The Girl in the Locked Room

There was always one room in Shin Roa's hospital that stayed locked. Even people who came and went frequently from the hospital had never once opened it. Inside that room lay a single girl, always resting on the hospital bed.

"Sis! What was that noise just now?"

The girl greeted Shin Roa with a bright smile as she pushed open the door.

"Just a visitor."

Shin Roa gave a faint smile and pulled her little sister into a tight hug.

"A guy, right? It was a guy?"

"Yeah, it was. Just a visitor, though."

"A real guy came to visit? Doesn't that mean your hospital is doing super well?"

"I hope so."

"What did he ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠say? Did he tell you you're pretty?"

"Nope, nothing like that."

Shin Roa had entertained the rosy fantasy for a moment herself. Meeting a good man and living comfortably was practically every woman's dream. But she was someone who could separate reality from dreams. And even if that dream came true, she was the type who wouldn't choose it.

Because Shin Roa had something she had to do.

"What did the guy say? Was he sick? Did he show you his stomach or let you use the stethoscope on him?"

"You little..."

Roa lightly bopped her sister's head. Then she thought of that man.

...What kind of person was he?

He was an intriguing guy. Assuming everything he said was true, of course.

Surviving in Anseongu was impressive enough, and the fact that his base was an apartment was intriguing too. That such a man had come to her hospital alone, without a single woman trailing him, was surprising—and the reason being to save his woman? Even more so. Nodding nonchalantly at the idea of taking down a Dungeon boss? Wild. And getting annoyed yet casually accepting the supply run request? Odd.

Still, he didn't seem like the type who'd stick around long. The Gray Construction Site Dungeon near Shin Roa's hospital was a horrific, dangerous place. An abandoned Dungeon. It crushed the clueless who wandered in with sheer overwhelming numbers of monsters.

If that guy had gone in alone, he was probably dead by now.

Well, too bad for him.

She didn't wish death on anyone. She just didn't care if they died. It was irrelevant. Meaningless. Not her problem.

To Shin Roa, the lives of everyone except her sister held about that much value. Even her own.

"Want some snacks? He left them behind."

"R-Really? Can I have some? They're not the ones he gave you because he likes you, right?"

"No, definitely not. Don't worry."

Roa pulled out the snacks the man had left and fed them to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her sister, who was lying on the bed.

"So good..."

Chocolate. Cute little bites, sweet and perfect.

Watching her sister smile, Roa beamed back. That was her everything.

"This must be about the spot..."

It really wasn't far. Just a few hundred meters from the hospital.

A sturdy fence marked the construction site—solid enough to use as a fortress. Inside, I spotted a massive steel door leading underground.

"That it...?"

I wasn't planning to hunt the boss today. This was just reconnaissance. I'd take it slow and scout.

But there were already visitors.

"Wh-Who are you?"

Four women, part of some group. I scowled at them.

...Not them.

I didn't quite remember their faces clearly, but these weren't the ones who'd left Han Seohee in that state. Seohee would brush it off with a "Fuck it, don't sweat it. Bitching won't change shit," laughing it away. But I couldn't.

I wouldn't kill them on sight, but if I ran into them, they'd pay dearly.

These women, though? Strangers.

Guess the survivor numbers are holding steady...

Money, people, organizations, society. It really felt like people were still living in this world.

"Excuse me."

"A-A man! It's a man!"

"Yes, well spotted. I am a man."

They scrambled up, bowing frantically toward me.

"Hello, sir!"

"Yeah, hi. Do I need to wait in line ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or something?"

I'd never done a Dungeon before, so I had no idea why people were gathered near the entrance.

"No, sir! Nothing like that! Go right in!"

One woman bellowed at me, but her lower belly was soaked in blood.

"Y-You're hurt! Bleeding bad!"

"Ngh..."

"Rest! Why'd you stand to greet him? Just sit..."

I rushed over and helped her sit. They panicked for a second, but no one drew weapons.

"Thank you. Fuck... Got hurt in the Dungeon."

"Ah... Dangerous, huh?"

"No kidding. Fuck, it's packed with monsters..."

The women sighed heavily, venting.

"I've hunted all over as a hunter, but nothing like this. It's suicide."

"Hoo..."

Still, I wasn't scared. As a hero, I could clear any Dungeon with ease.

"That's why I said let's try another Dungeon!"

"The nearest one's weeks away. You wanna head there now?"

"Can we make money there? You crazy?"

"Ha... Didn't expect it this bad. But we've prepped hard to clear this one, so we gotta push through—"

I grimaced at the blood dripping down.

"This okay as is?"

"...Dunno. Get lucky and live, unlucky and die."

"Ha..."

And it wasn't just her. A serious cough came from the side.

"Kehok!"

"You don't look so hot either..."

"I-I'm fine—keh!"

My head spun. This was basically a full hospital.

"First, treat the bleeding one with this..."

"Huh?"

I handed her the wound ointment I always carried. Ever since raiding that pharmacy, I had plenty, plus spares. No big deal.

"B-But then how do I repay—"

"Forget repaying. If you insist... explain the situation."

"Well..."

The women at the Dungeon entrance started spilling their woes one by one.

"Our coughing friend here was dying a few days ago."

"Ah..."

"Couldn't let a longtime teammate go like that, and the only hospital nearby is that one—ha. They charged us a fucking fortune..."

After getting fleeced a carrier's worth of snacks myself, I totally got it.

"Total assholes."

"You know her too, sir? That Shin Roa bitch is vicious. Anyway, figured we'd hit the Dungeon next door to make money for treatment—"

I could guess the rest. The Dungeon was way deadlier than expected, so instead of treating their patient, they'd made another.

Something like that.

"I'll never forget this kindness! Thank you!"

The treated woman kept bowing in gratitude.

"Ointment won't fix it instantly. Rest up."

"Thank you..."

"And you, you look feverish..."

I sighed deeply.

"Not as good as a real doctor, but maybe helpful next time we meet."

"Really—"

"Got some fever meds at home. Didn't bring 'em today, but... I can give some later."

"F-For real?"

I nodded with a smile. World was short on people already; this much help was fine.

"Anyway... I stop by that hospital every morning, so I'll drop 'em off then."

"You sure? We got nothing to repay you with right now..."

"Don't worry about it. Just rest and recover."

"Thank you!"

Thankfully, no one offered to become slaves or beg for a fuck on the spot. More family would've been a hassle for me too.

"I'll head in first."

"It's dangerous! Be careful!"

"Yeah, thanks."

After polite goodbyes, I opened the underground door.

Unlike my expectation of pitch blackness, there were sporadic lights, so it wasn't too dark. Heading down a bit further, I pinched my nose at the foul stench.

"Nothing right away, huh..."

At the stairs' end stretched a long corridor lined with countless doors. I sighed.

"Just go straight...?"

Not knowing the Dungeon's layout, I wanted to play it safe. But even reaching the corridor's end brought no change.

"Open a door...?"

Peeking inside revealed nothing. No light.

"Hm..."

Stepping in and pulling out my flashlight, I heard the door slam shut behind me.

The lights flicked on.

"Ha."

A vast room packed floor-to-ceiling with countless zombies stared back at me.

"...Yeah. Figured it wouldn't be easy."

I took a deep breath and glared at the overflowing horde.

"Let's see what you've got."