After Arthur finished speaking, the area fell silent.
Even the Control Department staff stopped moving.
All eyes turned toward Komini, waiting for her reaction.
And the newcomer… did not disappoint.
"Impossible… Impossible! Impossible!!!"
Komini staggered backward, panic flooding her face.
The truth of Lobotomy Corporation…? She had studied for so long, struggled so hard—and the Wing she had finally entered was hell?
The notebook and pen she had been clutching slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor.
"You're all lying to me… right?"
She looked at the seniors pleadingly—until she saw the pity in their eyes.
That was answer enough.
Yes. You walked into hell of your own accord.
The next second, Komini turned and fled, bolting through the doorway in complete disarray, like a dog escaping with its tail between its legs.
Yulia nearly burst out laughing, her expression tinged with nostalgia as she watched the retreating figure.
"Hahaha… She really isn't cut out for this job," she said lightly. "Just like my sister, right, Arthur?"
"I didn't expect you'd inherit your seniors' bad habits one day," Arthur replied. He bent down, picked up the notebook, and brushed his fingers over its slightly cracked cowhide cover. "What is this, anyway? A legacy of Lobotomy Corporation?"
"She'll adapt," Yulia shrugged. "Just like all of us did."
Seeing that she hadn't gotten the reaction she wanted, Yulia lost interest. She didn't think she'd done anything wrong—after all, their seniors had treated them the same way.
Arthur slipped the notebook into his pocket. For now, he had no intention of chasing Komini down to return it.
"Enough nonsense," he said. "What's the situation with the Abnormality?"
Playfully tormenting newcomers was just a brief diversion. The Control Department staff quickly refocused.
Yulia handed Arthur a thin document.
"We've temporarily designated it G-01-05. At present, we know almost nothing."
"It manifested suddenly in K3 Containment Room a few hours ago."
"All surveillance equipment inside was destroyed, so we can only control the opening and closing of the containment door."
"As for its appearance…" Yulia hesitated. "Someone caught a glimpse of it at the 'entrance.' It appears humanoid."
"Because of that, we've tentatively assigned Communication Work as the first task."
She looked at Arthur.
"Since you've agreed to take this on for Byrd—go in."
The handover was swift. There simply wasn't any more information. The Abnormality had only appeared an hour ago; the Control Department was effectively waiting for Arthur to bring back the first report.
Protective equipment?
None.
In the past, someone had proposed using machines instead of living employees for work—but Headquarters had rejected the idea without hesitation.
To outsiders, this was incomprehensible.
To Arthur, a transmigrator, it was perfectly normal.
Lobotomy Corporation never considered the welfare of its employees. On the contrary, it exploited them until they broke.
Many Abnormalities fed on extreme emotions—fear, despair, madness. Only then could maximum energy be extracted.
Soon, security personnel escorted Arthur to the entrance of K3 Containment Room. After authorization, the containment gate slid open.
The first internal structure was a double-door system. The narrow space between them was jokingly called the "foyer" by employees—implying that returning to a containment unit was like returning home.
This was an area employees had to pass through alone.
Only by reaching the second door and pulling the switch could one truly enter the containment room.
The foyer was short. Arthur quickly reached the second door—but his hand paused on the switch.
Not because the door would remain sealed until the work ended—unless you died or panicked inside—but because he heard faint music.
And the melody was far too familiar.
What kind of Abnormality plays music?
Arthur's thoughts raced.
Don't tell me… the Silent Orchestra?
That was an ALEPH-class Abnormality.
"Arthur, please open the second door immediately," Yulia's voice urged over the broadcast. "Failure to do so will be considered a refusal to work. Security will take coercive measures."
"Tch…"
With no time to think, Arthur clicked his tongue and pulled the switch.
The door opened into darkness, as if waiting for him to enter completely.
The moment Arthur stepped inside, the door behind him slammed shut.
Then—
The Anomaly revealed itself.
He smelled oak.
The music grew clearer.
The overwhelming sense of familiarity made his heart sink.
Suddenly, torches embedded in the walls ignited one by one, their flames illuminating a chair… a table… and a pixelated portrait with an oversized head.
Everything came into view.
The concrete walls, metal pipes, and yellow warning tape were gone—replaced entirely by polished oak walls.
The ceiling lights had vanished as well. Only a single torch illuminated the room.
This wasn't a containment unit.
It was an oak cabin.
How is this possible?!
Arthur spun around.
Even the vertical containment gate had transformed into a simple wooden door.
What kind of Abnormality is this?! Why does it feel exactly like transmigration?!
His heart pounded violently. The shock rivaled that of his first arrival in this world.
Calm down, Arthur, he forced himself to think. You've survived three months in Lobotomy Corporation. Focus. What matters?
An oak cabin.
A pixel-style portrait.
A background track that felt painfully familiar.
Where have I seen this before…?
Arthur frowned deeply, his thoughts just shy of clarity.
Then—
A gentle male voice echoed through the cabin as the Anomaly stepped out from the shadows.
"Hi, Arthur."
"How can I help you?"
Arthur froze.
Understanding struck him all at once.
He slowly turned toward the speaker.
Brown hair. A light green T-shirt. Light blue jeans. A faint, welcoming smile.
Anyone who had played that game would never forget him.
Yes.
Terraria.