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I open the manual.

[Office Staff Manual]

[Gangbuk Special Hospital – 6th Floor]

6. Cases of survivors in this floor are quite rare. However, if we compile the testimonies of the survivors, it seems we must be cautious of “speaking backward.”

7. Furthermore, no one has survived an encounter with “speaking backward” as of yet. Please be careful.

Speaking backward.

I could tell exactly what it meant.

Blood-soaked patient gowns were sprawled across the floor.

As if someone had meticulously stripped just the clothes away, the blood-stained garments were neatly placed on the ground.

“I’ll go look for an exit.”

“Let’s go together.”

Yu Da On and Jang Chae Yeon walked up the corridor, while Song Ah Rin and I surveyed the trembling people.

Some were mumbling something with their heads buried against the wall, while others were shaking in fear with their faces submerged between their knees.

It was obviously odd.

Not that trembling in fear is strange.

The problem was that their behavior lacked any sense of intelligence, given the fright they were in.

Rather than hiding somewhere, they should be grateful for surviving, checking on those around them, or mourning lost ones, denying reality or expressing sorrow.

But no signs of such sentiments were visible among the people in patient gowns.

“Don’t those people seem strange?”

At times like these, there’s someone who can figure it out best.

Upon hearing my words, Song Ah Rin frowned as she gazed at the people.

“…You’re right.”

She muttered as she continued to look at them.

“Their emotions are fragmented.”

“What do you mean?”

“Only primitive fear is present. No sadness, no anger, no pity. Nothing is felt at all.”

Song Ah Rin observed the people around us.

“It’s as if their intellect has been removed.”

The removal of intellect.

Song Ah Rin and I quickly exchanged glances.

In the meantime, Yu Da On and Jang Chae Yeon came walking back toward us.

“There’s a door in the corridor.”

“Can we go out?”

“It’s locked. Seems like a key is needed.”

Jang Chae Yeon shook her head.

“We might be able to break it down, but if we do, I expect it’ll make a loud noise, so for now, we’ve done nothing.”

“Good job.”

Knowing that the door is locked is helpful for the time being.

I wouldn’t know what would happen if we forced it open.

“Has anyone heard that monster, or at least something similar, speak?”

Thanks to the team leader alerting us to danger so quickly, we were able to escape in time, but I didn’t even get a chance to see that monster.

Of course, if I had, it would have been clear what kind of disaster would unfold.

“I heard something.”

Yu Da On raised her hand.

“What did it say?”

“I’m really curious about what we’ll have for dinner today.”

Yu Da On mumbled.

“And… um, don’t run away. I’m hungry, you see.”

“…”

I pondered over Yu Da On’s words.

The walls and floor splattered with blood, and people claiming to be hungry.

“Isn’t this place a restaurant of some sort?”

“A restaurant?”

The team leader echoed my words.

“Yes. I can’t say why, but according to A-Rin, these people clearly have diminished intellect.”

Being hungry and having diminished intellect.

“Honestly, there’s no easier prey than someone lacking intelligence.”

Taking away the intellect from a species that has survived based on it is akin to removing the most significant weapon.

“In other words, let’s consider this a restaurant.”

“A restaurant…”

Jang Chae Yeon slightly wrinkled her brow.

“That means there should also be an entrance to the restaurant.”

There definitely must be a path.

“…But.”

At that moment, Song Ah Rin, who had been listening to us, murmured.

“Weren’t the walls clean when we came in just now?”

“…”

I recalled the sight of the clean walls when we entered.

They were clean walls.

If they hadn’t been clean from the start, it would have remained in our memory.

The extraordinary often sticks out more than the ordinary in a person’s memory.

“…The walls were clean.”

That means…

“Someone has been cleaning.”

The moment our gazes met with Song Ah Rin’s,

“Something’s coming.”

The team leader muttered as he seized my arm.

Sounds of footsteps drew nearer.

Is hiding the right move?

I could hide, but then I might miss finding out about the exit.

Someone had to stay behind to observe the situation.

“Only A-Rin and I will stay, the rest hide.”

“What about Jae Heon…!”

“Hurry.”

At my firm words, Yu Da On’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Let’s go.”

Jang Chae Yeon pulled Yu Da On and the team leader inside.

Soon, only Song Ah Rin and I were left in the corridor.

Quickly, I took off my jacket and started putting on the patient gown, and noticing my actions, Song Ah Rin rushed to take off her jacket and began putting on the patient gown as well.

“Ugh, bird…!”

“A-Rin can also go in if you want.”

“I don’t want to…?”

Wearing the blood-soaked gown with a frown, Song Ah Rin put on the patient attire over her own clothes.

