Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: A Day in the Moderator's Life
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A bizarre space that seemed to blend a research lab and an office into one.
The Anomaly Gallery's moderator.
"Graduate Student No.12" was deeply immersed in her research, paper writing, and experiments.
A few days ago, there had been a minor commotion that forced her to burrow under the covers for a bit.
But that unfortunate mishap was resolved smoothly with her secretary through the perfectly logical excuse that it happened because her hands itched and she got up.
She was zipping around the lab on her chair when a knock drew her attention.
"Come in."
Soon, the door opened, and the secretary entered, carrying a thick stack of document binders under her arm.
"Here are the latest reports that have come in. It looks like you'll need to review them personally and make the decisions."
A rigidly stiff expression.
Han Se-rim tilted her head at the secretary's face, which she hadn't seen like this in a long time.
"Judging by your face... this must be pretty urgent, huh?"
"To be precise, it's not urgent. The incident itself is already over. But a problem was discovered in the follow-up processing."
Han Se-rim opened the report the secretary handed her.
Bold letters jumped out at her from the rough texture of the paper.
[Anomaly in the Gyeonggi-do Underground Sewer Urban Legend]
—After the entire First Exploration Team went missing, the Second Exploration Team was deployed.
—Out of the 10 teams dispatched to Gwangju in Gyeonggi-do, Team 2 neutralized the anomaly and rescued 3 survivors.
—During the investigation, Team 2 agents raised questions.
Issue: Timing of the doppelganger outbreak and its connection to the underground sewers.
Cost issue: Confirmed that the city is still receiving government subsidies for "existing sewage treatment costs" even after the sewers were discovered. However, current sewage treatment costs have noticeably decreased due to the anomaly.
Suspicion: No changes in any cost items until the neutralization attempt. This suggests someone intentionally falsified or concealed documents.
Overlap timing: The emergence of a doppelganger capable of mimicking other anomalies right before the anomaly vanished is highly coincidental in timing.
Conclusion: Considering the limited access rights to this anomaly, this implies the possibility of an internal collaborator, and the anomalous phenomenon was very likely artificially created rather than a natural occurrence.
Team 2 members: Team Leader Kang Su-ji, Investigator Kim Sera, Mercenary Alpha
Han Se-rim's eyes, which had been skimming down, stopped at the final line.
'Alpha?'
A name she'd heard somewhere before.
The ecosystem disruptor currently shaking up the Anomaly Gallery.
It was exactly the same as Newb120053's nickname.
"...By any chance, do you have more data on this Alpha agent mentioned here?"
"A identity verification request came in just in time, so we have the compiled documents."
The secretary handed over the files and added an explanation.
"Name: Alpha. A mercenary who hadn't shown any special abilities before. Starting with the 'Gwangju Station' anomaly, then the 'New Employee First Day' anomaly, and now this overlapping anomaly in the provisional 'Doppelganger Maze Horror.' He's achieved incomparable results in all of them."
Han Se-rim nodded at the secretary's explanation.
'No need to look any further.'
She closed the open documents as is, a smile spreading across her lips.
It's certain.
Newb120053 is...
'More than that, we're on the same world line?'
"...The information and abilities listed don't match at all, so there's a request for additional verification to process—"
As the secretary continued, Han Se-rim decisively cut her off with a hand gesture.
"Forget it. Tell them to stop. I'll vouch for Alpha's identity myself. Then there's no problem anymore, right?"
The secretary's eyes flashed with momentary confusion.
"That's true, but... why would the director personally..."
Han Se-rim slowly turned her chair sideways toward the secretary.
Light filtering through the window cast dark shadows over half her face.
"Because I know him well."
Leaning back in her chair, Han Se-rim spoke in a lonely tone.
Her face slowly emerged from the darkness, a bitter smile spreading across her lips.
"We've... seen things together that we can never show to anyone else."
In the cold, heavy silence, the secretary's mouth cautiously opened.
"...Even if you try to act all serious... you were the one who stopped the anomaly all alone—"
Bang—
"What?!"
"Ahem. Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you. The Chief Researcher asked me to pass on that you need to finish all the tasks he assigned by the end of this week."
Bang—
"What?! No way! Do you know how much work he just dumped on me? That old geezer!"
The secretary quickly bowed her head to the director, whose target had shifted, and hurried out of the room.
"Then I'll be going."
***
A new post went up on the Anomaly Gallery.
The author was Newb120053.
The gallery dwellers, who had been burning with relative deprivation just moments ago, flocked to it one by one.
But the post's content was nothing like what they expected (or hoped for in jealousy).
It detailed the aftermath of this anomaly, along with the vested interests and complex issues uncovered in the process.
And at the end, Newb announced that he had submitted a processing request to the management agency regarding the matter, and the results had finally arrived.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Anomaly Management Agency Official Reply Email]
Sender: Anomaly Management Agency Investigation Committee
Subject: [Confirmed and Approved] Report on Gyeonggi-do Underground Sewer Urban Legend
Hello.
