Chapter 36: Talent Scouting

“……Excuse me?”

I was genuinely speechless.

I was speechless.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

— Do you want to work under me?

No matter how many times I turned it over in my head, there was no other way to interpret what I had just heard.

It was not something that could be said even as a joke.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And even less coming from someone like Manager Moon Ara.

Although it was my first time meeting her, I already knew for certain that she was not the kind of person who spoke without thinking.

Especially not in this company.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“I… what you just said means…”

I looked at her with a bewildered expression.

That familiar smile.

Before I could finish the sentence, Moon Ara smiled again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“I asked whether you would be interested in working under me.”

That dreamlike, emotionless expression showed not the slightest hesitation as she repeated what she had just said.

Again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I swallowed.

As naturally as could be.

As if it were not even a proposal, but something that would naturally be accepted.

As if she were talking about the lunch menu.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

What did this mean?

A departmental transfer?

My mind was in chaos.

A personnel reassignment?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Could someone at the level of a team leader even make a decision like that?

I put my brain into overdrive and fell back on the basic pattern of social survival.

The polite version.

Besides, in this company, the word “under” could mean far too many things.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Then I added honestly,

“First of all, I sincerely appreciate the offer, Manager Moon Ara.”

Courteous.

And without leaving sentences unfinished.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

The sunlight reflected in her eyes.

Only after listening to me completely did Moon Ara very slowly raise the corner of her lips.

“However, to be frank, I’m not sure I’ve achieved results significant enough to justify a transfer between teams. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com echo Nor have I made any particularly noteworthy contributions within Extraction Team 1. arcade I have merely carried out the tasks assigned to me competently.”

And the inverted left eye gleamed briefly.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

A firm and gentle affirmation.

“Yes. atomic That’s true.”

And then, a brief silence.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

At that moment, I understood.

She lowered her gaze, tilted her head slightly to one side, and made a gesture as if tucking her hair behind her ear.

After several incidents, I had mistakenly convinced myself that they considered me an exceptionally talented employee.

My question had been too naive.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“I simply wanted to make the offer.”

Finally, she raised her head and looked directly at me.

“In fact, if we’re talking about results, you’ve performed below my expectations.”

And with a completely calm expression, she replied,

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Literally.

“……”

There were no reasons behind that “simply.”

I was speechless.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

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

No conditions.

No criteria.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I stared at her silently for exactly three-tenths of a second.

I never imagined that something as simple as “simply” could come from the same mouth.

Just moments ago, she had been explaining organizations like the Anomalous Disaster Management Department, the Church of the Coming Feast, and the Erosion Alliance with terrifying clarity.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

If a human managed to become a manager in this company, perhaps going insane was an unavoidable requirement.

Although, thinking about it, that was probably normal.

‘Is she crazy?’

Then I muttered to myself.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Or rather, I couldn’t.

Because in this company, the way to find out who was truly insane was not to suspect that person.

Outwardly, however, I showed no reaction.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Moon Ara said, tilting her head slightly.

Her voice was as soft and calm as ever.

“We can discuss the details while we eat. antique I’ll treat you to something expensive.”

It was to see whether you survived after dealing with them.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

A kindness you could not escape from.

But somehow, it concealed an authority that was impossible to refuse.

A pressure that naturally forced you to go along with it.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And the interior had the atmosphere of an authentic traditional Japanese restaurant where guests were required to remove their shoes.

We headed toward a restaurant hidden inside a quiet and discreet alley.

Instead of answering, I nodded.

The elegant marble sign bore Japanese characters.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

At that very moment.

As soon as the door opened, the staff greeted us cheerfully.

“Welcome! audit Table for two?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

White eyes.

Dressed in a coat made from skin that clearly did not belong to any animal.

A woman with completely white hair.

And, on top of that, an inverted eye.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

No one seemed to find it strange. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

Had just entered the restaurant.

And yet.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“Customer.”

More precisely, it seemed they were incapable of recognizing it as strange.

No matter what she looked like, in the eyes of those people there was only a single social label.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

The smooth polished wood conveyed a cool sensation to my feet.

I took a seat, still confused.

It was a traditional Japanese floor-level table.

