Chapter 363: Hero
Sizzle-spurt! Sizzle-spurt!
A continuous sizzling sound reached our ears, and we had to keep moving without rest.
"..."
No one bothered to speak.
We all knew what kind of resolve the person who went ahead must have had.
"This way."
The man who had been maintaining the silence led us.
"Time is short. We should hurry."
Sizzle-spurt!
A louder sound assaulted our ears.
The man quickened his pace.
After walking for some time, the sizzling sound was no longer audible.
The man looked up at the ceiling with a bitter expression.
"It's something I always think, but risking your life for something... it's truly terrifying."
"..."
I didn't know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut. The Theater Director spoke as if to comfort me.
"It's alright. He probably went without pain."
Even knowing that didn't change much.
We continued walking down the flickering corridor until the man looked at me.
"Still, it's really fortunate."
"Huh?"
"The fact that the HR Team is here means it will be resolved, right?"
"Where did you hear that ru—"
No. Let's not.
I stopped speaking and looked at him.
The emotion in his gaze as he looked at me.
It wasn't belief.
It was hope.
Not the belief that I would solve this situation, but the hope that I could be the person to solve it.
If he had believed in me, I would have told him not to.
"...That's right."
I nodded slowly.
"It can be resolved. Don't worry."
"...That's a relief."
His voice, having heard my answer, was tinged with relief. The other man walking quietly beside us also looked at me with relieved eyes.
Right.
If saying "there's no problem" could lessen others' worries, then I had no choice but to say it.
"A hero doesn't become one because they want to, but because others start to regard them as a hero."
Then, the Theater Director muttered beside me.
"So that's the plot of this story. How vicious. Forcing someone into the role of a hero."
"..."
I couldn't help but agree with the Theater Director. It was truly vicious.
*
"Here it is."
After walking down a deserted path for who knows how long, we finally stood before an old door.
"..."
A door I hadn't seen in a very long time was before my eyes.
The door I had entered with Yu Daon.
If I went inside, there would be an old computer—
Creeeak...
Cutting off my thoughts, the man opened the door and went inside. I followed behind him.
Sure enough, a single, very old computer was before us, looking exactly as it always did.
The man took out the USB I had given him and slowly plugged it into the computer.
"It will take some time."
As he muttered in a calm voice, the other man who had been silently listening to our conversation until then stepped towards the doorway.
"You plugged the USB in correctly, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'll go on ahead."
"Alright. See you later."
Speaking as if it were nothing, the man stepped outside. On the computer screen, the words <Loading> appeared, and a bar began to fill up slowly.
The bar filling slowly from 1%.
Soon, the sound of heavy footsteps began to echo.
"The isolation objects aren't fools either."
The man continued muttering in his still-calm voice.
"When an emergency isolation procedure starts, they all know. They know it's dangerous if this continues."
"..."
"Normally, there's a system the Management Team uses, but when all systems fail like now, people have to step up directly."
"Stepping up directly means..."
"That's right. You have to use your wits to attract the isolation objects' attention, survive for a long time, and buy time."
"What if we just hide here together..."
"If this place gets discovered, it's all over."
Still speaking as if it were nothing, the man looked at me.
"It's okay. That friend knew what he was doing and volunteered."
"..."
"We can succeed, right?"
"...Of course. We must succeed."
We absolutely had to bring this act to a proper close.
I looked towards the door.
"Still, if he's lucky, he might survive."
He continued speaking.
"Then we can meet later and talk about it. Share a drink and argue about who was more courageous."
CRUNCH!
A sound of something being crushed came from far away.
I'd heard that sound before.
The sound of human flesh being pulverized.
"He's dead."
And the Theater Director muttered in a flat voice.
Both I and the man heard the sound, but neither of us mentioned its source.
"Normally, I wouldn't lose. But this time, I guess I'll have to let it slide."
The man laughed hollowly and looked at the screen.
<30%>
"What's it like outside?"
"Outside?"
"With monsters like these running loose, it must be indescribably horrific."
"...That's right."
"Did you take them all down?"
"I couldn't take them all down, but I did my best with the abilities I had."
Hearing my answer, the man let out a sigh of relief.
