Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Subway Dream (1)
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New product! The talking cat doll!
No batteries needed! Just leave it alone, and it will talk all by itself!
When you're feeling lonely or bored, try using it as a conversation partner!
However, the doll may use profanity and vulgar language.
This is because it was born with a foul temper, so user discretion is advised.
[You bastards! I'll kill you!]
The devil shrieked, its voice filled with malice. But nothing happened.
The devil, trapped in the guise of a cat doll, was being mercilessly toyed with by Dayeon.
No matter how much power the devil had lost, its past deeds couldn't be erased.
Whether it was tearing it to shreds or burning it to a crisp, I had to get rid of it from this world as soon as possible.
“Put that down, it's filthy. Yucky.”
I urged her to give me the doll. But Dayeon just shook her head, burying her face in it as she pulled it into a fierce hug.
“No.”
“...Do you even know what that is?”
That doll was the very culprit that had trapped her in the school for ten years and the historic son of a bitch that had tried to kill Ju-hee and me.
It deserved to be burned at the stake, and the sooner, the better.
Whether Dayeon knew this or not, she held the doll tight and refused flatly.
“I'm keeping it.”
Dayeon whipped her head away, hugging the doll so tight it looked like it might burst. A single, choked cry escaped the doll.
[Gak! Gak!]
It seemed to be in considerable pain. It groaned, its voice weak and weary.
[Why, why am I...]
The devil had not only lost all its power but also the will to recover.
It was, for all intents and purposes, just a consciousness in a shell.
Seeing it in this state, it seemed unlikely it would ever seek revenge.
You can make 100 from 1, but you can't even make 1 from 0, can you?
That was the devil's situation right now.
At this rate, death might be the more comfortable option for that thing.
Besides, I had no confidence I could break Dayeon's stubbornness.
If it were up to me, I'd have tossed it straight into a blazing fire, but I reluctantly left it in her care.
“Do whatever you want...”
“What should I name it?”
Dayeon placed a delicate, white finger to her face, lost in thought.
Then, as if a brilliant name had come to her, she held the doll up high.
“How about Nabi?”
Nabi because it’s a cat?
What a simple, straightforward naming convention. Still, it wasn't bad.
However, the party in question didn't seem to think so, protesting furiously.
[How dare you treat me like a mere beast!? I'll burn you to ashes! You pathetic things, who would go mad upon hearing my true name, dare to run your mouths!]
At a glance, Nabi seemed to like the name Dayeon had given it. As she gently stroked its belly, it let out a series of strange exclamations.
[H-Heeeh...]
“That’s right.”
The two of them formed a perfect predator-prey relationship.
If I left them be, it looked like Dayeon would have it trained in no time.
Then maybe it would quiet down a little.
I clicked my tongue and looked away.
The devil, its once-overwhelming presence gone, had been reduced to a mere comfort doll.
A truly pathetic, miserable fate.
In any case, that brought today’s incident to a close. The clock showed 8:00.
Was it because time kept resetting every time I died?
It felt like hours had passed, but in reality, less than thirty minutes had gone by since I first stepped into Ju-hee's house.
Morning wasn't even over yet. If I ran to school right now, I might just avoid being late.
I had just escaped a life-or-death situation, but there was no time to rest.
If I didn't want an unexcused absence on my record, I had to head straight to school.
Damn it.
As that realization hit me, a wave of exhaustion washed over me.
The thought of having to drag my worn-out body to school made my mind go blank.
As my vision blurred, I remembered Ju-hee on my back.
I turned my head to check on her.
Ju-hee was sound asleep. That didn't mean she was okay, though.
Hadn't her mind been properly shattered after facing that paranormal phenomenon?
Ju-hee's physical and mental state was critical. I couldn't just leave her like this.
Getting her to a hospital was the first priority. I called out to Dayeon for help.
“Let's get her to the hospital first.”
“Okay. Should I call 119?”
Dayeon took out her pink flip phone and dialed 119. All the while, Nabi wouldn't shut its trap.
“Shh.”
Dayeon expertly subdued Nabi.
[Heeek...!]
As she scratched its belly and chin with her slender fingers, it let out a strange moan and quieted down.
“That’s right.”
For some reason, a slight fear bloomed that I might be looking at my own future.
‘It’s probably just my imagination...’
Anyway, after a short wait, we heard a siren in the distance.
It felt like no time at all before an ambulance arrived at the apartment building.
The paramedics loaded Ju-hee, who was in a deep, near-unconscious sleep, and transported her to the hospital.
I hope she's okay.
She'd been dragged into this paranormal mess against her will, and I couldn't help but feel sorry.
The ambulance carrying Ju-hee slowly drove away. Dayeon stared after it with a blank expression and muttered.
“Is this the end?”
“Probably...”
We had finished the One-man Hide-and-seek. We had also defeated the devil, the source of this phenomenon.
It was safe to say there were no more threats. But suddenly, something felt off.
We had definitely cleared the "One-man Hide-and-seek" phenomenon, right?
But for some reason, nothing happened. This was clearly strange.
Like a new menu unlocking.
Not only was there no Chapter 2 clear message, but there wasn't even a reward.
It just ended.
The only gains were Dayeon finding out about my regressions and the talking cat doll.
That's what made it even more suspicious.
Why was there nothing?
Honestly, shouldn't we have gotten at least 10 Ghost Story Coins for this?
But the system showed no message whatsoever.
Was something wrong?
With a sliver of hope, I opened the Omake Mode.
-Fwaat!
