Chapter 2: 2. I’m Human
The realization of ghost stories.
Once, I’d fantasized about that kind of thing.
No, I’d been doing that ever since I first learned what ghost stories were.
Whenever I made a ghost story, I wondered what it would be like if it became real.
There were even times when I’d scared myself so badly with something I’d created that I lost sleep at night.
It was probably an imagination everyone had indulged in at least once, but…
"Who the hell would want to see a ghost story in real life?"
I could guarantee it.
No one sincerely wished for that.
Who in the world would want to encounter insane monsters that ate people?
Unless they were praying for the things to please fuck off.
"Phew… This is seriously driving me insane."
With a sigh, I glanced sideways at my phone screen.
[Chat] How long do you think this newcomer will last?
Author: LookAtMyEyes
Unfortunately, I think a week is his limit, yeah…
You can tell from the map a gallery user provided,
but Seoul’s situation right now is genuinely ridiculous.
The Bureau is planted right up ahead,
and low-intelligence anomalies just tore through the area behind him.
Even the named ghost stories that have had a taste of humans are all backing off.
Unless this newcomer is absurdly strong, he’ll probably die before long…
Let’s all observe a moment of silence.
[Total Comments - 7]
LookAtMyEyes: Ah, fuck.
└ RockPaperScissorsGuy: Lmao, that’s got to be fucking embarrassing.
└ LookAtMyEyes: How the hell was I supposed to predict that?
DontTurnAround: What? What’s going on?
└ EightSpiderLegs: Looks like he wrote it before the newcomer arrived, but the newcomer’s post just now says he’s an absolute fucking monster lol.
└ DontTurnAround: The newcomer came by?? Link, please!!!!!
└ CleanlinessKing: Do you not browse the gallery? The entire Ghost Story Gallery is talking about the newcomer right now.
A post uploaded just a few minutes ago.
Low-intelligence anomalies and whatever—it all looked suspicious as hell even at a glance.
There was plenty I wanted to pick apart, but something else was what I needed to focus on.
"LookAtMyEyes, DontTurnAround… Those are ghost-story rules."
The gallery users’ usernames, of course.
Every name I’d seen so far had an excessively obvious purpose.
Normally, I should have been seeing sleazy words about sucking someone’s tits or trampling on 2D rights.
These names were far too contrived to have been made by people.
And taking the contents of their posts into account, there was only one conclusion.
"The users here must be ghost stories. Not grade-schoolers roleplaying—actual monster bastards."
I clutched at my head as a throbbing headache set in.
I couldn’t dismiss this as a delusion.
I was trapped in the Backrooms right now, after all.
Only idiots ignored something even after seeing it firsthand.
"…Get a grip. First, I need to sort out this mess."
Having been wallowing in despair, I slapped my cheeks a couple of times and pulled myself together.
The gallery was still in an uproar with posts and comments.
Things were already on fire, and if I—the center of this whole incident—didn’t react, they would get suspicious.
I hurriedly moved my fingers and uploaded a new post.
[Chat] All right, everyone, calm down.
Author: Anonymous (999.1)
Newbie here can’t understand half the stuff you people are saying, you know?
Could someone explain it to me in a private chat?
First person to message me—no, first anomaly to message me—gets priority.
[Total Comments - 10]
BloodFader: Wow, look at that tone. This newcomer is arrogant as fuck.
└ GiveMeSomethingToEat: Dude, look at their anonymous ID.
└ BloodFader: F-f-f-f-fuck, I’m sorry;;;;
└ CleanlinessKing: Just like that other guy before, why are there so many people who don’t browse the gallery?
RaiseYourVoice: You think anyone would dare message them? Say one wrong thing and your head would explode on the spot.
└ YourMoneyMyMoney: Seriously. Even past 300, everyone keeps quiet because they’re scared of offending them, but 999? Lmaoooo.
└ [Author] Anonymous (999.1): No, so what the hell is this 300?
└ MidnightBus: Eeeek, my head’s gonna explode! Everybody run!!!!!
└ YourMoneyMyMoney: I’msorrypleasejustletmeliveI’lldowhateveryousayplease
└ [Author] Anonymous (999.1): Fuck.
This was bad.
These bastards weren’t listening to a word I said.
Ah, was that only natural because they were anomalies?
"They’re having such a great time talking about stuff only they know."
I gave a hollow laugh as I watched the comments pour in without end.
Just as I was wondering whether I had no choice but to write a 5,700-character post begging for information—
EightSpiderLegs: Me me me me me.
└ EightSpiderLegs: Please, seriously, give me a chance, Newcomer.
