Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 003
Chapter Title: Management Bureau
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I forced a calm facade as I faced the creature before me.
A trickle of cold sweat ran down my spine, but I couldn't let it show. Fear only reveals your weaknesses to your opponent.
But what the hell was I supposed to call this thing? Human? Monster? My mind had ground to a halt.
Stay calm. First things first—figure out if it's human or monster.
Of course, even I had to laugh at myself for leaving open the possibility that this grotesque abomination, so far beyond any human norm, might still be human. But you never know with the world. Things that shatter common sense always come without warning.
For instance, maybe it had shot up some drugs, or caught some undocumented rare disease that twisted it into this horrific state.
Its pitch-black skin crawled with crimson veins writhing like living worms, and its eyes gleamed with the feral hunger of a starved beast. By my meager common sense, no amount of drugs or rare illness turns a person into that.
But you never know.
If it really was just a sick person, the humane thing would be to get it to a hospital.
So I decided to try the safest option first: talking. Nothing to lose.
I spread my palms wide to show I meant no threat.
"Hey, I didn't see nothing. So how about you just let me slip away quietly? No need for hard feelings—we can end this nice and easy."
I kept my tone as mild and conciliatory as possible, bracing my core to steady my voice.
But the response from the thing that had crawled through the warehouse door gap was enough to shatter my hopes.
Grrr...
It wasn't speech. It was a chilling, menacing growl bubbling straight from its lungs, bypassing vocal cords entirely.
Correction.
That's no person.
Dark-red liquid smeared its mouth. On the floor lay the convenience store clerk's corpse, shriveled and twisted like a mummy. All the signs pointed to one conclusion: this monster had killed the poor kid and drained every drop of his blood.
I swallowed dryly and backed away, circling the shelves to lure it to the opposite side of the door while scanning for an escape.
Did it sense my plan? It planted itself by the entrance like it had been waiting, blocking the way as if it were the store's guard dog.
Left, and it mirrored left. Right, and right. No margin for error—it cut off every path.
It knew this was my only way out.
No talking, but damn if it wasn't cunning.
I glanced around desperately for anything that could serve as a weapon.
Beer bottle? Too flimsy. Snack bag? Ridiculous. Then, mercifully, a bright red fire extinguisher caught my eye on the shelf right next to me.
Yes—that's it.
No time to hesitate. I lunged like lightning and gripped the cold metal canister. Its heavy weight in my palm finally brought a sliver of relief—at least I wasn't empty-handed.
The monster watching me let out a bizarre wail.
Kruk, kruk...
Pure mockery.
Shoulders twitching like it was dying laughing at the idea of me challenging it with such a pathetic hunk of metal.
Paradoxically, that made my own lips curl. Sure, the terror of this unreal abomination clawed at my body, but for the first time in my life, I might have found an opponent who could withstand my full strength.
A strange thrill surged with adrenaline exploding through my veins. My heart pounded wildly.
"Alright, let's do this. See if you break first or I do."
No sooner had the words left my mouth than the monster kicked off the ground and charged.
Like a starving predator lunging at prey, zero hesitation.
I swung the extinguisher I'd already shouldered back with all my might.
Aiming dead for its jaw.
Kwachik!
A sickening thud echoed through the store, dull enough to feel like bones pulverizing.
It flew back before it could scream, toppling an entire display rack in a cascade of snacks and drinks.
As it staggered to rise, I pounced, mounting its upper body.
Then hammered its head without mercy.
Kwachik!
The first blow burst from its skull with a gruesome rupture.
Kwachik! Kwachik!
Second and third deformed what was left of its head beyond recognition. The solid cranium crumpled like a crushed can, black-red blood and clear brain matter oozing out to stain the floor.
Kwachik! Kwachik! Kwachik!
I didn't stop. Even after resistance ceased and it was clearly dead, some trance drove me to swing mechanically.
Not rage, not fear. Just a primal urge to utterly destroy what was in front of me.
How many more strikes?
"Police! Freeze! Drop the extinguisher and hands up—now!"
The siren wail and amplified command snapped me back. My thundering heart steadied, red-tinted vision cleared. The monster's head was now a shapeless pulp like mashed potatoes.
I looked up to see several cops outside the glass storefront, pistols trained on me.
Someone must have witnessed my rampage and called it in.
I'm screwed.
To any outsider, I looked like a deranged killer who'd pulped a man's head beyond recognition.
This was a mess of epic proportions.
Blood- and brains-soaked, extinguisher in my crushed grip, I frantically brainstormed a way out.
Thoughts spiraled.
Bust through the cops and run?
No—too cinematic. I'm no hero, they're no extras. I'd just rack up escape charges and lengthen my sentence.
Surrender and claim self-defense?
Nope.
This wasn't gun-toting America. In Korea, even drawing a knife on a robber gets you slapped with excessive force claims. No way killing a "monster" flies as self-defense. Hell, who'd even believe it was a monster?
I couldn't even afford a lawyer. Surrender meant murder one, rotting in prison for decades.
Wait.
Maybe that's not the worst outcome.
Prison means three squares a day. No more soul-crushing civil service exam prep or hellish night shifts.
...What the hell am I thinking? Prison food can't be that good.
And this is no time to fantasize about jail chow!
Like a student scrubbing their room to dodge exam studying the night before, I was desperately averting my eyes from reality.
Haa. This is fucked.
Kim Woojin showed no sign of dropping the extinguisher, frozen in place. The plainclothes middle-aged officer who seemed to be the site commander muttered lowly, deciding it couldn't wait.
"Can't risk it. Prepare to fire."
A younger uniformed cop startled and balked.
"Deputy Park, for real? We haven't even confirmed hostile intent..."
"You blind? That guy's eyes are rolled back—look what he did to that head, mashed like potatoes. He's not right. I'll take full responsibility. Fire at the slightest twitch—no hesitation."
Right then, from behind the tense cops, a disheveled-suited middle-aged man appeared and grumbled softly.
"Shoot? And wake the whole neighborhood at this hour?"
Deputy Park whipped around, scowling.
"Who the hell are you? This is official police business—"
But his words cut short at the man's face.
A long scar across his mid-face, deep eyes tinged with inexplicable sorrow. And crucially, the brass Haechi badge pinned to his shabby jacket pocket.
Deputy Park snapped to attention with a salute.
"Loyalty! S-sorry, sir! Agent, what brings you here...!"
The suited man waved lazily as he sauntered up.
"Management Bureau takes over from here. Cops, clear out."
He strode toward the store without pause, pulling something cigarette-pack-sized from his belt and tossing it to the ground.
Chiiiik—
A small hiss, and thick smoke instantly blanketed the area. Deputy Park barked orders.
"Command's handed to the Bureau! Holster weapons, expand the perimeter, disperse civilians! Secure any footage, clamp down on leaks. Move!"
The detectives swiftly complied, holstering and herding the crowd.
The young patrolman who'd been aiming at Kim Woojin moments ago tilted his head at Deputy Park.
"Uh, Deputy Park, sorry, but what's the Management Bureau exactly? First I've heard of it..."
"What'd they teach you in school if you don't even know the Bureau?"
"Haha... I slept a lot in class..."
Deputy Park tsked in pity.
"You know NIS? Bureau's under them. We protect national security—that's all we know. All we need to know."
The rookie nodded vaguely, then blanched as realization hit.
"So... that guy inside... he's not just a murderer..."
Deputy Park nodded grimly.
"Yeah. Means he's a serious threat to South Korea's security."