"..."
In the first place.
Why did I keep exploring this dangerous Segwang Metropolitan City?
It was because of a vague sense of anticipation.
A hope that if I kept digging into this massive and secretive ghost story, I might reach the fundamental truth of this world of ghost stories.
And…
A hope that if I did, I might find out why I was going through all this.
A hope that I might discover the cause or reason for being suddenly thrown into the world of the Darkness Exploration Record and suffering through this incomprehensible ordeal…
I realized that those hopes had just been answered.
In a way I had never expected.
'They were trying to summon me here….'
The Cheerful Research Institute had tried to summon me, a person from that other place, for the purpose of proving the existence of a 'safe world without ghost stories'….
And because of that, the disaster in Segwang Metropolitan City occurred.
My heart sank.
'Then… the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Segwang Metropolitan City and the city's lockdown are, in the end, related to me….'
…No! Let's not get the wrong idea.
'Did I ask them to summon me?'
Absolutely not.
I was just caught up in this like any other citizen of Segwang City. Caught up in the insane attempts of the institutions of this damn ghost story world….
Caught up, and of all people, it had to be me.
"..."
For a moment, something like a sharp pang of pain shot up from my chest to my head.
It was rage.
I barely managed to let out a shallow breath… and looked at the researcher from the Cheerful Research Institute.
My words came out strangely dry.
The words of an Agent.
"So, in the end, you're saying the absurd story that you tried to summon a person from a world without Anomalous Phenomena is true. And… you failed."
"..."
"An entire metropolis has turned into a ghost story. Why on earth would you attempt something like this without the ability to take responsibility? What gave you the confidence?"
"We didn't cause it. It wasn't supposed to fail. This attempt…."
"'It wasn't supposed to fail,' what kind of thoughtless talk is that? A research institute should have assumed the possibility of failure and prepared for it, that would be normal."
Researcher Lee Heoun's expression grew even paler.
Good.
"How are you going to clean this up? Where are all the other researchers right now?"
"Due to the fire, they evacuated. And there was definitely a contingency plan. But it's not working now. We were deceived, too. We…."
"What kind of irresponsible nonsense is that?"
"I agree."
…!
I snapped my head around.
A member of the group I had forgotten was present was speaking quietly.
The Counselor, his expression gone.
"I think so too. How could they be so irresponsible."
"..."
"I certainly received such a promise from them."
The air twists bizarrely.
"That on the day their efforts succeeded, this city would become safer for people than any other place on earth."
There was no reply from Lee Heoun.
No, he couldn't reply.
I saw the researcher clutching his own throat.
'…!'
In the fantastical space filled with colorful toys, he rolled on the floor with a choking sound.
But the Counselor smiles at me, explaining as if kindly giving pre-counseling instructions.
"I have lived in Segwang Metropolitan City, a region once called Gwangjin, for a very long time. I once harmed people here and there, but after growing fond of them and gaining wisdom, I have been looking after and protecting them. So those words sounded quite delightful to me."
His calm and intellectual tone gradually became softer and more gentle.
As if he were returning to his true self.
"The people from the government office who accompanied them also gave their assurances, so I gave them the underground of this land and listened to their requests. Then one day, I received an earnest plea."
"…What kind of plea?"
"A request to borrow a mystical bead for just a moment."
At the gesture of the Counselor, no, the supernatural being, the image of a bright, round orb appears, floating above his finger.
Its five-colored brilliance is resplendent.
I recalled a day when Deputy Manager Eun Haje had used a similar bead to infiltrate the Nameless Brilliant Cult disguised as an old man….
However, that one was the size of a finger, and it didn't look nearly as miraculous as this.
"Have you ever heard the folklore about the fox bead? Not the fruit, but the bead possessed by a fox spirit."
It sparkles.
"There's a theory that it originated from the dragon's wish-fulfilling orb, but it's probably a saying that arose because a similar story was passed down… that it grants wishes."
"…!"
Soon, the fantastical image vanished.
But I realized that it resembled the shape of the egg that had been in the center of the dream incubator's tank….
'…A wish.'
No way.
"Was the thing you lent them used in this experiment?"
"It certainly seems that way, doesn't it?"
I hear a laugh.
"Unaware of that, I was about to quickly retrieve my bead and take action. The Management Bureau had already earnestly requested my services many times, holding rites, to protect my territory and push back other wicked things. But…."
His voice becomes stern.
"They say the bead has disappeared."
"..."
"Now there's no way. There's no way to protect this city from the Corrupt infiltration from the outside and the infection spreading like a plague."
The researcher's face turns blue. His hands tremble faintly as if he's about to lose consciousness.
'…Letting Lee Heoun go like this is meaningless.'
Not only is this not his individual responsibility, but we'll also lose information.
I finally spoke up quickly.
"Can't we at least try to track how the bead disappeared?"
"..."
"And if that's not possible, we should find out if there's another way to save the city. …By interrogating the researcher."
....
....
"That's true."
"Gasp!"
Lee Heoun yanked his hands away from his throat as if he'd been electrocuted.
