Chapter 226: Ch 226: Im not dead
An evening where Darkness had settled over.
The annex lobby of Daydream Inc.
Two black-clad Security Team employees sat at the front desk, a carrier
crate set between them, greeting visitors.
"Hallway... 32. It’s that way..."
"T-Thank you."
Of course, ’greeting’ mostly meant briefly acknowledging people,
unlocking their hallway access, and relaying instructions.
Usually, there was only one staff member on duty, and it was rare to see a
carrier crate sitting nearby, so employees often froze up or stared with a
cold sweat, wondering if this was some kind of experiment.
And inside that ’exception’ of a carrier crate... was me.
"You okay...?"
Tap.
"Mm... Got it."
The sergeant occasionally checked on me, but mostly lounged at the desk
with a bored expression.
Ordinarily, the Security Team wouldn’t be assigned to handle public-facing
duties like this, but since they’d been designated as my handler team, they
ended up doing all sorts of things.
’Sorry...’
"Still, this is nice. Peaceful! Don’t you think so, Ro— I mean, Mr.
Employee?"
Tap.
I agreed with Supervisor Park Minseong’s comment.
He said his role in the Security Team mostly involved psychological
suppression, so he rarely got to do peaceful work like this. He seemed to
genuinely welcome this assignment.
He’d also been delighted to see how much calmer I was during this shift,
compared to before.
I hadn’t told them I’d regained my full clarity of mind yet. I planned to wait
until I’d adjusted more to the bell and could steady myself completely
before revealing it.
’And I need to control my body first, too.’
– Looks like your condition’s improved a lot...! I’m glad, Roe.
And so, inside the carrier crate, I was once again examining my body.
Let’s see... Yep. It’s mangled.
’Pure mush...’
I tried to mentally categorize the crumpled mass stuffed awkwardly inside
the Security Team suit based on a human body’s structure.
Brain, esophagus, eyes, ears, stomach... I could faintly identify the parts
that still had sensation or those I consciously focused on.
[Like a sliding puzzle, isn’t it? Excellent. Let’s piece it together!]
Braun’s advice was also proving helpful.
Of course, someone with proper medical expertise like Go Yeongeun-ssi
could probably give me a much broader assessment, but... for now, this was
my limit.
’What the hell even is this? How many eyes do I have?’
...Honestly, many parts felt unfamiliar.
[Ah, what splendid scales, Friend!]
At the end of what I’d call my forelimb... No, my arm... I felt the texture
of reptilian scales and talon-like claws, bizarrely strong.
’This is driving me nuts.’
Still, knowledge was power.
If my emotions were functioning properly, I’d have gone mad long before
this knowledge could help me.
At least I was aware that this was a deeply grotesque task.
’Hm. Maybe if I can stay calm, I might be able to reconstruct my body...’
It felt like I could move parts I’d identified...
But I wasn’t sure yet. Maybe I could attempt it if I ever got out of the suit,
but the risk seemed too high for now.
More importantly, I’d found what I was looking for.
:恩主:
The inventory tattoo.
Fortunately, it hadn’t shifted too far from its original spot. It was buried
under the flesh of my left arm, just beneath the shoulder.
The other tattoos were probably crumpled even deeper inside, impossible to
find for now. Maybe I could use them if I managed to properly organize my
body someday...
But for now, this was my focus.
Would I be able to use this tattoo?
[Hooh, you’re already looking forward to the end of today’s shift, Mr. Roe
Deer.]
That’s right.
’I can’t exactly pull my arm out and check while I’m inside this crate.’
So first, let’s just get through this first day at the annex front desk without
incident.
Fortunately, work at the annex ran smoothly into the late night without any
major issues.
...I did see quite a few familiar faces, though. Most visitors here were likely
members of the Field Exploration Team or the Research Team, and
naturally, I’d probably run into them during my own shifts before.
It left me with a strange feeling.
"Hallway 12... Ah, Mr. Employee, would you like to hand it over?"
"Eek."
For reference, when I extended smoke through the carrier crate to write out
instructions and hand over the access card, the seal-masked Field
Exploration Team employee nearly rolled backward in panic.
Oh, I remembered this person. I used to work in the office next door that
employee’s squad.
"..."
"..."
"I-I’m sorry..."
Watching the employee snatch the card and sprint away, I displayed a line
of text.
Survival Instinct : Excellent
– Talent suitable for the Field Exploration Team
"Hahaha..."
Supervisor Park Minseong’s voice was the kind of laugh you make when
you can’t quite cry.
Well, at least it meant I’d done something resembling normal work for the
first time in months.
And around 3 a.m., a very familiar face appeared.
