Chapter 52

Baek Sa-ra wiped the flowing nosebleed with the back of her hand and lowered her center of gravity.

「Delta」 rose, setting its broken neck upright.

Despite the outward imbalance between a beautiful woman and an armed man, a taut tension flowed between the two.

What kind of time had Baek Sa-ra spent to become like that?

Amid my pure awe, the one who moved first was 「Delta」.

The bastard that had come to eat me had understood.

That in order to achieve the aforementioned objective, it had to get rid of that woman first.

「Delta」 charged in to grab Baek Sa-ra.

SQUELCH—! SQUELCHSQUELCH—!

Baek Sa-ra responded with the precision of laying embroidery stitches.

Baek Sa-ra stabbed the knife into 「Delta」’s shoulder a couple of times as it charged in, then retreated.

Perhaps its tendons had been severed, because 「Delta」’s arms dangled downward.

But 「Delta」, which knew no pain, left its broken arms alone and swung its leg around to kick Baek Sa-ra.

THWACK—!

Baek Sa-ra was kicked in the side but endured it. Rather, by allowing part of the strike, she grabbed 「Delta」’s leg.

SQUELCHSQUELCHSQUELCHSQUELCHSQUELCH—!

The knife stabbed deep into the inside of the bastard’s knee as well.

Baek Sa-ra released that leg and cut even the leg 「Delta」 was standing on with her knife.

THUD—

「Delta」 sank down helplessly.

But perhaps its shoulder tendons had regenerated in the meantime, because 「Delta」 aimed at Baek Sa-ra with the crossbow tied to its wrist.

THWIP—!

The crossbow bolt shot out fiercely.

But Baek Sa-ra had already turned her head at the sound of loading.

The bolt missed between Baek Sa-ra’s hair.

It was a failed attack.

However, that attempt was enough to make Baek Sa-ra more violent.

GRAB— THWACK—!

Baek Sa-ra seized 「Delta」’s hair and smashed its face with her knee.

THWACK—! THWACK—! CRACK—!

Mm, how should I put it?

All of a sudden, I became curious about Jae-gyeom’s well-being.

Jae-gyeom, nothing happened to you, right? I’m a little scared.

Was the “Field Division Menstruating Man” who had now left the Bureau beaten like that too?

THUD—!

「Delta」, its face caved in, finally collapsed.

From beneath her skirt, Baek Sa-ra took out not handcuffs, but something like iron shackles.

Then, with swift motions as if sorting recyclables, she stepped on 「Delta」’s shoulder and dislocated it.

In that state, she tied 「Delta」’s arms behind its back.

「Delta」 was restrained like a pheasant caught by the wings, and unable to stand any longer, it squirmed on the floor.

Once the situation was over, Baek Sa-ra caught her breath and reported calmly.

“「Delta」 secured.”

-Uh…… yes. Well done.

Was it just my imagination? Manager Kwon Mu-seop’s voice sounded a little appalled too.

Baek Sa-ra smiled sweetly at me.

Proudly, as if saying, I really did save you this time.

Thank you very much, for saving me.

As for the book…… I don’t think you need to return it.

Standing with 「Delta」 beneath her foot, Baek Sa-ra asked Kwon Mu-seop in return.

“Manager, where is 「Alpha」 right now?”

Since she had successfully wrecked 「Delta」, was it now 「Alpha」’s turn?

-「Alpha」 is currently fleeing. And right now, Si-eon is…….

At that moment, I sensed a presence near the door.

Baek Sa-ra and I turned our heads at the same time and found it.

The huge shadow blocking the doorway.

Is that 「Alpha」?

At the peculiar pressure emanating from 「Alpha」, my breath stopped short.

Baek Sa-ra, whose excitement from battle had not yet faded, kicked off the ground just like that.

As if intending to finish it before the bastard passed through the door, she charged with her knife gripped again.

-Sa-ra, stop!

Manager Kwon Mu-seop’s urgent shout rang out.

At that, Baek Sa-ra’s movement wavered for a moment.

But it was too late to withdraw her arm.

