Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Looking Back
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I'm going to look back on my daily life so far since I have nothing else to do.
Day one. Yeah, it probably started from then.
Judging from my experiences over the past week, it seems I've been sucked into the game I used to play, [Saving the World from Tales of Terror].
And as a completely ordinary nobody, no less.
These past few days, surviving in this godforsaken world has been pure hell!
Rushing to find a part-time gig, scrambling for a place to crash—I've never suffered like this before.
Of course, now I've settled in somewhat, so I can't say things are bad.
But in this world, just living as a regular person is like swimming through a swamp crawling with crocodiles.
But who am I?
It's a bit embarrassing to say it out loud, but I'm a die-hard veteran of this grimy game.
Getting into the Tale Management Bureau isn't easy under normal circumstances, but thanks to my years of knowledge, I joined the New Tale Investigation Squad just yesterday.
It's like crossing that swamp on a yacht.
And on top of that, the New Tale Investigation Squad is the game's main stage, so it's the ideal setup.
"Hoo... Why am I so nervous about this?"
Today is my first day on the job. I already knew the drill, but I follow the Bureau-provided manual and operate the elevator.
Ding—the doors slide open.
The elevator doors part, and two familiar faces greet me, even though it's my first time seeing them in person.
"Uh... Jin-seong, right?"
"We've already heard you're joining our team."
"Yes! Looking forward to working with you!"
Back then, I naively dreamed of peace and happiness.
I foolishly thought that as long as I stuck to the story, all problems would sort themselves out and I'd live happily ever after.
That was a day ago.
The New Tale Investigation Squad is basically fieldwork, but with no cases yet, we're focusing on paperwork training.
It's a little boring, but if you ask if I want to head out to the field... nah, I have no desire to throw myself into danger.
Anyway, while I was plugging away at the documents, an unwelcome face showed up at the office.
"Hmm? Se-jin's new underling? Nice to meet you!"
The Bureau's chief researcher—Yoon Seo-yeon.
In the lore, she's Park Se-jin's longtime friend, thick as thieves.
But she's the traitor.
Thinking about everything she causes, exposing her on the spot seems like the best move.
But... doing that might derail the story I know far too much.
For now, I'll let it slide.
"Yes, I'm Shin Jin-seong. Nice to meet you."
"Yeah, same here! No need to be so formal. Do-hyun's the same way—he's known me for years but still acts all stiff."
"Hey, Yoon Seo-yeon! Stop bothering the newbies while they're working and go handle your own stuff!"
"Se-jin, not you too!"
Everyone, Do-hyun included, bursts out laughing.
I force a chuckle to blend in with the vibe.
I wish these peaceful days would last forever, but when the first chapter kicks off, this stability will come crashing down.
I have no idea why I kept quiet even though I knew.
The next part takes place a week later.
"Fuck."
Getting trapped in this world was mistake number one.
Today was my first field op—a tutorial-level Tale, straight out of the game.
I'd call the suppression a solid success.
Since I already knew all about that Tale, the subtle hints I dropped made the hunt a breeze for everyone.
"But."
My hands and feet are shaking uncontrollably.
My limbs feel like they don't even belong to me anymore, desperately begging me to quit.
The mental damage hits way harder than in the game.
It's because I briefly got pulled into that dream the doctor had crafted.
It lasted less than five seconds, but in there, my skull got sliced open, my brain churned like dough, eyes popping out with every jolt, teeth sprouting from my ears...
Stop thinking about it.
"Jin-seong, you okay? First field mission's gotta be rough."
"Haha... Thanks."
I wonder if I'll ever get used to this.
Those worries turned out unfounded—I adapted just fine.
Like the old saying: know your enemy and know yourself, and you needn't fear a hundred battles.
But the descent into despair had nothing to do with my growth.
Who'd believe it if I said Do-hyun died today?
But it's true. Kim Do-hyun is dead.
And if we're pointing fingers, it'd probably land on me.
"Fucking hell! Where's Yoon Seo-yeon! Shit... why the betrayal..."
The squad leader seems to be pinning it all on her.
Today played out exactly as the story dictated: her betrayal triggered a massive Tale outbreak.
I didn't tip anyone off to avoid straying from the plot.
