Chapter 9

It is an old-fashioned, miserable, and simple statement, but also a proposition that seems to have no answer.

From the moment we are born into this world, causing suffering to our mothers, we are all sinners. absorb Therefore, there cannot be a person who has never committed a sin.

Everyone commits sins, great or small, throughout their lives.

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We are simply ordinary citizens leading ordinary lives.

After all, neither I nor the others are religious devotees who dedicate their lives to penance or practitioners devoted to meditation.

A thought that probably all of us have had at least once in our lives, although we have likely never stopped to reflect on it too deeply.

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[Condition: You must use the phrase “Are you a sinner?”.]

However, if you agree with this statement, here is a problem.

[Refute the statement above.]

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***

LORE classified the anomalous phenomena appearing throughout Korea into three main categories.

— Catastrophe Type

[If your answer is incorrect, you will not be able to return.]

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— Invasive Type

— Anomalous Type

When a great tragedy occurred and numerous people lost their lives as a result.

The meaning of “Catastrophe Type” was exactly what its name suggested.

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Regardless of what had caused it, who had made a mistake, how serious it had been, or how many people had died or been injured.

Survive until the catastrophe ended.

For that reason, the method of escape was also quite intuitive.

Catastrophe-type anomalous phenomena continuously repeated the original tragedy within themselves.

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Compared to other categories, their rules were not usually particularly unusual or complicated, and the presence of monstrous-looking anomalous entities was also relatively rare.

Guil Station, where I had first become trapped, belonged to this category.

That was enough. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

The next category, “Invasive Type,” was quite similar.

It involved a particular location being invaded by an anomalous phenomenon.

The same was true of Hope Bridge, the only S-rank anomalous phenomenon, where my parents were apparently trapped.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

This was the case with places that appeared completely normal at first glance but had ended up becoming anomalous phenomena, such as the tteokbokki restaurant used during our field test.

All one had to do was behave according to the characteristics of the invaded location and then leave.

The method of escaping them was also quite clear.

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In this way, regardless of their danger levels or survival rates, Catastrophe-type and Invasive-type anomalous phenomena usually had relatively clear escape methods and internal rules.

If it was a school, it was enough to wait until the day’s classes ended and calmly walk out through the main entrance to return home.

If the invaded location was a restaurant, one had to eat and leave.

If it was a hospital, one simply had to undergo a medical consultation and then leave.

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In other words, common sense still worked to a certain extent.

“When you enter an anomalous phenomenon of this type, you’d better imagine that you’ve arrived on an alien planet completely different from Earth.”

However, according to Sua, “Anomalous Type” phenomena were completely different.

As she drove an SUV with heavily tinted windows toward the exploration area, she continued explaining.

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“The training materials I received earlier said that anomalous phenomena of this type include myths, legends, religions, horror stories, and similar things.”

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“In Catastrophe-type or Invasive-type phenomena, common sense still works to a certain extent. zenith Even the rules and instructions you find inside are usually relatively understandable. adjust But with Anomalous-type phenomena, that often isn’t the case at all.”

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Sitting in the passenger seat, I turned my attention back to the file I was holding.

According to LORE’s policies, all employees were required to participate in an exploration at least once every two weeks.

“Just as I’d expect from you, Lee Han. adapt You have an excellent memory. matrix Exactly. anchor Vague stories that are difficult to understand, lack a concrete form, and have a nature that’s almost impossible to explain. abstract You can think of them that way without any problems. antenna And the place we’re heading to now is precisely one of them.”

And the first place I had been officially assigned to explore after becoming a permanent employee was precisely the anomalous phenomenon we were heading toward.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

[Are You a Sinner?]

I carefully reread the contents of the file.

Its name was “Are You a Sinner?”.

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— Type: Anomalous

— Danger Level: C

— Survival Rate: 12% / 100% for Agents

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However, there was a very simple reason why I had been able to receive an official assignment to explore that place.

[Entry Methods]

They were extremely dangerous, and anyone without sufficient experience was highly likely to suffer an absurd death.

Normally, access to C-rank anomalous phenomena and their information was restricted to employees holding the position of Assistant Manager or higher, like Sua. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

— 4. apron If a person possesses a “sarira” and recites the corresponding incantation, they can enter regardless of the entry restrictions.

— 2. legend If a person is destined to die within the next 49 days, there is an extremely low probability that they will enter.

— 1. airport Twice a year, at midnight on the 15th day of the second lunar month and the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, the anomalous phenomenon “Are You a Sinner?” randomly selects six people who meet conditions 2 and 3 listed below and forces them to enter.

— 3. antenna If their birthday falls on the 15th day of the second lunar month or the 8th day of the fourth lunar month, there is a low probability that they will enter.