Baek Sa-ra’s knife flew in a straight line toward 「Alpha」’s neck.

At that moment, 「Alpha」 snatched Baek Sa-ra’s wrist holding the knife.

「Alpha」 pulled Baek Sa-ra in just like that.

In that instant, Baek Sa-ra was dragged helplessly.

The blade’s trajectory changed far too easily, and as Baek Sa-ra’s body turned, her back was exposed.

“……!”

I sensed disaster and froze in horror.

But in that moment, a head of long hair swaying in an unseemly way entered my sight.

Huh?

Then 「Alpha」 twisted Baek Sa-ra’s wrist with a swift motion and restrained her by wrapping an arm around her neck.

Is that really…… 「Alpha」?

As I watched the sight in doubt, a familiar voice came from behind.

“Whoa, this place is just completely wrecked. Hyung, are you okay?”

What appeared next was a blond 「Delta」.

It was Kwak Jae-gyeom.

“Urgh, I really don’t want to look at that.”

Jae-gyeom looked around the ruined dressing room, found 「Delta」, and recoiled in disgust.

Right. If something that looked exactly like you was tied up in that terrible state, of course it would be horrifying.

“Do I really look like that? Honestly, don’t I look better than that?”

And even in the middle of this, he was rating his own doppelgänger’s face.

This guy really is Jae-gyeom.

Then that 「Alpha」-like bastard over there must be…….

“Since I recognized you, could you please let me go now, Team Leader Cha Si-eon?”

Baek Sa-ra spoke uncomfortably, bothered by the thick forearm wrapped around her neck.

“Haa…….”

A long, long sigh spilled from my lungs.

That was not 「Alpha」, but Cha Si-eon.

Once I realized that, my tension loosened, and the strength drained out of me.

When Baek Sa-ra tapped, Cha Si-eon obediently released his arm.

Baek Sa-ra lost her balance and fell with a light thump, and Cha Si-eon extended his hand to help Baek Sa-ra back up.

But for some reason, Cha Si-eon’s gaze was directed not at Baek Sa-ra, but at me.

When I stared back blankly, not understanding why, Cha Si-eon spoke in his usual calm tone.

“Response Team also gives considerable weight to person-to-person tactics.”

What is he suddenly talking about?

“As you have seen, we are not lacking even compared to Exploration Team.”

“……?”

I was bewildered, wondering what he wanted me to do about that, then suddenly remembered.

Jae-gyeom had said it before.

That Cha Si-eon’s pride had been rather hurt because I chose Baek Sa-ra as my assigned instructor.

I realized what Cha Si-eon was trying to advertise.

But well, what do I care?

Since it was not an issue that required thought, I answered firmly again.

“I still prefer Ms. Baek Sa-ra.”

---

When I came out of the dressing room, the performance hall had been wrecked by the members of Response Team 3.

The unfinished 「Fake Humans」 had been annihilated.

「Alpha」 had ultimately escaped.

Still, since the 「National Theater」’s core had not been destroyed, they said it would soon regenerate with time.

However, in this state, the 「National Theater」 could not generate 「Fake Humans」 like before.

So only I, Choi Sang-eun, who had stayed in the Special Zone too long, and Baek Sa-ra, who was injured, came outside first using 「Fake Humans」.

The remaining people would escape under Response Team 3’s command through the hidden escape route, the 「Circulating Library」.

The time it took Response Team 3 to escape from the 「Circulating Library」 with the citizens was 29 hours and 11 minutes.

Because they came out after a day and a half, it was three days after I came out of the 「National Theater」 that I sat facing Cha Si-eon.

“Regarding Mr. Seo Do-un’s excessive stay time in the Special Zone, the higher-ups have expressed concern.”

Cha Si-eon said this as soon as he sat down.

“Though it is within the safety line under regulations, please take care not to come into contact with any Special Zones for the next 15 days.”

It would be nice if that were something I could decide.

“What happens if I come into contact with one?”

“Try it yourself if you’re curious.”

For some reason, Team Leader Cha was sharper than usual too.

