GDCG c278

Previous chapter

Next chapter 

 

Chapter 278

I swallowed and glanced to the side.

The wolf team leader, as composed as ever, was looking at the back of the old paper envelope in my hand—the burned letters—together with me.

And just now—

“Agent.”

…It seemed the dokkaebi fire had revealed my identity.

“How does something as illogical as a government employee joining a private company even happen? And a secret agent, at that.”

“……I retired.”

“Is that so?”

A chill ran down my spine.

Based on past experience, the reaction of a Daydream Inc. elite team leader upon realizing I was from the Disaster Management Bureau should have been…

I looked into the eyeholes of the wolf mask.

Instead of hostility or a piercing, probing gaze, there was something contemplative in his eyes….

And then—

“It seems you have quite a story.”

“...!"

“That happens.”

The wolf team leader smiled and dipped his head slightly.

In an instant, the atmosphere softened.

“…Doesn’t that seem suspicious to you?”

“What? Hahaha….”

A faint, soundless chuckle slipped from behind the mask.

“It’s so suspicious that it’s strange. Which is exactly why it’s fine. If this were a ghost story trying to deceive us, it wouldn’t bother making such an absurd backstory.”

“...!"

“And the fact that the dokkaebi fire recognized you is more than enough proof that you really were an agent.”

I realized then—

The pressure he had subtly exerted beneath his gentle tone had eased, even in his way of speaking.

“…Do you hold any resentment toward agents?”

“Resentment? Why would I? They’re people doing important work for the country.”

"......."

“Now then, curious Employee Dragon. Stop worrying about my reaction and let’s move. The environment has changed—we should reassess, shouldn’t we?”

“…Yes.”

Phew.

‘That was terrifying. Seriously.’

Swallowing the urge to say that he was the strange entity created by a ghost story, I lowered my gaze to the envelope.

The trace of dokkaebi fire left on the back.

And the identity of this envelope had already been deduced—by someone from decades ago.

“It looks like an envelope that used to hold a library checkout slip. Seems it was reused.”

Hmm.

Now that he mentioned it, I vaguely remembered something like that from childhood.

‘The slips used to record book loans were kept in envelopes like this.’

But the slip itself wasn’t inside.

Only the burn marks from the dokkaebi fire remained on the outside.

“Was it really okay to damage a checkout slip like this?”

“…No.”

There was no way.

‘In a library, damaging anything is basically forbidden.’

And with a master who demanded bows, it would obviously be a taboo.

If the agents had done this anyway, then either they had tricked the library’s master in some complicated way…

‘…Or the burning itself is some kind of dokkaebi trick.’

I brushed my hand over the burn marks on the back of the envelope.

At that moment, the scorched marks flickered back to life with dokkaebi fire.

"...!"

It wasn’t a sentient flame—just a residual trace left behind.

‘…An agent left this.’

A dokkaebi trick.

An ability used by agents who possess artifacts imbued with dokkaebi power, activated after passing a trial.

As the flickering blue flame rose into the air, the burn marks vanished as if they had never existed. And then the flame pressed itself against the ground, revealing something new.

Another trace of dokkaebi fire.

Like scattered, glowing blue markers—almost like phosphorescent stickers—they formed a path, like a trail of blood guiding the way….

Into the grounds of Segwang Technical High School.

Into the school building.

"......"

“So it leads into the school. Let’s go slowly.”

We stepped forward, entering the grounds of Segwang Technical High School.

***

[Oh! So this is the very place where that tomato graduation incident happened—the one Braun couldn’t attend with his friend!]

I remembered.

The Segwang Technical High School from my dream, where I had been chased by students in uniform.

When entering the ghost story 'Within the Black Shadow', the explorer regained awareness inside a classroom, wearing their old school uniform as the bell rang.

So seeing the school building from the outside like this felt… strange.

"......"

It was dark.

‘Is this… Segwang Special City outside of its proper timeline?’

But beyond the school grounds, there was nothing—only pitch darkness, as if no light source existed at all.

The only visible things were the field and the school within the walls.

We quietly made our way toward the main entrance of the school building.

But the blue traces of dokkaebi fire did not pass through the locked front doors.

Instead—a small side entrance next to the building.

Surprisingly, the door marked by the dokkaebi traces was not locked.

—We can enter through here. Let’s follow the Disaster Management Bureau’s traces for now.

"......."

This was a first.

‘Entering the first floor.’

While exploring 'Within the Black Shadow', I had never once come down here. The goal had always been the auditorium on the fifth floor, where the graduation ceremony took place.

If this was the same scenario—then this was my first time entering the first floor.

‘Hoo.’

I watched as the wolf team leader silently opened the side door and stepped inside.

