Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 97. Temporary Sleep
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"..."
"..."
Yoo Daon and I stared at each other.
"So... we shouldn't touch the water, right?"
Yoo Daon muttered as she gazed out the window.
"Yes. I still don't know the reason, though."
*Splash...*
While staring at the endless rain, I turned at the clinking sound to see Jang Chaeyeon placing a steaming omelet on the dining table.
"Let's eat first and then talk."
"...Ah, thank you."
Why is she so calm?
I watched Jang Chaeyeon sit there expressionlessly, eating her omelet, before cautiously opening my mouth.
"Chaeyeon, did you hear what I said earlier?"
"Yeah."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded in response.
"But we don't need to do anything about it."
"...Pardon?"
"We're the HR Team."
Gulp. Jang Chaeyeon swallowed the omelet she had been chewing and looked out the window.
"Unless we get orders or a request, we don't need to go out and handle it ourselves."
"...Right."
Come to think of it, that's true.
Until now, we'd always been chased by situations where we had to resolve them or die trying, but right now, that's not the case.
"Let's just eat."
"Yeah."
"Yes!"
Right. What do I even need to worry about? The amazing Containment Team will handle it all.
With that thought, I started devouring my omelet.
"But."
"Yes?"
Jang Chaeyeon stared straight at Yoo Daon and me before speaking.
"Just in case, get ready to head out."
A vague sense of fear flickered in her eyes.
"..."
"..."
Yoo Daon and I could only exchange uneasy glances.
*
*Beep...*
[Do not come outside under any circumstances.]
I sank into thought while watching the TV broadcasting the same message.
Come to think of it, is Song Arin holding up okay?
I'd completely forgotten about her.
I pulled out my smartphone and called her. Soon, a voice full of irritation came through from the other end.
[Calling early, huh?]
"I am calling early. It's morning right now."
*Click!*
The call cut off.
If calling in the morning isn't early, then what is?
I called back.
[...What.]
She answered with even more irritation than before.
"No, I was worried if you were okay, Song Arin."
[...It's not something you need to worry about?]
I heard Song Arin sigh on the other end of the line.
[You know roughly what's going on, right?]
"Yes, I do."
[Good. Just in case, pack your bags.]
Same thing Jang Chaeyeon said.
"Can't we just stay put?"
[Normally, the Containment Team would handle it...]
Song Arin trailed off.
[Just pack your bags, in case.]
"Why?"
[I don't know. But I know we have to.]
A hint of fear crept into Song Arin's voice.
"...Understood."
[Listen, if things go south, run to the Management Bureau.]
"The Management Bureau?"
[Yeah.]
"...Will that do anything?"
[I don't know.]
"Come on, if you don't know this and don't know that, what are we supposed to do?"
[That's why it's scary.]
I heard Song Arin mutter through the phone.
[Not a single memory or thought of what's happening, happened, or will happen... but the one thought left is that we have to pack and head to the Management Bureau. That's what's terrifying.]
"..."
[Anyway, try not to touch the water. Nothing good will come from it.]
"Should I come pick you up?"
[...How do you plan to get through this rain?]
Song Arin let out a disbelieving laugh before continuing.
[Let's pray nothing happens.]
"You call if you get bored too, Song Arin."
[Got it.]
Then the call ended.
I looked at the two who had been sitting beside me, eavesdropping on my call with Song Arin.
"What do you think?"
"Just in case, pack your bags."
Yoo Daon replied as she grabbed her carry-on from my room.
"Then Chaeyeon, let's have a strategy meeting."
"Yeah."
While Yoo Daon was getting her things, Jang Chaeyeon and I held a brief strategy meeting. Once she came out, I turned on the TV.
A different subtitle greeted us.
[Everyone, prepare to receive the water.]
The camera, which had been showing the newsroom, shifted to where the anchor had been screaming.
Something flickered briefly in the churning water before the feed cut out.
"If..."
Yoo Daon, who had been watching beside me, muttered.
"If something like this happens and humanity perishes, what then?"
"Hmm... yeah."
"...Humanity won't perish, though."
Jang Chaeyeon listened quietly to us and replied softly.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah."
"What... like the last Adam and Eve or something?"
"That's not it."
She shook her head and answered in a calm voice.
"Then what is it?"
"I don't know. But it's not that."
Just more questions piling up.
*Splash...*
Maybe the manual knows something.
I pulled the manual from my pocket and started reading.
[Office Manual]
[HQ - Path to the Management Bureau]
1. In an emergency, Management Bureau employees must head to the Management Bureau first, above anywhere else.
2. However, in cases of natural disasters or equivalent situations, it may be impossible to reach the Management Bureau by land.
