Chapter 69

-Junior No. 1 and I took up positions to guard the Client and Junior No. 2 as objects dressed as researchers came charging at us on the Director’s signal.

-Their lack of enthusiasm in expression and movement only made them appear even stranger.

-Their motions were far more zombie-like than the camp Residents ever were.

-Without any real motivation, they still staggered forward in a straight line toward us.

-Some of them, even with their limbs severed and bleeding profusely, continued to charge like zombies.

-Aware of the sticky pool of blood on the floor hindering our movements, we prepared for the impending clash.

-It started with Junior No. 2.

-Bang! Bang!

-With two gunshots, two researchers fell.

-Even as their heads exploded and they collapsed to the ground, more researchers simply filled their places.

-Junior No. 1 and I secured positions to protect the Client and Junior No. 2.

-These researchers had wiped out an entire group of ninjas.

-We weren’t going to win this easily.

-I needed to buy time and find a way out of this situation.

-Boom!

-With a loud noise, a researcher whose limbs were grotesquely twisted went flying.

-The flying researcher bowled over others coming in behind like bowling pins.

-After a few minutes of this battle…

-Junior No. 1, who had been using humans like bowling balls, suddenly let out a shout.

-“Ah!”

-“What’s wrong?”

-I swung Watson with all my might and asked back.

-“These researchers keep moving even after their heads explode.”

-Looking where Junior was glancing, I saw the headless researchers slowly getting back up.

-Come on, they’re not Dullahan or anything, what is this?

-Do we have to completely destroy their limbs so they can’t move?

-And only Junior No. 1 could realistically do that… but even Junior No. 1 would run out of stamina before finishing them all off this way.

-Meow.

-The Object cat perched on the Client’s shoulder let out a small, uneasy cry.

-“Senior! Do something!”

-We were gradually tiring out and being pushed into a defensive position.

-Unlike the fake zombies we saw in the camp, these researchers were relentless monsters who wouldn’t stop until they couldn’t move anymore.

-Junior No. 1 was clearly exhausted, breathing heavily, and Junior No. 2 had run out of ammunition, now fighting with two hammers.

-If we don’t create some time to rest, things are going to get ugly.

-Raising Watson high, I called out.

-“Watson, protect us.”

-“Watson, protect us.”

-“Watson, protect us.”

-Smoke began swirling around our group from the gas lamps.

-The ominous blood-red smoke physically pushed back the researchers, creating empty space around us.

-The researchers tried to attack through the smoke, but it didn’t budge.

-“Ugh, I’m dying here.”

-Junior No. 1 crouched down, leaning on a hammer.

-The bright light from the burning gas lamps created strange shadows within the smoke.

-It was ‘Watson.’

-Watson was giggling in the shadows while drawing words with the shadows.

-[Long time no see, Holmes.]

-[You’ve already used two wishes, huh?]

-[This case doesn’t look easy.]

-[Are you going to die this time?]

-[Protection will only last ten minutes.]

-[There are some interesting Objects here.]

-Watson was as unhinged as ever.

-I clapped to get attention before speaking.

-“Take a short break. I need to figure out how to resolve this situation.”

-Approaching the shadowy area cloaked by the smoke, I called out.

-“Watson!”

-The lamp in Watson’s hand emitted a giggling sound.

-As if responding to my words, countless strings of text floated up and disappeared above the smoke.

-[What’s up, Holmes?]

-[Why?]

-[You only have one wish left.]

-[Are you failing this time?]

-Right now, there was no other choice but to ask for Watson’s help to complete the current request.

-Watson’s criteria for helping were vague, but I understood them roughly now.

-The standard was ‘trial.’

-If helping Holmes leaves an ‘appropriate’ trial, Watson sometimes provides very direct assistance.

-So asking to bring the Client’s younger brother or requesting to kill the Director would be off-limits.

-First, I asked Watson.

-“Watson! Can I ask you to kill the Director?”

-The laughter from the gas lamp stopped.

-[That’s impossible.]

-[Isn’t that cheating?]

-[Cheating!]

-[Anyway, it’s impossible.]

-[Killing Objects isn’t our domain.]

-[Besides, we don’t even know how to kill them.]

-[You figure it out, Holmes!]

-[How about making another request?]

-Of course, Watson’s negative response came back, but impossible?

-That was surprising.

-Normally, Watson could easily handle Objects by pulling out their necks or doing something similar… yet they sounded weak.

-That must mean the Director is a tough Object.

-Just seeing him standing upright despite having knives embedded all over his body made him seem far from ordinary.

-Then, what kind of help could get us out of this situation?

