Chapter 30: Anomaly Catching Anomaly

How to Kill What Doesn't Die (4)

Several weeks had passed since Anomaly 1983 last caused an emergency situation.

The atmosphere at the Site, which had been chaotic due to two consecutive emergencies, had calmed down, and the researchers, who had been on edge, were finally starting to relax.

Sophia, the blonde researcher, was staring at the screen in front of her with her usual expressionless face.

'Peaceful, isn't it?'

Peace.

Few people dislike peace unless they are crazy warmongers, but for her these days, the word 'peace' was becoming increasingly special.

She had been somewhat prepared since she entered this world, and had actually experienced quite a few dangerous things.

However, the two incidents that had occurred in the past few weeks had instilled a fear in her that she had never felt before.

And since the Anomaly 1983 incident, her daily life had been returning to peace for the first time in a long time.

She deeply prayed in her heart that this daily life would never end.

"A, an arm! My arm…!"

"Get out of the way! We have a casualty!"

Of course, for her, who belonged to the Anomaly Research Department, the standard of a peaceful daily life was quite different from what ordinary people felt.

A researcher was being carried away on a stretcher, making a rattling sound.

It was a scene that could be seen in an emergency room, but those around her showed no surprise or pity.

It was common to see someone's body part being blown away at Site 17.

"Who is it? I've never seen him before."

"Isn't he a newbie? I heard a new one came in a few days ago."

"Then he must have been attacked by Anomaly 2512. I knew it, no matter how much you tell them the precautions, some people always make mistakes. Didn't Arthur Hyung lose a finger before?"

"How long ago are you talking about? Seonbae lost an ankle back then too, didn't you?"

"That's too much. How can you publicly reveal someone else's shame like that?"

"Yeah, say whatever you want…"

Arthur sighed and turned away from his Seonbae.

Stories of fingers being blown off or ankles being cut off were too gruesome to be called commonplace.

At Site 17, a slight physical impairment was just a minor injury, and the medical technology of the Anomaly Management Bureau was so powerful that it could save even dying people, as long as they didn't die.

"Still, it's a relief. An arm being cut off is an injury that can be treated quickly, right? Be glad you didn't come when this Site was a mess."

"Don't ever say that in front of the newbie, okay? He'll run away right after being assigned."

Even though he thought it was a cruel story, Arthur repeated that it couldn't be helped.

Even those of them who had become desensitized to someone being carried away with blood spurting from their arm were still quite afraid of dying.

If the terrible fact that an Anomaly that could annihilate humans had escaped just a month ago, or that portals to a space of death had opened one after another at the Site, were to reach the ears of that newbie,

It was clear that the poor newbie's mind would crumble like sand.

"By the way, are you okay now?"

"About what?"

"What happened during the escape. You know, the last time it was mentioned, the atmosphere became awkward."

"Ah, that's okay. It's already in the past. If you're going to be depressed about every little thing, you can't work here."

"If Seonbae says so, I guess it's a relief…"

Arthur glanced at his Seonbae, who was maintaining her usual expressionless face.

She may not have completely overcome it, but at least she wasn't traumatized just by thinking about it like she used to be.

As she said, this wasn't a place where they could afford to dwell on the moments of crisis they had experienced in the past.

At least she was okay enough to use what happened back then as a light joke, like just now.

"…"

He took a sip of his coffee and looked at Sophia.

He seemed to want to say something.

"What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"What? I can't stare? Why are you being so sensitive?"

"It's just that, Arthur, you only look at me like that when you want to ask something annoying."

"…It's sad that I can't deny that."

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, muttering to himself, 'Was it that obvious?'

He knew a lot about each other because they had spent a lot of time together, but even so, it wasn't a good feeling to have his feelings exposed to others.

"So, what do you want to ask?"

Sophia asked. It was a word that meant to ask quickly if he had something to ask.

"Well, it's nothing much. It's about that Anomalous Entity that Seonbae is in charge of right now."

Despite Sophia's attitude that she was okay, Arthur was still hesitant about what he was about to ask.

It couldn't be helped. What he was about to ask her was such a sensitive topic.

Although he didn't want to put any more mental burden on her when she was confused by the previous incidents, he deliberately held back his curiosity and didn't say what he wanted to ask.

Even if she was somewhat mentally stable now, this question was not something that could be easily brought up.

"I was wondering if you were overlapping it with your younger sibling――"

The question was about her lost family.

It was a common occurrence. Especially for those who belonged to the Anomaly Management Bureau.

There were no people without stories there, and there were so many people who had lost something precious that they could be found everywhere.

Like other researchers, she naturally had a lost family member.

But no matter how common it was, it didn't change the fact that it was a sensitive topic.