3. For such cases, the Management Bureau has prepared various routes. Follow the route that matches your situation.
"No routes listed?"
"Not showing yet, I guess."
As Yoo Daon and I talked,
*Knock knock.*
A knock came from the door.
Our three gazes met.
[Anyone home~]
A voice came from outside the door.
Shh, I put my finger to my lips, and the two nodded.
"But this is a Management Bureau apartment, so if it's someone from the Bureau—mmph..."
As Yoo Daon muttered, Jang Chaeyeon swiftly covered her mouth and nodded at me.
I turned on the intercom camera, and a woman appeared.
"..."
It's about my eyes, but people looking through the camera can't see the translucent windows.
So I had no way of knowing exactly who this woman was.
[Anyone home~]
The woman kept knocking on my door and calling out.
[Anyone home~! I have great news for you!]
*Splash...!*
The rain kept pouring, and her voice echoed through the quiet house.
Our apartment is a staircase-style one.
Not corridor-style, so rain shouldn't get in.
[Anyone home~!]
*Knock knock knock!*
Jang Chaeyeon stood beside me, still covering Yoo Daon's mouth.
"That person. She's weird."
"Of course she is."
I whispered back to Jang Chaeyeon and stared at the woman on the low-res intercom screen.
Jeans, t-shirt, smiling face.
But the hem of her pants visible through the intercom was wet.
"She's already touched the water."
[Anyone home~!]
*Bang bang bang!*
Now she was pounding hard enough to break the door down.
"Should we subdue her?"
"..."
Even so, something bad might happen during the takedown.
"No, first—"
[Hey!]
*Thud!*
The woman's voice turned vicious, and a dent formed in our door with a fist mark.
"...!"
*Bang! Bang!*
Multiple fist marks began appearing on the door.
No choice now.
"Subdue her."
"Yeah."
If the door breaks, we're exposed to everything.
Yoo Daon stood in front and nodded.
"Then..."
*Creeeak...*
The dented door opened with a grotesque sound,
"You're ho—"
Before the woman could step in and finish her bright smile, Jang Chaeyeon reached out, and an invisible force yanked her and slammed her to the floor.
The entryway shattered, sending stone fragments flying.
"...Urgh...!"
The woman writhed and groaned, while Jang Chaeyeon frowned deeply, as if struggling, and looked at me.
"Look... quick...!"
"Got it."
I visually confirmed the woman.
[Name: Jeong Chanmi]
[Age: 39]
[Trait: X]
[Talent: X]
[Background: She has already touched the water. Her physical structure is already far from human.]
[Weakness: Send her back where she came from.]
Where she came from?
"Urgh...!"
Jang Chaeyeon gritted her teeth, straining to hold her down.
The woman's kicking intensified, clearly breaking free from Jang Chaeyeon's grip.
Jang Chaeyeon losing in strength?
"No—sl—slow...!"
No time to think.
"Throw her!"
Jang Chaeyeon looked at me at my words.
"Where...!"
"Daon! Window!"
"Yes!"
Yoo Daon rushed out and opened the hallway window.
*Splash!!!*
The rain poured in louder as the window opened. Jang Chaeyeon took a deep breath, pulled back her fist, then thrust it forward, hurling the woman out the window.
"Hah...!"
*Splash!!*
The woman flew through the air and plummeted below.
Even as she fell, her gaze stayed fixed on us, her neck twisted grotesquely, mouth torn into a grin.
"Daon, nowhere wet?"
"Yes. I was careful."
"...Ugh."
While I checked Yoo Daon, Jang Chaeyeon clutched her hand and muttered.
"Insanely strong. Not confident I'd win in a straight fight."
"..."
Jang Chaeyeon losing in strength—this was unexpected.
"Okay... let's think—"
"...There."
Yoo Daon reached out and grabbed my sleeve.
"Jaeheon."
"Yes."
"...Look at that."
Following Yoo Daon's words, I turned to look outside.
*Splash...!*
Maybe because we'd opened the window, the outside was much clearer than before.
The water had risen enough to completely flood the first floor of the apartment.
But that wasn't the problem.
"..."
Countless people were floating on the water.
The common point: all of them had their eyes closed, floating in perfect unison on the water like they were asleep.
Soon, countless translucent windows appeared before my eyes.
"..."
They were all alive.
Or at least, not corpses. Maybe dying would have been better.
*Rustle!*
The manual flipped open.
[Office Manual]
[HQ - Path to the Management Bureau]
4. Guiding the skybridge route from Building A Apartments to the Management Bureau.
At the same time,
*Beeeep!*
My smartphone blared loudly.
"..."
I pulled out my smartphone.
[Emergency Disaster Alert]
[Come to the Management Bureau immediately.]