The first chapter was supposed to pass without major casualties anyway.
"Aaaah! Please... Do-hyun! If you go like this... I..."
The squad leader's scream rips through his throat lining.
The grief-soaked scent of blood rings in my ears like synesthesia.
Up to the midpoint, I'd say we nailed it.
Thanks to my guesses laced with truth, we zeroed in on the church where Yoon Seo-yeon was holed up in no time.
She denied everything, but...
A split-second lapse in vigilance ruined it all.
Without a word, Do-hyun's head got ripped clean off.
The Tale's handiwork.
I was standing a bit farther left than the protagonist would've been, nudging everyone slightly that way too.
That lined up Do-hyun's head perfectly with a tiny hole in the church ceiling, letting some flying Tale spot him.
Yeah!
All my fault!
Not bad luck for Do-hyun or some malicious plot.
The death of a hero who'd saved countless lives was a nightmare spawned by a weakling like me.
"Fuck..."
If the game's protagonist had been here instead of me, nothing would've gone wrong.
Looking back now, screw the story deviation—I should've spilled everything.
Preventing the incident outright was the right call from the start.
Lately, the squad leader's been in rough shape.
No color in his face at all, expression hollowed out like a vacuum.
When I voice my concern, he musters a forced smile now and then, but otherwise shows no emotion.
"Squad leader! What the hell are you saying?!"
"I told you. I made a contract with the Angel."
The Tale called 'Angel'—the one that's let the Bureau protect citizens all this time, walking hand-in-hand with its history.
A mutually dependent relationship.
"But why?!"
"Because I realized how weak I am... Ever since joining the Bureau, every colleague around me has died. I always told myself it wasn't my fault, but now with Do-hyun too..."
"That wasn't on you! If anything..."
"I appreciate you saying that... but no, it is my fault. If you die next... there'll be no one left around me."
The 'Angel'—its name screams friendly to humans.
But it's still a full-fledged Tale.
With ages of stories piled up, it's stable, but every Tale has its twists.
And that twist?
"The price."
"Yeah, I get what you're worried about... but what you gain in return is absolute."
Why couldn't I stop him back then!
How did I not realize his contract with the Angel planted the seeds of a new apocalypse!
I can only blame myself.
The tale that follows—two months later—signals the end of it all.
Today, Horrifica awakened right on schedule.
I hadn't mentioned it before, but to prevent pointless sacrifices like Do-hyun's, I warned the squad leader that Horrifica was about to stir.
He suspected me at first, but he listened in the end, letting us ambush it early.
Horrifica, barely clinging to a shred of power, got wiped out clean thanks to the Angel deal.
My contractor!
Your wish is granted.
In exchange, I claim your sense of taste—revere this sanctity!
"You... how the hell did you know? Don't tell me you're with that psychotic group like Yoon Seo-yeon!"
The squad leader unleashed his fury on me, as expected, forcing me to lay out the truth.
"Haha... hahaha! Kuhaha... ha... So that's it. You always seemed off—you knew way too much. Yeah... you know everything about the Tales."
I admit it.
I was way too hasty spilling my secret like that.
But back then, I couldn't just stand by and watch Park Se-jin wasting away, so I had no choice.
And with that, everything ended.
Today—about two months after I let the squad leader in on my secret, I think.
Anyway, the squad leader died today.
To be honest, it wasn't much of a shock.
Maybe because I'd half-expected it.
After I came clean, he dragged me out on Tale hunts nonstop.
Hear my intel, kill the Tale.
Use the Angel if it got tough; handle it personally if we could.
Yeah.
The squad leader lost his sense of taste first, then his left hand, hearing, touch, one kidney—even his sight.
One by one, he shed the pieces that made him human.
And today, he finally died.
His last words still echo in my ears.
"You... I don't blame you... but I can't help hating you."
The Angel contract got pinned on me, but the New Tale Investigation Squad's fate is up in the air.
That's everything that's happened so far.
For starters, I didn't need to worry about what would become of the squad.
While I was busy hunting Tales with Park Se-jin, the apocalypse snowballed out of control.
The horrific form of that outer god filling my vision right now is snatching people up one by one.
From here on out, I've got my own survival to worry about.