I swallowed hard.
The Lion Mask's sacred and terrifying face was looking at me.
Its yellow, spiky eyes moved within the mask as if they were alive.
"Did you know? The Lion Mask has various legends depending on the region… one of them is that it drives away miscellaneous ghosts."
"..."
The Lion Mask's mane poured onto my shoulder.
It felt like the mask would open its maw, full of sharp, jagged teeth, at any moment.
"Isn't being bewitched by Gwang-cheol and harming Civilians also the work of a miscellaneous ghost~?"
I watched as that chilling thing approached.
I watched, and then….
"…No."
I answered.
"I have no intention of impersonating an Agent to stir up trouble in this large-scale Disaster."
"Oh-ho."
"And you must know of my innocence, Agent."
"And why do you think that?"
The Lion Mask's head tilted, and its mane flowed down my back.
It felt cold and strange.
A drop of cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
'I have to sort this out properly.'
Suppressing my anxious heart as much as possible, I spoke calmly.
"You must have lent me the Agent Equipment because you thought I was innocent."
"…!"
"If you were suspicious, you wouldn't have given me equipment that would help me escape. Am I wrong?"
I barely managed to turn just my eyes to check on my companions.
I saw the two of them, who seemed to think we were having a 'conversation between agents,' looking at the surrounding devastation instead of us, without any particular suspicion.
"If you can truly distinguish wicked things by scent, Agent, then you must know that I have no malice or guilt."
Perhaps he saw the people I was trying to rescue, and my attitude toward them… and judged me to be sincere.
'Please.'
I tried to relax the tension that made my hands curl up and continued speaking.
"It's true that I made a contract with a Daydream Director. But that has no connection to what I'm about to do in this situation."
"..."
The Lion Mask swayed, moving as if to peer into me.
"What is it you're going to do?"
"As I said, I'm going to rescue those two people. Because I have people I must save. And…."
I hesitated, then spoke.
"If possible, I want to end this Disaster."
The Lion Mask is silent.
And then the mask shook….
"You're sincere!"
The mane was whipped away.
I gasped for breath.
In that moment, the Lion Mask, having regained its comical movements, grabbed my arm.
"In that case, I'm counting on you for the rescue, fellow Agent!"
"…Yes."
Phew.
I let out a sigh of relief inwardly, looking at the Lion Mask who had suddenly returned to the guise of an affable agent.
But the tension still clung to my body.
…The Lion Mask was not letting go of my arm.
'…Strangely, it feels like I'm facing a being from a ghost story.'
Is it because of that Lion Mask? I could barely feel any humanity from that agent.
The Lion Mask Agent twisted his head quite affectionately.
But he didn't move away from me, and he absolutely did not let go of my arm.
As if he would drag me away if I made a wrong move.
"But how on earth did you let that vicious Gwang-cheol coil itself up in your body, Agent?"
"..."
First of all, I don't know who Mr. Gwang-cheol is….
'One of the Daydream Directors.'
But if I were to say here….
-I have contracts with two directors from the development department, and one of them is the form of a local Cooperative Spirit Beast who went mad after consuming a grudge. Oh, and I also signed an employment contract before that, so I might have a contract with another director from HR. An octopus with many legs, you could say?
…I couldn't say something like that. I swallowed my words and summarized it in a comprehensive, roundabout way.
"You're asking how I ended up with a contract with Daydream?"
"That's right!"
In that case, there was a simple and clear answer.
"I was tricked."
"Ah."
"And I'm looking for a way to get out of it."
The Lion Mask Agent seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then the mask's white mane floated up.
"Hmm. So you're on a leave of absence so as not to cause trouble for the Management Bureau?"
"It's not just that… it's also for my own safety."
Because I was a spy.
But now I'm really not, so it's unfair….
"Of course, of course!"
Thankfully, he played along good-naturedly.
Phew.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I looked at the remaining time.
…About 8 minutes left, it seemed.
'Are we arriving at Segwang Station soon?'
If I get caught by agents at a time like this and get delayed further, I might not be able to find the Counselor at Segwang Station.
