Chapter 69

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 68

Chapter Title: Unregistered Special Operative

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As the conversation dragged on, the client grew increasingly uneasy, constantly glancing around before starting to scratch at her neck and arms.

Her skin, flushed red like that of someone with atopic dermatitis, began flaking off. Eventually, blood beaded up on her arm where she'd scratched hard enough to break the skin.

This person doesn't look good at all.

"Um, ma'am? Client?"

"Ah, ahh. Yes. W-what were we talking about?"

"We talked about how the apartment residents seem off."

"Ah, y-yes. Right. They're strange. Everyone's like they've got a screw loose..."

In my eyes, the client didn't seem normal either.

She looks like she has some mental issues. Maybe she's been infected by something unknown?

The client's mental state seemed to crumble, and normal conversation broke down as she started mumbling to herself.

I figured I needed to calm her down first, so I decided to interrupt and take action.

"Hold on a moment. I'm going to play some music to help you relax. Is that okay?"

"Y-yes...? R-relaxation? Why bother with that...?"

"You seem a bit on edge from psychological anxiety right now. There's something wrong around you, right? That's why you're uneasy, isn't it?"

"Y-yes. Those noisy people yelling all day are driving me crazy. Dumping trash everywhere. And the TV blaring so loud..."

"Interfloor noise and neighbor issues are major stress sources. I get it. So, let's calm your mind first. Before investigating your apartment, you need to stabilize yourself."

After getting her consent, I loaded the tape into the cassette player.

Soon, the Recording of Reverse Root Washing Sutra flowed from the player, beginning to soothe her body and mind.

"Ah..."

"Feeling any better?"

"My head... feels clearer..."

Soon, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, snoring softly.

Once her body and mind relaxed, drowsiness hit her hard. She'd said she hadn't slept properly for days due to insomnia, and now she dozed off immediately.

Sowol and Hong-ran, who had hidden when the client arrived, reported sensing a monstrous presence from her.

Just as they said, this client is suspicious from the start. She seems infected by a monster, but I can't pinpoint the type.

I observed the sleeping client and called the Anomaly Management Department.

"Ah, it's me, Agent."

I asked Agent Park Jae-hyeon about Harmony Haven Apartments.

I'd already thanked him for watching the kids recently, so we skipped straight to business.

"Pardon?"

An apartment quarantined just a few days ago?

All entrances had been sealed by the department before residents could fully evacuate.

No one in or out.

The agent explained that Harmony Haven was a 1970s citizens' apartment near Namsan Mountain—a single building, rundown, with a unique 'ㅁ'-shaped structure enclosing an open central courtyard.

Photos showed an eerily gloomy exterior, dim interiors without much sunlight, designated for redevelopment this year.

Probably happened right before demolition.

"But Agent, a 1970s citizens' apartment—no elevator, right?"

"No elevator, entrances on 1st and 5th floors?"

The agent's comment that it seemed built to contain something from the start sent chills down my spine.

"Well..."

A client came from a sealed apartment.

And from a 1970s building without elevators, she rambled about seeing Elevator Boss.

"She came asking me to fix an elevator problem in her apartment."

Agent Park Jae-hyeon, sounding flustered, said those who escaped were all in quarantine facilities.

The department was suppressing infected leaks.

In short, Lee Kyung-hwa shouldn't be here.

"Not direct contact, but she's been close. She scratched her skin a lot—blood and flakes got on the office floor."

"Just me and the client."

Office empty besides us. Yu-ha at school, Ye-rim and Ha-yeon at cram school for high school equivalency exams.

Even promising spirit arts users need diplomas. College optional, but high school cert essential—I paid out of pocket.

No contamination risk for them.

"She's asleep now."

"Snoring away. Can't she sleep?"

Agent Park Jae-hyeon insisted on waking her immediately.

Infected share insomnia; falling asleep triggers the next stage.

I didn't know what that entailed, but it was horrific.

"Client! Wake up!"

Having been warned against contact, I used a broom from the office to prod her shoulder.

No reaction despite pushing and tapping. Breathing, but eyes shut.

Like trapped in a dream.

"Pardon?"

As I struggled to wake her, the Incinerating Ghost King in my bracelet urged burning her, voice uneasy.

"Burn a person all of a sudden?"

The bracelet heated up as the Incinerating Ghost King shouted, seemingly ready to incinerate everything.

