Chapter 39
XtvbqWhen they emerged after completing Dead Zone Delivery, Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein remained unconscious for more than half a day.DPaK0h
VhcfQR5Although they had achieved the True Ending, the BT-DZD virus infection had still affected their bodies.eZA6
ZCfOKwak Hanmuk regained consciousness before Mo Haein.FlnrP
PrysBy then, the Trial Response Agency was in complete chaos.reGq64
wxAJHan Goyo had gone into shock from excessive blood loss and had fallen into a coma.Qq0QKSN
RWFAnd then a confrontation began between Han Jiwol and Samra over what should be done with him.kkr
ZNG2xhHan Jiwol arrived with several researchers, insisting that they should halt treatment before Han Goyo’s heart stopped beating and immediately begin the biological preservation process.VYP
g3kpclbSamra firmly opposed her.hqC0v
W4d4qzNeither of them was willing to back down, and the confrontation reached a stalemate.43Z
45cpCommissioner Jang Seokyoon also supported continuing Han Goyo’s treatment.GUT
CfboHHowever, he could not completely ignore the relentless demands of the Analysis and Research Division.39fs9zI
lZNeKeEspecially because, once Han Jiwol became obsessed with something to that extent, it was almost impossible to stop her.xx8jn
QL4ndThat was when Kwak Hanmuk woke up and joined the conflict.jInLmw
J6MujAs soon as he heard that such a commotion had broken out, he rushed over immediately.1VEdXY1
zTQkYf3And he was utterly dumbfounded.NgA
QXY7“What the hell…?”Rk0rG
21jEMgKEven if the Special Mission Team was only a temporary team for one month, he still had enough conscience not to hand over a teammate—especially a twenty-four-year-old kid—to Han Jiwol.z23HaK
LrcBesides.QzNUMkf
sxJeSince when could the Research Division do whatever it wanted with someone from the Field Division?76fD7E
PnlInHe completely lost his temper.w4V
mvtp“After he risked his life out there to clear the Trial, now you want to shove a kid who’s not even dead into a preservation tank while he’s still alive?! To hell with all of you!”l5geP2
Lp67thz“Captain Kwak.”eJl58N
1GxUASSSamra placed a hand on his shoulder.GxV
pRzBut instead of stopping him, he gave him a slight push forward.L5wyXI
CWueIt was as if he were telling him to keep making a scene.gTe
e8UdwJ“Did I say anything wrong?”oSZ
DhNnBrushing off Samra’s hand, which was pretending to calm him down, Kwak Hanmuk turned toward Jang Seokyoon.MnfGw
JbRP“Director Han, transfer Director Han to the Special Mission Team immediately! Let her come break her back in the Trials with us! Then she can collect all the data she loves so much, huh?!”vt6MxY
J22D“Captain Kwak. That’s enough.”pjQE
fPjpgClearly nursing a headache, Jang Seokyoon pressed his fingers against his temples.B6D8
ksj“We will continue Han Goyo’s treatment.”YUQW0
sYYw***lkOC
jdCaWhen Mo Haein woke up later, Kwak Hanmuk told her everything that had happened.HE9M
XCccAfter hearing it, she calmly reached a conclusion.z9UCCY
qovio“For now, we’d better not mention his eyes.”zTcT
esgP6gIAfter Happy Smile Factory, they had already submitted a report regarding the change in the color of Han Goyo’s eyes.aMU
6g5xBut this time, in Dead Zone Delivery, things were different.ckKZ3tg
Fyc0wIf Han Jiwol ever found out everything that had happened there…lU4EB
k4QRP5mShe would completely lose her mind.DBWp
j63yTShe was perfectly capable of dissecting Han Goyo alive.WXihct
lXnkYThey hadn’t been able to consult Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno because, as soon as he returned, he had immediately departed for another Trial.vAxlto
