By Any Chance, Do You Like Playing in the Sand?
Translator Notes: Changed Ma-bung-i to its exact contextual English equivalent: Witch Gallery User
By Any Chance, Do You Like Playing in the Sand?
I don't know why a single minute feels so agonizingly long today.
"Hurry... Hurry up... Teddy Bear-jjang..."
I thought the teddy bear would be able to counterattack at least once.
Who would have thought it'd get one-second-KO'd by a rough-looking Russian!
"Isn't everyone being way too mean?!"
What on earth did I even do?
Why did you bring a whole army!
I bit my thumb nail and hugged my knees on the bed.
"The game rules... are working properly, right?"
If I hadn't changed the maze gimmick...
The Tag would have been reduced to a sandbag,
And their heart would have been ripped out long ago.
Torn, chewed on, and subjected to all sorts of terrible things.
"Ugh!"
Just imagining it gives me goosebumps.
Before I knew it, the sand in the one-minute hourglass had fully gathered at the bottom.
Familiar Synchronization right away!
The teddy bear's field of vision unfolds inside my mind.
However...
"Umm..."
Was I worrying over nothing?
The hallway was absolute pandemonium.
Authority Skill, 《Innocence》.
If a target within the territory suffers fatal damage, they turn into a toy.
I only granted a brief stay of execution on this,
Yet they're biting each other,
Stabbing knives into each other's backs...
"What a mess, what a mess..."
It's not quite the picture I had in mind,
But anyway, we survived the crisis, right?
Time for a drink.
"Fuhung."
I can't be the only one watching this tear-jerking battle royale popcorn show.
Well, I did make a promise to the Witch Gallery users too.
[General] Witch Gallery User baby house.mp4
Author: Anonymous(404.404)
(Video of them bursting each other's cotton in a brawl)
Fucking humans came on a group tour and are now filming a battle royale among themselves lolol
Mirror Therapy Specialist: ??? What's this? Wasn't it a maze?
└ Room-bound Shrine Maiden-chan: Hawawa... For a second, I thought the genre had changed, desu..
└ Corpse Lover: ..Thought it was a schizophrenia bastard's house;;;
└ Schizophrenia Max: Fuck, what's wrong with my house?
Slicing Raw Deep Sea Fish: Kyah, the newbie plays pretty well. But a battle royale,, is that a trap?
└ Anonymous(404.404): Uh.. Is it a trap? Since it's an installed object, I guess you could view it as a trap, yeah.
└ Futanari Big Sister: So where is newbie-ching's baby house?? Can big sister knock kkyung-kkyung too? ><
└ Anonymous(404.404): ??
└ Wishing for Enhancement Success: Dumbass.
Frostbitten Harubang: Defending against a large-scale subjugation force... with 10,000 points... isn't easy... You devised a good strategy... Good.
└ Anonymous(404.404): Hehe, it's thanks to the tip posts, thank you, thank you.
"Heo-hee."
I got praised by everyone.
Just as I sat on the edge of the bed, swinging my feet back and forth,
The head mod left a sharp comment.
Life Logout ♥: Looking at the rough estimate, as long as there are no B-class hunters, you should be able to defend smoothly. But newbie-ya, how are you going to supply emotions? They're too low-tier, so it won't be cost-effective.
Ugh.
To hit the nail on the head so suddenly...
That hurts.
The settlement log pops up in real-time.
[Territory Defense Settlement Details]
D-Class Hunter Slain:
+ 50 pt
+ 50 pt
+ 50 pt
.
.
.
※ Emotion Supply Bonus:
None.
[Points Held: 1,350 pt]
Since there are many people, it's pretty lucrative, but...
There isn't a single emotion supply bonus.
"Awoo, seriously, happy emotions are such bullshit...!"
If I were 'Corpse Lover',
I would have landed 3x critical hits left and right!
Kuaaaa!
I feel like I'm going to turn to the dark side!!
"Puu."
Puffing out my soft cheeks, I flopped down onto the bed.
How on earth am I supposed to make these murderer bastards happy?
The dopamine when chasing someone...
That's why I even let them be the 'Tag'!
What more do you want me to do here?
My head feels like it's about to explode as it is,
When an anomalous movement caught my eye through the teddy bear's vision.
"Mmm...?"
What is that now?
I sat up from the bed.
A neat suit outfit that looks somewhat familiar.
