A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 858 Chapter 855: Side Story - Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau (4)
Previously on A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation...
Agent Kim Runi of the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau experienced a chilling sensation prickle his skin.
"Has the ward… always felt this way?"
The [ward] of the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau.
It functions as a specialized treatment facility for individuals affected by anomalous phenomena. Its purpose is to aid in the restoration of both body and mind following 'damage recovery measures,' and to help patients overcome the lingering effects of these unusual occurrences.
However, despite its designation as a treatment center, its true function involves temporarily detaining those who have succumbed to insanity due to anomalous phenomena or who suffer from residual effects that could lead to uncontrollable outbursts. Through methods such as hypnosis, their memories of the phenomena are gradually suppressed, enabling their eventual reintegration into society…
Essentially, it operates much like a clandestine 'concentration camp'.
Consequently, the ward was initially constructed with the somber, foreboding atmosphere of an ominous detention facility. But…
"Hello, this is the Medical Administration Department of the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau Ward. How may I assist you today?"
"Ah… yes. I am Agent Kim Runi, affiliated with the Bureau. Um… I have a younger sibling among the victims of this incident. I came to inquire about her current condition."
"The name of your sibling, please?"
"Kim Bini."
"Ah, you mean Miss B. Kindly wait a moment. I will review her file first, please bear with me."
"Yes, yes…"
Kim Runi surveyed his surroundings.
The [ward], originally situated underground within the Bureau, was characteristically humid, gloomy, and dimly lit.
Yet, its current state was akin to a pristine hospital environment.
Individuals resembling nurses, doctors, and patients moved about, and the faint aroma of medicinal substances permeated the air…
It was indistinguishable from a genuine medical facility.
'Even just a week ago, the ward didn't possess this ambiance… Could they have completed such extensive renovations in a mere seven days?'
That was not the only anomaly.
'This place is underground… so why are there 'windows,' and how can one perceive the 'scenery beyond the glass'?'
Although the view 'beyond the window' was obscured by a pervasive white fog, with what appeared to be a forest path visible, it undeniably represented an 'exterior' view. This was not a mere screen; he observed nurses opening and closing the windows to facilitate ventilation.
"Kim Runi-nim, your sibling's interview has been scheduled. You may proceed to Room B."
"Ah, certainly."
After registering at the facility designated as the Medical Administration Department, Kim Runi made his way to the allocated room.
And once more, he encountered an unsettling sensation.
'Given the subterranean construction of the ward… its dimensions were limited… I distinctly recall this area marking the former boundary of the ward, so why does it now extend so far…?'
Overwhelmed by this peculiar feeling, Kim Runi retrieved and consulted the 'rulebook' he had been issued prior to entering the [ward].
Every sector within the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau adhered to a strict set of 'rules,' and compliance was paramount for ensuring safety.
These rules were subject to periodic revisions, necessitating the distribution of a new rulebook each cycle. Upon an agent's complete memorization of all inscribed rules, the rulebook would inexplicably vanish.
'Why has everything transformed so drastically…? Is any explanation provided within the rulebook?'
However, upon examination, the rules exhibited minimal deviation from the ward's prior regulations. While new stipulations were present, each one presented as an exceedingly strange directive, seemingly disconnected from the spatial alterations observed.
—A new rule has been implemented. Kindly familiarize yourself with it.
—Ward Rule 23.
—Within the ward, direct prolonged eye contact with nurses, staff, and doctors is prohibited. Despite their ordinary appearances, refrain from staring intently at their faces or attempting to memorize their features in detail.
—Ward Rule 24.
—On occasion, ward personnel may mistakenly identify you as a patient and initiate isolation procedures. In such instances, calmly state: 'I am an officer of the Royal Navy of the British Empire, [your name]. Once a Navy, always a Navy! Have you returned to receive the King's one shilling?' This declaration should prompt them to immediately withdraw. Do not pursue them. Should they realize you are not a Navy officer, they may react with extreme anger.
...
"…What connection could the ward possibly have with the Royal Navy of the British Empire?"
It was at this moment of bewilderment that Kim Runi spoke.
"Patient! You require immediate treatment. Where do you think you are wandering off to!?"
"Pardon me…?"
As a group of nurses approached him, Kim Runi looked on, perplexed.
