Surviving Among the Entities

The boy or girl who snapped their fingers while gazing into the air froze in that pose.
When nothing happened, the towering woman asked:

“Doctor, what are you doing?”
“I activated the ‘Tti Tti’ function of ‘Stalker is Tti Tti’. If it had activated properly, shouldn’t Frankenstein have appeared at the stalker’s location?”
“Eeh? Really? Then we would have been dead for sure.”
“Perhaps?”
“But why are all your statements phrased as questions?”

The doctor, in the form of a boy or girl, let out a sigh of frustration and regret.

“Due to lack of time and budget, I couldn’t include the ‘Tti Tti’ function. Isn’t it such a pity?”
“Then why did you strike a pose?”
“I was hoping you, my assistant, would provide the budget upon seeing this pose.”
“No way.”
“Oh, there goes the purpose of striking that pose. Anyway, let’s leave. I don’t want to remain where an entity of unknown identity and purpose is watching.”

Their space began to distort once more.

“I had already created the animal to submit here, but what a pity.”
“Huh? When did you create it?”
“Remember when we did special racing training? It seems the students who attended this school enjoyed ghost stories. The high density of information bodies made it an excellent environment for cultivating ghost story-type organisms, so I inadvertently conducted experiments, you know?”
“So you didn’t come here today to create one?”
“You’re right, today was supposed to be the retrieval date. It’s easiest to tame them right after birth, you see. Anyway, since we don’t know when the stalker will disappear, and we’ll miss the opportunity if we delay, I’ll have to create a new organism elsewhere.”
“Hmm, what a waste… How much did it cost?”
“10% of this year’s first-half budget?”

Soon, their forms became blurry.

“Really, Dr. Janus, you’re too wasteful!”
“Call it an accidental incident.”
“I’m deducting it from your monthly allowance, so keep that in mind!”
“Oh no! I was planning to create ‘Contact Lenses That Let You Watch Series Until Completion’ after this!”
“No way!”

The vision from my right eye disappeared.

‘There are truly more questions than answers.’

Was that child really Dr. Janus?
What are information bodies, and is the organism he claimed to have created already active?
The ghost story was mentioned initially, so could the organism he created be an entity related to ghost stories?
He said it’s easiest to tame them right after birth, but what is that method?

‘And why did my right eye show me Dr. Janus?’

Until now, it had only appeared when detecting the initial step toward annihilation, so is Dr. Janus’s creation dangerous enough to bring about the world’s demise?

‘Come to think of it, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the world’s demise.’

In the “Surviving the Entities” bad ending, there were various types of demise besides global annihilation.

‘City annihilation, national annihilation, human annihilation, universal annihilation – this incident may have shown the initial step toward a city or national-level annihilation.’

I wouldn’t find the answers by pondering alone.
Since there was no reason to keep it a secret, I met with the others and shared what I had witnessed.

“Dr. Janus? I’ve never heard that name before.”
『It wasn’t on the list of individuals to watch out for during Foundation agent training either.』
“The important thing is that this Janus person created an entity here.”

Just as the saying goes that humans are social animals, sharing information with multiple people allowed things to progress quickly.

“I learned about information bodies from the Foundation. The information or beliefs shared by humans sometimes remain as information particles, and information related to fear and dread remains in the world more abundantly and for longer periods. When an entity’s influence or inexplicable effect occurs on accumulated information bodies, a ghost story-type entity is born.”
『They said entities like the Red Mask, the Eight-Foot-Tall Ghost, and Backrooms-style entities were all born in that manner.』
“Heheh, our ancestors did say that rumors are the source of calamities. Their words were true.”

Synthesizing the gathered information, we could predict the type of entity present here.

“Could it be a school ghost story?”
“An entity related to the school’s legends.”
『A ghost story passed down among students may have become an entity?』

The problem was that this was an abandoned school with no related parties remaining, so there was no way to find out what ghost stories existed.

“The important thing is that ghost story-type entities have a lot of conditions, especially school ghost stories. Around 99% of their peculiarities occur within the school grounds, so as long as you’re outside the school, you’re safe.”
『That’s right, and most of them happen at night, right? Like at night, the statue of King Sejong is doing calisthenics, or a hand holding red and blue toilet paper suddenly appears in the bathroom.』
“Hmm, in my time, it was the chalk ghost story. They said that if you were in a classroom late at night, the chalk would move on its own and write the name of someone who would die the next day on the blackboard.”

In summary, the entity here was likely related to the school’s legends or ghost stories and had a high chance of only being active in the evening within the school grounds.

“Let’s head outside first. If we’re just outside the premises, the thing won’t target us.”
『That sounds good. We can still prevent outsiders from entering even from beyond the fence.』
“Tch, I wanted to exchange fists with a ghost.”
“Master, you can do that with Yeong-mun.”
『Me? Why me?』

He said the best time to tame an entity is right after it’s born.
However, since dawn was not far off, I followed the agents’ advice.

“But aren’t there also school ghost stories where they chase you all the way home after leaving school?”
『There probably are. The Hong Kong Granny appears at elementary schools but is also said to chase people home and kill them.』

Kim Mi-ri and Shin Yeong-mun were discussing it.
There were other unnamed agents behind them, and I was also present.

『What if that happens here too?』
“Um, well, in that case, we’d have to flee to the Foundation. It’s unlikely they’d chase us across dimensions, right?”

Kim Mi-ri, Shin Yeong-mun, and Kim Go-deuk crossed the main gate and went outside.
The other agents followed, and I went outside as well.

“……”

And then we had all crossed back over the main gate and entered the school again.

“Well, how about that!”

Kim Go-deuk chuckled and spoke.

“Caught between a rock and a hard place, aren’t we!”

