GDCG c273

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Chapter 273

In the frozen air—

From beyond the iron door, the only entrance to the narrow containment room holding the ghost story, a voice could be heard.

Teacher?

……

Teacher?

I brought some educational materials!

“Wh—”

I clamped a hand over Baek Saheon’s mouth. He instinctively struggled, then froze stiff.

Because both the guard captain and I stood perfectly still, staring at the iron door.

"......"

"......"

The sound stopped.

As if it had been an illusion, the voice of the nursery teacher from the ■■ Affiliated Kindergarten no longer came from beyond the door.

But its identity was already clear.

'…Supervisor Park Minseong.'

The person who had been working at the annex front desk was now standing right behind the containment door on Basement Level 2.

Completely contaminated.

'.......'

A chilling premonition crawled up my spine. Through fragments of a body I couldn’t even locate—beneath the uniform.

'What did Director Cheong do?'

I carefully took a step toward the iron door—

Beep.

“...!"

The lock disengaged.

The iron door had been opened through security authentication. Beside me, I heard the guard captain adjust his cap and step forward. Creak— The door opened. And through the gap—

A hand suddenly slipped in.

Teacher, look at this!

Wearing a hand puppet.

Today’s storytelling is…!

The puppet waved its arms and head cheerfully, guided by the kindergarten teacher’s fingers. Brown hair in twin braids, rosy cheeks, a child—

Red Riding Hood.

A little girl wearing a red hood.

Once upon a time, there lived a cute and brave girl. She always wore a red hood her grandmother made for her.

Beside me—

A strange sound could be heard.

One day, while on her way to her grandmother’s house with cake and butter…

She met a large, hungry wolf.

I tried to approach the door and stop the storytelling.

But strangely, my body wouldn't move.

As if following someone’s command.

Frozen in place.

The hungry wolf spoke to Red Riding Hood.

‘Where are you going, little one?’

Another arm appeared through the gap in the door. A stylized wolf puppet began speaking to Red Riding Hood.

The wolf learned that she was visiting her grandmother… and went ahead of her to the house…

And ate the grandmother!

Something black began to writhe.

He swallowed her whole in one bite. Our ■■ kindergarten children should eat well like that too, without being picky, right?

And the wolf’s appetite knew no end… so he prepared another delicious meal…

Little Red Riding Hood.

A sound of licking lips echoed could be heard.

Disguised as the grandmother, the wolf lay in bed and greeted Red Riding Hood.

Red Riding Hood tilted her head and asked—

‘Grandmother, why are your arms and legs so big?’

The wolf answered.

'To hug you better.'

‘Grandmother, why are your ears so big?’

‘To hear you better.’

‘Grandmother, why are your eyes so big?’

‘To see you better.’

And then she asked—

‘Grandmother, why are your teeth so big?’

'That’s because—...'

“To eat you better.” 

Blackness flooded the space.

The stone altar shattered. Branches were crushed and devoured. Everything was swallowed into massive jaws.

The guard captain—was already gone.

“■■ child.”

A boiling black silhouette surged outward. From within it, countless eyes bulged and mouths filled with teeth writhed across the floor. Massive, razor-sharp claws roll their eyes as they choose their prey. It devours, hand and all, the doll that slipped out through the crack. A■■■■agh■■■kill■■he■■■■■ A perfect teacher does not scream. Confusion. Dust. Pain. The beast’s tar-like, viscous fluids that swallow space itself, the nauseating sounds, and the countless writhing eyes.

A grotesque four-legged beast, stitched together in unnatural ways, burst into the narrow containment room.

Like something drenched in tar—a massive wolf dripping with black, viscous fluid.

Its jaws opened—

On both sides of its head.

"■ Delicious ■■■■."

"Run■ Hurry■■."

Distorted, censored sounds tore through the air.

Its eyes rolled.

A massive foreleg bent its claws, trying to seize a blindfolded man scrambling to escape into a narrow corner. Another head pushed through the gap in the half-open iron door, trying to force its way into the corridor—

The moment I saw that—

My body moved.

'….!'

I launched forward like a shot of black smoke, rushing to the door and forcing one of the beast’s jaws shut. It was difficult. There were two mouths.

At the same time, I spread another stream of smoke to block the vision of the many eyes attached to its claws. The eyeballs strained, trying to push through the smoke. Inside it, I could feel the jaws drooling. If I let go—it would be the end. I had to hold it back until the guard captain regained control— 

Gulp.

……?

Crunch crunch.

Chewing. Swallowing. The sound of something being inhaled—dragged down a throat—

From within the smoke.

