Chapter 151

I leaned back in the chair and stared blankly at the glimmering ceiling light.

Although it wasn’t a harsh environment like a prison or an interrogation room, the conference room equipped with several electronic devices and light refreshments had a camera lens flashing in the corner of the ceiling, which I chose to ignore. Hmm.

Feeling a sense of surrender that invited anyone to spy if they wanted, I lightly kicked the floor and spun the swivel chair around.

As I did this, it felt as if I was the only one left behind while the world rushed by, leaving me with a strange feeling.

“Are you a little anxious…?” Ugh, seriously. So damn anxious.

Even excluding the fact that I was stuck in this situation without any way out, I was really worried about Zero, who was locked away in another location.

Was it that I was becoming acutely aware of the heavy responsibility of having family members I needed to take care of?

The weight of knowing that if I slipped up, someone would inevitably be dragged down with me was no joke. It was a sense generally felt by a head of a household or something like that.

I was dealing with a light concussion, multiple bruises, and equipment damage on top of it all. I’m grateful that they still consider me a key personnel of Enema and have kept me rather loosely confined, but conversely, would they handle the stupid Carebot roughly…?

I did urge it to wait quietly until I could go pick it up again without trying to break out of this situation unnecessarily. But I need to get things sorted out before making a mistake…

…Absolutely. I’m not feeling this way because I prefer being alone; it’s unsettling to be forcibly isolated like this after always being around other people.

“Ugh… Damn it.”

I glared at the empty chairs in the conference room, attempting to recall possible solutions, information related to Enema, and associated personnel.

The company had various means, like techniques for physically tearing heads off or confession agents that disrupted consciousness, so trying to trade useful information for my safety or release felt troublesome.

If I were to use an extreme analogy, it felt like trying to cross a swaying bridge connecting cliffs while wearing just a safety vest. …No way. I need to find a method with better odds than this. That was my duty right now.

Should I take a more aggressive stance and pressure someone from Enema who could oppose me?

Wouldn’t showing a noncooperative attitude only lead to greater losses? No, assuming that rigid tracker was out of the picture, what would a fake scientist who popped up out of nowhere think about someone who could determine my treatment?

The fact that my hidden identity was exposed to the world was not the bigger issue here.

I personally censored the data this time, but after checking again, I found out that although I don’t know how lawful the procedures were, that doctor not only registered me as his adopted daughter but also listed me as a research associate under the project he managed.

Thus, I could easily act as an aggrieved victim and testify about the scene or project as a witness. I had filled in some of the memories that had gaps before or right after I regained my consciousness.

However, if they asked questions related to this immensely advanced future scientific technology or about the tasks I was actually in charge of… I could only continue fabricating answers based on game settings.

Then eventually, this clumsy disguise would be inevitably stripped away.

“…No, there’s no need to overthink it. I just need to safely get through this moment and then disappear somewhere before returning…?”

I forcibly paused my negative thoughts.

Just like how Paradise deals in citizenship, this crazy world has inevitable gaps despite the active computer cooperation between metropolises.

Extraordinary incidents, rampant net hackers, undercover organizations.

As a result, it’s been commonplace for people to go missing or unexpectedly ‘exist’ in various situations, and it will continue to be so.

But the very information that remains in society is plentiful. With something so tough to wash away even with full body plastic surgery or multiple identity cleanups, it’s routine to get caught and tracked down in the end.

‘I am, in name and reality, someone who has jumped out from beyond dimensions?’

Moreover, there shouldn’t be any genetic defects.

If there had been such an issue, I would’ve been contacted by a teacher from Harvest Planet, and the only basic implant implanted in me would have been specifically prepared, so it would undoubtedly match the records in Enema’s data.

In other words, since I’ve been hacking along without knowing anything about libraries or commands, so this time, I just needed to pretend to be a typical evil organization scientist, right?

If only they gave me a little more time and budget…!

“……Forget it!”

As if I finally burst the breath I had been holding for so long, I shook off the intangible bindings that had been constricting my entire body.

As my numb limbs and stiff head began to circulate blood, I realized that my posture was rather arrogant for an Enema employee. I hoped they wouldn’t pick on me just because I was acting a little out of sorts.

Regaining my composure, the surrounding scenery became clearer.

Having survived through wars and the old era, numerous elderly survivors—who, of course, still looked young on the outside—made the whole place feel like a medical company with a vintage vibe, or in my standards, a room with a refined modern sense.

