Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1)

I think I’m screwed.

A dark, damp, endless corridor.

‘It never ends.’

I came to that conclusion after hearing that Clank sound, deciding there was a problem, and spending who knows how long running and walking through the corridor until my legs were burning.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

At the very least for dozens of minutes. silence Perhaps for hours.

I ran.

I walked.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Walls with peeling paint.

Gray concrete.

And yet, the corridor never showed an end.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Only a faint light flickered every few meters as if it were malfunctioning.

Moisture-soaked cables.

Torn warning signs.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Only a corridor.

Not even a single room.

There were no doors or windows.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The cold brushing against my ankles and the icy sensation crawling across my skin were far too real.

An infinite corridor.

‘This is dangerous.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It was the only way to know where I had already been within that unknown space.

Whenever I found a fork in the path, I scratched the walls and floor to mark the direction.

At first, it reassured me to think that I could at least retrace my steps.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I reached a point where the only possible conclusion was, “This is dangerous.”

But even so, I couldn’t find an exit.

‘It doesn’t seem to be a repeating structure.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The wall against my back absorbed that unpleasant dampness.

I sat down on the damp floor, trying to suppress my anxiety.

I felt rust and mold sticking to my pants.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The smell of metal.

The smell of rusted iron.

My lungs seemed to burn.

I took a deep breath.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It wasn’t just that there was no exit.

‘There’s something here.’

The smell of blood.

And traces of rotting flesh.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Clank.

And far away, barely audible, a regular scraping sound. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

I heard it again.

For quite some time, I had been feeling a strange yet unmistakable sense of déjà vu.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

They weren’t footsteps.

That unsettling noise that had been scraping at my nerves for so long was still echoing behind me even after I had walked until my feet swelled.

It was a heavy, unpleasant sound, as if an enormous mass of metal were being dragged across the floor.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Everything pointed to a single conclusion.

At the very least, it knows I’m here.

‘It’s following me.’

‘At this rate, I would’ve been better off staying at the company working overtime.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The feeling of not being able to believe what was in front of you.

I had experienced a similar feeling before.

At least there, I had strange but reliable superiors.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

And I always made the same decision.

Find a way to survive.

Of being unable to escape.

Of being unable to say anything.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

This time was no different.

And I survived.

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Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I stood up again.

Thinking too much only feeds anxiety.

Don’t talk.

The best thing right now is to find a way to stay alive.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Walk.

‘For now, keep walking.’

I felt the Relics of the Smiling Martyr grow slightly warmer.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Don’t ask questions.

Even if there is no exit.

Walk.

Even if you can’t see the end.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Haven’t you always lived like this?

In the military.

Don’t try to guess.

Don’t interpret anything.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

And at the company.

Just as a sigh was about to escape my lips, something appeared that I had not seen before.

A door.

***

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It gave off a strange feeling.

Heavy.

As though it could not be opened in any direction.

A rusted iron door embedded in the middle of a wall of decaying concrete.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Faced with that ominous sight, I immediately stopped.

The doorknob was covered in dozens of marks that looked like scratches from fingernails.

The doubt was natural.

‘Do I really have to go inside? Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates. ’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

There had only been endless corridors and unsettling noises.

And now a door had appeared.

Until that moment, that building had never allowed the existence of any room.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

After a few seconds of consideration, I took a deep breath and grabbed the doorknob.

A door that looked as sinister as this one.

“……”

And not just any door.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

And returning to the last intersection would take just as long.

And above all.

I had already walked for hours.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

In truth, I had no other choice.

Clank.

That sound.

If I went back, there was a high probability I would encounter the source of that noise.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

And slowly opened the door.

I took a deep breath.

Creeeeak.

The screech of rusted iron echoed without a single drop of lubricant.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Rust.

Oil.

The smell arrived first.

Mold.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Petroleum.

And blood.

Old wood.

Leather.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

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

‘Unfortunately, this doesn’t look like an exit.’

Holding my breath, I stepped inside.

The air was even heavier than the corridor’s.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It was a room.

All the furniture was destroyed.

Or, more accurately, something that had once been a room.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

A complete mess. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

The desk was overturned.