And dark, shoulder-length short hair swaying gently.
"Huh? Uh, uh, uh?!"
The C-class female hunter who was desperate to catch me in Seocho-dong?!
"Why is that woman here?!"
Don't tell me she's been obsessively tracking me ever since that day?
This stalker bitch!!
What's more, her movements were on a completely different level.
She's breaking through while dodging the Tags' attacks by a hair's breadth.
Furthermore...
While reverse-guiding the Tags' movement paths,
She accurately stepped on the red pressure plate at the entrance of the maze.
Kugugugung!
The wall descends, dividing the camps of the Tags and the hunters.
Kwang!
"Hoeee...?"
What's up with that noona?
She couldn't have figured out the maze's gimmick, right?
N-No.
It's still okay.
I still have my trump card left!
There definitely won't be a problem.
...Probably?
Pajijijijik!
Blue lightning flashed and traversed the hallway.
Seo Yuna reflexively snapped her head back.
In that split second,
The tips of her black hair were scorched crisp.
The lightning grazed past her by a hair's breadth and struck directly behind her.
"Kueeeeeee!"
A Black Hand guild member screamed and collapsed.
The bizarre transformation occurred right after.
The guild member rolling on the floor creaked as he raised his body.
Ddiyong!
His eyeballs popped out, dangling on springs.
"Phew... Thought I was gonna die."
"No, you... You... Your eyes."
"Huh? What about my eyes? Speak clearly."
"You idiot! The mirror. Look at this!"
"Huh? What... Hik! Fuck! Why is my face like this?!"
The subjugation force backed away from the guild member who had turned into a toy.
In an instant, the emotion of 'fear' spread out.
If it gets any later, the subjugation force will fall into panic.
'I must stop that at all costs!'
Yuna readjusted her grip on her dagger, veins bulging on her neck.
"Everyone, calm down! As long as you don't get injured, there won't be a problem!!"
Adolf looked down at his left hand.
'...Injured? Hmph, so that's how it was.'
Before he knew it, his blunt doll hand had returned to a leather glove.
If you kill an intruder,
This absurd curse is put on hold.
'It's just as the text before my eyes says.'
Then the answer was clear.
Beat to death targets that aren't the Tag to buy time,
And within that time, simply subjugate the arrogant witch.
He curled the corners of his lips into a smirk as he looked at Yuna.
"Not bad."
"Adolf-ssi! Why on earth are you doing this?!"
"...Why?"
Adolf extended both hands once more.
"You'll find out once you die."
"...Kh!"
A human cannot be faster than lightning.
Flash!
Pajijijijik!
Yet this time as well, the lightning narrowly missed Yuna's left arm.
"What?"
She dug into Adolf's chest.
Just before her dagger could slash his nape,
Adolf hurriedly took a backstep.
Then he narrowed his eyes and glared at her.
"You... What are you? How did you dodge that?"
Yuna watched his hands with a cold gaze.
"I have no obligation to tell an enemy."
"...Then die."
The moment he aimed with his hands,
Yuna immediately kicked off the ground.
Pat!
Adolf's lightning travels in a straight line.
'Predict the aiming trajectory and step in advance!'
Of course, this was close to a gamble,
But victory is originally decided by a hair's breadth.
"Don't resent me!"
She intended to close the distance and end his breath in one go.
However, seeing the corners of Adolf's lips rise,
'Don't tell me?'
Yuna urgently stamped her foot and retreated backward.
Kwareureung!
Lightning discharged in all directions from Adolf's entire body.
The surrounding mafia members who failed to dodge trembled violently.
"Ogogogogok!"
"Kueeok!"
Soon, they collapsed as they turned into plush cotton dolls,
And the mercenaries who had become toys stumbled to their feet.
As if their voices wouldn't come out,
They were flapping their blunt front paws.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Bae Sinhyeok shouted.
"Vice Guild Leader! I'll leave that side to you!"
He led the other guild members and dashed toward a different passage.
"Huh? Guild Leader?! W-Wait a moment!"
Yuna gripped her dagger and watched the crowd rushing away in a flock.
"Bae Sinhyeok..."
Instead of helping, he used his guild members as bait to run away.
"You call yourself a guild leader after doing that?!"
Just then, one of the fleeing guild members stepped on a yellow pressure plate.
Kkuk.
Then, a block wall descended from the ceiling, blocking the passage.
