Chapter 72

Episode 72. Abandoned Factory (1)

***

Nanami, Advisor An, Advisor Cha, and Administrator Lee. The staff from the Director’s Office were gathered in one place.

“So, Director Kim spent his doctoral program at the Foundation? With Lee Se-ah?”

“With the Research Department Head, yes.”

“I understand that. But that doesn’t explain why his body changed so drastically.”

“It’s a supernatural phenomenon. Isn’t that something we see all the time? Sadly, if you expect a conventional explanation, you’ll only be disappointed.”

Nanami spoke up.

“Actually, there’s something we haven’t disclosed.”

“What is it?”

“This is classified. Lee Se-ah. The Research Department Head personally conducted an electrode insertion test in the Director’s brain when he joined. Alone.”

“What?”

The staff in the Director’s Office were shocked.

“While Dr. Kim was undergoing a sleep EEG test, meaning while he was asleep, the Research Department Head administered anesthesia and conducted the test abruptly.”

“……”

“Why is the Research Department Head still alive?”

Nanami sighed again.

“Well… because he found something. The official report said there was nothing wrong with Dr. Kim, but the Research Department Head found an issue.”

“Reality adjustment signals were detected in his brain. Primrose fields were also found deep within his brain.”

“What are Primrose fields?”

“It’s an extended physics concept detected in communication with other dimensions. I only heard it verbally from the Research Department Head, so I’m not entirely sure.”

“What does that mean?”

Nanami pondered for a moment.

“I’m not an expert, but the pineal gland is said to be the third eye. It governs sleep and is related to nirvana in Buddhism.”

“Ah. So Dr. Kim is a supernatural ability user?”

“It’s not that simple. How should I explain it… like an octopus, I guess. That’s how the Research Department Head described it. The Dr. Kim we see is just the tip of a tentacle of some enormous being.”

“What?”

“At least, that’s the Research Department Head’s opinion. Some kind of cross-dimensional infection. An entity from outside our dimension has taken hold of Dr. Kim, changed him, and created him.”

“……”

“Do you think so, Nanami?”

“No. I think the Research Department Head is a lunatic who should be sent to the dissection room immediately. I’m just relaying his opinion.”

“So, Dr. Kim is a monster?”

“Well… think of a flock of crows. Each crow is just a normal bird. But that doesn’t mean the flock is the same as other birds.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“I don’t know either.”

BANG! The door to the Director’s Office opened.

“Think of it this way. Ants are just ants, but unlike other insects, they can communicate with each other. They build homes and create civilizations. Dr. Kim is connected to nodes across dimensions in some way. Even if it doesn’t exceed the scope of humanity, there could be unpredictable emergent effects.”

Lee Se-ah looked at the Director’s Office.

“Where do you think you are, barging in like this?”

“I thought we were talking about me.”

“Get out.”

Lee Se-ah crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

“I know best what the Director is. I’m the only one who properly remembers Project Blue Rose.”

“If you were perceptive, you’d know that the only reason the Research Department Head is still alive is because of that.”

“Good thing I’m not perceptive, then.”

“You’re making a huge mistake. Power, personal strength, stronger than anything in this country. And yet, you’re just relying on its goodwill.”

Lee Se-ah left the Director’s Office.

***

Work. The Director’s Office was strangely quiet.

“Did something happen?”

I asked, and Administrator Lee shook her head vigorously. Strong denial means strong affirmation. Why are they like this? Did they have a team dinner without me?

I threw my bag on the desk.

“Administrator Lee. I don’t know what’s going on, but if there’s something I need to know, you’ll tell me, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

I’ll figure out what happened on my own. I turned on my desk computer.

“Administrator Lee. Anything happening today? The Precognition Department seemed to be working overtime yesterday.”

“Hmm? Not sure. The Precognition Department said they found some new leads related to hostile group activities.”

Hostile groups.

After the Forgotten City incident, the Foundation has been killing hostile group members and humanoid supernatural phenomena on sight. But it seems it’s still not enough.

They’re still running rampant everywhere.

“Is there an extermination plan?”

“Not yet. We need to send people to scout the area first before we can make a proper extermination plan.”

I nodded.

If it’s just scouting, it shouldn’t be too hard.

***

I looked around.

The Special Forces ‘Moon of Seoul’ was with me. This place is a ruin. There are many rumors of ghosts and devil worshippers appearing.

