Chapter 161

“Hah……!”

I drew in a sharp breath and opened my eyes.

What came into view as my vision gradually cleared was the waiting hall of 「Railway Station」.

Did I come back……?

I caught my breath and looked around.

I was alone in the wide waiting hall.

On top of that, the glass ceiling was intact, holding up the sky.

It looked peaceful, as if nothing had happened.

I stared blankly at 「Railway Station」, restored to its original state, then came to my senses.

This was no time to be distracted.

First, I had to find a door.

Conveniently, there was a suitable door beside the ticket office.

A frosted glass door the ticket office staff used to go in and out.

That should do.

I went in front of it and opened the door at once.

The instant I did.

VROOOOM—! SHATTER—!

A bike charging from inside slammed into the glass door.

“Uwaaaaah……!”

“……!”

A noisy scream followed.

While I stood frozen beside the door after almost getting caught up in it, the bike that had emerged into the waiting hall hurriedly turned and stopped.

SCREEECH—!

The bike tilted as if it would almost fall over, then stopped dead.

On top of it sat two men in combat uniforms.

“What, what now! Is this 「Railway Station」?”

The man shouting noisily was none other than Jeong Jin-u.

And the man sitting in the back seat and surveying the surroundings was Han Seung-yo.

“Is this Yongsan Station or 「Railway Station」? What the hell is going on?!”

Jeong Jin-u, almost irritated, looked back.

Then his eyes widened toward me.

“Agent Do-un?”

“Yes. Neither of you are hurt, are you?”

Giving up on the broken door, I approached the place where the two had stopped the bike.

“We are not hurt, but did we perhaps die?”

Jeong Jin-u asked urgently.

I was glad to see that Jeong Jin-u, so I smiled and answered.

“No. You did not die.”

“Then what happened? No, why is Agent Do-un alone?”

Jeong Jin-u looked around again, and after realizing I was the only one here, he frowned slightly.

Then he spoke quite seriously.

“Code word.”

“This is a senior’s heart, Sa-ra.”

“So it is Otter Agent…….”

At Jeong Jin-u’s mutter, I smiled again.

Then I said to the two, who were still confused,

“Earlier, bombs from 「Yongsan Station」 fell onto 「Great Bridge」.”

“Wow, so we were not seeing things?”

“No. It was something that really happened.”

“But the fact that we came out here means…….”

“I used the characteristics of a nascent-phase Special Zone to call you to this side. The agents from 13 seconds before death.”

“Like the Director?”

“Yes.”

“Then we did die, didn’t we……?”

“But you are alive now.”

At my answer, Jeong Jin-u’s expression went blank.

His face said he had many things to say, but there was no time to explain in detail right now.

“I will explain everything at once once everyone has gathered. We have to find the others too, so if people come out from now on, please explain briefly to them.”

At my words, Jeong Jin-u set aside his questions and nodded.

I looked around to find a new door instead of the one Jeong Jin-u had smashed.

Since someone could suddenly rush out from inside like just now, a glass door did not seem acceptable.

At that moment, a metal door came into my sight.

Yes, that should be suitable enough.

I went toward that metal door and opened the door again.

Then the agents who had died began coming out from inside, one by one.

“Seo Do-un?”

“What happened to the bridge that just got blown apart?”

“Park Jeong-hu died…….”

“I am here, though?”

“Aaagh, fuck!”

Fortunately, Jeong Jin-u was the only bike-riding weirdo, so there were no further accidents afterward.

A short while later, everyone who had been hit by the bombing on the ring side of 「Great Bridge」 had come out.

Now, what remained were Baek Sa-ra, who had died fighting on the spiral side, and Cha Si-eon.

Those two were in a somewhat different situation.

I quietly swallowed a breath.

Then I said to the agents crowding right behind me,

“I think it would be better for everyone to keep their distance.”

After warning the agents, I leaned my back against the wall beside the door.

Then I extended only my arm sideways and opened the door.

CRASH—!

Sure enough.

As soon as I opened the door, there came the sound of something striking down with full force.

“…….”

It was a sound that made my blood run cold even though I had braced myself for it.

