Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: First Resolution #2
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Seeing the message unfurl with a shwoop right in front of my eyes left my jaw on the floor.
The Status Window's functions are getting unlocked?
Something like this existed?
On top of that, points?
I'd just left the damn thing sitting there unused since it didn't do jack besides existing, but it had stuff like this too?
I nearly reached out to touch it right then.
"Whew! That was close!"
Quras's voice yanked me back to reality.
"Ah."
Only then did it really sink in.
That I'd resolved this damn Giant incident.
"Uw啊啊啊啊啊啊啊!"
I jumped to my feet and let out a roar.
A raw, soul-deep bellow. Everything I'd been through flashed before my eyes like a panorama, cranking my emotions to eleven.
No one else would have to suffer through a Giant incident now.
The faces of all those who'd survived alongside me flickered through my mind. I probably wouldn't see any of them again. Our connections were gone for good.
But if I'd resolved the incident, that was enough.
Live well in a world free of this bullshit.
You all worked hard.
"Huu!"
I swallowed back the tears welling up and looked at the two agents.
Come to think of it, my hands felt empty.
"Oh, by the way. I think I dropped the medicine from that prescription I picked up."
"I figured, so I grabbed it."
Quras presented the box.
"Oh! Thank goodness! But you're taking it back, right?"
"Obviously. This is top-class hazardous material."
A shame. If I could've kept it, I might've found a way to use it as a weapon. But I'd dumped it in front of the agents, so no choice now.
"Well, it wouldn't be much use to me anyway. But agents. A building just collapsed smack in the middle of Seoul. What do we do about that?"
Seriously, what now?
"Don't worry about it."
Gorgodio's transformation had already worn off by then.
He straightened his black jacket as he spoke.
"The Management Bureau can cover up a single collapsed building, no problem."
"That works? For real?"
"That's the Management Bureau's power. Ever seen anything anomalous on the news in your life?"
"Nope... That's it?"
They swept everything under the rug every time an incident popped up?
"Yep. That's the Bureau's strength. When you've got all sorts of folks on hand."
Quras slung an arm over my shoulder.
"This guy's way more useful than I imagined. Right, Gorgodio?"
"Shockingly calm and bold for a civilian. How does someone normal pull that off?"
For the first time, Gorgodio eyed me with suspicion. Looked like his normal judgment had kicked back in now that the incident was over.
"I'm just like that by nature. And you need that kind of boldness to survive a hospital like that."
"Good point."
"Makes sense. That's how he made it out—with that sharp instinct and quick thinking. Almost no one survives that place. Anyway, leave the cleanup to the Control Team. Time to head back."
"Got it."
They're heading out.
"This qualifies as a C-grade at least, right? Wrapped it up in no time."
"Processed it so fast it might end up a D-grade."
"Nah, that medicine was the key."
"True, but if the Bureau had brought heavy firepower, it'd be the same."
The two agents bantered about C-grades and D-grades, but to me, it was just laughable. If we hadn't stopped it, it'd have been straight-up S-grade world-ending stuff. Hell, we flat-out failed in the previous loop.
"So you slap grades on everything, huh. Bet clearing higher grades boosts your performance reviews."
"Spot on. Let's get going."
"Yes, sir. What should I do?"
"Come with us, obviously. Plenty to debrief. Oh, there's the car. Hop in."
And just like that, I rode off with the two agents.
They jumped straight into reporting to HQ once we were in. With no one to chat with, I just stared out the window, sorting through the chaos in my head.
Cops, firefighters swarming the scene. Onlookers, reporters... No clue how they'd cover this up, but they'd manage. If they did their jobs right, it'd blow over like nothing. If not, it'd turn into another Giant incident.
No flesh or scraps visible in the building rubble, either.
Did the medicine make it all vanish?
What a terrifying hospital.
What the hell is Cheongak Mary Hospital, anyway?
"..."
I'll check the Status Window once I get to the Management Bureau.
It's a seriously big building.
"This is the Management Bureau headquarters?"
"Yep."
"They can just have it out in the open like this?"
"Hide trees in the forest, buildings in the city. Head on in."
"Huh. Sounds legit."
Straight into the Management Bureau building.
"Feels straight out of Men in Black."
First impression upon entering: pure Men in Black vibes. You know, that huge open space in the movie.
"First floor arrived. Handover complete. Heading up now. Hey, newbie! You gotta join our Suppression Team! I'll be waiting!"
Quras pocketed his phone and shook my shoulder.
"I'll think it over."
"The moment you dropped that Roy Mustang line on me, you crossed the point of no return. Anyway, good work."
"But you said you've heard that drip a ton..."
"First time for you, hundredth for me. Wait here—someone'll come. Bye."
