episode_0347

Through the sacrifice of one, all things attain eternal life.

Is that the right thing to do?

(You are a worthless human.)

(Nothing can be changed. No matter how hard you try, nothing will.)

I remember.

I try to recall the things I’ve forgotten.

(So, we’ll make use of you. Just keep suffering for us, Euna.)

A morning waking up to heavy eyelids.

The first thing ‘Euna’ does upon regaining her senses is

preparing meals for the orphanage children.

……

(Today is storybook day.)

A fairy tale the children loved reading.

Occasionally, ‘Euna’ would read the books the ‘director’ brought.

A story about a tree that gives without holding back.

The ‘director’ said the tree became valuable because it shared everything it had.

(Euna, you too must live a life of giving.)

(Who knows. Perhaps if I ■■ even you could become valuable.)

(I shall be your mother.)

Floor B7. A firmly sealed steel door.

There lived the tree that gave without restraint.

The ‘director’ cut its branches to feed the orphanage children,

drained its sap to distribute to ‘orphanage sponsors’,

and took even more.

The tree that gave endlessly.

The children who grew up eating its branches.

The sickly child regained health,

and the dying child ran and played in the courtyard with friends.

(Hello! Hello! Are you Papa’s friend?)

(You little rascal. Call me Director.)

Children resembling the tree.

The ‘director’, who brought freshly cut branches every day.

They adored her—the one who fed them, kept them healthy—

calling her the tree that gives without restraint.

(…….)

The story of the endless giver.

In the end, the naive young tree was only ever valuable to one.

(……Director. When will you return?)

And there, on the seventh basement floor,

in a place no one visits, ■■ absentmindedly stroked the fairy tale book.

(……I wish you’d come soon.)

Even though she could no longer read it, her vision gone,

she was still happy.

Because the only one who ever came looking for her was the ‘director’.

The tree that gives without holding back.

When will you return? Which part will you take this time?

Lonely, the young tree gave pieces of herself freely,

wishing for the ‘director’ to come back soon.

……

……

“……Are you a star?”

“I’m Euna.”

“Ah… Hello.”

And then—

one day.

“My name is… Harin.”

The tree met the girl.

……

……

Abducted to sever ties with the Potion Brewing Room, only to find that [Facility] had already been unlawfully occupied by aberrations.

A subterranean research lab, quiet enough to make eardrums ache.

Did a researcher scrape up a torn ‘guide’ from the orphanage?

This is why you shouldn’t pick up things off the ground carelessly.

Ziiik—

That’s what I thought while unzipping the carrier.

“Mmm~.”

“Euna. What are you up to?”

“See for yourself.”

“……Hmph.”

Dinner was over.

No one touched the ‘steak’ served at the table, and Euna and the beasts left the cafeteria with slight hunger lingering.

“Groaaanlk… Th-then, kids done eating, go play a bit and get ready for bed.”

The aberration granny of the cafeteria tore into the ‘director’ for disrupting business.

After awkwardly piecing torn limbs together, ‘it’ disappeared somewhere with a warm smile.

“Is staying here part of the rules? Troublesome.”

“I’ll handle that part.”

“Think you can?”

“Probably. So, Mother and Kim Sarang, could you check what [Facility] had been doing? Find evidence or something.”

Free time after that.

Euna decided to delegate roles.

Kim Sarang and Kim Hayang would scout [Facility].

Among the survivors, ‘Skate’, the least unhinged, didn’t know much about [Facility].

Apparently, he was sent by the Potion Brewing Room to check on the suddenly silent [Facility].

“I-I’ll help! I’ll do anything, just spare me!”

“…Fine. ‘Skate’, assist Kim Hayang. Do that, and I’ll make you forget everything that happened here.”

Bound by the rules, unable to leave [Facility], ‘Skate’ cut the steak while suppressing nausea to avoid starving.

Euna resolved to use everything at her disposal.

Krrrk—

And so, Euna’s role was to find a way to escape [Facility].

Dealing with aberrations is familiar territory.

Humming an old agitation, she pulled out a worn handsaw.

“Do not leave… So even aberrations can’t get out of this [Facility], huh?”

Krrrk—

The world grows more sinister by the day.

So I’ll be the most sinister of all.

……

……

“[Sigh.]”

8:30 PM.

Guildmaster Kim Hayang of [Heavenly Sword Sect] fell into contemplation.

Twenty minutes into investigating [Facility] at Euna’s request.

Walking aimlessly through musty underground corridors, she stumbled upon a large research lab.

“Urgh…”

Rummaging through the lab, she easily found stacks of documents.

Perhaps due to the sudden appearance of aberrations, the lab remained frozen in time—potions mid-experiment, scattered papers, even delivered ingredients still boxed.

