The Tanker Artisan Coalition of Mujin City
01:40 AM.
The large briefing room of Site-277.
The staff, their faces gaunt from the certainty of an all-nighter, stood up.
Assistant Researcher Yoo Seohah, Senior Researcher and Special Task Force Leader Tatiana, and even the Site Overseer stood without exception.
It was because of the logo that had appeared on the screen.
Atlas, the giant holding up the heavens.
The symbol of the Management Bureau Council.
It was also the logo that best represented the Management Bureau as a whole.
Behind the screen, the five council members who wielded extrajudicial power would be seated.
As one of the council members began to speak, the automated translator broadcasted the voice in a stiff, mechanical cadence.
"Everyone, please be seated. We have grasped the situation. SIN-998 has entered SIN-538, Mujin City. In accordance with Council guidelines, tracking has been suspended."
"Yes, that is correct."
The Site Overseer replied dryly. Since they had acted strictly by the manual, there shouldn't be any issues.
Especially since the Council was a notoriously conservative group.
Just as he finished calculating this in his head—
"My thoughts are different."
A gentle female voice filled the briefing room. She spoke with flawless pronunciation, without the aid of an automated translator.
A high-ranking figure whom most of the staff in this room had never met in person.
The Chairperson of the Management Bureau Council had spoken.
"The Council has a profound interest in the anomalous nature of SIN-998. He is presumed to be a reality warper, yet unlike others, he shows absolutely no precursory symptoms, correct?"
She spoke as if her personal opinion represented the entire Council.
Naturally, no one dared to refute her. She was, after all, a woman of that status.
"...That is correct, Madam Chairperson."
"By my authority, I will amend the Council guidelines. Rescue SIN-998. That includes the children as well."
The Chairperson's soft laughter echoed briefly in the room.
"Leaving young children abandoned inside Mujin City is simply too inhumane, isn't it?"
"...We will carry out your orders, Madam Chairperson."
The transmission cut off immediately.
Inhumane. To think those words would come from the mouth of that bloodless, tearless woman.
The Overseer barely swallowed the thought.
T-The Chairperson spoke to us directly. Whew... Calm down, calm down! ...I wonder if Oppa and the kids are safe?
Yoo Seohah was busy wiping away cold sweat.
Tatiana, on the other hand, was reflecting on what had happened on Subway Line 1 just tens of minutes ago.
"..."
Lee Shin had said this to her:
—Tatiana. You must have parents too, don't you?
—They are children who have never received parental love. That's why I decided to give it to them.
—Children belong with their parents.
He probably hadn't meant anything by it. Yet, it felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
Tatiana Karstein once had parents.
Parents who had showered her with unconditional love.
Parents from whom she had been torn away at the age of thirteen.
—Tatiana, my daughter. Look at Mommy. Remember, even if you forget everything else, just remember this one thing. I love you.
—Sweetheart, just wait a little. You and Daddy will definitely meet again.
Her mother's frost-colored hair was still vivid in her mind. She could still recall the faint scent of machine lubricant that always clung to her father.
If only I hadn't been dragged into this world in the first place.
A voice cut through her stray thoughts.
Someone was calling her name.
"Major Karstein. Are you listening?"
"...Yes. My apologies."
"Good. We will formulate the rescue plan as ordered by the Chairperson."
The Site Overseer pointed to the map.
"SIN-538, Mujin City. It is a Gamma-class regional anomaly. As you know, similar to Subway Line 1, it is an anomaly generated by humanity's cognitive field."
The image of a remote, fog-shrouded town.
Thanks to a few masterpiece horror movies and games, most of humanity had come to believe that ominous things happened in places like this.
Stereotypes that could be called the essence of folk horror accumulated in the Noosphere, causing regional anomalies to manifest in various countries.
In South Korea's case, the anomaly had manifested in the once-normal Mujin City.
"Its domain has been expanding recently, and the number of missing persons is on the rise."
"Inside Mujin City, it's impossible to find one's way due to the anomalous fog. In fact, the paths are warped, so entering the city itself is normally out of the question."
"Which is why we will utilize an anomaly that nullifies all forms of restraint."
"A-Azazel...?"
Yoo Seohah asked back, flustered.
The rescue plan was drafted clearly as follows:
The Tanker Artisan Coalition.
Abbreviated as the Tanker Coalition.
They were objects of envy among anomalies friendly to the Management Bureau.
