The air feels suffocating.
My heart is pounding wildly.
Thud, thud, thud—
Every nerve in my body is ringing with alarm, but I can’t tear my eyes away from the scene.
My body froze, unable to move.
“Ugh… woof woof!”
Inside the iron cage, a monstrous creature, like a gigantic dog, was rolling a human head around like a ball.
Blood splattered in all directions,
and the shrill screams filled the corridor.
But what was even more horrifying was the expression on the faces of the onlookers.
“Good boy, good boy! Well done~!”
“Such a good baby~!”
The people, who seemed emotionless, were clapping their hands, grinning.
Some had tears in their eyes, while others were so moved that they were even raising their hands in victory…
‘…They’re insane.’
I hoped this was just a dream.
But the pungent smell of blood made it impossible to deny that this was reality.
“Now, try this!”
One of them grabbed a terrified man and threw him in front of the cage.
The monster, as if waiting for the moment, opened its jaws.
At the instant the scream erupted, the man’s neck was bitten by the creature’s teeth.
Crunch, crunch—
Flesh was torn, and bones shattered.
Even at the horrific sound, no one furrowed their brow.
“Oh, look how well he’s eating! Eat well, grow strong~!”
“You’re so beautiful~!”
Joy, admiration, praise.
It felt like a ‘festival.’
A collective madness, as if under some spell.
Shit.
I staggered backward.
My legs were trembling, and my breath caught in my throat.
It felt like my feet weren’t part of my body.
I even had the illusion that someone was grabbing my shoulder.
‘You need to run.’
My survival instinct screamed.
If I want to live, I need to escape now.
I turned my body and ran.
The corridor echoed with applause, screams, and the grotesque sound of human bones being crushed.
I ran as fast as I could toward the elevator.
The moment the door closed,
Ding—!
The cheerful sound echoed in my ears.
A sigh of relief mixed with cold sweat came out.
…
“What the hell is going on here…”
My mind went completely blank.
I tried to think, but nothing made sense.
One thing is certain.
What I just witnessed is definitely not “normal.”
“Call the police, I need to contact the police.”
But then came the tragic realization.
“I left my phone at the building entrance… Ugh…”
I had to submit my phone at the entrance for security reasons when I entered the building.
I can’t make a call.
Then, I have to escape.
‘First floor. I need to get out… now.’
I pressed the first-floor button.
In my anxiety, I pressed it repeatedly.
Shaking hands, a heart pounding violently.
It felt like my chest would burst.
Click.
The elevator suddenly stopped.
“Why?”
I was on the 8th floor.
There was still a long way to go.
Creak—
The door opened.
Someone was standing in front of it.
“Kim Min-woo!”
A familiar face.
It was the employee I had met earlier that day.
But his condition was not normal either.
A pale face, cold sweat.
He looked seriously distressed.
The employee gasped, speaking quickly.
“This place is no longer safe. Come quickly!”
“Can’t I just take the elevator and leave?”
“No. You need to go to the emergency exit stairs on a lower floor. Check the manual.”
I hastily opened the manual I had been holding.
He added,
“Look at the page for ‘Emergency Evacuation Instructions.’ It will tell you how to reach the emergency exit.”
[Emergency Evacuation Instructions]
-In the case of a Red-level emergency, do not use the elevator.
-Evacuate quickly via the emergency exit stairs. The stairs are at the end of each floor’s corridor.
-To ensure no one is left behind, open the stair doors on even-numbered floors.
Do not open odd-numbered floor doors.
-Report to XXX-XXXX-XX13 for public welfare when escaping.
I read through up to item 3.
And just as I was about to mention item 4,
“…Huh? There’s a number 4? That’s not listed. Let’s skip to number 5.”
The employee squinted and tilted his head.
I frowned too.
Is he playing some kind of game in this critical moment?
“Are you kidding me? It’s clearly written.”
Then the employee pulled out his own manual and handed it to me.
But even there, it had the same ‘number 4’ written.
In fact, I couldn’t find the ‘number 5’ he mentioned.
Everything, from the cover to the thickness, was identical to mine.
‘So… did I make a mistake?’
No.
I had definitely read it.
Every word, without skipping any.
“…Let’s hurry, anyway.”
The employee said, and I nodded.
Yeah, this wasn’t the time to argue.
‘What is going on here…?’
Researcher Lee Do-gyeom, descending the stairs, couldn’t shake off the unsettling feeling in his heart.
