Chapter 73
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: There's a Reason for the Elevator Breakdown
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After sweeping through with the Sign Sword once, no more anomalies appeared.
Having tasted such overwhelming power, most of the dream seemed to have decided to conserve its strength until I reached the central clearing, so it left us alone from then on.
That was fine by me. It was much better for one-shotting them all when they were huddled together in one spot rather than them skulking around, testing our nerves.
"Let's take a short break."
"Yes, sir!"
While wandering the third floor, we entered room 302 for a brief rest. This place was relatively safe as long as we didn't open the bathroom door with the bizarre construct inside.
We closed the door and temporarily removed our sweat-soaked hazmat helmets.
We wore them to prevent infection risk and minimize contact with contaminants, but honestly, moving around in these for extended periods was grueling.
"Huuuuh..."
Agent An Jae-seong shook out his sweat-matted hair and let out a deep sigh.
He had just fallen into a panic induced by the catastrophe-grade monstrosity "The One Who Couldn't Dream," nearly getting dragged off to his death by the anomalies if things had gone wrong.
Of course, I'd saved him before that, but the shock lingered—he still hadn't fully recovered, staring off into space with a dazed expression.
I'm used to disaster- and apocalypse-grade monstrosities tagging along with me, so I can't fully grasp the terror of a catastrophe-grade one. But seeing the agents' reactions made it clear they weren't pushovers either.
I'm only fine because of the Baby Mode Pack for Cowards. I shouldn't judge the world by my standards. I can't even summon Haeyul and Hongran with the agents around—for their mental health.
"Anyone hungry?"
"I'm still good."
"Me too..."
Agent Yoon Ha-seo pulled a biscuit from her auxiliary bag and nibbled on it.
She'd said she'd only drink water for three days after seeing all those grotesque anomalies, but now that her spirits were recovering, her appetite was finally kicking in.
Whatever, as long as she eats, she'll have the energy to keep going. It was a good sign.
"Um, Fixer."
"Yes? What's up, Agent?"
"You know, maybe I shouldn't go out there either."
"You mean stay behind? Hold on. Think this through carefully. Mess up the decision here, and we might skip straight to the sixth floor, bypassing the fifth."
Maybe Yoon Ha-seo snapping out of it mentally inspired Agent Park Jae-hyeon, who was watching from the side. Fear and courage are both highly contagious, after all.
One person's terror spreads panic to the group; one person's morale boost gets everyone pumped.
"My junior's going, so if I bail, it'd bruise my pride as the senior. If you're okay with it, Fixer, I'd like to see this through. As you saw, my mental game's solid—I can hang in there."
Yoon Ha-seo had been on the verge of self-harm from mental breakdown, and Jae-hyeon had stopped her right up to the end. Without him... well.
'Above all, having Park Jae-hyeon around helps stabilize Ha-seo's mentality a ton. Can't really tell someone who wants to come along to stay back.'
I couldn't guarantee his safety 100%, but if he insisted, no reason to stop him.
"Alright. I'm fine with it, but I can't fully block mental attacks like before—for you or Ha-seo. There's still time to head out. Change your mind now if you want. Think it over."
"I've already decided to stick with you, Fixer. This resolve... won't change."
Agent Yoon Ha-seo had nearly died from mental collapse.
No physical damage, just pure mental drain.
I could block the anomalies' physical attacks, but shielding everyone from mental assaults completely was tough.
I could summon Sowol to shove back charging anomalies or swing the Sign Sword to clear a corridor full of them.
But a catastrophe-grade monstrosity's ranged mental attack? Even I was powerless against that. Attacks I can't block are on them to endure.
"You sure you're okay? 'The One Who Couldn't Dream' stared at Yoon Ha-seo for barely five seconds. And in those five, she tried to end it. You know that, right?"
A mental-attack-specialized catastrophe-grade poured everything into her for five seconds. Even with stabilizers, her mental strength hit rock bottom.
My agility doesn't matter here. Even if I draw and swing the Sign Sword lightning-fast, if it shatters their minds in five seconds, it's out of my hands.