[Omake Mode]
1. Current Progress
2. Item Shop
3. Special Ability Gacha
4. [To be updated later!]
5. [To be updated later!]
I had cleared the One-man Hide-and-seek. So, how much had the progress meter increased?
I checked the current progress with a bit of anticipation. And then I doubted my eyes.
【Unreality Progress - 22%】
What the.
The progress hadn't gone up by even 1%.
There was no change in the progress percentage between when I had just escaped the school and now, after defeating the One-man Hide-and-seek.
It couldn't be a simple error, because the rest of the system was working normally.
Which meant that the progress displayed was accurate.
The progress right after Chapter 1 and after finishing the One-man Hide-and-seek was exactly the same.
How was this possible?
My mind was a mess. I stood there, rooted to the spot, lost in thought.
After a long silence, Dayeon slowly leaned in front of my face.
“Something on your mind?”
Pulled from my deep thoughts, I met her bright, clear eyes and returned to reality.
I couldn't figure it out alone. I hadn't realized the problem with this situation.
...Perhaps Dayeon knew the answer.
I had already told her about my regressions; there was nothing left to hide.
In fact, she might approach it from an angle I hadn't considered.
I explained my situation. Dayeon crossed her arms and hummed thoughtfully.
“Hmm...”
After a long moment of contemplation, she tossed out a comment nonchalantly.
“Maybe today's events didn't really mean anything?”
“Hey, there’s no way...”
I shook my head, then froze. I checked the progress again.
【Unreality Progress - 22%】
Seeing the unchanged progress from before we defeated the devil, an ominous thought crept into my mind.
What if the devil was an independent anomalous phenomenon, unrelated to Unreality...
That would also explain why the progress hadn't increased.
One-man Hide-and-seek.
And the devil.
These things weren't part of Unreality. They were just paranormal phenomena separate from the game from the start.
That's why finishing the One-man Hide-and-seek and defeating the devil didn't change the progress.
Because they had no effect on the progression of the game called Unreality.
They were just external paranormal phenomena that existed outside the game.
Today's events were meaningless. And more importantly, it left one crucial fact.
...The fact that Chapter 2 hadn't even started yet.
“No way...”
**
I'm scared...
Mom, Dad.
Please, stay with me...
Ju-hee shivered, trapped in a terrible nightmare.
She was being chased by a monster so horrifying it defied description.
Ju-hee felt an overwhelming sense of terror.
Unable to even scream, she fell into a state of panic, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Just as Ju-hee's mind was about to snap, a single ray of light descended from the sky.
“You're...”
It was Lee Hyeon.
He swept the terrified Ju-hee into his arms, bridal style.
“Kyaa!”
Deep in her panic, Ju-hee had no strength to resist. She fell helplessly into his arms.
“Wh-where are you touching...!”
Lee Hyeon's hand touched Ju-hee's skin. A gentle warmth spread from his touch.
It was warm.
So warm it felt like her whole body was melting.
She had felt this warmth before. A touch she never wanted to let go of.
She had felt this warmth before.
Feeling the cozy warmth, Ju-hee gradually found her composure.
Held safely in his arms, the fear that had consumed her melted away like snow.
‘This feels nice...’
Ju-hee smiled blissfully.
Though she had been terrified just moments ago, Lee Hyeon's help had brought her back to her senses.
She was drifting aimlessly in a sea of happiness, a smile on her face, when it happened.
“Nngh...?!”
Ju-hee finally woke from her deep slumber. And she immediately sensed an ominous feeling.
‘Where am I?’
The place she woke up in was not her home. Ju-hee frantically looked around.
A long, straight space, rattling and swaying, bustling with people.
“...A subway?”
This was, without a doubt, a subway. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
Ju-hee's house was near the school, so she always walked. She almost never used public transportation like the subway.
So it was a mystery.
Why am I on a subway?
Ju-hee looked for a route map to figure out which line she was on.
But no matter where she looked, she couldn't find one.
‘That’s strange...’
Having no other choice, Ju-hee turned to the man sitting next to her.
“Excuse me, could you tell me what line this is?”
“...”
Despite her polite and courteous question, no answer came.
Ju-hee was bewildered. Thinking he might not have heard her, she was about to ask again when she saw the man's state and froze in shock.
“Sir-.”
The man was frozen stiff in his seat. He wasn't even blinking.
He stared straight ahead, motionless as a statue.
It was bizarre and unsettling. Ju-hee was at a loss for words.
“N-no way...”
Just as her heart began to pound and her mouth went dry, a subway announcement started to play.
*Static, fizzle, crackle. Fizzle. Static.*
A sound thick with static filled the background. Then, a clear, articulate voice echoed throughout the subway car.
[We thank all our customers for using this train.
Our train will soon arrive at the next destination. There are no doors to exit, so please be well aware of this fact.]
As the announcement continued, the man sitting next to Ju-hee suddenly stood up.
“Mister?”
The man paid no mind to Ju-hee's call and strode toward the center of the car. Other passengers followed behind him in a line.
“Wh-what is this...”
A bizarre scene unfolded on the subway. About half the passengers stood up and formed a neat line in the center of the car.
It was indescribably strange and eerie.
Goosebumps rose on Ju-hee's skin at the incomprehensible sight. Meanwhile, the announcement continued.
[The next stop is Filleting~ Filleting Station. There are no doors to exit. Please be careful not to be sliced or stabbed. I repeat...]
Ju-hee couldn't believe her ears.
It was far too strange to be a normal subway announcement.
But the announcement continued without a hint of hesitation.
[The next stop is Filleting~ Filleting Station.]