4. Consent Form (1)
The training room was numbingly eerie. Decapitated corpses. Sisyphus's punishment.
They weren't coming back. My mind was blank. I could barely tell if I was even breathing.
And then.
"This is totally something! Sung-jin, want to join our department?"
Kang Mi-young grabbed my cheeks. My senses snapped back.
I had survived. That insane job aptitude test.
"I really thought I'd end up writing a reprimand report with you. Sung-jin, you know this? Sisyphus is an anomaly that's easier with more people!"
'Easier with more people?'
I stared at her in a daze, and Kang Mi-young continued.
"With more people, violence breaks out more, and some escape in the chaos, right?"
"Pardon?"
"Usually, not that many die in Act 2. This was a special case. It's report-worthy on its own."
"That's..."
"Survival rate for 10+ people at Act 2 break time: 89% on average. Injuries are higher, but they survive. But..."
Kang Mi-young grinned as she scanned the training room.
"For 3 or fewer survivors at Act 2 break time: average escape rate of 3.2%."
Three living people amid the grotesquely shaped corpses: me, the woman with the faint presence, and Ko Kyung-min.
"These three..."
She smacked her lips.
"Should've been dead by all rights. But you lived?"
...The conclusion was clear.
So, this wasn't supposed to be a hard anomaly to escape?
Wait.
I got it.
Kang Mi-young was saying:
'People who reach Act 2 figure out the escape method while panicking and turning on each other.'
Ah.
Damn it.
Dizziness hit; I clutched my forehead. Kang Mi-young patted my shoulder and returned behind the podium.
"Anyway, good job. Wow, I was really scared. Total wipeout means disciplinary action. For someone like me, it's no big deal... but performance reviews matter."
What do you even say to that?
Glad I survived? That's psycho serial killer talk.
I decided to say nothing. Classic survivor-of-a-horror-story move.
Kang Mi-young looked at me with affectionate eyes—half like a rancher eyeing premium Hanwoo beef—then clapped.
Clap—!
Faint smile. That businesslike office worker motion. Dry, mechanical tone made for this alone.
"Congratulations, everyone!"
The survivors lifted their heads. Eyes heavy with fatigue.
"You've passed Mirae Co., Ltd.'s Field Division job aptitude evaluation!"
Her voice was dry exaltation against their exhaustion.
"You showed no fear of anomalies and didn't shy from the costs."
Her eyes turned to Ko Kyung-min.
"Quickly grasped the situation and acted boldly when needed."
Now to the timid woman. She shrank her neck and lowered her eyes.
"And above all, you acted for the company's benefit! Death is a loss, and you minimized it!"
Finally, her eyes met mine. I stared back calmly.
She grinned—not dry this time.
"Thus, you've proven yourselves the best, top-tier, strongest talents—proof you're the future leaders of Mirae Co., Ltd.!"
Thud—! Kang Mi-young slammed the podium.
"Ko Kyung-min, assistant manager! Hwang Eun-hye, assistant manager! And... Oh Sung-jin, assistant manager! Welcome to the Field Division! It's all yours now—wealth, honor, special rewards!"
Silence fell. Kang Mi-young shouted again.
"Mirae welcomes you!"
Her speech ended there.
The mood screamed for applause. But we had no energy.
The stench of blood was thick. We sat among corpses.
Kang Mi-young seemed to notice belatedly. She gave an awkward smile and continued softly.
"Shall we move? It's too grim here."
She left the podium and climbed the stairs. As we stood, she added as if remembering.
"Oh, grab the thank-you cards on the desks. You'll need them soon. Oh assistant manager's... uh, on the floor. Anyway."
That's when it hit me.
This company was even more twisted than I thought.
For real.
We followed Kang Mi-young down the hall. Same floor as Training Room 3.
She pulled her radio as if just remembering.
"Hey, Kang Mi-young here. Send one... no, three cleanup teams to Training Room 3. What? Why so many? For real? ...Hey, got extra body bags? Not many? Then bring trash bags."
Trash bags. Words that made me avert my eyes. Even from her small shoulders watching me.
She finished the call and started humming.
Scarier than the horror symphony. Maybe people too far gone are more terrifying than anomalies.
Her hum stopped at a door labeled '4-F Archive Room'.
"This is..."
This was it.
Where Kim Jun-sik had gone right before the aptitude test.
"Aptitude test done, now aptitude assessment."
Kang Mi-young answered my mutter, beaming.
"I'd love to snag you for my team, Oh assistant manager, but rules are rules."
