MTLNOVEL Chapter 244
Episode 244. Special Forces ‘Kunai’ (3)
[Namazo Experiment Log.]
[Author: Dr. Hanako]
[I froze it because it kept moving. I don’t know why it’s moving. I’m not sure if it’s dead or not.]
[Upon dissecting the monster’s stomach, a pearl-like orb about the size of a fist was found inside. I thought it might be more like an Imoogi than a catfish.]
[To summarize.]
[First, it seems related to the underground catfish from Japanese mythology that causes earthquakes. It has the power to move surrounding objects.]
[Second, it seems related to an Imoogi. You probably already know, since it’s a long, serpent-like monster holding a pearl. It might also be connected to the legend of a carp growing into a dragon.]
[There’s one more issue to consider. Doesn’t killing an Imoogi have symbolic significance? Since it’s a sacred creature.]
[On the other hand, it could be seen as positive since it’s killing a disaster that causes earthquakes. There are also legends where the Imoogi is portrayed as evil.]
[I wonder how the supernatural artists managed to pull this off. Did they really have the resources to chase and kill an Imoogi?]
[Aside from the two subdued supernatural artists, there might be more support systems in place. There’s still room for further investigation.]
[Well……. It won’t be easy to chase them.]
[There are at most a few hundred supernatural artists in the world, and the ones still alive are incredibly good at hiding.]
I survived again.
When Special Forces Kunai were isolated outside the facility. When those monsters invaded the facility. When Dr. Kim grabbed me by the collar.
The Osaka Branch Director let out a sigh of relief. I was worried the Administrator might wipe out all the Osaka Branch commanders.
But it seems that wasn’t the plan, so that’s a relief.
Thinking back, I didn’t contact the Foundation Headquarters. Even if the facility was breached, the chances of the monsters successfully killing the Director were slim. On the other hand, Dr. Kim grabbed the Director’s collar the moment he arrived.
“I thought I was going to die.”
The Osaka Branch Director slumped in his chair like a half-dried laundry. Dr. Hanako leaned against the wall and looked at the Director.
“Good work.”
“No, I really thought I was going to die. When Dr. Kim grabbed my collar, I thought, ‘I should’ve written a will.’ I didn’t think I’d survive.”
“He’s more lenient than you think.”
“Lenient? How many facilities has Dr. Kim single-handedly destroyed? This time was no different—he killed all the intruders by himself.”
The Administrator is scary.
“Yes.”
“I thought the Administrator would send reinforcements. If I knew he’d come personally, I wouldn’t have requested backup from Headquarters. I was terrified.”
“Is there a conclusion?”
The Director shook his head.
“I thought I’d be transferred, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case. I’m not sure what’s going to happen……. It’s up to Dr. Kim.”
“I think it’ll be fine. My Special Forces went to fight Dr. Kim once, and after the entire team was wiped out, we just surrendered.”
“Was the annihilated team Walpurgis?”
“I remember him smashing their heads with a hammer. Seeing that, I was terrified and surrendered. There was no chance of winning, and I didn’t even know why we were attacking Dr. Kim in the first place……”
“Who cares who’s in charge? It’s not like you can see their faces anyway.”
“You just saw his face. Didn’t the civil war happen because of those ‘heads’? You’re the head of the Osaka Branch too.”
“That’s true.”
Hanako scratched her head. Her reaction was lukewarm. Honestly, her attitude is part of the problem.
Who cares who’s in charge?
You’re the head of a branch, yet you’re saying such strange things. The problem is that you treat your own work as insignificant and routine.
The Director sighed.
“I can see what you’re thinking.”
“Huh? Sorry.”
“Being routine isn’t always bad. We’re closer to death than anyone else. Surviving day by day is what matters. Not everyone is an immortal like Dr. Kim.”
“Understood.”
“Anyway, I’ve been given another chance, so let’s clean this up properly. Dr. Kim is scarier than any supernatural phenomenon.”
Dr. Hanako nodded. After all, even in a warzone, there’s still daily life. Even if it’s a war over the laws of nature.
