Chapter 52
The scene I've seen so many times welcomes me.
This is an extremely dangerous place. Dangerous enough that I've already pointlessly burned through five lives worth 2,000 points each.
Just counting the number of deaths, it feels worse than the hospital and the giant. Will I get points if I escape or solve this? If not, this is a tremendous loss.
My thoughts race.
I suspect the main culprit in the current situation is the neck-yanking ghost.
If so, I have to learn about this ghost before I can make any progress. The people who might know are... Spangdal and Gognija. Manager Jo Seongchun said he didn't know.
Should I talk to Spangdal first?
Maybe Spangdal can tell me something before getting twisted.
If that fails, I can go find Gognija.
Gognija.
Gognija kept saying the window was the answer.
Why?
I just found out that simply going through the window isn't the answer. Is even Gognija deceiving me? Has Gognija been eroded by this situation and started muttering that the window is the answer to trick me?
Let's think a little more.
I did see something that keeps me from concluding it was all a lie.
The medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital.
Gognija kept picking it up and eating it, and was able to communicate with me to some extent.
And that pink slime too... At first I thought it was trying to open the door, but seeing it caught up in the destruction, I think it was trying to block the door for me.
In conclusion, Gognija communicated with me while eating the medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital, and the pink slime was trying to help me.
So for now, I can consider one possibility.
The medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital. Could it have some function that resists contamination or erosion? I'm not certain, but I feel like medicine from that hospital could do something like that. It makes me want to see Dr. Kim Seonghan.
Whatever the case, simply barging through the window is the wrong answer. But entering through the window after meeting some condition might be the right answer.
All right, let's begin.
"Senior Spangdal!"
I ambushed Spangdal and hugged Spangdal.
"Huh? Why... Ah!"
A cute little shriek.
A powdery scent spreading all at once.
I can feel softness and warmth.
In my experience, Spangdal was fine up to this point. I don't want to do this out of nowhere either, but I have no choice if I'm going to solve this situation. This is absolutely not for any other purpose. It's merely a tactical decision to buy time.
"W-why are you suddenly doing this... Y-you can't do this... W-where are you rubbing your face..."
"I'm so scared! I'm trembling all over because I'm afraid!"
"You're afraid...?"
As expected, Spangdal stroked my back even while speaking as if troubled. It was completely different from the harsh things Spangdal usually said to juniors. Did Spangdal become this kind because of being an anomaly? They say ghosts act in the opposite way, don't they?
Or would the normal Spangdal react this way too?
Really.
Every time this happens, I find myself wishing Spangdal would just stay normal. If Spangdal could communicate like Gognija, maybe we could solve this situation through a conversation...
Wait.
Gognija?
"Ah!"
C-could it be...!
If I fed Spangdal the medicine from Cheongak Mary Hospital, could I restore Spangdal's mind? Was that the key to solving this?!
A new idea.
A plausible method occurred to me from an entirely unexpected place. I immediately revised my plan. I had originally intended to investigate the neck-yanking ghost, but giving Spangdal the medicine seemed like a good idea too.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Whew... Yes. I'm all right because Senior Spangdal comforted me."
"Look, this isn't right. You suddenly hugging your senior like this could cause problems."
"I know."
"Th-then could you let go now...? And please stop rubbing your face against me..."
Is it about time?
"Wait. There's still some fear left."
"What?"
"Senior Spangdal. What if a ghost suddenly appears?"
"A ghost?"
"A ghost with a completely white face and a long neck. It seems like it'll keep yanking my neck. What should I do if one appears?"
"That
is
what
I
mean."
I didn't expect a thing, you thorny monster bitch!
ㅡWham!
"
Gr
ong
ah, what
are
you
do
ing
?
I
hugged
you
so
gent
ly,
and
you do this."
I immediately shook off the leg sweep and fled as if my life depended on it.
It was warm, if only for a moment, Senior!
"Graaah!"
