Chapter 3: I Want to Quit
gILdWwg‘Let’s quit.’0cphhJ0
cEoEHkXAt this point, I had completely accepted that this was neither a dream nor a hallucination.MfB5
zv9hoT‘Even if it feels hopeless, this is the right choice.’Wat
uC1qGAny sane person, no matter how good the conditions were, would never want to work at a company infested with monsters like this.pizhR
Gk40Who cares about 68 million won a year.jjeVdN
kWcI4XGNothing could possibly be worth more than my own life.BiSHkU
d5duhwl‘How should I say it…?’omR2r3
DgpJAMaking the decision was surprisingly easy.uANh
bOPBut actually opening my mouth and saying I wanted to quit was something completely different.QYsfF9
Lowi3Especially when your boss was a monster.18F
6OQ7I‘Huu.’qIcu
mgqacI exhaled inwardly while maintaining my composure.Silou
7BGgWhat would be the most natural way to say it?lWJ5ma
o6CIWould it seem less suspicious if I casually brought it up in the middle of a conversation?Ewym
tNrnPZOr should I put on a serious expression and say it directly?vpO1
0vktDt3If I said I wanted to quit, would those seven mouths bite me all at once?1iJp
UsHET9oI still didn’t even know which of the fourteen eyes I was supposed to look at while speaking.PbJ
JdXhoOne face was watching the news, another was reading a newspaper, another was drinking coffee through a straw, and another was glancing at me from the corner of its eye.0qdVrwy
qjUAnd there I was, trying to figure out the right timing to speak while staring at that thing.QMrKYH
MUVAQSIt made absolutely no sense.klW
BkQ1YI couldn’t delay it any longer.rgNl
tBU0BRight now, this was exactly the kind of impossible situation that went beyond human capability.y3Y5A
7pNNCgEShould I stay silent and slowly break apart until I died?4Ypw
DyBOr speak up and end up torn to pieces by monsters?U583T6c
WH7leRather, for the first time, an opportunity had finally appeared where I could die proudly believing I had at least done my best.mG6s
gcyI stood up and approached Manager Myeon.RKy
mBGoZRtThe irregular breathing of his many faces leaked out like a horrible cacophony.GdXfCdM
8tiWhen I stopped beside him, Manager Myeon slowly rotated in his chair.ywleKr
6Hl1upMore precisely, some of his seven faces did.2NTLnre
SyKv“Is something wrong, Employee Jeong?”ROOlqZZ
HWKYhThe most normal and human-looking face spoke.voNZ
KZYWI answered calmly, honestly, and with complete sincerity.BagxY
EgdWj“I want to quit.”6vbPT
jhiL8The air in the office seemed to freeze for an instant.maCzQCg
024oThe seven faces looked at me one after another.Ocr4n
dSTblEjSuspicion, disappointment, anger, mockery, fear, curiosity, indifference.0HAUFH
HhuAll of those emotions passed through me one by one.KFnv
7NhvIn the silence before the storm, the final expression shared by all the faces converged into a single emotion.ndHFg8T
sXe8Displeasure.1O9ohYd
CO43Hp“…Did you say… quit?”BFn
Om3dIt was an emotion so clear there was absolutely no room for misunderstanding.7rRL
vPeYOSThe moment I said it, I felt my reason slowly returning.hYG
4kARz1GI wiped away the sweat beginning to run down my skin again and forced the trembling corners of my lips into place.phe
FSN‘I have to answer.’CsJMGY
e4OugJBecause I hated both working for monsters and working alongside monsters.63CZh3
w8P9vZI lifted my head and looked toward Manager Myeon’s face with the most apologetic expression I could fake.rSJ
iiz“Yes. I think I need to leave this job.”nGQ1
8WmAn“From your very first day? You haven’t even completed your training or orientation yet….”NCBG
YkR“I’m sorry. Something urgent came up. I just received the news.”t7yd6bZ
K5BC“News? Is it a family matter?”PO01IPY
OJSuWOne of the faces asked.KuGX9
fWbfWI couldn’t tell exactly which face the voice came from.b0NCsTF
Fj2OWI answered without hesitation.Im2Im
oUJ“Yes. I received news that my mother collapsed due to a chronic illness… it seems her condition is serious.”rAqork
Fk8It was a lie.2wc0L
9OcpI couldn’t even remember the face of that so-called mother.aKvE5eA
hNPnyW0Silence lingered for several seconds.n8xHOJ
XDGeGOne of Manager Myeon’s faces slowly nodded.rMr