He gasped on the floor a few times, then, with his eyes still focused, he speaks.
"Sorry, I'm sorry…."
"Forget the apology, we need to find a way to fix this first. Please explain how the experiment was conducted from the beginning."
"Yes, cough, so, we…."
But at that moment.
Researcher Lee Heoun's right ear fell off his face and dropped to the floor with a thud.
"…!"
"Ah."
The researcher fumbled on the floor and picked up his ear.
The thing that had fallen to the floor had, at some point, taken on the complete appearance of a plastic toy….
"..."
I turned my head to look at the hallway.
The splendid hallway visible beyond Lee Jaheon and the other two somehow felt more static than before.
Some of the colorful toys had stopped working and were standing still or had lost their vitality….
A sight that had lost its mystery.
"…Please, run away quickly. This, this office won't hold out for long either. You have to get out…."
Researcher Lee Heoun says in a hurry.
"Right now, it's protected from the fire and the disaster outside… but the flames will soon reach here too. There's not much time left!"
Wait.
"Are you saying that the power of the Supernatural Phenomenon that's stopping the fire from spreading to this floor… is disappearing?"
"That's right…."
I remembered.
The moment the Counselor's hand, which he had put inside the monster, was severed, it had dissolved away as if 'disappearing.'
…If that's the case.
Could it be.
"Are Supernatural Phenomena… completely disappearing from Segwang Metropolitan City right now?"
"..."
A faint smile appears on the researcher's face.
"That's correct."
…!!
"So, strictly speaking, the goal of our experiment has been achieved. The summoning must have been a success…!"
A faint thrill could even be felt in the researcher's voice.
"Someone… has come."
My head grows cold with an emotion I can't identify as anger or fear.
But my reason catches a sense of wrongness.
"That's strange. If Supernatural Phenomena have disappeared, it should have become safer, so why is the outside in such a state?"
"That's why I'm saying it wasn't our intention. This is an impossible outcome according to our objective…."
"An impossible outcome?"
"Yes. Today, we simply intended to establish and prove the existence of a 'place without ghost stories'…."
His tired voice lowers.
"Someone interfered and subtly changed the ritual."
"..."
—That's not what we're researching. Someone tampered with it!
"And they must have set the fire so we couldn't respond. That…."
"Usually, the person who benefits the most is the culprit."
Everyone's gaze turns to the door.
Reporter Eunhaje was scratching her head.
"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about, but the context is definitely my specialty. That's usually how the world works. Who benefits the most from this mess?"
The researcher's eyes sink.
She was right, but it seemed difficult for his disposition to make such a guess.
In that case.
'I just have to make it more specific.'
"An excellent point, Civilian."
I asked, adding on.
"It seems you have a few people in mind… among them, was there anyone who suddenly disappeared from the scene right after the experiment?"
"...!"
The researcher, with a dazed expression, turns back to me, then says, startled.
"There is."
"Wow."
I hear Reporter Eunhaje's exclamation.
[An excellent interrogation, my friend!]
"Who is it?"
"A sponsor who insisted on observing this experiment. They are also a supernatural being from the company that was developing the Dream Essence Liquid in cooperation with us. That is…."
"Can you give me a description or a name?"
The researcher stumbles backward, gets up, and rummages through what appears to be his desk.
Then, from the bottom drawer, he pulls out a teal hardcover book with 'Published in Commemoration of the Cheerful Research Institute's Founding' written on it and starts flipping through it rapidly.
He stops at one page.
A group photo with several people was titled 'Corporate Cooperation.'
The researcher pointed to one person in it. It was….
"It's this person."
It was Director Cheong.
The director, whose Exterior was no different from when I saw her in the Annex Basement last time, was captured in the photo wearing a lab coat….
"..."
A numbing shock spreads through my head.
"It's a being from within an Anomalous Phenomenon, identified as a type of Dragon. She was definitely there on the city hall rooftop while we were proceeding with the work for today's experiment, but at some point, she disappeared without a word…."
"Hmm…."
I hear Reporter Eunhaje's hesitant voice.
"This seems like a really obvious situation. Wasn't the partner company trying to backstab you and snatch the development results? Or maybe they screwed up while subtly manipulating the environment to get the results they wanted."
"…!"
Shock and denial appeared on Lee Heoun's face, then quickly changed to resignation and bitterness.
"…That might be what happened. We've already…."
The next moment, Researcher Lee Heoun's thumb fell to the floor.
It, too, was plastic.
"…!"
"Now… there's really not much time left."
Anxiety crept onto Lee Heoun's face.
"Hurry and escape to the subway. This experiment's range was limited to 'above ground,' so the subway, which isn't the source, will be relatively safe. At least you all should get to safety…."
Then he turned to the Counselor and bowed his head deeply.
"I'm sorry. Given the situation, it's highly probable that your treasure, supernatural being-nim, was used in this experiment and lost."
"..."
"So it might still be on that rooftop… but I'm not certain. And this research institute no longer has any mystical toys with enough power to get there."
The Counselor didn't answer.
