I gasped for breath and looked down.
My body, hidden beneath an old hospital bed in the darkness, reeked of disinfectant.
My hand was clutching the camcorder.
Then another hand shot out and grabbed it.
"…!!"
I reflexively twisted my body in an attempt to shake the hand off. But the hand holding the camcorder tried to violently snatch it and drag it out from under the bed.
'No!'
I twisted my body, trying to pull the camcorder free.
But something felt wrong.
As if it was predetermined, my body was dragged out from beneath the bed.
Outside the bed, what awaited the camcorder’s owner had already been prepared.
The first photographer was to be discovered on a hospital bed, his lower body brutally dissected.
The second recording was to begin with the horrified scream of the person who finds him.
Thwack!
Something long stabbed into the strange hand pulling on my camcorder.
"…!"
A ballpoint pen.
When I lifted my head, I saw Baek Saheon—deathly pale—twisting the pen he had driven into the back of the hand.
"Ah."
Blood spurted from the patient's hand gripping the camcorder.
The moment the muscles on the back of that hand twitched—
Baek Saheon yanked the camcorder back hard.
"...!"
I kicked the bed leg with all my might.
The hospital bed above our heads lurched forward—screeeech!
Its portable wheels shrieked as they rolled, then rattled violently as the bed shoved the 'patient' and slammed him into the wall.
Thud!
The hand that had grabbed the camcorder let go.
"Go!"
I grabbed Baek Saheon by the nape of his neck and bolted backwards like a madman.
Somehow, the camcorder had ended up in Baek Saheon's hand.
On its screen, an image flashed by—a figure in a grotesque patient gown, pinned to a desk and trembling.
And the hallway we ran out into was...
"Hk."
The hallway of a dark, locked ward.
I grabbed Baek Saheon's hand holding the camcorder and aimed it forward again to see the hallway through the screen.
What appeared wasn’t a hospital, but a dark company hallway.
"The eleva—."
"Don't!"
I shouted urgently.
"Take the stairs. This is a disaster where you musn’t take the elevator!"
A corpse appeared in the elevator every exploration–a horror description so censored that the contents weren't even shown!
"~!!"
It seemed like Baek Saheon swallowed a curse, but he ultimately ran toward the emergency exit.
As we sprinted down the hall, the sound of a bed being shoved aside rang out behind us—followed by footsteps in pursuit.
Hospital room doors flew open, and vaguely familiar figures emerged, one after another.
"Look through the camcorder..."
But there was no point in saying it. Baek Saheon sprinted, not caring whether someone spoke to him or suddenly jumped out to grab him.
Without a shred of hesitation. Without the slightest intent to help.
"Huff."
I opened the emergency exit first, threw myself and Baek Saheon through, and immediately slammed the door shut.
Thud!
I locked the door.
Thump, thump—knocking and voices came from beyond the door.
Strangely, a pentagram seemingly drawn with a bloody hand was smeared across the rusty surface, making my skin crawl.
But despite the chill, I let out a sigh filled with conviction.
A sigh of relief.
"...We should be fine for a while."
Problems only arose in the emergency stairs in the latter half of 'Nursing Hospital's Last Day Footage'.
'The Guard Team will probably suppress it before then.'
No, maybe the 'real Security Chief' who hadn't returned had been mobilized for that task and was working his way up from the first floor of the annex right now.
Or maybe starting from the 10th floor of the annex, where there would be more people.
"Huff."
Only then did I let go of Baek Saheon. Still pale and gasping for breath, he glanced at the camcorder he was holding.
He had already noticed.
"This…"
"I'd like it back now."
I held out my hand.
Greed flashed through Baek Saheon's eyes.
"What does it do?"
Dammit.
"…You can distinguish between what's real and what's fake in this building by what's on the screen."
"Hmm."
"It's a necessary item for me to explore this disaster."
I spoke like an agent, looking at him seriously.
"But it's a useless item for someone who isn't trying to do that. I will guide you, a civilian, to a safe place, so please return the camcorder to me. I have a job to do."
"..."
Baek Saheon lowered the camcorder.
But without letting go, he asked in a small voice.
"Where is this safe place?"
"It's on the upper floors."
To be precise, there are safe zones on the floors above the 5th floor.
[Hoo!]
Exploration Records #16
Activation phenomenon of Qterw-C-1004 occurred in a 10-story commercial building.
Two civilians testified to discovering a door to Room 501 on the 10th floor, with a page from a sketchbook attached that read 'Playtime'.
The inside of the door is plastered with the phrase 'The ghost is here, we must ward off the ghost', written in crayon.
Records of the patient appearing in said hospital room are below.