Then I'll lose everything.
'I need to lighten the mood quickly….'
But a suddenly cold voice reached my ear.
"That's strange, too."
"…Pardon?"
"If that's the case, how on earth did a fellow Agent on leave know about the Disaster and enter this city to rescue someone?"
"…!"
"It hasn't even been half a day, not even a few hours, since the Disaster broke out. And yet, here you are, having even found a Civilian to rescue!"
"..."
"Even if news got out, this is, well, too short a time. How coincidental!"
It was a sharp question.
And a precise point.
'The timeline doesn't add up.'
I was in this city from the moment the Disaster Alert arrived.
And agents from other cities only started entering from outside Segwang City after quite some time had passed.
So, my claim that I 'entered because there was a rescue request' wouldn't work. The timing doesn't make sense.
…I need to buy time to think of an answer. There's no time. Dammit!
'I have to turn the tables on him….'
I racked my brain, then noticed something.
Over there, the agents visible in the front car.
…!
"…By that logic, you're suspicious too, Agent."
"Oh? Me?"
"Yes."
I said nonchalantly.
"You're not from the Segwang City branch either, are you?"
"…Why do you think that?"
"Look over there."
The Lion Mask Agent's gaze followed mine.
To the agents in the front car who were managing the accident and explaining the 'Supernatural Disaster' to the Civilians.
"The jacket details of the agents over there and the Lion-Mask-wearing agent before my eyes are a little different."
"..."
The jacket pockets of the agents in the front car had a patch with the Segwang City logo.
But the Lion Mask Agent, after checking his own clean jacket pocket, raises his head.
"…Fellow Agent. You have very good eyes!"
"Thank you."
However, the Lion Mask is not fazed.
"But I'm just here on temporary assignment to support this branch! So of course I had to be dispatched with them."
Phew.
"But your clothes… did you say a Cooperative Spirit Beast lent them to you?"
Get a grip and choose my words carefully.
Subtly.
"They do belong to a Cooperative Spirit Beast. And… that being is definitely aware that I am wearing these clothes."
I didn't say he lent them to me.
But that alone made the Lion Mask tilt his head.
"How bizarre. That Cooperative Spirit Beast must have known, too. That you're suspicious!"
"…!"
"But to just give you the jacket, it's a devil of a mystery. Did you perhaps bewitch the Fox in reverse?"
I shook my head.
"I don't know about that. But I have never lied."
"Hmmmm. I see."
The Lion Mask shakes as if turning upside down and then comes back.
"In that case, let's get back to the main point and figure out your intentions, Agent!"
"..."
Dammit.
The Lion Mask stares at me.
Its bizarrely swaying mane once again spills over my shoulder.
"How on earth did you know a Disaster would happen today, and how did you so quickly decide on someone to rescue and end up here?"
I thought this Lion Mask felt almost like an Anomaly….
'He seems to lack humanity… huh.'
....
In other words, that might mean he can handle truths that are difficult for a human to handle.
'In that case.'
This might be the one move that could change the situation.
…There wasn't much time left until we arrived at Segwang Station.
"Agent."
I lowered my voice even more.
"What if… this whole thing has been repeating itself?"
"Hmm?"
"What if, in fact, this Day of Disaster has been repeating itself tens, hundreds of times…."
I stared at him.
"And what if I became aware of it? What would you think then?"
"…!"
The Lion Mask Agent froze.
* * *
I rapidly relayed to him what I knew about 'what happened on the Segwang Special City Disaster Day.'
"So, you're saying that we are endlessly repeating May 4th… is that it?"
"Yes."
"That… is quite something."
The Lion Mask sways, looking troubled.
-To be honest, I don't know the details either. My memory is faint, I just know that it has repeated hundreds of times.
In reality, since I had experienced a peaceful May 4th in Segwang City over 600 times, it was easier for me to speak more specifically, mentioning place names.
He understood quickly.
And the Lion Mask, sensing once again that my words were not lies, lets his yellow eyes fall darkly.
