Doggie, Come Here!
“Doggie, come here!”
- Wal!
What does doggie love most?
Everyone has their own answer to that question.
Some might say it's their owner.
Others might say it's treats.
But there's one thing everyone who makes these claims agrees on.
Dogs love balls.
Dogs love balls more than anything.
Especially when they're out and about playing fetch—they go absolutely crazy for it.
“Huff...”
As doggie bounded toward me, I took pity on Han A-young, who recoiled in horror, and scooped him up from a safe distance, cradling him in my arms.
Ugh... this piggy doggie.
He was so chubby from all the good eating—heavy as heck to hold—but I tried not to show it as I turned to Han A-young.
“Unnie.”
“Yeah?”
“Can't we just let that ball go rampage and have doggie play with it...?”
Everyone knows doggies lose their minds over fetch with balls or frisbees, but one big reason people don't do it often is the owner's stamina.
But a soccer ball that moves on its own? No throwing required!
It was a revolutionary toy that would make every pet owner in Korea's eyes spin.
“Th-that thing...?”
Han A-young looked totally flustered by my suggestion.
Well, yeah—intentionally setting an Anomaly on a rampage would be a huge responsibility for someone in her position.
I got why she was uneasy.
But with an automatic doggie toy right in front of us, I couldn't just let it go.
So I pleaded earnestly.
“You know that dark energy I can see...?”
“Yeah.”
“I can't see it on that ball... Probably only shows up when it's rampaging...”
“Ah...”
She seemed deeply interested in my ability.
So I pressed on, arguing that to use my powers on the soccer ball, we'd need it rampaging first.
“Once we rampage it and leave just doggie behind, it'll be safe for people too.”
I emphasized again that there'd be no risk to human life.
“But... will Baekgu be okay? What if he gets hurt...?”
I looked down at doggie, who was licking my face happily in my arms.
“Doggie.”
- Wal!
“You can handle it, right...?”
- Mung mung!
In our short playtime together, I'd realized doggie was way stronger than I'd imagined.
So I believed in his potential.
Doggie wagged his tail furiously, as if begging me to trust him.
“Hmm...”
After agonizing over it, Han A-young finally nodded, looking resolved.
“Alright, let's give it a shot!”
“Yay~.”
Once she made up her mind, things moved fast.
She radioed orders, and the agents began withdrawing in perfect sync.
The one guy staying till the end to trigger the rampage gripped a massive gun, getting checked over with various gear.
“Let's go.”
“Yessir~.”
I clung tight to Han A-young's hand as we left the containment cell.
Before going, I exchanged a look with doggie.
“You'll be fine, right doggie?”
- Mung mung!
He looked thrilled, grinning like it was the best thing ever.
I'd always felt bad that my stamina kept me from playing with him as much as he wanted.
Finding a way like this made me so happy.
- Tssshhh!
Hand in hand with Han A-young, we slipped out of the cell.
The heavy iron door slammed shut with a brutal clang.
I stared blankly at the closed door until she poked my cheek.
“Angel.”
“Huh?”
“Wanna head up and watch?”
“On... CCTV?”
“Nah, there's a special observation spot on the second floor.”
I'd figured we'd just watch on CCTV at best.
A dedicated viewing area? Score.
I nodded.
Watching anime in the cell sounded fun, but seeing doggie play would be way better.
I trusted him, but a tiny worry lingered in the back of my mind.
“Let's head up then.”
“Okay...”
Hand in hand, we headed for the emergency exit.
The door was plastered with mysterious-looking magic circles and talismans that'd give you chills at night.
Even the guide light above was purple instead of the usual green, adding a creepy vibe.
“Eek...”
I froze at the ominous feeling.
- Beep. Authentication complete.
Han A-young pressed her eye to the camera overhead.
- Creeeak.
The door creaked open stiffly, like it needed oil.
“...Is this thing... safe...?”
All the other facilities were high-tech, but this emergency stairwell to another floor felt weirdly outdated.
I asked worriedly, and she just grinned mischievously.
“There's a reason for it.”
“...”
“Details are secret.”
