There Are No Humans in the Monster Company

The sensation of having just been decapitated was still far too vivid.

“…What is the reason for all this?”

My voice came out strained.

The torn corners of Director Won’s mouth trembled as he let out a mocking smile.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Inside the cup swirled a liquid far too thick and far too red to be called tea.

When he moved one of his long fingers, a teacup came walking out of thin air on its own and stopped in front of me.

“Jeong Haeil. silence There’s no need to rush, is there? palette After all, this is the first time we’ve spoken alone.”

The four pale hands sprouting from his temples continued to press tightly over his eyes and ears, as if trying to crush them, and yet he tilted his head slightly, as though he could see me with absolute precision.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“Really? album Well, Manager Myeon has always treated his subordinates as if they were his own children. antenna I’ve also heard that the rest of the team takes very good care of you.”

Without even lifting the cup, Director Won continued speaking as damp air slowly escaped from between his torn lips.

“How has life at the company been treating you? afford Extraction Team 1 is full of individuals with very strong personalities. zenith It must have been difficult to adapt.”

“It’s not going badly.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“I ate at the company cafeteria. arch It wasn’t bad.”

“What did you have for lunch yesterday? adjust Our company pays close attention to the well-being of its employees. antique I wonder whether the menu is to your liking.”

“I’m glad to hear that. absorb We do our best to offer dishes that humans enjoy as well, although unfortunately there aren’t many humans left who can evaluate them. alpha I suppose it’s the wish of a father who only wants to give his children the very best.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Tap.

His fur-covered fingers tapped the table in a steady rhythm.

Tap.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

A regular vibration reminiscent of the rattling of the train, slowly eroding my nerves.

“It’s enough to live in.”

“That’s a relief. arrow After all, the company’s assets retain their value better when they rest in a clean and stable environment.”

“And where do you live? album I wonder whether your apartment is too old or whether the neighborhood is safe enough.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Trivial.

It was a completely ordinary conversation.

The feeling of discomfort finally became too much for me.

And yet, even those insignificant questions, spoken in that metallic voice, sounded like a curse disguised as courtesy.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“Could you get to the point?”

I let out a short sigh.

I wanted to leave that grotesque purple space as soon as possible.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

After a few seconds of silence, the corners of his mouth began to tremble.

At my direct question, Director Won became completely motionless.

His lips, torn all the way beneath his ears, twisted into an unnatural angle, forming an enormous smile.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

I heard the fingers on his temples digging into his own head, as though they were causing him unbearable pain.

But his laughter did not stop.

“Jeong Haeil. altitude Do you really believe you’re nothing more than an ordinary new employee who was lucky enough to join this company?”

“Hehe, you have quite a straightforward personality. orbit I like that.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“You’re quite special, Jeong Haeil. adjust That’s precisely why you were assigned to a department as dangerous and as impure as Extraction Team 1.”

One of his long, fur-covered fingers slowly pointed at me.

But I didn’t feel the need to correct him.

To be honest, joining this company had been an enormous misfortune for any human being.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Director Won leaned back against the sofa as a damp smile escaped his torn lips.

“Do you really believe they value you as much as they pretend to?”

His voice began piercing my mind, as though it were scraping across my neurons one by one.

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“Are you truly convinced that your colleagues in Extraction Team 1 are on your side? arch Don’t trust them too much, Jeong Haeil. palette They aren’t the kind neighbors you imagine them to be.”

“Allow me to ask you a question. august Jeong Haeil, doesn’t it strike you as strange that, at some point, you stopped feeling fear or disgust toward them?”

The fingers growing from his temples twitched around his eyelids, producing a sickening scraping sound.

Veins began bulging beneath the thick fur on the backs of his hands.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Fear?

Fear…?

“What happened to the overwhelming fear you felt the first time you saw those monsters?”

What…?

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

But now.

And the superiors of Extraction Team 1 were monsters.

I was human.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

My own family.

Of course I had been afraid of them at first.

Those monsters were the only people I could call my comrades.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

But after spending several months working alongside them.

Eventually, even fear becomes routine.

Was I supposed to still fear them?

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

A sharp metallic sound exploded inside my head.

The instant those words penetrated my mind.

“After Manager Batori put her hands inside your brain like that, it would have been strange if you had remained the same.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

It was as though someone had driven a red-hot wedge into the center of my brain and was twisting it.

Unbearable pain shot through my temples.

I didn’t even have time to scream.

“Argh…!”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

My entire field of vision turned white.

Or that someone had forced me to forget.

The sensation of Manager Batori’s tentacles stirring my brain.

Within those flashes, emotions I had forgotten began to surface.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

And that primal fear I had felt when Manager Myeon’s seven faces stared at me.

Assistant Manager Son crushing a human being’s head without the slightest hesitation.

The stench of blood emanating from Supervisor Shik’s breath.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“Stop…!”

It was the carefully engineered peace of a domesticated farm animal.

That wasn’t a feeling of belonging to a family.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

It felt as though my skull was about to burst from within.

I clutched my head with both hands as I rolled across the floor.

Every cell in my body trembled violently.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Every fold of my brain screamed in pain.

“In the end, all of them only think about using you. attic If you want to survive, you’d better think very carefully about which side you choose.”

Curled up on the floor, I let out a groan mixed with blood.

Director Won’s monstrous voice sank even deeper into my head together with that unbearable pain.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

My vision remained distorted within a purple haze and reddish static.

‘Since when…?’

Among the remnants of my reason, only one question continued spreading like poison.

Since when had I stopped being afraid of them?

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Something had happened.

Something very specific.

