I no longer listened to any attempts to stop me, like, 'You just escaped from the surface of Segwang Metropolitan City after 293 days, and now you're saying you're going back underground?'
No, I didn't have the luxury.
"Is there a problem with this music box?"
"…I'm going in, for now."
With that, I immediately passed back through the door of the Fox Counseling Room and prepared to enter the Segwang Special City Subway through the Long-Term Inpatient Room.
"You're going in? …Grapes-ie, wait!"
Agent Choi, who had been keeping a wary eye on Director Ho, ended up accompanying me, but I had no time to observe or mediate the conflict between Ho Yuwon and Agent Choi that I encountered in the counseling room.
I was just anxious, my blood running cold.
'What happened?'
Why… was the music box that caused the Day of Disaster also inside the Daydream Potion Maker?
"I'll guide you for now, Mr. Roe Deer."
Even during the process of entering the Long-Term Inpatient Room and 'accessing' the subway, the questions wouldn't stop.
The only fortunate thing was the realization that, the moment I opened my eyes, I had successfully entered the Segwang Special City Subway.
The familiar sight of a modern platform came into view.
…Segwang Station.
-Before your breath is cut short and you are offered up in a sacrificial rite, before you are trapped in this May 4th… to the place you were originally from, The Counselor had been right.
My intuition that I wouldn't be dragged in there because I hadn't died on the Day of Disaster, May 4th, was correct.
But that relief was short-lived.
I hadn't forgotten why I came here.
"Um, this way…."
As instructed, I took the train to Twilight Station, and the Security Chief guided me to the platform of the station where Delusion Home Shopping had been.
Creak.
And when he opened a fire hydrant in a corner….
A surprisingly large space appeared.
"...!"
The inside of the fire hydrant had originally been distorted, large enough for Yeongeun and me to enter together, but now it was almost the size of a living space.
It looked like seven adults could lie down comfortably.
However, one side was occupied by a massive machine….
The Potion Maker.
"They said they… expanded it… with an Item…."
Did they come up with this method after the Train Shelter disappeared?
The passage of several months hit me viscerally.
The shabby, lived-in space was furnished with items that seemed to have been scrounged from the subway. Judging by that, it seemed they hadn't been able to procure many daily necessities from the outside.
And two people who had been sitting on a mattress in the corner shot to their feet the moment they saw me.
"Employee!"
Two members of the research team.
Assistant Manager Lee Yeonhwa and Section Chief Kwak Jegang.
"Wow, we heard you were back! You came right away. We knew you would!"
Both of them looked quite worn and haggard.
It was even more striking considering how neat and tidy they had been at the company.
Kwak Jegang, in particular, looked even more wretched, perhaps because he was missing the top joint of his little finger.
But now, his eyes were gleaming like they were on fire.
The excitement of finally being able to savor new knowledge.
"Did you hear the story? About that music box!"
He then went to the machine and immediately began to yank open a drawer placed next to it. Assistant Manager Lee Yeonhwa, who was rushing over with him, was horrified.
"Section Chief, safety protocols…!"
Thud.
Before Kwak Jegang could grab the drawer, the Security Chief slapped it as if to block it.
"Back off. No… rash actions…."
"..."
A twitch went through Kwak Jegang's eyes, but he soon twisted his lips into a smile and stepped back with exaggeration.
"Of course! I should. I can't get in the way of you enjoying the fun of telling a researcher what to do for the first time in over a decade, can I?"
The Security Chief completely ignored his words, took an object from the drawer, and came this way.
Assistant Manager Lee Yeonhwa let out a low groan.
"Section Chief Gwak…. He's always like that. Even though I told him it would be better not to provoke the Project members."
"…You've been through a lot."
"That's true, but compared to all the people who died, we're in better shape for having gone missing in the Darkness. And taking apart the Potion Maker is kind of fun…."
Instead of her previous tense demeanor, her tone was one of resignation, as if she'd just let things be.
But I was too on edge to offer her any words of comfort.
That thing.
The silver box the Security Chief was bringing over.
Kwak Jegang was following beside him, muttering.
"I mean, you've let me research freely all this time, and now you're doing this. You're really doing something useless!"
Watching him, Assistant Manager Lee Yeonhwa spoke to me in a very ambiguous tone.
"We never told the new employees who showed up… why we're fixing the maker."
"…Thank you."
It seemed she meant she had kept her promise to me.
And soon, the silver box arrived before my eyes.
