Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Guidance Floor
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The elevator doors slid open, revealing a space that resembled the lobby of an old-fashioned hotel.
"This is the guidance floor..."
Do-hyun looked around in fascination, taking in the guidance floor.
It stretched endlessly in both directions, with doors lined up at regular intervals along the walls.
"I've only ever read about it in the manual myself. First time actually being here."
Under normal circumstances, you wouldn't end up here unless something truly catastrophic had happened.
In other words, this suggested that the current incident was a real disaster.
⚙ MANUAL ENTRY 133 ⚙ If You Arrive at the Guidance Floor -This section describes how to safely escape the guidance floor or proceed to a specific floor. -Before diving into the details, here are the absolutely critical rules you must follow. -First, never break anything inside. This is non-negotiable. -Second, do not leave behind any items you brought with you. They will come looking for you someday to return them. -Third, do not upset the guides. The first and third were standard protocol for any tale—you'd follow them even without the manual telling you.
The second one was the oddity.
Anyway, first things first: head to a guide.
Stepping across the marble tiles, I moved forward until the reception desk came into view.
Waiting there for us was a statue-like figure made entirely of glass, giving off an otherworldly vibe.
Is this the guide?
If I had to describe it, it looked like it had been sculpted from stained glass.
Both the guide and the overall atmosphere of the floor screamed luxury hotel.
⚙ MANUAL ENTRY 133-1 ⚙ If You Encounter a Guide -Assuming you've followed the previous instructions, you've made it to the guide. -Whether you want to escape or head to a specific floor, the process is the same: choose from the doors lining the walls to reach your desired floor. -But first, speak to the guide. Can this thing even talk?
"Ahem... Excuse me...?"
Kiiiek—
It sounded like two pieces of glass grinding against each other, grating on the nerves.
Is this its idea of a sweet voice?
At least it understood me.
⚙ MANUAL ENTRY 133-2 ⚙ Regarding Persuasion -State the floor you want, and the guide will direct you. -A word of warning: never enter the door the guide indicates. It won't lead where you think. See 133-3 for details. We needed to get to the research lab for the documents—and they probably had spare stabilization devices there too.
But the guide sure as hell wasn't going to point us right.
So.
"I want to go to the first floor."
The guide nodded.
It moved its legs with mechanical stiffness, its fragile glass body gliding toward a door.
They all looked identical to me, but apparently the guide could tell them apart.
It soon pointed to one.
Still no visible difference from the others.
As it touched the door, it swung open on its own.
Beyond it looked just like the research lab I knew.
⚙ MANUAL ENTRY 133-3 ⚙ Danger Elements -Do not enter the door the guide directs you to. Repeated experiments confirm no one has ever returned from it. -Instead, shove the guide inside and slam the door shut. You'll have about five minutes before it returns. The guide gestured impatiently for us to enter.
"You're the one going in, you bastard!"
Kang—
A clear, resonant chime vibrated through the air, like glass shattering on the floor.
"W-What?"
The guide gripped the doorframe with both hands, resisting my hard shove.
Its body began to crack abstractly, morphing into something like violent blades.
"What the—!"
"Squad Leader, duck!"
"Huh?"
Thwuck—
I reflexively ducked, and a dull bursting sound erupted—different from before.
The guide's body shattered again.
But this time, against its will.
It lost its balance.
"Push!"
Just a little more!
Kikikik—
Glass scraped against the floor.
"Tch!"
Clunk—
"Done..."
Success felt good, but we couldn't afford to celebrate.
⚙ MANUAL ENTRY 133-4 ⚙ Escape -This assumes you've shoved the guide through a door. -In the roughly five minutes before it returns, find the door you want. -They all look identical on the outside. -Knock on the doors. If someone knocks back from the other side, it's fake. No response means it's connected to a real location. -Finding your specific door will be extremely difficult. If you sense the guide returning, enter a verified safe door and wait for rescue. -Remember: you've already offended the guide. Do-hyun and I rushed toward the doors.
Knock knock.
...Knock knock.
Not here.
"This one's the third floor!"
Not that one either.
We flung doors open frantically, leaving over a hundred open behind me.
More than three minutes in, and no sign of the research lab.
"Is finding it here like a miracle or something?"
But we had to.
"Do-hyun! Faster—"
At that moment, the ground began to shake.
Creeeak— Craaaack—
Glass tearing under unimaginable force.
"Damn it! Hurry!"
Knock knock.
"Not this one!"
Knock knock.
"Nothing!"
Knock knock.
"Come on!"
Creeeak—
"Fuck!"
Thud.
"Squad Leader! The guide's over there!"
Kiiiek— Kik—
"No! No way!"
Knock knock.
"Please..."
Clunk—
Inside was a dingy, oppressive space.
The research lab.
"Do-hyun, here!"
Kikik—
"Argh!"
I threw myself through the door, and the familiar scent of chemicals hit me hard.
Where the door had been, only the glowing red elevator remained.
"Huff... huff..."
Carbon dioxide burned out of my lungs with every breath.
My back felt wrecked.
But no time to rest.
"First things first. We need to get the response team out, so let's slap a stabilization device on temporarily."
I jammed the stabilization device roughly into the elevator.
I had no skill to install it properly.
It'd probably break if someone kicked it, but anyone who did in this situation had to be a spy.
Next up.
The documents, still right where I'd left them.
"..."
I read them slowly, word for word, without skipping a single one.
My facial muscles began to twitch uncontrollably.
From what I'd expected to what I hadn't—everything.
I knew it all now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A monster about as tall as a four-story apartment building, riddled with dozens of spears embedded in its body, chased after a man.
Some spears had people impaled on them like sad laundry flapping in the wind.
The man had held out for a while, but his stamina was finally hitting its limit.
"H-Help! Save me!"
The monster's hand gently grasped the man's body.
And that hand reached toward one of the spears jutting from its own flesh.
"Arrrgh!"
Splat—
"...Huh?"
A hole the size of a utility pole tore open in the monster's massive torso.
Thud.
It collapsed in a heap, guts spilling out.
"I lived!"
The man fled in ecstasy.
Watching it all, I thought:
"Is the Management Bureau still far off?"
To civilians, it was a nightmare, but individually, these tales weren't that powerful to me.
The real problem was their numbers—far more than in the game.
I'd thought I could handle them alone, but out here, there were several times more than I remembered.
Even trying my best, I couldn't stop them all.
"What the hell is causing this."
My meddling had changed the future so much that pinpointing the cause was pointless now.
"Aaaagh! Get lost! Go away!"
A bird with a human head was diving at that same guy from earlier.
Looks like he's fated to die today.
"Sigh..."
I hid behind a building and secretly fired a tentacle.
"Argh! I lived!"
Just like before, I couldn't let people see me.
To the Tale Management Bureau, I was classified as a spatial tale.
Spatial types only existed within special confined spaces.
In other words, I could lure people in, but I couldn't venture out myself.
I knew it.
I was such a pushover.
Even busting my ass to protect people, no one would know or thank me properly.
At this rate, next trade, one candy might be worth a hundred fingers.
"Waaah!"
No, not that guy again—
Whup-whup-whup-whup—
A helicopter roar cut through the strong wind.
Citizens, we are the response team from the Tale Management Bureau. We will now eliminate all tales. Please follow our staff to safety.
The response team had finally arrived.
"But these bastards show up late and act all high and mighty?"