I was sitting in a corner of the Osaka Branch.
It’s only after an incident happens that people talk about it. People put too little effort into preparing for accidents and too much into cleaning up afterward.
It’s natural.
You can’t turn back time.
Or can you? Usually not.
The fact that they’re asking me to come to the Tokyo Branch is the same logic. They’re trying to clean up the situation, and for them, cleaning up means covering up my irritation.
“So, they’re trying to appease me by asking me to come to the Tokyo Branch. What do you think? I don’t have to go, right?”
I looked at the Crystal Clock. It had been a while since I last saw it. I hadn’t needed to take it out for some time.
Tick. Tock. Tick.
The Crystal Clock pondered.
[I don’t know. I’ve never been an Administrator.]
“Aren’t you a high-ranking person?”
[Not really.]
“I guess not.”
The Crystal Clock ticked again.
[But. You said this incident was caused by supernatural artists, right? To mock the Foundation with those bugs?]
“That’s the current assessment.”
[How?]
I thought for a moment.
“A dead god’s body was found near the Osaka Branch. I think it was used in this incident. What do you think, Doctor? Any other explanations?”
[It’s a bit strange for the destruction itself to be the artwork. Maybe there’s a piece somewhere else?]
I frowned at this thought. It was a plausible idea. There might still be a ‘piece’ by those lunatics near the Osaka Branch, and it might need to be recovered……
I should probably inform the Osaka Branch.
Thinking about it, Dr. Lee, trapped in the Crystal Clock, is just another Foundation doctor. At this point, he’s no better than me.
We’ve been talking all this time. And while other people’s opinions have value, right now, I’m the expert.
[You’ve always thought of me that way. I’m not a high-ranking person, and to exaggerate a bit, I’m not even smarter than you.]
[I might have more experience, but most of it was spent inside a clock.]
“I’m just asking for your opinion.”
The Crystal Clock pondered again.
[Don’t approach it as work.]
“Huh?”
[Think about what the Tokyo Branch can offer you. Appeasing you or whatever, that can be done with a single piece of paper if you’re okay with it.]
Even if the Tokyo Branch is trying to appease me, it’s still work. It’s better not to create more hassle. What would I even do there?
Let’s not make things more uncomfortable for each other.
“I’ll just return to Headquarters.”
[Alright.]
I sighed. Just killing enemies is already time-consuming. Attacking allies won’t do any good. Trying to overhaul an overseas branch is the same story.
I boarded the plane with the Hero.
The Hero scratched his head.
“We’re just leaving?”
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t we say something?”
“Not really.”
It was the same during the Yulje-myeon incident. When I requested backup from Headquarters, Patreus suddenly arrived in a hypersonic transport and left just as quickly.
Thinking about it, when has the Foundation Headquarters ever accommodated my thoughts? The only time they did was when I had a gun pointed at the heart of the Foundation.
So, there’s no need to worry about others. I boarded the hypersonic transport with the Hero.
“How long will it take to get to Seoul?”
“I don’t know. Maybe 20 minutes.”
Clank. The transport door closed.
[To Tokyo Branch. To Dr. Kim.]
[Author: Tokyo Branch]
[Hello, Administrator.]
[We understand you must be deeply concerned due to the recent incident at the Osaka Branch. First, we’d like to offer our apologies.]
[We believe this incident was caused by a combination of factors, including internal conflicts within the Foundation and changes in the frequency of supernatural phenomena. We are doing our best to prevent a recurrence.]
[Once again, we apologize. If you could come to the Tokyo Branch, we could have an in-depth discussion about this issue.]
[To Tokyo Branch. To Dr. Kim. Reply.]
[Author: Dr. Kim]
[Well.]
[Let’s handle it in writing. I can figure out what you’re doing anyway.]
[The Osaka Branch isn’t entirely without fault, but I don’t think it’s a matter that warrants punitive action from Headquarters.]
[I’m busy, so I’ll decline the invitation.]