These individuals, all stout male nurses, advanced with an intimidating demeanor, suggesting a significant misunderstanding had occurred.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding. I'm not a patient...""That's enough! What a patient experiences is merely a delusion. You're afflicted with auditory and visual hallucinations, making you incapable of discerning reality. Proceed this way, quietly!"Surrounded by nurses, Kim Runi detected something damp, ominous, and profoundly strange.This peculiar sensation of things being distorted...It felt as if no words could penetrate their understanding.Clutching the rulebook firmly, Kim Runi’s face hardened as he spoke."I am Kim Runi, an officer of the Royal Navy of the British Empire."Flinch.At his declaration, the nurses startled and halted their advance.With a resolute expression, Kim Runi boomed, "Once a part of the Navy, always part of the Navy! Have you returned to claim the King's shilling?"Before his sentence concluded, the nurses spun around and fled as if pursued by a terrifying specter.Kim Runi, bewildered by their panicked retreat, soon grasped the situation."Ah... I see."This particular ward itselfhad already transformed into an anomalous phenomenon.The blind adherence to inexplicable rules, or a pervasive, unreasoning fear, are hallmarks of anomalous phenomena.It appeared that all the hospital's nurses, staff, and doctors constituted, in essence, a type of anomalous phenomenon.'Even as the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau succumbs to the influence of anomalous phenomena, for the ‘Director’ to remain inactive... does this imply that the Management Council is intentionally integrating anomalous phenomena into the Bureau for their own utility?'It certainly seemed that way.Even the Bureau's 'Director' was an anomaly of unknown identity, yet the Management Council managed to harness and manipulate them effectively for controlling other anomalous phenomena.Therefore, this [ward] likely incorporated some other anomalous phenomenon, rendering it more effective in aiding the treatment of those affected by anomalous phenomena."This is actually convenient. Rather than keeping victims confined in conditions akin to a concentration camp, as before... if they are housed in a clean and regulated environment..."Regardless, given that agents' family members, and occasionally the agents themselves, are sometimes admitted to the ward, improved facilities were certainly welcome from Kim Runi's perspective.Naturally...'As demonstrated just moments ago, the ward indiscriminately classifies outsiders as patients and seeks to isolate them. Should one be mistakenly apprehended, new recruits could find themselves wrongly institutionalized.'Generally, if the 'Director' deems the patients within the ward to have recovered their senses or overcome their aftereffects, they are permitted to leave under the 'Director's' assessment.'But what happens to a sane individual who is forcibly admitted?'He felt a twinge of curiosity about this specific point but consciously refrained from delving deeper.'Ah, forget it. Best not to be overly curious. This is a place where excessive curiosity can shorten one's lifespan...'Kim Runi swiftly dismissed his lingering questions and proceeded to visit his younger sibling."By the way... when will a new recruit join us?"With numerous agents recently undergoing treatment in the ward, there was a dire need for personnel. However, the Bureau's stringent entry requirements made it exceedingly difficult for rookies to be accepted.Kim Runi understood this reality all too well.The Bureau itself was progressively transforming into a singular 'anomalous phenomenon'.And to operate within this immense entity, this anomaly known as the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau, exceptionally unique qualifications were essential.Consequently, it was particularly challenging for new members to join."A fresh recruit is needed soon..."***"What am I supposed to live on...?"Kim Hae-sol, a recent graduate, gazed blankly at the sky with a sigh."I should have heeded my TA's advice and pursued graduate studies..."He recalled when Kim Yeon, his teaching assistant, had strongly urged him to join her graduate program... perhaps he should have simply acquiesced and followed her suggestion.'They say graduate students are no better than slaves, which is why I declined, but...'Just observing Kim Yeon, the TA, tirelessly working across campus as if she possessed the ability to clone herself...It was evident that if he had enrolled in graduate school, he would have been exploited even more intensely than Kim Yeon, which led him to refuse the offer.Yet, now that he had actually completed his undergraduate degree, facing a void of immediate prospects, it had become a pressing concern."Ugh... I'm so broke right now... My parents threatened to cut me off if I didn't go to grad school, and the part-time jobs aren't exactly lucrative. Should I just tough it out with day labor at construction sites?"
Kim Hae-sol sighed repeatedly, preoccupied, as he sat on a park bench.
"Hae-sol-ssi. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, TA-nim!"
Kim Hae-sol's face lit up as Kim Yeon, his former teaching assistant, recognized him.
"Want some coffee? My treat."
"Huk, thank you!"
"You seem troubled, Hae-sol-ssi. Is something on your mind?"
"Ah... well..."
Kim Hae-sol offered a sheepish smile and began to share his concerns.
"Ah... I see. Finding a stable job takes time, so you need a temporary position to tide you over, right?"
"Yes... But when I searched for part-time work, none of them seemed appealing. I'm considering grueling but high-paying labor like construction day work."
Kim Yeon pondered his words for a moment before speaking.
"Hae-sol-ssi... One of my acquaintances, an 'unnie,' mentioned she's been short-handed lately. Would you like me to connect you? The work she does... it's confidential, so I can't explain much, but it pays extremely well."
"Ah, really? How much is the pay...?"
"For a single day of part-time work... she pays this much per hour, so you'd likely earn this much."
Kim Hae-sol's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the figure displayed on Kim Yeon's calculator.
"U-Uh... uuuuh!"
His eyes rolled back as Kim Hae-sol managed to stammer out his response.
"I-I'll do it! I definitely want to do it! Please let me!"
"Great. In that case, I'll contact that unnie for you. She won't refuse me. Come to the east gate of this park tomorrow morning at 4 a.m. My unnie will pick you up."
"Huk, yes! Thank you!"
