12. Dangsan Dowon (3)
I returned to the office in a daze.
In the end, I hadn't eaten anything for lunch. My stomach burned a little, but it was fine.
I'm a bit hungry, though...
It was because the lie I'd told Gyeong-min had turned into the truth.
My head really is clearer now.
Surprisingly, my mind felt sharp. It was like I'd gone back to my physical prime—say, my college days.
But is this really because I'm fasting?
Honestly, I couldn't tell if it was the fasting or Section Chief Jo's shocking advice.
If I had to pick one, it was probably the shock from earlier that had blown all the fog out of my brain...
Whatever. Doesn't matter.
I had a lot to think about from here on out, so it was all good either way.
A little later, everyone came back. Work hours started up again, and Section Chief Jo—the last one in—called us together.
"Alright, everyone, take one of these."
What Section Chief Jo handed out were tickets.
The moment I gripped one in my hand.
My Office Work trait activated.
Regarding the Decommissioning of Byproduct E-999-1 from Decommissioned Anomaly E-999, Commonly Known as the "Otherworld Express Ticket"
Decommissioning? Retirement?
An intriguing topic.
I quickly scanned the document while stealing glances at Section Chief Jo, who was handing out the tickets.
The Otherworld Express Ticket was the entry method for decommissioned anomaly E-999, aka Otherworld—a 5cm x 8cm train ticket with misprinted usage rules.
Its source, E-999, had lost its anomalous properties and been decommissioned, but E-999-1 still retained them, and it had high utility.
Because processing E-999-1 allowed entry into anomalies requiring prior conditions—without any rituals or ceremonies.
But this...
It's a teleport ticket, huh?
Ghost-story tech strikes again.
This company always had these little surprises that made your heart skip.
"Alright, some of you might not know how to use these? I'll explain once, so listen up."
Right on cue, Section Chief Jo started explaining.
According to him, you write the anomaly's nickname or number in the blank space on the misprinted part—the destination field—and it takes you there.
"And the 'reason for travel' field is blank too. Just write 'preliminary scouting' there."
I looked at the ticket in my hand. It read:
The bearer of this ticket seeks to travel to — for the following reason, and this travel is hereby approved.
Reason: —
That was the moment.
A flash of inspiration hit me.
Couldn't use this for escape too?
Like, for a first entry into an anomaly without an established escape method...
I turned not to Section Chief Jo, who still creeped me out from earlier, but to Overseer Ham.
"Uh, Overseer?"
"Yeah? What?"
"If it's like Section Chief said, couldn't you use it for escaping too?"
Overseer Ham chuckled.
"Escape? What do you write for the destination? Reality?"
"A specific address..."
"Doesn't work. This isn't a taxi—it's a train. And this train only stops at anomalies, since it came from one."
A shame, but it made sense.
Of course anomaly escapes couldn't be that easy.
If they were, the company wouldn't lose so many people.
Still a shame. Would've been useful.
Then Overseer Ham dropped something tantalizing.
"Well, it's not like something exactly like that doesn't exist..."
"Knew it?"
"Yeah. But production got halted before research finished. Super rare now—no mass production. Maybe ten left company-wide?"
Figures.
So, no using these tickets as emergency escapes.
...Or is there?
A brilliant idea popped up.
What if you write not reality, but inside another anomaly as the destination? One that's easy to escape from...?
"Overseer, one more question?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure."
"What if you put an easy-to-escape anomaly interior as the destination?"
Guess I wasn't the only genius here. Overseer Ham chuckled again, like it was cute.
"Dream on. You think the company hasn't tried that?"
"Oh, doesn't work? Do you die or something?"
"Worse. Curious? File a data access request with me later. Think it was called 'Drifters' or something..."
...Not curious at all. No plans to look up Drifters or whatever.
I grimaced, and Overseer Ham giggled. That's when Section Chief Jo shouted.
"Alright, time to enter. Destination: T-21 or Dangsan Dowon. Reason: preliminary scouting. Write it clearly, letter by letter. It usually recognizes it fine, but there've been accidents where people ended up somewhere else."
Ending up somewhere else? Pretty ominous.
I wrote extra carefully—double my usual focus. Just like he said, one letter at a time.
Done.
The instant I wrote 'preliminary scouting' in the reason field and dotted the period.
Bwooooooo—!
With a mighty train whistle, we'd already arrived at a peak blanketed in blooming apricot blossoms.
The exam site prelim scouting went down like a company picnic.
A picnic inside an anomaly? Yeah...
