Pleasant Research Institute office.
Director Ho.
Black Roulette.
Dangerous thing.
"Soleum…."
I reflexively covered Director Ho's face with smoke.
The figure wearing the Pleasant Research Institute employee ID card vanished into silhouette as he was buried in Black Smoke. I intended to read its history and configuration. And thus erase him....
"Do you know something? Killing me is against the work regulations."
....
"It might be possible if there is evidence that I pose a threat to the company... but is there any?"
....
I released the smoke.
Director Ho, revealed from within the smoke, was smiling as ever.
Leaving smoke around his neck just in case, I asked.
Request for situation explanation
"Ah, I came out on inspection to check on the Security Team... and I happened to see the elevator button for Basement 29. So I pressed it."
....
Lie
"What?"
I raised my hand and tapped the employee ID card he was wearing.
Prepared thing.
"Ah."
Director Ho, glancing down at the employee ID card, smiled as if his lips were twisting.
"You're still quick-witted, even in that state?"
Director Ho mockingly swept his gaze over my appearance, identical to the Security Team Uniform Prototype he had given me, then continued speaking.
"That's right. I also search for Darkness, so I sometimes come out for a walk. If I have this employee ID card, I can travel through this hell relatively safely."
...Hell?
It was a strange choice of words.
And more important than that....
Source of the employee ID card
"I'm sorry, but I don't see any reason why I should tell you.... Oh, perhaps you need one? Shall I lend it to you? Want to try wearing it?"
Director Ho whispered kindly.
"If you wear this, you can see the employees of the Pleasant Research Institute. I'll show you specially, Soleum-nim."
....
I turned my body and resumed searching.
"Soleum-nim?"
'No need to get entangled now.'
I found one advantage to being something whose life was mortgaged to Director Cheong, rather than being in a human body.
Now I didn't have to fidget and reply to that person's words.
"Soleum-nim?"
I put the Roulette in the uniform pocket and continued to examine the office.
"Why are you taking that? Is it Darkness...? Ah, it seems so. I was suspicious too, but it looks like Soleum-nim found it right away."
Director Ho casually continued his remark.
"Perhaps Darkness created by the Pleasant Research Institute recognizes each other?"
I stopped walking.
Just now.
"I know that Soleum-nim was born from the last dream incubator of the Pleasant Research Institute."
....
Question: Time of discovery
"Of course, since the first time we met."
...!
"But it seems you made the wrong wish. Seeing as you contracted with Director Cheong."
I turned back to look at Director Ho.
He was smiling like a picture.
"Still, it would be much better for you to be here like that. Because Daydream Inc. accepts you no matter what form you take.... As long as you have utility.... Like Soleum-nim."
It was sophistry.
And that appellation.
Request for title change
Don't call me by my real name.
"But Soleum-nim. You are still Soleum-nim, aren't you?"
Is he doing it on purpose?
My nerves were on edge about someone calling out my real name in the middle of Darkness.
Especially if the speaker was Director Ho.
"Still, if it bothers you that much, I can try changing the title. Would Mr. Noru work?"
I looked at the other person.
"I will take your silence as affirmation. Mr. Noru!"
Question: What you know about me
"I know that Mr. Noru is a very special being. So special that the last remaining researchers of the Pleasant Research Institute are staking their lives to call out to you and try to spirit you away, and...."
Emotion disappeared from Director Ho's voice.
"...So special that you can tell me the information about Segwang Metropolitan City that I requested, as if you already knew it, even though you haven't conducted any intelligence activities for the Disaster Management Bureau."
....
'I was suspicious after all.'
It didn't matter if they looked at me suspiciously when I handed over the information and received the Wish Token.
I hadn't expected to meet like this again.
And I realized one thing.
'He doesn't know who I am.'
I came from a world where there were only the
As I rummaged through the Pleasant Research Institute in the basement of this Main Building, perhaps he had seen the experiment logs I saw, but he didn't seem to know the finer details.
That meant....
That the other side actually had information they wanted to know from me.
And I had no intention or need to answer.
I resumed searching.
"Hey, how about we exchange information? About each other's identities."
Unnecessary.
"Can I accompany you? I'm a little scared to walk alone...."
Testimony of fear
▶ Unqualified as a Daydream employee
"...It's okay. That only applies to regular employees."
Director Ho smiled benevolently again, like an innocent employee.
