Chapter 90
Chapter 90
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Content Warehouse
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90.
This guy....
Suddenly offered to give me one of his props.
Really, without the slightest hesitation.
My gaze naturally checked the second hand on my wrist.
The second hand on my Lie-Detecting Watch right now.
......wasn't moving.
‘A lie, or not?’
That statement about giving me a prop didn't seem to be a lie.
If so, my gaze turned to the Bear Doll. And our eldest Bear Doll, who met my eyes.
Totter totter totter-!
The moment it sensed my gaze, it came running in one step.
Our eldest Bear Doll came running right to my side in one step, and without hesitation, I slipped it into my Employee ID.
While I was putting away the Bear Doll.
I glanced over. 404 was already holding a digital camera in one hand, watching me.
404's voice whispered down, chillingly brushing past my ear.
【Don't move.】
Click-!
A flash and shutter sound exploded right in front of my eyes.
My eyes scrunched up involuntarily from the light blurring my vision, and as I gradually adjusted to the surroundings.
What came into view.
An endlessly stretching corridor, with countless rectangular glass tubes lining both walls—single-person set rooms, you could call them.
This place was what 404 called the 'Content Warehouse.'
‘I never thought I'd see this place for real.’
Even the [Ghost Story Archive] only had vague descriptions of it. One of the spots with absolutely no details on the interior layout.
And now, I'd set foot inside such a warehouse.
Flash-!
Soon, another burst of light flared up beside me. I turned my gaze there.
From my side, a figure with those signature yellow glowing eyes spoke quietly.
【I'll let you take one of my collections. Thanks to you, bro, my broadcast's viewer count has skyrocketed.】
404, openly declaring he'd hand over one of his collections to me.
‘......Really?’
“To think you'd even give me a gift. I'm truly grateful.”
The words of thanks spilled out reflexively.
Even so, my eyes drifted to the rooms stretching endlessly—rectangular glass tubes, each bursting with its own twisted personality.
More like 'isolation cells' than mere glass tubes.
Inside those isolation cells, ghost stories of all sorts of appearances seized my attention first.
From one made entirely of water.
To one with a miniature saw attached to its face.
Even mechanical ones that looked like they'd be used as promo dolls for some pizza joint.
‘He's got quite the collection.’
Some weren't even documented in the [Ghost Story Archive], and familiar ghost stories I knew were also in view.
But.
Amid all these countless ghost stories, one isolation cell in particular drew my eyes like a magnet.
Among the hordes of ghost stories.
In the deepest corner of one glass tube, a lifeform had crushed its body down as far as it could, utterly devoid of any will to live.
A human.
‘...There they are, as expected.’
This place was packed with isolated ghost stories, sure—but there were also a fair number of humans just like me trapped here.
The ghost stories caught here got used in big main-broadcast content, like earlier.
But for humans with no special powers? Only one reason.
Disposable props.
Whenever a human showed up on 404's broadcast, they always appeared alongside the main ghost story.
And that broadcast? It was all about showing, in excruciating detail, the human getting killed by the ghost story.
Literal one-and-done props.
If....
It hadn't been Noise's turf.
If I'd dropped straight into this 404 guy's ghost story first.
That spot could've been mine.
If luck had gone south, I might've been butchered the instant I set foot in this world.
Maybe that's why.
“......”
For some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away from that woman.
【.......】
404 watched me like that for a while.
Suddenly—
He thrust his face forward, pointing at the person trapped in the glass tube.
【Want it?】
!
404's tiny steps began carrying him slowly toward the glass tube I'd been staring at.
【You've got good taste, bro. That human's reactions are a riot.】
“...Intriguing.”
No tremor.
Hiding the shake in my voice wasn't hard anymore.
But.
The disgust churning deep inside? That wouldn't wash away easily.
404 kept rattling on about the woman in the glass tube.
【Especially when the other human who came with her got split clean in half right in front of her—what a melody she belted out!】
【After that, we used that human woman plenty, long as her body held up.】
【Thinking back still gives me chills all over!......But.】
404's enthusiastic spiel trailed off, going limp.
Tap tap—
He lightly rapped the glass tube holding the woman, then continued.
......
【As you can see... she's broken now, that human. Reactions went flat after, so I was gonna scrap her. But if you want her, she's yours.】
【Waste's all about how you use it. Perfect for some light doll play, maybe.】
......
I stared at the woman locked in the glass tube for a long moment.
And if I didn't pick her here.
This woman... dies.
No doubt about it. Soon. By 404's hand.
‘......Don't waver.’
Not even the slightest emotional flicker could show in front of 404.
I clamped down the ripples in my heart, mustered a faint smile.
“Bit rude to ask, but... could I pick a specific prop...?”
【One.】
‘...Cutting right to it.’
Ruthless bastard.
【Ever hear 'greed turns to poison'? But don't sweat it—I'll make sure you walk with at least one.】
404 swore I'd get one prop, no matter the type. I fixed my gaze on that woman, drilling into her for a long beat.
......
Snap.
I turned away.
Call it heartless.
But.
In a world crawling with ghost stories, cases like hers were a dime a dozen.
Just bad luck.
No one's fault. Not hers. Not anyone's.
Pure chance.
That's all she got... just that.
......
A frail breath slipped from the man's lips, and my gaze drifted elsewhere.
“Looks like you've got a ton of fascinating props here. Mind if I browse a bit more?”
【Sure, whatever... browsing's no biggie, but the ad on my broadcast's wrapping up soon.】
【If you're cool with it, bro, I'll go finish the rest of the show.】
404 said he'd leave me here while he wrapped up his unfinished broadcast.
The proposal hit me right away.
“This! I've gone and held up someone important. Work comes first. Don't worry about me.”
No reason to say no.
404 promised he'd only be gone a moment.
Of course.
With a warning.
【I figure you won't, bro... but you know stealing's wrong, right?】
Blunt as a hammer.
To his edged tone, I flashed the casual smile I knew by heart.
“No worries—go on. I'll be here when you get back.”
And capped it with that line.
“But is it really just goodwill?”
I had to ask if this VIP treatment was truly just about honoring a promise.
404's reply to my question.
【What else would it be? Pure intentions.】
Tick.
“...I see.”
404 vanished in a blink—like he'd been sucked into a black hole pinpoint in the air.
......
With the noisy pest from seconds ago finally gone.
‘Now I can breathe.’
Sweet relief.
Fatigue settling into my aching body.
“......Alright then.”
The breather was nice.
‘But what's the play now?’
The second hand on my wrist had ticked for that last question.
It hadn't budged for 404's first claim—but it sure moved for the second.
-Really just goodwill?
Yeah.
No way that broadcast-mad freak lets me stroll out of here easy.
Biggest proof he ain't planning to?
Dragging me to this 'Content Warehouse' in the first place.
404 threw open his 'Content Warehouse' to me without a second thought.
The spot he only hits up when snagging fresh collections—even per the [Ghost Story Archive].
‘This 404 creep....’
He's gunning to add me to his collection.
Probably waiting for me to slip, then shove me in one of these glass cages.
Plain as day.
Guy's got zero qualms going forceful.
Under normal circs, I'd be despairing right now—like that woman earlier.
No. Straight-up broken.
Bet on it.
If I'd washed up here empty-handed.
Blank slate, nothing to my name.
‘I might owe 404 a thank-you.’
In that case, time to pay up.
Swoosh—
Quill pen in hand, I murmured low.
More like: evil grin locked on, face twisted cruder than any ghost story's mug.
“Ghost story folks who wanna teach that broadcast-crazed brat a lesson right now—hands up!”