Kunekune (1)
Each faction had its own stance on monsters. The Special Task Force aimed to exterminate every last one and protect the public. The Foundation sought to research and explain all existing monsters, though they occasionally got swayed by investors into profiting off them. The cult believed all humanity should either die or become monsters. Amid all that, the Deep Web had no real stance. It was simply about "discovering every monster in this world."
"Disappearing again today?"
I turned on my laptop after arriving at the office, and Lisa asked that.
"Disappearing? ...You mean the shuttered mall?"
"At least to my eyes, it looked like you were vanishing, Mayuri."
"I see. Was there any trouble while I was gone...?"
I asked Lisa cautiously. It had been a decent amount of time since I'd started living with two monsters. Ari was basically just a pet, but Lisa gave off a more intelligent vibe. That's why I'd been leaving the office in her hands while I was away. No customers ever came anyway, so I figured it was fine.
...Still, it made me uneasy. She might look human, but Lisa wasn't one at heart. She wouldn't cause any weird incidents while I was gone, would she...?
"No particular issues. If anything, I've been worried about you, Mayuri."
"Me?"
"Muksi Saengmyeongche, was it? Humans call beings like us that, and some among them are pretty nasty."
Like the ones I'd seen at the factory recently, Lisa added.
"Hanging around with those sorts won't do you any good. No manners, no table etiquette—just monsters that harm humans. Total waste of ingredients, really."
"R-Right..."
"I promised I'd treat you to a delicious meal someday, so I'm quite worried I might not get the chance to keep that promise."
"Hmm..."
She wasn't worried about my safety—she was worried about hers.... Well, maybe that was for the best. Being loved or obsessed over by a monster... wasn't a good thing. It usually led to misfortune far more often than not.
Ari just wanted to live easy, and Lisa had her own ambitions. We'd use each other until I reached the true ending, then go our separate ways. Perfect.
I nodded. "There don't seem to be any Muksi Saengmyeongche in the shuttered mall. Or at least, none that get discovered."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. So you can relax."
The shuttered mall wasn't in the codex. That probably meant no one had ever encountered a monster there. Most anomalies in this world stemmed from monsters, after all. But cases like this—where something weird happened without any monsters being spotted—weren't uncommon. Why? ...I had no idea. Even the setting docs left it vague on purpose.
"If there are no Muksi Saengmyeongche, then no problem. Take care and stay healthy, Mayuri."
With Lisa seeing me off, I entered the shuttered mall the same way as last time. A inconspicuous corner seat. I sat there quietly, watching people pass by. It was a place to buy things unavailable in the real world, so all sorts showed up.
Most were strangers. But from their outfits and demeanor, I could peg about half.
That one's a Foundation researcher. Probably buying up NPC wares for study. That one's a Special Task Force agent. Here for monster-killing gear. That one's a cult pastor. Scheming some terror plot, maybe.
Foundation staff. Foundation staff. Task Force agent. Another Foundation staff. Cult acolyte. Foundation staff. Foundation staff. Cult acolyte. Task Force agent. Task Force agent.
Hmm...
...Not showing up.
How many hours had I been at this? I'd scrutinized every passerby, but the talent I wanted wasn't appearing.
What I hoped to meet here was someone tied to the Deep Web. No, "tied" wasn't right. A user "active" on the Deep Web—that was more accurate.
I was hunting for a Nameless Scout.
【Nameless Net】: Deep Web community site where Nameless Scouts operate. All members stay completely anonymous, with personal info strictly protected. Users can freely report monster-related info here, earning rewards if verified as true. Joins require a referral system—outsiders need an invite from an existing member.
Nameless Scouts. Monster-spotters who had zero interest in resolving them—just finding and reporting.
Strictly speaking, the Deep Web wasn't a faction. Just individual users gathering on a site to do their thing. No chain of command, weak connections between scouts. Everyone just pursued their own hobbies freely. That made it the most neutral group around.
