Chapter 58: IF-017-1 Part 11

Wow, look at that tail! It’s like she’s holding an SD character, and when she let go… Every time the researcher pats it, it sways gently.

The continuous broadcast of the ghost from Gamma Class G-6022.

“… I don’t care.”

Giselle deliberately turned her head away.

It was then that Giselle was trying to ignore IF-017.

[Ah, she’s yawning! Now! Right now!]

The ghost suddenly became excited and pointed at IF-017.

“Where? Where?!”

Giselle’s head snapped back reflexively.

IF-017 didn’t move at all.

“She’s not yawning.”

Giselle looked up at the ghost with a confused expression.

The ghost then burst into a giggle.

[Of course not, it’s a lie.]

“… Are you crazy?”

Only then did Giselle snap back to reality, and her face hardened.

This was definitely strange.

The absence of mental contamination was unbelievable.

To hold onto her sanity, Giselle repeated the regulations in her mind.

But the warmth spreading deep within her chest made her head foggy again, making it difficult to concentrate.

“What was it? What was it… I can’t let this happen…”

Giselle mumbled these words, her voice trailing off.

With a gloomy expression, she grabbed the hem of Commander Long Weilan’s coat.

“Weilan, something’s wrong… I can’t remember Section 14, Clause 4! What was it…?”

Weilan frowned as she watched Giselle whine.

“Who carries a book thicker than the Bible around and asks me about it? Stop whining and let go.”

She looked at her as if she were pitiful.

“I used to carry it around…”

It was the first time Giselle had been looked at like this, and she felt suddenly small.

But no matter what, Weilan’s answer was brief.

“So what?”

***

After being dismissed by Weilan, Giselle, feeling abandoned, kept glancing at IF-017 from the corner.

Now that she was no longer with Weilan, Giselle found herself looking at IF-017 almost every 3 seconds.

[You’re not even trying to hide that you’re looking at her, huh?]

Ignoring the ghost’s teasing, Giselle defended herself awkwardly.

“… I’m just looking out for my junior. She’s just like you, so I can’t trust her. You never know when she might be in danger…”

She kept her gaze fixed on IF-017 as she spoke.

[Does she look like me? Could she be the junior the researcher talked about last time?]

Giselle ignored the ghost’s chattering and considered the possibility of her holding IF-017.

IF-017.

A top-tier anomalous entity, worshipped and revered by the IF-017-1s.

Just thinking about it made her body tremble in fear.

Her PTSD flared up again, and she felt like she could hear the phantom voices of IF-017-1 taking away her first junior.

But her racing heart told a different story.

IF-017.

The cutest, most lovable thing in the world, something she wanted to protect, care for, and get closer to endlessly.

The thought of holding her filled Giselle with overwhelming joy and ecstasy.

‘… This is full assimilation… no, assimilation…’

Such thoughts were swiftly erased as her mind went blank.

Confused and uncertain, Giselle kept glancing at IF-017.

She trembled, unable to control herself, and let out a faint growl.

Seeing Giselle in this state, Weilan seemed to be deep in thought.

“… She looks pretty bad. Should I just throw her over my shoulder and leave? I’ll have to abandon the researcher holding IF-017…”

His dilemma grew deeper.

***

The 017-1 Auxiliary Base.

In the bedroom of Emily Harper, who had gone to bed early.

Someone, or rather, ‘something,’ was smiling.

“So, what happens next?”

At the sound of the question, Emily, who had been lying with her eyes closed, broke out in a cold sweat, looking like she was having a serious nightmare.

“So… the body of 017-1 breaks down, leaving behind a will…”

Emily got no further before twisting her body, as if she couldn’t bear it any longer.

“I see.”

At that, the ‘something’ removed its hand, and Emily seemed to relax, breathing heavily.

The Director of the 4th Research Institute of FPL.

“Yes, yes, maybe it was okay when they both were asleep, but now that the Guardian has awakened, and our ■■■ has noticed the new recruit, this shouldn’t have happened, right?”

He looked down at Emily, a smirk curling on his lips.

“Congratulations, you’ve accumulated karma.”

“OO…”

Emily made a sound as if she was about to wake up, tossing and turning.

A moment later, she jolted awake, glancing around as if she felt someone had sneaked into her bedroom.

She looked around frantically.

But no one was there.

“Ugh, I knew I was going to have a nightmare…”

Sighing in relief, Emily wiped the cold sweat from her face and tried to go back to sleep.

***

On the roof of the 017-1 Auxiliary Base.

Amidst the light rain, someone was watching over Emily.

With a delighted expression, ‘E’ smiled widely.

