There Are No Humans in the Monster Company

I massaged the back of my aching neck as I stretched, and the sound of my joints cracking echoed through the silent office.

‘Time to get off work.’

As soon as I typed the final period of the report on the monitor, a notification appeared indicating that it had been registered in the system.

Just thinking about being able to leave that hellish place made part of my chest feel lighter.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“Your complexion is terribly pale. adapt It seems today has been an especially difficult day for you.”

There was only one person in the entire company who spoke like that.

I hurriedly packed my belongings into my backpack and was about to grab the coat I had left hanging behind my chair when a calm, chillingly gentle voice brushed against the back of my neck.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I felt my heart drop to the floor.

Her skin, so white it looked sickly, and her grotesque red eyes stood out in my vision more vividly than usual.

I slowly turned my head and saw that, without my noticing when she had approached, Manager Batori was standing right behind me.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Could this woman have been manipulating my brain…?’

The more warmly Manager Batori smiled at me, the more I could imagine those tentacles savoring every fold of my brain.

Director Won’s words resurfaced in my mind.

He had said that she had erased my fear and planted confidence in its place.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

My voice sounded as cheerful as I could possibly fake.

“Manager. academy You startled me. acoustic Were you heading home already?”

I held back my breath and forced a smile.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I kept my expression composed and answered,

Every time her gaze lingered near my temples, I felt my brain throb with an unsettling warmth.

But Manager Batori narrowed her eyes even further as she looked at me.

“A dark shadow has fallen over your eyes once again. arrow Was the work in Zone C too demanding? amateur Or is there another concern tormenting you?”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The instant I finished speaking, a horrifying tearing sound exploded beside my ear.

Crack!

“Not at all. galaxy I left the window open for a while last night. abandon I guess that’s why I had a nightmare.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The plaster had shattered into pieces, crumbling into a cloud of dust.

I slowly turned my eyes and saw a red tentacle embedded in the wall just millimeters from my ear, writhing slowly.

The impact made my eardrums vibrate.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

That certainty struck me hard.

I had triggered something.

‘…What exactly did I step on?’

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I slowly turned my head back forward, my entire body stiff.

Manager Batori was no longer smiling kindly.

I had overlooked two things.

Her crimson eyes burned with a terrifying intensity, as though they were about to pierce straight through my retinas.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“Falsehood does not suit you. alpha It seems that when I repaired you, I neglected to polish the virtue of honesty.”

As she spoke in that low, serene voice, dozens of blood-colored tentacles emerged from behind her back, raising their heads like serpents and undulating grotesquely.

The second was that she hated lies with a pathological intensity.

The first was that Manager Batori could detect lies with supernatural precision.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“Manager, wait…!”

“It seems we have much to discuss. agent Let’s go to the break room for a moment.”

I didn’t even have the chance to respond.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The next moment, completely bound by the tentacles, I was dragged across the floor without my feet even touching it.

Those cold, viscous membranes wrapped around my entire body as they slid across my skin.

The tentacles that sprang up behind me immobilized my limbs in an instant.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Suppressing a groan, I allowed myself to be dragged away in silence.

I already knew resisting was pointless.

I only had one option left.

‘Director Won… you damned bastard…’

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I hate the break room.

***

As the fluorescent lights in the hallway passed one after another above my head, I caught sight, through the office door, of Assistant Manager Son’s and Supervisor Shik’s surprised expressions, as though they were afterimages etched into my memory.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Thud!

To me, this place has never been a break room, but a torture chamber and interrogation room.

I’ve never come here for something as ordinary as needing sugar.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“Cough…! legend Cough…!”

I braced myself against the floor, trying to catch my breath, and attempted to stand.

The moment I was thrown onto the floor of the room, the cold pressure imprisoning my limbs disappeared.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Seeing it writhing as though it were about to rummage through my brain, I shouted in a panic.

Beyond her gentle voice, one of the red tentacles floating at the edge of my vision raised its head like a serpent, pointing directly at my ear.

