Chapter 270.2 |
Daydream Inc. Annex.
In the dead of the night, crossing into dawn.
“Huu.”
A rookie from this year of the Field Exploration Team was just finishing up the management of a darkness he’d received earlier that day and heading out.
In his hands was an F-grade Dream Essence, but he was exhausted…
‘Let’s leave and head to bed already.’
The fear that had finally settled and the tension that had loosened only made him drowsier.
But just as he was about to step outside through the entrance, he froze as if struck by lightning when he saw three figures entering through the door.
The appearance of the employee at the very front was far too recognizable.
It was Assistant Manager Jin Nasol.
‘The elite team…!’
The rookie swallowed hard.
There were two fellow ‘supplementary hires’ who had followed the A-squad on an exploration, and stories of what happened then had already spread far and wide…
All the more so because one was still in a coma at a company-affiliated hospital.
“This way, Squad Leader.”
And behind her followed A-squad’s leader, known for the teal duck mask, and a supervisor with a somewhat stiff but composed expression.
That supervisor had reportedly been assigned to the A-squad recently.
‘…I’m jealous.’
People close to Wish Tickets.
Especially when looking at A-squad’s leader, who had already obtained a Wish Ticket once, the rookie swallowed again.
He even wanted to strike up a conversation.
‘Wouldn’t it help to build connections?’
It was the misconception of someone who had yet to experience firsthand the brutally ability-centric nature of the elite members of the Field Exploration Team.
So the rookie cleared his throat and cautiously approached the entrance…
Then stopped the moment he saw what the three were ‘transporting’ behind them.
Something shrouded in black smoke.
Bound atop a wheelchair, it was wearing a gas mask, with yellow eyes flashing in all directions…
‘That…!’
That was the monster he had seen during onboarding.
The strange and overwhelming being that lived on the annex’s thirteenth basement level.
Now he knew it was a special Security Team employee, but even so, the rookie froze reflexively.
Drrrk…
That Special Division employee was being dragged along, bound to something like a wheelchair…
“……”
Swallowing, the rookie hesitated for a moment about running away, but in the end couldn’t overcome his curiosity and stepped closer to speak to the A-squad.
‘It’s good material for conversation, too!’
Of course, to the highest-ranking one.
“Hello, Section Chief…!”
“……”
“I-I’m a rookie from the Q-squad, Lee Seungjo.”
“……”
“Section Chief?”
No answer came back.
But it didn’t feel like he was being ignored either.
Somehow, A-squad’s section chief was just staring blankly at him…!
‘H-Huh??’
“Move.”
“…!”
At that moment, Assistant Manager Jin Nasol shoved him lightly aside and strode straight into the entrance.
“Section Chief, let’s go in.”
“Yes.”
Only then did A-squad’s section chief avert her gaze and start moving.
And the supervisor passed by without even looking at him.
‘……??’
No, wait…
Rather than feeling sad or chilled at being ignored, wasn’t that reaction… kind of strange…?
“An access pass for Basement 3, please.”
“Yes. Which Darknesses are you accessing?”
“Code 1575, the cuckoo ghost story.”
“Please wait a moment.”
As the brown-haired Security Team staffer at the counter finished responding, the rookie employee mustered his courage once more and spoke up again.
“Um, are you sending this one to the annex’s Basement 13, by any chance?”
“……What?”
“I actually met that employee during orientation. I almost died, but I survived.”
He was about to draw interest with a boastful story, something like how he even rode the elevator together with that employee yet he showcased his quick wit, when…
“I see.”
A-squad’s leader answered like that.
“……”
“……”
…??
At that moment.
“So?”
“…Pardon?”
“So what.”
A voice cutting in sounded like it was holding back irritation.
“Move. The ones who can’t do their jobs are always the ones who just get in the way… Ha.”
Assistant Manager Jin Nasol shot him an annoyed glance, then snatched the access pass the Security Team counter was holding out and walked off down the annex corridor.
The other members of the A-squad did the same.
“……”
The rookie employee stood frozen, blankly watching the scene.
