The Tiger (3)
The dark forest, where the wind stirs and reveals whispering shadows.
It's been quite a while since we started walking.
We've crossed about half the forest now, and the sight of those towering jangseung totem poles packed densely together has become somewhat familiar.
Swish— swish— swish— swish—.
Crack—.
Lies.
No one could get used to jangseung that twitch their heads in response to rustling leaves except a top-tier psychopath.
But I couldn't freak out. At least not outwardly.
Who knew dragging around someone even more useless than me would be this exhausting.
I glanced back. There was Ju Han-wool, hands clamped over her mouth. Her breathing was ragged. The light in her wide-open eyes held just one thing: terror.
Kim Moon-ho beside her was no different. If anything, he seemed closer to full panic.
Looked like we'd need to pick up the pace.
It didn't matter if the two of them panicked, but not here. Not now.
Right. Not here, at least.
I had several reasons for entering the jangseung forest.
First, because it happened that way in the "video you die after watching three times."
So, the panic would come inside the shaman's house. There was no rule saying the future had to match the present exactly, but I wanted to minimize variables.
Okay, next. Second reason.
I planned to exploit Dangsan Dowon's anomalous properties.
The jangseung forest at night is dangerous.
To anything that makes noise above a certain level.
In other words, the same goes for that tiger prowling around in here.
Right now, my teammates were probably luring the Dream Tiger.
But it wouldn't last long.
We'd agreed to bail if danger threatened anyone on the team...
And thinking about it, the 'me' from the future seemed to have encountered the tiger even outside what I witnessed.
The future 'me' ran into the tiger after leaving the shaman's house.
And handled it with eerie familiarity, like they'd met before.
Let me recap the situation.
I haven't encountered it yet, and we're about to reach the shaman's house.
That means my meeting with it happens somewhere around now.
And the third reason I came to the jangseung forest.
I still have something to verify.
Before starting, I'd set a few premises. Here they are.
One. The future 'Oh Sung-jin' failed.
No need to explain. It's fact. Undeniable.
Two. Despite failure, the future 'Oh Sung-jin' found a method, passed to me via the Dream Tiger report.
But the report had gaps. Too many blanks to fully grasp the intent.
And that was deliberate.
Three. Those gaps aren't from 'Oh Sung-jin's' incompetence.
The blanks are intentional, tied to the Dream Tiger's anomalous properties.
And from that, one clear fact.
Everything is already planned. 'Oh Sung-jin' said it.
'Believe the instructions.'
Here comes four.
The 'blanks' or 'gaps' are the instructions.
What does that mean? It means failure isn't necessary.
No need to choose it.
Just follow the paved path.
Stick to the predetermined future.
Is that all?
No.
That would just loop the "video you die after watching three times."
I'd die, fail, and trigger irreversible disaster.
Dig into the context. A moment of choice will come for me. And that moment is...
Five.
The choice ties to the report.
The one future 'me' wrote—specifically, the per-round comments.
Let's review.
Three comments total.
Round 1, my info: the Dream Tiger's anomalous properties.
Cognitive contamination occurred in previous rounds due to this.
The Dream Tiger's true power begins with 'knowing.' Better to know less about it than more...
Ignorance is the weapon.
Now the next.
Describe instructions, not facts as they are. Following them allows progress without details.
Same as before.
The blanks are the instructions. In this situation, ignorance equals faithfully following the report's directives.
And finally...
The ghost story's termination condition relates to 'a certain drug.'
It's a byproduct of the anomaly, purchasable with money.
Chase Department Head Kang Mi-young's death.
This was the most detailed comment.
Yet also the most vague.
Why a drug? Why Kang Mi-young?
Context ends here. Speculation from now is overreach.
The ghost story's termination condition relates to 'a certain drug.'
The key isn't the 'drug.'
It's the termination condition.
That realization hit exactly then.
Swish— swish— swish— swish— swish—!
The forest began to howl. The wind carried a foul beastly musk.
Lights danced between the jangseung trees. The beast's glaring eyes cavorted in the air!
But only for a moment.
The eyes locked. They gleamed. Straight at my face.
Grrrrowl...
The thing tilted its head. Unsure if I was really here?
Perfect. Let me help.
"Tsk."
The moment I clicked my tongue, its eyes flashed. It saw me.
The glare curved into an arc.
It grinned.
Rawr—!
The roar shattered into the distant dark, a thousand cackling voices shaking heaven and earth.
And so, at last...
It's starting!
The jangseung forest reacted to the sound.
Crack—. Craaack—.
The forest awoke.
Uprooting, kicking up dirt, rising to full height.