This was because, despite being anomalies, they had risen to the rank of a Containment Special Task Force.
They were living proof of the privileges the Management Bureau would bestow if an anomaly was friendly to humanity and possessed sufficient utility.
Their original classification number was SIN-800, The Hopeless Trio.
They possessed the anomalous ability to teleport to the vicinity of those calling for help. In this process, similar to Azazel, they ignored all physical and conceptual restraints.
That wasn't all. They had even more anomalous traits.
No matter how many times they died, they would respawn back at the base. Furthermore, they always appeared accompanied by a suspiciously grand trumpet fanfare.
The three members of the Tanker Coalition read the operation outline and accepted it heartily.
The eldest, Eins.
"Beer!!!"
—Suffers from Broca's aphasia and can only say the word "Beer." His intelligence is unimpaired.
The second, Zwei.
"Whew. Kids are trapped in Mujin City? Whew. We're going to save them right now. ...Man, I'm out of breath."
—A good-natured person, but severely overweight.
The third, Drei.
"Haha! You're saying we might die out there? Even if we respawn, doesn't it hurt like hell every time we die?!"
She winked, flashing a bright, toothy grin.
"I know!"
—A muscular, boisterous woman who firmly believes she is a man.
As one could see, they were actually a hopeless trio of siblings, but it didn't really matter.
The Search Team, the Tanker Artisan Coalition, immediately began their teleportation toward Mujin City.
Me, Lee Shin.
An orphanage director looking for orphans. Possessor of the childishly corny setting called SIN-998.
Did they call this place Mujin City?
This place is not normal.
"Die, haha!"
"Thanks for the early morning delivery! I'll put this gun to good use!"
I don't know what kind of post-apocalyptic concept this is, but knives, Molotov cocktails, corpses, and guns are flying all over the neighborhood.
Is this a battle royale concept?
The residents were busy fighting among themselves, but the moment I showed up, they suddenly formed an alliance and ganged up on me.
Oh, so I'm the outsider here, huh?
"Aza-zat!! Aza-za-za-zat!!!"
"Grrrgh..."
I put one of the residents in a headlock in an alleyway and choked him unconscious.
"Aza-zat. I wonder how little Azazat is doing."
Her real name was Azazel.
She was a girl disguised as a bratty kid. It would be great if she could become friends with my kids.
Anyway.
"I have no idea where I'm going. Didn't I already pass by here?"
I scratched my head in front of a building that looked like city hall.
No matter where I go, I keep ending up right back in the middle of this small port city. Fog is everywhere, and since it's the middle of the night and all the streetlights are smashed, I can't see a damn thing.
Only the quiet sound of waves echoes from beyond the fog, occasionally mixed with the shouts of the rioting residents.
Did Temu build this city? Why is it in such a crappy state?
There's one more strange thing.
*Fssss...*
The residents here disperse into fog and vanish the moment they are subdued.
Are they using some kind of safety mechanism, like the anomaly actors back on Subway Line 1?
"...Ah!"
I slapped my forehead.
The puzzle pieces finally clicked together!
—That sector is outside our site's jurisdiction.
—998. Do not go.
The Overseer and Tatiana.
No, the reason the theme park owner and his employee said those things was simple.
"This place belongs to a competitor!"
I have finally realized the truth of this world!
I don't know why the competitor kidnapped my kids, but...!
"How dare they lay a hand on my lovely daughters!"
If you can't find a path, you just have to forge one.
It seems the fog clinging to the ground is what keeps steering me back to the city center.
In that case, I just need to go up where the fog is thinner.
I extended my hand and drove it straight into the building's outer wall.
*Crunch. Crackle.*
When climbing a wall, the most important thing is grit!
"Yul-ha! A-rin! The Telephone Pole Monster of Yangjae-dong is coming!!"
*Krrraaaack—*
Rooftop reached!
The fog is definitely thinner up here, though there's barely any moonlight due to the crescent moon.
Down below, the citizens are still engaged in their violent battle royale.
I'd love to join in, but...
Let's find my daughters first before joining the WWE.
Circumstances suggest that pentagon-headed bastard took my daughters. I wonder where he went.
Just then, I spot a building towering through the fog in the distance.
It's a fairly large hospital. The eerie atmosphere surrounding it makes it feel very suspicious.
"Of course. If this is also a theme park... and it has this kind of dreary, abandoned city concept..."
That place is bound to be the highest-difficulty content!
