The purchase was a bit of an impulsive one. The moment I received the money, I converted it all into SP and bought the knife, leaving me with 3,322 SP left.
However, I felt that this was a necessary purchase.
Although the Dreamwalker was strong, I did need to be able to defend myself in case it was defeated. Perhaps, I could even use the Dreamwalker to help me defeat anomalies in order to grow the knife.
And…
It was also quite shiny.
The knife looked really good.
“Why are you bringing a knife with you? No…”
Kyle brought his hands towards his mouth.
“…Why are you here? Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t participate? If—”
“I already told you. I need inspiration for my new game.”
“Wha…”
Kyle looked speechless.
I wasn’t lying, though. I was really looking for inspiration for my new game. The games were my main source of income, and the key to helping me understand more about the disease that I currently had.
It was only through the SP that I gained that I could purchase the medicine required in order to alleviate the symptoms of my disease.
‘But then again, I could also earn money by finding weird places like this crack beneath me…’
I still couldn’t believe that they had given me so much money. But not only that, but from the way they were speaking, it was also clear that this was not much money to them.
In that case, what would one receive for higher rewards?
…And what about the salaries of the top recruits? How much does?
All of a sudden, I started to second-guess my decision not to join the Guild.
“Is everyone strapped in with the safety harness? Double check and make sure everything is in place.”
Overhearing the Team Leader’s words, I looked down at my own harness and pulled a couple of times. It looked quite safe to me.
The harness wasn’t the only thing attached to us. There was also a camera at the top of my head, and several body sensors that would transmit my vital signs to the agents above.
“Okay, it looks like everything is in check. You may all proceed into the crack.”
Twirling his finger in the air, the Team Leader turned around before saying, “I wish you all the best of luck.”
His words were met with a brief moment of silence before the members of the expedition squad jumped into the crack.
Staring at their bodies fading into the numerous corpses beneath, I found myself second-guessing my decision. However, thinking about the potential SP to be gained and the quest difficulty, I knew that this was possible for me.
‘I can do it! I can do it!’
Prepping myself up, I was just about to move into the crack when Kyle extended his hand and stopped me.
He had a concerned look on his face.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this? I don’t really understand why you’ve suddenly changed, but… are you really sure you want to do this? This is extremely dangerous. You might lose your life at any point. The moment we go down, I can’t care about you anymore. I’ll treat you the same as the others. I’m just telling you now before we go in. Are you okay with that?”
Hearing Kyle’s words, I could feel the genuine concern in them. He really was just looking out for me.
I knew that.
And yet…
“Yes, don’t mind me. Just do your thing. I’ll help out however I can.”
Kyle closed his eyes, his face looking like he had expected such an answer from me.
Eventually, nodding his head, he moved towards the other team members and jumped into the crack.
“Alright then. I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Right…”
Right after he jumped, I took a moment before staring at the other members of the team as they quietly jumped into the crack.
Of all the people present, the only one I could recognize was Zoey.
Everyone else, I was quite unfamiliar with.
‘I can figure it out later.’
Seeing the last person jump, I moved towards the crack before taking a deep breath.
Then—
I jumped.
“Ukh—!”
As soon as I jumped in, the air was knocked out of my lungs. Cold, brittle hands reached out from the dark, grabbing at my skin. Their fingers felt dry, like dead roots, wrapping around my arms, legs, and neck, pulling me down.
I tried to fight back, but their grip only got stronger. My skin scraped against their sharp nails as I turned my head, and saw a pair of lifeless eyes staring straight at me.
I gasped, but no air came.
Breathing got harder. It felt like I was sinking into a coffin, like I was being buried alive.
And they just kept dragging me deeper.
Eventually, everything went black.
*
“…..!”
By the time I regained consciousness, I found myself inside a familiar room.
But it was different. Just like on the tablet.
The walls, once a soft ivory, were now yellowed and damp, like old parchment left in the rain. The air was cold and thick, filled with the stench of rot and mold. Each breath felt like inhaling wet cloth.
The moonlight filtered through the open window, flickering in slow, uneven pulses that matched the rhythm of the swaying curtains, making the shadows twitch in the corners.
Creaak….
I tried to move, but the floorboards groaned beneath me, almost like they were breathing.
“What do you think?”
“…It’s just like the video. Everything is different. This does feel like a different plane. It’s really strange.”
“I’ve also lost communication with the Guild.”
I raised my body to see Kyle and the others already by the entrance of the room, inspecting the place.
None of them paid any attention to me. It was almost as though I didn’t exist.
‘So this is how Kyle looks when he’s at work.’
He looked and felt like a completely different person. His usual kind expression was gone, and in its place was a rather cold and stern one.
“You’re awake.”
As if finally noticing that I had woken up, Kyle nudged his head towards the bed.
“Since you’re the support class, you should remain in this room for now.”
He looked past the entrance. Towards the darkness.
“I’ll go explore the place with the others before coming back to get you. Don’t think I’m singling you out just because of our relationship. This is usually how things work. The support class, such as yours, usually stays by the entrance until we need them. As for the healing type…”
Kyle turned towards another figure before looking away.
“…They tend to come with us.”
He stepped forward after that.
He didn’t even give me a chance to say anything before he walked ahead and moved past the main door of the room, the others following him from behind.
Even Zoey didn’t spare me a second glance as she left.
“Wha, wait—!”
Ding!
A notification suddenly appeared in front of me before I could stop it.
“Huh?”
[Congratulations!]
[You have found the scenario!]
———
[Operation: A well-mannered guest]
Class : ■■■
: A suburban estate, surrounded by familiar-looking houses. The house is just like the others outside. Two floors, a garage, a garden… and a man secretly lurking within its premises.
Guests are encouraged to explore in absolute silence. Every whisper, breath, or footstep will be heard, recorded, and used. The Twisted Man is always listening. He does not chase what he can see…
He chases what he can hear.
———
Eh…?
This was rather unexpected.