Chapter 7: When You Can’t Reason With Your Boss at Work

“Manager, we’re back.”

When I returned to the office together with Assistant Manager Son, Manager Myeon was already seated in his place.

As always, he had seven heads on his shoulders, and one of them was yawning with slightly dried lips.

The moment I saw that, I turned my head away purely on instinct.

It was impossible to get used to it.

Though, well, there was no point in thinking I ever could.

The human brain was not designed to accept something like the appearance of your direct superior.

“Ah, you’re back already. Employee Jeong also worked hard.”

One of Manager Myeon’s faces, the one with the relatively more orderly mouth, spoke.

“Yes, thank you very much.”

I responded as clearly and respectfully as possible.

My body was exhausted and my insides were still churning, but when you want to take money out of someone else’s pocket, the bare minimum is to hide everything behind a smile.

Though in my current case, it was more about survival than money.

“I assigned D-7 to him as a start. He understood the manual well and, although there was a small variable midway through the process, he handled it perfectly.”

Assistant Manager Son added that while handing over the report from behind.

The fist-head seemed to rise slightly, as though proud.

For an instant, I became confused wondering whether that movement meant nodding or shrugging.

“Oh, that was an excellent start.”

Manager Myeon spoke with satisfaction while reviewing the report.

Then he lifted his arm and gave me a few gentle pats on the shoulder.

I felt those long, pale fingers brush against my shoulder, but I maintained a calm expression.

“It’s not common for a rookie to respond so well during their first extraction. Most of them trigger the alarm.”

“Exactly. Just as Director Gu said, it seems a rather intelligent rookie joined us.”

When Assistant Manager Son snapped his fist once more, one of Manager Myeon’s faces smiled kindly before continuing.

“Your reaction speed was good. According to the report, not only did you memorize the content, you also remembered the core of the manual. Mm, very good. Tomorrow we’ll already be able to send you to a risk zone.”

Manager Myeon’s hand tightened around my shoulder a little more.

Risk zone?

No. No, I want to believe I heard wrong.

Besides, I could swear some lips had just licked themselves strangely again.

“I hope you maintain that attitude from now on. The work here doesn’t consist of mechanically repeating things. It requires thinking.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I lowered my head respectfully once again.

And sighed deeply inwardly.

Two monsters were congratulating each other because I hadn’t repeated another monster’s words.

What kind of company was this?

Could this really be called work?

“Now that I think about it, we said you were a competent employee and we didn’t even give you a joining gift. After all, I was the one who personally interviewed you.”

He said that while pulling a finely decorated small metal box from the back of a drawer.

On the surface was engraved the code [D-88].

“Take it. It’s an item processed by the refinement department from one of the dimensional entities you saw yesterday. Consider it a gift for completing your first practice. Besides, tomorrow you’ll be going to another zone, so you might need it.”

So the part about sending me to a risk zone really was serious.

When Manager Myeon’s pale fingers opened the box, a faint purple light revealed a strange object.

At first glance, it looked like an ordinary fountain pen.

But upon closer inspection, the body of the pen was made from carefully polished human phalanges, while the tip was a sharp fragment of white bone.

“Oh, are you already going to give him equipment?”

Assistant Manager Son shifted aside as though surprised.

To be honest, it looked extremely unpleasant to use.

Without knowing whether he understood what I was thinking or not, Manager Myeon replied with a warm smile.

“It’s not something we officially sell in the company store. Let’s say it’s a welcome gift specially prepared for Employee Jeong. It’s made from the remains of the dimensional entity D-88, the ‘Holy Mother Who Strips the Bones’ The name will be… ‘Compassion of the Holy Mother,’ I suppose.”

Hearing him speak like that, it was impossible to come up with an excuse not to accept it.

The instant I took the pen Manager Myeon offered me, a chill ran through my entire body and the hairs on my hand stood on end.

From the cold body of the pen came a faint vibration, like the heartbeat of a living being.

“The function is simple but effective. If during an extraction you suffer a fracture or dislocation, don’t hesitate to stab the tip of this pen into the affected area.”

