"Please follow me, everyone."
Yu Ji-in led the way. She walked down the corridor of the space station, and the heavy metal gates slid open in perfect sync with her footsteps.
Ssshhk!
It was a scene straight out of a movie.
"Whoa, that is so cool," Im Hae-jun marveled, his mouth slightly agape.
Lee Jun-ho, Seo Ji-woo, and even Kate looked wide-eyed, as if it were their first time seeing anything like this.
"Now, our starting point is right here."
They arrived at a spacious area.
Rows of oval capsules lined the room—the hibernation chamber of the space station.
"This is the life support sector," Yu Ji-in explained. "These are hibernation capsules. You might have seen them a lot in sci-fi movies."
They were just large enough to fit a single person. Usually, sci-fi was associated with aliens.
"You will all enter the labyrinth from inside these capsules."
"Whew. I'm getting nervous, Hyung," Im Hae-jun said.
The "Hyung" he was referring to wasn't me. It was Kang Hyun. Usually, when Hae-jun addressed me, he called me Ssaboo.
"Indeed," Kang Hyun replied, then turned to me. "How about you, Hyung?"
I quietly looked at Kang Hyun.
I forced a smile. "It should be fun."
"Everyone, please change into your hibernation suits in the private changing rooms and enter your capsules~"
Yu Ji-in pointed to the men's and women's changing rooms on the left and right. The explorers went inside, changed, and came back out. Everyone was wearing identical spaceship jumpsuits.
"Wow~ Ji-woo, how do you look so good even in something like this~?"
"Really~? You look absolutely gorgeous too, Hwa-rim~"
Yoon Hwa-rim and Seo Ji-woo were having a mini fashion show, while...
"Oh~ Jong-su, that fit is insane~ You look like a Thom Browne model~"
"Ahem. No, no, I've gained some weight~ I hope I don't rip this... You watch out too. Your back looks like it's about to burst."
"No way~ I've got lean muscle..."
Lee Jong-su and Kim Dong-ha were also putting on a ridiculous show, complimenting each other while flexing their muscles as hard as they could.
On the other hand, Kate kept tugging at her sleeves as if the clothes were uncomfortable, and Im Hae-jun tilted his head as he looked at his own arms and legs.
"Ssaboo. Isn't this way too big, even for me?"
"Just wear it..."
Now that he mentioned it, it really was too big. There were almost two handspans of extra fabric dangling.
"Did you swap with someone?"
"Maybe..."
Im Hae-jun dragged his pants along the floor, his brow furrowing. "If it's a spacesuit, shouldn't it have an auto-fit function or something?"
"...Oh? Hey, I think you swapped with her."
I pointed at Ryu Yeon-hwa. She had suddenly appeared in a skin-tight suit, awkwardly waddling while trying to pull down the hem.
"Oh! Yeon-hwa Hyung!"
Im Hae-jun ran over. Ryu Yeon-hwa let out a sigh of relief, looking incredibly glad.
"Everyone, please hand over your personal belongings. Personal items cannot be used in this labyrinth."
Yu Ji-in suddenly made a devastating announcement. I flinched and looked back at her. Our eyes met. Both of our gazes immediately fell to my cane.
"...Don't worry. Each of you will be provided with an equipment box containing suitable gear."
"Phew."
Thank goodness.
Before I knew it, Im Hae-jun had changed his clothes and returned.
"Whew~ Now this fits right."
Looking satisfied, he posed like an astronaut in front of the mirror.
"Everyone, please enter your capsules. We will be departing shortly."
At Yu Ji-in's words, everyone stood before their capsules with tense expressions.
Ssssshk!
The hibernation capsules opened. Feeling as though I were stepping into a coffin, I climbed inside and lay down.
SYSTEM://CAPSULE_LSS
> Initiating hibernation sequence...
> T-minus: 30, 29, 28...
Warm water slowly began to fill the capsule. It didn't feel bad. In fact, it felt warm and cozy.
"Oh..."
I'd heard that taking a warm shower in the dead of winter releases oxytocin, but this felt about ten times better.
Drowsiness washed over me.
Without delay, I activated Dream Bubble. A tiny bubble floated up inside the capsule.
I opened my eyes.
"Gasp...!"
I gasped for air, clutching my chest as I panted.
"Haa, haa, haa..."
I blankly scanned my surroundings.
I was wearing the spacesuit, and I was still inside the capsule.
SYSTEM://CAPSULE_LSS
> Hibernation complete. Please remain calm.
> Opening capsule in 30 seconds...
Sssssshhhk.
The capsule slid open.
