Surviving Among the Entities

[“The medical knowledge contained in this small bottle of liquid.”]

The entity Director of Moscow University Hospital happily rubbed his cheek against 「The Great Toe of Peace」. The sight of his head at least four times larger than mine nuzzling the tiny nail polish bottle was quite comical.

“It seems you deeply respect Dr. Janus.”
[“It’s beyond respect! I revere him! Any medical practitioner would aspire to follow in his footsteps, and I am no exception! It is everyone’s wish to behold anything related to that great man in our lifetimes, but to see the medication he created himself!”]
“I only know him through the doctor-patient relationship, so could you explain his achievements?”
[“Of course!”]

The Director gushed about Dr. Janus like an obsessive fan describing a celebrity idol.

[“He is the god of existing medical arts! Countless groundbreaking, creative medical techniques and medications that could change the paradigms of the times have emerged from his hands!”]

From his words, Dr. Janus truly seemed like an extraordinary entity.

[“Even the dead can be resurrected by him! Even if reduced to mere skeletons!”]
[“Disease holds no meaning to him! He can cure any illness!”]
[“Receiving surgery from him allows you to possess any body you desire! Transcending appearance, gender, functions, abilities – anything you want!”]
[“The medications he creates surpass all existing medical knowledge!”]

In a word, he was the god of medical arts who could create transcendent medications, an extraordinary entity.

‘I suppose it’s only natural for an entity capable of creating medicine treated as entities to surpass other entities.’

I spoke to the entranced Director:

“If you wish, you may have it.”
[“Really!? Truly!?”]
“I have another bottle at home.”
[“Oho! My gratitude!”]
“However, I have one request.”
[“Anything!”]

It’s truly fortunate to have found an entity I can converse with.

“Please tell me how to escape from this space.”

[“I will await your next admission.”]

Bidding the Director farewell, I exited Moscow University Hospital. Though only the dim streetlights illuminated the outside, thanks to the Director’s directions this was no longer an unknown land.

[Escaping from here is not difficult. You simply need to enter a specific location and pass its trial.]
[Then why have you not escaped until now?]
[With the hospital located here, should the Director leave? Allow me to draw you a map.]

‘His drawing skill is quite good. He could make a career as an artist.’

The Director’s map was highly detailed, allowing me to proceed unhindered. At this rate, I could likely reach the exit within an hour, undergo the trial of unknown nature there, and escape this place.

‘Don’t let my guard down.’

I recalled the Director’s cautionary words:

[Be careful. Strange ignorant brutes driven solely by instinct lurk outside the hospital. Unable to converse, these imbeciles are highly violent, so I worry you may be harmed.]

If the Director described them as such, they were likely entities incapable of dialogue, driven solely by violence and murderous intent.

‘Resolving things through conversation with them would be impossible, so I must avoid drawing their attention.’

I concealed myself in the shadows as much as possible. I removed my shoes to muffle footsteps, avoided wide open areas, climbed over walls, and stuck to alleys.

‘A direct route would take an hour, but by staying cautious it could take indefinitely.’

I didn’t mind the slower pace as long as I avoided their detection.

“Oh no.”

But just because I wanted to avoid them didn’t mean an entity would allow that.

[“Heck, heck.”]

I made eye contact with a dog-like creature drooling as it looked at me. While I generally liked animals enough to want to pet them, this one was impossible.

[“Heck, heck, heck!”]

Because it was larger than a two-story building.
Honestly, calling it a dog was questionable.

[“Food.”]

Since its face was human.

“Hello there.”

But it still had a human face, so I greeted it just in case dialogue was possible.

[“Nyam nyam.”]

It opened its mouth.

[“Yummy!”]

To eat me.

[“Foooooood!”]

It howled the word “food” while frantically opening and closing its mouth. The moment it detected me, I praised myself for putting my shoes back on in advance.

‘So fast.’

If this were an open field, and its massive frame couldn’t easily pass between buildings, it would have caught me long ago.

‘But it’s only a matter of time.’

