Decoding the Ghost Stories in Fantasy

Chapter 6: The Damn Customer  

"Seo-ho, why are you just standing there without saying anything? If you can hear me, can you answer… Seo-ho?"  

I was considering two possibilities.  

The first was that a Phantom Species in front of me had used ‘some kind of ability’ to mimic Naram noona’s voice to deceive me.  

The second was that it was really Naram noona speaking to me.  

"Is it really you, noona?"  

If it was the former, I could just run away or take it down right here.  

But could I truly tell the difference?  

"If you're really noona, verify it through Veritas. There's something in front of me that I just can't comprehend right now."  

0_1_100 Kang Naram ▶ 「HiTV!」  

"When is your birthday?"  

"October 5th."  

"When is my birthday?"  

"September 16th!"  

"What's the most entertaining anime you've ever watched?"  

"Chainsaw Man!"  

We continued the Q&A for a long time.  

Unless a severed head had the ability to read my mind, the answers were things only Naram noona could know.  

"Are you really okay? How's your condition? Are you inside the evacuation zone right now?"  

"Yeah, I’m inside the evacuation zone. Other than the fact that I can't leave, I’m doing alright!"  

"Take a picture of the interior and send it to me."  

I requested verification photos.  

0_1_100 Kang Naram ▶ 「Tada!」  

Behind Naram noona, who was posing with a V-sign, were countless supplies—various foods, drinking water, and even a shower facility.  

It seemed like all the essentials for living were provided.  

"It looks like a bunker."  

"It seems to be a facility designed for multiple people."  

To further confirm that the person in front of me was truly Naram noona, I asked for various pictures and actions that might have annoyed a normal person.  

But Naram noona complied without complaint.  

As seen with H-I-01, Phantom Species generally had nasty personalities.  

Considering that fact, my doubts were mostly alleviated.  

"Seo-ho, are you satisfied now?"  

She must have noticed that I was being cautious.  

"Sorry, I was just really shaken up…"  

"It's okay, I completely understand!"  

Her warm voice soothed my heart.  

My suspicions completely vanished, and I was finally able to assess the situation anew.  

The door in front of me was some kind of security measure meant to protect employees in a disaster (even though it was a Phantom Species), and Naram noona was inside that door.  

"But being alone in such a big place… well, it’s kind of scary. Anyway, how’s the situation outside? What happened to everyone else?"  

Naram noona was fragile-hearted.  

Unlike me, she had a warm and passionate spirit.  

If she found out the truth, it would be a huge shock to her.  

"They’re dead. At least, all the researchers I saw on my way here were corpses."  

However, I wasn't skilled at fabricating convincing lies.  

I spoke honestly, and silence followed.  

I gave Naram noona a moment to process everything.  

"I see."  

I also told her that all the isolation rooms were open and that the Phantom Species inside had disappeared.  

"The situation is unfolding in a very ominous way. It’s best if you don’t leave that place until this is resolved."  

"……."  

"Do you have any guesses?"  

Since she knew the Paranormal Research Facility better than I did, I thought she might have some insight.  

"Yeah. There's only one Phantom Species in the facility capable of causing something like this."  

I recalled the only Phantom Species in the Paranormal Research Facility classified as an ‘Apocalyptic’ level threat.  

"The only person authorized to access F-X-01’s data is the director… I only know the name, but the reasoning is simple. It's the process of elimination."  

F-X-01, codenamed Wormhole.  

Other than Director Jung Yong-jin, the founder of the Paranormal Research Facility, no one had ever directly witnessed it.  

Even though I had worked here as a janitor for the past year, I had never once been to its isolation room.  

"Among all the Phantom Species I know, none could cause bizarre phenomena like this one."  

It was a highly classified and mysterious Phantom Species.  

But if something had broken the facility’s rules, released the isolated Phantom Species, and was capable of expanding an unidentified entity that resembled Space, it had to be that one.  

"I’ll stay here until the agents arrive."  

"Are you sure you’ll be okay?"  

Hearing Naram noona’s voice come from a severed head wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.  

But if my presence here could reassure her, I was willing to endure it.  

"My light, my sun, my savior, the woman Forbes ranked as the world's best stir-fried pork chef, Kang Naram—if it puts you at ease, I’d give my all."  

"S-Stop with the embarrassing stuff!"  

I showered her with compliments.  

Naram noona stuttered whenever she blushed—one of her weaknesses.  

I was worried she might fall into despair after hearing the terrible news, so I tried to keep the mood upbeat.  

"Pardon me, but I think my life has a bug, not this world’s beauty. Because noona, you are my idol—witty, knowledgeable, incredibly charming, and socially brilliant. Just being your younger brother figure is an honor."  

"……."  

She suddenly fell silent.  

Did I say something wrong?  

"Noona?"  

"Yes."  

Her voice was oddly sulky, so I launched Voyager 32153215.  

"The true genius of the Paranormal Research Facility, the unrivaled leader who could smack Director Jung Yong-jin three times across the face, the person who, according to experts, single-handedly kept the research facility from collapsing within a month—light, sun, Jesus, Buddha, King-God-General-Emperor…"  

"Ughhhhh…."  

Instead of just a plane, I sent her on a space shuttle of praise.  

Naram noona entered a groggy state.  

I checked the time.  

Two hours had already passed, yet there was still no sign of anyone else.  

It seemed like I had to prepare for the worst.  

***  

After the Code: The End event, the facility’s system had collapsed.  

I had no official work left, but I was more active than ever.  

First, I cleared the corpses piled up in the facility.  

They were unsightly, and if they started decomposing, it would be even more troublesome.  

But my main reason was curiosity.  

I had close connections with three people in the Paranormal Research Facility—all researchers.  

