Chapter 26

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 26

Chapter Title: My 1st Floor Roommate Won't Die (1)

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About ten minutes remained until exchange time.

I checked the item in my hand once more.

'Deletion must be what happened to me... Tracking seems like it pinpoints locations, but I have no clue what Edit does...'

It cost a whopping 150 Sanity just to use this Edit function.

But I couldn't figure out what it actually did.

Hell, I didn't even know how to use any of these abilities in the first place.

'Guess I'll just be happy with the Sanity boost.'

With no other choice, I decided to carry the camera like a fashion accessory.

I slung the rope-tied camera around my neck and took some satisfaction in my total Sanity now sitting at a solid 238.

About ten minutes passed like that.

'Exchange time's almost here.'

The realization hit me as I steadied my nerves and reached for the door.

'Someone's coming?'

I heard footsteps rushing toward the house from outside.

Figuring it was better to greet a guest than head out myself, I started pulling out snacks I'd set aside from F-Set for just this purpose—

Bang!

"Big Whale!"

"Gaaahhh!!"

I screamed without thinking as a pitch-black figure burst through the door.

"You're looking healthy!"

The monster beamed proudly at my reaction.

'You little...!'

I whipped out my awl and lunged at it, ready to counterattack the second it tried anything...

"It's me. The one who said they eat Anonymous 1."

"...Pardon?"

The black figure claimed to be Anonymous 1...

"Check the Gallery quick."

It urged me to look, so I puzzled over what it meant and opened the community.

I could see that Anonymous 1 had left a new comment on my recent post.

"...Huh?"

It hit me all at once.

"...You're black?"

Anonymous 1, the naturalized black guy—

"...Big Whale, you're surprisingly prejudice-free...?"

No facial features whatsoever. Pitch black from head to toe.

Like a shadow given form and walking around.

Following Anonymous 1's guidance, I ended up at a place where more of these figures gathered...

"So you're Big Whale?"

"...Nice to meet you."

"First time's gotta be nerve-wracking. Still, gotta explain things, right?"

"Pardon?"

"Everyone here's shaped like this."

"...Why?"

"No idea why. Back in the day, we didn't even look human—just big black rectangles. Then the Moderator cleared a few ghost stories, and we stabilized into this humanoid form."

I couldn't see their curious stares... but I could feel them.

I ignored it as best I could and started looking around, half terrified, half intrigued.

"We're all human. The more ghost story dungeons we clear, the more our forms come back. But we're all stuck like this for now, so we make do."

"Ah..."

"I'd love to exchange names and hang out, but on day one, you gotta figure out the place in an hour. Let's get the rundown quick."

I nodded blankly, clueless about what was going on...

"Why isn't Big Whale 2 meters tall?"

"Doesn't look like he weighs 150kg either."

"Oh, I get it. That's all pure muscle."

"Doesn't quite match the pics from the Gallery."

"Okay, now I'm sure. Military girl."

"That's it."

"You idiots gonna believe that? What kinda nonsense in front of Big Whale."

"No good this week. Starting next, ask him to craft items. Looks like he's swamped today."

"Can't be helped."

Their chatter about me reached my ears as Anonymous 1—who claimed to be the real deal—started introducing the place.

"All the black figures doing business here? Not human. Always stay sharp."

"...Got it."

"We customers don't usually attack, but mess up and you'll pay extra. Be polite."

"Ah..."

"Alright, follow me. I'll show you around one by one."

"Yes... Thank you...!"

The blockade lasted a full week, so why only an hour for exchange time...?

'That's why they said get the intro first.'

About fifty minutes in.

Thanks to Anonymous 1's guided tour, I'd mapped out the vast area's layout when I sensed time to head home was nearly up.

"See that line? Never cross it."

"What happens if you do?"

"Dunno. But folks who did didn't fare well. Happened about forty years ago—it's precedent now."

This survivor village felt like an Earth shantytown.