“It seems I was too considerate with you. crystal If you won’t speak, I’ll find out myself.”

But before I could even get completely back to my feet, the blood-colored tentacles wrapped around my arms and legs again, violently slamming me against the wall.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“W-wait! palette I’ll tell you myself! matrix I’ll talk!”

My desperate struggle, so pathetic it bordered on humiliating, made the tentacle stop just before touching my ear.

Manager Batori remained motionless, watching me with cold, utterly expressionless eyes.

A moment later, it slowly withdrew.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

She was my superior, a manager.

I rubbed my neck now that I was free while carefully studying her expression.

I was certain there wasn’t a single excuse or improvised lie that could get me out of this situation.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

If I wanted to prevent those tentacles from digging through my brain again, I had no choice but to reveal my most dangerous card and pray for her mercy.

I was only a new employee.

‘Even so, I hate being manipulated, even when I know it’s happening.’

I swallowed before speaking.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Booom!!!

A killing intent erupted from Manager Batori with an intensity I had never felt—or even imagined.

The moment those words left my mouth—

“…I met Director Won.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“How dare he…?!”

The dozens of tentacles thrashing behind her back began writhing frantically, driven mad by bloodlust.

The fluorescent lights burst apart, scattering violet sparks.

The cups on the shelves exploded with a deafening crash.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The walls were covered in crimson membranes slowly creeping across their surfaces.

The entire break room had already been dyed red.

Manager Batori’s body swelled and grotesquely mutated.

“How dare that filthy monkey lay his hands on one of my own blood?!”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

‘It’s over.’

Her skin, barely maintaining a human form, looked as though it were about to tear apart as dozens of eyes and mouths returned to their original shapes.

Receiving a death sentence from both reason and instinct at the same time wasn’t exactly pleasant.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The only thing I could do was close my eyes and accept that I was about to die.

I couldn’t rely on the durability of the Shadow Shell.

However—

But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find any way to survive.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

The pain I had expected never came.

The deafening roars and vibrations that had seemed intent on shattering my ears vanished as though they had never existed.

“…?”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Manager Batori was still standing there, breathing heavily as she restrained her fury.

Several tentacles were still twitching restlessly behind her back, and thick red veins grotesquely bulged across her pale skin.

I cautiously opened my eyes.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

But even so, she was making an enormous effort to regain her usual appearance.

As she exhaled deeply to suppress her bloodlust, I took the opportunity to carefully get to my feet and brush the dust off my clothes.

“…I must calm down… I must calm down. audit Mastering anger is a virtue.”

My fingers were still trembling.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Manager Batori once again looked like the elegant and beautiful woman she always was before speaking to me.

But at least I no longer felt like my head was about to be torn apart at any moment.

After a few moments, even the last of the tentacles disappeared beneath her clothes.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I had expected a torture session with tentacles rummaging through my brain.

The word caught me completely off guard.

“Forgive me. anchor Even after you performed such a beautiful act of repentance, I was unable to reward you.”

“…Huh?”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

I had never imagined I would receive an apology.

Or an interrogation.

Or a merciless reprimand for having come into contact with Director Won.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Her cold fingers gently brushed against my cheek.

“I never intended to frighten you. accent It’s just… that repulsive name polluted my ears, and I lost my composure for a moment. legend Did I scare you that badly?”

Perhaps noticing my bewildered expression, Manager Batori smiled with obvious bitterness and took a step toward me.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“N-No… I’m fine.”

“Good boy. anchor Now tell me everything. audit What sweet words did that snake, Director Won, whisper to you? adjust Don’t leave out a single detail. acid I will personally dispel all the confusion he has sown within you.”

It was the same gentle tone as always.

But after witnessing that overwhelming killing intent, that kindness felt even more chilling.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

As I felt a sharp pain in my temples, I tried to calculate how much I should tell her.

