Chapter 39: Anomaly Catching Anomaly

Employment (1)

How much time had passed?

After sorting out my complicated thoughts and looking around, an unfamiliar landscape greeted me.

A room filled with peculiar devices I had never seen before.

However, I could roughly guess the purpose of those devices.

Seeing one strangely shaped device in the center of the room connected to the others, it was easy to tell that it played a key role.

More than anything, my hands and feet were bound by that central-looking device.

I could easily recognize it as a restraint device with complex technology applied.

'A bit much for being detained.'

I wiggled my fingers, feeling slightly frustrated.

Honestly, I thought I could tolerate being handcuffed for a while.

Even though it was unavoidable due to the rescue operation, the building was significantly damaged because of my rampage.

In such a chaotic situation, it would take some time to sort things out.

Well, from the perspective of people who didn't know whether I was beating up people or dolls, they couldn't just leave me alone.

Maybe this restraint device is something like that? A product of amazing future technology, treated as a simple handcuff in modern times.

Perhaps I'm being too sensitive about being treated as a suspect for a while.

Yeah, well, it must be.

After all, it's the future.

Everything I've seen so far has been full of incomprehensible things, so this could easily be the same.

Hahahahaha.

Haha.

Ha.

Ha….

….

"Haaaaaa…."

A deep sigh escaped my lips.

Because I sensed that I was reaching the limit of turning a blind eye to reality.

No matter how much I pretended to be an idiot, the things I had seen were increasingly presenting undeniable truths before my eyes.

The path of escape from reality had reached a cliff with no way forward, and I had come to the point where I had to acknowledge reality.

What am I acknowledging?

Well, the truth that my hometown is completely different from what I knew.

The hometown in my memory was clearly a world where only ordinary people and the society they formed existed.

But the new image of this place I've come to know is an abnormal world where monsters that crush people in an instant exist.

In fact, I had been vaguely aware of it.

I didn't think of myself as a smart person, but at least I wasn't a dim-witted fool.

As a result of combining everything I had seen and heard here.

I could fully understand that the things in this Site were far from ordinary, even by today's standards.

But, I didn't want to admit it.

To be precise, I should say I deliberately ignored it.

As a joke, I thought it might be fun to have a somewhat unreal group on the other side of my hometown.

But that was only for urban fantasy-like things mixed with light adventure.

I didn't want a crazy world that looked like it came out of a cosmic horror-based horror game, where infinite-replication-monster-dolls turn people into minced meat.

I came back to my hometown to enjoy a leisurely retirement, but it turns out my hometown was no different from the dimensions I had passed through.

I felt like I met my first love in a brothel, and I sighed once again with complex emotions.

'...Still, I have to admit what I have to admit.'

But what's the point of blaming what's already happened?

Denying reality didn't change anything.

Even if my hometown is very different from what I thought, there was no destination left for me anyway.

I had no choice but to settle down and live here, whether I liked it or not.

From now on, I was going to look at the future with a slightly more positive outlook.

At least there were quite a few things I wanted to do when I returned to my hometown.

'So, when would be a good time to get out of here….'

When I put strength into my arm, I felt the restrained device move slightly.

Hmm, I think I can unlock it enough at this level.

It seems like some annoying technology is applied, but it's not a problem.

Anyway, there's nothing more to hold back now.

If someone doesn't come in and explain this situation to me in a way that I can understand, I'm going to break this restraint device and go outside without hesitation.

Is there any need to wait?

Well, that's true. There are people who have treated me well while I've been here, but that doesn't mean I have a reason to stay here.

Even if I smash this Site right now and slam everyone who stops me headfirst into the ground.

Considering the people who were struggling with just that one doll, it didn't seem like anyone could harm me.

But, there is a line that people shouldn't cross.

And this was, in short, the last line I had set for myself.

Wandering alone through dimensions for a long time, humanity tends to fade.

At least, wanting to remain human, I had set one last line that I should not cross in advance.

Just because I gained some special power, I made a vow not to kill opponents who still have room for dialogue simply because they are annoying or bothersome.

…Of course, that's only if the other person seems willing to talk to me.

Also, if something happens like they start shooting at me as soon as they see me, or give me high-handed orders, I plan to punch them in the face without regret and escape from this place.

As I said earlier, I've reached the limit of my patience.

I didn't want to be trapped in this small room any longer, even if it meant denying reality.

—Clang

And, just when I was thinking that I should really twist this device if someone didn't show up soon.

A metallic sound began to echo from the only door in this room.

—Clang, clang, clang

Mechanical devices interlock, and the sound of unlocking a complex locking device is heard in succession.

The door in the previous room seemed to have a much simpler structure than this.

Seeing that I was locked up in a place with such a thick security door, it seemed that they thought of me as a very dangerous person.

—Tssssssss

Finally, the complicated procedure is over and the door opens.

A door that looks thick at first glance, and behind it, many doors of the same shape.

And the figure of someone walking from behind it.

It was foreshadowing a meeting with a completely new person I had never met before.

"…."

The one who entered the room was an unfamiliar middle-aged man.

An appearance that suggests a strict personality at first glance.

He came into this room, exchanged glances with me without a word.

"Nice to meet you. 163-19."

Soon, he opened his mouth and began to give me a simple greeting.

Lead Researcher, Oliver Smith was currently feeling quite anxious.

The reason for that would be the restrained girl in front of him.

The device binding the girl was originally a powerful object that would be considered too excessive compared to her pitiful appearance.

He was aware that the girl, unlike her appearance, was an Anomalous Entity that could blow up his head in an instant.

'She doesn't seem to be in a very good mood.'

Oliver made eye contact with the girl. Her eyes seemed to contain much more negative emotions than before.

It's natural. Feeling hostility towards those who have bound her would be a natural reaction as a living being.

Rather, the fact that she hasn't caused any disturbances since being tied up was a testament to the girl's docile personality.

'...Damn higher-ups.'

A small, unheard sigh escaped.

In fact, he didn't want to have his first meeting with the girl in this format either.

Even if this Anomalous Entity has the formidable power to tear through dimensions, as Researcher Benjamin said.

Anyway, it is true that the girl fought against the rampaging 744, and it is undeniable that many lives were saved as a result.

He wasn't even sure what her ulterior motives were yet.

Anyway, now that she is obediently following orders, he didn't want to give her unnecessary stimulation by binding her hands and feet.

But, he was just a middle manager who couldn't help it.

To the highest supervisors in the Administration, the girl was nothing more or less than an Anomalous Entity who had neutralized an Anomaly classified as a Danger Level Ⅴ.

If things continued like this, he was afraid that the conservative and rigid group might resort to unethical methods to isolate this girl.

He ordered the girl to be temporarily restrained using such a device in order to show, at least in form, that the 17th Site was controlling her.

'Please, I hope I can still communicate with her...'

In the tense atmosphere.

He tried to calm his trembling heart, organizing what he was about to say.

Soon, after somewhat composing himself, he finally opened his mouth.

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