Chapter 204
Chapter 204
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 204. Put It Back to Sleep
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Silence stretches on.
Song Arin grabs my collar, her face full of terror.
"Arin-ssi."
"...What the hell is that? What on earth."
She mutters, staring up at the cavern ceiling.
That thing wriggling and moving.
Every time I look at it, my heart races wildly on its own, alarms blaring in my head.
Dangerous. Absolutely do not approach.
What exactly was humanity trying to block?
No, how have we survived among things like this in the first place?
A world made by grinding up people like me or the branch chief?
Sounds plausible.
"Don't look."
Just as the translucent window starts to appear again, the branch chief covers my eyes with her hand.
"Kim Jaeheon-ssi won't be able to endure it."
"Even with the mental barrier?"
Am I not holding up pretty well already?
The branch chief shakes her head.
"It's not about the mental barrier."
"Then what's the problem?"
If it's not the mental barrier, what exactly is she getting at?
"Pure fear. As long as you're born human, it's something you can't easily resist."
"..."
"Ordinary people lose their minds just from sensing it—so if you actually look at it with your own eyes, Kim Jaeheon-ssi, wouldn't you go insane?"
The branch chief glances up at the thing in the cavern.
"Of course, I'm no ordinary human, so I'm fine."
She's trying to lighten the mood in her own way, but right now, it doesn't really land with me.
Next to me, Song Arin clutches my sleeve with her head bowed, and beside her, Ailin breathes raggedly while staring at the ground.
"Anyway."
The branch chief turns her gaze back to me.
"You're impressive too, Kim Jaeheon-ssi. Even veteran Management Bureau staff would normally act just like those two if you brought them here."
The branch chief shifts her eyes back to the thing hanging in the cavern and speaks.
"Alright, now for the task at hand."
"..."
"Physically beating it is impossible. If that thing wakes up, it's over. No—definitely game over."
"I'm listening."
She nods at my reply and continues.
"So we have to put it back to sleep."
"How?"
"There are two main ways."
The branch chief points to the monster's side with her finger.
A massive vat sat there.
"We use that to put it back to sleep."
"What's that?"
"Better not to know what it's made of. But that's what we use to lull it."
"...Understood."
The branch chief nods and presses on.
"And the other method. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that's why I came here."
She mutters, clenching her fist.
"What is it?"
"Beat it until it falls asleep."
Has this woman finally lost her marbles when she was needed most?
She catches my look and shakes her head indignantly.
"No, for real?"
"Didn't you just say physical attacks don't work?"
"They don't."
"Then?"
"There are ways."
The branch chief dodges my gaze as she answers,
"Ugh..."
"Ah..."
She scoops up the whimpering Song Arin and Ailin onto her arms.
"Alright, shall we go?"
The branch chief eyes me, with the two draped over her.
"...Let's go."
"Stick close behind me. Fearlessness is good, but staring at that thing won't do you any favors."
With that, eyes fixed on the ground, I began following the branch chief.
*
The cavern was vast.
Roughly the size of three massive stadiums combined.
Even without that grotesque thing overhead, it was more than enough to sour anyone's mood.
The vise around my heart from the fear had eased considerably too.
"You get used to it. Humans are creatures of adaptation, after all."
The branch chief mutters as she crosses the cavern.
"...Ugh."
Before long, Song Arin—dangling from the branch chief's shoulder—groans and looks my way.
"Looks like this one's adjusting too."
"Arin-ssi, you feeling better?"
"...Damp."
She fiddles with her sweat-drenched body and mutters, then shoots me a glare.
"...Where're you looking?"
"Not looking."
"..."
She averts her gaze.
She remembers.
"Were you that scared?"
"...Yeah. Terrified."
Song Arin lets out a deep sigh as she answers.
"My body wouldn't obey, my mind went numb. Couldn't even think of hypnotizing myself."
"..."
"...Honestly, still scared. Can't bring myself to look up there."
She mutters, glancing at me.
"Can you walk?"
"I can walk."
"She says she can."
"Got it."
"Kyaa!"
The moment she hears that, the branch chief drops Song Arin. The fallen woman rubs her waist and glares at the branch chief.
"You really can't act your age...!"
"What was that?"
"...Nothing..."
Song Arin averts her eyes under the branch chief's stare and replies.
"And Ailin-ssi?"
"Not back to her senses yet."
Song Arin mutters, eyeing Ailin.
"Hang on. I'll clear the fear now."
Soon, Song Arin places a hand on Ailin's forehead, closes her eyes,
"...Ugh."
Ailin clutches her temple like her head aches and stands.
"..."
"..."
Their eyes meet. Ailin gives an awkward look my way.
"...S-Sorry."
"It's fine."
As Ailin and I talk, the branch chief drops her. Ailin lands deftly on the ground and looks up at me and the branch chief.
"Good."
The branch chief smiles at us, and we all stare at her in confusion.
"Now comes the final hurdle."
"..."
At the cavern's end stood a crudely built...
"Elevator?"
Or could you even call it that?
An iron cage.
Inside the cage hung a handle. Turn it, and the elevator rose—a pulley setup straight out of novels or history books.
