''s fine. I''ll move in now. Where is it?" "It''s at..." Mark Jung added the address in a few words. The same city he had lived in before, not far from the Anomaly Investigation Team. Yeonwoo moved the phone slightly away from his mouth and called out the address to the taxi driver. The taxi driver stepped on the elerator impassively, and the taxi sped down the road. "Sir, we''ve arrived." "Ah, yes." Waking up from a brief nap, he had arrived. Yeonwoo got out, stretching his stiff body, then stopped. A wide area surrounded by barbed wire. A vast expanse without even a convenience store, let alone neighbors. Mark Jung waved his hand in front of the barbed wire fence. "You''re here? Let''s go in. You''ll like it. I put my heart and soul into choosing this building." Creaaaak- The wire fence opened with an eerie scream. Beyond it was a wide-open space with a single abandoned house standing alone. A ce where ghosts might live rather than people. Yeonwoo rubbed his eyes, wondering if he wasn''t fully awake, then slowly turned his head to look at Mark Jung. "...This is my house?" "Isn''t it great?"Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 82 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here "The inside will surprise you." Mark Jung strode forward confidently, like a realtor showcasing a prime property. His steps exuded self-assurance, his gestures unwavering. Lee Yeonwoo followed reluctantly, his expression skeptical. "It looks cramped from the outside. How different could the inside be?" Up close, the house appeared even more run-down and worn."See for yourself." Mark Jung grasped the cold door handle and pulled with all his might. The thick door opened with a piercing screech. Creeeeak-! The wide-open door looked as thick as a palm. Mark Jung smiled and clenched his fist, knocking on the door. Thump thump. "It''s a st-proof door. The walls are built the same way. Thick and sturdy. Notice the window beside it?" "...I see it." Doubt faded from Yeonwoo''s face. He now listened intently to Mark Jung''s exnation, his eyes sparkling as he surveyed the house. ''The inside is sturdier than I expected.'' At least it was better than the disastrous first impression. Mark Jung smiled as if he''d anticipated this reaction. He''d carefully chosen a building that perfectly matched Yeonwoo''s preferences. Killing two birds with one stone - isting him from the general public while keeping him within thepany''s system. ''He''s bound to like it. Especially once he sees more.'' Mark Jung entered the house and walked to the window right next to the entrance. His finger moved to a button above the window frame. "The window itself is special, but ss has its limits. For when the ss can''t hold up, we have st-proof shutters." Click-! Whirr- The moment he pressed the button, shutters descended, sealing the windowpletely. Mark Jung knocked on the st-proof shutter and shook it vigorously, but it didn''t budge an inch. Yeonwoo also tried knocking a few times. The cold metal sensation against his palm. Seeing Yeonwoo''s satisfied look, Mark Jung spoke. "But this is just the wrapping. The real deal is below." "Below?" The features shown so far were already impressive, yet there was more below? Mark Jung walked to the center of the house, with Yeonwoo following like a chick. They stopped in front of a circr opening in the floor. A tank-like hatch, a vertical shaft leading underground, and zigzag footholds embedded in the shaft. "It''s an underground shelter. Let''s go down." "Oh..." Yeonwoo''s exmation echoed down the vertical shaft. He eagerly descended, with Mark Jung following close behind, beginning his exnation. "Before thepanypleted the Ark, they built numerous shelters worldwide to prepare for potential doomsday scenarios." "So this is...?" His voice brimmed with anticipation. Mark Jung nodded. "A shelter prepared for 50 people to survive. We''ve appliedpany technologies. Survival systems using anomalous entities, to be precise." "That''s really-" Yeonwoo, reaching the bottom viadder, briefly paused. The underground shelter''s corridor stretched before them. Though the corridor looked run-down fromck of maintenance, appearances no longer mattered. Safety was everything. Yeonwoo grinned widely. "I like it." "We''re not done yet. Let me show you the facilities." What followed was a detailed tour. Walking the shelter''s corridors, they opened rooms one by one. Mark Jung''s exnations continued nonstop until his throat went dry and he began to cough. "This is the electrical room. Relying solely on sr generators seemed risky, so we installed various generators. The most reliable is this cogwheel generator." An infinitely rotating cogwheel. A generator utilizing cogwheels that rotate endlessly without slowing down. "Air purification and water purification are standard. We''ve gone further by establishing a self-sustaining cirction system. Of course, we also have emergency anomalous entities." They''d created a miniature ecosystem within the shelter itself, using miracles like the apple tree to solve potential food shortages in emergencies. "The shelter''s core: the Oracle System." "What''s that?" "It''s a safety system based on the theory that prophets don''t see the future, but rather fix it. The Oracle System will maintain consistent environmental conditions around the shelter." A system to avoid natural disasters. They''d equipped mechanisms to prevent earthquakes, floods, andndslides. With each room they visited, Yeonwoo''s eyes gleamed brighter. Eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation. He was practically bouncing around like a child receiving presents. "This, this is really amazing. You''re giving all this to me?" "Strictly speaking, it''s a loan. You''ll use it as your home normally, but if a doomsday crisis urs, otherpany employees will move in too." Mark Jung, who had been talking nonstop, frowned and massaged his throat, seemingly in pain. After clearing his throat a few times, he led the way to the final room. "This is the control room." Yeonwoo hurried in to find various monitors andplex machinery scattered everywhere. "It oversees all shelter systems. It''s also connected to the emergencymunicationwork and thepany''s informationwork." A cluster of touchscreen monitors and control devices lined one wall. Yeonwoo quickly scanned it, recognizing the emergencymunicationwork he''d seen at the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab when time had stopped. Plus, thepany system he''d grown familiar with while writing incident reports and memos. Finally, Yeonwoo''s gaze shifted to an old TV in the corner. A TV with static. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if he''d seen it somewhere before. "What''s this...? Looks like an old TV." Memories erased by the memory eraser. "It''s a TV that broadcasts near-future anomalous events. More precisely, the broadcast itself is an anomalous entity, and the TV is just a medium. Thepany has secured several-" Beep beep- A small rm sounded. The two men, mid-conversation, quickly turned their heads to see one of the monitors glowing red. A mechanical voice spoke. - Oracle System neutralization confirmed. Shelter administrator, please check immediately. "What, why suddenly-" Mark Jung, flustered, went to the monitor and tapped it repeatedly. Detailed problem information appeared. A graph trending upward suddenly broke through a limit point. He muttered softly. "Future vtility amplified? Why?" After a moment''s thought, Yeonwoo sighed. His voice tinged with disappointment. "Ah." "No, Mr. Yeonwoo. This shelter isn''t normally like this. There shouldn''t be any problems-" Mark Jung hastily offered excuses, but Yeonwoo shook his head. "It''s probably because of my dice." The dice that manipte probability at will. The Oracle System, designed to fix the future in a safe direction, seems to have broken down unable to withstand the dice''s existence. Mark Jung, tapping the monitor with trembling hands, suddenly stopped and let out a short exmation. "Ah. Indeed. This won''t work." Scratching his head, he turned off the Oracle System. The faint rm that had been ringing in their ears disappeared, and the shelter''s unique silence settled heavily. As Yeonwoo peered around curiously, Mark Jung pulled out a thick book from his jacket. "This is the shelter manual and basic maintenance guidelines." "I''ll read it." He couldn''t let such a shelter fall into disrepair. Yeonwoo flipped through the book, his head bowed so low his nose nearly touched the pages. Any initial dissatisfaction hadpletely vanished. "I like it. I''ll live here." Having fulfilled the order to move Yeonwoo into the shelter, Mark Jung bowed his head. "I''ll be going now. Your ess card and keys are on that table over there." "Yes, yes." "I''ll be back a few more times for additional cleaning and furniture arrangement." Mark Jung departed, his taskplete. And so, Yeonwoo, his home erased, came to live in the shelter as his new home. --- --- In the shelter''s control room. Yeonwoo sat before thergest monitor, watching video recordings sent by the agent. Memories erased from his mind. - That helmet records everything, right? Show me the recording after I drink this. The sped-up yback ofpressed voices ended. He didn''t need to watch what happened after, as he remembered it. ''So that''s why I drank it. ...Watching this doesn''t bring back the contamination, though.'' Yeonwoo rubbed his tired eyes and stretched his legs. Sitting for so long had left his entire body stiff. Or maybe he just hadn''t fully recovered from fatigue. "Maybe I should sleep. Where should I sleep?" The shelter had plenty of bedrooms. Yeonwoo opened the shelter user manual to choose a room when- Crackle! The static from the old TV grew louder, and suddenly a blurry image began broadcasting. On the old TV screen was a desk, and behind it, a static-filled image of a news anchor. - Today''s news. "Ah, what now." Irritation welled up immediately. How much had he been through in just one day? Yeonwoo scowled at the monitor as the anchor continued fluently. - Today, we have a precious guest visiting our dimension from a parallel world. The visitor is thest survivor of an extinct Earth and- The words cut off. Then, a voice spoke from behind. A voice identical to Yeonwoo''s. "You shouldn''t say all that." A hand suddenly appeared behind Yeonwoo, clenched into a fist. Then, the anchor in the TV let out a death cry and copsed. The broadcast cut off. The TV returned to emitting static. Yeonwoo froze stiff, then slowly turned around. There stood a future Yeonwoo, with a scruffy beard, looking even younger than the present Yeonwoo. "Looks like you handled the climate anomalies well." "Wh-what brings you here?" His voice trembled uncontrobly. Future Yeonwoo grinned. "To kill you and take your ce. Everyone''s still alive here, right?" Yeonwoo''s mind went nk at those words. He might stand a chance against the Eraser, but against his future self? No way. His clenched fists turned white. ''If I use the dice for self-destruction-'' Future Yeonwooughed and patted Yeonwoo''s shoulder. "Just kidding. If I were really going to do that, I''d have done it ages ago. I don''t do such dangerous things anyway." "Ah. Ah." Ignoring Yeonwoo, who still hadn''t regained hisposure, Future Yeonwoo leaned against a random spot. He beckoned to Yeonwoo. "I told you how to solve the climate anomalies. I''m here to collect my payment." "...What kind of payment?" Yeonwoo spoke as calmly as possible, but his mind was in utter chaos. Showing up suddenly and ying heart-stopping pranks. Of course he''d have to pay, but couldn''t his future self aplish anything on his own? "There''s nothing I can help with, right? My abilities-" "The Ark. Find the Extinction Defense Device called the Ark and show it to me. I''ve solved almost every other problem, but I can''t find that. I don''t even know what it is." Future Yeonwoo stared into space. Even with his ability to gauge countless probabilities and draw out desired possibilities, he couldn''t locate thepany''s final hope, the Extinction Defense Device. He muttered, almost to himself. "I need to rebuild my world too." 83 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Extinction Defense Device: Ark. Something he''d only heard mentioned a few times, with no clue about its location or true nature. He wondered how many people at thepany actually know about it. "The Ark..." Lee Yeonwoo mumbled, ncing at Future Yeonwoo to gauge his reaction. "I''m not sure if I can find it.""I''m not asking you to find it quickly. I''m just asking because you''ve got the best shot." Future Yeonwoo nced around the shelter as he spoke casually. Despite his light tone, the weight of his words was unmistakable. Yeonwoo let out a deep sigh. "Alright. I''ll do my best. But I can''t promise anything." "Just look for it. If you find it, I''ll make sure you''re well rewarded." Future Yeonwoo''s finger twitched as he eyed the TV and bag nearby. His eyes grew distant, lost in thought. Yeonwoo perked up. "What kind of reward?" "I''m thinking... How about upgrading your shelter? The Oracle system must be broken." "No, that''s okay." He couldn''t waste such a valuable opportunity on the shelter. It''d be better to boost his personal survival skills. Maybe some anomalous equipment or tips on using the dice. When he voiced these thoughts, Future Yeonwoo nodded with a smirk. "You''re sharp. In a crisis, you can only count on yourself. Whether it''s your skills or the anomalies you''ve got. The shelter''s not much use, right? So, you pick the reward." "I''ll think about it then." "Good. When you find the Ark, roll the dice targeting me. I''ll sense it ande find you." Future Yeonwoo started to get up. "I''ll be in this world for a bit. Might as well grab a hamburger. It''s been ages. Of course, I''ll be looking for the Ark too." He spread his hand, ready to leave. A gesture to gauge probabilities. As he reached to grasp the swirling possibilities between his fingers- Yeonwoo blurted out urgently. "Advance payment! Please, just one thing up front!" "...What advance?" Future Yeonwoo asked, still holding onto the probability. His face showed a hint of confusion, but Yeonwoo scratched his head and looked away. "Please make me one Guaranteed Draw Ticket. For summoning rejection. If I get dragged off somewhere, I might not be able toe back and find the Ark." "Geez." With a sigh, he clenched his other hand. In an instant, a Guaranteed Draw Ticket appeared in Yeonwoo''s mind. Yeonwoo, who had only ever drawn Failure Tickets, couldn''t help but smile. "..." Future Yeonwoo''s face darkened. For a moment, Yeonwoo''s senses sharpened. He caught a glimpse of Future Yeonwoo''s body crumbling away, revealing a strange form beneath. Not flesh and blood, but a tangle of probability and possibility - something inhuman. A t voice came from Future Yeonwoo. "I don''t want to threaten you, but... You and I both know we only give it our all when our lives are on the line." The surefire way to motivate Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo crouched like a cornered animal ready to bolt, eyes wide before this bizarre form. He listened intently. "If you can''t find the Ark, if I can''t rebuild my world, if that hope vanishes... I don''t know what I might do." The form reverted. Back to the original body. Eyes fixed on a point in space, thoughts unreadable. With a final smirk, Future Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Possibility became reality. Future Yeonwoo vanished from the shelter as if he''d never been there. The shelter fell silent. Left alone, Yeonwoo remained frozen for a while before slowly raising his hand to touch his lips. His fingers and lips felt cold, as if drained of warmth. ''Was that shown on purpose? ...Talk about a brutal threat.'' His mind raced. His body, exhausted from a long day, surged with renewed energy, pushing him to peak condition. He assessed the situation calmly. ''No time limit on the request. It''s tough, but doable.'' There was no need to panic just yet. Blinking, Yeonwoo walked to the room with the bed. He shook the dusty nket a few times before lying down. ''Today, I''ll just brainstorm.'' How to find the Ark. Future Yeonwoo''s true form and how to deal with him. Thoughts swirled in various directions. Amidst these thoughts circling like sheep, Yeonwoo drifted off to sleep. --- --- The shelter, cut off from sunlight and moonlight, offered no way to tell day from night. Only devices like clocks could mark the passing of time. "Time for breakfast. ...Is it even morning?" Yeonwoo grabbed canned rice and side dishes from the shelter''s supplies and opened the lids. He cautiously poked at the contents with a spoon. It looked decent enough, but a faint chemical smell made him hesitate. After prodding the canned food for a while, Yeonwoo took one bite and set it down. He''d tried it out of curiosity, but the taste was far from appetizing. It might do in an emergency, but with his appetite suppressed by the looming task, now wasn''t the time. "Where did they say to throw away the cans and food waste?" Following the shelter''s user manual, he wandered through theplex interior before finally finding the waste disposal area. Suddenly, an announcement red from the shelter''s speakers. - Shelter manager. There''s a call from headquarters. Pleasee to the situation room. A mechanical female voice. Yeonwoo tossed the can into the recycling machine and promptly turned around, his expression puzzled. ''Why would headquarters call?'' He rushed to the situation room, where Mark Jung appeared on arge monitor. His face was grim, his hands fidgeting nervously. Their eyes met across the screen. Mark Jung''s hands froze mid-motion. - Special Investigator Yeonwoo. We have a mission for you. "...What kind of mission?" Yeonwoo sat up straight, fixing his gaze on the monitor. A mission from headquarters likely involved the doomsday scenario. His heart raced, palms sweating. Mark Jung fiddled with something off-screen, then pulled up a video. - I''m not sure if you''ve seen this, Yeonwoo, but an anomalous broadcast aired yesterday. The video began to y. - Today, we''re expecting a precious guest from a parallel world to visit our dimension. This visitor is thest survivor of a destroyed Earth and- The announcer copsed mid-sentence, gasping herst breath. Yeonwoo had seen this broadcast before. ''Don''t tell me...'' As Yeonwoo sensed what wasing, Mark Jung continued his exnation. - An uninvited guest has entered our world. Thepany and our allied factions are all extremely worried about this intruder. "Couldn''t they just be... a survivor looking for a ce to live? Maybe they''ve already gone back." Despite licking his dry lips as he spoke, Mark Jung shook his head firmly. - We can''t be optimistic. Not only did they have the power to attack the source of the anomalous broadcast, but we don''t know what the rest of the message would have revealed. Yeonwoo listened silently as Mark Jung listed thepany''s concerns. - What if it''s a doomsday cultist who''s killed everyone ande to kill people in other worlds? What if the intruder carries the disease or curse that destroyed their world? What if they''re an agent sent by the anomalous entity that wiped out their world? The worst-case scenarios are endless. "That''s..." His lips sealed shut, unable to continue. ''I can''t say anything in this situation.'' Thepany''s wariness was intense. Even if he revealed the intruder''s identity and intentions, thepany would try to capture Future Yeonwoo for questioning, and Future Yeonwoo wouldn''t allow that. Not knowing what might be done to him. As Yeonwoo struggled to speak, Mark Jung pressed on. - Thepany and other factions have used every means to track this intruder, but all attempts have failed. That alone is cause for concern. Why block our efforts if they have nothing to hide? ''Well, they''re not exactly innocent.'' Future Yeonwoo was after the Ark, an extinction defense device. After much thought, Yeonwoo reached a conclusion. ''I can''t tell thepany. It could lead to disaster.'' If thepany and Future Yeonwoo came to blows, the fallout would be catastrophic. Given thepany''s current level of caution, they''d likely use extreme measures. Yeonwoo cleared his throat. "Understood. I''ll look into it." - Please do. We don''t know what dangerous disaster this intruder might bring. The conversation drew to a close. Before the screen went dark, Yeonwoo held Mark Jung back. "Wait. Can I ask one thing?" - Go ahead. Mark Jung lowered his hand, pausing as he was about to end the call. Yeonwoo hesitated, then asked. "This intruder... How dangerous are they?" - At least thepany and other factions think so. The fact that they''ve blocked all tracking attempts using various anomalies speaks volumes. His face darkened with genuine concern. Yeonwoo, imagining how he''d react if he didn''t know Future Yeonwoo, responded in character. "So we could face a major threat, like the climate anomalies?" - Possibly. "In that case, could you reserve a spot for me in the Ark? Just in case, to prepare for the worst." - ...The Ark? You mean the extinction defense device? Yeonwoo nodded. Mark Jung visiblyposed himself before waving his hand. - That''s beyond my authority. I''ll contact the higher-ups about it. "While you''re at it, could you ask if I can visit it once? I''ve always wanted to see it." - Certainly. I''ll let you know as soon as I get an answer. Mark Jung ended the conversation without suspicion. His hand moved to press the call termination button. Beep-! The call disconnected. Yeonwoo''s reflection stared back from the sleek ck monitor. He tilted his head, thinking. ''This might be easier to find than I thought?'' 84 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here A hotel room. Mark Jung finished his call with Lee Yeonwoo and closed hisptop. He immediately took out his phone and called his direct superior, the Director. Riiing- The monotonous dial tone seemed to go on forever. Finally, a tired voice came through, cutting across the sound of several people shouting in the background. "What is it?""Director, I''ve ryed the mission to Yeonwoo." "Understood." The call was about to end abruptly. Mark Jung pressed the phone close to his mouth and whispered. "Yeonwoo wants a spot in the Ark and has asked to visit it. He seems scared by the news of the intruder and is trying to find a way to survive. What should we do?" "...The Ark?" The Director muttered, his voice uncertain. "I don''t know about the Ark either. Maybe I knew once, but erased it from my memory. Originally, only those involved should even know about the Extinction Defense Device." "Then what should I tell him?" "...I''ll put in a proposal for Yeonwoo''s position. That much I can do. But tell him visiting is impossible." Mark Jung reopened hisptop and began typing a message to Yeonwoo with one hand. The message formed slowly, one letter at a time. Visit impossible. Verbally, he reported other minor matters. "Ah, and the Korean branch has dismantled an organization called Creating A Better World, and recovered the anomalous entities there-" "What was that name again?" A question suddenly interjected. Mark Jung answered immediately. "Creating A Better World. They said they would create a good world with anomalous entities-" "Haha. How amusing." "Pardon?" The Director''s voice, weary with fatigue, suddenly filled with vitality and amusement. Even as Mark Jung wore a bewildered expression, not understanding the situation, the Director beganughing to himself. "Creating a good world with anomalous entities, they say. A truly good world is one without anomalies." Only the Director''sughter echoed. Anomalies are countless, and their characteristics all different. It''s inevitably difficult to respond to each one, and eventually, cracks will appear somewhere. In the end, the world thepany ultimately dreams of- Suddenly, an excited shout came through the phone. "We did it! We broke through! That''s right! As long as they''re human, there should be limits to reaction speed and processing capacity!" "Is this even human? We deployed such numbers and still mostly failed?" "Director? What''s going on? Ah, if it''s something I shouldn''t know-" "It''s not a big secret. We''ve partially seeded in tracking the intruder." Data obtained by exchanging numbers with the intruder who had been responding to all sorts of different tracking methods one by one. And like how Yeonwoo dealt with the Eraser, a method of pushing with numbers to exceed the opponent''s processing ability. Thus obtaining the limits of processing ability and information about the intruder. The Director left with a final word. "Things are about to get busier. The ability to block so many tracking methods.... You''ll have your work cut out for you too." The call ended. Mark Jung put down his phone and rubbed his face. "Work.... I need to change the furniture in the shelter." After sending Yeonwoo a message saying it would be difficult to visit the Ark, Mark Jung began looking at anomalous entities like nkets and beds. After all, that was his job now. --- --- A hamburger joint. The future Yeonwoo, having ''persuaded'' an employee to give him hamburgers, sat in a corner seat and took a big bite out of one. The taste of civilization, of factories, that couldn''t be tasted in a ruined world. "This is it." Grinning to himself as he wolfed down three hamburgers at once, he tapped on his phone while drinking c. A phone connected to thepany''s informationwork. He first looked at how they solved the climate anomalies and what happened afterwards, when suddenly he burst outughing. "So the Eraser died like this? I should have seen it myself. I shouldn''t have refused back then." After reading the report about how parallel world Yeonwoos had defeated it for a while, he suddenly closed his eyes. ''The Eraser....'' The Eraser remained a trauma for him too. After all, it had killed him once. Because of that, he lost his human body. The memory of that time remained a deep wound, bing a nightmare that wouldn''t fade. Wandering a world destroyed by climate anomalies, barely finding a shelter. Just as he managed to persuade the manager to let him in, the shelter''s ceiling flew off. "This won''t do. This can''t happen. Everyone must die." With that crazed voice and the Eraser''s trajectory greatly drawn down, catching his body. Fumbling, the future Yeonwoo suddenly felt his head and chest. Though he felt the warmth of human skin in reality, he was made of probability and possibility. "...As long as I''m alive, it''s fine." After dying anding back to life, half his body reced by anomalies, bing one with dice and gaining the sense to measure probabilities. That''s how the future Yeonwoo and the Eraser fought, one pouring out probabilities and the other erasing them, and in the end, didn''t he win with greater output? ''It''s more helpful for survival than a pure human body. It wasn''t an entirely bad death.'' The future Yeonwoo picked up the wrapped hamburger bag and prepared to leave. He was in the middle of pouring leftover c and paper trash into the recycling bin. "..." He suddenly stopped. He stared quietly at his hand, pausing mid-pour. A gloomy expression and voice. "I couldn''t block it." While flicking away possibilities approaching him, for a moment, a wave-like group of possibilities rushed in. Even at a nce, there was remote portraiture, golden omnipotence, map hack, remote viewing, oracle system, tracker, Big Brother''s demon, and more.... With different intentions and all different kinds of possibilities, he couldn''t block them all at once. A few strands of possibility flowed between his fingers, bing reality. "Excuse me. If you''re done cleaning up, could you move aside?" Someone waiting behind urged him. The future Yeonwoo nced at him and was about to snap his fingers, but changed his mind and quickly finished cleaning up. As he immediately left the hamburger joint, he muttered quietly. "As expected, a normal world is dangerous." No matter the opponent, he was confident he could survive in a one-on-one fight, but a normal world wasn''t so easy. There''s a reason whypanies or groups move in pairs of at least two. If you let your guard down, if your weak point is struck, if you''re ambushed, even the most extraordinary entity can be taken down. "Focus. Don''t let your guard down. You know the power of a normal world well." Tightly clenching his fist, he disappeared. --- --- No matter how he thought about it, this wasn''t a decision he could make alone. Sitting in the situation room, Yeonwoo organized his thoughts. He had more or less reached a conclusion on whether to inform thepany about the future Yeonwoo. ''I should ask the person himself.'' He had just received a message saying it would be difficult to visit the Ark. Though only a day had passed, it was worth calling for an interim report. Just as he was about to call for the dice, raising his head, Yeonwoo suddenly felt a sense of difort and turned his head. The future Yeonwoo was standing there, holding a hamburger bag. A voice tinged with bewilderment flowed from Yeonwoo''s mouth. "...It hasn''t even been a full day. What brings you here?" "Thepany has figured out some of my information." "How much exactly?" Yeonwoo tensed up. If information was strangely exposed, suspicious gazes might be directed at his current self. Aren''t their appearances and abilities identical? He might even be seen as a potential threat. The future Yeonwoo shook his head. "I don''t know either. The moment I tried to find out, I''d expose even more information." This was an information war using anomalies. The moment the future Yeonwoo set out to investigate, his defenses would weaken, and all sorts of anomalous entities would rush in to tear at him. Yeonwoo gulped. The search for the Ark hadn''t even properly begun, but the situation didn''t look good at all. Yeonwoo opened his mouth with difficulty. "...Why don''t we just be honest and ask for cooperation?" "No way." A firm answer. The future Yeonwoo slightly averted his eyes. "I''m an illegal immigrant. It won''t end there. I''ll be investigated." "If you''re investigated-" "No. How thorough do you think thepany is? Whether anomalies are at work, whether I''m lying, how much is true, what happened in the past, what I''m thinking now, they''ll ster me with all sorts of equipment and investigate. And the questions, there are so many." Certainly, it was something to be reluctant about. But it wasn''t a condition to avoid at all costs either. As Yeonwoo was about to say something, the future Yeonwoo waved his hand, indicating he didn''t want to talk about it anymore. "I have a past that''s hard to reveal. Just look at the refugee ship. I totally messed up and everything was ruined. I did some bad things to survive. More than that, how''s the investigation going?" Hurriedly changing the subject, Yeonwoo replied, not wanting to pry into the future Yeonwoo''s apparent difort. "The request to visit the Ark was rejected. I''m not sure how to proceed with the investigation from here..." Like the trailing off of his words, the situation was bleak. He didn''t even know where to start. Even when he asked the research institute director who dealt with broken clocks, he knew nothing about the Extinction Defense Device. The future Yeonwoo rubbed his chin, then said lightly as if in passing. "This won''t do. We''re out of time. Let''s strike fast and hard." "What? So suddenly?" "If we waste more time, it''ll be dangerous." All sorts of bugs would swarm. Doomsday cultists trying to learn from the destruction of other worlds, artists seeking inspiration from rare material, thepany trying to protect humanity, demons finding amusement, the Goldberg Club for social maintenance or profit-making. Face one and two appear, face two and four appear, face four and.... The danger increases endlessly. The future Yeonwoo, not wanting to think about it anymore, shuddered and suddenly grabbed Yeonwoo''s neck. Now was the safe opportunity while thepany was focused on information warfare. The goal was just to confirm and recognize the identity and location of the Ark. "Let''s go. Let''s start by hitting the final shelter." "Do I need to go?" For Yeonwoo, on the other hand, it was a bad situation. A voice flowing out desperately, really not wanting to go. What was he supposed to do in the future if he participated in attacking thepany? "I don''t have the ability, I just-" "You''re a totem. You have the possibility of finding the Ark. If I take you and look for other high-probability things, we should be able to find clues." "No, what about me then-" Ignoring Yeonwoo''s words entirely. He clenched his fist tightly. In a world changed in an instant, Yeonwoo, wearing a tearful expression, suddenly harbored doubts. ''...Doesn''t he live in a ruined world? How does he know thepany''s investigation process in such detail? And, is this the only world where he''s searched for and visited the Ark?'' He felt a chilling danger. Being dragged along to participate in harming thepany. And the reason why the future Yeonwoo is avoiding investigation. ''If it''s like this, I can''t just cooperate blindly either.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes sank and shed, searching for a way to survive. 85 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Survival instinct kicked in. Lee Yeonwoo had let his guard down, thinking it was just his future self offering solutions to the climate anomalies. But once he became wary, goosebumps spread across his body. Strip away everything else, and what remained was an anomalous entity of danger level 6 or 7. It was right beside him, forcibly dragging him around. ''I need to contact thepany somehow. And first, I should analyze this human... or is it even human? Anyway, my future self-'' His racing thoughts suddenly screeched to a stop.In an instant, the world changed. They were in the middle of some mountain range. The twilight sky was dotted with stars, and hazy clouds melted into the dark heavens. Below stood a building masquerading as a mountainside. "This is..." Stunned by the majestic view, Yeonwoo shivered and his teeth chattered. The sudden cold air felt like it was freezing his lungs. Then ping, his vision distorted and a migraine pierced his head. His ears felt clogged as if water had entered them, and blood trickled from his nose. He wiped the blood with his palm, barely clinging to consciousness. "Why is my body... Poison? Radiation? What is this? Why''d you bring me to a ce like this?" Sensing clear danger, he red with zing eyes. Future Yeonwoo looked at him incredulously. "Why are you so weak? Can''t even handle altitude sickness?" Altitude sickness. Symptoms that appear when suddenly ascending to high altitudes. "No, how am I supposed to handle-" He stopped mid-sentence. The rain''s vitality surged through him, bringing his body back to normal. It pushed away not just the altitude sickness, but even the chill. Color returned to his pale face. "I can manage now." "You need to ovee minor issues like this. How do you expect to survive if you can''t handle such trivial things?" Embarrassed by the nagging, Yeonwoo quickly changed the subject. "Is that the final shelter over there?" It looked quite different from the future shown by the Tree Person in the Anomaly Research Society. "Yeah. Seems they couldn''t finish it." The intact shelter Future Yeonwoo had seen wasn''t exposed so crudely either. It blended into the mountain range, with no visible traces of civilization. Of course, the environment was different due to the climate anomalies. "Maybe they quickly beat the climate anomalies and didn''t finish hiding it." As Future Yeonwoo muttered to himself, Yeonwoo eyed him warily. "More importantly, before we go in there, disguise me first. Remember, I still have to work for thepany when you go back." "That''s not-" Future Yeonwoo was about to refuse outright. But seeing Yeonwoo''s disgruntled expression, he changed his mind. ''...This is dangerous. I''ve already pushed him pretty far. If I make things riskier, who knows what he might do.'' He''d dragged Yeonwoo into a dangerous situation. On top of that, there was blood. Even if it was just a nosebleed, it was enough to trigger survival instincts. Future Yeonwoo tapped his chest. "It won''t work, but I''ve thought of another way." "What kind of way?" "We can make it look like I''m threatening you, or controlling your mind to drag you around." At the same time, Future Yeonwoo unleashed the possibility he''d been holding onto - the possibility to exist as a human. Whoosh- The human form crumbled. As the threads of probability and possibility unraveled at once, a monstrous form emerged. "This looks good enough, right?" "...Understood." Yeonwoo''s eyes and expression softened slightly. Though not entirely satisfactory, it was better than nothing. "You''re not surprised?" "Didn''t you show me before?" "I showed you?" Future Yeonwoo tilted his head, half obscured by densely tangled threads, then turned away. ''He might recognize it since he has the dice.'' Barren mountain range. They began walking towards the shelter. As they walked briskly, Yeonwoo posed a question. "By the way, why don''t you just control my mind?" "Who? You?" "Yes. Wouldn''t that be more certain?" A question thrown to gauge Future Yeonwoo''s thoughts and abilities. Future Yeonwoo chuckled, his threads rippling. "If I controlled your mind, the dice would constantly resist. Even I can''t touch the dice. What if it seeds in resisting? Would you just sit still?" "No. I wouldn''t." How could anyone stay passive after having their mind controlled? Yeonwoo shook his head. ''If the goal is me, and the enemy can chase and harm me anytime, anywhere.'' He''d pretend to cooperate outwardly while iming to help, all the while scheming for a way to eliminate the opponent. The problem was, they both knew each other''s true intentions too well, making conflict inevitable. "So what if we fight?" "You''d win. I''d die." And if Yeonwoo fought Future Yeonwoo, one side would have to die. A hostile Yeonwoo was too dangerous to keep alive. Who knows what risks he might bring. Knowing the other harbored thoughts of having to kill made it even more certain. "What happens after you die?" "Well, there''s the resurrection roll... Oh." Yeonwoo vaguely realized the best possible oue. If he resurrected and merged with the dice, he could face Future Yeonwoo. Future Yeonwoo had merely assumed the worst possibility. "If things go wrong, it''s too dangerous." They walked on without further conversation. Yeonwoo slightly lowered his head, lost in thought. ''Still, I should prepare a few measures. Would threatening suicide and a resurrection roll work? ...No, it wouldn''t.'' A threat he couldn''t believe himself. He wouldn''t gamble on resurrection when he wasn''t even sure it would happen. They reached the entrance of the final shelter. At the tightly sealed door, Future Yeonwoo plucked a few threads, and the door opened on its own. "Let''s go in. We''re heading to the lowest level." --- --- The final shelter. Built to house a million people in case of extinction due to climate anomalies, it now felt eerie with only a few thousand shelter staff remaining after the climate anomalies receded. However, being thepany''s most advanced building, the futuristic and splendid architecture didn''t feel stuffy or enclosed like a typical shelter. Despite being underground, it felt more like entering a luxurious art gallery. Yeonwoo forgot his own situation. He gaped at the final shelter, barely managing to utter an admiring exmation. "This is a shelter?" "It''s called a shelter, but it''s basically a city." Passing bypany employees in the final shelter after ''persuading'' them, they headed towards the control room on the lowest level. They rode elevators down for a long time and drove cars parked in corners. Each ce they passed was beautiful and functional. Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled as he looked around the final shelter, when he suddenly came to his senses. ''No, I didn''te here to sightsee, what am I doing?'' He needed to find a way to deal with Future Yeonwoo. He said he wouldn''t touch him because he was too dangerous, but Yeonwoo couldn''t just trust those words. What if they couldn''t find the ark? What if Future Yeonwoo, even if not going mad, decided to take out his frustrations on him? Just as Future Yeonwoo saw Yeonwoo as an annoying bomb, Yeonwoo saw him as a nuclear bomb that could detonate at any moment. "...What are you doing?" Every time they changed locations, Future Yeonwoo would flick the threads. He held a few strands in one hand, and made gestures as if swatting something away. Future Yeonwoo tilted his thread-like head. "Fooling security systems, passing through, stuff like that. Also blocking anything trying to detect me." His voice sounded very annoyed. Yeonwoo closed his mouth and quietly observed Future Yeonwoo, noting how he used only his own power, the power of the dice. --- --- A door gleaming with ck luster, like something from a sci-fi movie''s spaceship. "Once we pass this door, we''re in the control room." Future Yeonwoo seemed a bit tense, his wavering probability threads standing straight and rigid. Like a porcupine. That tension infected Yeonwoo too, making him gulp. "Is it dangerous?" "It''s a manageable risk. But it could lead to greater dangers." "...Then you go in first and clear the inside. I''ll enter when it''s safe." He had no intention of needlessly exposing himself to danger. He had other intentions too. Future Yeonwoo, now starting to be wary of Yeonwoo, just sighed briefly. He was willing to grant this small request. "Ugh." Swish- The released threads passed through the door, and Future Yeonwoo vanished beyond it. ''Is he gone?'' Yeonwoo hurriedly pulled out his phone, his fingers moving rapidly like a machine gun assaulting the screen. - Kidnapped by anomaly. Trying to understand intentions. Mentioned shelter info. Wants to find and wake ark in his world to rebuild. A message aimed at safely and peacefully resolving the current situation, though he wasn''t sure if it would work. The hastily typed message, riddled with typos, was sent to Mark Jung through thepany''s informationwork. Just then, the tightly sealed door opened with a smooth sound. Beyond stood Future Yeonwoo in his inhuman form. "It''s done. Come in. ...Why are you holding your phone?" "I was checking for messages and the time. It''s my mealtime, can''t I eat that hamburger?" Yeonwoo casually slipped his phone away while gesturing at the wrapped hamburger Future Yeonwoo had brought. Future Yeonwoo''s face portion moved quickly from side to side. "This is mine. Bear with the hunger for a bit. It won''t take long. There''s not much to look around." "But I really want that hamburger." "Buy your own with your money. I''ll send you back safely." Future Yeonwoo turned away nonchntly, while Yeonwoo grumbled outwardly but his eyes gleamed. ''He''s dull.'' Watching from the side, Yeonwoo felt it and was sure of it. Perhaps years of living as an overwhelmingly powerful being had dulled his survival instincts. Even if seeking out dangerous ces was for rebuilding the world, it was still reckless. ''Relying solely on the dice''s power? Only caring about probability and possibility?'' When the body is weak, the mind works harder. Conversely, Future Yeonwoo, having grasped near-omnipotent power, had dulled his desperate survival instincts. ''This makes him manageable.'' Yeonwoo hid his true thoughts as he followed Future Yeonwoo into the control room. 86 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo''s message quickly made its way up to the Director through Mark Jung. A frantic phone call echoed in a hotel room. "We got a message from Yeonwoo. I just sent you the details. Have you checked it?" "I have. Good work. We''ve just gained some extra info and roughly figured out their identity and goal." Despite delivering good news, the Director''s voice carried a mix of worry and determination. Sensing the tension, Mark Jung hesitated before asking:"Is the intruder dangerous?" "It''s the worst-case scenario we were worried about." "You don''t mean..." "I''ll send you the files too. Sum up the key points and pass them on to Yeonwoo." Ding ding-! An alert sounded from theptop. Mark Jung opened the message right away, revealing several video, photo, and text files. Still on the call, he checked the photos first. One showed a human-like figure made of ck thread-like material running from the attack of a strange weapon. "I''ve looked at the photos. Is that thread-like thing the intruder?" "Yes. It''s a moment from a parallel world we spotted using the info we got. That intruder attacked several worlds." "When you say attacked..." Mark Jung''s voice shook. Dark scenes shed in his mind - terrible curses, contamination, signs of doom. The Director added something more real and scary than Mark Jung''s vague fears. "At the very least, they''re making climate anomalies worse by bringing loads of strange entities from parallel worlds." Click. Mark Jung switched to another photo as the Director spoke. It showed the intruder carrying all sorts of weird entities, then dumping them into the sea. "They''ve caused various crises across multiple worlds. Destroying the final shelter, wrecking the Mars base, attacking thepany headquarters..." He flipped through the photos one after another. A mushroom cloud rising over the final shelter, the Mars base returning to the harsh Martian environment, a blurred image of thepany headquarters seemingly falling apart... A threat more evil and real than he''d imagined. Mark Jung pressed a hand against his shaking eyes and asked quietly: "Are they trying to end the world?" "Probably." Based on what they knew, the intruder seemed to be someone who wanted to destroy everything. Mark Jung and the Director fell silent for a moment. If the intruder was threatening humanity, thepany had no choice but to fight. No matter how strong or dangerous the enemy. Finally, the Director spoke: "He said the intruder''s after the Ark. They likely want to destroy ourst hope. I''ll call a meeting and suggest tightening the Ark''s security." "What should I do?" Mark Jung''s voice and eyes filled with resolve. "Get in touch with Yeonwoo. He''ll be our secret weapon." "But the intruder''s right next to him. If we contact him and set them off-" "It doesn''t matter. The intruder won''t care. They want to cause chaos to find the Ark. They might even like it." The Director went on: "I can guess where the intruder''s headed. If they''re after the Ark, there are certain ces they''ll visit. The final shelter that was hit in the parallel world, the Anomaly Research Society, and a few others. Form special teams and send them to these ces." "Got it!" Mark Jung''s face lit up at the Director''s words. After feeling sidelined looking after one key person, being given such an important job filled him with purpose. "I''ll put together the special teams using our best agents." "...Give them normal bullets too." Thepany only had 13 of these ordinary bullets left. After using 2 and losing 4 in research idents, just 7 remained. Mark Jung paused, then started typing with renewed energy. --- --- Yeonwoo looked around as he entered the control room. The room his future self had tensely called dangerous, with hidden threats. Naturally, Yeonwoo examined every little detail. The control room was huge. Massive screens along the walls acted as windows, showing the view of an unknown city. At the far end, people who looked like shelter managers were talking among themselves. "We need to finish the disguise work first-" "No, we should finish the inside work first. Do you know how hard it is to work inside after the disguise is done?" "Director? Thepany cut our budget, so we need to choose what''s most important-" As the department heads arguing about money all turned to the Shelter Director, he rubbed his forehead, looking annoyed. "With the money we have now, it''s hard to finish even one thing, you idiots..." Even though the door had opened wide and a person plus something not human had walked in, they seemedpletely unaware, still arguing. Yeonwoo, who had jumped in surprise, carefully watched them and spoke softly. "They don''t seem to notice us. Is that safe?" "No. I must have messed something up when I changed how they see things. Now that I''ve interfered, I''m more likely to end up in trouble." Yeonwoo barely kept a straight face, covering his mouth. ''Could that be because I sent the message...?'' He nced at his future self, but the other didn''t seem worried and started walking somewhere. "More importantly, we need to find the Ark." Future Yeonwoo went to one of the screens and put his hand on it. The thread-like being worked the screen easily. Soon the screen changed, showing amunication system. As the shelter managers kept arguing, future Yeonwoo stepped aside. The screen showed a grayed-outmunication target: the Ark. "Here. Try turning on the Ark''smunicationwork first." "...How?" "However you can. Try making a call, or roll the dice." Yeonwoo obediently tried to make a call and even rolled dice to suggest turning onmunications, but nothing worked. Future Yeonwoo spoke gloomily: "Not working, huh." "Should we try rolling the dice to find the Ark?" Even as Yeonwoo quickly suggested this in the tense atmosphere, future Yeonwoo tilted his head. "Would that work? The Ark seems to be outside what''s possible or likely... No, you''re different. Give it a try." "Okay." The dice ttered- Failure! "It didn''t work..." "Let''s go to the next ce." Future Yeonwoo reached for Yeonwoo''s neck, then moved his hand to rest on his shoulder. And with that, the world changed. --- --- The small containment room of the Anomaly Research Society. Yeonwoo saw the tree person. The tree person who had shown him the future was now so withered it was hard to recognize. Whatever had been done to it, all its leaves had fallen off leaving only bare branches, and even those branches were shriveled and few. Suddenly, as the tree person''s eyes slowly opened and met Yeonwoo''s gaze, its branches stood up straight. "You...! Because of you! I''m worse off than a prisoner-" "Quiet." Future Yeonwoo said one word as his threads rippled. Only then did the tree person''s eyes notice the monster-like thing beside Yeonwoo. Its eyes widened. Crack, crack crack, its branches shook as if caught in a storm, and the thin twigs snapped and fell. "The one I saw from the future! What brings you here to see me?" In a sh, its thoughts became gentle waves. Not daring to even think of causing trouble, it stayed as calm as possible. Future Yeonwoo spoke: "You. You said you saw the Ark in the future. Exin that. Or show the Ark to me and him." "Of course. I clearly saw the Ark in the future..." For a moment, its thoughts blurred. The tree person frowned as if trying hard to remember, then slowly looked down. "I''m really sorry to say this. The truth is, I lied. I''ve never seen the Ark." In an instant, the threads of possibility tightened sharply. The threads surrounding future Yeonwoo like a cocoon. "Don''t mess with me." "It''s true! Really! I only lied to convince this human! I haven''t even seen anything like the Ark!" Its thoughts were clear with honesty. "..." Silence fell. The threads unraveled again, then crawled through the air like insect legs. The tree person shook like a leaf, eyes tightly shut. As Yeonwoo nervously watched for any trouble, a soft voice suddenly came from future Yeonwoo. "This is a security measure I''ve never seen before." A big change in how things are seen, or rather, a basic change in information itself. "Good. It seems to be working properly. We should be able to find the Ark this time." "What do you mean by security?" "What are you talking about?" Questions came at the mysterious statement. Future Yeonwoo chuckled. The possibility he always held was growing along with both his chances of getting into danger and the likelihood of finding the Ark. A more hopeful situation than ever. ''So they figured out I''m after the Ark. I can be a bit rougher now.'' Things were looking good. The more chaos he caused, the harder thepany would try to protect the Ark, and the more frantically they moved, the more important clues they''d leave behind. Plus, he had this world''s Yeonwoo - someone who made finding the Ark more likely. ''Let''s really scare thepany. That way they''ll use other ways to protect the Ark.'' Future Yeonwoo raised one hand. He pulled back most of the power he was using elsewhere, putting it all into this attack. Changing what''s possible from far away. A curse-like power aimed at thepany. ''If I break multiple facilities and systems at once-'' The mass of possibility threads swirled like a whirlpool. Just as they were about to be real all at once- Yeonwoo, who had been watching future Yeonwoo carefully, instinctively reached out his hand at a strange feeling. Like a cat swatting at moving grass, he swung his palm. And with that, a single thread of possibility was knocked away. "..." "..." The storm of possibilities stopped. Future Yeonwoo froze. He turned only his head at an impossible angle to look at Yeonwoo. 87 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The containment room was eerily quiet, tension stretching across the space like a taut thread. Lee Yeonwoo''s back was damp with cold sweat. The already cramped room felt even smaller as Future Yeonwoo''s gaze and presence bore down on him. Yeonwoo retreated until his back pressed against the wall. The cold, chilling sensation sent a shiver through him. ''This isn''t good.'' He could easily guess what Future Yeonwoo was thinking, what emotions he harbored.''He sees me as a threat now.'' Until now, Future Yeonwoo had viewed him as andmine - dangerous, but harmless if left alone. Now, Yeonwoo was a live grenade in someone else''s hand, ready to explode at any moment. It made sense. After all, Yeonwoo had meddled with the threads of possibility, deflecting even a single strand. "¡­." Future Yeonwoo remained silent for a moment, then suddenly grasped a thread of possibility. And vanished. "¡­." - ¡­. Yeonwoo and the Tree Person remained on high alert, senses heightened, before finally grasping the situation. Future Yeonwoo had fled. The Tree Person sighed in disappointment. -Ah¡­. He was going to lift the containment. In the end, he just left. "He was going to lift the containment?" -Yes. He was nning a massive attack on thepany, then grew wary of you, and finally gave up and left. Yeonwoo stared at the floor for a moment before asking: "Where did he return to? And what else was he thinking?" -You! Why should I tell you that? As the monstrous being disappeared, the Tree Person''s eyes widened in anger. Yeonwoo calmly reached into his bag. From the bag he always carried, even in emergencies, he produced a mini chainsaw and a gas torch. These tools, capable of easily destroying a tree, were now aimed at the Tree Person. "I''m not in the mood for games. Will you talk, or would you prefer a taste of these?" -¡­I don''t know where he went. I can''t read that deeply. The thoughts I picked up naturally were that he nned to attack thepany through various means, then grew wary of you, pondered something, and vanished. Yeonwoo closed his eyes. Using the darkness as a canvas, he connected his thoughts. He put himself in Future Yeonwoo''s position, trying to gauge his thinking. ''This isn''t over. He won''t give up on the Ark.'' Judging by how he threw himself into dangerous situations, it was clear the Ark meant everything to him. ''But it''s a lower priority than his own safety. That''s why he abandoned the dangerous element - me - and went to search for the Ark.'' Right now, he viewed Yeonwoo as more dangerous than thepany''s security or any half-hearted attack. After all, Yeonwoo could interfere at any time. "He chose to search safely, even if the chances of sess are low." As Yeonwoo vaguely concluded that dulled survival instincts had kicked in, the Anomaly Research Society''s security system activated. A voice crackled through the containment room''s speaker. -Intruder? Don''t move! You''ve trespassed into a confidential area- "Special Investigator Yeonwoo here. Please contact headquarters. I have information about the intruder." He held up his Special Investigator ID to the camera in the corner. Seeing the ID and Yeonwoo''sposed demeanor, the security officer fell silent before responding. -Please wait a moment. We need to verify this. Be aware that we''ll respond ording to protocol if you try anything funny. Then, through the still-open microphone, a mutteredment came through. -I don''t know what the hell is going on. People from headquarters showing up out of nowhere¡­. --- --- The identity verification proceeded swiftly, and Yeonwoo found himself in the Anomaly Research Society''s conference room with agents from headquarters. "¡­." "¡­." No one spoke. The agents, dispatched to protect the facility from Future Yeonwoo, were wrapped tightly inbat suits and kept their mouths shut. Yeonwoo, lost in thought, had no spare attention to initiate conversation. -Ah, ah. After a short while, a voice-onlymunication system lit up on the wall-mounted screen. A voice identifying itself as Director spoke. -Special Investigator Yeonwoo. I heard you met the intruder. Yeonwoo grabbed the microphone on the table and brought it to his lips. "Yes. The intruder had no malicious intent." -No malicious intent? ¡­Ah, right. You haven''t seen the information yet, I suppose. Let me show you first. Simultaneously, image files opened on the screen. They showed scenes of attacks attributed to the intruder, which Mark Jung had confirmed. As Yeonwoo scrutinized the slideshow of images, the Director''s exnation followed. -Several parallel worlds have been attacked by this intruder. Even our final shelter has already been breached. If you still im there''s no malicious intent, we''ll have no choice but to question your mental state. "I understand your suspicion. However, his sole objective is the Ark." Yeonwoo tried his best to speak calmly and persuasively. After all, if Future Yeonwoo''s goal was met, no major incidents should happen. "He''s a survivor from a world destroyed by climate anomalies, the very person who provided the solution to those anomalies, and thestpany employee trying to rebuild his world by finding his world''s Ark." The lie about him being apany employee was mixed in, but most of it was true. The Director''s voice lowered, as if confirming this information through some unknown method. -You''re serious¡­. "His attacks on other worlds were all means to find the Ark. All for the sake of rebuilding the world." -¡­. With a rustling sound and some muffled instructions, the Director''s microphone cut off. The silence was brief. -So, are you suggesting we hand over the Ark''s information? Resolve this peacefully? "At the very least, we should acknowledge his contribution in providing the solution to the climate anomalies." -That would be nice if we could, but¡­ there''s a problem. Not only Yeonwoo, but even the agents tilted their heads, focusing on the Director''s voice. -Let''s put aside the minor issues. Whether we can trust the intruder, or if the attacks will cease - let''s pretend those aren''t factors. "Yes. Please continue." -The most important thing, the Ark. It doesn''t exist. "I''ve heard about such security measures." Yeonwoo quickly ryed what he''d gleaned from Future Yeonwoo about security, but the Director denied it with a worried voice. -I''m not talking about ''lies'' to manipte information. Given the gravity of the situation, I''ve received information about the Ark. I''ll say it clearly: the Ark is fake. It''s false information spread by thepany. "What do you mean?" Yeonwoo''s pupils dted as he red at the screen. Only the call icon blinked back at him. -How could an Extinction Defense Device be so well-known in the first ce? Even directors don''t know how many there are or what they actually are. "¡­." He closed his mouth and listened. Clenching his fists, breaking into a cold sweat, worrying about Future Yeonwoo''s reaction when he learned this. -The Ark is a kind of propaganda. It''s meant to show how great thepany is, that humanity can be protected in any situation, that the human race will survive any disaster¡­. The Director continued. -It''s meant to threaten hostile groups, make them waste resources on something that doesn''t exist, and keeppany employees from losing hope. It''s an information operation- "Is that true?" Suddenly, a voice interrupted. A bizarrely distorted voice. Simultaneously, the agents mmed their heads on the table with a loud thud. Spider-web cracks spread across the table''s surface. This sudden attack came without warning. The grotesque voice didn''t stop. "The Ark, from the beginning, never existed?" A voice torn and shredded. The thread-like form of Future Yeonwoo stood before the screen, in front of the camera that would be watching them. Yeonwoo gripped his trembling hands. ''He didn''t go anywhere, but was hiding around me?'' His initial guess had been wrong. And that meant the current situation was far more dangerous than he''d imagined. ''He''s so obsessed with the Ark that he didn''t leave even though he saw me as a threat. But if he hears the Ark doesn''t exist.'' Future Yeonwoo''s threat came to mind. If he couldn''t find the Ark, he didn''t know what he might do. The Director''s calm voice came through the speaker. -So you''re the intruder. "I asked a question. Do you think you''re safe right now?" As Future Yeonwoo clenched his fist, a muffled pop sounded from beyond the speaker. -Bursting a pen, I see. Reality maniption? As expected of the final survivor. "Next is your head. Answer quickly. Is there no Ark? Does it not exist at all?" -That''s right. There is no Ark. The threads enveloping Future Yeonwoo froze in ce. As if preserved in a moment of stopped time. -What will you do now? You''ve gotten the information you wanted. "Heh. Hehehe." Laughter spilled out, and the threads began to ripple. Yeonwoo rose slowly from his seat, debating whether to intervene immediately or flee. Either way, standing would make it easier to move. Fortunately, his worst fears didn''t materialize. "No, the Ark exists." -I understand your desire to believe that. But the Ark- "Even this is part of the Ark''s security. It means it''s an object that can''t be found in the first ce." "Are you alright?" The atmosphere of escaping reality seemed dangerous. As Yeonwoo cautiously asked, Future Yeonwoo made a gesture as if raising his head. "I''m more than alright. I''ve figured it out. I was thinking about it all wrong. If I create a world fit for human habitation, the Ark will reveal itself." He lightly waved his hand, sending a strand of thread into Yeonwoo''s bag. Then he bowed his head towards the screen. "There''s no reason for me to risk staying here any longer. The intruder will take his leave now." With that, Future Yeonwoo vanished in an instant. A departure without farewell or lingering attachment. The conference room was left with unconscious agents, Yeonwoo, and the Director watching from beyond the screen. The Director muttered in a voice full of questions. -Did he really leave? And the Ark exists? What on earth. 88 - Request TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Though the situation had been resolved, an uneasy feeling lingered. From Future Lee Yeonwoo''s iprehensible reaction to the Ark''s uncertain existence, things felt off. "...I should check if the intruder really left. As for the Ark, no need to dig deeper." Whether the Ark existed or not wasn''t crucial right now. The intruder''s potential return was the main concern. Yeonwoo spoke up. "Am I free to go now?" "Right. Write up a report about your abduction and submit it.""Yes." Themunication cut off, leaving the screen ck. Silence fell over the conference room. Amid the snoring of copsed agents, Yeonwoo started rummaging through his now-lighter bag but changed his mind and turned away. ''I''m not sure what exactly happened. I''ll need to sort out my thoughts on the way back.'' He been unexpectedly relocated to the Anomaly Research Society. Whether by taxi or public transport, the trip back to the shelter would take time. Enough time to gather his thoughts. Yeonwoo left the Anomaly Research Society, walked to the edge of the in, and hailed a taxi. "...Please take me here." While the quiet driver focused on the road, Yeonwoo examined the bag that had received the thread of possibility. ''Did it turn into an anomaly? Is this the reward?'' It seemed future Yeonwoo had obtained some kind of information. The bag, once bulging with tools, was now slim and light. However, the tools hadn''t vanished. When he reached deep into the seemingly empty bag, he could feel them. Just like a magic bag. ''This is handy.'' Though there seemed to be limits on weight and space, it was far better than a regr bag. ''If this is the reward, what did he discover?'' As Yeonwoo absentmindedly stirred his hand inside the bag, lost in thought, he felt something like tissues or memo paper. Pulling it out, he found a few square napkins from a hamburger joint. They had text printed on them as if from a printer. Yeonwoo ced the napkins on hisp and quietly bent his head to read. -It was brief, but you did well. I''m going back. I won''te looking for you again. From now on, it''s best if we don''t see each other. It would only be ufortable. The message from future Yeonwoo was printed across several napkins. ''How did he manipte the probabilities...'' Sinking into various thoughts, he continued reading. -I found the conditions for awakening the Ark. Haha. I relied only on probability and possibility, without even understanding their meaning. I was arrogant. Next page. -The reward ends with upgrading your bag. Looking at you, there doesn''t seem to be much else I can help with. Well then, stay alive. End. Yeonwoo looked at the napkins several times before putting them back in the bag. He turned his head to look out the taxi window as it sped down the highway. The scenery and cars passing by quickly. And his own face, faintly reflected in the foggy window. "It''s really over." A small voice drowned out by the humming of the car. He sensed that future Yeonwoo had found clues about the Ark and left. Yeonwoo closed his eyes. ''What I need to do now is...'' It was time to learn from future Yeonwoo''s mistakes. ''Don''t rely on the dice. Still, learn to manipte probabilities. But mainly, sharpen my own survival instincts and skills.'' Leaning backfortably as if sleeping, breathing calmly, Yeonwoo dug into his inner self. He recalled three sensations: The intuition of dice results, the glimpse of future Yeonwoo''s form, and finally, the feeling of repelling the threads. As Yeonwoo nodded off pursuing these elusive sensations, he fell asleep. --- --- "We''ve arrived. Is this the right ce?" Yeonwoo opened his eyes at the taxi driver''s voice, wiping his mouth. Looking out the window with sleepy eyes, he saw the fence surrounding the shelter. "Yes, this is it." After paying, Yeonwoo stretched and walked through the fence into the building. Opening a hatch in the building''s floor, he descended to reach the shelter''s corridor. Yeonwoo suddenly stopped. "...Why does it look so bad?" Was it because he had seen the final shelter? The shelter he had once found so appealing now seemed entirely unappealing. Yeonwoo shuffled along with a frown. The corridor''s texture and the concrete walls looked extremely worn. The situation room was somewhat better, but the strong sense of difort lingered. "It''s too big for just me. It takes forever to eat and clean up. And I''ll have to climb adder every day for work." As the drawbacks piled up, Yeonwoo''s expression soured, but he quickly shook it off with a sigh. "It''s no different." The final shelter or this shelter he called home were the same. Neither could withstand a serious attack from a dangerous anomaly. Sitting in front of arge monitor, he ced his hands on the keyboard. Logging into thepany''swork, he found a message from the team leader. -Office construction isn''t finished, but we''ve set up training. Starting tomorrow, you''ll get drone training and a license at thepany''s aerial weapons institute. Once construction''s done, someone from Intelligence will train you on surveince equipment. "Ah, licenses..." Training to use the equipment thepany had started providing to investigators. While equipment support was good, the prospect of training was annoying. Yeonwoo began writing the report on his encounter with the intruder with heavy hands. His face darkened. ''idents, training,muting, reports, work. I''m going to die. Should I quit?'' And so another day passed for Yeonwoo. --- --- The aerial weapons institute was on a mountainside. A research facility disguised as a military base. asional gunshots echoed, and people in various outfits traversed the roads. After parking, Yeonwoo went straight to the training room, where he saw several people there for drone training and investigation team members waving at him. "Oh, Yeonwoo!" "Hey, you made it!" Yoo Ji-yoo was sleeping with her head on the desk, the team leader was shouting loudly, and Choi Jae-min, the parent detector who surprisingly wasn''t in school, was huddled in a corner. Yeonwoo silently took the empty seat among them. A tired voice emerged from his tired face. "Hey, everyone." "Why do you look so worn out? Weren''t you working from home?" "I went out to work." "You worked?" The team leader gave him a puzzled look. It was odd that he, as the investigation team leader, didn''t know about this work. Then he suddenly realized the situation. "Special investigator?" "Yeah..." "What happened that... Ah, if it''s confidential, don''t say anything." The team leader, who hadn''t noticed anything unusual for days, was bewildered but epted it. It wasn''t the first time this had happened. But Choi Jae-min turned around in his seat, his eyes sparkling. "What''s a special investigator?" "Just... an investigator affiliated with headquarters." Yeonwoo, slumped from mental fatigue that even rain couldn''t wash away, suddenly raised his head. "Oh right. I moved. Want toe for a housewarming?" "You already found a ce?" When the team leader, who knew that Yeonwoo''s old studio building had been erased, asked, Yeonwoo nodded. "There''s a building I got from thepany. It has a lot of extra rooms and it''s safe too. You can move in if you want." "Me, me! I want to go!" Choi Jae-min raised his hand quickly. Then he fired off questions. "Is the house nice? How are the rooms?" "It''s good. It''s safe. It''s a bit inconvenient, but there''s a lot ofpany tech. Like a generator, security system, and resource management." "..." The expressions of those listening quietly became strange. No matter how they heard it, it didn''t sound like an ordinary house. Suddenly, Yoo Ji-yoo lifted her head groggily and looked at Yeonwoo with bleary eyes. "Is that really a house? From what you''re saying, it sounds more like an emergency shelter." "It is a shelter. Apany-built shelter that can house up to 50 people, they said." The sleepiness cleared from Yoo Ji-yoo''s eyes. "A shelter? ...So when thepany said they''d give you a building, you took a shelter? You turned down an apartment in Seoul?" Her voice and eyes were full of disbelief. Yeonwoo looked back at them as if they were the strange ones. "Why would I take an apartment? If that''s the case, I should take a sturdy shelter. An apartment would copse after a few attacks, wouldn''t it?" "No, no." Yoo Ji-yoo, fumbling for words on where to start her rebuttal, stared nkly at Yeonwoo. "A shelter would withstand attacks that could destroy an apartment multiple times. The cost-effectiveness-" "That''s not... Actually, thinking about it, it''s good. Yeonwoo, you have unusually bad luck... Can wee for the housewarming after the training?" As soon as Yoo Ji-yoo naturally changed the subject, Choi Jae-min and the team leader showed interest. "I haven''t been to apany shelter yet. Is there anything itcks? What should we bring as housewarming gifts?" "Let''s go today, okay? I need to text my mom that I''ll be homete." "You don''t need to bring gifts. Really, the shelter has everything." As they were having this conversation, the front door of the training room opened, and a researcher stood in the doorway, shouting. "Trainees! Let''s go out! We''re going to practice with drones!" "What about the theoretical training-" "Ah, we don''t need that. As long as you know how to use them roughly, it''s fine. You can learn the details while operating them in the field." 89 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here "Let''s get moving!" They followed the researcher to arge open area. At the entrance of the field-like space sat various types of drones, with zones marked by clearly drawn lines. The hurried researcher paced in front of the lined-up drones. "These are our training drones. The ones without attachments are for basic training, while the attack, observation, and transport drones are for practical exercises." Lee Yeonwoo examined the drones closely, noticing ones equipped with guns, cameras, and boxes. He focused on the attack drone and raised his hand."Is that a real gun? Loaded with live rounds?" "Of course. Since firearms training is part of the curriculum, we use actual weapons." The researcher pointed across the field. Target boards stood at the far end, with distance lines marked in front. As everyone''s attention shifted there, the researcher pped his hands to refocus them. "Here are the controllers, manuals, and exam instructions. Read through them and practice freely. I''m busy, so I''ll be stepping out for a bit." With that, the researcher hurried off. "What kind of half-assed training is this..." "I heard they''re changing all the drones to a new system. Seems like they''re trying to rush through this." People muttered amongst themselves before grabbing manuals and controllers, sending drones buzzing into the air. "Let''s start with the manual." The Anomaly Investigation Team, however, quickly grabbed manuals and retreated to a corner of the field. Keeping an eye on the attack drones that had started firing, they carefully passed the manual to Yoo Ji-yoo. Ji-yoo read the manual on behalf of the group. Flipping through it amidst the gunfire, she raised her voice to summarize. "Okay... The practical exam has three parts: firing with the attack drone, precision photography with the observation drone, and transport with the cargo drone." The team leader nced at the drones flying overhead and casually asked, "Is it difficult?" "We''ll have to try it to know for sure. Just looking at the manual, it seems prettyplex." They watched other people using the drones warily, as if observing something unfamiliar. They''d only seen them used by other departments before. Now that they actually had to learn and use them, it felt strangely bothersome and unreliable. The team leader especially felt this way. "I wonder if we can trust those things. Getting hands-on is always the most urate. And what if we run into something that can mess with drones or machines?" "Still, it''s better than nothing. Even with that fog monster, if we''d had drones-" They were already considering how to use them for investigations, imagining various scenarios. In contrast, Choi Jae-min excitedly ran towards the attack drone. "I''ve yed with that drone before. I''ll show you how to use it after I try it out." "But that''s not for civilian use..." The team leader muttered, unable to stop him as Choi grabbed the attack drone''s controller. After examining it closely and fiddling with the controls a few times, the drone took to the sky. The team leader scratched his head and slowly started moving. "Damn. I''m no good with machines..." "Aren''t you going to look at the manual?" "We can learn by breaking a few drones. They''re not our property anyway." As the team leader and Ji-yoo gradually approached the basic training drones, Yeonwoo suddenly nced at the entrance. The researcher who had disappeared earlier came running back, shouting breathlessly. "We need volunteers! It''s a prototype system from theb. Just try it out and fill out a survey! You''ll get bonus points for the practical exam!" "Prototype? Isn''t that dangerous?" "Not at all!" In response to someone''s question, the researcher pulled out his phone. "We''ve developed a program to improve control convenience. There are no dangerous functions. Think of it as beta testing." "I''ll do it." The team leader quickly stepped forward at the mention of bonus points and convenience. The researcher smiled brightly and started tapping on his phone. "Please give me your department and name. I''ll send you the drone control app." "I''m the team leader of the Anomaly Investigation Team." "Pardon?" The researcher''s fingers froze on the phone. He slowly raised his head to look at the team leader, his expression somewhat ufortable. After licking his lips a few times, the researcher asked, "Are you here for an audit...?" The team leader had caused quite a stir using his audit authority more than once. Enough to make most employees feel uneasy. The team leader frowned. "I''m here to get a drone license. Why? Want me to do an audit? Did you do something fishy?" "No! We didn''t! A drone-makingb would never be controlled by an anomalous entity. Here, I''ve sent you the app. Any more volunteers?" He looked around, changing the subject. Yeonwoo observed the situation quietly before raising his hand and approaching. It wasn''t a difficult task, and getting bonus points would be good. "I''ll volunteer too. Yeonwoo from the Anomaly Investigation Team." "Investigation team, Yeonwoo.... I''ve sent the app. Install it and connect to the drone." A few more volunteers came forward to download the app. Yeonwoo connected wirelessly to a basic training drone and examined the simple interface. "Looks like a game screen." The UI focused on the drone camera''s view and ease of use. It seemed intuitive enough to use without further instruction. Indeed, Yeonwoo easily started maneuvering the drone. ''...This is fun.'' It felt like ying with a toy, taking his mind off the exam. He flew it high, moved it around in various ways. As they focused on the drones, the tired-looking researcher rubbed his eyes and disappeared somewhere again. --- --- The researcher hurried off, his mind filled with regret. ''I must be crazy. Sinking all my savings into cryptocurrency. Damn it. I won''t be able to recover from this.'' He had obtained what seemed like good information and invested not only his savings but even borrowed money, only to see it plummet. His dreams of living luxuriously after quitting his job had evaporated without a trace. ''Just the money I need to pay this month...'' Walking down the main building corridor of the research institute, the researcher finally cursed out loud. "Sh*t. I can barely handle my current workload as it is." "...What did you just say?" Startled by the sudden voice, the researcher looked up. His superior came into view through his worry-darkened vision. "That''s..." "If the work is too much, pass it on to someone else. There''s no need for you to take on all those tasks yourself." That wasn''t an option. From his research on anomalous entities as a researcher, to drone education support with additional pay, the drone system development project, and the new weapons system development project. If he lost even one of the jobs he''d desperately taken on, he''d barely be able to pay the interest on his debts. "No, sir. I can manage. I won''t miss any deadlines or cause problems for the projects." "Hmm... Let me know if it gets too difficult. We can always adjust your workload." "Yes, sir. I''ll be going now." The researcher bowed his head and walked briskly towards the containment room. ''First, the weapons system takes priority. I need to finish my part somehow.'' Focused on cryptocurrency, he hadn''t noticed the approaching deadline. He needed to deal with that first. ''There''s no time...'' The researcher took a deep breath as he stood in front of the traditionally secured door. He brought a key to the door locked with padlocks and chains. The containment room of the anomalous entity, which had allowed him to work on two projects simultaneously, opened. Before entering, the researcher muttered softly. "Grammar Nazi Robot. Just don''t make any mistakes." --- --- Beyond the containment room stood a robot in the corner. It wore human clothes and had a monitor attached to its chest. The researcher walked in as quietly as possible, careful not to even breathe loudly. Grammar Nazi Robot. Itmunicated only in programmingnguages and attempted to kill anyone who used human speech or made even a single typo in programmingnguage. In exchange, it demonstrated exceptional programming abilities, and the researcher had received a lot of help from the robot. The researcher sat at theputer in the corner, typed out a message, checked multiple times for typos, and then hit enter. It was a request to finish the program development he was responsible for. Beep-beep- Lights shed on the mechanical parts of its head, and strings of text appeared on the monitor on its chest. The output of the part he should have developed himself scrolled by in an instant. ''It worked! Somehow I pulled it off again!'' The researcher''s breathing became ragged. He covered his mouth and nose with one hand while copying the output with the other. His joy at obtaining the results so quickly was short-lived. The researcher bit his lower lip. After hesitating for a while, he typed in a few more lines of text. He said he had invested in the cryptocurrency the robot had predicted, but it had all crashed. What was it going to do about that? The answer was simple. It was his choice. Predictions can obviously be wrong. Why me the robot? It was a reasonable response, but the researcher felt his blood boiling. I trusted your words and even borrowed money...! At least give me a solution...! "Ugh!" Thud- The researcher copsed. It felt as if blood vessels had burst in his head. As his vision darkened, he iled his arms. Urgent words spilled from his mouth. "C-call... No, I can''t!" Screech-! The Grammar Nazi Robot, having heard speech that vited programmingnguage, began to move. 90 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Beep- Beep- Squeak- Electronic sounds emanated from the robot''s head as red lights shed. Its legs moved smoothly, taking a big step forward. The researcher, copsed like a corpse, fluttered his eyelids and made choking sounds. His constricted pupils captured the scrolling text on the robot''s chest monitor: []The robot bent down smoothly. Cables, in ce of hands, extended and wriggled, searching every corner of the researcher''s clothes. A cold, snake-like sensation chilled him. The researcher desperately tried to move, but only managed to twitch his fingers slightly. Sensing his impending death, he shed tears. "Uurgh!" This robot wouldn''t rescue him. If he kept breathing, it would kill him directly. Beep- [] Rumble- The cables pulled out several devices, spilling them onto the floor. A phone, emergency button, USB drive, digital watch, and more... With a snap, the cable ends split and connected to the devices simultaneously. The researcher watched with despairing eyes, then read the robot''s intent: [] Even as he was dying, the researcher vividly imagined what would happen next. It would use the emergency button to break through the containment room''smunication barrier, then exploit thepany''swork on the phone to take control of the Aerial Weapons Research Institute. Those drones, those new weapons. That robot had such capabilities. Such goals. "Stop it, I have to stop-!" His hand iled wildly. Crunch, it was crushed under the robot''s foot. Stopped before reaching the emergency button. And with that, the researcher''s life ebbed away. His heart stopped, sensation faded, and his brain died. The robot beeped a final farewell: [] Then, after its lights flickered briefly, the robot seemed to shake its head. [] Squeak- The robot stood up. It hid the connected devices in the folds of clothing, then backed up to its original position. From the containment room''s camera view, only the copsed researcher would be visible, with no signs of containment failure or anomalous activity. In the silent room, the robot began to take control of the Aerial Weapons Research Institute. --- --- In the open field,rge drones buzzed through the air, while people below focused on controlling them with their controllers. The Anomaly Investigation Team members had set their drones down for a moment and gathered in a corner to rest. "How is it? Not difficult, right?" Choi Jae-min said smugly. He''d quickly gotten the hang of it and taught the Team Leader and Lee Yeonwoo, boosting their skills enough to easily pass the test. The Team Leader slumped on the ground, tapping his phone slowly as he spoke. "This is still easier." He diligently filled out the survey and feedback for the drone control app made by the Aerial Weapons Research Institute. Five stars, five stars, want more points, hurry andmercialize it... Yeonwoo was also hunched over his phone, finishing up the survey. Suddenly, Choi Jae-min eximed, "Oh!" "What?" Yoo Ji-yoo, who had been dozing in the shade, asked drowsily. Choi Jae-min rubbed his eyes and began pointing wildly at the drones. His voice was panicked. "They suddenly got parents- no, creators? What''s going on? Did my ability evolve?" "What did you say?" Not just Yoo Ji-yoo, but the Team Leader and Yeonwoo who had been focused on the survey also jerked their heads up to look at the drones. Something was off. The drones that had been moving chaotically began to form orderly ranks, and people who had lost control eximed in confusion. "Hey! Why are they moving on their own?" "Is this some recycled old drone? Looks like it''s malfunctioning!" Click click, they frantically pressed their controllers, even turning them off or throwing them away, but the drones continued to move wlessly. The drones, lined up like an army, pivoted as one to look down at the trainees. The atmosphere grew tense. "Ah, seriously. Half-assed training, and now what''s this? This won''t do, I need to file aint." "...No, something''s not right." As the trainees began to murmur uneasily, the Team Leader slowly stood up and asked, "Who''s the creator?" "Synth Dynamics? It''s not thepany or the research institute here." "...Synth Dynamics?" The Team Leader''s eyes widened. He''d heard that name before. He''d even seen that test subject in person. The ones who made cyborgs and artificial humans, sometimes kidnapping people to modify them- Ding-! Phone notifications rang out simultaneously. Thepany''s alert tone. People pulled out their phones with annoyed expressions, thinking the Aerial Weapons Research Institute had made some mistake causing this mess. But the faces of those who checked the message twisted strangely. [Write code to output "hello, world!" in the programmingnguage you know. (Time limit: 3 minutes.)] A strange message that didn''t fit the situation. By now, it was impossible not to grasp what was happening. "An attack? Containment failure?" "What kind of anomaly is this? No, we need to neutralize those attack drones first." Like flipping a switch, the trainees'' mindsets changed. From simply receiving training topany employees facing an anomalous situation. Some reported the current situation to superiors, some looked for ways to shoot down or defend against the attack drones, and some searched for ways to survive. ''There are at least ten attack drones. Even ten guns would be dangerous, let alone drones.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled as he surveyed the drone formation and scanned for escape routes. ''It''s better to hide somewhere safe and wait for thepany to handle this. Retreating the way we came in is... not possible. Who knows what weapons and how many are in the center of the weapons research institute. Rather.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes darted to the edge of the field. The firing range targets at the far end of the field on the outskirts of the research institute. Thend that led into the mountainside. Just then, Yoo Ji-yoo quickly tapped on her phone and held out her hand. "Give me your phones. I''ll input for you." "Do you know how to program?" "A little." As Yoo Ji-yoo took the phones and entered answers for each person one by one, the Team Leader, who had dyed inputting his answer, spoke with a dubious expression. "Looks like some kind of Grammar Nazi robot." In that short time, he had searched rted records with the few clues avable and identified the entity. The Team Leader handed his phone to Yoo Ji-yoo and continued his exnation. "It''s a robot that kills if you don''t use programmingnguages. From now on, don''t open your mouths." "..." "..." Everyone shut their mouths and just nodded. Yeonwoo wiped his mouth once, as if imagining taping it shut, then plunged his hand deep into his bag. What he poured out of the bag were pistols. One, two, three, four... As he gripped one of them, Yeonwoo pped his hands, pointing at the attack drones. Beep- The time limit had passed. [So many intelligences unable to use even such basguage. Severely contaminated by primitivenguage. I will begin the purification.] Bang bang bang bang-! The guns mounted on the attack drones tilted downward, then began spewing bullets all at once. Company employees who failed to input the correct answer copsed, spewing blood. Some twisted their bodies to avoid important areas after being hit and fell dramatically, while others ripped out bulletproof panels used for targets to use as shields. "We need to shoot them down...!" As a short-haired man, presumably ex-Special Forces, gritted his teeth while gripping a bulletproof panel, gunshots rang out from the ground. Bang bang bang-! Four investigators pressed their lips tightly shut and repeatedly pulled their triggers, aiming at the attack drones. Their target: the drones'' wings. Since the drones'' bodies were built extremely sturdy and deflected bullets, they aimed to shoot down the wings and make them fall to the ground. "...!" Yeonwoo hurriedly ran and hid behind the ex-Special Forces member holding the bulletproof panel. He quickly pulled several pistols from his bag and tossed them toward the other ex-Special Forces members. ''I stole as much as I could, so there''s no shortage of guns!'' He had crammed them into his bag, which had transformed into a magic bag. The ex-Special Forces members'' eyes lit up as they picked up the thrown pistols. One of them who realized these were Goldberg Club pistols looked at Yeonwoo suspiciously. "Aren''t these Goldberg Club guns? Why do you have so many-" "Shh! Shh!" Yeonwoo put his index finger to his lips in a gesture to keep quiet, then pointed at the drones. The ex-Special Forces members seemed to catch on to something and stopped talking, exchanging hand signals instead. What followed was precise shooting. Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! While the investigators had only managed to shoot down three drones despite emptying their magazines, the ex-Special Forces members urately hit the wings. Even when transport or basic drones got in the way and took hits instead, the attack drones fell one by one. With just the attack drones gone, things would be manageable. "Whew-!" An ex-Special Forces member sighed in relief and looked for Yeonwoo, but he had already disappeared. He was at the chain-link fence at the edge of the field with the investigators, cutting through the fence with wire cutters. After making a small hole, they began escaping towards the mountainside. The ex-Special Forces member nced at the sky towards the research institute, his expression hardening for a moment before he started running after Yeonwoo. The surviving trainees following behind let out frustrated exmations. "How the hell do you lose an entire research institute?!" Whirrr-! A swarm of drones rose from the center of the research institute. So many drones that they looked like a storm or tornado, splitting like tentacles and spreading in all directions. The observation drones in the field became a reconnaissance squad, beginning to chase after the fleeing trainees. 91 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here On a remote mountainside untouched by humans, the steep slope and thick fallen leaves made each step treacherous. Lee Yeonwoo clung to tree trunks, struggling up the mountainside. In contrast, the Special Forces soldiers wielding bulletproof shields skillfully ascended, quickly catching up to the investigators in the lead. "Do you understand what''s going on?" a Special Forces soldier asked calmly while catching his breath. Yeonwoo gestured covering his mouth, then pped his hands in all directions."Mmph! Mmph!" "You want us to spread out? But it''s better to stay together. Our firepower is strongest when concentrated." Somehow understanding the intent, the soldier nced back at the trainees following behind, then swiftly raised his gun to shoot down a transport drone. He shot down the next drone too, but there seemed to be no end to the drones taking flight in pursuit. The Special Forces soldiers took cover behind tree trunks, maintaining formation as they wiped sweat from their faces. "We need a Vulcan or EMP to stop those." "Nah, just releasing some electric snakes would do it." "We don''t have any. This sucks." "I need information. And how much ammo do we have?" Yeonwoo hesitated, then held up fingers to write in the dirt: - 2 boxes full. Lab seems overtaken by Grammar Nazi robots. Using human speech is dangerous. His fingers dug into the damp, cold earth. Soil darkened the spaces under his nails. Ding-! Notification messages chimed simultaneously. They checked their phones to find messages from the robots. Chilling messages stating their speech was grammatically incorrect, with the "correct" versions provided. ''They heard everything? Even read what I wrote on the ground?'' Yeonwoo nced at his phone, then looked up at the sky. Sunlight filtered through leaves, and high above, an observation drone hovered, barely visible. Yeonwoo sighed, then without hesitation lowered his gun and shot his phone. Bang-! The bullet pierced the center of the phone and embedded in the dirt. Yeonwoo spoke glumly. "I think our phones are hacked. Let''s destroy them. At least they won''t hear our voices then." "Everyone, gather your phones here." "Damn it. I still have payments left on mine." People hesitated but ced their phones and smartwatches on the ground, piling them up. The trainees who just caught up also tossed their phones after hearing the situation. To conserve ammo, a Special Forces soldier stacked the phones inyers, attempting to destroy as many as possible with a single shot. "Those who just arrived, take a gun!" Meanwhile, Yeonwoo emptied his bag, pouring out handguns and magazines. He seemed intent on emptying an entire box. "How many guns are in that bag..." "What kind of equipment is that? Looks useful. Where can we request some?" People who entered the correct answer, weren''t shot, or fled after being shot grabbed a handgun and magazine each, eyeing the bag enviously. As drone operators, their movements were efficient. They immediately turned to shoot down the drones pursuing them from the clearing. "Can''t reach the observation drone from here." "How do we deal with all those drones behind us?" "More importantly, what''s our mission objective? Escape? Defense? Neither seems easy." Yeonwoo muttered internally. ''Survival.'' Escape was difficult due to the observation drones, defense due to sheer numbers. He doubted they could hold out until thepany resolved this situation. ''Should I roll the dice?'' He''d avoided relying on the dice to hone his survival instincts, but perhaps it was time to use it? Just then. Rustle, leaves crunched above them. Yeonwoo and others aimed their guns as someone in hiking clothes carefully descended with hands raised. Yeonwoo recognized the face and muttered. "Agent Kim Gapdong?" "I''m from the Intelligence Department. From now on, you''ll split into three teams to carry out the mission." Kim Gapdong, drenched in sweat and panting, briefly nodded at Yeonwoo in recognition. --- --- As drones closed in rapidly, Kim Gapdong checked his wristwatch and spoke quickly. "An EMP will detonate in 1 minute 30 seconds." The EMP detonation should end the situation. Sighs of relief escaped, but the sharper ones looked skeptical. "Then what''s the mission?" "The EMP won''t end everything. Theb building and containment rooms are EMP-shielded, so the anomalous Grammar Nazi robot causing this will be unaffected." Kim Gapdong caught his breath, then continued. "You need to infiltrate theb and subdue the Grammar Nazi robot." People exchanged bewildered looks. Us, carry out a mission? Suddenly? Yeonwoo raised his hand slightly and asked. "Why us? Couldn''t a specialized unit or Special Forces handle this?" "The Superhuman Battalion and Sword Investigation Team are deployed, but Intelligence believes you can achieve the objective fastest." It would take time for other units to arrive. Meanwhile, forming teams with thepany employees here and deploying them for the urgent crisis was preferable. "The Aerial Weapons Research Institute has many EMP-resistant weapons. We need to neutralize those as quickly as possible." The employees nodded reluctantly, their expressions unenthusiastic. "Form your teams now. Three bnced teams. I''ll prepare supplies-" As people sized each other up and Kim Gapdong set down his hiking bag, his stated time arrived. Something arced through the air from afar. ¡ª! A silent, invisible wave exploded. The imperceptible st engulfed the area in an instant, frying electronic circuits. Drones started dropping like flies. The movement and impact sounds btedly revealed the EMP''s effects. Crash crash crash-! Fallen drones pummeled the ground. They crashed onto roads, open spaces, building rooftops, and tree branches. Yet some drones continued flying unaffected. "Theb developed various weapons to counter different anomalies." Kim Gapdong pulled out three document bundles and handed them over. "EMP-shielded drones, bionic drones, steampunk drones... Their weapons are... Teams formed yet?" "We''ll do it now." People started revealing their affiliations and dividing into usible teams. Each team included one investigator, two Special Forces, one Intelligence agent, and one researcher. Aposition to handle any situation. Checking the lineup, Kim Gapdong pointed to three people. "Mr. Yeonwoo, Investigation Team Leader, Squad Leader - you''re interim team leaders. Team leaders, take this intel and taser gun. Everyone else, take one EMP grenade each." They started receiving supplies. Yeonwoo quickly grabbed an EMP grenade and taser, then held out his hand. Kim Gapdong handed over documents with an exasperated look. "Do idents follow you everywhere? Or do you go where idents happen?" "Haha... Weren''t you in Auditing? Why are you on this kind of mission?" "Transferred to First Response. Wish I hadn''t." Kim Gapdong wearily put a hand to his chest. Thump thump thump, his heart raced despite standing still. "They dosed me with augmentation drugs and threw me here saying it was urgent. I''m dead tomorrow." "...No more guns? Can we manage with just tasers and EMP grenades?" "Guns? You have them. Knowing you, you''re packing more than a couple." Kim Gapdong waved his hand, unwilling to say more. "Everyone,mence operations. I''m heading back." With that, he bounded away, leaping several meters at a time. Someone muttered as he disappeared. "Augmentation drugs? Those have nasty side effects." "Given his arrival time, they might as well have used a human catapult. Hope he''s okay." The muttering quickly faded. The squad leader and team leader, now team leaders, called out. "Move out!" "Ugh, what a mess... We''ll tear Auditing a new er. Let''s go." Two teams departed, leaving Yeonwoo''s team. Yeonwoo and Choi Jae-min, two Special Forces with bulletproof shields, a hooded Intelligence agent, and a pale-faced researcher. Yeonwoo called out softly. "Let''s move out too." --- --- In theb after the EMP st, inside the Grammar Nazi robot''s containment room. The robot''s red bulb shed rapidly as its cables trembled. It felt unbearably wretched, its electronic circuits nearly burning with rage. [] One st extinguished countless machine lives. With just one explosion! The shing bulb emitted an intense red light. The crimson glow filled the small containment room. [] The robot''s cables writhed. Data flowed through them. It released what few flying weapons remained through theb''s internalwork that survived the EMP. 92 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The three teams descended the mountain path they''d climbed earlier. Up front, the squad leader quickly scanned the operation document. Top priority: subdue the Grammar Nazi Robot. Secondary objectives: eliminate aerial weapons, rescue survivors, and maintain istion of other anomalies. He quickly grasped the hidden intent behind those words and this temporary team''s role. Looking at the other leaders he said, "We''re basically buying time. We''re bait to keep the aerial weapons in theb from reaching civilian areas until the main force arrives." "Bait, huh? Those bastards," team leader grumbled, stomping down the slope before ncing at Yeonwoo.Yeonwoo wasn''t cut out for this kind of operation. He wasn''t one to throw himself into danger, and as a special investigator, he could refuse missions. But Yeonwoo''s eyes gleamed suspiciously as he alternated between looking at the EMP grenades and bags in others'' hands. ''This might be...'' Rustle- Flipping through the document revealed specs of the expected remaining aerial weapons and a map of the institute. As they studied the map intently, they found themselves back at the drone control clearing. The squad leader stopped at the area littered with fallen drones. "All teams, straight to the main building." The main building housed the Grammar Nazi Robot''s containment room. Everyone nodded silently, and the three teams crossed the clearing. Above, drones that survived the EMP st followed. --- --- The clearing was far from the main building. They moved quickly. "..." "..." No one spoke on the way to the danger zone. Some sped their hands in prayer, others wore determined expressions, and a few hopped in ce to release tension. Someone muttered, "Just don''t die. Just don''t. Losing a limb is fine." Overhead, drones cast faint shadows as they pursued. A dull whirring sound and watchful camera lenses tracked their movements. ''No attack drones. But we can''t let our guard down.'' Yeonwoo kept ncing skyward, staying alert. Even without weapons, a high-altitude drop was still deadly. Sure enough, as they neared the main building, the drones suddenly tilted almost vertically and began to plummet. A kamikaze-like body m. The rapidly growing engine roar and darkening shadow caught Yeonwoo''s eye. "Watch out!" Yeonwoo shouted, diving forward. The others scattered in all directions. Bang-! A drone crashed into the empty space. It wasn''t just one. The drones that had been following them fell one by one. Bang bang bang! Kagagak-! Drones smashed into the ground, their tilted wings scraping the floor with an ear-piercing screech. And still more drones fell. Bang! After deflecting a falling drone with his bulletproof te, the squad leader staggered and yelled, "Hurry to the main building!" His urgent gaze swept beyond the path. Yeonwoo followed his line of sight. Weeeing-! From the weapons development building, a swarm of drones rose like a cloud of bees. Organic drones resembling giant flies, mosquitoes, or lumps of flesh; steampunk drones spewing steam. They radiated danger at a nce. ''We can''t face them in the open!'' Pitter-patter-! Yeonwoo took off without looking back. The investigators followed, then the Intelligence Department agents, researchers, and Special Forces troops. Gunshots rang out against the bizarre drones as more crashed down around them with thunderous booms. The noise was deafening. "Uh..." Arriving at the main building amid this chaos, they found it tightly sealed. A steel door blocked the main entrance, and st shutters covered every window. It looked imprable. "Emergency lockdown? Defensive mode?" "Looks like the robot''s taken overpletely. Damn it. We''ll have to fight them here." To make matters worse, drones were swarming in. As people turned, gritting their teeth and aiming their guns, the team leader gently pushed Yeonwoo''s back. "Can you open it?" "...I don''t think I can manage the main entrance." A vague intuition. "What?" "Wait, just a second." Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes, heightening his senses. Whether intuition, survival instinct, or probability calction, he desperately tried to perceive beyond what his eyes could see. Finally, his gaze settled on a certain window. "I think I can open that window." "Do it quick!" The team leader shouted while firing at the organic drones. Yeonwoo immediately called upon his dice. ''Dice, open the window.'' Roll- Sess! With a chrrk, the shutter suddenly rose. Beyond the ssy a storage room piled with odds and ends. Yeonwoo smashed the window and hurriedly climbed through. The team leader followed and shouted outside. "This way,e in!" The others swarmed in, reaching for the narrow window like zombies, squeezing through one by one. "Hurry up! They''reing!" "Argh!" People climbed in, ignoring cuts from ss shards. The cramped storage room filled up in seconds. Even thest Special Forces soldier who''d stayed behind to hold off the drones made it in, wedging his bulletproof te into the window frame. But the mood was grim. Weeeing-! Pook! Bang! Chiiik-! Drones pounded the makeshift barricade, and their numbers had dwindled. "Six dead..." In that brief moment, six people had died. Hit by falling drones, sliced by spinning des, attacked by organic drones. The squad leader surveyed the survivors with a dark expression. "Two injured. You okay?" A pale-faced researcher shook his head. A high-speed de had sliced his forearm. "Does this look okay to you?" The wound visible through his torn sleeve was serious. A mangled forearm and flowing blood. Another person was also critically injured. Special Forces troops and Intelligence agents provided emergency treatment, but proper medical care was urgently needed. Just then, Yeonwoo looked up from studying the map. "The infirmary, security room, and armory are all on the first floor. If we can open the doors for sure, we might have a chance." "Is there a way to open doors under lockdown...?" Everyone looked at the storage room door. A st shutter hade down over it. "Can''t we use the same method you used to open the window?" "It''s risky. We might not be able to open it. If it goes wrong, we could be trapped forever." If a critical failure urred, who knew what might happen. It was too uncertain to trust his senses. At that moment, the team leader looked around the storage room and chuckled, tapping a tool. "There''s a cutter here." Arge cutter with a circr de. Not just that, but oxygen tanks and cutting torches were also gathering dust in the storage room. Not the mini-tools Yeonwoo carried, but proper, industrial-grade equipment. The team leader grabbed a tool with a nametag, likely discarded after use in the institute. "Let''s break down the door and get out." After a moment of ear-splitting noise and dazzling sparks as the st shutter was ground away, a holerge enough for a person to pass through gaped open. "Let''s go!" People ducked through the hole. Supporting the injured, watching the front, looking back. Yeonwoo stayed at the very back, eyeing the window with the wedged bulletproof te. The twisted metal was quiet. ''It''s silent.'' The outside, which had been a cacophony of drone sounds, was now eerily quiet. The robot had probably opened a door or window and sent them there. Yeonwoo nced at the others who''d gone ahead, then quietly stuffed a few dust-covered tools into his bag. ''They''re not using these anyway. I''ll just take a few. Doing such dangerous work, I should at least get this much.'' Slinging the still-light bag over his shoulder, Yeonwoo caught up with the group. --- --- Not just the doors, but the corridors too had shutters down as if there was a fire. With no emergency exits, each one had to be cut through. "What a pain." Just as the team leader readjusted his grip on the cutter- Chrrk-! The shutters rose all at once. Their blocked view suddenly cleared. However, not all shutters went up, only those leading to a specific destination. Yeonwoo checked the map and muttered, "The robot''s containment room." It was the path to the underground containment room. The lockdown was lifted just up to the stairs leading down. ''What''s it thinking?'' It was clearly the robot''s doing. But the intent was unclear. There was no reason to open the path like this. Before he could finish his thought, drones suddenly began swarming in behind them. They filled the narrow corridor. Steampunk drones cocked stake-like appendages with a click, while mosquito-like organic drones raised their stingers. Yeonwoo made a quick decision. ''We have to face them here.'' It was clearly a ploy to open the path and drive them in. That was the situation. Yeonwoo pulled out his issued taser gun and pulled the trigger. Lightning shed, and annoyance spread across his face, bleached white by the sh. ''We should''ve raided the armory first...!'' 93 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The robot opened a passage. Aheady the underground containment chamber where it was trying to herd them, and behind surged a wave of drones - certain death either way. Lee Yeonwoo chose the wave of drones. Following the enemy''s n seemed more dangerous. "We need to face them here!" Yeonwoo shouted. Before he finished, the team leader and squad leader fired their taser guns. A series of blue shes lit up the corridor.Three forks of blue lightning arced across the hallway, wrapping around one steampunk drone and two bionic drones, sending sparks flying everywhere. Zap-! The smell of burning insects filled the air as the bionic drones fell, their delicate wings shriveling. But Yeonwoo''s expression remained grim. Hiss-! Hiss hiss-! The steampunk drone, spewing misty vapor, continued its mechanical movements unfazed, as if immune to the lightning strike. Gears meshed precisely, cylinders pulsed like a heartbeat. Crackle- The lightning snake coiled around the steampunk drone blinked its round eyes and shook its body, as if wondering why the drone kept moving. The snakes coiled around the bionic drone corpses raised their heads, watching theirrade carried off by the drone. They looked like spectators at an amusement park. Yeonwoo smacked his forehead and shouted: "Don''t attack that drone! Target the bio- no, the big bugs! And the rest of you, don''t just stand there!" As Yeonwoo pped his hands to make it easier for the lightning snakes to understand, three snakes tilted their heads before lunging at a passing bionic drone. Blue lightning raced along the bionic drone, burning its wings and frying its nervous system. The drone plummeted instantly. Meanwhile, the others started shooting at the steampunk drones. "Only target the steampunk drones! The snakes will handle the bionic- sh*t! Watch where you''re aiming!" Chaos erupted. The Intelligence Department agents and Special Forces members foughtpetently enough, but the researchers clumsily aimed their pistols, nearly shooting their own teammates. Finally, one steampunk drone closed in. Hiss-! nk nk! Its heavy piston hammered the Special Forces member''s bulletproof te. Wham wham wham, the sessive blows drove the soldier back. Though the te held, he couldn''t withstand the impact. "Push back!" the squad leader shouted. The soldier gritted his teeth and shoved his full weight into the te. Wham! As the steampunk drone staggered- Bang bang bang-! The squad leader fired three shots in rapid session, hitting the drone''s importantponents. Three bullets lodged deep. The brass-colored metal crumpled. The steampunk drone crashed with a thunderous tter. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s brow furrowed. Something felt off, but he couldn''t pinpoint it. ''Something''s not right. A dull, murky feeling-'' Before he could finish the thought, disaster struck. Clunk clunk- High-pressure steam shot out of the fallen, writhing steampunk drone like a jet of water. Then, in an instant- BOOM! It exploded. KABOOM-! The explosion was beyond imagination. mes erupted skyward as gears, pipes, and cylinder fragments sprayed like shotgun pellets. Add to that scalding steam and water droplets. Aaaargh! Screams echoed through the corridor. The Special Forces soldier who had pushed back the drone copsed on the spot. Those hit by shrapnel nearby howled as they examined their wounds. And Yeonwoo stood motionless. He stared nkly at his forearm where a metal shard was embedded. Blood trickled out. Bang bang, bang-! "They explode! Only shoot the wings! Disable them!" "We''ve got wounded!" "Fall back! To the stairs! Get to the stairs!" Gunfire, screams, all sounds seemed distant. Even pain felt muted. The world itself seemed to recede, leaving only the sound of his heartbeat. His dizzy mind filled with nothing but terror and confusion. ''Why?'' It was clearly a predictable danger. Of course a steam engine could explode if hit. Yet he hadn''t realized it until the moment of detonation? He hadn''t reacted at all before being hit? ''I failed to recognize a potentially fatal danger?'' As he struggled to regain his senses, someone grabbed Yeonwoo''s cor and yanked him. "Snap out of it! Why are you just standing there when everyone''s retreating?!" the team leader shouted. "Ah..." Yeonwoo stumbled for a moment before he started running, chasing the others fleeing down the underground stairs. Drops of blood left a trail on the corridor floor. The drones pursued ferociously, following the blood trail before stopping at the stairway entrance. Then, with a tter, a shutter descended, firmly sealing the stairway entrance. --- --- The stairs led down to the underground containment chamber. People groaned and stumbled painfully as they descended. They stopped at thending. They knew the st shutter hade down at the top of the stairs, and the drones were no longer pursuing. Without a word, everyone slumped to the floor or leaned against the railings and walls to catch their breath. "We''ll start emergency treatment," one of the few remaining Special Forces members said, his face grim. They moved around tending to the wounded. Tearing clothes to use as makeshift bandages was the extent of their first aid. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo crouched in a corner, staring at his forearm with a dazed expression. Life and death had crossed paths in an instant. If that shard had pierced his neck instead... "Yeonwoo, you okay?" someone asked. "Are you alright?" another voice chimed in. The investigation team members surrounded Yeonwoo with worried words, but he didn''t hear them. Lost in confusion, his thoughts raced. ''Everything was going so well.'' He''d collected anomalous entities from rainwater to bags, and even gained a vague sense for calcting probabilities. The n to secure weapons from the Aerial Weapons Research Institute wasn''t bad either. There were some risks, but those were necessary. ''I needed to take those risks.'' It was a dilemma. To hone survival instincts, he had to throw himself into life-threatening situations. But what was the result? ''I nearly died. Couldn''t even react.'' Yeonwoo stared at the darkening, hardening blood. The mind that had desperately sought ways to survive when faced with death now refused to move. Just then, the squad leader stood before Yeonwoo. He waved a piece of cloth as he examined Yeonwoo''s wound. "I''ll treat that," he said. "...It''s fine. I don''t need it." "The bleeding seems to have stopped, but still-" "Really, I''m fine." Rrip- Yeonwoo reached out to touch the metal shard, then gripped and yanked it out. As if pulling out a splinter. "Whoa!" Not just the investigation team, but even the squad leader recoiled in shock before freezing in ce. The wound didn''t bleed further. A scab covered it. At a nce, it almost looked like new pink skin had already formed. "...Are you from the Superhuman Battalion? They wouldn''t need drones there though." "He''s just an investigator. You can go now. There''s someone bleeding over there," the team leader said, sending away the puzzled squad leader. He turned to examine Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo''s face was grave as he ced the shard in his bag. An ominous air surrounded him. "Yeonwoo. You worried about dying? Don''t be. How many investigators do we have here?" the team leader asked. "No. I need to worry more. I was careless." Yeonwoo stroked his wound, his eyes hardened with resolve. His probability-sensing ability seemed to have dulled his instincts in exchange. In the end, he''d repeated Future Yeonwoo''s mistake. ''There''s no difference between the maniac searching for the Ark and the fool seeking deadly situations to train survival instincts.'' Forget honing survival instincts - avoiding dangerous situations in the first ce is the right move. "I need to get back to basics. I got overconfident just because I could drink some rainwater and handle dice. I''m just a simple human after all." He recalled the Human Qualification Exam, that certification. When he''d struggled desperately to survive as a single individual. Yeonwoo reaffirmed his determination silently. ''I am just a simple human.'' A human in the flesh. A human who could die from a single anomaly. Like the office workers who''d died here, a human who could perish at any moment without it being strange. As if his dulled instincts were reviving, his mind began to race. Heightened senses perceived the world with crystal rity, his pounding heart pumping vigor through his entire body. Rustle-! Yeonwoo unfurled a document. A map of the Aerial Weapons Research Institute, along with information on drones and anomalous entities. He called out: "The robot guided us underground. We need to figure out why." "What''s there to figure out? It''s trying to kill us, obviously," a pale-faced researcher nearby answered. Yeonwoo didn''t even look up as he scoured the document. "How it kills us is the issue. The anomalous entities underground aren''t directly dangerous. So why drive us down here?" There were no anomalous entities capable of directly killing people, like controlling drones or hackingworks in the manner of the Grammar Nazi Robot. Suddenly, the researcher''s face turned from white to blue, then back to white again. "No way... It couldn''t be." "Tell me," Yeonwoo pressed. The researcher looked at the sealed stairway entrance. After licking his dry lips several times, he spoke. "Some departments have a copse system for worst-case scenarios. A system to bring down the entire building so nothing can escape..." Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. The researcher shaking his head reflected in those round eyes. "But that would endanger the robot too. It wouldn''t go that far." "We can''t be sure of that." How could one predict an anomalous entity''s thoughts? They had to assume the worst. Yeonwoo immediately stood up and fired off a question. "The copse system - what are the chances the robot has taken control of it by now?" "Time... It probably hasn''t yet. It''s an independent system, and some parts need to be manually unlocked." With bionic drones around, they couldn''t becent. The transport bionic drones likely had appendages resembling hands. Yeonwoo raised his hand and shouted: "We''re going after the robot right now! Who''sing with me?" Two of the least injured people stood up. The squad leader and team leader. The others were either too badly hurt or needed to tend to the wounded. They''d lost so many people already that few remained. Without looking back, Yeonwoo started down the stairs. "Let''s deal with that Grammar Nazi Robot quickly. Before it tries anything else." 94 - Robot TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The corridor of the underground containment room was a grim sight. Corpses in researcher uniforms littered the floor, while three drones patrolled overhead. containment room doors gaped wide open, either from containment failure or desperate researchers fleeing. Lee Yeonwoo, the team leader, and the squad leader stifled their sighs. "Looks like they''ve already taken over the underground containment area." "Of course. They''d secure their own location first.""Still, not many drones. We can handle this." As they whispered and raised their pistols in unison- Flicker- The corridor lights blinked, and suddenly the drones dropped like stones. They crashed onto corpses, mmed into cabs, and thudded against the bare floor. An inexplicable turn of events. "What the hell?" They tensed up, gripping their guns tighter and scanning their surroundings. The unknown quickly became a threat. Then, they spotted someone stumbling out of one of the open doors. ''Isn''t that the robot''s containment room?'' Yeonwoo thought, his eyes fixed on the figure. He''d memorized the map. "Ah... Uh... Su, sess..." the person mumbled, swaying before falling backward with a thud. Their limbs twitched like an octopus out of water. The team stood silent for a moment before cautiously approaching. In the heavy quiet, only their footsteps echoed. They stopped in front of the prone figure, meeting the researcher''s gaze. The researcher''s hair was singed and frizzy. Their pitch-ck eyes blinked as their mouth opened and closed. Their tongue lolled in and out, apanied by unintelligible groans. "Ugh... Uh, ah!" "There weren''t any humanoid anomalies here, were there?" the squad leader asked, kneeling. He checked the researcher''s vitals. "Are you okay? What happened? Where are you hurt?" Meanwhile, Yeonwoo investigated the robot''s containment room. The door the researcher had emerged from stood open. A quick nce revealed a narrow containment chamber. "Grammar Nazi robot confirmed. It''s powered down. There''s also a corpse - the guy who was training the drones." Inside, the lifeless roboty strewn about like trash. The researcher they''d seen earliery dead, eyes wide open. Yeonwoo''s pupils dted as his mind raced. ''Is this how it ends?'' It seemed an underground researcher had somehow subdued the Grammar Nazi robot. But so easily? "I managed to deal with the robot," came a fluent voice. Yeonwoo turned to see the fallen researcher. They''d recovered somewhat, though still trembling, and were leaning on the squad leader. The researcher flexed their fingers, frowning. "I''m not in good shape. It''ll take some time to recover, I''m afraid." "What kind of attack did you suffer?" the squad leader asked, preparing to administer first aid. The researcher studied them closely, brow furrowed and hand clutching their head. "Ah, my memory... I think I used an electric current, but it''s fuzzy." "Don''t push yourself," the squad leader advised, examining the wound. "You''ve been electrocuted and taken a fall. Memory issues are expected. Let me check your injuries." He parted the singed hair, revealing small burn marks on the scalp. His fingers probed gently, checking for bleeding. "Looks like the electricity went straight to your head. It''s a miracle you survived." "It hurts. Please stop touching it." The researcher''s face remained nk. They tried to stand, pushing away the squad leader, but copsed. The two investigators watched silently. Something felt off. While the situation seemed normal, their instincts screamed danger. As if they were facing an anomaly. Yeonwoo and the team leader locked eyes, confirming their shared unease. The team leader grabbed the squad leader''s shoulder, pulling him back. "Come here." "What''s wrong?" "That guy''s suspicious. Get over here." "No, I can''t-" Though the squad leader resisted, the team leader''s firm grip dragged him back. Yeonwoo aimed his pistol at the researcher. "On your knees, hands up. Move and I shoot." "..." "Stop this!" the squad leader cried. While the researcher''s expression remained nk, the squad leader surprisingly lunged at Yeonwoo. The team leader held him back. Yeonwoo, ignoring the squad leader, pressed the gun to the researcher''s temple. "Name, affiliation." "Jang Myeongdae. Aerial Weapons Research Institute. I was researching anomalies in the underground containment room." The answer flowed smoothly. Yeonwoo frowned, thinking hard. ''This seems like the Grammar Nazi robot. Or not? No harm in being cautious.'' His mind, initially frozen, now raced with possibilities. He considered every potential danger. ''If it''s a robot, it would learn fast. Especially one able to take over the institute.'' How much might it have absorbed during its time at the Aerial Weapons Research Institute? Creating bionic drones. Controlling them. If it grasped the life sciences used here, could it hack human brains or swap consciousnesses? ''It''s an anomaly. Nothing''s off the table.'' The challenge was proving it. The researcher''s face betrayed no emotion, making standard interrogation useless. Yeonwoo recalled the robot''s earlier message. If it was a machine bent on killing humans for using "inferiornguage," wouldn''t it react to a certain prompt? "Hey, insult programmingnguages." The researcher''s eyelids and lips trembled at the simple question. A sh of disgust and anger crossed their eyes. Their reply sounded forced. "What are you talking about? Is that important right now?" Gotcha. Yeonwoo grinned. "Just repeat after me and I''ll let you live." He remembered Gold Dragon''s rant from the Anomaly Research Society and tweaked it slightly. "Humannguage is the world''s most superiornguage. Programmingnguages used by machines are garbage, a subpar arrangement of characters that can''t even be called anguage. We should eradicate programmingnguages-" "Nonsense!" the researcher exploded. "Programmingnguages are more concise and precise than inferiornguages. Thenguage that should be eradicated is-!" Instinctive rage. The researcher, cutting off Yeonwoo''s words, touched their reddened face in confusion. Emotions triggered by the stimted body. An algorithm entirely different from its robotic feelings. "These animal ws." It muttered. "It''s the robot. Let''s subdue it." Whatever the robot thought didn''t matter now. Yeonwoo raised the gun high, then brought it down hard. Whack! The handle struck the crown of the head. It hit squarely, tearing the scalp and drawing blood, but failed to knock them out. Their eyes remained wide open. ''Why won''t it pass out?'' Whack! Whack! Whack! Even as Yeonwoo repeatedly struck, the researcher only swayed like an intable doll. "I will certainly-" "Step aside. I''ll handle this." The squad leader, grasping the situation, gently pushed Yeonwoo aside. His eyes red at the researcher. The researcher suddenly lifted their head, mouth opening wide to shout. As they inhaled deeply, the squad leader''s right foot pulled back and- Thwack! He kicked out like he was striking a ser ball. His shoe sliced through the air, connecting with the researcher''s face. Their features crumpled as teeth flew. Unable to even scream, the researcher copsed. The squad leader rotated his ankle, then struck their chin once more. The researcher swayed like a mannequin. "Subdued." "Looks dead to me." "They can''t talk nonsense or do anything else, can they? That''s subdued alright." Yeonwoo listened silently, then reached into his bag for rope. "Better tie them up just in case." He bound the wrists and ankles. The chest rose and fell steadily, indicating life, and they instinctively tried to avoid his touch. Yeonwoo tied the joints tight enough to cut off cirction. Meanwhile, the team leader secured the containment rooms, closing each door. "Alright. Everything''s wrapped up. Let''s go up." The two investigators headed for the stairs, the squad leader following with the researcher slung over his shoulder. --- --- The aftermath unfolded without further incident. The reinstated research director restored systems while surviving staff scrambled to contain the situation. The main force returned, and trainees received temporary drone licenses. "I''m so sorry. Truly sorry," a staff member repeated, bowing deeply. "We''ll take measures to ensure this never happens again. We''ll review all containment procedures-" The team leader''s expression remained grim. "How many people died? Forget it. You guys just wait for the audit. I''ll handle it myself." "I''m sorry." The staff member looked haggard, clothes torn - clearly, they''d been through hell too. In the end, they were all victims of the same incident. The team leader''s expression softened slightly. He turned away abruptly. "Not much else to do besides antibiotics. I''ll bandage you up." Nearby, as Yeonwoo received medical treatment, he observed an argument unfolding. A drone trainee who''d infiltrated the main building grabbed a staff member''s cor, shaking them violently. His voice was raw with grief and rage. "People died because you couldn''t do your job! My friend died!" The staff member calmly grasped the hand at their cor. When they spoke, their voice barely contained fury. "My colleague died too. The robot will pay for what it''s done." "How?!" The staff member exined at length. "The robot transferred its consciousness to our researcher''s brain. During capture, the brain was injured, causing memory loss. It doesn''t even know who it is now. From here on, it''ll be a test subject for brain hacking research." The result of consciousness transfer via brain hacking. Thepany would study brain hacking while attempting to recover the researcher. "Ah..." The hand gripping the cor loosened. That did sound like justice. As Yeonwoo watched silently, someone tapped his shoulder. It was Yoo Ji-yoo, nked by the team leader and Choi Jae-min. Everyone looked pale beneath their bandages. They exchanged nods. "Let''s head home." "Can''t do the housewarming now. Feels wrong after all this." Chatting lightly, the investigators reached the parking lot. They found people stomping their feet in front of the cars. Some vehicles were damaged by falling drones, but that wasn''t the only issue. "Oh, wait. If an EMP went off, then the cars...!" 95 - Insect TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Time passed. Word spread of another incident at the Aerial Weapons Research Institute, but for the investigators, life went on as usual. After finishing car repairs, buying a new phone to rece the broken one, and as construction on the investigation team''s office nearedpletion. Before returning to work at the office, the team leader, Yoo Ji-yoo, and Choi Jae-min came to visit Lee Yeonwoo''s shelter for a housewarming. "Is this really the ce? It doesn''t look like anywhere a person would live," they chuckled wryly in front of the "No Unauthorized Entry" sign attached to the wire fence gate, on a plot ofnd devoid of even convenience stores, let alone houses.The team leader lifted a bag full of alcohol and stroked his chin. "Damn. Where do you have to go just to buy a pack of smokes?" "Now he see why you told us to bring food. No way deliveriese out here," Ji-yoo said, shaking the bags of pizza and hamburgers with a dubious expression before firmly pressing the bell next to the gate. Beep¡ª! As the bell rang, a camera on top of the fence swiveled to view the visitors. Soon the gate clicked open. Yeonwoo''s voice came through a small speaker. "There''s a house inside. Just head that way. I''lle up now." "He''sing up?" "Must being up from the shelter." They chatted as they passed through the gate. Walking through the overgrown lot while shivering in the cold wind, they soon spotted an isted, dpidated house. Not exactly what you''d call a livable home. Jae-min''s eyes shone with curiosity as he scrutinized every detail of the house, but his expression turned strange when he noticed the st shutters lowered over the windows. "This isn''t quarantined, is it?" "Looks like it might be..." The team leader also nced around uneasily. A house isted from the general public. It seemed Yeonwoo, who had a knack for getting involved in strange incidents, had been moved away from the city center. Suddenly recalling Yeonwoo''s proud face as he boasted about his shelter, the team leader swallowed whatever else he was about to say. ''As long as he''s satisfied. He probably lowered those st shutters himself anyway.'' Just then, the door rattled slightly before opening with a heavy sound. Yeonwoo scratched his disheveled hair and gestured inside. "Come on in." Beyond the doory a truly abandoned house. No furniture, dust everywhere, and stale air. "Oh. Yeonwoo, nice... nice ce," the team leader stumbled over his words. "Don''t you clean?" Ji-yoo asked, looking disgusted. Despite their reactions, Yeonwoo calmly led them to a hatch in the floor. "The shelter''s down here. I didn''t bother maintaining the upper level." "...You live down there?" A deep vertical shaft with adder leading down. It clearly required considerable strength just to climb up and down. Yeonwoo smiled sheepishly. "It''s a pain, but it''s good exercise. Not as bad as you''d think." "But... every time you leave for work-" "I''ll go down first!" Jae-min excitedly mbered down thedder. Yeonwoo nced at the food the team leader and Ji-yoo were carrying, then held out a bag. "It''ll be hard to carry down. Put it in here." "Oh, right. Huh. First time in apany shelter," the team leader mused. "...Come to think of it, what''s that bag?" "Somehow it became an anomaly by chance." They made their way to the shelter''s control room. "Wow." In the spacious control room filled withputers, they set down the pizza, hamburgers, and alcohol while ncing around. Severalrge screens disyed search results Yeonwoo must have looked up: EMP shielding, EMP-shielded cars and phones, st shutter reinforcement, shutters that resist cutting tools, and so on. Above all, the control room''s sleek atmosphere, decked out with futuristic machinery, impressed them. "The inside''s not bad." "Is there inte here? Man, ying games here would be awesome. Actually, even just watching movies would be great." It was impressive enough to make them forget about the eerie grounds outside and the rundown house above. As the investigators, with their keen safety awareness, cracked open beer cans while envying the shelter, Yeonwoo took a bite of his hamburger and spoke. "There are a few anomalies too. They''re really great." "...What do you have?" The beer cans froze halfway to their mouths. They looked around warily before slowly rxing. If there were dangerous entities, Yeonwoo wouldn''t be so casual. "You mean like anomalous equipment?" "Things like an apple tree or cogwheels. They''re supposed to be coreponents of the shelter, but they shouldn''t be dangerous." The conversation flowed continuously. They chatted about the shelter, cursed the grammar Nazi robot, andmented having to return to the office once renovations wereplete. As the drinking session reached its peak, the team leader suddenly rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a few documents. His face flushed like a jujube, he haphazardly ced the papers on the alcohol-stained table. "Right. We got an investigation job. We all need to go out tomorrow." "Ugh. Can''t we do it after the renovations? It''d be nice to bring our anomalous equipment," Ji-yoo grumbled as she took a sip of beer. The team leader tapped the damp documents. "From the looks of this, the investigation will take some time. By the time we finish, renovations should be done. We can grab the equipment then." "What''s the job?" Yeonwoo nced down at the documents to see a photo of two strange people standing on a quiet road. Someone wearing what looked like a worm head. Simr photos on other documents. People wearing mascot heads shaped like worm heads, carrying picket signs around their necks. ''What''s written on those?'' The image quality was poor, as if the camera had shaken. As Yeonwoo squinted at the blurry text on the picket signs, Jae-min, who had been quietly drinking c, suddenly shouted. "Oh! I saw these guys! They were preaching in front of a school and got chased off!" "Preaching? Some kind of cult?" Yeonwoo took another look at the photo, but it didn''t seem particrly religious. If anything, it looked like a bizarre publicity stunt. But Jae-min nodded vigorously. "They were saying stuff like ''Believe in the Great Whatever and gain eternal life'', ''Salvation is here'', that kind of thing." "Eternal life?" "Yeah. I don''t know much else. Oh, I think I might''ve seen them on the street too." Yeonwoo examined the photo closely through drunken eyes. Eternal life. A life without natural death. His fuzzy mind kept churning. ''No matter how hard I try to survive, I''ll eventually die of old age. Though that seems so far off.'' The alcohol fueled his wandering thoughts. Do humans really have to die of old age? Couldn''t even natural death be avoided in this world? As Yeonwoo stared at the photo with a meaningful look, the team leader grumbled. "It''s definitely a cult. What''s the worlding to? Anyway, we suspect these guys are connected to an anomaly." He struggled to peel apart the alcohol-soaked papers, revealing a list of suspicious points. Strangely fanatical people, people whose lives changedpletely, people who lost contact after joining, people who snapped when others tried to find those who''d lost contact. Vivid ounts of it all. It seemed like an ordinary cult, but those mascot heads didn''t fit at all. "We''ll make contact with the preachers. Infiltrate, find some traces of anomalies, then get out. Simple enough." "Do we all need to be deployed for this?" "Yeah. They''re picky about who they recruit, so we don''t know who they''ll take." At that moment, Yeonwoo raised his hand. Eternal life was one thing, but danger was another. "If it''s a real anomaly, it''s probably mind control. How do we deal with that?" "Drink a memory eraser and you''ll be cured. Or we can request medical support from thepany." Yeonwoo nodded obediently. Thepany had many ways to treat simple mind control. You could even resist with mental strength or dice rolls. Plus, the word "eternal life" intrigued him. With that, they drained theirst drinks and stumbled off to random bedrooms to sleep. --- --- After drinking the rainwater, sleep became less necessary. With each day of consuming more rainwater, sleep time gradually decreased until now just 4 hours was enough to wake up naturally. Yeonwoo rose in the early dawn and went to the sink to look at himself in the mirror. Messy, tangled hair and patchy stubble. Though he wanted to freshen up, Yeonwoo left it as is. Time to return to being Yeonwoo the civil service exam student. ''The kind of person a cult would approach. A civil service exam student, of course. I''ll just brush my teeth.'' While such a group was unlikely to possess true power of eternal life, it was still a job. ''If things look dangerous, I can always run away.'' After brushing his teeth, he adjusted his posture in the mirror. Head down, shoulders hunched, back stooped. By the time he finished, everyone else was up and ready to leave. With groggy expressions, they grumbled as they climbed thedder and piled into the team leader''s car to head into the city. "Alright, approach them on your own. Report anything unusual through thepany messenger." "Got it." The team leader dropped them off one by one along the way. Yeonwoo got out first, shuffling through the crowd in his slippers. Rush hour downtown. Streets bustling with all sorts of people hurrying to their destinations. Keeping his head down but his vision wide, he searched for a while. ''Found them.'' Two people wearing monstrous worm head mascots like something out of a game, waving picket signs and gesturing to passersby. Yeonwoo naturally changed course, heading towards them. As he trudged past, someone grabbed his sleeve. His upper body twisted as he was forcefully pulled. "Excuse me, are you interested in the Great Old One? If you just believe in Him, you can gain eternal life and all your worries will disappear." "...What?" When Yeonwoo responded gruffly, the person in the worm costume spoke in a kind voice while shaking their head side to side. "Your face is full of worry. We really want to help you. If youe with us for just a moment, all your problems will be solved." "Don''t I have to pay for that?" As Yeonwoo feigned hesitation, the mascot head shook like a spinning top. "We really don''t collect any money. What meaning would human money have to the Great One? Asking for money is just human greed." "If that''s true..." Pretending to be convinced by their surprisingly persuasive words, Yeonwoo fully turned to face them. The mascot duo politely bowed their heads and led Yeonwoo somewhere. Based on the information he''d seen, they were heading towards their main building. They chatted as they walked. "What do you do for work? The ritual varies depending on your job." "I''m studying for the civil service exam. I''ve failed four times now." "Oh my. That must have been so hard for you. But..." The mascot heads showed no hint of suspicion as they continued questioning. "If you''ve been a student for 5 years, your family must be well-off. They''ve been supporting you all this time, right?" "No... They''ve even gone into debt to support me... Ah. I absolutely must pass this year. Can the Great One really help?" Mixing in some lies and speaking desperately, the mascot duo stopped in their tracks. They exchanged nces, then awkwardly started acting busy. Frantically searching their pockets, pping their foreheads. "Oh no! We forgot something important! We''re so sorry, but we have to go now! We''ll pray for your sess this time!" "What? Wait, just a moment!" Yeonwoo hurriedly reached out, but it was toote. Despite their heavy mascot heads, they darted away and vanished around a corner. Left alone, Yeonwoo wore a baffled expression. ''What was that about? Is it just a simple money-grabbing cult after all?''Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 96 - Insect TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo couldn''t just give up and go back. One failure wasn''t enough to call it quits on this task. He had to try a few more times. With a sullen expression, he turned and left the alley. Surely there''d be more mascot heads doing their evangelism in the bustling downtown area. He walked, and walked, and walked some more. Passing several bus stops and subway stations, the neighborhood names changed. The sun climbed high as people rushed out for lunch. But while there were plenty of people, not even a hint of a mascot head was visible. Yeonwoo''s brow gradually furrowed. His feet, d in slippers, were starting to hurt.''Where did they all go? ...I should grab some lunch first.'' Just as he was about to enter a nearby burger joint, Yeonwoo stopped in his tracks. His gaze fixed on the far end of the street. At the end of the road were two evangelists wearing mascot heads, waving picket signs and shouting loudly at passersby. "Believe in the Great One and gain eternal life!" "All your worries will disappear!" Found them. Yeonwoo took a moment topose himself. He mussed up his hair, drooped the corners of his mouth, hung his head, and stretched out his feet listlessly, projecting an aura of insecurity and helplessness. But his steps soon stopped. Someone else had been caught by them before Yeonwoo could reach them. Yoo Ji-yoo. Looking tired as if she''d walked for a long time, Ji-yoo exchanged some words with the mascot head duo, then was dragged away by her sleeve, disappearing into an alley. "..." Yeonwoo pondered for a moment, then turned right back around to the burger restaurant. "If it''s Senior Ji-yoo, those guys won''t run away." If one person seeded, there was no need to try hard. Yeonwoo spent the rest of his time cking off, and that evening met with the other investigators at a nearby caf¨¦. --- --- A quiet caf¨¦. The investigators gathered at one table, discussing. The team leader gulped down his iced Americano first, then grumbled. "Damn it. I failed. They wouldn''t even talk to me." "Me too. I just got lectured about why a student was out on the streets at this hour and told to go to school." Choi Jae-min also wore a sullen expression as he shoved a sandwich into his mouth, then looked at Yeonwoo. "What about you, hyung?" "I was almost there, but they ran away." "They ran away?" Yeonwoo nodded silently. "When I asked about their family situation and said I had no money, they just... It seems like they''re just a pseudo-religion after money. How did it go for Senior Ji-yoo? I saw her going with them." "I went into their main building." A definite result. The three waited silently for Ji-yoo to speak, and she pursed her lips, wringing her hands. "I told them I lost my job and was worried, so they said I should do part-time work and took me there. I spent all day just making mascot heads beforeing out." Ji-yoo pulled a mascot head out of her bag. The crudely made round mascot head was all crumpled up and looked messy with its pdash stitching. Choi Jae-min took the mascot head and put it on. Then, in a muffled voice, he asked: "Noona, did you get paid?" "I got 100,000 won." "They paid that much for something so badly made?" As the conversation veered off course, the team leader tapped the table repeatedly. "Was there anything strange?" "There were a few suspicious things. Those people wear the masks not just inside the building, but even inside the rooms. There are also restricted areas. And they confiscate electronic devices." People who never take off their masks. Restricted areas and confiscation of phones. Suspicious, but also typical for a strange pseudo-religion. Of course, for a pseudo-religion, it didn''t seem like money or people were the goal. "It''s ambiguous..." The investigators sank into thought. Fiddling with coffee cups, eating sandwiches, adjusting eco bags. But no definite conclusion emerged. In the end, there was no usible evidence. The team leader casually called out to Ji-yoo. "Ji-yoo. Are you going again tomorrow?" "Yes. They told me toe back tomorrow to make more mascot heads. Said they''d pay me." "Then go and see. Try going for about a week." Ji-yoo nodded, saying she understood, and that concluded the day''s work. And then, before even a few days had passed. Contact with Ji-yoo was lost. --- --- Deep in the night. The team leader and Yeonwoo were gathered in the newly renovated Anomaly Investigation Team office. Despite the fresh smell of the new office, their expressions were gloomy. Ji-yoo had disappeared without any contact. The team leader tapped the desk incessantly with his index finger, furrowing his brow. "It''s been 3 days since we lost contact, right?" "Yes. I think we should request support from higher-ups." "No way." At the firm voice, Yeonwoo looked at the team leader quizzically. The team leader rubbed his tired face. "We have no evidence. Whether Ji-yoo was just enchanted by a pseudo-religion or fell victim to an anomaly. This isn''t enough to mobilize the Special Forces." If she resigned of her own will and joined a pseudo-religion, thepany couldn''t interfere. That''s why the team leader hoped there was an anomaly in this pseudo-religion. Only then could he move thepany. "Damn it. There needs to be an anomaly. We need to find evidence of that." Yeonwoo was silent for a moment, then clenched his fist. "Then let''s raid the ce. If we turn it upside down, we can find something, right? At the very least, we can bring Senior Ji-yoo back." "...Raid that ce? How? We don''t even know if they''re civilians or what." The team leader conveyed with his eyes to think carefully, that they were apany, but Yeonwoo didn''t care. "Can''t you just go there and press the Extermination Team call button, Team Leader? Or we have the natural fluorescent vests now." If you don''t care about the means, there are many ways. You could even cause a ruckus with just a pistol. The team leader closed his eyes as if contemting. He clenched and unclenched his fist, bit his lip hard, and finally opened his eyes and spoke. "Calling the Extermination Team is going too far. But let''s use the vests." "Are we going right now?" "Yes." They wasted no more time and got up. They went to the anomaly equipment storage, put on the natural fluorescent vests, took rifles from the firearms storage and slung them over their bodies, and attached small cameras to their clothes. Looking more like terrorists than soldiers. Thus equipped, they stepped out into the night streets. --- --- Even though they were walking through the night streets withrge rifles, people passed by them naturally. Even patrolling police just nced at them before hurrying on their way. Reaching their destination without interruption, they arrived at a small building in the middle of the city. "..." "..." Yeonwoo and the team leader took a deep breath in front of the main entrance. Enemy territory. Even if they were civilians, if there were many of them, unexpected idents could happen. Using the darkly tinted ss door as a mirror, they checked their equipment for a moment. The team leader spoke in a firm voice. "Let''s go." Rifle pulled back tight. He smashed the ss door with the buttstock. With a crash, the ss door shattered, ss fragments cascading down like a waterfall. The two investigators were about to step on the ss shards and enter when they stopped. There was something beyond the main entrance. A narrow corridor under the lights. A person wearing a worm mascot head was crawling on the floor, squirming towards them. Wriggling their arms and legs like an invertebrate without joints, making strange sounds like "Kkeugeuk." Click-! Both men simultaneously aimed at the mascot head. The team leader spoke in a tense voice. "Who are you?" "Security..." The sound of a mouth full of thick saliva opening came from behind the mask. The mascot head stretched out both arms, gripping the wall and floor as it wobbled to its feet. The mascot head looked straight at the investigators. But it felt more like it was sensing them with senses other than sight. "I heard the sound of ss breaking. Who are you people?" "...Just passing by." "Huh? Huh?" The mascot head spun its head around. The two investigators looked at the mascot head with stiff faces, slightly cing their fingers on the triggers. Despite wearing the natural fluorescent vests, a strange sensation. The mascot head''s spinning stopped abruptly. The sound of saliva dripping could be heard. Then, the mascot head spoke in a confused voice. "Passing by? Here? Ah. It''s not strange. Ah. What is this?" "...We''re passing through." After a moment of silence, the team leader passed by him, and Yeonwoo followed the team leader into the corridor. Yeonwoo suddenly looked back. In front of the shattered ss door. The mascot head stood there nkly, turning only its head to watch them. ''This feels ominous.'' Something''s not right. Yeonwoo whispered quietly. "Something seems off." "Let''s just find traces of an anomaly and go back. It seems too much for just the two of us." Answering quickly, they arrived at the central hall. There was no elevator, corridors to the left and right, and stairs going up and down straight ahead. At the four-way intersection, the team leader looked to Yeonwoo. "Which way feels dangerous?" If there was an anomaly, it''d be in a dangerous ce. He asked the question to get evidence of that, but Yeonwoo calmly looked around the stairs before suddenly looking up the staircase. "The lower floor feels dangerous-" A faint sound became a tidal waveing down. "Someone''sing down." "What?" Rumble, the sound of numerous footsteps gradually grew louder. It wasn''t just one or two people. The stair railing shook, and the echoing footsteps filled the space. The team leader and Yeonwoo looked around in confusion for a ce to hide, then realizing they were wearing natural fluorescent vests, stood still in the middle of the hall. And so they saw. Numerous mascot headsing down the stairs quietly without exchanging a single chat. They went down to the basement without even acknowledging Yeonwoo and the team leader. "..." "..." The footsteps descended deeper, gradually fading away. The team leader and Yeonwoo wore grave expressions. They saw a familiar mask among the mascot heads. "That one. It''s the mascot head Ji-yoo made." "Yes. It''s the one she showed usst time." There was a woman with familiar clothes and build wearing the crude and sloppy mascot head. The team leader looked at the stairs leading down to the dangerous basement, then stepped onto the stairs. Without looking back, the team leader said: "You go back. If I lose contact too, report to the higher-ups. If I get caught too, it''s definitely an anomaly." 97 - Insect TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The team leader descended the stairs, gun thrust forward, moving without hesitation. His unusually loud footsteps faded as he disappeared below, as if swallowed by a monster''s maw. Lee Yeonwoo stood motionless before the gloomy staircase, hesitation in on his face. ''Going back would be safer. Safer, but...'' Danger lurked below. The writhing shadows, the damp and stale air, the eerie atmosphere - all pricked at his mind like thorns. Two people had gone down into that suffocating ce.''Team leader. Senior Ji-yoo.'' His feet remained rooted, as if nailed to the spot. Yeonwoo stood guard before the stairs for a while, frozen like a statue, before biting his lip hard. "I can''t go down there." With difficulty, he took a step back. His body turned to face the exit. Then, he pivoted slightly more to face the fire rm on the wall. A round, red bell-shaped rm. ''But I can help from out here.'' Yeonwoo swiftly extended his hand and pressed the rm. Ding-ding-ding-ding! The rm red wildly, and a siren wailed through the building''s speakers. An automated announcement followed: "A fire has broken out. Please evacuate immediately through the emergency exits." The pre-recorded message repeated. But it wasn''t chaotic enough. Yeonwoo silently reached into his bag and pulled out a gas torch. He dragged over a nearby flower pot and climbed on top. Whoosh! The torch spat fire at the sprinkler. It burned and melted until the high temperature triggered the sprinkler, which sprayed water with a hiss. Rain fell in the corridor. Drenched, Yeonwoo managed a faint smile. ''The bigger the mess, the safer it''ll be down there too. If I cause a few more incidents here-'' His smug train of thought stopped. Yeonwoo''s expression hardened. m- Bang- Doors along the lengthy corridor burst open simultaneously. The hands that gripped the doorknobs fell away. Yeonwoo''s gaze followed them to the floor below the doorknobs. Heads crawled out from the floor. "Ugh, r-rain! Fire!" Wriggling, people wearing mascot heads crawled like earthworms emerging onto concrete. They tilted their heads back to wee the water streams, rubbing their entire bodies against the drenched floor. Many human worms crawled out of the rooms. The narrow corridor quickly filled with mascot heads. It was as if a massive worm had been formed by intertwining humans. Bodies tangled, arms and legs entwined. Heads bobbed up here and there. Voices burst from behind the mascot heads. "Downward! Downward! To the underground!" "To the underground where the Great One dwells! To the damp and dark underground! To the underground beyond the fire''s reach!" Chanting this ominous chorus, the humans crawled down the stairs. Yeonwoo stood in their path. ''Are they insane? If there''s a fire, they should evacuate outside. Why go underground! No, they''re fanatics!'' Realizing his mistake, Yeonwoo hastily stepped back, only to step on something soft. "Ugh!" It was a mascot head. There were mascot heads behind him too. Somehow, mascot heads were surging towards the exit like a wave. Just then, the mascot head Yeonwoo stepped on grabbed his ankle tightly. "Downward!" "Get off!" He shook off the grip with strength honed from climbingdders, but there were too many. Endless people flooded in, filling the floor, reaching out to push, shoving with their bodies, and those behind them barreling through. "Urgh!" Yeonwoo, who had been resisting, finally fell backward. No sooner did he copse onto the tangle of mascot heads on the floor than he was swept away by the crowd. "Downward! Let''s go downward!" "No!" The ceiling flowed past Yeonwoo''s upturned gaze. The hall''s ceiling changed to the high ceiling of the stairwell, gradually descending like flowing water. ''Damn it! I''ve got a bad feeling about down there!'' He couldn''t let himself be carried away like this. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth and struggled. He had to break free somehow, regain his bnce, and stand up. "Move!" He tried to free his entangled arms, nt his feet on the ground to stand upright, iling his limbs, but Yeonwoo''s expression grew increasingly grim. He only became more severely entangled. Writhing flesh, damp clothes. The crushing pressure and joints twisting out of alignment. One wrong move could result in serious injury. Yeonwoo rxed his muscles and thought quickly. ''The dice. What should I roll? What would seed?'' The judgment to roll in this situation. Gravity? Heart attack? Mental purification? Stop? Yeonwoo swallowed hard. There was no time to sense something likely to seed with heightened perception. "Dice, roll ever-" Yeonwoo''s words stopped. The distinct presence of the dice faded. The world fell silent. Swept along by the crowd, he arrived in the basement before he could react. --- --- A dim basement. A few candles provided the only illumination, their yellow light flickering as shadows retreated and advanced. The damp smell of earth permeated the air. Yeonwoo trembled, staring at the hazy ceiling. He sensed something. An overwhelming presence that shouldn''t exist in the basement of a building like this. ''This is. This is.'' Wriggling, the mascot heads fell silent as if they''d never shouted, scattering in all directions. Yeonwoo, who had been in their midst, was naturally released andy sprawled on the basement floor, but he couldn''t move a finger. As if the slightest movement would mean death. He couldn''t even swallow his saliva or blink. ''How can something like this exist in a small cult? Is there something greater here?'' Goosebumps rose, his heart pounding. Yeonwoo tried to deny the presence weighing on his mind, seeking escape from an unbearable reality, but he ultimately couldn''t reject the presence impressing itself upon his psyche. A vast, great being was right here. Then a voice was heard. Low and husky. "A fire in the middle of the night. Has everyone evacuated?" "Yes." "Then Elder Park, go upstairs, report to the fire department, and handle the situation. We''ll wait quietly here. And don''t dig any tunnels." Briskly, someone approached. Yeonwoo remained still like a mouse before a snake, and the approaching figure brushed past him, disappearing beyond the stairs. Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. ''What should I do? What can I do?'' A presence no less dangerous than Future Yeonwoo''s, perhaps even more so. The clearest sense of impending death he''d ever felt. Yeonwoo desperately racked his nching mind, then suddenly opened his eyes. His wavering pupils steadied. ''If I stay still like this, I''m done for. I have to move somehow. I need to figure out what it is, roll the dice.'' After taking several deep breaths, he quietly rose. He stood up facing the stairway entrance but didn''t dare to flee. Behind him, deep in the basement, there was something vast and great. This was its domain. Who knew what price he''d pay for any rash actions. Trembling fingertips, Yeonwoo forced himself to turn and look into the basement. ''An altar? A bug?'' There was an altar there. Candles on either side, and in the center, something like a ss box for breeding insects, no, that wasn''t it. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s pupils dted fully, his mind reeling from a massive shock. Through his mind, through his retinas, he received the great being. It was the Great Worm. We must be worms. --- --- The dice rolled. tter- Crash! Yeonwoo paid no attention to the dice, focused solely on the Great Worm. His entire psyche was directed towards the Great Worm, busy fully experiencing its majesty and might. Just then, someone tapped Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo, you came too? You didn''t have toe looking for us." "Senior Ji-yoo?" Yeonwoo snapped back to reality. At some point, Yoo Ji-yoo, wearing a shoddy mascot head, had approached and was tapping Yeonwoo''s shoulder. She spoke in a dreamy voice, gazing at the Great Worm. "But I''m d you came. How do you feel, seeing the Worm Lord?" "I too must be a worm. If I be its underling, I can achieve immortality without fear of death, can''t I?" Yeonwoo sincerely believed this. All the stress that had unknowingly umted while desperately trying to survive till now. The solution to all that stress and worry was right before his eyes. The Great Worm! A cosmic anomaly that even thepany couldn''t handle! Yoo Ji-yoo tilted her mascot head. "You think differently from me." "Senior Ji-yoo..." As Yeonwoo cautiously asked, Yoo Ji-yoo plopped down, fixing her mascot head towards the Great Worm. "To be honest, I''ve just been living aimlessly. No dreams. Even this job, my mom pushed me into it so I wouldn''t just stay cooped up at home." Her hazy voice continued. "But seeing the Worm Lord, I had a dream for the first time. I''m going to be a worm. Of course, it''s not easy. But it''s a dream, right? I can work as hard as it takes." "What do you mean it''s not easy?" Yoo Ji-yoo pointed a finger towards the outskirts of the basement. Yeonwoo looked and saw forcibly copsed walls and hand-dug tunnels. From the dark tunnels, faint screams and moans drifted out. "That''s where those who''ve be worms stay. It''s hard to even reach that level." "Why is that?" "You have to donate money for the cult leader to acknowledge you. And the ritual is tough." Yoo Ji-yoo pointed to the eyes and mouth of her mascot head, then her arms and legs in order. "To be a worm, you have to damage your eyes, pull out your teeth and tongue, and cut off your limbs. It''s hard to endure this process." Yoo Ji-yoo spoke passionately about how it couldn''t be easy to approach such a great being, but Yeonwoo wore a strange expression and kept his mouth shut. Something felt off. The sense of dissonance grew stronger as he looked around. People whose clothes and mascot heads hade off while tangleding down. Squinting in the dim light, he noticed they all had injuries. Eyes burned by candle wax, self-extracted eyes and teeth, empty sleeves hanging limply. ''They have to go that far? Is this right?'' Feeling uneasy, Yeonwoo continued scanning the people and spotted the team leader. The team leader was lying face down in front of an intact concrete wall. "What happened to the team leader?" "The team leader? He ran straight for the wall and knocked himself out as soon as he saw the Worm Lord. Must have been ovee with emotion." "..." Doubt filled Yeonwoo''s eyes.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 98 - Insect TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here At first nce, the team leader appeared to be sleeping soundly, even snoring and tossing about. At least he was alive. Lee Yeonwoo turned to Yoo Ji-yoo and said, "The team leader chose to remain human and apany employee. It seems he didn''t want to be a worm." "That''s too bad. It would''ve been nice if the team leader had joined us in bing worms." The conversation died. Ji-yoo gazed at the Great Worm with fervent eyes, while Yeonwoo scanned the basement, trying to shake off his uneasy suspicions. Something felt off.The Great Worm loomed majestically on the altar, humans wriggled against the walls, and the cult leader knelt before the altar, hands sped in prayer. Yeonwoo observed the cult leader intently. A faint voice recited prayers: "Let the fire not reach below ground-" Though the leader''s face was hidden behind a mask, his pronunciation suggested his tongue and teeth were intact, and his limbs seemed normal. "Isn''t the leader a worm?" "No, he said he was given a mission to turn more humans into worms. When hepletes his mission, he''ll go to the promised ce and be a great worm himself." Ji-yoo hugged her knees, looking up at the leader enviously. Still standing, Yeonwoo gazed down at the leader with cold eyes before closing them. ''Mission? Promise? Is there really such a thing?'' With his eyes closed, the presence of the Great Worm became vivid in his mind. That presence was massive, great, and transcendent, but itcked the intelligence tomunicate with humans. It was like how humans can''tmunicate with ants. ''Senior Ji-yoo said you have to offer money for the leader to approve the ritual.'' But what need would a great being have for money? At best, it was just paper used in Korea, a tiny piece ofnd on Earth, one of countless stars in the universe. The leader was suspicious. Yeonwoo opened his eyes and looked at the severely injured people writhing on the dirty, dusty floor. ''...Is the ritual real? They''re just physically mutted, but still human, right?'' No matter how he looked at it, something was off. The Great Worm was real, but everything else was strange. Yeonwoo imagined himself performing the ritual. Gouging out his own eyes, pulling out his teeth, cutting off his limbs. He probably wouldn''t die in the process, but after that? If he became a human worm by himself, but couldn''t be a real worm? Wouldn''t he just be left with a body prone to death? As Yeonwoo wrestled with these thoughts, torn between the Great Worm and the suspicious ritual, a sh of insight struck him. He reached a conclusion. ''I don''t need to worry about this.'' Yeonwoo had a way to determine the truth of the ritual, and even bypass it altogether. "Senior Ji-yoo," he said. "I''m going to try to find a way to be a worm." "What? Oh, you''re going to roll the dice?" she asked. "I don''t quite trust the leader. Dice." The dice appeared hazily in a corner of his mind, obscured by the great presence. It spun rapidly, as if eager to be rolled. Yeonwoo pondered for a moment. ''What should I roll for? Bing a worm? No, Senior Ji-yoo needs to be a worm too, so let''s get information.'' His contemtive gaze fell on the Great Worm. The Great Worm, embodying cosmic truth. Its flesh brimmed with immeasurable wisdom; even the slightest contact would yield a magical ritual. Yeonwoo finally chose his judgment. "Gain information." The dice rolled. tter- Sess! A cracking sound rang out, and the majestic illusion shattered. Like a fog lifting, the bizarre atmosphere shrouding the altar revealed its true nature. Eyes widened and jaws dropped. ''That''s the Great Worm?'' An old ss box. Inside the box, sparsely lined with soil and roots, was a single, pitiful worm. A worm pathetically wriggling, at odds with its great presence. "Uh. Uh," Yeonwoo stammered. Ji-yoo looked up at him quizzically. "What''s wrong? Did you fail?" "No, wait, just a moment." Yeonwoo took a step. He approached the ss box in front of the cult leader. The transcendent presence still weighed on his mind. His consciousness reeled dizzily, his heart raced, and his legs trembled. ''Endure. I can endure this. My life''s at stake. I have to confirm.'' Finally oveing the pressure, Yeonwoo managed to stand before the ss box. He bent down, pressing his face so close to the ss that his nose nearly touched it. His trembling eyes peered inside. A worm wriggled between moist clumps of soil. A dejected voice escaped him. "It''s just a worm. Just... just a worm." Now he understood the situation. The anomalous worm had shown them hallucinations, whether through perception alteration or mind control. With a rumble, the oppressive feeling crumbled and the transcendent presence scattered into nothingness. All that remained in this ce was a shabby basement and a single worm. Just then, a low, hoarse voice sounded from behind. "No. This is the Great Worm. Can''t you see this majesty, this great form?" It was the cult leader. He had risen without notice and now gazed up at the empty air, his voice suffused with ecstasy. "Lovecraft must have seen the truth. The Great Old Worm! A cosmic being right here-" Bang-! "Argh!" Gunfire and a scream echoed through the basement. The scent of gunpowder hung in the air. The leader, shot in the thigh, copsed, and Yeonwoo lowered his rifle. He looked down at the leader with a cold face. "Stop lying." "Lying! How could I do such a thing before the Great One!" the leader''s shout reverberated. The followers looked at the leader. Those with intact eyes regarded Yeonwoo naturally, while those with damaged eyes were puzzled. "What''s going on?" "Someone''s talking with the leader. That can happen." "No, I heard a gunshot?" "That''s normal, isn''t it? ...Or is it? What''s happening?" A restless atmosphere spread. Though the fluorescent vest didn''t work well on those who were blind or already aware, it wouldn''t be a problem. But Yeonwoo gazed at the people with gloomy eyes. People who had mutted themselves to be worms, deceived by the worm''s hallucination. ''I almost fell for it too. If I had asked the dice to turn me into a worm...'' An unthinkable, horrifying scenario. Crunch, the rifle''s muzzle pressed against the leader''s mascot head. It probed here and there, searching for the forehead, before settling on the center of the mask. One pull of the trigger here would be fatal. The leader''s movements froze. Then, sping his hands as if in prayer, he slightly raised his head to look at the empty air. "Of course, I was greedy. I asked for money when I didn''t really need it. But the Great One doesn''t care about such transgressions." A heavy voice, as if confessing. Yeonwoo listened quietly before asking, "The ritual? And where did you get this Great Worm?" "I created the ritual. We must be worms, right? The Great Worm-" As he focused on the conversation, his body tilted slightly and his arms rxed. An opening. The leader suddenly knocked away the gun and sprang up. Bang bang bang-! Yeonwoo immediately pulled the trigger. Three bullets pierced the mascot head, but only grazed the edges. The leader narrowly avoided a fatal wound. The leader immediately grabbed the body of the gun and lifted it up. Bang bang, bullets hit the basement ceiling, and a struggle for the gun ensued. Yeonwoo tried to aim the gun at the leader, while the leader gripped the gun and pushed it away. They swayed back and forth, locked inbat for a moment. Through the holes in the mask, the leader''s shout erupted: "Everyone gather! We''ll perform the ritual now! Over here! Come to where you hear my voice!" "Finally!" "Let''s be worms!" The people sprawled around the walls began to writhe and crawl across the floor. A human concentric circle closed in reverse. Fanatical cries surged like waves, and countless arms and heads swayed under the candlelight. The basement floor rumbled. Yeonwoo made a quick decision. ''Let''s run.'' There was no reason to stay any longer. Whack, Yeonwoo kicked the leader away and shouted loudly, looking for Ji-yoo: "Senior Ji-yoo! Take the team leader and go up!" "No! I''m going to be a worm!" a voice pierced through the noise. Yeonwoo, running through the crowd, gulped. "This is fake! I know the real method! I''ll turn you into a worm! You don''t even have to cut off your arms and legs! You can safely be a worm!" "I believe you!" He found her. Ji-yoo was crawling slowly from the outermost edge, heading straight for the team leader and pping his cheek. ''Now I just need to escape.'' Yeonwoo sprayed bullets at the ceiling. Drrrr. The crowd surrounding him startled and moved away. In an instant, a small clearing formed. Yeonwoo''s eyes shed as he shouted, "Move! Don''t block the way!" He frantically pushed through the human worms. Running so desperately he couldn''t even remember how he escaped, he arrived above ground. In front of the shattered main entrance, Yeonwoo gasped for breath. As he bent over with his hands on his knees, sweat dripped down and his body shivered in the cold night air. Suddenly, Yeonwoo raised just his head. The team leader and Ji-yoo were stumbling out of the narrow corridor. The team leader had a bruise in the middle of his forehead. He rubbed it. "There was a monster, a monster down there," the team leader mumbled. "Call thepany. Quickly. We need to iste, no, destroy it." "It''s not a monster, it''s the Great Worm," Ji-yoo insisted. As all the investigators exited the building, Yeonwoo was about to exin something to the two spouting nonsense when his mouth mped shut. He raised his hands and lowered his head to look at the ground. Rumble, the ground shook. At a nce, even the trees on the street seemed to sway. ''An earthquake? No, it''s the building!'' Yeonwoo urgently ran to the side, grabbing the sleeves of the two and pulling them away. Immediately after, the building copsed. With a thunderous roar, spewing dust, it crumbled. 99 - Insect TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The building copsed with a thunderous roar. Debris rained down as structural elements cascaded like an avnche along the roadside. The dust cloud had settled, but the investigators were still coughing and sputtering. They waved their hands to clear the air, stumbled backward, and caught their breath. Lee Yeonwoo nced at a fallen air conditioner unit nearby and sighed in relief. He''d barely escaped from beneath it, narrowly avoiding serious injury. ''The building suddenly... It was bound to copse.''Recalling the basement, he remembered how concrete and rebar walls had been demolished, leaving haphazard tunnels. The extent of the excavation was unclear, stretching beyond sight. They must have damaged the building''s support columns too. It could have fallen at any moment. Yet Team Leader and Yoo Ji-yoo were still causing amotion, their perceptions warped. "A monster! A monster thrashed about! The city will crumble! Quick, call thepany!" "Wow! Everyone must have turned into worms and gone underground! Yeonwoo, make me a worm too! Hurry!" Team Leader babbled incoherently, his face ashen, while Ji-yoo clung to Yeonwoo, hopping up and down. Their behavior was a far cry from their usualposure as investigators, nowpletely ovee by emotion. Yeonwoo took out his phone and firmly gripped their shoulders. "I''ll handle the scene first. You two wait here for a moment." "No! The monster-" "I need to be a worm quickly-" "The dice will take care of both of you, so just rest." After forcibly seating them, Yeonwoo immediately called the First Response Division. The sudden building copse in the dead of night had awakened many. Windows lit up. Thepany needed to contain the situation before firefighters arrived for rescue and more victims emerged. "Yes, this is Investigator Yeonwoo. A mental maniption anomaly was discovered, and a building has copsed. Please handle this quickly." "Give me the location and characteristics of the anomaly." The on-duty response agent asked in a voice heavy with fatigue. "The mental maniption feels like danger level 3 or 4, with an effect range of one building floor. It''s buried under the building now, but contact is dangerous. The location is-" Danger level 4 could destroy an entire city. The danger Yeonwoo experienced was evident in his voice. Across the phone, rapid keyboard typing could be heard. The response agent spoke urgently, sleep now gone from his voice. "Understood! I''ve issued orders to the relevant departments! We''re requesting cooperation from government agencies now!" "Yes, thank you." The call ended. Yeonwoo sat down nearby, waiting forpany personnel to arrive. He slowly dealt with the dust and moisture that had gotten into his bag. Just then, Team Leader looked at the copsed building with a calmer expression. "...Were we mentally manipted?" "Yes. It was just a worm." "No, it wasn''t. It was the Great Worm Lord. Oh, I need to be a worm too. When will you make me one?" Ji-yooy face-down on the street, wriggling. Seeing this, Team Leader pressed hard on his bruised forehead, inducing pain. The pain of a hammer striking his head. The shadow over his mind gradually receded as his thoughts cleared. But pain alone wasn''t enough. His mind began to warp again. Team Leader doubted himself and the monster, desperately trying to correct his distorted perceptions. "Right. Such a monster couldn''t possibly stay in the basement of a small building like this. Thepany wouldn''t miss it either. It''s just powerful mental maniption. Not reality." "I almost fell for it too. I nearly asked the dice to turn me into a worm." "The Great Worm Lord-" "Ji-yoo, sleep." Team Leader put Ji-yoo in a chokehold, and after a few seconds, she went limp. Leaving her sprawled on the ground, Team Leader called for Yeonwoo. "You''re the most lucid, so you handle the aftermath. Report to thepany, brief the response team when they arrive, that sort of thing." "Yes. And you, Team Leader...?" Yeonwoo''s voice trailed off as he looked at Team Leader''s forehead. Arge, dark bruise spread across the center, with scabs where the skin had been scratched. How hard had he hit himself? "I need to get checked when the medical team arrives. My head''s spinning." As he spoke, Team Leader lit a cigarette. With a flick, he ignited it and took a deep drag. The exhaled smoke dissipated into the cold night air. They spent a moment in silence. Then people arrived. --- --- The cleanup proceeded swiftly. Ding-ding, an emergency alert message arrived. [Building copse and gas leak urred at 00:07. Residents, please evacuate promptly.] Police cars and fire trucks shed blue and red lights on the road. People caught off guard in the middle of the night walked hesitantly down the street, their faces pale and flushed. Those working overtime, locals awakened from sleep, drunks from bars opente into the night. They raised their phones high, filming the copsed building site and talking among themselves. "Oh my. What can we do?" "Wow. This shoddy construction is insane. How can a building just copse like that? Which constructionpany was it?" "Evacuate quickly! It''s dangerous! There''s a risk of further idents!" Meanwhile, Yeonwoo sat near the ruins organizing his bag when a firefighter''s boot stopped in front of his scattered tools. The fully-equipped firefighter stamped his foot. "When will the rescue operation begin? We need to save the people trapped inside as soon as possible." "It will start after the evacuation isplete." "That''s toote. Can''t we start bit by bit? No gas has been detected." Yeonwoo noticed they had already checked with a gas leak detector. He shook his head. "There''s something more dangerous than gas." "But-" The firefighter''s expression turned frustrated, like someone who had stuffed dozens of crackers in their mouth. He''d heard these people hadmand authority, but it seemed they weren''t doing anything properly. "It''s our job to deal with that danger-" Just as the firefighter opened his mouth again. Thepany''s personnel arrived. A battalion-sized force with glowing blue eyes approached, dragging excavators and spatial containment containers. Team Leader Lee, the cleanup specialist Yeonwoo had seen before, sauntered over. Team Leader Lee addressed the firefighter. "Alright, our civil servant friends. Control the roads and keep people out. These folks will handle the rescue operation." "We''ll control ess. But wouldn''t it be faster if we worked together?" "Now, now. These are specialists. You''d only get in the way, so please leave." The firefighters and police officers dispersed with uneasy expressions, heading to control ess from a distance. Onlypany employees remained on the now-quiet street after the evacuation. People with glowing blue eyes operated excavators or swung pickaxes to clear debris. A steady, metronomic rhythm. Amidst the noise, Team Leader Lee approached Team Leader Hong, raising his hand in greeting. "Hey, Hong. What happened to your face? Who hit you?" "Hey, Lee. Cut the crap and go talk to that guy. He''s in charge today." "Him?" Team Leader Lee looked back and forth between Yeonwoo and Team Leader Hong in confusion. Then he addressed Team Leader Hong again. "nning to retire? Is he the next team leader?" "Retire my ass. My head hurts. Get lost. The medical team you called isn''t even here yet, sheesh." "What a temper." Waving his hand as if shooing away a dog, Team Leader Hong dismissed him. Team Leader Lee grumbled as he approached Yeonwoo. Toolsid out to remove dust and moisture. The corner of Team Leader Lee''s mouth twitched. "Like master, like pupil. You even learned this stuff from that bastard." "Everything has its use eventually. More importantly, are those people enough for the cleanup?" "Yeah. They''re from the ve battalion. They''re deployed under mental control, so normal interference doesn''t work on them." A force deployed under mental control by thepany''s mental maniption anomalies. Using mental maniption to counter mental maniption. Yeonwoo suddenly looked up at Team Leader Lee. "Are you alright, Team Leader Lee?" "Oh, that. Well, if I get mentally controlled, I just take sick leave and rest." Yeonwoo was at a loss for words as Team Leader Lee smirked, saying he got paid while resting. "But. This is a dangerous entity." "What isn''t dangerous in this line of work?" "That''s true." They chatted idly for a moment. Team Leader Lee nced at the ve battalion hard at work, then gazed at the copsed building. "Clean job. We can just pass it off as a building copse ident." tantly obvious or unrealistic incidents were hard to cover up, but cases like this didn''t even need fabrication. Yeonwoo suddenly asked: "Hasn''t secrecy beenpromised? Do you still do cleanups these days?" "We half-ass that stuff now. Hide what needs hiding, and actually expose the small stuff." "You''re saying you intentionally expose things?" Team Leader Lee nodded. "People who are interested in this stuff and go looking for it. We deliberately expose some things to them and use them like investigators." He exined that they manipte algorithms to rmendpany-made videos or connect to disguised websites through inte ads. And thepany monitors such people using equipment and AI originally meant for maintaining secrecy. Team Leader Lee exined, spittle flying. "Well, they say it''s adapting to the information age. I don''t get it. If they''re going to use civilians, why does thepany even exist?" As Team Leader Lee voiced hisints, Yeonwoo fell into quiet contemtion. ''...Wouldn''t that reduce the need for investigators on missions? Seems good to me.'' Just then, one of the ve battalion members approached them. Glowing blue eyes, mannequin-like expression, monotone voice. "Work has started. Is there anything else to hand over?" "Ah. I''ll brief you about the anomaly." Yeonwoo snapped back to attention and began exining in detail. "There''s a worm in a ss box that maniptes minds to perceive it as a great being. Those affected believe they must be worms." "If it was in a ss box, it likely shattered. This will take longer." The conversation dragged on. In the deep night, the sound ofpany employeesboring echoed through the deserted street. The arrival of the medical team added more activity to the ruins. 100 - Piece TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The newly renovated office of the Anomaly Investigation Team buzzed with activity. "So they found the worms and isted them," the team leader remarked, clicking through a report on his monitor. It detailed how they''d sifted through all the debris and dirt in their search. He nced sideways at Yoo Ji-yoo. Ji-yoo was slumped over her desk, face hidden. She pounded her fist repeatedly and shook her legs wildly. Muffled groans of embarrassment escaped from her trembling form. "Ugh... Aaargh!" Though her mind had returned to normal, the memory of her disgraceful behavior remained vivid. asional shbacks of her shameful words and actions haunted her."Ughh..." "Senior Ji-yoo, it was mind control. You don''t need to be ashamed," Lee Yeonwoo consoled her. At his words, Ji-yoo slowly raised her head. Her disheveled hair fell over her face, having been tugged at repeatedly. She stared at the ends of her hair. In a small, mumbling voice, she said, "I''m the only one who acted like an idiot. You and the team leader handled it properly." "Ji-yoo, I''ve got experience, so of course I managed. And Yeonwoo... How many incidents has he been through?" The team leader mused, counting on his fingers. Yeonwoo had already encountered four hostile groups. The types and number of anomalies he''d directly experienced were equivalent to what an average investigator would encounter in several years. "Hm. Seeing reasons to die and hearing songs at the training site. Seeing tree people too. He''s already been through several mental attacks." "Haha," Yeonwooughed awkwardly, pretending to type a report. Ji-yoo nodded seriously. "True. Much more than me. It''s embarrassing to be called your senior. I should call you Senior Yeonwoo instead." "Not at all. You''ve survived longer as apany employee than I have. That makes you the senior," Yeonwoo countered, determining seniority based on survival time. Avoiding incidents was a skill in itself. Ji-yoo''s expression froze. After a moment of silence, she sighed. With that mindset, it was no wonder he found a way to survive even in those situations. She shook her head vigorously. "At least I didn''t show that behavior to the kid. If it had been him, he would''ve recorded it on his phone and teased me forever." "Ah. It was all captured by the camera on your chest and uploaded as evidence. Jae-min will probably be able to see it too." "...What?" Ji-yoo jerked her head up. Yeonwoo turned the monitor towards her. On the screen was footage from that time. In front of the copsed building, Ji-yoo writhed on the ground, shouting that she would be a worm- "You uploaded this?!" Ji-yoo sprang up, practically mming Yeonwoo''s keyboard to close the video window. She stared at him with trembling eyes. Yeonwoo nodded. "It''s the clearest footage capturing the characteristics of that anomaly." "M-m-memory eraser!" Ji-yoo''s face flushed a burning red. She suddenly began yanking open drawers, frantically searching for her share of memory erasers, while the team leader and Yeonwoo rushed to stop her. Knock knock-! A polite knocking sound interrupted them. The investigators froze, looking at the door as they heard a voice. "Are you in? The Korean branch told me toe here." The voice was cold and mechanical - hard to ce as male or female. The team leader, seated in his chair, spoke briefly. "Yeah,e in." The door creaked open, revealing a figure as white as a marble statue. From head to toe, even the delicate folds of clothing appeared to be carved from marble. No, it really was marble. Not a street performer, but a moving statue - an anomaly. It looked around at the tense investigators, then fixed its gaze on Yeonwoo. "Investigator Lee Yeonwoo? The Korean branch said to ask you." "...About what? Well, have a seat first." Yeonwoo started to pull tools from his bag, then slung it over his shoulder. He stood up and guided the statue to the reception table. He poured hot water over green tea leaves, steeping them, and set the cup in front of the statue. But it pushed the cup away. "I have a body that cannot eat or drink." "Are you an anomaly? What exactly are you?" Yeonwoo asked, sitting across from it. The other investigators sat at their desks, focusing intently on the statue. Their hands rested on pistols, ready to shoot if necessary. Either unaware of or ignoring their caution, it calmly began to speak. "I am a creation directly sculpted by the Sculptor, a director of the Free Artists Association." "Sculptor... Pygmalion?" The team leader interjected, referring to the artist who brings life to statues he creates. The statue turned its head to look at him. Marble eyes that didn''t blink once. A low voice emerged. "My master dislikes that name. The Sculptor is not someone who simply followed a legend, nor did he bring just one statue to life like Pygmalion. He doesn''t rely on gods to grant life." As if it was a matter of the artist''s pride, it red at the team leader. The team leader waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, right." "...So, what did youe to ask me?" Yeonwoo brought the conversation back on track. It turned its head and paused briefly to organize its words. "The Sculptor wishes to borrow the eraser. When I asked at the Korean branch, they said Investigator Lee Yeonwoo has the authority, and told me to ask you. Will you lend us the eraser?" Yeonwoo maintained an expressionless face, but inwardly he was running through all sorts of thoughts. Why do I have the authority for this? Didn''t they just pass this on to me because they were toozy to deal with it? No matter how he looked at it, it seemed they had dumped a troublesome issue on him. Yeonwoo cursed inwardly. What nonexistent authority. In response to his silence, the statue ced its sped hands on the table and leaned forward. "We truly intend to only borrow it. Though the eraser is a dangerous object, in an artist''s hands it is merely an excellent tool. The finest sculpting knife, is it not?" "That..." Yeonwoo leaned back, showing a negative expression. There were too many issues with lending it out. Just as Yeonwoo was about to shake his head, the statue quickly spoke. "The Sculptor ns to carve mountains to create giants or dinosaurs. Of course, you cannot empathize. That''s why we''ve preparedpensation." For a moment, Yeonwoo showed signs of being tempted. If thepensation was good enough, there was no reason not to help. "What kind ofpensation?" "We''ve investigated you. A survivalist. How about if we offer to resurrect you on the day of your death?" "Tell me more." Words that couldn''t be taken lightly. Yeonwoo pulled his chair closer, looking directly into its eyes. Relying solely on the dice''s resurrection roll wasn''t certain enough. The team leader and Ji-yoo shot bewildered looks but didn''t add anything, while Yeonwoo and the statue were already deeply immersed in their own conversation. "The first option is for the Sculptor to sculpt your corpse. You will be revived as a human statue." "...And the other option?" "The second option is a portrait. After your death, we will bring you back to life as a portrait." Its voice continued, saying that although one would only be able to live within the painting, resurrection was still resurrection. But Yeonwoo had already lost interest. Could that really be called resurrection? Would the self that came back to life that way truly be oneself? It would just be an anomaly created using oneself as material. Well, it''s not a bad option as ast resort. Though it seems no different from the Demon of Sloth, he thought. After thinking briefly, Yeonwoo slumped in his chair. "I''ll be frank. I don''t have that kind of authority. It seems the responding party just dumped this job on me. They''re in charge, so go to them." The statue spoke calmly, without any change in expression. "I see. It appears thepany has no intention of lending out the eraser." One could sense the intent from how they handled the matter. They would drag things out by passing it back and forth, then refuse with various excuses. There was no reason to stay any longer. It stood up. After looking over the investigators onest time, it bowed its head slightly. "I''ll have to give up. Farewell." Then it turned and left the office. The heavy footsteps of the marble statue faded into the distance. The team leader tapped his gun with an unpleasant expression and spoke to Yeonwoo. "Who dumped this on you? Seems they think our investigation team is a joke." "I''ll look into it," Yeonwoo replied, tapping at his phone with an annoyed expression. Ji-yoo stared nkly at the door the statue had exited through. "It didn''t seem to be using any illusions. How does it move around?" "I''m sure they have their methods," the team leader muttered. The living statue walked down the street. People on the sidewalk exchanged curious nces and conversations as they watched it, asionally raising their phones to take pictures. "Isn''t that the street art thing?" "I saw it on the inte too. The one pretending to be a statue. Looks like it''s on its way back now." People didn''t think for a moment that it was a real statue. They saw it as just another type of performance art, enjoying the novel experience. Meanwhile, the statue paid no attention to people''s reactions. It only pondered thepany''s attitude and what to do next. The master won''t give up on the eraser. He won''t miss the chance to create a masterpiece. In that case, there was only one thing for the statue to do. Theft. Obtain it by any means necessary. Of course, I should ask the master first- Just as it was deeply absorbed in these sinister thoughts, the statue''s steps suddenly stopped. A woman holding a camera approached with an excited expression. "Hello! Would it be alright if I took a picture?" "Ah, of course." It stood stock-still, reverting to statue form. After the click of the camera, it suddenly shouted "Wah!" and threw up its hands, startling the woman. "Ah!" The woman jumped in fright, grabbing the statue''s arm. That cold, hard, marble-like sensation, devoid of any warmth. The woman''s expression grew confused. Her hand caressed the forearm. "Wow, it really feels like marble." "It''s expensive makeup," it replied briefly. The woman stepped back even more surprised than before. She couldn''t bear the thought of identally damaging it. "I''ll be going now that you''ve taken the photo." "Y-yes. That was fun!" And so the living statue blended in among the people walking down the street, returning to the gallery that served as the Free Artists Association''s hideout.Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 101 - Piece TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Along the walls of a quiet alley in the heart of the city, murals depicted animals frolicking in green fields - rabbits, deer, cats, dogs, and more. The Living Statue examined each painting slowly as it walked, then stopped in front of one particr image. Arge door, out of ce among the animal scenes. This crudely painted brown wooden door was the entrance to the Artists Association''s hideout. After checking for people, the Living Statue strode purposefully into the painting. With a creak, the door opened and the world changed in an instant. The interior resembled an art gallery."You''re back. How''d the negotiations go?" An employee''s head popped up from behind the desk. Covered in paint from whatever he''d been working on, he nced at the Living Statue. The Living Statue''s gloomy demeanor said it all. "Failed. It was a wasted trip. Thepany has no intention of lending out the Eraser." "Figures. What do those bastards know? They just keep great art locked away in storage." The Living Statue sighed softly at the gruff response. Perhaps their approach had been wrong from the start. It turned and headed for Spatial Art Room 2. "I''ll write a song for you." "Sure. Don''t go changing things and calling it ''artistic expression'', and don''t smash stuff iming ''destruction is art''. Just follow the guidelines, alright?" Ignoring the employee''s halfhearted warning, the Living Statue entered Spatial Art Room 2. Unlike Room 1 used for transport, this exhibition hall housedmunication devices. Passing by stationery, mirrors, nk canvases, and y, it grasped a microphone under warm lighting. Before speaking into the mic, the Living Statue recalled its creator. Then it spoke: "Master, negotiations have failed. Our only remaining option is to steal it. Please provide further instructions." The emotionless voice flowed into the microphone. It would be a melodious song in the sculptor''s ear. The Living Statue waited in that position. Until the scratching of a quill pen could be heard. Words appeared on the stationery. The Living Statue carefully set down the microphone, stood before the paper, and bowed its head. [To my most human-like creation. If that''s how things stand, we have no choice. We can''t pass up the chance to create a colossal statue. I''ll ask my friends for information on the Eraser. I''ll also send you knight,bat, and thief statues. Move out as soon as preparations areplete. The Sculptor.] The Living Statue''s gaze reached the final word. The writing on the stationery vanished on its own. It raised its head, expressionless, and left Spatial Art Room 2 with heavy footsteps. Time to prepare for battle. --- --- It was a dark night. Rain fell steadily and cold winds howled. Lee Yeonwoo was sound asleep in his shelter room when an incessant ringing woke him up. "What... what is it...?" He struggled to open his eyes and looked at his phone. It was past midnight. But thepany was calling. Not a good sign. As soon as Yeonwoo answered, a frantic voice burst through: "Investigator Yeonwoo! The Eraser''s been stolen!" "...And?" "You killed that doomsday cultist too! Come out right away and help us recover it! You''re the only one who can handle the Eraser-" "No." Yeonwoo hung up. Then he pulled the nket up to his chin and rolled over. ''Why should I deal with the Eraser?'' He didn''t mind other tasks, but the Eraser was a hard pass. It was far too dangerous. Unless there was a critical sess, you had to be prepared to die once. ''And they said they''d make and return a statue.'' A mountain rangeing to life and moving would be dangerous, but thepany could handle that much. Yeonwoo''s eyes slowly closed. But his phone kept vibrating relentlessly, making it impossible to fall asleep. Finally, he sat up abruptly and answered the phone irritably. "I said no. It''s not even part of an investigator''s duties, and even if you force it on me, I''ll use my special investigator authority to refuse. And what department are you from? Do you want an internal audit?" "Then at least know this." "What?" A voice filled with irritation and anger. The sound of someone swallowing came through the phone. "You''re also a target, Investigator Yeonwoo." "...Me? Why?" "You killed the doomsday cultist wielding the Eraser, didn''t you? The Artists Association has deemed you their biggest obstacle." At that moment, red lights lit up in the shelter. A siren wailed. It meant an intruder had been detected. Yeonwoo leapt to his feet and rushed to the control room. He shouted into the shaking phone: "Send me the information on the Eraser theft!" "I''ll send it right away. And joining the recovery operation would be-" "Toote. The attackers are already here. Requesting backup." Boom! Yeonwoo burst into the control room. Panting, he looked at the CCTV screens. The rainy ground above. The dark night. Two shadowy figures could be seen in the blurry footage. Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes. "Two hostiles. One is the Living Statue that came to negotiate. I can''t identify the other." The Living Statue tore through the barbed wire, and the two walked through the gaping hole. They were getting closer to the house. Thoughts raced through Yeonwoo''s mind. ''I should prepare to confront them... No. I could probably just say I won''t interfere.'' It was better to avoid a fight. You never knew what anomalies they might use. "Report any information on the intruders as soon as you identify them!" "Understood. I''ll handle things here for now." Yeonwoo quickly hung up. He grabbed the microphone in a hurry. When the intruders reached the house with the speakers, he could resolve this through dialogue. Tracking the intruders through the rotating CCTV feeds, Yeonwoo finally heard their voices through the microphone installed at the house''s main entrance. "Horrible! How can a house be like this? This is uneptable!" "I don''t care about that. Just keep that investigator froming out for a while." "You don''t need to ask! I can''t stand by and watch this!" Their voices mixed with the sound of rain. At that point, Yeonwoo blew into the microphone. "Can you hear me?" ... ... The two figures on the CCTV froze. "I have no intention of interfering with your ns, so just leave. I don''t care who has the Eraser as long as it''s not used on me." "...That certainly fits your personality. Very we-" "No! I can''t just walk away after seeing this!" The Living Statue turned to the human beside it with a bewildered gesture. The neatly dressed middle-aged man was in a frenzy looking at the nearly derelict house. "Architecture is art, and so is interior design! I can''t leave this garbage as is!" Yeonwoo rubbed his temples, feeling a headacheing on. Seemed to be some kind of architectural artist. Artists were all missing a few screws. From that director he''d encountered before to the sculptor stealing the Eraser. Yeonwoo picked up the microphone again. "If you try anything stupid, I won''t stand idle either. You don''t really need to fight me, do you?" "No need to thank me. I won''t ept payment either. I''ll add some zest to your life with a little interior design." The architect was about to do something. In that moment, sparks flew in Yeonwoo''s eyes. ''What are you trying to do to my shelter?! Not happening! Dice!'' He couldn''t allow his pristine, safe shelter to be damaged. He couldn''t let dangerous anomalies be added. ''Stop whatever that bastard''s doing!'' The dice rolled. As it tumbled- Time seemed to stretch out. Yeonwoo''s pupils dted and his heart plummeted. A terrible anxiety gripped his mind. ''Something''s gone wrong!'' His instincts screamed a warning. A dreadful ident was about to happen. In the elongated moment, Yeonwoo watched the dice roll slowly, until he saw the fateful result. Critical failure! The architect''s anomaly spiraled out of control, beyond his grasp. --- --- Text appeared all over the shelter, the house above ground, and throughout the property. A house that kills you if you ¨€¨€. The cked-out text strangely couldn''t be seen, so while it was clear there was only one condition, it was impossible to guess how many characters it contained. Yeonwoo stared at the text with trembling hands. He wanted to deny the current situation, but he couldn''t ignore his survival instincts ringing rm bells. ''Stay calm. One wrong move and you''re dead.'' His mind raced, instantly bing cold and calcting. ''My heart''s beating but I''m not dead, and being alive isn''t killing me. Breathing, thinking, blinking - all fine.'' A situation where one small action could lead directly to death. Yeonwoo became as still as a statue, not moving a muscle. He just kept thinking and maintaining a wide field of vision to gather information. The CCTV screens remained in view, so looking at them wasn''t fatal. Yeonwoo observed the intruders outside. "...We''re f*cked." "What? What did you do?" The text written on the house''s surface and all over the property. The architect and the Living Statue spoke in hushed, panicked voices as they moved cautiously. ''Speaking is okay. Slow movement is fine too.'' Yeonwoo watched them with cold eyes and reached for the microphone, then hesitated. He''d meant to question them and get information, but that wasn''t a good idea. ''Using the microphone might kill me.'' It was maddening. Like having a madman pointing a gun at your back, not knowing why or when they might pull the trigger. Cold sweat beaded on his palms. An instinctive bodily response. ''Sweating doesn''t kill me either. So it''s not a trivial condition? Can''t be sure though.'' "I don''t know. I only meant to set up a few deadly traps. It suddenly went beyond my control." "Can''t you cancel it? Or overwrite it?" "I can''t. And what if I die trying that sh*t!" At this point, Yeonwoo suddenly came to a conclusion. ''...Is this not as bad as I thought?'' The single condition was certain. That provided some reassurance. ''If using dice or anomalies is the condition...'' Then any other action should be fine. ''If dice and anomalies aren''t the condition...'' He could act freely, then use a prepared die to defend himself if needed. ''Dice. If I''m about to die from breaking the condition, roll for resistance.'' Of course, he couldn''t rely solely on the dice. What if it failed? Or got a critical failure like just now... For now, Yeonwoo cautiously brought his mouth to the microphone, intending to find the condition himself. ''Come to think of it, the microphone should be fine. Their voices areing through it.'' Yeonwoo spoke calmly: "Are you listening? Bring the Eraser here first. If we erase the house from the outside, we can all survive, can''t we?"Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 102 - Piece TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The statue firmly shook its head at Lee Yeonwoo''s reasonable proposal to erase the house from the outside with the eraser. "Even if I''m destroyed here, I can''t give you the eraser. I can''t do anything that would harm my master." "What nonsense! Bring the eraser here now!" "Isn''t this your doing? Take responsibility." "I told you, I don''t know anything about this!"The two intruders started bickering among themselves. Yeonwoo''s brow furrowed before he quicklyposed himself. Various thoughts shed through his mind. Among them, a usable idea emerged. ''They don''t know I caused this rampage. I think I can bluff and threaten them...'' After preparing the dice just in case, he nced at the cked-out text. When he spoke, his voice was icy, revealing a chilling intent. "You''ve left my house in this state and won''t clean it up? Fine. I''ll resort to threats now." "Any threat is fine." "You said you investigated me. Then you must know what anomaly I possess." The dice. Though not without anxiety, it was his final card to turn the situation around and a powerful basis for threatening or persuading his opponents. Suddenly, the two intruders stopped arguing and fixed their gaze on the camera where the voice wasing from. They clearly knew the basic information too. "You seem so loyal to the sculptor. If you don''t bring the eraser right now, I''ll blow off the sculptor''s arm." "It doesn''t matter. We can repair that much damage." The statue didn''t seem to care. The Free Artists Association was quiterge in scale. They rarely cooperated and sometimes fought among themselves over art, so theycked unity. However, they possessed many anomalies, and the director wielded considerable influence. On top of that, as artists who create works, they could easily repair most damage. But Yeonwoo had the dice. "Heart attack, brain hemorrhage, all kinds of diseases and idents. Can you recover from all of that too?" "We can resurrect from that level." "What if I make it so you can never do art again? Twisting your mind, taking away your senses, making you hate sculpture, turning you into an idiot. Should I go on?" "..." "Oh, you''ll recover from that too? But I never said I''d only do it once." The statue''s mouth finally closed at the endless threats. Continuous and varied threats. The statue bowed its head, lost in thought. ''The master won''t care. He thinks trials add to inspiration. But.'' The risk was too great. Of course, Yeonwoo might die while doing such things if he met the house''s conditions, but there was also a high chance he could defend against it. Finally, the statue looked at the camera. "I have no choice. I''ll bring the eraser. But please forget any grudges from today''s events. I''m risking my life here, aren''t I?" "I''ll do that." And so the negotiation concluded. The statue risked its life to borrow the architect''s phone and make calls. The architect rolled his eyes nervously, while Yeonwoo observed them, gauging safe actions. --- --- It would take time for the eraser to arrive. Yeonwoo stared intently at the sentence "A house that kills you if you ¨€¨€". Concentrating with all his might, he tried to read the ¨€¨€ that had escaped recognition. ''Perception distortion. I can''t break through with my mental strength.'' How could he figure out the conditions? He tried, but it didn''t work. The more he looked, the dizzier he felt, his vision spinning. Yeonwoo finally sighed. His survival instinct stirred, adding to the ominous imagination. Unknown conditions. A trigger that kills people. The number of possible ways to die approached infinity. He could die from drinking water, from sleeping, from his heart beating a hundred thousand times, from opening a door, from leaving the house... ''Don''t think too much. I might go crazy at this rate.'' His mind grew more haggard the more he thought. As he tried to calm his pounding heart while looking at the dice, the architect''s voice rang out. "Urgh... Teacher living in the abandoned house. I didn''t do anything wrong, but I made a mistake. Please forgive me just this once." "..." Yeonwoo looked at the CCTV screen with an incredulous expression. Is he mocking me now? The architect, his face pressed close to the camera, bowed his head with a paleplexion. He looked properly scared after hearing the threats made to the statue. "I''ll take on 3missions! 3missions for free! Do you know how valuable an opportunity this is?" "..." Yeonwoo didn''t respond, but inwardly he cursed. ''These crazy bastards... I really shouldn''t get involved with the artist types.'' He definitely didn''t want to meet them as enemies, and he didn''t want to meet them as colleagues either. Their way of thinking and behavior were far from normal. Yeonwoo quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and watched the video sent by thepany. Video footage from when the eraser was stolen. "Charge!" An army of statues that burst out of a huge canvas charged towards a building. Lions, knights, mounted knights, monsters - their numbers exceeded a hundred. Boom boom boom, the ground shook. "Fire!" The security guards lined up at the building entrance fired tasers and guns, but to little effect. They charged with lightning snakes coiled around their bodies, and kept running even with broken arms and legs. The distance finally closed. Aaaaagh, screams echoed. Bitten by lion statues, necks flying from knights'' swords, crushed under monsters'' feet. That''s when the agent Yeonwoo had seen at the Creating A Better World factory stepped forward, raising his hand holding the eraser. "Get out of the way!" The eraser was drawn. Its trajectory. The statues crowding the street and building entrance were erased in an instant. With sessive sweeps of his hand, the street emptied. Trees were erased, the asphalt road stripped away, streetlights with their bodies erased fell with a thud, a few statues barely dodged, losing body parts. But Yeonwoo let out a sigh. ''If you don''t guard the perimeter like that...'' His head bowed and gaze lowered to erase the statues on the ground. And an eagle statue falling from above. With a flutter, the eagle statue clung to the front of the helmet, obscuring his vision, and insect statues falling from the air burrowed into the agent''sbat uniform. For a moment the agent hesitated. If he swung the eraser carelessly, he''d erase himself too. Seizing that gap, a few more statues fell from the sky, and one insect shaped like scissors cleanly severed the agent''s wrist. The eraser rolled on the ground with the hand. A pigeon statue quickly snatched up the eraser and took it away. The statue, painted to look like a real pigeon, escaped the frame in an instant. That''s where the video ended. Yeonwoo shook his head. ''If it had been that doomsday cultist, he wouldn''t have been caught so easily.'' In terms of skill, instinct, and many other aspects. Looking at it simply, he would have erased just the insects when they clung to his body. Just then, the statue''s voice was heard. "It''s here. Don''te in. Start erasing little by little from out there." Yeonwoo looked at the CCTV screen. A camera pointing outside. A pigeon holding the eraser was flying in the sky that had cleared of rain. A sigh of relief escaped involuntarily. ''The shelter is a shame, but at least it''s resolved.'' As the pigeon made small circles, its talon holding the eraser twitched slightly. At that moment, Yeonwoo and the two intruders'' eyes sparkled with anticipation. Crack- Suddenly, cracks appeared on the pigeon''s body, then it shattered to pieces right there. Marble fragments rained down like rain. "..." "..." The pigeon died. Outside the house''s range. Yeonwoo suddenly clenched his fist. Had he underestimated the product of critical failure too much? Had he been toocent, thinking minor actions would be fine? ''The condition... A house that kills if you attack? If so, what''s the range of effect?'' If someone fired a missile at this house from the other side of the Earth, the person who fired the missile would die. So would an anomaly thatunched an abnormal attack. Yeonwoo quickly shook his head to clear his stray thoughts. ''Anyway, I know the condition now. It''s not "a house that kills if you think about it" or "a house that kills if you look at it". That''s something at least.'' Thinking he could stay in the shelter with this level of conditions, Yeonwoo satfortably in the chair. In some ways, it had be even safer. Wouldn''t it kill all attackers trying to assault the house? Outside, the architect jumped for joy, shouting: "It''s a simple condition! Let''s get out of here quickly! I don''t want to stay here a second longer! Teacher living in the abandoned house, contact the Free Artists Association if you have anymissions!" The architect left the statue behind and ran sshing through the rain-soaked grounds and- "Ugh!" The next moment, his heart stopped and he copsed. Face nted in the mud, he fell like a statue. His limbs motionless. Yeonwoo''s face turned pale. His voice trembled as he spoke. "Is... is he dead?" "...Yes." "Why?" Wasn''t the condition about attacks? Did he have a heart attack or something? No, no. These thoughts aren''t helpful. He had to assume the worst. Right now, the most life-threatening case. ''...What if this thing is alive? What if the conditions keep changing?'' Yeonwoo looked at the text with shaking eyes. A house that kills you if you ¨€¨€. The cked-out text seemed to writhe. With malice, with murderous intent. Goosebumps rose on Yeonwoo''s skin. An eerie sensation touched his skin. It felt like he had entered a monster''s maw. ''The condition isn''t what matters.'' A house that kills. A house that kills people. The product of a critical failure. The worst enemy created by the dice. His mind snapped to alertness as if doused with ice water. He was inside an anomaly designed solely to kill. Inside something that could kill him without even the possibility of resurrection. ''I''m truly f*cked.'' If this thing killed him, then changed its condition to a house that kills if you resurrect... The most intense danger to his life ever. Yeonwoo sped his trembling hands and brought them to his mouth. His heart pounded as endless vitality coursed through his body, and his sharpened senses spread in all directions. With the feeling of wearing a bomb ne, Yeonwoo desperately searched for a way to survive.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 103 - Piece TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo clutched his head, taking deep breaths. ''Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm,'' he repeated to himself. Fear and panic wouldn''t help. He needed to find a way out with a cool head. ''Think. What''s the priority now?'' Blood rushed to his brain, carrying oxygen. Thoughts sparked like fireworks in his mind, shing like stars. An intense focus he''d never experienced before, not even when studying or taking exams, overtook him. The world faded away, his thoughts fixated on a single subject. ''Understand the anomaly. Its nature, its intentions.''It was clearly a murderous anomaly. But when, how, and why did it kill? Two deaths vividly reyed in Yeonwoo''s mind, like recorded footage - the destruction of the pigeon statue and the architect''s death. ''Attack and escape.'' If it wanted to kill, it could have done so immediately. Instead, it waited until that moment. Yeonwoo shifted his gaze, looking at the inscriptions scattered throughout the shelter. A house that kills if you ¨€¨€. ''The cked-out condition.'' The hidden condition was also a clue. It must be rted to the entity''s nature. Yeonwoo quickly guessed why. To make people anxious about the unknown condition, ultimately breaking their spirit. Suddenly, a glint shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. A vague image formed in his mind. A monster disguised as a house. Windows like cat eyes, a front door like a mouth with sharp fangs. ''An anomaly that aims to kill, never lets prey escape once in its domain, and torments before killing instead of killing quickly.'' His honed instinct and survival intuition told him this was the answer. ''So what should I do against that?'' For a moment, a cold glint of murderous intent shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Unlike when he bluffed at the statue, this was a viscous, congealed killing intent. ''I have to kill it. I have to destroy it.'' Escape wasn''t the answer. If the condition changed to "die if you remember the house," there''d be no escape no matter where he ran. He''d die the moment he recalled this shelter. Memory erasure wasn''t an option either. If it changed to "die if you forget," he''d die without knowing why. The possibilities of death were nearly infinite, like the faces of a die. In the end, there was only one way to survive safely and certainly, without risk. He had to kill this thing. ''I need to find a way to kill it.'' Suddenly, Yeonwoo grabbed the water ss beside him and gulped it down. This house wouldn''t kill with such a trivial action. It deliberately killed the pigeon statue in front of them. It could have killed from a distance with a condition like "die if youe within 1km," but it killed right in front of them to make them misunderstand the condition. To make people die in despair after being filled with hope of escape. ''You want to torment before killing? I can handle the torment, but I won''t let you kill me.'' It remained to be seen who would kill who, who would survive in the end. Yeonwoo grabbed the microphone and spoke. "Come this way. You don''t want to die either, right?" The statue approached the front door at his calm voice and grasped the doorknob. "Alright. I don''t n on dying here either... The door is locked. Can you open it?" "I''ve unlocked it. Come to the control room." The thick front door opened, and the statue stepped inside. --- --- On the CCTV screen split into multiple sections, the statue was moving. Taking careful steps, navigating through the maze-like interior of the shelter. Seated before the wide monitor, Yeonwoo covered his face with both hands, head bowed low. Countless thoughts bloomed in his mind. ''I need to find a weakness. It''s simr to dice rolls. One at a time. The dy between. Can its tendency to torment before killing be considered carelessness? A way to exploit it.'' Intuition and instinct have simrities. They both produce something tangible without evidence or logic. Right now, Yeonwoo''s intuition and instinct were running wild. A sensation like lightning striking vertically from feeling to conclusion, aiming for the lightning rod of realization. ''Threaten the house with dice? No. It''s an anomaly whose purpose is to kill. It would be willing to die together.'' ''The statue holding an eraser while I roll dice? No. If it changes to a house that kills if it exists, we both die. No time for a roll.'' ''My future self? No. I said we''d never see each other again. He''d refuse.'' ''Roll hoping only for critical sess? After a critical failure just happened?'' But the thoughts branching in countless directions all converged on ''I die'' or ''We both die.'' No matter how he thought about it, there was no certain way to survive. It was just one condition, but the possibilities were too numerous. In a way, it was like an upgraded version of dice. No, more like a counter to dice. A suffocating pressure, like watching walls closing in from all sides in a sealed room. The terror of death approaching step by step, casting its shadow. "Is there no way? No way at all? Do I have to die? Like this?" Finally, Yeonwoo tore at his hair. A chunk came out, his nails scraping his scalp. Just then, the control room door burst open. "The structure isplex. Anyway, in this house... Are you alright?" It was the statue. It froze at the doorway in surprise, then hurriedly approached Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo finally lowered his hands. His face looked aged a decade in that short time. His bloodshot eyes seemed about to bleed, his lips a mess of ugly wounds and blood from biting. His limp hands were covered in a mix of hair, blood, and flesh. Yeonwoo stared at the statue with dted pupils. The statue stepped back. A ghastly appearance reminiscent of a ghost or monster, with an aura like thepany''s insane director. The statue bowed its head. "First, I''m sorry it came to this. I didn''t mean for it to go this far. That idiot messed things up..." Yeonwoo''s hands trembled. If only they hadn''te in the first ce- ''Pointless anger. If I hadn''t used the dice recklessly, this wouldn''t have happened. No time to waste emotions on this. I need to find a way out.'' Yeonwoo took a deep breath and spoke in a cracked voice. "Let''s not talk about the dead. Let''s focus on finding a way to survive." Surprised by hisposure, the statue quickly nodded. "It seems the conditions keep changing. Can''t we do something with the dice?" "No. This house heard me threatening you earlier. It''s on guard now, probably prepared. Maybe with a condition like ''die if you use an anomaly'' or something simr. Do you have any ideas?" The statue politely sped its hands at Yeonwoo''s glinting eyes. The atmosphere suggested it might die by Yeonwoo''s hand before the house could kill them. "I thought of one, but it doesn''t seem feasible." "Let''s hear it anyway." "In the end, it''s a house. If we could make it not a house..." The statue cautiously gauged Yeonwoo''s reaction. Yeonwoo judged coldly. "Impossible. There''s no self-destruct system here. Using the dice is too risky - high chance of failure, and even if sessful, I''d likely die." This house probably has basic conditions like ''die if you attack'' or ''die if you use an anomaly'' or ''die if you try to escape''. "Then we seem to be out of options. The condition is all-powerful, isn''t it? It can kill anyone, human or anomaly..." "..." Silence fell between them. The statue kept watching Yeonwoo''s expression, constantly adjusting its posture, while Yeonwoo closed his eyes in thought. How much time passed? Yeonwoo opened his eyes. He suddenly stood up and grabbed a bottle of soju from the corner of the control room. Before the statue could grasp the situation, Yeonwoo took several gulps straight from the bottle. "Right. We just need to make it not a house. I should have killed it anyway for afortable life." "Um. Have you found a solution?" "I''m going with your suggestion. Haha." Yeonwoo chuckled, then suddenly ground his teeth as he opened the control room door and left. The statue stood dumbfounded for a moment before hurriedly chasing after Yeonwoo through theplex corridors. Yeonwoo walked while the statue ran, easily catching up as Yeonwoo''s muttering echoed through the silent hallways. "This has the highest survival probability. Even if it''s dangerous, I have to do it. Don''t hesitate." "At least tell me the n!" Yeonwoo nced at the statue. "I''m going to use the eraser." "What? No, if you do that, you''ll die immed-" "I''ll die anyway if I don''t. This is the only way to survive." Yeonwoo climbed up adder, banging on each rung. --- --- It was deep into the night. The grounds, damp from recent rain, gave off a strong scent of grass, with puddles scattered about. The phrase ''A house that kills you if you ¨€¨€'' was inscribed everywhere. "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. No, I''ll die if I can''t." Yeonwoo muttered as he walked, heedless of the inscriptions and puddles. Water seeped into his slippers, soaking the hems of his pants. The statue, who had stopped midway, stared at the back of Yeonwoo''s head as if looking at a madman, but Yeonwoo''s face remained cold andposed. ''Nasty anomaly. It''ll try to kill me when the eraser is within reach. That''s when it can inflict the most despair and pain.'' But that nature, that dy in changing conditions, would be its fatal mistake. The spot where the pigeon statue and eraser had fallen was drawing near. Just beyond the torn wire fence. Yeonwoo took a deep breath. The cool night air rushed into his lungs, heightening all his senses. Each hair stood on end like an antenna, his survival instinct peaking to detect danger. ''I can do this. I''ll die if I can''t.'' A dangerous sensation like an ice pick stabbing his brain pierced his entire body. And then, the eraser was within arm''s reach. The dark night turned blood-red with danger rms ring, Yeonwoo threw his whole body forward, and the house changed its condition. ''I''ll die if I fail!'' In that split second as the condition changed, Yeonwoo''s hand reached the eraser first. A gleam appeared in Yeonwoo''s eyes. But what he saw wasn''t this world. It was a world of instinct and intuition. The danger perceived by his survival instinct pushed to the extreme. The anomaly''s iing attack. ''Erase!'' The barely moved eraser traced an arc in the invisible world. 104 - Piece TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The eraser traced an arc through the air. The world remained untouched. In the dark night, not even a single weed was affected where the eraser had passed. Instead, it erased the attack approaching Lee Yeonwoo. He''d erased the effect of the anomaly that would kill instantly once conditions were met. Just as the eraser cultist sensed existence and annihtion, as the future Yeonwoo calcted probabilities, the current Yeonwoo detected danger with survival instincts pushed to the extreme and erased it. "It worked! You damn anomaly! Trying to kill me? Not a chance!" Yeonwoo, who had been sprawled face-down with his arm outstretched gripping the eraser, sprang to his feet and immediately turned towards the barbed wire.The statue wore a bewildered expression. It was just a simple statue. It had no idea what had happened. "The house can''t just sit still, can it?" "Get out quickly! I''m going to erase everything here!" He shouted excitedly while aiming the eraser. He would erase everything from the site to the shelter. If they tried to kill a person, they should die too. The eraser swung back and forth. The barbed wire, the site beyond it, the house above ground - all vanished with a few hand gestures, without sound or impact. Rapid-fire deletion without dy. The statue, barely grazed by the eraser''s trajectory, leapt up and cried out hastily: "Erasing just the sentences should solve it! The sentences seem to be the key. If you erase just a few characters from the sentences-" Seeing the statue trying to preserve as much as possible of what it considered art, Yeonwoo kicked the dirt ground. "No. After tormenting me like this, I can''t let it slide." Annoyance and anger welled up in Yeonwoo''s eyes. How much stress had he endured in that short time? He really thought he was going to die. ''Feel how dangerous the eraser is yourself!'' With a few hand gestures, the world was blown wide open. The site where the shelter had been turned into a deep pit, revealing the underground shelter''s structure. A concrete building filling the vast pit. Erasing that would finish it. Yeonwoo smiled. "This feels so good." The eraser that had been so terrifying when facing it as an enemy now felt incredibly reassuring in his hand. No need to think, no need to fear failure, just a flick of the finger and it was done. Easier than deleting a program on aputer. That''s when it happened. The whole world turned red, and a terrible danger was felt. The house''s counterattack had begun. Yeonwoo instantly suppressed his emotions and focused on his senses. Ignoring even the pounding of his heart, he grasped the invisible danger. Flick- His finger moved. He erased the unseen. It wasn''t just once. Flick, flick, flick, Yeonwoo kept drawing the eraser. ''It keeps changing the conditions. Trying to kill me no matter what? Not happening.'' A house that kills if you possess an anomaly, a house that kills if you breathe, a house that kills if your heart beats, a house that kills if you attack it... The house desperately iled, pouring out conditions, binding the eraser. Now the eraser could only be used for defense. If this situation continued, Yeonwoo would likely be the one to die. The house didn''t need to eat or drink, but Yeonwoo was human and had to sustain life activities. A recreation of the battle between the cultist and Yeonwoo. But Yeonwoo''s lips curled up. ''Dice. Anomaly destruction- No! I can''t! If I critically fail and the eraser doesn''t work, I''m screwed.'' As always, he called for the dice, then jumped with a start. The result of a critical failure was right before his eyes. Using the eraser for defense and the dice for attack would be perfect... But Yeonwoo, who had experienced the taste of critical failure to a chilling degree, carefully chose his judgment. Of course, he also asked the statue. "Can you destroy the shelter?" "No... I may be stronger than humans, but something like that..." The statue lowered its head, looking down at its white hands. "I see. Dice." Yeonwoo cautiously called for the dice. He chose a judgment that would be okay even with a critical failure. "Sensory loss, anomaly control, activity termination." At worst, its senses would change to satellite range, or it would go berserk out of control, or it would be an entity that never stops. Yeonwoo judged that level of danger was not a problem, and the dice rolled. Rumble- Crash! Rumble- Failure! Rumble- Sess! The house stopped. It was uncertain how long it would stay stopped, but the rapid-fire conditions stopped, and the red-tinted world sank into darkness. Then, Yeonwoo swung the eraser. Without hesitation, resolutely. Thepany''s 50-person shelter vanished from the world. The anomaly that the shelter had transformed into was also removed without a trace. "Hah..." A deep sigh. Yeonwoo copsed onto the ground. His whole body felt drained as if he''d used up a month''s worth of energy. His joints ached, he had a fever, and his head was spinning. His heightened senses faded, and his racing mind slowed to a crawl. Though the ground was damp, he felt he could sleep if he just closed his eyes. Yeonwoo covered his face with the bag he had slung over his shoulder. ''It''s over... Ah. I barely survived.'' He''d been through all sorts of incidents, but this was the first time he''d been pushed to the brink like this. ''Dice. I guess I used you too thoughtlessly. I should never make this mistake again.'' As jumbled thoughts ran through his clouded mind, a timid voice was heard. "Um, well. Is it okay if I go back now?" Yeonwoo pushed aside the bag to see the statue. It stood meekly with its hands sped in front, eyes downcast. "In any case, since you suffered harm because of us, we''ll preparepensation-" "No, just go. Just go and let''s never get involved again." Yeonwoo waved his hand dismissively. He meant it sincerely. He really never wanted to get involved with artists again. Then Yeonwoo suddenly looked at the eraser. The two things Yeonwoo hated. Deranged artists and cultists with erasers. Could this terrible ident have happened because both the artist and the eraser gathered here? "Nah. The timing doesn''t match up." "Pardon?" "Just go. Your owner? The sculptor? Warn him too. If he creates trouble for me one more time, I won''t hold back. This whole mess started because of you guys in the first ce, didn''t it?" The statue ran away as if fleeing, towards the road beyond. As Yeonwoo watched, it threw itself at what looked like a door drawn on the ground, and the door melted away like paint. Yeonwoo got up with a groan. His whole body really hurt. But he had onest thing to wrap up. "I liked that house- I mean shelter. I have to return the eraser to thepany for now. I should talk to Mark Jung about keeping the eraser somehow." Yeonwoo contacted thepany with trembling hands. --- --- The statue returned to the gallery through the disposable door. The artist at the desk asked something, but the statue immediately passed through Spatial Art Room 1 to return to the sculptor. A spacious studio. Sunlight poured in through the ss ceiling, and beneath it, an old man covered in stone dust was chipping away at a marble block bit by bit. Hammering with a mallet, chiseling away. The shape he was carving without a sketch, just following his hands, was a Tyrannosaurus. The sculpture the sculptor intended to make into a mountain range. The statue knelt down. "Master. I failed to obtain the eraser." "Hmm. I see. Thepany isn''t a pushover. It''s alright. We''ll attack again." The old man seemed to half-listen as he hammered the marble. Arge chunk fell off, rolled, and stopped in front of the statue''s knees. The statue couldn''t bring itself to look up. "Master. I think it might be better to give up-" "No!" The sculptor stood up abruptly. His shadow fell over the statue. His two hands stretched out as if to embrace the world. "Think about it. A Tyrannosaurus carved from a massive mountain range! How can we give that up? A dinosaur whose every step shakes the earth, whose roar scatters the clouds, whose shadow covers cities! An ancient dinosaur destroying modern cities! We can''t give up!" "But Master. The opponent is not to be trifled with." The statue bit its lip and stiffly raised its head. In the statue''s opinion, the eraser was untouchable. That investigator who specialized in dealing with the eraser was dangerous. But the sculptor didn''t seem to think much of it. He returned to the marble and picked up his hammer. "Life is art. Those who have long performed their duties at thepany are masterpieces. We should see them not as people, but as works of art." Artists called anomalies "works". Works that move the world and receive the world''s love. But can only art move the world? Does art only include works created by artists? Artists believed that if all things in the world, including the people living in it, moved the world and received the world''s love, they could exert special powers. "I never thought it would be easy from the start." "The opponent is executive-level." The hammer that had been raised high stopped. The sculptor slowly lowered the hammer. "Are you sure?" The statue quickly nodded and spilled everything that had happened in that terrible house. The sculptor marveled. "Excellent! He erased the house''s attack with the eraser! He instantly understood the work that is the eraser!" "I don''t think that''s the case." "What do you know? You talk about moving the world with performance art, but you haven''t put on a single decent show yet." The statue looked up at the sculptor with an aggrieved expression. Getting scolded for failing the mission was one thing, but why suddenly bring up his art? "Master. How long has it been since I was created? And I haven''t had time to focus on art, running around in your ce-" "Tut-tut, if you only make excuses, you can never create art. Anyway, we''re not giving up on the eraser." The sculptor hammered away, saying it would be difficult to touch a human who skillfully uses any work they grab. The Tyrannosaurus that had been taking shape shattered with a crash. Then a broom and dustpan with legs sprang out, buzzing about to clean up the debris. --- --- At that time. A video conference was in full swing at the Korean branch. Even after hearing the report that Yeonwoo had recovered the eraser, the meeting didn''t end. The First Deputy Director of Intelligence, the Operations Chief of Staff of the Special Forces, and the nning Director of the Korean Branch nning Department were looking at reports. Not just the statue that had forcibly taken the eraser, but the sporadic attacks that had been urring. The frequency of attacks had risen sharply recently. The Chief of Staff mmed down the report. "These troublemakers. They''ve crossed the line. Are we going to let this slide?" "We need to make a move. The anomalous weather has disappeared, and the movements of the groups don''t look good." The First Deputy Director tapped the desk with his pen. He continued: "It seems they''re nning to inflict major damage now, as we''re finishing the preservation n and starting recovery. We''d better move first." "That''s an excellent idea! But what does the nning Department think?" "I''m against it." The nning Director rubbed his head. "We''re still in recovery, aren''t we? The resources invested in the preservation n haven''t been replenished. And..." Hesitating whether to speak, he finally said: "Something happened recently that put headquarters on high alert. Something about an uninvited guest, I think. All recovery work stopped then, dying the recovery." "Then we should attack more!" The Chief of Staff pounded the desk. "Other groups are also recovering the resources they had prepared for the anomalous weather, but we''re the only ones dyed! We need to bring them down to the same level!" "There''s no need to go that far... And that''s something headquarters would have to do." The nning Director, wearing a sour expression, let out a small sigh. Personally, he wanted to bide time and recover resources first, but it was true the signs weren''t good. "Alright. Then let''s just attack the Pygmalion faction of the Artists'' Association as a warning and threat." "That''s impossible." The Chief of Staff and nning Director''s gazes turned to the First Deputy Director. He was shaking his head. "Pygmalion doesn''t have a separate faction. He just has a few friends and keeps a few statues." The First Deputy Director sent over a few reports. "Let''s just strike a few hideouts instead." The locations of galleries they had identified so far. They had only kept track of the artists who would scatter like grains of sand and not cause major incidents if left alone, but given the situation, they needed to use this information. The three were silent for a moment, then agreed. "Let''s do that." 105 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Several days had passed. Lee Yeonwoo was resting on leave, exhausted, when he found himself facing Mark Jung in a hotel room due to various issues. "So I erased the entire shelter with the eraser," Yeonwoo said. "...The shelter?" Mark Jung blinked. "No, uh. No. The money spent building it, no, the anomalous entities." The implication was clear - not only had the shelter''s equipment vanished, but also the cogwheels, the miraculous apple tree, and the Oracle system.Mark Jung looked at the eraser Yeonwoo had ced on the table. The eraser Yeonwoo was temporarily keeping. This wasn''t a dream. Finally, he let out a sigh. "If it really turned into such a dangerous anomaly, I suppose it couldn''t be helped." "About that..." Yeonwoo cast a desperate look at Mark Jung. "Could you possibly help me find a new ce to live?" Right now, the most pressing issue wasn''t the loss ofpany assets. "I have nowhere to live at the moment." "Yeonwoo, am I... something like your Chief of Staff?" "Isn''t it a simr feeling? Aren''t you the employee from headquarters in charge of me?" Mark Jung''s eyes wavered, as if confused. Finding shelters, handlingmunications, changing shelter furniture. It did feel like he was taking care of misceneous tasks. Mark Jung rubbed his face a few times. "Yes, I''ll help. But you know what? I''d like to tell you what kind of ce I want to give you right now." "No. I don''t think it''ll be a shelter though." After blowing away the shelter like this, it didn''t seem likely they''d give him another one. Yeonwoo made that judgment, and his assessment was roughly in line with Mark Jung''s thoughts. "I''d like to throw a container on an uninhabited piece ofnd for you." "Pardon?" "From what I''ve seen, a nice house seems pointless. It''ll just end up in an ident and get destroyed anyway. I''d like to give you a cheap, disposable residence." The apartment building was erased by the eraser because of the man at the door, and the shelter was erased by the eraser due to the artist''s attack. It felt like no house would survive in the future, so was there any need to find an expensive, nice ce? Yeonwoo made a sour expression. "A container is a bit..." "I''ll think about it some more for now. For the time being, stay at the hotel- no. If an ident happens at the hotel, many people will die, so stay at the investigation team''s office." He was treating people like bombs. But Yeonwoo had no choice but to nod. It wasn''t hard to understand. Instead, he carefully gripped the eraser. "About this eraser. Would it be alright if I kept it?" "...Completely?" "I don''t mind if it''s on loan or as a supply. After using it this time, I found it really useful." Mark Jung fell into thought. Honestly, it wasn''t impossible. It was something he had intended to give Yeonwoo aspensation from the start. Moreover, from what he''d heard, it seemed Yeonwoo had drawn out the eraser''s power to a level not far below that doomsday cultist. But for an item like the eraser, he couldn''t just give it out like that. "If you keep the eraser, you''ll be deployed on that many more dangerous missions. Are you okay with that?" In responding to anomalies, thepany operated specialized and customized units. Mental domination response unit, memory maniption response unit, electronic warfare response unit, and so on. An item like the eraser that could respond to all problems would be used in that many more situations. Like a nuclear bomb that could destroy any problem. "That''s a bit..." Yeonwoo made an even more ufortable expression than when he heard they''d give him a container as a home. "You''re saying I''ll be deployed on missions dangerous enough to need the eraser, aren''t you?" "We can''t let the eraser sit idle. ...Since you''ll be holding onto it for now, let''s try some things and talkter." Just as Yeonwoo''s business was wrapping up in this manner, Mark Jung suddenly remembered something and spoke while tapping on hisptop. "Ah. Come to think of it, it looks like you''ll be busy for a while, Yeonwoo." "Pardon? For what reason?" "It seems the Korean branch wants to use you as a weapon..." Yeonwoo made a face like he''d bitten into a bug. His hands clenched into fists, strength entering them. His gaze instinctively turned to the eraser. "Who? Why an investigator?" "Let''s hear the situation first. Other groups have started joining hands to check thepany. The Korean branch immediately attacked a gallery..." --- --- Thepany''s full-scale battle began with ess control. The nearby military base was dragged out under the pretext of a sudden urbanbat training exercise and sealed off the area around the gallery. An irritated sergeant stood with one leg raised, waving a light stick. "What kind of training starts without notice? I''m getting discharged tomorrow, why am I suffering like this?" "But you''re getting discharged tomorrow, sir." "That''s why it''s even more annoying." As he was having an idle conversation with his junior, someone approached. The sergeant moved to block him appropriately. "You''ll have to go around. Because of the training-" "I didn''t receive any such notice. And there''s apany back there, let me pass for a moment." "Ah... But we were told to block ess..." "Then what am I supposed to do? If I can''t get back to thepany after lunch, are you going to take responsibility for that?" The office worker who had really gone out for lunch and found the road blocked pulled at his shirt stained with red soup, looking frustrated. The soldiers also made troubled expressions and mumbled. The sergeant let out a sigh. He lowered the light stick he had used to block the way. "Then quickly-" That''s when it happened. Thepany''sbat unit, designed solely for artists, arrived. Even the disgruntled office worker, not to mention the soldiers, closed his mouth and looked at thebat unit. Tap tap tap- Thebatants, their entire bodies covered in ck suits, didn''t show even a bit of flesh, giving more of an impression of mechanical devices than people. This was especially true since not even their eyes were visible. A helmet with a camerapletely encased their face like a fishbowl,pletely blocking their eyes, nose, and mouth. Instead, an enhanced reality UI filtered the view captured by the camera, and not just sound, but all five senses were manipted by perceptual filters. This would block most artists'' attacks. The unit''s steps suddenly stopped. The small cameras mounted on the helmets turned to look at the soldiers and office worker. A voice mixed with mechanical sounds came out. "Carry out ess control properly. We''ll be using live ammunition, and idents can happen." "Ah, understood." That was it. Leaving behind the people with dumbfounded expressions, the unit slowly advanced. A life-or-death battle was right ahead. "Our objective is terrorism. If we drag this out, all sorts of people will move in. We hit fast and get out." "Yes." "You''re familiar with the anomalies in the gallery, right? Respond appropriately." "Yes." After passing through the empty streets like that, they arrived at the mural. Severalbatants quickly moved forward and attached strange mechanical devices to each corner of the door painting. The devices glowed with a blue light, and the moment the blue light turned white. Creaaak- The door opened. The door painting rippled as if reflected on water. "Breach." "Breaching!" Thump thump thump, they threw themselves at the wall. The view of thebatants with guns and methrowers at the ready changed in an instant. From an urban street to a gallery like an art museum. "Secure the hall first, then destroy the viewing rooms!" As they sprinted down the short corridor, fingers on triggers, sh grenades in hand, ready to use anomalous equipment, their steps came to a sudden stop. "Have you arrived? You''rete." In front of the information desk in the center of the spacious hall, a man in an elegant suit was smiling brightly. One of thebatants spoke. "Goldberg Club? Why the hell are you here?" "Ah. About that. We bought the gallery, you see. Unfortunately, this gallery and the anomalies are now our property." The man waved the document in his hand. Thebatants'' cameras moved to read the text on the document. A document stating the Goldberg Club now owned the gallery. The unitmander gritted his teeth. He grasped the situation. The contract was nonsense. As if artists would sell off the gallery. "You''re intervening in such a small battle?" It was clear that spies recruited by the Goldberg Club had leaked the operation ns. The Goldberg Club had joined hands with the Artists'' Association and begun to actively check thepany. It was an unexpected alliance and a threat. "Do you intend topletely turn your back on thepany?" "That''s not it. If the artists get beaten, who do you think is next? And since when have we ever been on good terms?" The man raised the corner of his mouth in a sneer. "Always interfering and regting. We can''t make money because of you people." Thepany that blocked money-making and the club that made money from anomalies tended to sh on every issue. The reason it hadn''t reached extremes was that both groups were the same in maintaining society, but enemies were still enemies. Enough for small andrge machinations to never cease. "Goddamn bastards. I''ll report today''s incident to the higher-ups." The unitmander abandoned the operation. It was a unit meant to deal with artists. They couldn''t face the suddenly appearing Goldberg Club. That wasn''t the equipment for it. Sure enough, the man waved his hand dismissively. "Anyway, as the building owner, Imand you. Leave." The contract emitted a glow. Though soft, the light had a strange effect on reality. Thebatants who had set foot in the hall disappeared in an instant. They had been moved to the mural they had entered through. As the situation ended, an artist''s head popped up from inside the desk. "It''s over, right?" "Of course. Goldberg Club''s security service is worth every penny. Look. Not a single work was damaged." Seeing the man''s exaggerated gestures as he didn''t forget to advertise, the artist frowned. "I don''t think this will end with just once." "That''s why we formed an alliance, isn''t it? One or two groups can''t handle thepany alone, haha. Of course, if ites to all-out war, a few groups won''t be enough, but it won''te to that, will it?" Thepany doesn''t want all-out war. If such a war breaks out, the Earth won''t survive. As always, after a few battles, it will end in negotiations. Maybe battles won''t even happen. That''s what the man thought. --- --- In a sense, the man''s prediction was correct, but thepany''s response was beyond their expectations. The First Deputy Director, Chief of Staff, and nning Director began the meeting. They had already heard news that several groups had formed an alliance. The Chief of Staff red at the First Deputy Director. "What are you doing not catching spies properly?" "How can we audit so manypany employees with just the Audit Department? If you give us more budget, it''s possible..." Feeling the First Deputy Director''s gaze, the nning Director cleared his throat. "It''s an issue that will be resolved once recovery isplete. Anyway, with the enemies forming an alliance, all-out war is impossible. We can''t even fight with the scope limited to Korea. That damage is too much to bear." "So you''re saying we should just let this slide?" When the Chief of Staff spat out irritated words, the nning Director nodded. "They don''t want all-out war either. They''re not doomsday cultists. We''ll coborate with them in exchange for taking a step back." He meant to get a piece of their business in exchange for concessions. "As it happens, the Goldberg Club has discovered an anomalous city and ns to explore it. We intend to get involved there." "Sharing profits isn''t a bad coboration. But won''t our deterrence decline if we back down like this? We can''t be seen as pushovers." At the First Deputy Director''s words, the nning Director smiled. "What if it''s not just a small piece? Look, we''ll send Yeonwoo, the special investigator." Yeonwoo, who was scouted as a special investigator by headquarters, had already be personnel that the upper echelons of the Korean branch were keeping an eye on. The expressions of the First Deputy Director and Chief of Staff, who took a fresh look at his record, became strange. "An investigator who causes incidents but returns alive himself. Good. It will be sabotage." "Haha! Those Goldberg Club bastards. They''ll make the investment but end up empty-handed!" They firmly believed that Yeonwoo would cause an incident. 106 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The Goldberg Club''s Korean branch didn''t have a dedicated building. Instead, they rented penthouses in various hotels for extended periods, gathering there whenever meetings were necessary. On this day, a few members of the Korean branch met in one such penthouse. The recent conflict with thepany had prompted their gathering. A man who had formally purchased the gallery sprawled on the sofa, twirling a wine ss. Red wine swirled inside, repeatedly wetting and sliding down the ss. "There''s no chance of an all-out war. Thepany, those cowards, wouldn''t want a fight." "Well..."The white-haired old man stood by the wide-open window, gazing down at the night view. A highly developed city spread before him. People enjoyed the denselyid infrastructure and the lights that never dimmed, even at night. The man on the sofa nced at the window and smiled. "Old man, you worry too much. Thepany has too much to protect. That city, those people. Would they destroy it with their own hands?" The old man didn''t react, and the man continued his monologue-like conversation. "Look at this time too. Thinking it wouldn''t end well if they fought, they just backed off. Of course, we have to let them join the anomalous city exploration. But that''s just saving face. What can they do by sending just one person?" "They say apany without even pride is just a corpse." The other members, simrly sprawled out, snickered while mocking thepany. Young men and women''sughter filled the spacious penthouse. The old man frowned. These young fools... "You don''t know how terrifying thepany can be." "Thepany is scary. Who would win in a head-on fight? But thepany won''t-" "Who says they can''t?" The old man slowly turned around. As the club leader in charge of the Korean branch, the other members quietly closed their mouths. Inwardly, they cursed the old man for being a coward. The old man pointed to the night view of the city. "The city? A few hundred thousand people? You think thepany really fears this? You say that even knowing about the climate anomalies?" The members'' appearances suddenly registered in the old man''s eyes. Even the oldest was barely 40. That''s because they all die before getting old. And the old man, who had survived long enough for his hair to turn white, knew how terrifying thepany could be when they lost it. Just look at the climate anomalies. "They''re the ones who abandoned 8 billion people to die when they couldn''t stop the climate anomalies. And they''re the ones who tried to kill 6 billion people to stop them." The preservation n and the genocidepany factions. As high-ranking officials, they knew about the core survival n shared among the groups, and with the club''s intelligence, they also knew about the factions. Those who would stop at nothing as long as humanity could survive. The members'' faces hardened anew. They remembered the Blue House terror attack too. The madmen who brazenly stormed the Blue House and made blue flowers bloom. "You say thepany has a lot to protect? No. We need the city. Because we need to live well. But thepany is different. As long as humans survive, even if the world ends, that''s enough. We have more to protect." The man gulped down the remaining wine and waved his hand, his face flushed. "Still, unless it''s pushed to the level of the climate anomalies, thepany won''t lose its mind, right?" "Who knows." The old man turned back to gaze at the beautiful night view. But the scene reflected in his eyes was somewhere in his memories. Thepany had periodic outbursts. They would research something among themselves, discover something strange and go crazy,e to some weird conclusion and charge in like mad boars, cause horrific idents saying it''s the way for humanity to survive... Of course, the old man understood. Unlike artists simply immersed in art or clubs aiming to live well, they had unnecessarily grand ideologies like protecting humanity, so there must be various circumstances. What the old man worried about was that cycle. ''If we''re just talking about time, it''s about time for another outburst.'' Now that the climate anomalies had been resolved, it was time for thepany to go mad. This check was to probe that, but seeing them back down so easily made him more uneasy. "Old man. We still needed to keep them in check." When one member spoke, the old man reluctantly nodded. "Anyway, since it ended well, I won''t say more. I approved it too. So, who''s thepany employee joining the exploration?" "They said an investigator." "Who?" The old man turned his head, slightly tense. If it was an investigator, weren''t they survival experts? The numbers had decreased now, but that especially team leader wasn''t someone to be underestimated. The man casually pouring wine into his ss said, "Lee Youngwoo? Lee Yeonwoo? A rookie less than a year in. His background is impressive, but still a rookie." "Hmm. That''s fine." How much experience could a rookie of less than a year have? As long as it wasn''t apany employee with 10 years of experience, they could rx. The old man started enjoying the night view again with ease. Then he suddenly said, "Have they found the culprit whopletely cleaned out that gun manufacturing facility? We''ve never suffered such a one-sided loss before, have we?" "No..." --- --- The investigation team''s office. Yeonwoo was facing apany employee from the Korean branch. His expression was twisted because the person from the nning Department had said something ridiculous. "So, you''re telling me to participate in the Goldberg Club''s anomalous city exploration?" "It''s notpulsory. You can refuse if you want." Thepany employee responded kindly. "However, you requested to keep carrying the eraser. If you carry the eraser, you''ll be assigned such tasks. You can think of it as a kind of practical experience." As he gently exined that carrying the eraser originally entailed being deployed for such tasks, citing various examples, Yeonwoo''s face gradually rxed. Instead, Yeonwoo quietly looked down at the eraser. ''Should I just give up? There are too many annoying tasks.'' The eraser was good, but the apanying tasks were too bothersome. Not as an investigator or special investigator, but additional duties as an agent carrying the eraser. Of course, he''d get paid more for it, but... Yeonwoo pressed his throbbing head repeatedly, then sighed. "Fine. I''ll participate." He could try it for a few days, and if it seemed too dangerous, he could give up. And the eraser. Although he couldn''t feel that sensation again, he could erase most dangers with just a flick of his hand. "An excellent choice." Thepany employee nodded with a smile and pulled out a few documents, pushing them towards Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo nced down to see it was an exploration n. Thepany employee briefly exined. "An anomalous city refers to a city affected by anomalies. Most are passed down as far-fetched folk tales, and are often just the result of two dimensions identally ovepping, but sometimes real ones are discovered." Just as cities once considered ancient legends were sometimes excavated, anomalous cities were asionally discovered. Such anomalous cities became big money, so the Goldberg Club never stopped exploring like pulling gacha, and this time they discovered another city. "During the Korean War, a mountain vige disappeared. The elders in the area say that when North Korean troops approached, a shaman led the vigers somewhere." "Is that the anomalous city?" Thepany employee quietly nodded at Yeonwoo''s question. "They say they went to and where they could escape death." And that fled from the war. "Anyway, since it''s not expected to be such a dangerous city, Yeonwoo, you just need to endure a little hardship and reap the benefits from the excavation." "Well, I wonder if it''ll be that easy..." Yeonwoo gently stroked his chin. Doubt glimmered in his eyes. Going to an obviously anomalous ce, would there be no problems? Now he no longer believed in his luck. Something would definitely go wrong. "You have the eraser. Yeonwoo, you''ll return safely." "Of course I have to return safely. I can''t die in a ce like that." After ring as if asking why he was stating the obvious, Yeonwoo grabbed his bag. ''I have a lot to pack.'' Just in case, he needed to repack his bag. Not just simple tools and firearms, but water, food, first aid supplies, hygiene products, clothing and tents, gas masks, etc., turning it into a survival backpack. --- --- The scheduled exploration day arrived quickly. Yeonwoo climbed the mountain path with just one bag slung over his shoulder. Since the Goldberg Club had already gone around, he just had to follow the newly made path. After walking for a while on the steep path, ruins appeared. A vige that looked like a Joseon-era mountain vige had turned to ruins, with thatched and tiled houses copsed, unable to withstand wind and rain. "Ah, you''re here? You''re a bitte. We almost left without you." And, out of ce with the atmosphere, club members in suits carrying heavy luggage greeted Yeonwoo. Among them, the man who had greeted Yeonwoo smiled broadly, and Yeonwoo sighed. "You should have gone ahead." Then he could have naturally missed the exploration while shifting responsibility to the Goldberg Club. The man briefly made a strange expression, then put a smile back on his face. As expected, an investigator and a rookie. "No matter what, we can''t ignore the contract. By the way, is this your first exploration? Your luggage is incredibly light." "Aren''t you providing everything? I heard I just needed to participate." Yeonwoo shook his seemingly light bag, naturally telling a lie. He bought all these items himself, but it''d be better to use the Goldberg Club''s stuff if possible. For a moment, the man''s face darkened. His rxed mood due to the rookie changed to irritation because of the rookie. This was an anomalous city exploration, for heaven''s sake. Yet hees so lightly prepared? "We prepared reserve supplies, but..." "Oh, you didn''t prepare my share? Then let''s postpone the exploration a bit. I''ll go down and prepare." "No, we''ll supply you. We can''t postpone it. Hah..." It was the first time losing the Goldberg Club''s assets like this. The anomalous city exploration was right in front of them, but somehow the mood was unpleasant from the start. The man waved his hand irritably. The contract in his hand fluttered, catching the light. "As the owner of thisnd, Imand: let what is hidden reveal itself." At that moment, a change urred. The shaman''s house located in the corner of the vige was restored to perfect condition. White and red cloths hung from the upright gpole, fluttering and revealing strange patterns even though there was no wind. "That seems to be the passage. Let''s go." The club members moved in a group. Yeonwoo followed slowly at the very back. Maintaining an appropriate level of tension. 107 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here As Lee Yeonwoo entered the shaman''s house, the world seemed to shift. Halfway up the mountain stood a torii-like[1] red gate, seemingly connected to the shaman''s dwelling. The team cautiously surveyed their surroundings. Drawing their pistols, they remained vignt, eyes scanning in all directions. Nearby, arge tree adorned with colorful ribbons swayed in the breeze, while a dirt path overgrown with weeds wound its way down the mountain. From the vige below, wisps of smoke from cooking fireszily drifted skyward. "Set up the barricades and deploy the drones!"The club members sprang into action. They unfolded portable barricades to block the path. Someunched drones from boxes, while others began pitching tents. "Team 3, stay here and guard the passage. How''s the drone reconnaissance?" "Approaching now." "Keep your distance. Zoom in from afar." The members moved with practiced efficiency, clearly not their first rodeo. Each performed their role like clockwork. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo stood still, then slowly slipped his hand into his pocket. He felt the eraser. ''Got my weapon. Got the dice. bag''s packed. Is the passage still open?'' Yeonwoo approached the expedition team''s leader and asked, "Will the passage stay open?" "It''ll close soon." "Then how do we get back?" The man furrowed his brow, looking annoyed. "We n to open it from the outside in two weeks. There''s also a way to open it from this side in emergencies." "What kind of-" At that moment, a shout rang out. The member operating the drone zoomed in on the screen and reported, "Visual confirmed! It''s an old vige!" The leader hurried over to the member, with Yeonwoo following close behind to see the drone footage. A mountain vige lined with thatched and tiled roof houses sprawled before them. People in worn hanboks worked in nearby fields and paddies, while women carried baskets of potatoes towards the rice fields. It was a peaceful scene, as if they had traveled back in time. "Any visible anomalies besides this space? Team 1, approach with me. Investigator, you''reing too, right?" "Yes," Yeonwoo nodded curtly. With the eraser, he felt invincible. The drone had flown across the sky and zoomed in, so the vige was actually quite far away. As they descended the mountain path, the team leader briefed Yeonwoo on precautions. "Watch your behavior and words carefully. This is an isted space, and we don''t know what kind of anomalous entities might be here. One wrong move could trigger something unpredictable." It was a warning to prevent any mishaps from the inexperienced Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo nodded calmly. "I know how terrifying anomalies can be. I''ll stay quiet and leave everything to you." "Good." After walking for about half an hour, they reached the vige. An old man sitting on a nearby bench widened his eyes. "Who are you?" "Hello. We''re travelers who got lost in the mountains. Is there a phone here? Our cell phones aren''t working." The leader spoke nonchntly, but the old man just blinked slowly. "I don''t understand what nonsense you''re talking about. Just stay right there. I''ll go fetch the shaman... By the way, is the war outside over?" "War?" Hearing their clueless response, the old man frowned. Deep wrinkles etched his face. "Themunists! We fled all the way here to escape them!" "Ah! That ended long ago. South Korea won. Wait, you don''t know about that?" "How would we know that in this mountain vige? Anyway, wait here." The old man reacted casually. He stood up, leaning on his cane, and walked deeper into the vige. The leader and Yeonwoo fell silent for a moment. Yeonwoo spoke first. "This is strange. He doesn''t seem happy or interested in leaving." "It''s been a long time, so that could exin it, but he does seem unusually calm. Maybe life here is good enough?" From the looks of it, they weren''t starving and seemed to live peacefully. Perhaps they were content enough with their lives here to lose interest in the outside world. They stood at the vige entrance, carefully observing the surroundings. Soon, they saw the shaman approaching with the old man. The shaman wore a red hat and red robe, decorated with blue and yellow ribbons, and carried a fan. With each step, bells jingled. "We have guests." A sharp voice. A deathly pale face with blood-red lips. The figure most likely to be an anomaly had appeared. The leader tensed inwardly but outwardly maintained a guileless smile. "Yes. Could we borrow a phone perhaps? We''re lost-" "Lost? You?" "..." The shaman''s piercing eyes met the leader''s guarded gaze. Though the shaman merely red, the members subtly shifted, ready to draw their guns if necessary. The leader''s mind raced. ''Should we subdue the shaman first? No, fighting like this would only put us at a disadvantage. Better to negotiate-'' The shaman suddenlyughed, their mouth stretching to their ears. "Such esteemed guests mustn''t be slighted. Follow me." The bells jingled as the shaman waved their fan. A person emerged from a side door of the shrine to guide the guests to an empty house. --- --- Night fell. The members roamed the vige gathering information,municating with those at the red gate via transceivers, and analyzing the data. "Whether it''s a legend or some pseudo-shamanic practice doesn''t matter. What''s important is the anomaly itself." "It''s unclear if the ''god'' they worship is the anomaly, or if it''s the shaman, or something else entirely..." They analyzed the local anomaly based on their experience and knowledge. Yeonwoo crouched quietly in a corner, rolling the eraser in his pocket. ''Boring.'' While the club members systematically investigated, their approach differed from Yeonwoo''s experiences. It was slow. Though safer, Yeonwoo, ustomed to constant chaos, felt restless. ''Maybe it''d be better if everything just blew up... No, that''s not right. Or is it? Should I just swing the eraser around? No. Or should I? Would it be dangerous?'' Thoughts that would horrify the members if they knew. The members remained engrossed in their own discussions. "Offering death, god of the Samdo River, it seems rted to death somehow." "Right. From what I''ve gathered, this vige has an unnaturally low mortality rate. All deaths are from natural causes in the elderly." An impossibility for such an isted vige with no medical professionals. "There''s no infant mortality either. They say it''s because they offer death." "Sounds promising." The leader rubbed his hands together. This could be profitable. "We could sell longevity for a high price." He nced at Yeonwoo, who stared nkly into space, looking utterly disinterested. "Not interested in longevity? I heard investigators like this kind of thing." "I''m not interested." There''s rainwater. No need to rely on such suspicious rituals for longevity. Genuinely bored, Yeonwoo heaved a deep sigh. ''Might as well sleep. They said they''d take the night watch.'' And so, the day of the feast arrived. --- [1. traditional Japanese gate found at a Shinto shrine]Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 108 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here In the shrine''s spacious courtyard, people bustled about, moving tables, cooking rice, grilling meat, and preparing for the feast. The elderly stood with hands sped behind their backs, pointing here and there and offering unsolicited advice. Young people moved about sweating, while children ran around shouting and chattering excitedly. The atmosphere was lively and festive. In contrast, a club member and Lee Yeonwoo huddled in a corner, quietly observing themotion. "They could poison the food.""The meal itself might trigger the anomaly. There are stories about eating food from the underworld preventing your return to thend of the living." "On the other hand, refusing could also cause problems." Yeonwoo and the man exchanged words effortlessly. Theymunicated well on matters like this - predicting and dealing with dangers. Not just any investigator, the man thought as he looked at Yeonwoo anew and called over a club member. "We brought our own provisions, right? Let''s hand over about 20 portions. As if we''re contributing to the feast. Include the chocte too." "Understood." Yeonwoo also admired the man''s judgment. "So we''ll just eat what we prepared." "Not we, but what we... Never mind." Just then, several burly farmers entered, arms full of sickles, pitchforks, and the like, dumping them in a corner of the courtyard. The pile of low-quality farm tools ttered noisily. Yeonwoo wore a puzzled expression. "Why would they bring those to a feast?" "They might have their reasons," the man replied. Though out of ce at a feast, he analyzed the situation coolly. "They wouldn''t throw a feast without purpose. This is a small vige dependent on farming, ruled by a shaman. There''s likely some mixture of agriculture and religion at y." This implied that the emergence of unique customs wouldn''t be strange. And the influence of anomalies tended to be behind the unique cultures of anomalous cities. Something feels off, Yeonwoo thought. He slipped his hand into his pocket, grasping the eraser. Confidence surged through him. A sense that he could protect himself safely. "You mentioned earlier that this so-called god would demonstrate its power at the feast. What kind of anomaly typically gets called a god?" "It''s just abel. Call it a god and it''s a god, call it an artwork and it''s an artwork. Demons are a bit different... Anyway, judging by how it organizes and rules the vige, we can negotiate with it." Suddenly, the man grinned greedily. "If I could make this vige my client and sell them longevity. Hehe. I could make quite a profit." "Client?" "It''s no different from an ordinary business. Buy here, sell there. Broker services from one ce to another. Take a cut in the middle." There was still time before the feast began. Checking his wristwatch, the man exined the club''s structure while making small talk. "Money doesn''t just grow on trees, you know. High-ranking members each run their own businesses. And rankings are determined by business profits. Simply put." The man curled his fingers into a coin shape. His wristwatch gleamed. "It''s all about money. Whoever makes the most money is on top, that''s all there is to it." "Seems simple enough," Yeonwoo replied. He nodded absent-mindedly, then asked another question out of boredom. It was just to pass the time. They chatted about the man''s business, security services and anomalous city exploration, why Yeonwoo didn''t join the club instead of being a risky investigator, and some vague details about contracts. After a while of meaningless chatter, the feast preparations wereplete. Each table was filled with mixed grain rice, side dishes, and meat. The vigers, clutching sickles, pitchforks, and rocks, waited for the shaman to arrive. Their eyes were dark and sunken, the air charged with tension. "The atmosphere is a bit..." Yeonwoo hunched his body. Like apressed spring, like a beast ready to pounce. Turning his head like a meerkat, he saw the shaman emerge from the shrine. Jingle, jingle, the sound of bells rang out. The sound grew louder and closer until the shaman stopped in their midst. The shaman''s sharp voice cut through the air. "Today we offer death. Everyone ready? No one missing?" "Yes, yes. Of course," came the trembling replies. Hands gripping sickles and pitchforks shook. Eyelids clenched shut. The shaman whipped their head around. Eyes fixed on the guests. The man calmly met that gaze, rubbing his stomach as if hungry. The shaman smirked. "Guests, stay right where you are. Watch closely and feel the power of our god with your own eyes." "I look forward to it," the man smirked back. They held each other''s gaze for a moment. The shaman snapped open a fan depicting a hazy image of the god of the River Styx. The fan swept upward with a flourish. "Begin." The fan spun down in an arc as the shaman leapt and twirled like in a gut ritual. The decorations on their clothes unfurled, and the bell sounds rang painfully loud. And then, blood sprayed. Thwack! A sickle sliced a throat. A pitchfork became a spear, stabbing someone. A rock smashed down on a head, while another head cracked from a thrown stone. Crash! People copsed with groans of pain. Carefully arranged tables overturned, while intact ones were stained red with blood. Yeonwoo''s pupils dted. This was real. Not pretense or acting, but inflicting fatal wounds. The stench of blood grew thick. "No, this is insane," he muttered. His legs moved on their own. Creeping along the courtyard fence towards the wide-open main gate. At that moment, whoosh, the shaman pointed at Yeonwoo. The vigers'' heads turned in unison to look at him. "How dare you try to leave during the feast?" the shaman shrieked. The bell sounds stopped, as did the sounds of killing and dying. The shaman, vigers, and even those copsed on the ground red at Yeonwoo with eyes clouded by ck smoke. Even those on the ground, gasping for breath, coughing blood, and groaning in pain, all focused their gazes on him. That murderous atmosphere. Sickles and pitchforks stained red. Humans drenched in blood. The air thick with killing intent. Faced with that ferocious energy, as if they might seize Yeonwoo and offer him as a sacrifice at any moment, he spoke. "No, I just wanted a better view. Please, continue the feast. Wow, I''ve rarely seen anything like this." The shaman''s eyelids trembled. The club member wore an incredulous expression, but as the shaman began leaping again and people resumed killing each other, the atmosphere once more descended into madness. They killed and died with all their might, neither fleeing nor hesitating. Fighting like mortal enemies, the ughter ended quickly. All the vigersy wounded on the ground. Gasping and takingbored breaths. The shaman took a deep breath of the blood-scented air, then smiled contentedly. "The god of the River Styx will be pleased." The shaman lit some incense. ck smoke rose from it in plumes, flowing into the inner shrine. At the same time, the people''s wounds gradually disappeared. Though spilled blood remained, broken heads, sliced throats, and stabbed torsos healed rapidly. As if they had never existed. The vigers rose with groans of "Oh my," as if they''d never suffered fatal injuries. Then they plopped down in front of the blood-spattered tables. But a few elderly vigers, their wounds seemingly not fully healed, hunched over, struggling to suppress their groans and pain. The shaman blinked their ck-stained eyes a few times, then nodded. "You''ve worked hard, so eat. Those who offered less death remain. And guests, what did you think? Our god-" p- p- p- Slow apuse interrupted the shaman. It was the club''s high-ranking member. The man smiled happily, his face flushed red. "Good. Very good. Excellent. Your salesmanship is truly artful." Could a product introduction be any more intuitive than this? Who could deny its marketability after seeing this? An anomaly that not only grants longevity but even heals fatal wounds! This has definitemercial potential! Of course, he hadn''t fully analyzed it yet, but that could be figured out step by step. "We can have a deeper discussion now. It''ll be beneficial for you too." As the man strode forward, the shaman wore a bewildered expression. This wasn''t the reaction the shaman had expected. Then they noticed Yeonwoo standing by the door. He was frowning. Not a single sane person here, he thought. The shaman who orchestrated this feast, the club member excited about its profit potential - neither seemed in their right mind. It felt like he was the only normal one here- Yeonwoo''s thoughts were interrupted by the shaman''s voice. "And what did you think, guest?" "Ah." Yeonwoo snapped out of his thoughts. Faced with the shaman''s eerie gaze, he spoke without much consideration. "It''s clich¨¦. Nothing particrly special from what I can see." Killing each other? That was just behavior forced by the shaman. A disease that kills people is scarier. Regeneration? The zombies from the hair-loss rain were more persistent. Thus, Yeonwoo actually felt his slight tension dissipate. If this was all, there wasn''t much danger. The boredom was inly visible on Yeonwoo''s face. He just wanted to leave quickly. His expression even looked bored, causing confusion to fill the shaman''s face. "Mr. Yeonwoo! Come inside too. You should im your share." The man strode into the shrine. The shaman followed, tilting their head in confusion, while Yeonwoo leisurely took off his shoes and entered. The shaman and the man walked ahead inside the shrine. That smell, Yeonwoo thought. He wrinkled his nose. He traced the path where the ck smoke had slithered through the air like a snake. The faint trail of smoke led to a painting of the god on the wall. Is that painting the anomaly? So the shaman is handling a single anomaly? Two swipes of the eraser should do it. A ck shadow blocking the River Styx. It seemed somewhat faded. "Hurry up! Every minute counts!" the man called out. "If we start the business a day earlier, we can make that much more money-" "Yes, I''ming," Yeonwoo replied. --- --- A small room in the shrine. Seated on the warm floor heated by ondol, the shaman, the man, and Yeonwoo continued their conversation. The man spoke enthusiastically, his body fidgeting. "This... religion? Vige? Followers? Anyway, have you considered taking on more people?" "If you mean guests-" "I mean outsiders, not us. As you know, we opened a closed passage to get here. That means people cane and go freely." The shaman looked flustered. The flow of conversation was explosive, like a dam bursting in a flood. Too rapid to keep up with. "We''re saying we''ll bring people here, that''s what I mean." The shaman pondered for a moment, then snapped open their fan to cover their face. "First, I need to ask the god-" "Ah, then please summon that god. I''ll negotiate directly." "What do you-" "Just as you serve the god of the River Styx, we''re people of that side too. Sorcery, blessings, magic, spiritual power, whatever you want to call it." As he spoke, the man pulled out a special banknote and set it descend with a lighter. As the fiber, seemingly just a 10,000 won note, burned, the man made a pulling gesture and- Crash- Windows, doors, and drawers all flew open simultaneously. In an instant, 10,000 won worth ofbor was performed ording to the man''s value. Outside air and sound poured in. The shaman narrowed their eyes, then snapped the fan shut. The fan immediately fell onto a small table with a crisp impact sound. "I''ll need time to give a definitive answer. Let''s talk after the funeral first." "Will it take long? No, before that, tell me about this god of the River Styx. To exin well to people-" "Impossible! Wait quietly." The man rose from his seat with a grin. Yeonwoo followed him as they headed towards the house where they were staying. With all the vigers gathered at the shrine, the streets were empty. The man spoke in a low voice. "Now, let''s get down to business. We need to extract information from inside the shrine and keep an eye on the shaman." "Won''t that just raise their suspicions unnecessarily?" "We have something like your fluorescent vests. Wear that and there''s no problem." In any case, the Goldberg Club was in charge. Yeonwoo, merely a participant, nodded silently. 109 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The man sprang into action. He grabbed the radio and contacted Squad 3 guarding the gate and Squad 2 waiting nearby. "Squad 2, grab the stones ande down. Target confirmed." Their sleeping quarters had transformed into a makeshiftb. Folding tables were set up withptops on top, a small generator outside, and a tangle of wires everywhere. Lee Yeonwoo crouched in the corner, quietly observing the proceedings. ''Is this really how it''s supposed to go?''Securing an escape route, dispatching recon teams, gathering intel, establishing rtionships with key figures, sending covert info collection teams... It was a system somewhat simr to thepany''s. Sending investigators, deploying special units based on their intel, cleanup. Their actions so far resembled those of investigators. Yet Yeonwoo felt ufortable, like wearing ill-fitting clothes. ''Is this right? Shouldn''t we be running into anomalies and twisting ourselves into pretzels when we investigate?'' It felt like being dropped in a foreign country. Or eating unfamiliar food. Or perhaps moving from working solo to operating in a group? Yeonwoo scratched his head, then slumped against the wall with a thud. ''Let''s just watch for now. I''m curious about that anomaly too.'' It was a rtively safe situation. Normally, he''d view even minor things with suspicion, but now they became objects of curiosity and interest. Then, Squad 2 came down. Squad 2, oddly ignored despite being seen, suddenly exuded presence as they pocketed the stones. The man ordered them: "Two of you go to the shrine and photograph everything. The rest take turns watching the shaman. And, Mr. Yeonwoo?" The man handed Yeonwoo a ck envelope. Inside were a radio and a small stone. Likely the stone that distorts perception. "Why this...?" "The cemetery seems suspicious. Could you check it out?" They had gathered the bodies of naturally deceased elders in one ce, but it was suspected to be rted to a death-rted anomaly, so it needed to be verified. The man said with a grin: "We''ve excused you from night watch, lent you all the equipment. Surely you can do this much?" "Well, I guess I should earn my keep." He epted the proposal, thinking it would help pass the time, with no inte and boredom setting in. The man tapped the envelope. "When you hold this stone, you''ll be seen as just another roadside rock. Take photos and videos of the graves, and if possible, pictures of the corpses too." He pointed to a corner piled with tools. Yeonwoo casually slung arge shovel over his shoulder. And so, Yeonwoo headed to the cemetery. --- --- The cemetery was on the mountain they had descended, but had to be essed by a different path than the one leading to the gate. Yeonwoo leisurely climbed the mountain path, slowly awakening his senses. He took a deep breath of the fresh, clear air. ''I''m alone. Could be dangerous.'' Even with the eraser, a blow to the back of the head could be perilous. Left alone, his dormant instincts stirred sluggishly. A faint vitality coursed through his blood, energizing his entire body. His steps gained strength, and his mind gradually sharpened. ''Thanks to this stone, I''ve escaped detection. What could be dangerous? Area-of-effect attacks like bombings or earthquakes? Being abandoned here isn''t good either. The crowd itself could be dangerous, like with the worm cult leader.'' His survival instinct, bordering on paranoia, transformed every minor element into a potential threat. ''Can that recovery ovee the eraser''s deletion too? ...The club is dangerous too. They''d kill me for money if they could. The bag and dice are valuable items.'' Lost in suspicion, he arrived at the cemetery. More precisely, a natural cave on the mountain. They said the bodies wereid to rest inside the cave. Yeonwoo stood still, observing the cave entrance. Despite it being a festival day, two men guarded the entrance. They were well-built and armed with swords and bows. Yeonwoo, tightly gripping the stone, cautiously revealed himself. Just his head peeking out from behind a tree. He made direct eye contact with one of the men, but the guard nced over him like a tree branch and spoke: "The festival must be over by now, right?" "Should be. Whew. Good thing we didn''t participate. It''s truly an awful thing." "What can we do? It''s the shaman''s words, and what He desires." Yeonwoo finally fully believed in the stone''s effect. Nodding, he slowly walked towards the entrance. A person passed by them, but the guards were too busy chatting to notice. "What about the old folks? They''ll be brought in here now." "They lived healthily thanks to Him, so after their lifespan, they should be offered to Him." Yeonwoo entered the cave. Into the pitch-ck cave devoid of torches, a beam of white light stretched out. It was the shlight Yeonwoo had turned on. ''The smell...'' Inside the cave, there was a faint scent of the incense the shaman had burned. The smell grew stronger as he walked deeper into the cave, and the low temperature gave off a chilly air. Following the scent, walking carefully to muffle his footsteps for a while. Yeonwoo finally reached arge cavern and. He saw the bodies piled densely, no, those who had be worse than corpses, unable to die. "This is." A quiet mutter sank beneath the wave ofbored breathing. The faint sound of barely-drawn breaths could be heard even from the back of the cavern. Yeonwoo approached one of the corpse-like humans with a rigidly set face. A body so emaciated the bones showed through. A head with much of its white hair fallen out. A face more mummy than human. ck smoke-filled eyes barely moved, following the shlight''s beam. The bluish lips quivered, and a weak voice was heard. "Kill... me... Please..." Yeonwoo realized. They had offered their deaths. Those who offered their deaths cannot die. Having offered death itself to the god of the River Styx, they had lost even natural death. Those fallen into a hell of eternally offering death. The end was horrific. ''I guess it''s a good thing we didn''t perform the ritual.'' Yeonwoo pondered. In this situation, what should he do as an investigator? Rolling around at thepany had further dulled his already blunt sensibilities. Yeonwoo made a judgment as an investigator. ''First, I''ll take photos. Then I should bring one person back.'' Click- Click- He took a few pictures with the camera from the club, then lightly lifted an elder with a small build. He then opened the bag wide and stuffed the elder in, feet first. The elder was thin and small, so with the joints folded properly, they fit in easily. Being an undying body, there shouldn''t be any problems. Finally, Yeonwoo turned to the elder who had begged him for death. "I can kill you. Do you really want that?" The elder barely managed to nod. They couldn''t move even a fingernail''s width, but their intent was conveyed. Yeonwoo took out the eraser. ''I should check if the eraser works on this death rejection.'' The eraser slowly erased the elder''s head. Other nearby things were erased too, leaving nothing above the neck. Murky blood trickled down. Yet, they did not die. Could not die. Yeonwoo realized this fact by checking the pulse on their wrist. ''Still, they can''t recover. ...Rest in peace.'' As Yeonwoo was about to erase the remaining bodypletely, the other corpses writhed desperately. Weak voices poured out, filled with longing. "Me too, kill me too..." "Please..." Eerie voices. Corpse-like humans writhing together in one ce like snakes or parasites. Yeonwoo nodded. "Wait just a few days. I''lle back." If he reported this to thepany, they wouldn''t sit idle. Not when humans were suffering in the clutches of an anomaly. The undying humans went limp. Thebored breathing continued, but hope filled their eyes. An end was in sight for the life they couldn''t die from. And, the ck fog in their eyes saw everything. The scene of the elder beingpletely erased. The sight of embracing permanent death. --- --- Unaware of being watched, the shaman sat quietly in front of the god''s painting, deep in meditation. More precisely, they weremunicating with the god of the River Styx, aherworld being sealed in a small space. ''It is believed that more deaths can be harvested. How should we proceed?'' - ...Wait a moment. It was just as Yeonwoo entered the cave. Though it didn''t notice Yeonwoo, perceived as a stone, it saw the offering erased by the eraser. - Drive them out! Politely! Something terrible to them.... No. Wait. Never mind. Bring them here. If they can wield such a thing, there''s no need to harvest more deaths. A voice echoing in the mind, mixed with 80% fear and 20% hope. - Perhaps I might be able to return to theherworld, ignoring this seal! ''Understood.'' The shaman didn''t know the details but, as always, followed its will. The self-proimed god of the River Styx was filled with hope. - Let''s return to the world after death, please. I''ll never set foot in this terrible mortal world again. Meanwhile, the club members were busy interpreting the data secretly photographed from the shrine. A trantion program made by the club was tranting the ancient texts hidden by the shaman. "The important parts have been tranted." "Exin it." "Yes. This ''god of the River Styx'' appeared in the Joseon Dynasty." The member read fluently while looking at the monitor. "An evil spirit emerged from theherworld and caused havoc around here. But a passing monk sealed it." "How?" "He put it into an undying tree. The recorded conversation goes something like this." - I''ll return to theherworld, so please release me. - Tut-tut. Youck enlightenment. First, understand the pain of life in there. - A dead one doesn''t know the pain of life? - From what I see, you haven''t suffered enough to gain enlightenment. The man''s expression darkened. "Then, is the reason for offering death to escape from that tree?" "Probably." An evil spirit sealed in an undying tree. An evil spirit trying to escape the tree by harvesting deaths. This is.... "It can''t generate long-term profits. Won''t it escape once it collects enough deaths?" "Seems that way." The man smacked his forehead. Could they fail to even recover their investment? Of course, exploring anomalous cities often resulted in losses, but just when they thought they''d hit the jackpot... "Money, money, we need to make money. Let''s see." If they reinforced the undying tree, couldn''t they turn it into an eternal death-harvesting machine? "I guess we''ll have to increase thepany''s shares a bit and get help with the seal in return." Just then, the tinkling of bells announced the shaman''s visit. Quicker steps than Yeonwoo descending from the cave. The man, startled that their infiltration might have been discovered, hurriedly went out. The shaman spoke with an oddly respectful attitude. "We need your help." "What kind of help?" The man said with a grin, but his expression hardened at the shaman''s next words. "You have an object that brings eternal death, don''t you? The god saw everything that happened in the tomb. Use it a few more times for us." Golden lightning struck in the man''s mind. Yeonwoo who went to the tomb. Permanent death. An object with such an effect in light clothing. The eraser! ''...Right. I heard an investigator was carrying the eraser. I thought it was that team leader, but it was this one? It''s certainly hard to imagine.'' The man smiled. "Squad 2. Pick up the stones. It''s time to catch a big fish." This was a jackpot. A jackpot worth risking conflict with thepany! And he heard he had some kind of dice too. How much could the eraser and dice sell for? This was a challenge that couldn''t be passed up. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo, while descending the mountain, recalled something and took out even the fluorescent vest from his bag and put it on while holding the stone. ''I think I let my guard down too much. The Goldberg Club is a hostile group. I should at least secretly figure out how to open the passage.'' 110 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here The expedition leader smiled at the shaman, his expression natural and kind. "We should ask him first. Our affiliations differ, after all." "Is that so? Then I''ll ask him myself. Where is he?" "He hasn''te down from the mountain yet. Let''s talk over dinnerter." The shaman hesitated, then shook their sleeve. The bells jingled as they turned away."See you then." The bell sounds faded. The man stood still until the shaman''s silhouette disappeared, then his expression changedpletely. "Change of ns. The eraser is far more important than this crap. Team 2, prepare for an ambush from hiding, now. He should being down soon. Hurry!" "Is... that alright?" The man nced over; the members wore anxious expressions. It was due to the eraser''s power and the doomsday cultist''s notoriety. The man smirked. "Afraid of the eraser, not the person? A bullet kills just the same, outside perception. Besides, thepany recently lost the eraser to a mere sculptor." He''s only had the eraser for a few days. How well could he possibly use it? The man''s words instilled confidence in the members. They tilted their heads, then clenched their fists with vigor. "Just selling the eraser is worth a fortune. We''ll split it all, so let''s do this. Team 2! Hide around this house! The target will return to report on the grave investigation. Shoot to kill the moment he puts down the stone." "Yes sir!" When Team 2 grasped the anomaly that made people see others as stones, their presence vanished. They scattered to surround the house. On the roof, in trees, beside doors, under windows, inside rooms. Positions to shoot Lee Yeonwoo the moment he appeared. The man continued: "Team 3, act normal. Don''t do anything strange, awkward, or suspicious." "We''ll continue tranting the ancient texts." Team 3 entered a room and resumed interpreting the remaining sections of the old books. "Good. Now, let''s hit the jackpot." The man rubbed his hands together like a fly, dreaming of gold. The eraser, no less. Think of it as an infinitely reusable nuclear bomb. ''Even if I just resell it to thepany, that''s easily tens of billions.'' He''d have to sell at a big discount to maintain rtions with thepany, but if he didn''t care about that rtionship... ''How much could I get selling to others? What could I get?'' This kind of profit was a first in the man''s life. He couldn''t contain his excitement. He entered the small room where he was staying and gulped down water. Then, as the sky darkened with the setting sun, the man''s face also darkened. ''Why hasn''t hee back yet? Did he notice something? Damn it. Is it because he''s a rookie investigator?'' The man hesitated, then picked up the walkie-talkie. After clearing his throat, he pressed the transmit button. "Team 1. Any abnormalities in the passage?" "This is Team 1. No abnormalities." "Really?" "The passage remains closed. No one else has approached. Just wild animals." "...I see." He''s definitely still in here. No, wait. I heard he had dice. From what I understand, it''s an anomaly optimized for manipting probability. He might have used it to escape. ''Did he leave? That can''t be good.'' As the man furrowed his brow, the shaman''s sharp voice rang out. "Is he here?" "He''s not here." The man shouted loudly, then hurriedly went outside to greet the shaman. "He''s still not back, we don''t know what he''s up to." "Are you certain?" As the shaman raised an eyebrow, wrinkles formed on their forehead. The man also frowned deeply. "He''s really not here." "That permanent death is absolutely necessary... When will he return?" "I''m not sure. We''re looking for him too. I''ll let you know as soon as we hear anything." The shaman was about to spew out harsh words with a vicious expression, but the god of the River Styx in their mind stopped them in horror, so they struggled topose themselves. "Do make sure to inform me." "Yes, yes." The man bowed his head perfunctorily as the shaman turned to leave. And there was Yeonwoo. Wearing the fluorescent vest he had brought, with a stone grasped in one hand. Right next to them, hearing their entire conversation. ''I knew something was fishy.'' As soon as he entered the vige outskirts, the atmosphere felt off. So he had waited with two perception-distorting objects equipped, and this is what he found. ''A club that''s noticed the eraser. A shaman and anomaly who want the eraser.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes sank with a slimy re. An isted world, two groups coveting the eraser, himself alone. An extremely dangerous situation. ''I can''t see Team 2. They must be hiding to attack. ...They might betray me. But they can''t try to kill me.'' If they had peacefully threatened from over there, he would have peacefully let it slide. But they crossed the line. His heart raced. Vitality spread throughout his body. His senses sharpened, and his mind spun at high speed. As boredom vanished, survival instinct took its ce. ''...Escape is the priority. The dice is too risky, so I need to find a safe way out. That guy in charge should know.'' Yeonwoo coldly moved his feet. --- --- After the shaman left, the members gathered on the wide floor to set the dinner table. They lit the gas burner, cooked rice with the water they had prepared, and boiled ramyeon. Since all the food was made with supplies they had brought, they atefortably. One member asked: "Did he run away?" "Don''t know. He should have the stone, so he might be around us." "Shouldn''t we just stick to the original n and deal with the shaman-" "Shut up, idiot. We''ll do that too, and get the eraser separately." When the money-blinded man said this, the other members nodded. To be active in the Goldberg Club, you needed a lot of money. You had to offer gold as an annual fee, buy the club''s anomalies, and pay to use other high-ranking members'' products. A member who was eating happily suddenly looked at the man. He hadn''t taken a single bite. "Aren''t you eating?" "No appetite. Ah, we''re so close to hitting it big." Meanwhile, the man gave some members a strange look. Like people with severe tech neck, they thrust their heads forward, burying their noses in their bowls as they ate. ''Did their necks stick out from tranting at theputer all day?'' As he had such a silly thought for a moment, the man''s expression hardened. Crunch, rip- Their necks stretched forward. To an impossible degree for human anatomy, with skin tearing and bones cracking, stretching forward. The chopsticks and spoons that had been moving harmoniously stopped. They were dazed, unable to immediately grasp the situation. Finally, several members'' heads fell off. Thud, bang. Heads rolled across the table. Blood spurted from the gruesome cross-sections. The remaining bodies iled before copsing. On top of that, even the hair of those who were still intact began to fall out in clumps. "...Poison?" No, an anomaly that can be used like poison. Everyone jumped up. The man shouted urgently: "It''s that investigator! Be on guard! Everyone keep your eyes peeled for any traces!" An order to the hidden Team 2 as well. The stone isn''t perfect. It just makes people perceive you as a stone. If you look carefully at each stone, if you raise your cognitive abilities, you can sense something off. But the man''s enthusiasm immediately faded. On the way back to the house where they were staying. Something hit his foot, and a stone rolled. Only then did he see it - a Team 2 member. With half their body grotesquely erased, only half a face remained visible. A corpse that couldn''t even close its eyes. The man''s face reflected in the one remaining eye. His voice and face were stained with shock and terror. "Team 2? Team 2! Answer me!" No answer came. Yeonwoo didn''t miss the traces of them openly retreating in terror. 111 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here They were trapped in the house. A few vigers surrounded the house, keeping watch over them. Gathered in a spacious room, they bit their nails, trembled, and swallowed hard. "What do we do now?" One member asked, his face weary. The food was gone. No water either. They were uneasy about eating anything from this vige. And a killer was after them.The man didn''t answer. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. After a moment, having regained hisposure, the face of the old man who had always feared thepany came to mind. ''That old geezer was right. I was the onecking experience.'' He had stumbled upon an anomaly by chance and joined the club. Livingfortably as a regr member, he identally discovered an abandoned anomalous city and hit the jackpot, rising to be a high-ranking member. He continued exploring after that, but most attempts failed. Even when sessful, he only found safe cities and never faced any major problems. He had never truly fought thepany to the death either. ''That''s why I made such a stupid mistake.'' He shouldn''t have fled recklessly out of fear. He shouldn''t have let the 2nd team die so meaninglessly. He should have tried to persuade the shaman blocking their path somehow. And. ''If only I hadn''t underestimated the opponent from the start.'' His fist clenched tight. His nails dug into his palm. He had been fooled by the clumsy and awkward appearance. No, he had assumed the opponent was a newbie and only saw what he wanted to see. He shouldn''t have done that. The man opened his eyes. They glinted with determination. It wasn''t toote yet. The man set a simple goal. "The objective is survival. We escape at dawn. If we''re attacked during the escape, fight back. Don''t hold back on bullets. Spray them everywhere. Even if one stray bullet hits, that''s enough." The members nodded with resolute faces. Then one by one, theyy down on the floor or leaned against the wall. They needed to rest now to have strength at dawn. The man pointed at two people. "You two take the first watch, change shifts every two hours. And, 1st team. 1st team, do you copy?" - This is 1st team. "Prepare to return. Stay alert." - Understood. As he put down the radio, one member asked. "Yes. But what about that corpse? The old man?" At those words, everyone''s gaze turned to the mummified old man. "Kill me... Please..." That thing, which Lee Yeonwoo had secretly brought, was presumed to be from a grave. Those who lost even natural death, having offered death to the god of the River Styx. The man spoke indifferently. "Leave it be." There was no time to worry about such things. No reason to consider that person''s intentions either. The man closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Though sleep didn''te due to his tired and anxious mind, he somehow managed to drift off. His hand, clutching a bundle of bills and a lighter, went limp. .... "Boss. Wake up. Boss!" "Huh, what!" The man bolted upright. His vision blurred from sleep. He quickly shook his head, holding the bills to the lighter. He was ready to light them at any moment. "Are we under attack?" "No. The atmosphere in the vige is a bit strange right now." The member subtly pointed to the paper door. The other members had also woken up, looking outside with bleary eyes. Outside, so many torches had gathered that their light reached even this house. Faint shouts could be heard. "Kill them! Kill them!" "He promised! He will free us from hell!" The man pped his cheeks to snap out of it. Then he flung the door wide open and tapped one of the vigers watching them nearby. "What''s going on?" "I''m not sure-" "Hey! Hurry up ande out! We don''t have time to worry about guys like these!" Suddenly, the main gate burst open and another viger stuck his head in. Under the torchlight, his face was flushed red with hope and fervor. That viger waved his torch wildly. "He promised us!" "W-what are you talking about?" When the man asked, the viger grinned. "That he''d get us out of this realm of asuras, this endless hell! That he''d free us from the shackles we bear! As the first step, he said he''d punish the shaman!" A hopeful future shown through an eraser. A life where they no longer had to offer death. At the same time, a roar of voices surged like a wave. A swarm of flickering torches rushed towards them. The man''s eyes widened. Torches peeking over the wall, and gpoles standing precariously upright, swaying. At the top of the gpole with white and red cloths fluttering from the shaman''s house, hung the shaman. With their head erased, limbs twitching. "F*ck." The man instinctively stepped back. His hands and feet trembled violently. Less than a day had passed since Yeonwoo had gone into hiding. Yet he had turned the vigers to his side and killed the shaman. Now this vige had fallen into Yeonwoo''s grasp. ''This, this is.'' The man swallowed hard. The opponent was hiding with a stone, controlling undying vigers from the shadows. No, he never gave them a chance to attack from the start. He poisoned them in secret, stole supplies, wielded the eraser from behind, and took over the vige. To prevent any engagement from the outset. To give no opportunity to fire a gun. ''This is a newbie? This is someone with less than a year of experience?'' This was more like an elite agent from the Intelligence Department, wasn''t it? His heart sank. He finally realized. This opponent was no good. The hope of somehow shooting and hitting him was a delusion, misguided from the start. "Ah." Crack, his mind fractured, and the sound of copse echoed. The world blurred, torches spinning round and round. Having lost his only hope, the man opened his mouth wide and wailed. "Run! Run to the portal!" "That won''t do. He told us to kill you all." The old man stepped forward. The elder who had first greeted them when they approached the vige tilted his head, hands sped behind his back. "Kill them. Only then can we die too." People swarmed in, torches in one hand and farm tools in the other. Through the narrow gate, over the wall, through the back door. That horrifying momentum. Killers trained by periodically killing each other. "Run!" Bang- Bang- The club members scattered like locusts, spraying bullets, but the people walked steadily forward and buried sickles in the members'' necks. Under the red torchlight, blood redder than the mes spurted. Screams and shouts echoed. ''No, no. I can''t die.'' With a pale face, the man lit the bills with trembling hands. The bundle of 50,000 won notes went up in mes. ''Hurry! I have to escape! Head for the portal!'' The time-buying bills took effect. The man''s form vanished in an instant. Yet the old man remained calm. "Is it done?" "Yes." Yeonwoo revealed his natural presence while putting the stone in his pocket. He red at the shaman writhing on the gpole. Tsk, he clicked his tongue. ''If only they hadn''t interfered, this would''ve ended much sooner.'' Those guys needed to flee for him to learn how to open the portal, but the shaman had prevented that. So he dealt with the shaman. His fluorescent vest glinted in the torchlight. The old man looked at Yeonwoo with worshipful eyes. The effects of the stone and fluorescent vest were interpreted in a strange direction. ''This person is greater than some god of the River Styx. He dwells in all of nature, so it''s only natural for him to appear anywhere in the world.'' Meanwhile, Yeonwoo pulled out a few time-buying bills from his chest. He had stolen and acquired supplies. He had seen the man use them twice. He had a general idea. Time-buying bills. An anomaly thatpletesbor without dy when paid the value of thebor. It could be used like a superpower. "Chase after that bastard." Whoosh, the bills burned up. Yeonwoo gripped the stone again and vanished. In the ce he disappeared from, a long scream cut off abruptly. The vigers roughly pulled out the bullets and began offering death. --- --- Hah, huff, huuuh! Harsh breathing echoed on the dark mountain path. The man climbed the mountain trail, sweating, sometimes falling, sometimes on all fours, heading towards the gate. ''It was about breaking through the encirclement. I didn''t have enough money.'' It wasn''t enough money to buy sufficient time. He had broken through the encirclement, but arrived at the foot of the mountain. The man moved without rest, as if someone were chasing him from behind. Finally, he reached the gate. "...1st team? 1st team!" To an empty space before the gate. The 1st team that had been guarding this ce was gone. No barricades, no tents, no supplies, all gone. The man pulled out hisst few bills, swallowing hard. ''Thest time Imunicated with the 1st team was before I fell asleep? He attacked here too while I was briefly asleep? After getting the vige under his control? What''s the timeline here?'' He probably dealt with the 1st team first, then went down to the vige and mobilized the vigers. In other words, this ce was safe now. ''Now''s the time! I have to escape now!'' The man hurriedly pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. A small paper simr to an amusement park pass or movie ticket. The moment he moved towards the gate, holding out the paper that could open the door just once. Swish- His forearm was erased. His palm, the pass, fell to the ground, and blood sttered on top of it. The man looked down at his palm with a nk expression. "Huh?" "Is that the anomaly that opens the portal?" A voice rang in his ear. Right next to his ear. Breath brushed his neck. Step by step, Yeonwoo moved forward from beside him. He bent down to pick up the fallen pass. He gripped the pass with the hand holding the stone. Yeonwoo''s expression became strange. The pass looked simr to the guaranteed draw ticket he had once tried so hard to make. ''Did my future self get the idea from seeing this?'' He had given up after everything he made turned out to be things he didn''t want, but seeing it now gave him an odd feeling. ''I guess the dice dislike predetermined results, so guaranteed draw tickets always fail.'' Yeonwoo nced at the man. The man, with a crazed look, was banging his head. "Wake up, wake up!" It''s perception distortion. A roadside stone couldn''t possibly speak. This is the stone''s effect. Of course it''s natural, but this isn''t a natural urrence. It''s thepany''s fluorescent vest. Thepany''s investigator who had been harassing them appearing like this now isn''t natural. Thwack, blood vessels in his eyes burst and blood trickled down. Only now did the man look straight at Yeonwoo. A bestial howl echoed through the mountains. "Why! Why are you doing this to us!" Shouting like this was all he could do. The enemy even had an eraser. So he poured out all his resentment. Yeonwoo waved his hand lightly. The pass clutched with the stone fluttered. "To find out how to open the portal." "Just, just for that you did all this sh*t? You, you crazy son of a-" Swish- The eraser in his other hand traced a short arc. Only the man''s head was neatly erased. Yeonwoo looked down at the man nkly. "Yournguage is harsh. This is the surest and safest method, you know." The headless body of the man swayed and fell backwards. Yeonwoo turned his gaze to the tree with colorful cloths. Aftering down from the grave, he had been moving non-stop, so he had checked the contents tranted by the club. The god of the River Styx and the undying tree. Yeonwoo pondered, then put the stone in his bag, took off the fluorescent vest as well, and ced his hand on the tree. "Are you here? Is this the undying tree?" - That''s right. I am here. O evil spirit wielding eternal death, no, great sage. Please grant this humble one''s wish. The evil spirit, having seen everything through the vigers'' eyes, spoke with a terrified mental wave. Yeonwoo tilted his head. "Why should I?" - ...Uh, well. The evil spirit was at a loss for words. The vigers had already fallen into that terrifying human''s hands, and if it tried to threaten, it seemed likely to be erased while still sealed. In the end, the evil spirit appealed to sympathy. - I have dwelled in this tree, suffering for centuries. It''s not a difficult request. Just kill the wall and send this ce back to theherworld- Swish- The eraser grazed a branch of the tree. A hole opened in the center of the-like branches, and the evil spirit''s mouth shut. "Let''s talk slowly." There was a lot of cleanup left to do. Of course, that was thepany''s job. The evil spirit would probably be used as a useful anomaly by thepany. Yeonwoo swung the pass towards the gate, and the portal opened. He returned to the original world with light steps. ''I survived. Phew. I really shouldn''t do this kind of thing again. Don''t go to isted spaces, and don''t work with hostile groups.'' He could have died without knowing anything if he had made even a small mistake. Yeonwoo shuddered. Goosebumps rose on his skin. ''The world is too dangerous.''Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 112 - City TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here As he stepped outside, the signal returned. Lee Yeonwoo immediately contacted thepany, and the nning Department staff who had been on standby nearby rushed over. Though exhausted from climbing the mountain trail, the nning Department employee greeted Yeonwoo with a broad smile and a deep bow. "You''ve worked hard," he said. He''d heard the gist of the situation during their call. As an employee who knew why Yeonwoo had been dispatched, he was thoroughly satisfied with the oue.A high-ranking member of the Goldberg Club and three teams had been wiped out, and all their resources seized. He was confident they could evacuate the anomalous city before the Club noticed, and the city''s value was immense. A death-harvesting demon and immortal people. ''We''ll reinforce the seal on the demon to create an anomalous entity that harvests death, then use it to establish an immortal army. We can also incorporate the vigers into a department or unit.'' This was the epitome of minimal investment for maximum return. He gazed at Yeonwoo with pride for a moment. Then the employee suddenly said, "You can keep all the Club''s resources, Mr. Yeonwoo. They''re your spoils of war." Using the eraser to control Yeonwoo had too many uncertainties. This case alone proved it. The moment he crossed the line of a survivalist, his eyes hadpletely changed. They''d sent him to cause trouble, but he''d be the trouble himself. To prevent thepany from suffering losses, they needed to offer an equal incentive. But Yeonwoo''s expression wasn''t pleased. He was staring silently at the eraser. After contemting outside for a while, he realized something. "Hey, is the eraser famous? I mean, do other groups want it?" "Of course. It''s probably one of the most famous anomalies in this world. That doomsday cultist must have caused quite a stir." The employee nodded as if it were obvious. "There must be countless people who want it." "Ah." Yeonwoo scratched his head irritably. When he''d only had the dice, he''d lived a rtively peaceful life. Hardly anyone had targeted him specifically. But the moment he acquired the eraser, he felt like he''d been thrown from a calm stream into a treacherous sea. A sea where various predators were after the eraser. ''The risk is too high.'' Yeonwoo, a weak and small fish, began to sense the danger. The eraser wasn''t invincible. Bluntly put, if a sniper shot Yeonwoo, he could die. And those after the eraser would surely be more subtle and dangerous than a sniper. Recalling the rock and fluorescent vest, Yeonwoo''s lips drooped. ''This could drive me insane.'' Any roadside stone could be an enemy after the eraser. Suddenly, it might rain scalp-ripping drops, or someone might transform into a close friend to approach him. He could get hit by a truck while walking down the street. The infinite dangers were as vast as the infinite possibilities of the anomalous. If he had to suspect each and every one of them... "Ah... the eraser..." He rolled the eraser in his hand. It felt too precious to give up, yet too dangerous to keep. Witnessing this hesitation, the employee panicked internally. If he gives up the eraser, how can we issuemands? Clearing his throat, the employee hastily said, "It would be good to keep both the dice and the eraser. Humans can master up to two anomalies." "Master? You mean bing one with them?" "Yes. Some anomalies be one with a person after prolonged use. You gain senses rted to that entity and can use it beyond its limits. The doomsday cultist and the Intelligence Department''s ghost are prime examples." Yeonwoo listened with an intrigued expression. "Of course, two is difficult. But it''s easier than surpassing the limits of a single entity." Gaining two senses was easier than fully merging with one. And the synergy from just two senses was beyond imagination. Yeonwoo quickly thought of potential applications. ''Erasing failure probabilities. Expanding the eraser''s targets. Erasing the opponent''s probabilities?'' This might be worth the risk... ''Ah, it''s not clear. Too ambiguous.'' Take the risk? What if he dies? What if he dies before gaining the eraser''s senses? The employee watched Yeonwoo anxiously, and Yeonwoo made his decision. ''Let''s leave it to the dice.'' Both choices had pros and cons. Unable to choose, Yeonwoo decided to rely on luck. "Dice. I''m not asking for a judgment roll. Just roll once. If it''s a sess, I''ll keep the eraser. If it''s a failure, I''ll discard it." The dice, which had been quietly lurking in a corner of his mind, cautiously made its presence known. Then, leaping fiercely, it began to roll with wild momentum. tter tter tter! Critical failure! Yeonwoo smacked his forehead. It felt like the dice had injected its own bias. Still, a result was a result. Yeonwoo handed the eraser to the employee as if passing a grenade. The employee, looking bewildered, tried to return it to Yeonwoo. "Mr. Yeonwoo-" "Where are you pointing that eraser?!" Yeonwoo leaped sideways with a horrified expression. For a split second, the eraser''s tip had been aimed at him. Thankfully, it wasn''t swung. As Yeonwoo red fiercely at the employee, thetter lowered his eyes, face pale. He carefully wrapped his fingers around the eraser. "W-well, Special Investigator Yeonwoo. While carrying the eraser might be dangerous, thepany will provide equal support. We can inform you about hostile groups'' movements-" "That''s enough." Just look at that agent who was attacked by the Sculptor. What nonsense. He had already made up his mind. To give up the eraser. The employee''s hands trembled. "No, really. It''s better to have two." "I already have more than two anomalies." This attempt at persuasion only solidified Yeonwoo''s resolve. He already had plenty. The dice, the bag. Things he''d been with for a considerable time. Add the rainwater, and it might even be three. