Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Hanseol Human Meat Factory #6
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"Those bastards have a truck. A truck. We ride that and get the hell out of here, far away."
"A truck?"
I hadn't seen it myself, but it made sense—they'd need something like that to deliver the processed canned goods.
"So they load it up with those cans and head out for delivery."
"Yeah! That's it! They're just trying to make a living too, those fuckers!"
Kim Seong-jin nodded vigorously and snapped his fingers.
"They load up a ton of those cans and ship them out. If we sneak into that truck... we might actually make it back to reality! I've always thought about it! Never had the guts to try, though!"
"Any reason you didn't?"
"Well... I wasn't totally sure."
I figured there was more to it, and sure enough, he scratched the back of his head and hung his head low.
"A-and sneaking into a truck sounds way too hard... But with you! If there's an agent like you around, we could pull off an infiltration like that! Agents can do anything! Let's do it, let's do it! I know roughly when they take breaks and when the truck moves! Hang in there with me until then, and we'll go together!"
"..."
In Kim Seong-jin's mind, I was already some all-powerful Management Bureau agent, his savior.
I... wanted to be that strength for him.
I knew the pain he'd endured. I remembered him working security at Cheongak Mary Hospital, shoving one person into that black room. It was a wedge still stabbing at a corner of my heart.
Playing the tough guy was easy. Dangling false hope was simple too. I could use him that way if I wanted.
I was a regressor. For progress, I could sweet-talk this loop's Kim Seong-jin into sacrificing himself to uncover clues.
But... was that the right way? Slacking off this loop to do better next time—maybe that was all wrong?
I had to go all-out every single loop just to have a shot at clearing it, yet here I was mumbling like some student who bombed the exam and swore to ace the next one... People who keep putting it off like that almost never succeed.
"Kim Seong-jin."
All I had to do was stop wasting time on bullshit.
Just go all-out.
Without dying. Without suffering.
Escape this loop.
Dying was a penalty for me too, after all.
"Riding that truck won't get us anywhere."
"W-why not?"
"Because even if you hop on it, you're just delivering to this fucked-up world. Not ours."
"Huh...?"
"So we need something else. Not the truck taking canned human meat out of here, but the regular route bringing human meat in."
That place right before I was about to get run through the saw blade.
There were tons of human meat hanging there.
My guess? Not all that meat came from the bathroom.
People falling into the bathroom? Just unlucky dimensional travelers.
There had to be a proper supply route for bulk human meat.
"Aiming for a truck on that route has better odds. Whatever it is, these monsters are pulling our humans in from reality. Right?"
"Ah, aah! Ah! Is that it?! No, wait—that doesn't add up! We didn't come by truck; we woke up in the bathroom! That can't be!"
"Listen. I've scouted this place too. There was a spot with tons of intact human bodies hanging like pork carcasses. Those people didn't come from the bathroom. They're from some regular route. If the bathroom was the main supply, they wouldn't bother maintaining it like that. The bathroom's just where unlucky bastards drop in."
My words made Kim Seong-jin's eyes go wide. He clutched his head, muttering rapidly. Sounded like he was repeating what I'd said.
"M-makes sense! You really are an agent!"
"Just saw some stuff, so my guesses are better informed."
Truth was, I'd died before checking.
Honestly, Kim Seong-jin seemed more impressive than me. I had regression, but he'd made it this far on his first try.
"S-so we gotta find a truck from that route... Never seen one, though..."
In an instant, Kim Seong-jin shrank back. No more of that excited, exaggerated tone—just pure fear.
Realizing we'd need a new expedition must've terrified him.
"No! Ah! That!"
"Hm?"
"Before you got here—what happened?! I think I saw some human meat shop or something like a butcher!"
So that's how it was for him too.
I'd had a similar experience before transferring here.
Someone in the notes mentioned something like that.
One of the conditions for ending up here definitely involved a butcher shop.
"Me too."
"See?! We're connected to reality somehow! That human meat butcher we saw back there! The truck might deliver straight to it!"
"Oh."
I had to nod at that.
"Sharp."
That was a genuinely sharp insight.
"You hit the nail on the head."
"You sound like ChatGPT!"
"Exactly. You pierced right through it. Not many people dig that deep."
"W-what's with you all of a sudden?!"
I joked mimicking ChatGPT, and Kim Seong-jin shot to his feet, yanking at his hair.
"Why are you talking like ChatGPT?! Are you some hallucination from my delusions?!"
This guy.
"Calm down. Just trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Your guess was solid anyway."
"Y-you scared me...! Don't talk like ChatGPT out of nowhere! I thought I was losing it!"
This wasn't just anger.
It was a scream bursting from deep inside him.
"Good reasoning, anyway."
I almost added another joke but stopped.
One more and the mood wouldn't lighten—it'd explode.
Anyway.
Either infiltrate the cannery delivery route to some reality-corrupted meat shop.
Or hijack the regular human meat supply route back to reality.
Maybe there were multiple escape routes we just didn't know about yet. Besides trucks, all sorts of paths.
