Chapter 109

Episode 109. Angel (1)

****

My office was unusually quiet today.

Only a few Popos were seen struggling to climb the cat tower. I threw some dog treats at the Popos staring at me.

The Popos just ate the treats.

Dogs usually chew, lick, and play with them, maybe because their teeth are weak or for some other reason. But the Popos just tore into the treats.

Well, they do eat monsters too… so dog treats are probably no big deal. They even chew through tuna cans for cats like grapes and spit out the cans.

At least they don’t bite people.

I petted a Popo that had jumped onto my lap. They look like fluffy balls, but what makes them so strong?

“Friend.”

The Popo muttered softly.

Animal eyes and human eyes are different. Humans have whites in their eyes and can move them freely, which is rare among other creatures. And the Popo’s eyes…

The Popo’s eyes were slightly squinting. They look human, but the whites are hidden because they keep their eyes wide open. It’s as if they’re trying not to appear human.

The more you look, the more human they seem. If you observe them at the genetic level, they might be identical to humans.

Knock knock. Someone knocked on the Director’s office door, and I looked up. Pretending to work, I opened my laptop, and the Popo jumped down.

“Come in.”

Nanami walked in with her arms crossed.

“Dr. Kim. Sorry, but could you put away your pet? It’s been rummaging around everywhere, and I can’t chase it away since it’s the Director’s guest.”

I have more than one pet.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Professor Mayer.”

“Ah. Feel free to lock it up. I was planning to head to the Humanoid Research Department anyway.”

Nanami nodded.

“Is that a dog treat? Why is it cut?”

“It’s not cut. The Popos just bite into them instead of playing with them.”

“Wow… No wonder they’re hunting dogs that hunt gods. Anyway, see you later, Dr. Kim.”

****

Professor Mayer agreed to fully cooperate with our work. He must be dying of curiosity. That’s why scholars are easy to handle—show them something truly fascinating, and they’ll flock to it like moths to a flame.

The angel, Arc Cosine, Dr. An who closely observed it, Professor Mayer, and I—the three researchers assigned to the angel—gathered in one place.

“Anything new you’ve discovered?”

Dr. An, being a doctor, must have run several tests on the angel. But she shook her head first.

“Not really. The angel’s body temperature is the same as room temperature, so it doesn’t seem to have any metabolism, but it did mimic eating.”

“Ah, what did it eat?”

“Candies and snacks. But it seemed to spit them out a few minutes later. It doesn’t seem to actually eat.”

Weird.

“Did you try imaging tests?”

Dr. An nodded. The tablet she was holding turned toward me.

“First, we performed a CT scan to examine the structure of its wings. The wings have bones like a regular bird’s, but the way they’re connected to the spine is a bit unusual. The scapula of the wings is located behind the scapula of the arms. Essentially, the angel has four scapulae.”

Fascinating. Truly fascinating, but I’m not sure if this information helps with containment.

“Right. The X-ray shows some shadowing in that area. Anything on that? Like its blood not being water?”

“Ah, yes. We think polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons might be acting like ectoplasm. It’s the chemical way the spiritual body manifests.”

I nodded.

“In the natural process of life’s origin, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are sometimes mentioned as a solution to the chicken-and-egg problem of proteins and nucleic acids.”

“Yes.”

“It’s called the PAH-world hypothesis. PAHs are common in the universe, found in Martian meteorites and comets, and are complex organic molecules capable of maintaining a dynamic equilibrium similar to life activities—”

I coughed briefly.

Dr. An is a psychiatrist, and Professor Mayer is a linguist. They clearly have no idea what I’m talking about.

“Sorry. That’s just me rambling.”

“No, it’s like a rap battle. I like it.”

I should tell the Research Department Head about this.

****

I turned my attention to Professor Mayer.

“Professor Mayer, have you found out anything more? Regarding the symbols related to the angel.”

“Why is the angel named Arc Cosine?”