Manager Myeon’s seven mouths simultaneously formed a grotesque curve.

“The experience of feeling broken bones scream while returning to their place is quite special. There’s no better immediate emergency treatment. If it’s a wound you can directly pierce with the pen, it also works on cuts or scrapes. Ah, and of course, it also functions as a writing instrument.”

When he finished his explanation, I looked once more at the pen I was holding.

Thanks to my service in certain special places, I had seen many advanced technologies.

But that white bone fragment I held in my hand instantly reduced all achievements of modern science to the level of primitive craftsmanship.

The walls of the laws of physics crumbled before my eyes like sandcastles.

‘Should something like this even exist in the world?’

An object capable of repairing tissue and resetting bones simply by stabbing into the body.

It didn’t seem like a technological product.

It was more like a miracle created by sacrificing logic and concepts.

“Thank you very much. Though honestly, I’m worried it may be too much for me.”

I tried to speak calmly, but the tips of my fingers trembled slightly while holding the pen.

As Sergeant Jeong Haeil, I admired the strategic value of that object.

As a psychology student, I felt nauseated by the inhuman efficiency of equipment that repaired human bodies as though they were simple chunks of flesh.

“It’s not that remarkable. It’s useless against higher-category damage and, moreover, it consumes calcium, so each use will cause severe demineralization. You’ll have to accept things like deformed limbs or loose teeth.”

In other words, if I didn’t want to end up completely boneless, I had to use it sparingly.

It wasn’t treatment.

It was a mechanical consideration intended to force the body to continue working.

Even so, when I placed the bone pen into my breast pocket, the heartbeat transmitted from it toward my own heart gave me a strange feeling.

Steady, rhythmic pulses.

And beyond that, in this insane job, I felt a certain practical relief at having equally insane equipment I could rely on.

“Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”

The corners of my lips rose a little more easily.

This is good.

Smile.

As soon as I returned to my spot while maintaining a kind expression, Assistant Manager Son turned his head toward the wall.

No, the head that is, the enormous fist tilted slightly.

“By the way, it’s almost time for him to arrive.”

Unconsciously, I followed Assistant Manager Son’s gaze and looked at the clock.

More precisely, I guessed where he was looking and then looked at the clock.

How did Assistant Manager Son even tell the time?

With a sixth sense?

If you see with a fist, can it still be called a sixth sense?

After even seeing Manager Batory, I could no longer hold back my questions.

“Excuse me… what exactly is Supervisor Shik like?”

Assistant Manager Son snapped his finger as though he had been waiting for that question.

Manager Myeon slightly raised his head thoughtfully, and the face on his left cheek spoke.

“He’s the ace of our team. He can handle almost any dimensional entity alone. His extraction capabilities are practically at the level of an administrator.”

“He has a somewhat impulsive temperament, but he’s responsible and very competent. Ah, of course, Assistant Manager Son as well. He can subdue most Class B dimensional entities on his own.”

At Manager Myeon’s praise, Assistant Manager Son’s fist clenched and opened once with a snap.

“His personality is… how should I put it… when he concentrates on work, he can become somewhat rough, but that’s part of his nature. Even so, he always takes work very seriously.”

“I see. I just wanted to know if there was anything I should keep in mind beforehand.”

When I responded in a lifeless voice, the mouth beneath Manager Myeon’s chin let out a chuckle.

“Don’t worry. At the very least, he devours fewer employees than Manager Batory.”

Devours employees.

For an instant, I lost my expressionless composure and my face slightly twisted, but Manager Myeon casually leaned back as he spoke.

“So, Employee Jeong. Don’t be too afraid and simply observe and learn just as you are. Supervisor Shik is, without a doubt, the magnificent ace of Extraction Team 1.”

Without knowing whether that was comfort or a warning, I forced a tense smile.

And thought inwardly.

Temperamental, an ace, a guy I’ve seen many times in the military already.

Maybe retiring was the worst decision of my life.

“Oh, he’s almost here.”

Thud.

The moment Manager Myeon finished speaking, a heavy sound echoed from somewhere.

