Apocalypse (8)

"To think you'd gone through so many things back-to-back! Just thinking about how hard it must have been for you, brother, I truly can't stop feeling sad!"

Sal-hyung grabbed my hand and shook it with eyes so moist they were almost overwhelming.

How long has it been since I've received such warm comfort?

My eyes are really getting moist.

You're really making me tear up.

"How are you even alive? To go through that much back-to-back."

I guess so, when I think about it.

"You were caught up in a lot of anomalies."

"I did get caught up in them a little unusually often. Even I think that's odd."

"Well, it's unusual, but not impossible. Anomalies attract anomalies, after all."

"No way."

Is that really how it works?

"More importantly, you're saying the Department Head Lee Dohyung entity died?"

Jaaldi chuckled softly.

"Ha... If this world had been normal, that would have been welcome news. To think that Lee Dohyung entity really died."

"Is that surprising?"

"Hmm?"

"He charged the doctor and got torn in half in an instant without even being able to do anything."

"In an instant? Hah. So the hospital director at Cheongak Mary Hospital really was that kind of anomaly. So a full clear was impossible after all."

He seemed a little surprised.

Does the Administration Bureau not know much about the hospital director either?

"Lee Dohyung is an exceptionally powerful entity, even one the Administration Bureau keeps a close watch on."

"Huh? Really?"

Lee Dohyung was that strong?

He got wiped out in an instant, though?

"Originally, this would have been enough to raise Cheongak Mary Hospital's danger rating."

"That strong?"

He got one-shotted by the doctor, so I thought he was just a scrub, but he was stronger than I expected.

Anyway.

What keeps bothering me is that he keeps calling him the Department Head Lee Dohyung 'entity.' And he says they're keeping a close watch on him? As I stared at him with that in mind, Jaaldi said,

"By the way. You kept being strangely hostile toward me from the start, and that was why. Let me introduce myself again. I'm Jaaldi, an agent of the Administration Bureau. And the Department Head Lee Dohyung entity is a derivative entity of the ghost story 'Fake Administration Bureau.'"

"Yes?"

What did you say?

"There is such a ghost story."

Jaaldi fiddled with his gloves as he continued speaking.

"Someone who happened to see the future made a huge amount of money through stocks and coins. Then, a little later, he disappeared."

That's my story.

"Then someone else witnessed something like the hidden truth of the world. Then men in black suits and sunglasses appeared and took him away. What else was there? Aliens, maybe. Anyone who claimed to have seen aliens suddenly vanished."

"..."

"That's the ghost story. A ghost story about black-clad men suddenly appearing."

A ghost story.

"What was after you wasn't an agent of the Administration Bureau, but monsters from a ghost story about a Fake Administration Bureau that doesn't exist in reality."

So.

There is an Administration Bureau.

And there was a ghost story called the Fake Administration Bureau.

"In other words, you got caught up in a ghost story."

"..."

I was so shocked my jaw dropped.

"Fake Administration Bureau..."

Those things were a ghost story?

"They're beings that imitate our Administration Bureau. A ghost story that kills humans. Very dangerous bastards."

A ghost story that kills humans.

"Th-Then. Cheongak Mary Hospital. That place..."

"That too is a ghost story. Well, the place itself is under our Administration Bureau's watch. From what I hear, the Fake Administration Bureau didn't know that, apparently."

"..."

"Honestly, not many people survive coming back from there. It's that dangerous a place. We do keep watch over it to begin with, but complete control and isolation are impossible. We also had almost no information about the hospital director."

"So the Department Head Lee Dohyung entity got taken out because it was such a dangerous place?"

Jaaldi nodded.

"Some monsters show absolute power in their own spaces. Cheongak Mary Hospital is one of those places. We knew its director was extremely dangerous, but I never imagined Lee Dohyung would die in one shot."

"Then, Jaaldi. The rulebook and business card."

"Those were distributed by us. We couldn't let people die, so we researched and experimented however we could and made the rulebook. A great many agents died in the process."

I could only gape.

The Fake Administration Bureau that ripped out my brain and tracked my internet use.

And Department Head Lee Dohyung, who attacked the hospital, was also an entity born from a ghost story.

...So that was it.

I suppose.

It didn't make sense, after all. Those damn bastards handed out a survival rulebook for patients? That really was bizarre, but there was a reason for it.

But still, I have questions.

Did the Administration Bureau really create the rulebook by sacrificing agents to save people? Honestly, my doubts still haven't been completely erased. No matter what, given everything I've believed up until now, I can't trust them that easily.

"Did you get the medicine prescribed?"

As I was thinking that, Jaaldi asked.

"I did, but... the world was in that state, so I lost it along the way."

"That couldn't be helped. Well, truthfully, losing it might have been better. That medicine is extremely dangerous. It's not something humans should take."

"So that's why you said you'd collect it."

"Yes. It's the Administration Bureau's job to quarantine dangerous items like that."

Quarantine...

"But when I was a patient, I took it. Was that okay?"

"It's fine inside there. Outside is different. Anyway, our Administration Bureau has been controlling, exterminating, monitoring, and quarantining things like that. Though now it's all ruined."

Whatever the case, it seems not only the Fake Administration Bureau, but even the real Administration Bureau was powerless against this incident.

"How capable is the real Administration Bureau? Is it stronger than the Fake Administration Bureau?"

"We are at war with the Fake Administration Bureau, so I can't say for certain. But judging by the situation, it seems they couldn't handle those giants either."

"This giant apocalypse... how dangerous is it in the Administration Bureau's eyes?"

"In terms of rank, it's probably an S-rank world-ending disaster."

World-ending?!

