Evening, as darkness settled.
The annex entrance of Daydream Inc.
Two black Security Team employees, holding transport cages, were seated at the front desk, attending to people.
"Corridor… 32. It's that way..."
"Th-thank you."
Of course, it was less 'attending' and more a perfunctory greeting, granting corridor access, and relaying instructions.
Since it was usually a one-person post, and it wasn't common to have transport cages nearby, the employees sometimes paused, their faces showing a hint of cold sweat as if wondering if this was some kind of experiment.
And inside one of those 'exceptional cases,' the transport cage… was me.
"Are you okay…?"
Thump.
"Mm… I got it."
The Security Chief occasionally checked on my condition, but fundamentally, he lounged at the front desk with a face that seemed bothered by everything.
Originally, the Security Team wouldn't be assigned public-facing duties like this, but because my assigned team was designated, they had to do all sorts of things.
'I'm sorry….'
"Still, it's nice. Peaceful! Right, No… I mean, employee?"
Thump.
I agreed with Team Leader Park Min-seong's words.
Team Leader Park Min-seong seemed quite pleased with this assignment, saying that even within the Security Team, where he primarily handled mental control, he rarely got to do such peaceful work.
He was also very pleased that my attitude during work hours and communication had stabilized compared to before.
-It seems your condition has recovered a lot…! That's a relief, Noruya.
I hadn't yet announced that I had recovered my original consciousness. I planned to do so after I adapted more to the bell and could fully control myself.
'First, I need to be able to control my body.'
And so, I was inside the transport cage, re-examining my own body.
First… mm. It's all mashed up.
'It's a complete mess....'
I tried to categorize these crumpled things inside the Security Team suit based on a human body.
Brain, esophagus, eyeballs, ears, stomach…. The parts with pain or the parts I tried to focus on, I could vaguely discern.
[It's like a sliding puzzle. Excellent. Let's put it together!]
Brown's advice was also quite helpful.
Of course, if someone with professional medical knowledge, like Young-eun, were to help, I might be able to understand it more broadly… but for now, this was the limit.
'What on earth is this? How many eyes are there?'
…Frankly, each part felt somewhat alien.
[Ah, what magnificent scales, friend!]
I also felt something like reptile scales of bizarre strength and bird-like talons at the end of my forelimbs, no, my arms.
'This is insane.'
Still, knowing was indeed power.
The problem was that if my emotions had functioned normally, I would have gone mad before this power became useful.
I was aware that I was undertaking a rather bizarre task.
'Mm. The parts I've identified, I can try to move them calmly for bodily reconstruction… perhaps.'
Now that I was aware, it felt like I could move them… but.
For now, I didn't know. I might be able to try once I got out of the suit, but it seemed to carry a greater risk, so I put it on hold.
Most importantly, I had found what I was aiming for.
: Benefactor :
The inventory tattoo.
Fortunately, it was buried in my forearm, not far from its original position, just below my left shoulder.
The other tattoos were buried deeper and more chaotically, so I couldn't find them. I didn't know if I could use them once I could organize my body….
This is my immediate hope.
Can I use this tattoo?
[Ooh, you're looking forward to the end of today's shift, Mr. Roe Deer.]
That's right.
'I can't directly take out my arm and check it inside the transport cage.'
So, for now, let's just get through the first day of work at the annex front desk without any major issues.
Fortunately, the annex operated without major problems until late into the night.
…I did see many familiar faces. It was highly probable that visitors to the annex were from the Field Investigation Team or research teams, so naturally, I was likely to see them during my shift.
It felt like a strange sensation.
"Corridor 12… Ah, would you like to hand it over, employee?"
"Hk."
When I sent smoke from inside the transport cage to form letters and handed over the access card, the Field Investigation Team employee wearing a seal mask almost rolled backward and fled.
Ah, that person used to work in the office next door.
"..."
"..."
"I'm sorry…."
As I watched their retreating back, who had barely managed to take the access card and run off, I displayed letters.
Survival Instinct: Excellent
·A suitable candidate for the Field Investigation Team
"Hahaha…."
Team Leader Park Min-seong's voice sounded like he was laughing to keep from crying.
Well, at least it meant I had experienced a normal shift for the first time in months.
And around 3 AM, a very familiar face appeared.
An unexpected VIP.
'Deputy Manager Jin Na-sol!'
