Chapter 32 - The Mountain Lord Descends #3
The Mountain Lord Descends #3
Translator : Elizabeth
"How?"
Since his identity was discovered, his 'play' did not continue any longer.
Grin— A man smiling with his mouth torn open faced us two.
"Daddy...?"
"No."
I stopped the child who looked like she would run out any moment.
Yeon-seo called him pitifully, but unfortunately, the man is not the one she was looking for.
"Just, it was a feeling."
"Feeling! Feeling, you say... Ho-oh."
The man saying so tilts his head and looks into me slowly once again.
"Child. I know you."
"...Yes."
"Even though I clearly told you not to come this way back then, you finally disobeyed my words."
I didn't want to come either...!
But what do you want me to do when things happened from the moment I received the talisman!
"You are an existence that shouldn't be in this forest."
I asked such a man.
"What about this child?"
"That child must stay here with me."
"Why?"
"Because that is the promise I and that child made."
Promise.
Does this forest related to that Mountain Lord affect even dead people like this?
"So hand over that child quickly."
"St, Strange. Doesn't seem like my daddy..."
And as the situation reached this point, Yeon-seo, feeling something strange, looked back at me.
It's a truly cruel reality to tell this small and innocent child the situation.
That what she reached after searching with an immature mind is a monster mimicking the appearance of 'Father'.
"Let's go with me. That is not your dad."
"...Sob, daddy."
At this point, nothing is known yet about what happened to Yeon-seo's father.
Whether he is wandering the forest dead like this child right now, or—
"Hehehe, Yeon-seo-ya. My daughter. The father you found is here. Come quickly and be embraced in my arms."
"...."
Or whether that thing swallowed the father's appearance completely and is acting only the shell.
As time passes, Yeon-seo's expression collapses more and more.
'Not good.'
Must escape this situation.
'How?'
Abandon Yeon-seo, and escape the situation for now by willingly handing this child over to that man?
[- People encroached by the dream return to the original world again after a certain time passes. In the form of a dream again.]
The Mod clearly said so.
"Heuh..."
After taking a deep breath once, I thought slowly.
Reason, reason I was dragged here, someone's goodwill, outside the door...
"Child, my patience is not that long. If you return my daughter quickly, I will let you leave comfortably as is."
"...Administration Bureau."
Stop.
At the sound I spat out, the action of the Mountain Lord grinning thinking he caught the prey stops.
"Child, why do you spit out that name now."
"There was someone who invited me here."
I declared clearly like that to that unpleasant face.
"Telling me to go find you. Saying I am a guest who should be here rightfully."
"Ha..."
Stagger.
As if truly regrettable, the man enjoying amusement like tag stepped back one step.
"What. I said you smelled like a suit-wearer, were you really a friend of those bastards?"
"Yes."
I never said anything wrong.
Since I really came here receiving their goodwill in the Underground Merchant Guild.
"Coming in as you pleased despite my warning, there was a reason you tried to covet even my prey."
Kkeul kkeul kkeul... (Laughing sound)
Momentarily, the man's voice degenerates.
The color pretending to be ordinary human eyes changes, and soon the areas of white and black reversed.
"Right. If a guest of my territory, I can give just one prey like that as a gift."
"Gift?"
"Take it and boil it or grill it, do as you please. Kkeul kkeul... Since it is a child scheduled to return to the forest anyway."
Returns?
Are you saying death in the forest is not the end.
'Dream.'
Right, this is inside a dream.
Don't know what they did, but a dream forest achieved according to that Anomaly's will.
"Since excitement dropped, shall I go play another game."
Looking at the back of the Mountain Lord turning back and leaving his way without paying attention to me and Yeon-seo anymore.
"Wait a moment."
"What is it, child. Even if you say you are a friend of those suit-wearer bastards, I do not leave a bastard interfering with my play alone."
Gulp...
Limit of patience is approaching.
Having experiences with numerous entities until now, I realized that Mountain Lord's mood is becoming uncomfortable slowly.
"This forest is a very important territory to you, right."
"Correct."
"But a problem occurred in that forest."
"What did you say?"
At those words, Mountain Lord's head turns again.
One white dot inside black universe.
At that gaze dwelt with anger, goosebumps rose on skin in real-time oso-so.
'Ugh.'
Maybe experiencing for the first time.
Director, Doctor, Bella.
While experiencing Anomalies they prepared, there was no existence expressing hostility to me this much.
"Child, you have no manners. Coming into someone else's house, are you saying with your mouth right now that you dirtied my house?"
"...I didn't know it would become like this either. Administration Bureau also sent me here without any measures."
"...."
Therefore use all moves I can use here.
Ominous connection touched with Administration Bureau.
Decided to shake it all off in this spot.
"What is the problem."
"If I knew this was Mountain Lord-nim's important place, I would have come more carefully. But, because it was too sudden... my house where I lived came along too."
Daycare.
Director's presence disappeared, but clearly in this forest, 'our' house where I was residing exists.
"House, house you say..."
"If only Mountain Lord-nim is okay, would you permit my house being here just for a very short moment?"
"Hmph, wicked thing. You are a child with a cunning corner more than you look."
Mountain Lord snorting paeng once in place said looking at me.
