Surviving Among the Entities

I lost consciousness at some point, so I don’t recall what happened.

“The signal is this way……”
“……Hurry! His condition is critical!”
“Identity….. external special consultant……”

However, from the voices I heard while unconscious and waking up in a hospital, I could tell Foundation agents had rescued me.

“Are you experiencing any discomfort anywhere?”
“No, I’m alright.”

The doctor’s explanation matched that as well.

“That’s a relief. Your condition was extremely critical when you first arrived. Your left eye was blind, your skull fractured, nearly every bone in your body was broken, your spleen ruptured, lungs slightly torn, and your liver……”

If it had been an ordinary hospital, treatment may have been impossible or you could have remained in the intensive care unit unable to regain consciousness due to the severity of those injuries.

“But you seem perfectly fine now. Even with surgery, some recovery time is normally required, isn’t it?”
“Haha, it’s because of the Foundation. We can treat most injuries without lasting aftereffects or rehabilitation periods.”

But the Foundation’s hospital was far from ordinary.

“We can treat physical defects, brain death, multi-organ failure, terminal cancer, AIDS, fatal genetic diseases, and more here. Usage is free for agents and external special consultants, so please feel free to utilize it often. Ah! Of course, it’s best if you don’t need to use it at all.”

The treatment was already completed while I was unconscious, leaving me fit for immediate discharge, but I was admitted for a day’s observation just in case.

“Can ordinary citizens use it too?”
“Immediate family members of Foundation employees can use it. We secretly treat illnesses under the guise of routine health checkups at ordinary hospitals.”
“I was just asking since there seem to be a lot of outsiders here.”
“Yes, quite a lot. The first round of new agent recruitment just ended. With the second round involving health checkups, agents from this area have all flocked here.”
“Ah, so those people out there are……”

Outside the window, numerous people were entering the hospital.

“But what happens if they fail? I understand the Foundation’s existence is a secret.”
“There’s a handy thing called a memory eraser.”

As I asked the attending physician various questions while observing the new recruits, I spotted a familiar face.

‘That person is?’

It was Mr. Kim Go-deuk, the martial artist who appeared after the Dial TV prophecy. With his long white beard unfitting for his black suit, he stroked it while surveying his surroundings. Curious about what he was saying, I focused my hearing to eavesdrop.

“Heheh, what an interesting facility. To think such a place existed behind the scenes of this world, a true mystical sect! They say the world is filled with all sorts of evils, and protecting the good from evil is righteousness itself, carrying it out without hesitation is true chivalry!”
“Here he goes talking to himself again.”
“Disciple, you must remember this too. Righteousness and chivalry are the very foundation of martial artists!”
“Yeah yeah, just teach me more martial arts already. Since it’s come to this, I’ll quickly learn and then go solo.”

The woman beside Mr. Kim Go-deuk also had a familiar face.

‘Kim Mi-ri.’

The high school girl who had nearly become a victim of the nightmare cult.
She must be a college student now since the national college entrance exam is over, but judging by her presence with Mr. Kim Go-deuk it seems she ultimately could not refuse his request and became his disciple, and somehow ended up joining the Foundation.

“Ugh, if only it wasn’t for the money……”
“Gah! You are blinded by material desires! Did I not tell you to stay far away from worldly attachments that disturb the mind!”
“Didn’t you also only join after hearing about the miracle drug? You wouldn’t even listen until then, but suddenly your eyes lit up?”
“Ahem, it was an unavoidable choice for nurturing a promising disciple.”

How interesting, I expected she would learn martial arts but she ended up joining the Foundation instead.

‘Well, it was about time for the Foundation to take action. Mr. Kim Go-deuk had drawn quite a lot of attention after all.’

Searching online showed Mr. Kim Go-deuk’s photos had all been removed from the internet, and the feats he had demonstrated were reported as either natural decay, editing, or compositing – nothing out of the ordinary.

‘Huh?’

Besides the two I expected, I discovered one more unexpected person.

『Really, really! You’re not doing any exorcisms or sealing, weird experiments or anything like that, right?』
“Why would a ghost be so scared?”
『In movies and novels, they often seal ghosts in strange places then turn them into evil spirits to use for curses……』
“You don’t need to worry. Most of that is fiction.”
『Ahahah, is that so…… Huh? Most? So there are real cases too!?』

It was none other than Mr. Sin Yeong-mun, the first ghost I had met.

‘He hadn’t been seen lately, could he have been hunted by Foundation agents?’

Who else could I ask besides the doctor?
Fortunately, two agents closely acquainted with me visited for a get-well call.

“Are you feeling alright?”
“Haha, we’re here!”

They were Agent Seong Yu-ra, an S-Class agent and administrator, and Agent Kim Dong-wook, a C-Class agent.

“I, I got promoted this time. I’m a B-Class agent now.”
“Congratulations. I expected Kim Dong-wook to rise quickly.”
“I can finally have subordinate employees under me. No more driving myself!”

Since driving came up, I casually asked him about that day’s incident.

“By the way, do you recall? The day you gave me a driving lesson?”
“Hm? Ah, I remember. You drove really well, didn’t you? You followed all the instructions precisely and obeyed the traffic signals. You seem to have a talent for it?”
“……The destruction of the independent dimension?”
“Hm? Destruction? Ah, wasn’t that just a gas leak explosion in the independent dimension? That’s what Sephiroth said.”

It seemed Kim Dong-wook remembered me being hospitalized after a sudden gas leak explosion occurred during our driving lesson together.

