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No matter how I think about it, it feels like I’ve seen too many things that are not human since the incident with the Sacred Body.

Now, I’m at a level where I wouldn’t faint upon seeing only smoke where a human face should be; instead, I’d just go, “Oh my, what a surprise!”

I look at the figure in front of me.

[Name: Orthopedic Doctor]

[Age: 42 years]

[Characteristics: Overall physical reassembly]

[Talent: Surgical operations]

[Background: Working at the ‘hospital’, he could not heal his beloved due to some incident. He promised to sacrifice everything to heal her and has committed countless evils with his own hands. In the end, he succeeded in making his existence even more horrific without being able to save his beloved.]

[Weakness: Touch his shame and disgrace. If lucky, you might touch the last vestige of humanity he has hidden deep within.]

Humanity.

That seems difficult. I was told that rational conversation was relatively impossible.

Should I try maintaining silence?

“Which patient did you come to find? The most recent patient I operated on involved switching ribs and shin bones, and the reaction was not bad.”

“…”

“Oh, since you’re not saying anything, you must not be that patient! Then… let’s see… Someone came a few weeks ago and had sickles attached to both arms – could it be that person?”

“…That doesn’t seem to be it.”

“Oh dear! Then… someone from the Management Agency came by.”

The part of his eyes that could be seen looked at me.

Yu Da On’s face briefly flashed in my mind.

Stay calm.

“…The Management Agency? What’s that?”

I looked at him with the most clueless expression I could muster.

“They’re the ones that annoy us.”

He said this as though genuinely tired, beginning to rummage through the chart with the patient’s name written on it.

“So, if that patient isn’t the one, who did you come to find?”

What should I say?

“…I mentioned that I was told to come up due to a list issue from the first floor.”

“This damned Gangseo University Hospital can’t fix anything no matter how many times you tell it. I already flipped the receptionist’s face in punishment, so I might have to flip it again next time.”

He sighed deeply and snapped the chart shut with a sound.

“To be honest, it’s bothersome. Find the patient on your own.”

Then he brushed past me and began rapidly spewing words at the nurse.

“Yeah. That guy. No, not the one from the Management Agency! The one who just got back today. Even if he’s sick, he doesn’t budge, and he comes back to life even if you kill him, making him easy to operate on. I can only operate once on him. He’s been sent to the center.”

Before I knew it, my gaze was drawn to the doctor.

My eyes followed as he walked down the corridor without realizing it.

He opened the manual.

[2-12. Even if the doctor walks past you without telling you about the patient, do not be too discouraged. You still have a chance.]

[Do not chase after them. There will likely be a nurse left behind.]

Looking around, one nurse stood there with a blank expression directed at us.

Naturally, the nurse’s information floated above my head.

[Name: Kim Si Yeon]

[Age: 28 years]

[Characteristics: Nursing]

[Talent: X]

[Background: She simply drifted into the hospital while walking down the street. Did she have any sins? While she screamed thousands of times for someone to just kill her, it seems no one cared about that.]

[Weakness: Those tied to the ‘hospital’ generally have a strong pain tolerance. Conversely, they carry more painful memories than anyone else.]

“…”

My mouth felt bitter.

I continued to sneak glances at the manual.

[Say the following to the nurse: ‘I heard from Gangbuk Hospital that the nurse call system is broken.’]

[Upon hearing that, the nurse will momentarily step away. Depending on the doctor’s character, in the case of an orthopedic doctor, he may not have much patience, so it’s likely the nurse will call for help sooner than usual. But that brief moment is your chance to find someone.]

[During that time, you may search any patient room. However, do not open the black doors. Beyond those doors are patients who are already far too gone.]

[If time runs out, the nurse will come looking for you and will send you out the door. After that, you won’t be able to find the patient you want.]

“…I heard from Gangbuk Hospital that the nurse call system is broken.”

As soon as I said that, the nurse struck an exaggerated pose and began walking briskly toward the connecting corridor.

