Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: KEH Isn't Bad (2)
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When she opened her eyes again,
Shin Na felt surprisingly good.
It was like all the deep-seated fatigue had completely vanished. Her body felt light, her mind clear. She felt reborn.
'What the hell. I feel amazing.'
Stretch!
She stretched her arms wide and sat up, only to see her colleagues surrounding her.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Regular Team 1. And Oh Ji-seong, her subordinate and junior from the same team.
They all wore complicated expressions, faces tense with anxiety, staring at her intently.
"Ah."
That's when Shin Na realized. Flashes of memory fragments raced through her mind. In them, she had definitely...
"I... think I died?"
Their expressions darkened further. But still, no one spoke.
Shin Na could guess why.
'Yeah. They're trying to figure out the situation too. I'm connected to the contamination now. I clearly died but didn't... so they can't confirm if I'm really Shin Na yet. They're just observing.'
In that case, she should clarify the situation first and give them something useful to report. Lighten their workload.
'Tch. But how did I die again?'
She carefully recalled her memories.
'Right. I was looking for KEH and ended up in some weird contamination space... I was clearing it pretty well... but then that insane stroke of bad luck at the end.'
Shin Na scowled fiercely.
The vivid image of the arm monster's massive hand gripping her head came rushing back.
Even thinking about it now, it was absurd.
'Sigh. Fate's Red Thread is supposed to have side effects like that...'
An item that connects you to your desired target, but also to unknown ones.
It could lead to something cute like a cat or dog, but this time it was fatal misfortune.
'Even so, the timing was too perfect. Right at that moment, in that spot.'
ARPS are real bastards. They always smack you in the back of the head just when you're getting cocky.
'Anyway, that thing grabbed me. Then it passed me to another aberration, which sucked my blood dry and killed me.'
...What? I really did die?
How am I alive right now?
'After I died... what happened next?'
Normally, no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't remember.
She had been dead, after all.
The dead can't see or remember.
But,
'Huh? Wait. I remember something. Yeah. Kim I-han, my master. He did something. With that ARPS creation ability. He tried to... revive me. Desperately. Yeah, he's a good person. Sure, he's kinda cowardly, a bit gloomy, not great with people... but when it counts, he steps up. Totally my type...'
Shin Na shook her head vigorously. Not the time for random thoughts.
'Anyway. In that dangerous moment, my master did something to save me. Even though he must've been scared. ...Thanks, really. When he joins our company, I'll take good care of him. So yeah, I died and came back. There must've been some side effects since contamination was involved... but I'm this fine. Reborn by the grace of my great master.'
Huh?
...
'What did I just say...?'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A heavy silence blanketed the recovery room.
It was so quiet that a trained agent could hear everyone's heartbeats.
And if you listened even closer,
Whirr-click-whirr-click-whirr-click.
you could hear the sound of the Wind-up Device turning inside Team Leader Shin Na's body.
Oh Ji-seong stood frozen, desperately holding back from collapsing or screaming.
The horrific silence dragged on.
Finally, the first to speak was Team Leader Shin Na.
She raised one hand in a casual wave, gave an awkward smile, and said,
"...Hey? Everyone. I get what's going on, but don't look so serious. I'm tougher than I look—totally fine."
"…"
Team 1's agents and Oh Ji-seong didn't respond. They still couldn't judge easily. Was that really Team Leader Shin Na?
They had already confirmed via DNA tests that the body was hers, but the mind was another matter.
In these situations, it was the suspected agent's duty to explain their state and prove their ego intact.
That was protocol, so even amid the silence, Shin Na continued without embarrassment.
"I just ran through my identity checklist alone after waking up. My identity's perfect. Shin Na, Regular Team 2 Leader. Ideal type: Ikari Shinji. Though... there's some contamination. It's just... uh. Hmm. Can't say it. Fine. Including that, here's my report."
She took a deep breath and continued.
"Currently, two aspects of mental contamination confirmed in subject Shin Na. First: distortion in specific thought patterns. Second: prohibition on mentioning specific information. Can't verbalize what those specific thoughts or info are."