xYvo“A family matter… I understand. What a shame. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a promising talent.”rRnrm
kzsgWasn’t he accepting it a little too easily considering what he looked like?0OD
s50The faces genuinely seemed disappointed.SmXy
rjWThen Manager Myeon calmly opened a drawer and handed me a small card.PSxFr8t
erR“The Human Resources Department is on Basement Level 3. The elevator normally doesn’t go that far down, so use this.”0JuMr
B1rhABThe card was metallic and completely blank.hW2
t3UBut the instant I took it, an unpleasant chill spread across my skin.lufDrA5
BVI3q“Yes… thank you.”BhJs
DKrI slightly bowed my head in gratitude, and all seven of Manager Myeon’s faces smiled at the same time.28FZH3i
fLSThe corners of their mouths tore all the way to their ears, some narrowed their eyes, while others revealed huge grins filled with teeth.zBo
wfD4KZThe fact that every single one of them was showing friendly expressions for the first time left behind a deeply unpleasant and uncanny feeling.AB3
qaZOu***NKs
JGejoTap.2tYhC7
zSRdmx4The moment I stepped out of the office, the hallway was as silent as a graveyard.V2OeJp
JJEMdQ‘What is this? Why?’Tn0
BQDfqRESuppressing my impatience, I stopped in front of the elevator at the end of the hallway.5E7OO
9p3When I held the blank card over the scanner, the doors opened quietly.le6GHjE
zl8LQThe instant I stepped inside, the elevator began descending without any vibration at all, even though I hadn’t pressed a single button.WlZaobg
tbBJoBFor some reason, it felt as though something was lightly tapping against my skin from the inside.TN4
ckiS‘Whatever. I don’t know why, but I’m quitting and going straight home. This is just some horrible nightmare or some kind of illness.’fh9
mh1The elevator doors opened.vJ2
y3ywEvyUnlike the brightly lit office, Basement Level 3 had no light.eHC6gD
NlOoinFNo—
perhaps it did, but it felt like my eyes were incapable of interpreting it.digO
oLFQK4As if I could only perceive it as a sensation rather than actual color.h3i
r7cBI carefully took a step forward.6Qvw7sF
i3qhThe floor was damp, and beneath my feet came the sound of stepping into a puddle.FLDvdt
ONxtOn the hallway walls, instead of the words “Human Resources,” there were blurry stains resembling smeared ink.ykxgp4
KCz2QWhen I arrived in front of the door, someone was already there.2Gpib
XzAO2As if she had noticed me approaching, the crouched figure near the door violently raised her head like someone having a seizure.4C0
jTEmiIt“Hi, hiiik! Don’t come closer!”bzDJhi
L8JIt was an unfamiliar woman.imUJ
WAv03She was wearing a suit, but several buttons had been torn off, and her knees were scraped raw and pale.BeEZIDw
DQcXOAnd the only thought that crossed my mind when I saw her was—iDWgND
YRMnXSs‘There’s a person here?’wUAdse
F5VgbaI stopped in place.aQgz
H75ZppFWas the thing in front of me really human?tJz8HLq
TJqCIt definitely looked human.AUvU7c
prVRI deliberately bit my lip.dYXgsUl
auMtE4Pain spread through me.A8X1
jsrvAt the very least, I now knew this wasn’t a dream.tFWXkdF
mbRaClinging to that small hope, I calmly examined her condition.uky9
uR6Ws9zThe faint trembling of her skin, her dilated pupils, her shoulders shaking from hyperventilation.XVY
P5mOBased on my fragmented knowledge, she looked completely broken by fear.46pf57
dNYptOYFinding a person—or something that looked like a person—inside a company filled with monsters should have been comforting.W6YPd
pzOE5But she clearly wasn’t in any condition to share that feeling.AB3On
nfq4“First, calm down.”tu6
Wrg9efYSpeaking in a low and steady tone is a basic rule for showing that you are not a threat.n7l5u
9phTMII wasn’t even sure whether she had truly heard my voice, but the woman slowly turned her head toward me.oxSuf
b0Ntdaz“A-a person? Are you really a person? You too… you weren’t sent by those monsters either, right?”39ho
TJbGrMHer voice was already completely hoarse, and dried saliva clung around her lips.MLL
VDiI could roughly imagine the kind of suffering she had gone through to get here.jhvU5n
dkMa8xK“Yes, I’m human. I came to the Human Resources Department to submit my resignation.”fQV6a
