Chapter 556 – Veteran Agent Kim Ahri, The Secret of Esper Ship (2)
—
– Kim Ahri
In a gloomy atmosphere of the abandoned hospital, it felt like the voice of the dead would echo from somewhere.
Any normal person would tremble just looking at the building’s dilapidated exterior, but there was no ‘normal’ person here.
“The air is chilly.”
“Haha, shall we head in? According to the report, a crazy doctor—”
— Squeak!
Each agent has their quirks, but the one with me, Agent Kim Jiho, is quite the chatterbox.
But there’s a reason I brought this guy along.
— Crackle!
In the dimly lit hallway where electricity barely worked, the stench of blood and rotting corpses hit my nose.
— Clang!
Seeing him nervously fidgeting with the Bureau’s special weapon made me smirk.
The vanguard had already swept through, so I had a rough idea of the chaos entity lurking in this abandoned hospital.
I certainly didn’t need his help.
I hadn’t brought him for assistance; I just wanted to check in on him and Cha Jinchul, who were said to be teaching various things.
“I’ll be quick. Just wait here.”
“Huh? Senior, solo actions are off-limits—”
— Boom! Crash!
As the ceiling crumbled, surprise flickered in Jiho’s eyes.
“Didn’t they say miracles happen at the hotel?”
At his level, most agents have at least heard some rumors about the hotel, so his reaction wasn’t surprising.
“Just stay still.”
Next up? Probably more loud bangs and crashes.
I would give rest to the deformed monsters twisted together from nurses and patients and face off against the weird doctor enchanted by a strange book.
“Hoo…! Truly, thought you’d be quite skilled, as expected of the Bureau’s underlings! Can you imagine? What I’ve seen lurking behind the world—”
As I took out the ‘living camera’ from my pocket, I couldn’t help but find his descent into madness amusing.
“I have seen the darkness! The corruption of humanity, the original sin committed when all stepped away from the primordial sea—”
“Cheese.”
“What?”
— Click!
I’ve been trapping chaos entities for a long time now. I can gauge the level of these bizarre nuisances just from their atmosphere.
Just a quick click of the camera, and it’s done.
“Wow…! Senior, that was like a tank charge.”
“…”
“When you suddenly went off, I thought you’d be enchanted by the doctor’s tricks, but you wrapped it up so fast!”
“Coming out.”
“Huh?”
— Whirr!
Soon, a photo popped out from the living camera.
It was a picture of an elderly man trapped in a dreary, gray building.
“Oh! Is this the famous camera?”
“…”
“I’ve heard rumors about it. Can I draw a line on it?”
“Go ahead.”
Jiho took out a pen from his Bureau suit and drew a line on the photo.
Soon, the line transformed into a sharp point and stabbed the elderly man inside.
Naturally, the old man’s expression contorted horrifically.
“Whoa! Does that mean he’s dead?”
“No. Sealed beings don’t die.”
This chaos entity had killed over fifty people at last count, so there was no need for sympathy.
*
After wrapping things up, I turned to Agent Jiho to inquire about something I’d been curious about.
“Jiho, that new recruit we just got.”
“Ahah~! You mean Agent Cha Jinchul?”
“Yeah, I heard you’ve been teaching him.”
“That’s right! Haha, that guy, he’s built like a mountain but knows nothing!”
“… Really?”
“As soon as he realized he had regressed, he rushed to buy lottery tickets and blew his winnings on coins, stocks, and real estate! Hahaha! Did he think he was the only one experiencing time regression? So naive!”
“…”
“Come on, it’s not like it’s the worst thing ever! As you remember, everybody’s like that when they first figure it out!”
“…”
Ah…
I hadn’t spent much time working with Jiho, so I didn’t know he had this personality.
“Honestly, even I find him a bit enviable. Do you think he has any idea about the weight of the evil lurking in this world?”
“…”
“He’s been living in a paradise of ignorance. I’m planning to show him the darkness of the world.”
Do I really need to feel embarrassed for him?
Jiho seems completely intoxicated with his so-called ‘agent pride’!
It’s not like it’s surprising.
A person who once lived as an ordinary unemployed bum suddenly embraced fate’s choice and regressed.
Even more so, he got called by the mysterious organization called ‘Management Bureau’ and discovered the world’s secrets.
It’d be weirder if he didn’t feel a hint of superiority.
In fact, he’s a ‘chosen human,’ so it’s not just a misunderstanding.
“Do you think Jinchul has any idea how many people the hospital director hidden in this creepy hospital has killed? Ugh, I’d be lucky if I didn’t vomit from the smell of blood!”
“…”
No doubt, this rookie seems like he’s only looped two or three times.
His gaze is directed downwards, towards ordinary folks, completely enthralled by his own greatness.
Once he loops enough times, he’ll hopefully start looking up.
Agents are just slightly larger cogs in the grand machine, with infinite unknowns lurking above.
“Silence….”
“Senior?”
If I get into the upper echelons of the Bureau, will I finally unveil my long-standing questions?
Can I really prevent the impending doom that supposedly starts in a year, as warned by the hotel?
“Haha, Senior—”
“Why do you keep laughing without meaning?”
It sounds too much like a cheap villain.
