Chapter 8: We’re Really Going to Fight That?
MTS8After that long introduction with Supervisor Shik ended.fC3AgF
jIfTaMI spent the time reviewing the company computer in an attempt to survive a boss who casually threw around summarized versions of manuals.8QA
LLHfPWhen a period of relative calm passed, Manager Myeon was the first to rise from his seat.euTXK
evq“It’s already time to head out. Everyone start wrapping things up. Employee Jeong, tomorrow you’ll inspect Sector B. Supervisor Shik, take Employee Jeong and do the tour slowly.”7KcASO
rKAsuAt Manager Myeon’s words, Supervisor Shik let out a deep growl.2QJh
AFyunDJThat vibration seemed to transmit directly through my bones and was so heavy I could practically trace the path of what I had eaten for breakfast inside my stomach.OWsRTYx
Z3O5hXgHowever, Manager Myeon simply nodded at that roar, and Assistant Manager Son also chimed in as though it were the most normal thing in the world.sLfZBN
sP2e“Sounds good. Sector B has been pretty stable lately. If Employee Jeong doesn’t go in now, then when will he? Manager, then I’ll head out first. Mr. Haeil, see you tomorrow.”ha3
CUn“Yes, see you tomorrow.”l3z
Va0Ij“Take care. Employee Jeong, you should head home too. Good work.”DjIEkOW
cVBjV“Yes. Then I’ll be leaving as well.”1Qv9uty
alfEpuFI forced a smile while leaving the office and opening the door as I listened to the voices behind me.6u7
9x8b5OWhen I opened a door that somehow felt familiar, my room was on the other side.F1YJi
noBAs always, half-dried clothes hanging up, dim lighting, boxes piled in one corner, and a shirt carelessly tossed onto the bed.YN4
JklThe clock on the wall read 6:42 p.m.Tgm8O
5SKQo“…At least we get off work early.”9hbW
smTgI muttered to myself.GEDCKmc
O0hcjThe only positive opinion I could calmly express about that company.Qx6tUs
n83I tossed my backpack somewhere and turned on the shower.SbCVT
tBndThe moment the water touched my body, it felt as though all my muscles melted instantly.1Wh
PAwAfter fainting in the morning, spending the whole day with monsters, reciting poems in front of inhuman entities, and attempting to converse with a chained beast, even the warmth of water felt like a blessing.sjFcUG
WliWhen I finished showering, I roughly dried my hair with a towel and collapsed onto the bed.vtdSGF
WP3The sheets were still damp and the room unpleasantly humid.qrD4nN
BmXSRDBut it didn’t matter.aFneoy
nd17FBLittle by little, I replayed everything that had happened today.YbAUz
EZtWhl— So Haeil, what was your specialty?6LW4k7
UiynaOSHand Head.fGOXj1
wsOM1I still had trouble accepting that his head was literally a hand, but perhaps he was the most normal person (?) I had seen so far.4xx
0rvCAt least he could speak and hold a conversation.WdjFJ
yd2lycK— I’ll remember you. Now that you’ve become part of my lineage, I hope you survive for a long time.p2iBg7k
Eh9Yf0Manager Batori.zu0ao
cxEHer appearance seemed like the result of concentrating every possible form of human beauty.Mmdujq
6Y70j49Of course, all of that was nothing more than a lie covered by a brilliant façade.C8Ii
Sl0z1OThe cheeks opening.O6mwa
IfnMThe mouth tearing apart.gmePRis
sP8VqJThe eyes rippling like blood.f6B
4uOrAAnd that gaze with which she seemed to slowly savor something inside me.uvpd
krit— You are looking at me. I am looking at you. We resemble one another.E8meb
YyYhD-7.4Ppmf
3kKWGKThe Murmur of the Anemone.VvNmgiI
f5NYYNThe three enormous anemones blooming from the sockets and mouth of that severed head.iwRwdyX
iLpAThe phrase that did not appear in the manual echoing from the deepest part of my subconscious.i0H
Im6Fortunately, I didn’t repeat it.kY0CJPn
gBjMore precisely, fortunately I was capable of not repeating it.pTUoT
Z5afUAnd finally.ZCTTI
ERS— Grrrrrr…T7H
PMVq5vSupervisor Shik.I1DKn
xmvQIt wasn’t something pretending to be a beast.bhLOI1
