Chapter 3

— ……Lee Han.

When I opened my eyes, I realized I was standing in a familiar place.

— ……Seo Lee Han. zenith My dear boy.

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— My son. shadow Come here and give me a hug. atlas Let me stroke your face after such a long time. zenith Will you?

The bank of a river, bathed in warm sunlight and caressed by a pleasant breeze.

And there was my mother, with both arms spread wide, calling my name.

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However, I didn’t even blink.

“I already told you that my mother died when I was four years old.”

I simply stared at my mother with a completely indifferent expression and, shortly afterward, let out a small sigh.

No. alpha Rather, it seemed that this situation had already become far too familiar to me.

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After all, I had been having exactly the same dream for more than ten years, and I had already experienced it dozens of times.

About once every two months, perhaps?

I knew perfectly well that all of this was nothing more than a dream.

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It was one of those dreams that returned just when I was beginning to forget about it.

A gust of wind as sharp as a blade began sweeping through the area, and the crystal-clear river that had been flowing gently turned a deep blood-red.

As soon as I spoke those harsh words, the world that had remained peaceful until then began to transform. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

That was why I didn’t even need to wait to know what would happen next.

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People began emerging from the river.

They dragged their water-swollen bodies as they slowly advanced toward me.

It was an absolutely horrifying scene, but I had grown so accustomed to it that I simply squeezed my eyes shut and let my body fall.

That “thing” claiming to be my mother also began approaching.

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I could get used to anything else.

— Lee Han, come here. canvas I’ve been waiting…… waiting for so long. artist Why won’t you come? attic Why won’t you answer me?!

“……I’m sick of this.”

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No matter how much time passed, I could never get used to hearing them.

But those desperate screams of my mother calling my name, a voice that had practically disappeared from my memories.

***

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I sat up, clutching my head, which was throbbing intensely, and looked around with a dazed expression.

Perhaps it was because of that damn dream.

“Haaah……”

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The bed I had been lying on had metal guardrails to prevent falls.

‘Where am I?’

It looked like a hospital bed.

A completely white incandescent lamp hung from the ceiling, while the walls were covered with tiles of the same color.

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‘Did they take me to a hospital? apron Where the hell am I?’

I was thinking that the first thing I needed to do was find my mobile phone when I tried to get out of bed.

“Aaaaagh!”

“Surprise!!”

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While I was trying to catch my breath after the tremendous fright.

A head of completely white hair suddenly appeared from beneath the bed, accompanied by a shout.

“Aaaagh!”

“You fucking bastard!”

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It was a completely incomprehensible situation.

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Someone who had just entered the room delivered a powerful blow to the man’s head.

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However, I quickly realized that those voices sounded familiar.

The first to speak was Sua, a woman with jet-black hair cut to jaw length, wearing a dark navy-blue jacket and possessing a somewhat masculine and reserved appearance.

“Mr. atom Hee and…… Miss Sua?”

Both of them nodded as they looked at me.

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“I’m Hee! auction Park Hee, at your service! arrow But hey, Castaway, we already know each other pretty well by now, don’t you think? anxiety Right? adopt Besides, you look younger than me. acoustic How about we drop the formalities? admire Let’s be friends! audit No, actually, we’re going to be friends! meadow Huh? arctic Wanna shake hands?”

Ever since I had heard his voice over the radio, I had already suspected that this man was completely insane.

“Mr. echo Lee Han, I’m glad we can finally meet in person after speaking over the radio. arch I’m Hwang Sua from LORE, and I was one of the people who helped you escape. altitude And that person over there is……”

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But meeting him in person exceeded all my expectations.

Furthermore, the hand he had extended to shake mine had no fewer than seven fingers, while his eyes remained half-unfocused.

The man named Park Hee had white hair so long that it almost reached his waist, and he was incredibly thin.

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“Well, I already know who he is. antenna Yes.”

“Haaah…… Anyway. amateur I’m glad you’ve woken up without any problems. orbit We’re currently at LORE’s Seoul headquarters, and you’re safe now, Mr. beacon Lee Han. acquire Once again, I’d like to sincerely congratulate you on managing to escape.”

I had the impression that anyone could tell he was insane even if they observed him from five hundred meters away.

