Translator: TranslatingNovice

Editors: Z0Rel, BlueMangoAde

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Chapter 858: Side Story - Island Survival (3)

Kim Hae-sol hides in a small warehouse on the island covered in sea fog.

This place called 'Ghost Island' is bigger than Kim Hae-sol had thought.

Also, maybe because the high-ranking people who run the survival game here need something to enjoy, there is an entertainment complex on the island about the size of a small village.

The warehouse Kim Hae-sol's group is hiding in is a warehouse a little away from the entertainment complex, in a place that is hard to properly discover, and since it is also a place where a lot of fog gathers, they judged it perfect for hiding and hid in here.

"First, you all saw it, right?"

"Y-Yeah...I saw it, Hae-sol."

Among the people Kim Hae-sol brought, Mister Park, looking afraid, brings up what happened in the auditorium.

"Th-That...it isn't human. Nobody could have beaten it..."

"That's right. And...it also kills the participants. The fact that it was a little close with use when it was human is probably something that no longer has any meaning to it.”

Kim Hae-sol calmly sorts out the situation.

"If it notices us, we're all dead. So...from now on, everyone will follow what I say, stay together, avoid it, and look for a chance to escape from the island."

"Y-Yeah, I understand, Hae-sol. Then first, how do we escape?"

"Um..."

At those words, Kim Hae-sol's expression darkens.

'Can I contact the agent who infiltrated the among the organizers...?'

Did he escape from here?

Will he come to save me?

Nothing is certain.

So, for now, it is important that he secures a way to escape himself.

"If it's an island, there should be a dock. If there is a boat there, how about we try escaping by boat?"

"Yeah, that's good, but...Hae-sol, can you steer a boat?"

"Uh...no."

"This is a quite a big problem...then..."

Just then.

"I do know how to steer a boat, but..."

The plain-looking Mister Lee among Kim Hae-sol's group speaks.

"I was a fisherman to begin with, and I was steering a boat nearby when I ran into waves. When I opened my eyes, I was on this island, and I ended up joining the game without really realizing it...so I think I can try steering one. If there is a boat."

"Oh, good."

At those words, Mister Park's face brightens, and he speaks to Kim Hae-sol.

"Then, Hae-sol. How about we go to the dock?"

"It's a good idea. But outside...[those things] are wandering around, so we have to be careful. And we don't even know the dock's location yet, so we have to just walk along the shore without a plan..."

At Kim Hae-sol's words, everyone's faces grow dark.

"...Yeah, if we run into it on the beach...we will just get cut down and killed. Is there some way to head to the dock while hiding our bodies?"

It is while they are worrying.

Kwang, kwang, kwang!

Someone pounds on the warehouse door.

Kim Hae-sol's group all shuts their mouths, and with tense expressions, they turn their gazes toward the outside of the warehouse.

"Who is it...?"

"Is it that monster...?"

"First...I'll check."

With a hardened expression, Kim Hae-sol steps on some luggage, climbs up to a small window near the top of the warehouse, and looks outside the warehouse.

And he realizes who is pounding.

"An agent, a game management agent. And..."

Kim Hae-sol checks the agent's condition.

The mysterious, frightening agent who, with several others, pointed guns and threatened the participants is nowhere to be seen. Now, he looks urgent, as if he is being chased.

"...It looks like he is being chased."

"What? D-Don't open it, absolutely not! That means it can come in here too!"

"But..."

Kim Hae-sol looks at the agent and sinks into thought.

The ones who had suddenly kidnapped them, killed people in this game, and injected drugs are the game management agents.

So he does think they should stop caring whether those people die or not, without caring to look properly.

However, for some reason, to Kim Hae-sol's eyes, that agent does not look that bad.

He feels something strange, but he is not a villain.

"...I'll open it."

"Hae-sol!"

"Enough! If it's that person, he might know the dock's location!"

Kim Hae-sol quickly climbs down from atop the luggage and opens the warehouse door.

In response, the agent rushes into the warehouse, locks the warehouse door, and then lets out a huge breath.

"Puha!! Haaaaagh...! Heheook!"

That appearance is like someone who has been holding his breath for a long time and then breathing again.

Kim Hae-sol asks with a hardened expression.

"Hey, are you being chased? By that thing?"

"It's, it's fine. Thank you for opening it. Heok, heheok..."

"Excuse me, if you are being chased, do we have to run too?"

"Ah, haaak...heok...we can stay here. It's fine. It is true I was being chased, but..."

After rambling for a while, the agent takes off his mask and presses his ear to the warehouse door.

"What are you doing...?"

"Shh, I am listening to the sound of it chasing after me."

'Sound?'

