Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1)

The ponytailed woman, who had remained tense the entire time, stopped, and the man with heterochromatic eyes who had been walking half a step ahead of her silently raised a hand.

We turned several times after passing corridor corners, and at some point, the footsteps, breathing, and echoes could no longer be heard.

I stopped on reflex.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The presence.

‘It’s gone.’

I pressed my back against the wall and held my breath.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“…Haa.”

It had stopped following us.

It really was gone now.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Only then did it seem as though my lungs returned to their normal size.

I never imagined I would be so grateful simply to be able to breathe.

I felt the air escape from my body.

‘Now it’s time to deal with another problem.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

It had been a long time since I had seen people.

Since the employees of the Emotional Department who ended up getting crushed by Assistant Manager Son after causing a massive disaster by pressing the release button in the Extraction Room.

Since Lee Jihyun, who spoke with me briefly in front of Human Resources and then resigned.

What took the place of that vanished presence was the sharp hostility of the people who had tried to kill me just moments ago.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Relatively normal people.

And, since they did not belong to our company, they were the first ones I had met.

Since Director Go Gyeol, who seemed to have stopped being human a long time ago.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The ponytailed woman was still watching me.

‘This isn’t exactly a pleasant situation to be happy about.’

Though, apparently, my fellow humans did not consider me human.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The sound coming from that holster as it swayed with the proper weight was undoubtedly real.

The corners of her lips were completely lowered, and her sharp eyes seemed capable of drawing lines with a blade.

And above all, there was the pistol holster at her waist.

She was smaller than I was, but beneath her fitted suit, firm muscles could be discerned.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The fierce expression he had shown earlier was gone, leaving only silence and a blank face behind.

The heterochromatic-eyed Team Leader remained silent.

However, his gray and brown eyes remained fixed on me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

‘What a peculiar name.’

“Yeom Hwi. arcade Team Leader of the Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management.”

An uncomfortable silence stretched on for several seconds.

Finally, he silently shook his head, ran his fingers through his gray hair, and opened his mouth.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

After such a brief introduction, the man gestured toward the woman beside him with his chin.

It was incredible that someone could give such a murderous look to a complete stranger.

The ponytailed woman was still staring at me with her hand resting on her pistol holster.

Seeing her like that, Yeom Hwi gave her a light but precise smack on the back of the head.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Thud!

The woman’s expression twisted.

“…”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Her eyebrows furrowed, and the corner of her mouth twitched.

Slowly, the look she had been directing at me turned toward Yeom Hwi. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

he asked with complete indifference.

“What?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Her husky, androgynous voice echoed heavily through the damp corridor.

“…I’m Seo Ryu, Sub-Team Leader of the Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management.”

The woman let out a short sigh, placed a hand on her forehead, and after a brief delay, spoke.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“…My name is Jeong Haeil.”

I nibbled on my lips for a moment before cautiously replying.

The two of them watched me in silence.

The words left my lips.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Distrust.

Caution.

But neither of their gazes changed.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

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

‘…Damn it.’

And a hostility that could not be erased.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The moment I finished speaking, the air froze once more.

“As you said, I’m an employee of Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts.”

I swallowed and slowly continued.

“…You.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Now it wasn’t.

Until then, it had been dry and cold.

Yeom Hwi’s voice had changed.

His tone had an edge.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“What exactly are you?”

The muscles in his shoulders tensed, and something broke inside his eyes.

His heterochromatic gaze pierced straight through me.

Clack.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

And something I should never have heard at that moment.

The sound of a slide locking back struck my eardrums.

Seo Ryu had drawn the pistol from her waist without the slightest hesitation and was pointing it directly at my head.

Something familiar sounded beside me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The cold metallic sensation pressing against my skin.

The heat radiating from the weapon.

The weight of the steel.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

If I made a mistake, even while clearing my throat, they might blow a hole through this head that only knew how to memorize manuals.

I felt the sweat on my back turn cold. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

Instinctively, I understood it was neither a toy nor a replica.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Before I could finish the sentence, there was another movement in front of me.

Clack.

“W-wait a moment… what does this mean…?”

Yeom Hwi slowly raised a hand.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The barrel pointed directly at me.

A pistol with a magazine inserted.

He pulled back the lapel of his suit and drew a black pistol from his inner pocket.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“Hey, Jeong Haeil.”

