Chapter 70 |
The gears turn, and we are trapped in a cycle.
Entangling in the web of crises that repeat and intensify within the cycle, the moment of doom draws near.
With the creaking sound of a gear grinding and working, God descends and untangles the web.
...
POV Switch - Alice "Alice."
Carol came to talk to me after school, handing me a basket of snacks.
Her hair is a little messy; she seems to be quite busy these days.
"Recently, a request came in from the highest level of the Institution."
I didn’t know what my expression looked like, but I think my eyebrows were slightly frowning.
It's a request from the highest level... It's hard for me to refuse it now.
In order to protect the children, it was necessary to listen to their requests as long as I was attending school.
Although my attendance at school was at Carol's discretion, there must have been permission from higher-ups.
Perhaps this was a planned procedure.
"The story is... We are going to investigate an area that shows suspicious signs, just like last time."
"Are you going to form a team?"
"Yes. Although they're personnel from another branch, the rumors about Alice are good within the Institution, so there will be no friction."
When I heard that I'll be working with people from other branches, I was a little confused.
Why would they put me on a team with whom I have never even met in person?
"I can clearly see your thoughts. Don't worry. The people you'll be with aren't bad people. If you think about it, since we are cooperating with other branches' work, it wouldn't be strange for Alice to go along."
"Ah, it's like that... It feels like you're lending me out."
Carol smiled wryly and said it could be seen that way too.
I didn't feel bad because they weren't trying to dissect or inject drugs.
Requests like this are probably coming in thanks to the increased trust from the last performance.
"Okay. I'll help."
Carol listened to my answer and began to tell me about my mission.
I suggested that it would be better if the whole team was present, but she said that there would be only a small number of people this time, so there was no need to gather everyone for the briefing.
"The place to be explored this time is an unknown factory in a remote area in the northwest of the Great Plains of the United States."
I raised my hand and asked a question.
"If it's a factory... is it the one producing wooden dolls?"
Carol shook her head.
"No. A separate team has been created for that. Let me continue. We discovered this factory a few months ago and sent some exploration robots along with the expedition team. The exploration robots and other devices all stopped working as soon as they entered the interior, but the strange thing is that the camera and recorder were intact."
That's really unusual.
I think it's a cliche that the camera usually breaks down and there is a problem in understanding the incident.
But on the other hand, I guessed it might be a place so mysterious that even if they saw the inside with a camera, they wouldn't be able to understand it.
"Another thing is that the people who were guarding the barricades to keep the civilians out all reported a strange sound. They say they hear a noise like gears coming from above. Well, that's all for now. I don't know everything either."
"Well, it's a factory, so I suppose it's possible to hear gears clanking, but it could be an audible illusion or a hallucination if it's coming from above."
"I'm only saying that because there's a what if. We don't know the full extent of how dangerous it is down there. Please keep this in mind. It is unclear who built it and when, and we have already dispatched exploration teams several times."
"..."
Carol warned. Though, it didn’t seem scary to me.
I have rarely experienced that kind of fear in my life.
It's not strange because my body is strong and my personality has become that way.
"Alice. Let me tell you one more thing: it is possible to transmit images and sounds from over there to here. But be careful because the opposite is not possible. Just like people outside of the stage can't control the behavior of people inside the stage."
"That's an interesting analogy. Don't worry, I understand."
Carol gave me some other details and then looked very serious.
Looking at her attitude, I was able to realize that this was quite different from the requests I had received from the Institution so far.
Perhaps what Carol is saying now is more important than anything else.
"...Alice. This is something I am saying personally. If it is too difficult to resolve, you can run away."
"...?"
I couldn't help but have a bewildered expression. After putting on such a serious face, now she's worried about me?
"It's not just worry, it's advice. Because this is a mission that involves a lot of seeing eyes. We were given a mission to explore the unknown, but the higher-ups probably had a general idea of what kind of place that factory was, and were sending you to confirm something."
"How do you know that?"
"I guess you could call it a hunch?"
Don't you just not want to tell me?
I didn't press the matter.
"Okay. In short, it's a mess."
Carol was silent for a moment.
But after coming into this body, I didn't really feel like I was going to lose to anyone.
Even if someone tricks you, it won't be a big deal.
"You're treated like a lab rat. So keep in mind, there's no need to solve the problem or create a miracle."
Carol started to say, "Because you...", but then stopped.
She then said she had talked too much and laughed sheepishly.
Carol led me to where my team members were.
When I open the door to the break room, the eyes of those who are talking noisily are drawn in my direction.