One of the wolf’s mouths—

Was devouring my black smoke.

!!

I forced that mouth shut again. This filthy, outdated, disgusting beast—was eating me! How dare such third-rate trash stand against ■■? Yet that overwhelming sensation of violence and hunger…

'Shut up!'

What was that? That surge of disgust just now—what was it? What was I even saying? I needed to get a grip. Focus. Again—again… No! If I wanted to stop the guard captain, somehow—

Ah.

Erase it by reading the Wiki.

Yes… in the end, that was the only way. This massive, grotesque beast would soon 'chew me up', slip through the gap, and devour Supervisor Park Minseong and Baek Saheon whole. There wasn’t much time left. I couldn’t hold out much longer. If I wanted to calm it down before then—even if I had to accept the side effects—I would have to read—

……

……!!!

I realized.

'If it’s Director Cheong.'

She had planned even this.

'Using the ability…!'

The reason my body had suddenly been locked, as if under someone else’s command—and then allowed to move again only at the most desperate moment—

'So I’d panic and use the Wiki ability without thinking…!'

And then—I would return to the state of 130666.

Losing Kim Soleum’s emotions. Losing human judgment. Reduced to an empty shell that could only act according to the Special Department’s contract.

And then automatically—

—Director Cheong has noticed.

…Right outside, by the one orchestrating all of this, I would lose my reason again and be made into a convenient piece on the board.

A perfect method to force 130666 out of Director Ho’s project in a single move.

'No.'

I couldn’t let that happen. But if this continued, Supervisor Park Minseong or Baek Saheon would die. Even if not, the security team on this floor would respond soon, and the situation would spiral completely out of control. A checkmate from another angle.

'Damn it.'

And on top of that……

One question refused to fade.

'How does Director Cheong even know my condition…?'

How could she possibly know that suppressing ghost stories like this would cost me Kim Soleum’s identity?

I didn’t know. And there was no time to figure it out.

A chilling dread and urgent pressure tangled together as all these thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant.

But another way to stop it—

“—!”

Baek Saheon, who had quickly moved to a spot free of the black beast and smoke, dropped one of the Nostalgia Candies.

I picked it up.

—As long as the eye-shaped candy melts in your mouth, the user is fixed in the state when their body and mind were at their healthiest within the past ten years.

A candy—slightly larger than before—rested in my hand.

“Wait! Don’t use it! There’s no way it’ll work—that thing’s a complete monster!”

I knew.

I remembered when the Nostalgia Kitty around my neck, back when I was 130666, had snapped the moment it failed to endure.

But… 

That alone was enough. 

Just enough time to use another method that had worked on me before.

'Just a momentary opening!'

I forced the Nostalgia Candy into the beast’s chewing jaws.

Snap.

……Gulp.

The Nostalgia Candy, which was supposed to roll around in the mouth for a while, melted instantly on the beast’s tongue—like a slug doused in salt.

But—for a fleeting moment—

A human form flickered into view.

'…!'

Then it vanished.

I immediately took out another Nostalgia Candy and tossed it between the beast’s massive teeth.

And this time, aligning with that brief flicker—

Clink.

I pulled out a spare jade bell and drove it into its flesh. 

A relic of the Disaster Management Bureau that restored sanity rang out with a clear chime. 

“■■! Stop■■■!”

If it was a case of severe contamination—enough to alter one’s very essence—

'Then the same method used on me works…!'

It had to regain its reason.

The enormous four-legged beast, with its two jaws, countless eyes, and black teeth dripping with tar-like fluid, thrashed violently—then froze as if it had been electrocuted.

I pulled out another bell and embedded it into the wolf’s body. And kept shaking it, making sure the sound continued to ring. Then another—

“Stop.”

Something grabbed my hand.

A human arm—fitted with massive claws.

“More… and it’ll… backfire….”

And then the wolf-like phenomenon began to melt.

The shape that had thrust its snout out through the crack dissolved into a sticky black liquid, and the stitched-together beast—burned through and through—quivered as it collapsed….

The security captain appeared.

"......"

The eyeballs embedded in his temples still rolled wildly, searching for prey, and the sharpened claws that gouged into the steel door left behind violent marks. 

But at the same time, the security captain pulled something from his coat and drove it into his own abdomen.

Like a sedative.

But not a liquid….

‘…A stone?’

Before long, the strength gradually drained from his body.

He slowly shrank back into a familiar state—one devoid of vigor or will—returning to his original impression….

But then I remembered.

The form revealed earlier by the Nostalgia Candy.

