Chapter 73

Episode 73. Abandoned Factory (2)

***

Urban exploration YouTube channel, “I See.”

There are still many hidden places in the world. Places abandoned to escape people’s eyes, underground networks connected through sewers or subways, forgotten cities, and more.

In an era where decay becomes a joke and destruction is merely considered a myth, three young people were wandering through the ruins of an abandoned factory with a camcorder.

“Hello! I’m Kim Min-ah. Today, I’ll be doing the narration for the broadcast.”

“Thank you for tuning in. Today, we’ve come to, well, an abandoned factory. A place no other YouTubers have visited, meaning we’re the first to explore it.”

“Ah. Rumor has it that in 1945, the North Korean army wiped out the village that was here. After the war, during the purge of collaborators, almost no one was left in the village.”

“Even after that, ah, the terrain here is so rough. Wait a second. There have been reports of supernatural phenomena and tragedies in this area. Serial killings in the 1970s, disappearances in the 2000s… and in the 2010s, people exploring the ruins vanished.”

Kim Min-ah checked the comments on her phone. Hmm, successful. The reactions she wanted were already pouring in. Live comments like “You’re dead,” “You’re crazy.”

“Ah. It’s fine. I’m recording everything in real-time with a body cam and camera, so even if I die, we’ll have a clear record of what killed me.”

“Gasp, thank you for the donations!”

“Now, we’re going inside the abandoned factory. What if I die? Well, I just won’t die. Besides, we’ll record what kills me, right?”

Kim Min-ah laughed.

“We’re already inside the factory. Someone’s been here. There’s graffiti, traces of someone living here, and it’s a bit eerie. Looks like someone cooked and ate instant noodles here, though it seems like a long time ago.”

“Should we try summoning a ghost? In a place with such strong negative energy, a Bunshinsaba ritual might work well…”

Kim Min-ah and her group entered the building.

***

I frowned. No need to enter that disgusting exhibition hall. Let’s first check the people the Special Forces’ military dog just found.

“Which side is it?”

“The target we’re tracking, they’re human, but they’re carrying equipment.”

“The dog said that?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t ask further.

Weird. Are they like a Druid?

“So the situation is… the enemy is handling supernatural phenomena, and irregular artists or clockwork devices have brought large equipment? We need to move carefully.”

“Down below.”

“Let’s sweep through. The risk of being spotted is high. Whatever they are, we need to eliminate them as quickly as possible.”

I adjusted my weapon and looked down at the factory’s first floor. The chances are low, but I think I see some shadows.

Where was it again? Thinking about the chaos at the museum still horrifies me. Reality Adjuster.

Killed dozens of people, altered reality within the museum, covered the walls with cognitive disasters. Today, I have no intention of cooperating with the artists’ games.

I’ll shoot to kill without conversation.

Click. My radio made a sound.

[No enemies in sight. Monitoring.]

I quietly moved my steps. To get a clear view of the first floor. My finger rested on the trigger.

“……”

I think I hear footsteps. Let’s see who’s waiting for us.

[Cellular data detected. Blocking long-range communications, radio may malfunction.]

Oh, really. They do have equipment.

[Director. Requesting permission to fire.]

“Wait. Are they really from the hostile group?”

Pop. The silenced rifle made a strange sound instead of a gunshot. Screams started to echo shortly after. I looked through the scope.

One person was lying on the ground. A broken camera beside them, the rest were running away. Hmm, should I shoot them? Or just let them run?

I spoke into the radio.

“To the Special Forces. Two suspected hostile group members have fled the building, and one has been subdued.”

[Confirmed.]

“I’ll check the downed person. Requesting cover.”

I stood up.

***

About a minute had passed since the bullet was fired. The person we shot was clutching their leg, crouching. Who is this guy?

I was about to kick the shattered camera on the ground but changed my mind. The information inside might be useful later.

“Get a grip.”

The person lying on the ground, bleeding, looked like a college-aged guy. The amount of blood was about a can’s worth. Still within the safe range.

From the sound, it seems they’re still alive. Keeping my gun aimed, I tossed two tourniquets toward the fallen person.

“Tourniquets. Stop the bleeding and answer my questions.”

“W-what is this—”

“Why did you come to this abandoned factory?”

“Ahhh! My leg, my leg!”

Something’s off. If this person were part of the hostile group, they wouldn’t be caught so easily. At the very least, they’d be monologuing while dying.

I pondered for a moment.

“I can’t help you until you answer. Why did you come to this abandoned factory?”

“Ex-exploring! Ahhh!”

The screams are terrifying. Specifically, the fact that the screams aren’t distracting me is a bit scary.

“You came to the abandoned factory for no reason?”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Judging by the screams, it seems only their leg is injured. I took out a first aid kit and placed it on the ground. Sigh. Killing them like this would be a bit much.

“Why should I believe you?”

“P-please, it’s true. Save me.”

I picked up the first aid kit.

“Well, I’ll treat you for now.”

No choice. I approached the fallen person and tied two tourniquets around their leg. The bleeding seems to have stopped for now.

“Ahhh!”

“Breathe. An ambulance should arrive soon. Tell me what happened.”

It’s not a lie.

The Foundation’s ambulance will arrive at the scene soon. After that, they won’t be able to die even if they want to.

***

Kim Min-ah hid in a trash can outside the factory.

“F*ck, the soldiers just, ah, please help me. Ah, f*ck. The soldiers just shot at us, trying to kill us, one of us is already—”

What’s going on? Kim Min-ah checked her phone again.

She thought she was talking to someone, but the phone’s cellular data was off. No, all communication methods on the phone were disabled, as if it was in airplane mode.

What the hell is happening?

***

Nanami picked up the phone in the Director’s Office.

“Hello, this is Nanami.”

“Multiple hostile humans have been found at the hostile group’s stronghold. Requesting backup.”

“Who is this?”

“Moon of Seoul, Special Forces Team Leader.”

“Team Leader. Another hostile group stronghold?”

“Seems so.”

“How do these hostile group guys keep popping up like cockroaches no matter how many we kill?”

“How should I know? Send backup. I’m busy.”

Of course, you’re busy.

“Alright. Recovery Team 2 is currently on standby. I’ll send them right away.”

Nanami stood up.

***

[Access Restricted]

[Author: Access Restricted]

[Until further notice, this document is restricted from all except the author.]

[Popo Cell Cultivation Experiment]

[Ah. As a created being, how could I miss the chance to create a deity?]

[Project Blue Rose failed because we didn’t take enough risks. Because we lacked materials.]

[This time is different. We have enough materials and will. Not only did we secure the corpses of several deities from the Forgotten City incident, but we can also use Popos to breathe life into that framework.]

[Do you know the meaning of the blue rose? In the past, it symbolized unattainable love because it was a flower that couldn’t exist.]

[But now, we can create blue roses through genetic manipulation.]

[Thus, the meaning of the blue rose has changed to a miracle. A miracle that can be easily produced in a factory and used effortlessly.]

[Project Blue Rose ultimately failed. We lost many capable scientists in the process. But we can try again.]

[Give me money and time. I’ll create a new god for you.]

***

[Access Restricted. Reply.]

[Author: Nanami]

[What… To the staff of the Director’s Office.]

[I assume everyone has found the restricted documents in their own way. I believe the document is merely a smokescreen.]

[It’s one of two things.]

[Either someone framed Lee Se-ah by writing a document in her tone.]

[Or they’ve already completed the necessary preparations and wrote the document falsely to hide the project’s progress.]

[Lee Ji-hye is still under surveillance. I’m not sure what the issue is. There’s no evidence to suggest she’s been replaced or is under the influence of a supernatural phenomenon.]