As she spoke with her usual sharp clarity, the rigid expressions of Team 1 and Oh Ji-seong began to soften.
Seeing that, Shin Na smiled brightly.
"It's real. Aside from those two, everything's fine, memories intact. And the forbidden thought pattern and info? Not a big deal anyway. No need to worry. I feel great, like I slept amazingly well."
She pushed back the oppressive weight in the room, taking charge with lively energy.
"Anyway, Team 1's here, so you escorted me back? Thanks. I owe you. And Ji-seong, you drove? Why's your face like that?"
Her cheeky attitude drew light laughs here and there.
"Oh, and what's my condition now? I feel super refreshed, like reborn. No idea how I revived. I definitely had all my blood sucked out and died, right?"
Mentioning her death darkened the mood a bit, but not as badly as before.
Team 1's chief pointed at her left side. He finally spoke.
"You'll see a Wind-up Device there."
"Wind-up?"
"Yes. You appear to be operating via Wind-up Device-form ARPS. Because... there's no blood in your body at all. Not a single drop."
Shin Na was shocked.
"None? No blood?"
"Correct."
But her complexion looked healthy?
She didn't voice the thought. Instead,
Crunch.
she bit her finger, tearing the skin slightly.
"Whoa. Fuck. No blood really comes out."
Shin Na's eyes sparkled.
"That's so cool! So I don't have to worry about dying from blood loss anymore?"
Even in this situation, she seemed more excited than despairing.
Finally unable to hold back, Oh Ji-seong opened his tightly shut mouth and scolded her.
"No! Team Leader! Is that something to be happy about? Your body has no blood... Team Leader's blood... right now!"
"Huh? Of course it's great. I thought I was done for, but I'm alive. What's wrong, Ji-seong? You unhappy I'm back?"
"No way... Sigh."
Hands on hips, he sighed deeply and asked in a weary voice.
"Fine. Yeah. Tell us. What the hell happened? How did it...?"
A small smile returned to Oh Ji-seong's face as he spoke.
Because Team Leader Shin Na was exactly like always. The mysterious ARPS circumstances were concerning, but as long as her identity held, it was bearable.
Body preserved, mind preserved—that was being alive. Blood flowing or not, if Shin Na was alive, Oh Ji-seong was fine with anything.
"Right. What happened. Gotta explain. Listen up, everyone. It was insane. And it was... like..."
Team Leader Shin Na trailed off teasingly.
She always did that, deepening Oh Ji-seong's smile. He shifted closer, ready to listen intently.
But then.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"What the fuck..."
Team 1 Chief's curse echoed.
His gaze fixed on the frozen Team Leader Shin Na.
She wasn't moving. Stuck mid-sentence, like someone hit pause.
Then, moments later, like rewind, she reset her posture and said,
"What? Ji-seong. You hate that I'm alive? Your tone's aggressive. Gonna rival your team leader? Huh?"
"…"
Oh Ji-seong couldn't speak.
Shin Na tilted her head.
"What's up? Why the sudden attitude?"
Team 1 Chief interjected.
"So you met KEH? What happened? What ARPS was it?"
"Ah. KEH. That was when I..."
Pause.
Again.
Again.
Every time KEH came up, Shin Na froze like pause was hit.
Then rewound.
Repeated similar lines, as if for the first time.
"It's great! Moving without blood! Superpower shit. Jealous, Ji-seong?"
Oh Ji-seong hung his head. Tears dropped, staining the floor black.
"W-what? Why, Ji-seong? Suddenly...?"
Shin Na's brow furrowed. Instinctual unease.
Before she could pursue it, Team 1 Chief asked again.
"KEH? That fucker did this to you?"
And,
Freeze.
Expression vanished from Shin Na's face.
Her natural movements halted; she gaped like a stiff puppet.
"Warning. I cannot disclose my master's personal information. Please stop repeating questions."
Now even Team 1 Chief's face paled to dirt.
Silence.
Overwhelming silence.
Moments later, Shin Na sighed deeply.
"Sigh... Guys. Did I just move on my own?"
"…"
No answers, but she read their body language.
"I did. Did I talk too? ...This is driving me nuts. Yeah, I talked? Damn, the gag's tighter than I thought."