“I told you I’d visit sometimes, didn’t I?”

Despite the lack of waterproofing, E’s gray coat didn’t get wet.

If you considered the sequence of events, it was clear—since E didn’t get wet, there was no need to add waterproofing to the coat.

E looked out over the vast marshland beyond the 017-1 Auxiliary Base, muttering quietly.

“Now that I’m here, should I take a look?”

The numerous sensors at the 017-1 auxiliary base, prepared to defend against the threatening IF-017-1s, failed to detect E.

E moved forward without any interference.

“Was it over there?”

Beyond the 017-1 auxiliary base, the restricted zone.

Officially, it was known as a dangerous area, marked off-limits due to its extreme risk.

Of course, it was indeed dangerous.

It would have been impossible for an ordinary human to walk here.

The real reason, however, was different.

The 017-1 auxiliary base had been specifically ordered to be built here, but that wasn’t something E needed to know.

E couldn’t help but admire the sight in front of them.

What appeared after passing through the swamp-covered area was.

Now, it was a tightly closed “entrance.”

“Wow… this is just a passage? And it’s even closed?”

E, who had heard that same praise countless times, was now struck with awe.

It was more than just vague imagination.

Without realizing it, E swallowed with a gulp.

“At this point… I can understand why we were so concerned…”

Although E knew that swallowing would probably cause trouble, they couldn’t help but feel tempted.

While muttering to themself, E chuckled, thinking of Emily.

“Funny, the 017-1 base personnel don’t even know why their base is here. How unfortunate!”

E laughed merrily, completely unaffected.

And then, E vanished as though they’d never been there.

Something felt off.

It was uncomfortable.

“Ugh, ow…!! Lulu, hold on…!”

As E shifted, Kang Hana flinched.

This wasn’t what I expected.

I thought I’d be more comfortable, but this is far from it.

Come to think of it, I was already deep in a lake, and now I was stranded in the middle of dry land.

On top of that, with the air conditioning on, everything around me felt too dry.

The dryness made my mouth feel like it was about to crack open.

Ugh, at this rate, I’m going to end up like a dried squid at the Dragon God’s place…

‘Is there a solution?’

Human memories always had a way of being surprisingly useful, so I figured there might be something I could use.

A solution for dryness… there must be one.

‘A humidifier? Do I need to turn that on?’

‘Wait, I should be explaining what that is, not just throwing the name out there and disappearing!’

‘Hey. Come back!!’

But no matter how much I tried to call back, human memories refused to resurface.

‘Who knew a mere memory could be so useless?’

Sigh.

I slowly opened my eyes.

“Gyah…”

Even though my eyes were open, I was still seeing images of a lovely landscape.

I really can’t give up like this…

‘Wait a minute. Maybe I gave up too easily.’

‘If the lake had completely dried up, that might be different, but it hasn’t, right?’

It’s just the entrance to the lake that’s closed.

I don’t even know how to open it, but…

It’s still an entrance.

‘If I go closer, I should be able to find it somehow.’

‘Even if I don’t remember the exact location, I’m sure my body has memorized it.’

‘If I get closer, I’ll definitely find it.’

With that thought, my mood lifted a little.

“Clink clink.”

Good.

I sent my thoughts out to my descendants.

‘What?’

‘Huh?’

‘Is that you, ancestor…?’

Except for Kang Hana, who still couldn’t understand my thoughts, all of them were listening intently.

That’s good.

I sent my thoughts to Nessho.

‘Are you talking about the entrance near the lake that was closed and surprised us? Alright, I’m going!’

Awwww.

I nodded in satisfaction as the passage opened smoothly.

Good. Everyone, go ahead.

‘Yeah.’

‘Yes…’

And finally, the beep.

I watched as all my descendants entered Nessho’s passage and rose from Kang Hana’s arms.

“Lulu, this is… Ah, it’s your ability, Penguin Lulu. Can I come in too?”

Kang Hana gently rubbed the marks on her skin as she spoke.

Not long ago, she would have said something frustrating, but now, she understood what I was saying.

I nodded.

“Okay.”

Kang Hana smiled and leaned into the passage.

Her upper body entered…

Hmm.

Something’s off.

‘Why did she stop with just her upper body inside?’

“72…?”

I asked, confused.

Kang Hana remained silent but flinched.

‘What’s going on? Why is she doing this?’

I crossed my arms and waited for a while, then I heard a voice from the passage.

“Lulu, I’m stuck. Help me.”

Kang Hana’s careful plea for help left me speechless.

“I can’t get my chest out…”

“Oh dear, Hana.”

‘What on earth does that even mean?’

“Yaaah!”