An Apology to the Anomaly Gallery
I lined the Gwoebungs up in a single row and called the roll.
"Sk-skreek?"
"Grrrrgh??"
"Backrooms, these guys are too low-intelligence to read."
They could manage a conversation well enough — it was reading they couldn't handle.
Which made sense, I supposed. That was exactly why they were called Low-Intelligence Anomalies. Creatures whose intelligence existed, quite literally, in name only.
"Somehow managed to catch them all. Honestly, when they bolted the second they saw me, I figured I'd be at it for ages."
"You were the best. The GOAT of location-type creepypastas, as expected."
Thanks to the Backrooms' help, I'd managed to capture the entire Gwoebung family.
They leapt over my head to escape, slithered between my legs like serpents... there were plenty of mishaps along the way, but in the end, every last Gwoebung was rounded up, all thanks to the Backrooms.
"Alright, everyone, time to get to work. Gwoebung, show the others how it's done. And you — go back in one more time and come back out."
"Chiik!!" "Skigiik!"
After hearing the Gwoebungs' spirited little screeches of agreement, I nodded and slipped away to a corner of the room.
"Gallery time. Haven't been on in ages — exploration's been eating up all my hours."
Clack.
I fished a charger out of my pocket and plugged it into my phone. I'd picked it up during the last mass trade — such a necessary item for me that I'd shelled out a whole five energy bars for it.
"About time I restocked, huh. Maybe this time I'll just give them away for free."
Perhaps it was because I'd been offline for so long, but the feed was stacked wall-to-wall with posts I'd never seen.
Most of them were about me and the energy bars. From now on, I decided, I'd hand them out for free instead of selling. I'd already gotten everything I needed out of the trades — and without those bars, these people would be out hunting each other down. A little sacrifice on my end was the better deal.
So I scrolled on, and on, until—
"...Huh? What plot twist is this supposed to be?"
A certain concept post caught my eye.
"...Unbelievable."
That damn Gwoebung... what on earth had it been doing out there?
I pulled up the search bar and read through every post mentioning me. They all told the same story: people getting ambushed out of nowhere by the Wire Anomaly, holding out as best they could until it eventually slunk back home on its own. Even doing a somersault, it was obviously Gwoebung's handiwork. But that was strange — I distinctly remembered telling it not to fight anyone.
"Hold on. Then whatever that stuff was that got smeared on me last time — don't tell me—"
I was staring blankly at my phone when—
THUD! KRA-BOOM!!
Doors burst open all around the room, and Gwoebungs came pouring out of them.
"Stop right there — you're the original Gwoebung, aren't you."
"Sk-skreek?"
"Come here. Time to collect on one beating."
Crowbar in hand, I charged at Gwoebung.
......
Meanwhile, at the Management Bureau cafeteria.
"I won't go! I cannot go!!"
"It's a direct order from the Branch Director. Come on, get up already..."
"How am I supposed to walk back into that madhouse, sir!?"
Every head in the cafeteria turned toward the commotion, forks and chopsticks frozen mid-air. The Exploration Team Leader and Kang Seoyoon had risen from their seats and were locked in a heated exchange.
"I still cannot forget the senior who died right in front of me, sir! Assistant Manager Seo, who was crushed to death beneath an anomaly!"
SLAM!!
Seoyoon brought her fist down on the table, pouring out every ounce of her grief and fury.
As if he understood exactly how she felt, the Team Leader's expression turned complicated and grim.
"He died because of his own mistakes. He was the one who egged the staff on to torment you — the rank of assistant manager never suited a man like that."
"But his skills were outstanding, sir. Outstanding enough to rise to assistant manager at his age."
"......"
Assistant Manager Seo. He had encouraged workplace bullying alongside a clique of fellow employees — yet at the same time, his competence had been beyond question. An agent whose specialty was durability, built on clever combinations of tool-type creepypastas. And in the Void, he had died in a single instant.
"I have no intention of taking revenge, sir. He is a man I associate with nothing but bad memories. However—"
Thump.
Seoyoon dropped back into her seat and fixed the Team Leader with a resolute glare.
"That is precisely why I have no intention of entering the Void."
"...Hah."
The Team Leader exhaled in frustration. He rummaged through his trouser pocket for a moment, then produced a single sheet of paper and held it out to Seoyoon.
"Take it. And read it."
"This is......"
1. The above subjugation operation shall proceed with Yoon Chaewon and Kang Seoyoon only...
An utterly ordinary report, in every respect. But the sentence written at the very bottom shook Seoyoon to her core.
"...What on earth does this mean, sir?"
"It means you don't have a choice."
Seoyoon stared at the report for a long while, unable to tear her eyes away — and only after a considerable silence did she jolt awake and round on the Team Leader.
"N-no! I never signed anything on this document, sir!?"
"The Seoul Branch Director signed on your behalf, apparently."
"This is blatant forgery! I-I must report this at once...!"
"You know as well as I do. The Management Bureau is a classified organization — we can't exactly lean on government institutions."
White hair clutched in both hands, Kang Seoyoon spiraled into full panic. The Team Leader watched her with pitying eyes, then rested a hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.
"This is just something I heard through the grapevine, but they say if you rack up enough merit subjugating a Calamity-class anomaly, you get promoted straight onto the executive board."
"...Gasp."
"Kang Seoyoon. You joined the Bureau because you needed money, didn't you?"
Seoyoon's eyes flew wide open.
"Your mother is battling cancer, isn't she. An agent's salary must fall a little short."
"That is... correct, sir."
"The board is already set anyway. There's nowhere left to retreat — so you might as well charge straight through it, right?"
Unnecessary revenge. The threat of death. Such small, flimsy reasons were simply not enough—
not nearly enough to carry someone through this capitalist society.
"...Yes, sir. I'll do it."
Time flowed on, and on.
Three whole months trapped in the Backrooms (not that I counted).
"Vreee! Vreeeee!!!"
"...Whoa, dozed off for a second there. What is it?"
"SKREEEEEE!!!!"
"No way. You found it!?"
Gwoebung had found a door leading to the outside.