Chapter 122
The medical officer’s weekly schedule had transformed into something resembling a correctional chaplain’s duty roster.
No matter how many times I reread it, the words did not change.
I even pulled out the operational manual to check.
However, the manual remained the same. Only the weekly schedule had become strange.
As I repeatedly checked the schedule, Dominic, who had been watching, chimed in.
"Has your role changed to a chaplain, Roasted Chestnut?"
"No, it hasn’t."
After answering Dominic, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.
’Could it be the Octopus Tentacle?’
The Octopus Tentacle had coveted Je Hyeon-oh as a subordinate but failed.
It might be a natural progression to then become interested in the master of that subordinate.
With a slight sense of anxiety, I asked Dominic.
"Mr. Dominic."
"Yes, Roasted Chestnut."
"By any chance... if a higher god takes a lower god as a subordinate..."
"All the subordinates of the lower-ranking god also become possessions of the higher god."
Having my concerns hit the nail right on the head, I was left speechless.
As if mocking me, a system window popped up.
[As a young god, you resolve to protect yourself and your subordinates.]
Ignoring the system window and its obvious statement, I began to think seriously.
’This is why I hated the registration.’
It was an infuriating situation.
I considered whether I could win if the Octopus Tentacle approached.
The conclusion was reached instantly.
Impossible.
The only abilities I possessed as a god were things like ’Message and ’Restriction, which could only be used on those I had registered.
It would be difficult to face another god with just that.
But I couldn’t just sit idly by.
Actually, the biggest problem was Dominic.
He wouldn’t like me becoming a subordinate of the Octopus Tentacle.
Since the Octopus Tentacle seemed quite powerful, Dominic might have to exert considerable strength to deal with such a god, and if he did that, he might recover his memores...
I tried not to think in such a negative direction.
Just then, Dominic asked me.
"Are you going to the prayer room?"
"I don’t plan on going."
I answered firmly.
No matter if it was a mission, I had no desire to go through the Octopus Tentacle Worship 4-Step Set.
I absolutely refused.
Feeling a heat rise in my chest, I rubbed my heart with my hand.
’I should go see Lieutenant Won.’
Since he was the correctional chaplain, he might be able to provide some clues.
"Ah, and about the Octopus Tentacle mark you mentioned before. I think I can find it for you today."
Having seen a carving of an octopus tentacle in the prayer room previously, Dominic had asked me to let him know if I found anything similar.
However, for some reason, a polite refusal came back.
"It’s alright, Roasted Chestnut. It is no longer necessary."
He told me that he had resolved his doubts thanks to the subordinate made of black metal.
I didn’t know what he had realized after seeing Je Hyeon-oh emerge from the seawater, though.
For now, I decided to try contacting Samra.
"I’m going to contact a friend for a moment."
After asking the Pudding Slime for understanding, I turned on the hologram badge.
"Samra."
After calling out abruptly, it occurred to me that they might be busy.
The outside world must be in chaos due to the new meteorites.
’Still, since it’s Samra, maybe they can handle work while communicating with me?’
With firm faith in the cutting-edge android, I waited a moment.
As expected, a voice responded shortly after.
- Mr. Han Goyo.
"Do you have a moment? If you’re busy, maybe later..."
- I am capable of processing multiple tasks simultaneously. Your concern is unnecessary.
"Ah, yes."
Having been corrected for worrying about an android, I quickly submitted a report on the current situation.
The report stated that things were proceeding according to plan, and provided there were no major setbacks, a True Ending clear would be possible by next week at the latest, based on The Cell-Xs time.
I didn’t mention that there was an error in today’s weekly schedule.
I felt that Samra would immediately tell me to use the escape function.
Moreover, since the text in the system window wasn’t glitching, the escape function wasn’t available anyway.
Before asking a question that might be difficult for Samra to answer, I asked first.
"How is it outside?"
- An international organization has been established to respond to the Trials. This is for more efficient international cooperation.
Global cooperation was already happening to deal with the Trials, but there had been no central coordinating body.
Establishing an international organization was a good choice.
However, words I completely didn’t expect followed.
- I am scheduled to take a major position within that organization.
To my surprise, I asked back a bit too loudly.
As if knowing exactly what I was worried about, Samra spoke calmly.
- I will not be leaving the Era Management Bureau. I will be holding the positions concurrently.
"Ah..."
I wondered if that was allowed, but then again, since Samra wasn’t human, it seemed fine.
They had no greed for power, and because humanity was the priority, they didn’t pursue only the interests of South Korea.
They were an android capable of acting with more fairness than any human.
While curious about what position Samra would hold, I was also a bit worried.
"Samra, are you overextending yourself?"
They were already doing so many things; I worried that if they pushed too hard, their CPU or something might burn out.
’Won’t they overload?’
I didn’t know Samra’s internal structure, so maybe not...
But to my worry, Samra replied indifferently.
- This is work I have always done.
Indeed, considering Samra’s influence, they were likely already doing work equivalent to an international organization.
Now, they were simply being given a position that came with official honor and power.
- Mr. Han Goyo.
"Yes?"
- Would you like to transfer your affiliation to the soon-to-be-established international organization?
I was momentarily speechless. Samra had surprised me several times today.
Samra added a calm, well-organized explanation.
- Director Jang Seok-yoon will find it difficult to exert significant influence within that international organization.
- Furthermore, you will be able to freely enter not only the Trials of South Korea but also those of other countries.
I had thought about overseas Trials before.
Since my affiliation was listed as Earth, I had wondered if it was okay to only close the domestic Trials.
But it was still far too early for that, and unless a quest specified a region, I had no intention of going abroad.
