Chapter 74
Chapter 74
"Time and budget shortages meant I couldn't implement the 'Tick-Tock' function. Isn't it just tragic?" "Then why even strike the pose?" "Hoping my assistant would see it and approve the budget." "No way." "Such a shame—my pose was all for nothing. Anyway, we should head back soon. I don't fancy sticking around with some unknown watcher whose identity and motives are a mystery." Their space began to warp once more. "I've already prepared an animal submission here, what a waste." "Huh? When did you make it?" "During that racing special training last time? The students who attended this school must've loved ghost stories
The high density of information entities makes it perfect for raising ghost story-type creatures—I got carried away and ran the experiment without thinking." "So you didn't come to make one today?" "Right, today was the scheduled birth date, so I came to collect it. Right after birth is the easiest time to tame them. Anyway, with the stalker who-knows-when-it'll-vanish and missing the window making taming harder, I'll have to create a new creature elsewhere." "Hmm, such a shame... How much did it cost?" "Ten percent of this year's first-half budget proposal?" Soon, the two figures grew hazy
"You're way too wasteful, Dr. Janus!" "Call it an unforeseen accident." "I'm docking your allowance this month—consider yourself warned!" "Oh no! I was planning to craft Contact Lenses That Let You Binge Complete Series Year-Round once we're back!" "Still no!" ＊＊＊
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ My right eye's vision vanished. So many questions piling up. Was that kid really Dr. Janus? What are information entities, and is the creature they created already active? It started with ghost story talk—does that mean the created creature is a ghost story-related entity? They said it's easiest to tame right after birth—what's the method? And why did my right eye show Dr
Janus? Until now, it only appeared when spotting the seeds of doom. Is Dr. Janus's creation dangerous enough to destroy the world? Though, thinking about it, it doesn't have to be world-ending. The bad endings of Surviving the Entities included not just world destruction, but various other dooms. City destruction, national downfall, human extinction, cosmic annihilation—this incident might be showing the seed of a city- or nation-scale doom. Pondering alone wouldn't yield answers
No reason to keep it secret, so I shared what I'd seen with the others. "Dr. Janus? Never heard the name." 『Not on the watchlist from Foundation agent training either.』 "The key point is that this Janus guy created an entity here." As the saying goes, humans are social animals—sharing info with the group sped things up. "Information entities were covered in Foundation training. Info or beliefs shared by humans sometimes linger as info particles, especially fear- and horror-related ones sticking around longer and in greater quantities
When those accumulated info entities are influenced by an entity or some unknowable force, ghost story-type entities are born." 『Red Mask, Eight-Foot Ghost, Backrooms types—all born that way.』 "Heh, they say the mouth is the root of disaster since ancient times. Our ancestors were right." Putting together the gathered info, we could guess the local entity's type. "A school ghost story, right?" "Related to school legends." 『A ghost story passed down among students that turned into an entity?』 The problem: an abandoned school with no related people around, so no way to learn what ghost stories existed
"The important thing is ghost story-type entities are super condition-dependent. Especially school ones—99% of their anomalies happen on school grounds, so you're safe outside." 『Yeah, and mostly at night? Like late-night school visits where King Sejong's statue does gymnastics, or hands holding red and blue tissue pop out of the bathroom.』 "Hmm, back in my day, it was the chalk ghost. Stay in class late at night, and chalk moves on its own to write the name of tomorrow's dead on the board." In summary, the local entity tied to school legends/ghost stories, likely active only evenings inside school grounds
"First, let's head outside? Staying off-grounds means it won't target us." 『Sounds good. We can scout outsiders from beyond the fence.』 "Tch, and here I wanted to duel a ghost." "Master, you can do that with Young-mun here." 『Me? Why?』 They said taming is best right after birth. Still, dawn was approaching, so I went with the agents' consensus. "But aren't there school ghost stories where it follows you home?" 『Probably. Hong Kong Granny appears at elementary schools but chases you home and kills you.』 Kim Mi-ri and Shin Young-mun chatted
Others whose names I didn't know joined, and so did I. 『What if it's like that here?』 "Hmm, then we bolt to the Foundation. It won't cross dimensions to chase us, right?" Kim Mi-ri, Shin Young-mun, and Kim Go-dok crossed the front gate outward. Other agents followed, and I did too. "......" And we were all back inside, having crossed the front gate into the school again. "This is ridiculous!" Kim Go-dok laughed as he spoke. "Caught between a rock and a hard place!" ＊＊＊