“Let’s search.”

At my words, all three of them nodded.

“Shall we split up to search?”

Song Ah Rin looked at me while brandishing a shotgun.

“It might be a bit dangerous, but since we don’t have much time, let’s split up. If we find something…”

“I’ll scream.”

“What if that’s dangerous?”

“The manual didn’t say not to scream.”

Jang Chae Yeon confidently declared and began walking down the left corridor.

“…Then I’ll scream too.”

“Yes. But Song Ah Rin.”

“Yeah?”

As she tilted her head and looked at me, I continued.

“Why hasn’t the Management Agency annihilated the ‘hospital’?”

Shouldn’t the first step in a place like this be to wipe it out entirely?

“…‘Hospital’ is a phenomenon.”

“A phenomenon?”

“No matter how much the Management Agency uses all physical means to destroy this place, the ‘hospital’ won’t disappear. A new hospital will just take over, leading to even bigger accidents.”

“…That—”

“We didn’t want to know, either.”

Song Ah Rin looked at me with a bitter expression.

“It’s unfortunate, but this is all we can do right now. Set up signs and write down escape methods in the hopes that more people can get out.”

“…”

“…Let’s go. There will surely come a day when we can smash this hospital to pieces.”

Song Ah Rin often had a pained expression when it came to matters related to people.

“Let’s move ahead.”

“Sure.”

With brisk steps, Song Ah Rin headed toward the right corridor.

Then…

I look towards the central corridor.

In the clean hallway, there were no traces of blood or groans to be heard.

We don’t have time.

I open the nearby door.

“…Ugh…”

There was a man groaning with a mashed-up face.

[Name: Park Su Han]

[Age: 62 years]

[Characteristics: X]

[Talent: X]

[Background: He has been in the hospital for a long time and is dying.]

[Weakness: Wait.]

“…”

Slowly, I closed the door.

This place is insane. I couldn’t understand why this was happening, nor could I fathom the suffering of those caught here.

I open the next door.

Again, a half-dead person.

I slowly close the door.

The third, fourth were all dead ends too.

“…Damn.”

Time kept moving, but the person I was looking for wasn’t showing up.

No one screamed in the corridor.

After checking the sixth room, I opened the seventh door, and—

“…”

A gaunt man, with his lower half covered in a blanket, had a pistol pointed at his temple.

“…Dangerous…”

He lowered the gun and looked at me, his gaze meeting my manual.

“…Management Agency?”

“Do you know it?”

“…It doesn’t seem like you came here to rescue me from the team. I thought someone else had come here; that’s why I was tense.”

He sighed.

“You’re brave. It’s not easy to walk in here by yourself.”

“I’ll take you with me.”

“That seems difficult.”

With a bitter smile, he pulled off the blanket covering his lower half.

There was nothing there.

“…But if you take me—”

“It’s too late.”

He spoke resolutely and lay back on the bed.

“I was operated on by the orthopedic doctor and lost my organs. It’s nearly impossible for me to come back to life now.”

“Still—”

“It’s fine. I’m satisfied. I freed my daughter.”

He nodded with a smile.

“It seems like you’re also looking for someone very desperately.”

“…”

“If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t have come looking for the orthopedic doctor despite the warnings in the manual.”

He gazed outside the door.

“Recently, the hospital has been noisy because an experiment subject who doesn’t die has returned. Isn’t that the person you’re looking for?”

“That’s right.”

“This isn’t it; they say he’s in the Intensive Care Unit, but the manual probably says not to go there…”

“…But what if I must go?”

“Then you have to go.”

His eyes pierced through me.

“Don’t forget. The user of the manual is you. You shouldn’t let the manual dictate your actions.”

“…”

“It’s fine. Everything will work out in the end.”

“Surely I—”

“Taking me with you to the Intensive Care Unit would be akin to choosing to live a life worse than death.”

He slowly shook his head.

“Just go.”