First was Naram noona, who I wished would cook miso soup for me every morning.  

Second was Eighteen, who never failed to curse at me every morning.

And the founder of the Paranormal Research Facility, Director Jung Yong-jin.  

I had confirmed that Naram noona was alive.  

But what about Eighteen and Director Jung Yong-jin?  

Under the guise of cleaning, I checked whether they were alive.  

The result only deepened the mystery.  

"They're gone."  

I couldn’t confirm the fates of Director Jung Yong-jin or Eighteen.  

Their bodies were nowhere to be found.  

They had vanished from the facility, along with the Phantom Species.  

Additionally, all the fourth-class personnel, the lowest rank in the facility, had disappeared like ghosts.  

"……."  

Even when I passed by the incinerator, the usual cold, automated announcements were silent.  

Considering that I was still able to communicate with Naram noona via messenger, it seemed the internal communication network was still functional.  

I gathered the corpses in a corner.  

I also collected weapons in case of unforeseen circumstances.  

Contrary to my expectations, the second-class personnel hadn’t arrived.  

Neither the military nor the police stormed in.  

No matter how remote this research facility was in Paju, the fact that a lab containing monsters had turned into this mess, yet the government took no action, was an anomaly.  

Having spent the past year observing Phantom Species, I could accept that this world had entered a post-apocalyptic state.  

From the armory frequently accessed by second-class personnel, I picked up an automatic shotgun with a distinctive drum magazine and two automatic pistols.  

The ammunition stockpile in the armory was plentiful.  

As long as I used the facility as my base, I wouldn’t run out.  

I had theoretical knowledge about firearms.  

Cleaning the armory was part of my janitorial duties, and during those times, I had serviced second-class agents' gear, as they loved ordering people around.  

The firearms I chose were quite similar to the equipment used by those who used to boss me around.  

Since I was familiar with the parts and mechanisms, I figured I’d get used to them after a few uses.  

I also took a drone—at Naram noona’s request.  

"As long as you provide its identification number, I can control it via Veritas. But since drones are for second-class personnel, it'll take some time."  

"Really?"  

"Yeah. I just need to adjust the authorization. Plus, there’s an antenna at the top of the facility that acts as a transmission tower, so the operational range should be pretty wide. It’ll be great for scouting outside."  

"Aha."  

She had asked me to pick the cutest one, so I chose a camouflaged drone shaped like a sparrow.  

After finishing my business, I headed to the incineration area.  

While transporting the researchers’ bodies, I noticed that the air felt different.  

As oxygen filled my lungs, I felt a refreshing sense of relief.  

Maybe it was because the shackles that bound me had disappeared.  

Bang!! Bang!!  

The gun functioned without issues.  

"Oh…"  

The accuracy was terrible, though.  

Shotguns were meant for close-range combat.  

As long as I controlled the recoil, rapid fire wasn’t difficult.  

But pistols were different.  

Watching the bullets scatter wildly, I shrugged.  

Until I got used to it, I decided to keep the pistol holstered.  

***  

I thought this world had succumbed to the apocalypse.  

Fifteen days had passed since the incident, yet there was no news from the outside.  

The surroundings were deathly silent.  

Considering my daily encounters with unnatural and supernatural creatures at the Paranormal Research Facility, it wasn’t an exaggeration for me to assume that Phantom Species had finally ended the world.

After exploring and organizing the facility, I started to feel the need to investigate the surrounding area.  

It was about time to explore the outside with Naram noona’s drone.  

The authorization issues seemed to be resolving as well.  

"S-S-S-S-Seo-ho!!"  

At 3 PM, while I was practicing pistol shooting at the incineration site, I suddenly heard Naram noona’s voice through Veritas.  

"W-W-We’re screwed!!"  

"!?"  

From the mouth of kind-hearted, beautiful Naram noona came an expletive.  

That meant things had taken a turn for the absolute worst.  

I swallowed hard.  

The most extreme curse I had ever heard from Naram noona was "Y-Y-You bad person!"  

That happened only when a fourth-class worker lost his mind, pulled a knife, and tried to stab her.  

But now she was saying, "We’re screwed"…?  

"Is a nuclear bomb falling from the sky? Has an extinct Tyrannosaurus appeared in the city and started massacring people? Or is this some kind of global catastrophe…?"  

"No, it's an intruder! Someone just entered the facility! He’s holding an enormous sword and walking straight toward you, Seo-ho!"  

"A massive sword?"  

"Yeah, l-l-like… like the absurdly huge greatsword Guts used in Berserk!"  

What kind of nonsense was this?  

Had she gone slightly insane from being cooped up for fifteen days?  

If so, then I, Woo Seo-ho, would soothe her with my ultimate, highly refined head pats…  

0_1_100 Kang Naram ▶ 「Video」  

A video message from Naram noona popped up.  

When I pressed play, just as she had described, a man wielding a colossal greatsword was walking toward the facility entrance.  

After Code: The End, the security systems had stopped functioning.  

The Choke devices that restrained fourth-class personnel were also down.  

The only working system left was the entrance surveillance camera.  

And that was where the footage came from.  

"Hmm."  

A bad feeling crept up my spine.  

The man’s eyes, as seen through the camera, weren’t normal.  

Of course, that didn’t mean he was just some guy with a bizarre taste in cosplay, wandering around dressed as a famous manga character.  

'He doesn’t seem like a Phantom Species.'  

Unlike when I stood in front of an isolation room, my mouth wasn’t watering.  

"I'm going to meet him now."  

"S-S-S-Seo-ho!? I-I was trying to tell you to hide…!"  

Curiosity killed the cat.  

But I wouldn’t die.  

I had no reason not to meet this unidentified intruder.