Because everyone I wanted to protect was here.
However, I felt I understood very well why Samra made this proposal.
As promised from the very beginning, they were cooperating with me unconditionally.
Since the Era Management Bureau and Pasung seemed to be obstacles for me, the alternative they brought was the international organization.
Would it be too arrogant to think that the reason Samra was taking a position there was also for my sake?
But it felt that way. I thanked Samra sincerely.
"Thank you, Samra."
- ...
Samra didn’t respond for a moment. It was because they recognized my gratitude as a refusal.
"Still, I want to stay at the Era Management Bureau. I have a promise with CEO Cha, too."
Becoming part of an international organization would have many advantages, but ultimately, I would inevitably grow distant from the people at the Bureau.
The meteorite embedded in Mo Hae-in, the god contained within Kwak Han-mook, and Je Hyeon-ohs With none of these resolved, I didn’t want to leave the Bureau.
- ...I understand. Please let me know whenever you change your mind.
Samra didn’t try to persuade me further.
As always, they left a final reminder to prioritize my safety and then ended the communication.
I turned the hologram badge off.
Thinking that many changes would occur once I closed The Cell-X and went outside, I headed toward the prison cafeteria.
Previously, there should have been an event where I got beaten by guards for failing a mission, but CEO Cha had blocked that.
Since then, I have become arrogant.
I had actually decided to have breakfast in the cafeteria.
Normally, I would have sneaked in after mealtime to steal the leftovers.
Of course, I didn’t plan to walk in boldly; I intended to enter after checking the surroundings.
I walked down the hallway with a light heart.
’I wonder if Captain Kwak is in the cafeteria. It would be nice to eat together.’
Just as I was considering sending a message.
"Little Lamb."
I ran straight into the Security Chief.
The medical officer’s quarters were in the furthest corner of the guards’ wing.
There was no reason to encounter other guards.
Unless they came looking for me on purpose.
The moment I sensed the ominousness, Dominic spoke to me.
"Roasted Chestnut. Be careful. Around you..."
But I couldn’t hear the end of his sentence.
I felt a presence behind my back.
I reacted immediately and turned around, but seeing it and avoiding it were two different things.
Thwack!
Along with a dull pain as something struck my head, I lost consciousness.
Everything went black as if the film had snapped, and when I woke up.
The first thing I noticed was the smell of cigarettes.
I coughed because of the smoke. I slowly regained consciousness while hacking.
It was the prison interrogation room.
The white light from the lamp in the center of the ceiling fell upon the central table.
It was a gray steel table bolted firmly to the floor.
On the surface of the table, there were scratches, cigarette burn marks, and traces that looked like they had been clawed by fingernails.
I slowly shifted my gaze from the table upward.
I saw a man cast in a deep shadow by the light.
Smoking a cigarette, he slowly exhaled the smoke.
I swallowed a curse internally.
It was the Security Chief.
Two guards were standing behind him.
First, I checked if the Pudding Slime was still attached.
Dominic was on my shoulder: He spoke to me in a low voice.
"You are bleeding."
Only after hearing Dominic’s words did I feel the damp sensation.
It seemed my head had been split open.
Blood flowing down my temple had soaked the collar of my medical gown and clothes.
Still, the bleeding seemed to have mostly stopped, as I didn’t feel any new flow.
However, my body, bound by ropes, was a bit uncomfortable.
I gave an awkward smile and greeted him.
"Security Chief, good morning."
The man in the gray metal mask looked at me with a cigarette held between his fingers.
"A guard has disappeared."
"Excuse me?"
"The CCTV that needed checking has vanished, and the Warden told me to just let this matter slide."
"Was this your doing, Little Lamb?"
"Me?"
I spoke as if it were absurd.
"I haven’t even had a sip Neo... How could I possibly deal with guards who have reinforced bodies?"
As I quickly played dumb, the Security Chief chuckled.
"That is correct. Little Lamb is an ordinary human."
Could he be doing this because he lost a power struggle with CEO Cha?
I had thought there was no way the Security Chief would stay quiet.
But acting like this toward me, a mere medical officer, made no sense.
’It would make sense if he hit CEO Cha in the back of the head.’
While I was speculating why he had captured me, the Security Chief spoke again.
"It is certainly an impossible feat..."
He continued speaking slowly.
"But there are those who make the impossible possible. And I know such a person."
Just as I was wondering at the vague, cloud-like words that didn’t suit the Security Chief at all.
The lips beneath the metal mask, where the eyes were invisible, moved.
"I once had a dream where you appeared."
The Security Chief took a slow drag of his cigarette and blew the gray smoke toward my face.
"In that dream, your name was not Little Lamb."
He chuckled and said.
"It was Roasted Chestnut."
I showed no reaction.
I suppressed myself as much as possible to avoid showing even a hint of surprise.
But it was in vain.
At the Security Chief’s following words.
"In the dream, you were the perfect comrade to me."
I couldn’t help but be shaken.
"Dealing with creatures in cruel ways that even I hadn’t thought of... Ah, it was truly impressive."
The Security Chief had dreamed of the time I played the role of a guard.
A dream where, in order to collect various endings, I had faithfully followed the Security Chief’s orders as a guard and abused the creatures.
Looking into my wavering eyes, the Security Chief triggered a status change notification.
[Affection +10]
"When I woke up, I felt such a lingering regret. Since then, no matter which guard I trained, none could become like you in that dream.
The Security Chief crushed the cigarette in the ashtray.
"It seems it wasn’t just my dream... What do you think?"
And he said to me with a smile.
"We had a lot of fun, didn’t we, Roasted Chestnut?"