Chapter 3 - Daycare #2
Daycare #2
Translator : Elizabeth
"Uh, eh?"
What on earth is happening?
With a blank expression, I looked down at the entity embraced in my arms.
"...."
The monstrous thing was sleeping soundly with the most peaceful face in the world, as if this place was its sanctuary.
Its skin, devoid of any blood, was still disgusting, and on its already closed back remained the traces where the terrible phenomenon I had just seen went back in.
"...Ugh."
In other words, the 'organ' on that still tiny back had not completely closed yet.
Forcing down the rising discomfort, I observed the reactions of the entity that was still sleeping.
'Just why...'
A Crying Child reacting like this to a target was a phenomenon I was seeing for the first time.
"Hup, hoo..."
I stayed still in place for a while, carefully suppressing my presence.
.. ... ....
[Title: This Crying Child]
Nickname: User
Is there perhaps a mechanism where they don't attack even after seeing humans?
↳ What kind of bullshit is this again all of a sudden?
↳ Leave him be, he must be having a nice dream.
↳ Dude, didn't you say you were going out earlier? Suddenly saying weird things.
↳ SafeToday: ....?]
[↳ Author: No; I thought I was dead the moment I opened the door and ran into it earlier.
↳ Author: But it suddenly burrowed into my arms and just slept?
↳ ???: Ung-ae hug me.
↳ Ah, do you have mythomania?]
[Title: Well, this is]
Nickname: SafeToday
Can't get a grasp on where to start pointing things out lol;
Are you in your right mind?
↳ User: What would I gain by lying about an Anomaly;
↳ Hmm... Clout among F-Ranks?
↳ User: Ugh.
↳ SafeToday: So... A Crying Child in the 'Daycare' saw you and didn't attack, and crawled over like a real baby and is sleeping in your arms?
↳ User: Yeah.
↳ Mod, let's just ban this guy?
↳ User: No, it's real!]
"...Driving me crazy."
I felt a bleak emotion at the gallery's still skeptical atmosphere.
How do I prove this...?
I tried hard to understand and analyze what happened to me as much as possible.
I tried wriggling my fingers bit by bit, and examined the window that floated up by muttering 'Status Window...' quietly.
「▶ The entity in question is in a deep sleep.」
「▶ The 'Crying Child' liked your embrace. You have realized for the first time that you have a talent for hugging Anomalies.」
"What kind of talent is that...!"
Injustice surges up.
I was dumbfounded by the tyranny of the status window, which spouted bizarre words as it pleased.
「▶ Having discovered your new talent, you gradually gain confidence. Overcoming your cowardly and passive attitude a little, a desire to go outside the room arises.」
"Why does that kind of desire arise...!"
It is very blatantly urging me to explore outside the room.
Click.
To avoid capturing my own appearance with the phone, I zoomed in and took a picture of the sleeping entity—
"...Ugh."
I carefully got up and checked my condition while holding the entity in my arms.
Even then, the Crying Child showed no signs of waking up.
Just what is this situation?
I thought I was dead for sure, but due to a nonsensical situation, I ended up experiencing a nonsensical thing.
My god, a person walking around holding an Anomaly just fine.
I've never heard of such a thing!
"...Wait, no?"
Person? Anomaly...?
Clearly, according to the information shown by the status window, I could be seen as an Anomaly that is no longer human.
I hate it, and I wanted to return the events that happened to me and go back to my ordinary daily life right now, but.
I might no longer be able to return to my previous life.
"...U-woo."
Barely calming the trembling corners of my mouth, I tried thinking various thoughts to understand the current situation, even if briefly.
The reason I'm not being attacked by the Anomaly is, after all, because I have also become something similar to an Anomaly.
As my head got complicated, I got tired quickly, and it felt like my energy was draining away.
'For now, let's try moving.'
Even if I stay still in this sitting spot holding this ung-ae monster, nothing will change.