Whoosh—!
Twisting faces, bulging eyes.
Thud—. Thud—.
The forest marched.
Thud—!
Kim Moon-ho and Ju Han-wool froze at the sight, bodies rigid with fear.
Times like this called for calm, but they weren't moving fast enough.
I shoved their backs and shouted.
"Run!"
That was the signal. The sprint began.
"Aaaagh—!"
"Run! Run! Keep running!"
Glancing back mid-stride, I saw the jangseung clumping and writhing together. No sign of the tiger.
But it wasn't good news.
I knew it would dodge the forest's assault and strike again.
Sure enough.
Snap— crack—! Tree trunks splintered. White fur and massive claws burst through the jangseung pile.
Rawr—!
It swung a forepaw, sending shards flying. Its power was insane—some pieces nearly hit us.
Grrrrowl... Rawrgh—!
In the moonlit forest heart, the tiger leaped here and there.
At near-invisible speeds, rampaging everywhere.
But it was fine.
Finally, things are going as planned.
My goal was achieved.
The jangseung couldn't beat the tiger.
But they'd buy enough time.
Now, my task was simple.
The ghost story's termination condition relates to 'a certain drug.'
Key: termination condition.
Clues: company policy, context, no overreach.
And piercing it all... the flow.
There, in the distant dark, the shaman's house revealed its pale bulk.
I need to confirm.
Which anomaly I'm inside.
All flows have an end. Its name is death.
Death is fair. Living or not.
Death is destruction, the endpoint.
It's a universal rule. Therefore...
｢Regarding the Retirement of Anomalous Phenomenon E-999's Byproduct, E-999-1, Commonly Known as the 'Star Country Express Ticket'｣
Anomalies too—no, especially as anomalies—can't escape it.
Ooo— ooo— ooo— ooo—.
A night bathed in clear moonlight.
Under the Star King's gaze, the shaman's house's desolate yard groaned at the wind's edge.
I felt a strange sense of accomplishment.
Finally back. To the start of the "video you die after watching three times."
Who knew a plan clicking into place like this after so long?
Looking back, the last few years had been clumsy improv.
Feels damn good.
Literally. My gut unclenched.
A ray of sunlight at the end of pent-up frustration's swamp. This moment.
Before I could fully savor it, Kim Moon-ho—hands on knees, panting—spoke up.
"C-Can you tell us now?"
"Yes. For the time being. But soon we'll need to shut up again. Ask what you want now."
Surprise spread across Kim Moon-ho's face. He hadn't expected me to answer so readily.
But it faded quick.
"Then... I don't get this situation. Is this another test? I mean, you're from that study group for future hires, right...?"
"Study group?"
Ju Han-wool mumbled.
I didn't reply. It was more reflex than question.
"Yes. Study group. You know something."
Kim Moon-ho pressed on. Even saying "study group," he didn't seem convinced.
"This situation, that monster earlier..."
Man, he sure beat around the bush. Like he'd never had an opinion in his life.
Maybe give him a nudge.
"So? Spit out the rest. Opportunities like this are rare."
"What the hell is going on here?"
That?
Couldn't give much info on it.
"Beats me, really. But one thing's sure: we're in mortal danger."
"You don't know...? Bull! You're not from any study group..."
I smiled.
"Right. I'm not. And Kim Moon-ho-ssi, whatever you think, that's wrong too."
One fact here.
He never told me his name.
"..."
"Surprised? Too bad. Plenty more shocks ahead. For instance... Ju Han-wool-ssi?"
"...Hngh."
She hadn't told me her name either.
I watched her wide-eyed terror, then shrugged.
"I know more about you than you think."
They rolled their eyes wildly.
"But I can't prove it. Tricky spot. Still, one thing I can say."
Probably spinning wild theories right now, the wildest of their lives.
Good enough.
Now I was whatever they imagined in their heads.
Even if I claimed to be a National Intelligence Service agent, they'd buy it.
Just one line needed.
"Do you trust the company?"
No. They couldn't. It was borderline mutiny.
Yet the two rookies swallowed hard.
Time to fake it.
"Then trust me. You'll survive."
I smiled with my eyes.
Never done it on purpose before—tough acting.
But payoff after pain.
"I guarantee it."
"..."
"..."
Now I had two pawns to maneuver at will.
A bit of doubt lingered, but fine.
Time for tough Oh Sung-jin. I knew my role.
Threats aren't my style... but gotta do what I gotta.
Good for the pawns too.
I said I'd keep them alive.
And I don't make promises lightly.
"Questions over. Shut up. And... let's rest inside. Lots of running ahead."