The Room You Can't Leave Unless You ■■ 1
After the Great Cataclysm in which anomalies appeared en masse, the safe zones where humanity could survive shrank dramatically.
Most of the land had transformed into demonic realms teeming with anomalies, and the former urban areas among them had become vast expanses of ruins.
"Today we're exploring the ruins. It's our first real mission, but we'll only be checking the outer perimeter, so there shouldn't be any major danger."
I spoke in a soothing tone to Dahee, who was visibly tense.
The outskirts of the ruined zones rarely saw powerful anomalies appear.
This was because there were no Hosts that had formed any significant Nests there.
Anomalies were broadly divided into three types: Hosts, Parasites, and Roamers.
A Host was an anomaly that created and ruled over a Nest.
A Nest was a mirror world formed by anomalies—an alternate dimension with its own unique rules. If you compared it to a game, it would be like a dungeon that operated under special conditions.
Time flowed differently inside a Nest, so it was common to encounter survivors from right after the Great Cataclysm.
Parasites, on the other hand, were anomalies that lived inside a Host's Nest, fulfilling specific roles according to its rules. They were stronger than Roamers but weaker than Hosts. The prevailing theory was that they simply liked the environment.
In any case, Hosts and Parasites often came as a set.
Take the famous Nest called White Night General Hospital. The director served as the Host, while the patients, nurses, doctors, and other staff were classified as Parasites.
Roamers were anomalies that belonged to no Nest and simply wandered aimlessly. They were the weakest but the most numerous. Still, their numbers didn't make them safe to underestimate—some individuals could tear a human apart in an instant.
That was why, the deeper you ventured, even Roamers were classified by isolation grade: white for safety, yellow for caution, red for danger, purple for disaster, and black for catastrophe.
Humanity could only handle up to purple-grade Roamers. Anything black-grade had to be avoided at all costs.
But when it came to Hosts and Parasites proven to be even stronger than black-grade Roamers, what could be done?
Ordinary methods were useless. The only viable option was to follow the Nest's Rulebook.
It was a strange fact, but as long as humans strictly obeyed the rules, the anomalies inside could not harm them.
During my active years, exploration teams frequently pushed deep into Nests. Most of those agents died or went mad. No matter how well-trained they were, a Nest was not a place humans could endure.
"The anomalies we'll encounter on this mission will probably be no stronger than yellow-grade Roamers. All right, let's go meet Team Leader Lee Seoha."
"Yes, Senior Jincheon."
With my current strength, I could probably handle a red-grade if I pushed myself. Even against a purple-grade, I could at least ensure Dahee escaped.
If only I hadn't been injured, I could've taken on purple-grades too...
With that thought in mind, we finished our training session and headed toward Team Leader Lee Seoha.
"Good morning to you both."
Team Leader Lee Seoha greeted us as we entered the Exploration Team office.
"Good morning, Team Leader. I see you have a sweet tooth."
I remarked, glancing at the chocolate she was eating.
"I do enjoy them. Ah, would you like one?"
Was it my imagination, or did she look slightly reluctant?
Seeing moments like this, it was clear that even an android had many human qualities.
"Yes, thank you. I'll take one."
Besides, who could turn down chocolate? These days, luxury items like this were as rare as stars in the sky.
"What about you, Miss Dahee...?"
"I-I'm fine. I don't really like sweet things..."
Surprisingly, Dahee declined the chocolate Team Leader Lee Seoha offered her.
Was she genuinely not fond of sweets, or was she simply taking pity on the Team Leader, whose eyebrows had drooped pitifully the moment she handed me the chocolate?
Considering how she usually drank bitter matcha or black coffee, it was probably both.
"I see. Next time, I will prepare something that suits your preferences, Miss Dahee."
Team Leader Lee Seoha spoke with a nearly expressionless face, the corners of her lips barely lifting.
It really seemed like giving up the chocolate had been painful for her.
I popped the chocolate into my mouth and savored it. There really was nothing better than eating someone else's sweets!
