WETRIED TRANSLATIONS
The Legendary Newbie of the Ghost Story Labyrinth
[Translator – Aren]
Chapter 12 - Time Left to Remain Human (3)
-Crunch!
-Smack, smack! Slurp!
The men devoured the food Park Minho laid out like pigs in a feeding frenzy.
"Holy shit! Convenience store pig’s trotters in a place like this?!”
"This is insane! Wow! Cola!”
"How long’s it been since I had sausages?!”
Ever since falling into the Backrooms, they’d been chewing on moldy bread and human flesh cubes, so proper convenience store food was basically a drug to them.
Even if they were already being contaminated, they still retained some human senses.
'They’re really going to town on it.'
Park Minho laid out a ton of food to win them over. Food was the one thing he had in abundance, thanks to the mannequins constantly gathering supplies.
One of the men, who was clearly their leader, licked shrimp paste seasoning off his fingers and spoke up.
"By the way, what was that about an entrance fee earlier? Were you trying to shake us down or something?”
Park Minho waved his hand with a laugh.
"Aah, no, I was just kidding. Just a joke! Why would I actually charge you guys? You looked tense, so I was just trying to lighten the mood…”
He deliberately trailed off, shrinking back slightly. Anyone could see that it was a submissive, almost pathetic gesture.
And just like that, the tension in the men’s expressions melted away. He had a solid build, but this timid demeanor made him look easy to push around, and that immediately showed in their tone.
"Ah, that so? No need to be so nervous, little bro. Hey, you got any more food?”
"Oh, of course. Help yourselves, Hyung-nims."
Park Minho pulled out snacks and jerky as well. Just like that, it turned into a full-on feast.
Watching them laugh and eat, Park Minho quietly pulled something out from his pocket.
It was a barcode scanner. Strangely, its handle was made of some unknown bone, and a display was attached to the back.
This wasn’t just some ordinary item. It was something he had found in the upper-tier entity’s treasure stash.
According to the ghost gallery users, it was an 'object-type anomalous entity.’
ㄴ(Pitbull) Think of it like a magic item in a game. It’s not really for barcodes. It detects ‘Anomaly Levels’ in most things. Basically an appraisal tool.
ㄴDamn, you got that? That scanner makes life way easier.
ㄴWhy the hell does this guy have insane drop luck too???? I’m srsly pissed.
While the men were distracted stuffing their faces, Park Minho scanned them one by one.
-Beep
The faint sound was drowned out by their chewing. On the old VFD display at the back, red text appeared.
[Human (Under Mutation)/ Lower Entity / High Risk]
[Brain Function Deteriorating. Cannibalistic.]
At this point, they were something between human and entity.
'Cannibalism, too…!'
Fortunately, they didn’t seem to have any starter perks like guns or laptops. In other words, they weren’t Level 1 entrants like him.
'Alright, then what about her?'
While the men devoured the food like beasts, the woman with them trembled uncontrollably.
Behind her thick-rimmed glasses, her deer-like eyes were filled with tears of fear.
It was the kind of expression that naturally stirred sympathy, but Park Minho didn’t let appearances sway him. He raised the scanner instead.
-Beep.
This time, nothing appeared. That meant she was a normal human without an Anomaly Level.
'Should I save her?'
Park Minho wasn’t thinking this out of simple nosiness.
The reason he was going through the trouble of acting and buttering up the men was because of something the forum users had told him earlier.
ㄴ(Pitbull) You’re doing well, but going solo won't cut it forever. Try to find someone to move with if you can.
ㄴ(Cheezza) Why? Wouldn’t they just slow me down? Double the food cost too.
ㄴ(Pitbull) That’s not the issue. It’s about your mind.
Pitbull had explained that the longer someone stayed in the Backrooms, the more their ‘cognitive contamination’ would increase.
ㄴ(Pitbull) When that builds up, people go insane. But just having a normal human nearby helps reduce it. In other words, acting together with another human helps keep your sanity. The danger in the Backrooms isn’t just what you can see.