gnBR1BzBut that didn’t worry them.VgKFx
prhRBecause he never submitted reports on his own initiative.tW5r
PAb8riAs a rule, Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno never wrote reports about the Trials he participated in.Epp4
Ew28IAt most, he would give brief answers whenever Samra or Commissioner Jang Seokyoon asked him direct questions.p6n
W8rPuN“Captain Mo. This time we should tell Lieutenant Colonel Je.”h5l7d
S6JU01At Kwak Hanmuk’s grumbling remark, Mo Haein let out a small laugh.YlC
opAkX“Yes. Han Jiwol crossed the line. This time, it’ll take one Director to deal with another Director.”Whu7y6
jltQmEven if Commissioner Jang Seokyoon had sided with the Field Division, that wasn’t enough.o5WjKR
AzLLieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno could be many things.lhze6
8m8HJBut there was one thing he especially enjoyed.kAo
waXMaking life miserable for the Research Division.1kV
kheLong ago, the researchers had relentlessly pursued him, trying to obtain samples from him.8FHM9
vqvE5tNormally, he was an utterly insane bastard.UzgTG
LRSh4vlBut when he was on your side, he was an incredibly reliable insane bastard.OCwn2
kIbcPlXThe two of them agreed to send Lieutenant Colonel Je Hyuno to crush the Research Division and make sure they never dared say something so absurd again.M6e
6OWJAfter deciding they would tell him, Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein returned to focusing on the work of their respective teams.PD5
eGCThey expected Han Goyo to take quite a long time to recover.YP2Yr
mScQLB3And naturally, they assumed the next incursion would also have to be postponed.9X863eW
W7DxGFHowever.5rP
ut9ESomething unexpected happened.ijS7
8ZLAfter receiving treatment, Han Goyo’s body began recovering at an astonishing speed.2x1Dw
nXjAnd only two days later, he regained consciousness.kbhyj
bKLAs soon as they heard he had awakened, they both wanted to visit him immediately.VtQ7qr
VfqBut they weren’t allowed inside.caiPR
rKsvGQAll Samra would tell them was that he was doing well.tpUZDoV
WHdThey didn’t see him again until the briefing before the next mission.aCKK
HtSVAs though the coma had never happened.j32vL2y
dpiugLRHan Goyo greeted them as if nothing had happened.zN93h
22UYjhNeither of them said it aloud.xvtd
G6XOiBdBut both Kwak Hanmuk and Mo Haein thought exactly the same thing.yOy
qW1l1DAfter all.xuO
mlc9J8He wasn’t normal.EektzxR
rrJtUvBy that point, they felt that nothing that happened to him inside a Trial could surprise them anymore.KETIr
aQxAnd then they entered CCC.ujSf4
XZFH2K“Damn…”SQEDcS
TqNtx7Kwak Hanmuk couldn’t help but curse.ez0yZh
5EgHe didn’t know what else to say.EHkXy
LnsIIThey had finished the initial item gathering without any problems.d0f7L
7YhZPV3Now all that remained was to pass the Butlers’ inspection in order to enter the mansion.Dpr4w4
PbPEegNormally, once you passed that initial inspection, you barely encountered the Butlers again for the rest of the Trial.VMy
P1ALBut this time, they were aiming for the True Ending.qSKXH7
WBRiThat meant Han Goyo would have to interact directly with them inside the mansion.LgudHlm
u0b5AUp until then, every ending Kwak Hanmuk had seen in CCC simply consisted of surviving for seven days and making it back alive.VGXq7Rm
swqYWlEven if the roulette was infuriating, surviving was enough.bHk
HEmovIASo he had always done nothing but clean and kill Creatures nonstop.9ZPuk
6YfHe hadn’t even known it was possible to increase your affinity with the Butlers.84UlIl
