Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: Chameleon (1)
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The company-provided dorm was a clean officetel located in Incheon.
It was incomparably wider and more comfortable than the rundown studio apartment I'd lived in before.
I began settling into my new home.
Rahee had been assigned to a different officetel nearby as well.
The actual Exploration Team duties were more—
Straightforward than I'd expected.
Just as Park Cheolwoo, the team leader, had said, Team 15's main job was to "manage" low-risk monsters whose explorations were already complete and manuals established.
We'd get briefed in the morning, head to the containment facility, turn off our smartphones, then observe the monsters per the manual, feed them specific foods, or clean the containment rooms.
I was gradually getting used to the team members. Park Cheolwoo still had a slight stutter and was shy around people, but he was more thorough and cautious in his work than anyone else.
Seo Ji-hyun, despite her cold first impression, answered my questions precisely without any sign of annoyance, giving off good senior vibes.
Han Sora consistently kept the mood bright and lively, looking out for me as the newbie.
"...This is weird."
The days were far more peaceful than I'd imagined, but something felt off.
Like the calm before the storm.
Since the world I'd possessed wasn't normal, I couldn't let my guard down.
There was one downside to this peaceful routine: the item issuance policy.
New team members couldn't "borrow" company items officially until a month after joining.
That meant I had to hold out for about three more weeks to get an item.
Those relatively calm days passed by before long.
For the first time, our team received orders for "field work."
"P-Please pay attention, everyone."
In the meeting room, Park Cheolwoo opened his mouth with a more tense expression than usual.
The tablet in his hand displayed a photo of a quiet pension on the outskirts of Incheon.
"It's suspected that a monster called the 'Chameleon' is lurking in the Evergreen Pension in the Incheon area right now."
"Chameleon...?"
The next screen showed the monster's information.
[Chameleon]
- Risk Level: Low
- Eats corpses of living beings and can transform into them.
- Gains the memories and knowledge of the transformed target.
- However, can only obtain memories from within the past year. Cannot access older memories.
Along with the monster's info, past cases appeared on the screen.
There was the incident where it disguised itself as a famous cult leader and triggered a mass suicide, or the case where it turned into a soldier on vacation, returned to base, and went on a shooting spree.
"...It's not extremely high-risk, but it's the type that steals memories and knowledge from the living beings it eats to grow. As you can see from past cases, if left alone, who knows what it might do. We must find and eliminate it."
I swallowed dryly without realizing it.
Even if its direct combat ability was low, the ability itself was too insidious and dangerous.
That's when I raised my hand and asked a question.
"...Can't we find it with detection-type items?"
"Low-grade detection items can't pick it up, and higher-grade ones... unfortunately, are only permitted for upper teams. Also, possession of attack and defense items is restricted for this mission. Just in case."
The team leader gave a wry smile as he said it.
The "just in case" meant if we got taken out by it and it got hold of our items.
A monster using items.
Just imagining it was horrifying.
"The pension is currently isolated due to heavy rain washing out part of the access road. There are six people inside. Or rather, five people and one monster."
The screen showed blurry photos presumed to be from the pension's internal CCTV, along with brief info on the people inside.
A middle-aged man who seemed to like fishing.
The elderly pension owner.
A young boy who looked like the old man's grandson.
A medium-sized dog the old man seemed to own.
A young couple presumed to be on vacation.
• Middle-aged fishing enthusiast
• Elderly pension owner
• Young boy (grandson?)
• Medium-sized dog
• Young couple on vacation
"One of these is the 'Chameleon.' The problem is we don't know for sure who the monster is. Unless we pose a direct threat, it's unlikely to reveal itself first."
"...Could the medium-sized dog be the Chameleon too?"
"Yes... No exceptions."
Park Cheolwoo continued his explanation.
"So, we'll proceed with undercover infiltration this time. If we barge in suddenly, the monster might hide or attack the others, causing chaos. Everyone except me, the team leader, please approach the pension naturally, like guests who've booked a stay."
Han Sora whistled at his words.
"Wow! Field work means hazard pay, right? This is totally sweet!"
"...We'll see."
Seo Ji-hyun adjusted her glasses with a displeased look but said nothing more.
"The goal is to mingle with them as naturally as possible and identify who's the monster. If you get solid evidence or it tries to flee, I'll provide support from outside."
Park turned his gaze to me.
"Minjun, it must be nerve-wracking for your first field mission... but this one prioritizes observation and analysis over direct combat. Please cooperate well with your two seniors."