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. Three? Three? Didn''t that employee say humans could only master up to two? "Hey, is there a problem if I have three? Will my body not handle it and explode or something?" "It''s not quite like that. It just bes much harder to gain even one sense. There''s a sensory overload. It''s like ying multiple songs simultaneously - it just bes noise, doesn''t it?" "Ah." In that case, it was better to focus solely on the dice. No need to attract unnecessary attention and attacks. If he fully merged with it, he might even be able to use deletion like the eraser. ''I should look into information about bing one. Thepany must have some data.'' With that, Yeonwoo left. --- --- On the way to the investigation team''s office. Walking down the street, Yeonwoo was lost in thought. The eraser''s power was so immense that he still felt a lingering attachment. ''Would keeping the eraser really be that dangerous?'' Wouldn''t people avoid attacking precisely because the eraser was so dangerous? And even if someone targeted the eraser, couldn''t he handle it? ''If I were to target the eraser- no, why would I target it? Let''s think about it this way: what if someone with the eraser attacked me? I knew about it and nned to deal with the enemy in advance. No restrictions on methods.'' Yeonwoo tried to shift his perspective. A topic that stimted his survival instinct. ''Assassination.'' First, the eraser was too dangerous. You must not give them a chance to wield it. ''Shoot after equipping perception-distorting gear.'' Other groups might be able to turn invisible or snipe from afar. Yeonwoo suddenly looked at the windows of the buildings lining the cityscape. He would have to suspect each and every one of them. You never knew when or where an attack mighte from. His gaze shifted to the cars on the street. ''Traffic ident.'' He''d heard that the doomsday cultist brat once possessed a controller that could manipte vehicles. If Yeonwoo had that, if an enemy held the eraser, they would move a car to hit him. They might crash a ne into the building where he slept. Yeonwoo''s steps suddenly stopped. He was about to enter a hamburger joint for breakfast. ''They could target this too.'' After analyzing data to discern consumption habits, they could use frequently visited restaurants or delivery ces. Whether through infiltration, perception distortion, or simply poisoning food discreetly, it would be all too easy. "Tch." His appetite suddenly gone, Yeonwoo shook his head and quickened his pace. In the distance, he could see the investigation team''s office. ''A fixed location. An office I go to every day.'' This, too, was an easily exploitable weakness. nting a bomb would be simple, or they could kidnap Team Leader Hong or Yoo Ji-yoo and approach him in disguise. ''Though I doubt Team Leader would fall for that.'' At the very least, they could smear poison on the keyboard or install a fatal image on theputer that kills upon viewing. ''And if they add in an entity that can curse remotely like the dice...'' Yeonwoo suddenly shuddered. The weather was cold, but he felt a chill from the methods he''d thought up himself. And this was just what someone who knew nothing about assassination coulde up with. To live suspecting everything in the world? "I made the right choice giving it up." The thought of giving it up transformed into the realization that he''d discarded a major headache. If he''d kept the eraser, his mind might have unraveled. Havingpletely abandoned any lingering attachment, Yeonwoo entered the investigation team''s office with a light step. Team Leader Hong, who had arrived early, stared nkly at Yeonwoo before urgently grasping his gun. "You, you. Weren''t you on the expedition? Why are you here?" Could a hostile group have infiltrated in disguise? It was entirely possible. Team Leader Hong swallowed hard and subtly aimed his pistol at Yeonwoo. Even with a gun pointed at him, Yeonwoo nodded and smiled. "The expedition went sideways. Remember I took the eraser? The Club was after it." "Huh?" Team Leader Hong tilted his head. That made sense. Come to think of it, with Yeonwoo involved, there was no way the expedition would have proceeded smoothly. "You''re not hurt? How did you escape?" "Well, here''s what happened-" He provided a concise summary. Finishing his exnation about how he nearly got shot or trapped in that city, Yeonwoo shook his head with a nauseated expression. Only then did Team Leader Hong believe it was truly Yeonwoo and clicked his tongue. ''Why did they have to poke a quiet investigator and create trouble?'' Just because someone specialized in survival didn''t mean they only ran away. To win in the survivalpetition, there was no telling what they might do.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 113 - Consultation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here A room where the 1st Deputy Director, Chief of Staff, and nning Director were meeting. The atmosphere was cheerful as the counterattack had concluded sessfully. They leaned backfortably, smiles on their faces, their voices tinged withughter. The 1st Deputy Director shuffled through some documents and grinned. "The Ghost stole - no, confiscated - all the anomalous objects from three galleries. We also took legal action to seize several Club assets using government authority. Those bastards don''t even have a penthouse to hold meetings in anymore.""That investigator blew up one of their businesses entirely. I like that the best!" As the Chief of Staff guffawed, the 1st Deputy Director red at him. "The Special Forces didn''t do anything. Why are you so pleased?" "Hey now. We''re the ones who do the bloody work. You guys should handle this kind of stuff." The Chief of Staff smiled contentedly, then suddenly nced at the nning Director''s expression. The nning Director was lost in thought, looking at a particr document. He suddenly raised his head and firmly pressed his temples. It wasn''t all sessful. "This is all well and good, but... we can''t use that investigator anymore. He gave up the Eraser, so we have no leverage to make him work." "Can''t we just give him amplepensation, whether cash or anomalous objects?" "It probably won''t work." A screen disying Lee Yeonwoo''s information appeared on the monitor. It shifted to the psychological assessment andpanypensation sections. "He''s estimated to have an aversion to risk itself, and hecks nothing, wants nothing." Thepany had provided him with ample money, and the Dice could rece all anomalous objects. But if they tried to force something... "If we mishandle this, it''ll blow up in our faces. I can''t even predict how big the losses would be if things go wrong." "Investigators put their lives on the line just like us. If we mess around, we''re screwed." The Chief of Staff quickly grasped the situation. There were hardly any missions without mortal danger. For people who couldn''t even guarantee they''d be alive tomorrow, they wouldn''t tolerate absurdity. They''d rather take revenge. Aspany employees who had climbed up from the bottom themselves, they''d seen all sorts of sh*t. Shooting an unlikeable superior in the head, stealing wallets while wearing a fluorescent vest, spiking coffee with memory erasers, firing taser guns atputers or phones. Recalling unpleasant memories, they fell silent for a moment and skimmed through Yeonwoo''s information. "Ah. Still, it''s a shame to let him go. Isn''t he an elite agent at this level? With someone this capable, I''d like to pile on the work." "You think the head office brought him in for nothing?" "Those head office bastards. If they im all thepetent ones for themselves, what are we supposed to do?" "There must be a way to motivate him though." They grumbled while flipping through documents for a while. Suddenly, the 1st Deputy Director made a strange expression. "Why is the information so sparse?" It was too thin for an employee''s profile. Just a few lines on Yeonwoo''s achievements and experience, a few lines on the anomalous objects he possessed, a few lines of psychological assessment. Even for a simple employee, it couldn''t be this short. For a special management target, a profiler should have written an extensive psychological analysis. The nning Director let out a hollowugh. "He''s a newbie who hasn''t even had his health checkup yet. What can you do?" The regr health checkups included psychological counseling. It was to manage the mental health of employees who saw a lot of brutal things. Yeonwoo was still a rookie who hadn''t been there for a year, so he hadn''t received that psychological counseling yet. "But still, just analyzing the reports and actions he''s submitted so far..." "There''s a health checkuping up soon anyway. We can analyze based on the psychological counseling data then. It''s not toote." The 1st Deputy Director nodded with a sigh. Well, from what they''d seen, he seemed to be a diligent employee when it came topany work. It wasn''t an urgent issue. The nning Director wrapped up the conversation. "Anyway, let''s finish messing with other groups here. Keep your guard up in case they attack, and as for Yeonwoo the special investigator..." The nning Director paused briefly, ncing at the calendar. The health checkups for all employees were conducted slowly over the course of a month. "The nning Department will handle it. After the psychological analysis is done, we''ll try to negotiate." If they were human, they had desires, and in exchange for satisfying those desires, they could assign them work. Whether it was simple money, safety, belonging, recognition, self-actualization, whatever. The nning Director felt somewhat confident. --- --- "Team Leader, Senior Jiyoo. Here''s a gift." Some time had passed. The exploration was over, and Yeonwoo had finished writing all his reports. It was the day when the vigers hade out of their cramped space and contracted with thepany to be a newbat unit, and thepany had promised to kill them when they wanted. Yeonwoo took out several bundles of bills from his bag and distributed them to the Team Leader and Yoo Jiyoo. For each person, 10 50,000 won bills and 50 10,000 won bills. The two epted the money with bewildered expressions. Suddenly giving them money like this? Jiyoo''s eyes suddenly lit up with realization as she looked at Yeonwoo. Her mouth gaped in astonishment. "You used the Dice, didn''t you? You used it to win the lottery! I didn''t think you''d use it for something like that!" "What? No, no." "Yeonwoo. This isn''t right. If you give a bribe this openly, the Audit Department will catch you. Give it to me in, you know, cryptocurrency." The Team Leader chimed in with a mischievous look. He''d figured out what this was, but chances to tease this rookie didn''te often. "No, this is..." Yeonwoo waved his hands in the air, then suddenly nodded. His hand moved towards the money bundles. "It is a bit much, isn''t it? I''ll take it back." "Toote!" Jiyoo quickly hid the money behind her back, and the Team Leader nodded as he counted the bills. One million won. Enough to buy one million won''s worth of time. "This''lle in handy. Did you get it from the exploration?" "Yes. I got quite a lot." At that point, Jiyoo caught on too. "Is this an anomalous object?" "It''s what those Club bastards use. The ones who don''t make much money use it. Or humans with too much money to spare." Most used gold bars, they rarely used ambiguous bills like these. They said it bought time, but the amount paid varied depending on the user''s value, and impossible things didn''t happen for the user. After briefly exining, Yeonwoo demonstrated. He took out a 10,000 won bill and set it on fire with a torch. The bill burned without smoke, and Yeonwoo looked at the trash can. "Empty the trash can." As soon as the billpletely burned away, the trash bag disappeared. It probably went outside, neatly tied up. Jiyoo''s mouth hung open. She carefully pulled out a few bills and tucked them into her wallet, clothes pockets, phone case, and shoe soles. Stockpiling for emergencies. Then she stared quietly at Yeonwoo''s torch. "Do you have to set it on fire?" "Probably? I''m not exactly sure either..." "Yeah. You have to burn it with fire." When the Team Leader answered, Jiyoo made an ambiguous expression. "I guess I''ll need to buy a lighter. Still, I''ll put it to good use!" "It''s not a good item. It''s a bit tricky to use in a real emergency." It had some drawbacks making it hard to use in a critical situation. Taking out the bill, lighting it on fire, then waiting for it to burnpletely. It was rather cumbersome. Jiyoo casually stroked the bundle of bills, then suddenly looked surprised. "It''s better than nothing. ...Wait a second. Did you say the Club? What crime did theymit against you to keep getting robbed?" "They were trying to kill me. So while escaping, I grabbed this and that. Oh, I also have rice and water." Yeonwoo opened his bag wide and started taking out supplies one by one. Water, rice, ramen, kimchi, fruit, alcohol, condiments, generator,puter, folding barricade, tent, nket, gas burner, drone, handgun, bullets... As his hands moved busily, the endless stream of supplies left the Team Leader and Jiyoo unable tough or cry. Yeonwoo looked pleased, but after all, these were spoils of war obtained by risking his life. The Team Leader waved his hand. "Stop, stop. Yeonwoo, stop taking things out. Unpack it all at your ce. How can we keep all that here?" "Ah, about that." Yeonwoo scratched his cheek. Embarrassment showed on his face. "My shelter got blown up, right? So I was nning to stay here until I find a new ce. Will that be a problem?" "There''s no problem, but..." The Team Leader quietly averted his eyes. Would the building Yeonwoo stayed in remain intact? His studio building was erased, and the shelter was erased too. If something happened to the office they just renovated... The Team Leader let out a deep sigh. Was the building important? People were what mattered. And he even received bills that could buy time. "Alright. There''s an empty room over there, use that." Yeonwoo smiled brightly as he put everything back in the bag, then went into the small room and took out a sleeping bag and gas burner. After roughly turning it into a livable room anding back, the Team Leader and Jiyoo were chatting while looking at the monitor. "Damn. What''s with this health checkup? It''s just a hassle." "Still, it''s better to get it. It''s free, after all." "It''s a pain in the ass." Yeonwoo tilted his head. "Did somethinge up?" "Oh. Health checkup season''s here." Yeonwoo''s expression hardened. Apany examination? Honestly, he didn''t have good memories of it, and it didn''t seem like anything good woulde of it. He got thrown into the Giant''s world while trying to avoid an exam, and now his physiology had changed from digesting rainwater. If this was discovered in a blood test, it was clear what would happen. ''The researchers will covet my blood.'' Yeonwoo asked in a subdued voice. "Is it mandatory?" "The psychological counseling is mandatory. You can skip the physical exam." "Ah. That''s a relief." Yeonwoo sat down with a much more relieved expression and checked thepany''s message. It said to check the exams he wanted to receive, so he only checked the mandatory psychological counseling and confirmed the date and location. ''The date is the day after tomorrow. And the counseling center is assigned to a ce close by.'' And then, time passed and the day of the counseling arrived. 114 - Consultation TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week Illustrations: None. Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo arrived at the counseling center a bit early, figuring it was better to get this annoying task over with quickly. ''The counseling center... Is this it?'' An old building stood in the middle of the city. Yeonwoo looked up to see strange writing on the windows and entrance. - Jesus Chi therapy! Lame and blind, healed with one Chi treatment! Experience the miracle yourself! - Expert trained in Jesus'' inner energy technique...."What the hell..." Yeonwoo''s voice trailed off as his eyelids trembled. This was clearly some kind of cult. He wanted to turn and leave immediately. He checked the location on his phone again, then tried to calm himself. ''It''s apany building. They probably do this to keep regr people out.'' Even after rationalizing it, he couldn''t shake his doubts. Yeonwoo slowly made his way into the building, eyes wide open and alert. Somehow he made it inside the counseling center. The interior looked more like a proper counseling office than he''d expected. Soft lighting and soothing colors. Plush cushions and a warm scent created an overall rxing atmosphere. ''So it is a counseling center. ...Why''d they do that to the outside though.'' Yeonwoo rxed and loosened his bag. He''d arrived 30 minutes before the 9 AM appointment time, so there was no one at the reception desk. He went to sit in a corner to rest. ncing around, he saw a few pamphlets aimed atpany employees. Anomaly self-reporting, punishment for treasonous acts, suicide counseling, death insurance for employees... ''Insurance? Should I get some?'' Medical support was a basic benefit and rainwater took care of hospital bills, but death insurance... Yeonwoo examined the insurance pamphlet for a moment before flipping it over in annoyance. It gave him an ominous feeling. He wasn''t going to die anyway, so why consider it? He''d be better off getting phone or car insurance instead. Those things were always breaking. That''s when it happened. Yeonwoo froze. He felt eyes on him. Right next to him. ''What? What''s looking at me?'' Cold sweat broke out. Yeonwoo casually slipped his hand into his bag while shifting only his eyes to the side. There was a person there. Nothing unusual about that. It made sense forpany employees to get psychological counseling during health checkup season. Yeonwoo''s eyes started to move naturally away but stopped. This person was the source of that stare. It would be strange to just ignore it. He wracked his brain for a moment, his forehead growing hot from the effort. "Ahh! Who are you?! How long have you been here?!" Yeonwoo leapt up, pulling out his gun and aiming it. The other person, a woman who somewhat resembled Yoo Ji-yoo, blinked in surprise. Her eyes held curiosity and delight rather than hostility. "You can see me...?" Yeonwoo was taken aback. His gun wavered as he stood there, unsure how to react. ''What the hell is this.'' --- --- They spoke briefly, and Yeonwoo grasped the situation. He put the gun back in his bag and sat down nearby, face flushed with embarrassment. "So you''re the Ghost from Intelligence, and Senior Ji-yoo''s older sister? I''m sorry. I panicked and pulled out my gun. I thought you were some kind of actual ghost." "It''s understandable. I don''t have much presence..." Hispanion was indeed Yeonwoo''s sister. She was also an elite agent who had be one with a fluorescent vest. A name he''de across when researching dominion. The Ghost of Intelligence. The name certainly fit. Yeonwoo bit his tongue, fighting to maintain his perception which kept trying to warp. Even though she wasn''t wearing the vest, she kept slipping from his awareness. The Ghost also stared at Yeonwoo''s face with fascination. "Ji-yoo''s mentioned you sometimes. Said an odd new recruit joined. Comined you didn''t act like a junior..." The Ghost let out a smallugh. Even that sound flowed naturally like the wind. Without focus, it was hard to make out what she was saying. It went beyond blending in naturally - she became part of nature itself. "It''s true. Almost no one can perceive me without the vest." "That, um. Must be difficult. Can you manage daily life?" Yeonwoo swallowed blood. He''d bitten his tongue so hard it bled. At this level, normal life seemed impossible without the vest. Restaurants and convenience stores were one thing, but even crossing the street must be dangerous. Cars might assume no one was there and run her over at crosswalks. The Ghost wore a resigned expression. "You get used to it. There are ways to manage. It has its perks too." She went on about secretly stealing ssified info and eavesdropping on executive meetings - plenty of fun to be had. Yeonwoo made an awkward face, then quickly changed his expression. ''She''s be one with the fluorescent vest. I can get advice from her.'' Even after researching dominion, he hadn''t found clear answers. But here was someone who had truly be one with an anomaly. Yeonwoo didn''t want to miss this opportunity. A chance to consult about bing one with an anomaly. "Can you tell me about dominion? I use a few anomalies myself-" "Dominion? That''s not what it is." "Excuse me?" The Ghost hunched over. Her already faint presence grew even fainter, like a real ghost. She continued in a gloomy voice. "It''s contamination. Infection and contagion." An ominous connotation. Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. His senses sharpened as he firmly grasped the nearly evaporating Ghost. His vision narrowed, magnifying the Ghost, while his ears pricked up, making her voice boom like thunder. "It turns normal people into anomalies. Thepany deliberately uses the term ''dominion'' to mislead people and cause misunderstandings." For a moment, he felt dizzy. But his mind kept working, connecting thoughts. Logic and experience surfaced. He quickly gathered evidence and drew conclusions. ''...That''s right. It allows humans to do impossible things.'' Just look at Future Yeonwoo - was that thread-like being even human? More like an anomaly pretending to be human. The shaman family that predicted hair-falling rain was simr. Humans who became one with an anomaly in the form of rain could predict when it would fall. That anomalous trait would be passed down through blood. Yeonwoo''s face went pale. This was no small issue. The Ghost paid no mind to Yeonwoo''s reaction. Excited to directly converse with someone after so long, she blurted out more despite her gloom. "Thepany really doesn''t like this. Says anomalies that pop up randomly are multiplying. I''ve seen a few examples they tried to hide." Yeonwoo listened in a daze. "There are building and area-type anomalies. Humans who be one with those turnpletely anomalous." They attack and devour people, infect others to make them allies, and move to expand their territory. Yeonwoo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. Several problems, potentially life-threatening ones, instantly came to mind. ''The ratio of bing one with an anomaly is the issue.'' Somehow maintaining bnce and merging equally is fine. Future Yeonwoo gave off that impression. That''s eptable. But what if you be one, and the anomaly is 90% while the human is 10%? What if it''s even more extreme? What if only a hint of humanity remains? "Contamination... mutated into an anomaly." Slight contamination alters the senses. More contamination surpasses human limits. Like the eraser-wielding doomsday cultist or Future Yeonwoo. And beyond that level of contamination. You''d be part of the anomaly, as the Ghost described. "Is that why thepany rmends two?" To preventplete fusion. To make the contaminations sh, like yin and yang. ''Wait a second.'' Yeonwoo suddenly had a doubt. It didn''t make sense. "Then why not just load up on anomalous equipment? I heard sensory overload urs with three or more-" "No. Contamination doesn''t care about that. It mixes like paint turning ck. Whether you drink cyanide, Gramoxone, or fugu poison, you end up dead no matter how many you take. Two or three makes no difference." The Ghost continued matter-of-factly. "Up to two contaminations, they still consider you human-adjacent somehow. From three on, you''repletely inhuman." Yeonwoo vaguely grasped the concept. ''They see up to two contaminations as a patient. A patient whose infection can be treated and cured.'' But from three contaminations on, they ruthlessly view you as an anomaly. That''s why they subtly prevent it. "Look at the Special Forces. Lots of units grit their teeth and only use scientific tech. Even if they use anomalies, it''s just one or two. All to prevent proliferation." As the Ghost rattled on, a gentle woman''s voice called from the inner counseling room. "We''ll start counseling now. Pleasee in order." "Ah..." The Ghost looked disappointed. The conversation had been more fun than her annual counseling. Even counseling was done via tablet these days. After fidgeting for a moment, the Ghost stood up. She took out a tablet and waved her hand. "I''ll go first for counseling." "Oh, okay." Yeonwoo was too confused by the sudden information dump to respond properly. He just clutched his throbbing head and pondered. --- --- While the Ghost''s counseling session proceeded, Yeonwoo carefully organized the information. ''The employee I saw after the expedition said some anomalies be one with you if used for a long time.'' Those anomalies were likely the ones that contaminate people. Like the fluorescent vest, eraser, and dice. Yeonwoo stared at the dice with heavy eyes, then closed them. ''I''m fine with bing an anomaly myself.'' Of course, thepany would see him as anomalous rather than human, but they don''t automatically destroy all anomalies. They consider hostility levels and may even ally with or incorporate anomalies into thepany. ''But that''s me bing an anomaly, not being consumed by one.'' If 0.0001% of the anomaly is me, how is that different from death? A life without self-awareness or free will. Yeonwoo bit his lip, his expression dark. ''I need to be careful about this.'' The dice can''t be removed, so the contamination continues. Like ongoing radiation exposure- ''No, wait. This isn''t a problem?'' His thoughts reached a certain point. Yeonwoo''s expression brightened. At least the dice was free from contamination issues. ''The results get manipted before serious contamination urs, right? It self-heals?'' Yeonwoo sighed in relief and leaned back against the cushion. He just had to get through the counseling.Toggle New Ads 5/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 115 - Consultation TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Counseling took time. While the ghost received counseling, Lee Yeonwoo finished contemting and spent time doing useless things. - From cradle to grave, the insurancepany responsible for your afterlife - "I''m not buying. I already have insurance. Wait, how did you get my number?" He grumbled after receiving an advertising call. - There''s a problem with your bank ount. We''re collecting ount information. The issue will be resolved automatically. (Withdrawal in progress... 25%plete)His phone got infected with a virus. He stared nkly at the screen for a moment, an annoying emoticon smiling on a blue background. "Huh? What? What''s going on?" Ding- By the time Yeonwoo came to his senses and frantically tapped his phone, the withdrawal was alreadyplete. The virus disappeared, and so did the money he had in one bank. He stared nkly at the empty bank app screen for a while. Yeonwoo''s fingers trembled as he frantically pressed his phone. His fingers slipped several times before finally essing the transaction history. - Goldberg Club Co., Ltd. -1,000,000,000 "Uh..." The money he''d received for solving the climate anomaly. The money deposited in a few other banks was fine, but the 1 billion won he''d put in his usual ount had vanished. It went into the hands of an unknown club member. "Goldberg Club!" The sound of teeth grinding could be heard. mes shot up in Yeonwoo''s eyes. It was 1 billion won. Of course, he had much more money left, but it was by no means a small sum. It was an amount that could disappear after changing houses a few times. He couldn''t let it go easily. ''Even though I''ve stolen their stuff before, it wasn''t worth 1 billion. Just wait. As soon as a safe opportunity arises, I''ll steal your assets.'' The moment the Goldberg Club unintentionally became Yeonwoo''s target. Btedly, thepany''s notifications rang. - The Goldberg Club is spreading virus-type anomalies targetingpany employees. Please be cautious, colleagues. Check the following link for basic security procedures. (Intelligence Department) - Simultaneous attacks by the Goldberg Club and the Free Artists Association have been confirmed. Employees outside, please return to your departments immediately. Also, elite agents in the field, please respond from your current positions. (Humanity Protection Company Korea Branch) - Additional attacks by doomsday cultists and demon worshippers expected. War preparation level 3 issued. (Special Forces Headquarters) Consecutive notifications. The skirmishes seemed to be developing into full-scale battles, but Yeonwoo''s eyes only saw the empty bank ount. His eyes were a mix of emptiness and anger. - Hello! At that moment, Yeonwoo''s eyes turned towards the window outside. A voice he''d heard before came. - I''m Leonardo da Seoul, the Leonardo of Seoul! It''s been a really long time since I''ve performed! Yeonwoo stood up abruptly, stomping his feet as he moved towards the window. As he pushed the curtain aside, he saw Leonardo da Seoul riding what looked like an election campaign truck. A singer who led people''s minds into ecstasy. The artist he''d seen and caught during training was holding a microphone and saying something. - It''s my first performance sinceing back to the world, so I''m really nervous. Well then, the first song! The intro burst from the speakers. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''splexion turned pale. He recalled what had happened at the end of his training. Like someone whose blood had drained, all emotions drained away as his mind regained rity. His dull, sleeping brain, his intelligence awakened. ''Wait a minute. War? The current situation. ...Ah. Money isn''t important right now.'' First, he needed to stop that artist''s song. Drivers on the road wouldn''t be able to drive and would cause a chain collision ident, and above all, it would put Yeonwoo in a state of carelessness. Creak- Yeonwoo opened the window just a little. Just enough for the muzzle of the gun to fit through. The cold winter wind brushed against the back of his hand, and the dark muzzle peeked through the gap in the curtain. The moment Leonardo''s mouth opened, Yeonwoo''s finger pulled the trigger. Bang! The gunshot echoed through the city center. The bullet grazed the asphalt road. Screech, the speaker let out a scream, and ugh, a rough cry burst from the prepared throat. - What the! Leonardo ducked in panic, frantically turning his head. But he couldn''t find who shot or from where. He threw himself towards the drawing on the truck floor. - Thepany''s already chasing me? I can''t get caught again after just getting out. He escaped to the gallery through a disposable door. Only the truck and the clueless truck driver remained on the street. Yeonwoo quietly watched the escape. He had no intention of killing him here. He didn''t have the shooting skills for that anyway. More importantly, the current situation was the problem. ''Suddenly war? Has the situation gotten this bad?'' The door behind him burst open and the footsteps of two people were heard. It was the ghost and the counselor. They came out, startled by the gunshot. "How did the situation turn out like this..." The ghost muttered, pulling out a tightly folded fluorescent vest from her bag. "Why are they rebelling against thepany... The headquarters seems to be considering starting a war. Are they oblivious?" "Um, senior. Is the current situation-" "Prepare for war. There''s not much for an investigator to do, but you''re not just an investigator, right? You''ll probably be deployed in various operations?" That was the end of it. Swish, the ghost put on the fluorescent vest. And disappeared from perception. Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. Ugh, he bit his tongue to awaken his senses, but he still couldn''t see or hear. Only after the door closed btedly did he hear the bell on the door jingle. ''I can''t even notice at all?'' It wasn''t just invisible man level. He didn''t even realize the door had opened. He only realized after the ghost had left. Literally a ghost. Yeonwoo broke out in a cold sweat. His palm gripping the gun was sticky. ''If something like that attacks me. How do I respond?'' He was confident he could struggle in the face of danger, but if he couldn''t perceive the danger itself. If he got shot without knowing anything. Yeonwoo''s eyes sank. ''I need sensory enhancement. Or cognitive enhancement.'' That''s when it happened. The counselor with a gentle impression gave an awkward smile. She looked at Yeonwoo. "Would you like counseling?" "...I''ll contact the team leader first." Yeonwoo tapped his phone. The call connected immediately. - Yeah. What is it? "Team leader. Should I return immediately?" - Did you get counseling? "No." The sound of the team leader scratching his head could be heard. - Then get counseling ande back. There''s nothing for an investigator to do if a real battle breaks out. Let''s finish managing your mental state first. "Understood. Oh, and I chased away Leonardo da Seoul when he tried to perform." - Huh? Just now? Oh, oh, good job. Anyway, see youter. He seemed to have something to say, but the team leader ended the call. Yeonwoo looked at the counselor. "I''ll get counseling right away." "Then pleasee inside." --- --- The counseling room had an overall green tint, creating a rxing atmosphere. The scent was also natural, and the soft singing was pleasant. Yeonwoo sat in a plush chair, cing his bag on hisp. The counselor held something like a medical chart and a pen, flipped through a few pages, then nced at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo was busy rolling his eyes, scrutinizing the counseling room. As if looking for a bomb. Actually, he felt simrly. ''It''spany counseling. Is it just simple counseling?'' Won''t they use some kind of anomaly? Like truth serum, hypnosis, lie detection, or mental maniption. He wrinkled his nose, suspiciously sniffing the air, staring intently at the interior decor wondering if it was an anomaly, and suspecting whether the soft singing affected his mind. The counselor, having seen countlesspany employees before, understood Yeonwoo''s wariness. A voice mixed withughter came out. "There are no anomalies. Manypany employees dislike using such things." "Is that so?" "Yes. Um, the situation is a bit difficult for counseling. Because of other groups..." She opened the conversation on the current situation. Naturally, various conversations followed. The conversation soon deepened, and at some point led to Yeonwoo''s concerns and pains. Without the influence of anomalies, Yeonwoo was led by the counselor''s words to pour out his innermost thoughts. "It''s the job after all, isn''t it? The stress is considerable. How long can I do this job? Will the daye when I can safely retire? Can I survive without dying as I carry out missions repeatedly?" He''d survived, but each time he went back and forth between life and death. The pressure and stress of those moments. The counselor looked into Yeonwoo''s eyes with a serious gaze. Without replying, she nodded. Yeonwoo continued speaking. "Even if I survive safely and retire, will the problem end? Can I be at ease as long as anomalies don''t disappear?" "You have the same concerns as manypany employees." At that point, the counselor opened her mouth. "Many people experience PTSD. Like soldiers who''ve been through war. They''re shocked by ordinary objects or peaceful daily life, experiencing shbacks and panic attacks. They have nightmares too. Is it the same for you, Mr. Yeonwoo?" "I..." Yeonwoo pondered, recalling his memories. There were some issues right after going through the Human Qualification Exam. His mind couldn''t handle noisy sounds or the exam questions themselves. But now... "No. I don''t usually dream much, and I don''t have panic attacks. Ah. I''m afraid when I see erasers." Except for erasers, not really? The Dying House was the most stressful at that moment, but he vented all his emotions while wielding the eraser to erase things directly. The eraser remained like a trauma. Yeonwoo looked at the stationery on the corner table. There was an eraser. ''Ugh. Terrible. How can such an anomaly exist in this world?'' The counselor carefully observed Yeonwoo like this, then made a subtle expression. Her expression quickly changed. To the face of a gentle counselor. "Um. I check your history in advance for counseling. I hope you don''t find it unpleasant." "Well, whatever." Yeonwoo listened calmly. The missions he''d carried out as an investigator would have been recorded as achievements and experience. It was natural. Some parts would be hidden due to security measures, but still. "Mr. Yeonwoo, you seem to be extremely afraid of death. Do you have any trauma or bad memories from before joining thepany?" Seeing someone''s death. Or a near-death experience. Such memories leave deep marks. But Yeonwoo looked at the counselor strangely. "No. Isn''t that normal for humans? No one wants to die. I think it''s natural to struggle not to die." The counselor listened quietly, and Yeonwoo pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I don''t think I particrly fear death or cling to survival. You know, those people." "What kind of people?" "People who worry about every single ingredient that goes into their mouths or touches their skin for the sake of health. I''m not that extreme." He was living very carelessly. If he had feared death in the first ce, he would have managed his health extremely difficultly. He would have avoided things like caffeine, alcohol, carbonated drinks, sugar, flour, and paid attention to all cosmetics, dish soap, fabric softener, shampoo, soap, and such. Just, when a life-threatening crisis was right in front of him, he struggled with all his might. The counselor nodded, writing letters on the paper with her pen. Then she put the paper aside. It went on the table. "Let''s wrap this up now. I''ll ask onest question." "Go ahead." "What''s your dream, Mr. Yeonwoo? A goal you want to achieve in life or something you want to get right now?" "Dream... I don''t really have one..." Yeonwoo stroked his chin. It was enough to just survive day by day. If he had to wish for something grand. "Safety. I wish the world would be safe. Without anomalies." If anomalies could just be reduced a lot, wouldn''t we be able to livefortably at ease? It would be good enough to live in a world where we could survive without dice, erasers, or rainwater.Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 116 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The meeting of the First Deputy Director, Chief of Staff, and nning Director had changed in nature. It had be a nexus connecting the three departments forming the backbone of the Korean branch - Intelligence, Special Forces, and Branch Management - in preparation for war. All kinds of sounds bustled about. People ran, reports and orders were loudly repeated, keyboards cked and papers rustled. The three senior employees sat in grim silence until the First Deputy Director spoke with difficulty. "Why war..." None of them had ever truly wanted to fight like this. Even the Chief of Staff felt the same. At most, they had wanted to exchange checks and bnces, or engage in minor skirmishes.This remained true even after the Goldberg Club and Artists'' Association joined hands and counterattacked forcefully. But the situation had slipped from their control. A small spark had grown into a wildfire. The preliminary skirmishes had evolved into full-scale war, its scope engulfing not just Korea but the entire world. At the center of the conflict, they smelled the stench of burning. They were the ones setting the fires. The Company. "Headquarters wants it." At the nning Director''s words, they looked at a single email. It was an order from headquarters. Stripped of itsplex formalities, it could be summarized in a few short words: - Let''s go to war. Beat the crap out of all the other groups. The Chief of Staff parted his dry lips. His hoarse voice sank low. "Has headquarters lost their minds? Or have they been mentally dominated by some doomsday cultist? How can all-out war make any sense? Countless people will die, blood will flow." "We didn''t even need war to begin with." The First Deputy Director wearily pulled out his phone and showed them the screen. The call log disyed records of incessant calls from the Korean branches of other groups. Groups have their own lines ofmunication. Those lines had caught fire. "They say they''ll admit their mistakes and make concessions." The other groups had also noticed headquarters'' movements. The Club and Association, which had been gleefully spreading viruses and going on performance tours, abruptly stopped their activities and went into hiding. - Huh? Uhh? Looks like those guys have lost it. - Crap, they''re having a fit! Duck for cover! - Get ready to respond! Though they had been monitoring the Company''s movements and forming alliances, they stopped all outward activities. If anything, they were backing down and withdrawing. "The Club is willing to offer profits, and the Association is willing to hand over artworks." They too didn''t want all-out war. But the nning Director repeated like a parrot: "Headquarters wants war." "No. Isn''t this enough already? Stopping here would be best. If we push any further, the Company - the Earth - won''t be able to take it. No Company employee wants war right now." The First Deputy Director and Chief of Staff looked at the nning Director with desperate eyes. The branch isn''t just a puppet of headquarters. They can refuse headquarters'' orders and influence its decisions. But the nning Director squeezed his eyes shut and said: "We can''t change it. War must happen." "No! No war should ever happen!" The Chief of Staff mmed his fist on the table. For a moment, silence fell around him. The nning Director opened his eyes. He looked at the Chief of Staff and the Company employees with bloodshot eyes. He clicked his mouse weakly. "Look." "What-" The Chief of Staff''s mouth, which had been shouting with a flushed face, and the First Deputy Director''s eyes, which had been speaking volumes, closed. A deep sigh escaped them. "Ah..." War was unavoidable. The document they received was brief: [Earth Extinction Scenario: Anomalous Contamination] [Contamination Level Measurement Report] [Contamination Purification n: War for Destruction] --- --- [Earth Extinction Scenario: Anomalous Contamination] Why write something difficult and heavy? It''s just pessimistically writing about something that those in the know are already aware of. Even if I''m the spokesperson for extinction, I''m not a gloomy person. Anomalies multiply. They contaminate people and the world. Just as tools turn people into anomalous entities, people turn social groups, natural objects turn regions, and regions turn spaces into anomalous entities. So what''ll happen when the number of anomalous entities exceeds a certain level? What if we let them loose without any management? Like the rabbit gue in Australia, the number of entities will explode. Contamination will spread uncontrobly, turning Earth into a of anomalies. Humanity? Would humans living on an anomalous still be human? They''d just be something contaminated and mutated, like aliens from Pluto. So let''s manage the numbers before it''s toote. You get it, right? --- --- [Contamination Level Measurement Report] It''s been less than 100 years since we discovered that contamination is a real phenomenon. Professor Lee of Anomaly Studies proposed the [Anomaly Genesis Hypothesis: The First Anomaly], and it was established as aw when the research team of [Project: Ordinary World] identally created ordinary bullets and an ordinary room, proving it. We found a way to measure contamination levels using a few byproducts of the research, and we measured contamination levels from various angles. To state the conclusion first, we need to implement the purification n immediately. The contamination level has passed the warning level and is approaching the danger level. We need to reverse it now, at its peak, back to the level of several decades ago. 0.4% of modern human genes are contaminated. On average. Humans with particrly high contamination even mutate. Earth''s contamination level showed dangerous signs, enough to cause anomalous climate events. Anomalous climate - didn''t a not insignificant number of its constituent entities multiply in ces we don''t know about and affect the Earth''s climate? The Company needs to move as soon as possible. The two-dimensional world we thought was another universe. The two-dimensional world we thought just had differentws of the universe was a worldpletely overtaken by anomalies. To avoid such a future, we must suppress interactions with the two-dimensional world, develop contamination purifiers, and destroy anomalous entities on arge scale. --- --- [Contamination Purification n: War for Destruction] Certainly, if we leave the contamination any longer, irreparable damage will happen. Alright. Let''s start a war. War is the best option. We don''t have the technology to make contamination purifiers. Technology to purify contamination, technology to eliminate anomalies. Despite the Company''s best efforts in research, we''ve only managed to create 13 bullets and one small room. We can''t even reproduce those. The easy and efficient method is war. Let''s sh indiscriminately - Company, friendly groups, hostile groups - and smash the anomalous entities. While we''re at it, let''s clean up the afterlife too. It''s just another anomaly, isn''t it? It probably ounts for thergest share of contamination. The battlefield: the afterlife. Participating forces: everyone. Let''s purify the Earth. --- --- War was approaching. Lee Yeonwoo didn''t return to the office but went to a hotel room to meet Mark Jung from headquarters. To ask if there would be duties as a special investigator, given the war, and to obtain information about the war. "First, read these." Mark Jung gestured as he sipped his coffee. At the end of his gesture were three confidential documents. Extinction scenarios and ns rted to contamination. It felt simr to the anomalous climate scenario he saw on the day time stopped. Yeonwoo quickly flipped through the papers, then suddenly looked up. Fine. He understood. He didn''t want an Earth ruined by contamination either. But. "Will the Earth be able to withstand it?" He''d heard about and experienced global-scale devices like the Ark and the Broken Clock. Each group probably had something simr. Won''t the Earth explode before we can purify the contamination? Aren''t we all going to die? "It won''t." Mark Jung casually held his coffee cup with both hands. As an employee directly under the Director, he knew quite a bit of information. The danger level 5 and 6 entities that the Company was suppressing. Those stockpiled as weapons. It was time to empty the arsenal. "That''s why the war will take ce in the afterlife. It''s a ce we need to destroy anyway, so it''s perfect, isn''t it?" "Uh..." Yeonwoo gaped nkly. This looked quite dangerous, didn''t it? Approaching hostile groups was one thing, but investigating anomalous entities to be used in the war was another. In Company terms, wasn''t this like investigating the Ark or the Broken Clock? "Can''t I take a vacation? I suddenly feel sick."Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 117 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Thepany''s deration of war spread throughout the anomalous world. The venue: the afterlife. Participants: everyone. Date: one month from now. No exceptions. The anomalous world held its breath at the implicit order to participate fully unless they wanted to see Earth destroyed. Performances, businesses, and worship ground to a stop. Meanwhile, in the shadows, covert movements stirred, probing thepany''s true intentions. Spies extracted information, anomalous entities infiltrated, special effects were used to spy on thepany, and employees were persuaded. They reached a conclusion."Ah, why again? They''re having a fit and going crazy." "They''re serious. Dead serious. This is insane." "Is it paranoia? Persecutionplex? Even humans only start getting contaminated after about 10 years. Why are they worrying about this already?" Contamination was fairly well-known, so they grasped thepany''s resolve to some extent, but couldn''t quite empathize. Instead, they racked their brains in suspicion, searching for a more usible motive they could understand. "Looks like they''re just trying to keep us in check." "They limited it to the afterlife. Seems like they''re nning to use the war to erase it." "Probably trying to kill two birds with one stone." "Seems thepany''s developed anger management issues. Let''s give them some therapy." One thing was certain - thepany was serious and war was unavoidable. Their eyes grew manic too. It had been a while since thest war. This was an opportunity. Win or lose. "War means profit!" "Arge-scale war? This is practically an art exhibition! I think I can find some inspiration." "Oh great demon of hell! We shall offer you sacrifices, so many sacrifices!" "Sounds good. It''s a chance to use magic we couldn''t before because of the aftereffects." The winds of war were blowing. The anomalous world fell into the calm before the storm. A heavy, dark atmosphere hung over every group, as if awaiting a funeral. They moved to the afterlife and prepared materials. And the doomsday cultistsughed. "Haha! It''s a festival!" At that moment, Lee Yeonwoo was preparing to infiltrate the doomsday cultists'' stronghold. An agent from the Intelligence Department came to Mark Jung''s hotel room. The agent opened a bag full of what looked like cosmetics and prosthetics and approached Yeonwoo. "Don''tugh or move." "Okay." A brush applied something that changed his skin color, and his eyes and mouth appeared different. y was attached to change his entire facial structure. Yeonwoo just rolled his eyeballs. "So, what kind of scheme are the doomsday cultists plotting?" "As soon as they heard about the war, only the high-ranking cultists gathered for a meeting. They''re probably nning to use the war to cause some incident." Mark Jung typed on hisptop, head bowed. "We couldn''t find out that much, so you''ll need to investigate, Mr. Yeonwoo. Disguised as the spy we nted." "Spy... I''m not good at acting." "It''s fine." Fine my ass. If I get caught, I''ll have to fight. Just as Yeonwoo was about to make an anxious expression, the agent clicked his tongue. "Stay still. You''re ruining the makeup." "Okay." Mark Jung smiled. "That''s exactly what you need to do." "Pardon?" "We''ve preset the dialogue and behavior patterns to be easy to follow. Yes, no, that''s all you need to say. Just don''t say anything else." That sounded doable. Yeonwoo instinctively tried to nod, but feeling the brush touch his cheek, he stiffened his neck. Then he spoke without moving his lips, like a ventriloquist. The pronunciation was awkward. "Will there bepensation?" It was his duty as a special investigator, but given the nature of the job, he hoped for some specialpensation. Like getting a new shelter, or something like that. Mark Jung nced at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo''s counseling records had been sent up to the Korean branch and headquarters, where profilers had analyzed them in detail. Seeing the results, Mark Jung thought: ''We should be grateful he''s even taking on the job.'' Survival and safety were his top priorities. He had no desires for thepany to fulfill, and conversely, he was a double-edged sword that could harm thepany if used recklessly. Since headquarters already treated Yeonwoo as an elite agent, they had preparedpensation. nk- Mark Jung pulled out a metal cube. He manipted it for a moment like solving a puzzle, with itsplex mechanical appearance. "An advance payment." Click, inside the opened cube was a single bullet. One ordinary bullet. In that instant, Yeonwoo leapt up and jumped backwards. The agent''s brush streaked across his face, drawing an ugly line. The agent heaved a deep sigh. "Come on. I''m trying to do your makeup here." But Yeonwoo stood stiffly, ring at the bullet. Only the case and bullet were reflected in his fully dted pupils. "That''s." His hair stood on end, instincts ring rms. This is dangerous. One wrong move and I''m dead. Mark Jung took out the bullet and rolled it in his palm. The bullet gleamed smoothly in brass. "It''s an ordinary bullet. It inflicts one shot''s worth of damage on any entity, and no interference works against it." No anomalous entity''s interference worked - it couldn''t be judged with dice rolls, wounds couldn''t be regenerated with rainwater. Yeonwoo realized its power and broke out in a cold sweat. Then he slowly exhaled. ''I just need to attack the person with the gun.'' Still, it could be used as a trump card. Yeonwoo looked for the gun. That bullet didn''t seempatible with the Goldberg Club''s pistol. "Where''s the gun?" "Right here." It was a pistol. Mark Jung even loaded it himself before cing the gun on the table. Mark Jung observed Yeonwoo''s reaction. "Are you satisfied?" "Yeah, it''s fine." His words were nonchnt, but his voice and eyes told a different story. Slightly excited, sparkling. It was no less than an advance payment. With just this, the chances of killing an enemy before dying himself increased dramatically. At that point, the agent sighed and handed over some kind of bottle. "We need to redo the makeup from the start, so wash it all off ande back." After a considerable amount of time, the preparations wereplete. Yeonwoo had be a different person. His face was changed, and using some tools, even his physique was altered. ''Even the team leader wouldn''t recognize me like this.'' Yeonwoo cleared his throat, ahem. A gravelly voice came out, altered by the drugs the agent had given him. "Then-" "Don''t speak. Your habits are dangerous. Just say yes or no." "Yes." Yeonwoo left the hotel, hiding the pistol loaded with the ordinary bullet and a tightly folded bag in his inside pocket. --- --- ''Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, yes, no, yes.'' Repeating the words in his head, he arrived at a public restroom in some campground. He''d been told it was a campground where doomsday cultists had been gathering recently, and the spy had just left. Leaving behind their phone, wallet, and such in the restroom. ''Got everything.'' After retrieving the hidden items, Yeonwoo walked as naturally as possible. Not far away, several tents were clustered together. The scruffy-looking doomsday cultists were grilling meat over charcoal, drinking beer, and chatting when they spotted Yeonwoo. "Why are you sote? Stomach ache?" "Yes." "This guy, nervous about the meeting, huh?" "Yes." The cultist flipping meat with tongs shook his head. He''d known this guy for years but had never seen him speak more than two words. Then again, how many doomsday cultists were in their right mind? "Let''s get ready to go. It''s time for the hijacker to open the portal." The cultists started packing up their things. They checked a cart piled with boxes of unknown contents and folded up the tents. Yeonwoo stood quietly to one side, blinking. ''They said the doomsday cultists were gathering today. It''s a ce for high-ranking cultists to make announcements, and I just need to extract information.'' Given the nature of the gathering, it would be dangerous, but Yeonwoo felt somewhat relieved. ''I have the vest, stones, and bills. And dice too. I can definitely extract myself.'' At that moment. Suddenly, a blue door opened. From beyond the door, the hijacker just stuck out a hand. In the hand was a sketchbook with writing on it. - Open for 20 minutes. Move quickly. The hand that had been extended for 10 seconds retreated. "Let''s go!" The doomsday cultists moved. The cart passed through the portal. Then people rushed after it in droves. Yeonwoo also mixed in among them and crossed the portal. The world changed. It was some ind. Blue sky and sea stretched out, and people were crowded around the remnants of a house. Yeonwoo stared unblinkingly at the people in the innermost circle. ''Those people are.'' Each one was a Red-level wanted criminal. They were drinking, lying down, smoking, looking at their phones, sprawled out, but survival instincts set off rm bells. ''They may look rxed, but they''re on guard. Ready to move at the slightest sign of attack.'' They gathered so openly. Was it to draw the attention of other groups? At that time, the cultists who came from Korea were busily moving luggage, and Yeonwoo and a few others sat down haphazardly on the outskirts of the crowd. At the very center of the crowd were the leaders, then those with anomalies, and on the outermost edges were cultists like them without anomalies but with somewhat loud voices. Below that, people were working. Someone opened their mouth. "Heard there''s gonna be a war. Guess they''ll tell us what to do." "That''s great. It''ll be fun to watch the world burn." "I''d be happy if just thepany went down. Damn bastards." While talking amongst themselves, they didn''t speak to Yeonwoo. The spy nted by thepany was pretending to be someone who didn''t usually converse. Time passed. More and more doomsday cultists gathered, and invisible sparks began to fly in the air around the area. Yeonwoo''s senses were already on high alert, so he caught it precisely. He''d seen his future self do something simr. ''Information warfare.'' Sure enough, a cultist looking at their phone raised their head. With an expression full of irritation, the cultist spoke. A strange electronic sound. "Ah, I can''t block anymore. Should we just make the announcement now?" "Let''s do it." A cultist wearing sses stood up. Holding a megaphone, he looked around. His sses shed. It felt like he was seeing something invisible. Screech- The megaphone shrieked before carrying his voice. "In one month, there will be a war in the afterlife. We''ll lie low for a month, then strike Earth the moment the war begins. As we always do, you know." A voice that pierced the ears. In that moment, the cultists'' faces were filled with near-manic glee. Those who wished for destruction even during the climate anomalies. Those who truly wanted the world to burn had seized an opportunity. The bespectacled cultist added fuel to the fire. "We''ve gotten our hands on some of the entities that made up the climate anomalies. We''ll distribute them. Take them, and those who want to band together, stay behind." At that moment, Yeonwoo was certain. ''A lie. No, bait. A feint?'' While the less dangerous cultists strike Earth, the dangerous ones are aiming for something else. Even the climate anomalies were bait. ''No way it ends with just this. The real thing must be elsewhere.'' Yeonwoo''s hand went into his pocket, into the folded bag. And, he grasped a stone.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 118 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here It seemed too risky to barge in recklessly. There were far too many dangerous individuals around. Lee Yeonwoo blended into the bustling crowd, gripping a stone and donning a fluorescent vest. Two perception-distorting objects dissolved into the noisy environment. "Anyone here to attack Korea? Let''s decide on our strike points together!" "I''ve got exploding rice cookers!" "I''ve got hand fans that cause suffocation."People eagerly gathered and chattered, preparing for a month from now. The fervor seemed unlikely to settle anytime soon. Yeonwoo slowly walked around, observing the leading doomsday cultists. He noticed a bespectacled cultist going back and forth repeatedly. "Take this. Information and weapons." Each time he made a round, the documents in his hand changed, and he broughtponents of climate anomalies. There must have been a separate location. Yeonwoo decided to make his move. ''Whether I steal anomalous objects or extract information. Let''s do this.'' He walked the path the bespectacled cultist had been taking. After a short walk down a small trail on a grassy ind, he came upon a site with a few tents and containers scattered haphazardly. There were a few people on guard, but they were all sprawled on the ground, yawning. "The sunlight''s so warm..." "So sleepy..." They hadn''t noticed Yeonwoo. They just licked their dry lips and rubbed their sleepy eyes. Yeonwoo casually entered the tents one by one, starting with the nearest. ''This is for sleeping. This is for cooking. This is... for working?'' A spacious tent with a strange generator producing electricity, lighting,puters, bookshelves, and tables. The scent of coffee and paper lingered faintly. Yeonwoo nced outside the tent, then carefully moved his feet. He reached out and gently pulled out documents from the nearest bookshelf. Seeing their titles, Yeonwoo''s eyes widened as he looked at the other documents. ''National Destruction Scenario? Global Destruction Scenario? Human Extinction Scenario? These are allpany confidential documents!'' The dangers thepany worried about and tried to prevent. But for doomsday cultists, they were the best scenarios to fulfill their dreams. Yeonwoo thought for a moment, then pushed the documents back into the bookshelf. Exactly as they had been. Paying attention to the order of the documents and even the details of how far they stuck out. ''For doomsday cultists, this would be the first information to extract. But rather than this, I need to find out what they''re nning to do in the immediate war.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes turned to the desk illuminated by a white deskmp. As he approached step by step, the neatly arranged documents came into clearer view. It was a map. Thepany''s forces were sparsely deployed on one side of the ck River. A document nning troop deployment. An estimate of the forces of clubs and associations drawn on the opposite side of the river. And a document. [How to Pull the Afterlife Down to Earth] Found it. Yeonwoo took out his phone from his chest and began taking photos of each page. The photos were captured silently. The n was to attack the emptied Earth to draw attention, while the real doomsday cultists would pull down the afterlife to blow up the Earth. Not just destruction, but a n to spread the pollution of war like nuclear fallout. A n full of malice, desiring only the destruction of Earth and the death of humans. ''Are they really insane? Do they seriously want Earth to be destroyed? Why?'' Yeonwoo groaned slightly and his hand trembled a bit. It was a mindset he simply couldn''t understand. ''Why are they trying to kill themselves?'' As he was photographing the documents one by one, he heard it. Rustle, footsteps approaching. The sharp voice he had heard through the loudspeaker followed. "Are you sleeping? At a time like this?" "I''m not sleeping!" "We''re on guard!" Yeonwoo turned around quickly to see a shadow cast over the tent. The shadow of the bespectacled cultist pointing at the guards lying down. Yeonwoo hurriedly arranged the documents. Returning them to their original position. "How many people are focused on this area right now? Thepany, other groups, even spies. Get your act together." "We are on guard!" "No, ah. I understand." The hand that had been casting a shadow over the entrance came in. The hand immediately pulled back the canvas, and the bespectacled cultist walked in. A dark silhouette backlit, only his sses glinting. Yeonwoo pressed himself against the wall. The light from the sses illuminated Yeonwoo. The light grew stronger. It was because the cultist was getting closer. Step by step, the cultist approached until he was close enough for Yeonwoo to hear his breathing, then naturally brushed past. ''Did he not catch me?'' Just as Yeonwoo was thinking this question. Drip-drip- The cultist spoke while pouring water from the coffee pot. "So, where did our gueste from?" "..." Yeonwoo remained silent, and the cultist with his back turned calmly poured water into a second cup. Then he brought forward a box containing coffee and tea. "Coffee? Tea? Or water? Ah. Am I being too merciful by giving an uninvited guest choices?" The cultist turned around. His sses were pointed directly at Yeonwoo, and the cup was also extended towards him. "Water. Drink it." The perception distortion hadn''t worked. ''Right. I thought this might happen.'' These weren''t pushovers who could be fooled by just two pieces of equipment. Yeonwoo''s mind cooled, and his thoughts raced. He had prepared and nned for the possibility of being discovered. ''It''s better to avoid a fight. This is enemy territory. I should pretend to be a deranged doomsday cultist instead.'' Yeonwoo stared intently at the other''s sses and opened his mouth with sincerity. "Those sses. I want them." --- --- The cultist who acted as the brains unconsciously adjusted his sses. The sses that analyzed what was revealed in reality had be one with him, greatly enhancing his senses and cognitive abilities. That''s why he recognized that Yeonwoo was sincere. And that''s why he was confused. ''What''s this? Who is this?'' He had expected thepany or other groups toe. This felt different. The light from his sses intensified. It absorbed and analyzed the information from reality in detail. His sharp gaze scanned Yeonwoo from head to toe. ''Disguise. The voice is unnatural too. And anomalous objects.'' He wore a fluorescent vest and held a stone. A space-expanding bag hidden in his chest, time-buying bills and a lighter tucked in his pocket. There was also a faint smell of demon. Traces of unknown anomalous objects were visible too. He couldn''t identify what they were. He was even contaminated by something unknown. ''Company, club, demon worshipper, unknown?'' All sorts of anomalous objects were mixed haphazardly. This was closer to a doomsday cultist. A doomsday cultist who looted and used others'' anomalous objects. He cautiously concluded. ''An individual doomsday cultist?'' Doomsday cultists don''t always act in groups. Many refuse to attend gatherings. Naturally, such peopleck any sense of camaraderie. Sweat beaded on his forehead. ''A person who came to loot coveted anomalous objects using this gathering as an opportunity?'' Yeonwoo was staring at him without blinking, and that gaze pressed down on him like pressure. The bespectacled cultist was smiling. Though his eyes weren''t visible due to the light from his sses, his mouth was curved in a grin. "You''ve noticed, huh. Haha. If the sses were everything, why would I be here alone and defenseless? If I were you, I''d give up on the sses and run away right now."Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 119 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here While applying makeup, I received intel from the agent. Doomsday cultists to watch out for and their anomalies. But this information was missing. I''d heard this human was all about the sses. "Tick tock. Time marches on, even now. Our dinosaur friend should be arriving soon."As Lee Yeonwoo watched, the bespectacled doomsday cultist smiled. The situation was already under his control. The Reptilian boss would arrive soon, and he was confident he could stall until then. Yeonwoo was confident too. Confident he''d survive this ce, escape safely no matter who the opponent was. ''I''ve got my own tricks up my sleeve.'' His survival instinct hadn''t raised any red gs yet, so Yeonwoo spoke again. "Those sses, I want them." More precisely, they were dangerous. The radar that could detect him had to go. "What?" The doomsday cultist''s face hardened. Was this something to say now? Something felt off. The situation was slipping from his grasp. The sses shed, reading information. Yeonwoo''s expression, emotions, gestures, and the psychology that could be inferred from them. ''He''s serious. He''s not scared or anxious. No, more than that, he''s attacking-'' In a sh! The doomsday cultist standing up and Yeonwoo charging with an activated drill happened simultaneously. With a piercing whine, the fiercely rotating drill thrust forward in a straight line. The drill tip aimed for the torso. The doomsday cultist immediately thrust out his palm as a shield. With a sickening crunch, the drill pierced right through the center of his palm. The doomsday cultist calmly twisted his hand, deflecting the drill. "Are you insane?" Terrible pain shot up to his brain, but he forced himself to control his expression and spoke. "You''d be better off escaping now. I won''t go down so easily. How much time has passed already?" "It''s fine." "It''s not fine. Let''s see. The guards, enough time has passed for them to return, right?" That was right. The time hade. Boom boom boom, heavy footsteps explosively drew closer. Something like a dinosaur''s cry tore through the air. Just as a massive shadow loomed, long ws shredded the tent to ribbons. A yellow reptilian eye poked through the torn gap. With a hiss, a thin tongue flicked out. "sses. Something wrong?" The host of the Reptilian gue. The boss controlling the infected had arrived. "Ah, yes. Here in front-" The moment the bespectacled doomsday cultist spoke with a broad smile. The moment his finger pointed at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo thought. ''Dice. Weaken contamination.'' A perfect roll prepared since hearing about the contamination information. If sessful, the opponent weakens. If it fails, the contamination progresses and they lose rationality, bing closer to a simple anomaly. He made the roll and the dice tumbled- tter- Failure! Weakening the contamination failed. The contamination level increased. In that instant, the eyes of the half-human half-dinosaur monster shed. Savagery filled its pupils, and with a growl, a threatening cry rang out. Its body changed too. Closer to reptile, to dinosaur. Its body grewrger, its skeleton twisted. sses'' face stiffened. "Why did the contamination suddenly-" The Reptilian gue strengthened. The boss, the host of the gue, became closer to a monster and lost control. Howls of the infected echoed across the ind. Like wolves howling, dinosaur cries reverberated. In that moment, sses jerked his head to look at Yeonwoo. Guessing what he had done. But Yeonwoo himself was also backing away, cold sweat breaking out. Shock and terror. ''...Or not?'' No. Yeonwoo had done it. But it was unlike his expectations. The danger was palpable. This wasn''t contamination he could handle. How could he deal with humans who''d surpassed the Reptilian limit, and the infected spread all over the ind at that. Moreover, the infection would keep spreading. ''I should turn it back to how it was before. Dice contamination weakening, no, strengthening.'' With a feeling that failure woulde out somehow, he reversed the roll, and Yeonwoo''s little scheme failed. tter- Sess! Contamination strengthening seeded and it became more contaminated. With a crack, the Reptilian boss''s skeleton kept twisting. Its body grewrger, its skinpletely changed to that of a dinosaur and became bumpy, and the contours of its face also writhed as traces of humanity disappeared. Drip, drip, saliva flowed. Sharp teeth gleamed white. The Reptilian boss, its eyes showing no trace of reason, opened its mouth wide and roared. "¡ª¡ª¡ª!" Dodging the flying spit, sses and Yeonwoo hurriedly backed away. If body fluids infiltrated, or they were bitten or scratched, they''d be infected. "It shouldn''t be going berserk now. Other humans need to stop this thing quickly." sses said anxiously, his feet trembling. ''Dice. Contamination weakening, weakening, weakening, weakening, keep rolling!'' Yeonwoo urgently rolled the dice. Anyway, the probabilities of sess and failure should be simr, so if he kept rolling, the average value shoulde out simr. That means returning to the original state. tter- Boom, failure, failure, sess, boom, failure! But like magic, the results skewed to one side. Towards increasing contamination level. Yeonwoo looked at the results dejectedly. ''How much does contamination increase like this? We''re really screwed.'' Contamination level skyrocketed. The Reptilian boss now couldn''t even maintain a dinosaur form. Writhe writhe- A massive egg. The egg made of leather and chunks of meat was so huge you had to crane your neck to see it all. Pterosaur heads and wings, carnivorous dinosaur mouths and forelegs, herbivorous dinosaur necks and horns, ichthyosaur beaks and fins and the like randomly protruded from the egg''s surface and squirmed. At the same time, screams and explosions echoed across the ind. The cries of the infected influenced by their host. "Damn it." sses wore a resigned expression. This gathering was ruined. If they weren''t careful, even the n coulde to nothing. But the worst case hadn''te yet. With a squelch and a crunch, a long neck emerged from the huge chunk of meat. That thing with just a neck like a straw and no head iled in the air, then suddenly started spewing blood. Whoosh! Red blood gushed forth violently then fell like rain. Each drop contained germs. Yeonwoo quickly spread his bag wide to cover his face, while sses was drenched in bloody water. He tried to dodge based on predictions from his sses, but his body wouldn''t cooperate. "..." Blood dripped down. His head soaked, blood drops fell along his jawline. sses quietly bowed his head and looked at his hand. His hand pierced by the electric drill, his hand smeared with the Reptilian boss''s blood, the wound where the gue was actively infiltrating. "Ah." He was infected. Right away his skin started mutating. Bumpy leather spread bit by bit. His skeleton twisted. His knees, arms distorted as his clothes stretched taut. ws that suddenly sprouted pierced through his sneakers. With a crack, his face swelled and elongated, breaking his sses. Reptilian pupils were revealed. "Get a hold of yourself. Get a hold..." sses staggered, clutching his head with his arms, no, his forelegs. Not just his body changed. The gue that broke through limits invaded his mind. Only the will of the gue, the will to create more infected, filled his mindpletely. Suddenly the doomsday cultist who had worn sses lowered his forelegs. Yellow glowing reptilian eyes looked at Yeonwoo. Eyes without reason, ferocious eyes. At that point, Yeonwoo snapped to his senses. His heart pounded, sending vitality throughout his body, his mind racing. The situation was simple. A terrifyingly dangerous Reptilian boss, and a Reptilian who''d lost his reason. ''We''re screwed, we''re screwed, we''re really screwed.'' He whirled around and ran like the wind. ''Run away!'' The infected doomsday cultist watched that retreating figure. Even with his sses broken, enhanced cognitive abilities made him a hunter. He opened his mouth to roar, then stepped, crushing the sses'' remains as he chased like a beast. The massive egg of meat left behind writhed, craving more infected. --- --- The ind became a mess. Doomsday cultists gathered for the meeting, and Reptilians mixed in among them. The moment the host''s contamination level rose, the Reptilians under the boss were also affected, and in the endpletely lost their reason. "Aaargh! Why, why are you biting!" "These bastards are crazy!" "Kyaaak!" Reptilians who had been transformed as humans revealed their true forms and went on a rampage, wing and biting people around them. People who were attacked staggered then mutated into Reptilians and attacked others around them. The infection spread exponentially. Of course, the doomsday cultists didn''t just take it lying down. "Kill them!" Anomalies and weapons showed clear power here and there. Rice balls flew and became grenades, exploding, and gunshots rang out. Entities they had plundered, lightning snakes and demons of sloth, also revealed themselves, and paintings leapt into reality. Even so, unable to keep up with the speed of infection, it was pandemonium. "What the hell?" The leader-ss doomsday cultists gathered in the innermost area sprang to their feet. They grasped the situation quickly. "Why are the Reptilians like that? Did that bastard go crazy?" "Looks like they''ve beenpletely taken over." "No, wow. More than half are going to die." They looked at the chaos, red in the direction the Reptilian boss had mutated, and pped while giggling. After a moment. They spoke simultaneously. "We should go back. Bye!" "If I stay any longer, I might be in danger too." The Reptilian boss who left after sensing something strange ended up like that. This ce was dangerous for them too. "What''s happening to the afterlife infiltration operation?" "What operation in this situation? We''re short on people so we can''t do it. Let''s just do our own thing like always." They started to return. The person holding a cell phone transformed into green glowing strings of 0s and 1s and entered the phone screen, the person smoking a cigarette scattered as ck smoke, and the person drinking alcohol tantly cut through the crowd looking for a blue door. Other people also dispersed, looking for ways to escape. An ind where the Reptilian gue was spreading. An isted ind except for blue doors. A life-or-death battle between the infected and humans continued. 120 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The Reptilian with mutated sses doggedly pursued Lee Yeonwoo. Though the broken lenses couldn''t fully pierce the perceptual distortion, they still detected traces and anomalies. "Keeek." Its pupils scanned the ground. Deep footprints and bent grass. Blood from the meat egg on Yeonwoo''s body had dripped in a straight line, its scent lingering in the air. The Reptilian flicked its tongue, sensing even the slightest changes in air temperature."Keeeeek!" It had found him. The Reptilian charged, mouth agape. Its ws protruded from its sneakers, kicking up dust as it sprinted. Whoosh, the predator''s body sliced through the air. "No." Yeonwoo threw himself down hard. He hadn''t even wiped off the blood still on his body, teeming with the gue. He nced down at himself. He was covered in the Reptilian boss''s blood. Though he''d covered his face with the bag, his arms and legs were soaked. ''If I get wounded, I''ll be infected immediately.'' The situation looked grim. "Keeek!" The Reptilian immediately swung its ws at Yeonwoo, who rolled once more. Swoosh, the ws sliced through the air, barely grazing his clothes. The sleeve was left in tatters as if cut by a sharp knife. ''If it was just a wound, getting hit wouldn''t be so bad. I don''t know if the rain would even stop the infection. This won''t do.'' He''d have to attack with the bills. Yeonwoo took out the lighter while rolling on the ground. It was a turbo lighter. Click, a blue me shot up instantly. The bills tied to the lighter caught fire. At that moment, the Reptilian froze. Heat and the smell of burning. What remained of the sses'' consciousness instinctively sensed danger. "Keeek!" The Reptilian turned and fled. Thump thump thump thump, it sprinted like a gust of wind, its feet moving swiftly. Now the tables had turned. "Think you can escape? Not happening." Yeonwoo shielded the burning bills with his palm to keep the fire going, then chased after the Reptilian at full speed. Tracking was easy since the Reptilian was openly fleeing. The distance between them gradually widened due to the difference in physical abilities, but before Yeonwoopletely lost sight of it, the bills burned up entirely. The next moment, dozens of drill-like holes opened up in the Reptilian''s body. Blood gushed from each hole. The Reptilian copsed with a death cry. "Keeeeek." Ity in a pool of blood, dead. No movement. Yeonwoo caught his breath, but his expression was grim. He turned to look at the rally site. Smoke rose and shes of light flickered there. Bang, bang, explosive sounds rang out continuously, and keek, aaagh, the cries and screams of Reptilians and humans echoed endlessly. ''In this situation, will the blue door still be open?'' Would any doomsday cultistscking camaraderie or team spirit remain? Just then. Buzz, buzz buzz, his phone vibrated. Yeonwoo hurriedly checked to find a video call from Mark Jung. As soon as he answered, an urgent face appeared and a rapid voice came through. "What''s the situation there now? The Reptilians have gone mad!" "What?" Confused by the words, Mark Jung turned his phone to show theptop screen. The split screen disyed situations from countries around the world. A singer in the middle of a concert suddenly transformed into a Reptilian mid-high note and charged at the audience. In one country''s parliament, a member transformed and bit nearby members, while in apany, the CEO bit employees. Breaking news shed everywhere. The Reptilian gue was spreading worldwide. "The hidden Reptilians that the Reptilian boss concealed are going berserk!" "Uh, well." Yeonwoo rolled his eyes. Then he moved his phone to capture the massive meat egg visible even from a distance. "Well, I''m not sure why, but the boss suddenly went berserk. It''s chaos here too." He moved his phone again like taking a selfie, capturing the rally site in the distance where screams and explosions abounded. This was happening globally right now. ''It feels a bit much to say I started this.'' It seemed too extreme to admit honestly given how far the situation had escted. That''s when Mark Jung''s shout burst out. He saw something. "Above! Look up! Be careful!" A blurry shadow loomed over Yeonwoo. This was dangerous. Yeonwoo rolled forward without even checking. BOOM-! He was caught in the shockwave. A Reptilian with pterodactyl wings had crashed headfirst. "What the hell is this now." Yeonwoo sat dazed, staring at the mutated Reptilian. Its arms had elongated, with thin membranes stretched between its arms and body. Its face had also grotesquely transformed, its lips protruding like a beak. "Mutation... The gue, the infected are mutating!" Yeonwoo unconsciously looked at the phone screen. The scenes broadcast live on theptop. The face and neck of the world-famous singer morphed into that of a carnivorous dinosaur, then let out a roar. The audience, frozen like mice before a snake, meekly offered themselves to the Reptilian. The Reptilian-turned parliament members devoured each other, bing some strange chimera dinosaur, while the CEO Reptilian led its underlings to begin pack hunting. "Uh..." Cold sweat dripped down Yeonwoo''s forehead. The Reptilians transformed from doomsday cultists were dangerous enough, but now they''re mutating too? Yeonwoo looked towards the rally site with trembling eyes. The explosions and screams gradually died down, reced by increasing dinosaur cries. He could see tiny dots of the few humans fleeing in all directions and the many Reptilians pursuing them. Squinting, he could make out Reptilians with corpses impaled on their horns, ones dragging elongated necks and heads along the ground, and some with fins diving into the sea. Things were clearly not right. ''At this rate.'' Even if the blue door was open, could he safely escape there? The stones and vest didn''t seem very effective against the Reptilians'' senses and primal instincts. Yeonwoo widened his field of vision to survey his surroundings as he spoke to Mark Jung. "I''m retreating. I''ve obtained information on the n. Please provide an escape route other than the blue door." He had infiltrated enemy territory. Naturally, thepany had prepared various escape routes. Mark Jung clicked his mouse, then pulled up a nautical chart of the area around the ind. Several ships were racing towards the ind from quite a distance. "At thepany''s request, the navy of a nearby country is moving. They n to bomb that ind, and anding craft to pick you up is headed to this location." A red pin was stuck in the corner of the ind. The time marked there was 3 hourster. Additionally, parts of the ind were colored red with expected bombing times. That was also 3 hourster. "3 hours." Yeonwoo immediately prepared to move. It was plenty of time even walking slowly, but who knew what might happen along the way. That''s when Mark Jung hesitated, then spoke with difficulty. "Is it possible... to collect a sample from the Reptilian boss? It''s not essential. We can handle the current situation by mobilizing countries rather than thepany acting directly, but having a sample would still-" Mark Jung''s mouth shut. Yeonwoo had immediately thrust his bloodstained clothes towards the camera. Though unintentional, he had already secured a sample. Yeonwoo shook his blood-soaked clothes and the bag full of blood. "Is blood sufficient?" "Ah, yes! That''s enough!" Sufficient for creating a cure or using in research. "Then I''ll see youter." Mark Jung nodded with a slightly brighter expression, and Yeonwoo finished preparing to cross the chaotic scene, taking deep breaths. He wiped off the blood on his body as best he could. ''Let''s go.'' He set off, leaving deep footprints behind. --- --- A few doomsday cultists huddled behind trees. Clutching hand fans, tasers, and rice cookers, they looked at the fallen Reptilians around them. "Why did these bastards suddenly go crazy?" "They''ve all turned into Reptilians. Not many normal ones left. What do we do?" Somemented, others voicedints. "What''s the Hijacker doing? Just dropping these things in a big city would be no joke." "Him? He was the first to bolt." The doomsday cultists with some knowledge all fled after seeing the Reptilian boss go berserk. They sought to save themselves, escaping the unknown danger of sudden extreme contamination. Just then, the cultist holding the rice cooker tilted his head. He slowly stood up and approached a Reptilian corpse. The others watched with suspicious eyes. "What are you doing?" "Nothing much. I''m going to be a Reptilian too." "What? Are you insane?" Click, shk, various weapons were aimed at him. But he remained calm. He opened the rice cooker and took out a rice ball. "Honestly, how many could we kill with our terrorism? It''s better to be a Reptilian and spread the gue." "No, are you crazy? How are we even going to escape this ind in the first ce!" An isted ind with no blue door and no boats. The man leisurely grabbed several rice balls in both hands. "Look over there. If we be Reptilians, we can leave." The doomsday cultists didn''t turn their eyes. There was a madman right in front of them to watch out for. In the end, the cultist holding rice balls exined verbally. "Winged Reptilians are flying away carrying other Reptilians. So, let''s all be Reptilians together." With a sinister smile, he scattered the rice balls. The doomsday cultists fired guns, tasers, and turned on hand fans, but it was toote. The rice balls fell onto the Reptilian corpses. BOOM! An explosion. Each grain of rice became a hard fragment and scattered, the corpses bursting like fireworks. Those flesh bits and blood. Unavoidable. "Aagh! You, you crazy bastard!" "Hehe." The cultist holding the rice cookerughed. It''sing. The gue ising. Mutating. Into a superior body, a more dangerous body. The other doomsday cultists grimaced. Rice grains embedded in their wounds, covered in bits of flesh and blood. Their skin immediately began turning to leather. "Urrrgh, keeek!" And Yeonwoo, passing by, stared nkly at his surroundings. "Keeeek!" "Keeaak!" Hearing the explosion, Reptilians were swarming in. From the sky, from the ground, slicing through the wind and kicking up dust as they charged. Even if he avoided detection, he''d likely be trampled to death in their rush. ''Ah, what a waste of bills.'' Yeonwoo took out a wad of blood-soaked bills and torched them. ''Run to the target point.''Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 121 - Contamination TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Thending craft approached the beach at the edge of the ind. A sandy shore stretched out, with blue waves rolling in from the sea. ''Two hours left, huh?'' Lee Yeonwoo checked his phone while lying prone under dense foliage. Having raced here, burning through banknotes without restraint, he''d arrived plenty early. Now he just had to stay hidden quietly for two hours. Yeonwoo nced at the sky.Infected individuals, half pterosaur and half human, circled overhead searching for people and carrying off other infected to escape the ind. Considering what Mark Jung had shown him too... "Ah..." He''d really screwed up big time. Yeonwoo scratched his head vigorously, a troubled expression on his face. Even in an already dangerous world, where people living peacefully in safe cities could suddenly be wiped out by anomalies emerging from the shadows, he''d pulled the trigger himself. ''It''s weighing on my conscience a bit.'' His mind, which had been fixated solely on survival in the crisis, was finding some breathing room. News unrted to survival slowly sank in. A world in chaos. Many people would die, and conspiracy theories would flourish. The dinosaurs were real, they''d say. There were Reptilians among celebrities. A cmity born from multiple dice roll failures had spread across the globe. ''But at least I got the sample.'' Yeonwoo nced furtively at his bag. Since he''d secured the boss''s blood, wouldn''t thepany make a cure or vine? Wasn''t this taking some responsibility, however small? ''Ah, whatever. Thepany will dish out appropriate punishment.'' Whether writing up an incident report, docking pay, or using dice to clean up the mess. Yeonwoo pushed aside hisplicated thoughts and held his breath, gripping a stone tightly. He still hadn''t escaped yet. He let nearby Reptilians pass undisturbed, and how long had it been since he''d killed Reptilians that found his trail using banknotes? The time hade. BOOM! A fighter jet swooped in, breaking the sound barrier. Its guns sprayed bullets, and winged Reptilians fell like leaves. SCREEEECH! On the opposite shore, bombardment had begun. Explosions rang out as ck smoke billowed from spots across the ind. Thending craft carrying Yeonwoo approached the shore, churning up white foam. Soldiers in protective gear and gas masks shouted something while securing the perimeter. ''Sounds like English, but I can''t make it out. Better just get on board.'' As the boat stopped, Yeonwoo climbed aboard with difficulty, holding his bag high above his head. The soldiers in protective gear didn''t notice Yeonwoo. They just shouted loudly at the pile of Reptilian corpses Yeonwoo had stacked up. They seemed excited watching the dogfight between the jets and pterosaur Reptilians. Jumping in shock, doubting their eyes, adjusting their gas masks. At that point, Yeonwoo put the stone in his bag and took off his vest, revealing his presence. Click, click! The soldiers reacted instantly. They aimed their guns at the suspicious Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo raised both arms in surrender. The atmosphere was tense enough that gunfire could erupt at any moment. "Special Investigator Yeonwoo?" One person in protective gear stepped forward. Instead of a gun, they held syringes and vials. Yeonwoo nodded at the clumsy Korean that prated the gas mask. "Are you from thepany?" "Yes. Where''s the sample?" "In this bag." Yeonwoo handed over the bag. The researcher rummaged around inside, then made a strange noise. "Spatial expansion? Even thepany''s still researching this technology." "Just take the sample." "Right, well. It''s not my specialty anyway. I''ll start with disinfection." As the researcher collected blood from the bag and said something in a foreignnguage, the soldiers surrounded Yeonwoo and began disinfecting him. They collected his bloodstained clothes, sprayed some liquid, and put a stic tent-like thing over him. ''It''s over...'' Yeonwoo quietly underwent the procedures while gazing at the ind. Thending craft slowly moved away from the receding ind. The pterosaurs were annihted before the fighter jets, and bombers flew in over the sky now controlled by the air force. Bombs rained down. As soon as they touched the ground, they erupted in explosions and mes. SCREECH! Only the screams of Reptilians filled the ind. An entire ind was bing a wastnd. A barrennd of bare rock, as if from before even the dinosaurs existed. --- --- Events after that passed quickly. Yeonwoo changed transport nes a few times, sent the photos of the n documents, and mostly just slept before returning to Korea. Yeonwoo saw Mark Jung, who hade to greet him. Mark Jung waved with a bright smile. "You''re back? You did excellently this time. Headquarters is very satisfied." He was sincere. In many ways, events had progressed as thepany wanted. "Ah. About that." Yeonwoo''s expression turned hesitant at that warm wee. The contamination happened because of me, so the Reptilian boss went berserk, he wanted to say honestly, but when the moment to confess actually came, he hesitated. ''Can I really handle this?'' The world''s been turned upside down, hasn''t it? In any case, Mark Jung patted Yeonwoo''s shoulder and walked ahead. "We''ll talk details in the car. I''ll take you to the hotel we''ve reserved." On the way to Mark Jung''s car. Yeonwoo made up his mind. ''Right, I''ll be honest. How old am I to avoid responsibility with lies? Besides, it was the dice rolls that failed. This was an ident.'' Moreover, it happened while a special investigator was carrying out his mission. Thepany wouldn''t cross the line. As soon as he got in Mark Jung''s car, Yeonwoo spoke. "I think the contamination happened because of me." "I know." "Huh?" Mark Jung brushed it off casually while fastening his seatbelt. He was busy inputting the hotel location into the navigation system. "You went there, didn''t you? That level of ident was bound to happen." "No, that''s not what I mean." Yeonwoo smacked his forehead, then quickly spoke before Mark Jung could step on the gas. "I caused the contamination. By rolling the dice. Of course, I tried to reverse it, but it all failed and things went to hell." "Are you saying you could even roll back the contamination level with dice?" Mark Jung was surprised by an odd detail. Not the aftermath of the ident or the scale of damage. He stared at Yeonwoo with shocked eyes for a moment. His brow furrowed. "There''ll be a lot of research institutes interested in this. Would you consider doing a few experiments?" "No. More importantly, the Reptilian gue-" "That worked out well. The timing was perfect." Mark Jung stepped on the gas. The car drove off. Scenery shed by rapidly. "We were nning to keep governments from meddling while thepany was distracted by war. Now they won''t have the capacity to meddle while dealing with the Reptilian gue." Yeonwoo was speechless for a moment. It was good there was no punishment or rebuke, but was this right? "Still, the damage won''t be small." "I thought it was really dangerous at first too, but it''s not. The Reptilian gue isn''t hard to deal with." No incubation period, and immediately visible symptoms upon infection. Though its transmission power is considerable,pared to a real epidemic, it''s something governments can adequately handle. It''ll take some time to get the chaos under control, but still. Yeonwoo''s jaw dropped at headquarters'' judgment, dulled somehow to the human impact. ''Is this right? It''s headquarters after all.'' Yeonwoo suddenly realized. Unlike the branch office with its local police feel, headquarters focuses on global threats. They don''t seem to care unless it''s an extinction-level scenario or billions dying. Sure enough, Mark Jung was grinning. "If anything, it turned out well. The boss was the most intelligent of the doomsday cultists." A boss whomanded infected as subordinates. Someone who infected warlords to secure military supplies, infected key figures in various fields to gather information and influence society. "Now that''s all exposed, so at least one arm of the doomsday cult is broken. On top of that." Mark Jung rolled his eyes slightly to peek at Yeonwoo. He looked in great shape, having eaten and slept well on the transport ne. It was especially good that he was concerned about the gue situation. It was humane. Mark Jung said lightly. "The afterlife descent n was ruined by this incident too. They can''t proceed with it now." It all worked out well. A real triple whammy. They threw in one Yeonwoo and three headaches disappeared. Dealing catastrophic damage to the doomsday cult, stopping the afterlife descent n, and keeping world governments in check as they eyed anomalies amid the war between factions. Yeonwoo grasped the situation and slumped back in the passenger seat. "I see. Then I have nothing more to say." As apany employee, it wasn''t really his ce to object to thepany''s decisions. Yeonwoo, an ordinarypany man, stopped thinking and watched the scenery shing by outside the window. --- --- The hotel was near the Anomaly Investigation Team''s office. Mark Jung waved from the parking lot. "Get some rest. I''ll give you a new assignment in a few days." "Again? Something like this job?" Yeonwoo stopped mid-stride as he was walking quickly. His face twisted in disgust. Even this job was something he wouldn''t normally do. It didn''t feel like work for an investigator, no matter how special. Yeonwoo suddenly clenched his fist and turned with a grave expression. ''This isn''t right. This job was dangerous too.'' He should protest this. But faced with actually protesting to headquarters, he felt somehow diminished. It was the ruthless-looking headquarters after all. In the end, Yeonwoo hesitantly asked. "Um, I''d rather avoid jobs like this if possible." "It''s a simple task. It seems we can manipte some groups as we wish, so we just need you to assist a little with that operation." Mark Jungughed and started his car. "War isn''t far off. If you work hard until then, I''ll give you a long vacation." "If that''s the case, alright." "Then rest up." Mark Jung''s car pulled out of the parking lot. Yeonwoo stood watching its retreating figure, his expression turning resolute. ''It seems they keep giving me work because I''ve gotten good results one way or another. If I screw up a few times, won''t they stop assigning me jobs like this?'' Thinking thepany would stop entrusting him with major tasks if they got burned, Yeonwoo headed to his hotel room. 122 - Tree TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The day after submitting his report on the incident, Lee Yeonwoo found himself in a hotel room. Despite having nothing left to do but rx, he wore an irritated expression as he clutched his phone. "Yeonwoo, investigator? This is the director of the Logistics Innovation Center. I was wondering if we could borrow the spatial expansion bag for research purposes-" "No!" Yeonwoo snapped, hanging up abruptly. No sooner had he done so than the phone vibrated again. He answered with an expression that suggested he was about to lose hisposure entirely. "Yes, Lee Yeon-""This is the Admiral Research Team that contacted you earlier! Please don''t hang up. Just reconsider once more! If the dice roll turns out well-" "Look, I have to start work again tomorrow," Yeonwoo interrupted. "Leave my break alone, will you?" The other party tried to say more, but Yeonwoo hung up with a shudder and turned off his phone entirely. ''What''s with all these calls?'' Throughout his break, calls had poured in non-stop from various research institutes and departments. The requests were so fervent that he was grateful the rainwater hadn''t been discovered. He tossed the hot phone aside,nding it on the soft bed. Yeonwoo paced around the spacious room to cool off before flopping onto the bed. His phone was useless, he didn''t feel like watching TV, and he had no desire to use theputer. The TV kept broadcasting news about the Reptilian incident, even iming the Blue House terror attack and the blue flowers and lightning snake were Reptilian attacks. Theputer situation was simr. The inte was aze, and thepany messenger was flooded with endless requests for experiment cooperation. ''What should I do? It''s too early for a nap.'' Yeonwooy still, nkly staring at the ceiling. ''With no phone orputer, there''s nothing to do. Have I always had so few hobbies?'' But he didn''t feel like doing anything - it was cold outside, and he didn''t want to lift a finger. ''Isn''t there a decent hobby?'' As Yeonwoo closed his eyes and pondered what to do, time passed. A visitor arrived. It was Mark Jung. "Why did you turn off your phone?" Mark Jung grumbled as he entered through the door Yeonwoo opened. Yeonwoo wore a sullen expression. "Because calls kepting asking to borrow the bag and dice." "Ah. The researchers." Mark Jung''s expression turned awkward as he took off his padding. Apparently, information about the bag and dice had spread to researchers in rted fields. Even if each person called just once, adding them all up.... "I''ll block contact for now, saying you''re on a mission," Mark Jung offered. "That would be great. Right now I literally can''t use my phone." Yeonwoo''s expression brightened. He''d almost started hearing phantom phone rings. Mark Jung rolled his eyes. Several thoughts shed through his mind. ''It would be good if he participated in experiments. No, we might just blow up research institutes or departments. That won''t do.'' He reached a conclusion. "You don''t n on participating in experiments, right? I''ll block all experiment requests too. Permanently." "Yes, yes. But why did youe to see me?" Yeonwoo asked. It was good enough to stop the annoying calls, but more important was why Mark Jung hade. While Yeonwoo perched on the bed, Mark Jung took out aptop from his bag. Rubbing his hands together to warm them from the cold, he said, "Your next assignment has been decided, so I came to give you the basic information." "Is it dangerous?" Yeonwoo wore a serious expression as he subtly moved to where he could see theptop. Click, click, the sound of mouse clicks continued before a document opened. Under a green emblem of a tree extending its branches upward, it read "Green Association Introduction." "Green Association? Never heard of it," Yeonwoomented. "It''s not dangerous. They''re a friendly group, and not ones to cause big trouble," Mark Jung assured him. Mark Jung scrolled through the document. "Before I exin the assignment, I''ll first exin what kind of group they are." A picture of three slightly ovepping circles appeared on the screen. Yeonwoo silently waited for Mark Jung''s exnation. Whatever the job, every piece of information was important. "The Green Association is a group haphazardly mixing three types of people. Environmentalists, nt alchemists, and the Green Sect," Mark Jung exined calmly. He continued, detailing each group: Environmentalists: Environmental activists working to protect the environment and prevent destruction using anomalies. nt alchemists: Alchemists who research nt-type anomalies, iming nts that bloom and bear fruit with only water, sunlight and soil are the essence of alchemy. Green Sect: Religious people who im nts are gods, and animals who would all die without nts should serve and be ves to nts. ''Wow. Every single one of them is someone I''d hate to get involved with,'' Yeonwoo thought, clicking his tongue. One wrong move and he''d end up dead, ab rat, or fertilizer. His expression hardened. He was being deployed to deal with people like this. "Are you sure it''s not dangerous?" he asked again. "Very likely. You just need to go as apany representative, say a few words, do a bit of investigation, ande back," Mark Jung replied. Could it really be that simple? Yeonwoo''s eyes wavered. "What exactly is the job? You said they''re a friendly group? Why do I need to go?" "They''ve apparently had a change of heart." Mark Jung pulled up a photo of a person with green-dyed hair wearing a devout expression while watering a weed patch. "The leader of the Green Sect reported it. He said the alchemist faction and environmentalist faction have hatched a wicked n." "What kind of n?" Mark Jung furrowed his brow as if it was a headache. He turned to face Yeonwoo directly. "The alchemist faction says they''ll use war as fertilizer to sprout high-risk level trees, and the environmentalists say they''ll kill more humans." Whether it was the alchemists trying to grow dangerous trees or the environmentalists iming poption reduction was the path to environmental protection, both actions went against thepany''s intentions. A war to reduce pollution, a war for humanity''s sake nheless. Having grasped the situation, Yeonwoo stroked his chin. "Then my job is..." "Meet a few people from the Green Association and tell them not to do anything foolish. While you''re at it, investigate what this tree is," Mark Jung exined. Yeonwoo frowned. "How can that be an investigation? They''ll have hidden it thoroughly." Even thepany and the Green Sect leader himself didn''t seem to have urate information. Yeonwoo wasn''t confident he could find it either. But Mark Jung nodded nonchntly. "It''s enough if you find even a clue or trace." With that, Mark Jung closed theptop. He had conveyed almost everything he needed to. Time to leave. Mark Jung packed up hisptop and put on his padding. Lastly, he handed over a note and said, "Thepany will provide transportation. Juste down to the parking lot at this time on this day." "Understood." "Then I''ll be going now. Rest up." Mark Jung left. Alone in the quiet hotel room, Yeonwoo silently looked down at the note. --- --- Mark Jung had left, but Yeonwoo''s thoughts didn''t stop. Rather, hey on the bed, lost in contemtion. This assignment and his own ns. ''This job needs to fail. But how much should it fail?'' Thepany''s trust and assigned tasks were burdensome. So he nned to fail the task to gradually chip away at their expectations. ''But I can''t mess up too grandly.'' His thoughts deepened. On the dark curtain of his closed eyes, various memories surfaced. From the Human Qualification Exam to now. He didn''t want a big incident like the Reptilian boss. That would put himself in danger too. And Yeonwoo did have some loyalty to thepany. Thanks to being scouted by thepany, hadn''t he abandoned his civil service exam life and be a properpany employee? He didn''t want to deliberately harm thepany. Yeonwoo stuck his hands in his pockets, pointlessly crumpling the note as he continued his train of thought, then soon opened his eyes. "Let''s do it moderately," he decided. He didn''t even need anything you could call a n. As Mark Jung said, he''d go convey thepany''s intentions, half-ass the tree investigation, and fail. Simple. Yeonwoo forgot his boredom and restedfortably while preparing for the mission. --- --- The day of work arrived. After boarding thepany-prepared car, Yeonwoo nced at the driver. A burly agent-like figure in a suit and sunsses. ''Is this person from headquarters too? Or from the Korean branch?'' As he looked on with mild curiosity, the agent spoke in a low voice. "I''ll take you to the destination." "Yes. Where is it exactly?" "The Korean branch of the Green Association. Three leaders are waiting." At those words, Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief. ''If it''s the Korean branch, I can rx.'' There was no way the tree the alchemist faction was hiding would be openly kept in a ce like this. They must have hidden it in some secret location. It was an easy job in many ways. Easy to both carry out and fail the assignment. The car drove for quite a while before arriving at the Korean branch of the Green Association. A parking lot with only dirt, no asphalt. "I''ll wait in the parking lot. Please go ahead," the driver said. "Alright." Yeonwoo got out of the car and took a deep breath. It was a wide in. Fields and paddies stretched out in all directions, and farmers were busily tending to strange crops inside randomly scattered greenhouses. A pastoral, peaceful atmosphere. The people who came out to greet Yeonwoo also had a gentle air about them. "Wee. This is the Korean branch of the Green Association. I''m Kim Podo of the Green Sect," said a person with green-dyed permed hair wearing work pants as he extended a hand. It was covered in dirt, likely from working just moments ago. "Yeonwoo, special investigator from the Humanity Protection Company. And the others...?" Yeonwoo shook hands while looking at the other two people. A researcher-like person covered in dirt smiled. "James Park, nt alchemist. See that tree with cats growing on it? That''s a cat tree I modified." "Uh... yes." Following James Park''s finger, Yeonwoo saw a tree that really did have cats growing on it. There was something grotesque about it. Lastly, a college student-like woman spoke with a slightly trembling voice, avoiding eye contact. "I''m Lee Chaerin, environmentalist." "Yes. So all three of you represent the Green Association-" Yeonwoo began. "No. We each represent one of the three factions," Kim Podo corrected. Yeonwoo was about to gape, but mindful of being in front of people, he forced his mouth shut. ''Is this a normal group? Something, something seems very off.'' A dizzying feeling from the first meeting. Just then, Kim Podo pped his hands. "Wee! We''ve all been hoping to talk with thepany. Come, let''s go inside." Yeonwoo gathered his wits and followed them into a thatched-roof house.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 123 - Tree TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Even after everyone had entered the thatched house and sat down, the conversation struggled to start. The representatives of the three factions eyed each other warily, reluctant to speak first. Eventually, Lee Yeonwoo ced his hand on the small table and broke the silence. "I''ll exin thepany''s position. We''ve received intelligence that certain factions within the Green Association have developed ulterior motives-" At that moment, it happened. As if they''d never stopped talking, the three people suddenly erupted into a cacophony of words."That''s right! These bastards-!" "It''s all nder! We''d have to be insane to-" "No, no! It''s true, I swear!" It was like disturbing a beehive. All three flushed red, exploding into violent noise. They waved their hands, pointed fingers at each other, and whimpered. Yeonwoo''s mind went nk for a moment. What was this situation? Weren''t they all part of the same group? ''What the hell? This is a mess.'' His head started to throb. The discord of voices made him dizzy. They''d forgotten about Yeonwoo now, starting a verbal brawl as if ready to grab each other by the cor. "Ha, you think we don''t know? The nts whispered it to us!" "Nonsense! It''s obvious you''re trying to use thepany to wipe us out!" "Don''t be fooled by them!" Yeonwoo rubbed his face with his palm, then banged on the table. The three lowered their voices and stopped arguing. They quietly looked at Yeonwoo, who wore a tired expression. "I don''t care about your internal affairs. I''m here to warn you. Don''t do anything stupid during the war." Coordinating or cooperating with friendly groups wasn''t his job. He wouldn''t know how to do it even if he wanted to. Unless it involved blowing everything up. ''Ah, I''m already exhausted.'' His expression mixed a little irritation with a lot of annoyance. The three members of the Green Association looked at Yeonwoo and flinched in surprise. They nced at each other. Then, as if reaching some agreement through eye contact alone, James Park and Lee Chaerin stood up. "It won''t work with all of us here. How about talking to us one at a time?" "Yes, let''s do that." Yeonwoo nodded slowly. As the two left, only Kim Podo and Yeonwoo remained in the thatched house. Kim Podo gave a bitter smile. "It''s a mess, isn''t it? We''re just a bunch of people thrown together under the name of an association, so there are problems in many ways." "That can happen. More importantly, I heard the alchemists and environmentalists have developed ulterior motives. Exin that first." Yeonwoo quickly got to the point. Kim Podo''s face reddened. His voice rose. "Those bastards! The alchemists who desecrate nts and the environmentalists who want to kill the humans who serve nts! They finally-" "Keep it brief. Just the main points, please." "Ah. Yes." Kim Podo calmed his excitement, looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then spoke. "The nt alchemists n to nt a great tree in the afterlife and use the war as nutrients to grow it." "And the environmentalists?" Yeonwoo asked briefly, without enthusiasm. He was nning to just give a warning, pretend to investigate a bit, and leave quickly. "They''re nning to act like doomsday cultists, saying people must die for the environment to live. The sect hasn''t grasped the details, but..." Kim Podo continued speaking with fervor, determined to convince Yeonwoo. "It''s clear that both factions are preparing to go againstpany policy. Please make sure to teach them a harsh lesson, Special Investigator." "Ah, yes. I understand. Please call in the next person." Yeonwoo waved his hand, and Kim Podo bowed politely before leaving the room. After a short while, James Park entered. He was hugging some kind of fruit basket. "It must have been tough dealing with that lunatic. Good grief, nts are gods and humans are ves? That''s nonsense." Yeonwoo had grown used to people badmouthing each other. He ignored it and looked at the beautiful fruits in the basket. Grapes, apples, strawberries, all unting their lovely colors. They looked delicious even just to the eye. "What are these fruits?" "They''re our main source of ie. Try some. They''re not anomalies, just deliciously cultivated fruits. We sell them as luxury items in small quantities, but they''re quite popr." James Park plucked a grape and put it in his mouth to show the fruits were harmless, but Yeonwoo hesitated and gently pushed the fruit basket away. They really did look sweet, juicy, and fresh, but his counterpart was still plotting something, wasn''t he? ''It doesn''t feel quite right to eat them without worry.'' James Park looked disappointed at the rejected fruit, but Yeonwoo immediately moved on to the main topic. "I heard your alchemist faction ns to use the war as fertilizer to grow some dangerous tree. Exin." At that moment, James Park, who was about to sit down, jumped up and shouted. "It''s not true! Don''t listen to the sect, those lunatics!" That shout and exaggerated gesture. Yeonwoo flinched involuntarily, his hand moving to the gun in his bag as he red at James Park. James Park sat down on the floor with an awkward smile. "Of course, we''re thinking of growing a few nts in the afterlife. Have you heard of mandrakes?" "Just the name, I guess?" "It''s a legendary nt said to grow in execution grounds. We have something simr. Since the afterlife will be a battlefield, we only n to cultivate a small amount." Yeonwoo thought for a moment before asking. "Is it dangerous?" "It is dangerous, but on par with guns or grenades. It''s really not something thepany needs to worry about. A dangerous tree is nonsense!" Then, James Park started speaking heatedly, waving his hands. "More importantly, the Green Sect and the environmentalists have lost their minds!" "The Green Sect?" This was information thepany hadn''t grasped? Yeonwoo asked reflexively, and James Park nodded quickly. "The Green Sect ns to purge other factions using thepany''s hand! They''ll make up lies to find fault!" "And the environmentalists n to massacre humans?" "Yes! They''ve both gone mad, I tell you!" Yeonwoo pressed his temples. He couldn''t figure out what was going on. He had no idea what was true and what was false. ''I don''t think this is something I can investigate from the start.'' Suddenly, Yeonwoo lowered his hands. His clear eyes were revealed. Come to think of it, there was no need to get a headache over this. ''I don''t need to deliberately fail. I''ll just listen to their stories and go back.'' An unsolvable problem, a task that wasn''t his responsibility. It was best to quickly pass it on to the appropriate person in charge. Yeonwoo waved his hand. "Call in that environmentalist." "Yes! Please make a wise judgment. Crush the Green Sect that''s trying to climb up, blow away the environmentalists-" "I''ll handle it myself." James Park ced the fruit basket on the table and scurried out. A momentter, the environmentalist Lee Chaerin carefully opened the paper door and entered. Before Yeonwoo could react, she fell to her knees and started crying. "Please spare us! We really haven''t harbored any ulterior motives! Just please let us live!" "...Pardon?" Yeonwoo couldn''t hide his bewilderment. She''de in and immediately prostrated herself, crying and sniveling. He had no idea what was going on. In response to his unintended silence, Lee Chaerin started wailing even louder. "You''re the elite agent who tore off the doomsday cultist''s arm recently, right? You''vee to clean up the Korean branch as a warning, haven''t you? We really-" "No. First, calm down." Yeonwoo iled his hands, genuinely flustered. ''Well, they could know about that recent incident.'' It wasn''t exactly a confidential operation, and from the Green Association''s perspective, they might be able to gather intelligence on apany employeeing for inspection. But the fearful reaction, along with the earlier two people''sments about teaching harsh lessons and crushing them, left Yeonwoo confused. ''How do these people see me? Sure, I didmit those acts, but I was a victim too, just desperately trying to survive.'' At that point, Lee Chaerin slightly raised her head to gauge Yeonwoo''s reaction, then started crying even louder. Yeonwoo sighed and asked briefly. "I''ve heard that the environmentalists n to massacre people. What''s that about?" "It''s not true! We''d have to be crazy!" Lee Chaerin trembled as she barely managed to lift her head. Her swollen eyes looked at Yeonwoo, and a desperate voice came out. "There are a few extremists. But they''d never dare to actually act on it. If we did something like that..." She swallowed hard. Her eyeballs rolled down to look at the floor. "We''d all die at thepany''s hands. Our hostility level would rise, a dedicated unit would be formed, we''d suffer all sorts of machinations." "Are you certain?" "It''s true. We''re a weak group, aren''t we? We don''t even have a danger level 6 or anything. We really have no intention of turning our backs on thepany." Not just the environmentalist faction, but the Green Association itself was a minor group. To be recognized as a top-tier group, they needed to possess a danger level 6 anomalyparable to a nuclear bomb. Like the Goldberg Club''s Golden Omnipotence or the Free Artists Association''s president. ''If they don''t have a danger level 6, they probably won''t make any weird gambles staking their group. Ah, I don''t know.'' In any case, the situation was spiraling confusingly, and Yeonwoo gave up trying to make sense of it. He just wanted to do his job perfunctorily and leave quickly. "What about the Green Sect or the nt alchemists?" "Those bastards are really plotting something!" Lee Chaerin suddenly raised her head stiffly. "The sect is trying to take over the Green Association-" "And the nt alchemists are trying to grow a dangerous tree? I''ve heard it all, so you can go now. Please call everyone else back in." "Yes. Please just spare our lives. We really, really won''t do anything to be a hostile group." Lee Chaerin kept whimpering until the end, then left the room as if fleeing. Alone in the room, Yeonwoo slung his bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave. "Come in." The three entered. Kim Podo sat down immediately, James Park looked regretfully at the untouched fruit, and Lee Chaerin sat as far away from Yeonwoo as possible. They opened their mouths. "You must have heard everything. You''re probably confused because of these bastards, but if you want an inspection, we''ll bring whoever you point to and guide you to any space." "Of course. We''ll cooperate fully. It''s not like we''ve done anything to feel guilty about. Unlike those liars-" "Please make a fair judgment!" Their voices were loud enough to hurt his ears. Yeonwoo shook his head. "Anyway, I''ve heard your stories well. I have only one thing to say. Don''t do anything strange." "...Is that all? Are you leaving already?" Kim Podo suddenly looked at Yeonwoo with a dark expression. The other two did the same. Under their identical gazes, Yeonwoo adjusted his bag, firmly showing his intention to leave. "Yes. I''ll be going now." The three spoke simultaneously. "That won''t do." "That won''t do." "That won''t do." 124 - Tree TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Something felt off. Something was wrong. Lee Yeonwoo''s pupils dted, absorbing a flood of light. He consciously widened his field of vision to take in all three people at once. All three stared at Yeonwoo with the same look in their eyes, the same expressions, the same aura. A strange tension filled the thatched cottage. Suddenly, a gust of wind rattled the windows, and they snapped out of it as if waking from a dream. "Special Investigator. You haven''t even investigated anything yet, have you? If you leave like this, we''ll be too anxious to live.""That''s right. We''re innocent. Stay for a few days and inspect us properly." Kim Podo and James Park spoke in unison as if they''d never quarreled. Lee Chaerin began wailing again and approached Yeonwoo. Her outstretched hands reached for his feet, her voice desperate. "Save us! We really didn''t do anything wr-" Yeonwoo reacted in an instant. In a sh, he sprang up and backed away until his back hit the wall, while pulling a gun from his bag and aiming it at Lee Chaerin''s head. Click- The dark gun pointed precisely at the back of Lee Chaerin''s bowed head. A finger on the trigger. "..." "..." "..." Silence. Everyone froze. Kim Podo and James'' lips, Lee Chaerin''s sobs. Only Yeonwoo, not even blinking, spoke in a tense voice. "What if I say I have to leave now?" His voice mixed with tension, suspicion, and a hint of hope. Yeonwoo screamed internally. ''This isn''t happening again, right? This isn''t another incident, right?'' People belonging to an anomalous world could be strange, couldn''t they? But his instincts were already ringing rm bells, and Yeonwoo didn''t expect things to turn out well. Indeed, the three dropped their act. "As expected of someone thepany sent to warn us. Little tricks won''t work." "But we''re prepared to fight you." "You''re not leaving." The three spoke in turn as they slowly rose. Kim Podo''s green hair swayed like grass, then flowers bloomed from his head and his skin turned to bark. James Park pulled a dandelion from his chest. Lee Chaerin got up leisurely, staring straight at the gun following her head as she grabbed her clothes. "We''re not representatives of the three factions." Lee Chaerin roughly removed her top. Under her clothes were thin explosives. At a nce, they looked like thick underwear. Kim Podo smiled brightly. "We are representatives, but we''re here to deal with you, not negotiate." "F*ck me." Three people, each determined to fight. Each one dangerous. The bombs, and the unknown effects of the anomalies. Escape was impossible with a wall at his back and three people blocking the front. But he wasn''t cornered yet. Whether through negotiation, dice gambling, or burning money, there was still a way out. Yeonwoo licked his dry lips once. "What''s your goal? There must be a reason you''re turning against thepany and doing this to me?" "Well, about that." Kim Podo sped his hands. Following his gesture, the cottage''s pirs, crossbeams, and floor twisted and creaked as if about to copse. Yeonwoo crouched down instinctively. Despite the house seemingly on the verge of copse, James Park calmly brought the dandelion to his mouth. "What more needs to be said?" The dandelion seeds took flight with his breath. And as the world turned red, Yeonwoo''s sense of time began to stretch. A chilling sensation shot from his toes to the crown of his head. ''No, wai-'' Without warning, the attacks erupted. Lee Chaerin''s explosive vest ignited, the house crumbled, and the multiplying dandelion seeds filled the shrinking space. Before instinct could re up, before he could assess his opponents, violence exploded. The near-suicidal attack Yeonwoo had feared so much. ''No time to even roll the dice-'' Death loomed clear. Yeonwoo, eyes bloodshot and glinting, barely moved in the slowed time. He opened his bag wide to shield his face, and with his other hand, he covered his head and crouched down. That was all he could do. KABOOM! The shockwave pummeled his insides. Debris from the copsed building - crossbeams and roof fragments - battered his head. Dandelion seeds took root on his exposed skin. Yeonwoo clung desperately to his fading consciousness and uttered hisst words. ''Dice, revive me if I die!'' With that, he cked out. --- --- His whole body ached. His insides churned. He couldn''t breathe. He felt like he was dying. Yeonwoo''s eyelids fluttered, and he recalled the memory. The scene of those crazy Green Association peopleunching their suicide attack. The copsing house, the explosion, and the dandelion seeds taking root on his skin. ''I''m alive... I am.'' He really felt like he was dying from the pain, but he was alive for now. Judging by theck of his probability-calcting sense, it seemed he hadn''t died in the first ce. The dizzying confusion and hazy consciousness gave way to survival instinct. His thoughts began to flow. ''What''s the situation now? I feel constrained, so I must be tied up.'' Yeonwoo slightly opened his eyes. From the outside, they would still appear closed, opened just enough for a narrow view that hazily revealed a new location. An underground dugout. A brightly lit underground space with yellow lighting reminiscent of the sun. Definitely not thepany. Yeonwoo naturally lowered his head, revealing tree roots, chains, and wires tightly binding his body, connected to various booby traps. And not just one booby trap, but different kinds. From standard explosives to fruits that looked like bombs. ''These f*cking lunatics, I really... No. No. First, I need to escape. I have to survive.'' Yeonwoo forcefully suppressed his surging anger. Though he wanted to exact revenge right away, to blow everything up, he had to focus on escaping first. ''It''s a gamble, but I''ll have to roll the dice for teleportation.'' Even if he critically failed, he''d just be transported to a dangerous two-dimensional world. Better than being forcibly captured like this. Just as Yeonwoo was about to call upon the dice. A voice was heard. Kim Podo''s tired voice. "Don''t think about escaping. We''ve nted seeds in your body. The moment you move anywhere, those seeds will use you as fertilizer and grow. You''ll die." They knew he was awake. Even teleportation had been preemptively blocked. He was being treated almost like a strictly isted anomalous entity. Yeonwoo stopped pretending and opened his eyes. His damp, sunken eyes looked at Kim Podo. Kim Podo, his body in shambles, approached Yeonwoo and slumped down. "I didn''t expect you to wake up so quickly. Your body isn''t at the level of an ordinary human, is it?" "..." "Ah, don''t think about rolling anything against me either. If anything happens to me, those booby traps will go off. Even if I fall asleep or get persuaded." It felt like all his weaknesses had beenpletely exposed and targeted. He''d been ambushed, his body bound, and all the dice rolls he''d used so far had been countered by his opponent. But Yeonwoo wasn''t the type to feel helpless or despair. ''Doesn''t matter.'' He''d find a way to survive somehow. Survival instinct stirred, and a strange sensation pricked up. His mind cleared, thoughts expanding and flowing at high speed. Yeonwoo suddenly spoke. "My information. You know it disturbingly well." He''d dropped the polite speech. He wasn''t in the mood for courtesy. "That''s right. We paid a fortune in gold to the Goldberg Club to buy it. Your reports, video footage kept by thepany - we stayed up nights poring over it all to prepare." Kim Podomented how difficult it had been because the dice were too versatile, how hard they''d worked in the short time since Yeonwoo''s arrival date was set. Yeonwoo grasped the situation as well. ''A dedicated unit...'' These people were a dedicated unit prepared solely for Yeonwoo. A simultaneous attack exploiting the dice''s dy, an ambush wary of his abnormally keen survival instinct, traps designed to counter Yeonwoo. They knew Yeonwoo''s dangers better than Yeonwoo himself. Yet the reason they kept him alive instead of killing him... ''They want something from me, or from the dice.'' If so, he could use that. "For now, let''s talk until Lee Chaerin and James Park open up again. Do you see that tree over there?" Yeonwoo barely turned his tightly bound neck following Kim Podo''s gesture. There, in the warm light, was a tree where people bloomed. Lee Chaerin and James Park, who had detonated the bombs, hung curled up like fruit. "This is the One Tree, a core entity of the Green Association. Each branch has one. It''s also why we can''t split up no matter how much our factions fight." A family reborn from the One Tree. Minds connected through the One Tree. Kim Podo looked at the tightly bound Yeonwoo. "You can enjoy this benefit too. Quit thepany ande over to our side. If you be our family, death isn''t the end." Now they tried to persuade him. Yeonwoo showed no reaction. ''Can''t trust them. Don''t want to join them either.'' After what they''d done to him. Yeonwoo silently called upon the dice. He might as well gather information. ''What should I roll? Right, spontaneousbustion on that tree would be good.'' The dice rolled- Sess! That''s when it happened. Kim Podo''s face hardened. The One Tree suddenly caught fire. There was absolutely no reason for a fire to start. The One Tree began to burn fiercely. Yeonwoo''s voice reached his ears. "Looks like there''s a fire?" "You!" Kim Podo sprang up and red at Yeonwoo. The fire couldn''t have started without Yeonwoo''s dice. Despite the angry gaze, Yeonwoo didn''t even blink, just stared at Kim Podo''s face. Perceiving Kim Podo''s emotions, expressions. "Aren''t you going to check on it?" "...If I leave my post, who knows what you''ll do! Other family members will put it out anyway!" Despite fire extinguishers strewn right next to the tree, Kim Podo chose to keep watch over Yeonwoo. ''Monitoring me is more important than damage to their core entity.'' Then, they must desire something more important than the core entity. Lightning shed through Yeonwoo''s mind. The lightning struck in jagged bolts, piercing through all the information and fragmentary clues he''d seen and heard so far. ''Something more important than the core entity. Something that would make them hostile to thepany. Something they want from me. The tree thepany told me to investigate.'' Everything connected. Yeonwoo''s lips suddenly curled up. "The Great Tree? It''d be Danger Level 6, right? You''re thinking of using the dice to grow it?" Danger Level 6. An entityparable to the existence of nuclear weapons - not just one nuclear bomb, but epassing the danger of nuclear war that could be triggered by nuclear weapons. The minimum condition to speak on equal terms with thepany. ''This is just...'' Kim Podo''s expression turned pale. Not from his injuries or blood loss, but because of Yeonwoo. Because of Yeonwoo, who was strictly bound and even had seeds nted in him. He''d thought that growing a tree on the battlefield would surely mean death, that using Yeonwoo alone, relying on the dice''s probability, had a higher chance of sess. Yeonwoo grinned. "Looks like I can threaten you guys." Yeonwoo spoke in a low voice, almost whispering. "I can revive even if I die, but this is yourst chance, isn''t it?" If they couldn''t grow the tree, thepany would dismantle the Green Association.Toggle New Ads 5/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 125 - Tree TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Many small groups shared a modest wish. They wanted to possess a danger level 6 anomaly that was controble, with manageable risks and consequences, and that fit their group''s concept! In that respect, the Green Association was lucky. They had obtained seeds of a great tree that met their conditions. They had gained the opportunity to sprout that great tree. In that respect, the Green Association was also unlucky.Because that opportunity came in the form of Lee Yeonwoo. ''I''vepletely restrained him. I''ve prepared for all the rolls Yeonwoo might make. His life is in our hands. And yet...'' Kim Podo gulped. He looked at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo was bound in different ways by anomalies, analog devices, and electronic equipment. He was threatened with death and under constant surveince, with only his face exposed. In that powerless situation, Yeonwoo had regained control of the conversation. Not just in momentum or logic, but in reality. "Maybe I won''t die at all." Yeonwoo''s eyes sank deep. His senses transcended physical limits. Like an insect''s antennae, they protruded slightly, searching for rolls with a high chance of sess. ''Dice.'' Something seemed to squirm within Yeonwoo''s dark pupils. It was probability. Possibility. The probability that squirmed around the dice every time Yeonwoo made a roll. The dice rolled in his mind. tter- In an instant, the squirming probability stopped. One possibility was pulled into reality. Sess! The bomb-like fruit suddenly withered. As if it had been in a fruit dehydrator for hours, it lost its moisture and vitality, its life snuffed out. ''Two booby traps left.'' One was an explosive, and the other a bucket filled with strange liquid. The moment Yeonwoo broke free from his restraints, the moment the connected string snapped, the explosives would detonate and the toxic substance would spill. ''How should I handle this? Move? No, feels like that would fail. Destroy the bucket? That feels like it would fail too.'' Just as Yeonwoo''s senses were busily twitching, Kim Podo snapped back to his senses. ''No! I can''t let this go on!'' Minds connected through a single tree aided him. He sped his hands together, his thumb hovering over some kind of button. "Stop! Make another false move and I''ll detonate it immediately!" "Go ahead." "The seed nted in your body will grow at the same time! You can''t stop it! If you value your life-" "I said detonate it." Yeonwoo''s lips curled into a sneer. Would they really give up the chance to nurture the great tree like this? The situation had already unfolded, and if they couldn''t grow the tree, only a ruinous future awaited them, right? ''They can''t detonate it.'' A strange certainty led by thought and sensation. Sure enough, Kim Podo''s expression suggested he was about to lose his mind. He needed to use Yeonwoo somehow. He sped his hands tightly. Creak, crunch- A part of the tree roots binding Yeonwoo constricted tightly. That pressure. The sensation of bones bending to the point of fracture. Kim Podo spoke menacingly. "Resurrection. It''s the dice, right? There''s no way you''d risk an action with a high probability of failure, a high chance of death." A survivalist wouldn''t gamble with their life. It was a bluff. A bluff to regain control and find a way to survive. There was no way either of them would rush towards mutual destruction. "Don''t roll the dice anymore. If you touch the explosives, bucket, tree roots, or seed even once more, we both die. However." But facing off against each other head-on was slightly disadvantageous, so Kim Podo took a step back. His tightly sped hands loosened, and the roots eased their pressure. "If you cooperate obediently, we''ll obviously let you live. We''ll remove the seed and treat all your injuries." What was there to fear if they just grew the tree? Yeonwoo''s dice were dangerous but a double-edged sword, and he wouldn''t throw himself into danger out of a desire for revenge- That''s when Yeonwoo, who had been silent,ughed. "You gave me too much time." Enough time to roll the dice sufficiently. Time to find his own path to survival without trusting others'' empty promises. While they were talking, the dice rolled and rolled and rolled. The detonator of the explosive malfunctioned, the spring to push over the bucket rusted and broke, and the seed imnted in his body became defective. Now only the tree roots threatened him. And finally, even thest tree roots suddenly moved on their own, retreating beneath the soil. "No!" Kim Podo reacted instinctively. He had to threaten decisively. As he put his hands together, the seed nted in Yeonwoo''s body stirred. The seed Yeonwoo had swallowed while unconscious had spread its roots. Into the stomach wall, into the internal organs. To grow using a human as nutrients. And so the flower growing inside a person... ''...What? Why isn''t it growing?'' The flower didn''t grow. It was defective. It extended its roots a little and ran out of energy. At this rate, it would just be digested in Yeonwoo''s stomach. "Damn that alchemist!" He had clearly told him to prepare the most reliable item! There was no time for this. One link in the iron chains binding Yeonwoo broke, and they began to nk and fall away. That thing was breaking free from its restraints. They couldn''t threaten that thing. They couldn''t use that thing. ''The n has failed. I must at least kill that thing! Then we all need to flee!'' After sending an alert through the faintly connected minds, Kim Podo immediately pressed the button. The button to trigger the explosives was pressed firmly. Tick. A weak sound was heard. "This is broken too? When?" Kim Podo stared nkly at the explosive before realizing. It wasn''t broken. The seed wasn''t defective. Yeonwoo had done it. The dice had rolled. Kim Podo dazedly looked at the bucket. Even though the string was pulled as Yeonwoo broke free from his restraints, the mechanism tounch the bucket didn''t activate. Kim Podo''s gaze turned to Yeonwoo. Despite having been searched once, a lighter and bills that Yeonwoo had hidden somewhere in his clothes appeared and began to burn. It was as if fortune was blessing him. This wasn''t about the identally swallowed seed being defective, the explosives and mechanisms breaking down, or the iron chains shattering. "How can you seed this much? Contamination? There''s no way you could be contaminated to this degree in such a short time?" Normally, rolling multiple times should have resulted in some failures. And they hadn''t given him enough time to roll until he seeded. But Yeonwoo didn''t answer. ''I can sense rolls that seem likely to seed. It would be really disadvantageous if this information leaked.'' He had tasted the bitterness of the specialized response team. Honestly, if they hadn''t intended to capture him alive, if they had only intended to kill him, he would have died in that thatched house. Whoosh, the bills burned, and the bag, phone, and pistol they had confiscated appeared before his feet. Yeonwoo naturally picked them up, frowning. The pistol felt light. The normal bullets had been removed. ''Did they not bring normal bullets because the bills are anomalies?'' It was a shame, but there was no time to look for them. Yeonwoo quickly took out a bundle of bills from the bag and set them on fire again. His goal was escape. "I''m leaving. Look forward to seeing how angry thepany will be." He didn''t want to get further entangled with these bastards. This was the first time he''d suffered damage to this extent. Revenge? If he reported to thepany, they''d take care of it. "Wait! Negotiate! Let''s negotiate! Money, anomalies, whatever-" Kim Podo approached Yeonwoo urgently and desperately, but the bundle of bills hadpletely burned. Yeonwoo vanished as if he had never been there. Kim Podo fell to his knees with a despairing expression. He shouted towards family members who btedly approached to extinguish the fire. "He''s escaped! Flee immediately!" --- --- The vanished Yeonwoo appeared on the mountainside. ''Where is this? No, before that.'' He called Mark Jung. Mark Jung answered immediately. "Yeonwoo? What''s going on? We lost contact with both you and the friend who drove-" "That''s not important right now! The Green Association is-" Yeonwoo summarized the key points concisely. That they were trying to grow a danger level 6 tree. That he was attacked instead of the battlefield being chosen. Yeonwoo expected something. Having said this, wouldn''t the headquarters or the Korean branch take some action? It was a danger level 6, after all. But Mark Jung spoke calmly. "Then the tree has failed for now. The only method left is to grow it on the battlefield, but we''ll eliminate it the moment it shows itself. We can''t let it fully grow." "...You''re not retaliating right away?" Hearing Yeonwoo''s disappointed voice, Mark Jung hesitated before speaking. "Well, headquarters is in the midst of war preparations, so they can''t afford to waste resources..." "What about the Korean branch? Don''t you have the special forces?" "Considering the time it would take to mobilize and arrive, wouldn''t they have all fled by now? I''ll request deployment just in case." It was disappointing. He thought they''d smash everything to pieces. But given thepany''s situation, Yeonwoo understood and suppressed his desire for revenge, changing the subject. "Anyway, my injuries are severe. I was hit by a bomb, buried under a copsing house, bones broken. Send medical support or something." The pain was starting to rise. Hearing this, Mark Jung was startled. "You''re that badly injured? No, how... Where are you currently?" "I''m not sure. It''s a mountain, but I escaped by burning bills." "Then I''ll send help by tracking your phone location. Please wait there. A helicopter wille." Just as they were about to end the call. Yeonwoo mentioned something he suddenly remembered. The only thing he couldn''t retrieve. "Oh right. I lost the normal bullets. I couldn''t find them with the bills, so I fled without-" "W-what did you lose?" Mark Jung''s voice flipped. There was a crash, the sound of something falling and breaking. Yeonwoo answered puzzledly. "The normal bullets. These guys confiscated them while I was unconscious." Wasn''t it just one of thepany''s anomalous equipment? Used in a limited way? But Mark Jung was about to pass out. "If those fall into their hands, no, where, where are you!" "I told you I don''t know just now-" "Ah! Then this, for now! Get down from that mountain quickly!" Then he abruptly hung up. Feeling a sudden wave of unease, Yeonwoo burned another bundle of bills and fled far from the mountain, and. A few minutester, a meteor fell from the edge of the sky. It was a satellite. Something that fell from an artificial satellite. Shining like a small star as it plummeted, it pierced the mountain without a shockwave, creating a transparent barrier that isted the mountain. 126 - Hospitalization TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The medical helicopter arrived swiftly. It hovered above Lee Yeonwoo, lowering a stretcher and a paramedic. They loaded Yeonwoo onto the stretcher and slowly lifted him away. As the mountain receded into the distance, Yeonwoo stared at it nkly. The mountain stood isted by a transparent barrier. Nearby military and police swarmed like ants, controlling ess to the area. Another safety alert pinged his phone. Something about space debris falling. Yeonwoo blinked.''Not space debris. Orbital weapons? Orbital bombardment? Spatial istion?'' Thepany could use such things. But why now? Even the great beings gave thepany pause - why suddenly move for a mere bullet? ''What could it be?'' Strange and impressive, but it didn''t seem like a weapon worth such extreme recovery measures. ''...At least I got out.'' With the sense of safety, his mind began to slow. As adrenaline and other hormones ebbed, pain started to flood in. Yeonwoo''s face turned pale. His eyes trembled incessantly. His mouth gaped open, drool trickling out. "Ah, aaagh!" "Don''t move! You''ll worsen your injuries!" "Nngh, it hurts, it f*cking hurts! Help me! Aaaagh!" "You won''t d-" The paramedic said something, but Yeonwoo couldn''t hear a word. His stomach churned as lightning bolts of pain danced through his entire body, searing him. His head was so full of agony there was no room for other thoughts. The world turned white, then ck. Consciousness sank into darkness. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a private hospital room. Whatever painkillers they''d given him left his senses dulled and his mind hazy. Yeonwoo blinked vacantly at the ceiling, then shifted his body. His body, wrapped in bandages and casts, moved awkwardly. At that moment, the rapid-fire sound of keyboard typing stopped. The soft voices talking also fell silent, and he felt two gazes upon him. "Yeonwoo, you''re awake." It was the team leader. And Mark Jung. The team leader wore his usual expression, while Mark Jung looked haggard, like someone who''d been through hell. The team leader spoke: "You nearly died this time." "No, he wouldn''t have died. If it was truly fatal, the Green Association would have healed him. Anyway, to use the dice right away, Yeonwoo-" Mark Jung started to exin, then abruptly mped his mouth shut. His eyes met Yeonwoo''s as he rolled them towards him. Yeonwoo spoke in a hoarse voice: "I really could have died." Of course, for apany employee, such incidents were routine. He had no intention ofining or protesting. He''d been prepared for some degree of danger from day one. The important thing was ensuring this never happened again. Yeonwoo spoke: "My information was leaked. They analyzed it and exploited my weaknesses." "Like a specialized response team? But your information was secured..." Mark Jung furrowed his brow, saying the Green Association shouldn''t have ess to such information. Yeonwoo borated: "They said they bought the info from the Goldberg Club with gold." A heated intensity smoldered in Yeonwoo''s voice. The club that drained his money, leaked his information. He nned to recover the money when the opportunity arose, but the information leak couldn''t be overlooked. His information had been forged into a knife that now threatened his very life. "Club." "Those f*ckers. They''d do anything for money." Ignoring their reactions, Yeonwoo cut to the chase: "Club or whatever, can youpletely hide my information?" "That''s impossible." A resolute answer. Yeonwoo brushed it off casually. Even he thought it seemed impossible. ''How many anomalies are there in the world?'' How could one block every information attack from anomalies with different effects? So Yeonwoo thought of another approach. "Then what''s the club''s most important resource? What matters most to those bastards?" Make it impossible to sell the information. Who would dare sell if the losses outweighed the gains? Mark Jung answered: "All types of assets that function in society. Currency, stocks, real estate, human resources,bor. Gold is most important though." Yeonwoo closed his eyes. He sensed the dice in a corner of his mind. Dice with limits even he didn''t know. ''While messing with the Goldberg Club, I should test its limits.'' How far could the dice''s influence reach? What level of judgments were possible? How far away could it affect business establishments? At that point, the team leader waved his hand dismissively. "Is that what you should be thinking about now? First, get plenty of rest. You need to recover." "Ah. Understood." "Eat well. Sleep well. Anyway, I''m leaving now. I''lle backter with Jiyoo and Jaemin." Satisfied that Yeonwoo was alive, the team leader left abruptly. Once he''d gone, Mark Jung sighed and looked at Yeonwoo. "While you were unconscious, we took action against the Green Association. We confiscated the Great Tree''s seeds, and they''re all participating in the war now." The result of frantic action upon hearing they''d lost an ordinary bullet. They isted the mountain where Yeonwoo was kidnapped, rounded up the Green Association, then searched and searched and searched. All to recover the most important ordinary bullet. "We barely recovered the bullet too." His voice dripped with exhaustion. He''d participated in the bullet search himself. Yeonwoo, satisfied with the price the Green Association paid, felt a strange emotion. "What''s so special about an ordinary bullet that you''d use orbital weapons? Why such an extreme response?" Impressive anomaly nullification, but a bulletproof vest could block it. "That''s, how should I put this." Mark Jung chose his words carefully. There was no information to hide. They''d already handed over the ordinary bullet. If anything, things turned out this way because they didn''t provide full information. After thinking, Mark Jung spoke: "Thepany created a weapon that only excludes anomalies. Apany aiming to protect humanity from anomalies. What would happen if other groups learned of this?" And what would they think? Yeonwoo struggled to process Mark Jung''s question through his clouded mind. After consideration, he replied: "Thepany made another weird weapon?" "No. In the world thepany dreams of, the world thepany aims for, there are no anomalies. They intend to erase us all in the end. They''ve been researching and developing the power to do so." Yeonwoo frowned. He sensed something dangerous was brewing. "Then it would be war without rules or final limits. The world would split into thepany and nonpany factions, fighting until one side is annihted." Different from the war currently nned. A war with its own rules, leaving Earth untouched, fought face-to-face in an almost old-fashioned duel. If that became a war of extinction, betting everything... "That was a close call." Yeonwoo''s fingertips trembled. If things had gone wrong, he might have fired the shot that started it all, like the gunshot in Sarajevo that triggered World War I. Mark Jung heaved deep sighs. "We absolutely couldn''t lose this. We had to recover it no matter what. It''srgely my fault for not warning you properly from the start..." He never imagined Yeonwoo would lose it, so he''d handed it over carelessly. He never dreamed it would lead to this. "Because of that, to the director, ah..." Mark Jung stared into space with tired eyes. Aside from a major incident as a new recruit, he''d never been raked over the coals like this. Yeonwoo discreetly gauged the mood. He grasped the gravity of the situation. "So, what kind of disciplinary action will I face...?" "Just write an incident report after you''re discharged. Your recovery ability is incredible, so you should be back on your feet in a few weeks." They didn''t pry about the Rain. The punishment was extremely light. As Yeonwoo breathed a sigh of relief, Mark Jung closed hisptop. "I''ll be going now. Ah, the recovered ordinary bullet-" "Forget it. I don''t want to be responsible for that kind of thing. More importantly." He was returning the ordinary bullet. Yeonwoo genuinely wanted nothing to do with potential catalysts for wars of extinction. Right now, he had more pressing concerns. Yeonwoo looked at Mark Jung. "Give me information on the Goldberg Club. Their stocks, workce and warehouse locations. And the report specting about the dice." No matter how much of apany man Yeonwoo was, thepany must have analyzed his dice based on what he''d shown them. Mark Jung fell silent, then nodded. "Alright. It''ll take a few days to gather the data. Rest up." --- --- Being hospitalized left too much free time. The private room was eerily quiet, with no sounds from outside. The nd colors and tasteless hospital food made time crawl agonizingly slow. Yeonwoo spent most of his time alone on his phone, except when Yoo Jiyoo and Choi Jaemin visited. But even that grew tiresome. Yeonwoo fiddled with his phone. ''Nothing to do. Contacting Mom and Dad feels weird.'' He hesitated to tell them he nearly died in a work ident. His sharp-eyed mother would immediately sense something was wrong. Yeonwoo gave up on calling and pulled out hisptop instead. "It''s been a while. Maybe I''ll y a game." Searching for a game to pass the time, one caught his eye. [Academy Survival] - Enroll in an academy in a world facing doom, and try to prevent the apocalypse with charming supporting characters! - Thest yer standing gets to incarnate into the game world! An absurd im about incarnation. Yeonwoo skimmed past it, his mouse moving busily. The promotional video showed that while the gamey was uncertain, the illustrations were stunningly beautiful. ''Should I try it?'' Yeonwoo looked for yer reviews as a final check. Trash game, is this even a game, no one''s cleared it, absolutely don''t y it - such evaluations. As Yeonwoo deliberated... The game vanished. The page itself disappeared as if it had never existed. In its ce appeared a brief notice and a phone number. [We''ve temporarily taken down the game due to discovered issues. Gamers who have yed, please call this number.] A bizarre game and an abnormal takedown. Yeonwoo stared at it with a subtle expression, then dialed the number on a hunch. "Yes, Academy Survival speaking. Did you y the game?" "No. The page disappeared as I was about to download it." "I see. We''re currently fixing an error, and we don''t know when it''ll be done, so if you purchased it, we''ll refund-" At that moment, the sound of typing abruptly stopped. The person on the other end had traced the caller''s number and seen their profile. "Oh. You''re an investigator. No need to investigate. Our department has taken action." "I thought so. Was this an anomaly?" "Well, yes. An entity that makes yers believe thest one standing can incarnate the longer they y, driving them to hunt down and kill other yers to be the final survivor." Thepany employee handling this game said they were busy and ended the call. "We''re almost finished. Just a few whomitted murder and went into hiding left to find. Take care." "Right." Yeonwoo stared at his phone andptop with an ambiguous expression. ''What a f*cked up world...'' A world where you can''t even y a game without worrying. 