Chapter 70
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Such a Sunny Day
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Today, the weather was exceptionally nice.
It was so bright that the sunlight stung the skin a bit, beyond just being clear.
Not too hot either. Perfect for an outing if you just blocked the UV rays a little.
On a day like this, it would've been great to skip school for the kids and go camping as a family.
Days like this make you want to watch the kids happily running around with the dog, sharing a cool beer with your wife.
"On such a nice day, we have to go into a place gloomier than a sewer. Isn't that just too much? Right, Team Leader?"
Yeah, right.
Seong-ho's got a point.
On such a bright, beautiful day, we have to walk right into a place where sunlight barely reaches.
The heavens are truly indifferent.
"Has everyone checked their gear? Once we go in, we might not get out easily. Turn a corner wrong, and we could get lost. You all know that, right?"
I know.
I know full well that inside is no different from a demon's lair, just like Yu-na warned.
One small mistake, and team members could get hurt. As team leader, I have to do my best.
Of course, that didn't mean I was shaking with tension. It's been three years since I've been going into places like this.
Three years without incident, so I believed we'd make it out safely today too.
Our team meshed well.
"Still, I'm excited. Hasn't been a large-scale breach like this lately. Overseas, they're in chaos with that bug swarm incident. Korea's been too quiet; I thought it was weird."
That crazy anomaly otaku, Ko Seung-yoon.
The guy's in the department just to satisfy his own desires.
I can't understand what's cute about wriggling anomalies. No wonder he has no girlfriend.
"Alright, if everyone's ready, let's head in. Weather's nice, so let's wrap it up quick and get out. Stay together, no scattering. Stick together to live, scatter and die. Got it?"
"Yes, Team Leader!"
"Good. Nice energy. Let's come out alive."
It was a simple recon mission.
Full exploration wasn't our job.
Our goal was just patrolling the 'first floor' of Hanmachim Saettit Apartment.
There were reportedly civilians who hadn't escaped inside, but they could hardly be called human anymore. Drones confirmed they were all dead.
No one to rescue, and the roaming otherworld entities were suppressible with modern firearms.
I thought we'd finish quick and head home like always.
"Lord... Lord, hear my voice. Guide me through this darkness. You said You would be with me even in the valley of the shadow of death... so please... save me from this place."
"What is that? What the hell is it..."
How far had we run?
My breath was burning in my throat.
Panicked, Ko Seung-yoon was trembling like a madman, and Seo Yu-na had been muttering strange things.
And Seong-ho...
"Everyone... grab your gear..."
Seong-ho got dragged away by them.
Before I could stop him, tendrils shot out, grabbed him, and pulled him into the corridor's darkness.
We got lost on the first floor.
We'd detected spatial anomalies in room 101 and planned to retreat immediately.
But the moment we stepped out, the floors twisted instantly.
It wasn't a structure you could just exit casually. Once in, you had to follow the 'rules' to get out.
Hanmachim Saettit Apartment wasn't just a disaster-level spatial anomaly.
At least calamity-level. Maybe worse.
What the hell had come out from inside?
"We have to get out. Stop it and stand up."
Obsessed with finding an exit.
We had to escape. This place was hell.
No survivors? Wrong.
They just didn't register on drones.
All those collapsed figures were survivors.
They played dead, holding their breath, then woke and attacked when humans approached.
And pursued. Horrific monsters.
"Aaah. Aaaaaaah!"
A scream from a citizen infected by the anomaly echoed here. Wailing in agony.
It was a plea for rescue and a cry to be killed.
Hearing it, Seong-ho's begging to be saved still rang in my ears.
The moment they spotted us, their bellies swelled, bursting with contents.
Blood, flesh, and more spilled from split stomachs. Seeds among the debris germinated on air contact, blooming flowers.
Lifeforms that used humans as fertilizer, embedding seeds in organs to scatter when bellies burst.
Seeds spread to walls, floors, ceilings, turning corridors into a jungle hell.
Variant entities endlessly multiplied, crawling out everywhere.
Yellow spores spewed wildly from bloomed flowers. Spines from 'bloomers' extended tendrils, grabbing and dousing us in gastric juices.
Protective suits melted. Seung-yoon got wounded by the impossible acid.
We fled, supporting limping Seung-yoon, dodging the variants.
Space twisted again; we ended up on the third floor.
Not just one. All those lifeless corpses were living residents.
Mouths poured agony, eyes begged help, but bodies turned anomalous, charging us.
Minds and bodies disconnected; residents chased us, screaming to be killed amid pain.
Enough to scar the psyche deeply.
"Urk..."
Nausea surged.
Mental strain too much? Stabilizers didn't help; head kept spinning.
We had to hide from them somehow. Too many.
This was their domain. Dodging small climbers on walls/ceilings, we ducked into an open room to catch breath.
"Ngh..."
Grass had grown from Seung-yoon's arm wound.
Infected already? Or seed embedded?
Seung-yoon muttered his vision was turning green, throat parched mad with thirst.
No water, of course. Planned for three hours.
No food/water since suits wouldn't come off.
"Hey, you idiot! Ko Seung-yoon! No!"
Unable to bear thirst, Seung-yoon yanked off helmet, shoved head in toilet, gulping unknown liquid.
Too late. He'd turn soon.
"..."
No time to hesitate; I drew axe, raised high. To minimize noise, axe not gun for his head.
Self-loathing at striking colleague's nape, but leaving him meant he'd become anomaly without dying.
Like those corridor stalkers. Better kill before.
For his sake.
Better than eternal pain as host.