"...Yes, got it."
My first field mission.
An infiltration to uncover a monster in disguise, no less.
A different tension washed over me compared to collecting monster tears in containment.
'...I'd rather it was something I could just brute-force...'
Honestly, I wasn't confident.
We hurriedly prepared for the operation.
We changed out of our company uniforms into casual civilian clothes we'd brought ourselves.
Seo Ji-hyun sent satellite photos, the pension's internal layout, and basic suspect profiles to our smartphones.
Han Sora stuffed the car trunk with large suitcases and neck pillows as "props," fully transforming into a perfect vacationer.
Soon after, we piled into a plain black van and headed to the pension on Incheon's outskirts amid pouring rain.
The car finally stopped at the entrance to a forest path a short distance from the pension.
"We walk from here. Act as natural as possible. Communications via these."
Park handed us small walkie-talkies.
"We have to find it."
We got out, grabbed our bags, and trudged toward the pension through the downpour.
In the distance, atop the hill, stood the "Evergreen Pension." It had a certain charm in the storm, but also an eerie vibe.
According to the info, the first floor was shared space, and the second floor had private rooms with bedrooms.
"Come on, let's hurry!"
"Yeah... No, sure..."
Han Sora linked arms with me, grinning brightly.
Seo Ji-hyun remained expressionless, but her eyes sharply scanned the surroundings.
I forced a smile and walked with them toward the pension entrance.
Clunk.
As we opened the pension door and stepped in, the musty smell of rain mixed with warm indoor air welcomed us.
"Oh dear, you must've had it rough in this rain! Come on in!"
A white-haired elderly woman sitting in a living room chair greeted us with a kind smile.
At her feet, a fluffy white medium-sized dog wagged its tail, looking up at us, while a young boy who had been drawing at a small table nearby stared at us with curious eyes.
The pension owner grandma, her young grandson, and the dog.
Half the suspect list right there.
"Boss lady~! This is Kim Sora from the earlier reservation! Whoa~ this rain is no joke!"
Han Sora addressed the elderly woman in her usual bubbly, friendly tone.
Perfect acting.
I hung back, bowing my head slightly to play the quiet guy, while Seo Ji-hyun fiddled with her smartphone like she was awkward in unfamiliar places.
Of course, she was actually reviewing the suspects' info and the pension layout on her screen again.
She was sneaking glances at the old woman and boy even now.
"Heh heh, tell me about it. Ugh... suddenly pouring like this, all the guests are stuck here."
The old woman clucked her tongue and pointed to one side of the living room.
There sat the young couple and a middle-aged man, each on different sofas, staring blankly out the window.
The couple leaned on each other with annoyed expressions, while the fishing-geared middle-aged man yawned repeatedly from boredom.
The rest of the suspects.
All the suspects crammed into this small space.
I bit my lip discreetly.
Unfurling the map in my head, sure enough, a faint red dot blinked near the center of the living room.
The problem was the pension was smaller than expected, and everyone was clustered too closely, so I couldn't pinpoint who the red dot indicated.
The old woman? The grandson? The dog? One of the couple? Or the fisherman?
One thing was clear: the Chameleon monster had impressive acting skills.
From their facial expressions alone, they all seemed like real humans.
"Go to the room marked '4' on the second floor, got it?"
"Yes~!"
We took the key and headed upstairs.
The pension was cozier than expected.
The first floor seemed to consist only of the living room, dining area, and stairs to the second floor.
The second floor naturally had the rooms.
Once inside the room, we unpacked and shared our first impressions of the suspects.
"Got it...! It's the fisherman, right?"
"Huh? Why?"
Han Sora smiled as she said it.
"Well, the grandma, grandson, and dog have lived here together, so they'd know each other instantly. The couple obviously knows each other too! That leaves only the fisherman uncle!"
"...That's... not wrong."
It wasn't a completely baseless claim.
Then Seo Ji-hyun added her two cents.
"Separate from suspicions, I think we should watch the pension owner carefully."
"Huh? Why the old lady...?"
"She prepares meals every time. Easy access to things like kitchen knives. If the Chameleon wants a weapon here, the kitchen's the most likely spot."
"Th-That makes sense..."
Her chilling words made me flinch a bit without realizing.
But on the other hand, a thought crossed my mind.
'If it attacks us... it might actually make things easier.'
I shook my head to dispel the idea as soon as it came.