Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Hanseol Human Meat Factory #1
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"So that's why you were sleeping at the Management Bureau."
"Yeah. I even want to bring my own bedding next time."
I slept like a baby.
The dark Management Bureau was a bit scary, but that was just underground stuff. Plus, I'd already escaped, so it didn't worry me much.
Better than a haunted house, at least.
"Grong must've been terrified. Good thing Spandal came to the rescue. Here, coffee. Drink up and relax."
"Thank you. If it weren't for Senior Agent Spandal, I don't even want to imagine what would've happened. Just thinking about it gives me chills."
Without salt or red beans, we probably would've tussled all night.
No.
She could've just picked it up and tossed it out the window.
Or put a mask on its face like a fencing bout, dragged it to the nearest convenience store for salt, shoved it in the car, and sunk it in the ocean.
Come to think of it, there were endless ways to clear it.
This was the age of creativity. Creativity is the spear that pierces the world. Even if anomalies tried to screw you over, a flash of inspiration could turn the tables.
"Anyway. Ghosts breaking into homes? Honestly rare. Especially one with enough physical presence to open doors."
"Rare? If we count them as anomalies, wouldn't they be common?"
Jaaldi crossed her arms and looked at me.
"Low-threat common anomalies—like stray spirits—usually can't physically harm people."
"Huh?"
"You see it on the news. People tormented by ghosts having nightmares. That's stray spirits for you. Bad vibes or bad dreams at worst. They don't burst through front doors."
Then what the hell.
Why'd that stray spirit bastard steal my organs?
"Well, more common is ghosts suddenly appearing in homes and scaring people."
"..."
I'd have to think about this separately.
"Got it. So stray spirits strong enough to open doors aren't common. Still, Team Leader, it'd be great if we had some exorcism tools."
"I'll issue some. Since it's a rare ghost, I'll give you good stuff."
"Oh! Thank you!"
Handing out exorcism gear right away—Bureau style!
Collecting items one by one felt so satisfying.
Agent suit, pistol, silver cross, garlic gear, now exorcism tools. No pocket space left. What am I, Doraemon?
"I'll put in the request, so pick it up this afternoon."
"Understood."
Around then, Spandal arrived.
"Ah! Senior Agent Spandal! Thank you so much for last night!"
"Yeah... Slept well at the Bureau?"
"Felt just like home. I was even thinking of bringing a sleeping bag."
"Don't do that."
"Spandal. Well done. Taking good care of the newbie."
Spandal nodded and headed to her seat.
"Pat pat pat."
As I sat there, Jamtree poked my neck with her finger.
"But Grong. Why'd you call Spandal? Not me or the Team Leader?"
"Well..."
There was a reason.
Jamtree didn't seem combat-oriented. Calling Jaaldi felt like summoning the squad leader instead of your direct senior in a pinch.
"Senior Agent Spandal's amazing in a fight. Whips those thorns right through them. Perfect for ghost hunting."
"Heh heh heh, true."
"Guess top superpowered agents can handle ghosts too."
"Not always, so don't get cocky."
Spandal, who'd been listening, chimed in.
Superpowers must vary.
Some excel at physical fights, others work on anomalies.
Realistically, physical stuff? Guns handle it. The latter's more useful. Anomalies often shrug off raw combat power.
"Alright, back to work. Like yesterday, monitor the internet."
"Yes. Oh, Team Leader Jaaldi, one question."
"What?"
"Ever heard of the World Politics Bulletin Board?"
"Of course. Haven't covered it in training yet."
Knew there was something to it.
"It's suspicious. Something up with it?"
"Right on the money. Come sit."
"Yes."
I sat in front of Jaaldi.
"World Politics Bulletin Board. Known to the public as an insane asylum. Bureau investigations show most users have mental disorders."
"Most users. So some aren't."
"Regulars using it for fun. About ninety percent."
"Hmm, leaves the carefully filtered ten percent."
Jaaldi nodded.
"What do those ten percent do?"
"Who knows."
"Huh?"
"Even the Bureau can't track them. Real humans? Anomalies? Fake Bureau internet team? No one knows."
"..."
"Could be some shady group. One thing's sure: amid all the fake anomaly crap posted there, some real info slips in—from that elite ten percent."
As expected.
"Definitely something there. Dangerous?"
