Chapter 309
Chapter 309
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 309. Emergency Rations
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Is this really right, Team Leader?"
"I don't know!"
Jang Chaeyeon blasts away the person lunging at them, and Yoo Daon—who had been watching the scene with a face full of worry—turns to look at Heo Chan.
But Heo Chan could only say he didn't know.
Because he really didn't.
He was acting on his gut instincts, but he couldn't always trust those instincts. If he'd succeeded every single time by following them, he'd be branch chief right now, not team leader.
Even so, he had no choice but to keep moving.
Because right now, he couldn't think of anything else to do.
"If only Jaeheon were here right now..."
"I wonder if Jaeheon-ssi is okay..."
"..."
And as soon as they heard Heo Chan's words, the two of them turned gloomy. He swallowed the sigh rising in his throat.
They'd always been competent subordinates who did their jobs well and listened to orders, so he'd never really disliked them. But right now—no, a lot—he really didn't want to look at them.
*If we get out of this alive, I'm piling on the work for sure.*
Thinking that, he surveyed their surroundings.
It was completely devastated.
A scene of devastation like a war had broken out.
If they'd always fought like this, they probably could've made it back alive. Maybe Kim Jaeheon was exaggerating after all.
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he kept it to himself as he looked at the two of them.
"Jaeheon will be fine."
"..."
"..."
No response. They clearly didn't believe him.
*My team leader authority's in the dirt.*
He didn't feel like spelling it out, and besides, it was true that he'd basically left the team members to fend for themselves. He didn't have much to say about it.
He'd left most conversations to Kim Jaeheon anyway, and Jaeheon had actually stepped up to manage the team members.
He didn't consider it overstepping.
Kim Jaeheon was the one who'd brought him here in the first place, and more than anything, the guy scared him.
Regeneration, telekinesis, and hypnosis?
Just hearing about those abilities made it feel like every ace from the containment teams across the branches was working under him.
Thanks to that, Heo Chan had gotten dragged into more and more incidents. And above all, he couldn't stand how his surviving classmates teased him about it.
They were *his* subordinates, but hanging around them made his already short life feel even shorter.
This whole mess had started because Kim Jaeheon dragged him here.
He'd never even said a word when Jaeheon took the team members—what kind of twisted grudge was that guy holding?
"..."
Heo Chan's gaze shifted to the two women fighting desperately.
So, could he help those two out and get some petty revenge on Kim Jaeheon in the process?
Ask them to hit him?
"Gasp...!"
"Team Leader?"
"...?"
A horrific chill suddenly washed over him. Heo Chan shook his head, and the two women looked at him with puzzled expressions.
*Never mind. Not now, not ever.*
He made a vow to himself and opened his mouth.
"...You two."
At Heo Chan's words, the two turned to look at him.
"You know what Jaeheon likes, right?"
They stared at him blankly, and Heo Chan smiled.
"I'll explain on the way."
*
"Give it, give it...!"
"Hold on."
It reached out a hand, so I picked up the box and lifted it high overhead. It glared at me with an irritated expression.
"You can't use it anyway! You're human!"
"Whatever. Tell me the exit, and I'll give it to you."
No point beating around the bush—it just wastes time and tires me out.
Straightforward was best.
The moment I finished speaking, it clamped its mouth shut. Song Arin snickered.
"Look at it go quiet."
"H-Hey. Don't do this—going that way is nothing but danger."
It continued pleading desperately, and Song Arin and I exchanged a glance.
The manual was spot-on, as always.
"Whether it's dangerous or not, that's for us to decide."
Song Arin nodded at my words. It looked flustered, then squeezed its eyes shut.
"F-Fine... okay... Go left... There's a door. That's the exit. Keep going straight, and don't enter any rooms."
"..."
"..."
Song Arin and I exchanged another glance. As if on cue, I stood up holding the box.
"I'll go check it out, so wait here. If I don't come back... you know what to do, right?"
"Yeah, got it. Don't worry."
"E-Even if you go, you have to leave the box!"
It shouted in a panic, and Song Arin and I stared at it with equally baffled expressions.
"Why should I?"
"Yeah, why should he?"
"I told you the exit!"
"No guarantee that's the exit. What if it's a trap?"
"And if it's safe, he can give it to you when he gets back, right?"
At our words, its face grew even paler as it stared at us. Then it slowly raised a hand and pointed behind itself.
"Th-That's not the way out..."
"What makes you think we won't call you out for lying again?"
"This time it's true! Ack...!"
It shouted, then clapped a hand over its own mouth.
