By Zephyria 
Human’s foundation. Blue Bird. If you remember the vague expressions scribbled on the NPS website, it’s slang that immediately brings Crystal Blue to mind.
‘That guy, even though he talks like that, he picked a pretty good day for me.’
Director Gil’s face, and the picture of the brothers smiling brightly in the old pad, flicker before my eyes.
Jin Mu-hae shook his head slightly to clear his mind and quietly watched the person of interest.
According to the pre-confirmed schedule, there are about two hours of free time after this lecture.
Until then, the people who attended here will either pray on their own or gather in groups of three or five.
They’ll probably go into the prayer room. Mu-hae gestured to Joo-oh, who was quickly moving away again, handing over a tool that was more like a money transfer machine than a donation box.
Indeed, he was more interested in Mu-hae than in any interesting space or situation. He must have been unable to see because his eyes were covered by the veil, but he noticed the gaze and nodded.
“Praying to the Holy Mother, I am moved again today.”
“I am moved.”
With a greeting that echoed through the chapel, the Clear-Eyed One’s sermon ended. As people stood up in droves, Mu-hae naturally mingled with the crowd.
Not missing the opportunity, Joo-oh loitered near the platform. But for some reason, the Clear-Eyed One’s gaze was directed towards the crowd, instead of Joo-oh, who was whimpering and prowling like a hungry puppy.
‘Damn it.’
It’s because of his size. He tried to use Joo-oh as bait, but because his face was covered, the bizarre phenomenon of Mu-hae, who was a head or two taller than others, stood out.
The Clear-Eyed One said something to the man next to her, and soon a Server approached and tapped Mu-hae on the shoulder.
“Brother Jeong-mu.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I will guide the believers, so would you please tidy up this place?”
Turning his head slightly, he could see the Clear-Eyed One looking at him. She was clearly watching Mu-hae.
She hasn’t done anything yet, but is it because she has a good sense, or is she just uncomfortable with outsiders…?
“Sure.”
If he stirred up any more trouble, he would lose the opportunity he had gained. Mu-hae politely greeted and looked around the empty space where people had left.
While cleaning up the things spilled on the floor and the scattered seats, his mind was full of the image of the men and women he had seen earlier.
‘She’s still staring.’
Even though her work was done, the Clear-Eyed One still didn’t leave the chapel. She just came down from the platform and checked the Bible and the offerings.
Even if there were more lectures left, it would be impossible to sneak around the prayer room like this. He had a strange feeling from the first meeting, so isn’t this a proper obstacle?
He has a bad feeling. Even if he retrieves the recorder later, if it’s not now, he might never even get a good look at the group that was talking about the Blue Bird earlier.
After a long time of thinking, Mu-hae eventually left, pretending to go to the bathroom.
[You go.]
Originally, Joo-oh was supposed to be the decoy. He passed on the task to him through the Link Watch.
If this side is more noticeable, then they can switch roles. He has an uneasy feeling, but he doesn’t see a better option.
He just hopes that he won’t do anything rash this time and find out their identities.
“Oh my. Brother.”
Mu-hae, who returned to the chapel, suddenly called the Server and made a troubled face.
“I saw someone I know and I’m going to say hello for a moment, is that okay?”
“…I understand your happy heart, but you are helping with the Holy Mother Church’s work. I don’t want to encourage you to leave your post without permission.”
The Server and the Clear-Eyed One’s gazes gathered on his appearance, as if he was about to run out at any moment. Taking advantage of the gap, Joo-oh nimbly headed to the prayer room.
Only after seeing his back disappearing as he closed the door did Mu-hae bow and turn around.
Even if he pretends to be gloomy and looks for a duster, he can feel the surveillance as if he’s not. Rather, Mu-hae tapped the handles of the long seats, receiving the gaze that had become more welcome.
‘Oh my gosh!’
Putting his hands together in front of his chest, his heart began to pound.
Joo-oh was struggling to calm the twitching corners of his mouth after seeing the message that had just arrived.
The prayer room. The prayer room of the Holy Mother Church, filled with people. He really didn’t think he would break into it.
The situation he had only vaguely expected was really unfolding before his eyes, and his heart was tingling and he was happy.
‘I like it so much.’
The quest to visit the Holy Mother Church in the Taeul District. The conversation in the prayer room is not properly captured in any route of the story.
After all the work is done, the scene immediately switches after the device is retrieved, and the recording is played. This is because the Clear-Eyed One is watching Jin Mu-hae.
The Server, who the Clear-Eyed One trusts, appears as an obstacle. He prevents Jin Mu-hae from entering the prayer room or talking to the believers separately, and chases after him as soon as he leaves a certain space.
The reason is secular, to prevent fools from approaching believers with deep pockets.
In the end, it’s a religious ‘business’. Outsiders who approach valuable sources of money are subject to suspicion, even if they were dispatched from the main church.
To avoid this surveillance, Joo-oh tried using noise drones and breaking windows, but he never raided the prayer room at this moment while playing the game.
A mere player was powerless in the face of the limitations of the bad game. How many times did he fail the mission while trying to glitch by rubbing against the wall?
So it can’t be helped that his arms and legs are flailing with excitement. Jin Mu-hae told him not to smile while working, so he’s just holding that back…
Isn’t it okay as long as it’s not obvious? Joo-oh quietly opened the prayer room door without even making a sound.
The interior, filled with a strange scent unlike when he was cleaning earlier, revealed itself through the crack in the door.
