Ch.105Blood Capsule (4)

# A Space of Unconsciousness Like a Black Sea

I was floating on the surface, drifting toward distant starlight.

In reality, I had collapsed and lost consciousness.

But I still had work to do.

Using the Librarian’s insight, letters began to appear in the previously empty void.

[Accessing information about the Anomalous Apartment survival log.]

The only path forward to the future.

I gathered and organized the scattered fragments of stories.

[Accessing character profiles.]

[Yoon Daju]

– Classification: Essential Person

– Died in an accident during ■■■■■■■■■■■ experiments with ■■■■ and others during her researcher days.

– Later resurrected through ■■■■■■■■’s experiments.

– An experimental subject created through memory injection experiments. A new consciousness implemented through numerous memories extracted from different people.

– Specific results of the experiment include ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■.

– Date of entry into the apartment: ■■■■■■■■■■.

This is all the information I could process without overexerting myself.

If I concentrate more, more detailed information would emerge.

“You were hiding quite a lot, Yoon Daju.”

I knew she was an experimental subject, but I didn’t know she had been a researcher.

There were many other things I didn’t know, but what caught my eye first were those black boxes.

The redacted text.

A significant portion of the information was damaged beyond access.

Most of it related to events before entering the apartment.

Normally, there’s no way to recover such lost information.

It becomes completely forgotten in everyone’s memories, making it impossible to find.

But this case is a bit different.

The information lives somewhere else.

I opened another document to check its contents.

It was an experiment that Yoon Daju participated in when she was a Foundation researcher.

[Experiment 3]

Information was stored through DNA base sequences, and capacity was secured through chromosome/nuclear configuration processes.

After injecting nuclei containing sufficient memories into ■■■■, we observed the progress while cultivating ■■■■. ■■■■■■ was used in the cell cultivation process to obtain meaningful results.

10% of the ■■■ experiment participants died immediately. The researchers were transferred to the Foundation’s medical facilities for isolation, but ■■■■ was discovered in their body tissues and they were disposed of.

All personnel involved in the research, including researchers, workers, and management personnel, died within a month.

■■■■ is currently isolated at ■■■■■■■■, the Foundation’s special infectious disease management facility.

To summarize this in one line:

– The experiment that led to Yoon Daju’s death was an experiment to form consciousness by injecting sufficient memories into DNA.

Judging by the mention of an “infectious disease” at the end, we can also understand what kind of accident occurred during the experiment.

This way?

Now I can understand why Yoon Daju died before.

[Repaired damaged information from the character profile: Yoon Daju]

This is called cross-verification.

Unraveling broken stories like this is my job.

Next is Choi Serim.

[Choi Serim]

– Classification: Essential Person

– Ability user

– Born in ■■■■■■■■■■.

And then Heo Yoon.

“Hah…”

After staring until my eyes hurt, I collapsed onto the black surface.

“I can’t even touch this.”

No matter how much I tried to fix it, there was no end.

Too much information had disappeared, making it nearly impossible to restore the damaged story completely.

The most difficult part was the timeline.

Information about who came from which time period and when certain events occurred was extremely rare or nonexistent.

I did my best, but I could only vaguely guess the sequence. I couldn’t determine the exact timing.

From the beginning, causality was all tangled up.

In some cases, cause and effect went around in circles, chasing each other’s tails.

At this rate, the story cannot move forward.

A massive contradiction would arise, and the flow of time would be blocked, causing the same parts to repeat continuously.

– Gather the necessary people and prevent the end of the world.

It’s such a cliché story.

But to carry it through to the end, I needed to untangle incredibly complex knots.

“…”

Perhaps I’m going to fail.

Regardless, the light gradually drew closer.

I could also hear familiar voices.

It was time to wake up again.

“Dabin! Are you awake? You are, right?”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I met Choi Serim’s gaze.

“Noona!”

Jung Haewon was making a fuss beside me.

On the opposite side of the elevator were people I’d never seen before.

Everyone seemed worried, so I tried to answer quickly, but when I opened my mouth, my voice wouldn’t come out properly.

“Yeah.”

“Thank goodness. I’m so relieved…”

Serim noona burst into tears.

Beside her, Yebin was staring blankly at me.

“Here. Take this.”

Seok Hyunmin handed me a water bottle with seeming indifference.

I quickly took it and drank.

“How are you feeling now? Can you talk?”

“Yes, hyung. Thank you.”

As my thirst was quenched, my vitality gradually returned.

In fact, I seemed to be in better condition than usual. Nothing hurt, and my whole body felt energized.

I could get up immediately without needing help from others.

“Blood Capsule. You used that, right?”

“Yeah. Yebin said so.”

Seok Hyunmin answered while glancing sideways. His reaction was complicated in many ways.

Pushing up his glasses, he asked:

“Hey. How much did you know? Was everything planned from leaving the elevator to nearly dying?”

“No. I was just… lucky.”

“Come on. At least tell us something. Give us a hint or something.”

He must have been worried deep down.

“Yes. I’ll do that from now on.”

The only ones missing were Heo Yoon and Yoon Daju. Just those two?

“Where are the others?”

“They’ll arrive shortly.”

Choi Serim answered in a calm voice.

Now I examined the strangers.

“Um… hello?”

“Hello.”

A blonde woman with bound wrists nodded slightly.

There were three strangers in total.

One man and one woman. And a collapsed woman in researcher attire.

The two who were awake had their hands bound with cable ties.

“I know you’re from the Foundation. I’ll untie you.”

“Wait, is that okay?”

“Yes. It’ll be fine.”

I took scissors from my bag and carefully cut the cable ties.