The entire floor was neatly carpeted with plush fabric, the chairs were a boring black-and-white product, but they even had a subtle sheen. On one side, the refreshments and a transparent refrigerator offered services better than those at a hotel room… Ah, Aaron’s office was even fancier.

Lastly, the long wooden table emitted a gentle woody scent that helped reduce stress…

…Wait, is that even possible?

“What is this?”

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that this table wasn’t crafted wood but living wood. A shaped but alive tree.

The base wasn’t synthetic plastic but a real wooden pillar… No, roots? There were slightly fibrous roots, I think?

Curious, as I followed it with my eyes, I realized what I thought was carpet was actually a cluster of unknown fluffy plants… like moss. …Is life engineering really this advanced?

…A bit. I felt uneasy again; did they have this level of technology? I needed to investigate using the computer in that conference room. If nothing else, it should be connected to the internal network.

I pushed the chair back and stood up. I should have noticed when the thing at the end of my legs was not wheels but some tennis-ball-like object… I really need to fix the habit of trying to think with common sense.

A mere game’s information is reality, and foundational knowledge from the original work is the truth. I mustn’t forget that.

But was I too worried and wasted too much time? Perhaps the leeway given to a quasi-captive was small from the start.

Clunk…!

“!!”

Even though I brushed against soft grass, the noise of a hurriedly locked door slamming open startled me.

The loud sound made me freeze, like a naughty child caught playing a trick. Slowly turning my head, I looked toward the door.

It must have been a 100% guarantee. A guest who surely came looking for me… to confirm the identity of the Enema employee.

Considering that making judgments based on appearance is sexist and rude, the visitor was a man.

He must have been in a hurry; his suit was slightly disheveled, which was the first thing that caught my eye.

The clothing and apparel serve as important criteria for identifying others, just the same now as in the past.

Desperate day laborers wear tattered, dirty clothes, while some, with fierce expressions of self-representation, dress in custom goods bought from shops or clothing vending machines, and mercenaries or skilled professionals with somewhat decent income equip themselves with custom defensive gear or tactical equipment sold by Haylong in case of unexpected threats.

Simply summing the value of the products worn from head to toe might be a harsh way of judging people, but I, too, have crawled through life as a mercenary.

Estimating the opposing person wasn’t cold-hearted but rather wise and seasoned… Ugh, why didn’t I just look at their face first?

“Ha… yeah… I honestly thought we might just pass each other by without a word.”

From the basic etiquette of interpersonal relationships, it was a huge faux pas, but I let out a deep sigh without realizing it, revealing my true feelings.

Overall, he had a friendly impression. However, I wouldn’t say that his appearance was particularly unique.

Simply judging by his uniform style, he appeared to be Enema employee A. A diligent corporate worker inari extra level.

His jawline and mouth weren’t unattractive, nor were they particularly handsome.

Just… his hair color was a tame black. Ah, he did have a small dot below one of his eyes, either a last-minute conscience from the production company or a hint of things to come.

The eyes, which ultimately play a significant role in impression, did not resemble someone sinister like a snake nor were they particularly distinctive…

They were black. Purely black. Something sticky and viscous wobbled behind them.

Having experienced the actions of this bastard across multiple stories and branches, I could easily pierce through that façade.

Previously known to players as “that bastard” or “that little bastard” or “Judaryeon.”

After the prologue and upon finishing the main quest of ‘discovery,’ this annoying character persistently tormented players throughout the game with malevolent quests while his boss battle was a hidden boss, set at a challenging condition in the late game and not mandatory, making it an unpopular experience.

That name is… right…?

…Ah, damn. What was it again?

No, it’s not like my mind is failing me! It’s just that I had been calling him by his nickname all the time and for most of the game, he was indicated as the anonymous figure “Mr. K,” so I never wrote his real name down…!! It’s not a real excuse!

Fortunately, the chaos in my brain quickly calmed. Before I could recall his troublesome Japanese-style name, he suddenly revealed himself first.

“…I didn’t realize we had met before. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anastasia researcher. I am Kajun, the secretary who has been entrusted with full authority regarding the issues you are entangled with.”

“…Oh, yes.”

After a brief silence, we both nodded our heads.

While I briefly lost focus, he seemed impatient. He appeared eager to start the interrogation without delay… not that jerk… oh, Kajun. Right, he greeted me cheerfully.

…No, don’t act all friendly, you crazy demon. Take off that mask immediately.