Chapter 45
Chapter 45
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: You've Been Hooked
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gotcha.
The morning of the festival dawned.
After getting ready to head out with Se-hwa, we stepped outside and saw people bustling about everywhere.
The villagers all wore cheerful expressions, but the moment they spotted us, they stopped what they were doing or subtly moved away, blatantly avoiding us.
"Looks like we haven't fully earned their trust yet."
"Yeah. They still seem suspicious that we might be from the research lab."
In truth, Se-hwa really was from a research lab.
Just not the one in Finland, but the one in South Korea.
It was an ambiguous position—technically yes, but also no.
"No matter how much we insist we're not from the lab, they won't believe us easily. After all, it's like the culprit claiming they're innocent."
Se-hwa let out a small sigh.
Her face looked weary, but she quickly pulled herself together and straightened her expression.
"Se-hwa, are you sure an entity will show up at the bonfire event?"
"Yes. Since one took the bait yesterday, the odds are high it'll appear during this festival too."
It was probably the type that lurked underground in standby mode, only activating when certain conditions were met.
It was certain to show up at this festival as well.
"We need to warn them about this. Let's go talk to the village representative."
"Good idea. And we should figure out a way to draw out the main body too. It seems like the type that sends out lesser specimens first."
"Alright. Then let's meet the people in charge of the festival first."
Se-hwa approached a middle-aged man who was looking around the festival grounds.
As we got closer, he eyed us warily, his suspicion plain on his face.
"What do you want?"
"We need to speak with the festival organizers. Where can we do that?"
"Talk to me first. The organizers are extremely busy right now. I can hear you out."
The middle-aged man responded with clear hostility.
He must have mistaken us for people from the Finnish research lab.
Se-hwa pulled something from her pocket and held it out to him.
"Here, my business card. I'm a travel journalist from Korea. I came here on a trip with my younger sibling, and I really like this village, so I want to do a feature article on it. I'd like to talk directly to the organizers before writing it up."
The middle-aged man took the card from Se-hwa and examined it closely.
His expression softened noticeably.
"The festival is run by the village council. Head over to that building there, and you can meet the council members."
"Thank you for letting us know."
We headed toward the place the middle-aged man had pointed out.
Once we were out of earshot, I quietly asked Se-hwa,
"Were you really a journalist, Se-hwa? A researcher and a journalist. Is that the side gig I've heard about?"
"Ahaha, no, it's not a side gig. Do you think I'd do that? I'm barely keeping up with research alone—as if I'd take on extra work here and die from stress."
"Then what was that business card just now?"
"A fake one. I always carry them in case of situations like this. I've got cards for other professions too."
Se-hwa flashed the business card holder in her pocket.
It was packed with cards of various designs, each listing a different job.
Photographer, sound engineer, water quality inspector, and so on—totally unrelated professions, all with Se-hwa's face as the common thread.
"You're a total liar."
"Sometimes lies are necessary."
Se-hwa answered shamelessly as she walked.
Soon, we arrived at the village council building.
"Se-hwa. I've got a great idea."
"What is it all of a sudden?"
Right before entering the building, Se-hwa told me her new plan for catching the entity.
It was a hastily thrown-together scheme, but it sounded pretty solid.
"That's a good plan. I'm all for it."
"Then we'll negotiate with the organizers about this."
Se-hwa opened the door and stepped inside.
An elderly man who looked quite advanced in years greeted us.
"Tourists, eh? What brings you here?"
"We have something to discuss with the organizers about the festival. We'd like to speak with whoever's in overall charge."
"Heh heh, perfect timing. I'm the council representative and the one running this festival. Have a seat first."
Unlike the other villagers, the old man who identified himself as the council representative didn't seem guarded around us at all.
Luckily, we'd managed to meet the head organizer right away.
Se-hwa and I sat down at a table with the elder.
"I'm a researcher with the South Korean research lab."
Se-hwa immediately revealed her identity and handed him her real business card from her pocket.
The old man looked momentarily flustered but quickly composed himself and read the card slowly.
"What brings a researcher from South Korea's lab all the way here?"
"We've been investigating the entity incident from five years ago in this village on our own."
"I see. The villagers have been on edge thinking lab staff had shown up, and it was you all along."
"Yes, that's right. Just from South Korea, not Finland. I hear the locals don't like research lab people. So we've been keeping our identities hidden for now."
"Indeed, they don't care for lab staff. They wouldn't hate someone from another country's lab as much, but you never know."
Se-hwa sat up straight with confidence.
She spoke with firm resolve.
"The entity from five years ago will appear again at the bonfire event on the final night of the festival."
The old man tried to keep his calm expression, but his eyes trembled faintly.
"That event is a meaningful ceremony to cap off the festival... but if an entity is really coming, we'll have no choice but to cancel it. Do you have proof it'll appear?"
"Yes, we're certain. But it's hard to explain here, so I can't go into the reasons."
"Canceling the event itself isn't difficult. Plenty of people will be disappointed, but if there's a possible entity sighting, they'll understand. Still, this old man has a question."
The old man paused in silence for a moment.
Then he slowly spoke.
"If that event summons the entity, does that mean we can't hold it next year either?"
"If we don't catch it, that's how it'll be. Now, to the main point. I've come here to capture the entity sighted in this village."
"Well now, why would South Korea's lab be after an entity from here..."
"The reason is classified, so I can't say."
"That's fine. Whatever the reason, if you catch it, we'll be grateful. Do you have a plan?"
Se-hwa took a steadying breath and explained her plan to catch the entity.
"The bonfire event is scheduled for tomorrow originally. To lure and catch the entity early, we'll hold it today instead—a day early—under the pretext of a test run for the event."
"Heh heh. That way, we catch it today and still hold the real event tomorrow."
"Exactly. Two birds with one stone."
"Excellent plan. Let's work out the details."
Se-hwa and the old man talked it over, hammering out the plan to draw out the entity.
We settled on holding a fake event a day early to lure it in.
Since it'd been tricked once before, we decided to use real people instead of dolls to hook it this time.
That night.
The festival organizers gathered in a remote clearing, claiming it was a pre-test for the bonfire event.
A warning had gone out to the villagers not to approach, as it could be dangerous.
"Let's begin."
One of the organizers lit the bonfire.
The wood caught fire, flames bursting forth.
The entity seemed cautious; it didn't bite right away. But after waiting a bit, I felt the ground tremble again.
"It's coming."
I whispered to Se-hwa, and she warned the others that the entity was about to appear.
Snap.
Soon, a mole-like entity popped up and grabbed one person's ankle.
I rushed over and yanked the mole off.
The organizers trembled in fear but kept guarding near the bonfire.
We caught them one by one as they emerged.
More and more moles started popping up.
The ground shook noticeably now; even ordinary people could feel it.
Snap!
Seven moles burst out at once and latched onto my ankle.
I didn't yank them off. I waited.
"You've been hooked."
The moles dragged me underground.
Toward their main body.