[Lobotomy Corporation] I'm an Abnormality...

Story of the Black Forest BONUS

(TL: Important explanation note at the bottom)

< The Black Forest >

Once upon a time, in a warm and lush forest, lived three happy birds.

The birds had no names, but the creatures of the forest called them Big Bird, Long Bird, and Small Bird, respectively.

In the forest where many creatures lived, everyone was free, no one fought, and everyone was happy.

More than anyone else, the birds wished that the forest would never be damaged or destroyed. And they wished for many creatures to come and play in the forest.

And there was a person who roamed various parts of the world.

He was a traveler who moved wherever his feet took him, but at the same time, he was also a pioneer.

One day, as he was passing through a village, he heard a rumor.

[ "There is a forest somewhere where countless creatures live, and in that forest, everyone is free, no one fights, and everyone is happy, a peaceful forest." ]
was the rumor.

Interested in the peaceful and beautiful "forest," he searched and eventually succeeded in finding the entrance to the forest.

Even though it was just the entrance to the forest, the warm and cozy sunlight seeping from within made one smile involuntarily, and the chirping of birds and soft sounds from inside put one's mind at ease.

However, his hopes of entering the forest were blocked by the three birds that lived there.

He wore a black robe pulled low, hiding his face, his clothes tattered from long travels, and his appearance was so shabby that anyone would consider him suspicious.

But perhaps he saw it as an unjust act. Or perhaps he was despairing over the fact that he could not enter the paradise before his eyes.

In the end, he left the forest, angry at the birds, and hurled a curse.

"Soon, tragedy will strike this forest. The forest will be stained with evil deeds and sins, and the fighting will not stop. The day the tragedy ends will be the day a terrible monster appears and devours everything. The sun and moon will never again appear in the forest, and the forest will never return to its former state."

Hearing this prophecy, the birds fell into deep worry.

What if, as the man said, the fighting in the forest doesn't stop and a monster appears and harms the forest?

So, on behalf of everyone, they decided to become the guardians of the forest.

They loved the forest more than anyone, and they wanted to protect the creatures in the forest and maintain its peace.

First, Big Bird, who had many eyes, decided to watch for intruders in the forest.

Big Bird's eyes could see far away, and they could see what we cannot see, or fail to see.

Then someone said,

"But what if a monster appears in the pitch-black night when everyone is asleep?"

Hearing this, Big Bird became worried and burned all his feathers to create an eternally lit lamp.

Now, the creatures of the forest had to live under Big Bird's endless surveillance, day and night.

Long Bird, for the peace of the forest, weighed the sins of those who entered.

Long Bird's scales were fair and could measure the weight of all sins. Then someone said,

"But what if the scales never tip to either side?"

Hearing this, Long Bird became worried and held a scale that tipped only to one side, so that "the result of judgment would always be clear."

Small Bird decided to punish the creatures who committed bad deeds with its beak.

Then someone said, "But your beak is so small that no one will feel pain."

Small Bird became worried and tore its mouth wide open so that it could swallow any creature in one bite.

How much time had passed since he left the "Black Forest"?

As time passed and his anger subsided somewhat, he thought about returning to the "forest," but perhaps because he was so angry at the time, he couldn't remember what he had said at all.

He pondered for a long time whether he should go back and apologize, but he came to a conclusion.

He decided to treat the rumored "forest" as if he had never been there and continue his journey.

Some might call it a cowardly escape, but what can you do?

Even if he couldn't remember, it was just a curse spoken by a mere traveler, what could happen?

He buried this incident in his heart and continued his journey, seeing various places.

In one village, seeing young children dying weakly from an epidemic, he left the village wishing the village chief well.
"I hope the children will no longer suffer and become healthy," he said.

In a wandering troupe, he shared drinks with the audience next to him and admired a dancer's performance.

He said he wanted to be like the dancer because she seemed more free than himself, who was traveling freely.

Though it was something he said in a drunken state, he meant it sincerely.

The enjoyable banter at the wandering troupe ended, and she* continued her journey as usual.