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 『Aaaah! I'm a ghost! Even ghosts can't leave?!』 Shin Young-mun charged the front gate at full power
Each time, he somehow ended up back inside. Over the fence, back gate—every method looped him back into the school. "Contact outside immediately! Need intel on Deokcheon High School ghost stories and legends! Request investigation now!" "Yes!" Kim Mi-ri tasked other agents with entity-counter prep. "If trouble hits, I'll take point. You all focus on anomaly analysis from the rear." "Got it!" Kim Go-dok handled perimeter watch for sudden threats. They're all rookies, but so systematic—great at directing others. Agents start at C-grade, so this proves their skill
This might be my chance. Local entity freshly born. Dr. Janus said right after birth is prime taming time. "No contact! Interdimensional comms are dead!" "Damn! No way to get info then!" Should I hunt the entity? But their safety worried me too. "You who tread the Demonic Outer Path, what's got you so concerned?" Then Kim Go-dok approached me. "You talking to me?" "Yeah. You draw power from corrupt energies—aren't you a Demonic Outer Path follower? Anyway, why the worried face?" "I want to enter the school for investigation, but I'm concerned about you all." "Foolish, as expected of a Demonic Outer Path type." Kim Go-dok snorted
"We've all steeled ourselves for death. From the moment we joined the Foundation, we've prepared to lose comrades anytime, sworn our lives for humanity. Yet here you are, hesitating to act when you must because you're worried about us?" He quietly stepped behind and shoved my back. "That's an insult to us. And you're the riskier one. Logically, classroom or field—which is more dangerous inside school?" "Understood." Excessive consideration can be an insult. I'd unwittingly insulted them. "I'll go investigate then." En route to school interior, I asked Sarang
"Sarang, external comms down for you too?" 『Yes, impossible for now. But dimensional distortion varies by spot—weaker areas might work.』 "Guessed weak points?" 『High chance it's the eye of the storm—the distortion origin.』 If outside connected, I'd have other agents research Deokcheon High ghost stories. Either way—uncover ghost story or tame entity—means going inside.』 Passed the assembly area. Beyond flowerbeds, statues loomed as if watching me.
[King Sejong the Great]
[Admiral Yi Sun-sin]
[Girl Reading a Book]
[The Thinker] Opened main building entrance, entered, began proper search "Alright, let's find it." ＊＊＊
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 『Ugh, Seung-hoon went inside?』 "Yeah, he's a special consultant—should be fine, right?" 『Maybe... but outside isn't guaranteed safe either. Should I follow...?』 "Inside or out, same difference. When did school ghost stories stick to just classrooms? Fields count too."
"Gather up, everyone."
Kim Go-dok assembled the agents.
"Don't despair over lost outside contact. School ghost stories are superstitions popular among students then—so even if you're not alumni, your own schools had similar tales Everyone, share ghost stories."
"Any at all?"
"We're outside now, so field-related ones would be good."
Freshly graduated Kim Mi-ri spoke.
"Nearly every school has this common one, right?" 『What's that? Oh, wait—I think I know!』 Kim Mi-ri, Shin Young-mun, and other young agents shouted in unison.
"Statue ghost story!"
"Statue ghost story? What's that?"
"Most schools have statues. The legend says they come alive at night."
"Hmm, like that one?"
Kim Go-dok pointed to the assembly area.
[Our language differed from China's, burdening the people—so I created Hangul.] King Sejong the Great statue gazed down at them "Whoa!" "First strike wins!" Kim Go-dok leaped first. "Blood Flame Fist—Gold!" His punch hit the statue like a bomb blast—but he bounced back, the statue unscathed. "Urk! Harder than millennium steel!"
[Thus I ask, my people: Do you use Hangul well?] Shin Young-mun shouted fastest. 『Yes! We use it well! Thank you so much! King Sejong! Without Hangul, life would've been so hard! Thanks to it, we learn, gain insight, live enriched lives!』
[Hmm, most fortunate.] Other agents shouted at Sejong's reaction "Hangul forever! King Sejong forever!" "Damn it, Hangul! I really love you!" "The script that shocks America and makes Japan jealous—Hangul!" Satisfied after much nodding, King Sejong opened his scripture. A solid bronze tome, yet pages turned like a real book.
[Then, time for the exam.] Suddenly, all agents sat at desks as if for a test.
[If you truly love Hangul, dictation should be no problem? 100 questions, 1 point each, passing 70.] Boom boom—! Moonlight on near King Sejong cast a massive shadow
[Fail: Traitor to the nation.] King Sejong's eyes turned blood-red.