Chapter 131

Episode 131. Blue Roses (6)

***

Of course, I thought they were dead. But Silver was still breathing. Maybe it was because of the divine fragments, even if they were just remnants?

Well, since they’re Foundation personnel, they might have been vaccinated against nerve toxins. Who knows what kind of treatment the Blue Roses received while living on Jeju Island.

Still, judging from the tone and attire of the Blue Rose who died on Jeju, it seemed like they were just working as regular employees. Whether the other Blue Roses were the same, I couldn’t say for sure.

“Hey, I’m dying.”

“Well, you got shot.”

Silver muttered something.

“Blue Rose-13. Let’s make a deal. Save me. Let’s free Blue Rose-0, the source of our power, and reclaim the strength that was originally ours.”

I stared at the dying Silver.

“Hmm… saying it was originally ours feels a bit vague. I’m not sure.”

“Forgotten memories, forgotten power. It’s all the same… We don’t need to be enemies. I understand why the others tried to kill you.”

Silver spoke but didn’t turn his head. One of the symptoms of botulinum toxicity is the blockage of neuromuscular junctions. It’s likely he couldn’t move his neck or back muscles.

But then, how is he even talking?

“Do you really think so?”

“Honestly, no. But if you save me, I’m prepared to think that way.”

Seriously, why isn’t he dead yet?

“The botulinum toxin should have spread throughout your body by now. How do you still have the energy to talk?”

“I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. I can’t move my limbs at all… The only sensation I feel is pain. It doesn’t hurt much, though.”

Enough toxin to kill hundreds must have entered his body. The reason he’s still alive is probably due to the power or influence of a supernatural phenomenon.

Though his legs didn’t grow back.

“Where are the other Blue Roses?”

“I don’t know…”

“Hmm. One is probably holding out here. The others must have fled long ago. I don’t know where they went.”

Yeah.

Now I need to make a decision. Should I kill Blue Rose-4 or let him live?

There’s no room for hesitation.

The decision was made the moment I pulled out the botulinum dust bomb. It’s a shame I can’t gather more information.

No sympathy, nothing.

How many innocent people did they kill to escape, to perform sorcery, or to create those monsters earlier? Definitely more than a couple.

I drew my pistol from my waist.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, and dark red blood seeped from behind Silver’s gas mask, staining the concrete floor.

There was no reaction. The botulinum toxin prevented even rigor mortis.

There was still one thing left to do. I poured a can of gasoline over the corpse and dropped a lighter on it.

I had to eliminate any remaining toxins and ensure the Blue Rose was truly dead. There was no way to rule out the possibility of resurrection or some kind of trick.

Radio.

“Ah, ah. This is Dr. Kim. Nanami, Seoul Branch, or any Special Forces members, can anyone hear me?”

No immediate response.

“Ah, ah. This is Dr. Kim.”

After a while, a crackling sound came from the radio. There was a lot of static, though.

“Ah, Dr. Kim. We’ve been waiting. This is Headquarters. Please report the situation.”

“I’ve eliminated the entity designated as Blue Rose-4. Due to the phase space of this supernatural phenomenon, I’ve been isolated from the other team members.”

“Confirmed.”

“Also, I used a botulinum dust bomb at this site. At least 12 hours of top-level biochemical protective gear will be required to enter this area.”

“Understood.”

“Additionally, a chemical cleanup team should be deployed as soon as safety is confirmed.”

“…”

The command center pondered briefly.

“Understood. The chemical cleanup team will be on standby near City Hall Station. Any other information you’ve gathered?”

“There are more Blue Roses. I couldn’t confirm where they went.”

“Uh… we’ll verify the information you’ve provided and get back to you. Thank you.”

The Seoul Branch command center cut the transmission. It was a very bureaucratic response.

***

By the way, I need to find out where Nanami and the Special Forces members disappeared to. Did they enter another subspace or phase dimension?

They couldn’t have just vanished.

I also need to consider that my clothes might still be contaminated with toxins. I have to be careful not to come into contact with others…

Botulinum toxin loses its lethality after a few hours of exposure to air. The best I can do now is wait for a few hours.

