GSGW c230
Chapter 230
The Cheerful Research Institute office.
Director Ho.
The black roulette.
Something dangerous.
“Soleum….”
Instinctively, I covered Director Ho’s face with smoke.
The man wearing a Cheerful Research Institute employee ID was swallowed by the black smoke, his silhouette disappearing within it. I tried to read the history and settings attached to him. And erase him…
“You know, killing me would be a violation of company regulations.”
……
“Of course, if there were proof that I’m harming the company, that might be different… but do you have anything like that?”
……
I released the smoke.
Director Ho emerged from it exactly as before, still smiling.
Leaving a thin strand of smoke around his neck just in case, I spoke.
Request: Explain the situation.
“Oh, I was making an inspection round to check on the security team… and I happened to see the elevator button for Basement Level 29. So I pressed it.”
……
A lie.
“Hm?”
I raised my hand and lightly tapped the employee badge hanging from his neck.
Prepared.
“Ah.”
Director Ho glanced down at the badge and twisted the corner of his mouth into a crooked smile.
“You’re still sharp, I see. Even after becoming… that.”
His gaze ran over my appearance—the same prototype security-team uniform he had once given me—as if mocking it.
“That’s right. I’m also looking for a certain darkness, so I come down here for a stroll now and then. With this badge, you can move through this hell relatively safely.”
…Hell?
An odd choice of words.
But more important than that was something else.
Question: Source of the employee badge.
“I’m afraid I don’t see a reason to tell you. But… if you’d like, I could lend it to you. Want to try wearing it?”
Director Ho whispered kindly.
“If you put this on, you’ll be able to see the employees of the Cheerful Research Institute. I’ll make a special exception just for you, Soleum.”
……
I turned away and resumed searching.
“Soleum?”
'There’s no need to get tangled up with him anymore.'
One advantage of no longer having a human body—of having my life pawned to Director Cheong—had finally revealed itself.
I no longer needed to scramble to respond to everything he said.
“Soleum?”
I slipped the roulette into the pocket of my uniform and continued inspecting the office.
“Why are you taking that? Is it a darkness…? Ah, I suppose it is. I suspected it earlier, but it seems you recognized it right away.”
Director Ho continued casually.
“Perhaps darknesses created by the Cheerful Research Institute recognize each other?”
I stopped walking.
Just now—
“You know that Soleum was born from the Cheerful Research Institute’s last Dream Incubator, right?”
……
Question: When did you discover this?
“From the moment we first met, of course.”
…!
“But it seems you made the wrong wish. Considering you signed a contract with Director Cheong.”
I turned to face him.
He was smiling like a figure in a painting.
“Still, it’s probably much better for you to be here like this. Daydream Inc. accepts you no matter what form you take. As long as you have value to them… like you do, Soleum.”
Sophistry.
And that name—
Request: Change the way you address me.
Don’t call me by my real name.
“But Soleum is still Soleum, isn’t it?”
Was he doing it on purpose?
Hearing someone’s true name spoken in the middle of darkness set my nerves on edge.
Especially in the Cheerful Research Institute.
And even more so when the speaker was Director Ho.
“Well, if it bothers you that much, I’ll change what I call you. How about Roe Deer?”
I stared at him.
“I’ll take your silence as a yes. Roe Deer!”
Question: What do you know about me?
“I know that Roe Deer is something very special. Special enough that the last remaining researchers of the Cheerful Research Institute risked everything to summon you… and to smuggle you out.”
Director Ho’s voice suddenly lost all emotion.
“And special enough that, despite doing no intelligence work for the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, you were able to tell me information about Segwang Special City as if you already knew it.”
……
'So he was suspicious after all.'
Back when I handed over that information to obtain a wish ticket, it didn’t matter whether he found me suspicious.
I never expected we’d meet again like this.
And I realized something.
'He doesn’t know who I really am.'
He doesn’t know that I came from a world where there were no urban legends—only the <Darkness Exploration Records> wiki.
Maybe while rummaging through the underground Cheerful Research Institute, he had also seen the experiment logs I’d seen. But he didn’t seem to know anything more than that.
Which meant—
He actually wanted information from me.
And I had neither the intention nor the need to give him any.
I resumed my search.
“Hey… how about we trade information? Our identities, I mean.”
No need.
“Could we walk together? It’s a little scary wandering around alone…”
Claim: Afraid
▶ Does not meet the qualifications for a Daydream employee.
“…It’s fine. That rule only applies to full-time employees.”
Director Ho smiled again like a harmless, clumsy office worker.