This is the important part.
The fact that they found 'Room 501' door on the 10th floor.
As the exploration records accumulate, the clue builds up like this...
"This disaster is based on an incident that happened in a 5-story hospital building, and on floors above the 5th, the phenomena of the 1st floor repeat."
I looked at him.
"And that's when distortions occur."
"…!"
"Those points of distortion are not recognized by this disaster."
In other words, it's a true safe zone.
"I'll show you."
I started walking up.
Thankfully, Baek Saheon followed. Good.
"How can you be so sure?"
"…I know from experience."
Not from my experience as an agent, but from my experience poring over the <Dark Exploration Record>.
"That's also why I'm telling you this."
I glanced at the camcorder.
"While you're hiding, that camcorder could suddenly turn on or emit light, putting your life in danger."
"..."
It was both the truth and an attempt at persuasion.
'Baek Saheon isn't the type who would listen to pleas based on justification and sincerity.'
But trying to take it by force was worrying because of this bastard's trolling, and above all...
'Honestly, I don't want to walk around alone in a hospital ghost story…'
It's scary...
Let's stick together as long as we can. In this real-life version of a horror game, having a companion, even a troll, seems better than being alone...
[Oh, my friend...]
Sniffle...
"You saw it, didn't you? We almost got into big trouble earlier when we were discovered because of the camcorder."
"..."
"It's a double-edged sword."
Baek Saheon fell silent.
"I don't know why this disaster occurred, but for now, go to the highest floor possible, hide, and wait. The Guard Team will come."
"..."
If it comes down to it, I'll just knock him out and take it, but for now, let's stick together.
The dead-silent emergency stairway, smelling of stagnant water, was quite creepy. I started walking again, and, to change the subject, asked in a placating tone.
"Come to think of it, why were you in the annex?"
I thought he said he'd be on standby at the company.
Baek Saheon flinched, then said, as if tossing the words out:
"…Obviously, I came because there was a Darkness to find. One managed by my team."
"Then did you come from the first floor?"
"Of course. How else do you think I saved you on the second floor?"
The Field Investigation Team rarely gets permission to enter above the 1st floor of the annex, so I was wondering how he was on the 2nd floor.
'It seems this hospital ghost story phenomenon started from the 1st floor.'
According to Baek Saheon's explanation, after the power went out and the twisted image of the locked ward overlaid reality, the emergency exit to the ground floors opened, and he ran up.
'Then the first floor must be utter chaos right now…'
Hoo.
"I see. Thank you for saving me. You were a great help."
"..."
Baek Saheon, still holding the camcorder, turned to look at me and said bluntly.
"You know everything, but you still won't hand over the item."
Ha.
"Sir."
I said in a slightly weary voice.
"Do you… wish for me to die?"
"...!"
"Without that camcorder, my mission will be extremely difficult, and there's a high probability I'll meet a bad end somewhere along the way."
"Then…!"
Baek Saheon's face flushed red and blue.
"You could just hide too. Why are you trying to move around in a situation like this, trying to find something…!"
And he shook the camcorder.
"What are you going to do with this camcorder? Where are you planning to explore?"
"…There is something I must find on the ground floors of this company's annex."
I took a deep breath.
"It's absolutely necessary. There are civilians who can only be rescued if I have that item."
"..."
Baek Saheon lowered his head, so I couldn't see his expression.
"What, you're going to infiltrate and even steal just to save people you don't know? That's ridiculous."
"Wouldn't anyone be willing to steal if it meant others could live?"
"..."
"I won't cause any damage to this company."
"How can you not cause damage when you're stealing something?"
And Baek Saheon said, as if tossing the words out:
"The thing you're trying to steal, it's some kind of potion-making machine."
...!
"Right? They locked down the annex and made a fuss because it went missing…I knew it."
Baek Saheon's voice sounded oddly excited.
"Did you steal it?"
"No."
I shook my head.
And with a slight smile, I stopped walking.
"What I'm looking for isn't on that floor."
I lifted my head and checked the floor we had arrived at.
[5F]
"It's on this floor."
Baek Saheon's lips parted.
"…The potion machines should be on the 10th floor."
"Usually, yes, but I have something to find here."
Coming here was the plan from the beginning.
The important thing was having a justification to wander around the ground floors of the annex without attracting attention.
'In that sense, the situation has actually become more advantageous for me.'
With the hospital ghost story swallowing the building, whatever I do now won't be as conspicuous.
'Act before this ghost story is suppressed.'
That was the right move.
Yeah, I know all that, but...
The problem was.
'Ha.'
I looked at the 5th-floor emergency exit, wanting to squeeze my eyes shut.
