Chapter 343
Chapter 343
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Last Standing
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The headache subsided, and after the commotion died down as well, Jang Chaeyeon and I exchanged awkward glances before turning our heads away.
"...Shall we go?"
"...Yeah."
She looked like she wanted to say something, but Jang Chaeyeon just blushed without a word, and I stayed silent, feeling the lingering sensation on my cheek.
The pain had eased up a bit, and regardless of whether my mood was good or bad, the awkwardness made it the perfect time to think.
"One attempt left."
The person in the tailcoat, making eye contact with me, held up a single finger.
"Understood."
One chance.
I had to succeed in this one go.
...
But with all the information I'd gathered, if I pieced it together right...
-Bam!
A crashing sound echoed, snapping me out of it.
The branch chief was staking his life... or maybe not, but he was doing a time attack, so I needed to wrap this up as fast as possible.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
"The failure condition is..."
Before I could move, the tailcoated person spoke up.
"...the death of everyone."
...
In other words, one death might be acceptable if push came to shove.
Jang Chaeyeon nodded at my words, and the moment I sat in the chair, dizziness hit and the scenery shifted again.
I tried to stand quickly, but somehow Jang Chaeyeon was already sitting on my lap.
"...You could've waited a second."
"But you said we don't have time."
...
Fine. She got me.
Jang Chaeyeon stared intently at me from my lap before standing up.
"Let's hurry."
"Yes."
-Shhh!
At the same time, the Manual unfurled.
Right, what does it say—
[PLZ]
1. The Manual is.
2. Not.
3. Food.
4. Saying it again.
5. The Manual is.
6. Not.
7. Food.
8. If we observe such treatment one more time, we will not stand idly by.
Wow, writes like an old-timer.
I didn't say it out loud.
"...Isn't that a bit too rough?"
"Nah, it's just friendly."
"...I see."
Jang Chaeyeon tilted her head, not entirely convinced by my explanation, but then she stared at me blankly.
"But you don't treat me like that."
"Because you hit me."
"Oh."
And with that, we started walking again.
*
[Ahaha!]
[Hahaha!]
The laughter was settling into a steadier rhythm now.
Hearing the children's laughter, Jang Chaeyeon looked at me and tilted her head.
"Got any ideas?"
"Yeah, sort of."
"What?"
"Well, there's something I saw while you were alone..."
I began explaining to her what I'd encountered on my own.
The dragging sounds, and my theory that the hulking monster might be the creator of Aestheticism, and so on.
...
Jang Chaeyeon rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought after hearing me out.
"Think we can take on that monster?"
"...Not sure if we can win."
With her here, we could at least try something, but...
We'd both gotten taken down easily before, so winning would require some real strategy.
"Yeah. I'll try ripping it apart."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded, saying something terrifying with a perfectly casual expression.
"But its hide might be too tough."
"We'll figure that out when the time comes."
Maybe because I'd been at this for so long, it didn't faze me much either.
If needed, we'd take it down.
This time, we picked up the pace.
We opened the door, went inside, passed the still-laughing children.
I didn't forget to clean up signs of our entry this time either.
As bad as this sounds, these kids were just parts.
In a way, devices illustrating the birth of Aestheticism.
[Hahaha!]
Listening to the children's laughter, I eyed the mannequin.
-Thud thud thud...
The female-form mannequin still chopping away at the empty cutting board.
"Feel or see anything off?"
...
Jang Chaeyeon stared piercingly at the mannequin before shaking her head.
"Nope."
"Got it."
"Don't even think it'd be nice to have Yoo Daon here."
"I wasn't until you mentioned it."
She glared at me after my words, but what could she do? She brought it up first.
"What now?"
"Like I said, we'll tail it this time."
It dragged something downstairs, then came to meet me empty-handed.
Probably carried something down.
Jang Chaeyeon nodded at my explanation.
"Alright. If you say so."
She always backed me up and helped, no matter what I decided.
At the same time, sounds started coming from above.
-Ssshh... Ssshh...