The drawers had been ripped out.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Torn wallpaper.

Inside an empty bookshelf, there was only a sheet of paper, a bottle of water, and a package of jerky.

“Hmm?”

Cobwebs clustered like oil stains hanging from the ceiling.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Everything around it was rotting.

It was a place where even ticks would have trouble surviving.

A strangely clean A4 sheet.

And yet, that sheet was spotless.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

There was also a sealed bottle of water and packaged jerky.

==========

Without hesitation, I picked up the items and began reading what was written on the paper.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

This zone has been designated and managed as a Level 3 Control Zone in accordance with the guidelines of the Anomalous Disaster Management Department.

If you are reading this document, you are currently considered to be inside the ______.

[Control Zone Manual]

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

When making normal transitions inside habitable spaces, such as opening a door and entering another room or walking through a corridor within a common structure, there exists an extremely small probability of deviating from the physical coordinates of reality and becoming connected to this ______.

If you are an involuntary transition subject who unexpectedly crossed the boundary while moving through an indoor space, we recommend that you carefully read this document.

There is a high probability that you are a randomly entered individual.

The cause of your entry into this zone is considered to be a phase deviation phenomenon that occurs with extremely low probability during movement within indoor spaces.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

This zone cannot be reached through conventional physical means, and its exact coordinates have not been identified.

If you are a voluntary transition subject, destroy this document immediately.

Therefore, our organization uses special methods to periodically enter this space, rescue survivors, and distribute instruction manuals along with emergency supplies.

This manual has been prepared to help you escape from the ______ based on research records from the Anomalous Disaster Management Department and testimonies from survivors.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

However, there is only one within this zone, and its location is random.

The exit exists.

1. album Existence and Characteristics of the Exit

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Please be aware that it may manifest in various forms, such as a normal iron door, a ventilation duct, an emergency exit, or an elevator.

The position of the exit is not limited to a specific corridor or room, and its appearance is not fixed.

If you encounter a door that is not the exit within a corridor, there is a very high probability that it leads to a staircase connected to another level.

2. accent Precautions When Using Stairs

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Descending Stairs

To date, no cases of survival have been recorded after using an ascending staircase.

Their use is strictly prohibited.

Ascending Stairs

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

From the moment you descend, what is known as a “Presence” will appear.

It is estimated that the farther you descend, the better the environmental and lighting conditions become, as well as an increase in the number of possible exits.

Presence

Their use is permitted.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

3. avalanche Precautions During Rest

In extremely rare cases, the Presence may manifest even without the use of a staircase.

Currently, there are no recorded cases of survival following direct contact with such a Presence.

It may manifest in various forms, such as human-like footsteps, breathing sounds, or vibrations within silence, and it will constantly pursue you.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

However, if the Presence has already manifested, minimize the amount of time you spend indoors.

Because periodic spatial distortion phenomena have been observed in the corridors, our organization usually places manuals and conducts rescue operations primarily within rooms.

Facilities located within the “rooms” of this zone provide a safer and more comfortable environment than the corridors.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

4. alert General Rules of Conduct

According to the results of our investigations, survivors share the following behavioral patterns.

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

Complying with these rules dramatically increases the chances of survival.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

— Maintain a constant walking speed.

— Proceed in a single direction.

— Keep your eyes facing forward. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

5. amateur Recommendations

Although it is impossible to physically measure the extent of this space, it is estimated that the surface area of a single level exceeds, at minimum, the entire administrative area of Seoul.

— Measure your route objectively using body dimensions or similar methods.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Maintain your sanity and respond rationally in all situations.

Our organization will not abandon your rescue.

Control your breathing, but avoid hyperventilating.

Begin moving.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Do not lose hope.

You can return alive.

After surviving and returning, report immediately using the emergency contact listed on the back of this manual.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

==========

— Anomalous Disaster Management Department

If necessary, consume the attached emergency provisions (drinking water and jerky).

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Suppressing my emotions as much as possible and focusing only on the information.

Line by line.

I read it.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I hadn’t opened any door.

Nor had I been walking through a corridor.

First, the reason someone ends up in this anomalous space appears to be an extremely rare transition phenomenon that occurs during movement indoors.

