Chapter 19

In the heart of the city’s ruins, there yawned a dark hole with no visible end, like an abyss gouged into the earth.

As I thought about it, this was the only way to stop the countless Objects that had escaped from the Central Research Institute.

Hostile entities unleashed from the Central Research Institute were scattering in all directions, indiscriminately attacking every living thing around. It seemed urgent to deal with them quickly.

So my idea was to create makeshift containment through ground collapse.

There might have been better methods, but this was the best I could come up with under such pressing circumstances.

As I focused my senses, I felt the flame in my chest had significantly diminished.

I overused my regeneration ability to lure the Hungry Ghost to the center of the sinkhole.

If not for the overwhelming emotions of fear and despair surrounding me, I might’ve given up and fled long ago.

Just before completing the sinkhole, things got pretty dicey.

Why so dangerous?

Because by the final moment, all the humans around had died, leaving me to endure solely on reserves.

Looking down into the cavernous depths, I waited for any Objects attempting to crawl back up.

At the very least, I aimed to buy time for soldiers to construct barriers nearby.

1 hour…

2 hours…

3 hours…

Sitting astride the sinkhole railing, swinging my legs while waiting, but no one emerged.

Eventually, noticing soldiers cautiously patrolling nearby, I decided to leave the spot.

Still, why aren’t they coming up?

For a Hungry Ghost, the sinkhole should’ve merely delayed them…

There were plenty of flying Objects too, right?

Did someone spread honey down there or something?

***

The government was in turmoil following the Gray Collapse incident.

Procession of mourning?

That was ancient history—something from thirty years ago when Objects were still unknown to the public.

Instead, what followed was a mass exodus out of Seoul.

Grieving was a luxury when death loomed too close.

Those who remained in Seoul demanded much from the government.

Seal off Songpa District! Punish those responsible!

Mostly demands like these.

And at just the right moment, a convenient scapegoat was thrown to the masses.

A report published by a detective agency.

Countless deaths concealed by the Central Research Institute.

Kidnapping unclaimed individuals for human experimentation.

Misclassifying deaths during experiments as industrial accidents within the institute.

Hiding a Hungry Ghost that massacred tens of thousands in Seoul Plaza.

Concealing the fact that the research institute itself in the heart of Seoul was an Object.

Corruption after corruption unknown to the public came pouring out.

The backlash and anger directed toward the government and the National Object Management Association seemed endless.

Opinions ranged from conducting comprehensive inspections of all national research facilities to privatizing all Object research.

No matter how much the government claimed ignorance, no one believed them.

***

A man sat in a chair smoking a pipe.

Though he’d become a sudden star due to exposing the Central Research Institute, his expression was oddly gloomy.

The table where he sat was cluttered with empty liquor bottles, and across from him lay a woman passed out drunk.

Until recently, the man had tried consoling the self-blaming woman, but now that she’d fallen unconscious, his thoughts seemed heavy.

The quiet room was filled only with the faint sound of a radio.

Not a word about the dead people on the radio.

Just talk of personal safety, protection, blame, and criticism.

It was so absurd that the man gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Really, the world has gone mad.”

In the mirror the man glanced at with tired eyes, a black butterfly briefly appeared before vanishing.

Watching where the butterfly had reflected in the mirror, the man slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The moment the man fell asleep, a giggling sound emanated from the gas lamp in the room.

[Did we solve this case? Did we solve this case? Did we solve this case?]

[We solved it.]

[Holmes caused a lot of people to die.]

[It’s fine. The path of a great detective is always soaked in red blood.]

[A detective shouldn’t feel guilty. Shouldn’t feel guilty. Shouldn’t feel guilty.]

[A regretful detective isn’t worthy of Holmes.]

[Then was it a failure?]

[Since the request wasn’t a failure, it’s fine.]

[Let’s rewrite it then.]

[Junior too?]

[Junior too.]