While Kim Hae-sol feels puzzled for a moment, the agent widens his eyes and focuses on the sound, then lets out a relieved sigh again and slumps down on the spot.

"It, it's gone. For the time being, this place will be safe. Thank you again for opening the door."

The agent lets out a long sigh and speaks to them.

"...First...I am Agent Kim Han-ro of the Mutant Suppression Team. I have had sharper hearing than others from the start, and thanks to the procedure I received when I entered the Suppression Team, my ears are a bit outstanding compared to others. So I heard your voices and came looking for you."

Kim Han-ro explains the situation step by step.

"First...the Cuttlefish Game is completely finished now. The high-ranking people who were watching the game were all butchered by that monster. Our Suppression Team also got taken down without even being able to do anything to it. Still, only I was able to run away because I heard the ominous sound coming from the monster and entered a little late."

"Hooh...by the way, why were you holding your breath just now?"

At Kim Hae-sol's question, Kim Han-ro takes something out from inside his clothes.

"First, while running away from those monsters, I organized that thing's characteristics. Thanks to analyzing the characteristics, I was able to run away. That monster doesn't just come up and kill at random. It has a constraint."

"A constraint?"

At his words, everyone in Kim Hae-sol's group approaches Kim Han-ro with brightened eyes.

"What is it? Is there a way to avoid that monster?"

"That monster...when it is outside, it identifies targets by the sound of breathing. When it comes inside a building, it identifies them by sight and finds targets."

"Huh, is that true?"

It is incredible information.

"Yes. Outside, if you hold your breath, the monster does not notice you. I don't know why, but outside, the monster's eyes seem unable to function properly."

"Hmm, why is that..."

"I don't know that well either, but...anyway, outside buildings, it always seems to use something other than its eyes."

"In a way, that's good. It means there is a way to avoid the monster's eyes."

"Not exactly. With the fog covering the island, we can't see what's ahead, but the monster can find us by listening to our breathing. On the other hand, inside a building, there aren't even many proper places to hide, and it chases us by sight, so it's overwhelmingly unfavorable."

As Kim Hae-sol listens to Kim Han-ro's words, he suddenly gets curious and asks.

"By the way, why did you come here? There's something like an entertainment complex..."

"Inside the entertainment complex, several of the monsters that have split are roaming around right now. And there are many places where buildings are connected to each other, so it's not suitable for hiding either. That's why I came here, where I can hear your voices."

"You heard our voices?"

"We were talking quietly..."

"The walls should be thick, too..."

"My hearing is good, you see."

While listening to him, Kim Hae-sol opens his mouth.

"By the way. I do have something I'm curious about... Now the game host is dead, and it seems the high-ranking people who sponsor it are all dead too...can we get out of here? Will a rescue team come?"

At those words, Kim Han-ro's face darkens.

"...I'm sorry. A rescue team probably...won't come. When the high-ranking people came to this place, they always came through our side, so...there were only a few people who know this island's exact location, but...those few were all inside the island, so they were probably killed by the monster. And more than anything...as I know it, this is a place where it is difficult for a rescue team to come even if you know the location. I don't know the detailed circumstances, but...for now, that's what I understand."

At those words, everyone's expressions darken.

Kim Hae-sol continues and asks.

"Since you seem to be a person involved, I'll ask a bit more. What in the world is this island? What is the reagent you used to experiment on participants and turn people into monsters, and how did that monster come to exist?"

At those words, Kim Han-ro falls silent for a moment, then carefully opens his mouth.

"As for that...I don't know everything either. I just know that a secret resource is being excavated on this island, and if you refine that resource and inject an appropriate amount into a human, you can obtain clues about eternal life and agelessness. But the proper ratio differs for each person, and the effects you gain when it is injected also differ little by little."

"E-Eternal life? Agelessness?"

"I also received an injection with a diluted solution made by diluting that resource, and I received a few procedures, so I gained a body that is a little better than an ordinary person's. For example, things like my motor skills getting a bit better, or being able to hold my breath for a long time."

"D-Damn it...what have we gotten dragged into..."

Mister Park grinds his teeth with a fearful expression, and Kim Han-ro gives a bitter smile.

"I have nothing to say to everyone. I'm just...sorry. I also ended up working here half by force, so I always carried an apologetic feeling toward you all."

"...Mister Kim Han-ro."

Kim Hae-sol looks at him and speaks.

"We are trying to first escape this island. Is there a way to escape the island? We are trying to leave by boat, but is there a boat? Where is the dock?"

At those words, Kim Han-ro nods and answers.

"There are two ways to leave the island. There is always a helicopter at the heliport, so you can escape by helicopter, if you can fly it. But I don't know if the pilots are still okay right now... Second, like you said, you can also leave by boat, but is there someone who can steer a boat?"