ㄴ(Chiavelli) I agree. The more alone you are, the more vulnerable you become to the Backroom’s mental effects, you know?
ㄴYeah. You don’t even realize it, but you slowly change. It’s srsly terrifying…
ㄴSomething happened to me. Lost my mind and ended up killing myself. When I stood somewhere high up, something kept whispering in my ear to just end it.
Park Minho took the words of the dead forum users seriously. So if he stepped in now, he could both save someone and deal with the cognitive contamination problem they warned him about.
'Looks like she’s being kept as livestock.'
The woman met Park Minho’s eyes, her expression shifting as if she were about to say something. But then, the leader tossed a bag of jelly at her and glared.
"Eat this, got it?”
It was an unmistakable warning, basically telling her that she’d be dead if she said anything weird. The woman swallowed her scream and lowered her head.
From Park Minho’s perspective, her condition looked terrible.
She had no strength left, and her lips were dry and cracked.
Park Minho pulled something out from his personal stash. A can of sikhye.
Not all drinks in the Backrooms were special, but unlike what the men were drinking, this one had genuine restorative properties.
"Drink this. When your blood sugar drops, it’ll be hard on you.”
He handed it to her with a smile. She hesitated, glancing at the men, then cautiously accepted it.
Park Minho silently mouthed:
"Go on. Drink.”
She tried to open the can but didn’t even have the strength to do that. In the end, Park Minho opened it for her and handed it back.
-Gulp.
As the sweet sikhye passed her lips, her eyes widened in surprise.
Then, she gulped it down as if possessed.
-Gulp, gulp, gulp
She emptied the entire can in one go, making it obvious just how thirsty she had been.
"Ah…Tha…Thank you.”
The effect was immediate. Her complexion improved instantly. Having regained her strength, she urgently grabbed Park Minho’s sleeve and whispered,
"Run. You need to run."
Seoul Suyeon desperately wanted this kind stranger to escape. It didn’t seem like he understood just how dangerous his situation was.
But Park Minho simply gave her a knowing look and pressed a finger to her lips.
"Ssh."
At that moment, the leader, clearly annoyed by Park Minho paying attention to her, called out.
"Hey, little bro, don’t worry about her. Talk to us instead.”
"Ah, yes. Of course, Hyung-nim.”
Then the men shamelessly made their demand.
"Got anything else? That barely even served as an appetizer."
"Judging by your complexion, looks like you’re not short on food, huh?”
Their eyes were already gleaming with greed. They’d found an easy mark and were planning to strip him down to the bone.
Even if he turned out to have nothing, they could just toss him into the compactor and turn him into a flesh cube.
But then, Park Minho made them a tempting offer first.
"Actually, Hyung-nims, I’ve got a base I’ve been staying at.”
"What? Seriously? A base?”
The leader’s eyes lit up as Park Minho nodded eagerly.
"Yeah, I got lucky and found a whole food storage warehouse. I’ve been stockpiling everything I got from there.”
"Oooh? Not bad at all, little bro.”
"Hahaha. It’s also really easy to defend. Just lock the door and even the entities can’t get in.”
"Entities?"
"That’s what we call the monsters around here.”
"Ah, got it. But this floor seems pretty safe though."
"Oh, Hyung-nims, you didn’t know? Once night falls, all the lights in the mall go out and entities start swarming in groups.”
"What?!”
The men immediately tensed up, completely falling for the lie.
"So, Hyung-nims, why don’t you come with me? Honestly, it’s been tough managing things alone. Since we’ve met like this, I think it’d be perfect if I teamed up with dependable guys like you. What do you say?”
For a brief moment, the men exchanged glances, then smirked. The leader nodded.
"We should be the ones thanking you. Hey, this must be fate, huh?”
Each of them was thinking the same things.
'The jackpot just fell into our laps, didn’t it?'
'A food warehouse and a base?'
'We’ll take everything he’s got and then once he’s useless, turn him into a flesh cube. Hehehe......’