Exactly between my brows.

At the space between my eyebrows.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“….”

“Are You Really Human?”

One was looking at me with the intention of drilling through my skull.

Two armed people.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

‘Ah, damn it.’

It was a ridiculous situation.

The other was aiming at my temple from an angle capable of blowing it apart.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

What mattered was figuring out how to answer so that neither of those triggers would be pulled.

I had survived by doing my absolute best among monstrous superiors at the company, and now actual humans were interrogating me to find out whether I was the monster.

There was neither saliva nor blood left, but that was beside the point.

I silently bit my lips.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Shout that it was unfair and defend myself vehemently?

Looking at that gaze so full of murderous intent, it felt as though if I showed weakness now, they would consider me suspicious and shoot me on the spot.

‘Panic and beg for my life?’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Then there was only one answer left.

That was not something someone wearing strange beads on his wrist and carrying a pen made of bone could say.

In front of people who already distrusted me, a clumsy emotional appeal or panicking would accomplish nothing.

Kill my emotions and fake an unnatural calmness.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

When I reached that conclusion, I put on a faint smile.

It was the only survival method I knew.

A calm tone.

“…I’m human.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Following a consistent rule in an incomprehensible situation.

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

I also suppressed any trembling in my eyes.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Silence.

“If you don’t believe me, shoot me. admire You can confirm it by examining the corpse.”

It was the moment when the poker face I had developed in the military and at the company proved its worth.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

A truly brief silence.

“Pfft.”

It was Seo Ryu.

A short mocking laugh.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

A loaded weapon.

Click.

As if the whole thing were ridiculous, she let out a sneer of contempt while placing her finger on the trigger.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Very slightly.

This was not what I had intended.

At that moment— Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

And the trigger began to squeeze ever so slightly.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi silently extended a hand and grabbed Seo Ryu’s arm.

“…Huu.”

Tap.

His movement was firm and faster than any words.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

she muttered while lowering her weapon, lightly grinding her teeth.

“What?”

Seo Ryu looked at him with a deeply furrowed brow.

Yeom Hwi let out a short sigh and lowered his gun.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

My arms were numb, and my legs had been trembling for quite a while, but I had to pretend nothing was wrong.

I remained leaning against the wall, watching the scene.

Yeom Hwi looked directly at me and asked,

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“…Extraction Team 1.”

“…Around a month.”

“How long have you been with the company?”

“Department?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The instant I finished answering, both gun barrels were aimed at my head again from exactly the same angles as before.

I couldn’t even sigh.

‘Right now, I feel like crying.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Seo Ryu spoke in a visibly agitated tone.

Though after the previous failure, my composure had wavered somewhat.

I swallowed and maintained a calm expression, completely opposite to the hell burning inside me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi replied calmly.

“Team Leader. arena The correct course of action is to eliminate him.”

“Be quiet for a moment.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi continued holding the gun while staring at me.

Seo Ryu clicked her tongue.

But she did not add anything else.

It was obvious she was displeased.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

My breathing became shallower.

It felt as though they were piercing through my skull to see what was inside.

Those eyes left no room for wind or even the slightest crack.

I felt my lungs compress.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

After a brief pause, the man holstered his weapon without another word.

And then.

“…That’s enough.”

The barrel moved.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

With those words, the pistol disappeared into the inner pocket of his suit.

Click.

“Because if he weren’t human, he wouldn’t die even if we shot him. amateur What would be the point?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

That was all.

Seo Ryu also lowered her weapon with a frown and returned it to its holster.

‘I really was about to die.’

The tension eased slightly.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Outwardly, I remained calm.

Not even my eyes moved.

But inside was a different story.

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

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

In this hellish place where I wasn’t even allowed to breathe or relax, the first people I met had pointed guns at me.

They really were going to shoot me.

“Let’s go.” This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

‘These damn lunatics…’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Seo Ryu nodded without concealing her distrust.

Yeom Hwi said briefly.

Her gaze swept over me once again.

The weapons had been lowered, but the threat remained.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

I hesitated for a few seconds, but in the end, I followed them.

“We’ll discuss the details while we walk.”

After saying that, Yeom Hwi took the lead.

One step.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

It was the first time I had walked beside someone in this place.

