GDCG c292

Previous chapter

Next chapter 

 

Chapter 292

Even after looking again, nothing changed. 

A human body—more precisely, a body identical to the one I had when I was originally human— 

…and attached to it was a lizard head.

'.......'

My neck creaked as I turned toward the lizard.

"?"

Gaaah! 

Question: Reason for the similarity between the mood lamp cultivated body and Section Chief Lizard’s body 

“I do not know.” 

I felt like I was going to explode. 

Request: Speculation 

“Yes. Referring to the product manual, it is possible that a ‘special effect’ has manifested.” 

…!

Directly use the nerves and muscles of the observed lifeform! And enjoy wonderful special effects too!

Special effects.

“Considering the uniqueness of a product manufactured for gifting purposes, it is possible to speculate that some traits of the giver were mixed in to reinforce the item’s role as a gift.”

So in other words—

‘The biological traits of the alien reptiles who gave the gift manifested together as part of the “present”?’

Because gifts normally arise through social interaction. Like in science fiction movies where Earth creatures are exchanged as gifts after first contact with aliens….

No, even without a comparison that precise, it was like countries exchanging regional specialties during diplomatic visits.

‘This really is ghost-story-like.’

Especially in the sense that it gave me something I never asked for!

“W-Wait, wait! Could the genetic information have been mixed? From your perspective, what meaningful similarities exist between this body and Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s characteristics? That….”

You… leave.

I threw Kwak Jaekwang out.

He clung on stubbornly, insisting on 'at least a brief interview—or even a questionnaire,' but eventually realized nothing would change and was forced out.

Though not before staring obsessively at the Egg Mood Lamp packaging and manual as though trying to memorize them.

‘This is exhausting….’

I had only used the mood lamp, yet I already felt completely drained.

With troubled eyes, I looked toward the mood lamp body wrapped in towels.

“Would you require speculation from another field?” 

Postponed

First, let’s organize things.

Yeah. If I think calmly about this….

‘Technically, nothing is wrong.’

What I wanted was a body that could communicate smoothly with other people, function socially, and live like a human.

It had a lizard head attached, but other people would see it as human. Just like Section Chief Lee Jaheon.

‘Phew.’

Alright.

I approached and looked over the body again.

※Warning: Never awaken the result.

It was definitely asleep.

A body breathing quietly, radiating the overwhelming sensation of being alive.

‘…… Ah.’

I realized something.

Maybe it was actually fortunate that it had a lizard head.

If it had been an exact copy of the old “Kim Soleum,” I didn’t know what kind of emotions I would have felt looking at it.

Phew.

‘…Instructions.’

To independently use the result’s nerves and muscles, open the adhesive section of the Egg Mood Lamp. 

I carefully closed the lamp’s hatch and reorganized it. 

My blood, hair, and saline solution had melted together inside into some bizarre mucus, but I was not supposed to clean it out.

Instead, I peeled away the wrapping from the bottom section of the lamp, exposing a slightly sticky adhesive surface.

Attach the opened mood lamp near the spinal cord connected to the user’s brain. 

‘…… Where exactly is that?’

The brain… well, judging from that melting sensation last time, it was somewhere around the ribs… probably around here.

‘Even if my organs are scrambled together, the things that need to connect should still be connected.’

The spinal cord should still connect to the brain.

Lying down, I unzipped the security team uniform around that area and attached the mood lamp.

Then I closed every remaining gap with the zipper as tightly as possible. 

Once attachment is complete, activate the mood lamp.

We hope you enjoy your delightful experience! 

I activated the mood lamp. 

'......!'

Everything shook. 

My senses churned violently, like being sucked through a hose and completely drained away. As though I had become something soft and formless, my consciousness and ego were being dragged somewhere else….

Moving.

…….

“Huup.”

I sat upright with a gasp. 

The towel covering my body nearly slipped off, and I reflexively grabbed it while looking around through dizzy vision. 

