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Gravity cannot be defied.

There was a time when I keenly realized this truth, and that was when I lay down after eating and ended up with gastritis.

Since my parents were working couples at the time, I recovered thanks to my younger sister and childhood friend’s care, but I think it was then that I first understood the significant meaning gravity held.

Ultimately, what I learned was that people shouldn’t eat and lie down. Primarily because stomach acid is likely to rise.

“Gravity applies to all beings, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

Jang Chae Yeon, who was gathering metal marbles, looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“I think we could experiment from now on.”

After staring at me quietly, Jang Chae Yeon nodded.

“Okay. If you want to experiment.”

She looked as if she understood, though I had no idea what she was talking about.

“Da On, A-Rin.”

“Yes!”

“I’m going to hit them hard, so you two need to block well.”

“Yes!”

“Got it.”

Yu Da On and Song A Rin nodded their heads.

“And Da On.”

“Yes?”

Can I ask you to do this?

For a moment of hesitation, Yu Da On looked at me with a gentle smile.

“Anything you say.”

“…”

“If you want something, I can achieve it all.”

Seeing that expression of hers made me question if what I was doing was really right.

“…Just take it once like before.”

“Oh, you want a body part to be taken? It doesn’t matter which part, right?”

“That’s correct. You just need to give me some trouble when I ask.”

“That’s not a hard thing to do! I wouldn’t be confused about offering something like my hair! I think anywhere is fine!”

Yu Da On smiled, nodding her head.

“And A-Rin, please take good care of Da On.”

“…Ugh.”

Song A Rin sighed as she looked at me.

“Alright. Got it. Hey, black-haired one. You heard that, right? I’ll back you up perfectly.”

“Don’t fight.”

“Hey, we’re not fighting!”

“Right.”

So, what I saw just now wasn’t fighting but a story full of camaraderie?

“I’ll leave it to you.”

At my words, the two nodded.

“Let’s go, A-Rin!”

“…Yeah.”

Yu Da On dashed toward the enemy, drawing attention and dodging attacks while Song A Rin expertly aimed her gun, shooting bullets between the monster’s joints.

Whenever an unavoidable attack came toward Yu Da On, Song A Rin would pull back her hand.

As if controlled by strings, Yu Da On’s body halted, causing her to drift back.

“Thank you!”

“Make sure to say it more nicely!”

Yu Da On laughed while Song A Rin clicked her tongue.

Even from the back, it was like Song A Rin was creating angles for Yu Da On to shoot from, and she was perfectly understanding her intentions.

Anyone could see it was a flawless collaboration.

If they could fight like that, can’t they just get along better day-to-day?

“Shall we be eaten soon!”

Yu Da On shouted and turned to Jang Chae Yeon.

The marbles she had gathered had now turned into one gigantic metal marble.

A pure mass of power combined into a metal sphere.

“I’m ready.”

“Now!”

“Yes!”

As Yu Da On dodged the attack, she deliberately placed her arm against her leg, soon making her arm disappear like an eraser, her sleeve flopping around.

It seemed to vomit something as she heaved, and Yu Da On’s arm returned.

“Chae Yeon!”

Upon hearing my words, Jang Chae Yeon pulled her arm back.

Following her movement, the metal sphere was also drawn back.

-Swahhh!

With all her might, like throwing a baseball, she thrust her fist forward, and the large, gathered metal sphere was hurled into its mouth at an alarming speed.

-KABOOM!

It made a strange noise, bending its body as it twisted with bizarre sounds.

“It says it’s painful.”

Yu Da On muttered calmly while gazing at the sight.

Soon, it regurgitated the metal sphere.

A multitude of unspeakable things poured out from its mouth.

Clumps of hair, pieces of flesh, and bones.

“Ew!”

Song A Rin shrieked, stepping back, and Yu Da On also pulled back with a stiff expression.

The monster began to barf out those things for an extended time.

<...Gleuph>

Muttering, it toppled backward.

A horrible stench permeated the air.

“…”

While Yu Da On watched the scene, she slightly closed her eyes, murmuring.

“You’ve suffered for a long time. Now, rest well.”

Her voice was so full of sorrow that nobody, including me, could say a word.

“…Shall we go.”

She lifted her head after a moment of silence.

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon gave her a sidelong glance, and Song A Rin, too, bit her lip as she passed by her.

“…Da On.”

“Oh, Jae Heon.”

Yu Da On smiled at me.

“Are you alright?”

“I should be the one asking. Are you okay, Da On?”

“I’m fine.”

Yu Da On nodded.

“What a pitiful being.”

“True.”

He probably never thought he’d end up trapped in the hospital—

“It’s because he couldn’t meet Jae Heon that he ended up like this.”

“…Huh?”

Naturally, my gaze turned toward Yu Da On.

“If only he had met Jae Heon, that person might have lived a different life, right?”

“…I’m not sure about that.”

I’m not someone with that kind of power.

I just did what I could and lived my life to the best of my ability.

“No.”

But,

“If it’s Jae Heon, then he might be able to do it.”

Her face, filled with confidence, left me speechless.

It was something I couldn’t describe beyond mere trust.

“Something’s coming.”

Just as it seemed to cut through our atmosphere, the Team Leader murmured, squinting his eyes.

Jang Chae Yeon gathered the marbles back into her pouch, Song A Rin reloaded her gun, and Yu Da On clenched her fist.

-TA-DAK!

With urgent footsteps, the door swung open, and a nurse appeared.

At that moment, Jang Chae Yeon slammed her hand into the ground, sending the nurse’s body crashing to the floor.

-FWEEEEK!

Simultaneously, as Song A Rin swirled her index finger like playing music, the nurse’s body twisted, pulling out a key from her bosom.

