Chapter 6
4bkrBefore I could answer, she spoke in a cold voice.MNvAA
XkkeVw“Nut Candy.”0eg
EP6It was an interrogation that made it clear I shouldn’t even try to make excuses.PKGZ
rnlHer words brought a scene to mind.3d5bAga
gRUgD“Well, I found this candy, and it said it could repair toys.”oQuTv
BKiIt was what I had said when I explained why I was putting Sad Smiley’s pieces back together.cy9o
azBEGIf someone wasn’t a Compatible, they couldn’t see the item description for Nut Candy.8Ku2
oIHIn other words, they couldn’t see the system windows.m8dZH
hYeo5D7It was simple logic.tuA
mg4But for me, the existence of system windows was so natural that I had made a mistake.0dzc
AlR8Mo Haein must have started suspecting me from that moment.ZMZ
D2i4CsUAnd now that I had survived perfectly well after being left completely alone, it seemed she had confirmed her suspicions.nk7Q
DwQLY‘I’ll have to be more careful from now on.’r6N7xAE
EAiIn any case, I had already decided to stop pretending to be a normal civilian.rpHjg
pHFWith Park Seonggyeon involved, obtaining the True Ending was far too difficult if I kept acting like someone who knew nothing.daeODPE
BLG8That was also why I had defeated Princess Tarantella.0iD
RnHoSI answered somewhat ambiguously.acnyhyG
htL9h“I think I can see them.”c2I3Xx
eDHg7Bc“You think?”2YhD
2TwELw“This is the first time something like this has happened to me. Square messages keep appearing. Are those what you call system windows?”Vm2Lpp
shK8DC“Yes.”PolvJi
667RcMo Haein asked without lowering the blade of her weapon.1pCEj
QWaPkp“How did you deal with the spider?”e7avV
LUp“I just dodged its attacks.”umtG
iS1QxThe tip of the spear pricked beneath my chin.vK14
AbjaZCuI quickly added.7x1
Ppo4“It seemed to have patterns. I have pretty good eyesight.”F06W
P1OyUFEMo Haein let out a disbelieving laugh.iBx
6764i“You’re telling me you defeated the spider without any items, using only your dynamic vision and reflexes?”791E5i
WkQa“I thought it was like a video game, so I played it like one. I really like games.”L8b
0kjsuFWThe corners of my eyes tilt slightly upward, so when I keep a serious expression, I usually look suspicious.d1dLtN
v0zI tried to make my gaze as innocent as possible and slightly lifted the corners of my lips.rOFuJGA
5JHf5T“Besides, you said I wouldn’t die.”fvr0Zf6
anzK“What a reckless idiot.”bfZEG1
xrP0Mo Haein muttered something that I couldn’t tell was an insult or not.YcxOx
1TxqoGFinally, she lowered the Black Moon Blade.gBMFpR
2mevNGVI rubbed the spot beneath my chin where she had poked me.H0JyB7X
QYVLaqFortunately, it didn’t seem to be bleeding.R2mhG8
tjtwMo Haein watched me in silence.aly
0NGtQ“For a Compatible who’s entered a Trial for the first time to play like this is…”cmQ1
HM4ulShe stopped halfway through the sentence.2Eualuq
fUar“Let’s get out of here first, and then we’ll talk. What did you say your name was?”mTvLMS
35j7rd“Han Goyo.”eGWHIQ
brMWTD“Call me Captain.”R791
cCAP“Yes.”lCMDHY3
BQ1Ox9And shortly afterward, I found myself forced to address her again.Nvo
oqkbJSG“…Captain?”FCPOAd
qlqNxClick.LYDg
7Nq9A pair of articulated handcuffs snapped shut around my wrists.qm6QIs
HcaXIThey were special handcuffs used by the Trial Response Agency.U4OuxdB
DJ9vlAn item reserved for officers of captain rank or higher.jdT
gIGBtkYRestraining handcuffs for Compatibles.TxLk
8ibUnable to move my hands, I looked at her in confusion.l9wCv
apM2BWhile caressing the Black Moon Blade, Mo Haein warned me.kV7
zso“Can we behave ourselves calmly?”XM0V1
LgTjv“……”Peqi
W03cOJ9I decided to stop asking questions.AWep
BrVtLu7It seemed I had completely failed to earn Mo Haein’s trust.b1Qcyg
GePAfter handcuffing me, she did not head toward the next stage.z1rk0j
SFbixShe turned around.CMSxY
kKwZ“We’re going to find Park Seonggyeon.”40JuP20
NVEIn the corridor between the warehouse and the laboratory, Mo Haein opened a locked door.OZkfGen
SCBjIOBehind it was a small room with an elevator.GpMtu
