Chapter 1
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Daydream
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A purely white space stretching out infinitely.
Dragged here straight from dozing off at home—no tricks, no lies—there was absolutely nothing in this place.
A flawless expanse of fresh white, intolerant of even the slightest noise, crumb of food, or speck of dirt.
"Hey~! Is anyone there~! Just tell me if this is a dream~!?"
At first, it was just intriguing.
There were no memories of any kidnapping scenario, no reason, no cause, so he'd simply assumed it was a dream.
Recognized it as something akin to a lucid dream phenomenon.
Like that, one hour passed.
Like that, ten hours.
Like that, one day.
Like that, ten days.
Like that, one hundred days.
Like that, one thousand days.
In the future, after one thousand days—equivalent to two years, eight months, and twenty days had elapsed chronologically.
His eyes opened wide, steeped in emptiness, as he muttered.
"Maybe I should just bite my tongue and end it."
One thousand days.
One thousand days.
In military terms, it was more than one full enlistment plus two-thirds of another.
For university, it'd be midway through the second semester of junior year.
For an ordinary middle or high schooler, enough time to leap several grades.
A duration that would've driven any human mad long ago, yet he'd endured, thinking solely of escape, pushing through again and again.
But it had been ages since he'd forgotten the purpose of living.
This wasn't an ordinary place.
No need for food, water, or sleep—a space crafted purely for thoughts of pain.
I want to die.
I just want to vanish.
Despite trying everything to end it—hyperventilating, choking himself, slamming his head—every insane attempt had failed.
Then, the ultimate solution dawned on him.
The very best one.
Crunch!
The ferocious bite that crushed his tongue severed it clean off.
Glug— glug—
Blood poured from the severed tongue.
The fishy, metallic tang assaulted his nostrils.
His breath gradually faded amid the overflowing blood.
I don't know who dragged me here... but I'll curse you forever, even in death.
A curse he'd never uttered in his life.
And with that, even his faint breath returned to nothingness.
User's death detected.
Avatar uses: 1/????
"...?"
But somehow, he reverted to his original state. Only then did he realize that even death wasn't an escape from this place.
The one means he'd pinned his hopes on as the sole exit had failed.
For a fleeting moment, he wanted to end it right then.
Setting: Omniscient Strange Tale Perspective
Listing solvable Strange Tale roster.
Only then could he grasp the purpose of this godforsaken place.
Absurd.
No, beyond absurd—curses bubbled up.
Despair and rage boiled over from the fact that even suicide couldn't free him.
He didn't know which lunatic had set suicide as the trigger, but he wanted to snap their neck right then...!
Flinch!
A sudden chill raced up his spine.
As the rage surging to his scalp subsided.
The only emotion left was the pressure to choose well.
"........."
His gaze turned to the selection window before him.
He still didn't fully understand the situation, but since it presented detailed options, there had to be intent behind them.
"For now, 'Strange Tale' probably means something like School Strange Tale, right?"
He wasn't some expert who'd devoured the genre.
But what the list meant was simple enough.
The bastard who'd locked him here wanted him to resolve those entries. And in the most vicious way possible.
- 1. School Strange Tale
- 2. Yeongwol General Hospital
- 3. Who Is Fake?
Three in total.
The first was a commonly known ghost story, while the other two were utterly baffling names.
Yeongwol General Hospital? Hospitals were already creepy places in ghost story lore.
Who Is Fake?? English alone made it ominous.
One choice stood out clearly.
Strange Tale confirmed.
Strange Tale: School Strange Tale
Please set your Avatar.
Without even declaring his intent, the option auto-selected.
That alone confirmed the space could read his mind—a mystery beyond Earth's tech, which hadn't even invented teleportation.
The scale of this kidnapping is seriously impressive...
Common fantasy cliché, right? Isekai national rule?
Of course, he was a college student, but...
Wait, factoring in the three years? Grad student or office worker by now...
Whatever.
"If I can just get out, what wouldn't I do."
