The Shamanic Anomaly and the Unholy Sign of the Cross
After the conversation with BAR-207 began, the female researchers—including Director Kim Mi-ryeo—quickly left the room.
The reason was simple: the B personality of the Larva of Many Faces had manifested.
When the B personality appeared, all assigned researchers and agents had to be male. That rule existed for a reason.
Throughout today’s entire dialogue, they had already endured that tedious replacement process multiple times.
But it was tolerable.
The dialogue records were preserved, and as long as it was not the B personality, Director Kim Mi-ryeo could directly observe every exchange.
*
[B.A.R.I. (Borderline Anomalies Response & Investigation)
2급 기밀문서
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[Dialogue transcript between BAR-322 and BAR-207]]
#1
(The B personality of BAR-207, the blonde female, had revealed herself.)
(BAR-322 felt genuine interest in the sudden change of the other entity.)
(BAR-207 looked startled, unsure of the gender presented.)
(This triggered an abnormal reaction log.)
(BAR-207 became thoroughly confused about BAR-322’s gender.)
(BAR-322 did not panic and continued speaking with a smile.)
(BAR-207 answered with a bewildered expression.)
(BAR-322 burst into hearty laughter.)
(BAR-207 twitched.)
(BAR-322 smiled.)
(BAR-207 confirmed.)
(BAR-322 sighed in satisfaction.)
(BAR-207 admitted ignorance.)
(BAR-322 laughed.)
(BAR-322 continued.)
(BAR-207 interrupted.)
(BAR-322 clarified.)
(BAR-207 replied.)
(This triggered another abnormal reaction log.)
(BAR-207 now viewed BAR-322 as a human rather than an anomaly.)
(This triggered another abnormal reaction log.)
(BAR-322 became extremely excited.)
(BAR-322 tried to embrace BAR-207.)
(This triggered another abnormal reaction log.)
(BAR-207’s speech sped up.)
*
Director Kim Mi-ryeo watched the dialogue transcript with a strange sense of regret.
Of course, the research achievement was extraordinary.
Every time she spoke with BAR-207, new abnormal reactions from BAR-322 emerged.
For anomaly research, three elements were essential: endless time, massive manpower, and overwhelming capital.
But thanks to this single Dialogue Protocol, the Bureau had saved astronomical capital, huge personnel, and a great deal of time.
The research results were outstanding.
The most surprising part was that BAR-207 now regarded BAR-322 as human.
That aligned perfectly with Ara’s own claims.
Another few Dialogue Protocols should yield even more results.
When BAR-207 saw Ara as human, Kim Mi-ryeo’s heart raced as if it would explode.
Yet the intelligence of the B personality—the blonde female—was not high enough.
The conversation ended there.
“The results are great, but I wanted something bigger…”
Meanwhile, as the conversation entered a lull, Ara spoke cheerfully toward the glass wall.
[김미려 박사! 이 대화가 끝난다면, 나를 관리국의 직원으로 고용해 주시게나. 와하하하하하하! 참고로 나는 야망이 큰 사람이니, 요직이 아니면 정중히 사절하겠네! 우하하하하하하!]
(She thought she would get hired by the Bureau just because an anomaly had acknowledged her as human.)
That was unlikely.
Instead, her suspicions would only deepen.
The dialogue between BAR-322 and 207 had already lasted more than three hours.
During that time BAR-207 had shifted through several personalities while conversing with Ara.
The approach varied by personality, but the overall context remained similar.
One of the subordinate researchers asked Kim Mi-ryeo.
“Doctor, shall we continue the Dialogue Protocol?”
After a moment of thought, Kim Mi-ryeo decided to end it.
But from BAR-207’s behavior, she realized no forced termination was necessary.
BAR-207 began sending a small-fingered gesture toward Ara.
That signal meant the conversation would be impossible for a certain duration.
In other words, “I no longer want to talk.”
✞
That signal was always strange.
Thus the Dialogue Protocol ended.