GnCKodUnlike the exterior, which was decorated in bright colors like a children’s paradise, that elevator was made of cold gray metal.BGgkXq
7TGKo▼L97kYF
lOQBCOThere was only one button.0kvqO
ZMZThe button for going down.vAU
oGZxAs soon as she pressed it, the doors opened.jIF
EFLqThe first thing that caught my eye was a huge warning written in bright red.ygsU
jd74ECHILDREN ARE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER!sd4p
fN0Inside the elevator, there was also only one button.uDcAMP
LR9FMore precisely, where there should have been around fifty different floors, there was a single gigantic button.LIPGKg0
p25fInside a long rectangle appeared an endless string of numbers.e1t8LCA
VzxyoB9999999999999999…DeFcf96
0GdJiI tried counting how many nines there were.wHPjkG
wefK71I gave up quickly.lva
DvFIMo Haein opened her claw hand as wide as possible and pressed the enormous button.B7Buhm
AqtRsTA distorted voice came from the speakers.URRSIJ5
O4s“D-d-descending. Ch-ch-children. Don’t go down. Don’t go down. Don’t go down.”DKoy
YIMThe doors closed.sr6T
zdCTBwThe elevator began to descend.yWOSc
9387JWnInside the elevator, Mo Haein crossed her arms with the spear resting against her forearm.NLAU
6KJ1qm9“You.”NkL
PSAEven though she was treating me like a suspect, she at least seemed willing to talk.TqC5j
69LDHzJI responded cheerfully.Uy6rC
9agI“Yes.”nxeeN
t2rp“What do you think happens if you die here?”aEmqn
d1EdZWhen all your lives were used up.Hh00X
k5BUvOr when someone equipped Cherry Pickers on both arms and both legs.yLkoh
lJW5VEThe player became a factory employee.BiV
Nb2“You become an employee of the toy factory and can never leave.”oijiO46
JmcTwIt was something I already knew.puFvJ
Dr1uQBut what she said next was new to me.WKd
BiB“In the place we’re going now, there are people like that. People trapped inside the Trial.”D14lgi
zMNI had already seen what was in the underground levels of the game.S45S
aeMThere were hundreds of employees dressed in the same uniform as the player, diligently manufacturing toys.pbik
IFV8I had explored everything.RUK9BA2
j9a2S6OSince no special event ever occurred there, I had always thought it was simply a hidden area the developer had added as a joke.XA0kZ9
Hu54HSJust an easter egg.TxE
TVxRABut were all those people really individuals trapped inside the Trial?9ppf
FWCpRT7I remembered those little pixel-art workers mechanically moving as they manufactured toys.gMnm
MxvV5They had seemed adorable.10eGFxA
vWn7RThey never got tired.tBKws
E95sThey never got sick.ZFMeiw9
GvtTmbThey never suffered.ecOU8L
styIn that dark and gloomy underground factory, so different from the surface, they simply smiled with the happy faces characteristic of Happy Smile Factory while manufacturing toys forever.EQbkG1
WM0ZNpI slowly swallowed before speaking.kpAYH3
8ce1“Is Lieutenant Park Seonggyeon down there?”hTFjnF
APJAe8“Lieutenant? No way. I’m going to have that bastard kicked out of the army.”TII
sGgDGesMo Haein rested her face against the Black Moon Blade.ive44a6
oh5xd8rFor a moment, I forgot the situation and was surprised.PE3uMVJ
3Mc8jGThey said the Black Moon Blade never harmed its owner.dxdyaX2
MHa6guAnd it was true.fj1mL
dJkFOoMEven though she pressed her face against that incredibly sharp obsidian blade, she didn’t have so much as a scratch.auY6
NnqmShe lowered her gaze and spoke.xRIqXXs
nTO“He attacked an NPC from the start, turned all the toys into enemies, rebelled against a superior officer, and doesn’t even have the ability to clear the Trial on his own.”VJqb16W
mQ0xuJPark Seonggyeon was the one who attacked Smiley.f7fmm
tKVvhAnd Mo Haein had lost a life trying to protect him.D7k1M
NgfNow I thought I fully understood what that noise had been that I heard when I first woke up in the factory.vLISX
8jDDYutAfter dying once and reviving, Mo Haein had been dealing with a Smiley who had already become hostile.ciKp
JUzryYlThat was the reason a veteran like her had ended up following the difficult Collapse Ending route.kf1F229