I’m not sure if it’s true.

“There’s nothing here. It’s just a ruin.”

To be precise, it’s an abandoned city. The entire city, which looks decades old, is a horrifying sight of exposed steel and concrete, like the rotting corpse of a giant monster.

[Let’s consider it training.]

I’m not sure.

“Do you really think there’s a supernatural group base here? It doesn’t seem very likely.”

I didn’t even know places like this existed in Korea. As I looked around, the Special Forces’ military dog suddenly started barking.

[Wait. Let’s proceed carefully. According to Baekgu, there are people nearby besides us.]

“Ah, is that so?”

Baekgu? It’s black, so why is it called Baekgu (White Dog)?

“Well… the ruin is interesting, but if there’s no evidence of supernatural phenomena nearby, it might be better to just turn back.”

[Yes. Let’s search the building first.]

The building’s door wasn’t intact. We could enter the building without any issues. It might be a factory, but I’m not sure.

[Should we split up to search?]

“Hmm, it’s dangerous to go alone, so let’s move in pairs of two.”

***

When there’s no resistance, or when the enemy isn’t visible, it’s important to secure high ground. I’m not sure if there are enemies in this area.

[We’ll search the eastern area.]

The Special Forces soldiers scattered. I followed the Special Forces member with the military dog. The interior of the abandoned building was darker than I expected.

“So, what could be in this ruin?”

[I don’t know. First-]

I looked around the building’s interior again. Graffiti left by people covered the walls of the abandoned building.

It wasn’t ordinary graffiti.

Black pentagrams. Various occult symbols. It could just be the scribbles of lunatics, but there’s no evidence that it’s unrelated to supernatural phenomena.

[Let’s follow the military dog’s lead.]

Only eight of us have to search an abandoned factory the size of a small town. There’s probably only the two of us in this building.

[Wait. There’s something nearby.]

A bat flew over our heads. The Precognition Department said there’s something in this building.

I tinkered with the Precognition Department a few days ago, but I’m not sure I can fully trust them.

[Wait a moment…]

The Special Forces member pointed at something with his hand. The military dog also started barking while looking at something on the wall. What is it?

“Whoa.”

There were symbols of anomalous artists.

***

Cockroach-like things. Who knows what kind of horrific monstrosity they’ve set up in this abandoned city and called it art.

What was it last time? They occupied a museum just before its opening and displayed paintings drawn in blood and dolls made of bones and flesh.

Disgusting things.

“Let’s inform Facility 82 and regroup with the others. We shouldn’t have split up… I didn’t know this mission would be so dangerous.”

[Well. Because we split into teams, we were able to find this trace. Our choice wasn’t wrong.]

We reached the building’s rooftop, and I looked around again. Ah… what’s that over there.

“Ahead… an exhibition hall.”

A sign reading “Anomalous Artists’ Digital Media Exhibition” hung above a door, made in a clumsy neon sign that looked handmade. The lights were definitely off earlier, but they turned on as we passed.

– Anomalous Artists’ Digital Media Exhibition

– Collaboration with Clockwork Devices

[It looks way too dangerous at a glance.]

***

[Observation of Hostile Group Activities]

[Author: Administrator Lee Ji-hye]

[The activities of domestic hostile groups have been escalating since the Forgotten City incident, and there’s no sign of improvement.]

[I question whether the Foundation’s and Facility 82’s indiscriminate destruction and suppression are meaningful. The Foundation should seek ways to coexist peacefully with humanoid supernatural phenomena outside the Foundation.]

***

[Observation of Hostile Group Activities. Reply.]

[Author: Personnel Department Head]

[Rejected.]

[Administrator Lee denies writing this document. Currently, Administrator Lee is preemptively isolated for a thorough investigation. A breach in the Foundation’s database is suspected.]

***

[Observation of Hostile Group Activities. Reply. Reply.]

[Author: Administrator Lee Ji-hye]

[The issue has been resolved. Thank you.]

***

[Observation of Hostile Group Activities. Reply. Reply. Reply.]

[Author: Personnel Department Head]

[Administrator Lee Ji-hye’s Foundation intranet account has been temporarily deleted. Administrator Lee Ji-hye is currently isolated. The personnel team has activated the code and requested a security team dispatch from the Foundation Headquarters.]