Chapter 7

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 7

Chapter Title: 6. Diversity of Strategy Methods

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Having finished the bank transfer, Sister Shin Seo-hyeon hurriedly left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the office, promising to return next time.

 I watched her retreating figure disappear quickly and checked the 450,000 won deposited into my account.

The income was more substantial than I'd expected?

To me, who was broke after paying rent and utilities, the fee from the nun felt like rain in a drought.

'This should cover my phone bill.'

I could pay the two months' overdue phone bill and use the rest for living expenses?

'I need to secure a stable income source soon.'

With operating funds, I could travel nationwide, hunt anomalies, and prevent ancient gods from reviving.

What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠world peace could I protect without even a car to drive around in?

'By the way. The church already figuring out my existence means others might come looking too.'

In World of Doom, if you had to pick the group with the slowest response, it was the church.

They always moved after the incident, so starting as a church exorcist meant your main quests were cleaning up messes made by other groups.

For such a church to swiftly dispatch an inquisitor and take direct action meant other organizations had likely already caught on to me.

Thus, with anyone potentially visiting the office at any time, I needed to bolster my defenses.

'To do that...'

I needed to fortify this building into a fortress.

The office itself was fine with the White-Faced Bride there.

But to guard against outsiders entering the building to target me, I wanted a few sentries posted.

'Time to recruit some unpaid guards and tie up that loose end from earlier.'

No need to pay for guards separately.

I had the favorability system and anomalies on my side.

'First...'

 I released the White-Faced Bride from the ring to guard the office,

then stepped out and checked the "Seven Ghost Stories Tied to the Building" I'd seen earlier.

I'd planned to investigate the rooftop storage bloodstains while the sun was up, but the nun's surprise visit had let time slip into evening, so I needed to adjust my target.

'Let's guide the Woman in the Elevator first.'

There were three routes for uninvited guests to reach my office.

First, the elevator.

Second, the stairs. Third, the windows.

Blocking all with anomalies would make it hard for anyone to get in easily.

So, out of the seven ghost stories, I chose the Woman in the Elevator as my first target.

She usually appeared randomly after sunset when boarding the elevator. Talking to her or acting like you knew her led straight to game over.

But her random encounter rate was low, so farming her normally took forever.

'Fortunately, there's a surefire way to summon her.'

According to info on the World of Doom Gallery, there was a formula to reliably summon the Woman in the Elevator.

I boarded the building's elevator and pressed the buttons in the sequence the World of Doom players had shared.

'First to the 4th floor...'

From 4th to 2nd. From 2nd to 5th. From 5th to 3rd, then back to 4th.

Repeat this, and suddenly the elevator heads to the 6th floor.

As I'd mentioned before, this building only went up to the 5th floor.

When the elevator reaches the nonexistent 6th floor, the doors open to an unidentified floor, and a woman with her face covered by her hair boards.

This was the 100% method to meet the Woman in the Elevator.

"Alright, let's keep at it until she shows."

I rode the elevator for about an hour, pressing buttons nonstop until it hit the 6th floor.

'No way this doesn't work?'

Was something wrong?

Or maybe my installed mods prevented anomalies from spawning in our building.

No signs of success after an hour had me despondent, thinking the plan was busted, just as I stepped out—

I'd clearly pressed 3rd floor, but somehow the elevator had reached the 6th.

The doors slid open with the announcement, and from the pitch-black hallway, a woman with her face hidden by hair boarded.

Success at last. After an hour of riding and attempting 6th floor entry, I'd finally encountered the Woman in the Elevator.

An awkward silence.

The woman stood quietly without a word, and since I didn't press another floor, the elevator stayed put on the 6th with doors closed.

As long as I didn't select a floor, she seemed content to wait motionlessly.

With some time alone together, might as well probe for her info.

A genuine catastrophe-class anomaly, on par with the White-Faced Bride.

No exorcism method existed—only ways to avoid her.

In short, upon encounter, ignore her completely and wait until she gets off.

'Interesting. Finding another catastrophe-class so soon.'

If I could win her over properly, I could claim dominion over the entire "elevator" space?

In the World of Doom world, elevators and stairs were gateways to the Back World. Befriending elevator-related anomalies was always a win.

The problem was her favorability stuck at 0%.

She wouldn't react unless I approached first.

The type where favorability rises only after initiating contact.

Time to check her strategy method.

Amusingly, exorcism and strategy methods were distinctly different.

Exorcism treated her as an anomaly;strategy as a heroine.

