Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Apples Are Delicious
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I boldly opened my eyes and waited for the anomaly.
Where my burst eyeballs had once been, empty voids now filled the sockets.
Shiiiik.
I could feel the anomaly charging fiercely, slicing through the air.
Its target wasn't me—it was the young man beside me.
It seemed seeing the anomaly's corpse had been judged as breaking the rules.
"Ha, haha. So this is how I die? If I'd known, I would've broken my savings and gone on a trip."
I heard the young man slump to the ground, lamenting his fate, but no desire to save him stirred in me.
He was a good-looking guy who kidnapped kids, and he had a thing for little girls.
He was the kind of scum I had zero interest in rescuing, but I'd decided to kill the anomaly anyway.
My reason for entering this place in the first place was to eat, after all.
One meal for me, and the anomaly dies.
"Kieeeek!!!"
Furious at having died once already, it thrashed even more wildly, swinging its sickle-like long arm at the young man's throat.
There were plenty of ways to perceive my surroundings without relying on sight.
I tracked the anomaly's movements by sensing the subtle vibrations in the air.
Thud.
I intercepted its arm mid-swing toward the young man.
I ripped the arm clean off and pummeled its torso wildly.
Splat, thwack, splat, thwack.
It might have regeneration, so I beat it multiple times—thoroughly, right up to the brink of death.
I tenderized it meticulously, like mincing meat for tonkatsu.
Eventually, it stopped moving entirely.
I groped the fallen thing and compressed it, squeezing with force like shaping a rice ball.
Soon enough, the anomaly became a neatly formed, round food item.
"Thanks for the meal."
Biting into the round apple released a sticky liquid.
Not bad at all.
After devouring the whole apple, I regenerated my lost eyes, only to find the young man staring at me in a daze.
"Th-thank you..."
His face looked like his soul had fled as he thanked me.
It hadn't really been about saving him, but no need to correct him, so I stayed quiet.
"By the way, mister, what's your name?"
"Kim Hyun-seong. I'm Kim Hyun-seong."
"Speak casually. I don't mind."
"Ah... yeah, got it. Thanks again for saving me."
With the anomaly down, the horror tale space began melting and collapsing.
The surroundings reverted to the original alley in an instant, reality restored.
A crowd blocked the alley entrance.
Some in plain clothes, others heavily armed with rifles.
No one aimed weapons at me.
"Princess, why don't you come to our research institute with us? These people all want you to join us too."
Hyun-seong pointed amiably at the crowd blocking the alley, speaking kindly.
They all wore forced smiles, like they were posing for a group photo against their will.
"Isn't that the place that kidnaps kids?"
"Wh-what? What kind of misunderstanding is that? We're a public research institute run by the government. We don't do bad things."
Hyun-seong fidgeted with his lips anxiously, gazing at me desperately.
No matter how much he pleaded, I couldn't just blindly follow strangers.
"Do you have a place to stay? Somewhere to sleep? You're not sleeping rough on the streets, right?"
Ugh. Hit right where it hurts.
I'd escaped the Backrooms today, so no homelessness yet, but I really had nowhere to live.
Hyun-seong read my expression and pressed on confidently.
"Come to our institute, and we'll give you a great room! Three meals a day, fluffy bed, everything. We can provide whatever else you want too. How about it? Come with us?"
Hyun-seong forced his lips into a smile, his expression earnest.
It was a tempting offer, for sure.
To survive in Korea, I needed money, and right now I was penniless.
"Do you have a computer there?"
"Of course! If you want, we can add a gaming console too. Just say the word."
"Sounds good. I'll go to the institute."
At my agreement, Hyun-seong finally exhaled in relief.
He naturally took my hand and led me out of the alley.
Warmth emanated from our clasped hands.
Some of the crowd dispersed, while others followed Hyun-seong and me.
I boarded a massive vehicle and gazed out the window.
Through the window heading to the institute, Earth's long-forgotten scenery unfolded—I stared endlessly, entranced.
How much time passed?
Stepping out, a huge white building loomed before us.
We passed through multiple entrances into the building.
At each, Hyun-seong swiped a keycard, verified with guards, going through procedures.
Soon, we entered a small white room.
"Mind waiting here a bit? I need to discuss which room to assign you with the others."
"Sure, that's fine."
Hyun-seong released my hand, stepped out, and closed the door.
The room became a complete sealed chamber.
'About 50 cm thick. Why build it so thick?'
The white room's walls were incredibly thick.
Had some new architectural trend emerged while I was in the Backrooms?
I felt faint vibrations from beyond the thick walls.
Pressing my ear to the wall, I listened.
"What? Is that really true?"
"Yes. I personally witnessed the anomaly consume another anomaly. And after it did, the horror tale space collapsed, ignoring the rules."
"If that's true, the whole world will want it. Even America and China might fight over it."
"One concern: we haven't figured out what this anomaly desires yet. Using it recklessly could unleash who-knows-what disaster."
"Sigh. Just cater to its whims for now. What has it asked for?"
"Well... it wants a computer with internet."
"What? A computer? Wiring internet into a containment cell means ripping up the floor. Ha... Never heard a demand like this before. Fine, handle it. Go build rapport with it quick."
The vibrations stopped, and soon the door opened—Hyun-seong entered.
He took my hand again, speaking in a friendly tone.
"You'll get the best room in the institute. Setting up the computer requires construction, so it'll take a little time. That okay?"
"Yeah, no problem. But..."
As I trailed off, a shadow flickered across Hyun-seong's face.
"Could you let go of my hand? Why do you keep holding it? I don't like men."
"...Ah."
Hyun-seong quickly let go.
The shadow vanished from his face, replaced by a complex, unreadable expression.
"S-sorry. I won't do it again."
Eventually, Hyun-seong and I reached my assigned room.
While walking, he stayed two steps away from me.
My room was a bit unusual.
The entrance bristled with security devices, the door made of thick metal.
Only after passing through double and triple doors could I enter.
"Here’s your room from now on. I'll head out. Take care."
We exchanged brief goodbyes, and Hyun-seong left.
Alone, I looked around the room.
I'd expected sterile white everywhere for a research institute room, but it wasn't.
It had a cozy, homey vibe, like an ordinary house.
"Hm? There's a computer?"
Hyun-seong had said installation would take time, yet one sat on the desk.
Maybe they placed a non-internet one in advance.
"But what kind of ancient relic is this?"
The computer looked ridiculously outdated at a glance.
The monitor was one of those old CRTs with the bulging back I'd only heard about.
The once-white tower case was faded to yellow.
It belonged in a museum—I felt a twinge of annoyance.
Still, a computer's a computer, so I powered it on.
Surprisingly, despite the antique shell, it ran a modern OS.
I opened the web browser.
🖥️ Ansong Research Institute Employee Community An anonymous community for Ansong Research Institute staff. Feel free to post anything. 📝 Recent Posts — Anonymous Anyone seen the new anomaly entity that arrived? — Anonymous Ah, when's payday coming? — Anonymous Put money in stocks, took a -70% hit. Any rebound possible? — Anonymous Ha?? If you wait just one day, your assigned anomaly changes???
Some strange site had opened.