Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: No Ten-Year Reign, No Ten-Day Red Flower
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"I'll throw you straight into the Management Team the second we get back."
That was Song Arin's reaction to my words.
"Isn't that a bit harsh, even for your bad luck? Were you born dragging disasters behind you or what?"
"That's going too far, don't you think?"
I felt wronged too. If I'd been the one attracting incidents from the start like she said, fine—but ever since the Butterfly's Dream incident, I've just been getting swept up in one after another.
"And what if I actually get dragged in because of that?"
"...Uh..."
In that moment, Song Arin's mouth snapped shut like she'd been force-fed honey.
What's her deal?
Normally, the Song Arin I knew would snap back, "Then rot away in there forever!"
"I'll come rescue you then, Jaeheon."
"...It won't be easy, but I'll help too."
Unexpectedly, Yoo Daon spoke up first, and Jang Chaeyeon nodded after a moment's thought.
"...Damn..."
Song Arin bit her lip hard at the sight of them, then muttered in a voice that barely squeaked out.
"I'll come rescue you too..."
"Ah, yeah. Sure. Looking forward to it."
"...Goddamn it..."
That's not the issue right now. Another incident just blew up.
Leaving Song Arin behind with her eyes squeezed shut like she'd made a slip of the tongue, I checked the Manual.
*When you discover a corpse hanging from a tree, head east.*
I mulled over the sentence.
Strictly speaking, it probably wasn't a corpse. If it were, my eyes wouldn't have picked up on anything.
So, was it some kind of phenomenon rather than a body?
A phenomenon mistaken for a corpse?
Then who goes west, south, or north?
For a split second, the face of that gaunt man flashed in my mind.
It'd been a while since we'd met, but he was probably here too. Kim Sungdu from the Containment Team had said the Management Team was assigned to the forest as well.
...
I opened the Manual.
There was nothing else written besides what I'd read earlier.
First things first, time for an update.
"Starting now, logging records for the Gangseo Branch forest."
[Gangseo Branch, Forest—HR Team's Kim Jaeheon Edition]
The Manual began updating at my words.
For starters, I noted that it wasn't actually a corpse, so there was no need to rush in to save it.
"Should we pack up first?"
"I've already sorted the food and gear!"
Yoo Daon was suddenly standing beside me, a bag slung over her shoulder.
"Just the tents left?"
"Already done."
"That's because when Jaeheon gets lost in thought, he doesn't hear people calling him."
Did I have a habit like that?
"I'll handle the tent."
As the others grabbed their bags, I picked up the packed tent bag too.
"So, east it is?"
"Yes."
Yoo Daon nodded and took the lead.
"Then I'll guide the way!"
"You know the path?"
"Nope? But east, right?"
"So... do you know which way is east?"
Even without proper gear, could we really navigate east that easily?
"Oh, that. Team Leader slipped a compass in too."
Yoo Daon pulled a compass from her pocket and shook it gleefully.
"...Sometimes I wonder what Team Leader even is."
"I get that."
Song Arin muttered in amazement, and I couldn't help but agree.
He'd seemed like a total newbie at the amusement park, but his preparedness here was top-notch.
"Shall we go? Feels like a picnic!"
"...Yeah, kinda does."
"Totally."
"Am I the only one here actually realizing we're in the middle of the Gangseo Branch's annual Containment Object management op?"
After so many ordeals, even trudging along like this felt like a picnic.
We pushed through the humid air and started walking.
*
After about two hours,
Nothing happened. Shockingly.
I'd braced for something to leap out and attack, hallucinations to hit, the ground to cave in, or Yoo Daon's head to explode—some disaster. But really, nothing at all.
"...This really is a picnic?"
"Yeah...?"
"Weirdly fun."
No incidents made it unsettling instead. Better if something showed up and caused chaos—at least we'd go, "Yup, called it," and deal with it.
I opened the Manual.
[Employee Manual]
[Gangseo Branch, Forest]
11. When sunset approaches, prepare to camp—no matter the time.
12. The timeline here warps toward the wedge. Danger rises at night, so avoid moving then.
13. You may hear massive breathing at times; it's a forest trait. Ignore it.
14. Reach the wedge within four days of discovering the corpse.
Four days.
We'd just started today, so not even one full day yet.
I looked up at the sky.
It felt like we'd barely walked, but the sun was already dipping low.
"How long have we been walking...?"
"Two hours."
Jang Chaeyeon checked her watch.
"But the sun's setting already, right?"
