Just like the human models from urban legends, that thing seemed to have locked onto the three of them and was persistently following behind. As long as they turned their backs, it would rush forward at an extremely rapid speed. Then, the moment any one of the three turned to look at it, it would stop in place and revert to a completely motionless mannequin.
Takumi tried smashing it with the mop twice. It was not difficult—the moment he swung the mop, it shattered all over the floor. But as soon as he looked away for even a short while, it would swiftly return to a complete state and continue trailing behind them.
Perhaps he could try dismantling it and throwing the pieces into different places?
Although the idea was somewhat bold, after thinking it over, Takumi decided not to act rashly. Even though the thing did not seem highly threatening at first glance, considering that it was connected to other Aberrations, if he truly rendered it unable to restore itself, something worse might occur. It was better to maintain the current relatively controllable situation.
Moreover, Takumi could sense that its aberrant nature was not limited to merely following the living. It seemed that once it approached a living person within a certain distance, something bad would happen. Therefore, even after smashing it, he absolutely could not get close to it.
And the thing that required attention now was not only this human model.
"Just now, in that restroom… the person who went in was wearing our school uniform, but I couldn't tell whether she was someone I know."
Miko had also seen the figure that flashed past the restroom entrance and immediately whispered an explanation to Takumi.
She had clearly seen the thing that passed by the restroom entrance?
Takumi had only caught a vague glimpse of something appearing and disappearing, yet Miko beside him had apparently seen it clearly enough to even discern that the person had long black wavy hair reaching near the waist. He had no idea how she managed to make out so many details.
Miko's eyes wouldn't react to anything except Aberrations—she could only see especially clearly when she was looking at those things.
"Pick up the pace. Try not to make too much noise, and stay farther away from that bathroom."
As he spoke, Takumi kept close to the wall along one side of the corridor, quickly passing through the area where that bathroom was.
Miko followed carefully. As she went, she didn't forget to look back from time to time, so that the human model wouldn't get too close.
As for the girl called Ogawa Kyoko, she was trembling all over. She wanted to walk faster, but her hands and feet simply wouldn't listen to her; she could only force herself to trail behind the other two. From time to time, when she heard the sound of the human model walking behind them, she would turn pale with fright. It was clear her mental state was in pretty bad shape.
At the end of this corridor, after turning the corner, they would pass the three second-year classes—Class 4, Class 3, and Class 2. After that, they would enter a hall. At the very back of the hall, they could find the entrances to the records room and the bathroom. Once they got there, they should be able to find something useful.
However, these three classrooms that they would inevitably have to pass—no one knew what the situation would be like.
While thinking, the three of them took turns looking back, and slowly arrived at the corner of the corridor.
The pitch-black corridor was littered with broken tiles and crumbled wall plaster. Some discarded snack wrappers lay on the floor; it was obvious the wrappers themselves had already started to fade with age. There were also some strange graffiti drawings on the walls.
Takumi's gaze swept over the wall. He looked at some of the graffiti and found that the content was roughly the same: all of them depicted various fierce, ferocious monsters, and then drew a little girl with those monsters—either being torn apart by them, being eaten on the spot, or being shut inside a cage, with all kinds of cages held in the monsters' hands. Strangely, no matter which graffiti it was, the little girl's face was full of a smile, as if everything the monsters were doing to her made her happy.
Ahead past the corridor corner, the dark corridor was lit by a faint glow.
That light came from the windows on one side. From inside the classroom beyond those windows, a dim light shone out—light the same color as candlelight—casting onto the corridor.
Takumi stepped into the corridor, turned his head, and looked through the window. He saw the scene inside the second-year Class 004 classroom.
A shabby classroom that had been abandoned for a long time.
Yet all the desks were still properly arranged. On every single desk, a candle was lit, quietly burning and quietly giving off light.
The seats were empty—there wasn't a person in sight.
Every seat was empty—nothing but the candles on the desks.
It looked like a room set up specifically for players to gather candles and extend their survival time—a kind of resource room.
But Takumi had no intention of going inside.
Because the way Miko deliberately avoided looking toward the window already said a lot.
"Where are they?"
Takumi lowered his head and whispered by Miko's ear.
"...All under the windows. They're staring at us."
Miko simply didn't have the courage to meet those things' eyes again. Avoiding their gaze, she told Takumi.
They were students with bodies torn to pieces—bloody, horrifying.
Even though they were almost no longer human, like they'd been cut into chunks of meat of all different sizes, they were still stuck together. And they were still wearing perfectly intact school uniforms. Right now, every single one of them was sprawled against the window, pounding on the glass, reaching their hands out toward her as if begging for help.
Begging for help...?
Miko realized that neither Takumi nor Kyoko could see or hear any of the students' movements. Her heart started pounding faster and faster, and she could only keep her head down and keep walking forward.
'Why can I see these things?'
'Why do I have to go through something like this?'
It was so terrifying, so horrific—just one look made her legs go weak, made her feel like she'd reached the limit of fear.
The girl wailed silently in her mind.
She turned her head again and looked at the human model following behind them. Seeing that thing had, without her noticing, closed the distance again, she hurried her steps. Only after she reached Takumi's side did she feel able to breathe a little easier.
