Strange Things Are Walking

Strange things are walking around. Slender bodies. Long, thin legs. No arms. They stagger forward on just two legs, their heads grotesquely swollen like enormous flower buds. They resemble bacteriophages with only two legs attached... When did this start? I was certain there had been no problems until the moment I entered this abandoned church with the nun. I hadn't seen any monsters like that. Yet they appeared in the brief time after I said goodbye to her? Something's wrong.

In the midst of this eeriness, I felt confusion and unease. But what unsettled me most was something else entirely.

"Why?"

Why isn't the status window giving me any notifications? I can roughly guess why the encounter and hint messages didn't appear after going through the hospital and the vampires in this playthrough. They probably didn't trigger because they'd already shown up once before. So if I run into a new situation, the messages should appear. But even after witnessing those monsters roaming outside, nothing shows up. This is something I've never experienced before.

In this bizarre world, the status window had been the one reliable landmark I could trust. Realizing it's malfunctioning sends a terrible anxiety surging up from deep in my chest.

"Shit...!"

My fists clench with frustration. First, the broken text on my phone is suspicious too. Did I get pulled into this the moment I first checked it? What the hell happened in that short span of time?

"Hoo."

After taking a deep breath, I carefully open the door again.

"..."

There aren't just one or two monsters. I can see at least five. Five of them, all staggering about. They're around 2.5 meters tall? I can't even begin to guess what they are. When did they really appear...?!

I shut the door again.

"Mind Control."

I've been dragged into a bizarre situation, but if I lose my composure now, I'll die for nothing. I have to push the fear aside and regain my focus. Gripping the silver cross around my neck, I think of the vampire hunters and take deep breaths to steady myself.

Think about what needs to be done.

1. Why isn't the status window reacting? There must be some significant reason behind it. But I can't figure it out in my current state.

2. What are those monsters? Unfortunately, without the status window messages, I can't learn their names. But one thing is certain—they won't be friendly. They'll try to kill me, so I need to be careful.

3. What should I do now? I can't stay here forever. I need to escape before they notice me. I have a weapon, but it doesn't guarantee victory. Besides, the Bureau is currently waging war in this area. Even if I don't deal with the monsters, the Bureau will probably handle them if they pass by. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So all I need to do is run. If the Bureau starts patrolling nearby, they'll spot me too, which would be problematic.

"Alright."

First, I'll avoid the monsters and make it to the bus stop. I roughly know the direction. If I can flag down a taxi along the way, I'll take it. The goal is simply to get out of here.

"..."

Going out the door seems like a bad idea... Right. The window. I'll go through the window.

The broken glass pane. I unlock it and slowly slide it open to the side. Then I poke my head out and check left and right... What's this? The visibility is worse than I imagined. The world looks hazy, like it's shrouded in fog. Still, I don't see any monsters.

—Thud!

I leap through the window in one go and land. Keeping an eye on my surroundings, I start moving quickly. From here on, I need to use cover to avoid the monsters while moving. With that thought, I advance.

"...!"

Of course, things don't go smoothly. There's a monster up ahead. I can't tell if it's facing me or turned away—its facial features aren't visible. But since it's slowly moving in another direction instead of coming this way, maybe it hasn't seen me?

—Creep, creep.

I move without making a sound. There's what looks like a tree or a telephone pole up ahead, so I'll head toward that...

"Ah."

It isn't a tree or a telephone pole. As I get closer through the hazy fog, its true form is revealed.

—Crack.

A massive... massive arm. Instead of a roadside tree or pole, a large, elongated arm juts up from the ground. Bony and grotesque, with new arms sprouting from its upper part like branches, the spread fingers resembling leaves.

"Hoo, hoo... hoo...!"

My breathing grows ragged. Just looking at it feels like I'm going insane.

—Scrape, scrape.

The arm moves.

—Wiggle, wiggle.

Then it gestures as if beckoning me closer...

"Hah!"

The moment I sense a presence behind me, I instinctively throw myself aside.

—Stagger, stagger.

A monster is approaching from behind, its two legs moving in that grotesque way!

"Shit...!"

I suck in a breath and sprint with all my strength. Even as I run, I glance back—the thing is over two meters tall, so its walking looks casual, but its speed is terrifying! I can't outrun it!

—Whoosh.

Just as the shadow looms over me.

"Ah."

When I look back, what I see is the inside of a fully bloomed flower bud. Rows of teeth lining what looks like the monster's maw...

—Crunch!

Regression point.

I'm back at the exact moment I was looking at the broken text on my phone. Right after the nun left.

"..."

If only the nun had still been here. But the status window has never done me any favors. Either way, this confirms it. The phenomenon started when I saw the broken text on my phone. That's why I regressed to this point.

"This entire area has become abnormal."

Monsters are roaming about, and what I thought were trees or telephone poles have turned grotesque. The fog is so thick that nothing is clear. From my experience, this means the surroundings themselves have transformed into an anomalous space. I need to escape as quickly as possible, even if it means taking risks.

"Those monster bastards are faster than me. Running away on foot won't work."

