Chapter 55

Episode 55. Abandoned Base (1)

***

Lee Se-ah let out a sigh.

I thought it would be over soon. Just how many damn monitor lizards are in this bunker?

After catching one or two, they seemed to catch on and started running away from a distance. It’s not like I can just start shooting indoors.

Reptiles have slow metabolisms, so drugs probably won’t work well on them. Other than running around like a dog trying to catch a lizard, there’s no real solution.

If I miss a few, it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Lee Se-ah pondered for a moment. Still… if I want to live long, it’s better to make a good impression on the Director. It’s not like there are hundreds of lizards in the bunker.

“……”

She felt some kind of vibration. The Research Department Head perked up her ears. It was a familiar vibration, but what was it… It sounded like helicopter rotor blades. If it’s noticeable even here, it must be a large helicopter.

It must be the Foundation’s helicopter. Lee Se-ah, holding the Soviet-made Laser Gun, headed towards the helipad.

***

Thanks to the helicopter, we made it to the bunker easily.

If we had kept wandering through the garden, who knows how long it would have taken to get back.

Lee Se-ah was waiting at the helipad.

“Director. What’s going on-”

I raised my hand to cut off the Research Department Head’s words.

“Did you catch a lot of lizards?”

“Yes.”

“Team leaders and above, follow me to the meeting room. We’ll hold an emergency meeting right away. And… officers, you’re included too.”

The order was given. The Foundation employees gathered in the room moved in unison.

***

This is the bunker’s meeting room.

I was the first to speak.

“Then, I’ll give a brief briefing.”

“Yes.”

“I believe the ruins are a kind of map showing the internal geography of the garden. Under that assumption, moving about 10 kilometers in this direction should bring us to the center of the garden.”

The people gathered nodded.

“Of course, moving through dense forests like this will be quite difficult. It would be faster by helicopter, but… was it safe?”

The helicopter pilot raised his hand.

“Go ahead.”

“Flying in was impossible, and flying near the fissures was dangerous. Inside the garden, it was safe to fly.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes. It’s natural to think that the owner of the garden is at the center of the garden. As the naturalist we saw earlier said, it might be possible to make some kind of deal with the garden’s owner.”

“Aha.”

“The plan is this. We’ll move to the center of the garden by helicopter, then offer a sacrifice to establish a relationship with the garden’s owner. If those naturalists could do it, so can we.”

The Research Department Head raised her hand. I don’t know why everyone’s raising their hands to speak.

This isn’t some elementary school class meeting, and I didn’t want to run the meeting like this.

Anyway.

“The method those naturalists used to make contracts with the gods, I don’t know for sure, but it’s likely human sacrifice. Did you consider that?”

“Are you volunteering?”

“Ah, no?”

“Anyway. If necessary, we’ll use disposable personnel as sacrifices.”

“What’s the purpose of the contract?”

“Of course, it’s for the safety of the Foundation facility. Even if the chance of success isn’t guaranteed, it’s worth a try.”

“Hmm, that’s a bit unexpected. I didn’t think the Director would use such methods.”

How bland. I frowned.

“Does anyone have any objections?”

The Recovery Team 1 Leader raised his hand.

“Go ahead.”

“Not an objection, but… does the Director know anything more about this space? I heard there are more Foundation facilities in this subspace. Do you know anything about that?”

I’ve said it several times, but I don’t know.

“No. I heard there are about 5,000 people living inside the garden, but I don’t know where they went.”

“Understood.”

“Well… it’s not like they can stay inside the garden forever. As soon as the metaphysics team arrives at the scene, we’ll depart.”

The meeting concluded like that.

***

The preparations were thorough.

The Foundation employees cleaned the bunker, gathered experts, examined the materials in the bunker, and searched through literature related to the garden. Foundation trucks and armored vehicles lined up and arrived at the bunker.

***

The large helicopter took off again.

This time, the target was the center of the garden.

