87 - Request

TL/Editor: raei Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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The containment room was eerily quiet, tension stretching across the space like a taut thread.

Lee Yeonwoo's back was damp with cold sweat. The already cramped room felt even smaller as Future Yeonwoo's gaze and presence bore down on him.

Yeonwoo retreated until his back pressed against the wall. The cold, chilling sensation sent a shiver through him.

'This isn't good.'

He could easily guess what Future Yeonwoo was thinking, what emotions he harbored.

'He sees me as a threat now.'

Until now, Future Yeonwoo had viewed him as a landmine - dangerous, but harmless if left alone. Now, Yeonwoo was a live grenade in someone else's hand, ready to explode at any moment.

It made sense. After all, Yeonwoo had meddled with the threads of possibility, deflecting even a single strand.

"…."

Future Yeonwoo remained silent for a moment, then suddenly grasped a thread of possibility.

And vanished.

"…."

- ….

Yeonwoo and the Tree Person remained on high alert, senses heightened, before finally grasping the situation.

Future Yeonwoo had fled.

The Tree Person sighed in disappointment.

-Ah…. He was going to lift the containment. In the end, he just left.

"He was going to lift the containment?"

-Yes. He was planning a massive attack on the company, then grew wary of you, and finally gave up and left.

Yeonwoo stared at the floor for a moment before asking:

"Where did he return to? And what else was he thinking?"

-You! Why should I tell you that?

As the monstrous being disappeared, the Tree Person's eyes widened in anger. Yeonwoo calmly reached into his bag.

From the bag he always carried, even in emergencies, he produced a mini chainsaw and a gas torch. These tools, capable of easily destroying a tree, were now aimed at the Tree Person.

"I'm not in the mood for games. Will you talk, or would you prefer a taste of these?"

-…I don't know where he went. I can't read that deeply. The thoughts I picked up naturally were that he planned to attack the company through various means, then grew wary of you, pondered something, and vanished.

Yeonwoo closed his eyes.

Using the darkness as a canvas, he connected his thoughts. He put himself in Future Yeonwoo's position, trying to gauge his thinking.

'This isn't over. He won't give up on the Ark.'

Judging by how he threw himself into dangerous situations, it was clear the Ark meant everything to him.

'But it's a lower priority than his own safety. That's why he abandoned the dangerous element - me - and went to search for the Ark.'

Right now, he viewed Yeonwoo as more dangerous than the company's security or any half-hearted attack. After all, Yeonwoo could interfere at any time.

"He chose to search safely, even if the chances of success are low."

As Yeonwoo vaguely concluded that dulled survival instincts had kicked in, the Anomaly Research Society's security system activated.

A voice crackled through the containment room's speaker. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

-Intruder? Don't move! You've trespassed into a confidential area-

"Special Investigator Yeonwoo here. Please contact headquarters. I have information about the intruder."

He held up his Special Investigator ID to the camera in the corner.

Seeing the ID and Yeonwoo's composed demeanor, the security officer fell silent before responding.

-Please wait a moment. We need to verify this. Be aware that we'll respond according to protocol if you try anything funny.

Then, through the still-open microphone, a muttered comment came through.

-I don't know what the hell is going on. People from headquarters showing up out of nowhere….

---

---

The identity verification proceeded swiftly, and Yeonwoo found himself in the Anomaly Research Society's conference room with agents from headquarters.

"…."

"…."

No one spoke.

The agents, dispatched to protect the facility from Future Yeonwoo, were wrapped tightly in combat suits and kept their mouths shut. Yeonwoo, lost in thought, had no spare attention to initiate conversation.

-Ah, ah.

After a short while, a voice-only communication system lit up on the wall-mounted screen.

A voice identifying itself as Director spoke.

-Special Investigator Yeonwoo. I heard you met the intruder.

Yeonwoo grabbed the microphone on the table and brought it to his lips.

"Yes. The intruder had no malicious intent."

-No malicious intent? …Ah, right. You haven't seen the information yet, I suppose. Let me show you first.

Simultaneously, image files opened on the screen. They showed scenes of attacks attributed to the intruder, which Mark Jung had confirmed.

As Yeonwoo scrutinized the slideshow of images, the Director's explanation followed.

-Several parallel worlds have been attacked by this intruder. Even our final shelter has already been breached. If you still claim there's no malicious intent, we'll have no choice but to question your mental state.

"I understand your suspicion. However, his sole objective is the Ark."

Yeonwoo tried his best to speak calmly and persuasively.

After all, if Future Yeonwoo's goal was met, no major incidents should happen.