At those words, Mister Lee raises his hand.

"Ah...that's a relief. Then we can leave by boat. There are currently four boats at the dock. But the dock's location is a bit far from around here...so it will be difficult for everyone to go all the way there without making any breathing sounds."

"Breathing sounds...is it dangerous even to let them out for a moment?"

"That monster...is fast, and it even splits. It will be quite dangerous."

"This..."

Kim Hae-sol bites his lip and frowns.

At that moment, Kim Han-ro opens his mouth.

"It's not that there is no way."

"Pardon?"

"I can carry one person on my back, hold my breath, and run quickly to the dock. And then I will hide that person inside a boat at the dock, then hold my breath again, come back here, and repeat taking people with me... In theory, escape should be possible."

"Ah...! That kind of method."

Kim Hae-sol speaks with shining eyes.

"Then could I ask you for that, by any chance?"

"Yes, let's start right away."

Kim Han-ro decides to carry Kim Hae-sol first and go to the dock.

Clang!

He opens the warehouse door, and Kim Han-ro, with Kim Hae-sol on his back, runs quickly toward the dock.

Kim Hae-sol holds his breath tightly while being carried by Kim Han-ro and looks around at the surroundings filled with fog.

'It will be hard to grasp the terrain. The sea fog is too thick...'

On top of that, Kim Han-ro's physical ability is so good it doesn't feel human, and he is also moving too fast.

'Still, this is strange.'

Kim Hae-sol thinks while looking at Kim Han-ro.

This is his first time seeing a person like this.

'Somehow, he feels like a person I can connect with...'

Just like Kim Hae-sol has good eyes, he is a person with good ears.

Their sensory organs are different, but it feels like something connects between them, and in fact, even though it hasn't been long since they met, it feels like their thoughts match quite well.

Just then,

Flinch!

Kim Han-ro stops in one spot.

Kim Hae-sol is curious what is going on, but when he follows where Kim Han-ro's gaze goes, he understands.

A red telephone.

It sits alone in the fog.

'Ominous...'

It is a telephone that gives an extremely ominous feeling.

To Kim Hae-sol's eyes, it feels like something eerie he absolutely must not touch.

But at the same time, Kim Hae-sol's intuition is shouting that he has to approach that telephone and make contact with it.

'Why? What is that phone...?'

Just then,

In the fog,

The red telephone lying alone on the path Kim Han-ro is about to pass suddenly starts ringing.

Ddarururung!

Flinch!

Kim Han-ro and Kim Hae-sol flinch at the strange sight.

'What is it?'

No wire is connected.

But the telephone sitting all alone on the road is, out of nowhere, ringing by itself.

It could simply be batteries, but for some reason Kim Hae-sol feels that it is not batteries, but something mysterious and ominous that is making the phone work.

'Sh-Should I answer it?

For some reason, Kim Hae-sol is seized by the feeling that he has to answer that phone.

However, Kim Han-ro, still suspicious of the phone, moves a little farther away from it and starts going back along the way they were going.

He seems to have no intention of touching anything suspicious.

Since Kim Han-ro's judgment is extremely sensible, Kim Hae-sol does not particularly argue and decides to ignore the phone too.

Even if he answers, what is he going to do?

He is in a situation where he cannot even reply because he has to hold his breath.

Besides, what is he supposed to do if the monster comes running not only at the sound of breathing, but at the sound of a phone ringing too?

Thinking that, Kim Hae-sol ignores the phone.

And a little later, from within the fog, Kim Hae-sol hears the sound of waves.

Along with a salty smell, far in the distance he faintly sees a dock and the boats at the dock.

'I, I'm about at my limit now.'

Kim Han-ro carried Kim Hae-sol quickly all the way here with physical ability that is not like a human's, and they could hold their breath, but now it is gradually becoming hard to endure.

He gradually wants to go into any boat among the ones at the dock.

That's when it happens.

"...!"

Kim Hae-sol and Kim Han-ro see the dock and freeze in place.

"Hh, huaaaaaaagh!"

"Damn it! Why are there monster bastards here!?"

There are passengers at the dock.

They seem to be people with the same thought as Kim Hae-sol.

But they are directly sliced apart and killed by the monsters that jump out from inside the boats deeper in the dock.

'Th-The boats...there are monsters inside!'

Just as Kim Han-ro said, there are four boats, but monsters are coming out from all four and are killing the people who approach.

And hearing people's screams and breathing, monsters also start appearing around the dock.

'Damn it!'

Kim Hae-sol finds it harder and harder to hold his breath, and at the moment Kim Han-ro looks around the dock and takes a step back,

"Heheok!"

Kim Hae-sol lets out his breath.

At that moment, the monsters that are butchering the others begin to look toward Kim Hae-sol.

