Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Han Seol Human Meat Factory #2
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Nearly got caught, so I hurried back to the bathroom.
For now, the bathroom seems like a safe spot.
I can use the bathroom as a base and explore from there?
Make sure there are no monsters outside before heading out.
Went out a bit and ended up in another area.
Couldn't see much, but it looked like some kind of meat processing plant.
The facilities seemed filthy and horrific, though.
If this is a factory, there should be an exit door leading outside.
This time, I'm going to look for that.
I'll post on the World Politics Board when I go out.
6.
Did the person above manage to get out of the factory?
I hope so.
But isn't the World Politics Board just a site for crazies?
I wandered around a bit myself.
Sometimes the monsters are walking around, sometimes not.
When they're not, it seems like they're processing meat inside the factory?
That might be their working hours.
It's kinda like humans.
There are times they're walking around—maybe that's break time?
It'd be good to figure out these monsters' shift schedules.
I'll look into it.
Once I know the working hours, it'll be easier to move.
Fighting on, Mom and Dad.
7.
Hi, I'm a third-year student.
What do I write?
...
Ran away and hid in the bathroom.
8.
The bathroom doesn't seem completely safe.
Monsters come in.
Luckily, they went into the stall next to mine and didn't spot me.
Seemed like they were doing something in there.
Couldn't confirm what.
I kept pretending not to be there until they left.
Probably just came to use the bathroom.
My take: better not to lock the bathroom door.
Instead, leave it unlocked and pretend you're not there.
If it's locked, they'll think someone's inside.
They might call out or check.
Even if the monster calls, we can't respond in monster language.
So, leave the door slightly ajar and pretend you're gone.
They might come in thinking it's empty.
That's just luck.
Best bet: leave door slightly open, climb on the toilet, and play dead.
I'll look for the factory exit too.
9.
This is a human meat factory.
All the meat is people.
Did all these people get caught and turned into meat?
If I get caught, I'll be meat too?
I'd rather just kill myself.
There's a grinder—I'll jump in there.
That seems better.
10.
Tons of human meat hanging on rails.
Wanted to believe it was pork.
But it's all definitely people.
No living ones.
Weird.
How can so many people go missing and the government not know?
This can't be real.
The grinder might be the escape route.
Like dying in a nightmare to wake up.
But getting caught by monsters means no escape?
I'm jumping in the grinder.
11.
When the rattling noise gets loud, the machines stop, so hurry back to the bathroom.
Machines stopping seems like break time.
Want to figure out the timing, but no clock and can't see outside.
I'll look for the exit door too.
12.
Is this for real?
Weird that you can't take the notebook.
13.
I can't do this shit.
14.
This isn't our world.
There is an exit door.
But it's just an exit from this building.
This whole place isn't our world.
It's the world these monsters live in.
We ended up here.
Even if you go out of the factory, it won't help.
I thought I could finally get out.
Hungry.
15.
Even if you go out the exit, it's the monsters' world?
Really don't wanna kill myself.
Looks like a few already did.
I'll check the exit, and if it's no good, find the grinder.
Drew the grinder's location.
16.
Smashed all the bathroom stalls lol.
Waking up in a wrecked bathroom is gonna be hilarious lol.
Can't even hide and get caught right away lol.
Can you read this?
Smashed it for all you new bastards coming after lol.
Yeah, you lol.
When you retarded fucks die, know it's all because of me lol.
lolololololololololololololololol
17.
Bathroom's intact.
Dunno if that guy above was telling the truth.
If he was, countless people died before the bathroom got fixed.
Whoever that bastard was, wanna catch and kill him.
Probably dead already.
I'll struggle to survive.
If the exit doesn't lead to our world, gotta find another way out.
Just like we suddenly ended up here.
There must be a way back.
That's how the world works.
Let's keep fighting.
I'll leave a post on the World Politics Board too when I get out.
18.
.
.
.
.
And now it was my turn.
"..."
I closed the notebook.
I cautiously peered out the bathroom door.
Nothing there.
Total of eight stalls in the bathroom.
I'm in the one at the very end.
For starters, I wrote the first line in the notebook as a memento.
-I am Management Bureau agent Section Chief Lee Do-hyung.
That's all for now.
"..."
It felt like the emotions of those who'd died were transmitting to me.
Despair.
Fear.
Pain.
I could feel all of it.
Not just transmitted—I was feeling it strongly myself.
