Chapter 77: Kkachisan Conference (3) |
Late at night, while all the surrounding buildings had their lights off, there was a warehouse brightly lit and bustling with activity.
In front of the warehouse, flatbed trucks were lined up with their doors open, waiting for cargo. People were constantly going in and out of the warehouse entrance, carrying cardboard boxes.
At first glance, the warehouse did not seem properly maintained.
The warehouse walls were stained with neglect and decay.
The exterior paint was faded in color.
It didn't seem properly cleaned either, with rusted metal and wood scraps rolling around on the floor.
However, in contrast to the shabby warehouse, the items being handled busily by the people inside looked neat and intact.
Men neatly packing Polaroid photos into tidy cardboard boxes that seemed completely out of place in the old, worn-out warehouse.
"Hurry up, move faster!"
The packed boxes were quickly loaded onto the flatbed trucks, which had a company name written on them:
<Daily Object>
This was a warehouse used by Daily Object.
The photos being packed were Polaroids of 'Dancing Penguins' - an extremely popular product currently in Seoul.
At first, many people were reluctant because it was an Object product.
However, as it sold for a long time without any issues, it eventually became popular among the general public.
The fact that 'Daily Object' called itself a 'Object media specialist' also helped.
The public perception that 'people who photograph dangerous Objects on the front lines would know about safe ones too' aided sales.
To sell as many of the hot-selling photos as possible, they took Polaroids, packed them, and shipped them out all day long.
"Hurry, hurry! This is a one-time deal! We have to sell it all while it's popular!"
The shabby abandoned-looking warehouse, the busily moving people, and the fancy, high-class cardboard boxes - nothing seemed to fit together in this strange space. But the strangest thing was something else.
A black penguin.
The most out-of-place existence was a black penguin sitting obediently in front of the Polaroid camera 24 hours a day.
Squawk. Squawk.
The usually docile black penguin started squawking.
"Someone shut that thing up! It's so noisy!"
"Sir, um...how do we shut it up?"
A man with a dumb expression spoke to the bellowing man in front of the black penguin, unsure what to do.
"Just hit it!"
"This seems off. It's like the penguin is mocking us. Isn't it dangerous?"
A man packing boxes walked over briskly and smacked the head of the man dithering in front of the penguin.
"ew, you idiot. Can't you see it's delaying the photo shoot? I meant just hit the penguin's head like this!"
Saying that, the man struck the penguin's head down.
Thwack. Thwack.
The sound of him forcefully smacking it down rang out.
Since the penguin didn't move no matter what, the man swung freely.
But this time was different.
Crunch.
Along with the sound of bones crunching, the man's scream echoed.
"Aahhhh! My hand! My hand!"
The man's hand was cleanly severed in the shape of the penguin's beak.
Skin, muscle, and even bone - cut cleanly as if by a precision blade.
"You guys! What are you gawking at? Call an ambulance! I said call an ambulance!"
Squawk. Squawk.
As the employees hurriedly called an ambulance, the bloody penguin raised its head and seemed to laugh joyfully.
Squawk. Squawk. Squawk.
And that penguin's squawking started growing louder and multiplying.
Penguin heads popped out from the photos scattered messily on the floor, squawking loudly.
"Damn, this is crazy. Who's idea was it to do business with Objects?"
One of the men packing photos dropped everything and ran out of the warehouse.
Then a horrific sound came from outside the warehouse.
"Aahhhh!"
The screams of the man who fled, and the crunching sound of something being torn apart and eaten.
The men who were about to abandon their screaming boss and run away froze at that sound.
Blood-soaked penguins came streaming in through the warehouse entrance.
Soon the men were surrounded by penguins, and they became terrified as more approached.
Then the penguins rushed them all at once, ripping the men to shreds.
***
Reaper (MC) POV:
---
Lying in a warm isolation room, eating ice cream.
Yum~
Watching TV while eating the ice cream, it was full of news about the black penguin attack.
'Daily Object' sold so many photos that the number of victims was enormous.
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Should it be said that they received divine punishment, or that there was no one left to take responsibility?
'Daily Object', which supplied penguin photos both wholesale and retail, lost all employees including the CEO in the incident.
News of their deaths spread very quickly, as they were discovered by an ambulance that was dispatched to a shabby warehouse.
