GDCG c271
Chapter 271
I know it might sound strange—but the Daydream Inc. research team frequently uses darknesses for equipment production.
After all, equipment is usually something that helps you survive inside ghost stories.
Why would a research team need that directly? But if you saw it yourself, you’d understand.
How something like the 'Cheerful Research Institute’s Toy Maker' could be used by them.
And how it could replace Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s missing body parts.
“Alright. Then let’s set our route to E07.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Just like that, the first destination for equipment production within the annex was decided.
…Now, it was time to move.
“We’re proceeding.”
“Understood.”
The moment Section Chief Lee Jaheon made the call, he moved without hesitation. We followed, stepping into the dark corridor.
Annex, Basement Level 3—Darkness Containment Zone.
Strange noises echoed from the tightly sealed metal doors lining both sides, but we ignored them and advanced carefully—
“Stop.”
EXIT
A dead end.
And there—the emergency door revealed itself.
Right. This time, we planned to move directly up one level—to Basement Level 2—through the emergency stairs.
—Access authorization doesn’t exist for Basement Level 2, so we’ll enter from another floor and move secretly.
The annex’s emergency staircase was different from the one in the main building’s basement—the one leading toward the bizarre Cheerful Research Institute, marked with absolute no-entry warnings.
'This one has records in the Dark Exploration Records—security teams entering, people escaping.'
Of course, it still wasn’t a normal route. Strange things could happen while using it.
'But it’s usable.'
Up ahead, Section Chief Lee Jaheon raised his hand.
“I’ll open it.”
Normally, emergency doors would lock down during containment failures, and even opening them would trigger alerts. But this time—by sheer “coincidence,” that system would fail too.
Even if someone with impossible strength forced it open.
Crack… creak…
The emergency door must have opened like that.
…….
“Roe Deer?”
But I couldn’t see any of it.
'As expected.'
Inside the Annex, I couldn’t perceive any means of leaving a floor. Just like the elevators.
As a special employee assigned to floor security, I simply wasn’t allowed to recognize paths that led outside the floor.
'I see.'
…Losing the ability to see something you once could—it felt strange.
Even the emergency exit looked like nothing more than an extension of the wall. A wall of smoke and darkness.
But—
Recommendation: Move while following 130666’s line of sight
If others were there—I could follow them.
“…Alright.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje stepped right in front of me.
“Be careful.”
“Got it!”
Having finished securing the broken door behind us, Section Chief Lee Jaheon lightly lifted the wheelchair.
Then—he walked forward. And everyone stepped into the wall.
I followed them and 'passed' through it.
From my perspective, it was like stepping into endless emptiness.
“You okay?”
Affirmative
Even if I couldn’t see the exit—I could still see them. That was enough.
Everyone began climbing the emergency stairs.
Using smoke, I blinked from place to place, ignoring my unmoving legs as I stayed close.
In my mind, I reconstructed the shape of the staircase.
'Emergency stairs usually spiral… turning in half-circles as they go up.'
So after one or two turns, we should’ve reached the next floor.
"......"
"......"
But they kept walking.
Up and up.
“Hey… there’s no door.”
“Quiet.”
The space was… warped.
Still, I advised:
Recommendation: Keep walking
It wasn’t dangerous.
'There are records like this.'
Containment failure: Qterw-E-352.
Two members of Field Exploration Team F used the emergency stairs to escape from an entity inside the elevator.
Time elapsed: 1 hour 21 minutes.
Beside me, Baek Saheon muttered curses under his breath as he kept moving.
And then—
“…We’re here.”
They stopped.
B2F
“Basement Level 2 emergency door. Time taken: 12 minutes, 53 seconds.”
And—
“No entry. Under Security Team control… huh.”
The door was sealed with warning markings.
Naturally, during emergencies, these doors locked down instead of opening. And right now—B2 was in a state of emergency.
But we had already coordinated with today’s assigned manager of Basement Level 2.
“I’ll knock.”
Knock. Knock-knock. Knock.
A prearranged rhythm. A melody learned from the ghost story of the Ritual String Lesson.