KiyKIt was a beast desperately struggling to imitate a person.islOCs
YbcPmMA gigantic beast dragging chains.SIg
SxgRB54‘And I’m going to go out working in a pair with that thing?’v5Yc
95ahFUNUnfortunately, that was now my daily life.6QhYK
CBlguI pulled the blanket all the way up to my chin.oba
U1tiPmToday was not just a simple attempt at escape.0KE8v
oPGrBatori’s drink, Supervisor Shik’s chains, Assistant Manager Son’s movements, and finally, the scene of my first extraction fragmented and embedded themselves one after another inside my head.Tnb
zLO“…Go to sleep.”PsVr2bq
vEFISilence.oivVDF
HEkBp8The apartment refrigerator made a small Click! before falling quiet again.SoA96ow
b6b9Z8That sound was the only thing that still seemed normal in this world.01aV8
7LSAB3***XkzR
6Lb0HLBThe next morning, going to work was still quick and cruel.odvk
XdYThe moment I opened the office door, those familiar scenes no, scenes I should never become accustomed to entered my sight.HU5rrUv
Q71Manager Myeon simultaneously turning his seven faces.c5BEI
BxMH0KAssistant Manager Son waving the fist he had for a head.Upp
fAbManager Batori shining with her blood-colored eyes amidst silent muteness.FhSC4g
snwj6And, in one corner of the office, the gigantic Supervisor Shik shaking out a rag while moving his shoulders.vprZ
YOt“Good morning.”CRQgK
h3JPy1I maintained a calm expression while greeting them politely.8Kr
jvHSocial life in this place was directly tied to survival.LAc7
SkGvbPManager Myeon smiled kindly.oQ5I5
npcV“Good morning, Employee Jeong. Today will also be a wonderful day.”R9f
JB4vT0One of his mouths yawned while another smiled without being able to close.5E7RoZ
ov8“Morning greetings are the most important thing.”1W9U3He
NYbFiAssistant Manager Son cheerfully opened and closed his fist in greeting while adding that.1cIS
3xDlZManager Batori remained seated, barely moving her gaze.RpZXWO
5gjSHer neck tilted elegantly, and from the corner of my eye I could see the mouth attached near her protruding collarbone.Sp4TmHm
JpwJ“Hehe today you also have a good complexion.”eHqWq
m2NI didn’t know whether that was simple courtesy or if she was asking for blood donation rights.BP4270x
hAUjuAnd then, beside her.s5ukP
AqhSupervisor Shik rose from his seat while dragging the chains clinking across his back.HCnxQzE
3A8tNREven hunched over, his 2.5-meter frame barely fit beneath the ceiling.RtB
g9dkHe slowly turned his head toward me.LR8m7ZV
eYQdjBetween the black fur covering his entire body, the golden eyes blinked.Y6fcFJQ
4U1nH“Grrrrrr— grrrr, huuuurrr…”c7B
xDVYjI froze once again.6U5v
uOqQyThat wasn’t language.Bse9c
Bdn0PIt wasn’t a curse or a cry, but something resembling the sigh of a dead god coming from some impossible place.Alxf
M3RBRBut the real problem was,GYm
kONs9‘W… what the hell did he say?’qtkb91n
MO2iSA greeting? Did he ask if I was ready? Or if I arrived late? Don’t tell me he asked whether I was hungry.E9nbYlp
8ZSqThousands of thoughts raced through my head.7jN0b
Kn5MAnd I simply went for it.CUV8aWP
iTB3BtIf I spoke timidly, my voice would be buried beneath that monstrous breathing, so I answered decisively.uoeA
Yf6cdI“Y-Yes, I’m ready!”2f0F
IlFLUSupervisor Shik stopped.HNE
8GIfpjEvery gaze in the office fixed on me for an instant.I0oa
AmY‘…Did… I mess up?’PDY
EjmZNDid I say something weird?ZE3
4ext3hdIf I can’t even understand him, what am I supposed to do?ctjQ
LccAre they going to devour me right here?9FAN
52qJust as I was beginning to mentally say goodbye to the world.V3s
3shEMQESupervisor Shik nodded.iFA18d
ALKfXSlowly, very slowly.DG7f
k5JaCEX“Grrrrrr…”RiKWRX1
i9hA deep growl, as though satisfied.OiPuKyC
IPhtwAssistant Manager Son let out a chuckle beside him.y9sipNA
Axq“Well, this is nice. Everyone’s full of energy from early in the morning.”nj5eM6v
qFk7cHSupervisor Shik lightly growled toward him and began walking first.4Dewwvl