It chased after me, devouring entire buildings along the way.

[“Food! Prey!”]

How was that even possible? Instantly enlarging its mouth to swallow whole buildings, chewing them while its face regenerated to repeat the process, all while still speaking.

‘Entities will be entities. Incomprehensible existences beyond human common sense and knowledge.’

So what do I do now?

‘If I keep being chased and encounter another entity, it will inevitably result in being pursued by both. Therefore, before it’s too late I must either use the Golden Ticket or find this Dogface Entity’s means of neutralization.’

I wanted to save the Golden Ticket for the unknown final trial, so:

‘But can I figure out its weakness before getting caught while being chased like this?’

Since it was an entity not in my memory, could I find its weakness without any prior clues before being captured?

‘It would be nice if there was something effective against it, just like how the Director loved Dr. Janus’ medication.’

I fiddled with the tumbler in my pocket that automatically refilled and maintained carbonation. If the Dogface Entity disliked carbonation it might work, but what were the odds of being so fortunate?

‘Then the only thing left is…..’

The Golden Ticket.
No, there was one more thing.

“……But that’s not an entity.”

Using an artwork as a weapon was a sad fate for its creator, but the situation was dire so I had no choice.

I made a sharp turn. The Dogface Entity chasing from behind bit into the spot I had just occupied.

‘Now!’

I kicked off the wall and leapt onto the Dogface Entity’s back, retrieving a marble from my pocket.

‘My creation.’

An artistic creation I made borrowing the power of the Theater of Trapped Dreams.

‘Titled 「Human」.’

I activated it against the Dogface Entity, having brought it along while collecting other entities.

[“……Heck?”]

The marble’s effect compressed my artwork into a 1-minute viewing experience.
But contrary to my prior experiments, it merely shook its head rapidly and quickly regained its senses.

[“Weird stuff!”]

It spotted me again and resumed the chase.

‘Can powerful entities break free quickly?’

I recalled when I had used it against other entities.

‘The Blue Moon and the Merchant likewise regained their senses in mere seconds. But their demeanor suggested they had fully experienced my work.’

I see. So powerful entities experience the work even faster.

‘Its speed has slowed compared to before.’

Taking the risk again, I made it experience 「Human」once more.

[“Ugh……]

Not only did it take longer to regain its senses compared to before, but its speed had drastically decreased.

‘At this rate I can drive it off.’

However, I didn’t want to drive it away.

“How did you feel experiencing my work?”
[“Heck?”]
“The scene you just witnessed.”
[“Food!”]
“Oh dear, let me show you again.”

It was easy to make the slowed Dogface Entity experience 「Human」again.

[“Ughhhhh……]

Its trembling body looked at me, then suddenly vomited out a building with a look of nausea.

[“Feel sick….. Rotten food….. Won’t eat….”]

The Dogface Entity disappeared from sight with weak, tottering steps.

“Hmm.”

While I survived, I felt hurt as an artist.

“What ingrates they are.”

Only then did I belatedly recall they were entities.

“Of course entities can’t understand art.”

The Theater of Trapped Dreams was the same, wasn’t it?

[“Ehihihihi!”]

On the way, other entities came one by one seeking me, likely due to the commotion with the Dogface Entity revealing my location.

“By any chance, do you appreciate art?”

I spoke to a suspicious figure wearing a plague doctor mask. With only eerie laughter and no response, I confirmed it was an entity incapable of dialogue and showed it 「Human」.

[“……Leave my presence at once.”]
“So you can speak?”
[“Leave.”]
“Your impression of my work……”
[“Leave.”]

Next was a massive lump soaring through the sky with hundreds, perhaps over a thousand eyes.

[“Perceive all, see, observe, witness.”]
“Would you also like to experience this?”

I showed it 「Human」as well.

[“……”]
“Hmm, shall I show you again?”

With no reaction after the initial viewing, I showed it again only for its myriad eyes to suddenly burst into tears in unison.

[“I shall observe no more today.”]

Its staggering departure seemed rather forlorn.