Their eyes swept over Park Minho’s well-built body. Unlike the frail woman they had with them, he’d make for one high-quality meat cube.
What they didn’t even realize was how quickly their thoughts had shifted. Just moments ago, they were ecstatic over convenience store food, and now they were already craving human flesh again.
The mutation had gone too far to reverse.
"Alright then, little bro, let’s get going! From here on out, us Hyungs will handle the hard stuff, so no need to worry!”
"Thank you, Hyung-nims. Let’s head out right away.”
And so, with completely different intentions in mind, they moved together.
Their destination was zone C4’s discount event hall.
* * *
The reason Park Minho had been moving alone was simple.
He had deployed every available mannequin Facelings into searching for the exit to the next level.
This was because he didn’t have many days left to act as this floor’s ruler. Soon enough, he too would begin turning into an entity.
'I’ve already looted more than enough supplies and packed everything I can carry too.'
According to the forum users, the exit was a blurry, mosaic-like poster.
At first, he tried searching together with the mannequins, but they kept following him around, staring only at his face, making it horribly inefficient.
Eventually, he just sent them out on their own. Luckily, Unit 1 and Unit 2 had developed a weird competitive streak, so they were working especially hard.
With so many mannequins searching such a wide area, results should come soon.
In the meantime, Park Minho wasn't idle either. He was checking the surroundings himself.
'Still, they should’ve been back by now.'
Since they were supposed to return periodically to report in, Unit 1 and Unit 2 were probably already waiting for Park Minho in the discount area.
"Little bro, are we there yet?”
The leader slung an arm over Park Minho’s shoulder as he spoke. The way he pressed down, subtly putting strength into it, made it clear he was already looking down on him.
"We’re basically there, hahaha. Just around that corner and then straight ahead.”
The discount area was right up ahead before they knew it.
"Oh? Is this it?”
“Yes, Hyung-nims.”
Park Minho led the group into zone C4. Rows of motionless mannequins stood lined up. Unit 1 and Unit 2, having recognized him, started to move, but Park Minho, who had stepped in first, quickly signaled for them to stop.
-Creak. Click
They immediately understood and froze, returning to their usual lifeless mannequin poses.
“This is the place? Why are there so many mannequins?”
"It’s quite spacious, right? Probably been used to sell clothes or something.”
"Damn, is all this ours now?
"You really built yourself a palace, huh? Wahahaha!”
The men looked around, clearly satisfied. Just a few days ago, the place had been filthy, with rust water pooling everywhere and signs of battle visible, but Park Minho had ordered the mannequins to clean everything up.
He’d even piled up stacks of clothes he found to make a bed. The clothes Park Minho was wearing now were from that stash as well.
Naturally, the leader plopped himself right onto Park Minho’s spot.
"Wahaha! Damn, this is comfy.”
"Ah, Hyung-nim. That’s actually my spot…”
Park Minho protested, but the leader frowned slightly.
“Don’t be so stingy, little bro. We’re the ones who’re going to be protecting you from now on, right?”
The other men laughed in agreement.
"Exactly. Ah, hey, this is my favorite snack!"
"Yo, there’s ramen too. Wanna cook some?”
"Hey, rookie, got a portable burner?”
They started using Park Minho’s things however they pleased. Their true colors were showing.
Then suddenly, one of them shouted in surprise.
"Whoa! What the hell! Is this gold?!”
What one of them found was one of the cold coins.
"Wait! There’s more in this box!”
"Wahaha! It’s real gold!”
These were the coins Park Minho had found two days ago in the treasure stash of the dead higher-tier entity.
There were 15 in total. At previous market prices, they were worth around 4.5 billion won. (approx. 3.034.227,15 USD) Something one would call a jackpot. If he made it out of the Backrooms alive, his life would be set.
That said, Park Minho didn’t carry them around during searches aside from a few for emergencies. They were heavier than expected and got in the way, and the mannequin Facelings guarded them safely anyway.
Park Minho stepped in as they tried to take them.
"Hyung-nims, that’s going to be a problem.”