Was this because of the fatigue from breaking through a Special Zone with the citizens, or because he had been rejected as an instructor one time after another?

It seemed to be the latter, but I should just think of it as the former.

“And it is interpreted that 「Delta」, driven onto the defensive, went to Mr. Seo Do-un for the purpose of obtaining data.”

“Don’t tell me, it was trying to make a 「Fake Human」 identical to me…….”

“What the 「National Theater」 wants are strong entities. Therefore, there is no way Mr. Seo Do-un was its objective. It was likely an attempt to update its information on me or Kwak Jae-gyeom.”

Just you watch. I will become stronger.

“For reference, the 「Delta」 Baek Sa-ra captured was destroyed. It appears the entity ceased its own activity when it could not break free from the restraints, and once the 「National Theater」 recovers its function, an entity cloned from Kwak Jae-gyeom is expected to be reborn.”

It really is endless.

Since it comes after 「Delta」, will the name of the newly generated entity be 「Epsilon」?

Just thinking about it made me sick of it.

On top of that, they said these bastards were sighted in other Special Zones too, so I was scared I might run into them again.

“Lastly, the mastermind who was manipulating contaminated person Kim Hae-seong is currently being tracked.”

Kim Hae-seong’s mastermind.

“Boss says he’ll kill you.”

“He says he’ll kill you no matter what he has to do. He says he’ll never leave you alone…….”

The one who had poured sharp malice over me.

“Hey, you don’t remember your oppa’s voice?”

“Anyway, you sure laundered your identity properly. When you’re the most monstrous one of all.”

The one who had taunted Baek Sa-ra unpleasantly.

The owner of that voice heard beyond the phone.

The root cause who had created an auction house in the 「National Theater」 and caused this mess.

“Do those contaminated people operate like a criminal organization inside Special Zones?”

A contaminated person was someone whose body had changed under the influence of a Special Zone.

I had understood this as a disaster like radiation exposure.

But seeing Kim Hae-seong overturned my thinking.

People who instead wielded their contaminated traits as power, and with that power ran forces in the lawless zone called Special Zones.

This was the new concept of contaminated people Kim Hae-seong had taught me.

“There are people who have adapted better to Special Zone environments than to reality. Such people gathered in Special Zones, their scale gradually grew, and factions or organizations formed. Kim Hae-seong’s group is also that sort.”

“They live in Special Zones?”

How can that be possible?

The Special Zones I had experienced so far were living hells where simply surviving was all one could manage.

“The places where contaminated people gather are mainly Type 2 Special Zones. Clear hostile acts toward humans are a feature of Type 1 Special Zones, and Type 2 Special Zones are comparatively friendly.”

Does that mean Type 2 is somewhat livable?

Enough that people might think it is better than reality?

“That is why there are quite a few contaminated people in Type 2 Special Zones who claim those areas as their own territory.”

“Isn’t that a problem?”

“Of course it is a problem.”

“But you’re leaving it alone because you’re short on personnel?”

Cha Si-eon was silent for a moment.

It seemed I had hit the mark.

“First of all, there are no grounds to order eviction. Because Special Zones are not the territory of the Republic of Korea…….”

Well, would you look at that.

“The scale of contaminated people who have settled in Special Zones is already considerable as well, and there is a certain degree of validity to their rights claims, so we avoid unnecessary friction through agreements.”

“Agreements?”

“The Bureau agreed not to arrest contaminated people without clear criminal allegations, and the contaminated people agreed not to disclose matters regarding Special Zones to the outside.”

Right. These were people who could not even rescue citizens wandering through Special Zones.

They would not have the capacity to deal with people who had settled down there too.

And amid that neglect, out-of-spec dangerous figures were growing.

“Boss says he’ll kill you.”

Kim Hae-seong’s words came to mind again.

Thinking that an extremely dangerous figure who set up schemes in Special Zones was targeting me did not make me feel at ease.

I also thought I had unexpectedly made a troublesome enemy.

But that was my misunderstanding.

And I was certainly underestimating the Bureau.

To start with the conclusion, the very next day.

I received that bastard’s mugshot.