Thud… thud…

Footsteps slowly approaching from beyond the wall.

They were not Manager Myeon’s soft footsteps nor the rhythmic sound of Assistant Manager Son’s shoes.

Those weren’t footsteps.

They were impacts.

As though an enormous beast, its center of gravity collapsed, was advancing while crushing the hallway beneath gigantic paws.

Thud.

Thuuud.

Thuud.

The rhythm wasn’t even constant.

Between the footsteps dragged a heavy metallic and viscous sound.

Clang— scrape— thud—

The noise of metal scraping against concrete approached slowly, very slowly.

Don’t get nervous.

One experience with the company infirmary was already enough.

Thud—

Thuud—

The hallway footsteps arrived directly in front of the office.

And then, silence.

A brief silence.

Within it, I heard my heart pounding louder than my own eardrums.

Click.

The handle slowly turned.

There were no mechanical sounds or alarms.

Only the faint trembling of the floor as the door began to open.

And finally.

“…….”

When the door opened, something darker than darkness entered.

Black fur.

Completely black fur, rigid like steel.

It looked like a beast through whose veins not hot blood, but something entirely different flowed.

That thing crouched down, filling the entire office entrance while exhaling a rough breath.

“Grrrrrrrrng…….”

With that low growl alone, the air tore apart and the objects on the desks began vibrating.

One step.

Two steps.

That gigantic existence entered.

The instant I raised my gaze to check what exactly it was, I sincerely regretted doing so.

My hands tensed on their own to the point that it felt like my bones would break.

That thing could not simply be described as large.

It easily stood over 2.5 meters tall, and even while hunched to avoid the ceiling, it radiated pressure capable of crushing the entire room.

Up close, between the black fur bristling like blades, chunks of rotten flesh and reddish scales stuck like scabs could be seen.

The skin looked like that of a beast forcibly stitched together, covered in indescribable scars intertwined like coral reefs.

‘That… isn’t a suit?’

Besides, Manager Myeon, Assistant Manager Son, Manager Batory, even the tentacled doctor monster, all of them wore normal clothes.

But this monster before me was wrapped in thick, rough gray fabric.

It resembled a net used to capture beasts or a pile of rotten rags wrapped around its body.

Between those worn cloths protruded swollen black muscles as though they were about to burst.

And chains.

Thick rusted chains were embedded into its arms, legs, and torso.

The flesh around them was red and festering, as though the metal and body had fused together.

Every movement produced a horrifying metallic clanking sound.

But what was truly overwhelming was the head.

It was not human.

It was the skull of a gigantic beast.

One of the ears had been bitten off halfway, and around the snout were geometric scars, as though someone had stabbed it repeatedly.

Over its mouth, designed more for tearing apart than speaking, it wore an enormous metal muzzle.

But even that muzzle was warped by the strength of its jaws, and between the gaps gleaming fangs dripped thick saliva.

As though it could crush and devour everything in the world.

Between those enormous fangs escaped deformed breaths resembling laments.

Long arms, curved and covered in worn claws.

Its arms seemed twice as long as a human’s, and the claws dragged along the floor, carving grooves into the cracked concrete.

‘This shit… is supposed to be an employee?’

Supervisor Shik did not resemble a living being.

He looked like a natural disaster made flesh.

Even without speaking, it could be understood.

That existence was far closer to tearing people apart than teaching them.

Supervisor Shik heavily entered the office.

When his enormous body brushed against the doorframe, a fluorescent cover nearly got torn loose by his mane.

He stepped back once as though accustomed to it and let out a long snort toward the ceiling.

“Grrrgh… khk… grrrrr.”

The office fell silent for an instant.

But it was not an awkward or tense silence.

It was as though everyone had perfectly understood what he had just said.

Manager Myeon crossed his arms and answered using one of his seven faces.

“Yes. We restocked enough for three days. Besides, you now have a new subordinate, so there’s no need for you to overwork yourself.”

“Grrr… grrrrr. Huuuh—”

“Yes, our Haeil. He did very well. It was his first time facing D-7, and even so, he was excellent.”