"Yeah. Timeline warp, probably."
"Just the giant Containment Object's quirk."
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin chatted like it was nothing and smoothly started setting up camp.
"Night's gonna drag. Annoying as hell."
I helped them pitch the tents.
"Nothing in sight yet!"
"Got it."
Yoo Daon, who'd been on lookout, returned once the tents were up, and we finally prepped food.
"How much food left?"
"Hang on..."
I checked at Yoo Daon's prompt.
"...Enough for about two days?"
"Pretty good haul for four people over two days."
"Even with the warped time, hunger doesn't hit that fast. Should be fine."
Fair enough. No issue.
*
After dinner, a blizzard started raging outside again.
"It was definitely summer forest weather earlier..."
Yoo Daon unzipped the tent and peeked out, frowning.
"Winter already."
"...Something's off."
Timeline warp was one thing, but the weather too?
-Whoooosh-!
The biting gale carried something like wailing cries.
Bad vibe.
The blizzard whipped for exactly two hours.
"...Think it's over."
Yoo Daon peered out and said.
I joined her, scanning for more info.
Blizzard, four days, and the too-quick sunset.
"...Everyone, pack up. We're moving."
"Huh?"
"It's night?"
"...Fine."
While the other two's eyes went wide, Jang Chaeyeon started packing immediately.
They caught on soon enough and followed suit.
"Four days remaining."
We had to get there within four.
But we had no clue what this "wedge" looked like, how far it was, or what obstacles blocked the way.
It could be 100km off, tiny as a grain of rice and take a day to spot, or a massive river forcing a detour.
Of course, probably not. If it were that nasty, the Containment Team would've taken longer to find it.
The Management Bureau figured four days was ample with their setup.
But if the Containment Object actively blocked us, that was another story.
Right now, something wasn't flowing right.
Unknown variable. So we had to push, risks and all.
I didn't want to imagine what happened if we failed the task.
Jang Chaeyeon, ex-Containment Team, seemed to get it.
"It's a time crunch, even if risky."
Yoo Daon and Song Arin nodded at our words, packed up, and soon we headed into the dark path.
*
Outside, the snow was gone like it never happened—humid air again.
"Daon, compass still good?"
"Yeah, so far...? Not sure if it's busted though."
Song Arin reassured Yoo Daon, who squinted at it.
"Management Bureau compasses are special alloy—don't break. Research Team's masterpiece."
If they could do that, why not study remote wedge control?
One electric lantern and a flashlight cut through the dark.
-Rustle.
Occasional sounds from not-too-close, not-too-far.
I glanced each time, but saw nothing.
Opened the Manual.
[Employee Manual]
[Gangseo Branch, Forest]
15. If forced to walk the forest at night unavoidably, you'll encounter hostiles. Forest-subjugated entities—engage freely.
16. The 'forest' recognizes the Management Bureau. When fighting subjugates, noise is fine, but kill thoroughly—no survivors.
Subjugated entities.
-Rustle!
"Huh."
Yoo Daon halted.
"Daon, something wrong?"
"...Smell."
Yoo Daon narrowed her eyes and muttered.
"Smell?"
"Mud."
As she finished, Jang Chaeyeon raised her hand, Song Arin drew her pistol.
I grabbed mine too—just as something lunged at Yoo Daon.
What? What does it look like?
Only a vague silhouette in the dark.
Before I could focus, Yoo Daon snapped her head back and headbutted it hard.
-Crack!
Bone splintering, she rolled her eyes and nearly toppled but caught herself.
"Enemy ahead! Fast!"
Blood trickled from her forehead; she yelled as it charged again.
...!
But Jang Chaeyeon thrust her hand out—it froze midair.
-CRUNCH!
She clenched her fist; it twisted grotesquely and hit the ground.
"Ready for next!"
The three braced at my call; I scanned frantically—nothing.
...
"...Gone?"
Yoo Daon sniffed, eyes closed, then nodded.
"No mud smell."
...
I looked at the fallen thing.
Torso, two arms, two legs, neck...
"...Person?"
It was a person.
Not person-like—unmistakably human.
Clothes tattered beyond dirt, I approached.
Male build, mud-soaked, emaciated.
Odd mark from scalp down the spine.
Outdated style, decades old.
"...Hey."
Song Arin sidled up, inspecting, and muttered.
"What."
"...Management Bureau mark."
Her trembling finger pointed to the chest.
An eye-like emblem.
A mud-caked Management Bureau mark on a man, body crushed, lying before us.