First, I have to find Manager Jo Seongchun!
To be honest, he isn't much help. From his bearing and knowledge, I can tell he's a fairly capable agent, but right now he's nothing more than a captured prisoner. He doesn't even have a weapon.
But there's one absolute reason I need Manager Jo Seongchun.
Tanking!
Even so, with two of us, we should be able to avoid the neck-yanking ghost and reach the lab safely.
ㅡBeep!
I hurried into the place where Manager Jo Seongchun was imprisoned.
"Manager Jo Seongchun? Could that really be you?!"
"What...? Who's calling me... Huh? It's not an entity?!"
"I'm asking if it's you!"
"I-it is! It's me! Manager Jo Seongchun! Then who are you!"
I quickly freed Manager Jo Seongchun from the restraints in the darkness.
"I'm Lee Seungcheol, an Administration Bureau agent! The Vacuum Operation has begun! And so has the operation to rescue you, Manager Jo Seongchun!"
"What! The Vacuum Operation has begun! Then you found the location of this fake Administration Bureau and launched an all-out attack?!"
"That's right!"
"At last...!"
Freed, Manager Jo Seongchun raised a fist in delight, reveling in his joy. Of course, it was all a lie. From now on, I was going to keep deceiving him.
For a moment, I felt as if I'd become an anomaly that deceives people. By regressing over and over, I was filling the same person with false hope and tricking that person into walking to their death.
I'm overthinking it.
"Let's go for now! This is the fake Administration Bureau's underground detention facility! We have to find a way out!"
"Understood...!"
This time, I took the lead.
Even so, I didn't take my eyes off Manager Jo Seongchun. Manager Jo Seongchun might suddenly turn into a lung with a mouth, after all. If I looked away for no reason, that might happen.
Come to think of it, I'd kept Manager Jo Seongchun in my field of vision the whole time in the previous loop.
"Hey! Which way do we go!"
"I honestly don't know the details! We have no choice but to find a way out!"
"Is this an anomalous phenomenon that distorts space!"
He understood my vague words perfectly.
And so, as we ran in search of the lab...
ㅡPeek.
Just as expected.
A snow-white face began peeking out from around the corner.
"Oh, fuck! It's an anomalous phenomenon! Hey! Run the other way!"
"Yes!"
Manager Jo Seongchun quickly turned and ran. I followed right behind, sprinting away. But just like in the previous loop, a white face kept peeking out from every corner.
"This is driving me crazy! It's appearing at every corner! Do we have to fight it!"
Manager Jo Seongchun rolled up his sleeves and violently undid his tie. He looked pretty damn cool doing it, but I'd already seen this bastard get killed instantly by that ghost.
"Fight what! Just focus on running!"
"Huh!"
I grabbed the manager by the neck and yanked the manager back as the manager tried to step forward.
I'd recruited Manager Jo Seongchun as the tank for my Grong Party, but I couldn't let the manager die pointlessly.
The more I can preserve my spare lives, the better.
"Save that for the very end! Let's run for now! We can't win anyway!"
"What do you mean, we can't win, you bastard! I'm Manager Jo Seongchun of the Administration Bureau!"
So what, you bastard!
"The entities I've beaten alone would circle the Earth in single file..."
"You're empty-handed!"
"W-well, I do need my special electric truncheon, my soul mate, for that. Ah, but it was confiscated too. Can't we find it somehow?"
Is this guy seriously worried about that right now?
At least I learned that Manager Jo Seongchun uses some strange weapon.
Anyway.
Even though the neck-yanking ghost is scary, we can still escape somehow. I always died at moments of absolute desperation.
ㅡPeek.
"Turn!"
Every time Peekaboo appeared, I changed direction.
And then, at some point.
ㅡSaaaa.
Windows began appearing along the corridor walls. Hundreds of ominous windows with pure-white hands shooting out of them.
"Gasp! Don't let that thing grab you!"