"Calm down first. Can't set a living person ablaze in the office."

From the agent's warning and the king's reaction, her condition was extremely dangerous.

Contact spreads it; sleep evolves it.

Hong-ran judged burning her preemptive to prevent more victims.

But torching someone not fully monstrous in the office? No way. There must be another option.

Minimize casualties...

Observing for clues, her status had changed.

First time seeing "Blooming." Flowers bloom—basic meaning.

Seal the bud to avert crisis?

Better than burning a living person.

"First, draw a line..."

I grabbed a pen from the desk drawer, circled her chair, wrote knot knot.

Then, using just the tip to avoid touch, scrawled seal on her forehead.

Best way to minimize harm and stabilize Lee Kyung-hwa.

"Done?"

"Blooming" gone, "Sealed" appeared.

My method worked.

Forehead graffiti ugly, but better than turning inhuman.

"Stabilized for now, but could change anytime. Agent, infection symptoms?"

"Any non-infection after contact?"

Resistance possible.

No direct contact, yet same room cost vitality and mental power.

"Resisted" means no infection.

Immune until depleted fully.

"Anyone inside?"

The purification team arrived in white hazmat suits. They apologized, sprayed unknown gas everywhere like pest control.

They bagged the client and rushed out.

"You might be infected—need testing."

I complied. No reason to refuse proper checks.

They swabbed my nose, scraped my tongue, checked eyes and hair for mutations.

All done.

"Ventilate office in 2 hours. Building-wide disinfection soon—warn visitors."

"Got it, thanks."

I messaged the girls: no approaching building until 6 PM.

Soon, department ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠agents disguised as health officials hit the 1st-floor cafe. Thorough.

Agent Park Jae-hyeon came personally with results.

"You're clean. No infection."

"Relief. What about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the cafe staff downstairs?"

"They're fine too. Infected didn't pass through 1st floor."

"Pardon?"

Epidemiology probe started: how Lee Kyung-hwa reached here. CCTV showed she didn't walk—manifested inside the building.

Teleported? Unlikely.

Answer simple: the request.

She rode an elevator here.

She'd babbled about seeing Elevator Boss in a no-elevator apartment.

Meaning she boarded one there—in a 1970s citizens' apartment without elevators.

"Maybe a monster emerging from elevators targeted you. Best guess for now."

"So..."

This could be a rescue plea.

Problem at Harmony Haven—sent relatively sane rep Lee Kyung-hwa to me.

Realization triggered a quest.

No quest on meeting her—triggered now.

Not just residents to save.

Elevator Boss struggling alone.

"Want to check with me?"

"Check?"

"Yes. Confirm the problem."

I took Agent Park Jae-hyeon to nonexistent 6th floor.

Doors opened to familiar pitch-black corridor.

"Ugh, uwaa! This... an elevator linked to the Backside World!?"

"Right. She should appear by now... but hasn't. Haven't seen her on 6th lately."

Normally, Elevator Boss emerges in a minute to board. Not shy of the agent—3 minutes, nothing.

Confirmed.

She couldn't properly request help until now. I'd been in Mujin City over a week.

Few elevators there; fixed routes only—no external access.

Risk of leaking infected prevented earlier attempts; waited for me alone in office.

Sent client today after confirming no others around. Minimized harm, sought rescue.

Thought I'd resist infection, notice via her the dire Harmony Haven situation.

'Maybe Elevator Boss is trapped in Harmony Haven.'

Time to rescue.

She helped me before; can't refuse.

Decided to visit tomorrow, asked agent's cooperation.

Requested internal intel, discovered monsters, traits.

He shared under one condition.

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None of the four agents returned intact.

Interior fully contaminated by ███. No church/Buddhist aid possible.

Shamans deteriorate faster; no faith tolerated.

Department tried atheist teams—repeated failures.

Thus, agent's condition for info: accompany inside.

"Need your help, Fixer. Be unregistered special operative, lead team. Sample collection etc.—decline if bothersome. Can't force you... Just a request."

Lead four-person erosion zone response team.

I don't believe in gods.

No religion, no faith.

Ideal for Harmony Haven entry.

"Sure, why not."

Heading there for Elevator Boss anyway—nice official cover. Government backing always helps.

Unregistered means no liability.

Proper rewards too—might as well handle the request with department agents.