Chapter 52: IF-017-1 Part 5

“Whose genes did our baby get to be this cute? Hehe, it must be Lulu, right?”

Kang Hana nuzzled her cheek against the penguin Lulu, who was snug in her arms.

Startled, penguin Lulu flailed in surprise.

“Fweeeeng!”

It sounded more like a whistle than a voice, but the message behind it was crystal clear.

It was completely different from the deflated, squawking sound of the original Lulu.

Kang Hana affectionately cuddled penguin Lulu, completely satisfied.

‘It’s a different vibe from the original Lulu. But the face is exactly the same! Could it be Lulu’s little sibling? Or… maybe even his daughter?’

As the thought reached that point, Kang Hana suddenly snapped out of her daydream with a gasp and shook her head in denial.

Having a daughter would naturally imply having a husband.

‘No way! Of course not. How could a baby have a baby of its own?’

She was convinced this had to be Lulu’s younger sibling.

Penguin Lulu gave her a disappointed look.

That was when it happened.

***

Plop.

A cute sound came from somewhere nearby.

Kang Hana stopped doting on penguin Lulu and looked up.

The original Lulu was suddenly heading off somewhere.

“Hey? Lulu, where are you going?”

Despite her question, Lulu didn’t look back.

He leapt into a hole without hesitation.

‘What if Lulu gets hurt from the fall?’

Kang Hana flinched, alarmed by the thought.

After a moment’s reflection, she let out a dry laugh at the absurdity of her own imagination.

‘Even last time… Lulu is a top-tier IF. And I still end up worrying first.’

Even high-level IFs were nearly impossible to neutralize with conventional weapons.

And Lulu was above even that—top-tier.

No matter how high the fall, simple free-fall wouldn’t harm him.

That much was certain.

She knew that perfectly well.

Even so, a part of her heart couldn’t help but worry.

Once again, Lulu had gone far away.

The last time was when he had run out of the containment room on his own.

This was the second time.

‘How did I feel back then?’

As Kang Hana recalled the moment, a chill ran down her spine.

The sensation that had made her chest ache back then—it had been terrifying.

‘He’ll come back soon this time, right?’

Compared to last time, at least the current situation was better.

There was penguin Lulu, who looked just like him, and there was also the plump, adorable snake.

Kang Hana decided she would quietly wait for Lulu to return.

But…

That resolve shattered in just ten seconds.

***

A sting.

Kang Hana winced as a cold sensation seeped into her chest.

‘Ugh… it’s freezing…’

She let go of penguin Lulu, wondering if he was the cause—but the chill in her heart didn’t fade.

“No way…”

A familiar sense of dread washed over her.

The pleasant drowsiness that had been enveloping her body just moments ago vanished instantly.

Her previously clear mind started to fill with unwelcome thoughts.

Kang Hana staggered as she stood up.

‘Ugh, my head hurts…’

Penguin Lulu looked up at her, his eyes full of curiosity, and reached out with his flipper.

‘Was he trying to comfort her?’

Just a moment ago, she would have found that gesture so lovable she’d have showered him with affection.

But right now, she felt no such urge.

It was cute—yes, but that was all.

“Sorry, I’m not feeling well all of a sudden.”

Kang Hana turned away from penguin Lulu, who met her gaze with puzzled eyes, and trudged toward the corner.

Even as she walked, her mind swirled with thoughts.

The fire that had come from within her body—

‘Does that mean I’ve become a Mysterious Phenomenon myself? Or… am I just caught up in one?’

The surroundings had suddenly become desolate.

‘Everything that could rust is rusted. Like it was submerged deep in a lake and then pulled out.’

She remembered Giselle collapsing, saying she was seeing hallucinations.

‘I think she even mentioned the word “ghost.” Don’t tell me she’s been possessed by a Spiritual-Type Mysterious Phenomenon?!’

Realizing this, Kang Hana’s eyes widened.

She wasn’t new anymore—it had been half a year.

Though she was still a bit of a rookie, she had the basic knowledge.

She should have immediately thought of spiritual-type possession.

But for some reason, she had completely forgotten and had just been playing around.

“Why didn’t I think of this sooner…!”

Kang Hana rushed over to the nearby shade where her senior was groaning and shook her urgently.

The senior slowly opened her sleepy eyes and chuckled.

“Wow, I see three of you now. Or wait… two? One?”

She was still hallucinating, clearly.

Given that this place was an FPL research facility, the chances those hallucinations were real were dangerously high.

“Yes, it’s me, senior. Just one me—Kang Hana!”

Seeing her senior smiling in such an uncharacteristic way only made Kang Hana more anxious.

If her senior was smiling like that, the situation must be serious.

She hurriedly asked, “Senior, what was the last drink you asked me to bring you before you got demoted? Was it coffee or citron tea?”

At Kang Hana’s intense question, her senior blinked groggily, then chuckled like a fool.

“What are you talking about? When did you ever give me what I asked for… You always brought whatever you wanted.”

“Yes, that’s the real you, senior…”

Kang Hana let out a relieved sigh.

She had feared her senior might already be possessed—but at least for now, she was still herself.

Kang Hana helped her up.

“Senior, how do you feel right now? Please explain clearly.”

At her question, the senior rubbed her eyes and replied, “I’m tired. I feel… tired and fuzzy. My heart feels warm, and my head’s hazy, but it feels nice. Like I could sleep without nightmares…”

Then she collapsed.

