◈ Episode 174

The perception of septic tanks within Cilicia is not very good.

No matter how good the pay, it is an extremely dangerous job. You might encounter a parasite outside, and if you happen to get contaminated, you will never be able to return to the city.

It is not something that people with a lot to lose, whether it be their home or property, can do. In other words, it means that most of the septic tanks are owned by poor people who have little in their hands.

First, it is avoided because of the risk of the work.

The lower classes are even disgusted by it because they are jumping in.

However, the base camp was surprisingly normal.

"You're here. I'm Tatara, a regular member of the Police Force's External Activities Division."

"This is Kim Lee-Hyeon, CEO of Dustborne Corporation."

"It's an honor. I often hear your story, sir."

"Thank you for your kind words."

I shook hands with the security guard guarding the base camp.

They wore gloves to avoid exposing each other's skin. Contact with a carrier is not contagious unless they are completely parasitized, but it is generally considered to be a cause for concern.

"Is this a hospital building? It's much cleaner than I thought."

"Haha, everyone who comes here for the first time says that."

Tatara said, turning his gaze towards the hospital.

"There's a widespread stereotype that people live in tents in abandoned factories, but that's not true. In fact, when you leave the city, the only things that are left are buildings. There's no need to settle down in a place that's about to collapse."

It was a given.

Although it is now an abandoned land, it is recorded in history as the territory of the Cilicia Federation. Furthermore, it is a place adjacent to the capital. In the past, this place was also part of a bustling city.

'Well, it's not like it was directly hit by a disaster.'

The Cilicia Federation has reduced its territory not by force but by national will. The existing infrastructure has remained intact, although it has not been maintained.

"But, um. There are parts where prejudice is more beautiful."

"What do you mean?"

"It means to be careful of people."

Tatara patted his side. He was wearing a holster over his blue-colored protective suit. A single automatic pistol holstered in a holster gave off a strong presence.

It wasn't a weapon designed to deal with monsters or parasites.

"There are missing people in the septic tank almost every time. People think they are infected and were denied entry to the quarantine facility, but the actual infection rate is less than 3 percent."

"Even 3 percent is high."

"There are far more missing people than that. The reasons for this are probably diverse. There are so many dangerous factors. A flying monster could come and take you away, or a parasite could swarm you…."

He fiddled with his gun holster.

"There will be arguments."

This is a dead city. There are no surveillance cameras or passersby. The high-level security guards do not accompany the cleanup operation. The cleanup tanks can do anything without anyone knowing.

"If I may offer some advice, it would be to your advantage to think of them all as outlaws."

There was also an intention to scare.

The relationship between the police and Dustborn had improved compared to before. Tata didn't know why a representative of the group would step forward, but he hoped that Dustborn would not be shaken.

Personally, I didn't want to face unnecessary backlash.

But Kim Yi-hyeon's answer was extremely calm.

"I'm used to that kind of thing."

It was too new to be scared.

* * *

It was not possible to just head off in any random direction. Since I had no intention of rescuing all the missing people, I had to first get some reliable information.

"The current purification tank is operated in four groups. One group is replenished every week, and the group that has completed four weeks returns to the city. They return to the base on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to report on their performance."

"There are no false reports?"

"We leave evidence with the distributed cameras. We film the rescue of the larvae. The most common case is when the larvae are driven into a hole and burned."

It seems to be going back to the fist. If you rent the equipment, the purification tank handles most of the work autonomously. The police barely touch it.

"I think it might be difficult to control."

"It's awkward during the first week, so I tend to listen, but once I go out and come back, the atmosphere changes. The hierarchy among the group members is also established. From then on, they just think of us as people who give money."

We don't give any allowances, Tatara added, chuckling.

'Still, I guess it's reasonable in a way.'

Even if the purification tank decides to change its mind, there is nothing to do. Even if it joins forces with other groups and takes over the base camp, what good will it do? All values, whether money or safety, are concentrated in the city.

At most, less than 50. Even if we include all the missing people who have been reported so far, there will be 200. If we do something foolish, the city security forces will show up and wipe them out overnight.

If it's just a minor rebellion, it won't go as far as a riot.

The only people who can be exploited are the people in the same situation as them.

"Oh, yes. I remember Brandon Furty. Oddly enough, he brought a young child with him."

A bitter look appeared on Tatara's face.

"It's such a shame. What crime did the child commit…?"

I was able to hear the general story.

Gemma Putty said she had been missing for about 20 days. That didn't mean she had left town 20 days ago, but that it had been that long since she was supposed to return.

It's been almost two months since I left the city. Of course, I knew this before I arrived here, but I got additional information through Q&A.

"At the end, five crew members disappeared, including Brandon Furty and his daughter."

"What happened?"

"Well, I heard from the team leader that the parasites attacked while they were sleeping. They barely managed to escape before they realized that their crew members were missing."

Tatara shrugged.

"Of course there was no evidence."