“Ha—” 

Human hands.

My hands.

…I had awakened inside the mood lamp body.

"...!"

I turned my head to look.

The body of 130666 lay beside me, stiff and motionless like a stuffed specimen.

Black smoke flowed in and out with each breath, horrifyingly eerie yet strangely peaceful.

And over the flesh near the ribs was attached something round and egg-like, shaped exactly like the mood lamp, blinking softly.

As though reflecting my consciousness.

‘Ha.’

Body swap.

I had literally experienced one of the most stereotypical horror tropes imaginable. Thinking the sight alone should have made me faint, I raised a hand to my eyes, but…. 

‘…I’m surprisingly okay.’

My head felt cold.

Fear and terror existed, but there was no pounding heat. 

As though unnecessary emotional expression was being filtered away. 

And somehow, it reminded me of a certain being who had once been in the same team as me, and who now watched over me from this very room…….

“…Section Chief.” 

“Yes.”

“The body I am currently using… is it one of ‘you’?”

The answer came through the silence.

“Yes.”

……!

‘Oh my god.’

I had truly become an alien reptile. 

A member of whatever intelligent collective operated the Space Shopping Mall.

“But you are not connected.”

Connected? Surely he didn’t mean— 

“…Becoming part of ‘you’?” 

“Yes.” 

“Then when do ‘we’ become connected?” 

Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s pupils fixed on me. 

“Individuals born from the same colony become ‘us’ the moment they hatch.”

Colony.

Normally the word referred to settlements or communities, but here it seemed to carry another meaning. 

‘…Something closer to the biological definition.’

Like fungi or bacteria growing together as a single cluster. 

Not the individuals themselves, but the colony as a whole being treated as one entity that spread outward. 

From the perspective of primates like humans, it was an eerie ecology. 

“Then was this mood lamp created by ‘you’?” 

“No.” 

“I will correct the question. Was it at least created to imitate an environment similar to the ecology of ‘you’?” 

“Yes.” 

The reptilian eyes swept across the mood lamp. 

“The cultivation process of this product matches the method by which ‘we’ create new bodies within the colony. There is a high probability it was inspired by a species possessing a similar ecological environment.” 

Then a smile appeared around Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s mouth. 

“As repayment, we decided to provide you with a product created through a method already verified by us.” 

And at that moment, it became certain. 

……These aliens had given me, as repayment, a body capable of becoming one of them. 

If this had all been intentional from the start, then it was a chilling form of goodwill. 

‘A body for a new individual….’

Did that mean Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s own body had been created through a similar process so it could blend among humans?

I clenched and unclenched my hand.

Honestly, it did satisfy my request. 

‘Only I see it as a lizard head.’

Then there should be absolutely no problem blending naturally among people and communicating with them….

—…Oh my goodness. 

Ah.

—By the sacred art of show business, my friend! To think you would become kin to that graceless swordsman devoid of dignity, wit, and humor! What a horrifying decision!

His eloquence was terrifying. If words had physical form, Section Chief Lee Jaheon would already have been sliced to ribbons. 

—Mr. Roe Deer, now that you’ve enjoyed the entertainment and seen the results, perhaps it’s time to hurry back?

…….

‘Wait a second.’

—Friend?

I searched through 130666’s pocket for money. Among them, I took out a coin and bent it. 

…It bent as if it were a lie. 

“...!”

A terrifying level of brute strength. 

'This is Section Chief Lee Jaheon’s physical power…!'

No, maybe not quite that much, considering that guy could probably bend steel rebar like tteokbokki noodles, but the important thing was that I could use strength on a similar level.

“Mr. Roe Deer. Please put on some clothes.”

“Ah, yes.”

And strangely enough… I felt like I could read the lizard’s expressions better now! 

'Come to think of it, earlier too, I naturally understood that friendly expression.'

It even felt like I could read a subtle sense of pride too… Hm. 

