Chapter 37: Toward the Truth Break Room

Some time had passed.

Not many things had changed.

Although perhaps because I had been kidnapped and then returned from some unknown place, Assistant Manager Son had started bringing me Americanos more often.

I still belonged to Extraction Team 1.

And I was still working in Zone D of the Extraction Room.

Class D dimensional entities.

Relatively low-risk level.

Repetitive extraction tasks.

The monsters that had left me breathless at the mere sight of them now gave me a sensation similar to washing my face with ice-cold water.

Uniform inspection.

Face placement by Manager Myeon.

Beginning the extraction.

After finishing the work, writing reports.

Receiving approval stamps.

And when the workday ended, returning to my apartment to review the company’s strange applications or write in my journal.

The end of the day was always wrapped in silent muteness.

However, there was one change.

Now I could spend money.

Even if only a little.

The phone notifications that had once been useless had begun to have value.

“Let’s go.”

Lunchtime.

When the sound of keyboards in the office began to fade.

That voice would suddenly come from behind me.

White hair.

Strange eyes.

And the figure of Moon Ara, Head of the Security Team of the Order Control Room, appearing as always in that perfectly pressed coat of skin.

Although I had declined the departmental transfer, for some reason she still came to find me.

About twice a week.

It wasn’t an excessive frequency.

But those two occasions were the only moments that truly allowed me to feel what it meant to breathe again within this company.

Just two days ago, I had gone out with her as well and visited restaurants that I could never have afforded during my years as a job seeker.

— As long as it isn’t overeating, I think periodically enjoying good food or elaborate dishes suits you quite well, Mr. Haeil.

Since even the doctor had recommended something similar, it seemed to be quite effective.

I had rejected her recruitment offer, but perhaps if I got along better with her, I could enjoy life a little more.

Today, we once again entered the elevator.

And crossed a door.

Sunlight.

People.

Seoul.

The smell of accumulated sweat.

People walking with iced coffee and cell phones in hand.

Moon Ara’s white hair gleamed softly among the crowd.

And I walked silently, following her shadow.

We went to whichever restaurant appealed to us.

We ate.

Had coffee.

And visited bookstores when she suggested it.

Time to walk in silence.

To sit.

To breathe.

It was simply pleasant.

After finishing our meal, we returned to the office.

I watched the team members disperse to their respective stations.

Supervisor Shik was growling somewhere.

Assistant Manager Son was dozing with his fist embedded in the logbook.

And it seemed Director Mok had gone somewhere to spread his stems and roots.

Manager Myeon.

As always, he wasn’t there.

And that wasn’t strange either.

He was an existence capable of quietly disappearing from the office without anyone questioning it.

I sat down in my chair and tried to catch my breath.

The memory of sunlight still floated behind my eyelids.

I closed them slightly.

Breathed slowly.

Tap, tap.

The sensation on my shoulder was gentler than I expected.

But it contained a strangeness that was impossible to describe.

I slowly turned my head.

And right in front of my eyes was a dark red tentacle, as though it had grown directly from an elbow, lightly tapping my shoulder.

‘That scared me.’

I swallowed the scream.

The tentacle recoiled in surprise.

And behind it appeared a familiar smiling face.

It was Manager Batori.

Her silver hair, shining like platinum, swayed down to her waist.

Her skin, paler than usual, appeared almost ghostly beneath the dim office lighting.

Her dark red eyes pierced directly into mine.

“Mr. Jeong Haeil.”

“Yes, Manager Batori.”

Instinctively, I put on my professional smile and politely lowered my head.

Amid the brief silence following lunch with Moon Ara, a strange presence drifted toward me like a gust of wind.

“Come. We need to talk for a moment.”

Manager Batori rested an elbow on a chair and leaned forward.

She was much closer than I expected.

Close enough that I could feel her breath.

Her red eyes pierced me from that distance.

I moistened my dry lips and nodded.

“Of course.”

At that response, Manager Batori tilted her head slightly.

That tiny movement contained a strange disappointment.

***

It was the first time in a long while that we had returned to having private conversations in the break room.

The moment the door closed, Manager Batori spoke.

“It seems you’ve become quite close to Manager Moon Ara lately.”

That was not a compliment.

Her tone remained elegant.

But deep dissatisfaction and obvious displeasure coiled within it.

I hesitated for a moment.

Here.

Or rather, in front of an existence like her.

Hiding things was not always the best strategy.

In the end, I hadn’t left.

And as long as it wasn’t something fatal, I would probably survive.

“I did. Actually, I received a transfer offer. To the Security Team.”

The instant I finished the sentence.

Manager Batori’s red eyes dilated.

Her skin began to tear apart slowly.

There was no other way to describe it.

The flesh of her cheeks and the corners of her lips split open slightly.

And within those cracks appeared tiny red eyes lined up like soldiers.

A tongue dangled from her half-open mouth.

And from it extended another, even longer tongue, tentacle-like, which began slowly licking the floor.

