Hiring the Horror Newbie
"First, spill it. What the hell is this place?"
His words shortened in an instant. At Han Yujin's question, Kim Jah-ha clamped his mouth shut.
It was a Unique Company secret. He couldn't just blab it to an outsider—especially not to a crazy bitch like this.
"Hmmm."
Han Yujin propped her chin on her hand and tapped the edge of the bloodstained money bag with her finger. …!
Cold sweat trickled down Kim Jah-ha's spine. That was definitely what had hit him. The excruciating pain flashed vividly in his mind.
It was blatant blackmail.
"Urk…"
In the end, Kim Jah-ha gave up everything and opened his mouth. Survival came first right now.
"Th-this is… the massive logistics center horror story. By gallery standards, this is probably classified as a branch annex."
"Annex?"
It meant outside the main grades.
"Yes. It's just so enormous. We've confirmed at least 13 underground levels, and above ground… who knows where it ends. Each floor, each sector has completely different rules. It's a composite horror."
Han Yujin's eyes sparkled with interest. This place was even bigger than she'd thought.
"Unique Company… has secured the rulebook for certain sectors of this horror. We call those the 'pioneered zones.' This underground level 13 waste processing plant is one of them."
Kim Jah-ha desperately racked his brain, leaking just enough satisfying info to please her while hiding the real secrets.
"In the pioneered zones… our employees can operate relatively safely and have emergency escape routes. Honestly, this logistics center is one of our company's main mining sites for farming Heteromorphic Crystals."
Mining site. She'd heard of it. Unique Company was exploiting certain horror stories to extract Heteromorphic Crystals.
So this was one of those spots. Meaning, wandering around here might run into their employees.
"…Hmm."
Han Yujin frowned. Not exactly welcome news.
Then, Kim Jah-ha suddenly burst into an awkward laugh.
"So you are scared of Unique Company after all!"
"……?"
What the hell was with this guy? Suddenly all cocky.
Kim Jah-ha stuck out his nose and continued.
"Come to Unique Company, Han Yujin. A talent like you… heh… shouldn't rot in a place like this. The gallery isn't everything. We'll give you our info, our capital… everything you can imagine."
"Everything?"
"Yeah! It's none other than Unique Company! The company that works miracles with Heteromorphic Crystals! Anything you want, we can make it happen. What do you say? This is a scout offer. Join Unique Company, Han Yujin."
Han Yujin stared blankly at Kim Jah-ha.
Then she answered without hesitation.
"Nah, pass."
"……What?"
Kim Jah-ha's face filled with bewilderment. He couldn't even imagine anyone turning down this offer.
"Don't wanna work. I'm happy just slacking at home and gallery-posting."
At Han Yujin's icy reply, Kim Jah-ha's expression twisted.
"You idiot bitch. You haven't escaped this horror yet. You're still trapped! How do you plan to get out of this infinitely massive horror story?"
"Jeong Gongbeop said he'd help."
"What? What kinda bullshit…"
Han Yujin just stared at him silently.
Kim Jah-ha yelled louder, hoping to scare her.
"Look at that clock! That's the countdown to end of shift! The 'Work Horrors' are coming back soon! The real owners of this processing plant!"
Kim Jah-ha's gaze shifted to the boxes on the conveyor belt.
"So?"
"Wha…?"
Kim Jah-ha's eyes widened. So? In this situation?
Was she insane?
"No useful info, just noisy as hell."
Han Yujin approached Kim Jah-ha and stuffed the torn cloth into his mouth.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Kim Jah-ha thrashed, but bound in ropes, it was useless.
"Good. One down."
Han Yujin stood and turned her head.
In the distance, the woman who'd been pretending to be unconscious had risen and was staring this way.
Black suit. Red ponytail that stood out.
Their eyes met, and the woman smiled brightly, raising both hands.
A sign of surrender.
"I have zero intention of attacking you. Name's Yoo Se-rin."
Yoo Se-rin said in a calm voice.
"How do I know you won't attack?"
At Han Yujin's question, Yoo Se-rin shrugged.
"I'm basically a spare around here anyway. If Kim Jah-ha needed a sacrifice, he'd have used me after that lady. I'm not connected to Kim Jah-ha at all. I'm totally willing to cooperate with you."
Yoo Se-rin's fingertips trembled slightly. The middle-aged woman cowering in the corner rushed over, nodding frantically.
Desperation to live was clear.
Yoo Se-rin nodded toward the analog clock on the far wall. The red zone was almost here.
"But the timer's almost up… what's your plan? When the Work Horrors return, we're all dead."
Yoo Se-rin's voice mixed anxiety with curiosity about Han Yujin's scheme.
Han Yujin silently opened the money bag.
She pulled out several crumpled work uniforms.
War spoils from smashing the Work Horrors' heads earlier.
"Everyone, put these on."
Yoo Se-rin and the lady hesitated briefly, then took them without a word.
Han Yujin changed into one too. A bit big for her frame, but no issue moving.
Right then.
Today's work shift has begun. Workers, please proceed to your assigned positions.
— Screeeeech!
A grotesque noise echoed. From above. Massive steel plates began descending from the ceiling.
Ptooey—
A particularly loud spitting sound. Turning, Han Yujin saw Kim Jah-ha had finally spat out the cloth.