"Just installing this caused five people to lose their minds to fear and kill themselves."
The branch chief says flatly, opening the cage door.
-Creeeak...
Rusty metal grates as the iron door swings open.
"Stairs would've taken too long. So we grabbed a staffer with flight abilities and threw this together on the fly."
"...It won't fall, right?"
Song Arin mutters uneasily at the branch chief's words. The branch chief nods.
"It has fallen once."
"..."
"But we managed somehow back then, so it'll work out this time too, yeah?"
Her utterly irresponsible words leave us speechless. Ignoring us, the branch chief grabs the pulley with one hand and starts cranking.
"Heave-ho."
The manual elevator rises briskly.
"..."
At its shaky, precarious speed—with not a shred of stability—Song Arin clutches my sleeve tight, squeezing her eyes shut pitifully.
"Should I quit..."
"For real?"
"No..."
Mid our idle chatter, a jolt hits, and the manual elevator climbs.
Around ten stories up, perhaps. At last, the branch chief stops cranking.
"Out we go."
She sets the brake and opens the iron door.
"...Ugh..."
The instant we step off the cage, Song Arin clutches her chest, struggling for air.
"Feels way stronger than before..."
"..."
Ailin scans the surroundings warily too, while the branch chief strolls ahead like it's a walk in the park.
"Alright. Now we inject the sedative into the vat."
Ahead of the branch chief sat a very old terminal.
An ancient, intricate machine that looked like it'd only appear in black-and-white footage.
The branch chief works the controls with practiced ease,
-Ahh...
-Ugh...
Something akin to human screams emanates from behind the machine.
"..."
Song Arin's body goes rigid as she watches.
"What's... inside that machine?"
Song Arin points at it, staring at the branch chief.
The branch chief turns to her.
"...Sublime spirit. Will devoted solely to the greater good."
"...You're insane."
Horror flashes across her face. The branch chief works the machine with a bitter look.
The scream-like noise cuts off,
-Pshhh...
Something fills the vat.
"Now we spray it."
The branch chief mutters, glancing up.
-Hooo...
The breathing grows louder.
"Start spraying this, and you'll see hallucinations. Hear voices."
She looks at us.
"You'll think you'd rather die than endure this emotion—and you will die. You'll pull out all the stops to off yourself."
She eyes us.
"This is beyond anyone's control. Unless you've gaslit yourself hardcore or transcended human limits."
"..."
"But here's the thing."
The branch chief mutters, gazing at the cavern.
"When you feel like dying, just die."
"Pardon?"
What?
"If you're gonna lose it, die. Easier to undo."
Excluding the branch chief, we exchange glances,
"No time. Starting now."
She hits a button.
-Shhhh...!
Steam hisses out.
- - -
Sounds come.
A child's wail.
No, a sparrow chirping.
No. A death rattle from someone at life's end.
No. All wrong. Just a scream meant to torment us.
No—is this even sound?
"Gasp...!"
If souls are real, that just cracked mine.
"...Guh...!"
Can't breathe.
Force out breaths, fighting to stay sane.
Under the horrific pressure, legs locked, hand braced on the wall—inhale, exhale, repeat.
-Bang!
A gunshot echoes somewhere,
-Thud!
Something collapses beside me.
Ailin lies there, temple blown open.
"...Hah... Haah...!"
Stay calm. Breathe in, out. Focus on survival. Nothing else—
"Get it together."
Someone hugs me tight from behind.
-Thump... Thump...
Heartbeat against my back.
Song Arin whispers fiercely as she squeezes.
"You can do this."
"Haah...!"
"Breathe. In, out. Don't lose yourself. You're you."
Her calm murmur tightens her hold.
-Thump... Thump...
Her heartbeat syncs with my breaths,
"...Hoo..."
Somehow, I claw back sanity.
"...You good?"
Song Arin whispers from behind.
"...Yes."
"Good."
*Thump*. She forehead-bumps my back once, then pulls away.
"...Arin-ssi, how'd you snap out of it so fast..."
"Secret."
She mutters, peering ahead.
The branch chief stands there.
Staring at the gushing steam.
-Pshhh...
Steam billows into the dark space, then cuts off.
Silence.
Did it work?
Back to sleep?
Then how do we—
- - -
Sound again.
Like a child's cry.
"...Kim Jaeheon-ssi. Song Arin-ssi."
The branch chief mutters, looking at us.
"Plan B it is."
"...What?"
"Kim Jaeheon-ssi. Look at it. Now."
Song Arin mutters blankly. The branch chief eyes me.
"..."
I lift my gaze to it.
An insect.
Just one with a torso attached.
[Name: Moon]
[Age: xdefkd years created]
[Specialty: -]
[Talent: -]
[Background: Behold. The birth of new life!]
[Weakness: Put to sleep. Now.]
*Crrackle*!
The translucent window shatters. Blood streams from my eyes.
"..."
Right eye gone dark.
"Y-Your eye...!"
Song Arin freaks.
"...Let's put it back to sleep."
Ignoring it, I meet the branch chief's eyes and speak.
"...Good."
She nods.
"Let's put it back to sleep."
- - -
A child's cry echoes through the cavern.