Chapter 56
Eek! Who's there!
The moment I shattered that window and climbed inside, a scream burst reflexively from my mouth.
Inside, there was someone!
No, if it was going to be like this, they shouldn't have pretended no one was home!
What the...
In the darkness, I could make out a pale figure. But looking closer, something felt off. Was it a person? A woman's body? Beneath her black underwear, I could see bare skin covered in faintly glowing crimson tattoo-like markings.
What kind of satanic fiend are you?
A woman's voice replied,
ㅡPaaat!
And the next moment, the nearly naked tattooed woman flew at me.
Something was in her hand, and the moment I leaned back and raised an arm to defend myself,
ㅡThunk!
My forearm made a thunking sound, and my body was struck so hard it almost bounced backward.
Guh...!
Thunk?
Self-damage!
Who hits someone's arm with a hammer...!
Hey, wait! Hold on a second!
A person...?
The woman lightly hopped back, retreating a good distance.
Even as I was astonished by my forearm's defense, I shouted,
I'm someone who came to see you! I'm not a robber or a thief!
Then get out.
No, let's talk! It's important!
Get out! Can't you see I'm not wearing clothes!
Ah.
Yes.
I obediently went outside.
And so I waited in that awkward silence.
She was a nun.
I never would have guessed she'd be naked. Still, she's kind of scary. To have those bright red glowing tattoos on bare skin—at this point, isn't that even more vicious than irezumi? So she's not human after all, but a half-vampire?
ㅡClick.
I heard the lights come on and the lock release. When I opened the door cautiously, the nun, now dressed in casual clothes, was glaring at me with her arms crossed.
Hello.
What is it with that arm? How are you still fine after being hit by my cross?
The nun was holding a cross about twenty centimeters long. So it wasn't hammered with a hammer; I got hit with that instead. It looked like the sort of cross that came with bonus holy damage.
But my arm?
Come to think of it.
When I rolled up the sleeve of my agent suit, I saw that my arm was bruised.
What the hell?
How did it make a thunk sound instead of a smack or a whack?
Was my body reinforced at some point?
I poked it a few times, but it only hurt because of the bruise.
Maybe the agent suit's defense is just really strong.
Whatever the case, she must have realized I wasn't an ordinary human.
This suit is a bit special.
The Administration Bureau?
Oh! You know about it!
...
The nun stared at me again.
Why would the Administration Bureau... No, more importantly. You look vaguely familiar.
An awfully aggressive tone.
As far as I remember, the nun I met during the Giant Apocalypse was a little kinder.
Come to think of it.
If there were anyone kind enough to be polite to an intruder who broke in at night, they'd either be truly insane or a serial killer who was in a very good mood because prey had wandered in of its own accord. The latter seems especially likely. Besides, I hear even serial killers choose their targets carefully. Visitors they don't want would be a nuisance to them too.
You remember me. I'm the one who came to buy a cross last time.
That vampire hunter? You were an agent of the Administration Bureau?
The nun's green eyes widened.
Back then, I was a civilian. I got worn down by vampire-related troubles and ended up joining the Bureau.
I explained it in a way that would make sense. I wasn't about to give a lengthy explanation about giants and hospitals in this situation.
Hmm... I see.
The nun tilted her head.
I thought you were a vampire hunter. So you were brought into the Bureau.
Yes. But back then, I don't think I was very suspicious. You already thought I was a vampire hunter?
Usually, yes.
Usually?
People who suddenly buy a huge amount of crosses and seem somehow strange or anxious are usually like that. It's part of the job, so I can tell.
I had heard there was a vampire hunter group.
I do want to meet them sometime.
They're definitely good people.
If I complain about the vampire trouble I've had, they'll surely welcome me warmly. Maybe they'll even throw a party for me, or play board games with me. Thinking that, those vampire hunters whose faces I didn't even know suddenly felt very familiar. They probably all wear those birthday cone hats, right? The funniest one among them would be the one wearing horn-rimmed glasses.
This is crazy... I suddenly wanted to meet them as soon as possible.
If I ask this nun to introduce me sometime, will she?
So that's how it is after all. When ordinary people come face-to-face with those vicious vampire bastards, they just end up falling into madness. That's why you buy so many crosses.
That's right. And now is the sort of time when that would happen. Still, you.
Yes?
How did you find me? There must be a reason, right?
Ah.
Come to think of it, at this point I don't know she's a nun. The last time I saw her was at the Christian goods store. It would be a little strange if I suddenly came looking for her after becoming an agent.
Should I explain it with the Bureau's intelligence network...? No. The Bureau told us to stay away from religious people, so I'd better approach this carefully.
As you suspected me of being a vampire hunter, I was thinking something similar as well.
What?
Actually, I have a kind of extrasensory perception.
