Aokigahara Forest.
Located at the base of Mount Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan, in Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture, it is known as a sanctuary for those seeking to end their lives.
Commonly referred to as the “Suicide Forest” or “Jukai Forest,” this place earned its reputation due to an incident from the past—depicted in an old novel where the protagonist chooses this location as a place to end their life. In reality, a woman was found having passed away with that book used as a pillow. Since then, countless people wishing to end their lives have gathered here, turning it into a notorious suicide site.
Since the 1970s, the number of people who have taken their lives here has reached as many as 30,000. It is a place where countless souls have chosen to end their journey.
Unusually, most suicide spots are cliffs, tall buildings, or bridges—places suitable for jumping. In contrast, Aokigahara Forest has none of these geographical features. Because of this, most who come here choose hanging as their method, and the first things visitors often encounter are bodies dangling from tree branches.
※ Aokigahara Forest Safety Guidelines:
- Under no circumstances should you enter this place. Never enter.
If you do enter, immediately hang yourself—or, more sensibly, stay put and quickly call for help. - If you see a living person here, do not greet them.
They are not truly alive. - No communication devices will work here.
If your phone or radio rings, leave the area immediately. Do not engage in conversation with the voice.- “Hey, can you hear my voice? If you can, please help me. I can’t move my legs. My body is growing colder and stiffer. If you help me out of this forest, I swear I’ll repay this favor. Please, save me. I’m begging you.”
- If you see an unidentifiable jar, immediately lie down and chant three times, “Save me.”
- If you make eye contact with non-human entities, do not acknowledge them.
They cannot see you, but the moment you “recognize” them, they will also see you. - This rule does not exist.
- If you see Rule 6, immediately run to the shrine located deeper within Aokigahara Forest.
Only by reaching that place will you be able to be saved. Do not trust anything else.
Taeseong closed the file and asked, “So, you’re telling me to go to this place now?”
The enforcer responded, “The death of a Beta-class administrator is a significant loss of power for us as well.”
Taeseong naturally thought of Yukina.
The cold impression of her snow-white hair.
Her arrogant gaze, as if looking down on the entire world, was still vivid in his memory.
Although he never actually fought her, he already knew how powerful she was as an administrator. Even “Xiao Yun,” presumed to be one of the top-ranked among the Beta class, couldn’t be certain of victory against her.
And now, she was dead.
It was an unspoken rule in “Tree” to treat the death of a single administrator as insignificant. But what Taeseong was focusing on was something else.
The level of danger.
In other words, it meant that the place was dangerous enough to claim the life of a Beta-class administrator. And right now, his comrades were at that very place.
Taeseong was relieved that Sooah hadn’t gone and quickly continued his train of thought.
“It’s been about a week since they set out, right?”
If that much time had passed…In the worst case, they all could have been killed.
“I have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“You said communication with the administrators inside has been lost. So how did you find out that Yukina was dead?”
“For Beta-class administrators and above, we assign ‘entities’ to verify their life and death status.”
Considering how valuable they were, it made sense that they were treated differently. With this, Yukina’s death was confirmed without a doubt. There was no reason for the enforcer to come to him with a lie.
“There’s no time. Make your choice.”
The options he presented were simple enough for an elementary schooler to understand.
The first option was to waive the remaining two months of isolation in exchange for heading to Jukai Forest immediately to carry out the mission. If he succeeded, he would also receive a corresponding reward.
The second option was to stay in the isolation room and complete his two-month probation period.
Of course, by then, his comrades would likely all be cold corpses.
The answer was already decided.
“I’ll go.”
“A wise choice. You depart immediately.”
“One more question, if I may?”
“You certainly are curious. Speak.”
“Are there no other administrators available for support? For example, an ‘Alpha’ class administrator?”
The enforcer responded with a scoff, “Do you think Alpha-class administrators are mere security guards? They’re all occupied with far more important tasks. Don’t waste your time on pointless thoughts.”
For a moment, Taeseong wondered if reaching Alpha-class would finally free him from this grueling workload, but clearly, even they were worked to the bone, just as the rumors about this hellish organization suggested.
“So, they’re busy.”
Taeseong stood up abruptly, instantly melting the handcuffs binding his wrists. The enforcer flinched at the sight and looked at Taeseong, who stared back in silence.
“……”
“……”
After a brief silence, Taeseong spoke first.
“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”
“……”
The enforcer hadn’t witnessed Taeseong’s power firsthand, so he assumed the rumors were exaggerated.
That’s why he had been reluctant when ordered to deploy him under the condition of lifting his probation.
“Now I see why.”
“……?”
Taeseong and the enforcer left the isolation chamber and headed straight for the adjacent building.
As they ascended toward the rooftop, Taeseong asked, “You’re not seriously telling me we’re traveling by helicopter, are you?”
“We are.”
“There’s no entity or administrator capable of transporting us there in an instant?”
“…You really have a habit of speaking lightly about things.”
Mulling over the enforcer’s words, Taeseong realized again just how useful and exceptional Lee Eunha’s abilities were.