Even if I regressed, I'd just wake up here again.
Until I escape, I can never leave this terrifying space.
No.
Would regression even work properly to begin with?
There must be sections where it fucks up completely.
Like at Cheongak Mary Hospital—if I do something 'wrong,' normal regression might become impossible. Penalty values could rise, forcing a regression, but what if not?
I'd be stuck in this hell forever.
Maybe the loop would advance... but no, can't let that happen. Who knows what that'd cause.
I have to survive.
Survive and get out.
Survival instinct surged alongside the fear. I have to live. I have to survive. I'm Management Bureau agent Grong. I've been through shit like this countless times. I can definitely escape...
First, establish a plan.
The notebook.
About the notebook.
This thing's basically a rulebook.
A street rulebook written directly by those who've experienced it.
Definitely raw street vibes. Barely any useful info, and no clue on their fates. Makes me miss Cheongak Mary Hospital's rulebook.
Anyway.
Reference the notebook entries, but don't trust them blindly.
According to it, this is a human meat factory in some non-real space, where monsters process human flesh. Most people who come here probably died. Even finding the exit and leaving just leads to this bizarre world, not ours.
Only entry 14 mentions the exit. Gotta verify that with my own eyes. Let's find the exit first.
Fuck.
Don't care about the rest, but that 16... smashed the stalls? Don't even know the guy's face, but murder rises in me. Should ship bastards like that to the Fake Management Bureau, yank their brains, and give 'em permanent brain torture.
Probably dead already.
Calmed my anger.
Actually, unleashing it big once cleared my head. In the end, anger and hate are the most potent emotions to sharpen humans.
World Politics Board user, huh.
Knew there was something.
Guy 5 seemed pretty smart, mentioned it at the end. Twice even. He explored successfully, came back, and continued writing.
At this level, he's agent material. Makes me even more curious about this World Politics Board with guys like him active.
Anyway.
Before properly exploring this human meat factory, something to do.
Verify the notebook.
Seems like some 'supernatural something.' Everyone said you can't take it out.
Doesn't make sense dozens died and the notebook's still here pristine. Something's up, like they said.
Pen next to it.
I pocketed the notebook and pen, left the stall.
"..."
Standard tile floor.
Looks like a bathroom in some remote factory no matter how you slice it.
Moved quietly to avoid footsteps, approached the bathroom door. Pressed ear against it. No special sounds now.
Then.
─...
Very gently.
Slowly opened the door.
Peered outside cautiously.
"..."
Factory corridor visible.
No monsters.
What do these monsters even look like? No one described 'em clearly. Oh, similar to humans?
─Ding.
Ah, fuck, startled me!
Was on edge and it popped up—nearly stopped my heart. Regressing over this bullshit? Even the lamest vampire would laugh.
Anyway, this crap's late as usual... still utterly useless.
What, Han Seol Human Meat Factory?
Knowing that ain't shit.
Find a way to escape?
Fuck off, you idiot.
Calling this a hint?
Wanted to flip off the status window and chew it out, but no time now.
Slipped quietly out the door.
Checked pockets immediately.
Notebook and pen gone.
Went back in, entered stall eight.
As soon as I did, the notebook greeted me.
Figures.
This supernatural notebook only exists inside this bathroom. Can't take it out, and maybe invisible to monsters?
Monsters must know people respawn here. They'd check the notebook... nah.
Can't assume.
If they knew people respawn here, they'd have a dedicated monster waiting or something. Logically, if something other than them—human meat reserves—is respawning in their factory, they'd take measures. Didn't they smash the bathrooms over meat?
But they don't, so there's some rule here.
Good.
Corridor's empty.
Time to explore.
"..."
Tense.
All those who died here. Don't know their faces, but kids too. Same fear they felt hits me.
But I've got a pistol in my pocket.
At least I can fight.
Pistol suicide if needed.
Of course, thoughts like this pop up.
If I pistol-suicide and these fuckers process human meat, they might treat my corpse as fresh meat?
Like Cheongak Mary Hospital, might get a 'can't die' judgment?
But thinking that just stresses me out.
Gripped the pistol and stepped out.
Wide, crude, dark, bleak factory corridor.
Open doors and closed ones.
Approach an open door first, peek inside.
Moved cautiously.
Hugged the wall by the door, spied inside like a pro.
─Whoosh.
A fishy stench wafted over.