A researcher surveying the quietly settled conference room landscape with bitter eyes nevertheless delivered the identification results in a clear tone, as if determined to fulfill their duty.
“The mutant Siren that Team Delta’s Espers encountered approximately one hour ago during simulation training is precisely the monster that appeared in the video. The designation is currently undetermined, but it will likely be classified under the Siren group and distinguished according to evolutionary stages. This matter will be conveyed again through Team Leader Kwon Jeonghoo once accurate guidelines are issued.”
“…….”
“The base is estimating it as an S-rank monster, but we cannot reach a definitive conclusion as we have failed to secure a specimen for research. Therefore, we urgently request that you secure an uninjured monster corpse or living monster during this operation—absolutely, absolutely.”
Yeo Dowoon showed no reaction whatsoever, as if it were bland, and in fact, everyone’s response was similar.
A mutant Siren…….
Whether it was a mutant, defector, or shapeshifter, it wasn’t particularly surprising information. It was content that could be deduced just by looking at the monster’s appearance that had been intermittently captured on screen.
In Yeo Dowoon’s opinion, that monster had an appearance fundamentally very similar to a Siren.
‘Honestly, it looks incredibly alike. I could believe it if you said it was copy-pasted.’
A unique appearance that both resembled and didn’t resemble a mermaid. Among those features, the mysterious coloration and translucent skin tone were bonus characteristics.
But a mutant?
Since he’d never once heard that monsters undergo mutation, he did wait for the researcher’s words. Yeo Dowoon suddenly let out a scoff.
“We have to secure a monster intact, find the gate, and protect the guide too……, it’s a complete clusterfuck. This operation.”
The researcher who glanced at him then hesitated in answering, wearing a momentarily discordant smile. They seemed to vaguely understand why Yeo Dowoon was showing such resistance to the operation.
“There is certainly that feeling to it.”
The researcher responded affably. There was no need to respond more sharply here and heighten Yeo Dowoon’s sense of opposition.
When it came to carrying out the operation, wasn’t Yeo Dowoon the one with greater importance than anyone else in Delta? First and foremost, they absolutely had to cater to his mood.
“We know that without Dowoon-ssi joining, this will be an operation with very low chances of success. So we can only become more desperate.”
The researcher coaxed him in an ingratiating tone like a sycophant. Smiling shamelessly, as resourceful people tend to do.
“For the <Atlantis> Project at least, Dowoon-ssi must definitely participate with us.”
At the same time, they racked their brain to choose words that wouldn’t hurt Yeo Dowoon’s pride.
“For the sake of us, of humanity.”
Apparently, today’s simulation training had unfolded all the way to stage 16, yet ultimately ended in failure to clear it, drawing the concern of other research staff.
Therefore, it was natural that the Espers’ moods had also soured. This was the first time training had ended in complete failure to clear.
The Delta members who had directly participated in the training were probably even more confused.
However, the research side could roughly speculate on the cause of failure. Wasn’t this meeting also arranged for the purpose of conveying those details?
Now they only needed to open their mouth, but the researcher inevitably groaned even more than before, reading the Espers’ intentions.
They feared that if they carelessly brought up words that touched their nerves, they might end up becoming a scapegoat on behalf of the base.
Moreover, Yeo Dowoon, who had leaned his upper body forward as if to say “let’s hear it,” was sending a blank stare that felt colder than midwinter wind, wearing a frigid expressionless face.
‘Ah, that’s too murderous…….’
The researcher, whose eyes had been rolling ceaselessly under oppression without realizing it, hurriedly found stability in Kwon Jeonghoo’s mental message transmitted to their mind. A short command rolled out bluntly.
-Briefing.
Right……, it would be okay. At least Team Delta’s general team leader was present in this place.
Even if they were to suffer tangible or intangible harm in the worst case, they quickly organized the report with the belief that he would step forward to protect them.
The researcher, who had gulped down the bottled water placed on the podium to wet their throat, spoke with a serious attitude.