At the same time, the metal door flew open as if it would be torn off outward.

My wrist nearly broke along with it.

Then Baek Sa-ra appeared.

“……?”

As if she had struck the metal door with all her might using her blade, Baek Sa-ra had one foot forward, with the tip of her blade low.

“Lord Otter?”

Baek Sa-ra looked around with sharp eyes and discovered me.

Then she tilted her head and added,

“An adult……?”

For some reason, Baek Sa-ra seemed more puzzled that I was an adult than anything else.

As Baek Sa-ra checked my appearance, I too carefully examined Baek Sa-ra’s.

Fortunately, she did not seem injured.

She was breathing naturally.

I could not check it directly now, but her pulse must be beating smoothly too.

Relieved by that fact, I smiled.

Then I muttered foolishly,

“The cuteness is over now.”

“……?”

Baek Sa-ra still seemed unable to grasp the situation.

Normally, she would have immediately returned my joke, but now she only blinked.

I looked at Baek Sa-ra for a moment, then said,

“Thank you.”

“What?”

“You probably do not remember, but Ms. Baek Sa-ra, you saved me while risking your life.”

“I did?”

At my words, Baek Sa-ra’s eyes widened.

As if there was no way she would have done that.

But denial was useless.

Because I had seen it clearly.

“Yes. Thanks to you, all the other agents survived as well.”

“That is…… a relief.”

Baek Sa-ra found the agents gathered on the far side of the waiting hall and muttered.

Then she noticed that one person was missing and asked back,

“What about Team Leader Cha?”

“Now I have to save him. Team Leader Cha is last.”

“Team Leader Cha died too?”

Baek Sa-ra asked, even more surprised than before.

This time, she looked truly unable to believe it, so I laughed dryly again.

Yes, I understand.

When someone who seems like he will absolutely never die suddenly dies, it really is absurd.

Fully sympathizing with Baek Sa-ra’s surprise, I explained.

“We drove away 「Big Cat」 and 「Alpha」. But a 「River Crosser」 appeared again, so he stayed behind to send me onward.”

“Ah…….”

Baek Sa-ra finally seemed to understand and nodded.

“It seems everyone is returning in the order they died.”

At what I added, Baek Sa-ra thought carefully, then asked back,

“Who returned first?”

“Agent Jeong Jin-u and Agent Han Seung-yo.”

“Ah.”

Baek Sa-ra nodded again.

This time, her face said it was not surprising at all.

Seeing Baek Sa-ra’s trust and distrust both be so firm, I smiled again.

Then I asked Baek Sa-ra too, as I had the other agents, to stay away.

Now, the last.

It was Team Leader Cha Si-eon’s turn.

When the door opened, the dead returned in the state they had been in 13 seconds before death.

The rule I had confirmed at 「Hotel」 was being applied here the same way.

It was not 「Crow」’s doing.

That bastard was knocked out right now, and another being was helping.

In any case, that was why Jeong Jin-u had slammed into the door with a bike, and Baek Sa-ra had struck the door with her sword.

Then what would Cha Si-eon be like 13 seconds before death?

It would be the point when he was firing wildly.

Moreover, he had also been severely injured.

“There may be gunfire. Everyone, be careful, and prepare first aid too.”

The agents nodded at my words.

I closed the metal door Baek Sa-ra had struck with her sword.

Then I leaned my back against the wall and carefully turned the doorknob.

Click—

“…….”

There was no sound at all.

I had expected gunfire to ring out immediately.

With an ominous premonition, I pulled the doorknob.

And came face-to-face with it.

Cha Si-eon’s back, standing upright.

With his back to the door, Cha Si-eon was looking somewhere.

“Team Leader Cha.”

Only at my call did Cha Si-eon turn his head.

Cha Si-eon’s complexion was calm.

And his hair had grown short again, to the point of touching his shoulders.

At the same time, he was still covered in blood.

Seeing his somehow jumbled state, I asked,

“Are you all right?”

“I just met the 「Monks」.”

“Here?”

“Yes. As the aging disappeared, the injuries I received just before also vanished.”

Cha Si-eon’s voice as he said that was strangely stiff.