"Depends. Not right now."
"Got it."
Not an immediate threat, then.
"But we ever investigate it? I'm kinda curious."
"Bureau does periodic checks. I'll let you know if it happens."
"Yes."
And so I started today's work.
Nothing major happened after that. I lived busily as an agent, handling tasks.
All vampire incident fallout—mass reality distortion cases. Typing in the office wasn't my favorite, but as elite agent Grong, I nailed it.
Spare time? Hit the training range for shooting practice.
K2 rifle? Perfect score, no contest.
Pistol needed work.
Practicing one-handed rapid fire on multiple moving targets. Once mastered, dual pistols akimbo.
Rinse and repeat, commuting daily.
"..."
Truth is, I'm on edge everywhere.
Ghosts.
Anomalies.
Irregular phenomena.
Random encounters anywhere. Pure luck.
Lag in perception? Ambushed, lose 2,000 points.
Even a lowly stray spirit can kill me—elite agent Grong, nightmare of fake Bureau's Kurosna, terror of pureblood vampires at Han Se-geun's level.
And physical attacks barely faze them.
After dropping the pureblood in the subway that day, I wandered the streets as a mad vampire hunter, cross tattoos everywhere, constantly scanning suspiciously.
No different now.
"..."
Always cautious.
Looks weird, but agent suit plus reality distortion covers it.
"Ah."
All that tension...
I'm hungry.
"Meat."
Meat it is.
Good meat, then rest.
That's what life's for.
Bureau pay? No money worries. Grab some hanwoo from the butcher nearby. Grill at home.
Found a hanwoo butcher thinking that.
Pink lights warmed my heart.
Drawn in, eyed the display. What to get? Hanwoo flower sirloin? Buy plenty.
But.
"Huh."
The meat.
Was seriously off.
"..."
Packaged human hand.
On display.
Next to it: human calf.
Foot.
Eye.
Ear.
Before fully registering, pistol out, sprinting.
Vision warped.
Regained senses, reality hit.
Situation.
In some bathroom stall.
On the toilet, door ajar.
"..."
Cold sweat, goosebumps everywhere.
Last memory.
Butcher shop sold human flesh. Reflexively drew pistol, ran—vision twisted, woke here.
...Snagged by an anomaly.
Teleportation type, probably.
Grinding teeth, eyes only darting side to side. No clue where. Don't move rashly. Unknown threats—no noise.
Detection?
Hints?
Nothing.
Meaning?
Do what I can.
Ears first, gather intel.
Just fan hum.
No presences.
Stood up.
Behind: notebook on tank lid. Stared, then reached carefully.
Opened silently.
1.
I'm Park Min-chul, born '99, from --.
Never written a will, but here I am.
Don't know what to say, but monsters outside the bathroom.
If they grab me, I'm dead.
Kidnappers? Definitely not human.
No way out alive.
Contact below.
If found, report please.
No idea where this is.
Just want you to know I died here.
Love you Mom and Dad.
2.
I'm Kim Seo-yoon, born '02.
Monsters too scary, can't do anything.
Hiding in bathroom.
Feel like it'll barge in any second.
So scared.
Just crying.
Trying not to make noise.
Contact below, report if found.
Love you Mom and Dad.
3.
Hyung Min-chul, Noona Seo-yoon, where are you?
We're together.
Scared, save us.
Miss Mom.
4.
Me too, writing something.
At butcher eyeing meat, next thing here.
Thought kidnapping at first, but monsters and nonsense everywhere.
Hard to believe, but like teleportation.
Seeing monsters, just roll with it.
Ones above came first, probably dead.
3 is a kid?
Always wanted to die, but now just want to live.
Took notebook but it keeps vanishing.
Gonna scout escape.
Back with more.
Contact below.
Report me too.
Kim Seung-hyun, born '89, from --.
5.
Sorry, erased all contacts.
Those monster bastards look human-ish—what were you thinking writing contacts?
What if they read and do something?
Don't write personal info for followers.
Name and birth year ok, plenty duplicates—no location or details.
One dies, another comes? Or one leaves, another in?
No one else here but me now.
Just monsters roaming.
Above guys probably dead.
I wanna live, so anything goes.
Can't take notebook.
Back with intel.
Next ones, careful.
Share what you learn.
Catch you on Sejeongge if I escape.