Taeseong, reading the document, murmured quietly to himself.
“Strict caution is advised…”
His curiosity was piqued.
An escalation in rank during a rampage? That essentially meant the entity was, by nature, of Delta rank but lived as if it were of Epsilon rank under normal conditions. It was intriguing.
“Normally repeats the same phrases but goes into a murderous rage upon hearing certain curses. There must be a reason why only that specific insult provokes such a response…”
Mangtae Harabeom.
The name felt oddly familiar. As the description suggested, it was derived from folklore meant to scare children. Perhaps he had heard it once during his childhood.
“Carrying a sack to kidnap children, huh.”
The purpose behind such tales seemed remarkably clear. They were designed to instill a lesson and fear in children—don’t follow strangers.
At that age, fear was one of the most effective tools for control. Not just for children—fear consistently proved its efficacy as a means of controlling people throughout history. Fear of death, fear of the unknown, fear of oppression—countless examples of fear being used to manipulate the masses could be found.
“The document you’re reading—it’s about Mangtae Harabeom, isn’t it? First time hearing about him?”
“It feels like something I might have heard about when I was younger.”
“You probably have. It’s the kind of story our generation grew up hearing. Just like Mangtae Harabeom or the Hong Kong Grandma. Later, there were others like the Red Mask and Kim Minji ghost story. Oh, by the way, I’m 28. Born in 1997, Year of the Ox. Of course, that’s excluding the time I spent… possessed.”
Taeseong studied Eunha’s face. She said they were the same age, but her appearance was far younger—like she’d just entered adulthood. Her youthful look was almost unnaturally so, making it hard to dismiss as simple genetics.
“Perhaps her possession experience had an impact.”
“Why are you staring like that? Something you want to say?”
“What’s the Kim Minji ghost story?”
“Oh, it’s nothing major. Just a regular urban legend. A silly story kids came up with. Back when I was in elementary school, there was this rumor that the designer of our currency had a daughter who was murdered, and he supposedly memorialized her by embedding parts of her body into the currency design. Her name was Kim Minji.”
“You’re saying he memorialized his murdered daughter by placing her body parts on currency used by the entire nation?”
“Ugh, why are you analyzing it so seriously? It’s just a story kids made up! If you start questioning the logic, none of these ghost stories would even exist.”
“I see.”
“Here, take a look at this one too.”
She handed Taeseong another entity management report.
[E-Rank Entity Management Report]
No. 0560
Entity Name: Hong Kong Grandma
Rank: Epsilon
Danger Level: 2 → 3
Escalates to Delta (Δ) rank when enraged.
Description:
An entity suspected to have originated from a ghost story: “An elderly woman traveling by plane to visit her family in Hong Kong died in an unfortunate accident. Her soul, unable to move on due to lingering resentment, merged with the spirit of a cat that was with her at the time, becoming a half-human, half-cat ghost.”
Similar to Mangtae Harabeom, this entity is unaware that it was born from a ghost story. It typically mimics a cat, making “meow” sounds, but occasionally shows sincere emotions, such as expressing a desire to see her family.
- Has an extreme hatred to airplanes. Avoid discussing this topic entirely.
- Do not enter her containment chamber with untrimmed nails.
- Can run 100 meters in under 5 seconds.
- Any sudden questions should end with “Hong Kong.”
Observation Log #002
“A cat’s face with an old woman’s body—truly the worst.”
Observation Log #004
“Management difficulty is extremely low, but I’d prefer not to see her.”
Observation Log #006
“…Exhausting.”
After reading the document, Taeseong looked up at Eunha, who began to speak.
“She and Mangtae Harabeom are both entities we’re assigned to manage.”
“Hong Kong Grandma… So, another figure from the ghost stories you mentioned.”
“That’s right. Let’s discuss more on the way.”
“Understood.”
The two made their way toward the containment facility for Epsilon-class entities, designated as Building E. Along the corridor, Eunha greeted familiar faces warmly as they walked, hurrying their pace.
“The document wouldn’t mention this, but the two entities are currently housed in the same containment room.”
“The same room? Why?”
“It seems the previous manager brought up one entity while speaking with the other to capture their attention. The reaction was far stronger than anticipated, so strong that the entity themselves requested a meeting. They even promised full cooperation in exchange for just one encounter.”
“…”
“In the end, the request went up the chain of command, and for the first time in the organization’s history, two entities were contained together.”
“Are those the Mangtae Harabeom and Hong Kong Grandma you’re talking about?”