-Pat, pat…

The sound of footsteps grew closer.

We hurriedly blended in among the patients.

“Ugh…”

Entering the midst of the murmuring patients, I put on the most vacant expression possible.

Song Ah Rin too, appearing reluctant, furrowed her brow and mumbled something before sighing.

Soon, her eyes became glazed over.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh…”

Was she done with her hint, or was she acting? I couldn’t tell, but she stuck close to me, making pathetic noises as if she were a fool.

It has to be an act, right?

“A-Rin.”

“Ugh…”

Song Ah Rin didn’t respond in another way, merely whining as she rubbed her cheek against my arm.

“Ugh…”

In sync with the groans of the patients, she let out her own groans.

“Ugh…”

But why is she so close?

Yet the footsteps approached, and clinging to her, I looked around at the surrounding patients.

Nurses were walking up the corridor.

Where faces should exist were just round holes.

The same faces I’d seen at Gangseo University Hospital.

The translucent window floated into view.

[Name: Kim Ki Tae]

[Age: 36]

[Skill: Nursing]

[Talent: X]

[Background: He never intended to become a nurse. But life rarely flows as planned.]

[Weakness: Typically, beings affiliated with the ‘hospital’ have strong pain tolerance. Conversely, they have more painful memories than anyone else.]

They ignored us and began cleaning the floor with mops as they walked right by the wall.

“Seems like even a restaurant keeps things clean.”

“Huh?”

“…Let’s not talk.”

Song Ah Rin seemed to think she couldn’t communicate clearly.

The nurses continued to clean systematically without uttering a word.

Soon, as the walls became clean and the floor as well, they stood up with the blood-soaked mops and rags and headed towards the path they had walked before.

To find the exit, we’d have to follow them.

Slowly trailing behind them,

“Ugh…ugh…”

I moved while covering Song Ah Rin’s mouth, who was hanging onto me.

The nurses moved toward the door.

-Creak, creak.

They pulled out keys from their pockets and opened the door to go outside.

To exit, we needed a key.

If the nurses come later, we had no choice but to ambush them to snatch the key.

“We need to snatch the key.”

“Eh…?”

With an innocent expression, Song Ah Rin looked at me.

“A-Rin. Wake up now.”

“Huh?”

“…”

How do I wake her?

I clapped my hands right in front of her face.

With a clap! a light returned to her eyes, which were vacant before.

“…”

“Huh?”

“I’m going to die, for real.”

Repeating what she had said, her face turned crimson in an instant as she swung her fist.

*

After teasing Song Ah Rin a little, I called everyone over to explain the situation.

“So, we have to wait for a nurse to come after someone dies, so we can clean the floor.”

“Correct.”

“But how will we know when they’ll come?”

“Because they said they were hungry. They’ll probably have their meals.”

It shouldn’t take too long.

However, what weighs heavily on my heart is…

“That means these people would have to be sacrificed again.”

“…”

The team leader looked around at the people with a troubled expression.

“What wrongdoing could these young kids have done?”

“…A-Rin, could the reason behind people losing their intellect be similar to hypnosis?”

“…”

Song Ah Rin seemed to be lost in thought, quietly groaning as if feeling something.

“Um, uhm… …hm.”

“…”

“…No.”

Soon after, she opened her eyes and looked at me.

“As I said before, it feels like the intellect that should be there has disappeared.”

“…”

“Honestly, to me, it seems these people are already too late. It might be better to just… let them go. If they could come back alive… who knows.”

“…”

In that case, we had no choice.

“Shall we wait a bit longer? Team Leader, stay sharp.”

“Roger.”

The team leader nodded.

How much time had passed?

“…They’re here.”

The team leader muttered and hurried back inside.

Soon,

-Thud… Thud…

Footsteps were heard again.

Sounds came from beyond the door, and

“I can’t hold back my hunger.”

Yu Da On mumbled.

“Ahhh!”

“Screeeam!!”

A scream echoed again.

The sound of something tearing, followed by the screams of people.

< ? The voice of cries>

“Huh.”

After a moment of silence, a strange voice was heard.

<I smell something really smart.>

“I smell something smart?”

Yu Da On frowned, and Song Ah Rin and I exchanged glances again.

“Huff…”

The team leader inhaled sharply.

-Creeeak…

As the door opened, something emerged.

It was a person standing on its head.

Its arms twisted grotesquely as it crawled, and its legs were in the opposite direction, far too thin.

Where its head should’ve been was a huge mouth that was licking its chops, attached to the muscular body of a human.

< -Laasah, I found you.>

-Whoosh!

In that moment, two iron balls struck its arms,

It fell backward.

-Ping!

Jang Chae Yeon had flicked the iron balls.