There Are No Humans in the Monster Company

The moment the heavy mechanical sound of the security door closing echoed behind me, the colors of the space changed completely.

As I looked around the inside of that containment chamber, so extravagant and alien that it was hard to believe it existed within that grotesque company, only one thought crossed my mind.

‘It looks like I’ve come to an amusement park.’

Tiny particles drifted down from the ceiling like snowflakes, and the thin pool of red syrup covering the floor rippled with pastel-colored reflections, as though it were a lake made of melted jewels.

But that unnatural beauty was nothing more than a thin superficial layer.

Every step made the boots of my protective suit stick to the syrup with a sticky sound.

That so-called lake gave off a nauseating odor that mixed the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread with the metallic stench of blood.

The closer I got to the Little Lamb floating in the center of the chamber, the more obvious the horror hidden behind that deceptively beautiful scenery became.

[Haeil, don’t fall behind. Approach it from outside its field of vision.]

Assistant Manager Son’s voice came through the communicator from outside the chamber.

That day, the transmission echoing inside my protective helmet sounded especially sharp.

I gripped the medical shears tightly and cautiously advanced toward the creature’s rear.

Seen up close, that mass of fleece-like tissue was even more horrifying.

Bundles of nerves twisted in rhythm with a pulse.

Every time the tens of thousands of blood vessels quivered slightly, the pastel colors intensified before fading again and again.

Whenever the dozens of mouths beneath its abdomen opened to expel syrup, a revolting sound, as though blood and entrails were being poured out, echoed throughout the chamber.

‘Stay calm.’

As I approached, the Little Lamb slowly descended to the ground and curled its body up.

The instant it touched the floor, the syrup around it surged like a wave and splashed in every direction.

Suppressing the urge to wipe the syrup from my visor, I positioned myself behind the creature and activated the shears.

The sharp whine of the rotating blade filled the hermetically sealed chamber.

“I’m starting.”

I informed Assistant Manager Son and Supervisor Shik as I brought the shears toward the fleece-like tissue.

CRUNCH!

With a horrifying sound, the nerve bundles were severed, and a thick pink fluid burst out, soaking my protective suit.

The suction system built into the specialized shears immediately vacuumed up the cut tissue, but the sweet aroma spreading through the air was already pushing the filters to their limit.

“Ah…”

My consciousness began to grow hazy.

The faint fragrance that had seeped inside the suit was absurdly sweet.

I could no longer feel the metallic weight of the shears.

Those grotesque nerve bundles in front of me began to look like warm, fluffy cotton candy.

The urge to throw away the shears, tear off a huge handful, and stuff it into my mouth began devouring my reason.

‘I want to eat it.’

Wouldn’t just one bite be fine?

“Haeil.”

Assistant Manager Son’s voice echoed in my ear.

Only when my fingers began to loosen and the blade was about to touch the creature’s skin did I come back to my senses.

I clenched my teeth and bit down hard on the tip of my tongue.

“Tss!”

Pain was the greatest stimulant.

The moment my vision cleared again, I gripped the shears tightly once more and quickly moved the blade, keeping it exactly three centimeters above the surface of its back.

VRRRRRR!

As that terrifying noise echoed through the chamber, the Little Lamb let out broken babbling that sounded like the cries of a newborn baby while rubbing its body against my leg.

A warm, soft sensation reached me even through the protective suit.

Although its movements seemed to desperately beg me to stop hurting it, I never looked away and silently continued my work.

The floor eventually became covered in that pink wool.

Sweat poured down me like rain, and my visor began to fog up.

Even so, I didn’t stop, maintaining my full concentration until the extractor’s indicator reached the target amount.

Finally, after cutting the last strand of fleece-like tissue, I immediately turned off the shears and stepped back.

“The extraction is complete.”

Although I was the one who spoke, my tone was so rational that it was hard to believe I had almost lost my sanity only moments before.

Deprived of its wool, the monster exposed its disgusting pink flesh and slowly floated back into the air.

Savoring the lingering pain at the tip of my tongue, I left the chamber.

Assistant Manager Son and Supervisor Shik immediately came over to disinfect my protective suit and began making a huge fuss.

“I knew it! I had faith in you, Haeil. Excellent work.”

“Grrr… Grruk… Grrrk.”

Assistant Manager Son squeezed my shoulder with one enormous hand so hard it nearly broke.

Supervisor Shik also seemed to be in an excellent mood, rattling the chains covering his body as he walked around me.

Normally, I would have felt a certain sense of closeness from those displays of affection.

But this time was different.

‘Is this the satisfaction of seeing a well-trained tool?’

Even as my distrust grew like poisonous weeds, I carefully adjusted the muscles of my face to display the most humble and helpful smile possible.

“It’s nothing special. It was thanks to both of you watching over me. I’ll continue doing my best to learn.”

Although those words were filled with feigned humility, my superiors seemed satisfied and nodded.

By the time I finished taking off the protective suit and completed the decontamination process, the sweat that had soaked my entire body had almost completely evaporated.

As I walked through Zone C of the Extraction Laboratory, preparing for the next assignment, my gaze stopped at a corner of the corridor.

“That’s…”

“Hm? Do you know that one?”

It was Nameless.

He was wearing a suit covered in grease, and two black spirals twisted out from both of his shoulders.

The moment I saw that flat face of flesh, without eyes, nose, or mouth, I remembered my first days at the company.

The feeling of my mind being completely devoured by that empty face during the containment breach, leaving me on the verge of death.

‘Back then, I really thought it was all over.’

I stood there watching him for a moment, lost in memories.

That existence which had once embodied absolute terror had now become a rather familiar part of the scenery.

“Haeil, what are you staring at so absentmindedly? We’re here.”