"Another round like before?"
Damn.
I'd snapped sharper than intended.
Luckily, she didn't mind.
"No way. We don't do unethical stuff."
Coming from someone way past ethics.
Oblivious, she continued. "It's all about efficiency."
"Why waste effort inefficiently? It's money."
She asked.
Apologize first.
I stood before a potential boss—a 'department head' with a gun, treating lives like flies.
"Sorry. Slipped out."
"It's fine. I get it. When I first joined Field Division, I was a mess too."
She beamed at us.
"I'm public recruit Field Division. Started as clerk, worked up to department head. Unlike you."
"Clerk...?"
Not starting at assistant manager?
"Yes, clerk. We used public recruits back then. Not like now, just transfers and specials."
"Meaning?"
Her face grew eerie. Expression unchanged.
"Public recruits gone about 5 years. Too much talent loss, upper management's call. So... oh, that's enough."
Her 'oh' and 'hey' grated.
Couldn't snap at a department head.
I forced a vague smile, playing loyal subordinate.
"Shall we go in?"
4-F Archive Room was bigger inside. Dim lights. Musty paper dust.
"Here, you'll decide your Field Division team."
Kang Mi-young explained, thrilled.
"Personally excited. Especially Oh assistant manager—I'd steal you for my team if I could."
Her glee hid a predator's sharpness.
You're terrifying—please don't.
She chuckled at my reaction and led on.
Soon, we stopped at an old copier.
Familiar face there.
"Oh, Department Head Kang! Hi! These the new Field Division recruits?"
Research Department Head Kim Jun-sik, obviously.
'So he's involved too.'
Beaming like first meeting. Why do company folks love smiling?
Creepy...
Shivering, I watched Kang Mi-young bow to him.
"Department Head Kim Jun-sik. Long time."
"Hey, no need to be so formal! We're both department heads now—let's be friends. Drop the honorifics, relax."
"Haha, no, it's fine."
"Aw, that's hurtful. We've known each other years?"
Kang seemed flustered around him.
'More seniority? Seems overly deferential...'
Held judgment. They turned to us.
"Hmm, three new Field Division? Fewer than expected."
"Yes. Everyone but these three died in Act 2..."
"All but three? And they survived? Wow, these recruits got skills! But..."
Kim Jun-sik playfully frowned.
"Department Head Kang, no screw-up? Sisyphus is training-only. Shouldn't kill this many. Forgot to tell rule spots?"
That was it?
"...E-23 was training 15 years ago. Manual changed—no rule hints."
Kim's eyebrows twitched. Sure?
"Certain. Must've missed the memo."
Memo missed? Unlikely. Mirae was thorough, especially 15 years back.
Kim clutched his forehead.
"Oops! Forgot! Sorry, Department Head Kang. Don't mind. I got a lot on my plate—space out often."
"No. Newbies first..."
"Right, right. Let's see..."
Kim eyed us intently.
His gaze stopped on me.
'Don't acknowledge me.'
Wish sank like chum.
"Huh? Oh, it's Clerk Oh! No, Assistant Manager now. Internal transfer success!"
"Haha... yeah, somehow."
I played dumb. He grinned.
"Good. Save Oh assistant manager for highlight... You, big guy? Name?"
Ko Kyung-min muttered reluctantly.
"Ko Kyung-min."
"Nice. Ko assistant manager? Step to the copier. Got your thank-you card? Hand it over."
"Yes. Here."
Kim took the card, then held out to Kang Mi-young. She handed Ko's survey instantly.
"Alright... watch."
He fed card and survey into the copier.
Vrrr—.
Machine hummed. Then I noticed the output slot.
'Copier with output slot? What's that for?'
Not normal, whatever.
Vrrr—! It vibrated wildly. Light burst from the input.
Uneasy.
'Gonna explode?'
Glanced at department heads. Both unfazed. Routine for them.
> Copying completed.
Clunk. Something emerged: paper document and...
"Done. Ko assistant manager? Take this."
A fountain pen.
"This is...?"
Ko tilted his head, pen in hand. Kim gestured to open it.
Ko uncapped. Nib gleamed faintly in dim light.
"Ooh, silver nib! See? Talent matters!"
"What's the nib mean?"
Kim checked the doc, muttering.
"Yeah, yeah. Ask Department Head Kang later... Ooh, Special Duty Team, Exploration Team, Training Team. Solid aptitude. Now, sign this consent form. Check all, give to her."
Kim handed papers.
Ko paused thoughtfully, signed, passed to Kang Mi-young.