Something like black oil was leaking from the corners of its lips.
"Hurry... if you wait any longer..."
"What now?"
"What do you mean? Give it."
I opened the manual.
[Office Manual for Desk Workers - Emergency Treatment Room]
8. You must give it the box before it dies. There are no known survivors if it dies or if you take the box and leave.
"Give it right now."
"Sounds good to me."
I hurriedly set the box down at its feet.
"We're heading to the back, then."
"..."
It snatched up the box without a word in response, tore it open—and at that moment, something pitch-black—
"Wh-What the—hey!"
"Don't look back. Run! Hold on."
I whipped my head away and covered both of Song Arin's eyes as I hurried off.
I had no idea what I'd just seen, but recalling the sudden headache it triggered told me it definitely wasn't anything normal.
Still covering Song Arin's eyes, I rushed toward the back. Only once we reached the door did I let go.
"Hey, what the hell was that...?"
"Nothing much."
I brushed it off vaguely and opened the manual again.
[Office Manual for Desk Workers - After Escape]
1. No matter what room it is, once you leave it, keep walking until another room appears.
"This jerk said it backwards. Should I go back and punch it?"
I glanced at Song Arin, who was fuming, then shifted my eyes back to the manual.
2. Whichever door you take will lead to the stage. There will be a ticket seller, so follow what they say while looking at you.
2-1. [Person.] Go straight in.
2-2. [Staff.] Mutilate part of your body. The more severe, the easier entry—recommend at least breaking a finger.
2-3. [Participant.] Act like you've lost your mind. Get deep into a role, or even better if you're actually suffering from mental illness. Be careful not to get caught.
2-4. [Emergency Rations.] Refer to [T - Suicide Methods].
Just reading it looked rough.
Song Arin, peering at the manual with me, let out a deep sigh like her head hurt. I, too, prayed we wouldn't draw emergency rations as I started walking.
"Let's go."
"Don't worry. If it's rations, I'll take your place."
"For a second, I thought you were Daon-ssi."
Hearing Song Arin crack a joke straight out of Yoo Daon's playbook felt a little off.
"There's no other way."
"There is. We have one."
"What?"
"Luck, and somehow using both our abilities to escape."
"You're really full of yourself when you talk."
"My track record backs it up, doesn't it?"
"You're so annoying—you never back down even once."
Song Arin snickered, and I laughed along with her.
We walked the dark corridor.
"..."
Something like fluttering curtains appeared before my eyes. The hallucinations started up again.
I turned to look at Song Arin. She was staring blankly off into space.
Then she slowly headed toward the wall.
"Arin-ssi."
"Huh?"
"Not that way."
"...Oh, what? I thought it was."
Song Arin mumbled, looking sheepish as she came back over to me.
"..."
I grabbed her arm firmly. Her eyes went wide as she looked at me.
"If you're lost or tired, just say you're tired. I don't get how you HR people go without ever complaining."
"...You're no different."
Song Arin mumbled as she relaxed her arm.
"You can hold tighter."
"Is that your thing?"
"You really wanna die?"
"It's a joke, so no mental attacks. My head hurts."
Ignoring the auditory and visual hallucinations, we kept up the pointless banter as we walked. Eventually, a door appeared ahead of us.
"..."
Song Arin swallowed dryly and placed her hand on the doorknob. The door swung open.
"..."
"..."
A dark room greeted us.
"...Is this the stage? Doesn't feel very stage-like."
"You should start by wondering why it sent us to a stage in the first place."
"You're right."
Expecting any logic here was my mistake.
I nodded and looked ahead. Soon, with a rattling sound, a sign popped up.
[Welcome. Please come forward one at a time.]
"I'll go fi—"
"Out of the way."
Before I could move, Song Arin shoved me aside and stepped forward.
[Participant.]
The sign appeared, and Song Arin looked back at me. In that instant, tears began pouring from her eyes.
"Ar-Arin-ssi?"
"H-Hic...!"
Then she started bawling her eyes out like a madwoman, wordlessly.
"Arin-ssi!"
"Hic...!"
Whether I called her or not, Song Arin kept crying.
At the same time, the sign vanished. As if nothing had happened, she wiped her tears with a blank expression and looked at me.
"Feels like this. Your turn."
"..."
She'd hypnotized herself in the meantime.
I shook my head slightly and stepped forward.
"..."
*Rattle!*
The sign rose up.
[Emergency Rations]
Ah, damn it.
"...Hey...!"
Song Arin yelled urgently,
*Rustle rustle!*
[T - Suicide Methods]
The manual flipped open.