“I’ll come back for you. The Gangseo Branch said they would come for me.”

“That sounds a bit promising.”

He nodded with a smile.

“Isn’t there any time? I should check all the rooms.”

“…”

He was right. No one screamed, and Yu Da On was nowhere to be seen either.

I stood up, and he looked at me.

“What’s your name?”

“Kim Jae Heon.”

“Kim Jae Heon. Alright. Just one favor to ask of the Management Agency’s member.”

“Please go ahead.”

“Please take good care of my daughter, Ye Eun. Even if she’s sent to an orphanage, I’ll be a bit concerned.”

“…”

He smiled lightly.

“Don’t feel sorry.”

“…I—”

“That’s a bit of an issue for me.”

“…”

He fiddled with the gun while looking at me.

“Sorry. Could you step out? This isn’t a good scene.”

“…I’ll take care of Ye Eun.”

“You shouldn’t ask something like that from someone you just met. Just go and check on her once.”

Once outside, I closed the door, trying to make as little noise as possible by leaning against it to muffle it. That was the best consideration I could offer.

-Bang!

A single gunshot rang out, and then silence fell.

I must go.

Next door.

Nothing.

The door after that.

Again, nothing.

“…Damn.”

Do I really have to go to the Intensive Care Unit?

The clicking sounds echoed down the corridor as Jang Chae Yeon and Song Ah Rin gathered toward me.

“…Nothing here.”

“Nothing here either. I’m really going to lose it.”

“I feel the same.”

The nurse appeared, and soon she pointed for us to leave with her finger.

I opened the manual.

[2-13. If the nurse gestures for you to leave, do so. While leaving, many paths will appear before you, but you must only go to the one marked ‘exit’. If you stray to another path, you will immediately end up in the Intensive Care Unit, and the Management Agency will do its best to recover your remains.]

[Once you come out the exit, please wait for the Management Agency’s rescue.]

“…”

I walk toward where the nurse’s finger pointed.

“Hey, are you really going to go like this?”

“…”

Song Ah Rin and Jang Chae Yeon looked at me.

I quietly continued forward.

“Hey! If you just walk straight out, we’re leaving! This is the exit!”

“…Is this really right?”

Both of them looked at me with worried faces.

I opened the manual once more.

[2-13. If the nurse gestures for you to leave, do so. While leaving, many paths will appear before you, but you must only go to the one marked ‘exit’. If you stray to another path, you will immediately end up in the Intensive Care Unit, and the Management Agency will do its best to recover your remains.]

[Once you come out the exit, please wait for the Management Agency’s rescue.]

The manual had not changed.

The path before me marked ‘exit’ appeared.

If I walk straight, it’s the exit, and to my right, there’s a path with no signs.

After shifting my steps to the right, I opened the manual again.

I am the user of the manual.

“I, Kim Jae Heon, a member of the Management Agency’s Human Resources Team, request permission to view the Intensive Care Unit manual.”

As the book opened like the wind blew, words began appearing on the manual.

[Permission Denied.]

“I request once again. I, Kim Jae Heon, a member of the Management Agency’s Human Resources Team, request permission to view the Intensive Care Unit manual.”

I placed my foot into the right corridor.

Soon, different words began to etch themselves onto the manual.

[Temporary authority obtained by ? ? ?. Accessing now.]

[2-20. Intensive Care Unit Records – This information is very limited and likely to be incorrect.]

“That’s not something you need to worry about.”

I turned to face the two behind me.

“…Can you entrust your life to me?”

“No.”

Song Ah Rin shook her head.

“Why would I trust my life to you?”

Then she stepped onto the right path.

“I’m not leaving my life in your hands. I’m trusting your abilities.”

Jang Chae Yeon also stepped onto the right path and smiled gently.

“If we go to die, I’ll save you. So please, save me when I’m in danger.”

“Understood.”

I began to walk ahead, and the two followed behind me.

The path to the Intensive Care Unit was pitch black.