JCp9spThunk.EqxQ
zAKPHis enormous body struck the doorframe as he left the office.7sXT1XW
ynxr8The huge figure wrapped in rags, the chains dragging along the floor, and the sound of his mane scraping the ceiling.aH8R1m
ksZSoX“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to follow him?”itS
BxRGIManager Batori’s voice made me involuntarily shudder.xPDqDqz
pXqwWikI immediately regained control.xuWhtl
734I stiffly straightened my back and began following Supervisor Shik.AcIuQ
QNyrycfThe hallway was dark and silent.ddQ
GHjxMmThe two of us or rather, Supervisor Shik’s shadow completely covered the walls.JqhlN1
I7ZcK87Supervisor Shik walked directly ahead of me, slowly dragging his chains.B9V
dW5q0Y9Office life among monsters who spoke far too well and a supervisor with whom I couldn’t even communicate.VZ3
lQRptqS‘Will I survive until next week? Probably. Please.’Cgw34n
757At that moment, Supervisor Shik slowly turned his head.d0Wj
wLyjHI reacted instantly, relaxing my face and slightly raising the corners of my lips.f1d0wo
xD8Social skills are a survival weapon.sGvHmw5
KhGeAnd I have no intention of losing them.PAlDD
2nptk8k***E6CZHbd
flnDSZkThe moment the system recognized Supervisor Shik’s presence, the extraction area door at the end of the hallway automatically opened.4wXpHu
Mq0kp5The unlocking sound was long and heavy, like steel plates groaning.WC4Cl
4nCtwSupervisor Shik slightly turned his head.EqJKQfU
do1I instantly scanned his breathing, the tension in his fur, and the direction of his gaze before immediately responding.Xzr3aj
FOMB“Ah-ah, understood!”cZiW
XWxmw8A“Grrrr…”NGEKq
GnfBSupervisor Shik let out a satisfied snort.995EJP
OrTEbCI had no idea what it meant, but apparently I had answered correctly.Ccy
g11pssHis enormous shadow, even larger than before, entered the hallway first.6lB0I
UQEwzWhat appeared before us was a place far too immense to simply describe as “containment rooms.”abme
LwUiGThe structure had towering ceilings and perfectly aligned metal columns.HwWemlo
64wHundreds of tubes and injectors ran across the ceiling.ubBFves
JMnk49Each chamber was marked with glowing red signs and numbers, and behind the dark glass something could be seen moving slowly.jBLpi6
lFfM— Tomorrow will be the inspection of Sector B. Supervisor Shik, take Employee Jeong and do the tour slowly.H18
sSgI remembered the words Manager Myeon had said before leaving yesterday and also the orientation document I read on the first day.gMm
tQ1bQERoughly speaking.C8U0
zr1rByClass D entities were common-category entities, extractable by anyone who followed the rules.cGkZcOX
OxK1cToFrom Class C onward, they were considered dangerous entities, with high physical and mental damage potential.e0VR3t
4tOmClass B were high-risk entities, where death was practically inevitable unless you were a veteran or an executive.Nrctp
zL9PClass A were special hazards capable of destroying the entire company.fyF2A
nmsAnd finally, the unknown Class ■.8ont3
6Otw‘So the place we’re going to now contains the most dangerous entities a normal employee can approach.’wmPV9q
mfjMaybe I won’t even survive until next week.Bvx9cX7
YqmsEvery time Supervisor Shik took a step, the metal floor rumbled heavily.14si
dCqBeside each metal door were panels with codes.Eje
0LeaQKmB-3, B-4, B-5…vPTh
alPCI stopped beside Supervisor Shik.V9LSxA
ehfMc[Containment Room B-6]Dbdw
CG2vEntity Name: Bell of the VoidXDJRBC
Q1koEntity Code: B-6InH
rKuBgRType: Objectij6X1WI
EJwYccYDetails: Periodic vocalization / Distortion of temporal perception / Exposure to sound prohibited during extraction5ptbGI9
KO8qD‘Exposure to sound prohibited?’22z2d
umjNYBAs I quickly read the information attached to the door, Supervisor Shik extended one of his fur-covered arms and lightly struck the control panel.AodJ5
N7ChZThe movement was surprisingly precise and familiar.ZlBoTmT
