Chapter 53
When I opened my eyes, a bright corridor came into view.
Reading the status window message still floating before my eyes, I felt both overwhelming joy and confusion.
The message said I survived, so I must have escaped somehow. I had finally gotten out of that hellish nightmare.
But... how?
The rising questions kept me from fully enjoying the relief.
Most of my original guesses had failed, and the new method I had been prepared to try at the risk of death had ended before it even began.
What was the reason the lights went out...
and what was the principle behind my escape?
It might be absurd to look for logical cause and effect in ghost stories or strange phenomena, but from my experience so far, even these bizarre occurrences definitely have a 'reason.' That's why the status window gives a resolution or survival judgment.
My last memory was diving through the window at Gognija's shout. I had no idea when that window had appeared there.
Why had the answer sheet I had been searching for all this time suddenly appeared?
There had to be a reason.
"Grong?"
"Gah!"
At the voice, I nearly rose onto my tiptoes in fright.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"Senior Spangdal...!"
When I turned around, I saw Spangdal. Wavy purple bob hair. An expressionless face. It was unmistakably Spangdal.
Wait.
Being in the elevator with Spangdal meant I was exactly at the point when I had come here to do quarantine work.
Why had I returned to this point?
If I survived... shouldn't I have awakened at the next point, when the basement was overflowing with madness? Could it be that I was here because I escaped by going through the window?
Whatever the reason... since I escaped, the Spangdal here is real.
A real person, not some anomaly or monster!
"What? Why are you suddenly so fidgety?"
Spangdal started saying something or other.
"Now that you've actually come down to the basement, are you scared? Heh-heh, you're such a coward."
It was the usual threatening or mocking behavior toward a junior, but in that moment I could feel an inhuman urge rising in me—the urge to hug Spangdal.
If I let my feelings explode here, would they accept it?
Spangdal in the dark had accepted everything. I wanted to test that. There were plenty of reasons to test it. Would the reaction be completely different, or the same? I felt it was very important to know. It was definitely not a strange reason.
"But when it comes to survival, being a coward is better..."
"Ngh!"
—Hug!
I couldn't hold back and hugged Spangdal.
"U-uh?! Kya! W-what are you doing...!"
At the same time a soft feeling enveloped my face, a fragrance of cosmetics spread all at once.
I was at the point of memorizing this cosmetics scent by heart.
"S-stop! Let go! You can't do this...!"
"Wait a second! I just can't calm down! Now that I've actually come down here, I'm a little scared!"
Time feels as though it has stretched on and on.
Will she push me away?
The next moment.
A familiar hand settled on my back.
"T-that's troublesome... Even if you're scared, suddenly doing this... no matter that I'm your senior, this kind of thing..."
Even as she said that, she was rubbing my back.
Ah.
Yeah.
This is it.
It's the exact same reaction.
That means even when the lights go out, the basics stay the same. It's the clearest proof that what I experienced wasn't a complete illusion or distortion.
"Could you let go already...? How long are you going to keep rubbing your face against me...?"
Even while saying that, Spangdal kept stroking my back. Her words and actions were a little odd, but at her core she was a kind senior.
I had briefly worried that her tone might suddenly change.
"I'm fine now. Thank you."
"Haa... why are you wiping your tears on my chest... What a timid junior you've brought in."
That didn't happen.
"Then let's start the quarantine work. I'll tell you in advance: I won't indulge your whining anymore. That'd be no different from doing the work of a bird or turtle trying to hatch from its egg for it."
"An egg has to be broken by itself. Very true."
"Mm, you know it well."
Spangdal moved ahead and began explaining.
"This underground quarantine facility contains a wide variety of anomalies. The quarantine team manages them and also obtains resources from them. That's what we're doing today."
I had already heard the explanation, but I nodded and chimed in anyway.
"Resources, huh. It doesn't seem normal for such bizarre beings to give those."
"It depends on how you use them. Of course, the moment you make a mistake, you'll die. If a coward like you so much as lets your hand shake, then that's it..."
"Senior Spangdal. That's scary. Saying things like that."
"U-uh, right. I mean don't make mistakes."
She looked like she was about to shift into a disdainful expression, but my words made it soften right away.
"Then let's get started."
"Yes. By the way, where are we?"
"This is where the Tooth Tree is quarantined."
So we're starting with this after all...
Spangdal went inside.
Wait.
We're going in together?
At first, she hadn't even gone in with me—she had shoved me in alone.
Did something change?
Because the lights are on and everything is normal?
No, that can't be it.