In that case, my only option ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is to ride the Divine Damas the nun left behind. Technically, I only have a Class 2 ordinary driver's license, so I can't legally drive a Damas. But a real man figures out the controls the moment he sits in the seat. Since running is impossible, I'll take the risk and drive the Damas.

—Slide.

I slowly open the church door.

—Stagger, stagger.

The monsters are wandering around. Those insane bastards... That giant flower-bud head is their maw. They spread it wide and tore off my upper body. Could I kill them with the car? No. Even if it were possible, the Damas is a flimsy vehicle made of glass and plastic. The moment I hit one, I'd be the one getting crushed.

I stare at the monster. The instant it starts moving away from the church—

—Dash!

I slip outside and creep toward the Damas as quietly as possible. Fortunately, it's parked right next to the church, so I manage to board without being noticed.

"Got it...!"

This damn manual transmission car! I've never driven one, but I know the basics! I fiddle with the gear shift and start the engine. The sound of the ignition draws the monsters' attention.

—Stagger, stagger.

A 2.5-meter-long monster lurches toward me. Not just one—every single one nearby is coming!

"Go! Go, damn it!"

Why is it moving so slowly?!

—Boom!

The moment the monster slams into the Damas, the vehicle tilts sideways. Just as I think it's about to flip—

—Vroooom!

"Aaaaaagh!"

The car surges forward and regains its balance!

"Yes! Fuck yes!"

That's how it is for a man! Even if you don't know how, if you mess around with the machine long enough, something works out!

"Come chase me, you bastards!"

I shout while checking the rearview mirror. The flower-bud monsters are running at a decent speed, but they're still slower than the car. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, I focus on driving.

"I just need to get out of here...! Just get out!"

Of course, escaping through ordinary means might not work. It looks like reality on the surface, but there's a chance I've fallen into an anomalous space copying the real world, just like Cheongak Mary Hospital.

—Whoosh!

As I drive along the road, the arm-trees on both sides keep gesturing for me to come closer.

"This is insane...!"

I've shaken off the monsters, but every single roadside tree has turned into a grotesque arm. Can I really escape from here? Even the sky looks wrong. Whatever—let's just go!

* * *

The navigation system won't turn on, so I rely on my senses to navigate. The further I go, the stranger the atmosphere becomes. Once other cars start appearing on the road, I think I've escaped the anomalous space. But something feels off. The cars look strange, and the people inside are only visible as blurry shapes. Most importantly, flower-bud monsters walking on two legs appear frequently along the roadside. Whenever they spot my car, they start to chase before giving up. There are even monsters on the road itself. What the hell is going on? How far does this anomaly extend?

With that thought, I arrive at what seems to be a rest stop—and freeze in shock.

People. There are people. But they aren't people. Their forms resemble humans, but their skin is entirely gray. Not only that—their faces have gaping black holes where their features should be. A single large black void instead of eyes, nose, and mouth. These bizarre beings are moving in groups while holding square objects, giving the eerie impression that ordinary people going about their daily lives have been replaced by these monsters.

"This... is a rest stop, right?"

It feels like one. The strange buildings ahead also resemble a rest stop—more like the original structure with a bizarre skin overlaid on top.

—Slide.

The gray humans with hollow faces pass by my car. They don't seem interested in the vehicle at all. Nor in me. After some hesitation, I decide to step outside. I need to see how these gray humans will react to me.

"..."

Even after getting out of the car, the gray humans ignore me completely, not even glancing my way. It's as if people have no interest in strangers. The bacteriophage-like flower-bud monsters had charged at me the moment they saw me, but why are these gray humans ignoring me? Just as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'm considering trying to talk to one, flower-bud monsters appear in the distance.

—Stagger, stagger.

Those damn monsters again! They're here too!

"Huh?"

Strangely, the monsters completely ignore the gray humans and head straight for me. They pass right through the gray humans as if they can't see or interact with each other at all. That bizarre sense of disconnection...

Whatever the case, one thing is clear. This isn't Earth. I've fallen into some kind of strange world.

—Thud.

I immediately get back into the Damas and start the engine.

—Screeech!

As I drive away recklessly, the gray humans all turn to stare at me at once!

"What the—!"

They were ignoring me this whole time, so why look now?! Meanwhile, the two-legged monsters are still approaching. At the same ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time, one of the nearby gray humans starts running toward me, waving its arms as if to protest. Screw all of you monster bastards. I ignore everything and floor the accelerator again.

—Vroooom!

"How the hell do I escape this world?"

I'm certain this isn't Earth. It looks nothing like the stitched-together world from Cheongak Mary Hospital. If that's the case, the way out is probably... going back to the hospital? If I return to our world through the hospital, that should work. The navigation being down makes it difficult, but that's the only method that comes to mind.

"Wait! That's right! I have that!"

My item GPS! It has a map function. If this is an anomalous space, maybe I can use my GPS item to escape. I immediately pull out the GPS.

"Oh! It's working! The map's showing up!"

Finally, this item is proving useful! I can use it to reach Cheongak Mary Hospital. But...

"Why is this..."

My location. Why isn't it changing? If this isn't Earth but an anomalous space, shouldn't it be different?