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[Escape Rules Manual]

— 5. portal Under no circumstances is it possible to enter on dates other than the 15th day of the second lunar month and the 8th day of the fourth lunar month.

— Cannot be created. ability Additional explorations are required.

[Main Characteristics]

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— A method that allows civilians to survive has not yet been discovered.

— A 100% survival rate has been observed among LORE employees carrying a “sarira.”

.

— It is not possible to create a rules manual due to insufficient information.

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That place had an extraordinarily peculiar characteristic.

.

.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

If certain special conditions were met, its survival rate increased to no less than 100%.

I fiddled with the necklace around my neck.

“So this is a sarira. adopt That legendary stone that appears in Buddhism.”

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

A small, round white stone resembling a jewel hung from its silver chain.

It was a special necklace that we had taken out of LORE’s safe before setting off on that exploration.

That stone, which looked like a pearl, gleamed in the light alongside the white necktie I had just started wearing.

That was precisely the sarira mentioned in the manual.

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“Exactly. avalanche As long as you have a sarira with you, you’ll always be able to enter. anxiety And, of course, you’ll also be able to escape whenever you want. acoustic Well, you can think of it as a kind of unlimited pass to an amusement park.”

And, at the same time, it was also what was keeping both Sua and me alive.

“I’m not entirely sure comparing an anomalous phenomenon as dangerous as a C-rank one to an amusement park is the most appropriate thing to do.”

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This time, our mission was to discover a strategy for overcoming the anomalous phenomenon.

After all, not every exploration was conducted for the same purpose.

However, the objective of this exploration was completely different.

Normally, most of LORE’s regular explorations were intended to patrol the interiors of anomalous phenomena to check whether anyone was trapped or to locate particular survivors.

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No one had managed to discover a reliable method of escaping that place.

The file on the anomalous phenomenon “Are You a Sinner?” still contained no escape rules manual.

And there was a good reason for that.

We had to find an escape method and a way to increase the chances of survival so that we could create a rules manual.

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Although some people had managed to escape, it hadn’t been possible to identify any common pattern in their actions.

Even when two people did exactly the same thing, one of them might never return.

“An exploration to discover an escape strategy…… I feel like I have quite a heavy responsibility on my shoulders.”

“We have a 100% survival rate because we carry the sariras, but there’s still no escape strategy for civilians who don’t possess them. auction To begin with, we’ve barely managed to obtain two sariras.”

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There probably weren’t many people better suited than me to explore an anomalous phenomenon that had yet to be solved.

That immediately allowed me to understand why I had been assigned to this mission.

After all, not only did I possess perfect eidetic memory, but I had also managed to discover an entirely new escape strategy during the field test at the restaurant.

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It was almost midnight, which would mark the beginning of April 8, the date on which the anomalous phenomenon activated.

Shortly afterward, the vehicle we were traveling in stopped at the foot of a small, unnamed mountain in Seoul.

“Both LORE and I have high expectations for you, Lee Han. atlas Not everyone possesses the talent necessary to discover escape strategies. arena And in your case, thanks to your perfect eidetic memory, those expectations are even higher.”

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“Yes, Senior!” Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.

“It’s time. august Let’s go in.”

Sua checked the hands of her watch and then turned toward me and nodded.

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At that instant, I felt a strange pressure, as though something heavy were pressing down on my shoulders.

“Om Amogha Vairocana Mahamudra Mani Padma Jvala Pravartaya Hum.”

Sua and I closed our eyes, grasped the sariras hanging around our necks, and began to recite.

“Om Amogha Vairocana Mahamudra Mani Padma Jvala Pravartaya Hum.”

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Shortly afterward, when I carefully opened my eyes.

***

I found myself in the middle of a Buddhist temple of truly overwhelming dimensions, unlike anything I had ever seen in my life.

“……”

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I had never been a particularly religious person.

Of course, that didn’t mean I disliked religions.

For that reason, I still retained a childhood memory of my grandmother taking me to a Buddhist temple during the celebration of Buddha’s birthday.

I had simply never developed genuine faith.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

And the prayer hall containing an enormous Buddha statue had seemed extraordinarily mysterious to me as a child.

The interior of the anomalous phenomenon “Are You a Sinner?”, which we had just entered, gave me a rather similar feeling.

That temple, which was supposedly quite famous, had turned out to be much larger than I had imagined.

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The place where Sua and I had appeared was the main prayer hall, which could be considered the center of the temple.

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Countless lotus lanterns of different colors hung from the ceiling, while the floor consisted of wooden planks that appeared extraordinarily old.

“At first glance, it really looks like a completely normal temple.”

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The only sources of illumination were enormous candles distributed throughout different parts of the hall, so the interior remained quite dark.

