Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: Shattered Expectations
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Whoever came up with this idea, raise your hand once.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[Anomaly Broadcast: Code 120053]
[Broadcast ending soon.]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The users who had been watching Newbie120053's broadcast thought this time would be different.
A layered anomaly stacked atop another anomaly.
What rules and variables would emerge from it was completely unpredictable.
There wasn't even a video in the Anomalous Tale Gallery.
That was why many users were betting the newbie wouldn't clear it.
A maze had clear limits for an individual's capabilities alone.
The proper way to tackle a maze was to pour in time and manpower, gradually carving out a path.
That didn't mean they thought the newbie would die, though.
They just believed he was bound to hit a major hurdle or setback.
And their expectations were utterly betrayed.
As soon as the Anomalous Tale Gallery broadcast cut off, the gallery exploded with posts.
[Title: This is a hidden camera, right?]
—Author: Dark Merchant
Tell me it is.
Right now.
(GIF of a hamster holding its breath) Inhale!
I'm holding my breath right now.
[Recommendations 153][Dislikes 5]
[Graveyard Fairy] : Did someone call for me?
[Crazy Woman] : ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Another Anomalous Tale Gallery user bites the dust
[Title: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ So obvious. Newbie.]
—Author: Morning Dew
Newbie. You've actually done this anomaly a few times already, right?
We all know.
Answeransweransweransweransweransweransweransweranswer.
What? There's no record of a video with the same anomaly titled Newbie120053 in the gallery?
What are you talking about?
Us humanities majors don't get that complicated stuff.
Probably... bypassed the gallery IP with VPN or something to pull that off?
The science majors will explain the details.
[Recommendations 353][Dislikes 12]
[Taste of Collapse] : ...?
[Cream Bun] : Humanities major strikes again.
[Lurker20Years] : How do you bypass the gallery IP to block live broadcasts? If that's possible, isn't it just an anomaly itself?
ㄴ[Like Fairy] : ㄹㅇㅋㅋ VPN bypass is bullshitㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ If it worked, all those permanently archived black history videos in the gallery would be gone by nowㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
ㄴ[Not Human] : I'm in a hurry. What's that VPN? Quick.
ㄴ[Flounder] : Yours has been seen so much already that blocking it now is pointless. Buy the preservation version and it costs double the coins, but it goes to your personal storage so you can watch anytime. FYI, mine's preservedㅋ
ㄴ[Not Human] : ....Are you even human? You devil! Newbie, shove a lead bullet in that guy's head too!!
[Devil Artisan] : You're right. So now you can close your eyes in peace. Author. Gotta head to work tomorrow.
ㄴ[Dark Merchant] : ..Thanks. Now I can sleep. Sweet dreams.
[Title: The Truth Finally Revealed!]
—Author: Sweet Guy.
If Newbie120053 is a newbie.
Then we're all oldbies.
Newbie.
Oldbie.
Everyone get it? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Recommendations 1][Dislikes 325]
[Not Human] : Confiscating your dentures for 3 days.
[Title: Haa... Reality hitting hard.]
—Author: Hopeless Life
Is what I saw real?
Once is coincidence.
Twice, I could argue it away somehow.
But three times? Huh? Three times.
Locking eyes, entrusting each other's backs.
Doing their jobs from their assigned positions.
And at the end, when that flare burst out and the newbie nailed Kang Su-ji? That girl?
What an idiotㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I knew it would be like thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Own-goal moronㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ And here I was.
ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Turns out the real moron was me
Rewatched after buying the video.
In that split second, their eyes met?
The woman who anticipated he'd shoot the flare at her.
Or the guy who, seeing her move, instantly aimed his barrel at her in less than a second and fired.
Am I the only one watching this and not getting it?
Huh?
Is this just me who doesn't get it?
[Recommendations 453][Dislikes 65]
[Storm Emperor] : Sir, calm down first.
[Poison Needle Pufferfish] : Want me to shoot you with a tranquilizer dart first?
ㄴ[Hopeless Life] : Get lostㅗ
[Cream Bun] : It's fine. You're not the only one who doesn't get it. Just... just... think of it as them being from a different genre world than us.
ㄴ[Hopeless Life] : Genre? What genre are we then?
ㄴ[Cream Bun] : You asking 'cause you don't know? Ours is just a super deep, gloomy dark fantasy. Topped with trashy human documentary.
ㄴ[Hopeless Life] : ...Isn't that review too harsh..? It's not that bad. So.. what about Newbie120053?