As an Anomaly myself, she wasn't about to spill sensitive info.
Well, the Anomaly Management Agency probably had their reasons.
Still felt sketchy. Super sketchy.
“Let's go up.”
The unease wouldn't fade, but we'd come this far—no backing out now.
I gripped her hand tight and climbed the stairs.
Squeak. Squeak.
Red rubber mats covered the steps for slip resistance.
Every time my sneakers hit them, they squeaked.
That sound just amplified the creepy atmosphere.
“Ugh...”
My body shrank instinctively.
I ended up staring down at my feet as I climbed.
Finally, the stairs ended, and the second-floor door came into view. Only then could I straighten up.
“Phew...”
Glad we made it without issues.
- Beep beep.
As Han A-young punched in the code on the device by the door, I glanced back casually.
Huh...?
Something felt off.
There'd definitely been rubber mats on the stairs when we climbed—red ones that squeaked with every step.
But looking back now, the stairs were bare smooth concrete. Nothing there.
I hurriedly tapped her shoulder.
“U-um, unnie?”
“Yeah?”
“Weren't there mats on the stairs when we came up? Red ones, super creepy feeling...”
She blinked and tilted her head.
“No mats on these stairs.”
Ah... my heart sank.
I hate stuff like this...
We'd finally reached the second floor.
Like the first, it was blank white walls—sterile and dull—but it actually put me at ease.
This is better...
I used to think the silence was too much, but after those stairs, quiet felt like a blessing.
Never going back there.
“Squeeze... squeeze... You gonna investigate?”
I pleaded earnestly, watching her serious face as she talked to control room.
She nodded and patted my head.
“Yeah, don't worry. Control's analyzing footage now, sending an investigation team, and sealing it off temporarily.”
“Euuugh...”
“And we'll take a different way back, so no worries.”
In movies, they'd ignore warnings like that, but thankfully, she took me seriously.
A normal person would've brushed it off, but Agency folks deal with anomalies daily—they get it.
- Tap tap...
She kept chatting softly, smiling gently.
“Angel, shall we go watch Baekgu first?”
“Yeah...”
Creeeak.
Hand in hand, we opened the door to a sturdy metal fence topped with thick transparent glass.
Below stretched an artificial turf field the size of a middle school soccer pitch.
- Thud! Thud! Thud!
A single ball bounced wildly on the turf, rampaging like mad.
- Woof! Woof!
Doggie chased it across the green on all fours.
“Whoa... that ball's naughty...”
No dark energy earlier.
But now, rampaging, it oozed malevolent black clouds—pure destructive malice.
Yet it wasn't scary. Doggie was totally dominating the evil ball.
- Waaang!
Doggie leaped mid-air, snatching the bouncing ball.
- Woof woof!
Thrilled, panting wildly, he pinned it with his paws, stabbed at it with sharp teeth.
Brrr...
The ball shuddered in agony each time.
After torment in doggie's grasp,
- Flash!
It teleported away like an escape attempt, respawning at the halfway line to bounce anew.
- Woof woof!
Ecstatic doggie gave chase, catching it again for more abuse.
Brrr...
Pinned and rolled under paws, the ball quivered pitifully.
I almost felt bad for it.
Hmm, hang in there, soccer ball...
Danger Level:Level 1
A worn soccer ball composed of 36 panels.
Discovered around 11:23 AM on January 31, 2023, at a middle school soccer field in Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do.
A resident report of a "crazy ball at the school field" was flagged as an anomaly by monitoring AI, leading to the first report. Bravo-1 Team dispatched immediately.
Bravo-1 Team temporarily suppressed it with special anti-tank rounds, but revival confirmed at the halfway line.
All other containment attempts failed. As a last resort, excavated 0.1m of field soil and transported to Chungju Base for successful containment.
Witnesses administered amnestics, but related ghost stories persist online. Cyber response team actively deleting.
Traits: Generates at halfway line if humans enter field; rolls toward people. If not kicked and exits the running track around the field, rampage begins.
Rampaging ball transforms into ultra-durable material never before seen—resists super-hard alloy cutters, estimated HV 2000+.