YpDwkDA“Because the only place where Park Seonggyeon can hide without being attacked by the toys while I complete the Trial is down here.”LfP4
IuxQI looked at her identification badge.XdWp
sQYThe Smiley emoticon on the badge was now crying.d271W
My9IjjWMo Haein was on the verge of Game Over.u8i
7GT“Isn’t it dangerous?”VXgW40
kdH“Of course it’s dangerous. But I can’t complete the Trial while constantly worrying that he’ll stab me in the back.”AiAs
8sjS2ntShe was right.0YntMad
9x53tVPark Seonggyeon still had two hearts left.xHfFc
x3XoBOf course, equipping Cherry Pickers on all four limbs caused an instant Game Over, but unless he had gone completely insane, he wouldn’t do something like that.XqI
CAnWith three Cherry Pickers equipped, Park Seonggyeon currently had the physical advantage.9mJw
sQrQIn fact, I had my own trump card as well.jHO
bCHThe Bolt Candy I had obtained after buying time by even using a bug.I2h
A6BrPegIf things became complicated, I planned to give it to Mo Haein.VmQm8r
0S11xAlthough ideally, I would defeat Park Seonggyeon without using it, since explaining where I had gotten it would be troublesome.hAuwDae
OckM4fHClunk.Y7PB
AoE3S4The elevator shook briefly as it reached its destination.ziENw
eCQ0“Floor ■■. Ch-ch-children. P-please, children, do not come down.”CJ7xGv3
PAXThe doors opened.9MwPc
mvk64TSBut what greeted me was not what I expected.hbV
KsAA bright yellow face completely filled my field of vision.Q9U
uIYwSmiley.9wh
FwwA Smiley so gigantic that his face completely covered the elevator doors was waiting for me.ROUCjOd
M9zIn his glossy black plastic eyes, completely devoid of pupils, Mo Haein and I were reflected.XD9Ohq
9jUnL7Both of us stood frozen with our eyes wide open.zOu5ZK
WiFTaWe couldn’t even scream.7K7r
QWVWe barely dared to breathe.NtFOV
HlnszAs though a single wrong breath would be enough for him to crush us.W39o10
1zdIn Happy Smile Factory, the giant version of Smiley only appeared during the final boss battle.Rtbk0J
p500UIAs befitted a final boss, he possessed extremely difficult attack patterns.PUnK
KopHis enormous size and his massive area attacks using various toys were his defining traits.UpMNs
z0Wp5tgHe was an enemy that required thorough preparation.rIk
etb2YSo then.Kca5R
zNX4Why was he here?cQC
KoYThis was a place where toys were not supposed to appear.6URCYB
KIGNo.6mJm2G
5u3Could I really say that?rkKAC
JWQLThe game was already changing from what I knew.0YXz4
KzBEASomething like this was entirely possible.K2l0bou
2qAgWhat mattered now was not discovering the cause.5Kbri
4SlbyBut finding a way to deal with the giant Smiley standing before us.oyzEjB
JIPZQt“……”VaFf9
Bi2Mo Haein very slowly lifted her foot.S9ac
6xs1TAnd took a step backward.fBkZWL
lkxoXZAn extremely cautious movement.9KkVl
9k2I could see the blue veins standing out on the back of her hand as she gripped the Black Moon Blade tightly.elw0Yz
Jx734rFortunately, although she stepped back, Smiley did not react.j7Kzf
tCYjevmMo Haein signaled to me with her eyes.K0WEp
ZmpqRI also began slowly backing away.KnJqYDk
o7jMOr at least I tried to.vhWr
5frcMDamn it.MqSpbJl
ItNvKntCreeeeak.l0ry
qAvThe elevator doors emitted an unsettling sound as they were forced open.jjUuS
xM7ZWlSmiley was pushing his head inside.X6OL5
6le2That made one thing perfectly clear.FxtApq1
oq817The person he was interested in was me.lGrow
JOjPDA drop of cold sweat ran down Mo Haein’s temple.VGAb9xR
sI0rkuEven for her, the final boss of Happy Smile Factory was not an easy enemy.btNdmet
cbyIf she had been alone, she might have been able to defeat the giant Smiley using the Black Moon Blade.t3Xq
HV2eABut with dead weight to protect, it was impossible.MhF9
QMAhMoreover, the confined space of the elevator made it extremely difficult to use a long weapon like the Black Moon Blade.BmRjrJ
FWqFBhAt this rate, Mo Haein might end up getting a Game Over.pHBxV
iN7lyeUShe didn’t know me.CQBTct
fECBut I knew her.7MTJJj
