Chapter 31: HAUNTER×HUNTER

【What a shame. You got an empty prize.】

An empty prize? And what the hell is that supposed to mean?

I nearly dropped my pen while copying everything into the Tarae Diary because of how absurd it was.

【You examine the trash.】

Bzzz.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated and the screen began flickering.

【Ugh! You feel an unpleasant sensation, as if your entire body is twisting. This trash is something incomplete, something that never managed to be finished.】

The “trash” depicted in pixel graphics was so distorted that it was difficult to tell what its original shape had been.

At times it looked like a long-haired girl wearing a red dress.

Other times it looked like spaghetti covered in burnt tomato sauce.

And sometimes it looked like fingers stained with balsam flowers over bruised fingernails.

【You will not end up like this. After all, you cannot leave before seeing the final parade, can you?】

Who exactly was this “you”?

Me, the one playing?

Or the monster I was controlling?

【You think about what to do with the trash. Will you throw it into a trash can? The Cleaning Cast will quickly sort it out. Or will you eat it? If you swallow something so disgusting, you might get sick.】

【▶ Throw it away】

【▶ Eat it】

【Throw it away!】

If I got sick from eating it, I would be the one suffering.

【As soon as you throw away the trash, a Cast who works to keep Happyland clean carries it away.】

【All Happyland Cast are happy and diligent! Thanks to that trash, they will be able to study how to make you happier. After all, that trash was once a visitor too. Just like you.】

So that was the setting.

It was probably one of the game’s monsters that had died during Lee Jinsu’s playthrough or his coworker’s.

Something like a member of the same species.

“Ah… Then maybe I shouldn’t have thrown it away.”

“Why?”

Hwang Juyeon asked after hearing me mutter.

“If the Cast study visitors, they might be able to counter us later.”

Since we’re in the role of visitors.

Hwang Juyeon’s expression became strange, so I quickly added,

“Well, it also said I could get sick if I ate it. So throwing it away was still the correct choice, right?”

“Both options probably had the potential to harm us. This isn’t a normal game.”

Only then did Hwang Juyeon seem to understand, and she nodded.

【Look! There’s the exciting ‘Dancing Viking,’ the chilling ‘Haunted House,’ and the refreshing ‘Waterfall Ride.’ They all look fun! Which one will you try first?】

【▶ Dancing Viking】

【▶ Haunted House】

【▶ Waterfall Ride】

In situations like this, it was best not to overthink things and simply choose the first option. At the very least, it made things less confusing.

【Dancing Viking!】

【Every time you fall from the highest point, stand up and enjoy yourself to the music! Be happy!】

【▶ Be happy】

【▶ Be unhappy】

【Be happy!】

An illustration of the Viking ride appeared, and music began to play.

There were no lyrics.

But the moment I heard the melody, I recognized it as belonging to the idol group that had been trapped there.

It certainly wasn’t the kind of song that would normally be played on a Viking ride at an amusement park.

【Ugh! You writhe in pain. What kind of horrible music is this?】

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

The phone vibrated violently as the screen continued to flicker.

【The sound of drums striking heaven and earth over and over. An unpredictable melody that rages like a storm before becoming as silent as a sea without a single breeze. A spell recited in an incomprehensible language. You feel as though hands are cursing you from the depths.】

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

The vibration felt as if my life were slowly being consumed.

【This cursed music has found a crack in the wounds you received from looking at that unfinished trash and has begun tearing you apart from within…】

The screen, which had been flickering nonstop, finally went completely dark.

【What a shame! Music has the power to save or kill someone. You are no longer in a condition to enjoy happiness. But even so, you can still be happy.】

【CONTINUE】

【EXIT】

I died.

Because of a song by dead idols.

Beside me, Hwang Juyeon let out a muffled gasp and looked at me anxiously.

Choi Jaeha and Yoo Hyunjae also simply watched me in silence, unable to say anything.

They could not force me to accept a penalty and continue playing.

But neither could they tell me to quit and pass the turn.

If the play order followed the order in which we had entered our names, then Hwang Juyeon would be next after me.

So if I pressed EXIT and quit here…

“……”

First, I summarized the script and options in the Tarae Diary while organizing my thoughts.

Honestly, I wanted to quit.

Of course I did.

But if I quit here…

Hwang Juyeon would probably want to quit the moment she got the chance as well.

And after her, Yoo Hyunjae.

And after him, Choi Jaeha.

And when it finally became the last person’s turn, Jung Jiho?

I glanced sideways at the child sitting in a chair taller than himself.

He looked exhausted after vomiting earlier.

His eyes were half-closed.

Not only was it impossible to entrust such a dangerous responsibility to a child who had not even entered elementary school yet.

Beyond any moral issue.

If nobody cleared the game, nobody would get out.

Could that child beat the game?

A child who had not even fully mastered reading and who had stopped communicating with others?

The same game that every adult had chosen to abandon in order to protect themselves?

“For now, I’ll keep going. As far as I can.”

So I had to advance as far as possible and gather information.

Even if the turn eventually reached Jung Jiho no matter what.

If we gathered enough data.

If we got lucky.

Maybe that child could clear it.

“Mr. Seon Yuhan…”

The emotions contained in Hwang Juyeon’s trembling voice felt almost as though they were my own.

Worry for me, who was about to lose a part of my body.

Relief that it was not her turn yet.

Guilt and self-loathing for feeling that relief.

And finally.

Gratitude toward me.

The moment I sensed all of that, I covered my mouth.

【CONTINUE!】

Suppressing a laugh that threatened to escape, I chose to continue.

After all, it wasn’t going to hurt.

