Chapter 17: Anomaly Catching Anomaly

Adaptation to Site 17 (7)

Not long after Sophia's report ended up in the trash.

Senior Researcher Oliver Smith was racking his brain over the events unfolding at Site-17.

Following the escape of Anomaly 871, which paralyzed half of the Site's personnel,

And then, not even weeks later, the sudden erratic behavior of Anomaly 1983 began.

These major incidents happening one after another were more than enough to give him, who managed a large part of this Site, a headache.

"Haa..."

And yet.

In such a busy situation, to send a report with such an absurd request.

Logically speaking, to ask for permission to move a newly discovered Anomalous Entity, which hasn't even been a month since its discovery, outside, was simply outrageous.

Of course, it was none other than himself who entrusted Sophia with the research of the entity, citing unscientific things like intuition.

Even so, he never imagined she would make such an over-the-line request.

'Did I bring her back to work too early? Maybe I should have given her a more proper vacation.'

Oliver wracked his brain, trying to think as rationally as possible.

She had almost lost her life during the escape incident just recently.

Thinking about it calmly, it would be strange if she wasn't suffering from mental trauma.

Unlike professional agents who are deployed for Anomaly containment or emergency situations,

She was just a researcher, no different from ordinary people, physically or mentally.

And even if they were trained agents, if they faced a near-death experience with an Anomaly classified as Hazard Class Ⅳ...

It might vary depending on the entity, but there wouldn't be many agents who are mentally strong enough to return to the field immediately without any issues.

So, why didn't he give Sophia a proper vacation?

Was the Anomaly Research Department such a ruthless company that exploited its people?

He couldn't deny that aspect, considering that employees had to risk their lives, but at least this place wasn't trying to treat its employees like expendable resources.

Among these unidentified entities, where a single misstep could lead to mass casualties and even endanger the world itself.

Researching and managing methods to control them, in ways that couldn't be learned from textbooks or anywhere else in society, was no ordinary task.

Especially for talented individuals like her, it was something that should never be done.

'But things have gotten seriously twisted.'

In fact, he had been planning to give her some proper rest.

Even if it meant undergoing a memory erasure process for a while, if she wanted.

However, the fact that half of the Site's personnel were excluded from work for a week was a bigger blow than imagined.

Naturally, he couldn't ask the Management for support personnel equivalent to half of Site-17's staff, as they were always suffering from a shortage of manpower.

Even if the request was miraculously accepted, it was unlikely that the support would arrive quickly.

Therefore, he was planning to give the employees a vacation after somehow resolving the backlog of work.

Once the Site's situation seemed roughly stabilized.

But as if fate was playing a trick, Anomaly 1983 suddenly caused an emergency situation.

'It's as if someone is targeting us...'

Was it the work of a hostile group?

Well, he couldn't simply deny it.

He had been tormented so much by those damned cultists and those groups in their anachronistic outfits.

He couldn't guarantee that they hadn't done something suspicious, taking advantage of the chaos at the Site.

However, that didn't mean he could stand idly by in the current situation.

Above all, an agent had already gone missing.

And given the nature of Anomaly 1983, being lost to it was as good as being dead.

Furthermore, since this incident occurred.

The effect, which had only affected one of the doors in a fairly wide area, was changing to only affect the doors in Site-17.

It was as if, after that censored incident.

It felt like it was venting its anger on this Site, which still held it captive.

"...".

Oliver's head was a mess.

Anomaly 1983, where the doors were being forcibly closed more and more frequently since that time.

The more frequent temporary procedures that followed, and the delayed work due to the researchers being stuck.

If something inside that door were to come out into the Site, or if the containment procedure for another Anomaly were to fail...

The same luck as during the escape incident would probably not happen again.

His head throbbed. He had a headache. It felt like someone was pulling at the back of his head.

Due to the stress, it was hard to stay sane.

He sat still for dozens of seconds, clutching his head.

Then, as if something suddenly came to mind.

But as if he felt pathetic for even considering it, he let out a long sigh.

And began to take out the document he had thrown into the trash.

"...What am I doing?"

It was a laugh of disbelief.

His opinion that this report was still absurd had not changed.

And he didn't understand his own actions of taking it out and reading it again.

Of course, there was nothing strange about Sophia's report.

The records and data on Anomalies that had been outside the containment chamber so far.

Looking at how she had compared and analyzed so many of them one by one and explained them efficiently,

Anyone would be able to agree with the request written below.

In short, it was a perfect report with no logical loopholes.

However, there was one thing that should not be overlooked when dealing with Anomalies.

They were by no means logical or rational beings.

How many of them had maliciously deceived, tricked, and played with humans so far.

Things that were never expected to pose a threat to humans, or things that had provided a lot of help inside the containment chamber.

How many terrible accidents had they caused when their faces changed the moment they came out.

His own experiences and what he had heard, as well as numerous records,

Proved that no matter what face they wore or what actions they took, they should never be taken out of the containment chamber carelessly.

At least, no one belonging to the Anomaly Research Department was unaware of that.

So, why was he looking at this now?

Was his head turned because of too much stress?

Or was it because it was the closest thing that could make him laugh, given his current headache?

No, that was probably not it.

To be exact, he couldn't even explain it well.

He clearly thought it was absurd earlier, and he still thought so now.

And taking out the document that he had shoved into the trash earlier was not something a rational human being could do.

It was just that something that had been lingering in his mind since earlier kept bothering him.

Without knowing why, still maintaining the question that hadn't left him.

He was staring intently at the request at the bottom of the report written by Researcher Sophia.

Oliver knew what it was.

It was intuition.

As he had explained to her before, an unscientific and illogical act.

Something that someone like him, who could cause a great disaster just by signing a document, should not believe in.

In the first place, there were still too many suspicious things about 163-19.

If it could affect the escaped Anomaly 871, why didn't it come out on its own?

In the first place, was the Swallowing Shadow the cause of its self-isolation?

Was it okay to trust his intuition, which was nothing more than the most unreliable of superstitions, let alone scientific evidence?

Even if it was a choice that could endanger the entire Site,

Was it a choice that was worth it?

"...I don't know."

He didn't know.

Perhaps that was the most certain answer he could give right now.

And there would be no one who could give him a clear answer to his question.

Maybe he was already exhausted.

From fighting against beings that came from who knows where,

And from endlessly facing the malice that those beings exuded.

Too many people had died, and too many people had been injured.

In exchange, countless Anomalies had been collected, subdued, and controlled.

But sadly, this war showed no signs of ending.

And in that endless war of attrition,

He was now tired of sacrificing his own life and the lives of others.

He wished someone would appear and put an end to this unreasonable situation.

Perhaps, deep down, he had been thinking that all along.

After a long period of contemplation, Oliver began to write something at the bottom of the document he was looking at.

From: Sophia Brown, Senior Researcher
To: Oliver Smith, Head Researcher

Request: According to the attached report, research data and records, and the current symptoms of Anomalous Entity 163-19,
I request permission for limited outings for the Anomalous Entity.

—Request Approved

After leaving that cramped room with Sophia.

While following her touch and wandering around,

I accidentally passed through a certain 'door.'

'…Wow.'

A vastness of scale completely different from what I saw from the outside.

A sky full of geometric somethings, completely ignoring the existing laws of physics.

And even a unique landscape that I could never have imagined belonging to this world.

I was momentarily stunned by the incredible sight that I never expected to see in my hometown.

Just blankly staring at the scenery like that—

'Science and technology must have advanced incredibly….'

Soon, I inwardly exclaimed in great admiration for the development of my hometown,

And slowly, I began to move my feet forward.

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