The pentagon-head must be waiting for me in the psychiatric ward!
"Rise, paternal love!"
I leaped across the rooftops.
After about ten minutes, I reached the final rooftop. The hospital is right before my eyes.
The only problem is that it's about ten meters to the window.
If a common-sense thought like *How is a human supposed to jump that?* crosses your mind... well, I once said the exact same thing and got scolded by my older brother.
—Ghal!!! The most important thing is belief! Lee Shin, my brother. Your name contains the character for 'belief'! Believe in yourself and leap across!
—But your name is Karus.
—Combined, we are Icarus! Perfect for flying toward the sun and falling in a disgraceful heap!
He was a damn fiery guy. He worked as a firefighter. I wonder why I haven't heard from him lately.
"Anyway, the important thing is to have belief, just like my name."
And the 1% of physical strength to provide the propulsion!
*Ruuuumble—*
As I crouched and took my stance, the rooftop trembled.
I dashed forward and leaped from the edge!
Just before reaching the hospital window, I raised my knees and elbows to maximize the impact!
*Crash!*
A perfect angle. Simple math.
I stood up inside the hospital.
In a dusty hospital room, doctors and nurses stared at me blankly.
"Uh..."
"P-Patient? You're supposed to come up from the first floor."
"Ahem. You require treatment. We can help you. First of all, your memories are entirely false..."
"Cut the crap! Take a look at this!"
I shoved the photo of my two daughters in their faces.
"Tsk. The patient isn't listening. Nurse Kim?"
"Yes. Preparing full-body restraints."
What are these bastards doing? They're pulling out all kinds of blades, from scalpels to scissors.
"...I can see why this theme park isn't popular."
It's so obvious.
It's the classic hospital ghost story concept that any horror enthusiast would recognize.
Since these doctor and nurse actors must have safety gear anyway, why hesitate?
"Urgh."
"Kyaaa!"
"Ughhh—"
I gave each of them a sincere gut punch to bring them to their knees. I folded their blades in half and tossed them in the trash.
Conveniently, there are dog collars here too. Fitting for an abandoned hospital concept.
*Click. Click. Click.*
Once I personally fastened the dog collars on them, the three of them hugged each other and wailed.
"W-We thought we'd be safe inside Mujin City, so whyyy...!"
One way or another, these guys are kidnappers. I have no intention of playing nice.
"P-Please spare us. You're from the Management Bureau, right? We'll tell you where the hidden citizens are."
"Wow, you guys are great actors."
"It's not acting... Urgh."
"Where are my kids?"
Orphanage Discipline Method, Type 2.
A stern scolding!
I smacked the doctor on the crown of his head a few times and shoved the photo of my daughters at him again.
"The 13th floor! Your daughters should be on the 13th floor!"
"Good. Let's go."
*Clink.*
The melody played by the dog collars is quite beautiful.
The two nurses and the doctor crawl on all fours to lead the way.
Now this is what I call a Cerberus.
"Doctor, save me..."
"Nurse Kim. Shut your trap."
"Both of you, shut up."
We were climbing the stairs because the elevator was broken.
*Bam- babam- babam- bambam—*
From a few floors above, a suspiciously grand trumpet fanfare began to echo.
What a boisterous tone.
I get the feeling something incredibly hilarious is about to happen.
The three kidnappers listened closely and whispered among themselves.
"Doctor. That's the Containment Special Task Force. The ones who appear anywhere."
"I know. It's those Tanker Coalition bastards. They were killed by Pentagon Head last time, so they won't be a problem this time either."
Ah. So that pentagon-headed bastard's name is Pentagon Head?
Isn't that the exact same meaning?
Whatever. I only have a middle school education in English.
Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked.
"Is something happening up there?"
"Ah, it seems the Management Bureau deployed a Special Task Force... Wait."
"Wait?"
The doctor stopped his servile smile and stiffened.
"Who are you? You're not with the Management Bureau?"
"Me?"
I'm an orphanage director who loves orphans.
But these guys are bad guys. If I tell them my actual job, they might come looking for my orphanage again.
I should beat around the bush.
"I am someone who gives love to children without mothers or fathers."
At that, the nurse, her face smeared with tears and snot, forced a smile.
"A-Are you going to give me love too?"
"No. You're just a parentless bastard."
I smacked the back of the nurse's head and headed up the stairs.
I kicked open the door to the 13th floor, and it was a complete shitshow.