It got along fine with the Foundation, Task Force, and cult. Obviously. Scouts found monsters on their own and reported via Nameless Net. The Foundation dispatched staff based on those tips, capturing and containing them faster and safer. Handy for them. Same for the Task Force and cult.
No faction messed with Nameless Scouts lightly.
To reach the true ending, I needed ties to all four factions. The Deep Web was my first target—once connected there, the other three would follow easier.
"Huh? Kinda familiar."
I'd been staring daggers at the underground mall crowd when I heard a voice I recognized. Looking up, a woman peered down at me.
"Ah, right. Saw you at that 'restaurant,' yeah? Or not? Whatever."
Vibrant red-dyed hair. Sleepy eyes. Black mask.
The black-masked Nameless Scout I'd briefly met as a waitress during the Carnival Chef incident.
I grabbed her ankle on impulse. "W-Wait... Can we talk...? J-Just a quick chat! Won't take long...!"
"Why so desperate? Kinda funny."
She scratched her head, looking annoyed.
"Hate wasting time, but whatever. Got nothing today."
"Ah, a referral? Happens sometimes."
She fiddled with her phone, seeming lazy about it. Felt like she'd say no, so I grabbed her arm without thinking.
"P-Please... If I can't advertise, my gigs dry up..."
"Advertise?"
"Y-Yeah... Opened a fixer office... Thought Nameless Net would be perfect for promo... H-Here's my card."
I yanked a business card from my wallet.
"Figured you were something. A fixer, huh. How old?"
"Born in 00..."
"Same age? Don't look it."
"Just give me the referral, and I'll do one job for free! Can't you...?"
Nameless Net was referral-only, and scouts were hard to meet anyway. High mortality rate. Makes sense—they're the first to encounter undiscovered monsters. That's why reporting alone paid; no need to resolve.
Scouts were usually desperate for cash or thrill-seekers. Not your everyday types.
"Jobs, huh. But if trouble hits, just call the Task Force or Foundation—they handle it."
"Ugh..."
"Eh, fine. Got a favor to ask anyway. Help, and you're in."
"R-Really...?"
She nodded.
"Details after we log out. Call the number on the card?"
The next day, I boarded a train. Aisle seat for me. Ari by the window next to me. Black Mask across.
"Ah, you were at that restaurant too? Ate like a champ."
She recognized Ari but didn't seem fazed. Everything bored her, it seemed. Slouched against the seatback, just tapping her phone. I glimpsed the screen—some mobile game.
"Running the office together?"
"Yup."
I nodded. Lisa was stashed in storage. Unlike Ari, she didn't mind it. And Black Mask had dealt with the Carnival Chef—better not risk her spotting Lisa.
"Where we headed?"
"You'll see~."
We rode in silence. She gamed the whole way. No real chit-chat. She was just too lazy.
Occasional random comments, but nothing lasted.
...Knew it from the game, but in person, she's next level.
【Nameless Scout 'Geom-ma'】: Active on Nameless Net. Always wears a black mask. Fairly well-known there under the handle 'Geom-ma.' Hobby: hunting anomalies. Prioritizes survival above all. Often plays victim to stay alive; rarely resolves incidents herself.
Geom-ma, a named NPC from the monster game. Met her often in-game, but that personality made her useless. Still, impressive. High survival rate in a deadly job.
"Taxi, then a long walk."
After the train, taxi—then a hike, as she said. Dusty earth scent. We reached a rural village.
"Where's this?"
"Dunno. Village had a name, forgot."
"Huh?"
"High school buddy's hometown, that's all I remember. Rest? Meh, don't care."
"I see..."
We walked, chatting like that. City girl me found it weird—no skyscrapers. Trees and grass everywhere. Single-story houses, fields in the distance. Sunflowers over stone walls, dragonflies swarming.
Then it hit me.
"...No people around."
"Duh. They're gone."
"What?"
"Whole village got hit by it."
Geom-ma said flatly.
"Ever hear of Kunekune? That's what did the whole place."