I had thought this before, but androids truly did possess many human-like traits. As for why... I wasn't entirely sure. Probably because it helped them sell better.
The same reason they equipped robots with large breasts, I supposed.
Human lust really knows no bounds.
Still, an android was just an android.
No matter how human they seemed, I couldn't let myself grow too attached. They were designed to make the most rational choices possible in any given situation.
Which meant...
No. Forget it.
What mattered was that I had to go on this exploration with both this tin-can lady and Dahee. If I ever had to choose who to protect, it would obviously be Dahee. I just needed to keep that firmly in mind.
"...I see. So the exploration target is the Monua Department Store building located deeper within the ruins... to resupply materials. But that's strange. There shouldn't be any major threats near the Monua Department Store. Why would Exploration Team agents go missing?"
"According to communications, a red-grade Roamer was sighted. It is likely the agents were wiped out by that entity. Their last contact originated from the Monua Department Store. If there are any clues, they will be there."
I asked Team Leader Lee Seoha several questions while listening to her briefing on the upcoming mission.
"A red-grade... Excuse me, but I would like to know the extent of your combat capabilities, Team Leader."
"Assuming optimal conditions, I can handle up to one red-grade entity alone."
"As expected of an android... You're quite powerful."
"It is nothing compared to your own abilities, but modern androids—including myself—have seen significant improvements in combat performance."
In the past, androids that could not use special abilities had typically been able to handle up to two yellow-grade entities. Considering that a single red-grade was equivalent to roughly ten yellow-grades in strength, this was a massive improvement.
If androids with Team Leader Lee Seoha's level of ability could be mass-produced, they might be able to eliminate all Roamers except those of black-grade.
After all, ordinary humans struggled to defeat even a single yellow-grade unless they were awakened.
But mass production was nothing more than a pipe dream. Most of the resources required to build androids were still scattered across the ruined zones outside the city walls.
Zones crawling with Nests.
Still, I wonder how they managed to improve them this much.
The research team had been making a fuss about some joint project with the isolation team for a while. It seemed they had actually produced results.
Then again, both the research team and the isolation team were groups that committed inhumane experiments under the banner of rebuilding civilization. It would have been stranger if they hadn't achieved anything.
"...Indeed, attempting a rescue operation alone would have been impossible."
"Correct. It is thanks to you and Miss Dahee joining the Exploration Team that we can proceed with this mission in a relatively short timeframe. Originally, we would have had to wait another three months."
Personnel dispatches to the Exploration Team occurred once every three months. From the Management Bureau's perspective, that was roughly how long it took to compile a list of people they were willing to dispose of.
Most agents from the early days, like myself, had volunteered for the greater good. But the current exploration agents were mostly criminals. Or people who had lost power struggles within the city. Or, like Dahee and me, those who had earned displeasure by refusing unjust orders.
"Then shall we depart? Miss Dahee, Mr. Jincheon."
"Yes, Team Leader."
"Y-yesh!"
Dahee must have been nervous; she bit her tongue while answering. The way her face flushed with embarrassment right after was incredibly cute. Today was no exception.
"...So this is what it looks like outside the city walls..."
Dahee said as she looked around.
Beyond the walls, a thick fog hung over the land all year round. The fog itself only obscured visibility, but the faded, washed-out colors created a gloomy atmosphere that stirred up anxiety.
And that anxiety was precisely the kind of nourishment anomalies loved.
They fed on human negative emotions. There were no merciful anomalies that would simply end your life in one swift blow. They existed only to plant endless malice, despair, and terror into their prey.
"Please stay close to me, both of you. We will now proceed toward the Monua Department Store."
Guiding the way was usually the duty of the android Team Leader. They were rarely affected by the fog.
Of course, in case of emergencies, agents carried tools to help them find their way. The special compass called a Morning Star that Dahee and I kept in our pockets was one such item.
No matter what happened during an exploration, we could never lose it. The moment we did, we would never find our way home again.