XRoI didn’t want to see someone I had cared about for so long while playing Archive World end up becoming an employee of a toy factory.NJ8E
OqidQceSo I decided to take a gamble.5J8
xETzf6I moved forward the foot I had stepped back with.vAwnus
pYII took a step.JgZ
Y7PGMXrMo Haein’s eyes widened.BQI2
YJklShe looked as though she wanted to yell at me at any moment, but she could only slightly move her lips for fear of provoking Smiley.sR6CToq
rDQ6ELNI took another step.D4AV
IVUCiGAnd then another.rVriWP1
OpaSmiley backed away.NX6Xs3
LevuAt that moment, the elevator doors, which I thought were broken, began closing again.Lt1LOK
MBoJHHCRACK!D7TB7q
83FSmiley ripped one of the doors off with his claw hand.SFW
YJbMMThanks to that, I was able to step out comfortably.ZeC
VeQZp4IAlthough, honestly, I would have preferred if he had simply let the doors close.m5UfRw
AipnSmiley continued backing away slowly at the same pace as my steps.6VJgnOB
7SzmlAs I walked forward, I took a Bolt Candy out of my inventory.QNql6
1jLKJFwI held it in my hand.eAelPo8
Dz1WThen I discreetly dropped it onto the floor.aqBassL
o9VBVgbAnd fully stepped out of the elevator.XjETEfN
x25hdAt last, I could see the underground floor that had been hidden behind Smiley’s enormous body.YoF
qAbBIt was a space so vast and so tall that it was impossible to estimate its size at a glance.D8iMA
B3d1The darkness concealed the far end, but I had the feeling it extended far beyond what I could see.H9Cxy
AHUP6ZThere were dozens of enormous machines.fSmj
tSg1Yet an eerie silence reigned.zQvG
ZVmBbCAll of them appeared to be shut down.h6f54O
PJQAnd there were also the employees.Z9fUZC
cOmHundreds of them.IltQh
3DI3yAThey wore work uniforms of various colors.u5zXMx
dlyjAll of them stood perfectly still, neatly lined up.jqaQS
TCwAnd all of them were smiling.0iId
LGm8A smile so wide that it seemed to have reached its physical limit.UIX0Es
AO4soDespite the enormous number of people present, not a single breath could be heard.Bp2TG
F7S4PrDProbably because they were no longer people.NT7wzFG
k7VThe giant Smiley, accompanied by hundreds of employees behind him, looked down at me.hJpNx
ekEE…It was a little frightening.yM1a
wtIAuxA toy approximately fifteen meters tall exerted quite a bit of pressure.8sSYZ
2Kt2G8Even so, for the moment, it was fine.jH0cBqY
mFAnBased on all the goodwill the toys of Happy Smile Factory had shown me so far, I concluded that Smiley would not attack first either.MxV
qZ1EQU8Smiley’s claw hand approached.pHh
ckonI sensed no hostile intent, so I remained still.GrD
XfmByBkThe claw picked me up as though I were a prize from a claw machine.zHFjw1
jdZBMI was lifted into the air like a prize doll.5sZwyp
FzgSmiley brought me close to his face.cgM2e
eaWtA mechanical sound came from inside him.1Z6c
67ku“Smiley-we-welcome-you-only-you-to-Happy-Smile-Factory-let’s-all-be-happy-happy.”UPc4a
rBVBehind that mechanical voice repeating “happy happy,” I could hear children’s laughter and cheers.lN9Bx
sa7AogA chill ran down my spine.enE9yF
xfOwUeSIf Smiley squeezed his hand just a little harder, I would instantly become toy blocks.ZkShPL
j3qT3And yet.Kme
2PrdStrangely, I didn’t feel very afraid.LWt1kb
vzP5ycsPerhaps because, like Mo Haein, Smiley was also an NPC I liked.WnSY2
Dil1Even after coming this far, I still wanted to reach the True Ending.CSKA
NjQ4YUhMaybe it was impossible.lowJ
ZZhfBut I wanted to try until the very end.9KhQ
eGu“Smiley.”C2J20
vkHHguzI smiled at him.92w9
NB4ov“Do you want me to kill you?”3zJxiB
BvCThe absolute condition for reaching the True Ending.YhzL
ZPXISmiley’s death.ZtSdw
hJdTAfter voicing the wish that the final boss of Happy Smile Factory desired more than anything else, I waited for his answer.qQdo
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
Sara Mos
MortalPeak
dihnblls 300
Golden Coreoh wow ok
dihnblls 300
Golden Corewait cute
dihnblls 300
Golden Coreou shii
dihnblls 300
Golden Corehes starting to scare me more than the toys