Humanity Protection Company

TL/Editor: raei

Status: 5/week mon-fri

Illustrations: posted in discord

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The terror attack was more or less wrapped up.

Company employees who had used devices to observe the past and convert memories into data quickly withdrew, sharing that data with other employees.

The doomsday cultists' heinous crimes. This vivid information could be used advantageously at this point.

Mark Jung visited the investigation team's office and blurted out,

"Things worked out well. It looks like the doomsday cultists tripped themselves up."

The team leader, who had been nodding off, raised his head and spoke in a low voice.

Not a small number of people had died that day. No matter how hard the investigators worked to rescue and provide first aid, there were many they couldn't save in time or at all.

Yeonwoo also looked at Mark Jung with a strange expression.

'As expected of someone from headquarters, their humanity is... It's a bit much for them to doubt my humanity after saying something like that.'

Mark Jung wore an awkward expression. He had misspoken. He quickly explained, as if making excuses,

"That's not what I meant. Haven't the doomsday cultists been spreading strange propaganda lately?"

If humanity goes extinct, anomalies will disappear. We must make a noble sacrifice for the peace of the universe.

That outdated theory from when the first doomsday cultist was born had resurfaced, shaking some company employees.

Some employees were showing signs of seriously believing it and considering converting to doomsday cultists.

In this situation, if they showed the true face of the doomsday cultists, company employees wouldn't entertain such foolish thoughts. Even if that theory were true, who would want to move with guys like that?

"Won't the doomsday cultists' behavior, driven purely by madness, serve as excellent propaganda to help fortify company employees' mental defenses?"

"I don't care about that. If you've got work to do, finish it quickly and leave. Why is someone from headquarters in the investigation team's office?"

The team leader, now in a bad mood, grumbled and waved his hand dismissively.

Mark Jung wore an awkward expression.

'It's awkward to mention rewards or bonuses in this situation.'

The investigation team had responded quickly, saving many lives, and even managed to capture doomsday cultists alive. He had wanted to congratulate them on their reward, but if he added unnecessary words now, he'd likely get an earful.

"Yeonwoo."

So he quickly turned to Yeonwoo.

"It's a request from headquarters."

"A request?"

Yeonwoo tilted his head. All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind, but the first one that came up was:

'How can I refuse this?'

If it was a request from headquarters, the scale would be no joke. It was probably something dangerous.

After thinking for a moment, he asked,

"Is it work for a special investigator? Or for the dice?"

"It's for the dice. Oh, and it's really not dangerous. Even if it becomes dangerous, we can respond immediately."

At Mark Jung's assurance, Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes. He couldn't believe it.

"It's weird for me to say this myself, but won't an accident happen?"

Considering how things tended to blow up like bombs whenever he did anything, it seemed better not to do it. He was unlucky enough to turn even safe jobs into dangerous ones.

But Mark Jung wore a confident expression.

"You really don't need to worry. We can handle any accident you might cause."

It was that important of a request, and they actually had the ability to handle Yeonwoo.

"Yeonwoo, we're inviting you to headquarters."

Because it was headquarters, after all.

Those words were heard by everyone in the investigation team, and they all saw Mark Jung's outstretched hand, inviting Yeonwoo. The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo showed interest.

"To headquarters? Does headquarters really exist? I thought I heard they just scattered people and systems without a base."

"My sister said that's false information, and even she doesn't know the truth."

Headquarters, shrouded in secrecy.

Mark Jung, a person from that headquarters, grinned, but his expression soon turned strange.

Yeonwoo wore an uneasy expression and took a step back. Headquarters? They were suddenly calling for him?

"You're not trying to isolate me, are you?"

Maybe they had judged him as a risk factor after seeing him kill someone despite being affected by the love potion? Yeonwoo, feeling goosebumps rise, rolled his eyes around, looking at his surroundings.

'Should I run away? Headquarters is kind of... scary.'

He felt a strange sense of crisis.

Goosebumps rose on his arms. Seeing Yeonwoo frantically rubbing his arms, Mark Jung wore a bewildered expression and quickly waved his hands.

"No, why would we isolate you, Yeonwoo? Why would we do that to the company's bomb- I mean, elite agent?"

If things went wrong, even the company couldn't ignore the damage. Besides, if they were going to isolate him, they wouldn't approach him like this.

Mark Jung recalled the isolation plan the company had prepared for Yeonwoo just in case.

'He's the type of person who would hole up in a safe shelter on his own if we just provided one and protected him. There's no need to call him to headquarters just to isolate him.'

But he couldn't mention that isolation plan, so Mark Jung pleaded sincerely.

"Yeonwoo. It's headquarters. A place where high-ranking personnel and important resources are gathered. Can't we handle even one Yeonwoo?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

Yeonwoo crossed his arms and lowered his head. He was deep in thought.

Mark Jung waited anxiously, and after a long deliberation, Yeonwoo slowly nodded.

"Alright. I'll take on the request."

Although he had a bad feeling about it, even with his terrible luck, headquarters should have the ability to respond. If an accident was going to happen anyway, it might be better for it to happen at headquarters.

'If really nothing happens, I should ask for a position at headquarters.'