『Uwaaaah! I’m a ghost! Can’t even a ghost leave?』

Shin Yeong-mun put all his effort into breaking through the main gate.
Each time, we had somehow returned inside.
We tried climbing over the fence and entering through the back gate, but no matter what we did, we ended up back inside the school.

“Please contact the outside immediately! We need to investigate the ghost stories and legends of Deokcheon High School! Request an investigation right away!”
“Yes!”

Kim Mi-ri asked the other agents to prepare to confront the entity.

“Let me take the lead if anything happens. You focus on analyzing any abnormalities.”
“Understood!”

Kim Go-deuk took charge of guarding the perimeter in case of an unexpected situation.

‘I heard they were all new recruits, but they’re quite systematic and skilled at directing others.’

Agents start from Class C, I’ve heard, so this must be proof of their excellence.

‘Perhaps this is an opportunity.’

The entity here is a newly born one.
Dr. Janus said the best time to tame them is right after birth.

“Communications aren’t working! Interdimensional communications are down!”
“Oh no! Then we can’t gather any information!”

Should I go search for the entity?
But at the same time, I was worried about their safety.

“You who follow samawedo, what troubles you so?”

At that moment, Kim Go-deuk approached me.

“Are you referring to me?”
“Yes, you who has drawn strength from impure energy – are you not a follower of samawedo? Anyway, why do you wear such a troubled expression?”
“I wish to enter the school for the investigation, but I’m concerned for your safety.”
“As expected, you are foolish for one following samawedo.”

Kim Go-deuk let out a snort.

“We have all resigned ourselves to death. From the moment we joined the Foundation, we have always been prepared to lose comrades and have sworn to risk our lives for humanity. And yet you hesitate to act and resolve the situation because you’re concerned for us?”

He quietly approached from behind and pushed my back.

“That is an insult towards us. And the greater danger lies with you. Which is more perilous, logically speaking – inside the school or the schoolyard?”
“I understand.”

Excessive consideration can sometimes become an insult towards others.
Without realizing it, I had been insulting them.

“Then I’ll go investigate.”

On the way into the school building, I asked Sarang:

“Sarang, are you unable to communicate externally as well?”
『Yes, it is currently impossible for me as well. However, the degree of dimensional distortion varies from place to place, so it may be possible in areas with weaker distortion.』
“Any points you suspect to have weaker distortion?”
『In such cases, there is a high possibility it is the point where the distortion originated, like the eye of a typhoon.』

If external communications had been possible, I could have requested the other agents to investigate the ghost stories of Deokcheon High School and inform me.

‘In the end, whether it’s uncovering the ghost story or taming the entity, I have to enter the school building.’

I passed the flowerbeds. Beyond the flowerbeds, various statues seemed to gaze down at me.

[King Sejong]
[Yi Sun-sin]
[Girl Reading a Book]
[The Thinker]

I opened the main entrance and entered the building, moving deeper to begin my search.

“Alright, let’s start looking.”

『Ugh, did Mr. Seung-hoon go inside?』
“Yes, he should be fine since he’s the special consultant.”
『I suppose so… But there’s no guarantee the outside is definitely safe either. Should I follow……』
“Inside or outside, it’s the same, isn’t it? When have school ghost stories only occurred in classrooms? The schoolyard is no different.”
“Everyone, gather around.”

Kim Go-deuk assembled the agents.

“Don’t be disheartened just because outside communications are down. Since school ghost stories are superstitions that were popular among the students back then, even if you’re not from this school, there were likely similar ghost stories at your own school. So everyone, share the ghost stories you know.”
“Any will do?”
“Since we’re currently outside, ghost stories that could affect the schoolyard would be preferable.”

Kim Mi-ri, who had only recently graduated, spoke up.

“If it’s a ghost story common to almost every school, then it has to be that, right?”
『What is it? Ah, wait, I think I know too!』

Kim Mi-ri, Shin Yeong-mun, and the other young agents exclaimed simultaneously:

“The statue ghost story!”
“The statue ghost story? What’s that?”
“Almost every school has statues, right? The ghost story says that at night, those statues come to life and move around.”
“I see, like that?”

Kim Go-deuk gestured towards the flowerbeds.

[As the Korean language differed from Chinese, causing hardship for the people, I created the Korean alphabet (Hangeul).]

The statue of King Sejong was gazing down at them.

“Oh no!”
“Preemptive strike!”

Kim Go-deuk was the first to charge forward.

“Hyeolhwayeompor-geum!”

When his fist struck the statue, an explosion-like boom resounded, but it was him who was repelled, while the statue of King Sejong remained unscathed.

“Kuk! Harder than tempered steel!”
[So I ask you, my people, are you using Hangeul well?]

Shin Yeong-mun was the quickest to respond.

『Yes! We are using it well! We are truly grateful! King Sejong! Without Hangeul, life would have been so difficult! Thanks to Hangeul, we have been able to acquire knowledge and gain enlightenment, leading prosperous lives!』
[Ah, that is truly fortunate.]

Seeing King Sejong’s reaction, the other agents also exclaimed:

“Long live Hangeul! Long live King Sejong!”
“Damn it, Hangeul! I really love you!”
“Hangeul is the writing system that shocks America and makes Japan jealous!”

After nodding in satisfaction for a while, King Sejong opened the scripture he was holding.
Although it was clearly a scripture carved from solid bronze, the pages turned like an actual book.

[Then I shall now administer a test.]

Before anyone knew it, all the agents were seated at desks as if taking a test.

[If you truly love Hangeul, you should be confident in dictation, right? 100 questions, 1 point per question, passing score is 70.]

Kung-kung!

An enormous shadow loomed over King Sejong, illuminated by the moonlight.

[Those who fail are traitors to the nation.]

King Sejong’s eyes turned bloodred.

[They shall be impaled on stakes.]