And then—
Click.
The door opened just a crack. A pale, faded face. Sharp, yellow, animal-like eyes scanned us. Then—
The head withdrew, and the door opened wider.
“Come in… quietly….”
Holding even our breathing, we slipped inside.
My perception returned as I stepped into the corridor.
Annex Basement Level 2. A place I had visited before.
[Oh, just as dull a structure as B3.]
But one thing was different—
[Though I suppose they didn’t need to express individuality through filth!]
Grotesque traces covered everything.
Sticky black residue clung to the floor, claw marks gouged the walls, half-torn talismans layered thickly, star dust, shredded cloth, and crude smiley graffiti.
All signs of the Security Team’s “suppression.”
Evidence that invited dreadful imagination.
“……”
“……”
J3—the guard captain—pulled his cap lower.
“That way… other Security Teams are… handling containment… so don’t go there….”
He had taken on the role of openint the door, guiding us through safer routes while avoiding other Security Team members.
Alone.
—He’s… very capable, so he often gets assigned entire sections alone.
—He’s probably patrolling half of B2 by himself.
—Yeah….
“So you’re the only one here?”
“Yes…….”
We confirmed our destination. The guard captain nodded.
“Follow me… and don’t activate illusions….”
His gaze dropped slightly.
“You might… provoke something….”
“......"
“Just stay quiet.”
We did exactly that.
I stayed at the back, silently following, watching for danger.
J3 walked slowly, holding a flashlight. But his steps never hesitated—as if he sensed every presence around us.
“Wait… hold.”
We stopped. When he moved again, we followed.
After time stretched tight with tension—through corners and branching paths…
We arrived.
E-07
The destination.
The ghost story.
“Just a moment….”
The guard captain pressed his access card beside the metal door.
Beep. The sealed door opened. And beyond it—
“Hoh.”
A nighttime street.
A meticulously constructed alley, like a model set. Under dim streetlights stood a single, worn-down shop.
A dusty display window bore a faded poster: “Special Sale for Birthday Gifts!” but a “Close” sign hangs on the door.
And behind the toys displyed in the glass window were all…
“Dolls….”
That’s right.
Knitted dolls. Characters pulled from fairy tales and folklore were lined up.
Yarn bundled into hair and polished gems embedded as eyes, reflecting faintly under the streetlight.
=====================
Dark Exploration Records / Ghost Story
[Cheerful Research Institute’s Toy Maker]
: The ghost story appearing in the <Dark Exploration Records> of Daydream Inc., bearing the identification code Qterw-E-07.
A ghost story taking the form of an old toy shop.
Specializes in knitted dolls. If provided with the recipient’s name, birthday, hair color, and eye color, it produces a birthday gift toy once per day.
To utilize it stably at Twilight-Grade, the environment must remain in a ‘night’ state. If ‘day’ arrives, ■■ ■■ will occur.
A ghost story held by Daydream Inc. since its founding, continuously used by the research team for darkness development trials.
=====================
…A ghost story from the Cheerful Research Institute that Daydream Inc. had possessed since its earliest days.
'Did they already have it when the company was founded?'
Before, it might have sounded like nothing more than a phrase meant to emphasize its connection to the research team—but now…
It gave off an odd feeling.
For now, though, equipment production came first.
“Let’s go.”
After firmly shutting the iron door behind them, the group finished securing the entrance and walked down the midnight model alley, approaching a worn-down shop.
Then they knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
As per the manual, the designated safe phrase was recited…
“I’m in a hurry to get a birthday gift. Are you still selling them, by any chance?”
A moment later.
Flicker.
“...!"
A soft light seeped into the dust-covered bulb above the shop, and the lock on the glass door clicked open.
“…Excuse us.”
We stepped inside cautiously.
The shop looked like it had been closed for a long time, buried in dust. The air carried the stale scent unique to aged wood—mixed with mold and the tang of rusted metal.
But there was one thing—just one—that was lit.
A machine shaped like a vending unit.