"I know that much! Ah, over there!"
How long had we been running?
The lab was visible up ahead!
"What's that place?"
"Let's go, for now!"
One final burst of speed.
The instant I arrived in front of the lab, I took out my ID card and scanned it.
The door opened, and I went inside.
"What is this...!"
The moment we entered, I saw Gognija eating medicine while fused with the display, and the pink slime scurrying around in circles along a donut-shaped path.
"Where are we? But you! What's that! That card-like thing! How do you have it!"
Manager Jo Seongchun looked around briefly, then turned hostile toward me and assumed a fighting stance.
Had he seen through my lie because of the ID card?
I knew he had good instincts.
"It's something like a card I recovered from the enemy entities. I was able to come down here with it."
"What...?"
I just gave him a rough answer. There was no point in deceiving him any further. Now I had to ask Gognija for advice about the current situation.
ㅡBOOM!
Just then, the lab door shook violently.
ㅡscuttle scuttle scuttle!
After bobbing once, the pink slime scurried toward the door. Then it clung to it as if fusing with the door.
So it was blocking it after all.
If so, then Gognija must also...
"Isolation Team Leader! Are you using that medicine to keep your mind clear!"
"Yes... you... hurry... through the window..."
There it was again, the window!
"Where is the window!"
"The window..."
I couldn't see any window.
Gognija kept repeating only "window," as if Gognija had broken down.
"How can I survive the white ghost that yanks necks in the ghost story!"
"Window..."
Fuck!
Communication wasn't working!
"Give me that medicine, at least!"
To give the medicine to Spangdal, I had to take it away from Gognija.
I'd figure out how to do that afterward.
The moment I approached Gognija like that...
ㅡKRAKABOOM!
The door shattered, and soft pink liquid sprayed out with the fragments. When I turned around, entities were coming in. Manager Jo Seongchun must have already recognized me as an enemy, because Manager Jo Seongchun was hiding far away behind the research equipment.
Then the entire lab became covered in ominous windows.
ㅡPeek.
The neck-yanking ghost peeked out.
"Gr
o
ng
ah,
you
were
here
?
"
A pitch-black Spangdal entered.
"Is that Spangdal?!"
Manager Jo Seongchun cried out in surprise.
"And Grong...? That strange name couldn't possibly be...!"
Manager Jo Seongchun stared at me in shock.
"Could that be your codename...!"
"Ah."
So Manager Jo Seongchun had found out after all.
Come to think of it, this was the first time Manager Jo Seongchun had figured it out. At the very beginning, hadn't Manager Jo Seongchun said that introducing yourself would register you in the Administration Bureau database? That's why I hadn't exchanged names with Manager Jo Seongchun.
"That's it!"
It was the moment Manager Jo Seongchun shouted.
ㅡCrack.
ㅡCrackle crackle!
"Huh?"
My vision suddenly began to shake.
No.
It felt as though everything was warping and twisting wildly.
"What...?"
What had happened to me?
This was the first time.
The distortion in my vision made me feel as if I might fall. And the flashes kept bursting, making me feel as if a night watchman were repeatedly blasting my eyes with blinding flashes while I slept...
"Get out through the window!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
At that moment, Gognija's mouth flew wide open, and an unbelievable shriek burst out. In a scene where everything in the world seemed to be collapsing.
I could see a window.
In the place that had originally connected to the Reality Reperception Device.
Where the red door had been.
There was a window instead of a door.
"When did that get there...?"
Before I could think.
I was already running toward the window.
Could that be the right window?
"U-uaaaaaah!"
The moment I threw myself at the window, practically screaming.
The entire world turned white.
.
.
.
ㅡDing
.
.
.
[You survived the 'Lights-Out Management Bureau.']
.
.
.
[You survived the ghost story 'The Woman Who Yanks Your Neck and Turns Your Face White.']
.
.
.
[Calculating points...]
[You have acquired 2,000 points as a reward.]