A sharp employee in a suit, wearing a butterfly mask and with her hair neatly tied back, sporting nail art.
Deputy Jin Na-sol of Elite Team A.
"Mm."
Seeing Team Leader Park Min-seong slightly bow his head, Deputy Jin Na-sol, who had been fiddling with her nails, seemed to have finally made a match.
"Team D?"
"Ah, yes."
"You went to the Security Team, but you're still alive."
"Haha…."
Normally, people would either pretend not to recognize me even if they did, or they would act with a bit of fear and politeness, but this person was different, as expected….
And at this exact moment, another Elite Team member visited the annex.
"Helloooo~"
It was Deputy Lee Seong-hae, with whom I had worked just yesterday.
She held a large set of snacks wrapped in recycled paper and placed it on the front desk with gusto.
"I heard you were here! I bought these so the three of you could enjoy them together!"
"Mm.... Thank you…."
It was Gamtte Oranda, by the way.
I couldn't eat it… but, well, the Security Chief seemed interested, so that was fine.
Surprisingly, Deputy Lee Seong-hae didn't stop there. She gently tapped the transport cage I was in and whispered.
Huh…?
"Um, isn't it okay to come out? No civilians come here anyway!"
"Come out? What for?"
To Deputy Jin Na-sol's question, Deputy Lee Seong-hae scratched the back of her head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Ah, Deputy Manager, you were here. I didn't buy Oranda for you…."
"..."
The Security Chief, who had sniffed the Oranda and taken a bite, casually turned his head, glanced at the two of them, and weakly gestured towards the box….
"One…?"
"No, thank you."
She didn't ask twice.
Deputy Jin Na-sol, seemingly unconcerned about the Oranda, looked at Deputy Lee Seong-hae with an incredulous expression.
"You want to let out the Darkness that's confined in a transport cage? Are you out of your mind?"
"It's not confined, it just looks like they went in because it's comfortable! Right?"
Partial agreement.
: Adapting to public-facing duties
"..."
Deputy Jin Na-sol looked at my smoke, which was forming letters outside the transport cage, and her face showed she had a lot to say, but surprisingly, she apologized immediately.
"I'm sorry."
It's alright…. You made a sensible remark.
Team Leader Park Min-seong quickly intervened in a gentle tone, speaking to Deputy Lee Seong-hae.
"Um, thank you. Actually, one of your teammates was apprehended by the Disaster Management Bureau… so she must be upset, but it's thoughtful of you to care like this."
"Huh? Ah, Pony."
Lee Seong-hae smiled faintly.
"She's not a teammate."
"Ah."
…It suddenly became quiet.
"Is she from an Elite Team?"
"No?"
"I see."
The conversation ended there.
…It seemed that, in Lee Seong-hae's eyes, Kang Yihak wasn't exactly a 'good person.'
Deputy Jin Na-sol wasn't interested at all. No, they even worked together at the mermaid's tomb….
'They're truly consistent people….'
Feeling a pang in my stomach that felt like it was being mashed, I decided to shake the bell once more.
Every time I felt a stress signal, I shook the bell, and now it felt like a stress-relief doll given to you at the dentist… or a stress ball.
"Just give me the access card."
"Ah, yes."
Team Leader Park Min-seong, with Oranda in his mouth, issued an access card to Deputy Jin Na-sol.
Then, after hesitating, he asked.
"Um, our team leader… that is, Manager Lee Ja-heon of Team D, is he doing well?"
"How would I know that?"
Deputy Jin Na-sol frowned, but surprisingly, she answered readily.
"He's probably better than before. They've even got new personnel this time."
"…Ah. Is that… so…"
"Well, it's not uncommon for the entire team to change except for the leader, so he'll manage."
"..."
"Ah! Speaking of Manager Lee Ja-heon, I think he went on a long-term Darkness exploration the other day. Something like… a boarding school ghost story?"
She added that it seemed to take about 4 or 5 days. Only then did Team Leader Park Min-seong smile and nod.
"I see. Thank you."
After the two of them left to attend to their respective business, Team Leader Park Min-seong whispered to me.
"If things go well, you might see Manager Lee Ja-heon too. If he returns from the Darkness this week… I'm a little excited. Aren't you?"
Thump.
"Alright."
And to the smiling Team Leader Park Min-seong, I carefully and secretly made a request.