Of course, he had no idea that behind him, Park Minseong at the Security Team counter was letting out a scream of relief…
‘Aaaagh!’
And after the ‘A-squad’ entered the annex’s Basement 3 corridor.
“Huu.”
The three of them released the illusion.
Then, figures familiar to Kim Soleum emerged from within.
The Sekwang City exploration team.
– If you drink these, you’ll be perceived as the A-squad.
Having ingested Daydream potions for disguise that Ho Yoowon had given them, they safely passed through the entrance and entered the annex.
Assistant Manager Eun Haje, who had been playing the role of Jin Nasol, rotated her wrist.
“No, Section Chief, why did you answer him…! We agreed not to respond if outsiders talked to us. My heart almost stopped.”
“I see. However, I followed your statement from three days ago, Assistant Manager Falcon, when you said ‘Sure. If it seems like a conversation where we can extract information, let’s casually listen and play along’.”
“……That excludes you, Section Chief.”
“? Yes.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje let out a deep sigh.
‘I miss you, Minseong-ah…’
At times like this, it’d be fun if there were a hoobae who was great at playing along, but right now their maknae could only communicate by writing, and the one they brought along was this shady little Goat punk. Siiigh.
Still, the maknae, seated in the wheelchair, was meticulously checking the progress of the heist.
CCTV Confirmation : Operations disabled
The CCTV on Basement 3 was in a state of ‘just happened to be broken and turned off’ due to Director Ho’s maneuvering, and Supervisor Park Minseong at the counter was scheduled to testify that ‘somehow or another, I heard nothing’.
And as for the A-squad they were impersonating…
“I heard they went into a Darkness today.”
That’s right.
Following Ho Yoowon’s instructions, the A-squad had been ‘secretly and quietly’ deployed into a project-based ghost story, and this apparently had not been announced to any company staff…
In the end, even if they appeared at the annex as the A-squad, the risk of someone asking ‘why are you here’ had been successfully avoided.
“The A-squad being on Director Ho’s line made it perfect. Otherwise, that squad leader would never do something that benefits our Section Chief.”
Saying she got to imitate the incredible figure that was Jin Nasol, Assistant Manager Eun Haje just shrugged.
Then she looked back at her former squad leader, who would now be extremely reliable.
“We’ll conduct a headcount and then proceed upstairs.”
“Yes. Then… Roe?”
At that moment.
From Kim Soleum, who bore the form of 130666 seated in the wheelchair, the smoke wavered in a strangely unnatural way.
“You okay?”
……
Affirmative
“…Alright.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje didn’t know the exact circumstances, but her hoobae had been stuck for half a year in an identical corridor to this one, trapped deep on the annex’s Basement 3.
However, trauma was a symptom common to nearly all members of the Field Exploration Team, so after taking a mental note of it, she moved on.
“Good. That guy J3 is Basement 3’s manager today, so we’ll see him once we’re inside.”
Affirmative
Then all checks were complete.
All that remained was execution.
Recommendation : Communicate with Assistant Manager Dolphin.
“Yes. You may proceed.”
Then.
130666, who had seemed bound to the wheelchair, appeared as if melting out behind it, without any trouble at all.
And.
“Just a moment, please.”
Creak.
From inside the bulky wheelchair that 130666 had been pretending to sit in, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae peeked her head out.
She had been successfully concealed and brought in thanks to 130666’s dark uniform and black smoke.
“Huu. Thank you very muuch.”
“Not at all.”
And.
“Alright, then let’s choose.”
[ Toy Maker of the Cheerful Institute / Qterw-E-07]
[Kind Seed Kit / Qterw-E-99]
[I Offer a Rite / Qterw-E-404]
“From here on, we’ll have to explore Basement 2 while avoiding the Darkness that escaped containment, and some areas may be completely inaccessible. So…”
They needed to decide the order.
Question : Equipment-crafting Darkness should be checked first
“Hm…”
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae soon pointed to one spot.
“Bring me here.”
[ Toy Maker of the Cheerful Institute / Qterw-E-07]
“…!”
Also known as the abandoned toy store.
It was the equipment-crafting Darkness most frequently used by the Research Team.
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