Surviving as an Office Worker in Monster Management Bureau

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Humans are indeed creatures of adaptation.

When you’ve done this strange thing too many times, it’s no longer surprising, I suppose.

“Should we organize the sleeping bags?”

“You’re not even surprised.”

“If the Team Leader does this for a while, he’ll become like this too.”

“My time in the Management Agency has been longer than yours.”

The Team Leader shakes his head while tidying up the sleeping bags.

I look around.

Beeep… Beeep…

The sound of machinery was echoing.

I ran my eyes over the walls and the floor, searching for signs of a fierce battle, but saw nothing of note.

The smell of disinfectant was strong in the hospital corridor.

There were no abnormal entities visible around.

“Let’s go. Everyone put on your vests.”

As if it was something we all expected, we began to prepare.

I packed a bulletproof vest this time because I had no idea what might happen.

Technically, it was not a bulletproof vest but a vest that absorbs impacts, or so I heard from the research team about the essence of Management Agency technology.

What mattered was that it would offer good protection, I guess.

The Team Leader and Song Ah Rin lifted their guns.

Yu Da On put on gloves.

And Jang Chae Yeon was gathering steel balls.

Steel balls?

“Chae Yeon, what’s that?”

“An emergency weapon.”

Jang Chae Yeon replied flatly as she slipped the steel balls into her pouch.

Are we supposed to shoot or something?

“Don’t worry.”

As if she sensed my gaze, Jang Chae Yeon nodded at me.

“I’ve practiced a bit.”

“I’m not worried.”

To be honest, Chae Yeon is the most reliable among us in situations like this.

After checking what everyone had prepared, I recalled the plan the Branch Chief and I had discussed earlier.

‘The ultimate goal is to escape.’

‘Escape, indeed.’

‘Honestly, with me and the Isolation Team going, a major incident is unlikely to occur.’

‘And Ahn Sang Hyun is going too.’

‘Let’s not even talk about that guy…’

The Branch Chief sighed.

“Anyway, we have the manual, so let’s prioritize escaping from Gangbuk Hospital.”

“Understood.”

– Ruffle!

The manual unfolded.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Gangbuk Special Hospital]

1. First, identify your location.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

Song Ah Rin came up behind me as I muttered.

“What floor is this? And which building is it?”

“How should I know?”

Song Ah Rin sighed while looking around.

“I really can’t tell where anything is. There are no signs, no floor indicators.”

I gazed out the window.

The dim light of the moon shone through the glass.

“Would it be better if we looked down beneath the window?”

Of course, it might be dangerous.

“I’ll check it out.”

Yu Da On nodded and slowly walked to the window to look down through the glass.

“…Hmm…”

She turned to look at me with a puzzled expression.

“I can’t tell exactly.”

“Excuse me?”

“It looks kind of twisted, if I had to describe it.”

What does that mean?

Noticing my confused expression, Yu Da On walked over and gently tugged on my sleeve.

“If something happens, you two take care of it.”

“I’ll be right here.”

Song Ah Rin and Jang Chae Yeon looked around and checked me out while Yu Da On gazed out the window beside me.

“Right?”

“I get what you mean.”

It was just as Yu Da On said.

The view below was unclear.

It was as if something was deliberately distorting our sight.

It wasn’t foggy; saying it was twisted was accurate.

Ultimately, we couldn’t precisely know what floor we were on, meaning the manual wouldn’t be very effective in this case.

“Looks like that manual you’re staring at isn’t the miracle worker you thought it was.”

Song Ah Rin muttered while watching the scene.

“Books are just books.”

– Ruffle…

– Thud!

I nodded as I forcefully closed the manual.

I could tell even without looking. It was probably something demoralizing anyway.

In such cases…

“I guess we have no choice but to rely on the Team Leader.”

“Really, me again?”

The Team Leader shivered and looked at me.

“Yes. I’ll leave it to you once more, Team Leader.”

“Oh boy.”

The Team Leader sighed and turned on the flashlight he had prepared.

Click. With that sound, the flashlight illuminated the darkness.

“Alright. If something seems off, I’ll let you know.”

“Sounds good. So it’s me and A-Rin in the middle, with Da On in front, and Chae Yeon in the back.”

“What’s our primary objective?”