When they pushed open the steel door and stepped onto the rooftop, the helicopter, already prepped and running, came into view. Taeseong boarded without hesitation, while the enforcer remained standing, watching.
And just as the helicopter took off into the air, the enforcer murmured, “…If you can, try to help as many administrators as possible.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
About twenty minutes remained until their destination.
‘The stench is getting thicker.’
The eerie energy he had sensed an hour ago grew more and more intense as they approached. Taeseong’s ki perception was sharp, but in truth, the sinister aura emanating from Jukai Forest was so potent that even the Epsilon-grade pilot could feel it.
‘It’s a complete nest of spirits. The most foul stench I’ve ever encountered in any place I’ve been before.’
Now that he was feeling it firsthand, it was clear why such a large force had been deployed for this mission. Over 30,000 people had taken their own lives in that forest—this was an inevitable result.
And beyond the suicides, there were likely even more casualties. That meant an unfathomable number of people had perished in Jukai Forest.
Recently, the source of the growing number of anomalies in Japan had been traced back to this very place.
“What the hell is that?”
“What do you see, sir?”
Something off white appeared in Taeseong’s vision as he looked outside. It stood in the middle of a field, wavering like a heat mirage. At a glance, its shape resembled a scarecrow.
Focusing his enhanced vision, Taeseong analyzed the figure. It wasn’t quite a scarecrow, yet it didn’t move naturally enough to be human.
Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle, wriggle, wriggle.
“A whitish figure is dancing in a weird way.”
“Ah… That can’t be…”
The pilot’s face turned deathly pale mid-sentence. It was as if something had just clicked in his mind—something he was never meant to remember. His expression twisted in terror, and he shut his eyes tight.
“Hey. What’s wrong with you? You can’t just close your eyes while flying a helicopter!”
“D-Do you know what that… thing is?”
“No idea. Just shut up and focus on flying!”
“No! No! Please, don’t say another word! You must not look at it!”
The pilot screamed, shaking as if he were having a seizure.
Shocked by the sudden outburst, Taeseong demanded, “Fine! Just calm down and keep your hands on the controls!”
“Arghhhhhh!”
Watching the pilot lose his mind like a lunatic for no apparent reason was infuriating.
Had he completely snapped? There was no reasoning with him in this state. If the worst came to worst, Taeseong might have to abandon the pilot and escape from the helicopter.
Making a split-second decision, he snapped his fingers toward the whitish figure in the distance.
Snap!
A brilliant blue flame ignited from the figure’s feet, swiftly consuming it from head to toe.
Fwooooosh!
The azure fire devoured the thing’s entire body before dissipating into the air.
The moment it vanished, the pilot, who had been shaking wildly, gradually regained his composure.
“You okay now?”
“…Ah. Yes, I’m fine.”
Fortunately, the helicopter hadn’t crashed. The pilot, though not an administrator, was a seasoned Tree employee and recovered quickly.
Taeseong asked, “What the hell was that episode all about?”
“If my guess is correct, that entity was a Kunekune.”
“Kunekune?”
“Yes. It’s a Delta-grade entity. The moment someone notices what it is, it shatters their mind without any conditions or limitations. This may be unfamiliar to you, Administrator Lee Taeseong, but for us Japanese…”
It was a well-known urban legend in Japan.
The instant the pilot heard Taeseong’s description, he had immediately recognized it, and that recognition had nearly destroyed his sanity.
“There’s no end to these fucked-up entities, huh.”
“My grandfather’s generation had quite a few people who went insane and became catatonic because of Kunekune.”
In the past, Taeseong would have dismissed it as just another trivial ghost story.
But now, he knew better.
He knew that every word was true.
Before long, they arrived near Jukai Forest.
“I don’t think we can go any further,” the pilot said.
Taeseong nodded, understanding the situation. He prepared to drop.
“Yeah. Don’t loiter around here and risk going crazy. Head straight back.”
“I wish you luck, Administrator.”
Giving a slight nod, Taeseong gazed at the vast, ancient forest below. Without hesitation, he jumped.
Fwaaaaa!
As gravity took hold, his body plummeted at full speed. The force of the wind roared in his ears.
Thud!
Deploying his parachute with practiced precision, he landed.
He unfolded a map to estimate his position. No communication devices or compasses worked here. He would have to rely entirely on his own senses.
“The outskirts, huh.”
A thick, eerie aura welcomed him, seeping from every direction. Towering trees, easily over ten meters tall, formed an impenetrable wall around him.
This was why they called it the Sea of Trees (Jukai).
Just moments ago, the sun had been shining brightly in the sky, yet here, the world was plunged into darkness, as if he had entered an entirely different realm.
Whooooosh…
A sinister wind rustled through the trees. Their grotesque forms swayed in unison, as if mocking the unwelcome guest in their domain.
“……”
Summoning blue flames around himself to secure visibility, Taeseong quickly realized—He was surrounded.
Glowing eyes pierced through the darkness from every direction.
“This is one hell of a welcome party.”
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