I was surprised at how unique each of them looked.
"...I guess everyone is now gathered?"
"Hahahaha! Where's the demon, and what's with the little kid?"
"...Cute."
"You guys are rude."
They are noisy guys. I guess it's better than being stiff.
"Let's start with a name. I'm Mason. It's not my full name, but you can call me that. I've taken temporary leadership."
Mason was a man with strong muscles.
A blessed beard with a benevolent face.
My first impression of Mason was that he was a likable guy.
"I'm Andrew. I'm a cyborg. If I look as powerful as in the movies, you're not mistaken! The head is mostly organic, so handle it with care!"
A cyborg. He's an unusual guy.
Still, his body is more organic than mechanical.
Didn't robots become inoperable once they entered the factory?
I had my doubts, but I assumed he had his reasons.
"...It's Erta."
Erta muttered in a small voice.
It was so tiny that I wouldn't have heard it if my hearing wasn't so good.
Erta was tightly wrapped in clothes like a hijab to deal with the toxins in her body.
"The last one is me. Nice to meet you. I'm called Flavin."
Flavin was a woman who wore heavy makeup even though she was on a mission.
These types of women are often snobbish.
She says she actually wanted to get a bonus, so she applied for the mission and was selected.
She's quite confident in her skills.
Is this the right team? When I looked at them, it seemed like everyone was seeing each other for the first time.
I muttered softly.
"It's a unique team..."
"Hahaha! You're the most unique one among us!"
Cyborg Andrew shakes his huge shoulders and chuckles. I asked back, confused.
"What?"
"Imagine a blonde-haired kid wearing an apron having fun next to soldiers wearing special combat uniforms!"
"..."
Is that so?
I fell silent, feeling like I'd somehow lost, and Erta misunderstood my reaction.
"You... Shouldn't you be more careful with your words... No matter how she's known, she's a devil..."
"Demon or not, you should refrain from rude jokes. I'll apologize instead."
Mason gave me a handshake as an apology.
I shook his hand with a friendly smile, trying to reassure Erta.
Erta. She reminds me of Eun-jeong. I think it would be nice to become friends.
"It's okay to joke like this. I'm Alice. You can call me by code, but it would be better if you call me by name. From your perspective, it's difficult to easily acknowledge a devil as a colleague, so I understand if you don't believe me. Well, I hope you don't get too caught up in stereotypes."
"Ah, okay. I'll keep that in mind."
After exchanging brief greetings, we soon boarded the helicopter.
We talked a lot.
When I first met them, they seemed to have a lot of questions about me.
Meeting a friendly, less dangerous devil will most likely be a new experience.
"You say you're a demon?? Is it possible to make gold? Even in old stories, there are many stories about betting with the devil and the winner becomes rich!"
Flavin asked me greedily.
This honesty of desire is rather cute.
But there can be no omnipotent devil who can grant any wish.
"It's possible to make gold, but maybe not in the way you think, Flavin. You're not thinking of making gold at the snap of my fingers, are you?"
"Huh. How did you know..."
It is possible to create gold by exploiting the monster of material greed.
However, that gold has the power to corrupt humans, and if you make a mistake, you will be crushed to death by the gold, as the monster spits it out when attacking.
When Flavin was told that the more greedy she was, the heavier the gold would fall on her head, she seriously wondered how greedy she would have to be in order to reap the benefits.
From the moment she thought about it, I knew she was crazy.
"Hey kid. I heard that devils don't defecate. Is that true~?"
"Urgh..."
Erta despises Andrew for telling dirty jokes. I answered that question.
"Uh... It's true."
Strangely enough, my body doesn't really need to excrete anything.
I don't know why.
"Can you really answer that?!"
"Wow, really?! If you eat something, isn't it completely absorbed as energy? The energy efficiency is incredible. And... Oh, that's right. They say you won't die unless you put a stake in your heart?"
"That's Dracula, Andrew."
"Aha. Thank you, Mason."
"Erta. Do you have any questions?"
When I asked, Erta flinched and was surprised. She also had questions about me, but it seems she couldn't ask them because other people were bombarding me with questions.
"Uh... Can you remove the poison from my body?"
"I'm not sure about that. I can neutralize it with an opposing poison, but I'll have to think about a permanent method."
"I see, I didn't mean to burden you..."
It doesn't seem to be a good thing to have poison coming out of one's own body.
Well, that would be the case for me too. I'll have to find a way sometime.
"Hahaha. At first, I thought it would be difficult to approach because of the mysterious atmosphere, but you seem to get along well with people. I like you, Alice."
