Chapter 8 : Posture Of Submission

[Anomaly Control Department/Anomaly Analysis Team Zone A-2]

Beyond the glass wall, it lay crouched, holding its breath.

Its heavy body was pressed against the floor, and the restraints were tightened at the same angle as yesterday.

There was no sound of breathing, nor any movement of its eyelids.

Yet, this room always carried a sense of tension.

The anomaly, Pamyoh.

It was a recent addition to the containment facility.

“Status: No abnormalities.”

The researcher from the Anomaly Analysis Team, Dr. Lim Hyo-rin, muttered softly as she organized the observation log.

She belonged to a team that studied ‘exceptions’ not covered by the manual.

Reactions in situations outside of the records,

Unexplained behaviors, unpredictable patterns, etc.

Her job was to observe and analyze such elements.

Of course, the manual provides adequate guidelines on how to handle and caution for anomalies,
but it doesn’t explain why certain things happen.

Why do anomalies repeat certain behaviors?

What do they prefer, dislike, and respond to?

These inner workings are not kindly explained.

To her, Pamyoh was quite an interesting subject.

“D-class threat level, and yet it caused such a commotion…”

It was calm now, but in the recent incident, it had been anything but.

The event at the ‘Future Anomaly Research Institute,’ an illegal experimental facility, was a catastrophe that completely denied the manual’s prescribed ‘D-class threat level.’

It killed humans.

It controlled them.

It bit, tore apart, and ate without hesitation.

The anomaly’s behavior deviated sharply from what the manual suggested.

It was an interesting subject for her.

Even after being transferred to the research facility, Pamyoh continued to rampage for a while.

It struggled to escape and even slammed its head against the glass wall.

But at some point, it suddenly became eerily quiet.

Deadly still, never once looking in their direction.

It was as though it was waiting for someone.

Dr. Lim Hyo-rin adjusted the observation log again.

The only survivor of the massacre caused by Pamyoh, Kim Min-woo.

There were somewhat unusual reports about him.

“After attacking the subject, Pamyoh behaved as if it was protecting the target.”

At face value, it was quite intriguing, but in the field of anomaly experts, it was commonly classified as a ‘coincidental result.’

Anomalies can mimic kindness, but they can never possess it.

They are strictly driven by instincts and are calculating.

Anomalies and humans cannot coexist without a price.

Some anomalies demand human memories, some anomalies swallow names.

Even seemingly friendly reactions are merely conditional stability, based on a transaction.

Dr. Lim Hyo-rin knew this well.

Through dozens of experiments, hundreds of reports, and the colleagues who never returned.

For that reason, she didn’t hold much hope for today’s decision to involve Kim Min-woo in the experiment.

The situation at the time may have been pure luck.

Or perhaps… Pamyoh simply didn’t care.

It was then.

The quiet anomaly let out a sound.

“…Kiiing.”

Its body twitched.

Pamyoh, lowering its posture, lifted its head.

It slowly turned its gaze toward the glass wall.

Those eyes were clearly fixed on something.

Dr. Hyo-rin followed its gaze and turned her head.

At the end of the corridor, under the cold fluorescent lights,
a man slowly emerged and began walking toward them.

A slouched, delinquent-looking posture, sharp, cold eyes.

An unforgettable name: Kim Min-woo.

The moment he appeared,
the anomaly moved.

Its massive body, which had been completely still, began to rise off the floor, and a faint, strained breath escaped its mouth.

Dr. Hyo-rin froze.

Just moments ago, the anomaly hadn’t shown any reaction, but now,
it was definitely expressing emotions.

It was a very familiar sight.

A dog and its owner.

It was as if the dog was meeting its owner after a long time.

Pamyoh was wagging its tail in front of the glass wall.

The white room where Baek Seok-ho and Kim Min-woo arrived.

In it was Nuri.

It had been restrained so it couldn’t move easily,
but such measures were an obvious response considering the danger it posed.

“Heh-heh-heh…”

Beyond the glass wall, the anomaly was panting, sticking out its tongue.

A strange silence fell throughout the corridor as everyone processed the unusual scene.

“Wait, is it really reacting like that? The anomaly… looking at a human…?”

Baek Seok-ho muttered softly from the side.

He seemed to fall deep in thought, lowering his head.

Without looking at him, I kept my focus on Nuri.

Our eyes met.

The emotion in those eyes—happiness.

It remembered me.

No, it was something more than just memory.

It seemed like it had been waiting for me.

I took a step toward the glass door.

“Min-woo.”

A bright voice came from behind.

I turned my head to see a woman in a black suit, holding a bunch of snacks.

Choi Yu-ri.

She was the same face I had seen a few days ago at the hospital.

“You can get closer to Pamyoh. We’ll be keeping an eye on you from the side.”

“Are you sure… it’s really okay?”

At my question, Choi Yu-ri confidently patted her chest with a triumphant smile.