“……”
Behind it, thick and intricate connections like a ventilation duct stretched outward, and beside it ran a rail meant to dispense finished items.
At the slot that resembled where you’d insert bills, a light flickered at the top, displaying text.
This… was the equipment production device we had been looking for.
“Want to try it right away?”
“Yes.”
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae rolled her wheelchair forward in a swift motion.
The slot that looked like it accepted bills actually required a different kind of paper.
An application form.
Please tell us about the child receiving the gift!
Name: Lee Seonghae
Birthday: May 20
Hair color: White
Eye color: Black
Writing down a real name and even a birthday felt a bit unsettling, but this ‘Toy Maker of the Cheerful Research Institute’ had never caused issues related to real names or birthdays despite its long history of use. By that inductive reasoning, the concern eased.
After finishing, Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae held up the form.
“Then I’ll put it in.”
Yep.
And the application form slipped straight into the Toy Maker’s slot…
…No.
It was supposed to.
Thud.
The machine spat the form back out.
“…Huh??”
A red light blinked above the slot, displaying a message…
- Under Repair-
If you require immediate service, please contact a researcher.
“It’s… broken?”
The group exchanged startled looks.
It wasn’t unheard of.
Exploration Record #114
Assistant Manager Kwak of Research Team 1 inserted a forged application form. Device displayed a malfunction message.
The darkness was left unobserved. Upon returning after 7 weeks, it had automatically repaired itself and resumed operation.
There had been records of malfunctions like this—cases where, if left alone, the device would recover on its own after anywhere from a few weeks to several months…
The problem was that we needed to use it right now.
“Wait, are we the ones who broke it?”
“I don’t think so… We just put in the form. It feels like it was already broken!”
Then had something already happened in this corridor?
We instinctively turned to look at J3, but for some reason, he was standing outside the shop, keeping his distance.
I was about to step out and call to him when—
'…Wait.'
I paused and reread the message.
If you require immediate service, please contact a researcher.
A researcher.
And looking more closely, there was a strange rectangular mark on the lower part of the machine.
I realized that its size was almost identical to something I had.
'…No way.'
After a brief hesitation, I took the item out.
Cheerful Researcher
Lee Heoun
It was the employee ID of a Cheerful Research Institute staff member we had found in the basement of Daydream Inc.’s main building.
“Roe Deer?”
I pressed the ID card against the rectangular mark at the bottom of the machine.
At that moment—
Hello, Researcher!
"...!"
A diagram resembling a braille-like blueprint on the lower section of the machine lit up as well.
Lights flickered chaotically, racing across different parts of the design.
Running self-diagnosis…
Diagnosis complete!
Marking areas requiring repair.
A section of the ‘Toy Maker’ blueprint lit up in red.
I moved closer to that part and carefully examined the connection… Then I noticed something strange.
Something was stuck inside the machine.
'...!'
Using smoke, I carefully pulled out the small object. It was…
'An earring?'
It looked like some kind of rusted ornament.
Like an old accessory excavated from ancient ruins or a grave, it felt completely out of place here—giving off an eerie, unnatural presence…
Repairs complete.
-Resuming normal operation-
Either way, it was fixed.
“Roe Deer. What you did just now…”
I showed the others the earring that had been lodged inside, then urged them to proceed with making the equipment first. That was the urgent matter.
“Got it! Thank you, Roe Deer!”
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae looked at me with sparkling eyes, then inserted the application form once more.
And then…
This time, it worked properly.
The machine sparkled as it played a music box melody, prompting Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae to choose a “desired size.”
“Let’s go one-to-one scale.”
She pressed the button, and with a burst of loud mechanical noise, something inside the machine began clanking—colliding, cutting, assembling…
And after a few dozen seconds.
Thump.
A “birthday gift" popped out onto the rail.
It was…
A knitted doll the exact same size as Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae.
“…!”
As if it had been handcrafted with care while staring directly at her, everything matched—her hairstyle, eyes, clothing, even her body proportions.
Black cubic stones, glimmering with a green hue, were embedded as its eyes.
