Chapter 6

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Monster Extermination #1

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Fear.

It was an emotion humanity had yet to conquer, one of the feelings that had to exist for great progress to be made.

So here's the question.

What if humans lost even the emotion of 'fear'?

The answer was simple.

They'd smile as they stepped into a pit of fire if they wanted to, and they'd die happily right before drowning.

A madman who could convert even pain into pleasure would be born.

Even the painless would feel fear in the face of death.

"Huh? Huh? Keep blocking and your arm's gonna break!"

"These days' monsters got no grit! No grit!!"

"Some people wanna die and can't! Why do you get to go free?! Huh!?"

The monster that had spent half its life in the mirror recalled something as it gazed at the human before it.

This guy's a lunatic.

A lunatic who, even in a kidnapping, begged for death instead.

The doppelganger glimpsed madness in his eyes and thought as it was pummeled all over.

Countless 'teachers' had come before.

But they'd all been devoured by it, becoming part of it—they'd never even dreamed of killing themselves.

Not to mention, the very idea that a 'monster' could be diagnosed by a human was utter nonsense.

It was a rule set from birth, an established truth.

Yes.

That's how it should have been...?

"If you're born human, at least die honorably. That's why you're not just suitable—you're perfect as my navigation for the afterlife."

[Kuh! Ack! Kuack!!]

"A monster that can't even dodge a wooden bat? Way weaker than that shadow that snapped necks. Got it."

[Stop! Stop it! Please!! I'll answer anything!! Escape method or whatever!!]

"Nah, the gallery folks want more beatings."

[Kraaaaaagh!!!!!!!!]

"Oh ho, not answering? Get over here!!!"

The doppelganger looked exactly like 'me' on the outside.

That's why I had the overwhelming advantage, holding the wooden bat.

The others who'd been eaten must have fallen helplessly due to plain fear.

But me?

If I get trapped in there, I'll just bite my tongue again or whatever.

As long as I wasn't bound hand and foot, there were no downsides.

Just beat and beat some more.

Thwack! Thud! Thwack!

Black blood splattered across my face.

The monster that had mocked countless predecessors crumbled.

How many times did I smash its head with the wooden bat?

Whoosh——

Like the other monsters, the doppelganger oxidized into a handful of ash.

Considering the rules that had just updated.

This meant all the monsters on the first floor were exterminated.

"Hoo..."

How many years had it been since I'd felt fatigue like this?

I sensed my dopamine and stamina had dropped.

Reminding myself that such emotions existed, I returned to the Lodge Room and lay down on the bed.

And then, the follow-up post.

Yeah, this is the gallery flavor.

With the thrill of watching WWE live.

"A quick nap should be fine."

I set an alarm and drifted into a short sleep.

Meanwhile, in the gallery where the newbie had vanished.

Another thread started burning.

And by the time my one-hour nap ended.

"Huh?"

The gallery was ablaze.

Not just burning—the page refreshed every minute since I'd entered, pure firepower.

Wondering what was up, I checked the top recommended post.

A fellow gallery user trapped in the exact same 'school' as me.

Turns out we'd been in the same place as that user all along?

Fuck, really blew the plausibility once.

Rare cases existed where others ended up in the same strange tale, but they were always outsiders who didn't know about the 'gallery'.

No records of gallery users from decades overlapping in the same tale.

Usually brushed off as 'coincidence~'.

But they dug through old posts for connections with this sudden bait.

About one or two hours later.

A gallery user in the far more advanced 'Steampunk'-era strange tale confirmed they matched.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠comments and post were already a shitshow by then.

With the ban call, the gallery froze except for the two users.

In that space, only three had speaking rights.

Oh fuck.

Didn't do shit and now explain myself?

What kinda dogshit situation is this?

Still, this was the one place I could show my humanity.

I absolutely couldn't get kicked from this gallery.

They thought I was a monster in human skin—logging off wouldn't prove much here.

One option left.

Rescue the other user.

Or rather, meet and prove I'm human.

The two seemed to get it, going silent for a while.

At 1 a.m.

A comment finally dropped in the quiet gallery.

Temporary hold.

That was my verdict.

Normally it'd end with proof of humanity, but these gallery dwellers were ghosts trapped years, decades in hellholes.

Fine, if I'm dying anyway, might as well be a hero.

I hadn't told the others.

But clearly, the White Room offered other strange tales besides this.

Meeting a user randomly meant.

Another tale might have one too.

Wow, fuck.

Whoever kidnapped us built a real shithole.

Feeling like I held the key to freeing lifelong prisoners was.

"Fucking bullshit."

Pure bullshit.

Should've mixed in some lies...

About three hours until patrol end.

Impossible to reach the user by then.

At least clear up to 2F. Last try reset the classroom I cleared, like RPG respawns.

This was purely for 'escape'.

If the user hindered escape, I'd sacrifice them.

My 'resolve' was so intense it disgusted even me. Orphan thing maybe, but I'd offer my parents as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tribute in a heartbeat.

"Let's go."

I stepped toward the stairs with resolve.

The moment I did, 'shadow' footsteps echoed as predicted.

"……"

Ignore it.

Just hallucination, bullshit trick.

"……"

Now hallucinations too, to force a look back.

The director who raised me as a kid. Screams of orphanage friends behind.

"……"

Five stairs left.

Slowly.

Slow but steady.

Steps toward [2F].

Finally, shaking off all temptations, I reached 2F on try three.

And unleashed my pent-up rage.

"You fucking bastard shits———!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Roaring war cry, the infamous [Classroom Monsters] burst from rooms. The 1F bastard must've warned them—they swarmed me together.

Each far from human.

Good.

Thanks.

If they were human, I'd feel guilt.

Messing with family?

You're all dead.

"Blood is iron, body is steel."

"Come at me———!!!!"

Paralysis from the shout?

I leaped at the hesitating monsters.

Krunch———!!!

Wooden bats from 1F in both hands.

Smashed the front row heads in one go.

Dunno if they had emotions, but they panicked at the gore.

Crunch!

Ripped a head barehanded.

Chewed and swallowed it in front of them.

Crunch! Crunch! Munch!

Soft texture, salty—definitely not human.

Good.

Thank goodness.

Grateful again it was monster, not human.

"Perfect."

The hunted became the hunters in a massacre.