NOVEL NEXT Chapter 111
Chapter 111
“What… what’s going on?!”
The Unit 2 Officer dashed out of the Duty Room with a bewildered expression.
Lee Si-hyun was following right behind, charging ahead with a frightening aura, followed closely by a swarm of inmates.
After hearing the shocking TRS report, my mind was in a fog, and everything felt pitch-black.
But with Si-hyun suddenly bringing along the inmates, I couldn’t gather my thoughts.
“There’s no time for long explanations!”
We were in a hurry.
Even time for a chat was a luxury we couldn’t afford.
Si-hyun rushed into the Duty Room.
He quickly pressed the button to unlock all the cell doors.
Then, he shouted into the microphone.
“Get out quickly! It’s an emergency!”
The swift actions of Si-hyun left the Unit 2 Officer and Assistant Duty Officer stunned, unable to react.
After coming to his senses, the Unit 2 Officer spoke up.
“W-Wait, Section Chief… What is happening?”
“There’s no time to explain! As you know, it’s an emergency!”
Si-hyun said just that and hurried out toward the corridor.
“Gather over here quickly!”
The inmates sprinted toward where Si-hyun was, their faces etched with tension.
Si-hyun repeatedly urged them to ‘hurry,’ emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
Moreover, with several inmates clad in what appeared to be armor next to Si-hyun, the gravity of the situation was becoming clearer.
Without waiting for all of them to gather, Si-hyun pulled out weapons and armor from his inventory.
“Quickly, grab what suits you!”
Si-hyun yelled.
As soon as the inmates gathered, they hastily scrambled for weapons and armor.
“Could it be…?”
The Unit 2 Officer gasped, eyes wide in realization.
In this scenario, handing out weapons could only mean one thing.
They were arming the inmates to fight against the monsters breaking through the front gate.
Since all the inmates on the 6th floor were advanced Hunters, if things went as expected, they would become an extraordinary force.
However, there was a strong doubt whether the inmates would obediently follow the correctional officers’ orders.
At least the new Section Chief’s direct involvement gave some assurance, albeit just that.
If it were anyone else, it would have seemed impossible.
The inmates of the 6th floor were not the kind to heed correctional officers’ directions or willingly step up to fight.
They were the type to hang back and only come out when the correctional officers had been slain.
Yet, fortunately, up to this point, it seemed they were following the Section Chief’s words well.
Of course, without knowing their true intentions, it was impossible to guess what tricks the inmates might have up their sleeves.
“What is TRS saying?”
Seizing the moment while the inmates donned their armor, Si-hyun asked.
He had rushed to the Security Department Office in such haste that he had left the TRS back in the Ward Office.
“Instructions came down for the staff to evacuate to the upper floors of the ward building. And the Hunter Correctional Officers were told to secure the ward building…”
The Unit 2 Officer trailed off at the end of his sentence.
He, too, was a correctional officer with a Hunter license.
However, he had almost no experience with raids.
He became a correctional officer out of a desire to avoid dangerous tasks.
If someone was suited for the challenges of a raid, they wouldn’t have chosen to be a correctional officer in the first place.
Thus, he wasn’t accustomed to facing monsters and was rather fearful of them.
So ordinarily, he’d have to venture outside the ward, but instead, he was hanging around the Duty Room, waiting for the next order.
Even in extreme situations, stepping out to risk one’s life in front of others was not an easy thing to do.
“I see. Understood.”
Seeing the Unit 2 Officer trailing off, Si-hyun could roughly guess his feelings.
He had anticipated this would happen.
He already knew that the Hunter Correctional Officers were not accustomed to fighting monsters.
They were probably a chaotic bunch at best.
So while he didn’t voice it, he had considered bringing the inmates into play when he was proposing countermeasures to the Security Department Head.
And now, it had indeed turned out that way.
“Alright, if you’re all geared up, let’s hurry. Follow me.”
Si-hyun began sprinting toward the staircase.
It was apparent that if they delayed, they’d end up colliding with individuals coming up the narrow stairs, creating a chaotic situation.
◈ ◈ ◈
BOOM!
With a thunderous explosion that sounded like a bomb detonating, the iron gate was torn asunder like paper.
It was an incredible display of brute force.
“GRRRAAAH!”
Trital bellowed with a triumphant roar after fulfilling his duty, stepping back with swagger.
He waved his hand, signaling the Orcs to charge in.
“GRUK! GRUK!”
The Orcs rushed ahead into the broken gate, seemingly excited for the impending slaughter.
“Well done. I knew you could do it.”
The Gray-haired Man approached and spoke.
Trital knelt on one knee and clasped his hands together.
“Kill to your heart’s content.”
The man grinned wickedly.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Lin Xue, it seems something is happening.”
At the words of the staff member, Lin Xue opened her closed eyes.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure about the specifics, but… it seems the road to Ganghwa Island is blocked.”
“What happened on Ganghwa Island?”
“It seems something has occurred.”
“How bothersome.”
Lin Xue slightly squinted her cat-like eyes and muttered.
“What shall we do?”
“I’ll just handle it myself.”
“Going alone, you say?”
“Of course, am I supposed to line up and go one by one if the vehicles can’t get through?”
Lin Xue opened the rear door of the limousine.