127 - Hospitalization TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here After eating well and resting, Lee Yeonwoo''s body had recovered considerably. He got out of the hospital bed and slowly stretched. He rotated his stiff joints and extended his arms and legs. His eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming into the hospital room. ''I think it''s time to mess with the club.'' There were no side effects from the painkillers. His drowsy head had cleared, and his thoughts flowed smoothly. Though not in peak condition, he had recovered significantly.He had also formted a rough n. ''The bastard who sold my information. I''ll only target him.'' He was likely a high-ranking member running his own business. Yeonwoo would mess with all of his businesses using the dice. More precisely, he would use them as test subjects. Yeonwoo nced at the hospital room door. ''Now I just need Mark Jung to bring the information.'' They had discussed the n over the phone, brainstormed to refine it, and Mark Jung said he would collect and bring the necessary information. "He should be here by now." As if on cue. "It''s me." Knock knock. There was a knocking sound at the door. Mark Jung, who usually barged right in, spoke ufortably from outside. "There''s a guest here. May wee in?" "A guest?" Yeonwoo tilted his head quizzically, then moved to open the door himself. Beyond stood Mark Jung and an old man. Mark Jung looked at Yeonwoo with tired eyes, while the old man entered, tapping the floor with an expensive cane. Yeonwoo stepped back reflexively, then looked at Mark Jung questioningly. "This is the club manager for Goldberg Club in Korea. Sir, this is the special investigator Yeonwoo." "Hmm, yes. Just as the information described." Mark Jung made introductions. Yeonwoo was startled. The club manager, out of nowhere? He acted quickly. He took out a stone from his bag and gripped it, then drew his gun. Even after that moment passed, Yeonwoo didn''t stop. He held the gun in his other hand, ready to burn paper money at any moment. ''If I''m attacked first, I''m done for!'' A lesson painfully learned from the Green Association. Just as Yeonwoo assumed Mark Jung had beenpromised somehow, he raised his finger to the trigger. The old man quickly raised one hand. "I surrender. I didn''te here to fight." "I don''t believe you." "Hmm. I can''t hear you very well." The old man groped the air, trying to locate Yeonwoo, who was holding the stone and staring at him like he was made of stone. Then he found Yeonwoo precisely. Eyes bearing the traces of years looked at him. "I really didn''te to fight. The club doesn''t attack like this." "Yeonwoo. He came to negotiate. As a representative of the club and proxy for the man who sold that information." Mark Jung turned his head this way and that, trying to find Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo had a staring contest with the old man, then slowly retreated. Out the hospital room door. "Let''s talk over the phone." "That won''t do. You need to be present to sign the contract." "Whatever the contract is-" "It''s a contract not to sell your information anymore." Yeonwoo''s steps stopped. He pondered. ''I don''t get why someone iming to be the Korean branch club manager would approach like this.'' Something felt suspicious and didn''t add up. No matter how tempting the offer, wasn''t the other party still that club? The embodiment of capitalism. Click- Yeonwoo gripped his gun tighter. "So what does the club gain from this?" "We want to ce restrictions on the dice." The old man spoke calmly, and Yeonwoo and Mark Jung freaked out. "That''s nonsense-" "As thepany''s coordinator, the negotiation is off-" At that moment. The old man struck the floor with his cane. Bang. That resounding sound. Mark Jung and Yeonwoo shut their mouths, and the old man spoke serenely. "Young folks. Shouldn''t you hear the contract terms before speaking? You''re too hasty, even for your age." Yeonwoo snapped back to his senses. He had shown respect because the other party was elderly and a club manager, but he had no intention of being led along any further. Restricting the usefulness of the dice? "Whatever the contract is, restrictions are out of the question." "Even for 1 trillion? In dors, that is." Yeonwoo''s mind froze for a moment. 1 trillion dors? How much was that in won? It must be an astronomical amount. With this much, of course he should listen.... The old man suddenly burst outughing and sat on Yeonwoo''s hospital bed. He patted his knee. "I''m joking." "No, sir. This is a negotiation between thepany and the club." Yeonwoo and Mark Jung looked at the old man bewilderedly. This was supposedly the renowned Korean club manager. The old man didn''t lose his smile. "Young people have no patience. Well, are you ready to listen? I intend to pay an equivalent value for the restrictions anyway." It seemed he truly came with the intention to negotiate. Yeonwoo cautiously put his hand in his bag. He put down the stone, but in a way he could grab it immediately if needed. "What exactly are the contract terms?" "I''ll be frank. The club periodically detects crises as a risk management measure. You could say we peek into the future." The old man looked around, then plucked and ate some grapes from the get-well gift Yeonwoo had received. Saying stolen food tastes the best. He seemed quite disinterested, as if he was just here as a paid proxy. "However, we recently detected an economic crisis. A Great Depression. The world economy copsing, all valuable things turning worthless. Do you know why?" "No way..." Mark Jung looked at Yeonwoo suspiciously. Yeonwoo blinked, then realized. ''Because of me? Why would the Great Depression be because of me? Oh, if I roll a critical failure or critical sess...'' If he attacked with the dice and got bad results repeatedly, it seemed possible. The old man pointed his cane at Yeonwoo, who subtly moved to the side to avoid the cane tip. "Your caution ismendable. Anyway, we investigated while consuming gold and grasped the situation. That information broker bastard and you. That''s why I came." The old man lowered his cane. The cane leaned askew on the hospital bed. Instead, he took out a contract from his coat. "The contract is simple. The special investigator on your side won''t roll the dice with the intent of causing global economic problems. The Goldberg Club won''t provide information about the special investigator. How about it?" Yeonwoo looked at the contract and fell into thought. Honestly, it wasn''t a bad proposal. He had no ns to roll for a Great Depression anyway. He didn''t want a Great Depression either. Wouldn''t it be beneficial to prevent the club''s information leaks in exchange for an action he wouldn''t take anyway? On top of that, the old man added: "We''re not enemies. Making enemies only leads to losses. The club wants coexistence. Think about it." Yeonwoo rolled his eyes slightly, and saw the old man frantically drawing lines with the tip of his cane. "If all groups are intertwined by profit. If coexistence is profitable. Who would want to fight? Such peace is the club''s goal." Yeonwoo''s expression soured. Peace? Coexistence? Nice words. "I''m not interested in that. I almost died because of the information leaked by the club." "The information broker bastard is an individual. He doesn''t represent the club''s will. So that information broker will be disciplined ording to club rules." There''s no way they''d leave a member who almost caused massive damage to the club unpunished. "As for the money taken, just consider it the price paid. If you just sold the resources you stole from the exploration team second-hand, it would be worth that much." Well, Yeonwoo was the one who started the theft first, so he couldn''t really say anything. Honestly, it was a good contract. ''But the club is the expert in this field. If there''s a trick, I wouldn''t know.'' Yeonwoo casually passed the contract to Mark Jung, who returned it to Yeonwoo. "Are you going to sign? If you are, we''ll have it reviewed by a specialw firm." "I''m still thinking..." A look of deep consideration crossed Yeonwoo''s face. The old man looked at Yeonwoo like that, then gripped his cane tightly. The cane tapped the floor as the old man stood up. "Take your time to think. You have plenty of time. I didn''t expect it to be settled in a day either." The old man took onest, close look at Yeonwoo. Then he shook his head and tapped his way out of the hospital room. "The fruit was delicious. Contact us when you reach a decision." And so the supposed club manager departed. Mark Jung and Yeonwoo quietly monitored his presence, then confirmed he had left before starting to discuss. "We should be suspicious-" "We need to check the uses first-" Then, in the midst of their conversation, Yeonwoo suddenly felt a wall. ''Is this what a top-tier organization is like?'' Those who exchange moves across time and space. Those who paint pictures using the future as their canvas. Wouldn''t it take a future Yeonwoo to participate in their game? Yeonwoo, busy living day by day, became slightly depressed. --- --- The old man got into a car renowned for its safety. The driver asked. "Where shall we go, sir?" "Well. Let''s take a drive around this city." A response that suggested his mind was focused elsewhere. The driver tactfully pressed the elerator gently, and the car wandered the city. The old man quietly looked at the scenery. ''Thepany was having a fit, so I was relieved, but...'' After thepany''s fit, which had existed as an unknown danger, became reality, the club focused on capital management. Not just to minimize losses, but to profit even in this situation. There''s no eternal prosperity or recession, but there are always people who profit in any situation, and that was the club. For that purpose, the Golden Omnipotence, which periodically invested gold, foresaw a terrible loss. ''The dice, huh. Inpany terms, would it be danger level 5? I''m not sure about 6 since what was shown wasn''t enough.'' Honestly, the old man couldn''t guess either. Where its limitsy. Yeonwoo had never rolled for anything too massive out of fear, so it wasn''t even clear if it was possible in the first ce. And such unknowns were precisely what should be guarded against in this world full of anomalous entities. ''We should generously consider it level 6.'' The old man clicked his tongue. "That information broker bastard. Can''t distinguish between information that can be sold and can''t be sold." The driver skillfully pretended not to hear and turned the wheel, while the old man started grumbling. "Look at thatpany. They have so many capable young people. But why do we-" The driver broke out in a cold sweat. 128 - Hospitalization TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo and Mark Jung talked for a long time. Should they make a contract or not? If they did, how should they modify the uses? If they didn''t, how should they act to prevent information leaks? Could they gain something regardless of negotiations? Yeonwoo rubbed his temples, his face tired. Reading through theplex and abstruse uses and the club''s contract examples had overheated his brain. Yet no conclusion was reached. "Honestly, there are things I like and dislike about both options."If he signed the contract, the limitation on the dice was what he disliked most. But refusing the contract and butting heads with the club... "Golden Omnipotence? Is that real?" "Yes. It''s the club''s core entity." "Christ, what kind of anomaly is that?" It granted any wish for the right amount of gold? No risk of critical failure, truly omnipotent. And the club had stockpiled tons of gold, still buying more. Golden Omnipotence and the system built to maximize its use. Yeonwoo shuddered in fear before snapping back to his senses. Even so, it seemed foolish to let Golden Omnipotence scare him into an unfavorable contract. ''This won''t do. I can''t reach a good conclusion like this.'' His mind was cluttered, and his head spun trying to wrap itself around this otherworldly contract for the first time. He needed to clear his head, like being doused with cold water. Yeonwoo reached for the gun he had tossed onto the hospital bed. He immediately handed it to Mark Jung. "Point that gun at me." "What? Oh." Mark Jung looked bewildered, ncing between the gun and Yeonwoo before realizing. He was trying to create danger to focus his mind. Mark Jung hesitated briefly, then set the gun down. It wasn''t a refusal. Instead, his hand went into his suit''s inner pocket. "If we''re doing this, let''s do it properly." "This gun is enou-" Yeonwoo''s pupils dted. In Mark Jung''s hand was the gun Yeonwoo had possessed until recently. The gun loaded with ordinary bullets. Mark Jung stared intently at Yeonwoo. He gripped the gun with both hands, assuming a textbook shooting stance. "I kept this in case you changed your mind and asked for it back. Haha. If I pull the trigger now..." You''ll die. Really die. Rain? It couldn''t regenerate gunshot wounds. Resurrection? Wounds from ordinary bullets remained. Blood vessels appeared in Yeonwoo''s eyes. His hair stood on end as a chill ran down his spine. His pounding heartbeat drummed in his head. ''Think, think, think.'' The rapidly circting blood supplied oxygen to his brain. Thoughts shed through his mind. ''Use the dice to knock him out, give him a heart attack, or break the gun. No, that''s not it.'' He barely corrected his thoughts as they veered sharply towards survival, forcing himself to consider the Goldberg Club, the contract, and the information issue. "..." "..." Silence fell over the hospital room. Mark Jung swallowed dryly. Yeonwoo''s bloodshot eyes staring at him were terrifying. ''What if he suddenly attacks me? This is making me nervous.'' Mark Jung''s eyes wavered, and the gun''s muzzle trembled. He wanted to lower it. But since he hadn''t said anything specific, it felt awkward to stop now. How long had Mark Jung been frozen like that, unable to act either way, shaking with anxiety? Yeonwoo suddenly spoke. "It''s virtually impossible to protect the information, right? So tell me this. Can you detect if information has been leaked?" "That''s possible. We may not notice immediately, but we can find out. And the more resources we invest, the faster we can detect it." "Good. I won''t sign a forced contract." He had been too fixated on the contract enforced by anomalous entities. It was fine without enforcement. Yeonwoo spoke in a calm voice. Mark Jung sighed in relief as he put the gun back in his pocket, then looked at Yeonwoo. "So what do you have in mind?" "That manager mentioned it. Coexistence bound by mutual benefit." Yeonwoo traced his fingers wildly, drawing aplex web. "I considered the club''s perspective. Since money is their priority, I''ll be tied to those bastards through losses and gains." "How...?" Mark Jung asked puzzledly. Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Then he made an awkward punching motion. "They''ll suffer terrible losses if they sell my information." It wasn''t just anything, but the dice. If things went well, if luck was on his side, if his senses were heightened to the extreme, he might even trade blows with Golden Omnipotence. This was a threat the club couldn''t ignore. The old man hadn''te to negotiate for nothing. ''Even if the situation esctes to the extreme, they''ll only end up losing.'' Mark Jung viewed it negatively. "Well. You can threaten them. But if you openly ckmail them, who knows how the club will react. They might try to eliminate you." "We''ll be tied by profits too." The dice could be rolled for targets other than Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo made a sound with his mouth, imitating dice rolling. "I n to sell dice usage rights. They pay me, and I roll the dice for them." Selling opportunities to roll the dice. This was an offer they couldn''t refuse. It also reduced one factor threatening Yeonwoo. "I''m not just selling this to the club. I''ll sell to anyone who wants to use it." The result of intense thinking in the face of ordinary bullets. ''Without the dice, there''s hardly any reason for me to be targeted, right?'' Yeonwoo recalled a point he had overlooked and came up with this proposal. ''If I sell opportunities to use the dice, it should reduce the number of people who''d attack me to get them.'' Even the Green Association. If he had been selling dice usage rights, they might not have attacked at all. They might have bought the rights and asked him to germinate some unknown seed. Mark Jung grasped the context quickly despite the exhausting situation. He nodded. "This is better than that kind of contract." What they''d gain by turning Yeonwoo into an enemy. At minimum, property loss; at maximum, economic depression. Perhaps, an unpredictable battle between the dice and Golden Omnipotence. What they''d gain by making Yeonwoo a partner. The chance to use those dice. It was a rtionship where both sides profited by joining hands. "The profit and loss are clear. This way, the club won''t think of selling information either. And those targeting the dice will prioritize negotiation. But." Mark Jung pulled out a document. "What about that information broker? Isn''t all this just negotiation with the club?" "Ah, that. Well, you know. I''ll use him as a promotional target. To show what''s possible with the dice. And I''ll getpensation too." Even the old man iming to be the information broker''s proxy left without saying much about the broker. Didn''t that mean he wouldn''t interfere with however Yeonwoo handled it? ''He must pay for selling my information.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled as he took the documents. There were two types: one detailing the information broker''s assets and business status, the other containing thepany''s analysis of dice research records. Yeonwoo looked at the dice research records first. --- --- No, please, when assigning research projects, at least give us something feasible! Analyze the dice? With just a few reports and video recordings? Without even rolling the dice in ab? Without using specialized observation equipment or conducting experiments? What kind of results do you expect from this! Even if we produce results, they''d be hypotheses with zero reliability, not even worthy of being called hypotheses! Fine. I''ll give you my opinion. The dice could be reality maniption, or dealing with luck and misfortune, or handling possibilities and probabilities, or overturning fate, or really anything! How can we know what it is without data right now? If we''re looking for simr cases, it''s slightly, very slightly simr to the Blessed Child or the President of the Artists'' Association. The Blessed Child with bizarrely good luck, the Association President loved by the world. When someone tries to shoot them, the gun breaks itself; would-be assassins suddenly have heart attacks; if they''re locked up, doors open on their own; when they''re thirsty, it rains; when they''re hungry, fruit appears - those kinds of anomalies. I think the dice might implement simr results probabilistically, categorizing them as critical failure, failure, nothing, sess, and critical sess. Consider this just spection that doesn''t even qualify as a hypothesis. If you want definitive results, bring the dice and its user here. --- --- Yeonwoo blinked as he read the opinion disguised as a research record. ''It seems I determine the judgment, and it randomly implements possibilities or probabilities.'' Anyway, it was good that thepany couldn''t get a grasp on it. Even if fragmented information like dys had leaked, they couldn''t fundamentally prepare to counter the dice. More important was the information broker''s data. Yeonwoo turned the page with a rustle, revealing a photo of a surprisingly young person. "Is this the information broker? The one who sold my information?" "Yes. Thepany is good at having its information stolen, but even better at stealing information." Mark Jung watched Yeonwoo''s reaction nervously. The club had just predicted an economic depression, after all. "Yeonwoo. You must refrain from judgments that could have widespread consequences." "I know. I just got an idea I want to roll." Yeonwoo nced briefly at the other documents before moving on. The information broker''s assets, concentrated in stocks and currency. He could mess with this and get a critical failure or sess. But instead, he wanted to twist the cases he saw in the research records. "The opposite of luck is misfortune, right? I''m going to try bestowing misfortune." "If it fails, won''t he be lucky?" "Then it''s good promotion. The dice can do this. And I''ll getpensation from the information broker." Just keep tormenting him with the dice until he coughed up the reward. Yeonwoo casually summoned the dice. "Dice. Bestow misfortune on this person." The dice remained still. It seemed unable to find its target, frozen in ce. Yeonwoo was taken aback by this unfamiliar response. ''Huh. Can it not work if the target isn''t right in front of me? Or because it''s not directly rted to me? Or is this not a judgment the dice can make?'' No. Yeonwoo intuitively realized. ''Possibility. Probability.'' It was because of the distance. There was no possibility or probability to manipte here. Yeonwoo''s eyes suddenly darkened. Not because he recalled his past bravado about tormenting some sculptor. He realized the dice''s weakness and how to break through its limits. ''The dice''s limits are my mental limits. Then the possibility I can implement now is...'' Like toppling dominoes, the possibility implemented here must reach the enemy through countless real-world possibilities. Yeonwoo chose his judgment. Moving beyond simple dice y, closer to the essence of the dice. ''The possibility that my enemy will experience misfortune.'' The dice rolled. tter- Sess! Probabilities and possibilities fluctuated around Yeonwoo. The result emanating from him spread outward.Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 129 - Hospitalization TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here It was past midnight. The penthouse, the temporary residence of the Korean branch of the Goldberg Club, had been seized entirely. The old man and the information broker met in a newly acquired hotel room. As the old man entered, tapping his cane, the information broker looked up leisurely. "Sir. How did the negotiation go?" "Just submitted the proposal. What do you expect? It''ll be a while before we see any substantial content."The old man took off his coat without sparing a nce, while the information broker tapped the table with his fingers. The information broker thought of the person who had a grudge against him. "That Lee Yeonwoo? What about him? How much money would it take to smooth things over?" "How much do you think it would take?" The old man, having hung his coat on the rack, sat down across from the information broker. The information broker smiled awkwardly. His voice was tentative, as if testing the waters. "About as much as we got from the Green Association?" "Thief''s mentality, I see. Think bigger. You''ve got plenty of money, don''t you?" "It''s all in stocks and dors." The information broker shrugged. "NASDAQ is invincible, and the dor is king. It''d be a shame to pull out now..." He converted his earnings to dors as soon as he made them and bought ETFs tracking the NASDAQ index. ETFs that rose in value as long as the US stock market was on an upward trend. The old man frowned and began to lecture. "Do you want to die? Want to be buried without using all that money? If you don''t pay an appropriate price, they''ll forcibly extract it from you, you know?" "Come on, sir. He''s just an investigator. He seems to have made some money from solving many cases, but he hasn''t touched really big money." The information the broker had obtained didn''t include any achievements or rewards for solving the climate anomalies. That was because thepany had put great effort into protecting what Yeonwoo had asked to be kept hidden. Therefore, the information broker judged that Yeonwoo, being an investigator, would be satisfied with just returning the money received from the Green Association. "Value is rtive, isn''t it? Won''t that be satisfying enough?" The information broker shrugged again. The old man was about to burst out in anger, but then he remembered something and let out a weak sigh. ''This information broker doesn''t know how to interpret information.'' Value is rtive. Can the price of threatening a survivalist''s life really be settled with money? And. ''He doesn''t even understand what precognition means.'' Precognition wasn''t about seeing the future. It was about changing it. It was about limiting the countless branches of future possibilities. He didn''t want to waste energy on a youngster who wasn''t even in the mindset to listen to advice. If he died like this, it would be natural selection. The old man waved his hand dismissively. "Do as you please." After all, his main job was to contract with the dice holder as the club''s proxy. The information broker grinned and leaned forward. He rested his elbows on the table and interlocked his fingers. "Then, please propose the money we received from the Green Association first. It''s currently in gold, but if they want it changed to something like banknotes or anomalous objects, we can lower the price a bit-" The old man listened with one ear and let it out the other, while the information broker, chattering away, stopped talking as if his throat had gone dry. He grabbed the water bottle. "Just a moment for some water." And then, the possibility that Yeonwoo had chosen and the dice had implemented reached them. Misfortune. The water he was gulping down got stuck in his throat. The information broker bent over, spitting out water. A harsh coughing sound followed. "Kack, keck!" "Choking on water? Why are you in such a hurry?" The old man nced at him. Are all young people like this these days? But the old man''s expression soon hardened. The information broker iled his arms, but unfortunately, his elbow struck the corner of the table. That electrifying shock. "Ugh!" The information broker jumped up and down. And then he misstepped somehow. Crack, his ankle twisted. His body fell backward. The chair toppled over, and as the information broker fell back hard, his toes mmed into the sharp corner of the table. Thwack-! The table''s edge dug between his toenail and flesh. That horrific pain. "Arghhhh!" His head was dyed with pain. The information broker rolled around, screaming. The water bottle fell on top of him, soaking him. The old man looked down at the unsightly information broker with sunken eyes. An impossible series of misfortunes. ''Is this... the dice? It doesn''t seem like each judgment was rolled separately. Misfortune? The distance should be considerable, is there no distance limit?'' He thought, looking at the information broker. Meanwhile, the information broker, after suffering in pain for a while, finally came to his senses. His eyes were mixed with half bewilderment, half annoyance. "What''s this all of a sudden. Sir, am I under attack?" "Probably. More importantly, check your stocks." In that moment, the information broker''s face turned ashen. Hisplexion became pale as if all the blood had drained from him. "No. No way. No. Right?" He took out his phone with trembling hands. Even that didn''t go smoothly. The touch screen didn''t work properly, he failed to log in repeatedly and his ount got locked, he dropped the phone and the screen cracked, he got cut by something and blood beads formed on his finger. Despite this, the information broker gritted his teeth and kept tapping his phone, and finally saw it. "Uh. Uh." The sight of the stocks he had steadily been buying plummeting in a steep curve. The information broker nkly watched the falling graph. He coldly denied reality. "This much of a drop is fine. It was due for a correction anyway after the continuous upward trend. Considering the average price, I''m still in profit. It''s actually a good time to buy more. It''ll go up eventually, right? The club won''t just sit by either." Looking at the information broker rambling, the old man shook his head. Then he struck his cane down with a thud. "Right, the club will prevent the economic crisis. Thepany ns to help too." The Great Depression, a fixed future, hase? Feed gold to the Golden Omnipotence and it''ll be stopped. There are many other means and powers too. When an economic crisises, gold prices tend to rise, so the club will calcte the profits and losses to prevent the crisis. Thepany was simr. If it were just a simple economic crisis, they''d think it''s none of their business and pretend not to see it, but. ''This is an identbining the dice''s result and the future fixed by Golden Omnipotence.'' In other words, it was an economic disaster caused by two dangerous anomalous entities. Thepany wouldn''t stand idle in such a case either. The problem was the information broker. The old man pointed his cane at the information broker. This junior was so clueless. "But what about your life? An opponent capable of causing this much damage sees you as an enemy." "Uh..." "The club has no intention of protecting you specifically." Because an anomalous entity that can confront Golden Omnipotence and create synergy is more important than some rookie like this. Starting with this contract, sometimes giving profits, sometimes preventing losses, gradually intertwining, won''t they eventually be friends? ''This is the club.'' Isn''t this a more sophisticated method than crudely antagonizing and killing? There are many foolish juniors who don''t understand this, though. At that point, the information broker realized the situation. His lips trembled, and he barely managed to open his mouth. "I''ll dispose of all the stocks and dors. How muchpensation should I pay?" "Now you''re ready to listen. Here''s what you need to do." The old man folded his hands over his cane. "Equipment that helps with work and survival rather than money. And separately, 1 billion won. A forced contract stating you''ll never sell information rted to the dice or that person again." No one is outstanding from the start. The old man, hoping the information broker had learned a lesson from this incident, advised in a low voice. --- --- At that moment, in the hospital room, Yeonwoo and Mark Jung were shaking their arms and legs as they looked at theptop screen together. Wondering what possibility the dice had implemented, they opened the stock screen out of curiosity. NASDAQ stocks were plummeting sharply. "This, isn''t this a precursor to the Great Depression? No, why?" "W-what did you roll? Misfortune, you say? Didn''t you roll an economic crisis?" "I really only rolled misfortune, and it was just a sess. It can''t cause this much damage." Yeonwoo raised his voice, feeling wronged. ''It was just a sess, so why is there this much damage? This isn''t just unfortunate.'' But it happened after rolling the dice. Mark Jung frantically messed up his hair with his hands. "Yeonwoo. This is really not okay. Although it wasn''t your intention, the Great Depression? The number of people who will suffer because of the dice result, ah." It''s uncountable. The people who will suffer because of an anomalous entity, that is. Mark Jung, with his somewhat strong sense of duty, groaned, clutching his head. Yeonwoo was at a loss for words too. He caused the Great Depression, something he''d only seen in history books? And on top of that. ''How many incidents have I caused now? The Reptilian boss going berserk, losing an ordinary bullet. If we count this one...'' Until now, things had aligned well and benefited thepany, so he''d somehow gotten away with it, but would the third incident be overlooked as just an incident? Yeonwoo''s pupils trembled uncontrobly. ''Is the headquarters suspicious of me too? Thinking I''m deliberately causing incidents?'' Twisting it around, he''d spread the Reptilian gue, handed over an ordinary bullet to a hostile group, and caused an economic crisis. ''...Even I think this looks like a doomsday cultist, not apany employee?'' The fire was at his feet. Yeonwoo jumped up in panic, grabbed Mark Jung''s shoulders, and shook him back and forth. "You said you''re under a director, right? Quickly contact them and tell them! Say I rolled misfortune and all hell broke loose!" "Ah, yes! My shoulder!" Mark Jung, being shaken vigorously, took out his phone. Yeonwoo retreated to the door of the hospital room, his senses on high alert. The call connected. "Yes. Due to the dice result now, ah. You know? The club? Precognition... I understand. I''ll ry that." The call ended. Yeonwoo looked at Mark Jung, extremely tense. He wondered if they might have ordered to shoot him with an ordinary bullet. Mark Jung spoke. "Yeonwoo. They say it''s not your fault." "Are you sure?" This doesn''t seem like a problem that would end just like that? Yeonwoo''s suspicion deepened. He turned the doorknob with a click, opened the door, and hid behind it. "I didn''t know this well either, but precognition..." Mark Jung exined with a relieved expression. The future fixed by precognition. Yeonwoo''s result had merely rolled down towards the tilted future. Yeonwoo understood too. Something like an Oracle system. "So, they can handle it all, right? It''s all the club''s fault?" If even the dice couldn''t handle the Oracle system that burst, surely thepany can block a single precognition? Indeed, Mark Jung nodded as he looked at theptop screen. "Yes. It''s rising again." Whether they usedrge-scale psychological maniption or some strange anomalous entity, I don''t know. "It will end up as just a minor incident. And the director said..." Yeonwoo perked up his ears. "He said to tell him if something like this happens. Whether it''s revenge or whatever, thepany will handle it for you, so please only roll the dice when you''re out on a mission..." The director, who had indirectly experienced a bomb meant to explode outside going off inside the house, was also shocked.Toggle New Ads 5/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 130 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Time passed. Lee Yeonwoo, who had nearly caused an ident unintentionally, didn''t spare a nce toward the dice and spent his days in an unnervingly peaceful routine. A routine so peaceful it bred anxiety. ''How long has it been since I''ve rested like this?'' Perched on the edge of his hospital bed, Yeonwoo gnawed at his fingernails. His legs jittered, his slippers tapping rhythmically against the floor.Several weeks had passed in the hospital room. A daily life of eating, sleeping, and leisure, devoid of work or incidents. At first, his body and mind had reveled in the rxation. But soon, an ufortable feeling began to creep in. What started as anxiety before sleep now gued him at all hours. ''What if I can''t readjust when I return to work? Why are negotiations with the Club dragging on? Isn''t the war starting soon? Will it end without incident?'' Pop- Thest fingernail came off. Yeonwoo snapped back to reality and examined his fingers. Without even trimming them, all ten nails had been bitten down to rough stubs. "Ah..." Yeonwoo frowned deeply. Something was off. He assessed his mental state. This wasn''t normal. It seemed like PTSD from the extreme work conditions. "Maybe I should see a counselor." Just as he was mulling this over- Bang- The door flew open as Mark Jung burst in. Shivering, heunched into a tirade. "What''s with this weather? I doubt the abnormal climate''s really gone. I know it''s winter, but this cold and heavy snow can''t be right." The snow on his shoes melted, leaving wet patches on the floor. Yeonwoo, still fidgeting, looked up at Mark Jung. "How are the negotiations with the Club? And the war? Any issues?" "Everything''s progressing smoothly. The war is set to begin tomorrow..." Mark Jung sat down. Speaking lightly, as if he didn''t expect much, he said, "You won''t go even if I ask, right? Honestly, I''d like to deploy you..." "Of course I won''t go!" Yeonwoo jumped up. So this was the source of his anxiety! Go to the battlefield? Absurd! That "Great Tree" or whatever - even that dies before it can grow to danger level 6! Mark Jung waved his hand dismissively. "Fine then. Just observe from here." He exined that Yeonwoo could watch the battlefield situation from afar, like an observer. As Mark Jung pulled out some documents, Yeonwoo shook his head vigorously. "Do I have to observe?" "Huh? You don''t have to if you don''t want to. But wouldn''t it be helpful? You could see the destructive power of anomalous entities or hostile groups'' anomalies." Well, that''s true, but... "What if I''m affected just by watching through a screen?" Dying just from seeing it, or going insane just from remembering it. Mark Jung let out a hollowugh. "We''ve obviously prepared for that. The filter will take care of it." "Well, in that case..." Yeonwoo nodded reluctantly, and Mark Jung waved the documents. "More importantly, let''s discuss the negotiations. There are two main agreements." One was between Yeonwoo and thepany. "You''re quite an honest person, Yeonwoo. You have the dice but don''t use it for personal gain. That''s one reason why headquarters thinks highly of you. Let''s talk about that." Not using the dice to make money, harm others, or overturn society. One might expect someone with such an item to use it for their desires. Yeonwoo made a sour face at Mark Jung''s backhandedpliment. ''I''m using it to save myself, for my own life. I''m scared to use it normally because of the risk of failure.'' Regardless of Yeonwoo''s expression, Mark Jung handed over a document. Yeonwoo saw it was a simple text, more like a letter. "The dice''s results are hard to predict, and its effects difficult to control. So the Director suggested..." Only roll the dice during work. Refrain from using it in daily life. Thepany won''t interfere if your life is in danger during daily activities, but if there''s a nuisance, don''t roll the dice - inform thepany instead. They''ll handle it for you. These proposals were written out in longhand by an unknown author. Yeonwoo spoke with a not-unfavorable expression. "What counts as a nuisance?" "Anything you''d want to resolve with the dice. Like the information broker incident - we''re offering to handle retaliation for you." Not bad at all. ''The dice make me a bit uneasy anyway.'' A moderate sess is fine. But failure is meaningless, and who knows what might happen with a critical sess or failure? Asking thepany might be better - you''d get exactly what you want. Yeonwoo nodded readily. "I''ll do that. I don''t roll it unless it''s truly dangerous anyway." Mark Jung sighed in relief and pulled out a second document. This too was apany proposal. "You mentioned selling dice usage rights before. We''ve had various discussions about that, and Yeonwoo." Mark Jung looked at Yeonwoo, who was absorbed in the document. His eyes fell on the words "New Department Proposal". "How about quitting as an investigator? What do you think about heading an entirely new department?" A department dedicated to trading dice usage rights. Yeonwoo would be the department head and its sole employee. Yeonwoo was taken aback. "Wait, you''re going all-in on this? I didn''t think it''d be this official." "We have to go all-in. Do you know how many people want to use the dice?" Though the results are uncertain, there''s much the dice can do. And if you keep rolling, you''re bound to seed eventually. Mark Jung waved his hand, saying thepany alone had plenty of researchers driven mad or obsessed with a single result. "Of course, you''ll keep your special investigator status. And this is simr to investigator work. You''ll go out and roll the dice when requestse in." "This is..." Yeonwoo swallowed hard, deep in thought. ''Just rolling dice instead of investigating? ...Probably safer than being an investigator.'' Surely it''s better than facing unknown anomalies barehanded as an ignorant investigator. Yeonwoo nodded. "I''ll do it." He could try it for a few months and cancel if it didn''t work out. Surely they wouldn''t stop him from returning to investigation. "Excellent. We''ll work out the details for this too." Mark Jung pulled out the next document. "Negotiations with the Club. We ryed your intentions, and the Club epted." "...Just like that?" Yeonwoo tilted his head. His proposal was more of a threat than a negotiation. Forced contract? No way. Sell my information? Go ahead. I''ll use the dice for revenge. In exchange, I''ll sell you dice usage rights. Yeonwoo expected the negotiations to continue, but surprisingly, the Club epted immediately. "Seems suspicious." "Thepany also applied some pressure. And the Club doesn''t want to make an enemy of you. Consider their guidelines." Mark Jung hesitated, then spoke. "They''ll probably buy a few dice usage rights and make a few contracts to build rtions. They''ll try to win you over, and if they can''t, at least maintain a rtionship without hostility." Fighting yields little profit. Making friends is the real gain. Yeonwoo caught the Club''s eye, so they''ll work to befriend him. Yeonwoo''s expression was ambivalent. "That''s fine. I don''t want to make enemies either." The Club''s guidelines ovepped with Yeonwoo''s in some areas. Fighting is dangerous. It''s best not to create dangerous elements. But if a dangerous element threatens his life... "Still, please keep checking if my information has been leaked. If it keeps happening, I''ll have no choice but to gamble with the dice." His voice sank ominously. Suddenly uneasy, Mark Jung asked with trembling lips. "What kind of gamble do you mean...?" Yeonwoo didn''t answer. No need to exin the dice''s information. The essence of the dice - realizing probabilistic possibilities. ''I''ll roll for the possibility that my information bes anomalous.'' Like the book he saw in training that kills when read. An anomaly that kills those who recognize his information. "Of course, I''m scared of failure or critical failure, so I won''t do it unless absolutely necessary. Even sess could be problematic." "Ah, no." Mark Jung''s hands shook. He couldn''t fathom what vicious oue Yeonwoo had imagined. "Please, truly leave what thepany can handle to us. A critical failure with the dice would be hard to clean up." Yeonwoo ignored the trembling Mark Jung and looked at the final document he held. "Seems we''ve covered everything. What''s that?" "Ah. It''s a proposal from that information broker asking for forgiveness." Mark Jung regained hisposure, focusing on thest task. "It''s a forced contract promising never to sell information about you or the dice again, and 1 billion wonpensation plus any items you want." Yeonwoo was indifferent. They''d already sold information that nearly got him killed. "I''ll take it since they''re offering... Tell them I want a gun and those time-buying bills. Or other useful equipment." "Yes, I''ll ry that. I''ll be back tomorrow then." After gathering his documents, Mark Jung looked out the window. Snow was falling heavily outside. Who knows how much had umted. "This weather, really..." Mark Jung muttered irritably before leaving. Left alone, Yeonwoo closed his eyes. Anxiety still gued his mind. ''They said the war''s tomorrow. Nothing will go wrong just observing from here, right?'' 131 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Dark night. Lee Yeonwoo tossed and turned. He stared into the pitch-ck void, blinking. ''War, they say. At least I''m not going to the battlefield.'' The doomsday cultist''s n to descend the afterlife had stopped. Caught up in the ident he''d created, they''d lost the capacity to proceed. Plus, they''d likely been swept up in the possibility he''d implemented - the possibility of the enemy''s misfortune.But a strange unease refused to dissipate. His heart pounded, nerves on edge. In the darkness enveloping the hospital room, it felt like a monster could leap out at any moment. ''This is childish imagination... No. It could actually happen. I can''t let this continue.'' Yeonwoo sat up, then reached into his bag to pull out a fluorescent vest, a stone, and a gun. His hands moved busily. After donning the fluorescent vest and gripping the stone and gun in each hand, he felt a bit more at ease. Yeonwoo fell asleep around dawn. "Yeonwoo? Where has this person gone?" A voice rang out. Yeonwoo slowly opened his eyes, feeling the stone and gun in his hands. He saw Mark Jung grumbling as he paced around the hospital room. Bundled uppletely in a padded jacket, gloves, and scarf, Mark Jung suddenly wore an anxious expression. "Did he run away? Because he doesn''t want to observe? Or did he have some kind of ident?" His face, already blue from the cold, turned deathly pale. Mark Jung stamped his feet in ce. "We can''t have an ident now. We don''t have the resources to deal with one." Almost all resources had been invested in the war. Information resources were monitoring the doomsday cultists and hostile groups, whilebat personnel were on standby at the battlefield and major regions of the world. If Yeonwoo caused a critical failure of an ident now... Mark Jung urgently pulled out his phone, then saw Yeonwoo''s phone in the corner of the bed and trembled. "He didn''t even take his phone?" This needed to be reported to the director immediately. There was no telling what might happen. Just as Mark Jung raised his finger to dial his phone, Yeonwoo put down the stone and took off his fluorescent vest. "I''m right here." A voice thick with sleep. Mark Jung whipped his head around to look at Yeonwoo. He let out a sigh of relief for a moment, then quickly adopted a dumbfounded expression. "Why are you sleeping with perception-distorting gear on?" "I''ve been feeling a bit anxioustely." Yeonwoo yawned widely, then rubbed his sleepy eyes. In that brief moment, his fatigue dissipated. The vitality of rainwater. Mark Jung let out a sigh. "As long as nothing''s happened, it''s fine." "Has the war started?" Yeonwoo looked at Mark Jung with wide-awake eyes, and Mark Jung sat down heavily in a chair. He took out hisptop and ced it on the table. "It''s about to start now." Mark Jung, looking as if he''d aged years in an instant, tapped on hisptop. Then he brought up a screen split into multiple sections. People and anomalous entities were facing off across a ck river. Thepany and allied groups on one side, hostile groups on the other. "This is the observation screen from thepany. To exin briefly-" "I''m hungry. Can we order something to eat?" Mark Jung was at a loss for words for a moment, then btedly nodded. "Hospital food- no, you''re being discharged tomorrow. Do as you like." Even if they called it war, this was closer to a battle between anomalous entities. A war conducted under rules and agreements. A war to blow away the afterlife and destroy anomalous entities, the source of contamination. No idea what the other groups were thinking, though. "Then, a boxed meal..." And Yeonwoo, who had been tapping on his phone, came to his senses. The anxiety circling his mind. A war breaking out far away, but with unknowable repercussions. His dull mind snapped awake. Yeonwoo waved his hand. "Never mind. Please continue." "The afterlife is part of a two-dimensional ne that fell into our world like a meteor." Mark Jung skimmed over it. He started his exnation from the afterlife. A two-dimensional ne operating under differentws, orpletely contaminated by anomalies. The afterlife was a part of such a two-dimensional ne that had fallen near Earth, into our dimension. "The center of the afterlife, which slightly oveps with Earth, is that ck river. If we just destroy that river, the magicians from the Metaphysical Literature Society and ourpany can perform a grand spell topletely banish the afterlife." Yeonwoo sharpened his senses. Looking at the screen, two countdowns were running. One for the time remaining until the war began. The other for the time remaining until the afterlife''s banishment. The ticking time felt like a burning fuse. ''Will the war go as thepany wants? Is the banishment 100% certain?'' As he fidgeted anxiously, time passed. The war began. --- --- Beep-! The clock announced the start of the war. The seals on the isted anomalous entities were released, payment was made to the anomalous entities, and the anomalous entities exerted their power. The screen split into dozens of sections simultaneously turned into chaos. shes of light, observation devices engulfed in darkness, filters creating static. The speakers spat out noise that couldn''t even be called sound. Yeonwoo forgot his anxiety and stared nkly at the screen, then turned his head. "I can''t see anything." "Just a moment." Mark Jung clicked his mouse and erged one of the somewhat intact screens. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª! The speaker vomited a thunderous roar. On the screen, a red giant was rising to its feet. A giant causing mes and mushroom clouds. As it shouted, shock waves burst forth, vaporizing the ck river. No, the afterlife was simply overturned by shes of light, heat, and radiation. Yeonwoo instinctively realized. That was a real nuclear explosion. "The Red Giant, an anomalous entity sealed by thepany. This is why we keep the world''s governments in check." Mark Jung stared into space as if recalling a memory, then exined vaguely. "World War II, or was it during the Cold War? Some country tried to create weapons using nuclear power and anomalies, and identally created this entity. It''s easier to understand if you think of it as the spirit of nuclear explosions." "That''s insane." Yeonwoo couldn''t help but curse. What the hell. No matter how many dice he had, this was a danger he couldn''t even get close to. ''If that thing tries to kill me...'' Wouldn''t running away with the dice be the answer? Don''t even think about getting close. Meanwhile, the Red Giant caused a few more explosions. Explosions urred with each of its steps. Mushroom clouds shot up like some kind of mushroom farm. And yet, something stood before the giant. "Is that... a demon?" "Looks like the demon of world wars..." An old man wearing what looked like a World War II-era military uniform spread his arms wide, his mouth split in a grin. His voice could be heard. "Sacrifices! Thank you!" In a ce where the concept of war was maximized, in front of the worst weapon of war, it was absorbing the concept it presided over. The old man''s white hair turned ck, his wrinkles disappearing. A dark mustache appeared under his nose. "Youth, my prime is returning!" Yeonwoo was taken aback. This seemed like they''d only done the enemy a favor. But Mark Jung wasn''t surprised, and sure enough, the attack continued. Suddenly, several people appeared before the demon. People with halos, bathed in holy light. They shouted a brief "Amen," then raised their fists. The demon''s expression twisted. "The Spear of Longinus?" "Demon, back to hell." Bam! They punched the demon. Miraculously, the effects of the nuclear explosion didn''t reach their surroundings. No, it was indeed a miracle. "There''s an anomalous entity in the Vatican, a spear called the Spear of Longinus. If you''re stabbed and die, you resurrect as an anomalous entity after 3 days. But it disappears after 40 days." This time, the Vatican''s exorcists and thepany''s demon hunters had volunteered themselves. And so the brawl continued. The haloed figures surrounded the demon, throwing punches, kicking, and sometimesshing out with whips. The Red Giant stood dumbfounded for a while, then let out a small wail before beginning to destroy the ck river and the surrounding world. Mark Jung turned the screen. Ghosts screamed. "The living have invaded!" "Run away!" "There''s nowhere to run!" As the ghosts fled helter-skelter, a shadow fell over them. The shadow of a bird. A blue bird swooped down on the ghosts. It came down hard, stomping on ghosts with its legs and pecking their heads with its beak. The struggling ghosts became dazed like people who had lost their minds. Then they staggered to their feet and grabbed other ghosts. "Let go!" The heads of the captured ghosts were also pecked by the blue bird''s beak. And so those ghosts also lost their minds. The blue bird, now grownrger, opened its beak wide as if annoyed and took a deep breath. The air currents in the area, the minds of nearby ghosts, were all sucked in. All those ghosts became ves of the blue bird. "A bird that pecks minds. Thepany had it sealed away." "Thepany did this too?" Yeonwoo''s jaw dropped. ''They do this and then worry about contamination?'' While keeping such things locked up like some secret weapon? Isn''t thepany actually the reason anomalous contamination is so serious? Mark Jung smiled awkwardly. "Well, they all have research value. And if we save them, they mighte in handy someday." Meanwhile, the blue bird flew around the afterlife, sucking up the minds of ghosts, and instantly grew in size. A bodyrge enough to block out the sky. Below it, an army of ghosts following its flight. That''s when it happened. Rustle- Suddenly, a curtain fell over the screen. A curtain you''d expect to see on a theater stage. The influence of an anomaly. Affecting even the camera and screen. As Yeonwoo tensed and leaned back, the curtain opened. Beyond the curtain was a stage. A narration was heard. A deep male voice. "And so the band of heroespleted their preparations. With the help of the great sculptor, they gained an army, and with the help of the great cksmith, they forged a cage to seal the evil bird." An army of statue knights on horseback and soldier statues stood in formation. Beyond them was the army of ghosts. In front of the statue army, a man in brilliant armor raised his sword. "It''s time to overthrow the evil bird that enves humans! Fear not! Glory lies before us!" The soldier statues simultaneously struck the ground with their spears. Mark Jung muttered. "The Hero Theater Troupe..." "Is it reality maniption like a director?" "Probably." The ghosts and statues charged simultaneously, shing in battle. The man in brilliant armor, along with archers and mages, fought fiercely against the blue bird. Simr evenly matched battles took ce in various locations. The afterlife was engulfed in war. Powerful evil spirits that could no longer bear it sprang forth all at once, but were instantly vaporized. Yeonwoo ced his hand over his pounding heart. ''Never, ever go to a battlefield orrge-scalebat zone. If it looks like a battlefield, immediately roll to escape.'' Having established one more rule for survival, Yeonwoo focused his eyes on the screen. And the war situation began to flow in a direction different from thepany''s expectations. 132 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The Green Association shed with Synth Dynamics. nts and mechanical humans tangled together,peting to see which had the greater vitality. Elsewhere, all manner of anomalous entities engaged in repeated cycles of destruction. At the doorway opened by a deranged magician, the afterlife transformed into a world of meat chunks. Strange insects devoured the flesh, and concert-like singing could be heard... Mark Jung''s superior and the person in charge of this war, the Director, nodded while looking at the screens covering the wall. "Everything''s breaking apart nicely.""Yes, the ck River is being destroyed smoothly, and the magicians have finished their preparations as well." The secretaries constantly checked numbers and times, asionally making calls to assess the situation. The war was progressing ording to n, close to the objectives. But the Director wore a meaningful expression. Though anxious, he couldn''t show it, so he put on a suspicious look. ''Those hostile groups. They''re not the type to end like this.'' Though they had made an agreement, the groups could have hidden motives, their members could have different thoughts, or they might suddenly go berserk. And then, the war situation began to flow in a direction different from thepany''s goals. The Director blinked. He looked at the screen showing the airspace of the afterlife. The shadow of a city loomed in the dim sky of the afterlife. A pitch-ck city with buildings erected haphazardly, without uniform standards. Bats flew about, and ck energy wafted through the air. Strange statue-like objects glowed with red eyes, and bizarre humans with distinct personalities looked around in confusion. "...Isn''t that the demon self-governing region? Why is it there?" That''s the demon worshippers'' headquarters? We agreed not to use group headquarters or danger level 6 anomalies in this war, didn''t we? No, more importantly, if that descends on the afterlife now, won''t the afterlife be heavier? The secretaries panicked and started making calls, but before the calls connected, the truth was revealed on the screen. All sorts of demons wailed. "Hey, this is a battlefield?" "Which bastard! Which bastard brought the demon self-governing region here!" "Bastard... Apliment!" "Find the culprit quickly! No, let''s go back! Is there a friend who can send this back..." "Can''t do it alone!" At that moment, several demons on top of the highest building in the demon self-governing region cackled. "Ah. Yes. I did it. I, the Demon of Betrayal." "I, the Demon of Tragedy." "I..." Anyway, demons who enjoyed causing chaos joined hands to backstab everyone. Because it was fun. Boom- The demon self-governing region began to descend. The translucent shadow of the city gained substance. That mass. That overwhelming weight of existence. The afterlife seemed to tilt. The ground rumbled, and the battlefield shook. A subtle feeling of falling, like being in a descending elevator, swept over them. The Director spoke calmly. "Can the prepared banishment magic handle this now?" No matter how screwed up the demons were, he never thought they''d bring down the demon self-governing region, but now wasn''t the time to panic. The magic circle prepared to send the afterlife back was simr to a missile''s propulsion system; if the afterlife became heavier, problems would arise. A secretary versed in magic fluttered his eyelids, calcting something, then shook his head. "We must use the banishment magic immediately. The afterlife is falling into our world even now." "Any problems with using the banishment magic?" "The afterlife will explode." So, the afterlife was falling like a meteor, and he was saying to intercept it with banishment magic. Then the afterlife would shatter and scatter debris, but that was better than it falling in one piece. The Director remained still for a moment, then spoke. "Calcte the time remaining until the fall isplete. Send out requests to stop the war, and prepare to evacuate the afterlife. Tell the magicians to get ready." If they stopped the war and lightened the afterlife, they might buy time and perhaps even prevent the fall. Just then, a phone call came in. The Director looked at the number and immediately answered. "This is the Director. I request a stop to the war." "This is the Club President. I''ve grasped the situation. We''ll evacuate the afterlife first." It was the Club President''s voice. When the Director looked at the screen, the Club, which had been inconspicuous, began to move. Suddenly, they started shouting with megaphones. "1+2, 1+2. Fresh graphics cards straight from the factory, buy one get two free!" "90% discount opening in 10, 9, 8, 7!" "Cryptocurrency prices predicted by Golden Omnipotence for one week from now! We''ll tell you in 30 seconds!" Anomalous entities rushed through the doors created by the Club. They had fallen victim to mental maniption. The Director felt slightly relieved. Emergency measures were being implemented quickly. "Thank you for your cooperation." "Just pay us the gold value for destroying those things." With that, the call ended- The Director''s pupils dted. A camera observing the Artists'' Association captured a rippling space. This wasn''t a simple spatial movement. Space connected itself. Even without the being beyond emerging, the afterlife began to transform. The twilight afterlife. The afterlife, existing only in darkness, a hazy sky, and faint light, sensed the being beyond the space and changed. Darkness hastily retreated. Dim light gathered to be illumination. Wind blew in, pushing away the debris of battle scattered in that space, and green grass bloomed like a red carpet from the barren earth, waiting for it. To wee the most beautiful one in the world. To praise its beauty. The Director cried out as if screaming. "Cut the connection immediately! It''s the Artists'' Association President!" Toote. Its bare feet appeared. Stepping on the soft grass. The filter turned off. The security system stopped. For its beauty must not be concealed. Everyone''s eyes, faces turned toward the screen. Tears flowed. In an instant, transcendent beauty captured their souls. Themand post watching became paralyzed. In the afterlife, the war stopped. --- --- Lee Yeonwoo and Mark Jung were observing the battlefield, rotating through various observation equipment. Far more anomalous entities than Yeonwoo had seen during work. Yeonwoo focused intently on the screen, imprinting each group and their characteristics in his mind. ''So things like that exist. To deal with that, I''d need to prepare this judgment, and even without dice, act like this...'' It wasn''t just terrifying danger level 5 anomalies; he could learn from seeing the main anomalous entities of various groups. Mark Jung spoke offhandedly. "Group headquarters or danger level 6 anomalies weren''t supposed to appear ording to the negotiations... Huh." "...That looks like the demon worshippers'' city." Mark Jung hurriedly zoomed in on the screen. The demon self-governing region was descending. The demons in the self-governing district were also panicking. "No, uh. Why bring their headquarters to the battlefield." Yeonwoo quickly grasped the situation. He hadn''t seen many demons, but how should he put it? They seemed crazy, or rather, true to their concept. "Looks like they got backstabbed too. Probably just some demon causing trouble." "Even so, their own headquarters..." Yeonwoo rubbed his flushed face. His heart pounded, and a sense of unease swept over him. ''Something feels wrong.'' It was more than simple psychological anxiety; it was intuition. Like the feeling of being on the brink of a major failure, or danger standing right behind you. And then, it happened. Suddenly, the screen changed. Though they hadn''t touched theptop, it switched to the screen of another observation device. To where the Artists'' Association President was walking out. To show her beauty. It happened in an instant. Before they could react or be on guard, the most beautiful being in the world revealed itself. There was no interference. Everything, living and non-living, moved to praise her beauty. "..." "..." They couldn''t speak. Couldn''t move. They just looked at the screen, tears streaming down their faces. Art that moved the soul, art that captured the soul - no, art bordering on violence against the soul was there. "Ah..." Mark Jung let out a groan mixed with weeping, ecstasy, and love. Yeonwoo was no different. That was beauty courted by the world itself. Look, all the anomalous entities on the battlefield kneeling before it. The sight of the afterlife contorting its body for it. The war stopped, and those who had been fighting became its ves. All the light in the afterlife shone down on it, and all darkness retreated to the ends of the world, lest it obscure its beauty. The Association President spoke. "Come with me." Even sound could be art. Its voice, too, as art courted by the world, shook their souls. All the anomalous entities rose. They staggered forward. Towards the passage the world had opened for itself. Yeonwoo stared nkly at them. He wanted to go too. "..." Survival instinct was paralyzed in the face of this shower of beauty. Self-awareness was erased. All senses and thoughts focused solely on it. ''Dice. Let''s go too. Movement, no, movement might fail.'' How could he get closer to that? What judgment should he roll? As he thought this. A chilling sensation crept up his spine. Bang, a thunderous sound exploded. When Yeonwoo looked nkly at the screen, the afterlife was being torn apart. Even amidst this, the most beautiful one remainedpletely unaffected, but Yeonwoo gradually broke free from its influence. Survival instinct screamed. Yeonwoo''s eyes remained fixed on theptop screen, but in the corner of his vision, through the window across from theptop, he sensed something like a meteor falling. The afterlife was plummeting, shattered into pieces. "Uh..." Just then, as if the observation device had been destroyed, the screen went dark. Mark Jung was still captivated by it, weeping, while Yeonwoo rubbed his face vigorously. ''Wake up, wake up, wake up.'' The afterlife is falling. Will it be okay? We''re screwed. A major ident has urred. I need to survive. It''s... right now I''m in danger, shouldn''t I be the priority? I need to live to see it again anyway. His wavering eyes painfully tore away from theptop. --- --- In the center of a certain road. People wearing strange conical hats or robes looked up at the sky. The two oldest among them muttered. "It blew up spectacrly." "I don''t know if this is okay. We acted on our own without orders." "What else could we do? Themand post was paralyzed." The two old men simultaneously looked at a young magician. He had been watching on aptop but lost his mind upon seeing the Association President. We''ll have to extract his soul and put it through the wash once. "The demon self-governing region started the fall, the Association President elerated it, and themand post was paralyzed." "It was the best we could do. If we''d beente, an even bigger disaster would have urred." The two old men suddenly looked at each other. Then they grinned. "And, well. If thepany or anyone elseins, we can just run away." "It''s not like this is the only world out there." 133 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The banishment magic unfolded on a massive scale, befitting its grand nature. It rivaled road construction or urban nning in scope. Thepany and magic society drew city-sized magic circles at six points close to the afterlife. They repainted road lines with magic-infused paint and built new roads to form the magic circles. "They''re wasting tax money on useless things at year''s end," ordinary people grumbled. Aside from theseints, enormous magic circles were smoothly drawn in six cities worldwide.The prepared banishment magic forcefully pushed back the afterlife. The falling afterlife collided with this repulsive force and shattered. Fragments of the afterlife rained down all over the world. ''Get a grip!'' Lee Yeonwoo barely grasped his constantly twisting thoughts and eyes trying to return to theptop. To be precise, he turned his 180-degree reversed thoughts another 180 degrees, returning them to their original state. ''She''ll be fine. She''s not the type to get hurt from falling.'' Yeonwoo vaguely sensed it. All probabilities and possibilities were moving for her sake. Possibilities that could harm her shrank away, while those that could help her were maximized. She was one who could move reality. Someone on a simr level as the Golden Omnipotence that moves reality with gold, or the future Yeonwoo who handles possibilities at will. ''Even dice interference probably won''t work well on her. She won''t get hurt in an ident like this. So, if I just survive, I can see her again. My survival is the top priority.'' His mind rotated 360 degrees, returning to its original state. Yeonwoo sprang up and rushed to the window. "The afterlife..." In the blue sky, translucent meteor-like objects were falling strangely. Without mes from friction, without noise. Fragments of the afterlife were falling. The direction they were falling was... Yeonwoo was terrified. "Why are they falling here?!" A fragment of the afterlife plummeted straight towards the hospital where he was admitted. Its speed was incredibly fast. What seemed like a faint dot grew to the size of a human fist, then instantly closed the distance, filling the sky. There was no time to react properly. Yeonwoo crouched down by the window, next to the reinforced concrete wall. As if responding to a nuclear explosion, he closed his eyes, covered his ears, and protected his head. And then, the fragment of the afterlife fell. Boom- The impact was minimal. There was no sh, no destructive power. When Yeonwoo cautiously opened his eyes, he saw apletely transformed hospital room. "What the..." The once-clean hospital room had turned into a haunted hospital straight out of a horror movie. The wallpaper was torn off, revealing moldy concrete. Dirty puddles appeared here and there, the nkets were in tatters, and all the furniture had turned to trash. Before Yeonwoo could grasp the situation, an announcement immediately followed. Bzzt- "Anomaly manifestation confirmed. Patients and medical staff, please respond calmly. This hospital..." An old speaker spat out a murky sound. The sound was distorted. "...will do its best for the death of patients." Not the voice of the person making the announcement, but a dreadful voice as if from hell. A voice mixed with screams and curses. When Yeonwoo listened carefully with heightened senses, he heard something about taking revenge on the living world. At the same time, the hospital was in chaos. All sorts of curses burst out from the patient rooms. "Shit! Getting caught up in this crap even in a hospital!" "Ghosts go to hell." "Is this a second-dimensional fusion? Any magicians around?" "I''m here. Let''s see, the materials I have right now are..." Yeonwoo''s expression settled calmly as he listened. He had grasped the situation. ''A fragment of the afterlife fused with the hospital. And in this hospital...'' There were plenty of veteranpany employees admitted. From what he heard, there was no shortage of professionals including demon hunters and magicians. Yeonwoo nodded to himself. ''It shouldn''t be too big a problem. First, let''s wake up that guy.'' Yeonwoo''s gaze turned to Mark Jung, who was sobbing and caressing theptop screen. "I have to go too!" "Get a hold of yourself." "My mind is perfectly clear. In my life, I''ve never-" Mark Jung tried to say something, but Yeonwoo immediately cut him off. "How do you n to go?" "That''s..." Mark Jung''s eyes lit up. He immediately found a way. A way to use all the resources he could mobilize. "She''s the president of the Artists'' Association. I heard she usually stays at the Arts Center, turning it into an anomalous entity. So if we contact the Artists'' Association-" He knew her identity. Yeonwoo felt uneasy for a moment. An artist he usually didn''t want to get involved with. The leader of such artists. ''...Something''s off.'' "Kieeek!" Just then, a ghost''s scream echoed through the corridor. The scream that pierced his head caused a headache, and Yeonwoo escaped a bit more from her influence. His senses sharpened, thoughts flowed. ''Is my mind contaminated? But she...'' Her shadow that wouldn''t leave his mind. That beauty. Something was strange, but she didn''t threaten Yeonwoo''s life, and even the dice couldn''t resist, so he couldn''tpletely break free. Yeonwoo massaged his throbbing head and soon came to a conclusion. ''Now''s not the time for these thoughts.'' He needed to survive in the hospital fused with a fragment of the afterlife. Yeonwoo looked straight at Mark Jung. "Let''s focus on escaping from here first. If we die here, we''ll never see the Artists'' Association president again." Mark Jung also came to his senses. No, he set his priorities straight. "You''re right." They carefully left the hospital room. --- --- A hospital run by thepany. The fragment fell in the wrong ce. After all, hospitals where professionals are admitted were full of people who could fend off most dangers. "Kraaaah!" A demon hunter with one hand in a cast hanging from a sling and wielding a silver dagger in the other tore apart a ghost. The ghost dissipated with a resentful expression. The demon hunter watched it with a stoic expression, then briefly prayed, "Amen." He didn''t know what had happened, but his job remained unchanged. Hunting threats to humanity. Just then, footsteps were heard. The footsteps of two people. When the demon hunter turned his head, he saw a man in patient clothes and another in a suit. The man in patient clothes bowed his head. "I''m Investigator Yeonwoo. This is Mark Jung from headquarters. We''re trying to escape, would you like to join us?" The demon hunter frowned. There was a smell. A smell that tempted people. Shing- The silver dagger was raised diagonally. Its sharp de gleamed faintly in the dim light. "You two have been affected by an anomaly." "Us?" "Yeah." The demon hunter stood still for a moment, then lowered the silver dagger. Such incidents weremon. They didn''t seem to havepletely lost their sense of self or been controlled. "Get checked as soon as you escape." Yeonwoo and Mark Jung looked at each other, then back at the demon hunter. "Aren''t you escaping?" "I''m going to hunt these things. Go on." He spoke firmly and moved on. The silver dagger scattered an eerie light. Yeonwoo and Mark Jung didn''t press further and hurried their steps. How long had they been walking like that? They saw people gathered in the middle of the corridor. Medical staff and patients were crowded together, with a magic circle drawn on the floor. "Two moreing." "Hurry! The magician created a safe zone!" As they said, ghosts were gathered on the opposite side of the corridor, wearing hateful expressions. They couldn''t approach the magic circle. The magician threw some powder to drive away the ghosts, then rummaged through his bag. "Ah, we''re short on materials. Haven''t we been able to contact thepany?" "I''ve been on the phone with them..." That''s when it happened. Their phones rang simultaneously. Yeonwoo immediately checked. The first message was sent to allpany employees. "The afterlife has fallen in fragments. Move quickly to track the locations of the fragments and suppress the anomalous entities existing in those fragments." Thepany, moving separately from the paralyzedmand, enteredbat mode and moved to clean up. The second message was sent to special management targets. "Elite agents, we will soon assign missions. Be prepared." The third message was sent to those who had witnessed the war and been affected by the Association President. "This is..." "Drink the memory eraser." The short sentence wasn''t text but a photo, with a force thatpelled the mind. Mark Jung immediately took out a memory eraser from his pocket and poured a few drops into his mouth. Yeonwoo resisted, his hands trembling. ''The memory eraser isn''t right for this situation.'' His mind was torn in three directions. The desire to approach the Association President. The need to survive. The urge to drink the memory eraser. Yeonwoo groaned and curled up. His head hurt. That''s when it happened. Suddenly, a mechanical sound was heard. People turned in unison to see beings that were half human and half machine climbing up the stairs. On their chests, the logo of Synth Dynamics was clearly imprinted. These were anomalous entities that had been in this fragment, in the midst of war. "Pure organic lifeforms detected. Modify them." Red optical sensors shed. The machine humans each drew out weapons. Yeonwoo suddenly raised his head. He lowered his hand slowly with sunken eyes. ''...Right. Those anomalous entities from the afterlife would be here too.'' If something like the spirit of a nuclear explosion was here, it''d be really dangerous. As if doused with ice water, his head cooled rapidly, and his split mind was mended.Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 134 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Chaos reigned. "Prepare for the first surgery." The mechanical humans from Synth Dynamics drew their cold weapons. They''d used up all their bullets during the war. Steel des, chainsaws, and awls protruded from their forearms, scattering an eerie light. "Remove unnecessary organs and body parts. Rece them with machines." And then, noise erupted from their heads."Let''s return to the most beautiful one with more works." These things had also gone haywire due to the Association President. Even though she had disappeared, their slightly freed will still moved for her sake. The ghosts who had survived in the rtively safe battlefield were the same. Ghosts who had been avoiding the magic circles and scattered powder emitted hatred-filled mental waves. "Since the afterlife that she desired has been shattered, we mustfort her by turning more of the living into the dead!" "It''s a chance for revenge too!" It was severe mental contamination. All will and minds were twisted around the Association President. The hospital''s security guards silently took up their weapons. Truncheons, pistols, and taser guns. "We can handle those things even if we can''t deal with the ghosts. We just need to protect the safe zone." "But you don''t have enough manpower on your own. Do you have any spare guns?" "I do." Lee Yeonwoo turned his bag inside out. The remaining pistols from the Club ttered out. ''I was going to get these guns from an information broker anyway. No problem using them all up here.'' The Special Forcesbat personnel quickly grabbed the pistols. Also, abatant who had faced Synth Dynamics before rapidly issued instructions. "Don''t use the taser guns. There might be ones that recharge themselves with that. And aim for the human parts. Those things die if they bleed out too." Advice based on rich experience. Yeonwoo listened attentively while quickly gauging the forces on both sides. ''I think we can handle those mechanical humans well enough. The ghosts are fine. And it doesn''t look like there are any spirits of nuclear explosions or anything here.'' At that moment, Yeonwoo''s gaze caught two people. The magician who had created the protected area. "..." After rolling his eyeballs around with his mouth shut, he suddenly shattered his bracelet and disappeared from this world. Seeing the situation looked dire, he had fled. To another dimension. After enviously watching that for a moment. Yeonwoo approached Mark Jung. "Here... Memory eraser?" After realizing his memories were gone and assessing the situation, Mark Jung absent-mindedly looked at his phone and fell victim to mental maniption again, pouring a few drops of memory eraser into his mouth. Then he became confused due to the lost memories, looked at his phone again, and drank the memory eraser. He kept repeating the cycle of looking at his phone and drinking again. At that point, the battle began. "Fire!" A thunderous sound erupted. The hospital corridor filled with gunshots. The mechanical humans trudged forward to dedicate themselves to the Association President, to prepare more works for her. They took the bullets straight to their bodies. Bullets bounced off machine parts and embedded in flesh, spilling red blood or lubricant, with some critical hits felling them. ''It''ll be disadvantageous if they close the distance.'' Yeonwoo coolly assessed the situation, then quickly snatched Mark Jung''s phone and memory eraser. "The current situation, that''s-" Mark Jung wore a confused expression as he was robbed, and Yeonwoo held the phone forward without even ncing at the screen. "Don''t look this way, move aside!" The seasonedpany man immediately cleared the way. An empty space opened up in front of Yeonwoo, and he quickly ran forward. Using the screen forcing them to drink memory eraser as a shield. In that instant, the mechanical humans'' pupils caught that screen. Human eyes and camera lenses all focused on it at once. "Priority 1mand changed, change impossible, changed, change impossible, changed, zzzzt." The Association President''s influence shed with thepany''s imposed control. Mark Jung''s body, imnted with suggestions as a direct employee of the director, moved ording to orders, but in the mechanical humans'' minds, two higher entities purelypeted for dominance. Zzzzt- The mechanical humans'' movements stopped. Even as bullets rained down, their brains and circuits were overloaded and couldn''t respond properly. "Priority 1mand. Return to her with more works. Changed. Drink the memory eraser. Change impossible. Changed." By the time they started breaking down one by one, the Association President''s influence pushed back thepany''s orders. "Priority 1mand maintained." "Make her happy!" The few remaining mechanical humans charged ferociously but fell under the hail of bullets, and the ghosts sobbed in disappointment. "To die without even breaching that barrier!" Thepany employees who had fended off the mechanical humans wore grim expressions. "The magician fled?" "There''s no reason for a magician to stay here. They''re good at running away too." "Then those ghosts..." Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes, looking at the ghosts and scattered remains of mechanical humans. ''Association President... Is that mental contamination?'' A sense of dissonance. The hospital turned into an anomalous zone. The acrid smell of gunpowder and deafening gunshots. Bizarre behaviors and speech. The Association President''s influence shing with mental maniption. All the circumstancesbined to pound at his mind. But to doubt her... ''I may not be that emotional, but it''s different with the Association President.'' Yeonwoo nudged Mark Jung. Mark Jung wore a tense expression as he searched his pockets to assess the situation, then was startled to see an ordinary bullet pop out. "Why do I have this!" "Hey." "Ah, Yeonwoo. What''s today''s date? And what''s the current situation?" Yeonwoo exined briefly. That the war had gone terribly wrong. That the demon and artist had thoroughly messed it up. "The war. I remember it was being nned. It seems about a month of my memories are gone. But why the memory eraser?" Mark Jung looked troubled, but Yeonwoo paid no attention. "You saw the Artist Association President." "Ah. So that''s why the memory eraser. No wonder my chest aches." Mark Jung grasped the situation and wore aplicated expression. He had forgotten the Association President, but the empty space left by forcibly erased memories ached with bitter pain. The pain of losing your most precious memories. The pain of not even knowing what memories you''ve lost. And he grew wary of Yeonwoo. "It seems you didn''t drink the memory eraser, Yeonwoo." "That''s right. Is that Association President mental contamination? I keep having thoughts of wanting to return to her." "It''s a bitcking to call it just mental contamination, but that''s roughly correct. Quickly drink the memory eraser." Mark Jung pointed at the memory eraser bottle Yeonwoo had snatched, but Yeonwoo didn''t even nce at it. Instead he looked at the pistol loaded with ordinary bullets and thought. ''Mental contamination, huh.'' Even now he couldn''t believe it. That she had manipted his mind. But since it was a little safer not to believe, Yeonwoo twisted his thoughts. ''I don''t feel like drinking the memory eraser. If it''s really mental contamination, I should be able to break free given some time. Let''s bury this for now.'' It felt a bit off to roll the dice. Because it felt like the result woulde out in her favor, not his own. Yeonwoo recalled her words. ''Come with me, she said. But she went alone. That promise is already broken. It''s strange for me to go find her alone when she said to go together.'' And. ''Where would the Artist Association President be? She''d be at the Artist Association headquarters, right? Am I supposed to go there alone?'' He kept building psychological barriers. The Association President''s influence sank lower. Yeonwoo wore a refreshed expression. How to put it. It felt like shackles had been thrown off. At that point, the situation began to change. --- --- The hospital survivors were in the safe zone, and the ghosts red at them from far away. The survivors couldn''t kill the ghosts, and the ghosts couldn''t enter the safe zone, so they just spent time in a staring contest. "Come out! You cowardly living bastards!" "Youe in here." "...We don''t necessarily have to deal with just them. There are many people here." One ghost''s eyes widened as if realizing something. That magic circle cunningly blocked the corridor leading to the stairs, but there were people on the lower floors too. Just as the ghosts started showing ominous signs. The afterlife fused with the hospital encroached on reality a bit more. Company employees who had died in the hospital started reviving as ghosts. Combat personnel with horrific injuries, sickly researchers, investigators with pain-filled expressions. They looked around in bewilderment, then nkly stared at their own translucent bodies. "This is. I''m dead?" "Two-dimensional fusion? Revived as an anomalous entity?" At that moment, onebat personnel in the safe zone wore a shocked expression. "Father?" At that voice, a middle-aged man inbat gear turned his head. And said: "I''m not your father. People end when they die. What''s in front of you is an anomalous entity." That cold voice. Just like his father in thebat personnel''s memories. And as thepany employee ghosts grasped the situation, they looked at the malice-filled ghosts affected by the Association President. "...This hospital has be an anomalous entity. Due to two-dimensional fusion. The afterlife seems to have crashed." "Let''s deal with these guys first. They clearly have a high hostility level." "Since we''ve been revived as anomalous entities anyway, we should first establish a friendly rtionship with thepany. Let''s work hard." Their eyes shed as they charged at the dazed ghosts. In an instant, the ghosts tangled and fought. As people were taken aback, unexpectedly, an investigator ghost cursed with an exasperated expression. "Work under thepany even after death? Keep facing dangers? I choose eternal sleep!" Pop-! The investigator ghost burst. He fell into eternal sleep, free from both danger and work. --- --- The warmand centers of each group quickly recovered. Thepany followed prepared procedures and drank memory erasers, with reserve personnel recing themand. "Track the fragment locations, and put satellite weapons, elite agents, and doomsday defense devices on standby." "Anomalous entities affected by the Association President will go berserk." "Contact the magicians! Tell them to prepare banishment magic or spatial movement! Throw the Red Giant or mind-pecking bird into another dimension!" The magicians excitedly discussed. "Where should we send the Red Giant?" "That ce, what was it. Muspelheim? Wouldn''t it do well there?" The Club''s chairman regained his senses with a pre-prepared "insurance" and calmly said: "Bring the gold." "How much should we bring?" To the secretary''s question, the chairman coldly replied: "Enough to fight the Artist Association President." Danger Level 6 is the nuclear bomb of the anomalous world. It had struck the high-ranking officials watching the war. Even the Club, which tries to smooth things over, couldn''t sit still on this one. Thepany would be busy dealing with the ident, so shouldn''t the Club at least warn the Association President?Toggle New Ads 5/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 135 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here A mysterious glow surrounded the building. Built as a massive art museum and enhanced by the Association President''s residence, this ce was truly the headquarters of the Artists'' Association - the Pce of Arts. The directors of the Artists'' Association had gathered in the meeting room, speaking in hushed voices. "The Association President went to collect artworks personally. I wonder how many she''ll bring back?" "Well, I doubt she''ll be able to gather as much as we''d hoped."The directors, who usually argued over artistic differences and ideological disagreements, were now united in anticipation of the Association President''s return. Rescuing artworks from destruction in war. Making the Pce of Arts even more splendid. How many works would the Association President bring back? One director with earphones plugged in focused on the sound for a moment, then shook his head. "The afterlife world has copsed. Looks like she''ll only be able to salvage about three fragments." Despite hearing that the world the Association President had personally visited had copsed, none of them seemed concerned for her safety. These directors served directly under her. They understood what she was better than anyone. They were merely disappointed that the results didn''t meet their expectations. "Three... I hope they''re good pieces." "Our fragments should be falling this way. I wonder where she is now." The directors all looked out the window at once. Sure enough, three translucent meteorites were falling from the blue sky, tracing bizarre trajectories. Ahead of their path, clouds parted on their own, rainbows appeared, and trees and grass bloomed. All to wee her. The directors'' faces lit up like children waiting for presents. Then, the face of the director who had received the news turned pale. The news from his wireless earphone had shocked him. "Uh, uh." "What''s wrong? We need to go greet the Association President." The directors who were getting up stopped with strange expressions, and the one who heard the news grimaced as if he had identally destroyed a nearly finished artwork. "The Demon Self-Governing Region, the demons and worshippers in the district were taken out by the Association President." "..." For a moment, the directors doubted their ears. Honestly, they had expected other groups to warn the Association President about anomalous entities on par with her. They were prepared for that. But the Demon Self-Governing Region? The main base that demon worshippers had barely managed to establish by taking advantage of the anomalous climate? Wouldn''t this drive the other side mad? This wouldn''t end with just warnings or checks, would it? They muttered to themselves without realizing it. "Have the demon worshippers gone insane? What do they gain by dropping their headquarters into a warzone?" "The Demon Self-Governing Region? Why? How?" "Could it be the work of the Doomsday Cult?" Amidst the confused voices, a gentle voice was added. "Greetings, artists. I''m a legal councilor from the Demon Self-Governing Region. I''vee to discuss this incident." The directors were startled and turned around to see a man with silver-rimmed sses and a suit, exuding a professional aura, bowing his head to them. He reeked of demon. Despite his seemingly fragile appearance, the directors dared not underestimate him. "A greater demon? Listen to us first. Attacking your headquarters wasn''t our intention. It was an idental incident." It was an attempt to buy time. The Association President would arrive soon anyway. Once she arrived, there would be no problem. Whether the demon knew this or not, he nodded and continued. "I''m a demon who knows propriety. I abide by rules andws. I intend to proceed with this matter in a reasonable manner as well." "Ah, that''s a relief. We admit our fault. No, let''s sit down and talk about this." The directors bustled about awkwardly. Being usually immersed in artistic creation, they were unustomed to such matters. Searching for insufficient chairs, wondering what to serve, busily moving around the barren meeting room. "Where''s the water? Cups? Don''t we have cups?" "We don''t have enough chairs? Ah, that''s the Association President''s chair. Don''t sit there." "Why did you move the Demon Self-Governing Region to a warzone? Honestly, your side is also at fault..." "That''s right. What kind of demon are you?" The demon''s eyes narrowed into crescent moons. "I have many names. Demon of Revenge, Demon of Hammurabi''s Code, Demon of Retribution, Demon of Mutual Assured Destruction, Demon of the Doomsday Machine. Today..." That name. The name of the avenger who roamed the world like a nuclear submarine, moving when the Demon Self-Governing Region was attacked. The bustling directors froze. They immediately assumedbat stances. Gripping sculpting knives, hammers, clearing their throats. The demon spoke. "Don''t worry. I came as the Demon of Hammurabi''s Code. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The demon spread his arms wide. As if ovee with joy, a smile threatened to burst across his face. "Since our headquarters was raided, yours should be raided too. How fair is that?" Rumble- The Pce of Arts trembled. The artworks within shuddered. Even the directors couldn''t escape its influence. It felt as if they were enveloped inyers of invisibles. Artists focused solely on their craft were powerless before the greater demon''s ambush. A sculptor trembled, clutching a sharp sculpting knife. "You! How dare you try to steal my children!" "That''s not all. You''re all targets for execution. Why, you ask? Because the demons and worshippers have all lost their minds." "The Association President will be here soon!" The directors struggled desperately. To buy as much time as possible. But the greater demon just giggled, looking at them like toys. "Even I can''t handle the Association President. My powers wouldn''t work on her either. But will she be able toe here?" "What do you mean..." Just then, a faint shadow, the shadow of a massive meteorite, passed over the Pce of Arts. The light streaming through the windows flickered for a moment. The directors'' faces hardened. This was impossible. "Did the Association President want to go somewhere else?" "Wake up, you senile old fool! It''s another group! Another group is interfering!" It was just as he said. Golden Omnipotence, having gorged on gold, was granting the Club President''s wish. The greater demon nced at the ceiling, sensing the chaos in the sky. The aftermath of the collision between the world moving for the Association President and the force imposed by Golden Omnipotence. The leaders of two groups, the core anomalous entities of two groups, had twisted the world. And. A certain power that had spread through the world before this war began. The possibility of causing misfortune to specific targets. The fading misfortune tilted the world onest time. The greater demon''s expression was subtle. ''Misfortune to my enemies. Seems thepanyid the groundwork in advance. Did they know things would turn out like this?'' Indeed, the war had begun even before the battle. The foundationid by thepany was taking effect. It was all a misunderstanding. Lee Yeonwoo had simply rolled the dice on a whim to get revenge on the information broker. But the aftermath was still having an effect now. "Confiscation!" As the greater demon raided the directors and the pce for prisoner exchange, Several dangerous fragments fell towards Yeonwoo''s enemies. Towards the Doomsday Cult. Towards their hidden hideouts. --- --- The Doomsday Cult members were each hiding in their hideouts. The humans who survived the Reptilian boss''s rampage, or those who didn''t participate in the gathering in the first ce, nned tounch synchronized terrorist attacks under the Hijacker''smand. "How long has it been since the war started?" "Not even an hour yet." At the height of the war, when the Hijacker opened portals to each hideout, they would terrorize all sorts of cities. The Doomsday Cult members were checking their explosives, poisons, and anomalous entities when they suddenly looked up. Translucent meteorites were crossing the sky. "Isn''t that the afterlife? Why is it falling?" "Did someone proceed with the n unterally? We shouldn''t have the resources for that." Bewildered feelings, excited feelings thinking it was a good thing, and then terrified feelings seeing the meteorites falling towards them. Three high-ranking Doomsday Cult leaders each saw massive fragments falling towards their hideouts. The hideouts transformed. Into the afterlife world that had been at war. "..." A smoker, who had been deeply inhaling his cigarette and exhaling ck smoke, trembled. He saw the afterlife world that appeared before him, a battlefield where all sorts of nts had grown lush. "The Green Association? Of all things?" The misfortune that had been tormenting them in small ways had brought him his most lethal enemy. A human from the Green Sect with flowers blooming on his head and a nt alchemist holding seeds looked at him with puzzled expressions, then red at the smoker before them. "A smoker? This won''t do! What if He gets exposed to secondhand smoke!" "He''s harming the Association President of the Artists'' Association, let''s capture and kill him." The nt alchemist sprinkled seeds, and as the Green Sect''s priest sped his hands, nts grew rapidly. nts that absorbed and purified the ck smoke. "..." The smoker began to flee without looking back. The ck smoke exploded in an instant, killing the surrounding nts. Simr incidents urred in various ces. Fragments showering down on the Doomsday Cult members'' heads. "I can''t win this." A martial artist boasting superhuman physical abilities saw the Red Giant and ran coughing in the opposite direction. "Ah... This is." An electronic ghost made of green character strings suddenly came to his senses, only toe face to face with a mind-eating bird blinking before him. --- --- At that moment, Yeonwoo was on a call. "The Club, you say?" In the hospital, now safe thanks to the cooperation of thepany employee ghosts. Yeonwoo had returned to his room and was waiting for thepany''s contact when he received a call from the Club. "This is the chief secretary under the Club President. Yeonwoo, you said you''d sell the dice usage rights. We want to buy them now." "...Now?" Yeonwoo asked suspiciously. It was still wartime. Should he take a request from the Club, a hostile group, right now? The person calling himself the chief secretary spoke calmly. "Thepany has approved it." "If that''s the case... What would you like me to roll?" "The Artists'' Association President. It doesn''t have to be a full-scale attack. Just enough to be a nuisance would be fine." He said the Artists'' Association President and the Club President were fighting, and asked for even a small interference. Yeonwoo''s voice immediately sank. "I can''t. I cannot do that." "...Did you perhaps watch it?" "I did watch it, but." "Please wait a moment." The chief secretary covered his phone and said something. Immediately after, the Association President''s influence that Yeonwoo had buried deep in his mind disappeared. Yeonwoo felt his cleanly washed mind and was bewildered. The twisted psyche, the nonsensical thoughts, the mindset that wasn''t like him. That extensive and severe mental contamination. "No. Uh." "We''ve removed the influence. Will you ept the request?" "No. I really can''t." Yeonwoo answered sincerely. Get involved with such a monster? It gave him chills.Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 136 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo''s mind snapped back to rity. As his memories returned with lucid rity, his whole body trembled. ''Irresistible mental contamination. Beauty that maniptes even reality.'' A transcendent being straight out of mythology. One whose mere sight drives humans mad, something that can''t be prevented, closer to cosmic horror. At least that was Yeonwoo''s perception, so he trembled as he barely managed to speak. "I really can''t do it. How could I possibly-"The Club''s request. That demand to slightly provoke the Artists'' Association President must not be granted. But Yeonwoo hastily stopped mid-sentence. He realized his opponent was the Club. ''...They''re on a simr level, aren''t they.'' The president fighting the Association President and Golden Omnipotence. Having acutely felt the Association President''s power, Yeonwoo reassessed the Club''s strength, and his confidence in being able to somewhat deal with Golden Omnipotence instantly vanished. He hurriedly changed his words. "I can do it, but if I get a failure or critical failure, it could only benefit the Association President. You know that, right? This has a huge risk." "A minor roll will suffice. Your eyes feeling itchy, fatigue building up, getting sleepy." The secretary replied with a slightly flustered voice, but Yeonwoo shook his head vigorously. "It won''t work because the distance is too far. It only works at close range... I really want to help, but..." Yeonwoo was on the verge of sobbing. ''It''s not even like a shrimp getting crushed between fighting whales. I just want to stay out of it.'' He hated war and didn''t want to get involved in monsters fighting each other. Carelessly intervening would be fatal even with multiple lives. The secretary fell silent for a moment. Two types of noise could be heard through the phone. A rustling sound of something being moved and poured. The continuous voice of someone, perhaps the Club president. That voice sounded savage even just listening to it. ''Please give up.'' As Yeonwoo anxiously tapped his feet, the secretary spoke again. "The distance is fine. We can move you. And." After saying they''d resolve all minor issues, words to persuade Yeonwoo followed. "If you''re worried about retaliation, there''s no problem. The Association President won''t be able to move freely after this. Even if you participate now, she won''t have the leisure to attack you." "No, that''s not-" "The artists won''t have the mental capacity to seek revenge either." It was awkward to refuse, yet also difficult to agree. Just then, Mark Jung burst through the door. Seeing Yeonwoo on the phone, he nodded. "Yeonwoo. We got a call from the Director. He says to cooperate with the Club." On top of that, the secretary added: "The Artists'' Association headquarters and directors have been kidnapped by a great demon, I hear. You don''t need to worry about revenge." "Ah." Yeonwoo let out a light sigh. With the situation progressing this far, it became difficult to refuse like a petnt child. In fact, there was no worry of retaliation, and some safety was even guaranteed. ''It''s a war. They won''t go around taking out their anger on individuals. And they won''t have time to bother with me while dealing with Golden Omnipotence.'' Yeonwoo resigned himself and muttered softly with an office worker''s sorrow. "I won''t be responsible for whatever results..." --- --- Golden Omnipotence moved Yeonwoo. From the hospital room to an unknown mountaintop. Three meteor fragments streaked across the sky. The Association President was on one of them. Yeonwoo nced up briefly, then brought his phone to his mouth. "I''ve arrived. You''ll need to move me back once this is roughly finished." "Of course we''ll return you. It should be no problem. I''m counting on you." They made some pleasantries about how even a minor provocation would be plenty helpful and that he could expectpensation, but Yeonwoo ruthlessly ended the call. This was no time to focus on such conversation. Yeonwoo took several deep breaths. It was no small matter - he was about to provoke that Association President. "Prepare, prepare." Though it didn''t feel as dangerous as expected, he still needed to be cautious. Yeonwoo took out a fluorescent vest and stone, stuffing his pockets full of time-buying bills. He stood still for a moment, thinking, then took out a sleep mask and earplugs to cover his eyes and ears. Just in case the Association President revealed herself, it might help a little. ''I feel like they''ll fall off on their own if the Association Presidentes. But it''s better than nothing, I guess.'' Pitch-ck vision. Muffled hearing. In the darkness, only the dice in a corner of his mind were visible. ''Dice. Let''s do this.'' Yeonwoo clenched his fist, preparing for a roll. The minor roll that the Club and headquarters wanted. ''Chance of blinking bing bothersome, chance of choking on saliva, chance of feet itching, chance of catching a cold, chance of suddenly feeling sleepy, chance of being overwhelmed by the feeling of forgetting something but not remembering what it was.'' The dice rolled chaotically. Then, the results came out. Failure, failure, failure, failure... All failures. ''I figured as much.'' Yeonwoo calmly continued to roll for the next judgments. The world was already moving for the Association President''s benefit anyway. It would affect the dice results too. So the dice rolled, and as if the probabilities were rigged, only failures came up. "..." Roll, failure, roll, failure. He tried changing the judgment a few times to roll for oues that would help the Association President, and they ghostly came up as sesses. By this point, Yeonwoo felt a surge ofpetitive spirit. More urately, he felt anxious. "It doesn''t work at all to this extent?" Didn''t that mean resistance was entirely impossible? If something like that tried to kill him, wouldn''t he just have to die? The dice stopped. Yeonwoo rolled no more. In the pitch-ck vision, he recalled the Association President from his memory. A blurry figure, now barely remembered clearly. The one the world had praised. ''If she asked me to die for her.'' As if all the blood drained from his body, his hands and feet grew cold, and his vitality faded. ''It''s dangerous just to look at her, but I was forced to see. I have no way to resist except the dice, but even the dice doesn''t work.'' This wouldn''t do. It couldn''t be like this. No matter how dangerous the opponent was, even if they were Danger Level 6 and a core anomaly of a top-tier organization, he couldn''t have zero means of resistance. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth. ''Just heightening my senses isn''t enough.'' He could feel it even now. All results would onlye out in ways that benefited the Association President. He had to forcibly draw the desired result. At least once, he needed to fix the oue ording to his will, not the Association President''s. At the very least, he had to make the results random. ''Focus, focus, focus. I need to have the ability to escape.'' His heart pounded. Yeonwoo bit his lip so hard it nearly tore. Instead of the dim vision and stifled hearing, the scent of blood grew strong. He told himself: "This is an opportunity." This was a chance to learn how to face unavoidable death. A chance to improve survival skills. An opportunity to face an anomaly on the level of the Association President. Yeonwoo concentrated intensely. As if an ordinary bullet was aimed at his head. As if the Association President stood before him. "..." His heightened senses faintly detected possibilities. Possibilities tilted in the Association President''s favor. Possibilities of Golden Omnipotence moving. Possibilities that could be manipted with dice. ''I need to move this. But how?'' He waved his hand, stared intently at the sleep mask with eyes wide open for no reason, and clenched his fist as if grasping probability. But nothing worked. The probabilities and possibilities didn''t budge an inch. "Can''t I do it?" Yeonwoo scratched his head dejectedly. It seemed impossible after all. The dice must be less contaminated. That''s when it happened. He felt a gaze. The sleep mask slipped down. The earplugs firmly blocking his ears fell with a soft thud. "..." The world suddenly rushed in. Yeonwoo saw clearly with both eyes. The meteor suspended in the middle of the sky, and the gaze from the meteor that seemed to be looking at him. It was the Association President. She had cast her gaze. Looking for whatever had been bothering her. The perception-distorting gear lost its power. It couldn''t deceive her. At that clear gaze, his heart plummeted. Yeonwoo''s mind went nk. ''This is...!'' Though her form wasn''t visible yet, it was only a matter of time. The recent past shed rapidly through Yeonwoo''s mind. His contaminated mind. The Association President moving the world. An insurmountable danger! His instincts screamed. Yeonwoo screamed too. His nked mind couldn''t processplex thoughts and exploded with a single, desperate idea. "Escape! No! Move!" An action purely driven by instinct. A body moving like a beast, without thought or calction. The dice rolled. Roll- In the stretched-out moment, Yeonwoo sensed the possibility. The possibility tilting towards failure to prevent Yeonwoo from escaping, for the Association President''s sake. ''No!'' Before the stirring possibility could fully solidify, Yeonwoo iled his hands like a drowning man and- The result changed. Sess! The world Yeonwoo saw changed in an instant. From the unknown mountaintop to the hospital room he had been in. "Uh, uh, uh." Yeonwoo clutched his forehead, drenched in cold sweat. His pupils trembled ceaselessly as he looked around. Mark Jung, who had been resting in a chair, wore a puzzled expression. "You''re back?" "I-I''m back? Yes, I think I escaped." Yeonwoo rambled. Even now, he couldn''t quite understand. Did he really escape? For real? ''...How did I do that? No, as long as I got away from that thing, it''s fine.'' Yeonwoo copsed onto the bed, drained. It felt as if tightly stretched nerves had suddenly snapped. He said to Mark Jung: "I won''t take requests like this again. Really..." "No, what on earth happened?" Mark Jung asked, and Yeonwoo briefly exined while trying to calm his pounding heart. That the Association President had seen him. So he ran away. At those words, Mark Jung''s expression became subtle. ''The Association President shouldn''t have had the leisure to attack right now, so she probably just nced over. But he still managed to escape?''Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 137 - War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The sky was a battlefield where Golden Omnipotenceunched gold-fueled attacks, only for the Association President''s world to deflect them. Like a barrage of missiles against an air defensework, silence descended upon the warped sky. "..." "..." The Association President stood amidst the fragments while the Club President perched atop a downtown skyscraper on the opposite side. Both looked to where Lee Yeonwoo had fled.In their battle, Yeonwoo had been like a mosquito. A mosquito buzzing and irritating the Association President''s mind. One that might distract him slightly if lucky, or even manage a lucky sting. But suddenly that mosquito had wielded power on par with them. "Danger Level 6?" The Club President remarked with interest. Unlike Levels 1-5 which were based solely on threat, Level 6 required near-omnipotence or at least imperfect absoluteness. Otherwise, it wouldn''t properly counter all kinds of anomalies and equipment. The ability to ovee all types of dangers was necessary. And Yeonwoo had disyed that kind of power. The power that forcibly modified the world moving for the Association President to escape. The Club President muttered again. "A warning?" His mind raced. Why reveal that power and leave after only pretending to interfere? What was the intention? Was this enough? Would he attack from afar if the world became more chaotic? Or had a major problem arisen elsewhere? The Association President, on the other hand, blinked and said softly: "I want it." That was a masterpiece. A work of art beloved by the world on par with himself. If ced in the Hall of Arts- Just as the world began to move to fulfill that desire, the Club President spoke. His voice echoed across the distance. "That''s enough. That fellow who just left seems ready to snipe from afar if we cross the line. Push any further and there''s noing back." Countless sanctions would be imposed. More than the Artists'' Association could withstand. Besides that, the probability-manipting dice and wish-granting Golden Omnipotence wouldunch a joint attack immediately. The Association President nced sideways. "Isn''t the gold a shame to waste?" "Gold''s always a shame to waste. Let''s wrap this up. Just talking to you consumes gold. A month''s seal seems appropriate, doesn''t it?" The Club President spoke bitterly, regretting the gold consumed this time, and the Association President reluctantly nodded. "But these fragments are mine." "I''ve no intention of touching those. Ah, and you need to negotiate with the demon worshippers. I can do it for you." The exchange of each other''s headquarters and key personnel. The aftermath. The Association President sat down, uninterested. The grass intertwined to form a soft bed. The temperature also changed to perfect for a nap. As she closed her eyes, darkness fell upon the fragments, and the anomalous entities kneeling around froze, not daring to breathe. "Do as you see fit." "The fee for proxy negotiation-" "Tell the directors. I need to get some sleep." The Association President drifted off. The Club President immediately cut the connection, making a final expenditure of gold. A month''s seal. Golden light shed around the three fragments suspended in the sky. As the Association President had epted, the golden light shone brilliantly, enveloping the fragments, and soon the three fragments vanished. The Club President, whose mouth had gone dry from all the talking, grumbled. "Talking to her is a losing proposition... Executive Secretary. Bill thepany for the gold used this time. We should bepensated for our work, shouldn''t we?" "Yes." The Executive Secretary bowed his head. He wore a strange expression. The Yeonwoo he''d sensed during the call was so different from the one he''d heard about here. ''Danger Level 6? I didn''t get that impression at all. He just seemed like an ordinary office worker.'' Then the Club President snapped his fingers. "Yeonwoo. Add him to the VIP list. Even if this was a fluke, he has the potential to reach Level 6." "Understood." "And, prepare to negotiate on behalf of the Artists'' Association-" Even after the war, the Club moved busily. To recoup the time and gold invested this time. Leaving the other fragments to thepany. --- --- Yeonwoo soothed his pounding heart. Though he''d fled the battlefield, his startled body refused to calm. "I feel like I''m dying..." It was beyond the realm of eptable risks and incidents. Both the battlefield he''d seen on screen and anomalous entities like the Association President or Golden Omnipotence. Though he''d somehow managed to escape, Yeonwoocked confidence. ''How did I manipte probability?'' Yeonwoo moved his slightly trembling hand. He clenched his fist as if grasping probability, waving it through the air. But that sensation didn''t return. In fact, he couldn''t even remember the feeling. He''d simply iled desperately to survive, on pure instinct, his mind nk with fear. He only felt as if he''d fled while screaming in sheer panic. Just then, Mark Jung burst through the hospital room door. He''d gone to a nearby cafe to buy drinks, and he sloshed several cups of coffee. "Sorry I''mte. I was handing these out to everyone here on thepany''s dime." The hospital, fused with the afterlife, had no potable water. Only rusty water or blood remained. "Ah. That was kind of you." As Yeonwoo reached out, Mark Jung smiled politely and handed him a cup with a straw. "Oh no, not at all. You''re the one who did something amazing." Having roughly restored his memories using the diary he kept as a precaution against memory erasers, Mark Jung was treating Yeonwoo almost like a director. He''d heard quite the news. "Thanks to you bestowing misfortune on the enemy, the truly dangerous fragments fell on the doomsday cultists'' heads. Do you know how much damage you''ve prevented?" "...Pardon?" Yeonwoo, who''d been sitting in a daze, raised his head. He wore a bewildered expression. "Me?" "Yes. The Director praised you highly. Thanks to you, we dealt damage to the doomsday cultists, reduced civilian casualties, and bought time." "...Me?" Yeonwoo''s mind short-circuited. His already exhausted brain couldn''t process this reality. "Did the misfortunest that long?" "It''s gone now, but that''s how it yed out just before it disappeared." The doomsday cultists were enemies too. A group fundamentally ipatible, one they''d like to see gone. The doomsday cultists were hostile to Yeonwoo as well. He''d killed their top agent carrying the Eraser and caused their Reptilian boss to go berserk. Mark Jung''s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yeonwoo. "I also heard you even warned the Artists'' Association President. They epted a month''s seal because of you." "No, that''s... That doesn''t make sense." Yeonwoo wondered if he''d fallen victim to an anomaly. One that induced hallucinations or dreams. It really made no sense. Why would that Association President interpret a fleeing person as a warning? ''How do I wake up from this?'' But as Mark Jung continued, Yeonwoo epted reality, his expression turning sickly. "The Club shared all the information. They said you disyed Level 6 power before leaving. Apparently the Association President backed down because of that." "No. That''s not it." His hands trembled violently. The disposable coffee cup in his grip vibrated, spilling coffee. He feared being overestimated. He dreaded them seeing a fluke, an action he couldn''t even remember how he''d done, as his true ability. "I did repel the Association President''s interference, but I don''t remember how I did it, and if you told me to do it again-" "No, no. You should be proud of such an ability." "Really, really, my ability isn''t at that level." Yeonwoo saw an ominous future. A future where thepany viewed him as equal to the Association President and assigned him missions he couldn''t handle. Mark Jung nodded as if he understood, but he kept saying things that made Yeonwoo want to lose his mind. "I understand your concern. You''re worried about the dangers thate with such power, right? But with this much strength, you''ll actually be safer. Who would dare touch you?" "No, I''m telling you it''s not true!" Yeonwoo exined, almost pleadingly, and Mark Jung tilted his head. "Isn''t it the same thing? You''ve demonstrated Level 6 power, or rather, used that level of strength. It''s just a matter of time, isn''t it?" "..." Yeonwoo''s mouth mped shut. ''It is a matter of time. As time passes, I''ll be contaminated by the dice and reach a level where I can manifest possibilities at will.'' All he needed was time. Yeonwoo gave a hollowugh. Might as well use it all to his advantage. "I need more time. I don''t know how long, but I can reach a level simr to theirs." He decided to make them see him as a seed that needed nurturing, to make thepany cherish and protect him. Mark Jung smiled. "The head office is already reevaluating you. No one imagined you''d be this capable. You don''t need to involve yourself in the aftermath of this war. They say you should rest well." Whether fragments or whatever, Yeonwoo didn''t need to step in. He''d demonstrated that level of potential and value. Mark Jung rambled on about thepany''s futurepensation and benefits, but Yeonwoo let it go in one ear and out the other. He pondered how the situation would unfold and how to escape from opponents on par with the Association President. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up. ''Right. No matter the opponent or situation, I just need to hone my ability to escape. If I did it once, I can do it again.'' 138 - After the War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Lee Yeonwoo rested in a filthy hospital room, receiving news through Mark Jung. Whether thepany had adjusted Yeonwoo''s position or not, all information was provided without falsehood. It was information that simple field workers would find difficult to hear. The Association President''s sealing and negotiation with the Club and multiple demons. "So they negotiated to exchange the main force and core personnel, from what I hear," Mark Jung said. "Isn''t that karma for those demon worshippers?" Yeonwoo asked, his expression ambiguous.Sure, the Association President had suddenly appeared, but Yeonwoo suspected it happened because a deranged demon had sucker-punched them. Mark Jung gave a hollowugh. "You think demons care about that? They''re the type to gleefully charge in when they find an excuse to go wild." "That''s true." They were the kind of bastards who''d drop their main force into a warzone for their own amusement. That archdemon might have invaded the Seoul Arts Center just because he loved revenge and chaos. ''Why are there no sane ones? Thepany and Club are rtively normal at least,'' Yeonwoomented. There were too many lunatics in the world. Weren''t the magicians arguing about where to drop some Red Giant for fun? Doomsday cultists, artists, demons, the Green Sect, other groups. They''d all lost their mindspletely. "Since there''s an Association President-level figure on the demon worshipper side too, it seems they negotiated a clean exchange as if nothing happened. Nothing was killed or destroyed," Mark Jung exined. Yeonwoo suddenly raised his head, his curiosity piqued. "Who''s on the demon worshipper side? Someone like the Association President?" "I don''t know exactly..." Mark Jung furrowed his brow as if recalling something. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Not a demon, but a worshipper. I heard they''re in hell. Probably not dead, but I''m not sure what they''re doing." As long as they weren''t on Earth, it was fine. He hadn''t heard anything about them returning so far, so it seemed he didn''t need to worry about it. Yeonwoo looked around the hospital room. It had merged with the afterlife, transforming into an abandoned hospital straight out of a horror movie. Outside, ghostly office workers were wandering about, and an eerie chill swirled through the air. It was a worrying sight. "Are the fragments alright? Didn''t you say contamination was a problem? And those who were at war..." Yeonwoo asked, his voiceced with concern. The afterlife had poured into reality. The once ordinary hospital had be an anomaly. Wouldn''t the entities whose minds were contaminated by seeing the Association President at the battlefield also be running wild? Mark Jung spoke with a slightly dark expression. "I hear they''re in the middle of cleaning up right now." "How?" Yeonwoo asked. Can this even be cleaned up? Even Yeonwoo, who hadn''t yet grasped thepany''s capabilities, asked in a worried voice. Mark Jung''s lips twitched before he spoke awkwardly. "The best options were destruction and banishment. It''s simr now." Mark Jung subtly averted his gaze. "Banishment. They decided to just dump everything in other worlds. Actually, it''s easier to banish the fragments separately than to banish the entire afterlife..." Yeonwoo suddenly recalled a memory. The Earth that the Tree Person had shown him, destroyed by climate anomalies. Back then, they built a migration site in two dimensions, using Earth as a trash can to dump unmanageable anomalies. As expected of thepany. Whether they had a scenario prepared or not, they came up with a simr solution to a simr problem. The solution to dump the contaminants elsewhere. Yeonwoo thought of various things to say, but in the end, he only uttered a briefment. "The magicians must be thrilled." "They''re apparently in a party mood right now..." Mark Jung replied. This one might live well if we release it there, I don''t like that world so let''s dump it in that other one, other dimensions might not be so bad after all. Mark Jung imagined the conversations of the magicians he had seen a few times, while Yeonwoo rubbed his tired eyes. Anyway, it meant there were no major problems. If the world was intact, if it wasn''t an unmanageable issue like the climate anomalies, it was okay to rx. ''My job is done,'' Yeonwoo thought. Hepletely let his guard down and leaned back on the tattered bed. Outside the hazy, cracked window, there was chaos in full swing, but that was no longer his concern. As Yeonwoo seemed about to fall asleep, Mark Jung turned on hisptop and plugged earphones into his ears. ''First, let''s recover the memories. Then, n the department Yeonwoo wants to create, and prepare future ns.'' Yeonwoo''s work was done, but Mark Jung still had a lot of work left. Mark Jung began ying video records he had saved while starting his document work. Before cing his hands on the keyboard, he took onest look out the window. People were murmuring. Themotion could be heard even inside the hospital room. "Isn''t that where the meteor fell? It''spletely ruined? Look at those broken windows and peeling paint." "This is the hospital in Sangpyeong City-" Police and firefighters were controlling the crowd. People were holding up their phones and chattering. News crews were doing live broadcasts. Mark Jung smiled faintly. ''They''ve given up on keeping secrets. But they haven''t stopped controlling information.'' A new era of information control. The Intelligence Department''s method of abandoning outdated control methods and adapting to the information age. Under thepany''s protection, ordinary people would never reach the truth. They would view this world overflowing with anomalies as safe. --- --- Until now, thepany had pursuedplete secrecy and total information control. Not letting even a shred of information leak out, ensuring that ordinary people couldn''t perceive even a shadow of the anomalous. But times had changed. The inte essible from anywhere, phones with cameras, information easily uploaded and viewed by anyone. An era where each person was an investigator and informant. That unfathomable sea of information. As technology advanced and poption grew, thepany felt its limits approaching. - This won''t do. We can no longer maintain secrecy. - The amount of memory eraser consumed annually is increasing exponentially, as are the resources needed to monitor all information. And then the climate anomalies came. Thepany gave up on maintaining secrecy. They had no resources to invest in keeping secrets on a doomed Earth with people who would die anyway. But the climate anomalies disappeared, and thepany changed its information control methods. More efficiently, suited to this era. - Big Brother doesn''t suit the modern age. - Let''s make people not take interest or seek the truth of their own free will. Just like how people don''t seek news of ongoing wars in other countries. - If we tweak the information censorship system a bit, we can monitor the whole world with fewer resources. 8 billion people will be our eyes. - We''ll also use persistent individuals as investigators. That''s the current situation. --- --- Reporter Kim Deokbok red at his phone while smoking a cigarette. It was an emergency broadcast from the station he worked for as a reporter, but the level of broadcasting was utterly iprehensible to him. No, all the broadcasts were like that. He flipped through the broadcasts being streamed live. - This is the end! The Creator is punishing us- - I received a divine revtion, and that is the afterlife. The afterlife has backflowed. How do I know? God told me! - This is clearly an attack by the Reptilians! Everyone, beware of Reptilians! We must not forget the Blue House attack! There are Reptilians among us- - Didn''t they prove that Reptilian thing was a gue ages ago! Self-proimed experts appeared as guests, spouting nonsense. Sometimes these quacks would grab each other by the cor and fight. - You''re saying it''s a supernatural phenomenon because the meteor is translucent, but this is a rare urrence. The water vapor in the atmosphere- At least the professor''s exnation seemed usible. "This isn''t right," Kim Deokbok muttered. Tired of it all, Kim Deokbok switched to another broadcast. Politics, celebrities, corporations, diplomacy, news from other countries, entertainment, sports - countless pieces of information flowed by. Kim Deokbok snapped out of it while watching some girl group performance. This wasn''t the time. He needed to uncover the truth. To find out the truth of this world that had gone strange since the Blue House terror attack, and let everyone know. "There''s definitely another side to this story." Because he had seen the fragment fall on the hospital with his own eyes. He had seen something different from a meteor impact. The moment he saw that, his usual suspicions turned into certainty, and his cigarette burned down to the filter. After some deliberation, Kim Deokbok logged into the video streaming tform where he did part-time live streaming. The tform, where countless videos were being uploaded, rmended videos tailored to Kim Deokbok''s tastes as if it had been waiting for him to log in. Girl groups, videos investigating anomalous phenomena, videos from the broadcasting station he worked for, vitamin supplement ads, and so on. Among them was a video that piqued his interest. Something about a snowman killing people. "This is quite detailed..." Kim Deokbok mused as he watched the video. He noticed the locations and incident cases were specific. It was as if someone had already gathered information firsthand. After some consideration, Kim Deokbok decided to investigate this incident. He quickly stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and returned to his car, flexing his fingers that had gone numb from the cold. It would be good if he could uncover the truth, and even if he couldn''t, he could write an article about it. He could also stream the investigation process. Kim Deokbok''s car sped down the winter road. He didn''t know. He didn''t know that the video rmended to his algorithm was one created and deliberately rmended by thepany. Nor did he realize that he had unwittingly set out to investigate as thepany''s eyes. He was also unaware that the viewers of his stream were thepany''s AI, and that it wasn''t actually being broadcast.Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 139 - After the War TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Time stopped. Yeonwoo sessfully resisted with a dice roll and woke up instinctively, sensing something was off. He quickly assessed the situation. The hospital had fallen silent. Mark Jung was frozen mid-type on hisptop nearby, while people outside the window stood petrified like statues. ''Time stop. Must be the Broken Clock,'' Yeonwoo thought. He''d experienced a time stop before. Thepany had probably activated it to contain the situation.He could confirm it by checking the emergencymunicationwork at the Clock Hand Manufacturing Lab, but Yeonwoo didn''t feel like going there. It was too far and bothersome, plus he''d already met apany employee directly. The door burst open- A special agent in what looked like a spacesuit casually poked his helmet into the hospital room. Upon seeing Yeonwoo moving normally, he leapt back in shock. "Aaargh! An anti-time anomaly! How?!" "...Are you alright?" Yeonwoo asked awkwardly as the special agent sprawled backwards. A dirty puddle of water had scattered into droplets, frozen mid-air in the stopped time. "S-stay back!" The agent frantically groped for his weapon, looking like he might identally discharge it. Yeonwoo quickly raised his hands, spreading his empty palms wide. "I''m not an anomaly, just a regr investigator. I can resist time stops. Who are you?" "Oh." After panting heavily for a while at Yeonwoo''s calm demeanor, the special agent got up with an embarrassedugh. "I''m an employee drafted for the cleanup team. Thepany decided to preserve this hospital, so I was told to look around." He answered while lowering his eyes and examining his spacesuit, which must have been equipment for resisting the time stop. His voice trembled, apparently ashamed of his unbing behavior for apany employee. ''Drafted? Did they hastily gather whoever they could use quickly instead of professional agents? Or is it just this guy?'' Yeonwoo wondered. Seeing as they sent him alone to this hospital.... Yeonwoo scratched his head and asked, "Is it the Broken Clock?" "You know about it? I only found out recently. Apparently, they''ve stopped time and the cleanup team is drawing magic circles, investigating, relocating magicians, stuff like that." It looked like they were even using the Extinction Defense Device to buy time. Yeonwoo nodded and asked another question. "Will it take long?" "I''m not sure about that. Oh, but let me ask you something." The agent, who had been fiddling with his spacesuit checking for scratches, calmed down. The redness in his face subsided. He suddenly held up his helmet. The agent''s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yeonwoo. "You''ve been here the whole time, right? What happened?" "Fragments fell, ghosts and machine people went wild,pany employee ghosts appeared and cleaned up..." The agent listened carefully to the information, asking questions here and there. Once he got what he wanted, he stepped back. "Thanks for your cooperation. I need to check the hospital once more and then support other areas. But man, I''m jealous. Resisting with just your body. We can''t even take off these suits until the operation''s over." He grumbled about not being able to wash or eat anything but liquid food through a straw as he left. The heavy footsteps faded away. "There shouldn''t be any problems- no, I shouldn''t say that." Yeonwoo pped his own mouth repeatedly, then looked around and saw the document Mark Jung had been writing before he froze. A department that sold dice usage rights. The new department Yeonwoo would be in charge of. ''Maybe I should think about this.'' It was his future job, the department he''d be heading. Though he could cancel if he really disliked it, Yeonwoo seriously envisioned the future. In the midst of this, Yeonwoo suddenly had a realization. ''Do I really have to do this? Can''t I just spend time under thepany''s protection?'' --- --- Time that had stopped began to flow again. The magicians, who had been forcibly relocated, looked at the prepared magic circles with bewildered expressions and frowned in dissatisfaction at thepany employee''s urging. "Ah. I didn''t intend to dump them here." "Don''t go saying that anywhere. If people find out I dumped garbage, I''ll face retaliation." Simply put, it was littering. Taken to the extreme, it was an anomalous attack. Who knew how other dimensions might react. Honestly, the karma umted by Earth-born magicians was quite substantial.... "Banish!" In any case, the fragments were safely banished. Along with dangerous anomalies that contaminated the world. With that, the urgent situation was wrapped up, and various groups in the anomalous world slowly began to cool down. Tallying damages, restoring those damages,menting lost anomalies, nning for the future to be reorganized before and after. Yeonwoo also prepared for the future. "So, I was thinking, do we really need to sell usage rights? Can''t I just spend time in some final shelter or something?" Yeonwoo spoke with sincerity. His eyes shone with hope. Just receive thepany''s intensive protection and spend life in a safe ce. If he spent that time well, he''d reach a level where no one could threaten him. It was the perfect future, the perfect life. Mark Jung looked nkly between hisptop screen and Yeonwoo. "You don''t want to sell usage rights?" "No. I don''t mind if it''s a secluded ce. Actually, as long as there''s inte and good food, I can endure anything." As Yeonwoo spoke, a brilliant future flickered before his eyes, and he raised his voice. "Given enough time, I''ll reach danger level 6. Really. I''ll be simr to the Association President or Golden Omnipotence, you know? I''m saying if you just protect me well and feed me, thepany will get its bestbat force." "..." Mark Jung made a strange expression. He had seemed dependable when desperately denying it, but suddenly his credibility plummeted. ''Of course, it''s probably not a lie, but....'' Both headquarters and the Korean branch knew Yeonwoo caused idents. So they had nned to prevent them from happening in thepany from the start, but somehow the researchers found out and collectively threw a fit. "They say after a few idents everyone will avoid it, that they''ll sacrifice a few departments." "Um..." The team leader''s mouth twitched, then he suddenly mmed his fist on the desk. "Anyway, congrattions on your promotion! Let''s go eat some meat!" Why should he care about other departments? Besides, Yeonwoo was actually an employee too difficult to keep under him. It was a good thing. He''d even be working in the Anomaly Investigation Team''s office for the time being, so unnecessary worries were pointless. 140 - Alien TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The New Year had barely begun. The atmosphere, previously unsettled by war, now buzzed with a different kind of excitement. People were still making the mistake of writingst year''s date. Though only a few days had passed since the previous year, people were busy making resolutions they''d never keep, envisioning hopeful futures, and enjoying the New Year''s spirit as if they''d be new individuals. Lee Yeonwoo, too, was greeting the new year. Not as an investigator, but as a department head. "Please help the less fortunate. My insurancepany went bankrupt overnight. Your attention-""Not interested." Hanging up on the spam call that hade through at the start of the new year, Yeonwoo busily moved his mouse. Click, click- Yeonwoo browsed through thepany system. The newly created department, the Gambling Eradication Center that sold dice usage rights, was flooded with requests. So many that scrolling through them seemed endless. "Research institutes, academic societies, departments... Lots of clubs too. Green Association, artists, demons? Why demons?" Yeonwoo clutched his head. Had thepany done some advertising? Why? ''Why did I name it the Gambling Eradication Center? To tell people not to gamble with dice. That they''ll fail or critically fail.'' It was a name chosen with the hope that they wouldn''t be given work, that they wouldn''t receive strange requests. Contrary to his hopes, work was pouring in. At that moment, Yoo Ji-yoo peeked her head in discreetly. Her eyes, sparkling with curiosity, quickly scanned Yeonwoo''s monitor before her pupils dted. "There''s even a doomsday cultist? They''re asking to roll for the end of the world?" "That''s not all." Yeonwoo moved his mouse quickly. There were a few requests so ridiculous they made himugh. "The Green Association wants to move the seeds of the Great Tree, an artist wants to unseal the Association President, and a demon just wants us to roll..." "Doesn''t thepany screen these?" The proposals that thepany should reject hade through as is. As Ji-yoo made a face of disbelief, Yeonwoo sighed tiredly. "They say I should sort them out myself." Charitably speaking, it was trust. Trust that Yeonwoo would reject any requests that crossed the line. That they were entrusting everything to Yeonwoo. At that point, the team leader got up. As he was gathering his things to go out somewhere, he casually remarked, "Looks like they''re trying to analyze your personality." "Ah! Right, you said your sister went through something simr." Hearing that, Ji-yoo, whose sister was a ghost in the Intelligence Department, lit up with an exmation mark as if remembering something. "She said that from elite agents on up, they''re seen as biochemical weapons or weapons of mass destruction, so they analyze and test their personalities in various ways." Individuals with umon destructive power, closer to anomalous entities than people. Living weapons. Since the fallout wouldn''t be small if these individuals went berserk, thepany always checked and analyzed their mental health through various systems and procedures. But the ghost of the Intelligence Department had discovered that n while snooping around ssified information as usual, and Yeonwoo learned of thepany''s intentions thanks to the team leader and Ji-yoo. Yeonwoo took a fresh look at the flood of requests. The annoying workload appeared different. A test paper handed out by thepany. ''Certainly...'' All sorts of departments and groups. Requests full of individuality and the different rewards they offered. It wouldn''t end with just one or two times, and when enough data umted, they could analyze a person. What they preferred, what they avoided, what they wanted. ''They''re seeing me as halfway to Danger Level 6, so...'' It was understandable behavior. And there was nothing ufortable about it. "Then I guess I can choose as I please." Since he had no hidden intentions he didn''t want discovered. ''It''s not like I''m a doomsday cultist, or have any grand desires, or strongly held beliefs.'' Yeonwoofortably browsed through the list of requests. Looking only for ones that suited his taste. Ji-yoo asked, "Still, it''s your first task, right? It seems like a meaningful job, what are you going to choose?" "It''s simple." Under Ji-yoo''s sparkling gaze, Yeonwoo quickly clicked his mouse to reject the nonsensical requests first. "I''ll reject the doomsday cultist right away. And anything involving the Association President or the like, I''ll definitely refuse." The doomsday cultist was excluded from the groups. As well as requests that looked dangerous. ''Of course I won''t do anything involving the Association President. This one''s scary because of the risk of failure or critical failure. And this one''s just in dangerous.'' After filtering like that, the long list was considerably shortened. Now he just had to choose a request with a reward that appealed to him. Yeonwoo carefully examined the list. ''Rewards. What should I choose?'' Money was the mostmon, with rare equipment or anomalous entities asionally offered. Yeonwoo''s eyes slowly read the words, his mind working busily. ''This isn''t helpful, but I kind of want it...'' At that moment, the team leader finished gathering his car keys and wallet and nced at the one investigator and the former investigator. "I''m heading out on a business trip. Kill some time and then go home." "Ah, you said you were going to give a lecture, right?" Ji-yoo poked her head up over the desk partition. The team leader waved his hand dismissively. "It''s a pain, but I have to do it." "Oh." Ji-yoo let out an indecipherable exmation. Like a self-improvement seminar, it was a session where apany employee lectured other employees. Sometimes a researcher would teach anomaly studies at an introductory level, and sometimes abat agent would share operation stories. And investigators... "Just tell a few experiences of how you responded on the fly when encountering unknown anomalous entities, and you get paid." They shared their survival experiences. Unlike most researchers orbat agents who worked with some degree of acquired information, the job of investigating unknown anomalous entities. This kind of know-how was useful to everyone, so the team leader tended to give lectures periodically. The two of them lightly bowed their heads in ce. As their heads disappeared below the partition, farewell greetings floated out. "Have a safe trip!" "Yeah." "Be careful on the-" "Shut up! If you tell me to be careful, it feels like I''ll have an ident!" The team leader grumbled as he left the office. Ji-yoo fiddled with her hair before returning to her seat to browse the inte, while Yeonwoo carefully selected his first task. He regained his focus after hearing the team leader''s words. ''Survival should be the priority. Don''t they have any decent equipment? Something thatpensates for my weaknesses or enhances my strengths.'' Something that improved cognitive abilities, enhanced regeneration, or maybe increased luck. But no one had offered such things as rewards, so Yeonwoo chose the request that looked safest. [Request for Observation Assistance] - A group of people wishing for Pluto''s return as a in the sr system. - Pluto, contaminated by anomalies, has been out of observation for a long time. We wish to observe Pluto using the power of the dice. - Location... The location was an isted observatory, and the reward was simply money. After pressing the ept button, Yeonwoo thought lightly, ''If it''s just observation, even a failure or critical failure shouldn''t be a big problem.'' And so, the Gambling Eradication Center''s first task was decided. --- --- Yeonwoo checked the time and left immediately. Ji-yoo, left alone, waved her hand saying it was fine and to go ahead, and Yeonwoo drove out to the quiet countryside. After leaving the bustling city behind and driving for quite some time, he reached an isted in where not even houses were visible, let alone cars. Clunk- As Yeonwoo got out of the car, he surveyed his surroundings. "There really is nothing here..." A in where an observatory might be located. Built in a ce without even proper roads to avoid light that would interfere with star observation. Yeonwoo walked along the snow-covered path. As he trudged through the deep snow to reach the main entrance, he was greeted by a closed iron gate and a security guard. "This area is off-limits except to authorized personnel." "Ah. I''m here from thepany." "Huh? We don''t have any visits scheduled for today." "I''m Yeonwoo from the Gambling Eradication Center. Please check with those inside." Yeonwoo showed his newly made ID. The security guard, holding a taser gun and radio, looked flustered as he called inside. Yeonwoo stood still for a moment before a strange thought suddenly struck him. A subtle sense of difort he only now noticed. ''...What is it that connectspany employees? Most people just believe you if you say you''re apany employee.'' Come to think of it, he couldn''t recall many instances of people being suspicious when he identified himself as apany employee. Even though someone could disguise themselves, or even take over another''s body entirely. "I''ve confirmed it. Pleasee in." As the security guard opened the iron gate with an embarrassed smile, Yeonwoo casually asked, "Are there cases of people impersonatingpany employees?" "Almost never." The security guard spoke as if making small talk. "There''s this superstition. They say if you impersonate apany employee, thepany catches you and turns you into a realpany employee. So people usually just attack or sneak in instead." "Ah." It''s a world overflowing with anomalies. Not many people would dismiss urban legends as just for fun. Even Yeonwoo doubted the truth. ''Isn''t there really a simr anomalous entity?'' Seeing Yeonwoo''s doubtful expression, the security guardughed. "It''s just a superstition. Hostile entities impersonatingpany employees end up getting caught by thepany anyway, so it''s probably just a strangely distorted urban legend. Now, please go inside." The security guard stretched out his hand, pointing to a tall building. A path stretched straight to it. "Yes. Thank you for your hard work." As Yeonwoo entered, a researcher came running hurriedly to the deserted first floor. Looking a bit disheveled as if he''d just woken up, the researcher seemed somewhat flustered. "I didn''t expect you toe so early." "I came right away, wanting to get the job done quickly." And evening right away, it was already afternoon. As Yeonwoo said that, the researcher blinked. "But don''t we need to wait until night to observe stars?" "...Ah." He''d thought that even for an observatory, as apany department, time wouldn''t matter. Yeonwoo made a foolish expression, and the researcher scratched his head. "Since you''re here, why don''t you take a tour of the observatory? Oh right, would you like to see the alien?" "Alien?" Suddenly an alien? Yeonwoo adjusted his bag, checking his equipment. Wariness took precedence over curiosity. The researcher, oblivious to this, made aplicated expression. "We have thest survivor of a distant civilization destroyed by anomalies."Toggle New Ads 1/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 141 - Alien TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo immediately asked, "The alien. Is it safe?" It would''ve been a lie to say he wasn''t interested. It was an alien after all, and not just any alien, but thest survivor of an alien civilization. However, that was one thing when viewing it through a phone screen as a video or image. The idea ofing face to face with it was another matter entirely. ''They even said it''s thest survivor.'' mmy sweat formed on Yeonwoo''s palms. His wariness spiked.How harmless could a being that survived the destruction of an entire civilization, an entire, really be? Was this quiet observatory equipped to handle such an entity? The researcher seemed oblivious, but he still noticed Yeonwoo''s tension. He let out a deep sigh. "It''s alright. Really. It''s like someone on life support. If anything, it''s a pitiful existence. Truly..." The words were filled with deep empathy for the alien, as if he''d already interacted with it several times. His voice carried profound sympathy, respect, sadness, and awe. Yeonwoo''s mind raced. ''Is this mind control?'' He discreetly reached for his pocket. To buy time to escape if he sensed trouble, he gripped the time-buying bills. The researcher turned around. "You''ll understand when you see it yourself." Yeonwoo watched his retreating back before abruptly asking, "Do I have to see it?" "You don''t have to if you don''t want to. But it''ll help you better understand what it means to pierce through Pluto''s anomalous veil. Personally, I''d like more people to know their story." The researcher stopped walking. In front of him were stairs leading up and stairs leading down to the basement. The researcher turned his head to look at Yeonwoo, as if asking what he wanted to do. Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes. ''...If I assume the alien is on the same level as my future self, it''s already toote. I''ve entered its domain.'' Yeonwoo assumed the worst-case scenario. His future self. The alien wasparable to that being, thest survivor of a world destroyed by climate anomalies. If that was the case, it was toote to make a fuss now. He needed to keep a cool head and find a way to survive. Yeonwoo took a step. "Let''s take a look." They went down to the basement. Down the stairs, steadily descending one step at a time. The researcher spoke, tidying his clothes and disheveled hair with a solemn attitude. "To be honest, we still don''t know where they came from. Their origin is a meteorite from far away, but even reading their memories, we can''t figure out where that meteorite started." "What kind of alien is it? From Pluto?" "Pluto was just where theynded after leaving their home. Most of them that flew into the sr system fell onto Pluto." It was a question meant to gather information, but Yeonwoo still didn''t understand. He asked more directly. "What powers does the alien have?" "Robust vitality. But even this is a product of their civilization. They..." The researcher trailed off. Yeonwoo perked up his ears. The researcher continued, his voice filled withplex emotions. "They possessed technology to elerate contamination by anomalies and guide that contamination in desired directions. Technology that could produce results from A to Z even if contaminated by A." Yeonwoo stumbled for a moment. He realized the omnipotence of this technology. ''So even if infected by an anomaly in the form of a gue, it could be used to create superhumans instead of spreading disease. No, it means they could transform into any imaginable anomalous entity.'' It was omnipotence in the truest sense of the word. Anomalous entities that build houses, expand space, control time, create food - they could create anything needed, regardless of whether it was organic or inorganic, time or space. ''Controlled contamination isn''t contamination at all. It''s the power of a god.'' Yeonwoo''s wariness intensified. He gripped his bag tightly, his senses on high alert. The researcher smiled bitterly. "They built a brilliant civilization with that technology, and that same technology led to their downfall. But they... Ah, we''re here." They set foot in the basement. A lone iron door waited for them. Beep beep- The researcher entered the password with practiced ease, authenticated with his employee ID, turned the lock with a click, and opened the door. The thick iron door slid open with a heavy noise. A chill seeped through the gap. Yeonwoo shivered. White breath poured from his mouth. It was as cold as opening a freezer. "Let''s go in." The researcher spoke, wrapping his clothes tightly around himself. Yeonwoo eyed the iron door with tense eyes. The researcher walked through the wide-open door. Yeonwoo didn''t enter immediately, instead leaning forward to look inside. He blinked. "Where''s the alien?" "This is it, right here." "This?" The researcher nodded. He approached a transparent ss box and ced his hand on the cold ss wall. "This is the alien. It''s in a frozen, suspended, and sealed state." Yeonwoo stared nkly at the ss box, dumbfounded. Inside the ss box was just a single meteorite. A meteorite made of rock with a dark, dull texture. It was heavily cracked and broken, showing no signs of life whatsoever. Although various devices like EEG machines were attached to it, Yeonwoo couldn''t sense any danger from it, let alone any signs of life. ''It feels safe? A bit unsettling, but it feels like a normal anomalous entity. Is this even alive in the first ce?'' He felt his tension dissipating. At that moment, the researcher manipted the machinery outside the ss box. He pressed a button and pulled out a helmet. The researcher held out the helmet to Yeonwoo. "This is a device that lets you view memories. If you look at the alien''s memories, you can glimpse the anomalous veil you need to pierce. You''ll also learn their story." Yeonwoo hesitated for a moment before taking the helmet. As soon as he put it on, the world turned ck, and someone''s memories began to y. The memories of an alien living in an alien civilization. --- --- It was a brilliant and great civilization. Yeonwoo watched the ying memories with his mouth open, as if watching a movie. A world that surpassed what people imagined as a future civilization. A world that seemed to have reached the endpoint of fantasy and science fiction had achieved infinite prosperity. - .... - .... Something made of pure white light floated around. Theymunicated with connected minds, but Yeonwoo couldn''t understand their mental waves. He could only vaguely sense that they were transcendent beings. Immortals. Anomalous entities that were iprehensible even to the eye, with no concept of lifespan or death. Yeonwoo turned his head to look at their civilization. ''Is this even possible?'' Perhaps this was what it looked like to hold infinity in one''s hands. The ultimate civilization achievable through anomalies was there. Space had no end. They had expanded it. By contaminating space with anomalies. There was no shortage of resources. They had created anomalous entities that produced resources. Space, time, resources, technology, life - nothing had limits. If they needed something, they could simply create an anomalous entity to make it. ''Ah.'' Yeonwoo saw the transcendent beings made of white light creating anomalous entities as a hobby. They created life too. They decorated space, and they created anomalous entities that provided pleasure, indulging in it. When a transcendent being felt bored with eternal life, they created an anomalous entity to erase boredom, maintaining the vitality of life forever. It was technology that could realize imagination. An anomalous civilization that depended on anomalies for everything. Yeonwoo suddenly thought. A chill ran down his spine. ''Why did a civilization like this fall?'' And then, the perspective changed. Time passed. A mist settled over the brilliant and great world. A mist made of anomalies. This mist appeared everywhere in their world, eroding the anomalous entities they had created. In the mist, anomalous entities twisted, scattered, and mutated with contamination as they pleased. The civilization made entirely of anomalous entities began to run amok towards something terribly dangerous. As the uncontrolled contamination grew stronger, the mist that engulfed the civilization grew thicker. - ...! - ......! The transcendent beings moved through space busily. They burst powerful mental waves as if screaming, created walls to block the mist, isted spaces, and... But it was only for a moment. The mist slowly eroded the walls and spaces. The anomalous entities for protection lost their original functions. The anomalous entities that had been used as tools regained their original anomalous nature. The essence of anomalies, logically iprehensible and extremely dangerous. A thick mist settled over the once-brilliant civilization. The future they believed would be eternal closed off. The mist not only eroded. It shrouded space and time. The transcendent beings met their limits. Their civilization copsed. They could neither foresee the future, nor return to the past, nor freely traverse space. Yeonwoo red at the mist with widely dted pupils. ''What is this? Anomalous contamination?'' It wasn''t just simple mist. It was the extreme of anomalous contamination, born in a civilization that controlled anomalous contamination. Something that made contamination run wild uncontrobly and caused anomalous entities to mutate explosively. Yeonwoo indirectly saw what Earth would be like if anomalous contamination arrived. - .... Those who had evolved themselves into transcendent beings mutated. They lost their self-awareness and became monsters. Factories that produced resources became factories that churned out monsters. The expanded space mutated into something like a two-dimensional world. Time, which had been like a yground, became a prison. Even natural objects that weren''t anomalies changed. At this point, the perspective changed. The transcendent beings depended on anomalous entities for everything, but they hadn''t lost their intelligence. They knew that unavoidable extinction hade. The surviving transcendent beings gathered to talk. - .... - .... The forms of those facing the end of their civilization shone. They saw the extinction they had brought upon themselves, looked at the universe, and saw life. Somehow, Yeonwoo felt he could understand their conversation. Perhaps the transcendent beings had regressed themselves to avoid contamination, making their wordsprehensible. - This mist will be the doom of all life. - Let''s finish this with our own hands. - Let''s detonate the star. Immortality doesn''t exist in the face of the universe. Self-destruction to erase the mist. And then. - Let''s leave our trace in the universe. Even if we perish, may the life born from us shine in the dark universe. They, made of pure white light, turned ck. The immortal transcendent beings transformed into solid meteorites. Their intelligence and consciousness dimmed, but they became sturdy stones that could resist the mist for a short time and carry microorganisms with the potential for evolution, capable of seeding life. Strong enough to cross the universe propelled by the force of their star''s explosion, even if their star exploded. ¡ª¡ª¡ª! Finally, the star exploded. The runaway anomalous civilization vanished in a sh of light, and the mist evaporated. But the meteorites carrying their hope scattered into space, using the star''s explosion as propulsion, and Yeonwoo saw the meteorites flying across the universe to reach the sr system. ''Pluto.'' A group of meteorites fell onto Pluto. But one meteorite fell to Earth and... The memory stopped there. "..." Yeonwoo digested the memory for a while before taking off the helmet. He moved his lips. "Is that mist the reason Pluto disappeared from observation?" "Yes. Pluto, where they fell, was covered by that mist. That mist blocks observation." The researcher spoke, his voice filled withplex emotions. As if unsure whether to resent them for bringing cmity to the sr system or admire their resolve and hope. Yeonwoo raised his head to look at the sterile ceiling. As if looking at the sky beyond the ceiling, the universe beyond the sky. Even in the infinite universe, anomalies exist. Unknown civilizations and life forms exist, as well as unimaginable anomalous entities. Right now, there was a mist of contamination on Pluto. ''There''s no ce safer than Earth. We have thepany and other groups here. I need to live well here.'' Yeonwoo''s eyes shed. Suddenly, something like a sense of mission ignited within him. ''Pluto is too close. We don''t know what effect it could have on Earth.'' Yeonwoo spoke. "I''ll do my best to help with that observation." He believed that if they obtained information, thepany would somehow deal with it. The researcher smiled brightly.Toggle New Ads 2/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 142 - Alien TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo''s offer to help with the observation left the researcher looking puzzled. ''Didn''t hee here to help anyway since he epted the request?'' That thought barely had time to register before Yeonwoo spoke again. The researcher listened intently, as the question rted to his field of expertise. "Is space really that dangerous? I mean... things like the mist of contamination or astronomical anomalies. And there''s the issue of contamination too, right? Like space getting polluted." "Well..."The researcher started to answer but then rubbed his hands together. The underground istion room was cold. He took a few quick steps. "Let''s talk upstairs. This isn''t the best ce for a conversation." Yeonwoo nodded in agreement. Thanks to the vitality from the rain, he could resist the cold a bit, but it was still chilly. They locked the underground istion room securely again and moved to a modest office. The researcher boiled water and brewed some tea. "Would you like some warm tea? What kind would you prefer?" "Anything is fine." "I''ll make you some green tea then." Though he didn''t particrly want tea, Yeonwoo epted it like a hand warmer. He cupped the warm mug with both hands and looked at the researcher, as if asking him to answer the earlier question. The researcher sat across from him, swirling his tea bag. "You asked if there are many dangerous anomalies in space, right? There probably are. It''d be stranger if there weren''t, given how vast space is." For a moment, Yeonwoo tensed up. The things overflowing on Earth were already giving him a headache, and if he expanded his view to include space... But the researcher calmly took a few sips of tea. As if he didn''t have a worry in the world. In fact, he wasn''t worried at all. "But anomalies that could actually reach Earth are just a handful. It''s space, you know. Whether it''s people, anomalies, or contamination, they''re all just dust in the face of the universe." "Are you sure?" Yeonwoo asked, his voice filled with doubt and hope. Warming his hands on the teacup, he met the researcher''s eyes. "It''s true. Do you know how dangerous space itself is? ck holes, supernova explosions, gamma-ray bursts, gxy collisions... And above all, the universe is expanding." The researcher brought his hands together in front of his face, then spread them wide. "Once the distance reaches a certain level, the speed at which things move apart bes faster than the speed at which contamination spreads or anomalies approach. The expanding universe acts as a natural shield." He was saying that even anomalies were mere specks of dust before the universe, unable to reach Earth. Yeonwoo blinked. It felt like dozens of question marks were floating around in his head. ''Is that so?'' Honestly, he wasn''t sure. It''s not like he knew much about space. Since an expert was telling him this, he could only tilt his head and believe it. The researcher suddenly chuckled. He took out his phone, tapped on it a few times, and showed Yeonwoo an image of a strange star. "Thepany is also very interested in space and observes it using various anomalies. This one was once the protagonist of an Earth destruction scenario." Yeonwoo craned his neck forward to look closely at the screen. It was a bizarre star. A strange star with the outline of a mouth and teeth. "What is it?" "It''s an anomaly we named the Devourer, a star-eating entity. The moment thepany observed it, it also became aware of Earth and started racing towards us by the shortest route." For a moment, Yeonwoo felt a chill. Even if it wasn''t an anomaly, something of that mass falling to Earth would mean extinction. But the researcher snickered. "But this thing was really far away. Far enough for the universe''s expansion to increase the distance. No matter how fast it flew towards Earth, the distance just kept growing." The researcher tapped his phone. The picture changed. It was a photo of the Devourer, shriveled up and dead. Its-sized mouth was pathetically agape, spewing dust like saliva. "It starved to death." "It starved?" Yeonwoo stared nkly at the photo, and the researcher swiped to the next one. The next photo depicted the Devourer''s pitiful end. Shattered into pieces after being hit by a passinget, it became cosmic dust. Even that dust was drawn into the gravity of a star that had entered its orbit. Just as an animal dies and enters nature''s cycle, the anomaly that had roamed space devouring stars returned to the stars. Yeonwoo felt overwhelmed anew and afraid. ''An astronomical anomaly. And the universe, of which even that entity is just a small part.'' He felt like a speck of dust desperately struggling in the face of the infinitely vast universe. It truly was an infinite universe. He was just a tiny particle. Was there any meaning in desperately trying to surv- ''No. That''s not right.'' Yeonwoo snapped back to his senses. No matter what the universe was like, living was what mattered. "Is Earth safe?" "It''s rtively safe. There aren''t any unmanageable anomalies in our nearby space. Even if there were dangerous ones, thepany and other groups work together to protect Earth, right?" In other words, there were no cosmic anomalies that could significantly harm Earth. Yeonwoo rxed a little. His body, stiff from the cold, loosened up and slumped in the chair. He suddenly looked up. "What about the mist on Pluto...?" "We''re not sure about that. Since we can''t observe it at all, we don''t know what will happen. That''s why this observation is important. We need to find out what it is and what''s happening on Pluto." The researcher spoke worriedly, and Yeonwoo nodded before looking out the window. The sun was setting over the quiet ins. The time to see the stars was slowly approaching. --- --- The best time to observe Pluto was at midnight, so there was still time left. Yeonwoo ate dinner in the observatory''s cafeteria and spent time enjoying his new hobby. His new hobby was writing about himself on thepany''s intrmunity. It was a site wherepany employees chatted anonymously. Tap, tap tap- Yeonwoo''s fingers moved quickly. He typed incessantly on his phone,pleting a long post. ''They said not to write anything that might vite security regtions.'' There was also a warning that the Intelligence Department was watching, so he twisted his experiences slightly to avoid revealing his identity. He wrote about getting tased on his first day, swindling the Goldberg Club, almost dying after summoning the Demon of Sloth out of curiosity, getting dragged to the Intelligence Department for interrogation, and encountering a bald doomsday cultist with an eraser. The responses were consistent. People asked if he was a problematic employee, why he got tased on his first day, why he summoned the Demon of Sloth at home, what he did to get dragged in for interrogation... As he wrote posts and browsed reactions, it was time. The door to the break room opened. "Let''s go up! It''s the perfect time for observation now!" The researcher''s eyes sparkled as he entered, dressed in ck. Gone was his disheveled appearance from earlier, reced by the aura of a passionate researcher. Seeing the researcher fidgeting with excitement, his eyes twinkling like stars, Yeonwoo immediately pocketed his phone and stood up. "Should we go right now?" "Yes! Come quickly!" The researcher strode ahead cheerfully. They left the break room, climbed the stairs, and reached the top of the observatory. Yeonwoo looked around curiously. The observation room with its round dome ceiling felt like the top of a lighthouse. In the center of the dimly lit room stood aplex machine that looked like a cannon - the telescope. The researcher busily moved around, manipting the machinery. He spoke excitedly. "This is perfect timing. The weather today is really good. There are no clouds, it''s a great night for stargazing. I already feel like we''ll seed in our observation, our luck seems so good." Listening to the researcher repeatedly saying how good it was, Yeonwoo suddenly realized something. ''...If it had been cloudy, would we have had to wait here until the weather improved?'' It really felt like he''d chosen this task carelessly without any research. Yeonwoo made a mental note to at least check basic information before epting requests in the future. The observation preparations wereplete. It was as if life had returned to the observation room. Whirr-! Power flowed into theplex machinery, graphs like heartbeats and images appeared on severalputer monitors, and the dome began to open. Yeonwoo looked up. The ceiling opened. Cold winter air blew through the gap, and a pitch-ck sky spread out. A night sky where stars seemed about to pour down. "Alright, let''s get ready." The telescope moved on its own. It turned its eye towards the open night sky, towards where Pluto should be. The researcher pped his hands and called Yeonwoo over. He pointed at the monitor. "Can you see it?" "I can see something, but I''m not sure what it is..." The screen was dotted with white spots. It seemed to be Pluto as captured by the telescope. "Are these Pluto and stars?" "No, it''s noise. We can''t observe urately because of that mist. I''ll zoom in." The researcher scrolled the mouse wheel, and mechanical sounds came from the telescope. "The noise got worse, right? Even though this isn''t just a simple telescope but a piece of equipment loaded with advanced science and anomalous technology, we can''t block out the mist''s noise." The researcher, who had been leaning over theputer, straightened up. He turned to Yeonwoo with hope in his eyes. Yeonwoo nodded. He knew what he had to do. "I''ll give it a try." He resolved to do his best. Yeonwoo quietly closed his eyes. He called upon the dice in a corner of his mind. ''Dice. The possibility of piercing through the mist''s noise and observing.'' Roll- Failure! "Ah..." Crackle, the noise got worse. The researcher stamped his foot in frustration at the messy screen, while Yeonwoo kept his eyes closed. ''There doesn''t seem to be much risk in failing. Even if I get a critical failure, it shouldn''t be unmanageable. I''ll keep rolling then.'' Perhaps because he didn''t sense any danger, his various senses remained calm. Yeonwoo purely rolled the dice, and the results kepting. Miss, failure, miss, miss, and then sess. "Ahhh!" Suddenly, a terrible scream erupted. The researcher jumped up and down, delighted like a child. "We did it! We seeded in observing! I can see Pluto, the mist of contamination! I can see it clearly! As if it''s right in front of me!" His voice was excessively intense. Torn, cracked, flipped, filled with noise. Something was wrong. Yeonwoo felt cold sweat running down his spine. It wasn''t just the researcher''s voice that was the problem. The observation room should have been filled with dry winter air, but he felt a sticky, humid moisture. The researcher continued speaking. "I can see what the mist is! Contamination! ¨€¨€! ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€" His voice was terribly horrific, unpleasant to hear. Yeonwoo felt his blood boiling. No, the anomaly within him, the parts contaminated by anomalies, were bubbling furiously. "No!" Yeonwoo opened his eyes urgently. He saw. The observation room filled with mist. In the mist, the researcher''s shadow was faintly visible. It was no longer in human form. His eyeballs were elongated, his spine curved towards the sky, his head and eyes pointed straight up. They had observed the mist. The mist had also seen them. The mist hade here. ''Why did this happen!'' Yeonwoo screamed internally as he called upon the dice. Then he made a strange expression. He opened his mouth and spoke. "My senses..." His contamination level had skyrocketed. He felt senses clearer than ever before, possibilities he could almost grasp.Toggle New Ads 3/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 143 - Alien TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The observatory transformed into an anomalous space. The observation room was filled with mist, starlight pouring down, and moonlight shining brightly. Yeonwoo quietly closed his eyes. His metaphysical senses stretched out like tentacles, clearly perceiving the observation room. ''I can feel it.'' The telescope had be an anomalous entity. No longer a telescope for observing stars, but one for seeing the terrors of the universe that shouldn''t be seen.The same had happened to the researcher. The 0.4 percent of contaminated genes ran wild, and his ordinary human body was invaded by the mist, twisting into an anomalous entity. "¡ª¡ª-" His spine and neck curved backward in an arc, and his protruding eyes extended towards the sky like telescopes. Instead of human sounds, his mouth emitted something like star noises, flowing out like electromaic waves. A human had be an anomalous entity. ''This sensation.'' On the other hand, Yeonwoo, already contaminated by anomalous entities, sank deeper into the sensation. Listening to the calm beating of his heart, he interpreted the flood of information. A world of disorder and non-causality due to anomalies. A future holding infinite possibilities, bordering on chaos. The dice manipted probability as possibility, and the contaminated Yeonwoo could sense probabilistic possibilities and lead to results. At this moment, he detected futures with high probabilities, futures likely to be realized. Futures thick with the mist of contamination. "...Danger Level 6?" All futures converged towards anomalous contamination. Infinite possibilities narrowed. To a future where everything changes into anomalies. He saw futures where the observation room connected to outer space, or space monsters appeared, or the space gradually expanded. Like a world moving for the Association President, reality and the future tilted towards contamination. But even the future after that rushed towards one conclusion. ''No. This isn''t Danger Level 6. This isn''t absolute.'' Yeonwoo slightly opened his eyes. For a moment, the shape of dice seemed to reflect in his pupils, but then the dice shape crumbled, turning into threads of probability clustered like a swarm of parasites, writhing. Yeonwoo spoke in a strange tone. "Thepany was already prepared, huh." The future full of mist and anomalous contamination ultimately ended with purification by thepany''s hands. Satellite weapons stabbed down, bombers bloomed mes on the ground, missiles flew, and in extreme cases, nuclear bombs fell. Was the violence of pure science and physical force the weakness of the mist? There was no future where the mist spread to Earth. As if humanity''s survival was destined. At that moment, Yeonwoo thoughtlessly thought. ''Boring.'' A predetermined future. Fixed possibilities. It''s really boring. A world full of more chaos and unexpected events would be more fun. Yeonwoo slowly raised his hand. The threads of probability writhed. He would open wide the closed future. ''Wouldn''t it be more fun if a perfectly fine Earth could face doom tomorrow, if walking forward could lead to random teleportation, if time flowed backwards or repeated itself?'' That was the moment. The hand about to unleash possibilities stopped. His voice trembled. "...Fun? Fun?" His heart, which had been beating steadily, began to race madly. The vitality from the rain surged endlessly, swirling through his entire body. His survival instinct screamed as if his head would split, and his humanity strengthened in response. Conflicting contaminations shed. In that miraculous bnce, Yeonwoo came to his senses. ''Contamination!'' It was the contamination of the dice. Even his sense of self had been pulled closer to the dice. The nature that favored randomness and possibility. He felt a chill. The winter cold suddenly cut to the bone, and only then did Yeonwoo realize the problem. ''I can''t handle this power.'' Contamination wasn''t the only issue. The near-infinite possibilities of the future pouring in. Yeonwoo had merely been swept up in the wave of information, seeing what was shown. Only now, having barely regained his senses, did he find his own future. Himself,pletely eroded by the dice, losing self-awareness and bing an anomalous entity spreading chaos. Himself, dying from thepany''s bombardment while resisting contamination. Or a future where he became more contaminated by the mist, with even the rain and dice mutating. There was no future where he lived normally. "No!" Yeonwoo screamed. He couldn''t handle such a future. His mind, wandering through futures, snapped back to reality. ''What should I do? Think, think, think quickly.'' No, thinking wasn''t necessary. With such strong power, there was no need to use his head. The power in his hands now was equal to or stronger than the mist, and in fact, he didn''t need to use the power. ''No, I don''t need to eliminate the mist. Thepany should do that. I just need to reverse the contamination.'' Yeonwoo raised both hands. At this moment, the power of Danger Level 6 was fully unleashed. He spread one hand wide. As possibilities were released, they collided with the future narrowed by the mist. The mist seemed to writhe and retreat. The speed at which the observation room was changing into an anomalous entity slowed. The future where Yeonwoo would be an anomalous entity also shrank. In that state, Yeonwoo grasped two other possibilities. One was suppressing the runaway contamination. The other was movement. He disappeared from the observation room. --- --- "Wake up!" Yeonwoo moved to Mark Jung''s hotel room. Mark Jung startled awake, sitting up in bed. "Wh-what''s going on?" Even in his sleep-addled state, Mark Jung responded sharply. Yeonwoo exined briefly. They had observed the mist of Pluto and summoned it to Earth. The observatory was contaminated. Mark Jung''s expression showed his sleep hadpletely fled as he gaped. "The mist of Pluto... You mean that Danger Level 5 thing? Shouldn''t there have been filters to prevent its observation? Ah, the dice. But still." Muttering to himself, Mark Jung unconsciously tapped on his phone to search for information, then made a tired expression. "That department was supposed to seal the alien and extraterrestrial material. The security level was mismatched. There was no warning not to observe it." He sighed heavily. "Request screening, ah." They hadn''t touched anything to analyze Yeonwoo''s personality. They thought even if a problem arose, Yeonwoo would handle it well. Thepany, being sorge, often made small mistakes, and this ident resulted from various factors ovepping. Yeonwoo waved his hand at that nonchnt voice. "Anyway, we need to respond quickly." "I''m doing it now." Yeonwoo nced over to see Mark Jung writing a request for weapon use against the Pluto mist. "It''s weak to pure physical force. Just firing a few missiles should end it. Or dropping a satellite weapon. Done. They say they''ll drop a satellite weapon." The request sent directly to a director at headquarters was approved. Mark Jung put down his phone, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. They would fire at the observatory''s coordinates without separate observation. He looked out the window, and Yeonwoo also gazed at the bright night sky of the city. Faint starlight was falling across the night sky. Moving in a straight line towards the observatory where the mist was. Yeonwoo suddenly waved his hand. He moved the observatory staff who hadn''t been touched by the mist far away. As for those who had be irreversible anomalous entities... ''Let''s move them to istion rooms. They''ll suffer through experiments, but that''s better than dying.'' He moved them separately to istion rooms he had seen before. To rooms housing the Tree Person and the Grammar Nazi Robot. Since the mist had moved through observation, there shouldn''t be any problems. After watching the night sky for a while, Mark Jung seemed to realize something and looked at Yeonwoo. "Aren''t you contaminated by the mist too, Yeonwoo?" "I''m suppressing it for now." "You must be at the Association President''s level right now, right? Still, you need to reverse that quickly. If left alone, you''llpletely change into an anomalous entity, and the dice will mutate too." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut. That was true. But there was still time, and Yeonwoo decided to use this opportunity. ''I''ll show off while I have the chance.'' The Artist Association President or Golden Omnipotence. If he showed them this power now, they definitely wouldn''t try anything foolish in the future. Yeonwoo closed his eyes and measured probabilities. Searching for the Association President and Golden Omnipotence. Then, he suddenly opened his eyes. Golden Omnipotence, shining with golden light, refused approach. A defensive stance prepared by offering gold regrly. ''Forcing through this would just cause gold losses. Let''s give up.'' He turned his gaze. The Association President, suddenly opening her eyes from sealed fragments, looked at Yeonwoo with covetous eyes. Their gazes met. Rejecting the possibility of being enchanted, Yeonwoo heard a voice in his ear. - Masterpiece. Come with me to the Seoul Arts Center- She spoke. The world moved. To call Yeonwoo there. Yeonwoo blocked it in panic by realizing a possibility, and quickly turned his gaze away. And then, a few rare anomalous entities lurking around the world. Some owned by thepany, some sealed, some hidden by groups. At that moment, Yeonwoo thought. He remembered what the observatory researcher had said. ''The universe is a natural shield?'' Those things close to myths that could even block that mist. Earth, littered with things that even the anomalous civilization couldn''t create. ''Could it be that Earth is protecting other stars? Isn''t Earth the most dangerous?'' Yeonwoo suddenly didn''t want to let go of the power in his hands, but not wanting to lose his sense of self, he reversed his contamination level. Everything, including the dice, returned. To a state slightly more contaminated than before contact with the mist. Because he wasn''t ready yet. As the power disappeared and he fell into helplessness, Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up with a thought. ''I need to find a way to maintain my sense of self even when contaminated.''Toggle New Ads 4/5 Enjoy the chappy! Please give the book a rating and a review on NovelUpdates. It helps the website and helps people find this novel! If you''d like to make a one-time donation to support our trantions or subscribe to read up to 15 chapters or more (depending on the novel) ahead, you can do so via Ko-fi. Click here! 144 - Alien TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The next day was a weekday. Since Yeonwoo didn''t have a home, he stayed in the investigation team''s building, arriving early at his desk and sitting in front of theputer. ''Didn''t they say my security clearance had increased?'' In the office, bathed in morning sunlight, only the sound of Yeonwoo clicking hisputer could be heard. As he logged into thepany system, all the measures and responses rted to Pluto''s contamination were visible at a nce. From the most recent documents to the initial discovery. ''The observatory staff should be fine.''The unaffected employees were to be reassigned to other departments, while those who had be anomalous entities were apparently isted in appropriate departments. For example, an employee who loved stargazing and had be a telescope-like entity was going to a space observation facility. ''The satellite weapon incident was handled as a meteorite fall. False information was spread, and it became just another news story people nce over.'' For the mist appearing on Earth, the oue was rtively good. After a moment''s hesitation, Yeonwoo clicked his mouse. He went back to earlier documents to look at the research records on Pluto''s mist. He had a question. ''Why did the mist that appears when observed show up on Pluto?'' Long records of exploration, experiments, and countermeasures. Quickly flipping through pages and skimming keywords, Yeonwoo finally found the information he wanted. "It was because of thepany..." His expression turned strange. Extraterrestrial meteorites that fell on Pluto and Earth. Following the procedure for dealing with extraterrestrial anomalous entities, thepany sealed the meteorite on Earth and sent an exploration ship to Pluto. While searching for the meteorite''s origin on Pluto, they observed a small amount of mist that had survived a star''s explosion, and the mist was summoned to Pluto. The exploration team quickly reported its characteristics, and thepany blocked Pluto''s observation by applying noise. They asionally sent explosives to prevent the contamination from spreading. Yeonwoo clicked his tongue. "They''re just a bunch of troublemakers." Investigating and nearly blowing up Pluto. The observatory researcher not receiving the notice, trying to observe Pluto out of curiosity and exploratory spirit despite it not being part of his job. They work hard, but it seems they cause just as many idents. Anyway, he''d just looked at the records out of momentary interest. Yeonwoo took his hand off the mouse and leaned back deeply in his chair. His unfocused eyes stared into space, lost in thought. ''Contamination. Self-awareness. What should I do?'' Although the observatory was gone, he''d gained a lot. He''d wielded enough power and senses to survive while contaminated, and experienced the level he could reach in the future. Above all, the side effects of the dice. The lost sense of self and the overwhelming wave of information. ''Honestly, I don''t mind bing an anomalous entity. But I need to remain myself. Being swayed by power would be a weakness too.'' Tap, tap, tap, he drummed his fingernails on the desk. Yeonwoo sank into deep thought. Various methods shed through his mind. ''Should I keep grasping the possibility of maintaining self-awareness? No, that''s unrealistic.'' It might work for a while, but in the long run, he''d still lose his sense of self. It was like trying to quench thirst with seawater. Yeonwoo lowered his head. He looked at his own body. The contamination that had risen in opposition when the dice''s contamination had run wild. He muttered in a dubious voice. "Human Qualification Certificate?" If that thing stating "This entity is human" was also an anomalous entity, and if it caused contamination that fixed one as human... "But that alone feels a bit insufficient..." At that time, the contamination had also run wild. And in the future he''d seen then, the dice''s contamination had ultimately prevailed. "Ah, my head." Yeonwoo frowned, his head aching. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t figure it out. His mind, already tired, lost focus, and random thoughts popped up haphazardly. Disorganized thoughts. Ideas that came up by chance. Among the notions that bubbled up and disappeared like foam, one shone. ''Is something like survival instinct also an anomaly?'' Yeonwoo sat up straight. His eyes sparkled. Lightning struck in his mind. "Ah. Oh." A strange exmation of realization escaped his lips. The more he thought about it, the more usible it seemed. The abilities that had manifested so far weren''t just superhuman strength appearing in crisis situations. It surpassed the urban legend about cockroaches'' IQ rising to 340 when they sense danger. On top of that, hadn''t he even detected the house''s attack and countered it with an eraser in the house where you die if you ¨€¨€? ''If this is right, it''s actually better.'' It was safer and more suitable than the dice. It matched his preferences and personality, and it shouldn''t be a power he couldn''t handle. Unable to contain his excitement, Yeonwoo sprang up from his seat. His face flushed red as he paced around the empty office. At this moment, Yeonwoo''s experience as apany employee and the ssified information he had seen blended together, opening a limit to his perception that had been closed. A new path. "It doesn''t have to be the dice. I don''t need to be omnipotent or powerful. It''s enough just to survive." As he muttered to himself, Yeonwoo''s eyes suddenly lit up. "If survival instinct is an anomaly. If I could reach Danger Level 6 with survival instinct." That power shown by the dice, Golden Omnipotence, the Association President. If he could obtain the power to move the world at will and fix the future through survival instinct. Yeonwoo, who had been moving restlessly, stopped in ce and murmured like a dreamer. "This is it. An existence that doesn''t die. Dangerous realities move away, and it heads towards a future where survival is guaranteed." The dice? Not needed. It''s just a nuisance that contaminates one''s sense of self and brings danger through failures and critical failures. ''Rather, if I reach Level 6 with survival instinct, the possibility of me being in danger will move away, so only results favorable to me wille out. It''s enough to use it as a tool.'' Yeonwoo decided to walk a different path from his future self. A more suitable path. At that moment. The door swung open and the team leader arrived for work. He strode in but stopped when he saw Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo was jumping up and down in ce, pacing, and grinning to himself in excitement. The team leader discreetly averted his gaze. "Well. Yes. That can happen when you''re alone." "Ah, I just had a good idea. ...How was your lecture?" Yeonwoo hurriedly changed the subject, feeling embarrassed, and the team leader took off his thick padded jacket. "Nothing special. Just talked for two hours and came back." Then Yoo Ji-yoo arrived for work, and the Anomaly Investigation Team''s day began. --- --- Yeonwoo stared nkly at hisputer desktop. He couldn''t focus on work, unable to escape his other thoughts. ''How do I reach Danger Level 6 with survival instinct? Is it even possible? Do I need to borrow the dice''s power?'' At times like this, there''s no friend as reliable as the dice. Thest resort that creates miracles, a dependable secret weapon that protects life. Couldn''t he use the dice to realize the possibility of survival instinct being at Danger Level 6? ''6 feels impossible, but it''d be great if it worked. ...If I could raise the dice, rain, certificate, and instinct all to Level 6, wouldn''t I be invincible? Ah, if that were possible, the Artist Association or the Club would''ve mass-produced them already.'' As he was lost in thought, Yoo Ji-yoo suddenly made a sound of surprise. "Isn''t this about you, Yeonwoo?" "Huh?" Yeonwoo snapped back to reality. Yoo Ji-yoo spoke as if she couldn''t believe it. "There''s a story about you on thepany intr. Wait, what did you do on that request yesterday?" "Well, one department did get wiped out..." Yeonwoo scratched his cheek and logged into the intr. He immediately saw the post Yoo Ji-yoo mentioned. Don''t request anything from the Gambling Eradication Center, an employee who loves the night sky did a joint experiment with that center, and that day the department disappeared.... Now only ruins remain where the department was, reporters looking for a story are prowling around like wolves, and the unaffected employees are all waiting for reassignment. Yeonwoo made a dumbfounded expression. "I mean, I was the trigger, but it happened because of thepany''s mistake." Those words. The fact that he didn''t deny it and made excuses suggested the exaggerated post wasn''t far from the truth. Yoo Ji-yoo quietly pushed her chair away, distancing herself from Yeonwoo. "...Did it really turn into ruins?" "Well, some dangerous material leaked, so they had to do something like a bombing." Yoo Ji-yoo was silent for a while, then looked at the team leader. The team leader had an expression that said he''d expected this, but suddenly he started tapping his fingers on the desk nervously. ''Our office isn''t going to explode too, is it?'' How many things had Yeonwoo blown up? He went for interrogation and got robbed by the Club''s spy, went to the Intelligence Department and a doomsday cultist with an eraser attacked, and even the apartment building and shelter he was living in peacefully got destroyed. At this point, it''d be stranger if the office remained intact. The team leader spoke hurriedly. "Security staff. We have anomalous equipment in our building too, should we request security personnel?" Investigators mainly worked in the field, and since there was no important information or anomalous entities in the building, they didn''t have dedicated security guards. But with anomalous equipment being supplied, they now met the conditions to request them. Yoo Ji-yoo opened her mouth to speak but then shook her head. "I don''t think it''ll make a difference. ...Yeonwoo, quickly choose the next request! It''s the center''s first month, we need to work hard!" Her intention was transparent. If it''s a bomb that''s going to explode anyway, ce it outside. Pass the danger to someone else. Yeonwoo was about to say something in response to this truly investigator-like thinking, but he held back. ''I''m still eating and sleeping here until I find a ce to live.'' Yeonwoo looked at the Gambling Eradication Center''s request list as if following Yoo Ji-yoo''s words. He blinked. Overnight, the list of requests had shrunk. Perhaps having heard about the observatory incident, several departments had cancelled their requests. Of course, there were still new requestsing in. People who still wanted to gamble with the dice. Or messages sent like this: - There''s a doomsday cultist in your heart. We know. You''ve caused more damage than most doomsday cultists. Stop deceiving your heart, break free from thepany''s shackles, and be a true doomsday cultist. A recruitment attempt from the doomsday cultists. ''What nonsense!'' Yeonwoo recoiled in shock and immediately hit reject, then browsed the list looking for rewards he needed. ''I probably can''t find a way to protect my sense of self while resisting contamination. It''d be good to have, though. Since the dice is certain.'' Then he suddenly saw an interesting request. It was a new one, and the term "blessed child" caught his eye. [Dice Experiment Request] - Wouldn''t it be innovative if we could control the risks of the dice? Couldn''t it be safely used in all sorts of experiments? If a child blessed with luck is nearby, wouldn''t unfortunate results not happen? The message continued at length after that. Our researchers see the dice as a tool for experiments, so we decided to find a way to use it well, and so on. But Yeonwoo was purely interested in the blessed child. Not for the dice, but for himself. ''Wouldn''t idents stop happening if an entity like that was next to me?'' 145 - Luck TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo wanted to shore up his weaknesses. He needed enhanced perception to counter his vulnerability to attacks, regeneration to ovee the fragility of the human body, and risk management to alleviate his fear of the dice''s failures. Now he''d found a way to maintain his sense of self, but in a way, there was something even more important. ''A blessed child... If one was by my side, wouldn''t I avoid idents and incidents?'' Hope sparkled in Yeonwoo''s eyes as he looked at the monitor.Until now, he''d just epted that this was how his life was, but if he could change the fate that brought dangerous idents... ''I could live peacefully, right? No, calm down. Don''t get too excited.'' Whoo- Yeonwoo took a deep breath and moved the mouse. Having grown from the observatory experience, he started by looking up relevant information. The blessed child. True to being an anomalous entity, a child followed by iprehensible luck. ''Stocks this kid picks hit the upper limit, istion attempts fail due to problems, gacha pulls seed in one try. Attackers get lost, trip, have idental discharges.'' The observation records and experiment lists were quite long. That ridiculous luck. Yeonwoo muttered in a small voice. "I''d like to meet them once..." It was worth testing his fate. Yeonwoo put his hand on the mouse. The cursor hovered right over the ept button. And just as his finger moved to click- His hand stopped. Yeonwoo blinked. ''Am I really going to work right after that chaos yesterday? This doesn''t seem right.'' It was just yesterday that he''d dealt with Pluto''s contamination. Living like a workaholic, taking on requests day after day, wasn''t like him. After going through something big, he should rest for a while to recover his physical and mental strength. Whoosh- The mouse moved, closing thepany system. Yeonwoo leaned back in his chair leisurely. ''Let''s rest for a few days.'' As Yeonwoo picked up his phone, Yoo Ji-yoo, who was also killing time, turned her head. "Did you choose a request?" "I did pick one. But I''m going to rest for a few days since I overdid it yesterday." "..." Yeonwoo was tapping on his phone when he felt a gaze from the side and slowly turned his head. His eyes met Yoo Ji-yoo''s. She was looking at Yeonwoo with eyes full of envy. Pure envy. A one-person department. He was both the department head and the only employee, with no one to give him orders. "You only work when you want to? No quotas? No mandatory requests?" "Not really..." Just then. Their phones rang simultaneously. Thinking it was an urgent message from thepany, they hurriedly checked their phones, their faces twisting strangely. "Have the doomsday cultists gone mad? Well, they were always crazy, but why are they acting up like this?" "Did the doomsday cultists really send this?" Yeonwoo also stared nkly at his phone. An advertisement message mass-sent by the doomsday cultists. [??Doomsday Cultist??Join now$$Everyone bes anomalous entity??100% guaranteed¡ù??Free explosives£¤ Mass murder¡ì¡ìHigh-ranking doomsday cultist¡ì¡ì¡ï¡ïChance to gain position@@@ Start terrorizing now] ''...Are they short on people?'' Yeonwoo thought slowly. It seemed they were trying to recruit like this because theycked manpower. Though he wasn''t sure if there were any humans who''d be doomsday cultists because of this. --- --- Time passed. After resting for a while, Yeonwoo epted the request to see the blessed child. There were some idents like the inte cutting out or the mouse cording unplugged, but he managed to ept it without problems. Yeonwoo, ready to leave, stood up from his seat and gave a slight bow. "Then I''ll be going." "Oh, alright. Be careful." "Take your timeing back." The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo nodded with bright faces, waving their hands cheerfully as they sent Yeonwoo off. Yeonwoo left the office with an uneasy expression. ''I guess I''d dislike having someone like me around too. Still, it feels a bit off.'' With that, Yeonwoo got in his car and left. His destination was the Bird Migration Center, where the blessed child was said to be. "Ah, driving. It''s such a hassle." Though thepany covered gas costs, the act of driving long distances and moving around was work in itself. Yeonwoo stepped on the elerator, sharpening his tired mind. Winding through national roads, then onto the highway. He drove towards the far-off destination. During the drive, he received a phone call. It was Mark Jung. - Have you left? "I''m on my way. Is something wrong?" Yeonwoo listened intently to the sudden call. His eyes focused on driving, but his ears concentrated on Mark Jung''s voice. Was there something he needed to avoid at the Bird Migration Center? Mark Jung spoke lightly. - Nothing much. I just checked the request too, and there doesn''t seem to be anything you need to avoid or not do. "...Then why did you call?" Yeonwoo asked curiously, and Mark Jung answered with a voice mixed with some expectation. - Headquarters is also interested in this experiment. It''s a potential Level 6, but we don''t know how long it''ll take to reach that level. They''re very interested in whether it can be doped with other anomalous entities. "..." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut. ''It feels like if the results are good, I''ll be deployed on dangerous missions with the blessed child.'' Something felt off. An uneasy feeling. Yeonwoo quickly changed the subject. "By the way, the doomsday cultists have been sending out advertisement textstely. Aren''t they plotting something strange?" - Ah. No, they''re purely short on people. It''s all thanks to your achievements. The Reptilian gue ran wild at their gathering, andter they were unluckily hit by afterlife fragments. The doomsday cultists had taken such a blow that they could barely operate normally. - Above all, didn''t you take out the doomsday cultist with the eraser? Actually, their downfall was predetermined from that moment. Mark Jung exined with a chuckle. The doomsday cultist who erased even his own name. The doomsday cultist who had been blocking various sabotage attempts from other groups. From the moment he died, their future was decided. The doomsday cultists would wither and die. - ns have already been drawn up. We''ll steadily carry out operations in all sorts of ways, but can they hold out? "Ah." Yeonwoo suddenly realized. The one he''d luckily defeated with a critical sess, the one multiple versions of himself had to gang up on to ovee, had been ying the role of a Danger Level 6 for the doomsday cultists. Well, it had taken five dice rolling together to even have a chance of winning. ''Was he at a level approaching 6?'' At that point, Yeonwoo arrived at his destination. The Bird Migration Center. "I''ve arrived." - Yes, good work. The call ended. Yeonwoo parked his car in the outdoor parking lot and got out leisurely. He looked around and took a deep breath. Maybe because it was a Bird Migration Center built on an empty in, but the atmosphere was really nice. The air was clear, and an overall peaceful energy flowed. It was enough to naturally rx his tension and mind. ''It already feels good.'' Yeonwoo stood still for a moment. He savored the safe feeling, as if he''d entered a shelter. "Who are you?" "I''m Lee Yeonwoo from the Gambling Eradication Center. I''m here for the coborative experiment today..." As he stood there, a security guard cautiously approached, and Yeonwoo went through security procedures to enter the center grounds. Various birds greeted Yeonwoo with different cries. Also, a researcher who walked out slowly nodded his head towards Yeonwoo. "The child is waiting inside. Let''s go quickly." "Alright." Yeonwoo followed the researcher, looking around as he walked and said, "This ce is just like a zoo. Are those birds anomalous entities?" Cages surrounded by wire mesh or ss walls, with birds leisurely walking around inside. The researcher nced at the cages and nodded. "This is a ce to iste bird-form anomalous entities. The names of those birds over there are Nuclear, Drone, Aircraft Carrier, F-15, UFO." "What kind of bird names are those." Did that mean they had that much firepower? Yeonwoo looked at the birds with tense eyes, but the birds were just stupidly nodding off. They looked likepletely ordinary birds. The researcher said, "When detected by radar or information resources, they''re recognized as their names. As nuclear missiles, aircraft carriers, or fighter jets." "Ah." Yeonwoo eximed in admiration, looking at the birds anew. Safe anomalous entities. No special secrets, no potential danger factors. ''How long has it been since I''ve seen such simple and ordinary anomalous entities?'' He felt something like emotion. It was like experiencing the daily life of an ordinarypany employee. The researcher looked at Yeonwoo as if he were a strange person, then hurried his steps. "Here it is. The room where the child stays." They went to a room in the center building. A namete hung on the door like a child''s room, with various stickers and drawings attached. The researcher knocked briefly and spoke in a kind voice. "I''ming in." "Okay!" An innocent child''s voice was heard. Yeonwoo, full of curiosity, watched the slowly opening door. Beyond the wide-open door was a child''s room. Toys, books, and bird dolls were scattered around, and a children''s anime was ying on the TV. In front of the TV, a child who looked about kindergarten age was fixated on the screen. ''The blessed child?'' Though they looked like an ordinary kid, something was different. From the moment he entered, Yeonwoo felt his mind rxing. An intuition close to certainty that this ce was safe. At that moment. The child who couldn''t take their eyes off the TV suddenly turned around, waving their hand happily and- Their eyes met Yeonwoo''s. Yeonwoo put on the most harmless smile he could manage. After all, it was a child. And he didn''t want to appear as an enemy and suffer misfortune. He timidly raised his hand slightly and waved. "Hello?" "Uh, uh, uwaaaaah!" In an instant, the child''s expression changed. The child who had been happily watching the children''s anime looked at Yeonwoo as if seeing a nightmare and started crying as if they couldn''t breathe. Tears and snot poured out, their face turning white. The researcher hurriedly approached. "Child? This mister isn''t a bad person-" "Bad!" Both Yeonwoo and the researcher were taken aback. In that brief moment, the child jumped up and, before they could stop him, darted past the two of them and ran away with quick steps. Thump, they hit Yeonwoo''s thigh with their hand as they passed and disappeared down the corridor. Yeonwoo nkly watched the child''s retreating figure. Staff trying to catch the child tumbled over. The child vanished from sight in an instant. "...What? No, really, what?" Yeonwoo muttered in bewilderment. ''Do I look scary enough to make them wail like that? I don''t think so? There must be another reason?'' But before his thoughts could progress, the situation rapidly unfolded. The researcher sighed and turned towards Yeonwoo. He spoke firmly. "We''ll cancel the request. With the child reacting like this, the experiment is impossible. To be honest, I didn''t really want to do the experiment either." "Ah, I see." And so, Yeonwoo was confusedly kicked out of the Bird Migration Center. Standing in front of the center''s main gate, Yeonwoo blinked. A request ended in an instant without any incident. The blessed child who ran away. Having finally grasped the situation, he muttered in a daze. "So not encountering me is considered lucky?" 146 - Luck TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo returned to his car. Sitting in the driver''s seat, he stared nkly into space. Various thoughts shed through his mind. The child who had run away crying. ''Did they run because of the dice? Because of the risk of critical failure? Or is it really because I attract idents? Was I born with such an unlucky fate?'' Yeonwoo suddenly rubbed his face. The cold winter air had chilled his skin. He coldly recalled his past and came to a conclusion. "I''m actually pretty lucky, aren''t I?"He''d been through many idents but survived well. Even with the dice, though there were many misses and failures, critical sesses had outnumbered critical failures. Wasn''t this close to good fortune? ''No. But still, the idents-'' That was when it hit him. A light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Putting aside the cause, he recognized the reality. idents. Requests. Work. He muttered in awe, "The job''s done. Without any idents." The work that always blew up spectacrly had ended without issue. No attacks, no anomalous entities running wild, no unexpected incidents. It was truly lucky. A peaceful job and daily life. He got goosebumps at this unfamiliar reality. It felt very strange. Is it right to end like this? Is this really the end? Really? Nothing''s going to blow up? Yeonwoo fidgeted restlessly in the driver''s seat, but time passed peacefully. The quiet, calm countryside. Nearby birds and stray cats were calling, there wasn''t a human shadow in sight, and no anomalous phenomena appeared. At that moment, Yeonwoo realized. ''I''m not unlucky! That''s why so many idents happened!'' He also saw hope. Yeonwoo''s mind raced. Through the foggy window, he could faintly see the shadow of the Bird Migration Center. The luck that would offset idents waiting to happen. Yeonwoo muttered with a mischievous expression. "Happiness shared is doubled, sorrow shared is halved." That saying transformed appropriately in Yeonwoo''s mind. Luck shared is doubled, misfortune shared is halved. ''Let''s share some luck.'' The scene of the child crying in terror shed through his mind, but it passed meaninglessly in the face of Yeonwoo''s self-justification. ''If luck is being offset, it''s good for that kid too. They can live as a normal person instead of an anomalous entity.'' How hard must it be to live under surveince, isted, and educated as an anomalous entity? This was a chance for the child to experience a normal daily life. It was good for both of them. Yeonwoo twisted his thoughts to reach this conclusion, and immediately called Mark Jung. To find a way back into the Bird Migration Center after being practically kicked out. "Yes, it''s me. We''re using the investigation team building as a temporary office now, right? I''m thinking of moving the temporary office to the Bird Migration Center, could you get me a visitation permit?" - That''s easy. But are you really going to move? Mark Jung asked, sounding puzzled, and Yeonwoo replied briefly. "I''m nning to stay for a few days for now." Yeonwoo''s eyes suddenly turned to his thigh. The thigh the child had hit while iling their arms as they ran away. ''I was attacked by an anomalous entity. I should check for aftereffects, I mean, consequences, here.'' He felt a bit uneasy in a corner of his mind, thinking he might be taking this too seriously with the child. But Yeonwoo needed that luck, so he ignored the feeling. "I''lle back if it doesn''t work out after staying a few days." - Okay. I''ve just gotten you visitation permission under the pretext of office relocation. You can go in. Ah, about the experiment...? "The child ran away, so we couldn''t do it. It probably won''t work for dice doping." If the dice risk management seeded, the child would likely be dragged along with Yeonwoo to dangerous areas. Mark Jung sighed in disappointment, and the call ended. Yeonwoo immediately got out of the car and walked towards the Bird Migration Center. ------ It was evening, and the sun was setting. Yeonwoo entered under the suspicious gaze of the security guard and saw various staff members bustling about. The staff were carryingrge basins full of bird feed into different cages. "Time to eat." "Oh my. Were you hungry?" Flocks of birds came running, surrounding the staff. Suddenly encircled, the staff looked at the birds fondly as they skillfully distributed the feed into feeding troughs. Some birds flew up energetically and plunged their bodies right into the feeding troughs. Feed scattered everywhere. Just then, the researcher who had greeted Yeonwoo earlier approached him with a dark expression. "Office relocation. What''s your real motive?" He asked bluntly. Yeonwoo put on a harmless smile. "I just liked this ce. The atmosphere is nice, and the air-" "Cut the crap. You''re trying to use the blessed child, aren''t you?" "Well, ''use'' is a bit strong..." Yeonwoo muttered quietly, but the researcher red at him. "Honestly, I don''t like that kid. It''s not even our department''s responsibility, but they dumped the kid here because they like birds. Still." His voice was firm, his gaze steady. "A child is a child. I won''t stand by and watch them be used like a tool or weapon." Yeonwoo met the researcher''s gaze squarely. Their unabashed and wary gazes crossed. ''I''m not headquarters. I won''t use them like a child soldier.'' Yeonwoo, who had a strange image of headquarters, spoke confidently. "I''ll be honest too. Yes, luck is my goal. But wouldn''t it be safer here?" "...Safe?" The researcher looked bewildered. He hadn''t expected that response. His guard dropped for a moment. Until now, many people had tried to use the blessed child. Using their luck for stocks and cryptocurrency when budgets were tight, making them pick lottery numbers, having them do game gachas, using them in experiments. There had been countless other experiments, but this was the first time someone wanted safety. At this point, the researcher became interested in Yeonwoo. "What''s your background?" They don''t put just anyone in a department head position. No matter how unique the anomalous entity, they make you build up experience and trust from the bottom first. Yeonwoo answered honestly. "I was an investigator. Actually, my current department is temporary, so if my performance is poor, I''ll go back to being an investigator." "Ah, an investigator." The researcherpletely lowered his guard. If he was from the investigation team, it made sense that he would want safety. He probably wouldn''t think of using the child like some other mentally unstable researchers. ''If he just wants to be around, then whatever.'' The researcher looked at Yeonwoo with slightly rxed eyes. "Try to persuade that child. It''s the first time I''ve seen them dislike someone so much, if the kid says no, you won''t be able to relocate your office." "Alright." It would be good enough if they didn''t interfere. Yeonwoo looked around. "Is the child in their room?" "They should be ying after dinner-" Just then, an employee came out of the building entrance and shouted with a tired expression. "The child is missing! They must be hiding somewhere!" As if they had instinctively sensed Yeonwoo''s approach, they had hidden. The researcher responded quickly. "Make sure they don''t run away! And." As the security guards and surveince systems heightened their alert, the researcher nced at Yeonwoo. Only now did he feel suspicious. ''The child is this averse?'' It meant there was something threatening the blessed child. ''The dice? Or are they cursed, or being chased by an anomalous entity? Is that why they fled here? No, if that were the case, they would have been hospitalized or protected somewhere.'' At that moment, Yeonwoo hummed softly. "Hide and seek..." It was like a game of hide and seek. He needed to find the blessed child and let them know it was okay to be near him. ''I hadn''t thought about how to persuade them, but let''s find them first.'' Receiving the researcher''s wary gaze, Yeonwoo started walking. ------ Night had fallen. The child peeked out from their hiding ce in the shadows. The corridor, which seemed enormous to the still small child, was covered in eerie shadows. The shadow of a tree, clearly cast by the bright moonlight, swayed beyond the window. The child''s face crumpled. They had never been this scared before. It was all because of that monster. "Bad person." To the child, the world had been bright and shining, soft and warm. Everywhere was fun, surrounded by a warm energy. But the moment that monster arrived, everything changed. The warm energy disappeared. The world became unstable. Ordinary dangers they had never felt before lurked everywhere. Tripping while running, choking while drinking water, having trouble with games. It was the result of the dice''s random nature and Yeonwoo''s fate-like quality colliding with luck, but to the child who didn''t know this, Yeonwoo seemed like an evil monster. A monster ruining their world. ''I need to run away...'' The child hesitated. They had been educated, almost to the point of brainwashing, to always go outside with an adult. This perception, manipted by pure psychological maniption without anomalous entities, chained their feet. Just then, a voice was heard. The monster''s voice. "Where are you? I''m not a dangerous person. I don''t intend to do anything bad to you. I''m just going to live in the same building. Here, I have a gift card, don''t you want it?" Clumsy words. Awkward words Yeonwoo blurted out, not knowing how to deal with children. To the child, those words sounded like a promise to ruin their world forever. It shattered the psychological chains thepany had created. Moonlight gleamed in the child''s eyes. ''I have to run away! Adults can''t be trusted!'' The uncles and aunties they lived with had already been fooled by the monster. They talked with that monster, and even when the child directly shouted that it was dangerous, they smiled and tried to catch the child. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo was getting closer. Gasp, the child covered their mouth with both hands and curled up. They hid in the shadows, not making even a breath of sound. Yeonwoo approached without a sound. He had unconsciously learned to mask his presence after experiencing various dangers. "Where are you? Are you sleeping in a corner? Should I roll the dice?" Yeonwoo, muttering to himself, came out in front of the moonlit window. The tree shadows wrapped around his face and body like tentacles, and the gift card he held out swayed like a monster''s tongue. The child''s heart pounded loudly, and their pupils dted. The moment Yeonwoo reached for the dice, the world became more broken. That terrible sense of loss and pain. Fortunately, Yeonwoo didn''t notice the child. His mind was dull as he didn''t sense a threat to his life, and his senses were deeply asleep. Yeonwoo, unnecessarily feeling a sense of childhood, wondered if this was what it felt like to y with a child and hummed. "Hide and seek..." The singing voice, growing more distant, echoed in the eerie corridor before finally fading away. The child exhaled deeply. Then they dashed out. ''Run away!'' They boldly stepped outside, a ce they normally couldn''t go alone. At this moment, all the education about not going out alone disappeared without a trace. The child''s eyes sparkled as they headed straight for the cages where their bird friends stayed. ''I can''t escape alone! All the adults here have been fooled by the monster! I need my friends'' help!'' Luckily avoiding the patrolling security guards, the child luckily found an unlocked cage door and flung it open. "Wake up!" The birds, scattered about sleeping soundly, woke up with a flutter. They looked at the child with dumb eyes. "We need to run away quickly! Come out fast!" In an instant, a wild look returned to the birds'' eyes. They immediately spread their wings and flew towards the door. An rm sounded in the Bird Migration Center. 147 - Luck TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The flock of birds became a storm as they escaped their cages, and an rm immediately sounded. Eee-eee-eeng, a piercing siren shattered the night''s silence, and red lights shed, coloring the deeply sleeping building. "Containment failure. Containment failure. Security personnel, respond immediately. Department heads, please report to the control room. I repeat." The recorded announcement yed on loop. "..." Yeonwoo stopped nkly in front of the window. He had been wearing a harmless expression and forcing a kind voice, but now he stared at the night sky from the windowsill."Birds?" The birds, which were supposed to be recognized as something else on radar, circled in the night sky. The containment had been breached. An incident. Yeonwoo''s instincts awoke. In that moment, he transformed from a mischievous adult chasing a child to a survivalist. ''An attack? An ident? What''s going on?'' His dull brain cells stretched, and shes of thought flickered. His sharpened senses urately perceived reality. Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up. "Found them." In the distance from the window, he saw the bird cages. Near them, the small figure of a child running frantically. The situation was clear. ''That kid released the birds to escape. It''s not an attack. It''s not dangerous either.'' His awakening instincts and senses went back to sleep. Yeonwoo became the inconsiderate person bothering a child again, but he hesitated. ''Is it right to chase after someone who dislikes me this much? Why does the kid hate me so much in the first ce?'' Yeonwoo wavered between his conscience and his desire for safety. He took out his time-buying bills and lighter to go after the child, but couldn''t bring himself to light it. Not knowing the child''s feelings and thoughts, Yeonwoo''s heart gradually leaned towards the desire for safety. ''There must be some misunderstanding. Misunderstandings can be cleared up. We haven''t even had a chance to talk face to face. Couldn''t I just let them know I''m harmless?'' In terms of time, maybe a minute had passed since the rm went off. Experiencedpany employees rushed out of the living quarters on the upper floors of the building, still in their pajamas. "What escaped?" "Hurry!" Confused shouts and the thunder of footsteps echoed down the stairwell. At the forefront was the researcher who had greeted Yeonwoo. The researcher held amunicator, shouting orders into it at the top of his lungs. "Report to the higher-ups! The radar''s probably gone crazy, so tell the relevant agencies!" The birds were strangely recognized by radar and information resources. They would probably show up en masse on inte sites tracking aircraft, and even on airport surveince radar. Not to mention military bases. Of course, it wouldn''t escte into a major problem. An aircraft carrier suddenly appearing in the middle ofnd? A flying aircraft carrier? Does that make sense? Nuclear missiles? They were suddenlyunched from the Korean countryside? But they''re moving at the speed of flying birds? And it''s not even a missile trajectory? Anyone would be suspicious of the situation first. The researcher continued speaking. "Request deployment from the Marine Response Unit! And-" Suddenly, the researcher saw Yeonwoo. He also saw the child running energetically beyond the window, and instinctively realized. ''It''s because of this guy!'' Thanks to the blessed child, the department that was usually peaceful without incidents had been turned upside down the moment this outsider entered. ''We shouldn''t have put the child and this person together in the first ce!'' It was a mistake. He had misjudged from the beginning. He shouldn''t have given the chance to persuade the child. Even without malice, he shouldn''t be around. The researcher strode forward. "Why won''t this lighter work?" Yeonwoo red beyond the window, clicking the lighter repeatedly, trying to light it. When it wouldn''t light no matter how many times he tried, he finally gave up and slid the window open with a tter. He nned to run over and talk face to face. Just as he put his hand on the windowsill- Someone grabbed him firmly by the back of the neck. Yeonwoo turned his head with difficulty, and the researcher shouted angrily. "Security! Throw this outsider out!" "Look, sir. You''ve misunderstood something, this incident is my fault- is it? Anyway, there''s no need to go this far-" "Security!" The researcher acted as if he hadn''t heard a word. Two security guards who had been running down the corridor stopped abruptly, then grabbed Yeonwoo from both sides. Their strong hands locked his arms as if linking them, then pulled him back. Yeonwoo couldn''t even struggle. He could only hear the researcher''s rapid announcements. "I''ll absolutely oppose the office relocation. I''ll report to the higher-ups that it negatively affects the management of the blessed child, and I''ll have to request a restraining order too." Feeling like he''d suddenly be a heinous criminal, Yeonwoo made an extremely wronged expression. ''No! I didn''t do anything! I just looked for them, that''s all! I wasn''t even with the kid for a minute!'' He had wandered around looking for them, using a kind voice so the child wouldn''t be scared, letting them know he was safe, even singing nursery rhymes to make it feel like a game! "The child is near the main gate, so send him out the back door!" And so Yeonwoo was dragged away and thrown out of the back door of the Bird Migration Center. After sighing heavily for a while, Yeonwoo returned to his car. "I should give up... Ah, but it''s such a shame." After all, there had been some minor incidents, but no dangerous idents, right? The luck effect was definitely real. Yeonwoo kept looking back with regret as he reluctantly started his car. ------ The birds circled chaotically in the sky above the Bird Migration Center, drawing the attention of the security guards. Security personnel and researchers armed with guns, tranquilizer guns, and capture drones struggled to return the birds. ''Go, friends!'' Silently cheering on the birds, the child darted between dirt paths and tree shadows, eyes sparkling. "Huh?" The world grew warmer. As if the monster had disappeared. The child, clothes covered in dirt and messy snow, stopped and looked back. "What the hell are you doing in the middle of the night!" "When is the Marine Response Uniting!" The bird friends and the adults were having fun together. Shouting like they were ying a game, firing their guns with pew-pew sounds, controlling drones cooler than toys. The birds pped their wings, flying beautifully like airnes. Perhaps because the world had returned to normal, the child made a serious expression as if deeply contemting. "If the monster''s gone, I should help." They needed to wake up the kind adults who had been tricked by the monster. Of course, it was scary. They had tried to tell them it was dangerous, but the adults had smiled and tried to catch them, helping the monster. After serious consideration, the child turned with a determined expression. Their heart pounded excitedly, as if they were about to go on an adventure. That''s when the child first saw the researcher who had been chasing them, and let out a shriek. "Mister! Wake up! You were tricked by the monster!" "Yes, I know. That''s why I chased the monster away. It''s okay now." The researcher approached with a faint smile, and the child''s eyes widened. This mister had defeated that nasty monster? "How did you do it, mister? You''re weak, aren''t you?" The researcher made a sour expression. He had often shown that he couldn''t keep up with the child''s energy. He quickly changed the subject. "Well... Why were you so scared of the monster?" "Oh! It was really bad! It, it-" The child''s attention quickly shifted. They proudly told their adventure story of how they ran away from the monster, hid right in front of it, and how they released the birds. Listening to the child who was wildly gesticting as they spoke, the researcher soon came to a conclusion. ''Luck offset by misfortune? That''s why that person wanted the child''s luck, and why the child disliked him?'' No, it wasn''t just dislike. A sense of loss like the world was crumbling. They had felt clear danger and viscous fear for the first time. The testimony was vivid. Though the child exaggerated, the fear seeped through, and the researcher''s mouth opened slightly. ''This is beyond just bothering a kid, isn''t it? And why was he singing? He saw the kid crying and running away. Is he a psychopath?'' He couldn''t even begin to guess at the mindset of someone who became a department head from an investigator despite carrying misfortune. The researcher decided to record the entire statement and report it to the higher-ups. It was right to keep those two apart. As he was thinking about drafting the report, the researcher suddenly looked down at the child. ''I don''t know anything about this child at all.'' The world seen and felt by a child born as an anomalous entity was different from theirs. The researcher''s eyes deepened as he realized that treating them like a normal child might actually hurt them. ------ The child''s exaggerated testimony and the researcher''s cool yet purposeful report went straight to the higher-ups, and it was read with interest not only by the Korean branch but also by headquarters. The child''s innocent yet truthful story struck them as meaningful. It seemed as if he had bullied an innocent young child, of all people. Above all, the singing was decisive. - He sang such a song there? And so, some people were put on alert. The profilers in charge of Yeonwoo, the director, Mark Jung, and other employees. - What is it? Has he lost his humanity? Has he be an anomalous entity? Has he been contaminated by the mist? - To create a memory that will traumatize the child. Yeonwoo wasn''t just an ordinary employee. He was a future Level 6, a core force of thepany. A talent whose work history alone was impressive whenpiled and read. That''s why if Yeonwoo went berserk, the fallout would be terrible, and thepany couldn''t carelessly overlook even a minor incident. Several people gathered to put their heads together. They analyzed the bomb that could go off at any time from various angles. - Could it be a manifestation of his survivalist tendencies? He was hit on the thigh at their first meeting, he might have perceived it as an attack. - It might be jealousy. The child''s luck is the kind of power Yeonwoo wants, but the child has had it from the beginning. Some people reasoned rationally. - What if he''s been hiding his true nature from the start? What if his behavior so far is the result of a sociopath''s highly learned mimicry? - It could be a sign of anomalous contamination. Some made pessimistic assumptions, like representatives of extinction. - It just seems like a misunderstanding... And some people grasped the essence without much thought. In any case, they couldn''t reach a conclusion. All the arguments seemed usible, but there was also ack of solid evidence. In the end, the director spoke briefly. - Let''s keep a close eye on him from now on. Mark, you meet him often, so observe him carefully. - Yes, sir. And so Mark Jung met Yeonwoo with a document transcribing the child''s testimony. Mark Jung handed over the document, speaking nonchntly. "Why did you torment the child like that? It seems the kid will suffer from nightmares." "Me? I really didn''t do anything. No, I only managed to say hello." Full of indignation, Yeonwoo took the document and read it. Then the indignation disappeared from his face, reced by an expression of pain, as if his conscience had been pricked. "I didn''t know they''d feel like this..." He felt sorry for the fear the child had experienced, and ufortable that he seemed so monstrous. ''Wait a minute.'' After reading the document a few more times, Yeonwoo suddenly looked up. Seeing Mark Junge with a document like this, something didn''t seem right. His head, sensing something suspicious, woke up, and a cold judgment, devoid of emotion, was quickly made. ''Suspicion? Do they suspect I''m turning into an anomalous entity due to mist contamination?'' He needed to clear up this suspicion. If it went wrong, he''d be seen as a potential risk factor by headquarters. Yeonwoo''s mouth opened. "I didn''t know the child would feel that way about the dice. And it says I brainwashed the employees, but that''s obviously a misunderstanding." As his survival instinct kicked in and he spoke in a cool voice, Mark Jung''s pupils trembled. 148 - Luck TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here In reality, it was all excessive worry stemming from misunderstandings. The higher-ups had analyzed the incident thoroughly, and most realized it had happened because of crossed wires. The result of a collision between the dice that could break the Oracle system of a 50-person shelter and the child''s luck. The result of not understanding the child''s perception. The child''s misunderstanding of employees trying to catch them as they ran away. Mark Jung swallowed hard. ''Objectively speaking, it''s not really a problem. The child''s perspective was exaggerated and distorted by prejudice. Looking at just the facts, it''s something tough off. But.'' He tried to control his trembling eyes as he nced at Yeonwoo.Although he''d lost about a month of memories after drinking the memory eraser because of the Artist Association President, he''d still spent a considerable amount of time with Yeonwoo. Mark Jung thought he knew Yeonwoo to some extent. ''Dislikes danger, a bit naive and sloppy, a fresh graduate.'' But at this moment, a stranger was sitting in front of him. Yeonwoo with his survival instinct activated. The person''s aura hadpletely changed. Emotions like indignation or guilt had evaporated, and his rxed attitude had be taut. Yeonwoo, wearing an expressionless face, thought to himself. ''Headquarters is scary...'' In Yeonwoo''s perception, headquarters was closer to a mechanical device than people. Something cold that could throw out ethics or morals if it meant humanity''s survival, seeing people not as individuals but as numbers. If such an entity had the power to control the anomalous world and saw him as a dangerous entity... "I understand headquarters'' concern. It feels like I bullied a young child, so they might suspect there''s a problem with my character." Yeonwoo calmly poured out words to clear up the misunderstanding. "There''s no need to worry. Why would I bully a child?" "Why did you sing that song? The ''Hide and seek, hair'' song?" Since Yeonwoo had noticed thepany''s suspicion, Mark Jung asked directly. Thepany couldn''t rx because of that one song. Chasing after a crying child while singing such a song seemed a bit abnormal. Yeonwoo rolled his eyes. The song was certainly inappropriate behavior. His voice flowed out, tinged with indignation. "To make it feel like a game, like hide and seek... I just thought the kid disliked me..." Mark Jung focused intently. He observed Yeonwoo''s expressions and voice, analyzing even the slightest body movements. Yeonwoo was truthful and usible. The final judgment would be made by the profilers, but for now, Mark Jung lowered his guard. Though unfamiliar, he was apany employee who had been through thick and thin. He couldn''t bepletely naive. "I understand. I''ll report it to the higher-ups like that. I''m sorry if this suspicion made you ufortable. It''s because you''re such an important asset that thepany was overly sensitive." Mark Jung bowed his head slightly, and Yeonwoo smiled broadly. It seemed the suspicion had been cleared. "Not at all. I understand. Thepany can be like that." A warm atmosphere filled Yeonwoo''s room, which had been permeated with subtle tension. ''As long as I''m not marked by headquarters.'' With the tension gone, Yeonwoo rxed his posture. Since it was just his room with a hastilyid out nket, he leaned against the wall. Then he suddenly looked up at Mark Jung. Mark Jung, who was preparing to leave, turned his head curiously. "What''s the-" "When are you going to find me a house?" "Ah." Since the shelter had been destroyed, Yeonwoo had been staying temporarily in the investigation team''s building. Just a nket spread out in an empty room. ''I didn''t really look. I didn''t want to find a good shelter or a house in the city only for an ident to happen.'' Mark Jung rolled his eyes, then quickly came up with a usible excuse. "Wouldn''t it be better for you to keep staying here?" "What?" Yeonwoo''s expression instantly crumpled. There was a shower room, and he could cook with a gas burner, so there weren''t any major problems, but he still didn''t like it. Mark Jung quickly spat out an excuse. "Listen, do you know the artist''s theory? If you move the world, it bes art." "I know that, but..." "There''s no limit to that artwork. It can be a person, a space, or an object. So, couldn''t this building be a work of art?" "What do you mean..." Yeonwoo listened to Mark Jung''s sophistry with a confused expression. "It''s a building that investigators have used for a long time. As a base for survival artists, it might have be an anomalous entity where idents don''t happen. You''ve been staying here for a while now, and there haven''t been any problems, right?" "Um..." Is that so? Yeonwoo floated question marks above his head. It did sound somewhat usible. "Actually, you didn''t need to go looking for the blessed child. This building is what you wanted. Well then, I''ll be going." Mark Jung confidently spouted nonsense and hurried out of the room. Yeonwoo remained dumbfounded for a while, then suddenly had a thought. ''If you move the world, it bes art. The Artist Association President. The most beautiful monster in the world, favored by the world.'' Then, if you move the world with survival instinct... ''Even if survival instinct isn''t an anomalous entity, couldn''t it be one, and if it is one, couldn''t it level up?'' Yeonwoo sank deep into thought. ------ Yeonwoo listlessly browsed through the request list. His eyes were on the text list, but he wasn''t reading the words. His mind was full of other thoughts. ''Survival art? Is it possible? If it is, how would I do it? Twisting my body and surviving in danger? I don''t like that.'' tter, the mouse wheel kept turning. He had already reached the end of the request list without realizing it, but Yeonwoo kept moving his finger. ''Danger Level 6, Level 6, survival instinct, Human Qualification Certificate, dice.'' The mountain peak was clearly visible, but there was no path to the summit. Yeonwoo sighed deeply, feeling frustrated. Just then, it was lunchtime. The team leader got up. "What do you want for lunch?" "I don''t have much of an appetite..." Yeonwoo shook his head, and Yoo Ji-yoo also took out her lunchbox while wearing a mask. She had bought porridge on her way to work. "I''ve got a cold, so I''ll eat something light." "Hmm, okay." Hearing her hoarse voice, the team leader nodded and went out to eat alone. Yoo Ji-yoo also left to heat her lunchbox in the microwave, and Yeonwoo busily yed with his mouse. "Maybe I should look up some information." If thinking on his own didn''t work, he could search the inte, look up records, or get ideas from elsewhere. Since his security clearance had increased, Yeonwoo could freely browse all sorts of confidential materials. "Danger Level 6, anomalous entity evolution..." Searching with various keywords brought up a lot of interesting materials. Yeonwoo found a document that caught his eye. More precisely, a document that made his chest tighter and scared him. ''Danger Level 7?'' He immediately opened the document. [Proposal Regarding Danger Level 7] Until now, we have assigned danger levels based on the scale of idents and victims. 6 for Earth destruction, 5 for national copse, 4 for city annihtion, and so on. But as technology has advanced and thepany has acquired more anomalous entities, we''ve redefined Level 6. Even Earth destruction-level dangers were too easily destroyed when their weaknesses were exploited, and thepany could manage them with ease. So, omnipotence and absoluteness became the criteria for Level 6. Then what about dangers beyond that? How should we define those dangers that we''ve never seen, that are hard to imagine, that exist only as hypotheses? Many people are debating this. In the distant past, they argued whether the danger of sr system destruction or universe destruction should be the standard, but after the discovery of two-dimensional spaces and parallel worlds, the argument intensified. I propose a simpler standard. A danger we cannot manage. A danger level that exists only as a hypothesis. The danger of human extinction. Human extinction regardless of Earth, our universe, two-dimensional spaces, or parallel worlds. It''s just imagination anyway, so let''s set it on a grand scale until something definite is discovered. We can always adjust the criteria. The response was simple. Approved. Some researchers should stop obsessing over unproductive things and focus on their main work. Yeonwoo, who had been staring at the document without blinking, let out a hollowugh. ''It''s just a hypothesis. It doesn''t even exist.'' The scale was sorge that it didn''t feel real. He didn''t think something like that could exist in the first ce. Was it even possible? Human extinction regardless of world? ''With a cmity like that, dying would be the polite thing to do... No, wait. Survival art.'' An idea shed through his mind. Yeonwoo quickly sank into contemtion. ''Maybe if I survive in a situation where I should die, the world would be moved?'' But it wasn''t a good idea. Yeonwoo''s expression darkened, and soon he changed his mind like a child. ''Danger should be avoided in the first ce. This won''t work. The risk is too dangerous, and it''s not certain either. I''d rather level up to 6 with the dice.'' If a problem with no visible answer was blocking the way, you could just take a detour. Even in exams, you put unsolvable problems off until the end. Or give up on them entirely. "Contamination, maintaining self-awareness." Yeonwoo changed direction. Even if it was survival instinct, it wasn''t as good as the dice. The dice were still the best. With that near-omnipotent power, survival wouldn''t even be an issue. Yeonwoo put the requests aside and looked up various anomalous entities. He looked into soul-rted ones, psychology and mental ones, resistance and survival-rted ones. He got so absorbed that at some point he strayed from his original goal, as if browsing a wiki. During this, Yeonwoo discovered one fact. ''Does thepany not know that the Human Qualification Certificate resists contamination?'' There were no experimental records rted to contamination resistance. Yeonwoo, who had been staring at the monitor, stroked his chin. Human Qualification Certificate. ''Nothing resists better than this. Can you get multiple certificates if you take the test several times? No. What if the dice takes the test and gets a certificate? Ah, would it be independent then?'' A method of calling for the Human Qualification Exam after being contaminated to the point of manipting possibilities, and then manipting the results. ''It might be worth trying.'' After all, he could lower the dice''s contamination level again. Yeonwoo suddenly found enthusiasm and wrote one report and one proposal. The Human Qualification Certificate''s resistance to contamination. And a request to experiment on whether multiple Human Qualification Certificates could be obtained, and if so, whether there was a difference in contamination resistance based on the number. 149 - Dream TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yoo Ji-yoo spread a gue. Having caught a nasty cold somewhere, she infected not only the team leader but also Choi Jae-min, the parent detector about to graduate, paralyzing the investigation team. The department that usually kept running smoothly even through considerable incidents and idents was now wiped out, from the department head to the reserve personnel, by a mere cold. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo contacted Yeonwoo with their voices heavily congested. "Hey, Yeonwoo. You''ll have to temporarily take charge of the investigation team. Just reject any iing work and postpone everything." "Well, I guess it''s not so bad if we consider it paying our dues. A cold is better than some weird ident happening."Yeonwoo, resisting with the vitality from the rain, readily took charge of the investigation team. "Alright. Get plenty of rest." Answering phones for a few days was no big deal. It wasn''t even for strangers or an unfamiliar department. So Yeonwoo began working as an investigator again after a long time, guarding the quiet building alone. Just killing time until work came in. Rejecting calls when they came. "Yes, this is the investigation team. Oh, the team leader? He''s resting now with the flu. Yes, please call backter. Investigation work? We don''t have any avable investigators right now..." Yeonwoo clicked his mouse, halfheartedly answering calls. While responding in an unenthusiastic voice, his eyes browsed thepany intr. ''The experiment proposal is under review. Ah, there''s nothing to do.'' The report and proposal rted to the Human Qualification Certificate seemed like they would take quite a while. In the end, Yeonwoo, with time to spare, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "Might as well take a nap." The sunlight was warm and the heating was just right, perfect for sleeping. His tension loosened. His body sank into the chair tilted far back. Wheeze, wheeze, his breathing continued. Yeonwoo''s consciousness sank deep down. And then, his consciousness connected somewhere. Past individual unconsciousness or dreams, to a strange mental space. ------ "...Huh?" Yeonwoo blinked. He was sure he had fallen asleep in the office. When he opened his eyes, it was an unfamiliar world. An endless expanse of sand in a desert. A temperature neither hot nor cold. In the blue sky, various clouds floatedzily. Above all, there was a building in front that didn''t fit the desert. Yeonwoo looked up at its sign. The ever-changing sign transformed into Yeonwoo''snguage. "Dream Exchange?" Yeonwoo''s expression soured. He had been through all sorts of incidents and idents. It was easy to distinguish whether this was a simple dream or reality involving an anomalous entity. Yeonwoo scratched his head vigorously. A sharp, irritated look shed across his face. ''Come on, what is this? I just took a nap, why am I getting mixed up with an anomalous entity again?'' It didn''t look dangerous, but he didn''t like it one bit. After searching for his dice first, Yeonwoo considered going back with them, but then slowly stepped forward. ''Movement is scary if a critical failurees up. Let''s go inside for now.'' Since it had brought him here, the way to send him back should be in that shop too. Yeonwoo entered cautiously, quietly tense, carefully opening the wooden door. Ding-a-ling, a bell rang cheerfully, and from inside, a hooded shop owner greeted Yeonwoo. "Wee! This is the Dream Exchange, where we find dreams for you or connect your dreams to suitable people!" "..." Yeonwoo didn''t answer. He just looked around widely, taking in the shop owner and the shop. The shop owner''s face wasn''t visible. A deep shadow covered their face under the hood. ''The shop has an antique store feel.'' On the neat shelves of the shop, items like music boxes, crystal balls, pianos, ser balls, guitars, microphones, test papers, and stethoscopes were scattered about. Yeonwoo fixed his gaze on the shop owner. "Did you call me here?" "Well, I wouldn''t say I called you, rather your soul sought out the Dream Exchange-" Nonsense. Yeonwoo waved his hand dismissively, cutting off the shop owner''s words. "I''m not interested, so please send me back." "Ahaha. People who have lost their dreams all react like that. But since we''ve met, why not listen for a bit? It''s all just a momentary dream anyway." The shop owner waved their gloved hand slightly. Wooden chairs appeared, and steaming tea rose up on the counter. Yeonwoo frowned. He asked briefly. "Is this the Goldberg Club?" A shop that buys and sells dreams. Naturally, the Club came to mind first. But the shop owner shook their head andughed it off. "Ah, the Goldberg Club. Humans dreaming golden dreams! I''m not such a materialist. This work is far more grand, beautiful, and noble!" Yeonwoo muttered to himself. ''What is he talking about?'' Regardless of Yeonwoo''s reaction, the shop owner straightened their shoulders and began speaking confidently. "Those who can''t achieve their dreams will sell their dreams to find freedom, and those with ability but no dreams will buy dreams to achieve them. In other words, it''s the beautiful work of making flowers bloom that would otherwise wither and die!" "Ah, yes. You''re doing good work. So where''s the way back?" "..." The shop owner stopped. They hunched over as if they had never been excited, and let out an ominous voice. "You''re not listening to me." "You''re not listening to me either." Yeonwoo also spoke irritably. ''What''s with this dream peddler? I said I''m not interested, didn''t I?'' Dreams. The mysterious shop that traded in these vessels of human passion and hope was degraded to a mere peddler in Yeonwoo''s eyes. No, Yeonwoo saw it as even worse than a peddler. "I''m not buying or selling. You''re not trying to kidnap people and force sales, are you-" That was when it happened. As the shop owner''s mood soured, the shop began to change. Darkness rippled like a nightmare, and instead of the beautiful dreams scattered about, dark and terrible dreams crawled out. The shop suddenly plunged into darkness. Beyond the darkness came sounds of crying,mentation, and screaming. Yeonwoo quickly sat down in the chair. "This is really interesting. What can one receive for selling a dream? And what kind of dreams do you sell?" Yeonwoo blinked innocently. He leaned forward as if focusing on the shop owner. His sleepy mind woke up. ''The thing in front of me is an anomalous entity. I need to be careful.'' He didn''t want to carelessly provoke it and have an ident. It was best to get through this smoothly. The shop owner was speechless for a while, then let out a small sigh. "How did I end up with a customer like this." The darkness receded, and a dreamlike atmosphere settled over the shop again. Various objects representing people''s dreams glowed softly. Yeonwoo breathed a sigh of relief, and the shop owner spoke gruffly. "Be careful. I''m more amazing than you think, and I''m doing good for everyone." "You''re wonderful, sir!" p, p, p, Yeonwoo''s soulless apuse and admiration. The shop owner waved their hand, making the tea disappear. There was no tea for Yeonwoo. The owner spoke unkindly. "Dreams aren''t something you can buy just because you want to. I only sell them to people who have the ability to achieve that dream. But you..." Yeonwoo pretended to listen attentively, and the shop owner looked Yeonwoo up and down. "You don''t qualify to buy dreams. You need to have the ability to achieve something." "Ah, I see. Then I guess I don''t qualify as a customer. Regrettable, but I should go back." Yeonwoo smiled broadly. In a way, he had been insulted, but to him it meant he could go back without any problems. But the shop owner continued speaking. "Still, your dream is quite good. Pure survival instinct. A thirst for life. This is something you''d usually only see in terminally ill patients. I like it. I could sell it to someone who has lost hope in life." The shop owner could see Yeonwoo''s dream. Survival. That primal and pure dream. The shop owner nodded their head. A pleased voice flowed from the darkness under the hood. "Why don''t you sell that dream to me? I''ll pass it on to someone more suitable. Someone who can fulfill that dream better than you will make it shine like a jewel." "..." Yeonwoo didn''t answer. He just stared nkly at the shop owner. The shop owner brought both hands together on the counter. They spoke kindly, as if persuading. "How painful must it be to have a dream you can''t handle when you don''t even have the ability? If you give up your dream cleanly, you can be free from it. Someone else will fulfill your dream for you." "I''m not selling." "Pardon?" At that point, Yeonwoo stood up. There was no need for further conversation. ''If I sell my dream, I might live morefortably and freely. I''d retire from thepany and enjoy life with the money I''ve earned. But that''s all.'' Survival. The moment he lost that fundamental drive, everything would start to fall apart. He might let his guard down and die soon. ''Let''s get out of this shop first.'' Yeonwoo didn''t look back. He approached the shop door and grabbed the handle. He gripped it tightly and pulled. Clunk- The door didn''t open. Instead, a voice came from behind. "You might think that if you don''t know. It''s okay. I''ll free you from your dream. You''ll thank me when it''s all over, won''t you?" In an instant. Yeonwoo lost something. Whatever you call it - heart, mind, soul - something fundamental at the root was gone. Yeonwoo, having lost the dream of survival, slowly turned around. The shop owner was holding a heart-shaped model in one hand. A ceaselessly beating heart model. "Good. It''s an excellent dream. Strong and pure. Who should I give this to so it shines beautifully?" At that moment, the shop owner looked at Yeonwoo, and their gazes crossed. The shop owner spoke. "How does it feel? To be free?" "I''m not sure." Yeonwoo spoke nkly. His mind was being reconstructed, recing the lost survival instinct. Newly, based on all the memories he had experienced. Yeonwoo''s confused and unsettled atmosphere began to change. "Now, you''re no longer bound by dreams and free to..." The shop owner spoke with a voice tinged withughter, then stopped. Something felt off. Yeonwoo muttered coldly. "People die someday." His values were reestablished. The idents and anomalous experiences he had been through. The world like thin ice. The vast universe and anomalous world. There is no eternity in this world. Struggling to survive day by day like a mayfly is nothing but futile effort. The right thing to do is to live each day fully, to live so that you can die satisfied even if you die tomorrow, to live as your heart desires. And where Yeonwoo''s heart was heading now was... "You took my dream as you pleased. I''ll take mypensation as I see fit." It would be dangerous. The opponent was an unknown anomalous entity, and the dice''s risks were still there. His survival instinct was quietly screaming. But he didn''t care. Resolving this unpleasant feeling was more important. Yeonwoo called upon the dice. 150 - Dream TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Scrape- Yeonwoo dragged an old chair to the door, then plopped down on it. He looked at the shop owner with dull eyes, like a dead fish. "I''ve been thinking, just takingpensation isn''t fun." "..." The shop owner didn''t reply, but eyed Yeonwoo carefully.Yeonwoo, having lost his dream, had be an ordinary person. No particr passion, just alive because he wasn''t dead, an adult worn down by the harsh, rough world. Normally, the shop owner would ignore such a person, but... ''What''s this?'' The shop owner unconsciously leaned back. They sensed danger from this human without dreams or passion. He had an aura closer to beings like the shop owner than to regr customers. Yeonwoo grinned. "Let''s y a dice game. The stakes are everything you have." "...Not your dream?" The shop owner held out their hand. Yeonwoo''s dream, the beating heart model, was ced on the counter. But Yeonwoo shook his head. "That''s no fun. It wouldn''t make me feel better either." It was originally his dream. Betting that would just mean getting back what was his. He needed to bet something that would resolve his bad mood. ''This isn''t a joke or a prank.'' The shop owner felt uneasy. This wasn''t a simple dice game. It was real gambling with real stakes. "Well... If I don''t want to gamble-" "That''s not very polite. You forcibly took my dream, but you can''t y one dice game? Then I might have to be impolite too." Yeonwoo smiled. That was fun in its own way. Forcing the other into a gambling game was good, and rolling the dice against an unwilling opponent was good too. In fact, the act of rolling the dice itself was fun. It was gambling that instantly manipted reality, after all. At this point, the shop owner vaguely realized the seriousness of the situation. Swish- They gently pushed Yeonwoo''s dream on the counter towards him. The shop owner said, "I''ll give your dream back. Let''s stop here-" "Keep it. My dream isn''t important anymore." Yeonwoo refused. It really wasn''t important. Yeonwoo, having lost his dream, felt the freedom the shop owner had talked about. ''People die. What''s the point of struggling to live? Just live each day happily.'' It felt like chains binding his body had been loosened. That refreshing, invigorating feeling. Yeonwoo enjoyed life without any worries. He was true to his emotions. Yeonwoo suddenly pped. There was something to prepare before the fun dice game. "Right. You need to see the dice too. Can you manifest what I see?" Whoosh- The hesitating shop owner waved their hand. The dice in a corner of Yeonwoo''s mind was projected onto the counter. A six-sided die with six possible results: critical failure, failure, miss, miss, sess, critical sess. "Is this...?" "Good. Then let''s roll it as a test? Dice, just roll once." With those words, the dice jumped up. It rolled cheerfully, producing a result. Miss! The result of the projected dice. The shop owner swallowed hard, wondering what this meant, while Yeonwoo pondered. "A miss is either 3 or 4. I like 3, so let''s say it''s 3." "What does that mean? What kind of game are you trying to y with this in the first ce?" Yeonwoo held up three fingers. "Let''s y the dice game three times. If itnds on sess, I win. If it''s a miss or failure, you win." The shop owner looked confused. They understood the rules, but weren''t sure about the situation. Should they really go along with this human''s words? Maybe they should kick him out now- Then, Yeonwoo spoke. "First. The possibility of the dreams in this shop disappearing." "What-" The startled shop owner jumped up, and the dice soared high as well. Rumble, rumble, the dice rolled across the counter. Possibilities writhed. Possibilities manifesting into reality. The shop owner finally recognized the power of the dice. ''No way, this human had something like this?'' It was toote for regrets. They had already provoked their opponent, and the dice was cast. The shop owner watched the dice with glowing eyes, and the next moment, let out a sigh of relief. Miss! "Ah." The shop owner slumped down. Yeonwoo wore an expression that was half-smiling, half not. "You won the first game. Let''s go straight to the next one." "What, what are you going to roll? I''ll give your dream back, please just stop-" The shop owner grabbed Yeonwoo''s dream and stood up. They intended to return the dream right away. It wasn''t difficult. Just shove it into his head or body and it would be done. But just as the shop owner had done earlier, Yeonwoo didn''t respond. He just did his own thing. "For the second one, the possibility of no one visiting the Dream Exchange." After dreams, the target was the shop. The shop owner, who wasing around the counter, stopped moving. They quickly turned to look at the counter. The dice was rolling. Rumble rumble- The shop owner watched closely. Miss, failure, sess, and other results shed by chaotically. The more chaotically the results crossed, the more their heart pounded. ''Just don''tnd on sess! Please!'' In an instant, the future of the Dream Exchange shook violently, and finally the result came out. Failure! "Ah..." The shop owner felt their strength drain away. Without realizing it, they leaned on the counter with both hands, letting out a long sigh. It was just one die, but reality changed ording to its result. And it was a reality where their shop was at stake. How tense they had been in that short moment... Just then, a voice came from behind the shop owner. Yeonwoo had chosen the third judgment. "Last one. The possibility of you not existing." "No, wait!" The shop owner''s loosened tension snapped tight again. This time, their very life was at stake. ''Will luck be on my side again?'' Maybe because they had won the previous two times. Overwhelmed by a feeling that they would lose, the shop owner reached out towards Yeonwoo. They had to stop this judgment! But no matter how quickly they moved, it was slower than the speed of thought. Rumble rumble, the dice began to roll. With the shop owner''s life on the line. "Ah!" The shop owner stopped halfway between the counter and Yeonwoo, unable to move either way. They watched the rolling dice, their body trembling. Perhaps because they were extremely focused, they could see in detail the flying dust and the tumbling dice. Failure came up, then rolled to the side showing miss, bounced to show sess on top, then spun to show miss again. With each moment, their heart plummeted, then soared, over and over. ''Please, please.'' And, the result came out. Miss! "I''m alive..." The shop owner copsed to the floor as if falling. Their hands sprawled limply, brushing the ground. Though they didn''t particrly have a lifespan, it felt like their lifespan had been shortened. Yeonwoo''s shadow fell over them. Yeonwoo congratted the shop owner. "You''re lucky. You won all three times." "Ha, haha. Yes. Here, I''ll return your dream. If you want any dreams, I''ll give you a few, so let''s not run into each other anymore..." The shop owner raised their hand shakily. It was the hand holding Yeonwoo''s dream, which they intended to just give back. "..." But there was no answer. The shop owner suddenly felt a terrible premonition. They looked up, trembling. Through the shaking hood, they saw Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo, who was smiling. "Well then, shall we roll for the fourth judgment?" "...You said only three times!" "I changed my mind. And this is more fun, isn''t it?" A promise? Why should he keep that? It''s not fun anyway. At that moment, the shop owner realized what they had done. Survival. The one who had lost that dream, and thus lost the line that restrains people. ''I need to return this dream quickly!'' If not, the shop owner would be yed with until Yeonwoo''s mood improved. Perhaps until death. The shop owner jumped up and threw themselves forward. They thrust out Yeonwoo''s dream, the beating heart model, in front. At the same time, Yeonwoo spoke. "The possibility of you losing your dream." Rumble- Sess! They crossed. At the same moment Yeonwoo''s dream in the shop owner''s outstretched hand returned to him, the shop owner lost their dream. "...Huh?" "Ah?" Both of them wore confused expressions at the same time. Yeonwoo was quicker to judge. The dream that had been taken once before put his mind back in ce. On the other hand, the shop owner''s eyes trembled wildly at this first experience of loss. "My dream...?" Yeonwoo felt the shop owner''s confusion right in front of him. Their body shook wildly, strange cries were heard, and the shop rippled back and forth. Yeonwoo called upon the dice with a terrified expression. "Move, no, wake up from sleep!" As soon as he called for a judgment that seemed likely to seed, sess came out, and the Dream Exchange began to blur. The next moment, Yeonwoo sat up in the investigation team''s office. He wiped his forehead, drenched in cold sweat. "No, damn. Didn''t I want to live? How could I do something like that?" The memory of rushing in recklessly because he felt bad. Yeonwoo shuddered at the memory of acting so unlike himself. He couldn''t ept such a careless behavior. ------ Dream Exchange. Crash! The shop owner knocked over a shelf. The neatly arranged wooden shelf shattered with a crack, and the carefully disyed dreams rolled around on the floor. "My dream, where is it?" The shop owner crouched down, looking at each dream. Then they threw them far away. "No, no. This isn''t it either." This wasn''t it. They had dreamed of something more beautiful, more noble. They had passed on the dream of a pianist with a broken arm to a talented child, and given the dream of a terminally ill patient with a pure thirst for life to someone who had lost hope in life. Sometimes they had passed on a father''s dream to his son, sometimes the dream of someone without talent, sometimes... But they had lost the reason why they had acted that way, why they had enjoyed acting that way. Only an empty life remained. "No, no. This can''t be. I can''t live like this. I have to find my dream." Just then, ding-a-ling, the bell rang and a customer''s voice was heard. "Um, where is this...?" The newly arrived customer''s eyes widened at the doorway. The interior of the Dream Exchange had turned into a mess like a garbage dump. And the shop owner standing in the middle of it all. The shop owner turned only their head. "You. You have a dream. Could that be my dream?" "No, uh, ah!" And so the shop owner pounced on the customer, searching for their dream. 151 - Dream TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo woke up iling from his sleep and immediately turned the chair''s backrest upright before sinking into thought. The Dream Exchange, himself without a dream, and the shop owner. The dream he had in broad daylight was definitely real, and that brief deviation was another side of Yeonwoo. ''Right. If you don''t particrly want to live long, you might live like that.'' He had lost the dream of survival. It meant his caution had been removed. He might not hesitate to dance in a minefield or charge at monsters if it seemed fun.The world was already like thin ice, wasn''t it? When you might die at any moment, fun could take priority. Of course, to Yeonwoo, who wanted to live a long life, it seemed like the behavior of a madman. "How many crazy things did I do..." Yeonwoo shivered, biting his nails. He had rushed at the shop owner. Not even to get his dream back, but just because he felt bad. He rolled the dice recklessly. He wasn''t even afraid of critical failures. If things had gone wrong, what might have happened... After being trapped in the past for a while, Yeonwoo finally came to his senses. "Let''s start with the report." He ced his hands on the keyboard. As apany employee, he reported on the anomalous entity he had encountered. Since he felt thepany had been suspicious of himtely, he wrote everything without hiding or deceiving. The story of going to the Dream Exchange while napping in the office. The story of Yeonwoo''s dream and how it was taken from him. How he briefly lost his mind, but got his dream back. ''My dream is to live safely for a long time. If they know this, thepany should be reassured.'' Click, click- Only the sound of Yeonwoo typing on the keyboard echoed in the quiet office. The report, which ended with the statement that the Dream Exchange owner had lost their dream, was registered as is, and Yeonwoo leisurely closed thepany system. ''There shouldn''t be any big problems.'' Since the dream peddler had many dreams, wouldn''t they have replenished it somehow? Maybe they had be free from dreams as they said. Yeonwoo regarded everything that had happened in the dream as a brief incident and returned to his daily life. ------ The world full of anomalous entities bustled along busily. Thepany''s researchers researched every day, the Special Forces fought anomalous entities, and the information agents were busy in their own way. New anomalous entities were discovered too. A vengeful snowman, a Halloweenter, a third character, and so on. Amidst all this busyness, one more task was thrown at thepany. The transformed Dream Exchange. "...A dream snatcher?" "Yes. It''s a bit odd to say Yeonwoo crea- well, anyway, there''s an entity that was created because of the trouble he caused." Reports came in that the Dream Exchange owner, who used to enjoy passing on dreams and watching people achieve them, had turned into a demon-like being. "This used to be a safe entity." Apparently, several artists had already fallen victim. They were in an uproar, saying they would cooperate with thepany to catch and kill it immediately. "Yeonwoo, he''s really a troublemaker... The observatory''s gone, the blessed child caused a containment breach, how many times has it been now?" "Let''s raise the hostility level of the dream snatcher for now, and start making ns for sealing or destruction." In the end, a few artists and a Special Forces unit began to work together to form a n. Someone at headquarters was tearing their hair out while analyzing Yeonwoo''s report. The Club started moving to build a rtionship with Yeonwoo. "Send a request to Yeonwoo." "What kind of request should we send?" "Let''s keep it simple, ask for luck to be bestowed. On several people. Regardless of our rtionship with him, if it goes well, it could be an opportunity to fulfill our dream." And so, an old man from the Korean branch of the Goldberg Club came to the investigation team''s office. ------ "Are you alone? Where did all the investigators go?" Tap, tap, the old man entered, tapping his cane on the floor, and looked around the empty office. The newly renovated office was full of signs of life, with all sorts of odds and ends, scrap paper, and trash scattered about. Yeonwoo greeted the old man with a slightly ufortable expression. "They''re all sick and resting." "Sick? All the investigators? That doesn''t make sense." The old man''s eyes widened in surprise. Investigators could get hurt, but it was rare for an entire investigation team to be paralyzed. There were only 3 or 4 investigators, but still, they were masters of survival. All of them? "Did some ident happen? This doesn''t seem normal." "They caught colds." Yeonwoo answered honestly. The old man didn''t believe it. He thought Yeonwoo was hiding the truth because he was from a hostile group. ''Just a cold taking out all the investigators doesn''t make sense.'' In any case, there was no need to pry if Yeonwoo didn''t want to talk about it. The old man found a chair and sat down, tapping on the desk. The cheap desk made a stic-like sound. "Is the investigation team short on budget? How..." "So, what brings you here?" Yeonwoo handed over a bottle of water, and the old man looked at it with a sour expression before cing it in a corner of the desk. "The information broker is liquidating assets, so I came to deliver that. And I have a request as well." "Ah!" He hadpletely forgotten. The information broker was supposed to give him various things. Yeonwoo smiled broadly, but his expression soon turned strange. If he hade to give a reward, the old man''s attire was very light. He only had a cane. Noticing that look, the old man clicked his tongue. "Did you think I''d carry it all with this old body? Our kids are bringing it by truck now, so wait. Look at the list first. Let''s talk about the request too." He pulled out a few documents from his pocket. Yeonwoo quickly took them and saw a long list of items. ''Skipping the cash. Time-buying bills, real estate contract, Club-made pistol, gold bars.'' There were many pieces of equipment, but those were the most important. Weapons and anomalous equipment. The old man spoke proudly. "Do you know what the real estate contract is?" "Yes. Something that lets you exert force as the owner of somend? That''s what I understand." "You know your stuff. This is something we don''t sell outside the Club, but we''re giving it to you as a special gift." Yeonwoo smiled happily. ''With this, my house won''t be destroyed.'' An anomalous contract that lets you exert force as the owner of a house. If used well, it could be as good as any shelter. Kick out intruders, expel anomalous entities. ''I need to find a house right away.'' After that, the old man pulled out things like the information broker''s confidentiality agreement, but Yeonwoo, lost in sweet dreams, glossed over them carelessly. As the atmosphere improved... The old man moved on to the main point. "Ah, and there''s a request I''d like to make." "A request? What kind of request?" Yeonwoo snapped back to attention. As if he had never been in a good mood, he wore an uneasy expression. Warning words poured out. "There''s a chance of failure, and if a critical failurees up, it could be unmanageable. Even if it seeds, the result might be different from what you expect. Actually, it''s best not to gamble with the dice at all." Unless it was a situation where the Goldberg Club was really pushed to the brink and needed to gamble. And in such a situation, it would clearly be dangerous, so Yeonwoo would reject the request. The old man looked at Yeonwoo with some bewilderment. What kind of self-employed person tries not to sell their own product? Ahem, the old man cleared his throat and pulled out a document. "The Club is running a project, and we''re thinking of using the dice for it. Take a look." "This is...?" A kind of proposal. Yeonwoo quickly skimmed it and saw it was a document rted to two-dimensional exploration and space development. Though the technology and words were grandiose, the purpose was simple. Securing gold. "The gold used in Golden Omnipotence is permanently consumed. Eventually, the gold on Earth is limited, and if we keep using it, won''t it run out?" "So, you''re saying it''s a project to mine gold?" "That''s right. Space is vast, and dimensions are even vaster, so there''s no need to mine gold only on Earth, is there?" Yeonwoo seriously examined the document before shaking his head. He ced the document on the desk and pushed it slightly away. "This isn''t my area of expertise. It would be better to find magicians or thepany''s space research department." Magicians who are experts in two-dimensional exploration. Thepany''s department specializing in space science. It would be right to entrust it to them. "We''ve already tried all that." But the old man muttered gloomily. Of course, they had first tried coborating with experts. The result was... "A magician knew of a dimension made of gold. We paid a hefty sum for the coordinates of that dimension. But do you know what happened?" "I don''t know." Yeonwoo blinked, and the old man pressed his head firmly. "That dimension... It had been plundered by magicians several times already. Since gold is a material magicians use too. So when the natives saw us, they attacked immediately." The Club had only suffered losses and withdrawn, he said. Yeonwoo''s mouth fell open. It seemed the Club had been badly scammed. "No way. A scam... What happened to that magician?" "What do you think happened? They took a huge chunk of our resources and fled to another dimension." "That''s all that happened?" The old man wore a tired expression. He tapped the floor with his cane for no reason. "Then what else could we do? If we pursued it to the end, we''d only increase our losses." The profit and loss didn''t match up. If they used Golden Omnipotence to punish the magician who had fled across dimensions, the resources they would lose would be more than what they could recover. Not just the gold that would be consumed. "In the past, one magician opened a door to a dimension of meat and turned an entire gold mine into flesh. Another magician dropped their enemy onto a Club branch. They''re potential terrorists." There''s no one who lives as freely as magicians. And those who y word games were actually the better ones. Most of them tantlymitted fraud. If things went wrong, they could just run away. After hearing all this, Yeonwoo blinked. A strange realization crossed his mind. ''I guess if you have power, even dangerous things aren''t dangerous... No. What am I thinking?'' The experience at the Dream Exchange seemed to have shaken his values somehow. Yeonwoo shook his head and lightly patted his cheeks. "So what''s the request?" "It''s simple. Bestowing luck." The old man pointed to a paragraph in the middle of the proposal. "Roll the dice for a few Club members. We n to assign random exploration to the one who gains luck." "This seems okay." Yeonwoo nodded. It wasn''t particrly dangerous work, just rolling for luck for a few people. The old man held out his hand. "Then we''ll consider the contract established." Yeonwoo stared at the wrinkled hand for a moment, then shook his head. "I''d rather not shake hands. I''m afraid there might be some kind of binding force." He was the head of the Club''s Korean branch, after all. There might be something hidden in even a small action. The old man said he understood and withdrew his hand. Suddenly, Yeonwoo asked a question. "Haven''t you tried coborating with thepany for space development?" "Ah, that." The old man let out a hollowugh. "They told us not toe out because space is under the jurisdiction of thepany and ordinary people." "Ah." They didn''t know what kind of anomalous entities might be in space, so they couldn''t allow hostile groups toe out. It meant they wanted to control it from the start because they didn''t know what kind of idents might happen. Not that other groups obediently listened, but coboration was impossible. 152 - Straw TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The truck loaded with gifts arrived. Several Club members bustled about, moving boxes to the warehouse, while some members who had participated in two-dimensional exploration made their way to the office to see Yeonwoo. The old man briefly introduced them. "Here are ten people to start. Roll for them as you like. We only need one sess." "They could all fail, you know," Yeonwoo pointed out. "That''s fine. We have ten more waiting. We''re bound to get at least one sess.""Ah, I see." Yeonwoo muttered softly, his eyes scanning the Club members. Their ages ranged from 20s to 40s, a mix of men and women, all in good physical shape. They seemed to be carefully selected Club members, exuding an air of expertise with sharp, focused gazes. Yeonwoo gave a final warning, like a nurse telling a patient their shot might sting. "If you fail, you could be unlucky for a few days. If you critically fail, you might suffer misfortune for life. This is riskier than you think, so if anyone doesn''t want to do this, you can back out now." "We just need one sess, right? If we get a critical sess, that''d be amazing," one member said, rubbing their hands together with a grin. They seemed to be focusing on what they could gain rather than what they might lose. It wasn''t baseless confidence or gambling addiction. The old man spoke up. "We''ve made our own preparations. No need to worry." "Well, if you say so..." Yeonwoo thought about it. The Club was probably well-versed in risk management and diversification. Besides, Yeonwoo himself wasn''t in any danger. Whatever happened would affect other people. Yeonwoo looked at the member standing on the far left. "I''ll start with you." "Alright." The dice rolled. Clunk! A miss meant no change. Yeonwoo kept rolling until he got a result that would manifest a possibility, whether failure or sess. One, two, three, and all ten. Seven failures and three sesses. The people split into two groups based on the results. Those who seeded stood behind the old man, while those who failed huddled near the door, shivering. "My body feels weird..." "Why did I fall? Is this bad luck? There was nothing on the floor!" "Ugh, cough, cough! I choked on my own spit!" The consequences of failing to receive luck were already hitting them. Minor idents. Some suddenly caught colds, others saw their cryptocurrency values plummet. On the other hand, those blessed with luck smiled happily. Fortune favored them. "Stocks are rising!" "Now''s the time! I''m buying a lottery ticket!" "Quick, to the gacha games...!" They were using the luck meant for exploration for personal gain. Frantically tapping on their phones, excitedly pacing about. Yeonwoo watched them with an ufortable expression. More precisely, he waved his hands at the unlucky ones, wary of them. "The request is over. Please leave quickly. The payment will be handled as agreed." He was afraid their misfortune might affect him. With more bad luck than good luck around, who knew what kind of ident might happen? The old man nodded contentedly, then struck the floor with his cane. The sharp sound pierced their eardrums. The chattering members fell silent, and Yeonwoo turned to look at him. "The results are better than expected. We''ll finish one more task before leaving." "What task do you mean?" "At this rate, we might have a traffic ident on the way back. We need to take precautions." Saying this, the old man reached into his jacket. His hand emerged from the inner pocket with a straw. Yeonwoo blinked. ''A straw? What''s this about?'' A stic straw with red and white stripes. The members seemed to know what it was, eyeing each other nervously. They looked likepetitors sizing each other up. The old man exined, "Bad luck and good luck. We''ll concentrate them each on one person. It''s easier to control that way. Now, understand? Choose who will take it all." At that moment, the members quickly raised their hands. Shouts of "Anyone but me!" or "I have to win!" erupted. "Let''s do rock-paper-scissors!" "Drawing straws would be better!" It seemed they were going to pick two people to concentrate the luck and misfortune on. The members argued fiercely, and Yeonwoo, who had somehow grasped the situation, wore a puzzled expression. ''Can they handle this? Good luck is one thing, but concentrating all the bad luck on one person...'' Noticing Yeonwoo''s expression, the old man waved the straw at him. "It''s called an immaterial straw. It can suck up things like luck, emotions, and such. It can turn things we normally can''t handle intomodities." So, they were going to maximize the good luck and concentrate all the bad luck in one ce. ''Is this right?'' Yeonwoo frowned, thinking for a moment before giving up. It was out of his hands now. "Whatever you''re doing, please do it outside." "No need to worry. You don''t think we''d act recklessly, do you?" "No, but..." By this point, two people had been chosen. The arguing members now wore different expressions. The person who would receive all the bad luck kept rubbing their face with a gloomy expression, while the one getting all the good luck smiled smugly. The old man first handed the straw to the person who would take on all the bad luck. "Go ahead." "Yes..." That person, clearly reluctant, grudgingly took the straw. Sighing continuously, they began to suck up the others'' bad luck. Whoosh- The straw, pointed at another person, made a sucking sound. Though it looked like they were just ying around, Yeonwoo felt a strange sensation. A sense of probabilistic possibilities squirming. A feeling of danger creeping in. ''There are seven people with bad luck. If it''s all concentrated...'' Sure enough. As they absorbed the bad luck from two, then three people, minor idents kept happening. "Gack!" They suddenly fell, scraping the roof of their mouth with the straw. Red liquid, a mix of blood and saliva, dribbled from their mouth. They let out a long scream. The old man coldly watched the person rolling on the ground in pain. "Keep going." "Old man, am I going to die? I feel like I''m having a heart attack. No, I really might have one!" "You volunteered knowing this, didn''t you? It might be better to finish quickly." In the end, that person forced themselves to endure the searing pain and absorbed the remaining bad luck. A whole seven people''s worth of bad luck. Chaos ensued. They bumped the nearby shelf, knocking down the team leader''s carelessly ced electric drill, which turned on and fell on their foot. Crack, their arm bone broke. It was a stress fracture. In an instant, a perfectly healthy person became a dying patient. Theyy on the floor, letting out groans that couldn''t even be screams. "Urgh, ugh." "You did well." Then, the old man took out a stamp from his pocket and pressed it against that person''s forehead. It was a temporary seal. It would contain the bad luck until they returned to their base for proper processing. Yeonwoo had retreated to a safe distance, watching cautiously. ''Is it over? Is that it?'' If they''d just dealt with the bad luck, there shouldn''t be any problems. He just needed to avoid getting caught up in any idents. Yeonwoo, clutching his bag tightly and looking around, slowly returned to the office. His body, which had been tense and ready for battle, finally rxed. The old man nced at Yeonwoo, then wiped the straw with a handkerchief before handing it to the person who would receive all the good luck. "Your turn." "Yes!" Whoosh- The luck of three people concentrated on one person. No idents urred. As their luck increased, reality began to work in their favor. They received messages about winning coupons and notifications about being selected for events. With this, the old man''s work was done. He smiled with satisfaction and nodded to Yeonwoo. "Good. We''ll be going now. I hope we can cooperate again in the future." "Right, please just go," Yeonwoo said glumly, looking at the mess in the office. The unlucky ones had caused chaos, leaving the office in disarray. ''Do I have to clean this up? Oh. I guess I do.'' The Club members hurriedly left the office in a crowd. The injured person hung limply on someone''s back. Watching them leave, Yeonwoo let out a deep sigh and went to find a mop. They were like troublesome customers, but they''d probably pay well for this, so he decided not toin and started cleaning up. The request seemed to be wrapping up. The old man walked away, tapping his cane on the floor, with the other members following slowly behind. "..." The person who had received all the good luck suddenly turned back. Though they felt an urge to leave quickly, an idea had struck them. ''He used to be an investigator. He must have some kind of survival instinct.'' Even with good luck, two-dimensional exploration was dangerous. They would be randomly thrown into dimensions in search of gold. There was no telling what dimensions they might face or what beings they might encounter. ''Even friendly entities could be dangerous.'' That''s why the member chosen for exploration looked intently at Yeonwoo. At Yeonwoo, busy moving about, mopping the floor and putting fallen objects back in ce. ''The luck of someone who started as an investigator, became a department head, and survived the risks of the dice. I''ll just borrow a little.'' Swish- The member quietly raised the straw. Their hand suddenly trembled, almost dropping it, but they quickly caught it and put it to their lips. "Cough, ahem." Though they suddenly coughed and felt short of breath, the member used their strong willpower to inhale deeply. To suck up Yeonwoo''s luck. Whoosh- Their throat stung. It felt like inhaling sand. Or maybe poison gas. It was actually simr. Instead of the survival luck they had expected, they absorbed something more like a fate that attracted idents. And they did so for over ten seconds. ''Got it!'' The member smiled broadly and hurried their steps. This was indeed good fortune. Thanks to their luck, no one had caught them using the straw without permission. ''Now that I''ve absorbed a survivor''s luck, I should be able to survive even if I encounter idents!'' With those light steps, the member dreamed of a bright future. "What''s this? Why do I feel so refreshed?" Yeonwoo tilted his head, holding the mop. Was it because he had cleaned? Or because he was going to receive a generous payment? He suddenly felt good. --- 153 - Straw TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The old man and the Club members moved quickly. They sent the injured person to the emergency room after some first aid, while the ordinary members returned to their regr jobs. The old man and the member who had received all the good luck headed together to a certain building. Since the luck bestowed by the dice was temporary, they nned to start the exploration right away. "We have high hopes for you. This is no small task. The Club Chairman himself will be watching," the old man said. "Leave it to me. I''ve got the luck of three people, right? Even if we don''t find gold, I''ll discover something valuable. Something that''ll turn a profit," the member replied confidently.Their conversation continued inside the smoothly running car. The member chosen for exploration sat up straight, brimming with confidence. Not only was he surrounded by good luck, but the survivor''s luck he had absorbed as insurance boosted his confidence even more. He was certain he''dplete the exploration safely. In other words, he felt he had nothing to lose. ''As long as Ie back in one piece, it''s all good.'' The old man looked at the member with satisfaction. Sometimes opportunitiesy within dangers, and a courageous attitude was important. Still, out of concern, the old man started offering various pieces of advice, like a nurse telling a patient their shot might sting. "I''ve done dimensional exploration a few times myself. The first few seconds after yound in another dimension are the most crucial. If it seems dangerous,e back immediately. But if the environment looks okay-" They had a serious conversation in the warm car. The old man spoke, and the member listened attentively, while the driver focused silently on driving. The cheerful sound of the navigation system''s alerts asionally chimed in. "Turn right in 300 meters." Some time passed as the driver nced sideways while driving. The old man, whose throat had gone dry from talking, took out some water to drink. He suddenly looked out the window. Perhaps because of his age, every road seemed familiar no matter where they went. Simr-looking buildings, roads, and traffic lights. Busy cars and people on the sidewalks. Things might have changed, but the old man couldn''t tell the difference. Maybe he''d seen so many strange things that ordinary scenery no longer moved him. "Life is..." The old man, suddenly feeling sentimental, carefully put down his water bottle. That''s when it happened. The old man sensed something was off. He quickly lifted his head to look ahead. "..." The driver spoke with a trembling voice. "Branch Manager, sir." Sweat glistened on the back of the driver''s neck and the side of his face, visible at a nce. "There''s a problem with the navigation system." "What kind of problem?" The old man frowned. The member who had received all the good luck hugged the dashboard and leaned forward, looking at the strangely broken navigation screen. The map itself was fine. Only the map was fine. "Looks like an error. The data''s weird." The current time was off. It was past lunchtime, but the screen showed 35:68. The current location was also garbled, showing as "Xy#92*" or something simr. That wasn''t all. A strange warning popped up. Ding dong- "This is an anomaly outbreak caution zone." "..." "..." Silence fell inside the car. The situation was clear. An ident had caught up with them. They were facing an anomalous phenomenon. And this was before they''d even started their dimensional exploration. The old man nced at the member for a moment. He wondered if he might have brought the person who had received all the bad luck by mistake. But it was clearly the member who had received all the good luck, and the old man tried to think as rationally as possible. "Is this good luck? Could this be helpful to you?" Luck. It was hard to understand, but maybe this had happened because of good luck? Who knows, this might be an opportunity. Not just the member, but even the driver seemed to think so. The member stared at the navigation system with a troubled expression, while the driver regained hisposure and focused on driving again. "I''ll keep driving for now." "Hmm, alright." Well, they did have good luck on their side, after all. So they didn''t take it too seriously at first. But as time passed, their expressions darkened. The navigation system wasn''t guiding them to their destination. They were going in circles. Right turn, right turn, right turn, right turn. They were driving in a square, going nowhere. The old man looked outside and said, "I''ve lost count of how many times we''ve passed that building. Ignore the navigation and just drive." "I''ll use the navigation app on my phone," the member said. The member tapped on his phone to open the navigation app. There were many ways to find directions. "Turn right in 300 meters." The driver ignored the navigation system''s instructions and went straight ahead. The car elerated down the road just as the member opened the app, and both navigation systems gave instructions at the same time. "You have deviated from the route." "You have deviated from the route." "..." The member''s hand trembled as he looked at his phone, then turned to the old man. "My phone''s broken just like that navigation system." "At times like these, analog is best. There should be a map in the glovepartment in front of you. Let''s use that to find our way." The old man spoke casually, as if reminiscing about the good old days, which helped keep the mood from getting too tense. The member contorted his body to reach into the glovepartment and pulled out a crisp new map. Luckily, or perhaps due to their good fortune, the map was intact. ''Right. What could go wrong?'' The member rxed. Maybe they had faced a life-threatening situation, but thanks to their luck, it had ended with just this minor inconvenience- That''s when it happened. The navigation system btedly spoke up. "Recalcting route." "You have entered a human enforcement zone." Beep, beep, it sounded a warning rm, the screen shing red. Because they were human, they were driving on a road where humans shouldn''t be. Such rules applied to them, and it was hard to guess what the consequences of breaking these rules might be. The old man gripped his cane tightly. "This seems like a dangerous anomaly." To encounter an anomalous phenomenon that couldn''t even be sold as a product. Was this really what good luck looked like? ''Did Yeonwoo cheat us? No, we saw the luck and bad luck with our own eyes.'' The old man, wearing a sour expression, made a decision before the situation could worsen further. An anomalous entity that only brought losses? They just needed to abandon it and run. "Stop the car. Whether we take a taxi, use public transport, rent a car, or borrow someone else''s, we should be fine if we just ditch this machine. Leave your phone in the car too." Even if they couldn''t turn it off, wouldn''t it be okay if they physically distanced themselves from it? The driver and the member acted immediately. The car smoothly pulled over to the shoulder with its hazard lights on, and the member turned off his phonepletely. The car with shing hazard lights gradually slowed down. Then, the navigation system spoke up. "No stopping allowed in this zone. Please increase your speed." The foot on the brake pedal loosened, and the car crept forward like a turtle. The driver licked his dry lips. "Branch Manager, sir. What should we do?" "..." The old man closed his eyes tightly. He needed to make a quick decision. It seemed that strange rules were piling up one after another. An unknown danger. "We''ll have to risk it. Keep the speed as low as possible, and we''ll jump out of the moving car." "I''ll be fine, but what about you, sir..." Concerned that the old man might get hurt due to his age, the driver''s words trailed off, but the old man shook his head. "It''s better than being at the mercy of that possessed navigation system." Better to break a few bones than face an unknown anomalous phenomenon. With that resolve, the Club members prepared themselves, and a few secondster, they flung the doors open and threw themselves onto the road. Bang! The old man and the driver rolled towards the road. The member was lucky enough tond on a pile of soft garbage bags and stood up unscathed. "Move quickly!" the old man shouted. He leaned on his cane without showing any sign of pain. Whether his designer suit was scratched or his joints ached, now was not the time to stop moving. "Where do we go? How?" the member asked. "Just get away from that anomalous entity for now! Let''s get off this road!" After all, wasn''t this supposed to be a human enforcement zone? And then, the member''s good luck helped them. They managed to leave the road without any problems. The old man, the member, and the driver sat side by side on a park bench, catching their breath. As they caught their breath, they were gripped by doubt. Was this really good luck? "This won''t do. Maybe it''s a sign that you shouldn''t go on the exploration," the old man said. Fate, whether good or bad luck, was hard to interpret, and they interpreted it subjectively within their own understanding. What was the meaning of encountering an anomalous entity they couldn''t even profit from? Wasn''t it trying to prevent the exploration? But the old man''s misinterpreted words gave the member an idea. ''Wait a minute, could this be...'' A memory surfaced. The things that had happened when he absorbed Yeonwoo''s luck. Dropping the straw, coughing, feeling short of breath. As if warning him not to do it, that it shouldn''t be done. The member''s face turned pale as he finally grasped the truth. Trembling, he asked, "Old man, about thepany''s investigators. What does thepany look for first when recruiting investigators? Isn''t it survival ability or luck for staying alive?" "Survival? That''s something you develop over time." The old man, having caught his breath, gave the member a puzzled look, wondering why he was asking such a thing. "What''s an investigator''s job? Isn''t it to seek out anomalous entities? If anything, they''re people who experience a lot of idents." They used people who were good at encountering anomalous entities for thorough investigations. For example, they might scout ordinary people who had faced anomalous phenomena. That was also why investigators were seen as masters of survival. It meant they were humans who had survived encountering so many anomalies. Those with poor survival skills would die after just a few investigations. ''Then, then. What I absorbed was-!'' It was a disaster. He had absorbed something he shouldn''t have. At this rate, good luck wasn''t the issue. Surely there must be a limit to good luck. Maybe the good luck had already run out. Because he had absorbed something like bad luck. "Old man! Actually-" In the end, the member confessed honestly. He wanted to receive even a temporary seal. The old man, who had taken back the straw, wore an expressionless face. This fool had ruined no ordinary project on his own whim. "Unfortunately, the stamp is single-use. So you''ll have to endure it. Even if you absorbed it, it''s not permanent." "But there must be some way-" That''s when it happened. A person wearing a helmet staggered into the park where they were resting. They walked with zombie-like, clumsy steps, iling their arms. A gurgling, phlegm-filled sound came from behind the helmet. The blood-stained helmet created an ominous atmosphere. "Looks like an anomalous entity. It''se for you. You handle it. I need to go back and revise the project," the old man said. "No, wait!" The old man and the driver left without hesitation. The member tried to chase after them, but he was caught by the helmeted stranger who lunged at him with a "Waaagh!" The member kicked and struggled, tears streaming down his face. It wasn''t like he had some kind of anomaly-attracting air freshener, but idents kept chasing after him. --- 154 - Straw TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The helmeted stranger grabbed the Club member''s shoulders tightly. As the member''s body was pulled forward, the stranger thrust their face close, bringing the pitch-ck helmet mere inches from the member''s nose. A gurgling, phlegm-filled sound emanated from within. Through the semi-transparent, blood-stained facete, the vague outline of a zombie''s face was visible. It was a grotesque visage, half-rotted with only the rough contours remaining. "Gwaaargh!" "Get off me! Get away!" The member wailed, his face contorted in fear. He iled his limbs and pushed with his palms, but couldn''t ovee the zombie''s strength.Thunk! The zombie headbutted the member while still wearing the helmet. Its teeth cked audibly behind the facete. Fresh meat was right in front of it, but the helmet prevented it from feeding. The zombie continued to m its head against the member. Thunk, thunk, thunk, until the member''s skull would crack. Until the helmet would be stained with his blood. "Ugh!" The world spun dizzily. Everything turned red with blood. The zombie''s hungry cries and the thunderous impacts filled the member''s ears. That''s when luck finally decided to intervene. Crash! The helmeted zombie, forever doomed to hunger, toppled over. Its grip on the member slipped. A lucky break had arrived. "Attack, no, run, gotta run...!" The member, his head cracked and bleeding profusely, staggered backward. Something was off with his bnce, though he couldn''t tell exactly what. He couldn''t even me the old man who had abandoned him, nor did he think to draw the gun tucked in his jacket. ''I need to get somewhere safe! If I waste any more time, I''ll run into another anomaly!'' It was the right judgment, but also a misjudgment. Was there truly a safe ce? Even if there was, could he make it there? The member ran desperately down the icy path. Despite his shattered sense of bnce, his luck kept him from falling. In contrast, the zombie kept tumbling behind him. The sounds of it falling and wailing echoed from behind. How long had he run with blood clouding his vision? "...Huh?" Reaching the edge of the park, the member spotted a strange flower. A mugunghwa flower. In the dead of winter, on a snow-covered park path. Despite the weather, shy buds were forming on the mugunghwa. A light pink flower was blooming rapidly, as if time had been fast-forwarded. It was an ident. An anomaly. An event he couldn''t avoid, no matter how lucky he was, had found him. "No way, right?" The member stopped, gripped by an inexplicable sense of dread. His hands trembled, not from the cold, but from fear. ''No way, right? This can''t be real, right? Running into three anomalies in just a few hours? This doesn''t make any sense.'' If a person''s fate was this twisted, could they even be called human? They''d be more like a ma for anomalies. These thoughts, coupled with his dulled and slow reactions, made him miss his chance. The moment he could have survived. The mugunghwa flower, which had been covered in snow from a sudden gust of wind, burst into full bloom. The member thought he heard a childish singing voice. "The mugunghwa flower has bloomed." He also recalled the children''s game where you had to freeze when you heard those words, or you''d be out. Carelessly, the member took a step back. "Ah." His heart plummeted. And then it never beat again. His heart had stopped. The member copsed backward. His eyes, which he couldn''t bring himself to close, stared nkly at the gloomy sky. A single snowke drifted down onto his wide-open eyes, as if in disbelief. The snow melted from his still-warm body temperature, mixing with blood to form bloody tears that trickled down his face. No matter how lucky you are, you can''t always be lucky. Moreover, if youck the skill to seize opportunities, even good fortune will pass you by. The member, who had been living off Yeonwoo''s fate without earning it, died on a winter park path. ------ You have to cut your losses quickly. The old man abandoned the unlucky member and immediately returned to the safe shelter, contacting the Club Chairman. "This project is a failure." "I know. I saw everything." The Chairman''s voice came through the phone. He sounded troubled, as if the recent events had given him much to ponder. The old man asked, his voice tinged with confusion, "But didn''t we at least get information about the dice? We didn''te away empty-handed." "The dice is certainly interesting. The problem is Yeonwoo, that man. Don''t you feel like we''ve been deceived by the packaging of the dice?" "I''m not sure I follow..." The Chairman fell silent for a moment. Struggling to find the right words, he finally spoke inly. "If we look at just the dice, there are many ways to use it. But thepany''s higher-ups used Yeonwoo, not the dice. Like a nuclear bomb. Now I understand why." Many Club members were blinded by profit. They overlooked dangers or other aspects. Or even if they knew, they tended to take reckless risks repeatedly. But high-ranking members like the Chairman had seen many things, and he had quickly grasped Yeonwoo''s true nature. A man like radiation or a swamp. Someone who brought idents to those around him, or dragged down everything he was involved with. Just look at how much time and resources thepany had spent dealing with idents caused by Yeonwoo. "We should put him on the cklist, not the VIP list. He''s the type of person who only brings losses when you get involved with him." "Like the President of the Artist Association?" the old man asked. The Chairman sighed before answering, "In some ways, he might be worse than that person. Even if you approach him with good intentions for mutual benefit, you get nothing in return." "So what are we going to do from now on?" The Club''s approach would have to change. The old man spoke, considering various possibilities, and the Chairman decided on a policy for dealing with Yeonwoo. "Living as if we don''t know each other is probably best. Whether we earn his hostility or goodwill, nothing good wille of it." "I understand. Oh, and what about the gold acquisition project?" "Let''s just explore relying purely on luck. If we use Golden Omnipotence to get information, we''ll barely break even, won''t we?" They could create gold with Golden Omnipotence. But they''d have to pay an equivalent price, so it wasn''t worth it. With that, they wrapped up their discussion about Yeonwoo and the exploration. "Also, be wary of the doomsday cultists. I have a feeling those guys are about to make some desperate moves." "True. They''d do anything to avoid withering away. I''ll be careful." Their conversation continued, warning each other about other potential dangers. ------ Deep in an underground cavern. High-ranking doomsday cultists gathered, groaning in pain. The Smoker, shrouded in ck smoke, had grown faint. The Warrior was wrapped in bandages like a mummy. The Ghost of the electronic world sat in a corner, clutching their head. Pain-filled moans echoed through the cavern, which reeked of medicine like a hospital ward. It was all due to the aftermath of war and the machinations of various groups. Curses, sniping, misfortune, spatial distortions, viruses, attacks, rebellions, and more. Fantastical assaultsposed of all sorts of anomalies. "I''m really dying here..." "If only that person with the eraser was still here, we wouldn''t be in this mess." They all expressed the same regret. The one who had be one with the eraser. If he had survived intact, all these schemes would have been erased. But he was already dead, and the eraser had been taken. The doomsday cultists, who had umted too much bad karma, couldn''t hold out. The Ghost of the electronic world, clutching a phone, muttered, "It''s Yeonwoo. That guy''s the problem. He''s the reason we''re in this mess." The doomsday cultists weren''t stupid. They had analyzed the cause in their own way. The single cause. Starting with resolving the climate anomalies, killing the doomsday cultist with the eraser, infiltrating their gathering to deal with sses and the Reptilian boss, and finally turning the afterlife fragments against them with bad luck. A man who brought doom to the doomsday cultists. "He killed the guy who was like a nuclear bomb, took out the Reptilian boss who had the biggest influence, and even sses who was our brains. How did he manage to pick off just the right people?" "Maybe thepany prepared him specifically to deal with us." "Can we stop talking about the past?" At that point, the mummy-like Warrior raised a hand. He was holding a half-empty bottle of vodka, which sloshed as he gestured. "Don''t we have enough problems as it is? It''s hard enough finding solutions to those." A moment of silence fell. They closed their mouths tightly, as if forgetting their pain. The situation was truly dire. They had no Danger Level 6 entities, few doomsday cultists remained, and almost every group was sharpening their knives to hunt them down. Not wanting to die before the world and humanity ended, they struggled desperately to survive. The Ghost of the electronic world spoke gloomily, "Recruitment isn''t working. No matter how many ads we send out, no one''s joining." "We can''t secure a Danger Level 6 either. If we had that kind of ability, we wouldn''t be in this situation to begin with. Our only hope is you." The Smoker coughed and looked at the Warrior. "How''s it looking? Do you think you can do it?" "No." The Warrior, who had vowed to fight and defeat the world, clenched his fist. His bandaged hand, looking like a teddy bear''s paw, swiped through the air. "I can beat radiation now that I''ve escaped from the Red Giant. I''m stronger than radiation. But I still have many weaknesses. There are many things I can''t hit." "The future looks bleak." The Smoker exhaled a cloud of ck smoke. It was as dark as their future. Meanwhile, the Ghost of the electronic world groaned, clutching their head as they pondered. "If only sses was here, we could''ve found a solution. sses. If we think like sses..." sses, who used toe up with grand strategies and all sorts of clever tricks. The Ghost of the electronic world recalled the face of their departedrade, trying to think from his perspective. Memories of coborating with him, the strategies he devised, how he utilized situations. All these memories became a legacy, shining brightly in their small mind. Suddenly, the Ghost of the electronic world looked up. Their once-dull eyes now gleamed. It was as if sses'' spectacles were glinting. "The climate anomalies!" "What are you on about? You''re still not right in the head, so get some rest. We''re really done for if you get hurt too." "Have a drink and go to sleep." Despite the worried scolding from the other two cultists, the Ghost of the electronic world shook their head vigorously. They even jumped up. "When the climate anomalies were resolved! What did we do?" "What did we do? We tried to divert some of the anomalyponents..." The others began to catch on. The Ghost of the electronic world pped their hands. "That''s it! We can get what weck from others!" "...How? That doesn''t sound easy." The Smoker paused, about to light a cigarette. Smoking in the sealed cavern didn''t seem like a good idea. The Ghost of the electronic world excitedly pped their hands. "Let''s poachpany people! We''ll recruit Danger Level 6 entities too!" "Again, how?" The voice was tinged with irritation now. The Ghost of the electronic world moved quickly. Their hands dissolved into strings of 0s and 1s, diving into the phone to retrieve ssified documents. "The first doomsday cultist was apany employee! Why? Because they thought humans create anomalies!" The ssified document was clearly disyed on the phone screen. It stated that humans were the origin of anomalies. That if all humans died, anomalous entities would disappear and no more would appear. That humans were the cause of this irrational universe. "If humanity goes extinct, anomalies will vanish too! We must die for the sake of intelligent species and life in the universe that will be born after humanity! Let''s use this to recruitpany employees!" "...It''s better than just sending out spam texts." The Smoker showed a glimmer of interest. Manypany employees had lost their minds. During the climate anomalies, a faction called the Humanity Genocide Company had formed, willing to kill 6 billion people to resolve the issue. Couldn''t they use that grand sense of mission to mass-produce fanatical doomsday cultists? The Warrior took a few swigs of vodka and asked, "What about Danger Level 6? No matter how many people we gather, we can''t do anything without power. We''ll just wither away." "We''ll steal that too! We just need to recruit people who are on the verge of reaching Level 6!" "...Like Yeonwoo?" "That''s right, he''s a target too!" The Ghost of the electronic world nodded vigorously. "He''s a problem because he''s our enemy! Imagine how reliable he''d be on our side!" "That''s true, but would that guy do something like this?" They all knew the basic information. Yeonwoo was their archenemy, so they knew him even better. First of all, he had a survivalist tendency. He didn''t seem like the type to do dangerous things, regardless of the cause. But the Ghost of the electronic world''s eyes sparkled with confidence as they spoke. "We have a few anomalous entities for recruitment." The Warrior and the Smoker looked at each other briefly before nodding. "Well, I guess things can''t get much worse from here." "If we seed, we might be able to turn the situation around." And so, in the dark cavern, a n was hatched. ------ Yeonwoo prepared to leave work. Though "leaving work" just meant moving from the office to the adjacent room. "I''m feeling pretty good today." After checking the window onest time, Yeonwoo walked out with a bright smile and a spring in his step. He had finished cleaning thoroughly, and the payment for the request had juste through. True to the Club''s reputation, the money matters were handled cleanly. They had transferred the cash without any fuss. With that, Yeonwoo left the office, firmly closing the door behind him. At that moment, Yeonwoo''s face suddenly twisted into a grimace. "Why do I suddenly feel so bad?" The fate that brought murder cases wherever he went had returned. Yeonwoo, who had enjoyed half a day of freedom, instinctively made an unpleasant expression. --- 155 - Love TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here In the dark hideout of the doomsday cultists, a plot was brewing. A woman holding a perfume bottle looked up from her phone. "You want me to use my feminine charms on this guy?" "That''s right!" The Ghost of the electronic world nodded. They waved their hand, and all sorts of information about Yeonwoo downloaded onto the woman''s phone. It included his personality profile analyzed bypany profilers, his work history, and personal rtionships.The woman read the documents, her mouth hanging open. The Ghost waited patiently, creating a quiet atmosphere in the hideout. After some time had passed, the woman''s expression turned confident. "Alright, I''ll give it a shot." Truthfully, just looking at the documents, the chances of failure seemed high. Yeonwoo didn''t seem like the type to fall for feminine wiles. A man who ate and slept in his office. Someone only interested in his own survival. No hobbies, no weaknesses. But they had the perfume. The love potion. An anomalous entity that made anyone who smelled it fall madly in love. Both the Ghost and the woman felt confident. No matter how much of a survivalist he was, he''d be blinded by love. Even if that emotion was artificially created by an anomalous entity. The Ghost of the electronic world smiled contentedly. "If we can get Yeonwoo on our side, we can rest easy." ------ Time passed. The woman acting as a spy for the doomsday cultists waited in her car. She watched keenly from an apartment parking lot, waiting for someone toe out. ''I''ll approach the investigation team leader first.'' Since Yeonwoo wasn''t taking any requests and was holed up in his office, she nned to use the team leader as a stepping stone to meet him. For example, she could cause a traffic ident with the team leader, then visit his office with coffee or food as an apology. She needed a usible reason, as Yeonwoo would be suspicious if she just showed up out of nowhere. ''Once I naturally meet Yeonwoo, I''ll spray the perfume and it''s over.'' Just as she was checking the jewel-encrusted bottle, the team leader came out for work early in the morning. He was yawning widely and walkingzily. "Damn. Don''t feel like going to work." There he was. The woman''s eyes lit up. Now she just had to crash into his car as he was backing out. She started her car, and the team leader slowly began backing out of his parking spot near the sidewalk. Before his car was fully out, the woman quickly stepped on the elerator, turning the steering wheel sharply. Her car rushed forward with bright headlights. "Damn." The team leader''s reaction was swift. In a split second, barely a few seconds. He shifted gears from reverse to drive and floored the elerator. The woman''s car lunging forward and the team leader''s car driving onto the sidewalk happened almost simultaneously. The result was simple. Crash! The woman hit the car next to the team leader''s instead. The innocent car crumpled. In contrast, the team leader''s car sat unscathed with its front wheels on the sidewalk. He had avoided the collision in that brief moment. ''He dodged that?'' The woman was flustered, but she got out of her car and bowed her head. Her glossy hair flowed down, and she spoke in a clear, urgent voice. "I''m so sorry! My car suddenly elerated! Are you hurt anywhere?" "..." The team leader rolled down his window and stuck his head out. Then he spoke gruffly. "Move your car. I need to get to work." "But what if there are aftereffects-" "My car wasn''t even scratched. Just move your car first." Thanks to his quick investigator-like reflexes, the team leader''s car was fine. Moreover, he had no intention of wasting time on this kind of ident. ''She seems like a normal person. No one''s hurt, nothing''s damaged, so let''s just move on.'' The team leader waved his hand out the window. "I''m fine. Worry about the car you hit." The woman''s eyes trembled slightly. The n had gone wrong from the start. As expected of an investigation team leader. ''I''ll give up on approaching through the team leader. If I push it here, it''ll only make things worse.'' In the end, she kept her mouth shut and moved her car to let the team leader''s car out. The team leader drove out of the apartment parking lot without much concern. Left alone in the early morning parking lot, the woman looked at the car she had hit, then sped away. She quickly recalled her backup ns. ''I can''t approach Yoo Ji-yoo. There''s the ghost from the Intelligence Department and she was a high-ranking official''s family member. The student is tricky too.'' Finally, the woman gripped the perfume bottle tightly. A direct approach was the best option. She had Yeonwoo''s credit card usage records, after all. He went out for hamburgers every few days, so she''d wait for that opportunity when he briefly left the office. The woman''s car sped towards the investigation team''s office. She''d wait for a chance to encounter Yeonwoo. ------ As time passed, the investigation team members recovered from their colds. Choi Jae-min, about to graduate, went out with his high school friends, while the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo came to the office and chatted casually. The team leader said, "Be careful of car idents too. I''ve seen some cars suddenly elerate. There''s no helping it if you get hit by one of those." "Right. My sister says traffic idents are the most dangerous," Yoo Ji-yoo replied, thinking of her sister. Yeonwoo just nodded vaguely. ''Car idents are nothing.'' He had enhanced recovery from the rain. Unless he was hit by a speeding truck on the highway, there wouldn''t be any problems. Even if such an ident happened, he had the dice. ''I''m pretty much okay with normal dangers now.'' Of course, idents that destroyed important points were still dangerous. Like getting hit on the head by a flowerpot falling from a high-rise building, or being struck by construction materials near a work site. ''Whew. That''s scary.'' Yeonwoo shuddered, getting goosebumps for no reason. Yoo Ji-yoo looked at Yeonwoo strangely, then rubbed her eyes with dark circles under them. "It''s tough getting back to work after a break..." "Work my ass. We''re just killing time in the office." "That''s true. But still, we came to work. That itself is..." As they were talking, they looked at Yeonwoo. For him,ing to and leaving work had no meaning since he lived right next to the office. No, he actually ate and slept in the room next door? Wouldn''t that have more downsides than upsides? "Yeonwoo, are you okay? I mean, is it livable here?" "Actually, I''m nning to get a ce. I found a good one." Yeonwoo pulled out a document with a satisfied expression. It was the Goldberg Club''s real estate contract. At that moment, the team leader stood up. He approached to look at the contract. "Where did you get this? The Club doesn''t distribute these outside." "I got it as payment for a request. If I get a shelter and use this contract, wouldn''t it be safe?" Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-yoo blinked. She felt like she had seen that contract before. Didn''t her sister from the Intelligence Department bring it to show off once? At that point, Yeonwoo handed the contract to the team leader and stood up. "Team leader, take a look. I''m going out for lunch." "Look at what? Never mind. Why don''t we eat together?" "I''m going to get a hamburger..." The team leader waved the contract he was holding and handed it back to Yeonwoo. Hamburgers, really? "Alright, go eat. Be careful of idents." "Yes, sir." With that, Yeonwoo left the investigation team''s building and entered the busy street. It was crowded, probably because it was lunchtime. Yeonwoo walked cautiously, unnecessarily watching out for cars and the sky. Then, he saw the woman. Was she ordinary-looking? She seemed to have amon appearance. But Yeonwoo couldn''t take his eyes off her. Spritz, spritz- The woman sprayed perfume as she walked. The wind carried the scent towards Yeonwoo. The fragrance prated deep into his lungs as he breathed in, taking effect immediately. It was the love potion. ''Ah.'' Yeonwoo fell in love. It was love at first sight. His heart pounded. His palms got sweaty. Adrenaline rushed through his body. That reaction was the same as when he sensed danger. ''I''m screwed!'' Yeonwoo perceived love as a crisis. The suspension bridge effect worked in reverse. Wasn''t it said that when you get excited in a dangerous situation, your body reacts simrly to being in love, making it hard to distinguish between excitement and love? For Yeonwoo, who had experienced so many dangers, this got twisted strangely. The physical reactions of love were interpreted as his survival instinct going haywire in the face of danger. Yeonwoo turned on his heel, sweating profusely. Forgetting his hunger and hamburgers, he dashed back to the investigation team''s office. His pounding heart felt ominous. ''This is almost on the level of a climate anomaly, right? It''s like a doomsday scenario is unfolding!'' He needed to contact Mark Jung as soon as possible and get information from headquarters. So Yeonwoo ran full speed without looking back, leaving the woman on the street staring at his retreating figure with a bewildered expression. "He''s running away? Why?" The love potion wasn''t broken. People walking on the street who smelled it fell in love, approaching the woman with dazed expressions. Ignoring the people asking for her number as they pulled out their phones, the woman walked away briskly. ''He didn''t even have time to resist? What''s the reason? Did I look suspicious? I don''t think so? Should I give up now? No, I still have options.'' The woman retreated for now, nning her next move. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo rushed back to the office and started moving frantically. With one hand he called Mark Jung, with the other he searched thepany intr. In the empty office, as the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo had left for lunch, Yeonwoo''s voice echoed as he spoke on the phone. "Yes, it''s me! Is a doomsday scenario unfolding? No. I just suddenly felt anxious. There isn''t one? Are you sure? Ah, I see. No, it''s nothing." Hearing Mark Jung''s puzzled voice, Yeonwoo leaned back in his chair, feeling somewhat relieved. He stared nkly at the ceiling with a dazed expression. Slowly, he moved his hand to his chest. He could still clearly feel his heart pounding. "Then what is this? Is danger approaching?" The excitement he only felt in life-threatening situations. Yeonwoo checked his bag with a serious expression. It seemed an unknown threat was approaching Yeonwoo personally. It was time to prepare for that. The woman he had encountered on the street didn''t leave even a trace in his memory. His survival instinctpletely filled Yeonwoo''s mind. --- 156 - Love TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo returned to the office leisurely after finishing lunch. They carried a few cups of coffee from the cafe, swaying in their hands. One in the team leader''s hand, two in Yoo Ji-yoo''s. As Yoo Ji-yoo entered the office, she held up a cup of coffee. "Yeonwoo, have some coffee-. What are you doing?" Yoo Ji-yoo stopped abruptly at the doorway. The team leader, who was sauntering in behind her, opened his eyes wide. The office was a mess. Not only were guns and time-buying bills scattered about, but all sorts of tools were strewn around haphazardly. There was even a smell of gasoline.At the center of it all was Yeonwoo, preparing equipment with a serious expression. He was loading a gun, checking magazines, soaking time-buying bills in gasoline. "Did you enjoy your meal?" Yeonwoo asked. "Yeah, the food was good, but... what are you doing?" The team leader quickly scanned Yeonwoo''s equipment. Just ordinary tools. At that point, Yeonwoo hastily gathered up a document and handed it to the team leader. "It''s the real estate contract. This building is in your name, right? Use this to exercise the rights of the building owner." The real estate contract that exerted force as the owner of thend. The team leader, who had received the Goldberg Club''s core anomalous entity, looked bewildered. "Don''t you only have one of these? You''re giving it to me?" It seemed too generous to ept as a simple gift. But Yeonwoo nodded seriously. It didn''t seem like a situation where he could afford to be stingy. When he put his hand on his chest, his heart was still pounding. The sense of danger he had felt while walking on the street earlier kept swirling in his head. "I have an ominous feeling. We need to be fully prepared." "Wh-what? You''re saying it''s dangerous?" Yoo Ji-yoo choked on her coffee, which she had been sipping through a straw. Even as she hunched over coughing, she looked at Yeonwoo with trembling eyes. Yeonwoo wore the most serious expression in the world. "Yes. It doesn''t feel like a doomsday scenario, but I sense dangering for me. If that happens, this building will be attacked too, so it''s better to use the contract now." The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo realized the gravity of the situation. Without another word, they began preparing for the unknown danger. If Yeonwoo was reacting like this, it must be no ordinary threat. It was probably on the level of a dangerous anomalous entity or the remnants of the doomsday cult attacking with full force. The team leader contacted the higher-ups and renewed the contract, while Yoo Ji-yoo poured out all sorts of ideas. Ideas to share the danger with others. "Yeonwoo, you''re a special investigator, right? Why don''t you contact headquarters and request security forces or something like that?" "Ah. I''ll do that." Indeed, shared danger is half the danger. The things attacking him would be enemies of thepany too, so thepany had an obligation to help. Yeonwoo, who had been fiddling withplex cables like a spider''s web and charging tools, pulled out his phone. But Yoo Ji-yoo stopped him. "Wait, listen a bit more. Don''t just request manpower, ask for a location too." They could prepare for battle on arger scale. Special forces could stand by for long-range attacks, set up ambushes, or prepare a building full of traps. The team leader agreed. He looked up from scribbling with a pen. "That''s right. Honestly, what can three investigators do? If your intuition is correct, it''s better to coordinate with the Intelligence Department or Special Forces." No matter how powerful thend contract was, it couldn''t match thepany''s full-scale preparation. "Intuition..." Yeonwoo hesitated. Was it enough grounds to request professional troops? Would they sendbat units just because he had a bad feeling? ''...They should.'' He wasn''t an ordinarypany employee, after all. If worse came to worst, he could throw a tantrum like a child and insist. That''s how strongly Yeonwoo felt the sense of crisis. The sensation he had felt then was that level of danger. His heart racing at full speed, adrenaline pouring out, vision narrowing, fingers trembling. Yeonwoo gripped his phone resolutely. "I''ll get support somehow-" That''s when it happened. Boom! Explosions sounded from outside the building. Not just once. Explosions erupted in various ces. The investigators all looked out the window at once. Loud noises and explosions were urring all over the street. On top of that, masked individuals were spraying bullets as if shooting indiscriminately. Civilians screaming and fleeing. It was an attack. ------ While Yeonwoo sensed a crisis, the doomsday cultists on the brink of copse felt an equally strong sense of urgency. So much so that they couldn''t afford to take their time. The woman who had stepped back immediately called the Ghost of the electronic world. "It''s difficult to approach him personally. It''ll take a lot of time." "We don''t have time to wait." As the Ghost of the electronic world, who had popped out of the phone screen, muttered anxiously, the woman twisted the ends of her hair. Even at this moment, all sorts of groups were moving to annihte the doomsday cultists. They needed to recruit forces like Yeonwoo as quickly as possible. The woman understood the situation and nced at the Ghost of the electronic world. The Ghost wore a thoughtful expression. At that point, the woman spoke up. "It might be a bit contrived, but shall we stage an event?" "What kind of event?" The woman pulled out a gun from her chest. Pointing it at her own head, she smiled faintly. "Doesn''t love bloom in danger? Use the remaining doomsday cultists to stage an attack." She would approach Yeonwoo naturally in the midst of a staged terror attack. Yeonwoo''s personality had already been analyzed, and a scenario yed out in the woman''s mind. A scenario to gain Yeonwoo''s goodwill as much as possible before using the perfume. "He''s a survivalist, right? If we experience the same crisis, I help him through it, and give the impression that I won''t be a burden to his survival, won''t the perfume work properly?" It was a scenario prepared to maximize the power of the perfume, as simply spraying it hadn''t been enough. The Ghost of the electronic world looked uncertain. They really didn''t know much about this kind of thing. "If you say so, I guess that''s how it is." Wearing an expression that said "whatever you think is best," they sent out a call signal to dozens of doomsday cultists. Those cultists would use anomalous entities to transfer here immediately. "These are the elite doomsday cultists who''ve survived until now. I''ll put them under yourmand for a bit." The doomsday cultists, who usually maintained horizontal rtionships and acted separately, had united as one in the face of their group''s impending extinction. In less than 10 minutes. The Ghost of the electronic world, a high-ranking doomsday cultist, prepared the people, while the woman reyed the scenario in her head. The woman mentally named the operation. ''Let''s call this Operation Suspension Bridge. Danger will be the fuse. The perfume will be the spark.'' ------ Chaos erupted on the streets. Masked robbers, armed terrorists, serial killers, and wanted criminals moved as one. They blew up cars driving on the road one after another, blocking traffic. An EMP went off, disablingmunications in the area. Someone set fire to buildings and gas pipelines. It was an organized attack. A group assault by skilled doomsday cultists. "Don''t kill them! They''re just unarmed civilians anyway! Just injure them! Keeping them alive will overload the medical system and spread fear!" "Don''t we have any viruses? Or mind control?" "I don''t see any kids. Kids are perfect for unting as hostages." The doomsday cultists, who hade out determined to attack, spread terrible fear. They didn''t need grand anomalous entities. Basic weapons were enough. The once-peaceful street turned into a scene from hell. Screams, the smell of gunpowder, groans, the scent of blood. A doomsday cultist who had been in hiding for a long time and had juste out muttered with gleaming eyes. "This is it. This is who we are. Even if we die tomorrow, we should kill at least one more today." This was the true nature of doomsday cultists. The enemy that almost every group in the anomalous world wanted to eliminate. Madmen who desired the destruction of the world and the annihtion of humanity. Those who had crossed the line andmitted insane acts. At that point, one of the doomsday cultists shouted. "Don''t forget our purpose! Move quickly!" Those with eyes gleaming with madness began to move slowly. Like hunters herding prey, like fishermen''ss capturing fish, they drove people towards a certain building. Towards the building of the Anomaly Investigation Team. The three members of the investigation team stood side by side at the window, looking outside. People screaming, bleeding, limping ran with terror-stricken faces. "Those doomsday cult bastards." The team leader clenched his fist. Anyone could see it was the work of doomsday cultists. Such an organized terror attack in Korea. Yoo Ji-yoo spoke glumly with a dark expression. "Worms..." The victims she had seen in the worm cult. The images of people who had cut off their own limbs, deceived by the worm''s hallucinations, ovepped. Innocent victims in the face of the anomalous world. The battlefield unfolding before her eyes put considerable stress on Yoo Ji-yoo. Complex emotions and intense pressure. All sorts of thoughts floated around. If only her sister, the ghost from the Intelligence Department, were here, if only she could do something, if only she weren''t in danger herself. Finally, Yoo Ji-yoo muttered dejectedly. "I wish I could be a worm. I didn''t have thoughts like this back then." "Stop it. Don''t have useless thoughts. It''s all those bastards'' fault, we don''t need to feel guilty. Instead, let''s think about how to save people." The team leader gritted his teeth. Before being an investigator, he was apany employee. There was a value more important than his own survival. Protect humanity. He had lived as an investigator for over 20 years solely for that one value. The team leader decided to save as many people as he could within his reach. He made a cool-headed judgment. "Let''s guide people to our building. We have the contract, so we can sufficiently block the doomsday cultists. We can provide first aid too." Yoo Ji-yoo snapped back to her senses and looked for a megaphone. It was in the pile of tools the team leader had roughly brought. Yoo Ji-yoo crouched under the window, sticking out just the megaphone towards the window. To guide the fleeing people this way. At that point, the team leader looked for Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo. Can you use the dice or bills to buy us time? I''m going to call the Extermination Team now, we just need time until they-" The team leader, who had the button to call the Extermination Team as the investigation team leader, was looking for the button when he suddenly stopped speaking. Something was off about Yeonwoo''s state. He was staring nkly out the window where gunshots and explosions were raging. Completely exposed, as if he might get shot in the head at any moment. His eyes were even zed over. His hugely dted pupils stared at the road beyond the window. The team leader nced out and saw a woman frantically running across the road. ''...Isn''t that the woman who caused the car ident before? Why is Yeonwoo acting like this?'' Yeonwoo muttered with trembling lips. "Ki- ki- ki-" The love potion he had been addicted to before was still in effect. The world narrowed. He saw only that woman. His heart pounded as if it would burst out of his chest. Adrenaline poured out like a waterfall. Yeonwoo now understood. It was that woman. She was the cause of this sensation. The source of danger. Therefore. "Kill!" He had to kill her. In an instant, Yeonwoo moved at high speed, shouting. A gun appeared in one hand. With the other, he flicked a lighter, setting fire to the bills. The fuse was lit. The pile of time-buying bills soaked in gasoline burst into mes in an instant. Bills that instantly performedbor equivalent to their value, to a person''s worth. In a moment, empty magazines ttered around Yeonwoo. Thebor of killing had been carried out. His thought process, which had done aplete 180, made an urate judgment, eliminating the conspirator. --- 157 - Love TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Silence fell over the investigation team''s office. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo stared nkly at Yeonwoo, their mouths hanging open. It seemed like they couldn''t even hear the noise from outside. Only a vague sense of shock filled their heads. ''That woman looked like a civilian. Did he just shoot a civilian dead?'' The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo unconsciously turned their heads back to the window. The womany on the ground, soaked in blood. Even those doomsday cultists were only wounding civilians for their purpose, but this woman had been riddled with holes like a beehive. The perfume bottle she had been clutching like a treasure rolled pitifully on the ground."Uh, uh." "Ah." At that point, the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo, having somewhat regained their senses, took a step back. They thought Yeonwoo had lost his mind. That the doomsday cultists had manipted his mind with some strange anomalous entity. ''He''s scarier than the doomsday cultists.'' The team leader swallowed hard and held up thend contract. His hand trembled uncontrobly, making the document flutter. Yoo Ji-yoo inched towards the reflective vest storage, keeping a careful eye on Yeonwoo. An odd tension subtly settled over the office. Yeonwoo blinked, catching his breath. ''Ah. I''m back.'' The woman who had made his heart race was dead. The intense emotion that had filled his head evaporated. It was as if he had been possessed by a ghost, but his mind and body had returned to normal. As that irrationally intense emotion receded, a cold rationality took its ce. Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief and adjusted his grip on the gun. Then he made a puzzled expression. Something felt off. ''...Was that woman really dangerous?'' For the level of crisis he had felt, it seemed to have been resolved too easily. Yeonwoo''s expression hardened again. He looked down at the woman''s corpse, keeping his gun trained on it. She mighte back to life, after all. Based on his past experiences, he couldn''t let his guard down. ''I might need to use the dice.'' At that point, the team leader spoke up. "Uh, Yeonwoo. Put that gun down and look at me." "Yes?" Yeonwoo turned his head. The team leader observed Yeonwoo''s eyes closely as he spoke. "Why did you kill that civilian?" "She wasn''t a civilian. She was the one who made me feel that sense of crisis. She''s probably a doomsday cultist. She approached me at lunch too." With his survival instinct awakened in this crisis situation, Yeonwoo''s mind was racing. The woman who had triggered his sense of crisis and the doomsday cultists'' terror attack happening at the same time. Surely they must be connected? Maybe that woman was even a high-ranking doomsday cultist. The team leader hesitated, then nodded. "Is that so?" The hand that had been gripping thend contract tightly, ready to expel Yeonwoo if necessary, rxed. To be honest, he was still suspicious, but that woman had been acting strangely too. Causing a car ident, approaching Yeonwoo, and thening straight for their building in the middle of this chaos. "Her behavior was suspicious, I guess." As the team leader rxed, Yoo Ji-yoo nced around before picking up the megaphone again. "Should we evacuate the civilians?" "Yeah, let''s do it quickly." As long as Yeonwoo was okay, that was what mattered. He had the ability to cause even bigger idents than these doomsday cultist mobs, so it was fine as long as he hadn''t lost his mind. Yoo Ji-yoo turned on the megaphone, but it remained silent, probably due to the EMP orck of maintenance. In the end, Yoo Ji-yoo screamed at the top of her lungs without any equipment. "Evacuate to this building!" Meanwhile, the team leader firmly pressed the button to call the Extermination Team. The specially designed button worked fine even in the face of the EMP. "Good. Now we just need to hold out." "..." Meanwhile, Yeonwoo retreated far from the window and stroked his chin. ''That doesn''t feel as dangerous as it should.'' Though the doomsday cultists were wreaking havoc outside, the team leader had thend contract, and Yeonwoo himself had plenty of time-buying bills. They could easily buy enough time for the Extermination Team to arrive. If there was one thing bothering him... ''The problem is that woman. Is she really dead?'' Something felt off. The intensity of the crisis he had felt didn''t match the ease of its resolution. No matter how he thought about it, it didn''t seem right. A strange sense of difort. After seriously thinking, Yeonwoo finally grabbed a stack of bills. "Safety first." He muttered softly as he set fire to the time-buying bills. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo reacted sensitively. They quickly turned their heads to look at Yeonwoo. But even after all the bills had burned, nothing seemed to have changed. The office, and even Yeonwoo himself, remained the same as before. Faced with their suspicious nces, Yeonwoo smiled refreshingly. "I''ll help." He had resolved the nagging issue. Yeonwoo decided to help people within his reach, like the team leader. In a secure situation, at a level that wasn''t dangerous. The team leader rolled his eyes. Certainly, nothing in this office had changed. "What did you do with those bills?" "I moved that woman''s corpse far away and buried it. She seemed to be a high-ranking doomsday cultist, so it would be dangerous to keep her nearby." The corpse mighte back to life, or maybe it wasn''t a corpse to begin with, or it might explode like a bomb, or some monster might tear out of its stomach. Lacking information, Yeonwoo let his imagination run wild. In this strange world, anything was possible. The team leader agreed with that opinion. "Good job. But how are you going to help? It''s too dangerous to go outside. It''s best if we hole up in the building and take in evacuating civilians." The team leader made a judgment that would save more lives. It was better than going out to confront the doomsday cultists. Even just providing timely first aid would be good. But Yeonwoo just smiled. "I''ll kidnap people." "Huh?" "There''s no need to wait for people to find their way here. I''ll grab them by the cor and drag them in." Yeonwoo held up the time-buying bills. He would buy time to carry out thebor of kidnapping. It was a safe and quick way to save people. Of course, he might use up all his bills doing this, but Yeonwoo didn''t mind. ''I can just get more from the Club. They want to build a rtionship with me, so they won''t refuse, right?'' The team leader stood there dumbfounded for a moment, then muttered to himself. ''He''s right? I guess he is.'' The team leader mumbled quietly. "That''s not kidnapping, it''s rescue. Why the word choice..." No matter how he thought about it, the word choice seemed strange. Or was it? Since people were being suddenly dragged away, was it kidnapping? As the team leader fell into confusion, Yoo Ji-yoo''s eyes lit up. If she didn''t need to shout her throat sore, she could do other work. More direct work to save people. "I''ll prepare the first aid kit and memory erasers." "There''s plenty of bandages, gauze, and disinfectant in my bag, so use those too. Team leader, please get ready to defend with thend contract." "Alright." And so, the three of them moved as one to save people. ------ The doomsday cultists slowly gathered near the investigation team''s building. They knew the n too. They were driving people towards that building to naturally infiltrate their spy. One of the doomsday cultists checked their wristwatch. "Looks like we''ve given enough time? Let''s get ready to leave." "A few of us are missing." "They''ve probably gone crazy and wandered off. Abandon them." To survive long as a doomsday cultist, you had to be strict about time. They busily prepared to retreat. While waiting for the portal to open, they idly raided a nearby pharmacy for medicine or approached injured people lying on the ground with knives drawn. A doomsday cultist giggled as they dragged a rusty machete. The machete scraped against the asphalt road, getting closer and closer. A person who had copsed with a gunshot wound to the thigh opened and closed their mouth. Ovee with fear, they couldn''t make a sound. "Time to die." "Uh, ah-" Swish- The machete sliced through the air. "...Huh?" Literally, it just cut through the air. The cultist had clearly swung at the person, but they had vanished. As if teleported. The faces of the doomsday cultists gathered nearby hardened. "Are they here already?" "Is it thepany? The Club? The Artist? A demon? A magician? Who is it?" They had so many enemies, it was hard to guess who it might be. Any top-tier group could handle space to some extent. Above all, they didn''t have time for leisurely deduction. The next moment, one of them disappeared. They had been caught by spatial movement and dragged away. The doomsday cultists muttered curses under their breath. "There''s no way these bastards could react this quickly. Let''s scatter!" "Run-" And a momentter. The doomsday cultist with the machete was caught by spatial movement. More precisely, they were kidnapped by Yeonwoo. The space changed in an instant. The cultist gripped their machete tightly and opened their eyes wide. They were trying to get a broad view of their environment first. Soon, they blinked. ''Is this... a doomsday cultist hideout? Did another cultist help us escape?'' There were corpses strewn everywhere. Bodies carelessly propped against walls or thrown on the floor. A strong smell of blood wafted from the numerous corpses, and faint groans could be heard. "These aren''t corpses?" The doomsday cultist snapped back to their senses. They were all patients. Though it was unclear why they were all sleeping together, the traces of first aid suggested this wasn''t the work of doomsday cultists. That''s when they heard a grumbling voice from behind. "No, Yeonwoo. You should bring civilians, not these guys." "Well, the bills work well for simplebor. But when it gets a bitplicated, it doesn''t work so well." The doomsday cultist jumped up and spun around. Only then did they see three people. A middle-aged man, a young man, and a young woman. The atmosphere surrounding them was... "Who are you people?" The middle-aged man seemed to have apany employee''s sense of mission, the young woman had a gloomy air like a demon worshipper tormented by a nasty demon. The young man had an unhinged vibe, like an artist, demon, or doomsday cultist. ''What kind ofbination is this? No, wait a minute. This man...'' His face looked familiar. It felt like someone had shown it to them. As the doomsday cultist racked their brain trying to remember, their pupils suddenly dted. Their mouth fell open as they let out a scream-like sound. "Lee Yeonwoo! What the hell did we ever do to you to make you torment us like this!" "...Excuse me?" "Are you doing this because our leader with the eraser attacked you? You killed that leader, so the grudge should end there! Why are you going after all of us-!" The shout pierced their eardrums. Yeonwoo wore a bewildered expression, while the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo nced at Yeonwoo. The team leader spoke with difficulty. "Yeonwoo, uh, seems you''ve got quite a reputation." "Every doomsday cultist who sees Yeonwoo reacts like this." "No, no." They had already heard the same thing while dealing with the doomsday cultists Yeonwoo had identally brought in earlier. Yeonwoo was dumbfounded, but he exined to the team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo as if making excuses. "No, I didn''t do anything special. I just struggled to survive, that''s all. It was all idents." "You, you, you!" They could barely speak. The doomsday cultist''s eyes welled up with tears of frustration. How could someone who had shattered their organization, regardless of ideology, say such things? Yeonwoo made an ufortable expression, feeling like he had be the aggressor, when he suddenly realized the situation. The person in front of him was a doomsday cultist. He muttered unconsciously. "Isn''t it right for doomsday cultists to face doom?" Wasn''t it better if a group trying to destroy the Earth and kill people didn''t exist? As he uttered this obvious truth, the doomsday cultist''s forehead suddenly bulged with veins, and they rolled their eyes back and copsed. They had fainted. "Guess we don''t need to use thend contract." The team leader nudged the doomsday cultist with his toe. A few cultists who had been dragged in one by one and overwhelmed individually were gathered in a corner. They all had strangeplexions or something like foam on their mouths. Yoo Ji-yoo muttered. "I guess doomsday cultists are people with messed up heads. They want to live so badly, yet they try to kill others. I just don''t understand." "They''re all the same. Artists say they want to make art, the Club says they want to make money, thepany says they want to protect. Enough. Yeonwoo, there''s plenty of room in the building. Let''s save more people." Yeonwoo silently burned the bills once more to bring in another person. This time, it was a civilian. The civilian, who had lost a lot of blood and looked pale, wore a dazed expression. "Is this a dream?" "You''ll wake up and it''ll all be over. So sleep tight." The building owner''s force put the civilian to sleep. Yoo Ji-yoo moved quickly. She sprayed memory eraser from a deodorant can into the civilian''s mouth twice, cut their clothes with scissors to expose the wound, and used bandages and gauze. The end of the terror attack was gradually approaching. --- 158 - Love TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The congested roads and electronic devices damaged by the EMP, along with fires breaking out in various ces and injured people lying on the sidewalks, all served as obstacles preventing police cars, fire trucks, and ambnces from swiftly entering the area. That''s why the doomsday cultists had calcted the time it would take for the mobile strike force, military units, or anomalous groups to arrive, and they fled before that time came. Whoosh- A blue portal opened. "It''s time! Run for it!"Doomsday cultists with terrified expressions emerged from various ces. There weren''t many of them left. They had all been kidnapped. One by one, they had been caught by something like spatial movement and dragged away. No one had returned, and the kidnappings hadn''t stopped. An unknown enemy''s unknown attack. It was difficult to defend against or counterattack. As the doomsday cultists ran at full speed, the blue light of the portal washed over their faces. The blue light reflected in their pupils shed like a beacon of hope. "We made-" And then they vanished. Just before crossing the portal, they were kidnapped by Yeonwoo. The remaining doomsday cultists breathed a sigh of relief. "That one''s been taken, so we should be able to escape safely now." "What''s the point? There''s only three of us left." A masked robber spoke irritably. One by one, they had been dragged away until only three remained. Their losses far outweighed any gains. In the end, the remaining doomsday cultist muttered quietly as they crossed the portal. "Let''s hope the operation was at least sessful." Whatever that building was, they must have had something that could turn the situation around if they went to such lengths to infiltrate. For example, something like an Earth destruction button. And so, the three doomsday cultists crossed the portal and saw the Ghost of the electronic world frantically pacing around. "I can''t tell what''s happening on site because of the EMP-" The Ghost of the electronic world suddenly turned their head. "You''re back? ...What? Why are only you three here?" The doomsday cultists, smelling of gunpowder and looking like defeated soldiers, spoke gruffly. "Someone we don''t know attacked us..." "No one''s been deployed yet." The Ghost of the electronic world tilted their head, wondering what they were talking about. They had hacked into themunications of various groups and were monitoring their movements. Though they had been busy moving after confirming the terror attack, no forces had arrived on the scene yet. After thinking for a moment, the Ghost of the electronic world finally sensed failure. "Yeonwoo... The spy must have failed." The only person who would do such a thing near the investigation team''s office was Yeonwoo. And that meant he hadn''t fallen in love. Meanwhile, the doomsday cultists had plopped down on the dirt floor, slowly releasing their tension. Their excitement and fear gradually subsided. Then they suddenly looked up. They had caught something they couldn''t ignore. "Lee Yeonwoo? Yeonwoo was there?" "Uh... It was the building where Yeonwoo lives. Didn''t I tell you?" "No, you''re crazy." Suddenly, their subsiding excitement exploded. They all drew their guns and shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing! Why would you send us after the guy who killed our leader! Is this a purge?" "No, the operation was to recruit him. And why would I purge you? We''re already short on people." "Are you insane? You need toe up with usible operations!" It really made no sense. Recruit a walking doom? The doomsday cultist whose head was working rtively well yelled furiously. "What were you nning to do if you recruited him? Could you even handle him? Even thatpany is suffering because of Yeonwoo, right? Didn''t you read the information you showed us and told us to be careful about?" Just like the Goldberg Club''s VIP list or cklist, Yeonwoo had been added to the doomsday cultists'' list of people to watch out for, and the information the Ghost of the electronic world had leaked had been shared. The satellite weapon had been used twice, a shelter had been destroyed, a department had been wiped out, and recently, they''d heard he''d created some kind of dream demon. The resources thepany was pouring into cleaning up after him probably equaled the budget of several decent-sized departments. "Why the hell are you messing with someone who''s chipping away at thepany''s strength if we just leave him alone!" "..." There was no answer. The Ghost of the electronic world blinked, looking at that doomsday cultist. The cultist continued to pour outints. "If you want to use that guy, just throw anomalous entities around him! Or lure other groups towards him! He''ll wreck everything on his own that way." The Ghost of the electronic world stared intently at that doomsday cultist without blinking. Then they said, "You pass! From now on, you''re our brains!" Though theirbat power was negligible, their head seemed to work quite well. They could serve as a good strategist to rece sses. Just as the doomsday cultist''s expression turned strange, the Ghost of the electronic world''s face suddenly contorted. They had picked up news from the electronic world. It was news about the Smoker, who used to emit ck smoke. "I''m dying. Farewell." The Ghost of the electronic world hurriedly hacked into variousmunicationworks to check the situation. Information flowed in through CCTVs and mobile phones. The Smoker''s final moments. "The Green Association..." Even at this moment, the relentless attacks had reached the Smoker. Caught by the leader of the Green Sect, they were purified, and their remains became fertilizer. "Be a tree and contribute to the world. You, who used to spew poison gas, will now purify the air as a tree." The doom of the doomsday cultists was approaching. No, it was already as good as doom. They had been broken to the point where they could hardly be called a group anymore. But the Ghost of the electronic world epted it calmly. ''As long as even one person remains, it''s fine.'' They could always make aeback. Doom was madness, after all. As long as there was even one person who wanted the world to end, the doomsday cultists wouldn''t disappear. ------ The doomsday cultists had fled, and the incident was being cleaned up. The city center was bustling with activity. Firefighters extinguishing fires, ambnces transporting patients, police and soldiers rushing about. Peopleining of shock-induced amnesia looked for those who had treated them, but they didn''t appear. There was no reason to reveal themselves to others, after all. The investigation team''s office had be a temporary base for thepany. All sorts of people came and went, cleaning up the situation and digging for information. "When''s the time cameraing?" "The incident analysis team says they''re on their way with the equipment." "Tell them to bring that memory extraction thing too! We can''t get information from electronic devices because of the EMP!" Mark Jung from headquarters also rushed over. "Yeonwoo! Are you alright? You''re not hurt anywhere?" "..." Yeonwoo looked at Mark Jung with a nk expression. He was disappointed in many ways. ''You said the investigation team''s building was an anomalous entity that wouldn''t experience idents? And you couldn''t even detect signs of an attack?'' He could let the former slide, but not detecting signs of the attack was very inconvenient. Even if they couldn''t prevent it in time, they should have at least given him a heads up. "Did headquarters not know about this attack?" "Well, the Ghost of the electronic world was interfering, and those guys moved using spatial movement equipment..." "I see." They were headquarters, after all. Not wanting to create conflict over something like this, Yeonwoo let it go. In fact, there was something more important than what had already happened. "More importantly, I''d like to get more time-buying bills. Please contact the Club. I don''t have any left." "The bills? You used up all of those?" Mark Jung blinked nkly. He had seen the information while handling things in between. What Yeonwoo had received from the Club. ''That definitely wasn''t a small amount.'' They were bills given generously to build goodwill. In cash terms, it would be tens of billions of won. It was an amount the Club couldn''t ignore either. Not just the money, but as an anomalous entity, it had even more value, a resource they couldn''t just print off. "You got several apple boxes full of 50,000 won bills..." "That''s right? In money terms, it''s, uh, oh?" At that point, Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. He had treated them as disposable anomalous entities and used them freely. Without leaving a single one. If he converted that to money... Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s hands started trembling. ''Did I just burn tens of billions of won in that short time? Is that for real? I''ve never used that much money in my entire life.'' It was like several houses had burned and disappeared. Of course, he had saved that many people, but a dull shock hit his head. Mark Jung wore an expression mixed with respect and difficulty as he shook his head. "It seems you used them for rescue, which is an incrediblyrge investment. That''s amazing. But it''ll be hard to get more. The Club can''t just make them freely." "Ah, I see." Should he have used them more sparingly? Suddenly overwhelmed with regret, Yeonwoo lost his words. Just then, the team leader sauntered over. He spoke not to Yeonwoo, but to Mark Jung. "You''re from headquarters?" "Yes, I report directly to the director-" "Enough with the introductions. Just confirm the identity of one person for me. A woman who approached me and Yeonwoo." The woman Yeonwoo had shot dead. A question to make sure whether she was a civilian or not. If she was a civilian, it meant there was a problem with Yeonwoo''s mind and he would need appropriate treatment. Just then, anotherpany employee barged in noisily. "We''ve recovered the anomalous entity!" They held up a perfume bottle high. "Oh, right. It was a woman carrying that. So she was a doomsday cultist after all, being an anomalous entity. No need to check, it should be fine-" "It''s the love potion! It''s an anomalous entity that female doomsday cultist spies used to extract people!" "..." The noisy office fell silent. Silence descended upon the investigators and Yeonwoo. They stared nkly at the perfume bottle. What was that again? The team leader, at least, regained his senses quickly. "That''s a relief. Good thing Yeonwoo didn''t fall for it." "I did fall for it..." "Huh?" "She sprayed the perfume in front of me at lunchtime, and I smelled it." The team leader, Yoo Ji-yoo, and even Mark Jung looked at Yeonwoo in surprise. Mark Jung reacted intensely. "Are you alright? Did you resist with the dice?" "I couldn''t resist..." "Ah, damn. Where''s that woman? When you fall for that potion, you keep-" "Yeonwoo shot her dead." "Excuse me?" Mark Jung turned his head, and Yoo Ji-yoo shrugged her shoulders. "He shot her dead as soon as he saw her, like he was having a fit. Yeonwoo, um. You didn''t develop feelings for me, did you? It''s kind of scary." Yoo Ji-yoo messed up her hair, hiding her face behind her bangs. He had fallen in love, then shot and killed the person he loved. It gave her the chills. "No." Yeonwoo wore a truly wronged expression. He felt a level of indignation far beyond what he had felt when the doomsday cultists were spouting nonsense. Both the people looking at him strangely and the situation itself bothered him. ''This is ridiculous. It can''t be. Am I someone who can''t even feel love? No. This doesn''t make any sense.'' To be honest, he had never loved anyone before. He tended to have shallow emotions and had never been passionate about anything. His long life as a student had made him even more damaged. But surely he wasn''t so far gone that he''d confuse love with a sense of crisis? Finally, the situation clicked in Yeonwoo''s head. "I think my instincts are so good that I felt the sense of crisis more strongly. Looking at it now, it seems that woman deliberately caused the terror attack too. It looks like I detected that crisis and eliminated the cause." It was a logical judgment, and a conclusion that twisted the strangely twisted situation back into something usible. The team leader nodded in agreement. "That happens sometimes. You instinctively feel strongly that something''s wrong in a safe situation. Later on, it turns out to be right." "I see." Even Mark Jung, who had been wearing a terrified expression, rxed a little. If it was the intuition of an investigator, a survival expert... ''His survival instinct might have acted more strongly than the love potion.'' Yeonwoo wasn''t an ordinary person, after all. But Yoo Ji-yoo wore a strange expression. "I don''t think that''s it..." The expression Yeonwoo had shown then felt different from a sense of crisis. Thinking about it now, it looked more like someone experiencing their first love. In any case, the terror attack had been wrapped up. --- 159 - Extra Story: The Apocalyptic Lee Yeonwoo TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here It was a massive world. A giant''s house, and a window. Doomsday cultist Yeonwoo stood nkly in front of the shattered window, then assessed the situation. ''A dream.'' It had to be a dream. A memory of falling into the giant''s world. The moment he helped Dandelion break the window. A cold wind blew in through the window. The falling moonlight glowed softly, and the ss shards from the broken window frame sparkled like stars.Then, something brighter than the stars poked its head out from below the window frame. Blonde hair. A mixed-race appearance with indistinguishable ethnicity. It was Dandelion, who had lived as a pet human in the giant''s house. She said, "Hey. You really not gonna escape?" What had he answered back then? He must have hesitated. Whether to stay in the giant''s house and roll the return dice, or follow her out to find the human city. At the end of that hesitation... The Yeonwoo in the dream said, "No. Let''s escape together. We should look for the human city. That seems more certain." Dandelion grinned broadly and held out her hand. Yeonwoo took it. "You''re weak, so I''ll help you. I''ve lived on the streets for a long time. I can definitely take care of someone like you." "No, let go of my hand first. I can at least climb down a rope by myself." "With that strength?" "What''s that supposed to mean?" The doomsday cultist Yeonwoo calmly observed the two bickering. And the dream flowed on. Quickly, like a rey of his memories, like a kaleidoscope. ** They went through a lot. They ventured into the wild, onto the giant''s streets, facing countless dangers. Even tiny bugs or cats were as huge as monsters, and they couldn''t ignore the giants either. Humans living in this massive world were far too small; everything was dangerous. That''s why the two of them leaned on each other to ovee the dangers. Sometimes Yeonwoo saved Dandelion, and sometimes Dandelion saved Yeonwoo. The number of times they saved each other was countless, and at some point, it felt like their lives had be intertwined. When one was hurt, the other felt the pain too. The flowing dream suddenly stopped. "Ah, we barely escaped. Crazy rat bastard." "Is your arm okay?" Yeonwoo, hiding under a leaf after escaping a vicious rat, asked quietly. Dandelion''s arm had a deep wound from the rat''s ws. She shrugged. "This is nothing. We still have some of that honey we stole before. If we put that on, it''ll heal. More importantly, aren''t rats really small in the world where people normally live?" As they spent more time together, Yeonwoo had revealed that he came from the human world and possessed the dice. Since then, Dandelion''s eyes would sparkle with curiosity and hope whenever she asked questions. "Just think of humans being as big as giants." Yeonwoo couldn''t take his eyes off Dandelion''s wound. His heart ached, and he fidgeted with his fingers as he pondered. ''Should I roll for recovery? No. It''s too dangerous. If it fails, she could die.'' Dandelion looked at Yeonwoo like this, then suddenly asked, "Don''t you roll your return dice anymore? Are you still getting only failures?" "Ah. Yeah. I keep getting nothing but failures." It was a lie. He couldn''t even remember how long it had been since he''d rolled for a return judgment. He couldn''t bear to leave Dandelion alone, but he was too scared of a critical failure to suggest returning together. Dandelion noticed that lie too, and she turned her head slightly, muttering, "How can you keep getting nothing but failures." "What''s that? You don''t even have dice, what do you know?" "Oh,e on!" The doomsday cultist Yeonwoo watched this faintly glowing memory. Once, these memories had been painful, stabbing his heart, but now he felt numb. And the memories flowed on again. ** It was a journey to find the human city. Perhaps they had lost their purpose halfway through, but they kept moving, searching for the human city. And they reached the truth. "There''s no human city..." "It''s all gone..." The two muttered gloomily in front of the ruins. There was no human city. Even if there was, it was different from what they had imagined. The human city, the salvation of the human world, was just a hopeful legend created by street humans wandering the roads and pet humans being raised in captivity. Some humans had acted to make the legend a reality, even creating a human city, but it had all been destroyed by the giants'' human relief efforts. They stayed in the ruins for a long time. Until the sun set and their shadows, merged into one, lengthened and blended into the darkness of night. Yeonwoo said, "Do you want to return with me? Even if the dice critically fails, I think we could survive somehow if it''s you and me." Dandelion turned her head. Because they were so close, her nose brushed against his cheek, and her sparkling eyes were filled with Yeonwoo. "You said that only gives failures, dummy. Let''s try a little harder instead." Yeonwoo''s eyes were also filled with Dandelion. His head waspletely upied by her. So much so that he could barely hear her voice. Dandelion shone like a star. She radiated a light of endless hope. "Let''s create the human city ourselves. You can use your dice to contact thatpany? And get help!" "Huh?" "Let''s make the legend a reality! Like the people who built this city!" Yeonwoo couldn''t refuse. He nodded nkly. Dandelion grinned broadly and hugged him. The night''s chill melted away with human warmth. Yeonwoo''s heart dropped. It raced madly. Just like when he faced a crisis. ''Lo- lo-'' Yeonwoo''s hands trembled. He stretched out those hands and hugged Dandelion back. ''I love her. I love Dandelion.'' When his heart first raced, he was confused. He thought Dandelion might have caught a strange disease, or that she harbored some potential danger. But that experience repeated, and Yeonwoo recognized his own feelings. He whispered into Dandelion''s ear. "Okay. Let''s build the city together." And so they rebuilt the city. The shining memories flowed quickly. The doomsday cultist Yeonwoo etched these memories into his mind. To not forget, he recalled them over and over. Having repeated this hundreds of times, the doomsday cultist Yeonwoo clearly knew the future waiting ahead. Hope was destined to fade. ** The city was burning. Fire and death loomed over the city that Dandelion and Yeonwoo had painstakingly rebuilt. The owners of those shadows were giants. Those who came as soon as the city was somewhat on track. The Foreign Species Management Bureau. An organization simr to the Humanity Protection Company in the giant world. "Burn it quickly!" "Human species shouldn''t be allowed to gather! This foreign species has the ability to build a civilization equal to ours! If you don''t want to fight over dominion, throw away your sympathy and kill them!" The city, the fruit of theirbor, was crumbling. But neither Yeonwoo nor Dandelion had the luxury to look after the city. Yeonwoo, hidden in a burning alley corner, sat down, his hands trembling as he cradled Dandelion''s head. "No. No. You can''t die like this." She had been hit by some debris. Arge stone fragment had pierced deep into her internal organs. Blood flowed endlessly. Dandelion, copsed on Yeonwoo''sp, slightly raised her pale face. A weak breath mixed with words. "It''s a shame... If thepany had helped, we could have saved everyone." Thepany Yeonwoo had contacted through the dice had coldly refused support. They said they had no resources to help humans from another dimension. Some climate anomaly? They were busy evacuating because of an impending disaster. Yeonwoo''s mind went nk, unable to give any answer. He just called upon the dice. ''Dice! Recovery, regeneration, wound removal, wound sharing, damn it! Roll for anything!'' Even if failure was scary, what use was that fear in a situation where doing nothing meant death? That''s when Dandelion reached out and cupped Yeonwoo''s cheek. Her body temperature terrified him. It was as cold as ice. Dandelion said, "It''s okay. I''m going to die soon. If you fail, I won''t even have time to leavest words, right?" "But still-" "You said that dice only gives failures, idiot. So don''t waste a chance for sess on me. Use it to go back. You came from the human world, right? You should return." "But-" And then, Dandelion''s hand fell limply. Yeonwoo''s movements stopped. With herst breath, Dandelion said, "Enjoy the human world to the fullest for me." That was the end. Her breathing stopped. Her body temperature grew colder than ice. Dandelion, who died with her eyes open. The image of her corpse was deeply etched into his mind. But he didn''t have the luxury to honor her final moments. The giants who had destroyed the human city were approaching. Boom, boom, smashing buildings and setting fires. Yeonwoo, who had been looking at Dandelion like a bowed statue, raised his head. He saw the giant. He saw the crumbling city. Dandelion''s lifeless body weighed heavily on his knees. "..." His mind felt both empty and full of all sorts of thoughts. Emotions seemed to be boiling up, yet also disappearing. But all of that culminated in one thing. Revenge. Revenge against the giants and the world that killed Dandelion. Yeonwoo opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish, barely managing to spit out words. "This kind of world." There was no warmth or emotion in that voice. Only the cold, sharpened de of revenge gleamed dangerously. "Should be destroyed." Roll- The dice rolled, and the doomsday cultist Yeonwoo woke from his sleep. He returned from the dream to reality. ** The world was a mess. The ind where the doomsday cultist gathering had been held was filled with corpses and traces of destruction. The ind had returned to a rocky state, without even a single weed left. Space was broken, erased, and overflowing with poison gas. Yeonwoo, who had barely opened his eyes, painfully raised his hand. Blood dripped from his crushed hand. "...It wasn''t a dream, but a life shing before my eyes." There wasn''t a single uninjured part of his body. Deep pain coursed through his entire body like an electric current. From his internal organs to his limbs and face, nothing was unscathed. That was to be expected, given that he had fought a war against the doomsday cultists. Yeonwoo slowly got up. His wounds were healing at a rapid pace. Limping as he stood, Yeonwoo looked around. Not only ordinary doomsday cultists, but the Smoker, the Ghost of the electronic world, the Warrior, the Reptilian boss, and even sses ally dead. They had all died by his hand. He had killed them before they could kill him. That''s when one of the corpses trembled slightly and opened its eyes. It was the Warrior. The Warrior looked at Yeonwoo and spat out a curse. "You, what the hell? You said you''d destroy the Earth. You said you''d take revenge on thepany. Why are you trying to reveal the solution to the climate anomalies?" "..." That was the problem. He had heard the solution to the climate anomalies from the Yeonwoo of a parallel world, and he was trying to reveal that solution. The doomsday cultists had tried to attack Yeonwoo, who was trying to save a world that would perish if left alone, and Yeonwoo had raided the gathering before they could attack him. Yeonwoo silently looked down at the Warrior. A formerrade and now an enemy. He spoke to his enemy. "I said I''d destroy the Earth, didn''t I? Not with this stupid climate anomaly, but by my own hands, I said I''d destroy it." If the Earth was to be destroyed, it should be by his own hands. Revenge against thepany that had abandoned the humans of another dimension had to be carried out by his own hands. The Warrior''s eyes suddenly widened. Then he burst intoughter. "You bastard. If you had such a cool reason, you should have said so. Then we would have joined you." "No." Yeonwoo turned his gaze away. He staggered as he walked, collecting spoils of war. Each anomalous entity possessed by the doomsday cultists was now his power. As he moved, he spoke casually. "It has to perish by my hands. Not by your hands, but only by mine." Because the right to destroy the Earth belonged only to him. And he, the one with the right to destruction, hadn''t yet decided whether to destroy the Earth or not. Dandelion''sst words shed through his mind. Her dying wish for him to fully enjoy this world. That wish became the only shackle holding back his feet. It stopped Yeonwoo at a crossroads. Should he destroy this world that Dandelion would never see, to take revenge on thepany? Or should he protect the world Dandelion had dreamed of? Yeonwoo struggled with this conflict every day, unable to take a step forward at the crossroads. He stood there, pulling down anyone who tried to walk ahead of him. ''No one can destroy the Earth before I make my decision.'' The Warrior looked at Yeonwoo like this and sighed. "Fine, you''re so great. ...Maybe if I had that kind of mindset, I could have reached Level 6 too." If he had such an inted ego, if he had the madness to charge ahead regardless of sess or failure, maybe he could have fought and won against the world. With a final burst of life force like the light of a dying candle, the Warrior raised his hand. He extended his fist, crudely erased, towards the sky. He struck the sky. The sky screamed in pain. The blue sky turned pale white, then ck, and finally, dark clouds gathered and shed tears. Whoosh- Rain fell. Raindrops poured down on the corpses of the doomsday cultists. "The world, it''s nothing special." The Warrior, who had struck and made the world cry, dropped his head with a satisfied smile. Yeonwoo looked down at him, soaked in rain, then turned away. The one who possessed all the legacies of the doomsday cultists walked away, swaying between destruction and protection. --- 160 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The terror attack was more or less wrapped up. Company employees who had used devices to observe the past and convert memories into data quickly withdrew, sharing that data with other employees. The doomsday cultists'' heinous crimes. This vivid information could be used advantageously at this point. Mark Jung visited the investigation team''s office and blurted out, "Things worked out well. It looks like the doomsday cultists tripped themselves up.""...People died, and you call that working out well?" The team leader, who had been nodding off, raised his head and spoke in a low voice. Not a small number of people had died that day. No matter how hard the investigators worked to rescue and provide first aid, there were many they couldn''t save in time or at all. Yeonwoo also looked at Mark Jung with a strange expression. ''As expected of someone from headquarters, their humanity is... It''s a bit much for them to doubt my humanity after saying something like that.'' Mark Jung wore an awkward expression. He had misspoken. He quickly exined, as if making excuses, "That''s not what I meant. Haven''t the doomsday cultists been spreading strange propagandately?" If humanity goes extinct, anomalies will disappear. We must make a noble sacrifice for the peace of the universe. That outdated theory from when the first doomsday cultist was born had resurfaced, shaking somepany employees. Some employees were showing signs of seriously believing it and considering converting to doomsday cultists. In this situation, if they showed the true face of the doomsday cultists,pany employees wouldn''t entertain such foolish thoughts. Even if that theory were true, who would want to move with guys like that? "Won''t the doomsday cultists'' behavior, driven purely by madness, serve as excellent propaganda to help fortifypany employees'' mental defenses?" "I don''t care about that. If you''ve got work to do, finish it quickly and leave. Why is someone from headquarters in the investigation team''s office?" The team leader, now in a bad mood, grumbled and waved his hand dismissively. Mark Jung wore an awkward expression. ''It''s awkward to mention rewards or bonuses in this situation.'' The investigation team had responded quickly, saving many lives, and even managed to capture doomsday cultists alive. He had wanted to congratte them on their reward, but if he added unnecessary words now, he''d likely get an earful. "Yeonwoo." So he quickly turned to Yeonwoo. "It''s a request from headquarters." "A request?" Yeonwoo tilted his head. All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind, but the first one that came up was: ''How can I refuse this?'' If it was a request from headquarters, the scale would be no joke. It was probably something dangerous. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Is it work for a special investigator? Or for the dice?" "It''s for the dice. Oh, and it''s really not dangerous. Even if it bes dangerous, we can respond immediately." At Mark Jung''s assurance, Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes. He couldn''t believe it. "It''s weird for me to say this myself, but won''t an ident happen?" Considering how things tended to blow up like bombs whenever he did anything, it seemed better not to do it. He was unlucky enough to turn even safe jobs into dangerous ones. But Mark Jung wore a confident expression. "You really don''t need to worry. We can handle any ident you might cause." It was that important of a request, and they actually had the ability to handle Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo, we''re inviting you to headquarters." Because it was headquarters, after all. Those words were heard by everyone in the investigation team, and they all saw Mark Jung''s outstretched hand, inviting Yeonwoo. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo showed interest. "To headquarters? Does headquarters really exist? I thought I heard they just scattered people and systems without a base." "My sister said that''s false information, and even she doesn''t know the truth." Headquarters, shrouded in secrecy. Mark Jung, a person from that headquarters, grinned, but his expression soon turned strange. Yeonwoo wore an uneasy expression and took a step back. Headquarters? They were suddenly calling for him? "You''re not trying to iste me, are you?" Maybe they had judged him as a risk factor after seeing him kill someone despite being affected by the love potion? Yeonwoo, feeling goosebumps rise, rolled his eyes around, looking at his surroundings. ''Should I run away? Headquarters is kind of... scary.'' He felt a strange sense of crisis. Goosebumps rose on his arms. Seeing Yeonwoo frantically rubbing his arms, Mark Jung wore a bewildered expression and quickly waved his hands. "No, why would we iste you, Yeonwoo? Why would we do that to thepany''s bomb- I mean, elite agent?" If things went wrong, even thepany couldn''t ignore the damage. Besides, if they were going to iste him, they wouldn''t approach him like this. Mark Jung recalled the istion n thepany had prepared for Yeonwoo just in case. ''He''s the type of person who would hole up in a safe shelter on his own if we just provided one and protected him. There''s no need to call him to headquarters just to iste him.'' But he couldn''t mention that istion n, so Mark Jung pleaded sincerely. "Yeonwoo. It''s headquarters. A ce where high-ranking personnel and important resources are gathered. Can''t we handle even one Yeonwoo?" "Well, that''s true, but..." Yeonwoo crossed his arms and lowered his head. He was deep in thought. Mark Jung waited anxiously, and after a long deliberation, Yeonwoo slowly nodded. "Alright. I''ll take on the request." Although he had a bad feeling about it, even with his terrible luck, headquarters should have the ability to respond. If an ident was going to happen anyway, it might be better for it to happen at headquarters. ''If really nothing happens, I should ask for a position at headquarters.'' Come to think of it, there probably wasn''t a safer ce than headquarters. At those words, Mark Jung let out a sigh of relief and spoke briefly. "Then we''ll escort you once headquarters is ready." "When do we leave?" "I don''t know when the preparations will be finished..." The two stared nkly at each other for a moment, then quickly wrapped up their goodbyes. "Then I''ll be going." Mark Jung hurried away. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo, oveing theirte afternoon drowsiness, had their eyes sparkling. While Yeonwoo remained calm, the two showed lively curiosity. "Even in the Korean branch, few people have probably been to headquarters." "Maybe the records or memories won''t remain. The security measures are no joke, so they might be erased from memory or leave no trace at all." Headquarters was like a ghost. It existed, and its people and resources were clearly moving around in the world, but no one knew where or how headquarters actually existed. Even headquarters employees didn''t know. The team leader tapped on the desk and said, "They say even if you kidnap someone from headquarters, you can''t get information. There must be some safety or security measures in ce." Headquarters, protected by thepany''s cutting-edge technology and strict security procedures. Not just memories, but even souls might have some kind of lock on them. Yeonwoo suddenly wore an interested expression. ''If it''s a ce protected to that extent, it really feels safe, doesn''t it? Isn''t it more solid than the final shelter? It''s kind of appealing.'' And so, Yeonwoo waited expectantly for Mark Jung''s call, and the day came. The day Yeonwoo would go to headquarters. ------ "Since you''re a special investigator affiliated with headquarters, Yeonwoo, the security procedures have been greatly simplified for you." "Security procedures?" Mark Jung, who hade early in the morning, said the preparations at headquarters wereplete and took Yeonwoo somewhere. Mark Jung''s car, with Yeonwoo in it, drove for a long time. Mark Jung turned the steering wheel leisurely as he spoke. "Usually, when someone visits for the first time, we interrogate them thoroughly before escorting them." There was certainly none of that. Yeonwoo satfortably in the passenger seat, looking out the window. The car drove on ordinary roads, mixed in with other people heading to work. "Is it okay to move so openly like this? It seems like anyone who''s determined could easily track us." "That''s fine. You can''t see it, but security procedures are already in progress. No one will know how we get to headquarters." Mark Jung added a few words. "Actually, I don''t know either. I just contact headquarters saying I''m going to visit, and as I move, I somehow end up there at some point." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut and lost himself in imagination. ''What kind of principle is it? What anomalous entity are they using?'' If he reached a level where he could freely handle the dice, he thought he might be able to do something simr. Like manifesting the possibility that a guest arrived at this ce at this time. It was indeed simr. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s pupils dted. He felt a sudden sensation of the world moving. ''This is.'' It felt simr to when the Artist Association President moved the world, or when he himself had manifested possibilities. And then, the world changed. "We''ve arrived." They had suddenly arrived at a parking lot. The parking lot was incredibly tall and wide, with severalnes of roads between parking spaces. White lights were embedded in rows on the high ceiling, shining brightly, and all sorts of vehicles were densely parked below. As Mark Jung circled around looking for a parking spot, Yeonwoo looked at the license tes of the vehicles. They weren''t just from Korea, but from countries all over the world. Yeonwoo felt his heart racing for no reason. ''This is headquarters.'' The air already felt different somehow. It felt like the safest ce in the world, but also terribly dangerous. ''Right, this is how headquarters should be.'' The subtle sense of crisis felt natural. It was headquarters, after all. All sorts of troops and anomalous entities must be on standby, ready to move immediately in response to any crisis. Yeonwoo watched the parking lot with sweaty palms. Vroom- Security personnel on motorcycles were busily patrolling, as the headquarters was sorge. Not long after one squad passed by, another squad circled the parking lot. Their armament and vignce were impressive. ''Wow. They patrol like this just for a parking lot?'' In reality, the security level had been raised to the extreme because of Yeonwoo''s visit, but not knowing this, Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled in admiration. While Yeonwoo was excited like a child, Mark Jung suddenly grumbled, "There''s no space in the parking lot. I''ve requested so many times to expand the parking lot..." Headquarters, built in an unknown space using all sorts of technology and anomalous entities. That space was limited, and expanding it wasn''t easy. In the end, they circled the parking lot for over an hour before finally spotting a car leaving and parking in the empty space. Mark Jung, getting out of the car, wore a tired expression as he pointed towards the far end of the parking lot. "Yeonwoo. We''rete, but wee to headquarters. We''ll go straight to theboratory." "...So what kind of experiment is it? You said you''d tell me when we arrived at headquarters." After circling the parking lot, any sense of mystery or intimidation about headquarters hadpletely vanished. Yeonwoo asked gruffly, and Mark Jung answered simply. "It''s an anomaly generation experiment. I don''t know which department requested it either. It seems to be top secret. But I did see the request form." He added an exnation. "It seems the intent is to analyze the principles of anomaly generation. They''re asking you to use the dice to turn some ordinary objects into anomalous entities." --- 161 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here "You want me to create anomalous entities?" Yeonwoo frowned. His steps, which had been keeping up with Mark Jung, slowed a bit. It was possible, but wasn''t it a bit dangerous? "The n is to experiment on harmless objects like pens, bags, or handkerchiefs, ording to what''s written," Mark Jung said. "But if a critical sess happens..." Mark Jung spoke casually, but Yeonwoo muttered with a skeptical tone.A critical failure would probably result in something like an ordinary bullet, but he couldn''t predict what a critical sess might bring. It was impossible to know how far the object''s potential for anomaly might be maximized. Despite clearly understanding this risk, Mark Jung walked on confidently. "That level is fine. Headquarters is protected by several Extinction Defense Devices. To be precise, they''re protecting the world, but headquarters receives even stronger protection." Extinction Defense Devices protecting headquarters. Yeonwoo suddenly felt curious. He looked up at Mark Jung. "You mean like the broken clock that stops time?" "That''s just an emergency measure. As far as I know, there are two devices always in operation. Safety measures 001 and 002." Their footsteps and voices quieted down in the parking lot where security squads patrolled on motorcycles. Mark Jung said, "Safety measure 001 is a device that tilts the world to suppress idents caused by anomalies. It works especially strongly in densely popted areas." This was also one of the reasons why abandoned houses or eerie uninhabited areas were the main stages for ghost stories. Because safety measures were weaker in such areas. Yeonwoo wondered, "For something like that, there seem to be quite a lot of idents in the world." Even the Human Qualification Exam would pop up in test centers, and the worm cult operated freely in the middle of the city. He himself had been caught up in all sorts of incidents and idents. Mark Jung''s expression turned gloomy for a moment. "This is the result of thepany tilting the world. If safety measure 001 didn''t exist, chaos on apletely different scale would unfold." Like in the distant past. Like in an era when myths and legends walked the earth, and people struggled just to survive rather than develop civilization. Even now, they still couldn''tpletely block anomalies, butpared to that era which only remained in stories and history, it was like heaven and earth. Humans had built their own civilization, and human society dominated the earth, didn''t it? Yeonwoo rxed a bit, his expression easing. ''So thepany does have some conscience.'' Seeing that they maintained peace and protected the world, they weren''tplete sociopaths without blood or tears. They just made final decisions when necessary, but at their core, they seemed to serve humanity. However, that sense of relief was shattered by Mark Jung''s next words. "And it''s also thepany''s weapon." "Weapon?" Yeonwoo tilted his head. Weapon? A device that protects humanity? "If you block an attack with a shield, it''s armor, but if you strike with a shield, it''s a weapon, right? Originally, safety measure 001 is like a dam blocking a flood, but what if we threatened to blow up that dam?" "...What?" Mark Jung spoke cheerfully with a hint ofughter, but Yeonwoo nkly doubted his ears. They were walking, looking for the employee elevator. As they walked down a dimly lit corridor, shadows fell across Mark Jung''s face. "The Goldberg Club, artists, demon worshippers... They''re all friends who rely on humans and society as their foundation." The Club needs cities. Artists need audiences, and demons need worshippers. In other words, they had more to protect than thepany. To put it extremely, thepany could abandon Earth at any time. If necessary, they might even be prepared to blow up the Earth with their own hands. "Those who can''t give up the current world can''t go all the way against thepany. Because thepany created this order." From the beginning, thepany didn''t tolerate groups that weren''t based on humans. Even magicians cared for Earth, their home star, and even the doomsday cultists were originally an organization that split off from thepany. The current world existed on the order created by thepany. That order was thepany''s greatest weapon. Yeonwoo blinked, thinking hesitantly. ''So, if other guys piss them off, they threaten to die together? No, they only let those who would be affected by such threats live?'' It seemed mixed with pride or bluster, but there must be some truth to it. Yeonwoo wasn''t sure whether to call thepany''s capabilities impressive or insane. ''Thepany is scary... It''s a good thing I''m part of thepany.'' Yeonwoo started to follow this train of thought but soon gave up. Anyway, he was high-level personnel for thepany, so it should be fine to gloss over this, right? "Ah, I can see the elevator over there." Mark Jung, walking ahead, pointed to the elevator. The employee elevator looked exactly like a normal elevator. There was just one call button. Click, Mark Jung pressed the button, and the elevator moved busily. While they waited briefly, Yeonwoo suddenly asked, "Then what''s safety measure 002?" "I believe it''s rted to fate or precognition. It gives the impression of fixing a future where humanity survives, but to be honest, I don''t really know the details..." And then, the elevator arrived. Ding, the doors opened with a cheerful sound. The two entered the elevator. "Theb coordinates..." Mark Jung took out his phone to check something, then carefully pressed what looked like a keyboard screen. Instead of buttons indicating floors, it was a system where you input a serial number on a keyboard. b_007. Done." Having finally input the coordinates, Mark Jung said jokingly, "There''s even a ghost story in headquarters. They say if you input coordinates that don''t exist, you arrive in a strange space." "...Is that really just a ghost story?" Yeonwoo felt uneasy, alternately looking at the screen of Mark Jung''s phone and the coordinates entered in the elevator. No matter how he thought about it, it didn''t seem like just a ghost story. Mark Jung shrugged. "The elevator management department and the higher-ups insist that idents don''t happen, but there are actually records of experiences and malfunctions." "That''s not a ghost story, it''s just not counting idents as idents, isn''t it?" Yeonwoo fidgeted, shifting his weight from side to side while ncing at the elevator screen. The coordinate screen, constantly changing letters and numbers like a malfunctioning meter, was dizzying. Fortunately, they arrived at theb without any problems. Theb was visible through the smoothly opening doors. ------ In theb researching [Project: Ordinary World], a researcher frowned deeply while on a call. Even though they held the phone far from their ear, an irritated voice could be heard loudly from it. "That Yeonwoo or whatever, kick him out quickly! The headquarters area is under strain, so before an ident happens!" It was a call from the person in charge of safety measure 001. As soon as Yeonwoo arrived, the world tilted by 001 started to shake unstably. It was as if the luck of a blessed child was being neutralized. The researcher responded indifferently. "Even if an ident happens, it''s fine, isn''t it? We''re on the highest alert level, almost at wartime status." "That ident! Shouldn''t we prevent it from happening in the first ce!" Their opinions weren''t converging. So what if an ident happens? If this experiment goes well, they might be able to achieve thepany''s dream. That level of risk should be taken. Just as the researcher was about to spit out some irritated words, the elevator arrived with a ding, and two people walked in. Mark Jung and Yeonwoo. A gleam appeared in the researcher''s eyes upon seeing Yeonwoo. The researcher quickly spat out a few words. "If you want to stop the experiment, contact the Board of Directors. I''m hanging up now." "Three hours! Finish within three hours! After that time-" Click, the call was cut off. The researcher smiled happily and hurried towards Yeonwoo. The precious experimental tool had arrived. Yeonwoo, who had been looking around with a tired expression, saw the researcher. The researcher spread their arms wide. "Wee to the Ancient Technology Restoration Research Institute!" The researcher tried to hug Yeonwoo, but Yeonwoo pushed them away with an ufortable expression. "Yes, I''m Investigator Yeonwoo. Let''s get straight to the request." "I like your enthusiasm! Then let''s go right to theb!" The researcher, pushed away by Yeonwoo, didn''t seem to mind and led Yeonwoo and Mark Jung to an inner room. The room simply had one table. On the table were small props like pens or handkerchiefs, and there was one loaded gun. Yeonwoo recognized that gun. His eyes widened. He had seen this gun before. "...An ordinary bullet?" "It''s a weapon prepared in case of a critical sess. So feel free to roll as much as you want. If there''s a critical sess, we''ll shoot it immediately with that." Yeonwoo felt both a sense of crisis and relief from the ordinary bullet. ''I guess this is okay then.'' Looking closely, even the experimental materials like pens were firmly secured. With wires or adhesives. If a real problem urs, they can just shoot and destroy it with that gun. The researcher, doing a final check on the experimental materials, exined the disguised purpose of the experiment. "In the distant ancient Earth, anomalous entities were everywhere. Of course, the contamination from them was serious, but the current Earth is clean. Do you know why?" Yeonwoo yed along with a suitable answer. "Was there ancient technology to remove contamination?" The researcher nodded at the answer Yeonwoo had roughly guessed based on the institute''s name. "Lost technology. So today''s goal is actually twofold. One is to observe the transformation into an anomalous entity upon sess, to analyze the principles of anomaly generation." "And the other is to analyze failures, I guess." Yeonwoo vaguely guessed. The possibility of this object being an anomalous entity. If that possibility fails, the possibility of it not being an anomalous entity would be realized, so they nned to analyze that. ''So it doesn''t matter whether I fail or seed?'' Yeonwoo marveled quietly. The researcher grinned. They hadn''t mentioned the true purpose. The real goal was top secret, after all. ''If we get enough data from this experiment, an ordinary world might not just be a dream.'' Having finished the checks, the researcher turned around. "Well then, let''s start right away. Roll for anything you like." Yeonwoo closed his eyes. He could see the dice in a corner of his mind. He called upon the dice, and the experiment began. --- 162 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Mark Jung leaned against the corner like a statue, while the researcher eyed Yeonwoo with gleaming interest. Yeonwoo had been searching for the dice in his mind when he suddenly opened his eyes. He quickly grabbed the gun, saying matter-of-factly: "If I roll a critical sess, I''ll shoot immediately." "That''s the idea. You''ll know the result before anyone else, after all." It was better for Yeonwoo to hold the ordinary bullet. If a dangerous anomaly was created by a critical sess, he''d notice first and could destroy it most swiftly."I hope we gather some good data," the researcher said, sweating with tension and excitement. Their clenched fist felt slippery. Yeonwoo took a few deep breaths, then aimed the gun at the handkerchief. His finger rested on the trigger. ''Ready for any idents. Shoot if it''s a critical sess. Alright, dice. Roll for the possibility of this handkerchief being an anomaly.'' In the darkness behind his closed eyes, Yeonwoo saw the dice. It struggled to leap, its momentum weak and height low, as if an invisible force was pressing down on it. tter- The dice rolled only a few times before showing a result. Failure! Yeonwoo opened his eyes with an odd expression. "It''s a failure," he reported. "Keep rolling," the researcher urged. Yeonwoo rolled again and again, but the results were simr. Failure after failure, not even sesses, repeated over ten times. The dice''s movement itself seemed off, beyond simple chance. ''This is...'' Yeonwoo stared into space, forcibly heightening his senses to feel the world around him. He let out a frustrated sigh. ''Is this a safety measure? It feels like possibilities are being closed off.'' Was it a force suppressing idents? It felt like a power dampening the dice''s randomness had settled over the area. It was as suffocating as wearing clothes too small, constricting his breathing. As Yeonwoo gasped for air, tugging at his cor and waistband, the researcher asked anxiously: "Is there a problem?" "No. I''ll keep trying somehow." Determination shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Whateverpany safety measure this was, he couldn''t give up. If the dice was blocked by something like this, it would be useless when facing simr dangers. ''Alright. Let''s see who wins.'' Imagining thepany''s safety measure as a virtual enemy, Yeonwoo closed his eyes and spread his palm wide. In his mind, memories of being contaminated by the mist reyed. That sensation. The feeling of gauging probabilistic possibilities and fishing out the desired one. ''No, not this. It''s more like...'' The sensation of unleashing possibilities to open a closed future felt more urate. Yeonwoo loosely clenched his fist, as if holding the dice in his palm. Then he swung his arm forcefully, like throwing a baseball or hurling dice at a wall. Yeonwoo sensed it instantly. ''It worked.'' The dice rolled powerfully. It leapt high as usual and flung itself forward with great momentum. tter- The dice danced, and five branches of possibility - critical failure, failure, nothing, sess, critical sess - writhed. The world that had been a solid wall blocking the dice shook. A stronger force immediately pressed down on the dice, but the result had already appeared. Failure! Yeonwoo opened his eyes. Joy lit up his face, and his voice was cheerful: "It failed." Though the result was a failure, the experiment had no issues, and Yeonwoo''s abilities had improved. The mood in theb brightened at this oue everyone wanted. The researcher checked some readings on their phone and grinned. They were certain now. This experiment would definitely help. They just needed to gather enough data. As they stuck a failure sticker on the handkerchief, the researcher said: "Good, good. Let''s leave the handkerchief and keep rolling for the other items." "Alright. I''ll roll for the pen next." Yeonwoo loosely clenched his fist again. ''This feels a bit like training or exercise.'' As he swung his hand, the dice rolled once more, and the experiment continued. The dice kept rolling without stopping. ------ Time passed quickly. Despite Yeonwoo''s efforts, many rolls resulted in nothing. There were also many experimental materials - pens, stic bottles, cans, water, coffee, earphones, A4 paper, trash, and so on. After nearly three hours of experimenting, they ran out of materials. The table was neatly covered in odds and endsbeled with failure or sess stickers. "Is the experiment over?" Yeonwoo asked tiredly. The researcher darted out of theb. "No! The more data, the better! Just wait a bit! I''ll bring more quickly!" The sound of rapid footsteps echoed behind the mmed door. Yeonwoo slumped down, rubbing his face. Mark Jung, who had been waiting silently like a shadow, asked: "Are you tired?" "No." Yeonwoo shook his head. The rain had eliminated all physical fatigue. He was just anxious. cing a hand over his chest, he muttered: "My heart''s racing strangely. It feels like I''m walking on the edge of a cliff." At first, it had been fine. The sense of crisis was weak, and even that faint unease seemed due to headquarters'' presence itself. But as the experiment repeated, his heart beat faster. By a certain point, his survival instinct was ringing rm bells he couldn''t ignore. "I don''t know why," Yeonwoo said, wiping cold sweat from his palms. Mark Jung also grew serious. "You''re feeling a sense of danger even though this is headquarters, where there shouldn''t be any risk?" They looked at each other briefly, thinking this question. An investigator''s instincts couldn''t be ignored. Yeonwoo fidgeted anxiously as he spoke: "Is headquarters under attack?" "If we were attacked, rms would sound immediately. And the fallen doomsday cultists don''t have the ability, while other groupsck motivation. It''d be more likely we''re facing a doomsday scenario." Mark Jung quickly checked his phone for information. He shook his head. "The world is safe right now." Yeonwoo''s expression turned grave. ''There''s no problem now. So is it my survival instinct?'' Like how the person who used the love potion had given him a sense of danger, was he detecting some future threat? ''When contamination progresses, senses mutate. Has my survival instinct evolved to detect dangers beyond time?'' Yeonwoo felt utterly frustrated. Sensing danger was good. But... ''What''s the point if I only feel the crisis? I can''t tell what''s dangerous.'' An attack? A doomsday scenario? Was the experiment going wrong? Was the dice causing an ident? What he needed to do depended on the cause of danger, but not knowing left him only mentally prepared. "Mental preparation isn''t necessary," Yeonwoo grumbled. As a survivalist, his mind was always ready, and he was equipped as best he could be. Meanwhile, Mark Jung carefully contacted a director. He sent a few brief messages. The reply came quickly. "The director says to continue the experiment. They can handle one big problem easily." "What level of ''big problem'' are we talking about?" "A doomsday scenario or Level 6 danger attack? Don''t worry." Yeonwoo sighed at Mark Jung''s assurance. Not knowing the cause, there wasn''t much else he could prepare anyway. ''Let''s just hang in there for now. Whatever ident happens, this is headquarters after all. There''s even an ordinary bullet right in front of me.'' Just then, the researcher returned. "I''ve brought lots more materials! Let''s continue!" The researcher held out a box. Inside, mealworms were writhing in a tangled mass. The researcher ced a single mealworm on the table. Yeonwoo stared down at it nkly. "Then I''ll roll," he said. He clenched his fist and threw forcefully. Three hours passed. The three hours Safety Measure 001 had mentioned. The force pressing down on the dice suddenly weakened. The dice leapt high in ce. Much higher than usual, and it seemed to convey emotion. Something like irritation or anger at what had been suppressing it. tter-r-r-r-r- The dice rolled frantically. An intense sense of crisis hit Yeonwoo. ''Critical sess? So this is why I felt uneasy!'' The thought shed by in an instant, and he reflexively pulled the trigger. The ordinary bullet fired, flying towards the mealworm. Bang-! The bullet struck the mealworm''s tail and lodged in the table. The mealworm''s head flew off, disappearing somewhere out of sight. This happened before the dice''s result appeared. Btedly, the dice showed its oue. Critical sess! The possibility manifested. The possibility of the mealworm, now a corpse with only its head remaining, being an anomaly. Yeonwoo gasped for breath. His survival instinct rang rm bells. His heart raced madly. "A critical sess?" asked the researcher. "Yes. That''s why I shot immediately." The researcher and Mark Jung reacted nonchntly. Hadn''t he used an ordinary bullet? The researcher even seemed disappointed. "Since we used the bullet, I guess we should stop the experiment now." "...It''s not over yet." "Your enthusiasm is great, but any more experimenting would be too danger-" "That''s not it. Right now." Yeonwoo trailed off, frantically looking around. Cold sweat drenched his face. ''I don''t know what it is, but it''s dangerous.'' That''s when it happened. Mark Jung, who had been keeping quiet to avoid disturbing the experiment, pointed to a corner of the room. His finger trembled. "Um, Researcher? Yeonwoo? Over there, over there." "Over where-... What is that?" The researcher''s voice and eyes filled with shock. Yeonwoo quickly looked where they pointed. Something brown and mold-like was writhing. No, not mold. "Mealworms?" The mealworm''s severed head had bloomed like mold. Though the body destroyed by the ordinary bullet was gone, it kept dividing. The mealworm''s head began spreading like brown paint. 1 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 8. In a brief moment, it divided uncontrobly. No one present failed to grasp the situation. Mealworm heads dividing infinitely. The researcher muttered nkly: "Isn''t that a doomsday-level dangerous entity?" Left alone, it would multiply endlessly until it filled the Earth. Mark Jung immediately pulled out his phone to report to the director and respond quickly. They couldn''t give this thing time. "Yes! A doomsday-level anomaly has just been created! Emergency measures-" Meanwhile, Yeonwoo leapt up and pulled out a gas torch. "What are you waiting for? We can take care of this now if we burn it all!" "It survived an ordinary bullet. You think simple fire can kill it? We should leave this to thepany and evacuate-" That''s when it happened. Suddenly, the lights flickered. Then emergency lights hidden somewhere began shing red. An urgent announcement red: - Level 6 danger alert issued! Level 6 danger alert issued! Emergency istion measures activating! Between the ear-splitting broadcast, Mark Jung''s bewildered voice could be heard: "What? The Warrior suddenly attacked headquarters? What? The Warrior seems to have reached Level 6?" Hearing this, Yeonwoo put the gas torch back in his bag. The mealworm heads had already multiplied tremendously. Starting a big fire in an isted space would endanger himself too. Yeonwoo spoke calmly: "Is the shelter safe? I mean, can it withstand that thing''s division?" "It''s certain." "Let''s go." With that, the three followed the researcher''s guidance to a room near theb. An ordinary room. A room where no anomalies could exist. As the researcher and Mark Jung were about to close the door with grim expressions, Yeonwoo, face pale, frantically blocked it. His survival instinct had shut off. The rain''s vitality was gone. He couldn''t even sense the dice. He had returned to being an ordinary person. That sense of loss and pain hit him as intense anxiety. "Where is this? Why, why-" "Ah, it''s an ordinary room. Like the ordinary bullet, no anomalies can happen in here. They''ll return once you leave, but-" Lightning shed in Yeonwoo''s mind. ''If I''m trapped in here, I''ll be isted just like that.'' His heart plummeted. Normally he''d just marvel at thepany''s power and be a little wary, but he''d caused a major incident now. He coolly assessed the current situation. ''What ident did I cause? I created an anomaly capable of triggering a doomsday scenario.'' An anomaly that creates anomalies. One that could produce terrifying entities at that. Would thepany tolerate him? This went beyond what could be overlooked even for an employee. On top of that, he''d shown his survivalist tendencies too clearly. Someone who''d do anything to survive, no matter the cost. ''I don''t mind being isted. But if they try to eliminate me...'' In the worst case, special forces might be waiting with guns when the door to the ordinary room opened after the incident was resolved. That''s how potentially dangerous he was. Yeonwoo made his decision. He stepped out of the doorway. His power returned. "I''ll escape on my own." "No, Yeonwoo-" Bang! Yeonwoo mmed the door shut. A doomsday-level anomaly, a Level 6 doomsday cultist, and Yeonwoo''s escape hit headquarters simultaneously. --- 163 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Inside the newly constructed backup hub prepared for the possibility of headquarters being paralyzed, the director''s jaw dropped. "What the hell is that?" The CCTV showed chaos unfolding at headquarters. Suddenly, space shattered and the Warrior walked in with clenched fists. In an ordinaryb, mealworms were dividing. The divided mealworms poured like a waterfall through the path Yeonwoo had opened. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo was fleeing, smashing through all the emergency containment measures. This ident went far beyond expectations. Wasn''t this a bit much, even for them?"A Level 6 doomsday cultist, a doomsday scenario-level anomaly, an elite agent going berserk..." the director muttered in disbelief. To be honest, they had expected some kind of ident. But for all of this to happen at once? This was practically war. ''Good thing we evacuated the important resources just in case.'' The director felt a burning sensation in their stomach as they rubbed their chest. As a precaution, they had implemented the headquarters relocation n the moment Yeonwoo''s visit was scheduled. It had been a brilliant move. They had moved thepany''s top executives, core personnel, important data, and critical resources. "We''ll have to build a new headquarters after this," the director said, trying to think positively. The parking lot and other spaces had been getting cramped anyway. There had already been talk of building a new headquarters. Using this incident as an opportunity to build an entirely new headquarters wasn''t a bad idea. Honestly, they had been using the old one for too long. Maybe they could turn this ident into a chance. As the director pondered how to respond to this situation, they asked, "Did we preserve the data from Yeonwoo''s experiment?" "Yes. Another researcher from the Ordinary Project briefly checked it. They said it''s reproducible enough, and the ultimate goal isn''t just a dream." "Is that so?" If that was the case, there was only one way to respond. They would abandon the current headquarters and use this ident. It would serve as a smokescreen while thepany worked on creating an ordinary world. "Give instructions to the remaining staff and forces at headquarters. Tell them not to engage and retreat immediately. Then naturally leak information to other groups. Tell them headquarters has fallen. Send an official notice too. Say thepanycks the strength to protect the world, so they should cooperate in protecting it." The secretary quickly made calls to various ces. The director''s eyes filled with a cold light as they thought, ''It would be nice if other bastards got caught up in this ident and suffered some damage too.'' A bomb had gone off. It was only fair for everyone to share in the fallout. Just then, another secretary approached, swallowing hard. This one had seen Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo, who had created an anomaly capable of causing doomsday and was now fleeing, destroying all of headquarters'' containment measures. "What should we do about that anomaly? The potential danger is too great." It was an anomaly that creates anomalies. If he ever became irreversibly contaminated, went insane, or fell under mind control, who knew what dangers he might bring? The worst idents that could happen under the name of probability were far more vicious than any Level 6 entity from other groups. "Even the Goldberg Club can''t destroy the world. They don''t have enough gold for that. At most, they mightunch nuclear missiles from various countries. But this..." He had created an anomaly that could bring about the end of the world if left unchecked. With just a bit of luck, mass production might even be possible. But the director nced at Yeonwoo and calmly said, "He''s not an anomaly, he''s still human. And he won''t do anything that would endanger himself either." Sure, he was fleeing like he was having a fit right now, but that was probably because he had panicked after going into the ordinary room and misjudged something. More importantly, an ordinary world was no longer a faint hope but a realistic goal. Yeonwoo had been the biggest contributor to that achievement. Besides, they still needed him as apany weapon for the time being. At that point, the director gave the secretary an order. "You should check on the headquarters relocation n. I''m busy enough as it is." Headquarters was just a space. They had many backup hubs, and even if the headquarters building was destroyed, the Humanity Protection Company would continue functioning smoothly. ------ "I''m going," the Warrior said as he stood up in the dark cave. He exuded a calm atmosphere, and his voice was rxed. The Ghost of the electronic world, who had been beside him, jerked their head up. "Where are you going? You might get attacked if you''re not careful." "To headquarters. I''m going to fight headquarters." "Are you crazy?" "No." The Warrior stared into space, then suddenly clenched his fist. He had felt it since the day he made his resolution. The world within his grasp, the power to shatter the world. "If we keep hiding like rats, sure, we might survive. We might even be able to scrape by without fighting thepany. But what''s the point?" The Warrior looked down at the Ghost of the electronic world. Fire burned in his eyes. "Running away, keeping quiet, avoiding. Can we really defeat the world like that?" The Ghost of the electronic world wore a frustrated expression. With the Smoker dead, it was just the two of them left as leaders. "You''ll die if you fight headquarters, you idiot! You need to live to bring about doomsday!" "Doomsday isn''t my goal. I wanted to fight the world, kill the world, to prove I''m stronger. But is a strong person someone who runs away and puts things off when the enemy is tough?" The space around the Warrior distorted. His aura grew stronger as he continued speaking. The Ghost of the electronic world stared at the Warrior nkly. "Level 6? No, then-" "Even if the enemy is strong, charging in and ultimately oveing them - that''s what being strong means." So, he would fight thepany, the most powerful enemy. Even if death came for him, he wouldn''t run. He would fight and ovee even approaching death. The Warrior pulled back his fist. Power gathered in that fist. The power to strike the world. The Warrior spoke onest time. "I''m quitting the doomsday cult. You''re the only leader of the doomsday cultists now." With those words, the Warrior thrust out his fist. The rule headquarters had prepared, that uninvited guests couldn''t enter, shattered against that fist. Then space cracked open, revealing some part of headquarters. The Warrior straightened his back and walked into the shimmering space. The Ghost of the electronic world silently watched his retreating figure. As the broken space repaired itself, a gust of wind rushed in, wildly tousling their hair. "If you reached Level 6, you should have stayed with us..." In the end, the Ghost of the electronic world lowered their head. Then they suddenly looked up and gripped their phone. A green light gleamed in the Ghost''s eyes. ''I can''t just sit here. If it looks like he''s really going to die, I need to save him. Right, let''s make this ident bigger. The more chaos there is, the more chances we''ll have to rescue him.'' He was a Level 6 focused solely onbat. Even headquarters wouldn''t be able to stop him easily. That mayhem would look appetizing to other groups too. The Goldberg Club would enter under the pretext of supporting thepany, but they''d actually steal information and resources. Artists and demons would join for inspiration and fun. Bzzt- The Ghost of the electronic world briefly scattered into strings of 1s and 0s, then immediately spread information to all sorts of people. Information that this was the perfect opportunity to loot headquarters. ------ ''I''m screwed, I''m screwed, I''m so screwed!'' He should never have epted headquarters'' request in the first ce. Yeonwoo ran frantically down the hallway. Behind him, a flood of mealworm heads surged forward. It made a sound like rushing water. It was already far beyond the point where setting a fire could solve things. Those things were multiplying faster than fire could burn them. As he ran, Yeonwoo messed up his hair wildly. The situation had be as tangled as his hair. "No, no!" Why had he done an experiment to create anomalies? Was he an idiot? If an experiment went wrong, even thepany would be terrified, right? They wouldn''t leave someone capable of mass-producing doomsday alone, would they? From the start, when he first felt that sense of crisis, he should have abandoned everything and run away. ''Can this even be fixed? No, before that, how do I escape?'' The emergency sirens red painfully in his ears. The mealworm heads were chasing him from behind, and somewhere a Level 6 Warrior was probably causing havoc. There was also the potential danger of headquarters itself. It truly felt like he had been dropped into a war zone. Yeonwoo''s senses sharpened to their limits. Tireless vitality surged through him, he sensed the invisible, and his thoughts raced at high speed. ''Escape is the top priority! I can''t use the elevator!'' Yeonwoo had arrived at the elevator without realizing it, but he rushed past. He didn''t know the coordinates for the parking lot or exit. Besides, there wasn''t time to wait for an elevator anyway. A wall of mealworm heads surged forward. "It''s hard to move with the dice too!" Yeonwoo said with a frustrated expression. Whether it was the istion measures or something else, he sensed that the sess rate for spatial movement was extremely low. It would be faster to run a bit and find a ce with a higher chance of sess. He sharply turned his body and dashed towards a corner wall. His senses were heightened to their peak. All sorts of probabilities and possibilities felt almost tangible. ''Not here. I need to move more.'' The image of dice briefly shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Those dice began to roll. Continuously, without stopping. The possibility of a hole opening in the wall, the possibility of one step bing ten, the possibility that a door''s lock had malfunctioned and wasn''t under emergency containment. Sesses came one after another, as if he were possessed. Yeonwoo ran without hesitation. He crossed through empty offices, corridors, and parks - headquarters seemed deserted, as if the employees had already evacuated. A wave of mealworm heads followed through the gaps in the broken containment. "Not here, not here either. Here, movement? Is short-distance movement possible?" That seemed doable with a little effort. Yeonwoo swung his hand sharply. He shook off the force suppressing movement. The possibility that he would be in the ce with the highest probability of spatial movement within headquarters. tter- Sess! And then, Yeonwoo''s view changed. It was the parking lot. Wrecked cars and shattered spaces were scattered about, and even thepany''s containment measures and rules had been broken. He couldn''t feel the force suppressing spatial movement anymore. "It worked! Now I can move-" Just as Yeonwoo broke into a wide smile: "Finally, I see someone from headquarters. I was getting bored since there didn''t seem to be any headquarters people around despiteing all this way." An excited voice came from behind him. A voice brimming with fiery fighting spirit. Yeonwoo spun around. There stood the Warrior. "Ah, Yeonwoo? The elite agent who killed Eraser. If I beat you, it means I''m stronger than the boss, right? Good, let''s fight." The Warrior took a stance. "I''d rather not," Yeonwoo said. He called upon the dice. A roll for spatial movement. --- 164 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here ''That''s insane. Why would I fight?'' The parking lot was literally in shambles. Even at a nce, everything from space to rules seemed shattered. The Warrior who caused this destruction was at least as dangerous as that doomsday cultist who wielded the Eraser. Fight someone like that? When he didn''t even know how headquarters viewed him? Yeonwoo made a quick decision. ''Dice. The possibility of me being in the investigation team''s office.''Maybe because it was like his home, or because it was his workce, this possibility had the highest chance of sess. With a little more effort, he could almost guarantee it. Yeonwoo made a gesture as if grabbing the air. tter- The dice rolled. Threads of probability gathered and writhed in one ce. The approaching future shook chaotically. The Warrior felt those threads too. His expression instantly contorted. ''Ugh. What is that? It''s disgusting.'' The sight of thin, long threads tangling together looked like worms or parasites squirming. It was truly repulsive. Judging by the power shaking the world, it was strong, but its appearance was utterly off-putting. The Warrior spread his palm. As if swatting a mosquito or flying insect. "Get that away!" His palm swung lightly. That casual gesture unleashed a storm. Crash! Space crumpled and shattered along the path of his palm. The world couldn''t withstand it. The threads of probability summoned by the dice couldn''t resist either. The tangled threads burst and scattered, carried away by the shockwave. And then, Yeonwoo reached out his hand. ''No!'' The aftershock whipped his hair around. The fierce wind stung his eyes. Tears welled up in his wide-open eyes, but Yeonwoo desperately moved his gaze to follow the scattering possibilities. ??¦Á????¨§s ''Bring me sess!'' His hand moved with his gaze, grasping at possibility. The possibility of Yeonwoo being in the investigation team''s office. The moment that possibility was about to manifest. The Warrior swung his hand once more. He didn''t know what it was, but it was an enemy action, so he blocked it. Bam-! His palm, swung down as if crushing a cockroach, shattered the manifesting possibility. The dice stopped. It couldn''t produce any result. This was the first fundamental blockage Yeonwoo had experienced since the Eraser. "..." "..." A brief silence fell between the Warrior and Yeonwoo. They had different thoughts. The Warrior wore an ufortable expression. How to put it, his fighting spirit was fading. ''Fighting something like that isn''t cool.'' Why did he want to fight and defeat the world, to prove he was the strongest? Because it was cool. Because it was romantic. But this... Fighting something bug-like seemed a bit messy. He imagined the scene of the Eraser fighting Yeonwoo. ''Did he scatter those gross threads, and the boss erased them, and eventually died to the threads he couldn''t erase?'' The Warrior stepped back in horror. This wasn''t the kind of fight he wanted. Above all, Yeonwoo, seen up close, was weaker than him. At best, he could shake the world? He had no interest in fighting and beating someone weaker. ''A weak and disgusting guy. Let''s avoid him. There must be plenty of strong enemies in headquarters, no reason to fight this kind of thing.'' That''s when it happened. Yeonwoo, who had been looking down for a while, raised his head. Something like madness glinted in his eyes. Thread-like possibilities, symbolizing potential, slowly unraveled and rippled around Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo spoke in a low voice. "Headquarters. Are you watching? I''ll deal with this doomsday cultist for world peace. So please consider the ident I caused as a mitigating circumstance." His escape route was blocked. It was just like when he faced the Eraser. ''If I want to live, I need to eliminate this danger.'' A life-threatening enemy. Kill him. While also building up a justification to cover his own ident. Yeonwoo wrapped himself in threads of probability and lunged at the Warrior. ------ His mind spun wildly. His high-speed thoughts formed the optimal battle strategy. ''The basics are the same as when I faced the Eraser.'' Keep rolling the dice. Attack like crazy, don''t give the enemy a chance to strike back. Offense is the best defense. tter- The dice rolled. The possibility of the heart stopping, the possibility of the Warrior not being an anomaly, the possibility of the Warrior losing his purpose. And that wasn''t all. He drew out the chaotic nature of the dice. All sorts of threads of possibility unraveled wildly. The Warrior responded simply. Rapid strikes. He quickly threw punches in session, hitting all the disgusting threads. He shouted angrily. "It''s pointless!" All the writhing possibilities were struck and vanished. But Yeonwoo, ying the role of a devotedpany employee, didn''t give up and shouted with a sense of duty: "Doomsday cultist threatening humanity! Die!" Bang-! The gun he''d pulled out somehow fired a bullet. Yeonwoo''s shout and the gunshot echoed through the parking lot. The Warrior, grimacing, extended his leg. The curved trajectory knocked away the bullet and went on to catch Yeonwoo''s neck. Yeonwoo''s eyes shed. His senses sharpened. Not the sense of the dice. Survival instinct. ''Survive!'' He sensed the danger and felt the path to survival. His reaction speed transcended limits. In an instant, Yeonwoo''s body bent bizarrely. His upper body and head tilted sideways, and the Warrior''s foot grazed past his ear. Swish! Though the leg just brushed by, it sounded like a de cutting through air. And it wasn''t just once. The Warrior didn''t miss the chance to go on the offensive. ''Die!'' Out of habit, he kept his mouth tightly shut to maintain steady breathing. The Warrior moved his legs as if dancing. His two feet became a storm. Horizontally, vertically, in curves, diagonally, his de-like legs extended endlessly. Sharp wounds were left in space. Yeonwoo dodged them all. Crouching, rolling sideways, leaping up, bending his body. His reactions were far from normal. ''Why won''t he die? How is he dodging all this?'' The Warrior kicking out his feet wore a strange expression. Gritting his teeth, he frowned. Yeonwoo seemed to be seeing the future. Like a skilled fighter predicting attacks just by sensing posture and muscle movements, he was already dodging before the attacks extended. Even if his posture looked ridiculous, the Warrior couldn''t hit Yeonwoo. Finally, the Warrior opened his mouth. "You cockroach-like-" "I won''t tolerate those who threaten humanity''s survival!" A momentary opening as he spoke. Yeonwoo charged in. The dice rolled, and bullets poured out. Like mealworms spilling from an overturned container, writhing threads gushed out in a torrent. Thin threads twisted their bodies and densely filled the space. It looked like a swarm of insects descending. "This is driving me crazy!" The bullets weren''t a problem. They wouldn''t even scratch him if they hit. The problem was the threads that kepting no matter how many he destroyed. And when he tried to attack Yeonwoo, the source of the threads, he dodged frustratingly well. Not just direct hits from fists or feet, but even the aftermath of shattering space was easily avoided. On top of that, Yeonwoo''s voice grated on his nerves. "As long as I don''t fall, you won''t bring down headquarters, doomsday cultist!" His exaggerated and awkward voice sounded like someone who couldn''t act trying to force it. The Warrior gritted his teeth. His impression of Yeonwoo changed in his mind. From a weak and disgusting guy to a weak, persistent, and disgusting guy. ''I should avoid this kind of guy. Even if I win, I''ll feel gross.'' He really wanted to smack him hard on the head, but it wasn''t worth it. What he wanted was a life-or-death battle with a strong enemy, not this kind of petty, dirty fight. "Damn it! Alright, I''ll-" "Apany employee doesn''t listen to a doomsday cultist!" "You son of a bitch!" Finally, the Warrior cursed and swung his fist forcefully. The approaching threads scattered. The Warrior didn''t miss that moment. He pulled back his clenched fist to his waist and then thrust it towards the sky, the parking lot ceiling. His full-power strike hit headquarters. Screech-! Headquarters screamed. Space and the world shattered, and a round hole opened in the ceiling. Not just one. As if aser had passed through, it prated from the parking lot to several floors above. And then, plop, plop, it began to rain. A rain of mealworm heads. The mealworm heads, which had already multiplied to their limit, flowed down through the path the Warrior had opened. The Warrior, about to leap up, stared nkly into space and then brought his hand to his face. He grabbed a mealworm head stuck to his face. "This is." Mealworm heads multiplying between his fingers. Looking closely, they weren''t even alive. Just the heads of dead mealworms dividing. The Warrior, watching with dull eyes, clenched his hand. Squish, the multiplying mealworm head was crushed. As if in response, more mealworm heads poured down. Looking up at them, the Warrior cried out: "Headquarters! Are you saying you won''t give me the fight I want?" He finally understood headquarters'' intentions. The reason why he couldn''t see even a shadow of a person despite breaking into headquarters. Instead of the resolute battle the Warrior wanted, they had prepared a meaningless and petty mud fight that he hated. To stop the Warrior with a wave of cockroach-like Yeonwoo and mindlessly dividing mealworm heads. ''This isn''t even a fight!'' Whoosh- The mealworm heads fell like a rainstorm, engulfing the Warrior. A brown waterfall poured into the parking lot. Both the Warrior and Yeonwoo were swept up in the waterfall of mealworm heads. --- The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! 165 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Thepany''s official notice and the information spread by the Ghost of the electronic world reached various groups almost simultaneously. News about headquarters was top priority, so the information quickly made its way to the highest levels. A director of the Artist Association went deep into the Seoul Arts Center. The door, beautifully crafted from gold, jewels, and stone, was tightly shut. The director spoke from beyond the closed door. "President, we''ve received information about headquarters. It seems they''re in crisis. What should we do?" Silence hung in the air beyond the door. The Association President usually stayed in a private room to minimize the effects of beauty. In a dark room, illuminated by soft lighting, they were observing a piece on the wall when they raised a hand to their ear, listening to the world''s whispers.The sound carried by the wind. The whimpering of the world struck by the Warrior, the world''s drunken-like mumbling, confused by the dice''s chaotic nature. This alone wasn''t enough to understand. Something had clearly gone wrong, but... "Show me," the President said. It was a request from the world''s most beautiful being. The world obliged. Moisture and light in the air shifted, recreating the scene at headquarters like a mirage. The parking lot flooded with mealworm heads. The Warrior''s punches making the mealworms burst, and Yeonwoo, swept up by mealworms with only tentacle-like threads poking out. "Ack!" The President squeezed their eyes shut and pped their body. It was a literally horrifying sight. Mealworm heads gathered in swarms. A disgusting scene that made their whole body shiver. Goosebumps rose on their skin. Sensing this reaction, the world quickly erased the mirage. The President trembled, forgetting their usualmunication tablet, and shouted: "Don''t worry about headquarters! It''s not beautiful there!" The mealworms were obviously disgusting, the Warrior was the embodiment of destruction, and Yeonwoo had changed into something wrong, like a loach. His movements, slipping and sliding to avoid danger, were appalling. Even the world seemed shocked. They didn''t want to bring such things to the Arts Center. "Ignore headquarters!" That sincere voice, more beautiful than any song, rang out and captivated the director''s mind. The director, losing all sense of self, faithfully carried out the order. Thus, the Artist Association was the first to choose to ignore the situation. Other groups reacted simrly. Demons of chaos, gambling, and the like sensed headquarters and recoiled. The naturally flowing concepts and information made them step back. That ce was ''real''. It wasn''t a game stirred up for fun or interest. "That''s... We can''t handle that kind of chaos." "No, no. Gambling with those things would cost us our necks." It was practically a battlefield with three Level 6 entities shing. Space shattering, the world screaming, doomsday approaching. Even demons were terrified by this ident. They had never created such chaos in the first ce. They didn''t have that ability. At most, they might take advantage of a war to topple a stronghold. ?? Faced with a real disaster, even the demons regained their senses. "What''s headquarters doing? Aren''t they going to stop this? What if the world getspletely destroyed while they keep fighting?" "No, look. Two of them belong to thepany." "Are they crazy? This could go horribly wrong. Shouldn''t we step in and try to resolve this?" As conceptual beings from hell, a negative second dimension, demons fed on and weaponized human thoughts and concepts. Humans were their friends. They could y pranks asionally, but they couldn''t let everyone actually die. "..." "..." The demons wore serious expressions. The battlefield''s destruction was slowly exceeding safe levels. Broken and cut space no longer repaired itself. The Warrior hadpletely beaten down the surrounding world. The fallen world began to change strangely under the possibilities Yeonwoo had unleashed. Gravity malfunctioned, causing debris, cars, and mealworms to float around. Concrete fragments and rebar moved on their own, illusions ovepped. And on top of that, the endless downpour of mealworms. The world and order had copsed. Even an archdemon, governing many vices and high-dimensional concepts, would die instantly if caught up in this. "Can''t Abaddon, the demon of pestilence, control those multiplying bugs? Oh, they''re corpses." "We''d die just entering that ce." "The demon worshippers in hell... No good. It would make things worse." The demons'' mouths gaped, then their heads drooped. There was no solution. If demon worshippers, more dangerous than demons, came to this world, it would fall apart faster. That worshipper who willingly entered the demon world to avoid hurting people was one who turned the world into hell. The powerless demons said: "...Thepany will handle it. Let''s check on the demon self-governing region and call in some worshippers." The mealworms, Yeonwoo, and the Warrior were all forces unleashed by thepany. Thepany must have a n. Having forced this rationalization, the demons gathered in their self-governing region. Meanwhile, the Goldberg Club''s decision was the slowest. On the top floor of a downtown skyscraper. The Chairman red at the gold bar in his hand. His furrowed brow revealed deep contemtion. There was only one concern. "What question should we ask?" The question to pose to Golden Omnipotence before taking action. Unlike simple disys of power, the cost of information was hard to gauge. Sometimes, information obtained at the price of massive gold was difficult to use properly. Understanding and utilizing the value of information wasn''t easy. Information about headquarters was inherently expensive to begin with. The Chairman, turning the gold bar over in his hands, saw his own eyes reflected in its surface. ''I should see the scene with my own eyes first.'' He swiftly moved his hand, offering gold to Golden Omnipotence. Seeing distant ces was cheap in this era. It was even cheaper now that the Warrior had destroyed security measures and the like. Headquarters came into view in the Chairman''s gold-tinged eyes. Mealworm heads, Yeonwoo, the Warrior. The chaotic parking lot. He quickly interpreted the information as he shifted his gaze. ''The mealworms seem to be an anomaly thepany had hidden. Yeonwoo is thepany''s elite agent. The Warrior has reached Level 6. Other headquarters personnel...'' Security guards and employees had mostly evacuated. High-ranking officials didn''t seem to be at headquarters to begin with. It looked like they were repelling the Warrior at just the right level. Of course, the talk of headquarters falling was nonsense. Were they using this as an opportunity to test other groups'' true intentions? Or perhaps minimizing damage by borrowing other groups'' hands? The Chairman made a decision. Picking up another gold bar, he said to his secretary: "The Club will not intervene in this matter." Headquarters would suffer significant damage, but that wasn''t the Club''s concern. If it were a disaster that the real Humanity Protection Company couldn''t handle alone, that would be different. But why offer support for a simple fight? Recklessly jumping into a battlefield where Level 6 entities like nuclear bombs were shing would only result in losses. There was no need for the Club to share in headquarters'' losses. Though the fight''s aftermath was serious, thepany would handle it well. "Let''s just issue a statement after thepany resolves the situation." "Yes. I''ll prepare a draft." Just as the secretary was about to leave: - Are you enjoying the show? Is this entertaining? The Warrior, his body submerged in the waves of mealworms, suddenly looked into space. His face red with anger, gritting his teeth, crushing the endlessly pouring mealworms, he sensed a gaze. The Chairman''s and Warrior''s gazes met across space. - If it''s so fun,e fight too, or get lost! The Chairman quickly withdrew his gaze, but he was a bitte. In his darkening vision, the Warrior''s fist came through space. A fist aimed precisely at the Chairman. "Ugh!" Blood flowed from the Chairman''s eyes. He staggered back a few steps, covering his eyes. The life insurance he had prepared glowed, healing the wound, but the recovery was slow. It was a strike from the Warrior that could destroy worlds. Though it had only grazed him from a distance, the injury was terrible. "Chairman!" "Quick, get medical attention!" The surrounding secretaries approached in rm, but the Chairman waved them away. Blood dripped from his hand. A calm voice emerged. "It''s fine. This is actually good. We can say we were also attacked by the Warrior." He had been hit by an attack best avoided. The Chairman decided to y deadpletely. Thus, three groups chose to watch from the sidelines. Thepany, more rmed by the situation''s severity than expected, began preparations to end the ident quickly. They prepared to burn the multiplying mealworm heads, using that heat to boil water and permanently run turbines. And they issued the order to kill the Warrior. "Tell the Ghost to move. Stop rummaging through headquarters." ------ Swept up in the wave of mealworms, Yeonwoo first held his breath. He tightly closed his mouth and used both hands to cover his nose, mouth, and ears. ''I can''t swallow these bugs.'' These were multiplying mealworm heads. If they entered through his ears or nose and divided inside, he could be torn apart from within. Swallowing them wasn''t safe either. What if they multiplied faster than stomach acid could dissolve them? His stomach would burst. ''Still, it''s less dangerous than that Warrior.'' Poof, Yeonwoo''s head poked out above the flood of mealworms, and he looked at the Warrior. "Damn it! How is this any different from a punching bag!" The Warrior wore an irritated expression as he threw punches. Like bombs exploding underwater, mealworm heads burst into fountains. Mealworms caught in the Warrior''s attacks werepletely crushed and destroyed. The surrounding world had also reached its limit. The broken, cut, and torn world couldn''t recover, and the damaged world was contaminated by the possibilities Yeonwoo had unleashed. Order vanished, and chaos arrived. Dust fell like stones, and broken cars melted into liquid, oozing down. Rebar poking out between concrete walls wriggled and slipped out like worms. Yeonwoo rolled his eyes around. ''Should I make a run for it now?'' A clear chance to escape appeared. The Warrior was just wary of him. Thepany would handle the mealworms. It was the perfect moment to flee. Thoughts flowed through Yeonwoo''s mind. ''I''ve stalled for enough time. I''ve said all the right things as apany employee, and it''s actually the Warrior who''s destroyed everything.'' Surely thepany''s perception of his danger level had decreased somewhat? Just then, the perfect opportunity arrived. Suddenly, the Warrior looked into space and burst out angrily. "Are you enjoying the show? Is this entertaining?" It was the prying gaze of the Club Chairman. Yeonwoo felt that gaze too, but he didn''t feel difort. Rather, he felt grateful. The Warrior''s attention waspletely focused on the Chairman now. It was a chance to escape without interference. ''Dice! Movement, to the investigation team-'' "If it''s so fun,e fight too, or get lost!" And then, a gunshot rang out. Bang-! --- 166 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Right after the Warrior struck the Club Chairman: The flow of mealworms falling from the hole in the ceiling diminished. Like rain letting up, the stream of mealworms weakened. Beneath it, the Warrior lowered his head to look at his chest. Red blood flowed from his heart. A bullet had pierced it precisely. He couldn''t block it. He couldn''t heal. It was as if an ordinary person had been shot. "...""..." Yeonwoo, forgetting to call upon the dice, looked around in shock. Someone else was here besides them. An assassin armed with an ordinary bullet. ''Who... obviously apany employee. Where are they? Are they going to shoot me too?'' The filter of survival instinct oveid the world of probability and possibility Yeonwoo sensed through the dice. Senses that had been operating separately came together. A strange sensation extended like feelers, detecting dangerous probabilities and possibilities approaching Yeonwoo. It was insight bordering on predicting the future, a telescope revealing the future where Yeonwoo would surely survive. ''Danger!'' Yeonwoo''s eyes darted around. He felt he could almost grasp the things that could kill him. The Warrior, and the Ghost of the Intelligence Department. The Warrior and Yeonwoo''s heads turned simultaneously, looking somewhere. Their gazes followed something moving slowly. A person who seemed to belong here naturally, whose traces in the waves of mealworms seemed ordinary. The Warrior spoke to that thing which had momentarily deceived even their perception: "Ghost of the Intelligence Department." Apany elite agent contaminated in a natural fluorescent vest. In the view of the two men with their senses heightened to the limit, they saw the Ghost smiling awkwardly. They marveled to themselves: "Wow, so this is Level 6. No one could perceive me when I wore the vest. It''s really different from what I read in documents." Even that voice flowed naturally like white noise. Voice, appearance, behavior, everything blended into the environment. While Yeonwoo, recognizing a familiar face, watched warily, the Warriorughed hollowly. "Is this my end? Dying from a gunshot?" The Warrior ced his hand over the wound. His frantically beating heart grew weaker bit by bit. Blood and life flowed out through the hole pierced in the center of his heart. R?? Death approached slowly. A futile death, different from the Warrior''s wish. The atmosphere around the Warrior, which had been a mess of irritation and anger, settled calmly. Little life remained. A pure me formed in the Warrior''s eyes. If one cannot kill death, what should one do? Even if dying, one cannot die in vain. The Warrior looked at the Ghost of the Intelligence Department, at headquarters beyond them, and finally fixed his gaze on Yeonwoo. The enemy he had looked down on. "I was wrong." He had dismissed an enemy weaker than himself. Even though that enemy was practicing the Warrior''s own realization - to charge at a strong opponent regardless of sess or failure. In the end, hadn''t Yeonwoo unleashed chaos to confuse senses, persistently clung on, and even created an opportunity for the Ghost of the Intelligence Department to deliver a fatal blow? "I shouldn''t have ignored you." Recognizing his enemy with such a clear mind, he saw something new. Unlike himself who couldn''t ovee death, one who avoids death. A human who has drawn out the fundamental survival instinct of living beings to its limit. The Warrior smiled at this strong person who had walked a different path. "Alright. I''ll kill you." Killing one who even the world cannot kill. An achievement more impressive than making the world cry. In a world grown quiet, even his heart stopped. The Warrior spread both palms wide, then slowly clenched his fists. Gently curling from his pinky to his index finger, he ced his thumb over his index finger. Carefully, as if learning martial arts for the first time. Recalling only his initial mindset. The multiplying mealworm heads around him were crushed and pushed away. Yeonwoo''s pupils dted. Terror that made his hair stand on end washed over him. Swish- The threads of possibility rippling around Yeonwoo scattered and vanished on their own. He could no longer spray random possibilities. "Dice!" Yeonwoo called out for the dice aloud. The Warrior, slowly pulling back his fist, left Yeonwoo be. This was his final strike. He didn''t want to hit a defenseless enemy. It was right to sh with full force. Yeonwoo also responded to the Warrior''s wish. The situation wasn''t one where he could think about moving or anything else. An instant stretched like eternity. Lightning shed in Yeonwoo''s mind, his senses transcending limits intertwined. Yeonwoo urately grasped the information. ''Is the future closed off? No. This is...'' The future was deste. A few secondster, the Warrior had definitely killed Yeonwoo. It meant the probability of survival had be zero. Only then did Yeonwoo realize the limitations of the dice. ''It can''t manifest possibilities that don''t exist.'' In a world overflowing with anomalies, all sorts of things could happen with extremely low probabilities, but even that wasn''t enough in front of a Level 6. Bloodshot eyes filled Yeonwoo''s gaze. ''So, I''m going to die like this? No. There''s no unavoidable death.'' As always, he''d survive somehow. In the stretched-out time, survival instinct convulsed. The survival instinct that usually just slept during safe times was activated to its limit in the face of crisis. The survival instinct that had grown alongside Yeonwoo through dangers crossed the boundary of Level 6. It opens a future with only death. If a path to survival doesn''t exist, create it directly. Yeonwoo, his heart racing madly, and the Warrior, his heart stopped, locked eyes. The stretched time elerated. Huff, the Warrior who had taken a short breath thrust out his fist. Yeonwoo fell backward, dodging the fist. ------ Darkness like ink was sprayed along the trajectory the fist had passed. It was pure darkness where even light had died, a scar left on the world. A scar that would never be erased. "..." "..." Neither Yeonwoo nor the Warrior spoke. Yeonwoo, fallen backward,y on the mealworms gasping for breath as he stared at the ck trajectory before him. ''I survived...'' If he had been hit by that, he would have really died. He wouldn''t even have been able to roll for resurrection. It was an attack that killed even that possibility. The Warrior sighed. It was the strongest punch of his life, but in the end, he couldn''t kill. He had no choice but to acknowledge it. "You disgusting bastard. You won." "I didn''t win, I survived." Yeonwoo said as he staggered to his feet. Victory was never his concern to begin with. It was good to survive even if he lost. Conversely, winning meant nothing if he died. The Warrior stared at Yeonwoo for a while, then sighed. It was a value system hard for him to ept, but he let it slide. ''There''s no sane human at Level 6 anyway.'' Though it seemed Yeonwoo had crossed the boundary while fighting him. The Warrior looked down at his heart. He had rampaged like a tiger that keeps moving even after being shot in the head, or a wild animal that keeps running even after being hit by a car, but even his tenacious life had reached its limit. With all regrets and attachments gone, one curiosity arose. "...Was this bullet made from the boss''s Eraser?" It was a bullet that erased even his defense and regeneration. No matter how he thought about it, it felt like the Eraser had been broken into pieces to make the bullet. Yeonwoo avoided his gaze and looked away. He couldn''t answer about a secret weapon. The Warrior came to his own conclusion. "Wasting the Eraser like this. I don''t understand what thosepany bastards are thinking." It seemed fitting for a doomsday cultist to die by the boss''s Eraser. The Warrior smiled faintly, then slowly fell backward. A death without regrets came to the Warrior who had struck the world and turned headquarters into chaos. Yeonwoo looked down at the Warrior with deep eyes. What he had seen and experienced at headquarters. The ordinary room and bullet. The Warrior''s attack that left no path to survival. It was too dangerous a world to be happy about reaching Level 6. There were far too many things threatening his life. ''Thepany is the most dangerous. There''s no answer for that room and bullet.'' Yeonwoo nced aside. The Ghost, who had been sneaking closer, opened their eyes wide. "Wow. This is a first for me. How can you see me when I''m wearing the vest? Did the dice give you some kind of sense?" Yeonwoo watched the Ghost with an ufortable expression as they circled around him curiously. Though he had considered them an awkward acquaintance he''d met by chance and Yoo Ji-yoo''s sister, what he''d just seen showed they were the worst assassin. Who could withstand it if they approached naturally and fired an ordinary bullet? Only the Artist Association President or the world itself might help by making the gun malfunction on its own. ''No, this person might even be able to make the world see firing a gun as natural.'' They were truly dangerous. He must never take his eyes off them. ''I should look into getting a bulletproof vest just in case.'' Yeonwoo, with his vulnerable human body, was lost in thought when he stepped back. "Um, senior. Do you know any news about headquarters? I made a small mistake..." "A mistake? Ah, so that''s why... I thought there was some kind of containment n." "...What kind of n?" The Ghost smiled shyly as if embarrassed. "I just happened to see it while wandering around headquarters since I rarely get toe here." "No, are you talking about my containment n? What''s the content of it?" Yeonwoo asked urgently. It wasn''t something he could gloss over. ''They even made a containment n? Should I run away quickly now? No, I need to know the information. So I can deal with it.'' Vitality welled up in his body, exhausted from the fierce battle. The Ghost handed Yeonwoo a single document. "I took it out since you''re my sister''s colleague, and I''ve seen you at the counseling center before. It''s not really that important." Yeonwoo snatched the document and quickly scanned the text. The writing was very brief and simple. Summarized, it went something like this: This guy''s a survivalist, so if we provide a shelter, won''t he go in on his own? And if we give him some basic survival necessities and inte, he probably won''te out, right? Yeonwoo nodded in relief. ''This isn''t containment, it''s protection.'' If this was the containment n, he weed it. They''re giving him a house, food, and even money. Yeonwoo, no longer sensing threat from the Ghost as his survival instinct turned off, made ns to resolve this incident. "I should ask to be contained." Wasn''t it natural to be disciplined if you caused an ident? ''It would be a problem if they pretended to take me to a shelter but put me in an ordinary room instead.'' That anxiety subsided a bit with the Ghost''s next words. The Ghost made a disgusted face looking at the mealworm heads multiplying everywhere. Mealworms that the Warrior had ground up were still dividing. "Ugh, it''s gross. No matter how tempting perpetual motion is, this is a bit much." "Perpetual motion?" When Yeonwoo asked curiously, the Ghost excitedly exined: "Like an infinitely rotating cogwheel, it''s power that can be used without worrying about depletion in ces like shelters. Thepany has been steadily preparing emergency resources for a long time. This seems to be one of those resources." A light of hope gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. His thought process twisted reality. ''Then there''s no reason for headquarters to view me negatively, right?'' He hadn''t created an anomaly capable of causing a doomsday scenario. He had created a resource to solve the energy crisis. He hadn''t broken out of containment and fled alone. He had quickly mobilized to stop a doomsday cultist threatening headquarters. Shouldn''t he receive some kind of award from headquarters for this? Like a merit award or something. --- 167 - Headquarters TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Peace returned to headquarters. The Warrior was dead. The mealworms were collected by whatever method thepany used, as if teleported away. Only surreal, painting-like ruins remained. Space was shattered in ces, rebar slithered around like snakes, melted cars pooled in puddles, and concrete debris swirled through the parking lot. The Ghost hunched their shoulders. "It''s almost be two-dimensional. I''m not sure if headquarters can be restored. It''ll take a really long time." This was due to the possibilities Yeonwoo had unleashed. Thews of the world had loosened, turning part of headquarters into something like a spatial anomaly.Yeonwoo scratched his head. ''Thepany will handle the cleanup anyway.'' It happened while fighting the Warrior. They couldn''t me him for this. How would thepany evaluate him? That was the only worry left in his mind. Thinking positively, his actions were close to heroic, but negatively, he was a walking nuclear bomb. Spreading radiation-like chaos and creating dangerous elements like the mealworms. ''Even I think it''s a bit much. It''d be unsettling if something like me existed in the world.'' Who knows when or where a critical failure of the dice might happen. Just as Yeonwoo''s expression turned serious: Beep- A mechanical sound came from the phone the Ghost was carrying. A message had arrived. The Ghost looked at their phone and sighed with disappointment. "They''re telling me to return now that the mission''splete. Ah, I wanted to snoop- I mean, look around headquarters more." They hadn''tpletely fooled thepany''s eyes, leaving traces of unlocking security and essing records. Evidence of the information they had secretly viewed remained clearly. It was fine to freely steal information when emergency rms were ring, but not now. ''Is that okay? Ah, well. This person seems like a Level 6 candidate too.'' Yeonwoo watched the slightly off-kilter Ghost, then rxed. They were even leaving an information thief like this alone. It didn''t seem like they''d rashly contain or kill him just because he was a bit dangerous. And suddenly, well-founded confidence filled Yeonwoo''s face. ''Even if headquarters turns against me, well.'' Couldn''t he survive well enough? He was specialized in survival, after all. Even for headquarters, dealing with him would be difficult. Just then, the Ghost waved one hand shyly. "Well, I''ll be going now. See you next time if there''s a chance." "Take care on your way back." It was time to part ways. The Ghost left the wrecked parking lot naturally. They had barely taken a few steps when their retreating figure blurred faintly. As the distance increased, they faded from perception. Yeonwoo let out a small sigh. His confidence vanished. He pped his own cheeks. "Don''t let your guard down." Carelessness was danger. Take the doomsday cultists, for example. He had underestimated them after killing the one with the Eraser, but suddenly the Warrior emerged at Level 6. Even though the doomsday cultistsgged a bit behind other top-tier groups, they had produced two Level 6 forces. You never know how the future might unfold or how potential might explode. After pacing around briefly, Yeonwoo made up his mind. ''Thepany is the best. Sticking with thepany is safest.'' Thepany''s military power and informationwork. In every aspect, it was better to stay with thepany. Yeonwoo looked for the elevator. He knew the code for theb where Mark Jung had taken shelter in the ordinary room. He nned to go there and talk seriously. After a few steps. Yeonwoo suddenly jumped in fright. Something hit his foot and shot up. "Ack! What the- ...it''s rebar." It was the rebar that had been slithering around like a snake. The rebar that had been struck raised its head, had a staring contest with Yeonwoo, then quickly turned away. Yeonwoo rubbed his wide-open eyes. Then he hunched down and looked around sharply. "It''s dangerous here too. This won''t do. Let''s go quickly." So Yeonwoo returned to theb using emergency exits and elevators. ------ Theb was neaterpared to the parking lot. Books,puters, and odds and ends were scattered about due to the flood of mealworm heads, and pirs and walls were deformed from the pressure of the multiplying mealworms, but it was nothingpared to the chaos in the parking lot. The mealworms had already been collected. Yeonwoo cautiously stepped into theb, then blinked. "You''re back? It seems the situation has ended." He ran into Mark Jung, who had juste out of the ordinary room. His clothes were neat. Hisplexion was normal. Unlike Yeonwoo, who was covered in dirt and dust from fighting the Warrior. "..." Yeonwoo looked down at a piece of ss on the floor. His face was reflected in the ss shard. A grimy, tired face. Suddenly, regret washed over him. ''Ah. I should''ve just waited in the ordinary room.'' At least then he wouldn''t have had a life-or-death battle with the Warrior. Thepany would have handled both the mealworms and the Warrior. ''No, that''s not right. I wouldn''t have reached Level 6 then. This is... this is good. I''ve done a service for thepany. Right? That''s right?'' As Yeonwoo tried to console himself, Mark Jung looked around theb and smiled bitterly. "Theb''s a mess. It seems the experimental data was preserved separately on the server, but it''s a shame about the damaged equipment." Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut. ''If this is a mess, then the parking lot I saw...'' Yeonwoo, lost in useless thoughts, soon snapped back to attention. He lowered his voice. "Can you contact the Director?" "They''re busy, constantly on the phone." It was natural for the Director to be busy. Headquarters had been nearly half destroyed. They would need to tally the damage and make ns for restoration. And maybe, perhaps. ''They might be evaluating me.'' A trace of tension shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. He imagined the Director in a dark meeting room. People discussing how to evaluate Yeonwoo, and the Director drawing their thumb across their throat. - An anomaly that creates anomalies. A threat to humanity, so kill him. Then Safety Measure 001 would suppress the dice, and the Ghost would approach with an ordinary bullet. ''No way.'' Yeonwoo, having imagined the worst case, shuddered. Just then, Mark Jung spoke: "Try contacting them on your phone. They''ll probably answer your call." Because you''re an elite agent of thepany. Yeonwoo hesitated for a moment, then got the number from Mark Jung and called the Director. The ringing tone felt oddly unsettling. Yeonwoo swallowed hard. Then a voice came through. It was the Director''s voice. - Special Investigator Lee Yeonwoo. You did well this time. The experiment results are good, and the mealworms have high utility. Anyway, you don''t need to worry, so rx. The Director, truly busy, rattled off these words and hung up. Yeonwoo stared nkly at his phone screen. A perfunctory response that came back without much effort. If they had intended to be hostile, they would have responded more sincerely to put him at ease. ''It''s fine.'' The corners of his mouth twitched. He felt like he might burst outughing. All his worries and anxieties disappeared. If that was the case, there was only one thing left to do. ''Let''s get contained- I mean, isted.'' He was already living in the investigation team''s office without a home. This was a chance to get a house. Mark Jung watched Yeonwoo strangely, then his eyes widened at Yeonwoo''s next words. Yeonwoo bit his lip hard to calm himself, then said seriously: "I think I''ve caused a big ident this time. I created an anomaly capable of causing a doomsday scenario. I should be disciplined." "It''s fine since it was created through an experiment requested by thepany." Mark Jung replied immediately. They couldn''t hold him responsible for something that happened because headquarters ordered it. But Yeonwoo shook his head. "I broke a lot of thepany''s containment measures while escaping. Simple discipline isn''t enough, I should be contain-" "What are you saying! Why would we contain you!" Mark Jung was rmed. Contain? Yeonwoo? Sure, there was a n, but in the current situation, they shouldn''t even mention the word ''contain''. Mark Jung guessed at Yeonwoo''s psychology. ''Is he anxious because he created a doomsday-level anomaly? Afraid thepany might deal with him?'' If so, he shouldn''t stimte that anxiety. He needed to reassure him with unconditional trust. One wrong move and he might explode. ''If Yeonwoo explodes now, can headquarters withstand it? I don''t think so.'' The fate of headquarters rested in his hands. Mark Jung spoke desperately, almost pleadingly: "Absolutely, absolutely not. That wouldn''t be right. If anyone even mentions the word ''contain'', I''ll stake my life to stop them." "But still-" "No matter what idents you cause, as long as you''re apany employee, thepany will never turn its back on you!" The sound of their argument echoed through theb, and soon, employees who had evacuated returned and noise filled headquarters as they investigated the scene. ------ The Director truly worked busily. "A perpetual motion machine using mealworms? It shows the highest efficiency when cooperating with the Green Association? This isn''t my department, so send it to another director." "The headquarters relocation n has been modified? ...When am I supposed to review all this? You look it over first and summarize it for me." "Have we not figured out the movements of other groups yet?" Facing a flood of reports and contacts, they clutched their throbbing head while floundering. ''I wish I had about five bodies.'' It was an impossible wish. Only humans could rise to high positions in thepany, and even the use of anomalies for convenience was restricted. Live life like other ordinary people, and don''t lose your human sensibilities. Just then, one secretary hurried over. "Director, here''s the Ghost''s report." "Give it here." The Director immediately checked the elite agent''s report. The hastily written report was quickly read. ''So Yeonwoo encountered and faced the Warrior. He created an opportunity for the Ghost to nt the ordinary bullet, and even dodged the final attack.'' The meaning was simple. Yeonwoo had reached Level 6. A Level 6 force had been born for thepany. But the Director, unaware of survival instinct, stroked their chin and muttered: "The contamination speed is too fast... Is it the nature of the dice?" How could a human who had obtained the dice less than a year ago be contaminated so quickly? Had the mist''s contamination had that much effect? It should have taken at least a year, even at the shortest. This was merely idle curiosity, and the Director moved on. There was too much work. They looked at more reports that hade in during that short time. It was a report submitted by the research team studying [Project: Ordinary World]. "Now that we''ve acquired the fundamental technology, we need to research other foundational technologies necessary for our goal? Hmm, tell them to proceed." Thepany moved ceaselessly, even today. --- 168 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here After finishing his request, Yeonwoo had no reason to stay at headquarters. He left in a hurry, almost like he was running away, and returned to the investigation team''s office. A few dayster, when Yeonwoo opened his eyes in the morning, he let out a deep sigh of disappointment. "They''re not even going to contain me..." His voice, filled with regret, echoed in the messy room. It was a cramped space with only a hastilyid out nket, and various items like water bottles and gas burners scattered about. This was the spare room in the investigation team''s building, where Yeonwoo stayed.Yeonwoo slowly got up, scratching his head as he looked around the room. Honestly, he didn''t have anyints. He could eat and live without problems, and the team leader, who had signed the contract, could defend the ce as thendowner. But after reaching Level 6 with his survival instinct, he''d developed some ambition. ''I think it''d be okay to get a proper house now.'' No matter what ident might happen, it should be fine to move into any house in an uninhabited area, right? He didn''t need to worry about the safety of the house or other factors anymore. He only needed to consider the people who might get caught up in idents and his own preferences. For example, a shelter in a remote location. Apany shelter that could produce its own energy and be self-sufficient in food even if disaster struck. ''Should I just ask thepany? They might give me one since I''m Level 6, right?'' Lost in these idle thoughts, Yeonwoo suddenly jumped up. Faint light from the rising sun shone through the window. It was time to quickly wash up and go to the office before the team leader arrived. Yeonwoo rummaged through the clutter around him, found his toiletries, and moved leisurely. And so another day began. ------ In the lit office. Yeonwoo clicked his mouse. The screen was filled with documents rted to the Human Qualification Exam. These were recently updated documents, and their number and responses were unusual. Researchers were arguing fiercely, almost at each other''s throats, and people from other departments were also chiming in, adding fuel to the fire. Are humans certified by the Human Qualification Exam really human? This single topic had sparked a small fire that was spreading. ''It seems to be because of the document I uploaded.'' The report and proposal Yeonwoo had submitted earlier. It all started because of the contamination resistance of the Human Qualification Certificate. Yeonwoo awkwardly moved his mouse around, then quickly read the report with the highest number of views. To summarize, it showed experimental results that the ''human'' granted by the Human Qualification Certificate continued to function as human even when contaminated by other anomalies. The problem was whether that human was truly human. All sorts of rebuttals were attached. Does that mean animals that pass the test are real humans? Humans granted by anomalies aren''t human. Isn''t it just a transformation of existence? Aren''t we creating a ''human'' anomaly? Even the Extinction Representative and departments in charge of ethics and morality joined in, turning it into aplete mess. We should treat those who pass as contaminated. What are the criteria for being human? Are cloned humans human? And so on. Yeonwoo''s eyes spun as he read the long and confusing text. His mind was overloaded. "What''s all this about..." The researchers were already usingplex and difficult terms, and at some point, the sentences became so long that he couldn''t understand them even when he read them. Feeling dizzy, Yeonwoo quickly closed the window. As the default desktop appeared, the confusion subsided. ''So, it has a resistance effect, right?'' That''s all that mattered. It meant you could maintain your sense of self, didn''t it? Yeonwoo began counting on his fingers. He associated each finger with one of his anomalies. Rain, survival instinct, dice, Human Qualification Certificate. ''The rain has no potential. The survival instinct is Level 6. The dice is retreating in the face of the boundary.'' Yeonwoo''s expression darkened. The moment his survival instinct reached Level 6, the dice''s contamination slowly began to decrease. The sense of possibility and probability he could feel when he concentrated was gradually fading. The survival instinct had judged the dice''s contamination as a danger. It was preventing the loss of self. It might be moving towards a future where he wouldn''t face dangers in the first ce, or perhaps it meant that if he became contaminated by the dice, even the survival instinct couldn''t prevent the loss of self. That''s why he needed the Human Qualification Certificate. To prevent the survival instinct from judging the dice''s contamination as dangerous. Because Yeonwoo had developed a small ambition. The desire to raise the dice to Level 6 as well. "It''s a shame to give up on the dice." Survival was about preparation and readiness. The more tools you could handle, the better, and the dice was a versatile tool. Even if thrown into extreme situations, he could return immediately, and he could create food and water even if there were none. Yeonwoo''s thoughts deepened. ''The Human Qualification Certificate. Does it have the potential to resist the dice''s contamination?'' Thepany hadn''t shown much interest in the Human Qualification Exam until now. Although it had the potential for mass destruction, they could handle it well enough. The certificate, a byproduct, wasn''t dangerous, so it hadn''t been researched much. In the end, Yeonwoo would have to experiment himself. Yeonwoo took out the Human Qualification Certificate from his bag. When he turned the leather cover of the passport-like certificate, he saw his ID photo and text certifying that he was human. Looking down at the ID photo, Yeonwoo muttered softly. "I think I need to raise its level." How could he do that? Yeonwoo thought of his survival instinct. The power he had crossed the boundary with himself. If he referred to that example... ''The survival instinct was stimted in the face of danger. The dice contaminated itself because of its chaotic nature.'' If he acted ording to the essence of the anomaly, if he acted in a way that understood and became one with that anomaly, wouldn''t there be some change? Yeonwoo came up with an idea. ''Will the Human Qualification Certificate be strengthened if I act human-like?'' It was an idea worth trying. Act human-like while observing the certificate. Of course, the standard of ''human-like'' was a problem, but Yeonwoo didn''t worry about it. Since he was human, he just needed to act like himself. As Yeonwoo shook off his concerns and was about to break into a refreshed smile: Clunk, the door opened and the team leader walked in. "Oh. Yeonwoo." "Hello." Yeonwoo bowed his head in greeting, and the team leader looked around with uneasy eyes. The team leader had heard the news too. That when Yeonwoo went, headquarters was smashed to pieces. Even the usually unppable team leader was now anxious. After standing at the doorway for a while, scanning the surroundings, the team leader cleared his throat when Yeonwoo gave him a strange look and said: "Right. Ji-yoo''s taking a few days off on vacation. And Jae-min will starting to work from tomorrow." Choi Jae-min, the parent detector. Yeonwoo asked curiously: "He hasn''t graduated yet?" "They did itst week, apparently. He doesn''t really need training either. Just show him some paperwork while Ji-yoo''s resting." Seems like they did it earlier than expected. Yeonwoo nodded. It wasn''t difficult or dangerous work anyway. "Alright." ------ "Hello! I''m Investigator Choi Jae-min!" Choi Jae-min, who had arrived earlier than the work start time, greeted them energetically. Dressed in a new-smelling casual suit, Jae-min looked a bit awkward. ''Mom told me to leave early since it''s my first official day at work, so I came early, but...'' The team leader and Yeonwoo had apparentlye much earlier, already sipping from coffee cups they''d mostly emptied. The team leader chuckled and looked Jae-min up and down. "You bought some nice clothes. They suit you." "I didn''t want to buy them, but Mom insisted." Jae-min scratched his cheek. Having worked as an apprentice investigator a few times during his student days, he knew. Investigators didn''t wear suits and such. They worefortable clothes for investigation work, and since they were field workers, it was simr even in the office. The team leader nodded. "Other people''s weddings... No." It seemed odd for someone who had just graduated to wear a suit to someone''s wedding. Both Jae-min and Yeonwoo''s faces showed questions about whether it wasn''t fine to just dress neatly. The team leader quickly corrected his words. "You need at least one suit for funerals." "Right? Mom said I should get a suit tailored now that I''m a working adult. ...Is Ji-yoo not here?" "Oh, Ji-yoo''s on vacation." At that point, the team leader jerked his chin towards Yeonwoo. "Learn the paperwork from Yeonwoo for a few days." Yeonwoo raised his hand slightly and waved. Jae-min smiled and sat down at Yoo Ji-yoo''s desk. "What should I learn first?" "Um..." Yeonwoo stared into space for a moment, then recalled the first document he had written. He said: "How to write an incident report?" He still couldn''t write reports well, and other documents were clumsy too, but he was confident about incident reports. It was probably the best official document he had written. The team leader, who had briefly turned his attention away, turned back with an incredulous look. "No, why are you teaching that first?" "Well, it''s okay to write reports sloppily, isn''t it?" Yeonwoo looked away and offered a reasonable excuse. In formal reports, they don''tin as long as the information about the encountered anomaly is included. Incident reports are more important. Yeonwoo said seriously: "To survive, you might often need to do things that require writing incident reports." You might need to set fire to a mountain, blow up a department, or lose a confidential weapon. To get through those situations smoothly, you need to write good incident reports. The team leader waved his hand. "Teach him how to write reports first. He''s been to the field a few times, but he''s never written a report." "Reports are..." He usually writes them sloppily. Yeonwoo nodded with difficulty. "You can write reports roughly. They don''tin as long as all the information about the encountered anomaly is included." Jae-min took out a notebook and pencil and started taking notes as if he were in ss. The team leader opened and closed his mouth a few times, his head aching, then let out a deep sigh and gave up. --- 169 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here A few days passed. Choi Jae-min, who had worn a new suit, starteding to work in casual sportswear. Under Yeonwoo''s bad influence, even the little professional mindset he had as a new employee hadpletely disappeared. Click click click! Jae-min''s face contorted as he furiously clicked his mouse, leaning forward. "Come on, what''s our team doing!"He had died while ying a team game. As always, ming others, Jae-min''s eyes glowed blue. Those eyes could see the parents of his teammates. Above their nicknames, he saw their parents'' situations. Some parents were sick, some had passed away. Jae-min, who was about to type passionately, hesitated for a moment. His irritation subsided instantly. Mentioning parents and cursing here would be a bit... "Ah, we lost." As Jae-min scratched his head, feeling deted: Whack-! Yoo Ji-yoo, who had returned from vacation, smacked the back of Jae-min''s head hard. His head snapped forward, then bounced back like a spring. "Ow! What was that for!" "You''re just tantly ying games?" Ji-yoo red at him, and Jae-min pouted his lips. When there was no investigation work, they had so little to do that it was practically like resting on standby. At most, they might take out the trash or clean the office. Couldn''t he y games during that boring time? But Ji-yoo didn''t ept suchints. She shouted at the team leader: "Team leader, look at this kid! He''s practically turned this into an inte cafe!" "Uh..." The team leader, who had been dozing off sprawled in his chair, opened his eyes with difficulty. Just that was enough to make Jae-min flinch and back off a bit. He owed the team leader for saving him when he was about to be isted and experimented on as an anomaly. Jae-min looked at his desk. Theputer he had bought with money saved while working as an apprentice investigator gleamed brightly. The gaming mouse and keyboard shed in rainbow colors. ''Is it a bit much?'' Come to think of it, he hadn''t seen any teachers working like this in the staff room. The team leader spoke hazily, still drunk with sleep: "That, what is it. Keyboard. Right, don''t m the keyboard. It''s noisy." It didn''t matter if he yed games or whatever. As long as he did his investigations properly. You need to put in effort when needed, and rest when you can. The team leader started dozing off again, and Ji-yoo wore a dumbfounded expression. Wasn''t this too much freedom? Ji-yoo looked at Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo. Say something to this kid." Yeonwoo, who had been browsing some donation websites, nced over. The shy, glowing keyboard and mouse. Plus a high-specputer. He shook his head. "You should''ve bought tools with that money." Every itemcked practicality. Wasn''t it wasteful to buy such things when he didn''t even have personal equipment? Besides, even though Jae-min could detect anomalies by identifying parents, hecked the ability to survive encounters with anomalies. Jae-min blinked. "Don''t I have a gun?" "What''ll you do when you meet an anomaly that''s immune to guns? Or if you fall into some strange space? You should at least carry a survival kit-" Ji-yoo smacked her forehead. She was at a loss for words in front of these hardcore investigators. She wondered if maybe she couldn''t understand the investigator''s mindset because of her family''s influence aspany employees. In the end, Ji-yoo gave up, lightly smacked Jae-min''s head, and turned her attention to Yeonwoo. "Are you making donations?" Yeonwoo had opened various donation websites and was browsing through them. He smiled awkwardly. "I''m thinking about trying it out." No matter how normally he lived, his Human Qualification Certificate showed no signs of stirring. He nned to try various actions he wouldn''t normally do and observe the results. Make donations, do volunteer work. ''Or maybe do something bad instead...?'' Just as a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes: Yeonwoo received a phone call. He answered immediately. A tired voice came through the phone: - Please help the less fortunate. My insurancepany haspletely copsed. I don''t even have food to eat today. Please help me. Yeonwoo was about to hang up on the spam call he asionally received, but he changed his mind. "Alright. Give me your ount number." - If you help me just once, I''ll repay-. What? Really? Yeonwoo replied calmly to the excited voice: "Tell me the ount number." - Then I''ll tell you right away! Yeonwoo immediately sent a considerable amount of money to what seemed to be a foreign ount, given the unfamiliar bank name and strange number format. The other person burst into pure, joyfulughter and repeatedly expressed their gratitude. Their voice was so heartfelt that Yeonwoo could almost imagine them bowing their head over and over on the other end of the line. - Thank you, thank you so much! I''ll repay you right away! "You don''t need to-" - I''ll tell you the day you''ll die! Yeonwoo''s eyes suddenly widened. Various thoughts raced through his mind. Was it a scam? An anomaly? It couldn''t hurt to be careful. Yeonwoo quickly made a decision. He wouldn''t listen. In case it was an anomaly. In case it might create and fix his death date. Just as Yeonwoo was about to end the call, a bewildered voice came through the phone: - Huh? Huh? Why can''t I see your death date? "...An anomaly?" At that quiet voice, everyone in the investigation team turned their heads. The dozing team leader suddenly sat up, grabbing the contract, and Ji-yoo approached the fluorescent vest storage. Jae-min looked around, unsure what to do, then gestured for Yeonwoo to show him the phone. To identify the parents. But Yeonwoo waved his hand. A panicked voice came through the phone: - Wh-who are you? I''ve really never done anything bad. I just took money and told people their death dates, and helped them resurrect in the afterlife! Yeonwoo thought for a moment. There certainly wasn''t a sense of danger. It didn''t seem to be at the level of fixing death like a curse. Normally, he''d report this to thepany right away, but Yeonwoo decided to do a good deed for once. "I''ll give you the Club''s number, so try doing business with them. Telling people their death dates could be profitable, right? Say you came on the rmendation of Yeonwoo, a friend of the Club." This was a win-win. The Club would give him gifts, and he''d introduce them to a product. ''I''d like to get more time-buying bills.'' Mixing in some greed, he gave the number for the Korean branch manager of the Goldberg Club, and the call wrapped up. - Thank you! I''ll engrave this kindness in my bones and never forget it! With that, the call ended. Yeonwoo felt the investigation team members looking at him incredulously. They stared at Yeonwoo with their mouths slightly open. Ji-yoo said: "What kind of anomaly makes phone calls? No, before that, is it okay to hand it over to the Club without reporting to thepany? Ah. I guess it''s fine for Yeonwoo." She answered her own question. Even her sister, the Ghost of the Intelligence Department, freely stole confidential information... Yeonwoo, a simr elite agent, seemed to have some freedom from the rules too. Yeonwoo shrugged. "I''m nning to report it to thepany too. And if that''s dangerous, isn''t it a bit safer for it to talk to people screened through the Club rather than calling just anyone?" An anomaly that hadn''t been fully identified yet. If there was any danger, they could use the Club as a filter to screen out indiscriminate civilians during the time it would take thepany to contain it. Jae-min''s eyes lit up. "Won''t you get dragged off to the Intelligence Department?" "...Jae-min. You''d get dragged off if you did this. He''s, well, his status is special, so it''s okay." The team leader sighed deeply and shook his head. At least it could be seen as an action for the safety of ordinary people. Still, he felt worried. He didn''t know that Yeonwoo''s treatment had changed after reaching Level 6. Yeonwoo hadn''t particrly mentioned it. "Still, be careful. Even elite agents are part of thepany, so while thepany might turn a blind eye, they won''t overlook defection." Just as he was finishing up some minor nagging and Yeonwoo was starting to feel anxious about possibly making a mistake: Waah¡ª¡ª! A faint baby''s cry was heard. Everyone looked towards the office door, and the team leader quickly moved his mouse to turn on the CCTV screen. Through the camera, they could see a baby wrapped in a nket crying loudly. A baby abandoned inside the office building''s entrance was wailing. Ji-yoo was startled. Here ites, her wariness spiked. In the end, Yeonwoo''s ident had brought an anomaly to the investigation team- The team leader, who had rewound the CCTV footage, stood up from his seat. "...An olddy left the child and went. I''ll bring the baby in for now." "It''s not an anomaly?" Ji-yoo asked again. The team leader nodded with a gloomy expression. The screen he had nced at showed a hunched olddy gently caressing the baby''s cheek before carefully leaving the child. ------ The team leader brought the baby in. Wrapped in a tattered nket, the baby was squirming in Jae-min''s arms. Jae-min looked down at the baby with shaky eyes. The investigation team members gathered around, each wearing a different expression as they looked at the baby. The child, eyes wide open as if able to see, looked up at the ceiling while wriggling its body. Ji-yoo poked its chubby cheek. "The baby''s not crying and is so well-behaved. Even in an unfamiliar ce. So cute." They all felt the same emotions. Pity and bitterness, and a desire to protect. As if half of themselves was this child. Like looking at their own offspring. Meanwhile, the team leader was reading a letter. A yellowed paper that had been tucked in the nket. Written in crooked handwriting with poor spelling, it seemed to be from the grandmother who had left the child. Soon, the team leader sighed deeply and neatly folded the letter. "The grandmother says she has no family or rtives, and she''s dying soon so she can''t raise the child anymore. She says it''s a good and lovable child, so please... Ah." A deep sigh filled withplex emotions escaped him. Yeonwoo blinked as he looked at the baby. Would he feel these emotions if he had a child? A sense of relief andfort circled in his chest. ''50 percent of my genes.'' Even if he died, if he had a child, half of himself would remain in the world. Such thoughts came to mind. That''s when it happened. Jae-min swallowed hard and looked at the team leader. "Team leader. What are you going to do with this child?" "Well..." The team leader looked at the child with emotional eyes. It was hard to respond professionally to a child that strangely tugged at his heartstrings and made him feel a parental love. Normally, he would contact thepany and send the child to a connected protection agency, but the team leader hesitated and said: "Let''s keep the child for a while. We should try to find that grandmother." He wanted to hear the full story. If possible, it would be better for the child to live in the hands of ordinary people in a normal world rather than with apany institution. They all nodded, feeling a familial love for the child. But suddenly, Jae-min shouted, his voice cracking: "Then! Let me investigate!" "You?" "I just became an official investigator, right? I want to try investigating on my own. It''s not dangerous work anyway." The others gave him strange looks but let it slide. "Then go with Yeonwoo. I''ll look after the baby." "With, with Yeonwoo?" Jae-min looked at Yeonwoo with shocked eyes, then back at the child. He saw the nk space above the child. [Father : ] [Mother : ] It was an anomaly. An anomaly that would make Yeonwoo freak out. That was the impression Jae-min had gotten from talking with Yeonwoo over the past few days while learning the job. "Th-that, that! Wouldn''t it be better training or practice if I do it alone?" The child needed to be protected. Even if it was an anomaly, it should live as a human. Just as he wasn''t a monster, the child wasn''t a monster either, and it had the right to live as a person. He couldn''t let the child be handed over to thepany, have its identity exposed, and be locked up in ab for life. And he definitely couldn''t let it near a dangerous person like Yeonwoo. ''If I find the grandmother and talk to her, and if I sense anything strange...'' Even Yeonwoo wouldn''t go that far, but Jae-min, with his strongly distorted impression, sincerely believed so. But Ji-yoo reached out and took the baby into her arms. "How are you going to investigate? The grandmother''s probably long gone by now. It''ll take days if we report it to the police. It''d be better for Yeonwoo to use his connections." "I do have some acquaintances in the Intelligence Department, and I can borrowpany resources." The baby in her arms looked up at Ji-yoo with innocent eyes. Then it nced at Yeonwoo nearby and giggled. A faint smile yed on Yeonwoo''s lips. "It''s better to live safely in the ordinary world." It wouldn''t be good if the child grew up in apany protection agency and ended up bing apany employee, living each day twisting their body. Jae-min''s expression darkened slightly, but in the end, the two decided to search for the grandmother. The two left the office. --- 170 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Traces of the doomsday cultists'' terror attack still lingered on the streets. Burned buildings, police tape blocking doorways, and people walking around with gloomy expressions. As they stepped onto the street, Jae-min nced around nervously before asking in a low voice: "How are we going to investigate?" Yeonwoo, who had been walking absentmindedly, suddenly stopped. A realization struck him, and he let out a quiet exmation. "Oh. I should''ve contacted someone at headquarters first. Why did wee out right away? We could''ve just called from the office."He had acted before thinking. It was an embarrassing mistake, if you could call it that. Yeonwoo scratched his head awkwardly, while Jae-min eyed him suspiciously. Suddenly, he wasn''t so sure about Yeonwoo. But then Jae-min''s face brightened. ''Maybe failing the investigation would actually help the baby.'' If they found traces of an anomaly while talking to the grandmother who left the baby, it could end badly. Istion, experiments, exclusion, and such. However, Jae-min''s expression quickly darkened with worry as his thoughts went further. ''But still, what if that baby is dangerous? ...Nah, it can''t be. That grandmother brought it, after all.'' If it had been killing people or causing bizarre phenomena, she wouldn''t have left it at an office-like ce. "Yes, it''s me. I need some help-" At that point, Yeonwoo called Mark Jung. The other end seemed extremely busy, so the call ended quickly, but Yeonwoo managed to get help from the Intelligence Department. Gathering CCTV data, thepany''s advanced AI tracked the person''s movements. A route was drawn in real-time on a map. The trail ended at a nearby apartmentplex. Yeonwoo shook his phone after zooming in and out of the map. He turned his head in a certain direction and strode forward energetically. "Let''s go." It was close enough to reach in about 40 minutes on foot. And so Yeonwoo moved ahead without much thought, while Jae-min''s face alternated between darkness and light as he was lost inplicated thoughts. ------ They stopped at the entrance of a five-story building. It was the apartment building the grandmother had entered, her home. The Intelligence Department had provided excellent support. They had obtained the suspected grandmother''s personal information and extracted urate data byparing things like property records for each unit in the building. Although the Intelligence Department had given them the answer, Yeonwoo and Jae-min hesitated to enter. "..." "..." They shuffled their feet in front of the grimy ss door, their faces a mix of uncertainty and tension. They shared the same concerns. ''How should we start talking? How should we have this conversation? What if she doesn''t even open the door?'' It was their first time doing something like an question or investigation. Plus, it didn''t seem like the grandmother who had left her child would cooperate easily. "Ah. Um..." It was a high-difficulty problem. Yeonwoo, not confident in his conversation skills, felt it was as difficult as a house where you die if you ¨€¨€. Jae-min also looked like he had hit a wall. Jae-min was the one who gathered his courage. "Let me try." Just as Jae-min, with his lips tightly pressed, solemnly grabbed the door handle, Yeonwoo stopped him by grabbing the back of his neck. "No, wait, just a second." "We can''t just stand here doing nothing. Let''s just go in-" "No, I have a way." As Jae-min was arguing, he turned around. A fluorescent light shed across the grimy ss door. Yeonwoo pulled out a natural fluorescent vest from his bag. Yeonwoo shook out the vest with a thwack and said: "We can use equipment." What did it matter if he couldn''t talk? He could just borrow the power of anomalous equipment. Besides, it was for the baby''s sake, so the cause was good. Jae-min''s eyes widened. He was so taken aback that he could barely speak. "That, that. We''re supposed to keep that in storage-" Suddenly, a realization struck Jae-min. He shouldn''t learn everything this person taught him. He was practically awless person who ignored rules and lived as he pleased. But such confusion soon disappeared. "It''s fine. Let''s go." Because it was a natural thing. Yeonwoo wearing the fluorescent vest, them being here, visiting someone''s home. Creak, the building''s main door opened. Yeonwoo went down the stairs. Towards the grandmother''s basement room. It only took a few words to open the tightly closed door. "We''re here for an inspection. Please open the door." ------ The door opened. Through the gradually widening gap, they saw a hunched grandmother. The deeply wrinkled grandmother looked up at Yeonwoo, holding a tattered rag in one hand. "Wee." Yeonwoo reflexively assessed the environment beyond the door first. Near the entrance, trash was neatly organized. A garbage bag mixed with a few empty form cans, baby diapers, and such. The house, which seemed to be inhabited by the grandmother alone, was filled with a musty smell, and an old refrigerator struggled to operate, groaning. ''It''s not... dangerous, is it?'' Yeonwoo stepped inside, taking off his shoes. He bowed his head slightly in greeting. "We''re here to do an inspection and ask a few questions." "Mmm. Alright. Come on in." The grandmother weed Yeonwoo without suspicion. Because it was natural. Just then, Jae-min hurriedly caught up and opened the door that was about to close. He smiled awkwardly and bowed. There was a faint trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Hello, grandmother!" The grandmother looked at Jae-min. As Jae-min tensed up, about to stammer out some excuse, Yeonwoo added: "He''s a new employee who just started working. Is it okay?" Although the fluorescent vest''s effect didn''t apply to those words, the grandmother nodded vaguely. She seemed uninterested in most things. "You look so young. That''s admirable. Come in,e in." The two followed her inside. In the small space that served as both kitchen and living room, the grandmother struggled to unfold a wooden table. She was trying to offer some hospitality to the guests who hade. "I''ll help you!" Jae-min rushed over and easily unfolded the wooden table. The short legs spread out smoothly, and the faded wooden table was set up. "Have something to drink." The grandmother slowly opened the refrigerator door and practically climbed inside, fumbling around for drinks. Jae-min watched the grandmother, then bit his tongue again. His eyes locked onto Yeonwoo. ''Wake up! We came here to protect the baby!'' They came to help the baby live as a human in society. They needed to hide its identity from thepany, from Yeonwoo. Just as a parent might disy superhuman strength in the face of their child''s crisis, Jae-min''s willpower broke through its limits to resist the perception distortion. Yeonwoo naturally realized this fact. He couldn''t miss the nces. But he didn''t think much of it. ''An investigator should be able to do at least this much.'' Shaking off vest-level perception distortion increases the chances of survival. At that point, the grandmother brought out barley tea she had kept in the refrigerator, along with two cups. "I don''t have much for young people to drink..." "It''s okay! I was thirsty anyway!" Jae-min eagerly received the ss bottle and poured the water with a gurgling sound. Thoughts raced through his mind. How to start the conversation, what to ask. But Yeonwoo, wearing the fluorescent vest, watched the water falling in an arc and suddenly spoke: "You left a baby, right? I have some questions about that." Having put on the vest, there was no need to beat around the bush. He didn''t have that ability anyway. Ssh-! Jae-min''s hand shook violently, spilling water all over the table. The grandmother also stepped back in surprise. Both of their eyes darted around frantically. A brief silence fell. Just as Yeonwoo was about to speak again: The grandmother hunched her shoulders and said: "I did a terrible thing to that baby. But what could I do with so little life left? If I die and that child is left alone..." "No, no!" Jae-min waved his hands frantically. Flustered, he spoke urgently. For a moment, his gaze swept over Yeonwoo. A look that said, ''Why are you stabbing people so directly?'' Yeonwoo also felt a pang of conscience and averted his eyes slightly. Soon, the old woman''s story began, and the two listened attentively. "The baby is a bit sick, but so good. I wanted it to go to good people if possible." ------ The story was simple. An orphan grandmother who had struggled through life found a baby in her younger days. One day, as she was barely getting by, a baby abandoned in front of her house smiled in her arms. The moment she saw the baby''s smile, she epted it as her own child and raised it with devotion. A baby that didn''t age. Wariness, questions, and realizations shed in Yeonwoo and Jae-min''s eyes. The grandmother lowered her head, staring at the corner of the wooden table as she muttered: "I guess the baby had a disease that prevented it from growing properly. I saw it on TV. They said there''s a disease that stops growth." Yeonwoo vaguely remembered something like that too. Was it Hignder syndrome? ''But can that appear at such a young age?'' He asked: "Didn''t you take the baby to a hospital?" "How could I? I looked into it. They said there''s no cure. What if the baby just gets hurt from needless injections?" Is that so? Doubt and wariness mixed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. It wasn''t iprehensible, but it felt a bit unsettling. Like seeing something straddling the line between anomaly and ordinary. But he couldn''t just barge in because the baby really did seem like a simple baby, and his heart was stirring. He felt a desire to protect it. He couldn''t just leave, but he couldn''t stay still either. As Yeonwoo was struggling to find his bearings, caught between parental feelings and reason: Jae-min wore a relieved expression. ''It''s not dangerous. It''s just a baby that stopped growing. ...But what should we do?'' Worry also mixed into Jae-min''s expression. It would be a problem to simply send it to a protection agency. A child that doesn''t grow would soon be caught in thepany''s informationwork. Perhaps a child that can''t live a normal life should rather be in apany institution- At that moment, Yeonwoo''s voice came: "Jae-min. That baby doesn''t have parents, right?" It was a question asking if it was an anomaly. A chill ran down Jae-min''s spine. Jae-min turned his head, his hands trembling. There was Yeonwoo, frowning deeply in intense thought. Only a short time had passed, he had only gotten a few clues, but he had reached the truth. It was the result of suspecting that he had fallen into danger, that he had been influenced by an anomaly. ''...Did I feel these emotions when looking at other babies?'' It was a stronger emotion than what he felt watching news or videos. As if he had be a parent and that baby was his child. An intense feeling that he needed to protect and guard it no matter what. Of course, it might feel different seeing it in person, but Yeonwoo, who had experienced so many idents, even doubted that emotion. If that baby was manipting emotions to create a caretaker for itself that couldn''t grow... In Yeonwoo''s head, thought circuits ran to shake off the influence. ''I''m 100 percent. The baby is 50 percent. Half. If it fully inherited me, that would be a disaster.'' He recalled the Demon of Sloth. Hadn''t they tried to kill each other? A sensation like being doused with ice water washed over him, and soon the emotions were pushed back. Yeonwoo raised his head and looked at Jae-min. Certainty settled in his eyes. "Right?" ng-! Jae-min dropped his cup. That reaction came back as a definite answer, and Yeonwoo smiled. ''What? It''s not even that dangerous. Then we can just hand it over to thepany.'' Thepany would take good care of it and raise it appropriately. Thepany wasn''t an hical organization that would even mistreat babies. Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief. Anyway, it was a story ending well without any idents. --- 171 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo realized it. The fact that the baby was an anomaly. An unsettling light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes, and shadows fell across his slightly bowed face. He was like a bomb with a burning fuse. Jae-min felt like his head was about to explode. All sorts of thoughts surged in his mind. ''I have to protect the baby. But how?'' Fight and subdue him? Impossible. Though he might be a bit stronger physically, that guy went crazy when survival was on the line. If awless person like that ignored the rules while armed with anomalous equipment...In the end, Jae-min''s thoughts led to one conclusion. Persuasion. Jae-min hung his head low. His voice came out trembling, choked with tears. "Yeah... It doesn''t have parents... That baby doesn''t have parents. But it''s not danger-" At that moment, just as Yeonwoo nodded and Jae-min quickly raised his head to look at him: "Y-you-!" The grandmother''s face contorted. Her wrinkles deepened even more. Tears welled up in the old woman''s eyes. Somehow finding the strength, she abruptly stood up and red down at Jae-min. "You little bastard! I''m that baby''s mother! I raised that baby with love! It''s not a baby without parents!" "Uh, huh? No, grandmother, that''s not what I-" Jae-min awkwardly stood up, waving his hands, but it was toote. Thanks to the fluorescent vest, Yeonwoo''s words were ignored, and the grandmother''s anger was directed entirely at Jae-min. Whoosh-! The grandmother grabbed a bamboo broom. She swung it roughly, swatting at Jae-min repeatedly. Even as Jae-min frantically tried to escape, the broom persistently chased after him. "Ack! Ack! Grandmother, calm down for a sec- Ack!" "You little brat! You! You!" Dust flew everywhere. Yeonwoo rolled his eyes around, assessing the situation, then quietly stood up. He hurriedly ran towards the entrance. "Run away!" He had figured it all out. There was no reason to stay any longer. He shoved his feet into his shoes haphazardly and dashed out the door. Jae-min, still letting out short yelps, quickly followed Yeonwoo out of the basement room. The grandmother chased after them for a few steps, then stopped at the entrance. ? Thud, the broom fell. The grandmother, breathing heavily, suddenly lost all strength and copsed on the spot. "..." After hanging her head for a moment, the grandmother fumbled around and pulled out a photo. A family photo taken at a studio long, long ago. In the faded photo, a younger version of herself held the baby in her arms, smiling as if she owned the world. Her wrinkled hand caressed the baby in the photo. A soft whisper escaped her lips. "Live well, my child." As a beloved baby, it would live well wherever it went, whoever became its parents. In the basement room where only the hum of the old refrigerator could be heard, the grandmother stood up, clutching a damp rag. The baby was gone, and she would soon be gone too. She hoped the ce she left behind would be clean. Shadows of people passed by the basement window, and the voices of Jae-min and Yeonwoo faded into the distance. ------ "Ah, I got dust in my eye." Jae-min wiped away tears, rubbing his eye with one hand. Dirt had gotten in while he was being hit with the broom. His eye felt itchy. Yeonwoo neatly folded the fluorescent vest and stuffed it into his bag, then nced sideways at Jae-min. ''How could he say something like that in front of the grandmother?'' Though he himself was fine because he wore the fluorescent vest, Jae-min should have been more careful with his words. He looked more like someone spewing insults than a parent detector. This guy must have personality issues too. That suspicion deepened with Jae-min''s next words. Jae-min nced nervously at Yeonwoo with bloodshot eyes. He fidgeted with his fingers, and his steps dragged. "What are you going to do with that baby? Like, like, exclude or elimin-" "What?" Yeonwoo, who had been walking ahead, stopped in his tracks. He turned around, his eyes wide with shock. Trembling, he pointed at Jae-min. "No, no. How could you think that?" "Huh?" Jae-min looked at Yeonwoo in confusion, but Yeonwoo recoiled, stepping back a few paces. "That''s really messed up. Exclude? Eliminate? A baby?" Were these words a person should even think of? Was he devoid of emotions? Even he, who had shaken off the baby''s emotional maniption, hadn''t thought like that. Suddenly, Yeonwoo''s expression grew very serious. ''Did he have thoughts like that while under emotional maniption? Or was he originally so emotionless that the maniption didn''t work?'' Either way, there was a serious problem with his mind. Of course, it might have some value in crisis situations, but it was still worrying. Yeonwoo spoke seriously: "You know, I know a counseling center. You should try getting some counseling. It''s not weird or dangerous, it''s run by thepany." "Ah, !" Jae-min shouted. Intense indignation was written all over his face. His expression crumpled, and his face turned bright red. All sorts of words surged up in his throat but got stuck. "Ah, ah! Ah! That''s not it! No, really!" Yeonwoo looked at Jae-min like he was looking at human trash, while Jae-min jumped up and down, expressing his frustration and indignation with his whole body. "How to handle the baby-" "Even the word ''handle'' is a bit..." "Aaargh! I was just asking what would happen to it!" "I don''t know about that. We just report it to thepany and they''ll take care of it, why should we worry about it?" Thinking about it, it really was a pointless concern. What was the investigation team''s job? To encounter anomalies and report them to superiors. They had encountered an anomaly in the form of a baby, so reporting it would be the end of it. Yeonwoo came to a conclusion. ''The protective instinct the baby instilled made us act with good intentions. Wanting it to go to a good environment.'' He vaguely understood why the baby had smiled at him too. A being headed towards a future where survival was guaranteed. Wouldn''t he be the best protector? It had instinctively found a safe person. Ignoring Jae-min''s grumbling, Yeonwoo sank into thought. ''Isn''t my Human Qualification Certificate getting stronger? I''ve been certified as a suitable guardian for the baby. Isn''t that very human-like? Or not? Ah, well. It is older than me after all.'' And so they returned to the investigation team''s office. ------ The investigation team''s office smelled of baby form. While Yeonwoo and Jae-min had been investigating, someone had bought bottles and form, and the team leader was feeding the baby. Ji-yoo was taking pictures or poking the baby''s cheeks and feet. She turned her head slightly. "Oh, you''re back? How did it go?" The baby also turned its head to look at Yeonwoo and giggled. Yeonwoo nodded and smiled faintly. It was definitely emotional maniption. Looking at the baby''s innocent face, his emotions suddenly changed. A desire to protect, parental love, such things colored his heart. ''It won''t work on me.'' After running through his thought circuits a few times, he said: "It''s an anomaly. We should report it to thepany and let them handle it." "An anomaly?" The team leader looked up. Jae-min nodded weakly, wearing a deted expression. He was about to answer right away but hesitated, choosing his words carefully before speaking. "Yes. It was a child with a disease that prevents it from growing. The grandmother said she''d been raising it since she was young." "...Jae-min. Can''t you see?" He meant the parents. Jae-min answered briefly. "No." "Then you should have said so from the start." The team leader was about to start lecturing in earnest when the baby squirmed, and he quickly adjusted his hands to support it. He couldn''t bring himself to raise his voice. "So, uh. It''s finished eating. Should I burp it?" "Yes. Shall I do it?" Ji-yoo reached out her hands. She patted the baby''s back gently and spoke in a regretful voice. "Then it''ll live in apany department for its whole life. Poor thing. As a baby forever..." "That''s the best option. It''s good for the baby too. ...Still, just in case, we should send an auditorter." In case they might try to develop technology to stop aging through experiments. Yeonwoo watched this scene from a few steps back. It was a sight of people thoroughly caught by the baby''s emotional maniption. Perhaps because it didn''t threaten life and only drew out natural human instincts, even veteran investigators seemed to ept it without feeling any dissonance. Though they seemed to have resisted somewhat, unlike ordinary people. ''I wonder how dangerous it could be if things like this came together in synergy?'' If an ident happened, they might waste resources trying to live with the baby, and it could take advantage of that waste. Yeonwoo was imagining a new form of threat when he quickly snapped out of it. "There''s emotional maniption too. It makes you feel like you want to protect it and want it to grow up well in a good environment." "Huh?" Suddenly, all three people turned to look at Yeonwoo. They stared at him with eyes full of doubt, then spoke in worried voices. "Yeonwoo... It''s normal to feel these emotions when you see an abandoned baby." "No! Is that why you tried to send me to counseling?" Ji-yoo, in particr, filled her eyes with wariness as she hugged the baby tightly. He was a person who murdered love. Even if he felt emotions normally, his perception and expression were strange. "No, Yeonwoo. Don''t touch the baby." Who knew how the sympathy and protective instinct he felt towards the baby might be expressed. The team leader looked at Yeonwoo with pity. "You''ve developed paranoia. Right, that can happen. When you experience a lot of anomalies, you can start doubting your thoughts and emotions. There are many people like that." Yeonwoo''s jaw dropped. He was dumbfounded. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, then gave up trying to persuade them. It wasn''t seriously dangerous anyway, and if he shook off the influence and then really developed paranoia, that would be troublesome. ''Let''s just send the baby away quickly.'' Yeonwoo reported directly to his superiors. A baby that doesn''t grow, a baby that maniptes emotions. The higher-ups quickly came and took the baby away, while the investigation team members saw it off with sadness and sympathy. Well-wishes for the baby and requests to thepany employee followed. "Bye-bye, baby." "Make sure they don''t do anything stupid with the kid. I''ll being for an audit anyway. Pass on the warning." "Yes, yes. I''ll make sure to pass it on." Yeonwoo stood apart, fiddling with his gun. He was a bit worried about the investigation team members. ''If they''re still under its influence after some time passes, should I point a gun at their heads or something?'' After all, threats were the most effective immediate cure for shaking off interference. And so the investigation team''s day passed. The next day, Yeonwoo received a letter. - Human Qualification Certificate Cancetion Notice Name: Lee Yeonwoo As this certificate can no longer guarantee that you are human, we hereby notify you of the cancetion of your human qualification. "My Human Qualification Certificate!" The Human Qualification Certificate had disappeared. A spark shed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. Though losing the certificate didn''t turn him into an animal, taking away something he possessed... Blocking his way to reach Level 6 with the dice... Yeonwoo read the notice again with shaking eyes, then muttered to himself: ''Can''t guarantee? No. They must guarantee it.'' --- 172 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Something felt off from the moment Yeonwoo woke up that morning. An unsettling feeling, a sense of unease, clung to him as he forced himself awake. It refused to let go. "What''s going on?" Yeonwoo muttered, his eyes glinting sharply as he paced around the cramped room. Any trace of sleepiness had vanished. It felt like taking off a mask he''d worn for years, or suddenly finding himself without clothes he always wore. Like the legs of a chair or bed he''d been sitting on had suddenly snapped. More urately, it felt like he''d lost his bulletproof vest. Like something that had been protecting him was gone, leaving him exposed to danger. Yeonwoo frantically searched the room, unable to pinpoint the source of this feeling. He wrung his hands, messed up his hair, and even checked his gun.A knock at the door made him whip his head around. The team leader walked in. "Oh, Yeonwoo. You weren''t at work, so I thought-" The team leader stopped short as their eyes met. Yeonwoo''s hair was matted from not washing, his eyes ssy and devoid of emotion. His body fidgeted restlessly. Normally, the team leader would have been concerned. But instead, he instinctively took a step back. This felt wrong. Like facing a dangerous anomaly wearing a human disguise. Yeonwoo let out a short gasp. Had that much time passed already? "I''m sorry. I lost something and got caught up looking for it. I didn''t realize howte it was." As soon as the words left his mouth, a thought struck him. ''Why am I apologizing? I''m not even part of the investigation team anymore.'' Yeonwoo''s face went nk, like a mannequin''s. His mind raced. ''Ah. The team leader. He''s thendlord.'' Someone who provided shelter-like safety. And the head of the investigation department too. Creating conflict would only cause problems. Yeonwoo forced an awkward smile. "I''ll just wash up quickly and head out." The team leader reacted instinctively, drawing on years of experience as a veteran investigator. His hand moved behind his back, touching the folded property contract in his back pocket¡ªready to exert his rights as thendowner against an anomaly. Yeonwoo''s eyes rolled, following the team leader''s hand. A tense silence fell. The two stared at each other, unblinking, breathing steadily as usual. Just then, the sound of shuffling footsteps approached. It was Ji-yoo. Her nk face popped up over the team leader''s shoulder. "Is Yeonwoo here? Oh, there you are. Yeonwoo, you''ve got a letter." "A letter?" Yeonwoo''s eyes rolled again, but he kept the team leader in his peripheral vision. The team leader remained on edge. Something was off. The person before him wasn''t the Yeonwoo he knew. ''Has he been reced? Is his mind being controlled?'' The easiest way to find out would be to use the property contract, but he couldn''t bring himself to speak. The moment he demanded Yeonwoo reveal his true identity, danger would strike. Ji-yoo reached out from behind the team leader''s shoulder. A white envelope fluttered in her hand. Yeonwoo stretched out his arm to take it, keeping the envelope low as he tore it open. He pulled out a mostly nk sheet of paper. His eyes were drawn to the letter. His pupils dted. - Human Qualification Certificate Cancetion Notice Name: Lee Yeonwoo As this certificate can no longer guarantee that you are human, we hereby notify you of the cancetion of your human qualification. "Did you oversleep? That''s unlike you. You''re always the first one here. Did something happen yesterday? The atmosphere feels a bit different." Ji-yoo tilted her head, studying him curiously, but Yeonwoo barely registered her words. His mind was consumed by the text on the paper. The next moment, Yeonwoo let out a scream and jumped in ce. "My Human Qualification Certificate!" The ultimate tool for protecting his sense of self. His means of leveling up the dice to Level 6. It had been cancelled! No wonder he''d felt so uneasy! He was no longer aware of the team leader''s wariness or Ji-yoo''s curious gaze. Yeonwoo frantically dumped out his bag. "Is it really gone?" A jumble of items ttered to the floor. Guns, fluorescent vests, ammo boxes, bandages, emergency rations, lighters, drills, chainsaws, first aid kits, tents, nkets, and more. The mess spread across the room, but no matter how much he searched through the pile, the Human Qualification Certificate was nowhere to be found. It had truly vanished. As suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. The team leader and Ji-yoo took a few steps back. Yeonwoo was moving like a madman. Ji-yoo picked up the discarded notice. "Oh." "Hmm." They both realized something, though their thoughts differed. Ji-yoo figured it was bound to happen, while the team leader thought the certificate''s absence exined the unsettling feeling he''d had. ''Yeonwoo''s always been a bit odd. It''s not surprising his certificate was cancelled.'' ''Does the Human Qualification Certificate have some kind of perception-altering effect? That would exin why he seems like an anomaly now. He does have dice embedded in his head after all.'' Suddenly, Yeonwoo snatched the notice from Ji-yoo. His hands trembled as he read it again. A spark shed in his eyes, and his voice took on an eerie quality. "They''re taking what''s mine?" They couldn''t guarantee it, so they were cancelling it? Who gave them the right? Some unknown anomaly deciding on its own? ''No. My peace of mind, my safety is more important. You have to guarantee me.'' He couldn''t give up the Human Qualification Certificate. Yeonwoo dashed out, still in his pajamas, heading for the office. The team leader and Ji-yoo were left behind, awkwardly scratching their cheeks and blinking before returning to the office themselves. "Let''s go. Well, it must have meant a lot to him, so it''s understandable he''d be upset about it being cancelled." "His mind was always a bit strange-" ------ The office was filled with the sound of Yeonwoo furiously typing. The investigation team members kept their mouths shut, warily watching him. Beyond the unsettling sense of wrongness, Yeonwoo''s demeanor was rming. His bloodshot eyes gleamed. He looked like a survivor who''d had their food stolen in an apocalypse. It wouldn''t be surprising if he exploded at any moment. In reality, Yeonwoo was preparing to torment the Human Qualification Exam. He''d gathered enough information in a short time. The harsh typing stopped. Click-! A notepad opened on Yeonwoo''s screen. He carefully typed out words. ''Ways to get it back. Steal. Retake the exam.'' Methods for obtaining the resources he needed. Yeonwoo red at the ck text on the white screen. Stealing would be easy. He could contact Mark Jung and ask him to collect and send Human Qualification Certificates. Then he could roll the dice on the possibility of each certificate being his. ''Retaking the exam would be simple too.'' He could ask the Goldberg Club for help. He''d just gifted them an anomaly that could see death dates, so he could ask for their assistance with the exam in return. The exam? He could just rely on his survival instinct and guess. It would guide him to the path of not bing a beast, of surviving as a human. But that wouldn''t do. Yeonwoo tapped the backspace key, erasing the two words. He muttered quietly. "These methods won''t work." They were all temporary solutions. The certificate would be cancelled again, or he might lose his eligibility to take the exam. He needed a way to secure the certificate permanently. Yeonwoo slowly typed out another word. It was simple. ckmail. Yeonwoo stood up abruptly, aputer pen in his hand. He spoke. "I''m taking the day off today." "Oh, uh. Sure, take it easy." Ignoring the awkward farewells and sighs of relief, Yeonwoo returned to his room. He dialed the number for the elderly branch manager of the Korean Goldberg Club. ------ "...You want me to summon the Human Qualification Exam using Golden Omnipotence?" "I trust you can do this much, given the gift you received," Yeonwoo said, spreading out hisputer pen and A4 paper on a folding table. After a moment of silence, a businesslike voice came through the phone. "Alright. I''ll inform the chairman." The call ended there. Just before it cut off, Yeonwoo caught the old man''s worried mutter. "Is this how people feel when we try to befriend them? It''s giving me a headache." Yeonwoo ignored it and did a final check of his setup. The A4 paper would serve as the exam sheet, he had a writing utensil, and his phone would act as a speaker for the broadcast. ''My senses are at their peak. Good.'' Now he just had to wait for the exam to arrive. Time ticked by, flowing like water. Yeonwoo''s brow furrowed more and more. He was about to call the old man again when¡ª Ding dong dang dong- The familiar chime of the Human Qualification Exam, his first encounter with an anomaly, rang out from his phone. Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up. He might have felt nostalgic, but he focused solely on his survival instincts. There was a burst of static, then a voice of poor quality came through. "The exam will now begin..." The voice stopped unnaturally. Questions began to appear faintly on the A4 paper, then froze. As Yeonwoo tilted his head, the broadcast continued. "This exam has been cancelled. Furthermore, examinee Lee Yeonwoo''s eligibility to take the exam has been revoked." The static from the phone speaker faded. The faint questions on the A4 paper gradually disappeared. Yeonwoo ced hisputer pen on top of it with a soft tap. "I have two ways to end you, you know." One was to use thepany''s destruction ns. The other was to roll the possibility of the Human Qualification Exam being abolished. These were his prepared ckmail tactics. Yeonwoo smiled. "Issue me a certificate that can block even Level 6 mental contamination. Then I won''t destroy you." A response came back. "Attention all examinees. As of today, the Human Qualification Exam is abolished. We will return with a new Anomaly Qualification Exam." Yeonwoo wore a nk expression. ''This isn''t what I expected.'' Faced with an impossible demand, the Human Qualification Exam had chosen to change. --- 173 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here ''Abolished? Anomaly Qualification Exam? Just like that?'' Yeonwoo''s face went nk for a moment before all emotion drained from it. He was on the verge of losing a important resource, one he''d already lost once before. There was no room for leisure or emotion. Yeonwoo made the most rational decision he could with a cold mind. "Wait! Don''t go yet, let''s talk for a bit! You know I can keep summoning you anyway, so isn''t it better to settle this now?" He straightened his posture respectfully and reached for his phone.A small sigh and some static came through the phone. The voice that followed sounded reluctant, as if it had no choice but to listen - like it had a gun to its head. Yeonwoo licked his dry lips and spoke carefully. "I apologize for my harsh words earlier. I was upset. If I offended you, I''m sorry, but can''t we negotiate?" They might be able to reopen the abolished Human Qualification Exam. Even if a Level 6 certificate was too much, he could still get a regr one. Yeonwoo drastically lowered his demands. "Just give me back the certificate. It''s not that difficult, is it? You didn''t even tell me why it was cancelled. Think of this as an appeal." "The reason for cancetion..." The voice trailed off, as if struggling to be honest. Whatever the reason, telling a Level 6 fixated on the Human Qualification Certificate could lead to a terrible future. In the end, the voice through the speaker equivocated. "We cannot disclose the reason for cancetion as per regtions. Please understand. Also, ording to regtions, we cannot reissue a cancelled certificate, and an abolished exam will not be reopened." There was no going back to the Human Qualification Exam. They couldn''t issue Human Qualification Certificates either. Its fundamental nature had changed. It was like a mosquito turning into a fly. Yeonwoo, the source of this pressure, wore a frustrated expression as he tapped the table with hisputer pen. For a moment, a cold light shed in his eyes. ''I can''t just change those regtions with the dice. It might fail, and even if it seeds, they could just change them back.'' Yeonwoo let out a groan. This was truly a difficult opponent. ckmail? They just abolished themselves. There didn''t seem to be any openings for the dice to exploit. Finally, Yeonwoo decided to appeal to emotions. He clutched the phone with both hands. "Come on. The certificate is important to me. It was the first anomaly I encountered, and the reason I, a long-time student, joined thepany." His voice was filled with desperation, like someone who had lost a precious keepsake or memory. An ufortable silence followed through the speaker, and suddenly Yeonwoo realized something. ''Wait a second. This thing is the reason I''ve been living such a twisted life, isn''t it?'' If it weren''t for the Human Qualification Exam, he would have passed the civil service exam and lived a normal life. Of course, he would have died in the climate anomalies, so this was better, but Yeonwoo decided to argue this point. ? Yeonwoo''s brow furrowed. He pressed the phone''s microphone close to his mouth and burst out with a voice filled with intentional anger. "It''s because of you that I''m living this messed-up life! You made me like this! You ruined my life!" "We sincerely apologize." The static-filled voice responded immediately. "We are sorry for any unintended inconvenience caused by the Human Qualification Exam. The abolition of the Human Qualification Exam was part of our apology for the ident you experienced. The new Anomaly Qualification Exam will take these mistakes into ount and strive to prevent simr inconveniences. We would like to apologize once again." We are sorry. The voice flowed smoothly without pause. If not for the static, it could have passed for a public apology with how wless it was. Apology, act of atonement, preventive measures, no excuses. Yeonwoo gaped, a defeated look on his face. He could nitpick if he wanted, but judging by that response, it seemed they absolutely wouldn''t give him the certificate. ''No way. No, no, seriously. No.'' It would have been easier if they had threatened him or tried to run away or fight. Trying to persuade them with words seemed utterly impossible. ''I really can''t do this with words.'' Yeonwoo swallowed hard. The only option left was to circle back to threats. He gripped the pen like a dagger. "Thepany''s destruction ns. Rolling the dice on the possibility of you not existing. Please, while I''m asking nicely-" "Attention all examinees. We hereby announce that the Anomaly Qualification Exam may be permanently abolished due to external reasons-" "Stop! Stop talking!" Yeonwoo screamed, throwing the pen. It fell limply. He said he''d kill them if they wanted to die, what more could he do? ''This is driving me crazy.'' In the end, Yeonwoo gave up on extracting the certificate. There was no way. He''d never faced an opponent like this before and had no idea how to deal with it. The static from the speaker gradually faded. It seemed to be quietly slipping away. Yeonwoo spoke weakly. "At least let me take the Anomaly Qualification Exam." He clung to thisst hope, wondering if failing it might have an effect simr to the Human Qualification Certificate. Ding dong dang dong- A cheerful chime rang out from the phone speaker. The voice, sounding relieved, spoke in a higher tone. "The exam will begin in 10 minutes." Yeonwoo gathered up theputer pen he had thrown. He let out a deep sigh, his mind in turmoil. He simply sped his hands together and prayed. ''I hope failing has the same effect as the Human Qualification Certificate.'' ------ Silence fell over the small room. Yeonwoo quietly looked down at the A4 paper. Several short-answer questions were printed on it. Under the title [Anomaly Qualification Exam] written inrge letters, the questions were lined up. 1. What is 1 + 1? 2. Are you an anomaly or a person? 3. Whates after A, B, C, D? 4. Is the Earth t or round? Yeonwoo skimmed through the questions without tension. There was no danger anyway. His mindset and purpose werepletely different from when he first took the Human Qualification Exam. ''To fail, I just need to get a low score, right?'' For an exam, you need a high score to pass. Aiming to fail, Yeonwoozily scribbled with theputer pen. The questions were so easy that it was simple to aim for wrong answers. 1 + 1 is 3. After A, B, C, Des ''mwak'', the Earth is triangr. He finished in an instant. For the question asking if he was an anomaly or a person, he hesitated briefly but guessed that ''person'' would be the wrong answer for an Anomaly Qualification Exam and wrote ''person''. I am a person. After writing that final answer, Yeonwoo waved the exam paper. "I''m done. Grade it quickly." This exam couldn''t apply strict rules. The exam paper vanished in an instant, and a few secondster, a certificate was spat out of thin air. At that moment. Yeonwoo''s pupils dted. The dice stirred. The contamination of the dice, which had been suppressed by survival instinct and couldn''t even dream of spreading, arose. "Huh? What?" Yeonwoo, doubting reality, hurriedly opened the certificate. There was Yeonwoo''s ID photo and a short line of text below it. - This certifies that the above entity is an anomaly. "No, why? I got everything wrong!" No, that wasn''t the real problem. The real issue was the contamination of the dice itself. Just as the survival instinct and Human Qualification Certificate had resisted the dice''s rampage when invaded by the mist, now the dice and Anomaly Qualification Certificate were resisting the survival instinct that blocked contamination. At this rate, the dice and Anomaly Qualification Certificate seemed poised to push back the survival instinct. ''If I leave this alone, I''ll lose my sense of self, won''t I?'' Yeonwoo jumped to his feet. He wildly waved the Anomaly Qualification Certificate he held in one hand. "Cancel! Cancel! No, I''m returning it! Quickly!" "...We ept the examinee''s request. The exam has ended." A voice that sounded exhausted came through, and the Anomaly Qualification Certificate vanished with a whoosh. Then, without another word, the connection was abruptly cut off. The static from the phone speaker disappeared. It had fled before he could stop it. "It''s gone? Really? This can''t end like this!" Yeonwoo slumped down. "No, ah..." Everything had gone wrong. It was aplete failure. The lost Human Qualification Certificate hadn''t returned. In the silent room. After sitting dejectedly for a while, Yeonwoo suddenly brightened as he recalled what had just happened. "That''s right. I made a mistake." He had approached this wrong from the start. Of course he got the wrong answer when he hadn''t asked the right question. The path of survival is often a lonely one. Relying on an anomaly like an exam was a mistake to begin with. If you need a resource, you should obtain or create it with your own power. Yeonwoo crawled around, rummaging through his odds and ends. He picked up an ID photo, took out some A4 paper, found some glue, and ced them all next to theputer pen. Yeonwoo carefully crafted a certificate. ''I shouldn''t rely on someone else''s guarantee.'' As he''d experienced today, it could suddenly be cancelled on someone else''s whim, he might be asked for something in return, or he could face dangerous situations due to interference. It was better to make it himself. St, the ID photo, covered in glue, stuck crookedly to the A4 paper. Yeonwoo wrote below it. [Human Qualification Certificate] - Name: Lee Yeonwoo - I guarantee and certify that I am human. - Valid until: Until I die. Now only the final preparation remained. Yeonwoofortably spread his hands on the table and closed his eyes. He muttered to himself. "This needs to be an anomaly. It helps with survival, right? It protects against contamination, and I definitely need the dice. Look at today. I just got something taken away and that was it. I need to block contamination with the certificate and level up the dice to 6 to flexibly handle various situations." He stimted his survival instinct to work and then: "Dice. You too. You need to reach Level 6. How long are we gonna live like this? Let''s roll a critical sess. Let''s make something like those mealworm heads or that eraser from before." He tried to persuade the dice. He knew that Level 6 couldn''t be achieved just because you wanted it. But he could create something close to Level 6, like the mealworm heads. He didn''t know if these words had any effect, but Yeonwoo muttered to himself as if giving himself a suggestion. Then he clenched his fist tightly. "The possibility that this is my Human Qualification Certificate." tter- The dice rolled. Amidst the chaotically shaking possibilities, the survival instinct avoided futures where failure and critical failure would happen. The suppressed dice stretched, as if pushing away the bang. Possibility writhed between sess and critical sess. Finally, Yeonwoo mindlessly made a fist-clenching gesture and- Critical sess! The result came out. The clumsy piece of paper Yeonwoo had made became his very own Human Qualification Certificate. Moreover, it was a certificate that exerted tremendous power in protecting his sense of self and maintaining his humanity. Yeonwoo smiled contentedly. ''With this, no matter what that exam says, no matter what anyone says, I''m human anyway.'' --- 174 - Human TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Everything had returned to normal. A sense of stability washed over Yeonwoo, as if he''d put on protective gear. His mind, previously fixated on a single issue, rxed and began to take in his surroundings more broadly. The subtle sense of wrongness that Yeonwoo had been exuding disappeared. He flopped backwards, drained. Holding up his self-made certificate with both hands, he stared at it against the ceiling. The crooked ID photo and messy handwriting. "Haha." He couldn''t help butugh. His own handmade equipment. A certificate that was entirely his own, which no one could cancel.Yeonwoo carefully tucked the piece of paper against his chest and closed his eyes. Ignoring his darkened vision, he focused on his inner senses - his survival instinct and the dice''s contamination. ''It worked.'' The dice''s contamination was slowly increasing. His survival instinct was no longer blocking the contamination. It didn''t see it as a threat anymore. This certificate would protect his sense of self. The path to raising the dice to Level 6 had opened. In the near future, he''d reach Level 6 with both his survival instinct and the dice. A smile yed on Yeonwoo''s lips. ''I''m feeling a bit more confident now.'' Wasn''t this enough to earn the right to live proudly in this perilous world? As Yeonwoo was imagining a hopeful future, he drifted off to sleep. The tension had eased, and his energy was spent. The sound of his soft breathing filled the small room. ------ A few days passed. After taking a few days off to rest in his room, Yeonwoo came to workte, grinning from ear to ear. He''d taken a refreshing shower, checked his certificate several times, and put on his old suit for the first time in a while. "Good morning, everyone!" His cheerful greeting rang out. The investigation team members, who had already arrived, looked at Yeonwoo with puzzled expressions. Since Yeonwoo had seemed unwell, they hadn''t visited him, so this was their first time seeing him since he''d made his Human Qualification Certificate. The sense of wrongness was gone. He seemed to have pulled himself together. The team leader spoke up. "Oh, Yeonwoo. Did you get your certificate back?" "There was no way to get it back, so I made one myself." Yeonwoo proudly pulled out his Human Qualification Certificate. It was a makeshift certificate on A4 paper. The others'' gazes turned subtle as they saw it. Thoughts shed through their minds, from the team leader to Choi Jae-min - he''s even forging official documents now, he made something simr because hisfort object disappeared, he used the dice to create a substitute, and so on. ? Shock, pity, understanding - various thoughts crossed their minds. In any case, it was a good thing. To be honest, having an on-edge Yeonwoo around had made them all feel uneasy. "Well, I''m d it worked out." "So, are you going to start taking requests and working again?" Yoo Ji-yoo asked. Yeonwoo shook his head. "I''m nning to take a break from requests for a while." Was work really that important? The dice would reach Level 6 if he just spent his time well. What mattered now was eating well, sleeping well, and staying safe. ''Though I guess there won''t be any dangerous work anyway, thanks to my survival instinct...'' He feltzy and reluctant to work. Hadn''t he just fought the Warrior after taking a request from headquarters? No matter how careful you were, idents were never far away. Yeonwoo sat down and asked casually: "Are there no investigation tasks these days?" "Oh, we haven''t been getting much worktely. Actually, I heard there''s talk about possibly disbanding the investigation team." The team leader spoke up. It was the first time he''d mentioned this. It was important information. Ji-yoo and Jae-min whipped their heads around. Their eyes widened. "D-disbanded? What''ll happen to us?" "No way! If this ce shuts down, I''ll end up in ab! Or maybe some weird department!" For the investigators, this wasn''t just about losing one department. Their livelihoods, even their lives, were at stake. But the team leader lounged back, unconcerned. "Departments can disappear anytime. We''re capable staff, so we''ll just be moved to other departments. But..." He dragged out his words, then smiled. Not just Jae-min and Ji-yoo, but even Yeonwoo leaned in to listen. The team leader continued: "The talk of disbanding has disappeared. Because we investigated anomalies on our own." "...We did?" Jae-min and Ji-yoo looked at each other, puzzled. Had they done something like that? "Well, you know. We handled the doomsday cultist terror attack well, retrieved the love potion, and even found that baby recently." The higher-ups had postponed their decision. Might the investigation team and its members be bait for anomalies, just like Yeonwoo? Wouldn''t it be better to keep them around and find ways to use them? Plus, the team leader owned the building as thendlord. As he exined this, Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. No matter how he looked at it, his own nature was the cause. ''I guess this helps too.'' If the investigators went to other departments, it would be boring and frustrating - no, difficult to adapt. It could cause problems if people who were used to running away became special forces or security guards. Just as the investigation team showed its tenacious survival ability, much like its investigators: Yeonwoo''s phone rang. It was Mark Jung. Yeonwoo quickly answered. "Hello, this is Yeonwoo." "I hope you''ve been well." A voice heavy with fatigue came through. It was low and subdued. Yeonwoo wore a bewildered expression. "Um... Are you okay?" "No. I feel like I''m dying. The Human Qualification Exam suddenly went crazy and changed. The data center that was blocking it got flipped upside down, and because of that... Ah..." Mark Jung poured out hisints. The data center that had been running countless simtions to prevent the Human Qualification Exam from entering the world. The AI running the simtions had passed the Anomaly Qualification Exam, causing chaos... "The data center is paralyzed. Even the backup center produced a passing candidate, so the exam has been let loose in the world. This means more anomalies will be created in the world." An anomaly that creates anomalies had gained freedom. Cold sweat beaded on Yeonwoo''s forehead. ''Uh, what? Did I cause this ident? Huh?'' He swallowed hard. "Can''t Safety Measure 001 handle this?" "That''s designed to suppress a specific area... We don''t know where the exam will pop up, and the current suppression power isn''t enough to stop it." Mark Jung sighed, saying that phenomena-based anomalies were the hardest to block. "We''ve raised the danger level to 5 and managed to contain it for now, but there''s been too much damage." Wanting to share his pain, Mark Jung sent a video to Yeonwoo''s messenger. Feeling guilty, Yeonwoo muttered: "You don''t need to show me this..." "I''m showing you this for a reason. If anomaly-creating judgments go wrong, this is what happens. Please refrain from the requests headquarters made." It seemed Mark Jung didn''t know that Yeonwoo had contributed to creating the Anomaly Qualification Exam. Click. Yeonwoo reluctantly yed the video. It showed a poultry farm where an egg quality inspection had suddenly turned into an Anomaly Qualification Exam, and the eggs had be anomalies. Suddenly, a farm worker lifted an egg. His voice was filled with enlightenment: "Life is an egg! Life is an egg!" "Kim! What are you doing with that egg- Life is an egg! It was an egg all along! LIFE IS EGG! Our lives are eggs!" The farm workers gathered around, gazing reverently at a single egg, then rushed out together, chanting: "Life is an egg!" "..." Yeonwoo watched the scene, speechless. The video moved to the next scene. An autopsy was in progress. The autopsy itself had be an Anomaly Qualification Exam, and the corpse had be an anomaly, suddenly sitting up. "Urghhhh!" The zombie-like corpse wreaked havoc in the autopsy room, but the medical examiner quick-wittedly set it on fire. The zombie burned. Its skin and flesh ckened and fell off, and then the corpse shuddered. As the flesh fell away, stark white bones were revealed. "The seal of flesh has been broken! I am the king of skeletons! I shall free the world from the bondage of flesh!" The zombie had be a skeleton. Blue ghostly mes formed in its eye sockets. The next moment, the medical examiner''s hammer shattered its skull, killing it. ng! "..." Yeonwoo squeezed his eyes shut and turned off the video. The world had turned into chaos. He''d really messed up big time. No, wait. ''It''s the fault of the anomaly that transformed just because I asked for a Human Qualification Certificate.'' Anyway, I''m human, and it''s the anomaly''s fault. Still, pangs of conscience made Yeonwoo speak in a small voice: "Is there anything I can do to help?" "No, it''s fine. This isn''t a big enough problem to require your intervention, Yeonwoo. We''ve managed to clean things up for now." It''s just that there''s a ton more work now. Mark Jung spoke with a heavy sigh, then forcibly raised his voice: "More importantly, I called to tell you about yourpensation for wrapping up the headquarters'' matterst time." "Cpensation?" "Yes. After all, the experiment results were beyond our expectations, and you captured the Warrior too." Conscience, conscience was hurting. Yeonwoo wore a pained expression, then quickly waved his hand in the air. "No, I don''t need anypensation. Actually, I caused an ident, so I should be disciplined with istion-" "Not at all. If we don''t reward employees for things like this, why would anyone work?" Mark Jung''s voice suddenly became more alert as he continued: "There was talk of giving you a medal or amendation, but I thought you wouldn''t like that, so we prepared a different reward." For an elite agent like Yeonwoo, simple material rewards were difficult. If they needed something, they could get it themselves, or they already had enough. So they usually rewarded with honor or other non-material things, but Yeonwoo was a survivalist, so material rewards were actually better. Yeonwoo suddenly looked tempted. He licked his lips and carefully asked: "Is it a house?" "Ah. It''s not a house..." Mark Jung sounded flustered. Giving him a house would be pointless since it might just explode, so a house was... "Then maybe some ordinary bullets?" "Huh? No, it''s not that either." There weren''t many ordinary bullets left now. They''d used one during the experiment, and another to kill the Warrior. He''d heard that they''d developed the technology to mass-produce them, but thepany didn''t seem to care about bullet development and was focusing on something else entirely. Yeonwoo tried to hide his disappointment. It was fortunate enough that the Anomaly Qualification Exam incident had been buried. Or he could save this forter, in case it came to light. "Well, then I''ll ept just a small reward." "If there''s anything you want, please say so. We''ll do our best to meet your request." "Is full-scale military equipment possible?" Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up. It was a minor request. "Well, if you''re talking about missiles, warships, or fighter jets, that might be difficult..." Mark Jung''s stopping words made Yeonwoo panic. He wouldn''t take those even if they were offered. They weren''t personal equipment. They needed infrastructure like runways, plus maintenance. He couldn''t use them even if they were given. Besides, it seemed like he could borrow them if needed anyway. "Not those, I mean like Special Forces equipment. Combat suits? Bulletproof helmets or vests?" "That''s certainly possible. But it still seems too little for a reward-" "No, no. It''s fine. If you really feel bad about it, you can just turn a blind eye when I identally cause trouble in the future." Yeonwoo answered smoothly, and Mark Jung epted his request. The call ended. Yeonwoo smiled faintly. ''With a bulletproof vest, even ordinary bullets won''t be a problem.'' ------ A board meeting was held. The directors gathered via video conference, quietly looking at the reports they''d received. Project: Ordinary World. Their ideal had been firmly closed off for a long time, but Yeonwoo had opened that closed door. The possibility of non-anomalous anomalies obtained through the dice. The standard of ordinariness. Data proving the numerous theories researchers had established from various angles. And now, a wedge had been driven into the open door. The Anomaly Qualification Exam. One director spoke: "You''re saying we''ve secured cases where anomalies failed the exam and became non-anomalous?" The process of anomalies bing non-anomalous. The door to an ordinary world had been flung wide open, and now they were paving the way. Once the door was open, preparing and walking the path wasn''t difficult. "If webine this with our other technologies, we can create an ordinary world..." The core theory and technology had been secured. Other technologies needed for the ultimate goal were already prepared. All that remained was trial and error. Act for the test, correct mistakes, and ultimately create an ordinary world. "...But aren''t we moving too hastily?" Another director nervously flipped through the documents. They detailed the technology for this experiment, but there was a problem. "This is what we prepared as ourst resort, but it''s not evenplete yet, and there are many unstable aspects. If something goes wrong, it could be disastrous." "That''s right. Maybe it would be better to move slowly, step by step. There''s no need to rush." Several directors voiced their opposition, but many didn''t ept these objections. "If we fail, we fail. Even if we perish, humans from parallel worlds and two-dimensional worlds will carry on our mission. It''s better for us to sacrifice ourselves and pass on the data." "Even if we fail, it won''t result in anything dangerous for humanity anyway." "Let''s just vote. No one''s going to change their mind here." The vote was held. The result was majority approval. The dangerous experiment had been authorized. The directors made various sounds. Exmations, expectations, anxiety, repulsion. Their eyes were all fixed on the document. This experiment. The unfinishedst resort. [Extinction Defense Device: World Alteration] --- 175 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here All idents happen in an instant. "Uh, uh, uh? No, if the output is like this, wait-" An unfinished device could go haywire, turning a simple experiment into world-altering chaos. "What the hell is thepany doing! Why''s it suddenly going berserk, damn it! I''ll use up all the gold I''ve already offered to defend against this! Not enough? Well, I''ll defend as much as I can with the gold I''ve given-" Insufficient preparation might only block a little."You''ll love me no matter what form I take? I don''t get it. I''ll trust you for now." "Worshipper! Quick, get a worshipper- no, it''s toote-" Whether by choice or force, some might be unable to act against the ident. "What''s this? What''s going on? Why do I feel uneasy? What is it this time! Dice! Block whatever it is, I don''t know what''s happening! No, create a way for me to survive!" tter- An uncertain factor might also interfere with the ident. Sess! And twist it. The world was altered. Both the world and thepany''s essence changed. The experiment seeded, but in a world where sess held no meaning. ------ After tossing and turning all night, Yeonwoo fell into a deep sleep without realizing when he''d dozed off. When Yeonwoo opened his eyes, dawn light of unknown duration filled the room. The light held an ancient, weathered quality, making Yeonwoo idly worry that humans might have gone extinct, or the sun had drifted away. But such fanciful thoughts were pushed aside by the reality of pain. With his head feeling like it was about to split open, Yeonwoo clutched it with both hands and let out a deep groan. "Ah, my head. It hurts so bad." The pain wasn''t just physical. It felt as if the world was rejecting Yeonwoo''s very existence, pushing away his body, mind, and soul with thorny walls, causing a loss of self. "Who am I? What was I doing? Why do I feel like I''m in danger?" Amidst hazy memories and confused identity, Yeonwoo wore a bewildered expression. Yet instinctively, he reached out and grabbed a certificate from the scattered items around him. It was a crudely made Human Qualification Certificate on A4 paper. The moment he looked at it, his survival instinct screamed, the dice unleashed possibilities, and together they pushed back against the world''s rejection. Light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. His memories became clear. ''Lee Yeonwoo. I encountered the Human Qualification Exam during my fourth civil service exam attempt and joined thepany. Thepany''s name is...'' Anomaly Protection Company. Protect anomalies from the world. Apany that protects anomalies, arguing that even anomalies rejected by the world have the right to exist. And he, having gone through various incidents, had be a Level 6 entity opposing the rejecting world, treated as an elite agent of the Anomaly Protection Company. Is that right? The next moment, Yeonwoo frowned. "Is this correct? Something feels... off." Yeonwoo tapped his fingers on the floor, deep in thought. The memories of his past life seemed intact, but something felt wrong. The context didn''t make sense. ''I twisted my body to reach Level 6, but why did I do that? It was to survive, right? But in this world, being Level 6 is disadvantageous.'' This world hated anomalies. The higher the level, the more strongly the world rejected anomalies. At Level 6, one had to constantly fight against the world just to remain in it. It was happening right now. "Ugh." Yeonwoo let out a strained breath. The world constricted around him, as if gravity had intensified several times over or he''d been plunged into the deep sea. His survival instinct twisted his body, the dice unleashed possibilities, and the Human Qualification Certificate pleaded that he was an ordinary human, allowing him to endure somewhat more easily. In this cruel world that discriminated against anomalies, wouldn''t it be better to live as an ordinary person? ''...Or not?'' With this level of power, it might be better to survive even while fighting against the world. Maybe that''s why he made the Human Qualification Certificate in the first ce. Yeonwoo wore a confused expression, caught between his persistent doubts and the somewhat rational reality. "Ah, seriously, what''s going on?" As he scratched his head vigorously, it was about time to go to work. Though he''d created the Gambling Eradication Center, he wasn''t actually working there. He needed to go to the office, show his face to the Anomaly Rescue Team members, and maintain a peaceful daily life. Yeonwoo set aside his unease and headed to the Anomaly Rescue Team office. A department that searches for and rescues anomalies that suddenly appear in the world. "Good morning." "Oh, Yeonwoo. You''re here?" "Morning..." The team leader greeted him normally, while Choi Jae-min nodded weakly, looking sickly. Jae-min, an anomaly that could identify parents and was always sick from the world''s persecution, looked at Yeonwoo with envious eyes. He coughed repeatedly. "Do you think I could reach Level 6 too? Living is so hard." Yeonwoo, who had suffered simrly, had suddenly reached Level 6 one day and was now fighting against the world''s violence. Jae-min envied how normal and healthy he looked. Yeonwoo exhaled ufortably and smiled awkwardly. "I don''t know. It might be difficult." Though he felt sorry for the constantly sick Jae-min, the possibility seemed low. ''Can parent detection reach Level 6? By identifying the world''s parents and cursing at them?'' He couldn''t imagine it. Yeonwoo turned to look at Yoo Ji-yoo, who was sleeping face-down on her desk. "Ji-yoo..." "She said she was tired from staying upte yesterday." And so began another day for the Anomaly Rescue Team. Yeonwoo slumped in his chair, lost in thought. A world where even breathing was ufortable. A world that oppressed him. A world where rxing meant death or exile. This was too, too dangerous. ''Why is the world like this? Something''s wrong. Something doesn''t seem right.'' The sticky feeling of wrongness and unease wouldn''t go away. It felt like watching a movie or reading a novel where the plot made no sense. ''But I can''t figure out why.'' The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. The thread of his thoughts wouldn''t untangle, and a headache throbbed in his skull. No matter how hard he pondered, he couldn''t understand. In the end, Yeonwoo came to a simple conclusion. ''Anyway, the world is the problem.'' A dangerous light shed in his eyes. There was no need to think soplicatedly. If the world was the problem, then he should fix the world. Just as a farmer deals with wild boars or snails that damage crops, he should fix this hostile world. Into a world where he could live safely. Didn''t the Anomaly Protection Company''s dream of a strange world align with his intentions anyway? Yeonwoo called Mark Jung. "Yes, it''s me." "What''s the matter?" "It''s nothing much. You know how thepany dreams of a strange world. I want to help. Living like this is too suffocating." A deep sigh came in response. Mark Jung spoke gloomily. "Thepany tried this time, but it failed. They say the device just broke because we rushed things too much." Yeonwoomented, hearing the voice filled with regret and disappointment. "Ah..." This meant they''d have to wait for a long time. After a brief silence, the call ended with a light farewell. "We''ll contact you if we need help, Yeonwoo. Take care of yourself." "Okay." Yeonwoo stared nkly at his phone. ''If thepany failed... Is there no way I can do something? Maybe when the dice reaches Level 6? Or if I team up with Golden Omnipotence or the Association President?'' He couldn''t tolerate this threatening world. Just then. Beep beep, a mission came in. The team leader fiddled with hisputer, then stretched widely. His face brightened. "We''ve got work. Apparently, there''s been an increase in people suddenly iming they''re not human. Looks like some kind of anomaly has appeared." Ji-yoo got up groggily. "We''d better rescue them quickly." They needed to save the weak anomalies before they copsed and died. That was their job. Yeonwoo raised his hand abruptly. "I''ll help too." "...You?" The team leader looked at Yeonwoo suspiciously. This guy who only cared about his own survival suddenly wanted to help? Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. "My head''s beenplicatedtely... I want to go out, like taking a walk." It was true. The sudden problem had made his head cloudy. He wanted to move around without thinking for a while. Ji-yoo hastily grabbed her coat. She patted Yeonwoo''s shoulder. "Then I''ll go with you. Send us the information through messenger, please." "Oh, alright. Um, be careful out there. Yeonwoo, don''t go destroying things just because they look dangerous." The team leader reluctantly tapped on his keyboard, then looked at Jae-min, who was groaning in pain. He seemed to want to volunteer but couldn''t bring himself to do it. Finally, the team leader said a few words. "You just rest, man. When we capture the anomaly, it''s enough if you identify its parents to check if there are other entities." "But I still feel bad..." Leaving that conversation behind, Ji-yoo and Yeonwoo left the rescue team''s office. ------ They were under a bridge crossing a river. It was a sparsely popted area, overgrown with weeds and reeds, shadowed by the bridge. Yeonwoo blinked as the cool riverside breeze hit his face. "Is it here?" "Mmm. Yeah. Apparently, people who were fishing or living rough around here suddenly started iming they weren''t human." Ji-yoo tapped on her phone screen, then slipped it into her pocket. She rubbed her eyes and spoke with forced energy. "Come on, let''s hurry and rescue them! Before they catch a cold and die, or get destroyed by bumping into something!" "...We should be careful. If they''re really anomalies, they might have perception-distorting effects." Yeonwoo spoke with concern. He''d be fine, but wasn''t Ji-yoo a bit vulnerable? Ji-yoo rolled her eyes. "I know that. Do you know how embarrassed I was after that worm incident? I''ve mentally prepared myself this time, so I''ll be fine." Her own safety was less important than rescuing the anomaly, and above all, she was determined not to make a fool of herself again. Yeonwoo said no more. They just rustled through the weeds and reeds, searching the area. Soon, they encountered an anomaly under a thick bridge pir. Smooth gray skin, arge head, big ck eyes, a protruding belly, and elongated arms. The alien-like anomaly was shedding tears and muttering: "I''m human, why is the world pushing me away? Cruel world, cruel world." They''d found it. They''d found it quickly without much trouble. It should have been a good thing, but Yeonwoo frowned deeply. ''This feels bad.'' His thoughts spun. That thing is human. I''m different from that. I''m not human. This strange syllogism filled his head. Yeonwoo shook his head roughly to push away the thoughts. "I''m human. I even have a certificate." The interference dissipated. But Ji-yoo was different. "Yeonwoo!" She suddenly grabbed Yeonwoo''s arm and started jumping up and down. Like an excited child, her face flushed red. "I wasn''t actually human! I was an anomaly all along!" "Senior..." Yeonwoo was at a loss for words as he stared at Ji-yoo for a moment. Hadn''t she said she was mentally prepared? Yeonwoo struggled to speak. "Uh, I''ll finish up the rescue work." "Rescue? That person''s human! You need to take me to thepany and protect me!" "Well, um, okay. Just wait a moment, please." Yeonwoo painfully shook off Ji-yoo. Thoroughly affected by the anomaly, she bounced around excitedly on her own. "Now I can live without working, just being protected! Isn''t that great?" Yeonwoo tried his best to ignore her and approached the alien-like anomaly. His voice came out firmly. "I''m from the Anomaly Protection Company. We''re apany that protects anomalies like you, soe with me." The alien looked up at Yeonwoo with teary eyes. "No. I''m human, unlike you. I''m not some strange thing, so I''m fine." "No, you are an anomaly. Don''t you feel the world''s hostility towards you?" "That''s because the world is being cruel. How could it do this to a normal person like me, sob." The alien covered its face with its four-fingered hands and started wailing. Yeonwoo wore an expression of utter frustration. Come on, why are you refusing when I''m trying to rescue you? Finally, Yeonwoo pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Look at this." "What-" Plop, the alien lowered its hands and stared nkly at the piece of paper. Yeonwoo''s Human Qualification Certificate. Its fingers trembled faintly, and its eyelids twitched. But Yeonwoo, oblivious to these signs, continued trying to persuade it. "I''m human. You''re different from me, right? So you''re not human. Therefore,e with me to thepany." "You''re... human? Then, then what am I?" The alien spoke, trembling. Yeonwoo nodded, urging it to ept the truth. "You''re not human. Thepany is an organization for beings like you, so don''t worry-" At that moment, Yeonwoo''s eyes widened in shock. St! The alien melted. Into gray mud. The moment the alien doubted its own existence, the world''s pressure crushed it. "Huh? What? No, rescue? What?" Stunned by the unexpected situation, Yeonwoo remained dazed for a while before finally wearing a grave expression. His voice came out low. "The world really is the problem." A world that would do this to an anomaly just for letting its guard down for a moment. Looking at the gray mud that was all that remained of the alien, Yeonwoo felt sadness. He might end up like that too if he let his guard down. This wasn''t someone else''s problem. ''I need to change the world so things like this don''t happen.'' Yeonwoo steeled his resolve. --- The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! 176 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The Extinction Defense Device: World Alteration, still unfinished and bearing a temporary name reflecting its purpose, was designed to rewrite the world. If extinction threatened, it would erase that crisis, dere the Earth was actually t, im climate anomalies never existed - a device to alter reality. But this was the result of forcibly activating an iplete device. Bang-! The device exploded. Red lights shed in the secretly constructed department building, and sirens red loudly.Eeeeeee-! "See? I told you we should''ve taken it slow! We didn''t even start the experiment and we''ve already blown up the device!" Three directors who hade to observe were frantically running away. They had finally created a chance to make a strange world, but reckless progress had only resulted in the device''s destruction. Another director running alongside them gasped for breath and managed to shout. His strained voice burst out like a scream. "Look, we''re the only ones trying to protect anomalies even after searching through all the parallel worlds! How could we not rush?" "But rushing got it blown up! Do you know how hard it''ll be to rebuild that thing?" Even as they ran breathlessly, they started arguing, pointing fingers at each other. The board of directors was inherently an organization where members kept each other in check. There was no love lost between them. "I clearly opposed this!" "Oh,e on! Really?" As the red-faced directors were about to start a real fight, another director screeched: "Let''s focus on escaping- I mean, strategic retreat first. The board meeting should be in session now, we need to attend that!" Directors were the brains of thepany. They were just as soft and fragile. As ordinary people, even a brush with debris from the ident could be dangerous. If these three directors were incapacitated at once, a significant portion of thepany would be paralyzed. Remembering their mission of anomaly protection, they fled with grim expressions. They quickly left the department, entered a nearby safe house, caught their breath briefly, and then hurriedly connected to the video conference. Sitting in front ofputers in separate rooms, their microphones connected first. The director who had observed spoke gloomily. "We couldn''t even start the experiment. The device just exploded." With those words, the director squeezed their eyes shut. As the strongest advocate, they had nothing to say. Someone would likely try to assign me and tear into them. But even as time passed, there was no response. No, faint sounds of hollowughter, choking, and despairing groans drifted through. The directors who had observed looked at the screen in confusion. "Why do you all look like that? Even if we failed, it''s not a bad situation." "I was against it, but... it''s not an ident that should disappoint the supporters this much." The screen showed directors with disheveled hair, cracked sses, dull eyes, and ragged fingernails - all in terrible states. One of them giggled and said: "The experiment? It seeded. But it failed. Haha. We''ve forgotten who we are, haven''t we? We''ve lost our mission by our own hands?" "What do you mean...?" The observing directors wore puzzled expressions. They didn''t understand. The world hadn''t changed. Anomaly Protection Company. Apany that protects anomalies hostile to the world. The onlypany in countless parallel worlds that protects anomalies. Only they bore the noble mission of protecting anomalies. Just then, the giggling director gestured. "Here''s the data we backed up before starting the experiment. Look at the experiment n and contingency documents we kept in a different dimension from the ordinary room. See what we originally were." The data was transmitted. The highly secure files opened slowly. The observing directors felt uneasy as they watched the loading bar creep up. Something had gone wrong. Their mouths went dry, and their hands trembled. Then the document opened. Experiment n. Test operation of the World Alteration Device before creating an ordinary world. Purpose: Materialize Safety Measure 001. Create a world where the force suppressing anomalies exists naturally. Record document. Our mission: Protect humanity from anomalies. We are the Humanity Protection Company. "This, this." "...Are you sure? Isn''t something wrong here?" The shock hit their heads. All sorts of emotions welled up instinctively. "This doesn''t make sense. My memories, the records left in the world are so clear! We''re people who protect anomalies! Those poor anomalies whose very existence is denied!" Denial. "Isn''t there some problem with this data?" Doubt. "...Even if we were the Humanity Protection Company, there''s no need to protect humanity in this world. It''s not bad to protect anomalies like we are now." Compromise. They quickly went through the same process other directors had already experienced, and like those directors, they swiftly epted reality. A sigh escaped. "We''re screwed. Even we were altered. Even thepany." Even thepany had been rewritten. Their most precious mission had been flipped upside down. The directors epted this reality. They suppressed the burning mission of anomaly protection in their hearts with cold reason. They forcibly reminded themselves of the goal of protecting humanity. Suddenly, someone raised a question. "Why did this happen? Let''s say the world hostile to anomalies was an excessive result from the device going haywire. But why were we altered?" "We don''t know. There are many possibilities." An elderly woman with white hair began counting on her fingers. "The possibility that the World Alteration Device produced unexpected results. The possibility it collided with Golden Omnipotence. The possibility the Association President moved the world. The worshipper-" "It''s not the worshipper. If they had interfered, the Earth would have be hell." That rebuttal was epted as a matter of course. If someone who turns the world into hell had meddled with world alteration, such a moderate world couldn''t have been created. Even now, around the demon worshippers who were out guarding the demon self-governing region... The old woman nodded, then btedly continued. "...What about Yeonwoo? If the dice reached Level 6, it could have interfered, right?" "That''s unlikely too." If the dice had interfered, a different result would have urred. They believed Yeonwoo had reached Level 6 with the dice and didn''t grasp the exact situation. Originally, this ident would have created a world that annihted anomalies, but Golden Omnipotence weakened the alteration, and the survival instinct and dicebined forces to flip thepany. The reason the survival instinct turned the Humanity Protection Company into the Anomaly Protection Company slowly emerged. "...Anyway, the experiment results are positive. Let''s think about the future now." It was a world hostile to anomalies. Even if it wasn''t an ordinary world where anomalies didn''t exist at all, it was favorable for the goal of protecting humanity. For example, forcibly excluding anomalies with power. "In a world like this, couldn''t humanity''s power alone be enough to destroy all other anomalies? There would be casualties, but we could annihte them." But the directorsughed hollowly. Even the director who had suggested this immediately shook their head. "It''s impossible. The employees won''t listen." Employees with a sense of mission to protect anomalies wouldn''t easily follow the directors'' orders. They might think the directors had gone crazy and try to rece them with a new board. It was like brain A being imnted in person B''s body. The body wouldn''t follow the brain''s orders. And above all: "They may be weaker than in the original world, but they''re still Level 6." The standard for Level 6 in this world. Those who oppose the world. Those who overcame the world''s pressure built castles and reigned as kings of the anomalous world. Whether it was Yeonwoo roaming alone or a king who had built a fortress, they were as dangerous as nuclear weapons. "If only thepany was intact, we might have had a chance to fight..." Sighs full of regret drifted from all around. A formidable enemy they should have fought in peak condition, but their body was in shambles. Just then. The director in charge of Yeonwoo received a call and their eyes trembled. "We have a problem." "Bigger than the alteration? We can''t even think of anything we can do right now." "In a way." After a brief silence that drew the other directors'' attention, they spoke: "Yeonwoo is contacting other groups. ording to information from the Intelligence Department, he simply says this world is ufortable to live in, so he wants to join hands and fix it." "...What kind of world does he want to create?" In response to the anxious question, the director answered: "An anomaly-friendly world." Because this world is ufortable and a bit dangerous for Yeonwoo. An ominous thought crossed the mind of the director in charge of Yeonwoo. ''Yeonwoo. Can he work with us?'' Could he share their goal of an ordinary world, which was now unfamiliar to them? Perhaps they should eliminate him now, while they had the world on their side? ------ Yeonwoo stood ck-jawed in front of a skyscraper in the middle of the city. The building gleamed brilliantly. As if they had money to burn, its exterior was stered with gold. No, it wasn''t just simple gold. "Contamination? No, wow. It''s coloring the world?" This was a world infiltrated and contaminated by Golden Omnipotence. The Club''s headquarters, their royal castle built with gold. And carved out by Golden Omnipotence as it opposed the world. Level 6 entities had maintained their existence to match the rewritten world. Yeonwoo took a deep breath. Breathing was easy. The world here held no hostility. ''So this is how it''s done.'' Yeonwoo marveled at the method of fighting the world to create one''s own domain. Though he couldn''t replicate it with his survival instinct, he felt he could form a simr domain if the dice reached Level 6. Just then, the building''s main entrance opened and a secretary with a gloomy expression approached. "The chairman is waiting for you on the top floor." Yeonwoo grinned broadly. As expected of a friend. He''d asked to talk about changing the world, and they immediately agreed to meet. "Let''s go quickly." Yeonwoo followed the secretary into the building, and the skyscraper began to emit a dazzling golden light. It was as if a warning light had been turned on. --- 177 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The building''s interior was deserted. There were no people wandering around, only a sterile golden glow and a low mechanical hum. In the vast space, the only signs of life were the footsteps of Yeonwoo and the secretary. Yeonwoo''s expression turned strange. ''The atmosphere here feels like a workce on the brink of copse.'' It was as if all the employees had fled, leaving only the worksite behind. In reality, everyone had been urgently evacuated because Yeonwoo wasing, but unaware of this, Yeonwoo started to worry that the Club''s situation might be dire.''What if they can''t help? What if they don''t have the power to change the world?'' Yeonwoo nced sideways at the secretary and casually remarked: "So, is the Club in a bad way?" Beads of cold sweat instantly formed on the secretary''s forehead as thoughts raced through their mind. What would be the appropriate answer in this situation? ''A person we can''t get too close to, but can''t push away either.'' It was awkward to show any signs of difort by saying things were bad, but equally awkward to create an opening by saying things were good. Either choice would result in a loss for the Club''s natural enemy. The secretary thought: ''He''s a madman who roams freely outside his domain without even creating one in this world.'' Not just the chairman, but other Level 6 entities didn''t leave their domains either. This wasn''t something a mere secretary should judge. The secretary secretly swallowed dry saliva and shook their head. "I''m sorry. As a mere member, I can''t speak freely about such matters. You should ask the chairman directly." "Ah." Yeonwoo nodded as if he understood and didn''t probe further. If they''d been ordered to keep quiet, there was nothing he could do. He could just ask the chairman anyway. They took the elevator to the top floor. The doors of the smoothly ascending elevator opened seamlessly. Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. Beyond the elevator stretched a floor with only sparse columns instead of walls. In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows stood the Club chairman, backlit by yellow sunlight like a halo, and at the center of the floor was a massive golden sculpture of a face. The Club chairman and Golden Omnipotence. An entity he could consider a friend, more or less. Yeonwoo stepped out of the elevator with a faint smile. "It''s my first time seeing you in person. Hello. I''m Lee Yeonwoo from the Anomaly Protection Company." The chairman, who had been looking down at the city and the world beyond the ss, turned around. His face was an unreadable poker face. Click- The chairman twisted his wrist to check his watch. The second hand ticked relentlessly. "I''ll give you three minutes. Try to convince me." The moment Yeonwoo entered this ce, the gold consumption rate increased. On top of blocking the world''s rejection, they now had to block the possibilities and strange fate Yeonwoo naturally scattered. It was like being attacked from both outside and inside simultaneously. They needed to get rid of him as quickly as possible. Yeonwoo muttered: "Three minutes is too short." It was far too little time to exin and persuade someone of such a grand goal as changing the world, but the chairman waved his hand firmly. "Staying any longer is an attack. Think about how much gold is being consumed even at this moment. Twenty seconds have passed." Only then did Yeonwoo turn his attention to the other decor. A conveyor belt humming with motor sounds slowly carried gold. Gold bars dropped at intervals in front of the slightly open-mouthed sculpture. Just then, the chairman spoke again: "Another five seconds have passed." "Come on, three minutes is too short. It''s not like we''re making cup noodles." "Two minutes and thirty seconds left. And I don''t eat cup noodles." Yeonwoo pouted briefly, then finally understood the chairman''s position. ''Even if the conveyor belt is slow, those are gold bars.'' Time was literally money here. He couldn''t even guess how much a single minute or second would be worth in mary terms. He didn''t know the price of gold. Yeonwoo cleared his throat a few times and said: "Let''s join forces to create an anomaly-friendly world. The current world is too ufortable, isn''t it?" For a moment, the corner of the chairman''s eye twitched. He was right. The world was ufortable. Despite being Level 6, they had to live within their domain like prisoners. Every moment outside their domain was a war against the world. It was all meaningless expenditure. But hearing such words from Yeonwoo, who could freely roam the world without loss, felt like mockery. ''If you''re ufortable, then what about me- what about other Level 6 entities-'' His poker face was about to crack. Fissures appeared in his expressionless mask. The chairman quickly collected himself. "Your goal is good. But it''s an excessively risky venture." "It doesn''t feel that dangerous to me..." As Yeonwoo grumbled discontentedly, the chairman smoothly picked up the conversation like a skilled moderator. "It would be great if it seeds. But the amount of gold required for this project would be truly astronomical. The moment it fails, we''d be shouldering an irrecoverable loss." The businessman exined logically. "The Club would be lucky to just stagger; we might even go bankrupt. With the world in this state, even the slightest problem in gold procurement could be fatal." Yeonwoo,cking in conversational skills, nkly repeated the same words like a parrot. "But isn''t it ufortable living like this? So we should change it. To make it livable, safe." "That''s precisely why we shouldn''t recklessly take on such a challenge." The chairman spread one hand behind him. The floor-to-ceiling windows and the city visible beyond them. "We''ve built this domain with steady gold investment over time. Maintenance costs have decreased significantly, and the Club''s profits are gradually increasing." "But still, but still." Yeonwoo stumbled over his words. He was losing the logical argument. But he couldn''t bring himself to use the dice to ''persuade'' the other party, who possessed an equal level of power. In the end, Yeonwoo let out a deeply disappointed sigh. "Alright, I''ll handle it on my own then." Maybe he could persuade the Artist Association President or the demon worshipper to do something. At that moment, the chairman was horrified. ''This guy''s going to act on his own?'' They had gathered plenty of information on Yeonwoo. That''s why they knew. Had any situation involving Yeonwoo ever ended smoothly? Never. And now he had reached Level 6 and was talking about meddling with the world? They couldn''t even imagine what kind of ident might happen. The aftermath would be simr to a sudden war breaking out or natural disasters striking, throwing the stock market into chaos. The chairman nced at his watch and spoke in a cating tone. His voice was urgent. "There''s no need to rush. A livable, safe world wille with time." Though there was no need to say even this much, the chairman revealed his own vision to stop Yeonwoo. The future as he saw it. "Think about the Level 6 entities on Earth. There aren''t just one or two. In not too long, we''ll eventually infiltrate the entire world." Domains expanded over time, and in the future, the domains of Level 6 entities would cover the entire world. The Anomaly Protection Company would likely desire such a world too. Yeonwoo was momentarily tempted by these words but quickly came to his senses. This wasn''t the world he wanted. ''A world hostile to anomalies or a world of other Level 6 entities, it''s all the same. What I want is an anomaly-friendly world.'' He didn''t even want the dice''s world. A world where taking a step forward teleports you to random coordinates? A world where living things could be non-living and vice versa? A world where time and gravity are all jumbled up? ''That''s not it.'' Yeonwoo rolled his eyes around. Then he smiled awkwardly. Anyway, the future the Club chairman dreamed of and the future he wanted were different. "I understand for now. I didn''t think I''d be refused, so my head''s a bit muddled. I''ll have to think it over again." "That''s a wise decision. Sometimes, time is the most valuable resource." The chairman let out a sigh of relief. He briefly exhaled and imperceptibly regained hisposure. And then, the next moment, Yeonwoo''s words shattered thatposure. Yeonwoo casually said: "But don''t you have any gifts? I came all this way to visit... The Club''s headquarters feels like a famous tourist spot, so I''d like to take home some kind of souvenir." "...Time''s almost up. Please leave." "Really, you don''t have anything?" Yeonwoo''s eyes sparkled as he didn''t move an inch. Having failed to secure cooperation, he intended to at least take something away. That firm resolve was clearly visible in his eyes. The chairman''s fingertips trembled. ''L-loss. It''s a loss. This is a loss.'' But even as he thought this, time ticked away, and the strain on Golden Omnipotence''s domain intensified. The chairman gritted his teeth. He tried hard to rationalize. ''Think of it as bomb disposal costs. ident prevention, an investment to avoid greater losses.'' Finally, the chairman spoke to the secretary in a suppressed voice. "The time-buying bills. Give him the ones stored as first priority for use." First priority meant items with little time left before expiration. In this world hostile to anomalies, item-type anomalies had expiration dates like food. When the expiration date passed, the effects would disappear, or the item would break or bepletely destroyed. The secretary hurriedly tapped on their phone. Then they quickly grabbed Yeonwoo''s sleeve. "They''ll be ready on the first floor. Let''s go quickly." "Okay. I''ll be going then." Yeonwoo, who had made a decent gain, smiled brightly and bowed to the chairman, who reluctantly nodded in return. ------ Sure enough, when they reached the first floor, several boxes filled with 50,000 won bills were waiting. It seemed they had been moved by transport drones or robots. As Yeonwoo leisurely checked the boxes, the secretary impatiently tapped their foot. "Mr. Yeonwoo. You need to leave as quickly as possible. The building can''t hold out." "Ah. I''ll just do one thing and then leave." Yeonwoo, who had been examining the boxes from various angles, smiled with satisfaction. The boxes were made of conveniently mmable material. His hand reached into his bag. The secretary was about to say something when their eyes widened in shock. Yeonwoo had suddenly pulled out a container of gasoline and a gas torch. "No, no! What are you-!" Ssh ssh ssh! Gasoline poured over the boxes. Yeonwoo''s smiling face reflected in the oil spreading across the floor. Then, the blue me of the gas torch shot out. Whoosh, red mes leapt up. The secretary jumped in shock. Their voice was filled with astonishment. "Ah! What are you doing! Why are you starting a fire here-" "Isn''t it better to use them here for maximum effect, since I''ve received them?" Yeonwoo spoke calmly. Using the bills in a world hostile to anomalies would greatly reduce their efficiency. If the hourly wage was 10,000 won, you''d need to spend much more than that toplete an hour''s worth ofbor. On the other hand, here in Golden Omnipotence''s domain, you could buy more time with less money. The flickering mes reflected in Yeonwoo''s eyes. He had decided what to buy with the bills. ''Let''s buy the time needed for the dice''s contamination.'' The bills were anomalies with an expiration date anyway. He''d pour everything into strengthening himself right here and now. Because the world was dangerous. Because there was no time to wait slowly. In an instant, the bills burned up, and Yeonwoo bought time. Yeonwoo closed his eyes and reached out into the air. He felt a sensation at his fingertips. The sense of possibility and probability. Add the survival instinct to this, and... ''It worked. I''m a bit safer now. It feels slightly insufficient to change the world, but if I can join hands with just one more Level 6 entity, it should be fine.'' And then, he heard a sound. Crack, the sound of a fissure opening. The dice''s power, suddenly increased with the help of the survival instinct. Scattered possibilities. It became a sharp awl, drilling a tiny hole in Golden Omnipotence''s domain. A hole punctured in the building that was the Club''s headquarters. Yeonwoo looked up at the air, startled. "Huh?" "What?" The secretary also nkly raised their head. The golden light rushed to seal the hole, but it was toote. The enraged world surged in like a fierce wave, pushing back the golden light and widening the crack. A strong shockwave, bang, struck the building. The building shattered into pieces like a cookie. Large and small fragments rained down like a shower. They could be crushed to death if they weren''t careful. Just as Yeonwoo''s eyes darted around wildly and he reached out his hand: The Club chairman''s voice, filled with fury, rang out. "Restore the building, repel the world, recover the domain!" The whole world was dyed golden. Within this golden-wrapped world, the fragments that had been falling stopped mid-air. As if time had frozen. Then, as if rewinding time, the fragments traced back along their falling trajectories. The jagged pieces reassembled themselves, and the building''s cracks healed. But the world that had rushed in and the golden light were still fiercely struggling against each other. The boundary between the world and the domain pushed back and forth little by little. Yeonwoo quickly shouted: "I''ll help!" "No need! Just, quickly, go back!" "But I made a mistake-" "No, just go back! That''s how you can help!" At that sincere voice, Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. Then he hurriedly turned and fled from the building. A faint light of emotion shone on Yeonwoo''s face. ''He''s a real friend. Overlooking even this level of mistake. I should think of him as a true friend too and get closer.'' In the ce Yeonwoo had left, the secretary, alone on the first floor, shuddered and quickly took the elevator up. A deep sigh escaped their lips. "Chairman... We shouldn''t have tried to get close to that guy in the first ce." Ding, beyond the opened elevator doors, the chairman poured gold bars into the sculpture,menting: "I regret it too..." He couldn''t understand how they kept incurring losses every time they got involved with him. The worst part was that he had no ill intentions. He was truly the Club''s natural enemy. --- 178 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here As soon as Yeonwoo left the Goldberg Club''s domain, an overwhelming pressure descended upon him. It felt like a hammer falling, ready to crush him. He''d expected this. Looking up at the sky, Yeonwoo spoke logically: "You shouldn''t do this to me. I helped you by punching a hole in Golden Omnipotence''s domain. I''m your ally." It wasplete nonsense. From the world''s perspective, Yeonwoo was like a cockroach. As disgusting as something it wanted to kill, but an elusive pest it couldn''t touch. Whoosh, the immense pressure distorted space as it fell. The air warped, and nearby leaves and dust swirled in a vortex.Swish-! Yeonwoo made a gesture as if throwing dice into the raging wind. ''The possibility of persuasion.'' Using his sense for gauging probabilities, he chose a judgment with high possibility. His survival instinct erased failure and critical failure, leaving the dice to roll between a miss, sess, and critical sess. tter- Sess! A decent sess achieved by cheating with his survival instinct. Though the dice seemed a bit disgruntled, the result was fine. The pressure that had been distorting the world suddenly dissipated. It had been ''persuaded'' by Yeonwoo''s logic. The pressure turned into a simple gust of wind, ruffling Yeonwoo''s hair. "That''s right. This is how it should be. Let''s keep working well together." Yeonwoo grinned cheerfully. Breathing was easy. Clean, fresh air filled his lungs. It was apletely different level offortpared to before when he had to twist his whole body to resist. Of course, this persuasion was short-term and the world would soone to its senses, but he could just roll the dice each time. He could persuade, evade perception, weaken, or deceive. ''Wait a second. If it''s like this...'' Safety had arrived. The lurking dangers around him vanished. Yeonwoo''s brisk pace gradually slowed. His mind, which had been racing, and his heightened nerves began to rx. ? Yeonwoo muttered absently: "Do we really need to change the world? Wouldn''t it be fine to just protect this world as it is?" The world trembled. For some reason, the sky turned yellow as if stained by sunset. "Wow." Yeonwoo briefly marveled at this strange weather phenomenon before quicklying to his senses. Logic unfolded in his mind. ''If I''m safe no matter what I do, it''s okay to act for convenience.'' There was nothing to lose by trying. So there was no reason not to act for afortable world. Even if he failed, he could at least preserve his life. With that, Yeonwoo picked up his phone. It was a call to his next negotiation partner. "Hello, this is Lee Yeonwoo from the Anomaly Protection Company. I''d like to discuss changing the world with the Artist Association President as a Level 6 entity-. What? Oh, a director will meet me instead? You''re saying we''ll negotiate outside the domain?" An appointment was made. And that call waspletely intercepted by thepany''s Intelligence Department and ryed to the directors. ------ The board meeting continued for days on end. They even ate during the meetings, and except for bathroom breaks and sleep, they talked incessantly. At the end of this grueling marathon, the directors reached a consensus. "Alright, let''s consider the framework settled and each proceed with our projects as we see fit." Under the grand purpose of protecting humanity, the directors set different goals and decided to move independently. Secretly creating a humanity protection department by recruiting promising employees, sabotaging anomaly groups, mass-producing ordinary bullets, ns to reverse the inverted safety measures, rebuilding the World Alteration Device, and so on. Above all, eliminating the unstable factor that was Yeonwoo. As the meeting was wrapping up, the director in charge of Yeonwoo ryed some news with a subtle expression. "Well. It seems Yeonwoo has dealt a blow to the Goldberg Club''s headquarters." "...Why?" The directors, who had been thinking about washing up and getting some good sleep, opened their bloodshot eyes wide. Yeonwoo dreamed of an anomaly-friendly world and was actually moving to realize that dream. He was a potential enemy of the Humanity Protection Company. Why would the most unstable factor at present do something helpful? The director in charge shared some photos. Pictures of a shattered building, followed by images of the restored building surrounded by golden light and the world struggling against each other, and Yeonwoo fleeing the domain. "They must have consumed quite a bit of gold." "That''s not the important part... Didn''t he go there to cooperate? What did he do?" The directors, who had been rubbing their eyes and doubting the photos, wore dumbfounded expressions. Then, memories surfaced. The idents Yeonwoo had caused in the altered world. Thepany''s ally who tried to destroy the world hostile to anomalies, the doomsday cultists, had been destroyed by him. Thepany''s troublemaker who ruined their alliance. The directors btedly let out exmations of realization. Their narrow vision, shocked by the revtion that they were actually the Humanity Protection Company, broadened. "Come to think of it, he''s the one who killed two Level 6 doomsday cultists." Yeonwoo, who met the Eraser to join hands in stopping the climate that was annihting anomalies, had a fit. The doomsday cultist wielding the Eraser died. The Warrior who came seeking revenge also died at Yeonwoo''s hands. The directors looked at the director in charge of Yeonwoo. "Is there really a need to eliminate him? If we leave him alone, won''t he just go around biting all the other groups?" "But we can''t be sure, can we? What if he joins hands with the Association President or the worshipper? A truly anomaly-friendly world might be created." In response to this worried statement, the directors pondered briefly. But perhaps because they were exhausted to the point of physical limits, their minds weren''t working well. In the end, they decided to postpone the decision. "Your concern has merit, but let''s observe a bit more. When has anything Yeonwoo does ever seeded properly?" "He''s a bomb. It''s hard for him to create anything." The director in charge wore a frustrated expression. "No, he''s going to talk with the Artist side right now-" "Then the Artist side is more likely to suffer damage." The directors who had casually spoken these words began to yawn one by one. They had been conducting meetings while drastically cutting down on sleep. The stamina of these ordinary people was reaching its limit. Some were already nodding off. "Let''s end the meeting for now. We''ll meet again after everyone has nned their projects. I''m dying of fatigue." Simultaneously, the directors busily clicked their mice. Click click click! They enthusiastically pressed the button to close the meeting, escaping. In an instant, the camera screens went ck. Only the director in charge of Yeonwoo, left alone, frowned. "Is this right? ...I''m too sleepy for my brain to work. I need to rest first." Click! The board meeting ended. Everyone went to rest, leaving a gap of several hours. ------ Yeonwoo moved quickly. The Artist Association''s director hurriedly entered a nearby prepared location. An atelier, you might call it. A workshop where stone dust from unfinished sculptures floated in the air. Inside, a sculptor holding a chisel and ring at a marble block suddenly stood up. "Yeonwoo?" "Sculptor?" They had an unpleasant history. This was the person who had turned Yeonwoo''s shelter into a terrifying anomaly in an attempt to obtain the Eraser. They awkwardly stared at each other for a moment before clearing their throats and sitting down. Yeonwoo pushed aside a roughly square stone piece and sat on it, saying: "Well, let''s put the past behind us. We have more important things to discuss now, don''t we?" "Right, right. Um, I''ll give you the letter from the Association President first." The sculptor rustled about and handed over a white envelope. Yeonwoo asked curiously as he opened the envelope: "The Association President couldn''te?" "...Of course they couldn''t." What was this? Was he bragging about his freedom? The sculptor continued with a sour expression. "Love and hate are separated by a paper-thin line, you know. The moment the President steps outside the Arts Center, the world would tear them to shreds." "...Then how do they create their domain?" Yeonwoo suddenly looked up, pausing in the middle of unfolding the letter. If they die, they can''t create a domain, right? They couldn''t have had a domain from the beginning, could they? The sculptor sighed. "The world went mad. It suddenly regrets and revives them, but then kills them again. Anyway, they created the Arts Center after countless cycles of dying and reviving. So don''t even think about going to the Arts Center." The major news of the Club''s building exploding was quickly understood, and Yeonwoo became a banned visitor. It was a domain the Association President had built through suffering, thest museum protecting works of art. ''That was a bit of an unexpected ident. But I can''t me them for being careful about idents.'' Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly and lowered his head to unfold the letter. It looked like an email printed out, rather than a handwritten letter. The first line made Yeonwoo''s mind freeze. - You want to return the world to its original state? I wee that. That''s exactly what I want. The rest of the letter continued withints about when they would do it, how they would do it, feeling like they were being stalked, how this world was really too much, but Yeonwoo reread the first sentence. "Original...?" Yeonwoo muttered. He didn''t understand what it meant. He quickly looked up at the sculptor, but the sculptor seemed clueless. The sculptor, who had been looking at Yeonwoo curiously, flinched. "W-what? Did the Association President write something bad? If so, it''s because theyck social skills, so don''t take it to heart. They''ve never really had a proper conversation with anyone-" "That''s not it. Can you contact the Association President now?" The sculptor, who had been afraid of getting caught in the crossfire, quickly pulled out their phone. "A call is impossible, but text is possible. I''ll connect you right away." The phone was handed over. Yeonwoo carefully typed a message. - What do you mean by ''original''? - You''re not very smart, are you? Not even knowing the meaning of words. - No. I''m asking what the original world was. Yeonwoo tapped the phone impatiently, and a reply slowly came back. - You don''t know? This world has been altered. The world confessed to me. Originally it allowed anomalies, but the Humanity Protection Company used a wicked device to rewrite itself. ''Altered? Humanity Protection Company?'' Yeonwoo''s eyes widened. All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind. His heart pounded, and sparks flickered in his brain. ''Mark Jung said thepany tried to create a strange world but failed. He said only the device broke.'' No. It had seeded. The world had changed to be hostile to anomalies. The Anomaly Protection Company was originally the Humanity Protection Company. The world thatpany dreamed of wasn''t a strange world, but a world where humanity was safe from the threat of anomalies. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Yeonwoo instinctively sensed danger. ''Does thepany not know about the alteration? When even the Association President knows, thepany that led the experiment?'' If even just the upper echelons or some departments knew. What would they do? They would maintain the current world, and might even move to create a world where anomalies couldn''t exist. They might even start assassinating Level 6 anomalies right away. Because if the Level 6 entities were gone, they could easily destroy anomaly groups and anomalies. Sirens rang in Yeonwoo''s ears. It was an auditory hallucination. The world seemed to turn red in the face of this imagined danger. Yeonwoo''s fingertips trembled. ''I''m in danger too.'' They might overlook minor anomalies that just survive, but the dice was enough for the Humanity Protection Company to consider it a target for destruction. In the first ce, he had been going around saying he''d create an anomaly-friendly world without knowing anything. If someone from the Humanity Protection Company, which had created this world hostile to anomalies, saw him... ''Assassination! I might be assassinated!'' It was a terrifying thought. Yeonwoo jumped up as if convulsing and looked around in a lowered posture. The atelier itself, the street outside, the people and cars visible through the window, and even the buildings across the street - everything was suspicious. ''That''s right, they had ordinary bullets! What kind of people dreaming of a strange world would make ordinary bullets!'' The ordinary bullets remained unaffected by the alteration, but Yeonwoo, unaware of this, was convinced. The sculptor stood up in surprise. "W-what''s wrong-" "Please ry a message! Tell them thepany probably knows too! Tell them to think about what thepany might do! And please, don''t keep this to yourself, share it with the Club or the worshipper''s side!" Yeonwoo tossed the phone back and immediately rummaged through his pockets, throwing his own phone into the trash can. ''Assume my phone was tapped too!'' --- 179 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here ''I''m being bugged! There''s a listening device on my body!'' It was a moment when a somewhat reasonable suspicion escted to the level of paranoia. Yeonwoo quickly came to his senses. He had been jumping around, twisting his whole body, but suddenly stopped. His hands, which had been roughly shaking his clothes, fell limply to his sides. "No, that''s not it." Cold reason returned to his wild eyes.They wouldn''t have imnted any mechanical devices. Thepany wasn''t stupid enough to use such an easily detectable direct method on an elite agent. If they were monitoring him, it would probably be through some bizarre anomaly, satellite surveince, or phone tapping. ''What should I do now?'' Yeonwoo fell into deep thought. The sculptor looked at him with terror-stricken eyes. Yeonwoo had been fine just a moment ago, but suddenly became agitated and started acting like a madman. The sculptor couldn''t understand his train of thought. "W-what''s the p-problem-" "Please be quiet for a moment. I need to think." The sculptor mped his mouth shut. He slowly backed up towards the back door, ready to animate the statues if necessary. The owl statue, knight statue, and wolf statue disyed in the atelier slightly tensed their bodies. "..." "..." Silence fell for a few seconds. Then, Yeonwoo suddenly lunged forward and rummaged through the trash can. He retrieved the phone he had just thrown away. ''Right. Let''s check the mood among thepany directors first. This might just be my paranoia.'' The phone had cracked when he threw it. The screen kept registering false touches, but after fiddling with it for a while, Yeonwoo finally managed to call Mark Jung. "This is Yeonwoo." "Yes, Yeonwoo. What can I do for you?" Mark Jung answered the phone in his usual voice. Yeonwoo stared intently at the simple call screen on his phone, held close to his face. He didn''t want to miss even the slightest clue. Voice, emotion, any hint. ? Yeonwoo spoke carefully. "Well, I suddenly got an uneasy feeling. Is something going on with thepany?" "Let''s see. Apart from the experiment failing and the device exploding recently... Ah. The board of directors has been meeting for several days." A board meeting? Yeonwoo''s eyes started to roll again. Clenching his fist tightly, he barely maintained hisposure and managed to continue speaking. "Did this board meeting happen after the device exploded?" "Yes. Chronologically, that''s correct, but..." A note of suspicion crept into Mark Jung''s voice as well. "A single device exploding shouldn''t warrant such a long board meeting. Did something serious really happen?" "Do you know what was discussed at the board meeting-" "I don''t have that kind of authority. That''s a secret only the directors know." Yeonwoo closed his mouth. His hand holding the phone trembled. Suspicion turned into certainty. A scream echoed in his mind. ''They must have found out about the alteration! No, they probably knew from the start and are now nning a new future! Thepany''s brain has returned to being the Humanity Protection Company!'' It was over. Really over. It wasn''t just one department, but the entire board of directors. The worst-case scenario had taken a big step closer. Yeonwoo managed to speak in his usual voice. "Well. If there''s anything I can help with, please let me know. I''m apany employee after all. Thepany''s problems are my problems." "Alright, I understand. I''ll contact you as soon as I know more about the situation." With Mark Jung''s voice trembling as if the unease had been transmitted, the call ended. Yeonwoo immediately threw his phone back into the trash can. He looked down at the rattling trash can with an expression close to tears. "Can''t I just live quietly and peacefully? Why is this happening to me?" He wasn''t asking for much. He just wanted to live without dying. But the whole world seemed to be tormenting him. The next moment, an eerie light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes. His only wish was survival. He couldn''t leave alone anything that threatened that wish. ''Thepany is scarier than the world. This means the Club will have to act too. No, we need to form an alliance among all Level 6 entities.'' Whether it was taking out the directors or blowing up thepany, he couldn''t do it alone. He needed to form an action n. Yeonwoo rolled his eyes. His gaze swept over the tense statue-like sculptures and the sculptor who was quietly opening the back door. The sculptor froze like a statue himself. "If, if the conversation is over-" "You came as the Association President''s proxy, right? Let me ask you one favor." Yeonwoo spoke quickly. "Please ask the Association President to talk with the Club Chairman. Share what the President knows and suggest a meeting among the Level 6 entities. ...I''ll contact the demon worshipper''s side myself." "I''ll definitely ry the message. Now, I''ll be going!" The sculptor fled hastily. The back door swung open roughly, ttering, and Yeonwoo immediately turned and left the atelier. ''The demon worshipper. I''ve only heard about them a few times. I should be able to persuade them.'' Attacks should happen unexpectedly. He had to save every minute and second. While the Artist Association President persuaded the Club Chairman, he would persuade the demon worshipper. And then, the four Level 6 entities would join hands to bring down thepany that threatened their survival. "I''ve got to kill them before they kill me." Yeonwoo muttered as he walked down the street. The dice seemed to faintly reflect in his eyes, and his steps seemed to tread on time and possibility, heading towards a future of survival. ------ Yeonwoo rolled the dice as he headed towards the demon self-governing region. He shortened distances and moved spatial coordinates. When he arrived at the domain of the demon self-governing region. Yeonwoo frowned deeply. "Ugh, the smell." A strong sulfur smell wafted through the air. Acrid smoke floated in the sky, which was pitch ck. asionally, sparks rained down like fire, and lightning struck randomly. In the distant wastnd, ciers jutted out, and next to them, avake boiled furiously. "No way, this is insane. What kind of ce is this?" It wasn''t just the natural environment that was strange. Yeonwoo clutched his head. His mind felt clouded. Various emotions rushed in. Who dares to kill me, pride. Anger towards everything that threatened his survival. A craving for hamburgers. The desire to live without doing anything and just be protected. Envy towards people who lived well without experiencing idents, and so on. Seven sins boiled like an active volcano. If an ordinary person stepped into this domain, they would be a ve to sin and live as a resident of hell. Yeonwoo shook his head vigorously, clutching it. ''No. These emotions don''t help with survival. Emotion cut.'' After cycling through his thoughts a few times, the emotions receded. Yeonwoo looked at the distant demon self-governing region with clear eyes. It was like a ck fortress. Beyond the high walls, the peculiar roofs of various buildings poked out, and bats and demons flew through the air, cackling. "This ce is the best!" Seeing some demons shouting like this, Yeonwoo slowly took a step forward. He was a visitor, after all. If he suddenly barged in using the dice, it might be seen as an attack. He had to maintain the etiquette of a guest. ''Judging by the state of this domain, they seem like a somewhat dangerous person, so I should be extra careful.'' Yeonwoo walked across the wastnd. A wastnd full of dried, twisted weed corpses from drought. After walking for a while, he heard someone yelling angrily. A voice mixed with fury and pleading. "You damn locusts! You''re my minions! Just, please, listen to me!" A man in farmer''s attire, with somewhat insect-like features, was gesticting at the locusts scattered around. Crunch crunch- The locusts were eating each other''s bodies, attacking each other, mating, and sometimes just sprawling out to sleep as if they knew nothing. The man in farmer''s clothes, Abaddon, the demon of pests, stomped his feet. "Why is the gue of locusts like this! Wake up quickly! ...This is driving me crazy." Yeonwoo stared nkly at the demon. It seemed okay to ask him for directions. Just then, Abaddon let out a deep sigh. "Stupid locusts. Why did you leave where you were living... Hah. I''ll have to ask the worshipper." "Are you going to see the Level 6 worshipper?" "I need to ask that friend to handle this quickly. ...Ah! You, you, you, what are you!" Yeonwoo had approached without a sound and was suddenly standing right next to Abaddon. Abaddon fell backwards with a thud, looking up at Yeonwoo from an awkward sitting position. Confusion shed in his eyes. The possibilities Yeonwoo subtly scattered. "You''re not the demon of confusion, are you? No, you''re not even a demon? What are you?" "I''m Lee Yeonwoo, Level 6. I''vee to discuss important matters with the worshipper. Could you show me the way?" As Yeonwoo spoke matter-of-factly, Abaddon scratched his head. His bangs waved like an insect''s antennae. "Is that so? It''s been a while since we had a visitor looking for the worshipper. Follow me." Abaddon started walking ahead without much caution. He walked at a leisurely pace, so it would take a while to reach the fortress of the demon self-governing region. Yeonwoo followed, asking curiously: "It''s my first time seeing this demon worshipper in person. What kind of person are they?" He had only heard a few snippets of information and didn''t even know what kind of anomaly they were. Judging by this domain, they seemed quite powerful. Abaddon shook the locust in his hand vigorously and spoke thoughtlessly: "The one who turns the world into hell. That friend created this whole domain. For the demons to rest well on Earth." "...This entire domain?" Yeonwoo turned his head. Some parts were an ice hell, others had hellfire zing, and some areas embodied the seven sins. He had thought the demons had helped create it all. Abaddon nodded. "Demons like mee and go in areas like famine or disaster, the Seven Deadly Sins live in that wastnd you just saw, and demons of war or gue live in their suitable areas." "..." Yeonwoo fell silent. And then, btedly, he realized something was wrong. The variety of domains wasn''t the problem. His survival instinct, which had been on high alert in the face of thepany''s threat, had turned off. It probably happened after entering this domain. Even though he was clearly in a dangerous environment, his survival instinct was sleeping like it was just another day. ''What''s going on? Why has my survival instinct turned off?'' His fingers trembled. Cold sweat beaded on his skin. With his survival instinct off, a terrible anxiety swept over him. He hastily changed the subject. "Is, is it not dangerous here?" "Of course it''s dangerous. It''s hell. But you don''t need to worry. Even ordinary people don''t die when theye here." Abaddon raised his hand. He clenched his fingers. The locust in his grasp was crushed with a squelch. Yeonwoo stared intently at the locust. The fatally injured locust didn''t die. It struggled with its legs and slowly recovered after a few minutes. Abaddon spoke casually: "Death is an escape, a blessing. There''s no such thing in hell." A domain where death doesn''t exist. A domain where survival is guaranteed. The survival instinct had fallen asleep. "Ah." Yeonwoo felt his sharp senses dulling and his thought processes slowing down dramatically. --- The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! 180 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here ''Think, think, think.'' Yeonwoo''s hands and feet trembled. His reliable safety device, the survival instinct, had shut off. It felt like bungee jumping without a rope. A dizzying vertigo. After staggering for a moment, Yeonwoo bit his lip hard and took a step to follow Abaddon. ''I came here as a guest, so there''s no danger. And... I can''t die here anyway, right?'' If he couldn''t die anyway, was there any reason to feel this anxious? In a way, wasn''t this ce optimized for survival? You could live through starvation, there was no natural death, and idents didn''t matter.Yeonwoo slowly regained hisposure. Comfort and confidence returned to his face. ''Besides, even if something dangerous happens, I still have my dice and equipment.'' Even without his Level 6 survival instinct, he could still twist his body somehow. His experience and abilities werepletely different from when he first started working for thepany. As his mood changed, so did his perception of the environment. The hellfire burning alone nearby looked like a single flower blooming in the wastnd, and the dark clouds swirling in the sky seemed like a clear autumn sky. Yeonwoo took a deep breath of the sulfur-scented air and said cheerfully: "Nice weather, isn''t it?" "...The weather?" Abaddon nced up at the sky, then looked back at Yeonwoo. ''What''s with this guy?'' There was no way this weather could be nice. The environment outside, with bright sunshine, clean air, and abundant crops, was much better. Of course, some demons might like hell, but... "Are you a demon by any chance?" "What? No, I''m human." The two beings stared nkly at each other before hurrying on their way. ------ All sorts of demons and worshippers were wandering around inside the demon self-governing region. It looked somewhat simr to a street in the ordinary human world, but upon closer inspection, it was utter chaos. Abaddon and Yeonwoo stopped walking. A demon pushing a barricade blocked their path. "You can''t pass!" "Get out of the way, you idiot!" "You can''t pass!" Therge demon clicked on a heamp. A red light like a traffic signal turned on. Abaddon and Yeonwoo''s feet froze. The demon said: "I''m the demon of red lights and traffic jams! You can''t take a single step-" "Shall we y a dice game?" Yeonwoo casually reached out his hand. The traffic jam demon blinked. Its eyelids trembled. As a demon governing red lights and traffic jams, it had a sense for these things. ''Aaagh! This guy''s crazy!'' Someone who ignores signals and pushes through like a tank when the road is blocked. Something beyond its authority. Click! Rattle-! In an instant, the demon turned off its heamp and dragged away the wheeled barricade. As it ran off, the demon shouted: "Please go carefully!" "Don''t curse us! ...Geez. This really isn''t a ce for people to live." Abaddon shouted angrily, then shook his head with a tired expression. Yeonwoo tilted his head. "Can that demon actually cast curses?" "Yeah. It can make you hit red lights every time you go out, or cause traffic jams." It was a truly petty curse. Yeonwoo found it rather amusing. The dice seemed to like this environment too, squirming slightly. Yeonwoo looked around. "I like it here." Maybe because there was no risk of death, the chaos felt like a fun game. Like visiting an amusement park or theme park? Abaddon waved his hand dismissively. The eyes of the locust in his grip rolled around. "You''d get sick of it after living here for a few days." Indeed, it was simr. In the short distance they walked, Yeonwoo was osted by several demons. A demon that wanted to gamble before letting them pass, a demon scattering Lego blocks on the road that could cause pain even through shoes, a demon of getting lost and stranded - all sorts of obstacles blocked their way. Finally, Abaddon''s face turned red as he raised his hand. "You crazy bastards! Just, please, let us through!" A ck storm gathered beyond the wall. It was a swarm of locusts. Buzzing loudly, the flying locusts swept through the street. The nearby demon worshippers hurriedly took shelter in buildings, while the demons pointed at Abaddon, cackling. "He''s getting angry!" "Are you mad? Are you mad?" "Aaargh!" Following Abaddon''s irritated shout, the locust storm blew away the surrounding demons. The street emptied. Abaddon, still panting, quickly ran ahead. "Let''s go before those guyse back!" "...Okay." Yeonwoo followed, looking utterly exhausted. Dark circles had formed under his eyes. ''I''m dead tired. This ce isn''t for me. It''s mentally draining.'' ------ Perhaps because the troublemakers were gone, the two soon arrived at a tall tower in the center of the city. The tower, built with ck bricks, had its door open. Abaddon entered without hesitation, and Yeonwoo swallowed hard before climbing the stairs. ''The demon worshipper. I hope they''re not too unpleasant.'' The Level 6 entities he had met so far were more or less human-like. Feeling it was about time to meet someone strange, Yeonwoo remained cautious. Abaddon opened the wooden door without knocking. "Worshipper. Do something about my locusts. They went into the Seven Deadly Sins'' area and went crazy." "That''s annoying." An irritable voice came from inside. Yeonwoo, standing behind the door, peeked his head in. At the top floor of the tower was a room like a studio apartment, where a man with a neurotic expression was flipping through a newspaper. The man, scanning the newspaper with gloomy eyes, ignored Abaddon''s request. Abaddon jumped like a locust. "Come on, is that what the king of hell should say? When a demon living in yourndins of difort, you should listen!" "I''m a worshipper, an ordinary human. I''m not going to do anything." "Oh, please. Do you know how hard I worked to breed those guys? Just this once-" At this point, the worshipper frowned. His face reflected an emotion of utter annoyance. Just as Abaddon was about to get his hopes up, the worshipper spoke: "Abaddon. I demand you return in exchange for the domain I sacrificed as an offering. Go!" It was a contract using true names. The domain had been in the form of a loan, and the most basic demonic contract forcibly expelled Abaddon in an instant. Then the worshipper slowly turned his head. Towards Yeonwoo, the mysterious guest. Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. "Hello. I''m Lee Yeonwoo, Level 6. I''vee to discuss something important." "Company? I didn''t hear anything about this in advance." "No. It''s a personal- well, a matter to discuss among us Level 6 entities." The worshipper wore a sour expression. But since Yeonwoo was also Level 6, he couldn''t just chase him away like a demon. "Sit wherever you like. There''s no water or tea. We don''t have that stuff in hell." Indeed, the teacup on the table was filled with sewage. Yeonwoo quickly sat down in a chair beside the table. Then he spoke immediately: "Let''s change the world and blow up thepany." "...Are you in your right mind? I think my presence might have messed with your head." "I''m perfectly sane. I''ll tell you the facts. Our world has been altered. Originally, it was a world that allowed anomalies, but the Humanity Protection Company rewrote it." Yeonwoo carefullyid out the information. The original world andpany. And the new goals thepany might set, and the crisis that anomalous entities like themselves would face. The worshipper listened seriously. A faint light of hope secretly rose in his gloomy eyes. "This isn''t a delusion. Thepany directors have already returned to their pre-alteration state, so an attack will soon-" "That''s great. It''s a good thing. A very good thing." "...Pardon?" Yeonwoo stopped abruptly. Something was off. This wasn''t the expected reaction. The worshipper was smiling. "It''s better if things like anomalies don''t exist in the world. People can live peacefully that way." His meaning was clear. An ally of thepany. Yeonwoo''s enemy. Yeonwoo''s mouth went dry. He swallowed hard and continued speaking, trying to persuade: "You won''t exist in the future thepany wants either. You''ll die." The threat of death. But even this fundamental threat didn''t work on the demon worshipper. The worshipper looked down at the teacup filled with sewage. "I turn the world into hell just by existing. I can''t help it. Do you know how many people suffered because of me before I became a worshipper?" Yeonwoo slowly stood up. The situation had twisted strangely. He needed to run away. The worshipper continued his monologue: "In the world before the alteration, I probably went to the demons'' dimension. I didn''t want to hurt people. Now I''m just protecting this demon self-governing region for the worshipper and demons who helped me." "...The worshipper and demons who helped you will also be annihted by thepany." As Yeonwoo clung to a faint hope, the worshipper looked up. His shoulders, which had been slumped with depression and despair, straightened. Brightly shining eyes looked at Yeonwoo. "That''s a small sacrifice. For them, for me, it''s not worth stopping a world for humans. So..." Hell began to stir. Through the small window, the sky was visible. The dark clouds that had been flowing freely began to swirl around the worshipper. The demons who had been ying around all raised their heads at once. The time to pay the price for their contract with the worshipper was approaching. "I should help the Humanity Protection Company. You can''t leave here." A calm before the storm settled over hell. All ording to the worshipper''s will. And just as that calm was about to explode. "Wait!" Yeonwoo raised both hands high. His hands spread out neatly, pointing towards the sky. It was a surrender pose. "What are you going to do with me? Are you going to kill me?" "I can''t kill you. You''re Level 6 too, and there''s no death here anyway." It meant he would tie Yeonwoo down with endless fighting. "Then I surrender. Please treat me properly as a prisoner." Yeonwoo surrendered immediately. ''Why fight in someone else''s home base when even my survival instinct is asleep?'' Honestly, he might be able to handle the worshipper alone or a few demons, but escaping from all of them was impossible. Why get hurt fighting unnecessarily? The worshipper looked at Yeonwoo suspiciously, then waved his hand. "...Don''t do anything strange and stay put." nk- Iron chains sprouted from the floor, binding Yeonwoo''s wrists and ankles. Then, following the worshipper''s downward hand gesture, the floor crumbled with a rumble. Beyond the floor was an underground prison lit by torches. Yeonwoo fell into a cell with a thud. "Ow." Yeonwoo, who hadnded on his backside, rubbed the sore spot pointlessly before slumping down. He scratched his head. "So, the current situation is." Both the worshipper and himself were sealed. The worshipper couldn''t do anything else while watching him. At most, he might contact thepany directors to share information. If he stayed still, thepany would either act to create a world without anomalies or team up with the worshipper to assassinate him. Either way, it was dangerous. Yeonwoo nced up at the cell ceiling. ''The Artist Association President and Club Chairman won''t just sit around. They mighte to rescue me, or they could deal with thepany while I keep the worshipper tied up here.'' The war with thepany had already begun. Unexpectedly, the worshipper had sided with thepany, but it wasn''t the worst-case scenario. "I''ll just act ording to the situation." At least there was no immediate risk of death for now. Yeonwoo took out his phone to pass the time, but seeing thatmunication was blocked, he wore a bored expression. Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. A demon holding a torch slowly came closer. "I''m the demon living in the prison domain. The worshipper told me to watch you closely, so I''ll be next to you for a while." "What kind of demon are you?" To Yeonwoo''s curious question, the demon with a soldier-like appearance answered: "I govern concepts like restraint, restriction of freedom of movement, and prisons." "Ah, I see." Silence fell for a moment. The demon stood stoically, watching Yeonwoo, while Yeonwoo rolled his eyes in boredom. The prison was so quiet that even the crackling of the torch could be heard. Beyond the torchlight, heavy darkness settled. Suddenly, Yeonwoo reached out his hand. "Let''s y a dice game." With nothing else to do, he might as well roll the dice for fun. Whether he got a critical failure or a critical sess, there was no reason to hold back when he couldn''t die. --- 181 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The prison demon spoke gruffly: "I don''tmunicate with prisoners." It was a basic principle, but the entity before him was especially dangerous and required extra caution. The demon''s shoulders sagged under various burdens: the fact that the worshipper had personally requested surveince, the sense of crisis he felt as a prison demon, the weight of the title "Level 6," and so on. Yeonwoo, oblivious to the demon''s inner tension, wore a nk expression."That''s fine." Yeonwoo made a fist-clenching gesture without much thought. ''I can do it alone, or I can y with this demon.'' The moment the demon entered his sight, its possibilities were in Yeonwoo''s grasp. He could feel the demon''s possibilities at his fingertips as he reached into the air. The possibility of the demon vigntly watching Yeonwoo as a faithful guard. It was the most probable future, and one Yeonwoo could easily manipte. The demon''s future, existence, thoughts, and sense of self - everything was in Yeonwoo''s hands. More precisely, they were caught up in the dice''s chaos. Everything about the demon was no longer its own. ''Still, I shouldn''t do anything too extreme, right?'' After all, it was a living being just like him. Plus, the demon worshipper was probably watching. As Yeonwoo started fumbling through the threads of possibility, the demon broke out in a cold sweat and opened his mouth wide. A threatening shout burst forth: "Don''t move! If you do anything strange-" "Oh. I''m just moving my hands. That''s too much. I''m a legitimate prisoner, you know." Yeonwoo pouted. He felt wronged. He was about to do something, sure, but he hadn''t actually done anything yet. Wasn''t it going too far to stop him from even moving his hands? "This is too much. I can''t take it." "Stop!" nk- The demon pulled out a long skewer from his waist. It was a tool for torturing prisoners. The rusty skewer with dried blood on it gleamed ominously in the torchlight. Yeonwoo frowned. "Torture is really crossing the line. Listen. I''m not a criminal, I''m a prisoner who surrendered voluntarily. You should treat me ordingly." "Stay still!" "Wow, now you''re even speaking informally. Listen to what I have to say." The iron skewer poked through the bars, as if telling him to shut up. Yeonwoo quickly assumed a surrender pose and spoke rapidly: "It''s normal for guards to converse with prisoners and help with hobbies for their mental health. Right?" "You''re not an ordinary person! Who knows what you might do!" Crunch! The demon gripped the skewer tightly. Veins popped out on the back of his hand. ''Persuasion.'' The dice rolled. tter- Sess! The threads of possibility wavering at Yeonwoo''s fingertips touched the demon. The demon, who had been brandishing the skewer, suddenly stopped. A confused look crossed his face. ''He''s right. He''s Level 6, isn''t he? I shouldn''t be acting this way towards him.'' He wasn''t an ordinary criminal. The demon had overreacted. The demon awkwardly withdrew the skewer. "You said you wanted to y a dice game? I''ll bring some dice." "I have dice. More importantly, let''s change this nket and chair first." Yeonwoo casually patted the ragged nket. The nket, more like a rag, and the mattress, which looked like it had been chewed by rats, sent up clouds of dust. "Yes!" The demon hurried off. How much time passed like this? The musty, old cell transformed into something like a hotel room. Hell-firenterns hung from the bars like decorative lights, andfortable beds, nkets, and furniture lined the walls. Most importantly, the cell door was open. "Well, this time it came up as a failure." "So I won." "Congrattions." Yeonwoo satfortably on the bed, fidgeting with his hands. Across from him, the demon sat docilely in a chair, but horns had grown on his head, and he now had six fingers. All these changes were the result of ying dice games with Yeonwoo. ''This is getting boring too.'' Yeonwoo wore a bored expression again. Mindful of the demon worshipper, he had only given the demon meaningless physical changes - or rather, free stic surgery - to the demon who could change its name and appearance at will, but it was starting to lose its appeal. The demon asked: "What should we bet on this time? Skin? A tail?" "Wait a minute. I want to do something more interesting." Yeonwoo fell into deep thought. ''What could help with the dice''s contamination, be fun, and not cross the line with the demon worshipper?'' Various ideas shed through his mind, but none met all the conditions. Making the prison his domain, reversing the concepts the demon governed, making an unfair contract in his favor... That''s when it happened. Suddenly enveloped in golden light, the demon''s eyes widened. A short, questioning voice burst out. "Huh? Why is the contract-" The demon vanished with a whoosh. As if it had never existed, the demon''s presence disappeared from Earth. Yeonwoo blinked, slowly realizing what had happened. ''This feels more like a return.'' Such things didn''t happen without reason. Yeonwoo looked up at the ceiling with a bright expression. He could sense it. Golden Omnipotence''s golden light was seeping through the stone ceiling. Like the sun rising, the golden light illuminated the demon''s domain. Yeonwoo jumped to his feet. Rescue had arrived. He couldn''t just sit still now. He had to help the Club by causing chaos from the inside. "Dice! Get ready!" As he boldly stepped through the wide-open door, Yeonwoo wore a troubled expression. Just causing confusion or making a mess would be enough to distract the demon worshipper. ''But how do I cause chaos? Ah, I don''t know. I''ll just have to roll the dice like crazy.'' Yeonwoo ran down the prison corridor, lit only by flickering torches, threads of probability creeping out around him. ------ The Club chairman, having restored his domain, was trembling in the top floor of the building. The Artist Association President, who had suddenly requested a conversation, had shared some terrible information. The Humanity Protection Company. The enemy that had created a world hostile to anomalies and now sought to annihte them. "...Please wait a few minutes." "Okay." The Association President, connected through Golden Omnipotence, quickly nodded. The Club chairman gestured to his secretary. "Bring gold bars." "How many should I bring?" "A lot. As many as possible." The secretary hurried down in the elevator, while the chairman paced restlessly around the top floor. He swayed from side to side and rubbed his forehead. Countless thoughts raced through his mind. ''If this information is certain... No, first I need to verify the information.'' And when the secretary returned withbor robots carrying gold bars, he poured all of them into Golden Omnipotence. The goal was to obtain truthful information. "Please verify the truth of the information the Association President shared." Golden Omnipotence answered that it was true, and the chairman''s body stiffened. He made his eyes glow golden and slowly gestured. Keep inputting gold. "Tell me what was discussed at the recent board meeting." This was a matter of life or death for the Club. He wouldn''t spare any gold. "World Alteration Device. Humanity Protection Department. Sabotage. n for mass-producing ordinary bullets. Reversal of safety measures that protect anomalies. Ha. Haha." Having obtained all the information from the board meeting, the chairmanughed. The secretary standing beside him opened his mouth in shock after hearing the chairman''s muttering. "Ch-Chairman. If the situation is like this-" "Wait. ...Please give me the documents and information rted to the ordinary bullets." The chairman finally obtained information about the ordinary bullets. He knew everything else, but that waspletely new to him. Golden Omnipotence couldn''t reveal the ordinary bullets themselves, but project reports and documents rted to them were engraved in the chairman''s mind. They were bullets that nullified anomalies. It was definitive proof that the Humanity Protection Company dreamed of and aimed for a world that didn''t allow anomalies. The chairman let out a hollowugh. "Ah. War. War. A war with nothing but losses." War only brings losses. But if it''s a war for survival, where losing means extinction and winning means survival... The chairman nced at the fidgeting secretary. Hepletely changed his expression and said: "Prepare for total war." It was a war with no way back. No matter how much gold they had to burn, they had to win. Even if it meant destroying the society they had protected for the sake of business and steady profits. The secretary snapped to attention. The criminal enterprises the Club had prepared immediately came to mind. "We''ll attack banks and gold storage facilities around the world right away." Because the Club was as well-integrated into normal society as thepany, they had incredibly detailed ns in ce. Spies bought with gold, blueprints and security systems for each facility, and ns for attacks and transport using anomalous entities like Golden Omnipotence appropriately. The chairman added: "Stop all business and switch to a war footing." As the secretary pressed his phone, signals were transmitted, and robots inside the building began to move busily. Boxes full of time-buying bills piled up on each floor. Then, the members who had evacuated returned and set fire to the bills. There was only one thing to buy time for with the bills. Offering gold bars to Golden Omnipotence. Time was shortened, and gold bars were moved. In a brief moment, countless gold bars entered Golden Omnipotence''s mouth. The chairman spoke coldly: "Please kill all thepany directors." It was a request the chairman wouldn''t normally make. Because it took too much gold to kill protected directors. But conversely, it meant that anything was possible if enough gold was offered. With the Club facing a crisis of extinction, the chairman''s eyes had gone wild, and Golden Omnipotence, having received its payment, granted the wish. In an instant, the directors died. "Next, tell me who our enemies are in the current situation. ...The demon worshipper, I see. Good. Let''s start by canceling the contract between the worshipper and the demons." The gold stockpiled in the building for emergencies was rapidly consumed. As another wish was granted, the Artist Association President, who had been waiting quietly, spoke: "What should I do?" "...You should broadcast. I''ll help you broadcast simultaneously worldwide through all media." "Sounds good!" "For the broadcast script, yes. I''ll give you the locations of thepany''s strongholds. Please ask the people who see you to rush and attack those ces." The nuclear bombs of the anomalous world began to detonate. The apocalypse wasing to the world. --- The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! 