Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: 404's Birthday Bash
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【Well then, that's it for today's broadcast!……Oh, and by the way, I'll be back tomorrow with some massive group content, so make sure you all tune in!】
【Definitely!!】
-Broadcast ended.
The chaotic broadcast finally came to a close.
Right after that, 404 moved without a moment's hesitation, turning the lens of the digital camera in his hand toward himself.
Click-
Along with the crisp shutter sound.
A bright light swallowed 404's body whole.
404 headed straight to his content warehouse.
To the space where his dimwitted brother was still cluelessly picking out props, oblivious to the fact that he himself was destined to end up trapped in a glass tube.
To the place where that foolish big brother was waiting for me.
【Who would've thought I'd finally get my hands on a golden goose like that.】
From eavesdropping on the Colosseum battle style just moments ago, he'd even figured out that his big brother possessed considerable power.
But.
That was it.
No matter how much hidden power he hadn't yet revealed. No matter how strong those powers were.
Nothing beat a good ol' beatdown with numbers.
404 planned to unleash the ghost stories in his content warehouse to capture his big brother.
And if even after releasing all of them he still couldn't catch him, then he'd just leave his big brother trapped in that space until his strength waned.
Just shove him in there and leave him be.
Such a straightforward solution.
Step-
The moment 404 stepped back into his content warehouse. The first thing he encountered was.
A thick, heavy silence.
Through that utter stillness, he spotted his big brother, who had been waiting for his arrival.
【……Big Brother?】
From the sight of that guy staring blankly at me.
An inexplicable sense of wrongness washed over him.
In the grim space filled only with eeriness, a deep, resonant voice settled unpleasantly across the entire area.
"You're back! I've prepared a little surprise for you."
【……Pardon?】
404 couldn't comprehend the words right away. He had no idea what his big brother's cryptic statement meant.
But.
Faster than expected.
He understood what those words implied.
"A surprise that'll stick with you for life, if I do say so myself."
The figure known as his big brother spread his arms wide in the pitch-black darkness, a sinister smile playing on his lips as he continued.
Static-
Amid a bit of noise.
"This is it. Your surprise, 404."
*****
The moment 404 turned away from the current 'content warehouse.' I spoke up the instant he vanished from the space.
Snap-!
Raising the quill pen high in one hand, I continued.
"Any ghost story folks out there itching to give that broadcast-crazed kid a good thrashing right now? Raise your hand!"
…….
…….
…….
Dead silence.
It was so quiet I felt embarrassed just standing there.
【W-what? D-do you? R-really?】
!
Piercing the heavy silence, a black shape plastered to the glass tube wall flung words at me.
If that was a question.
I kindly responded.
"Yes, for those who want it, I'll get you out of there."
【H-how? E-exactly?】
Swish-
For some reason, that one line from the ghost story echoed long and loud across the entire space.
And then, gazes from those who hadn't been watching me moments ago poured in one after another.
It felt like they were closing in on me.
These incomprehensible stares were probably……
'They want a demonstration.'
To see if I could really free them from the glass tubes this 404 punk had made.
They were testing me.
…Step.
Without hesitation, I walked toward the black shape. Every nerve from my toes to my throat on high alert.
I planned to give a clear answer to the one who'd questioned me.
That was the thought.
"I'll show you."
【!!】
"So no need to doubt."
I'd just figured I was putting on my usual Little Noise act.
But for that one moment, why was it.
-Static
The mysterious static that brushed my ear still lingered in my memory.
"So……please refrain from speaking as if you doubt me."
【…….】
After my words ended, the black shape that had been stuck to the wall froze solid.
It showed no further movement.
Seeing it like that, I couldn't help but think.
'…Has my acting improved?'
The notion that I'd reached 'a level where I could fool even ghost stories' flashed through my mind.
I felt a bit pleased.
But no time to dawdle here. With 404 possibly wrapping up his broadcast and returning any moment.
I stepped closer to the black shape that had just spoken to me.
And thrust the quill pen forward.
Not long after.
Drip-
As a drop of black ink fell from the quill pen's tip to the floor, a black line of text appeared before my eyes.
『Valid material identified.』
It worked!
I'd expected it, but seeing it with my own eyes doubled the joy.
Up until now, I'd been draining ghost stories' stamina before capturing them in this quill pen.
The ones trapped in 404's glass tubes were mostly already exhausted and captured in that state.
So I'd figured it would work.
Squish-
The black ink puddle on the floor naturally passed through the glass tube in front of me.
Gulp-
And swallowed the figure inside whole.
In an instant, the ghost story inside the glass tube vanished.
The other ghost stories watching this scene were taking it all in.
But.
A good show needed the theatrics.
'I'd done it once before.'
I gripped the quill pen in one hand and thrust it forward again.
Drip-
A drop of ink fell from the tip. And beyond its forming shape, a physical form materialized outside the glass tube.
【…J-just now? D-did you?】
…Success.
I'd successfully summoned the one I'd stored in the quill pen back out.
Thud-!
The other ghost stories witnessing it firsthand looked like they couldn't believe their eyes.
Yeah, just a few days ago, I hadn't known how to release a captured one from the quill pen.
If it weren't for this toy ghost story……
Flashback to when I'd captured 'Dream of Toys.'
Back when I was still out of it from the Mass-Produced Hero aftereffects.
Noise had said this about the toy ghost story that crawled out of the quill pen on its own:
[If you capture without fully breaking their resistance, this can happen sometimes.]
[So remember that, Employee Park Yeon-jeong.]
Meaning, if you didn't properly drain a ghost story's stamina before capture, even a successfully captured one could pop back out of the quill pen.
That was the loophole I planned to exploit.
And the effect of that demonstration performance……was a resounding success.
【▒▒▒!!】
【G-get me out.】
Alright then……
'I'll prepare a surprise that'll really shock 404.'
*****
"404, I've got a surprise ready for you……This is my gift to you!"
I kept on talking.
"You know that saying in birthday traditions? 'Birthday bash.'"
Soon, countless shapes revealed themselves behind me, asserting their presence.
"So……please enjoy my gift with all your heart."
【…You ungrateful bastards! This is how you repay my kindness? All of you! Disposal! You're all headed for disposal!】
Snap-!
The moment 404 raised the digital camera in his hand toward me and tried to press the shutter.
【Target location is───hand.】
!!
Along with a low man's voice echoing through the entire space. The digital camera 404 had been holding vanished.
And that digital camera.
"Should the birthday boy be the one holding the camera?"
The very digital camera 404 had in his hand moments ago was now in my grasp.
The reason was simple.
The one remaining member of 404's sole combat ghost story trio.
The only ghost story who hadn't appeared in this Colosseum.
-Today's target is.
The ghost story called 'Today's Target Is' had the ability to retrieve any object he designated as the target.
【That 'Bangbang' punk! How dare you bare your teeth at me!!】
404's agitated voice boomed across the space.
Yet in this space, a voice utterly unfazed—no, downright calm—resonated throughout.
"Then, please enjoy the birthday gift I've prepared."
-Static
Amid faint static rippling through the space. A man's voice spat out thick darkness.
"Smile. Like a pro."
Twitch.
404's birthday bash.
Had thus begun.