Too busy dying to hide research material, I guess.

Easier to find evidence than expected.

“Um… Guildmaster Kim Hayang?”

“Address me properly.”

“My apologies! Guildmaster Kim Hayang!”

Frowning at papers sprawled across the desk, Kim Hayang remained unaware of ‘Skate’, who cautiously approached.

“Er… What are you doing?”

“Is staring not proof enough? I’m reading.”

“You can read those?”

“No.”

So you’re just faking it.

What kind of person are you?

‘Skate’ pinched her forehead.

Peering over Kim Hayang’s shoulder, she read aloud:

“Recovery stats of potions brewed with hunter organs… What? Organs?”

“You can read this?”

“Yeah. Roughly.”

Whoosh!

Papers in hand, Kim Hayang abruptly lifted them.

Exhausted from overthinking, she leaned her head against ‘Skate’s abdomen.

‘Skate’, stunned by the casual proximity to a major guild leader,

read the documents more carefully—then grimaced at their horrific contents.

“Wha— This is insane!”

“Explain.”

“[Facility] ground people into potions! Charts comparing recovery rates from civilians, regular hunters, and healing-type hunters… ‘Materials’ purchased from black-market human trafficking victims.”

Their goal: replicate the discontinued [Galaxy Potion] and reclaim past glory.

But traffickers active in [Milky Way Crevice] were caught,

and detective Do Jong-ha raided a trafficking ring on the outskirts, drastically reducing ‘material’ supply.

“Then Chief Go Young-in imported [Silver River Potion], further destabilizing their standing… It’s all here.”

“……You seem genuinely unaware. Likely truthful.”

“I joined this March. When the inspection team didn’t return, Team Leader Jajangmin sent me—the most expendable. Human canary.”

First time in [Facility], apparently.

No wonder she fought tooth and nail to survive. Unfair.

“……Jajangmin was arrested today for ‘crevice bombing terrorism’. With these crimes, Potion Brewing Room won’t last long.”

“No way! That bastard Jajangmin got locked up? Hell yeah!! Living was worth it~!”

A hint of life returned to the silent [Facility].

Kim Hayang tucked away certain documents, then handed others to ‘Skate’.

Examining them, ‘Skate’ began explaining with lighter tone.

……Thud. Thud.

And then—

while reviewing papers one by one—

Thud—… Thud—

From beyond the closed lab door,

footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway.

“…….”

“…….”

Thud.

Damp footsteps.

The two set down research files, holding their breath.

Thud. Thud.

‘Something’ prowled the halls. An aberration?

Kim Hayang tried recalling [Facility]’s ‘rules’, but her rock brain failed her.

“It’s… definitely a monster.”

“Monster?… No rules come to mind.”

“…Not the ‘guide’ aberrations. Others I’ve seen.”

Different aberrations.

[The Awakened] can see them.

Even those from ‘unseen guides’.

Suddenly, Kim Hayang remembered the ‘cross-shaped keychain’ dangling from her daughter’s sword.

“I see… Lucky to survive. How, without knowing the rules?”

“Well, ‘survive’ isn’t quite—”

“Hm?”

“Sometimes… new monsters would peek inside through the steel door, then leave.”

“Just left?”

“They said entering means never leaving, didn’t wanna meet Polaris… stuff like that.”

“Due to the no-escape rule.”

Thud. Thud.

But now, unfamiliar footsteps echoed.

Had something entered, accepting [Facility]’s confinement?

No knowledge of rules—how to survive?

‘……Ah, right! That busty girl handed me something earlier.’

Whoosh!

‘Skate’, trembling, grabbed a book left nearby.

(“Be back after checking the halls. Borrow this [Black Book]—read it if trouble comes.”)

(“Got anything for me?”)

(“Can you read?”)

(“No.”)

A pitch-black [Black Book].

Supposedly containing rules.

Told to flip to the bookmarked page if she or Kim Sarang went missing.

Thud—. Thud—.

The thing in the hall drew closer.

‘Skate’ clutched the [Black Book], gasping as she opened it—

“……Huh? Wha?”

Crreak…

Yet no matter how hard she pulled, it wouldn’t budge.

Pages fused as if glued, blackened paper stubbornly stuck.

Squelch…

No—this wasn’t a book.

Like tearing at human skin,

a grotesque, horrifying texture.

An enigma.

Giving up, ‘Skate’ retreated with Kim Hayang to the lab’s far corner.

‘What? Why?’

Incomprehensible.

The [Black Book] meant for emergencies—unopenable.

The entity outside—unrecognizable.

Had prolonged confinement in [Facility] driven her mad?

Thud—. Thud—.

Squeak…

The ‘thing’ opened a door.

A lab some distance from theirs.

『…Not here.』

Click.

