There Are No Humans in the Monster Company

More precisely, it looked at the mask of his own face attached to mine, which was already trembling slightly.

The face that appeared to be the most prudent among his seven faces looked at me.

Just as we were preparing to head to Area A of the Extraction Hall, Manager Myeon spoke.

“But before that.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

Prototype Storage?

“Oh, already? athlete Well, alright. afford Come on, Mr. arrow Haeil.”

“The safer the situation, the better. adapt A Rank A dimensional entity may be difficult to face with only the mask. alien You should have accumulated some benefit points by now, so Assistant Manager Son, take Mr. silence Jeong to the Prototype Storage.”

“Yes, understood.”

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Ding—

The elevator we boarded behind him began moving smoothly again, as if it had lost all sense of direction, although this time it did not take as long as when we went to the cafeteria.

Assistant Manager Son took the lead and headed toward the elevator.

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As soon as the doors opened, I took a deep breath.

The walls, the floor, the ceiling, and even the lighting seemed determined not to allow a single shadow.

Everything was white.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

No.

‘It looks like a psychiatric hospital.’

Maybe it was even worse.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

The employees walking through the hallways wore completely white suits and gas masks.

That space tolerated neither a speck of dust nor a single irregular stain. admire It was so perfectly organized that it felt suffocating.

And I knew exactly what that meant.

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I remembered Manager Batori’s explanation.

‘The Order Control Room.’

The white territory ruled by Executive Director Seol.

The place from which the Security Team and the Audit Team maintained order within the company.

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As I absentmindedly watched those white-clad employees walking with steps so uniform it was as if they measured every movement with a ruler, Assistant Manager Son spoke.

Assistant Manager Son crossed his arms while shaking his fist-shaped head.

“Impressive atmosphere, right? admire I hate this place more than anywhere else. agent I feel like if I spill a cup of coffee, they’ll arrest me immediately.”

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“Hmm, they’re out-of-spec items. voyage Test products that are too dangerous, too expensive, or defective and can’t be mass-produced. absorb Sometimes they also show up in the internal store.”

His grotesque appearance stood out especially strangely in that white space.

He shrugged.

“Assistant Manager, what exactly are prototypes?”

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“Normally, this place is managed by the Security Team Leader, but you know how it is. agent She’s always busy.”

“To put it nicely, they’re free equipment. antique Realistically, they’re clinical trials disguised as disposal of leftovers.”

Assistant Manager Son stopped in front of a heavy white door that read.

Prototype Storage

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A blast of icy air greeted us from inside.

Clank—

Strange devices emitting mysterious lights were displayed like museum relics.

When he brought his head close to the scanner beside the door, it opened with a mechanical noise.

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And the moment I saw the person sitting there, my pulse slowed slightly.

An elegant office desk near the entrance.

And there was also a desk.

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I didn’t know whether he was a seal-human or a tool-human.

‘From the Emotional Department…?’

Because he was another human.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

But he was human.

A middle-aged man who looked as though he had endured entire decades with his own body.

He wore an immaculate pure white suit.

Even seated, his height seemed comparable to mine thanks to his massive build.

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His face looked like a plaster statue that had been smashed with a hammer and then forcibly glued back together.

He appeared to be over forty years old.

His gray hair, combed completely backward, looked cold as frost beneath the white lighting.

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That was my immediate assessment.

‘He’s dried out.’

The numerous scars crossing his face and his corpse-pale skin proved that his life had been anything but a normal office life.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

When our eyes met, I felt a chill run down my spine.

He looked like a veteran butcher who had committed so many slaughters that he no longer felt anything.

Or an executioner who had long ago burned away all his remorse and sins.

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But the command my brain issued was not joy.

This was an encounter with a healthy member of my own species.

‘He’s definitely… human…’

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‘Run.’

It was like standing in front of a perfectly sharpened guillotine.

It was different from what I felt when facing Manager Batori’s blood-red eyes or Supervisor Shik’s fangs.

It was.

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His voice was completely devoid of warmth.