“As you all know, among intelligent monsters, Sirens are known as formidable monsters because their situational judgment ability and offensive power are outstanding, making the very process of clearing them extremely tricky.”
“…….”
“The mutant specimens first discovered at the Yeongjongdo coastal gate possess intelligence far superior to existing Sirens. As you confirmed in the video, they can also operate outside the ocean, making their movement routes very difficult to predict. Of course, if their time spent on land is prolonged, their bodies turn pitch black and they die of rigor mortis. What’s important is that this marks the second appearance of unidentified monsters. Please focus on the screen again.”
As soon as the sentence ended, a 3D holographic image smoothly revealed itself on the screen.
It was none other than a detailed rendering of that monster Yeo Dowoon had encountered in the terrestrial dungeon. Yeo Dowoon, who recognized the monster first, sharply raised his eyebrows.
“That’s…….”
The researcher then pointed at the monster on screen with a red laser pointer and recited.
“If you focus a bit on the screen, you’ll be able to discover numerous similar points with the mutant Sirens you saw earlier.”
They displayed a deliberately solemn expression as if to indicate the severity of the matter. Cha Uihyeon, who had been scrutinizing the screen intently, voiced a light speculation in a voice lacking conviction.
“……Seeing that it has three horns on its head, it seems to resemble an A-rank terrestrial monster. The build seems similar too.”
The researcher immediately nodded while working their jaw.
“Yes, correct. In other words, both the unidentified monster first discovered in the terrestrial dungeon and the unidentified monster that first appeared at the Yeongjongdo gate are presumed to be mutant forms of existing specimens. But unfortunately, there is still no clear determination as to whether monsters, like other organisms, undergo evolution or not. Therefore, we cannot ignore the hypothesis that these specimens may be entirely new species that merely resemble them in appearance and have no relation whatsoever.”
The explanation was ridiculously long. So much so that he almost let out a yawn. The researcher, who quickly noticed that Yeo Dowoon was bored, asked him directly.
“What do you think, Dowoon-ssi?”
“……You mean me?”
“Yes, Dowoon-ssi. Since it’s a monster you successfully cleared, I would appreciate it if you could explain without reservation what differences it had from existing specimens.”
Although they had high expectations since he was the only person among them who had directly faced an unidentified monster, for some reason Yeo Dowoon held out without readily opening his mouth.
The researcher sent a desperate gaze as if hoping he would add something, anything, but it was useless.
“Ugh……. So, what’s the conclusion?”
In the end, Yoon Minoh, who had been tilting his chair back and playing with his feet, asked as if he couldn’t stand watching. Unlike the conference room atmosphere filled with solemnity, he wore a cheerful smile spinning round and round, and at that unserious attitude, Kwon Jeonghoo let out a deep sigh.
But Yoon Minoh didn’t even pretend to read the room and added with a giggle.
“You’ve been droning on with all these fucking pretentious words, but I don’t think this is a gathering to sniffle while looking at monster mugs. If it is that kind of gathering, I’ll be the first to escape. You old men might have become more cowardly with age, but I’m not like that, so it’s really boring.”
With a thud, the chair he had been tilting backward slammed down forward. Thanks to that, a wave ran through Yoon Minoh’s upper body, causing his faded platinum blonde hair to sway slightly as if hit by wind.
His pale irises that appeared between his hair strands were unfailingly filled with hostility.
“Besides, haha. When you haven’t even figured out whether dungeons and gates occurred naturally or artificially, this situation where you’re panicking just because a few new monster species appeared…, is fucking ironic, isn’t it?”
The sentences and words that followed were equally meaningful.
As Yoon Minoh said, humanity still hasn’t perfectly discovered the origins of dungeons and gates. Aren’t only various hypotheses surrounding them running rampant?
While positions among scholars varied wildly, the attitudes of each country also showed clear differences, so no definite conclusion had been reached.
Of course, the Republic of Korea was nominally a country that adopted the natural occurrence theory.
However, when actually facing monsters in person, the suspicion would suddenly arise: could these monster bastards really be beings created by nature?
