Serve Ireum-nim.
Serve Ireum-nim.
Serve Ireum-nim.
Serve Ireum-nim.
Serve Ireum-nim...
Even though my ears are buried in flesh, words echo. The chants of the fanatics of the Happy Ending Sect, a sect of the Church of Luminous Unknown, vibrate the space and shake the elevator...
...
Suddenly.
The elevator I was in was somehow in another space.
Tok.
A dark space where the sound of dripping water was heard.
A basement.
An unknown ominous air. Damp coolness and gloom, the moldy smell of wood, and...
A corpse.
Kim Heowoon's body, split in two.
It had somehow been neatly arranged and displayed in the dark basement. In a coffin containing dozens of withered chrysanthemums and sunflowers, and children's origami paper.
Be happy now.
Blood dripped down the chrysanthemums.
Do you want to be happy too?
The corpse in the coffin approaches. Fear, the screams of those fading into erasure, resignation, the only escape, the last mercy a human can bestow upon another, death without pain, the cessation of narrative...
Do you want to be at peace too?
However...
How terrifying. The end of the story, the instinctual fear of death. Ah, it would have been better not to know. How peaceful a heart would have been if it were a death of ignorance met unknowingly.
But you have learned. Once death is chosen on one’s own, the meaning of happiness fades.
Therefore, there is only one salvation for you...
Ireum-nim!
Sparkle.
The basement ceiling door opened. Bright and majestic light poured in from beyond it.
Ireum-nim knows all your narratives and stories. Only He is the answer to the truth of this world, and only His will has meaning in this world. May Ireum-nim look upon us, may He watch our ■■, may we fully understand and follow His will, and become a meaningful story to Him. Then perhaps He might pity us within it, might feel attachment toward us, and finally, the rest we have been waiting for, the happiness, might be granted to us who survive beyond the end...
Happy Ending!
As the basement grew darker and gloomier, a piece of parchment shimmered under the beam of light descending from the ceiling...
It looked familiar.
The Church of Luminous Unknown sacred law scripture.
The Happy Ending Scripture, Verse ■
■■■■■■
That ritual parchment, still blank, is calling to you.
As if asking you to willingly swallow it.
As if asking you to perform the ritual.
Make your existence into scripture.
Let your strangeness, mystery, and unknown eeriness, cruelty, and terror blossom into Divine Power.
A powerful light, as if pulling you in.
It calls to you.
The basement is gradually becoming a darker and more unsettling place. The temptation of the single shining light source flickered like a lamp attracting a mayfly. And then...
'Hmm.'
I just simply stood still.
'So this is how it is.'
[Oho, they even know how to gaslight a potential convert quite cultishly. Light, olfactory, and auditory stimulation. It's typical, but quite impressive!]
It's a bit much.
If I were in a state where I felt emotions as richly as before, I might have been extremely agitated.
It stabs at fundamental human fear, creating compulsive anxiety from the hallucinatory effects… It's a phenomenon close to brainwashing using hallucinations.
But that's because I knew.
'Ireum-nim isn't like that.'
It's no different from encountering the centipede in Jisan Village.
In the end, I was just standing blankly in this underground space clearly drawn in by someone, looking at a piece of scripture.
I could have escaped using my 'reading' ability… but perhaps there's no need to.
The person who dragged me here must be here too.
"Oh? You're not going to write it down?"
As expected, something popped out from behind the coffin where the corpse is placed.
The perpetrator of this act, someone who appeared to be an officer of the Happy Ending Sect, casually turned around and dusted off the skirt of her school uniform, stained with basement dust.
The light of 'Ireum-nim' illuminated the dust particles floating in the air.
She spoke with her back to me.
"He’s saying this is really good… why aren't you writing it down? If you won’t write it, then..."
Thud.
From the figure standing straight.
He turned only his head to look at me.
L
e
t
’
s
.
.
.
G
o
.
.
.
T
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
.
.
.
Thump, thump...
The head attached to his back fell off and rolled toward me.
The moment it touched my feet.
I was looking at the underground passage of the Daydream Inc. Main Building again.
But this time, the underground area had a bizarre appearance. A passage made of strange, pulsating red flesh.
Veins attached to the head stretch out long and reach the end of the passage. That sight seems to possess its own suction force, trying to pull me in...
L
e
t
’
s
.
.
.
G
o
.
.
.
T
o
g
e
t
h
e
r
.
.
.
There's something in the skull.
'Wriggling?'
I instinctively realize. This is the type of ghost story where one 'falls in' the moment they react to those words.
…It seems that the ghost story of that Church of Luminous Unknown has properly targeted Ho Yuwon and me as subjects for new religious conversations, or perhaps management...
Sigh.
'What should I do?'
The grotesque sight can no longer cause me much agitation, but is it okay to just wait until the Security Team arrives?