[Title: Since no one believes me]
Nickname: User
(Photo of the soundly sleeping Crying Child)
Posting verification pic yep;
For now, I'm going outside the room to explore this and that.
Since I know I won't get attacked, I have to wander around doing my best...]
As soon as I posted, comments appeared here and there.
[↳ You crazy bastard, why an Anomaly pic?
↳ Ah fuck my eyes.
↳ Mod, see, I told you to cut this guy off ahhhhhhh.
↳ Lol seeing it after a long time, it really looks like shit ah.
↳ SafeToday: Seriously what is this guy doing...?]
"Ah, right."
Exposing photos of Anomalies and Ghost Story entities within the gallery is grounds for a ban.
...But you guys are in the wrong. Why didn't you believe me and just scratch (provoke) me!
Creating various valid reasons in my heart, I moved my steps with a clear conscience.
Zzz, zzz...
The Crying Child is still in a deep sleep in my arms.
Strangely, the moment it fell asleep, I didn't feel the entity's physical weight or any various alien sensations.
"So, so this is an Anomaly..."
Trying to understand it within the lines of human common sense would be wrong.
Ye- yeah. Even though an entity that could change its mind at any moment and tear my abdomen apart is sleeping soundly in my arms.
I'm thinking crazy thoughts of not rejecting such an entity but rather dangling it along and advancing into hell!
"Ah, haha. I don't know anymore."
Even if my whole body is trembling as if on vibration mode due to the fear of the unknown, I intended to advance.
The important thing is an unbreakable heart.
And another important thing was the part where I could currently use this situation to break through.
Click.
As the firmly closed door opened, a dreary wind brushed my cheek, opening the space to the outside.
"Phew...!"
I take a short deep breath and straighten my mindset.
Even if I peacefully conciliated the Crying Child the first time, can I guarantee that nothing will happen when facing a second entity?
"N- nothing should happen."
We were good, right?
If the front doesn't work, I'll carry you on my back...! I don't know if my body will hold up, but I'll even give you a piggyback ride on my shoulders!
Please, just don't attack me...
Ung-aee!
Hearing the sound of a baby crying announcing its presence from afar, I moved forcefully, putting strength into my legs one step at a time.
To escape from the Anomaly I fell into, the 'Daycare', one must largely follow two principles.
First, secure an 'Old Coin', an item for escaping the Daycare.
Second, after completing the mission, use the coin to submit it to the 'Donation Box' at the entrance of the Daycare and leave.
Keeping the various secondary rules that arise in that process is also something one must naturally pay attention to.
"Huu."
But in my case, it could be seen that I messed up spectacularly from the first button.
Not only did I look at the 'Crying Child' with a disgusted expression, but I even lost the coin granted by the Administration Bureau.
"I- It couldn't be helped...!"
I never imagined the team member bastard who came with me would die so futilely there.
After ending up breaking Rule No. 9 like that, I lost the coin while frantically running away from the Crying Child.
That means.
"Is it still there, at that spot back then...?"
Speaking of probability, the probability of it being at the place where the rule was first broken would be high.
Even if not, the corpse of the colleague torn to death by the Crying Child should remain—
So farming the coin from that corpse is also possible.
"Ung-ae, you think so too, right...?!"
I moved while whispering to the Crying Child sleeping hanging in my arms.
The place where the colleague's corpse was discovered is the Playroom.
That place where children's toys lie abandoned, discolored black.
I made up my mind to return again—to that room that bizarrely imitated human civilization and facilities.
"It's okay, it's okay..."
Applying active self-hypnosis, I walked chap-chap barefoot down the hallway.
The Daycare is a spatial Anomaly formed modeling the building of its name.
To get to the Playroom, I eventually needed to cross the hallway inside this building to head to that location.
If I encounter an entity in that process?
If I hadn't violated an item, I could pass by without issue without provoking the Crying Child.
...Otherwise.
Like the crises I experienced earlier, I become the target of the Crying Child's attack throughout the entire Daycare and rise to the top priority for elimination.
