Chapter 1: Welcome to the Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts
Piy31It’s not common for everything in life to go exactly according to plan.8nvK
HHM7q2zFrom the very beginning, isn’t life fun precisely because it’s full of variables?PN8Egiz
DDVEvery morning we take a step toward heading somewhere.Mxp
G8bupWe check the subway schedule, set alarms, and walk out the door mentally organizing our tasks.q4T7
uiIBNBut the place we end up arriving at always turns out to be different.Asd
AgLrWiVThe crowded streets, the sudden rain, an unexpected message from someone all those little detours change the scenery of the day.iwMxv3b
v4oVariables always arrive with two faces.JuAS
hcnHDVBOne is the face of chaos, and the other is the face of opportunity.EAn5IL
qBLeBecause of that, even after hesitating in front of a street full of people, there are moments when we end up pressing the accept button with excited hearts in response to an unexpected proposal.yy5S
K5ikMaybe our lives shine more precisely because of that instant ingenuity that ruins plans, more than because of the plans themselves.y2lu03
dlpV8HAnd so, even when the plan collapses, something new grows in its place.C09
0DYSometimes it even becomes a better path.u6JdB
7KMOJeWe call that “coincidence,” and those who are a little more poetic call it “destiny.”wf5hz
Zu7OW8rThat’s life.1Oo
Cc53MTkThe more you try to control it, the more it slips through your fingers, and the more you let it flow, the more unexpected places end up welcoming you.U3eO9
O88kuLJIn the end, what matters is continuing forward despite staggering.WuCe
LMwJSo today as well, let’s silently welcome the unexpected variables.mU2V3z
96QQdPerhaps they are the ones that make our lives more beautiful.RNgQNH
9DZC‘Fuck off, you sons of bitches. All of that is complete bullshit.’XDIFP7o
iqlM18Variables are the charm of life?QaBk
zCqUnexpected things enrich existence?zV9inmk
D9SDK7That’s complete crap that only some useless bastards could say.9Y1DmH
ZXI42Yeah, I suppose phrases like that could sound pretty elegant to someone who, like me last night, was about to start his first day at work.HfvlD22
kqxBut the current me wants to kick those phrases and throw them straight into the trash.rppOQyh
WpO2q‘…What is this?’N04R
mU0f8gEWhen I adjusted the collar of my clothes and opened the front door while suppressing that strange agitation inside me.P3SQjp
wipWhat I was supposed to see was clearly the normal hallway of a villa.xBZgsh
UJWrUnder the familiar fluorescent lights, there should have been a few delivery boxes lying around, the usual everyday scenery.xkUioO0
cSohu9But what appeared in front of me was the scenery of an office.kVj
PuAAnd moreover, one pretty far removed from the idea of a normal office.sSpfCa
i0NgJdThe first thing I saw was a hairy arm suddenly sticking out.6EJ
jDyfrESHanging from that arm were ten thin columns of flesh resembling fingers, and those columns struck the wall alternately as if playing a piano.IFKm
ZAK27A creature with a bunch of purple tentacles instead of a head held a cup beneath a vending machine.oRg
EUBAnd on one side of the hallway someone dressed in a suit was running in a hurry, but his entire body except for the lower part was folded like paper.xJKh
jRb1LAs if the image itself of a human being had been printed onto a thin sheet.SM5sU
d5kqmSW“…….”VhsE
TiCV8I remained motionless in front of the door.HsXC3kS
Qio7CRThe monsters disguised as ordinary employees went to work as if nothing was wrong.e5hbv
DW7AasRNo stench, no rotting flesh, no blood.J3wTpjy
OhcDCDIt was an office that was far too normal.B7dFI
FIDkARExcept for the fact that, aside from me, there didn’t seem to be a single human being.grqq
IIwpT“…Am I dreaming?”xvZFQkx
EuOGmTThe groan that weakly escaped my mouth was instantly swallowed when the eyeballs of the employee passing beside me blinked at the same time.knvcMk
SQSEt4***Ozrs
JqFl3How did I end up entering a company infested with monsters like these?GEJ
o118qxnHonestly, I don’t even know myself.HtWXj9
2Cln5ZjFirst, to tell this story, I have to go back a little.syA2Rvf
WvgOriginally, my life plan was simple.sreuM