Not quite, just as it was about to end, Ara asked BAR-207.
Immediately, a bright light began to emanate from the white lab coats of everyone present, including Director Kim Mi-ryeo.
Even though there was no wind, the hem of each coat fluttered violently.
This was clearly an abnormal reaction.
Kim Mi-ryeo handled it calmly, as if she had been waiting for exactly this moment.
“Specter Energy Barrier at maximum capacity!”
“Prepare forced separation between BAR-207 and BAR-322.”
“Afterward, prepare to incinerate BAR-207.”
She did not know the full situation.
“It’s affecting even us?”
“I can’t stop it now.”
“I’ll go to the end.”
Kim Mi-ryeo issued another order.
“Stand by.”
“Separate when I command it.”
Of course she had no intention of separating or incinerating BAR-207 and Ara.
She sweated with tension while thinking that this might be the perfect opportunity to achieve the greatest research success.
For now, she would simply observe.
Then…
“Ah?”
One researcher let out a stunned exclamation.
That exclamation spread like an epidemic.
All the researchers gathered their voices in identical, idiotic exclamations.
And so did Director Kim Mi-ryeo.
They had exclaimed because the talismans they carried had suddenly burst out of their lab coats and began burning slowly from the edges.
The golden light that had radiated from their clothes was the talisman Ara had given them.
Kim Mi-ryeo had received detailed information about talismans from Ara.
When the talisman that protected against calamity burned, it meant the researchers had been spared while the talisman itself had sacrificed itself.
Except for hers, every other talisman had completely burned to ash.
Her own talisman was still only about one-third burned.
Probably because she had received extra attention when Ara made it.
Kim Mi-ryeo instinctively sensed danger.
One researcher shouted.
“B, BAR-207’s Specter Energy level is rising rapidly!”
“500… 1000… it’s still climbing!”
Kim Mi-ryeo thought once more.
Should I separate them now?
But she shook her head firmly and declared.
“The researchers whose talismans have burned—go immediately to the external control room and maintain data backup and Specter Energy Barriers.”
“End the Dialogue Protocol.”
“Stop the forced separation of the two entities.”
One researcher rushed out and asked.
“Branch Director, do we have data on the current situation?”
Kim Mi-ryeo nodded.
“I’ll record it on the spot.”
“Leave.”
She trusted Ara.
More precisely, she trusted the efficacy of the talisman he had given her.
At least until that talisman fully burned, she would be safe.
All researchers except Director Kim Mi-ryeo left for the external control room.
Yet no fear appeared in her eyes.
Instead, the corners of her mouth curved upward in a tiny smile.
She gulped.
BAR-207’s body began to writhe.
Finally, a new personality that had never been observed before awakened in the Larva of Many Faces.
* * *
It was unmistakably the Sign of the Cross.
The moment Ara mentioned the term “십자성호,” the evil spirit before her began to transform its body.
The malevolent energy it emitted was far stronger than anything she had felt before.
Hmm.
She had thought it was a kind evil spirit.
She had been wrong.
The world was vast, and evil spirits came in many varieties.
Even if she had been Joseon’s greatest Baksu Mudang, she did not know everything about foreign evil spirits.
She glanced toward the glass wall.
The talismans had burned.
Probably none of the researchers had been hurt.
The problem was her.
She stared at the “thing” before her.
It still had the body of a larva, but the head was completely different.
Male?
No. The facial features were so pitch-black she could not tell.
She could not even confirm it had a human face.
Tsk tsk.
She clicked her tongue.
“I thought it was an evil spirit that would help humans.”
“It was wicked after all.”
[You…]
[Are you a divine apostle?]
The scar on her side from her youth burned as if branded by fire.
It reacted far more violently than when she had encountered a Changwi.
She answered casually to the black thing.
“Then what exactly are you that you would dare imitate the divine Sign of the Cross with your cursed body?”
From that black thing, a faint aura of something that was not an evil spirit but an evil god could be felt.