Someone who lost their smartphone on Death Road and struggled desperately to return to reality somehow.
I can say with certainty that I am not the first.
The <Dark Exploration Record> recorded the miserable and eerie ends of such people in quite a variety of ways.
For detailed records of employees and civilians missing on Death Road, check the '■■■ Route 16 Escape Attempt' document.
First… let’s check the common premises.
1. Any attempt to blindly follow another person receiving route guidance from their smartphone will unconditionally fail.
The app's route guidance could not be shared. In the end, all attempts concluded with 'at some point, the person being followed disappeared.'
As these records of failure accumulated, people gave up on this attempt and tried to find escape hints directly within Death Road.
‘There were all sorts of methods.’
A shop that offered to open a back door out of the alley if you gave them one of your limbs, a pedestrian who said you just had to go into a manhole, a shoe store that claimed you would see the way out if you wore these shoes….
The fortunate part is that I can skip trying all those and go straight to the conclusion.
All the aforementioned attempts failed.
…Yes.
It was a cruel fact inferred through induction.
2. The residents of Death Road have no idea how to get to reality.
It was all nothing more than a trick.
It was no different from grabbing a salaryman walking the streets of Seoul and asking them how to get to a ghost story.
The residents here simply don't have that knowledge in the first place.
‘I must abandon the expectation or plan itself to escape by gaining someone's help here.’
So, I had to come up with an escape method under the assumption that there would be no new hints at all…….
Phew.
"Section Chief."
"Yes."
I opened my mouth, which felt heavy.
"…I will brief you on what has been organized so far."
Next, premise number 3.
"From now on, we cannot normally enter new alleys."
Originally, a new alley appeared to the app user every thousand steps, and they could choose whether to enter or not.
But now that the pedometer app is finished, that rational method is also at an end.
‘We’re trapped in this alley.’
A situation might arise where the scenery changes as we walk, but we couldn't choose.
Essentially, as non-residents of this ghost story, we cannot find our way….
"Therefore, we must find a way out within this alley."
"Yes."
And number 4.
"…Also, we must leave before daybreak."
The time limit.
It goes without saying, but most of the field exploration teams in this company have strong nerves.
It meant there were even madmen among them who, if they ended up in an alley where there was no great danger as long as they followed the manual, would try this and that to see if they could raise the Solution Grade.
‘There were even times when the research team requested it at the corporate level.’
For instance… staying in Death Road for as long as possible without walking, within the limits of the smartphone battery.
The result?
Everyone lost contact.
…This 'loss of contact' is not a disappearance where there are eyewitness accounts of the person having turned into something bizarre, like the laborers in the back alley of the Boutique.
Total evaporation.
There is even a vivid record of an employee who communicated via exclusive equipment until they lost contact, after taking a room at an inn in the alley to try and stay for a day.
Exploration Employee: Yes, yes. I’ve entered a place called the Goldfish Eye Inn. Just in case, I plan to sleep while taking turns on night watch with Supervisor ■.
Exploration Employee: What did I pay for the lodging? Oh, well, I found someone who was going to die anyway and put them to good use. Just know it as that.
Exploration Employee: Anyway, I’m going to try staying up all night like this. If the Dream Essence Grade goes up because of this, you’re giving me the points properly, right?
(Omitted)
Exploration Employee: The sun is rising.
Exploration Employee: The sun is burning the alley! It's on fire! Everything is burning and everyone is running away, but I can't run— (Connection lost)
“…….”
I absolutely did not want to experience a situation like that.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
Walking through Death Road with my smartphone lost, recalling all of this, the sense of reality was beginning to hit me bluntly.
The fact that I could become one of those records.
"Constraint of time, constraint of space, constraint of method."
I managed to report to Lee Jaheon nonchalantly.
"…Overall, I think whatever method I come up with will be a gamble akin to an adventure."
"Yes."
Lee Jaheon was still calm.
"…Section Chief, are you not worried about the current situation?"
"Yes. Because worry has no utility in resolving the phenomenon."
“…….”
Wow.
‘Still, it seems like he’d join in without a word if I brought some crazy method, as long as it’s persuasive.’
Just like my colleagues I was with earlier.
“…….”
Wait.
‘Where did my colleagues go?’
Section Chief Lee Jaheon definitely told the colleagues who went into the shop next door to 'come out within 10 minutes.'
If they really came out after only 10 minutes.
‘Does that mean… they were there when the flash flood swept through the alley?’
Could they have been swept away and sucked into the current….
"Mr. Roe Deer!"
Ah.
As I turned my head, Kang Yihak and Jang Heowoon were running toward us, waving their hands.
Seeing as they held paper bags with yarn drawn on them in both hands, it seemed they had successfully completed their purchase.