nY5ZSince he was certain he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back if those arrogant Butlers got on his nerves, he had decided to spend the entire mission simply supporting Han Goyo.wpkkfi
Z9shRqgThen.3aLl
OjhPngGThe Rabbit Butler ran straight toward Han Goyo.DcZkq
OdwpsgAlthough the situation was strange, Kwak Hanmuk sensed no hostile intent.DU6Zp0
BWS2VGSo he decided to watch.RKBEyc
GoHMZAnd only afterward did he regret it.dTLs
N0bIt would have been better to run away while carrying Han Goyo with him.BRb64F
YOC0a“Gunbam!”SZmn
DDcThe Rabbit Butler called Han Goyo by his Trial name while grinning broadly, displaying all of his sharp teeth.3DAvc
UcOThen he lifted a fully grown man as though he were a little child and called over the Cat Butler.1jBlpl
h5F5N“It’s Gunbam!”kLDPzHY
7664XasThe Cat Butler was also overjoyed to see Han Goyo.rsFfUut
W4eGThe two Butlers immediately began talking to him with the familiarity of old friends.7ILabaI
d9NKwak Hanmuk looked at Mo Haein in complete bewilderment.05aJw
1SZMBut there was no way she knew anything either.puYB7QH
vkLphMeanwhile, the Cat Butler even delegated the cleaner selection—a task he had never entrusted to anyone else before—to a Footman.mcT
mRmVz“Take care of this. I have to attend to an old friend who’s come to visit us after such a long time.”eOl
K6eZIt was obvious that this was not part of what Han Goyo had expected.YvUqmRd
xNrTwljThey had never heard anything like this during the briefing, and above all—D12d1
rvE7pdV“It’s been a long time, Butlers.”pVrP
XwtCHan Goyo’s face was completely pale as he greeted the Butlers.rjk1
JMvThe worst part was that, at that moment, there was absolutely nothing they could do.lB5eZ
aRFHan Goyo was taken straight into the mansion.DsSQQL
Ih2PVMAnd now only Mo Haein and Kwak Hanmuk remained outside.xeB
7bA“We will now begin the selection! Those who are dressed appropriately, step forward!”IILLHa
5SPK9mshouted the Footman named Alpha.j5hvYVv
ok4P4EATaking advantage of the fact that Alpha was looking the other way, Kwak Hanmuk hurriedly whispered,JiXbMDt
U2fp1yB“Captain Mo… I think this has completely gone to hell.”QGq
M2SeSPrecisely because they had entered CCC so many times, they understood better than anyone just how absurd the situation was.yLvRhWg
w346iThe Butlers never treated the cleaners like people.mtkev
pWOTo them, a cleaner was worth little more than the garbage inside a trash bin.MrY4iGQ
n3URaCThe Rabbit Butler, in particular, usually showed intense hostility toward the cleaners.GqVj
cqn49pHe was an NPC that players absolutely had to stay away from in CCC.cMx3f
k2iLWhenever Kwak Hanmuk spotted a pair of rabbit ears even a hundred meters away, he immediately turned around.bIdN
J4kssE9And yet.ua3g
bSwlThose very same Butlers were not only showing overwhelming affection toward Han Goyo.n5ziQsy
loIAyTThey had even delegated the all-important cleaner selection to a subordinate just so they could attend to him.02E
rGuAKBNReceiving more attention than necessary from an NPC was never a good sign.Y2KI87F
E2sR9XJThey could forcibly infect you and leave you trapped inside the Trial.DlFpZp
P52mS“Doesn’t this seem unrelated to the True Ending too?”66d
ynMU4khHe received no answer.y7tL
X3XjFMo Haein was still staring fixedly in the direction where Han Goyo had disappeared.1kxzU
Cxsh8WCHer face had gone completely pale.5IC12yT
fgwGIHer eyes were unfocused, wavering aimlessly.WOcy2Eb
74L2V3“Haein.”MOU6t
jLMuqKwak Hanmuk gripped her arm tightly.1GdVVe
6Qds8“Get a hold of yourself, Haein. We’re in CCC.”oLSp
g7UKJmHe squeezed so hard he almost left a bruise while speaking in a low but firm voice.uvfGH