Essentially, Yoon Ha-seo ate a one-shot kill from full power. If Park Jae-hyeon hadn't tackled her to safety, she'd be gone.
"I know... but it'll be different now. Trust me."
Agent Yoon Ha-seo stared straight into my eyes, pleading for trust, her resolve hardened.
She was completely different from before. No trace of helplessness or fear.
Status:Courage, Radiance, Resolve
I have no idea what "Radiance" means in her status, but game-wise, Yoon Ha-seo was in some kind of "awakened state."
When mental strength bottoms out in despair, you get one shot to rebound. Grab it, and you transform like this.
I recall Sister Shin Seo-hyeon having a similar turnaround fighting Andromalius—snapping out of despair to push back the demon.
Not intentional on my part, but Yoon Ha-seo seized her chance perfectly.
"Alright. I'll trust you once."
"Yes! Trust me! No more weak talk from me. Everyone, fighting! We'll get bonuses if we wrap this up—keep your courage up! Build up those vacation days for summer!"
Agent Yoon Ha-seo radiated her usual cheer.
That alone healed the group's mentality.
Like Agent An Jae-seong's eyes lighting up from his blank stare, or Park Jae-hyeon salivating at "bonus." You know.
Affinity: 70% → 74%
[She thinks of you as a savior.]
[She wants to be by your side.]
Why does her affinity keep rising?
I just saved her once. It's been ticking up bit by bit.
'Trouble.'
I've got a girl who won't accept anyone less than apocalypse-grade as a concubine glued to my side.
No room for anyone else, sadly.
"Anyway, since we're not going out via the fifth floor, let's head straight to the sixth."
"Straight to the sixth?"
"Yeah. Uniquely on this third floor, there are separate paths to the fifth and sixth floors."
Unlike other floors, the third had two ways up: one skipping to the sixth, the other straight to the fifth.
"No clue on the fourth, by the way. Probably a hidden route, but no need to hunt for it now."
"Goal is to keep heading up, right?"
"Yep. Need to hit the tenth for more clues. So let's skip the fifth quick and go sixth."
From the reverse Mandala and wall markings, we learned reaching the first-floor central clearing required going to the highest point.
In a ten-story building, that's the tenth or rooftop. Rooftop means escape, so probably clues on the tenth.
"So, straight to sixth via stairs? Any objections?"
Per the logbook, the third floor uniquely had "stairs." Up to sixth, down to fifth.
Shockingly, no stairs from first up to now. Hanmasae Apartment seemed to have erased them.
Probably spatial distortion from the reverse Mandala. But they left stairs intact here—uniquely.
"So these are the stairs to the next floor, but..."
"What's that beside it?"
"An elevator?"
Amazingly, the third floor had an elevator too.
One that looked dead—no lights, not working.
"Isn't this it, Fixer? Like the traces of EVE-404 you were looking for."
"Looks like. Why'd Eve leave a mark on the third floor? Hmm."
As Park Jae-hyeon said, it screamed Elevator-chan.
What did it mean? A hint?
"Let's open the door."
Agent An Jae-seong pried the firmly shut entrance with a crowbar.
The dim interior of the elevator car revealed itself. I half-expected something lurking, but it looked normal—no anomalies, no issues.
Just a powerless, unlit, stopped elevator.
Nothing else unusual.
"Safe to ride?"
"Hold up. Check for traps before boarding. Could be some anomaly that yanks you in the moment you step on."
Might as well use the True Sign Catastrophe Sword since it's out.
I slipped the Sign Sword into the elevator.
Even if it suddenly moved and swallowed it, no biggie.
The True Sign Catastrophe Sword returns to my hand anytime I want, anywhere.
-Whirr.
"The sword's vibrating!"
"Nah, it's just grumpy."
A warning not to use it as a trap-detecting guinea pig. Sensitive thing.
"Anyway, no other reaction from the Sign Sword, so probably no anomalies. Let's board."
It was cramped—barely fit two—so Yoon Ha-seo and I went first as reps.
"Find anything odd?"
