Sector 3 Residential District, Hyde Park.
Raimund had passed by that park several times in the past.
In places like Sector 5, where public safety was poor, parks had long since become slums, but Raimund still liked parks.
The smell of fresh grass, the people strolling leisurely, the relaxed light of the artificial sun pouring down.
Parks were the only way to experience anything resembling nature inside the shelter.
Of course, you could go outside the shelter to see real nature, but everything out there had already fallen into irreversible pollution and decay.
But the reason Raimund accepted this request wasn’t just because he liked parks.
Basically, all public facilities within the shelter were open to residents. Parks were one of the places anyone could come and go freely.
If an anomaly had manifested in a park in Sector 3, then unsuspecting people could get caught up in it.
That’s why Raimund accepted the request as quickly as he could and headed toward Sector 3, but when he arrived at the entrance of the park, he wasn’t alone.
"Why are you following me? It’s creepy."
"Who said I was following you? I accepted the request and came here. If anything, aren’t you the one following me?"
"What the hell are you saying?"
"You seem to only know how to curse when you’re hit where it hurts. Are you always like this?"
That same insolent tone made Raimund’s neck stiffen.
He hadn’t heard any footsteps behind him when he left Number 36.
How the hell did he manage to arrive at the same time?
Raimund secretly glared at Friedrich, wondering how he’d gotten here, but Friedrich just snorted like he could see right through him.
"You came in all fired up, so why aren’t you going in? Getting scared now?"
"Funny coming from someone who’s just standing here chatting instead of going in."
"I was just curious whether you’d be able to handle the request as well as you freaked out about cleaning your house. Normally I wouldn’t bet on it, but today I’ll make an exception. Go ahead."
Friedrich stepped aside and gestured toward the park entrance. Raimund could clearly read the sneer in that motion.
Oh, I see. You think I can’t do it unless someone tells me to?
Well, I’ve done plenty of things on my own since I started living alone.
Raimund pulled something out of his pocket with determination. At first glance, it looked like a common advertising brochure.
He unfolded the repeatedly crumpled pages and revealed a glossy paper printed with clear text.
[ You Can Do It Too!
Basic Guidelines
for Agents Investigating Anomalies! ]
Most of the supplies Yona had handed over were replicas of secured images, but the welcome kit also included basic stationery and a small notebook for note-taking.
The guideline he was holding now was also part of that welcome kit.
Raimund read the text carefully.
[ Have you detected an anomaly?
Or come to your senses in an unfamiliar place?
If so, follow the instructions below:
The field of deployment of the anomaly.
Raimund fumbled with the frameless glasses and put them on. Yona had said something about them being called a telescope of something-or-other, though he couldn’t quite remember.
The important thing was that these glasses helped observe anomalies.
Raimund awkwardly adjusted the glasses—his first time wearing them—and looked around. It felt weird not using his naked eyes, but not uncomfortable.
The road, the stone-paved ground, Friedrich’s annoying face glaring at him from nearby.
When he turned his head, he could see the small statue standing at the park entrance clearly.
But something was off. Raimund took off the glasses, then put them back on.
Without the glasses, it looked like a normal park. A lazy and peaceful midday atmosphere filled the scene.
But when viewed through the glasses, the park looked extremely dark.
As if it were cloaked in a layer of shadow, hard to see clearly, and the flickering wind made him feel a little dizzy.
But one thing was certain—the entrance to the park, seen through the glasses, looked wrong.
"…Night?"
The sky above the park was pitch black.
The half-body statue of some nameless figure at the entrance was covered in thick moss and filthy.
Not just the statue. The park’s fence, the half-open gate—it all looked like it hadn’t been maintained for years.
Raimund quickly took off the glasses and turned back to the guideline.
[ 2. If you have observed an anomaly,
you must confirm the image at its core.
Pay attention to changes in your surroundings.
All anomalies are, by nature, deviation entities, and the events within may not align with the laws of physics, chemistry, biology, or any other principles defined by reality. ]
This must be what Yona meant by that example where an apple turns into a banana.
So… I have to confirm the image? Does that mean I have to go in there?
Fortunately, the Justitia was still safely tucked into his back pocket, just in case.
As Raimund steeled himself and cautiously approached the park entrance—
"–Are you done?"
"Ugh!"
He’d been so focused on the anomaly that he forgot someone was behind him.
Friedrich stood there with a condescending look, arms crossed. He wore only black gloves, no glasses, no gun.
