NOVPUBThe gears turn, and we are trapped within their cycle.
Within this cycle, the tangled threads of crisis repeat and escalate—
Until the moment we become ensnared and face inevitable demise.
Then, with a creaking sound, the pulley shifts, and a god descends to unravel the threads.
-----
“Alice.”
Carol called out to me as I returned from school, handing me a Snack Basket.
Her hair was slightly disheveled—she must have been busy lately.
“Carol. What’s up?”
“There’s been a request from the uppermost ranks of the Organization.”
I didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that my brows had slightly furrowed.
A request from the top. Right now, I wasn’t in a position to refuse.
To protect the kids and keep attending school, I had to fulfill these assignments.
While my presence at school was technically at Carol’s discretion, it had undoubtedly been approved by the higher-ups.
This had been inevitable.
“The task is... similar to last time. We’re being sent to investigate an area showing suspicious activity.”
“Am I being sent as part of a team?”
“Yes. You’ll be working with personnel from other branches. But don’t worry—your reputation within the Organization is quite positive right now, so there shouldn’t be any conflicts.”
That part puzzled me.
Why team me up with people I had no prior connection with?
Carol seemed to read my thoughts.
“It’s obvious what you’re thinking. But don’t worry. The ones accompanying you don’t have any ulterior motives.
Technically, we’re cooperating on their branch’s assignment, so it’s not strange that only you are going from our side.”
“I see... So they’re borrowing me.”
Carol gave a wry smile and said that wasn’t an inaccurate way to put it.
At least they weren’t dissecting me or injecting strange substances into my body.
This assignment was probably a result of the trust I had gained from my previous work.
“Alright. I’ll help.”
Carol, having received my agreement, began explaining the mission.
I suggested that it might be better to wait until the entire team was gathered, but she explained that only a small group would be deployed, so it wasn’t necessary.
“Our target location is an isolated, unnamed factory in the northwestern Great Plains of the United States.”
I raised my hand.
“A factory... does it produce wooden dolls?”
Carol shook her head.
“No. That’s a separate case with its own dedicated team.
Anyway, as I was saying—
We discovered this factory a few months ago and sent an exploration team along with several reconnaissance robots.
The moment our machines and personnel entered the facility, all of them shut down—completely unresponsive.
But here’s the strange part. The cameras and recording devices kept working just fine.”
That was... unusual.
Normally, cameras malfunctioning would be the cliché obstacle in cases like these.
But if even cameras couldn’t reveal anything, it meant the place was even more mysterious than expected.
“There was another oddity. The personnel setting up barricades to prevent civilians from entering reported hearing something.
A mechanical whirring—like the sound of gears turning—coming from above them.”
“...In a factory, I’d expect to hear gears turning. But from above? Could it have been a mistake or auditory hallucination?”
“It’s possible. But we mentioned it just in case.
We don’t fully understand how dangerous this place is yet.
Keep in mind—this is an abandoned facility, of unknown origin, that we’ve sent multiple expeditions into. Multiple.”
“...”
Carol’s warning.
I wasn’t scared.
Since becoming this, I had rarely experienced fear.
Part of it was my strength, but my very nature had changed as well.
“Alice, one more thing—you can receive visual and audio transmissions from inside the factory.
But you cannot send anything out.
Think of it like how an audience outside a play can watch the actors but cannot control them.”
“That’s an interesting analogy. Got it, don’t worry.”
After explaining the finer details, Carol’s expression grew unusually serious.
Her demeanor told me that this mission was different from the others.
Maybe what she was about to say was the most important thing yet.
“...Alice. This is just personal advice—but if things get too difficult, run.”
“...?”
I blinked, momentarily taken aback.
After all that, she was worried about me?
“It’s not just worry—it’s advice. This mission has... a lot of eyes on it.
Our official task is to investigate the unknown.
But I suspect the upper ranks already have some idea of what this factory really is—and they’re sending you in to confirm it.”
“How do you know that?”
“Call it intuition.”
Or maybe you just don’t want to say.
I didn’t press her for details.
“So, in short, there’s something shady about this.”
Carol fell silent for a moment.
Still, ever since becoming this, I hadn’t felt like I could be beaten by anyone.
Even if someone tried to betray me, I wasn’t too concerned.
“They’re treating you like a lab rat. So remember—you don’t have to ‘solve’ everything.
You don’t need to perform a miracle.”
Carol almost added something, stopping herself at, “Because you are...”
Instead, she sighed and gave an awkward laugh.
Then, she led me to where the rest of the team was waiting.
When she opened the door to what looked like a break room, several loud voices filled the space.
