Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Strange Companion
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The anomaly's head resembled an ant's. Beneath its massive head was a human body, but the head was so heavy that the body dragged along the floor. The nurse's uniform it wore was already frayed to rags, and every time it moved, blood from its torn flesh soaked the floor.
The nurse crawling toward them made a rustling sound as it looked up at Cecilia and Ian.
"Where are you going? I can press the button for you."
"...I foreigner, no good Korean."
Cecilia spat out the words in broken pronunciation. The nurse gave an awkward smile and scratched at its mouth with bloodstained hands.
"Ah... is that so? Then I'll go up first by myself. If you're here to visit a patient, head to the desk on the third floor for directions first."
With those words, the nurse boarded the elevator. There was a thud, the elevator shook once, and as soon as it pressed the floor, the doors slammed shut violently and it began ascending.
Second floor, third floor. Fourth floor. Fifth floor....
Not even a second had passed, yet the floor numbers were changing rapidly. The moment the number on the elevator switched to 66 and stopped, Cecilia exhaled sharply and pulled Ian toward the emergency exit. Ian obediently followed her while scanning their surroundings.
The hospital's layout was vastly different from what he remembered. The spaces that should have held the blood draw room, CT, or MRI rooms were packed with operating theaters, and the corridors twisted and turned like a maze, their positions, bends, and lengths all jumbled.
'The whole hospital doesn't seem contaminated. This is an entirely different space to begin with.'
He had frequented it often as a child, and since the structure was so simple, he still remembered where everything was. Thanks to that, he could tell that the corridor they were walking, the corner leading to the ER, and the emergency exit were all in completely different places.
It wasn't contamination—there were no overlaps at all. So, like a theme park or a library, it was best to view this as a complete shift to another world.
'This is bad.'
For the first time in ages, cold sweat trickled down his spine.
He hadn't planned on encountering any anomalies today or resolving anything anomaly-related. He had joked just moments ago about wanting to run into a stray ghost, but he certainly hadn't wished to drop into a space like this.
"...."
People swarmed through the corridors, the ER, the blood draw rooms, and the operating theaters. In the blood draw room, syringe tentacles hung corpses by the neck from the ceiling, wriggling as they plunged needles into the hearts. Nurses handling urine tests ripped out genitals and bladders whole, crushed kidneys, and poured the contents into paper cups.
Just watching made his mind reel. Without using magic and relying solely on Cecilia, escape seemed impossible.
'Whether escape is even possible in the first place.'
The window outside.
Beyond the glass where the street view should have been was nothing but vast plains. And on those plains, countless people in patient gowns stood motionless, staring at the hospital.
Were they victims pulled into this space, or wardens meant to kill anyone exiting the hospital?
Either way, it was clear they weren't standing there with good intentions. Ian clicked his tongue and gripped his bag strap.
Clunk!
They reached the emergency exit at the end of the sprinting corridor. Cecilia glanced around, confirmed no one was there, and let out a sigh of relief. Then she looked up at Ian.
"Listen carefully. Right now, we... uh... anomaly? Ah, yes. Caught in anomaly."
She spoke awkwardly, mixing in hand gestures to convey her meaning.
"Mess up, die. So follow my instructions. Got it?"
"Are you used to things like this?"
Ian asked with a slightly frightened expression. The hand inside his coat pulled back the revolver's hammer.
Fortunately, Cecilia either didn't hear the click or ignored it, nodding as she readjusted her grip on her dagger.
"A little. But spatial types like this are new for me. The anomalies we hunt are all entity types. This is Management Bureau territory."
"Management Bureau?"
"Government agency. Specializes in handling these. Not on good terms with us. They suppress and research for salvation; we reject and slay for purification. Understand?"
In simple terms, the Management Bureau aimed to capture anomalies, suppress them, study them, and save humanity, while the Papal Curia sought to kill them all outright and purify the world.
Two organizations desiring peace but through utterly different methods. Plenty of room for cooperation, yet beliefs destined to clash in the end.
From what Cecilia said, the Papal Curia was aware of the Management Bureau's existence and didn't interfere with their work. Calling this their role suggested they weren't outright enemies.