"..."
"Should… I open it…?"
"It's alright."
I opened the box.
…Inside was a black music box, identical to the one in the photo Ms. Go Young-eun had sent.
The jet-black, box-shaped music box, looking as if silver had tarnished, had intricate embossed patterns, and golden letters were engraved where the top and bottom met.
Angel's Sigh.
It really, truly was that.
"…Have you by any chance tried to open this music box?"
"Well, that thing, the lock wouldn't open!"
Hooo.
"So we forced it open."
…!!
"But it didn't make a sound. I wanted to disassemble it, but the mainspring itself wouldn't turn. Maybe I should spray some lubricant on it. Well, we were devising various other methods!"
"..."
Lubricant….
Liquid.
"By any chance, have you let this music box come into contact with Dream Essence Liquid?"
"…!"
The researchers' expressions changed.
"We haven't… but wait a minute!"
Kwak Jegang went to the Potion Maker and started opening something to inspect it.
"Hmm, this music box, it was hidden here, in the storage section where the Dream Essence Liquid comes down and meets the device to create the potion."
"..."
"So, if this maker had actually been supplied with power and operated, this music box would have eventually come into contact with the Dream Essence Liquid."
My god.
"Then you think this music box would play... hmm?"
I placed the music box back inside the silver box.
Cold sweat trickled down my temple.
'It was a trap.'
The moment I installed this Potion Maker on the roof of Segwang City Hall, another disaster would have erupted.
If the researchers hadn't spent 293 days adrift in the disaster, taking this maker apart.
If they had only performed standard operational repairs, without discovering the music box….
'It would have been ruin.'
My heart turned to ice at the dizzying thought.
And if that was the case….
'I was led on.'
They had deliberately allowed me to steal the discarded maker.
When I infiltrated Daydream, they deliberately caused a commotion about a missing Potion Maker to steer the situation so that 'it would be easier to steal the discarded maker.'
With the music box planted inside the discarded maker.
Who?
There was really only one answer to that question.
'…It was Director Cheong.'
Goosebumps ran down my spine.
'Wait a minute.'
How much does she know?
Is she reading my mind? Just how far does the power of the employment contract extend?
Could it be that even at this very moment….
'No.'
I have to stay calm.
'The very fact that she set a trap means this attempt must not succeed, from Director Cheong's perspective.'
If anything, this situation reinforces the credibility of the method written on Lee Kangheon's note.
It means Director Cheong also thinks this is the right answer.
'Yes. That's right.'
My head cleared.
After some thought, I put the silver box containing the music box into my inventory tattoo, box and all.
"Hey, that…!"
I heard Kwak Jegang's shocked cry from behind me, but I didn't hesitate.
I knew how to appease him, anyway.
"Within a week, both of you may be able to escape this Darkness."
"...!"
"I visited today because there's something I need to prepare for that attempt. …Please teach me how to install that Potion Maker."
And so, I learned from the two researchers how to connect the Potion Maker to a power source.
'With this, I can go to the roof and install this maker instead of the dream incubator.'
But even as I made steady preparations, the eerie premonition wouldn't fade.
It was the same even after I finished learning how to install it and, in a fit of ominous anxiety, stored the Potion Maker itself in my inventory tattoo before stepping out of the fire hydrant.
"Hahaha! Then we'll be waiting with bated brea…."
Thump.
I fell silent, watching the fire hydrant door close before Kwak Jegang could finish his sentence.
"Are you… going back… now?"
"…Just a moment."
There was still something I needed to check.
I turned my head from the platform toward the stairs.
A familiar sign came into view.
[ Flower Golden Resort ]
Souvenir Pop-up Store
"Mascot!"
As I entered, the two 'Heo-uns' shot to their feet and looked at me.
"We heard from the employees that you couldn't come because something else came up. Is your business finished?"
"We're so glad, Mascot!"
They were so full of welcome and relief that I wanted to chat more, but that wasn't the urgent matter at hand.
"Is the rent okay?"
The rent for this pop-up store space, paid with blood!
Payment Item: Fresh Blood (Human)
Security Deposit: 499L
Monthly Payment: 3L
Is that okay….
"Um, we got a few reminder notices… so we've been taking turns paying it ourselves. Don't worry…!"
"...Excuse me?"
"There are two of us, you see. If we take turns giving a little each week, the amount is bearable…."
"..."
I was at a loss for words.
"But you're… afraid of blood."