An unexpected VIP.
’Assistant Manager Jin Nasol!’
A sharp-eyed employee wearing a butterfly mask, her hair neatly tied back,
nails polished, and dressed in a suit.
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol of the elite A-squad.
"Mm."
She seemed to finally make the connection as she glanced at Supervisor
Park Minseong, who had slightly bowed his head, while idly touching her
nails.
"D-squad?"
"Ah, yes."
"Heard you moved to the Security Team. You’re still alive, I see."
"Haha..."
Normally, even if people recognized him, they either ignored him for being
in the Security Team or treated him politely with a bit of fear. But of course,
she was different...
And as if on cue, another member of the elite team visited the annex.
"Helloo~"
It was Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae, who had worked with us just
yesterday.
She set down a large snack set wrapped in recycled paper packaging on the
desk with a confident thump.
"I heard you were here! Thought it’d be nice if the three of you had
something to snack on while working, so I brought this!"
"Um... Thank you..."
For reference, it was seaweed oranda.[1]
I couldn’t eat it... but the sergeant looked interested, so that was fine.
To my surprise, Assistant Manager Lee Songhae didn’t stop there. She gave
the carrier crate I was sitting in a light tap and whispered.
Uh...?
"Hey, couldn’t you come out? It’s not like civilians come here anyway!"
"Come out? What?"
At Assistant Manager Jin Nasol’s puzzled reply, Assistant Manager Lee
Seonghae scratched the back of her head awkwardly.
"Ah, Assistant Manager, right. You’re here. I didn’t bring any oranda for
you..."
"..."
The sergeant, who had been sniffing at the oranda and then popped one in
his mouth, lazily turned his head toward them and weakly gestured toward
the box...
"Want one...?"
"I’m good."
He didn’t offer twice.
Note/s:
[1] Oranda – A confection that is made by deep-frying small snacks then
coating them in syrup and letting them harden. Depending on how it’s
made, its texture can range from moderately crunchy to rock-hard, and
some versions are sticky like taffy. In some products, nuts such as pumpkin
seeds or peanuts are added. (Source: Namuwiki) ↵
Either way, Assistant Manager Jin Nasol didn’t seem to care and just gave
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae a look of disbelief.
"You want to take out a Darkness that’s been secured in a carrier? Are you
out of your mind?"
"He’s not locked up. I think he’s just in there because it’s comfortable!
Right?"
Partial confirmation.
: Adapting to public-facing duties
"..."
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol stared at the smoke I used to write words
outside the crate, her expression shifting like she had a lot to say, but then
she unexpectedly apologized right away.
"My apologies."
Not at all... That was a perfectly reasonable thing to say.
Supervisor Park Minseong hurriedly spoke up gently, addressing Assistant
Manager Lee Seonghae.
"Thank you. Your teammate got taken in by the Disaster Management
Bureau, so you must be feeling uneasy... I appreciate you thinking of us."
"Hm? Oh, Ms. Pony."
Lee Seonghae smiled faintly.
"We’re not from the same team."
"Ah."
...The air went quiet for a moment.
"Not the elite team?"
"Nope?"
"I see."
That was the end of that conversation.
...It seemed that Kang Yihak wasn’t exactly a ’good person’ in Assistant
Manager Lee Songhae’s eyes.
And Assistant Manager Jin Nasol didn’t seem to care at all. Even though the
two of them had worked together in the Mermaid Grave...
’They really are such consistent people...’
Feeling like my mangled stomach might start hurting, I decided to shake my
bell again.
At this point, shaking it every time I felt stressed made it feel like one of
those stress-relief dolls or balls they give you at the dentist’s office...
"Just give me the access card."
"Ah, yes."
Supervisor Park Minseong handed over an access card to Assistant Manager
Jin Nasol while nibbling on oranda.
Then, after some hesitation, he asked,
"Pardon, about our squad leader... I mean, D-squad’s Section Chief Lee
Jaheon. Is he doing well?"
"How should I know?"
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol frowned but surprisingly answered anyway.
"Better than before, I guess. A new batch got hired recently, too."
"...Ah. I... see."
"Well, it’s not unusual for all members except the squad leader to change
out completely, so he’ll manage fine."
"..."
"Oh! As for Section Chief Lee Jaheon, I think he went on a long-term
Darkness exploration a couple of days ago. Some... boarding school ghost
story, I think?"
Assistant Manager Lee Songhae spoke up, and she added that it’d probably
take four or five days. Only then did Supervisor Park smile and nod.
"I see. Thank you."
