WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Chen

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Surviving as an Office Worker at the Anomaly Management Bureau ◈

Chapter 16

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“It’s brighter than I expected.”

That was my simple impression.

A bluish light illuminated the interior. The fact that there was no trace of a light source made it all the more unpleasant.

“...How are your eyes?”

Yoo Da-on tapped my shoulder as she asked.

“They’re fine for now.”

I remembered the notice disguised as a conversation from earlier.

I really had to be careful this time. During the Dream of a Butterfly incident, there had at least been a monster friendly to the Management Bureau living there. Now, there were only three people who were a little more unusual than ordinary civilians.

Of course, I wouldn’t have entered this place at all if I thought that was the whole story.

“Do you remember?”

At my question, Jang Chae-yeon slowly shook her head.

“No, not at all. It still feels like there’s only a hole in that part of my memory. But I do remember wandering around here for a long time.”

She wore a complicated expression.

So Jang Chae-yeon couldn’t tell us anything right now.

If it had called us here, it must have had a reason.

I slowly began looking around.

Unlike its exterior, the interior was incredibly spacious. I had no idea where the light was coming from, but there was enough of it to look around without any trouble. Other than that, it was barren and empty. A handleless door was fitted over an opening that led to the exit.

Why had Jang Chae-yeon wandered around in a place like this? The exit was right there, so what had she been looking for? Or had she seen something else?

“...I’m going to lie down for a while.”

After looking around, Yoo Da-on stretched out her legs and flopped down in a tired sprawl.

That left only Jang Chae-yeon and me to inspect the area.

Soon, Jang Chae-yeon pressed a hand to her brow and began muttering.

c01EczRTQlQ3MHpLRjZzZm5BNXAxcVVOLzkzN0tYU0QzWTNDaXFDTktzS0NCUjQybC8wNDVvRW5Dc0hmWE9lKw

“...No. Then...”

That left only me.

Still, there had to be a reason it had called us here.

I kept searching without pause in case something had been hidden, and eventually found it.

“Found it.”

A small Cube hidden in a corner.

Wondering whether it really needed to be concealed so thoroughly, I examined the Cube.

[Name: Cube]

[Age: Year of Manufacture XXXXXXXXXXX]

[Specialty: Reality Alteration and Absorption]

[Talent: X]

[Background: This Cube possesses the functions of reality alteration and absorption. Whether it absorbs by altering reality or alters reality by absorbing it, the order has not yet been decided. What the Cube has currently absorbed is a city.]

[Weakness: When you cannot tell whether the chicken came first or the egg came first - - - // Did you not come here to talk?]

“...”

It was a funny way to put it, but there was no voice coming from the Cube other than what my eyes showed me.

Should I try shouting at it?

“...What are you?”

I muttered quietly, and the Weakness section soon changed.

[Weakness: I shall let you out.]

Just like that?

Without realizing it, I narrowed my eyes at the translucent window. Why had it suddenly changed its mind?

“What about the others?”

[Weakness: The chicken - - - // The black-haired woman can be sent out. However, the white-haired woman cannot.]

My gaze moved from Yoo Da-on to Jang Chae-yeon.

“Let me try solving it.”

Thinking back, Jang Chae-yeon had supposedly left while holding the Cube. She had definitely been carrying it when we first began following her, but when we started fighting, she no longer had it.

Normally, I would have thought she had left it in her room before coming to catch us. But that theory had fallen apart when I put a bullet in Jang Chae-yeon’s forehead. She had suddenly coughed up the Cube after the bullet struck her forehead.

I picked up the Cube.

A chilly sensation touched my fingertips, and a migraine began to wash over me.

Ignoring it, I tightened my grip and began trying to solve the Cube.

“...As expected.”

It did not budge.

They said reality would shift whenever one face of the Cube was solved, but the Cube itself had been designed so it could not physically be solved.

“You can’t physically solve its faces. It had to be planted inside someone in the form of a Cube from the beginning.”

The Critical I had fired had not been aimed at Jang Chae-yeon.

It had stopped the Cube from being solved inside her head.

Then let’s organize what we knew about the Cube.

It would be a disaster if it were solved, but it could not be solved physically. To solve it, someone needed to perform an act like a ritual. In that process, Jang Chae-yeon had been chosen as the executor of this ritual.

But how had it brought her under control? What could have reduced someone who casually destroyed those monsters to this state?

A window appeared before my eyes.

[Your understanding of the Cube has increased.]

The Cube in front of me no longer displayed any text.