"No, thank *you*. My unnie has been struggling lately, and I wanted to help her out. Thanks to you, Hae-sol-ssi, I feel much better."
"Oh, no. It's me who should be..."
"By the way, if you help her with her work, you might find this useful. Take it. It's a dharma treasure... no, a sample device that my unnie's side commissions to our lab through industry-academic cooperation. Try it out and tell me what you think."
Wo-woong!
Kim Yeon handed Kim Hae-sol an object resembling a small flashlight. He took it and asked,
"What is this? How do I use it...?"
"My unnie will explain how to use it. So, you're definitely going to take the part-time job, right?"
"Ah, yes. I'd be very grateful if you could arrange it."
"Okay, then I'll contact her. Be there at 4 a.m. tomorrow. And good luck with your job search!"
"Yes, TA-nim!"
Kim Hae-sol bowed deeply to Kim Yeon, a grin spreading across his face as he recalled the astonishing wage.
"Incredible... A day's work for that much? If I do this for a week, I could slack off for half a year. That kind of money... for job hunting..."
Suddenly, a faint sense of unease flickered through Kim Hae-sol.
"...But what kind of job actually pays this much?"
A peculiar thought brushed against his mind.
But he quickly shook his head.
"Come on. Would TA Kim Yeon really recommend a shady job? It's TA Kim Yeon..."
Still, he couldn't entirely dismiss the recent unsettling rumors. Kim Hae-sol resolved to exercise caution.
'If a suspicious van shows up, or if there are many strange people inside besides the unnie, I should just run away.'
***
The next day, at the break of dawn,
Kim Hae-sol waited in a secluded corner of the park for the 'Unnie' whom TA Kim Yeon had mentioned.
'It should be about time.'
Just then.
Wo-woong—
A sleek limousine, its engine purring softly, glided to a halt before the park entrance. The door swung open with a click.
"...Huh?"
Kim Hae-sol saw 'someone' inside beckoning him with a finger. Drawn as if by an unseen force, he walked towards the limousine.
Responding to a clear, gentle voice from within, Kim Hae-sol slowly entered the luxurious vehicle and sat down, looking around in a daze.
"Are you Kim Hae-sol?"
"Ah, yes, yes!"
Inside the limousine, curtains obscured the view. The 'Unnie' who had called him remained hidden behind them, her face unseen.
The thought of being kidnapped doesn't even cross his mind.
A peculiar sensation and a bizarre atmosphere completely engulf the interior of the limousine.
Huuuu...
From the obscured figure behind the curtain, Kim Hae-sol observes that she is holding and smoking something akin to a pipe.
'Smoking inside a vehicle...'
As Kim Hae-sol narrows his eyes slightly,
As if sensing his thoughts, the woman on the other side speaks.
"It's not a cigarette, it's an aroma pipe. Don't fret too much."
"Ah, y-yes. Understood. Um... by any chance, where are we headed, and what sort of work will I be doing?"
"There's a mountain of work... First, I'll observe you and determine your aptitude."
"Aptitude..."
Within this strange and opulent limousine, Kim Hae-sol swallows nervously at the woman's peculiar voice, emanating from beyond the curtain.
For some unknown reason, with each word she utters, an intuition strikes him that his destiny is about to be decided.
From beyond the curtain, Kim Hae-sol senses her gaze fixed upon him.
Following a brief silence, she mutters something from her concealed position.
"Is this the New Fate that Yeon was gathering? Well, from the start, two died ridiculously to a bear, and one even perished from old age... With only four remaining in Sumeru, I suppose I should begin preparations."
"...?"
It is undeniably Korean, yet apart from the name 'Yeon', he cannot comprehend her words.
"Still, since that kid took notice of you, it seems you possess considerable talent. Perhaps you're slightly better than those the Sword Spear recklessly threw in... Well, for now, I believe I grasp your aptitude."
"Uh... pardon? I... don't need to undergo some sort of aptitude test?"
"You do not. From my observation, you possess a keen eye for people, do you not? You are perfectly suited for saving others."
"Pardon?"
"The part-time job you'll be undertaking is this: on Ghost Island, you will guide people and assist them in escaping. Can you manage it?"
"Pardon? W-Wait, just a moment. What do you mean by saving people... and what does escaping entail? I wasn't informed of any part-time job like this..."
"I obtained your account details from Yeon. I've just transferred the advance payment. Could you please verify?"
"Pardon? Uh..."
Following this, after checking his bank account, Kim Hae-sol falls silent and listens intently, adopting a more formal posture.
"Whatever it entails, leave it to me. Whether I save them or eliminate them, I will accomplish it all!"
"Most excellent. However, I shall not have you kill anyone, so rest assured. Furthermore, there is absolutely no possibility of you perishing or becoming disabled, so do not harbor any worries either."
The woman concealed behind the curtain.
Kang Min-hee observes the individual with the exceptional 'eye' known as Kim Hae-sol, a faint smile gracing her lips.
He is someone recommended by Kim Yeon, an individual of extraordinary nature.