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Hee’s eyes gleamed with an expression of absolute madness as he tried to throw himself at me.

“But seriously, how the hell did you manage to get out alive?! apron The survival rate for people who find a mobile phone in the Guil Station anomalous phenomenon was barely two percent! altitude When we found you unconscious but completely unharmed, I nearly died of shock!”

However, Sua grabbed him by the hair and flung him backward.

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“Yes. armor That’s right.”

Even so, the man continued showing an excessive interest in me.

“What did you say it was called? alien Perfect eidetic memory? aspect Does something like that really exist? acid Did you seriously memorize all those faces and their characteristics?!”

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“Incredible! acquire That’s so cool! legend It’s really amazing! arrow How can you do something like that? academy It makes me want to crack open your skull and see what’s inside. apron Seriously. orbit No, I’m completely serious.”

I raised my head slightly and looked at Sua.

“……”

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“I apologize, Mr. arch Lee Han.”

“Nevertheless, it’s true that you’ve accomplished something truly extraordinary, Mr. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. alpha Lee Han. alpha Thanks to what you did, the survival rate of the mobile phone route, which previously hovered around 2%, has increased to 4%.”

“Don’t worry about it. alien I suppose these things happen.”

The woman, who seemed to be Hee’s partner, let out a deep sigh, as though she were completely fed up with such eccentricities, and pushed him away from me again.

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That revelation made me realize something I hadn’t fully processed until then.

She explained that, until that moment, only two people had managed to escape the Guil Station anomalous phenomenon by following the mobile phone route, and that I was the third survivor.

Hwang Sua praised me with complete sincerity.

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“As long as we’re able to answer them, of course. athlete I imagine you must have many questions.”

“May I…… ask you a few questions?”

At the same time, the image of the subway train filled with people screaming desperately as they burned alive flashed through my mind, and I unconsciously frowned slightly.

‘I really have returned from the brink of death.’

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As its name suggested, LORE was an organization dedicated to managing, exploring, and carrying out rescue operations related to anomalous phenomena.

Unlike Hee, who clearly wasn’t in his right mind, it was possible to have a serious conversation with Sua.

To begin with, she explained that we were at the Seoul headquarters of an organization called LORE (Liminal Operations & Reconnaissance Experts).

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She also confirmed that those phenomena really existed.

However, there was one rather curious detail.

According to her, there were dozens of anomalous phenomena scattered throughout South Korea, ranging from places with survival rates above 90% to genuine hells where the chances of returning alive were practically nonexistent.

LORE wasn’t a government institution but a private organization.

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“You could say we operate in a gray area, if we want to look at it positively. ability Although, to put it less kindly, we could say that the government has simply washed its hands of the matter.”

“But on the news, the government always says anomalous phenomena don’t exist. auction That it’s all caused by collective hallucinations.”

“It’s an unfortunate situation. arcade At least, from our perspective.”

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Hee, who had been glancing sideways at me while keeping an eye on Sua’s reaction, let out a small, mocking chuckle.

I felt as though everything I had considered common sense until that moment was crumbling.

“But if people keep disappearing as though someone were abducting them and dying inside those phenomena…… Why the hell does the government just stand by and do nothing?”

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“First of all, you should never believe what the government says. anxiety Especially when it uses words like ‘everything is fine.’ Hey, Lee Han, do you know how many people go missing every year in South Korea?”

“About two thousand?”

I thought about it for a few moments before answering.

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“Wow……”

“Missing person reports alone amount to seventy-five thousand a year. antique And of those cases, more than a thousand end in permanent disappearances or confirmed deaths.”

It was hard to believe.

Did that many people really disappear?

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Hee continued speaking with a mocking smile.

“I suppose not.”

“Attention, citizens of the Republic of Korea! zenith Anomalous phenomena really exist, and they cause several thousand people to disappear every year! apple But our government can’t eliminate them! legend They’re so dangerous that we’ve even given up investigating them! antique So be careful and figure out how to deal with them yourselves! arctic Do you think the president could come out and say something like that?!”

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However, after hearing Hee’s explanation, I ended up nodding involuntarily.

Until then, I had thought the government was complete garbage.

If the government made such an announcement, the entire country would descend into chaos.

