Humanity Protection Company

TL/Editor: raei

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: None.

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Extinction Defense Device: Ark.

Something he'd only heard mentioned a few times, with no clue about its location or true nature. He wondered how many people at the company actually know about it.

"The Ark..."

Lee Yeonwoo mumbled, glancing at Future Yeonwoo to gauge his reaction.

"I'm not sure if I can find it."

Future Yeonwoo glanced around the shelter as he spoke casually. Despite his light tone, the weight of his words was unmistakable.

Yeonwoo let out a deep sigh.

"Alright. I'll do my best. But I can't promise anything."

"Just look for it. If you find it, I'll make sure you're well rewarded."

Future Yeonwoo's finger twitched as he eyed the TV and bag nearby. His eyes grew distant, lost in thought.

Yeonwoo perked up.

"What kind of reward?"

"I'm thinking... How about upgrading your shelter? The Oracle system must be broken."

"No, that's okay."

He couldn't waste such a valuable opportunity on the shelter. It'd be better to boost his personal survival skills. Maybe some anomalous equipment or tips on using the dice.

When he voiced these thoughts, Future Yeonwoo nodded with a smirk.

"You're sharp. In a crisis, you can only count on yourself. Whether it's your skills or the anomalies you've got. The shelter's not much use, right? So, you pick the reward."

"I'll think about it then."

"Good. When you find the Ark, roll the dice targeting me. I'll sense it and come find you."

Future Yeonwoo started to get up.

"I'll be in this world for a bit. Might as well grab a hamburger. It's been ages. Of course, I'll be looking for the Ark too."

He spread his hand, ready to leave. A gesture to gauge probabilities. As he reached to grasp the swirling possibilities between his fingers-

Yeonwoo blurted out urgently.

"Advance payment! Please, just one thing up front!"

"...What advance?"

Future Yeonwoo asked, still holding onto the probability. His face showed a hint of confusion, but Yeonwoo scratched his head and looked away.

"Please make me one Guaranteed Draw Ticket. For summoning rejection. If I get dragged off somewhere, I might not be able to come back and find the Ark."

"Geez."

With a sigh, he clenched his other hand. In an instant, a Guaranteed Draw Ticket appeared in Yeonwoo's mind. Yeonwoo, who had only ever drawn Failure Tickets, couldn't help but smile.

"..."

Future Yeonwoo's face darkened.

For a moment, Yeonwoo's senses sharpened. He caught a glimpse of Future Yeonwoo's body crumbling away, revealing a strange form beneath.

Not flesh and blood, but a tangle of probability and possibility - something inhuman.

A flat voice came from Future Yeonwoo.

"I don't want to threaten you, but... You and I both know we only give it our all when our lives are on the line."

The surefire way to motivate Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo crouched like a cornered animal ready to bolt, eyes wide before this bizarre form. He listened intently.

"If you can't find the Ark, if I can't rebuild my world, if that hope vanishes... I don't know what I might do."

The form reverted. Back to the original body. Eyes fixed on a point in space, thoughts unreadable.

With a final smirk, Future Yeonwoo clenched his fist. Possibility became reality. Future Yeonwoo vanished from the shelter as if he'd never been there.

The shelter fell silent.

Left alone, Yeonwoo remained frozen for a while before slowly raising his hand to touch his lips. His fingers and lips felt cold, as if drained of warmth.

'Was that shown on purpose? ...Talk about a brutal threat.'

His mind raced. His body, exhausted from a long day, surged with renewed energy, pushing him to peak condition.

He assessed the situation calmly.

'No time limit on the request. It's tough, but doable.'

There was no need to panic just yet.

Blinking, Yeonwoo walked to the room with the bed. He shook the dusty blanket a few times before lying down.

'Today, I'll just brainstorm.'

How to find the Ark. Future Yeonwoo's true form and how to deal with him. Thoughts swirled in various directions.

Amidst these thoughts circling like sheep, Yeonwoo drifted off to sleep.

---

---

The shelter, cut off from sunlight and moonlight, offered no way to tell day from night. Only devices like clocks could mark the passing of time.

"Time for breakfast. ...Is it even morning?"

Yeonwoo grabbed canned rice and side dishes from the shelter's supplies and opened the lids.

He cautiously poked at the contents with a spoon. It looked decent enough, but a faint chemical smell made him hesitate.

After prodding the canned food for a while, Yeonwoo took one bite and set it down.