Assistant Manager Son’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

When I turned my head, another heavy containment door blocked my path.

Leaving Nameless behind, the aura of the new Dimensional Entity before me radiated a completely different kind of revulsion from the Little Lamb we had just dealt with.

Taking a deep breath and calming my mind once more, Assistant Manager Son chuckled.

“Don’t worry. This friend is actually harmless. In fact, judging solely by how dangerous he is, he doesn’t even reach the level of a Rank D Dimensional Entity.”

Patting my shoulder reassuringly, Assistant Manager Son handed me a tablet.

On the screen was the profile of the Dimensional Entity we were about to face.

Unlike before, he spoke with complete ease, but unable to shake off that strange feeling of discomfort, I began reading the profile.

==========

[Dimensional Entity Management Profile: C-50]

Name: Omniscient Incompetent

Code: C-50

Danger Level: Rank C

[Details]

Question-Based Self-Description

The entity wears an old, tattered brown robe and possesses a gigantic ancient book composed of thousands of parchment pages in place of a head.

It has an instinct to collect and learn information.

Whenever it is asked a question, the pages turn on their own, and ink spreads across the parchment to write the answer.

[Extraction Mechanism]

When the entity acquires new knowledge and reaches an understanding of it, the cognitive energy released between the parchment pages is extracted.

[Management and Extraction Manual]

Prepare the “Story of the Day (Information)” to be shared with the entity and request an interview.

Understand the information displayed by the ancient book and express agreement with it before leaving.

[Special Recommendations]

If false information is provided, the entity will forcibly copy the most precious memory from the questioner’s brain to record it, causing the permanent loss of that memory.

==========

It was, by far, the simplest and most straightforward profile I had seen so far.

All I had to do was tell the entity new information.

Although losing my most precious memory as the price was chilling, in reality it wasn’t a risk as long as I provided truthful information.

“Is it really a Rank C Entity?”

At my question, Assistant Manager Son nodded.

“Sometimes it obtains confidential company information and then starts spreading it around.”

“Are the conversations recorded?”

“No. We respect privacy. You just have to tell it an interesting story you’ve experienced. Then it’ll release the energy on its own.”

Seeing the doubt on my face, Assistant Manager Son shrugged.

“If you’re ready, let’s go in. Haeil, have you already thought about what story you’re going to tell it today?”

I nodded silently.

What information would be the most efficient and valuable for piquing its interest without risking the loss of a memory?

The containment chamber door opened, and a cloud of ancient dust drifted into the corridor.

The moment I stepped into the dry air, a heavy scent of old paper, like that of an abandoned library, tickled my nose.

The inside of the chamber was filled with documents and inkpots scattered everywhere, as if the untouched study of a scholar whose time had stopped had been moved there intact.

Omniscient Incompetent, who had been sitting in the center, seemed to notice our presence and slowly stood up.

The enormous ancient book floating above the brown robe inclined toward me with unsettling elegance.

Shhh.

Thousands of parchment pages began turning like the waves of the sea.

Black ink spread across the blank pages, carefully forming words.

[Hello! I hope you have a wonderful day! What is your name?]

The sentence gleamed with the pristine sheen of freshly written ink.

As I looked at the creature, which waited politely without showing the slightest hint of hostility or killing intent, only one thought came to mind.

‘He talks with completely unnecessary enthusiasm.’

“My name is Jeong Haeil.”

The moment I finished answering, the pages began flipping rapidly once more, preparing the next sentence.

Inside the silent chamber, the only sound was the dry rustling of paper.

[It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jeong Haeil!]

It was a greeting overflowing with so much vitality that it was almost unpleasant.

Omniscient Incompetent flipped through the pages again with a gentle flutter, and as if it had been waiting for that very moment, displayed a new message.

[What would you like to know? As long as it’s within my knowledge, I’ll answer anything!]

I remained silent in thought for a few moments.

Asking it a question meant exchanging information.

While discreetly keeping an eye on Assistant Manager Son, who was watching us from outside the chamber, as well as the security cameras, I chose my words with the utmost care.

A question that wouldn’t violate security regulations while at the same time bringing me closer to the true nature of this company.

“Where exactly is the Limited Company Where the Dead End Up with Ghosts located?”

At my cautious question, the pages of the book began fluttering violently, as if struck by a storm.

Soon afterward, the ink spread, forming a clear answer.

[There is a special method of entering, but it does not possess fixed coordinates within reality! It is a concept similar to the Residual Layer that you visited, Mr. Jeong Haeil!]

Just as I had expected.

Unlike Gangsol Prison, where the Infiltration Alliance could freely enter, this was a place impossible to reach through normal physical laws.

The Abnormal Disaster Management also hadn’t seemed to know the company’s location when I encountered them in the Residual Layer.

Even whenever I went out with Director Moon Ara, the outside world always appeared when the elevator doors opened.

I was just about to nod in satisfaction when another question crossed my mind.

‘How does he know I was in the Residual Layer?’

Wasn’t he supposed to know nothing that he hadn’t learned?

I frowned as I looked at the enormous floating book.

It was possible that the information was recorded in the company’s database, but I couldn’t understand how a confined Dimensional Entity could mention it so naturally.

“How do you know I was in the Residual Layer?”

I asked cautiously.

The pages fluttered once again with a soft rustle.

This time, a far more detailed and polite answer filled the page.

[Director Moon Ara provided me with that information! She is one of my wonderful friends!]

The name written in ink was burned into my vision.

‘Director Moon Ara?’

She, a member of the Order Control Room, regularly shared information with this Dimensional Entity?

Paying no attention to my confusion, Omniscient Incompetent simply continued flipping the pages floating above his head, patiently waiting for my next question.