Chapter 151
Chapter 151
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Manual Horror
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Walked down the 36th floor corridor.
The corridor was straight, but soon it split into two paths.
[This is the correct path.]
[This is the food storage.]
Headed toward the fork written in the language of the dead as the correct answer.
‘That’s why we need to know how to read the language of the dead.’
The forks increased one by one as I proceeded.
[The best way to preserve food fresh is to lock it away with predators.]
[Creatures that struggle desperately to survive taste better.]
[This is the path to the rooftop.]
One at a time.
The correct answer kept changing, never marked by the same characters, so I checked carefully.
[Despair elevates the flavor of the ingredients even further.]
[Hope makes the flavor of the ingredients even more varied.]
[This is the escape route.]
[Effort preserves the freshness of the ingredients.]
What happens if I choose the wrong path?
[Ingredients delivered midway aren’t bad either.]
[The better the quality of the ingredients, the tastier the dish that’s born.]
[If the ingredient quality is poor, the chef’s skill matters.]
[The caretakers will always pay attention to managing the ingredients and prioritize cleanliness.]
[This is the path back to the original world.]
More than that, something had been bothering me since earlier.
“Judging before confirming isn’t a good habit.”
So, let’s check the rooftop first.
At the end of the continuous forks, a dead-end corridor and the first room of this floor awaited me.
[Room 3601]
Opened the door to the room.
The interior, lit by red lighting reminiscent of a butcher shop, felt like a spacious luxury apartment.
‘Oh, the door closed.’
The moment I entered, the door shut automatically.
Naturally, the closed door wouldn’t open.
‘It feels like a normal home, but there’s no furniture.’
Are there rules here too?
Quickly scanned the surroundings.
‘Is that on the fridge?’
Read the several notes attached with fridge magnets.
[Hippocratic Oath]
[I solemnly swear to enjoy my life solely for myself.]
[With my conscience and honor, I shall wield medicine.]
[I shall prioritize my curiosity and pleasure above all.]
[I shall uncover all the secrets of my patients.]
[I shall mock the noble traditions and honor of the medical profession.]
[I shall regard my colleagues as enemies.]
[I shall enjoy my pleasure from patients regardless of race, religion, nationality, political affiliation, or social status.]
[I shall use human lives as I please. I shall use my knowledge as I please for my pleasure.]
The first note bore a strangely altered Hippocratic Oath.
[Dissection is fun.]
[Live dissection is even more fun.]
[The most fun is giving hope of escape.]
The second note contained content like something left by a serial killer.
[Experiment Results]
[1. Hid the first key inside the right eyeball of the subject.]
[2. Hid the second key in the side, about 5cm above the left pubic bone.]
[3. Hid the third key inside the lower right molar.]
[4. Designed so that offering all the nails of the left hand opens the door.]
The final third note detailed the secrets hidden in the subject.
『Subject 1,617.』
At that moment, the lights flickered.
Under the living room light, a man in surgical garb floated in the air and spoke to me.
『Full-body dissection in 10 minutes ahead.』
『If you can escape, go ahead.』
Looking at the entrance, chains had already wrapped around the entire front door, sealed tight by three padlocks.
The door handle was connected to an electronic lock, seemingly requiring something to be inserted.
“Ah, I see.”
Headed to the kitchen.
Shoved a spoon under the right eyeball.
‘Like always, I don’t get what’s scary about manual horror.’
Using the lever principle, lifted the eyeball up to create a gap, then jammed in my left index and middle fingers to extract the key hidden inside.
‘How to survive, how to escape.’
After confirming vision in the right eye was fine, picked up a kitchen knife.
Slightly sliced the left side and probed inside with fingers.
Pushing aside the felt organs and rummaging deeper, quickly found the second key.
‘They tell you everything? Just do it? Sure, there are painful, agonizing rules that go against human instinct, but it’s better than dying, right?’
There were pliers on the table, but ignored them and stuck fingers in my mouth.
Gripped the lower right molar tight with fingers and yanked it out raw.
Inside, the tooth root was key-shaped.
‘That’s why manual horror feels like just a game.’
Took the pliers from earlier and headed to the entrance.
Unlocked the three padlocks with the keys obtained, then used the pliers to pull out the left fingernails one by one.
‘A game betting who can follow the rules without breaking them the longest. Manual horror where you have to escape feels like an escape room.’
Placed all the left fingernails on the electronic lock, and with a click, the mechanism released.
“Can I go now?”
『……』
The doctor’s pupils seemed to tremble—was that my imagination?
‘Ah, now I see it’s not the exit.’
It was the door to Room 3602.
Clear up to 3610 and I can reach the rooftop, probably.
“Sorry, but once cleared, no need to clear again? I’d like to bring others later.”
『……You crazy bastard.』
The doctor vanished.
Seems I cleared too fast and pissed him off.
“People curse when they have nothing to say.”
Entities are the same.
Happiness Apartment Basement Level 1.
Hand Seung-hun (25) moved through the damp, hot space where machine noises rang painfully in his head, trembling in fear.
“Haa, haa.”
He wanted to return to the lobby.
But wondering if ‘cleaning thoroughly’ included everyone there at the time, the janitor reappeared the moment he returned to the lobby with the others.
‘Stay calm, Seung-hun! You can do this!’
In the end, while one person was getting ‘cleaned’ by the janitor, they’d returned to the basement with the others, now forced to search for another survival spot.
‘Just follow the rules.’
He’d seen quite a few Neapolitan horrors.
Not just Neapolitan, but manual horrors and urban legends too, and he firmly grasped the key to survival.
‘This place has five rules.’
[Don’t travel in groups. The caretaker has no friends and envies those who do.]
[The caretaker hates running, so never run.]