3CLtmksFortunately, Mo Haein came back to her senses.bgB9H
x8sqg2“…Right. We’re in CCC.”tA0l
QoES8She repeated his words as though waking from a dream.RuBZ
Wk8Then she clenched her teeth and shook her head vigorously.B7BbTz
nG6aw“I’m sorry.”a8oEMF
nwSShe took a deep breath before speaking quickly.zqUPu
RDUCjyO“The Butlers were friendly. It doesn’t look like they’re going to do anything to the recruit immediately. First, let’s get inside the mansion and meet up with Lieutenant Colonel Je. Then…”PWJOeID
O3NlJHer voice trailed off.fuFFE
HnqB4yKwak Hanmuk finished the sentence for her.wuvrLgp
ImFy“We’ll get Goyo out of CCC.”cSNyhgC
vY6Even if they couldn’t achieve the True Ending.Vne
NLBTsFGetting out came first.19MQ2eX
ijPMo Haein gave a slight nod, and the two of them stepped forward to undergo the selection.1cmDU
62HJSvThe cleaners who failed it died on the spot.Wan1
hLLloWZSome managed to escape into the forest behind the mansion or threw themselves into the lake, barely saving their lives.AfTW
9UdO5xBut surviving the full seven days would be nearly impossible.91F
3mngFinally, it was Mo Haein’s and Kwak Hanmuk’s turn.SzMe62l
s81f“Not bad. You may enter the mansion.”svf6w9
qpKyAlpha nodded in satisfaction and allowed them through.CXd20X
rnAtNow it was time for them to receive the area they would be assigned to clean.NVqztOP
yZ8RKYdWithout realizing it, they quickened their pace.6Ows
WNKM44They were far too nervous and anxious.QWXf
8HmwORAnd then.PiT
3qSAs they entered the mansion.eMmD69L
73hTLtPThey found Han Goyo.vPkIX5
O8szGDressed as a Butler.npVRo
OJ3UeDing.gfIKe
hrgA system window appeared before them.JkFP6b
mNTez◆Main Quest: Rescue “Han Goyo.”jPuLn
6u1NxThe interior of the great mansion was even more imposing than its exterior.e6Z7
oAzCX0Its dimensions were appropriate for the Butlers and the Footmen.UrtWMc
dFFcvBut for an ordinary human, even climbing the stairs required effort.5ntUar
e55RThe ceiling was absurdly high.DV6Lv
Og1FQDIt was divided into a grid of coffered panels, each decorated with golden ornaments.NoC
8FtYEnormous crystal chandeliers hung overhead, radiating a dazzling brilliance.zcU
hS5iTPTheir light illuminated the marble floor, engraved with intricate geometric patterns.iINl0
9dcREven the walls, adorned with pilasters and elegant decorative motifs, were magnificent.IcswhN
k3wI16But I could barely appreciate any of it.yW5fAC
fIcY8O“Gunbam. Do you remember? You restored that mural on the wall.”r2okl2
gGaI didn’t know how to paint.nH0G
6b8oKdIn the game, I had only obtained a painting item to complete a cleaning quest and touched up the mural.UKdvrR
tiKBMI“And I also remember when you gave us that wonderful gift, Gunbam! You gave us one every single day. Thanks to that, every day was so much happier.”Y6bOg
Ny6YqI didn’t even know what gift they were talking about.8R7lxyA
EPmIn the game, I had simply obtained Gift Boxes and handed them over without opening them.wbO2wLc
vRVNg7WThe Gift Boxes, which restored the player’s health, could also be given once a day to the NPC Butlers to increase their affinity.JVQx
5qF3“It was also impressive when you defeated that enormous Creature. Ever since then, the basement has been completely clean.”CSGaq
3IDUM8I had simply defeated the Boss Monster.ElaY
dqpCOnBecause it was a game.ESGJ
LhdfxfNothing more.GiYvtoy
AZeDHNStill completely dazed, I allowed the Rabbit Butler and the Cat Butler to lead me into a reception room.vFXM
gJI2LXYThe Rabbit Butler sat me down on a sofa.GC3be
kDPmIt was so enormous that my feet didn’t even reach the floor.Ot6