"Same thing, Mason. I'm looking forward to your leadership."
"It's nice to be counted on sometimes."
After the conversation was over, the helicopter arrived at our destination.
After passing through several procedures at the barricade, we faced a shabby factory.
It was a very small factory, but it felt strange to be sitting in an empty lot.
"17:21, Mason, mission is underway."
After Mason reported through the communication device attached to his ear, we looked towards the door leading into the factory.
Mason pushed a listening device inside the door and tried to listen.
Crackling...
"It works. But I don't hear anything special."
"Does it have a camera function?"
"Yes."
Mason pressed the handle of the long recorder to turn it into a camera.
The camera will be shared with everyone involved in this mission.
For us too, of course.
Nothing special is filmed.
We opened the door and entered the interior of the factory.
I felt my skin prickling.
This is because I felt the temperature and oxygen concentration were completely different from outside.
The oxygen concentration is slightly low and the temperature is cold enough to make your breath come out.
"It's spooky."
"It seems like the inside of the factory is bigger than the outside."
Mason frowned.
It's unrealistic from the start. Even at first glance, it was difficult to call the factory a small factory.
I told them.
"-it's not just big."
Eyes focus on me. I announced, pointing to the floor.
"It's very deep underground."
There was rusty, broken machinery here and there.
There were some that looked like parts from the exploration robots sent last time, and Flavin picked up some of them and joked that she would sell them to Andrew, the cyborg, if he needed any.
Andrew angrily replied that he had no intention of attaching such junk to his highly advanced body.
He proudly informs us that the machines in his body are EMP-proof. Amazing.
"Alice. You seem to have pretty good senses, so have you noticed any suspicious behavior around here?"
"The machines are still running, so I can't hear any sounds or vibrations, but at least there's nothing human-sized moving around here. The problem is, I don't know about the lower floors. It's mysteriously deep."
Mason nodded his head and suggested.
"There are no bodies here. The exploration team must have gone down here. We have no choice but to go down too."
We found a door leading underground.
We broke the lock on the door and opened it. I looked at the stairs, where a cold wind was blowing subtly from inside, and it was slightly damp, giving an unpleasant feeling.
Even when the light shines down, the black stairs are so dark that I was reluctant to go in.
"Whew~ This calls for the super strong Andrew to step in. Cowards, stand back."
Andrew confidently raised his mechanical arm, showing off his strength.
[Basement Floor 1 - Warning]
"Thanks to you, I feel so reassured, Andrew."
Andrew, in a good mood, flickered the flashlight attached to his arm.
While walking through the endless basement with Andrew in the lead, I felt the fishy scent of blood in my nose.
When I looked in the direction of the smell, Mason seemed to notice something and pointed his finger at the wall.
"Wait a minute, there's writing on the wall."
When the light shines on it, the letters become visible. It was written in blood.
[1. To unravel the tangled thread, seek God.
2. Faith is the most important virtue.
3. Arrogant non-believers become cold tools and dance on the stage.
4. Those who watch this performance, please know that this is the 66th time.]
Bang!!!
The passage we came in through suddenly closed.
Erta was shocked by that.
But since she had been on many missions, she did not scream unsightly.
"Do, do we run away?"
Maerson asked to be sure.
The team members returned to the door and analyzed the anomaly. The door doesn't open.
Even with guns and bombs, it was just fine.
"It's blocked. The energy isn't flowing back there. The space itself is separated."
"...The signal is still going, so there's no loss of communication. This is also within the expected. Let's go forward."
I follow behind them as they head back underground, pulling out the monster phone.
Carol answered it.
But no voice was heard.
As Carol said, it is possible for us to send a signal, but there seems to be no way for the Institution to assign orders.
I had a hunch that this was the result of a higher force than any of the forces I had encountered so far, as it blocked not only radio waves but also the power of urban legends.
'It's strange.'
It's strange that only our side can send information.
It seems unnecessary to intentionally let us do that.
"...Nothing the goddamned higher ups ever orders goes right."
Andrew was a little intimidated and swore to hide it.
"Hey... This is all being caught on video..."
"In times like these, you have to steel yourself like that. It's not like you can just die."
"That's right... You have to be at this level to get that much bonus."
Flavin, who was on guard and didn't say much, strengthened her resolve.
At this point, I wonder just how much bonus the Institution decided to give.
"...Let's go."
[Basement Floor 2 - Hell]
"It's a bloodstain."
"The scent of blood is already making my nose hurt. And... Oh, be careful, something heavy is coming."
