DAY 22.
When X woke up, he felt better than he ever had before.
Both mentally and physically, it was as if he had returned to a perfectly vital state, brimming with life.
The exhaustion that had accumulated day after day, as well as the heavy pressure weighing on his heart, had all vanished during that single night of deep sleep.
Even his already active mind felt exceptionally clear.
And precisely because of that clarity, some of the tangled doubts that had plagued him for so long finally began to unravel.
After checking the clock by his bed and confirming that there was still plenty of time, X got up.
There were things he needed to verify—immediately.
—
7:00 a.m., Information Department, Director's Office.
"Come to think of it, there's something that's always bothered me."
X spoke while looking at Yesod, who was clearly puzzled by his sudden visit.
"I've already pushed the daily death count down to the lowest possible level, but the Information Department still seems incredibly busy—even after working hours?"
"Snake, I think you mentioned before… one of your main responsibilities here is 'erasing information,' right?"
"Erasing information? Removing records of casualties to maintain social stability—while forced, that still barely makes sense…"
"Yes."
Yesod nodded.
"Given how many matters I'm currently handling, I don't have the leisure to praise you for reaching a decent conclusion."
Seeing that X hadn't come merely to tease her, her tolerance and patience rose noticeably.
"There are tasks the Information Department must carry out during every fixed cycle."
"I assume you've already noticed that when you read Abnormality records, certain sections are often missing."
"That's because among the vast amount of data we possess, some content cannot be fully disclosed to employees for safety reasons."
"This even includes employees' names."
"Everything that happens to them—whether a brutal death or a desperate struggle to live…"
"All of it is erased under the banner of information removal."
"And what standard determines how this information is processed?"
Yesod shrugged slightly.
"I don't know. The authority to define that standard belongs to other departments."
"Our department only modifies data according to orders."
"Don't you find it a bit ironic, Manager?"
"Erasing information based on instructions. Altering records…"
"We've fallen to this level, and yet we're still called the Information Department."
"Every time I introduce myself as a Sephirah of the Information Department, I…"
Yesod paused, steadied the emotional ripple that had surfaced, then continued:
"I feel as though something suddenly surges up from within me."
The cold, venomous snake rarely revealed such genuine emotion.
But the Manager standing before her clearly didn't cherish this hard-won candor—
"…But I have a few better guesses."
X nodded to himself.
By now, he had already obtained the information he wanted.
"This is something I only realized today…"
"All the Abnormality codices and records seem to be 'unlocked.'"
"Oh right… before I analyze further, let me restate the premise Angela and the Sephirahs always emphasize—'energy output takes absolute priority.'"
"Now, where was I… ah, yes—unlocking records and codices."
"Heh… doesn't that mean these things already exist in the company database?"
"That collecting so-called PE-boxes is merely a way to unlock information that's already there?"
"But here's the problem—if the company truly prioritizes energy output above all else, wouldn't it make more sense to just give me that existing information outright?"
"After all, when dealing with new Abnormalities, the biggest difficulty is almost always 'exploring. the unknown.'"
"Cautious trial and error—sometimes even at the cost of experienced employees' lives…"
"…And E.G.O is strange as well."
"I only remembered this today—why does E.G.O equipment have such a ridiculous restriction as 'limited production'?"
"Even for TETH- and ZAYIN-class gear?"
"I almost got used to these things because they seem normal on the surface… but once you think about them, the inconsistencies jump out immediately."
"If I had a few more units of Gaze or Magic Bullet, would I really need to command so cautiously during certain ordeals?"
"This is a Wing of the World. Since when does a Wing deliberately limit its own combat power?"
"…"
Yesod was just about to respond when X 's next words pressed her back into silence—
"If we could avoid these irrational constraints, we'd save an enormous amount of trial-and-error time…"
X 's eyes were fixed on Yesod—
Or rather, Yesod believed he was looking at her.
In truth, that was indeed the case.
But X 's focus wasn't truly on the subordinate standing before him.
His pupils were unfocused, his gaze scattered—signs that he had already sunk deep into the rapid currents of his own thoughts.
Everything he had said since that first nod had essentially been self-directed monologue:
"Logically speaking, then, that so-called 'energy priority' Angela keeps stressing… doesn't hold up."
"Contradictions don't arise without cause—especially ones that appear so normal on the surface…"
"Alright. Let's assume the premise that 'E.G.O and information have always existed, and collecting PE-boxes merely unlocks them.'"
"From that, we can derive another assumption: the company actually possesses all Abnormality information and E.G.O equipment."
"That would mean that before I ever arrived here, someone had already completed the full collection…"
"Or rather, many people pieced it together collectively."
"But if full completion had already been achieved, and yet what I was handed was a blank slate…"
"Then the true purpose of erasing that information was actually for…"
"Me?"
"..."
Yesod remained silent.
Outwardly calm, but in reality, fine beads of sweat had already formed along her temples and back.
Her prized rationality was now on the verge of collapse under the abyssal depth of the Manager's gaze.
Terrifying.
Her Manager was calmly, casually voicing these bone-chilling conjectures as if he were chatting idly—
And what he was deducing might very well be the truth itself.
Even someone as cold and precise as Angela had only let slip the tiniest logical inconsistency in a careless moment—
And the Manager had seized upon that thread from Yesod and followed it relentlessly to this point.
The oppressive pressure was overwhelming.
It felt as though she wasn't facing a kind, approachable human—
But an indescribable horror like Nothing There.
For a moment, the words she had intended to say were forcibly swallowed back down her throat.
"Ah… sorry, Snake."
After speaking for so long, X finally pulled himself out of his thoughts.
With a hint of apology, he said:
"I was talking to myself again… I didn't scare you, did I?"
"What you just said… I don't know anything about it."
Yesod crossed her arms.
Only like this could she hide the slight trembling of her hands.
"We are merely your subordinates, under your authority."
"These matters are something you should discuss with Angela."
"Alright. I won't disturb you then, Snake. See you."
"See you."
They parted ways.
But once Yesod calmed down a little and noticed the flaw in X 's otherwise brilliant line of reasoning—
She suddenly felt that this Manager, who had just apologized to her…
Why did he suddenly look…
So nauseating?
Her arms dropped from their folded position, and at some point her brow had already tightly furrowed.
He definitely knew everything about this place… and yet he deliberately put on this hypocritical, innocent façade…
But as she watched the Manager's retreating figure after his apology, the snake's hands clenched—
Then loosened.
In the end, she still didn't say those words.
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