Moving with frightening efficiency, he scanned the hallway—then gestured for me to follow.

And mouthed the words:

‘Don’t be surprised.’

I understood what he meant the moment I crossed the threshold.

“…!!"

On the hallway floor—

Human bodies lay packed tightly together.

Students of Segwang Technical High School, unmoving, were laid out in endless rows—five across—stretching down the corridor.

Like corpses.

No—more like victims of a disaster, too numerous to recover, left behind after being counted.

And yet, their eyes were open.

Each student, dressed in uniform skirts or pants, was neatly arranged—lined up across the floor like displays….

‘Hah.’

I barely managed to suppress a scream.

It felt like stepping into a horror film—not one drenched in gore, but one built on ghosts and dread, suffocating and inescapable.

But—

[Oh, there are gaps, Mr. Roe Deer.]

…Looking carefully, there were empty spaces among the bodies—

As if certain students had been removed.

"......."

Instead of pure fear, a heavy unease settled in, helping me keep my composure.

But the tension remained.

'Hoo.'

I moved forward. 

Following the faint blue traces of dokkaebi fire.

Straining with every step not to accidentally step on a student, I leapt from one empty space to another.

Thanks to the faint blue glow of the dokkaebi traces, I could barely make out the path.

'Hoo.'

The trail led erratically—across walls, along the ceiling—before eventually heading upward.

To the third floor.

"......."

Here too, the corridor floors were lined with students like corpses.

But there was one difference. I recognized some of their faces.

[Kim Sora]

A student who had died before.

Seeing the name tag of a student killed by a Bureau agent in 'Within the Black Shadow', I swallowed hard.

This confirmed it.

It was the same scenario.

‘So this is what it looks like when it’s not the new moon…?’

…Why had this school in Segwang Special City become like this?

What had happened here?

Pushing past the unease and dread, I raised my head.

The dokkaebi traces converged in one place.

At the end of the third floor.

[Infirmary]

…….

I grabbed the handle and opened the door.

And a familiar scene unfolded once again.

Students injured during activities must lie on the bed and wait until the school nurse arrives!

The same phrase I had used before was still there.

But now, all three beds appeared empty.

"......."

“Someone was lying here. Until recently.”

And the dokkaebi traces flickered further inside.

At the window of the infirmary.

Below it—

[Flower Bed]

…Toward the school’s backyard.

Beyond the window, I could see the overgrown rear yard—dense in the darkness, with only the bare branches of azalea bushes remaining.

And I realized.

‘This is the only hidden passage leading to the backyard.’

If every door in the school building was locked, then normally, there would be no way to reach the backyard. It was completely sealed off.

The first and second floors ended without any windows leading outside….

Strangely, only this infirmary window on the third floor allowed access to the backyard.

And the fact that the dokkaebi fire’s trail ended here meant—

"......."

I quietly climbed over the window and dropped into the backyard.

“Employee Dragon?”

Bracing myself against the wall, I minimized both sound and impact as I landed on the dirt.

Then I reached toward one of the azalea bushes.

Right beneath it—there was a patch of soil that looked… less even than the surrounding ground.

I began digging into it.

[Oh.] 

Thud.

Before long, my hand struck something. Swallowing, I pulled it out from beneath the 

Something faintly glinting—bush.

“…!!”

Fragments of broken glass emerged, caked in dirt. And I immediately recognized what it was…

A dokkaebi fire lantern.

"......"

“It’s from the Disaster Management Bureau.”

Just as the wolf team leader said, having silently followed me—

It was one of their glass lanterns. But it was completely shattered, and the dokkaebi fire that should have been inside was gone.

Which meant—

“Wait.”

“…!"

I reflexively tried to grab the broken lantern.

A split second later, the wolf-masked man’s hand cut through empty air.

“......."

“......”

“You act on impulse—and now you’re being uncooperative too?”

“I’m sorry.”

“It seems this is a place you’re familiar with. If you consider me your partner, then at the very least, you should say something before you act. Understood?”

There was a trace of difficulty in his tone, but it wasn’t criticism—it was guidance.

‘Hoo.’

Right. I knew this person wasn’t truly from the past, but a byproduct of the ghost story. Still, being overly cautious now wouldn’t be wise.

…And it didn’t sit right with me, either, after he had just begun to treat me amicably.

“…Yes.”

“Good. Then I’ll try something as well.”

What?

The next moment—

The broken lantern was already in his hand.

"...!"

“These days, you’ve started making strange items using darkness. I suppose by your time, it’s become common. You should make one of these—it’s useful.”

And in his other hand—the pen from his front pocket.

“An equipment for switching positions.”

Click.

The pen pointer vanished.

Holding the broken lantern, the wolf team leader lightly shook it, as if listening—

Tap.

