Kindred (1)
Kindred (1)
The shooting range at the Korea Branch of the Bureau of Management was never a quiet place for even a moment.
Each lane in a long row was bustling with people focused on shooting, intoxicated by their own skills, or deeply engaged in betting their dinner on scores—that was the ordinary routine.
But now, not a single person on the lanes was aiming at the target.
The trainees, wearing training gear with ammunition belts and goggles, were quietly watching only one lane with bated breath.
Ttak.
A cheerful finger snap that didn't suit the shooting range.
A blue flame concentrated at the center of the target erupted violently.
Peo-eong!
The explosion swallowed the target.
It wasn't an explosion intense enough to radiate heat, but the sight of a paper target suddenly exploding was impossible.
The target, which should have automatically approached after the shooting ended, didn't come.
Because it had burned up, there wasn't even a trace left.
"After five attempts, a hit at 200 meters."
"As the distance increases, accuracy decreases, but it's not impossible to aim. This can be adjusted through training."
A report from the doctors in a dry tone.
The being standing on the lane had no head, so it shook its body back and forth to express affirmation.
Its alien appearance, so out of place in a shooting range, drew curious gazes, but those gazes weren't entirely friendly.
"Is that okay as it is?"
The youngest trainee, who had been watching the situation.
Rarely, a female among the trainees, and with the cute name "Kim A-ri," the youngest looked very displeased.
Sitting at a distance, repeatedly disassembling and reassembling a firearm, she noisily put the freshly assembled rifle on the desk and wrinkled her nose.
"What is that thing doing in a shooting range without even shooting?"
"Shut it, Chick."
"Chick" is a nickname derived from Kim A-ri's name, referring to her.
Since she was also a new recruit, the nickname "Chick" suited her well.
Her senior, with a rough, angular jaw, tapped the desk as if telling her not to look away.
"This shooting range isn't even ours. Why are you so steamed up?"
"Because they're doing some weird magic trick right now."
Judging by her attitude, it wasn't just about not shooting a gun.
It was a typical reaction when something was extremely displeasing.
As she puffed like an angry chick, her senior aimed a pistol he had disassembled and reassembled at the front.
"Is that so strange?"
"It's strange! This is a shooting range."
"Then why aren't you pointing out that something that isn't human is in a shooting range?"
"Th-That is..."
Everyone had forgotten their training and was staring blankly.
The figure standing on the lane was an Object Head, with a blue flame flickering where its head should be.
An unnaturally tall height for a human.
The ability to make a target explode with just a snap of the fingers.
That's not human.
It's an anomaly.
"Be honest with me. It's not the gun that's the problem; it's because it's an anomaly, right?"
"...W-Well, you think so too, Senior. Cooperating with an anomaly? Does that even make sense? An anomaly... I'd understand cooperating with a hostile faction instead."
Kim A-ri's hostile reaction.
That wasn't just an attitude born from dislike.
Her fear of anomalies.
It had been distorted and left in its current form.
"Anomalies... cannot coexist with humans."
"Yeah, right. How can we cooperate with an anomaly? We are an organization that exists to destroy anomalies. Only a crazy person would do that."
The senior's gun barrel slowly turned.
The end of the barrel aimed at the back of the head of the Object Head standing on the lane.
The finger that had been resting outside lazily moved onto the trigger.
"The fact that such a monster is mixed in with us is nonsense."
An anomaly shaking hands and standing shoulder to shoulder with a group that can't get along.
There is no greater contradiction than this.
"Think about the budget and manpower that one anomaly eats up. And the way they're given special treatment compared to other anomalies. They pulled off some achievement this time, but trusting them just because of that? Isn't that just a garden of daisies in your head?"
Dalkak.
He pulled the trigger, but only a hollow click sounded.
Since he hadn't inserted the magazine in the first place, there was no way it would fire.
He withdrew the gun and put on an arrogant smile.
"What is this, a joke? If they want to play family with an anomaly, they should do it among themselves. Why do we have to go along with it?"
"...To be honest, I'm scared. I'm afraid that while we're like this, it might suddenly turn."
"You think you're the only one? Even I wake up from worry sometimes. What was the 5th Unit Leader thinking, cooperating with a monster like that?"
The senior examined his gun.
A heavy silver pistol.
A gun commonly used for training, but its muzzle was melted.
"...Huh?"
Melted?
It was a gun with not a single scratch until just before assembly.
"Wh-What...?"
The senior's gaze turned to the Object Head.
It had definitely been facing the lane.
But now it was looking straight this way, standing still without any action.
The current situation and the way it stared were surreal itself.
A dizzying chill ran down the senior's spine, who had been acting arrogantly.
"He, heup..."
His mind tightened.
The surrounding noise stopped, and a rough heartbeat pounded against his eardrums.
In his tunnel-like narrowed vision, nothing was visible except the Object Head.
It's looking.
At an anomaly that is not contained.
At me.
Ah.
Mental contamination has begun.
Recall.