I tried to step onto the ground with both legs, but immediately collapsed.
"Argh!"
My left leg. A severe, throbbing pain shot through my knee.
"Ugh... damn it..."
Was this a side effect of hibernation?
After rolling around on the floor for a while, I managed to push myself up.
"...Where is it?"
She said they prepared a cane.
Right next to the capsule was an equipment box. It required fingerprint recognition.
SYSTEM://BIOMETRIC_SCAN
> Explorer: Seol Ha-woon confirmed.
Inside the box were cold weapons like swords, spears, and bows, along with a pistol and a cane.
Instinctively, I grabbed the pistol first, then pulled out the cane.
🎁 ITEM ACQUIRED 🎁
Adaptive Basic Pistol
Rare Grade
◈ Overview: A standard space-fiber pistol.
◈ Properties: Extremely high environmental adaptability. Infinite durability.
"It's not bullet-based."
The pistol was magic-charging. When magic was channeled into the cylinder, it refined the energy into bullet-like projectiles. This was actually better.
Only then did I take in my surroundings.
It was a workshop-like space, with nothing but my hibernation capsule sitting solitary in the room. In other words, I was completely alone.
Even though fifty of us had entered together.
"You're awake."
A sudden presence made itself known. I raised my pistol and aimed it at the source. I saw a woman dressed in work clothes.
"Quite a violent explorer, aren't you?"
"...Who are you?"
"I'm Julione. The supervisor who took you in."
She had a rather irritable impression. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties. Unlike Kate's, her unkempt blonde hair was dry and frizzy like dog fur, and the deep wrinkles around her eyes made her look incredibly tired.
"Take this. It's a terminal."
She handed over a device. I slipped it into my pocket for now and asked, "Where are we?"
"Where do you think? Sector A2199 of the Romulus M31 galaxy cluster. Right ascension 0 hours 45 minutes, declination 41.3 degrees."
"That means absolutely nothing to me."
"I guess you haven't downloaded the data yet."
I don't even know what "downloading" means.
I spotted a laptop sitting on a shelf in the corner.
"These kinds of things usually hold clues."
I walked over, leaning on my cane. Julione looked displeased as she watched my limping leg.
*Click.*
I turned on the laptop.
▶ WORKER'S LOG
COSMOS_ARCHIVE
1st year on board. Finally getting used to the work. There's so much to do on a residential ship. It's exhausting...
[2348/09/25]
Sometimes I envy the tourists who bought tickets to board. I also feel sorry for my wife. With the employee discount, the onboard park is practically free, but even though she came all this way with me, I'm too busy working to enjoy it with her.
[2348/11/13]
We collided with a meteor. It was tiny, but it cracked the hull. That was a close call.
↳ Reply from Escosis: lmao we almost fucking died
[2348/12/17]
A cold is going around. It looks like Tina caught it, but I haven't caught it yet. I wish I could be sick instead of her.
[2348/12/23]
Tina's coughing is getting too severe. The infirmary says it's just a simple cold. But something feels off.
↳ Reply from Escosis: Could be pneumonia. Take her to the infirmary first. I'll talk to Yoko-san beforehand.
[2348/12/24]
Someone collapsed in the hallway today. I carried him on my back to the infirmary. His body temperature was incredibly low.
[2348/12/28]
An unidentified illness is spreading through the civilian quarters. Everyone is just calling it a cold. Did Tina catch that illness too?
↳ Reply from Escosis: Shit, something is wrong. The patients are becoming extremely aggressive.
[2349/01/07]
The Asmos ship has been designated as a quarantine zone. Movement between ships has been blocked. Tina is still coughing.
[2349/01/13]
Tina's skin is turning gray. We can't let them find out. If they do, she'll be locked in the quarantine zone.
[2349/01/20]
Screams were heard from the infirmary. They say three medical staff members died. No one will say how they died.
[2349/01/23]
Tina isn't moving. But she's still breathing. Her body is freezing cold. Even though she's unconscious, her teeth are chattering. She wants to live too. She's fighting desperately to survive. I will save her.
[2349/02/01]
Tina is dead. It's my fault for bringing her here. She should have stayed back home. I should have been the only one to experience this hell.
[2349/02/15]
There's a scratching sound coming from the morgue...
[2349/02/16]
Scritch. Scritch. Scritch. That's what it sounds like.
[2349/02/17]
Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch. Scritchscritch.
[2349/02/20]
Tina is looking at me. But that's not Tina. Tina, please...
[2349/02/20]
How can a dead person walk?
[2349/02/21]
The Cosmos is already contaminated. Everything is ruined. We are all going to die here.
