GSGW c240

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Chapter 240

There were six people here with stories rich enough for the Seeker Inside the Box to desire.

Among them, who would be thrown into an inescapable, slow, and dreadful death lasting an average of twenty-seven years?

Such an absurd choice was now right before us…

“Roe Deer.”

I lowered my head.

Assistant Manager Eun Haje, still in the form of an old grandmother, was tapping around my shoulder.

“Lower me a bit. Even if I look like this, I’m not actually the weak and elderly, you know.”

But—

“I should spit out the marble and get my mobility back. The situation doesn’t look normal.”

……

I set Assistant Manager Eun Haje down. She spat out the glass marble and began returning to her original form.

Agent Bronze’s expression changed.

“You are….”

“Well now, long time no see, you old fossil.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje grinned.

Coincidentally, the two had previously encountered each other in Jisan Village, and now they were meeting again in a similar place.

“Oh! Hello, Assistant Manager! Have you been doing well since leaving the company?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Agent Bronze’s mosaic-blurred face twitched as he looked back and forth between Assistant Manager Eun Haje greeting Lee Songhae and Ho Yuwon.

It seemed he had realized what entity had been using Eun Haje’s body.

“Are you currently being threatened or pressured by a supernatural entity?”

“Something like that, but my situation isn’t the urgent part right now, so let’s skip it.”

Tap, tap.

The assistant manager nudged me.

“Roe Deer, you seem to know a lot about that strange darkness. Start by explaining it. If we don’t understand it, we might press the wrong danger button.”

……

Dangerous Box of the Church of the Luminous Unknown

: The Seeker Inside the Box

I explained everything as quickly as possible.

The danger of the box, the peculiarity of this location, and the fact that we were fleeing from that pseudo-religious sect.

Finally, the most basic method of clearing it.

Victims listed as “Capacity”

Current capacity: 2

For a moment, silence fell among the veterans of urban legends as they read the words I wrote in smoke.

“So if we shove two people in there, they get tortured for a few decades and die, and the rest pass safely. That kind of darkness, huh.”

Correct.

“If even one dream essence of B-grade gets extracted, the company would love it.”

Inference: If the box is not entered, dream essence cannot be extracted.

“Ah, figured. If we avoid entering the darkness entirely, it’ll probably count as a bypass.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje glanced at Ho Yuwon and muttered that it might actually be fortunate.

In any case—

Request: Do not move

Don’t provoke it unnecessarily.

Reason

▶ If you move, you may be identified as a suitable target.

▶ Escape from inside the box is highly unlikely.

(Item usage status unknown)

Once the Seeker Inside the Box identifies a suitable target to bring into the box, it will continue pursuing them.

The duration of that pursuit…

Lasts forever until the capacity is filled and the box completely closes.

As long as there is an empty slot, the Seeker will never abandon its attempt to fill it with an appropriate person.

Because that is its faith.

As time passes, the box appears closer and closer to the sacrifice, extending both hands as if inviting them to join. Eventually, it reaches the point where whenever the sacrifice turns their head, the box appears right in front of them.

At that stage, if the sacrifice attempts to move, they will inevitably touch the box.

▶ If identified as a suitable target, escape is impossible until the box closes.

If things went wrong, someone here would suffer that fate…

If my salivary glands and esophagus were still in their normal place, my mouth would have been bone-dry.

'I have to confirm.'

Whether the box was already moving toward someone here. Exactly which one of the six it was approaching.

'Or…'

Maybe I should provoke the box first.

'If it comes after me, it might actually be easier to deal with.'

If necessary, before the box swallowed me, I might even try reading it and erasing its settings.

…Though the thought of what kind of fatal side effects that process might cause—and how long they would last—was terrifying. Still, compared to suffering for decades as an exhibit inside that box…

“Wait, Grapes.”

……

“…Didn’t you say not to move? That includes you too.”

After confirming I had stopped moving, Agent Choi looked around.

“Alright. Everyone heard that, right? Anyone here desperately need to go to the bathroom or something? No? Well, that’s fortunate in a way.”

Beside him, Agent Bronze pressed a hand to his forehead.

“Let’s just buy a little time. From what we heard, it sounds like we have at least some.”