Unlike his early trembling terror, the thousand days had steeled his mind—granting rapid adaptation even to bewildering situations.
Then came another prompt.
Select given authority?
Possessed Points: 1P
Ability | Item | Hint
Classic novel-style options again.
So he pondered carefully before choosing...
Transferring to Strange Tale automatically in 10 seconds!
10...
Eighteen, and no time to pick!?
Even convenience stores give 30 seconds for cigarettes—what a joke!
Despite his complaints, time ticked on.
What to do?
The fact it offered choices at all proved things ahead wouldn't be smooth.
He skipped the incomprehensible Hint and useless Item, opening Ability.
And unfolded, an endless list.
Abilities he couldn't afford with his points, useless ones—infinitely many.
"The hand is faster than the eye, and the eye is faster than the hand."
Even reading descriptions was a waste now.
Just names and gut instinct to pick the best.
Finally, one ability stood out amid his selections.
"........."
There, alongside the absurd phrase [Strange Tale Gallery].
His consciousness sank into a dark abyss.
[TY-0]
Strange Tale: School Strange Tale
Items: 0
He opened his eyes inside a pitch-dark school.
Flick. Flick.
Beneath fluorescent lights blinking at regular intervals.
Wondering what the hell this was, he scanned his surroundings.
And spotted the only lit area.
[Lodge Room]
Like a black dot on white paper.
It exuded a sense of safety compared to everywhere else, practically beckoning with a come here~? vibe.
His feet moved unconsciously toward it.
Creeeak.
The door swung open, revealing a bed for sleeping and a single scribbled sheet of paper.
He desperately wanted to bolt from here immediately.
But instinct drew his eyes to the paper.
Rustle—
With careful hands, he read its contents.
* These rules have not been verified for safety. If wary, we recommend acting at your own discretion.
1. This school building must be patrolled forcibly by the 'assigned teacher' every night.
1.1. Patrols occur from 8:00 P.M. to 4:00 A.M., totaling 8 hours.
1.2. [ㅁㅁㅁ]■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■. ■, ■■ ■■■ ■■ ■ ‘ㅁㅁㅁ ㅁ’■ ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■■■■.
2. Patrol areas cover floors 1 through 4. The annex or storage rooms exist, but those are the 'guards'' patrol zones. Never invade those areas.
2.1. ■■ ■■■ ■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■ ■■■■. ■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■
2.2. ■■ ■■■ ■■■ ‘ㅁㅁ’■ ■■■■ ■■■■. ■■ ■ ■ ■■■■■■, ■ ■■■ ‘ㅁㅁ’■ ■■■ ■■■■■.
3. Anomalies dubbed '' () are sighted irregularly. They are never friendly. Flee upon sighting.
3.1. ■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■ ■■ ■■■■■.
3.2. ■■■■ ■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■, ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■.
4. Each classroom contains students exhibiting odd behavior. Do not communicate with them. No lifeforms exist here besides you.
5. During patrol, if the class bell rings, head to the [Control Room] on the 4th floor before it ends and press the 'red button'.
5.1. ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■, ■■■ ‘ㅁㅁㅁ’■ ■■ ■■■ ■■■■■. ■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■ ■■■■.
6. The rooftop houses the sole 'friendly' entity. If life is threatened, seek refuge there if possible. That entity is friendly.
6.1. ■ ■■■ ■■■■■. ■■■ ■■ ■■■■. ■■ ■ ■ ■■■■■■■■. ■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■ ■ ■■■■■.
7. Assigned patrols end after 7 days. Attempting 'escape' early or violating rules may revoke qualification immediately.
7.1. ■ ■■■ ■■■■■. ■ ■■ ■■ ■■■ ■■ ‘ㅁㅁ’■ ■■■■■. ■■ ■■ ■ ■■■ ■■ ■, ■■■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■■■.
8. Good luck.
Alongside this [Rulebook] that seemed to both guide and deter.
He didn't know who'd dragged him here.
Laws be damned.
He vowed from the heart to kill that bastard.