Everyone who heard me was on high alert and heightened their senses.
Everyone focused their eyes on the direction I was looking at...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
[Kik, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!]
"What the fuck is that!"
A fusion of human and machine. But I couldn't see him as a cyborg like Andrew.
To anyone who could see it, it looked like the clay called a human had been glued to a metallic machine.
A monster that keeps screaming in pain.
Even though there is a person's arm wrapped around the wheel attached to the machine, it rolls at high speed without paying attention.
The screams get louder.
"Fire!"
Bullets rain down. The light created by the fired bullet and heat sparkles, and the monster falls down with the sound of air being knocked out of its lungs.
"...He's wearing the same clothes as us."
When I looked closely, I saw that they were wearing the same combat uniform. Then this is probably...
[Ah, ahhhhhhh!]
Soon a second monster pops out.
Many human parts remained, but his back was bent in places it shouldn't be and he walked on all fours thanks to machinery.
It moved quickly and rushed at me.
"This won't work. Andrew!"
"Got it-!"
Andrew, noticing Mason's words, ran and caught the machine from the front.
The sharp claws protruding from the monster's feet scratched at Andrew, and he bit his lip.
[It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!]
"Hold on a little!"
I ran over and kicked the monster in the head.
With a metallic sound, the head flew off and rolled to a dark, invisible side.
"Huh! You're quite tough?"
"Just because I'm wearing a skirt doesn't mean I'm a delicate little girl."
"I think it's too early to feel safe!"
The sound of vibration rings in my ears. We realized it without even saying a word to each other.
This is a floor with holes in every direction, and damn it, those vibrations are the footsteps of monsters.
"Run to the next floor!"
Suddenly, a spotlight shines from the ceiling of this dark floor.
The light source was illuminating the stairs.
It was playing a role of mercy, like a divine light given by God, as if telling us to survive.
However, paradoxically, the light also enhanced the despair of seeing numerous enemies through reflected light.
"Run, run!"
"It's so... Far away!"
"Run now!"
Abi Gyu-hwan.1
Why was it that only four people were sent to a place like this?
I was appalled by the absurdity of the situation.
Moreover, everyone with worse eyesight than me didn't seem to notice, but it was a carefully crafted fake.
There's no way an ordinary passage would sway like a hallucination.
"I don't know who created the factory or who lives there, but excessively unreasonable patterns are bound to attract complaints."
I made a mirror and summoned a monster.
"Out of control."
[It's an emergency! It's an emergency!]
A monster wearing a prison uniform is laughing.
The wave of power created by the monster spread to all the monsters surrounding us.
Then the monsters that were screaming and charging began to fall, unable to control their bodies.
I created one more mirror.
"Overemotion."
A monster with a black body wearing a mask. The mask he wore changed from a smiling face to a mask with a gloomy expression.
[I'm depressed... I'm depressed...]
All machine monsters become helpless.
One by one, they stop moving and soon lose their killing intent and close their eyes.
In a noisy space with the sound of steel, the only thing that could be heard was the occasional cries of monsters.
"Wow... Is this what you get when you have the devil as a coworker? I wouldn't pass this kid up for even a billion dollars."
"You say that like you already have me, Flavin."
"That's the way it is."
Judging by the way she made a joke, she seems to be having a hard time.
I smiled at Flavin and comforted her.
Rattle...
"...Can't you hear it?"
Rattle... Rattle...
"We don't hear anything? By the way, I found a staircase behind a dark space that was so far away that I could barely see it."
I was skeptical, but the stairs were real, so I followed him down.
But the rattling sound continued.
Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle... Rattle...
I can hear the sound of gears and cogs turning.
It was something very hostile to me.
Something huge is here.
POV Switch - 3rd Person
He spoke.
Exile it.
...
[Basement Floor 3 - Punishment]
The place Alice and the group arrived at was a maze-like place with many paths.
They saw letters written in the middle of a two-way road.
[Do you believe in God?]
Alice said.
"It's pretty nonsensical to ask a devil if he believes in God."
The team members laugh at those words.
Since everyone knew Alice's power, Alice's joke was perfect for lightening the mood.
As long as there is Alice in the future, they will never die. That's what they thought.
Bang!!!
"...Alice?"
Until Alice's body was crushed by the arm of a huge machine that came down from above.
As if judging evil, the mechanical arm turns Alice into a pile of meat and ascends back to the sky.
The golden hair that could be seen sparsely between the red made them realize that it was Alice just a moment ago.
"Run."
Mason shouts.
"Just run!"