No choice. I sat down in front of Silver’s corpse and pulled out the crystal clock.

[What’s today’s mess?]

“Underground again. Today, I’m killing the Foundation’s creations that have gone into hiding.”

[That’s how this industry is. Most object-type supernatural phenomena can just be put in a box, but the real problem is the biological types or humanoid groups that you have to hunt down.]

“True.”

[What do the Blue Roses want?]

“I’m not sure either. I was so shocked by that weird zombie slime that I just killed it on the spot without asking questions.”

[Zombie slime?]

“Do I really need to explain… it’s a slime made from corpses or people.”

Same old story.

Whether it’s wooden dolls, zombie slimes, or the black-tentacled librarian… they’re all just horrifying monsters made from people.

Death, used like currency by hostile groups.

[Maybe they bought time for their comrades. While you were fighting one here, the other Blue Roses probably escaped.]

“That seems likely.”

[What did you do with the corpse?]

“I burned it. Since they’re beings mixed with divine blood, I had to make sure they wouldn’t come back to life.”

The crystal clock ticked.

[That makes sense.]

[Nothing can survive by opposing the Foundation. The Blue Roses are no exception. If they want to survive, they’ll definitely contact other hostile groups. To belong to a hostile group and claim the right to exist within the Foundation.]

Claim the right to exist… That could be it. Ultimately, it’s the Foundation that decides what is and isn’t a supernatural phenomenon.

It’s the Foundation that decides what stays outside the containment rooms and what goes inside.

***

Meanwhile, on Nanami’s side.

Paint was trembling in fear. They seemed like just a human, but magic didn’t work on them at all. Curses, transformations, reality adjustments—nothing.

It’s questionable if they were even pulled into the phase space. In the end, it seemed like they’d have to be subdued physically—the blade sliced through concrete like butter. What kind of magic is that?

It’s a miracle Paint survived this long. The abandoned subway station’s underground, twisted into a non-Euclidean labyrinth by the phase space… even that didn’t seem to hinder that monster.

And the Special Forces sniping away whenever they felt like it. How do they even know where to wait without any supernatural abilities?

Is the Pygmalion monster breaking the phase space with its sword? Is that even possible?

Bang!

Paint grabbed their shoulder.

As their concentration wavered, the phase space began to collapse. Or was it because of concentration? Since the phase space was created with Silver, if something happened to Silver, the phase space might collapse as a result.

“No way—”

No time to finish the thought.

Through the non-Euclidean twists of the station’s structure, something metallic flashed. Blue Rose-5, Paint, was cleanly bisected.

“Situation resolved.”

Nanami muttered into the radio.

The interior of the phase space, twisted in all sorts of bizarre directions, collapsed. Nanami, now subject to normal gravity, fell to the ground along with the remains of Blue Rose-5.

“Ah…”

It was a higher fall than expected.

“Took longer than I thought. I didn’t expect them to suddenly create a non-Euclidean phase space out of thin air…”

[Are you still alive?]

“This is Nanami. Alive. Special Forces members, report your status. Where’s Dr. Kim?”

[Moon-1, alive.]

[Moon-2. Alive.]

[Dr. Kim and two Special Forces members are missing. They might have gotten lost or been pulled into another phase space.]

“First, we retreat outside the phase space’s influence. We don’t know how it will interact with the real space as it collapses. Then, we find Dr. Kim as soon as we’re out of the phase space.”

The supernatural phenomenon was stronger than expected. As strong as the reality adjuster we encountered at the museum or the Blue Rose who died on Jeju.

But… individual strength isn’t what’s important. We still don’t know the escapees’ goals or which group they belong to.

Six Blue Roses have been caught in the Foundation’s surveillance net.

There are still four out there somewhere, and as their numbers dwindle, tracking them will become even harder. They’ll be stronger than the ones we saw today.

Well… that’s not Nanami’s concern. Her job is to retrieve Dr. Kim and return to the Seoul Branch.