Chapter 42
I arrived in front of the Containment Team lab.
If today had been a normal day, I'd have come here with Mr. Spangdal to submit the gift the Tooth Fairy gave me. I never imagined I'd end up coming here like this.
"Krrr...! Hoo!"
A breath burst out of me.
I don't actually know what the inside of the Containment Team lab looks like. It's a space I've never even seen, after all. And on top of that, the entire containment room has turned into hell, so the lab at its core had probably become some kind of inhuman nightmare too.
But now this is the only place I can hope for...
If there's no way here too, then I really won't know what to do.
Should I die, then the moment I come to, should I run to find Section Chief Jo Seongchun, take down Senior Spangdal together, and escape through the elevator to the first floor?
Whatever.
-Hwaaaaaaa!
-Padadadak!
Looking back, I saw monsters beyond imagination running toward me. I hammered on the laboratory door.
ㅡBANG!
"Open the door!"
I tried pulling the door, but it wouldn't open. Naturally, it seemed to be locked. Then what do I do? I saw a locking device next to the door.
"Card!"
The moment I quickly took out my Bureau ID card and held it up to the lock...
ㅡBeep-beep!
With a sound, the door opened!
"Ooh!"
I threw myself into the dark lab. I rolled in, and the door shut behind me. I immediately took out my phone and turned on the light.
And what I saw was.
Originally...
It must have been fairly large in scale,
a very scientific, futuristic laboratory scene. Displays and control panels covered the walls, and all sorts of experimental devices were arranged here and there.
But it wasn't normal.
ㅡSquirm.
"Gah!"
A pink slime-like thing came toward me, and I freaked out and kicked it. The slime squirmed and quickly fled to a corner. Even so, I couldn't take my eyes off the huge 'thing' right in front of me.
It looked like a person half-fused to the wall displays, like a prophet nailed to a cross.
Its head was identifiable thanks to the wild, explosion-like hair and the goggles with round lenses.
The thing was stretching out a long arm that seemed fused with machinery, picking up something from a container and bringing it to its mouth... but looking closer, it was a familiar container.
The medicine canister from Cheongak Mary Hospital!
That monster was eating medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital!
"...!"
The moment I realized that, I was shocked, but at the same time I started thinking of a way to use that medicine. The medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital is powerful enough to bring down the Singing Star's descendants. If I used that, wouldn't I be able to do something?
But how is that monster eating it and still fine?
I didn't have much time to think.
I cautiously approached, trying to steal the medicine.
But then.
ㅡGrrrk.
The monster's head moved.
It stared at me blankly while chewing on the medicine.
In the hellish silence, the thing spoke.
"You... why aren't you unharmed..."
"What?!"
That bastard talked!
"I don't know that either! What are you?"
"I am... research team leader... Gognijja..."
Research Team Leader Gognijja!
ㅡGrrk!
As the thing was speaking, it suddenly tilted its head rapidly, clacking as it shook it wildly. A saliva-like liquid streamed down from its mouth.
ㅡSsshh.
And then a speaker crackled from the side.
-Research Team Leader Gognijja integrity check in progress...
-Critical condition confirmed.
-...
-Management Bureau ID identified.
-Emergency protocol initiated.
-Transferring the management team leader's authority.
They're transferring authority?
With my whole body frozen as I listened to the broadcast...
ㅡClatter.
The monster that had introduced itself as Research Team Leader Gognijja raised an arm fused with machinery. Because of that, the Cheongak Mary Hospital medicine canister toppled over, and the medicine spilled out.
"Uh..."
The arm pointed to the side.
There was a door there.
A red door that looked dangerous at a glance.
"Go down..."
Go down.
"Go and... activate the reality re-recognition device..."
"The reality re-recognition device? What's that?"
A device that sounds like it ought to do something.
"Before everything gets eroded... now..."
"Tell me what happens if I activate it!"
"..."
There was no answer.
ㅡThump, thump!
My heart started pounding as if it would burst at this new development.
Activate something called the reality re-recognition device.
What happens if I turn that on?
What in the world is going to happen?
"Say something!"
When I asked again, the thing waved its arm about. Then it picked up the medicine canister and started eating the medicine inside like snacks again.
There was no answer.
"Hey!"
I couldn't communicate with it.
ㅡSquirm, squirm.
Before I knew it, the pink slime had crawled close to me. The slime that had been wriggling around at my feet moved to the red door and settled there.
ㅡBang, bang, bang!
The door of the lab's front entrance shook.
The monsters were right outside.
"Dammit! What do I do!"
In the midst of extreme confusion, the choices forced on me were just two.
Either stay here and let the door be broken through, dying again, or go to that red door, whatever it was, and activate this thing called the reality re-recognition device.
I had reached the lab, but all I'd learned was new information. Even if I searched here, it would probably be the same. Even if I went to the next round, it would likely be similar.
If I chose the former, I'd just die again.
But if I chose the latter... there'd be something.
ㅡBang, bang, bang!
The pounding sound hammered at my mind.
I hesitated.
"..."
What if all of this was a trap?
What if nothing could be trusted?
What if this bizarre phenomenon was driving me to activate whatever this reality re-recognition device was?
Endless suspicion welled up inside me. That suspicion was so reasonable and so fundamental. The only reason I didn't fully sink into it was because I knew that if I did nothing but doubt and refuse, I'd just die endlessly.