Starting with the woman first.

The woman introduced herself first.

“I’m Robin. I work for the Foundation, and I have pretty good intuition.”

“I’m Lim Dabin. You can call me Dabin.”

While exchanging brief introductions, I applied pressure to the scissors in my hand.

Click, click.

With several cable ties overlapping, they weren’t cutting well with scissors.

Next to me, Jung Haewon was trying to untie the man, but he seemed to be having the same problem.

“Aaagh!!! Flesh! You’re cutting my flesh right now!”

“Ah. I’m sorry.”

Robin raised her wrist and met my gaze.

Indifferent yet penetrating gray eyes that seemed to see through one’s inner self.

“Please be careful with me.”

“…Yes.”

I found it hard to breathe even though she hadn’t done anything.

“Good. Then, Dabin. Do you also know who pulled in the elevator we were riding?”

“Ah, that…”

“I had no choice.”

Feeling guilty, I added:

“To prevent the end of the world.”

“…To prevent the end of the world.”

Instead of pressing further, Robin showed a bright smile.

“I like that.”

Crack.

And then she easily broke the handcuffs with just the strength of her wrists.

“It seems we’ll be cooperating from now on. Let me just tell you now.”

“Robin, member of the Foundation’s Council. Right?”

When I intercepted the answer, Robin momentarily faltered.

“Yes. And you are?”

“A Librarian from the Wanderer’s Library.”

“I thought so. It seemed likely.”

Jung Haewon must have grabbed the wrong thing to cut again.

The man’s painful scream as his flesh was pinched could be heard.

“Aaagh, seriously! I know you’re doing this on purpose!”

“Just stay still! This happens because you keep moving.”

“You’re really terrible at this. The other one is already free, but I’ll have to live without wrists until I die of old age.”

Robin glanced in that direction and said:

“That’s Dan. He was in charge of driving us here. The road was a bit… rough.”

“Ah…”

“We can talk about this later.”

Now the collapsed researcher was also regaining consciousness.

After twitching in a pool of her own blood, she opened her eyes and stared blankly in our direction.

“Are you awake? Have some water if you’d like.”

Serim noona was taking care of the awakened researcher.

She was being so kind and attentive that I felt a twinge of jealousy.

Anyway. Despite losing so much blood, she recovered completely with just one pill.

Blood Capsule.

It’s definitely a miracle drug, but I won’t use it again.

If one person takes multiple capsules, it would lead to terrible consequences.

Wait a minute.

Multiple capsules per person?

“Now we just need the two noonas to arrive.”

It was just a casual comment from Jung Haewon.

My thoughts rewind.

[Accessing character profiles].

[Yoon Daju]

– Classification: Essential Person

‘You were hiding quite a lot, Yoon Daju.’

A bit further back.

– Died in an accident during ■■■■■■■■■■■ experiments with ■■■■ and others during her researcher days.

The accident where Yoon Daju first died. And the related experimental document.

– After injecting nuclei containing sufficient memories into ■■■■, we observed the progress while cultivating ■■■■. ■■■■■■ was used in the cell cultivation process to obtain meaningful results.

My intuition touches the most disturbing part.

I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time.

During the process of restoring damaged information, there was a document I had seen in passing.

– Used to treat researchers infected in previous experiments.

– Result: Failure

– Reason: Failed to respond to DNA modifications and healed the body and consciousness in a modified form. Actually accelerated the infection.

“No way.”

As I used my insight, letters appeared in the void.

I checked the document I had overlooked at that time.

[■■■ ■■/Experiment Record]

– Used to treat researchers infected in previous experiments.

– Result: Failure

– Reason: Failed to respond to DNA modifications and healed the body and consciousness in a modified form. Actually accelerated the infection.

It was an experimental record of something.

Probably a search result that got mixed in while looking for the record of the experiment where Yoon Daju died.

The title of the document wasn’t fully revealed.

But with a little more concentration, I could easily confirm it.

[Blood Capsule/Experiment Record]

“…”

It felt like being hit in the head with a hammer.

They used Blood Capsules to treat researchers infected in previous experiments.

What if that “previous experiment” was the very one where Yoon Daju died?

What if Yoon Daju was one of the “treated researchers”?

She wouldn’t be able to avoid the side effects of the Blood Capsule.

It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t take the capsule now.

Someone who has already taken the capsule should not access any equipment related to the production of Blood Capsules.

Of course, I know.

That the possibility isn’t high. It’s actually extremely slim.

First, Yoon Daju died once and was resurrected through another experiment. It’s not certain whether the Blood Capsule’s side effects remain after death.

Also, the resurrected Yoon Daju is a completely different being from before. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all she inherited were a few memories and a name.

But why do I feel so anxious?

I keep thinking that this just won’t do.

The side effects of the Blood Capsule are not something to be taken lightly.

If you think about its true nature. If you think about what’s sleeping inside it…

I strode toward the elevator door.

“You two. When did they say they would arrive?”

“They said they’d come after waiting about 10 minutes. They said the corridor would be safe by then.”

Yebin answered while watching my expression.

“Even considering that, they’re late, right?”

“…Yes.”

Now that I know, I can’t just sit still.

“What’s wrong? Did something else happen?”

“Dabin, what’s going on?”

The others were getting anxious.

I made up my mind to go outside.

“I’ll go get those two.”

Just as I was about to leave the elevator.

“…?”

Seok Hyunmin blocked my way.

“Let’s just leave them behind.”

“What did you say?”

“I said let’s leave them behind. It’s too dangerous right now.”

Seok Hyunmin’s hands were trembling.