Thick smoke poured out of the gas lamp, filling the entire detective office.

And throughout the night, the grinding sound of bones and spurting blood echoed.

***

Bathed in a soft blue light at dawn, I woke up feeling strangely refreshed.

Upon opening my eyes, the detective office was in shambles.

Ignoring the scattered liquor bottles, the pools of blood and bone fragments soaking the floor made the office look like a murder scene.

Where did all this blood even come from?

“Watson, you’ve gone and splattered blood everywhere again, haven’t you? I told you to stop doing this.”

Recalling memories, there was once before when the office had been similarly drenched in blood.

Though the memory of that time is foggy and unclear, making it hard to recall properly.

“When did we drink so much alcohol? Did Junior drink it all alone?”

The detective, remembering nothing, grumbled while tidying up, while Watson silently watched.

On the detective’s temple, a new scar had formed next to an old-looking one.

Interestingly, the same scar also appeared on the sleeping junior.

***

Under a moonless night, I finally returned to Sehee Research Institute.

Except for the guard booth and security office, Sehee Research Institute was eerily silent and dark, seemingly deserted.

Taking a moment to look around the unfamiliar atmosphere of the institute I usually stroll through, I stepped inside.

Finally back at Sehee Research Institute.

Finally back to my isolation room!

Nothing beats home.

The saying “leaving home means hardship” applies even to Objects—it’s a universal truth.

Apparently suffering quite a bit inside the sinkhole, the cat continued to sleep soundly atop my head.

Even though I moved around quite violently, it seemed relaxed since meeting me and kept sleeping.

Although I brought along the Blue Lizard, I’m not sure if it was the right choice.

Why not? Because I stole its lower half while it was being eaten by someone else.

It’ll probably resurrect in about a day, so I assume it’ll be back soon.

Whether it revives here or in that Songpa District sinkhole, it’ll be one of these two places.

What surprised me most was that not a single Object died within that collapse.

So just how many monstrous Objects were housed in the Central Research Institute?

Turning on the TV quietly so as not to wake the cat, my face kept appearing on the news.

This incident has been dubbed the ‘Gray Collapse’ by the public.

As the name suggests, it seems they’re calling it that because it was caused by the Gray Reaper.

Additionally, the Hungry Ghost was hailed as the strongest Object capable of easily defeating it, instilling both fear and awe.

There’s even discussion about creating a special classification called ‘Specimen Out-of-Specifications’ for Objects like me that can cause mass destruction.

Good for me.

With this level of infamy, even someone meeting me for the first time might contribute a little firewood to my cause.

Ultimately, my trip to the Central Research Institute earned me infamous renown and two Object friends.

Considering that, I think it was a decent haul.

Still, this kind of forced march left me exhausted, and sleepiness began to creep in.

Well then, goodnight everyone.

***

The research institute regained some vitality with the Reaper’s return.

Sehee Research Institute was located in a research complex on the outskirts of Songpa District.

Due to this, many institutes in the area began relocating to safer places to avoid danger.

While some left, others like Sehee Research Institute decided to stay put.

Walking around the now desolate research complex, it was clear Songpa District had suffered greatly.

Following the destruction of Dobong-gu ten years ago, this marked the second major reduction of Seoul.

Ten years ago, there was more conversation about the event.

The Object known as the Ice Throne appeared in Dobong-gu, turning approximately 100,000 residents into ice statues overnight.

Back then, there were memorials and periods of mourning.

Many felt sorrow, and society seemed deeply affected.

But now, people are simply too accustomed to grief.

These days, survival and self-preservation take precedence over mourning.

Back then, there was anger too.

How many politicians vowed to destroy the Ice Throne in Dobong-gu?

People collectively sought ways to reclaim Dobong-gu.

But now, people are too familiar with loss to react strongly.

Nowadays, the prevailing thought is “as long as it’s not me.”

Feeling melancholy as I walked through the hollowed-out research complex, I returned to the director’s office.