Chapter 11
Chapter 11
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 011
Chapter Title: Fundamentals of Anomalous Studies
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yoon Seok-ho led me to the cafeteria on the first basement level. The moment I stepped through the entrance, I couldn't hold back my admiration.
This is... the Management Bureau cafeteria?
The space was so vast it almost felt empty. The interior was spotless, without a speck of dust in sight, and the serving counter in front of me reminded me of a hotel buffet. But what truly shocked me was the sheer variety of the menu.
What was the cafeteria like at my old humanities college? At best, three options—and even those were soggy frozen tonkatsu or some dubious pork stir-fry swimming in watery broth, stuck on the menu 365 days a year.
This place was on another level entirely.
Today's lineup alone was dizzying. Three types of Korean dishes that screamed hearty broth, two neatly plated Japanese options, and even a crowd-pleaser street food pick. And it wasn't just about quantity.
All seven dishes tempted me with their unique warmth and aromas. With choices this abundant, I half-expected to hear myself complaining about decision paralysis.
And the prices? Insane.
Just 6,000 won per meal.
If my taxes were going toward this, I'd pay them gladly.
"What are you spacing out for? Pick something quick, or you'll have no seats left."
Yoon Seok-ho's low prompt snapped me out of it. My gaze, entranced by the menu board, locked onto the meatiest, most generous-looking Korean dish.
Pork spine and potato stew.
Lunch was decided. No hesitation needed.
I handed my meal ticket to the lady at the counter, and soon a massive hot pot arrived, steam rising invitingly. The overflowing generosity made me question if this was really a public institution.
I settled at a table and cautiously scooped up a spoonful of broth.
"Ahh..."
The salty, stimulating flavor enveloped my tongue. It chased away my fatigue and hunger in an instant—the exact kind of broth I'd always idealized. No artificial umami here; it was deep and rich, like bones simmered for hours.
And the massive pork spines piled like a mountain? A mere nudge with chopsticks, and tender meat slid effortlessly from the bone. Not overcooked to mush, though—the flesh retained just the right chew, juicy and bursting with broth-infused savoriness.
I dug into the marrow nestled between the bones. The broth exploded in my mouth, carrying the nutty essence of the bone itself. Otherworldly umami.
A crisp, tangy cube of kimchi to cut the grease, then a spoonful of fluffy white rice paired with a thick slab of meat. Perfect harmony.
With perks like this, risking life and limb felt worthwhile.
As I finished, Yoon Seok-ho returned from the vending machine with two steaming cups of instant coffee. The sweet, nutty aroma tickled my nose gently. He took a sip from his paper cup and spoke.
"I thought it over while eating. Woojin, you can skip combat and physical training."
I blinked, doubting my ears, and stammered back.
"Pardon? Is that really okay?"
"Yeah. At my level, there's nothing left to teach you."
Words I'd heard from my middle school boxing coach, now echoing from the National Intelligence Service? Life was full of surprises.
I accepted the coffee from him and asked,
"So I'm jumping straight into the field?"
"No way."
He shook his head.
"You still need Anomalous Studies Fundamentals and Exorcism Practice. A strong body alone doesn't cut it."
Anomalous Studies Fundamentals. Exorcism Practice. Sounded like classes on anomalies and how to handle them.
Yoon Seok-ho pulled out his smartphone, checked something busily, then nodded.
"Perfect timing. First Anomalous Studies class is this afternoon. Let's head there now."
The fourth basement level housed a massive auditorium.
Lunchtime had long passed, so many trainees from the earlier training session were gathered.
Being a natural outsider, I preferred solitude. I picked a quiet corner seat to kill time—until I sensed someone approaching. It was Seo Ji-yoon, the female trainee I'd briefly introduced myself to earlier.
She approached without hesitation.
"Is this seat taken? Mind if I sit?"
"Oh, sure. Go ahead."
Fair enough—having a familiar face in this strange place couldn't hurt. I welcomed her readily.
She sat and immediately fixed her curious eyes on me.
"If it's not too rude, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, shoot."
"Did you really slice through ten wooden dummies in two minutes? Word's spreading like wildfire among the trainees. How'd you do it?"
How'd she know that?
The room only had me and Instructor Yoon.
And I hadn't told anyone.