Come to think of it, there probably wasn't a safer place than headquarters.

At those words, Mark Jung let out a sigh of relief and spoke briefly.

"Then we'll escort you once headquarters is ready."

"When do we leave?"

"I don't know when the preparations will be finished..."

The two stared blankly at each other for a moment, then quickly wrapped up their goodbyes.

"Then I'll be going."

Mark Jung hurried away.

The team leader and Yoo Ji-yoo, overcoming their late afternoon drowsiness, had their eyes sparkling. While Yeonwoo remained calm, the two showed lively curiosity.

"Even in the Korean branch, few people have probably been to headquarters."

"Maybe the records or memories won't remain. The security measures are no joke, so they might be erased from memory or leave no trace at all."

Headquarters was like a ghost. It existed, and its people and resources were clearly moving around in the world, but no one knew where or how headquarters actually existed.

Even headquarters employees didn't know.

The team leader tapped on the desk and said,

"They say even if you kidnap someone from headquarters, you can't get information. There must be some safety or security measures in place."

Headquarters, protected by the company's cutting-edge technology and strict security procedures.

Not just memories, but even souls might have some kind of lock on them.

Yeonwoo suddenly wore an interested expression.

'If it's a place protected to that extent, it really feels safe, doesn't it? Isn't it more solid than the final shelter? It's kind of appealing.'

And so, Yeonwoo waited expectantly for Mark Jung's call, and the day came. The day Yeonwoo would go to headquarters.

------

"Since you're a special investigator affiliated with headquarters, Yeonwoo, the security procedures have been greatly simplified for you."

"Security procedures?"

Mark Jung, who had come early in the morning, said the preparations at headquarters were complete and took Yeonwoo somewhere. Mark Jung's car, with Yeonwoo in it, drove for a long time.

Mark Jung turned the steering wheel leisurely as he spoke.

"Usually, when someone visits for the first time, we interrogate them thoroughly before escorting them."

There was certainly none of that. Yeonwoo sat comfortably in the passenger seat, looking out the window. The car drove on ordinary roads, mixed in with other people heading to work.

"Is it okay to move so openly like this? It seems like anyone who's determined could easily track us."

"That's fine. You can't see it, but security procedures are already in progress. No one will know how we get to headquarters."

Mark Jung added a few words.

"Actually, I don't know either. I just contact headquarters saying I'm going to visit, and as I move, I somehow end up there at some point."

Yeonwoo kept his mouth shut and lost himself in imagination.

'What kind of principle is it? What anomalous entity are they using?'

If he reached a level where he could freely handle the dice, he thought he might be able to do something similar. Like manifesting the possibility that a guest arrived at this place at this time.

It was indeed similar.

Suddenly, Yeonwoo's pupils dilated. He felt a sudden sensation of the world moving.

'This is.'

It felt similar to when the Artist Association President moved the world, or when he himself had manifested possibilities.

And then, the world changed.

"We've arrived."

They had suddenly arrived at a parking lot.

The parking lot was incredibly tall and wide, with several lanes of roads between parking spaces.

White lights were embedded in rows on the high ceiling, shining brightly, and all sorts of vehicles were densely parked below.

As Mark Jung circled around looking for a parking spot, Yeonwoo looked at the license plates of the vehicles. They weren't just from Korea, but from countries all over the world.

Yeonwoo felt his heart racing for no reason.

'This is headquarters.'

The air already felt different somehow. It felt like the safest place in the world, but also terribly dangerous.

'Right, this is how headquarters should be.'

The subtle sense of crisis felt natural. It was headquarters, after all. All sorts of troops and anomalous entities must be on standby, ready to move immediately in response to any crisis.

Yeonwoo watched the parking lot with sweaty palms.

Vroom-

Security personnel on motorcycles were busily patrolling, as the headquarters was so large. Not long after one squad passed by, another squad circled the parking lot.

Their armament and vigilance were impressive.

'Wow. They patrol like this just for a parking lot?'

In reality, the security level had been raised to the extreme because of Yeonwoo's visit, but not knowing this, Yeonwoo's eyes sparkled in admiration.

While Yeonwoo was excited like a child, Mark Jung suddenly grumbled,

"There's no space in the parking lot. I've requested so many times to expand the parking lot..."

Headquarters, built in an unknown space using all sorts of technology and anomalous entities. That space was limited, and expanding it wasn't easy.

In the end, they circled the parking lot for over an hour before finally spotting a car leaving and parking in the empty space.

Mark Jung, getting out of the car, wore a tired expression as he pointed towards the far end of the parking lot.

"Yeonwoo. We're late, but welcome to headquarters. We'll go straight to the laboratory."

"...So what kind of experiment is it? You said you'd tell me when we arrived at headquarters."

After circling the parking lot, any sense of mystery or intimidation about headquarters had completely vanished. Yeonwoo asked gruffly, and Mark Jung answered simply.

"It's an anomaly generation experiment. I don't know which department requested it either. It seems to be top secret. But I did see the request form."

He added an explanation.

"It seems the intent is to analyze the principles of anomaly generation. They're asking you to use the dice to turn some ordinary objects into anomalous entities."

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