"Whoa~ you were here!"
Kang Yihak was wearing a broad smile.
Phew.
"It seems your shopping went well."
"Ah, yes, yes. It seemed that shop owner was desperate for money. He set the price as if he were ready to sell his own hat. It was a really good, yes, a good shopping trip!"
Then, after glancing at Section Chief Lee Jaheon's face, she hurriedly pretended to check her smartphone and spoke quickly.
"Oh? No, has this much time passed already… I’m sorry. You told us to look for only 10 minutes, but I think I lost my mind because I found an item that would be helpful for exploration. I’m truly sorry, Section Chief!"
"Yes."
It seemed quite intentional, but it was a relief nonetheless.
They probably didn't even notice the flood outside because they were so focused on haggling.
However, Jang Heowoon, standing next to her, glanced at his paper bag with a slightly pale face.
"Mr. Bison, is there a problem with the item you purchased?"
"Ah, no. It’s not that…. Among the things they were selling, the raw material wasn't yarn… there were strange things like blood vessels mixed in."
“…….”
Good lord.
"Ah, of course I didn't buy those. Thank you so much for the coins, Mr. Roe Deer. I'll be sure to return it in gold once we get out…!"
"Come to think of it, I think it's about time to leave! Oh, have you been filling your step count in this alley? Can we share the 'remaining steps' through the app?"
Lee Jaheon answered immediately without expression.
"No."
"…Yes?"
Aaargh!
‘This Lizard!’
I kicked Section Chief Lee Jaheon's shin at an exquisite angle that the people in front couldn't see.
"?"
And then I said nonchalantly.
"I'm walking a bit slowly because there's something I need to check. Have the two of you filled your step counts?"
"Ah, it's probably almost done. I was moving back and forth so much while looking at things inside the store."
“…….”
"It is a bit of a shame~ I could have seen two more alley options!"
Kang Yihak smacked her lips.
On the smartphone screen that the colleague pulled out, the remaining steps came into view….
Don't give up on your body!
Remaining steps: 1052
"Since we’ve spent all the money you lent us, I suppose we should just check what the next alley is and then head back. Haha!"
"…Yes."
Did you know?
There was exactly one way for a person who lost their smartphone to successfully escape this place.
It was a method that had been recorded several times, sufficiently verified, and confirmed as fact.
And a similar opportunity almost came to me just now.
That is….
To steal someone else's smartphone.
Supervisor Park Dojeong got into a physical scuffle with a merchant during a transaction. In the process, 3 left ribs were hairline fractured, and the smartphone was destroyed.
Successful return after seizing a civilian's smartphone.
“…….”
I looked at Kang Yihak's smartphone, swinging defenselessly in the air….
"Yes. Then you two head back first. Section Chief, it's fine if the two of them return, right?"
"Yes."
I let the two colleagues go.
"Then we'll be going. Thank you…!"
"Haha, see you at the company tomorrow. Let's talk more about the spoils then~!"
The two of them walked down the alley and suddenly vanished.
…They must have gone to the next alley.
Let's not do things I can't handle.
‘This is an act of evil, plain and simple.’
In the worst case, I might have become unable to use the Silver Heart.
Even if that weren't the case, my mental state wouldn't be able to handle it if I later thought of a way I could have survived without stealing the phone….
‘Let's not go that far unless it's a truly dire situation.’
Because the moment I lose my boundaries, the contamination might accelerate.
I calmed down by lightly stroking the silver ring I was already wearing.
-Oh. Mr. Roe Deer, you chose dignity. That is a truly wonderful restraint!
-Among the guests, there are those who would not hesitate to do all sorts of low-life things just to get attention. That is also a noble professional spirit, but isn't it participants like you who win the hearts of the public?
Y-yeah.
‘Thanks.’
Not that I… necessarily wanted to be compared to that side….
I calmed myself, trying not to think about the incident that happened at the Tuesday Quiz Show.
Because in this current situation of being trapped in a ghost story, I didn't want to recall the direct experience of almost dying in one.
I merely dug through the records in my head and compared them to see if there was anything that could be a clue in this alley….
"Mr. Roe Deer."
Whoosh.
Lee Jaheon grabbed the back of my neck, opened the door to a shop, and threw me inside.
Then he entered himself and ducked down.
"Water is here."
"…!"
I raised my head.
The place we entered was a self-service laundromat.
Beyond the glass door printed with cheap lettering, I could see the alley filling with water….
Whooooosh.
Between the houses, in narrow gaps that weren't quite alleys, black water seeped out and clumped together, forming a shape like that mascot animal from before.
A limp dragon character.
‘…I don't think it's the real mascot.’
I didn't feel the clear intelligence I had felt back then.
But that made it even more eerie and threatening instead.