"I was wondering what paper you were staring at so seriously. So, do you even know what that is?"
"No. That’s why I’m going in to find out."
"You’re just going in? With no prior knowledge?"
"I get the point. Just go ahead and say I’m clumsy and laugh already."
"Huh."
"I’m following the guideline issued by the Foundation Federation, and I’m not planning to be swayed by your comments. So I’ll go first. You can just stand there all you want."
Firing back, Raimund immediately walked into the park.
Friedrich opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, Raimund stepped across the boundary of the park entrance—and his figure vanished cleanly.
As if he’d never been there at all.
Watching that, Friedrich let out an irritated sigh and walked toward a nearby public phone booth.
He slammed the rattling door shut, inserted his credit stick into the slot, and quickly punched in 1, 0, 1.
Before the voice prompt even began on the other end, he spoke rapidly.
"It’s been a while since I’ve contacted you. This is Paine. Requesting temporary lockdown of Hyde Park, Sector 3 Residential District of the shelter."
–Caw, caw.
A cry rang out from a creature that shouldn’t exist within the shelter.
Raimund thought he’d entered the park normally,
but the place around him now looked nothing like what it was before.
Towering green walls reaching into the sky.
Dim white lights flickering ominously.
Thick mist crawling around his feet, and a sky that was no longer visible.
As he looked around, Raimund realized the wall beside him was made of wood. That the road ahead of him stretched in only one straight path.
He recalled the guideline and began walking slowly. Yeah, as long as I’m careful, nothing bad will happen.
Clutching the Justitia in both hands, he moved forward. Only the rustling of grass underfoot could be heard—nothing else.
It was quiet. Too quiet.
His heartbeat surged and dropped in waves.
Then suddenly, a high-pitched beeping made him jump. Looking around to find the source, he glanced down at his wrist.
The watch-like display device he’d been wearing since leaving Number 36 was blinking a warning.
[ Heart Rate – 132 bpm ]
[ Vital Signs – Within Normal Range ]
[ Anomaly Corrosion Rate – 01% ]
So this is the corrosion rate.
Since it was his first time entering an anomaly, it probably showed 1%.
Anyway, the lower the corrosion rate, the better. He needed to identify the image inside the anomaly and get out as fast as possible.
After walking for some time along the path, Raimund finally saw something ahead.
The thick green walls of foliage split into two paths.
At the fork stood a piece of paper that looked like someone had dropped it.
Had someone already come in here?
Raimund slowly knelt and picked up the paper.
It was about the size of an adult male’s palm, with small handwriting on it.
[Hello,
I don’t know who you are, but if you’re reading this, we must be in the same situation.
There’s only one way out of here. Head for the exit in the center.
It might sound simple. But we’re not the only ones in this maze. There’s a monster wandering around to stop anyone trying to reach the exit. So we have to deal with both the maze and the monster.
Of course, it’s not all hopeless! I have a good idea.
From now on, I’ll leave markings along the path I find. So you can use them to find a safe route.
If a marking disappears, you’ll know that path is dangerous, right?
Good luck.]
Raimund was baffled.
Someone had entered here before him—even before the Foundation Federation had pinpointed the location of the anomaly?
Judging by the note, the person seemed like an ordinary civilian.
Maybe they got caught up in this while taking a walk through the park. That’s probably why they left this note and tried to escape the maze.
He hesitated for a moment, then checked his wrist display again.
Scrolling down, he saw the Foundation Federation’s assignment details.
[Request Type: Anomaly Detection and Classification
Location: Sector 3 Residential District, Hyde Park]
If all he had to do was observe the anomaly and assess the risk level, then there was no need to go any deeper.
There was even a chart for anomaly classification in the guideline—he could just reference that.
He’d figured out it was a maze, so now all he had to do was turn back and exit.
But...
–From now on, I’ll leave markings along the path I find. So you can use them to find a safe route.
Raimund stuffed the stranger’s note into his pocket.
If an ordinary person had gotten caught in here, he couldn’t just ignore that.
Besides, someone who’d gone so far as to leave signs for the next person—that kind of person didn’t deserve to be left behind.
Resolving his wavering thoughts, Raimund stepped onto the path with the red marking drawn on the ground.
The light on his wrist device was still blinking.
[ Heart Rate – 118 bpm ]
[ Vital Signs – Within Normal Range ]
[ Anomaly Corrosion Rate – 03% ]