Chapter 15
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Humans Worse Than Monsters
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It felt like I'd had a nightmare, but I couldn't remember the details.
All I recalled was some strange dream where I reached out to a weeping woman. What on earth had it been about?
"Are you awake, dear husband?"
"Mm. What time is it?"
"It's just 6 a.m. You can sleep more."
Looking out the window, the sun was just starting to rise.
Sowol had apparently spent the whole night nestled in my arms, and she looked so blissfully happy that she refused to get up.
It was still early, so I decided to stay in bed a bit longer. I pulled Sowol close and checked the notifications I hadn't gotten around to yesterday.
I was sure my level had gone up one, I needed to pick a skill, and there was something about my bond with Sowol deepening.
[Bond with the White-Faced Bride has deepened!]
[New trait, 'White-Faced Groom,' has been added.]
By naming the White-Faced Bride 'Sowol' and deepening our bond, I'd unlocked a new trait.
Having stuck together constantly since arriving in this world, I felt especially close to her.
Maintaining her affection above 90% and giving her a name must have met some condition, opening the bond system.
- Borrow the White-Faced Bride's abilities.
- Share life force with each other.
- Stats synchronize at a certain probability.
[Activation Conditions]
- Maintain affection 90% or higher
- Possess Token of Pure Love
The new trait: White-Faced Groom.
With this, I could borrow Sowol's abilities or share life force if one of us got hurt.
Even stats could sync probabilistically, letting Sowol benefit from Baby Mode too.
Without my 10x stat mode, it'd be all gain for me, but thanks to the inflation, her survivability skyrocketed.
'What abilities does Sowol even have?'
The key part was borrowing the White-Faced Bride's abilities.
Come to think of it, I didn't really know what powers she had.
In the game, you rarely encountered her outside the tutorial unless you sought her out.
Beyond her overwhelming physical prowess for peeling faces, I knew next to nothing.
"My abilities?"
"Yeah. Like what you're good at. Something like that."
"What I'm good at... Oh! I know!"
"What is it?"
"Cooking and cleaning! All housework, and mending clothes too. And night duties... well... I-I've never done it before, so I'm not sure if I'd be good at it, but..."
"Uh, yeah, sure. You're great at everything. Good girl, Sowol."
"Hehe..."
Don't spring that on me out of nowhere. It's embarrassing.
Night duties? Never even thought about it.
'As long as the new bride's good at housework, that's plenty. No need for special powers. Better not pry.'
If she just keeps the office clean, she's earning her keep.
Expecting more would be greedy.
'Now, where to put the stat points.'
Level up gave me points to allocate, but honestly, most stats were already maxed beyond game limits.
In daily life, super high stats could be inconvenient.
With 10x mode, one point becomes 10 measured, so overinvesting in physical stats might lead to killing someone with a sneeze.
'Strength and agility would just make control harder. Better go safe with vitality or mental power.'
Basically, I needed to boost stats least disruptive to normal life.
After some thought, I put points into vitality. Can't go wrong with more HP.
Vitality: 190 → 200
This level? Even a headshot wouldn't kill me.
Recalling how I survived the Melody Recorder gutting and throat-slitting, I'd live through gunfire too.
'Last thing...'
Time to pick a skill.
One Fixer-exclusive skill and two general ones.
Three options total.
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[You can choose only one.]
[Ancient Text Deciphering]
[Understand difficult documents or records.]
[Combat Sense Boost]
[Handle your body more systematically.]
[Exceptional Charisma]
[Persuade others more easily.]
====
Of the three, Ancient Text Deciphering was the Fixer-exclusive. The others were general buffs.
It seemed underwhelming, but it's vital for Fixers—deciphering ancient languages, victim clues, or heretic texts to grasp quests.
No brainer. With it in the random list from the start, pick it now.
Now I could uncover any clues I might've missed.
"Heave-ho. Sowol, let's prep for tomorrow."
"Already up, dear husband?"
"Yeah. It's seven now. Time to move."
Stats allocated, skills and traits checked—ready to prepare for tomorrow.
We'd agreed to meet Hye-ryeong Monk before dawn, so wrap up today.
She estimated three days. Pack changes of clothes and gear for Cursed Mountain Lodge.
And scout info on World of Doom Gallery beforehand.
She said manifestations made interior hard to gauge pre-entry, so samples first.
I sent Sowol back to ring form and logged into the gallery for Cursed Mountain Lodge intel.
[This week's lord ends here too.. (1)]
[How to Escape the Backrooms, Bros? (121)]
The gallery's peaceful as ever.
After purging the intruder anomalies and demons, it became a helpful Q&A board.
Ask anything, no newbie hate—perfect.
Some praise me or call blindly, but I lurk so it fizzles out.
Posted a question after ages, sipped coffee, and comments flooded in.
Title: What's Cursed Mountain Lodge Exactly?
Monk gave me a request there. Dangerous? Spill any info.
Just don't go in.
You go in, you die.
Heading to Cursed Mountain Lodge? Go to Backrooms instead lol
Backrooms fr lmao
No one survives coming out.
This week's lord's got curiosity
Curiosity killed the cat, know?
Zero actual info on Cursed Mountain Lodge—just unanimous "don't go" warnings.
That dangerous? Didn't see it coming.
'No useful intel?'
Searching archives showed entrants but no survivors.
No reviews at all. Recent logs absent; a year back, all shattered.
Anomalies must've trashed records before I ate the lord post.
"..."
Should I even go?
Backrooms survivors abound, but none from Cursed Mountain Lodge?
All died inside? That brutal?
New comment amid doubts:
Lord, dunno interior, but if timelines twisted, you'll suffer bad. Watch out.
A gallery user who seemed in the know.
Timelines twisted? Time paradox trap?
Chills hit; dread for Cursed Mountain Lodge grew.
D-day dawned.
Gallery gave some Cursed Mountain Lodge patterns and warnings.
Prepped—now to the meetup spot with Hye-ryeong Monk.
"This the place?"
No train or bus; White Lotus Order provided a ride to the mountain entrance where Cursed Mountain Lodge appears. Korean Buddhist driver handles it.
'Gray van with White Lotus stickers. That one?'
Matched Hye-ryeong Monk's photo. Approaching, saw her, a girl in colorful jeogori, and sunglassed driver.
"Ah! You're here. Welcome, Fixer. This is Driver Kang Seong-woo, taking us to Gangwon. And this is the oracle joining the search—a student, as you see."
Silent Driver Kang nodded stoically. The young oracle in school uniform under colorful jeogori eyed me warily, tense.
Skirt with gym pants, sneakers, jeogori top—what fashion?
As I puzzled, she stared at my hand, then pointed shakily, yelling at the monk.
"N-No way! Teaming with this monster? Pale white face... Eek! Human or anomaly?!"
Straight-up calling me a monster, then this high school spirit medium sprinkles salt.
Does she see me differently?
Oracle's state looks rough from the start.
Even her spirit's expression soured.
She's terrified—oddly so.
Maybe the 'White-Faced Groom' trait triggered in her spirit sight.