Chapter 2
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 2Object Head (1)
February 28th.
I opened my eyes again today, but my head is still on fire.
I can't live looking like this. I need to find the cause of the fire.
First of all, I think I need to find out why I don't feel any pain despite the flames.
I tried poking my head with a branch.
There is absolutely no sensation of the branch touching anything.
A medium is required for a fire to burn, but the branch passed right through, pointlessly piercing out the other side.
I think I need a mirror.
But there are no mirrors here where I am. Nor is there anything to substitute for one.
There is no heat felt from the flames. Perhaps it's just a hallucination that doesn't actually exist, only appearing to blaze brightly.
I feel like I can touch it.
I will try touching it.
Swish swish.
If the fire is just floating in the air without a medium, naturally my hand has no choice but to hover without touching anything.
I can feel the sensation of flames above my neck, but it isn't actually hot.
Compared to how brightly it's burning, it is actually just warm.
That means it is not a fire meant for combustion.
Then, a question arises.
'Where did my head go?'
There are only flames where my head should be.
My head, which should have eyes, a nose, and a mouth, is gone as if someone completely detached and stole it.
I touched my neck where my head should be attached.
Grope grope.
The alien texture is terrifying, but fortunately, it didn't feel like touching an actually severed human neck.
It isn't the texture of a throat, bones, or meat; it is completely covered in skin.
The cross-section of the neck isn't jagged, but cleanly cut. The cross-section is so clean that it almost feels artificial at first glance.
I feel as if I've become a secret test subject.
'Can I speak?'
How do I speak again.
I know I'm saying something incredibly absurd right now. Asking how to speak after being born human.
Even newborn babies, mindless beasts, and even some insects and reptiles know how to make sounds with their mouths. Yet a guy born human is currently struggling because he doesn't know how to make a sound with his mouth.
Ah, right. Of course.
I don't have a mouth.
It seems my extremely common-sense and natural animalistic thinking had momentarily stopped functioning.
Since I have no head right now, I don't have a mouth.
Then naturally, I wouldn't know how to speak.
No, no. With that logic, a perfect refutation is possible.
If I don't know how to speak because I have no mouth.
Then what am I, who is alive and thinking right now without a head?
How can I describe this situation where I can see forward without eyes?
What about hearing the surrounding noise without ears?
And this stench I can smell without a nose?
'But it's a strangely different sensation.'
The principle of being able to think is complex, so I'll skip it.
But I judged that my other senses are a bit abnormal.
I am seeing everything visible to the eye, but honestly, the sensation is different.
Should I say my field of vision is abnormally wide? No, it's a way of feeling, not seeing.
The limits of my vision have disappeared.
The swarm of ants crawling on the floor, the flying bugs hovering in the air, the spider hanging in the corner of the house.
I can even feel the mice and bugs hiding in their holes.
Even the scenery and living creatures beyond the walls, everything.
The detection range is wide, so I can grasp everything that enters my surrounding radius.
'How bizarre.'
Smells and sounds are similar.
As I've become sensitive, I feel even trivial things clearly, as if they are happening on my skin.
Have you ever heard the sound of an ant walking? I am hearing it right now.
The sounds aren't overly irritating or loud, so they don't stand out as a downside.
'But why won't words come out?'
Perhaps I just haven't figured out how to speak yet.
It's a joke, but whoever the creator god is might have forgotten an important software when creating me.
I have finished a certain degree of analysis regarding my head.
Since I have no head, I haven't been hungry or thirsty all day since yesterday.
However, even if there are no necessary elements to fulfill, I cannot settle here.
Let's go outside.
Right now, it seems I need to find a living creature that at least knows how to think and judge.
I left the house where I realized who I am and started thinking.
The house was an old, traditional concrete house.
It had been abandoned for decades, as plants had invaded inside, and the dust was so thick it piled up like a carpet.
It’s a good thing I don't have a throat for it to enter my airways; it would have been dangerous for a normal person.
"Chirp-chirp!"