Even while sweating coldly, Agent Choi grinned and calmly crouched down.

“Still not right in front of us.”

His eyes remained fixed on the strange pair of hands sticking out of the box.

“For now, everyone sit down and don’t provoke the box… and let’s think of a solution. Sound good, Grapes?”

……

I slowly nodded.

But—

Recommendation: Everyone should continuously monitor the box’s position.

Because it will keep getting closer over time.

Thus, the six of us sat facing each other across the entrance to the underground bunker of the Church of the Luminous Unknown.

Three inside.

Three outside.

And… right beside the entrance, close to the wall, stood the black box with its two hands extended.

A little closer than before.

'…Its position has adjusted.'

The blade of the guillotine was drawing nearer.

Already half a step closer.

“Agent Grapes.”

I turned my head with difficulty. As we sat down, Agent Bronze casually tossed something to me.

“This is the equipment you left behind. Take it.”

Only after reflexively catching it did I realize what it was.

…My agent jacket.

'Why…'

I couldn’t even wear it right now. Besides, why go through the trouble of retrieving it for an industrial spy who had already submitted a resignation letter?

My stomach churned. Not knowing what else to do, I simply touched the jacket.

'For now… maybe I’ll store it in the tattoo.'

So I reached toward the hem of the jacket to fold it—

Something was in the pocket.

I sent black smoke inside and carefully felt around. Then I realized what it was.

Colored cords.

A five-colored shoelace.

[Oh, isn’t that an escape item?]

That’s right.

An item usually issued to each field agent, allowing them to perform an emergency escape from a supernatural disaster without completing the clearing procedure.

Just earlier, I had been asking Ho Yuwon if he had anything like this. Something we truly needed. But…

'…Why give it to me now?'

At this exact urgent moment?

I looked back at Agent Bronze. But his mosaic-blurred face avoided my gaze as he spoke with Agent Choi.

As if he wanted whatever was inside the jacket to pass unnoticed.

Could it be…

'Is he telling me to use it right now?'

If I used it, I would be sent to the escape point designated by the Disaster Management Bureau, and my identity would naturally be transferred to their side.

But if that happened—what about everyone else left here?

What was his intention? Was this Agent Bronze acting on his own?

“Alright, let’s begin.”

And regardless of my confusion, Agent Choi was about to proceed with the situation.

“First, the condition for that box counting someone toward the capacity is a sentient being—”

“Excuse me!”

Snap.

Assistant Manager Lee Songhae raised her hand first.

“I’ve got it. The fastest and simplest method!”

That’s a very employee-like thing to say.

“Didn’t you say this place is a cult? Then shouldn’t we just find the two worst people among them and shove them in?”

"......"

“Huh?”

“We can just make the first move. It doesn’t have to be someone from our side.”

Right.

Agent Choi proceeds in a reasonable way. Let’s think of possible options within the time limit, he suggests.

But there is a problem.

With the people gathered here, I feel like I already know how this story will end.

'There’s a blade at our throats. This isn’t the kind of situation where we can sit around calmly debating…!'

For now, Assistant Manager Lee Songhae insists that they should definitely drag out some vile person from this base and send them in.

She is someone who wouldn’t care even if a member of her own team dies. With the added context that this place is a cult, nothing would hold her back.

“Oh, that’s a nice suggestion. As it happens, that box has already swallowed one cult executive. Another cult executive is lying unconscious back there.”

“Ohhh, nice! That’ll make it even easier to shove them in.”

Lee Songhae smiles brightly, and Ho Yuwon smiles as well.

But…

“Bronze, I’m wondering if I suddenly developed hearing loss. I think I just heard someone say—right in front of government agents—that they’re going to throw civilians into a supernatural disaster.”

There is someone here who cannot tolerate that.

Agent Choi throws the remark half like a joke, but eventually sighs and speaks up.

“Ahh… of course, I understand the feeling! Still, that kind of thing should only be considered as a last resort—”

“Come on, we don’t have time even now. There’s no need for good people to try risky new methods and end up scared, right?”

“..…!"

Whew.

“I’m not saying we should just throw in any random believer. If they’re a cult executive, honestly I think society might be better off if they die! Even if they get arrested, it’s not like they receive particularly strong punishment anyway…”

Lee Songhae props her chin on her hand and nods seriously.

