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### Basic Necessities

When talking about the three essential needs for human survival, this phrase often comes to mind.

Why are they called the three essentials?

Simply put, it’s a matter directly related to survival.

To avoid starving to death or freezing to death.

In simpler terms, these are the three elements chosen out of a desire to stay alive.

Conversely, what happens to someone who has lost this survival instinct?

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“…No.”

“That’s a relief!”

With a look of exasperation, Song Ah Rin slowly responded to Yu Da On’s worried gaze, while she smiled brightly as usual.

For her, who felt almost no fear of death, such situations might mean nothing at all.

Where could someone without the fear necessary for life find their fears and comforts?

Perhaps she would seek solace in others rather than herself.

‘I truly am… nothing without Jae Heon.’

So what could we—or rather, what could I do for her?

I shook my head to dispel the thought and focused ahead.

Clack! Clack!

The ‘Factory’ was still bumping its teeth together with a bewildered look.

I gazed at the translucent window.

What was written about its weakness?

“Find the heart and destroy it…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing important.”

“Ah! …Jae Heon, are you hurt?”

Though she was smiling, Yu Da On cautiously poked my arm like handling fragile glassware.

“Were you worried?”

“Very! I didn’t expect you to suddenly appear over the wall—”

Smash!

Once again, the noise of it biting into her shoulder prompted me to pull out my weapon, with Song Ah Rin also quickly turning her attention to it.

“…”

Yu Da On looked blankly at the ‘Factory’ that was gnawing on her shoulder.

Soon, it pulled away its teeth, scrunching its face as if it had a headache, and Song Ah Rin yelled out in annoyance.

“That’s not how abilities work! Hey! If you’re gonna bite, be more careful!”

“…”

“Da On, come over here.”

“Okay!”

Without responding to Song Ah Rin’s words, Yu Da On hurried over to my side as Song Ah Rin clicked her tongue and joined me.

“Where’s the white-haired girl and… the blonde?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Song Ah Rin referred to Aileen as the blonde.

There’s no way she plans on calling people by their names.

“Exactly. Why aren’t they coming over?”

I looked over the wall.

No sound could be heard.

“Chae Yeon! Aileen!”

Soon, Aileen beautifully leaped from the air to land on the ground, followed closely by Jang Chae Yeon, who tumbled down awkwardly.

Aileen stood up without a care, while Jang Chae Yeon patted her knees before getting up.

While I glanced away, the ‘Factory’ lunged at us with its jaw wide open, and Yu Da On crossed her arms to catch its teeth.

Smash!

Blood spurted from her arms as Yu Da On casually turned to look at me, as if it were nothing.

“Should I take charge of time?”

“No need.”

“I’m here.”

Jang Chae Yeon stood by my side as if it was natural.

[Coordinate Tear: Level 3]

I couldn’t find the heart, but let’s start by tearing off the legs.

The world transformed into graph paper, and its body began to reveal itself.

The lumps within its throat.

I shouldn’t touch those.

The easiest thing…

My gaze settled on its legs, and as if crumpling on the joints, the graph paper began to fold.

Following my sight, Jang Chae Yeon, without any hesitation, extended her hand into a fist, causing the ‘Factory’s’ leg to snap like a twig.

“Ahhh!”

With a frail sound, it collapsed.

“Okay. Just like that—”

“Ugh…!”

Before I finished my sentence, it began to spew out a dark mass.

“Ahhhh!”

Song Ah Rin screamed and recoiled in disgust, realizing something was undoubtedly wrong.

“Da On! Over here!”

“Okay!”

Yu Da On dashed to my side.

The masses spit out by the ‘Factory’ started wriggling and then began to take on the shapes of countless people.

The only difference was that the lumps now had no faces or shapes, unlike the previous ones that had coughed up one of our group.

After expelling all the lumps, which had once been swollen with breaths, it began to wheeze heavily.

The lumps that poured from the Factory stared at us.

There were more than I expected.

Aileen tapped my shoulder lightly.

“It’s a resource battle. There’s no need to fight.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Wait, wait?”

Grabbing Yu Da On’s wrist, I began to run.

Song Ah Rin and Aileen were already a few paces ahead, and dazedly, Yu Da On, still caught by the wrist, snapped back to reality and started running beside me.

From the back, Jang Chae Yeon was shaking her hands energetically to shake off the monsters.

While running, I calmly exhaled, and the four of them turned to me.