Extrasensory perception?
I sensed something when I saw you back then too. And after joining the Bureau and working there, I gradually figured out your identity.
Go on.
From being at that Christian goods store too... you're one of those 'special religious people,' aren't you?
At that, the nun nodded.
Well, if it's the Bureau, I suppose you'd know. Sit down. If you came looking for me, I can guess roughly what you're here to talk about.
Yes.
I went over and sat on the sofa.
Before that, let me clear away the window.
Of course you should be the one to clean that up. No, why would you just break the window when you could simply knock? Are you possessed by Satan?
I just got a little too carried away acting like an agent...
Besides, my urge to leap through any window I see still hasn't healed. You could call it a kind of PTSD.
It'd only be cured if someone like Senior Spangdal actively embraced me. Of course, if he suddenly turned into a black shape, things would only get worse. Thinking about that, meeting vampire hunters and having fun with them seems like the best option after all. What kind of games do they play to enjoy themselves? I've learned plenty of board games in the military too. I want to show them my skills soon.
How nice would it be if I got acknowledged as someone with interesting skills in the vampire hunter group.
ㅡSwish.
While thinking that, I swept up the broken glass, and only after cleaning the window completely could I sit on the sofa.
I'll get straight to the point. I found an area where vampires are expected to show up.
Oh-ho.
The nun showed interest.
In the first place, the reason a special religious person like you would come to this country is limited. What else would it be besides devils or vampires?
So you know at least a little.
It's the Administration Bureau. We keep track of things happening in the country.
One convenience of being an agent.
You can just say things in a roundabout way, and the other side will understand on their own.
Anyway. I'd like to talk a bit about those vampires. They need to be dealt with.
Let me think for a moment.
The nun closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side. After a moment like that, she opened them and said,
Hmm, I don't really want to cooperate with you.
Huh?
Why?
So let's do it like this. I'll give you my contact information, so tell me the location. I can go anywhere in Korea in no time, so I'll handle it myself.
Ah, so you're saying there's no need for anything formal like an alliance, and if I just tell you the location, you'll act independently?
Wouldn't that be easier for both of us?
This is actually a good offer for me.
I wanted to save Jinseop, and I also wanted to create the nun as a variable so he wouldn't die when fighting vampires.
But the problem is the Bureau isn't completely on friendly terms with the Vatican, and they told me not to contact them carelessly. In a situation like this, me initiating contact first would be not just strange, but outright disobedience.
So I was trying to persuade her about that, and the nun herself made this offer first.
Honestly, things are going well.
Understood. Then let's do it that way. But... what should I call you?
Just call me Sister.
A nun, then. In any case, Sister. Will you be all right on your own? No matter how you look at it, a vampire sighting area is going to be very dangerous. Vampires and ghouls can appear in large numbers. You could practically call it a war zone. Shootouts are standard.
Hahaha, and I was wondering what you were going to say.
ㅡBANG!
Gah!
Suddenly, the nun slammed the tabletop with the cross she was holding.
ㅡClatter!
Then the drawer in the table shot open, and to my amazement, it was storing all kinds of firearms...!
You crazy spy bastard!
You've hidden weapons Dvořák-style!
You seem more professional than you guys. In the matter of vampire hunting.
That's really Van Helsing and then some... or maybe Constantine?
Yeah. Van Helsing. Ah, do you mean the film, or the anime?
I've watched both.
Nice. You should watch lots of good things.
I like Stephen Sommers, so...
Stephen Sommers is a legendary filmmaker said to be on par with Steven Spielberg in Europe.
Who? But you.
You know about the movie Van Helsing, but you don't know Stephen Sommers?
I question the nun's taste.
Yes.
You saw it, right?
What?
My body.
Ah.
Just keep quiet about that.
Ah, she meant the tattoos.
I'll believe they're proof of religious asceticism.
...
The nun's eyes narrowed.
Here, contact information.
Yes.
Contact me there. If you just call, I can come right away.
Understood. Then I'll be on my way. I hope we can meet as allies on the battlefield.
What? Where do you think you're going? You have to pay for the window before you leave.
I forgot about that.
You're right. Please present the bill.
How dare you ask for the first offer? You first.
No, what...
In the end, I could only leave after paying 300,000 won for the window.
Our nun sure knows Korean culture well.
* * *
The next morning.
Feeling a great deal of tension and pressure, I went to work at the Administration Bureau. By the timing of it, I expected to hear about vampires today.
I don't think everything that happened after the reality-recognition device activated was just a simple hallucination. It definitely has a real connection to reality. Today vampires are going to appear, and then I'll probably meet that mosquito bitch again.
I can't not be nervous...
I'm insanely curious about what reaction that mosquito bitch will have this time. Will she remember yelling at me to wake up? Or does she have no memory of that and will just be hostile to me?
