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I look at the gloomy hospital in front of me.

The black paint on Building A was peeling halfway off the white wall.

“Everyone, please follow the manual.”

“I’ve already opened it.”

Song Ah-Rin sighed as she held the manual and looked at the door.

The automatic door, which was half broken, stood ajar, likely forced open by someone.

“I never thought I’d be going to a ‘hospital’ to save someone in my life. This is something I never imagined I’d do.”

“Have either of you been here before?”

In response to my question, both Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah-Rin shook their heads.

“The Isolation Team doesn’t come here.”

“I won’t come here either. If I had to say, this is… somewhere the Response Team operates.”

“Response Team?”

Was there really such a thing as a Response Team?

“Simply put, it’s a place that deals with organizations like ‘hospitals’ or ‘theaters.’”

Song Ah-Rin continued as she checked her gun’s magazine.

“Usually, it’s where people who have made enemies with those organizations end up. So the atmosphere is pretty grim every day.”

“Oh. If we’re lucky, we might even run into the Response Team?”

“Wake up. Gangseo University Hospital has long since pulled out its teams from the Management Agency. The manual has been completed.”

That’s why it had so many annotations in the back.

I opened the manual in front of the crumbling automatic door.

[Manual for Office Staff]

[Gangseo University Hospital Manual]

[Under no circumstances should you use force directly.]

[2.2- You will find a broken automatic door in front of you. Force is a last resort. Remember that even if you have the strength of a Branch Chief, an individual can be utterly powerless against the imbalance of groups and information.]

[2-3. If you enter the door, receptionists who have been thoroughly enchanted will greet you. You must say you’re here for a visit, and never mention the name of the person you’re looking for. You must name someone who is absolutely not here. After that, take the stairs to the third floor. If you feel an auditory hallucination or hallucinations trying to lead you to the second floor, please inflict self-harm, and keep in mind that the Management Agency will not be able to find any bodies inside.]

A name that would definitely not be present.

One person immediately popped into my head.

“Are you ready?”

Both of them nodded, and I stepped forward into the building.

The incandescent light flickered, illuminating the partially destroyed reception desk, where a person dressed in a receptionist uniform stood.

“…”

Their face was distorted.

Where their eyes should have been, there were lips, and where their lips should have been, there were eyes attached to the man.

“What brings you here?”

The voice that flowed out was that of a kindly woman.

“Oh, I’m here for a visit.”

“Ah~ you’ve come for a visit. If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask which patient you are here to see?”

“Kim Wan Woo.”

I recited the name of the Reincarnator that had imprinted strongly in my mind from just two encounters.

For some reason, it felt like that was the only thing I could say.

“Patient Kim Wan Woo~ Let’s see… Oh dear, it seems he’s not here… We’ve been having some issues with our list management lately…”

Apologetically, the receptionist smiled and pointed down the right corridor.

“He should be on the third floor! If you ask the nurse there, they will be able to help you well! I’m sorry!”

“It’s alright.”

I moved towards the right corridor.

Soon, the elevator and stairs appeared before me.

Stairs it was.

Carefully gripping the butane gas in my pocket, I stepped onto the stairs.

Immediately, a throbbing began in my temple.

“Song Ah-Rin.”

“What?”

“Can you and Chae Yeon briefly enter a hypnotic state and follow me quietly?”

“Now there are those who calmly suggest I should be putting them under hypnosis…”

“Can you do it?”

“Wake me up with a flick on the forehead.”

After a brief grumble, Song Ah-Rin reached out, taking my hand, while using her other hand to grasp Jang Chae Yeon’s hand.

Soon, their expressions went blank.

I swiftly waved my hand in front of their faces, confirming that both had no response before climbing the stairs.

The throbbing intensified, but compared to the pain I had experienced through the turntable, this was nothing.

Passing by the sign marked <Floor 2, Radiology>, I aimed for the third floor.

<Floor 3, Patient Waiting Room>

As I exited the landing, I flicked my fingers against Song Ah-Rin and Jang Chae Yeon’s foreheads.

As if they had made a pact, both girls woke up, and immediately opened the manual again.

[2-4. When you arrive at the third-floor patient waiting room, the first thing you must do is assess how many nurses are present.]

I quickly scanned the area.

There were three nurses in total.

[If there is one nurse, you are safe. If there are two, be cautious. If there are three, you are in danger. If there are four, you should leave immediately.]

Three. How extraordinarily unlucky.

[2-5. The more nurses there are, the tighter the security, and future doctors are likely to be more difficult to deal with. Approach the nurse and say, ‘I heard from the first floor that the patient roster has mixed up.’ They will then head down to the first floor. However, the more nurses there are, the shorter the time they will take to return from the first floor, and you must breach the third floor in that interval.]