Merciful to end here...
"N-no!"
Aimed for head, but Seo Yu-na grabbed my waist from behind.
Lost balance; axe hit shoulder, not head. Seung-yoon writhed in pain, fled to corridor.
Pushed, I fell on bathroom floor. Waist twisted? Too painful to rise.
"S-sorry. I-I mean... it just... felt wrong. Y-you know..."
Looking up at sprawled Yu-na, she muttered to self, showing autistic traits. Severe panic drops mental resistance.
Seo Yu-na wasn't right either.
Failed.
Recon mission failed.
"Ha... hahaha..."
Situation too pathetic; hollow laugh escaped.
No clue where to start unraveling.
Total mess. Seong-ho taken by anomalies, Seung-yoon infected blooming soon, Yu-na delirious.
Impossible to escape with all. I must survive.
Pondering escape from mad apartment, glanced up: ceiling covered in white seeds.
Repulsive seed pods...
'That... ah...'
After seeing it, I wandered apartment insane too.
Brief memory loss staring at seed cluster.
While out, Yu-na gone elsewhere. Bodycam missing from chest; she took it? Hope she escaped...
Left alone.
No exit in sight, watch broken; no idea days passed.
Just hide, flee anomalies repeatedly. Drugs nearly gone.
One stim, one stabilizer left. Use up, I'd collapse exhausted.
End approaching.
Human life breaks so easily.
Just caught in spatial warp once.
One life crumbled entirely.
How fragile, pathetic.
Really.
Is human life truly precious?
Does human dignity hold such value?
If dying pointlessly here, should've taken leave, camped with family.
Why burn with zeal? Destined to die uselessly here.
What grand goal made me work weekends? Miss family.
'Don't want to die.'
No idea what floor.
Exhausted, dying.
Dodging approaching anomalies.
Hide, hide again.
Can't anymore. No strength.
End.
Thud. Thud.
Something approaching from afar.
Whatever.
No survival anyway.
Finally ready to accept death.
Drew gun for less painful end.
Better blow own head than become host, destroyed.
Trigger about to pull, door opened.
"...."
A different kind of anomaly from seen before.
It stared silently, long hair trailing to floor.
Anomalies from Hanmachim Saettit were all 'otherworld entities'.
Foreign invaders from the backside.
No humanoid forms.
Special specimen?
"----"
Debating quick suicide before ugly sight or observe special entity, it spoke to me.
Couldn't understand a word.
But not attacking.
'What. Why...'
It looked down at immobile me, grabbed nape, dragged to corridor.
Surprisingly, bloomers attacked it—a female entity dragging me.
Not same kind. Casually tore tendrils, proceeded silently.
Perhaps pre-existing thoughtform? Killing invaders in her domain...
Where dragging me? Devour exhausted me for power?
"This is..."
Soon, broken elevator.
Pre-entry intel: no elevator. Why here?
Finally guessed what dragged me.
'Elevator Ghost...'
Entity Name: 'EVE-404'
Department nickname: 'Eve'.
Clarified in recent Black Oath Society case; multiple failed contacts.
'What's the link between this incident and the elevator ghost...'
Why rescue me?
Incomprehensible, but elevator doors opened; realized why dragged here.
"The kids..."
Infected children filled elevator. Display: 'Full Load'. Couldn't move.
Unlike adults outside, kids hadn't bloomed; time frozen.
Sole safe zone in hellish apartment.
"Soon... coming."
"Pardon?"
"Protect... kids... protect."
Uttered few comprehensible words, then ghost returned to corridor.
Ripping growing grass from body, off to save another survivor.
'Why help humans...'
Not tamed. Calamity-level anomaly herself. Why rescue survivors?
Questions swirled seeing sleeping kids; thought of my own waiting at home.
Planned outing on sunny day. Can't die here.
Always too busy for kids.
If escape, spend time with them.
Dreaming future, fended anomalies at elevator as ghost brought another survivor.
Unclear what 'coming', but ghost awaited something.
Her confident actions sparked hope.
Rescue team surely coming.
Someone to save us.
My role: guard unconscious till then.
Chewing water bottles, mystery organics she tossed; fulfilled duty as agent, enduring.
Watched all video records left by Agent Seo Yu-na.
Then gathered info via World of Doom Gallery, arrived at Hanmachim Saettit Apartment for mission.
"Weather's filthy nice, huh?"
"Tell me about it. Sucks to enter that place on such a sunny day."
Like Agent Park Jae-hyeon said, too damn sunny.
Unpleasantly perfect.
"This is the non-registered special agent leading our team this time: Fixer Lee Do-hyun."
Two young agents clapped at Park Jae-hyeon's words.
Temp response team: me, Park Jae-hyeon, Yoon Ha-seo (met before), new department agent.
"You know her from before, right?"
"Yes. Agent Yoon Ha-seo?"
"That's me. You remember."
"Don't forget faces easily."
Agent Yoon Ha-seo: the woman tussling with Bboong-bboong in our basement before.
Park's assistant then.
Tense as hell, pretending casual.
"Heard all about you, Fixer. Nice to work with. An Jae-seong."
This one's brimming confidence.
Experienced. Won't panic easy.
"Everyone ready? Let's go in. Goals: missing persons search, internal exploration, sample collection, right?"
"Yes. We'll handle rest; Fixer, just clear the path."
"Got it."
I'm searching for Elbe-jjang—'Eve' in department terms.
Priority; let team handle others, focus interior search.
If no Eve, exterminate all anomalies inside.
Killing them one by one will find Elbe-jjang eventually.