Flap!
Startled by the appearance of an unfamiliar presence, the birds chirp and take flight.
Lush grass and trees growing everywhere like a forest.
This place is indeed...
'Is it a mountain?'
It's not the middle or the peak of the mountain, as a path exists, although covered in grass.
And from a little further away, I can feel the presence of people.
That direction must be towards the city.
'I want to see people.'
I am biologically human for now, so wanting to see other humans is a normal reaction.
I walked along the faint path for now.
If I follow the path, I'll probably meet a main road leading to the city.
Crunch, crunch.
Every time I step on the grass, I can feel its rough, alien texture under my bare feet.
The branches and stiff grass brushing against my body every time I push through the overgrown weeds. It stings, but it's not bad.
I am just happy with all the sensations I am feeling right now.
It felt as if proof of being alive was approaching me directly.
'Why do I feel this way?'
There is no way to know that much.
I can't know everything right now, so let's focus on the immediate goal for now.
Just as expected.
A road appeared as I followed the path out.
Across the road, far away, there is a city. In the other direction, factories are clustered together like an industrial complex.
Perhaps it's a rural road; the lane markings are faint and there are no fences.
A quiet road with no passing vehicles.
'Should I go to the city.'
It's a bit far, but roughly a distance I can reach if I walk for about 2 to 3 hours.
I'll need some resolve, but I can't live in this secluded place forever just because it's far.
Vroooom-
Just in time, the sound of a vehicle speeding over from across the road.
I, who was about to recklessly walk, came up with a brilliant idea as soon as I heard the vehicle.
'I just have to ask for a ride.'
What a convenient and smart idea.
No matter how fast a person is, they cannot be faster than a vehicle.
I stood on the shoulder of the road, so as not to interfere with driving, and watched the approaching vehicle.
A vehicle turned the corner and is coming this way quickly.
'An ordinary sedan. It isn't expensive, but there are signs of long use and decoration. It looks like the vehicle of an ordinary family man.'
I can vaguely feel the inside of the speeding vehicle too. It's a very convenient ability.
They might pass by, thinking I'm just a passerby.
To make my presence known, I stepped forward so I could be seen from the road and raised one hand.
'Over here.'
The fast-approaching vehicle ended up passing by, whether it didn't see me or had no intention of picking me up.
That can happen. You can't just carelessly give rides to strangers.
But I couldn't help feeling regretful.
Screeeech!
For some reason, the vehicle that had passed by stopped with the sound of tire friction.
Are they thinking of picking me up belatedly?
I looked back at the vehicle with a brightened face, but the vehicle didn't reverse, nor did the driver roll down the window to shout.
It merely remained motionless, stopped as if there had been some accident.
'Did something happen?'
It was the moment I was about to approach out of unnecessary concern.
Click.
The car door opened, and the driver got out.
Perhaps a young father, a man in his early 30s wearing glasses.
He stood in an awkward posture, stuck to the vehicle as if taking cover, and stared at me.
He is terrified.
His eyes are wide open, and his pupils are trembling.
Sweat is flowing, and he is breathing erratically.
Yet, one of his feet is resting in the driver's seat so he can get back in and drive off at any moment.
'Does he see me as a crazy person? Or a wild animal?'
It's still broad daylight, so he shouldn't be mistaken.
Since he was just staring intently at me, I also stared intently at him.
We stayed facing off like that for quite a long time.
Neither of us made a sound or moved.
'He doesn't seem to have any intention of speaking first.'
Left with no choice, I raised one hand as if to say hello from my side.
With the thought that if I acted friendly, he would let his guard down too.
"Hwaaaak!"
However, it seems it only backfired.
The violently startled man hit his forehead hard on the car roof as he got in, then stepped on the accelerator and fled as if making an emergency departure.
Vainly ignored while trying to say hello, I smacked my non-existent lips in bitterness.
'Even though I look like this right now, I'm not a dangerous person.'
Do I look that dangerous?
I looked down at my body in regret.
'Ah.'
