Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: Mod7
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 - Nightmare (2)
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Without thinking, I wandered the corridors, taking in my surroundings.
The gray and black hallways, designed to be easy on the eyes, were exactly as I remembered.
Or was I mistaken?
Was I simply waking up from a nightmare, my mind still disoriented, observing this familiar scene as if for the first time?
“Amy…”
Even saying her name felt strange, almost embarrassing. In the quiet of the ship, there was no need to call out for the emergency protocol AI.
“Good morning, Doctor.”
A group of crew members walked past me, their faces wreathed in smiles.
The workers on the ship always treated me with a certain deference, a respect for my position as a researcher.
I forced a smile, returning their greeting.
“…Good morning. Have a good day.”
I wasn't naturally outgoing, but I wasn't so socially inept that I would run away from a simple greeting.
And then, I saw him, walking towards me, a mischievous grin on his face, his laughter echoing down the hallway.
And for some reason, the sight of him brought tears to my eyes.
“Dr. Juho, what’s up? Sleeping in? Well, I’ll be. If something this impossible is happening, the universe must be about to end.”
Dan.
He approached me, his usual playful banter a welcome sound.
Behind him, a group of four or five security officers leaned against the wall, their arms crossed.
Some of them, according to Dan,
Weren't particularly fond of bookish types like me.
But Dan never cared about what others thought.
He didn't care if I was muscular or not, if I was manly or not. He always approached me, always made an effort to talk to me.
And seeing him now, a single tear rolled down my cheek.
“…Hey, what’s wrong?”
Dan’s playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of genuine concern.
I quickly wiped away the tear, offering a lame excuse.
“No, it’s nothing… I just woke up… I drank a little too much with [!@%#$%] last night…”
“Aha… I see. Did you finally become a man? No wonder you’re shedding tears of joy. Did that girl finally get you into bed? I knew it.”
“It’s not like that.”
As the words left my mouth, a new memory surfaced.
A memory of what had happened last night,
A memory that explained my hangover, my tears.
“Well… she’s not bad. If it weren't for her personality, I would have gone after her myself. Tsk.”
“What’s wrong with her personality?”
“She’s too quiet. Well, maybe that’s what you like about her, Juho, but I couldn’t live like that. Enjoy your little academic romance~”
Dan said his goodbyes and returned to his post.
The other security officers grumbled, their eyes darting between me and Dan, but Dan simply punched one of them in the arm, a playful gesture.
The sight of his retreating back filled me with a strange sense of nostalgia. I stood there for a few more seconds, lost in thought, then snapped out of it and headed towards the lab.
***
Bang-
“Congratulations!”
I rushed into the lab, still breathless from my hurried walk, and was greeted by a shower of digital confetti.
Since real fireworks were forbidden in the lab, they had used a holographic projector.
“…Professor.”
“Well, well, look who’s finally late. We’ve prepared a little party to celebrate your first transgression.”
Professor Reyes had a penchant for these kinds of silly pranks. He and Dan were quite similar in that regard.
“By the way, I swiped your card for you. We can’t have you losing your perfect attendance record over something so trivial, can we? No need to thank me.”
Seeing him, I felt another wave of emotion, and tears welled up in my eyes. It was a strange day.
“Uh… you don’t have to thank me that much…”
Professor Reyes, misunderstanding my tears, coughed awkwardly.
But I, not wanting him to feel guilty, simply smiled, put on my white coat, and joked,
“How can I ever repay you? I think I might cry a river.”
“…You’re not really crying because of me, are you? I’m sorry, it was just a joke.”
“It’s not that. I’m just… not feeling myself today.”
It was time to get to work.
We hadn't reached our destination yet, so we didn't have any new specimens to analyze. I usually spent my days assisting Professor Reyes with his experiments and research papers.
An assistant’s role.
I didn't mind. I was learning a lot, and…
“You’re late, silly.”
I could be with her.
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
[!#!@$] was helping Professor Reyes, just like me…
“…”
An assistant?
No, Professor Reyes’s daughter…?
“Wait, I’m sorry. What am I doing?”
“What’s wrong?”
Her beautiful face, her sensual body,
I was lucky just to be in the same lab as her…
“Ugh-”
But as our eyes met, a wave of nausea washed over me.
The smooth, natural flow of my day, like being on an escalator, suddenly ground to a halt.
“Juho!”
I rushed towards the bathroom, trying to fight the urge to vomit,
But my legs felt heavy, slow, unresponsive.
Even though I was pushing myself,
It felt like a dream-
“Retch-…!”
I couldn't run any further. I collapsed, vomiting,
But nothing came out.
And yet, this small act, this violent retching, seemed to jolt my mind awake, forcing me to confront reality,
And it also attracted the attention of a group of strange women, who had been silently watching from the shadows.
“…Wow, he’s amazing.”
“What do we do now? We’re going to get in trouble.”
“Let’s just tell her the truth. We can’t handle him.”
The familiar corridors of the ship were suddenly filled with a sense of dread.
“Let’s leave him to Succubus.”
And as they uttered her name, my right eye burned.
A rift appeared in the air between us,
“Honestly… can’t you guys do anything right?”
And a beautiful woman emerged from within.
“We’re sorry…”
“Sigh… I didn’t want to do this myself…”
My eye could see the massive energy emanating from this new being. It was too much for a human to bear, and I gasped, my lungs burning.
“Alright, alright! Just a moment. Can you close that eye of yours for a bit?”
The [strange being], who had been invading my dreams and memories,
Forced my right eye shut with a simple gesture.
“Whew! Good. My girls messed up. You have to be more… disorienting. From now on, you do as I say. Understand?”
“Yes!”
“As expected of Succubus.”
And then, the corridor, the floor beneath me, transformed.
We were in the Paradise’s dining hall,
Sitting at a table, facing each other.
The sudden change in scenery made me dizzy, but,
Snap-!
“Focus!”
The sound of her snapping her fingers cleared my head.
“Alright, let me introduce myself. I’m Succubus! First time we’re meeting, right?”
“Who are you…?”
The woman, who had introduced herself as Succubus, adjusted the collar of her lab coat and began spouting a series of incomprehensible sentences.
“I’m usually quiet around others, but I like to tease you sometimes. And despite being a researcher, I’m the most beautiful woman in the world, with a stunning face and a sensual body that can’t be hidden by glasses. And I’m Professor Reyes’s one and only daughter! We were childhood friends, and after reuniting on the Paradise, we slowly realized our feelings for each other, and then, in a drunken haze, we shared a night of passionate love, and now, we’re going to develop this strange, adult relationship-”
Realizing this was a dream, I tried to wake myself up, slapping my cheeks,
But Succubus sighed, stopping me.
“…That won’t work. Can you please not be a fool?”
The interior of the Paradise, a construct of my memories, was now populated only by me, Succubus, and her minions, who had taken the forms of Professor Reyes, Dan, and the other security officers. It was grotesque and bizarre.
“W-what do you want…? What is this…?”
I was trapped in this strange, incomprehensible phenomenon.
“Hmm? What do I want?”
The woman, Succubus, stroked her chin, pretending to think, then,
Smiled and said, nonchalantly,
“Nothing.”
Snap-!
And then,
She snapped her fingers,
And my mind went blank again.
“Well, good luck! I hope you endure.”