“I’m just a contract worker. So it’s fine. …Just like you.”
…… If having your life permanently pawned could be called being a contract worker.
“Roe Deer?”
I stepped out of the office and continued down the corridor.
Footsteps followed behind me.
And his voice.
“Roe Deer?”
……
“Please go together with me, Roe Deer.”
Warning 1
Reason: Interference with duties
Accumulated warnings: 1 / 2 until disciplinary action
“……You’re issuing disciplinary action against me?”
Warning 2
Reason: Interference with duties
Accumulated warnings: 2 / 1 until disciplinary action
“Did someone tell Roe Deer that was allowed? Director Cheong Dallae? Researcher Kwak Jaekwang? Security Captain J3? Park Minseong…?”
Warning 3
Reason: Interference with duties
I turned around and grabbed his throat.
“...!"
Accumulated warnings: 3 / 0 until disciplinary action
Execution
Smoke coiled around Director Ho’s neck, covering his face again. He stretched out a hand—
'No.'
I grabbed that hand with my other hand, crushing it in place.
……
……
“Ah. I touched it.”
[Careful, my friend!]
Director Ho’s finger joints twisted grotesquely. They latched onto the zipper at the wrist of my security suit. Ziiiip
He dragged it down.
“You shouldn’t say things like that while wearing the shroud I made for you. You shouldn’t say such things when the covenant between us still stands.”
His long fingers reached toward the malformed flesh revealed beneath the unzipped sleeve.
Blisters rose across the flesh.
“Man. You will remove your—”
He was trying to invoke a binding prohibition.
But the blisters formed slower than before, and his hand twisted unnaturally.
Barely.
'How dare you.'
I covered him completely in smoke. Before the prohibition could activate, I read him first.
The record of Director Ho, affiliated with Daydream Inc.
Ho Yuwon
One afflicted with Nine-Tailed Fox Syndrome. Anyone who answers him nine times may become infected. His true name is ■■■. An entity serving as a Director at Daydream Inc. in order to reclaim his ■■■.
The Fox Counseling Room, which frequently appears in the Field Exploration Team’s records, is a darkness derived from him.
His true identity is the ■■■ of the ancient ■■■■■.
He harbors a certain resentment toward the Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau, and his most notable activity involves attempts to enter exploration records related to Segwang ■■■ City with ■■ attempted entries ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
There’s too much censorship.
What is this even saying? I have to read more. And the moment I read it, those ridiculously grand paragraphs erased themselves…
……
Wait.
Since when have I been able to recall a wiki page for someone who wasn’t on the wiki?
What is this?
What kind of ability is thiswhy can Ieditthiswhat■
'No.'
It’s collapsing. A strange ability the human mind cannot comprehend. My mind—barely recovered—my self, my reason—they’re breaking apart. I need to let go…
[Oh, my.]
Ho Yuwon and I let go at the same time.
“Cough!”
I heard Ho Yuwon fall to the floor and struggle to get up. I hurriedly closed the zipper at my wrist and regained my form—then immediately swung at him. Thwack. A short impact sound echoed as Ho Yuwon collapsed onto the floor again, gasping for breath.
……
“Ah. We’ve been discovered.”
From the far end of the corridor—
Something began approaching through the darkness, accompanied by screams.
[The office staff must have noticed the commotion.]
I immediately turned and started heading for the elevator. Director Ho hurried after me, right at my side.
One side of his face was bruised from the blow, blood running down it.
“Wow, well! If we have to run away like this, I guess we’re stuck going the same direction!”
He was insane.
I tried to grab the nearest elevator, but—
'Too far.'
The elevator display showed a bizarre number. There was no telling when it would arrive. Then…
Ding.
I pressed the left elevator call button again.
The one that went deeper underground.
----!!
Something strange echoed behind me.
The moment the left elevator doors opened, I stepped inside and slammed the close button.
Through the open doorway, I could see lights turning on one by one at the far end of the corridor…
Click, click, click…
The darkness vanished violently, one segment at a time, advancing toward us.
Just before the lights reached the elevator—
Thunk.
The doors closed.
…Successfully isolated from the 29th floor.
'Phew.'
“Congratulations. You made it out!”
Director Ho chuckled, then calmly adjusted his bloodied face and disheveled clothes.
The movements felt oddly compulsive.
Jingle.
The bell between my horns rang softly. The sound helped steady my mind.
'…What was that?'
That ability—the wiki-like document I could edit—No, more importantly… why could I use it so naturally? How?
