GDCG c290

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Chapter 290

The next time I opened my eyes, I was back in reality. 

“Mr. Roe Deer.” 

Now, my body was not even that of a student in a school uniform anymore—only the silhouette formed by a security team uniform remained in the shape of a human body. 

…Yet my mind still felt as though it remained inside Segwang Technical High School. 

Within those sunlit hallways filled with sleeping students. 

Lingering in an indescribably aching afterglow. 

But I could not stay immersed in those feelings for long. 

“What did you see?” 

Right beside my bed, gleaming eyes stared down at me before I even realized he had arrived. 

Ho Yuwon.

In order for me to sleep within the body of 130666, which could not sleep, Ho Yuwon had placed a prohibition upon me in the Fox Counseling Room—to “lose consciousness.” 

“Didn’t you go to Segwang Technical High School, Mr. Roe Deer?” 

[Goodness gracious, it seems this fellow spent the entire night waiting only for the news Mr. Roe Deer would bring back. Like a viewer waiting for a rerun of their favorite program snake!] 

Director Ho’s voice rang out, pretending to sound polite as usual. 

“I truly was curious about what exactly you intended to do by trying so desperately to enter….” 

…….

I offered the plain truth. 

Protect the students of the school from the supernatural disaster. 

Ho Yuwon froze. 

Result: Success

Conclusion of 'Within the Black Shadow'

Contributors: Agents of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau

"......."

“And Grapes is included among those agents too. Heh.” 

From the bed beside mine, Agent Choi pushed himself upright. 

With a bitter smile, he slipped into his pocket the back side of an old high school photograph he had kept beneath his pillow, then looked toward us. 

The hostility toward the other side subdued. “Mr. Ho Yuwon. There’s something I want to ask you.” 

“.......”

“Do you resent the Bureau so much because of Segwang Special City? Because the Bureau sealed it off without rescuing the people inside?” 

Beside him, Agent Bronze’s face stiffened as he sat up. 

“The fact that you’ve been searching for something inside Segwang Special City… doesn’t it mean you originally lived there before the lockdown and left something behind…?” 

“.......”

“That’s the feeling I’m getting. What do you think?” 

…Truthfully, I had made a similar deduction myself. 

Though with the hints I had, it was even clearer. 

Verification of the guidance counselor’s (presumed: Ho Yuwon) movements at the time

—Requested the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau to rescue the students. 

"...!"

If the guidance counselor truly had been him. 

Then Ho Yuwon had originally known about the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau and had established a considerable degree of trust with them. 

Ordinary civilians did not even know the Bureau existed. 

‘And Ho Yuwon isn’t even an 'ordinary civilian' to begin with, considering he’s something from a ghost story.’

Which made it even clearer that he had built a friendly relationship with them beforehand. 

So then, if the relationship was close enough for him to request rescue from the Bureau— 

Question: Ho Yuwon’s past identity 

Could it possibly have been this? 

Deduction:

A cooperative spirit affiliated with the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau 

“…!!"

The agents’ eyes instantly turned toward Ho Yuwon’s face. And then…. 

“.......”

“.......”

“Ah. That may be true.” 

Ho Yuwon smiled. 

“But all of that became something that never existed from the very beginning. Once Segwang Special City was sealed away, everything within it lost its meaning.”

“.......”

“Nothing from that place has any meaning in reality anymore.” No. 

Denied. 

“Pardon?” 

True nature of the 'Within the Black Shadow' ghost story:

The rescue request of agents who entered Segwang Special City to save civilians, asking for the students to be rescued. 

"...….!"

Which meant, in the end, Ho Yuwon’s rescue request had absolutely been answered. 

And the rescue request sent by those agents had been answered as well. 

Result of the conclusion:

Successful delivery of the rescue request

The students safely protected until rescue arrives 

Now, even if the students remained trapped within Segwang Special City, they would sleep peacefully, free from the threat of contamination or death. 