"Originally, it's a ghost story only the Administration Bureau could barely stop by throwing all its strength at it. Even then, failure was more likely. But since it happened so suddenly... well, that's not important now."

"Wait. Did you say S-rank? Do you guys assign ranks to bizarre phenomena like that?"

"You're quite curious."

Jaaldi smiled faintly.

"You've survived several ghost stories, and you're leading a survivor group like this, so you must have some backbone too. If this incident hadn't happened, I might have recruited you as a new agent."

"New recruit..."

"It's meaningless now. Diversion operation. I'm counting on you."

ㅡTap-tap.

Patting my shoulder as if to encourage me, he passed by.

"..."

Administration Bureau rookie, huh...

"Then let us begin assembling the operation. Originally, we planned to leave the diversion operation to you, brother, and your survivor group."

Sal-hyung came to stand beside me.

"I shall go with you, brother! If I go on this side, the decoy will be much more effective!"

With me?

"Sal-hyung? Is that all right? Isn't it a matter of whether the three of us can even break through?"

"That may be so, but if I join the diversion, the enemy's strength will definitely be spread out that much more. It's not a bad choice. What do you think? Heathen? And you, agent?"

At that, the nun answered with her arms crossed.

"Hmph, well. Losing one terrorist won't be a problem. If anything, his power would just get in the way, so this is better."

"That's my line, you despicable heathen."

The two, still sparring with their words, turned their eyes toward Jaaldi.

"Understood, crusader. We'll do that."

"Good. While I handle the diversion, I'll watch how things go and try to join up if it looks good."

"That would certainly be better. If the nun and I fail to complete the mission, crusader, you take over."

"Very well. Then, brother, gather the survivors. We will depart soon, so finish assembling them and come after us."

"Understood."

I nodded.

* * *

I had been flooded with too much information at once. The Administration Bureau and Islam. Starting from the existence of the Holy See, all the way to the Fake Administration Bureau.

More than anything, learning about the real Administration Bureau and the Fake Administration Bureau was the biggest gain.

Who would have thought there were two Administration Bureaus in the world? And one of them was a 'ghost story.' The rumor on the world politics boards that agents were grabbing people really was true.

The contact info on the business card I picked up when I left the hospital belongs to the real Administration Bureau. Until now, I'd thought contacting the Administration Bureau was meaningless and hadn't used it properly, but now I should be able to use it for real.

"Hyung. What the heck are those people?"

Jinseop came over and asked with a wary look.

"The Administration Bureau agent and the nun from the Holy See. The Arab guy says he's a jihad crusader."

"What the—what?"

"What else? There are monsters in this world. Naturally, there'd also be a secret organization fighting those monsters."

"Like in movies?!"

"Yeah. Anyway, Jinseop. Gather the guys. We have something to do. It's very important, so hurry."

"Ah, yes. Got it, hyung."

While I waited, Jinseop gathered all our guys.

Each and every one of them looked tense as they watched me. Seeing their faces brought back everything we'd gone through together.

A lot had happened.

Days spent struggling for survival, fighting back. Days of losing comrades, crying, and still clawing our way on just to stay alive.

"From now on, we're going on a very dangerous operation. Whoever's coming with me, raise your hand."

"..."

Silence.

"A dangerous operation? Hyung, we don't even know what you're doing, and you're suddenly..."

"We're going to attack the flower."

"What?!"

At my words, everyone started buzzing.

"The task is simple. We move toward the flower and draw their attention. In other words, it's a diversion operation, but if it goes well, we might be able to bring down the giants."

"What do you mean...!"

"It's dangerous, so only volunteers step forward. Among the ones left, we'll pick a new boss."

"Boss! What the hell are you talking about!"

"There's not much time. We have to pick quickly and go. Jinseop. Explain it to the guys."

"..."

Jinseop nodded with a heavy expression and began explaining to the guys.

I stood quietly and waited.

The end of this cycle is approaching. I can feel it very strongly. There's no way we'd come out unscathed from entering the deepest core of the giants occupying Earth.

If I go back, I'll be able to see the clear sky, even if only for a moment.

But.

The guys here.

These guys who survived together with me.

Will never see that sky.

Because the only one who can go back is me.

The time we spent together. The bonds. And the memories. All of it will disappear.

Why can't these guys see that blue sky again? As I thought about that, my fist clenched tightly and anger surged up. My emotions flaring up after a long time, I clenched my teeth hard.

The truth is.

I wanted to see that sky together with all of you.

"Hyung. I picked them."

"..."

Jinseop brought the volunteers over.

Tae-ho. Byeong-cheol. Geon-hee. Sang-hyeon. Jun-su. Hyeon-ho. They've all been with me for a long time. I know exactly how they've survived, and what kind of mindset they have. I still couldn't remember their birthdays, though.

"Quite a few came. So, who's the next boss?"

"Jongbin-hyung said he'd do it."

"Jongbin's a little sketchy."

Is that okay?

...As I thought that, I froze.

It felt like I was worrying about my platoon after getting discharged.

"Jongbin-hyung really is a little sketchy too. I'm worried as well."

"I'm worried too... More than that, are you guys okay? You might all die."

"Hyung. Whatever happens, we're going to fight, right? With those unusual agents."

"Yeah. They said this was the last chance."

"So we're betting on that."

Jinseop looked at me with determined eyes.

"After all, it's a world without any hope, isn't it? If there's a final hope, I'd like to stake everything on it even if I die. There's no point in living long if it doesn't mean anything."

"That's right, hyung!"

"I think so too! Boss!"

"You guys..."

It's a hopeless world.

But because there is hope, we move.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

I will definitely settle this.

I won't let you all go through this kind of fucked-up bullshit again.

"Let's go."

I'll give you back the blue sky.