"A time loop… I've seen a few Supernatural Disasters like this. That thing that's popular these days… what do they call it, a route-thingy?"
"…A loop?"
"Ah, right. That."
The Lion Mask Agent, who chuckled, saying he had a friend who liked that sort of thing, soon let out a deep sigh.
"But that doesn't make sense either! From what I can see, this mess isn't the kind of disaster where you're trapped in some haunted drama video!"
"..."
It seems he suspects I'm not in my right mind.
But that was fine. Better than being suspected of having ulterior motives.
So I changed the subject.
"Were you originally from the main office?"
"That's right, that's right. I'm from the main office's Blue Dragon Team."
The Lion Mask Agent, his speech having become informal at some point, casually revealed his affiliation in a peculiar tone.
…A team that no longer existed.
"..."
"Actually, I'm usually in charge of other duties rather than rescue, but I come out for support duty like this from time to time. They say you can get tainted if you stay in the workshop for too long."
Wait, workshop?
I looked at the Lion Mask Agent again.
His way of speaking.
His sense of smell.
His attitude when summoning the goblin fire….
"By any chance, is your dedicated duty… blending into the Goblin Workshop and pretending to be a Goblin?"
"…!"
I recalled a memory from what felt like a long, long time ago, when I was a new employee at Daydream.
The agent from the Goblin Workshop who put adhesive on my Pop-socket.
-Kim Seobang. You seem to have something good!
'But, I haven't seen him once since I joined the company.'
No, I hadn't even heard him mentioned.
If he was an agent, he should have returned to his post as he said, or at least I should have heard rumors about him.
Perhaps that's because he lost his original self, not just his 'pretending-to-be-a-Goblin self.'
Like Team Leader Hong, who left half of herself at a high school here, or the elder of Team Hyumoo 1.
Right here.
An echo-like existence, trapped in a World-ending Class Disaster.
"…How did you know?"
"…You may not remember, but we've met before."
"Huuuhm."
The Lion Mask lets out a sigh.
And….
"I understand now."
The pressure from the Lion Mask lessened slightly.
"No wonder I couldn't take off the Lion Mask. It was because I was tainted by the Disaster!"
The agent tapped the Lion Mask, speaking gravely about a grave matter, but hidden by the comical face, it looked like an exaggerated gesture.
He seemed to be accepting it.
The fact that he might be trapped on May 4th.
'Phew.'
I held back a sigh of relief.
…Instead of panicking, this agent seemed to be lost in deep thought.
"So… you were on your way to Segwang Station to properly check what on earth is going on."
"That's right."
"I'd like to go too, but I have a job to do."
The Lion Mask Agent looks behind him.
At the panicking Civilians on the Train.
"Even if your story about the day repeating is true, and even if the Disaster ends, it's meaningless if there are no living Civilians when the day is over."
"..."
"Someone has to protect the Civilians' safety and rescue them."
I slowly nodded my head.
"You're right."
This stop is Segwang, Segwang Station….
"…We've arrived."
"Yes."
The Lion Mask listened quietly to the announcement, then finally extended a hand to me and said this.
"Alright. Then let's do our best in our respective positions!"
And he hastily added the next words in an exaggerated manner.
"Don't think that you belong under the Daydream's Gwang-Cheol!"
No.
I said without thinking.
"…Not all daydream employees are bad people."
"Why don't you name one!"
I barely managed to turn my eyes away from Reporter Eunhaje.
Instead, I remembered something.
If these agents were the ones who entered the subway and managed the Civilians….
They might be connected to the Train Shelter.
"Do you happen to know a daydream employee by the name of Lee Kangheon?"
"Lee Kangheon? Never heard the name in my life!"
"If you happen to meet him, I hope you won't be hostile to him right off the bat."
"Do you know him?"
"…A little."
I recalled the note he left, smiled faintly, and nodded.
"Hmm. I'll keep that in mind!"
And only then does the Lion Mask pull his head away, lift it, and speak in a laughing tone.
His way of speaking had returned to normal as well.
