Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 115. Pinwheel
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With Park Ye-eun's help, we quickly dismantled the barricade. She had built it in the first place, after all.
"With this level of ability... you could be useful in the Management Bureau."
Leaving Ailin, whose eyes were sparkling, I approached Park Ye-eun, and our eyes met.
"Uncle."
"...Yeah."
This 'uncle' title never gets familiar, no matter how many times I hear it. And I'm not even old enough to be called that.
Oblivious to my aggrieved feelings, Park Ye-eun stared straight at me and asked a question.
"So you're in the Management Bureau's Containment Team, Uncle?"
"Uh... no."
"Then where?"
"HR Team."
"...Pardon?"
She stared at me like she couldn't believe her ears.
"HR... Team?"
"Yeah."
"Why would HR come here...? Oh, no way, did you see my ability and come to scout me? HR is so tough! You have to rush into the jaws of death to save people!"
"Uh..."
"As expected of the Management Bureau. I heard the work is brutal..."
"Just let her keep misunderstanding."
Gazing at Park Ye-eun, who was chattering with her eyes wide in wonder, Song Arin whispered to me.
"Ah, sorry. The way is this side anyway."
After chattering excitedly for a moment, she snapped out of it and started leading us again.
"Here it is."
Park Ye-eun stood in front of a white door and turned to look at us.
"I heard this place is safe... They said most of the teachers and kids are hiding here."
"...Is this the right place?"
It wasn't me who asked the question.
Song Arin was peering beyond the door with a serious expression.
"Yes. It is."
"...Hey."
"I'm listening."
Song Arin muttered with her eyes narrowed.
"There's a really bizarre aura beyond the door—"
-Click.
The door slid open automatically,
and a black mass surged toward us.
"Everyone d—"
Park Ye-eun's eyes widened as she stepped inside,
-Bang!
Ailin, who was ready, fired without hesitation at something.
-Thud!
The flesh wall charging at us halted after taking the bullet.
"...Huh?"
Park Ye-eun muttered, as if she couldn't comprehend it.
"What the fu*, ugh...!"
Song Arin clutched the wall and dry-heaved, as if sensing something.
"The smell..."
Yoo Daon pinched her nose and stared at the wall too.
Right before our eyes was a flesh wall.
A massive flesh wall, bleeding from the bullet wound, thrashing against the narrow door frame as if trying to force its way out.
If it had just been a flesh wall, we wouldn't have reacted like this.
-Groan...
-Grr...
Groans emanating from the flesh wall, and occasionally limbs and eyeballs visible beyond it.
"..."
I too was busy suppressing the nausea rising at the sight of the text in my vision.
[Name: One Made from Many]
[Age: Created 30 minutes ago]
[Specialty: One]
[Talent: Unity]
[Background: The Pinwheel asked. 'Do you want to live?' They answered. 'Let all of us out.' The Pinwheel replied. 'Then I'll make you all into one.']
[Weakness: Find the Pinwheel and reverse the wish.]
"Wh-what? Huh?"
And the one who couldn't accept the situation more than anyone was Park Ye-eun.
"Wh... why... safe, safe..."
-Creak...
We closed the door, leaving Park Ye-eun to mutter in a dazed expression.
-Grooo...
-Crack...
Forcibly shutting the door as it shuddered with horrific sounds, it locked with a metallic click. I turned to the others and opened my mouth.
"For now... let's find the Pinwheel."
"Ugh...!"
Song Arin's retching sounded after my words hung in the silence.
*
It didn't take long for Song Arin to stabilize.
"...You okay, Song Arin-ssi?"
"Really... that was a horrific thought."
Hearing me, Song Arin muttered while covering her mouth, as if nausea was still rising.
"What did you hear?"
"...Better not to know."
Song Arin muttered, beaded in cold sweat.
Should I try linking Yoo Daon somehow at least.
"...Don't link me with the black-haired one."
"How did you know?"
"I can tell just from your eyes."
Song Arin muttered as she glanced at Yoo Daon.
"I'd rather link with the white-hair ten times over than with her."
No need to hate it that much.
"And instead of me, go comfort that kid over there."
Song Arin pointed at Park Ye-eun with her finger.
Park Ye-eun was walking with a blank expression.
"..."
Honestly, even if I talked to her now, it probably wouldn't get through.
"Hey."
"..."
"Ye-eun."
"..."
"Ms. Park Ye-eun."
"..."
She was following behind us like she'd completely lost her mind.
Ever since seeing the flesh wall earlier, she'd been in this state.
"...Give her some time."
Ailin stood beside me, watching her, and murmured softly.
"It must be a shock."
"..."
"I know that feeling well. So let's wait until she pulls herself together."
"Got it."
Leaving Park Ye-eun trailing blankly behind us, I waved the others over.
"For now, we need to catch this Kim Chan-ho guy. Or at least recover the Pinwheel."
"I agree."
Yoo Daon nodded at my words.