“I am moved.”
“I am moved.”
Some people were sitting on the chairs that had been cleaned and arranged earlier, closing their eyes.
They were muttering “I am moved” and praying, as if they were having their own private communication.
Sniff. Joo-oh smelled a sharp scent hidden beneath the thick sandalwood. An extremely unfamiliar scent that he had never detected in the forest or on the street.
‘It’s a drug.’
It’s probably a drug that works through the respiratory system. Since it’s a business that’s been properly licensed, it’s probably not a drug classified as a narcotic in Goryeo City, but if it’s burned this strongly, wouldn’t it be possible to experience blurry hallucinations or auditory hallucinations?
Judging by the fact that people who opened their eyes from time to time greeted Joo-oh, who was dressed as a Server, with their hands together, it’s not a vicious substance used to cloud the mind.
It seems to be a meditation drug used to lower tension and focus on the inner self. Is it thanks to the fact that he stuck close to Mu-hae the day before and enjoyed a lot of happiness? Joo-oh’s head turned more easily than usual.
“I am moved.”
Joo-oh also bowed to the believer and headed to the back of the prayer room. As he rummaged through the cabinet as if he had come in to do something, the eyes of those who had been staying for a while closed again.
‘There are three places.’
There are six doors to the closed merit prayer room. So that means there are a total of three pairs of believers inside.
Judging from the fact that the men and women he saw earlier are not sitting here, they are probably staying in one of those places.
But Joo-oh didn’t loiter around and show any suspicious signs. After all, the conversation was unlikely to be heard unless something happened because it was soundproofed, and above all, he had already memorized every word of the content.
He also knows the identities of the men and women Jin Mu-hae was watching. Nevertheless, the reason he’s working so hard as a Server is not only to meet Jin Mu-hae’s expectations, but also because he’s curious.
‘The ultimate… Blue. Incarnation…’
What is it about religion that drives people crazy?
What did Hawkins mean when he blurted out those words to his face before he died?
‘A very powerful and beautiful intelligent being that balances entropy’… Even Joo-oh, whose mind comes and goes in minutes, knew that it was a compliment to the Aberrant.
When Jin Mu-hae collapsed, he was so flustered that he was busy smelling him and rubbing his face, but Hawkins’ last words occasionally floated around Joo-oh’s little head.
He saw even the Aberrant that harms humans as a product of Blue Energy. And he seemed to expect that someday a perfect one would come out of the various things that are difficult to group into one species, such as those that run on two legs, those that run on four legs, those that crawl on six legs, those with fur, those wearing armor, and those with bare red skin.
It’s funny that Joo-oh, who fell into the world with a lot of mods, fits that standard perfectly. The harsh environment that made him lose his mind and wander for 15 years seems to have felt like a blessing to someone.
‘But it’s okay.’
It’s not bad. Because that’s how he can help Jin Mu-hae better.
If he didn’t have the ability to detect distances farther than a radar, if he didn’t have a strong body and fraudulent strength, even Joo-oh, who knew all the stories of 「La Vida Blue」, wouldn’t have been so relaxed and carefree.
So this was just a matter of curiosity. The information that NPS, and further, the Vegan Society, yearns for the ‘ultimate incarnation’ was never found in the game.
A slight worry that the black curtain device to hinder the protagonist had more stories of their own. And even greater joy and excitement than that.
What else could fill the interest of a veteran like this?
―Breaking news. Last dawn
Jijijik- Chiiik-
More than 200 casualties
Chi-ii-
Kwaaang-! Uru-ru!
He realized for sure after finishing Chapter 2. Coming here was not a curse or punishment, but a blessing.
At the end of the memory given as a reward, Joo-oh was staring blankly at the monitor with flickering eyes. Because Jin Mu-hae is there. Because his foundation, the world of 「La Vida Blue」, exists.
If he had to choose between a world that had collapsed so that no one’s warmth could be felt and a world that had gone through labor pains but managed to recover and form a human society, wouldn’t the latter be the obvious choice?
Even though the aftermath has left him always hungry and having to expend a lot of energy to maintain his sanity…
‘Because Jin Mu-hae is here.’
Then it’s okay. If he removes everything that could harm Jin Mu-hae from his side, the novelty of reality is nothing more than a positive change.
Joo-oh, who was staring blankly at the merit prayer room, suddenly clenched and unclenched his fist as if he had realized something.
‘Ah. Because Jin Mu-hae touched me. Because he bit my lip and mated with me.’
He thought his head was working unusually well. He always clung to Jin Mu-hae to the point where he was annoyed.
It was like eating a lot of delicious food and then pretending not to eat and eating dinner again. The warmth, the attention, and the favor he gives seem to give more satisfaction than food to the instincts-filled inner self.
No wonder he missed Jin Mu-hae’s touch every time he infiltrated with him.
It wasn’t just because his stomach was hot at the sight of him in a different costume. Yeah. Joo-oh quietly nodded to himself and stared at the firmly closed wooden decorated door.
‘One is a researcher from Central. The other is the CEO of a bedding factory.’
It’s something he’ll find out anyway when he listens to the recorded conversation, but Jin Mu-hae will like it a lot if he tells him in advance.
And he’ll take him with him whenever these kinds of missions come up. Joo-oh, who was excited again, pursed his lips and swallowed his laughter inside.
He learned in many ways how to get information by talking to strangers while watching Jin Mu-hae. He should try it once they come out.
His sparkling red eyes shone brightly under the veil.