I could only hope that didn’t mean she intended to rummage through my brain again.

If I hid something and ended up with tentacles piercing my head—

But I quickly gave up.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

***

I told Manager Batori everything essential about my conversation with Director Won.

It was much better to be honest.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

To his warnings about Extraction Team 1.

From the fact that my brain had been manipulated according to Manager Batori’s will.

And his attempt to persuade me to take his side.

When I finished speaking, a cold silence fell over the room.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

With a completely serious expression, she absentmindedly nibbled on the nails of her slender fingers while remaining lost in thought.

Manager Batori was no longer smiling.

Tap.

Tap.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Did I do the right thing by telling her everything?’

The sound of her nails clicking broke the silence.

Meanwhile, I carefully watched her reactions, wiping the cold sweat from my palms onto my pants.

Director Won’s warnings crossed my mind once again.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Compared to the fear of a possible future caused by Director Won—

But if I hid anything, those red tentacles would immediately begin rummaging through my brain again.

The very real pain that Manager Batori could inflict on me here and now was far more terrifying.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Without giving me time to react, she continued.

That truth was too heavy to either deny or admit.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“…I knew you were afraid of us.”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“The trust shared between members of the same blood runs deeper than any bond of kinship. arch However, you are, by nature, a human being. abstract I thought it was perfectly natural for you to feel instinctive rejection and fear toward us, who are not of your kind.”

Her voice was especially quiet.

“But here, in Extraction Team 1, a single moment of hesitation means death. august If fear caused you to lose your composure and diminished your ability to work, it would only mean you would be far more likely to die. action I didn’t want to see you disappear.”

Under the cold lighting of the break room, Manager Batori narrowed her eyes with a melancholy expression.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

As I listened to her, something inside my chest stirred strangely.

It was her confession.

“Perhaps my consideration seemed like an overbearing intrusion to you. acquire But all I wanted was for you to remain calm and survive for a long time, even in an environment as hellish as this. sphere That was my way of doing it. alien That was how I chose to show my affection.”

According to her, all of this had been for my sake.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

However, before emotion came another thought that was much clearer.

It was a completely abnormal method.

But I could also sense that, deep down, her feelings went far beyond simply protecting one of the company’s assets.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“For the time being, it would be best to keep this conversation a secret from Manager Myeon.”

Should I understand and accept someone manipulating another person’s brain in the name of consideration?

“As for Director Won, that wretch… and also that strange dream you said you had, I think we need to discuss them in greater depth.”

Manager Batori remained thoughtful for a few seconds as she brushed her pale fingers across her lips.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

She didn’t answer.

I asked cautiously.

“With whom?”

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“Leave it to me. anxiety For now, go home. apple Tomorrow, during lunch break, I’ll call you aside. shadow Until then, try to calm yourself.”

In the end, I couldn’t ask anything else.

She simply gave my shoulder a few gentle pats.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

But breathing was much easier than it had been just a few minutes ago.

My steps still felt heavy.

I bowed my head.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’m sorry, Jeong Haeil. afford I truly am.”

When I turned around one last time to look at her, Manager Batori seemed much smaller and more fragile than usual.

“Then I’ll be going, Manager.”

Watching me as I walked away, she whispered in a voice so gentle that it was as if she were speaking to something extremely delicate.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

My name slowly escaped her lips.

I left behind that farewell steeped in melancholy and stepped out into the hallway.

“But remember this. athlete To me, you are more important than any other member of my own blood… and the only life I wish to protect in this cold place.”

The office grew farther and farther away.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

When I caught my reflection in the elevator mirror, I still looked pale.

So did the killing intent emanating from the containment chambers.

But Manager Batori’s final gaze had taken root deep within my heart, like blood vessels.

Content of There Are No Humans in the Monster Company - Chapter 55: The Gentlest Contamination published by TrungTu Reads.

Perhaps it was a sincerity like hers.

Perhaps the gentlest contamination wasn’t fear.