He'd tried it out of curiosity, but the taste was far from appetizing. It might do in an emergency, but with his appetite suppressed by the looming task, now wasn't the time.

"Where did they say to throw away the cans and food waste?"

Following the shelter's user manual, he wandered through the complex interior before finally finding the waste disposal area.

Suddenly, an announcement blared from the shelter's speakers.

- Shelter manager. There's a call from headquarters. Please come to the situation room.

A mechanical female voice.

Yeonwoo tossed the can into the recycling machine and promptly turned around, his expression puzzled.

'Why would headquarters call?'

He rushed to the situation room, where Mark Jung appeared on a large monitor. His face was grim, his hands fidgeting nervously.

Their eyes met across the screen. Mark Jung's hands froze mid-motion.

- Special Investigator Yeonwoo. We have a mission for you.

"...What kind of mission?"

Yeonwoo sat up straight, fixing his gaze on the monitor. A mission from headquarters likely involved the doomsday scenario. His heart raced, palms sweating.

Mark Jung fiddled with something off-screen, then pulled up a video.

- I'm not sure if you've seen this, Yeonwoo, but an anomalous broadcast aired yesterday.

The video began to play.

- Today, we're expecting a precious guest from a parallel world to visit our dimension. This visitor is the last survivor of a destroyed Earth and-

The announcer collapsed mid-sentence, gasping her last breath. Yeonwoo had seen this broadcast before.

'Don't tell me...'

As Yeonwoo sensed what was coming, Mark Jung continued his explanation.

- An uninvited guest has entered our world. The company and our allied factions are all extremely worried about this intruder.

"Couldn't they just be... a survivor looking for a place to live? Maybe they've already gone back."

Despite licking his dry lips as he spoke, Mark Jung shook his head firmly.

- We can't be optimistic. Not only did they have the power to attack the source of the anomalous broadcast, but we don't know what the rest of the message would have revealed.

Yeonwoo listened silently as Mark Jung listed the company's concerns.

- What if it's a doomsday cultist who's killed everyone and come to kill people in other worlds? What if the intruder carries the disease or curse that destroyed their world? What if they're an agent sent by the anomalous entity that wiped out their world? The worst-case scenarios are endless.

"That's..."

His lips sealed shut, unable to continue.

'I can't say anything in this situation.'

The company's wariness was intense.

Even if he revealed the intruder's identity and intentions, the company would try to capture Future Yeonwoo for questioning, and Future Yeonwoo wouldn't allow that. Not knowing what might be done to him.

As Yeonwoo struggled to speak, Mark Jung pressed on.

- The company and other factions have used every means to track this intruder, but all attempts have failed. That alone is cause for concern. Why block our efforts if they have nothing to hide?

'Well, they're not exactly innocent.'

Future Yeonwoo was after the Ark, an extinction defense device. After much thought, Yeonwoo reached a conclusion.

'I can't tell the company. It could lead to disaster.'

If the company and Future Yeonwoo came to blows, the fallout would be catastrophic. Given the company's current level of caution, they'd likely use extreme measures.

Yeonwoo cleared his throat.

"Understood. I'll look into it."

- Please do. We don't know what dangerous disaster this intruder might bring.

The conversation drew to a close.

Before the screen went dark, Yeonwoo held Mark Jung back.

"Wait. Can I ask one thing?"

- Go ahead.

Mark Jung lowered his hand, pausing as he was about to end the call. Yeonwoo hesitated, then asked.

"This intruder... How dangerous are they?"

- At least the company and other factions think so. The fact that they've blocked all tracking attempts using various anomalies speaks volumes.

His face darkened with genuine concern.

Yeonwoo, imagining how he'd react if he didn't know Future Yeonwoo, responded in character.

"So we could face a major threat, like the climate anomalies?"

- Possibly.

"In that case, could you reserve a spot for me in the Ark? Just in case, to prepare for the worst."

- ...The Ark? You mean the extinction defense device?

Yeonwoo nodded. Mark Jung visibly composed himself before waving his hand.

- That's beyond my authority. I'll contact the higher-ups about it.

"While you're at it, could you ask if I can visit it once? I've always wanted to see it."

- Certainly. I'll let you know as soon as I get an answer.

Mark Jung ended the conversation without suspicion. His hand moved to press the call termination button.

Beep-!

The call disconnected. Yeonwoo's reflection stared back from the sleek black monitor. He tilted his head, thinking.

'This might be easier to find than I thought?'