“...Um, then if I stay in this state, can I also connect to ‘Us’?”

“Yes. Do you require it?”

“No! It’s fine. …… But what kind of method is it? Please just explain it verbally.”

“Yes.”

And so, I received a detailed explanation about the method of connecting to ‘Us.’

'Because I absolutely can’t make a mistake.'

No matter what, I didn’t want to start a new life as some alien reptile. But still….

“Thank you.”

“Yes.”

I put on the clothes Section Chief Lee Jaheon had lent me and took a deep breath.

Right. I could breathe, and I could speak.

'I can do this.'

I could eat meals and talk to people too.

So then.

'…Braun.'

—Mr. Roe Deer is calling for me. 

'I want to at least try doing what I can in this form.'

I heard the host sigh while tapping his finger against a desk. 

—Very well. Oh, I suppose I shall see whether my friend, now partially that swordsman, can still make clever judgments….

I had no idea why this suddenly felt like I was asking for permission, but still….

'Let’s make good use of this body.'

I carefully reread the recommendations written on the back of the instruction manual. 

Recommendations for Product Usage:

1. After more than one week of continuous use, stop usage and recharge.

2. Do not forcibly separate the attached mood lamp.

3. Stop usage if the mood lamp’s adhesion weakens.

4. Take care not to let the resulting product die during use.

Recommended Usage Period: The lifespan of the living organism 

And then.

“Do you require advice?”

“I’d gratefully accept it if you’re willing to give some.”

“Yes. Rest. Living organisms must secure sufficient rest time for survival and productive efficiency.”

“.......”

“There are several days remaining until the next exploration. You must use them for rest.”

I nodded for now.

'Though I can’t exactly just rest blindly.'

But if I could enjoy things that 130666 couldn’t experience, and rest even a little apart from Segwang Special City….

…….

“I want to meet people.”

“Yes.”

***

That evening. Inside the headquarters building of Daydream Inc.

“You’ve memorized the manual, right?”

“Of course.”

'Like hell I wouldn’t have.'

Instead of glaring at the researcher for stating the obvious, Baek Saheon smiled and obediently sat down.

It wasn’t solely because this was workplace life, either. 

It was because of the Assistant Manager sitting across from him, whose eyes were bizarrely bright and sparkling.

Lee Seonghae.

Just as the elite team wearing a dolphin mask had declared at the Fox Counseling Room, for the past several days, she had been obsessively monitoring him.

Not in some amateurish way where she merely tailed him around.

—Supervisor Goat, Team B’s calling for you again?

They practically designated him and dragged him around directly…!

Thanks to that, although Baek Saheon had indirectly heard rumors that ‘Director Ho’s project’ had brought in an enormous amount of high-grade dream essence, he hadn’t been able to subtly leak related information and profit from it.

Instead….

While accompanying the elite team, he had been collecting higher-grade dream essence relatively easily and accumulating points.

'It’s definitely not kindness.'

He knew that.

'So what about it?'

What did it matter? In the end, the important thing was that it benefited him in collecting dream essence.

And today was the same.

“Then I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes.”

The research team finished explaining the Darkness they would enter today and left their seats, leaving only Lee Seonghae and himself at the table.

“.......”

“.......”

“Assistant Manager. Um… is there something you need?”

“Nope.”

'F-Fuck.'

Baek Saheon barely endured the strange pressure from Lee Seonghae’s eyes with a smile. 

Though cold sweat had started forming.

It was then. 

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

Thinking perhaps Team A, who were supposed to enter together this time, had come here instead of the Darkness entry site, Baek Saheon turned toward the door with slight relief.

“Yes, come in!”

Following Lee Seonghae’s permission, the one who opened the door and entered was….

“Hello.”

A man wearing a black feline mask.

"......."

The Field Exploration Team employed all sorts of people wearing all sorts of masks. So even including branch offices, it wouldn’t have been particularly strange if there were employees whose masks Baek Saheon still didn’t know….