j7WeThe heavy chamber door slowly opened, revealing the interior.KQHlj
PxXVv5Inside was an enormous ancient bell.cxhLb
pKDPUIt was rusted, but the metallic surface vibrated slightly as though it had a heartbeat.ivywub
zbqCwMIt didn’t seem to have anything particularly strange about it.vXe
e1jExcept for the fact that it floated in the air without hanging from anything and that the inside of the bell appeared to be an absolute darkness impossible to see through.9uaS
Vfcc4UThen—1bb
jHgDooong.wYb
TwUSomething softly resonated inside my head.QkMa
dfaI didn’t know whether it was a vibration or an auditory hallucination.aOjOg
N4aA deep and heavy sound, like a hammer striking a metal plate from somewhere beneath the ground.2lqK7s9
L1cEIBMy vision immediately swayed.NEdL
nyQ4The hallway lights seemed to oscillate and the walls tilted.BKo95
MjQTl“Grrr!”qo7ons3
OXT1K7Supervisor Shik roared while stepping forward.Ni2v
azmarOne of his enormous fur-covered arms shoved me backward, and with the other he pressed the emergency button beside the chamber, instantly sealing the soundproof bulkhead.JHHhIYZ
WLsks“…Hah… hah…!”1ZZ
XmfQpI staggered back, gasping.z2LdV
lgFA strange sensation still floated inside my head.kjnD
QjfAs though I had forgotten the passage of time.tCV7s
oik8PI could barely remember what I had been doing a few seconds ago.zbK8a
3pc9DoTSupervisor Shik growled while turning toward me.RoTm
kJBno“Grrr… gruuugh?”hIyj3
z0f0cX“Eh? Ah… yes. I didn’t hear anything. Completely silent. There was no problem.”EcZFUe9
NWxcRy“Grrr.”XUzZY1z
mPMSupervisor Shik nodded in satisfaction.GoRd3WJ
2RxBVhLStill dazed, I stepped back beside him once more.huGTyh5
IKAMzvoMy body remained drenched in cold sweat, but Supervisor Shik was already walking toward the next chamber.nVWim39
xpuDD0The chains crashed loudly against the hallway floor.hWNch
wQWPaAF‘Even if we can’t communicate, he’s very good at his job.’BHqgMy7
FjXOaI forcibly organized my thoughts that way while carefully following Supervisor Shik toward the second chamber.0NM
AZH4cXQSupervisor Shik stopped in front of it.5kGI
xGLcv2On the wall was a massive red seal engraved with letters so sharp they made my brow furrow.Ugx9vz
m5m[Containment Room B-8]W2JIJd
VYMTWGmEntity Name: The Butcher’s ReversePeIGOAS
QI5yHiOEntity Code: B-8Ngu
fs7SjBmType: BiologicalREIIS
anlqDetails: Sensitive to light / Auditory stimulation prohibited / Physical suppression effectivehkM
abDLyCUMy gaze, calmly reading the summary, stopped at the final line.r4bgIp
9TfxUI slowly turned my head.fm668
gMvYpn‘Physical suppression?’WX6XVb
9A9At the same time, Supervisor Shik slowly moved his gigantic body.zjoC
9XYPThe fangs hanging from his jaws looked as though they were about to touch the floor.IkJXB
TsmWhen he placed his palm against the small mechanical panel, the chamber door slowly began opening.APJQ5dA
vi7The interior was as black as an overexposed photographic film.gywi
5nrxThe only light source was a dim red emergency light falling from above.6VlW
AyBlXSomething writhed inside.vLCTF9x
wEJ7The sound of something resembling skin dragging scratched against my bones.69PEMjI
Qwj7qVKThe moment Supervisor Shik entered, the chamber door automatically closed behind him with a heavy Clank.iIiW
UoT9Z4PI held my breath while watching through the glass.d3E
dwvpwY6In the almost absolute darkness, Supervisor Shik’s silhouette vaguely moved.3aLx
hgPPTmAnd then I saw it.K7HaB
2mUNSomething.dw6Xox0
hD7A grotesque shape, like an insect stretching out its limbs, emerged crawling from the other side of the wall.4mnP
WND2Its entire body seemed covered in tiny tongues the size of fingers.LFR
6I8lxBIt turned its head toward where I stood.91s
Vnpk0caAt that instant, Supervisor Shik lunged forward.MC874
rmWHis enormous body moved like a shadow and the metal walls trembled.hF12
jmUYdrThe collision of monster against monster.A0Os
zz1“Grrrrr—!!”MsCi