As soon as I stepped in, all eyes turned to me.
I was surprised—each of them had a distinct, unique appearance.
“...Looks like we’re all here.”
“Hahaha! Where’s the demon? All I see is a kid!”
“...She’s cute.”
“That’s rude, you two.”
Noisy bunch.
Better than being overly stiff, I supposed.
“Let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Maerson. Not my full name, but you can just call me Maerson. I’m the temporary team leader.”
Maerson was a broad-shouldered man with a rugged yet kind face, his thick beard adding to his dependable image.
He gave me the impression of a friendly uncle.
“This body is Andrew! A cyborg! And if I look strong like in the movies, that’s because I am! Just be careful—most of my head is still organic!”
A cyborg. That was unusual.
Still, his body was clearly more human than machine.
Wouldn’t a robot shut down in the factory?
I had my doubts but assumed they had accounted for it.
“...Erta.”
Erta muttered her name so softly that, if my hearing weren’t sharp, I might not have caught it.
She was covered head-to-toe in a hijab-like outfit, likely due to her body’s poisonous properties.
“And last is me! Nice to meet ya! Name’s Plevins.”
Plevins was wearing heavy makeup despite being on a mission.
Women like her were often... materialistic.
And, as expected, she admitted she had volunteered just for the bonus pay.
She claimed to be competent, at least.
...Was this really a team?
None of them seemed to know each other.
I muttered under my breath, “What a strange team...”
“Pfft! You’re the strangest one here!”
Andrew’s massive shoulders shook as he teased me.
I raised a brow.
“What?”
“Just picture it—a little blonde girl in an apron, standing next to a bunch of soldiers in combat gear!”
“...”
...Okay, that was fair.
I fell silent, and Erta, misinterpreting my reaction, panicked slightly.
“Um... shouldn’t you be more careful with your words? No matter what she looks like, she is a demon...”
“Demon or not, let’s keep things respectful. Apologies on his behalf.”
Maerson extended a handshake.
I smiled warmly, shaking his hand to reassure Erta.
She reminded me of Eun-jung.
I’d like to get along with her.
“This level of joking is fine. I’m Alice.
You can use my code, but I’d prefer you call me by name.
I get that trusting a demon isn’t easy, so I understand any doubts.
But let’s not cling too much to preconceptions.”
“...Alright. I’ll keep that in mind.”
After exchanging brief introductions, we boarded a helicopter.
We talked—a lot.
For them, meeting a friendly demon was probably a rare experience.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
“You’re a demon, right? So... can you make gold?
A lot of old stories talk about people making bets with demons and getting rich!”
Plevins asked greedily, her eyes gleaming.
It was almost cute how openly she embraced her desires.
But there was no such thing as an all-powerful demon that granted any wish.
“I can create gold, technically... but probably not in the way you’re thinking.
You’re picturing it appearing with a snap of my fingers, aren’t you?”
“Gasp. How did you know...?”
I could, in theory, create gold using the Greed Anomaly.
However, such gold carried a corrupting force, capable of dragging people into depravity.
More than that, it was something anomalies spat out when attacking their victims—meaning there was a high risk of being crushed under a pile of cursed gold.
When I explained that the greedier someone was, the heavier the gold would fall on their head, Plevins became deeply serious, pondering exactly how much greed she could get away with before turning a profit.
The fact that she was already thinking about this meant she was a lost cause.
“Hey, kid. They say demons don’t... poop. Is that true?”
“Eugh...”
Erta shot Andrew a look of absolute disgust.
I answered anyway.
“...I don’t, yeah.”
For some reason, my body had no need for such functions.
I had no idea why.
“D-Do you really need to answer that?!”
“Whoa, really?! That’s insane! So whatever you eat just gets fully converted into energy, huh? Your efficiency must be off the charts.
Oh, right! And they say demons can’t die unless you stab them in the heart with a stake!”
“That’s Dracula, Andrew.”
“Ohhh. Thanks, Maerson.”
“Erta, don’t you have any questions?”
I turned to Erta, who flinched in surprise.
She had clearly been curious about something, but the flood of questions from the others had kept her quiet.
“Um... Demon, can you... remove the poison in my body?”
“...I’m not sure. I could neutralize it with an opposing toxin, but a permanent solution would take more thought.”
“I-I see... I wasn’t trying to burden you...”
She really didn’t like the fact that her body produced poison.
I could understand that.
Maybe I should look into a way to help her. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
“Hahaha. At first, I thought you’d be too mysterious to approach, but you get along well with people. I like you, Alice.”
“Same here, Maerson. I’ll be counting on your leadership.”
“Having expectations placed on you can be nice sometimes.”
