Chapter 37
“But, Team Leader.”
“Why do you only ask questions while eating and not when you’re working?”
Research Team Leader Choi Min-su looked at the new hire who had been there for a month.
He was still clueless; 9 years and 11 months ago, Choi had probably been the same.
“Uh... aren’t we feeding people into the grinder for quota?”
“That’s right.”
Choi Min-su nodded.
Even at the Gwanak Branch alone, they were feeding at least 100 Class N personnel and human-rights-waiver employees into the grinder every day.
Add in the Seoul-area Bureau and the suddenly appearing entities, and they were probably grinding through a good 1,000 people a day.
“If a thousand people disappear every day, wouldn’t the country be in danger?”
“That’s right.”
In a year, that was 365,000 people. 0.7% of the total population—moreover, mostly young people disappearing.
Realistically, it was an impossible number for the world to keep running normally.
It was only natural for a rookie who hadn’t yet been steeped in Bureau ways to find that strange.
“But, Yoon Deok.”
“Yes?”
“Where are we working right now?”
“The Bureau.”
“Then why are you still saying only sensible things?”
His gaze turned to the monitor showing the isolation room of ‘Why Are You Luckier Than Me?’
“Read me that guy’s details—the one over there rolling gacha.”
At Choi Min-su’s words, the newbie rummaged through the HR files.
“Uh, let’s see... Yoon Jong-pil, Class N personnel, 24 years old....”
“Wrong. That guy’s name is Michael Jimmy, 26 years old, and he’s American.”
“Huh?”
“Michael Jimmy, who went through bodily modification and reconstruction and believes he’s Yoon Jong-pil.”
Choi Min-su considered explaining the 606 Treaty, but dismissed the thought.
“There’s no point in knowing things early when you’ll learn them later anyway, so just roll with it.”
The newbie seemed shocked by Choi Min-su’s words, puckering his trembling lips a few times before speaking.
“...Why do we have to feed the entities this much?”
“Because then they won’t run wild or break the rules on their own.”
Whether the reason was food, entertainment, or experimentation.
“Every entity has its own conditions and requirements. Management means satisfying them.”
Choi Min-su’s gaze returned to the monitor.
“For example, if we don’t give that bastard anyone to gacha against, he’ll escape and kill everyone in the Gwanak Branch who has a phone.”
“...That’s everyone, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. If you had to choose between exterminating all the staff and choosing about a dozen Class N employees a day, which do you think you’d pick?”
The newbie lowered his head. He didn’t need to hear the answer to know it.
“That’s only because it’s an entity-type. The location-type ones from overseas will change the rules if they don’t like something, even when people get caught up in it.”
“In what cases?”
‘Why Are You Luckier Than Me?’ bit down and swallowed the head of the person who won the gacha.
“Everyone survives.”
***
“Hurry up and go!”
“I’ll send the signal like you asked!”
“Uncle will carry you and run a bit!”
Hearing my voice, the hiking duo quickly began leaving the spot.
Fortunately, the faceless man didn’t seem interested in the three of us leaving the scene.
A blessing in disguise.
Kzzzt kzzzt kzzzt!
“Ugh....”
Every time I stole a side glance to gauge his position, a jolt of electricity shot through my eyes.
So this was the pain I had to share.
“Don’t look at him at the same time!”
“That’s not easy!”
If alternating with Choi Yu-na to check the timing and gauge the distance were easy, I’d already have juniors under me.
Kzzzt!
The faceless man was closing the distance at the speed of a grown man walking briskly.
The grotesque way he closed the distance while standing perfectly still sent chills down my spine.
“Let’s split up and move too.”
“Understood.”
“Whoever it follows, just stick to the plan.”
“Yes.”
I nodded and sprinted, turning my body toward the direction I had to go.
I couldn’t sprint full out because I had to push through twigs and watch my footing so I didn’t trip over roots, but it was enough to open some distance.
Kzzzt!
The faceless man followed behind me, teleporting in stop-start bursts at a steady pace without splashing a single speck of mud.
Based on the distance I’d gauged earlier and the hikers’ speed, it would take about 10 minutes for them to reach the photo.
Then another 30 seconds after the gunshots.
If the plan went as intended, I could escape the forest by lasting just 10 minutes and 30 seconds.
However, there was one problem with the plan as it raced toward its climax.
Kzzzt!
“Noise marketing went out of style ages ago.”
The fact that I was the faceless man’s target.
From a distance, the man stood there staring at me.
No, he was coming this way.
But at that speed, he was nowhere near catching my running pace, which had been forged by all manner of bullshit and training.
The photo was 1 km from here. If anything, I’d need to waste a little time before heading for the destination to get the timing right.
With no support to expect from Kang Chaeyoung or Choi Yu-na.
That was why I didn’t run for the destination from the start.
The place I was heading to now was where the second photo Kang Chaeyoung had taken was located.
This way, I should be able to move around without running into anyone else.
Kzzzt!
The faceless man faithfully chased after me, not once looking anywhere else.
Even so, what could you possibly do.
With his speed sealed fivefold by the photo, stalling him would be something I could handle on my own.
Or so I thought.
Kiiiiiiiiik!
Kiiiiiiiiik!
“Haaah!”
The noise that ripped through my head came one after another.
I clutched my head, but still ran on with everything I had.
