Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Translator: penny
Chapter: 006
Chapter Title: Trolls
“Haah... Why's it so damn cold here? Feels like something's gonna crawl out any second...”
The silence shattered the moment I arrived, courtesy of a guy decked out in obvious newbie outdoor gear. From the look of him, you'd think he was out for a picnic. Not that I had any room to judge, showing up in a suit like this.
A middle-aged woman in flashy ritual robes snapped at him irritably.
“Shut it. Just stay quiet. My energy's already off, and you kicking up a fuss next to me is gonna ruin everything.”
“No, I just... said it was cold. Why bite my head off...”
The scared hiker mumbled back like he'd been wronged, only for the middle-aged guy reeking of special forces experience to butt in gruffly.
“Both of you, enough. You trying to sap our morale before we even start?”
His short, firm words shut them both up.
The old man who'd been sitting there with his eyes closed smoothed over the tense mood. He cracked his eyes open, glanced around at us, and let out a soft chuckle.
“Everyone's just on edge, that's all. How about some introductions? We oughta know who's got our backs from here on out.”
Self-intro time. Like learning the names of people who might drop dead any minute was gonna help. But I wasn't enough of a social wreck to blurt that out, so I figured I'd roll with it.
The spec ops guy spoke up first.
“...Jo Tae-sik.”
“Kwak Kyung-bae.”
“Park... Park Kyung-min.”
“Choi Woo-hee.”
Spec ops uncle, Taoist grandpa, freaked-out hiker, cranky shaman auntie. My turn.
“Kim Woojin.”
Uncle nodded like he approved and jabbed a thumb at the hospital entrance.
“Good, we're all here. Time to move out.”
I cocked my head. What made him so sure every applicant had shown?
“How do you know there are five of us?”
He shot me a look like I'd asked if the sky was blue.
“What? Didn't get the guidelines text? It's all right there.”
“...Guidelines?”
I had no recollection of that. Fumbling my smartphone out of my pocket a bit late, I checked my messages.
Sure enough, right on cue with my arrival at the entrance, there was a PDF attachment from Lee Chang.
I clicked my tongue and opened the file.
⚙ CLASS 2 SECURITY DOCUMENT ⚙
This guideline has been drafted and distributed by the National Anomalous Entity Management Bureau (NAB) Personnel Management Division. All contents are based on data accumulated through the sacrifices of field agents. This evaluation verifies examinees' practical abilities and determines formal appointment. Please familiarize yourself with all guidelines and prioritize survival.
Introduction
Welcome to the NAB formal agent selection practical evaluation. This test assesses your situational judgment, crisis response, and above all, teamwork with colleagues.
Our Hope Hospital, the evaluation site, has been permanently closed since the 19 Quiet Night Incident and is now designated NAB Control Zone 6. You are currently waiting at the main entrance. Your team consists of 5 members; confirm via the ID numbers in this file.
Evaluation begins the instant the last examinee passes through the main gate. All external communications will be severed.
[Primary Objective] Secure the unidentified core sample stored in the central nursery of the 5F Pediatrics Ward.
[Secondary Objective] Shut down the B2F emergency generator to suppress anomalous spread within the hospital.
[Final Objective] Board the rescue helicopter at the rooftop helipad within the designated time.
Failure of any objective results in disqualification. Exceptions apply to specific anomalous situations outlined herein.
Standard Issue Equipment
• 9mm service pistol (includes 1 spare magazine; total 15 rounds)
• LED flashlight (battery non-replaceable)
Chapter 1: Hospital Conduct Code
There are no survivors inside the hospital besides allies. Since the Quiet Night Incident, Our Hope Hospital has been fully isolated from reality. Treat all human-like entities encountered (except teammates) as hostile.
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Password: [Seed-Alliance]. If no response or wrong word, shoot and withdraw immediately. They can mimic your voice and face.
Do NOT enter the 3F under any circumstances. 3F was once the psychiatric ICU; now it's home to the most potent mental contaminant entity.
You may hear a beautiful lullaby near 3F. This is auditory hallucination—a trap to lure you in.
If unable to resist, use the issued pistol or inflict physical pain on yourself. Bodily pain temporarily counters mental contamination.
Chapter 2: Primary Mission - Pediatrics Ward
Use only the central staircase to enter 5F Pediatrics Ward. Elevators won't work until generator shutdown; emergency stairs are structurally distorted into infinite loops.
Maintain absolute silence inside the ward. The 'people' here are hypersensitive to noise. Unnecessary talk or footsteps will bring death.
Do NOT respond to familiar voices. 'People' mimic loved ones to isolate targets.
Communicate via hand signals or device notes only.
Secure the unidentified core sample from the central nursery. The sample glows faintly inside the innermost incubator. The moment you pick it up, all entities in the ward will detect and pursue you.
Anomalous case: If an infant lies in the incubator instead, DO NOT touch or lift it. Exit immediately; primary objective counts as success.
Chapter 3: Secondary Mission - Emergency Generator Room
Beware Patrol Entities in B2F corridors. Patrol Entities are guard-uniformed figures periodically patrolling long halls. Faint disinfectant smell and dragging metal signal approach.