With that, the conversation died down, and our helicopter arrived at its destination.
After passing through the barricade procedures, we stood before a decrepit factory.
It was strangely small—just a lone building in the middle of an empty lot.
It gave off an eerie vibe.
“17:21. Maerson, beginning mission.”
Maerson reported through his earpiece, then turned to face the factory entrance.
He slipped an audio probe under the door, trying to pick up any sounds inside.
Static...
“It’s functioning. But I don’t hear anything significant.”
“Does it have a camera function too?”
“Yeah.”
Maerson pressed a button on the elongated recording device, switching it to camera mode.
The footage was transmitted to everyone involved in the mission—including us.
Nothing unusual showed up.
We opened the door and entered the factory.
A shiver ran down my spine.
The temperature and oxygen levels inside were completely different from outside.
The air was thinner, slightly lacking oxygen.
And cold enough that I could see my breath.
“...It’s eerie in here.”
“This place is way bigger inside than it looked from outside.”
Maerson frowned.
The proportions didn’t match.
Even at a glance, this couldn’t be called a “small factory.”
I turned to them and said,
“...It’s not just big.”
They all looked at me.
I pointed at the floor.
“There’s a deep underground level.”
All around us, rusted machinery lay in ruins.
Some of the debris appeared to be from the reconnaissance robots that had been sent here before.
Plevins picked up a few scraps and jokingly offered to sell parts to Andrew.
Andrew scoffed, saying there was no way he {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} was going to attach ancient junk to his high-end cybernetic body.
Bragging a little, he also mentioned that his mechanical parts were immune to EMPs.
That was impressive.
“Alice, you seem pretty sharp. Do you sense any movement nearby?”
“...The still-active machines are interfering with my ability to detect sounds and vibrations,
but at least nothing human-sized is moving around here.
The problem is the lower levels. I can feel an unknown depth.”
Maerson nodded and made a suggestion.
“There aren’t any bodies here. The exploration team must have gone down.
We have no choice but to follow.”
We found the door leading to the basement.
Breaking the lock, we pushed it open, revealing a stairway leading downward.
A faint, cold draft came from below, carrying a slight humidity that made the air unpleasant.
Even with lights shining down, the darkness was thick.
Looking at it made me uneasy.
“Phew~! Looks like it’s time for Super Strong Andrew to shine! Step aside, cowards!”
Andrew flexed his mechanical arm, exuding confidence.
[Basement Level 1 Warning Sign]
“You have no idea how much I appreciate that, Andrew.”
Andrew playfully blinked the flashlight on his arm.
With him leading the way, we descended into the seemingly endless basement.
Suddenly, the scent of blood hit my nose.
As I turned toward the source, Maerson gestured toward the wall.
“Hold on. There’s writing.”
Shining a light on it, the message became visible.
It was written in blood.
[1. To unravel the tangled threads, seek the god.
2. Faith is the most important virtue.
3. The arrogant non-believer shall become a cold tool and dance upon the stage.
4. To those who watch this stage—know that this is the 66th performance.]
BANG!
The passage behind us slammed shut.
Erta jumped in alarm.
But she was experienced enough to avoid screaming.
“D-Do we run?”
Maerson suggested checking the door first.
The team investigated.
It wouldn’t budge.
Guns, explosives—nothing had any effect.
“...We’ve been cut off. My energy isn’t flowing beyond that point. The space itself has been severed.”
“...But communications are still working. This was expected. Let’s keep moving.”
I followed behind them, taking out an anomaly-powered communicator.
Carol picked up.
But there was no voice.
Just as she had warned, we could send signals, but the Organization had no way to respond.
If even anomalous transmissions were blocked, then whatever force was at play here was among the most powerful I had ever encountered.
Strange.
If this place was going to block communication, why partially allow outgoing signals?
There was no reason to intentionally permit one-way transmission.
“...Damn higher-ups. None of their orders ever make sense.”
Andrew, clearly unnerved, hid it by muttering curses under his breath.
“Uh... this is all being broadcast live, you know...”
“We need to steel our resolve. No one said we had to die here.”
“That’s right... This is exactly the level of danger that gets you a big bonus.”
Plevins, who had been quietly keeping watch, now spoke with determination.
At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder—just how much had the Organization promised her?
“...Let’s go.”
[Basement Level 2 – Hell]
“Blood.”
“The scent is thick—it’s starting to sting my nose. And... damn it, brace yourselves. Something heavy is coming.”
Everyone tensed, heightening their alertness.
Their eyes followed my gaze, focusing in the same direction I was watching—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
[SCREEEEAAAAGH—!!! IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HURTS, IT HURTS!!!]