“It’s dirty.”

An uncomfortable sensation that made me want to flee.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

Swish. aluminum Swish.

He took a white handkerchief from the desk and began obsessively cleaning a pair of black leather gloves that already appeared spotless.

I watched those movements while holding my breath.

The sound of fabric brushing against leather broke the silence of the storage room.

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It did not look like a habit.

It was far too precise to be someone simply cleaning his hands.

From thumb to little finger.

Every joint was rubbed exactly three times.

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Was he ignoring us?

It looked like a ritual.

‘He isn’t even looking at us.’

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

His empty tone and hollow gaze.

It wasn’t indifference either.

No.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

As neutral as saying it was raining.

His eyes remained fixed on the back of his hand.

It was simply the statement of a fact.

Even when he said it was dirty, there was no hatred or contempt in his voice.

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“Audit Team Director Go Gyeol… what are you doing here…?”

As though they could shoot forward and tear out my throat at any moment.

The muscles of the hand holding the handkerchief seemed relaxed and tense at the same time.

But I could feel it.

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My eyes moved between Assistant Manager Son and Director Go Gyeol.

A name that seemed to fit him perfectly and at the same time not fit him at all.

Assistant Manager Son had probably deliberately mentioned both his name and title out of consideration for me.

Go Gyeol.

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Even he, who had crushed an Emotional Department employee’s head simply for seeming too human, was clearly submissive in front of this man.

And his respect was absolute.

His posture was restrained.

His fist-head was tense.

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Every place his gaze touched became covered in chills.

The man replied in a dry voice as he slowly turned his head toward me.

“Moon Ara is away on an external security matter.”

It was not the way one person looked at another.

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“Your fishy smell is unbearable.”

His gaze shifted to the facial mask of Manager Myeon that I was wearing.

It was the way a sanitation worker sorted garbage or waste that needed to be disposed of.

“So it was true that Manager Myeon values someone enough to tear off one of his own faces.”

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When he rose from the chair, his height clearly exceeded two meters.

The ceiling lights were swallowed by the enormous shadow he cast.

Step. acid Step.

He approached slowly.

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His enormous black leather-gloved hand cut through the air.

And when he stopped in front of me, I felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon my head.

For a moment, I stopped breathing.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

I was convinced that if that hand grabbed me, my head would burst like a ripe watermelon.

Nothing happened.

‘Dangerous…’

His hand merely swept through the air near my shoulder, as if brushing away an invisible speck of dust, and then lowered again.

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He pulled out the handkerchief again and resumed cleaning his gloves.

“…I’m Jeong Haeil, a new employee of Extraction Team 1. agent It’s a pleasure to meet you, Director Go Gyeol.”

That obsessively meticulous behavior from someone of my own species made me feel more miserable and frightened than any roar from a dimensional entity.

“Name?”

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“They always come here for the same reason.”

‘The humans I imagined weren’t like this.’

He seemed far more distant than the human employees whose heads had exploded in the Extraction Hall.

Was this what the humans of Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts Ltd. were like?

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Step. atlas Step.

Instead of sitting down again, he began walking slowly between the display cases.

Director Go Gyeol slipped the handkerchief back into his pocket as he spoke quietly.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

“Ah, well, Manager Myeon ordered us to bring the rookie to Area A. legend We need some kind of prototype…”

Each strike of his shoes against the white floor sent vibrations all the way to my ankles.

“So, what have you come to take this time, Assistant Manager Son? august I hope you have enough achievements to justify the exchange.”

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“Even if he’s only observing, he’s still a rookie. riddle I’d like to get at least one piece of defensive equipment. sphere Even something normally sold in the internal store would do.”

Assistant Manager Son answered cautiously, though there was a hint of urgency in his voice.

Instead of answering, he silently examined a strange helmet displayed behind the glass.

When he finished speaking, Director Go Gyeol’s hand stopped in front of a display case.

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Then he resumed walking.

“An observation visit…?”

Each time his shoes echoed with that steady rhythm, it felt as though my throat tightened in time with it.