Song Ah Rin secured her shotgun on the back of her vest and looked at me.

“First, we’ll locate ourselves, then use the manual to find the exit.”

“Got it.”

Song Ah Rin nodded.

“Let’s go.”

With my words, Yu Da On began to step forward, followed by us.

We started walking down the dark corridor.

The sound of our footsteps echoed through the silent hallway.

To be honest…

I was anxious.

If I think about the Branch Chief or Ahn Sang Hyun, it shouldn’t be this quiet.

Things should be an utter mess, yet why is it so calm?

As I walked through the corridor, I glanced around.

We passed by a door with the nameplate removed.

Other than that, the corridor was utterly empty.

The Team Leader slowly scanned the area.

“I don’t feel anything, Jae Heon.”

“Let’s keep moving.”

We walked on.

“Still nothing, huh, Jae Heon?”

“I understand.”

Continuing down the hallway.

– Beeep… Beeep…

“But, why did we let that intern onto our team?”

Breaking the silence, Song Ah Rin looked at me.

“Why are you asking me that?”

– Beeep… Beeep…

We walked past another door with a removed nameplate.

“I mean, the Team Leader put her in your charge, right?”

I glanced sideways at the Team Leader, who shrugged.

“Isn’t it true? Originally, you brought back a kid from the nursery, Jae Heon. So you should take responsibility.”

“Are you trying to pin this on me if something goes wrong?”

“And why is she another girl?”

“What’s wrong with her being a girl? That’s not my fault.”

Am I the one who only brings girls along?

Song Ah Rin shot me a glare.

“Come on, just admit it.”

“Yes.”

“Did you take her in because she’s pretty?”

“Eh?”

What are you saying now?

“Hey, are you guys still aware that we’re smack dab in the middle of an abnormal phenomenon?”

The Team Leader muttered.

“She does have a bit of a sly look, so I thought maybe she was your type.”

Has Song Ah Rin completely lost it again?

“Hey, are you guys really not feeling anything yet?”

The Team Leader muttered again.

“No, I didn’t take her in because of her looks. It’s just that she says—”

“Then what’s your ideal type?”

“Um…”

While I froze at Song Ah Rin’s question, the Team Leader suddenly turned his gaze to me.

“Hey, you’re a human too; you must have preferences.”

By now, Jang Chae Yeon had leaned in close to listen, and Yu Da On was glancing back at me curiously.

“Is it really that important? What do other people find appealing?”

“I like my wife.”

The Team Leader said proudly.

“I prefer someone who looks a little tired.”

Song Ah Rin mumbled as she turned away.

Her tastes seem rather off.

“Um… someone with an awkward smile.”

Yu Da On muttered, hands clasped.

Not about looks, is it?

Jang Chae Yeon looked at me and said, “You’re about good enough.”

Her criteria are way too subjective.

“So, what about you?”

The Team Leader looked at me.

“I…”

We passed by another door with the nameplate removed.

Again?!

The eyes of the Team Leader and I crossed.

“…Jae Heon. I still don’t feel anything weird. But…”

“I know.”

I looked at the door beside me.

“It feels like something’s circling around us.”

“Seems that way.”

I glanced at the others.

“Shall we go in?”

“…Tell me later.”

Song Ah Rin grumbled as she pulled out her gun, and Jang Chae Yeon raised a hand.

Yu Da On was holding the doorknob, looking at me.

“Understood.”

“Shall I open it?”

“Wait!”

Right before Yu Da On could pull the door, the Team Leader hurriedly raised his hand.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.”

“You heard that?”

The atmosphere became even more tense.

“I’m opening it.”

Yu Da On opened the door and stepped inside.

“Huh?”

Yu Da On looked around with a confused expression.

“I don’t see anything in here.”

“If you don’t see anything, that doesn’t mean it’s safe.”

The Team Leader had said he didn’t feel good.

There must definitely be something here.

I leaned slightly forward, peering in front of Yu Da On.

Just as she said.

It was a room resembling a typical operating room.

– Beeep… Beeep…

Just a machinery with an unknown identity was in front of us.

One monitor sat upon it.

The black monitor reflected Yu Da On’s face and soon, a translucent window appeared above it.

