Chapter 327
Chapter 327
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Chapter 327 - 327. 드러내기
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Translator: crow
Chapter 327: Revelation
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A brief silence.
The moment the corridor, which had been bright just moments ago, plunged into darkness, we all fell quiet.
It wasn't fear so much as worry about the unknown ahead.
"...Should I go grab that?"
Yoo Daon whispered softly, and Ailin drew her gun as well.
"Should we two go?"
...
In a situation where we didn't know what might appear, taking someone who could get hurt didn't seem like a good choice.
"Daon, sorry, but..."
"Yeah. I'll go alone."
Before I could even finish, Yoo Daon nodded, understanding my intent, and Jang Chaeyeon positioned herself behind her.
"If something happens, I'll pull you back."
"Even if my body's split in half, you have to drag me this way, got it?"
"Got it."
The two nodded at each other.
What on earth had happened between them to lead to this sudden exchange?
No way they had gotten close in the meantime—
"It's not what you're thinking."
Song Arin sighed and tapped my shoulder, as if reading my mind.
"Their interests just aligned."
"Interests?"
What kind of aligned interests could workplace colleagues—people who entrusted their lives to each other—have to produce such perfect synergy?
"...Never mind."
Song Arin, who had been staring at me, let out a deep sigh and shook her head.
"I think Arin has a bit too pessimistic a side."
"You... Ah, you're really pissing me off..."
Song Arin muttered through gritted teeth.
Well, you have to say it for people to know.
While Song Arin and I bantered, Yoo Daon began moving forward slowly, alert to her surroundings.
Jang Chaeyeon watched her with an outstretched hand, and we all watched tensely as Yoo Daon advanced.
-Clang... Clang...
In the quiet corridor, only the sound of her footsteps on the grating echoed.
Yoo Daon glanced down briefly, furrowed her brow slightly, then turned her gaze forward again.
What's down there?
I couldn't see well from here.
-Clang... Clang...
Aside from that quick glance downward, Yoo Daon walked steadily and picked up the lantern.
She quietly raised the lantern, looked back at us, and smiled brightly.
At the same moment, the shadow behind Yoo Daon began to darken, and I urgently tapped Jang Chaeyeon's shoulder. She immediately extended her arm and yanked Yoo Daon back.
"Ah!"
With that, Yoo Daon flew toward us at tremendous speed,
-Thud!
And rolled across the floor, clutching the lantern.
I looked back at where the shadow had been, but nothing was visible there now.
"Daon, you okay?"
"Ah, yeah. The lantern didn't break!"
Yoo Daon, curled up and hugging the lantern tightly, showed it to us.
"No, not that."
"Huh?"
"I mean, are *you* okay?"
"Ah..."
Yoo Daon blinked, then patted herself down here and there, and smiled brightly.
"Yeah, I'm fine! It felt like I'd get a bruise, but it healed just now!"
"...Good."
"Thanks for worrying!"
"Of course."
The less she took care of herself, the more I had to look after her.
Someone had to stay clear-headed and keep Yoo Daon from getting used to the pain.
It might already be too late, but I had to do what I could.
"Oh, here."
As I was lost in thought, Yoo Daon grinned and handed me the lantern.
When I took it and looked, a translucent window appeared before my eyes.
[Name: Lantern of Truth]
[Age: Created N years ago]
[Specialty: Illumination]
[Talents: None]
[Background: In an era when humans were always the weak ones, they had to gather whatever they had to light their way.]
[Weakness: After time passes, the lantern must recharge itself.]
What is this, some ancient relic?
I stared at the lantern for a moment, then looked ahead.
As if the darkness had never thickened, it was just staring back at us again.
We couldn't go down anyway.
Recalling the monster that had followed us earlier or the Aestheticist on the first floor, going down wouldn't help at all.
In the end, we had no choice but to push through ahead.
...
When I raised the lantern, the same light as before shone from it.
"It was lit earlier—why's that, I wonder?"
"Probably to keep us from passing easily. Something like that."
I had no choice but to agree with Yoo Daon's murmur.
Holding the lantern, I slowly stepped forward.
-Clang... Clang...
As five of us walked on the grating, the clanging sounds began to echo.
"Come to think of it, Daon."
"Yeah?"
"Did you see anything down there earlier by chance?"
"Ah..."
At my question, Yoo Daon scratched her cheek and tilted her head with an ambiguous expression.
"Kind of like I did and kind of like I didn't..."
