Unfortunately, after a long search, X found nothing of value in the Black Forest.
Not Tall Bird—the "Tall Bird" who couldn't see and carried a scale—nor any trace of the so-called terrifying big monster.
It was as if, before X arrived, this vast forest truly had only Little Bird in it.
As for why he didn't assume Little Bird herself was the "big monster"—
Even in the surface world, even if you enraged the escaped Little Bird and forced out her dangerous second form… it had nothing to do with "big."
Standing in the silent Black Forest, X thought:
No matter how big the forest was… if that terrifying big monster really existed, it shouldn't be possible for him to wander this long without finding a single trace.
"Was Little Bird… lying?"
He rubbed the small pendant on his chest.
Feeling its solid, real texture, he instinctively rejected the thought.
"No. Probably not."
Most Abnormalities were "honest." They rarely engaged in anything like deliberate deception.
At least so far, none of the Abnormalities X had contained were the kind of chaotic existence that acted purely on whim.
Even "Schadenfreude," troublesome enough that X had to seek hints in its world, could still be a docile Enkephalin machine—as long as you followed its management notes and ensured no eyes were on it.
And based on the Abnormality worlds X had explored before, each world seemed to contain only the Abnormality itself—no other Abnormality intrusions…
Or did it?
X hesitated.
After all, including today's Black Forest, he had only entered six Abnormality worlds in total.
Six was nothing compared to the company's pace of extraction and containment. A sample size that small could never prove the "one world, one Abnormality" idea was truly correct.
Until he had evidence, he needed to stay cautious—and stop relying blindly on prior experience.
"Little Bird said something was interfering… but it's vague. I can't tell whether the interference is from the surface world or the inner world…"
After organizing what he'd learned, X realized with a headache:
After today's exploration, the unknowns hadn't decreased.
They'd increased.
"Forget it. I've stayed here too long… I'll end today's inner-company exploration here."
After confirming once more that the Black Forest showed no obvious abnormalities, X withdrew from Little Bird's Abnormality world.
—
DAY 15.
A green Lobotomy Corporation logo appeared on the supervisor terminal almost the moment X sat down.
Seeing it, X was basically certain that the mysterious "B" could, by some unknown method, monitor the supervisor office.
Which made the questions B had asked him during their first conversation… far more interesting in retrospect.
"B," X said first, facing the logo.
"I thought after last time, you wouldn't show up again."
"My mission isn't finished. Of course I will still appear before you."
Text formed on the screen—but unlike before, B now addressed X with honorifics.
"Fine. Clearly, you've stepped out of the script you wrote for yourself… or at least you're beginning to."
"So there are some things I'll tell you early. I assume that when the day comes, you won't turn around and blame me for it."
"Everything I do is to bring you back onto the right track… I don't want to see you hurt yourself like that again. That isn't why I came back here…"
Those words sounded less like they were meant to persuade X, and more like B was persuading herself.
"Go on," X said, wearing an intentionally relaxed grin.
"Don't be so tense. Just talk to me normally."
"Ah… yes… Before everything happened, you always said things like that as well…"
The nostalgia and sorrow in the words nearly overflowed from the display.
Then, as the line faded, a woman's unfamiliar voice sounded along with the next text:
"It's time to tell you the last secret… the one secret you must know."
The voice was gentle beyond expectation—so calm and soft that it completely contradicted every guess X had made based on B's earlier behavior.
"I know the truth often wounds those who trust the world. Telling you this will be like destroying the sandcastle you've built for years in a single instant."
Perhaps because of the added voice, the projected text seemed to slow, and even the spacing between lines felt steeped in the same heart-aching composure.
"But you must overcome that pain—and deny every ounce of effort you have poured into this place."
Just as X was about to interrupt and demand an answer, B finally reached the core.
"Now, listen carefully. The final secret is…"
B stopped.
The entire office fell silent.
The terminal's low hum seemed to vanish. Even X's heartbeat and breathing felt distant.
X's eyes locked on the screen, waiting for the answer that would overturn everything.
Time stretched into something thick and sticky—one second, two seconds…
But the voice did not return.
No new text appeared.
At first, X thought B was building suspense, using a dramatic pause to amplify his anticipation.
But after listening to the monotonous static for a long time, X realized in shock:
This wasn't B playing games.
She was gone.
—Beep.
The work-time chime sounded. X snapped back to himself—and remembered that someone was missing from the office today.
His secretary, Angela, had not appeared or sent any message.
-------
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