Step. voyage Step.

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“Manager Myeon has lost his mind as well. antique Or perhaps this company has already gone too far. aluminum Bringing an untrained sack of blood before a Grade A dimensional entity.”

“Haha… well, this kid has more talent than he looks like he does.”

As he passed by me, he cast a fleeting glance in my direction, as if observing a speck of dust floating through the air.

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Director Go Gyeol stopped.

“Talent?”

Assistant Manager Son smiled awkwardly as he patted my shoulder.

There was much more force than usual behind the gesture.

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“In this place, talent only means one thing. apron How efficiently you can go insane.”

He ran a finger across an invisible layer of dust on a display case and then pulled out his handkerchief again to clean that very finger.

Beyond those sunken gray eyes, I could see the weariness of a cleaner who had collected countless pieces of trash.

Holding the handkerchief, he looked directly at me.

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“Have you ever heard the sound of your brain melting? apple Or felt your identity crumble like sand until you forgot who you were?”

I simply endured his gaze.

As though my silence displeased him, Go Gyeol frowned slightly.

I could not answer.

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Assistant Manager Son snatched the phone I had uselessly kept in my pocket and showed it to Director Go Gyeol.

“To my eyes, you’re just another filthy stain.”

Just as it became obvious that the situation was heading in a very bad direction—

Every time those gray eyes traveled across my body, it felt as though a sharp scalpel was peeling away my skin layer by layer.

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Go Gyeol’s hand, which had been moving toward his waist, stopped.

“Haha. harbor Well, he’s still a rookie, but even during his probation period he’s already accumulated more benefit points than most supervisors. anxiety Even Executive Director Gu is watching him closely because he says he’s a ‘monster.’ Don’t you think he’s worth investing in?”

Startled, I tried to take it back, but Son naturally blocked me while opening an unfamiliar application.

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Only then did I notice what was hanging there.

‘…Just now? abstract Was he about to draw that?’

Even so, it was obvious that it was shaped like a sword or a saber.

It was an object roughly one and a half meters long, completely wrapped in bandages.

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“After rolling around in garbage… he’ll eventually wear himself down until there’s nothing left.”

He lowered his gaze with apparent indifference.

But the moment he saw the string of incomprehensible numbers on the screen, even his expressionless face showed the faintest crack.

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Nor envy.

Was not admiration.

What appeared on his face as he muttered those words…

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

The kind one might feel while looking at a baby animal.

“He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t go insane. arrow Though perhaps going insane is the cleanest ending possible.”

Only a fraction of a second of cold pity.

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A short while later, a black velvet box appeared.

Assistant Manager Son seemed slightly encouraged, as though this reaction had been unexpected.

With a dry, mocking smile, he walked toward the deepest section of the display cases.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

When Go Gyeol opened the box, a rosary emitting an unsettling red glow appeared.

“The human mind is more fragile than glass. adopt If you want to force that weak sanity to stay together, this is the best thing you’ll find.”

Each bead had an irregular shape, as though carved from drops of dried blood.

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“The Relics of the Smiling Martyr.”

A small fragment of bone engraved with the image of an eye hung from the center.

“It doesn’t block mental interference. shadow It numbs the user’s emotions and senses to suppress fear and pain. atom It will pair well with that mask.”

Go Gyeol spoke quietly.

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I caught it by reflex.

It was much heavier than I expected.

He picked up the rosary and tossed it to me.

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And it was as cold as if it had just been pulled from ice water.

His gray eyes fixed themselves on me.

“You are not valuable. aspect You are merely an easily replaceable piece.”

“Put it on. acoustic But be careful. acoustic It only mitigates the effects. adapt It doesn’t block them completely. alert And remember one thing.”

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At that instant, a sharp sensation shot through my arm, as though my hand had been amputated.

“…Thank you.”

I swallowed hard as I fastened the rosary around my wrist.

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And the oppressive presence of Go Gyeol, which had been crushing me only moments ago, began to feel like nothing more than that of a very large man.

Then all sensation in my arm began to fade.