“Of course. Thanks to the restraints, it can’t move at all. And both our team leader and I are professionals when it comes to anomalies. Believe me, I’m a field expert! Heh-heh.”

Her confident tone made me nod in agreement.

“Besides, I can read the emotions of anomalies. If Pamyoh starts having bad intentions, I’ll just punch it out—wham! No worries!”

She swung her tiny fist around with an exaggerated motion.

Her awkward stance didn’t inspire much confidence, but since she claimed to be an expert, I decided to trust her.

“I’ll stay behind you,” Choi Yu-ri said with a playful smile and stepped aside.

With a loud thud, the glass door opened.

The anomaly remained still.

Not moving an inch,
it slowly dragged its tail across the floor.

I cautiously stepped into the room.

It was still staring at me intently.

Surprisingly, its gaze was calm and oddly warm.

It’s been a while, I thought.

Only after saying the words did I realize how strange it sounded.

It had bitten my arm before.

And now, I was saying, “It’s been a while.”

But Pamyoh, for some reason, seemed so happy to see me.

It panted loudly, like an excited puppy.

Choi Yu-ri spoke softly.

“It’s happy right now. The tail movement and the look in its eyes—its emotions are so pure. I’ve never felt this kind of emotion from an anomaly before.”

I unknowingly stopped moving.

The realization that this enormous anomaly was happy to see me.

It was a strange feeling.

Could it really be that this creature had affection for me?

I wanted to verify whether the Bureau’s words were true.

Can I touch it?

“Yes. If it shows any signs of danger, I’ll immediately call for a halt.”

Choi Yu-ri exchanged glances with the researchers beyond the glass wall.

They nodded lightly in approval.

I slowly extended my hand.

“Nuri…?”

At the sound of my voice, the anomaly responded.

It pushed its large head toward me
and rubbed its nose against my hand.

I could feel its texture.

It was damp, warm, and surprisingly soft.

It really is just like a dog.

A small laugh escaped me.

The monster that once bit my arm.

Now, it rested its head on my hand, eyes closed.

I cautiously began to stroke its neck.

At that moment.

The anomaly’s jaw opened.

Its teeth bared.

It was about to bite my arm…

…And then,

“No!”

I shouted, not out of fear, but out of instinct.

It was an unconscious reflex.

If I said I wasn’t scared, that would be a lie.

It was just that the words came out first.

Then something surprising happened.

Nuri flinched and sat down in place.

Its ears drooped, eyes avoided mine,
and its head buried into the ground.

Really…

Like a dog that had been scolded.

Is this a sign of submission?

Choi Yu-ri gasped in admiration.

It wasn’t just her who held her breath.

Beyond the glass wall, Baek Seok-ho, the researchers, all the observers.

They were all silently watching the situation unfold.

I didn’t know how to process this situation.

And then, breaking the silence, it was my voice.

“…Did you see Butterfly when I passed out?”

Nuri reacted.

The atmosphere shifted.

Its tail hit the ground a couple of times.

Choi Yu-ri interpreted.

“It’s a positive response.”

“Then… do you know where it is now?”

A brief silence followed.

The anomaly slowly turned its head to the left, then whined softly and lowered its head.

It seems to show a sulking emotion. I think it means it doesn’t know.

I nodded.

I hadn’t expected much.

I just thought I’d ask, just in case.

“That’s enough. This is good enough.”

I stood up from my seat.

Nuri tried to follow, but

I quietly said,

“Stay here.”

At those words,

Nuri obediently sat back down.

“Thank you for your hard work, Min-woo. That last moment, when Pamyoh followed the command… that was such a surprising response! An anomaly following a human…
You really are going to be the ace of our team!”

Choi Yu-ri said with a twinkle in her eyes.

“An almost superhuman new recruit! I’m looking forward to the upcoming orientation!”

I followed the guide out of the containment area.

In the corridor, the researchers hurriedly gathered around.

Nuri’s reaction was something unprecedented since the observation started, and their voices were filled with excitement.

I suddenly became curious.

Could Nuri be in the manual I received here…?

Curious, I checked the manual.

[Entity: Pamyoh]

Name: Nuri

Danger Level: D

Characteristics:

• Likes praise.
• Shows affection through playful behavior.
• Afraid of being scolded.
• Waits for commands from recognized individuals. Considers them the ‘owner.’
• Will faithfully obey commands such as “Fetch.”
  Note:
• Has lost its ‘owner’ before, leading to a trauma that causes it to become obsessed with obeying commands.

“…Huh?”

My hand froze.

I couldn’t find that sentence.

Only “It sometimes shows excessive affection”

That sentence had vanished completely.

As if it had never existed.

I kept my gaze fixed and quietly closed the book.

Thoughts swirled in my mind.

Had this detail been missing from the manual from the beginning?

Or… had someone erased it?

Or maybe…

Had the manual itself changed something?