A door so rusty it looked black.
And written on it in dripping, dark red letters.
HAPPY
D-DAY
This was the very heart of the hospital ghost story...
You could say it's the place where the main event unfolds, a place where you could see all sorts of horrific sights.
'Wow, this is insane.'
I looked at the pile of broken syringes under the 5th-floor emergency exit door, and the words 'HAPPY D-DAY' written in viscous blood.
Something clumped together dripped from the syringes. Looking closely, it was a bundle of nerves and blood vessels...
I kind of… no, I really want to run away, but–
I forced myself to act like I wasn't a coward and grabbed the handle of the emergency exit.
The handle was slimy. Ugh…
"What I'm going to find and steal here is something whose disappearance truly won't cause any damage to this company."
I finished my words to Baek Saheon.
"So give me the camcorder and go to the 10th floor. I'll designate a place for you to hide."
"..."
"I'll take care of my business quickly before this disaster is handled by the Guard Team."
Hoo.
'I don't think I have enough time.'
Though anxious, I continued. Hey, this is the last offer.
"If you're that worried, I can guide you up to the 10th floor..."
"Ah, seriously!!"
"…?!"
"Ha, shit, hooo..."
Baek Saheon scowled deeply, then looked at me and said:
"Let's do the opposite."
"Pardon?"
"I'll take you through the 5th floor. That should work."
With an expression that said he was doing it against his better judgment, Baek Saheon stood next to me, holding the camcorder.
"How can I trust you and hand over the camcorder completely? What if a problem comes up while I'm alone that you don't know about!"
I'm the one who told you about the camcorder in the first place, though?
"It's not like you can take responsibility if I die."
"..."
But I sort of understood what he meant.
'He can't just trade a useful item for information alone.'
Hoo.
Still, it was unexpected.
'He's coming with me?'
Honestly, for me, having an extra person was an undeniable merit in a hospital ghost story.
'Well… if it comes to it, I can just take it by force.'
Strangely enough, this agent's persuasion seemed to be working on Baek Saheon within the bounds of common sense.
"Instead, I get a say in whatever you find. Give me half. Got it?"
"Understood."
Yup. Ho Yuwon will give it to you.
And I deliberately smiled and added.
"Thank you, sir…I feel a little less scared thanks to you."
"..."
It doesn't seem to have had much effect. Dammit.
Anyway, with the mindset of passing all the bills to the project manager, I opened the 5th-floor emergency exit door with Baek Saheon.
Creeak.
"..."
"..."
The locked ward was still there. However...
I could see its outline.
'Ha.'
…Light was leaking from the cracks of a few tightly shut hospital room doors, illuminating the dark hallway.
Revealing the graffiti scrawled haphazardly on the walls.
The day we'll be happy
Accept that our illness cannot be cured
Everyone, fighting~^^
giveupandfollowgiveupandfollowgiveupandfollowgiveupandfollowgiveupandfollowgiveupandfollowdiegiveupandfollow
There is something evil here
Bizarre writings.
Each time they emerged just enough to guess at their meaning, chills ran up my spine.
The smell of disinfectant.
A strange acrid chemical smell, a sweet smell, a metallic smell, and a terribly rotten stench mixed together and stung my nose.
'Ha…'
After discerning the 'real' space within using the camcorder… I whispered quietly.
"There it is. Our destination."
[1184]
Baek Saheon frowned as he looked at the place, which strangely, had numbers written on an electronic panel.
"What does that mean?"
"It's not a dangerous place."
But to get there...
We had to traverse the length of a dark hallway in the locked ward of a ghost story.
"..."
"Go straight, and follow my instructions."
We moved our feet quietly and advanced into the dark hallway...
But there was something unexpected.
THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP!!
"Help me!"
"…!"
"They tied me up, rescue, rescue… help..."
Thud.
The door of the room right next to us opened.
A person holding a Guard Team call button rushed out of Room 503 and fell. Both his arms seemed to have been tied with tape, and it looked like he had forcibly ripped it off to get out. All the skin was peeled off.
"Please!"
He desperately held up his hands to point at his still-bound legs.
In one hand, he tightly gripped the Guard Team call button.
And in his other hand was...
Another camcorder.
"Wai—"
In that moment.
Baek Saheon quickly approached and grabbed the man's hand.
…the one with the camcorder.
"Ah."
Then he kicked the figure back into Room 503 and slammed the door shut.
"Aaaargh!"
Then he locked the hospital room door and quickly ran over to me.
"What are you doing? Run!"
He said, holding the newly snatched camcorder.
His eyes were shining.
"I got another one, so hurry up and take it!"
"..."
"Hello?"
changelog
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