[2-6. If the nurses head down, run across the corridor. You may occasionally hear cries for help from the patient rooms, but you must not interfere with it. The corridor is longer than it appears. Be cautious of the darkness, and if shadows catch you, do all you can to shake them off.]

[2-7. After that, if you enter the connecting corridor, you will be safe.]

Having read the manual fully, I looked at both of them.

“Please.”

“You can trust us.”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded at my words and as soon as she did, I headed toward the nurse.

“Excuse me.”

The nurse turned to look at me.

There was nothing where a face should be.

In a stiff posture, the nurse turned their body towards us, and I spoke as per the manual.

“I heard from the first floor that the patient roster has mixed up.”

The three nurses exchanged glances before starting to dash towards the stairs.

I gazed into the corridor.

The corridor appeared shorter than I expected. It looked like a distance of about 300 meters, but it felt incredibly long.

“Let’s run.”

Confirming that all the nurses had vanished into the stairwell, I began to sprint down the corridor.

Countless patient rooms whizzed past, and loud banging could be heard from behind the doors.

-Help me!

-Gaaaah! My arm!!!

-It hurts…! It hurts!

-…Jae Heon.

At the final words, my legs froze for a moment, but immediately Jang Chae Yeon pushed my back and calmly spoke.

“Don’t believe it.”

“…I know!”

I concentrated my strength back into my legs and resumed running.

It felt far too long.

I felt like I had already run 200 meters, yet I couldn’t shake the sense that I hadn’t even passed a third of the distance.

“Here they come!”

Song Ah-Rin yelled, looking back hurriedly, and I turned to follow her gaze.

The nurses were charging at us like mad.

Faster than any athlete. If this continued, capture was inevitable.

Jang Chae Yeon frantically looked back and waved her hand, while cabinets and beds piled up to block our path.

-Thud!

Of course, it only bought us a few more seconds.

“Ow!”

Song Ah-Rin occasionally hypnotized them to block, and Jang Chae Yeon knocked things over to obstruct their way.

Suddenly, the ceiling lights started to flicker, and shadows began to ripple.

I could… tear through the shadows. If it were me.

[Coordinate Tear: 3 times remaining]

“Chae Yeon!”

At my call, she immediately turned her gaze in the direction I was looking, and at that moment, the world began to transform into a grid.

I designated every threatening part visible between the shadows. Approximately 17 threats.

“Grab them!”

“…!”

Simultaneously, Jang Chae Yeon extended her hand and clenched her fist, and the shadows burst apart, restoring the light.

Before I knew it, the connecting corridor was directly in front of us, and after pushing both of them inside, I leaped and rolled across the floor.

“Ugh!”

“Ahhh!”

“…!”

After a brief commotion, I quickly turned around to look back, seeing the nurses standing just a few steps away, staring at us.

“…”

After a brief standoff, they turned away and moved back.

Letting out a breath of relief, I took a moment to catch my breath.

A slightly panting Song Ah-Rin and Jang Chae Yeon, whose face had turned pale and was struggling to breathe.

“Are you alright?”

“…”

Jang Chae Yeon nodded without a proper response, so I patted her back while opening the manual again.

[2-8. Once you arrive at the connecting corridor, remember that you will now be confronted with rational beings. First, the doctors who will appear will depend on the number of nurses you saw on the third floor.]

As Jang Chae Yeon’s breath calmed down a bit, I reassured her and began walking again.

[You have limited time, so it is recommended to read the manual while you walk.]

[If there is one nurse, search for section 2-9 <Orthopedic Doctor>. If there are two, look for section 2-10 <Neurologist>. If there are three, refer to section 2-11 <Orthopedic Doctor>.]

[2-11. In the case of the Orthopedic Doctor, they are exceptionally vicious, and their responses are unpredictable.]

[Physical suppression is not recommended.]

[The Orthopedic Doctor has a physique that makes physical confrontation impossible. In reality, if a physical fight were to occur, it would not be easily resolved, so bear that in mind.]

[However, all that occupies his mind is research and experimentation, making rational dialogue comparatively difficult relative to other doctors.]

[When you meet him, what you must be most careful of is not to provide any information about the person you’re searching for.]

[Deceiving him, I hope you seek what you desire.]

Soon, a clear guidepost appeared before me.

<Welcome to Building A, Floor 3, Patient Rooms.>

It was an empty corridor devoid of anything.

This immaculately organized place was no different from a typical hospital, and if I only took pictures and posted them, people would likely believe it was just a hospital.

The only difference was one.

“…”

“Welcome, guest! How can I assist you today?”

A cheerful-looking person appeared, greeting us with a smile.

There was no face.

No, while they appeared to have a human shape, they were entirely made of shadows from head to toe.

Only where there should have been teeth was there merely gums.

“Fracture? Or maybe an amputation? Or… looking for someone?”

He smiled as he looked at us.

It certainly didn’t seem like this would go smoothly.