"It's okay. We put it in the mailbox and cut ourselves so we didn't have to see it, and, um… when we get a cut, the Resort treats it right away."
A bandage with the face of the yellow mascot character was stuck to Jang Heoun's arm.
"..."
I felt a pang of guilt.
"I'm sorry. If I happen to be away for a similar reason next time, please tell them to deduct the blood from the security deposit."
"Huh? Yes. We will…!"
But as I said it, I knew.
Will there… really be a next time?
'If I succeed in ending the Extinction-class Disaster… what will happen to this subway station?'
If the subway station is freed from the lockdown and the disaster's influence, its property of being 'a space where even the Contaminated can exist with their sanity intact' will also disappear.
Then these people....
....
Thinking of Supervisor Park Minseong's case on top of that made me feel even more uncertain.
Am I missing something?
Because I'm so anxious about the time limit, is there something I haven't checked?
The music box inside the maker was a trap I only discovered because I had enough time. Could there be other traps like that elsewhere?
Even if not, if I took enough time to investigate, I might be able to find other hints….
....
"Um, Mr. Jay."
I asked as we left the pop-up store.
"Do you… know Director Cheong well?"
"Well, at the company, as much as the other employees know… I know all that…."
I knew that much, too.
While waiting to hear from the researchers, I had looked into what I could find out about Director Cheong externally.
'She rarely makes public appearances.'
She doesn't appear at official functions or press conferences.
However, her name has been listed as a director since the current Daydream website was first created.
Meaning she's a being who has been at Daydream since long ago, before it was even publicly listed.
What I heard from asking the two Disaster Management Bureau agents who were with me was similar.
-A director who has been at Daydream for a long time, one who is like Daydream itself.
In the end, it all converged on that sentence.
That she felt like a typical Daydream Executive.
To find out more specifics from here….
'…I need to access the intranet.'
Using the intranet of one of Ho Yuwon's Project members was too blatant….
"By any chance, has anyone quit the project team?"
"Quit… you mean…?"
"More like, someone who quit working directly under Director Ho and returned to regular company duties."
"Hmm..."
The Security Chief seemed to sink into thought before speaking.
"There is…. That… black Goat."
…!
Baek Saheon.
* * *
That evening.
The Daydream company housing building.
"Hello, Civilian."
"Waaah!"
Baek Saheon, who had just closed his front door and turned his head, freaked out upon seeing me climbing through his window.
It was because I was wearing a mask on my face.
Was it called a Choraengi mask?
In any case, before he could open the front door and run, I hurriedly approached and held out my hand.
"Are you alright? …Don't be alarmed. It's me."
It felt like a 'it's me' scam, but I had solid proof.
The Paper Boat.
"..."
The expression on Baek Saheon's face changed completely as he looked at the paper I was holding.
"…Agent?"
"Yes."
I came this way because I thought it would be easier to talk, but I was actually planning to switch tactics the moment Baek Saheon lifted his blindfold to 'confirm' who I was.
I held out my hand.
"Nice to see you, Civilian. It's been a while."
"…So you do know."
But this time, instead of lifting his blindfold, Baek Saheon just looked at me with an irritated expression and slapped my hand away.
"Why have you been so hard to contact…!? Were you planning to run off with my Item?"
"I was trapped in a Supernatural Disaster."
"..."
"I'm sorry. Thank you for your help last time. I needed to repay that, too."
I expected Baek Saheon to burst with irritation again.
But….
"Hey."
A calm voice came.
"Why on earth do you keep doing that job?"
"..."
"You can quit even now. Honestly, it seems like it's just low pay and a risk to your life."
"I know."
I smiled bitterly.
"I suppose I missed the right time to quit with a clear conscience."
"..."
Baek Saheon made a face as if he were clenching his jaw, then sighed and gestured with his chin.
"Have a seat or something."
"Thank you."
I sat down at the dining table of the company apartment I had once lived in, feeling a little nostalgic.
And I asked without thinking.
"I have a question, too."
"What is it?"
"Why do you keep working at Daydream, Civilian?"
Baek Saheon paused for a moment as he was about to sit on the opposite side.
"I know that most people who work at this company have a desperate wish. Do you have… a wish like that?"
"..."
"I don't know."
"I had a reason for working here before, but it doesn't matter now."
"..."
"If I keep collecting points… well, I'm sure I'll find a use for a Wish Ticket eventually."
His tone somehow felt like he was trying to gloss over things instead of looking inward at himself.