‘How strange.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The question was unsettling, but for now, I had no way of finding an answer.

Why did I end up in this place when I didn’t even fully meet the conditions for entry?

I had simply fallen asleep in bed and woken up here.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I opened the package of jerky and began chewing it.

‘What’s important right now is the information related to survival.’

There is no time limit.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

However, there is only one exit.

Descending stairs may be used.

Ascending stairs are prohibited. arena There are no survivors.

It is located randomly.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

But then the Presence appears.

“…Ha.”

And there is an extremely low probability that the Presence may appear even without descending.

An empty laugh escaped me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

The sensations of this place were completely real.

My breath stirred the air mixed with the smell of mold and rusted water.

I had already realized it.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It was very similar to standing before a dangerous dimensional entity inside a containment chamber.

It felt like a nightmare, yet water droplets were genuinely falling onto my skin, and the dampness truly filled my lungs.

But its structure was unreal.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Walk as fast as you can.

‘This document is like the distorted rules of this place—something similar to the manual of a dimensional entity.’

The Presence follows you.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

It was a situation worthy of being cursed.

Don’t stop.

Silently.

“…Damn it.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

According to the document, I had won an extremely unlikely lottery.

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

The moment I arrived, I had gotten the rare possibility of the Presence appearing immediately.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

— External mission?

It was quite similar to something I had discussed with Assistant Manager Son while drinking coffee during lunch.

I already had a rough understanding of how all this worked.

— Extraction Team 2 is working on a project right now. armor The same goes for Team 3, so if an external mission comes up, we might have to replace them.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Distorted zones.

— You didn’t know, Mr. abandon Haeil? canvas The job of Extraction Team 3 is to travel to distorted zones and extract energy. advance Sometimes, when they’re short-staffed, we participate too.

I pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth and tried to calm my racing heart and the slight trembling in my fingers.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

‘Anomalous Disaster Management Department.’

No one had ever explained exactly what they were, but they probably referred to unreal places like this.

‘Though it seems the people who wrote this manual call them Control Zones.’

My gaze returned to the last line of the document.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I had heard it before at the company.

The moment I quietly spoke that name, my body shuddered slightly.

My lips moved before I could stop them.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

— We do external missions too, but we’re taking a bit of a break right now. aluminum The Anomalous Disaster Management Department has been interfering too much lately.

— Surveillance over the Control Zones by the Anomalous Disaster Management Department has been reinforced. agent We won’t be able to go on missions for a while.

Assistant Manager Son had mentioned it when he first explained the job to me. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

And I had also heard it during a conversation between Manager Myeon and Manager Batori.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

At first glance, it seemed like a government agency.

‘From the context, it didn’t sound like they got along very well with our company.’

Could it be an organization made up of monsters too, just like Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts?

— You mean the new one with heterochromatic eyes? adopt He seemed to possess excellent blood.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I carefully folded the sheet in half and tucked it into the bottom of my right pants pocket.

But could I really trust them?

The name and the format of the document gave that impression.

It was the only information I had.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I let out a long sigh and brought my hands to my face.

I rubbed my face.

“Fuuu…”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

Grease.

Heat.

Cold sweat.

Dust.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

If you hesitate.

I pressed my eyelids once and my temples twice.

My mind cleared a little.

Everything mixed together beneath my fingers.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I slid my fingers from my forehead to my chin.

You die.

If you doubt.

If you let fear consume you…

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I’ll return alive.

“I’m going to make it back alive.”

The cold, damp air clung to my hands.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

I completely discarded the possibility that the manual was a trap.

No matter what it takes.

After regaining some strength from the water and jerky that had come with the document, I returned to the corridor.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

In the distance, those Clank sounds could still occasionally be heard, but having recovered some energy and quenched my thirst was already a blessing.

Deep darkness.

Dampness seeping into my bones.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 26: You Can Survive and Return Alive (1) by Indra Translations.

“It’s been a while since I did a march.”

I had endured the company by gritting my teeth.

I couldn’t afford to die in a ridiculous place like this.

I muttered that nonsense simply to keep my mind occupied as I continued walking.

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