“What the fuck is that?!”
A fusion of man and machine.
Not a cyborg like Andrew—no, this thing was something far worse.
It looked like human clay had been forcibly smeared onto metallic machinery.
The creature screeched in agony, over and over again.
Its wheels—part of the machine it had become—kept rolling forward at increasing speed, even though a human arm was jammed inside its gears.
The shrieking intensified.
“Open fire!”
Bullets rained down.
The muzzle flashes flickered like fireflies, and the monster collapsed with a wheezing sound, as if its lungs had been punctured.
“...It’s wearing the same uniform as us.”
Looking closer, I recognized it.
This was likely—
[A-AaaaAAAAAGH—!!!]
Another one.
The second abomination emerged.
It had retained more of its human features, but its waist was bent completely backward, contorted in an impossible way.
It moved on all fours, its limbs pulled along by its mechanical components.
Then, it lunged.
“This isn’t going to work. Andrew, grab it!”
“On it—!”
Andrew reacted immediately, tackling the thing head-on.
Its sharp, mechanical limbs scratched at him, drawing sparks.
Andrew gritted his teeth.
[IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS!]
“Just hold on a little longer!”
I dashed forward and kicked the thing’s head with full force.
A metallic clang rang out as its head snapped off and rolled into the darkness.
“Hah! That was badass.”
“A skirt doesn’t mean every girl is delicate.”
“This isn’t over!”
A deep rumbling reverberated in my ears.
No words were needed.
We all knew.
This floor was open on all sides—
And that tremor was coming from dozens of creatures moving toward us.
“RUN TO THE NEXT FLOOR!”
Suddenly, a bright spotlight snapped on from above.
It illuminated a stairway.
Like a divine miracle, it seemed to offer salvation.
But at the same time, the light reflected off countless approaching monsters, making their numbers terrifyingly clear.
“RUN, DAMN IT! RUN!!”
“It’s... too far!”
“Just go!”
Panic.
Why the hell had the Organization only sent four people here?
I clenched my teeth at the sheer unfairness of the situation.
And yet...
Unlike the others, I could see through it.
That stairway—it’s fake.
A finely crafted illusion.
Normal hallways don’t shimmer like mirages.
“I don’t know who built this factory, but excessive unfairness always breeds resentment.”
I summoned a mirror.
“Uncontrolled Chaos.”
[EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!]
A laughing entity in a prisoner’s uniform stepped forth.
Its power spread across the entire battlefield.
The shrieking monsters stumbled, their bodies failing to obey them.
I conjured another mirror.
“Excessive Emotion.”
A dark figure with a mask emerged.
The mask changed—its smiling face morphing into an expression of deep sorrow.
[So sad... so, so sad...]
All the creatures began to wilt.
One by one, they lost their aggression.
One by one, they closed their eyes.
The once deafening space grew silent, save for the occasional moan of a lingering monster.
“Wow... so this is what happens when you have a demon on your side? Even for ten billion, I wouldn’t trade this one away.”
“You talk like you own me, Plevins.”
“It’s just a saying, geez.”
Her lighthearted tone meant she was finally able to relax.
I smiled at her and patted her shoulder.
Clatter...
“...Did you hear that?”
Clatter. Clatter.
“We don’t hear anything, kid. But hey—if we’re taking the real stairs instead of those fake ones, let’s move.”
“...Yeah. Let’s go.”
Andrew somehow spotted the true stairway in the darkness, farther than even my vision could reach.
That itself was odd.
But the stairs were real, so I followed.
Yet...
Clatter. Clatter. Clatter.
The sound wouldn’t stop.
Clatter. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter. Clatter.
Gears and pulleys turned.
And they felt hostile.
Something enormous was here.
And it spoke.
Exile them.
[Basement Level 3 – Punishment]
We arrived at a labyrinth-like space where multiple paths branched out.
At the fork in the road, words were scrawled on the wall.
[DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?]
I scoffed.
“Asking a demon if I believe in God? Now that’s ironic.”
The others chuckled.
Everyone knew how powerful I was.
And that made my jokes perfect for easing the tension.
As long as Alice was with them, they believed they would survive.
They thought that as long as I was there—
CRACK—!!!
“...Alice?”
A massive mechanical arm descended from above—
And crushed Alice.
Like a divine judgment, the arm obliterated her body, leaving behind nothing but a pile of meat and bone.
It retracted just as swiftly, disappearing back into the abyss above.
Strands of golden hair peeked through the red mess—
A reminder that, just moments ago, this had been Alice.
“RUN.”
Maerson’s voice.
“RUN!!!”