Protected by the agents of the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau. 

And once they were rescued….

“But that rescue will never happen, will it?”

…….

“Because the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau decided that, didn’t they?”

Clap.

Ho Yuwon clapped his hands as he spoke, his smile stretching so wide it looked as though his mouth might tear apart. 

At the danger signal that made the hairs rise on the back of my neck, I reflexively pushed myself up from the bed— 

“We’re going to do it.” 

“….Excuse me?”

“We’re going to rescue them.” 

“.......”

Agent Choi tossed out the words casually before beginning to stretch. 

“We already know now, so we don’t really have a choice. We’ve gotta do it. Right, Bronze?” 

“.......”

“We can’t just leave those kids there.” 

Agent Bronze only let out a sigh. 

It was tacit agreement. 

“.......”

When I had asked whether it was irrational to hold individuals responsible for the actions of the group they belonged to, Ho Yuwon had answered that emotions were irrational by nature.

If that was the case, then what did he think about this result—one capable of moving those very emotions? 

Result of this exploration:

Many agents dead or missing after throwing themselves in to stop the tragedy of Segwang Technical High School 

“I see.” 

Affirmation.

“Because of the lockdown, those agents will also be treated as though they never existed.” 

…….

“Do you perhaps have a better method?” 

“What?” 

“A different way to stop the Catastrophe-Level supernatural disaster of Segwang Special City. …If there truly had been another way to handle a ghost story that caused an estimated death toll in the hundreds of thousands within a single day.” 

“Agent Bronze!” 

For a moment, I was horrified—but then I realized. 

“…If there had been, they would never have used something as extreme as ‘cognitive inaccessibility.’” 

He was not picking a fight. He was speaking about something he had genuinely agonized over. 

“……The Bureau is not a perfect organization. The best decision they could make at the time in order to reduce casualties could not possibly have been flawless for everyone.” 

But Ho Yuwon did not even blink. 

“Ah. Since there was no other way, it couldn’t be helped….”

"......."

“It sounds as though you want to say the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau made a very rational and correct decision….” 

“……At the very least, I mean that the decision was made not for personal gain, but with the goal of saving more civilians.” 

Agent Bronze’s eyes darkened. 

“But you….” 

“Yes?” 

“Bronze.” 

“No, it’s fine. I really do want to hear what you were going to say.” 

"......."

“So then—what about you, Ho Yuwon?” 

Agent Bronze’s eyes shifted toward me before he clenched his teeth. 

“Aren’t you driving employees you want to use for your own interests into the dangers of supernatural disasters? Luring them in without even providing accurate information.” 

Then his gaze turned toward Agent Choi. 

“You also tried to kill an agent who had absolutely nothing to do with your grudge. …And I doubt this was your first attempt at murder.” 

"......."

“Do you truly believe your actions can be justified by the excuse of resentment?” 

“Yes? Why would they need to be?” 

“….!"

“There’s no such thing as a justified action in this world. You simply understand that choices carry consequences, and bear them.” 

Ho Yuwon smiled faintly. 

“In the same way, the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau’s treatment of Segwang Special City also carries consequences for that choice.” 

"......."

“If they truly had no choice for the sake of saving more people, then it’s only natural that they must bear the resentment of the smaller number who were sacrificed.” 

But the strange gleam that had once appeared in Ho Yuwon’s eyes whenever he looked at Bureau agents had faded greatly. 

And he finished softly. 

“I’m grateful to the two of you. You promised me, after all. That you would rescue the students from Segwang Special City.” 

Ho Yuwon turned toward me with a smile. 

“And please continue taking good care of the thing I’m searching for as well, Mr. Roe Deer.” 

…Hoo.

[Oh dear, I thought things would descend all the way into a fistfight between division chiefs! Quite entertaining, but I suppose this is where it ends.]

[Then how about we go search for another interesting story now?]

An interesting story? 