"No... not sure. Oh! Nah, just a stain."
There had to be a reason they placed this elevator right by the third-floor stairs.
'Elevator next to paths to fifth or sixth—must be telling me something.'
So, choose the right floor now?
Wrong choice, and trouble.
Which did Eve want—fifth or sixth?
"Hm?"
"What is it, Fixer?"
"Y'know, this elevator... buttons only go up to fifth. In a ten-story building."
Why make it stop at fifth in a ten-story apartment?
A sign to go to fifth?
The Fixer Office elevator always had a sixth-floor button.
Eve's way of saying "come see me anytime."
Like handing me a house key.
But this one lacked sixth. Like "don't come."
More than just "go to fifth."
"Straight-up means 'don't come to sixth.' 'Can't meet now. Find another way.' That's it."
A clear signpost for me.
Missing fifth or sixth button would've confused me—come or not? I'd wander searching for Eve again.
But capped at fifth? Her intent crystal clear.
Reminiscent of the Fixer Office elevator. "Can't meet now, so do something special elsewhere."
'Eve doesn't want me on sixth. So, take stairs down to fifth.'
Felt her intent strong.
She'd scouted ahead, found the culprit, reached tenth first maybe.
But couldn't enter the central clearing alone?
'Eve's catastrophe-grade, but unexorciseable. Not your typical one.'
Exorcism Method: None. Do not speak to, make eye contact with, or respond if called.
The Elevator Woman. Gatekeeper born from kids' regrets yearning for the hidden world.
Right—Elevator-chan Eve is the gatekeeper. Why didn't I question her weird exorcism method?
"No exorcism method means... no such monstrosity exists, right?"
"Huh? Yeah, exactly. 'No monstrosity without an exorcism method'—one of the Department's slogans."
"Right. Every monstrosity must have one. That's the law of this world."
But the Elevator Woman is the sole exception—no method, despite mere catastrophe-grade while even apocalypse-grades have them.
'Breaks the world's or monstrosities' rules. She's just fulfilling her role.'
That's the true nature the Department calls Eve.
A hunch hit me. Why she's in this building.
'She came to close the door she couldn't keep open.'
"Gatekeeper" clicked.
Her real role? Guarding the "door" anomalies cross from, per the Department.
Door opened for some reason; she came to fulfill her duty.
Speculation for now, but it explains her coming to this stairless building to hint me.
"We're going to the fifth."
"Didn't you say sixth?"
"No, got solid intel. Can't get clearer than this."
I shared what I'd pieced together with Park Jae-hyeon's question.
"So, EVE-404... Eve told us to go fifth?"
"Yep. Don't know why, but fifth it is. No sixth button means she's likely on sixth with high probability."
"Wait, then shouldn't we go sixth more?"
"No, Ha-seo. Thought it over—'don't come' has a reason. Maybe we take a different route from hers."
"Different route. Reminds me of that co-op game with my son last week. Y'know, pull levers on both sides to open a door. That kinda gimmick."
"Huh? Gimmick? Gimmick... Yeah, Park Jae-hyeon might be onto something."
Like, need to pull something from both sides?
Made sense. Viable theory.
"Oh yeah, you said no way to fourth earlier, right?"
"Yep."
"So maybe an Easter egg—to reach central clearing via fourth. Hit tenth, do something specific, unlock hidden fourth, enter clearing from there."
"That tracks too."
Agent Park Jae-hyeon was brainstorming.
His son's a console gamer; they play weekends a lot. Made him more flexible than young An Jae-seong.
"This twisted apartment might split reality and hidden sides. Game-thinking, sure, but Eve guards elevators—the boundary between hidden and real worlds. So..."
"Sixth route's hidden world path, fifth's reality path? Plus, fifth has an exit. Hit tenth from both, then fourth. Right?"
"Spot on, Fixer. That's it. Hidden and real worlds—press buttons in each to unlock fourth path."
"Solid theory, Agent. Let's do fifth."
Hoping we nailed Eve's hint, we headed down the stairs right away.
Please let our guess be right.