'It's better not to get entangled with the Church of Luminous Unknown, though.'
Regarding the person in the school uniform from the Happy Ending Sect… I think I read about people wearing school uniforms mentioned a few times in some investigation reports.
However, since the Church of Luminous Unknown has so many varied, insane individuals, I can't be certain just based on the school uniform, but I should be able to manage though.
And.
'…They just killed someone right in front of me.'
...
I decided.
'I'll subdue them.'
I will handle it even if my brain collapses a bit.
I reached out my hand.
At that moment.
"Fine."
Something grabbed my arm.
I turned my head.
Ho Yuwon, who was riding the elevator with me, answered with a smile...
To the head belonging to the Church of Luminous Unknown.
"Sure, let's go together."
…!
Wait, you—
Y
o
u
.
.
.
R
e
s
p
o
n
d
e
d
H
m
?
A tongue sticks out from the head.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
HahahaDon’tLookhahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
The head grew enormous and swallowed the elevator.
What has been answered cannot be taken back.
I tried to tear away the one holding my arm, but I felt my body, already swallowed, growing distant as it was moved...
...
[Oh dear, it's too late to say you need help!]
[And, oh, sad news… My friend said that this Braun's arbitrary judgment is hard to trust! Very well, let's see what happens…]
Blackout.
In the first place.
I never liked the Church of Luminous Unknowns ghost stories in the <Dark Exploration Record>.
Of course, they were popular.
The appearance of the Church of Luminous Unknown was certainly the turning point where the <Dark Exploration Record> exploded in popularity and became an IP industry.
But… I don't know.
'Too… primal, should I say.'
A feeling of lacking restraint, perhaps.
It was mainly strengthened by using the ability to mass-produce victims and elements that make people uncomfortable as selling points.
And what the feeling of encountering such primal discomfort in reality would be like...
...
Reality, huh.
"Roe Deer-nim?"
I opened my eyes.
Indoors, darkness, metal.
And Ho Yuwon.
"You're awake! That's a relief. You shouldn't be able to sleep in that body, and if you hadn’t regained your consciousness—"
I grabbed his chin.
'You crossed the line.'
I increased the force in the grip holding Ho Yuwon's face.
"Roe Deer-nim."
However, Ho Yuwon continued speaking.
"Don't you want to escape Daydream?"
...
"Director Cheong's treatment is truly terrible, isn't it? But if you remain locked in the isolation room, it will be difficult for you to find a sharp solution."
I increased the force on the hand gripping his chin. I heard the sound of bones grinding, but there was no change in Ho Yuwon's smile.
And then.
"I apologize for not asking beforehand! I felt like there wasn't much time before the Security Team arrived, so my mouth moved first… as an apology—
He made a proposal.
"How about I grant you temporary freedom of movement, Roe Deer-nim?"
"...!"
"I have some information to look into here. So, separately, I will look for information, and you, Roe Deer-nim, will look for a way to break your contract. And if you feel like it, I would be grateful for your help…"
Information to look into.
'…It must be about Sekwang Metropolitan City.'
A convincing motive.
And his words did not finish there.
"The most important thing is that we can do all of this without violating the terms of the employment contract. You are accompanying a company director, aren't you, Roe Deer-nim?"
Ah.
"Then you can be considered to be doing company work. It counts as a kind of overtime."
...
"What do you think?"
I released the hand pressing down on Ho Yuwon's chin.
>Overtime:
>Separate allowance claim pending
"Of course, I will make sure you’re well compensated."
The tension settled like a temporary truce. I suppressed a sigh and got up.
'It feels like I'm accompanying a bomb.'
Still, it was better that I could treat the other party as a troll, unlike before.
And only then, Ho Yuwon and I, who could properly look around the surroundings, turned our heads to assess the situation.
"This place is…"
The passage had low illumination with sporadic electric lights.
The characteristic feature was that the structure was formed in an arch shape, as if a cylinder had been cut in half.
And it was sealed.
This gray space, where not a single window was visible, was finished with cement...
"Don't you think it looks like an underground air-raid shelter?"
It was exactly as he said. The old, rusted walls were exposed, making one think of a disaster evacuation shelter.
'…So they preached to us and then just dumped us here?'
It was the moment I tried to grasp the situation.
"Let us share happiness."
…!
A sound was heard from the far end of the corridor, around the corner.
A crowd.
The footsteps of about a hundred people moving.
And the sound of talking.
"Ah, have they come to welcome the new converts?"
Soon, the procession of people turning the corner revealed itself. It was...
"Share happiness."
Ordinary people.
They walked smiling, whispering to each other, looking as normal as people you might see at a park on the weekend.
Men and women of all ages were mixed together, looking like a group going out for fun.
But they were holding something in their hands.