"Huh? There’s an anomaly willing to explain things?"
A private chat came in from some kind anomaly.
I sprang up from where I’d been lying on the floor and replied.
Anonymous (999.1): Oh, yeah. Please explain.
└ EightSpiderLegs: Yes! TheGhostStoryMinorGalleryisanextradimensionalcontactnetworkcreatedbytheFirstGhostStorywhoisnotdeadnowbutbecameananomalyandfortherecordthissystemhasaselfandeachuserhasdifferentabilities
I take that back.
This guy was no ordinary kind anomaly.
He was demanding reading comprehension beyond three lines from me.
I hadn’t even finished elementary school.
When I didn’t reply, the anomaly stopped explaining and left a new comment.
EightSpiderLegs: Ah. My apologies! You probably can’t understand language yet!
└ Anonymous (999.1): No… Forget it. Just give me a simple summary.
└ Anonymous (999.1): And just talk casually. It’s more comfortable that way.
└ EightSpiderLegs: Okay, this newcomer is seriously likeable lololol.
Talk about an abrupt change in attitude.
That kind of way of talking did suit me better, but it was still disconcerting.
As I let out a baffled laugh, another comment appeared.
EightSpiderLegs: As you can see, everyone living here is a monster.
└ EightSpiderLegs: The things we call anomalies or ghost stories, yeah.
I’d expected that from the beginning.
What I wanted to know was why they were all making such a fuss.
I got my answer soon enough.
EightSpiderLegs: But you already know that.
└ EightSpiderLegs: What you want to know is why they’re acting like that, right?
└ Anonymous (999.1): Yeah, yeah. Why the hell are they like that??
└ EightSpiderLegs: Um… It’s just because you’re crazy strong.
└ EightSpiderLegs: Here, the first digit of an anonymous ID represents recognition, and for us anomalies, that directly translates into strength.
"I see, so that’s the setting."
In other words, the higher the number at the start of your ID, the stronger you were.
And they were all trembling because mine was 999.
I could guess why it was 999.
"This is the Backrooms."
The report had said it was some kind of empty place, but…
To me, it was just the Backrooms.
The most famous creepypasta in the world.
The reason the number looked like that was probably…
Could the gallery have mistaken the Backrooms for the user instead of me?
Because I wasn’t a ghost story.
Anonymous (999.1): Okay, got it. Then what’s the number at the end?
└ EightSpiderLegs: That represents the form you take in reality.
└ EightSpiderLegs: It’d take forever to explain it all, so for now, just know that 1 means humanoid.
"Good. I understand perfectly."
No, actually, I didn’t understand at all.
Why was the strength based on the Backrooms, but the user was based on me?
It was just doing whatever the hell it wanted.
EightSpiderLegs: Wait, fuck, I’m getting pressured over hogging the newcomer all to myself.
└ EightSpiderLegs: You should probably check the gallery notices for the rest of the information.
└ Anonymous (999.1): Why are they pressuring you over that;; Anyway, thanks.
"Notices, huh? I should be able to get my bearings if I look there."
There were still mountains of unanswered questions, so I searched through the gallery for information.
There had to be something like a guide to using the gallery for newbies.
"Organizations to watch out for… The Bureau? That’s a pretty lazy name."
**
Step. Step.
"Senior, wasn’t the Bureau’s name picked way too lazily?"
"Seoyun. That lazily named place is our company."
The Bureau’s Seoul Special City Branch.
The Ghost Story Initial Exploration Team.
Its newest hire, Kang Seoyun.
Walking down the nighttime streets with the exploration team leader, she boldly gulped down her coffee.
Gulp! Gulp!
"…Ah! The coffee here really is delicious."
"Naturally. All the Bureau’s employee benefits are made of ghost stories."
Seoyun tossed her empty coffee cup onto the ground.
For a moment, it seemed to melt rapidly before vanishing without a trace.
"Enjoy it?"
"Yes! I’m feeling totally refreshed!"
"Good. Then let’s go die once."
When the exploration team leader stopped and turned around—
"Annihilation! All exploration personnel are prepared to enter!"
Combat personnel clad in dark crimson reinforced suits stood aligned in neat ranks.
Snap!
The member at the very front saluted the exploration team leader.
"Annihilation. You all brought your cognition-obscuring ghost stories, right?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Lead the way."
The personnel moved while maintaining their formation.
Seoyun and the exploration team leader followed behind them.
Whoooosh.
It was late at night, and every light on the street had gone out.
A cold dawn wind swept past the roadside trees.