The Management Bureau manual for emergency situations.
The final measure a trainee must take in an irreversible contamination.
Grip the pistol with both hands.
Place the muzzle against your chin.
Then put your finger on the trigger.
The authorities shall bestow eternal glory upon your sacrifice...
Teo-eok—
—Someone snatched the pistol in an instant.
Startled by the impact, the senior collapsed like a wind-up doll that had run down.
"Heok... heok... huk... kkeup. Keoheok... heok..."
Like a mouse that had fallen into water.
Even though it was only a brief moment, his entire body was drenched.
His breath hung at the tip of his throat, as if he had sprinted several kilometers.
The person who took the gun was none other than Kang Tae-jun.
"You've memorized the manual perfectly, you insolent bastard."
Rough words and fierce demeanor.
A man who had protected the Management Bureau and carried out missions for over 20 years.
Indeed, he exuded the strongest sense of intimidation among all the humans here.
"Salute! Captain Kang Tae-jun!"
Startled, Kim A-ri saluted.
Ignoring the salute, Kang Tae-jun grabbed the fallen senior by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up.
"Ggeuk..."
"Get up! Did your unit teach you not to salute when you see a superior?"
Though in a state of panic, the trainees had been trained to obey orders even in mental contamination situations, so they snapped to attention.
"Sa-Salute!"
"What's this? The muzzle is melted? Report this as damaged."
Examining the pistol, Kang Tae-jun grinned.
As if regaining his senses, life began to return to the senior's eyes.
At that moment.
Bbak!
The grip of the pistol mercilessly struck his head.
The senior, knocked down helplessly, hurriedly got up and stood at attention again.
"Feeling better?"
"Y-Yes! I'm fine!"
"Then listen."
Throwing the pistol aside as if discarding it, Kang Tae-jun glared fiercely and warned.
"If you're going to fucking backbite, say it in front of your own captain. Got it?"
"Yes! Understood!"
"Understood? This son of a bitch still hasn't come to his senses?"
"I'm sorry! I'll correct myself!"
"You have 10 seconds. Get lost."
Kim A-ri and the senior grabbed their firearms and scrambled out.
Kang Tae-jun gestured to the trainees, who were watching in confusion, and said nonchalantly.
"What are you staring at? Get back to your own work."
Unfazed by the stares, Kang Tae-jun stood in the lane next to the Object Head, who was gazing at him blankly.
"You keep training too."
Chijik-
Static noise came from the radio placed on the lane.
The trainees who were shooting looked up in surprise.
"Chijik- Today is— supposed to be— a holiday."
"I come here often even on holidays."
Picking up the provided pistol, Kang Tae-jun shot the target in one go.
It took less than a second from aiming to firing. Even a bullseye.
Even when he fired consecutively, he didn't miss by much.
"Captain Kang Tae-jun. Your guess was correct."
A doctor approached and handed him a document.
Without taking it, Kang Tae-jun glanced at the contents.
"Consuming the blue flame did not result in the target's annihilation."
"Then?"
"It absorbs the anomaly as an energy source. In that process, the ability that only manifested as arson evolved into long-range explosions."
Blue Flame flicked his fingers as if showing off.
Kang Tae-jun's target exploded and turned to ash.
"What is this, leveling up? Upgrading a skill?"
"Surprisingly, that's a very appropriate expression. If we can reproduce this ability, we'll be able to create high-level anomaly suppression rounds. And one more thing."
The doctor lowered his voice while glancing at Blue Flame.
"The mental contamination level caused by the Blue Flame has increased significantly compared to before. I think we need separate measures for this."
"That's troublesome."
With no target left, there was nothing to shoot.
Putting down the gun, Kang Tae-jun tapped Blue Flame on the shoulder.
"Let's go to the containment room for a bit. I have something to talk about."
Blue Flame swayed its body back and forth, then followed behind him.
The trainees' gazes followed their backs.
Gazes of relief, sighs, and interest.
Compared to before, there was a subtle change.
※※※
March 16th.
As soon as they returned to the containment room, Blue Flame sat on the sofa.
Kang Tae-jun, who had brought a chair from upstairs, let out a frustrated sigh.
"Am I raising a child right now? What are you doing as soon as we get here? Turn the chair around first. I haven't even started talking yet."
Reluctantly, Blue Flame turned the chair around.
Kang Tae-jun sat facing him and flipped through the documents he was holding.
For a while, he focused on the papers, and the conversation ceased.
Time flowed only with stillness.
Kang Tae-jun spoke as if passing by.
"After you consumed that Green Danger Level yesterday, your reputation has changed slightly."
He had heard that, but honestly, he couldn't feel it.
After all, there was that guy who aimed at him at the shooting range.
He knew the magazine was empty, but it still felt bad.
"It's true that there are still plenty of guys who are dissatisfied. But if you keep producing results like yesterday, things will gradually change. Don't hate them too much. They're all just scared."
It felt like the household would be ruined from just understanding, but still, for Kang Tae-jun's sake, he decided to pretend to understand.
