Chapter 14

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: Melting Shampoo (3)

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I stared blankly at the Melting Shampoo on the floor for about ten minutes.

As the terror that had enveloped my mind gradually calmed, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠started to wonder where on earth that shampoo had fallen from.

'Where the heck did this drop from...?'

I scanned the room this way and that, searching for the spot where the shampoo seemed to have fallen from.

Surprisingly, I quickly pinpointed the exact location.

'...What the hell is that?'

In the corner of the ceiling, there was a tiny hole, as if something had melted through it.

It looked like the Melting Shampoo had dripped down from there.

I thought about walking over to check the hole from below.

'Is it regenerating?'

The ceiling was slowly writhing, regenerating the melted section on its own...

With no courage to approach a moving object, I could only stare dumbfounded as the ceiling repaired itself.

Another twenty minutes passed like that, and by the time the self-repair was complete, the ceiling looked perfectly normal, as if it had never melted.

It made me start thinking that maybe this whole house was one giant living creature.

'I won't end up getting digested if I stay here, right...?'

The idea that this place might be inside a living being's body filled me with sudden anxiety about being digested myself.

I decided that if anything felt off with my body, I'd hit the return button without hesitation.

Cautiously standing up, I examined the fallen Melting Shampoo on the floor more closely.

'This just looks like regular shampoo...'

It didn't appear monstrous at first glance, but according to user reviews I'd seen on the customer center inquiries, this shampoo was something no ordinary person should ever use.

For now, I decided not to touch the Melting Shampoo on the floor.

'Gotta check this out first.'

Before digging for more info on this place, I figured I'd first look into the new IY function on my Status Window.

'What the hell are you...?'

I opened the IY tab on my Status Window and cautiously moved my finger toward the filled square.

Trembling with tension, I was ready to smash the Melting Shampoo into whatever appeared and hit return.

I pressed the filled square with my finger.

An awl made from two teeth.

Increases the user's maximum Sanity by 3.

'...An awl?'

I saw an awl with an incredibly straightforward name.

'...Made from two teeth...? No way...?'

The description said it was made from two teeth, and I realized these must be the two teeth from the Anonymous 10 monster I'd used to poke the Status Window.

I placed my finger on the Status Window again, and suddenly, a rock-hard awl appeared in my hand.

'They even made it perfectly stiff for stabbing...'

And moreover.

'It increases max Sanity by 3?'

The description said it raised maximum Sanity, so I quickly checked the main Status Window screen.

[Return Uses]: 1

[Craftable Times]: 0

Input:

Sure enough, Sanity's max, which had been 100, was now 103.

'Oh... Ohhh...'

Seeing this...

'Gotta brag about it.'

I couldn't resist the urge to show off.

Proof of humanity as punishment for bragging...

That's why you shouldn't brag carelessly.

Moderators can threaten bans...

'I thought Moderator was just a joke, but they actually exist...?'

I've never seen one, but in this world, there were pitiful unpaid slaves doing the work...

Is this the real horror?

'But prove I'm human...? ...How am I supposed to do that?'

Setting that aside.

Prove I'm clearly human?

'...Maybe post a selfie?'

No immediate rush, but I needed to find a way to prove I'm human within six hours.

Uploading a selfie might be the easiest way to prove I'm human...

But sharing as little personal info as possible with the monsters browsing the community seemed wiser.

'I'll think about proof later.'

I'd mull over proof slowly, gripping the awl tightly in my hand.

I cautiously approached the firmly shut door.

You know how it is?

When you get a cool weapon in hand, unfounded confidence surges up.

Of course, I wasn't planning to hunt monsters with this awl.

But I felt like I could check out the door in front of me cleanly.

'Do you bleed or not?'

I carefully began stabbing the door, which hadn't shown any movement, sound, or reaction so far.

Squish...

My strength wasn't great, but thanks to the Anonymous 10's incredibly hard teeth and the Status Window's razor-sharp crafting,

with just a little pressure, the wooden door pierced right through.

Stunned by the awl's ridiculous performance for a moment, I quickly pulled it out and looked at the spot.

'If the whole house is alive, the door should react somehow...'

The door showed no blood, nor did it melt like when the Melting Shampoo dropped.

In the end.

'Gotta open it.'

To get more info, I had to open the door. I carefully turned the handle to avoid noise...

And cracked it open just a sliver to peek outside.

'...Huh?'

Looking out...

I'd expected something like the Bellierd Library, some bizarre space...

'...What? It's just a normal living room?'

To my eyes, it was just an ordinary living room.

Sofa, dining table, chairs, kitchen, fridge...

'No monsters in sight...'

No windows in the living room either, but the modestly sized space had everything it needed.

After peeking for another twenty minutes or so, no monsters appeared.

'Status Window.'

I opened the Status Window, hand hovering over the return button, and quietly swung the door open to check the living room.

Only after another forty minutes did I realize there was nothing here but me.

"Hoo..."

I let out a deep sigh and flopped onto the sofa.

'Got scared for nothing.'

This was just a normal house.

One bedroom, one bathroom, one front door—just your average place.

The only creepy parts: no windows anywhere to see outside,

the deathly silence nearby,

and a hallway outside the front door with an elevator but no stairs.

'No more info to get here, and I'm getting tired anyway. Might as well return.'

I'd poked around everywhere, but there was nothing more to learn here.

I went to press the return button—

Beep-beep-beep-beep—

"..."

My whole body froze at the sudden sound of the front door passcode being entered.