Alright. Let’s organize this.
The monster before my eyes… specifically, that person whose pixels were so crushed they looked hideous, was undoubtedly my colleague, Ms. Go Yeongeun.
Because the Goral mask was clearly visible.
‘I’m starting to feel bad about blasting a high-powered flashlight right in her face….’
I grit my teeth and tried to focus on the mask instead of my revulsion.
The problem was that normal communication was impossible!
I couldn't speak, and I couldn't properly hear what the other person was saying….
‘Ugh.’
I feel like the Error is filling up my own head. This is driving me crazy.
Eventually, while pondering how to communicate, I pulled a pen from my pocket and wrote on the floor, trying my best not to look at her.
Ms. Goral?
Then I waited in silence.
The moment "Ms. Go Yeongeun" stared at me again and I froze.
A response came back on the A4 paper on the floor.
Mr. Roe Deer?? Do you have a sense of self right now? Is it possible for you to move independently?
‘Whew.’
It worked.
I wrote an answer while looking at the monster… no, "Ms. Go Yeongeun," who had turned her head away.
Yes. It's possible.
Don't worry, I'm not Contaminated. I'm a bit worried about how this sounds because I feel like a person who is actually Contaminated would say the same thing….
I'm just using a Gimmick within the ghost story.
A Gimmick?
Yes.
How should I explain this?
‘As expected… is a direct answer the right way to go?’
My colleague in front of me was clearly intelligent. After agonizing over it, I decided to write it down directly without beating around the bush.
The answer key to this ghost story that all the world-building clues were pointing toward.
This is a school where a horror game has become reality.
<In the Dark Shadow>.
This is the name registered in the Wiki entry for this ghost story, and it is the name of the game that is the cause of all the events occurring at Sekwang Technical High School in this nightmare.
The hints were in the Exploration Records that had uncovered world-building clues in the teachers' office and specific classrooms.
■Month ■■Day Confiscated Items List: Game Console
When the game console is obtained from the 1st-grade teachers' office and run, a pixelated image of the school at midnight briefly flashes on the screen before turning off.
Note in the right corner of the blackboard in Class 3-2:
That’s the teacher?
A notebook dropped on the floor of the music room:
There is a small scribble in the corner.
I woke up after sleeping, so why am I at school? (Doodle of a surprised puppy) Preparing for the graduation ceremony? What do you mean, it’s only May?
And various other notes and items.
If you even find the classroom and seat of the student whose game console was confiscated and rummage through their bag, you can see an empty game case and the plot summary written on the back…….
The day before the graduation ceremony.
Students who volunteered to prepare for the graduation ceremony at ■■■■ High School spend the night at the school.
Of course, the event preparation was mostly an excuse, and the students joyfully enjoy the midnight camping atmosphere.
While new couples are formed, best friends fight, and someone's secrets are exposed….
Suddenly, a school announcement broadcast is heard.
[The graduation ceremony has begun.]
[To give Penalty Points to students who do not attend, the teacher is now departing from the auditorium.]
The bloody graduation ceremony has begun.
Will they be able to safely escape the nightmare school in the middle of the night??
It revealed itself naturally like that.
This ghost story is a nightmare where the horror game in question has swallowed an actual school, and the gameplay is repeated.
That is why the students are silent.
‘Because it’s a game without voice acting.’
That is why the 3rd-year students on the 4th floor cannot leave their seats.
‘Because the main game hasn't started yet.’
That is why… the students cannot move when an explorer looks at them.
‘…Because it’s a bug that wasn't originally in the game.’
That’s right.
Furthermore, the explorers hadn't even entered this game as participants.
‘It means we’re not even playing the game.’
We were just dragged in while trying to peek at the game's story through a text file downloaded via unofficial channels….
‘Whew.’
Of course, I didn't explain all of this in detail to my colleague; I just summarized the things that could serve as clues and conveyed the logic.
The main point was this.
I obtained a student uniform through a rather unique method and tried to become a participant in this horror game.
And for now, it seems I've succeeded.
A game? Ah, this sounds like that! Like a horror game where you get trapped in school the night before White Day!
But wouldn't becoming a game participant within a ghost story be more dangerous? Besides, you don't know what will happen if you wear that uniform for a long time.
Ms. Go Yeongeun's handwriting, which started out appearing slightly excited, looked like it had been scribbled in a hurry toward the end.
It was a reasonable concern.
You're right. I plan to quit immediately if it gets dangerous.
I also intended to run away as fast as my legs could carry me if things didn't go as expected.
But since things had gone according to plan so far….
Still, it could become a Clear Route that can be most clearly indicated in the Manual.
I'll give it a try.
After a moment of silence.
Um, alright for now. Since you're so strong against ghost stories, Mr. Roe Deer….
“…….”
Really, it’s a misunderstanding….
Still, I hope you don't do anything too dangerous.
I hope so too, but things in the world don't always go as planned….
Ah, then if I stay with you like this, other students might get suspicious of you, so I'll be going now.
Wait, wait, wait?
You really have to be careful!
That was the last of the writing.
The moment my paralysis wore off, I saw the slow-moving Ms. Go Yeongeun already turning a corner far down the hallway.
Wa-Wait a moment, Yeongeun…!
‘I still have things I want to ask!’
Please help me!
I quickly pursued and tapped Go Yeongeun's back very lightly, then hurriedly wrote a new sentence.
Wait a moment, there is something I want to ask Ms. Goral.
It's specialized knowledge that probably only Ms. Goral can answer here.
Yes, yes! Please feel free to ask!
Fortunately, Go Yeongeun turned around and answered kindly.
Phew!
