Surviving as an Office Worker in Monster Management Bureau

---

Episode 6

I grabbed Yu Da On’s arm and pulled her along as we fled.

I remembered the weaknesses of the strange creature.

[A empty cart makes the most noise.]

It’s such a well-known proverb.

But compared to its appearance, it’s not too threatening, especially with how ridiculously fast it had taken over the Management Agency.

So, could it be that this thing is actually a joke? What if I shut my eyes and shot it, and it just drops dead?

That must be nonsense.

So what does it mean?

The first thing that came to mind was the mimic monsters I had encountered about three times.

Once in the corridor, once in the Security Team’s office, and finally, in the basement corridor.

In all three encounters, one thing was clear.

They were not hostile from the beginning.

The one I met in the corridor just passed by me like a regular person, and the one in the security room only spoke to me and didn’t attack.

Lastly, the creature that Yu Da On shot at us didn’t start with an attack either; instead, it raised its hands to show it meant no harm.

Why is that?

There’s a saying, “If the mind is slow, the body suffers.”

I couldn’t find anything wrong with that, but throughout my life, I’ve felt that the opposite also holds true.

If the body is slow, the mind suffers.

Among predators, mimicry can certainly happen. Just look at chameleons hiding before snatching up bugs.

But that’s a tactic to comfortably catch bugs; a chameleon doesn’t hide to imitate bugs.

I can understand the part about moving around disguised as a human. It’s essential for a predator not to provoke their prey.

But did the predator really have to go through the troublesome “procedure” of talking to its prey?

Did it have a reason to raise its hands and demonstrate that it was unthreatening?

That left me puzzled, leading me to conclude.

There must’ve been a good reason for that.

Right now, I can think of two major reasons.

1. Inferior original abilities.

2. Mimicry replication unachievable.

First, number one.

Inferior original abilities.

I can’t know the exact standard for “inferior,” but thinking about how Yu Da On got mauled in front of me, I wouldn’t say it’s that inferior.

But… looking at the caterpillar following me now.

It’s slow.

I could easily flee even while dragging Yu Da On along.

But is that thing that tore Yu Da On apart a different creature?

However, the strange marks on her back match perfectly with the guy who had mimicked.

Could that caterpillar then turn into the monster from earlier?

That’s a possibility.

How?

I recall that confident Yu Da On.

The one who said everything was going well.

And the caterpillar’s talent, [Cognitive Distortion].

What if that caterpillar distorted Yu Da On’s perception, leading her to misunderstand the situation?

If that’s the case, why am I okay? Am I actually not okay?

I quickly pulled out the manual and started looking for the desired page.

Let’s see, mental… mental…

[Manual for Office Staff]

R – Mind Control

1. If you suspect you are under mind control, please refer to the items below.

2.

3. If you cannot read item 2, you are normal. If you can read item 2, you are under mind control. It’s advised to commit suicide immediately, and if that’s difficult, please refer to [T – Methods of Suicide].

Okay. I’m normal.

Let’s not doubt the manual.

Number two. Mimicry replication unachievable.

If killing it wouldn’t allow for mimicry, it wouldn’t make sense, so it could be that it intends to grow close on purpose.

But then, I need to figure out how it took over the Management Agency so quickly.

Alright, this looks like a complete wrap—

[Your understanding has increased.]

[You can now see additional information regarding ‘The Life of a Butterfly.’]

[Critical: 0->1]

What on earth is this?

I turned my gaze back to the caterpillar that was still diligently following me.

[Name: Life of a Butterfly – Larva]

[Age: ? ? ?]

[Specialty: Parasitism]

[Talent: Cognitive Distortion]

[Background: Having been oppressed in the Management Agency for a long time, it is breeding to find those who have the potential to become butterflies. These offspring are merely acting on instinct to search for new hosts to become butterflies.]

[Weakness: Every lifeform has a juvenile stage. The larva needs metamorphosis to become a butterfly.]

The explanation has grown.

A lot has increased.

While still dragging Yu Da On with me, I delved into the explanation.

So, what’s chasing me is the larva of some monster called ‘The Dream of the Butterfly.’

Does that mean it’s weak since it’s currently a larva?

Should I pull out Yu Da On’s gun and just shoot it?

I glanced at the trembling Yu Da On, and only then did I realize her explanation had changed too.

“Ugh, ah…” Yu Da On groaned, clearly in pain.

I examined her once again.

[Name: Dream of the Butterfly – Yu Da On (Pupa)]

[Age: 2 ?]

[Specialty: Mimicry/Undying]

[Talent: -]

[Background: Her body, being an undying human, currently hosts the larva. She is an excellent host with a high potential to become a mature butterfly.]