Lee Heoun couldn't raise his head, and the movements of the splendid toys in the hallway and office began to stop intermittently.
And Lee Heoun's foot fell off with a thud.
A toy that looked like a nutcracker soldier's boot rolled on the floor. The researcher staggered.
The high school student, Ryu Jaegwan, who was by the door, approached and asked cautiously.
"Um, I can support you…."
"Thank you, but…."
A bitter smile spreads across Lee Heoun's face.
"I can only stay alive inside this research institute. I've already lost most of my Body."
"..."
"But that researcher… he'll be able to live even if he leaves."
He pointed to Researcher Lee Jaheon by the door.
"He's from a different department. He barely participated in this research. He has no responsibility, so I'd appreciate it if you could escape with him…."
Lee Jaheon just stared at him, seemingly feeling no emotion at those considerate words.
"You should evacuate too… Don't just rely on that strange button Item, hurry and get out of the office and escape. Quickly."
…Button Item?
I couldn't see Researcher Lee Jaheon's face, but I did see him step out into the hallway instead of nodding.
"I will guide you to the subway entrance."
Researcher Lee Heoun seemed relieved at that sight.
"I'll look for another way, so it would be best for everyone to leave."
"Phew."
Starting with Reporter Eunhaje, everyone left the office.
And when even the Counselor had stepped out into the hallway.
"..."
"Agent-nim?"
I stood silently in front of Lee Heoun.
"Researcher-nim. Are you almost certain that a person from a 'world without ghost stories' has come here?"
"That… yes."
"Are you happy with that result?"
Beyond the disappointment and despair, a researcher's sense of accomplishment briefly flashes across Lee Heoun's face.
"That alone, yes, I am."
"I see."
I lowered my head and whispered in his ear.
"Then, are you saying you don't care what happens to the being you summoned?"
"…Pardon?"
"What you summoned was not a supernatural being, but a person. Just a person."
My voice speaks slowly, deliberately.
"Have you ever… imagined what kind of life a person who has lived an ordinary life, never encountering an Anomalous Phenomenon, would lead after being suddenly dragged into an unfamiliar environment?"
"What is that supposed to…."
Lee Heoun's puzzled gaze changes the moment his eyes meet mine.
"..."
"W-wait a minute."
Lee Heoun's eyes tremble.
"Could it be…."
I looked down at the researcher without a word.
Lee Heoun's eyes hastily scan my appearance.
Then they stop on my clothes, and his pupils shake.
As if realizing that it wasn't an official Agent uniform, but the attire of a Cooperative Spirit Beast, the Counselor.
"…Agent, what is your name?"
"Who knows?"
"Are you… a citizen of Segwang Metropolitan City?"
"Who knows?"
Researcher Lee Heoun is scanning me from head to toe, as if desperate to find any clue, or perhaps to remember something.
Instead of being flustered, I leaned in slightly and whispered.
"But there is one thing I'd like to tell you."
"Yes, yes! What is…."
"In my opinion, even if your summoning had succeeded… the being that was brought here would never cooperate with you."
"..."
"Never."
Lee Heoun froze.
BEEEEEEEEEP!!!
The fire alarm began to blare in the hallway.
Leaving the dazed researcher of the Cheerful Research Institute sitting there, I walked out into the hallway.
Of course, there was no way to save Researcher Lee Heoun.
But I felt a slight sense of misery at the fact that I couldn't guarantee I would have used that method even if there was one.
"..."
'Let's go.'
There was something I had to do.
'I have to get those two… no, three people out of here.'
It was as I took a step into the hallway.
"Agent-nim."
The Counselor spoke to me.
"Did you know? According to what that researcher just said, this place is the basement of Segwang City Hall."
"…What?!"
I heard Lee Jaheon's dumbfounded voice.
"He said this is the basement of Segwang City Hall…."
"I heard that! Then is this place right below where the incident occurred?"
"Yes."
It was the moment I felt a chill that went beyond unease.
A soft voice is heard.
"Then if we just go up, we'll reach the rooftop, right?"
"Yes."
Damn it.
"However, the probability of it being extremely dangerous is exceedingly high."
"I know. But sometimes, you have to do things even if they're dangerous."
…I can feel the Counselor's gaze looking into me.
"Agent-nim."
"..."
"Would you like to go with me? To the city hall rooftop."
"..."
"We can use the emergency stairs. I'll provide you with plenty of fruit."
The moment I was about to turn my stiff head to look at him.
"That is not a recommended course of action, Mr. Roe Deer."
"..."
…?!
W-wait a minute.
"…Manager?"
"Yes."
I whipped my head around to look at Researcher Lee Jaheon, no… 'Lee Jaheon.'
My heart is pounding.
He has no face, but instead of the same unsettling and bizarre feeling as before, I'm filled with shock.
No way.
"Do you have your memories….?"
No! This was too broad of a question.
After some thought, I chose one.
A question that was trivial, yet essential.
....
"Do you remember what team we were on at the company?"
"Yes."
And for some reason, I knew.
"Team D."
If I could have seen his face, the Lizard's snout would have been curved into a smile right now.