Humanity Protection Company

Illustrations: None.

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Lee Yeonwoo arrived at the counseling center a bit early, figuring it was better to get this annoying task over with quickly.

\'The counseling center... Is this it?\'

An old building stood in the middle of the city. Yeonwoo looked up to see strange writing on the windows and entrance.

- Jesus Chi therapy! Lame and blind, healed with one Chi treatment! Experience the miracle yourself!

- Expert trained in Jesus\' inner energy technique....

"What the hell..."

Yeonwoo\'s voice trailed off as his eyelids trembled. This was clearly some kind of cult. He wanted to turn and leave immediately.

He checked the location on his phone again, then tried to calm himself.

\'It\'s a company building. They probably do this to keep regular people out.\'

Even after rationalizing it, he couldn\'t shake his doubts. Yeonwoo slowly made his way into the building, eyes wide open and alert.

Somehow he made it inside the counseling center. The interior looked more like a proper counseling office than he\'d expected.

Soft lighting and soothing colors. Plush cushions and a warm scent created an overall relaxing atmosphere.

\'So it is a counseling center. ...Why\'d they do that to the outside though.\'

Yeonwoo relaxed and loosened his bag.

He\'d arrived 30 minutes before the 9 AM appointment time, so there was no one at the reception desk. He went to sit in a corner to rest.

Glancing around, he saw a few pamphlets aimed at company employees. Anomaly self-reporting, punishment for treasonous acts, suicide counseling, death insurance for employees...

\'Insurance? Should I get some?\'

Medical support was a basic benefit and rainwater took care of hospital bills, but death insurance...

Yeonwoo examined the insurance pamphlet for a moment before flipping it over in annoyance. It gave him an ominous feeling. He wasn\'t going to die anyway, so why consider it?

He\'d be better off getting phone or car insurance instead. Those things were always breaking.

That\'s when it happened.

Yeonwoo froze. He felt eyes on him. Right next to him.

\'What? What\'s looking at me?\'

Cold sweat broke out. Yeonwoo casually slipped his hand into his bag while shifting only his eyes to the side.

There was a person there. Nothing unusual about that. It made sense for company employees to get psychological counseling during health checkup season.

Yeonwoo\'s eyes started to move naturally away but stopped. This person was the source of that stare. It would be strange to just ignore it.

He wracked his brain for a moment, his forehead growing hot from the effort.

"Ahh! Who are you?! How long have you been here?!"

Yeonwoo leapt up, pulling out his gun and aiming it.

The other person, a woman who somewhat resembled Yoo Ji-yoo, blinked in surprise. Her eyes held curiosity and delight rather than hostility.

"You can see me...?"

Yeonwoo was taken aback. His gun wavered as he stood there, unsure how to react.

\'What the hell is this.\'

---

---

They spoke briefly, and Yeonwoo grasped the situation.

He put the gun back in his bag and sat down nearby, face flushed with embarrassment.

"So you\'re the Ghost from Intelligence, and Senior Ji-yoo\'s older sister? I\'m sorry. I panicked and pulled out my gun. I thought you were some kind of actual ghost."

"It\'s understandable. I don\'t have much presence..."

His companion was indeed Yeonwoo\'s sister. She was also an elite agent who had become one with a fluorescent vest.

A name he\'d come across when researching dominion. The Ghost of Intelligence. The name certainly fit.

Yeonwoo bit his tongue, fighting to maintain his perception which kept trying to warp. Even though she wasn\'t wearing the vest, she kept slipping from his awareness.

The Ghost also stared at Yeonwoo\'s face with fascination.

"Ji-yoo\'s mentioned you sometimes. Said an odd new recruit joined. Complained you didn\'t act like a junior..."

The Ghost let out a small laugh. Even that sound flowed naturally like the wind. Without focus, it was hard to make out what she was saying.

It went beyond blending in naturally - she became part of nature itself.

"It\'s true. Almost no one can perceive me without the vest."

"That, um. Must be difficult. Can you manage daily life?"

Yeonwoo swallowed blood. He\'d bitten his tongue so hard it bled. At this level, normal life seemed impossible without the vest.

Restaurants and convenience stores were one thing, but even crossing the street must be dangerous. Cars might assume no one was there and run her over at crosswalks.

The Ghost wore a resigned expression.

"You get used to it. There are ways to manage. It has its perks too."

She went on about secretly stealing classified info and eavesdropping on executive meetings - plenty of fun to be had.

Yeonwoo made an awkward face, then quickly changed his expression.

\'She\'s become one with the fluorescent vest. I can get advice from her.\'

Even after researching dominion, he hadn\'t found clear answers. But here was someone who had truly become one with an anomaly.

Yeonwoo didn\'t want to miss this opportunity. A chance to consult about becoming one with an anomaly.

"Can you tell me about dominion? I use a few anomalies myself-"

"Dominion? That\'s not what it is."

"Excuse me?"