"...I knew it."
I knew this would happen. I knew it!
Sci-fi space settings are always space horror...
Thump. Thump. I followed Julione, leaning on my cane. In this regard, Julione was a bit inconsiderate.
She walked way too fast.
"...This is the supervisor's office."
She pointed to a door that looked incredibly sturdy.
"I don't go outside of this room."
"Why?"
"Because I'm the supervisor."
She exuded a very stubborn aura.
"Then can I not enter either?"
"You can. With my permission."
Ssssshk. She opened the door. I tried to follow her in, but—Slam!
She shut it right in my face.
"Excuse me? Is there no other guidance or instruction?"
—My job ends with waking you up.
"...Ah, right. So, you want me to go out there alone?"
I pointed down the dark corridor.
There was nothing. It was a space where monsters or zombies could pop out at any second.
"..."
No answer.
I guess I have to go alone.
I started walking down the corridor. Honestly, the darkness itself wasn't scary. My vision was so good that if I focused just a little bit of magic into my optic nerves, they would activate to an extreme degree, absorbing even the faintest traces of light.
Meaning, I could see perfectly fine.
"Crew Quarters A7"
"Crew quarters..."
There might be something here.
I went inside. It looked like a dormitory, but as expected, there was no one there. Instead, there was a computer on the desk.
Not a laptop.
SYSTEM://DESKTOP
> Knowledge download is available.
A blue cable popped out of the desktop. The tip looked like a USB, but it was soft and squishy.
It was a condensed mass of magic.
"Do I plug this into my head?"
After contemplating, I looked at my wrist.
The NaN information window could be opened by tapping the wrist twice.
So this too?
I plugged the cable into my wrist. It connected smoothly.
*Click.*
[ DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS ]
> Current Location: Cosmos Ship Sector D - Asmos Ship Crew Quarters
■ Cosmos Overview:
The Cosmos is a massive cluster ship consisting of multiple docked spacecraft.
■ Current Status:
Communication network between ships is currently severed and isolated.
■ Major Facilities:
• Bio-preservation Sector (Human embryo storage/research)
• Resource Reclamation System
• Power Reactor...
■ Current Status:
Connection between hulls severed due to severe damage.
※ WARNING:
Automated defense systems and security robots are active in some sectors.
The Cosmos was a cluster ship.
In other words, it was a massive vessel made up of numerous docked spacecraft. However, for some reason, the connections between the ships had been severed, turning it into a dead ship.
I had dropped into one of these ships within the Cosmos.
My objective...
⚠ MISSION OBJECTIVE ⚠
> You are part of the Support Team.
> Objective: Retrieve 'The Substance' from the deepest part of the ship and return.
Retrieving some substance from inside the ship.
I understood.
◈ DOWNLOAD SUCCESSFUL ◈
> Special skill selection is available.
[ ] Lv.1 Terminal Upgrade
"...Skills?"
They were labyrinth skills. If I played my cards right, I might be able to take these skills back as loot.
I read the descriptions.
• Infiltrate the system core of a specific target through neural circuits.
• Performance varies depending on the user's magic capacity and the level of their nervous system.
Lv.1 Terminal Upgrade
• Upgrades the performance of the terminal.
Lv.1 Minimap
Hacking seemed like the best choice. Especially since it said performance varies depending on the "level of the nervous system."
Honestly, my nervous system, which had been tempered by Sequence, was likely far superior to any other explorer's.
◈ SYSTEM UPDATE ◈
> Acquiring Lv.1 Hacking.
> Please implant the chip.
> Implantation complete.
The instructions on how to use it seemed to naturally flow into my mind as if they had been downloaded as well. I just had to use my Cognitive Image.
Well then, let's go.
Thump. Thump. I walked, leaning on my cane.
I must have walked for several tens of minutes.
"Lobby"
Finally, a passage leading to the lobby appeared. The gate was firmly locked.
"Hacking."
I visualized my Cognitive Image of hacking. A blue cable flowed out from my wrist. I plugged the connector into the gate.
root@breach:~# gate_bypass
> Initiating breach protocol...
> Overriding security lock...
> Injecting magic-neural signal...
> Hacking successful.
Sssssshhhk.
The door slowly slid upward.
I was about to take a step forward when I froze. The corridor ahead was covered in blood. In particular, on the wall right where I turned my head, all sorts of words, handprints, and fingernail scratches were carved in bright red blood.
⛧ BLOODSTAINS ON THE WALL ⛧
R U N
YOU THE NEXT
DIE ! ! !
WE ALL DIE ^０^
THANKS FOR YOUR NEGLIGENCE...