No, that was probably his original way of speaking.

What I had briefly grown used to had been a trial version of Cha Si-eon 8 years later.

“So you are all right now?”

“Yes.”

What a relief.

I had wondered how we would bring that severely wounded man back, but to think it even healed him on its own.

I became slightly grateful to that woman.

“Please explain the situation.”

Cha Si-eon said as he came out into the waiting hall.

He must have realized that he had died and come back to life.

At Cha Si-eon’s dry attitude, I laughed weakly.

Cha Si-eon glanced at me.

But I pretended not to know and spoke.

“After separating from Team Leader Cha, I also met the 「Monks」. And I arrived here.”

I decided to simply omit the part about me having died.

Because I could not even mention the woman I had met.

Since I could not explain properly anyway, saying something unnecessary would only make me ramble.

So I quickly said only the key points.

“Our inference was correct, and all deceased agents have returned.”

Cha Si-eon glanced over the agents, including Baek Sa-ra, then nodded.

Then he surveyed the waiting hall and asked back,

“Has 「Giant Siren」 been dealt with?”

Cha Si-eon immediately noticed that this place was not the ordinary Yongsan Station, but the 「Railway Station」 Special Zone.

However, since the siren was not sounding, he seemed to find it strange.

“No. This is an area without entities.”

“What do you mean?”

“First, we have to leave here.”

“……?”

“There is not much time, Team Leader. If we want to save the agents, we have to leave right now.”

Cha Si-eon looked at me as if wanting an explanation.

So I had no choice but to lie.

“I will explain in detail after we get out.”

Cha Si-eon’s eyes narrowed.

A bastard with unnecessarily good instincts.

Under that suspicious gaze, I feigned innocence and said,

“You said the top priority of this operation was everyone’s return alive. Right now, we have to leave first.”

In principle, I was correct.

This was now an extremely dangerous Special Zone where traits were tangled together and even bombings could be reproduced.

Getting out was the first priority.

“Attention, personnel.”

In the end, instead of questioning me, Cha Si-eon called the agents.

“Due to the occurrence of a variable, we will escape for now.”

No one raised an objection to this.

Since we had been annihilated once and revived, preserving our lives was the priority now.

“But what is the escape method?”

However, the agents asked.

This was 「Railway Station」, but it was not the place we had previously known.

The siren did not sound, and 「Railway Police」 did not appear.

So there was no way the escape method would remain as it had been before.

I answered the agents who asked about the method.

“Board the train from the platform according to the existing method.”

“Are we sure that is valid?”

“Yes, it is valid right now. But we do not know how long it will remain open, so we have to hurry.”

The agents did not doubt my words.

After receiving Tickets, we headed toward the platform together.

As we ran toward the platform, I felt strangely odd.

The memory of running down this path with Lee Sol overlapped with it.

It was a similar yet different situation.

No, in truth, it was the same situation.

A short while later, when we arrived at the platform, a train was waiting for us.

The agents all boarded the train with Tickets in hand.

I boarded the train first and counted the agents entering from the entrance.

And when Cha Si-eon boarded last, I watched him go farther inside the train, then called him.

“Team Leader Cha.”

Cha Si-eon turned only his head and looked at me.

I thought for a moment about what I should say.

But then I wondered what there was to say to someone who would handle things fine on his own.

So I smiled bitterly and murmured,

“Please dispose of my will.”

“What…….”

I took one step back and got off the train.

Cha Si-eon’s eyes widened.

Cha Si-eon turned his body as if to grab me, and I closed the train door.

Click—

Cha Si-eon’s final expression was rather fierce, but it did not matter.

The moment the train door closed, the space that had been maintained with effort collapsed like broken glass.

---

“Yes, I understand. I will change the question so it is easier to answer. Try choosing.”

The woman smiled deeply and spoke.

“Between you alone making it out alive, and everyone except you making it out alive.”

At the choice the woman offered me, I instead wanted to ask.

Do you people find this fun?

I wish you would not indulge that vile hobby with the face of the author I am responsible for.

Well, apart from those personal feelings, I thought.

The choice itself was not bad.