The Ghost hunched over. Her already faint presence grew even fainter, like a real ghost. She continued in a gloomy voice.

"It\'s contamination. Infection and contagion."

An ominous connotation. Yeonwoo\'s eyes widened. His senses sharpened as he firmly grasped the nearly evaporating Ghost.

His vision narrowed, magnifying the Ghost, while his ears pricked up, making her voice boom like thunder.

"It turns normal people into anomalies. The company deliberately uses the term \'dominion\' to mislead people and cause misunderstandings."

For a moment, he felt dizzy.

But his mind kept working, connecting thoughts. Logic and experience surfaced. He quickly gathered evidence and drew conclusions.

\'...That\'s right. It allows humans to do impossible things.\'

Just look at Future Yeonwoo - was that thread-like being even human? More like an anomaly pretending to be human.

The shaman family that predicted hair-falling rain was similar. Humans who became one with an anomaly in the form of rain could predict when it would fall. That anomalous trait would be passed down through blood.

Yeonwoo\'s face went pale. This was no small issue.

The Ghost paid no mind to Yeonwoo\'s reaction. Excited to directly converse with someone after so long, she blurted out more despite her gloom.

"The company really doesn\'t like this. Says anomalies that pop up randomly are multiplying. I\'ve seen a few examples they tried to hide."

Yeonwoo listened in a daze.

"There are building and area-type anomalies. Humans who become one with those turn completely anomalous."

They attack and devour people, infect others to make them allies, and move to expand their territory.

Yeonwoo closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. Several problems, potentially life-threatening ones, instantly came to mind.

\'The ratio of becoming one with an anomaly is the issue.\'

Somehow maintaining balance and merging equally is fine. Future Yeonwoo gave off that impression. That\'s acceptable.

But what if you become one, and the anomaly is 90% while the human is 10%? What if it\'s even more extreme? What if only a hint of humanity remains?

"Contamination... mutated into an anomaly."

Slight contamination alters the senses. More contamination surpasses human limits. Like the eraser-wielding doomsday cultist or Future Yeonwoo.

And beyond that level of contamination. You\'d become part of the anomaly, as the Ghost described.

"Is that why the company recommends two?"

To prevent complete fusion. To make the contaminations clash, like yin and yang.

\'Wait a second.\'

Yeonwoo suddenly had a doubt. It didn\'t make sense.

"Then why not just load up on anomalous equipment? I heard sensory overload occurs with three or more-"

"No. Contamination doesn\'t care about that. It mixes like paint turning black. Whether you drink cyanide, Gramoxone, or fugu poison, you end up dead no matter how many you take. Two or three makes no difference."

The Ghost continued matter-of-factly.

"Up to two contaminations, they still consider you human-adjacent somehow. From three on, you\'re completely inhuman."

Yeonwoo vaguely grasped the concept.

\'They see up to two contaminations as a patient. A patient whose infection can be treated and cured.\'

But from three contaminations on, they ruthlessly view you as an anomaly. That\'s why they subtly prevent it.

"Look at the Special Forces. Lots of units grit their teeth and only use scientific tech. Even if they use anomalies, it\'s just one or two. All to prevent proliferation."

As the Ghost rattled on, a gentle woman\'s voice called from the inner counseling room.

"We\'ll start counseling now. Please come in order."

"Ah..."

The Ghost looked disappointed. The conversation had been more fun than her annual counseling. Even counseling was done via tablet these days.

After fidgeting for a moment, the Ghost stood up. She took out a tablet and waved her hand.

"I\'ll go first for counseling."

"Oh, okay."

Yeonwoo was too confused by the sudden information dump to respond properly. He just clutched his throbbing head and pondered.

---

---

While the Ghost\'s counseling session proceeded, Yeonwoo carefully organized the information.

\'The employee I saw after the expedition said some anomalies become one with you if used for a long time.\'

Those anomalies were likely the ones that contaminate people. Like the fluorescent vest, eraser, and dice.

Yeonwoo stared at the dice with heavy eyes, then closed them.

\'I\'m fine with becoming an anomaly myself.\'

Of course, the company would see him as anomalous rather than human, but they don\'t automatically destroy all anomalies.

They consider hostility levels and may even ally with or incorporate anomalies into the company.

\'But that\'s me becoming an anomaly, not being consumed by one.\'

If 0.0001% of the anomaly is me, how is that different from death? A life without self-awareness or free will.

Yeonwoo bit his lip, his expression dark.

\'I need to be careful about this.\'

The dice can\'t be removed, so the contamination continues. Like ongoing radiation exposure-

\'No, wait. This isn\'t a problem?\'

His thoughts reached a certain point. Yeonwoo\'s expression brightened. At least the dice was free from contamination issues.

\'The results get manipulated before serious contamination occurs, right? It self-heals?\'

Yeonwoo sighed in relief and leaned back against the cushion. He just had to get through the counseling.

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