“Thanks.”

Song A Rin murmured, holding the key and looking at me.

“Let’s go.”

“Understood.”

Before I knew it, Song A Rin inserted the key into the now-closed door.

-CLICK!

With the sound of the key fitting in, the door opened.

The acrid smell attacked our noses.

“Wow…”

The Team Leader murmured as he gazed down the corridor.

The corridor was devastated.

Every window was shattered, and the floor bore signs of burning.

It was evident that someone had deliberately smashed everything.

“It seems they’ve arrived.”

When I thought of someone capable of causing such destruction, only two people came to mind.

But how could we get to where those people are?

The manual is also quite weak when it comes to real-time information.

Thinking of it like this…

-BOOM!

The sound of something breaking echoed.

“I didn’t need to ponder.”

Given their blatant destruction.

“It seems we should go toward the source of the noise.”

Before moving my feet, I turned back to face the patients.

Their gazes were locked onto our five figures.

“A-Rin.”

“Yeah?”

Song A Rin turned back to me.

“Is it right to leave the door open?”

“…”

Song A Rin’s gaze drifted toward the multitude of people in patient garb.

“Will they be able to live if they come out here?”

“I’m not sure.”

But at least it felt like all the dangers had passed.

“Who knows? If they break enough, this place might disappear, allowing them to return to how they were.”

“…”

Song A Rin’s gaze was on them, and she lightly closed her eyes.

After a moment’s pause, with her face pale, Song A Rin opened her eyes.

“I had implied safety. Even if they come out, they will instinctively seek a safe place.”

“…Thank you.”

“No, I’m just glad you’re that kind of person.”

Song A Rin murmured, stepping forward.

The five of us began to walk, surveying our fully destroyed surroundings.

“…Jae Heon.”

-CRASH! KABOOM!

The terrifying sounds hit the air with which we fought against, making it hard to even think.

“Yes, Team Leader.”

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

The Team Leader muttered fearfully as he stared ahead.

“Something’s lurking where that sound is coming from.”

“There is definitely something there.”

If the Branch Chief and Isolation Team are fighting that hard, it can’t just be “something.”

It’s bound to be “something” that far surpasses my imagination.

As we drew closer to the source of the noise, a bloodcurdling racket resonated, and the Team Leader looked at me.

“Jae Heon, how about waiting?”

“Wait, you say?”

“…That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but I don’t think we could be much help while those monsters are fighting…”

The Team Leader muttered, gazing straight ahead when—

-CRUSH!

A wall crumbled, and a person erupted from it.

“AAAHHH!”

The Team Leader screamed as someone staggered out of the broken wall, coughing up blood.

“…Branch Chief?”

It was the Branch Chief.

After spitting blood several times, she locked eyes with me and widened her gaze.

“Is that Kim Jae Heon and the Human Resources folks? I thought I was lucky for not getting caught since I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

“We were trapped with the patients.”

“I see, kaha!”

She coughed again, spitting blood.

“The situation isn’t good.”

“That seems to be the case.”

“I boldly challenged them, and it wouldn’t be weird if all the doctors at Gangbuk Hospital either died or were sent underground immediately.”

She muttered as she observed what lay ahead.

“The Gangbuk Hospital Director is quite a nuisance.”

-Creak, creak…

Footsteps sounded.

“Huff…!”

The Team Leader took a deep breath, pushing me aside.

-SLIP!

His hair fell in clumps.

As soon as I was pushed to the side, a wall crumbled.

Soon, a figure emerged from beyond the wall.

If a battle has caused such chaos, it’s strange that a doctor’s gown should be dirty; rather, a bright white gown caught my eye.

And then,

“Ugh…”

Yu Da On pinched her nose.

“Da On?”

“That… person, no. That…”

She murmured, scrunching her brow.

“It reeks terribly.”

As her words finished, the Director’s face was revealed.

It looked just like a human face.

Only, its jaw hung abnormally down.

The lower jaw dropped to the sternum, looking at us.

“…A perfect result has emerged.”

Muttering something incomprehensible while looking at Yu Da On, her body stiffened.

Soon after, a translucent window floated above its head.

[Name: Gangbuk Hospital Director]

[Age: 74]

[Specialty: – ]

[Talent: – ]

[Background: – ]

[Vulnerability: – ]

Only a limited amount of information, as if it were natural, was displayed in my eyes.

Jang Chae Yeon stood next to the Branch Chief, and Song A Rin was positioned behind me as well.

The Branch Chief opened her mouth.

“Team Leader Heo Chan.”

“…Yes.”

Unexpectedly, she called the Team Leader’s name.

“I noticed you’ve nearly gone bald since the Dream of the Butterfly incident.”

“That’s… correct.”

“If this incident ends, you might end up completely bald, huh?”

“…”

The Team Leader’s expression darkened instantly.

“The Management Agency is looking for a hair growth tonic.”

So even the agency’s technology couldn’t fix baldness.

“I’m sure the Human Resources team can help, right?”

A translucent window hovered above the Team Leader’s head.

[Name: Heo Chan]

[Age: 49]

[Traits: Apathy]

[Talent: Crisis Detection]

[Background: He did not disclose. Crisis detection means sacrificing his own life to survive. Just like human lives, there are parts of the body that face permanent death. That would be the hair roots.]

[Vulnerability: If complete baldness occurs, he will find it hard to utilize his powers properly.]

“…Jae Heon.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

“…”

The Team Leader bit his lips tightly.

“I’ll back you up fully from now on. I’ll let you know about the dangerous things, so go and fight!”

“What about your hair?”

“Shut it, punk!”

The Branch Chief clenched her fists, and the four of us drew our weapons.

It’s time to escape.