Chapter 37
It was the first day in my new home, but I was too unsettled to sleep properly.
An endless nightmare.
Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw a world utterly destroyed, and I watched my parents and coworkers dying horribly. What scared me most was the death penalty for dying. Because it was so unknown, it came to me as a fear beyond anything I could imagine.
But even though I was afraid of that, I still couldn't choose to spend the remaining 2,000 points to lower my death count.
Abilities... Right, abilities.
I needed more abilities. Detection seems pretty useful. There might be something even better than that.
The fundamental way to lower my death count wasn't to spend points and reduce the number. It was to get more abilities and solve things without dying. Whatever it took, as long as I didn't die, that was enough. Hadn't I joined the Administration? By learning about anomalies here and working with powerful agents like Jaaldi, I should be able to aim for survival...
"Ugh, damn. Sleep."
I felt like I had slept worse than when I was surviving in Seoul. At least back then, guys like Jinseop were there to watch my back. Here, there were no comrades who had gone through life-and-death situations with me. I could at least let them watch my back.
I'm going crazy.
To think I missed those days that much.
I shook my head to rid myself of the awful discomfort and got up.
Whatever else, it was my first day on the job.
If I could come into more information as an Administration agent, my unease would probably ease too. Thinking that, I got ready for work and headed out.
"Commute by shared electric bike."
As an agent, doing this crap makes me look a little lame.
Anything else?
Do real agents have to ride bikes around?
Grumbling like that, I eventually arrived in front of the Administration building. At first glance it was a perfectly ordinary office building, the kind anyone would think salarymen went into. It was big, and because it was the morning commute, there were a lot of people around. But the people passing by didn't look like agents.
The moment I stepped inside, feeling puzzled.
ㅡWhoosh.
I sensed something strange right then.
When I looked back, the scenery outside was the same, but all the people who had been hurrying around had disappeared.
"An anomaly...?"
Could I have been caught up in an anomaly again?
And in the middle of Administration headquarters, no less?
There's no way something this ridiculous could happen, you bastards!
While I was tensing up, someone grabbed my shoulder.
"Eek!"
"Why are you so startled?"
"Ah... Team Leader Jaaldi. Good morning. I, uh, came in to report to work, but when I turned around, it looked like all the people suddenly disappeared. They were definitely there when I came in."
"That? The Administration building isn't ordinary. The agents aren't either. Think of it as being covered by a veil that hides and disguises things."
"Oh, I see."
"Yes."
As expected, the Administration was the Administration.
They have some marvelous technology.
"Let's go up."
"Yes."
I got on the elevator with Jaaldi right away.
"Team Leader Jaaldi. I just came to work on a shared e-bike, but doesn't that look a bit lame? For a secret world-protecting agent, that's a little off, isn't it?"
"I was wondering what you were on about. That's what you were worried about?"
It was a look like he was seeing something pathetic.
"No, I mean, if there were a car or something, it'd be easier to go work places, right? An e-bike has its limits, after all."
"Understood. Draw up a quote and bring it to me."
"Huh? Really?"
No way, you're actually giving me one?
"Just don't pick something too flashy. Choose something reasonable."
"You're really giving me one?"
He's saying something this huge without even changing his expression?
"You've contributed quite a bit to the Administration, haven't you? A car is something I can provide anytime."
"A contribution...? You mean because of the hospital rulebook?"
"And because you brought back information on Deputy Director Lee Dohyung."
Wow!
I was trembling with excitement when we got to the office.
"Team Leader Jaaldi! What work am I doing today!"
"For now, memorizing basic knowledge. I'll give you the materials, so memorize them."
"Yes!"
As expected, a new employee's first job is studying. Even so, a newbie is still a newbie, fussing around and trying to do all sorts of things.
Since I was in the Administration now, let's work as hard as possible. Somehow, if I got promoted and could access more information, that would be even better. That was the meaning of coming to this Administration.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Team Leader."
When I went in, Jamtree and Spangdal were already at work.
I'd better come out about thirty minutes earlier starting tomorrow.
No matter what, showing up later than those two seniors wouldn't look good image-wise.
"Hello, seniors!"
For now, I greeted them loudly.
"Hi, Grong."
Jamtree greeted me back, waving with smiling eyes.
But.
Spangdal was staring at me intently with the same lifeless eyes as yesterday.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Senior Spangdal...?"
That gaze is way too ominous.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Huh? I slept well."
Why ask suddenly?