A0fwre9Supervisor Shik roared like a beast.H8D
FIjTQpjAt a speed impossible for something his size, he slammed the entity’s torso with one of his enormous arms and seized the back of its neck with his gigantic claws.Gq9QdI
TiX4HThe disgusting sound of flesh tearing apart.v8D5K7z
mdqUL6The flesh of that creature, writhing like tongues, was violently ripped apart between Supervisor Shik’s hands.rSx9
cVFy“——————!!”cQ5x
wQ80The entity screamed.Ud2BuOQ
McuguOr more precisely, emitted something resembling a scream.rv7uNBM
Yt81cThe mouthless face covered in tongues vibrated violently, scattering strange waves.TKx
l2VxBSupervisor Shik’s enormous fur-covered hand fell again.JvN
WceRNgBOOM!8E4
WmLU1The chamber walls shook.4E2N0e
LIpKH9The claws pierced through the entity’s shoulder and brutally pinned it to the floor.h2t2nf4
VOEThe tongues crawling like veins tore away together with chunks of flesh and dropped onto the ground.d8Nl
ihhKD“Graaaah—Rrrrrr——!!!”qq91
VyJl1aVThe entity writhed violently.sbE
nhMBdFLA cluster of tongues burst from its back and coiled around Supervisor Shik’s arm, beginning to squeeze his bones.tna6dZ6
HanStrangely, I could perfectly imagine that sensation.D84Et
vp9tSomething soft, wet, and unnatural.GQ2
D18LBut Supervisor Shik simply shook his arm as though it were nothing.k04X
Ot1Crack, snap.hNaR
tKl3PThe mass of tongues tore apart, crushed by the force of his muscles.VEH
gzGUIzDMucus and thick dark red liquid splattered everywhere, staining Supervisor Shik’s face, fangs, and fur.Zwt5
W1Oo4Then he raised his other hand.VXWR
UDgXuMkNo blades or tools.EuSxUuO
UKGOnly living flesh armed with claws the size of daggers.7HPH4y
t96GCHtWith that, he opened the entity’s chest and tore it apart.UTbzE
PQQXThe flesh split open and a sticky mass of organs spilled onto the floor.bylb
ed6MkEThose entrails covered in tongues began crawling as though alive.Tjx
16vRsDSupervisor Shik crushed them beneath his paws.odQS
haCAnd then he released a deep sound resembling a sigh.2bx
rWHQWith the noise of chains dragging, he slowly stood up.kBL
gJhRjThe blackish-red blood soaked the rag he wore and slowly dripped down.SKfO8iM
vMy8When he turned toward me, he moved a dial using his tail.WcbbV
VehN1rvAt the sight of that grotesque golden glow, I instinctively stepped back.lFe
mAd‘How the hell do they expect me to do that?’oINh
SczI felt my chest tightening.J0IKtP
CZ89The temperature inside the chamber rapidly dropped, and the entity curled up like a withered plant.8PRQ
PZcEXAnd finally stopped moving.rQTP1s
nnSfA mechanical voice echoed from the chamber ceiling.xsGY0m
5QG58ik[Energy extraction completed. Target stabilized.]Zq6
3h0PSupervisor Shik slowly straightened up.NBnSgI
GZGHe casually shook off the blackish-red blood covering his body and released something resembling a faint smile.XzGh
eyBThen the door opened.6rhb
bEQThf6My knees nearly gave out again.EbjMI
NxIJvzA“…That just now… was a Class B extraction job?”OtX
8RVZ“Grrgh.”17QS
S78HiSupervisor Shik calmly walked out.Amw5Jl
8VRThe chains echoed while his enormous figure stopped in the middle of the hallway.AJni
KP1OhaI felt my mind completely blank.pDG
Mg1H38So the famous extraction procedure simply consisted of physically beating the entity unconscious and then lowering the temperature?DJWA7
ELELbB‘How am I supposed to do that? Will I be able to if I get promoted?’gCWZ
ywG6QI weakly stared at the tablet while seriously thinking about it.Kr2jsJ
yCS6pOn the screen were only five words.Ix88
q5V0aGPhysical suppression effective.IQQgLty
ljMMiuThere were no detailed instructions or procedures.rpo3KUM
jw0MAfter thinking deeply about it, I reached a conclusion.ieecBc3
8mz69sThis company is truly insane.M6JWCu
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
Noexy A
Mortali still wondering, what’s company that he join? How human can join the company and live in there