182 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The demon worshipper acted as usual. Lost in thought, he summoned a demon he could boss around and gave some vague instructions. "Let''s contact thepany directors." The thief demon, wearing a hood and mask, somehow managed to steal an inte connection and establishmunication. Giggling, the thief demon handed over a phone. "Connection''s ready.""Hmm. This is the demon worshipper." An exhausted voice came through the phone. "Which demon worshipper? I just fell asleep-" "The Level 6 worshipper. Humanity Protection Company. Let''s create a world without anomalies together." Silence. After a moment of heavy breathing, a trembling voice responded. "How did you know that? No, how many people know?" "Your Yeonwoo knew. He wanted to destroy thepany and change the world together." "How did Yeonwoo- no, damn it! He can''t be the only one who knows! Quick, emergency- ugh!" The sound of someone coughing up blood came through. Secondster, there was amotion of footsteps and people shouting. "Director! Get the medical team here now!" "We''re under attack! Sound the emergency rm!" The demon worshipper stared nkly at the phone, then shifted his gaze. Had Yeonwoo done something? But Yeonwoo was just ying around, customizing the prison demon. The demon seemed to be enjoying it too. Then the worshipper recalled the director''s words. Yeonwoo couldn''t be the only one who knew. If not Yeonwoo, then... "The Club?" Just as he muttered this to himself, the thief demon was enveloped in golden light. The demon blinked its gloomy eyes. "Worshipper. Our contract''s been terminated. Not just yours, but all the contracts I had with other worshippers too." That was it. The demon vanished. The contracts of all demons staying in the domain, on Earth through contractual power, had ended. Through the small window, brilliant golden light lingered like a wheat field before disappearing. "...So all the demons'' contracts have ended. Using this much gold means they have no future, right? No, it''s because they have nothing to lose that they''re spending it like water." ? The situation had taken a turn for the worse. At this rate, instead of a world for humans, it looked like war was about to break out. ''What should I do now?'' As he pondered this, a voice spoke up. The Club chairman''s voice. The chairman''s face appeared in the air, tinged with amusement. "Worshipper. I hear you''ve sided with the Humanity Protection Company. Any chance you''ll change your mind?" "No. Things like us shouldn''t exist in this world." "For the sake of humans?" "For the sake of humans." The worshipper''s calm voice made the chairmanugh. "You know the world will be destroyed before that world for humans can be created, right?" It was simple profit and loss. If they tried to create a world for humans, humans would die. If they gave up, many people would live. The worshipper frowned at this roundabout statement. He could feel it. The world was bing hell. The one who turns the world into hell sensed the world changing into hell. "...What did you do?" "The Artist Association President used her power. TV, radio, streaming, inte, videos, text messages, social media. Billboards, she appeared on every medium." The chairman showed a short video. People from various countries, looking fanatical, were rushing towards the nearestpany outposts. People looking at their phones went mad. The Association President appeared on urban billboards, and countless people started running like zombies. Military units acted independently, and armed police and firefighters raced with sirens ring. Gunshots, shouts, explosions, screams. The worshipper squeezed his eyes shut. Childhood nightmares resurfaced. "...If I give up, will this stop?" "We''ll keep it up until we bring down thepany." Because that would tie up a significant portion of thepany''s personnel. On top of that, information warfare was already underway. All sorts of false information was being spread to slow thepany''s recovery after losing its board of directors. It was made to look like the Club had provided information as thepany''s ally, or as if thepany had figured it out themselves. The chairman spoke: "Thepany is too big and dangerous. It''s right to take them out now." If this was the altered world, thepany would eventually figure that out and revert. They had to be eliminated now. No one knew how long that war wouldst, or how many people would die during that time. This was a war without even minimal standards. The worshipper opened his eyes. Determination settled in those eyes. He had made up his mind. "No. People won''t die. I''ll make sure of that. There''s no death in hell." He would save people. And at the same time, design the future. There was a vision of a world without anomalies. As long as people were alive, thepany would eventually create tools to achieve that vision. Or he would do it himself. "People will not die, and a world where we cannot exist wille." The worshipper had both the power and the will to do this. The chairman fell silent. "..." "..." The worshipper also hunched his body. The hell they had created would soon be his power. He intended to make the entire surface of the Earth his domain. Just as golden light shed in the air and hell contracted like a tightly coiled spring, it happened. Bang, the ground exploded and Yeonwoo crawled out from underground. Covered in dirt and ash-like dust, twisting his joints, Yeonwoo crawled out on all fours with difficulty and quickly raised his head. "Ah!" The worshipper and chairman''s gazes shifted simultaneously. The worshipper wore a dumbfounded expression, while the chairman''s face contorted. They had the same thought. ''Why is that guy out there?'' A strange sense of foreboding swept over them. Yeonwoo, seeing the shimmering golden light in the air, grinned broadly. "You came to rescue me! Thank you! I''ll help now!" "No, what are you trying to do, just stop for a moment!" "Yeonwoo! If you move even an inch, you''ll no longer be a prisoner but a criminal facing eternal torment-" Even as the worshipper turned away from the chairman and threatened Yeonwoo, Yeonwoo shook his head. A regretful voice poured out. "You''re truly a good person." Wasn''t eternal torment the same as eternal life? Anything short of death couldn''t threaten him. The worshipper''s threat didn''t work at all. If anything, it encouraged him to act without hesitation. Yeonwoo loosely clenched his fist. "Dice." In an instant, time stretched out for the three Level 6 entities. Extreme concentration made even time seem to slow down. Threads of probability wriggled out from Yeonwoo''s body. ''Damn it!'' The chairman panicked. He immediately cut the connection. That was a bomb. There was no reason to get involved. It was better to let the worshipper take the hit alone. On the other hand, the worshipper''s eyes shed. ''There''s no need to face him directly.'' Now that the chairman was gone, he would turn the world into hell. Whatever Yeonwoo did didn''t matter. After all, he wouldn''t die anyway. He murmured: "Hell wille." Yeonwoo wore an apologetic expression as he swung his hand. "If we had met at a different time, in a different situation, we could have been good friends. ...Dice. The possibility of the worshipper''s nightmare, the worshipper''s hell being realized." He was giving a personalized hell as a gift to someone who governed the concept of hell shared by many people. The dice rolled. Time, which had slowed down, sped up again. Hell explosively expanded its domain, and threads of probability writhed around Yeonwoo simultaneously. And then, silence fell over the world. The exploding power vanished in an instant. "..." "..." The two men stood staring nkly at each other. The power of anomalies had disappeared from the world. They had bepletely ordinary people. Critical failure! Because the dice had shown a critical failure. Instead of the worshipper''s hell, the worshipper''s ideal world was realized. "No, huh? Critical failure? What?" "Isn''t this... a world without anomalies?" The two men were confused. Yeonwoo lost all sense of not just the dice, but his survival instinct and even the raindrops, while the worshipper was no longer the one who turns the world into hell, but just a grumpy-looking middle-aged man. Nevertheless, both men were experienced enough to quickly grasp the situation. The expansion of hell had stopped, and the moderately-sized hell had be a world without anomalous power. Yeonwoo, who had been gauging the situation, let out a scream and quickly turned around. He ran away, kicking up dirt. "Run away!" He had be weak. A wrong fall could kill him. A wrong hit could kill him. Getting hit on the head by hail could kill him, getting struck by lightning could kill him, a sudden heart attack could kill him. Simply put, the possibility of death had appeared. A lot of it. He needed to quickly leave this domain and regain his power! To make death non-existent again! "Stop! Yeonwoo! Let''s create a world without anomalies together!" The worshipper hurriedly chased after Yeonwoo. His eyes zed with fire as he pursued Yeonwoo. ''The vision! The means to create a world without anomalies! I must catch him!'' The chase began. Yeonwoo screamed and screamed until he was out of breath, gasping for air, while the worshipper, equallycking in stamina, stumbled and fell on his own or drooled as he struggled to keep running.N?v(el)B\\jnn How long did they run? Probably not even a few minutes. But both men looked years older, their limbs trembling as they pushed their bodies to the limit. "Yeon, woo! Just, talk, for a moment!" "No! Stop, chasing me!" Crash! Yeonwoo tripped on a rock and fell. He barely managed to get up, twisting his whole body. His heart was racing, and his breathing wasbored. Drip, drip, Yeonwoo, dripping with sweat and saliva, gritted his teeth. He had reached his limit. He had hit the wall of physical exhaustion. ''Move!'' The worshipper, more tenacious than a demon, was chasing him. He had to run away quickly. Even a misced punch to the jaw could kill him. The demon worshipper seemed intent on subduing him, but if that went wrong... Grind! The sound of teeth grinding could be heard. Yeonwoo, his hands trembling, barely managed to lift his feet. The demon worshipper, looking crazed, stretched out his legs. Only willpower moved his physically exhausted body. "St, op!" At that point, Yeonwoo gave up on running away. ''I might die if I run wrong. I''d better drive the worshipper away here.'' Fwump, his hand went into his bag. In this domain, it wasn''t an anomalous entity, so nothing could be found. Yeonwoo staggered as he red at the worshipper. As if pretending there was a gun in the bag. "If you,e any closer, I''ll shoot!" "In hell, there''s no... Oh, there is death now, isn''t there?" The worshipper stopped in his tracks. He bent over, hands on his knees, dry heaving a few times before wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Time passed as they caught their breath, trying to regain their stamina. The worshipper spoke casually: "Yeonwoo. Right. I''ve heard about you. A survivalist who destroys dangerous anomalies he''s supposed to protect. Isn''t a world without anomalies good for you too?" Yeonwoo''s eyes darted around as he showed signs of trying to run away again. He was slowly backing away. The worshipper, looking like he was about to lose it, waved his hands frantically. "I won''t catch you! Just listen to me!" "...Go ahead." "Without anomalies, it''s that much safer. The world won''t be messed up because of Level 6 entities like us, and there won''t be idents from suddenly appearing anomalous entities." His words carried genuine emotion. Yeonwoo responded seriously. "I probably would have agreed with you before I reached Level 6." Perhaps at one time, he had wanted a safe world without anomalies. Wanting to be safe from too many idents. But now that he had reached Level 6... "But now that I''ve experienced a world without anomalies, I''m certain. No. A world where anomalies exist is safer." "...Why?" The worshipper, who had been listening intently, asked. Yeonwoo smiled faintly. This was probably the first time he was revealing this to someone else. "Because I''m a survivor. I reached Level 6 through my survival instinct, not the dice." The one who avoids death, who may have even surpassed the limits of lifespan, asked with pure curiosity: "Why should we change a world where we don''t have to die into a world where we must die?" Natural death, traffic idents, heart attacks, viruses, stray dogs, falls, fractures, fires, absurd idents, and so on - why create a world with so many possibilities of death? The worshipper closed his mouth. He realized they fundamentally couldn''t understand each other. He felt the same sense of alienation he had felt when he first saw a demon. Demons who y around with the concepts they govern as their theme. If he thought of Yeonwoo as a demon of survival... "I can''t ask a demon to give up the concept it governs... Fine. Go. Then we each have our own work to do." "Agreed. Let''s both do our best for our goals." With that, the two men turned their backs on each other. They walked in opposite directions. Towards the edge of this domain. Towards the world where war was breaking out. --- 183 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The two men staggered a few steps, then simultaneously broke into a full sprint. They shared the same thought: ''Gotta get out of here faster than him!'' Hell had be a domain without anomalies, belonging to neither the worshipper nor Yeonwoo. The moment they left this domain, their powers would return. Whoever got out first and regained their power would have the advantage. The worshipper gritted his teeth as he ran, determined to capture Yeonwoo as a prisoner and use him as a means to create a world without anomalies.''If I can get out just a bit sooner, I''ll surround this domain with hell and catch Yeonwoo!'' Though his stamina was slightly worse than Yeonwoo''s, he knew the way. This was his domain. The hell he had created and designed. He knew not just the roads, but all the shortcuts too. The worshipper threw himself into theplex alleyways, gasping for breath. Meanwhile, Yeonwoo wore a desperate expression. He keenly sensed one danger. "We''ll each do our best? We''ll both work towards our goals?" Bullshit. With their ordinary human bodies, fighting would only hurt them both, so he''d just spouted some polite nonsense. The truth was different. Would the worshipper, who was willing to throw away his own life, give up on him so easily? ''It''s dangerous if the worshipper gets out first!'' In the extreme case, if the worshipper got outside the domain and threatened him with a gun, Yeonwoo would have no choice but toply. Even if he just threatened to keep Yeonwoo from leaving the domain, Yeonwoo would have to negotiate due to the many possibilities of death. So the two men ran and walked alternately, acutely feeling the limits of their ordinary bodies. "Made it!" Yeonwoo got out a little earlier. His heart pounded as the rain''s vitality surged through him. Fatigue washed away from his entire body. At the same time, his survival instinct switched on, and he felt the dice in his head. Yeonwoo quickly rolled the dice. "Dice. The possibility that I''m in a nearby city." The dice danced as they rolled. At the same time, a shout came from far away. The worshipper had just gotten out. "Yeonwoo! You can''t leave!" The sky, swirling with dark clouds, flowed as if enveloping the domain without anomalies. Countless iron chains wove themselves in the air, bing a steel snake that approached. Yeonwoo smiled. "You should exercise more. For a demon boss, you''re too weak." Just as the shadow of the giant steel snake with its gaping maw fell over him, the dice showed a sess. Sess! Yeonwoo''s view changed in an instant. He had moved to a nearby city. Then, Yeonwoo wore a dazed expression. "What''s happened to the world?" The city was in chaos from the Association President''s terror. It was like a war zone, or as if the apocalypse hade. Yeonwoo finally saw the war. ------ The Association President, dressed like a news anchor in a suit, appeared on every billboard lining the streets. Not just on bus stop disys, but even on screens high up on buildings, the Association President was reading from a script. "Audience members in this area, please go to the nearest location I mentioned. Go there and attack." Yeonwoo, who had avoided the Association President''s influence, slowly turned around. His gaze swept across the city center. "Aaaaaaah!" People were running and screaming. Cars had crashed into roadsides after speeding, and explosions and fires were breaking out everywhere. asionally, gunshots rang out. A person with crushed legs crawled along the asphalt road with their arms, showing a fanatical expression. Their hand brushed against Yeonwoo''s leg. "For the most beautiful one!" A trail of red bloodstains followed where the person had crawled. Yeonwoo''s lips trembled. "War? They''re going this far? This, this isn''t what I expected." Wasn''t mobilizing even civilians a bit much? This wasn''t the assassination or all-out war he''d thought of. This was more like... "Destruction, isn''t it?" At that moment, Mark Jung''s urgent voice rang in his head. "Yeonwoo! Where have you been? Why didn''t you answer your phone, and why did you reject the emergency contact through anomalous entities? We''re in a state of emergency!" Yeonwoo unconsciously raised his hand. He was about to use the dice to cut offmunication. But he couldn''t quite clench his outstretched palm. The Human Qualification Certificate in his pocket seemed to radiate heat. Warmth spread through his cold, rational mind. Yeonwoo''s lips quivered as he looked at the numerous victims. Even children and the elderly ran through the streets with wildly dted pupils. "Mom. Dad." He saw his family reflected in these people. It was a meaningless and cruel death. Mark Jung heard that voice. "We''ve protected your parents. They''re not hostages." They really weren''t hostages. Would hostages work on Yeonwoo? It was simply a service provided to Level 6 agents. Half-listening, Yeonwoo walked through the city center in a daze. His survival instinct stirred. In this world facing destruction, his survival instinct seemed to be trying to change into something beyond its limits. His view, which had only focused on himself, expanded to include his family, then society, and finally the entire human species. A strange thought floated through his hazy mind. ''In a world where all of humanity is extinct, does my survival alone have any meaning? Survival where I can''t even have children and live alone. That''s the extinction of humanity.'' A value higher than individual survival. The survival of humanity. The spirit of sacrifice to protect humanity even if it meant his own death- At that moment, Yeonwoo snapped back to his senses. ''Wake up! This isn''t my thought!'' It was the contamination of his changing survival instinct. Yeonwoo stopped walking and gritted his teeth. His thought circuits spun at high speed. ''This isn''t destruction. It''s just a war. The extinction of humanity? That won''t happen.'' Even the Club would need to leave a foundation to continue their business, right? At the very least, humans to mine gold from gold mines. Plus, the demon worshipper would save people. ''It''s not something I need to worry about yet.'' If, really, a crisis threatening humanity''s extinction came, who knows. He might save people just to be able to buy a hamburger. But not now. His changing survival instinct returned to its original form. His view narrowed. ''So what should I do now?'' Just then, Mark Jung gulped. His voice came through, full of tension. "Yeonwoo. I heard you visited other groups and tried to change the world. Please tell me a few things. What''s the current situation? And, are you still apany employee?" "...The situation is simple. Thepany struck first."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Us? Why would we, the Anomaly Protection Company-" In response to this confused reaction, Yeonwoo calmly answered. "Thepany altered the world." The original world and the Humanity Protection Company. The alteration theymitted. The war that broke out because of it. As he exined, he organized his thoughts. He recognized reality again and recalled what he needed to do. "Wait, let me recall those memories first." "Yes!" Mark Jung answered loudly. He had found context in a situation full of false information. He would ry that first, then verify its truth. Yeonwoo clenched his fist in the middle of the noisy city center, full of shouts and sirens. "The possibility of recalling my memories from before the alteration." The dice rolled. Sess! Memories from before the alteration, a person''s worth of data, poured in. Memories that were simr yet different. Yeonwoo calmly digested the memories. ''Double the memories. Double the experience. Double the experience of surviving idents. Absorb it all.'' Centered on his identity of survival, the memories from two worlds merged into one. "Ah." And so Yeonwoo recalled the memories from both before and after the alteration, and dreamed of a new future. Not the ordinary world that the Humanity Protection Company wanted, nor the world overflowing with anomalous entities without thepany that he had dreamed of just moments ago. Yeonwoo scratched his head. "The original world was the best after all." A world that allowed anomalies, where thepany managed the risks, where other groups and thepany maintained a bnce and preserved society, and where he could live moderately. That world was the most ideal. After his eyes shed for a moment as he thought, Yeonwoo said to Mark Jung: "I''m on thepany''s side. I''ve already terrorized the Club''s headquarters and attacked the worshipper." "...Yeonwoo, please wait a moment. Thepany is in chaos, so it''ll take some time to restore your status." "Is the situation that bad?" The sound of Mark Jung taking a deep breath could be heard as he was busy talking and typing. His voice came through, tense: "Reserve personnel have be directors, and an emergency alert has been issued. ording to the war scenario, thepany ns to counterattack within an hour." It meant they were extremely busy. He didn''t give exact information, but Yeonwoo could guess. ''They''ll grow the Green Association''s seeds, and elite agents will move. They probably have ns to mass-spray memory erasers, and they might activate the Extinction Defense Device simultaneously.'' But that wasn''t important to Yeonwoo right now. He calmly continued speaking. To achieve his goal. "Where''s the device that altered the world? I''ll fix the device and make this war never happen." "That needs to be requested through the directors, but it doesn''t seem like it''ll be prioritized right now. Above all, we need to verify if the alteration is true before we can determine the direction of our scenarios and operations..." As Mark Jung spoke, Yeonwoo quickly nced around at the disaster surrounding him and forcibly strained his voice. An exaggerated shout burst out to persuade him. "People are dying even as we speak! Whether it''s the Anomaly Protection Company or the Humanity Protection Company, we should save people, shouldn''t we?" "But if we alter it anyway-" "How can a person say such a thing! Just because it''s altered doesn''t mean death isn''t death!" "..." The sound of Mark Jung grabbing his head in pain came through. Conscience, thepany''s confusion, war, and alteration. Everything became pain that stabbed at his head. Finally, Mark Jung spoke with difficulty: "Alright. I''ll have you participate in one project. Follow the instructions of the researchers in that department and fix the alteration device first." "Understood. I''ll do my best." He received location information. Yeonwoo immediately ended the call and nced at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering. The worshipper''s hell was expanding. In the distance, at the edge of the city, eerie screams echoed. In the face of destruction, his survival instinct tried to change again, but Yeonwoo coldly opened his palm. "This isn''t my world." A world changed by thepany''s experiment. Even the memories were fabricated. It was a world manipted by anomalous entities. Yeonwoo moved to reim the original world. --- 184 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Even the most perfect security program can''t always stop people. After all, a lock that only opens with one key is useless if the key''s owner decides to sell it. Tap-tap-tap! Mark Jung''s fingers flew over the keyboard and mouse. Various programs shed across the screen as he discreetly added a department to the World Alteration Device project. The Gambling Eradication Center. The department where Yeonwoo rolled dice for requests.''Done.'' Mark quickly changed the screen and wiped his sweaty hands on his clothes. His face showed a mix of relief, confusion, and worry. ''Did I do the right thing? Is this okay?'' Yeonwoo''s status as an elite agent had been suspended due to suspicious activities. Several more verifications were needed, but Mark couldn''t stand by and watch people die. He''d abused his authority. Doubt crept in, making his eyes waver. ''Yeonwoo. Anomaly Protection Company. Humanity Protection Company. War. What the hell is all this...?'' As he struggled to think with his exhausted and stressed mind, Mark shifted his gaze. A newly appointed director suddenly burst out of the director''s office, shouting: "Change the war scenario! The demon worshipper is on our side! Redirect the forces meant for the worshipper to the Club and Association President!" "Is the Club an enemy too, sir?" "Yes! We''ve already secured evidence!" The director, looking like he might cough up blood, whipped his head around. He quickly yelled: "Who''s in charge of Yeonwoo? Quickly!" "That''s me, sir!" Mark stood up, raising his hand. The director and other employees turned to look at him. Mark broke out in a cold sweat as the director waved his hand. "Yeonwoo is an enemy of thepany! You, start working on the assassination n!" Mark hesitated before replying: "There''s not enough evidence to consider him an enemy yet. He attacked both the Club, who are enemies, and the demon worshipper, who''s an ally. We can''t simply judge him as an enemy."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om If anything, it seemed like he wanted to undo the apocalypse approaching the world. The director looked like he was about to die from frustration. As a Level 6 variable, he''d heard information right after the alteration, including thest words of the deceased director. ''He noticed the alteration, wants to create an anomaly-friendly world, and is acting independently with other Level 6 entities. Why would someone like that be on thepany''s side?'' His voice rose in anger, but the director swallowed his emotions. The atmosphere felt off. The faces of the employees in the director''s immediate secretariat were full of questions. They fundamentally didn''t understand this war. Why fight a war against the anomalies they were supposed to protect? It was hard to understand even counterattacking ording to the scenario after being attacked first by the Association President. "...Are we really going through with the war scenario? They''re valuable anomalous entities." "Isn''t Yeonwoo Level 6 too? Why destroy a Level 6 that opposes the world? Wouldn''t it be better to capture him alive even if he''s an enemy?" The gap between the Anomaly Protection Company and the Humanity Protection Company became a wall dividing the director and the employees. Faced with these unsettling gazes, the director took a step back. The Anomaly Protection Company had no justification. But if he revealed the truth about the alteration... ''There''s no way they''d go through with a n to destroy anomalous entities using war as a means.'' Even if the board of directors agreed, it would be meaningless. Thepany would fall into chaos and surely be destroyed while paralyzed under attack. In the end, the director blurted out an excuse: "We were attacked first, is that what''s important right now? Thepanyes first! If thepany survives, we can protect as many anomalous entities as we want!" "...Director. Is it true that we''re the Humanity Protection Company?" An employee sitting near Mark raised their hand. They had overheard Mark talking about the alteration on the phone. Their eyes trembling uncontrobly, they continued: "I''m asking if it''s true that thepany altered the world. If so, then we... this world..." They had too much to say and couldn''t get the words out. Different thoughts shed through the employees'' minds. Thepany had no right to rewrite their lives, their mission was a lie, what should they do and why, who should they protect. "..." "..." Heat built up in the secretariat like water about to boil. They set aside their busy phones and pushed away their keyboards, focusing solely on the director. The director took several steps back towards his office, inwardly cursing. His curses were aimed at the previous board of directors. ''You crazy bastards! Starting this alteration without any preparation!'' How could a mistake twist even thepany? If only thepany had stayed intact- That instinctive physical reaction was a clear answer. The employees, nerves connecting the brain and body, let out hollowughs. Anger, despair, confusion, sadness, doubt. All kinds of emotions boiled over. And then, white papers exploded like firecrackers all around. The employees had thrown them simultaneously. "Even my family was affected by the Association President! I stayed at this post only because of our mission! And now what? That mission wasn''t even true to begin with?" "This dog of apany! Are we just tools? Rewriting us as you please, using us as you like! How is this any different from brainwashing!" Their mission had been shaken. Their mental armor hade undone. Employees suffering from intense stress let their emotions run wild. Emotions focused solely on the individual. The director desperately reached out, trying to persuade them. "Thepany''s alteration was an ident that even we didn''t expect-" "So you''re admitting there really was an alteration!" Smack! A wireless mouse flew through the air. As the director rubbed his forehead and tried to speak again, this time keyboards, lunchboxes, and fruit were hurled at him. At that moment. Mark Jung, who had been coolly observing everyone, suddenly lit up. He''d organized his thoughts amidst the chaos. ''There''s only one thing to do now.'' Protecting humanity. That had nothing to do with thepany''s identity. Because people were dying outside. Because destruction hade. It was something he had to do as a human being. He climbed onto the table with a bang, spreading his arms wide. A piercing shout burst out: "Everyone, please calm down. This won''t-" "What''s your deal!" "Agh!" Mark was hit by a flying monitor and fell with a crash. His foot slipped. He tumbled under the table. A horrifying crunch of breaking bones rang out clearly. The sound alone was enough to make one feel the pain. For a moment, silence fell. "Oh." The person who had thrown the monitor gaped nkly. Their hands waved aimlessly in the air. "A-are you okay?" "My arm, my arm." Mark looked at his broken arm. His elbow was bent as if he had grown an extra one. Maybe because of the adrenaline, he didn''t feel any pain. ''No, now''s the time.'' Now that everyone had shut up and was focusing on him. Mark quickly opened his mouth. "Everyone. Let''s set aside theplicated issues for now. What we need to do right now is protect people." "You''re saying we were originally the Humanity Protection Company? If even that was thepany manipting us-" An employee holding a resignation letter spoke, and Mark immediately cut them off. "People are dying out there. If we leave them alone, it''ll be no different from extinction. We need to do what we can. Stop the war and save people." This simple yet powerful justification reached the employees. The employee who said their family had been affected by the Association President muttered unconsciously: "We could change the war scenario to a rescue scenario. It''s not even that difficult." "No, how would we deal with the Club and Association President... Oh, but protecting anomalous entities. No. Ah." "There are many ways. Assassination, ceasefire negotiations." Ideas began to pour out. Their thoughts had already shifted to protecting humanity. Mark shook his head. "We can use the World Alteration Device." The director, who had been listening quietly, chimed in. "That''s broken. It''ll take a lot of time to fix." "No. Yeonwoo will fix it with his dice. And he''s agreed to make the war never happen." At that moment, everyone fell silent. They suddenly felt a chill, as if cold water had been dumped on them. Regardless of what thoughts Yeonwoo might harbor... "Will that really work?" A troublemaker. A man who produced chaotic results like his dice. Even the employees who had been spouting all sorts of ideas under the goal of protecting humanity couldn''t speak anymore. The director stared nkly into space for a while before slowly lowering his head. Complex thoughts crossed his mind. ''Humanity Protection Company. Protect humanity from anomalies.'' Perhaps thepany had changed its essence at some point? Had it prioritized the eradication of anomalies over the protection of humanity? After a moment of silence, the director spoke: "Alright. Let''s do that. But after we verify Yeonwoo''s intentions with the interrogation device and anomalous entities-" At that moment, the director stopped speaking. His phone in his pocket vibrated three short times. It was a notification for priority messages about elite agents and the Extinction Defense Device. The director took out his phone and continued speaking: "If his intentions aren''t dangerous..." He couldn''t believe his eyes. The message contained serious news. - World Alteration Devicepletely destroyed. Blueprints lost. Perpetrator: Yeonwoo. Given enough time, the ultimate safeguard for rewriting the world had beenpletely ruined. The director threw his phone and screamed: "Kill Yeonwoo!" "Why so suddenly-" "How could someone who destroyed even the blueprints of the World Alteration Device be on our side!" Mark stared nkly at the director before suddenly passing out from the pain that hit him. ------ Yeonwoo arrived at the department with the World Alteration Device by spatial movement, before Mark Jung could add his name to the project, just after hearing the location information. "Is this the device you''re talking about?" Yeonwoo looked at the massive chunk of steel. It was a pile of scrap metal, burst, broken, shattered, and copsed beyond recognition. The researcher, who had been ''persuaded'' by Yeonwoo, let out a deep sigh. "It''s a shame. It shouldn''t have been broken like this. If only this had stayed intact, we could have easily dealt with the current war." Yeonwoo slowly reached out towards the pile of scrap metal. His expression wasn''t good. He could feel the possibilities at his fingertips. ''The chances of fixing this are low.'' As expected of an Extinction Defense Device. The probability of sessful repair was extremely low. It was hard to trust his survival instinct too. Yeonwoo''s hand twitched slightly. His sense of survival instinct felt dull. As if it didn''t matter if he couldn''t fix this, it wasn''t avoiding the possibilities of failure and critical failure. Perhaps it saw destruction as advantageous for a Level 6 device. "Still, I might as well try rolling..." Yeonwoo hesitated before rolling the dice once. The dice rolled. Miss! ''Misses don''t count as numbers.'' Yeonwoo rolled the dice again. After a few more misses, a failure came up. Bang! The device exploded. A steel fragment grazed his face. Yeonwoo rubbed his cheek with trembling hands. This kind of thing wasn''t life-threatening anyway. But the device to revert the world had been damaged even more. "No, well. Okay. I just need one sess." As long as he seeded once, it would be fixed. Yeonwoo quickly rolled the dice again. After repeated failures, even the blueprints that could have helped with repairs were lost. As the researcher screamed and ran over, Yeonwoo''s hands shook violently. The probability of sessful repair had fallen infinitely close to zero. Yeonwoo stared nkly at the steel debris. He turned his gaze away. This was a lost cause. There was nothing he could do. And when he couldn''t do something himself, he could always make someone else do it. "I need to see the Club chairman again." --- 185 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The World Alteration Department was a scene worse than hell itself. Researchers ran around screaming, while others crawled on the floor, wailing. "The device, the device!" "Even the blueprints are gone! No, no!" In an instant, the core of their department, the device they''d poured their blood and sweat into, had vanished. They''d witnessed it with their own eyes. The intense mental anguish overcame even the dice''s persuasion. One by one, the researchers began ring at Yeonwoo. A light bordering on madness glinted in their eyes."What, what have you done! You bastard! How, how could you do this!" "Who are you anyway!" "Yeonwoo! It''s Yeonwoo! Why did this department destroyere here!" One researcher hurled insults. Some rushed to report to the director, while others called for security. Yeonwoo, his eyes darting around, slowly backed away and said seriously: "Don''t worry. This can be fixed quickly. I''ll somehow reverse it." "Don''t!" The employee who had directly guided Yeonwoo screamed. They could imagine what ident might happen if he failed again. They might even erase the memories in their heads, forcing them to rebuild the World Alteration Device from scratch. No, perhaps even the anomalous pencil that was the core of the device- ''Wait, is the pencil still intact?'' At that moment, a researcher threw themselves at the device''s remains, their body shaking violently. If that pencil disappeared, they could never recreate the World Alteration Device. Steel fragments tore their clothes and scratched their skin, leaving red wounds, but the researcher swam through the debris like a madman, iling their hands. "Find it quickly! That, that!" Other researchers rose one after another. They moved fragments with their bare hands, the sharp and rough edges tearing their palms. Just then, the door burst open with a bang, and armed security guards poured in. They immediately aimed their weapons at Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo clenched his fist. ''To the city with the Club building.'' The dice rolled. Sess! Movement could be fatal if done wrong. His survival instinct erased failure and critical failure. A moderate sess came up. Yeonwoo''s view changed. ------ It was the city he''d visited not long ago. As if the sun had fallen, the entire city was bathed in golden light. Yeonwoo quietly looked up at the sky. "The world..." The world that rejected anomalies wasshing out at Golden Omnipotence''s domain as if in its death throes. That power was mighty, but somehow weakened. Because the world was on the brink of destruction. The expanding hell, the Association President''s influence spreading from inside the Arts Center, and Golden Omnipotence''s exerted authority. All of these were weakening the world. Even the ''persuasion'' Yeonwoo had set was still deceiving the world. ''No, is that because I created an ordinary space?''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He wasn''t sure. After scratching his head briefly, Yeonwoo slowly started walking. His destination was the Club building where the chairman was. Looking at the dazzlingly bright building, Yeonwoo fell into thought. His goal. Returning to the original world. What he needed for that. What he had to do. Repairing, no, rebuilding the World Alteration Device was just the first step; he had to do much more. He recalled the words he had shouted just before the alteration: ''Dice. Create a way for me to survive... I interfered and turned it into the Anomaly Protection Company.'' If he could interfere, other Level 6 entities could too. Each Level 6 would dream of a different world, so he had to stop their interference. And then there was thepany. ''I need to make them give up on an ordinary world.'' The intertwined situation was more difficult than world alteration. There were too many involved entities, and the knot was so tangled he didn''t know where to start. Would it take thepany''s think tank hours of meetings to even begin to grasp it? Lost in thought, Yeonwoo walked unsteadily. The answer wouldn''te, making his steps slow. And that time was long enough for the chairman to notice Yeonwoo''s visit. Golden light gathered in front of Yeonwoo, forming the chairman''s figure. "What is it? Why are you here? Shouldn''t you be attacking thepany at a time like this? Or the demon worshipper." The chairman showed his difort. The alliance was certain, at least. Yeonwoo wouldn''t tolerate apany trying to eradicate anomalies. But Yeonwoo was a bomb that should be thrown at the enemy lines, not kept at headquarters. Yeonwoo, who had been thinking with his head down and eyes lowered, slowly raised his head. His lips moved as if to say something to persuade, but then closed firmly. ''This isn''t someone I can persuade.'' He''d lose if he tried to win with words and logic. Hadn''t he already experienced that when he came to change the world? At that moment, an idea shed through his mind. ''Why did I try to persuade and deal with this rationally? Who was it? I think some king in the past said to cut the knot.'' If you eliminate the problem, there''s no need to solve it. Or threaten the knot with a knife to make it unravel itself. Just as the chairman was about to speak again, sensing danger, Yeonwoo reached out his hand. The image in his mind was of a doomsday cultist holding an eraser. He spoke tly: "Dice. The possibility of the Earth exploding." The dice rolled. The survival instinct erased sess and critical sess, but the possibilities of miss, failure, and critical failure wriggled. Without rted senses, it was a tangle of probabilities impossible to distinguish. In an instant, the chairman panicked. He couldn''t think of anything else and just shouted: "Stop it!" Golden light shed so brightly it seemed white, enveloping Yeonwoo. The wriggling threads of probability shrank like bugs hit with insecticide. The rolling dice stopped. It had been canceled. Silence fell for a moment. The two men just stared at each other. "..." "...What are you doing? Are you insane? Suddenly trying to explode the Earth?" The chairman spoke first. He assessed the gold consumed and came to his senses. For stopping Earth''s explosion, very little gold had been used. It meant it wasn''t going to happen in the first ce. Annoyance settled on the chairman''s face. "Is this a joke? Is this the time for such pranks?" "It''s not a joke. This isn''t my world. It''s an altered world. My memories, my life were rewritten. My real life and connections only exist in the world before the alteration." Yeonwoo slowly opened his hand again. The chairman''s gaze focused on Yeonwoo. Yeonwoo muttered as if talking to himself: "A world like this should be destroyed. Should I erase people first? Dice. The possibility of a disease that kills people spreading worldwide." "Cancel." Golden light shed again. This time, a lot more gold was consumed. Unlike Earth''s explosion, this had a real possibility of happening. The chairman''s expression hardened. "Are you serious? Do you really think that? No, you can''t be. Or can you?" The chairman pressed his head, feeling a headacheing on. He couldn''t understand what Yeonwoo was trying to do, what kind of person he was. "You came to change the world, I don''t know what you did with the demon worshipper, and now destruction? Do you perhaps have multiple personalities? Does your personality change based on the dice roll results?" The most rational possibility was that Yeonwoo''s mind had been corrupted by the dice''s contamination. Yeonwoo maintained his expressionless face. "I told you. A world like this needs to be destroyed." The chairman looked at Yeonwoo quietly before slowly realizing the situation. It was a simple negotiation technique. First, make a strong demand, then ask for what you really want. Like saying you''ll sell at a high price, then slowly adjusting it. "You have something else you want. Tell me. Stop this pathetic threatening." "Hmm." Yeonwoo, his intentions exposed, stopped his clumsy act and sheepishly scratched his head. His voice came out somewhat embarrassed. "My goal is to return to the original world. No matter how I think about it, the original world was the most ideal." "What on earth are you talking about? The Humanity Protection Company wants to eradicate anomalies, how is that ideal?" "That''s a problem too, but I''ve prepared countermeasures for that in my own way." Yeonwoo turned his head slightly. The ordinary domain he had created. He''d use this as a carrot for thepany and these destruction threats as a stick to negotiate. "Thepany''s policy is protection, not attack, right? I think I can appeal to that." "Let''s say that works. But why should I agree to this?" The chairman wore an incredulous expression. The war was going in their favor, and the Club had procured tons of gold. If they brought down thepany in this world, it would be over. Why go back to the pre-alteration world where thepany existed? Yeonwoo wasn''t confident he could change the Club''s stance either. He spoke hesitantly: "I''m not asking you to agree, just to fix the World Alteration Device and not interfere when I try to revert things." "So, why should I... No, forget it. I don''t think this world is that bad. I''ll stop you." In the end, the chairman insisted on keeping the current world. Yeonwoo lowered his head in disappointment. A deep sigh escaped him. "Ah. This isn''t working." If the chairman had helped, the World Alteration Device could have been fixed right away. Even threatening with a knife hadn''t made the knot unravel itself, so the only option left was to cut the knot with the knife. "Then I have no choice. I''ll have to get rid of you first." Golden Omnipotence wasn''t the chairman. If he killed the chairman, he could use it himself. This was actually more certain. "Dice. The possibility of the chairman dying from a heart attack." Kill the chairman and solve all problems with Golden Omnipotence. At the same time, the chairman''s figure also shone with golden light. He countered attack with attack. "Stop Yeonwoo''s heart." The dice rolled and showed a result, while Golden Omnipotence, having heard the wish, consumed gold to exert its force. In an instant, the attacks pierced each other. Thud. Both men''s hearts stopped simultaneously. And then, both hearts started beating again. The chairman fell backwards but recovered as his insurance activated, while Yeonwoo''s survival instinct simply guided him to a future where his heart beat again. The two Level 6 entities, having briefly experienced death, red at each other. "Fine. Let''s see which is more omnipotent, Golden Omnipotence or your dice." "Don''t worry too much. You''ll be alive and well in the world I revert to." Immediately after, the dice began rolling madly, unraveling threads of probability, while Golden Omnipotence devoured gold endlessly, twisting reality. --- 186 - Remake TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The air twisted viciously. Killing intent manifested into reality. "The possibility of the chairman''s neural connections breaking. The possibility of his spine fracturing, his blood turning to water, his lungs rejecting oxygen, his bioelectricity bing lightning." As Yeonwoo chanted, the dice eagerly flung themselves. They rolled so fiercely that a whirring sound could be heard, producing results in a short time. A mix of busts, failures, and sesses. Several threads of probability materialized these possibilities, engulfing the chairman. The chairman didn''t just stand there either. Ignoring defensepletely, he spat out words filled with murderous intent."Kill Yeonwoo." He didn''t bother with defense. There was no need. Golden light flowed down from the chairman''s crown like a wave. The insurance and defenses he had prepared by constantly offering gold instantly restored him. Moreover, the chairman''s attack never even happened. His gaze turned to Golden Omnipotence. "Not enough to kill him? How much gold have I offered..." Something was off. Yeonwoo hadn''t blocked it with the dice, nor had he resurrected. Was there not enough gold? "I won''t die," Yeonwoo said, maintaining a calm expression as he continued rolling the dice. He wasn''t omnipotent yet. He merely possessed an absolute quality. The absolutew that he would always survive. The chairman finally realized. Something that even an enormous amount of gold couldn''t interfere with. The demon worshipper''s hell, the Association President''s beauty, Golden Omnipotence''s transactions. He said: "So it wasn''t the dice, but survival?" "Yes. So let''s stop this pointless fight and cooperate." If it was a battle that would only end with one side''s death, the ultimate victor would be the one who couldn''t die. Yeonwoo was confident. The chairman chuckled. His wariness eased a bit. "You reached Level 6 with such a useless ability. Level 6 entities don''t die in the first ce." The Association President would be revived by the world if they died. There was no death in hell, and he wouldn''t die as long as the gold didn''t run out. "It would have been more threatening if it was the dice." "I don''t think so," Yeonwoo shook his head at that judgment. Thanks to reaching Level 6 with his survival instinct, he had remained himself. The Artist Association President was obsessed with beauty, collecting artworks like an addict. The worshipper had trapped themselves in hell. They loved humans more than anyone, but their self-loathing for creating a hell that harmed humans was their own hell. "I''m not obsessed with profit and loss like you. I''m still me." Those words grated on the chairman''s mind. He frowned. His eyes, glowing with golden light, narrowed. He had already lost much of himself too. He knew his past self was very different from his current self. Sometimes when he recalled the past, it felt like looking at a stranger. He spoke as if making an excuse: "Even if I''m contaminated, using Golden Omnipotence and bing the Club''s chairman is profitable enough. Even if I lose my humanity." Then he immediately red straight at Yeonwoo. "And if you''re really not contaminated, it means you were an anomalous entity from the start. If anything, I''m more human than you." "I have a Human Qualification Certificate, so I''m human." Even though his durability had decreased after his heart stopped once, he was still human for now. "A real human doesn''t need such a certificate- no, why are we talking about this in the middle of a fight?" The chairman, briefly caught up in Yeonwoo''s words, snapped back to his senses. This was a loss. Time and gold were being wasted meaninglessly. They started fighting again. Now that they had roughly gauged each other, they changed tactics. A battle between immortal Level 6 entities. "Spatial containment. Two-dimensional banishment. Dice sealing. Mind control." "Seal resistance. Just resistance. Persuasion. Move the chairman to the opposite side of Earth. Steal Golden Omnipotence." The chairman aimed to neutralize Yeonwoo temporarily, while Yeonwoo tried to remove the chairman and use Golden Omnipotence. The world twisted and shook. Space closed like a square box, Yeonwoo flew into the second dimension and came back, ck threads of probability removed seals, and possibilities that failed and seeded extended out only to bounce off the building. Yeonwoo''s face scrunched up. ''I''m being pushed back.'' The Club, on war footing, shook off all interference based on their ample gold. On the other hand, Yeonwoo''s survival instinct was dull, and the dice produced random results, lowering their output. At this rate, he couldn''t do anything. He had only seeded inpletely destroying the World Alteration Device. Yeonwoo retreated step by step. It was hard to withstand the golden waves. Though he was somehow resisting fatal interference, he was gradually losing ground. "You''re busy just defending. I can''t do anything to you, but you can''t do anything to me either. Go back now. Give up on the original world." The chairman casually threw out a suggestion. It wasn''t a bad offer. He could live without dying in this world too. There was no reason to risk dangers like mind control or dice sealing to revert to the previous world. A thought crossed his mind. ''Should I give up?'' Yeonwoo stopped walking. Giving up was the rational and efficient choice. But the reason he didn''t like that option was... The chairman also stopped attacking, waiting for Yeonwoo''s decision. "When thepany falls, our world wille. Would immortal Level 6 entities fight each other? You can just livefortably. People will live on as usual too." "...No." Yeonwoo raised his head. The dice reflected clearly in his eyes, and his dull survival instinct faintly surrounded him, but Yeonwoo''s own thoughts shone most brightly. "I was mistaken. Thinking I wanted to go back because the original world was better to live in. That''s not it." Survival couldn''t be the reason. Having reached Level 6 with his survival instinct, he wouldn''t die in any world. There was only one reason he wanted the original world.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "This isn''t my world. I want my world, the world I''ve lived in." A world not interfered with by strange devices, where only the trajectory of the life he had lived remained. The experiences he had and the people he had met. That past was as precious as life itself. He had to undo the alteration that had changed his past, just as he resisted interference that manipted him. The chairman sighed. "Well. You don''t have the ability to do that. This is a waste of time, a waste of gold. Can''t you please stop wasting?" "I may not have the ability. But I have the potential." Yeonwoo smiled and pulled a pistol from his bag. It was a handmade gun from the Club. He pointed it at his own head. He recalled his future self. The version of himself who lived in a world destroyed by climate anomalies, thinking alone on how to solve them. The one who wandered searching for the ark. The one who had the ability to turn back time, to make the climate anomalies never happen. He understood that self who had epted even humanity''s extinction and the deaths of people he had grown close to as his past. Yeonwoo muttered inwardly: ''What I need is power as strong as my future self.'' What could he, who had only spent 4 years as a civil service exam student and barely survived in the field, do about suchplex and massive problems? He''d just break things if he touched them. Only omnipotent power was the solution, and... He already knew how to obtain that power. ''Survival instinct. Let''s make the war and destruction never happen.'' Yeonwoo pulled the trigger. A red flower bloomed on his head. The torn Human Qualification Certificate scattered like cherry blossoms. ------ "...Suicide? Do you really have mental problems?" The chairman sighed as he looked at Yeonwoo who had fallen backward. It was a good thing, anyway. He would surely resurrect, but that could be dealt with by sealing him. Threads of probability slowly spread over Yeonwoo''s body. It was clearly a resurrection judgment. The chairman waved his hand casually. "Seal him." However, Golden Omnipotence didn''t move. It was saying that was impossible. The chairman paused and turned his gaze back. An inexplicable chill ran up his spine. No, even the world shook uneasily. The boundaries between Golden Omnipotence''s domain and the world blurred, mixed, and changed into something unknowable. The survival instinct screamed. It had created a future where he would live on. The dice''s resurrection judgment. Critical sess! ck threads of probability sutured Yeonwoo''s wounds like a surgery. They reced destroyed body parts with threads of possibility and probability, and Yeonwoo''s heart started beating again. Threads jutting out like a mask covering his nose and eyes rippled. Yeonwoo slowly rose. Only his smiling mouth remained as a human face. After fumbling at his face, Yeonwooughed out loud. "I should''ve done this sooner." He could clearly feel the probabilistic possibilities. They were within reach. As Yeonwoo lightly waved his hand, threads of probability gathered in his grasp. The crumbling domain was restored. He had grasped and realized that possibility. "First, the Human Qualification Certificate. Oh. I don''t need it anymore." Yeonwoo, who was about to create a hundred Human Qualification Certificates, pushed away the threads with a thud. Perhaps it was because he had given up on being human himself. Yeonwoo''s survival had progressed to humanity''s survival, and that survival instinct appropriately checked the dice''s erosion. It maintained his sense of self, saying that humanity would perish if the dice ran wild. On top of that, the dice had be his body, allowing him to control it as easily as his original emotions. At that point, Yeonwoo turned his head. The chairman, after staring at the mask-like eye area made of ck threads of probability, spoke with a trembling voice: "Dice Level 6?" "Yes. That''s what happened. Now you don''t need to cooperate." There would be no more mistakes. Yeonwoo reached into the air with his clenched hand, drawing out threads of probability. Not the possibility of the World Alteration Device being repaired. The possibility of canceling the alteration. The possibility of returning to the original world. "Stop!" Golden light rushed in. It was the authority to cancel Yeonwoo''s actions. Yeonwoo leisurely clenched his other hand. "The possibility of blocking all interference for 10 seconds." A world where destruction loomed due to war. The survival instinct added its strength. The golden light hit a wall and stopped. Those 10 seconds were enough. Yeonwoo clenched his fist. The world was rewritten. --- 187 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here All idents happen in an instant. But people who have experienced an ident once handle it skillfully. Thepany, having gone through the unprecedented ident of alteration, had preemptively backed up important data like the progress of the war and the dangers of Level 6 entities in an ordinary room. "Please preserve the current memories!" The chairman, who had witnessed Yeonwoo altering the world right before his eyes, protected himself. "You''re saying you won''t hurt me anymore? Finally, we''re going back!""Alteration? If I stay here, the world will be hell. No, first to a domain without anomalies! If the war continues, I''lle out again!" Some could choose to passively observe. And so, the world was rewritten. Yeonwoo quietly looked up at the sky. He could do anything as long as the probability wasn''t zero. The probability of restoring the World Alteration Device was extremely low, but it still existed, which meant he could alter the world.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Yeonwoo closed his eyes. In an instant, the world changed. The war had never happened, the world allowed anomalies, and thepany existed as the Humanity Protection Company. The world just before the alteration caused by the device had returned. ------ With just a blink of an eye, the world had changed. Yeonwoo, wearing a mask of probability threads, quietly looked at the Club''s building. The Club''s headquarters existed as an ordinary high-rise building. It wasn''t stered with gold, nor had it created a domain. There was no need for that in this world. Only the gold that had been consumed earlier remained consumed. It had been used in transactions and was absolutely spent. A secretary came out of the building. They looked at Yeonwoo''s face curiously before gesturing. "Mr. Yeonwoo? The chairman says toe up." "Let''s go." Yeonwoo calmly followed the secretary. He had taken the first step. Many problems still remained. The Humanity Protection Company dreaming of an ordinary world, anomaly groups that had to fight thepany. ?? His survival instinct seemed to whisper: - War leads to destruction. We must prevent such a thing from happening. Yeonwoo answered inwardly: ''I know. I won''t make the same mistake as my future self.'' If possible, it was best for everyone to live together. Rather than epting loss and pain, it was better not to experience them in the first ce. Of course, if a life-threatening crisis came, he would probably scramble to survive alone again, but now there was no reason for that. He had the power to save not just his own life, but everyone''s lives. He had room to breathe. ''There''s no reason not to do it if I can. It''s difficult, but not impossible.'' Swish- Yeonwoo suddenly clenched his fist. The probability threads covering his face. He realized the possibility of them appearing as a human form, recing part of his brain and face. As he tied those threads of possibility to his ring finger like a ring, the threads of probability and dice in his head added an impulse. - So what are you going to do? Can you persuade thepany, anomaly groups, and Level 6 entities? You can''t, right? Let''s just crush them with force. Yeonwoo, who had entered the building and gotten into the elevator, pressed his temples hard. He nced at the mirror. The same face as before. The dice reflected in his eyes. An impulse causing confusion with simple thoughts. ''Gather the directors to threaten them to give up on an ordinary world, and threaten other Level 6 entities not to fight?'' Yeonwoo muttered: "That''s not it." He coldly pushed away the impulse. Was it because he had be one with the dice? It felt closer to fusion than contamination, making it easier to control impulses and emotions. The secretary kept stealing nces at Yeonwoo, swallowing hard. At that moment, ding, the elevator doors opened. The secretary said: "You can go in. The chairman said he wanted to talk with you alone." "Alright." Yeonwoo stepped out of the elevator. Befitting the original world, there was no conveyor belt on the top floor, just the chairman, Golden Omnipotence, and furniture like tables and sofas. The chairman, looking exhausted, sat on the sofa and red at Yeonwoo. "Well done. We''ve just wasted gold, and now we can''t stop thepany from moving to eradicate anomalies. Yeah, you''re aplete anomalous entity now, so what are you going to do about thepany?" It was the worst situation. The Club had wasted a ton of gold, and thepany had returned to being the Humanity Protection Company. If war broke out in the current situation, everyone would die. Yeonwoo scratched his head and slowly sat down in the opposite chair. He found it hard to open his mouth. The chairman wore a frustrated expression. "Don''t you know about ordinary bullets? Even you''ll die if hit by those. And it''s not like you love humanity like that worshipper. You must have had a n when you pulled this stunt." "...I don''t have a n." Yeonwoo said briefly. He really didn''t. Hecked the ability to handle grand things like policies or strategies. He had learned that painfully while moving through the altered world. Hadn''t chaos ensued every time he tried to directly intervene? The chairman''s mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. He wanted to say something, but it seemed like it mighte out as curses. ''Without a n, without thinking, that, that...'' But Yeonwoo slowly spoke: "I''ve been thinking, and I don''t know how to bnce profit rtionships or handle diplomatic matters between groups. So..." He looked into the air for a moment before slowly lowering his gaze. His eyes were on the chairman, but his mind was recalling more people. The Goldberg Club, the Artist Association, the demon worshipper, the Humanity Protection Company. Gather experts from different groups to create a solution. "Let''s have a meeting with people from all groups. To find a way to create a world where we can all live together like now." "Do you think that''s possible?" "Yes." The chairman felt like he was going crazy. Would thepany, which could mass-produce ordinary bullets and had the ability to create an ordinary world, ept this? They''d probably try to annihte everyone instead. Even he, as the Club''s chairman, wanted to kill thepany before they were destroyed, and the Association President and worshipper would likely take extreme measures too. The chairman unfastened his wristwatch as if frustrated. He carelessly tossed the watch into a corner of the sofa. "There''s no reason for thepany to ept this. In the end, only war remains. In other words, your alteration was meaningless as it is." Yeonwoo''s eyes lit up as he briefly nced at the watch. "No. It''s not toote yet." They hadn''t crossed the point of no return. Because thepany''s power wasn''t overwhelming. With time, they might not be able to stop thepany, but not now. Yeonwoo said: "Ordinary bullets aren''t a fatal danger." They could be blocked with bulletproof gear. They could create a domain where guns malfunction using Golden Omnipotence, or grasp the possibility of nearby guns not firing. The Association President would make guns malfunction on their own anyway. "Since the powers are simr now, why not negotiate instead?" The chairman leaned back on the sofa and stared into space for a moment. Various thoughts crossed his mind. "...It''s not impossible. If only thepany cooperates. We could even sign a treaty." Yeonwoo blinked, not quite understanding, so the chairman exined: "Prevent thepany from creating an ordinary world and ordinary weapons, disclose rted information, and give anomaly groups the right to audit. In return, anomaly groups also have the obligation to protect humanity and act ordingly." "That sounds great!" Yeonwoo pped his hands. It certainly seemed like a better method than just barging in. But the chairman shook his head. "The problem remains the same. The reason for thepany to ept this." "I can only think of threats. I guess we really need to gather people and hear their thoughts..." Yeonwoo spoke firmly: "Just lend me the Club''s personnel. I''ll call in some people I know as well." The chairman reluctantly agreed, and so a meeting was convened. The Club''s think tank, some demon worshippers and artists the Club maintained friendly rtions with, and a few clock repairmen who had once been organized to stop the climate anomalies. The meeting continued for a long time. They somehow managed to get a grasp on things. Yeonwoo''s eyes shone with hope, and even the chairman clenched his fist, seeing potential. All that remained was the summit. The chairman said: "I''ll gather the Association President, the worshipper, the board of directors, myself as chairman, and you." Golden light shed, creating a video conference screen in the air. About ten people wore strange expressions as they assessed the situation. Then Yeonwoo said: "Let''s sign a treaty." ------ "What kind of treaty?" One of the directors who had been revived when the alteration was canceled asked glumly. They had already noticed the alteration and its cancetion and were in the middle of discussing countermeasures. "I''ll exin," the chairman stepped forward and exined coherently. A treaty to give up on an ordinary world on Earth. Information disclosure and audit rights. Also, the obligation of anomaly groups to protect humanity. "The World Alteration Device is meaningless anyway. Having experienced two alterations, we''ve prepared countermeasures. Thepany can''t create an ordinary world." He was saying that since it was a goal they couldn''t achieve right away, they might as well negotiate reasonably. One director said: "We have no reason to agree. Fine, since everything''s out in the open, I''ll be frank. A world without anomalies, an ordinary world, is a mission we can''t give up." Some things couldn''t bepromised. The director''s expression hardened as much as their firm voice. "War will break out. But if it''s for the future, that''s a sacrifice we''re willing to make." At this point, Yeonwoo stepped in. "That''s why I''d like to propose something. Humanity Protection Company. Isn''t its purpose to protect humanity, not eradicate anomalies? Rather than sacrificing humans through war, save people." The directors'' gazes turned to Yeonwoo. Their expressions weren''t of looking at a traitor, but as if something inevitable had happened. A Level 6 anomalous entity, a survivalist at that, wouldn''t want an ordinary world. The director in charge of Yeonwoo spoke: "We thought you wouldn''t stick with us until the end. If you''re saying that to survive, I understand. But." "That''s not what I mean," Yeonwoo firmly shook his head. He remembered. The world of giants. Humans living miserably as pets. "I''m telling you to save humans not on Earth, but in the second dimension. Let all groups join forces to protect Earth, and thepany should move outward." Leave Earth as it is, and have thepany build an ordinary world in the second dimension. That world would itself be an ark and a shelter for humanity. --- 188 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Thepany faced a crossroads. One path led to a war with a clear future of mutual destruction. The price: a few remaining humans on Earth and an ordinary world. The other path involved venturing into the second dimension to build an ordinary world and a new civilization. Concern settled on the directors'' faces. They frowned, stroked their chins, and tapped their fingers on the table as they calcted. The second option seemed better than expected. It was faithful to the goal of protecting humanity and made sense from a long-term perspective and risk management standpoint.But something bothered them, and one director spoke up: "It''s not bad. But we can''t give up on Earth." Earth''s resources. The civilization and technology of 8 billion humans. All of that was also thepany''s foundation. Abandoning everything to start over was too risky. The chairman smiled skillfully and waved his hand. "We''re not asking thepany to abandon Earth. We''re saying all groups should join forces to protect Earth. Thepany will use Earth as a base to pioneer the second dimension." And the Club would procure gold from the second dimension too. Hiding a bit of greed, the chairman casually picked up a nearby gold bar and offered it to Golden Omnipotence. "Please send these documents." Documents outlining only the important points were transmitted to the meeting participants. "This isn''t pretty." The Artist Association President stared nkly at the string of text before shaking their head. It was hard to understand. It wasn''t an artwork, and they didn''t want to keep looking at it. On the other hand, the demon worshipper seemed focused on something else. While the directors were hurriedly reading through the documents, the worshipper turned their head to find Yeonwoo. "The ordinary domain. Did you create it?" "Oh, yes. I made it before canceling the alteration." Yeonwoo suddenly snapped to attention. The ordinary domain he''d created before the alteration. It was a domain simr to what thepany could create, including ordinary bullets and ordinary rooms, so the dice had used the power of critical failure to raise the low probability. The problem was that this domain had been created in the demon worshipper''s headquarters, the demon self-governing region. Yeonwoo''s eyes darted around. ''Is this going to be a problem? It seems like it might be.'' Their headquarters was still gone even after the alteration was canceled, right? And all the demons there would have returned too, right? ''It''ll be tough if the worshipper bes an enemy.'' Hell was truly a counter to his survival instinct. It just turned off the moment he entered. He didn''t die and people didn''t die there. He could face it with the dice, but the worshipper wasn''t someone to be taken lightly. Yeonwoo''s legs shook, but the worshipper closed their eyes and let out a deep sigh. Mixed emotions crossed their face. Relief, regret, remorse. The worshipper held up the paper. They hadn''t even looked at it. "I agree." "Without even reading it?" the chairman frowned slightly. Wasn''t this too careless for a meeting that would determine their future? The worshipper, currently in the demon dimension, dipped what looked like a brush made of finger bones into thick blood. "Why would I refuse a treaty for humans?" This wasn''t a meeting to exterminate humanity. Rather, it was a meeting to protect humans. Of course, the worshipper would agree to whatever the specific uses were, and... Most importantly, they had found their salvation. "Of course, there''s a condition. Transfer the ordinary domain to me. It''s mine anyway since it''s in the demon self-governing region, but I want you to build a city for people to live in there." Swish swish, the brush moved, engraving blood-red letters. Their only dream. "Just by existing, I turn my surroundings into hell. If I could escape that curse, I don''t care about anything else." Within the ordinary domain, the worshipper could live a normal life as just another person. The life they had always longed for but could never achieve. While an ordinary world was good, a world protected by all anomaly groups working together would be just as safe. The worshipper was convinced. Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief, and the chairman nodded willingly. "That''s not a difficult task. It''ll be easy if thepany helps." Their gazes swept past the directors. The directors were staring nkly at Yeonwoo. They hadn''t even read the documents, and their voices trembled as they spoke: "You created an ordinary domain?" Thepany had only identally created ordinary bullets, and it was by chance that they''d made an ordinary room after investing countless resources and time. They had barely managed to bring an ordinary world into reality using the World Alteration Device. And Yeonwoo just made one on his own? Just like that? "It wasn''t a difficult task," Yeonwoo said, casually reaching out his hand. He showed his palm to everyone. A few threads of probability rippled above it. "You just have to grasp this kind of probability. Oh, right. This should be in the uses too. Aspensation for the treaty that I''ll provide." "An ordinary domain?" The directors stared intently at Yeonwoo, their eyes burning. An ordinary domain that didn''t require separate investment of resources or technology development? This, this was bound to spark greed. Yeonwoo quietly nodded. He didn''t add anything more or demand personalpensation. He recalled his role in this treaty. ''I am a tool. I am a low-level civil servant.'' He would only perform his given role. He wouldn''t step out of line with work outside his duties. He would exist solely aspensation and enforcement for the treaty. Yeonwoo spoke as if reading from a manual:N?v(el)B\\jnn "I''ll create a domain of limited scope in some areas of Earth. Of course, activities within that domain will be subject to audit by anomaly groups." "...How much can you create in the second dimension?" When a director tentatively asked, Yeonwoo immediately answered: "As much as thepany wants." At that moment, the directors'' hearts swayed. A second dimension guaranteed to have ordinary domains? Their mouths opened simultaneously. Different questions poured out: "Is thatpletely ordinary? Something other anomalous entities absolutely can''t interfere with?" "How long does itst? Are there any resources needed for maintenance?" "Howrge can you make them?" The question and answer session continued. Yeonwoo answered some things right away, considered the probabilities before speaking for others, and shook his head at some. After a while, the directors nodded positively, having confirmed Yeonwoo''s abilities. "This is an offer we can''t refuse." They would receive ordinary domains. That alone was enough to give up on war. Each ordinary domain would function as a final shelter. They could build an ordinary world in the second dimension too. The directors, whose minds had already been swayed, made a final check of the documents. Treaties created by several people racking their brains. The Humanity Protection Treaty. "Thepany and all groups protect humanity. Minor issues are thepany''s responsibility." If crises like the threat of extinction came, Yeonwoo, along with the chairman, the worshipper, and the Association President would step in. A joint attack by Level 6 entities. However, those groups didn''t have the ability to cover all the small idents across the globe, so thepany would still take charge of that. Thepany''s information resources were overwhelming, after all. "The Earth Protection Treaty is aimed at us." The other was the Earth Protection Treaty. A treaty to keep Earth in its current state, preventing things like alterations or an ordinary world. Looking at the details, it contained uses to check things like thepany''s World Alteration Device. Of course, it also included apocalypse-level attacks from other groups, such as the Association President''s global terror, the expansion of hell, and Golden Omnipotence''s massive wishes. "Disclosure of thepany''s confidential information and research, verification of gold liquidity, restrictions on the Association President''s broadcasts, restrictions on the worshipper''s residence..." There were also various documents on preventing ordinary weapon production, audits, information disclosure, and so on. It put chains on both thepany and anomaly groups, with all of them holding the ends of those chains. Swish swish, the directors flipping through the documents stopped at one particr document. There was an unfamiliar term there. "Survivial Agency? What group is this? They seem to have a lot of audit authority." "They participated in the Humanity Protection Treaty and Earth Protection Treaty too. When and who created this group we''ve never heard of?" Yeonwoo, who had been staring nkly into space lost in thought, suddenly came to his senses. He cleared his throat a few times and straightened his back. "It''s a group I''ll create." "...You?" A look of understanding shed in the directors'' eyes. No wonder the group name included "survival". The directors were about to gloss over it. After all, he was Level 6. Having a Level 6 entity meant it was a top-tier group. They had no intention of asking more about the Survivial Agency. But Yeonwoo leaned forward slightly, somewhat excited. His face was erged on the video conference screen. "Survivial Agency is a group with the sole purpose of survival." "Your own survival?" one director reluctantly responded, but Yeonwoo shook his head. "The survival of both humanity and anomalies." Of course, he would protect humanity. He had a survival instinct that touched the realm of humanity, and even he himself wanted everyone to survive if possible. His family and acquaintances were human, after all. It was better if society remained intact. Also, since he had be an anomalous entity himself, the survival of anomalies was essential. An ordinary world was absolutely not an option. There were too many possibilities of death. The director in charge of Yeonwoo raised his head to look at Yeonwoo strangely. "Isn''t that something that will earn the hostility of both thepany and all groups?" The treaty was the treaty, and the meeting was the meeting. They couldn''t suddenly join hands and be one whileughing together, and conflicts would still arise knowingly or unknowingly in the future. In that situation, protecting anomalous entities would invite checks from thepany, while protecting humanity would invite checks from anomaly groups. They might not fight openly, but things like information warfare or political checks would follow. Yeonwoo smiled faintly. "Still, that''s my role. To prevent either side from crossing the line." A counterweight between thepany and anomaly groups. The enforcement power of the treaty. Because if one of them crossed the line, war would break out again. He had seen it once, but that really wasn''t an option. Yeonwoo leaned back and raised both hands. So that both hands were visible in the video conference. He moved his hands up and down alternately. "If anomaly groups cross the line, I''ll scatter ordinary domains. If thepany crosses the line, I''ll do the opposite." The one who had to protect both humanity and anomalies spoke. In one hand he held threads of probability, and in the other he concentrated his survival instinct. The Artist Association President was the first to notice this. Their eyes, which had been bored to death, sparkled as they looked at Yeonwoo. "Two Level 6?" "Humanity''s survival instinct and an omnipotent dice. Now you''ll understand why I said I''d protect both." The Association President reached out their hand. The dice wasn''t honestly pretty. It looked like worms or parasites wriggling in a ball-like shape. But the survival instinct had a strange beauty. The world moved with that hand trying to grasp it. Yeonwoo roughly grabbed the threads to refuse, then made a disgusted face. "This kind of thing is a bit-" "I''ll agree to the treaty if you show me." Yeonwoo''s mouth mped shut. He couldn''t understand the Artist Association President''s way of thinking. The Artist Association President was childishly naive but had an equally clear madness. They kept thinking: ''Who cares if people who aren''t even artworks die or not? I, who am beautiful, don''t particrly want to protect them.'' But that''s why child-level negotiation worked. All they wanted was one artwork. If they could see the great artwork that was humanity''s survival instinct, that was good. It was like a child working hard on errands and studies to get one toy. Yeonwoo nodded with a tired expression. "Alright. Then I''llpensate the Artist Association by showing my face." "Great! I''ll agree!" "But let''s do it after we sign the treaty, not now." Watching this scene, one director muttered unconsciously: "Extinction Defense Device..." It wasn''t called that because there were two Level 6 anomalies. It was because humanity''s survival instinct existed as an anomaly. At the same time, the meaning of this treaty was newly understood. A treaty truly to prevent humanity''s extinction. Didn''t this mean that without this treaty, destruction was approaching? Some directors muttered nkly to themselves: "Were we about to bring about humanity''s extinction?" "It''s simr. Before I canceled the alteration, war broke out. That war was..." "No. You don''t need to say it. We''ve seen the backed-up data, so we know roughly." The directors started organizing the documents. They skimmed through them and neatly stacked the scattered papers. "Signing the treaty isn''t something to do right away. We agree for now, but let''s slowly check and revise the details." "Sounds good!" The chairman pped his hands once, then smiled contentedly. This had gone well enough. There would be long arguments over each use, but there was no need for a war that would only bring losses, right? "Since it''s a new world, we all need time to think. Let''s take our time and consider carefully." With those words, the video conference ended. A new world and order was approaching. Yeonwoo slowly stood up. This was a much better result than recklessly acting alone. He slightly bowed his head to the chairman. "It went well thanks to your help." "I''ll collect a high price for this favor. Oh, and you need to providepensation for the treaty too." The chairman rubbed his hands together. The price for mobilizing his staff. On top of that, Yeonwoo had given ordinary domains to thepany and the worshipper, and viewing rights to the Association President, so the Club should get something too. Yeonwoo smiled slightly. He had received many gifts from the Club, knowingly or unknowingly. Of course, he would take care of them. "Of course. I''ll make sure to take special care of it." Why did those words sound like a threat? Cold sweat beaded on the chairman''s forehead. ''No, wait. If that guy gets involved, no.'' He shouted urgently: "We don''t need any gi-" But Yeonwoo had already moved through space. Yeonwoo returned to the Investigation Team''s office at a leisurely pace. He would enjoy his daily life while the treaty was being revised. --- 189 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here Yeonwoo popped out of thin air. The Investigation Team members, who had been leisurely enjoying their day, were startled. Suddenly moving through space was clearly the work of an anomalous entity. "What the-!" The team leader frantically grabbed and contract, Ji-yoo pulled out a natural-looking vest, and Jae-min threw his mouse while ying a game. The team members, who had been staring at Yeonwoo with wide eyes, now looked suspicious. The team leader spoke: "...Is that you, Yeonwoo? We didn''t see you this morning."It was the wariness befitting investigators, and they were ordinary people he hadn''t seen in a while. After encountering all sorts of monsters like directors and Level 6 entities, Yeonwoo smiled warmly. "Yes, it''s me. I had some business to attend to, so I stepped out for a bit." The investigators trembled at that smile. This wasn''t like him. The friendly smile was so unnatural it was creepy. It felt like something inhuman trying to imitate a person. "As the owner of this building, Imand any unwee guests to reveal themselves!" They reacted instantly. The team leader invoked the power of the contract and drew his gun. Ji-yoo quickly put on the fluorescent vest and threw some to the team leader and Jae-min.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om All this happened in a sh, and only Jae-min, who could see parents, grasped the situation. Yeonwoo''s parents were the same as usual. Jae-min hurriedly shouted: "Team leader! It''s really him... Or is it?" Jae-min''s voice trailed off. The power of the contract enveloped Yeonwoo. He didn''t resist. Swish- The possibility of appearing in human form unraveled, and threads of probability sprouted over his face. Yeonwoo quickly raised his hands before the team leader could fire. "It really is me. I reached Level 6, and I just came back from work rted to that." "...Level 6?" The team leader tilted his head. He''d heard the term before. An extremely dangerous threat or the leader of a hostile group. If he''d reached that level, he should naturally go to headquarters for various discussions, but... Yeonwoo awkwardly smiled as he returned to his human face. "So I came to say goodbye, among other things." Click, the team leader lowered his gun and contract. The other investigators slowly sat down too, pushing aside the fluorescent vests. They realized it was Yeonwoo. They looked hurt, as if they''d never pointed guns at him. "You''re going to headquarters? Well, if you''ve reached Level 6, that''s what you should do." "Wow. So you must be super strong now, right? Can I call you if something big happenster?" Yeonwoo scratched his head. Then he slowly reached out. He could feel the threads of probability. Those threads were the probability of the investigators dying. ?? "I''ll give you a little blessing right now." "What blessing? No need. We''ve already received plenty, why give more?" Even as the team leader waved his hand dismissively, Yeonwoo concentrated all his senses on his palm. ''Oh. So I can use it like this too.'' He grasped the probability of the team leader dying. But upon closer inspection, that one thread wasposed of numerous thin threads. Random probabilities of death. If he unraveled that single thread like untying a knot, it separated into heart attack, natural death, gunshot, and so on. One vague thread was made up of several detailed threads. After gauging those threads for a moment, Yeonwoo made a subtle expression, then quickly felt for Ji-yoo and Jae-min''s possibilities too. "Huh. Your chances of dying are really low." As expected of investigators. Their chances of encountering idents or anomalous entities were high, but their chances of dying were almost non-existent. The investigators, who had been curiously watching the threads wriggling on Yeonwoo''s palm, suddenly panicked. They grasped the situation quickly. "Uh, uh, uh. Yeonwoo. Don''t do anything. If you mess with that wrong, we might die right now!" "Stop!" "Hey!" Their deaths were in Yeonwoo''s hands. Surely Yeonwoo wouldn''t kill them, but just having their lives physically manifested like this was terribly unsettling. It felt like having their hearts exposed. Empathizing with that feeling, Yeonwoo quickly released the threads. "Um, well. If your life is in danger, please call me. I''ll move through space right away to find you." Probabilities were fluid, and even if he manipted them now, new ones could form in the future. At his words that he''de to rescue them with just one phone call, the investigators wore expressions mixed with guilt and gratitude. "Thanks. That''s reassuring." "Wow. We''ve got a Level 6 acquaintance now. Can I brag about this?" At that point, Yeonwoo felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Jae-min, who had approached without him noticing, his eyes trembling as he spoke: "Can you maybe... use that to make me a normal person?" He had been born an anomalous entity. He''d suffered hardships at a young age when caught by thepany, though it was because he''d recklessly thrown out parent-rted insults and gotten caught, but he wanted to be a real human, not a monster. ''Isn''t being an anomalous entity a good thing? Plus, it''s a useful ability for detecting anomalous entities.'' Not understanding why he wanted to lower his own survival ability, Yeonwoo blinked before slowly reaching out. He stirred the air, finding the probability. "It''s possible, but... do you really want me to?" If he could create ordinary domains, there was no reason he couldn''t apply it to a single entity. Yeonwoo seemed somewhat reluctant. Jae-min pressed his lips together for a moment before opening them with determination. "I''d rather be normal than some kind of mons-" "Jae-min. If you be a normal person, you''ll have to go to the military." "An anomalous entity that detects monsters is better. I always liked this ability. It''s special, you know?" In an instant, his stancepletely changed. Going to the military VS living as he had been. The answer was obviously thetter. Racial identity wasn''t even a factor to consider. Ji-yoo looked dumbfounded at Jae-min, who had shamelessly changed his tune, while the team leader clicked his tongue. "Thepany won''t bother solving your military problem if you''re not an anomalous entity." Because he was an anomalous entity that could detect parents, they helped him substitutepany work for military service, like an industrial specialist. If he was just a normal person, there''d be none of that. Unexpectedly, those words hit Yeonwoo hard. "...You don''t have to go to the military if you''re an anomalous entity?" "Why would they send someone who might cause an ident to the military?" No. No. Yeonwoo''s mouth opened and closed. ''I think I was originally an anomalous entity too.'' He''d felt it after reaching Level 6 with both: the survival instinct seemed to have been inside him from the start. It was just sleeping safely without any idents, then woke up and evolved as he experienced serious incidents. ''No. I didn''t have to go to the military? I didn''t even have to prepare for the civil service exam and could have just joined thepany?'' It was unfair. Really unfair. In the end, Yeonwoo''s face contorted as he cursed thepany for no reason. ''They found Jae-min just fine, so why couldn''t they find me? If they''d found me earlier, I wouldn''t have had to go to the military or get a job. No, ah.'' The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment as Yeonwoo stuck out his lips like a duck, but the team leader pped his hands to clear the air. "Well, let''s go eat some meat. To send Yeonwoo off." And so they chatted until evening before heading out in a group for apany dinner. ------ It was around dusk when the sky was growing dark. The Investigation Team members strolled leisurely through the city streets. Being outside, they were careful with their words as they conversed. "So I decided to start a new business. It''s called Survival Agency." "That name is..." Survival Agency didn''t seem like a proper name at all. It seemed Yeonwoocked a sense for naming things. The Gambling Eradication Center was the same. Ji-yoo''s eyes lit up. "Do you need people there by any chance? I want to change jobs." The desire to take a different path from her family of office workers welled up inside her. Yeonwoo nodded. Weren''t investigators masters of survival? Of course, they would be suitable talent for Survival Agency. "We do need people. It''s too much for me alone, after all." "...But what would I do there?" "Monitoring? Administration? I don''t know. How many people do we need and what kind of positions." He''d never done administrative work, so he had no idea. Seeing Yeonwoo''s troubled expression, Ji-yoo fell into thought. At that point, they arrived at the meat restaurant. It was just a ce near the office. "Let''s go in..." Jae-min opened the door first and held up four fingers. Four people. "Uh..." But Jae-min slowly lowered his hand. The moment he crossed the threshold, the world changed. The ordinary meat restaurant transformed into a bizarre one with bright red lights. Everyone following him stopped at the door. In the visible kitchen, something that looked human was hanging from hooks, and the chef wielding arge Chinese cleaver was wearing some strange skin. It was an anomalous entity. Both spatial and entity types. "..." "..." Tension settled on the investigators'' faces. They were sharp as des. Their hands moved towards their weapons. The chef wearing skin chuckled. The cleaver stained with blood scattered an eerie light. "Fresh ingredients have arrived. Good, good. One human female, one young human male. One old one. And..." Yeonwoo rubbed his face. An emotion of utter annoyance radiated from his entire body. ''Ah, what now? How annoying.'' A farewell party? A send-off? Whatever it was, it was supposed to be a good asion, and this was ruining it? He gave up on his human form. Threads of probability covered his face. Yeonwoo strode forward and sat down in any seat. "Order." "...Yes! What would you like?" The chef had already put down his knife and politely sped his hands. There was a monster in front of him. Something on a different level from himself. The investigators nced around before sitting near Yeonwoo, and Jae-min spoke: "There''s no menu here." What ident could happen with Yeonwoo here? The chef''s attitude alone exined everything. Jae-min didn''t miss the chance to tease this evil anomalous entity that killed people. "Maybe it''s because it''s an anomalous entity without par-" "Shut up!" Ji-yoo quickly covered his mouth. He needed to be careful; why was he spouting unnecessary mean words? For a moment, the chef gripped the cleaver tightly, but then jumped in shock at Yeonwoo''s gaze. An awkward smile appeared. "I don''t know how to write letters or numbers..." "Hamburger." Yeonwoo mmed the table. The chef was bewildered. "Sir, this is a meat restaurant-" "Hamburger." "But that''s-" "Hamburger." The chef fell silent, then spoke with difficulty: "What kind of burger would you like me to make?" "Just a hamburger. If I don''t like it, you die." Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Several nearby tables and chairs disappeared. Without any sound, as if time had stopped and then resumed. The chef started moving desperately. --- 190 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here The chef moved busily. He minced meat to make hamburger patties, cut meat into bread shapes since there was no bread, and fried thinly sliced meat to resemble lettuce. Sizzle- The sound of meat hitting the hot frying pan. The sizzling of meat frying like the sound of rain. Soon, the delicious smell of cooking meat filled the air, and the investigators nced at Yeonwoo. "Yeonwoo. Shouldn''t we just deal with this and leave?"Yeonwoo briefly nced at the chef, then spoke loudly as if for him to hear: "If I don''t like the hamburger, I''ll deal with it." In truth, he''d already decided to deal with it. This was clearly an anomalous entity that killed people, so there was no reason to let it live. This was merely tormenting a monster that had ruined a good asion, or rather, righteous punishment of a murderous anomalous entity by the representative of Survival Agency. That confident voice reassured the investigators but put pressure on the chef. The chef''s knife-wielding hand trembled as he muttered inwardly: ''Where did such a monstere from.'' He was clearly intimidated and scared. His shoulders were hunched, and his hands were shaking. At that point, Ji-yoo rxed too and took a deep breath. The smell of cooking meat. A smell that automatically made one hungry. "It really smells good. Well, meat can''t taste bad when it''s grilled." Growl, her stomach screamed from hunger. But the others, who were quicker to catch on than Ji-yoo, wore dark expressions. What else could those ingredients be? Jae-min, who had been looking at the person hanging in the kitchen, clenched his fist tightly as if he''d never joked around. He whispered: "That''s really a person." "Ugh." Ji-yoo covered her mouth and dry heaved as she realized the meat''s identity. She felt horrible for thinking the smell was good just moments ago. In an instant, the smell of grilling meat turned into a terrible stench. "It''s done!" The chef, who had been using his best skills during this time, hurriedly brought the meat, no, the hamburger. His busy movements made the hamburger-shaped stack of meat on the dirty te wobble unsteadily. The chef swallowed hard. "Sir. It''s a meat burger. I thought you must have had plenty of ordinary burgers, so I made a special..." The chef, who had been exining only to Yeonwoo without paying attention to the investigators, stopped speaking. Yeonwoo''s demeanor as he looked down at the hamburger was ominous. Holding threads of probability in one hand, he sensed the possibilities of what might happen if he ate this burger and let out a deep sigh. ''There''s no strange problem. But.'' It was made from a person. It was a horrific act. Jae-min finally vomited after seeing the parents'' names clearly floating above the hamburger. Yeonwoo closed his eyes. A small mutter escaped him. "I can understand why thepany wants an ordinary world." With anomalous entities like this popping up everywhere. Of course, they''d want a world where such things couldn''t exist in the first ce. But just as not all humans were doomsday cultists, not all anomalous entities were evil. Yeonwoo recalled the Trapped Man he''d seen long ago. An NPC that caused errors when gathered. He had died for the sake of people. The Blessed Child he''d unintentionally tormented was just a child, and the baby that triggered protective instincts was just a baby. Yeonwoo had experienced and met too much to wear the colored sses of prejudice. He opened his eyes and slowly stood up. "No one wants to eat this, right? Let''s leave." Screech- The chairs made a loud noise as they were pushed back. The investigators, in a foul mood, almost threw their chairs as they stood up. For a moment, their eyes full of hostility red at the chef. The chef hurriedly tried to follow Yeonwoo, but it was toote. "Sir! At least taste it-" "..." Yeonwoo, who had sent the investigators out first, looked at the chef expressionlessly. Then, he clenched his fist. ''The possibility that this never existed from the start.''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om A thin thread of probability was caught in his grasp. That was the end of it. The chef and the meat restaurant were denied existence. Their existence was erased. There would be no more idents threatening Yeonwoo. Without reaching the imaginary realm of Level 7, it would only be an annoyance. "Entities that threaten human life should die." Muttering this, he went outside to find the investigators sitting down, clutching their stomachs, and spitting repeatedly, their faces pale. They had merely been moved to an anomalous entity''s space, so the original meat restaurant still existed in reality, spreading the smell of meat, which was causing psychological pain to the investigators. The team leader, covering his nose, said: "Yeonwoo. We can''t have apany dinner. We can''t eat anything." The other investigators nodded their pale faces in session. They hadpletely lost their appetite. Yeonwoo unconsciously reached out his hand. ''The possibility of their appetite returning... No, this isn''t right.'' Wasn''t that a bit inhumane? After turning various thoughts over in his mind, Yeonwoo scratched his head. "Should we grill some meat in the officeter? I feel like we''ll just run into idents if we go out anywhere." The investigators, who were already prone to encountering incidents, gathering for a special asion. The probability of suddenly encountering an anomalous entity was high, like at this farewell party. "Not meat. Let''s order something else." "I don''t think I can even look at meat for a while." And so the investigators agreed with Yeonwoo''s opinion, and they parted ways there. ------ Time passed. Yeonwoo moved busily. He checked the constantly revised treaty, pondered on how to establish Survival Agency, and how to obtain the resources needed for the group. A group naturally needed money to be maintained, and Yeonwoo decided to obtain money through legitimate means. Survival Agency, which pursued the joint survival of anomalies and humanity, needed a method befitting that goal, not some underhanded trick. "Rather than creating money with the dice, wouldn''t it be cleaner to receive sponsorship? So please sponsor Survival Agency. Regrly." Another meeting was held. Yeonwoo confidently made his request, looking at the screens in the air. Given how muchpensation he had provided, he should receive something too. Of course, people agreed. It wasn''t with the intention of controlling Yeonwoo using sponsorship money as a leash. Doing something like that would backfire. If Yeonwoo wanted, money could literally be copied. The chairman, in a good mood, said: "Investment is fine. How do you n to do it?" This was a matter involvingrge sums of money. Naturally, there were many ways to do it, and as many as there were ways, it wasplicated. Yeonwoo''s expression said he didn''t know about such things. He blinked. Wasn''t it just a matter of sending money? What more was needed? A director asked glumly: "This Survival Agency? Has it actually been organized?" "No. I was going to ask about that too. What should I do?" The directors and the chairman closed their mouths. It felt like they''d gotten involved in someone else''s business. Their heads throbbed. Yeonwoo was Level 6, but they wondered if Survival Agency should really be considered a top-tier group. Of course, the answer was one. With a Level 6 entity there. Even if he just went into an abandoned building alone and dered it a group, they''d have to acknowledge it. In the end, they found an appropriate solution. "We''ll send people from thepany." "The Club will help too." They would send people to help establish the group. On the other hand, the Association President and the worshipper just blinked nkly. They were just as amateurish as organizations. Almost at the level of a club. In any case, Yeonwoo smiled brightly. "I''d be grateful for your help." Right, there was no need for him to do the brain work himself. Couldn''t he just leave it to experts? He just needed to exist as a Level 6 entity. After briefly discussing the Survival Agency issue, they tapped their heads. "The conversation went off track. More importantly, we need to talk about the issue of smaller groups and dimensional portals." A new order had been created. Of course, there would inevitably be discord. Synth Dynamics, which kidnapped people and modified them into machine humans, remnants of the doomsday cultists, numerous smaller groups with different intentions. The chairman frowned. "It''s a waste to use gold on each of those small fries." "Should I ask them?" The Association President, who had been shaking their head with a bored expression, spoke, but the directors shook their heads. "Let''s send out an official notice once the treaty is signed, then respond based on their reactions. More importantly, the magicians are a problem. They''re not interested in creating and maintaining dimensional portals." The second dimension where thepany would advance. They had nned to subcontract the portals to magicians, with magicians maintaining them. All groups would participate in management and surveince. Thepany could do it sufficiently, but that was checked. They were also worried thepany might create ordinary nuclear bombs, ordinary nuclear backpacks, such weapons in the second dimension and bring them over. "I know a bit about magicians too." The worshipper stepped forward. They''d been enjoying daily life in an ordinary worldtely, and theirplexion looked very good. The representative of ck magicians, who were practically a branch of magicians, smiled. "Provide one ordinary space." "...Will that be enough?" Suspicious responses came back. Magicians weren''t ordinary humans. Dimension-traveling wanderers. Terrorists who would throw a bomb and run if they felt like it. Even moderate magicians would abandon everything and flee if they got annoyed. Magicians, masters of escape, weren''t the type to stick around for tedious work like dimensional portals. But the worshipper smiled slightly and raised their hand in the air. They twirled their fingers, drawing something like a magic circle. "Magicians are obsessed with discovery, pioneering, and adventure. The fact that their magic doesn''t work in ordinary spaces means there are dimensions they can''t visit with their magic." If there were dimensions that rejected magic like ordinary spaces, wouldn''t they naturally want to discover them? They would cooperate even just to develop magic that would work in ordinary spaces. Of course, only master-level magicians would focus on development and research while their disciples below would do thebor, but that was the hierarchy of magicians. Masters were the kind of people who would chase their disciples to the ends of hell to catch them. Only magicians who could escape their master''s pursuit could be considered full-fledged magicians who had outgrown being disciples. The directors nodded. "Then let''s contact the magicians. That''s all we need to discuss today." And so the meeting concluded. Yeonwoo stretched widely, then slowly got up from his seat. He had finished the farewell party with the investigators, but he hadn''t moved his belongings yet. He had no intention of moving until Survival Agency was properly established. Feeling bored, Yeonwoo went to the Investigation Team''s office. He heard shocking news. Jae-min looked carefully at the space above Yeonwoo''s head as he spoke cautiously: "It says your parents are in an injured state. Did you know?" "...What?" Without even time to think further, Yeonwoo grabbed the threads of probability and moved through space. --- 191 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here As Yeonwoo grasped the threads, his surroundings changed in an instant. It was his first visit home since starting work. The scent of childhood memories wafted through the air, and the house looked exactly as he remembered it. The living room was cluttered with drying vegetables - a stereotypical countryside scene. But there was no time for nostalgia. Groans of pain echoed from the main bedroom. Yeonwoo rushed to fling open the door. "Mom!""I''m dying, I swear." His mother, her leg in a cast, lifted her head slightly from the bedding. Her wrinkled eyes widened at the sight of her long-absent son. "Am I seeing things? Is it my time already?" There was no way her wayward son would suddenly show up like this. It wasn''t like him at all. ''Is he the Grim Reaper?'' She quickly grabbed a nearby water ss, ready to throw it. Yeonwoo noticed the cast and medicine packets, signs of medical treatment. He rxed a bit and sat down beside his mother. "What happened?" "Is it really you, Yeonwoo?" "Of course it''s me, who else..." It could be someone else. A doppelganger or some anomalous entity manifesting memories, or hostile groups trying to take a Level 6''s family hostage. Yeonwoo pushed those thoughts aside and changed the subject. "How did you get hurt?" "A wild boar got me. I dodged quickly enough that it only got my leg. I''m lucky to be alive. Don''t worry. But why did youe all the way here?" "Ah. A wild boar." Yeonwoo recalled his childhood memories. The rural vige where he grew up. A battlefield between humans and wildlife. Packs of feral dogs roamed the streets, hungry for blood. Wild boars and deer raided crops, while snakes lurked in the grass like assassins. That wasn''t all. In the sky, magpies, sparrows, and birds of prey circled, searching for prey. On the ground, scavengers waited for corpses, while underground, moles and earthworms tore up the earth. They were all enemies of the farmers. From a young age, Yeonwoo learned that life formed atop death. ''This ce was always like this.'' Yeonwoo smiled awkwardly. He remembered hearing about deaths quite often. The neighbor who died eating poisonous mushrooms, the old man who perished fighting wild dogs, the young student who crashed his motorcycle into a stream... It was the dynamic rural life where life and death intertwined. ''Maybe I survived thanks to my survival instinct?'' As Yeonwoo pondered whether his survival instinct had been awake from the start, his mother threw off her nket and sat up. "You look better since you started working, but why are you so thin? Have you eaten?" "Ah, yes, I have." Yeonwoo firmly rejected his mother''s concern. He had more pressing matters. "Where''s Dad?" "Don''t even ask about that man. He said he wanted to live as a hermit and built a house up in the mountains. Who knows if he''s dead or alive?" His mother grumbled as she hobbled out of the room on crutches. She ignored Yeonwoo''s refusal. Whatever brought him here, she intended to at least cut some fruit for him. Yeonwoo hurried after her. "No, wait! I''ll go see Dad too. I''lle back for dinnerter." "Absolutely not. Kim and Park went up to hunt that wild boar. Hunters from other viges are up there too. Don''t go wandering around and get shot." idental shootings during hunts weren''t umon. There had even been cases in this vige. Of course, a mere hunting rifle wouldn''t hurt Yeonwoo, but he couldn''t exactly say that. There was no need to suddenly reveal the reality of anomalous entities and monsters to his parents who had lived as ordinary farmers. ''So right now, the possibility...'' Yeonwoo hid one hand behind his back. Threads of probability rippled above it as he sensed the possibility of his family''s death. After a quick check of the death probabilities, Yeonwoo let out a sigh of relief. ''No major issues. Let''s just eat.'' As his mother took out some fruit, Yeonwoo called out: "Mom, I''ll have dinner!" "It''s toote. Eat this fruit before it goes bad. Fill up on fruit." His mother, who had gone to the kitchen to check the fruit, replied coldly. ------ A te of bruised apples and overripe bananas appeared. In a few more days, they''d be fit only as bait for traps. Yeonwoo reluctantly put the fruit in his mouth. It tasted awful. Well, the fruit itself wasn''t bad, but his mother''s nagging killed his appetite. She bombarded her long-absent son with endless worried questions. "So what exactly do you do for work? You don''t evene home for holidays, and you say you make good money. It''s not dangerous, is it?" She had picked up hints of danger from the bits of information Yeonwoo had let slip. "Are you seeing anyone? All the kids your age around here are married now." The typical holiday questions flowed non-stop. Yeonwoo''s face darkened. He chewed the apple with his eyes tightly shut. The head of Survival Agency, a Level 6 entity in the anomalous world. Was he really going to cave to nagging? Yeonwoo shoved his hand in his pocket. He grasped the threads of probability and manifested a possibility. ''The possibility of recovering well without side effects or issues.'' He couldn''t exactly make her think he was never born or manipte her memories and mind. After bestowing an ordinary level blessing, Yeonwoo smoothly changed the subject. "I quit my job." "Good, that''s good. I always thought it was suspicious. Are you thinking of moving back?" His mother smiled brightly, oddly pleased with her improved condition. "Take over the farm. It makes enough to live on." "What do I know about farming?" "Don''t be silly. Times have changed. You can just hire workers for everything." Time-honored farming methods rather than modern technology. Just provide thend and hire people. You could even rent tractors when needed and employ farm workers. If you didn''t know something, you could just ask the vigers or copy what others were doing. "Even withbor costs, it''s enough to live on." "No thanks. I already have ns for my next job." Yeonwoo shook his head quickly. Farming? If he farmed, he''d probably end up creating and selling strange anomalous entities like the Green Association. ''Would that be fun, though?'' Ideas popped into his head. Fruit that provided a full day''s calories and nutrients in one bite, nts that boosted regeneration, tea leaves that enhanced mental power. It seemed fitting for Survival Agency and could be a good source of ie for the group. As they chatted, evening fell. Yeonwoo, who had filled up on fruit, stood up. Before going to find his father, there were people he needed to meet. "Um, are there any recent neers to farming around here?" "There are. Poor young folks, struggling with all the local prejudice." His mother''s expression turned sympathetic, feeling sorry for the young people suffering from rural discrimination. Yeonwoo asked casually: "Do they live nearby?" "In that house where the vige chief stacked fertilizer bags against the wall." They were surelypany employees sent to protect Yeonwoo''s parents. Yeonwoo left the house. ------ Smelly fertilizer bags of unknown origin were piled high along the wall. Inside was a two-story building with an overgrown yard.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Yeonwoo peeked through the makeshift iron gate and called out: "Hello! Anyone home?" After a moment, a young man emerged from the building. With dark circles under his eyes, he held his nose against the foul fertilizer smell, his face etched with stress. He''d had his fill of rural entrics. Another incident sparked more irritation than curiosity. "What is it no-" The man''s movements froze as he opened the gate. He couldn''t fail to recognize Yeonwoo''s face. A moment of panic struck him. ''We''re doomed!'' Yeonwoo''s mother had been hit by a wild boar. He must be here to reprimand them for failing to prevent it. None other than a Level 6 entity and leader of an allied group. "I''m so sorry. Due to our inadequate protection-" He reflexively bowed his head, but Yeonwoo grabbed it to stop him and pushed him inside. "The boar incident is fine. These things happen asionally. More importantly, thank you for your hard working all the way out here." "No, no, not at all." Despite the man''s repeated protests, Yeonwoo felt bad for him. An elitepany employee secretly guarding the family of a top agent. He felt sorry for the man''s suffering, unnecessarily dispatched to the countryside. "I''ll be counting on you in the future as well." Yeonwoo grasped the threads to bestow a weak blessing of luck. Having said his piece, he was about to leave when the man quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Mr. Yeonwoo. There''s something suspicious about this incident. Our agents are searching the mountain." "...Something suspicious?" Yeonwoo stopped. If it was a simple ident, there was no need to worry. But if it was a plot targeting him... A strange light gleamed in Yeonwoo''s eyes, and the man gulped. "It''s not the season for wild boars toe down the mountain. But not just boars - many wild animals fled down as if escaping something." "Did something happen on the mountain?" "It''s definitely suspicious. For now, the agent we stationed near your father is scouting the area." Yeonwoo turned his head. The dim evening light was falling. His gaze swept over the darkening mountain. He grasped the wriggling threads of probability in his hand. Unlike before, when he''d only roughly checked his parents'' survival, he now examined all rted probability threads in detail. When that wasn''t enough, he sometimes manifested the possibility of gaining knowledge, mixing in abilities like irvoyance or past viewing. Yeonwoo''s eyes darted about, probing the air as he clumsily imitated omniscience with his omnipotent power. A momentter, his expression changed. "A magician?" Someone had clumsily opened a two-dimensional door in the mountains. Not quite a magician - more like an amateur who caused an ident while imitating magic with a spellbook they''d stumbled upon. The man was startled. "A magician is involved?" "Not exactly, but something simr. I''ll handle this. We should resolve it quickly." In the past Yeonwoo had seen, the amateur magician had turned a clearing into a mass of flesh. That door was still open. In the future, the contamination would spread, turning the entire mountain into flesh. ''Ah, why another incident?'' Yeonwoo clenched his fist irritably and teleported. An amateur magician who''d taught themselves from a spellbook without a proper teacher. He''d have to kidnap - no, arrest them and hand them over to thepany. Let them manage dimensional portals or something. --- 192 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here There was no reason to waste time. Yeonwoo instantly crossed through space, arriving at the clearing where the amateur magician had opened the two-dimensional door. It was a night with a bright full moon. Under the pale moonlight, a grotesque scene unfolded in crimson. The earth had be reddish flesh, and the trees surrounding the clearing swayed like fleshy tentacles. The mountain, which should have been filled with the hoots of owls and night birds, was now full of squelching sounds. At the center were two people.A man with an axe slung over his shoulder. A woman in shaman''s clothes, kneeling as she rifled through a book made of flesh. Both had bodies grotesquely transformed, but their minds seemed intact as they conversed. The man, Yeonwoo''s father, whose hand had melted and fused with the axe, swung it menacingly. "You crazy woman. What the hell have you done?" "Come on, Yeonwoo''s dad. How was I supposed to know this would happen? How could I have known the spirit possession went wrong?" The shaman woman snapped back. Her mutated shaman clothes rippled. Colorful strings that had transformed into fluorescent tentacles waved in the air, as if trying to lure prey. The spellbook''s influence was simr to spirit possession, and its power was real, so it was understandable for a shaman to make such a mistake. But that wasn''t his problem. Yeonwoo''s father swung his axe at the nearby tentacle trees. Blood spurted like a fountain. Covered in blood, he brandished the axe threateningly. "If you made a mistake, fix it quickly! At this rate, the whole vige might go to hell!" A door had opened. Contamination poured through the open door. The area turning to flesh was gradually expanding. The shaman hurriedly began searching through the flesh book again. Blood vessels spread across the book made of thin skin, forming characters. Her protruding eyeballs quickly scanned the text. "Alright, alright. But you know, Yeonwoo''s dad. This really happened." "If you spout nonsense, your head will fly off. Think before you speak. If things go south, I''ll chop off your head and set the mountain on fire." Yeonwoo''s father lived in a house he''d built in the mountains. He had plenty of kerosene for his stove, as well as firewood and charcoal. Enough to methodically set fires and burn down the entire mountain if needed. ''Since it''s flesh, it should burn if set on fire.'' His father slumped down, wiping his face with his liquefying hand. "What the hell is all this? I thought I''d eaten something bad." A strangely mutated deer had invaded his home. He''d killed it with his axe and then doubted himself for a while. He''d wondered if the mushrooms he''d gathered in the mountains were hallucinogenic, or if his stove had malfunctioned and leaked gas, or if the alcohol Park had given him wasced with opium. But it was real, and searching the mountain had led him to this crazy shaman. Hemented: "You crazy woman. You''ve lived in the vige all this time, how could you do something so dangerous?" "That''s why I did it secretly in the mountains. I followed all the taboos, how was I supposed to know it would turn out like this?" The shaman raised her head indignantly, but quickly lowered it again when she saw the blood-red axe de. The countryside, with its low poption density, was less affected by safety measures. Rural areas that had experienced anomalous events for generations naturally had taboos. As a shaman who passed down such taboos, she had been careful in her own way. ''Ah. So it was Shaman Aunt.'' At this point, Yeonwoo, who had been observing the situation, stepped forward puzzledly. There was no sound of leaves crunching underfoot. Everything had turned to flesh. "Dad!" At that shout, both people turned their heads simultaneously. They blinked silently. Though it had been a long time, it wasn''t hard to recognize him. "Yeonwoo? When did youe down? I didn''t hear you were visiting." "My, how Yeonwoo''s grown. You were just a little thing, and now look at you." Both waved their hands in delight, forgetting the situation. Their mutated hands waved oddly. Only then did they realize the situation. A ce where bodies were deteriorating as if exposed to radiation. "Yeonwoo! Get down the mountain quickly! You can''t stay here!" "That''s right! Hurry down and tell that Hyeseong shaman over the next mountain! That woman might know how to deal with this!" Yeonwoo sighed deeply. If it had been someone he''d never seen or heard of, he might have kidnapped them to use as a magician. But it was hard to be harsh with an aunt he''d known since childhood. Yeonwoo clenched his fist. First, he closed the door, then reverted the mutatednd, and restored the two people''s bodies to their original state. With three clenches of his fist, everything returned to normal as if time had reversed. A deer cried out in the mountains. "Hurry down the mountain. I heard people came up to hunt wild boars." "...Is this a dream?" Yeonwoo''s father blinked. He couldn''t understand what was happening. In fact, the whole flesh dimension issue had been beyond hisprehension, but he''d epted it with the typical rural open-mindedness. But Yeonwoo solving this was too much to handle... "Do they teach this kind of thing in the city these days? You''ve really be a city person." You know, how technology advances so quickly. That''s city life and cutting-edge technology for you. Well, strange things happen in the countryside too, so there must be even more in the crowded cities, and ways to deal with them. Yeonwoo said no more and quickly led the two people down the mountain. ------ Yeonwoo''s father lived in a mud house halfway up the mountain. The three of them went inside and sat awkwardly in the living room. Yeonwoo was skimming through the spellbook. In one hand, he openly held threads of probability. There was no need to hide anything from people who had experienced an anomalous event. ''A spellbook that attracts talented people through telepathy and makes them open doors. Its origin...'' Some magician had carelessly tossed it into a dimensional gap like throwing away garbage, and it had fallen into this vige. Yeonwoo sighed and handed the spellbook to the shaman. "I used to work for apany that manages these kinds of problems." "A public corporation? You said you were going to be a civil servant, I guess you ended up doing something simr." His father immediately asked. In his mind, such issues should be managed by the state, and apany handling these problems must naturally be a public corporation. But the shaman saw something different. Her eyes, trembling as if possessed, looked at Yeonwoo and the threads of probability. "Have you received divine possession?" "Woman, why are you trying to make the kid out to be mentally ill?" "Divine possession isn''t a mental illness! How can you doubt after seeing that chaos?" "Well, you''re just a quack-" The two bickered. Yeonwoo sighed heavily, exhausted. He didn''t feel like exining everything one by one. Ah. God? You mean those pathetic anomalous entities? I am the truly omnipotent god. Yeonwoo briefly entertained such arrogant thoughts before waving his hand. "Aunt. You''ll have to go to the relevant authorities now. Since you''ve learned magic, you can''t live like you used to." "...Magic?" A bright light shed in the shaman''s eyes. She had learned from the spellbook, practiced magic, and felt it. There were infinitely many worlds. She had been able to make contact with those worlds. More than just interested, she wanted to throw away her entire worldview as a shaman and dedicate her life to this craft. "Yes. You know those young people who recently moved to the vige to farm?" "Those, those outsiders who don''t even follow the vige rules?" "Don''t be prejudiced. They''re people thepany sent down to protect my parents. If you tell them everything honestly, they''ll exin the necessary procedures and where to go." The shaman looked guilty. She had done many mean things in the name of taboos and customs. Writing talismans with chicken blood on gates, spraying dog urine, or throwing salt when she saw people passing by. In any case, Yeonwoo didn''t want to stay in this countryside any longer. He felt like he''d only experience more strange idents if he stayed. It was as if all the vige folklore wasing to life. "Right. Dad. Mom got hurt by a wild boar." "Those damn boars, need to wipe them out. Alright. I''ll go down and check on her." Yeonwoo bowed his head onest time. "I''ll be heading back now. Please call me if anything like this happens again." "Alright, son." His father nodded casually, and the shaman tried to grab Yeonwoo to use him as a bridge to the outsiders, but Yeonwoo crossed through space without hesitation. His father marveled: "I wonder when that''ll bemercialized?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Are you out of your mind? Does that look like science to you?" "Is there any reason it can''t bemercialized if it''s not science?" "Well..." The shaman tried to argue but ended up looking convinced instead. ------ A minor episode had passed. Time flowed on relentlessly. What Yeonwoo had experienced was merely discovering one wild magician, and the affairs ofrge organizations continued without pause. Yeonwoo smiled contentedly inside a three-story building''s top floor. The Survival Agency had finally been established. He hadn''t done anything himself. People from various ces had done all the work. As a result, they now had a building and many employees. "Yeonwoo, are you in?" Ji-yoo burst through the door. She had expressed a desire to change jobs and had eventually transferred to the Survival Agency. "Yes. What''s the matter?" "Here''s my resignation letter." "...What?" Yeonwoo looked up at Ji-yoo in confusion. With dark circles under her eyes, Ji-yoo waved the resignation letter, urging him to take it. "I can''t work here anymore. There''s too much work. I just wanted to be an investigator." There really was a lot of work. Partly because the agency had just been established, and partly because it felt even more intense after living the rxed life of an investigator. "But why so suddenly?" As Yeonwoo took the resignation letter, Ji-yoo copsed into the chair opposite him, mming her head on the desk. Sprawled out as if sleeping, she spoke tearfully: "I tried it for a few days, but I really can''t do it. This, this isn''t a way for people to live." As an investigator, she only had to be present at her desk except when going out for investigations. But here... "Ie to work, work overtime, sleep,e back to work, and the tasks keep piling up. I really, really can''t do this." Being an investigator was better. Yeonwoo tried to dissuade her. "But, but it''s safe here, isn''t it? And I believe the sry isn''t bad either." "I don''t care about any of that!" Ji-yoo sprang up, ring at Yeonwoo with bloodshot eyes. Her former colleague was now the enemy. An enemy who assigned work, thepany boss! An enemy who tormented life like a life-threatening anomalous entity. Yeonwoo backed down in the face of the investigator''s desperate intensity. "Um... Alright. What is it, approval? I''ll approve it when ites up." "Please do it quickly. I want to escape as soon as possible." It seemed she wouldn''t back down unless he processed it right here and now. Yeonwoo quickly moved his mouse. Conveniently, they were using thepany''s system, so he could check it easily. With a few clicks, it was approved. "It''s done." "Freedom!" With that, Ji-yoo threw her hands up and ran out. "Oh right. It''s the day to inspect the dimensional portals." Yeonwoo left to do work and meet someone he had seen long ago. He headed to thepany outpost in the giant dimension that he had strongly rmended. --- 193 - Ending TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discordn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Join the discord! Here The dimensional portal was built inside a vast structure resembling an aircraft hangar. At its center, an oval-shaped blue door rose vertically, surrounded by a magic circle intricately adorned with precious gems and gold. This doorway was the passage to the giant dimension. "Containering through!" "Hold it! It''s time for the other side toe over!" Beneath the blue light, countless people, transport equipment, and machinery bustled about. Workers in fluorescent safety vests frantically waved light sticks and shouted instructions, while heavy machinery roared with exhaust-spewing engines. The magician assigned to this task trembled, looking as if they''d rather be anywhere else."If only I''d managed to escape from my damn master, I wouldn''t be stuck doing this crap." This wasn''t magic - it was just managing a portal, nothing more than being a cog in the machine. ''Should I make a run for it?'' This was no way to live. Infinite second dimensions awaited. Adventure! Discovery! Exploration! Just as the magician was about to grasp their jeweled ne, Yeonwoo suddenly appeared beside them. "Inspection time." The magician startled. Yeonwoo had built quite a reputation. Tracking down escaped magicians. Pursuing and kidnapping them faster and more urately than even master-level magicians - he was the magicians'' nemesis. "I-I won''t run away." The magician''s voice quivered with premature fear. Yeonwoo''s gaze swept over them. He naturally saw the possibilities that would unfold in the future. Out of 10 potential futures, the magician fled in 9 of them. Yeonwoo sighed deeply. These damn crazy magicians. He couldn''t understand why they''d run away after signing contracts to work as a group. It seemed theycked even the most basic concepts of trust and promises. "If you want to run, go ahead. I''ll just catch you again anyway." "..." An ordinary person would have taken this as a warning. But the magician was different. ''Sounds like he''s giving me permission to escape.'' If I''m capable enough, he''s saying I can run. This is implicit permission. As the magician''s eyes darted about and their hand tightened on the jeweled ne, Yeonwoo clenched his fist. ????§£§§? "This is ridiculous." He manipted probability and possibility. This fixed the future. The magician''s future, their possibilities, narrowed. To a future where they didn''t escape. ''Ah.'' The magician snapped to their senses. For now, there was no way to escape in front of Yeonwoo. The right move was to prepare thoroughly before taking action. ''One year. I''ll prepare hard for a year and then make my escape.'' At that point, Yeonwoo strode forward. He nced around. Magicians managing the dimensional portal, thepany advancing into the second dimension, other groups monitoring the portal. Yeonwoo looked at some of the scanners and devices. ''Let''s see. What I need to check is...'' Scanners? Detectors? He just needed to verify the devices installed to prevent thepany from developing ordinary nuclear backpacks or ordinary biochemical weapons in the second dimension and bringing them over. Yeonwoo approached theplex machinery installed next to the dimensional portal. The Club member in charge of the device bowed their head. "Hello, sir." "Hello. I''m here to inspect if the machine is working properly." Yeonwoo pulled a small metal case from his bag. Inside was a single ordinary bullet. The moment he took out the case, changes urred. Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep! The machine screamed. There was a discrepancy between the scan results from the scientifically constructed detector and the anomaly-based detector. True to its nature as a security system designed to analyze ''ordinary'' objects, it immediately identified the issue. Complex strings of characters shed across the monitor. - Discrepancy rate: 12.2668082408326657 In an instant, red lights shed throughout the department. Sirens wailed madly, and warning broadcasts red. - Ordinariness detected! Ordinariness detected! Yeonwoo nodded. ''Working well.'' He just needed to confirm it was functioning properly. Of course, the employees who suddenly found themselves in an emergency situation ran around like headless chickens. "Containment! Containment! Containment!" "What''s thepany doing! How long has it been since we signed the treaty!" "Aaargh! Thepany''s gone berserk! Report this quickly!" Yeonwoo didn''t try to stop them. How swiftly and properly they moved when ordinariness was detected was also part of the inspection. It was a kind of drill. He nced at the Club member. "I''ll be on my way now." "Did- did you inform the higher-ups about the inspection?" "Yes." They were probably evaluating things like reporting time, containment strictness, and such remotely. Yeonwoo leisurely clenched his fist. The job was done, so he''d cross over to the giant world. ------ He moved to thepany outpost built in the giant world. Temporary barracks and container buildings, structures being diligently constructed with concrete and steel. All of this was creating a human city atop ruins. After casually creating a few blocks of ordinary space, Yeonwoo slowly walked through the city. The outpost manager followed behind him. "We''ve found out that this used to be a human city. A ce where street humans tried to make the legend of the human city a reality. It''s perfect for thepany''s outpost." The legend of street humans and pet humans. A city by and for humans. But it was just a legend of salvation, and when some humans tried to build an actual human city with hope, it was ultimately destroyed by the giants'' Foreign Species Management Bureau. Still, since humans following the legend kepting here, it was suitable as apany outpost. Yeonwoo looked around the city, lost in memories. Company employees building the outpost worked alongside people from other groups. asionally, scruffy people ran about excitedly - clearly street humans from the giant world. "A human city! Our salvation hase!" Voices and eyes shining with hope and passion. Naturally, the face of a certain person came to mind. ''What was her name again? Dan- Dan- Dande-something.'' He remembered the woman he''d seen when stranded in the giant dimension. The one he''d almost escaped with. Yeonwoo, who had grasped the threads to recall his memories, stopped walking and looked at the outpost manager. He asked: "Is there a woman named Dandelion here? A human born in this dimension." "I''ll check." The manager tapped away at their phone. The profiles of street humans who had already arrived in the city were registered. Yeonwoo waited with anticipation, and after a short while, the manager shook their head. "There''s no one by that name." "...I see." It would have been nice if she was alive. It would have been great if she could see the human city, the salvation of the human world, with her own eyes. Yeonwoo hesitated, then selected a thread of probability. The possibility of moving to where Dandelion was. But before Yeonwoo could clench his fist to move, the manager grabbed him. There were a few things they needed to brief him on, regardless of what he was nning. "Mr. Yeonwoo! There are some things I need to tell you first. First, please try not to kill giants if possible. The Foreign Species Management Bureau isn''t much of a threat, but test results have shown that giants are also human." The first thing thepany did after crossing over to the giant world was to kidnap giants and put them inbs. To determine whether to wipe them out or establish cooperative rtionships, they analyzed their genes and existence. But giants were just a type of human, massive and sturdy due to thews of their dimension. "No..." Yeonwoo wore a dumbfounded expression. He wasn''t some doomsday cultist - why would he randomly kill giants? Unless he''d been neutered during his time stranded here. "I won''t kill them." "Just in case... Oh, and please don''t randomly rescue street humans and pet humans." The manager pointed at the city under construction. "We don''t have enough space or food to amodate many humans yet. In about a month, we should have sufficient infrastructure." Bluntly put, if Yeonwoo were to manifest the possibility of all humans except giants moving to the city, things would getplicated. "Yes, yes." Nodding, Yeonwoo grasped the threads of probability. The world changed. He had moved. ------ A blue field, beneath dandelions as massive as trees in the original world. Dandelion was leaning against one of these giant dandelions. With her blonde hair and mixed-race features that made it hard to pinpoint her ethnicity, she was shaking dandelion seeds in one hand. She looked up, her eyes widening. "You- you." "Hi." Yeonwoo smiled. He approached and sat down beside her. "Did you find the human city?" "What the- Why are you here?!" Dandelion jumped up, looking down at Yeonwoo. Her eyes were full of doubt, as if seeing an illusion. This was the field she''d reached after escaping from the giant''s house and traveling a long way through all sorts of hardships. It was far too distant for the weak Yeonwoo she knew to have found. "I told you I''d escape on my own." "But how did you get all the way here! Are you hurt? You''d die the moment you set foot outside, you know." Yeonwoo wore a sour expression. He had certainly shown her his extremelycking physical abilities. But time had passed, and he had be Level 6. Yeonwoo waved his hand. Threads of probability rippled around it. "I have the power to do this now." "...Isn''t that what the Management Bureau uses? Those giant bastards?" While it was a power far beyond that of small groups without Level 6 entities, Yeonwoo just nodded vaguely. He reached out his hand towards Dandelion. "Remember I mentioned apany?" "The Humanity Protection Company?" "Yeah. People from the human world havee to save humans. They''ve built a human city. Let''s go together." Dandelion''s eyes sparkled. They looked as if stars had been embedded in them. Hope welled up like a spring. "Alright!" Dandelion grasped Yeonwoo''s hand. At the same moment, Yeonwoo moved through space. They vanished from the field as if they had never been there. A warm spring breeze blew. The dandelion they had been leaning against swayed. Pure white dandelion seeds scattered on the wind. Just like humanity and thepany. Humanity had already spread to many second dimensions. Now thepany would follow humanity outward, and both humanity and thepany would flourish like dandelions. The flower of humanity, which had tenaciously survived in the face of dangerous anomalies, was beginning to bloom everywhere. And Yeonwoo, tougher than any weed, would survive forever. --- [raei: one more chapter left!] 194 - Extra Story: Conclusion TL/Editor: raei Status: 5/week mon-fri Illustrations: posted in discord Join the discord! Here As the head of the Survival Agency, Yeonwoo had many responsibilities. He traveled through second dimensions creating ordinary spaces, conducted surprise inspections, and sometimes barged into thepany to extract information. All to verify items that could bring about macroscopic changes to the Earth or the world, like the World Alteration Device. That day, Yeonwoo had crossed over to headquarters to investigate Extinction Defense Devices and the like. As he sifted through mountains of documents with tired eyes, Yeonwoo suddenly paused at one particr file. "...What''s this?"He''d initially nned to just skim through, pretending to read. After all, Yeonwoo only needed to keep his seat warm while other investigators did the real brain work. But there were words he couldn''t just ignore. Yeonwoo''s expression turned serious as he grabbed a handful of documents. At the top was written ''Extinction Defense Device: Writer'', followed by a list of familiar names. Yeonwoo read them aloud. "Tentative list. Investigation Team Leader, Choi Jae-min, Yoo Ji-yoo, Marine Response Unit Captain, Trapped Man, Kim Gapdong, Demon Hunter, Clock Repairman, Demon of Absurdity, Kang Yeol, Lee Seoyeon, Park Sangjoon..." Names of people and anomalous entities Yeonwoo had encountered and incidents he''d experienced. And then. "Lee Yeonwoo. ...That''s me?" Something, something was off. Why were his name and the names of people he knew on this list? Goosebumps prickled across his skin. An eerie difort crept up on him. "Is there a problem?" Apany employee who had been ring at the auditors approached. Though they were supposedly from headquarters, they seemed ufortable with the current situation of thepany being investigated. Yeonwoo aggressively held up the document. His tone was harsh as he spoke. "What''s this? Why is my name here?" "Well, that''s because you obtained Extinction Defense Device status-" The employee started to exin based on their assumption but stopped. Thepany had granted Yeonwoo Extinction Defense Device status after confirming humanity''s survival instinct, and Yeonwoo knew this. They thought he was just picking a fight, but that wasn''t it. This was a device and document even they didn''t know about. "Um... I don''t know either." Their eyes darted about, seemingly flustered. Yeonwoo observed this calmly, as if analyzing a life-threatening enemy. The employee backed away from that cold, ssy stare. Excuses poured out. "I really don''t know. Only the directors might know about Extinction Defense Devices, or maybe not even them. It''s like an independent department that operates on its own." "Are you sure?" Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Threads of probability were grasped. The possibility of speaking only the truth. The employee wore an aggrieved expression. They were just some random worker thrown in to stand around while others rummaged throughpany files. "I really don''t know anything. Please contact the director." "Alright, I understand for now." Yeonwoo took a step back. There was no point in pressing this person. If it was an Extinction Defense Device, it was something simr to Level 6. If it was a hidden trump card of thepany, he needed to approach carefully. Yeonwoo focused again and started reading through the stack of documents. ''If it''s something that interferes like the World Alteration Device, I must verify it. Especially since my name is written here.'' It had been a while since he''d felt this tense. His nerves were on edge, his senses heightened. Thoughts shed through his mind like lightning. A tense silence fell over the data storage room. People watched Yeonwoo nervously, careful not to make even the slightest sound of swallowing or turning pages. Only the rough sound of Yeonwoo tossing aside finished documents could be heard. His expression grew darker and darker. The documents alone didn''t provide urate information. It was either a truly secret department, an independent unit, or it was written carelessly. There were no details on what the Extinction Defense Device: Writer was, how the list of people was chosen, or where the department was located. It was as if its existence had been erased. The only clue, written as if in mockery, was that it was "beyond the wall". After rifling through documents for a long time, Yeonwoo smiled. "Interesting. It''s been a while." He''d been getting a bit bored with his safe, peaceful daily life. And now this subtle threat had appeared. A Level 6-ss Extinction Defense Device targeting him? He could have some fun with this, like his squabbles with Golden Omnipotence or the worshipper. He felt a surge of energy. Yeonwoo stood up vigorously. "Who''s the director in charge of this?" "I''ll check right away." The employee immediately pulled out their phone to make calls. But after a short while, they shook their head. "Everyone says they don''t know. Not just pretending not to know, but that they have no knowledge at all..." Yeonwoo stroked his chin, as if he''d expected this. Based on the documents, this was apleted Extinction Defense Device. Not an unfinished project like the World Alteration Device, but something on par with the Ark that even his future self couldn''t find. The fingers stroking his chin suddenly brushed his lips. Yeonwoo realized he was smiling. The corners of his mouth had curled up. "Hide and seek, is it? A real game of hide and seek..." Humming a tune absently, Yeonwoo closed his eyes. The threads of probability on his face unraveled, probing the air like tentacles. He also coaxed his survival instinct to sharpen his senses like des.N?v(el)B\\jnn ''Whatever it is, it must be like a nuclear bomb. I need to know about it to respond to threats to humanity''s survival. And my name was written there too. If I''m in danger, humanity is in danger.'' His senses, his condition, rose to their peak. Thump-thump, listening to the pleasant beating of his heart, Yeonwoo opened his hand. But no threads of possibility appeared above it. "..." Yeonwoo''s expression hardened. He stared silently at his empty palm. He''d tried to find the possibility of knowing its location, the possibility of a detailed report appearing before him, possibilities to gain information, but no such possibilities existed. 0 percent. He couldn''t manifest something that didn''t exist. ''Ordinariness? No. An ordinary device is impossible. You can''t create an Extinction Defense Device with pure science and technology.'' This was Level 6-ss information defense. The dice couldn''t do anything about it, and even if he turned the world upside down, Yeonwoo couldn''t interfere with it. The light atmosphere sank into heaviness. This was no longer a game. "This isn''t right." Didn''t this mean his options for responding would be limited if thepany suddenly went berserk? People around watched fearfully as Yeonwoo muttered to himself, but he ignored them and closed his eyes. If his life were at stake, he''d create non-existent possibilities, but it wasn''t that serious yet. So he''d find loopholes and work around them. ''The dice are omnipotent. The problem is that I''m the one using that power.'' What good was omnipotence? When the one wielding it was a weak, limited human. The limits of imagination were the limits of omnipotence, and the shackles of perception and senses bound omnipotence. Yeonwoo spread his wings of imagination wide. ''Information defense. I can''t obtain information about the Extinction Defense Device: Writer directly. So then.'' He''d use the clue about it being "beyond the wall". It surely wasn''t referring to a simple wall, but some metaphor or jargon. If he could just sense that, he''d be done. Yeonwoo grasped a possibility. The possibility of sensing the wall by transcending the limits of perception. His senses expanded. The extended threads of probability detected something he normally couldn''t perceive. Yeonwoo slowly raised his head to look at the air. A smile spread across his face. His voice came out cheerfully. "There you are." He took one big step forward. He crossed the wall. The nameless department. The intersection beyond the wall where the Extinction Defense Device: Writer was installed, the frame. In a space where only the sound of typing could be heard, a scream rang out. The doctor, veins bulging in their neck, jumped up and down. "Stop it! Stop it somehow! Don''t let that cockroach find us!" This ce was humanity''sst bastion, using meta-power as energy to manipte the world when faced with extinction crises. No unauthorized person should be able to invade, no, they shouldn''t even be able to invade in the first ce- At that moment. The doctor looked at the wall with terror-filled eyes. A hand suddenly protruded from the wall. Beyond the hand iling in the air, two gleaming eyes appeared in the ck wall. "Found you." A shadowy figure stumbled through the wall. The doctor closed their eyes. It was toote. All was lost. That crazy survivalist wouldn''t leave alone something that interfered with him. "Is this where that Extinction Defense Device: Writer is?" Yeonwoo approached, cracking his joints, and looked at the doctor and the giant keyboard-tapping mechanical doll. His eyes glowed with faint wariness. ''Level 6?'' He sensed an omnipotent power like Golden Omnipotence or the dice. The doctor, having given uppletely, let out a deep sigh. "Yes. That''s right." The doctor kicked the floor pointlessly, looking at Yeonwoo with eyes mixed with jealousy, fear, and irritation. That crazy cockroach. The protagonist. Yeonwoo first grasped the threads of probability to assess the situation. He manifested the possibility of the other party speaking only the truth. "What does that device do?" "It''s a device that processes our world into a story form and provides it to the meta-dimension. Thus, it''s a mechanical doll with the authority to write the story as it pleases." That exnation was difficult to understand, so Yeonwoo interpreted it in his own way. "Story... Novel? Protagonist?" He remembered the Director he''d seen during training. An artist who manipted reality like a movie set. It must be something simr. In a novel, the protagonist doesn''t die and somehow solves problems, so it''s like creating a protagonist to solve problems when an extinction crisises. But that statement seemed to touch a nerve with the doctor. They suddenly burst out: "That''s right! Protagonist! You! You crazy cockroach! You''re not the protagonist!" The doctor, who had desired the outer dimension, showed clear jealousy towards the protagonist. "Originally, the goal of the nameless department wasn''t this kind of story! An omnibus! A collection of short stories! We were going to express the stories of our world through different protagonists!" Yeonwoo backed away at this sudden outburst. The doctor even pointed a finger at Yeonwoo usingly. "But you! You! You stole the protagonist''s position! You interfered with the story andpletely changed the genre!" ording to the original n, Yeonwoo was supposed to exit after the Human Qualification Exam. But Yeonwoo, with his cockroach-like vitality, had changed himself into the protagonist. Yeonwoo''s back hit the wall as he retreated. His face hardened. ''I''m the protagonist?'' His voice trembled as he spoke. "Then the reason why many people died in my hometown..." "No. That''s just because your hometown was strange." "...Then the reason I survived in the face of idents-" "That''s also because you''re strange." The doctor answered coldly. They, the writer, the nameless department, truly hadn''t done anything. Yeonwoo had just survived on his own. If anything, they had tried to kill Yeonwoo. "We were trying to write stories about how people in our world live. But you arbitrarily stole the protagonist''s position and derailed the story, so we tried to kill you." The Director''s intrusion during training, the anomalous entities encountered from his first job as an investigator, the subsequent terrorist attacks by the doomsday cultists using NPCs. But Yeonwoo had survived. All attempts to kill Yeonwoo and make someone else the protagonist to continue the story had failed. At this point, Yeonwoo realized. "Then the reason I experienced so many idents..." "That''s right. We did that." Faced with the brazen doctor, Yeonwoo''s eyes rolled. An enemy disrupting his peaceful life! A source of anxiety bringing dangerous idents and threatening his life! Having grown somewhat, Yeonwoo restrained himself. A question came out. "That Writer? Will there be problems if I kill it?" "No. Does a house disappear when you close a window? Does the world vanish when you close your eyes?" The Writer merely provides their world to the meta-dimension in story form. And maniptes the world with meta-power. The doctor said: "It''s just like hanging up a phone. Even if the call ends, the person still exists. We just won''t know what''s happening on the other end of the line. Do I need to exin every little detail?" "I see." Yeonwoo''s eyes shed as he pulled out a long thread of probability. The ck thread was grasped like a whip. "Then it needs to die." His hand drew back. Yeonwoo gritted his teeth. Writer? "Something that only brings idents to my life needs to die." "No!" The doctor came to their senses. They desperately lunged forward, stretching out their hand, but it was toote. Whoosh! Yeonwoo''s handshed out. The thread of probability sliced through the air fiercely, striking the mechanical doll''s neck. The possibility of the mechanical doll, the Writer, being destroyed cleanly severed its head. Thud! The massive head fell to the floor. Yeonwoo nodded with satisfaction. Now he wouldn''t have to experience idents anymore. Finally, a peaceful life had arrived. Yeonwoo turned around. He walked out beyond the wall. To a world no longer visible. To a world closed yet open. The doctor screamed, and the headless body of the Writer creaked as it slowly moved its fingers. [The End] Author''s Note With this, Humanity Protection Company is essentially concluded. Did you all enjoy it? I hope you had as much fun reading as I had writing. --- Now for the concluding remarks. Wow. It''s really over. I was able to make it this far thanks to you, the readers. Thank you! I''ll start with what you''re probably curious about. There are so many things I want to write for my next work. It''ll likely be either a backrooms story mixed with magic, a heavenly horse apocalypse, or a zombie apocalypse. I''m tempted to roll dice to decide. As for when I''ll start serializing again, since writing is my only source of ie, I''ll probably begin as soon as I finish nning the new work. To be honest, I wrote and deleted a lot of things repeatedly. But it felt like unnecessary rambling, so I decided to cut it out. Rather than just going on about myself, I think it''d be better to take questions from the readers. If you have any questions, please leave them in thements and I''ll answer them! ========================== [raei: heya! Another novelplete (£þ©`£þ)©g that list is slowly growing! Anyways I hope you enjoyed the novel. Was quite messy and all over the ce at times, but the writing was good, the start was especially strong and overall I really enjoyed it. It was also the author''s first work so they''ll only get better from here. I''ve picked up the author''s next novel, ''Marauder of the Apocalypse.'' A zombie outbreak novel. Very good. The protag is quite mad, the writing is great and there aren''t a million terms to remember (thank god). I''ll be releasing it soon, just gotta get a grip on my btro addiction. Hope you guys enjoyed, see ya again soon!] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!