It occurred to me that perhaps Baek Saheon knew exactly why he wanted a Wish Ticket….
Maybe that's why, as someone with experience, my mouth opened on its own.
"You have to be careful with the Wish Ticket."
"Ah, yes."
…He's reacting just like I did when I heard something similar from Agent Bronze. No….
"It's not that it's ineffective, but that it can be granted in an unexpected way."
"…Excuse me?"
"Daydream's Wish Ticket… is not some convenient item that grants the true desire deep in the user's heart."
I said seriously.
"I believe it's closer to 'we did grant the wish,' fulfilled within the scope of what it can grant, according to the wording of the wish."
"…How do you know that?"
"I had the chance to hear a user's testimony. That potion definitely grants wishes in a self-centered way, not a user-centered one…."
…Wait a minute.
Self-centered.
'…Isn't that like Director Cheong?'
-You should be grateful. I fulfilled your slogan for you.
For a moment, as I remembered why I had come here in the first place, I had a strange feeling.
The music box in the Potion Maker.
Director Cheong's manipulation.
The mutated state of the Wish Ticket that comes from it….
...Something felt off.
"Anyway… I understand."
"Civilian."
"What now?"
"Do you know Director Cheongdalrae?"
"…Is there anyone who works at a company and doesn't know their own department's director? Of course I know her."
....
"Could you possibly log into the intranet for me? There's something I want to investigate about that director."
"What?"
"I heard you can use the intranet on a PC in the company housing."
"Well…"
"I won't leave any records that could cause you trouble, Civilian."
After all, the reason I came here was to find internal information in a way that wouldn't arouse Director Cheong's suspicion.
"This information is absolutely necessary. …Please."
I was about to offer some kind of condition.
Something that would tempt Baek Saheon.
But….
"…If you try to do anything weird with my account, I'm taking it back."
…!
"Thank you."
"Never mind. Just think of it as payment for telling me about the Wish Ticket."
Baek Saheon guided me to his PC.
…I felt a strange sensation as I followed him.
'So this guy has learned to show a little kindness…?'
He was certainly a far cry from the Viper in the Darkness Exploration Record….
And perhaps even from how he was during the new employee orientation.
…Could I have had an influence on him?
A strange feeling washed over me, but I couldn't dwell on it for long.
"Here you go."
I quickly took a seat at Baek Saheon's PC and logged into the intranet.
"From there, the logo at the top..."
Baek Saheon's pretentious voice, which had started to explain, trailed off.
It was because I was already navigating my personal page on the intranet with practiced ease.
I went to the company-wide notice tab and started to read the posts in chronological order, from oldest to newest….
Instead of searching for 'Cheong Dallae' directly, I searched by her title, Managing Director, and then, if any related projects came up, I used those to search for more detailed documents.
"...!"
As I did, I realized something.
'There's an unusually large number of Dragon-related Darknesses.'
The Dragon-Head Coast Ghost Story.
The Dragon-Hunting Game Ghost Story.
The Hwangnyongsa Stone Pagoda Ghost Story.
The Han River Dragon Ghost Story….
All sorts of Darknesses related to Dragons were developed or researched under Director Cheong's authority.
Of course, since it was the development department, this could be seen as a matter of course. There was a wide variety of other Darknesses under Director Cheong's purview as well.
But.
'Even after Director Ho joined… Dragon-related Darknesses are conspicuously under Director Cheong's authority.'
It seemed that people from Director Cheong's line were assigned to them….
I was suddenly reminded of something.
The words of the expendable agent from the Blue Dragon Team I met in Segwang Metropolitan City.
-I'm telling you, I smelled that vile Gwang-cheol here.
-I'm talking about the Daydream Director. That pseudo-religion nut!
Gwang-cheol is a ghost story about an Imoogi that failed to become a Dragon.
Could it be….
'Is Director Cheong that being?'
And I had never heard any of the current Agents mention this Gwang-cheol that the Agent in Segwang Metropolitan City had spoken of.
"..."
I felt like I had grasped a hint.
And then I realized something else.
Among the beings within the 'Dragon-related ghost stories under Director Cheong's authority,' there was one I could meet right away.
A being who was friendly toward me, one I could converse with.
A G o o d C h i l d
"..."
In the dead of night.
I entered the Pleasant Theme Park through my inventory tattoo.
To meet the blue dragon Mascot of Blue Dream Water Park.
D-3 until the Day of Disaster.