"Agent! When you get near Segwang Station, you'll surely meet the Hyunmu Team agents from this branch. Please try to cooperate with them! I'm counting on you."
It meant the conversation was over.
"Yes."
I bowed my head inside the train that had begun to stop.
"Thank you."
The Lion Mask's yellow eyes look at me with a strange expression.
The doors will open on your left, your left….
And finally, before the doors opened, the agent extended his hand to me and said.
"Fellow Agent, if you don't mind, shall we exchange names? Our agent names, that is!"
The Lion Mask is smiling comically.
"I am Agent Chogae."
…!!
"Agent?"
I barely managed to open my mouth.
"…I'm afraid it's difficult for me to say."
"That can happen!"
The Lion Mask tilts.
"Then feel free to use my agent name if you're in a pinch from now on. Hahaha, a free pass for today only!"
"…!"
Beep beep beep beep beep…
The doors open with an alert sound.
"Thank you."
"Oh my, don't mention it! Let's both do our best."
"…Yes."
I gathered my companions and managed to get off safely at Segwang Station, avoiding the surging crowd.
Beyond the closing platform screen door and train doors, I could see the Lion Mask Agent waving at me while trying to control the noisy crowd.
The train departs.
"…Phew."
"You had a very long and detailed conversation. Did you get a good grasp of the situation?"
"Yes. We had a very fruitful conversation."
I wanted to give Reporter Eunhaje, whose expression screamed 'I'm going to grill you the moment we have time,' at least a faint smile. But it was difficult.
It was because of the environment.
"Agent…."
There were already countless people at Segwang Station.
People wailing, people in a daze, people who had been crushed under the tracks while trying to board the train.
It felt as if various kinds of chaos had already swept through once, leaving a desperate feeling of despair stuck to the place.
"..."
I know.
That all these people will be trapped in the station, unrescued, and eventually all hang themselves.
And that in the ghost story that results from it, I had been strangled to death by a Noose.
"..."
"This way."
We moved carefully.
The high school student Ryu Jaegwan kept trying to clear a path in front, but I did my best to stay ahead and prevent him from doing so.
Reporter Eun Haje, unlike Assistant Manager Eun Haje, was also the type to charge ahead, so we ended up dashing through the gaps in the crowd of refugees, jostling for the lead.
"…People have already blocked all the exits."
I ran, looking at the exits with their shutters down and objects piled in front of them with a rather chilling feeling.
People who had left friends or acquaintances outside were wailing in front of them.
We crossed the concourse and headed for the opposite platform….
"There are no station employees here either."
"..."
The opposite platform was also crowded, but this side had more corpses.
Since no trains were coming, it seemed they had placed the dead here for the time being, as if stacking goods.
And….
"This is the place you were looking for?"
The machine room.
The entrance to the Cheerful Research Institute.
"…Yes."
A place I had never entered before, and probably the 'place to go' that the Counselor from the Day of Disaster had mentioned.
Right now, I had no idea what might be happening inside.
Holding my breath, I grabbed the doorknob… and then realized I had to unlock it first.
'Ah.'
I hurriedly searched myself, trying to see if I had the ID card of a research institute employee disguised as a 'subway worker'.
But at that moment.
I heard footsteps approaching from behind.
The clear, quick sound of someone walking with purpose.
Coming this way.
"Agent!"
"…!"
I turned my head at Ryu Jaegwan's urgent call.
And froze.
Someone in a white lab coat was striding toward us without hesitation through the bodies on the platform. But…
They had no face.
The area where a face should be was empty, a void of blacknessvisibleinvisible
"Well now."
Well now?
Is that exclamation, uh, appropriate? That thing… that thing has no face?
What is that?
I reflexively tried to step back before remembering the people I was in charge of and planting my feet firmly. Endure it!
And then….
"What kind of person looks like that?"
My thoughts exactly!
"So handsome."
....
...!!
Wait a minute.
With trembling eyes, I looked again at the person's lab coat.
…They were wearing an employee ID card.
Cheerful Researcher
Lee Jaheon
"Do you have access to the machine room?"
This is insane.