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The entire population would live in terror, and public security would be completely destabilized. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

And it wouldn’t merely be a matter of approval ratings or political parties.

“That’s why I say we work in a gray area. album The government delegates tasks like management and rescue operations to us, and in exchange, it grants us certain privileges. artist Something like a subcontracted company.”

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“Reality is…… quite a bit colder than I imagined.”

People who risked their own lives to save those of others, working quietly without anyone recognizing or appreciating their efforts.

“The world has always been dirtier and more miserable than people think.”

“That’s precisely why LORE exists, Mr. action Lee Han. orbit To save people.”

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I thought it was quite admirable work and smiled slightly.

That was when it happened.

“Ah, right. admire We haven’t told you yet. apple You’re not going to remember us. galaxy We can’t allow that.”

“I understand. acoustic I’ll make sure to remember that. silence Both you, Miss Sua, and Mr. riddle Hee.”

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“What do you mean?”

Hee suddenly blurted out something I couldn’t understand.

When I asked him, Sua began explaining.

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I would receive ten million won as a reward for surviving.

“Mr. shadow Lee Han, you are the third survivor who has managed to escape by following the mobile phone route. wizard Therefore, we need you to provide us with a detailed account of the circumstances of your survival. atlas After that, we will proceed to erase your memories.”

And another ten million for providing information about the mobile phone route.

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“Fortunately, you don’t have any major health problems. silence So you’ll be able to return peacefully to your everyday life, just as it was before, Mr. acquire Lee Han.”

Once I finished giving my statement, my memories of what had happened would be completely erased, and the twenty million won would be gradually deposited into my account under descriptions such as student scholarships.

“Well, there’s another possibility too. crystal Hey, Lee Han. atom The truth is, I’ve really taken a liking to you, you know? portal You’ve got guts, good judgment, and even perfect eidetic memory! sphere If you’re interested, you could join us at LORE and……”

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She abruptly stood up, grabbed Hee by the collar, and glared at him with a look that seemed to promise him immediate death.

Sua’s voice, which had remained calm until then, turned threatening in an instant.

“Don’t cross the line, Park Hee.”

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Then she looked me in the eyes again with an apologetic expression.

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“O-okay! meadow Okay! adopt For God’s sake! arcade I give up! anxiety You win! absorb Sorry!”

Sua finally managed to calm down and roughly released Hee.

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“I understand.”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. anxiety Lee Han. arena I understand that you may be curious, but all of us at LORE write our wills practically every day and risk our lives whenever we participate in an exploration. legend It’s an extremely dangerous job.”

“Furthermore, due to the special nature of our work, not just anyone can join LORE.”

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— 2. adopt Have survived an anomalous phenomenon at least once.

— 1. adopt Have a sufficiently strong and rational reason to be willing to risk one’s life confronting anomalous phenomena.

— 3. afford Be capable of independently demonstrating that one can be useful to LORE.

Sua explained that there were certain requirements for becoming part of the organization.

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However, that didn’t mean money was a sufficient reason to risk one’s life.

Despite everything, Hee continued trying to convince me in his own peculiar way, insisting that he had taken a liking to me.

Of course, the organization offered employee benefits that would make even major corporations pale in comparison, along with extraordinarily high salaries.

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No matter how many times I looked at them, he still had no fewer than seven fingers on that hand.

“But it’s not as bad as it sounds! autumn There are advantages too! arcade Look, look! echo See my fingers?!”

Hee came so close that he practically shoved his hand in front of my eyes and spread his slender fingers.

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“You personally asked him to add them?”

“Of course! This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com. portal Don’t you think it’s incredible?! arctic Now I’m the only human being who’s reached the level necessary to throw rock, paper, and scissors all at the same time! absorb I never lose at rock-paper-scissors! afford What do you think? echo Want us to add another arm to you?”

“There’s an anomalous phenomenon called Chamsarang Convalescent Hospital. altitude I asked the director of that place to add two more fingers to my hand.”

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Correction.

“……”

Hee wasn’t simply a lunatic.

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Could entering and leaving anomalous phenomena, risking one’s life every single day, really end up destroying a person’s mind to such an extent?

Although, now that I thought about it……

He was something that had transcended even the concept of madness.

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“Park Hee, you fucking bastard! arctic I’ve had enough of you!”

