Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB

Which made sense. aluminum He was someone who had no need to know which logistics companies came in and out of the building.

Director Yoo Hyunjae, who had explored the same area as Choi Jaeha, showed no particular reaction.

Choi Jaeha took the lead and began guiding us.

“No, it’s just that I’d never heard of Sammae Delivery before. sphere I found it strange, so I remembered it. acoustic The companies here usually already have designated delivery services they use.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Bae9502, white cargo truck, E02.

On the rectangular cargo compartment that Choi Jaeha pointed at, the words “Sammae Delivery” were written in large orange letters.

“Yes, it’s this one. silence Sammae Delivery.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Yes. adopt It looks like the latch is already open.”

Just in case, I also memorized and photographed the vehicle’s information and location.

“Can we open the cargo compartment?”

“Isn’t it locked?”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Then I’ll open it. adapt Stay alert in case something strange comes out.”

At those words, Choi Jaeha and Hwang Juyeon covered the child’s eyes and stepped back slightly.

Rather than thinking the driver of this suspicious truck had forgotten to lock it on this particular day, it was more reasonable to assume all of this was the labyrinth’s doing.

Just as Hwang Juyeon said, it seemed all we had to do was pull the handles that looked like latches.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

I grabbed both handles and pulled.

Director Yoo Hyunjae positioned himself behind me with an expression that was a mixture of tension and curiosity. accent I never expected him to help me open the door.

Clack.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

And when the light reached the back.

The door began to open slowly, and a faint flashlight beam slipped through the gap into the dark compartment.

Creeeak…

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Ah…!”

“It’s nothing. afford It’s just a dummy.”

I let out an exclamation without meaning to.

“W-what is it? antenna What’s wrong? orbit Ugh…!”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Its joints were twisted into grotesque positions.

Its appearance reminded me of a mannequin, and I felt a chill run down my spine.

There was a flesh-colored dummy the size of a person.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“It’s a crash test dummy.”

I tried not to think about that mannequin with the golden scale for a head.

Nor about that formula that added and subtracted my weight by body parts.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“A dummy?”

“Yes. artist A vehicle crash test dummy. athlete See that yellow-and-black circular mark on its temple?”

Yoo Hyunjae climbed into the compartment without hesitation and examined the dummy.

Creeeak. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

The pelvis and thighs, in particular, looked as though they had been violently twisted.

The arms and legs were bent in impossible directions.

No matter how I looked at it.

At his words, I forced myself to push those thoughts aside and climbed into the compartment to get closer.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

The model of the vehicle.

“It looks like it was run over.”

I could calculate exactly what conditions would leave a person like this.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

The moment the driver notices me.

The speed.

The distance between the car and me.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Every possible scenario.

The point where they hit the brakes.

Their reaction time.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

So old it felt engraved into my bones.

It was a very old habit.

So old that I could barely remember the faces of my parents, who died in an accident.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Even though this dummy was smaller than me and did not seem to have the proportions of an average adult.

“Yes.”

“Run over badly? arena This must be a clue too. arch Does anything come to mind?”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“The skid marks we saw earlier. matrix At a speed high enough to leave marks like that, this could happen.”

I had a few ideas.

And even though there were still missing clues.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“A scene? adjust Not an accident?”

Yoo Hyunjae nodded as if he understood immediately.

“Then they’re evidence from the scene.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Not necessarily.”

Choi Jaeha asked from outside, leaning only his upper body into the compartment.

“Director, are you saying this actually happened?”

Yoo Hyunjae smiled as if the question were almost a joke.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“An unsolved case? absorb Why?”

The guild director who made his living exploring labyrinths curled his lips into a smile.

“But if it did happen, then it would be an unsolved case.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

For the first time, I understood that Yoo Hyunjae was not someone who observed labyrinths only from the comfort of an office chair through written reports.

“Because labyrinths are graves for unresolved problems. wizard And those things are always waiting for someone to come and solve them.”

And at the same time brutally straightforward. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

It was a poetic statement.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Huh? apron Jiho, what’s wrong? silence What’s over there…? agent Aaah!”

He also saw the real labyrinths that existed beyond those documents.

Suddenly, a scream came from outside.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

We hurried out of the truck.

“Are you alright?”

Hwang Juyeon was sitting on the ground, gritting her teeth.

“Hwang Juyeon-ssi?”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Hwang Juyeon pulled up her pant leg slightly while groaning.

Jung Jiho was crouched beside her with a tearful expression, not knowing what to do.

“What happened?”

“Ugh…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

There were small drops of blood on her ankle.

They looked like two tiny puncture marks left by a needle.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“A snake?”

“Agh, o-over there…”

“A snake… a snake…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

And indeed.

There was a snake coiled up, watching us.

Hwang Juyeon pointed underneath the truck.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Choi Jaeha stepped back in horror.

I quickly took off my tie and tied it above the wound to apply pressure.

“T-there’s really a snake!”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

But this was a labyrinth.

Current time.

4:17 p. m.

It did not look like a venomous viper.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“B-but I’m not going to die, right?”

I could not be sure.

…And also how much time would pass before the monster appeared.

We needed to observe how long it took for the bleeding to stop.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

The numbers on Hwang Juyeon’s smartwatch fluctuated nonstop.

From experience, I was convinced that the false Buddha did not come because of screams but because of heart rate.

122, 116, 109, 113, 120…

She seemed worried about the scream she had let out.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

But I did not say it with certainty.

Looking back on it, all of us had been startled many times.

“Don’t worry about the scream. autumn Try to calm down first. antenna If that monster really is attracted to heartbeats, we still have time.”