Eunha nodded.
“That’s correct.”
“And how are they getting along?”
“Splendidly. Better than we could have hoped. They’ve been coexisting without a single incident, and the managers have found them far easier to handle since the arrangement. Everyone’s been singing praises. Makes you wonder if the higher-ups foresaw this outcome all along.”
“…Perhaps they did.”
A brief silence followed as they walked. For about ten minutes, neither of them said a word. As they ventured further in, the general office staff disappeared, replaced by managers clad in black suits.
“Did you know this building is rumored to be one of the entities registered in Tree?”
“Really?”
“Well, I’m not sure if it’s true. It’s more of an urban legend that circulates among the managers. They say it’s been around even before I joined.”
“Seems plausible enough to me.”
“Right? Whether it’s true or not, the fact that the rumor exists here in Tree feels fitting, don’t you think?”
Taeseong silently agreed, though questions about the facility lingered in his mind. The materials used for the restraints, capable of holding such formidable entities; the construction of the containment chambers designed to isolate even the most dangerous ones; and most curiously, the nature of the highest-tier entities—all of it defied comprehension.
“We’re here. We’ll start working now. But first, a few ground rules. You read the report on Mangtae Harabeom, right? As it says, under no circumstances should you say the word ‘retard’ in front of him.”
“Are other insults permitted?”
“They don’t matter. For some reason, that one word triggers him. Listen, Taeseong, I know you’re strong, but this is Tree. Here, you’ll encounter beings beyond human understanding. Overconfidence won’t get you far. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Eunha wasn’t convinced by his composed response, but she chose to let it go.
“No point if he doesn’t figure it out himself. Let’s see how long this newbie lasts…”
Eunha, having worked in Namu for a considerable time, had seen her fair share of overconfident new hires who disappeared after only a few days. She didn’t have high expectations for Taeseong.
“I’m opening the door.”
“Understood.”
Eunha pushed open the enormous steel door. It was surprising how someone of her small stature could muster such strength. Taeseong involuntarily muttered at the sight before him.
“This is…”
“A hanok.”
Before them was a sprawling traditional Korean house that resembled a Joseon-era film set. The size alone dwarfed the temporary containment facility where Taeseong had previously stayed.
“See what I mean? Doesn’t it feel like this building could be an entity too? Each containment room here is uniquely designed. Keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
Eunha stepped ahead and called out cheerfully, a stark contrast to her earlier demeanor.
“Grandpa, I’m here!”
( TL : Mangtae Harabeom translates to Grandpa of the Net Bag )
From a distance, voices responded.
“Kihihihi! Naughty children who don’t listen to their parents will be taken by Mangtae Harabeom!”
“Meow!”
Passing a few jars of old sauces, they arrived at a porch where an elderly man and a woman sat. The bent old man, with his white hair and bushy beard, carried a large woven sack on his back—undoubtedly Mangtae Harabeom. Next to him sat a grandmother in traditional Korean attire, her face distinctly feline, marking her as Hong Kong Grandma.
“It’s been a while, Grandpa, Grandma. Have you both been well?”
“Kihihihi! Naughty children who don’t listen to their parents will be taken by Mangtae Halabeom!”
“Meow!”
Despite their repeated phrases, Eunha continued as if accustomed to it.
“You look well. Remember, you promised to stay quiet and behave. Oh, and we have a new manager today. This is Taeseong.”
Taeseong stepped forward, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Mangtae Harabeom and Hong Kong Grandma turned to him, their gazes locking with his.
“Hello—”
Before he could finish, the two entities screamed in terror. Mangtae Harabeom fell backward, frantically scrambling away, while Hong Kong Grandma scared, visibly trembling.
“Oh, oh, Elder!?”
“This, this is truly an Elder! Meow!?”
Both of them dropped to their knees, bowing deeply while shaking uncontrollably.
“Why… why has the Elder come here?”
“Scary… so scary. That’s no human. It smells like an Elder… and something even more terrifying.”
Completely thrown off, Taeseong turned to Eunha, only to find her just as startled. Never in her countless encounters with entities had she seen such a reaction.
Eunha’s wary eyes fixed on Taeseong.
“…Who are you, really?”
Taeseong didn’t know how to answer, as the question gnawed at him just as much.
“…What exactly are you?”
Her voice trembled slightly, and Taeseong caught a glimpse of something eerie. Black smoke, shaped like a skull, appeared before his eyes—a manifestation of their fear.
Everyone in the room was terrified of him.