‘Can I really walk with them?’

Then another.

The sound of my own footsteps behind them felt strangely unfamiliar.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

I followed them in silence.

‘Either way, it’s better than dying like a dog.’

Or were they simply taking me along because they could use me?

Did they actually trust me?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The old fluorescent lights overhead flickered from time to time.

“We know how to get out.”

The shadows of the three of us stretched together through the darkness.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“So follow us and don’t cause any trouble.”

I nodded.

I had no other choice.

Yeom Hwi said in a calm but firm voice.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

A third time was completely out of the question.

I was simply choosing the option that gave me a slightly better chance of surviving.

I had already had a gun pointed at me twice.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Seo Ryu continued watching me until the very end.

That gaze was sharper than a gun barrel and resembled instinct more than emotion.

Without saying a single word.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

No.

Distrust?

Caution?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

And an extraordinarily clear hostility.

It wasn’t that.

Hostility.

‘But why?’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

I looked away from her and slowly turned my head.

It was far too obvious a hatred to be explained by a single reason.

Just because I belonged to Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Even though the tension had lessened, my heart continued beating steadily.

The organization that had created the manual guiding survivors toward the exit.

The tips of my fingers were still numb.

‘So this is the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management…’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

‘…These people are completely insane too.’

But I had already reached one conclusion.

I still knew nothing about them.

The organization that understood the structure of this absurd place.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

They hadn’t welcomed me.

They hadn’t saved me.

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

They had simply threatened me, pointed guns at me, questioned my identity, and decided whether or not they should kill me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

But at least these two people in front of me didn’t look like saviors.

Yeom Hwi walked ahead.

‘I don’t know who wrote the manual.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Seo Ryu followed after letting out a short sigh.

It still felt as though something was waiting there.

I cast one last glance toward the dark end of the corridor.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

In silence.

We walked.

***

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Our pace was steady.

But since we didn’t know when it might reappear, we didn’t stop.

We had left the presence behind long ago, and it still had not resumed following us.

For a long time, we moved forward without exchanging a single word.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The footsteps of Yeom Hwi, who was leading the group, came to a halt.

And within all of that, our strange companionship continued.

Danger, anxiety, and an indescribable silence floated through the air.

How much time passed?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

A half-ripped door.

His heterochromatic eyes turned toward a wall along the corridor.

A collapsed sign.

It was a room.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“…”

Twisted hinges.

Yeom Hwi stared at the door for a long moment.

The entrance to an abandoned building that, under normal circumstances, would have gone unnoticed.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

An old room.

Then he grasped the doorknob and turned it without saying a word.

‘Here…’

With a creak, the heavy door slowly opened.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

It was an ordinary room, but when Yeom Hwi and Seo Ryu entered, I hesitated for a moment before following them.

Antique furniture.

Worn wallpaper.

An unlit lamp.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Naturally, there were no windows.

The ceiling lamp flickered unstably.

There was only a rickety bed on the verge of collapse, a worn single-person sofa, a dust-covered mirror, and a cracked dresser. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

The inside was quieter than I expected.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi stood in the middle of the room and ran a gloved hand over the thick layer of dust covering the dresser.

Seo Ryu remained by the door.

Although she had lowered her weapon, she was still watching the corridor with alert ears.

And yet, for some reason, it felt safer than those expressionless corridors.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi turned his head toward me.

His heterochromatic eyes alternately gleamed beneath the flickering light.

“Sit wherever you want.”

The shadows of the three of us intertwined within that narrow, damp room.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

The creak sounded absurdly loud.

he said, gesturing with his chin toward an old sofa leaning against the wall, one of its legs broken.

His tone was too firm to be a suggestion and too relaxed to be an order.

I carefully sat down on the edge of the sofa.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

Yeom Hwi sat on the edge of the dresser, pulled a pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his suit, then put it away again.

“So you’re from the Extraction Team of Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts…”

Afterward, his gaze alternated between my face and the beads of the Relics of the Smiling Martyr around my wrist.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 29: The Control Team of the Department of Anomalous Disaster Management (1) by Indra Translations.

“I have many questions, but first I’ll ask you only one.”

I didn’t know whether it was because of the dampness in the corridor or the thoughts he carried within him, but it seemed weighed down.

His voice echoed heavily.

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