[Weakness: Typically, if the host dies, a parasitic organism will seek another host.]

So that’s it.

The reason that monster popped out earlier was that Yu Da On had killed the host.

In other words, if I kill Yu Da On now, the monster that’s lost its host will emerge.

And Yu Da On will come back to life, perfectly fine.

But the problem is that I can only win against that monster in a one-on-one fight.

[Critical: 1]

I glance at the window, which had become clearer since I no longer needed to see a person.

If I use this, I can save Yu Da On.

But that won’t solve the problem.

[Dream of the Butterfly – Larva]

[Dream of the Butterfly – Pupa]

What I’ve encountered now are a larva and a pupa, and then somewhere in between, a… half-matured adult.

I had to use my Critical ability to catch one that couldn’t fully mature.

And according to the background description, the adult is somewhere generating larvae to create other adults.

To end this disaster, I must eliminate that adult by any means possible. And without this [Critical], I see no way to resolve it.

Should I leave Yu Da On and eliminate the adult? Logically, that seems correct. At least, from my perspective now, I can’t think of any other way to win.

“Should I just attach myself to you then?”

“…Thank you.”

I recalled Yu Da On’s confident face, the one that blushed when I handed her the jacket.

And her hand pushing me away from the monsters.

“Damn it.”

The caterpillar was still some distance away from me.

I drew the pistol attached to Yu Da On’s waist.

-Bang! Bang!

After shooting the caterpillar a couple of times, it shrank back, hesitating briefly.

Unfortunately, it seems like I can’t just shoot the caterpillar to kill it. What would happen if I ran out of bullets?

But I didn’t shoot the caterpillar to kill it anyway.

“The pain is only temporary.”

I aimed the gleaming black pistol at Yu Da On’s forehead.

“Ugh… … …”

Did she hear my voice? Her eyes opened slightly.

And then, she gently placed her forehead against the barrel of the gun. “…” As I looked at her, I pulled the trigger.

-Bang!

A hole appeared in Yu Da On’s forehead, and she fell backward.

Blood spread out like a puddle behind her.

This is just the beginning.

I took a few steps back, aiming the gun forward.

I curled my finger around the trigger and held my breath.

-Crack,

Yu Da On’s back began to twist grotesquely.

-Splash!

Soon, a spray of blood erupted as her back ripped open, and something began to crawl out and rush toward me.

I must kill that thing.

[Critical: 1->0]

Once again, my eyes fixated on the creature as the world turned black and white, and everything started to slow down.

Its solar plexus glows.

-Bang!

I pulled the trigger.

The bullet seemed to be sucked toward it, soaring through the air and puncturing the monster’s core precisely.

It didn’t even scream as it collapsed.

I glanced at the caterpillar.

I had already shot it previously, so it should be far—

-Thud!

A tremendous shock hit me.

“Ugh!”

It felt like something heavy had struck me, throwing my body into the air and rolling me onto the ground.

My body ached all over.

-Slither…

A massive shadow loomed over me.

It was the caterpillar.

“…I’m doomed.”

Pop.

The caterpillar’s head split open.

Inside that empty space, a sharp-looking stinger began to protrude.

Is that what it uses to stab people?

I need to run, but my body won’t listen.

Am I going to die like this?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

What will happen to me if it stabs me? Will my sense of self vanish? Will I also turn into a monster like them?

At that moment, someone yanked the collar of my shirt.

Soon, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

“What are you doing with your eyes closed! Get up right now!”

I slowly opened my eyes and glanced back, spotting the stinger embedded in the ground and Yu Da On, weakly tugging on the collar of my shirt.

“Geez, you’re so heavy!”

She wiped the blood off her forehead, looking at me. The hole had vanished by now.

“Do you think I’d let you go after saving you like this? Hurry up!”

She grinned widely.

“…I just need a moment to recover my legs a bit.”

“I’ll take that as your excuse.”

With Yu Da On’s help, I managed to stand, and she wrapped my arm around her neck to support me.

“Can you walk?”

“Just give me a little time.”

“Then let’s move like this for a bit.”

I looked back at the caterpillar.

It appeared to be struggling, unable to pull the stinger out of the ground.

“What do we do now?”

“Dream of the Butterfly.”

“Huh?”

“Find the Isolation Room for the Dream of the Butterfly. Right now!”

“Understood!”

Without asking further, she pulled me along as we walked.

I survived.

Now, if I can just resolve one more issue, then at least I can somehow break through this miserable situation.

As I walked, supported by her, a sense of relief washed over me.

Somehow, it seems I made the right choice.