Still, "not on good terms" meant that was the extent of it.
He didn't know their relations with the Cartel, the Clock Tower, or other groups, but it wasn't important now. Escape came first.
"Understood. So how do we get out of here? Staying put... doesn't look like it'll end well."
"...Spatial types have many escape methods. Best is to play the role faithfully for now."
Cecilia frowned at the smell of burning drifting from somewhere.
"Like an opera or musical. Secure safety by fulfilling the role first."
The burning smell was growing closer. Ian opened his mouth to reply, then wrinkled his brow at a sudden wave of foul odor.
The stench came from above. Looking up instinctively, he spotted something rapidly descending from high up.
"Aaaaaaah!!!!"
It was a human. A blazing figure engulfed in flames, cycling through burns, necrosis, and regeneration.
Screaming, it hurled its dangling head straight at Ian and Cecilia.
"...!"
The speed was tremendous. The head tore through the air, plummeting vertically right for Ian's face.
Too late to dodge. With no choice, Ian thrust his empty hand forward to cast magic.
In that instant, Cecilia swatted the head away with her gloved hand.
Kwaaaang!!!
The head exploded in a small blast. Acrid smoke billowed thickly, filling the air with the revolting stench of burning flesh.
Ian coughed repeatedly from the hot smoke invading his lungs, glancing sidelong at Cecilia standing protectively in front of him.
The arm that had struck the head was crushed beyond recognition. Blood poured onto the floor, and embers flickered on her burned face and shoulder.
"...Kuhk, kuh...."
Cecilia exhaled raggedly, picked up her fallen dagger from the floor, and threw it. The burning human descending the stairs toppled as the dagger embedded in its knee.
"Aaaaaaah!!!! It hurts, it hurts!!!! Mom!! Dad!!! My knee's shattered! My skin's burning aaaaaaah!!!!"
The headless thing shrieked from its throat. Ian ignored it and approached Cecilia as she tossed aside its smoldering clothes.
"Cecilia...!"
"I'm fine! Let's go!"
Without retrieving her dagger, she headed out of the stairwell. Ian followed right after.
The two stepped back into the first-floor corridor near the ER. Ian tried to check her condition immediately but slowly raised his head at the overwhelming gazes pouring in from all directions. Cecilia, sweating coldly, stared at the figures ahead.
"...."
"...."
Patients who had been sitting on benches staring blankly into space now all turned toward Cecilia. Grotesque nurses poked their faces in from the ER entrance, footsteps thudded from around the corner, and dozens seemed to move in unison on the ceiling with a racket of noise.
"Burns."
"No arm."
As the thudding footsteps drew near, the seated patients spoke.
"Patient."
"Patient."
Their lips tore into wide grins.
"Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient.""Patient."
"Shit."
Shivering at the goosebumps crawling up his back, Ian quickly supported Cecilia and pulled her up. Cecilia stared blankly at them, then turned to Ian with a joyful smile.
"I'm hurt."
"...What?"
"Need treatment. Treatment, treatment, treatment! Aaaah!! Surgeon's coming! Doctor's coming! Surgery, surgery!!!"
She convulsed in his arms.
Her mind had snapped. Regardless of her mental fortitude, she had triggered this mad space's mechanism.
The trigger was likely sustaining injuries and entering an obvious patient state.
Left alone, she'd become one of them. He couldn't allow that.
Without hesitation, Ian summoned his grimoire and gripped it like a blunt weapon.
"Can't kill her! Still got knowledge to extract....!"
[Wung!]
The Deep Sea Chronicles in his hand responded as if understanding. Ian swung the grimoire and smashed Cecilia's crown.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, her skull shattered. Her eyes, wild with madness, rolled up instantly, and her convulsing body went limp.
Normally, contact with an outer god's grimoire would explode the touching area, but with the owner's permission or the grimoire's adjustment, it could be controlled. First time trying, but it worked.
No time for sentiment. Ian propped Cecilia against the wall like discarding her and drew his revolver at the approaching footsteps.
"...."
Soon, a doctor in a gown appeared from around the corner.