Either way, both are horror.
That will be revealed today.
Ah? Good morning, Grongy Grong. Good morning.
When I entered the office, Ms. Jamtree greeted me with a bright smile. Her warm welcome made me smile too.
Good morning, Senior Jamtree. Good morning.
Mm-hmm. Let's do our best together today too.
Yes. I'll work hard. Give me any task. I'm always ready to live the diligent life of the youngest.
Heh-heh-heh, you're full of motivation. As expected, you're reliable. I'll make coffee for you first. Same as yesterday?
I'll gratefully drink it!
Right away, Ms. Jamtree made the coffee for me.
Here. Coffee.
Heh heh heh, it looks so delicious.
Mix coffee with condensed milk.
It can't help but be sweet.
After one sip, the sweetness spread all through my mouth.
Chok-chok-chok.
Ms. Jamtree poked my neck with her fingertip while I was drinking the coffee, making a chok-chok-chok sound. Looking at it, it feels more like Ms. Jamtree, not Spangdal, is the one with the spike powers.
Grongy, it's your official first day, but you still don't know a lot, right? Today big sister will teach you. Our General Response Team handles a bit of everything. You'll learn about the job overall.
Memory is important, huh. I'll make sure to memorize everything thoroughly through training like it's the real thing.
I could clearly feel that the conversation was different from the previous timeline.
Heh-heh, Grongy already has good discipline. Cute. Then let's start with the work you can do in the office. Come on, sit here next to big sister.
Yes.
I moved over and sat next to Ms. Jamtree's seat.
Are we touring the shopping mall like this?
Then for now, I guess the process is the same.
You saw big sister do it last time, right? To explain again, there are also bizarre things that spread through the internet. Cheongak Mary Hospital, which Grongy experienced—its recruitment notice was probably a paranormal phenomenon too.
I see.
Ghost bastards really post job openings on the internet too, what a rotten world... But come to think of it, what were my predecessor guard and successor guard? I still can't tell whether they were human or a bizarre thing called a guard.
Look. Here, you see the Administration Bureau program, right? It scans the web, and if something strange is detected... see? It says something has popped up on this shopping mall.
Oooh.
The explanation is much more detailed than last time.
That's probably because I'm not a rookie anymore.
ㅡTap tap.
Ms. Jamtree quickly manipulated the mouse and keyboard.
With that, the bizarre thing posted on the shopping mall disappeared.
This is how you do it.
So it completely disappears?
Hmm, not exactly.
So it's not complete eradication.
Still, it's a relief that you can catch it like this. If we just catch it in time, it seems safe.
Unfortunately, we can't catch everything. We handle the ones we detect like this and then have to quickly check the places that seem suspicious. That's why we missed the hospital's recruitment post.
So that's the behind-the-scenes story.
Anyway, this is how it's done. The program keeps running, so Grongy should be able to do it too, right?
Yes. From what I can see, the program assists you, and you just have to do what it tells you. Is it okay if I do it when Senior Jamtree is away from her seat?
You're quick to understand as expected. I really like having such a cheerful kid like Grongy join us. Still, if it starts getting difficult or you feel something's off while you're doing it, tell me right away, okay?
Yes.
You're such a good kid.
Saying that, Ms. Jamtree lightly stroked my hair. But then something she had said last time suddenly came to mind.
But, Senior Jamtree. There's a place called the World Politics board.
Uh, uh?
Is there really something there?
Hmm... well, that place...
There.
'Release Section Chief Jo Seongchun...!'
'Division Chief Lee Do-hyeong, legend.jpg'
'Do these Administration Bureau bastards have company dinners here???'
What happens if you post something like that?
ㅡJiiing.
At that moment, the door opened.
Everyone's here, I see. An emergency has occurred. All General Response Team members, deploy.
The moment Jaldi said that and walked in, I felt that what had to come had come.
An emergency? What happened?
I stood up almost simultaneously with Ms. Jamtree.
Vampires have appeared.
Vampires...!
Last timeline, before saying this, Jaldi had mentioned that I was a rookie and said he would keep me on standby.
But this time, he didn't say that.
Grong. This can be called your first external assignment. That place is a dangerous zone. Don't let your guard down.
Understood.
If you get too carried away, you could die right away. If a vampire bites you, there's no medicine for it. That's the end of it. Whether you can really do this properly there, Grong...
Spangdal sidled up beside me and was about to mutter something ominous and vicious,
Please trust me, Senior Spangdal! I'll handle whatever comes my way thoroughly!
Th-that kind of confidence is the problem. Don't get too fired up. If you rush in with nothing but enthusiasm, then really...
I immediately struck at the kindness hidden deep within Spangdal and took him down in one blow.