Whether the lights are off or on, her personality would stay the same. She's probably just going along with me because I said I was scared at first.
It depends on how I act.
"This is something whose teeth keep growing. Horrible and gross, right? Since they keep growing, you have to periodically pull the teeth out. Like this."
After pulling a thorn from her fingertip, Spangdal deftly pulled out the teeth.
"I understand. I'll do it."
"Good."
I immediately grabbed the tools and pulled the teeth out myself. Since I'd done it once before, I could finish it easily.
"Well done. Now take it and follow me."
"Yes. Goodness. There are so many monsters like this in the world."
"That's right. But things like the Tooth Tree are just very safe and ordinary. The quarantine team handles much more dangerous things, you know?"
"This is only a tutorial?"
"Yes."
I wondered how far back I had come by clearing this tutorial.
"Now, next we're going to meet the Tooth Fairy... I think I can let you do this one alone."
Spangdal placed a finger on her lips as if she were considering it.
"Go ahead and try it."
"Really? I'm doing it alone?"
When I stared at her face.
"Should I do it with you after all...? Do you need help?"
"No. I was being too much of a coward just now. If Senior Spangdal judged that I can do it alone, then it should be fine. I'll show you what I can do."
"Good. Do that. If you'd asked me for help again, I would have been disappointed."
If I remember correctly, she definitely made some malicious joke at this point too. I guess the kinder Spangdal doesn't say things like that.
And so I entered the Tooth Fairy's quarantine room alone.
Before passing through the double doors, the familiar rule book greeted me. That damn gift box had Spangdal's head pop out of it before. It wasn't Anpanman or anything, so what the heck was that supposed to be?
"Alone, huh."
I was alone for a moment.
Let's use this opening to do a few things.
Status window.
—Flash.
——————————
[●Status Window]
Name: Grong
Title: The One Who Activated the Reality Re-recognition Device
.
.
Loop: 2
Deaths: 15
[●Death Count by Loop]
[●Collected Endings]
[●Functions]
[●Resolved List]
[●Owned Abilities]
[●Point Shop]
[...]
——————————
Fifteen deaths. I really did die a hell of a lot.
And the reward for all that was 2,000 points, right? Now that the confusion had settled a little, I could feel intense anger boiling up.
I went through all that god-awful suffering, and all I got was 2,000 points...!
If I think about it differently, that must mean it was that difficult. They'd only give this many points for a simple survival judgment.
Still, what on earth is that title?
I still couldn't figure it out.
Anyway.
[●Points Held: 4,001]
I currently had 4,001 points. Because of that last 1, it was an extremely awkward number, but whatever the case, I could do a lot with this many points.
Should I lower my death count by 2?
Or should I draw a new ability?
"..."
I still had no idea what effect my death count had on me. Besides, I died far too many times this time. At this point I felt like there should be some noticeable effect... but I couldn't see one right now.
Should I lower it?
Besides, even if it was a new ability, I didn't have high expectations.
Even with the detection ability, I don't know what counts as something detectable, and I can't even use it at will. What if another useless ability like that comes out? Would spending 3,000 points really be the right decision?
That was what I thought, but...
"Yeah."
Let's draw one more.
Something unexpectedly good might come out.
Even if I draw this, I'll still have 1,001 points saved.
Use ability draw!
—Flash!
——————————
[...][...][...]
[...][...][...]
[...][...][...]
——————————
The same random box as last time greeted me. Which one should I choose? Last time I picked the one in the center. So this time, the first slot.
—Ding!
[You have acquired a new ability.]
[You can now act exactly as you did in the past.]
What?
I can act exactly as I did in the past?
What does that mean?
There was no detailed explanation like before. I could only infer from it. Being able to act the same as in the past... could it mean I can reproduce the exact words and actions I used in previous loops?
Let's test it.
The moment I resolved to activate the ability, I felt my memories come flooding back vividly. After perfectly preparing to handle the Tooth Fairy assignment, I went inside the double doors and carried out the task exactly as I had in the past.
And so I received the gift box and came back out.
"Clap, clap, clap. Well done. Congratulations on completing the two safest tasks in the Bureau's quarantine team."
"It was an easy job."
"They're low-risk quarantine subjects anyone could handle. Still, I was nervous. I thought you might thank them."
The conversation from my memory.
I completely understood the new ability. So this is how it's used... I wasn't sure whether it was useful, but at least it was more definite and intuitive than the detection ability.
Are there no limits to the ability?
I'll test it whenever I can.
"Then let's go to the lab."
"Yes."
For now, I followed Spangdal to the lab.