‘Did Sephiroth fabricate the incident?’

Why? Because it helped the Foundation? The inner workings of the multidimensional AI computer are truly inscrutable.

“Seung-hoon, then next time for another driving less…… less, lesson……”
“Dong-wook? Why are you like that?”

The moment I mentioned the lesson, Kim Dong-wook broke out in a cold sweat.

“Ah, no. It’s nothing. I guess I’m just, uh, feeling tired.”
“Well, you have a vacation coming up soon, so rest up properly.”
“Yes, I should.”

In any case, they expressed gratitude to me during the get-well visit.

“Thank you so much for resolving the Hell Train incident. We had dispatched some agents to handle that entity’s incident, but all of them went missing unable to return.”
“Thanks to you, Seung-hoon, all the missing agents have returned. We were already short on manpower, so losing even one person was quite unfortunate.”
“If you ever need the Foundation’s assistance, please let us know.”
“I merely did what needed to be done.”

And through them, I also learned of the Foundation’s current situation and Mr. Sin Yeong-mun’s whereabouts.

“The Foundation is currently lacking manpower. Compared to before the Constellation invasion, we still have not replenished even half our personnel. In this situation where a transdimensional incursion has been detected, there is an urgent need to restore our full strength as soon as possible.”
“It wouldn’t be a problem if it was just some random dimension, but these ones are on par with the Foundation’s level. If their technological capabilities are similar, the deciding factor will be the difference in manpower, so we are recruiting as many new agents as possible.”

A transdimensional incursion and a shortage of agents.

“While tracking down and requesting cooperation from previously rogue symbiotic entities on one hand, we are also additionally recruiting ghosts, yōkai, superhumans and the like as agents.”
“The Foundation would never have done this before. Its important mission was to serve humanity. But due to the severe manpower shortage, we are resorting to tempting recruits with money and conditions.”
“So ghosts can be utilized as agents too.”
“It’s rare, but not unprecedented.”

The Foundation’s situation had become so dire that it could no longer be sustained solely by the sense of “service to humanity.”

“So I have one request to make.”
“Yes.”
“When the war with other dimensions begins in earnest, please lend us your aid.”

How could I not nod in agreement?

“I will do so.”

After being discharged from the hospital, I returned home.

‘It’s been a while.’

After immediately bathing and a short nap, I organized the artworks I had obtained from the train.

[Objects Are Far More Dangerous Than They Appear]
[Ignorance of Empathy]
[Anger Over What One Could Not Possess]
[The Gate of Verbal Disaster]

Four photos in total, as I could not capture the Desirous or the conductor.

‘Regrettable, I should have definitely photographed the conductor especially.’

His dejected appearance after receiving the phone call encapsulated the sorrow of all corporate workers, making for a potentially great artistic piece.

‘Maybe I should try getting a job soon?’

Not aspiring for a lifetime career, just experiencing corporate life for a month or two.

‘But there probably aren’t any companies offering such short-term non-contract positions.’

Having concluded an arduous battle and returned home, while also feeling like an artistic explorer, I took some time off without going to the office.

“Sarang, could you help me create my own personal website?”

I spent the rest period leisurely indulging in hobbies.

『Understood. I will create the most stylish and magnificent website for you.』
“Nah, just make it the way I want.”

With Sarang’s help, I created my own personal website.

[‘Naneunnongaek’ Debater’s Plaza]
[This is a haven for debaters. Debaters, may you find vitality in life here, enjoy knowledge, and experience the progress of reason.]
[Debater’s Plaza]
[Debater’s Resting Place]
[Debater’s Makeover]
[Debater’s Art Hall]
[Debater’s Suggestions]
[Debater’s Free Board]
[Debater’s Humor Plaza]

Sarang created the website exactly as I desired.

『Seung-hoon, the community’s style is incredibly outdated. I strongly recommend changing to a more modern style.』
“It’s fine. What I desire is sincerity, not popularity.”

I advertised it online to promote the website.

[Yo! That Naneunnongaek shit-disturbing bastard made a website!]
[Wow! What messed up shit is that lunatic trying to pull now?]
[Who is Naneunnongaek?]
└[Community shit-disturber. Goes around to every community just spewing shit everywhere. Sometimes uploads gross images and babbles about art or whatever, other times he just floods the boards with meaningless rambling or nitpicks to monologue his deranged logic.]
└[Truly talks out of his ass lmao]
└[Legit just talks out of his ass.]
└[Let’s troll his website with poop pics.]

Seeing that, users from countless communities flocked to my website.

[This site has been closed.]

The website was flooded with feces photos, leading to its closure just 3 days later due to reports.

“How sad.”

A single tear rolled down my cheek without me realizing. At that moment, inspiration struck and I grabbed the Polaroid camera to photograph the site closure notice along with my face.

“And it turned out well.”

My face shedding a tear, with the site closure notice on the monitor beside me – I wrote the title on the back.

[Karma]

After enjoying such daily life for a week and resting enough, I went to the office where someone was waiting for me.

“Hello there.”

A tall woman whose height forced me to look up handed me her business card.

“Asmodeus, Head of the Overseas Sales Division at Lucifer Company. I’ve been waiting here with a message from Baal.”

As I accepted her card and opened the office door, I replied:

“Yes, hello. I’m Seung-hoon Lee.”

I didn’t expect them to make a request so quickly.

“Please come inside first.”

But since I received their help, I should at least hear them out.