Reading my confusion, she shrugged and added,
"Oh, Instructor Yoon mentioned it. Said the Bureau got a record-breaking newbie—spit flying everywhere. Pretty sure every trainee knows you now, Woojin."
"Ah..."
Yoon Seok-ho—that quiet-looking guy had a surprisingly loose tongue.
Feeling awkward, I changed the subject.
"Anyway, you have lunch yet? The potato stew here's amazing."
Her eyes lit up.
"Right? The perks here are all-in on food, from what I hear. Even brutal training's bearable thinking about meals. Try the tendon set next time—fried fresh to order, super crispy."
As I opened my mouth to reply, the auditorium fell utterly silent, like a spell. On the stage stood a man in a white lab coat and square glasses, sporting a neat Ivy League cut.
Too stylish for a researcher, too sharp-eyed for a model.
As the murmurs died, he grabbed the mic.
"Hello, trainees. I'm Ahn Sang-sik, chief of Research Squad 2, and I'll be handling this quarter's Anomalous Studies Fundamentals."
The name drew low gasps and whispers rippling through the crowd. Clearly a big shot in the Bureau.
I whispered to Seo Ji-yoon beside me.
"Famous guy, huh?"
She leaned in, murmuring back.
"Yeah, huge. If Chief Lee Chang's the Exorcism Squad's loose cannon, Chief Ahn's the research side's psycho."
Top-tier troublemakers, both unbeatable. I swallowed a wry smile and refocused on the stage.
"Trainees, what do you think an anomaly is?"
His question shattered the quiet. Hands shot up, answers flying.
"Humanity's enemy."
"Monsters born from human perception."
"Supernatural entities?"
Ahn Sang-sik nodded approvingly.
"All close to the mark. Humanity's enemy, perception-born monsters, supernatural entities—fine descriptions."
Snap. He flicked his fingers crisply, drawing all eyes again.
"So, what's most crucial when facing anomalies?"
This time, silence reigned. Even passing practicals, anomalies remained unknown terror to trainees.
I hesitated, then raised my hand cautiously.
"Yes, speak."
Feeling the stares, I stood.
"Abandon common sense."
His interest piqued, Ahn adjusted his glasses.
"Hmm, why's that?"
"I've encountered few anomalies, but from experience, they defy reality's laws and logic. To fight them, don't we need to ditch common sense too?"
Ghouls mummifying people instantly, patients shredding skin like sacks, Patrol Entities crawling after being bisected. Their common thread: unbound by normal rules.
My answer done, Ahn clapped slowly.
"Excellent. Give that trainee a round of applause."
Trainees clapped half-heartedly. As it faded, he continued.
"Correct. Common sense isn't key against anomalies."
He tapped his temple with a finger.
"Instinct is."
Instinct.
Judgment transcending logic, in simple terms.
A front-row trainee raised a hand.
"So those without natural instinct just die facing anomalies?"
Ahn shook his head.
"Not necessarily. No instinct? Build intuition."
Intuition.
Instant optimal inference from vast experience and knowledge.
"And the fastest way to build that intuition?"
A mischievous smile curled his lips. He raised a finger.
"Simple. Expose yourself to anomalies—plenty, and brutally. On that note, our first class tests your anomaly response skills."
Snap. Another finger flick echoed. Lights vanished, plunging us into darkness.
How many minutes passed? Light returned.
"Woojin? You okay?"
Seo Ji-yoon's voice roused me. I blinked slowly. Where was this? The auditorium, moments ago.
I shot up, alert.
It resembled a rundown hotel room. Plush bed with a musty vibe, peeling paint on a shabby desk, creaky chair. Oddest: no windows.
"What the hell?"
She answered, anxious, straightening her clothes.
"Seems like Chief Ahn's response test. He dropped us all into an anomaly."
A hollow laugh escaped me.
First class, straight into anomaly bait for trainees.
I sighed deeply. Lee Chang, Ahn Sang-sik—Bureau folks were all cut from the same cloth.
I scanned meticulously. A cheap digital clock sat on the desk.
A timer tracking our entrapment. Looking up, a paper clung near the ceiling.
I read the childish note and snorted.
No wonder they called him research's psycho. Locking rookies in this lame setup for kicks?
Anyway, the point was solving it from here.