"Heh heh heh heh. You're as good as dead now, Han Yujin."
"Why's that?"
"It's the rules of this horror! No one survives once boxed up! What're you gonna do with those shitty work uniforms? Heh heh!"
Those shitty uniforms? This guy didn't understand the horror at all.
Han Yujin couldn't help but smirk.
"But I have Unique Company's master key for escape! With this, I can leave anytime! So you're the dead one, Han Yujin! Die! I'll take your brain!"
Kim Jah-ha ranted excitedly.
Han Yujin grinned in front of him and twirled her finger.
A master key stamped with Unique Company's logo dangled from her fingertip.
"Y-you…! When did you—!"
Kim Jah-ha's face drained of color.
— Screeeeech… Thud!
The massive elevator hit the floor.
In the distance, the heavy iron door opened, and Work Horrors poured out in droves.
Bandage-wrapped faces, hollow eye sockets, work uniforms stained with blood and filth.
They scattered mechanically toward their workstations.
"H-hic… P-please… spare me…! C-can't you give me that key?"
Kim Jah-ha, rolling on the floor bound, begged desperately.
Fast switch-up.
Han Yujin looked down at him expressionlessly.
"Not planning to kill you."
Hope flickered on Kim Jah-ha's face.
"R-really? Then these ropes…"
"But you tried to kill me, right?"
Han Yujin cut him off. Her voice was ice-cold.
"You were thrilled at the thought of me getting squished under that press machine. Right?"
"Th-that was…! A misunderstanding! I just…!"
Kim Jah-ha tried to excuse himself desperately, but Han Yujin's frigid gaze shut him up.
Logically, he was utterly screwed.
He pulled his last card. Childish, but effective—moral attack that worked on newbies.
"Sacrificing someone else just to save your own skin? That makes you no better than a murderer!"
Han Yujin paused briefly.
Hope lit in Kim Jah-ha's eyes. Did it work? Was she just a kid after all?
"……."
Han Yujin looked down at Kim Jah-ha silently for a moment.
Then, in a robotic tone like an AI, she said,
"That's a sharp point. Hold on a sec."
She started fiddling her fingers in the air.
Kim Jah-ha watched her movements anxiously.
What was this crazy bitch up to now?
Moments later, a new gallery post appeared.
To escape a horror story, is it okay to kill someone?
"One… two… three… hmm… overwhelming vote for killing. Guess it's fine then?"
She beamed innocently at Kim Jah-ha.
"Y-you psycho bitch. If the gallery says it's okay, it's okay? Can't you think for yourself?"
"Why bother? This is easy and convenient."
Kim Jah-ha felt his blood run cold. This girl was insane. Not just addicted to the gallery—she'd outsourced her ego to it.
She was beyond human common sense.
"Cr-crazy… W-wait, wait. My bad. I messed up. Please, just the master key. Please. Please. Please."
Thud, thud. As the Work Horrors approached, Kim Jah-ha begged through tears.
"Yeah. Too late."
Han Yujin picked up the [Waste] box she'd escaped from and slammed it over Kim Jah-ha.
A faint groan echoed from the darkness inside.
— Clang!
Right then, the door fully opened, and Work Horrors flooded in.
Han Yujin quickly pressed against the wall.
Yoo Se-rin, the lady, and Kruru in her work uniform scurried to her side.
"Pull your hat low, stick by me. Never look them in the eyes."
Han Yujin whispered low and fast.
They all nodded silently.
— Thud, thud.
Their mechanical footsteps cut through the chill air of the waste processing center.
Then, one Work Horror stopped in front of them.
"……?"
Red-hatted one.
It slowly turned its head to stare at Han Yujin.
"……."
Under her held breath, her heartbeat roared.
The red hat stepped closer to Han Yujin.
It stared silently, then tilted its head.
As if noticing a new employee for the first time.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Tension like her heart might stop.
Come to think of it, these things were pretty strong. They'd smashed that freaky spider horror in seconds.
If it caught on…
"……."
The horror raised a finger.
Poke. Poke. It jabbed Han Yujin's chest.
A strange sensation flowed in where the finger touched.
Not a voice, not language.
But its intent—or thought—came through clearly.
Han Yujin shook her head desperately.
Her whole body screamed: Just a normal coworker.
Communication worked?
Han Yujin nodded frantically.
The red hat horror seemed to tilt its head, then scanned around.
Its gaze landed on the empty waste box Han Yujin had escaped from.
…Knew it.
Han Yujin pointed at the box trapping Kim Jah-ha.
The spilled contents are there.
The red hat approached the box.
After inspecting it, it flipped it over to check the contents.
Kim Jah-ha's ashen face and terrified eyes flashed briefly before vanishing.
The red hat casually righted the box and sealed the opening with tape from somewhere.
A grumbling tone.
It hoisted the sealed box onto the [Waste] conveyor line.
The box slowly moved toward the distant massive hydraulic press.
Moments later.
— Roooar!
With a horrific explosion, the box and its contents vanished without a trace.
Phew…
Blending in worked?
As Han Yujin started to sigh in relief.
The red hat turned back to her.
A clear question laced with reprimand flowed in.
Cold sweat ran down her back.