Chapter 57
Chapter 57
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Wonderriot Circus
-----------------------------------------------------------------
57.
A man stared seriously at the crack in the split floor, when a grating static noise crept into his ear.
Chiiik-
[Hello there, Employee Park Yeon-jeong!]
Hearing that energetic voice first thing in the morning already made his energy drain right out of him.
But now, situations like this had become everyday life.
"Good morning, Mr. Noise."
Along with my light greeting.
I'd expected Noise's signature static to follow.
But the voice that should have come from the speaker never arrived. Instead, the White Librarian quietly revealed herself amid the hazy white air.
She appeared abruptly.
The White Librarian immediately showed me the item in her hand.
The object resting on her white glove was one I'd already smashed to pieces once before—"that item."
The Ghost Story Capturing Quill Pen.
[Please handle the company equipment with care this time, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
"...Yes, understood."
I'd planned to handle it with utmost care this time anyway.
Noise, since you value company equipment so much. I value my own body just as highly.
And....
What the hell is with this cross pattern really?
No way....
Like the slave marks from the old days when people were bought and sold to indicate ownership... surely not that?
'...No, right, Mr. Noise?'
Before long, I might end up calling Noise "Master."
As my bizarre imagination started running wild.
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
"Yes?"
Noise called me to a halt with a calm, subdued voice.
[No need to worry so much. It surely won't work in a bad way.]
Ah, he's talking about this tattoo?
But there was no way I could blindly trust Noise's words telling me not to worry about the tattoo etched on the back of my hand.
[For now, at least☺.]
...That last bit just made it even harder to believe.
That meaningful tone, anyone could tell something had been done to the tattoo on the back of my hand.
Even mixed with a hint of laughter in his voice.
Something had definitely been done to it, no question.
And honestly.
By now, I knew full well that expecting anything else was foolish. It was a mark left by a ghost story, after all—suspicious was par for the course.
Lately, Park Yeon-jeong.
Had been forgetting his personal motto more and more often.
This wouldn't do.
From now on, it might be good to recite it every time before entering a ghost story.
-Giving up makes it easier.
Yeah, good.
Without this kind of mental recharge, he felt like he couldn't even take a single step in these ghost stories.
'Let's do our best today too!'
As he inwardly engraved that resolve deep in his chest, the speaker's static slowly began revving up this story.
[Well then.]
Ah, that pattern again.
Yes, I'm used to it now.
I'm ready.
So just tell me straight.
[The details on the item to capture this time.]
Yeah, as expected—a ghost story capture today too.
But ideally, not some weirdo like that Arbiter. Something moderately difficult would be nice.
Tack!
Soon, a light flicked on in the dark space, revealing.
A cathode-ray tube.
'You again?'
Our Mr. Brown, who'd been showing up a lot lately.
He even felt an inexplicable familiarity toward this inanimate object now. But pulling out this CRT instead of the usual white door....
"This time, we're not going through the white door?"
And Noise's response was—
[As expected of our company's star employee—quick on the uptake!]
[Correct. The place Employee Park Yeon-jeong is heading to this time is full of rather rigid folks. So we've prepared it in the way they desire.]
Rigid folks?
Nothing specific jumped to mind at those words.
Noise continued his explanation.
[And for this ghost story, please take all of these along.]
"Yes?"
No sooner had Noise finished than the White Librarian handed something to me.
What appeared before Park Yeon-jeong's eyes on her white palm was.
Wiggle wiggle!
Wiggle wiggle!
Our Bear Doll brothers.
When we'd entered the Jackpot ghost story, Noise had taken them away saying he had some use for them briefly.
This time, he was telling me to bring them all.
The implication was obvious—no need to overthink it.
'Meaning... it's tough....'
This ghost story was that tricky.
Couldn't they throw in an easy one once in a while?
As Park Yeon-jeong's resentment toward his self-proclaimed boss Noise's unfairness piled up even more, static interrupted his thoughts.
Chijijik-
[Oh, right!]
A sparkling light burst before my eyes, and the quill pen slowly floated up from my hand.
[Ta-da~!]
Like leveling up in a game, a comical sound effect came from somewhere.
......No, it wasn't an effect—it was Noise making the noise with his mouth.
"......Did you have to do it with your mouth?"
[Sound effects are essential for upgrade animations!]
Noise said proudly.
[While we're at it, I've increased the quill pen's capacity too. You seem to be handling your duties skillfully now, so I put in some extra effort.]
[No need for thanks—just make good use of it☺.]
"......"
At his words, like he was bestowing some grand favor, I stared blankly at the quill pen.
-Quill Pen +1 (Upgrade Successful)
Being upgraded to capture more ghost stories meant—
This time, I wasn't heading into just one ghost story. That's how it was conveyed to me.
'Wow—seriously over the top. Do you even remember I'm not even two weeks in yet, Mr. Noise?'
Having fully deciphered the hidden meaning in Noise's words, cold tears welled in Park Yeon-jeong's eyes.
He felt it bone-deep: life had no easy paths.
Chiiik-
Static brushed his ears again.
'What now!'
Noise was extra chatty today.
[About the watch I gave you.]
Flinch!
In an instant, the anger toward Noise subsided, and my gaze naturally shifted to the cross on the back of my hand.
No way....
No way, he's not turning this broken watch over for disciplinary action too?
Park Yeon-jeong inwardly recoiled and twisted his wrist slightly to check the shattered screen.
[If you successfully capture this ghost story, we'll repair the watch as a reward.]
"......Thank you for your consideration."
Thank you, thank you!
Relieved they weren't pursuing the watch issue.