[“Shick-! Shick-!”]

Next was a quadrupedal entity with an elongated snout, and again unable to converse I showed it 「Human」.

[“……”]

It silently glared at me, then slowly backed away while heightening its guard before fleeing outright.

“How regrettable.”

Art transcends species at times. Just go on YouTube and there are plenty of videos where animals like cows, dogs, and cats calmly appreciate classical music performances or even gather around.

‘I had held a small hope that at least some entities would appreciate my art.’

Though ignorance of art had turned this into a kind of weapon for me, I still hoped there might be an entity that could appreciate my artistry.

“My expectations were too high.”

With my artistic passion in tatters, I finally arrived at my destination.

‘Here it is.’

I opened the ordinary door and entered the building. Bright and spacious inside, there was a single full-length mirror within.

‘A suspicious mirror.’

The lone full-length mirror uncannily placed in the center of the gymnasium-sized room could only be the trial, so I approached and looked into it.

“Hello there.”

I greeted the mirror.

[“Hello there.”]

The me in the mirror responded.

“Ah, could this be……”
[“Two of me?”]
“I’d like to confirm if you’re truly me.”
[“I was thinking the same.”]

The me in the mirror and I simultaneously retrieved and activated 「Human」.

“Quite profound.”
[“A perfect work expressing humanity.”]

This one was indeed me.

“I never imagined having a conversation with myself.”
[“No kidding.”]

Not just mimicking my outward appearance, but my inner self as well – a perfect replication of me.

“Are we still too late!?”

Sung Yoo-ra berated the staff. Over an hour had passed but the team to retrieve Seung-hoon still hadn’t deployed.

“I’m sorry! We haven’t prepared the means to neutralize the entity at the exit!”
“Wouldn’t Vanta Black suffice?”
“The factory producing Vanta Black hasn’t been restored yet, so we hurriedly dispatched personnel!”
“How much longer will it take?”
“Probably 2 hours……”

At those words, she swallowed her anger.

‘If it’s the Mirror of Carnage, it can’t be helped.’

Entity Name: Mirror of Carnage.
An entity that replicates any reflection in a mirror to its inner dimension.

‘That alone would be fortunate, but the real problem is that the replications it creates are not mere copies.’

The existence in the mirror is a perfect match to the original.
Not just the physical body, but thoughts, beliefs, memories – everything.

‘But the replication quickly realizes it is a replication.’

From that moment, the replication instinctively exhibits intense murderous intent toward the original, hating and trying to kill it by any means.

‘The issue is the replication’s method of attack is self-harm.’

If the replication self-harms, the original is also harmed. Conversely, the original cannot attack the replication.

‘The mirror doesn’t break, and from that point even if they move outside the mirror the replication doesn’t disappear.’

Ultimately leading to the demise of both original and replication – a dangerous entity aptly named for being composed of pure murderous intent.

‘The only means of neutralization is coating the mirror with Vanta Black.’

Covering the mirror with cloth or painting it instantly causes those to disappear, leaving only Vanta Black as the sole option – though it takes around 3 minutes to take effect.

A mirror coated with Vanta Black creates an anomaly in the mirror’s inner dimension, linking it to this dimension and forming an escape route – the final defensive bastion and sole exit of the defense system dimension.

“I beg he is hiding somewhere safe.”

No matter how special his psychic power, the replication in the mirror’s dimension was still just a replication in the end.

‘If he entered there, he will die without fail.’

[“Ah!”]
“What’s wrong?”
[“I just innately realized I’m the replication.”]
“Is that so? I was just pondering if I might be the replication instead.”
[“No no, I’m the replication. I’m feeling an intense murderous urge welling up toward you, the original. I really want to kill you.”]
“How so?”
[“It feels like there’s a manual in my head. It’s telling me to self-harm.”]
“You’ll self-harm?”

The me from the mirror dimension answered:

[“No. If I simply follow my instincts, how would humans be rational animals?”]

I nodded in agreement.

“I feel the same way.”