Faith (3)
Before entering the new horror story, Han Yujin scrolled through the gallery's rulebooks, pondering.
'Isn't there a horror story among these I could put to good use?'
It was the kind of thought that would make ordinary survivors jump out of their skins in shock, but Han Yujin had never been ordinary to begin with. Ten years of trolling in the gallery. Undefeated, no less. She was never in the realm of victims, whether for good or ill.
Of course, the idea of exploiting horror stories wasn't uniquely hers.
Everyone had their own purposes or goals for exploiting horrors. Of course, using them for survival was a special case in itself.
"Phew. Went better than expected."
In the Lost & Found Child Center (F-12031), Han Yujin huddled in what felt like a waiting room, ears perked to the sounds from outside.
'Don't!', 'Please spare me!', 'I was wrong, I'm sorry!'—screams like that echoed.
But it didn't last.
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
THUD!
The ground shook all the way to where Han Yujin sat. She couldn't peek out, but she knew exactly what it meant. She'd memorized the entry method and rules of this horror dozens of times.
"Serves 'em right."
Filthy newbie scammers. How many newbies had they killed? Given their organized operation, probably more than in most horrors.
Money-grubbing scum.
'Guys like that deserve a slow sanity-shredding horror.'
Newbies were precious resources in themselves. Communities needed them for vitality. Stagnant ones with the same old faces always rotted. And the gallery was Han Yujin's entire life.
That was why she utterly despised newbie hunters.
Anyway.
Han Yujin tilted her head, deep in thought.
"Now the problem is getting out."
This was still a horror story. Fail to escape, and you'd really get 'lost child' processed. It turned people into pancakes just for not meeting the guardian criteria.
If you failed as a missing person? Who knew how you'd die. Maybe death was the merciful option.
Still, Han Yujin wasn't tense. She'd chosen this horror to flee into because it had relatively easy escape conditions.
"Just need someone to volunteer as my guardian."
Like any normal lost child center: Have a guardian enter the horror and claim you. Confirm they're legit, and you're out scot-free.
In other words, the horror's terror lay in the random guardian candidates dying when a lost child appeared—not so much for the real child and guardian.
'Took effort to pick this one.'
Selecting a 'safe (for me)' horror was a skill. The issue was finding someone in the horror willing to play savior.
"Not worried about that either."
Han Yujin had the Horror Survivor Gallery—a cheat tool like no other. She logged in and started posting.
Title: First Come, First Served—10 Pizzas!
Author: (Anonymous)
Come to where I am, get me out, and I'll give you 10 pizzas.
(Horror Procedure Link)
Pizza! Ten whole ones!
"Who wouldn't come for this?"
At least a hundred would line up. She'd only need one.
Ten pizzas!
Han Yujin giggled mischievously. But her prediction missed the mark here. Not many survivors would enter a horror for just 10 pizzas. If anyone did, it'd be someone as crazy as her.
And luckily, perhaps.
Click!
The moment Han Yujin hit post, the waiting room door creaked open.
"...?"
She froze mid-air with her finger. She'd just uploaded to the gallery.
And someone was already here?
'That hungry, huh?'
Her eyes narrowed slyly. The visitor was a man in a formal suit. Over 180cm tall, sturdy shoulders. But his outfit was far from pristine—wrinkled shirtsleeves and pant legs soaked in unidentified dark red blood, like he'd rolled in a slaughterhouse.
Ignoring the stains, he slowly scanned the room. A corpse-like chill, metallic blood scent, and heavy presence crushed the air.
'...On a whole different level from those earlier guys.'
The newbie fleecers were desperate thugs, dime-a-dozen gangsters. This one? Special? Heroic?
"......"
Emotionless, yet radiating trustworthy aura.
The man stared at Han Yujin intently. A probing gaze, analyzing her head to toe.
She waved. "Saw the gallery post, right? I'm ."
He turned to the center director without a word.
What? Why's he like that?
If you're here, at least give your nick. No offline manners at all.
But she couldn't complain.
[Are you the guardian?]
No one else to get her out but him.
The man glanced back at Han Yujin. She beamed, waving both hands.
"......"
His brow furrowed robotically. He turned to the director again.
"Yes. I am that child's guardian."
Horror rules were absolute. Han Yujin nodded with a 'that's him' gesture, and the eerie aura enveloping the room dissipated like mist.
[Confirmed. Handing over the lost child.]
The man approached. "Get up. Time to go."
"Whoa, perfect timing. Smell the pizza from afar? Posted it seconds ago."
"......"
He stared silently instead of replying. Really the quiet type. Suffocatingly so.
"Why stare like that? Kinda pervy."
"......Follow me."
"Shouldn't you introduce yourself? Mom said don't go with strange uncles."
"Uncle...."
He muttered, then led the way out. Han Yujin grumbled but followed. No other choice, and he didn't seem bad.
Up the dank, worn underground passage, he finally spoke.
"Jeong Gongbeop. I handle mid-level admin in the gallery."
"Oh, a Blue Badge?"
"......Yes. You're , correct?"
"Yep. Han Yujin."
"Avoid sharing your real name."
"Why?"
"Some anomalies track or curse via names."
Scary stuff.
"Like you, Jeong Gongbeop-ssi?"
He shot back incredulously. "What do you mean?"
"Just, how'd you know to come? Posted and boom, you're here. Stalker?"
"......"
Totally the silent type. But Han Yujin knew how to crack him.
"Answer me. Invoking silence? Admins should chat with users. How's the gallery supposed to run?"
A vein pulsed on his forehead at her sarcasm.
"......"
But she didn't stop. The snark escalated.
"Total comms blackout. No wonder trolls flock here."
Jeong Gongbeop halted mid-stair. He turned slowly. His inorganic eyes held will, not just emotion, for the first time.
"Han Yujin-ssi."
"Yes?"
"You're a newbie user the gallery moderators are closely monitoring."
"Ooh."
Her lips curved up.
"Not praise. More like a red flag."
"Hehe. Still nice. Means I'm getting attention?"
His brow cracked ever so slightly.
"Please moderate your gallery activity."
"Why? Never broken rules."
"Too much activity. Overloading our workload."
Now Han Yujin blinked. This Blue Badge was saying tone down posts because they were busy?
"Yeah."
Stiff and shameless. True to form, not easy.
But Han Yujin wasn't one to yield. She brushed off his advice, saying her piece.
"Hmm. I'll think about it. So how'd you find me? You an anomaly?"
She darted to the wall, peeking out playfully.
"Eek. Scary."
No tension in her voice—just more provocation. Another vein on his forehead.