Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 233. Silent Corridor
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The day light descended from the sky, I could never forget it.
It was a day of tasting defeat, if defeat it was, and despair, if despair it was.
Even now, I still don't fully understand what happened back then, but there was one thing I was most curious about.
What was that drumming sound, and why had the world changed so drastically?
Everything has its cause and effect.
Events don't happen without reason.
In other words, some incident had triggered the drumming and turned the world into a desert.
And the cause of it all was right before my eyes.
...
If I lifted my head here, would I glimpse the apocalypse? If so, shouldn't I look even more?
If this was a mental attack, I could trust my mental barriers—
"Guh!"
As I thought that, someone roughly grabbed the nape of my neck.
"Get a grip."
A voice thick with fatigue burrowed into my eardrums.
"Eirin."
Had she already resolved the issue?
Turning my head, I saw Park Ye-eun straining to hold the still-seated woman's shoulders, while Eirin looked down at me.
A few dull blonde strands obscured her eyes as she stared straight at me.
"You were about to get sucked right into there."
Eirin muttered, still gripping my nape, and began dragging me along.
"But Eirin, that sound coming from there—"
"I don't know. Don't want to hear it, don't want to know."
Eirin replied coldly, continuing to drag me.
"Curiosity in a place like this is a death sentence. My job isn't about taking steps for the future—it's about saving as many people as possible, even if just one more."
...I know. Sorry."
Hearing Eirin's words, the frantic whirlwind in my head began to slow.
Right. I must've been entranced for a moment.
That's not what's important.
"If you die doing something stupid here, I won't have the face to look at the others."
"Sister, won't our team members kill you?"
"Our team members wouldn't do that."
Park Ye-eun's faith in our team is seriously lacking.
"Our team members might not get along perfectly, but they're all good people."
Kind-hearted Yoo Daon, blunt but gentle Jang Chaeyeon, and prickly but fundamentally soft and considerate Song Arin.
I've known those three for so long. The way they've shown themselves to me has never changed once.
...
...
The two of them stared at me intently.
"What? Why?"
"No, but if that's really how you see your brother, I can't say anything."
"And it's not even fake flattery, so I've got nothing to say."
Park Ye-eun and Eirin sighed and waved their hands.
"Let's go."
"They really are all good people, you know?"
"Who said they were bad? Let's go."
Their relationships are just a bit rocky, but each has their clear strengths.
Eirin would understand if she worked in HR for even a week.
"We're over halfway now."
Eirin muttered, gazing toward the end of the chapel.
"From here on, we really need to be careful."
"I see."
"Honestly, it hasn't been that hard for you either."
She wasn't wrong.
To a normal person, this place is dangerous and terrifying, but for me or the others, it's more like, "Safer than I thought?"
Of course, it's a place full of variables where such thoughts could lead to unforeseen dangers, but compared to the Gallery of Aestheticism or the moon, it's nothing.
One slip there really could mean death.
"Plus, having you here, Eirin, makes it easier."
A veteran is a veteran.
She's prepared for every variable and knows exactly what she needs to do.
What if HR had come to the confessional without Eirin?
No need to see it—I know. It would've been a bloody fight. We'd win, but it'd waste unnecessary energy and time.
Same with the chapel.
Eirin smirked at my words.
"I know."
"So keep leading us well from now on."
"You're the gold here."
"Anyway."
Eirin shrugged with a smile and resumed walking.
Our footsteps echoed again.
...Ugh.
We'd been chatting and laughing, but even with the cool pad, my hand still hurt.
As I frowned slightly and tucked the gun into my pocket,
"Oppa."
"Whoa, you scared me."
Park Ye-eun popped her head from behind.
"Is your hand okay?"
"It's fine."
"You know you bite your lip when you lie, right?"
Me?
Touching my lip, Park Ye-eun burst out laughing.
"You lied!"
"You tricked me just now?"
"You fell for it, oppa. How can the most notorious person in infamous HR be this naive?"
What image does HR have in the Gangseo branch?
"Wait."
Park Ye-eun rummaged through her bag and handed me a small pack.
Inside the rigid pack, something white and cube-like was neatly packaged.
"What's this?"
"Painkiller."
Park Ye-eun said proudly.
"It's phantom pain, painkillers won't work on—
"Argh, just take it if your little sister gave it to you."
Before I could finish, Park Ye-eun popped the cube into my mouth.
"Cough!"
Bitter.
Like herbal medicine concentrated two hundred times over.
The bitterness naturally furrowed my brow,
"Now, chew it thoroughly and swallow?"