"Frankly, we were all worried. What kind of devastation would occur if all of this got loose."
"...That's partly why I came here alone."
"Ah, are the others cleaning up outside?"
"That's right."
In the end, I had to lie.
<60%>
"That's a real relief."
The man sighed in relief upon hearing my words.
"By the way, we haven't even properly introduced ourselves. My name is Kim Min-gyu."
"..."
A semi-transparent window floated above his head, but I didn't bother to look at it and extended my hand.
"Kim Jae-heon."
I shook the man's hand.
"Exchanging introductions with an HR Team member... it's really something to experience in a lifetime."
"You should brag about it somewhere."
"Haha!"
The man laughed, seeming genuinely pleased.
I turned my head to look at the screen.
<60%>
Still 40% to go.
Knock knock knock.
At the same time, a knocking sound came from the door.
The man and I both looked at the door.
-It's me. Please open the door.
The voice of the man who had left earlier came through.
Knock knock knock.
-It's me.
The voice came along with the knocking.
"You know? That's not him. No, it's not even human."
The Theater Director muttered.
I know.
I drew my gun and aimed it at the door. The man reached out and lowered my gun.
"40% left, I see."
He muttered in a voice that still held a hint of laughter, then headed to a corner of the room and tapped the floor a few times with his toe.
Whiiir...
Soon, a mechanical sound whirred, and the floor opened. The man looked at me.
"I'm sorry to burden you with such a difficult task."
"...He's still knocking, so there's time."
"There's an old saying in the Management Team."
He continued speaking without taking his eyes off me.
" 'Assuming the best gets you all killed.' "
"..."
"40% is a lot left."
"Then I'll—"
"No."
The man cut me off.
"It's a sorry thing to say, but Kim Jae-heon, you have a bigger task to handle."
"..."
"It's not like everything just ends when the emergency isolation procedure is finished."
He looked at me.
"As I mentioned, the emergency isolation procedure also relies on the power of an isolation object."
"..."
Something shadow-like rose in my mind.
Something I'd only seen twice, but that remained vividly in my memory.
He seemed to be referring to that thing, like a black shadow I'd seen twice during the Butterfly Dream Incident.
"I hope you'll handle the bigger task there."
The man—no, Kim Min-gyu—slightly bowed his head to me.
BANG BANG BANG.
-I said it's me, please open the door!
The knocking sound from outside the door now sounded like fists pounding, becoming quite heavy.
"If, by any chance, you make it back alive, please brag to my team members for me."
"Didn't we agree to meet and brag together?"
"Ah, this guy and his big mouth."
He let out a hollow laugh.
"Then, I'll see you then."
"..."
"We're both risking our lives. Don't feel too sorry."
He waved his hand and descended through the floor.
Soon, his figure disappeared, and only his voice could be heard.
"I'll trust you."
"Yes."
BAM BAM BAM!
-It's me!
The sound from beyond the door lasted only a moment.
-Over here, this way!
Kim Min-gyu's voice rang out, and the knocking stopped.
A bitter taste lingered in my mouth.
<70%>
I looked at the screen.
How much time had passed?
His voice was no longer audible amidst the footsteps. Only I, the Theater Director, and the pale glowing screen remained.
Without a word, the Theater Director placed a hand on my shoulder.
"The Management Bureau has always been like this."
"..."
"Just like you did, they always do everything they can."
"Coming from the person who messed up the world, that's a bit rich."
"..."
She avoided my gaze.
If she met the Observer, the two of them would probably have a huge fight.
<80%>
<90%>
<100%>
I kept my mouth shut, simply waiting for time to pass. Once it perfectly reached 100%, the monitor turned off.
Simultaneously,
<Emergency Isolation Procedure Executed>
The phrase appeared on the monitor, and the lights went out.
Whoosh!
I felt dizzy.
"..."
I knew this sensation well.
"...What is this..."
Then, the Theater Director muttered something and stood behind me as if hiding.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm scared."
As I sighed in disbelief,
Something black appeared before my eyes.
"..."
I didn't bother to look at the semi-transparent window.
"Use your words."
I simply opened my mouth.
"I'm in a hurry."
I had to finish all of this and return everything to the way it was.