We are notifying you of the review results for the follow-up report on the "Anomaly in the Gyeonggi-do Underground Sewer Urban Legend" you submitted, as follows.
The possibility of artificial occurrence you raised has been confirmed as fact.
Cross-verification with internal records concluded that the doppelganger emergence right before the anomaly's disappearance was not a natural phenomenon but an anomaly resulting from intentional intervention.
The suspicions regarding sewage treatment costs were also clearly shown to involve document falsification, and follow-up measures have been requested from the relevant departments.
Accordingly, your report is hereby officially approved.
Additionally, your early detection and precise identification of this issue provided the agency the opportunity for swift follow-up action. We deeply thank you for your cooperation.
The Anomaly Management Agency will continue to do its utmost for fact-checking related to anomalous phenomena and ensuring safety.
Thank you.
Anomaly Management Agency Investigation Committee
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
At the end of the post.
A captured email indicating "approval" and "fact confirmed" was attached.
And soon.
The Anomaly Gallery, which had been burning over Newb's playthrough moments ago, now ignited for an entirely different reason.
[Title: So, basically.]
—Author: Sky Emperor.
....A devil was just about to be born.
Right?
I've never seen a devil myself.
But looking at that thing coming out of the black orb that flashed on screen for a second at the end.
My gut tells me it was insanely strong?
Half-grown horns on its head.
Wings that looked like they were about to sprout from its back.
Black skin.
It was clearly a premature baby that got shot in the head and died.
But somehow, my instinct says if it had just had more time, it could have happened?
And yet.
The root of all this was... sewage treatment costs?
[Recommendations 512][Dislikes 0]
[Title: Is this for real?]
—Author: Frozen Tuna
Is this for real?
The motive that nearly blew up the city with an overlap phenomenon lololol
They tried to save on sewage treatment costs and this happened? Lmaoooooo
Not some grand reason like trying to overthrow the country, which I could at least understand.
But the reason was?
Se-wage-treat-ment-co-sts???????
Lmaoooooooooooo
What, did they release doppelgangers because they were cheap on the water purifier costs too?
[Recommendations 612][Dislikes 0]
[Anomaly Gal Longest Member]: Lmaoooooooooooo
[Poison Needle Pufferfish]: Lmaoooooooooooo
[Real Ru]: Reason I don't watch TV these days.
└[Serious Junkie]: Why watch fantasy movies! Reality is more fantasy lolol
[Busy with Real Life]: Lmaoooooooooooo
[Not Human]: This deserves a Darwin Award for real.
[Title: Sudden Prophet?]
—Author: Butter Melon
Got curious if my world line has it too, so I investigated like Newb.
Spot on.
They were already using them.
Just, unlike Newb's, no devil-related stuff underground, so it didn't blow up.
They pocketed all the sweet tax money from the country.
While doppelgangers did all the work.
Thanks to this, people look up to me asking how I knew.
Me, a shut-in loser in my room, suddenly a prophet tomorrow?
—Nah, dream on.
A super pretty girl came up and talked to me, but my mind went blank white.
Stuttered like crazy.
She gave me the coldest look like, oh, this guy's a total miss, and left.
....Lmaoooooooo
Anyway, what now?
They said doppelgangers have three stages.
How much did they grow that thing lololol
Go ahead, try~
Dead is dead.
Joking.
Seriously, how do you stop this? We're screwed.
[Recommendations 563][Dislikes 0]
[Not Human]: Makes me sad because I can imagine it.
[Dark Meter]: Sorry. No countermeasures come to mind. Doppelgangers have unknown variables. Just quick give up gg
└[Butter Melon]: This is MY world line!!! Give up!? I'll actually die!!!
[Coffin Fairy]: Did you summon me?
└[Butter Melon]: Not yet. Go away.
[Title: What's up dude? Turned on live stream in a panic cuz everyone was freaking out]
—Author: Veteran84
..No need for advice anymore.
[Recommendations 112][Dislikes 0]
[Sky Emperor]: Latecomer cut
[Veteran84]: Dude. Explain. Live stream ended, now gotta buy with coins to see. Waterworks mod
└[Graduate Student No.12]: ...?
└[Veteran84]: .....
└[Veteran84]: Didn't you say you were busy?
└[Graduate Student No.12]: Just finished. And you'll be done soon too.
[Title: One-Line Summary]
—Author: Serious Junkie
[Drawing Board 1]
[Drawing Board 2]
[Recommendations 312][Dislikes 1]
[Veteran84]: Why always these shitty drawings! Explain properly!
└[Real Ru]: Lmao where's a better explanation than this?
└[Serious Junkie]: Fr lmao
└[Recommendation Fairy]: Fr lmao