Kuuung!!
"...?"
The maze altered?
Bbyok bbyok bbyok bbyok.
Yuna lightly dodged a toy kitchen knife stabbed at her from behind by a mafia member.
She then slashed his neck with her dagger.
Seogeok.
No blood spattered.
Only white cotton burst out from between the torn neck.
"...What should I do?"
The guild had abandoned her,
And the surrounding mercenaries were targeting her.
The worst numerical disadvantage.
Yuna quickly scanned her surroundings.
The guild members separated when the maze altered a moment ago totaled 22 people.
However, they were busy fleeing through the newly opened side passage.
"Tsk..."
Of course, they aren't the ones who matter right now.
Yuna's gaze landed on three colored pressure plates.
Red, yellow, blue.
Stepping on those altered the path.
'Could it be...'
A hypothesis flashed through her mind.
To gain certainty,
She needed to move on to the next area, but...
'Let's not hesitate. Dragging out time will only put me at a disadvantage.'
Having made up her mind, Yuna charged toward Adolf.
"Foolish bitch. After taking a hit like that, you're coming at me in close combat again?"
He prepared to discharge electricity once more, but
Contrary to expectations,
She stepped off the side wall, leaped, and broke straight through the mafia members.
And upon landing, she stepped on the red pressure plate.
Kkuk.
A new path opened, splitting to the left and right.
"What?!"
Adolf blinked blankly before hurriedly running over.
"You! You figured out something about this maze, didn't you?! Right?!"
However, Yuna sprinted without even looking back.
"Wait, hold on! Let's call a truce..."
She cut through the wind so fast that
Adolf's voice echoed and faded away.
'The next pressure plate... I have to find the pressure plate.'
The moment she turned the corner,
A giant pink teddy bear raised its front paw high, but
"Kkyaung!"
Seeing the front paw slamming down,
Yuna instead slid into its chest.
At the same time, she slashed the teddy bear's leg with her dagger as she passed.
Seogeok.
"Kkyauuuung!!"
The teddy bear lost its balance and collapsed.
Flailing around—
It tried to stand up somehow,
But with cotton leaking from its leg, it didn't seem easy.
Yuna ignored the teddy bear and ran down the hallway.
The teddy bear Adolf had burned up earlier...
Yet an identical entity appeared before her eyes again.
That means...
It either respawns after a certain period of time,
Or multiple identical entities are roaming the maze.
In that case, there's no need to fight it.
Stripping its mobility is enough.
If her guess is correct, it didn't 'die', so it won't respawn.
Before long,
"There it is."
Three more pressure plates appeared before Yuna's eyes.
Orange, purple, green.
She stood in front of the pressure plates and pondered for a moment.
The colors that appeared just now were red, yellow, and blue.
If combined with these colors...
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.
What if indigo is added here?
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
The 7 colors of the rainbow would be complete.
"I really hope my guess is right."
Just in time, the sound of Adolf's group's footsteps could be heard.
Dududududududu.
"...I don't have the luxury to verify at my leisure, huh."
Yuna forcefully stepped on the orange pressure plate.
Kugugugung!
The blocked path opened, and the back closed off.
And while going straight through the maze,
Surprisingly, there were no monsters encountered either.
"Then..."
In other words, there is only one monster in this area,
And the rule that it respawns upon death has become clear.
Just like a game of tag...
"Fufu. What a cute idea."
As expected, the young witch back then isn't evil.
It's just that at a young age,
The world is lonely and scary...
"Just wait a little. Big sister will save you."
Yuna stepped on the next yellow pressure plate and entered a new path.
Kugugugung!
Standing before the next pressure plate,
"Kuaaaaaack!!"
She stopped her footsteps at the scream coming from the side path.
"Mm?"
Bae Sinhyeok was panting heavily, leading 10 guild members as he ran over.
"V-Vice Guild Leader!!"
Seeing Seo Yuna, he waved his hand in delight.
"Oh! You were alive, Yuna-ya! As expected of the Vice Guild Leader I trust the most!"
Truly...
What a thick skin he has.
"Guild Leader-nim, you're alive yourself? Even after throwing your subordinates away as bait?"
Bae Sinhyeok waved his hands dismissively, pouring out excuses.
"Eey, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! This was all a strategy! I moved like that because I trusted you!"
"What strategy? As the Vice Guild Leader, I haven't heard a thing about it?"
