Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Choice
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No matter how much I thought about it, ever since the entity incident, it felt like I'd seen far too many non-human things.
Now, even if there's just smoke where a person's face should be, instead of passing out in shock, I'm at the level of just going, "Oh gosh, you startled me."
I gaze at the figure in front of me.
[Name: Orthopedic Surgeon]
[Age: 42]
[Trait: Full-Body Reassembly]
[Talent: Surgical Expertise]
[Background: He works at the 'Hospital.' Due to some incident, he failed to save his loved one. Vowing to give anything to heal her, he committed countless atrocities with his own hands. In the end, he succeeded only in turning himself into something even more horrific, without saving her.]
[Weakness: Touch on his shame and secrets. With luck, you might even reach the last shred of humanity he's buried deep inside.]
Humanity.
That'll be tough. Rational conversation is relatively impossible with him, after all.
Maybe I'll try staying silent this time.
"Which patient are you here for? The most recent one I saw was the guy I swapped the ribs and shinbone for. The results weren't bad."
...
"Oh, no words from you? Guess that's not the one! In that case... let me see... Hmm... A few weeks ago, someone came in, and I attached sickles to both arms. Was that the one?"
... "Doesn't seem like it."
"Well, shoot! Then... there was someone from the Management Bureau."
The part that I assumed were his eyes turned toward me.
Yoo Daon's face briefly flashed in my mind.
Stay calm.
..."Management Bureau? What's that?"
I looked at him, putting on the most clueless expression I could manage.
"Yeah, they're the ones who keep bothering us."
He spoke as if genuinely exhausted, then started rifling through a chart listing patient names.
"So, if that's not the patient either, who are you looking for?"
What do I even say?
..."They told me at the first floor to come up because of some roster issue."
"This damn Gangseo University Hospital never fixes its problems no matter how many times you tell it. I flipped the receptionist's face around as punishment, but maybe I should flip it again next time."
He sighed heavily, slamming the chart shut with a thud.
"Honestly, you're a hassle. Find your own patient."
With that, he brushed past me and unleashed a rapid-fire stream of words at a nurse.
"Yeah, that one. No, not the Management Bureau guy! The kid who just got back today. Even when they're sick, their body doesn't twitch, and even if you kill them, they come back to life. Makes surgery a breeze since you only get one shot. We're sending them to the center."
My gaze involuntarily shifted toward the doctor.
Oblivious to my stare, he kept crossing the hallway.
I opened the manual.
[2-12. Even if the doctor passes by without telling you about the patient, don't get too discouraged. You still have a chance.]
[Don't follow him. There will likely be one nurse left behind.]
I glanced around, and sure enough, a nurse stood there, shoving her blank face toward us.
Her info naturally popped up above her head.
[Name: Kim Siyeon]
[Age: 28]
[Trait: Nursing]
[Talent: None]
[Background: She was just walking down the street when she drifted into the hospital. Did she have any sin in that? No one seemed to care as she screamed thousands of times for them to just kill her instead.]
[Weakness: Beings bound to the 'Hospital' generally have high pain tolerance. On the flip side, they have more memories of pain than anyone.]
...
My mouth felt bitter.
I kept glancing sideways at the manual.
[Look at the nurse and say this: 'I heard the nurse call system is broken at Gangbuk Hospital.']
[The nurse will step away briefly after hearing that. This depends on the doctor's temperament—Orthopedic Surgeon types don't have much patience, so he might call her back faster than usual. But that brief window is your chance to search for the person.]
[Use that time to rummage through any rooms. But do not open black doors. Beyond those doors are patients who are far past saving.]
[When time's up, the nurse will come find you and usher you out. After that, you won't find the patient you're after.]
..."I heard the nurse call system is broken at Gangbuk Hospital."
The moment I said it, the nurse struck an exaggerated pose and hurried off down a connecting hallway.
"Let's search."
At my words, all three nodded.
"Should we split up and look?"
Song Arin stared at me, already drawing her shotgun.
"It might be a bit risky, but with no time, yeah, let's split up and search. If you find them..."
"I'll yell."
"Won't yelling be dangerous?"
"The manual didn't say not to yell."
Jang Chaeyeon said it confidently, then headed down the left hallway.
..."Then I'll yell too."
"Yeah. But, Song Arin."
"Hm?"
Song Arin tilted her head at me.
"Why hasn't the Management Bureau wiped out the 'Hospital'?"
A place like this should've been the top priority for extermination.
..."The 'Hospital' is a phenomenon."
"A phenomenon?"
"Even if the Management Bureau razes this place with every physical means available, the 'Hospital' won't disappear. A new one will just encroach again, leading to an even bigger disaster."
..."But—"
"We'd like to know too."
Song Arin gave me a bitter look.
"It's unfortunate, but this is the best we can do right now. Put up signs, write down escape routes, and hope more people make it out."
...
..."Let's go. Someday, we'll definitely be able to smash this hospital to pieces."
Whenever it came to things involving people, Song Arin always wore that pained expression.
"You first."
"Got it."
Song Arin hurried off down the right hallway.
Which left...
I looked at the central hallway.
The pristine corridor had no bloodstains, no groans.
No time.
I opened the nearest door.
... "Ugh..."
A man with a mashed-up face groaned inside.
[Name: Park Su-han]
[Age: 62]
[Trait: None]
[Talent: None]
[Background: He's been in the hospital a long time and is dying.]
[Weakness: Wait.]
...
I slowly closed the door.