He threw up a peace sign with his index and middle fingers and turned coolly.
"Yes, sir. Good work, agents."
Once I'd said goodbye to the two, it finally hit me: it was all over.
Perfect timing to check out these Status Window functions?
It's only visible to me anyway, no need to say it out loud. Should be fine. Though being in Bureau HQ made me a bit paranoid.
As I stood there lost in thought,
Poke poke poke. Someone tapped my shoulder from behind. Poke poke poke. Less a tap, more a finger jab. A zealot behind me right now?
"Ah."
I turned to see a woman with striking beige long wavy hair.
"You? The hospital survivor and witness to this incident?"
Soft features, gentle voice. Another agent?
"Ah, yes. That's me."
"Come along. We've got a lot to go over comprehensively."
"Yes, ma'am."
I followed her right away. Clack clack. New face in play—I observed sharply. High heels meant she wasn't field like Gorgodio or Quras. Probably desk work.
"Um, what should I call you?"
"Hmm, Agent Jamtree. Call me that."
"Then, Jamtree—" "Stop."
"Yes?"
Jamtree halted and turned to me.
"Don't say your name."
Quick on the uptake, I nodded.
"Got it. Saw everyone using code names like that."
Jaaldi. Gorgodio. Quras. Jamtree. Not a normal name in the bunch. Not standard English either—just straight-up code names.
"There's a reason. Can't use real names."
"Smart catch. Yep."
"Cheongak Mary Hospital had rules like that too."
We chatted as we walked the hall and took the elevator. We ended up in what looked like an interrogation room. Trauma from those. Not getting my brain yanked again, right? Unlike the fake Management Bureau's grim holding cell, this place had a bright white interior with a futuristic design—felt more open.
"Sit there."
"Yes, ma'am."
Jamtree sat across from me and pulled out a tablet.
"First off, congrats on escaping Cheongak Mary Hospital. Barely any survivors from there—it's insanely dangerous. Surviving at all is massive luck."
"Yes... Quras and Gorgodio gave me the rundown."
"Yeah. Mind telling me how you got out? Any useful info too—we add it to the Rulebook."
"Rulebook."
That kind.
"So you interview survivors like me to update the Rulebook?"
"Agents figure some out directly, or we hear from survivors like this. No full攻略 on that place yet."
"Full攻略..."
Sounded like other anomalies had been fully攻略ed.
"Lots of places like Cheongak Mary Hospital?"
"Yeah, tons. More than you'd think. For real."
"Hard to believe the world's still standing."
"That's our job—to stop it. Ready to talk?"
"Yes. It'll be long, though. Okay to go in order?"
"Yeah, go for it. Nice and slow. As detailed as possible. Time's no issue. Oh, new rules mean rewards too."
"Music to my ears. Where to start... Actually, I ran into what seemed like a vampire once."
"Hm?"
I started with that. Of course, heavily edited. Late night, trying to cross via subway, I heard a weird voice. Moved like I was hypnotized, met a blonde woman.
"Felt super hypnotized. Body moving on its own. Then I spot her long fangs. 'Vampire,' I thought. So!"
In that moment, I pulled out the cross necklace from my pocket and flashed it at her. Good thing I carry it as a Christian. Anyway, she winced and hesitated. Then I remembered the garlic in my bag and yelled about it.
"She turned to dark smoke and vanished! Real vampire!"
"Uh, um. Hmm... Impressive."
Awkward smile.
"Seriously sharp improv."
"Feels embarrassing saying it out loud."
Spilling my guts to strangers is weird. But this level of editing was necessary.
"After that, I lost it. Paranoid a vampire would come for me."
"Not weird. Totally normal reaction."
"Yeah... But researching vampire info led to delusions of black-suited guys chasing me."
"What...?"
"No, felt real. Kept seeing them around."
At this point, knowing about the fake Management Bureau and still being alive was suspicious. Hence the smokescreen. As expected, Jamtree's expression darkened—agents know about the fakes?
"So I ran, out of my mind."
Then I job-hunted for lodging gigs out in the sticks, landed security at Cheongak Mary Hospital.
"Hold up. Security guard? You got hired as one?"
"Yes."
Her fingers flew across the tablet.
"Security... Our intel says it's an anomaly."
"Figured. Predecessor was off. Guard Rulebook too."
Strictly speaking, my successor was weird too. The guy who showed when I left the hospital. No way human.
"Huh? Guard Rulebook? Details?"
They didn't have this info?
"Yes. I'll tell you what I remember. But the rules were weird. Didn't fit together."
"All of it. Explain in full." Tap tap tap. What, tablet ghost? She's typing at warp speed. Anyway, I explained every rule.
"Incredible." Jamtree stared at me, stunned.
"How the hell did you survive?"