9XAWceStudy reasonably well, get into university, graduate without problems, and get a decent job to earn money.TODxU
opHLooking back now, up until the moment I entered university, I believed I was following that ordinary path pretty well.r2yk3
yLN2wEEven when I ended up becoming a noncommissioned officer, I thought it was just one of many coincidences.xSbMiq
dI2SHAnd then everything broke apart. Literally, in an instant.vvys7N
eW52tbI saw something I never should have seen.MVca1I
0aANXVI heard words I didn’t want to hear.ylb
8J0fbnAnd I was incapable of saying anything.6Qhkt
oHytOiYeah, it was simply something like that.dfy48dz
mXNhafTI have no intention of going around revealing the real reason.yMz
JoqWhat matters is that I ended up leaving school, was discharged from the military, and returned to civilian life with the title of “job seeker.”1CT5ev
G8wAMNVThe problem was that being unemployed turned out to be much more combative than expected.DWs9WMV
bPPoamZDocument rejection, interview rejection, endless revisions of cover letters…BQBAXB
eKKdAmA bank account that showed the bottom in proportion to the passing of time.eDg
GykEven while looking for work, if I fell behind on rent I got kicked out, and if the money to survive ran out, I had to go hungry.5eq
Bnn9One day, while walking after yet another interview I can’t even remember anymore.drTLhf
f5IxOOrA rectangular card lying on the ground caught my attention.G3wmb
hHPcIt was black, dull, with warped edges as if they were full of mold.L7C
uhKBIcThe biggest mistake of my life was not ignoring it at that moment.DXrCKx
LLorLThe company website address written on the card that I picked up out of curiosity.XBV1XL
kVlo2RAnd as soon as I entered, the huge text that appeared before me said.jGx9No
mZyjLimited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts5Ps
W5vRecruitment Process OngoingLOznha6
QAJJStarting salary of 68 million won / 100% Interview Acceptanceyxt
3GWQMore than five million a month.r3Zt
M8jThe moment I saw that phrase, I had already taken the bait.PBoH6tg
vNbWas it a scam? A kidnapping?bAK
EJuPAt that moment I didn’t even have the room to distinguish it.joI
bYKiARather, even if it was a scam, I only wished that some productive amount would appear deposited into my account.4oMh5Fk
LGTvpVI emailed the cover letter I always kept prepared and called the contact number written on the card.wH0KS
PxfAfter asking me if I could comfortably have an interview today, they told me the interview location was on the fourth floor of a run-down building.FTd53
2qhUupDA place without an intercom or sign, with the smell of mold escaping from a half-open door.X13KcCA
51PFAt first glance, the atmosphere screamed that something was terribly wrong.4Ak2bi2
vBxBut humans are truly miserable.EojU
BBEhrOnce even the slightest sunk cost exists, it becomes difficult to turn back.zxqPJ
hSkJ‘I’ll just go in and take a look once.’riZx
DwKSWith that thought, I stepped inside.ftXkEr2
pz6iINow that I think about it, maybe the me from that moment was truly insane.vFVu
F666MOr perhaps, from that instant onward, it was no longer me making the decisions.hrV
Y9DStoA small interview room.MuwlE0
MUf42KThe fluorescent light flickered and in the air there mixed a sticky smell that I couldn’t tell whether it was oil or mold.SRq
lbXV0Sitting in the center of that room was someone dressed in a suit.2jiES
2m49t5No, something resembling a person.jwF
dOilAt first it was clearly a single person, but for some reason, every time it turned its head, more faces appeared.Bx6U
TjsPc7One head beside another head, and another one more.ju54
HJg0N5Beneath a smiling face there was a sleeping one, and beside it a crying one.0bnzM
Mkr9bfZPale faces with completely different expressions and breathing.bC2
bVlJY“Mr. Jeong Haeil? You came for the interview, correct?”G5aT
KLLg8One of those many faces spoke.RwtED
QIiSSomeone definitely spoke, but I couldn’t explain exactly where I had heard the voice from.zF97d2
eGwpuyJ“I’m Manager Myeon, head of Extraction Team 1.”M4wSa
356FzwOne of the countless faces licked its lips while speaking.M4W1