‘It seems like conversation would be impossible.’
-Indeed. It is a foolish judgment to try and converse with a parade balloon doll, Friend!
The mass of water began to roam the alley again, moving its limbs in a bizarre walk.
Fortunately, it didn't look into the laundromat.
‘Phew.’
Chocolate bars fell in heaps onto the wet ground where the water mass had passed.
It seemed they were products that had been swept out of the stationery store door by the flash flood earlier.
And the residents of Death Road who had been following, possessed by the parade, rushed toward them.
It's mine! It's mine!
Please send me to Cheerful Theme Park!! Please let me win!!
Let's find the good child! Let's find the good child!
All sorts of alley pedestrians and merchants swarmed, violently tearing open chocolate bars and searching for a 'Theme Park Winning Ticket' inside.
Presumably, an admission ticket or a Membership Pass was inside those.
…Like my tattoo.
: Socius :
'......I feel like my skin would be ripped off the moment I'm caught.'
Such typical ghost story developments crossed my mind, making my skin crawl.
But the moment the water mass disappeared from view beyond the alley again, I slightly opened the glass door.
Clink.
…Fortunately, the Death Road residents frantically rummaging through the chocolates didn't look this way.
I swallowed hard and flicked a coin, summoning the Third Hand into the air.
The translucent hand moved carefully through the narrow gap in the glass door and grabbed one chocolate bar that had bounced toward the laundromat from the alley….
As soon as the Third Hand returned inside the laundromat, I snatched the chocolate bar and shoved it into another tattoo.
‘Phew.’
Since the situation has already come to this, I should at least take some information to analyze.
Fortunately, perhaps the silver ring did its job perfectly, as I didn't feel any strange hallucinations, noise, or an intense desire for the theme park.
‘Let's look at it more closely after returning to reality.’
It was just as I was pulling my hand out of my tattoo inventory and dismissing the Third Hand.
I thought of an item that I had been carrying inside all this time, but hadn't yet attempted to use even once.
The most expensive item in the Alien Shop.
We Help! - ₩66,666,666
"…!"
I pulled out the item in question.
A small red button.
…Braun had certainly said so.
-Hmm. Right. You can understand it as meaning an ‘emergency escape,’ Mr. Roe Deer!
Emergency escape.
‘Should I press it?’
Considering the price, I felt like I should save it and use it in a higher-grade darkness, but with disappearance imminent, it might be better to use it quickly rather than risk something big while trying to gain a profit.
‘Okay.’
Let's see what happens.
Before using it, I showed the button to Section Chief Lee Jaheon.
"Section Chief, this is…."
"Do you need advice?"
“…….”
Huh?
"Do you need advice?"
"…Yes."
"Do not use it."
“…….”
An eerie premonition ran down my spine.
"This button, is it an item you know, Section Chief?"
"Yes."
"…Will something bad happen?"
"It depends on the criteria."
"…I'd like you to explain in more detail."
"It is impossible."
“…….”
"However, I do not recommend using it in the current situation."
“…….”
‘Whew.’
In the end, I put the button back.
This is because Section Chief Lee Jaheon does not tell lies, even if he notifies me that he cannot speak.
Furthermore, the fact that a Section Chief was also in a position to sufficiently purchase items from the Alien Shop made me even more concerned.
‘After all, I got the link to the Alien Shop through that side’s account.’
Overall, forcing the use of this item in the current situation felt like a foreshadowing that I would disappear after leaving a single line of a terrible exploration record.
-Oh, are you not pressing it? I was curious about what would happen, what a shame.
Oh, really?
I felt a strong sense of exhaustion.
It felt like realizing that a rope which suddenly appeared was not real, but a painting.
“…….”
I leaned my back against the laundromat wall and held back a sigh.
"Then all the remaining moves are gambles."
Section Chief Lee Jaheon looked at me. I tapped my arm with my fingers anxiously.
"Maybe if we just destroy one of the houses, a gap will form in the concept of an 'alley' and we can get out, or some such idea… wait a minute. Please don't destroy it!"
"Yes."
This is driving me crazy.
After dissuading the Lizard who was about to smash the wall with his bare hands, I slumped onto the floor.
‘Is this really the only way?’
Get screwed, or escape.
Is there really nothing more certain than betting on such an extreme game of chance?
Certainly, a way to leave a ghost story…….
…….
Ah.
"…!"
I jumped up from my seat.
"Mr. Roe Deer."
"Section Chief!"
This, this… I think it might be possible?
"There's a method I want to try. First, we need to go out of here and move…."
Lee Jaheon grabbed my shoulder and pulled.
"Stand back."
“…….”
I turned my head.
A black figure was visible through the glass door of the laundromat.
Staring in at us.
A mass of black water.
F o u n d Y o u .
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