I reached out my hand and lifted the black sphere.
I’d seen it before the regression—a cross-like item used by the Gate Worshippers. A black artifact made of obsidian.
At a glance, it looked much like a Gate.
[Obsidian Sphere]
[Grade: D]
[An artifact that mimics the form of the Gate. Can lend magical power to its owner. By using the obsidian sphere as a medium, you can borrow a small amount of the Gate’s power.]
From an occult perspective, it might be a type of sympathetic magic. If you’re a mage-type, it could actually be some Gate-connected supernatural phenomenon.
“Is it like a voodoo doll?”
Create something similar to the target, imbue it with symbolism, and use that object to influence the target.
“I’ll take this with me, too.”
I need to research it.
Now that I’ve gathered what I need, it’s time for a strategic retreat.
I started walking toward the Gate with Ming Ming.
“Let’s get out of here quickly, Ming Ming.”
“Ming.”
We’d already cleaned up the way in. Now we just had to leave quietly.
***
It didn’t take long to get out.
Ming Ming was the first to leave the Gate, and the moment I stepped out of the Goblin Gate, I was greeted by soldiers in fireproof suits.
The Infectious Disease Response Unit I’d requested in the morning must have arrived on site. The Chem/Bio Warfare Team was moving around busily—
“Someone’s coming out! Begin disinfection!”
I nodded my head.
The soldiers simultaneously sprayed me with a white, disinfectant-like substance.
I stood still and waited for the disinfection process to finish. Ming Ming, who had come out before me, simply blinked his eyes.
“Oh, should we disinfect this one too?”
“Yes, please disinfect him.”
I nodded again and picked up Ming Ming with both hands.
As the soldiers in fireproof suits started spraying disinfectant, Ming Ming squinted in discomfort.
Only after several minutes of disinfection could we leave the area.
Ming Ming shook off the water from his body like a drenched puppy.
I went back to the Bunker by the riverside and sat with Ming Ming in a spot where we could see the Gate from a distance.
While I’d been inside the Gate for about an hour, it seemed the security had gotten even stricter.
Barbed wire and sandbags were stacked densely around the Gate, and armored vehicles were even lined up along the riverbank with their cannons aimed at the Gate.
I gently stroked Ming Ming’s head as he sat next to me and quietly asked, “Do you know what that is?”
“Ming?”
As expected, no answer came.
“Well, it’s not like a lizard would know.”
I rummaged in my pocket and pulled out a combat ration bar, offering it to Ming Ming, who happily took it, like a frog finding a bug.
That aside.
By now, the Research Team from the Supernatural Science Research Institute should have arrived—so why was there no news?
I’d contacted them a while ago, asking them to come quickly.
Like the saying goes, speak of the tiger and it appears.
Just then, my phone started ringing.
“Who is this?”
“This is Dr. Min.”
Dr. Min, whose full name was Min Hyeongjin.
The Second Principal Researcher at the Supernatural Science Research Institute.
Since today was the first day of the Gate incident…
“So you’re still alive.”
He’d died after some Hunters who betrayed humanity attacked the research facility, and then some bug Monster escaped from the Containment Room.
A sick feeling came up with the sudden memory.
“That day was truly horrific.”
A principal researcher at the Supernatural Science Research Institute.
Before the Gates appeared, the Institute was a top-secret organization, so few knew of us, but among those who did, we were called the Apostles of the Apocalypse.
You can probably guess—not exactly a flattering nickname.
It meant that so many incidents related to the Supernatural Science Research Institute had erupted.
How bad did things have to get for us to be called the Apostles of the Apocalypse?
We chased after death and destruction to prevent them, and the other two apostles chased after us.
In the end, we all ended up working together.
Well, this time, I’ll do better.
From now on, it’s up to me to shape what happens.
“Hello? Are you still there?”
Dr. Min’s voice grumbled as I kept silent.
I knew in my head what regression meant, but hearing the voice of someone who’d died—it felt like being hit in the head with a hammer.
I’d been too busy trying to prevent the Gate incident to dwell on it, but now, it really sank in.
Now, all the talented people I regretted losing in my previous life were still alive.
“Dr. Min, you’re alive right now, aren’t you?”
“Alive…? What are you talking about?”
On the other end of the line, Dr. Min sounded puzzled.
That snapped me out of it.
“Ah, it’s nothing. Dr. Min, where are you? Are you on your way to the scene?”
The connection was full of static.
The military might be restricting civilian communications, or maybe it was electromagnetic interference caused by the Gate.
Realistically, it was probably the latter.
“No, well, I’m trying to get there now, but the police and soldiers have barricaded the city everywhere, and the roads in the city are horribly jammed, so it’s taking a long time.”
“Okay. Please hurry.”
“I had to explain five times while passing through barricades that I’m an official from a relevant department heading to the site.”
“Yes.”
“So what’s the situation exactly? The media’s got an embargo, all the news says is to evacuate, and the internet’s filled with talk of alien invasions—though it’s not really working.”
I gave a simple answer.
“It really is an alien invasion.”
“Hmm.”
Is an alien invasion such a hard story to believe? If you’ve worked at the Supernatural Science Research Institute, you’ve probably seen your share of weird things.
