Chapter 270

The strategy was straightforward.
“Enlist the help of the Security Team, slip into the Annex, and then….”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje offered an encouraging thumbs-up.
“Assemble the gear!”
As a point of comparison, this was how the field agents reacted:
“…Is that like explaining how to shove a whale into a cupboard?”
“Cheongdong, be quiet. This is getting interesting.”
“Good grief….”
Observing their doubt, Deputy Manager Eun Haje smirked and remarked,
“For the time being, the Disaster Management Bureau personnel should remain on the sidelines. We, the weary laborers of this wretched corporate machine, will take care of our own business.”
“My, how disappointing.”
With that, we began hashing out the finer points of the operation.
The pivotal element was this:
The infiltration of Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae.
“Hmm, the main concern is how I’m supposed to get inside, right?”
“Well, one would expect a bit of a learning curve for someone using a wheelchair for the first time.”
To everyone’s amazement, however, they all ended up nodding after watching Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae navigate the chair with impressive dexterity.
“At this pace, she shouldn’t have any trouble with speed on level ground. In a worst-case scenario, our Manager can simply scoop her up, chair and all, and bolt. Correct?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. Let’s proceed with that in mind….”
Baek Saheon sensed a perfect opening to jump in.
“I believe I can assist as well….”
“I know you’re just hunting for a slice of the profit. What, are you planning to hack off your healthy arm just to get a mechanical upgrade?”
He was immediately shut down.
As anticipated, the sharp instincts of Deputy Manager Eun Haje—a former journalist who had once effortlessly breached the restricted second floor of the corporate housing—were formidable.
Nevertheless.
Suggestion to Accompany: Goat
“…!”
“Oh.”
‘I need to throw him a bone to ensure his continued cooperation.’
Baek Saheon’s unique vision had proven indispensable back in Segwang Metropolitan City, so it was prudent to keep him on a short leash and keep him motivated.
‘Since he prizes his own survival above all else, he isn’t likely to sabotage us during the break-in.’
As long as Ho Yuwon’s project remained secure, I didn’t have much reason to fear him going rogue.
Of course, if I showed him too much favor, he’d become arrogant, so….
Reason: Surveillance
“Understood.”
“…?”
Baek Saheon shot me a look of profound betrayal, but I paid him no mind.
Fortunately, a dispassionate green light was given.
“And….”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje beamed at me.
“Since Roe Deer is currently assigned to the Security Team’s special department, the number of ways he can assist us is limitless.”
Positive
“Is the roster finalized then?”
“Indeed.”
The Equipment Phantom Thieves, comprised entirely of Daydream Inc. staff, had completed their mental preparations.
And so….
“…N-Noruya. What exactly is going on here?”
We found ourselves standing before an extremely bewildered Supervisor Park Minseong.
‘Supervisor….’
Just how shaken must you be to bypass the perfectly capable Manager Lee Jaheon and demand an explanation from a non-human employee (130666) who has horns and speaks through plumes of smoke?
Granted, the Manager is a Reptilian Alien, but even so.
I attempted to manipulate the smoke with as much precision as possible to explain:
Purpose: To manufacture specialized equipment for a Body replacement
“A body replacement?”
In 그 moment.
“Hm.”
The entrance to the Security Team lounge swung open, and a familiar face walked in.
It was a security staffer with a lanky frame and hunched shoulders, looking as though the weight of existence was a personal grievance.
J3.
He seemed to have sensed through the door that intruders had occupied the lounge, as he didn’t even flinch at our presence.
He merely tilted his chin up when his eyes landed on me.
“…Ah.”
It has been some time, Security Chief….
“Hey, are you… here to stay this time…?”
Negative
“I see….”
Question: How have you been
“Me… I’m the same as always….”
However, his dull eyes suddenly sharpened as they drifted toward my leg.
“Your leg… what happened to it?”
Injured during a mission
“…”
It is fine. That is the reason for this visit.