[Name: Cube]

[Age: Year of Manufacture XXXXXXXXXXX]

[Specialty: Reality Alteration and Absorption]

[Talent: X]

[Background: The Cube, created far away, possesses the functions of reality alteration and absorption. Whether it absorbs by altering reality or alters reality by absorbing it, the order has not yet been decided. What the Cube has currently absorbed is a city.]

[Weakness: You do not necessarily need to play along with the game - // // // // ]

Only the Weakness window in front of me shook wildly.

[Weakness: Sometimes // // // // //]

The Cube was deliberately blocking my Weakness window.

I tried several times to read it, playing staring contests with the Cube, but unfortunately, the text in my Weakness window kept disappearing as though it were malfunctioning.

This would never end.

I stood up, holding the Cube.

Sure enough, the entrance to the Cube shut, and every source of soft light vanished.

Then the door on the opposite side opened, and things that looked human slowly began walking out, just as before.

“Idon’twanttodrinkcoffeetoday.”

“Idon’twanttohurtanymore.”

“Idon’twanttolive.”

They were no different from the ones earlier.

I gripped my gun again. Yoo Da-on and Jang Chae-yeon had already taken positions behind me, readying themselves.

“Did you make any progress?”

“Yes. I think we can recover your memories too.”

“Do we have to break through those things to do that?”

“That’s right. And while we’re at it, we need to share a bit of an emotional connection.”

“Fine.”

“Pardon?”

The last question came from Yoo Da-on, but Jang Chae-yeon smoothly continued.

“If it’s necessary, there’s nothing I can’t do. What do we need to do? Kiss? Hug?”

Was this woman insane?

“Are you crazy? Why would I kiss or hug you?”

Jang Chae-yeon froze at my words.

“Uh...? Emotional... connection...?”

“Do I go around kissing my friends just because I’m emotionally connecting with them? Don’t say things like that to anyone else.”

Jang Chae-yeon shut her mouth.

Then something struck my back hard with a smack. Unable even to scream, I could only writhe in pain on the floor.

Jang Chae-yeon rolled up both sleeves and stood before us.

She continued in a flat tone.

“There’s no need. I’ll finish everything myself.”

But her earlobes were bright red.

“No, I mean, who got the wrong idea and made up the whole story in her head-”

Smack!

I decided to keep quiet.

* * *

We really were unnecessary.

Jang Chae-yeon literally annihilated the monsters rushing toward us. I watched while lying there and writhing in pain, while Yoo Da-on gently rubbed my back as she watched.

“...Hah.”

Soon, Jang Chae-yeon took a deep breath and sat down in front of me again.

“So, what do we have to do?”

“...Hmm.”

I looked at Yoo Da-on.

Yoo Da-on looked back at me with a puzzled expression.

‘Then I should stake my life on Jae-heon too.’

...This was a very unusual situation.

“So-”

At that moment,

Click.

Something inside the Cube I was holding clicked into place.

“Huh?”

“You can’t do it alone!”

Jang Chae-yeon shouted and grabbed my hand. Time stopped for everyone except her and me.

“...”

“...”

I opened my eyes.

Yoo Da-on’s eyes were wide open.

“...Da-on?”

I waved my hand in front of Yoo Da-on.

There was no response.

I lightly tapped her cheek.

Nothing changed.

Jang Chae-yeon’s hand, which had grabbed mine earlier, tightened around it.

Even as her hand trembled, Jang Chae-yeon held on to mine.

“I remember now.”

“...What is this?”

Her face was full of fear.

“...It would be too hard alone. ...I had to come with you.”

“What is this?”

“...The final torture.”

Deep despair filled Jang Chae-yeon’s eyes.

“A torture that traps someone alone in an eternity of time and does nothing.”

“...”

So this was it.

“But... still... It can’t be done alone... If there are two of us...”

Jang Chae-yeon muttered as she hugged her knees.

“...Wait.”

The frozen Weakness window began displaying text again.

[Weakness: Sometimes, refusing to play the game is the answer.]

“...”

I sat facing Jang Chae-yeon, who was still sitting there with a gloomy expression.

“...Uh...?”

Jang Chae-yeon stared at me.

“Chae-yeon, is there anything you like?”

“Uh...?”

I would turn the whole game on its head.

If something was not enjoyable, I only needed to make it enjoyable.

“What food do you like? What are your hobbies?”

“Uh? What?”

Only confusion bloomed on Jang Chae-yeon’s face.

Footnotes:

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