"I'm a contract worker, so I'm fine. ...You are too."
...If being permanently mortgaged counts as contract work.
"Mr. Noru?"
I left the office and moved my feet.
I heard footsteps chasing me from behind.
And calls.
"Mr. Noru?"
....
"Please come with me, Mr. Noru."
Warning 1
Reason: Obstruction of duty
Cumulative Warnings: 1 / Disciplinary action remaining: 2
"...You're going to issue me disciplinary action?"
Warning 2
Reason: Obstruction of duty
Cumulative Warnings: 2 / Disciplinary action remaining: 1
"Did someone tell Mr. Noru that they could do that to you? Director Cheongdalrae? Researcher Gwak Jegang? Security Chief J3? Park Minseong...."
Warning 3
Reason: Obstruction of duty
I turned around and grabbed the other person's neck.
"...!"
Cumulative Warnings: 3 / Disciplinary action remaining: 0
Execution
The smoke around Director Ho's neck covered his face again. Director Ho reached out his hand....
'No way.'
I grabbed that hand with my other hand as if to crush it.
....
....
"Ah, you touched me."
[Oh dear, be careful, friend!]
Director Ho's finger joints twisted unnaturally. He grabbed the zipper on the wrist area of my security suit,
Zzzzzzip.
And pulled it down.
"You shouldn't say things like that while wearing the shroud I made. You shouldn't say things like that when the covenant we made is still in effect."
The joints of the long fingers tried to grasp the amorphous flesh revealed as the zipper came off the forearm.
Blisters rose from the flesh.
"Man. You're trying to..."
An attempt to invoke a restriction.
But the blisters rose slower than before, and the hand twisted strangely.
Barely.
'How dare you.'
I completely covered him with smoke. And before I could recite the restriction, I read him first.
The record of Director Ho, affiliated with Daydream Inc.
Ho Yuwon, one afflicted with Nine Fox Sickness. Those who respond to this person nine times can become infected. Real name MMM. Currently serving as a director at Daydream Inc. to regain mmm.
The Fox Counseling Room, which frequently appears in the Field Investigation Team's exploration records, is Darkness derived from him.
His true identity is the MMM of the former MMMMM.
He harbors some kind of resentment toward the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, and his main activities involve attempting entry into exploration records related to Segwang Metropolitan City multiple times.
Too much censorship.
What is this? Let's read more. And immediately after reading, I erased the grand paragraphs contemptuously...
Wait. Since when could I recall the wiki entries for people who weren't on the wiki?
What is this?
What kind of ability is this? Why can I edit it? What the hell is this?
'No.' It's being crushed. The human head cannot comprehend this strange ability. My mind, the self I barely regained, my reason is collapsing. I need to let go of my hand... [Oh, my goodness.]
Ho Yuwon and I let go of our hands at the same time.
"Cough!"
The sound of Ho Yuwon, who had fallen to the floor, getting up could be heard. As soon as I managed to close the open zipper on my wrist and regain my form, I struck Ho Yuwon. With a short thud, Ho Yuwon, who fell to the floor again, gasped for breath and...
"Ah, I've been found out."
From down the hallway.
Something began approaching with a scream from within the Darkness.
[The office personnel noticed the commotion.]
I immediately turned around and started heading for the elevator. Director Ho followed closely beside me. A bruise was rising on one side of his face where he was hit, and he was bleeding.
"Wow, if we run away like this, we end up going the same way! How convenient!"
He was insane.
I tried to grab the nearest elevator...
'It's far.'
That elevator was displaying a bizarre number. It was impossible to know when it would arrive. Then...
Ding-dong
I pressed the call button for the elevator on the left again. The one going further underground.
---!!
A strange sound came from behind me.
As soon as the left elevator door opened, I boarded and pressed the close button.
Beyond the open elevator door, I could see the lights turning on one by one from the end of the hallway.
Click, click, click...
The Darkness was violently disappearing one floor at a time as it approached.
Just before the lights reached the front of the elevator.
Thump.
The door closed.
Successfully isolated on the 29th floor.
'Hoo.'
"Congratulations. You escaped!"
Director Ho smiled slyly, then smoothed his blood-soaked face and adjusted his clothes.
It was a somewhat obsessive movement.
Tinkle.
I calmed myself by listening to the sound coming from the bell between my horns.