LC57ESAs I practically sank into it, the Cat Butler handed me a large teacup with a golden rim.yLNMonk
tCJI awkwardly held it with both hands.iq85lno
UyEDHe began pouring tea.IK8
brCQA deep crimson liquid, similar to the color of a pomegranate, slowly filled the cup.Po7G
UzDmIFgThe warmth reaching my hands helped me calm down a little.RYut
YNtkX“Tell us. How have you been all this time? We’ve been so curious. It’s very difficult to keep in contact with Gunbam’s planet.”8yX
PczWP1VI tilted the cup slightly.8uogita
U13mPretending to take a sip.BALG9
61OBut I didn’t even wet my lips.5jlz7
XrEkLIGInstead of tea, I swallowed hard, using those few seconds to force myself to regain my composure.WjaoU7
TgNIvThe NPCs of CCC.1MujSs
pfd1They remembered me.S2hHlU
Yfh0MnI would have time later to think about how that was possible.rYTj
ba8What mattered now was something else.4AFGHUA
UXu‘Is it still possible to achieve the True Ending?’b4k3w
7CuI was already a player who had completed every single ending in Clean! Clean! Clean!.6EZzUQA
TzqII had even seen the Hidden Ending.kYum
UubuThere was no possibility of there being yet another ending.kBTIR3
OQxHwKNor was it possible for Lieutenant Colonel Je or the Captains to obtain the True Ending in my place.6r79Q
ZJIlk0“It was also impressive when you defeated that enormous Creature. Ever since then, the basement has been completely clean.”Q6qJhbj
1K7tq8aBecause the Boss Monster, the essential requirement for obtaining the True Ending…JLPaP
D4xKqNo longer existed.PO2wR
IKLoLkEAnd that wasn’t the only problem.Mh6G1m
4pPbEven though I had been completely stunned on the way to the reception room, I had never stopped observing my surroundings.MjOzd
Je6cThe Gift Boxes were nowhere to be seen.2h0Jx
lIuzNormally, they were common items that could easily be found all over the mansion.OX5lt
otcPAnd if that had changed.IuTKT1
XMNbThere were probably many other changes as well.F2VtCKO
3VPFUEnough to prevent the game from unfolding normally.wEFdUK
T0c‘Even getting a normal ending will be difficult.’2OolaqO
68a9BUQI knew practically everything about World Archive.mlEKzJ
Xq9BQvBut.Ffm
LuGvI didn’t know how to play a game whose endings had already been completed.D7gMD5U
vjTV‘Even so, I can’t stay trapped here.’jvea
cLImFnkI hadn’t entered alone.hPlR4
ZjpXPfVLieutenant Colonel Je and the two Captains would also be trapped.3XCebh1
4p1hMGp‘Because of me.’WuZHJOX
HbHThe tea inside the cup began to ripple slightly.MYlTC
wm3YoThis wasn’t the time to remain frozen.DuVaO
ZCUI had to do something.8SU
tcNclvdWhat I needed most right now was information.A0M8mh
LRI5The main NPCs who controlled CCC seemed to have taken a liking to me.UqZExP
24APNuI had to obtain even the smallest clue from them.wHYt8dz
8IOI set the cup, whose contents remained completely untouched, back down on my knees.Uy8
5dNEgKAnd forcing myself to speak, I finally opened my mouth.CMNQ6h
hMIGKS“I should have been the one to contact you first.”Pmn9
lfdoO“Don’t worry. Gunbam is still young! The younger you are, the busier you tend to be.”OI6d9
h79l0DThe Cat Butler let out a hearty laugh.gh7G1u
BrTGNZ5“And you? How have you been all this time?”PGda6hF
UV3d7“The same as always. Taking care of the mansion. But what really interests us is how you’ve been, Gunbam.”ycBV
eIX“I haven’t had anything out of the ordinary happen either.”U2Y
zpCkzXnThen, as if I had just remembered something, I added another question.3N4t
ffVBKz“Ah, right… Has the Master returned yet?”Pnp
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dihnblls 300
Golden Coresay ccc one more mf time