Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Bellierd Library (11)
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Creak...
"..."
Sitting on the bed trying to rest, my mind grew increasingly uneasy from the chilling sounds coming from the direction of the door.
In just ten minutes, my afternoon shift as a librarian at Bellierd Library would begin...
It was impossible not to feel anxious with the Mannequin Monster constantly lurking right outside my door.
"...Status Window."
It was a relief that my Sanity had recovered enough for the Status Window to function normally again...
But with the Mannequin Monster standing right outside the door, it felt like my Sanity was draining away in real time.
"...Five minutes left."
Regrettably... time kept marching on.
The one thing I wished would stop just kept flowing relentlessly.
"Looks like there's no escaping it now..."
Realizing this situation was unavoidable,
I took a deep breath and slowly began to calm my mind.
"Hoo... Let's do this."
There was that saying: if you can't avoid it, enjoy it.
Of course, actually enjoying this would make me a real lunatic.
[Just in case, leaving my last words.]
Thanks, everyone.
I'll miss you all a ton.
Of all days, something had to happen on the last one...
Pray that I make it back alive, folks.
I'll fight as hard as I can.
If there are no more posts from me, assume I'm dead.
??? What's going on, Newbie?
An unavoidable disaster is waiting right outside my door.
Can't you just hold out one more day?
Yeah, exactly. If you survive today, you'll be on our side.
Last words... Damn, you wrote them so cool...
For real... "I'll fight as hard as I can." Holy shit... Total badass energy...
If Newbie survives... I'm confessing for sure...
I'm seriously praying this bastard dies??
Standing a death flag here. Next exchange event, I'm tracking down Anonymous 1's place somehow, tying their limbs, and double-knotting those ropes.
Sorry, Newbie... I think I spoke out of turn. If you die, I'll lose my mind from guilt, so please come back alive...
I'll survive somehow and untie those ropes binding your limbs, so don't worry too much.
Yeah... I managed to untie them myself, but if you survive, I'll tie them back up.
Do you really need to tie them again...?
LOLOLOLOLOL You guys made me laugh in this tense moment. Now I have one more reason to survive.
Pls surviiiiiiive
Aw, I really wanted to send you a DM.
surviveeeee gooo
Look at this damn monster cheering Newbie on to survive just to send a DM LOL
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Now even monsters are rooting for Newbie LOLOL
Survive, Newbie. Usually just lurk, but first comment ever.
Hiding behind anonymity to lie.
(awkward)
How'd you get caught? LOLOL
Before heading into my shift at the library, I left one last post on the Gallery.
"Hoo... Seeing this, I really have to survive now."
Drawing strength from the Gallery's words of encouragement, I boldly flung open the door.
"I can do this. I absolutely can!"
Screeech—
Creak...
Seeing the Mannequin Monster standing right there, I slammed the door shut again.
"I can't do this... I'm just a mushroom..."
What the hell.
Why was that monster standing in front of my door?
And why...
Why were there red bloodstains on its hands...?
'Why was it in the world beyond Shelf 52...?'
For an entire hour, I had prayed and hoped for one thing.
That the creaking sounds from beyond Shelf 52 didn't belong to the Mannequin Monster.
But... with blood on its hands, didn't that prove the Mannequin Monster had been at that bleeding door in the world beyond Shelf 52?
'No... It definitely helped me before... Or was that all just my imagination...?'
When Anonymous 10's Blue Monster appeared.
When the Crying Monster tried her mental attack...
The Mannequin Monster had been there both times, so I assumed it was some kind of guardian of Bellierd Library.
But what if... it was just there by coincidence...?
Thinking back, when the Crying Monster collapsed with that loud thud, the Mannequin Monster hadn't done anything...
'Ah... It really was just my imagination...'
Tick-tock...
Relentlessly, time kept flowing until I could no longer run away.
Screeech...
Steeling my resolve, I opened the door again.
Pretending not to notice the Mannequin Monster staring down at me,
I slipped past it and gently settled into the chair at the librarian's desk.
Creak... Creak...
As I sat down at the desk, the Mannequin Monster's shadow loomed right behind me, enveloping me.
"..."
My whole body froze from the presence behind me.
Even with stacks of books to sort, I just sat there dazed.
Creak... Creak... Creak... Creak... Creak...
I could see the Mannequin Monster's shadow over me growing increasingly grotesque.
In that moment...
I jumped up!
Grabbing a returned book as if to shelve it, I moved to another spot...
Creak... Creak...
And the shadow gradually shrank again.
'If I stop moving... it'll eat me...'
I vaguely realized that if I didn't move, I'd be devoured right here.
'Keep moving... I have to move to survive... Don't stop!'
I started bustling around frantically, doing librarian work like my life depended on it.
Of course...
Creak... Creak... Creak... Creak...
As I darted around, the grotesque-creaking Mannequin Monster began following me.
'Just 5 hours and 30 minutes... Keep moving!'
I resolved to stay in constant motion until 8 PM, becoming the most diligent librarian Bellierd Library had ever seen.
'Shelve books, clean, straighten chairs... I'll do everything I can!'
...
Check if the shelf I'm heading to is Shelf 52.
Confirm it's not, then return the book to its proper place.
Quietly push in the chair left out by a user who didn't tidy up.
Wipe up any dust on the floor with tissue right away.
Return to the librarian's desk and pick up one book to return.
Check if the shelf I'm heading to is Shelf 52.
Confirm it's not, and...
'Hoo...'
For a full 5 hours and 30 minutes, I repeated this cycle without stopping.
If I paused even a little, the Mannequin Monster would try to devour me.
Dodging it the whole time, I somehow made it to the end of my afternoon shift...
Ding~ Ding~ Ding~
The alarm clock signaling the end of the shift rang out,
And I bolted to the librarian's private room.
"Haaah!! It's over!!!"
Creak... Creak...
"Huaaah..."
As I entered the rest room, the Mannequin Monster couldn't follow.
Feeling the joy of finally escaping it and completing my last shift at Bellierd Library,
Creak... Creak...
'Oh? It's leaving?'
I heard the sounds of the Mannequin Monster that had tailed me finally departing.
Cheering inwardly, I habitually glanced at the desk,
'The bento box is refilled again.'
For me, having finished my final shift, the container was topped up just like always.
"Hua... I worked so hard today, I could eat a horse."
I approached the desk with a light heart and sat down.
Unwrapped the bento box packaging happily.
Felt bliss at the steam rising from the fresh meal and picked up my spoon.
Dug in deliciously.
Wrote a thank-you note on the bento box lid for all this time.
Now then.
'What do I do next?'
What was I supposed to do?
"...What am I supposed to do now?"
Up until eating, I thought finishing the meal would naturally eject me from here.
But... apparently not.
Nothing happened after I finished, leaving me a bit flustered.
Figuring Bellierd Library had some plan, I took a short break...
"..."
Even after 30 minutes, nothing changed.
"...Status Window."
As expected.
No increase in Return Uses to 1.
'...Gotta ask the Gallery.'
Just as I decided to seek the Gallery's help for this...
Screeech...
"?"
The door to the Bellierd Library librarian's room—which no one but me could open—began to slowly... creak open.