ㅡBang, bang, bang!
ㅡCreak!
At the creaking sound, I instinctively turned around.
A door, slightly open.
The moment I saw it, I felt goosebumps rise all over my body.
ㅡPeek.
Don't imagine it!
When I snapped my head around, I saw the pink slime that had been by the red door slinking toward the main entrance. Was that bastard seriously going to open the door for me?
Damn it!
ㅡWhoosh!
I immediately ran toward the red door.
And held my ID card to the lock.
-Authorization check.
With the chime, the door opened. At the same time, a faint light seeped out from inside. It was the first light I'd seen underground. Was light always this reassuring?
I walked into the dark like a bug drawn to the light. The door closed immediately, and I kept walking along the dim light.
I kept walking.
I went down the stairs.
An elevator appeared in front of me.
"..."
I stepped in.
There was a button, but I couldn't tell whether it went up or down. I pressed it.
ㅡVwoooom.
It felt like I was going down.
"...Have I arrived?"
The door opened.
A short corridor.
At the end of the corridor, a door could be seen.
"..."
I've come this far, so I guess I have no choice but to keep going.
I passed through the corridor and stood before the door.
ㅡBeep.
When I held up my ID card, the door opened.
The scene inside came into view.
"This is it...?"
Inside was a very large machine. It was so big I couldn't even tell whether it was a combination of several machines or just made as a single piece.
I walked up to the machine.
I held my ID card to what looked like a display.
(Checking...)
(Authority confirmed.)
As the machine activated, a new message appeared on the display.
(Would you like to activate the Reality Re-recognition Device?)
(YES/NO)
My hands tremble.
"If I activate this... what happens...!"
Is this really the right thing to do?
Maybe there was another way to resolve this phenomenon, and I'd just been racing toward the worst bad ending possible?
I couldn't tell what would happen if I pressed it. Doubt. Uncertainty. Fear of the unknown. All of it weighed on my shoulders. In the time that seemed to stand still, I reminded myself that since I'd come this far, I had no other choice.
I.
Pressed the button.
(YES)
.
.
.
.
.
* * *
[You have activated the Reality Re-recognition Device.]
.
.
.
[As a reward, you have gained 1 point.]
.
.
.
[You have unlocked a new achievement.]
[Achievement: Activated the Reality Re-recognition Device]
[As a reward, the 'title' feature has been unlocked.]
[You can now set a title.]
.
.
.
After reading all the message boxes, I opened my eyes.
"Ah."
My vision...
bright.
The elevator door was open, and the containment corridor was bright as daylight.
The pure-white strip lights lining the entire corridor ceiling were shining brightly, illuminating the containment area.
"This is the Management Bureau's underground containment facility."
I flinched at the voice that suddenly reached me.
When I looked up, I saw Mr. Spangdal's face.
"..."
I stared blankly at that face.
No shadow had suddenly fallen over it, and his head hadn't fallen off. He was just the same Mr. Spangdal I'd always seen.
Had I come back...?
"Grrong?"
What in the world was the mechanism behind this?
How did I get back here?
The survival message did appear... but I still couldn't make sense of any of it.
I went through all that, and the reward is 1 point?
And the achievement and title—what in the world is this bizarre...
I thought of the status window in my head.
ㅡDing.
——————————
[●Status Window]
Name: Kim Geunhong
Age: 24
Title: Not set
.
.
Round: 2
Death Count: 13
[●Death Count by Round]
[●Endings Collected]
[●Functions]
[●Resolution List]
[●Owned Abilities]
[●Point Shop]
[...]
——————————
...A title field had appeared below the age field.
Title.
As I thought about it, a new window appeared.
[●The One Who Activated the Reality Re-recognition Device]
[Would you like to set a title?]
I nodded.
[Title: The One Who Activated the Reality Re-recognition Device]
A title had been created.
"..."
That's all?
"Senior Spangdal."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"It's really nice to see your face in such a bright place. I'll do my best to learn from you today."
"You're full of enthusiasm, aren't you? Don't tell me you'll make a mistake and die because of it."
"Haha... I think I've already died about twice."
"Hehe, that's a funny joke."
I stepped forward with Mr. Spangdal.
Not dark.
A bright containment facility.
After a brief moment of thought, I asked.
"Senior Spangdal, I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"That... would it be okay to mention the Bureau's rulebook?"
"Of course."
"There was a rule that said if the lights go out, don't trust anything and run away. It said the Bureau's lights never go out."
"Just follow it as written."
"Yes. It said that if a bizarre phenomenon occurs at the Bureau, we should carry out the safety protocol."
"Yes. Follow what you've learned."
A natural answer.
So I asked.
"Hypothetically speaking, if this containment facility is underground, isn't it?"
"It is, isn't it?"
"If the basement lights went out... how should I escape?"
At this point, I grew very tense.
As I swallowed, I felt like my body had gone weightless.
How should I do this?
"Heh-heh-heh, I wondered what you were on about. What a serious question to ask."
Mr. Spangdal smiled slyly and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Over there, you just go out through that window, don't you?"
"Huh?"
When I looked where Mr. Spangdal was pointing...
There was a window.
On the corridor wall...
It looked like it had simply been stuck there as decoration.
A window whose ability to function was highly questionable.
"..."
That window...
I don't know how long it's been there.