‘It didn’t look like how the security captain looks now….’

A man in a suit, wearing a wolf mask.

I had the feeling I’d seen him.

"......"

At the center of the ruined stone altar containment room,

the security captain came to a still halt, eyes open, as if quietly sinking.

…Subjugation, successful.

Thud.

“Huff…!”

From beside me, I heard Baek Saheon gasping for breath, and from the crack in the door came the contaminated voice of Supervisor Park Minseong, still reciting the training manual as blood poured endlessly from the severed stumps of both arms.

Barely, I forced myself up and moved toward Supervisor Park Minseong….

“What a filthy sight.”

The broken steel door swung fully open.

From beside the sprout-class ■■■, who was crouched and trying to wipe away blood, someone stepped forward.

With the sound of polished shoes striking the ground, that voice rang out….

“What is the meaning of this disturbance?”

Director Cheong Dallae.

Eyes of indeterminate age swept the surroundings before settling on me.

“You are aware that an unreported intrusion like this is grounds for disciplinary action, aren’t you? And you even damaged a front-line employee who came looking for you.”

……

“It seems this incident will not escape punishment. You’ll also have to withdraw from that absurd project team, regrettably. You.”

I was finished. 

An ominous feeling surged up to the top of my head. I tried to step back, but my feet wouldn’t move. Executive Director Cheong Dallae’s hand reached out toward my head….

Knock knock.

"….!"

Beyond the open door, from the containment room across the way, 

a polite knocking sound echoed—and as if it were a lie, the door opened. 

The Fox Counseling Room. 

With sunlight pouring in behind him as backlight, Ho Yuwon stepped out.

“Well now—speak of the tiger and it appears. Or have you been riding borrowed authority so long you’ve mistaken your own standing?”

“Director Cheong Dallae.” 

Director Ho approached.

“What exactly is going on here? This is quite perplexing.”

Then he stood beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“130666 only came by for a brief patrol at my request, and it seems an unfortunate incident broke out suddenly, which they helped subdue. I wonder who could have caused such an incident. Truly—this front-line employee must have appeared in an extremely contaminated state without warning.”

"......"

“Come to think of it, I heard you prefer methods that make use of contamination within the security team.” 

“And you went as far as arbitrarily reassigning a special department employee into your project team.” 

“That’s an entirely different matter!” 

Director Ho softened his voice, as if lamenting. 

“As an executive, I have the authority to requisition employees of Daydream Inc. for projects. Though if you were attempting to use someone under company contract as if they were a personal servant, I suppose that might be considered an uncomfortable remark….” 

“Personal use, you say.” 

A chuckle escaped Executive Director Cheong Dallae. 

“That’s not something you should be saying to me, Director Ho.” 

“...…..”

“You see, these days….” 

Her gaze turned toward the containment room door Ho had just used as a passage. 

“I’ve been hearing reports that the Fox Counseling Room is often left empty.” 

Director Ho’s expression didn’t change. 

“Ah, of course, the Fox Counseling Room wouldn’t have anything to do with you in particular. Still, there’s been talk lately that your movements this year are becoming difficult to understand….” 

"......"

“I’m looking forward to your performance this year. I wonder how long you’ll be able to keep calling yourself a Director of the Development Department.” 

Her gaze fell on me again. 

“And how long you’ll be able to keep that employee of mine.” 

If I’d had saliva, I would’ve swallowed. 

“Even a raised beast does not bite its master, yet I never expected that an employee who barely managed to survive thanks to a contract I extended would do something like this….” 

"......"

“Well, regardless, I suppose I’ll help clean this up. It is, after all, in the interest of my company.” 

Director Cheong Dallae reached out…. 

And grabbed Supervisor Park Minseong by the head, 

The Sprout Class teacher was still convulsively reciting the training manual.

“Now then, shall we call the security team and have this area transferred into a training zone for them?” 

Wait. 

“Judging by how deeply the contamination has taken hold, regular duties will be difficult for some time. Re-education will be necessary, wouldn’t you agree? Of course, the training service will be offered at a discounted rate for employees, but considering the severity….” 

Her eyes moved to the severed arms I had tried to stanch. 

“I imagine a considerable debt will be added.” 

"......"

“It makes me think I should offer particularly generous terms here.” 

From her tone, I realized. 

Director Cheong Dallae knew exactly. 

That Supervisor Park Minseong had cooperated with me—with Director Ho. 

And that I cared. 

“For this ‘unlucky’ annex front-line employee, I suppose I’ll have to prepare a new labor contract….” 

“As I did for you.”

 

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