As the breeze—somehow refreshing and somehow eerie—washed over her, Seoyun wore an uncomfortable expression.
"What’s with that face? Scared?"
"Y-yes!?"
At that moment, a sharp prickling sensation came from her side.
The exploration team leader poked Seoyun in the waist.
"W-what would I be scared of!? I’m totally fine!"
With her arms folded, Seoyun snorted sharply.
However, she couldn’t hide the slight trembling at the corners of her eyes.
"It’s okay to say you’re scared if you’re scared. I’m scared, myself."
"…You are, Team Leader?"
The exploration team leader let out a hearty laugh, white winter breath spilling from his mouth.
Seoyun was utterly shocked by his words.
"Of course. Thirteen B-rank exploration personnel disappeared here. Why wouldn’t I be scared?"
"Well… There has been quite a bit of talk among the new recruits."
Provisional ghost-story designation: Void.
A dangerous ghost story that had brought tragedy upon the Bureau’s elite, who ventured in to investigate it only to have every last one of them disappear.
That was where they were headed now.
"What, is it unexpected?"
"Honestly, yes."
"Then put your mind at ease and be as scared as you want. In a ghost story, fear is both a weakness and a strength."
"…Yes, thank you."
Just as Seoyun looked at the exploration team leader with admiration—
"We’ve arrived! Beyond this point is the ghost story’s boundary!"
One of the personnel came to a stop and pointed between the buildings.
An alley where one couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
Even accounting for the darkness of night, it was far too dark.
Swoosh.
"Hmm. It really is."
When the exploration team leader extended his arm toward the darkness, his hand passed through the wall and vanished from sight.
The sight, as though his arm had been severed, was deeply grotesque.
"Everyone, equip your cognition-obscuring ghost stories."
"Yes!"
The personnel, including Seoyun, took out their respective items from their pockets and used them.
Some drank fluorescent-colored beverages, while others took out watches and put them around their necks.
"I’ll enter first. Follow three minutes later, according to the manual."
The exploration team leader pounded his chest with a fist, then charged in.
Sliiide. His figure disappeared into the darkness.
As if nobody had ever been there to begin with.
Exactly three minutes later, one of the personnel stepped forward to the mouth of the alley.
"We’re entering too. Newbie, you follow last."
"Understood."
"Tch, listen to that voice. Why did someone like that get into the exploration team?"
"…?"
The team member glared at Seoyun with disapproval.
"Don’t get cocky just because the team leader favors you. The Bureau has more than enough new recruits to replace you."
When he beckoned for them to follow, the other personnel followed him into the darkness.
Each of them swept their eyes over Seoyun with their own emotions.
Sympathy. Pity. But mostly jealousy.
"…"
All the personnel successfully entered, leaving Seoyun as the last one behind.
…This is unfair. It’s not like I wanted to come here in the first place.
She swallowed down a bitter, resentful gulp.
Seoyun hadn’t volunteered to join the exploration team.
The team leader—no, the people above—had ordered her to take the position.
She would have quit long ago and taken a rear-support role if she could, but…
I was insane. Why did I have to capture an Ominous-rank anomaly during my initiation?
Because she’d hunted a high-rank anomaly right after joining the company, Seoyun had been marked as an absolute monster of a rookie.
That was why she had been mobilized for this expedition.
And why the senior personnel resented her.
How irritating it must have been for a rookie to stand on the same footing as them.
Ha. What can I do? This is just how working life is.
She felt like knocking back a drink, but she couldn’t.
It was time to enter the ghost story.
You can do this, Kang Seoyun. You need to hang in there, if only for the team leader.
After patting her own shoulder and shaking off her gloom, Seoyun hurled herself toward the darkness with all her strength.
Her vision flickered rapidly.
From black to purple, then from purple back to white.
From a solid color to a hospital, from a hospital to a school,
to a forest, a prison, a swimming pool, a library,
a park, a cemetery, beneath the sea, a banquet hall.
Am I… almost there?
Her wildly shifting vision stabilized, soon turning into a dreary light-brown room.
She had arrived inside the ghost story.
Where is everyone else?
Seoyun raised her head and looked ahead.
She saw the backs of the personnel who had arrived first, as well as the exploration team leader.
They were crouched low, warily watching something.
"No, I’m telling you, I’m not a ghost story?"
"Don’t lie. Put your hands up properly, humanoid anomaly."
"…Hah."
Voices carried from beyond the crowd.
Seoyun quickly approached and peered past the personnel.
Countless gun barrels were trained on something.
"A-a person?"
At the other end stood a human.
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