I couldn’t explain it simply by saying I had gotten used to them.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Director Won clasped his fur-covered hands together as he spoke.

“If you choose the wrong side, you’ll end up exactly like the discarded remnants of the Department of Emotions. riddle I only hope this warning manages to reach, even if only a little, that contaminated brain of yours.”

But when?

“They repair you just enough to keep that valuable asset called Jeong Haeil from breaking, then they twist your mental processes to prevent you from feeling revulsion. harbor Isn’t it fascinating that even your emotions are being controlled under the company’s order?”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

The pain crushing my skull still burned like glowing embers, distorting my vision.

With trembling hands, I braced myself against the floor and slowly stood up.

But my instincts forced my mind back under control.

I let out a blood-soaked groan as I tried to steady my breathing.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

He burst into laughter with that unpleasant voice that sounded like metal scraping against metal.

But he found my effort ridiculously amusing.

Trying to appear as calm as possible, I fixed my gaze on Director Won.

“Hehe, what a stubborn person. zenith With willpower like yours, it’s no wonder Executive Director Ahn is so interested in you.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Swinging his abnormally long arms, he walked toward me step by step until his face was directly in front of mine.

The pressure of that unseen gaze filtering through the four fingers covering his eyes.

Director Won slowly rose from the purple velvet sofa.

His grotesquely tall and slender figure, well over two meters tall, cast an enormous shadow over my head.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Director Won’s lips trembled.

“Are you disappointed in the company? accent Do you want to resign?”

“Without dying, and with your body and mind remaining completely intact, of course.”

And the sickeningly sweet, metallic stench emanating from his lips, torn all the way beneath his ears, stole my breath.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Something I had never heard since joining.

For a moment, my eyes widened as I looked at Director Won.

Something almost impossible.

It was a proposal forbidden within this hellish company.

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The whisper of that monkey-shaped monster, grotesquely smiling in front of me, sounded sweeter than ever.

“It’s not that such a method doesn’t exist, Jeong Haeil.”

As if enjoying the trembling of my pupils, Director Won lowered his voice even further and whispered.

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His grotesquely long, fur-covered fingers gently brushed against my cheek.

Director Won slowly traced my face with his gaze and continued explaining in that metallic voice.

“Besides you, there are several human employees in the company. shadow Manager Moon and Director Go from the Order Control Room, Supervisor Hong and Assistant Manager Yu from the Extraction Team, and even the outstanding talents from the Strategic Planning Office.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“There are also the stubborn ones who survived the hell of the Department of Emotions at all costs, proved their worth, and became permanent employees. sphere And then there are talents recruited from the very beginning for a specific purpose, like you, Jeong Haeil.”

As I pressed against my temples, which still throbbed as though they were about to split apart, I listened carefully to his words.

Then why me?

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

But inside my head, I broke down every piece of information Director Won gave me and desperately tried to calculate his true intentions.

The reason he had revealed that Manager Batori had manipulated my perception.

The reason he had summoned me.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“And I happen to be the Head of the Management Support Division, responsible for all personnel matters in this company.”

Director Won interlaced his long fingers and emphasized his position once again.

“Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts is a reasonable place. aluminum As long as someone has ability, their species doesn’t matter.”

And the reason he was offering me the irresistibly sweet bait of a safe resignation.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

The moment I remembered Lee Jihyun, who had gone through the resignation process while being devoured by that grotesque baby monster in the Human Resources Office, a sudden realization pierced through the fog clouding my mind.

The only authority capable of granting it belonged to the monkey-shaped monster grotesquely smiling before me.

If there truly was a door within this company called resignation that would allow me to leave with both my body and mind intact.

The one responsible for all personnel matters within the company.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

What Director Won revealed as the corners of his mouth stretched grotesquely wide was not simple goodwill.

“Besides, I rather like you, Jeong Haeil. apron Of course, I would like you even more if you were willing to cooperate with me.”

That meant the only being capable of stamping approval on my resignation letter was this very creature.

It was a deadly invitation.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

An invitation to leave behind the shelter formed by Manager Myeon and Extraction Team 1, and step onto a new game board designed by him and Executive Director Ahn.

The elongated fingers of that monster, dangling the key to that escape, looked like snakes.

The only way out of this hellish company that would allow me to keep both my body and mind intact.

I drew a shaky breath as I stared at his torn lips.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

Finally, his metallic voice drove itself into my ears like a wedge.

“The time will come soon when we meet again and have a much deeper conversation, Jeong Haeil.”

“Until then, I expect excellent work performance from you.”

Director Won studied my expression with interest and curled the corners of his mouth even higher.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

“Hah…!”

Snap.

Once again, I jolted upright, gasping for breath.

The instant he lightly snapped his fingers, that office filled with purple light and suffocating fragrance shattered like breaking glass.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

But the phone ringing loudly beside my bed already read six in the morning.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was neither that grotesque train nor the mounted heads of monsters, but the old, familiar ceiling of my apartment.

Outside the window, it was still as dark as night.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

I turned off the alarm irritably and roughly wiped away the cold sweat covering my face.

“Ah… seriously.”

“…What the hell.”

A chill ran through me as I realized that the warmth of the blood I had touched in that dream still seemed to linger in the palm of my hand.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 51: Director Won, Head of the Management Support Division published by TrungTu Reads.

The thought that I would soon have to hang my employee ID around my neck and walk back into that office where those grotesque monsters sat under the title of “colleagues” felt several times more revolting than usual.

Director Won’s voice, lodged deep within the folds of my brain, weighed down my entire body.

It wasn’t simply that I didn’t want to go.