Does he really think this is cool?
“Huh?”
“No, keep talking.”
“Uh-huh, I was just saying it seems like you’re interested in the newcomer; that Jinchul guy, who’s all brawn but no brains!”
“…”
“These days, I’m coaching him in simple martial arts. An agent must show bravery even when firearms and magic are out of commission! To become a hero, he needs to prove himself worthy—”
Ah, I can’t take it anymore.
— Thwack!
“Ouch! S-senior! Why so sudden—”
“Shut up.”
I just hope that Cha Jinchul doesn’t see just this side of the Bureau.
*
「User: Han Kain (Wisdom)
Date: Day 24
Current Location: 405, Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Seoul Station)
Sage’s Advice: 3」
—
– Han Kain
It’s already Day 24.
What did the merchant say when I was escaping?
He said to take it easy for the first six months and then gather some information for the next six months.
Feels like that pure rest of merely six months has already flown by at least 15%.
After returning to reality, we decided not to interfere in each other’s lives as much as possible.
This doesn’t mean we don’t know how each other’s doing.
Some have built a daily life with their loved ones.
Others sought to dig even deeper into the secrets of the world.
And some, well, didn’t make any wishes.
…
And two of them began enjoying wealth and fame by creating a mysterious amusement park.
One of them, Elena, sent me an invitation.
— Ding!
Another one of the creators of the amusement park appeared.
A girl with a refreshing smile entered as the coffee shop door swung open.
Soon, I could hear the buzz of people around.
Looking at Songee now makes it easy to understand.
Her charm could captivate not just men but women alike!
“Kain Oppa! Long time no see!”
“Yeah. I mean, we’ve video called and messaged many times, but this is our first real meeting, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Have you been well?”
“Of course.”
As we chatted about trifles, I swallowed down the words that bubbled up to my chin.
… Songee.
I’ll just ask in my heart.
So…
For some reason, she seems a bit taller now.
For some reason, her proportions seem a bit better now.
For some reason, her features seem clearer now.
Could it be one of the wishes from my dreams has come—
“Ugh!”
“Why are you coughing?”
“It’s nothing.”
— You dare misuse the term ‘oppa’ like that?
I could easily imagine the advice saying, “Bend down, would you?”
Or worse, “Just take a slap!”
I need to hold it together.
“Songee, where’s Eunsol?”
“She said she’d join separately. You know, unlike us, Sister is a busy businesswoman.”
“Oh? Oppa, but I’m really busy, too!”
“You being busy having fun is different from working hard.”
“Kick! That’s true. By the way, do you have anything for me because of my trouble thanks to you?”
“…”
“Don’t you have anything to give me?”
“…”
Oh.
I hadn’t thought of this part.
Songee, realizing my expression, teased me back.
“Wow…! That’s just too much.”
“…”
“So, what kind of gift are you giving to Elena? I should at least check it out~!”
“Uh, uh! Don’t touch it.”
“Why, is it expensive? An expensive ring—wait!”
“…”
“Crazy! Crazy! Han Kain, you’ve truly lost it! Lost it! Lost it—”
“Q-Quiet! People will see!”
“Who gives something like this as a gift? You don’t need to give anything to me!”
I hurriedly calmed down shocked Songee.
“No, not at all. It’s not what you think!”
“What’s wrong with it?! A horrific animal carcass—ugh!”
If I kept talking, the café owner would likely call the police, so I shut her up.
“This was just a matter of bad luck.”
“Huh?”
“I told you I started my exorcism activities recently, right? I accidentally got this during the process. Just now, it was a manifestation of the overlapping potential you were ‘observing’ that’s in a dead state.”
“… What are you talking about?”
“We’ll have to revert it to its overlapping state.”
— Clank!
Songee looked at me with an increasingly strange expression.
“Since I’ve been doing exorcist-like work, all sorts of horrific things keep gathering.”
“…”
“That just means this world is twisted enough. Once the hotel’s promised relaxation ends, something strange is about to happen, so watch out, Songee.”
“…”
“Let’s get going. We’re almost late for the KTX.”
*
Around 3 PM, Songee and I arrived at Busan Port.
A massive cruise ship was already docked.
The setting was created by Elena, who claimed to be a Russian heiress living a lavish life all year long—a super-luxury cruise!
This cruise is just as famous for its lavishness as it is for its owner’s stunning beauty.
“Ahh~! This is my first cruise trip!”
“You’ve done it once already, though.”
“I have?”
“The first-floor entrance room, did you forget?”
Of course, I remember the fourth trial, the secret of the Esper ship.
“… But that wasn’t a real cruise trip! It was more of a nightmare reality!”
Songee giggled and pointed to the name written on the cruise ship.
“Esper Ship.”
“Exactly the same.”
“…”
“Looks like it’s Elena’s prank. A name only we can notice.”
It felt ominous just from its name, right from the very start.
And….
“Oppa? It’s almost boarding time.”
“…”
“Kain Oppa?”
After returning to reality, my slightly hazy power of ‘insight’ showed a foreboding image.
“Elena… why did she name the ship that way?”
“The gift you prepared is the most ominous in the world. Carrying something like this causes calamities to gather around you.”
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