The lab...
Gognija and Dejure should be there.
I wonder if the red door will be there.
Or not.
Or maybe there will be a window?
Feeling that unease, I entered the lab with Spangdal.
The mad scientist came into view the moment I stepped inside.
"Oh! Are you the new recruit? Nice to meet you! I'm Gognija, head of the research team!"
"Hello. I'm the new agent, Grong."
"Grong! I look forward to working with you!"
As I exchanged greetings like that.
I checked that spot, feeling tense.
"...!"
A window...!
There is one!
There's something in the shape of a window!
This bothered me, so I asked Gognija right away.
"Yes. But... what's that? There's a window-like thing in a rather odd place. It doesn't seem like something that should be in a basement."
"Ah, that's an emergency escape device!"
"An emergency escape device?"
"The lab is underground, isn't it! It's a place where it's a little hard to run if something happens! That's why there's an emergency escape device!"
"..."
"Of course, I've never used it! Hah hah hah hah!"
This is...
I really couldn't figure it out.
After that, the conversation continued much like before, and Dejure appeared. I checked the Tooth Fairy's box with Dejure. The same animal-bone-like thing as last time came out.
"B-b-but, junior, you seem very obedient..."
She was just as timid as ever.
"Well, I should listen carefully to my seniors. I'm still learning, after all."
"T-then would you like to come to the quarantine team...?"
The conversation about joining the quarantine team also proceeded exactly the same.
"H-honestly, Senior Spangdal is weird... I-it's better to run... She's scary... that woman..."
Her fear of Spangdal was the same too.
But seeing this made me think a lot.
Our Dejure is extremely timid by nature. Both her shrinking posture and her shy manner show it. She's just a coward by nature.
That pink slime was definitely Dejure.
Even though she's this scared...
Back then, she threw herself in to help me.
Because of that, Dejure feels very familiar to me. Even though she's so frightened, she showed self-sacrificial devotion.
Is she a senior I can trust?
"Thank you for thinking well of me. Still, I only just got here, so I can't apply for a transfer now."
"I-is that so...?"
"Yes. Still, Senior Dejure."
"S-senior...? Ehehe... yes."
"Our departments are different, but I'd like to ask you for advice often from now on. Would that be all right? To get used to the Bureau, I desperately need help from someone like Senior Dejure."
"My help...!"
Dejure trembled all over.
"O-of course! I-I'll teach you better than Spangdal will...!"
"Thank you."
And so, after wrapping up the conversation, I left the examination room.
On the way back.
Spangdal spoke first.
"You were surprised that strange bone came out, right?"
"Yes. I was."
"You can't really see the point of imprisoning the Tooth Fairy just to get bones, can you?"
"That's true too."
"Actually, the beast bone is a dud. The real prize is... an agent's organs or bones, or something like that."
So she's telling me this first.
Spangdal explained that while on duty, agents sometimes have their organs stolen by anomalies, and for reasons unknown, the Tooth Fairy brings them back.
So I asked.
"That's terrifying. Then are there any agents who have had their organs stolen right now?"
"Yes. There are two in the suppression team right now."
"Two? Who are they?"
"Daganto, Jequion."
Daganto, Jequion?
I've definitely heard those names before... Ah!
"They were caught during a mission. They're on standby in a cryogenic state now."
They were part of the Gorgodio trio set that Section Manager Jo Seongchun had mentioned. He definitely talked about them merging or something, so those two had been caught too? Then is Gorgodio the reason it can't merge and ends up split in half all the time?
With those thoughts in mind, I went back up to the office.
"Oh my, Grong's here? You went to experience quarantine duty, right? How was it? Did you see Dejure?"
"Ah, Senior Jamtree."
The moment I came in, Ms. Jamtree welcomed me with a bright smile. It felt like I'd seen this senior's face in a long time too... but maybe that was just because I'd just been rubbing myself against Spangdal?
I could smell cosmetics on Ms. Jamtree too.
After I had a similar conversation with Ms. Jamtree as last time, Jaaldi approached me. Last time, he definitely gave me a light bit of encouragement and sent me home from work.
I figured it would go roughly the same this time too.
"You successfully completed your first assignment. Now you're a proper full-fledged agent too."
"What did you say?"
Huh.
A full-fledged agent...?
He didn't say that last time, did he?
"How was it? The utterly suspicious underground quarantine facility?"
Jaaldi came closer and grabbed my shoulder.
Come to think of it, Jaaldi is the deputy director.
He probably knows...
a great deal.
"I'd like to hear your impressions."