"It would be better to clean it up as soon as possible. Child, I permit because you have an appearance to my liking."
"Th, Thank you."
Ending with those words, Mountain Lord's figure really disappeared beyond the fog.
Ding!
「▶ You have succeeded in demonstrating outstanding improvisation against the owner of the forest.」
「▶ You have now been guaranteed a 'Temporary Safe Zone' in this forest.」
Temporary Safe Zone.
I looked down at the kid whose face turned white, Yeon-seo.
"Hic, hik."
"It's okay now."
"Yang Unnie... I, I'm scared. Too scared... Hiiing."
Although a situation faced suddenly, continuing conversation this much against the owner of Anomaly is a really good situation.
Wouldn't it be fine if I move Yeon-seo to the Daycare for now, and guide people wandering continuously.
'Administration Bureau Agent.'
My top priority goal is, as expected, facing agents who know about this place.
"Let's go."
"Where to...?"
"To our house."
I headed to where the Daycare is with Yeon-seo.
Daycare located in the dream is clearly different from what I know, but—
Still it must be Director's arrangement.
Crunch, crunch...
Passing the center of the foggy forest, relying on memory, succeeded in arriving at the old Daycare earlier somehow.
Rattle.
Grabbing and turning the door of Daycare carefully, soon let us in.
"Si, Sister..."
"It's okay."
Dragging Yeon-seo's hesitating hand gently, guided to inside immediately.
'Structure is the same.'
Opposite to the warm atmosphere I knew, but feel like Crying Ung-aes will pull out tentacles and attack from somewhere...!
At least in this Daycare, it must be correct that mine and Director's influence is being exerted.
"Yeon-seo-ya."
"Ung..."
"Here is a place our teacher is managing. You saw a scary person wandering outside earlier right? Person mimicking Yeon-seo's precious person."
"Hic, yes..."
"Here is a place existing to protect Yeon-seo from such scary person. To be safe, have to stay here continuously."
Requesting earnestly like that, I led Yeon-seo to my room.
In the midst of that.
Ding!
"....!"
「A Quest has arrived.」
**「▶ This place is a Temporary Safe Zone you established. Simultaneously, it is also a place where memories of you and Sunshine Daycare dwell.
If you achieve conditions, you might be able to use a part of Daycare's authority.」**
"Ah."
Thank goodness. Warmth didn't disappear entirely.
'Director.'
Recalling existence dyeing heart warmly, led Yeon-seo to my room for now.
"Sleepy right? Saw you dozing off earlier, sleep in the bed for now."
"Si, Sister...?"
"I will be here continuously too."
Laying her on the bed of my room relatively clean, Yeon-seo breathing evenly closing eyes stealthily.
Watching her quietly, I also felt drowsiness rushing in slowly.
'Is it time to go out now.'
Seems ominous invitation to dream ended here for now.
Feeling sensation like fog covering mind, soon vision is dyed completely black.
Like that—
"Hot."
I opened eyes again in my room full of love and warm in Daycare.
"Yeon-seo-ya!"
Called name immediately, but no returning reaction again.
Looking around, Director disappeared too and I was located lonely on the bed alone.
"....."
Mysterious and bizarre sensation as if waking up from a nightmare.
Groping side, familiar touch of phone felt.
**[↳ User: Mod-nim.
↳ Yes.
↳ User: I went to the dream.
↳ ...Are you okay?
↳ User: Worried about other agents there more than me.
↳ Missing agents haven't been discovered yet. Seems they are still trapped in 'inside dream' friend-nim mentions.]**
'Couldn't meet.'
Fortunate to save Yeon-seo guiding to Daycare, but there must be many victims still wandering that foggy forest.
Thought occurred whether I can save them all, but—
Soon shook head and denied.
'Can't.'
Mountain Lord is a really dangerous existence.
To the extent even myself 'barely' succeeded in overcoming crisis.
**[↳ User: Dream structure was quite unique. Dead people existed too, and Mountain Lord—so dream Anomaly seemed to make such people wander endlessly in his forest and make them components of Anomaly.
↳ Matches reports of agents before going missing.
↳ User: Still nothing revealed accurately about escape route yet right?
↳ ...Yes.]**
'Can I view as favorable when meeting next time too?'
"Don't think so."
Mountain Lord.
Super bad personality, looks greedy, existence enjoying people suffering.
'What do I do.'
I chewed on the content of quest given once again.
That if conditions are achieved, can use a part of Daycare's authority again.
Just what is that condition.
Slide.
"...Uh?"
Worrying for a long time, suddenly realized belatedly that icky sensation remains inside hand.
Checking it, red bloodstain remains in hand still.
"...!"
That thing clearly smeared when I touched Yeon-seo inadvertently.
'Can bring it out of dream?'
Can't enter holding something, but get to bring out what was influenced inside dream as is?
"....!"
In the midst of that, one realization flashed through head.
Why victims wander in forest forever and are processed as missing in reality.
That is, because they were encroached slowly by 'Forest' Mountain Lord prepared eventually—
Because that influence leaked out even to reality.
Meaning.
"...This."
Looking at bloodstain on my hand, I thought of one clever scheme.
"Can Mountain Lord, also come out of dream...?"
If invincible inside dream, just have to drag out of dream.
Such thought, remained in head intensely.