L2zXIAfter that, my memories become blurry.IPunfU5
YjYS8I think I reviewed documents while listening to the grotesque voices of those grotesque faces, and it also seems that I signed some kind of consent form.56w
sNObaZWhy didn’t I refuse to do it?a7n
nEF“Very well. We will contact you in a few days, so you will be able to begin working immediately. We look forward to working with you, employee Jeong Haeil.”np0sk
r0Q9U8At the final instant, when the monster showed its seven faces and smiled kindly, I lost consciousness.IEGOOx
RZZCWhen I opened my eyes again, I was in my small apartment.Afg
hMEvFt0And the moment I looked beside me, I discovered that I was holding not only the card I had picked up from the street, but also an employee ID badge I had never seen before.je5znyr
NecEmployee Jeong Haeilp5Z
km94WvWelcome to the Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts | Extraction Team 1cpbq
plCbRcBoth the unpleasant ID badge that remained in my hand and the mold-smelling card.9Kap
dasehI wanted to believe that everything had been nothing more than a grotesquely vivid and horrible nightmare, an illusion created by an extremely exhausted brain.p5qWgY
gtTBWNBut then, a few days later, a message notification rang.uVzUV
W380nGTAnd the instant I saw the words on the phone screen, I had to face reality.DNYq15
DNyll[Hidden Number]40Y
Hqvh79You may come to work starting tomorrow. We will pick you up in the morning.jW9JZ7m
LZH4Pick me up in the morning?dggo
uxmmv9rI couldn’t remember where the company was located.Hcr7xa
7c2Even after searching again for the website from the card, not a single trace remained.Kwt
HNSsPSo in the end, I had no choice but to believe.aQ3Cx8B
oBimLDsBelieve in that unknown promise that they would come for me.oGR2niA
8RZY5tAnd pray that this casual incident wouldn’t end up ruining my life.m9E
GAO***8tGzA
7fF2tbAnd now, this is what stands before me.7YkVFNb
p0oeFirst, I took a deep breath.1YKlsw
ECnPn9An unfamiliar hallway, and an indifferent line of “employees” dressed in suits who were definitely not human.8bPA6w
TracJO‘Ah, so this is a dream.’uGDXMa
KV6YOp9I gripped the doorknob.M2Hcu
cdtdWishing that when I opened it again the narrow corridor of my apartment
and the familiar villa stairs would appear, I carefully closed the door and opened it once more.iCY
3QxBut when I opened it again, the only thing I saw was the back of a coworker walking while countless eyeballs blinked across him.hIx
4HprDThe scenery before me had not changed.ujjxT
ch9Mi“Employee Jeong Haeil.”zDXsf8
mxaAt that moment, a chilling voice echoed beside me.eQEp
RRTPretending to remain calm as much as I could, I slowly turned my head.TgpVzGO
a72First I checked my expression reflected in the glass wall and recomposed my blank face before daring to look fully.rhnjh
5twWPale, bloodless skin, like a plaster statue swollen with water.ocU
j0ejSeven faces grotesquely attached over a trembling mass of flesh where there were only deep black holes without eyes or tongues.2Lcw
FL3orROne face screaming, one gasping, one crying, one chuckling.U8C0Zn
ae1KevuAnd among all of them, a kind-looking face spoke to me with the smile of an ordinary office boss.irOX
Pj67bn“Is it your first day at work? Is something wrong?”Ed9BmC
FS9SIt was the monster from my memories.h5d
26mysThe seven-faced monster that interviewed me in that grotesque building and made me sign.drF
LYc2At that instant, I forcibly suppressed the scream that was about to rise through my throat and bit my tongue.Vmoz
m4BfDThe groan threatening to escape was swallowed together with the taste of blood.gJV8Omc
GJNVX‘If I scream now, it’s over.’Aw6I
IcoR5I felt it instinctively.E1Zg
7coYwIf I drew attention here or provoked the displeasure of those monsters, a good ending would never await me.eY77c0T
K92I swallowed saliva with a metallic taste.rsaZpm
n92uAs naturally as possible.9osHCG
X5PAs expressionlessly as possible.3Tg7VrH
IcR2BctThe absurd appearance of the seven-faced monster made the little remaining sense of normalcy inside me creak even more.5CKunBb
1uVL“Yes. Since it’s my first day… I’m a little nervous.”OfrxR7