Tons of houses, but barge into someone else's and you're in trouble.

Couldn't force our way into closed ones either.

Stores advertising like convenience shops were fair game... It evoked Earth so strongly, a strange familiarity settled in.

Made me feel a bit at ease, honestly...

"Livable, right?"

"...Yeah."

"The convenience store looks just like Korea's. Sells the same Earth stuff too."

"...Is this Earth?"

"Nah. Monsters fetch the goods from there, we think."

"...Feels kinda weird."

"Normal till you adjust. Blockade time soon—head home. Next week on, relax during exchanges."

"Thank you."

I thanked Anonymous 1 profusely for packing the hour with tours and info.

As I turned to leave...

'Oh right.'

Remembered promising to share info. Fished paper from my pocket and handed it over.

"What's this? Item?"

"No. Info I got clearing ghost stories."

"Huh. Moderator should see th—..."

He went quiet reading it, looking up puzzled.

"...Something wrong?"

Felt off, like I'd messed up...

"...Input FE and you get crafting?"

"Yes... Why?"

"What the hell? FE's the code for 'My 1st Floor Roommate Won't Die'..."

"...Pardon?"

An answer I never saw coming.

1st Attempt.

- First challenger stabbed roommate's throat with a sharp knife.
- Blade sank in clear, but roommate pulled it out.
- Traumatized, 1st chose Return.

2nd Attempt.

- 2nd, deeming sharp objects useless from 1st, tried blunt force.

3rd Attempt.

- No further records from 2nd, so 3rd entered.
- No trace of 2nd.
- 3rd tried burning it alive.

4th Attempt.

- No records from 3rd, so 4th entered.
- No trace of 3rd, like 2nd.
- 4th fled in fear immediately.

5th Attempt.

[Deleted Record]

6th Attempt.

- 6th entered, puzzled by 5th's record.
- Warned never to view 5th's record, left final note.
- Moderator permanently deleted 5th's record.

7th Attempt.

- 1st, feeling responsible after most vanguards died, re-entered.
- Stabbed knife from face to feet.
- Returned before roommate extracted all blades.

8th Attempt.

- 8th entered to check 7th's results.
- Roommate still fine, so 8th decided to coexist long-term.
- To check if it dies of natural causes.

9th Attempt.

- About a month in, 8th ran out of food; 9th entered with massive supplies.
- Confirmed 8th healthy, then tried strangling.
- 8th reported 9th's death: [Deleted Record].
- 8th fled in terror.
- Moderator noted similarities to 5th, permanently deleted.

10th Attempt.

- Moderator entered to check roommate.
- Declared clear impossible for now, returned.

11th Attempt.

- Moderator re-entered, seemingly enlightened.
- Confirmed roommate never leaves 1st floor no matter what, returned.

12th Attempt.

- 12th entered, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠claiming to know strat.

13th, 14th Attempts

- No word from 12th, so 13th & 14th entered together.
- Found 12th hanged, suicide?
- 14th unsure if self-inflicted, fled terrified.
- Lone 13th tried hammering from 2nd floor.

15th Attempt.

- 15th checked after 13th went silent.
- Confirmed 13th vanished, returned immediately.

16th Attempt.

[Deleted Record]

17th Attempt.

[Deleted Record]

18th Attempt.

[Deleted Record]

After Anonymous 1's shantytown tour...

Blockade hit, I got home and immediately searched the community for past info on the 1st-floor roommate.

"...FE's the entry code for the ghost story dungeon...?"

FE had definitely made the crafting button for me...

But this post said it was the code to enter that dungeon.

"...What the...?"

Wondering if codes had dual functions, curiosity got me—I inputted FE again.

'Last time it was crafting—oh shit.'

Hit enter without thinking.

My vision went white.

'Didn't know how to use the camera item, but might as well test it on a monster here before leaving.'

Since I'm here, better to experiment on a monster than a person.