"Everyone memorized the rules? We're just setting merge points till nightfall."
Because Dangsan Dowon had two sides: day and night coexisting.
Daytime showed no real anomalous traits. Just a hillside full of peach trees in bloom.
"Whoa! Junior O, check this out! It's a skull!"
...From a normal person's perspective, anyway.
"...Where'd you get that?"
"Under some bushes back there? Looked lonely, so I picked it up!"
Ah, I see...
But could you not shove it in my face like that?
It's nothing, just gives me the chills.
"Whaddya think? Our skull's handsome, right?"
Already named it?
No, more importantly, why's the jaw clacking?
"Ehehe... so cute..."
...Maybe I still clung to normal sensibilities.
Anyone in Field Ops would seem normal next to Junior Song.
I watched Junior Song pet the skull's crown with affectionate eyes—through eyes of horror—then realized we'd fallen behind the group.
"Uh, Junior Song? We should catch up. We're lagging."
"Oh? Yeah? Alright, ei!"
Crack! Junior Song smashed the skull on the ground! Brushed off their hands, and said:
"Skully was a good skull... but too quiet. I don't like taciturn guys."
Pure psycho vibes.
Answer Junior Song carefully from now on, I thought, ignoring the goosebumps.
A bit later.
We reached the hillside's midpoint. No more blooming apricot trees—just endless blue forest forming a green wall filling our view.
"Alright, first point: Jangseung Forest. Cartographers, mark it."
Section Chief Jo leaned against a Jangseung grinning like a Hahoe mask.
"Section Chief, hold on..."
I was inputting map data into the cartographer when Overseer Ham pulled a handkerchief from their pocket and wiped sweat from Section Chief Jo's forehead.
"...Why?"
"Just. You looked tired."
"I'm fine. Stop. People are watching..."
Love without reason is closest to fear.
Was that it? Did I look that way to others too?
Chills down my spine.
Not just Section Chief Jo's trait, though.
Swish— swish— swish— swish— swish—.
Wind whispering through the forest, filling every direction with sound.
And the trees filling that forest? Jangseung.
I looked around.
The words were literal.
Every tree in this forest was a Jangseung.
Moss-covered bodies, weathered torsos—Jangseung turned to trees, standing guard, watching us.
Creepy. Feels like we wandered into a no-entry zone.
That's when.
"Positions marked? On to the next point."
We pushed through the forest path. Big and small Jangseung stared at us. Eyeless eyes, deeply unsettling.
The forest was dark. But with people around, it was just eerie, not scary.
How many people get to walk among tree-Jangseung?
Overwhelmed by the vibe for a moment.
"Next point. Cartographers, mark it. Don't forget this spot, though. Junior O saw it."
This point was the shaman's house from the three-views-kill video. Less chilling in daylight.
While inputting the location.
"This place..."
Deputy Choi Soo-jung muttered that. She scanned around, then fixed her gaze on me.
A glare full of disdain. Emotions I couldn't dare read.
Even after Section Chief's advice... can't follow it.
I was that kind of guy.
Meaning, I easily ignored Deputy Choi Soo-jung's stare.
A bit later. After setting the second merge point.
Cartographers done, we took a break here.
Section Chief, Overseer, and Junior Song went inside. Me, Gyeong-min, and Deputy Choi Soo-jung sat on the porch.
Why we stuck with Deputy Choi Soo-jung? Simple.
I tried going in a room; she tried following. Didn't want to be alone with her in a closed space, even with others around.
Hence, the porch.
"Uh... Sung-jin?"
Gyeong-min spoke up. The awkward silence made it welcome.
"Deputy Choi... she's glaring at Sung-jin hard. Did you do something?"
"Ah."
Read the room, dude. I was ignoring it; don't draw attention.
And whisper that—the person's right here.
"...Just, uh, 'cause I'm project lead?"
"Really...?"
Even I knew it was a lame excuse. Junior Go tilted their head, confused.
Of course. Deputy Choi's glare had nothing to do with that.
No explaining our history, though. Long, boring story. Not for outsiders.
Back to silence.
From inside: Overseer Ham and Section Chief Jo chatting cozily, Junior Song chiming in bubbly.
And.
Huh?
A shadow flickered beyond Jangseung Forest.
People?
Rustling bushes, panting breaths, that fwhew of wiping sweat.
Crunch, footsteps.
I shot up. Junior Go and Deputy Choi too.
And that moment, they spotted us.
"Oh? People here? Who are you guys?"