Chiiik-
This static wasn't from the speaker.
Chijijijik-
It came from the cathode-ray tube in front of Park Yeon-jeong.
After the characteristic gray screen adjustment of the CRT, a single line appeared:
----------
[Wonderriot Circus]
----------
!!!
"Wa-wait! This is!"
The moment I saw "Wonderriot Circus" on the CRT.
I whipped my gaze away.
And hurriedly shut my eyes, plugging my ears.
I wanted to deny all the information coming from the CRT.
Chiiik-
The White Librarian approached and lightly placed her hand on mine.
At the same time, Noise whispered in an amused tone, as if my denial was entertaining.
Even knowing I couldn't hear him.
He continued his explanation.
[Employee Park Yeon-jeong. A fun performance surely awaits you. Dazzling, with many events in store.]
Chijijijik-!
[And I won't make the same mistake as last time.]
Wobble!
Unable to endure the extreme dizziness....
Thud-
I collapsed helplessly to the floor.
At the same time, Noise's voice overlapped with the CRT's audio, ringing in my eardrums.
[Let's have fun together.]
-Everyone, enjoy the show.
*****
-Inviting you to a world of fantasy! Feel the dazzling performances you've never seen before with your whole body!
-Inviting you to a world of fantasy......
-You... chiiik-
A small voice kept piercing through my eardrums, repeating.
Dizzy.
Nauseous.
My mind grows hazy.
Why, out of all those countless ghost stories....
'Hurry....'
Or else......I'll change.
Bulge!
"Graaaah!"
It started.
My legs began to change shape.
At this rate, it'll be too late.
Too late.
I'll become their puppet.
Hurry....
Hurry with the glasses!
[Delete the gibberish string as per instructions]
Hurry!!!
Rattle rattle rattle-
Even that simple motion to reach for my employee ID felt this slow for the first time.
My hand's trembling worsened by the second—if this kept up—
Rustle rustle rustle!
?!
Swish.
The nausea......started to subside.
My hand's shaking gradually calmed, and the leg pain I'd felt moments ago faded.
"......Haa."
My irregular heartbeat began to steady.
Only then could I pull myself up from crawling on the floor and survey my surroundings.
Wiggle wiggle!
And there, on the floor, one Bear Doll waving its short stuffed arm at me.
Especially when I noticed the heart-shaped embroidery on its chest.
"...It was you."
Our Bear Doll saved me.
It had pulled the glasses from my employee ID and put them on me.
Lately, I owed the Bear Dolls an indescribable debt.
I immediately picked up the heart Bear Doll and placed it on my shoulder.
Then slowly looked around.
Beneath a blood-red sky, the air hung humid and heavy, and an endless vast plain stretched out.
The ground was pocked with rain puddles reflecting the red sky, dyed blood-like.
It gave the bizarre sensation of being submerged in blood myself.
At the center of the vast plain stood a deep crimson tent.
The tent rose imposingly, as if piercing the red sky, its fabric alternating red and white stripes flapping eerily.
The entrance was lined with sparkling bulbs long enough to draw every eye, and a large signboard blazed in multicolored lights.
★☆★Wonderriot Circus★☆★
'Wonderriot Circus.'
That confirmed it.
Noise was definitely trying to kill me.
No other reason to toss me into this madhouse of clowns.
Even the [Ghost Story Archive] recorded [Wonderriot Circus] as a place where settings were jumbled like bibimbap, one of the ghost stories with the worst survival odds.
'If you didn't want to, just say so.'
I hated Noise for sending me here just like that.
Hated him—not just mildly, but enough to inwardly vow curses if I died.
Chiiik-
Static.
Obviously not Noise's.
----------
We■lco■e.
The sh■w- sta■ts ■n a ■ew mo■ents.. Chiiik.. Plea■e ■nter the ■heater qui■kly.
----------
Worse sound quality than Noise's speaker.
Honestly, it was a miracle it worked at all.
And after hearing that announcement.
My feet felt even heavier.
It was the same reluctance I always felt entering ghost stories, but today it hit harder—I didn't want to go in.
Throb-!
Even with the Mental Damage Immunity Glasses on, it felt like a migraine.
My whole body rejected entering the circus.
......But.
I knew full well.
Staying put here would just get me killed all the same.
It was 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' either way.
So.
Better to thrash like a mad dog and die than stand like an idiot and do nothing.
Most ghost stories were places where struggling got you out alive anyway.
Step.
I hated it to death.
But now, I had to move forward.
'If I survive this, I'll secretly spit in that speaker.'
Pat pat-
?
Turning to the familiar sensation on my cheek, there was our Bear Doll, raising its stuffed hand high in a "you got this" gesture.
Seeing that.
I felt a tiny bit stronger.
Yeah... just a tiny bit.
*****
Unlike the flashy signboard and lights greeting me outside, the interior was pitch darkness without a single ray of light.
My eyes, unadjusted to the dark, could only make out hazy shapes.
A large stage at the center, countless chairs, and faint whispers from people.
At the overly dark interior, I stopped and stared at the stage center.
Tack! Tack! Tack!
At that moment.
Three spotlights lit up the middle of the massive circus arena.
And there, three clowns appeared.
The masks covering their faces were simple patterns, like basic emoticons.
And the [Ghost Story Archive] described those three masks thus:
-♦Angry Mask.
-♥Love Mask.
-♣Tear Mask.
Pierrot Trio.
==========
/Ghost Story Log
[Wonderriot Circus]
:Identification Code Cd-▒▒F-4
==========
Ah, I miss Mom.
Intensely.