I stared at that scene in shock.

Could those sounds of boiling phlegm coming from that beast truly be interpreted as language?

How the hell did that work?

Frequencies? Telepathy? Or was there some common language among monsters that I didn’t know?

Supervisor Shik slowly turned his head toward me.

Within those golden pupils burning like magma swirled eternal fury and an impossible-to-satisfy hunger.

And in the next instant, that gigantic body growled.

“Grrrgh. Krrr, huuuugh. Haaa—”

That could not be called conversation.

It was a strange breath dragged up from the depths of the throat.

Not words, but low vibrations, like bones scraping against one another.

And yet, both Manager Myeon and Assistant Manager Son simply listened and nodded naturally.

“Of course. Employee Jeong comes from the military, so he’s physically fit and quick to learn. He’ll surely adapt soon.”

“Yes, Supervisor Shik. I already taught him the basics, so don’t worry.”

“Krrgh, huuuuh… grrrrr.”

“Hehe, how about we hold a welcome dinner for Employee Jeong before work ends?”

“Eh, shouldn’t that wait until Director Mok returns from vacation, don’t you think?”

“Grrrrng, khk, grrrrrr….”

They were smiling.

Manager Myeon and Assistant Manager Son were showing sincere smiles in their own ways.

Manager Myeon softly curved several lips.

Assistant Manager Son lightly opened and closed his fist.

And meanwhile, Supervisor Shik slowly began approaching me.

Thud, thuuud, thud—

The weight of his footsteps traveled through the floor into my body.

At that instant, I understood instinctively.

‘…I’m fucked.’

I’ve gone through countless shitty situations until now, but this one takes first place.

That existence before me was far larger and more terrifying than any monster I had seen before.

He couldn’t speak.

Literally, there was no way to communicate with him.

And on top of that, he was supposed to be my mentor.

“Gweeeehk.”

His growl continued echoing throughout the office while that hoarse breathing drew closer and closer.

Until it stopped directly in front of me.

I pushed my chair back purely on reflex.

If he straightened up, he would touch the ceiling.

Some part of my brain desperately screamed that I had to run away right now, but my body wouldn’t move.

‘He’s an employee. He’s an employee, right? A permanent worker at this company. A social existence. A superior… with the duty to train rookies….’

I frantically repeated that inside my mind.

And then I slowly forced a smile.

“……Nice to meet you. Supervisor Shik.”

The gigantic beast looked down at me while releasing a low growl.

And then.

Very slightly.

He nodded.

With that simple movement, the air throughout the office seemed to sink.

Supervisor Shik slowly lowered his enormous body toward me.

The more that gigantic torso descended, the more the office lighting became blocked behind him, until his shadow completely crushed me beneath it.

“……Grrrrr.”

Within his voice vibrated a high frequency, like the distant howl of a beast.

Slowly, he raised his eyelids.

And the instant I came face to face with those burning golden pupils, I felt as though I were staring directly into the abyss of the universe without any telescope at all.

The moment that gaze reached me, every fold of my brain began screaming in terror.

The sensation of seeing something that should never be witnessed.

As though my eyes were going blind, not from light, but from oblivion itself.

The moment those golden eyes looked directly at me, I involuntarily stopped breathing.

I felt my lungs curling upward.

As though my heart were trying to move inside my stomach.

That gaze didn’t seem to pierce only my skin, but drill directly into my brain.

“Pleasure to meet you. I hope we work well together.”

I gripped my knees so hard it felt as though I were trying to crush them.

I tried to maintain a smile, but my teeth trembled uncontrollably.

Fortunately, that horrible greeting did not last long.

When Supervisor Shik slowly turned his head and straightened back up, I felt my vision cooling until it became bluish.

Then the floor trembled once more.

Thud, thuud.

Supervisor Shik growled as though nothing had happened while licking the wounds hidden beneath his mane.

Only then could I breathe again.

It took several seconds for me to recover my breath.

And I realized one thing.

From now on, I would have to work beside this monster every single day.

I definitely have terrible luck with mentors.