"Damn it, run!"

Kim Hae-sol shouts urgently to Kim Han-ro, and Kim Han-ro, as if realizing they are already spotted, releases the breath he was holding, inhales again, and tries to start running.

But the next moment, one monster that comes close swings one arm mutated like a blade.

Bo-oong!

They are clearly far away.

It is a distance the blade cannot possibly reach.

But Kim Hae-sol and Kim Han-ro instinctively feel that 'something' is flying at them, and both bend their waists in the same direction.

Shukak!

Something transparent brushes past Kim Hae-sol's left cheek and Kim Han-ro's left shoulder and goes by.

Drip—

Blood flows down from the two people's left cheek and left shoulder.

"Hup!"

With his head turning pure white, Kim Hae-sol shakes Kim Han-ro, and Kim Han-ro also reacts immediately, turns around, and starts fleeing.

Tadadadat!

The two hold their breath and run away.

However, for some reason, even though they are holding their breath, the monster that injured them keeps following them.

It is just that, as if something is confusing it, it follows a little slowly, so they are not caught yet.

'It, it's following? Why? Could it be...'

Kim Hae-sol notices the blood flowing from his cheek.

'Not only breathing...but blood? Is it coming by smelling blood?'

If so, it is the worst situation.

The monster will follow them to the end.

It does not sense their breathing, but it smells blood and seems to follow in that ambiguous way, but in the end even that ambiguously-following speed is quite fast, so it feels like they are going to be caught.

Just then,

Ddarururung, ddarururung!!

On the road that Kim Hae-sol and Kim Han-ro pass by, they still see the red telephone left all alone, ringing.

They just passed by it earlier, but in this moment Kim Hae-sol feels a powerful intuition that he must answer that phone.

Tap tap—

Kim Hae-sol taps Kim Han-ro's shoulder as he tries to pass the phone again, and points at the phone.

Saying to go over there.

Kim Han-ro breaks into a cold sweat while looking at the monster chasing from behind, not fast but not slow either, and for now approaches the phone.

Kim Hae-sol gets down from Kim Han-ro's back and quickly picks up the phone and brings it to his ear.

The next moment, a familiar voice reaches Kim Hae-sol's ear.

It is the voice of the agent named Kim Runi, who supposedly infiltrated the organizers.

—Can you hear me? Kim Hae-sol. If you can hear me, answer.

But Kim Hae-sol cannot answer.

Right behind, the monster is chasing while feeling uncertain.

—Answer, Kim Hae-sol. If you answer, I can help you right now. If you are in danger, you have to answer. Answer right now.

If he breathes, the monster will run at once and swing its blade.

But for some reason Kim Hae-sol feels that he has to answer even if he puts that aside, and he grabs Kim Han-ro's wrist, exhales, and answers.

"I can hear you! Save me!"

The next moment, the monster swings its blade and rushes at the two, and Kim Han-ro's eyes become ones of shock.

And, immediately after,

Wuduk—

The monster that charges at the two stops in place.

In the place where the two were, only the red telephone that gives off the smell of blood is left all alone.

Where the two went is nowhere to be seen.

It feels as if they shot up into the sky.

The monster, after staring at the phone for a while, makes a strange sound as if it is laughing, turns around, and disappears.

***

"Heok, heheok...!"

Kim Hae-sol looks around.

Everywhere is dark.

"Wh-Where is this...?"

The moment he answered into the phone,

Kim Hae-sol was transferred to this dark place.

"Iron bars...?"

Kim Hae-sol realises he has fallen into a place like an underground prison.

"What, what happened? Where is this...?"

Just then,

From behind Kim Hae-sol, a familiar voice is heard.

"This is the Underworld. You came here by answering the 'phone that connects to the Underworld'."

"Heok...!"

When Kim Hae-sol turns around, he sees a man with a smooth bald head, wearing a suit and sunglasses.

"Nice to meet you. It's the first time we are meeting face to face like this. I am Agent Kim Runi of the Anomalous Phenomena Management Bureau."

"Ah, uh...nice to meet you. But by Underworld..."

Kim Hae-sol feels relieved as he looks at Kim Runi, whom he finally meets, but at the word Underworld, his expression becomes puzzled.

"You don't need to understand in detail. Rather than a real Underworld, it's a space made by an anomalous phenomenon. Originally it was quite the dangerous space, but after the Director 'cleaned' it, it became a space at the level of an artifact the Bureau can handle. It's a space that can become a shelter in an urgent moment. However, since it is at the level of a shelter or a temporary bomb shelter, you can't escape by immediately passing through here. So..."

Kim Runi says as he reaches his hand out to Kim Hae-sol.

"Let's survive on this island together, and escape."