At that, the men’s expressions turned sharp. The masks were starting to slip.
"Little bro, you still don’t get it, do you?”
"If you start nitpicking over every little thing like this, it’s gonna be hard for us to work together, yeah? Don’t you think so?”
"They say even a single bean should be shared. No need to be so stingy, right?”
But Park Minho didn’t back down.
"Give them back. That’s not something that I can share.”
At that, the so-called leader finally snapped and grabbed Park Minho by the collar.
“For fuck’s sake, I’ve been talking nice to you, and you still don’t get what’s going on?”
He bared his sharp teeth and snarled, then suddenly raised his voice in agitation.
"Your stuff? Don’t make me laugh! Everything here belongs to me now. The food! The gold coins!”
He shoved Park Minho aside, then pointed toward the woman in the corner.
"And her too! She’s my meal! Bit skinny, but good enough for one serving.”
At that, the other men protested.
"Only you get to eat her? That’s kinda..."
"Convenience store food was nice and all, but man, I’m craving meat cubes again.”
"Makes my mouth water, seriously. Should we just process one right now? It was horrifying at first, but damn, you get addicted to this stuff, right?”
"Wouldn’t be bad to give our little friend here a demonstration either. Hehe, he’ll behave better after that.”
Park Minho let out a sigh.
"So this is how it ends up.”
Even with plenty of food available, they still craved human flesh. At this point, whatever they were, they couldn’t be considered human anymore.
“Well, I knew this would happen when I brought you here. Honestly, it’s better this way, since it makes things easier for me.”
"What the hell are you talking about, you bastard?!”
Park Minho flicked his fingers to snap.
"Unit 1. Open the breaker panel.”
At those words, Unit 1, who had been pretending to be an ordinary mannequin the whole time, moved.
-Creak, click.
The men froze in horror.
"Wh-what the fuck? What is this?!”
"Hyung-nim! What is that?!”
"It’s a monster! A monster!”
It was their first time seeing anything like this on this floor, so it was no wonder that they panicked. Unbothered, Unit 1 walked over to the electrical panel, opened it, and flipped the switch.
-Ruuuuuumble! Bang!
With a thunderous crash, the fire shutters slammed down, sealing all exits.
Dust exploded into the air as the men’s faces went pale, staring at the blocked doorways.
"Fuck! You psycho bastard! What the hell are you doing?!”
"It’s a trap!”
"What do we do now?!”
Then, that grotesque announcement voice began.
[Kiiikiki! Dear valued customers, welcome! Today, we have a very…special product.]
[Limited-time offer! Four filthy male specimens currently undergoing mutation! Oh? And what’s this? A special item! A clean and beautiful female with ‘qualification!’]
Park Minho immediately barked.
"Exclude the female!”
The announcement changed instantly.
[Oh my! As per the manager’s command, the female is excluded from the sale!]
[The males, however, are of poor meat quality and contaminated! But they’re still fresh, unfrozen stock! Available whole or in parts!]
[Cloudy eyes? Low freshness? No worries! Kikiki! Well, you win some, you lose some, right?]
In that moment, every mannequin in the discount area began to stir.
-Creaaak, Click!
Not just the ones in plain sight, but even the ones buried in the darkness at the edges of the area poured out all at once. Then men couldn’t help but panic.
"How many of those things are there?!”
"They’re all moving!”
"Fuck this! They won’t stop! Hey you bastard! Make them stop!”
"Let’s take care of that one first! Hyung-nim!”
Realizing that Park Minho was the cause of all this, the men immediately moved to attack him.
"You piece of shit!”
One of the more aggressive guys lunged forward to grab him…
But in that instant, a heavy, wet crack echoed out.
-Thud!
Unit 2 had stepped in without anyone noticing and swung a metal pipe, instantly smashing in the guy’s head.
"Kiik! Kieeeek!”
With its signature smiling face, Unit 2 casually rolled its neck and stepped forward.
( ᵔ ᗜ ᵔ )
Its entire body was drenched in brain matter and blood from the man it had just smashed.
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