Moon Ara sat elegantly on her knees.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Moon Ara turned her head slightly toward me.

“I… will have flounder.”

“Kohada sushi.”

With her back perfectly straight, she opened the menu.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

She pressed the call button beside the wall with her left hand.

And the order was placed without any further words.

And smiled just a little.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

As she removed her chopsticks from their wrapper, she continued.

Then came that moment of silence before the food was served.

And she spoke again.

“First.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

She gently rubbed the spot where the sushi would soon be placed with her fingertips.

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

“I thought that if Manager Myeon had personally recruited you into Extraction Team 1, there might be something special about you.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Deliberate.

Slow.

A completely unnecessary gesture.

As if she were cleaning a table that did not even have any dust on it.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“And the second reason…”

Then, after a brief pause, she turned her head toward me and smiled.

“Whatever it is, I’ll find out eventually.” Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I couldn’t react.

Her eyes fixed on me.

“Is that I like you. amber You have the kind of appearance I like.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And then I slowly arrived at a conclusion.

My brain stopped for a moment.

I processed those words exactly as I had heard them.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

It was a conclusion I was completely convinced of.

All of our previous conversations only served to reinforce it further.

‘She’s definitely crazy.’

But I didn’t say it out loud.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Because if I blurted out a “Are you crazy?” here, they would probably dismantle me before they dismantled the sushi.

A set of kohada sushi.

At that moment, a wooden tray carrying our food arrived silently.

The employee withdrew after greeting us politely, and the grain of the fish gleamed softly atop the plates.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

There was no problem while I was chewing it.

It was as though the sushi wasn’t entering my stomach, but going directly into my head.

A set of flounder sushi.

But every time I swallowed, I felt a chill run down the back of my neck.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“Security Team has many external assignments.”

As if she had no interest whatsoever in the chaos raging inside me, Manager Moon Ara continued eating calmly with her chopsticks.

The explanation began suddenly.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

As if the proper time to continue the conversation had simply arrived.

Without any context.

Moon Ara picked up a piece of sushi with her chopsticks, lightly dipped it in sauce, and brought it to her mouth.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I nodded while carefully lifting a piece of flounder.

Moon Ara’s explanation was orderly and calm, like a formal transfer of job responsibilities.

Her thin lips moved slowly before she continued.

“The Order Control Room is divided into the Security Team and the Audit Team. palette Director Go Gyeol is in charge of the Audit Team, and I lead the Security Team.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“It’s easier to think of us as handling problems both inside and outside the company. beacon Internal security. palette Containment room control. absorb Response to violations of internal regulations. arcade Internal management. sphere Sealing external dimensional distortion zones. arrow Support for off-site operations. zenith Field response.”

During that brief movement, I observed her eyes.

She paused and took a sip of water.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

The inverted left eye showed no emotion whatsoever.

She continued speaking slowly.

And that made it even more frightening.

“A rift may not be visible. acoustic Nor does it necessarily have to manifest as a dimensional entity or a distortion zone. arrow It can also affect immaterial domains, such as people’s memories, locations, or even history.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

For a moment, I imagined the scene.

‘Going outside to seal rifts?’

While carefully chewing the flounder, I thought.

“That is why the Security Team resembles a cleanup crew more than a response team. riddle We seal rifts, prevent leaks, and restore what has collapsed.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Intangible light spilling out from everywhere.

An abandoned, distorted building.

Talking trees.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And me in the middle of it all.

Weeping alleyways.

Twisted skies.

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 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

A deeper sigh than I expected escaped me.

Without realizing it, I set my chopsticks down on the table.

‘Maybe extracting dimensional entities in Extraction Team 1 is better after all.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Beneath the heavy lighting of the elegant restaurant, her white hair swayed silently.

As if she had read my reaction, Moon Ara slightly raised the corner of her lips.

A look that conveyed its message perfectly without the need for words.

She picked up another piece of sushi and brought it to her mouth.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Moon Ara elegantly lifted her chopsticks and said.

I took a sip of water and breathed calmly.

I still couldn’t truly enjoy the sushi.

“Think about it carefully while you eat.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Purely out of survival instinct. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

I nodded.

***

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

But I couldn’t say that I had tasted anything.

