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“Let’s go out.”

After Jang Chae Yeon took down the monster, our next steps were as simple as they came.

We should just leap outside, past the fallen beast.

The Team Leader kept glancing nervously at the monster, while Jang Chae Yeon stood protectively behind us, paying close attention to the creature’s next move, and Song Ah Rin and Yu Da On raced toward the door.

-Click!

“It’s locked!”

“Of course it is!”

As I stood beside Jang Chae Yeon, staring at the monster, a translucent window appeared.

[Name: Banji-seong]

[Age: 10]

[Traits: Devourer]

[Talents: Devour]

[Background: After the Branch Chief of Gangbuk visited the hospital, all the doctors plunged into chaos. He was someone who possessed everything they desired. Thus, they resorted to various methods to mimic the Branch Chief. What stands before you now is proof of that attempt.]

[Weakness: It has no stomach; just make it spit out what it has eaten. Feed it plenty.]

And there it stood, grotesque and towering.

<Urgh...>

As Jang Chae Yeon pulled back her arm and thrust it forward like a fist, an invisible force slammed it against the wall.

No, it had to happen that way.

It opened its mouth wide,

and nothing happened.

“…!”

Jang Chae Yeon’s eyes widened in shock.

“That was a hit, right, Chae Yeon?”

“…I hit it.”

Jang Chae Yeon muttered, staring at her hand.

Her trait and talent were Devour, and right as it opened its mouth, Chae Yeon’s telekinesis vanished.

Quickly, I pulled out my gun and fired at it.

-Bang! Bang!

As the bullets embedded themselves in its body,

I couldn’t tell if it felt pain, but it twisted its body.

Does physical shock affect it? Abilities like telekinesis don’t seem to work?

It’s pointless to just think about it.

I need to add a variable.

“Chae Yeon. Support us as much as you can. When the door opens, take down the nurse and create an escape route.”

“…”

Chae Yeon bit her lip slightly and nodded.

“Da On, A-Rin. Come to me.”

The two rushed over to my side.

I recalled the nurse’s pattern.

The nurse comes to clean up after the meals are done.

I don’t know if she checks for the monster after dinner or if she just comes in after a certain time, but…

Even if the monster doesn’t return on time, there’s a high chance she would come to check.

Ultimately, if we buy time, something will give way.

“We’ll stall here. If possible, taking it down would be even better.”

“Leave it to us!”

“I’ll try.”

“Okay.”

The three nodded.

“We’ll hold it off. Team Leader—”

“I’ll keep an eye out for any threats aside from this. If need be, I’ll step in.”

The Team Leader muttered while fiddling with his hair.

“Got it.”

With the four of us facing off against the monster, Yu Da On slightly furrowed her brows.

“There’s a strange smell.”

“Smell?”

“…It’s hard to explain. It’s kind of a pungent odor.”

Yu Da On murmured as she looked at it.

“I can’t smell anything.”

Song Ah Rin sniffed the air, stretching out her right hand.

“I’ll see how far this goes.”

“Please do.”

Song Ah Rin waved her fingers,

and it opened its mouth.

Nothing happened.

“…”

Song Ah Rin fell silent, and Yu Da On, who was watching, tilted her head and murmured.

“A-Rin usually uses her powers well against us, but it doesn’t seem to work on enemies, does it?”

“I told you to shut up.”

“Isn’t today the first time you’ve said that?”

“Why are you two suddenly fighting?”

Should I now mediate between Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin, or between Song Ah Rin and Yu Da On?

Yu Da On donned her gloves and spoke with confidence.

“If it’s just hitting it head-on, I can do that too.”

“I know how to fight!”

Song Ah Rin also pulled out a shotgun from her back and murmured something.

Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, and her gun stance transformed entirely.

Earlier, she looked like an ordinary person holding a gun; now, she resembled a seasoned soldier wielding one.

“A-Rin?”

“It’s a hint. It’s a hint at the Management Agency’s veteran Isolation Team.”

Song Ah Rin murmured as she aimed her gun.

“Hey, black-haired one. If you fight too closely, you might hit me by mistake, so keep your distance while fighting.”

“Do veteran personnel make friendly fire?”

The two chatted, and Yu Da On leaped in, her fists clenched.

The creature struck with its foot as it shouted something, but Yu Da On nimbly dodged and slammed her fist into its body.

-Crack!

A strange sound echoed from her fist, but undeterred, Yu Da On pulled her punch back.

“Hmm, hitting it with my fist won’t be easy! It feels like hitting a rock!”

“Get out of the way.”

Song Ah Rin sharply murmured as she drew her gun,

-Bang!

With great skill, she shot a bullet into its torso.

Its body began to stagger.

-Slam!