"Hmm, really? That couldn't have been possible."
"What do you mean?"
"That apartment, you see. It has a secret."
"What!"
What?!
"There's a secret in the apartment?! No, something did seem odd! Actually, I barely slept at all! Team Leader! There really was a problem there, right!"
So it was like that after all!
It's an apartment for agents—there's no way it'd be normal!
"Haah... Jamtree. Do something about this."
Jaaldi let out a sigh and leaned his head back against the chair.
"Grong, calm down. There's nothing like that."
"Huh?"
What is that supposed to mean?
"Spangdal was just spouting nonsense to tease you."
"What the... Ah!"
I got tricked!
"Heh heh, you're so naive. Aren't you a little too foolish? Ahh, if you're this naive, you'll be dead before long. How tragic. Should I prepare a coffin already?"
Spangdal was muttering nonsense with a sinister smile.
"Don't tease me so much...! I really thought it was true!"
"You're an agent, aren't you? Not getting fooled is part of your qualifications. If you get tricked that easily, you never know when or what might happen to you."
I wanted to say something back, but on reflection, he was right.
That's true.
You should never trust anyone. Even that bastard Gorgodio transformed and acted like he was about to tear everything to pieces, didn't he? If anything, Ms. Kuras seemed more trustworthy.
"You're right. I'll do my best not to get fooled. Then, Team Leader Jaaldi, please give me my first assignment! I'll show you how well I can do it!"
"Jamtree. Hand over the materials you have."
"Here you go, Grong. Memorize this today. If anything feels off, be sure to ask noona."
Jamtree handed over a stack of documents.
"Yes. But you're giving them to me as documents? You could have given them to me on a computer."
"Hmm, that's a bit difficult. Administration-related materials must never be entered into electronic devices."
"Could it be... if you input them, something happens? Something bad and dangerous?"
"That's right. Grong is quick on the uptake."
It seemed the Administration had various rules for avoiding 'anomalies.' Figuring these out and memorizing them was probably a newbie's job.
I opened the documents right away.
[Administration Work Rules]
"Damn it. Another rulebook."
------
1. The duty of an Administration agent is to protect humanity and civilization from anomalies. Always keep in mind that you are humanity's final bastion, and serve accordingly. This is for safety.
2. An agent's real name is replaced by an Administration codename. Never reveal your former name. This is for safety.
3. Do not enter information about anomalies into electronic devices. This is for safety.
4. Please observe meal times. This is for safety.
5. If you disobey a legitimate order, you may lose your status as an agent. If you lose that status, your memories will be erased and you will live on as an ordinary person. This is for safety.
6. If you judge that an anomaly has occurred within headquarters, immediately execute the safety protocol. The safety protocol must always be taught verbally by the team leader. This is for safety.
7. If you receive a rulebook during a mission, be sure to follow it. This is for safety.
8. The lights in the Administration never go out. If you think the lights have gone out, trust nothing and escape the building immediately. This is for safety.
9. During missions, minimize civilian casualties. The Administration has memory-erasure technology. We can keep secrets just fine, so actively rescue civilians.
------
The rulebook itself was extremely simple. From my standpoint, after grinding through the SSS-rank battlefield that was Cheongakmeri Hospital, it was child's play.
I could memorize it in five minutes while sitting there.
The only thing that stood out was that the phrase "This is for safety" kept repeating. It was suspicious, but not something I needed to question.
"Jamtree senior. This rulebook seems quite short. Is this really all there is?"
"Those are the most basic rules. In fact, most information has to be passed on verbally."
"For safety?"
"Yep. Most rules are for safety, so just follow them."
"Understood. Is there anything else I should pay attention to?"
"There are separate rulebooks issued depending on the mission, so follow those when the time comes, okay?"
I nodded and memorized the rulebook solidly one last time; at that point, it would be nearly impossible to break it on purpose.
"By the way, Jamtree senior. What kind of work do you do?"
Jamtree was browsing an online shopping site on her computer.
Was she killing time because it was a pretty slow period?
"I'm browsing a shopping site. If any 'suspicious items' get listed, I have to take care of them immediately."
"Suspicious items?"
"Things that don't exist in reality. Things that shouldn't exist. If something like that goes up, we have to block it right away. It'd be a disaster if someone bought it."
"I see."
"Look at this. There's a teddy bear that puts joy into the brain."
"What?!"
ㅡWhoosh.