Fortunately, the penguins were dealt with instantly.
Although as hard as steel, they lack physical immunity, so shooting them with armor-piercing rounds would kill them.
However, some remnant penguins reportedly fled towards Gangseo District. I wonder if it will be okay?
Due to this incident, politicians seemed intent on revising laws related to Objects.
Apparently they plan to raise the certification standards for handling Objects...
At least high enough that something like 'Daily Object' cannot emerge again.
But wait, if they raise the standards that high, will Sehee Research Institute fail to qualify?
Hmm, it would be good if the standards are raised just enough for Sehee Research Institute to barely pass.
Hehe.
Lying in bed eating ice cream, I had these silly thoughts.
***
Seo-ah POV:
---
The Kkachisan Conference seemed larger in scale than expected.
The Kkachisan Research Institute itself looked small in space, but they must have used some magic as it appeared much larger than its outward appearance.
An elaborate chandelier adorned the high ceiling, and soft white lights bathed the entire hall in a gentle glow.
The neatly arranged rows of chairs extended so far that their end was hard to see, giving a sense of how many attendees this place could accommodate.
As a small institute alumni from Sehee Research Institute attending, I could have felt intimidated, but thanks to the Golden Reaper in my palm, that did not happen.
The Golden Reaper in my bag kept trying to come out, so I had to hold it in my hand covered by a book.
The Golden Reaper seemed to enjoy even this situation, squirming and grinning widely in my palm.
Among the many research institutes and government-affiliated organizations in attendance, some people really caught the eye.
They were researchers from Trinity Research Institute.
The current de facto number one research institute in Korea.
Trinity was formed by the merger of three major research institutes, leveraging their massive scale and funding to expand their industry influence.
They proudly wore lab coats emblazoned with the Trinity Lab logo, boasting and chattering away.
While understandable for the nation's top talents congregating at the highest paying institute to have pride, it was hard to comprehend their need to show off and boast in that manner.
But the strangest reaction was from the Golden Reaper.
Normally playful in my palm regardless of surroundings, it would stop playing whenever near Trinity researchers.
It would bare its teeth menacingly towards them.
Seems even the Golden Reaper dislikes boastful chatter.
I better be careful too if I don't want to earn its dislike.
***
Reaper (MC) POV :
---
I cleared out the furniture in the isolation room and placed the Golden Reaper at a distance.
This was to test out the new ability I had acquired.
Alright, here goes!
Focusing on the Golden Reaper, I felt a connection leading towards it.
Then diving along that connection!
In the blink of an eye, I was standing right next to the Golden Reaper.
Seeing me appear so suddenly, the Golden Reaper clapped in seeming amazement.
The ability gained from killing the harmful bird, the black penguin, was the ability to instantly move near the Golden Reaper.
Although it consumed a bit of flame inside me, it was an extremely good ability considering it was obtained by killing such a pathetic bird.
If the harmful bird could move through photographs, I could now move using the Golden Reaper as a medium.
Does this mean I can send the Golden Reaper to places too far away to bother going?
However, it was difficult to position the Golden Reaper far away from me for testing the ability, as it kept clinging to me. Sending the Golden Reaper ahead didn't seem feasible.
Perhaps that would only be possible after gaining the ability to command the Golden Reaper as I wished...
***
??? POV:
---
On a late evening after the conference ended and the hall had emptied, a black agent gazed up at the red moon.
'In the end, the evacuation order hasn't been issued until the day of the conference.'
The problem was the societal tendency to ignore phenomena that didn't appear dangerous, but it was unavoidable.
There were too many Objects appearing to be scared of each one individually.
In this era of common Objects, cloud meat could suddenly descend on residential areas, and a mirror ball playing cheerful music could occupy the National Assembly building.
Ultimately, these were just happenings that ended without any harm.
The accumulation of such incidents was creating a sense of complacency about safety.
The girl sitting next to the black agent, fiddling with a red bat, felt the same way.
A bat suddenly appearing in the city center, moreover a blood-red bat - it was clearly an Object.
But instead of fear, the girl's reaction was delight.
"There's a bat! It's the same color as the moon up there!"
The black agent hoped this time would also turn out harmless, like the mirror ball incident.