Park Ye-eun blocked my mouth with both hands, so I couldn't spit it out.
Feeling the awful bitterness, I barely swallowed the lump,
...What.
The pain eased significantly.
"It's a painkiller the research team is developing."
Eirin, who'd been watching us, finally joined in.
"They say it even controls phantom pain."
"How?"
"Dunno. Something about the brain."
...Is it safe?"
"Clinical trials are done."
As long as I don't die from it. I seriously considered smacking the nonchalant Park Ye-eun, but since the pain had subsided, I didn't add anything.
"Good. Then next—
Before I could finish, the manual unfolded.
-Shhh...
The manual's been unfolding weakly for a while now.
"Hey. You sulking or what?"
Nothing unfolded, so maybe not sulking.
Just low energy? Sad? When it's angry, pages don't open.
No clue.
Anyway, I turned back to the manual.
[Office Manual]
[Church Exploration Internal Guide - Response Team Hwang Yuhun Latest Edition]
[7. Silent Corridor]
1. If a dark corridor unfolds before you after passing the chapel, that is the Silent Corridor.
2. Numerous religious artworks will draw your gaze, but never examine them closely. You will be unable to look away, and soon you will be screaming.
3. If someone screams, hurriedly check the source. If the scream comes from a statue or painting, ignore it and proceed.
4. However, if one of your exploration team screams, abandon them immediately. They won't eat the brooch, so wait a moment and retrieve it. Then that person will take on the role as well.
5. If you are the one screaming, run in the opposite direction immediately. Survival rate is abysmal, but you might find the exit. This is also consideration for your teammates to avoid dragging them down. If caught, offer your head first. No need for unnecessary suffering.
...
I looked up ahead.
Statues.
A sharp pain stabbed my temple.
At a glance, the statues looked pious, but up close, they had other aspects.
For example, the woman devoutly clasping her hands had all her teeth missing, or the man cheering in joy looked like a man screaming in agony from the side.
-KyaAaAaHk!
-KuAaAaHk!
And the screams echoing from somewhere were enough to grate on my nerves.
In the darkness, we advanced slowly along the path.
*
...
...
...
The three arrived at the chapel again, saying nothing.
"Any traces here?"
"We didn't leave a red line."
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin scanned the surroundings carefully as they continued their conversation.
"Smells like gunpowder."
"Just signs of shooting. You blind?"
"No blood smell."
"No bloodstains either."
Ignoring Song Arin's words cleanly, Yoo Daon sniffed with her eyes closed.
Jang Chaeyeon read the manual while looking ahead.
...
A hat was sitting there.
The boy wore winter clothes, and the woman had a straw hat on.
...
Jang Chaeyeon closed the manual.
Easy. At this level, the man must've passed the boy easily.
Relief filled her heart.
Jang Chaeyeon was half-convinced.
The man would be fine.
He'd probably left the red line out of worry for them.
But he hadn't expected they'd speed up upon seeing it.
As she thought that, she explained what they needed to do to the two.
"Okay."
Jang Chaeyeon led the boy.
Yoo Daon grabbed the woman's shoulder, and Song Arin started talking to her.
This should be easy.
She led the boy away and turned back.
"Everyone doing—
Yoo Daon was thrown far away like luggage.
-Crash!
Smashing chairs as she crashed into the corner,
"Tch!"
Song Arin clicked her tongue and reached out both hands to block the woman—but
"No!"
Jang Chaeyeon hurriedly stopped her.
"No, she won't listen to me—what am I supposed to do!"
...
Jang Chaeyeon knew about the penalties too. So she knew that if one of them blocked here, they'd incur the penalty.
So who should take the penalty?
As her mind raced,
-Tat-tat-tat!
Yoo Daon, now wearing black gloves, charged fearlessly with an awl and swung at the woman.
-Crack!
The sound of the awl piercing flesh echoed as the woman and Yoo Daon tumbled.
"Support—!"
"No!"
Yoo Daon shouted at Jang Chaeyeon's cry.
"If either of us gets hurt here, it's big trouble!"
...
Had she been thinking of them like that?
"If you all become dead weight, it'll be harder to save Jaeheon!"
...
Yoo Daon raised one hand and gripped the awl tightly.
"So everyone, don't do anything...!"
-Thud!
It flailed and struck Yoo Daon's side.
Something snapped audibly, and Yoo Daon's body twisted grotesquely.
But.
-Grind...
As if it had never happened, her body restored itself, and Yoo Daon stabbed down with the awl.
-Crack!
"Think of a way to help Jaeheon quickly!"
Yoo Daon shouted roughly.
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin exchanged glances.