Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 249.3

Agent Haegeum’s visit.

Regarding the identity of the entity in question, she testified that it was the being inside the supernatural disaster dubbed ‘Cheerful Theme Park’, a.k.a. the ‘Flower Golden Mascot’.

She stated she’d encountered the entity in the field, and proposed an item that might improve its condition.

Authorization has been granted to bring in a ‘jade bell’.

But the attempt failed miserably.

Jade bell, destroyed.

A total of five jade bells decayed to the point of losing their shape, at average intervals of 182 minutes; no improvement was observed in the subject’s condition.

This repeats over two days.

As ‘Failure’, ‘Failure’, ‘Failure’ keeps coming up, Agent Haegeum’s claim that the very act of breakage is meaningful proves persuasive, leading to the use of stronger equipment of the same type.

Authorization to use the Great Jade Bell of Divine Transcendence.

Treatment is carried out by leaning the subject against the resonant panel and having them listen to the striking tones of a great bell rung at the proper hour. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

No doubt the aim was also to prevent indiscriminate consumption of the smaller bells.

By this point, it was almost certain that if even this didn’t work, some other measure would be taken.

But, surprisingly…

A change occurs.

The subject asks after the wellbeing of the others who used the well.

“…!”

Rational communication has become possible.

The entity’s mode of communication (letters formed in black smoke) is the same, but personal exchange proceeds smoothly.

Afterward, bells are prescribed to maintain this state.

Ryu Jaekwan ends up going to Agent Haegeum to ask directly.

– How did you do it??

– Let’s just say your basic premise was wrong.

And she said nothing more.

…After that, word came that the bureau had reclassified the supernatural disaster in question as a phenomenon and was exploring the possibility of designating it a cooperating entity.

On that basis, Ryu Jaekwan completes a certain frightening inference. Namely…

Jade bells are not intended for cleansing a human of contamination.

The same goes for the Great Jade Bell.

Of course it has some efficacy for purification, but its primary effect is simply to steady the mind so one can reclaim one’s own identity.

Which means…

Did Agent Haegeum, from the outset, premise the treatment on the subject being a nonhuman entity?

And the fact it worked means…

“……”

Ryu Jaekwan quietly swallowed that conjecture.

It was just idle speculation.

‘Be grateful that Agent Grapes has come to his senses.’

He suppressed the urge to report his conjecture to Agent Choi.

And a few more days passed. Those who had experienced the well steadily recovered from their condition and received a safety assessment from the bureau…

Thus, a conditional get-together at a worn, weary salaryman’s barbecue joint became possible.

* * *

I avoided Agent Bronze’s gaze, which felt like it kept darting between the meat and me.

Please don’t misunderstand. I just can’t physically eat it…

“…Have you been supplied with enough bells?”

Affirmative :

7 units in total

“Understood.”

Thankfully, the staring eased after that, not only from Agent Bronze but from the others as well.

They made sure to include me in the conversation while eating well. I’m jeal… No, that’s good.

It’s human nature for the mood to soften once food and drink are in play.

The same was happening here.

In the nearly closing-time lull of the barbeque place, as people recovered a bit of energy, we arrived at the truly important main topic.

Namely…

Topic : Dolphin’s whereabouts

The biggest problem in the present situation.

“Right. Why exactly… hasn’t Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae woken up?”

“……”

“It’s been half a month already.”

That’s right.

Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae was currently still asleep in the bureau’s protection ward, in a coma.

I did explain what I’d done, but…

“That only makes it stranger. She should’ve cleared by escaping and woke up, and yet she hasn’t.”

……

My hand clenched.

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

At the thought that, without properly grasping the situation, I’d put Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae in a bind, my mouth went dry.

Even though I don’t have a mouth.

In fact, even if she’d died of dehydration, by now she should have already come out of the dream. The only reason she wouldn’t is if the train wasn’t the way out.

Concern : Possibility of survival at location site

Method : Complete contamination state

“……”

Exactly that.

The worry is that she became fully contaminated and turned into a resident of the ghost story.

And if rescue is delayed in that state… there’s a calamity that can happen specifically because this is Daydream.

Potential risk : Resetting Employee Dolphin’s Points

“…!!”

“What exactly does a ‘point reset’ mean?”

“For us, if someone’s been missing about a month, we assume they’re dead and process them as resigned. For your side’s terms, I guess it’s like ‘voluntary resignation’.”

Assistant Manager Eun Haje gestured as she spoke.

“And then all the points they busted their ass to hoard to cash in a Wish Ticket? Reset.”

“……!!”

“Back to square one. All for nothing.”

Huu…

“Well, I’ve heard you agents don’t believe in Wish Tickets… but from our standpoint, it’s a truly horrific scenario.”

“……”

Agent Choi didn’t agree outright.

But he did declare this much.

“In any case, rescue is needed. That’s our specialty.”

However.

“Sir Highborn Civil Servant. No matter how much prep we do, we don’t know how it’ll go. Don’t be so categorical.”

……

That was true too.

We didn’t know how to break the nooses, and most of our gear was rendered useless in that space.

‘It’s difficult.’

Unless the person themselves were strong enough to survive even being noosed and hanged…

Wait.

‘Then what if we could physically rip it apart?’

And I knew of one lineup that could physically smash nooses and trees alike.

A physical exorcist agent from the Dark Exploration Records.

Recommended personnel

“Oh?”

Recommended personnel :

Section Chief Lizard, D-squad, Field Exploration Team

“…?!”

Salt Goblin

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