This place was insane. I couldn't understand what they were doing it for, or even fathom the suffering of those trapped here.
Next door.
Another half-dead person.
I slowly closed the door.
Third, fourth—all strikes.
..."Damn it."
Time was ticking, but no sign of our target.
No one yelled from the halls either.
After checking up to the sixth room, I opened the seventh.
...
A gaunt man lay there, lower body covered by a blanket, pistol pressed to his forehead.
..."Danger..."
He lowered the gun, looked at me, then at my manual.
..."Management Bureau?"
"You know it?"
..."Doesn't seem like you're here to rescue me from the team. I was on edge thinking another poor soul got caught."
He sighed.
"You're brave. Not easy to walk in here on your own two feet."
"I'll take you with us."
"That might be tough."
He gave a wry smile and pulled back the blanket over his lower body.
Nothing was there.
..."Still, if I take you—"
"Too late."
He spoke firmly, setting the gun on the bed.
"Orthopedic Surgeon operated on me. All my organs are gone. Surviving now is next to impossible."
"But—"
"It's fine. I'm satisfied. I got my daughter out."
He nodded with a smile.
"You're looking for someone too, huh. Desperately."
...
"Otherwise, no way you'd come this far even with the manual warning to watch out for Orthopedic Surgeon."
He glanced out the door.
"The hospital's been buzzing lately about an indestructible test subject coming back. That's who you're after, right?"
"Yes."
"Not here. Heard they're headed to the ICU. But the manual probably says not to go there..."
..."If I have to go anyway, what then?"
"Then go."
His eyes bored into me.
"Don't forget. You're the manual's user. You can't let the manual dictate your actions."
...
"It's fine. Everything works out in the end."
"Still, I—"
"Taking me to the ICU would be worse than suicide."
He slowly shook his head.
"Go on."
"I'll come back for you. Gangseo branch said they'd handle it."
"That's something to look forward to."
He smiled and nodded.
"Aren't you short on time? Better check all the rooms first."
...
He was right. No one had yelled, and Yoo Daon was nowhere.
I stood up, and he looked at me.
"Your name?"
"Kim Jaeheon."
"Kim Jaeheon. One favor from a Management Bureau agent named Kim Jaeheon."
"Name it."
"Take good care of my daughter Ye-eun. Even if she's sent to the Management Bureau nursery, I worry."
...
He chuckled softly.
"No need to feel sorry."
..."I'll—"
"That's on me."
...
He fiddled with the gun, looking at me.
"Sorry. Could you step out? Not a pretty sight."
..."I'll take good care of Ye-eun."
"Why ask a stranger? Just go check on her once."
I stepped out, closed the door, and leaned against it to muffle any sound. That was the most consideration I could give.
-Bang!
One gunshot, then silence.
I have to go.
Next door.
Nothing.
Next one.
Nothing again.
..."Damn it."
Do I really have to head to the ICU?
Clicking heels echoed down the hall, and Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin converged on my position.
..."Nothing."
"Nothing here either. This is driving me nuts."
"Same for me."
The nurse appeared, pointing behind her as if telling us to leave.
I opened the manual.
[2-13. If the nurse gestures for you to leave, do so. You'll see many paths on the way out, but you must only take the one marked 'Exit.' If you stray to another, you'll end up straight in the ICU, and the Management Bureau will do its best to recover your remains.]
[Once out the exit, wait for Management Bureau rescue.]
...
I walked in the direction her finger pointed.
"Hey, you really going like this?"
...
Song Arin and Jang Chaeyeon stared at me.
I moved silently forward.
"Hey! We'll just end up outside like this! That's the exit!"
..."Is this really right?"
Both looked at me with faces full of worry.
I opened the manual again.
[2-13. If the nurse gestures for you to leave, do so. You'll see many paths on the way out, but you must only take the one marked 'Exit.' If you stray to another, you'll end up straight in the ICU, and the Management Bureau will do its best to recover your remains.]
[Once out the exit, wait for Management Bureau rescue.]
"Tell me the way to the ICU."
I said it while looking at the manual.
[2-13. If the nurse gestures for you to leave, do so. You'll see many paths on the way out, but you must only take the one marked 'Exit.' If you stray to another, you'll end up straight in the ICU, and the Management Bureau will do its best to recover your remains.]
[Once out the exit, wait for Management Bureau rescue.]
The manual didn't change.
Ahead lay the path marked 'Exit.'
Straight would be the exit, or the unmarked right path.
I stepped right, then opened the manual again.
I'm the manual's user.
"Management Bureau HR Team's Kim Jaeheon requests ICU manual access rights."
The book flipped open like a gust of wind, words etching into the manual.
[Access denied.]
"I request again. Management Bureau HR Team's Kim Jaeheon requests ICU manual access rights."
I set foot in the right hallway.
Soon, new words began etching into the manual.
[Temporary access granted by ? ? ?. Displaying.]
[2-20. ICU Records - This info is highly restricted and likely inaccurate.]
"That's not for you to worry about."
I turned to face the two.
..."Can you entrust your lives to me?"
"No."
Song Arin shook her head.
"Why would I entrust my life to you?"
Then she stepped onto the right path.
"It's not entrusting my life to you. It's trusting your ability."
Jang Chaeyeon followed her to the right, flashing a soft smile.
"If we're off to die, I'll save you. So save me when I'm in danger."
"Understood."
I took the lead, walking ahead as the two followed.
The path to the ICU was pitch black.