Faint murmurs resembling someone reciting Buddhist scriptures came from different corners of the hall.

Absolutely no sunlight entered.

The air, permeated with a faint scent of incense, felt strangely heavy and cold.

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

I took a step backward and raised my head as far as I could.

“……If we ignore that, of course.”

However, they were so slow and deep that it was impossible to understand them.

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Its neck and shoulders rose almost to a ceiling so high that I could barely make it out, while its face remained submerged in darkness, preventing me from seeing it clearly.

Only then did I manage to behold it in all its magnitude.

In front of us, seated in the center of the hall, stood a golden Buddha statue of absolutely colossal proportions.

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Surrounding that gigantic statue were countless smaller Buddha statues of different sizes.

‘Every object in this place is absurdly strange. alert It’s not simply that I’m scared or that I find it terrifying. atomic It’s as though the very existence of this space is crushing me……’

All of them simultaneously reflected the candlelight and emitted such an intense golden glow that I found it difficult to keep looking straight ahead.

Even estimating by sight alone, there must have been several thousand.

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There were no ghosts.

There was absolutely nothing I should have been afraid of.

No monsters or anomalous entities either.

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After all, Sua and I weren’t the only people who had entered.

However, I barely had time to catch my breath.

That gigantic statue, the thousands of statues surrounding it, and the oppressive, chilling atmosphere, unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life, were more than enough to engrave fear into the very depths of anyone who breathed inside that place. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.

And yet, I had goosebumps all over my body.

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“Sniff…… Mooooom! arena Where are we? attic Why are we here? voyage Sniff! riddle I’m so scared! anchor Everything’s so strange! academy Waaaaaaah!”

“What the fuck are those damn statues……? arrow Shit! galaxy This has to be a dream, right? crystal It has to be a fucking nightmare……!”

“W-what the hell……? amateur Where are we? airport Why am I here?!”

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A total of six civilians had become trapped in the anomalous phenomenon “Are You a Sinner?”.

“J-Jinyeong, calm down. sphere It’s okay. meadow It’s nothing serious. wizard So stop crying and hold Mommy’s hand tight. beacon Mommy will find a way to fix this……”

Those people, who had been suddenly dragged there, began panicking in different ways.

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Some screamed desperately.

There were also those who, their faces completely pale, repeated incomprehensible words to themselves.

Others collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears.

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Then he looked around and shouted again.

A man whose arms were both covered in dark tattoos let out a particularly nasty curse.

“Shit!”

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He had discovered that we were completely surrounded by walls.

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There was no exit.

The shouting grew louder, and the confusion intensified.

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‘First, I have to calm them down. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors. acid Otherwise, we won’t be able to do anything at all.’

— You are sinners.

Just as I was about to step forward and intervene.

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That figure, made of golden-colored metal, was looking down at us from above with a completely impassive expression.

The gigantic Buddha statue standing in the center of the hall.

An enormous, perfectly clear voice resonated throughout the hall, as though it were penetrating directly into our hearts.

We all raised our heads at the same time and looked toward the source of that voice.

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“Ah…… Ahhh……”

It was speaking.

And its mouth was moving.

“……”

Translation of I’m Writing the Manual of Horror Rules! - Chapter 9 by Indra Translations.

A scene capable of driving anyone insane.

“Uhhh…… Aaah……”

It was an absolutely inconceivable spectacle.

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No one could utter a single word.

However, paradoxically, all the people who had been screaming desperately just moments earlier fell silent.

No one even dared to moan.

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My heart began pounding uncontrollably.

‘What the hell…… is that thing……?’

Even the little girl who had been crying in her mother’s arms stopped instantly.

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We were all so crushed by that presence that we didn’t even dare breathe normally.

Our survival instincts desperately screamed a single warning.

Do absolutely nothing that might incur the displeasure of “that thing.”

An overwhelming pressure.

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In the middle of the hall, which had fallen into absolute silence, the statue spoke again.

— Sentient beings, all those gathered here are sinners.

The statue had declared us guilty even though we had been dragged there without committing any crime.

— Within 49 days, you will all die as a consequence of your profound sins.

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It immediately continued speaking.

And now it was announcing our deaths.

However.

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— I am the sole savior of sentient beings who suffer and live tormented by their worries.

— If you come before me and confess your sins, if you repent and recite prayers to purify your transgressions……

Then it uttered precisely the words everyone wanted to hear at that moment.

— I am also the only hand capable of freeing those who have committed the Five Heinous Sins and the Ten Evil Deeds without managing to repent from the burden of their sins.

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— I shall turn aside the approaching death and allow you to return to your homes with purified souls.

If we confessed our sins before it, it would allow us to return home safe and sound.

The Buddha statue smiled benevolently as it spoke those words.