She bowed her head, lost in thought.
KEH's identity. Kim I-han.
An irregular ARPS Maker who firmly retained his humanity.
A game-changer in the increasingly grim fight against Anti-Reality Pollution.
No way. Did he intentionally impose this strong gag? Design her to see him as master?
'No.'
Shin Na trusted her judgment of people.
'He's not that type.'
Then it was a side effect from creating the ARPS. Those things were unpredictable, uncontrollable by nature. Even for an ARPS Maker.
So Kim I-han had purely tried to save her; everything else was byproduct.
'Nothing more, nothing less.'
She hadn't lost much, objectively.
Just couldn't speak certain things, and kept seeing Kim I-han as master.
For an ARPS contamination, it was incredibly mild. The world had far worse.
Of course, appearances could differ.
The violent term "master" could seem dire. If Kim I-han manipulated and exploited her to harm the World Health Safety League... horrific.
But.
'Would I-han... do that?'
One person "owning" another was horrific, but if the owner never exercised it, no real danger.
A knife was dangerous.
But if wielded by someone like Ikari Shinji...?
For Shin Na, at least, not scary.
Might even be sexy...
'Safer than that damn Fate's Red Thread?'
But explaining to others? Tricky.
What to do.
She had to report Kim I-han and convince HQ to recruit him.
Shin Na organized her thoughts, scratched her head vigorously, and spoke.
"Guys. From your faces, I know I looked bad just now. But really, no. Not the serious shit you're thinking. Just revival side effects. Don't look at me like that. Hurts my feelings."
"…"
"…"
"…!!!"
All silent.
But some realized.
Blink. Blink-blink.
That the bittersweetly speaking Shin Na was sending Morse code with blinks.
Blink blink blink.
(See this? If you know it's Morse, blink back.)
Team 1 Chief, Oh Ji-seong, then everyone caught on.
Shin Na conveying real message via blinks while speaking otherwise.
"Just can't explain what happened. No other compulsions. I'm really fine."
Blink. Bliiiink.
(So, simply put: Used Fate's Red Thread to find KEH. Ended up in some contamination space.)
Faces brightened. Especially Oh Ji-seong, staring hotly, eyes wide.
Thrilled she bypassed gag with blinks to share thoughts.
"Your faces are stressing me out. Dial it back. Yeah? I'm totally fi—"
Blink blink-blink.
(So, did I find KEH? Yeah. Investigated. Observed.)
Team 1's focus sharpened.
Info on powerful ARPS Maker trumped worries about her.
Blink-blink-blink.
(Found KEH's identity for sure. Was gonna suggest to HQ. It's...)
Team 1 agents swallowed hard.
Oh Ji-seong clenched fists. Team Leader completed mission despite everything.
And finally,
"Anyway, bottom line: I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."
Mundane words from mouth.
Blink-bliiiink-blink-blink.
True info via blinks.
(KEH's identity: My respected, beloved, great master. He revived me, gave my life meaning. Great master. Reborn by his grace. Amazing benevolence. So really. Don't worry. I'm fine.)
"…"
"…"
"…"
All mouths shut.
And,
Screech-thud.
Oh Ji-seong wordlessly fled the recovery room.
Staggering footsteps faded. A minute later,
Fuck! Fuuuuck!!!
You fuck! Fuuuuck!!!
Uwaa! Uwaaaa! Uwauwaa!!!
From far down the hall—or maybe half a staircase—
beast-like howls trembled through, wet and wretched wails.
"…"
"…"
"…"
All silent.
And Shin Na,
fully aware she'd unconsciously sent that wildly weird Morse code,
was utterly mortified.
'Shit. This is messed up...'
And.
What she saw and felt,
compressed into memories, emotions, impressions, transmitted to her master.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "...Ah."
Sudden influx: memories, emotions, impressions. Some compressed lump.
Parts omitted, but enough to grasp events.
Especially Oh Ji-seong's dog-like howls still echoing in my ears.
Chills down my spine.
"Aah..."
I,
who wanted to join the World Health Safety League to learn ability control,
"I'm fucked..."
realized everything was ruined.