The dragging noise again.
...
Jang Chaeyeon and I exchanged glances, then crawled under the table in unison, as if on cue.
Covering our mouths and holding our breath, the sounds continued.
-Ssshh... Step...
It poked its head in just like before, then went back out the door.
After a short wait, Jang Chaeyeon and I made eye contact and nodded.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
This time, we followed.
We slipped quietly past the silent children and out the door.
Pressing my ear to it, I listened.
-Ssshh... Ssshh...
Faint sounds of something heavy being dragged along.
When the noise had faded quite a bit.
[Ahaha!]
The children started laughing again.
"Let's move."
I whispered to Jang Chaeyeon, and she nodded.
Stepping outside, cool air tickled our hair, a stark contrast to the stuffy interior.
...
After a moment's hesitation, I stepped forward, and Jang Chaeyeon followed.
Luckily, trailing it wasn't hard.
A long trail of something dragged across the floor stretched out.
"Let's be careful not to get spotted."
"Yeah. If we do, I'll handle it somehow."
We followed slowly,
...
And soon spotted it.
A sack big enough for one person lay abandoned on the floor.
The monster that dragged it here was nowhere in sight.
...
...
Rushing in would be risky, so Jang Chaeyeon and I held our breath for about five minutes, but the monster didn't reappear.
"I'll go first."
We decided to move.
I crouched low and approached the sack.
"Chaeyeon, keep an eye out for ambushes."
"I won't let it touch you."
Reaching the sack, I felt its outline carefully, just in case.
Hard.
Felt like wooden blocks.
"I'll open it."
"Yeah."
Slowly unzipping it released a strong woody scent that stung my nose.
Followed by the metallic tang of blood.
...
Opening it fully revealed exactly what I'd half-expected.
"This is..."
"Yeah. Matches the one from the drawing."
Jang Chaeyeon nodded at my mutter.
Yeah.
The Aestheticism the Observer had seen lay there.
Eyes closed, as if asleep.
"Is this the main body?"
"Dunno, but we'll find out now."
She raised her hand, looking at me after my words.
"I'll do it."
"Yes."
She clenched her fist,
-Kwach!
And Aestheticism's head burst open harmlessly.
Is that it?
...
...
Jang Chaeyeon and I checked each other's reactions.
Neither of us woke up.
Which meant—
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
Footsteps approached.
"Chaeyeon."
"Yeah."
I drew my gun, and she calmly raised her hand in response.
"I'll handle it."
"Then I'll head up this floor."
"Yeah."
The long-armed figure—no, monster—approached us.
Jang Chaeyeon reached out, freezing its movements.
"...Can't hold it long."
"Got it."
I dashed past her side, not forgetting to say,
"If it looks bad, make it quick and painless—"
"Got it."
She probably didn't.
But time was short, so I bolted past the halted monster.
Up to this floor.
-Bam!
-Thud!
Combat noises echoed from afar.
I'd left my back to the branch chief before; now to Jang Chaeyeon.
I had to make progress while she bought time.
Still, I kept thinking.
Where did I go wrong?
What did I miss?
I definitely destroyed Aestheticism.
Bursting through the door, the children were still laughing, and the headed mannequin muttered nonsense.
But that wasn't important now.
I raced up the stairs to this floor.
...
What did I miss?
I scanned the room like a madman.
Smashed notes, shot paintings with my gun, did everything I could.
Nothing happened.
No dizziness, no changes.
[Ahaha!]
Just the children's laughter.
While tearing notes apart wildly,
...
I saw a drawing.
The one I'd seen before.
Like a prototype design for Aestheticism.
...
And a memory flashed.
[Failure condition: Everyone dies.]
-Step... Step...
Footsteps climbed the stairs.
...
Everyone dies.
I drew my gun.
Faced the massive monster staring at me.
Blood stained its hands—who's, I knew without asking.
But whatever.
"I'll get past you."
I had a reason to stay behind alone now.
Gun raised, I confronted the monster.
Couldn't keep passing the buck every time.