Come to think of it, this Takumi-san—up to now, he's been calm the whole time.
Miko stole a glance at Takumi, at this man whose expression had never changed from start to finish, who kept advancing cautiously.
Unlike her, who was only forcing herself to look calm on the outside, this man seemed truly calm. He hadn't been frightened by those terrifying things at all. He had been seriously thinking and analyzing the situation in front of them the whole time, and actively taking action.
If she had to face a place this terrifying on her own...
Needless to say, she would definitely be wiped out by those things very quickly. There was no way she'd have had a chance to escape the classroom and make it here.
As she was thinking, the three of them had already passed Class 4's area and arrived where Class 3 was.
The curtains in this classroom were drawn, so they couldn't see what was inside.
But Miko could hear the sound of whispering coming from within, like a lot of people were talking in there—saying something inside.
What they were saying inside was...
[Three people are coming over outside.]
[It's two—there are two people.]
[Isn't it four?]
[I want that girl. I want her to play with me.]
[Then let's hide her pencil.]
[Where should we hide it?]
[Hide it in the bathroom. Then, when she can't find it, we'll tell her.]
[And then splash water on her, and dump the bathroom bucket over her.]
[That way she'll be our good friend.]
[Good friend, good friend, good friend—hehehe~]
She couldn't make out who exactly was speaking.
Behind the curtains, it seemed like several people were secretly watching her and the two beside her.
No—that was definitely not a person, but something disguised as a person, something imitating one.
Has it locked onto me as its target?
Wait—why did those things say there were "two people"?
Miko's gaze flicked quickly toward Takumi, then she immediately dismissed the suspicion. She didn't think there was anything wrong with Takumi. In her view, if Takumi were already forced into a life-or-death situation, then she would certainly die before he did—that was simply the difference in their abilities.
Then as for herself… I should be fine too.
As she was thinking, Miko turned her head and looked at Kyoko, who was walking at the very back of their three-person group.
When Kyoko saw Miko looking at her, she stopped, shrinking back as she followed the motion of looking behind them—at the human model trailing far behind the three of them.
Every time Miko turned back to check the situation, this girl would stop as well and look behind. Only after Miko started walking forward again would she follow and continue on, remaining at the back of the group.
At that moment, Miko fell silent.
Then, still keeping her gaze fixed on Kyoko and the human model, she took a step backward—and bumped into Takumi.
"Um… what's wrong? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Seeing Miko acting so strangely, Kyoko couldn't help but ask.
She stood where she was, not moving forward.
The human model also stood still, no longer following.
At the moment Miko maintained her gaze, those two figures both stopped at the same time in the corridor.
"…"
Takumi only glanced back once, and he understood what Miko meant.
He reached out and steadied her by the shoulder. Just like that, the two of them moved forward together—one watching ahead, the other watching behind—continuing deeper into the dark corridor.
"H-hey, wait, wait—why are you walking so fast? I, I…"
A panicked expression appeared on Kyoko's face.
She cried out, yet her feet remained planted where she stood; she couldn't move forward even a single step.
It seemed she had realized something. Blankly, she lowered her head.
In the candlelight, she saw that she now had an extra shadow.
...
"She… is she still human?"
After pulling some distance away from Kyoko, Miko fell silent for a moment, then still couldn't bear not to ask Takumi.
"...For now, she still is. But she won't be in a moment."
After hearing the girl's question, Takumi glanced at Kyoko again, then shook his head as he spoke.
She had already been locked onto by the human model's aberrant power. Takumi wasn't entirely sure how it took effect, but it was very likely because she had fallen to the very back. The human model seemed as though it could only catch up when they weren't looking at it, but in reality, once it latched onto someone, the last person in the group would be transformed bit by bit into something like it. This transformation was extremely subtle. If Takumi were the one judging, he might have had to walk a while longer—only noticing once the aberrant aura around Kyoko became obvious.
But now, Miko had detected that something was wrong far faster than he could.
"How did you notice? Did you see something?"
Takumi no longer looked at Kyoko—who was already doomed beyond doubt, standing there and sobbing softly—but instead turned to Miko and asked.
Even though Kyoko had not yet been transformed by the aberrant power, it was like the players who had heard the knocking at the door in the Shirakawa Apartments—her current state was already irreversible. Takumi didn't know what could be done to stop her transformation, so the only option was to distance themselves.
"I…"
Miko nodded lightly, thinking about how to explain to Takumi what she had just heard.
Then, after passing Class 3, the two of them arrived at the area outside Class 2 in the next moment.
Inside the classroom—where candles were burning, and on every desk sat a student's head split vertically in two along with a severed hand—a beam of flashlight suddenly shone straight toward the two of them as they walked slowly along the corridor.
It was a woman.
Or rather, at least the body was that of a woman.
Above the neck, amid torn flesh and blood, thick iron nails had pinned a large searchlight onto the woman's severed neck.
And now, that lamp had turned to shine directly at Takumi and Miko.
An intense chill swept over Takumi in an instant.
Without the slightest hesitation, he broke into a run, dragging Miko with him as he suddenly accelerated into a sprint.