The screen flashed by quickly. For just an instant, I could make out an unpleasant doll, soaked in blood and seemingly laughing maniacally.
"This needs to be dealt with immediately."
Jamtree quickly typed, and the page disappeared.
After that, she kept monitoring the shopping site.
So the Administration even does work like this... I guess I should thank Jamtree every time I use a shopping site.
"This world is filled with far more anomalies than you'd think. There are plenty of things you have to go into the field for, but there are plenty of jobs like this too."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"What's the lesson from this incident?"
"To thank Jamtree senior every time I use a shopping site?"
"Hehe, that's a cute thing to say."
For now, I'll keep in mind that this kind of work exists too, but my interest is still in the field.
I've memorized the basic rules.
Let's look at something else.
"Team Leader Jaaldi. I've memorized the basic rules."
"Excellent."
Anyone could memorize this in no time.
"But what is this safety protocol?"
"Literally, you execute it when you feel like the Administration has been compromised. Just smash the window and jump outside immediately."
"Huh?"
That's it?
"Is that all?"
"There's no need to think about it in detail. Just remember it that way. When you become team leader later, you'll teach it the same way."
"..."
I couldn't understand it, but since this was the Administration, I decided to accept it.
"Understood. I want to know about the other things too. For example, the enemies we'll have to fight or information about anomalies. I want to deal with vampires as soon as possible."
"You're brimming with enthusiasm. It's a good attitude, but if you start off like that right away, however many lives you have won't be enough."
"I know full well how precious my own life is."
This was a race against time.
Just because I was a newbie didn't mean I could spend my days lazily adjusting to the job. All I wanted was to be assigned to something like hunting vampires as quickly as possible. Honestly, if I let my guard down and got assassinated by a vampire, killing it first on my side would be the quickest way for me to die less.
"Hmm... let's see. There are about three hostile organizations you should know about right now."
"Three?"
"The fake Administration. The Papacy. And the Jihadists."
"Huh?"
"In this world, there's an organization called the fake Administration that imitates our Administration. That's an anomaly too. They don't exist in reality. They're monsters that suddenly appear from somewhere and kill people. The 'men in black suits' you encountered were entities derived from that fake Administration."
"..."
"And the thing you reported. The Administration-like beings that attacked the hospital, as well as Deputy Director Lee Dohyung, are also part of the fake Administration. For all their pretending to be the Administration, they even fight anomalies."
"Ah, so that's why Jamtree senior..."
So now that I was a newbie, they were telling me everything.
"He's an extremely powerful and notorious entity, to the point that even the Administration had trouble with him. It's a relief that he was taken care of."
At any rate, I already knew all about the fake Administration. Jaaldi kept explaining, and I nodded, comparing it against the information I already had to see if anything was different.
There wasn't anything out of place. In both the previous loop and this one, Jaaldi had only told the truth. To sum it up, the fake Administration is at war with us, and we run into them from time to time for battles. Deputy Director Lee Dohyung seems to have been a dangerous entity that killed a large number of our agents. Department-head and section-chief-level entities are extremely powerful, so be careful.
"Understood. So those guys are our enemies, and humanity's enemies as well. Then what is the Papacy?"
"Exactly what the name says. They're the ones headquartered in the Vatican in Italy. You know the sort if you've seen movies. The Pope and the clergy were actually fighting monsters all along."
"I understand. But then aren't they allies? Why call them enemies?"
"That part is true too. They're not completely hostile, but you can think of them as a group we clash with often. Skirmishes are rare, but they do happen, so if you see a cleric, be careful."
It seemed the Administration and the Papacy weren't very close after all.
The cooperation during the giant incident was apparently just unavoidable.
"The Jihadists. What is that? Sounds like the Islamic faction."
"I happen to have some material on them. Take this."
"What's this?"
It was some kind of wanted-poster sheet... Huh?!
[Key Figure: Saladin]
That's Salhyeong's photo!
"What is this?"
"He's someone the Administration is keeping a close eye on right now. An extremely dangerous guy. You could call him a bomb waiting to go off."
"Dangerous? Don't tell me he's a terrorist?"
"You aren't wrong."
What are you saying about good old Salhyeong!
He does look like a terrorist, though...!
"Saladin is a top-tier holy warrior, hailed as Islam's great hero. He's currently stationed in Korea, and under no circumstances are you to clash with him. If you spot him, run immediately."
Apparently so. It looks like it'll be hard to reunite with Salhyeong again as an agent...