The sound of it closing.

Then footsteps again,

forward.

Thud—. Thud—.

Squeak…

Another lab door opened.

『……Not here.』

Closer now.

It was searching for someone.

Clunk—.

Door shut.

Thud… Thud…

White hallway.

Damp footsteps.

Squeak…

Door opens.

『…Not here either.』

Click.

Lab by lab, it marched down the hall.

‘Definitely a monster. No doubt.’

‘Skate’ was certain.

In this aberration-claimed [Facility],

only monsters would act like this.

No way it’s human.

Not in its right mind.

“Wh-What do we do…? Where to hide…”

“Calm down. Your heartbeat is noisy.”

“You can hear my heart?”

“……Ah, that was mine. Apologies.”

Kim Hayang nodded, hand clutching her chest.

Unbelievable. How so composed?

‘Skate’ bit her nails anxiously.

How to survive?

Could she make it out alive?

Thud… Thud…

Meanwhile, the ‘thing’ reached

the very lab they hid in.

『…….』

Squeak…

The door opened.

A metallic stench wafted through the gap.

Thump. Thump.

Kim Hayang, oddly unfazed.

‘Skate’, steeling herself after a glare at her:

“Huu…! Guildmaster! Attack together or run!”

“Hm? Wait.”

“Waaaah!!!”

Channeling mana, ‘Skate’ charged

at the figure entering—

Squish…!

Her face plunged into immense softness.

…….

『……What are you doing?”

Euna, handsaw in hand.

Pushed onto the hallway floor, hugging the sobbing ‘Skate’.

…Come to think of it, she did say she’d scout the halls.

Finally grasping the situation, ‘Skate’—face buried in Euna’s bountiful chest—hid her beet-red nape.

“…….”

“Euna. No trouble?”

“None. But I didn’t find the ‘director’. Seen them?”

“No.”

Kim Hayang approached, ignoring the mortified ‘Skate’.

The eerie atmosphere from earlier vanished as Euna absentmindedly patted ‘Skate’s head.

Had she been hunting the ‘director’ aberration?

Truly, a brave woman in strange places.

“Why’s ‘Skate’ like this? Too long in [Facility] shaken her up?”

“She told me to attack you with her.”

“Oh… Aberrations are the danger now. Do that later.”

So ‘later’ is fine?

Typical soft-spoken Euna.

Yet that occasional eerie aura—what was it?

Unconsciously, Kim Hayang distanced herself from Euna’s handsaw.

‘Euna… isn’t normal. Neither are the incidents revolving around her.’

Was Euna an aberration?

Or becoming one?

…At the very least, no ordinary human.

Kim Hayang silently observed Euna comforting ‘Skate’.

(On Floor B7, the day everything burned, the ‘director’ died stabbed.)

(……How do you know, Euna?)

(I saw it.)

Kim Hayang studied her intently.

Then—

recalling the lab files and orphanage intel—

“……Euna.”

“Yes?”

“Ever considered joining [Heavenly Sword Sect]?”

She quietly asked.

……

……

“Bark…! Bark…!”

Meanwhile—

Kim Sarang, separated from the group, explored [Facility].

“Bark…! Bark…!”

“Quiet at night…! Must be quiet…!”

Guarding the agitated Jjong amidst hallway growls, she drew her sword at the approaching ‘director’.

“You monsters… What did you do… to Euna Do-ryeo?!”

At Euna’s request, Kim Sarang scoured [Facility] for research.

Now, in her hands—[Galaxy Potion]’s recipe.

“Bark! Bark!”

“Nighttime… quiet…! Must stay quiet…!”

Traumatized, the ‘director’ cringed at Jjong’s barks and scurried away.

Perhaps haunted by memories of noisy nights.

“Stay back!!”

“Sarang. What’s wrong?”

Kim Hayang arrived, white robes fluttering.

Behind her, ‘Skate’ clutching the [Black Book] and handsaw-wielding Euna.

“Where’s the director?”

“That way! I saw it clearly!”

Like a hunter tracking prey, Euna demanded directions

and, without hesitation, Kim Sarang pointed.

Euna, cupping her ample chest, hurried after.

“……Phew. Mama-ma-ma-ma.”

“‘Ma’ only thrice.”

“Mama-ma. Remember the saying: ‘When the Jjong barks, evil flees’?”

“Right. Our Jjong’s a breed… So?”

“Jjong barked like hell, so hellish evil fled.”

“Language, dear.”

Time passed.

The sapling grew, meeting someone to share love with.

Flap—

With a grave face, Kim Sarang handed the [Galaxy Potion] documents to Kim Hayang.

“……This is…!”

Kim Hayang’s face darkened as she covered her mouth.

“This is… what?”

She couldn’t see.