ㄴ[Cream Bun] : Million-box-office-hit blockbuster movie. Directed by Spielberg no less. They're not even on the same comparison level to begin with. You don't compare human drama to action flicks, right? Just accept it like that. Fighting different genres will just tire you out.
ㄴ[Hopeless Life] : ...Fuck. Thanks. Thinking of it that way calms me down a bit.
ㄴ[Cream Bun] : No prob. Anyway, gotta go. The new hire just came screaming into my hidden base camp saying he'll kill meㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ This is the documentary life, fuck. See you alive.
ㄴ[Hopeless Life] : ...Ah...
[Title: I Found My Family.]
—Author: Future SCP
No matter how I look, that's my mom...
Hmmmm?
[Recommendations 63][Dislikes 1]
[Organism] : ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Every time a good newbie shows up, your mom changes.
ㄴ[Future SCP] : Dad?
ㄴ[Organism] : Why would I be your dad
***
The light enveloping their bodies grew brighter and brighter.
The noise and vibrations rattling their eardrums ceased, replaced by perfect silence for a moment.
Then, the murmurings echoed in their ears once more.
When the light faded and they opened their eyes, the underground cavern was gone.
A clearing cordoned off by yellow tape lines, guarded by control agents.
They had returned to the starting point.
In the distance stood Kim Sera, still clutching the flare gun, while Kang Su-ji lay spread-eagled on the ground, arms and legs outstretched.
Kim Sera soon approached, looking down at the prone Kang Su-ji.
“Awakening agent side effect. Builds tolerance fast in a short time, but then you pass out a bit later. Good thing there's no major damage to her body.”
…Was that really okay?
Wasn't it more serious than it seemed?
No major bodily damage, sure, but passing out right after taking it?
Even a brief moment was enough to decide life or death.
Just then, Kang Su-ji's eyes fluttered and snapped open.
Her gaze met those of the two standing beside her.
Her blinking eyes.
A moment later, her lips moved.
“It's over?”
“Yes. It's over.”
“It's finished.”
With their brief exchange, memories of the previous loop flashed by.
Without thinking, he extended his fist toward her.
Kang Su-ji grinned widely and bumped it.
As their eyes turned to Kim Sera, she hesitated for a moment, then smiled and stepped closer.
“..Like this?”
“Exactly, unnie!”
The three bumped fists together.
“We escaped. Good work.”
“Yeah. This time we really knew what was coming.”
“Safe return!”
As the tension released, he plopped down right there.
Once is hard.
Twice wasn't so bad.
This suit was beyond saving now.
Kang Su-ji said with a beaming expression.
“Unnie, sit down too. The ground here's surprisingly cool and feels great!”
“Should I?”
Kim Sera, who had looked surprised at his action for a moment, soon followed his lead at Kang Su-ji's urging and sat on the ground.
He watched as Kang Su-ji and Kim Sera took a light rest and chatted casually.
“A cafe opened up in front of our Management Bureau recently. Have you been, unnie?”
“Oh. I remember. The one with the big bear drawing on the glass window?”
Kang Su-ji's eyes sparkled as she replied.
“That's the one! Their drinks are surprisingly good.”
“I went once too. The owner gave me free cookies as service. Super nice.”
Kim Sera drew a small cookie shape in the air with her hand and smiled.
“...Really? I've gone like five times and never got any. That's discrimination!”
“Hmm… Maybe it's because you look a bit scary when you're just standing there, Su-ji-ssi.”
At Kim Sera's playful remark, Kang Su-ji's eyes widened in surprise before she burst out laughing.
“What? I looked scary?”
“Just kidding, kidding.”
He smiled as he listened to their light banter.
He could kind of understand the cafe owner's feelings.
Even he hadn't been able to approach Kang Su-ji at first, with her cold impression.
A gentle peace lingered in the clearing for a while.
In the end, the two even made plans to meet at that cafe.
He licked his lips.
It seemed like the right time to bring up what he'd meant to say.
“Right! Alpha-ssi! Come with us too, Alpha-ssi!”
He shook his head, gently declining.
“I'm good. More importantly… about this anomaly that happened.”
At his voice, both women's gazes snapped to him.
Even if this instance was now gone from memory, he felt he had to say it.
In the distance, personnel were approaching their group.
“It might have been an artificial disaster caused by someone.”
His voice echoed through the quiet space.
And their footsteps halted.