Too much had been redacted.
What the hell is this? I should keep reading. And as soon as I read it, I erase those absurdly grand paragraphs…
……
Wait.
Since when… could I recall the wiki page of soone who wasn’t on the wiki?
What is this?
What kind of abilityisthiswhy can I editthis whatthehellwhat■
‘No.’
It’s crushing . This incomprehensible, bizarre ability that breaks the mind of a human. My barely regained sense of self, my reason, is crumbling. I have to let go…
[Oh, good heavens.]
Director Ho Yoowon and I pulled our hands away at the sa ti.
“Cough!”
I heard him pushing himself up from the floor. I hastily zipped up the open zipper at my wrist, regained my form, and imdiately struck him. A short thwack echoed, and Director Ho Yoowon fell back to the floor, gasping for breath…
……
“Ah, we’ve been discovered.”
From the other end of the hallway.
Sothing began rushing toward us from the Darkness, accompanied by screams.
[The office staff have noticed the commotion.]
I imdiately turned and ran for the elevator. Director Ho followed close beside .
His face was swelling from the hit, blood dripping down one side.
“Wow, now we have no choice but to take the sa way out, huh!”
This crazy bastard.
I tried to make it to the nearest elevator, but…
‘Too far.’
The numbers on it flickered strangely. No telling when it would arrive. Then…
Ding-dong.
I pressed the left-hand elevator call button again.
The one that went even deeper underground.
—-!!
A strange sound ca from behind .
As soon as the elevator doors opened, I stepped in and pressed the close button.
Through the open elevator doors, I saw the lights in the hallway flick on one by one from the far end…
Clack, clack, clack…
Darknesses vanished violently, step by step, as it approached.
Right before the lights reached the elevator.
Thunk.
The doors closed.
…Successfully sealed off from Basent Floor 29.
‘Huu.’
“Congratulations. You escaped!”
Director Ho smiled faintly, then began tidying his bloodied face and disheveled clothes.
His movents had a compulsive edge to them.
Jingle.
The chi from the bell tied to one of my horns rang, calming slightly.
‘…What was that?’
That ability, like editing a wiki page… No, why did it feel so natural to use it? How on earth?
‘Since when have I been able to do that?’
I don’t know. Maybe ever since I beca like this… No. I can’t be sure.
Even now, I feel like I could do it again if I tried. But if I did, it feels like I’d cross a line I shouldn’t cross and fall apart…
My ntal frawork would.
[Think of circus perforrs, Friend. They can push their joints beyond their limits to put on an amazing show, but one wrong move and the bones shatter.]
[Mr. Roe Deer. Your astounding performance also seems to require practice and understanding!]
Right.
It’s not sothing I can properly use while I’m still myself.
‘I’ll use it carefully.’
And why I can even do such a thing… I’ll calmlyquietlydeeplyuntildeath… No.
‘I’m going crazy.’
For now, I should avoid thinking about it. Even that seems to be affecting my brain.
‘Stay calm.’
Focus on what I need right here and now.
For example, the facts I just learned from that wiki-like docunt I pulled up with my ability.
I took a deep ntal breath and turned to Director Ho.
This director nad Ho Yoowon.
And probably… the counselor from the Fox Counseling Room.
“Roe Deer-nim?”
So he really was the sa person.
A faint shock rippled through my mind but I quickly pushed it down.
I had certainly received counseling from the Fox Counseling Room before. Back then, the counselor had seed like a good one… but ghost stories often carry dual natures.
‘What matters is this.’
The current situation.
I couldn’t easily erase Director Ho Yoowon.
Director Ho Yoowon couldn’t easily put a binding on either.
We were at a stalemate.
And I wasn’t the only one who noticed this strange balance of power.
“It seems it would be difficult for one side to completely overpower the other, Roe Deer-nim.”
……
“Doesn’t that make us a good pair to travel together? It’s a situation where it’d be hard to use the other as bait and run away, isn’t it?”
Do whatever you want.
Because…
[Oh dear, I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer! Mr. Roe Deer has a Good Friend by his side who will always co to his aid.]
Even in a critical mont, he would serve as lethal defense. As long as the host didn’t take an interest in the other side instead.
And so I allowed Director Ho Yoowon to accompany .
Thus began a strange exploration of the Cheerful Research Institute with two people who couldn’t even collect a single drop of Dream Essence.
“I’ll be in your care, Roe Deer-nim.”
I felt a pang in my stomach. Now that I actually knew where my stomach was located, the sensation felt all the more real… Huu.
Folding my arms, I turned my gaze toward the floor panel of the elevator, wanting to sigh.
‘And since I took the left-hand elevator of all things…’
From here on, we would be going to the deeper levels.
Inside the still unmoving elevator, I checked the buttons.
Even further down, beyond Basent Level 30
Basent Floor 30~39 – The Office in Celebration
On these levels, the Cheerful Research Institute is in a celebratory state, typically characterized by noise and audible laughter.
Hallways frequently feature celebratory decorations such as balloons, confetti, and canopies.
All attempts to read congratulatory ssages written on the canopies have ended in failure, with a 60% probability of inducing ntal confusion.
Entity activity is highly active, and so caution is advised. However, they are confird to be relatively less hostile.
Risk Level : Moderate
“Will you go lower, Roe Deer-nim?”
Maybe.
If I was going to take the risk, I might as well go further down…
Basent Floor 40~49 – The Office at Debate
On these levels, loud argunts can be heard from several offices. Explorers have often described these sounds as resembling high-stakes corporate decision-making.
While the content of the conversations seems faintly audible, focusing on them prevents comprehension and causes loss of orientation, making it impossible to locate the elevator.
However, entities rarely leave the office rooms where discussions are ongoing, resulting in low external activity.
Risk Level : Moderately High
Going that deep might not be a bad choice either.
‘I’ll get off at Basent Floor 39 first.’
But as my gaze slid down the panel…
“Oh. Please look this way.”
Director Ho Yoowon pointed.
At the very bottom of the panel.
A solitary, alien-looking number.
[ 96 ]
‘…!!’
Way down there.
A floor number that shouldn’t exist in reality.
The depths of this ghost story.
Basent Floor 90~99 – [REDACTED]
Do not press the elevator buttons. If pressed by mistake, close your eyes, press the elevator’s close-door button, and escape to another floor.
Access is prohibited to all regular employees, including but not limited to those from the Field Exploration Team, Research Team, and Security Team.
Risk Level : [REDACTED]
There it was, the button leading to that place.
“……”
A dangerous option.
A situation where no one in their right mind would press it.
But.
“Roe Deer-nim, aren’t you at least curious—”
I pressed the button.
“…!!”
The elevator began to move.
Downward, into the depths.
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