Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Project Mangnani
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Was ignorance always this terrifying?
Or does everything become terrifying precisely because of ignorance?
Unlike before, when he could bulldoze through everything with sheer guts, this place was somewhere human strength and cunning were utterly useless.
From the people cowering in terror in the corners...
To those who still didn't grasp the situation and were being dragged away.
"If this really wasn't psych ward territory, we'd have been lab rats forever."
"Tell me about it."
"Honestly, I figured even if it was a hospital, it'd just be a handful of doctors and nurses. What kind of hospital is this huge?"
So far, they'd uncovered a total of 15 floors.
And that was just what a vengeful spirit stuck here for decades had managed to scout out.
The fact that top-tier normies could reach up to the 15th meant there had to be floors above that—without a doubt.
'Does this place not even have rules? I figured since [School Strange Tale] was normalized, there'd be rules here too. That was my mistake.'
Even if there were lies mixed in.
The truth that rules helped solve things was undeniable.
So he'd naturally assumed they'd exist here, but who knew it'd backfire like this...
He'd even asked Su-ah, who'd been here a while.
"That's a violation too, so I can't say... The only thing I can tell you is to look around the first floor a bit more?"
"First floor, huh. Got it."
It had been a solid three hours since entering [Yeongwol General Hospital].
Thanks to hints he'd gotten beforehand, he'd tried to play it smart.
But it seemed action was key here.
Screeeeech...
The sturdy hospital room door swung open.
And the horrors outside came into real-time view.
The staff had all undergone "surgery" by that 'doctor,' leaving them barely recognizable as human.
As for the ones visible through the door crack:
Specimens with crudely grafted bat ears for hyper-enhanced hearing.
Ones with cheetah legs transplanted to chase down fleeing patients.
And finally, ones covered in hundreds of eyes that could spot what humans couldn't.
They all seemed connected by a single 'nerve.'
Otherwise, how could they grab patients without even being told?
Whoa, fuck, isn't this straight-up AI?
If they're networked like the internet, that means getting spotted by one brings the whole swarm tearing over.
How the hell do you sneak past them to the 15th floor?
Escape method is legit dogshit lol
You and me team up, go to reception, get discharge papers, done.
Though reception is on the 15th...
We'll figure it out somehow?
This fucking guy.
Thinking back, this dude was full of shit?
Dogshit my ass—if this is dogshit, what are the other strange tales, easy mode?
The faint suspicions about the gallery had now swelled up big time.
Whatever was going on, ever since entering the room, he couldn't even talk to normies.
One thing immediately came to mind.
Those few words Yu-na had mentioned before about bastards trading gallery posts to survive. Connect that to this, and it fits like a glove, right?
'Of course, it's still mostly speculation. But if it's true... I'll have to drop a tactical nuke myself.'
Gallery folks were ones he'd have to deal with long-term anyway.
Some had even helped him awaken his cheater powers, so he was friendly toward them, but if they bared their teeth...
"I'll smash their heads first."
"Out of nowhere?"
"Humans get reformed if you smash 'em from the head down."
"Not the kind of thing to say in front of psych ward..."
"? I came here for mental issues?"
"That was real...?"
RP was all about realism—that was the rule.
Even as a kid playing house.
"You bitch!! Hubby's home, no greeting!?"
"Divorce!!!! Divorce me now!!!!!"
"Child support? What's that? Whatever, make dinner firstttt!!!"
He'd sometimes make his playmate cry from over-immersion.
Should've gone into acting?
His face wasn't bad-looking anyway.
Stroking his chiseled jawline, he kept peering outside.
The hall was still swarming with nurses.
"...Hold up."
What happens if his body dies? Do they even know he's the same person?
If they treat him as the same patient, worst-case scenario.
He'd get dragged to that 'doctor' and end up a permanent IV drip donor.
Here, his future-star acting skills were essential.
Boil up.
Boil up.
The mangnani DNA etched into his very genes...!
BAMMM——!
The sturdy door split perfectly in half, drawing every nurse's gaze to him.
Yet he brazenly sneered and strode toward the desk.
Approaching the nurse who'd asked his condition first.
"Get the director out hereeeee—————!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
He bellowed loud enough for every room to hear.
Project MANGNANI.
Tune in now.
Aaah, never thought I'd pull this out here.
(Photo of grotesque nurses flinching)
(Photo of him yelling his lungs out in front)
Goddamn mangnani tactical nuke
Dropped right into the hospital lol
lololololololol
Crazy bastard;; Actual madman;; Madman beating horrors with words;;
Hoh, didn't know you could beat 'em like that?
Just give up dude
???
With a brain even dumber than mine, how you gonna copy that lololol
(Triceps bulging gif)
KRAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!
The gallery calling it novel wasn't wrong.
His concept play was more 'gamble' than strategy.
He'd judged the nurses were networked, but was the 'doctor' too? That hunch-born bet.
And the result was...
"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
"Sorry fixes everything? Me and the Hospital Director, we hit the saunas! Eat out! Play pool, that's how tight we are!!"
"We're truly sorry."
"Shut uuuup!!! Drag every nurse here and make 'em do penanceeeee!!!"
Ten minutes of throwing a fit on the floor.
The initially dazed nurses caught on and gathered where he was, foreheads to the ground, doing penance.
How long did he watch the spectacle?
Now!
okok
Fuck no chatting, hurry and grab it!!
okok
You're dead later.
Yu-na, peeking from the door crack, swiftly opened it, snatched a 'single sheet of paper' from the desk, and slipped back into the room.
Now, just cleanup left.
"Sorry, but what's your relation to the Hospital Director? You look too young to have known him long."
"Th-that, uh, me...!"
"Can't hear you. If we judge you're 'lying' to us. Then."
What followed was a threat too horrific to repeat.
Like shoving AI into their skulls—enough to make a normal human faint on the spot. But thanks to his bolstered Mental Resistance...
"Fiiiine!!! A mere nurse like you doubting my tie to the Hospital Director!? You piece of trash!!!!?"
"No, if you just tell us your connection, we'll relay it to him..."
"Shut it!!! I remember all your faces!? When I meet the Director myself, I'll tell him to dock your pay, so watch yourselves!!"
"…………"
After venting crisply.
BAMMM——!
He slammed the door shut on purpose and locked it.
"……"
"……"
The two peeking outside were so stunned by his concept that they gawked with mouths agape.
"BAAAAAAM!!!!"
"Kyaaak!"
"Kyaaak!"
Delivering the final line crisply, he perfected the RP.
The rush of all built-up fatigue vanishing!
Showing his will to do it again if the chance arose.
"This the clue you mentioned?"
"Yes. The reason I could help the Management Bureau folks. A thing that'll save your life at least once, no matter what."
"Hooo...?"
Unfolding the paper Yu-na had brought.
There,
"Huh?"
"What?"
Was writing utterly beyond expectation.