Kang Hana was completely flustered by her senior suddenly collapsing into her arms as if surrendering his body to her.

“Ahhh, sunbae! You can’t fall asleep right now!”

No matter how much she shook him, he kept nodding off.

Convinced that he was just about to lose consciousness completely, Kang Hana grew anxious.

Kang Hana began searching for a solution.

‘What do I do? If I let him sleep like this… he won’t wake up no matter how much I shake him! How can I wake him up…?!’

Then, suddenly.

***

Kang Hana remembered the ball of fire she had been controlling freely just a little while ago.

‘I could definitely make it really small if I wanted.’

Kang Hana studied her senior’s behavior.

There was clearly nothing there, yet he waved his hand as if swatting away some giant invisible fly.

“Stop trying to wake me up, you one-eyed freak….”

Even at a glance, his condition looked serious.

Kang Hana took a deep breath and focused on the heat inside her chest.

‘I’ll have to burn his fingertips to wake him up.’

At that moment.

A faint flame began to spark inside the cool chamber of her heart.

The fact that she had somehow become an IF without even realizing it felt deeply unsettling.

Even so, Kang Hana desperately wished for the fire to emerge from her heart.

And just as warmth began to spread—

‘Judgment?’

‘Divine punishment.’

‘Karma?’

Kang Hana faced flames that surged up uncontrollably.

The fire blamed her.

Too many stray thoughts.

‘How dare you mock the gods.’

‘Blasphemy.’

As if to punish her, the flames erupted beyond her control and began to wrap around her entire body.

“Ahh, it’s hot…!”

Finally.

‘Destruction?’

The moment the word shot through her mind, Kang Hana collapsed to the ground without realizing it.

Her breathing had become heated and shallow at some point.

“It’s suddenly warm….”

She murmured those words, holding her peacefully sleeping senior in her arms.

Looking down at his calm face, Kang Hana muttered to herself.

“…Uh, what was I trying to do again?”

Her mind went completely blank.

Then, leaving the senior lying back in the corner where he’d originally been—

“Um… Sunbae, rest well, okay…?”

Kang Hana turned back toward Penguin Lulu.

She reached out toward the round back of Penguin Lulu, who sat alone in the middle of the ruins.

Slap.

Penguin Lulu swatted her hand away and ran off.

As if to say, there was no need to be held anymore.

“Wait, you let me hug you earlier… Why not now?”

Kang Hana whimpered, not understanding at all.

“Ugh, it’s cold again…”

Giselle, still asleep, let out a faint whine too—but no one was listening.

Kwangcheol sobbed and ran, trying to escape from Weiran’s terrifying grasp.

His cheeks had already been caught several times and were red with clear handprints.

If he got caught again, he wouldn’t be able to endure it.

Sensing this, Kwangcheol ran desperately—but he had reached his limit.

The difference in their stride was too great, and he had never been in a position to fully shake her off anyway.

It had been an unwinnable chase from the start.

Kwangcheol was cornered.

He turned around, trembling, and saw Weiran reaching out toward him with a chilling smile.

Kwangcheol squeezed his eyes shut, protecting his poor cheeks.

‘OFCHOH…!’

And then.

Crash!

A loud smashing sound rang out as something burst through the wall.

Kwangcheol cautiously opened his eyes to see what had appeared.

A completely white figure.

Kwangcheol’s eyes widened, and he cautiously called out its name.

“Seonjo…?”

Hop.

The figure dusted off bits of debris and approached Kwangcheol with quick little steps.

There was no mistaking it.

Wings, horns, and even a tail.

It was the ancient dragon god of the great lake—Seonjo-nim.

Kwangcheol, still clutching his cheeks, was filled with questions.

‘Why is he here…???’

Even while being chased, Kwangcheol had at least kept his dignity and hadn’t dared ask Seonjo-nim for help.

Yet Seonjo-nim appeared without hesitation, stepping in between Kwangcheol and Weiran.

As if to shield Kwangcheol from her.

‘Seonjo-nim, could it be…?’

Then.

Seonjo-nim gently scooped Kwangcheol up into his arms.

That warm touch brought tears of emotion to Kwangcheol’s eyes.

‘Seonjo-nim…!! Even a sinner like me, you came to save… How merciful you are… Thank you, truly thank you….’

Kwangcheol’s heart overflowed with gratitude and trust toward Seonjo-nim.

His chest grew warm.

Kwangcheol smiled blissfully.

Seonjo-nim reached out to comfort Kwangcheol’s sore cheeks.

Feeling that affectionate touch, Kwangcheol finally lowered the hands covering his cheeks.

Seonjo-nim patted his cheeks a few times, then muttered to himself.

“This really is the best spot.”

And he sent an odd thought to Kwangcheol.

‘Huh…?’

The moment Kwangcheol looked up at Seonjo-nim—

Stretch.

Seonjo-nim grabbed Kwangcheol’s cheeks and yanked them as hard as he could.

Unlike Weiran, who at least had some restraint, Seonjo-nim showed no mercy—he was a ruthless cheek-stretching monster.

“Seonjo-nim..? Seonjo-nim?? Seonjo… nim…?”

Feeling the pain.

Realizing the situation.

And in utter shock and betrayal—

Three seconds later, Kwangcheol burst into tears.

“Seonjo-nim, not the cheeks, pleaaase…!!”

Seonjo-nim laughed.

“As expected, they’re perfectly squishy.”

Heehee.

A wicked chuckle echoed through the air.