Dr. Min seemed to be thinking, staying silent for a while.
“Alien invasion… Anyway, I’m bringing a few observation devices in the car. I’m almost there, so let’s talk at the site.”
***
Ming Ming must have been happy to see Dr. Min after a long time, as he ran straight over to him.
Naturally, Dr. Min was startled as soon as he saw the unfamiliar Hedgewing Dragon. Well, he wouldn’t know what it was.
For Ming Ming, it was a reunion, but for Dr. Min, it was the first time seeing a creature from the Gate, so it made sense he nearly fainted in shock.
“Wh-what is this?”
“Ah, it’s my pet.”
Ming Ming looked purely delighted.
“Did this creature come from the supernatural phenomenon?”
“It did, but it’s harmless.”
Dr. Min was still staring at Ming Ming with wide eyes. Ming Ming pressed his face against Dr. Min’s leg.
At first, Dr. Min looked like he wanted to recoil, but a few minutes later, he picked up Ming Ming as if lifting a puppy.
I’ve hardly seen anyone dislike Ming Ming.
“He’s really happy to see you. Well, I am too.”
It was a touching reunion, but there was no time for chit-chat.
That was because Dr. Min hadn’t arrived alone.
Along with Dr. Min, dozens of black vans pulled up to the scene.
Arriving with the police were the Forensic Service, the Military Police Investigation Headquarters with the military police, and agents from various government organizations.
“We should transfer the supernatural phenomena related to the Gate to the Gate Phenomenon-001 slot and make them the highest priority.”
Saying that, I took the lead and walked toward Night Island.
Soon, the Gate came into view.
Soldiers in gas masks were guarding the second Barrier in front of Night Island.
This was a danger zone—no passing through without a gas mask.
I put my gas mask back on.
“Let’s go research.”
“Okay.”
Dr. Min also took a gas mask out of the car and put it on.
We passed the soldiers and entered the area where the Gate was in sight. Dr. Min looked like he had a lot of questions.
“That black sphere—is that it?”
Through the goggles of his gas mask, I could see Dr. Min’s eyes filled with fear.
I nodded.
“Let’s move. There’s work to do.”
“Who’s the person in charge here?”
That would be us.
More specifically, me.
“Didn’t you see the official memo? We’re the ones in charge here. Our department is most closely related to the Gate incident.”
Dr. Min nodded.
“The most important thing for now is that black sphere emitting electromagnetic waves. We also need to dissect the Monsters from the Gate, and study the weapons they used.”
There was a lot to do.
“You really went inside that place?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“I found some Monsters, and there was a Jungle and some Ruins. Didn’t look like humans built them. Other details aren’t clear yet.”
“It’s still hard to believe, even after seeing video of things coming out of the Gate. I probably won’t really believe it until I see it for myself…”
Dr. Min trailed off.
That was because near Night Island, the bodies of Monsters were being loaded onto military trucks.
More than one, at that.
I’d gotten used to seeing them after so many times, but it was still a shocking sight.
Orc corpses much larger than humans, and Goblin corpses much smaller.
There were Monster corpses piled up everywhere.
“What’s that charred thing over there?”
“That’s probably a Monster hit by a flamethrower.”
A Monster turned into a lump of charred flesh.
Soldiers were moving the flamethrower-burned Monster corpses.
“Let’s unload the equipment first.”
Near the military post, Dr. Min unloaded a bag about as big as himself.
“I had the radio on during the drive here.”
“Yes?”
“There was a lot of static.”
Dr. Min pulled out what looked like a radio observation device from his bag.
The moment the machine was turned on, it began making loud crackling sounds.
That was the electromagnetic wave coming from the Gate.
“Could the equipment be broken?”
“Hmm… I think the Gate is trying to communicate with us. Or it could be communication between Gates.”
Since practically every Gate in the world had opened at the same time, there must have been some sort of coordination.
“Huh?”
“Let’s check. It’s not broken, that’s just the sound on that frequency.”
Dr. Min adjusted the device.
There are plenty of ways to use this.
The simplest is that it’ll make it easier to locate Gates.
That was the method I used in my previous life.
“It’s real.”
“That’s my guess. The Gates are invaders of our world, and that black sphere is probably a machine or a living thing.”
“Feels ominous.”
“Going a step further, the black sphere seemed like it was trying to speak to us.”
“Hmm… Why?”
“There are plenty of reasons for an enemy to talk to you during a war. Threats, warnings, ultimatums, psychological warfare, demands—things like that.”
The crackling sound continued on.
Dr. Min looked around uneasily, as if something was watching us.
“It’s not a regular sound.”
“Could it be Morse code?”
“It’s definitely binary communication… but I don’t think it’s Morse. The Gates wouldn’t use a human language.”
I activated the Seeker’s Trait.
My seeker stat should rise a bit.
[The Gate is singing.]
[Seeker stat +10.]
[Enlightenment level 1 progress: 40/100.]
This is unsettling.
“Let’s head back now.”
Dr. Min nodded.
Frowning, I dismissed the Status Window message. Chorus of the Abyss. The open Gate itself is singing.
I think Dr. Min has a thousand questions running through his mind right now.