Amid the sudden crash of shattering glass, the woman—both of her arms severed, only her legs still able to move—appeared in the corridor. A rasping [hiss—hiss—] breathing sound came from her trachea as she lunged in pursuit of Takumi and Miko.
As they ran, Miko's gaze was no longer fixed on Kyoko.
And so, the Kyoko who had just been standing there with her head lowered and sobbing suddenly went rigid. She raised her head—her face had already turned into a plastic fake face. Her clothes split and fell away. Half of her body had become a smooth plastic torso; from the other half, skin and flesh peeled off and dropped to the ground, revealing plastic muscles and plastic organs inside.
Then, completely transformed into a plastic mannequin, Kyoko stepped forward together with the human model behind her, charging after Takumi and Miko at extreme speed.
A piercing noise spread through the corridor.
And Takumi had already seen the hall ahead at the end of the corridor—and standing within it, one after another, were students holding candles in their hands, headless, with a white chrysanthemum inserted into their necks. The candles in their hands, at the instant Takumi's gaze fell upon them, immediately began to burn and be consumed at high speed.
...
[Character Card: Veteran Player Takumi]
Name: Takumi
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Height: 183 cm
Era: Modern
Occupation: Professional writer
[CoC Template Base Attributes:]
Strength: 110 (Blessed inhuman strength)
Agility: 110 (Blessed inhuman agility)
Constitution: 120 (Blessed and empowered inhuman physique)
Build: 73 (Tall and well-built)
Intelligence/Idea: 85 (Genius-level standard)
Education: 70 (University graduate level of education)
Appearance: 80 (Well-proportioned features, dignified bearing)
Willpower: 135 (A blessed heart of steel)
Luck: 85 (A person blessed with great fortune)
[Skills Possessed:]
[I. Standard Skills:]
Brawl (Unarmed): 80
Spot Hidden: 81
Stealth: 50
Dodge: 68
Listen: 65
First Aid: 71
Persuade: 70
Drive (Automobile): 75
Art (Writing): 79
Library Use: 64
Anthropology: 70
Climb: 76
Jump: 76
[Slightly improved after the Red Nut Grey Cave Instance]
Survival (Mountain): 72
Navigate: 74
Mechanical Repair: 70
[II. Special Skills:]
[Omniscient Language: 150]
A special ability gained after transmigration—able to master all languages and scripts since the birth of human civilization, and perhaps even understand things beyond that domain?
[Information Comprehension: 99]
Able to understand virtually all forms of information exchange—sign language, coded language, ciphered texts, and so on. As long as there are discernible patterns and sufficient samples, the content can be understood and the method of communication mastered at the fastest possible speed.
[III. Blessings of the Possessed Spirits]
[Takeda Saori's Blessing]
Originates from the blessing of the girl freed from Shirakawa Apartments.
Effect 1: Able to discern the goodwill or malice in others' hearts; able to identify non-human existences hidden among humans.
Effect 2: Accelerates wound healing, increases tolerance to hunger and pain, and strengthens willpower.
Effect 3: Develops a stronger liking for candy; dietary preferences will slightly favor sweets.
[Kyosei's Blessing]
Originates from the blessing of the young man freed from Shirakawa Apartments.
Effect 1: Transmits part of the skills mastered by Kyosei, enhances certain skills, learns new techniques, and directly attains the same level of proficiency as Kyosei.
Effect 2: Increases resistance to the mental corruption of Horror Story, strengthens willpower, and enhances luck.
Effect 3: When using the Obsession Item [Rescue Team Badge], the rate of corruption accumulation decreases, allowing it to be sustained for a longer period; simple commands may be issued to the summoned rescue team members. Note that commands must not contradict "rescue duties."
[Hedda's Blessing]
Originates from the blessing of the woman freed from Red Nut Grey Cave.
Effect 1: Greatly enhances all basic attributes such as strength, speed, and neural reflexes; reduces all damage received by the user and weakens the influence of Aberration power on the user. During activation, stamina is continuously consumed. Prolonged use may lead to fainting or even sudden death, and must be used with caution.
Effect 2: Identifies "humans who are different from ordinary people," recognizing those with antisocial tendencies, abnormal fetishes, severe mental illness, and others who differ greatly from normal people.
[Andres's Blessing]
Originates from the blessing of the man freed from Red Nut Grey Cave.
Effect: Establishes a link with the person with whom one is truly in love, allowing instant movement to the other's location or moving the other to one's own location. This blessing is not affected by spatial or temporal separation within the same Instance. After use, the cooldown time is approximately 24 hours.
[Why do you have more than one blessing link target? —Left by Andres before his passing.]
[Empowerment of the Voice of Dusk]
An empowerment granted only to those who clear a Dusk-level game with an S-grade evaluation. Strength, agility, constitution, and will are infused with mysterious power, reaching levels beyond the limits of humanity.
[Personal Clear Achievements]
[House of Corpse Whispers — Shirakawa Apartments]
Clear Rank: S
This Instance has been permanently destroyed.
[Claustrophobia — Red Nut Grey Cave]
Clear Rank: S
This Instance has been permanently destroyed.
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