I had made a catastrophic mistake.

Then her voice rang out.

“How dare you?”

“…Manager Batori?”

“How dare you abandon the grace bestowed upon you by this humble servant?”

“W-wait a moment. It’s a misunderstanding, Manager Batori.”

“Are you telling me you fell under the spell of that vulgar proposal?”

“That you intend to hand over this humble servant’s bloodline into the greedy hands of an avaricious parasite?”

This was not the Manager Batori I usually saw.

The current Batori was something constructed from blood.

The elegant and dignified exterior was tearing apart, revealing the original existence hidden inside.

“You miserable little insect, how dare you covet this noble one’s lineage?”

Manager Batori’s eyes and mouth opened vertically.

More tentacles writhed within.

By that point, dark crimson vein-like strands had also begun spreading through her hair.

“This is an invasion against this noble one. A theft. A humiliation.”

This couldn’t continue.

If things went on like this, I had a feeling that at least one among Moon Ara, Manager Batori, or myself would end up dead.

And most likely, it would be me.

“Manager.”

I interrupted carefully.

“I… already rejected the offer.”

It took quite a while to say it.

I had to inhale two or three times before the sentence finally left my mouth.

“I already decided to stay in Extraction Team 1.”

Manager Batori froze.

The torn skin slowly began closing again.

The sound of flesh rejoining was similar to the wet friction of removing a soaked glove.

The tentacles curled up one by one before sinking back into her hair.

A crimson eye stared directly at me.

Her breathing regained a human rhythm.

“You really…”

She let out a brief sigh before once again straightening her posture with elegance.

“You truly know how to startle this noble one. To think you rejected the honeyed words of that vixen.”

I briefly lowered my head.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

She let out a soft chuckle.

Relief and a slight display of affection were mixed into that laughter.

“You have nothing to apologize for. Rather, you should feel proud. Very few can resist that woman’s charms. Most simply let themselves be carried away by her like water following its course. But the thought that even you might waver without knowing where you belong was far too painful for this noble one.”

I nodded silently.

“…I’ll be more careful in the future.”

“Good.”

She cut me off right there.

Then she looked at me again with those beautiful and strange crimson eyes of hers.

“I never doubted your loyalty. However, do try not to mention something like that ever again.”

I lowered my head.

I had saved my life.

And my pleasant lunches had come to an end.

At this rate, my bank account would probably start filling up again.

“Yes, Manager.”

Only then did the atmosphere become a little warmer.

A soft fluorescent light filtered through the gap beneath the door.

I relaxed in silence.

Manager Batori remained seated across from me, humming as though the anger from a few moments ago had never existed.

But I knew.

I knew the name of the emotion that had shone behind those crimson eyes.

Possessiveness.

Obsession.

And perhaps something even beyond that.

“Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm— hmmm.”

It was a hum.

It had no defined melody.

Nor any fixed rhythm.

And yet, curiously, it only appeared when Manager Batori was in an especially good mood and relaxed.

And although I hadn’t known her for that long, the Batori I knew became surprisingly simple when she was happy.

‘……’

Lately, I had become fairly accustomed to extraction work.

Thanks to that, I occasionally had some free time.

And free time tended to create room for stupid questions to slip in.

I had chosen to remain in Extraction Team 1.

But since my lunches had been taken away from me, I should at least get something in return.

And now was the perfect time to take advantage of her good mood and acquire some knowledge.

I leaned forward slightly.

Manager Batori continued humming while taking sip after sip from her thermos full of blood.

“Manager.”

I spoke cautiously.

Manager Batori slowly spun the thermos with one hand and nodded.

“Yes, darling. Speak.”

“I’ll continue being a member of Extraction Team 1 in the future. I also want to perform my work better. Executive Director Gu told me that eventually I’ll begin taking external assignments.”

“Ah, I heard you met with Executive Director Gu. He was delighted. He said that speaking with you had been an exquisite gastronomic experience.”

I closed my mouth for a moment.

Before speaking again, I lowered my head once more.

“When I start taking external assignments, I’ve heard there are many different dimensional entities. Are there really many more dimensional entities besides the ones in the containment rooms? Or rather… may I ask what exactly they are?”

Click.

The sound of the stainless-steel thermos lid turning echoed much louder than it should have.

Manager Batori tilted her head slightly.

Then she spoke.

“…You’re asking because you truly don’t know?”

This one was safe.

Perhaps for the first time, my prediction had been correct.

Maybe I was finally starting to understand her.

She looked at me with blood-red eyes as if I were ridiculous.

A sigh of relief ran down my back.

My skin seemed to come back to life.

The chill climbing my spine disappeared.

“Ah, yes. I mean… I really don’t know.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Not a single meeting, memo, or training session had clearly explained the true nature of dimensional entities.

The only things repeated to us over and over were that they were dangerous.

And that energy could be extracted from them.

No one had ever explained what they actually were.