“It’d be nice to punish them while we have the chance!”

A brief silence passes.

“…That sounds like a very personal judgment.”

“I’m not asking the agents to choose. I’ll pick the other one myself, so just wait a moment! Even if the box follows me, it’s nearby, so I’ll dodge it and shove them in quickly!”

“No—”

“Please wait.”

Agent Bronze speaks.

One might assume he is about to join in stopping Lee Songhae.

But…

“We will make that selection.”

“…!!"

The present-day Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau is an organization capable of saying, “If someone must die, let it be that person.”

Through scales that measure evil, they select criminals and send them to die, preventing greater sacrifices.

The living proof of that—the agent who once played the role of the killer at the mountain lodge—speaks.

He glances anxiously at the box that has crept half a step closer.

“Has anyone here personally witnessed this cult executive causing large-scale casualties?”

“Well… I’ve seen it.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje speaks up.

Assistant Manager Eun Haje is a realist. When faced with a given situation, if the choice is reasonably gentle under the circumstances, she can accept it.

“They killed at least dozens of people just to brew some liquor.”

“Understood.”

“Bronze.”

“Agent.”

Agent Bronze cuts off his senior.

“Rules are rules.”

—The life of an agent always comes first.

And if there is a confirmed villain, then it is only right that they be the one to die.

“To ignore a verified method and continue discussing hypothetical options only makes the decision harder.”

…It is rational.

“And if more time passes, we may no longer be able to choose that verified option even if we want to.”

The cult executive might regain consciousness.

…Or the box might get too close.

“We should attempt it while we still have the time.”

Even Agent Choi has no immediate response to that.

Public opinion has already passed the halfway mark.

[Hm. That resolved itself rather neatly. Sacrificing a third party. Quite impressive that you managed to avoid it.]

[The role of the sinful twin will suffer a long torture until death inside the box. Replacing extras hardly means anything.]

Braun’s voice sounds faintly deflated.

Agent Choi closes his mouth, and I see Ho Yuwon watching the situation settle as the others talk—smiling quietly.

And I remain silent.

'…Is this really okay?'

The truth about the Happy Ending Sect tangles my thoughts.

I can’t subdue these people—who are clearly prone to sudden actions—and force them to listen to me. Even if I could, there isn’t really a better alternative than this. But…

'If I draw the box’s aggro myself… I might be able to buy a little time to try some other options…'

“Grapes.”

I turn my head.

Agent Choi, who has been silently staring at the floor and then back at the box again and again, lost in thought—calculating something—has…

At some point picked up the dokkaebi lantern he had set on the ground.

“…You were originally planning to move yourself and lure the box, weren’t you? Until everyone else could get out safely.”

…!

“Still the same, huh. Heh, and I guessed it again.”

A grin.

“But that’s not something the rookie should be doing. It’s the senior’s job.”

Wait a second.

Agent Choi looks this way and smiles.

The eyes of someone who has made up his mind.

“Still, now that I’m an agent, I should at least try one thing I can do. …Thanks.”

Hey!

Agent Choi stands and moves. At the sudden action, Agent Bronze jumps up a moment later, but it is too late. The box senses the agent carrying countless stories and begins moving after him—

“That agent is somewhat less hypocritical than expected. Not very typical of the Disaster Management Bureau. Don’t you think so too, Roe Deer?”

Shut up!

“So I’m going to make a selection too, Roe Deer.”

Thud.

“The one that’s more fitting for the Disaster Management Bureau.”

Agent Bronze is shoved by Ho Yuwon’s hand.

His body collides with the box.

Thud.

二

一

/tn. chinese character for two and one respectively

Agent Bronze—

vanishes.

'......'

I see Agent Choi’s eyes widen. Ho Yuwon’s smile. Assistant Manager Lee Songhae blinking. Assistant Manager Eun Haje frowning. Predictions flashing through my mind—

'No.'

Request: Stand by.

Using smoke, I shoot toward the box.

And disappear.

Inside it.

/tn. I kinda wonder how the box moves, does it slide/shimmy across the floor extremely slowly or move like those weeping angels lol

 

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