Forming groups of five or six people, they were carefully carrying something quite bulky together.
It was.
"Let us share happiness."
"Share happiness."
Corpses.
Dozens of bodies were being carried in their hands.
The people carrying the corpses passed us and headed toward the far end of the corridor… they didn't seem to notice us, hidden behind what they were holding.
And at the very end of the procession was a familiar face.
"Share happiness."
…!
The person who had 'converted' us.
The delicate-looking youth, still wearing a school uniform, was carrying Kim Heowoon's corpse along with a male student who looked exactly like her, like a twin, also wearing a school uniform.
And when her eyes met ours, she gave a slight smile and then moved on...
"Shall we follow them?"
Ho Yuwon and I slowly followed them. Following that bizarre procession, we went to the very end of the corridor...
"Let us share happiness."
A wide, huge cavern opened up.
A space that could be called a plaza in an underground bunker.
That place was already full of coffins.
"Share happiness."
The people who finished their work placed the corpses into the empty coffins.
Once the work was done, the people gathered in a circle, and an elderly man, who appeared to be the oldest, stepped forward, raised both hands, and covered his head.
Then he shouted.
"Let us share happiness."
Everyone performed the same gesture.
"Be happy. Be happy. Be happy…"
In the space filled with coffins, numerous people held their hands above their heads and prayed earnestly.
"May the misfortune of being born into this world find peace in death. May you be happy."
'...'
Then I understood.
Where this place was.
The Final Ritual Chamber.
The sanctuary used by the Church of Luminous Unknown followers.
It takes the form of an old underground bunker, and because it is a ghost story itself, it does not have a fixed location in reality. It moves around various places for religious rituals, causing various Anomalous Phenomena. Refer here for detailed records.
There are rumors that this space is actually inside something’s stomach, but its identity is unknown.
The chamber’s form varies slightly depending on the sect, and the capacity ranges from a few people to tens of thousands. There are even ritual chambers inhabited by only one person.
In other words, this was one of the 'Final Ritual Chambers’ operated by the Happy Ending Sect.
'I really came to the heart of the Church of Luminous Unknown.'
And I am certain of one thing.
These people are all completely insane.
The Church of Luminous Unknown is not like the Disaster Management Bureau, striving to maintain reason and emotion, striving to remain human.
Even this ritual, which looked like a solemn place of mourning at first glance, was the same.
'They killed them themselves.'
And… probably their own relatives.
To be admitted as a lay believer in the Happy Ending Sect, one must commit at least one murder, and the target must be someone whom the applicant truly wishes happiness for.
So this seems to be the recruitment ritual for the Happy Ending Sect.
'I'm going crazy.'
To witness this firsthand.
It's really unnecessary...
Now, people stepped forward, crying and laughing while talking about whom they killed and what a good person they were. If there had been food up there, I would have vomited.
[My goodness, I was expecting something more, for a cult.]
…??
[It's not even typical. Where are the sacrificial animals, the fire, goats, and the pentagrams? So tame, it's almost bland. Can you exploit followers with such poor showmanship?]
…It seemed too bland for the taste of a ghost story talk show host seasoned by stimuli.
That was truly a statement worthy of Braun... Huu.
Ah, come to think of it.
'Didn't you say something before… before I lost consciousness?'
[Oh, I asked if you needed help, Friend!]
[However, it happened too suddenly to confirm your intentions, so I was just watching.]
Hmm… Well, I understand.
Anyway, I didn't have the mental capacity to worry about this topic anymore. The situation was getting crazier.
"Be happy!"
Finally, the people who finished their testimonials shoved the corpses into strange black containers. The ritual seemed to be over.
'They keep going in.'
That must also be some kind of supernatural mechanism. Perhaps they are trying to recycle the corpses. And so...
I stopped it.
Just before the coffin containing Kim Heowoon was placed in front of it.
"Be ha—"
That moment.
Everyone conducting the ritual looked at me.
A strange being with horns, emitting Black Smoke.
Yet, instead of screaming and running away, they just looked at me silently.
And someone muttered.
"Ability?"
Whispers spread.
"It's an ability."
"Who is it…?"
And one of them stepped forward. The person who proselytized me. He blinked, looked at me, and then nodded readily.
"You want to keep it for yourself? Alright. It's fine!"
Haa…
I unzipped my wrist and put Kim Heowoon's corpse into the tattoo drawn on the amorphous flesh.
I want to make one thing clear: I did not feel good about it...
'If I were my old self, my hands would have probably been shaking by now.'
The Happy Ending Sect's official, who had been watching the utterly bizarre scene with sparkling eyes, smiled at me.
"Anyway… you saw it, right? The child of the Paradise of Love you abandoned became happy too!"
...
"Welcome, now, to the Happy Ending Sect."
TL Notes: -
Discussion