“Lin Xue, then where should we…?”
“Just wait anywhere. I’ll contact you once I meet that correctional officer or whatever.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Let’s hurry, Department Head.”
The Security Chief urged the Security Department Head onward.
“This is disastrous.”
The Security Department Head murmured.
This was akin to a natural disaster.
Sudden events that one could never have imagined had resulted in numerous staff fatalities.
And the last line of defense, the main gate, was on the brink of being breached.
The moment the gate fell, everyone present could lose their lives.
No, the probability was high.
“We must hold on.”
He did not hold any delusions that they could repel the monsters.
But perhaps they could withstand until the Hunters arrived.
As Si-hyun had mentioned, if they could stall for time at the narrow stairs, it might be possible.
It was just then that a loud noise echoed from the back.
It was an enormous sound, like an explosion going off.
‘Could it be…?’
A sense of foreboding washed over the Security Department Head.
Other staff members rushing towards the ward couldn’t help but look back, puzzled.
“GRUK!”
“GRUUUK!”
As if answering their question, the grunts of the Orcs could be heard.
Thud, thud, thud!
Soon, the hefty Orcs charged inside the main gate with a menacing fierceness.
“Ah?! A… a monster!”
“AHHHH!”
“Help me!”
“KYAAAH!”
The staff, completely engulfed in terror, began screaming and running for their lives.
Staff members near the ward crowded toward the entrance.
At least the staff on the first floor, having received word in advance, had left the entrance wide open, mitigating some chaos.
“HAH.”
As Si-hyun hastily arrived on the first floor, his eyes widened at the sight of employees rushing in with sheer terror.
If he had been just a moment slower, he would have collided head-on with them on the stairs.
Si-hyun and the inmates quickly retreated toward the first-floor ward.
After all, even if they wanted to get out, they couldn’t since there was only one entrance for security reasons in the Special Ward.
The fleeing staff paid no mind to Si-hyun and his group.
They seemed too preoccupied to care.
All they focused on was finding a way to escape as they bolted toward the stairs with all their strength.
Seeing such desperation, Si-hyun could surmise that the main gate had been completely breached.
“…It was breached faster than I thought.”
“We can’t hold the entrance.”
Upon hearing Si-hyun murmur that, Kim Cheol-hyung spoke up.
Si-hyun nodded in agreement.
With the throngs of staff continuing to flood in, they couldn’t obstruct the entrance.
Moreover, only a handful had managed to flee toward the ward side.
If they didn’t step out to help, it was certain that many would perish.
If they had issued evacuation orders earlier, this might not have happened.
But they had delayed far too long.
“Then should we go outside?”
“That’s the only option for now. Let’s leave a few behind at the entrance just in case and fight outside, assessing the situation and then pulling back when needed.”
Though the words were said, they couldn’t even step out at that moment.
Staff members kept streaming toward the entrance.
It looked like they’d have to find an opportunity to slip out.
Meanwhile, those behind were met with the Orcs’ assault.
“AHHHHH!”
“URGH!”
Screams echoed out.
With each swing of the Orcs’ weapons, blood splattered, bodies crumpled.
Soon, the floor was drenched in the crimson of spilled blood.
“GRUK!”
The Orcs wore expressions of delight.
There were simply too many easy targets scattered around.
It was easy.
So easy.
A single swing of their weapon would end it.
Then, a delightful sensation arose as they struck, blood spraying into the air.
The smell of human blood was always a pleasant aroma.
It heightened their mood.
“GRUUUK!”
Delightful sounds involuntarily escaped their mouths.
“HUFF… HUFF….”
The Security Department Head was gasping, nearly out of breath from running.
Hellish slaughter unfolded behind him.
A mere moment’s delay could suck him into that chaos, sending chills up his spine.
Thus, he strained his weary legs, pushing himself with all his might to keep moving.
“Just a bit more, we’re almost there.”
The Security Chief encouraged him from the side.
His body showed signs of being well-trained from regular exercise, unlike the exhausted Security Department Head.
Checking the distance to the Orcs, he guided the wearied boss toward the entrance of the ward building.
Finally, the entrance of the ward building began to come into view for the Security Department Head.
Though they hadn’t escaped this crisis yet, the simple relief at this moment filled his mind.
“HAH… HAH….”
No sooner had they passed through the ward entrance than the Security Department Head collapsed on the spot.
He was utterly drained, unable to comprehend how he had made it this far.
His heart raced as if it would burst at any moment.
Everything around him was spinning, making him feel dizzy.
The Security Chief rushed to support the Security Department Head.
“Let’s go!”
At that moment, a young man’s determined voice resonated.
The Security Department Head reflexively redirected his gaze.
It was a familiar face.
Si-hyun was there.
He was not dressed in his uniform but rather in a red fur coat, rushing toward the entrance.
He was not coming in but going out.
Towards the place where the monsters resided.
The Security Department Head bit his lip hard, turning his gaze away.
He did not listen to Si-hyun’s words.
In the end, he had made a mistaken judgment.
And because of that, many people died.
This weighed heavily on his heart.
“…The inmates?”
A stunned voice came from the Security Chief beside him.
“What?”
“The inmates, Department Head. The inmates… are going out with this Section Chief.”