He separated the base.

“There we go. Something was wedged into the bottom.”

In his hand appeared a worn, half-torn piece of paper.

Only half remained.

And I immediately recognized it.

“A checkout slip.”

The contents that had once been inside the empty envelope—a list of citizens who had borrowed books.

At least, that’s what the front showed.

But the moment I turned it over—

"...!"

Rough red brushstrokes were scrawled across the yellowed paper.

The form was unmistakable.

“A talisman.”

"......"

“Does it look familiar? It resembles the kind agents from the Bureau write….”

And I had seen talismans like this before.

On the fifth floor of this school.

The floor with the auditorium—covered densely in talismans.

Sorrysorrysorrywe’re sorry for tearing the talisman we dug up from the backyard we were just students preparing for the graduation ceremony we’re sorry… no no that’s wrong! the graduation ceremony isn’t a ritual it’s not a human sacrifice no no!! please save us save—

"......"

Wait.

Wait a second!

That… those strange voices I heard on the fifth floor—were they this?

‘The Bureau agents buried talismans in the backyard of this school.’

And when those talismans were torn, something went wrong?

"......."

Questions swirled in my head.

And then—the answer clicked.

If you’re reading this, it means the dokkaebi fire recognized you as an agent. Which means the structure of Segwang Special City has resumed operation.

At least… I hope the students can be rescued.

Don’t look for us.

We failed.

‘They must have used talismans to set something up in this school…!’

Hoping at least the students could be saved, they must have taken measures to help them withstand the “disaster” of Segwang Special City.

‘But when it was torn, something went wrong.’

Yes.

That would make sense.

But the problem was—

Dispatch Rescue Unit, Azure Dragon Team

Why “Azure Dragon Team”?

Why not Black Tortoise Team?

‘The Dispatch Rescue Unit is the Black Tortoise Team.’

That was the unit I belonged to.

It was clearly recorded in the <Dark Exploration Records>. So why was this unfamiliar name suddenly appearing?

‘A special team? For Segwang Special City?’

And then, a casual voice spoke.

“Right. It seems the Dispatch Rescue Unit agents ran into trouble while trying to protect the students from the darkness.”

"......."

Wait.

“Are you… familiar with the Dispatch Rescue Unit?”

“Of course. Our operations overlap, so I know that much.”

At that moment, something clicked.

If this wolf-masked man truly was the security captain from the past—

‘He’s from before Segwang Special City was sealed.’

Someone unaffected by cognitive erasure.

And yet, he accepted the term “Azure Dragon Team” without hesitation…!

What?

‘Stay calm.’

Barely suppressing my agitation, I spoke.

“Have you met other teams as well? Since it seems you’ve encountered the Azure Dragon Team.”

“Yes.”

He had met them?

But his answer didn’t stop there.

“There were some clashes, since they only focused on eliminating darkness outright… The kind of team that tries to seal ghost stories or drive them out completely.”

"......."

“They had no intention of compromise. From the company’s perspective, which needs to collect materials, they weren’t exactly welcome government personnel. Some of the researchers even cried over it.”

But within the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau—

There was no team dedicated solely to ending disasters.

‘But that’s strange too.’

Because, logically, shouldn’t that be the Bureau’s primary goal? Why wasn’t there a team dedicated to it?

No way.

Could it be…

“That team… is the Black Tortoise Team?”

“That’s right.”

“......"

“Were you, by any chance, part of the Black Tortoise Team?”

***

At the same time.

At a regional branch of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau.

Secret archive, Basement Level 33.

"......."

Agent Choi’s pupils flashed blue as he finished reading the records he had been searching for.

“Agent.”

Ryu Jaekwang urged him urgently.

Beside him, keeping watch, a massive, radiant dokkaebi fire flickered.

Woooong—

Agent Choi suddenly lifted his head, then grinned playfully, raising a finger to his lips.

“Oops, you have to keep this a secret, Mr. Dokkaebi. We pinky-swore over buckwheat jelly~”

The dokkaebi fire spun cheerfully in the air.

The entity in charge of this archive floor was normally far more terrifying, but once a year—about a week before the winter solstice—it went off to enjoy itself at the night market.

This one was just a substitute. He had come here deliberately, timing it for when a more pliable dokkaebi would be on duty.

To uncover information about a Catastrophe-Level supernatural disaster.

To properly find records on ‘Segwang Special City.’

“We need to leave quickly.”

“Mm. I’ve seen everything.”

Thud.

Placing the record back where it belonged and activating a simple sealing spell, Agent Choi’s expression vanished.

“Bronze.”

"......"

“It seems… we’ve forgotten something very important.”

 

Previous chapter

Next chapter