"I told you earlier! If you just keep touching the left wall in this maze, an exit is bound to come out! Don't you know the Rule of the Left Hand?"
To think he's still spouting that bullshit.
"While you held off Adolf, I searched all over, I tell you! So from now on, just trust me and follow along!"
Yuna let out a sigh and shook her head.
"You're wrong. In this maze, the path only opens if you step on the pressure plates in the order of rainbow colors."
Bae Sinhyeok furrowed his brow.
"Euing? How can you be so sure of that? What if it's not? Can you take responsibility for those words?"
To think he's putting on airs even in this situation.
"If you can't believe it, move separately then."
When she made a stern threat, Bae Sinhyeok's shoulders flinched.
"Ayy, why are you getting angry? A guild leader has to consider various situations, that's why. Of course I trust our Yuna's words."
With that open mouth of his,
He sure speaks fluently.
"...By the way, where did the other guild members go for there to be only this many?"
Out of the 60 guild members, there were barely 10 left.
Bae Sinhyeok pressed his temples and shuddered.
"Ahyu! Don't even mention it. Those bastards suddenly went crazy and started stabbing their allies to death, it was total chaos."
Yuna recalled Adolf, who had turned violent after receiving an attack.
'Is it a mental hypnosis-type magic?'
However, Adolf clearly recognized her as a hunter.
Which means it wasn't a hallucination.
Anyway.
"Never get injured inside the witch's house. Even a graze means it's over."
"U-Uh, yeah. Got it."
They stepped on the next pressure plate and moved across.
The situation progressed smoothly without a single monster.
Unlike his intimidated self earlier, Bae Sinhyeok wore a confident smile.
"Keuheueu. See? Didn't I tell you? This witch is a weakling who fell to corruption not long ago! You guys hit the jackpot! If we just get the witch's heart this time, isn't it a life reversal?"
Yuna stopped walking and glared fiercely at him.
"Guild Leader-nim, can you only see the witch's heart in this situation? When our comrades have died in such numbers?"
Bae Sinhyeok replied shamelessly.
"What can you do? The dead are dead, and the living gotta live. It might sound cold, but that's what being a guild leader originally is."
"...A guild leader is such a cowardly position?"
"This bitch? I let it slide because you're the Vice Guild Leader. What's with that tone of voice! Won't you apologize right now?!"
She pulled out a white envelope from her inner jacket pocket and handed it to his chest.
"I'll make this clear. Once this mission is over, I will leave the guild."
"...Uh?"
Bae Sinhyeok wore a sour expression,
But soon curled the corners of his lips upward.
"Got it, got it. Let's talk about the rest after finishing the mission and going outside. Alright?"
"...Hmph."
With that, they stepped on the purple pressure plate.
Kkuk.
Simultaneously with the retreat route being blocked, the field of vision ahead opened up wide.
Kugugugugung!
"W-What is it all of a sudden?"
"..."
The hallway floor was completely covered in sand.
And a 4-meter-high sand fortress blocked the passage.
At the alien landscape so distinctly different from the other hallways, Yuna swallowed her saliva.
'What on earth is this place?'
Just then.
A small head popped up above the sand fortress wall.
"Huh? You are?"
Yuna recognized the girl in an instant.
A small child with voluminous platinum blonde hair tied in pigtails.
It's the young witch she saw in Seocho-dong back then.
"H-Hello..."
Tears welled up in her clear amethyst eyes.
The girl sobbed in a delicate voice.
"Um... Our house is still under construction, so it's messy... Could you perhaps come back next time...?"
Yuna slowly lowered her dagger.
'As expected...'
This witch has no hostility toward humans.
She's just scared.
A pitiful existence who became a witch at a young age without knowing anything.
She raised both hands.
"Calm down. We're not trying to hurt you..."
Just as she was about to approach the girl,
Bae Sinhyeok twirled his tonfa and exuded murderous intent.
"It's that bitch! That bitch is the witch! Get her right now!!"
At his command, the guild members charged forward.
"Everyone, stop!"
Yuna shouted in utter shock,
But before the hope of escape, there was nothing that could stop them.
"Since everyone wants to play with me so much..."
The girl let out a deep sigh from atop the sand fortress wall.
"Huuung... It can't be helped then."
She slowly raised a red squeaky hammer.
"By any chance, do you like playing in the sand?"