Since there was no one around.
Request: Transport secretly
"…Huh?"
And I poked the item with smoke.
"Uh, you want… this?"
Thump.
"Mm, is it okay… Uh, Chief?"
"Here…."
Thank you.
I carefully collected the various writing utensils from the front desk that the Security Chief pushed into the transport cage, into the smoke.
And after the first night shift at the annex front desk ended.
[Oh, a resting place! Of course, it's a structure where ventilation is impossible without a window, but my friend says he has no major complaints since he wore a gas mask.]
Back in the isolation room, I sat on the bed.
And very carefully, I tried to perceive within my body….
I tried to move the parts I perceived.
'Come out.'
Outside.
To the place where I originally belonged.
Grind. Creak.
It sounded like strange noises were coming from inside my body, and I felt like I was going to vomit. But I could move.
After a period that felt like it would soak my body with sweat if I could sweat.
'...Done.'
I extended my arm and touched the Security Team uniform on my left forearm, below the elbow, near the wrist.
And I unzipped it.
Zzzzip.
Inside the opening zipper, I saw amorphous, bizarre flesh. Barely holding its shape.
But I also saw that it had been sent precisely to the intended location.
The tattoo.
It changed color, as if activating.
: Benefactor :
The inventory tattoo.
'Found it.'
I reached my hand into the tattoo.
'…!'
It worked. It still functioned…!
[Ah, it's a passage leading to the manager's office at the Pleasant Theme Park! I remember how that pathetic Caretaker got to work in such an esteemed position thanks to you, Mr. Roe Deer….]
It wasn't quite that, but the space had definitely expanded.
And unfortunately, it should have been empty, with most of it gone. I had used up the Wish Tokens before clearing it out.
I had left some at the Disaster Management Bureau.
'In the end, I handed most of it over to Manager Lee Ja-heon….'
I remembered a time when I had put almost all the equipment in a subway locker and sent the location and password to Manager Lee Ja-heon.
Yes, it should be empty.
But... I felt a strange presence within it.
Things occupying my space.
'There seems to be… something more.'
However, I couldn't examine it further as I couldn't keep the security uniform open for long.
I quickly checked only what I could grasp with my hands, what I had expected.
First, the blue scales.
It was given by the blue dragon mascot of the Pleasant Theme Park.
I was worried about the repercussions if I gave it to someone, so I didn't give it to anyone.
It said it could 'call me'… but now… using it would probably just add another item to the company's incident reports, so I'll put it on hold.
'Just remember it.'
I withdrew my hand from the clear, smooth, cool touch.
And… the next item that caught my attention.
Second, the paper boat.
It was left by Baek Saheon, who had escaped from Jisan Village.
[Hmm. This Brown will guess. It's a somewhat personal item, and its value is hard to gauge, so you didn't dispose of it to someone else, did you?]
That was correct.
And perhaps, thanks to this, it might be of great help.
It was a passage that could let me know what happened during the six months I spent without self in the 13th basement floor.
And also about Mr. Jang Heo-un.
[Oh, a passage.]
That's right.
A boat is usually a means of transport to somewhere.
And paper is for writing.
Combining the two and thinking about it….
'It makes me wonder if it's a communication device.'
I took the paper boat out of the tattoo.
And quickly zipped up, tidying my clothes.
'Phew.'
Done. I did it stably.
And I looked into the paper boat.
The boat, made of somewhat used paper, was still kept with care, so despite being a low-hardness item, there were no parts that were messy or damaged.
'Thinking of it as an item, and considering how to use it…'
This must be it.
I carefully dismantled the boat and unfolded the paper.
Then, the side hidden inside the boat was revealed….
[Oh, jackpot, friend.]
On it, a message was written.
Are you dead?
Letters written in pencil.
It was Baek Saheon's handwriting.
Of course, I didn't know when it was written.
But judging by the nuance of the message, it wasn't written randomly before escaping Jisan Village.
'It seems like a question aimed at me.'
More precisely, at the 'Agent Grape' who pulled out the gold bar in Jisan Village.
'…Good.'
I rummaged through the writing utensils the Security Chief had given me and picked out a pencil.
And I wrote on the paper….
I am not dead.
A moment later.
What the…?
The reply came back.
In a hurried, scribbled hand, as if surprised.