9mOUThe instant the word “resignation” left my mouth, tears burst from the woman’s eyes.hwN5SSu
ULcKoShe grabbed onto my pants while breaking down into desperate sobs.1rMnzO
GUcyMrY“Haa, aaah! I-I thought I was the only one. I-in the hallway… a monkey, a monkey wearing a suit… greeted me….”MrB8F
amxoShe couldn’t continue speaking.VvV40v
X0F9XusEvery time she tried to breathe in, it seemed like something became lodged in her throat.ZCxW
SBrJBut that alone was enough for me to understand.8Bmj
7hHWuMmShe had seen the same things I had.zsb6j
ZiKF‘Lee Jihyun.’ulRR
2Qd3I saw the crooked name tag hanging from her chest.jtGU4
gGc0RWe were in the same situation, but our conditions were completely different.Rop
8IuiAU“For now, that’s a good sign. We both managed to make it this far. Maybe you and I can really quit.”x41RC
e5mXC“A good sign? We can leave? Really? No…! I didn’t get here like you did! That monkey… took my contract and sent me here! It said I had already given my fingerprint! It forced my finger down!”Lid4K
57jShe frantically rubbed her index finger against her shirt.f0Mz
6ARThe skin had already torn open and started bleeding, yet she seemed incapable of feeling pain.BRgLD
VhWJI was afraid too.6vBRZ
3jCQZUfMy heart pounded violently and cold sweat ran down my back.BkKuRXF
K95nBut the more I looked at her, the stronger the feeling became that something was terribly wrong.74QX
biMJiA“W-we need to call the police… and the Labor Department too… this is a violation of human rights. It’s kidnapping, assault… right? A-and they installed some weird security app on my phone so I can’t contact anyone anymore….”j135B
uh6jAzrLee Jihyun muttered without even waiting for my response.tsalA
aGeThat was when it happened.l4AK
nWfWith an unpleasant sound like fingernails scraping across metal, the tightly shut door of the Human Resources Department slowly began to open.iGT
2nh5zRb“Next, Lee Jihyun.”4Qm
QW02sXmWhat came from inside sounded less like a human voice and more like metallic dissonance grinding against itself.VeNV
hbJIBuE“A-ahh….”mvRzll
LUD4aLee Jihyun no longer even had the strength to scream.Fr5z
6tRIUShe only let out ragged breaths as she froze in place.5qsjt
WX3WSIAnd soon after, like a puppet being dragged by invisible strings, she began stumbling toward the darkness.jLN
mnQUxMeanwhile, I was thinking about something else.qjjh
UiZMore precisely, about the lie I had told Manager Myeon.2m5Dn
MCCzRCH— Besides, they installed some weird security app on my phone so I can’t contact anyone anymore….xxtcuqc
LGglOCyIt was Manager Myeon who installed that security app on my phone this morning as soon as I arrived at work.MUl
T6bvJRight now, my phone wasn’t receiving any calls.UEK
aqhJ— A family matter… I understand. What a shame. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a promising talent.1hDX46P
hq3“Ah… ah….”Rjcq83
UlER41Manager Myeon had known from the very beginning that I was lying.A2hs8r
gBimThen why did he let me go so easily?F5Jjl
wKpYVEDid he feel some kind of human compassion?KuIn
redTOr was he simply too lazy to bother with me?9pA9
My56UamWas he really going to feel sympathy or annoyance before anything else when a new employee he had personally interviewed said he wanted to quit on the very first day?WYbJO
BW1AerjBefore I could reach any reasonable conclusion amidst all that confusion, a voice came from inside the already open Human Resources office.4Rir
Cih“Jeong Haeil, come in.”9uopO
SAcGI was slowly guided toward the door.SiUpSiG
6qacTAnd the instant I opened it, the air stopped.h3qvJX
1Y1Npa1Human Resources was not an office.U0H
8pgThe entire space was dyed in a deep crimson red.dBxD
5aWpZIgThe walls, ceiling, and floor were completely covered in blood, and the things I had mistaken for desks were masses of torn flesh with entrails hanging out of them.UrPAXwD
cptAnd in the deepest center of the room sat a gigantic figure like a throne, so enormous it seemed to touch the ceiling.LgmjP
O3qIt was a baby.nhvvHu
bUXOr more precisely, a gigantic creature vaguely resembling a human baby, but twisted in a way impossible to describe.H8t5