Or rather, the act of eating ended.

The meal ended quietly.

The flounder was tender.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Throughout the entire meal, I kept thinking.

But that was only what my tongue remembered.

I didn’t even have the mental room to think about whether the food was going into my mouth or my nose.

The pickled ginger had just the right amount of sharpness.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

About her expressions.

About that strange kindness.

About Manager Moon Ara’s words.

And about that absurd proposal to seriously consider a departmental transfer.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

‘The Security Team.’

There was an intention.

I was convinced that the way she looked at me could not be limited to a simple professional relationship.

Becoming Manager Moon Ara’s direct subordinate.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And there was also an emotion.

What nonsense.

Did she genuinely like me in a rational sense?

‘The problem is that I can’t interpret either the intention or the emotion.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Moon Ara walked ahead of me toward the far end of the alley.

It felt as though the senses numbed by the air conditioning were slowly thawing out.

I followed her for a few steps and then spoke cautiously.

When we left the restaurant, the midday heat wrapped around my skin once again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“Manager Moon Ara.”

She tilted her head slightly.

I hesitated.

Her white braid fell over her shoulder.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

“Thank you for the offer. meadow Truly. apple It was an honor I didn’t deserve.”

And finally, I spoke.

A brief silence followed.

Moon Ara looked at me silently.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And within them, I could not see my own reflection. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.

Under the direct sunlight, her white eyes shone with a transparent brilliance.

I breathed softly.

And continued.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Only after saying it did I realize how firmly rooted that decision was within me.

Moon Ara watched me for a few moments.

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

“But after thinking about it again, I’ll stay with Extraction Team 1.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Nor disappointment.

Then she nodded calmly.

It was not resignation.

Simply acceptance.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

As I walked beside her, I thought silently.

She replied briefly before resuming her walk.

“Alright. arcade Then do that.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Director Mok, who used as many roots and vines as limbs.

Assistant Manager Son, who played rock-paper-scissors with his own head.

Supervisor Shik, always growling.

Manager Batori, whose body sometimes sprouted eyes, mouths, and tentacles.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

All of them were grotesque monsters imitating human beings.

Extraction Team 1 was a terrible department.

And Manager Myeon, whose interior was impossible even to imagine.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

‘I guess I’ve grown attached to them.’

And yet.

A torture chamber where human sanity was constantly eroded.

A place where they faced dimensional entities every day.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

My dry and empty years in the military.

Only a month had passed.

But during that time, I had regained a sense of belonging that I had completely forgotten.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

My unpleasant discharge.

I, who had always been someone out of place, had been accepted there.

And the resumes that were rejected over and over again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

Right now, it felt as though that crazy Extraction Team 1 was the place the world had prepared for me.

Perhaps even acknowledged for the first time.

But even so.

Of course, in exchange, my ears had been pierced, my brain tampered with, I had been examined by a doctor with tentacles, my superior had licked my forehead, and I had watched a boss blow up the head of a member of my own species.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

‘Of course, that’s assuming they continue not to kill me.’

Manager Moon Ara’s words.

Then I remembered something.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I thought about Manager Myeon.

— If Manager Myeon personally recruited you into Extraction Team 1, I thought there might be something special about you.

His seven faces.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

The form he had taken when he neutralized The Portrait of a Dismantled God.

His strange silence.

Even after working with him for a month, he still felt far more distant than the rest of the team members.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

‘It couldn’t have been without a reason.’

Whether it was a good reason or a bad one.

If there was a reason, sooner or later it would come to light.

And the fact that he had personally hired me for Extraction Team 1 still bothered me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

And whatever it was, staying in Extraction Team 1 would give me a better chance of discovering it and surviving.

I took another step and silently reaffirmed my decision.

Above all, no matter how much I thought about it, provoking Manager Myeon’s displeasure never seemed like a good idea.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

I couldn’t tell whether my answer had pleased or disappointed her.

She was still wearing that dreamlike smile.

Then I cast a discreet glance at Manager Moon Ara, who was walking beside me.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 36: Talent Scouting by Indra Translations.

So I, too, raised the corner of my lips by barely a millimeter.

But at the very least, she was smiling slightly.

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