Chapter 31

Yes!

She likes it!

"Here you go."

I slipped the necklace directly onto the Bellierd Library monster, who had entered the house with a shy expression.

Of course, "slipped on" is just a figure of speech.

I just draped it over the area with the face-like expression, from top to bottom...

'It actually fits...'

It hung below the facial expression just like a necklace on a person.

"I hope this necklace helps."

:P

The Bellierd Library monster left the house with a bashful yet happy expression.

Once alone again inside the house, I munched on C Set while checking the remaining stones.

'I've got a lot of money saved up.'

It had been nearly two weeks since I arrived here.

Including the time working at the Bellierd Library, it was about four weeks total.

'Next exchange time, I should splurge a bit.'

There wasn't much else to spend money on anyway.

Just like how others tipped the community manager, I decided to allocate about 5,000 Doll for community management fees.

This exchange time, I resolved to spend a little.

"I'll buy some snacks, and... oh, I want ramen. Gotta get ramen. While I'm at it, I should stock up on emergency rations from the convenience store."

After eating nothing but delivery food, I started craving other things.

While pondering what to buy from the convenience store ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that sold the exact same items as those in Korea...

"Huh? Suddenly?"

A post suddenly appeared saying someone got a bus from me.

"...What did I even do?"

At this point, I had no idea what I'd done.

To find out what happened, I tapped the post.

The Status Window system judges contributions when a ghost story dungeon is cleared and distributes rewards accordingly...

"I didn't know about this."

Well... without a contribution system like this, right before a clear—about 5 minutes prior—everyone would post in the community to enter the ghost story.

Then a dozen people rush in, and boom, clear.

I marveled at this newly discovered system for a moment.

"...Anon 1 was a 1st challenger...?"

I was a bit shocked to learn that Anonymous 1, the constant sex joke poster, was the 1st and 7th challenger for the 1F roommate ghost story.

"Ah, that's how he knew it was the 1F roommate right away when he saw FE..."

Thinking back, it made sense.

When I was about to share the creation code, he instantly recognized FE as the 1F roommate position because he'd been in there himself.

Plus, I'd seen a comment in the past community posts saying Anonymous 1 volunteered for a lot of sacrifices ins.

"He's more amazing than I thought."

I couldn't help but be impressed by his actions.

Anyway.

"Practically an essential figure."

I'd survived thanks to Anonymous 1 too.

Next exchange time, I'd buy a few gifts for him.

"If I could, I'd make him an item, but I don't have an actual forge."

After finishing my meal while browsing the community...

I set the empty bowl by the door.

"...Now what?"

The familiar boredom hit, and I considered grinding Sanity into stones...

Suddenly.

"Maybe check out the camera function."

Remembering I didn't fully understand the camera's calibration feature...

I decided to look into calibration.

'Calibration usually means something positive, so probably a buff?'

Of course, I couldn't just selfie and experiment on myself.

I placed the Awl Made from Teeth on the table and snapped a photo with the fused camera.

"Let's calibrate it~."

Humming the national pastime of muttering to myself, I pressed the Fn button to start calibration—

"...Ah."

The moment I hit the up arrow '↑' button, my Sanity plummeted.

Did one wrong button just 'calibrate' it instantly...?

"...Did anything change?.."

Since I'd used calibration anyway, I checked if the Awl Made from Teeth had changed...

"...Looks the same?"

Nothing seemed different on the awl.

Wondering if the grip changed, I picked it up.

"Huh? 197?"

My max Sanity, which should have been 196, was now 197.

Seeing that, I immediately put the awl in the IY slot to check its description.

And sure enough...

The awl that boosted max Sanity by 3 now boosted by 4... I realized.

The camera's 'calibration' was an item 'enhancement' function.

"...Can I use this on people?"

I'd been selling all my daily 1,000 Sanity recharge as stones...

Now I'd found a new use for max Sanity.

...

Snacks average 20~30 Doll each.

Drinks average 20~30 Doll each.

Daily necessities: cheap ones 10 Doll, expensive up to 100~200 Doll.

'F Set was insanely pricey, huh?'

The moment exchange time hit, I dashed to the convenience store, finished shopping, and stuffed the bags full of items into the IY slot.

'Today I gotta tell people about IY... But this won't trigger another ghost story, right?'

As I headed to the village center where people usually gathered...

'Huh?'

Fewer people than usual, which puzzled me briefly.

Then I remembered clearing a new ghost story had expanded the village's movable area.

Everyone was out exploring the expanded range on their own.

'I don't have an assigned role, so...'

As a 2nd-time exchange newbie with no task from the manager...

I wandered the village a bit and headed home before curfew.

Back home, feeling a bit proud, I read posts sharing exploration info on the expanded area...

A cryptic post caught my eye.

Wondering what was up, I tapped it...

Several people were conversing in serious tones.

"...What's going on?"

To find out immediately, I left a comment...

Things were more serious than I thought.

Anonymous 1 suddenly went radio silent.

Someone might say 10 minutes isn't long enough to panic...

But in this world where one slip means death, 10 minutes could be the golden hour.

"...Gotta go."

Remembering I owed him my life from the 1F roommate world.

This time, it was my turn to rescue him.

As the community manager instructed, I input TN into the input field.

The moment I entered the code, my vision blurred white.

'Find Anon 1 and return immediately.'

When my vision normalized slowly...

'Where... the hell is this...'

I woke up in what looked like a guard post.

'Paper here.'

Right away, I saw a sheet on the table in front of me and habitually started reading it.

As I read the rules...

Sudden presence beside me—I whipped my head around.

There...

"..."

"..."

...was a being silently changing into guard uniform.

'...What the?'

It looked at me with a puzzled expression.

This moment...

'...Is this Anon 1?'

I wanted to confirm if it was Anonymous 1.

But the rule said no normal language conversations...

"Chit... Chi."

"...Big Whale?"

"...Chit chi?"

"...!! Big Whale?"

"Chit chi...!"

"Big... Whale...!"

Found Anonymous 1!