Oh my, I was naked, wasn't I?
Because this damn body doesn't even feel the cold, I hadn't realized I wasn't wearing any clothes.
Or perhaps I had been in this state even before I became aware of my existence, so I hadn't noticed the incongruity.
'I have no choice but to find some clothes to wear.'
Even I wouldn't have the courage to stop a car for a naked man standing by the road.
It's more dangerous than someone standing with a knife.
I'll let today pass as a minor happening, and let's find some clothes for now.
Even if decades have passed, it's a trace of human habitation, so wouldn't there be clothes in that house from earlier?
"Please calm down a bit and speak slowly."
"W-will-o'-the-wisp! A will-o'-the-wisp on his head!"
"Excuse me? A will-o'-the-wisp? Did you drink during the day? That's drunk driving then."
"It's real! A will-o'-the-wisp! On the road next to the mountain!"
An office worker who came to report, even though it wasn't time to leave work yet.
The reporter, deathly pale despite blood pouring from his forehead, had been shouting the same thing over and over.
He saw a will-o'-the-wisp. A goblin covered in a will-o'-the-wisp.
Not knowing what on earth he was talking about, the police officers who received the report had to suspect day drinking or a drug addict.
"First, blow in here like Hoo~. Hoo~."
"Hooo!"
"Hmm? Senior. He hasn't had any alcohol at all."
"Then what about drugs?"
"It doesn't look like he did drugs either."
Then the conclusion unites into one.
This gentleman is making a fuss after seeing things all by himself.
Even the fact that he was leaving work when it wasn't time yet was because he left early due to feeling like he had a cold, so it's certain he saw hallucinations because he was sick.
"I said no! I didn't do drugs or alcohol! I'm completely sober!"
He himself is insisting he isn't, but.
"Just because I'm sick doesn't mean I would see things! I faced off with that will-o'-the-wisp for almost 2 minutes! Is that seeing things wrong?"
"Yes, yes. Please tell us."
The police officer, having already concluded that he was seeing things due to sickness, intended to deal with him roughly and send him away, as a half-hearted attitude was felt even in his tone.
The enraged reporter, veins popping in his neck, explained what he saw.
"Look here. He was suu~per tall. Practically 2 meters."
"My, a basketball player."
"But he was naked. For some reason, he didn't have a single piece of clothing on. He was on the skinny side, but maybe because he was tall, his build looked large."
"Is that so? Goodness. You should report this for public indecency."
"Ah, damn it! Listen seriously! This is the most important part!"
Grabbing his head with both hands, the reporter rubbed his face with both hands and spoke passionately as if spitting blood.
"His head was covered in blue flames! It wasn't that his head was on fire and burning! His head was replaced by flames!"
"Then didn't you see someone committing suicide by self-immolation?"
"No! It was burning for nearly 2 minutes but it didn't spread and was perfectly fine."
"Then let's take a look at the dashcam. If it's as you say, it should have been caught on the dashcam."
The driver became noticeably sullen when the dashcam was mentioned.
The hesitating reporter deeply bowed his head and said.
"I'm sorry. The dashcam broke last time, so I took it out to fix it."
"Haa."
Without evidence, it naturally becomes a false report.
If this were a crime like theft or kidnapping, they would at least try investigating, but what this man is currently claiming is that he saw a will-o'-the-wisp.
Who on earth would believe this.
"Sir. Because you saw hallucinations. Please go straight to the hospital, get examined, and take a good rest at home."
"I-it's real. If you can't believe me, please go with me to where he was discovered."
"We police are too busy to go check something like that. Just consider it a daily happening, and hurry to the hospital. If it's hard to drive, shall we give you a ride?"
The reporter's face turned red and pale as if he was angry, but having no way to prove his claim, he eventually had no choice but to turn back.
He left continuously muttering, 'It's real, it's not a lie.', and a little later, the senior police officer who returned holding a cup of coffee said.
"There are all kinds of strange people."