With a heart full of gratitude, I quickly wrote down my question.
Please tell me where each organ is located in the human body.
Pardon??
Ah, oops.
Fortunately, Ms. Go Yeongeun didn't cut me off….
She simply asked me about realistic details related to company life and accounting to calmly and strictly verify several times if I was in my right mind.
And after she was convinced that I wasn't just some student from the science lab who had developed a unique hobby for dissection due to being completely riddled with Contamination, she became kind again.
I understand! I'll answer to the best of my knowledge haha.
Thank you… sniff.
In that way, I spent the remaining time in an intense Q&A session with Ms. Go Yeongeun.
Thanks to that, "preparations for the clear" were finished in a way that was safer and more certain than I had expected.
I wish you luck.
The same to you. Thank you!
…Um.
Just in case, I added this as well.
If you plan on staying in this dream longer, it would be best to stay on the 1st floor if possible.
Because very soon, "In the Dark Shadow" would begin in the truest sense.
“…….”
And so,
A few minutes after I saw Ms. Go Yeongeun off.
[Ding-dong-dang-dong-]
[The graduation ceremony has begun.]
A new announcement comes on.
…Just like the thirteenth Exploration Record I had written.
Exploration Record #13
Approximately 2 hours and 13 minutes have passed while staying in the school wearing the Sekwang Technical High School uniform.
A new school announcement, not described in previous records, is broadcast. Its content matches the plot summary on the back of the <In the Dark Shadow> game title.
I went up to the 4th floor.
The numerous 3rd-year students who had been crowding the hallways on that floor….
Had all vanished.
“…….”
The announcement echoes through the empty 4th-floor hallway.
[To give Penalty Points to students who do not attend, the teacher is now departing from the auditorium.]
The Exploration Record I wrote was exactly as it was.
Entering the main story development of the horror game in question.
It was becoming a reality.
“…….”
I swallowed hard.
First, the atmosphere of the school changed completely.
The school, which had been perfectly comfortable as a student, was now filled with an ominous and uncomfortable vibe.
No….
I can actually hear the BGM…!
Classic 8-bit game music began to settle in my ears in a gloomy and steep minor key.
And a pop-up as well.
I feel strange for some reason.
Let's find other students before it's too late.
‘No.’
I won't do that.
Because I know a faster route, I'll steel myself and first….
‘Hide.’
I ran toward the 3rd-year teachers' office.
First, the standard procedure is to hide in the locker inside here….
What the f uck is thi s??
“…!!”
Again.
‘A monster!’
Rejecting the ear-splittingly crazy noise, I quickly entered the locker in the teachers' office.
The problem was that there was a monster in one of the 4th-floor classrooms, right next to the teachers' office.
That monster came staggering out the door and stared right at me.
At my face, obscured by shadows, behind the locker.
‘……I think it’s wearing a mask.’
Because I stopped and couldn't move my face, I couldn't distinguish what kind of mask it was with my view blocked by the locker door.
‘Anyway, it is a company employee.’
However, thanks to the light emitting from the sheer number of name tags they had, it was almost impossible to recognize them as an Error.
‘…Wait a minute.’
Light?
If it's that noticeable.
Thump.
“…….”
There.
I hear small and large sounds coming from the floor above.
Specifically, it was the sound of something large walking while making small footsteps.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump
It's coming down, it's coming, it's coming!!
…The "Teacher"!!
‘Dammit.’
It’s terrifyingly scary. I held my breath.
However, as if the Error was also aiming for my name tag, it quickly approached me as I stood still….
‘Can't they hear this??’
No, of course they can't. They aren't the game player!
‘In the first place, an Error cannot perceive or be attacked by the Teacher…!’
The setting is that they don't even realize the game has started.
However….
Points of caution.
In this game.
One of the ways the "Aberration," the Teacher pursuing the players, recognizes students is by their name tags.
But since explorers are essentially Errors, they weren't easily recognized as players just by having one or two name tags.
So, unless it was an explorer who was excessively greedy, they wouldn't get caught.
……For instance.
By collecting a massive amount of name tags, which are the symbol of a player.
Thump.
I held my breath while remaining still.
The Error that had approached closely grabbed the locker door I was hiding behind.
And as the door was pulled—
Slice
A giant, sharp steel plate strikes down upon the masked Error.
The crushed form is split apart.
Thud.
Blood splatters onto my face.
In front of me, with the locker door in between, the glasses-wearing employee, split vertically, collapses.
The human body, which had become an object called a corpse, its pixelated crushing having vanished.
When an explorer, an Error in the game, remains in the school until the game starts and is discovered and eliminated by the "Teacher."
‘……Oh.’
It’s a face I know.
The supervisor who had been newly assigned to Team D.
They are eliminated in reality as well.
They just died.
“…….”
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump
The "Teacher" leaves the teachers' office.
Dragging the supervisor's remaining corpse along the floor.
“…!”
I covered my mouth.
It’s my first time seeing someone assigned to the same team get hacked to pieces before my eyes.
‘Stay calm.’
Nothing changes no matter what you do now.
What you have to do from now on doesn't change either…….
“…….”
Kim Soleum.
Do you remember that?
The way explorers used to gather high volumes before my Exploration Record.
By influencing the game by collecting many Items like name tags, or by increasing their presence by holding out for a long time.
‘It’s a shortcut.’
Then what must a participant do to properly "clear" the game?
‘……They have to see the ending.’
And in most games, the ending is….
After the boss fight.
“…….”
The time has come.
…The time to not be a coward.
‘Let’s go.’
I pulled out a Tattoo Sticker with a tomato tree drawn on it.
And with trembling hands, I applied it to my neck.
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