"Song Arin-ssi."
"I'm listening."
"I'll keep a close eye out too, so if you sense anyone else or anything suspicious, let me know."
"...Got it."
"I know where it is."
As Song Arin nodded and I was about to tell the others to move out, Park Ye-eun sidled up beside us, murmuring in a small voice.
"They said he went to meet the teachers. I think I know where."
"Then..."
"Please follow me."
She slowly started walking, and after glancing once at her direction, the three of us followed behind her.
"...Uncle."
"Yeah."
After walking some unknown distance, Park Ye-eun turned to look at me as I walked and spoke.
"If it's you, Uncle... can you save our teacher and the kids?"
"...We'll see."
I don't make promises lightly.
"But I'll use every means I have."
"Got it."
Park Ye-eun nodded and kept leading us onward.
We continued deeper into the corridor.
-Crash!
Something collapsing far ahead echoed, and my gaze instantly met Ailin's.
"Flesh wall showed up."
"Yeah."
"I'll hurry a bit more."
As if understanding our conversation, Park Ye-eun quickened her pace.
I pondered while sprinting down the long corridor.
No problem smashing the flesh walls. I've got Critical too. But what I want isn't their death.
I had no idea how many people were fused into that wall, but I couldn't kill them.
"..."
In that case.
As I thought about what to do, a translucent window appeared before my eyes.
[Mount: 1 use]
Should I use this?
"..."
"We've arrived!"
As I was sorting out how to use my ability, Park Ye-eun's panting voice made me snap my head up to look at the door.
Scrawled crookedly on it in childish writing were the words [Teachers' Room].
"If they're receiving guests, it'd be here."
"...Daon-ssi."
"Yes."
Yoo Daon naturally took the lead and opened the door,
-Slash!
A blade flew out immediately, slashing her throat and spraying blood.
"Gah...!"
Yoo Daon clutched her throat with both hands, unable to breathe as she gagged for a moment, but soon reverted to normal. Her eyes widened as she stepped inside and scanned the surroundings.
"Thi—"
As Yoo Daon opened her mouth again, a voice rang out.
A high-pitched man's voice.
[Make a wish.]
"...Huh?"
Yoo Daon's steps halted as she entered.
[If you say you want to live, I'll save you.]
"...Huh...?"
Yoo Daon looked around in wonder.
[That throat wound—if you wish it, I'll heal it.]
Yoo Daon turned to me with a baffled expression.
"It says if I ask to be saved, it'll save me?"
"I hear it too."
Heal the throat wound if I wish?
"I don't die from something like choking on prayer..."
"Normally, you would."
Song Arin muttered, looking queasy, as she stood next to Yoo Daon.
"...Doesn't this feel off?"
"It does."
[If you keep going like this, you'll die. You only have one life, don't you?]
"No, I told you I didn't die. How could I die from something like this?"
Yoo Daon muttered in bewilderment, and Song Arin and I exchanged glances.
"It's talking like it assumes anyone entering here gets their throat slit."
"Exactly."
"But it's saying the same thing even after seeing your throat heal."
"...Like it's programmed."
Song Arin and I locked eyes, and we both stepped into the room at the same time.
"..."
"..."
Nothing happened.
"Jaeheon-ssi was ri*, ...huh...? There's nothing here...?"
Yoo Daon rubbed her throat and stood beside us.
Wind whistled from somewhere.
A pinwheel spun atop a desk.
"There's one thing we overlooked."
My eyes fixed on the pinwheel, and soon a translucent window appeared above it.
[Name: Pinwheel]
[Age: -]
[Specialty: Twisted Manifestation of Wishes]
[Talent: Twisted Manifestation of Wishes]
[Background: A child held the pinwheel and wished. 'Please make my mother healthy.' The pinwheel granted the wish. His mother became a carrier, and the village was ravaged by plague, becoming uninhabitable.]
[Weakness: A tool is just a tool.]
"Containment Objects don't always have ego."
The pinwheel spun in my hand.
"An object that grants wishes wrong, with desperate people around."
-Click!
With a whirring sound, the high-pitched man's voice played again.
[If you say you want to live, I'll save you.]
"If someone makes a wish, another disaster happens."
A recorder sat beside the spinning pinwheel.
"..."
I picked up the pinwheel and called Jang Chaeyeon.
After a few rings, Jang Chaeyeon's emotionless voice came through.
[Yeah.]
"You upstairs?"
[No. But I just sent one support unit. I'm here watching Team Leader and the kids.]
A thud echoed, followed by Team Leader's scream nearby.
[Right side! Right side!]
"Support unit?"
[You'll know when you see it. Things are a bit dicey here too.]
"No one left?"
[No.]
"Got it."
[Yeah, I'll head over once this is done.]
[Ow! Chaeyeon-ssi! Save me!!]
A thud came through the phone, and I hung up, turning to the others.
"Let's go."
I couldn't forgive it.
"Time to catch this trash."