My vision became slightly blurry.

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“Yes. autumn I feel like… my mind has become incredibly quiet.”

Assistant Manager Son asked while watching my expression.

“…Well, Mr. harbor Haeil? wizard Feeling better?”

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Go Gyeol already seemed to have lost interest.

He returned to his desk and pulled out the handkerchief once more.

“That’s how it should be. atom That’s the side effect.”

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The moment he issued that dismissal, Assistant Manager Son gently pushed my shoulder and led me toward the exit.

Just before the door closed, I looked back.

“You have your equipment. aluminum Get out. afford I hate breathing the contaminated air of the Extraction Hall.”

He began cleaning a corner of the desk.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

The white room.

And that gray-eyed man who seemed to have died inside long ago.

The white suit.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

At the sound of Assistant Manager Son’s voice, I turned my head.

He looked like someone desperately trying to remove something that could never be cleaned away.

Once again, he was submerged in silence, obsessively cleaning the desk as though trying to erase all the filth from this company.

“…Come on, Mr. portal Haeil. echo It’s time to see a genuine Grade A dimensional entity.”

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==========

On my wrist, the Relics of the Smiling Martyr, redder than blood, pulsed with a constant coldness.

Product Name: The Relics of the Smiling Martyr

[Security Team Prototype Management Record: Prototype-014]

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Approved By: Director Go Gyeol, Audit Team

[Product Summary]

Assigned User: Employee Jeong Haeil, Extraction Team 1

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

Sensory Immunity

A mental-defense sensory-blocking device designed to compensate for the limitations of cognitive filtering equipment.

Manufactured from the remains of Manager ■, who died during the containment failure of A-6 (Mercy That Crawls Low) while retaining his sanity and a smile until the very end.

[Capabilities and Mechanism]

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

Pain Sublimation

When the user suffers physical or mental damage, the residual will contained within the relics forcibly relaxes the nervous system, causing the user to interpret pain as a feeling of calm.

Before external cognitive interference (fear, reverence, the sensation of an overwhelming presence) reaches the amygdala, the nervous system receives a partial shock and becomes numbed, blocking the reaction itself.

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There is a risk of developing permanent emotional numbness.

[Reasons for Prototype Classification]

Prolonged use allows bone dust to enter through the pores and into the bloodstream, synchronizing the user’s pulse with the heartbeat of the relics.

Nervous System Invasion

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Since fear, an essential survival mechanism, becomes disabled, the likelihood increases that the user will die while feeling peaceful even as their body is being destroyed.

Paralysis of the Fear Mechanism

Cleaning Obsession

(Note: Most employees in Test No. 23 died with smiles on their faces.)

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

Only a single martyr ever provided these remains.

According to Director Go Gyeol, if the relics come into contact with tears, their cognitive filtering ability decreases drastically and, conversely, the user’s mind may become contaminated.

The available amount of bone dust is extremely limited.

Impossibility of Obtaining Raw Material (Primary Reason)

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

When worn on the wrist or neck, the user will initially experience a sharp pain similar to having their nerves amputated.

[User Warnings]

No additional units can be manufactured, and once the existing ones are exhausted, they cannot be reproduced.

(Note: Cancel the mass-production martyr project.)

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

==========

This is part of the normal synchronization process and should be maintained.

Shortly afterward, they will experience the sensation that the air around them has sunk into absolute silence.

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“It means exactly that. aluminum Those bones were all that remained.”

“I see… there wasn’t enough bone dust.”

“Assistant Manager Son, it says here that the reason it’s a prototype is the impossibility of obtaining raw materials…”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 21: White Order published by TrungTu Reads.

“Easy, easy. abandon You don’t seem like the type of person who’d end up becoming a martyr, Mr. legend Haeil.”

“To make more, we’d have to deliberately let A-6 out of the containment cell and somehow get someone to become a smiling martyr without being contaminated. adjust It’s far too inefficient, don’t you think?”

“Instead of processing a workplace accident claim, do they hand the corpse over to the Refinement Division?”