'Huh?'

But somehow, he felt oddly familiar.

Reflexively, Baek Saheon raised his eyepatch and slightly checked the silhouette of that halo…….

……!!

'W-Wait a second.'

The moment chills ran through his mind, Lee Seonghae’s voice came from beside him.

“Mr. Mascot?” 

The man turned toward the dolphin Assistant Manager and smiled.

“Hello, Ms. Dolphin.”

Then he greeted Baek Saheon as well.

“Hey.”

……?!

“You look like life’s treating you well, Supervisor Goat.”

'S-Shit.'

It was Kim Soleum.

'What the hell is this.'

Where had his own mask gone, and what the hell was that one supposed to be? And besides….

'Wasn’t he in the Security Team until just a few days ago…!'

Why the hell was he suddenly appearing perfectly fine in human form again?!

And amidst all that horrifying confusion, incredibly enough, Assistant Manager Dolphin approached Kim Soleum with shining eyes and an openly delighted expression.

“Now you can eat meals again!”

“Mm. That’s true.”

That’s what matters here??

“Then should we all go eat together? I know a seriously good restaurant. Abalone bibimbap!”

“…Sounds good.”

Why are you looking at me?

“We can invite the others too.”

“Ooh! Sounds good!”

Then Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae smiled brightly.

“If they’re good people.”

…….

“…Assistant Manager, we need to depart for Darkness entry right now.”

“Ah.”

At Baek Saheon’s words, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae clapped as if finally coming back to her senses. 

“Then wanna come with us?”

What??

“With Mr. Mascot around, this Darkness’ll be totally safe, and when we’re done let’s go eat lunch right away!”

“…Should I?”

Don’t come!

“Wow! Yes!”

Baek Saheon screamed internally.

From serial killers to cats, had there ever existed a being capable of making him this mentally unstable?

…And here was the culprit behind Baek Saheon’s internal screams.

As for Kim Soleum’s state of mind.

'I can have conversations!'

He was simply satisfied!

Having come to visit acquaintances who were available at this hour, he had even obtained and equipped an item similar to the ‘Field Exploration Team masks’ through Director Ho.

'It’s essential if I want to enter the company.'

After all, he couldn’t risk walking around with Kim Soleum’s actual face.

'Besides, as an information gatherer, I needed an identity that could naturally blend into Daydream anyway.'

And so, he had been visiting places he couldn’t enter with 130666’s body, assessing the situation and feeling small bits of satisfaction….

On top of that, Lee Seonghae’s proposal allowed Kim Soleum to form a rather efficient plan.

Darkness exploration.

'I need to see whether dream essence can still be extracted with this body too.'

And if it could be extracted, he intended to convert that dream essence into bonus money through Ho Yuwon.

'Even aside from that, shouldn’t I be able to clear Darknesses pretty easily now?'

After all, this body could use tremendous physical strength.

Kim Soleum saw no reason to refuse Lee Seonghae’s proposal.

“Then shall we get going?”

“Sounds good.”

And so, he joined this Darkness exploration team.

A safe Darkness experience together with Assistant Manager Dolphin!

'…. Hm?'

Something vaguely like déjà vu brushed past him, but Kim Soleum ignored it. 

And then. 

He would pay for that karma. 

“We’re here! It’s this place!”

“.......”

A mountain road after sunset.

There stood a tunnel like a pitch-black cave cutting through the mountain.

 

 

 

 

 

“Apparently so many people said they saw ghosts and kept disappearing that they blocked it off entirely. There are tons of ghost sightings, so it’s famous even among civilians too.”

“.......”

“But it’s okay. This Darkness just requires you to walk around inside all night telling scary stories!”

What flashed through his mind was the scene from when he first met Supervisor Dolphin.

That insane ghost story about clapping with the backs of hands.

“Whatever comes out, just ignore it. Here!” 

Ah.

AH!!!

 

Previous chapter

Next chapter