Manuals can differ in some content based on authority,
but key emergency evacuation instructions are the same for all employees.
Yet, Kim Min-woo had mentioned the ‘number 4,’ which he had never heard of before.
‘Could it be… did they really receive a cheap, fake version of the manual instead of the real one?’
Do-gyeom reached his conclusion.
Yes, that would make sense.
Kim Min-woo was simply an experimental subject for observation.
Although he had shown unusual empathy with the Bakenecko, he was fundamentally just an ordinary person who thought of this facility as merely a place for “taking care of pets.”
There was no reason to give him the real manual.
Most likely, he was given a cheap version with only basic instructions.
And most importantly…
The fact that Kim Min-woo didn’t see the ‘number 5’ might actually be a blessing.
The ‘number 5’ in the manual Do-gyeom had read said this:
[5. Just before escaping, activate the self-destruct procedure to erase all records for facility security.]
Kim Min-woo, too, would be subject to erasure at our “Future Anomaly Utilization Research Institute.”
Although the planned research couldn’t be carried out, this facility was already in the phase of being discarded.
At this point, Kim Min-woo was a legitimate target for removal.
Just having him nearby was uncomfortable enough.
Every time our eyes met, an unknown chill swept over me.
A cold sensation ran down my spine.
The more I met his gaze, the stronger the pressure became.
It felt like facing some kind of monster.
Now, the justification and opportunity to “dispose” of this unpleasant presence were right in front of me.
“Good.”
Do-gyeom’s lips curled slightly.
This wasn’t about maintaining facility security, nor was it about managing the test subjects.
It was just a human instinct to get rid of a frightening presence.
Do-gyeom decided to be honest with his emotions.
‘Now, I’ll deal with him.’
Do-gyeom gritted his teeth.
“Here we are.”
We safely reached the first floor after descending the stairs.
Even though monsters must have been rampaging inside the building, this area was quiet.
It was unbelievably quiet.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Do-gyeom was convinced.
We were safe now.
Indeed, the power of the manual was incredible.
Thanks to it, we had arrived at a safe zone without any issues.
Do-gyeom took a deep breath and looked around.
At that moment, Min-woo spoke up.
“By the way… that monster earlier, the one that looked like a dog. What was that?”
Do-gyeom responded, as if questioning him.
“A monster?”
“I saw it before getting into the elevator. It was… rolling a person’s head around, like a ball.”
Min-woo’s voice was calm, but his eyes were shaking.
His expression was a mixture of fear and unease.
Do-gyeom briefly frowned.
What Min-woo had seen was definitely a “Pamyu.”
A creature in the form of a dog guarding the tomb of its deceased owner.
A harmless, but dangerous D-class anomaly.
At least, it used to be that way.
‘So… something must have intervened?’
The entire building being overrun by anomalies.
This couldn’t just be a coincidence.
Lost in thought, Do-gyeom was pulled back to reality when Min-woo asked.
“Are there many monsters like that in this facility?”
Do-gyeom hesitated.
How much could he reveal?
Even though Min-woo was about to be disposed of, should he give him all the information?
Could he even tell him that the Bakenecko he took care of was also an anomaly?
After a brief silence, he spoke.
Rather than giving him all the information, he decided to “use” him.
“Yes, there are many such beings here. And because of that… there is something I urgently need you to do.”
He pointed to the ‘Emergency Panel’ on the stairwell wall.
In reality, it was a self-destruct device.
“The building is uncontrollable now. If this continues, the anomalies might spread outside. Therefore, we need to seal this place off.”
“Seal it off?”
Min-woo tilted his head.
Do-gyeom spoke in a calm voice.
“It’s designed to automatically activate after an escape. To operate it properly, both panels must be pressed at the same time… I will take the second floor. Min-woo, please take the first.”
Before Min-woo could respond, Do-gyeom observed his reaction.
Min-woo stared at the wall, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.
“…Wait a minute.”
Min-woo spoke quietly.
“This is strange.”
“Yes?”
“If we’re sealing it off, shouldn’t there at least be some basic instructions or a verification process? The manual doesn’t mention anything like this.”
Do-gyeom’s expression froze instantly.
His gaze trembled slightly.
Min-woo looked at the device on the wall again.
His eyes slowly shifted away from Do-gyeom.
“This… is this really meant for ‘sealing off’?”
Do-gyeom’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
To be continued…