Either way, it was better than before, when distrust was completely blatant.
The fact that he could use the shooting range was the beginning of a change in perception.
It was around the time when he had read through the documents to a certain extent.
"By the way. Have you felt any changes?"
A question about the changes in his body after consuming the anomaly.
He answered honestly.
"Chijik- A li—ttle."
"What?"
"Chijik- First— ability."
"Skill upgrade? This isn't a game. So it does grow. Okay, noted. What else?"
"Chijik- Detection— range."
"I know that from the report. It said the range increased and you can perceive things in more detail."
"Chijik- Ki—."
"Ki?"
How should he explain this.
There's a dark energy flowing from anomalies or evil spirits.
Something like black, sticky, black mist.
Non-human beings can't control this energy.
But since yesterday, he had been clearly sensing another energy.
A white and yellow energy emanating from people like Kang Tae-jun.
This radiant, warm energy is a beneficial energy.
He had faintly felt it before, but now he detected it clearly.
An energy that only came from righteous or strong-willed individuals.
People with this energy tended to be followed by others.
"Chijik- Beneficial— energy."
"...Just saying that doesn't give me a clear picture. If it's complicated to explain, organize it with Da-eun later. Anyway, is that about all the changes?"
He ran his hand through his hair and continued.
"There's something called mental contamination."
Mental contamination?
What was he talking about all of a sudden?
"You don't seem to be aware of this, but anomalies emit a wave that fatigues the human mind and causes stress."
Maybe that was the dark energy.
Humans like Kang Tae-jun call it "waves," but since he senses things he can't even see, he might perceive it as dark energy.
"Humans exposed to this wave experience extreme mental fatigue, and stress reaches its peak."
He recalled the trainee at the shooting range earlier.
All he did was glare.
That guy got scared on his own and started acting strange.
Even if the magazine had been empty, Kang Tae-jun stopped him.
"In severe cases, they become impulsive. They might mistake someone next to them for an anomaly and shoot them. This phenomenon is called mental contamination. We quantify this and take measures according to the situation."
A moment of silence.
"So, about that. Since yesterday, the wave emanating from you has become stronger."
The more anomalies he consumed, the further he drifted from humans.
A being that harms humans just by being near.
In the end, an anomaly cannot mix with humans.
Before he could mope, Kang Tae-jun spoke.
"So from now on, you find a way to control that energy. That's how you'll keep mixing with us."
Kang Tae-jun didn't even consider the option that he might not be able to stay with humans.
If it doesn't work, make it work.
There is no giving up.
That stubbornness is Kang Tae-jun's way.
"Chijik- Will— do."
"Okay. That's enough. Now for the real business."
Kang Tae-jun pushed the documents aside, and the doctor took them and left the containment room.
That left only Kang Tae-jun and him in the containment room.
Lee Da-eun and Seo Young-eun were probably listening in the management room, but there was nothing to hide.
After all, the containment room is recorded 24/7.
Kang Tae-jun gave a wry smile.
"Honestly, I don't know about the Clock Head. There were no similar cases in the reports on Object Heads."
Is that so.
That's unfortunate.
The credit phenomenon that appeared when he took down the film anomaly yesterday.
It was a final greeting announcing the end of a movie, but he had noticed a strange phrase there.
A sentence that separately thanked the man with the clock head.
Ever since he saw it, his mind had been uneasy.
A trace of another Object Head.
It wasn't excitement about meeting another of his kind.
Deep in his heart.
Some part that even he didn't understand was reacting to that being.
He didn't know what this feeling was.
His mind was just unsettled.
He had to find the Clock Head.
He knew the secret of the Object Heads.
That conviction dominated his thoughts.
He didn't know why.
His instincts just shouted it.
"Do you really want to find him?"
This is what he liked about Kang Tae-jun.
Whether it was because he was a soldier, or because he was a meticulous person by nature.
When asked, he would never give up and do his best no matter what.
When Blue Flame swayed back and forth, Kang Tae-jun answered, looking tired but willing.
"It'll take time, but I'll ask other country branches if there are any related sighting reports."
A reliable person.
He was glad Kang Tae-jun was his managing supervisor.
"Speaking of Object Heads."
Why were there so many reports to receive today?
He understood why superiors were buried in documents.
"This is about the Object Head at Seoul Headquarters that you requested last time."
He adjusted his slouching posture.
He had been waiting.
The fastest way to meet one of his kind.
"I told you, right? If you earned merit, they'd gladly allow it. The visitation date with that guy has been set."
He was going to meet one of his kind.
"We're going to Seoul Headquarters."
※※※
A gray concrete containment room.
Dark, dried bloodstains.
Uncleaned pieces of a corpse.
Under a flickering light.
Someone was sitting on the floor, motionless.
An orange prisoner uniform.
A bizarre height much larger than a human.
Dried blood on clothes and body.
And a non-existent head.
In sync with the flickering light, a blade floating above the head glinted faintly.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The blade moved.