Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Backrooms Breach
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"Let's check the interior first."
Normally, this would have been the New Tale Investigation Squad's job to handle upfront, but this time, the Response Team went in ahead.
It was already confirmed to be the Backrooms inside—no need for the New Tale Investigation Squad to verify it themselves.
There weren't many proper records of this Tale up to now, but at least we knew the basics.
The same spaces repeating infinitely. Over its incredibly long history, the number of people who'd escaped could be counted on one hand.
In that context, a Backrooms entrance that allowed two-way access was incredibly encouraging, no matter how you looked at it.
I couldn't help thinking it might pave the way for more people to escape after this investigation.
Of course, before that, we needed to figure out why this door had appeared and what had caused that building to collapse—but that was the research team's job.
A voice drifted from behind, laced with a hint of venom.
"Squad Leader Park Se-jin must be pretty pleased with this situation."
I didn't know him well, but apparently, he was the commander of Response Team 3rd Platoon.
This guy seemed seriously pissed that I'd taken half control of his platoon's operations.
When I paused to prepare, he'd whined about how long we were taking to go in—like there was treasure inside or something.
I ignored him completely and began observing the Backrooms interior.
"...Is it safe to follow this?"
Arrows scrawled on the walls here and there like graffiti.
Anyone could tell at a glance that following them was a bad idea.
The Response Team shared the same view, thankfully—no clashes of opinion.
I didn't know the guy personally, but he clearly wasn't some useless parachute appointment without skills.
"For now, ignore the arrows and split into teams for a preliminary search!"
"Yes, sir!"
The thunderous, disciplined response shook the Backrooms.
Of course, moments later, a monster's hate-filled roar shook it even harder.
"Fire!"
"Gaaah!"
It had a body made of black iron bars, wrapped in all sorts of wires, with what looked like a television substituted for its head.
Five platoon members got shredded before they finally shook it off, revealing two passages ahead that seemed like possible exits.
"Then let's split into two teams."
"Agreed. That sounds best."
"We'll take this one."
He chose what was obviously the vent duct—the one that screamed "right answer."
It felt like there was some unnamed malice trying to send me into danger, but that was probably just my suspicion.
Soon, part of 3rd Platoon vanished into the vent.
"Is that really the right way...? Maybe we should go in the vent too, even now."
No, stick to the plan.
Recalling professional duty like that led straight to the current mess.
Horror Merchant?
But how?
The unresolved questions in my head were disrupting rational thought.
The Horror Merchant wasn't the only problem.
What the hell was that massive white thing over there?
It was definitely a Tale, but it gave off this vibe like it was claiming to be a god—really rubbed me the wrong way.
I couldn't let my guard down.
One Response Team member had approached it and vanished without a trace.
Soon, the merchant slowly opened his mouth.
A silent tension hung in the air.
The platoon members besides me didn't know the merchant's true nature.
To them, he was just some unidentified civilian.
I needed to pull myself together.
The merchant's mouth opened wide, the first syllable vibrating the air as it reached toward me.
"Best wishes to you!"
With those words, he shoved a platoon member aside and bolted out of there.
"What the—! Grab that guy!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Well, no helping it now that things have come to this.
This gap is my chance!
"Best wishes to you!"
I tossed the Response Team locked in confrontation with Horrifica as bait and bolted outside.
This might actually work out better.
From the moment the Response Team spotted me, a huge problem had arisen—but I could probably sort that out later somehow.
For now, deal with the immediate crisis.
When I burst through the door in midair, there was nothing nearby but fluttering trash, and a holy voice flowed like clouds across the vast sky.
The gunfire echoing from afar and the footprints covering the ground confirmed my suspicions.
The Tale Management Bureau had already started handling the God's Apostles.
I didn't know why they'd appeared or how to deal with them exactly, but killing the God's Apostles would suffice.
I should help out too.
After a long pursuit, the true nature of the God's Apostle I'd tracked down was quite a shock.
Black market dealers.
But it didn't take long to understand why they were like this.
"So the mask is the vector."
Holding the mask up to the sunlight for a closer look, I saw faint writing—a long sentence inscribed on it.
This text must have acted as some kind of catalyst.
For later use, I hurled the mask to the ground and stomped it flat.
If I'd been wearing it, would I have ended up like that too?
Shaking off a slight chill, I turned my gaze to the God's Apostles.
Dozens of civilians knelt around them, praying.
"Ah... O God..."
The hypnotic effect of their voices played a part, but the people's faith had gone way overboard.
The hypnosis wasn't normally strong enough to inspire that level of belief.
In the game, it just slowly drained mental strength, and even now, I only felt mildly uncomfortable—nothing major.
But for people who'd lost homes and fortunes, their minds and bodies were in the perfect state to embrace a god.
That must be why Horrifica had relentlessly pushed their terror campaigns.
I needed to wipe out these God's Apostles fast.
If they were ordinary civilians turned Apostles, I might've hesitated a bit, but these ones? Fine to kill.
Who cares about black market scum peddling illegal crap and buying it too?
Psssh—
The tentacle pierced the Apostle's tough flesh, splattering white blood onto the one beside it.
In under three seconds, it skewered them all into one bloody shish kebab, then melted back into shadow like its job was done.
"Uh... Huh?"
The civilians who'd been praying skyward gradually came to their senses, screamed at the sacred blood staining them, and scattered in all directions.
It went off without a hitch this time, but the Apostles who spotted my true nature wouldn't stay quiet anymore.
Boom!
A massive explosion roared from afar.
Definitely the Bureau's doing.
"Gotta hurry."
The next spot was another black market, but a familiar one.
The place I'd come to for info.
I could even see the merchant I'd given Infinite Pig's Flesh to.
He'd probably made a killing reselling it already.
Not that it mattered now that he was an Apostle.
Farewell, merchant.
Swoosh—
The tentacle sliced through the air, piercing their heads in a straight line just like before.
But even knowing I was there, the Apostles couldn't stop their final death cries.
"What is your wish?"
With those words, the Apostle's head exploded.
But the sentence's power was immense.
"My... wish... is great wealth."
One of the praying civilians spoke up in that voice.
A man with red blood mixed with marrow mimicking an arm in place of his missing one.
His body, which looked like it could drop dead any second, began to twist.
"Endless riches..."
The amount of flowing blood surged exponentially.
At some point, it formed a massive puddle, swelling into a pond.
"A stable... life."
With that, the man's melting body dropped into the blood pond.
That cry from the home base earlier—"Your faith shall be made reality"—meant exactly that.
'I shall grant wishes to those who believe in me.' Arrogant as hell, sure.
But the Tale 'Horrifica' had the power to make it happen.
Well, as you can see, it came with some seriously twisted results.
If it granted wishes cleanly, it wouldn't be a Tale—it'd just be a god.
The bubbling pond soon spat out a small lump.
"Great wealth..."
A flesh lump the size of a soccer ball, with only a mouth left, craving riches.
"From blood... money."
Then the pond's blood coagulated toward the lump.
"One body... 2 liters of blood."
The blood clot formed a body and pointed a finger at a civilian stirring back to awareness.
"Its death. 3 liters of blood."
Boom!
The civilian's head vanished without a trace.
With it, the blood pooled in the pond drained away in an instant.
Rule understood.
"The war of attrition begins—"
Kaboom—!
Then another explosion tore through my eardrums from afar.
The Bureau again.
Raaaaa—
At the same time, a beautiful song echoed everywhere.
All the God's Apostles were dead.
The sky cracked open, and from a space beyond three dimensions, the 'god' announced its presence to the world.
"Your faith has been made reality."
Phase 2 had begun.