[That little item you entrusted to that civil servant, of course.] 

Ah, that. 

I had been thinking about it already. 

While Ho Yuwon left his seat and Agent Bronze checked his belongings, I approached Agent Choi and made a request. 

Request: Check the item 

“…Ah.”

With a complicated expression, Agent Choi let out a snort of laughter and pulled something from his coat. 

“You mean this?” 

The Dream Essence Collector. 

The elite team collector that had come out of the “goods box” I possessed. 

Things had been fine within Segwang Special City, but since I did not know what kind of judgment might occur again in my 130666 state, I had entrusted it to someone reliable. 

And its condition now was…. 

“...!!"

A strange radiance like a hologram shimmered around it. 

The liquid brightness surpassed gold itself, surging with a brilliance nearly comparable to a Wish Ticket.

‘Ah.’

The ending had not displayed a score, but the result was unmistakable. 

“How is it?” 

Estimated Rank: Darkness (A) ~ Abyss (S)

Comparable to the highest grade 

“...!!"

It was the densest dream essence I had seen since joining the company. 

‘This is insane.’ 

And the reason something like this had formed… Most likely, it was because of the nature of Segwang Technical High School itself. 

The Catastrophe-Level disaster of Segwang Special City. 

‘The profane thing that 'invaded' Segwang High… was it part of the culprit that brought about the Day of Disaster in Segwang Special City?’

At the very least, I felt certain there was some connection. 

“…Amazing.” 

Agent Choi looked at me. 

“You need this, right? Here.” 

And without hesitation, he handed me the dream essence solution he possessed. 

Even though anyone could tell at a glance this was no ordinary item. 

130666’s Condition: Gratitude 

“Aw, Grapes, don’t thank me….” 

Then he whispered ominously. 

“But if you figure something out or something comes out of this later, we split it fifty-fifty. Got it? We’re partners bound by fate now, huh?” 

Ah. 

“Haha, hey. Sounds like a joke, right? I’m serious.” 

…Yes, sir. 

“And now there’s something important left.” 

Agent Choi removed the hand that had been patting my back. 

“…We’ve gotta go see the Team Leader, Grapes.”

…….

For a moment, I looked down at my condition hidden beneath the security team uniform. But in the end, I nodded. 

***

Blue Hope Hospital was still a comfortable and quiet place. 

Team Leader Park Hongrim’s granddaughter was not there, but traces of daily life remained in the guardian’s seat as though she visited often. 

“Looks like Yeji went to school. Here.” 

We stood silently around the bed. 

…And then, just as I watched the curtains flutter from the breeze flowing through the window— 

[So it’s Grapes.] 

A warm presence sitting on the bed took my hand and guided me to sit down. 

“…Ma'am.”

At some point, I had become able to speak like a human again. 

The overwhelming power of the dokkaebi fire had guided me, who could not sleep, into its dream through a method different from Ho Yuwon’s. 

And now…. 

I also knew another title for this being. 

“Team Leader Honghwa.” 

…….

[Did Bronze tell you? You’re calling me by a nostalgic nickname.] 

As expected. 

The agent who had desperately tried to protect Segwang Technical High School. 

The shattered upper body clutching the torn talisman had belonged to this Team Leader Park Hongrim—agent codename Honghwa. 

And there was something I absolutely had to ask. 

“Team Leader. …Do you remember what you did at Segwang Technical High School?” 

And then— 

[I remember.] 

“..….!!"

[But I only remember now because you spoke of it. Normally, I cannot recall it at all. Even though this is a dream and not reality.] 

[That is what it means to be erased from cognition. A dreadful ritual.] 

…….

[But seeing you speak of it like this, I suppose our method succeeded in the end. Did you find the sleeping children?] 

“…Yes.” 

[That’s a relief. What a relief!] 

Hearing those joyful words, I realized it. 

‘She doesn’t know.’ 