[If the lights flicker, lean against the wall, squat down, and do deep breaths. But never close your eyes for 3 seconds or more.]
[If you encounter the caretaker, play rock-paper-scissors. Win and it’ll let you go.]
[Lose rock-paper-scissors and the caretaker will bite you. Don’t fear; it’s just a nip, won’t eat you right away. Immediately say: 「I lost. You’re really good at rock-paper-scissors! Can we do it one more time?」 Repeat until you win.]
Just follow these and there’s no danger during exploration.
‘Where is this?’
Machine room? Electrical room? Septic tank?
The basement was filled with massive unidentified machines, lit by incandescent bulbs spaced every few meters—not very bright.
‘Oh no!’
The lights flickered.
Startled, he leaned against the wall and squatted.
Clack clack-!
At the same time, footsteps approached.
Hand Seung-hun snapped his fingers, sending the prearranged signal to avoid encounters.
‘Please…….’
No signal returned.
The lights normalized. Under the light, a rag-clad monster approached with a grin.
『Friend.』
Drool from its grotesquely protruding maw soaked the floor.
The sharp teeth visible between its lips matched a beast’s.
『No, friends are good at rock-paper-scissors. Losers are food.』
The caretaker extended a hand.
『Don’t, and you lose rock-paper-scissors!』
“R-rock-paper-scissors!”
Hand Seung-hun thrust out a rock a beat late.
Opponent showed paper—his loss.
『I win! You’re food!』
It’s okay.
Just follow the manual.
Then I can survi……
“A, aaak!”
Agonizing pain struck Hand Seung-hun’s mind like lightning.
A nip, not eating!
The caretaker closed in instantly, chomping his shoulder with that massive maw.
“I, I lo-lo-lost!”
Gotta say it.
Gotta say it……
“A, ahhheuk!”
His mind went blank white, nothing coming to mind.
“S-save me!”
Just the urge to cry, the pain, and the will to live.
『Nom nom.』
“Please, please!”
He knew how to survive.
But Hand Seung-hun lacked the mental strength to act.
“Plea-ea-ease! Aaaahk!”
A scream echoed through the basement.
Crunch-!
Soon, silence fell.
Climbed the stairs.
New stairs appeared.
‘How much time has passed?’
A new vending machine appeared.
Drew water and food, ate, climbed more stairs.
“…….”
An old man peered into a water bottle.
Over ninety, with white beard to his chest and wild hair down to his waist, looking ready to drop dead any moment, he clutched the silver cross around his neck and chanted to calm his mind.
“I will never fall to the Deep State.”
How many years had he spent here?
He couldn’t remember past thirty.
“I will never fall to the overseas Chinese conspiracy.”
Kept climbing stairs.
On half-floors, collected water for showers, handled business, and if dirtied, went to the next stairs.
Climbed up then down, and traces of living vanished.
“I will never fall to the lone poison faction.”
More years passed.
Despite blisters from malnutrition and withered flesh, he still lived.
“I will never be ruled by the reptilians.”
More months passed.
Climbing stairs now meant facing death.
“I will never bow to the Zionists.”
Days passed.
Couldn’t climb anymore, lay by the vending machine, sleeping most of the day.
“I…… will never…… die to the Last Battalion…….”
Hours passed.
As his final breath neared, death came to the old man, Moon Kwang-jo.
“I, I…….”
Cause: natural death.
Facing death, he saw his life flash.
‘I uncovered the world’s conspiracies.’
Their plot to rule via vaccines.
Me, a solid mid-level manager, learning of illegal gambling sites was their ploy to silence my truth.
‘I became their target.’
Lost all fortune there, took bank loans and private ones, but couldn’t recover—all because they rigged the program.
‘Lost everything.’
Wife and kids left not for debt.
They tormented me mentally, controlling family with berry chips.
‘The media was in league. I appealed truth, but all treated me as lunatic.’
Communities of like-minded existed.
But society called us crazies.
Deep State’s opinion manipulation.
‘Ah…….’
The end neared completely.
Took a final deep breath.
[Your story was truly entertaining.]
Amid full lungs and life flash, he recalled a forgotten memory.
Chatting via messages with a community friend who gave this silver cross.
[After investigating your story, some truths mixed in.]
[I know the Deep State too, like you. There’s more than one.]
[I know secrets worse than Deep State.]
[The ‘Entities’—all sorts of monsters and anomalies.]
Didn’t take him seriously.
His tales seemed too fantastical for world truth—pure delusion.
[As thanks for intriguing me, a gift.]
[The cross contains ashes of the Creator’s most cherished child.]
[When you realize true world truth and face death, it’ll resurrect you.]
No address given.
Yet next day, gift arrived.
Suspected him Deep State too, but sight stole my heart.
[Why send such treasure?]
So asked.
Why to a guy like me.
[The underdog’s rebellion is always fun and joyful. You’ll face Entities someday, so hope you beat them instead.]
Spoke nonsense.
[Think of it as a reader rooting for extras to shine.]
Messages vanished after.
Contact cut, account marked nonexistent from start.
Hid traces fleeing Deep State.
So thought.
‘Entities…….’
Exhaled.
Death approached.
‘I…….’
Then, the cross melted, absorbing into him.
Emaciated skeletal body reversed time instantly.
“I have the duty to shatter the world’s conspiracies and reveal all truths to the masses.”
To his youngest, strongest days.
The long-haired handsome man rose, vitality surging.
“Now I see. If there’s evil Deep State, there’s one for humanity too. He was from the humanity-serving Deep State.”
Revived by their tech.
“They’re probably the Gray aliens! Only they oppose reptilians!”
Thought Roswell UFO crash cut ties with humanity—wrong!
“Lee Seung-hoon Chairman.”
Somehow.
“Zionist vanguard.”
His form resembled Jesus.
“I will go punish you.”