Manager Batori continued looking at me while holding the thermos.

Her gaze was far calmer and deeper than before.

She even seemed slightly interested.

“Hehe, truly, there are times when the innocence of someone like you frightens this noble one.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. No, rather, it is something to celebrate. The fact that you still don’t know means this noble one still has many more things to teach you.”

With that, she placed the thermos on the table.

It was still half full of blood.

“Very well. If you wish to know, this noble one will teach you.”

She adjusted her posture.

No tentacles.

No eyes opening.

No mouths tearing apart.

And yet, her crimson gaze seemed more focused on me than the fluorescent lights of the break room.

The question had passed without issue.

Now it was the answer’s turn.

“Mr. Jeong Haeil.”

As she slowly spun the thermos with her fingertips, she created an oddly solemn atmosphere, like candlelight inside an ancient cathedral.

“Dimensional entities are beings that cannot be defined in a single sentence.”

Her voice resonated softly.

A voice cultivated among blood and time.

“They possess neither a fixed form, nor a rule, nor an origin. And even if they once had such things, those records were forgotten long ago or destroyed because no one could endure them. No one knows the whole truth.”

Suddenly, I remembered Nameless’s murmurs.

Nameless.

Silent Swan.

The Portrait of a Dismantled God.

…And the White and Chubby Furball.

Along with the countless dimensional entities I had worked with in Zone D.

“They are nothing more than the result of something that leaked through from the other side when a crack appeared in this world. Most come from unknown places. No one knows what they originated from. Since they do not share the principles or nature of this world, they possess their own lives, their own rules, and their own conditions of existence.”

She looked directly at me.

“You have blood, don’t you? Blood flows through your veins. Your heart beats. Sensations transmit signals. And your thoughts form your personality.”

I nodded silently.

“Dimensional entities exist outside all of that.”

Outside.

For some reason, that word gave me chills.

“They do not die, yet they do not live either. They exist without existing. It makes no sense, does it? Precisely because of that. Since finite logic cannot fully comprehend them, we call them ‘dimensional entities.’ The only thing that can be defined about them is the fact that they cannot be defined.”

She had not released any tentacles.

Her eyes had not opened.

And yet, I felt completely overwhelmed by her words.

“That is why we keep them here and extract the unique energy they possess—a kind of wave that leaks from their point of contact with this world.”

I repeated those words silently in my mind.

‘A wave that leaks from their point of contact with this world.’

“That can become money. Fuel. Weapons. Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts Ltd. is a company that specializes precisely in that. Isolating dimensional entities, extracting them, refining them, fusing them, and transforming them into products suitable for this world.”

She took another sip of blood.

“So never forget it. Those Class D dimensional entities you work with every day. Even those remnants that seem so insignificant did not originate in this world.”

I felt something settle deeply inside my mind.

It was less a feeling of understanding and more one of acceptance.

She smiled softly.

The moment her crimson eyes passed over me, I had the strange sensation that I myself was being pushed a little farther outside this world.

“Well then, this noble one’s lesson ends here. If you try to absorb too much at once, your head might explode.”

She spun the thermos and resumed humming.

I let out a small sigh.

And thought.

‘Dimensional entities are monsters in themselves.’

No.

Perhaps even the word monster was too human to define them.

Dimensional entities were beings that had leaked in from outside, alien to the principles of this world.

We extracted their waves and transformed them into products.

They neither lived nor died.

They existed without existing.

‘Then…’

I slowly raised my head and imagined the office.

The schedule board hanging on the wall.

The reports piled on the desks.

The hands that continued writing out of pure habit.

The sound of the photocopier.

And those supervisors who looked like monsters.

Manager Myeon.

Director Mok.

Manager Batori.

Assistant Manager Son.

Supervisor Shik.

And Executive Director Gu.

They were names I saw every day at the company.

Familiar faces.

Sometimes they gave orders.

Sometimes they made me forget it was already time to leave work.

And sometimes they forced me to do absurd things that left people vomiting.

But in the end.

‘They are dimensional entities too.’

The moment that thought crossed my mind, a cold sweat ran down the back of my neck.

They were dimensional entities.

And yet, they were not inside the extraction chambers.

They were not trapped behind glass walls in containment rooms.

Instead, they were in the extraction hallways.

In meeting rooms.

In front of elevators.

Sitting at office desks.

And that was precisely what was strangest.

‘Then why exactly are they outside the extraction chambers…’

While the dimensional entities are inside?

I swallowed the question.

I knew better now.

I could be human.

I could belong to this company for some reason.

But this was probably one of those questions that should never be spoken aloud.

At that moment, the fluorescent light in the break room flickered briefly.

Manager Batori rose elegantly to her feet and said,

“Come. It’s time to return. The afternoon work shift is about to begin.”

I nodded and stood up as though nothing had happened.

Today, it would be better to finish my reports in silence.

After all, the truly dangerous things always come after the question is asked.