-At that moment, the Director’s message reflected in my monocle came to mind.

-[As long as the Director exists, he owns the researchers.]

-[As long as the research isn’t completed, the Director regenerates.]

-[As long as the wish isn’t fulfilled, the research won’t end.]

-Unless the monocle missed some crucial element, once the wish is achieved, regeneration will stop and the researchers will disappear.

-“Watson! Then, how about telling me the Director’s wish?”

-Laughter from the gas lamp started again.

-[Really going with that?]

-[Yeah, that’s fine.]

-[Hearing wishes, seeing wishes, fulfilling wishes—that’s what we do.]

-[Simple.]

-[Is this your last wish?]

-[Easy.]

-[I think it’s okay to tell you.]

-I asked Watson based on their reaction.

-“Watson, tell me the Director’s wish!”

-Hearing those words, Watson’s shadow bowed and approached me.

-[The Director shouldn’t hear this, so I’ll just whisper it to Holmes.]

-[Get your ear close to the gas lamp!]

-[Closer, closer.]

-Bringing the hot gas lamp near my ear, I heard voices as if different people were whispering.

-“The Director’s desire is ‘to discover the origin of the Objects.’”

-“Once the origin is revealed, the Director will lose power.”

-“But he has forgotten that fact himself, so it won’t be easy.”

-“Holmes is definitely going to fail this time.”

-“Holmes is about to die!”

-Damn.

-That was my thought upon hearing Watson’s answer.

-It was information I couldn’t act on or figure out immediately.

-The curtain Watson set up was starting to blur, looking like it might collapse at any moment, and the anxious gazes of the Juniors pierced into my back.

-Crisis.

-If I run away like this, Watson will kill me, but it’s a crisis situation with no clear solution.

-Should I tell the Juniors to retreat?

-That’s when I heard a cat’s cry.

-Meow!!!

-A sound so loud it didn’t seem like it could come from a small kitten.

-The wailing carried a sense of urgency just by listening to it.

-Meow!!

-It was like desperately searching for someone.

***

-Leaving the room after hearing the cat’s cry, all I could see was a long corridor.

-A blood-soaked endless corridor, concrete floors drenched in blood, rusted iron doors lining both sides.

-Meow!

-Using the distant cat cries as a guide, I continued moving forward.

-Meow!!

-Listening to the cat’s cries, I figured I was getting closer.

-Just as I thought that, researchers blocking my path appeared.

-The stench of blood was overwhelming.

-These were the researchers managing this torture chamber.

-They looked human but weren’t.

-Vague shapes emerging from the shadows.

-They seemed to be puppets bound by shadows.

-Though they stood in my way, their expressions lacked any zeal.

-It didn’t seem like they believed they could truly block me.

-Their sole purpose felt like merely stalling for time.

-There were quite a number of them, and dealing with each one would have taken too much time.

-But now I have the Golden Reapers!

-Out popped the Golden Reapers from beneath my feet.

-The Golden Reapers joyfully jumped out of the garden but soon became disheartened.

-The oppressive stench of blood filling the basement.

-Did they become deflated upon smelling human blood?

-It seemed more like their discomfort turned into anger.

-The Golden Reapers’ first target was the researchers reeking of blood.

-The researchers wielding blood-soaked torture tools, facing off against me, faced the wrath of the Golden Reapers.

-The researchers didn’t die easily, but with their bodies riddled with holes from the Golden Reapers, they couldn’t move much anymore.

-After clearing out the researchers, the Golden Reapers scattered in all directions with urgent expressions.

-What are they doing now?

-The scattered Golden Reapers moved around as if searching for something.

-They jumped everywhere from the lights above to the corners of the corridor.

-What on earth are they doing?

-When I opened a door in the corridor to check inside, the scattered Golden Reapers were there.

-The room had a central torture chair, and the victim was abandoned in a terrible state.

-The Golden Reapers were all over the corpse.

-Splash splash.

-They poked the bloody face with small palms, shedding silent golden tears while sobbing.

-Their mouths were wide open as if wailing, but without lungs, no sound came out.

-I totally get that feeling; when you’re sad and can’t cry out, it’s frustrating and makes you feel worse.

-Even without words, the sentiment was understandable.

–

-Are they sensing the tormented pain of the victims?

-The Golden Reapers pressed and pulled the cheeks, lifted the eyelids, silently shouting for the eyes to open.

-Stepping outside the room, I found the avenging spirits gathered, angrier than before.

-Meooow!

-Advancing toward the ghostly cat cries now much closer.

-Together with the angry Golden Reapers!