Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4)

Beside me, Lee Seong-hoon let out a stunned exclamation.

“…Huh?”

A continuation of that hell filled with black rust running down the walls, crushed chunks of flesh, and dampness mixed with the smell of blood.

The corridor on the left was the same as the ones we had traveled through so far.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

As if drawn by a magnet, he tried to take a step toward the corridor on the right.

Hope lit up Lee Seong-hoon’s eyes.

However, the corridor on the right was so clean that it was unsettling.

“Hyung, look… look over there! alien It’s a normal path!”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“…Yes? sphere Hyung, it’s that way! atlas If we go there, maybe we can get out!”

“Calm down and step back.”

“Seong-hoon.”

I stopped him with a cold, firm voice.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Fluorescent lights flickering at regular intervals.

A spotless floor.

I looked at the corridor on the right.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

It looked so perfectly normal that it made one forget we were inside an eroded distorted zone.

But the necklace hanging around my neck told a completely different story.

And an orderly atmosphere.

‘…Something isn’t right.’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The pendant hidden beneath my shirt began to emit an unpleasant sense of presence.

Under the vision it granted me, that clean corridor did not appear as a beautiful white color.

Its weight increased.

Pulses and heat seeped through it.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“H-hyung… that place really looks safe… why are you acting like this?”

So faint it seemed transparent.

Yet permeated with a chill capable of wearing down bones.

It was an artificial red.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Lee Seong-hoon looked at me with a frightened expression.

I answered quietly while holding the necklace.

“When something looks that perfect, it usually means there’s an even bigger problem.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I pointed at the obsessively clean corridor.

“Think about the prison guards we saw earlier. action Every corridor we’ve passed through was filled with blood, flesh, and corpses. sphere Because they’re spaces used by prisoners.”

“But this is too clean. autumn Too normal. anxiety Too orderly.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“…And why is that…?”

Lee Seong-hoon swallowed and lowered his head.

“If it’s a space maintained that perfectly, it means whoever manages it must use it frequently.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

He looked back at the corridor on the left.

That horrible path filled with pools of blood and the stench of decay.

The hope that had appeared in his eyes was once again replaced by deep fear.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“It’d be nice if some sort of rule manual or something showed up, but for now, let’s keep moving.”

I smiled bitterly and stepped forward first.

But at least it was more honest than that deceptively perfect corridor on the right.

The path on the left was still covered in the yellow warning haze displayed by the necklace.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The sound of our feet sinking into the sticky floor echoed loudly.

We turned one corner. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Behind me came the trembling footsteps of Lee Seong-hoon.

In this place, the only survival rule I could choose for myself was to trust a familiar mountain of corpses more than a beautiful hell.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

And another.

For a long time, we walked without speaking.

Eventually, we practically stopped talking altogether.

Then another.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

When we looked away, the figures inside the cells stared at us.

When we breathed, the stench entered our lungs.

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

Simply walking felt as though it were slowly wearing down our minds.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The floor was viscous.

The air itself seemed alive, pressing against the backs of our necks.

And the sensation of our ankles sinking into flesh and bones repeated itself over and over again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

At the end of the corridor stood a single iron gate embedded in the wall.

Unlike the countless cells we had seen so far, there was no prison behind those bars.

Lee Seong-hoon finally spoke.

“…There are bars.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

It was rusted.

And dried bloody handprints remained on it.

Only darkness.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I grabbed the bars and slowly opened them.

And at that moment—

The space changed again.

But we had no other choice.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The gate we had entered through vanished.

“…A library?”

Old bookshelves were arranged at regular intervals.

And before us appeared—

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Or maybe a high school.

Perhaps one belonging to a middle school.

It was a small library. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Most of the bookshelves had collapsed.

Between the shelves.

The books had been torn out and scattered across the floor.

But there weren’t only books.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

There were corpses mutilated so badly that it was impossible to recognize their original forms.

And all over the floor.

On the chairs.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The blood had hardened around them.

“This place…”

One still slumped over a desk wearing glasses.

Another remained frozen in front of a bookshelf with a broken neck.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“There are no signs of prison guards. shadow At least for now.”

I interrupted Lee Seong-hoon.

“First, let’s rest for a moment.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The shelves had collapsed.

Or rather, an imitation of one.

It looked like a school library.

A recreation covered in blood and flesh.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I stayed near the entrance for several seconds, sniffing the air.

And torn books were mixed with severed arms on the floor.

Decay.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

But nothing moved.

Moisture.

It wasn’t a very large place.

Death.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

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

If a prison guard were nearby, we would have noticed immediately.

And above all, I wanted to get away from those unbearable cell corridors filled with aberrant voices as quickly as possible.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Subtly pushed aside some bloodstains.

I chose a chair and sat down.

I brushed away the dust.

After checking the area once more, I walked deeper inside.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

But still.

‘It’s ridiculous to feel something like this in the middle of a field of corpses.’

And leaned back.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

He tried to lean against the backrest.

Lee Seong-hoon also approached and sat down cautiously.

For the first time in a long while, I felt the accumulated tension loosen.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

But even that seemed like a luxury at the moment.

Lee Seong-hoon whispered.

“…We’re still alive.”

Then he noticed the blood smeared across it and flinched.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I didn’t turn my head.

“To try escaping, you first have to stay alive.”

“Hyung… do you really think we’ll be able to escape like this?”

“I guess that’s true, but…”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I didn’t answer.

“This place is too scary… This isn’t a dream, right…?”

Lee Seong-hoon muttered to himself.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I also pretended not to hear the words that came next. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

I simply closed my eyes and pretended I hadn’t heard anything.