"Anyone can see he hallucinated, but he insists it's a will-o'-the-wisp. Phew, police work is hard, really."
"When doing police work, you really see all sorts of people. Do you know about this?"
The senior police officer sitting in the next seat rapidly tapped on the office computer and showed a community humor post.
"Are you allowed to go on communities on the desk computer?"
"As long as you keep your mouth shut. Anyway, look at this."
"What is it?"
In the community, there was a post where a user told a story.
It was a lamentation from a police officer who received a report exactly like theirs.
"The reports coming in lately are strange. Seeing a flying human, seeing a monster, or seeing a ghost. In some cases, a person went missing but was found a few months later. Yet the missing person claims only 30 minutes had passed."
"Isn't what just happened a similar case to this?"
"Ay, it's all fabricated. Stories circulating on the internet are originally all playgrounds for delusional patients, aren't they."
"There are real ones too."
"At least the contents here are all not. What era is it nowadays, who falls for this?"
"Hmm. Then I should write a story and post it too."
"Senior, do you use communities?"
"......I, I can. I don't do weird things, alright?"
"Ah, yes, yes."
He mixes the hallucination report about the will-o'-the-wisp with an exaggerated story and posts it on the community.
The immediate responses that returned were predictably just comments criticizing it as fabricated.
"See? Who would believe this."
"Ha, damn it. It's just a story that such a report came in, what do they mean fabricated! Anyway, they're like community users blinded by hate."
The junior, glaring pathetically at his senior who was a fellow community user, crossed his arms and thought deeply.
"But a person with a head of blue flames."
"Why? You believe it?"
"Of course not. But there is an urban legend like that."
"What urban legend?"
The junior pulled out a file folder with his finger, looked into it for no reason, and said in passing.
"Object Head."
"Obj..., what? What is that."
"Object Head. It's also called Abnormal Head."
"Abnormal who?"
The junior, scowling with all sorts of grimaces, got annoyed and shoved the file folder back in.
"Ah, man. It's just something like an urban legend. A non-human whose head is an object."
"There's an urban legend like that?"
"There is. Things with a radio or TV for a head. They sometimes harm people, and sometimes don't."
"Isn't it a work of fiction?"
"I thought it was fiction, but it's something that has had eyewitness accounts since the old days. Though I don't really know the truth of it."
Perhaps feeling a pointless stubbornness at the senior's disapproving expression, the junior tapped the desk and continued.
"Senior, do you know about this? A story about an organization that isolates and researches supernatural entities like the ones now and in the stories. This is quite an old urban legend."
"Don't you swear at me for using communities from now on. You go around watching weird things yourself just fine."
"Ugh. This is from YouTube."
The junior, having nothing to say, rapidly tapped his keyboard in embarrassment and searched for the urban legend they just talked about.
'Bureau of Surreal Management'
Of course, being a type of urban legend, only various ghost stories, conspiracy theories, and works of fiction were searched, but it was a genre where not a single one was easy to accept as truth.
The senior, who was browsing the community, asked as if he suddenly remembered.
"Where did he say it was discovered earlier?"
"You know that low mountain on the way to the industrial complex. The one abandoned since a long time ago."
"Don't tell me, that gloomy forest where people go to commit suicide? Oh my, of all places he saw it there?"
"Come to think of it, you're right? That place is rumored to be haunted, so only kids who have lost their minds go there."
"Then it might instead be kids playing a prank to create an urban legend. Let's drop by once when we go on patrol later. That report from earlier must also be mistaking someone's prank."
The junior police officer, whose dissatisfaction deepened at the fact that work had increased, answered half-heartedly and clicked on a community post.
It was a seemingly unhinged post claiming that they actually discovered an Object Head, were attacked, and that the Bureau of Surreal Management actually exists.
The comments were only full of mockery calling them a schizophrenic patient or talk about how dangerous it is.
However, among those comments, there was one peculiar comment with a roughly made ID.
A serious comment asking where and how they found out, and the author's enthusiastically answering comments continued for quite a while.