No matter what I lost.

【The wise decision of someone like you never wastes an opportunity to be happy.】

【But happiness always comes at a price!】

Everyone stared at the screen while holding their breath.

【Don’t worry! It won’t hurt. A small contribution will make you happy: Foot】

“Haa…”

“Huff… Thank goodness. Well, not that it’s good news, but at least you’re still alive…”

I slowly lowered my head and looked at my shoes.

While sitting with my feet flat on the floor, I could barely notice a difference.

But when I carefully tried to move them, the sensation between the two was clearly different.

“Hmm…”

I felt my right ankle suddenly sink.

Tap.

I took off my shoe.

Then I understood exactly what had disappeared.

“Your heel?”

“Yes.”

The part of the sock corresponding to the heel was completely empty.

The instep, the ankle, and the toes were still intact.

Only the heel had disappeared.

I thought about taking off the sock as well to check the cut section.

But I gave up.

It was not something I should do in front of other people.

“Director.”

“Yes?”

“Does this count as a workplace accident?”

We both knew it didn’t.

Even the Ministry of Labor knew it didn’t.

I only said it because the atmosphere was too depressing.

“At the very least, I could move your hiring date forward in the paperwork.”

Fortunately, Director Yoo Hyunjae answered the joke with a smile in his voice.

“If something can’t be done, making it possible. That’s the thing I’m best at.”

I believed him.

Because nobody reached a position like his through ability alone, especially at his age.

【You have finished resting. Now it’s time to be happy again!】

The game resumed.

【Do you remember your name?】

【▶ I remember it】

【▶ I forgot it】

【I remember it!】

【What is your name?】

【▶ CJH】

【▶ Kim Jinwoo】

【▶ Seon Yuhan】

【▶ binary】

【▶ I forgot it】

And who the hell was Kim Jinwoo?

I looked at Yoo Hyunjae by instinct, but he simply shrugged to indicate that he did not know either.

“Could there be more people here besides the seven of us…?”

Choi Jaeha muttered in a tone as ominous as that of a victim destined to die first in a horror movie.

“I don’t think so… but it could be another NeoSoft employee.”

And if that were the case…

If the missing employees were also playing this same game…

“Eh? Then where is that person?”

Just like the interviewer or the children from the daycare, all the people who disappeared when the Tarae Building became a labyrinth were probably…

“Here. They may be trapped in exactly the same labyrinth.”

Existing in a separate space-time.

Identical.

Yet different.

“Ah. That makes sense.”

Yoo Hyunjae nodded.

“If people were divided to adjust the difficulty, it would be understandable. Labyrinths are usually easier the more people there are trying to solve them.”

Most problems in the world can be solved with enough resources.

Labyrinths are not an absolute exception.

The difference is that they consume too many resources.

Including human lives.

Even with unlimited time, money, and personnel, having a single person survive is already considered a miracle in an invasion-type labyrinth.

That is why ordinary people do not want to watch entire groups being sent to die.

Nor do they want to see endless resources wasted on something that will probably fail.

Although, of course, that opinion rarely includes the people trapped inside.

【Seon Yuhan!】

【Correct. You are Seon Yuhan.】

The truth was that I did not particularly want rescue teams to be sent either.

All they would accomplish would be increasing the number of body bags.

Because kind labyrinths are always prepared.

Prepared to create new rules and new phenomena so that the newcomers do not feel left out either.

That is why the Labyrinth Management Bureau makes access to invasion-type labyrinths so difficult.

And why, the moment one is confirmed, entry is blocked to everyone.

At least in theory.

【Look! It’s the Haunted House. A haunted house full of ghosts where you can enjoy chasing and being chased. It seems perfect for passing the time before lunch. Be happy!】

【▶ Be happy】

【▶ Be unhappy】

A haunted house where ghosts chase and are chased.

It seemed like an attraction that would also put the player in danger.

But at least it meant that afternoon would come after this.

One step closer to Happyland’s closing time.

【Be happy!】

An illustration of the haunted house appeared, colored in dark teal, purple, and black shades.

【You are walking through a dark hallway. Where will you enter first?】

【▶ Kitchen】

【▶ Living room】

When you know nothing, you choose the top option first.

【Kitchen!】

Tap-tap-tap…!

The sound of something running.

“ Aaaah!”

Blood splattered together with a chilling scream.

【What a scare! But a ghost with a kitchen knife cannot frighten you. You bite into a ripe red apple.】

Crunch, crunch.

【A sound comes from the living room.】

Clack, clack.

What sound effect was that?

It sounded familiar, but I could not quite place it.

【A sound comes from upstairs.】

Creeeak, thump…

That one I recognized.

It sounded like someone sneaking around on the second floor.

【Where will you enter now?】

【▶ Living room】

【▶ Roof】

【Living room!】

【You find a ghost sitting motionless on the floor. What is that enormous toy in front of him?】

Boom—! Ratatatat-boom!

“Ha…!”

“What is that? Why does it sound like that?”

Boom! Ratatatatat!

The explosions continued hammering against my ears.

【Ugh! You writhe in pain. What kind of ghost is that, tearing you apart?】

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

The screen began flickering rapidly.

【Without losing your courage, you run toward the ghost. You aren’t thinking of giving up here, are you?】

Ratatatat! Boom! Craaack—!

【What a shame! You defeated the ghost, but not even someone like you can withstand a continuous discharge of 18,000 J of energy. You are no longer in a condition to enjoy happiness. Even so, you can still be happy.】

【CONTINUE】

【EXIT】

That “clack” sound I had heard earlier from the living room.

It was the sound of a machine gun being loaded.