There was a high possibility that it was far from the truth. There must have been some kind of incident. Chelsea's face darkened as she judged that the chances of her still breathing were very low.

"Where is that place?"

"It must have been E2 or E3, that area. I'll have to check the records."

Larvae are not exterminated just anywhere. There are several points where the septic tank mainly works. Areas where it is easy to drive the larvae and where it is convenient to film and sleep.

The location where the Putty woman went missing was E3.

With Tatara's help, I checked the detailed location on the map.

"Recently, there have been frequent incidents and accidents not only in E3 but also throughout the E-Sector. There may really be a group of parasites. Please be careful."

I was even told to be on guard as the police were paying attention.

The results of the investigation were satisfactory. I got a lot of information without having to bother asking the people at the septic tank. The police were cooperative, so things were easy.

Get back in the car and drive to Zone E for about 5 minutes.

"...Hippup! Oh, I'm sorry."

Leone, who had been mute all along, made his monumental first statement. He suddenly hiccupped and looked around. As if he had committed a great sin.

"Ugh. Why did you bring me here when you're so nervous?"

"I don't mind if you bring me."

"I'm okay, but I guess he's not okay."

"What nonsense are you talking about? If the boss is going to scold you, then you have to scold him."

Chelsea looked at Kim I-hyeon with an "Ugh" look in her eyes, criticizing the evil CEO.

"Why are you looking at me like that? There's a reason for everything."

It was a heartbreaking misunderstanding. Of course, it wasn't meant to be a joke.

"I guess I also need to gain some practical experience."

"Huh? You said you were going to kick me out because I was too young?"

"I guess you heard from Turkam. I don't know if you two are on good terms or not."

Chelsea curses Turkam for being a piece of shit, and Turkam curses Chelsea for being a total idiot. If you look closely, they seem like siblings. It seems like they've become close.

"Anyway, I brought him anyway. Shouldn't I use him when I get the chance?"

Unlike Yudahee, Leone is specialized in combat. Strictly speaking, he is an all-rounder with a full hexagon. In the game, he is a character whose weapon type changes every time he uses a skill.

'I've eaten three weapons…'

It was sometimes used because it was irregular and could be used anywhere. At the time of its release, it was a character that was criticized for having various magic tricks.

As expected from a character who is good at both shooting and swordsmanship, Leone is showing off his prowess in training. In the game, he has the disadvantage of being extremely dependent on weapons, but reality is different.

Among the current members of Dustborne, he was the agent whose style was most similar to Kim I-Hyeon's.

'If you raise him well, he will be a strong guy.'

First, I plan to see how he would act in a real situation. Just surviving in an isolated school would prove his mentality, but I don't know how he would act as an operational agent.

If it's not too bad, I'm willing to share the AP-116 I brought from Ishrad. It's like dealing with Chelsea's problems while also conducting a mid-term evaluation of Leone.

"It's supposed to roll until it's full."

"I will do my best to live up to your expectations, Hiphop! I will do my best…!"

"Oh my, the good times are gone."

Chelsea swayed as she passed the water bottle behind her.

"After about two weeks, I'll go with Kim's fuck."

"Are you really going around like that?"

"It's not me, but Echidna-san does it sometimes. She makes me do all kinds of work."

"He even creates things out of nothing."

"I work so hard, I'm just showing off."

"You two should be friends, Inma."

The usual small talk continued. Leone sighed in relief in the backseat. It was unclear whether it was because the hiccups had stopped or because the mood had lightened.

"Is this area E?"

Broken pavement blocks on the side of the road. Dead trees that had not been maintained for a long time. In the dead cityscape, cans of food left behind by septic tanks rolled around on the street.

E-zone was a residential complex where middle-class people would have lived in the past. Officetel buildings were visible on the side of the main road, and apartments that had become shabby over the years were visible on the inside of the sidewalk.

And there was something in front too.

"Hey, stop!"

A middle-aged man wearing a mask was waving his arms in the middle of the road. He was holding a metal bat in his hand. I couldn't just pass by like that, so I slowed down.

Before the car even came to a complete stop.

"Four people at the right turn. Look here."

"There are two on the left. I don't know how armed they are."

"I don't think there's a gun, but let's be careful."

It didn't seem dangerous enough to warrant leaving.

I pulled my mask up to my nose and got out of the car. As soon as I showed up, I felt like I was being watched from all over the place. Additional people were found inside the building, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to eight.

'I guess it's a septic tank.'

While quickly exploring, the man was also observing Kim I-Hyeon and his group.

"You all got off? There are only three of you?"

"We're finished. You can look around."

"Hey, stand aside for a moment."

I circle around the car, keeping my distance, and look inside. Soon, the man speaks into his walkie-talkie. The men who were watching from afar receive the signal and walk over.

The gun is still not visible.

Instead, something else catches the eye.

"Two women, one man…."

Greed flashes through the eyes of the purifier.

'Ha. I knew it, you little shits.'

The world was definitely a mess.