[Name: Moksi]

[Age: Manufactured 7 years ago]

[Specialty: Observing]

[Talent: Observing]

[Background: The issue with Gangbuk Hospital was clear. There were far too few staff compared to the patients. To resolve this, the Director decided to place eyes in the path that must be traveled without fail.]

[Weakness: Break the screen.]

– Bang!

As soon as I saw the weakness, I drew my pistol and shot at the monitor screen.

The screen shattered instantly, causing Song Ah Rin behind me to flinch and mutter.

“Wh-what the?!”

So that sound came from here.

“Let’s get out of here quickly.”

I didn’t know how we fell back into the corridor, but there were eyes positioned in a hallway with no exits.

The chances of our location being revealed were high.

Fortunately, a door presumed to be an exit was on the opposite side.

“Team Leader.”

“I still have no feelings.”

“I’ll open it.”

Hearing the Team Leader’s words, Yu Da On opened the door without hesitation.

With a clang, the door opened, revealing a corridor marked with <6th Floor>.

Above, the ceiling looked like a dark night sky.

“…What’s that…”

Jellyfish floated around.

It was a sight I had also seen at Gangseo University Hospital.

Jellyfish that existed in each hospital. And hospitals.

What commonality could there possibly be that allowed those jellyfish to be present?

– Ruffle!

At that moment, the previously still manual unfolded.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Gangbuk Special Hospital – 6th Floor]

1. The 6th floor of Gangbuk Special Hospital is the floor where patients are located.

2. Patients are generally docile, but there may occasionally be patients who are in their right minds. While this is extremely rare, if possible, we ask that you rescue them.

3. You’ll recognize a patient who is sane immediately.

Looking around, I saw people in patient gowns staring at us.

Men, women, the elderly, and children.

Some had IV drips attached while others stood, emaciated in patient gowns.

The commonality was that they were all looking at us.

Their gazes seemed to bore into us.

Something felt off.

I continued reading the manual.

4. If you enter the 6th floor, everyone will be staring at you.

5. Divert their gaze. Use any means available.

“A-Rin.”

“Yes?”

“Make us look like one of the patients.”

“Aren’t you asking something really difficult of me?”

Complaining even while she did so, Song Ah Rin closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

My temples throbbed.

“…Oh. Jae Heon isn’t visible—Ughh.”

“Quiet.”

Jang Chae Yeon covered Yu Da On’s mouth, while the Team Leader closed his eyes too.

After a brief silence,

“…Haah… Haah…”

With a pale expression, Song Ah Rin opened her eyes.

Looking around, the patients began to wander the hospital as if they had never seen us before.

“She made us look like we were in patient gowns.”

With a pale expression, Song Ah Rin muttered, leaning her body against my shoulder.

“It’s not that hard.”

“It is hard! You obviously don’t realize it because you lack understanding.”

Jang Chae Yeon grumbled bluntly while Song Ah Rin kept her grip on my shoulder, glaring at her with narrowed eyes.

As I let their escalating discussion drift to one ear, I scanned the area.

There was still no trace of the Branch Chief or the Isolation Team.

The anxiety was only growing.

“Ahh!! Aahhh!”

In that moment,

Screams began to echo.

“…Over there…!”

Before I could finish my sentence, the Team Leader hastily covered my mouth with his hand.

“Sh, shut up. Jae Heon…!”

The Team Leader muttered.

His voice was filled with such panic, it rang alarm bells in my head.

We needed an exit, or some place to hide.

I hastily looked around.

The door we had just entered!

I turned my gaze toward the door, and as Jang Chae Yeon reached for it, it quietly opened.

We all slipped inside again.

– Creak…

The door shut quietly behind us.

The Team Leader’s body was trembling like a aspen tree.

“Something’s coming… something is coming…”

“Ahhh!”

“Uaaagh!”

Screams of people could be heard.

< !Yihaegukuh tonamubun jihal loueor evnelgeu oeneun! >

A bizarre voice echoed.

“Kyaaaaaaaaah!”

< !Yoemael danpeugo gabe neuj e! Yoosmyeo jichimangdo! >

With the sound of something being sliced, silence fell.

“Huff… Huff…”

The Team Leader looked at me.

“I, I think it’s gone.”

He slowly opened the door.

“…”

Blood was smeared all over the place.

On the walls, on the floor.

And countless people cowered in fear, trembling.

Something was definitely here in this corridor.