'Since when could I even do that?'
I don’t know. Maybe since I became like this… No. I can’t be sure.
Even now, it feels like I could do it again if I tried. But if I do—it feels like something inside me will cross a line that shouldn’t be crossed.
Like my mental framework will collapse.
[Think of circus performers, my friend. If you push your joints beyond their range, you might create a spectacular performance—but you might also shatter your bones.]
[Mr. Roe Deer. It seems your remarkable performance will require practice and understanding.]
Right.
It would probably be difficult to properly use that ability while remaining myself.
'Use it carefully.'
And as for why I can do something like that… Calmly, quietly, deeply until the day I die… No.
'This is driving me insane.'
Let’s avoid thinking about it for now. Even that seems to affect my brain.
'Stay calm.'
Focus on what matters right now.
For example—the facts written in that wiki-like document my ability revealed earlier.
I took a mental deep breath and turned toward Director Ho.
The director named Ho Yuwon.
And probably… the counselor from the Fox Counseling Room.
“Roe Deer?”
So it really was the same person.
The shock flared through my mind before settling again.
I had definitely received help from the counselor at the Fox Counseling Room before. At the time, they had seemed like a good counselor. But urban legends often possess two sides.
'What matters is this.'
The current situation.
I cannot easily delete Ho Yuwon.
And Ho Yuwon cannot easily place a prohibition on me.
A stalemate.
And apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed the strange balance of power.
“It seems difficult for either of us to completely overpower the other, Roe Deer.”
…….
“Wouldn’t that make us a pretty good pair to travel together? It’s hard to abandon someone as bait and run away in a situation like this. Right?”
Do whatever you want.
Because—
[Oh dear, unfortunately that’s the wrong answer! Mr. Roe Deer always has a kind friend nearby who will help him.]
Even in a worst-case scenario, that would at least serve as a fatal defense. Unless the Host decided the other side was more interesting and chose to help him instead.
So I allowed Ho Yuwon to accompany me.
And so, a strange two-person expedition through the Cheerful Research Institute began—one that probably wouldn’t yield even a single drop of dream essence.
“Let’s take good care of each other, Roe Deer.”
My stomach feels like it’s twisting. Now that I’ve recently figured out where my stomach actually is attached, the sensation feels even more real… Sigh.
I crossed my arms and turned my gaze to the floor panel inside the elevator.
'And of course we took the left elevator…'
From here on, we were leaving the lower floors behind.
While the elevator still hadn’t started moving, I examined the buttons.
Below Basement Level 30.
Basement Floors 30–39 — The Office of Cheers
On these floors, the Cheerful Research Institute appears to be celebrating something. The area is usually noisy, filled with laughter.
Decorations like balloons, confetti, and celebration banners are often found in the corridors.
All attempts to read the congratulatory messages written on the banners have failed. There is a 60% chance of mental disorientation occurring.
Entities here are highly active, so caution is advised. Entities here are highly active, so caution is advised.
Risk Level: Medium
“Are you planning to go further down, Roe Deer?”
Maybe.
If I was going to risk danger anyway, I might as well go deeper…
Basement Floors 40–49 — The Office of Debate
On these floors, intense arguments can be heard from several offices. Previous explorers often described it as sounding like employees were making decisions that determined the fate of the entire company.
The conversation can be vaguely heard, but if one listens closely, it becomes impossible to understand properly, and explorers lose their sense of direction—making it impossible to find the elevator.
However, entities rarely leave the specific offices where the debates occur, so their activity level is low.
Risk Level: Symptoms
Going that far might not be a bad idea.
'Maybe I’ll get off at Floor 39.'
But while my gaze slid down the panel—
“Oh? Take a look at this.”
I saw what Ho Yuwon was pointing at.
At the very bottom of the panel.
A lone button displaying an unnatural number.
[ 96 ]
'...!!'
Far below.
A basement level that shouldn’t exist in reality.
The deepest layer of this urban legend.
Basement Floors 90–99 — [CENSORED]
Do not press the elevator button.
If pressed accidentally, close your eyes and press the elevator close button to escape to another floor.
Entry is prohibited for all full-time employees, including the Field Exploration Team, Research Team, and Security Team.
Risk Level: [CENSORED]
The button leading there had appeared.
"......"
A dangerous choice.
A situation where one normally wouldn’t press it.
But—
“Roe Deer, aren’t you curious—”
I pressed the button.
“….!!”
The elevator began to move.
Downward. Far, far below.
He didn't even let him finish-hahahaha
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