Contrary to expectations, even with the helicopter, things didn’t go smoothly. High in the sky, above the helicopters, a wall of translucent clouds was visible.

It looks like touching it would be a big problem.

Karst terrain stretched out in all directions. Massive limestone boulders rose like towers towards the sky, with mist hanging between them, reducing visibility.

The mist shimmered with rainbow colors.

There are still some doubts. Why did the Foundation fail to tame this subspace? Was it a lack of force, or was there something else?

My tactical headset crackled.

[The center of the garden is in sight.]

As per the subspace map we created and the records from the ruins.

The center of the garden, adorned with splendid flowers and megaliths. Trees bent like bonsai formed a dome-like structure.

Wait a minute…

That’s not a megalith.

“It’s a building.”

Why is there a building here?

Is that also a Foundation facility, or was it made by something else? Could it be… the Foundation facility where 5,000 people lived? Was it destroyed? Is there something powerful enough to destroy a massive Foundation facility in this subspace?

The curiosity only grows, but the conclusion doesn’t change. Whatever it is, you have to see it with your own eyes to grasp the clue to the mystery.

[Landing soon. Dropping the Daisy Cutter.]

I looked out the helicopter window. A massive bomb, attached to a parachute, was descending towards the ground.

Again, a massive explosion sounded.

As the dust settled, a clearing the size of a soccer field had been created in the middle of the dense forest.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

This was an unexpected development.

What was at the center of the garden wasn’t a monster or an ancient god, but an abandoned Foundation facility.

“Hmm… There’s no choice. We’ll explore the area and secure the building.”

[Wait a moment. This is Dr. Chae from the metaphysics team. Will the ritual to contract with the garden’s owner proceed as planned, or is it on hold?]

“First, whether it’s the garden’s owner or an altar used by others, we need to find something to proceed with the ritual, right?”

[Understood.]

It was a bit unsettling, but we survived the crash and arrived at the target location. We disembarked from the helicopter in full gear.

“Then… let’s start the search.”

***

The battlefield inside the garden was limited to the forest and the interior of buildings. In such an environment, the realistic engagement distance would be within 50 meters at most.

That’s why I brought a shotgun this time. Just in case, I also packed slug rounds.

“Let’s split into three teams and enter the building. We’ll regroup outside the building in three hours. If anything changes, report via radio.”

I looked around.

The Foundation soldiers nodded.

“Then, good luck.”

I plunged into the pitch-black darkness of the ruined Foundation building. Moss crunched underfoot.

Six people entered the building as a team: me, Dr. Chae, and four soldiers from the recovery team.

“Dr. Chae.”

[Yes.]

“Can you perform the ritual?”

[It’s possible, but… the disposable personnel are still sleeping in the helicopter. If we find the target deity, symbol, or altar, we’ll need to return to the helicopter.]

I nodded.

“Then. Let’s go in.”

Thud, thud.

***

We slowly entered the darkness. The labyrinth, or rather the Foundation facility, was beyond repair.

The concrete had melted, forming stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave formations. Moreover, the garden’s bizarre plants and mushrooms covered the floors, walls, and ceilings.

Of course, it wasn’t complete darkness.

Fluorescent plankton, or something like it, floated in the cave water flowing on the floor, glowing green particles drifting about.

[There’s something. Stop.]

We held our breath and took up combat positions along the corridor. I loaded my weapon. The sound of a massive creature’s footsteps was approaching.

Getting closer.

“……”

The footsteps continued.

A monster slowly passed by the corridor we were aiming our guns at. A grotesque fusion of several corpses.

I aimed my gun at the monster’s head, careful not to make a sound. Well… the part with the most heads.

Is that the garden’s creation, or a monster born from the malfunctioning Foundation facility? Probably the latter. The garden, from what I’ve seen so far, only creates perfect and beautiful creatures.

“Kririririri……”

A horrifying sight and a horrifying sound.

Even through the night vision goggles, it was nauseating. My finger on the trigger instinctively tightened……