Pushed along the moving rail, it slowly slid forward… then naturally dropped off the end.
<Hello?>
It stood upright.
And greeted us.
<Something feels a bit off, but it’s nice being with kind people!>
No one answered.
The doll’s glowing eyes turned toward Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae, seated in her wheelchair.
<…Huh? Wait a second. Why do I look like this? That’s strange… and why is there another me over there…?>
<Ah.>
Snap.
Section Chief Lee Jaheon tore off the tag attached to the doll’s head from behind.
At that moment—
The knitted doll dropped back onto the floor like a toy.
Lifeless.
'......'
Dolls created by the Toy Maker exhibit speech and behavior extremely similar to the “gift recipient” specified in the application.
However, they are not recognized as human by the dream essence collector. The larger their size, the shorter their operational time, so the research team uses them sparingly for limited experiments involving new darkness.
Note: Once created, the same person cannot be used as a target again.
“Alright, I’ll take it apart.”
Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae detached the doll’s leg.
For some reason, I watched in stunned silence…
It felt strange.
There were plenty of ghost stories that imitated humans. So even if others felt a bit unsettled, it didn’t seem to affect them much.
'Why…'
Was I so shaken?
Was that doll really just made to imitate Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae’s appearance? Or did it actually possess some form of self-awareness…?
'…Stop it.'
It was pointless to think any more.
I simply watched as she carefully inserted her unmoving leg into the hollow space inside the detached knitted limb.
Then—I watched Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae stand up from her wheelchair.
“Mm. Works well!”
Right.
That doll could be controlled according to the will of the “gift recipient,” which made that kind of usage possible.
'Hoo.'
I should just be relieved—and happy—that she had safely obtained a temporary leg she could use.
Because honestly, it was a good thing.
“Are you going to use one?”
“No!”
“Yes.”
As Baek Saheon recoiled beside me in horror, backing away from the knitted dolls, Assistant Manager Eun Haje spoke to me.
“Roe Deer. Shouldn’t you get a leg here too?”
……
About that.
Unavailable for Use
Target: 130666
I pointed to the warning notice attached to the side of the machine, partially obscured by shadow.
“...!”
※ This toy
is designed for the enjoyment
of modern Earth humans.
For safety reasons, extraterrestrials, otherworldly beings,
non-intelligent entities, gods, and all non-human
intelligent lifeforms are prohibited from use. :)
“…Damn.”
Sorry, but that’s how it is…
'Is this a trait of the Cheerful Research Institute’s products?'
The candle I had used back at the Mansion of the Blind had similar conditions, so I couldn’t use it and had to ask Ms. Go Yeongeun for help instead.
…Back then, I had thought it was simply because I came from another world.
“Then let’s hurry and find the next one and move. This really sucks for someone who’s contaminated.”
…Thank you.
I nodded and stepped out of the shop. Assistant Manager Lee Seonghae, now walking again, came out smiling, and we headed over to the guard captain leaning against the iron door.
'If things get bad, we’ll just head back.'
Even without legs, I could still move using smoke, so there would be other ways to obtain legs before entering Segwang Special City.
But then…
[Hmm, something about this feels… off!]
The guard captain stood completely still, staring at the ground.
'...?'
I let out a wisp of smoke and brought it in front of his eyes.
Concern: Current condition of J3
“I’m fine……”
/tn. no you're not 😒
Only then did the guard captain lift his gaze to look at me.
But in the next moment, another eye burst out from his temple, twitching as it turned to look toward the shop.
The dust-covered display case with the toys inside it. Among them…
A red hood.
'…Damn it!'
I tensed up.
For a moment, it felt like J3’s gaze bulged and twisted into something grotesque and violent.
“…We’re leaving, right…?”
The guard captain turned his head, then reverted to his usual withered, sluggish employee demeanor, dragging his feet as he approached the iron door.
…That was a relief.
Affirmative.
As I followed behind him, I spread smoke to block his line of sight as much as possible—so he wouldn’t look at the shop.
And the unstable guard captain slowly, gradually regained his composure as he opened the iron door…
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