Even if there were mutilated corpses lying around, anyone would feel pain if a knife was stuck in their abdomen.

The pain of losing a family member would be the same, so Arthur had no choice but to ask her as carefully as possible what he was about to ask.

"Arthur."

His name came out of his Seonbae's mouth, and he trembled slightly. He looked nervous.

But still, he couldn't not ask.

No matter how cute and docile the Anomalous Entity behaved, things that came from Anomalies could never understand humans.

Even if you gave it attention, affection, and love.

In the end, nothing would come back.

If she was overlapping her lost family with it, it was clear that she would be the one who would be hurt in the end,

He had to stop her from doing that for the sake of his Seonbae.

"I know what you want to say. But that happened a long time ago."

But what came out of her mouth was not as harsh as he had imagined, but a much softer voice than he had expected.

A calm tone that did not contain any anger or regret.

Unlike what she had done in the past, she was now acting as if she had let go of everything she had lost,

He was finally relieved that Sophia had overcome her festering old wounds.

"Thank you for your concern, but I'm not as attached to the past as you think."

"…Okay. That's a relief."

Arthur, relieved by her complete denial of what he was worried about, said so and began to sip his coffee again.

If she wasn't responding emotionally to Anomaly 19 because of a past mistake, there was no need for him to interfere any further.

Right. Putting a lot of dolls in the Anomalous Entity's room, trying to make excessive physical contact, sending a large number of reports to the person in charge of research to take it for a walk.

It's all just because she thinks Anomaly 19 is cute――

…Wait a minute.

Come to think of it, this seems like a more serious problem.

"Wait, so the reason you took it outside was really just because it was cute?"

"Why are you so surprised? Arthur was so eager to pet Anomaly 19 as soon as he saw it. I saw it all."

"No, that's different. At least I――"

As always, the two started a nonsensical conversation as soon as the rather serious Q&A was over.

The two of them were holding cold coffee in their hands and walking towards the office, and there was no sign of the serious look they had just had.

Even though they had reached the entrance of the office, they didn't seem to be in a hurry to end the conversation they had just started.

―――BEEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP―――

Suddenly, a siren started to sound loudly throughout the Site,

The two had no choice but to stop talking and temporarily stiffen their bodies.

"…Emergency alarm?"

Arthur muttered as if something was wrong.

This sound that was ringing throughout the Site was definitely the one that rang in the most dangerous situation he knew.

For example, if something had invaded the person in charge of research's room―――

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat―――!!

The moment he thought that, the sound of gunfire started to ring out one after another from not too far away.

Arthur sensed something was wrong with the earth-shattering noise that seemed intent on demolishing the entire Site.

"Kkyaaaaaaaaack!"

A desperate scream echoed from the end of the hallway.

His body moved faster than his thoughts, already preparing to sprint.

"Damn it, I knew it was too quiet lately…!"

A curse escaped his lips.

871's escape attempt and 1983's spontaneous changes in a single month, and now a top-level emergency declaration?

It was a situation that could only be described as royally screwed up.

"Hurry, Seonbae! We'll end up getting caught like last time if we—"

He grabbed Sophia's arm roughly and shouted.

The piercing scream had come from not too far away.

Based on the conditions that triggered the siren within the Site and the general direction of the sound, something terrible was likely happening in front of the head researcher's office.

Having already tasted the fear of death at the hands of an Anomaly, he was convinced that they had to escape this time. He grabbed his Seonbae's arm, but she still seemed out of it.

For some reason, despite his words, she seemed determined not to move from her spot.

"…Seonbae?"

Confused by Sophia's behavior, Arthur called out to her and turned around.

What came into his view was his Seonbae's terrified face.

No, it wasn't just terror.

Her wildly rolling eyes and rapid breathing were like those of a patient experiencing a trauma.

As if she was superimposing a past situation onto the present.

"I, I suddenly remembered something I left behind. I think I need to go get it first."

She knocked away the hand of her junior that was holding her arm and began to back away.

Her voice trembled.

Arthur instantly realized what she was about to do and quickly tried to stop her.

But it was as if she couldn't hear him. Despite his calls, she showed no sign of stopping her run down the hallway.

"Don't worry about me, just go on ahead! I'll catch up soon!"

"Wait, Seon—"

His Seonbae was getting further and further away.

It was clear where she was going. He could probably catch up to her if he ran now.

But the reason he wasn't doing that was because he was well aware that it was a suicidal act.

The vivid gunshots and screams still showed no sign of stopping.

He looked back and forth between the direction of the safe room and the direction Sophia had run.

"Screw this, so much for overcoming…!"

As if giving up, he scratched his head roughly with both hands.

And then he quickly started running down the path she had taken.

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