67 - Eraser

TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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A secret room in the Intelligence Department.

Lee Yeonwoo was sipping coffee in a leather chair when the door burst open. The First Response Team Manager stormed in, shouting:

"Yeonwoo!"

Looking haggard but with bright eyes, he grabbed Yeonwoo's hand enthusiastically.

"Your method worked! We've resolved over half the climate anomalies, and the rest will be dealt with soon!"

He shook Yeonwoo's hand so vigorously it almost hurt.

Yeonwoo stood awkwardly and guided the manager to a chair. The man was barely coherent, overexcited despite his obvious exhaustion.

Yeonwoo poured water, handed it over, and asked, "Is the processing going well?"

"Extremely! We couldn't do anything before because we didn't know the cause. No wonder, with so many anomalous entities intertwined."

The climate anomalies were like a massive machine - a device of anomalous entities meshed with human activities, driving Earth towards destruction.

People had been fleeing from it all, but now things had changed.

Yeonwoo had revealed the blueprint of the climate anomalies - every component broken down in detail. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ɴøvᴇl_Firᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"We don't need to confront the climate anomalies head-on anymore. They've been dismantled. We just need to deal with each component separately. It's really easy now."

The manager coughed roughly, his throat sore. After a few sips of water, he continued:

"One Special Forces unit can handle one anomaly. It's similar for us, and other groups too."

Yeonwoo listened quietly, nodding.

No one had dared face the climate anomalies before, a tangle of countless anomalous phenomena.

But a few anomalous entities?

You could investigate them cautiously, overpower them, or banish them to another world.

Each of these minor actions, when combined, would destroy the climate anomalies.

"That's fortunate," Yeonwoo said.

"Fortunate? It's more than that. This is-"

Yeonwoo stepped back from the manager's enthusiastic advance. Then he explained why he'd come to the Intelligence Department, why he couldn't simply rejoice at the anomalies' disappearance.

"What about the doomsday cultists? I don't think they'll just sit quietly."

"...Those bastards."

The manager's expression hardened. He stared into space with murderous eyes, then slowly pulled out some documents.

"These are satellite photos from an hour ago. The hardcore cultists have gathered."

Yeonwoo examined the documents. They showed an island packed with people, each one a formidable wanted criminal.

The word "eraser" caught his eye. Yeonwoo asked nervously, "I'm not the target, am I...?"

The manager's silence was telling. Yeonwoo looked at him with trembling eyes. The manager slowly shook his head.

"They found out you revealed the solution."

"No... Didn't you promise to keep it secret?"

Anticipating this, he'd told the manager he'd found the solution, asking for security measures.

But they'd already found out?

The manager averted his eyes and pushed another document forward.

"We were extremely careful. The head office took various measures, but..."

The document listed security measures. Yeonwoo read through them.

The Anomaly Research Society members drank memory erasers. The Intelligence Department manipulated communications to delete information about Yeonwoo and spread false information.

They even used anomalous entities for security, but...

Yeonwoo crumpled the document's corner, dampening it with cold sweat.

"So they broke through everything?"

"That's right."

The manager pointed at the word "eraser" and a few wanted criminals, looking apologetic.

These fugitives had survived despite the company's best efforts. Their abilities couldn't be denied.

"The anomalous security was erased, and our other measures were breached too."

"So what do I do now? Will I get protection? Though I doubt an ordinary detail would be enough."

As Yeonwoo asked, scratching the table nervously, the manager looked around the sealed room.

He lowered his voice.

"The company's decided to protect you."

"How?"

Meeting Yeonwoo's worried eyes, the manager spoke of the safest place in the world.

"The final shelter. They've decided to invite you to the shelter that can even withstand climate anomalies-"

"You've got to be kidding me."

Yeonwoo smacked his forehead and slumped in his chair, drained.

The final shelter? The one erased in the future?

"How can you even suggest that?"