"He's a survivor from a world destroyed by climate anomalies, the very person who provided the solution to those anomalies, and the last company employee trying to rebuild his world by finding his world's Ark."

The lie about him being a company employee was mixed in, but most of it was true. The Director's voice lowered, as if confirming this information through some unknown method.

-You're serious….

"His attacks on other worlds were all means to find the Ark. All for the sake of rebuilding the world."

-….

With a rustling sound and some muffled instructions, the Director's microphone cut off.

The silence was brief.

-So, are you suggesting we hand over the Ark's information? Resolve this peacefully?

"At the very least, we should acknowledge his contribution in providing the solution to the climate anomalies."

-That would be nice if we could, but… there's a problem.

Not only Yeonwoo, but even the agents tilted their heads, focusing on the Director's voice.

-Let's put aside the minor issues. Whether we can trust the intruder, or if the attacks will cease - let's pretend those aren't factors.

"Yes. Please continue."

-The most important thing, the Ark. It doesn't exist.

"I've heard about such security measures."

Yeonwoo quickly relayed what he'd gleaned from Future Yeonwoo about security, but the Director denied it with a worried voice.

-I'm not talking about 'lies' to manipulate information. Given the gravity of the situation, I've received information about the Ark. I'll say it clearly: the Ark is fake. It's false information spread by the company.

"What do you mean?"

Yeonwoo's pupils dilated as he glared at the screen. Only the call icon blinked back at him.

-How could an Extinction Defense Device be so well-known in the first place? Even directors don't know how many there are or what they actually are.

"…."

He closed his mouth and listened. Clenching his fists, breaking into a cold sweat, worrying about Future Yeonwoo's reaction when he learned this.

-The Ark is a kind of propaganda. It's meant to show how great the company is, that humanity can be protected in any situation, that the human race will survive any disaster….

The Director continued.

-It's meant to threaten hostile groups, make them waste resources on something that doesn't exist, and keep company employees from losing hope. It's an information operation-

"Is that true?"

Suddenly, a voice interrupted. A bizarrely distorted voice.

Simultaneously, the agents slammed their heads on the table with a loud thud. Spider-web cracks spread across the table's surface.

This sudden attack came without warning. The grotesque voice didn't stop.

"The Ark, from the beginning, never existed?"

A voice torn and shredded. The thread-like form of Future Yeonwoo stood before the screen, in front of the camera that would be watching them.

Yeonwoo gripped his trembling hands.

'He didn't go anywhere, but was hiding around me?'

His initial guess had been wrong. And that meant the current situation was far more dangerous than he'd imagined.

'He's so obsessed with the Ark that he didn't leave even though he saw me as a threat. But if he hears the Ark doesn't exist.'

Future Yeonwoo's threat came to mind.

If he couldn't find the Ark, he didn't know what he might do.

The Director's calm voice came through the speaker.

-So you're the intruder.

"I asked a question. Do you think you're safe right now?"

As Future Yeonwoo clenched his fist, a muffled pop sounded from beyond the speaker.

-Bursting a pen, I see. Reality manipulation? As expected of the final survivor.

"Next is your head. Answer quickly. Is there no Ark? Does it not exist at all?"

-That's right. There is no Ark.

The threads enveloping Future Yeonwoo froze in place. As if preserved in a moment of stopped time.

-What will you do now? You've gotten the information you wanted.

"Heh. Hehehe."

Laughter spilled out, and the threads began to ripple.

Yeonwoo rose slowly from his seat, debating whether to intervene immediately or flee. Either way, standing would make it easier to move.

Fortunately, his worst fears didn't materialize.

"No, the Ark exists."

-I understand your desire to believe that. But the Ark-

"Even this is part of the Ark's security. It means it's an object that can't be found in the first place."

"Are you alright?"

The atmosphere of escaping reality seemed dangerous. As Yeonwoo cautiously asked, Future Yeonwoo made a gesture as if raising his head.

"I'm more than alright. I've figured it out. I was thinking about it all wrong. If I create a world fit for human habitation, the Ark will reveal itself."

He lightly waved his hand, sending a strand of thread into Yeonwoo's bag. Then he bowed his head towards the screen.

"There's no reason for me to risk staying here any longer. The intruder will take his leave now."

With that, Future Yeonwoo vanished in an instant. A departure without farewell or lingering attachment.

The conference room was left with unconscious agents, Yeonwoo, and the Director watching from beyond the screen.

The Director muttered in a voice full of questions.

-Did he really leave? And the Ark exists? What on earth.