I detailed the circumstances to the Security Chief using my smoke, while Deputy Manager Eun Haje followed up with a verbal explanation.
We informed him of our intent to liberate some gear from the Annex and requested his aid.
True to form, the man did not fail us.
“Sure, why not…”
“…That’s your entire response?”
“Yes…”
“To be clear, this isn’t strictly illegal. It’s a project Director Ho is overseeing in the shadows.”
“Makes no difference to me… hm.”
“…”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje shot me a look that clearly asked, ‘Is he always this checked out?’
Even if she looked at me like that, I was wearing a gas mask, so I couldn’t respond with a facial expression….
Regardless, the groundwork was firmly established thanks to the Security Chief’s “enthusiastic” support.
‘Excellent.’
However, the Security Chief leaned in close and whispered to me.
“You know…. That matter you inquired about, I finished it… is it alright if I fill you in a bit later….”
Ah.
Positive
That’s right!
“Yes….”
My thanks, Security Chief….
With the formalities out of the way, we claimed spots on the couches and the floor to finally dive into the specifics of the Annex.
“Please describe the current state of the Annex. If you are offering a personal assessment, you must clarify that it is an opinion.”
“Y-Yes, well….”
A chilling report followed.
“Containment has collapsed.”
“…!”
An entity of Darkness had broken loose within the Annex.
To be fair, such an event wasn’t unheard of.
“The Security Team exists specifically to handle these breaches, so it’s practically a yearly tradition. However, the issue is….”
I heard Supervisor Park Minseong let out a soft, weary sigh.
“That particular Darkness is proving exceptionally difficult to re-contain, so we’ve been forced to completely seal off the entire second basement storage zone.”
And.
“The Twilight Grade Darkness required for the equipment assembly is located precisely on that second basement level.”
“Yes….”
Supervisor Park Minseong seemed to swallow another sigh, offering us a pained smile.
“I have no idea when the situation will be resolved. You’d be better off asking… uh, the Chief?”
The Security Chief blinked languidly before speaking.
“We’ll have to wait and see… at least two months, I’d wager. Is that acceptable…?”
“Two months?”
“Yeah…. On that level… there are likely missing staff members as well….”
Wincing groans rose from the group.
The situation was evidently dire enough to require Security Team units to be deployed in rotating night shifts.
“Phew. Still, with a group this size… I’m confident we can hold out long enough to slip in and retrieve the gear.”
The Security Chief didn’t dispute Deputy Manager Eun Haje’s optimism.
However.
“But… before you worry about moving around down there… have you figured out… how you’re even going to set foot in the Annex?”
He was right.
The primary obstacle was gaining entry in the first place.
We couldn’t afford to leave a digital trail of our presence, and Deputy Manager Eun Haje was officially listed as having resigned from the firm.
Ultimately….
“We will infiltrate using aliases.”
“Aliases?”
“Yes.”
Identities that would allow us to request access to the first or third floors of the Annex without raising eyebrows.
And….
A specific combination of people who could move through any sector without being challenged, simply because others would be too intimidated to speak to them.
“Minseong.”
“Yes.”
“We are going to pose as Elite Team A.”
“…!!”

—

Daydream Inc. Annex.
In the dead of night, as the sky began to bleed into dawn.
“Phew.”
The Field Investigation Team’s top rookie of the year emerged, finally finished with the management of the Darkness assigned to him that day.
He clutched a Grade F Essence in his hand, but his body was heavy with exhaustion….
‘I need to get to bed, fast.’
The receding fear and the sudden drop in adrenaline made him feel even more lethargic.
But just as he reached the exit, he froze in his tracks—as if a bolt of lightning had struck him—at the sight of three figures entering the facility.
The person leading the group was far too recognizable to mistake.
A dark ponytail, a tall and lean frame, dangerously sharp, decorative nails, and… eyes that shimmered with a murderous intensity.
It was none other than Assistant manager Jin Na-sol.
‘The Elite Team…!’