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
Song Arin, hearing it, gave Yoo Daon a look of disbelief, and Yoo Daon scratched her cheek awkwardly, glancing between Song Arin and me.
"It's true. I thought I saw something, so I looked down, but there was nothing."
"What did you see?"
"Well... Um..."
Yoo Daon gestured vaguely as if trying to explain, then sighed.
"It's too hard to describe. It was a landscape."
"A landscape?"
"Yeah. Like, how to put it—a prairie? Or a beautiful garden?"
Song Arin and I exchanged glances upon hearing her.
"Chaeyeon."
"I don't see it."
Jang Chaeyeon slowly shook her head, and Song Arin did the same.
"I don't sense it either."
"...I'm just a regular person, so no clue."
Ailin added. No need to be so self-deprecating.
"Got it."
I looked down too, but all I saw was endless darkness—no prairie, not even a blade of grass.
"Everyone, stay cautious. If you sense anything else, speak up."
The others nodded at my words, and we all continued walking along the grating.
...
An eerie silence.
"What do we need to pass through here, I wonder?"
Song Arin murmured curiously, looking at me.
"Yeah."
Getting through here was the top priority for now.
"But anyway, there has to be some way."
We hadn't used any of our items yet.
Hadn't used the marble, hadn't used the phone, and even my Critical was still available.
Not that dumping everything on the Aestheticist would guarantee a win.
I looked near the walls, but there were no doors—just dark walls greeting us.
At that moment, a brief headache flashed in my mind.
Wait, a headache?
Just then, Jang Chaeyeon, walking beside me, spoke up.
"I have a question."
"Ah, yeah."
"Not for you."
Not me?
What?
I stared at Jang Chaeyeon, and she turned her gaze to Ailin.
"Did you hear any separate info before coming here?"
"...Me?"
"Yeah."
Suddenly?
But it didn't feel sudden—Jang Chaeyeon kept staring at Ailin, who nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah. No separate info. This place was off-limits to begin with."
"...What's going on, Chaeyeon?"
"I have suspicions."
Suddenly?
Jang Chaeyeon tilted her head as she replied.
"Not always, but when she's with us, she shows up but doesn't help much."
...
"Chaeyeon."
Why pick a fight with Ailin out of nowhere?
As I chided her, Yoo Daon, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head at Jang Chaeyeon too.
"But you haven't been that helpful either, have you, Chaeyeon?"
"What?"
What was happening?
I whipped around to Song Arin, who opened her mouth—then suddenly covered it with both hands.
She closed and opened her eyes a few times, then looked at me.
"Is it what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah."
"Then make nice nicely."
...
Song Arin tapped the shoulders of the three, and their mouths shut automatically, leaving them mumbling like their teeth were glued together.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
"Mmmph!"
"Mmph...!"
Even so, the three pointed at each other with glaring eyes.
"I asked you to help them get along, not shut their mouths."
"Going through that hassle hurts my head and takes energy. This is easiest."
Song Arin replied matter-of-factly and met my eyes.
"I get the gist."
"What?"
"This place... erases pretense."
"Pretense?"
"Yeah."
Song Arin's hand gripped my wrist.
"It's deliberately blocking emotional transparency."
"Aha. Let go of my hand and explain, Arin."
"See?"
The mumbling people now stared at Song Arin and me, and she stuck out her tongue playfully before releasing her hand.
"This way, we solve it quick and easy."
"So you can block badmouthing toward me too?"
"Toward you? No?"
"Why not? You said emotional transparency is gone."
"...Never mind."
She smacked my back with a sharp slap, then looked at the other three.
"Anyway, no talking until you pull yourselves together."
"Mmph! Mmph!"
"Mmph..."
"Mmph..."
"Quiet."
She muttered as if understanding their muffled protests, then looked at me.
"Don't forget the goal."
Then she looked at me again.
"Good. Let's go. Now just us two can talk."
"Hang on."
I looked up at Song Arin's head.
[Name: Song Arin]
[Age: 21 years old]
[Specialty: Hypnosis]
[Talents: Puppetry]
[Background: She is in a good mood right now.]
[Weakness: Give her a good smack.]
At least Song Arin seemed fine on the surface.
"...Alright. Let's hurry."
At my words, the three mumbled, and Song Arin nodded.
We resumed walking the dark grating corridor,
And the lantern began to flicker.
"Mmph! Mmph!"
Then Yoo Daon grabbed my arm, eyes wide.
"Daon, what—"
I followed her gaze downward,
...
And lost myself for a moment in the prairie landscape spread below.