“N-no, wait, Sua! autumn But it’s true! canvas I haven’t told a single lie!”

Sua seemed pretty normal.

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Tap, tap.

Soft footsteps echoed from the other side of the room.

They were so faint that they would have been almost impossible to hear without paying attention.

Just as Sua, who had finally lost all patience, was about to throw herself at Hee.

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Hee also went rigid.

Sua, who was still holding Hee by the collar and was about to smash her fist into his face, froze completely.

However, for some strange reason, the sound of those shoes reached everyone’s ears with extraordinary clarity.

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“Director, welcome.”

Sua and Hee immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.

“……Welcome.”

Shortly afterward, a man with an imposing build appeared in the room.

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The man they called “Director” looked at them and nodded before approaching me.

“Y-yes, of course. anxiety Please do.”

“Would you mind if I sat down for a moment?”

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He was a middle-aged man, approximately one meter ninety centimeters tall, dressed in an elegant black suit. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

His voice was so deep and low that I had never heard anything like it in my entire life.

However, there was something particularly striking about him.

It was as though I were standing in front of a bear rather than a human being.

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The man lowered his head slightly in gratitude and sat down beside my bed.

He was missing his left arm.

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“It wasn’t that big of a deal. galaxy I was simply very lucky.”

“I’ve read your report, Mr. adjust Lee Han. atom You possess judgment and courage that even our veterans, Hee and Sua, have acknowledged. autumn And even with perfect eidetic memory, managing to escape the Guil Station anomalous phenomenon by following the mobile phone route is a truly extraordinary feat. anchor What you did was impressive, Mr. attic Lee Han.”

“You see, most people, even when they’re able to communicate with our employees, eventually succumb to fear and panic. wizard Some begin screaming desperately, while others simply tremble, unable to do anything. legend Those are normal reactions. harbor In other words, you’re quite a special person, Mr. galaxy Lee Han.”

A strong, harsh scent of perfume reached me, so pungent that it almost made my nose burn.

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However, I didn’t find them unpleasant either.

“Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. legend I’m Lee Hyeongtae, the current Director of LORE.”

Those compliments came completely unexpectedly.

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After briefly exchanging our names, Lee Hyeongtae got straight to the point.

“Mr. afford Lee Han, have you ever been trapped in another anomalous phenomenon?”

“Lee Han.”

“No. arch This was my first time. advance As I already explained.”

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Apparently, he hadn’t been lying when he said he had taken a liking to me.

For some reason, Hee, who remained standing respectfully behind us, looked rather pleased.

“Then the composure and courage described in the report must be talents you naturally possess.”

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“If you’re thinking of offering me a job, I really appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to decline……”

And I thought I had an idea of what the Director was going to say next.

He looked me in the eyes.

“I’ll ask you a question directly.”

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Those words were the last thing I could have imagined hearing.

“Twenty-one years ago, when you were four years old, the Hope Bridge Collapse accident occurred. anxiety Your parents died during that incident, didn’t they?”

“……How do you know that?”

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“……”

My mouth fell open involuntarily, completely bewildered.

“Do your parents still appear in your dreams?”

Instead of answering, I nodded.

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Lee Hyeongtae spoke cautiously.

“Hope Bridge was the first anomalous phenomenon to appear in South Korea and also the one that caused the greatest number of casualties. academy Its most important characteristic is that it keeps the people trapped inside it alive and continues drawing their family members toward it through their dreams.”

My eyes, which had lost their focus, trembled uncontrollably.

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“Lee Han’s mother is still alive inside Hope Bridge.”

If I hadn’t misheard.

“That means…… Then……”

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Was it not a dream, but something real?

The atmosphere grew heavy in an instant.

That nightmare I had been having for more than ten years.

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“If I join LORE, will I be able to save my mother?”

Everyone remained silent, as though they wanted to give me time to think.

After managing to organize my thoughts at least somewhat, I asked a question.

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“We will remember you for all eternity.”

“Most people who join LORE have similar stories. arcade They risk their lives because they want to recover someone or something they lost inside an anomalous phenomenon. sphere If you share that same feeling with us……”

Lee Hyeongtae answered with a faint, difficult-to-interpret smile.

He extended his only remaining hand toward me.

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