Team Leader Park Hongrim did not remember everything. 

She did not know. 

What her upper body left behind in Segwang Special City had gone through. 

That the students had continued dying within the horror game inside the nightmare of the new moon night, and that she, the agents, and the teachers had all been contaminated by the flesh masses and fused together with monsters. 

It was fortunate. 

And yet, at the same time, my chest ached for some reason. 

That the Agent Honghwa and Azure Dragon Team agents who had experienced all of it no longer existed. 

“.......”

I remembered. 

How the 'Within the Black Shadow' ghost story had originally concluded in the <Dark Exploration Records>.

Bad Ending 05 Confirmed (End of the School)

This ending could only be seen if one witnessed the “teacher” complete the horrifying sacrificial graduation ceremony to the very end. 

Abnormal phenomenon confirmed: The auditorium melting down in a bizarre shape that swallowed the students. Glitches appearing on the teachers. Confirmation of ■■ that should never have appeared.

And then— 

A locking phenomenon. 

From the following new moon night onward, all attempts to enter the supernatural disaster failed. 

Lasted for six months. Concluded. 

…I had merely thought the horror game broke because too many errors occurred, and because the glitches pretending to be students kept reaching the ending. 

I thought that was the entirety of the hidden truth behind this ghost story. 

A school consumed by a horror game. 

But that was not it. 

…If things had truly concluded as written in <Dark Exploration Records>, then there could have been no tragedy more desperate than that.

It would mean the students and agents alike had all been devoured by the supernatural phenomenon. 

Without any truth ever coming to light. 

With all the effort and sacrifice of the agent before my eyes turning into nothing. 

All of it weighed heavily and coldly upon my chest, but I tried not to show it. 

But— 

[Your hands have gone cold, Grapes.]

[It seems rescuing the students is difficult right now.]

"......."

[Yes. The Bureau likely cannot bear the consequences of undoing the lockdown ritual. But… the world is filled with many stories, and who knows how things may flow in the end.] 

I felt the elder’s hand gently patting my head. 

[You truly worked hard. You did your best until now, Grapes. Trying not to lose your way, trying to return to the right path.] 

“…How do you know that?” 

[Because you yourself are struggling, doubting, and thinking about it.] 

[And besides….] 

[I also heard you used the Four Tiger Sword.] 

".....!"

[Goodness. At this rate, you could even undergo a dokkaebi trial now.] 

…What? 

[I’m joking. …Now then, when you awaken, there will be companions who can help you.]

[Cheer up.]

The next moment— 

I regained consciousness. 

Once more, standing in the hospital room as 130666, that bizarre existence exhaling black smoke. 

And I watched Agent Choi and Agent Bronze, who had come with me, waking up from where they had fallen asleep near the window and beside the bed. 

And then I realized they were not the only agents in the room. 

“You guys….” 

“Big Sis Haegum.” 

Agent Haegum was staring at us. 

She appeared to have rushed here for the same reason, judging from the hurried state of her clothing, but the eyes examining us narrowed openly. 

“So you’re Grapes?” 

Uh…. 

“That’s enough. You’re literally talking in half-body sounds.” 

Good grief. 

“Big Sis. What about Gomyung and the others….” 

“They still haven’t woken up. …Peacefully sleeping.” 

“.......”

I truly did not know. 

Whether I should at least call it fortunate that their existence had not been erased because they had not died to the “teacher.” 

“At this rate, we’re about to start contacting agents on leave. Even the hospitalized ones will have to return as reinforcements the moment they’re discharged.” 

Agent Haegum looked calm, as though accustomed to situations like this, but traces of complicated emotions subtly showed through. 

Then she looked at us with sharp eyes. 

“I saw those game-like credits too. …Where exactly are they sleeping?” 

“.......”

“You lot look like you know.” 

About that 'Special City.'

“We’re going to have a lot to talk about.” 

The arrival of new exploration personnel.

 

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