"But it's really safe... The final shelter-"

The manager tried explaining the shelter's safety, but Yeonwoo wasn't listening. How could he, when he'd seen its destruction?

Yeonwoo sighed and spoke briefly.

In the future he saw, that place was erased.

The manager fell silent. Then, blinking his bloodshot eyes, he asked slowly, "Then... what do we do? There's no safer place."

Yeonwoo tapped the satellite photo.

"These people, can't we bomb or missile them if we know their location?"

"We've tried that. It doesn't work."

"What about assassination after stopping time, or using anomalous entities?"

"We've tried all that too."

"Then maybe I could go to the migration site... No, never mind."

He couldn't flee to a barren site after saving Earth.

Silence fell.

The manager racked his tired brain for a solution, while Yeonwoo also thought of ways to survive.

Finally, Yeonwoo spoke.

"Let's go to the final shelter. Let's have a proper fight there."

"An all-out war, huh."

"We'll bring all the company's forces, and ally with groups that hate the cultists. Since we revealed the solution under the company's name, they should grant us this much-"

He couldn't continue. Suddenly, the door burst open, and an agent shouted:

"Manager! The eraser is attacking!"

They jumped to their feet.

"Request backup first!"

"Impossible! They're attacking multiple departments and groups, not just here!"

At that moment, the ceiling disappeared.

Sunlight shone down on the underground department. Cool autumn air blew in.

---

---

Earlier, on the cultists' island.

They grumbled while looking at the company's climate anomaly solution.

"The company... Didn't they give up on Earth? When did they investigate all this? Oh, one person figured it out? What kind of person is that?"

"That's not the point. The problem is our awaited doom has been postponed."

"Tsk. Those company bastards. They'll do anything to save themselves."

The cultists sat casually, cursing. Someone gulped vodka and said with a flushed face:

"So what are we gonna do? Kill the one who figured this out first?"

"Seems right for now."

Just then, a bespectacled cultist examining the list spoke up.

"There's something we need to do before that."

"What?"

He held up the list of anomalies. The scattered cultists turned to look.

"This. Let's take it. If we secure these, the climate anomalies should return. At least we can use them as weather weapons."

The mood changed. Some stroked their chins, some's eyes lit up, some stood, brushing themselves off.

A hijacker among them gripped a toy gun that created blue doors.

"Let's go. Open the door."

"Understood."

The hijacker pulled the trigger, changing locations each time. Blue doors to various capitals opened.

The cultists chose countries randomly and stepped through. The terrorists, gripping their anomalies like weapons, disappeared.

The man with the eraser walked towards the Korea portal.

"I'll handle the Korean Intelligence Department. If I have time, I'll deal with the solution-finder too."

"We'll handle the other departments."

He and a few others disappeared through the portal. Left alone, the hijacker fiddled with his toy gun and looked skyward.

---

---

And so, to the present.

A mountain in Seoul. The Intelligence Department headquarters on a secluded mountainside.

The eraser passed by, leaving a deep, circular hole. Sunlight shone down on the department below.

Stale underground air mixed with fresh mountain air. Clear and cool.

Yeonwoo gripped his trembling hands. Cold hands, drained of warmth. He couldn't stop shaking.

'The eraser...!'

He swallowed hard and hastily covered his face with documents. His first thought was hiding his identity.

Meanwhile, the cultist stood near the hole's edge and gestured lightly. Earth erased diagonally, forming a steep slope.

He descended and shouted loudly:

"Tell me where the anomalous entities are. If you do, I won't erase you-"

His words stopped.

From the slope, he saw all the agents below. While they frantically drew weapons, one person covered their face with paper.

The cultist's eyes were drawn to this conspicuous person. He flicked his finger slightly.

Swish-

The document covering Yeonwoo's face erased diagonally. Yeonwoo crumpled the remaining scrap tightly and looked up the slope.

"..."

"..."

They were close enough to make out each other's features.

They clearly recognized each other. The gazes of the cultist with the eraser and Yeonwoo, who revealed the solution, crossed.