“……”

“Where are your companions, hyung? action Is there any way to find them?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“And these books seem really old too… Even though it’s strange, they aren’t organized. acquire It’s different from the corridor earlier, but…”

I didn’t even respond with single-syllable answers.

“……”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I didn’t want to prolong the conversation.

I was grateful that he had followed me without breaking down in tears.

Beyond my personality, this was not the time to share emotions through words.

But beyond that, it was something I couldn’t handle.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“Seong-hoon.”

“Hyung, that bookshelf over there…”

Even so, Lee Seong-hoon spoke again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I heard him hold his breath.

“…Yes?”

But he immediately fell silent again.

“Get some rest.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

This prison was alive.

I rested my chin on one hand and looked around.

The spaces changed constantly.

The paths distorted themselves whenever they had the chance.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Will Director Mok and Supervisor Shik know that I disappeared?

He said it was strange.

He said he felt a presence.

Before opening that door, Director Mok had sensed something.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Could he detect my location as well?

He even changed our direction slightly.

Or had all three of us been scattered apart?

Would the other two still be together while I was the only one separated?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I let out a short sigh and covered my face with both hands.

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

What if all of us had been separated?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

A pulse.

I rubbed my face once.

Then again.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The rosary tightened.

In a cold way.

‘At least it helps reduce useless anxiety.’

The company’s items were genuinely useful.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

They allowed me to maintain only thoughts focused on survival.

The device, stained with half-dried blood, rested heavily in my palm.

I pulled the extractor from my clothes.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

20%.

A red indicator glowed on the front panel.

It was still not enough. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

‘Even so…’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

At that moment, Lee Seong-hoon spoke once more.

I tried to put the extractor away again.

I had told him to rest.

“Hyung.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Just as I was about to turn my head, Lee Seong-hoon pointed at something with a thin, trembling finger.

I frowned.

That meant he should stay quiet.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Behind the shadows.

Without moving my head, I followed the direction of his finger with my eyes.

Between the library shelves.

‘…What is that?’

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

One was a sturdy man who looked to be in his early twenties.

Beside him stood a woman with short hair and a physique that did not pale in comparison to the man’s.

Two figures were standing there.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Both appeared human.

They were moving.

Unlike the corpses in the library, they were standing on two healthy legs.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“…Seong-hoon, behind me.”

“Are they people?”

They were alive.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I slowly stood up.

“There are many things that look like people without actually being people.”

Very slowly.

And focused my attention on those two figures.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

A tense silence.

I didn’t speak to them.

They didn’t say anything either.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

The man looked to be in his early twenties.

And at the point where our gazes met, a thick tension flowed, as heavy as the very air of Gangsol Prison.

The two figures finally came into view.

A man and a woman cautiously peering out from between the bookshelves.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

He carried a backpack on his back.

The woman was slightly shorter.

He was tall and wore sportswear covered in blood.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

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

She had short hair and wore dark athletic clothing.

But her gaze was sharp.

And she watched in my direction with empty hands.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Without making a sound or revealing his presence, he hid behind my back.

I sensed movement behind me.

Instinctively, I lowered my body.

It was Lee Seong-hoon.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

My hand naturally slid inside my clothes.

“Don’t move.”

I muttered quietly as I lowered one knee to the floor to maintain my balance.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

I didn’t have a proper weapon for subduing someone.

But I also didn’t want them to discover that I was practically unarmed in the middle of this hell.

Who were they?

The cold surface of the bone pen touched my fingers.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“Oh, wow, you scared us! wizard It’s okay, it’s okay. palette Relax.”

The man slowly raised both hands and spoke with a smile.

Then—

First, I needed to understand the situation.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“We’re… uh… from the Anomalous Disaster Management Department. acid We’re from the Control Team! admire You know us, right? amateur The Control Team! atlas We’ve come to rescue you.”

Cheerful.

Far too light for a situation like this.

A carefree voice.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“My name is Agent Min Do-hyeon. acid Wow, this place is really terrifying, isn’t it? armor Honestly, even horror games don’t go this far. athlete Are you two okay?”

As he casually looked around the blood-covered library, he continued speaking.

That unexpected name momentarily took my breath away.

The Anomalous Disaster Management Department?

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

‘How strange. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors. ’

Instead of answering, I narrowed my eyes.

I felt the strange pulse of the necklace beneath my shirt.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

And he said he belonged to the Anomalous Disaster Management Department?

That man who claimed to be Min Do-hyeon.

“A rescue agent?”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

But I was more focused on his appearance than his words.

He continued speaking completely naturally.

“Exactly! acoustic We arrived a bit late, didn’t we? amber The paths kept changing, so it took us quite a while. aspect Ah, and we have some food in the backpack, first-aid supplies, and a few tools. silence Not much, but you’ll be safe if you come with us.”

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

And athletic shoes.

He looked nothing like the agents of the Anomalous Disaster Management Department I had seen before in the endless corridors.

He wore black high-mobility tactical clothing.

Both Yeom Hwi and Seo Ryu had worn elegant formal suits and dress shoes, as though attending a funeral.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

‘He doesn’t have a firearm.’

Yet all he carried was a knife and an expandable baton.

And on top of that, he was supposedly an agent exploring a distorted zone.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

Even though they were a mess from blood and chunks of flesh, I was still wearing a suit.

I slowly turned my head and looked at my own clothes.

No matter how I looked at him, he was completely different from the genuine agents of the Anomalous Disaster Management Department I had seen before.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

“Really? atom I don’t remember seeing you before.”

It was worth taking the gamble.

I needed to confirm the truth before deciding how to deal with them.

Translation of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 43: Gangsol Prison (4) by Indra Translations.

For a fraction of a second, the other person’s eyes wavered in a strange way.

“…Because I belong to the Anomalous Disaster Management Department.”

“Huh?”

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