The doors of the Daycare close, and the entities inside mobilize all means to clean up the person who has become an unwanted guest.
"...."
I checked the quest window floating in a corner of my vision.
But if I clear all this, what does it give me...?
What if it gives me something useless like a hand mirror again?
Thinking that, helplessness tormented me once again.
In the midst of that, familiar language began to be heard from the end of the hallway.
"...!"
"Haa... I want to go home soon."
"Don't relax your tension. If things go wrong, it's a dog's death."
Voices.
To me, who had been hearing only ung-ae, ung-ae sounds all this time—
It sounded like the song of an angel coming down from heaven.
A heart soaked in delight pushed my back toward the source of the sound.
Moving with a rapidly changed body was very awkward, but I walked the hallway briskly.
What I faced like that was.
"Wait, I hear a sound."
"An entity?"
"Doesn't seem like a Crying Child. The presence is different."
"What is it...?"
From afar, the figures of two adult males who also recognized me.
'Pe- People...!'
Black suits.
They were definitely people from the Administration Bureau.
I moved my steps, composing my heart that wanted to cry out in relief.
"Child...?"
"Don't be fooled. Look at that."
As I approached closer, the two agents conversely widened the distance and pointed at the thing attached to my abdomen.
Zzz. Zzz.
Discovering the form of the Crying Child calming its breath peacefully with closed eyes, the agents' expressions hardened stiffly.
"Ah."
Only then did I realize my appearance as it would be reflected in their eyes.
The appearance of a neat yet ordinary girl, unsuited for this terrible place.
Being with such a girl is the true form of the 'Crying Child' heard of to a sickening degree during the Administration Bureau training course.
Th- this isn't it?
I just, did it because I was so glad to see you...!
I came urgently because I was so glad to meet people after a long time, because meeting you in this hell-like place felt so warm and reassuring.
"What do we do?"
"Never take your eyes off it, and slowly retreat backward."
"Okay."
One step, two steps.
The agents began to widen the distance while conscious of my existence standing blankly.
"N- No! It's not like that...!"
I spoke to the agents while standing in place to explain somehow.
However—
"...Ugh."
"My expression almost relaxed. Is it a mental attack...?"
Hearing the language coming out of my mouth, the atmosphere of the two agents became even more serious.
Why, why do you show such a reaction looking at me?
I'm also an a- agent? No.
'I am.'
Just what am I right now?
I'm confused.
Right now to them, in what way should I make them understand the existence that is me.
"That's, no, it's not this...!"
"The fortunate thing is, it seems it doesn't attack immediately if we are conscious of it. In a way, it seems to have similar properties to the entities here."
"Don't leave me behind...!"
"Terrible. It'd be better to leave the spot as quickly as possible. It might call other entities."
"Since it doesn't matter as long as we don't break the rules, let's go as safely as possible."
"Don't go, don't gooo...!"
If I follow, it will bring them even greater confusion.
Knowing that reality, I couldn't do anything while holding the rising injustice.
Powerlessness.
"...It's crying?"
"Don't be fooled. A bait to draw us in..."
Eventually, the figures of the two agents completely disappeared from before me.
"Huuuk." (Sob.)
「▶ To the Administration Bureau agents, you no longer seem to appear as an ordinary existence. Rather than making them understand, how about using a different method?」
"Get lost! Get lost..."
I hugged the Crying Child in my arms tightly for no reason and sniffled for a long time while sitting in place.
.. ... ....
"...Fine, so it's going to be like this?"
A while later, having barely composed my emotions, I stood up with a heart harder than before.
"Everyone get lost. I'll take care of everything myself...!"
I decided to discard the hope of receiving anyone's help.
Acknowledging that, my heart settled down more quietly.
Since the fact that I'm not attacked by the Crying Child is proven by the existence of this ung-ae sleeping soundly in my arms right now.
Then, that means I can be a little more active...?!
The Playroom, I decided to go there even if alone.