Problem was, finding them would be a bitch.
If there were options... we could try multiple times for escape.
We hashed out an escape plan.
First things first: intel on the factory. I grilled Kim Seong-jin on everything only a long-timer like him would know—shift times, vehicle movements.
Times were approximate, he said—they could shift, so stay sharp. He barely left his shell except to grab water and wool tufts.
We'd scout delivery trucks too.
—Grrrrrr.
Weird noise hit, and Kim Seong-jin spoke up.
"Truck's here. Monsters'll load it with cans now."
To watch, we'd set up subtle camouflage around the shell. Per his directions, I cracked the lid—and there was the truck.
"..."
The truck itself... honestly, not much different from a normal one. Not especially filthy or grotesque.
Like the factory exterior—just a bit rusty, but otherwise like something from the human world.
The insides and monsters were horrific, but the trucks and buildings looked almost mundane on the outside.
Anyway.
Butcher monsters wheeled carts over, loading cans onto the truck.
"No way we hide in the cargo hold like that."
"Yeah... No matter how I look at it, impossible."
Trucks already loaded and parked out front for delivery? Easy to sneak into empty space.
But loading up like this? Hold starts empty, they fill from the back—nowhere to hide.
Still.
"No one's in the driver's seat. We could dig a hole nearby, wait for a gap, crawl to the passenger side, climb over the cab through the window before they move."
"T-that's too hard..."
"Not realistic. But if we have to, worth a shot."
Not trying it right now.
"Or steal the damn thing at this moment and drive off. Depends how you think."
"Agents really are bold..."
"Gotta be, to survive some places."
Bold, exploiting gaps often worked.
"Whatever it takes, we gamble to live. Kim Seong-jin. Let's scout trucks from the other route too. Knowing where they come from helps. Worst case, steal one and follow the path."
"Got it!"
And so, Kim Seong-jin and I kept moving.
Food? Barely any. Emergency rations tucked in my agent suit, canteen—both garlic-laced. Basically just garlic. Meant for arch-vampires, so low on calories and quantity.
No wool weeds or wastewater.
Too risky for the mind.
Time was short.
We timed it and headed to the factory rear. Delivery truck at the front gate? Supply truck had to be at the back.
No day or night here.
We crept through the factory yard, eerie noises echoing. Rear yard area. Kim Seong-jin had poked around but not much.
Max tension, we reached the back.
"There's a road for vehicles... Back door too."
"They move delivered human meat through there?"
"Probably."
I eyed the back door.
That road.
Follow it straight—out to reality?
No clue if this monsters' dimension was spherical like Earth. Blindly driving off? Doubt it'd work.
As we scanned the rear...
—Ding ding ding!
Break time bell suddenly.
"Hng...!"
Kim Seong-jin's body shook hard.
He said this time was safe.
"Kim Seong-jin. Schedule changed?"
"Y-yeah...! Seems like!"
I yanked his trembling wrist.
"Hide first. Safest spot?"
"D-don't know...! When they come out, this area's...!"
—Creeeak.
Door opened.
—Thud thud thud.
Monsters emerging.
No good spots to run or hide.
"Stay still."
We crouched low.
From what we'd learned, break time? They head outside. Factory stays mostly empty.
Play it right...
We could slip inside and hide.
Window right ahead.
I peeked in.
Monsters marching down the hall.
Many left?
Hoped this was the end of the line...!
—Grip.
Kim Seong-jin clutched my wrist hard.
—Thud thud thud.
Tons already out. They passed our rear spot without looking. One glance back and we're done... No good.
"Now."
Whispered tiny, eased the window open. No monsters. I dove in, scanned left-right on landing.
No monsters in the hall...!
All gone!
Reached out, yanked Kim Seong-jin in.
"Over, quick. Hide."
"W-where?! Bathroom?!"
"Bathroom's risky."
Some monster might use it on break.
Risk it here.
Open door right ahead.
This was near the back door.
My guess: one room nearby was where I'd been diced on the hook.
No monsters inside.
Hide there.
"This way."
"Y-yeah!"
Kim Seong-jin and I hurried down the hall.
Into the open door.
"Ah."
Chill hit.
Dozens—maybe near a hundred—bodies, limbs intact, dangling from hooks.
Knew instantly.
This was right behind where I'd hung. They'd chop limbs here, send to next line...
"Eurgh...!"
Kim Seong-jin nearly fainted at the swaying corpses.
I jabbed his side.
"Don't pass out. Look. This is the first processing line for incoming human meat. Follow it... next room severs the limbs."
"Huh, huh, heuk, heuk, p-people. Corpses, y-you, too many...! Where do they kidnap this many...! How many are they snatching, these monster fuckers!"
That was my question too...!
Hide first!
Pushing through the bodies toward the back...
I froze.
Utterly.
Utterly.
Extremely.
Eerie. Horrific. Grotesque chill.
Goosebumps everywhere, unbearable shivers.
"W-why? Why stop...?"
Right now.
Among the bodies we passed...
Wasn't that me?