The rookie swallowed hard.
Rumors regarding the two individuals who had “supplementally passed” alongside him had spread like wildfire—specifically, the nightmare they endured after shadowing Team A on an investigation.
The fact that one of them was still languishing in a coma at the company hospital made the legend terrifyingly real.
“This way, Team Leader.”
Following behind her was the leader of Team A, famous for his Mallard Mask, and a supervisor who appeared somewhat rigid but composed.
He’d heard rumors that the supervisor had recently been transferred to Team A.
‘…I’m so envious.’
They were the ones closest to obtaining a Wish Token.
The rookie gulped again, his eyes lingering on the Team A leader, who was whispered to have already secured a Wish Token for himself.
He desperately wanted to initiate a conversation, if only for a moment.
‘Wouldn’t it be smart to build a connection?’
It was the naive fantasy of a newcomer who had yet to witness the cold, meritocratic brutality of the Field Investigation Team’s upper echelon.
Clearing his throat, the rookie crept toward the entrance, but….
He stopped dead the moment he noticed the object the trio was escorting behind them.
A mass shrouded in thick Black Smoke.
The figure, lashed to a wheelchair, wore a gas mask, and its amber eyes seemed to glint from every angle at once….
‘That’s the…!’
It was the nightmare he had glimpsed during his orientation.
A grotesque and overwhelming entity that resided on the 13th basement floor of the Annex.
Though he now understood it was a specialized employee of the Security Team, the rookie’s body froze instinctively.
Drrrrk….
The special department employee was being rolled along, tethered to the wheelchair….
“…”
The rookie hesitated, wondering if he should just turn and bolt, but his ambition won out. He stepped forward to address Team A.
‘I even have a great icebreaker!’
He aimed for the highest-ranking member, of course.
“Good evening, Manager…!”
“…”
“Uh, I’m Lee Seung-jo, a new recruit from Team Q.”
“…”
“Manager?”
There was no response.
Yet, it wasn’t a blatant snub.
For some reason, the Team A leader was simply staring at him with a completely blank expression…!
‘Uh, what’s going on??’
“Out of the way.”
“…!”
Suddenly, Assistant manager Jin Na-sol gave him a sharp nudge and marched through the entrance.
“Manager, let’s proceed.”
“Yes.”
Only then did the Team A Manager break his gaze and begin to walk again.
The supervisor brushed past him in a blur without so much as a glance.
‘…??’
Wait….
Before he could even feel the sting of being ignored, didn’t their behavior seem a bit… off?
“Requesting access pass for the 3rd basement level.”
“Certainly. Which Darkness is the focus of your visit?”
“Code 1575, Cuckoo Ghost Story.”
“One moment, please.”
As the brown-haired Security Team member at the desk finished assisting them, the rookie gathered his courage one last time.
“Excuse me, are you returning that employee to the 13th floor?”
“…Pardon?”
“I actually encountered that employee during orientation. It nearly killed me, but I managed to survive.”
He was just about to embellish his story to gain their respect—bragging about how he’d shared an elevator with the beast and lived to tell the tale—when….
“I see.”
The Team A leader finally spoke.
“…”
“…”
…??
In that moment.
“And?”
“…Excuse me?”
“And what about it.”
A voice dripping with barely suppressed annoyance cut him off.
“Move. The more useless someone is, the more they seem to get in the way… good grief.”
Assistant manager Jin Na-sol shot him a look of pure irritation, snatched the access card from the security desk, and strode off, vanishing into the depths of the Annex.
The rest of Team A followed suit.
“…”
The rookie stood there like a statue, staring at the empty hallway.
He had no way of knowing that behind him, Park Minseong—who had been manning the security counter—was currently screaming internally with relief….
‘Aaaaaah!’
Once ‘Team A’ had safely reached the corridor of the 3rd basement floor.
“Phew.”
The three figures deactivated their illusion.
From the shimmering air, faces familiar to Kim Soleum emerged.
