"You two can explore, but stay where I can see you. If danger arises, return immediately."
Yang Tao issued his instructions to Conan and Eric, both of whom were scarcely familiar with Level 1—half-measures at best.
Hoisting his iron pickaxe, he resumed his demolition work, yet a nagging sense of oversight lingered.
He had forgotten Conan's inherent "Grim Reaper Elementary Student" trait.
Wherever Conan went, death followed—not a jest.
Here, three individuals were present: Conan, unaffected due to his death-bringer attribute; Yang Tao, whose data-driven body was impervious to selection; and Eric, an ordinary human being exposed to genuine peril.
As Conan and Eric surveyed Level 1, the abandoned warehouse offered nothing remarkable, merely a hollow, unsettling emptiness. Occasionally, the drip of water echoed through the cavernous space, but otherwise only Yang Tao's rhythmic strikes and the footsteps of the two observers punctuated the silence.
A stifling tension coiled around Conan's chest.
"Those boxes on the shelf… weren't they there before?" Conan pointed, adjusting his glasses, eyes narrowed with intensity.
For a detective, an exceptional memory was a fundamental tool.
'Yang Tao warned that paranormal events might occur here—but this is happening far too quickly.'
Unbeknownst to him, the boxes were merely routine material spawns. The true danger had yet to arrive.
Eric, standing beside Conan, explained, "Those are naturally spawning supply boxes of Level 1. You can find resources inside, though I've only seen Yang Tao open them before. Whether they're safe, I can't say—probably best to have Yang Tao check."
Conan immediately agreed. In a world so surreal, caution was paramount.
As they prepared to leave and fetch Yang Tao, a figure emerged from a corner of the warehouse.
"Hey, hello!"
The abrupt voice startled them in the cavernous emptiness.
The man extended his hand in greeting. Seeing a fellow human, Eric's face brightened—his first encounter with another wanderer in the Backrooms.
The man appeared around forty, his tattered clothes betraying hardship. A faint smile curved his lips as he advanced slowly toward them.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm fine. And you, friend?" Eric replied.
Strangely, the man offered no further response. Conan, ever observant, tugged at Eric's sleeve. "Something about him feels off."
"His torn clothes suggest prior misfortune."
"Normally, encountering a stranger in Level 1 would trigger caution—or excitement, as in your case."
"But his expression… it's stiff, like…"
"Like a hollow smile," Yang Tao's voice echoed from behind. "Your observation is sharp, Conan. Truly befitting a detective."
"Eric, remember, in the Backrooms, vigilance is life itself."
The man continued his slow approach, his expression unchanging—mechanical. Through the mini-map icons, Yang Tao effortlessly discerned the entity's identity.
Sighing, he drew his iron axe. "Eric, note this: Entity No. 10, the Skin Stealer."
Both Eric and Conan recoiled in unison. "The Skin Stealer?"
"Skin Stealers are large humanoid entities. They wear the flesh of their victims as camouflage. When hungry, they consume human flesh; otherwise, they wander aimlessly."
Conan understood why the man before them exuded such an uncanny aura. A chill ran down his spine at the thought: peeling human skin to wear as one's own…
"The simplest way to identify them: their blood is translucent. They can mimic human voices but cannot comprehend the words. Asking them questions before contact will reveal their true nature."
The Skin Stealer now stood less than ten meters away. Yang Tao, wielding axe and shield, sneered: "Fresh red blood—still human. Translucent blood—escape at once."
Charging, Yang Tao provoked the entity. Infuriated, it spread its arms to restrain him.
Before it could reach him, the iron axe struck—slicing through the thin, pale skin to reveal the sickly yellow flesh beneath.
The skin was studded with suction-cup-like nodes, immediately triggering trypophobia in anyone who looked. These protrusions latched onto human skin, tugging it taut over the Stealer's body, creating a horrifying illusion of normalcy.
"Disgusting beyond belief!"
The yellowish fluid oozing from the wound forced Yang Tao a step back as he activated full data mode.
'If any of this gets in my mouth… ugh!'
The Skin Stealer's strength was limited, with only 40 health points. It relied on ambush and assassination of isolated humans. A single Smiling entity could eliminate multiple Skin Stealers effortlessly.
Their hunting methods differed, preventing mutual conflict.
Suppressing his nausea, Yang Tao surged forward. The now-unmasked Stealer moved swiftly enough to counterattack, but its blows were all blocked by his shield.
After draining its health, the entity collapsed, the human skin covering it sagging lifelessly.
Yang Tao could hardly stomach the sight, gagging twice.
"Damn it… these Skin Stealers deserve total extermination!"
Monsters consuming humans barely fazed him, but peeling skin—this was utterly revolting.