Hide in nearest room until sounds fully cease.
If spotted, abandon engagement and retreat to surface. Issued firearm cannot defeat it. Successful retreat deems secondary objective failed, but evaluation continues.
Immediately shut down the generator.
B2F generator amplifies hospital-wide anomalies. Quickly execute emergency shutdown via control panel.
Chapter 4: Final Mission - Escape
After generator shutdown, take central elevator to 12F rooftop.
Elevator will function normally post-shutdown.
Anomaly: Stops at non-existent 4F.
Door opens to hospital's past normal operations: staff and patients beckoning. Potent mental trap. NO ONE exits. Hold close button until doors shut.
Inspect helicopter before boarding. NAB rescue chopper callsign: [Hope-01]. Do NOT approach until pilot verbally confirms callsign.
Anomaly: No sound from chopper, only red glow in cockpit—not rescue. Flee helipad via opposite emergency stairs; await further instructions.
Failure to board in time = automatic disqualification. Rescue team lifts off on schedule for survivor and craft safety. Regrets to remainders; compensation to families per regs. Passed agents receive NAB ID and first mission post-1-month training. Failed but boarded: safe memory wipe and return to civilian life. Salute to your courage and dedication.
For nation and people.
National Anomalous Entity Management Bureau (NAB) -
Boiled down, it was this.
Steal a sample from 5F.
Shut off the generator in the basement.
Escape via rooftop chopper.
Simple and clean. I liked it.
Me and the crew grabbed a flashlight and pistol each from the box by the entrance.
The cold heft of the metal in my hand felt pretty good. Whether it'd take down monsters was questionable, but better than fists, at least.
Creeeak—
The heavy iron door swung open, belching out musty disinfectant stench and chilly air.
What spread out before us was nothing like I'd pictured.
The hospital teemed with people.
Nurses bustling down halls, patients in gowns shambling along hooked to IVs, doctors hurrying with charts in hand.
Like we'd time-traveled to decades ago, when this place ran normal.
But I clocked quick they weren't human.
The computer screens nurses tapped were all powered off. Charts doctors clutched had no writing—just pretend scribbles.
[1. There are no survivors inside the hospital besides allies.]
Meaning all of 'em were hostiles.
I fired up my phone's notepad to type Head to 5F first and show the group. That's when the shaman auntie next to me went full trance—shaking her bell, eyes rolling back, bellowing.
“You vile scum binding lost souls to the heavens for your own gain! Have you no fear of heaven and earth?!”
Ah, shit.
Her shout had every 'person' inside freeze mid-task, heads snapping toward us in unison like machines. Empty eyes gleamed eerie.
[4. Maintain absolute silence inside the ward.]
Party had a troll from the jump. Every 'person' in the hospital turned to stare.
I signaled without hesitation: ditch the auntie. Folks that erratic were dead weight anyway.
But Taoist grandpa blocked my path.
“Can't do that. Any true Taoist can't ignore souls bound in torment.”
Oh, for fuck's sake.
Now we've got a hero too. Life's a battlefield, so why's he solo-queuing a movie scene?
Grandpa unwrapped newspaper from a long object. Out came the Four Tiger Sword, hilt and scabbard etched with 28 stellar mansions.
He drew it and started chanting sutras.
“Heavenly Lord speaks, Nine Spirits heed: one word births life, two words banish shadows...”
That instant, patients lunged at the chanting old man and shaman, arms outstretched.
Ting-a-ling—ting-a-ling!
Auntie shook her bell amid chants; patients locked up mid-air.
Grandpa's Four Tiger Sword sliced their necks in the gap.
No blood from the not-humans—just ash-like dust puffing out.
“Whoa...”
Spec ops uncle watching from the side let out an awed murmur.
Were the trolls actually carry players?
Musing that as I watched grandpa and auntie carve through patients—then a white-coated 'doctor' burst from an exam room.
It screeched something unintelligible.
With that noise, Choi Woo-hee mid-chant suddenly vomited black bugs like mad.
Bell sounds cut; patients resumed. Grandpa and auntie got swarmed in seconds.
“Damn it...!”
“The gods of heaven and earth shall wrath...!”
Their last words.
Riiip—shrrrip—
Grabbed by patients, Taoist grandpa and shaman auntie tore apart alive. Horrid sound of tough hide ripping long, blood spraying like fountains everywhere.
“Urk...”
Park Kyung-min clamped his mouth, looking ready to hurl. Guy clearly wasn't cut out for this—how'd he end up here?
Spec ops uncle hand-signaled me: 5F now. I nodded silently.
Stepping off—then spotted Taoist grandpa's Four Tiger Sword amid the patients.
It'd sliced throats like tofu. Effective gear, no doubt.
Creepy grabbing a dead guy's stuff, but hey. In places like this, you snag usable loot to survive. Pretty sure grandpa'd approve if it got put to good use.
I crouched quiet, pocketed the Four Tiger Sword, and followed the others.