It was the Segwang Metropolitan City Investigation Team.
-With this, you will be identified as Team A.
By utilizing the disguise Daydream Potion provided by Ho Yuwon, they had successfully navigated the checkpoint and entered the Annex.
Deputy Manager Eun Haje, who had been portraying Assistant manager Jin Na-sol, stretched her wrist.
“Manager, why did you talk to him…! We specifically agreed to stay silent if a stranger approached! My heart nearly stopped.”
“I understand. I was merely adhering to Deputy Falcon’s advice from three days ago: ‘If a conversation seems like an opportunity to gather intel, listen in and play along.'”
“…That rule doesn’t apply to you, Manager.”
“? It doesn’t?”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje let out a long, weary sigh.
‘I really miss you, Minseong….’
It’s much more enjoyable when you have a junior who can play off your cues, but currently, the youngest member can only “talk” through smoke writing, and the person I bothered to bring along is a cynical Goat Child. Good heavens.
Nevertheless, the “youngest” sitting in the wheelchair was diligently monitoring the status of their heist.
CCTV check complete: Operation suspended
The surveillance on the 3rd basement had been “conveniently” disabled thanks to Director Ho’s interference, and Supervisor Park Minseong at the desk was prepared to swear that he “didn’t hear a thing.”
As for the real Team A, whose identities they had borrowed….
“They were deployed to a Darkness today, weren’t they?”
Correct.
Team A had been dispatched on a “top-secret” project involving a ghost story by Ho Yuwon’s orders, a fact that had not been disclosed to the general staff….
Consequently, they had successfully mitigated the risk of anyone wondering why Team A was appearing in the Annex.
“The fact that Team A is under Director Ho’s thumb worked out perfectly. Otherwise, there’s no way their leader would ever lift a finger to help our Manager.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje shrugged, noting that she only got to mimic the fearsome Jin Nasol because of this situation.
She then looked at her former team leader, who was set to become their primary muscle from this point forward.
“We’ll do a final head count and then head to the floor above.”
“Got it. Then… Noruya?”
Just then.
The smoke surrounding Kim Soleum, who was still in the guise of 130666 in the wheelchair, began to flicker erratically.
“Are you alright?”
….
Positive
“…I see.”
Deputy Manager Eun Haje couldn’t possibly grasp the full weight of what her junior had endured—being imprisoned on the 13th basement floor of this very Annex, wandering identical corridors for six months.
However, since trauma was a standard job requirement for the Field Investigation Team, she acknowledged the moment and kept moving.
“Alright. That man, J3, is overseeing the 3rd basement today, so we should run into him as we proceed.”
Positive
The final checks were complete.
Execution was the only thing remaining.
Suggestion: Connect with Assistant manager Dolphin
“Yes. Go ahead.”
At that instruction.
130666, who had appeared to be strapped into the wheelchair, suddenly seemed to dissolve into the back of the seat.
And then.
“Just a moment, pwease.”
Creak.
From the hollow interior of the heavy wheelchair where 130666 had been “sitting,” Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae poked her head out.
She had been successfully smuggled inside, masked by 130666’s oversized uniform and the thick Black Smoke.
“Phew. My thanks.”
“It was no trouble.”
And now.
“Time to make a choice.”
Joyful Laboratory’s Toy Maker / Qterw-E-07
Kind Seed Kit / Qterw-E-99
Offering a Ritual / Qterw-E-404
“From here on, we need to scout the area while steering clear of the Darkness that breached containment on the 2nd floor. Some sectors might be totally blocked off. So….”
They needed to establish a sequence.
Question: Which Darkness for gear assembly do you want to prioritize?
“Hmm….”
After a moment of thought, Deputy Manager Lee Seong-hae pointed to a specific entry.
“Let’s start here.”
Joyful Laboratory’s Toy Maker / Qterw-E-07
“…!”
More commonly referred to as the Abandoned Toy Store.
It was the primary site used by the research department for crafting specialized equipment.