NwkE2NOne of the seven faces let out a giggle, while another nodded with a tearful expression.fiEmWWb
U9kBut the most human-looking face, placed at the front, continued smiling kindly.Ev9CH
FLVmUv“That happens to everyone. Everyone gets nervous on their first day.”HHp5m
NoFJDHe pulled something resembling an access card from his pocket, spun it between his fingers, and passed by me before motioning for me to follow.HmII
vTHyuWF“Alright, employee Jeong. Do you remember my name?”AxD6j
iLZ4“Ah, yes. You were Manager Myeon…”iOvwHo
41m“Perfect. Today I’ll show you around the company briefly. You can learn the details little by little starting tomorrow. Ah, could you give me your cellphone so I can install the security application?”CIAMeP1
MfinkfKI nodded and handed my phone to Manager Myeon before following him.5O7
PwUpDgMy heart was still beating as if it were about to explode, though fortunately my legs only trembled enough that it didn’t show.atsJgK
PahWWe crossed a hallway filled with monsters, took an elevator, and descended for quite a while until the doors opened…enRX
7EMcv2The first thing that came out was the stench.QUZv9
fmXjfThe smell of fish, mold, iron and burned rubber, perfume, raw egg…3sYvuv
ZSbWOdors that should never mix combined together and tore through my nostrils.oIObS
qLtFtWnManager Myeon returned my phone without concern and continued walking.zN3
zrwcLjWThe inner corridor twisted like damp flesh, and even the lights flickered like eyeballs that seemed to stare directly at me.XVvGpoS
yrX5ve“The core of our Extraction Team 1 is the management of dimensional entities.”r3YBkd
tjnManager Myeon’s voice echoed.qIuk
O7fg“We safely store dimensional entities as company assets, and we use only the necessary amount when needed. That is our internal work.”InT
PVO“…Dimensional entities?”RRw1z
hUJ“You’ll meet them soon enough.”yRHlCln
XkoGHe stopped in front of a thick hermetically sealed metal door.VLy
moJeClearly engraved across the surface was.04eOM
fsWdXExtraction Room — Sector Dwur7tX
UcBQoWhen Manager Myeon held the access card against the excessively large panel, the mechanism unlocked and the heavy door slowly began to open.7GXH
jMxxWhat seeped through the opening was not a human presence.GPr7Yt
rfCxWet breathing, unfamiliar crying, and incomprehensible murmurs suddenly mixed together and churned my ears.MEcCQwO
cWLYEven the air that entered my lungs felt like rotten water, and the moment I inhaled it my throat closed up.rMbDgU
rx3lyMWI unconsciously stepped back, but my body froze.PvW
DGGxI couldn’t move my legs.21NDCn
OeVvfIt was as if something on the other side had stretched out a hand and nailed my ankles to the floor.AvGG
jq4PgrsWhen the door fully opened, endless transparent isolation chambers stretched before me, and inside them were packed monsters whose forms were impossible to identify.dhesE
vDRBSome were only arms.HwPtu
lGbMIOthers were nothing but faces floating in the air.mVuJZfE
eYqgPRPThere were also shadows that slid along following the fluorescent lights.SpK
1Kw5e0All those monsters raised their heads at the same time to stare at me, the strange newcomer.OWDr8FV
n6t4dI suppressed the shiver running through my entire body and bit my lips.kwop
2cf38dI couldn’t even breathe.YUHK8gU
iEuSyIt felt as though the countless eyes behind the isolation chambers blinked simultaneously while pronouncing my name.fsQLPB
VhO4F6TAnd then, beside me, Manager Myeon’s voice whispered softly.9SRKx2b
6i9gT“We sincerely welcome you to the Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts, employee Jeong.”URoZRm
ZJde5JaThe seven faces burst into laughter all at once.Jwy
pCkNAnd as if the monsters inside the isolation chambers were imitating them, deafening screams exploded in waves simultaneously.csiE
eVl4qgSomething that was neither crying, nor screaming, nor laughter.zvbXd
Zuqu0TAs if every sound impossible for a human being to imitate had been mixed together and suddenly spilled out.klLfx8
0JCwT9NAnd within that whirlpool of chaos, only one thought appeared clearly.LVbqVNO
PulMy life……uYn1l
A4jI think it’s completely and utterly gone to shit.b0fF
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