The White-Faced Bride preferred dominant men, while the Woman in the Elevator liked proactive dashers.

Being the quiet, gloomy type herself, she must crave men who take the initiative.

Then drags them to the Back World if they make eye contact?

Scary girl.

"Excuse me. What floor are you heading to?"

I naturally addressed the Woman in the Elevator.

She slowly turned her head to look at me.

Without Baby Mode, this would've triggered an instant death scene, splattering me everywhere.

But I had the Coward’s Baby Mode Pack.

"A-Are you... talking to me...?"

"Yes. I asked which floor you're going to."

"Ah, uh... I-I haven't really... thought about it..."

Caught off guard by the sudden approach, the Woman in the Elevator stammered in confusion.

Then, as if embarrassed, she blushed and pressed the 1st floor button.

Hidden by hair, but her eyes were quite pretty up close.

"D-Don't stare so intently..."

"Sorry, your eyes are just so beautiful. Mind if I take a closer look?"

"Y-Yes...? N-No, uh, th-that's..."

"If you lift your hair a bit like this, it'd be even better."

"L-Like this?"

"Yes. You're really pretty. Um, do you have a boyfriend?"

"B-Boyfriend? I-I don't even have... friends... Ah..."

"Is that so? Then I'll be your friend. Let's start as friends, you and me."

"Y-Yes? W-With me? Me? Uh, well. That is. Uh..."

Staring into her eyes and stepping closer, the Woman in the Elevator flushed beet red, like a popped balloon, and plopped down.

Favorability skyrocketed.

Not quite White-Faced Bride's instant love, but she definitely took a liking to me.

That was easy?

guiding anomalies is easier than eating cake.

Perplexed by the elevator asking passengers for the floor like a lunatic, the Woman in the Elevator scrambled up and prepared to exit.

"Um, I-I have to go. N-Next, next time. See you then. More... Yes. Bye!"

She bolted without even giving her name.

But the floor she exited wasn't the 1st.

'Basement 66th Floor... That's why it asked if it was the 1st—it wasn't.'

The mystery beauty anomaly vanished into the darkness from the bizarre floor, and soon the elevator resumed normal operation.

"Got the favorability seed planted for now."

I'd probably meet her again sometime on the elevator.

With plenty of other anomalies left, I'd save the rest for later.

'Everything except the 3rd floor is dark, so I need a flashlight?'

Needing a flashlight for the next anomaly, I stopped by the office, where the White-Faced Bride on the sofa glared sharply at me.

"Wh-What? Why the stare?"

"Darling... I smell another woman on you... Where have you been...?"

A vibe like getting caught cheating.

The White-Faced Bride slowly grew larger, exuding a gloomy aura as she pressured me.

"Where did you go."

A firm tone.

Her eye sockets widening ominously, reverting to her pre-Baby Mode original anomaly state, about to throw a yandere fit—I hurriedly justified myself.

Or rather, I scolded her.

"How dare you treat your sky-like husband this way right now!"

"Eh...?"

"A wife's place is tending the home, not meddling in her husband's affairs. Treating a working man like this!"

"...Ah, I-I..."

"I let you stay comfy at home, and now you got nothing but lip for your husband. So my clothes smell like another woman? You gonna nitpick every little thing? You kidding me?"

Going full aggressive like "what do you want me to do" made the White-Faced Bride tuck tail immediately.

Who knew this would work.

"I-I'm sorry... I was scared some stray cat might steal my sky-like darling..."

"What are you worrying about? A woman should trust and follow her husband. Don't make me worry about this stuff when I'm busy. You that lacking in self-confidence?"

"Sorry, darling... I was wrong... It wasn't distrust, just fear of losing you... Forgive me, darling..."

Shrunk back down, the White-Faced Bride cozied up to my right arm, acting cute.

The ancient sages said women's yandere fits are countered by an even greater patriarch, huh.

The White-Faced Bride was positioned as a late Joseon-era mourning ghost in white.

That era emphasized patriarchal masculinity, so handling her this way fit perfectly.

She preferred dominant, alpha males anyway.

Implanting the idea of me as "master of the house," "family pillar," or "head of household" would make her easy to manage.

'She's not even my real wife—what's this nonsense...'

Honestly, when she first caught me flirting with the elevator girl, it felt exactly like getting busted cheating by the wife—cold sweat pouring down my back.

What reaction would she have if she learned I'd flirted with and boosted favorability with the beauty from the elevator?

Already terrified.