“We just named it that.”

There was no particular reason. Professor Mayer pondered for a moment, then showed me something he had written on his clipboard.

“Ah, good.”

“It’s a bit shocking, but my initial analysis seems roughly correct. The angel kept referencing World War II.”

“Did you identify which angel it is?”

“After some conversation, I confirmed it has symbolism related to fire.”

Which angel is associated with fire?

“According to the Abrahamic worldview, its form is most similar to a Seraph. The symbolism of war also aligns closely with Seraphim.”

“So, the angel’s true name is Seraphim?”

“Seraphim is a species name. As for its true name, it refused to mention anything, so there’s no way to know. Unless we torture or dissect the angel.”

I looked at Professor Mayer.

“You fit right in with the Foundation.”

It’s rare to see someone adapt so quickly.

****

The most important task at the Foundation is, without a doubt, managing humanoid supernatural phenomena. It’s the alpha and omega of supernatural phenomena, the flower of the Research Department.

I’m saying this because I need to see Hasti.

“Director. A new containment entity has arrived. It’s really cute.”

“How’s the Returnee?”

“Seems fine.”

Not fine.

“It keeps writing ‘freedom’ on the request notes. Think of some gifts you’d like to give to Miss Ahn Yuri.”

Hasti nodded.

“Understood.”

“Have you seen the angel? Has Matapjunim ever encountered a similar supernatural phenomenon?”

Hasti shook her head.

“I only learned yesterday that angels exist. I thought it might just be a white Harpy, but seeing its face, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

“Is that so?”

Hasti thought for a moment.

“Come to think of it, there’s a rare species called Celestials. They have halos above their heads, and if you look with your mind’s eye, they have wings.”

“Ah.”

“Celestials can’t do anything if you cover their eyes. They emit light themselves, so they can’t be in the dark or anything; they need to be physically covered.”

I nodded.

“How’s the Dimensional Exploration Machine?”

“More than half is complete.”

That’s a relief. I was worried it might never be fixed, but there’s progress.

“Next time, I’ll show you the world outside the Foundation facility. Anyway, how’s your body?”

“The aches are all gone! The splitting headache disappeared yesterday too.”

It wasn’t just a splitting headache—your skull was actually cracked. Not from an investigation, but from being hit with a monkey wrench.

Thinking about it, I feel sorry again.

****

[Arc Cosine Research and Interview. Reply.]

[Author: Humanoid Research Department Bishop Oh]

[Seven Seraphim, seven planets. Of course, it’s hard to think that one of the seven Seraphim is trapped here, but I’m not sure how these lower deities operate.]

[Considering the belief in aliens and how something combined to create alien monsters, it’s not impossible for Christian beliefs to manifest in this way.]

[However. We need to think about the definition of terms to determine if this is truly the Archangel Zerachiel. Let’s assume it’s one aspect of the Archangel Zerachiel.]

****

[This document was written by an external expert, not an internal Foundation personnel. Please consider this when accessing and utilizing the document.]

[Arc Cosine Research and Interview]

[Author: Professor Mayer]

[Supervisor: Humanoid Research Department Bishop Oh]

[First of all, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the research of this supernatural phenomenon. Thank you very much.]

[I had to study a bit about angels. Assuming this being is a named angel from the Bible or related texts.]

[Seraphim are the fifth rank of angels in Judaism. In Christian angelic hierarchy, they are the highest beings. They usually guard the throne of heaven.]

****

[Professor Mayer Containment Incident]

[Author: Cognitive Disaster Management Department]

[Currently, Professor Mayer is under containment for suspected third-class linguistic patterns and is undergoing cognition hazard testing.]

[Until cognitive disaster experts confirm Professor Mayer’s mental health, no one should contact him without protection against cognitive hazards.]

[He seems healthy for now.]

[This is a warning to all Foundation personnel. Never let your guard down around supernatural phenomena. Regardless of what the phenomenon is.]