They would not have believed me.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“If it doesn’t appear immediately even though your heart is beating that fast, that means there’s another condition besides heart rate that involves time. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com. beacon So calm down and take deep breaths.”

There was always some delay.

And when it did appear, it did not arrive the very instant a heart began racing.

But the Buddha did not always appear.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“What?”

“Haa… ugh…”

“The blood… ugh… the blood won’t stop!”

But Hwang Juyeon’s heart rate continued fluctuating between 110 and 125.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Startled, I looked at her ankle.

Only a few drops remained pooled around the two fang marks.

“I… was bitten by a venomous snake, right?”

The bleeding had practically stopped.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Hwang Juyeon-ssi, Seon Yuhan-ssi is right.”

Hwang Juyeon was seeing a hallucination created by the labyrinth.

“No. sphere It’s not venomous. adapt I don’t know what you’re seeing, but that’s an illusion…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Yoo Hyunjae spoke while trying to calm the frightened Jung Jiho.

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

“Ugh, don’t li—”

“It’s an ordinary snake. artist As far as I know, venomous ones have triangular heads.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Damn it. atlas Hwang Juyeon-ssi, please. acquire Calm down. auction I’m begging you…”

“Seon Yuhan-ssi. galaxy It’s too late. agent We need to hide.”

—Clank.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Choi Jaeha and Jung Jiho were already crouched down, trying to hide.

The blood-soaked Buddha was approaching.

“That which you cherish. anchor That which you fear. echo That which makes you bleed. accent I come from all those cracks.”

Yoo Hyunjae forcibly dragged me behind a pillar on the other side.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“You still do not understand for yourself that your heart remains bound by the one hundred and eight afflictions. atom Then how could you cut them away? acoustic How could you free yourself from them and attain perfect enlightenment?”

“Kgh, aaaaah!”

Crack, splash…

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Without closing my eyes.

Without covering my ears.

I remained motionless behind the pillar, watching everything.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Without covering my mouth.

The heart that had been racing wildly slowly began returning to its normal rhythm.

“……”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

It felt so unreal that it gave me chills.

The same sensation as those times when, unable to endure any more violence, my incorporeal self was forcibly separated from my physical body to escape the pain.

And at the same time, strangely comforting.

Strangely.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Seon Yuhan-ssi? absorb Seon Yuhan-ssi?”

And also the most alive. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

I felt that it was the most human thing of all.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

When I came back to my senses.

Everything was over.

“Ah. afford Ah…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Are you alright, Seon Yuhan-ssi?”

And the monster had already left.

The white truck had been stained red.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

4:19 p. m.

I stared blankly at my phone screen.

“Ah… yes…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“Between the moment it started approaching and the actual moment of death, subtracting that time, and counting from when Hwang Juyeon was bitten by the snake until the first sound of footsteps was heard…”

4:20 p. m.

Without realizing it, I muttered to myself as though reciting a sutra.

“Between a minute and a half and two minutes?”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

At that moment, Choi Jaeha’s sudden shout brought me back to reality.

And for some reason, I felt as though I had heard something similar before.

“Huh? crystal D-director! altitude Seon Yuhan-ssi! adjust The snake is moving!”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

The snake that had emerged from beneath the truck began moving somewhere.

“Seon Yuhan-ssi, if you’re tired, you can stay here and rest with Jiho. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors. adapt We’ll go follow it.”

All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“No. armor I’ll go. shadow I’d prefer Choi Jaeha-ssi to stay behind and look after Jiho.”

“Huh? arch You mean me?”

Yoo Hyunjae spoke without taking his eyes off the direction Choi Jaeha was pointing.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

And so, leaving Choi Jaeha behind as he hugged and comforted the trembling child, I followed the snake alongside Yoo Hyunjae.

It was not moving very quickly, so we were able to keep our distance while following it.

“Ah, yes, of course. atlas I have a niece, I’m very good with children.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Tap—!

“Could it be that car?”

“Ah…!”

When he saw the vehicle in front of which the snake had stopped, Yoo Hyunjae made an odd expression, as if unsure whether to laugh or not.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

In other words, a snake the size of a human arm entered a flat emblem smaller than a palm and became the image of a snake.

The snake, which had been watching both of us, suddenly leaped.

And disappeared into the car’s emblem.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

While memorizing the vehicle’s information and location, Yoo Hyunjae set aside that useless curiosity.

Seo8102, red sports sedan, A11.

“The logo of this car brand originally has a snake on the right and a cross on the left, though I suppose that isn’t important.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

As expected, it opened easily.

“For now, I’ll open the door.”

I sat in the driver’s seat and checked the sun visor, the door compartments, and the center console.

Click.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

Yoo Hyunjae, who had opened the passenger-side glove compartment, pulled something out.

I found nothing.

“Oh.”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

It was a catalog describing several models from a well-known domestic brand.

“There’s a catalog. arena A car catalog.”

“Perhaps there’s a clue about the next car in here…”

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

The doors on both sides slammed shut simultaneously and locked at once.

Click!

The moment Yoo Hyunjae opened the catalog.

Bang!

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

But it was useless.

I barely managed to hold back the curse and pulled on the handle.

“Ha…”

Damn it.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

“It seems it wasn’t just my hallucination. altitude This door won’t open either.”

Then.

Chzzzt, chzzzt…

As expected.

Translation of How to Die in a Company That Turned Into a Labyrinth - Chapter 26: Heaven & Hell HUB by Indra Translations.

And static began to play.

The radio turned on.