“Listen carefully. That thing is not just one.”

“Something like that isn’t just one?”

Song Ah Rin exclaimed in disbelief, running.

“Weren’t you the one who always showcased your perfect finishing blows? When you broke the leg, I thought it was over!”

“I see how you think of me, Song Ah Rin!”

After sending the others ahead, I turned my body, shook the butane canister a few times, and opened the cap.

A flame hot enough to burn my face engulfed the masses.

With my other hand, I shot at the masses, bringing them down before dashing away again.

Sometimes, Aileen would assist with her gun, and mostly Jang Chae Yeon began to push the masses away, and thankfully, unlike usual, we had about three people who could properly handle combat, making it easy to evade the monsters.

“…Phew… Hah…”

After successfully dodging, while Jang Chae Yeon was panting heavily in a corner, Yu Da On looked at me with worry, as though she hadn’t done any morning jogging.

“But… where’s the Team Leader?”

“…Good question.”

We need to find the Team Leader first. No matter how well he senses danger, I can’t just assume he’s okay.

The threat wasn’t over yet.

The ‘Factory’ we first encountered must still be around, and our main goal is not to eliminate the entity but to escape and gather tickets.

“…Should we try hypnosis?”

At that moment, Song Ah Rin, who had been silent, wiped the sweat off her forehead and spoke.

“Hypnosis?”

“Literally what I said! It’s indiscriminate hypnosis. If someone gets caught, we can roughly know where they are. The downside is…”

Song Ah Rin looked at the others.

“…Indiscriminate means everyone around could get caught too?”

“…”

After a brief silence, I looked at the three of them.

“…I don’t mind.”

Aileen shrugged her shoulders.

“Same here!”

Yu Da On energetically raised her hand, while Jang Chae Yeon remained silent, showing a displeased expression.

“Chae Yeon…?”

“…Fine.”

Only after I gauged her mood did she respond with irritation.

“…Then let’s start.”

After a slight meeting of minds, Song Ah Rin stood before us and closed her eyes.

Her hypnosis for the others was simple.

Follow behind me.

Soon, my temple began to throb slightly, and the three of them were following me with unfocused expressions.

It felt like I had become the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

“Song Ah Rin, let me know if you catch anything.”

“Don’t talk! I’m concentrating.”

Sheesh.

With her brows furrowed, Song Ah Rin took the lead.

Walking around with three dazed faces wasn’t easy, either.

Sometimes stopping at sounds, sometimes halting at the Factory’s noise, checking whether the others were keeping up before continuing, we began searching for the Team Leader.

“…I think I’ve found it.”

How far had we walked? Just when my legs began to ache, Song Ah Rin’s eyes flew open and her brows relaxed.

“Where is it?”

“…Beyond this wall.”

Song Ah Rin pointed at the wall.

“…Let’s cross over.”

Song Ah Rin nodded and shook Jang Chae Yeon awake by tapping her shoulder.

“Chae Yeon.”

“…”

In a daze, she blinked a few times before looking at me.

“Crossing the wall?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and handed me back.

As we crossed over the wall…

“…Oh, wow!”

There was the Team Leader, curled up in a ball.

“…Team Leader, it’s me.”

“I know. I thought you were a fake again.”

“…Was there a fake?”

“Of course, there was!”

When I met the Team Leader’s eyes as others came tumbling over.

“Wait, how are you still okay?”

“Because I’m a genius!”

“Huh?”

The Team Leader grinned confidently.

“I’m a genius, I tell you!”

“Eh.”

At this point, I’m not even surprised anymore.

Now that we had found the Team Leader.

“Shall we look for an exit?”

“Got any good methods?”

Aileen wondered as she tilted her head and when my gaze fell on the Team Leader, she also turned to look at him with an ‘Ah’ sound.

“So that’s what you meant.”

“The veteran catches on to my thoughts immediately.”

“…What are you talking about?”

The Team Leader muttered with an uneasy voice upon overhearing us.

“Team Leader.”

“What?”

I spoke softly to him.

“Do you know about the canaries in coal mines?”

“…I don’t, no?”

The Team Leader shook his head vigorously.

“Then let’s have you be the canary for a while.”

“You realize that’s treason, right? If I get killed, you’ll be in trouble, right?”

I stood before the uneasily mumbling Team Leader and looked at the others.

“Alright, everyone, let’s prepare to head out.”

It’s time to gather tickets and leave this place.