Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Hollow Man 1
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After a slight pause, the man on the other end of the line spoke.
"You managed to figure it out. Guess you're not a total idiot after all."
Ibi swallowed the surge of anger rising in her throat. It wasn't because he'd called her an idiot—it was his attitude, like he was testing her. Are you seriously treating this like a game when lives are on the line?
She gritted her teeth and forced her voice to stay calm.
"Listen, mister. I'm desperate right now. I've had plenty of times in life where I felt like a total loser, but I've never once wanted to jump off a rooftop. And I sure as hell don't want to die here. So please, you're the only one who can help me. If you know how to get out of here, just tell me. Please..."
A troubled groan came from the man. But his next words didn't sound much different.
"You're pretty useful, miss."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Alright. Honestly, this has been pretty entertaining so far. Most people would panic if they got tossed into a situation like yours, but you've stayed pretty calm. And you made good use of that simple hint I gave you."
"I appreciate the compliment, but right now survival comes first. What are you trying to say?"
"I'll save you. By any means necessary."
It was strange. She didn't even know his face, let alone what abilities he had. His casual tone didn't inspire any trust at all.
So why did she suddenly feel so relieved? It was like he could fix anything.
"Th-then, we don't have time, so let's get on with it. You called this place the Wardrobe, right? If you know what it is, you must know how to get out."
"Hmm... Well, it's not like I know nothing about it. But every maker builds them differently, so I don't know exactly how this one works. Still, if you entered somewhere, getting out is always simple, isn't it?"
"What do you mean?"
"You come out where you first went in."
Ibi replied in disbelief.
"I told you, the rooms here go on forever! Finding the very first room isn't impossible exactly, but... no, it is impossible! I can't even remember the path I've taken so far!"
"Miss. How many rooms have you seen so far?"
Ibi blinked. Sure, she'd been running frantically without counting, but...
"Less than ten, right?"
"That's... yeah, you're right."
"So what makes you think it's infinite?"
"B-but all these impossible things keep happening that defy common sense!"
Ibi fell silent mid-sentence. He had a point. No matter how bizarre the events, there was no proof yet that this space had no end.
"It might seem bigger on the inside than you'd think, but from the outside, it's just a fist-sized box. You can't assume it's infinite inside. So go find that first room you entered."
Ibi clenched her teeth. She wanted to ask more, hear more. But while they'd been talking, the gears had already started turning, and music was playing. The Guest would be back soon.
"Got it. I'll call back in a bit. So tell me that east-south-west-north thing again. I won't forget this time."
The man obliged.
1, 2 days: East.
3, 4 days: South.
5, 6 days: West.
7, 8 days: North.
9, 10 days: Nowhere.
Ibi approached the wall with the newspaper again and checked it. This room was 15, 16 days.
West this time.
She glanced at the compass on the rug, then moved away from the west door. Pushing open what she thought was the door she'd entered through—south.
The man's last words before the call ended were these.
"Read the newspapers closely too. There might be hints in them."
She walked slowly down the corridor that now felt almost familiar, catching her breath.
Her smartphone battery was running low. Seeing the remaining percentage made her chest tighten. If even this ran out, what then?
She soon reached the next door. After a deep breath, she opened it.
It was a rectangular room. Without hesitation, she rushed to the wall and checked the newspaper. For a moment, she thought she'd looped back to the previous room, but her excitement quickly faded.
The last room had been 13, 14 days. This one was 23, 24. Same last digits.
"What the hell is the pattern with these dates?"
Complaining wouldn't change anything. Following the man's advice, she tried reading the article, but nausea hit her, and she looked away.
It wasn't even journalism anymore. It was like a serial novel starring only 'Son Yang,' full of curses about tearing her apart if caught, how she'd be killed. Just reading it exhausted her. Ibi enjoyed horror movies, but she'd never dreamed of being the protagonist.
She stood there thinking for a moment. Now that she knew the rules, she felt a bit more at ease.
Ibi decided to go back through the door she'd just come from. She might have gotten turned around, so she'd double-check. This time, she definitely remembered her entry door: west.
Leaving the room before the gears even turned was a first. As she stepped into the corridor, she thought.
If I keep moving like this, maybe I won't run into that 'Guest' at all?
It was a slightly uplifting thought, but she reminded herself it was pointless without escaping. To get out, she had to keep moving.
She retraced the same corridor back to the same room and turned the knob.
Another rectangular room. Ibi carefully inspected the rug, then shifted her gaze to the newspaper.
5th, 6th.
For an instant, she thought she'd returned to a room from way earlier. Her heart pounded with anticipation, but the article was new. Disappointed, Ibi chewed her lip.
The thick rug looked freshly cleaned. The compass drawn on it was vivid. She remembered biting her hand when she nearly yanked out her tongue—blood had dripped everywhere.
If this was the same room, the rug should be soaked in blood. No way it all evaporated that fast.
"......"
Ibi pulled out her phone and photographed the newspaper article. She didn't know how many more of these would pop up, and memorizing them all was impossible. At least photos would let her compare if the same date repeated.
With that done, Ibi opened the east door this time and entered. At the end of the corridor was a triangular room.
She took several deep breaths, then collapsed to the floor. She could rest here a bit.
Of course, it was still a stuffy, unsettling space—not somewhere to fully relax. This triangle room was different from the earlier one; the calendar dates and writing differed.
19th. Pyeong.
20th. Saeng.
Combined with the phrases from before, it read: Can't go, forever.
Ibi deliberately looked away from the wall. She wanted to check the mirror, but it reflected nothing. Giving up, she shone her phone light on her face.
"Kang Ibi, you look like you've aged months. Haha..."
Laughing in a situation like this. What was so funny? Her hair was a mess, makeup smeared off. She looked like a monster herself.
She sat with her legs tucked together, hugging her knees. Face buried between them. I'll get out alive. I'll get out alive. She repeated it to keep her resolve, but even that had limits.
Fatigue crashed over her all at once. Even in a safe room, falling asleep defenselessly was stupid, she knew.
But Ibi, already pushed to her limits, couldn't fight the drowsiness and passed out completely.
And she dreamed.
In the dream, Ibi was trapped in some unknown space, chased by something. It was a dream almost identical to reality.
She didn't know how long she ran. Years? Maybe decades. Then, suddenly, she realized the thing chasing her had vanished.
But even so, Ibi couldn't escape. She just kept wandering. Finally, she realized she was trapped in this unknown place forever.
Forever.
And as she realized it, someone slowly approached from the edge of the space...
"Ah..."
Ibi woke from the dream and lifted her head. Rubbing her dry eyes, the triangular room looked exactly as it had before she slept. She buried her face in her knees again.
Was that just a nightmare?
"No."
Ibi denied it.
Chaotic shapes danced in her mind. It was time to get up, but her legs wouldn't cooperate.
Instead, the final image from the dream sharpened in her memory. The man she'd seen in dreams for so long, with burning eyes in sunken sockets.
The Hollow Man.