Why already? How? Who?
I hadn’t heard any gunshots from the hikers’ side, and there was no way the seniors had just ripped off the photo blindly.
When I turned around to check the situation.
Kzzzt! Kzzzzzt!
The faceless man was closing in much faster than before.
The frequency of his stop-start teleportation, like a game screen freezing and stuttering, had become noticeably shorter and faster.
If he’d been at a brisk walk before, now he was at long-distance running speed.
It wasn’t natural.
Even if, by some chance, Min-seo’s mother had taken the photo, that still couldn’t explain the photos torn off at the same time.
After eliminating every possibility, there was only one conclusion left.
“...Hacks... huff... huff... are cheating...!”
That this bastard was ignoring his own rules.
The time remaining on the handheld terminal was 5 minutes.
Normally, there should have been only 5 minutes left by now, but there were still 5 minutes remaining.
Bzzzt!
The noise and pain that came every time I looked at him.
The sweet metallic taste in my mouth, the oxygen no amount of breathing could replenish.
With all of it locking together, I was slowly running hollow, bottoming out.
I couldn’t drag this out any longer.
Deciding that, I changed direction and ran toward where I’d originally needed to go.
Rather than waste stamina on baiting him, I’d tear off my share of the photo and focus only on escape.
Kzzzt!
The problem was that in the process of changing direction, the distance between me and the faceless man had shrunk quite a bit.
The guy who’d been chasing me from behind was now running alongside me a short distance away.
“Huff... huff...!”
Branches left scratches every time I pushed through them.
Muddy ground grabbed at my feet to trip up my next step.
With my thighs burning like crazy, the photo I’d set my eyes on earlier came into view.
It would have been nice if gunshots had started ringing out by now.
Unfortunately, even hikers seemed unable to dash quickly through the night forest.
Kzzzt!
Glancing sideways, I saw the faceless man still following along from a slight distance.
If I tore off the photo and his speed went up, I’d definitely get caught.
Even so, what I had to do didn’t change.
The tree with the photo stuck to it drew closer and closer.
And when it finally came within arm’s reach.
I reached out without a trace of hesitation and snatched the photo stuck to the tree.
And in the process, my foot caught on a tree root.
Kiiiiiiiiik!
Crash!
“Urgh.”
Ziiiiing.
I rolled across the ground with the photo still in my hand.
My head felt like it was about to split apart, inside and out.
I’d tumbled without time to break my fall and seemed to have smashed my head into another tree.
Bang-!
Bang-!
Gunshots echoing in the distance.
It was the signal that the hikers had reached the destination.
If I waited just 30 more seconds now, the remaining talismans would all be removed.
I had to get up. Otherwise, the faceless man would kill me soon.
I forced my limp body upright and lifted my head.
Kzzzt! Kzzzzzt!
“Ghhk!”
From less than 200 meters away, the faceless man was closing in at a speed faster than before.
I tried to summon what little strength I had left to widen the gap, but....
“Ugh!”
Before long, my legs gave out and I sank down.
I should still have been able to run.
Apparently, the noise that came from looking at the faceless man had been gnawing away at me without my realizing it.
150m…100m…50m….
The faceless man closed the distance at high speed toward the prey that had come to a stop.
At last, he caught up to his prey.
Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Bang-! Bang-!
The faceless man hesitated for a few seconds at the sound of gunfire.
“Get the hell out of there! Even if this hits, it doesn’t even leave a mark!”
But I wasn’t the faceless man’s only target.
“Over here!”
Our seniors weren’t the type to leave the youngest behind.
My legs started to get a little strength back when I saw a familiar face.
I used every ounce of strength I had to step toward the direction Senior Choi Yu-na was running....
Kzzzzzzzzzt!
“Kuhh!”
“Aaaah!”
“Kyaaah!”
At the same time I felt a huge hand grab my head from behind, my vision filled with noise.
+++
If a variant comes into view, severe noise occurs in the eyeballs, and if it is observed continuously for more than 5 seconds, the target dies instantly.
It has also been confirmed that physical contact with a variant will kill the target after 3 seconds.
+++
1 second.
The pain of my brain burning up continued.
2 seconds.
It felt like the strength was draining out of my whole body.
3 seconds.
I felt heat from the pocket where I’d put the straw doll.
Kiiiiiiiiik!
4 seconds.
Kiiiiiiiiik!
5 seconds.
Craaack!
The crushing grip around my skull loosened and slipped away like a lie.
“Haaah!”
I collapsed to the ground, panting, and lifted my head to figure out the situation.
Kzzzt… kzz… k…
The faceless man who had been holding me just moments before was crumbling away all over.
“A...are you all okay?”
“I’m fine... but what about you, oppa!?”
Hearing Choi Yu-na and Kang Chaeyoung’s voices, it seemed they were safe too.
The space began to warp, and the faceless man crumbled into dust.
Only then did it sink in that everything was over.
I looked at him—now unable to harm me even if I looked—and raised my middle finger.
“Cough! Get lost... asshole.... You... suck even with cheats.”
The faceless man didn’t even have facial features.
And yet, for some reason, he looked angry.
Ah, that feels so satisfying.
Thud!
“Park Seong-bin!”
“Oppa!”
Feeling a surge of relief and release, I failed to hold on to my fading consciousness and let it slip away.