0RMeRIts skin was sticky like wet mucus, and instead of hair, thin tentacles tangled across its head.Xtk2Rd
pXWXXIjIt had four eyes.XiPd
B28n5GLOne embedded in its forehead, and another inside its blood-covered open mouth.46glw
iX0Its nose was merely a split opening, and its breathing sounded heavy like the snoring of an adult.uJ1ehEu
VQPqIt was smiling horrifically.u7nvK
x9aWith the gums of an infant whose teeth had not yet grown in, it sucked on a bloodied finger while a mixture of blood and pus dripped from its mouth.GEOP4nz
wNrzRFRI couldn’t take a single step.r8jMSw8
8EwRkSQMy legs stopped responding.8seb
RZ0dNMy throat burned.ZTirZB
NGKlIt felt as though my body itself was shutting down all my senses in order to protect me.18q
KLPBut my eyes refused to close.nFPGa
dLJyLCxAs if something wanted to force me to clearly engrave that monstrous scene into my mind.khTw3
QyGL“Jeong Haeil.”71sltXs
pDTyLThat voice did not come from the monster.2vZS
3fuIt was definitely a human voice coming from somewhere inside the room.JLXdIwr
L5WaBut I couldn’t turn my head.Wttn2e
VgnwYYjThe gaze—
or perhaps simply the presence—
of that gigantic thing touching the ceiling crushed my body.Sy9kEKi
dqfeKI swallowed and carefully asked,ZYpAPoM
EZ73yPh“Where is… Lee Jihyun?”hHJPBp
oFlEThe baby monster let out a huge belch.qZe3tb
0T3Something bubbled inside its stomach before rising through its twisted throat.zLcItZr
tEgBleegh.fo9
hEOrvsWhat the monster spat onto the floor along with a huge amount of saliva was an unrecognizable bloody mass.hza
cnQ1dVAmong the shredded red flesh, I could see the collar of a white shirt and a half-melted employee ID card with only a few letters remaining.aswaq8f
aXWWkJN“She resigned.”w4O
wayThose brief words crawled down the back of my neck transformed into a terror colder and deeper than Basement Level 3 itself.eQ6
k6zVIMeCold sweat burst across my back.oSofS4
Cneb9EzEven while my vision blurred, I had no choice but to understand.RCdNo
KxGi8kY“Ah… s-she resigned….”mO41
4J6The monster’s voice sounded sweet, like candy rolling around inside a familiar place.wrdn
TdEA tone far too familiar.qchl4V
oJ8xAs though it had repeated that word countless times with soft and pleasant satisfaction.fOn
TULsltnI understood instinctively.vGa2R5
uF7y7aThis monster liked resignations.JZmz
Kmp0ONIt liked that word.skGRti
vI2mkhThat act.ucNtjVE
Pq2k6That result.QsetwN6
SxobykzIt was not receiving a resignation letter.fw8HxI
wQenKIt was accepting a sacrifice while slowly raising the corners of its mouth.eGv
umkU5lHere, “resigning” meant leaving life itself behind.NIrUdW
AlZT2I remained frozen in place, incapable of moving even a single step.lMSA
Oyn“So then, Jeong Haeil.”yF5cx
vYcYWhen it called my name again, I slowly raised my eyes.MLM
EE8u2TThe sticky gums of the infant monster were now directly in front of me, forming a wet smile.GSwlbu
zIqSXTThe eye embedded in its forehead and the eye inside its open mouth stared at me together with the other two.f7AY
8qE4xcIt was not a simple gaze.9Ao7u8
dZRYIt was an evaluation.tQ1
BOqtULThe gaze of a carnivorous predator deciding whether a living creature could be chewed apart and swallowed.P3Rw9
fEK0ix“What brings you here?”K6U
c2sUt4That voice, like rusted blades boiling against one another, horribly tore through my eardrums.G5FOxD7
eYlIt was not the tone of a child.fWXK
wiSIt was the manner of speech of an adult.S7Svhz
x2ou0A deeply unpleasant contradiction.ZSCA1
9bcml4gAs though a fully developed mind were using the body of a baby.sBBO
31DUZveSomewhere in the room echoed the sound of dripping liquid.Cz7OAE
k7RHyo4I couldn’t tell whether it came from the ceiling or whether the walls themselves were bleeding.6gwT
mTzThe creature slowly removed a finger from its mouth while sticky strands of saliva stretched between them, staring fixedly at me.4gIK65
tPhOI placed one hand over my chest and slowly exhaled.LCDKx
UoQI clenched my teeth to stop my voice from trembling and carefully parted my lips.jbqo
yKV4“I….”5ndTK
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