Then, Jang Chae Yeon flicked her fingers, sending several orbs flying like bullets, shaking its body violently.

Is that stronger than a bullet?

It thrashed its legs around, but Yu Da On didn’t flinch, dodging effortlessly and occasionally striking its body.

-Crack!

Again, a sound of something twisting echoed, but Yu Da On remained unfazed as she kicked high, hitting its jaw.

-Thud!

Then, its thrashing leg hit her arm.

“…Huh?”

Yu Da On pulled back, a surprised expression on her face.

Her arm had ‘disappeared.’

Only her clothes were left dangling, and soon red blood seeped from her attire.

“What is this…”

The creature mumbled and spat something out.

Before long, Yu Da On’s arm returned to her.

Her arm reattached with a sound, and Yu Da On frowned, jumping back.

“What just happened?”

“Did you feel any pain?”

“Ah, no.”

Yu Da On shook her head.

“It just felt like my arm was erased by an eraser.”

“Just because you can’t land a hit, step aside! You’re blocking my shot!”

Song Ah Rin snapped, reloading her gun.

With a clunk, the shotgun shell ejected, and Jang Chae Yeon waved her hand, drawing metal balls around her.

Think.

Not about that monster.

About my current situation, and this hospital.

Why haven’t the Branch Chief and the Isolation Team shown up, and what has led to this situation before my eyes?

And what is this place?

Why have they lost their intelligence?

Considering the nature of the hospital, it might not be as difficult to figure out.

What if they performed surgeries to remove intelligence on everyone?

“Da On.”

“Huh?”

Yu Da On, who had stepped back, turned to look at me.

“Have you ever had your intelligence removed at the hospital?”

“………What?”

Yu Da On’s expression stiffened.

“Well, given the way you’re talking, you seem a bit less intelligent.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

I cut off Song Ah Rin’s interjection sharply and focused on Yu Da On.

“Those people here…”

“Y-Yeah.”

“No matter how much I think about it, it feels like they either underwent an intelligence removal surgery or something equivalent.”

What kind of connection could there be between eating something and intelligence removal surgery?

The creature right in front of me looks like it’s miles away from any intelligence.

It’s as if it only consumes the shell.

Then who consumes the intelligence, I wonder?

It’s a brutal question, but Yu Da On might have gone through something similar too.

“…I remember, but it wasn’t like that.”

Yu Da On murmured with her eyes closed.

“It was a bit different. Something like… something was inserted into my ear…”

Her expression darkened further.

“I don’t remember much from then, but my head felt very fuzzy…”

“That’s enough of that.”

If I let her go on, she may just feel more depressed.

What’s clear is that surgeries to remove intelligence have been performed on patients.

Yu Da On might return to normal after dying and reviving, but others typically lack the ability to do so.

But why?

What is the common thread between meeting the Branch Chief and creating something that devours?

I recall meeting the Branch Chief.

My eyes tell me he wasn’t a good person.

But he hadn’t done anything particularly to me.

“…”

No, that’s something I don’t know.

I consider his talents and traits.

Greed.

Greed, and Devour.

What did he witness at the hospital to pull Devour from Greed?

What is greed, after all?

When we think of greed, we usually have a variety of things come to mind.

Greed for wealth, greed for food, and so forth.

And they all converge into one thing.

Consuming something.

What if he ‘ate’ something of ours without us knowing?

That’s not a mental attack. The act of eating has nothing to do with the mind.

What if he was covetously looking at, and consuming something of mine without me realizing?

Cold sweat drips down, and a translucent window appears before my eyes.

[Your understanding of the Branch Chief of Gangbuk has increased.]

[Critical 0->1]

It feels like something has fallen into place.

Should I use Critical here?

I lift my gun.

But still, I haven’t met a single member of the Branch Chief or the Isolation Team.

In the worst-case scenario, I might need to escape the hospital using our own powers, or join those engaged in battle.

Think.

Spitting something out. Swallowing something. And not having a digestive system.

“…”

What was it like when I hid with Song Ah Rin earlier?

Only her clothes were left pristine.

Blood was splattered across the floor.

Even when Yu Da On lost her arm moments ago, it was the same.

Her comment about it feeling like her arm was erased, and her clothes left neatly on the ground.

Devour. The imperfect ability of the Branch Chief of Gangbuk.

“Chae Yeon.”

“Yes?”

Jang Chae Yeon comes to my side.

“On my signal…”

“Okay.”

“Let’s feed it a lot of metal balls.”

A look of confusion surfaced on Jang Chae Yeon’s face.

“They say we swallow stones to aid digestion, right?”

Even though it has no stomach.

I look at its gaping mouth.

Eating something that can’t be digested is akin to greed.

And it’s time to spit that out.