After the two women left to go about their business, Supervisor Park
whispered to me,
"If we’re lucky, we might get to see Section Chief Lee Jaheon too. If he
comes back from that Darkness this week... I’m kind of looking forward to
it. Aren’t you?"
Tap.
"Alright."
And as Supervisor Park smiled, I carefully and discreetly made a request.
There was no one else around.
Request : Transport secretly
"...Huuh?"
I poked the item with smoke.
"Oh, you... want this?"
Tap.
"Uh, would it be fine though— Uh, Sergeant?"
"Here..."
Thank you.
I carefully gathered the various writing tools the sergeant pushed into the
carrier crate, collecting them into the smoke surrounding me.
And after my first night shift at the annex front desk ended...
[Ah, a place of rest! Of course, it’s a windowless structure with no
ventilation, but since my friend wears a gas mask, it’s not much of an
inconvenience.]
I returned to the isolation room and sat down on the bed.
Then, very carefully, I tried to become aware of my body...
To recognize each part I could identify, and move it.
’Come out.’
Outward.
To where it’s supposed to be.
Crrrk.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Strange noises seemed to echo inside my body, and a wave of nausea rose,
but I managed to move.
After what felt like enough time for my body to be drenched in sweat. Or, I
mean, if I could even sweat.
’...Done.’
I extended my arm, touched the Security Team uniform near my left arm’s
wrist, just below the elbow.
Then I opened the zipper.
Ziiiip.
Inside, beneath the unzipped uniform, I saw strange, shapeless flesh barely
holding form.
But I also saw exactly what I had intended to locate.
A tattoo.
Its color shifted as if activating.
:恩主:
The inventory tattoo.
’Found it.’
I reached into the tattoo.
’...!’
It works. It’s still functional...!
[Ah, this leads to the passage connected to the Cheerful Theme Park
manager’s office! I recall how that unworthy mountain lodge keeper ended
up working in far too grand a position thanks to you, Mr. Roe Deer...]
It wasn’t quite that, but yes, it was a much larger space.
And of course, it was mostly empty now, as it should be. I’d cleared
everything out before using the Wish Ticket.
Some items had been left with the Disaster Management Bureau.
’In the end, I handed almost everything over to Section Chief Lee
Jaheon...’
I recalled leaving almost all my gear in a subway locker and sending its
location and password to Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
Yes, it made sense for it to be empty.
But... there was a strange sense of presence inside.
Something occupying my space.
’There’s... something else in there.’
But I couldn’t keep my security suit unzipped for too long, so I couldn’t
investigate further.
For now, I quickly checked only the things I could hold in my hand. The
items I expected.
First, the blue scale.
It’s from the blue dragon mascot at the Cheerful Theme Park.
I hadn’t given this to anyone out of fear of the consequences.
The dragon did say I could ’call upon them’... but right now, if I tried, it’d
probably just add another incident report to the company logs, so I’d hold
off.
’I’ll just keep it in mind.’
I pulled my hand away from the clear, smooth, and cool sensation.
Then... the next item caught my attention.
Second, a paper boat.
It was left behind by Baek Saheon when he escaped Jisan Village.
[Hm. Allow this Braun to guess. Because it’s a somewhat personal item,
and its value is hard to gauge, you chose not to give it to anyone, yes?]
Correct.
And maybe, thanks to that, it would be invaluable.
It could be a way to learn what happened during those six months I spent in
the basement, in that shattered body, without a self.
And perhaps about Jang Heowoon-ssi, too.
[Oh, a passageway.]
Exactly.
A boat is a means of sending something somewhere.
And paper is for writing.
Put those two together, and...
’This could be a communication device.’
I took the paper boat out of the tattoo.
Then quickly zipped my uniform closed and straightened it.
’Huu.’
Done. I’d managed that safely.
Then I looked closely at the boat.
It was folded from somewhat worn paper, but it had clearly been carefully
kept. Despite being fragile, it wasn’t torn or crumpled.
’Thinking of it like an item, this is probably how to use it...’
I carefully unfolded the boat, flattening the paper.
And revealed the side hidden inside...
[Oh, jackpot, Friend.]
There was writing on it.
Uh
Are you dead?
The pencil-written letters were in Baek Saheon’s handwriting.
Of course, I couldn’t know when it had been written.
But judging by the nuance of the words, it wasn’t something he’d scrawled
randomly before fleeing Jisan Village.
’This question seems directed at me.’
Or, more precisely, at the ’Agent Grapes’ who had drawn the golden stick in
Jisan Village.
’...Good.’
I searched through the writing tools the sergeant had given me and picked
out a pencil.
Then I wrote on the paper.
I’m not dead.
A moment later.
What the
A reply came back.
The handwriting was hurried and jagged, as if shocked.