As she continued her journey, her memory of the "forest" began to fade.

One day, in a village she visited, a strange rumor was circulating.

"Creatures who enter the forest all suffer terrible things."
"Big Bird constantly watches the creatures in the forest, so they can't be free for a single moment."
"Long Bird's scales are not fair at all."
"Small Bird's punishment is too frightening."

She knew at once what kind of rumor this was.

It was the rumor about [ the beautiful forest and the three birds ].

Who would have expected such a strange rumor to come from a forest that was called peaceful and beautiful just a short while ago?

It felt too unsettling to dismiss it as a mere rumor.

She decided to retrace her steps to confirm the rumored "forest" once more.

The birds, hearing the rumors circulating outside the forest, became angry.

We are working so hard to protect this forest, why does no one appreciate our efforts?

Gradually, fewer guests visited the forest, and more creatures voiced their dissatisfaction. Fighting occurred daily in the forest, and the birds, who wanted to make the forest peaceful, worked even harder, but...

"No, this place is too vast, and our strength is not enough to protect the forest."

"But there are no other creatures who can protect the forest if not us."

"If we combine our powers, we can become stronger."

One day, Big Bird's eyes that could see a hundred leagues away, Long Bird's ability to judge the sins of anyone, and Small Bird's mouth that could swallow anything became one.

Darkness fell upon the forest.

The creatures, seeing the bird's form, screamed in terror and horror, and the forest soon became a scene of chaos.

Arriving at the "forest," she entered its entrance nervously.

The three birds that had been there when she first visited the forest were nowhere to be seen; they were not guarding the entrance.

Pushing aside the logs, which could hardly be called an entrance anymore, she entered the "forest," and her ears were filled with piercing screams.

The soft chirping of birds had turned into screams filled with terror and fear,

and the chattering of creatures filled with happiness could no longer be heard.

The forest, once a paradise, was in chaos.

"What happened to make it like this?" She wondered where the three birds, the guardians of the forest, had gone, but for now, the evacuation of these poor creatures was her priority.

Then, she saw numerous lights moving in the depths of the darkened forest.

"What... what is that..."

No, it wasn't light.

What she had mistaken for light was the eyes of a monster.

The sight of those numerous eyes moving independently was truly terrifying. Upon closer inspection, she could see legs as large as the monster's body and a mouth filled with countless teeth.

She decided to warn the other creatures still in the forest with a loud voice.

"There's a monster there! A huge, terrifying monster lives in the dark and black forest!"

After that, only a very dark night continued. Rumors circulate that a "terrifying monster" lives in the "Black Forest" where no one lives.

...

...

In this way, no one remained in the "forest."

Neither creatures, nor sun and moon, nor monster.

Only one bird remained, and a forest that had lost its light.

When the girl noticed this and returned to the "Black Forest,"

Small Bird, which had become the "Punishment Bird," had left the forest to continue punishing the wicked.

Long Bird, which had become the "Judgment Bird," had left the forest to judge the wicked.

Only "Big Bird" remained in the forest, saving the creatures.

The method of salvation was [ to kill the creatures before they could be killed by the monster, so that no creature would die at the hands of the monster ].

Thus, the story of the "Monster of the Black Forest" was forgotten, and instead, a rumor spread about the "Monster that bites heads to death."

She wanted to undo all of this, but it was impossible with her "mere words" of apology.

No, it would be more accurate to say she did not apologize.

The reason was simple.

She was afraid.

Paradoxically, only a single pure white girl who knew everything remained in the deepest part of the "Black Forest" that had turned dark.

...

...

And as time flowed on,

in a small forest where monsters lived.

Tragedy was once again reproduced.

Would she be able to break the cycle this time?

* (TL: I finally realized that gender changes mid-way [right after "He said he wanted to be like the (female) dancer"], I'm too busy to edit past "black forest/검은 숲" chapters right now. In early chapters, I thought it was a man, then a woman due to author's mistake, then it's actually both. It all actually makes so much sense now...)