Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Meeting New Friends is Fun
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Meeting new friends is fun.
The process of infiltrating the company was a bit trickier than with the Foundation.
That didn't mean the company was superior to the Foundation, though.
I hadn't grasped it all at first, but now I knew.
The Foundation branch I was in was just a branch.
And not even an important one at that.
To be specific, the Foundation divides its branches into two grades.
The one I was in was the lower grade.
"More dacquoise?"
"Yeah. That was the best one."
While chatting with Yuna in response to her question, I manipulated the shadow infiltrating the company and kept pondering the company and the Foundation.
It felt like I was split into multiple versions of myself.
A very familiar sensation.
Back in that other world, I'd been tempered countless times, splintered into dozens or hundreds of pieces in the process.
I was an anomaly, yet I harbored a human mind.
I was a man.
But my body had parts that acted independently of my thoughts.
And that was just the start.
Even those actions lacked consistency.
Bouncing this way and that.
Sometimes like a little girl, other times like my past self. And at others, like me when I was wandering that other world endlessly.
"What about macarons?"
"I like macarons too! Especially strawberry!"
My self-reflection had gone on too long.
Back to my original train of thought.
When they first capture an anomaly, they bring it straight to a low-grade branch like this.
Then, after investigating and making a full assessment, they decide what to do next.
"Got it. Dacquoise and strawberry macarons, then. And at least three brands of black tea..."
If they judge it can be contained adequately even in a low-grade branch, they keep it isolated there.
If it's deemed too much to handle, they transfer it to a higher-grade branch.
And the 'headquarters'...
I had no idea.
This wasn't a limitation of my abilities.
There simply wasn't any information about headquarters in this branch.
They didn't even know where it was.
Or more precisely, they weren't sure if 'headquarters' even existed.
Most people just assumed the high-grade branches were it.
"Oh! And toys too!"
"Toys?"
"Yeah! Joey probably needs a friend! If not, I'll bring some myself!"
"No way! I'll bring them! All kinds! Pick your favorite!"
Yuna waved her hands in a panic. Her reaction was so funny that I burst out laughing.
Yuna really was cute and kind.
I hoped she'd stay that way forever.
No.
If a problem arose, couldn't I just make her kind?
She'd probably want that too.
"I'll be right back with them!"
"Okay!"
Yuna left to fetch what I'd mentioned.
My mind settled back down.
I quickly refocused on my original thoughts.
I wasn't in top form today.
If I didn't concentrate on something, controlling myself would be tough.
My sense of 'me' as I thought of it was stronger than ever, yet conversely, my body felt like a bomb on the verge of exploding.
So.
I returned to the bed, hugged the bear doll tight, and shifted my mind elsewhere.
Back to the initial topic.
The company's procedures were far more stringent than this Foundation branch's.
But they weren't as secretive as the Foundation.
They had one foot out in the open, after all.
Even so, if I'd arrived in this world fresh, stripped of everything, it might've been hard to get in.
But now it was fine.
"The vibe's totally different."
For one, this company didn't have many anomalies contained here.
Not none, but few.
And their purpose seemed different.
This company kept anomalies contained while actively researching them.
The Foundation researched too, but their goal was perfect containment.
The company's was different.
"Something useful."
They moved for profit.
Anomalies were just peculiar research subjects to them.
It hadn't been hard to figure that out.
A quick scan revealed it plainly.
"Hmm."
I tapped the hugged bear doll with my fingers.
Was that really all there was to it?
I doubted it.
But it wasn't important right now.
I wasn't scheming to uncover some grand dark secret.
This was just for fun.
Because it was enjoyable.
Yeah.
That place was a new playground.
Secrets would reveal themselves eventually while playing around excitedly.
I could save that thrill for later.
For now, with my shadows scattered everywhere, I thought.
"What should I do..."
What would be the most fun?
After mulling it over and over, a fun idea struck me.
I moved one of the shadows.
Utopia was a massive corporation.
They had two heads—defense and pharmaceuticals—and branches not just in Korea but in several countries.
A quick internet search turned up plenty of info on Utopia.
But.
Few knew about Utopia's dark side.
About what they researched.
"No anomalies."
"Keep moving."
A group explored the barren wasteland.
Even clad in reinforced suits and armed with heavy weaponry, they were on high alert.
It was unavoidable.
This 'Back World' was an extremely dangerous place.
Even Utopia's elite team couldn't afford to relax.
"Stay vigilant. We can rest once we reach the designated point."
The team leader, their commander, spoke in a calm voice and led the team onward.
A short while later.
They reached the designated rest point at last.
Commonly called the 'Inverted Castle'.
"Phew."
"Finally, we can breathe."
Anywhere else might be dicey, but here they could relax somewhat.
It had held stable as a rest point for over five years, after all.
Of course, no one let their guard down completely.
No slacker would make it onto an exploration team anyway.
'Bait' was another story.
"We'll rest here for about 30 minutes, then move out."
The team leader said this to the deputy and glanced to one side.
A castle stood there.
Not literally upside down, despite the name.
It earned that moniker from its internal properties, not its appearance.
'We need to pioneer a new rest point soon.'
The Inverted Castle had served as a rest point for five years now.
That meant it was safe... but.
He knew from vast experience exploring the Back World.
There were no eternally safe spots here.
Safe for five years?
It could turn to hell on the fifth year and a day. That was the Back World's nature.
That's why he'd kept pushing to shut this point down.
They hadn't because no other rest points had been found nearby.
Abandon this, and they'd lose the whole area.
"Tch."
The team leader clicked his tongue.
There was nothing to be done for now.
Completing this expedition safely came first.
He recalled their objective.
Head to BA-371 point, the 'Unlucky Swamp', and capture the sneering clown there.
If all went smoothly, they'd be out by dawn on the return.
"Hello."
But right then, a voice rang out.
From right behind him.
The team leader rolled forward like lightning, aiming behind him.
But nothing was there.
"Wh-what's going on?!"
The deputy, a bit farther off, shouted in alarm.
Though flustered, he was signaling the troops with hand gestures.
Excellent judgment.
But the team leader couldn't be pleased.
"Heh heh heh."
Because the voice's owner was still invisible.
It had come from the side this time.
Of course, no one was there.
Cold sweat poured down.
The others clearly hadn't heard it.
Hallucination?
No way.
Definitely an anomaly or anomalous phenomenon.
"No need to be so tense."
The voice kept coming.
"I'm just here to talk."
From the side. Behind. In front. Above.
Everywhere.
"Come on, don't freak out?"
And moments later.
Without a sound, someone appeared before the team leader.
Jet-black hair.
Red eyes.
Snow-white dress.
A mysterious girl—
Yes.
That was 'me'.
I was looking at the team leader.
At the same time, I watched myself through the eyes of Kwak Junghyun, Utopia’s Special Phenomena Investigation Team 3 Leader.
I read all his thoughts.
I'd clung to his shadow for days, waiting for this moment.
And now I revealed myself.
Precisely, I moved the shadow.
But what did it matter?
The shadow was me, after all.
"What... are you?"
Kwak Junghyun said this while tapping something at his waist.
Signaling the other team members.
The signal now: eliminate on sight.
Kill immediately if he showed any anomaly.
"Who knows."
I thought.
They knew a lot about the Back World.
Not as much as me, but they might know things I didn't.
So, they had value to exploit.
The kind of thought my original self would have.
But another thought bubbled up too.
What fun could these guys bring me?
I stepped closer to him and whispered.
"Make me have fun, and I'll tell you."
I took another step toward him. And whispered.
"At least be more fun than Tomato."
If not, I won't be friends.