'What was that?'
That ability of mine, like an editable wiki entry... No, why could I use that ability so naturally? By what means, exactly?
'Since when could I use it?'
I don't know. It must have been since I took this form... No. I can't be sure.
Even now, if I tried, I think I could use it. But if I did, I felt like I would cross a line that shouldn't be crossed and collapse...
My mental framework.
[Let's think about the circus performers, friend. If you move your joints beyond their range of motion, you might put on a great performance, but there's always a risk that your bones might shatter.]
[Mr. Noru. It seems your amazing performance will also require practice and understanding!]
Right.
It seemed difficult for me to use that ability properly while remaining myself.
'Use it cautiously.'
And as for why I can do such things... calmly, quietly, deeply, until I die... No.
'I'm going crazy.'
Let's avoid that for now. That also seems to affect my brain.
'Stay calm.'
I need to organize what is necessary right now.
For example, facts written in documents like the wiki I just discovered with my ability.
I took a mental deep breath and turned to look at Director Ho.
The director named Ho Yuwon.
And probably the counselor at the Fox Counseling Room.
"Mr. Noru?"
They really were the same person.
A faint shock surfaced in my mind, but it quickly subsided.
I definitely received help from the counselor at the Fox Counseling Room. That teacher seemed like a good counselor back then... but ghost stories often have duality.
'This is what's important.'
The current situation.
I cannot easily erase Ho Yuwon.
Ho Yuwon cannot easily impose restrictions on me.
It was a stalemate.
And it seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed this strange balance of power.
"It seems difficult for one side to unilaterally suppress the other, Mr. Noru."
.....
"Wouldn't we make a good pair to travel together? Because it's a situation where it's hard to run away by throwing one side out as bait. Right?"
Do as you wish. Because...
[Oh, that's unfortunate, but that's the wrong answer! Mr. Noru always has a Good Friend by his side to help him!]
Even in a critical moment, it would serve as a fatal defense.
Unless the Host finds the other side more interesting and decides to help them.
Thus, I tacitly allowed Ho Yuwon to accompany me. In the end, a strange exploration by two members of the Pleasant Research Institute, unable to extract even A Drop of Dream, commenced.
"Please take care of me, Mr. Noru."
My stomach feels like it's twisting. I only recently found out where my stomach is located, so it feels even more real... Ugh.
I crossed my arms, wanting to sigh, and turned my gaze to the floor panel attached to the elevator.
'And I happened to take the left elevator...' From here, we start leaving the low-level floors. Inside the elevator, which hasn't moved yet, I check the buttons. Below Basement 30.
Basement 30–39 Floors - Office of Cheers
On these floors, the Pleasant Research Institute is in a state of celebration, usually noisy with laughter. Celebration decorations such as balloons, confetti, and tents are often found in the hallways. All attempts to read the congratulatory messages on the tents end in failure. 60% probability of mental confusion occurring. Entities are highly active, caution advised. However, they are confirmed to be relatively less hostile. Danger Level: Medium.
"Are you going further down, Mr. Noru?"
Perhaps. If I must risk danger, I should go further down...
Basement 40–49 Floors - Office of Debate
On these floors, loud arguments can be heard from several offices. Existing explorers often described the sounds as if life-or-death decisions for the company were being made. The content is vaguely audible, but if you listen closely, you cannot understand it properly, and you lose your sense of direction, making it impossible to find the elevator. However, the entities rarely leave the specific offices where discussions are ongoing, resulting in low activity. Danger Level: Medium-High.
It wouldn't be bad to go that far. 'Should I get off at the 39th floor for now?' But as my gaze slid down the panel, "Oh, look here," I saw what Ho Yuwon was pointing at. The very bottom of the panel.
A button with an alien number, standing alone.
[96]
'...!'
Down there. A basement floor number that is realistically impossible. The deep core of this ghost story.
Basement 90–99 Floors [Censored]
Do not press the elevator button. If pressed by mistake, close your eyes and press the elevator close button to escape to another floor. Entry is prohibited for all regular employees, including Field Investigation Team, Research Team, and Security Team. Danger Level: [Censored]
The button to go there had appeared.
"...."
A dangerous option.
A situation where one should not press it. But.
"Mr. Noru, aren't you curious..."
I pressed that button.
"..!!"
The elevator began to move. Down to that deep bottom.